Wolf gazed at the surviving Demons. Gara interested him in particular.

Survivors give off the aura of Eighth or Ninth Order Demonic Beasts, while their leader is much stronger. Sixteen? Twenty? Wolf failed to estimate her exact Sword-Sage Order. However, he knew she was a Sword-Saint.

“Run!” she screamed in panic. “Run! I will block him! Warn the matriarch! Tell her a demon is coming!”

Wolf frowned, studying her. We speak the same language, and she called me a demon. Are foreigners manlings’ demons? Races of man share a common language, and these people appear human, albeit with different Internal Energy. Manlings are demons and demons are manlings?

While Wolf’s second Mental Aspect contemplated philosophy, the first Mental Aspect had better things to do.

I can’t let them request reinforcements. Instead of facing Gara, he scanned the survivors, only one of which showed the intent to follow her leader’s order. Her.

Wolf rushed towards Hina. At a glance, he deducted her vitals were the best. Meaning, she was the likeliest to flee if Gara distracted him.

“Hina!” Gara shouted, but it was useless.

The woman stared at Wolf, her eyes quivering in terror. She tried to block with her saber, but Wolf sent a shred of Internal Energy into Book, activating its enhancements.

With a light slash, he cut through the weapon and the warrior.

Scent of blood filled the air. The steaming crimson splashed towards Wolf, but he paid it no mind. He routinely stored the spray, then dropped the blob on the frozen soil.

“Flee, you fools,” Gara shouted.

Two others ran, but Wolf dispatched them in short order. He didn’t bother with the woman paralyzed in fear. She couldn’t stand, let alone run.

Instead, he trained his eyes on Gara. I wonder if I can get the secret of becoming a Sword-Saint from her? I still haven’t visited Highseat to discuss this matter with our Sword-Saints.

Suddenly, the woman grit her teeth. “Sabertooth’s Pounce!”

Seventh Order maneuver? Wolf recognized Gara’s technique as she rushed him in a stretched flow of time. Her maneuver enhanced speed and added extra power to a blow based on momentum picked up, while simultaneously allowing the Sword-Sage to lock onto their target. There’s no dodging this.

Unable to dodge, Wolf charged at Gara. Decreasing the distance reduces her power, weakening the blow. You counter Rabid Beast maneuvers with brute force.

Wolf met his enemy head on. He put his full force into the blow, sending the woman flying with surprising ease. She’s not a Body Refiner? I thought body was barbarians’ preferred refinement path? Her weapon seems made of common steel, yet it can endure executing a Seventh Order maneuver.

Gara sprang to her legs and ran back towards Wolf. “Mountain Burial!”

Wolf stood still, observing the earthen light flow into Gara and her blade. Good choice. Mountain Burial will enhance her constitution for a short while, making up for the difference between our bodies. You counter Earth maneuvers by dodging.

Master, should you be messing around? Silver asked.

I’m not messing around. She emanates a powerful sensation of hatred, and I want to know why. I have magic and she still hasn’t forced me to use Internal Energy, while she is at her wit’s end.

This is the best opportunity to test Demons’ abilities. If I encounter them without magical enhancements, I’ll at least know what they can do.

That’s actually reasonable, Silver agreed with Wolf.

What do you mean ‘actually’? It’s perfectly reasonable. Mandy’s lessons paid off, and Wolf caught Silver’s jab.

While his Mental Aspect and Silver conversed, Wolf bounded to clash with Gara, deciding to use a maneuver.

Sweeping Dragon Tail.

His body and weapon were superior, so Wolf met the Ninth Order maneuver with a Seventh Order one.

With a loud bang, the brown light surged at Wolf. It washed over him, but couldn’t budge Book, nor shake his arm. As expected, with Mountain Burial’s fortification, she can hold her ground.

“Sweeping Dragon Tail?” Gara shouted.

“Could you at least not yell the names of my maneuvers?” Wolf mumbled. It reminded him of the sad display back when he took the Mage Academy’s entrance exam.

Suddenly, a weird weapon appeared in her left and she stabbed it at Wolf’s throat.

“Death In The Dark!” Gara shouted the maneuver’s name yet again.

