Chapter 21: Second Chaosmaw

[Earlier]

Mikoto's eyes glazed over the dozen or so dissipating demon corpses within the auditorium of the academy.

("No luck; these few were just mindless.") There were quite a few demons that had invaded the academy; most professors were out tending to them, while most students were hauled away somewhere. But still, he himself had been out looking for any intelligent demons. He wanted to ask about the wards and how they had broken them; of course, any demon might not just want to part with said information.

So as he stood there, his mind whirred with thoughts. He dwelled on the wards, also pondering the meaning of the demons just randomly invading the academy. Yet, despite his musings, a certain serenity clung to him, undisturbed by the silence around him.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom shattered the stillness, causing his thoughts to scatter like shards of glass. The main entrance doors exploded inward, splintering and crashing as if struck by an invisible force. In the gaping void created by the shattered doors, a figure emerged—yet another demon of nightmarish proportions.

This monstrous entity stood over twelve feet tall, its body contorted as if torn apart and reassembled with malicious intent. Its form was a fusion of sinew and bone; its skin was cracked and oozing with a dim glow. Thick, heavy chains wrapped its body, linking its limbs together in confinement.

With an unearthly growl that echoed through the auditorium, the demon lunged toward the unsuspecting boy. Its limbs moved with unnatural speed, propelled by a ferocity that could only originate from the depths of the darkest Abyss. Teeth gnashed, sharp as razors, as it extended long, clawed fingers, its intent unmistakably clear—to strike the boy down.

However, the Mikoto remained unbothered, as the demon closed the distance between them. In one fluid motion, he withdrew his hands from his pockets, extending his fingers as if holding an invisible gun. The air shifted around him, charged with mana power that crackled like electricity.

He aimed his invisible barrel toward the demon. A surge of mana coursed through him, a stinging sensation that flowed from the extended fingers down to his core. As he pulled an imaginary trigger, a shockwave erupted, sending ripples of force towards the demon.

In an instant, the demon imploded, its form collapsing upon itself as if sucked into a vacuum. The audacious display silenced the demon.

Mikoto sighed, adding another mindless demon to the pile.

As his fingertips tingled with residual mana, a surge of magic pulsed through him. With not even a whispered incantation, reality warped, and he found himself hovering in mid-air, his body effortlessly suspended above the destroyed courtyard of the once magnificent Academy.

The courtyard lay in ruins, cracked cobblestones lay scattered, scorch marks scarred the ground, it was pure ruin.

From his aerial vantage point, he surveyed the scene below. Two figures stood locked in a confrontation. One was Professor Gregory; Mikoto recognized the prick. To his side was a large, ethereal white wolf with azure eyes.

The other figure, an unknown demon, unleashing a barrage of magical, arrow-headed projectiles. They hurtled towards Professor Gregory, leaving trails of darkness in their wake.

But the wolf moved swiftly, its majestic form nearly a blur. It easily intercepting each arrow head with jaws lined with razor-sharp fangs. The arrows shattered upon impact, dissipating into shards of smoke that dissipated into nothing.

Mikoto's hummed as he observed the battle. The wolf's movements were not the result of mere instinct but of a deep bond between it and Professor Gregory. Their synergy was impressive. A shame Gregory had such a power.

("It's no summon.") Mikoto noted that it was completely comprised of pure mana. It was created, not summoned. That must have been the Familial Arts of the Goddess Isadora, no doubt. As interesting as that was, Mikoto found himself more interested in the demon, who actually seemed intelligent.

"It looks like I found what I was looking for." Mikoto smiled as he raised his hand at the blue demon.

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[Forest]

"I dare say I do not enjoy being carried around like a sack of potatoes." Ruby complained from beneath Lucinda's arm.

"S-sorry." Lucinda could only sheepishly apologize as she sped through the dense forest; despite the absurd speed at which she was going, she managed to avoid the trees. Unfortunately, the two of them were also victims of the random teleportation spell invoked. Hence, they found themselves in the forest.

"I suppose it's fine." Ruby murmured, keeping her eyes closed as the wind violently rushed her face. "But you're quite fast; I thought you would be slow."

"How come?" Lucinda questioned as she avoided yet another tree.

"You have a huge breast." The smaller girl bluntly stated.

"W-what!?" The older girl flushed.

"I said you had-"

"No, no! I... uhm, heard...I just..."She was not quite certain how to respond to that.

Well, she was at least certain of one thing.

And that was of a distant, ominous rumbling that began to permeate the air, causing the birds to scatter. It was the sound of something colossal descending.

Suddenly, as if sensing the imminent danger, Lucinda tightened her grip on Ruby and sprang backwards, just as the ground beneath them erupted with a thunderous crash.

As the dust from the collision settled, a towering form emerged. The demon wore a tattered, vermilion jacket that seemed to cling to its lean muscular frame with surprising elegance. Each button on the jacket glinted in the light, gilded accents glimmering. Its pants were tailored impeccably, though now scuffed and torn from the impact.

Its face was surprisingly human though with its skin it was anything but, its mouth contorted into a sinister smirk. Eyes that burned, while jagged horns jutted menacingly from its forehead. Withered, leathery wings stretched menacingly behind its back.

"Ah, there you are." It spoke with a raspy and oddly human voice.

"You're a Chaosmaw..." Lucinda's muscles coiled, and her eyes fixed on the demon. She sat Ruby down, and no words needed to be exchanged as the aqua-haired girl quickly made her exit. Though the demon did not spare her even a glance, only a thought, ("Well thank whatever deity is listening,")

"Spawn of Octavia..." It murmured as it licked its lips with its elongated tongue. "You look even more delicious in person." Immediately, her expression turned to one of repulsion.

