410. Grand Skills

Gloria’s head went flying.

Orgaf decapitated her with a swing of his second blade. It was easy, really. The Demon had been too prideful, constantly bragging about her Grand Skills. When the [Rogue] last fought her, he wasn’t able to use his Grand Skills due to how recent the fight with the Primeval Demon Belzu had been, but now more time had passed and he could use them again. Or, at least, one of them.

So he slinked into the shadows. He whispered the Grand Skill’s chant as he traversed through the darkness. It was a mass area of effect Skill. It was nearly impossible for someone around his level to break free from, but it had a downside in that it couldn’t target specific enemies. He blasted the Grand Skill into the sky, catching only Gloria herself. He would’ve preferred if all the Demons had been caught in its radius, however this was good enough.

He impaled her through the chest before finishing her off.

It was cathartic. Orgaf wasn’t a spiteful man, but he found pleasure in killing this annoying Demon. He drew back as her body dropped like a puppet without strings, and raised his head at the other watching Demons. They stared in shock, pausing for the briefest split second to register their companion’s death.

“One down, four to go.”

He flicked his daggers coated in black blood. That had been a good use of his Grand Skill— even if it killed only one of the Archdemons, it slanted the battlefield more towards their side. Even more than before.

“Nice work, Orgaf!”

Laux Lionfist laughed as he shoved Desidia back. His opponent went stumbling, and he raised a fist. A white aura overcame his body as he grinned.

“Perhaps it’s about time for me to pull my own weight too—”

The burly man leapt forward as the green-skinned Demon braced herself. He swung down. She brought a hand up, trying to counter with her own Skill.

“[Meteor—”

But his bellowing drowned out her voice. Laux Lionfist slammed his fist against hers as he yelled.

“[Might of the Jungle King]!”

Desidia screamed in pain as her arm bent backwards. It twisted from the impact, and his punch connected with her face, smashing her into the earth. The ground broke open into a giant crater, sending a pillar of dust and debris into the air.

The Elite adventurers and Peris Dolonia nodded at each other as they watched Laux Lionfist overpower his enemy. They were emboldened. Not just because Orgaf had slain one of the Demons. But also because this was proof that these Demons weren’t infallible.

Helena Warshade slammed her staff on the ground as the battlefield was shrouded over with dark clouds. Orgaf raised his head, seeing the tempest form over the earth, yet he could still see clearly despite that. Gula— the [Fiend]— stumbled back as she raised a shimmering dodecahedron.

“What—”

And Peris Dolonia thrust his rapier forward, piercing this veil. The [Fiend] blinked, barely dodging the attack. The blade grazed her shoulder as he harshly yanked it back. Black blood spilled out as she yelped in pain.

“You bastard! I’ll make you pay for that!”

The [Duelist]’s follow-up attacks were barely blocked as Gula raised a barrier just in time. She flew up in the air and hurled down the dodecahedron. Peris leapt back as the glinting object crashed down. It quickly shrank into a tiny dense sphere, before rapidly sucking in the earth and rocks nearby, including the clouds covering the battlefield. Finally, it expanded all at once and consumed everything in a hundred feet with a brilliant flash and shrill shriek.

Orgaf himself managed to get out of the blast radius. So did Scarlet the Red Rose and Avaritia thanks to the Boots of Alexander. Alder and Iivor were both barely at the edge of the explosion, so they managed to escape it with a bit of protection. Laux Lionfist and Desidia were still clashing at the bottom of the crater, so neither were affected.

But Peris wouldn’t have gotten away if not for Helena Warshade’s help. She teleported the both of them out, looking down at the flash of light. Orgaf waited with bated breath for Gula to appear at the peripheries too. She didn’t. Helena and Peris looked around warily.

“Where is she…?

Scarlet breathed, staring at ground zero of the explosion. Then Avaritia appeared next to her, swinging for her head with a clawed hand. Her eyes widened as she spun around, and he laughed as his fingers shone black.

“[Deathclaw]!”

“No—”

The Red Rose flinched as she closed her eyes. But Orgaf grabbed her, yanking her out of the way just in time. The young Elite panted as she stared up at her senior.

