Facing Peter

Thomas and Corbin approached the North-Eastern Wing. Only a few steps more on the final stairway, and then they would meet up with Alex.

For Thomas, the entire event was a replay, yet he could not fully shake his nerves. Corbin patted him gently on the back.

"Relax, we got this!" Corbin smiled, even though his legs were unsteady as well.

Thomas appreciated the gesture and felt a bit better now that they had ascended onto the 8th floor.

There were sounds of a few grunts and punches being thrown. Upon turning the corner they found Alex and the other two exchanging punches and panting. Thomas now understood better why all of them were exhausted prior to the demon showing up.

"Alex! We have come to save you!" Corbin dashed in and joined them.

However, Thomas knew by the dreadful aura, breathing down his neck, that Peter was near.

"What is this heavy aura? It reeks of death!" The library student screamed and the entire fight came to a halt.

It was any second now, and the event would unfold like any of the previous nights.

"Fukukukuku… do you mind if I join you?" Peter cackled and appeared in his demon form.

The five of them turned pale and the strength in everyone's legs apart from Alex's became unsteady.

"Sinners… gold crests… friends of gold crests… this is where you meet your end!" Peter roared out and began stretching his arms outwards.

Alex looked quickly behind him, back to the other two students who were not in any condition to fight back.

"Run you idiots," Alex told them and they began hightailing.

He could already sense they were too scared to fight. Albeit the demon had other plans in store and targeted them still.

"Not so fast, after all, you two are my main targets!" Peter angrily stretched his ooze-like arms faster, by passing Thomas and his friends.

Thomas turned to Alex rapidly.

"Prepare your Flame Sword!" Thomas yelled and Alex was surprised he knew one of his abilities.

Much like before, Alex joined his fist with his palm and harnessed Fire energy then pulled it outwards to form the shape of a sword.

Thomas dug swiftly into his pockets and grabbed two vials of Fire Accelerants and smashed them on each of Peter's arms. The powder seeped into the ooze and loosened its magical molecular bonding.

"Now!" Thomas exclaimed.

Alex immediately cut one of the arms as if it was butter and flicked to his side to sever the other one as well.

Peter was now completely furious and started to become outraged, slowly losing himself to anger.

"They are mine! They are OURS, let us revenge and feast!" Peter prepared for his demon screech to incapacitate them onto the floor.

This made Thomas remember the screech, he forgot all about it.

"Cover your ears!" Thomas thought at the last second and covered them with both hands.

Corbin and Alex followed his lead, although the two scaredy cats at the back did not. The screech was initiated and floored the other two students, while causing a slight ear bleed and dizziness to their group.

"You will not get away!" Peter regenerated both arms quickly then launched them as hardened spears towards the two students on the ground.

Thomas reached back into his pockets and grabbed the Ice Mist vials and tossed them against the incoming two spears. The vials shattered and scattered the Ice Mist on the spears, now they only needed some water.

"Corbin, use one of your Water abilities and control its temperature to be negative!" Thomas commanded Corbin for his next countermove.

"On it," Corbin grinned.

Corbin closed his eyes and imagined water pulsating through his hands, and formed two water spheres on top of his palms. Corbin then launched them towards each spear, and upon impact, the spears immediately began to crystallize into ice.

"NO! NO!" Peter agonized while scratching his head in pain on the demon form, "You said this would work!" He slowly reverted back into his human form.

The other two students were already standing on their two feets and reached the exit on the other side of the hallway. They left immediately without even looking back once or being grateful.

"Peter?!" Alex got caught off guard once his face came into resemblance after reverting.

Peter stood there, agonizing in pain and torment, fluctuating between his personality and the demon's.

"Foolish human! I told you to leave it up to me, instead you dared intervene and make us both fail" The demon said.

"NO! I have to exact revenge! You promised to help me do it!" Peter cried out.

And the two became later fully separated. A smaller version of the demon stood beside Peter who hunched over in a curled position, trembling.

"If you will not let me, then I have no use of you!" The demon grabbed Peter by his neck and pulled him up close to his face.

"NO! Stop! What are you doing? You cannot function without me! I am your host!" Peter panicked and tried to escape the demon's grip.

Corbin and the two others could not help but watch. Peter was too far away, and they could not possibly make it on time even if they wanted to. The demon opened its mouth and pulled Peter closer and slowly in.

"Wait… is he?" Corbin laughed all panicky what was about to unfold.

Alex gulped and Thomas already knew, Peter was a goner.

The demon bit of his head, and you could hear the bones in the neck being broken and blood gushed. Peter's corpse dangled and his hands slightly twitched still. Then later he was eaten bit by bit in front of them, and each time with more blood spilling out and bones being cracked.

Thomas remembered another segment of the textbook. Even if you contract the demon, you should be wary of it consuming you and taking over. In any case, the demons usually take over, and contracting one is forbidden magic.

After the demon was done feasting and consuming to take over his host completely, he turned back to the little banded group. It wiped its mouth then burped and lastly smirked towards them.

"So… where were we?" The demon cackled and the group shivered from head to toe.