The demon head blinked, tendrils breathing like a million ants. It twisted, turned, shook until all of its legs grew in height. The legs moved in various directions with its bones forming wicked zigzags in the air. Two larger tendrils encased in spikes shot out from the side. It stood taller than a tree. Its wild red eyes rolled around its breathing head.
Two demons. Two demons were summoned! "CLUDINAAA!!!"
I didn't know if she heard me so I decided to attack it first. I chanted the spell for strength and proceeded to punch through its legs. It was a bad move on my part. I couldn't use the spell for strength two times in a day. Though I did managed to puncture through four of its many legs.
Too much strength, I used too much strength…My hands swelled with scratches.
The demon's eyes crawled all the way down. It stood on its legs gazing at me then at the permanent holes in its legs.
"That's Holy magic." I panted. "Your kind can't regenerate any injuries from Holy magic now can they?" The eyes hissed at me before stopping suddenly. It stared intently at me. I realized where it was looking. My bleeding hands.
A forked purple tongue peeked out from the eyes. It tasted the air. It wriggled and moved back.
No. This is not a new born.
The reaction towards blood…it is used to the taste of it.
It is at the very most a champion if not from the older Grade.
It raised a leg before stomping it down on me. Luckily I moved away in time. I can't use any spells from the 'Celestial Earthly Revelations', not unless I want to end up in the shape of a box.
I ran to the opposite direction. I could hear the stomping of the demon. With so many legs it is surprisingly very slow.
Claudina was nowhere in sight but I needed her help at any rate. Maybe she is on her way to her castle. I need to reach the castle then.
I looked back the moment a silver shooting star had attacked the demon's face.
The demon heeled backwards as the shooting star then fell down in astonishing speed. The star landed in a loud thud of smoke.
I hacked. I tried to fan away as much smoke as possible from my face. While the smoke cleared a firm hand took a hold of my wrist. Blindly I followed after them.
"Why was there another demon?" I recognized the voice as Claudina's.
"I don't know myself but the sack you gave me transformed into it."
"Utter rubbish!"
The sky overhead had darkened. We couldn't see where we were going in the pitch black forest. I was led through twisty branches and jabbing twigs. Small pieces of my clothes were torn away. Come to think of it there weren't any obstacles like these before. Claudina walked before me that time as well…did she remove the branches while I was behind her. She was rubbing her face at the clearing.
What am I thinking right now? The main concern is the demon.
The path led us through a different clearing.
"The size of the demon…it is undoubtedly a King Grade."
King Grade!? That's two whole grade higher than the New born.
"The demon will obviously find us in the open so for now we will hide." I agreed with her plan. We ran towards the other side of the clearing.
However before we could reach it, the demon that was supposedly chasing after us dropped down from a tree in front of us. It had shrunk its legs and hid them in the ripped sack. It unleashed all of its legs, spreading across the clearing. Its beady eyes scoured all over us. There was deep dent on the left side of its face. Clearly it was looking for the assailant…
"That's King Grade all right! It lured us out!" Claudina bit her left glove and pulled it off with her canines.
"σπечwert!" The Stars' Blessing materialized on her hand.
"We follow the same plan as before!" She called out to me. Her parasitic butterflies swarmed the demon. Though they bit off chunks of the demon it was unfazed.
Claudina attacked its legs while the demon was distracted by the butterflies. I shot beams of Holy magic shaped in sharp glass fragments. The wounds that Claudina left would regenerate very slowly while the torn chunks came back relatively quickly. The places that I priced through didn't regenerate rather the surrounding area turned to ash and fell down.
A holy weapon is simply another medium through which Holy magic can be used. It should leave bigger damage. Since it is being wielded by someone who is not affected by Holy magic of any degree the injuries aren't permanent. And if I were to wield a longsword I would just impale myself.
The demon twitched. Both of us flinched backwards. The tendrils under its eyes ripped open with a tremendous force. Slimy purple saliva dripped down them. Inside the makeshift mouth were grey scales.
I stiffened. What was it going to do now? It was completely still. The scales inside its mouth had started to get a glow of bright orange.
A red butterfly flew inside its mouth. In a moment it came out and flew down to Claudina. She caught it on her outstretched palm. Its wings were battered and flew in a drained manner.
