Chapter 45: The Invincible Chaos Obliteration—1
The demon's aura which was unleashed like an explosion now stopped as he took his true form.
His earlier appearance was a disguise. It was meant to blend him into his surroundings—like an alternate skin that served purely as camouflage. It concealed his true strength and lured his prey into underestimating him before striking when they least expected it.
Now he knew that the individuals standing before him, whom he had referred to as 'specimens' wouldn't fall for his tricks. They were strong. They knew what they were up against. Besides, there was one among them who had broken out of the spell he cast.
'That wasn't an ordinary spell I cast on her.' The demon frowned at Shika, 'She should've been broken from the inside. Yet, she stands. On top of that, she has that half-sword. I can sense. It's enormous in magical abilities. I should be worried around her.'
He thought, keeping the sinister smile on his face and shifting his gaze at Zanthrix.
'Then there's the man. I'm sure he was using a lance at the beginning. That wasn't just a projection or an illusion. I'm sure of it. However, right now he's using an archery bow, and the way he uses it in short-range combat… I've never seen someone like that before. Furthermore, he seemed to have consciousness of two separate entities. It intercepted me from putting him under the same spell.'
Under the sinister smile, there lingered an inconspicuous expression of bitterness. As he kept analyzing his opponents, the bitterness grew but the sinister smile didn't fade. It was still there, hiding his worries and a tiny certainty that he might lose.
'They weren't enough that the Seraphyll of Thunder had taken their side? She may look like an inferior version, but I can tell… I can tell the strength she wields is stronger than that of a superior one. Considering the current circumstances, it's only a wise decision for me to use my full potential. A slight miscalculation on my part can cost me my life in the hands of those specimens.'
"Keh-keh-kehhh!" Then he let out a laughter—a high-pitched, rotten laughter. "Rejoice Specimens! You're probably the ones who have seen me in my true form. Since you've given me this opportunity to use my full potential, I'll overlook the fact that you mocked me earlier. Now, run if you value your life, SPECIMENS!!"
He spanned his torn-up wings that were now attached to his back and ascended towards the sky. It was now calm as Shika changed the weather with the help of the Frost Daiken.
"Hate to break it to you, but I'm not a good runner." Zanthrix replied, smiling sarcastically, "However, there's one thing I'm good at and you won't be liking it."
"Is that so? As long as it's exhilarating there's no reason for me to dislike it."
"Then don't blame us if you end up being a corpse." Zanthrix's eyes shifted at Zariel as he mumbled, "Now!"
As he instructed, Zariel used one of her destructive moves. With a deafening sound, a sudden thunder stormed at the demon without a warning. The immense thunder that cascaded down at him wasn't effective or so. However, the sparks that formed because of it were tremendous as if creating a ray of overwhelming light that dispersed through the sky, almost turning it into a day.
The unimaginable light caused by the sparks of thunder blinded the demon for a while.
*****
Earlier.
When the demon was analyzing the three of them, they were making a strategy to take him down too.
"Zanthrix, would you mind giving me the frontlines? I want to obliterate the demon myself."
Shika was the first one who suggested it. She was still enraged. Under the spell, she had witnessed something that she couldn't even imagine in her dreams. She was thirsty for revenge.
"You sure you'll be okay?" Zariel looked concerned, "If you want I can cover the frontlines while you guys provide me backup."
"No Zariel. It's something I need to do myself." Shika strongly opposed, "If I cannot take down a demon myself, how can I maintain peace after the reclamation of our race?"
Of course, the demon was no ordinary—if anything it was one of the strongest kinds. It was an S-ranked one.
Although they wouldn't be able to even stand against the demon under normal circumstances, the situation was slightly different from normal.
She was now in possession of the Frost Daiken and now she could wield the powers within it.
Half-bladed or not, it was still a Daiken—a katana among the most powerful swords that far surpassed the SSS Grade. With two of its fragments, it was still as strong as an SSS Grade item, giving them advantages to outrank the demon in sheer capabilities.
Zanthrix knew that. Yet, he still pondered whether it was a wise choice to let Shika cover the front while he stayed in the rear.
'She's different. I think she may inflict damages on the demon more than I have done. Right now, she's the only one who can wield a Daiken too.' He continued thinking, determining the possibilities of their winning. 'On the other hand, I can support her with my archer class-based attacks. It'll be good for me as well. I hardly get any chances to use long-range attacks. Then why not.'
"Are you sure, Shika?" he asked gently, "Can you take down the demon in the front while Zariel and I provide you support from the rear?"
"As long as you have faith in me, I'll be alright. There's no need for you to worry." She replied promisingly.
"As long as you're fine, I'm okay with it."
"Zanthrix… you shouldn't let Shika handle it alone. What if she gets hurt?"
"Don't worry!" Shika and Zanthrix said it in unison. Then it was Zanthrix who reassured Zariel, "With the help of the Daiken she's stronger than the demon now. Let's have faith in her and let her confront him. We'll provide her support—especially you. You have an important role to play."
Zanthrix greedily seduced her. Zariel on the other hand, looked curious. Her eyes sparkled with stars. She then replied,
"Go on I'm listening."