Chapter 121: Bluish Smoke
The young woman was casually chewing bubblegum, but the moment she heard the demon speak, she froze.
Meanwhile, the young man strode forward confidently.
"Wren, don’t. Something is wrong." The woman suddenly spoke, trying to stop him.
But Wren didn’t even slow down. "Your tricks won’t work on me, so don’t bother trying, Hazel." He smirked. "I’m going first."
Hazel remained where she stood, her brows tightly furrowed. ’This demon... how can it speak if it’s just a Rank 3?’ A chill ran down her spine. ’According to the scriptures in our grand library, only demons that have reached at least the elite rank can speak.’
Her expression darkened. ’That can only mean one thing. This demon hasn’t even revealed its true form yet. Damn it.’ She cursed.
’I should have brought more backup. The two of us are nowhere near enough to deal with something like this.’
Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone.
’I need to contact Father immediately. Unless one of the Guardians arrives, neither of us is leaving this place alive.’
But before she could finish dialing...
Whoosh!
A violent gust of wind swept by her.
Crack!
The phone shattered into pieces.
Hazel’s eyes widened in horror. She slowly lifted her head.
The demon was staring directly at her. A grin stretched across its face.
A sly.
Wicked.
Predatory grin.
"Your opponent is me, you filthy creature." Wren declared coldly as he unsheathed his sword. Or more precisely, a katana. The blade was unlike any ordinary weapon. Running vertically down its length, one half shimmered with a silver radiance while the other was pitch black. The demon’s crimson skin reflected across the polished steel.
Wren lowered his stance slightly. Then his figure shot forward like a phantom, leaving behind a blurred afterimage.
Mid-charge, he drew the katana in a smooth motion, preparing to unleash a devastating slash.
As his focus sharpened, a strange energy like bluish smoke began to emanate from the blade.
The demon’s grin immediately faltered. For the first time since the battle began, a hint of caution appeared in its eyes. It could clearly sense the power contained within that bluish aura.
’Demon-Purging Aura...’ The demon mused, its eyes narrowing. ’If that human runt they call the Demon Reaper had not created such a bizarre power, humans would never have dared to stand against us, not even in their wildest dreams.’
A cold, mocking smile spread across its face.
’But if you fools think every human can become like that vermin, then allow me to show you the true might of the Demon Race... And how you should behave in the presence of one.’
Closing the distance in an instant, Wren swung his katana. The bluish aura trailed behind the blade as it sliced through the air.
The demon remained where it stood, making no attempt to dodge. It simply waited.
Then, just as the katana was about to carve into its crimson throat, the demon raised its left arm.
Schlk!
The blade cut into the forearm, tearing through flesh with ease. But only for a moment. After sinking a few centimeters deep, the katana came to an abrupt halt, as if it had struck an impenetrable wall.
Wren’s eyes widened. Before he could react...
BAM!
The massive club in the demon’s hand slammed into his stomach. A violent shockwave erupted from the impact.
Wren was launched through the air along with his katana, his body hurtling across the battlefield like a cannonball.
The demon didn’t even move from its spot. It stood there calmly, as though nothing had happened.
However, the wound on its forearm remained. The flesh that had been cut apart wasn’t healing. Or at least, it wasn’t regenerating fast enough for the naked eye to notice.
From the distance, Stanley noticed it immediately. ’It’s working.’ A flicker of hope appeared in his eyes.
But it quickly faded.
’The Demon-Purging Aura can injure it... But the gap in strength is simply too great. Can’t even they win against something like this?’
Meanwhile, Hazel...
’Just as I thought.’ Her expression grew grim as she stared at the demon. ’This demon is definitely not simple. It hasn’t revealed its true form yet. And it shattered my phone before I could contact anyone for help.’
By now, she had stopped chewing her bubble gum. Her jaw tightened as unease crept into her heart.
’What should I do?’ Then her gaze shifted toward Stanley.
’Stanley Cooper... the strongest S-Class Hunter in Delvan. Some even say his Light Magic is only a hair’s breadth away from reaching the Disaster Class. He may not be able to kill the demon without the demon purging aura, but he can definitely hold it back.’
A plan quickly formed in her mind. ’It’s the only option left.’
Without another glance at the battle, Hazel rushed toward Stanley. There was no point in watching any longer. She could already see how the fight would end.
Wren getting beaten into the dirt... Or worse.
Dying.
"Old man." Hazel came to a stop beside Stanley and tossed him a golden-colored pill.
"Eat this. It’ll heal your injuries and restore your mana."
Stanley instinctively caught it. He glanced at her before looking down at the pill resting in his palm. Without asking any questions, he swallowed it.
The moment the pill entered his stomach, a warm sensation spread throughout his body.
The exhaustion weighing him down began to fade. His depleted mana rapidly recovered.
Even the wounds covering his body started healing at a visible pace.
In the distance, Wren had already charged at the demon once more, keeping its attention occupied. Or perhaps the demon simply didn’t care what was happening on this side.
Either way, it made no move to interfere.
A few minutes later, Stanley had fully recovered. He was back at his peak condition.
"Old man, I’m giving you a chance to prove your worth." Hazel spoke as though she were the one in command.
Surprisingly, Stanley didn’t get angry. He simply listened.
"You’ll fight it and keep it busy. Don’t try to land any killing blows. That’ll only waste your mana."
Her gaze locked onto the demon.
"I’ll handle that part."
With a sharp motion, she unsheathed her katana. The blade gleamed under the light.
"Together, we’ll bring it down."
