The demon's hand, impaled with various sharp objects, reached out towards Leon, its twisted fingers grasping for him.
Without hesitation, Leon summoned his chains, which materialized from thin air and anchored themself in the walls.
Like a spider web, the chains spread out in all directions and created a wall between them.
With the flap of its wings, the demon shot forth towards Leon, slamming into the chains with incredible force.
Still, the chains held their ground, violently vibrating with the impact but not breaking.
The demon's arm managed to break through, trying to desperately reach out for Leon but failed.
Furious roars escaped the demon as the chains coiled around its arm, preventing it from making any further advances towards Leon.
The demon's eyes glinted with a dangerous gleam, and it started to bite through its own arm, severing it from the rest of its body.
Blood sprayed everywhere, sizzling on the ground as if it had acidic properties.
"DEATH...YOU...HUNT!!" the demon screeched, attempting to rejoin its lost limb but failed miserably. Its voice was strained with agony aat the realization of its lost limb.
Leon knew that he had to leave the chamber immediately. He quickly retreated, keeping his eyes on the demon as he made his way towards the exit.
The demon continued to screech and writhe in agony, its blood staining the ground and filling the air with the stench of decay.
With brute force, it used its remaining arm to pull at the walls, destabilizing the chains that were anchored in it. The walls of the chamber shook and crumbled, and Leon stumbled, trying to keep his balance.
It did not take long before the demon was able to break through the chains and chase after Leon once again.
'Fuck,' Leon thought as he ran. Although his chains were durable and surprisingly easy to control they couldn't hold off the demon forever.
Yet, there was a ray of hope in his eyes as he saw the light shining into the crevice. Leon sprinted towards the light, his heart racing as he felt the demon's hot breath on the back of his neck.
However, even if Leon did manage to escape, the demon would still be right behind him. Leon's mind raced with ideas as he ran towards the light.
Leon quickly scanned the environment as he ran, searching for anything that could give him an advantage.
With only one choice to stall time, Leon materialized chains, ramming them through the rocks and crystals above him.
Pulling with all his might, Leon desperately tried to drag them down. The chains squealed as they scraped against the rocks, sending a shower of crystal shards raining down on him.
Even through the countless small cuts Leon received, he kept pulling with all his strength, hoping that the rubble would hinder the demon's pursuit.
Cracks formed in the ceiling, and with one final heave, debris came crashing down.
However, before Leon was even able to sigh in relief, he heard the demon's unearthly screech as it lunged towards him, determined to end his life.
Leon barely had time to react, trying to dodge the attack but he was too late.
The demon's claws caught Leon's shoulder, tearing through his skin and drawing blood. Leon gritted his teeth in pain, feeling the warmth of his blood trickling down his arm.
Before the debris crushed the demon, Leon still managed to see the demonic grin formed on its face. It seemed as if the demon was relishing in the pain and suffering it was causing Leon.
"DEA-" the demon let out a shrill cry, before being crushed under the falling debris.
Leon immediately lunged away lest he would be crushed by the falling rocks as well.
He stumbled, his shoulder throbbing in pain as he struggled to get back up. Blood dripped down his arm, staining his clothes.
The rubble blocked the entrance, completely sealing it off behind Leon. But before he could even hope that the demon died, he heard quiet screams of frustration coming from the other side.
Leon knew he had to tend to his wound quickly. He quickly tore off a piece of his shirt and pressed it against his bleeding shoulder, wincing in pain as he did so.
Squeezing through the crevice didn't help him one bit, as it only worsened the bleeding. Leon took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
'The others surely have something to help with this...' Leon thought to himself to calm him down.
Never would he have expected that there would be a demon lurking here. Was this a ploy by the King to make sure of killing the one whose demon was responsible for the chaos?
Leon glanced around the cave, trying to get his bearings. The rubble had completely blocked the entrance to the crevice so it will take a while for the demon to escape. If it manages to escape at all.
'Hah... well at least now I know I can depend on these chains,' Leon thought to himself, impressed by their ability.
He knew that he had to make his way back to the others and inform them about the demon's presence. But besides his condition, there was no evidence whatsoever that the demon had been here.
"For now, I need to tend these wounds." Leon muttered, nearing a small stream trickling through the rock.
He carefully dipped his torn clothes in the water, hissing in pain as the cool liquid touched the open wound.
He then used his hands to wipe away the blood, making sure to cleanse the area thoroughly.
Once he was done, Leon walked along the cave, observing the other people chatting with each other until he spotted the same man that he met when he first woke up here.
The man was sitting on a rock, staring blankly ahead. He looked up as he heard Leon approaching and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the blood staining Leon's shirt.
"Are you alright?" the man asked, concern etched on his face.
"I've been better," Leon replied. "Thanks for helping me earlier. My name is Leon.
The man nodded. "I'm Arin," he said.
"Arin, did I miss something after the guards left?" Leon asked, hoping to gather more information about their situation.
Arin shook his head. "Everyone is adamant on denying that they had anything to do with what happened. The way things are going, I doubt we will be out of here before the 8 days have passed."
Leon couldn't help but frown. The moment the Truth Demon arrives, the situation becomes more complicated.
If worse comes to worst, he may need to kill someone and convince the others that his inner demon died with him but the chances of that succeeding are slim to none.
The stronger a demon is, the less they are dependent on the well-being of their host.
Archdemons for example could still take over their host even after he dies or his body is completely disembowled.
Though Leon doubts that his demon is strong enough to rival something like that, it should still be able to take control of his body after his death to some extent.
He took a deep breath and pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the present situation. "Arin, do you have any ideas on how we can get out of here before the Truth Demon arrives?" he asked.
"I have a sick mother waiting for me back home and I fear the worst if I can't get to her quickly." Leon added. It was a necessary lie lest his question would be too suspicious.
Arin looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Leon. I don't have any ideas at the moment. But I'll keep thinking and if I come up with anything, I'll let you know."
Leon nodded, feeling a bit disappointed but not entirely surprised. "Thanks, Arin. I appreciate it." He sat down on a nearby rock, thinking about their situation.
"But you know, I have a feeling that I already know who is the culprit." Arin stated.
Leon looked at Arin in surprise. "Really? Who do you suspect?"
Arin hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I don't have any hard evidence, but there's one person who's been acting suspiciously ever since we got here. Her name is Mia. She's been isolating herself from the group, refuses to cooperate, and constantly sneaks around."
A glimmer of hope lit up in Leon's eyes. "That's good to know. Thanks for telling me. Let's keep an eye on her then."
The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. Leon's precarious situation only worsened his concern about being identified as the culprit and taken with the guards.
He didn't dwindle long and soon stood up, readying himself to find Mia. "Alright, Arin. I'm going to search for Mia."
Arin stood up as well and placed a hand on Leon's shoulder. "Hold on, Leon. You surely don't plan to do something in a state like that? Let me tend to your injuries first."
Leon felt a wave of gratitude towards Arin for his concern and care. "Thanks, Arin. I appreciate it." he said with a small smile.
Arin led Leon to his hut, which was small but cozy. They sat on the floor, watching a small fire burn and talking about random things whilst Arin bandaged up Leon's wounds.
Although Leon was curious as to where Arin got bandages, he decided not to ask.
For now, he had more important matters to worry about.