The air was thick, the sound of birds chirping in the distance making each of the leather-garbed townspeople quiver in fear. Never before have they faced such a severe threat—if they could even call it that. It was death, plain and simple. It was rumored that not a single soul ever escapes the grasp of the Red-Eyed Ghost, also known as the Demon of Adonai, among other infamous names the redhead had acquired from his cruel actions.
"H-hold strong, comrades! This is our home, is it not!?" The man leading the group of spear-wielding townsfolk exclaimed, gritting his teeth.
The men and women in the group braced themselves for the worst with a small but audible shuffling of their feet. In contrast to the townspeople's fear, Yuso stared them down with curiosity and a smidgeon of enjoyment. The sheer power Yuso wielded over the people of Adonai was astounding; the genuine horror instilled in the hearts and minds of the people made the redhead feel stronger.
Yuso then relinquished his hold on the bartender's decapitated head, letting it roll away grotesquely.
"You heard him." Yuso said loudly, his voice monotone. "This is your home, correct? Fight for it."
From his voice alone, dread washed over the minds of everybody, making their limbs shaky. However, they stayed put and clutched their spears with a firm grip. It was true; Kotai was their home—their only home.
One woman clicked her tongue and said, "Our pride and happiness resides with Kotai! If it goes down, we do too!"
The woman's assertiveness made several others jolt in surprise, their eyes locking onto her.
Yuso hummed as he spoke, "You all will either die with dignity… or with sorrow and a pool of blood."
The area was once again completely silent, stirring up a broad spectrum of emotions. The man in charge of the leather-garbed townspeople frowned.
"You heard him, folks! Wipe away your tears or be consumed by it! We have one objective, and it's to slay the Demon of Adonai!" The man hollered angrily, glowering at the menacing male before him and his group.
Rage was then bred within the hearts of everyone, albeit slowly. A loud roar boomed from the group, a battlecry meant to indicate their desire to persevere, to triumph over this obstacle, to survive.
"For Adonai!" The man declared, launching himself from his position and dashing at the redhead.
Along with the man, the clique of leather-garbed men and women sprinted forward, embracing the perilous situation with open arms. With spears in their hands, they fought.
Yuso, who started walking toward the incoming fighters, merely craned his head to the side as the leading man initiated a jab with his spear, which was directed at the redhead's face.
Unfortunately, the man could not compare to the infamous Red-Eyed Ghost.
With a flash of red—*SPLASH*—the man imploded into a wave of crimson blood, not a bone remaining. By simply grazing the man with his palm, Yuso had managed to successfully subdue his first opponent.
Explosions of fright ripped across the expressions of the townspeople; however, they did not back down—three of the leather-garbed folks dashed toward Yuso with indignation, thrusting their spears venomously.
"Die, devil!"
Although the plan was to overwhelm him, Yuso did not appear fazed. Boosting his entire body with his Aura Sense, the redhead's mind spiked, and time around him decreased in speed. The three townspeople were practically floating in the air, frozen in time.
Then, the mighty Shirugeto whirled…
*BRRRRMM*
Three pentagrams, illuminating in a vibrant crimson color, appeared out of thin air before the three incoming spearmen, swallowing the tips of their weapons instantly. Faster than any of the poor townspeople could move, their own spears had pierced them through each of their chests, a second set of pentagrams forming behind them.
Once again, blood spewed, soaring in the air. The vicinity was filled with shrieks and groans, three more bodies slamming into the ground lifelessly.
"I'm starting to doubt my own mind…" Yuso began to speak, cracking his neck. "How did I ever think that fighting peasants would be interesting?"
"Everyone, get back!" A voice suddenly roared, garnering Yuso's attention.
Standing in the middle of the leather-garbed townspeople, a middle-aged man stood tall with his hands flexed. His countenance withheld a deadly face, eyes burning with determination.
"I was an ex-warrior, previously stationed in my home village—I am the only one who can both use and dispel magic. Let me fight him!"
His palms emitted a yellow hue, with heat revolving around his hands. All of the muscles in his upper body were tense, his body hesitantly adapting to his Aura Sense.
Yuso stared placidly, his Shirugeto eyes still.
"Come on, Demon of Adonai! Not for another second will I permit your terrorism! Even if it takes my own life, I will be your end!" The middle-aged man said, creating two yellow Genso-Kyu that hovered above his palms.
The so-called demon stayed put.
Gritting his teeth, the man elicited a war cry.
"RAAAHH!"
