Chapter 5

Standing a foot back neither take their eye of the other. The demon watches for a change of mind, testing with its feet as it attempts another step back. This one, the curly-tailed creature does not reciprocate, instead it growls and straightens its form a bit. Letting its arm hang loosely beside it but forming a fist as its curly tail hovers overhead.

The demon narrows at this, uneased by the yellow in the creature's eyes, it undulated like nothing it has seen before. Wary to look at the creature's eyes, the demon sets its sights to the tail only to discover a horrendous change.

As tail curls, its matted fur rages in a yellow flame that engulfs all the way from the base to the tip. Before the demon can defend itself the curly-tailed creature leaps, crossing the distance between them in a single bound. It twists in it's descent, positioning its flaming tail to smite the stunned demon.

The demon shrieks and tosses itself to the side in time to avoid the earth-shattering tail whip. The curly-tailed isn't done, it's fists blaze with the same yellow flames and it lunges after the demon.

Rolling in the dirt the demon avoids, one, two, three searing smites, letting the earth take the blows while it gathers itself and lands on its feet taken aback but ready to retaliate. The demon notes something it hadn't once on its feet— there are more of them, more curly-tailed creatures beyond the one aflame and after it. Growling the demon recalls the time it tried eating an accompanied creature— the crystal blasting fowl and its replica. It lost a valuable foot and all the food it would've had because of numerical advantage.

The curly-tailed dashes forward, it's palms and fist aiding its shorter feet in a knuckled run. It shoots its tail outward and over the demon in an arc that launches it behind the demon, sandwiching it between itself and its companions.

Cornered the demon steals glances at both sides frantically, growling through gritted teeth. None of the others are aflame and so baring its fangs in full the demon floods its being with Essence pumped from its crystal. Taking a page from the four-armed brute's fight book, the demon digs into the earth, expending the accrued Essence in its muscles to launch its entire body after its flame-tailed opponent.

Before the curly-tailed can blink the demon snatches its throat as it continues to soar, stabbing it's claws as deep as they'll sink into the yellow-eyed creature. Crashing into the ground together the two enter a struggle for dominance, finding the curly-tail's strength even with claws digging into its throat to be formidable. A fortunate thing is the flame is snuffed out, either by the crash or by the shock of being snatched into flight. Whichever is responsible the demon is thankful not to deal with the strange yellow flame as it presses down on the curly-tailed.

The creature is quick-witted and with more limbs than the demon can match the two enter a strangulation stalemate. Claws dug into the creature's throat with length of its tail wrapped around the demon's neck, squeezing with increasing strength even as blood pools out of its own.

A raucous chorus of whooping and yowling carry around the tussling two, reminding the demon of the rest of the companions set to come after it at any time. A strong whiff of blood teases amidst its growing desperation, fuel it the demon's strength as blood and Essence roar throughout its body, turning its dark irises as red as the sky. The demon belts out a guttural roar at the paling creature's face, "Raaarrr!!"

[{Blood Rush} Active!]

Enraged and bloodthirsty the demon's claws dig deeper and with a swift pull it rips out the curly-tailed's throat. Not stopping there, it grabs the tail strangling it and plants a foot down against the gasping creature's chest to tear it off and lunge at the blood pooling throat. Within the creature's throat the demon finds a handy Crystal, throbbing with power unused. Clamping down quickly the demon absorbs all ESQ before leaping off the creature in time to avoid another flaming tail whip.

This time it doesn't wait for the new curly-tail to recover and pumps Essence from its Crystal into its left arm, coating it with a shroud of distorting Essence— "Reais Smite!".

Faster than the curly-tailed can react, the demon bursts through its chest with its fist of spiralling Essence taking out a throbbing organ as it does. The second curly-tailed falls and the demons roars out in bloody victory. Challenging the others edging on the sides of the devastated forest to fight if they dare.

They do.

Three striding out of their covers, manoeuvring around the demon, using their arms as forelegs and their flaming tails as weapons. Flanked on both sides the demon sees only one way out, but before it can take it a dire fatigue overwhelms it and worse— there's something else out there.

[{Blood Rush} Disabled!]

Watching what only few of the curly-tailed creatures have taken note of the demon's body sags with fatigue, but leaves it enough strength to clasp onto a torn up root— the creatures flanking it take it as surrender and lunge.

THUUBOOHHMMM!

The demon had gotten only a glimpse before, but nothing like the full picture it got now. A giant rock walking across the world takes another step and a shockwave devastates the land. Holding dearly to the root, the demon takes solace in watching several if not all the curly-tailed creatures get flung away and crushed. It's mirth soon turns sour as it feels its weight and the blasting wind tug on the root, unearthing it bit by bit until—

4 ESQ Absorbed!

5 Essence Points Absorbed!

Crystal Essence Level 4—>5!

[FAI] perk {Wave Shot} Attained!

Name: —

Race: Demon

Class: Vampiric

Age: Immortal – 24days.

Crystal Essence: [Pink]- Lvl.5— 29.01ESQ

[Available Essence Points— 5]

Faith:12

Agility: 7

Perk: {Reais Smite}, {Blood Rush}, {Wave Shot}