("From what I sensed, there was only one Chaosmaw; there's no way I'd overlook this one.") She frowned as she unsheathed her katana and prepared to take a stance. But suddenly, in the distance, a huge pillar of pitch-black flames erupted and pierced the atmosphere.

"My, my. It seems Asmodai is having some fun." The Chaosmaw commented as he turned back to her. "Forgive my lack of manners; I am known as Nybbas." It introduced. Lucinda's gaze, merely held its own as he continued. "But I must say, I look rather forward to seeing your twisted and broken form!" He said it with a sneer morphing into his features.

Suddenly, Nybbas appeared before Lucinda, his body radiating with mana. He channeled his mana to reinforce and strengthen his body, with a faint glow surrounding him. 

The moment Nybbas extended his clawed hand toward Lucinda, a shiver of malice rippled through the air. He lunged, his arm a blur, Lucinda's red eyes sharpened, her mind absorbing every micro-movement. The way his shoulder twitched before an attack. The subtle shift in weight before he pounced. The fluid, almost hypnotic way his limbs moved.

Yet, to her, it was all far too telegraphed.

As his claws came for her throat, Lucinda leaned back, the razor-edged nails swiped past her chin, grazing a single white hair that drifted to the forest floor. Before Nybbas could recoil, she twisted on her heel, her form weaving through his barrage of slashes.

("Is that all?") she mused internally, dodging another strike by mere inches.

Nybbas snarled, adjusting his approach. His hands became a blur, carving through the space around Lucinda with terrifying speed. Claw after claw, his strikes rained upon her, coming from every angle, cutting through branches, sending up clouds of dust and shredded leaves. Yet not a single one landed.

Lucinda barely seemed to move at all. Each time his attack neared, she was already gone—a step ahead, a heartbeat faster. A half-turn here, a slight shift of weight there. 

She swung her sword. The sound of steel.

For the first time, Nybbas' claws met resistance—Lucinda's sword. The elegant weapon intercepted a strike effortlessly, redirecting his momentum as if she had barely exerted force at all. The clash echoed through the forest.

"Predictable," she remarked, her voice laced with disappointment. Her gaze flickered with something between annoyance and curiosity. "You're moving well, but you're not even trying, are you?"

Nybbas' lips curled into a sneer. "Oh? And here I thought you were just that good."

He didn't hesitate. His attacks grew erratic, more feral. His feet dug into the ground, kicking up dirt and leaves as he lunged with newfound aggression. His arms blurred, striking at unpredictable intervals, aiming for her ribs, her throat, her legs—anywhere he could carve a wound.

Lucinda met him strike for strike.

Her sword deflected each attempt with impeccable timing, she sidestepped a brutal swipe meant to tear into her waist, the air rippling from the force of the attack. As she pivoted, her hair flared around her.

Still, something was off.

Lucinda's keen senses latched onto the peculiar ebb of Nybbas' mana. His strikes had power, but his mana remained suspiciously restrained. He was using magic—but only to enhance his body. With the aura she sensed from him, he should have been capable of casting at least tier four spells, yet he hadn't even attempted to.

("Why hold back?") she pondered.

Nybbas suddenly ceased his assault.

With a smirk, he leapt back, landing effortlessly on the forest floor. The dust settled around him as he straightened, his posture almost relaxed despite the utter failure of his offense.

"You're as skilled as you are beautiful, spawn of Octavia," he mused.

Lucinda's gaze darkened.

She felt it now—the shift in his stance, the gathering of mana. He was preparing a spell.

Her fingers tightened around her sword.

"Why have you demons come here?" she demanded.

Nybbas shrugged, his smirk never faltering. "Me? I'm just here for some fun. Asmodai, on the other hand, is here for business—to fulfill our lord's wishes."

A flicker of insight flashed through Lucinda's mind.

("Their lord… another Chaosmaw?") Her lips pressed into a thin line. ("For Nybbas to follow under them, they must be powerful. And if this Asmodai is involved, this isn't just a minor incursion.")

Nybbas exhaled dramatically, dusting off his nails. "I was looking forward to a proper battle with a spawn of Octavia, but…" He tilted his head, his sharp grin widening. "You're way too strong for me." =

With a wicked grin etched across his face, Nybbas raised his palm towards the skies. Blue flames flickered and the forest trembled as Nybbas thrust his palm forward, commanding the fire to surge forth. It exploded from his hand with an ear-splitting sound, forming an immense wave of swirling blue fire. The destruction was immediate, as if the elements themselves recoiled in terror. Trees were stripped of life and reduced to smoldering skeletons within the destructive path of the sizzling flames.

But Lucinda was already prepared. Raising her free palm, she tapped into an element that would counter those intense flames: water. Her connection surged to life a stream of pure liquid power erupted from her hand, falling forward with a mighty force.

Time seemed to slow as the colossal stream of water surged towards the malicious wave of fire, the elements poised for a collision. The air stilled as they converged, the wave of blue fire sizzled and twisted, desperately clawing at its existence. The water surged and surged, its momentum infinite. Violent hisses deafened the forest as the boiling flames battled against the relentless onslaught of water. Steam erupted, obscuring the battleground in ghostly tendrils and creating an veil of obscured perception.

As the vapor cleared, revealing the aftermath of their clash, destruction draped the landscape. The ground trembled beneath their feet, littered with the charred remnants of trees now reduced to ash. A wide clearing stretched out before them, scorched and scarred by the remnants of an elemental war.

Lucinda stood, uninjured, but there was no sign of Nybbas. He had escaped. Lucinda frowned as she turned her head in a specific direction. A battle was waging on, and she sensed the mana of the other Chaosmaw.

Nybbas was powerful; were anyone else to face him, then they would not be able to win. This Asmodai was no doubt the other Chaosmaw; someone was battling him.

"Sorry, Ruby." She needed to get there fast and put an end to the demons.