Sin

Karyan, standing firm, watched as the colossal serpent reared above them, its presence commanding the battlefield. 

The demon, not one to be easily intimidated, unleashed a torrent of dark energy, slicing through the air towards the towering figure.

"Your tricks are nothing!" the demon bellowed, confident in his own strength.

The serpent, with its massive tail, countered the demon's assault, dispersing the dark energy into harmless wisps. 

Yet, the demon was quick to react, darting forward, slipping through the serpent's defenses with an agility that defied his towering form.

"You're not the only one with power here!" the demon spat, striking at Karyan with a force that sent him stumbling backward.

Karyan grunted as he regained his footing, feeling the sting of the demon's attack. "I don't need tricks to best you," he retorted, summoning another wave of serpentine energy.

The ground beneath them erupted as dozens of smaller serpents made of light sprang forth, each one aimed at the demon with unerring precision. 

The demon slashed left and right, cutting through the spectral snakes, but with each one he destroyed, two more took its place.

"You can't keep up forever!" Karyan called out, pressing the advantage.

The demon, growing more frantic, roared in frustration. "I will not be bested by a mere man!"

Karyan could sense the demon's growing desperation, so he prepared his next move. "It's not about strength," Karyan said calmly. "It's about wit."

With a quick motion, Karyan feigned a direct attack, but at the last moment, he redirected the flow of serpents into the ground. 

The demon, expecting a frontal assault, was caught off guard as the earth beneath him shifted and changed.

"What is this?" the demon exclaimed, trying to maintain his balance as the ground turned treacherous, the serpents now burrowing and undermining his stance.

Karyan watched as the demon struggled, a look of triumph flashed in his eyes. "You see, it's not about overpowering you. It's about outsmarting you."

As the demon fought to keep his footing, Karyan called upon one final spell, whispered with the cunning of a serpent. "Lanta's wisdom, guide my hand; Anksu…"

The serpents, responding to Karyan's command, surged upwards, entangling the demon's legs and pulling him to the ground. 

The demon thrashed wildly, but the more he fought, the tighter the coils became.

"Release me!" the demon demanded, his voice was raging as he panicked. 

Karyan approached the fallen demon, his expression was calm and stern. "You've lost. Now, you owe me answers."

The demon's confidence looked shattered, glared up at Karyan. "Very well," he hissed. "Ask your questions."

Karyan knelt beside the demon. "Who is behind the spirit and mind control? Where can I find a wielder of mind or blood?"

The demon's eyes flickered with an inner conflict. "I am bound by ancient laws. I serve a master far greater than you can imagine, one who seeks dominion over mind and spirit."

"And this master of yours, can you tell me who they are?" Karyan stood over the subdued demon, his victory was clear, but his need for answers remained. "You lost. You must tell me now."

The blue-haired demon grimaced as he lay entangled. "I cannot give you such answers. I don't have a bond with you," he said, struggling against the serpentine energy that held him.

Karyan's face hardened. "You agreed. If you lost, you'd answer my questions."

He sighed, conceding the point but then explained, "The knowledge you seek is permitted only to my human master, but I have none. If I reveal such secrets without a bond, my essence will scatter, and I'll turn to nothing."

Karyan paused, considering the demon's words. Finally, he nodded and released the hold of the serpentine energy.

 The demon slowly got to his feet, brushing dust off his tattered clothes.

"What's your name?" Karyan asked, sheathing the blade of light back into his own essence.

The demon straightened up, regaining a bit of his composure. "I am called Sin," he said. "And I'm on Earth seeking a master. I only have 90 days to make a pact before I am banned from entering Earth for one hundred years."

Karyan raised an eyebrow. "Banned? Why would you be banned?"

"It's the law," Sin replied with a shrug. "If I fail to make a pact with a human in exchange for their soul, I get banned."

"And what are you asking in return for this pact?" Karyan asked.

Sin's eyes shone with a hint of greed. "Years," he simply said.

Karyan glared. "How many years?"

"Twenty-five," Sin replied, almost sheepishly.

Karyan let out a long sigh, "I thought as much," he said calmly. "And why do demons hunt humans with no masters?"

Sin looked away for a moment before answering. "Those are low born demons, spawned from the vengeance of humans. They have no place in Hell."

Karyan nodded, his questions were answered. "Well, Sin, that's all I wanted to know." He waved his hand, and the last remnants of the serpentine energy vanished into the air.

Sin, now completely free, didn't waste a moment before he was back to his old ways.

 "So, about that pact," he began, his voice was taking on a wheedling tone. "You wouldn't want to reconsider, would you? I can offer you power, wealth, whatever your heart desires!"

 "You just don't give up, do you?"

Sin clasped his hands together, looking up at Karyan with an exaggerated pout. "Please? It's a great deal! And I'm... well, I'm kind of desperate here."

Karyan shook his head, still amused by the demon's antics. "Sin, I'm not interested in any pact, especially not one that costs me twenty-five years of my life."

"But think of the possibilities!" Sin pressed on, his voice taking on a sing-song quality. "Unlimited power at your fingertips! And all I ask for is your years and your soul." 

Karyan looked at Sera and then back at him, "what will demons do if there were no humans anymore?" 

"I beg your pardon?" 

"No humans, so no one could summon you here. What would demons do?" 

Sin rolled his eyes, "well, of course, starve…" 

"What happens if a demon starves?" 

"Nothing," Sin replied immediately, almost rushing.

"Interesting…so if there were no humans, no demons would exist too…could a pack with a demon be gone then for a human?" 

"If you're talking about a man's pact, then no. Unless it's the spirit herself that kills that demon completely, the pact remains the same." 

"Can a demon serve a master who wants to control the spirit then?" 

"It can, but you must know that the demon would seek the control of the spirit by itself. Eventually, he would kill the human if-"

"If?" Karyan asked. 

"If the human hadn't ordered spirit to do it before-"

"That's enough, I already got my answer." 

"Are you looking for the spirit? You're in the wrong country then." 

"I know," Karyan replied calmly, "but I'm on the right path."