It gave a few jolts before crumpling and dying. Claudina mumbled something I didn't hear.
"Raise a barrier!" she cried out. I was baffled. "Didn't you hear me?! Raise a barrier!"
I fumbled the words but I was able to make a barrier just in time. The demon gave a roar before breathing fire. The entire clearing caught fire. It spun its head surrounding us. My barrier could block any attack but it can't stop the smell. The smoke swept up to the sky. I strengthened the barrier this time around us.
"Claudina we have to run!" She nodded and we fled in the direction we came back. We hopped across burning and falling trees while running across carpets of flaming grass. We ignored the pain when the flames burned our soles. Near the edge of the clearing, she instructed that we separate. I agreed, heading east and she west. We would take a detour and appear out near a broken brook.
The flames reached inside the forest as well. Smoke curled around my ankles as if they were trying to drag me back. I put a burst of speed. I am going to live!
I could hear the demon howling from here. I stopped. I panted as I wiped sweat under my chin. Looks the fire hasn't reached here. A thought struck me.
Maybe from this distance…I quietly crept towards the demon's roars. I edged almost near to the clearing from behind it. Luckily the fire hasn't burned any precious hiding places. I glanced at the demon. It trampled all over the fire, the tendrils back on covering the mouth.
Claudina would pat me in the back for what I am about to do. Rather than her sounding impressed an image of Claudina slapping me for endangering my life came to mind.
…Probably not.
I conjured an arsenal of ice spear, courtesy to Michel. At the tip of every spear was raw Holy magic. I positioned each one to aim for the many joints in the demon's legs. I released all of them at the exact same time. The moment I did so, I bounced off and didn't look back.
I giggled when the demon started to howl in pain instead of anger. Sneak attacks always work!
I sprinted once more when the smell of smoke drifted from behind. Guess it won't cool off even after an avalanche…
I kept on the path and just as Claudina said; there was the broken brook. The brook only had a little water flowing. A dead birch tree bended double stood near the brook. The place only had boulders and rocks. Now all I have to do is wait for her.
Dark clouds passed overhead. It wasn't dark because of the demon but rather the rain clouds. Distant rumbling and slight cracks of electricity echoed in the air.
I sat down on top of a boulder; drawing my knees towards me.
The King Grade demon, how was it summoned? Or rather who summoned it?
Did…Claudina put the demon in the sack? I shook my head. No matter how much Claudina hates me she will always keep her part of the deal. Besides I trust Claudina more than I trust myself.
Then who did? I do have some suspects but I can never be sure. Or rather I can't just go up and accuse them despite knowing they do summon demons.
…Should I pull a Claudina? I am technically the queen at this point. I can do it, right?
The smell of blood.
I scrambled to my feet, ready for attack.
Instead Claudina limped out. There were various cuts on her body and blood was oozing out from them. She was panting, her cape, sword and gloves were missing. On her hand was the Stars' Blessing coated in steaming, dripping sludge.
"What happened?" I asked as I climbed down. "An ambush."
She signed deeply. "I am fighting for my life once more. No wonder the black larva in the morning tasted weird." She shrugged off her tunic and wiped the sludge from the sword. "Let's rest before attacking it again. I cut off most its legs. It was good thing it was limping. Almost like someone attacked its joints with Holy magic." She snickered at the end. Suddenly she looked at me. "You attacked it again didn't you?"
"M-me!? O-of course not! I ran away first!"
"You can't lie to me, Little Mouse. I know you did."
Why do I bother these days?
CRASH!
I turned up in surprise. It's the demon! It was injured beyond regeneration.
Two third of its legs and some of the tendrils were gone. An eye was stabbed through now dangled from the hallow socket. The burlap sack that acted as its body was shredded into pieces. Joining the mechanical spider legs and squishy tendrils was a mass of red cloud. Some of this cloud leaked out the sack.
Its one eye looked around wildly and spotted Claudina. It screamed upon seeing her. It raised the leg nearest to her, attempting to flatten her. She dodged.
My shadow started to grow in size. Another leg was going to trample me!
I rolled off to the side. "O' Holy Heavens! We, who are but lost lambs, wish not to be preyed by Evil. Grant us shelter from the enemies of light!" Jets of Holy light had brightened the entire forest. The demon screamed in pain.
