I looked around and saw everyone fighting. Some humans were slaughtering demons, and vice versa. The battlefield was a chaotic mix of shouts, cries, and clashing weapons.
My eyes locked onto a purple-skinned demon with rough scales and an average build.
He was fighting two hunter at once.
One was a young woman with a short sword, clad in iron armor, her movements swift and deadly. The other was a young man in a yellow robe, a mage, casting sparks of lightning through the air.
The demon was injured and green blood was spilling from a deep gash on his side.
I can't stand idly like this. I have to help him.
I raised my arms and cast [Basic Fireball].
The familiar warmth spread through my hands as a swirling orb of crimson flames formed on my hands.
"Take this!" I shouted, launching the fireball at the mage.
The mage saw the fireball but had no time to react.
The fireball exploded against his chest, sending him flying backward with a scream.
He landed hard, his robes smoldering and his breathing labored.
He wasn't dead, but he was badly hurt.
"Nice shot!" the purple demon called out, his voice strained but grateful.
The woman turned towards me, her eyes narrowing in anger.
She lunged at me with her short sword, the blade glinting in the sunlight.
I barely managed to block her strike, the force of it rattling my bones.
URGGHH! How the hell is she so strong?!
"You're going to pay for that!" she snarled, swinging her sword in quick, precise slashes.
I dodged and parried as best as I could, but her movements were quite confusing.
Her blade nicked my arm, sending a sharp sting followed by warm blood trickling down.
"Arghh, this hurts!" I shouted, gritting my teeth against the pain.
I can't continue like this anymore. I have to find an opening.
I tried to counterattack, but she deflected my strikes easily.
The purple demon took advantage of the distraction and swiftly lunged at her from behind.
He grabbed her by the neck, lifting her off the ground with a growl of fury.
"URRGGH!! LET ME GO!!" She struggled, her face turning red as she tried to break free.
"Finish her!" the demon shouted, tightening his grip.
Without a second thought, I thrust my sword forward, the blade sinking into her stomach.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"GHHK!" She clutched at the blade, trying to pull it out, but her fingers slipped on the blood. Her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, still gripping the sword.
"Aah..." she wheezed, her eyes meeting mine, filled with agony and confusion.
I pulled the sword free, and she collapsed to the ground, her body twitching briefly before going still.
"Hrrngh!" With a grunt, the purple demon tossed the lifeless body aside, breathing heavily.
He turned his attention to the injured mage, who was trying to crawl away, his breaths ragged and his eyes filled with terror.
"Don't come near me!" the mage cried out in desperation.
The purple demon ignored him and walked closer. The mage's eyes widened in fear, and he tried to raise his hand to cast a spell, but it was too late.
The demon grabbed the mage by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
"PLEASE NO!!" the mage whimpered, tears streaming down his face.
The demon drove his claws into the mage's chest, piercing his heart.
Blood splattered onto the demon's face and hands as the mage's body convulsed, life slipping away.
"GAAAAAH...!" the mage gasped, his voice fading. His body went limp, and the demon dropped him to the ground.
I widened my eyes in shock, watching the scene unfold. The mage's dying gasps echoed in my ears, and a wave of guilt washed over me.
This wasn't just a fight; it was a brutal reality of life and death.
I turned my head away, unable to watch the life drain from the mage's eyes. My stomach twisted painfully, and I clamped a hand over my mouth, swallowing hard to keep the bile down.
My breaths came in short, shallow gasps as I struggled to keep my composure.
The purple demon approached me, his heavy breathing calming as he wiped the blood from his claws.
"Thanks for the help." he said, nodding to me. "I'm Zarkon."
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my voice. "Azazel." I replied, my mind still reeling from what I had just witnessed.
"We need to keep moving. There are more of them out there."
Zarkon nodded, his eyes scanning the battlefield. "Let's stick together. We'll have a better chance that way."
"Okay."
I forced myself to look up, pushing the guilt and horror to the back of my mind as I started walking with Zarkon. We moved cautiously through the battlefield.
The air was thick with smoke and the smell of blood. The sounds of clashing weapons and cries of the wounded filled the air. I noticed the number of humans seemed to be dwindling. The demons were pushing them back.
"We're winning." Zarkon said, a hint of relief in his voice. "Just a bit more, and we'll have them."
I nodded, trying to focus. The demons were fighting fiercely, their eyes blazing with determination. Many human and demon corpses lay strewn across the ground.
It looks like victory is within our grasp.
Finally, I can take a bre—
BOOOOOM!!!
A powerful shockwave tore through the battlefield and knocked me off my feet.
I flew back and hit the ground hard, landing ten meters away.
The impact drove the air from my lungs and I gasped in pain, struggling to breathe. Other demons and humans were thrown back too, though some of the stronger ones managed to stay on their feet.
"Ouch, that hurts!" I cried out, clutching my side as I tried to sit up.
What the hell just happened?
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Zarkon stood there, eyes wide with disbelief.
Impossible? What's he talking about?
The smoke slowly cleared from my vision and I saw something that made my world feel like it was turning upside down.
My heart pounded in my chest, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.
This can't be real. Not Eltor... He was one of our strongest. How could he be dead so easily?
How did this happen? We were winning just a moment ago. How could everything change so quickly?
Who the hell is this guy?!!
A tall, imposing figure stood in the center of the crater. Short purple hair, black eyes, and a dark brown leather outfit made him look menacing. He held a massive axe in one hand and Eltor's decapitated head in the other.
His presence was intense and suffocating, terrifying everyone around him.
The man scanned the chaos with a cruel smile.
"Ha! What do you disgusting cockroaches think? That you can really win?" He spat on the ground with disdain.
"Pathetic." he sneered.
CRRUNCH!
He crushed Eltor's skull with a sickening crunch, then tossed the remains aside like trash.
Holy f*ck! This is really bad. I'm not ready for this. How am I supposed to face someone like him? I need to think of something...
Fear rooted me to the spot. I was completely paralyzed by his terrifying presence.
My legs felt like lead, my mind screaming at me to run but my body refusing to obey.
Around us, the remaining demons started panicking, their voices rising in fear and confusion.
"This guy is terrifyingly strong!" one demon shouted, eyes wide with terror.
"Who is that guy?"
"We have to run!" another demon cried, panic in his voice.
On the other side, the humans began to cheer, their morale boosted by this new terrifying ally.
"Yess! Sir Garreth is here!" one of the demon hunters shouted, punching the air.
I struggled to get my bearings and saw him clearly now.
"He's Garreth Thorne." another demon murmured, voice shaking.
"A powerful B-rank demon hunter. He's insanely strong."
A B-rank demon hunter?! Are you kidding me?!
How am I supposed to fight someone like that? This guy is way out of my league. There's no way I can take him on and survive.
I could see the terror in the eyes of the demons around me. The confidence we had felt moments ago was shattered.
The man began to walk forward, his steps slow and deliberate. Each step seemed to send another wave of fear through the ranks of demons.
"What are we going to do?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the noise of the battlefield.
"How can we fight him?"
Zarkon shook his head, his eyes never leaving the figure. "I don't know." he said, his voice grim. "But we have to try. We can't let him win."
The man stopped a few meters away and locked his eyes onto me.
Why is he looking at me out of all the demons out there?! I started crying internally.
Of all the targets, why did he choose me? What did I do to deserve this?
A cold shiver ran down my spine as his gaze pierced through me.
"Let's start with you. Shall we?"
Garreth raised a hand, and I could feel the power emanating from him, a dark and malevolent force that threatened to overwhelm me.
This is bad. Really bad. I'm fucked.