59 CHAPTER 58: Welcome back

The young man stood there with a proud smirk on his face. "Oh really? If I'm not wrong the circle of salt is meant to protect the summoner. You can't leave unless I give you permission by destroying a part of the circle."

"Yes, that would be true. However, a large portion of the power meant to contain me here is drawn from the symbols in the circle and the meaning they carry. You on the other hand have the art skills of a toddler. The symbols can't carry all of the meaning. Yes, it is still hard for me to leave the circle, but I can do it if I really want to."

The man snored. "you are bluffing."

I tilted my head and tared him in the eyes. A hint of doubt and fear could be seen deeply buried in his ego.

"am I really?"

I stepped forward. The formation of salt was working against me. It was wearisome and uncomfortable, but a lot easier to pass than when the dwarf had made a semicircle in front of his door.

The colour seemed to drip for the face of the man now that he stood eye to eye with a demon without anything to protect him in between us.

I grinned, showing my sharp fangs.

The man stumbled back a tripped.

Step by step I walked towards him. I could hear is reaching heart nearly coming out of his chest.

"I told you I could do it."

"n… no, please. Please spare me!"

I spread my wings to look as imitating as possible when I roared. "You dare make another request?!"

The man crawled back and eventually hit the wall.

"P… please." He squeaked in a tone in which only one begging for his life could speak.

"Please, I beg of you let me go."

I slammed my tail on the ground what made a loud bang. "If you are begging, why aren't you on your knees?"

But the man did not dare to move when pressed against the wall. Cold sweat was dripping from his forehead, his mind reaching, trying to think of a way out of here, trying to make it out alive.

"I… if you let me live… I can give you my first born."

But I had long since stopped listening to the 'begging' of the man. In one quick movement I ended is life and claimed his soul.

I was nearly immediately sent back to hell.

There I wandered around for a few days. I witnessed some terrifying fights between stronger demons what made me more warry of my surroundings. The sheer brute strength of those demons was overwhelming to say the least.

But from those fights that I watched from a great distance, I could deduce that those demons would not only use captured humans to do their bidding, but also weaker demons. Those weaker demons seemed to be fine with it. To them it was only natural that the weak would follow the strong.

When the fights would finish the victor would take in the subordinates of the loser to further expand its forces or kill them for fun or food.

After that few days of observing the behaviour of those stronger than me I was leaning against a rock and watching the broken mountains and half crumbled buildings reach for the horizon. I had not much else to do. I didn't want to enter another world again just in case I would miss the dwarf summoning me. and if I were to travel great distances to further explore this realm, the changes were high that I would come in conflict with another demon. And that one micht not be as weak as the kallikantzaroi.

Finally, I could hear a familiar humming. It came from a circle that was being carved in the ground in front of me. It was almost as if an invisible hand was drawing it on the spot.

I grinned.

("I guess that this is my way back.")

I waited until the circle was finished and entered it while keeping a close eye on my surroundings. It would be troublesome if another demon were to follow me.

This time it was much more like the first time that I was summoned. It was slow and I had to drag myself out of the portal on the other side.

Once I entered my original world, I opened my eyes, but I immediately had to close them.

"Which one of you though that it was a great idea to summon me in the bright daylight?! Do you know how dark hell is?! It was you wasn't it?"

I was pointing at the dwarf. Though I had my eyes closed I could still recognise the scent of the humans surrounding me.

The five broken humans along with the dwarf and Allenya, Yohan, Alex and Elisa were all here.

"Right on the dot." The dwarf said with a joking tone.

Slowly I opened my eyes to let them adjust to the bright daylight.

I gave a deep sigh when I saw that once again the summoning circle was made out of salt.

I shoot a sharp glance at the dwarf. "Am I a joke to you?"

The dwarf chuckled and said. "Maybe."

The circle was drawn on grass and the wind had blown some of the slat away leaving only a weak imitation of the originally sharp lines.

("Would I be able to leave on my own?")

I took a deep breath. Then with what looked like a quick step from the outside, I stepped out of the circle. But in reality, it was a short battle against my instincts to stay away from the material and the symbols that it formed. But I wanted to show that arrogant dwarf that he would soon no longer be able to contain me with some salt.

"Outstanding!" The dwarf cheered when he saw me leave the circle on my own. "I can tell that your strength has at least grown somewhat."

I gave a faint smile. "Yea, you can say that."

I clearly remembered almost not being able to move when I just became a demon and was summoned for the first time.

Suddenly I felt a stud in my side coming from the elbow of Alex. "Great to have you back."

Right after that Allenya tackled me from behind. "If you had stayed there one day longer, I would have followed you and pulled your back on your tail."

Even Yohan had snuck up next to me and had placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Welcome back."

"I'm glad to be back to."

The five broken humans stood on the side-lines with their eyes filled with envy. Especially Beatrice, who was standing in between Quinte and Hakim with the two hair colours.

Elissa only smiled when she shyly stood behind the group of five.

"Now with all the welcome backs behind us. Let's get back to the city." The dwarf interrupted my struggle to escape Alex and Allenya. And with that we walked back to the entrance of the tunnel.