“T-thanks—”

“Thank me later, idiot. Don’t lose your focus on the battlefield. Aren’t you an Elite?”

Orgaf snapped as he looked up. He already had both daggers raised, ready for Avaritia’s next move. The [Changeling] leapt into the air and swung down from afar. His arm shifted, becoming that of a giant appendage. One with seven segments. Like that of a massive spider.

It fell upon Orgaf as he angled his daggers slightly, barely deflecting the attack off to the side. The rest of the Demon’s body shifted. Avaritia grew larger. Seven more of such limbs appeared from his side as he stared down at the two Elites with eight crimson eyes.

[Arachne - Lvl. 147]

“[Copy Skill: Web of the Damned]!”

Avaritia’s voice came out crackled and warped. It was almost indecipherable, yet Orgaf understood it. A language Skill of sorts. Demons had those.

A thousand black threads shot out. Needle-like. In a deluge. They encroached on Orgaf and Scarlet’s position. There was no way to escape. Not for Scarlet, at least. Orgaf saw the shadow blanketing around him, and he knew he could flee just by slinking away. However, the Red Rose didn’t have such a Skill. She backed up with wide eyes as he clicked his tongue.

“Oi, grab on!”

He called out, proffering her a hand. Scarlet blinked and stared at him for a moment. The threads came raining down— no, it was denser than rain. Finally, the Red Rose took his hand. He dashed forward as she followed behind him, keeping up with his speed.

“Don’t let go!”

He shouted, and she nodded. He clinked the metallic object he wore on his shin. They shimmered in an eclectic range of colors. An iridescent aura. It was the Greaves of Alexander. They radiated divinity. Something Orgaf couldn’t grasp himself, but had seen exuded by two people before. The first was Mori Gladius, Champion of the Human lands. And the second was… a Demon. Salvos, Liberator of the Plaguelands. Perhaps that was why Orgaf trusted her, in spite of her nature.

The dark threads shot forward, aimed straight for the two Elites. Orgaf kicked up with the Greaves of Alexander the iridescent aura coalesced. The rainbow of colors lashed out like a wave, sweeping back the falling threads.

Temporary Skill: [Divine Wave].

Avaritia looked up in shock as the bright light illuminated the night. Orgaf flew up after the flash with Scarlet right behind him, the pair spinning around with their daggers. They separated and struck two of the [Arachne]-[Changeling]’s limbs. The Demon reeled as he let out a screech.

“You puny mortals! Do you think you can beat me? I am stronger than you! I am faster than you! I will kill you!”

He drew back quickly as Orgaf and Scarlet landed on the ground. They watched the giant Demon rapidly leap from side to side. Orgaf’s eyes darted around, barely keeping up with his speed.

Scarlet didn’t look like she even knew what was happening. She pursed her lips as the two Elite [Rogues] stood with their backs behind each other. Orgaf shook his head and lowered his daggers. The Greaves of Alexander still glowed at his shin.

“You’re not the only one with one of the Treasures of Alexander on your side, Demon.”

While Avaritia was fast thanks to the Boots of Alexander, he wasn’t used to fighting in high-speed combat. His movements became predictable after a few moments of watching. Orgaf slipped into the shadows and leapt out right as the Demon was passing.

The Demon couldn’t stop in time. Orgaf swung up not with his daggers, but with the Greaves of Alexander. This time, there wasn’t a blast of rainbow-colored energy. But there was still a glinting impact as the metallic greaves struck the Demon’s skin. A flash of light from the hit.

Avaritia swung up with his many limbs, but Orgaf simply countered, kicking again and again. They exchanged a blow of kicks. The [Arachne]-[Changeling] with his eight legs, and Orgaf with only two. But each time Orgaf landed a strike, the Demon’s skin rippled and tore. Avaritia yelled in pain and shrank back down, barely evading a kick to the head.

“What’s wrong? Can’t keep up?”

Orgaf smirked as the Demon grew to the size of an [Imp] once again. Avaritia cursed, and black flames wisped around his finger tips.

“Shut up! [Copy Skill—”

The rough shape of a pitchfork appeared in his palm, but before it could fully take form, Scarlet sprinted up to him. The Red Rose spun around, swinging her blade so quickly as they left behind red trails, not from an aura, but from her blurry speed.

