“Suimei-kun, how is it?” Lefille asked.
“I’ve got a guess. What about you, Lefi?”
“I can sense an unpleasant presence ahead.”
“I noticed it too,” Felmenia added. “The aura of power there is very dense.”
Everyone was in agreement. In all probability, their objective was ahead of them.
“The back of my neck is prickling like crazy,” Suimei muttered as a terrible premonition struck him.
The three of them slid down an angular roof and landed on the ground. Lefille peeled away the demons’ cover like a curtain. They seemed to have shaken off Astel’s soldiers while on the move, and overall, they didn’t look particularly exhausted.
As a smaller group, the majority of them had wings. They didn’t seem like a gathering of elite troops, but among them was a grotesque figure that possessed far greater power than all the others. Suimei had seen this figure before through the crows’ eyes. This was the grotesque demon Reiji had spoken of. However, the one here had a thoroughly intimidating air about it that couldn’t be compared to the one Elliot’s group had encountered.
“I see,” Lefille muttered grimly, coming to the same conclusion. “So the one we fought earlier today was definitely weakened.”
“How dreadful,” Felmenia said. “If not for my mental defense magicka, my concentration would be a wreck.”
“Haaah... That asshole really went out and made a huge nuisance.”
Suimei cursed at the man responsible for creating this being. It was in such horrible taste to make something that spurred all who witnessed it. But this wasn’t the reason for Suimei’s bad premonition.
As his group stared at the grotesque demon, another demon stepped forth. It was a woman with horns and dark skin dressed like a knight. She was clearly different from all the other demons, and she matched the description of the general in charge of this attack.
“Like I thought,” she said, deliberately and quietly. “If I made it seem like I was over there, the hero would head that way. If I made it seem like I was attacking the food stores, the strongest force would be sent over.”
It was as if everything had gone exactly to plan. In other words...
“By the sound of it, you’re intentionally avoiding a fight with the hero?” Suimei asked.
“Exactly, man in black,” she answered.
“Hah?”
“I heard about you from Lishbaum,” Moolah explained. She was referring to Kudrack.
“Hmm. I’ve got no idea what that asshole told you,” Suimei said. “Anyway, that means you’re after little ol’ me? Why bother with someone who’s not even a hero?”
“Because he seems awfully wary of you.”
“Oh really? That why you came to get a look at my face?”
“Not at all. If I defeat you, I figure I’ll get to see less of that disgusting face of his.”
“I agree. His face is disgusting. If anything, I’d love to see him pushed to the end of his rope too.”
Despite saying that, Suimei had no intention of cooperating.
“You demons consider the Evil God’s will your number one priority, yeah?” he said, setting the matter of Kudrack aside. “You sure got a lotta spare time to be going after me instead.”
“Of course. Our God’s will is absolute. This is just a bonus.”
“A bonus, huh...? Kinda hurts to be considered that easy a mark.”
Suimei kept his responses frivolous while internally musing over the fact that this demon general had really human ideas. Her composure was eerie, though. Of the generals he’d fought before, Vuishta and Strega had been far cockier. She also didn’t have the same overwhelming pressure that Rajas had. However, something about her was undeniably eerie. Suimei had gone along with her conversation, but he knew she wasn’t someone he could be careless around.
“Well, that’s the gist of it,” he said. “I’ve been personally named for this one. Menia, Lefi, you two take care of that thing.”
“Leave it to us!”
“Yes. I’ll show I can kill this one too.”
Suimei entrusted the grotesque demon to his companions, who looked highly motivated to do their part. Felmenia immediately put her hand to her solar plexus and twisted it slightly. It was as if she were rotating a safe’s dial or turning an ignition key. She then spoke the keywords.
“Mana Furnace Core. White Fire. Immediate Critical Load!”
Mana overflowed from her body, the result of activating her mana furnace and of stimulating the power within her. Before long, her furnace reached critical state and the world trembled from a manafield vibration.
Felmenia exhaled vapor made of pure mana, the white haze sparkling as if studded with stars, and in that moment, the violent storm around her stabilized and she now had a colossal amount of mana at her disposal.
“My power is Ishaktney’s Red Gale...”
And as Felmenia finished her preparations for battle, Lefille unleashed the power of the spirits, a red wind howling around her. The power she manifested was magnitudes greater than the bit she’d summoned to leap over the rooftops. A thunderous storm immediately coiled around her.
Their combined tremendous aura froze the demons. The only ones maintaining their composure in this vortex were the demon general Moolah and the grotesque demon Lishbaum had created.
“Rainblaze Clouds.”
Felmenia chanted and spoke another keyword. Shortly after, white flames rained from above. This was her magicka. Flames blanketed the area as if to set fire to every blade of grass. The winged demons were immediately set alight, the fire jumping to those in their vicinity too. It was as impossible to dodge this attack as it was to weave through heavy rainfall. Naturally, the grotesque demon was also set on fire, but due to its resistance, it didn’t seem affected by it.
Lefille leaped toward the sturdy foe, driving her greatsword down upon it. The grotesque demon just barely dodged the blow, and Lefille’s strike shattered the earth instead. The ground caved in with a thunderous roar and cracks ran in all directions. As if to return the favor, the grotesque demon swung its massive arm. There was no technique to it, but it was fast. Lefille knew she wouldn’t be able to evade the blow and raised her greatsword as a shield instead.
“Ugh!”
Feeling an intense impact against her blade, Lefille was sent flying backward. Still, she didn’t slam into the ground or any of the surrounding structures, managing to safely land on her feet.
“Lefille!” Felmenia shouted.
“I’m fine. Keep up the support! Don’t take your eyes off it!”
“Understood!”
Felmenia and Lefille linked up in front of the grotesque demon. Lefille couldn’t use the technique she’d employed in the afternoon due to the amount of time it required. But it wasn’t as if they had a huge arsenal of blows guaranteed to damage this demon. It would be difficult to deal any damage without something on the level of Gala Valner or Lebeh Luvuast. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that everything depended on Felmenia’s support.
Meanwhile, Suimei faced off against Moolah. Without any starting signal, they burst into action. Moolah moved like a master of the blade. Suimei ran, making sure not to stay in one place for too long. He pulled a vial from his pocket and transformed the mercury within into a katana.
“Permutato, coagulato, vis existito.”
[Transform, coagulate, become power.]
Suimei didn’t stop to take a stance, slashing at Moolah immediately. What unfolded was a genuine sword fight. Moolah seemed to rely on technique. There was strength behind her strikes, but the transition from one move to the next was entirely seamless, hinting at her tremendous skills. The sound of blades clashing resounded around them as they locked swords for a brief moment.
“Hmm? It seems you wield a blade better than that hero,” Moolah commented.
“I have more experience than him with swords,” Suimei told her.
“But you still have a long way to go.”
“I’ve left that forte to my companions. But don’t think you’ll take me down that easily.”
Suimei intentionally loosened his grip on his mercury katana, inviting Moolah to attack him. Just as her sword plunged for his face, he turned into smoke to evade it. The smoke was dispersed in two by her vertical strike, then gathered behind her where Suimei appeared once more. He slashed horizontally at her defenseless back, but without even looking, Moolah swung her sword behind her and stopped his blade.