Ch.17 : Shine Bright Through the Night

Right now, I am facing one demon that seems like he is angry to me. Maybe it more like hate than anger. Darias, he came to this area because the head of Retilia family made a contract with him. Using [Life Drain] on him make me able to see his memory. There is a contract signed between them. As for the Retilia was start the war against the demon and become a king of this kingdom.

He plan to killed the princess first so the king didn't have a heir for the throne. He only told the plan only this far since the situation after that maybe different from his thought. I must admit it that he is clever to not making a reckless plan.

Once the contract with the demon made, then there is no turning back. He must fulfill the agreement that have been made or his soul will be trapped in the endless nightmare and become Darias's underling.

What the demon want for this contract was to make him a demon king. If Retilia become a king, he will start the war against the demon immediately. Using that chance, Darias think to take over the Demon Kingdom and start to take over the world. This is what I can get from his memory.

And from his memory I know that he is the one who sent the monster to my village three years ago. Also, he himself who killed other survivor with his monster and burnt down the village. I feel lucky since I fell off the cliff that day.

Knowing that, I am not showing any anger or hatred to him. Rather than that, I am not mind it after all. It's a past that I can't change so let it be. The reason I face him right now is to protect Razel from destruction.

The past me still not understand how important the power is and I feel ashamed while remember it. But now, I have a power to protect the town so I will do my best to use that.

A big fire can be seen in front of me. Darias once again use his ability and the power is growing as long as how much his anger feel. For a great power like that, he sacrifice the amount of his life that shown in my eyes as 'HP'  for every ten seconds.

His level is 72 and all of his status is above me, and because of that I can not win if I face him squarely. I provoke his anger to lower  his defense. Acting bluff and search his weakness that what I do. When I found that, I will continously attack that part without he notice it. That is the part for my brain worked.

However right now I can not see any opening on him. The fire completely cover his body. He flew up ahead with those fire. A second after that, he shoots a fire with high speed. I who still focus searching his weakness for his current state is too late for react.

"Uuugghh..." (Ray)

The fire hit me and make so much damage on me. He continously shooting the fire without care his surrounding. All I can do is run, avoiding the fire he shot. At that time I also found the weakness.

I pull the string of my bow and shoot it to him. It's a light arrow from the bow went to his body perfectly. However, when it near the fire, the arrows burnt down by it.

Using my <Spirit's Eye> I observe his state carefully. His HP went down every ten seconds and if he try to move it's fire, it cost his HP instead of mana. His mana already zero since he lit up the fire again and he continously shot his fire toward me. I drain half of his current mana so it's not weird if his mana empty faster than he thought.

Even his mana is zero, his state not showing any trace of lost consciously. Normally, if someone has used all of his mana he can't move a single finger. His state is abnormality from his <Rage of Fire> that consumed his hatred to keep burning. As long as that hatred still remain, it will force your body even until the death come.

Alongside with his continous fire, I also continously shot with my bow. All I want to do is drain up his HP using the negative effect of his ability.

"Kuuugggggh!" (Ray)

I too focus on attacking him and forgot to check my surrounding. He has set a trap in front of me, when I step on that it will explode. My body thrown away and fell on the ground harshly. I feel much pain but I can still move.

A fireball now approaching me when I still laid on the ground. I roll my body to the right and hurriedly stand up.

"Hahahahaha! What's wrong? Where is your big mouth gone?" (Darias)

Tsk.... This is bad, I stand no chance on him since I fell before. I focusing my body to avoid his attack and he not giving me a single opening on him . My speed go down and I feel exhausted. Continously running without a single chance to rest, Any longer than this then I will be gone.

I don't want to do this but I think this is my only chance. I stop my feet and jump to him. He surprised with my action but he still firing me. Even though in the air, I still can dodge his fire smoothly. He didn't believe his eyes and his face showing more hatred alongside with his fire bigger.

"I have gone this close and you still miss? how shameful you are." (Ray)

The fire bigger and the HP continously goes down for him. He didn't realize it but his HP only remain around three thousands. Since he has much endurance, my attack not too effective, but to make him use his fire and make he sacrificing his own life it's effective.

Thanks to my <Mana Manipulation> I can continously moving in the air. I turn the mana in the air into a solid floor so I can step on it. He can't use his trap in the air so my burden reduced by one. Now I only focus on evade and thinking to approach him and use my [Life Drain] again since I took too much damage before.

I closing my gap to him and it became harder to avoid his fire. If he not give any opening then I am the one who will make that. I jump high above him at the moment and a dark mist surrounding me.

When the mist is gone, there is two of me. We approach him from two different sides. He focusing his attack on me who has a bow in my hand. I can avoid it and can get closer to him. However, suddenly his fire spreading. It hit me and I turned into dark mist leaving my bow and it drop to the ground.

I who see a chance there quickly approach him from back. I can get closer on him where my hand could grab him. But he turned his face at the moment and punch me.

"Got you!" (Darias)

With a face full of pride, he enjoy the moment he hit my face. But his face turned 180° when he felt something touch his chest.

"No....got you!" (Ray)

I put a grin on my face when casting my [Life Drain] at the moment I could grab his chest. He blow away to the ground with a high speed. The ground where he drop is making a hole. I sucked out half of his HP again and I could recover myself a bit. He can't move since he out of mana. Good thing I can make it in time.

