Odyssey of the Guardian Emperor

'Query Incomplete?' Alaric thought to himself. What was that supposed to mean?

The Keeper's Almanac remained silent. It seemed he'd triggered it without realising it. Now, however, he was curious to know what the thing had tried searching for.

What was it that he'd been trying to figure out when the Almanac started yapping?

It didn't take him long to formulate his thoughts. The battle in front of him provided him with more than enough curiosity to rekindle the question burning in his mind.

He'd fought demons before… and while he still didn't know much about them, he knew this one was on an entirely different level… much like humans weren't the same either.

Finally finding the right words, he let his mind reach out to the device in his Storage Bracelet, 'How can a Stone Temper Rank and two Wood Temper Ranks fail to land a decisive blow on a demon even when their fighting capabilities give them the upper hand as a team?'

Yes, the fight was looking bad. But, on more than one occasion, Alaric had seen his comrades land devastating blows to the demon's hide. Their swords didn't bite into it as much as they should have, and it shook off magic attacks like they were nothing.

He was even willing to believe the creature's abilities had something to do with resilience or indestructibility… but something told him that wasn't the case. If it had been, his guardian would be out teaching the beast a lesson on manners.

There was more to this than he could understand at the moment and that's why he wanted to know what the Keeper's Almanac could tell him.

{ Searching…

Reference Books Queried: Temper Ranks and their Significance; The Right Temper Rank for a demon; Demon Temper Ranks or hogwash?; Finding the Right Magic Tool;

Summary:

According to 'Demon Temper Ranks or Hogwash?', it was proposed by a famous Seeker that even among demons, there exist ranks that give them a hierarchy, making it next to impossible for a human of a low Temper Rank to fight against demons of higher ranks.

'Significance of Temper Ranks' clearly explains the power gap between the different Temper Ranks, putting emphasis on the fundamental difference in the power, influence and durability of Higher Tempered Beings as they tend to possess powers beyond human comprehension.

According to the 'Right Temper Rank for a demon', a demon shall only be defeated by a human of the same Temper Rank or a rank higher. This theory only holds when no equipment, magic or trickery is involved.

A contradictory work, 'Finding the Right Magic Tool' highlights the importance of the quality of a magic item, stating some weapons are capable of granting weaker beings power beyond that which they have themselves, allowing a human of a lower Temper Rank to defeat one of a Higher Rank.

}

Alaric digested the information voraciously. Magic Items… That was an interesting topic. It was one he'd heard about but not really investigated. What he was more interested in, however, was the concept of Temper Ranks and the potential concept of ranks among the demons.

Well, it would make sense for the demons to have ranks, considering the Demon King stood above all demons as the most powerful.

'Does this mean it's impossible for a human of a lower Temper Rank to defeat a demon of a higher Rank?' the boy thought to himself.

{ Answer: No.

Explanation: Killing a demon of a Higher Temper Rank, much like a human, remains possible, albeit becoming significantly harder.

}

'What's the simplest solution?' the boy asked the Almanac.

{ Answer: Holy Magic is the perfect counter for all demons, including the Demon King himself, even though that one requires the Highest Level of Holy Magic. }

Alaric took in the information as he observed the battle ahead of him. Holy Magic had come up now more times than he could count. It was the reason the Purified Zone around Melbourne even existed… which meant it was their greatest hope of getting out of this mess.

[ Why haven't we used 'her' yet then? ] he wondered, directing his thoughts to his guardian.

[ Losing a Holy Mage spells disaster not just for the party but for everyone else in Melbourne who relies on her power. Not only is she a rare gem, she's one that hundreds, if not thousands, of people depend on.

Demons are mostly mindless… but if there is anything they have in common, it's that they all fear Holy Magic. Her existence spells true death for them. Should that demon even detect her presence, it won't hesitate to come and finish her off. That said, we've never been in a party before… so I'm still trying to understand their reasons behind holding her back so long. ]

Dying with curiosity, Alaric turned his attention to his companions. "How does Holy Magic work?" he asked. "I thought having Lucy would make this all easier."

Scarlett looked away from the boy, still unwilling to speak to him. Leon, on the other hand, had an idea of what was going on: "Byron kept limiting how much we could utilise her… claiming the journey has only just begun."

