Edrach laughed as black tentacles oozed out the walls. Each tentacle contained multiple eyes. There were too many of them for John to count. As one, the eyes looked at John.

“A high demon has come to watch us,” Edrach grinned fiendishly. “Can you hear him whisper?” Edrach’s face was a twisted caricature of his former self.

“It has taken over your mind,” John shouted. “Control your emotions. You’re a dragon keeper, not some demon spawn.”

“Demon spawn,” Edrach considered for a moment. “Perhaps I like being demon spawn. I no longer have to care about the rules that keep you humans safe. As for my fellow elves, they can be the fuel to ignite the pyre of my rage. Enough talking. Time to die!”

Edrach fired his cannon. At the same time John summoned his fireballs and shot them at Edrach. This wouldn’t end the same way as last time. John was stronger now and knew all about Edrach’s skills and tactics. John had seen him in battle. And more importantly, John knew how to weave and could use an aura weapon. The fireballs and dragons met, each canceling out the other. John could feel a mixture of emotions within him. Hate and fear were the primary ones. Voices constantly sounded in his mind promising him power if he agreed. Only then could he defeat Edrach.

“No,” John bellowed. He could defeat Edrach on his own. Attacking Edrach with renewed focus, he charged forward, glaive raised. With a twirl he made his first strike, destroying Edrach’s cannon. With a second thrust he pierced Edrach’s aura shield and drew blood from his neck. If he had just used a little more force the fight would have been over. Then he released a flurry of thrusts towards Edrach’s legs who tried his best to dodge, but couldn’t help getting hit a few times. John jumped back, ready for the second round.

“So that’s the way you want to play,” Edrach laughed, throwing the pieces of his broken cannon away. John fired more fireballs at him. Edrach’s aura shield turned from blue to black. John was unsure if it changed color because of the fireballs or because Edrach was modifying it. “Indeed, knowledge is power, and the demons know more about power than any living creature,” Edrach said with glee.

The demonic tentacles on the wall seemed to laugh as well, making a small hiss. Its eyes began moving in circles. It seemed eager to remain a spectator to the fight for now. John would not have to worry about it for the moment at least. What power had it given Edrach that had made him so happy?

John jumped into the air, his glaive swinging down towards Edrach’s head. Black lightning erupted from Edrach’s fingers and hit John, hurling him back to the floor. More lightning hit him, sending him rolling backwards. John cried out in pain. Edrach had enough aura to do something like that? His aura shield should have been draining him constantly, let alone the lightning. Edrach hadn’t wove the lightning. How had he done it?

“I refuse to believe your energy is inexhaustible,” John used the glaive to get back shakily to his feet. “I’ll defeat you eventually.” His clothes were torn and his skin had turned black, charred from the lightning. John circulated every last strand of aura he could summon, the purple sheen of his aura shield expanding outwards to form a sphere of protection. He released all the stims his armor suit could give him. John let loose a battle cry as he charge towards Edrach once more. With renewed vigor he attacked. Edrach’s black lightning was unable to get past John’s aura shield.

John, immersed in that fleeting state of hyper awareness, perceiver circuit revolving to the maximum, saw everything around him. Black blood frothed and hissed as it fell from Edrach’s wounds, melting the floor like some kind of acid. John gripped the middle of the glaive’s shaft and spun like he had seen the leader do during her battle with the false god. He had practiced this move many times with the sword. Edrach’s aura shield, now turned completely black, sputtered and hissed as John struck its weak points. Edrach tried to attack but his every move was seen and countered by John.

John’s glaive finally made contact with flesh, cutting off one of Edrach’s legs. Edrach fell to the ground, John’s glaive at his throat. The watching high demon infused itself back into the wall and disappeared. John could see the whites of Edrach’s eyes again.

“I’m better now,” Edrach said, taking laborious breaths. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t in my right mind. The demon kept showing me the scene of my family’s massacre and I couldn’t bear it anymore. I gave in like a fool.”

A moment later Sor Al appeared at the door, looking at Edrach and then John. “What’s happening here?” she asked.

“Demons,” said John, “And demoniac elves.”

“I know,” said Sor Al. Lightning crackled from her fingertips and hit Edrach. Edrach heaved up and then drew his last breath. “We killed one demon on the bridge. They infiltrated the ship without a single alarm going off.”

“You killed him?”

“What else do you do with demoniacs?”

“Exorcise them? He was coming back to his senses.”

“Once possessed there is no coming back.”

“Is the leader okay?”

“She’s fine. I destroyed the demon seed within her as soon as I detected it. She is out in the aether fighting the high demons swarming towards us. With the assistance of the ship’s guns she should be fine. Come. The safest place right now is beside me. You will not be able to rest for a while. Your aura reserves are replenishing quickly. You should be fine.”

“There was a demon here a moment ago. It disappeared into the wall,” John said, not feeling tired at all. Adrenaline still pumped through his system and his arbiter armor had injected his body with all sorts of stimulants. He had no idea what the after effects would be. He could feel his aura energy returning like a trickle of water.

“Let us hunt demons.” Sor Al talked as she walked. “A realm master’s main duty is in eradicating the infernal influence from the galaxy. Whenever you see a demon, or one possessed by a demon, kill without mercy.”

“Can’t the possessed regain their senses like the wood elves we met, and Edrach?”

“The wood elves were colluding with the demon. The demon allowed them to retain their wits as part of their bargain. It was not a true possession, but they should have been killed anyway. The star dancer refused to take action. This is the result of her mercy.” She looked at Edrach’s corpse with disgust. “As for Edrach, he was trying to trick you into lowering your guard. Don’t fall prey to these little tricks.”

They talked while they walked. “Then there’s no hope once someone’s possessed?” John had remembered how the feelings of rage and fear had consumed him, how close he’d been willing to trade it all for some power.

“With a firm will there’s nothing to fear. Even the demon seeds will result in nothing more than a little pain if one’s will is strong enough.” Kill the possessed without mercy. This was a lesson that John had learned the hard way. If Sor Al hadn’t shown up, Edrach would have killed him. John was too naive. He wouldn’t fall prey to these tricks again, he promised himself.

Sor Al raised her hand, looking intently at the wall. “Out demon,” she shouted. White rays of light hit the wall and a mass of black exuded from the wall. The demon was huge, occupying the entire corridor.

Multicolored particles of lights emerged from around Sor Al’s aura shield, lightning crackling when the particles touched and bounced off each other. The particles grew brighter as Sor Al charged it up. “I wish to incapacitate this demon with one hit. Play with it while I weave. I might take some time.”

John nodded and twirled his glaive. Tentacles came flying out towards Sor Al, but John was always in front of them, his weapon gleaming with purple aura as he cut them down.

“Enough,” said Sor Al. “Stand back now.”

John jumped behind Sor Al. Particles of light bombarded the demon in an ever increasing stream. Multicolored explosions could be seen when each particle hit. The demon was soon alight with fire, screeching in pain.

“I left you the finishing blow. Pierce that huge mass above the largest eye,” Sor Al pointed.

John sprang into action, the final remnant of his aura shining brightly as it pierced above the demon’s eye. As he made his thrust he thought he could see his parents and sister cowering in fear. No, this was just a demonic illusion, John told himself, not hesitating in the slightest. Knowing his sister, she would never cower in fear. The demon dissolved into a pool of black that resembled tar. The liquid then evaporated into the air.

“Come,” said Sor Al. “There are more demons and demoniacs to hunt.”