The smouldering remains of the burning demons rain down around me as I look up at the result of my attack with satisfaction, the churning of the sea below me sounding in my ears as they splash down into it, before I focus back on my situation. With the limited amount of Divine Fire available to me, I know I need to conserve it, and my spiritual power, as much as I can, only using it when I find myself in a pickle. For now, I must rely solely on my physical power, holding back from using my Chi as much as possible, saving it for when I'm inevitably injured and in need of healing.
The open space around and above me puts me at a disadvantage, what with the demons being able to fly; fortunately, they seem to be lacking in ranged attacks, only being able to fight me in close combat. My dedication to my martial training should pay off in spades here, my Baguazhang and Swordsmanship recently progressing beyond proficient and into Expert, increasing my situational awareness and reflexes. As long as I keep a certain distance between us, and with a healthy combination of sorcery and my Jian, I'm confident I'll be able to last until Yi Hye-Rin rescues me.
The scraping of claws travelling up the length of the pillar beneath me draws my attention and causes me to peek my head over, where I find the figures of the Esurire demons scuttling towards me. Sighing, I take a few steps back to the centre and prepare to sprint, before an idea flashes through my mind, making me turn my head to the dragon. Manipulating a little of my spiritual power, I cast Telepathy and establish a connection to it, then ask a question.
The golden eyes of the dragon widen as I transmit my idea, then narrow in thought, a look of interest flashing through them as it ponders my inquiry. Its branched horns flash with sudden fire as it sends back its answer, my brows furrowing at its response, leading me to ask, "That many? Really?" It raises its head to the orange sky, closing its eyes and stilling, then opens them and looks back down at me, giving me a nod. While it's not the answer I wanted to hear, its not an unreasonable one.
With my next steps planned, I grasp my spiritual power, channelling it and pressing my foot into the copper rock beneath me, inscribing a chinese character, Respect, its lines flashing orange then disappearing, hiding itself within the pillar. Done, I gain some distance, then start to sprint towards the edge, stamping a foot on it and jumping off with an enhanced leap, the rock under my foot cracking from the force.
The metal-tasting air whips at me as I fly, aiming myself towards a taller pillar and crashing into its side, bracing, then gripping onto a handhold and flexing, flinging myself up with force, landing on top. Looking back, the demons speeding towards me, I quickly move to the centre, placing another character, Fire, then repeating the jump, moving to the next, smaller pillar. I land below besides a group of Esurire, Jian held beside me at the ready, then charge.
Rushing the closest demon, I swing Jian through its neck, decapitating it, then kick at its chest, sending its body into those behind it. As the corpse crashes into them, the few impacted stumbling, I move left, rolling under a clawed swipe. Coming to stop, I spike Jian up into the jaw of the demon before me as I stand, then pull it out, the head splitting in two as I turn back. Reaching out, I push aside the outstretched arm of an attacker, slipping Jian under the limb and into its heart, killing it, not stopping for a moment.
I see two come at me as another takes to air, black drool running from their mouths, so I reach out, putting the one above in a telekinetic grasp and pulling it to me, slamming it down into the two. My attack connects with the demon on the left, the other managing to dodge, a shriek leaving it as it rushes me, lashing out. I step back, the swipe missing me, raising Jian in both hands as the demon stumbles, then slicing down, cleaving it down the centre, its form splitting and separating in two, the halves passing by me, my body standing between them.
With the surface now clear, I take a breath and move forward, placing a third rune, Offering, then shoot off to the left, aiming for another pillar, this one opposite of where I started. The flapping of wings and the sharp cries of the Esurire follow me as I move, the main section of the horde closing in with every passing moment, a sense of urgency filling me as I fly out.
Falling down towards the top of my intended destination, I catch sight of demons grouped atop it, their eyeless faces turned to me, tongues flailing. Not willing to waste time, I gather my spiritual power and land with force, the formed layer of telekinesis under me pulverising them, their flesh flattening and spreading out, their blood spilling over the edge into the sea below. Trying not to gag, I move through the carpet of gore, reaching down and parting it, opening a little space, then placing my fourth rune, Power.
