I stood completely still.

  Waiting.

  A crack of thunder shot across the landscape, and a group of elves were sent flying into the air.

  I surveyed the battlefield, watching as Azazel tore through hordes of elven soldiers in a blur, his body glowing blue with power. Violet flames engulfed the elves, leaving them burning and screaming in pain as the dragon passed by. Lioren chased those who attempted to flee, biting down with his humongous jaw. An Elf’s head was swallowed whole, and his cries of terror were snuffed out in an instant.

  I felt no remorse.

  [This is boring. You can stand here all you want, but at least let me fight!] Joshua complained.

  I didn’t answer, focusing my gaze on the small demon deep within enemy territory.

  Cedric teleported, stabbing deep into the elven captain’s shoulder, then leaped away before the elf could retaliate.

  He was winning.

  To think that he’s grown this strong in just a little more than a week. What a monster.

  [Carter, something’s wrong.] Joshua said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts.

  Then, an arrow forged from pure light tore through the tiny demon’s chest.

  Lirien? But we checked every inch of the camp… There should've only been the three captains!

  [Well, this puts a wrench in things.]

  “What the Hell is he still doing here? Bastard doesn’t have anything better to do?” Kril commented in confusion.

  I had no time to formulate a plan; however, I watched Lirien charge forward, stabbing his sword straight through Cedric’s chest.

  I witnessed Cedric fall to the ground, almost in slow motion, but as he did, a system message appeared before me.

  [Cedric, the Greater Demon, has activated Shadow Mark.]

  [Would you like to cancel this skill?]

  [Warning, a powerful enemy has been sensed nearby!]

  Without even stopping to think, I disappeared from existence, reappearing in a flash of blackened energy by Cedric’s side.

  My clawed hand reached out, parrying a strike from the elven prince with a burst of sparks.

  His eyes widened in confusion, then his expression contorted into a contemptuous glare. “Always new tricks with you, demon. You just can’t stay down, can you?”

  “Neither can you,” I replied bitterly. “Don’t call Daddy for help this time.”

  “Shut up!” Lirien screamed, crashing his sword down in a sweeping motion.

  But I could see the blade clearly now.

  I parried the attack effortlessly, feeling as if I could lift the moon itself with my bare hands. The Elf’s eyes widened, and he retreated in an instant, dashing back several feet.

  “You have changed,” Lirien admitted begrudgingly.

  I didn’t allow him any further time to gather his bearings.

  Running forward, I slammed a claw straight toward the Elf’s blade, nearly knocking it out of his hands. He faltered slightly, then I struck again.

  Red painted the air with a crimson hue as his shoulder began to bleed profusely.

  Lirien gritted his teeth in pain. “I admit, I no longer have the luxury of reserving my strength, demon!”

  I stretched out my hand, beginning to activate Twin Blood Chains, but I was interrupted by the Elf’s next move.

  [Perfect Counter]

  Instead of latching onto the Elf’s shoulder like it was supposed to, I felt the sharp hook of the chain digging deep into my shoulder instead.

  He’s been hiding something like this?!

  [C’mon, let’s finish him!] Joshua urged impatiently.

  I was dramatically slowed by the effects of my own skill, and Lirien took advantage of it, charging towards me with a blur of motion. He stretched his sword out, aiming straight for my head.

  It was deflected by a sword wreathed in blue flames.

  “How is this possible?!” Lirien exclaimed in complete shock, staring wide-eyed at the four-armed fire spirit.

  Signeir responded with a cocky smile. “Not everyone is as weak as you.”

  The elven prince clenched his jaw in rage, but a movement from behind interrupted my train of thought.

  The Elf that Cedric had been fighting was approaching from behind, stabbing his spear towards my back.

  “Tareth! Don’t—” Lirien began, attempting to warn the captain.

  It was too late.

  Joshua appeared, then glowed red as I activated Willing Host. His claw reached out, batting the already injured Elf’s spear away in one motion. Finnlen snapped into existence with a flash of golden light, then impaled the tip of his long blade directly through Tareth’s chest.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The Elf’s eyes flew open, and he fell to the ground, completely motionless.

  “Useless!” Lirien roared in frustration, taking in the four opponents he was now faced with.

  Kril had taken the initiative to assist in the battle without my explicit instruction, considering I had been forced to step in to help Cedric. I watched as the small Imp, unable to activate his Assault Mode due to the distance between us, fought against a second elven captain, a girl wielding a large Warhammer and wielding fire elemental magic.

  Azazel and Lioren were teamed up against the third captain, an elven man who used ice magic similar to Iseldrynn, although rather than wielding two swords, he had a small wand and a floating grimoire.

  Neither of the elves was a match for my companions, and I watched the man fighting the pair of beasts fall to the ground with severed limbs.

  Lirien quickly came to the same conclusion, his eyes darting back and forth across the battlefield as he watched his fellow soldiers begin to falter, while others fled in terror. “Don’t run, you cowards! My father will have your heads!”

  The threat was no use. The frightened soldiers still retreated without care for the commands from their prince.

  “Give it up, Lirien. You cannot possibly defeat all of us,” I spat, voice low. “I may allow you to live as long as you answer one question.”

  “I don’t answer to demons!” The Elf spat, drawing his bow.

  Just as quickly as he did, Signeir activated his skill. Blue flames licked at the grass surrounding the path of the fire spirits' movement, and I saw the arm responsible for pulling back the bowstring fall to the ground, slowly burning to a crisp.

  But Lirien did not waste time reacting to the pain. He leapt backwards several feet, dodging two attacks from Joshua and Finnlen, then tossed his bow into the air.

  Still managing to surprise me, Lirien drew an arrow from the quiver strapped to his back, then jumped into the air with terrifying speed. In one fluid motion, he notched the arrow and then grabbed the handle of his bow.

