T he first attack was quick. Just as I expected.
The snake demon’s mouth opened, fangs protruding.
I had Body Block in place and took the brunt of the attack with my arm. The demon’s mouth snapped over my forearm.
Before it shattered my shield, I shouted, “Light Dart! ”
The energetic darts streamed into the demon’s mouth the moment before it clamped over me.
I thrust the sword forward, aiming for the roof of its mouth.
My shield fractured. The demon turned its head at the last moment, and my sword glanced off its fang.
A beam of red light shot over my shoulder and blasted the creature in the eye.
Excellent aim and timing.
The next sword strike drove into the underside of its jaw. Black blood splattered over the ground, but the demon wasn’t done.
A voice crept into my mind. New and unwelcome.
It said, Hello, warrior. I knew the strongest among you would come for me. Now, let me devour you and absorb your strength… for you are a formidable beast indeed!
Let me taste you. Let me conssssume you.
“Not today,” I replied.
I shot Fire Flare at it, but just like I suspected, the spell had no effect against the monster.
It was a fire-borne snake demon that brought the void flames with it.
Speaking of the void…
For the first time since expelling the last of my dark mana, I felt the familiar power seeping into me.
I would make every effort not to resort to dark mana, especially with mortals around.
But I’d continue to soak up the traces of dark mana as a backup plan while I could.
I sssmelled you on her. I knew you’d come.
I blocked its next strike with Shield Strike, knocking it back a few paces. Enough to get in another slash.
The snake hissed in pain as more black blood flooded beneath it.
It was then that I caught a flash of pink.
Clove. She left her place at my back and was going to get Jam herself.
My job was to keep the demon’s attention on me.
And what a prize you are… Prince of Darkness.
There was no time to be shocked. I was only thankful the demon was speaking telepathically.
It knew I was the Prince. And it was here to absorb my power. The only question?
“How did you find me?” I asked, sending more light darts at it. However, they were too small to pierce the scales and cause real damage.
And my fire spell was virtually useless, unless I shot it through its open mouth.
“Valley Leash! ” The limit of this spell was that it pulled on a section of the object it was aimed at.
So, while the demon’s neck was pinned to the ground by my power, its tail and larger stretch of body was completely free.
The demon laughed in my head. I didn’t. I simply slipped through a lovely little tear in the void and came across your deliciousss female friend.
Thankfully, tonight I’ll be taking all three of you.
It broke out of my hold and twisted around.
Clove let a beam of energy loose from her staff.
The demon hissed and went to snap at her but knocked into my Shield Strike, which stopped it only for a moment, but gave Clove the space to leap away.
I began to sweat. Shield Strike really didn’t want to face away from me, but that’s what I made it do.
It bought me precious seconds. As the demon broke the spell with its immense strength, I plunged my sword into its thick body.
It shrieked out loud this time.
Clove pulled Jam out of the monster’s coil.
I slashed again, aiming for the same place I’d cut before.
The demon moved, now completely focused on me. The monster must have realized it couldn’t afford to split its attention.
It would let the two girls go.
I was the bigger meal, after all.
Before I could open my mouth to order Clove, she shouted, “I’m running, alright! Getting her to safety. Should I come back?”
“No!”
She only hesitated for a moment. Then she turned and ran, shouting over her shoulder, “Don’t make me regret listening to your stubborn ass!”
She must be serious! She actually cursed again! Under different circumstances, I’d have to tease her.
“How did you really get here?” I asked the demon. “There’s no way something as big as you happened to find a tear in the void and slip through. Someone helped you.”
Maybe… but you don’t rule me in this world, Prince. It doesn’t matter how I got here. Just know that I have a very nice escape route.
No one, not even the Great King, will notice my absence or return.
“That is a shame. You, like many demons, want to either defeat him or be brought into his inner circle,” I replied.
“Do you think you could manage a quiet return to the Underworld with my essence in your veins? Do you underestimate my father so much? He will sense you and execute you the moment you slither back into the pits.”
For the first time, the snake demon appeared uncertain. “You don’t know who my allies are. The allies that do not care for your father’s closure of the portals.
He has cut us off at the wings. Denying us our birthright of slaughter. The mortal realms should be ours to ravage! ”
“Really? I suppose it only makes sense. A demon of your caliber is bound to have powerful friends.”
The demon hissed aloud.
Black flame expanded from its body, growing larger.
Are you stalling, Prince?
I grinned. “You underestimate your conversational allure, demon.”
It snapped at me.
I blocked the blow with the sword. “And here I thought we were becoming such good friends!”
Your blood will taste like eternity on my tongue!
“And a poet too!” I quipped. “Aren’t you full of surprises?”
The demon was right.
I had been stalling.
While it was bleeding out all over the floor, I’d been gathering more dark mana.
I didn’t have the spells to defeat this beast with my light mana. But one dark mana spell was all I needed to win.
It spat void flame at me.
I activated Body Block to protect my form but slashed the sword out.
It absorbed the flame.
Excellent.
The next moment, I cut into another part of the snake’s body.
It screeched as the slice began to sizzle and steam. I will mutilate your carcass, Prince! I will make you suffer before I take everything from you and destroy this city!
I had just enough mana.
Just enough.
Turning my awareness away from my light mana, I instead addressed the teeming, lashing dark mana within me.
I gathered it, pressing my consciousness into it. Seizing control and forcing it into shape, I whispered two very potent words. “Hell Beast. ”
Red smoke unfurled from my hands.
A cloud formed between myself and the demon. The smoke turned into the shape of a great, dragon-like head.
I crushed it into shape, molding it into the shape and size I wished. The light mana within me recoiled.
I had to ignore it.
My only thought was the deadly, poisonous command: Kill.
The snake demon tried to escape. But Hell Beast had unerring, precision attacks. Only the demons with the highest defensive abilities could deflect its bite.
The Hell Beast’s mouth opened and clamped over the snake’s neck.
It shrieked and lashed back and forth, trying to throw off the spell’s hold. Hell Beast began to weaken.
Damn. This demon is stronger than I thought.
Regardless of its power, blood gushed from the demon’s wounds.
It too was weakening.
Finally, when the spell broke, I saw with satisfaction that it’d dealt enough damage.
I stalked closer and shifted the demon staff into a massive spear.
The air behind the snake wavered a second later.
And a portal opened.
“No!” I shouted as I charged forward.