490. Mindless Beast

“Run.”

Oriur urged his two siblings forward. It took a while to convince Bellum and Novis to listen to him, but finally, they’d acquiesced after seeing their mama’s rage. The three baby Wyverns moved between the trees, heading deeper and deeper into the forest.

They only halted when they heard the explosion. The blast that shook the earth, knocking them off balance. Oriur fell with a squeak as Novis and Bellum caught themselves. The two older siblings glanced back, facing the city. In the distance, there was a powerful explosion. A rainbow-colored blast that rose above the canopy of trees.

Novis and Bellum stared, hesitating. They looked like they wanted to run back— to help their mama. But Oriur scrambled to his feet and caught them.

“Please. No.”

The two other baby Wyverns hesitated. They exchanged a glance, and Oriur held their gaze.

“For Mama.”

Novis blinked. Bellum deflated. Slowly, they both nodded. The three of them continued, much to Oriur’s relief. And then they paused as the ground rumbled once more, an even larger explosion lighting up the crimson sky.

I stared at the Primeval Demon of Wrath. At Ira— a newly-anointed [Hellprince] of the Netherworld. Here he was, standing before me, having survived taking the brunt of one of my most powerful Skills.

It wasn’t like he emerged from the explosion unscathed. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He had come out of the iridescent-crimson blast nearly entirely obliterated. Half his face had been blown off. All but his chest and torso remained. And yet, somehow, he came back.

I watched his limbs regrow like they had always been there. His black blood wove out of the missing chunks of his flesh— strings that merged to return the Primeval Demon to full form. I had heard about this power. I had seen this power through my clones’ eyes.

But I knew it was more powerful than ever now. So that was why I was prepared. He pointed at me, grinning as he unleashed a glimmering blast my way. I dove to the side, watching as the beam of colors struck the city behind me. A terrible explosion erupted. Like a mimicry of my [Demon’s Mark]. Except even stronger.

I gritted my teeth as the blast dissipated behind me. The earth beneath me rumbled for a full minute as I held the Primeval Demon’s gaze. Ira smirked as he spoke, ascending to meet me in the air.

“Did you really think you could defeat a Primeval Demon of Wrath with your rage? Please. What a foolish joke.”

I didn’t respond. I knew of this Grand Skill. I had done everything I could to kill him before he had a chance to activate this ability. No playing around. No experimenting or tests. I did everything I could, but I failed.

And he could tell I knew this. He didn’t unleash a deluge of counterattacks my way all at once. Even after what I’d put him through, he was completely calm. Black wings made from his own blood protruded from his back, carrying him up to meet me in the air.

“I’m impressed. I really didn’t think you’d put up this much of a fight. Resorting to my Grand Skill is… rather annoying. But I underestimated you. I thought you were a mere mortal, when it turns out— you are a Demon.”

“I am Salvos.”

I replied as I held his gaze.

“That’s all that matters.”

“Is that all that matters? No Demon with any self-worth would come to the aid of mortals. Do you not have any pride? Any sense of shame going against your own kind for the betterment of these others?”

Ira scoffed, waving a hand off. He glanced dismissively towards the Human adventurers in the distance. They were far off, still fighting back against the swarm of wild Demons pouring from the sub-ritual. He looked at them like they were nothing but insects.

I shook my head.

“Maybe most of them are others. But some of them are my companions. And others are my friends.”

“And the Wyverns? Pets? Friends? Minions?”

He tilted his head at me. I answered without missing a beat.

“My children.”

“I see.”

Ira closed his eyes. He held his arms behind his back, unmoving. I waited for what he was going to do next. This was my chance to attack him, but I knew it would’ve been pointless. Instead, I was trying to figure out a plan to overcome his Grand Skill. Unfortunately, all my mind drew were blanks.

When the Primeval Demon opened his eyes, he was grinning. He raised a hand out, and I blinked. He held up a giant club made from his own blood. It was massive— the size of his person. Yet, he hefted it around with ease.

“It seems that you are far too lost, then. I will have no guilt killing you here and now, for you will not be able to properly serve our King.”

And he shot forward. Ira sped my way, laughing maniacally as I braced myself for his attack. My [Faux Limbs] shifted, becoming the long tendrils of a Horror Centinel, before shooting out Ira’s way. He bared his teeth wide, taking the brunt of it all with no care in the world. My tendrils impaled him all throughout his body, keeping him back from me.

But he didn’t flinch. He didn’t even falter. Instead, he ripped off the tendrils with a sneer before spreading his arms wide.

“Is that really all you’ve got for me? I will show you how it’s really done, traitor!”

I looked on as the black blood from the various holes in his body spilled out. The dark liquid took form, becoming tendrils of their own as they lashed out at me. I clicked my tongue, diving straight down. I easily avoided his attacks and reached him with my scythe raised.

He smirked, ready for the impending slash. And I stopped myself for just a second.

Don’t attack him, I told myself. I had already known how his Grand Skill sort of worked thanks to Orgaf, Helena Warshade, and my clones. It didn’t matter what I tried, he’d reflect it towards me.

I caught myself and immediately backed up. Ira cocked his head at me as the tendrils spun after me.

“What’s wrong? Too afraid to attack? Didn’t you wish to kill me for threatening those mortal pests you call children?”

I cut down the tendrils as I circled around him. Again and again. I moved faster and faster each time, until I was certain Ira couldn’t keep up with my speed. However, the Primeval Demon didn’t even raise his head. He didn’t care that he couldn’t keep up with me in any capacity. After all, I couldn’t hurt him in any capacity either.