Shadows start to spill over me as I go to stand, causing me to whip my head up, finding the horde nearing my position, the black sun behind them outlining their figures against the orange sky, their speed greater the I previously thought. The fact that they've managed to reach me this quickly causes me to frown and rush, amplifying my next jump with a platform Mandala, angling myself to a pillar near, and left of, my first rune. I land with a roll, the extra speed nearly sending me over the edge, before I recover.
I move hastily, embedding my fifth rune, Cleanse, into the surface, completing a circle of runes, feeling them slowly gather power as the formation activates. Straightening with a sigh of relief, I sheathe Jian and conjure two eldritch whips, their ends wrapped around spokes that I plant in the rock, then step back over the edge, hanging down, pulling the whips taut. Excitement runs through my body as I prepare to slingshot myself, the move borrowed from a great, web-slinging hero of the future.
Leaning backwards, aimed to the sky, the lengths held in my hands, I lighten my weight with telekinesis, then wait, the whips aching for release. As the sky becomes blanketed by hungry demons, their combined mass forming a thick layer, blocking out the sun, darkening my surroundings, I summon a cloak of Divine Fire around myself. My vision focuses on the demons as they start to circle and funnel down to me, the leading demon slightly larger then those I've fought so far.
As they near me, the agitated wind of their flight reaching me, I jump, the force of the whips releasing and shooting me out. I blur towards the centre of the swarm and start to spin, a vortex of god-gifted fire swirling around me, piercing through the demons flooding me, leaving a burning tunnel through the horde. Spreading out, I come to a stop with some assistance from telekinesis and slowly start to fall back, rotating until I face a central pillar, then start to fall.
I approach it at speed, enhancing myself as best I can with my Chi and gathering fire before me, compacting it to its limit, then firing it. The small sun impacts the pillar with great force, vaporising the demons and sending out a far-reaching shockwave, a column of fire blasting upwards towards me and obscuring my descending form as I touch down. Swiping the surrounding smoke away and cycling my Chi to hasten its recovery, keeping it ready in case of emergency healing, I ask the dragon, anxiousness in my voice, "How many so far?"
The dragon shakes its head and projects a number to me, its long, thin whiskers swaying as I curse, "Fuck, only twenty three?" I've killed just over a quarter of the amount of demons needed, and I'm already beginning to feel tiredness set in. In the course of a little over half an hour, I've gone from an intense fight against a pain-immune, torture-loving demon outside of a burning Karelian town, to battling hordes of lesser, insatiable demons in the Hell-dimension of their birth, with nary a second to catch my breath.
Ash falls over me, piling on my robe and getting caught in my hair as I pull Jian from its sheathe, standing, preparing myself to fight to the death. The large demon from the front of the pack is the first to reach me, having managed to escape my firestorm, descending towards me at speed, a clawed hand extended. I dodge back as it smashes into the pillar, fragments of rock shooting out from the impact and pelting me, then step forward, swinging Jian at its neck.
It raises an arm to block, Jian slicing through and relieving it of the limb, but getting stuck halfway through its neck. The demon gurgles out black blood and stumbles forward as I pull my sword from it, before dropping to its knees and collapsing, bleeding out. More demons land around me, screeching, then rush me, swiping out. I duck, rolling over the larger demon, grabbing and lifting it above me, using it as a shield. I brace as I hear them tear into it body, its wails piercing my ears, before reaching out with Jian and slicing it through their legs.
Standing, I throw the shredded demon off me and over the edge into the sea below, the distant splash of its dive reaching me, then fall into a stance as more demons arrive. I position myself near the edge in case I need to escape, steadying my breath as a count of ten Esurire race to me, then raise Jian and infuse it with the Divine Fire, gathering it at its point, before swinging it vertically through the air, drawing a rippling line of fire.
I wait for the demons to close in, coming with three meters of me, then breathe out, causing the fire to explode out in wave, drowning all the demons on the pillar and travelling into the distance, catching a few circling it. The fire dissipates over the next few seconds, revealing their charred remains to me. I curse out abruptly as I feel a four-fingered hand claw into my back, gripping my robe and wounding me, before starting to pull. Wincing in pain, I flip Jian and stab backwards, feeling resistance as it stabs into demonic flesh, my attacker screaming and the hold loosening.