Alaric could see where this logic came from… but what use was there in conserving the girl's energy for a future they wouldn't be a part of?

The boy walked up to the protective sphere of ice and spoke to the silver-haired girl inside it. She looked oddly calm for someone watching her bodyguard struggle against a demon, "Can you coat Maple's attacks with Holy Magic?"

The girl nodded feverishly and shifted her attention to the floating spears of ice. Each spear gained a subtle white glow to it, ready for the next volley.

The opportunity came a lot sooner than any of them had expected. Byron slammed his fist into the demon's chest, pushing it away only for Bumi to ram it with his own shield and send it flying with a slash from his sword. A myriad of small rocks that had been hovering above Bumi followed the trajectory of his sword, battering the demon in a seemingly endless barrage of stones.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The demon was dazed…

The spears of ice went flying. The demon's eyes all turned to the spears, quivering before it leapt back. Like homing projectiles, they turned mid-flight, following the fleeing demon as it backed away.

Right before the spears hit, however, the demon turned to face them with defiance written all over its grotesque face.

Alaric's hand tightened on his sword as he watched.

The demon's face split into four, unfurling like a blooming flower. Only this flower's petals were riddled with teeth and black saliva. The sight turned the boy's stomach. From that grotesque maw came a screech unlike anything Alaric had ever heard—loud and piercing, enough to make him close his ears.

The spears of ice shattered one after the other until a wave of foul energy hit Alaric like a shockwave. A large crack ran up the sphere of ice protecting Lucy and Maple before the blue-haired woman started working to seal it once again.

But that was not all…

Alaric could feel the aether in his channels shudder and stall as though something else was trying to make it go still. By the time the scream ended, Alaric had noticed one more thing.

Byron's blade was no longer on fire.

No, it wasn't accurate to say it was no longer on fire. Instead, it was easier to say the sword had lost its flames and was now being resupplied by the man.

This would take time… and yet, Alaric couldn't remember the blade ever running out of flames during the battle.

He didn't need a bright mind to figure out what was happening here. His gut had told him something vague about the creature, making him come to the conclusion that he couldn't cast an S-grade Concealment Barrier… but now knew why.

"That damned thing nullifies magic," Leon held his sword with a shaky grip.

All magic spells that had been exposed to that scream had just been neutralised. This was why he couldn't summon his guardian. He wouldn't be able to sustain the Concealment Barrier against an opponent of such an insidious power.

'Crap…' he cursed.

Alaric clenched his fists and cursed his inadequacy. If only he were stronger, they wouldn't even be in this situation. Yes, he was plenty strong for someone his age, able to make entire swaths of greenery bow to his will… and yet, he now watched powerlessly with bitter anticipation.

It was like watching a close duel with his bets placed on a champion struggling for a win. Only this loss would pretty much spell his death.

The boy wanted to jump in… but he also knew that would only make things worse. In a battle such as this one, focus was key. Any slight distraction in a battle where every fraction of a second counted could easily spell one's death.

Magic was down… albeit momentarily. Alaric could feel his aether roar to life, recovering from the disruption caused by the demon's insidious screech.

Not only had the screech shattered the spears of ice wreathed in Holy Magic, but it had also taken out the enchantments that lit Byron's sword in flames, disrupted the flow of aether through Alaric's body and gone as far as to put a crack in the dome of ice protecting Maple and Lucy.

The battle didn't slow down.

If anything, it sped up. It had taken the combined efforts of four gold-ranked adventurers to make the demon reveal a card as dangerous as Aether Disruption… if that's even what it was called.

Alaric narrowed his eyes as he watched the battle unfold. Byron shot forward with a sword glowing only barely, getting two swings in before a shield saved his hide from the mutilating claws of the demon.

'He's gotten slower…' Alaric observed, taking note of the strain in the man's arms as he fought the demon. His breathing was erratic, and his form was too rigid… too hurried.

Sariah came in third, but this time, her blade glanced off the demon's tough hide. Byron's blade was on its way. Bumi's shield was repositioning… but both of them were still reeling from the effects of the Aether Disruption.