Somewhere from Claudina had jumped up and slashed three more joints of the demon. As she dropped she summoned butterflies that ate up the bleed parts, not letting it regenerate.
I chanted the spell again. Claudina attacked it again.
SMACK!
I was knocked off my feet. Gingerly I got up again face to face with a tendril. Before I could react, it wrapped itself around me and clamped my mouth shut. I struggled in its hold. I could see that some parts of the tendril was turning to ash. I squirmed again and again while it hoisted me up.
It bought me right in front of Claudina, dangling me a good few feet high. Her eyes widened in rage before narrowing them again. She raised her sword at me.
She's not serious now is she? She aimed for my face.
She is! She is!!
I bit the inside of my mouth as hard as I could. Blood flowed out and I spat it on the tendril. The demon above bawled in pain, releasing me.
A saintess has Holy magic in everything, including bodily fluids.
Thinking I was going to plummet to my death I breathed out the chat for light again.
I closed my eyes but something stopped my fall. I opened them again and was amazed to see a thousand red butterflies were flying underneath me.
Gently as if I were glass they placed me back down. Then they went back ti tearing up the demon.
"Dammit!" I turned. Claudina was standing a little ways from me.
I noticed the demon opening its mouth again. I raised a barrier. I was starting to get tired.
CLANG!
I looked down. The Stars' Blessing broken in half.
"It broke the sword!" I exclaimed. "You could have given it me…"
"Make something I can throw at it."
How is she not affected that a national treasure that was thought to be lost forever broke?!
I made a spear using only raw Holy magic and gave it to Claudina. She threw it with all her force. It went right through the red cloud. It seemed to cause more pain to the demon so much so that it stopped breathing fire and whimpered.
"The cloud doesn't regenerate. Another one." I made five more and all of them were thrown at the cloud without issue. It crumpled on its knees, tendrils shaking. Most of the red cloud was gone.
I made the sixth one. By this point I was panting with exhaustion. But it caught it mid throw.
"Dammit! How was another one summoned?!" She was clearly frustrated. More than me she was one doing the most work. Just why am I so useless?
The demon broke the spear and rose up. It howled.
It breathed fire again. I set up another barrier. I tried to make another spear but Claudina stopped me. "Save it."
Guiltily I said "I can always chat some of the spells from before."
"You do that and I am going to kill you before our friend Leggy here does."
I chewed the inside of my cheek. "If I knew who summoned the demon in the sack."
"You…" Claudina flinched "Didn't you think I…set up a demon inside of your friends' heads?"
"No. I would never."
"Why? I lied to you, I killed your friends. I made you suffer. You should hate me."
"I don't hate you. I only hate myself."
"Well, that's make the two of us then."
I was startled. Claudina rarely doubts herself, if ever. She looked at me expectantly. "You lied many times to me," I started. "But I can still trust you to have my back. So I would never believe that you would do this."
"What will you do I decide to break your trust?" The demon gathered up fire in its maw again.
"Trusting you is my decision however you are free to prove me wrong."
"Won't your patience end?" She looked at me in an unreadable expression.
"Even if the world splits open, the gods abandon us and hell swallows us whole, I would still trust you."
The demon released the fire. It headed straight for me but barrier deflected it. The heat was too intense and my mana had already declined. Regardless I put up another barrier. As soon as I did so the first barrier broke in shimmer dust and second one was already starting to form cracks.
"Claudina you need to run!" I shouted. "I can't hold it much longer." My arms felt heavy keeping them up in the air for so long.
"You are very kind."
She grabbed my waist and jumped off to land in a nearby tree. I wheezed. The barrier will only hold on for a few seconds only.
Why can't I save at least one person?! I punched my head over and over. Just one person! Someone who is closer to me than anyone else! Just her, I want to save her.
A hand stopped me and pulled me near. "You saved me countless times. Now it is my turn to save you." My eyes widened. I felt her hand pressing something in my hand. I looked up. She was smiling, a genuine smile.
"Won't you live for me, Little Mouse?" I gasped. "No! Claudina, I won't leave you!"
The barrier broke. Fire engulfed everything. Flames and smoke fast approached us.
"Please?" A tear drop fell down her cheek.
A bright light surrounded me.
The last image I saw was the flames had reached for Claudina's smiling face.