Chapter 11 : Amongst the Rubble

Jaavir gently took off his armor, beginning with his gauntlets and moving up to his heavy chest plate. With ease, as if they weighed no more than feathers, he threw them over his head and to the ground.

"what are you doing?"

Adam looked inquisitively at Jaavir, whose actions and demeanor were unbefitting of one facing the most challenging opponent of their life.

"against that power of yours, this armor is pointless, I rather leave the extra weight behind."

"is that so?"

Once the last piece of armor covering his upper body was removed, Jaavir took his stance. A stance similar to that of a sumo wrestler, undoubtedly thinking of relying on his massive legs and arms to substitute his broken sword.

"now then, let us—"

Adam lifted his hand up, motioning him to stop.

"what is it?"

"here, take this."

Adam threw his sword to Jaavir, returning the gift back to sender.

"… why?"

Jaavir replied in a puzzled tone.

"a wise demon one said, what honor is there in defeating an unarmed opponent? And I've always followed the words of the wise"

The smile on Adam's face was now clear as he spoke.

"hahahahahaha…too bad it had to come to this…perhaps in another life I would've had many battles against and alongside you, but that's irrelevant now. Thank you human, for showing this old demon so much respect… [DRAGON ARTS: FLAME MELD]."

The smile vanished from his face with those last few words, and his laid-back demeanor changed to that of a focused, disciplined warrior—almost as if he had merged with the battlefield itself.

Flames invoked by his spell slowly enveloped the sword, heating its steel blade and reshaping it to Jaavir's whims.

The blade became thin, long, and shaped like a fire dancing to the wind. A glimmer of magic bled from its sharp edge, indicating that it was no regular sword anymore, but a magic blade worthy of the battlefield it was in.

Without a warning, Jaavir leaped towards Adam. Crossing the distance in a blink of an eye, with his sword aimed right at his neck.

Impressive speed, but it's too straightforward to work.

Adam quickly lifted up his arm to shield his exposed neck, and as he expected the sword bounced away, unable to pierce the augment armor and reach its target.

However, Jaavir's assault wasn't finished. Using the momentum from his failed attack, he spun around with great speed, slashing at Adam, only to be blocked yet again by the armored arm.

Jaavir attacked again and again, slashing, stabbing, and thrusting, only to be met with one failure after another. Eventually, his breathing became fast and rugged, and his sword arm trembled from the rebound of his own failed attacks, yet he never relented or slowed down, but as Adam quickly noticed, he was getting even stronger.

The more he attacked the faster his slashes got, the more he failed the stronger his thrusts became.

His old, withering body was rejuvenated by the battle and just like his sword, he himself was reforged in its flames. He became a new warrior, one that doesn't tire nor surrender, one that only knows victory, one that has tasted true strength for he has battled against the strongest.

"THANK YOU, HUMAN, NO, THANK YOU COMMANDER ADAM WILLIAMS FOR GRANTING ME THIS GIFT."

With a powerful roar and the acknowledgment of his forefathers pushing him forward, Jaavir delivered a devastating thrust with his sword. one stronger than any he ever landed, however, it too, failed.

His sword was once again stopped by Adam, and in a cruel twist of fate, it was by the same index finger he used to block the first attack Jaavir ever threw his way.

That was your strongest one yet, now what'll you do now? Are you going to surrender? Perhaps it's for the best… why am I fighting you anywa—huh?

Adam looked Jaavir in the eye, the demon he promised an honorable death, the one whose attacks never landed, the one who should be demoralized and tired by now. He looked him in the eye and he saw the fire of a prideful warrior burning as bright as ever.

"what are you—"

"[FIRE RELEASE]"

This is like the other—

A powerful whirlwind of flames exploded out of his blade, burning away everything in its vicinity and blinding Adam in the midst of its fiery fury, causing him to lose sight of his opponent for a few seconds.

the fire cleared quickly, leaving the earth scorched in its wake. Adam regained his composure and looked to where Jaavir was, but only found the burning ruble left behind by his spell.

He was about to look behind him when the sound of steel cutting through the air hit his ear. Following his instincts, he quickly looked up to where the sound originated from and was greeted by Jaavir's sword, terrifyingly close to his face, and flying at a blinding speed.

Damn it, he used the spell as a distraction to attack me from above.

He knew he couldn't block in time as the sword was far too close for it to be an option. At that moment, faced with his own death, Adam's worries and regret disappeared, and he returned to being the soldier he was before dying the first time. he dodged out of the way, his body possessed by the man he once was, and following the most basic of training rooted deep inside his mind, he counterattacked with his armored arm in a subconscious bid for survival.

Adam managed to dodge the attack in the nick of time, barely avoiding the piercing blade of Jaavir's sword, however, he did not escape unharmed.

He could feel the warmth of fresh blood on his face, he brushed his cheek, expecting to find a massive cut being seared by Jaavir's fire magic, but to his surprise, his wound was rather small, too small for the amount of blood that was on him now."

But once he looked up Adam quickly understood that the blood was not his.

