Royal Demon [4]

Defeating a Royal Demon depends on two things: Compatibility and Strength.

Compatibility is being able to harm the Royal demons. Having an attack-type stigma is a type of compatibility.

Strength is more basic. Being compatible only makes Royal demons vulnerable to your attacks. You still need a minimum level of strength to be able to fight against the Royal Demons.

In the current team roster, no one had both of these. Cadmus and Anna had strength but not attack-type stigmas. They were not compatible.

Lilith had compatibility due to [Blood Bang] but not strength. While Leon due to his sealed stigma, only had strength.

Adding Nathan to the equation wouldn't change anything. He does have the highest compatibility, but his strength is also the lowest.

Only Susan had both compatibility and strength. But given her location, by the time she arrives to help, the fight would have been long over.

The results were already set in stone.

***

BANG-!

I only needed a few minutes to reach the central room when suddenly something smashed into my sides. My body skidded and hit the wall.

"GRAAA!!"

The reason for the hit, a minion, roared while looking at me with an eerie smile.

"Fuck!"

My left arm, the area where the minion hit, started turning black. The pain shot up in my arm like fire. The pain was like needles that had been dipped in alcohol had been jammed through my skin, like my arms had been replaced with ice and electricity wired straight into my bones.

The demon's ability had started corrupting me.

I almost unconsciously used ether to reduce the corruption, only to stop at the last second.

My ether reserves were already hitting rock bottom. In this situation where I didn't know what could happen next, every drop of ether was precious.

Also it should take longer for my body, which had been tempered with ether, to come under the Demon's control.

''It's fine. I'm fine. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt.'

Gritting my teeth, I repeatedly spoke those words in my mind.

"GRAAA!!"

Suddenly, three more minions surrounded me, blocking any path of escape. Watching those smiles, I felt like they were laughing at me. My helplessness to do anything.

"Hehehe...Ha..haha..ahahaha..... Are you trying to make sure I can't fight against you in perfect condition?"

Ignoring the minions who kept moving, I spoke in leisure while laughing.

I knew that the Royal Demon's senses were connected to all its minions. It could hear what I was saying.

"I didn't know Royals were cowards. But I understand after all…."

The minions raised their claws however, my next words caused them to stop moving.

"…a clone is only inferior to the original."

Yes, the Royal Demon inside the central room wasn't a real Royal Demon. The demon here was a clone of a high-ranking Royal Demon that was sent to attack earth during the Third Disaster.

After being injured heavily, it sneaked inside the dungeon and hibernated for 7 years.

I also knew about one thing: This clone hated its original and had an inferiority complex.

This was explained when another clone, stronger than this one, appears at the end of the semester and fights against the awakened Leon.

KEKEKE-

The minions started producing strange sounds when they heard me. But my provocation worked and the minions moved, clearing the way for the central room.

Provoking the demon wasn't the best idea but it was the only way to get a clear path to the central room.

I didn't waste any more time and ran.

***

CREAK-

Leon pushed open the creaking doors and carefully walked into the room. With him were Anna, Cadmus, and Lilith.

Looking around the room, the first thing they saw was a dozen humanoid black lumps lying on the ground. A thick black cord was emerging from each of those lumps and congregating at the center of the room at…

"Bon travail! I didn't expect you kids to arrive this early."

….the Royal Demon.

It stood proudly at the podium with its wings spread behind its back making it appear regal and sinister at the same time.

The moment everyone saw it they got into the formation they had discussed beforehand. Leon and Cadmus took the vanguard. Anna stood at the rear to cast her magic and support others. In the middle of their three-man formation was Lilith, the core of the team.

"Ah~ Then I will partake in a small feast before the main dish arrives."

"Remember the plan."

SWOOSH-

With Anna's words as the signal, Leon and Cadmus dashed ahead.

"Flow from high to low and strong to weak. The ever-present and omnipresent element. I beseech you to empower me and strengthen my limbs. <Thunder Coating>"

A magic circle appeared underneath Leon and purple electricity wrapped around his katana.

Feeling the power surging through his sword, Leon, finally reaching the demon, activated his skill.

"[Hunter Eye]"

The veins around Leon's eyes started wriggling and his vision changed, quickly identifying the vital areas.

"Upper left chest!"

SWISH-

Leon shouted while swinging his sword. The moment Leon's words faded, Cadmus appeared behind the demon.

"[Giant's Strength]"

Cadmus' arms bulged and increased two folds in size. Arching his back muscles, he pulled the spear back to the maximum and flung it with all his might, at the area Leon designated as the demon's weak point.

SWISH-!

"Weak~"

CLANK-! CLANK-!

Two whips emerged from the demon's hand and deflected their attacks.

SWISH-

Deflecting the spear and the sword, the whips cracked in their direction when…

BANG-!