A set of sharp claws went straight for the woman's gut, parting the skin like paper and plunging deep into her stomach. Byron's blade fell, singing feverishly as he pumped more and more aether into it…

The demon, using its other hand, swatted the blade out of the way with its claws. Bumi was closing in from the other side, only to have Sariah tossed in his direction. Blood was flowing out of the wood rapidly.

A serpent emerged from a fissure in the air, fangs bared in a menacing hiss and venom spraying in torrents. With Sariah in mortal danger, her guardian couldn't sit by any longer.

Alaric felt his face and body go cold as he watched. The guardian had done the job of playing decoy. Its coils convulsed around the demon but failed to capture its nimble form only for it to fall victim to a barrage of punches and slashes.

Blow after blow, the giant serpent was pummeled into the ground and shredded to strings before it vanished, dismissed by its master.

It would take a while before the guardian would recover. Seeing a human get hurt was one thing… but watching a guardian take a beating planted fear of a different calibre into the hearts of the humans watching.

Even with their guardians, there was no salvation.

Byron was standing back with his hand on the hilt of his sword, quivering as he stared at the beast in front of him. His sword was far from ready… but did that even matter?

This demon was capable of shutting down any form of magic it deemed too powerful. It was such a convenient ability that it felt like cheating.

Bumi ran back with a bloodied Sariah in his arms—no doubt to have her healed by Lucy—while Leon dashed forward to cover him and possibly help Byron. The transition happened almost on instinct.

Shocked gasps filled the air…

The demon let out another one of those nauseating gurgles, its kaleidoscopic eyes dancing with glee. It didn't attack the retreating pair either.

'It's toying with us…' Alaric surmised. Since when did demons possess enough intelligence to toy with their prey? They should have been mindless beasts incapable of thought…

But that's where Alaric was wrong. The more he thought about it, the more he realised just how wrong he was.

Demons hunted humans… That was common knowledge.

What creature without intelligence knew what prey to hunt?

That was an over-simplification, but it made all the sense to Alaric. Surely, if demons were aware enough of the beings they loved to kill, then they were also capable of being far more intelligent.

When the white-cloaked boy looked out at the grim battle again, he saw an intelligent beast with only one agenda…

Kill the humans.

For a brief silent moment, Alaric watched LionHeart join the fray, doing his best to back up a losing Byron. Byron could barely keep up with the demon's strikes now. He was showing signs of exhaustion, fear… or both.

Aether roared through the boy's body as he leaned forward to break into a sprint. His gut still rang out… but at least now, it didn't oppose his reasoning.

Alaric wanted to think he was joining the fray to save his friends caught in a pinch… but that wasn't entirely true. Joining the fight now just meant his chances of survival were better than if he hadn't.

He didn't allow himself the delusion of thinking he was all they needed to win, either. He just didn't see a future where he stood still and they won.

Time slowed and every step without him at full speed felt like a second longer than it should have. He summoned more aether and ignored the thunder that rang out in response to his frustration.

'I've been a fool…' his thoughts thundered, 'Thinking everything will be alright just because they told me so… Adults are the same everywhere. Liars who spend their lives shielding young ones from darkness. I don't blame them… but I don't remember asking any of these adults to protect me with lies.'

He shot forward, switching out his chain sword for the normal one resting in his bracelet. The serpentine sword was not easy to use in the presence of comrades. LionHeart and Byron were both swordsmen who'd never fought alongside each other before…

Their synergy was terrible. They piled power upon power with no ounce of finesse and lacked any form of coordination. If there was a reason to explain how they were still standing, it was the confusion they were giving the demon.

Whatever it was, it gave Alaric the time he needed to shoot right past them and bring his sword down on the demon's head.

The demon leapt back, an expression of glee disfiguring its ugly face. Alaric was not done though. 'My sword feels lighter than it used to,' he thought to himself as he changed his grip and brought the blade back up.

*CLINK* the sound of metal getting trapped by a pair of steel claws stopped Alaric's rampage short.

The demon stared at him momentarily, eyes gleaming with hunger and curiosity, before its petal-like mandibles vaguely grated out the word… "Pro…tec…tor."