I spin with a cry, slicing out with strength, driving Jian through the demon, splitting it in two, is black blood splashing on me. I pant, cringing as I feel my own blood run down my back, reaching my legs, before channelling my Chi and healing the injury, my first so far. Multiple impacts behind me cause me to whirl back around, finding a legion of hungering demons swarming my pillar, climbing up it and landing from the air, the army swirling around me.
With a deep sigh, I conjure a Mandala and fall into a stance, Jian held before me, glaring forward as they begin to storm me.
These fuckers are endless.
…
I keep my sight on the demon I'm mounting as it grips my face, trying to push me aside, its other, shaking hand clutching the blade of Jian, its dark blood running down and dripping into its open mouth. Lifting a tired leg, I plant a foot down and start to stand, leaning my weight into my two-handed hold, shouting at the final demon under me, "Die!" I lift a hand and slap down on the pommel, the impact sending Jian's point closer, a series of shrieks emerging from the demon as it stabs into its face.
With a second slap, the tip pierces, passing through its head and sliding into the ground below, the grip on my face loosening as it dies, its arm falling to the side. Panting deeply, I slide off the demon, collapsing on my back, feeling the various wounds on my body bleed, before cycling my Chi. Levelling my breathing as I heal, I roll over and half-kneel, then raise my head, eyeing the carnage around me, the numerous, standing pillars carrying evidence of our brutality.
From smoking remains, scattered limbs and heads, to torn flesh laying about, and a few pillars missing chunks from their surfaces, the chaos of the battle is clear. My green robe is soaked in a mixture of black and red blood, while my sweat clings to its material, causing it to stick to my skin. The dragon draped over my shoulders is dull, its formerly vibrant colouring fading over time as I expended its divine power, its eyes half-closed in fatigue. Fortunately, I can feel the ritual circle overflowing with power, the number of sacrifices vastly exceeding the eighty-one required.
Taking hold of Jian, I pull it from the head and bring it to me, planting it in the ground. With a deep breath, I lean on it and stand, the aches and pains of my tired body signalling my need for rest. Turning to the centre of the pillar, I start to move, conjuring a final rune on above my hand, when a small impact to my back causes me to stop. Slowly, I look down, finding a dark-red blade sticking out of my chest, piercing through my heart. My mind flashes white as all thought leave me, before pain start to radiate out.
Ignoring it with great effort, I turn my head gradually, a humanoid being made of swirling, shifting blood appearing in the corner of eye, its information appearing in my mind as I stare at it,
[Revelation
Name – Interfector
Vital Status – Alive
Species – Demon (Appetentia, Slayer)
Powers –
• Reliant Immortality & Resurrection (Realm of Appetentia)
• Regeneration (Connection to Blood Sea)
• Blood Physiology
• Cutting Immunity
• Corrosive Blood
• Body Scattering
• Blood Cloning
• Blood Weaponry
Weaknesses –
• Blind
• Fire
• Lightforce
History – A demon of death manifested by the Hell-dimension, Appetentia, to exterminate a great, mortal intruder, whose murder of its children is causing chaos in the realm. The demon has a single-minded, dark hatred for Sarah Worthington, a budding cultivator, whose powerful desire is altering the flow of time within the realm.
It bided its time, its desire to tear her apart bubbling through its body, until a suitable opening appeared, where it ambushed her, forming a blade with its arm and stabbing her in the heart. As pure satisfaction welled up from its soul, the human women turned to it, rage upon her face, causing a never-before-felt spark of fear to appear in its mind.
Now, its stands behind her, scared, arm extended, waiting for the woman to die.]
I can feel the corners of my eyes split as I glare at my ambusher, my lids flared wide, before overwhelming rage, the likes of which I've never experienced before, burns in my chest. I see the form of the blood demon flinch as it faces me, before I gather the remaining Divine Fire and flare it along the blade running through me, its flames burning a clear blue. The demon thrashes and retracts the blade, staggerin back, then shakes the flaming limb, separating it from its body as I fall to my knees.
Keeping my vision centred on it, my pupils dilated, I press a hand to my wound, forcing as much of my Chi into it as I can, pushing my healing hard. I feel as the front of my robe becomes drenched in my blood, but try to keep my mind off it, struggling to stand as the demon advances on me. My thoughts run through my mind at a rapid pace, processing its abilities, thinking up countermeasures, its powers seemingly designed to counter me, before spike of pain lances through my heart, causing me to stumble.