Lilith appeared and blasted the whips off.

At the same time, Anna's chants were completed.

"<Strength >, <Agility >"

With the words as the sign, the mana in the air churned, producing strong gales.

VROOM-

Two magic circles appeared underneath everyone.

WIING-

At the same time, a deep blue hue burst from Cadmus's body and covered his spear. His muscles bulged and tensed quickly, sending jolts of aura around his body in quick succession.

CRACK-

Cracks started forming beneath his feet as the hue increased.

"Haa!!"

With a deep shout, Cadmus dashed and started clashing against those whips. Within minutes, they exchanged hundreds of blows.

Cuts started forming on Cadmus' skin and blood dripped from his injuries, yet the demon…

…looked bored.

Everyone's face turned grim as he realized that the demon still had not moved a single step.

WIING-

Cadmus increased his aura to the maximum and started moving faster. His muscles bulged and contracted at a such speed that his sweat directly turned into vapors.

"Above!"

Before Cadmus could be fully overpowered, Leon jumped from above.

CRACKLE-

With purple lighting crackling around his katana, Leon swung the sword downwards, adding the energy from the fall behind his blade.

The demon, looking at Leon from the corner of his eyes, snorted and whipped in his direction.

CLANK-! CLANK-!

Suddenly, chains emerged from the ground and locked the whips! Cadmus has finally used his stigma!

Demon, not faltering in the least, analyzed Leon's attack. Realizing that it was only a simple elemental coating, a mocking smile appeared on its face. Only that gun-wielding lass could hurt it…

"Where is she?"

-CLICK!

Following the sound of the trigger being pulled, the demon felt dozens of little stones dug into its skin.

At that moment, everyone quickly pulled back from the demon and….

BOOM-! BOOM-!

A chain reaction of explosion started. Cracks started forming on the walls under the pressure generated by the repeated explosions.

SWOOSH-

Intense heat washed over everyone as they saw the floor near the demon melting from the extreme heat.

"Huff…Huuff"

Cadmus and Lilith were breathing heavily as they watched the spectacle. Cadmus had used over half of his aura reserve to stop those whips from attacking anybody. While Lilith used a large amount of blood to create the series of explosions.

Both of them were pale and barely standing.

The attack pattern they used now was what they had decided beforehand.

Cadmus will act as a tank and bear the brunt of the demon's attack. Leon will act as bait and distract the demon. Lilith, hiding using Anna's <Stealth > will be the damage dealer. And Anna will remain at the rear and do her job as a support magician.

This was the plan they made to get the 'compatibility' and 'strength' to deal with the demon.

Vigilantly looking over where the demon should be, Leon supported Lilith to make sure she didn't fall. But because Leon was too close, Lilith turned a little red.

Turning her head, she pouted, seeing Leon, who wasn't even looking at her.

"Leon, this isn't the time for this, but if you want~"

Acting embarrassed, she shyly hugged Leon back.

Hearing her, Leon's solemn expression almost crumbled. He wondered if the deficiency of blood in her head was making her dumber.

"Ow."

"You were thinking something rude, weren't you?"

"Stop it. It's still not dead."

Although Anna rebuked them, the corners of her lips were also threatening to rise. Leon and Lilith's occasional squabbles helped lift the group's mood.

"Ah, I can smell it~ It is near~"

The demon, licking its lips, walked out of the fire. Other than a little soot covering its face and the clothes that were burned at the edges, it looked completely unharmed.

WIING-

Ignoring the demon's strange words, a blue hue exploded outwards from Cadmus' body. At the same time, Leon completed his chant.

"<Thunder Force>"

Purple lightning crackled around him, raising his senses and agility to the maximum.

"It's time for round 2."

***

TAP- TAP- TAP-

Running with all the might I could muster, I could finally see the central room.

Sweat covered my entire body and my ether reserve was very low. My entire left arm had turned black and wasn't moving, making it more difficult to run.

BOOM-! BOOM-!

I was about to reach the room when, like a loud thunderclap, blasts of the explosion reverberated from that direction.

Shielding my face from waves of intense heat coming from the central room, I continued running. The battle was already undergoing.

THUD-

I crashed beside the door and peeked inside. A large fire was roaring in the middle of the room while everyone was grimly watching out for the demon.

I heaved a sigh of relief as I realized that everyone was still alive and in a condition to fight. But from their conditions, it was clear that they wouldn't be able to fight for more than a few minutes.

"Ah, I can smell it~ It is near~"

The demon, walking out from the sea of flames, spoke while …looking in my direction.

SWISH-!

I immediately pulled back and waited, trying to calm myself, before peeking again. As the battle started, I waited for the perfect opportunity to act.

I had decided what I was going to do.

"I need to kill Lilith."

This was the only way for me to survive.