Chapter 69: Colossal Demon 2

It was in the middle of the night now, in the Vatican. While it was morning in Saint Stella, it was the cause of the difference in time.

It was night, but it was by no means quiet. The shrieking sound of the roaring demon from afar sounded tremendously throughout the whole city. The numbers of demons had now turned five and leading them was one with fifty meters in height. It was towering in the midst of the burning city.

"What an awful, sight." Gleren murmured as he lurked at the top of a high-end building. beside him was Matthias.

"I cannot argue with that." He now decided to fight along with him. After seeing that the situation had dictated them not to waste time bickering among themselves, they joined hands.

"You should be careful," Matthias warned, "Demons from that gate do not flinch from an attack that was made up of Demon stone ability. Your ability to manipulate shadow—if my information precedes me, is from a Demon stone—isn't it?"

"Yep. Then, that big fat ass is a bad match for me?" Gleren said, not even bothered by the warning, "Well, now. That sucks."

"You sound like it ain't a big deal though."

"Nah, it's a big deal."

"Whatever, you say." Matthias sighed. "I just hope you won't think badly of Lady Martha." There was sadness in his voice, but Gleren did not pay heed to his remark. Though, he showed reaction, that was the extent of his response.

"It's coming."

As if a cue to Gleren's voice, a fire in enormous size came hurling at them. Both of them scrambled out of the way.

"Not only the size, but even its magic is extra big, too?! Aww, come on!"

"Not that it's illogical, no?"

"Gimme a break!"

The fireball hit and destroyed every bits of the building they were lurking to earlier. Its firepower was no less destructive as its size suggests. It was big enough to obliterate the obstacle completely.

"That was scary…"

"You don't look any bit scared to me."

"Aw, come on! It's a matter of perspective!"

"Whatever you say!"

As they banter back and forth, another attack is homed to each of them, splitting them away from each other. "That magic just curved, didn't it?! It did, didn't it?!"

"It sure did!"

Incinerating everything on its path, the colossal demon gave no minute of break to its attack.

"Ugh! I've had enough!"

Gleren hollered, clearly irritated by the barrage of magic coming after them.

"You have some brilliant plans? I would be happy if you'd shared it!"

Shouted Matthias who was some distance away from Gleren—he dodged a number of fireballs that were coming after him, as look at the distance he saw Gleren descending to the paved grounds—hand was holding a jet-black baseball bat.

"What the hell are you thinking, you slimehead!" Matthias screamed, his cool and gentle demeanor is nowhere to be found.

"Hehe, watch!"

Gleren landed skidding dust trailed after him—then faced off the flinging fireball down his direction—on his hand a prepared baseball bat made with shadow—visibly coated with thick mana. He took a strike stance, and as one of the fireballs found its mark—he swung and hit it like home! It flew back to the source, the velocity doubled. It hit the giant demon square in the face—then an explosion followed. The demon cried eerily.

"Home run!" Gleren folded his arm, fist in the air in celebration to his supposed homerun.

"That's crazy…" Matthias hung his head in disbelief.

***

Since all my build up stress ain't collapsing, why not have a little fun, then? I swung a bat and made it a homerun straight to the demon's face. Pretty badass of me if I say so myself.

Though, 'twas not the best idea out there. The demon was now even more angered than before.

"Pretty petty of you to get angry with such a little snowball on the face—or one should say fireball instead?"

"You've got a nasty mouth, truly."

Matthias said, drifting to my side. Aw, come on. Take a hint. I was just joking. Though, this guy—how should I say it, he's not top brass for name only. The guy's pretty skilled.

"So? What should we do now? If we keep at it, the whole city will be wiped out."

"True. Though, I could really get your smart idea to deal with it." I grinned at him. I just said that, cause I—not even a tiny bit of idea in mind. Let the knowledgeable do the acceptable. My motto, by the way.

"You sure are insufferable." He sighed.

