(So this one is a bit longer and probably anticlimatic for some of you guys. I went with instead of ruining the life of his family, why not ruin his life, once again, and make the fate of his family uncertain?! Great choice am I right? Please don't beat me when you finished reading! This chapter marks the end for what I'd like to call the 'Introduction arc', next will be...who knows what.

Enjoy! :D )

BAAAM!

Hyrion crashed straight into the first soldier.

His fist moved as fast as lightnng and at the same time a pillar of earth errupted at his side. It followed the same path as his blurring arm and connected square with the knight.

The silver armor of the knight flashed in a bright skyblue, its light radiated in waves and each pulse made the earth crumble. Desperately the pillar of earth was rebuild with mana but each time the spear of earth reached the armor it disintegrated to dust and the mana dispersed into thin air.

Hyrion knew clearly that a simple punch wouldn't be able to damage the armor donning the knights. But his magic, his trump, was unexpectedly negated.

Gnashing his teeth Hyrion followed through with the punch. There was the off chance that the armor was less durable than it looked, alas it wasn't true.

DOOONG!

Like a massive club Hyrion's fist connected with the armor and made a fierce gong errupt, testifying for the raw power contained in Hyrion's small body.

The knight staggered a few steps back but immediately cut down with his massve bastard sword. The air was rend apart as the sharp iron cleaved straight for Hyrion's head.

Hyrion graced the knight with a stern flash. You think you got me, Hyrion's eyes booed, think twice.

His body twisted sideways, along the thin but lethal blade, he spun and used the momentum for a devasting blow to the knights jaw.

With blazing eyes, shining under the visor, the knight stepped backwards and changed his vertical slash to a horizontal one. The blade scurried through the air, at the same height as Hyrion's hip. It was a slash meant to sever the opponent apart.

Hyrion glanced for a split second at the incoming blade, tapped his left foot on the ground, jumped into the air, spun with the force behind his punch, turned his body in mid air over the gleaming sword and kicked with his left heel against the knight's head.

The man could not react as the booted heel came into his view, he stood safe out of the range of Hyrion's punch but not his kicks.

Brushing lightly against his leather garments the blade passed below Hyrion, leaving only a silver line in the air.

CRACK!

The kinght's head cocked back, splintered teeth and a spoonful of blood errupted forth from his mouth. Iron splitters from the helmet pierced his cheek, mutilated his face. His body tottered back until he tripped over his own feet and fell bottom first on the hard ground. His eyes rolled up and his mouth started to froth.

Hyrion breathed heavily and wiped the sweat from his eyebrows. The first foe was down. His small frame turned to the crowd of stupefied knights. In no way did they stood still to watch, the exchange of blows was simply too fast for them to act accordingly.

Eyes brimming with resolve and hate glowed menacingly at the knights. The smaragd green was filled with poison and ignited by flames of pain and wrath. It was a beacon of destruction, bathing the knights in its deathly glory.

The knights gulped heavily but their stance did not falter. They were undoubtly strong and with their numbers winning was unquestionable... yet their hearts felt heavy and their minds whispered in low voices 'flee' and 'run'. Waving it off as a remnant of former guilt, guilt about their systematic mass slaughter of the demonkin, they drew their swords, readied their shields and steadied their determination.

Hyrion felt the earth crackle under his boots, his thewed legs tensed and bend, like a predator he readied his stance and prepared to pounce once again.

With a snap he made walls of fire errupt from the ground, robbing the knights of their vision as the infernal circle danced around them.

He could somehwat guess what property the knights' armors had, it negated his mana, or made it disperse, one of the two.

The liquid fire seethed in the air, dazzled the knights with its vermillion shine. Their shadows abstracted and danced with the rythm of the fire. With its steady flicker and the absorbing red luster the knights felt themselves drawn into it. The fire blended into the burning village, emphasized by hundreds of cries and the crisp sound of burning flesh, and hypnotized them, deboned them of their self. The effect was somewhat too good, sadly.

One of the knights tried to grasp the vertiginous fire, he felt his head turn cloudy from the magnificence resulting in him being unable to pull back. His foolish action that could have cost his arm was stayed unpunished, on the contrary. Because the magical firewall touched his armor it instantly puffed out of existence and with it the stunning beauty of this magical phenomenon.

In the midst of the fire was a crouching devil.

The knights shock their heads and blinked with their heavy eyelids. The devil was still there, but now he held a thick dagger in his hand.

Their minds were slowly readjusting themselves once again and they remembered why they were here in the first place. To lay waste to the village that is conspiracing with the demons. Their orders were absolute and it fit well with their speciesism.

They were wrothed about the fact that a simple demon child tricked a dozen knights, it made them irascible and rash. With red faces they engaged on the small child, no shame in their action.