I catch myself on Jian, fumbling my hand around its grip, then pulling it from the rock below. Straightening, I hold it out, keeping one hand over my heart, feeling it slowly knit together, fighting the constant damage of the demons corrosive blood. My brow furrows as I watch its amputated arm regenerate, its two arms flowing and warping, shaping themselves into long blades.
Manoeuvring what little fire I have, I run it along the blade of Jian, its edge alighting in orange flames, before a weak bark from the dragon causes me to glance at it. It stares at me with dull eyes, wrathful thoughts projecting from it as its horns start to blaze with golden fire, its form rising off my shoulders, a sense of oppression blanketing the area, the death demons body rippling crazily as the dragon gazes down at it domineeringly,
'You are a valiant warrior, Child of London; the Lord was right to grace you with his power! Now! By the command of the Ruler of South Heaven, destroy this wretched demon!'
The flames start to wrap around the body of the dragon, its entirety consumed by the fire, its features being swallowed until only a pair of golden, slit eyes remain. The eyes float above us, before flying out, one each, into our bodies, golden flames covering us. The fire around me splits, one half coursing through my heart, healing the damage, as the other runs through Jian, the fire along it being replaced by that of the dragons. Revitalised, I turn my attention back to the demon, a new piece of knowledge about it coming to mind,
[Powers –
• Regeneration (Sealed)]
A fierce look forms in my eyes at this new development, leading me to raise Jian and take advantage of the dragons sacrifice, charging towards the demon, intent on fucking it up. I near it swiftly, jumping up and swinging down Jian, the demon raising its bladed arms to block, my sword passing through them with ease, slicing its body in two. I go to attack a second time, but the two halves move independently, their shapes shifting until there are two, smaller Interfector's before me.
One goes to run, so I chase it, quickly catching up, sliding my Ring of Containment off my finger and expanding it, then throwing it out and gripping the demon with telekinesis, pulling it inside. Closing the ring, I slide it back on my finger, then turn to the other half, finding it missing, the demon having taken the opportunity to disappear while I was dealing with its clone. Cursing, I move over to the edge of the pillar, looking over the edge, then spit into the blood sea.
"Pathetic."
Sheathing Jian, I walk back over to the centre of the pillar, conjuring the final rune for a second time. Floating it down to the rock below, I cup my hands together in front of my chest, one on top of the other, then start to chant, my voice solemn, "Lord Zhurong, Deity of Fire, Master of Renewal, Governor of the South; in the name of vengeance, I call upon aid from Your divine self to destroy these vile demons."
I activate the ritual circle, its five runes alighting and lifting off their pillars, turning towards me and expanding, before chanting the second verse, my volume rising, each rune flashing as I intone them, "Paying Respect to the might of Fire, I give over these slain demons as Offering, requesting Your Power upon this demonic realm, its hopes that You Cleanse it of its taint!"
The runes start to aflame with the golden fire of Zhurong as I separate my hands, holding them at my side, then slamming them down on the final rune below me, shouting it out and completing the ritual,
"Descend!"
The rune explodes in a sea of golden fire that washes out from under my feet in a wave, reaching the boundary of the ritual and connecting with the other runes. The circle starts to spin and rise, a curved wall of fire shooting up to the sky, reaching out and aligning with the edge of the black sun, the flames washing over it. The distant, rumbling roar of a tiger sounds in the realm as the baleful star above is taken over, its colour changing, matching the gold of the divine fire.
I stare with grim delight as the sun splits down the centre, a dark line running through it. My torn eyes widen as I see the star blink and look around, its sight then focusing on me. A sense of weightlessness comes over me as it does, before I start to float, rising towards the eye above me, the realm around me starting to shake, the pillars breaking and falling into the turbulent blood sea. I gather speed as I ascend, the devastation of the Hell-dimension reflecting in my eyes, before I'm swallowed by the star.
As I pass into darkness, a deep, satisfied smile curls on my lips as the distant, panicked bellows of the realm reach my ears, the spirit of the realm crying out in terror. A victorious thought flashes through my mind as I look down, the light of the realm shrinking,
'Get fucked.'