"Swords of the Guardian!"
Rachel points their hands at Duke, before their fingers transform into blades and fire toward his chest. Don cuts off the blade fingers and yells to the group. "That thing is targeting Duke!"
Nina rushes in toward Rachel with a joyous smile on her face. "Hey Ms. Human, I guess I didn't hit you hard enough. I made the mistake of aiming for your chest. Don't worry, the next time I'll paint this dumb town with you head!"
Rachel responds with furious anger. "BRING IT YOU FUGLY FREAK!!!"
Nina stops in response to what Rachel had just said. She stops and thinks about where she's heard that before. 'Wait fugly, I've heard that before. Oh, that's right, I saw it online.' Nina grits her teeth as she releases a large amount of energy. "You think I'm ugly, huh?" Nina looks at Rachel with a giant smile on her face. "Death would be too good for you. So I'm gonna smack the hell out of you first!"
Nina rushes at intense speeds toward Rachel. Rachel tried to ready their fingers to transform, but it was far too late. Nina, already face to face with Rachel, gets in stance to attack. Then, as if appearing from thin air, two gigantic swords swing at Nina. Nina dodges, but not before receiving a large cut on her leg.
Duke assesses the situation, trying to formulate a plan of attack. Duke puts one of his large hand guns back in its holster as he thinks. 'When a miracle user receives their power, they become 4x more durable than a normal human. So that monster will be 100x more durable than a normal demon. The only member in our group who was the firepower to destroy that thing in one hit is Nina, but how do we create another opening for her now? Those swords seem to be a defensive ability. We have to get past those first.'
Ryan yells to Duke. "Hey Tenth place. I calculated how long it takes for the daemon to regrow its limbs."
Duke turns toward Ryan, surprised. "How? Plus, this is a miracle user now. How could you be sure that you know how long it takes?"
Ryan scoffs. "What loser you want me to show you the math? Just trust me, it will take 2.07 seconds before that thing can regenerate. If we can take both of its arms."
Duke's eyes widen as he understands Ryan's intentions. "Then its fire power would be reduced. Allowing us to distract those blades and give Nina an opening!"
Mai steps up, and with a calm, confident voice, speaks up. "Duke, please provide ranged support while I take care of its arms."
Duke didn't question Mai. He could tell by the look on her face that she could do it. "Ryan and Don, you guys take care of the swords after that thing's arms come off!"
Don looks over at Ryan. Don wasn't ever a cocky person, but right now, while the most fun he's ever had, he couldn't help himself. "Hey you cocky S.O.B." Ryan looks at Don with surprised eyes. Don laughs as he points at Ryan. "Try to keep up, you slow bitch."
Ryan laughed uncontrollably as veins popped out on his forehead. "You damn loser. When did you get so stupid?"
Mai closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She slowly opens her eyes, and the ground explodes as she takes off toward Rachel. Rachel sees Mai flying at them with killer intent. The two gigantic swords appeared again, but before one of them could hit Mai, three gun-shots blow it away. The second sword swings at Mai. However, Mai places her sword between the gigantic swing with little resistance. The lack of resistance in the block causes Mai to spin. She uses that momentum to launch herself forward. Rachel, surprised, puts her arm out to make a shield. However, she was too late as Mai, with one swift strike, cuts their arm off. At the same time, the second sword slashes down at Mai from above. Mai calmly takes a step to the right as Rachel's own miracle cuts off their remaining arm.
Don and Ryan both laugh almost crazily as they both activate their miracles. Don takes off toward Rachel, slashing right through them, ignoring the swords. He turns around and comes back for a second attack, but the swords where ready for him this time. Rachel turns around, struggling to regenerate. Then, without warning, spikes pierce through Rachel's torso. Ryan laughs as the spikes transform into blades. Ryan flicks his right hand, causing the newly created blades to spin, cutting Rachel in half. Don laughs as he sprints past Rachel's swords. Rachel could only see a blue flash before being stabbed. They looked up to see the daemon like face of Don. The laughing of Don and Ryan rang through the town.
On top of a building in the small town.
John stood watching in amazement as he thought. 'These damn brats are outstanding. Duke is a natural leader who can instantly come up with a plan on the spot. Mai's combat senses far surpass a third level Inquisitors. Nina is a powerhouse who could kill an arch daemon in an instant, if she could land a direct hit. Then there's those two. Separately, they are exceptional. However, together, they are like beasts tearing their victim to shreds. An unstoppable duo.'
Back in the small town.
Panicking, Rachel shoots blades from her torso, causing Don to retreat. Rachel then spins toward Ryan as they think. 'That one is the problem. If I can kill him, then the fast one will be easy pickings.'
Rachel's sword stabs through their torso, pulling them toward Ryan. Don's eyes widen as he thinks. 'Ryan won't be able to handle that thing at close range!'
Don's eyes glow blue as he prepares to take off after Rachel, but before he could a smile that rose on Ryan's face stopped him. Ryan couldn't contain his smile as he thought. 'Mid-range expert? I don't remember ever telling anyone that was my specialty. I kill from a distance because that's how I end those beneath me. Those who are worthy opponents die like this.'
Ryan puts out his right arm. As the blades coming from Rachel's torso, make contact, blood explodes from Rachel's body, mouth, ears, and eyes. Don laughs in disbelief as he thinks. 'I'm so stupid for assuming that he could only alter non-living objects.'
Ryan laughs wickedly. "Hey daemon girl, I had to destroy your internal organs. I don't know how or why you became a daemon, but I'm sorry you were unlucky enough to fight monsters like us!"
Ryan's arm glows as he puts his index and middle finger toward the sky, creating a giant spike, sending Rachel flying. Rachel looks down as tears run down their face. "I'm sorry, sis. I hope you live a long, beautiful life."
A laugh catches Rachel's attention. They look up to see Nina right next to them. "Daemon, remember what I said?" Nina cocks back her arm and punches Rachel with such force that Rachel's head explodes. Black blood rains down from Rachel's lifeless body as Nina lands on the streets below. Nina takes off her white glows. "I keep my promises, even to daemons."
In the sky above the small town.
A black portal opens behind the flying eye that was recording. "Awe poor Rachel, you'll be avenged, my first child." Then the flying eye leaves through the black portal.
Back in the town.
Duke lets slip a sigh of relief. "We all came out of that alive."
Ryan scoffs. "Of course we did, loser."
Mai sheaths her sword and bows respectfully at Rachel's body. That's now turning to ash. "I hope you find peace on the other side."
Nina lays down in the middle of the street and instantly falls asleep.
Don puts his sword away and grabs chest as he thinks. 'What was that? I was like a completely different person.'
Clapping from above the town catches the group's attention. They look up to see the Inquisitor that was watching the fight. "Outstanding, you brats are amazing. It's official, you guys have passed the second exam!"
Don looks up at the Inquisitor and recognizes him instantly. "John!?"
John looks down at Don and smiles. "Team 1 I, the Mirage Inquisitor John Asher, give you a passing grade!"
Ryan looks at John with contempt. "Asher, huh? Are you related to a bastard named Loid?"
John responds right away. "Yeah, he's my older brother."
Ryan's smile intensifies as his eyes glow. "Does that mean you're as strong as him?"
John laughs. "Nope, not even close."
Ryan's face falls blank as he stares at John. Ryan's disbelief causes one simple word slip from his mouth.
"Huh?"