“[Storm of Thorns]!”

She unleashed a thousand cuts into the [Imp]’s back. He screamed in pain as she ravaged him. He would’ve died there and then. He couldn’t escape the Red Rose’s tangle of thorns. But a black hole appeared where he was, sucking him away. Scarlet landed, blinking as she looked around for the Demon.

He was gone.

Orgaf narrowed his eyes. That was— The Elite [Rogue] immediately scanned the battlefield. He watched as Desidia was pummeled by Laux Lionfist and blasted by Helena Warshade’s magic. The very same black hole sucked the Demon up before they could finish her off.

Iivor, too, vanished in the midst of a duel with both Peris Dolonia and Alder Ashford. The Elites exchanged a confused glance, and a red beam shot out. It aimed straight for Orgaf. He deflected it with the Greaves of Alexander, and it burrowed into the earth.

Orgaf recognized the attack. The familiar red aura. The Skill which had ambushed him before. He raised his head as Gloria got back to her feet, lowering a hand. Her head was back on her body, although it looked slightly crooked. She adjusted it before tilting her head at him.

He snarled.

“How are you still alive?”

She responded simply.

“[A New Life, Renewed Glory]. My first Grand Skill. Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice ten of my levels for this. It seems my Skills are far less effective now against you. Shame.”

Orgaf’s brows snapped together. It was true. She really was lower-leveled now compared to before. Although, only by five levels. Did she split the levels lost with her… second Subspecies? Or Class? The [Nightcrawler Shadower] didn’t know, he just knew this was an opportunity.

He smirked.

“Good, then. It just means I can kill you again, easier.”

He hurled one of his daggers at her. She disappeared, teleported away just like the other Demons. Orgaf’s dagger reappeared in his hand as he spun around warily.

“Just where are they going?”

Scarlet asked with round eyes. Orgaf frowned as he thought about it for a moment, still puzzled. Then it finally clicked in his head, just as Helena Warshade yelled.

“This was a trap! We need to leave!”

The Great Tempest Archmage of Mavos Academy tried to fly out— her cloud zipped up into the air, carrying her away from the area. Orgaf made a break for it as well as Scarlet was a step behind him. His eyes flickered as he saw the giant latticework of space form around the Elites. A dome that would capture all of them in an instant. One that was powered by a grand magic from Gula.

Orgaf slinked into the shadows once again, speeding up as Helena Warshade escaped from the trap. The [Rogue] just barely managed to get through in time, and a piece of lattice blocked Scarlet the Red Rose. She thumped on the invisible wall, trying to say something, but Orgaf couldn’t hear it.

“Fuck— I can’t believe we fell for that.”

Orgaf swore as he swung for the barrier with the Greaves of Alexander. But even the Mythic Grade artifact couldn’t break through. This was clearly the workings of a Grand Skill. Scarlet, Laux, Peris, and Alder were trapped in the confines of this glass-like dome.

Laux Lionfist himself tried smashing it open, but Orgaf knew it was fruitless. He saw that it wouldn’t break through. He stepped back, shaking his head.

“Why was I so stupid? How did I not realize this was a trap earlier…”

“That’s enough, Orgaf.”

Helena Warshade descended next to him. He looked up at her as she stood on her great nimbus cloud.

“The two of us can still fight. We must not let the Demons get to the city.”

“Right…”

He straightened, still gritting his teeth. If the Demons reached the city before Orgaf and Helena, it would be a slaughter. Five Archdemons, all of them equal to an Elite. They would get the Crown of Alexander with ease. And with that, it would be enough to turn the tables to defeat the remaining Elites.

“Let’s go—”

He started forward along with the Archmage, but a shadow stopped them. A towering figure barred their path. A giant Demon. One that stood over twenty feet tall. With red skin and a pair of giant wings. He had a pair of small horns and the face of an [Imp], but the body of a [Djinn].

“Neither of you are going anywhere.”

He bared his teeth, smiling wide as Orgaf backed up warily.

“I am Ira, the greatest of the Dukes and Duchesses. I shall be your opponent, Humans.”

[Cambion - Lvl. 155]