Battle Against the Demon's Part 3

“Where is that wolf? Why is it so hard to find him?”

Lurik scanned the surroundings, his spear clutched tightly in his hand. His roar echoed between the towering trees.

“Come out, Monster! Do not act like a coward!”

Mbuemo followed after him and slapped his shoulder. “Calm down, you idiot. He is toying with us.”

“Move. I will kill that monster myself.”

Mbuemo slapped Lurik’s cheek. “This is his home. He holds the advantage here.”

Lurik fell silent, his muscles loosening.

Rustle. Rustle.

The bushes around them began to shift.

They stood back to back, covering each other’s blind spots. Their weapons crossed in front of them as if prepared for an attack that could strike at any moment.

Sweat dripped down their temples as they forced their bodies to stay alert against Sirius’s sudden ambush. Without knowing it, the wolf was watching them from a high cliff far away.

Let us play with their nerves.

“Awoooo!”

His long howl resounded through the forest. The wave of sound bounced among the thick trees until it felt as if the forest itself was howling.

As the echo faded, shadow wolves emerged one by one from his own darkness. A whole pack of shadow beasts assembled behind him.

A grin formed on his lips. For a long time he had wanted his own pack. Perhaps it was instinct, yet he could never ignore it. Recently, he had tried forming a pack using his shadow techniques.

Without needing any orders, the shadow wolves descended the hill like an unstoppable flood.

Sirius leapt as well, merging with them into the forest’s heavy darkness. They quickly caught up with Lurik and Mbuemo who had been running ever since Sirius released his howl.

In moments, several wolves were already running alongside them on both sides, tearing through the dense brush ahead.

“Keep running. We must reach Gurhalla quickly.”

Lurik glanced around, his jaw tightening. “We are surrounded, idiot.”

A shadow wolf lunged from the left. Lurik extended his palm, and the bones from his arm protruded outward, lengthening and piercing the shadow until it dispersed into dark mist.

Before he could rest, more shadow wolves charged at once. Lurik spun, swinging his bone arm and spear like a crescent moon. All the shadows were shattered at once.

“Graaah!”

“Damn it.”

A few remaining wolves attacked, but Mbuemo quickly destroyed them with his scorpion tail.

From afar, more shadows emerged, rushing toward them.

There was no time. A pair of wings suddenly burst from Mbuemo’s back. With one powerful flap, he soared into the air while lifting Lurik with him.

Sirius watched all of this through the eyes of his shadows. He immediately ran in a wide arc, attempting to intercept them through one of the shortcuts he knew.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

His four paws struck the fresh green grass swiftly without bending a single blade.

Within moments, he spotted the two demons in the distance. He stopped, filling his expanding chest with a great mass of air. His muzzle pointed toward them.

“[Roaaar!]”

The shockwave of his roar shot forth. Mbuemo tried to maneuver out of the way but failed and lost his balance. They crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

“Ugh... annoying wolf,” they groaned.

Sirius stepped out from behind the trees.

The two immediately rose, weapons at the ready.

“You know, I always give one chance to those who hunt me. One chance to leave alive, unless they choose to fight.” Sirius exhaled sharply. “I hope you choose wisely.”

Lurik clenched his fists, his teeth grinding. “After what you did to our friend.” He glared and thrust his spear forward. “I will kill you.”

Sharp elongated bones jutted from his body. With one push of his foot, he charged alone. Mbuemo tried to stop him, but Lurik had already rushed ahead.

“Lurik, stop.”

Sirius whispered softly. “All of you are the same.”

His fur bristled, dark aura spreading from his body. The darkness he had been suppressing finally erupted. Anyone nearby would feel it, including Lurik who froze midair.

Sirius leapt with jaws wide open. Just as his fangs were about to reach him, Mbuemo flew forward and pushed Lurik away.

Crack.

“Aaaargh!”

A scream tore from Mbuemo as Sirius crushed his wing. The wolf shook his neck and swallowed the torn wing in a single bite.

Mbuemo staggered, his back arching as pain surged through him. Blood poured endlessly from the remains of his severed wing.

“I only wished for peace. The wounds, or even the death of your friend, are simply the consequences of causing trouble in another’s home.”

Lurik gritted his teeth. “[Acceleration!]” In the blink of an eye he was already before Sirius. “[Storm Stingers]”

Thousands of spear thrusts rained upon Sirius’s fur which was as tough as steel. Yet none of Lurik’s attacks managed to scratch even the outermost layer.

“Grrrr.”

