Destruction

"Fortunately, I'm not very hungry yet," Blade demon's voice sounded after it had rejuvenated its body, reminiscent of kindling crackling in a fierce blaze—harsh, desiccated. "You can die after you answer some of my questions."

Noah strained to avert his gaze, aware that if he stared at Blade demon too intently, he would succumb to its illusions. The demon's form was pitch and mottled like charred remnants of a nightmare. Noah's body was slick with sweat, legs felt like lead.

"For what purpose do you hunt demons like me?" Blade demon inquired. "It's a grueling task, one that won't make you rich or earn you respect. You just spend your days in an endless cycle of hunting my kind, kill or be killed."

"I don't know."

"Such blissful ignorance. It almost makes me want to spare you. After all, you're quite different from those hunters determined to kill me." Each sentence from Blade demon felt like a lethal test.

Noah remained silent.

"Why don't you speak?"

"I don't have the right to converse with you." Noah's voice was low.

"'Right'?..."

"If I were strong... if I could stand against you, have a chance in battle... things would be different." Noah clenched his fists.

"Are you confused by your own powerlessness?"

Noah planted his legs firmly on the ground, resisting the urge to flee. I'm going to die, I'm going to die—

"Ah, you're playing your part well, like a reliable follower. You've earned yourself a sliver of hope. Come, claim your reward! I'm willing to take you as my servant." Blade demon's tone was mocking.

"No!" Noah shouted. "I am a demon hunter, and when I have the power, I will destroy you, all things like you, expel you all from this world! Send you back—"

Blade demon let out a soundless screech, a powerful force sweeping over Noah's body.

The force—so overwhelming—it continued to press down on Noah, but his emerald necklace glowed, its magical powers shielding him from the demonic energy's threat.

Julius's necklace... Noah sighed inwardly. The relic of a predecessor was protecting him, but he feared it was still the end.

Blade demon, seeing its magic ineffective, advanced briskly toward Noah.

"Look at me."

It halted its advance.

Logan, lying on the ground, suddenly reached out and grasped Blade demon's ankle.

"Not dead?" Blade demon's feet ignited with emerald flames, scorching Logan's hand. Any human would recoil from the pain, their flesh tearing and bursting, unable to hold on.

"Aether Flame." Logan whispered.

A brighter blaze ignited around the old hunter, far more dazzling than the demon's dark green fire, bright enough to illuminate the entire night. The flame traveled from Logan's hand to Blade demon's foot, crawling up its leg, engulfing its entire body, relentlessly scorching its shell.

Blade demon leaped violently into the air, escaping Logan's grip.

"I'm still one step ahead." Blade demon looked down at the panting Logan below. The old hunter's form dimmed within the golden fire, fading quickly like a snuffed torch. "Ha! Let's see how long you last."

"Phantom Force!" Noah cast the spell.

Blade demon pointed upward, deflecting the flow of force with a mere finger.

"I've already told you, your so-called spells are trash." Blade demon sneered.

A whistling sound—

Seizing the moment when Noah distracted the demon, Logan swiftly called back the magical rope, casting it towards Blade demon. The enchanted rope flew out, ensnaring Blade demon's right leg, yanking it swiftly downward.

"You two—!" Blade demon plummeted, transforming its arms into blades to sever its leg, letting the rope drag it to the ground. Logan incinerated the severed limb with Aether Flame, then stood, keeping a watchful eye on Blade demon.

Logan's body burned in the soul flame, turning into a charred effigy.

More than fifteen, even thirty seconds passed, the Aether Flame raging into an inferno, nearly reaching the sky, consuming everything. But how much soul did Logan have left to fuel the flames? Noah couldn't bear to think.

Noah reloaded his crossbow, firing at Blade demon, who dodged mid-air, but Logan predicted its trajectory, launching a golden light that struck Blade demon's body.

The golden inferno burned through its shell, seeking the evil will within, forcing Blade demon to plummet.

Logan, aflame, pounced on the falling Blade demon.

"Get away!" Blade demon's form twisted, sprouting countless spikes and blades, transforming into a grotesque spiky ball, wounding any who dared approach.

Noah watched helplessly as Logan threw himself toward the demon covered in sharp weapons, allowing the blades to pierce his body, determined to transfer the Aether Flame onto Blade demon.

Master Logan—mentor—oh God—Noah tasted the bitterness of grief.

Golden fire spread across Blade demon, its carapace cracking in the heat.

"Move!" Blade demon cursed furiously. "I will destroy you!"

It quickly healed, the scorched exterior regenerating, the golden flames seemingly unable to inflict real harm. Blade demon stood, using limbs transformed into spears and blades, while Logan hung pierced upon its body like a figure on the rack.

Blade demon grasped Logan, slowly pulling him off.