Hyrion only gave a small nod and dashed madly towards the knights. With immense deftness, he danced around hundreds of swords, they fluttered like iron leaves in the wind and yet could not reach his body. His small physique was too nimble. 'A spectral', the knights thought as the boy carried out elusive movements. They could even swear that mother nature was supporting him in his very actions.

A short bump from the earth, a sudden gale with unknown origins, yeah; sometimes even a short wisp of light that obstructed the knights' visions, barely bigger than a firefly it still blinded their eyes. It was just unnatural how mother earth seemed to favor the boy.

Hyrion's face was serene as he slashed for the gaps in the knights' armor, evaded their deadly blades like an adroit monkey and parried those that couldn't be avoided; but in fact his mind and heart were racing.

His mana reserves were dwindling at a rapid pace brought by his unrestrained use of magic. He needed a way to end his opponents, fast.

Rummaging in his memories Hyrion's mind was completely preoccupied in coming up with a way out of this pickle. With his attention shifted a lone sword cut deep into his shoulder. The weght behind the slash nearly pulled Hyrion to the ground but he was quickwitted enough to jump back, thwarting his arm from being cut off.

A thin line of red floated in the air for a second and heavily splashed on the ground, leaving behind a crimson stain. The knight's eyes reeled between his sword, the blood on the ground and the deep gash on Hyrion's shoulder. Incredibility was written all over his face but was hastily replaced by a thriumphant and solemn smile.

The achievement of cutting this more spectral than humanoid child was rushing to his head, it was childish in Hyrion's eyes.

Hyrion floundered back and pressed his hand against the deep cut in his shoulder, his leather vest and muscles were torn apart and he once more realised how mortal he is.

Blood gushed out of the wound and pain sparked inside of his body. Although, Hyrion could only smile over the waves of pain, he endured far to much in this short life already, this pain had no qualifications to sway him in any way.

His sneer was plastered all over his face and the knights couldn't help but feel exasperated. The little honor that they had vanished in that moment and all of them engaged Hyrion at once.

"RAAAAAAAAAA", with boisterous war cries the knights sprinted towards Hyrion. Like a well-oiled machine the knights advanced as a single unit this time, closing in on Hyrion and their eyes trembling from excitement.

Hyrion grimaced and jumped forward. The thick dagger flowed over the bodies of the knights, in search for the tiniest of gaps, to strike and kill. Like a viper Hyrion twined around the knights, his dagger steadily absconding into the iron wall.

Hyrion was hard pressed as the knights overwhelmed him with numbers, their flurry of swings stepping up a notch and with their advanced strength the onslaught of swings turned unbearable.

His body was battered and bruised, some of his ribs cracked and his right arm was limp hanging from his shoulder. A deep stab on his biceps hinted towards a severed nerve. The trusted dagger was stuck inside the chest of a fallen knight, like a proud obelisk it protruded out of the iron and flesh alike.

Rough breathing and bile pulsed from his dry throat, a red foam was fizzing between his lips and a riving headache numbed his body. Not even a small gale of wind could be summoned anymore. by his dried up mana reserves.

Around him were a dozen knights. Some were supporting their body weight on their swords and shields, others laid unconscious or dead on the ground. The surviving knights bit their lips with burning hate. Blood flowed freely from their torn lips and their eyes were blood shot. Instead of moving they simply stood still, longswords, machetes, axes and simple sharpened branches were pointed at their throats.

Around the dozens of knights stood at least double the amount of poorly equipped humans and demonkin. Their expressions were dark but a hint of pride was hiding in their eyes.

The villagers had won!

Hyrion catched a glimpse of his father, bashing in the skull of a knight that was raising a commotion. One hit, BAMM, and only a bloody pulp remained.

Salina, Vanessa, Kiroor, Hyrion and many more stalled for enough time to safely move the kids out of the battlefield. He saw the teary eyed Lina and her brother Erik, his face a nuance paler than usual. The other kids looked exactly the same, scarred for the rest of their lives by fear and terror.

He could only gulp as he saw the adults get 'serious'. The mana around them thundered and rolled like disastrous waves, their bodies radiated incredible might, each hit meant certain death for the knights. At once Hyrion understood what monsters his teachers were. Albeit some of the villagers were slightly weaker than the knights in the end their fighting power was not to be underestimated.

"Speak for yourself!", a huge man with long curly black hair and a thick brown beard roared towards the knights. His voice carried immense power, driving it over the fields.

His name was Armin, the village chief. His dark skinned body leaned over the knights and his black eyes stared straight through their helmets; into their minds, their souls.

"S-S-Shut up! H-Heretic!", one of the knights muttered, his complexion was pale and the clattering of teeth was audible over a few meters.

