From my vantage point, I could see him, half-crouched and poised to strike. That boy appeared utterly shattered, a victim of manipulation, nothing more.
"Watch out!" Venidith's warning came just in time as the boy charged at a lightning pace. I barely had a moment to react before his sword was about to descend upon me.
Swiftly, I managed to parry his attack, but the sheer force behind his strike created a small crater beneath me. The ground I stood on fractured in a perfect circle.
It was imperative to regain the upper hand. In a quick, fluid motion, I attempted a riposte, but he countered with a rapid back-kick that landed squarely in my stomach, sending me tumbling several feet away.
Regaining my stance, I prepared for a counter-attack, but it proved futile as he charged once more, this time sliding and swinging his sword from below. With a downward swing, I managed to deflect his assault and leaped away to create some distance.
"STOP IT!" Ayesha's cry pierced the air as six bud-sized needles descended towards the demon captain.
He swiftly swung his sword, obliterating all the projectiles in one deft motion. Then, he leaped to assail Ayesha but was struck by a massive ball of purple energy, causing him to flinch and become impaled by a substantial needle.
His resistance was unyielding, but I had to confront him to protect Ayesha. Charging directly at him, he thrust his sword, but I managed to riposte it and kicked him away, sending him rolling.
Without hesitation, I charged once more as he struggled to recover.
Our confrontation escalated into a fierce exchange of blows. His sword clashed against mine with such force that it threatened to overpower me at every turn. With each strike, he displayed a relentless aggression that left me struggling to hold my ground.
Venidith, too, found herself entangled in a precarious battle. Her purple energy attacks were met with fierce resistance as the boy skillfully parried and dodged her strikes.
Ayesha, despite her unwavering courage, was not spared from the boy's relentless onslaught. She darted nimbly, attempting to find an opening to strike, but his reflexes were astonishingly quick. He managed to evade her every move, leaving her both frustrated and vulnerable.
He possessed immense strength, perhaps too much for us to handle. I considered employing my veil, hoping it might offer some help. But I don't know.
As the battle raged on, the very ground beneath us seemed to tremble with the intensity of our clash. The boy's strikes left deep craters in his wake, and the air resounded with the clash of swords and the crackling of energy.
It was clear that we needed to change our approach to gain the upper hand. Venidith and I exchanged a quick, determined glance, silently conveying our intent. With coordinated precision, we moved in tandem, striving to exploit any vulnerabilities in the boy's defense.
However, he remained elusive, a whirlwind of aggression and skill. Venidith's purple energy attacks and my sword strikes seemed to have minimal effect. It was as though he had become untouchable, his speed far surpassing ours.
Ayesha, still on the sidelines, observed our struggle with a mixture of fear and determination. She understood the importance of contributing to our efforts. With newfound resolve, she unleashed a barrage of bus-sized needles aimed at the boy.
He reacted swiftly, swinging his sword with blinding speed, effortlessly obliterating the incoming projectiles. It was a display of mastery that momentarily disheartened Ayesha.
"Don't give up! He won't get close to you! We're here to hold the front!" I yelled as I charged towards the boy. He parried my attack, his expression questioning, "Why? Why are you fighting? This is our home."
Ayesha, with her hands raised high, summoned a massive ball of purple energy, larger and more potent than before. With a determined shout, she hurled it towards the boy.
Had she just replicated Venidith's magic?
He attempted to evade, but I caught him off guard with a roundhouse kick to his head. Leaping away, I watched as the energy ball struck him, detonating with a blinding flash that sent shockwaves through the area. The boy staggered, disoriented by the blast, and Ayesha seized the opportunity. She sent a barrage of large needles hurtling towards him.
One of the needles struck true, piercing his shoulder. He let out a scream of pain, but his resolve remained unbroken. With a burst of fury, he swung his sword, shattering the remaining needles, and leaped towards Ayesha.
Venidith, with a fluid motion of her fingers, conjured something from thin air—a sword crafted from purple light.
Together, Venidith and I charged to intercept the boy, our swords clashing in a resounding clash. "WHY? I HAD TO KILL ALL OF THEM!" The boy's voice quivered with rage.
"Them? The cultists? You know well that demons aren't working for your benefit. They helped you because they fed on your negative emotions!" I retorted as we exchanged blows, our swords meeting in a symphony of metal.
"Only them and me, kids being exploited. We tried to ask, but you were blind," he argued as he managed to disarm me with a riposte, sending my sword flying from my grasp.
Time seemed to slow as I collected my thoughts. Maybe it was my fault for being blind, for my ignorance. Gustav and I had only wanted to escape to Luzon, far from our homeland. I realized that I had neglected the village, treating it merely as a vassal that provided contributions.
Suddenly, Venidith descended from above, slashing his left arm and leaving a bloody mark. "You should stop now and help us defeat whatever manipulated you!"
The boy jumped away, clutching his arm, his face twisted in anger. But something changed. The moment he saw his own blood, his expression shifted to one of terror. He let out a gut-wrenching scream, "BLOOD! BLOOD! AISHA! MINA! WHERE ARE YOU! I AM HURT!"
"You... Will... PAY!!!" The boy's scream echoed through the air as the ground cracked beneath us. With an abrupt surge of power, he unleashed a shockwave of energy, sending us sprawling backward. The impact was devastating, and we struggled to regain our footing.