Huh? I don’t know this one? That weapon is unusual, too. It looks like a punching dagger, but not quite. Wolf mussed while Gara’s blade crawled towards him. She’s experienced fighting manlings. Should I spar with her? I never had the chance to fight competent humans; I might learn a ton from her?

While those thoughts passed through his mind, Wolf twisted his torso and leaned back, snatching the woman’s wrist without effort.

“Are you interested in being my subordinate?” he asked. Wolf already took in bandits, so why not Demons?

She’s a Sword-Saint. It would be great if she accepted. With proper guidance, I should advance quickly. Could she help me break through my barrier and become a Sword-Saint?

Gara didn’t share Wolf’s enthusiasm.

“Dragon’s Bite,” she shouted, chomping at Wolf’s neck.

With a boom, Wolf’s knee slammed into her solar plexus, opening up the distance between them.

The woman’s jaw snapped shut, making Wolf wince inside and confirm he shouldn’t use that maneuver. A miss can cause a concussion, while a hit means you bit off a mouthful of enemy’s flesh.

While Wolf analyzed the technique, the burly woman shook. She started withering before Wolf’s eyes. As they fought, the detestful aura she projected weakened with every maneuver she used. However, as red mist wrapped around her, the hatred went back to what Wolf originally felt, then surged further.

I should distance myself. Wolf’s second Mental Aspect stopped fooling around and focused on Wolf’s surroundings.

He perceived the colors of True Names. The shade of death was everywhere, while the green of life blazed around Gara, turning her into a verdant bonfire. She even had a halo of metallic blue, suggesting she was protecting something.

She shot forth with insane speed, and Wolf watched her ax cleave at his head in the dilated flow of time.

Ah, shit. The third Mental Aspect stopped carving Mandy’s column and started casting Subtle Regenerate.

Meanwhile, Wolf raised Book to block, but he was too slow.

I won’t make it. Instead, he shifted his head out of the ax’s way and stabbed forward, forcing Gara to choose whether she backs off or they perish together.

Instinctively, Wolf coated his head and shoulder in Internal Energy, making a mistake and triggering the barbarian’s frenzy. Her muscles tore and her ax chopped with her life on the line.

A sickening crack entered Wolf’s ears. The ax shattered the Internal Energy ward. Then it smashed into his shoulder, ripping skin and muscles before striking bone.

Wolf’s collarbone squeaked, but didn’t break. Instead, Wolf’s shoulder popped and the bone bent, dislodging the spine. The clavicle moved down, ripping at Wolf’s heart.

For a moment, Wolf’s head spun from the pain. Luckily, the third Mental Aspect wasn’t in charge of the body, otherwise Regenerate would’ve failed.

Lifesaving spells have to be cast by a detached Mental Aspect. While Wolf considered this lesson, Book pierced Gara’s throat.

Two sprays of blood fountained, equally red. Wolf kicked the woman away. He stumbled back and fell on his butt, as did Gara.

The two watched each other bleed in silence. Then, Wolf’s third Mental Aspect finished casting Regenerate, and he struggled up.

“That hurt. You know—” Wolf doubled over and vomited a mouthful of blood before wiping his face. “I think this is the closest I’ve been to death. There was this guy who blew my liver to bits, but you still win. Ripping my heart out of place and snapping my spine in three hurt more. Fortunately, even a severed head functions for several seconds…”

The woman couldn’t speak. Seeing Gara mutely move her jaw, clenching her torn throat in fear and pain, Wolf put her out of her misery.

He bent over and took her Ring of Holding, then took out the Folded Space Detector and found seven more signals. Wolf glanced towards the still living Demon and sighed. The woman shook. She reeked of fear and urine.

Wolf sighed, finished his butchery, and collected the spoils.

Demons are regular people with different Internal Energy. They bleed like us, feel fear like us, protect like us, they even look like us. All of them were burly, but that’s probably because they were soldiers.

I wish I prepared Reforge Mind to see their world. I’ll ready one just in case. That way, I could experience their lives first hand. As Wolf thought of this, the ruined robe he wore flickered, becoming a golden gown several sizes too small for him.

Ah, damn it. I didn’t bring a spare Shifting Dress. I’ll use a normal robe after I clean up.