Brawl

     We ran down the road as a group, some flying, some latching onto others to hitch a ride, while the bystanders made way for us or were knocked aside. All the while my mind raced. What do I do? What can I do? Should I just fake fight and get knocked out? Would Libero hold back? What if he’s overpowered? Should I help him? What if Siti gets involved? Do I have to capture her? CAN she even be captured? Why do they even want to capture her rather than kill her like Libero?

     My thoughts were broken up by the sounds of a demon being thrown into a building, followed by the bricks and other materials falling down on top of them. Some of the group immediately engaged while I and a few others observed the situation.

     Libero stood in the center with all manners of attacks stuck into him: needles, stingers, broken claws and fangs, scales, quills, bones, horns, blood, viscera, and all sorts of other weaponized body parts. Yet none of that seemed to affect him at all. As more enemies approached, he’d simply pluck out one and stab it into the next opponent, or throw it at one that was keeping distance, either way was instantly lethal. Without them he was just as lethal, a single punch was enough to crumple or shatter most foes that got close, no matter how quickly or carefully they maneuvered in, or how much they loomed over him in apparent size and strength.

     What’s more is that the manner of attack didn’t seem to matter. Different kinds of magic that didn’t have any obvious affect on the outside only made him pause for a moment, long enough to be stabbed by yet another bodily weapon, before he’d grab the attacker and throw them at the ones using the magic. Fire, lightning, acid, webbing, none of it seemed to faze him for more than a moment. And that was only those that could get in to attack. Many others vanished before they could even get close as their territories were annihilated. I could feel the clash, one was Demon Lord Sero’s which encompassed the entire settlement, but another was Libero’s which was constantly distorting and changing shape to reach his targets.

     “Durus!” Shouted the boney demon from before that was observing the situation, “Enough standing around, we have to fight too.”

“Y-YEAH, SURE. YOU GO FIRST.”

“Ghh! Coward! If you’re still standing here by the time I’m back, I’m dragging you in!”

     Then they ran in, joined by the last few of the observing group, leaving only me standing around. I was too obvious, too visible, others would surely notice if I stayed back for much longer. I have to get involved.

     I took a step forward, the another, into a walk, a jog, then running straight at Libero. I clenched my fist and threw a desperate punch. It struck him right in the chest, but even with the audible hit, Libero didn’t even flinch. He grabbed my arm with one hand and lifted me off the ground, chuckling.

“Well, well, looky here~ You couldn’t beat me before, what makes you think you can beat me now?!”

     He threw a punch to my ribs that was almost as deafening as it was painful. Then another and another before throwing me away into one of the many piles of rubble.

“Learned some new tricks did ya!? Did you really think that’d be enough?!”

     I rose to my feet slowly, clutching the side he’d just punched. The first hit hurt, but the following two were dampened by a layer of iron I had made to protect from the blows. Even then, there were two clear fist-shaped dents in them. My body recovered quickly thanks to the suit, but what good did that do? I stood no chance still!

“What’re you relaxing for? You’re here to kill me aren’t ya? So COME KILL ME!”

     Libero dashed at me and closed the distance in an instant. Why is he singling me out?! I’m sure he could’ve killed me instantly if he wanted, or ignored me, so is he just focusing one me for fun!?

     He came with a hit to my injured side again, but I twisted my body to narrowly avoid it while forming metal around his hand and mine, trying to bind him. Then came another hit aimed for my head which scraped against an iron helmet I quickly formed while evading. In that brief opening, I went for an uppercut while forming a spiked metal gauntlet and firmly struck his chin, but once again, he didn’t budge.

“Your hits are too light! Do it LIKE THIS!!”

     He brought his free hand back and punched me square in the face, crumpling the helmet and making me fall limp, only held up by the arm I had metallically bonded to him. As I struggled to stay on my feet, he swung me around by our bonded arms, slamming me against another demon coming at him from behind, then tore the metal off of his hand and tossed me aside like garbage.

“Libero!” Came the familiar voice of Siti, “Don’t you think you’re being too harsh?”

     Siti arrived on the scene, carried on the shoulders of two demons running side-by-side. The demons who had been in combat with Libero, already knowing they stood no chance, we frightened and muttering “The Green Plague!” and “What do we do?!” knowing they now had to fight two strong opponents where one was giving them enough trouble. I was relieved. With two opponents to pick from, surely Siti would be at least a little nicer to me.

     Though, as I thought that, a torrent of green vines burst from the road, instantly snaring and choking many of the demons, then impaling them in those bamboo spears that she had grown before outside the wall. Now I wasn’t so certain that she would be any nicer.

     I began to pick myself up, ready to continue this hopeless charade. How much more of this would I have to do? All the other demons were getting killed, I was the only one they were beating up, so how much would be convincing.

     But my thoughts were interrupted by a flash overhead and the boom of thunder. As electricity sparked off the iron on my body, an oppressive feeling came over me. I felt something similar from Libero, the feeling of his overwhelming strength, but this was incomparably worse. It felt like my heart had sank and I could hardly breath; dread gripped me as I slowly turned to the direction of this feeling.

     Thunder and lightning lit up the barren red sky, casting a shadow on the figure that stood atop the nearest non-collapsed building. He stood tall and thin with a faceless, featureless and smooth, blue-and-white carapace covering his body. He was humanoid in shape, but his long arms with two elbows reached down to his ankles. The only thing that stood out from his smooth body was the single, jagged horn adorning his head. I didn’t need to ask, I could feel it from his presence alone:

Demon Lord Sero has returned.