Sirius growled. Then he felt vibrations beneath him. A sharp rib bone erupted from the ground. He narrowly dodged it.

Lurik followed with a quick vertical strike aimed straight at Sirius’s eye.

Grab.

“What?!”

The spear tip never reached its target. Sirius tilted his head and clamped the spearhead between his razor-sharp teeth.

Lurik tried to pull it back, but Sirius was far stronger. With a single tug, Lurik was dragged toward him.

“Ah?!”

Before he understood what was happening, Sirius buried his fangs into Lurik’s right shoulder. With one motion, his shoulder and arm tore like fragile paper.

“Aaaaargh!”

Sirius did not stop. He slashed Lurik’s face until it was unrecognizable. His nose split, his cheek shifted, and one of his eyes clung to Sirius’s claw.

The man rolled across the ground, drenched in red fluid spilling from his destroyed face and severed shoulder.

Mbuemo hurled a small sphere. A green mist engulfed them. Sirius raised a brow when he saw Lurik’s bleeding stop and his wounds seal. Perhaps the fog contained some kind of medicine or healing magic.

The man tried to rise despite his ruined features.

“A tough one,” Sirius murmured, lifting his hand, ready to sever his head with one strike.

But a scorpion tail suddenly tore through the mist and stabbed from the left. Sirius quickly leapt right, and the stinger pierced nothing but air.

Mbuemo charged forward, his remaining hands transformed into pincers. Sirius placed both paws on Mbuemo’s shoulders.

He pushed down with all his strength, trying to topple him, but Mbuemo refused to fall. Instead, he clamped Sirius’s front legs with his pincers and looked back.

“Lurik. Run. Forget about me.”

“Ugh... what do you mean...” Lurik staggered to pick up his fallen spear. He stumbled forward again. “I... can still... fight.”

Sirius opened his mouth to devour Mbuemo’s head, but the man used his other hand to hold the wolf’s jaws apart.

“Idiot. Get out of here.”

“No.”

Lurik moved forward, running weakly with no stamina, driven only by stubborn will.

But before he reached them, Mbuemo flicked something from his scorpion tail toward Lurik. The object carried Gurhalla’s scent. It must have been taken from her corpse earlier.

A blue portal appeared behind Lurik. The man froze, glancing back. As he turned, Mbuemo struck him with his tail and hurled him into the portal.

The portal...

Sirius widened his eyes, instinct roaring with joy. He was not certain what or where the portal led to, but one thing was clear. It might carry him out of this forest.

Sirius strained with all his might to escape Mbuemo’s hold. “Damn it. Let me go. I do not care about you. I only want freedom.”

“I will not.”

“I will not harm him. I swear it.”

The bald demon snorted, planting his stance firmly. “We were born from the darkness of hearts. Who would believe the words of a fellow sinner?”

“Then die.”

“Not until that portal closes.”

They struggled fiercely. Muscles bulged and hardened. Cold sweat drenched Mbuemo’s entire body, his legs trembling. Yet somehow Sirius still could not overpower him.

That last remaining arm kept Sirius from devouring his head. The wolf was completely restrained.

Slowly, the portal began to close. Panic surged within Sirius. It might be his only chance to escape this forest. If it closed...

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

“Awoooo!”

He howled loudly. Shadow wolves emerged from the darkness, biting and tearing Mbuemo apart. But the man did not fall even as blood and flesh scattered.

“Just surrender, stubborn fool!”

“Never!”

After several more seconds of struggle, Sirius finally freed his left arm and slashed Mbuemo’s chest, sending blood spraying through the air.

His organs spilled out. At last, the man’s knees touched the ground and he collapsed.

The portal had not fully closed. Sirius, frantic, prepared to leap, but Mbuemo’s hand gripped his hind leg one final time.

“No... you will not...”

“Accursed fool.”

Sirius stomped on his skull, crushing it into the ground. With no obstacle left, he jumped toward the portal.

Thud.

His body rolled across the ground.

When he lifted his head, all he saw were the same thick trees. Not far away lay Mbuemo’s lifeless body.

Silence greeted him.

No sound escaped him. Only an empty stillness filled his gaze, dim beside the golden brilliance of his eyes.

The portal had closed a second before he could reach it. Once again he had lost something that might have been his only chance.

He lowered his head. His teeth chattered uncontrollably. Then...

Tes. Tes.

There were no screams. No rage. Only silence as tears finally fell after a long time.

“...”

“...”

He did not move for a long while. Even as the blood on the ground darkened. Even as his tears dried completely. He simply stared at the sky that never seemed to answer him.

“Will we... never meet again?”