“If you keep circling around me, you won’t be able to kill me like you said you would. Unless you’re hoping I’d die of old age? In which case, I’ll tell you Demons don’t die of old age. Not that you would know. You’re only a Demon in name, nothing more.”

I didn’t respond to his taunting. I just wondered if there was anything I could do to finish him off in one hit. His head hadn’t been completely blown off from the [Demon’s Mark], so perhaps that was the problem.

I just have to aim for his neck. I swooped down, my scythe shimmering with an iridescent aura.

Ira grinned as he turned to face me. Too slowly. I was already next to him by the time he could react— not that he was in any hurry to respond. He raised his club, and I sheared straight through his neck.

“You. Will. Burn!”

I shouted as I spun back to face him, mouth unhinging as my cheeks shifted partially into that of a Kobold’s. A cone of iridescent flames swallowed Ira, and there was no notification.

Instead, I recoiled as a black scythe cut through the burning rainbow veil. I dipped down, watching as Ira flitted out from the blast of fire. He was already cracking his neck, his head fully regrown. He stretched his jaw for a second— before unleashing a flame breath back my way too.

I cursed as I swerved around the attack. He cackled, watching me flee. He raised his club, pointing it my way as black weapons formed around him by the dozens. They shot out one after another at me as I continued flying back. I zipped through the city, avoiding the trailing projectiles. They crashed into the earth, rupturing the white ground and tearing apart the ravaged houses.

Ira flew after me, his blood-wings beating fast behind him. But he couldn’t catch up to me. Not with my Grand Skill active. He called out, creating a blood-spear at the end of his club as he pointed at me.

“Stop running, you cowardly Demon! If you don’t kill me soon, I’ll get to your little babies and make sure you watch as I slaughter them!”

I didn’t need to glance back thanks to the [Manifestation of the Old Gods]. I could see that the baby Wyverns were fine, hiding away in the forest far from Lunaris. But the Primeval Demon was looking for them. He scanned the hilltop they’d been at as he frowned.

I took that opportunity to strike. I immediately whirled around, charging for Ira as he was distracted. His eyes flickered. He turned towards me, still sneering.

“Oh? Trying to catch me off-guard again, are we? That didn’t work the first time.”

He came to a halt instead of trying to dodge out of the way. I drew closer to him, faster than he cared to react. He thought whatever I tried wasn’t going to work. But right as I reached him, I sharply changed directions. I dipped to the side, swinging by the tip of his club. Ira blinked as I snatched the blood-spear out of the air.

“What are you—”

He started, but I swerved back towards him. I raised the blood-spear and stabbed him through the chest. His eyes grew wide.

“How about that?”

I had a theory. Well, a hypothesis. One which I was testing out now. The Primeval Demon of Wrath was able to reflect any attack I threw his way. However, what about his own attacks?

I pulled the spear back as Ira reeled. He hacked out his blood, trying to work his jaw.

“Y-y-you…”

For a moment, I thought that had been enough. Then his lips twisted. The Primeval Demon of Wrath sneered wide.

“Did you think that would work?”

I blinked, watching as the hole in his chest began to regenerate. I tried to fly back, but a hand protruded from Ira’s wound. A giant hand that caught the blood-spear before I could fly off. I tried to let go of the weapon to fly away, and he swung the heavy club at me.

I yelped in pain as I was struck out of the air. Swatted down like a fly. I crashed straight to the ground. I caught myself with my wings before I hit the earth. I hastily redirected my course, swooping back up as I searched for Ira in the crimson sky.

He was already flying off into the distance, heading away from the city. He raised a hand as he pooled together a sphere of black blood at the tip of his club. He aimed for the forest where Novis, Bellum, and Oriur had been.

“I will find your children, Salvos. Even if I have to destroy the entire forest.”

My brows snapped together. I saw the way the beam crackled, about to unleash into the distance. Through [Manifestation of the Old Gods], I saw Novis, Bellum, and Oriur running in the forest. I didn’t know if they could get far enough away in time. I couldn’t save them. [Greater Teleportation] couldn’t work just yet.

I had to stop Ira. Before it was too late. I raised a hand, shouting at the top of my lungs.

“Stop! [Invoke Wrath]!”

My words echoed as Ira suddenly froze. The building blood at the tip of his club paused. He didn’t react for a second. Then his eyes burned with fury. His gaze snapped my way as he roared, unleashing his attack at me.

I saw the beam of flicker. Its black light glinted, shooting my way. I dove to the side as I narrowly escaped the blast. The attack exploded, ripping apart a small hill. And right as I moved out of the way, I blinked.

I looked up, barely bracing myself for Ira’s swinging club. He struck down as I blocked the hit with my Divine Nebular Scythe. There was a flash as our weapons clashed. A pulse that rippled in the air. I held up against the strike for an instant— then I was sent flying back.

I tumbled to the ground, crashing hard as I groaned. I raised my head as my entire body ached. I had clashed with Ira before. Just earlier, I took on the full force of his club without any protection. But this time, even though I’d blocked it, it had hurt a lot more.

I stood up, left arm hanging limply from my shoulder. I stared at Ira as he huffed, gaze boring into me in his anger. I saw the way his muscles rippled— like the blood in his body was roiling beneath his skin. He looked bigger. Shoulders broader. And he didn’t speak, overcome with nothing but his rage.

“Did I just make him stronger…?”

I asked, staring. And Ira charged me like a mindless beast with a terrible roar.