Chapter 13: Battle of the ruins

"Isn't it obvious? We hunt the bastards."

Ron's sudden declaration caused the group to fall silent. Hector heaved a sigh and refrained from speaking. Amon frowned, but before he could speak; Emra chimed in:

"About damn time! I don't know why I was the one to come to this damn kingdom when I should be out there!"

"I'm sure you'll have your turn soon," Marquis answered with a sigh.

"Want to switch places with me?" She asked enthusiastically.

"I'll pass. I'm sure you are the only one that can convince them to join the fight."

"Alright, everyone, stay sharp, and stay safe." Added Ron in a solemn tone.

Standing up from the ground, Amon dusted himself and glanced at his surroundings. His golden eyes pierced the veil of darkness as he scanned the area. The tiny bird nestled on top of his shoulder, bringing out a smile from the Abyss dweller. Amon gently rubbed its head before he continued on his way across the silent ruins.

The deeper he ventured, the more he grew cautious. Amon didn't sense it at first, but he was wrong. Something was here, and it was hiding. Something capable of masking its presence before an Abyss dweller. A shiver ran down his spine as a feeling, long-forgotten, washed over him, fear and rage.

That revolting presence, the one he dreaded, the one he so wished to never come across again. It was faint, but there nonetheless. His sword suddenly teleported from its sheat and to his hand. The silence turned oppressive as Amon trod the broken street. This time, he could feel the gazes on him from the darkness. It was as if countless eyes were watching him.

It made him feel exposed. "Come out, you bastards. I know you're there. You can try to hide that disgusting presence of yours. But I can feel it."

The silence persisted. Glancing at the tiny bird on his shoulder, Amon was about to speak when something shot from a ruined building aiming for his face. Amon's hand moved before he could think, parrying the sudden sneak attack. An ear-piercing scream resounded, making him flinch. He hastily turned to look at his attacker, a revolting blob of dark red flesh mashed together, forming what looked like an insect monster.

The monster reached to about his knees. Amon's body shook the second he saw it, an oppressive amount of killing intent leaked out of his body, sending the monster crashing to the ground, stone breaking beneath it. His eyes burned with rage as he slowly approached the creature. Golden lights exuded from his body, momentarily lightening his surroundings.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A savage grin stretched across Amon's face as he kneeled before the monster. He lightly poked it with his sword sending streams of golden light inside the monster's body. "I know you are not the only one here. You're too irrelevant, too weak to be able to hide from me." Saying that a dangerous light flashed through his eyes as he stabbed his sword through the creature.

The monster let out an ear-piercing howl as its body began to expand. Amon calmly walked away, and an explosion soon followed. The burst illuminated the ruins for a short second, giving him a full view of the countless red eyes staring at him from all corners. Amon's grin widened as his aura surged.

"Amon?! Are you there? What happened?" Marquis's inquisitive voice echoed, followed by Ron, who spoke in an urgent tone:

"Whoever is the closest, go support Amon. Now!"

His sudden outburst caused the group to fall silent for a second. Marquis was the one to ask through gritted teeth:

"It's the Abyss, right?"

"Yes, now go!"

"Amon, hang in there! I'm on my way!"

"Oh, I don't mind. You can take your time. It just means there's more fun for me," Amon replied in a frosty voice.

The bird on his shoulders flew away to hide as the monsters crawled out from the shadows. Countless grotesque creatures of various sizes surrounded him. The only thing they all had in common was that they were all made from the same mass of mashed dark red flesh.

Amon's figure flashed as he teleported behind one of the said monsters, one shaped like a massive centipede. His sword sang as it cut through the air decapitating the creature in half with one swing. Before he could relax, however, a monster that looked vaguely humanoid rushed towards him from behind.

It brandished its sharp claws, aiming to behead the Abyss dweller. Its attempt ended in failure when Amon's body disappeared in a flash of golden light. He avoided the humanoid monster and aimed for one of the many that looked like a giant insect. Amon's sword sailed through the air, cutting limb after limb. His figure kept flashing across the battlefield, illuminating the dark ruins.

Whenever he appeared, an explosion would soon follow suit as he would effectively kill a monster. His movements were precise and accurate, with no flashy motions. Monster howls resounded throughout the ancient city as one Abyss dweller fought against hundreds. Amon's face was emotionless. His mind was blank as he kept cutting through the monstrosities that crawled from all corners.

Still, he managed to hold on. One second he would appear behind a broken pillar another, he would be above a collapsed building. Yet no matter how many he cut, more continued to appear. "Hahaha! Come at me, you ugly bastards! Is this all you got?!" He roared, his eyes swirling with a hint of madness.

The longer he fought, the brighter he shone. The golden light particles that surrounded him kept increasing, and soon, Amon was akin to a human torch. His mere presence lightened the city like a star, yet the sea of monsters seemed to know no end as they kept trying to drown him. Explosions rocked the old ruins as he exterminated them one after another.

No matter their numbers, the monsters seemed unable to take him down. Amon's eyes turned golden as his pupils disappeared. "Hahahaha, come on! I thought this would be more of a challenge! After all these years! You still dare come in here?!" He roared, his sword flashing as he decapitated two monsters with a single swing.

"Come out! I know you are summoning them! Can't you see that these fuckers are useless?!"

Another monster tried to ambush him from behind, but he simply side-stepped, sending it tumbling to the ground before he swiftly finished it off. "Tsk, how useless. Fine! If you don't want to come then I will! Ready or not, here I come~"