"IDIOT!", another knight yelled and slapped the young knight on the head.

"Excuse my subordinate, he is still green behind his ears.", the man said while hawking. He gulped down a bit of saliva, stretched his neck, gazed at Armin with his brown eyes and said: "We have nothing to say, heretic!", while lowly snickering. "You demons make me sick!", he continued on and spit on the ground.

Armin combed his curly beard with his blistered fingers. "Hummmm...", Armin fell into deep thought. "I guess we will kill you then?!", he said while shrugging with his shoulders.

He reached for the broad axe strapped on his belt. Its black head gleamed in the moonlight, small dots of red, pieces of flesh and an impeccable edge testyfied for the brutality and durability of this weapon.

"You demon! I will not let myself be defiled by your hands! You truly are the personifications of the devil! The Gods will smite you if you aly your hands on us knights of virtue!", he screamed as Armin stepped closer and raised the axe up. "You bastard, don't you think you will leave unscathed! The church will burn down this whole village, I was just one of many! YOU WILL SUFFER OUR RETRIBUTION! STOP N-!". SPLURT!

It was a lightning fast slash, no pain, no cry of agony, only deathly silence. A subtle red thread surfaced on the knights throat. It was so fine that it nearly went unnoticed. Feeling a bit of an itch the knight fumbled his neck. His eyes turned dull and suddenly. The helmeted head slumped from the shoulders and rolled over the ground, the face was morphed into a mask of rage and purple veins, drivel and snot.

"Tch! You scum!", Armin growled. "You are next!", he pointed at the shivering knights.

The other villagers nodded and moved their weapons closer to the knights' throats.

GROOOOOWL!

A deafening roar errupted from behind the small and askew huts. The earth rumbled and thunderous steps mauled the ground.

Instinctively all the people on scene shot straight up. Their eyes fixated on the village.

The earth stirred and shock, like a horse trying to throw of its rider, but the monstrous claws rooted themselves deep into the healthy soil, turned it black polluting the ground.

A deep scent of brimstone and rooting flesh wafted through the air, the sickening stench whispered of Death's ballads. It pierced the minds of the villagers and knights alike. It drilled its way deep into their marrow and spread fear like the plague. It was some kind of profound fear, so strong that it twisted into other emotions, made the mind cheer for death and the body languish and lust for pain.

It was fear so feral that body and mind wanted and needed death.

The monster made its appearance.

A smooth black head with blue veins pumping defiled blood. Rattling holes, lavishing the pure air with their breaths. Innumerable rows of yellow teeth, as countless as stars on the firmament. Jagged and crocked they pierced the monster's skin and pounced out of its jaw. Its maw was wide open and revealed the nightsky within, an abyss of unfathomable depth. A black tongue wriggled out of its 'home' and greeted the people on site with its grotesqueness.

The eyeless head starred at the villagers, it harbored a piercing gaze that should be impossible with its absence of eyes. Six strong limbs supported the long body. Two pairs of front legs growing out of the malnourished ribcage; the red and beating heart was faintly visible through the thin layeer of black skin. Another pair of hindlegs and a heavy black tail with pumping blue veins and void black blades -fragments of the abyss- cleaved in on its bones topped the image of the monstrosity off.

Humans, be it the mighty villagers or the treacherous knights, they all took a step back as the devil, the devil incarnate, writhed its dark head into their direction.

It took one step forward, and the humans took two steps back, this is how its supposed to be. But there was one being that defied the king, the emperor of darkness.

Hyrion stood still, fear clawed at his brain, froze it and crushed it under its grip. But the flame, the flame of life, ignite by so many deaths and the urge to live, could not be extinguished.

The monster felt a tinge of awe for this small insect, it fought against the terror and won! Its face turned into a deformity of ugly fangs and vibrating veins. For the villagers and knights it seemed as if the beast enraged but in truth it was exulting. The misshap of a face was a genuine smile, a smile filled with dread and the heartfelt prayer for demise.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!", the beast howled to the bent silver at the sky. The moon, scared, hid behind thick and grey clouds.

Hyrion felt the beasts attention focus solely on him. 'Good, good, very good indeed!', he thought.

"COME HERE YOU MOTHERFUCKER! I WILL FUCK YOU UP GOOD", he screamed in his old world english. It was not only a taunt directed at the monster but also a wake up call for the villagers. If this continued on they would be rooted on the spot, unable to move and retaliate.

It worked and the villagers and knights -unfortunately- started to shudder their paralyzed bodies awake.

One of the knights that was startled awake by the sudden shout was a particular one. Clad in a long robe and equipped with a wooden wand he was unmistakingly a mage. His long white hair fluttered in the wind and his blue eyes turned into a dull grey.