Jaavir was on his knees, breathing heavily. His sword arm crushed completely from the elbow down as if he smashed repeatedly into a pile of jagged rocks.

Adam looked at him, staring into his eyes, hoping that the fire within them was snuffed out, hoping that he was about to surrender or faint, hoping that he wouldn't have to kill him, however, it was still there, burning as bright as it was when they first started their battle, and its brightness opened Adam's eyes to the scene surrounding him.

the eyes of those few survivors he left behind, of those innocents who were simply caught in the middle of his rampage, he could now see them meekly staring at him from their various hiding places. Some were under debris, others within still-standing buildings, they all stared at him in fear and disgust.

They were powerless to oppose him so they hid and cursed at him from the shadows, he met their gaze with open eyes as memories flooded his mind. Memories of cities and towns leveled by demons, memories of the survivors hiding beneath the ruins of their own homes, memories of their hate-filled eyes staring at the horned monsters they feared.

After a few seconds of silence, Jaavir finally spoke up.

"come now… fulfill your promise, I can fight no more."

"…"

"what are you hesitating for? You said that you'll give me an honorable death, you don't mean to—"

"I'm…I'm done…go get medical help, there is no honor in death, nor is there an afterlife, I ought to know, I died twice now."

The augment armor slowly dissipated revealing the fragile human arm hidden beneath it.

Adam looked Jaavir in the eyes one last time before turning around and walking away. He smiled when he noticed the fire in jaavir's eyes was slowly starting to dim.

As he took a few steps forward, he felt a familiar feeling. A feeling he despised as much as he was intimate with. The feeling of death.

Adam could feel the cold hands of the grim reaper wrapping around his neck, dragging him back to the grave he escaped from twice. His instincts blared up again, but this time there was no indicator as to why.

He saw and heard nothing, Jaavir was still on his knees posing no threat, yet every fiber of his being told him that he was about to die. Adam chose to listen to his instincts without knowing why and quickly jumped backward.

As he did the figure of a demon, wielding a dagger slowly materialized right in front of his eyes.

What the— Wait this demon… it's one of Jaavir's team… is that blood on his dagger? Did he get me?

Adam checked his neck, feeling a sharp pain when he lightly touched it.

Just a flesh wound, but if I hadn't jumped back my head would've been cut clean off. How the hell did I not hear him when he is wearing that heavy armor? damn it, if it's the same spell that demon used in the forest, this is going to be troublesome.

"Lou, the surprised attack failed, step back."

a scream rang out from far away, conveying orders to the assassin. Adam looked in the direction it came from and quickly noticed a small demon hiding between the rubble.

I see… she was the one casting the spell on him. Damn it, did Jaavir's whole team return?

Lou put his dagger back in his holster and unsheathed his crimson great sword, using it like a shield while slowly backing away.

I've overused my augments so I shouldn't be reckless here… but it doesn't matter, killing them is pointless anyway, I just need to make it out of here and disappear from sight.

Adam's body was enveloped in a faint blue light, catching the attention of Lou who griped his sword even tighter, preparing himself for the attack Adam was about to throw.

But the attack he was anticipating never came, instead, Adam ran right past him, heading for the massive gate in the distance with great speed but was quickly pushed off course by Kiila who smashed into him with her shield.

She moved lightning-fast, much faster than she did during their last battle. Her body was clearly bolstered by powerful magic which manifested as wing-shaped torrents of wind sprouting from her back.

That magic… she didn't cast it herself, it's probably more support magic cast by the one hiding in the rubble. She can support both of them with such high-level spells, this is… bad.

"move… your captain is alive but heavily injured, take him to a healer and he'll live, he might even be able to return to the battlefield… so hurry back to him."

Without a reply, Kiila charged at him. Her power, speed, and durability were enhanced by her sister's spell, making her a much deadlier warrior.

They exchanged blows, but little to no damage was dealt to either of them.

If I run, she'll catch me, and if I want to break through her guard ill need to use a lot of augment power which might end up badly in the long run. I should just try to catch the demon casting the spell and take— huh? she's getting slower… did the spell wear out?

the wind engulfing Kiila started to disperse along with her increased speed and power.

Did she run dry already? No, it can't be, but why would— hold on… the spells are high level so she can probably only cast one at a time, SHIT, she must've given that assassin invisibility again.

Adam, fearing the unseen blade of the assassin, ran for the gate once again, confident that Kiila can't pursue him without the aid of her sister's spell.

"Lou, he's on to us, back off and prepare for plan B"

With great speed and agility, Adam made his way to the gate, but as he got closer, the truth reared its ugly head. The gate, while it did lead outside the palace, did not outside the city.

Beyond the gate lay a sea of buildings, as small and simple as they were plentiful and varied. Houses, gardens, merchant cards, and much more appeared the closer he got. And as more came into view, Adam realized just how foolish he was.

The demons were not as advanced or sophisticated as modern humans, not even close, however, they were still very capable and smart. Capable enough to build massive cities that would take days or perhaps weeks fully navigate.