"Aaaaahhh!! It's burn....it's burn!" (Ray)

I forgot the fact that he is covered by fire and I directly touched him through the fire. I spontaneously waving my hand and blow it. Fortunately, it's goes down before it bigger so I sigh in relief.

The one he punched is my image from a second ago before I change my posture. I forced my body to move in high speed and leaving an image of me. This move is one of my <Trick Art> that I called as [Shadow Image]. The image is so real and no trace of mana on it so it easy to mistook it as the real body. Eyes only can focus to catch one object to see. Using that theory, I move my body to a degree he can't saw me completely since his vision is blur too due to his movement before.

I safely land my feet on the ground picked up my bow. 'It's exhausting, I want to sleep quickly', that's the only thing that I can thought but I want to enjoy this moment a little bit.

Only a few step I take, I can heard Darias's voice.

"Coughh..... Just...Wh-who... the hell... are you...?" (Darias)

Suddenly, a black hand is come up from the ground and grab him up under the moonlight. To think he still have a consciousness after forcing his body without a mana before, as expected of a demon. Honestly, I want to torture him a bit. But I change my mind since I almost run out of mana too. So I choose to end it quickly.

I stop my body and aim my bow on him who tied up by my [Void Hand] and pull the string.

"Shine bright through the darkness of the night! <Phantasm Art> [Orion Star Shot]!" (Ray)

From my bow appear an arrow that shine brighter than the moon. I release that arrow and it launch in high speed piercing his heart. The sky that passed by the arrow turned into blue like at noon for a moment until the arrow is fading. The demon's life is no more after my arrow shot him so I release the hand. His body drop like a puppet who have been cut it strings.

I look at his body and check again with my eyes if his HP is completely zero or not. I confirmed that he is die surely and not a chance to suddenly moving like before. Oh, that's right, I am still not give an answer for his question before.

"Don't you know already? My name is Ray. Last survivor from Erta." (Ray)

With that, the bow I hold disappear into particles of light and move my body to Razel without looking back at him.

It's already midnight and I currently deep inside the forest. I am too exhausted so I choose to rest under a big tree. I will continue my walk after rest a bit.

***

It's morning already. The one who slept beside me was Lily. Currently, I am in the inn that she rent. Last night, we fought a chimera together with Franz, but unfortunately he was killed. I can not control my emotion since Franz was the one who be my guard since I was a child. He is like an uncle to me and even more paid his attention to me than my father. I lost one of my important person in my life last night for the first time.

With full of anger I casted a forbidden spell, [Judgement Ray] without a thought about my surrounding. This is the first time I felt it. A feeling of sorrow and anger build up my hate made me can not think clearly. Somehow, I still alive thanks to Lily. She was protect me from my own attack and calmed me down when I do not know what will I do from there. His action is more mature than me even though she is younger than me.

I go outside the inn and see some people is coming back here to check the town. When I walk outside, those people surrounding me and say thanks to me. Unfortunately, I feel that word is not suit for me. These word is more suitable to Lily and Ray. These two people is protecting the city bravely and maybe one of them probably has die since I am not see him come back last night.

After those people leaving, I hurriedly to the gate. There is some people looking at the hole that I made last night. In that place I also see Lily standing there. Seems like she try to explain what happen last night. She is looking at me and I answer that with raising my hand. After give a bow to everyone there, she left the commotion without a trouble.

"Morning princess. How are you now? Is it better already?" (Lily)

She feel worry to me since last night I cried too much. I answer herw ith smile.

"Yeah, I am feeling better." (Violet)

"That's good to hear princess." (Lily)

She sigh in relief. But still, her worry face not fading.

"Is Ray not back yet?" (Violet)

She shook her head. I heard last night from her that he left in the cave to fought a spy in their group and the exit is blocked when they left them. There is small chances for him survive but I try to believe that he is alive since I really want to meet him.

"How about we search him together?" (Violet)

Once again she shook her head.

"That's unnecessary. He will come back soon." (Lily)

"How can you so sure about that?" (Violet)

She put a smile on her face.

"You just do not know him yet." (Lily)

For someone who doesn't even have a chance to talk to him, then what she said is true. But, to not search him even though he dealing with serious situation that he probably dead, doesn't she too careless about it?

"All I can do is waiting for him then make sure to have a long talk with him."

Suddenly, her expression turn into an expression full of evil smile and she punch her hand on her palm.

We waiting until noon at the gate but no one went outside from the forest. Suddenly, a strange sound can be heard from my stomach. That remind me, we not having any meal yet. Lily look at me with a smile and I felt embrassed and cover my own face.

"C-can you stop looking at me." (Violet)

Not long after that, I can heard a sound from the forest. Lily notice it earlier since her ear is more sensitive than me. Someone come out from the forest with scars and bruises. He has white hair and his clothes has sign of burnt.

Lily immediately approach him. He looks happy when he saw Lily was waiting for him. When he want to hug her, Lily puch him hardly ignoring his wound.

"You are late! Where has you been last night!?" (Lily)

Somehow, her word sounds like a wife that knowing his husband cheat on her.

"Lily....calm down." (Violet)

I approaching them and try to calm Lily.

"Yeah, can you more gentle a bit. I still have some wound that feel hurt." (Ray)

"I don't care! Sometimes you need to have a punch like this." (Lily)

I tilt my head in confuse since I think this will be a sweet reunion.

"Is that so?" (Violet)

"Yeah!" (Lily)

She drag him on his collar like a cat and Ray can not do anything. I follow them both go inside the town.