"Aether Flame!"

Noah stared at Blade demon, releasing the spell Logan taught him. In this moment, Exile to the Beyond was futile, for the demon's true form hid within its shell. Only the Aether Flame could affect it... and that was enough!

Previously, Noah had only used minimal flames to sear his soul, creating brief agony for clarity. Now, he unleashed the spell's full might, a pain that could obliterate will, almost breaking his endurance. Simultaneously, the same golden flames ignited around him.

He drew his sword, and flames immediately spread from his hand to the blade.

This is my one chance—humanity's only chance to defeat a demon!

Noah charged at Blade demon.

"I command all blades!" Blade demon roared furiously.

"It's dull!"

Once bent by impact and used for digging, Noah's weapon could no longer be called a sword. Its edges highly worn, its tip no longer sharp, it lay outside Blade demon's dominion.

For Denver's vengeance—Noah struck down, mocking life's puppeteer, back to hell with you.

It was this blunt, foolish weapon, now ablaze with Aether Flames, that struck heavily upon Blade demon's shoulder. The weight and force cracked its shell, burning the malevolent spirit within.

"I cannot be killed," Blade demon screamed continuously, laughing wildly.

Logan, consumed by flame for so long, turned weakly to Noah.

"Noah..." the old hunter rasped, "what a pity..."

What did he mean? Noah was baffled.

Blinding golden light seared his eyes.

With a series of deafening roars, an immense shockwave sent Noah flying.

Blood rained, Logan's flesh and limbs scattered in the air, incinerated to nothingness before hitting the ground, leaving only charred remains. Metal and leather were the first to burn, bone and ash dissipated into the atmosphere like sand.

Blade demon's shell collapsed amidst the blast, leaving only an empty torso, four-fifths of its body lost. Below its decapitated head and remaining scales of its neck, a mass of utter darkness writhed, trying to burrow into its head for shelter. More malevolent forces inevitably seeped away into the air, swiftly vanishing.

Noah was upended, his back slamming into the ground, but felt no pain.

What's happening to me? He opened his eyes wide.

Strange? Why can't I move? I want to move my hand, but it doesn't budge. I want to move my foot, and it remains still. Even attempting to wiggle a toe is futile; I can only imagine it moving, but can't feel the actual motion.

I... Noah's head swiveled around, lying on the ground; why am I immobile? Where is my body?

Oh, it's been blasted away. Hands, feet, legs, stomach—gone. Only a golden flame churned on what remained, silently burning his soul.

How foolish... Noah thought. A mere novice hunter, thrust into a hunt of the highest peril. Fighting with all his might, casting every spell in the arsenal to confront the demon.

Human methods of combat were clumsy, laughable, and ridiculous, relying on self-destruction to harm demons.

Honestly, hunters don't make money, so why try so hard?

Perhaps the profession shouldn't exist.

But without demon hunters, wouldn't demons be unrestrained? Peaceful villages, cities, the civilized world could fall at any moment... Hunters with their crossbows, swords, spells, and potions find demons tough foes; how could ordinary people stand a chance? Even assembled armies, without proper tactics, could be slaughtered by a lone demon.

After all, demons are so formidable.

Enough, that's enough, hunting demons.

Let's do it in the next life...

Noah closed his eyes, truly exhausted, truly having done his best. If Blade demon still lived after that, there was nothing more he could do.

"Don't die," a voice said.

Was it another demon hunter? Noah's eyes snapped open. Jaffney returned!

No, worse than that, he recognized the demonic voice.

Blade demon cobbled together its flesh, forming two blades to prop up its horned head, struggling towards Noah with blades resting on its withered neck, looking forlorn and ugly. An abundance of malevolent forces spilled from its head, dissipating into nothingness.

I am about to die. Noah felt his life leaking like a breached dam. Why come to kill me? My soul is here, charred by the fire. Eat up if you can stomach it.

"You mustn't die, mortal, I beg you, don't die," Blade demon's voice carried a mournful tone. "I have no usable shell left, but I cannot be forced back into the void... I can't go back... I was exiled here by the other demons, if I return, they will surely kill me, I don't want to die..."

Dizziness washed over Noah.

"No—get away—go die—" he rasped with his last strength, a soulful cry without vocal cords to carry it.

"Are you content to die like this? You're only seventeen! You could live a century more, don't you wish to see the world again?!" Blade demon returned the howl, "Relax your guard, let me into your consciousness, I can save you! And you can save me! I refuse to be killed by the natives of this backward world—hurry! You have seconds left!"

Noah longed to cry but found no tears. This was what saddened him the most. Perhaps he truly had lost the ability to cry as Logan had said.

Maybe every demon hunter had their peculiarities, and this was Noah's.

"Alright." Noah's voice was hollow. "Let's survive together."