*BOOM!*
A yellow beam of intense heat erupted from the middle-aged man's hands, tearing through the space between him and Yuso at breakneck speed, with no intention of stopping.
Within a second, perhaps even less, the yellow beam clashed into Yuso, causing the ground beneath the redhead to crack and the area around him to be swept away in the aggressive winds spawned from the attack.
After numerous seconds, as the middle-aged man's hands began to falter and the yellow beam started to dissipate, it became clear just how fruitless his assault on Yuso really was.
"Oh, no…" One woman gasped sharply.
Remaining unscathed, Yuso's form became visible once again as the debris subsided. Emotionlessly, the redhead raised a single finger to block the yellow beam, his index finger absorbing the entire blast. The Demon of Adonai was disappointed.
"There is a good reason that I'm still standing," Yuso said, "and it's because my speeches hold merit for my power—unlike yours."
Frighteningly, Yuso titled his index finger downward, which was directed at the ex-warrior—*PEW*—and proceeded to release a thin blast of red magic that shot through his abdomen faster than it could be perceived.
Another resident of Kotai bit the dust.
"Anyone else with shocking revelations?" Yuso inquired, his eyes washing over the rest of the fighters.
Nobody moved for a few seconds, several eyes plastered to Yuso's terrifying form. Then, unexpectedly, a woman launched herself at the redhead.
"Just die already!"
The woman incessantly jabbed at Yuso with her spear, missing every time as the red-headed male shifted his body in response to every one of her moves, dodging every attack.
"I've fought mere infants who possess more strength than the lot of you." Yuso admonished, snapping his hand upward and snatching the spear from the woman's grasp.
Without warning, Yuso then clenched his free hand, the pentagrams embedded in the skin of his palms glowing. Shortly after, red chains emerged from newly formed pentagrams, wrapping around and burning the remaining leather-garbed fighters.
"I'm growing bored; give me a reason to give you a second chance at victory." Yuso stated, his demonic eyes gazing into the woman's.
Everybody struggled to remove the searing chains from their body, grunting as their skin and clothes were scorched. The chains were too durable, especially for ordinary citizens with wooden spears for weapons.
"P-please, don't kill us! We have children!" The woman exclaimed, her lips quivering as salty tears fell from her eyes.
The raw emotion that sprung from the woman and the rest of the residents of Kotai struck Yuso even harder than before. The redhead took a quick breath, closing his eyes. That particular feeling of dominance over the emotions and lives of others quenched his previous desire to be entertained. His thoughts briefly drifted back to his master, the withering man with equally selfish goals as Yuso himself.
'This must be what he felt every time he bent me to his will…'
Yuso opened his eyes, looking down at the woman.
'I've been missing this for my entire life… why would I let go of it so easily?'
The leather-clad woman, who had dropped her spear after being restrained by the scorching chains, sobbed even harder, her heart racing. Yuso adorned an expression etched with sadistic mirth after reflecting on the woman's words.
"Children, you say? I must thank you for reminding me to let them tune in on the fun, as well." Yuso said, shocking the woman.
Raising his hand toward the sky, Yuso forced a massive red Genso-Kyu above the entire town of Kotai, resembling a miniature star poised to destroy everything around it.
"Think of it this way… you'll be set free from this tainted nation for good."
Yuso clenched his outstretched hand into a fist with those final words, allowing the red, star-like Genso-Kyu floating in the air to discharge a powerful beam down onto the small town. Yuso, on the other hand, vanished just as Kotai was destroyed by a massive explosion that incinerated miles of land.
Truly, the three nations were turning into a playground for the strong. Every day, more land is destroyed, more homes are burned, and more lives are taken—none of which seem to slow down in the slightest.
Yuso reappeared in a flash of red far from the devastated town, his feet returning to the green grass of Adonai. The redhead remained motionless for a brief moment, ostensibly lost in thought.
'Master… I think that I have reached a new goal.'
The redhead ambled forward, flattening the blades of grass at his feet with every step.
'Even though you have reached new limits with those rings... I will oppose your power; I've been exploited by you for ages—your control will officially collapse.'
XXX
Hey! I suck with promises! I can barely upkeep a proper schedule and I continue to remain lazy and refuse to push out more chapters. Because of that, I sincerely apologize—I am far from considering this novel's end without it being the one I originally intended. I will see this through, no matter how few people read. This is for me and my happiness, but hopefully for your entertainment, too. However, things will speed up so I can manage to do so. Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_