Chapter 145 Fight Or Die
"Where are you human~"
The chilling whisper echoed through the dark alley, causing a shiver to run down my spine.
The Demon that had injured this human was here.
Instantly, I spun around my heel, gazing toward the group of girls, who were already trembling in fear.
"Don't let out a fucking sound..."
Gushing out the words through my teeth in a hushed and urgent tone, I motioned for the girls to stay quiet and hide.
I also pressed myself against the wall, hoping to blend into the shadows and avoid detection.
Tap... Tap...
The sound of nails scraping against the concrete resounded ominously, growing louder and closer with each passing moment.
Carefully, I glanced over the corner where we all hid, trying to identify the source of the sound.
However, the dark alley was empty...
Until I raised my head above and saw a Demon climbing down the wall, its claws digging into the bricks, leaving behind deep gouges.
"Human~"
Demon's red eyes glowed with a wicked intensity as it called out the injured human, the last syllable elongated and dripping with an eerie satisfaction.
"You are still breathing..."
The eerie smile on the Demon's face widened as he noticed the rough breathing of the human, who was already mangled beyond recognition.
Knowing what will happen next, I gestured toward the girls to turn around, since I wasn't so sure they wouldn't scream at the horrific sight that was about to unfold before our eyes.
Pluck...
I watched as the Demon impaled the lying human with its razor-sharp claws, the sickening sound of flesh tearing and filling the air.
"You've given me a scar... Consider this a payback~"
The demon licked its lips before letting the human corpse drop to the floor with a sickening thud.
Thud...
Taking in a deep breath, the Demon raised its head and sniffed the air, as if searching for any lingering scent of fear or danger.
This sent a shiver down my spine.
If it was going to try to track humans by scent then we would be the next target.
'Shit...'
Cursing under my breath, I slowly backed away from the corner, throwing a glance at the 5 girls that were currently huddled together, fear etched on their faces.
"We are about to engage with a D- Rank Demon..."
I whispered quietly, trying to sound as confident as possible, while also glancing over my shoulder to see that the creature was still there.
"I don't know your abilities or what weapon you use, but don't you dare tremble in fucking fear while we fight"
Locking eyes with all of them, I took a deep breath before pulling out my Authority.
"If one of us dies, the others will follow suit..."
I spoke solemnly, but luckily my speech seemed to awaken the survival instincts within them.
They quickly pulled out their weapons, wiping away the tears streaming down their faces.
Tap...
Carefully, I placed unconscious Rose onto the ground, making sure she was positioned away from the impending battle.
Grabbing a nearby cloth that was not stained with mud or dirt, I threw it onto her, so that if somebody found her while we were combating the Demon, they would only think of her as a trash bag.
"Humans~"
Just as I tightened my grip on the Authority, the Demon let out a sinister chuckle, its voice echoing through the dimly lit alleyway.
I didn't even hesitate before emerging from behind the corner, meeting the red eyes of the Demon.
The girls that were behind me, were trembling under the gaze of the being but I merely shrugged it off.
It wasn't the first one I had faced, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
Fear would only be a hindrance in this situation.
"Brave aren't we..."
The Demon hissed, its voice filled with mockery and malice. It lifted its bloody claw to his face, licking the blood that dripped from its sharp talons.
"Ughh..."
I could hear one of the girls whimper at the gruesome sight, but I merely shifted my gaze toward her.
"Don't you dare to run..."
My golden eyes swirled with powerful emotions or rather with two all-consuming ones.
Calmness and Malice.
Seeing my gaze, the girl with a ponytail bit her lip, trying to hold the sob rising in her throat.
Click...
Readying my Longsword, I placed my finger onto the blade of my authority, drawing a quick symbol and supplying it with Mana.
Crack...
Suddenly, flames surged from my Authority, making the Demon raise its eyebrows in surprise, however, I didn't give it a second to react.
Swish...
I lunged toward the being as fast as possible, my leg muscles straining under the sudden burst of speed.
With a swift flick of my wrist, I swung my burning weapon, aiming for the neck of the Demon.
"Pathetic attempt, human..."
Clank...
The Demon raised its own clawed hand, blocking my strike with ease. The force of my blow didn't even make it flinch.
Before I could even react it swung its other hand toward my chest, aiming to impale me with its sharp talons.
Whoosh...
However, a lone fire projectile whizzed past my head, distracting the Demon for a split second and making him block the attack with the full force of its arm.
This gave me some time to evade its attack and turn back toward the group of girls behind me.
While four of them held melee weapons and probably had no Mana Art, the last one was holding her hands in a strange gesture, emitting a faint glow.
She was casting another projectile!
"Annoying..."
The Demon hissed, its body dashing toward the girl with breakneck speed, as if it was vanishing and reappearing at will.
However, another two girls standing close managed to block the Demon's path, intercepting its attack with their own weapons.
Although the impact of the clash left them staggering backward, they bought enough time for me to get close to the Demon and use my Sword to deliver a powerful strike, aiming for Demon's weak spot.
Unfortunately, the bastard dodged my attack at the last moment, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
The Demon ducked my blow that came down with a resounding thud, causing the ground to tremble beneath us.
The very next moment, it spun around, delivering a swift kick to my side, sending me sprawling across the ground.
It didn't even spare me another glance as it turned its attention back to the group of girls.
"Fireblaze: Inferno!"
However, the girl, who had the Mana Art, was already done with casting her spell, creating a massive inferno that momentarily grew from the ground engulfing the Demon in flames.
"Aghh..."
I could hear it shriek in pain, but it was painfully obvious that this was nowhere close to defeating a D- Rank Demon.
As the flames engulfed the Demon, I quickly regained my footing, gritting my teeth against the pain in my side. I knew that the Inferno spell wouldn't be enough to take down the Demon, but it provided a brief distraction.
I seized the opportunity and lunged forward, my Longsword raised high. With a swift strike, I aimed for the Demon's exposed back, hoping to land a critical blow. However, the creature was quicker than I anticipated. It twisted its body at the last moment, narrowly evading my attack, and retaliated with a powerful swipe of its clawed hand.
I barely managed to dodge in time, feeling the gust of wind as the claws missed me by a hair's breadth.
Grrr...
Rolling away from the Demon's attack I could see the flames dissipating and the Demon emerging from the embers, its skin scorched and smoking.
"You will pay..."
He threw a glance at the girl, who was casting the spells, making her tremble for a second but she quickly regained her composure and continued her incantation, undeterred by the Demon's menacing gaze.
I also clenched my Longsword, tighter, preparing for another clash.
Without words, me and the girls devised a strategy...
While I take the Demon head-on the other girls will protect our only Mana Art user, allowing us to maximize our chances of victory.
"Fucking pathetic..."
The Demon kept growling, however, I paid it no mind, as I knew that he was losing his precious time to attack.
Swish...
The Demon lunged forward with ferocity, its claws slashing through the air with deadly precision.
Clank...
However, I managed to parry its strikes with calculated movements, my Longsword clashing against its razor-sharp talons.
Each clash sent sparks flying and reverberating through the alley, creating an intense symphony of steel meeting demonic claws.
Meanwhile, the other girls stood their ground, their weapons at the ready.
If the Demon managed to get past me they blocked and dodged the Demon's attacks with varying degrees of success, their determination shining through their eyes.
They knew they couldn't match its strength and speed, but they fought with every ounce of courage they possessed.
If they didn't...
All of us would die.