Chapter 60: Counter

A demon's life was a long one. The average demon could live for thousands upon thousands of years. But demons were complex creatures, even more so than Astrothians. They existed in the age of Gods along with the dragons. And they have weakened since then; the age of the Gods was the golden age for humans, demi-humans, and demons alike.

But all grew lazy and weak, at least compared to what they could have been. Only a select few demons from the age of Gods still exist. The Chaosmaws, demons whose very existence threatens mankind. It is no exaggeration to say Chaosmaws are a threat to most, if not all, societies.

Then again, what cemented them as just a mere threat were simple things such as pride. There used to be many Chaosmaws that walked the planet, powerful entities who could threaten nations. Yet pride is what killed most and reduced their numbers to a mere ten.

Pride prevented them from accepting that there were mortal creatures out there that were more powerful.

"I suppose this boy would be one of those rare cases." From on high while hovering in the air, the Chaosmaw Nybbas observed the scene below. It was the masked boy, the one who had nearly killed Asmodai. An impressive feat to say the least, Asmodai was one of their more experienced warriors. To be done in by some random human was quite the feat for the former and an embarrassment for the latter.

But currently, the masked boy and the fourth princess, Amaury, were engaging in physical combat. "Suppose that much makes sense, the bloodline of the Von Auerswald is naturally immune to magic due to their dragon descent." He mused, but the masked boy was putting up too good a fight. Considering he was matching one of the physically strongest people on the planet. "A spawn of the God of strength mayhap? If so, on top of all that, he possesses absurd magical talent."

Nybbas observed the battle.

Even if you were a seasoned warrior with the most keen senses, you would barely be able to see them move.

As Amaury leapt into the air, she aimed her blade at Mikoto's shoulder. But he was too quick. He ducked down, narrowly avoiding the strike. The blade sliced through the air, creating a whistling sound as it passed overhead.

Amaury spun around, her blade arcing through the air in a wide swing. Mikoto dodged to the side, his feet digging into the snow. He countered with a quick kick aimed at Amaury's knee. The girl saw it coming and jumped back, narrowly evading the blow. The force of the kick sent snow flying through the air, coating them both in a cold, wet layer.

("When it comes down to a battle of attrition, I am not sure which one of us will win.") Mikoto thought as he locked eyes onto her form.

Mikoto advanced, closing the distance between them. Amaury backpedaled, her eyes fixed on her opponent. Mikoto followed close behind; he saw her close in on a frozen pond. As she reached the edge of the frozen surface, he lunged forward, his body colliding with hers. They tumbled to the ground, their limbs tangled in each other's grasp.

The impact shattered the ice beneath them, sending up a cloud of icy shards. They struggled to break free from each other's hold.

Finally, Amaury managed to break free. She scrambled to her feet, her blade raised high above her head. Mikoto rose slowly, his bare hands balled into fists. The air between them crackled with tension.

("This boy is matching me blow for blow, with just pure physical prowess.") Amaury could not help but grin; rare was such an opportunity.

Amaury swung her blade in a wide arc, the metal slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. Mikoto ducked and weaved, his movements quick enough and then some. The ground beneath them shook with each blow, cracks forming in the frozen earth. Amaury leapt forward, her blade aimed for Mikoto's chest. But he was quick, sidestepping her attack and sweeping his leg out in a low kick. Amaury jumped over his leg and landed gracefully, twirling her blade in a defensive stance.

"Tell me, boy, what is your name?" She suddenly asked, much to his confusion.

"Ah? Why do you want to know?" He questioned, his tone low.

"I deem you a worthy battle, and I'd like to know the name of a worthy adversary." She stated, her voice surprisingly sincere.

"Fine, the name's Mikoto. Remember it!"

Mikoto charged forward, his fists clenched and ready to strike. Amaury met him head-on, his fists colliding with the flat side of her blade and sending shockwaves through the air. Snowflakes swirled around them as they continued their battle, neither one able to gain the upper hand.

They fought with such intensity that the very environment around them seemed to be crumbling. Trees were uprooted, rocks were split in half, and the ground was torn apart. But still, they couldn't seem to land a hit on each other.

Amaury swung her sword in a wide arc, creating a gust of wind that sent Mikoto stumbling back. Seizing the opportunity, she lunged forward with lightning speed, her blade aimed for his heart. But Mikoto was faster, dodging her attack and grabbing her wrist. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Red orbs sunk into red orbs. Both could not help but momentarily admire the eyes of the other.

Amaury broke out of his grasp as she charged forward, her blade swinging wildly. Mikoto ducked and spun, using his momentum to launch himself towards a snow-covered boulder. He landed gracefully on its surface and propelled himself off it, aiming for her side. Amaury felt his body collide with hers, sending them both tumbling through the air.

They landed hard on the ground, the impact causing the snow to cushion their fall. Mikoto was quick to recover, rolling to his feet and facing her once more. He dashed towards her. Amaury rose to meet him, her blade clashing with his open right palm in a fierce exchange. The force of the impact vibrated through their arms, sending shockwaves through the environment. Snow flew into the air around them as they fought, their movements a blur.

Their battle raged on, each blow more powerful than the last. They fought across the snowy clearing, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Trees were felled, snowdrifts were churned into muddy slush, and the once-pristine landscape was transformed into a battleground.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Amaury found an opening. She lunged forward, her blade aimed at Mikoto's chest. But before her strike could land, he ducked down and kicked up a cloud of snow beneath her feet. Amaury lost her balance, and then Mikoto seized his opportunity.

("Magic negation is not invincible.") He extended his right palm. ("I need a continuous flow or a constant supply of mana or power that surpasses her body's canceling speed.") A small orb of fire came into existence above his palm; it spun rapidly as its heat increased. ("Using a constant regenerating attack or if I have an attack that is, in actuality, composed of a bunch of tiny attacks, then she can't cancel in time; she would feel a physical push from the attack; depending on the quantity of the attack, it would result in her getting damaged by magic.")

("Magic again?") Amaury questioned, somewhat disappointed. ("What is it he hopes to accomplish?") She thought with a frown as the orb of rapidly spinning fire accelerated towards her exposed abdomen. But she was not worried; once the attack ultimately failed, she would counter and end this battle.

But then...

"Grah!?" Blood violently erupted from her mouth as the orb of fire tore through a section of her stomach, the intense heat washed over her as her body shot backward under the force of the attack. ("What!?") Her body collided with a snow-covered boulder hard enough to shatter it into pieces as if it was glass.

("Brilliantly simple.") Mikoto mused as he saw her shakingly rise to her feet. But he frowned as the steaming hole in her stomach stitched itself up, cell by cell, and fiber by fiber in quick succession. ("High-speed regeneration too, huh?")

("How!?") Amaury mentally questioned as she clutched her stomach. ("I only know of one person capable of such a feat.") She stared at the masked boy, Mikoto. Her view of him completely changed from a potential threat to the most dangerous one. ("I've no choice.")

Mikoto's body instinctively tensed as a malevolent aura engulfed Amaury's form. It was foreign and otherworldly; a lesser man would have been overwhelmed by the strange aura, yet Mikoto just prepared himself for action. Amaury opened her mouth, her voice holding a distant echo.

"Relea-"

"Now, now, there is no need for that." Both turned to the sudden voice that came from on high. Mikoto narrowed his eyes at the hovering form of Nybbas, whose feet touched down onto the destroyed ground.