"You idiots!", he muttered under his breath while chanting the rest of a complex incantation.

Hyrion felt the fluctuations in the mana from the mage and directed his gaze at the white haired man. At the same time white letters starred down on Hyrion from the sky. Their lush radiance felt oppressive for Hyrion.

The man, still on the ground, breathed haggardly and pointed with his finger on Hyrion. "Grand Mirage!", he shouted.

The monster felt the same distortions in the mana and immediately preyed the man of his life. The thick black tail cocked back and pierced straight through the man's chest, it enlongated for many meters and retracted in lightning speed.

With a fat hole in his chest the man could only smile wryly, he finished his mission after all.

SHOOOOOM!

A blinding white light encompassed Hyrion, creating a circle around him. Hyrion coud already guess what kind of spell this was.

Out of pure desperation he reached out of the circle with his outstretched left arm, a metaphorical action synonymous for his desire for freedom.

The abomination gasped. "HuMan, DOn't ThinK tHIs Is oVeR! NoT once hAS my pReY esCapeD ItS cUrSed FaTe! BE PREPARED!", the monster roared in a frequency defined only for Hyrion to hear.

In less than the blink of an eye the light exploded out with a lightning and vanished, as well as Hyrion. Only his left arm laid on the ground, the stump still fuming.

The moment the light exploded the beast frenzied. With its black mana it cursed the small human that defied its very being.

When was the last time it felt so... alive? It could already taste the tender flesh of the small human but for now the dirty insects crawling in front of it should suffice to tame its hunger.

Epilogue:

'How many times? How many times have I gazed into the depths? What did I do wrong? Where did I wronged to be punished this heavily?'

The words of the beast, enraged and fuelled by raving madness still pained my mind.

I was once again diving inside of a botomless gorge, the beast, originating from who knows what cesspit was certainly ravishing my family right now, its unbound hunger would not refuse a free meal, I was sure of it and I hated it. I hated my powerlessness, I hated myself for acting to impuslive, for being unable to safe my family and losing those close to me, for a second time; even though I promised myself.

What was my destiny in this cruel world? Was there only pain that awaited me?

My life, my future, all of it was uncertain and in a single night my goals aspirations wer overthrown, trampled upon and grinded into the earth. 'Why do I still bother? Why am not giving up already?'

As my thoughts drifted into unknown depths I was embraced by a white light. It was a single speck of light but it grew and soon it became a second sun.

I felt myself falling on a hard ground, wood. Torches flickered inside the spacious room. It was a tall structure with massive pillars supporting a high up roof, so high that the light couldn't reach it. The room was dank and the air was stale, a tinge of death was mixed into the stench of rooten wood and odor of animal carcasses.

CREAK!

A massive door swung open, the handle still moving from side to side as a fat man entered. He raised his arms up, the fat wobbled and the sweat dripped down his chin. "WELCOME! MY DEAR DEMONS!", he shouted towards a non existence audience.

The room was engulfed by silence only both our breathing were audible.

"Eh?", the man gasped. "W-W-WHERE ARE MY SLAVES?!", he roared out of his pudgy lips. His face glowed red and pinquid drops flowed down his neck.

"YOU THERE! Where... WHERE ARE THEY?!", he screamed while pointing his finger at me, barely able to hold the position for a few seconds he lowered his arm while wheezing and coughing.

Something clicked in my mind. 'THIS BASTARD!', I screamed inwardly.

Without hesitating I rushed to the porky man, pain washed over my body but I still burst through. My limp right arm waved in the wind, unable to tense up or even move a finger. I landed right in front of the man, kneeled down and dashed towards his face.

My knee was closing in at his face at a breakneck speed. 'YOU FUCKER!', I fueled my kick with emotions and hoped to pulverize the man's skull.

"ARGGGGHHHHH!", I shouted as an eletric discharge paralyzed my body and made me bounce harmlessly from the man. A group of knights emerged from the shadows and stood saluting at the man's side.

I fumbled with my limp arm over my throat, 'a collar!', I gasped. My fate, I knew what it was.

The fat man kneeled towards my wriggling body, his bulbous nose puffed hot air on my skin. "You know... children like you, I love them the most.", he mumbled in a sickening tone. He heaved his body up, his legs trembling and moved out of the door.

"Bring him to the 'bridal chamber', our little stud needs to be trained.", the man snapped his fingers and left through the same door he entered from.

My body was picked up by the knights, by their cold metallic hands and pulled over the rough ground. They silently muttered jokes, talked about their family and friends, their fullfilled lives... and how they would abuse me when the next night came. "The master is first.", they snickered.

My fate was sealed and I couldn't muster the strength to hate my life and the Gods for it anymore. My consciousness faded and the abyss called, once again.