The Black Dog raced his aquilup partner toward the western edge of Dragonjaw Gate. Five riders accompanied him, all of them elites among elites, the last surviving friends from the earliest days of his career. Together they charged headlong up the slopes and then leapt through the air onto the wall.
Taken by surprise, the lookout here was cut down before he could shout. Three others realized what was happening and readied their spears to meet the Black Dog’s advance, but his men fired their guns, bringing them down.
He spotted another human running off to spread news of the attack. While a good amount of distance separated them, the Black Dog got a bullet in the human with little effort. There was no time to reload, though, so he dropped the spent handgun into a side pouch and produced another one from his belt.
So far, things were going as planned. The enemy had gathered their forces at the gate on the eastern edge of the fortress, leaving only a few lookouts on this side. However, that wouldn’t last long. These gunshots would alert the humans.
He made quick work of the lookouts at the entrance of the western tower and rushed into it without dismounting. His agile aquilup raced up the narrow spiral staircase.
They were at the top of the tower in no time. A soldier there thrust a spear at him, but the aquilup smoothly dodged it, then went for his throat. That was all it took. Having jumped down from the saddle, the Black Dog consulted the blueprints the margrave’s son had given him. He searched for the statue marked therein, and located it soon enough. When he lifted it away, a section of the floor opened without a sound, revealing a separate stairway down. So far, everything corresponded with the diagrams. He was almost surprised at himself for the excitement he felt.
Unfortunately, the aquilups couldn’t fit into this stairwell. He and his men were forced to descend the narrow passage on foot, moving as quickly as they could down the tall steps that had been designed for human feet.
When finally reached the bottom of the staircase, the sight before him left the Black Dog at a loss for words. It was a vast space, the entirety of the floor covered by symbols that gave off a pale blue light. Faint, luminous traces of mana floated up from them here and there, like bubbles in a breeze.
In the center of all this stood a single human.
The human’s lips spread the moment he recognized them. Reflecting the eerie light at his feet, the human’s eyes glowed fiercely. His appearance was uncanny yet almost divine. The Black Dog was frozen in place and remained unmoving even when the human’s right hand flashed.
All of a sudden, the Black Dog’s vision lurched as someone thrust him out of the way. A trail of light whizzed through the spot where he had just been standing. The rider who’d saved him had taken the spear of light in his place and crumpled to the ground.
The Black Dog snapped back to his senses. He lifted his gun and pulled the trigger, his four remaining comrades doing the same. The human instantly manifested a shield and blocked every bullet. At the same time, he charged at them.
The Black Dog ducked to avoid the sweep of another spear of light, drew his saber, and slashed with it. Before the blade could touch him, the human lashed out one of his long legs in a side kick that struck the Black Dog in the stomach. Blown off his feet by the powerful kick, the orc smacked into the wall.
The air had left his lungs, and he choked in agony, his body too stunned to move. The thick metal armor covering his abdomen had actually been dented. He wanted to laugh incredulously at this, but only a rasping breath escaped his lips.
Two of his longtime war buddies launched a perfectly coordinated attack from both sides, but the monster in human form dodged them and severed their swords with a spear of light gripped in each hand. Without missing a beat, the Black Dog’s friends threw down the hilts of their broken swords and lunged forward to grab at the human with their hands. Meanwhile, the other two used this opportunity to attack the human from behind.
Yet the human avoided even this move without difficulty, practically gliding along the ground as he stabbed his spear into one rider after another. It took only a few seconds, and the Black Dog could only watch in horror.
This man was as strong as a demon. No, not even that. A demon king.
I see—he is the Demon King! But the Black Dog didn’t have time to wonder why he was here. Of course the Demon King would be here! Why wouldn’t he be? He cursed his own ignorance for failing to predict this outcome.
By the time he was back on his feet his friends were all dead, but he wouldn’t run away with his tail between his legs. No matter the outcome, he must try to avenge his comrades.
He held his saber at the ready. The motion made the Demon King’s lips pull even wider, baring his small human canines. He extinguished his light spears and drew his own sword from its scabbard.
The Black Dog was relieved to see this. His legs were still quivering, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge a spear throw. If he could only dive past his foe’s blade, there was a slight chance he might land a deadly strike.
As they circled each other, he slowly and cautiously closed the distance between them. Suddenly, an odd chill ran down his spine, and he stopped advancing. By some intuition he knew he couldn’t risk a single step closer. The human was beyond his reach as well. The gap between them seemed to hang there, waiting for one of them to misstep and close it.
Nervousness had made his breathing uneven. The Demon King stepped forward ever so slightly. The Black Dog could feel the coil of death tighten around his body.
The next instant, the Demon King pounced. With a sweep of his sword, he easily knocked the Black Dog’s saber right out of his grip. The orc’s center of balance was thrown off by the impact, which left his front open to another kick. He hit the floor, rolling, and when he came to a rest, the Demon King planted a foot on his chest. The monster held the tip of his sword blade to the Black Dog’s throat. The orc couldn’t read human expressions, but he had no doubt the Demon King felt triumphant. Still, he just kept the point of his sword there without thrusting, their intense gazes locked.
Fool! I was waiting for this! The Black Dog’s sword hand was numb from having the blade knocked out of it, but he still managed to tug—with all his might—on a thin thread that had gone unnoticed.
There was a sharp bang. The gun incorporated into his breastplate fired a deadly shot.