  He pulled the bowstring back with his jaw, then opened his mouth to release the attack.

  “Are you serious..?” I questioned incredulously. The arrow began to glow, then expanded, shining as if it were a comet shooting across the night sky, and an explosion knocked me off my feet.

  [Starfall Shot]

  A cloud of smoke wafted upwards, enveloping me and my various summons. Joshua waved his hand, attempting to clear his vision while Signeir stared through the hazy environment with narrowed eyes.

  I ran forward, exiting the cloud with a burst of air, but the Elf was already gone.

  Fuck!

  “Bastard ran away,” Joshua spat, realizing the same thing I had.

  Signeir seemed disappointed. “I was hoping for more of a fight out of him.”

  “Never mind that,” I called out, pushing down my frustration at having allowed the Elf to escape. I turned to my companions, regarding them with a serious expression.

  “Finish off the rest of the elves. Spare them no mercy,” I commanded, and they both smiled with sinister grins.

  Mount Boom was a mess of blood, armor, and bodies. Fire still burned the grass in patches of heat, while the landscape itself had been shaped by explosions of magic and various skills.

  I averted my gaze from the sight, instead focusing on the group of people in front of me. “Well done, everyone. Despite a few hiccups along the way, this mission was extremely successful,” I said proudly. Atea’s hands glowed green as she attempted to heal my various companions, but the spell was more effective on the dragon and Ashmane than it was on any of us demons.

  “I agree, Lucivar, but how will we prevent them from coming back again, with an even bigger army this time, or with even more captains?” Viressa asked, her voice calm despite the massive battle that she had just participated in.

  “I thought about that,” I started, gazing pointedly at the female demon. “We won’t begin rebuilding just yet, and it’s best if the treants and dryads stay in Lunarius’ domain for the time being.”

  “How about their trees?” Viressa replied.

  “We can post guards for those that are still standing, or we can work to move them temporarily to a safer position. I’ll let you decide,” I answered, knowing that I could trust the demon to make a smart decision. She was the mayor after all.

  “We may have won this battle, but Lirien is still alive, even if missing a limb, and we still don't understand the true strength of the elven king,” Lioren interjected.

  Azazel leaped up around my neck, returning to his dragon form. “Knowing the elves, they’ll probably begin preparing a counterattack as soon as Lirien gets back,” he added.

  “Perhaps,” I said, stroking my chin in thought. “Which is why we aren’t just going to wait around for them to strike back.”

  “What do you mean…?” Cedric asked quietly.

  “We’re gonna take the fight to them, starting with the elven settlement on the edge of Ossara’s forest.”

  Cedric hesitated, then looked at me with an unreadable expression. “Are you sure?”

  “What are you talking about?” I responded shortly, letting each word fall out in a staccato rhythm.

  The small demon rubbed his shoulder, looking nervous as he spoke. “I… don’t get me wrong, Lucivar, I want to get revenge just as much as any of you guys,” he gestured with his arm, encompassing those in attendance with a sweep of his hand. “But… this doesn’t seem like you, Lucivar.”

  Doesn’t seem like me?

  [Don’t worry about him, Carter. He’s just scared.] Joshua argued.

  Don’t talk about my friends that way.

  [Of course, oh mighty one.] The parasite replied sarcastically.

  I stood straighter, looking out towards the massive field of bodies that were yet to be disposed of.

  It was a sight that once would’ve made me hurl the contents of my stomach all over the grass below me.

  “That’s just what those bastards get for messing with us in the first place!” Zorrack asserted firmly, and he met Cedric’s eyes with a challenging stare.

  “We still don’t know why they’re even attacking in the first place,” Viressa reasoned. “And believe me, I am grieving just as much as any of you, but this whole ordeal has Luminarch’s name written all over it, remember?”

  Zorrack and Cedric broke their intense stare-off, withdrawing at the mention of the imposing demon.

  “Lucivar,” Lioren called out firmly, taking a cautious step towards me. I felt my emotions slipping back and forth, torn between two trains of thought. “Do you remember what the fragment of Seraphael’s soul said to us back in the Mercy Aspect’s sanctum?”

  I searched my mind for the memory, then recited a rough approximation of her words. “Everyone is the hero of their own story... or something like that.”

  “Well, I think they’re the villains of ours,” Kril spat, breaking his silence.

  Atea raised a hand as if waiting her turn to speak in class. I raised an eyebrow at the angel, and her cheeks flushed as she slowly lowered her arm. “I apologize if I am overstepping, considering I’m new here and all…” She paused, meeting my eyes as if waiting for permission to continue.

  I nodded once.

  “Well, you see, when Lucivar first met me, I assumed he was… y’know, evil.”

  Azazel chuckled at the prospect, grinning with his tiny fangs.

  “Anyways,” Atea continued, slowly gaining confidence. “I made a judgment call based on limited information, and it would’ve been a mistake because Lucivar is actually…” she trailed off, but Cedric finished the sentence.

  “He’s kind,” the small demon stated, as if it were the only thing in the world he knew to be true.

  I sighed heavily, turning once more to take in the fallen soldiers around me. They could’ve been brothers or sisters, or mothers and fathers. Friends, allies, companions.

  And we had taken those lives away.

  I had taken those lives away.

  [No. We only took what they took first, remember?]

  I… I can’t do this right now.

  “I get it!” I suddenly shouted, causing my companions to jump in surprise. I quieted my tone as I continued. “Look, let’s just sleep on it, and tomorrow we’ll figure out a plan, alright?”

  My companions all nodded in agreement, and we headed back towards Lunarius’ domain.

  We won... but at what cost?

  [Because it does suck dumbass.]

  [That’s a made up statistic.]