"I don't even hate myself for that." I chuckled.

The other demon was busy enough to keep their weight on destruction. With the intervention of miss Edelweiss and miss Cho-hee, the other demon can no longer wreak havoc unchecked. The only problem we had was the colossal demon.

"I want to try something."

"Huh? Plan or not? Well it surely is the latter, I suppose?"

Matthias asked, skeptical of my brilliant plan. What, he doesn't think I can actually put on an immediate plan? Rude! Well, he was right though.

"I'll call up for help if it doesn't work."

"Wha—hey!"

I leaped to the air and faded to the darkness of the night. Then distorting the surroundings, I reappeared at the roof of one of the nearby buildings.

"Let's test this."

Eyes closed, I put my right hand in front, two fingers at my lips. My left hand at my side, open palmed. I muttered.

"Companion of the night; Partner of light: Shadow Manipulation—Shadow Reproductions!"

***

The skies were filled with black objects. At one look, they're as if clouds with foreboding rains. But in reality, those were Gleren's shadows. It scattered all over the place—surrounding the colossal demon.

"What on Earth was that? What is he planning?"

Matthias finds it curious—at the same time, he was left in awe. By no means these shadows do not consume mana. And the way Gleren did it was as if he was saying how easy it was to achieve. Matthias was no fool, he knows exactly how much mana it would require to do something like this.

"Those are… shadows?"

Then for a brief moment, Gleren was paused—he was unmoving at the roof where he stood. A huge fireball once again soared towards him.

"Hey! Dodge!"

Matthias readily ran towards to swoop and save him, but he was still so far, it will be late for him to actually reach him.

"Huh?" Matthias stopped on his track—Gleren had disappeared from where he initially was.

"Where…" As he muttered, the shadow registered beside him distorted for a second, then what appeared there was Gleren—he exchanged position with the hollow shadow. Now, Matthias fully understood what each of these shadows entails—they were portals for instant movements. There, he disappeared again, then this time what exchange his position was a shadow that was situated beside the colossal demon's head—Gleren reappeared and slashed his sword which was made with shadow to the demon—disappeared again, then recurred to the other side, slashed then once again faded in exchange for a hollow shadow. He was moving instantly using only those portals of phantoms. He was as if a light—flickering in and out.

The process did not stop there—it continued to happen as Gleren gave the demon some beating. The demon raised its arm as a means of retaliation. It searched for Gleren, but with his unbelievable mobility using his shadow, the demon could only growl in anger.

With this sight, Matthias shuddered—he was suddenly visited by fear.

"He can do that? With just some shadow?"

This display of ability was unthinkable—if not, it was a huge burden. For sure, these kinds of techniques are required to eat the users' Mana Power. But he stared at the sky—above was a figure of a boy who disappeared—and reaper as if it was nothing.

The demon's face was contorted with anger—if only it had a face—but alas, only the mouth was on its head—eyes were nothing. The demon gave an eerie cry. Its ears were now gone thanks to Gleren's onslaught attacks. Arms were damaged and it halted its march thanks to Gleren targeting its tendons and joints. But that ended in disappointment—or it was for Gleren.

Gleren landed beside the frozen Matthias.

"Tsk! It didn't work!" He complained, clicking his tongue. Not even a sweat was there on his face—his hair swayed by the gentle winds, yet no exhaustion was found in his visage.

Matthias gaped—he stared at him and thought; "Thank God, he was not able to use any of his ability when he faced us."

"What? Disappointed that I never really dealt any damage to the demon?" Gleren said, sulking—it prompted Matthias to think; "Is this guy an idiot?" He took a glimpse of the demon. Sure, it was starting to regenerate, but the damage it sustained was by no means little. He sighed.

"Pretty sure, the guys tattered."

He said, mimicking Gleren's manner of speech.

Matthias recovered his composure, but still he thought; "Has all common sense left this guy, already?"

Another ominous screech was made by the demon.