Chereads / Delphine of Moria / Chapter 30 - An Unsuccessful Battle

Chapter 30 - An Unsuccessful Battle

"I'll... cut you down!" Sid said to the creature.

"Stay back! There's nothing you can do!" Delphine shouted. Sid didn't listen to a single word from her, and he raises his sword to slice off the powerful demon's head.

The sword shatters in pieces, which hinted out that the demon's body could withstand steel made by humans. Then, the demon's fingers started increasing and began flailing like a giant whip; its hand was a giant weapon. This creature was far more different than any creature Delphine has ever faced on her journey, and it was getting even more challenging. The large fingers continued to grow and act as a sharp weapon until it appeared that it would pierce Sid's eyes and face. Then, Delphine uses her greatsword and chops off the demon's hand; Sid starts to back away from her as the monster began to feel so much pain.

"Run! Get out of the way!" Delphine shouted. But, Harry and Sid did not pay attention to a word she said, and the demon began to make its move as it had no other options.

The demon uses his hand and believes that he pierced Delphine on her stomach, but her armor was not crafted through mortal hands. Instead, it left a huge scratch on the armor which pushed her away from her opponent; she started to lose half of her energy. Then, the powerful creature raises his fist and punches Delphine in the chest, and she went flying backward to a nearby wall. Delphine did not find herself getting back up to attack the creature because she believed that everything she went through would end in tragedy. However, she still held onto the handle of her greatsword and made sure that it never leaves her side.

Harry and Sid were stunned by the fact that she wasn't killed from such an assault that would skewer a wild boar. Delphine could feel herself going numb, and she could feel nothing but her own veins having a mind on their own.

What... is this? Why... why can't I kill this creature? Why can't my power... do anything against my enemy? Is this... poison? Delphine thought.

"How is it still alive?" Harry asked. Even though Delphine was holding her blade, she still could not get herself up and fight back.

Her dark soul was unresponsive even at her time of need; she desperately needed to do something to defeat the demon. Then, the creature commenced to walk towards Delphine and readied himself to deliver the finishing blow. Delphine was still on the ground, and she had a large scar on her forehead with so much blood coming down. The powerful monster raises his fist up into the air and was getting ready to punch her in the face. Delphine looks up and sees that she was about to die from the demon's hands; she quickly rolled away from the demon and tripped him over.

Then, she runs up to his body and gives him a giant scar that ran from his chest to his stomach. The demon started to feel twice as much pain as Delphine was feeling, and so much of his blood was coming out. She pierced her sword right in the middle of the demon's chest and started punching him in the face. She punches him until so much blood and gore starts coming out from his nose, eyes, and mouth. Clearly, the demon existed to waste her time and stand in her way as the night was still upon them.

Suddenly, a dozen knights begin to charge into the cathedral to see what was happening and what should be done.

"Hurry. Did you round up every knight?" The captain asked.

"Yes, captain!" One of them said. Then, they all started questioning the dreadful image that is before their eyes; the demon was unlike any beast they have ever known.

Then they all shouted many things, saying, "My God! What on earth is that?! That's a demon?"

The powerful creature saw them looking at him, and he punches Delphine in the nose and made her fall on her back. Then, he jumps back into the shadows to not return back; his presence was already being noticed by all the guards and knights.

"Come back here!" Harry shouted. But, the demon did not return back to them, and they were all afraid to go into the dark shadows to fight him.

The chapel was already stained with so much blood and gore and it was stained on the walls and most of the ground.

"Sid, are you alright?" A knight asked. Sid didn't answer that knight because he was walking towards Delphine to see what has happened to her.

He looked upon her and glimpsed that she was still alive, but badly beaten and deeply wounded; thankfully, she was still breathing. He kneels down before her and places his hand on her and slowly picks her up by the back of her head. For a brief moment, he was starting to feel really bad for attacking Delphine a few minutes earlier.

"Is she dead?" Harry asked.

"She's alive. If she dies, she dies a martyr. She needs to stay alive," Sid answered.

"Where has your head been, Sid? Don't you know who she is? She is part monster, part human! She's too dangerous to be kept alive!" Harry shouted.

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. But, she saved my life. I owe her, even if she is part monster."

Before Harry could say anything else to him, Delphine places her hand on Sid's arm and gets herself up from the ground.

"Be careful, ebony knight. You've been badly injured," Sid said.

"I'll... I'll be alright. I just need... to get some rest," Delphine said.

"That may be true, but with this many cuts and bruises on your body, you wouldn't be able to make it," he said.

"Probably for a normal person. But... you've seen it all for yourself. I'm not like other people you've ever faced before. I'm a demon hunter, a knight who wanders alone in the darkness. And I will not rest until I find the one responsible for all of this. You might hate me for some crime I've committed against you, but I will have the head of all of those who have taken so much from these people."

Then, Delphine picks up her greatsword and puts it back in her scabbard, and she begins to walk back to her hotel room. The other guards were making way for her to pass; they were all surprised by the fact that she was able to survive an encounter by such a powerful demon.

Then Sid said to her, "Ebony knight. I... owe my life to you! From this day on, I will never forget you nor your brother. I will go to the far reaches of the earth where your name shall be heard throughout all the regions."

As she heard this, Delphine turns her head and looks at Sid for a long while; she never wished for her name to be known to anybody. It appeared as if the man who was once her enemy is trying to redeem himself after all the trouble he caused her during this night. Then, Delphine nods her head to her and begins to head outside as the moon is still up in the sky. Harry was very confused by the way Sid was acting towards Delphine; he didn't know what he wants from her, but he needed some answers.

"Sid, what on earth are you thinking?" Harry asked.

"You've seen what she can do. You've seen her every move and every intent. If we try to fight her a second time, she would truly kill both you and me," Sid said.

"I might understand what you're saying, but even so... she cannot be trusted. I know that woman... she is vile and has the devil within herself," Harry said.

"She didn't come here to kill us, she came to kill this monster. But, there's a feeling inside me that she'll fight him again. You and I saw how powerful that demon can be. You witnessed the raw, untamed power that it wields."

"You trust her? Are you also one of her followers, Sid?"

"If I were her follower, I wouldn't be here having this conversation with you."

"You would give your own life to such a person? The one who has evil spirits inside her head?"

"She is not what they say they are! She is far different. Though there is darkness inside of her, she's still a knight who cares about her people."

"I know the faces of evil when I see it, Sid. You and I have this technique where we can see within others if they are vile or not. Evil or not, I cannot trust her. You might... but I do not."

"You know of any circumstances, and yet... you may have a point there. I do not wish to fight the ebony knight a second time. Though I myself am a knight of this city, I was not trained to murder those who have a higher purpose. I feel it inside of me that Delphine will complete her task and continue her journey elsewhere. Eventually, she'll recover from her wounds... and try again to defeat the great evil that lurks here. That's the end of the matter for me."