I underestimated them too much, this is their capital after all. And centuries have passed since the war ended, it would only make sense for it to be a metropolis. What the hell am I going to do now? Do I take someone hostage and try to negotiate… no, unless I can get the head of a major clan or the demon lord himself it isn't going to work… perhaps—

"stop."

A figure emerged from beyond the gate, speaking with a hateful, bitter tone.

"I won't let you murder more innocents, you die here monster."

This is the last of Jaavir's party… about time he showed up, and looks like that same wind spell is being cast on him too.

"I just want to leave so there is no need for us to fight. The ones I killed… throwing your life away won't bring them back."

"SHUT UP."

"…"

"you're just another terrorist… I've fought many like you before, and ill fight many after I kill you. I'm Ark Dra'ig, the disciple of Jaavir Dra'ig, and ill be the one to put you down."

So, talking is pointless huh…? shit, those two managed to catch up already, and the one casting the spells also moved closer, she's hiding in a building to the left, she can cast strong spells but can't really hide her trace while doing it, taking her out would be the best way to go about this.

Kiila and Lou ran to Ark and stood behind him.

That's a bizarre battle formation, why are they standing so close to each other? Whatever… the assassin is easy to deal with as long as he isn't fully invisible, and the one with the shield can't do any substantial damage on her own. the one in the middle is powered up by that spell but he isn't experienced enough to utilize it effectively, I'll just knock him out and make a run for it.

The three charged at Adam, led by Ark who swung his sword wildly and with no regard for defense or proper swordsmanship. Like a crazed animal, he only focused on striking with the most power and speed possible while leaving himself wide open.

He's fast. It's hard to keep dodging his attacks and it's impossible to deflect them without a weapon or augment armor, but as I thought he is inexperienced, leaving his vital areas wide open while putting everything he has into attacking… one clean hit to the neck and I can end it, but why are the other two not attacking? They are just staying by his side and doing nothing.

Adam dodged one ferocious attack after the other, waiting for his moment to strike a decisive blow. Opportunities came and went, but Adam waited for the perfect one. one that could end the fight in a single, preferably nonlethal, blow.

the moment finally came when Ark missed a slash and left his neck wide open for Adam to attack.

the augment enhanced punch was just powerful enough to knock out Ark or break his neck in the worst case, rendering him completely helpless and winning Adam the fight with minimum bloodshed, but unfortunately, Adam's plan did not come to fruition.

The attack was blocked by Kiila, who jumped forward with her shield and completely nullified it before returning to her position behind Ark.

So that's why they aren't attacking… these two are acting as his defense. They knew that they lacked experience so they compensated by using this formation… if I try to attack his defenders, I'll be left open to his attacks, and if I try to attack him, they'll stop my attacks before they connect.

"we got him, we can do this, keep going Ark."

Lou, seeing the realization dawning on Adam's face, screamed in excitement.

This is stupid… I can easily kill them, or the one hiding in that building with my remaining power… what's stopping me? Why can't I do it?

"Focus, we need to finish him before Kiira runs out of magic."

Kiila followed up next, trying to keep them focused.

I'm a soldier, a human soldier. Trying to show mercy to these… vermin… it's stupid.

"enough is enough [gravity—]"

"STOP."

A voice, powerful and wise, rang across the destroyed palace grabbing the attention of all who could hear it.

"stop attacking him and back away this instant."

Onvyr, the oldest and most trusted of all demons, appeared on the battlefield with no weapon or armor. he approached, staring at Adam while holding his hands up.

Ark stopped his ferocious assault but kept his guard up along with Lou and Kiila.

"by order of the demon lord, you are to disengage and report to the healing center if you sustained any wounds before returning to your quarters. I shall handle the human myself."

Onvyr stared at Adam while he spoke, having his own private conversation with him through their eyes.

I'm bailing you out, so don't fuck it up. Is that what you're trying to tell me?

"NO! this human killed so many of my clan and even injured captain Jaavir, why are you coming out here alone and with no weapon? He is a monster who kills innocents, he must be put down."

Ark screamed in anger and disgust, too furious to notice that the spell cast on him by Kiira was quickly dissipating.

"you dare disobey the demon lord?"

"FUC—"

Kiila put her hand around Ark's mouth in a panic, silencing him before he could say something that'll get him killed. She quickly dropped her shield and bowed to Onvyr while forcing Ark to do the same.

"good… now leave us."

Kiila motioned for Lou and Kiira to follow while she dragged Ark away in silence, leaving her back open to Adam as if he wasn't even there, and giving him his time alone with Onvyr and the rubble of the once-beautiful palace he destroyed.

"I've seen it you know."

"…"

"you tried to let those kids go again, you even let their captain live after injuring him."

"you should've brought a weapon if you were planning on dealing with me, I might be in a bad shape, but you aren't exactly in tiptop condition either, are you?"

"I'm not here to fight. I know that you were trying to leave the capital, and I know that you tried to not kill those three, so I am sure your goal isn't needless bloodshed… so I want to make you a deal."

"really now? And what would that deal be?"

"… surrender willingly and you will be spared and cared for until a proper punishment is devised for you by the demon lord."