The Demon King Unleashed

“Shit. We need to get out of here!”

Sarutobi’s voice cut through the chaos.

Before Rei could even blink, a swirl of wind ripped around him and his friends.

The world smeared into a blur. A sharp flash of light stabbing his eyes, and in an instant they landed on the arena floor, hearts pounding, breathless.

Rei let out a short breath, his voice barely a whisper.

“Finally, we can breathe. He’s not fully free yet, but damn his aura’s crushing.”

They all breathed a little easier, small sigh of relief on their face.

Until Rei’s eyes swept the arena.

Blood coated the ground, demon corpses twisted in unnatural angles, human bodies torn apart.

The battlefield looked frozen in a nightmare.

And let’s not forget the smell. A sickening odor hung in the air, a mix of dust, iron, and death, clinging to his throat.

Rei froze.

Cold fear crawled up his spine. He’d seen a lot since the tournament… but nothing like that.

Legs wobbling, stomach turning, he vomited.

Akira stepped forward, voice sharp.

“Rei… you okay?”

“How could I be?” Rei’s voice cracked. “Doesn’t it bother you?

Seeing all this?”

Akira’s jaw tightened.

“We can’t panic now.”

Truth was, , it wasn’t his first time seeing this, and somehow, that made it worse.

Enshin moved closer, urgency in every step.

“Rei… I’m glad you’re alive. Thanks to you, we got our power back. But what just happened? The earth, it trembled.”

Still lost in the red haze of the battlefield, Rei stayed still and didn’t answer.

“Rei!”

Enshin’s voice snapped him back. Then he turned to Sarutobi.

“What’s wrong with him? Is he hurt?”

Sarutobi shook his head.

Then, in a quiet, almost clinical tone, he recounted everything to him:

Stones that blocked their magic, betrayal, Itsuki death, and worst of all the Demon King, about to wake.

Enshin’s eyes widened, quickly react,

“Everyone, out! Move! The arena, it’s unstable! We need to get

out!”

The group surged forward, panicked.

Dust rose with their every step, stones cracking beneath them.

Once outside the arena, Rei’s head cleared a little. His voice trembled as he spoke,

“Enshin, I’m sorry I failed. I failed”

Enshin crouched slightly, resting a hand on Rei’s shoulder.

“Stop that. You did exactly what you had to. You got our magic back. You saved us. That’s more than enough.”

He straightened, eyes hard.

“Now… let us fight the Demon King. That’s our job.”

“No. I’m not staying out. I want to fight too. Let me help.” Rei replied, fists clenching and chest still tightened.

KRRRSH

Suddenly, the arena groaned, like the sky splitting.

Then the ground shook.

Stones shattered, walls buckled, and the floor seemed to melt away.

A void.

The arena vanished in an instant, swallowed by darkness that breathed and rolled like a tide.

Dust choked the air.

Then the Darkness kept spreading, slow and heavy.

Dust and shadow thickened the air, pressing on their chests, stealing their breath.

Murmurs spread, voices shaking.

“Oh no… we’re finished.”

“Even with our powers back, there’s no way we can take on the Demon King.”

Rei stepped forward, legs trembling, voice barely holding together.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m scared too. But, who’s gonna stop him if it’s not us?”

He swallowed hard, eyes flicking over their frozen faces.

“If we run now… it’s over. Not just for us… for everyone”

A beat.

“The fate of the world in our hands.”

Silence.

No cheers. No answer.

He wasn’t wrong. But fear, fear was paralyzing. No one could think straight.

Rei clenched his fists.

“Alright. If you won’t come , I’ll go alone.”

Akira stepped in.

“No way. I’m not letting you face him alone.”

Behind him, Rei’s team stood firm. Akira, Denryuu, Daichi, Kazumi even Sarutobi, they were all ready.

Ready to follow him, ready to die by his side.

Then soft light flickered.

And the fairies appeared.

“We’re coming too. We can’t fight, but we won’t let the darkness touch you!”

Enshin turned to the others.

“Seriously? You’ll let kids fight for you?”

His eyes burned.

“A regular has more guts than you. Isn’t that shameful?”

Murmurs rose.

“He’s a regular?”

“No magic… and he’s not afraid?”

“If he can go, we have to.”

And that’s how a mere illusionist became the real spark that moved them.

One step. Then another.

Every exorcist moved forward into the darkness.

Their vision was weak as shadows swallowed the path. But the fairies’ light guided them, faint and flickering. Like a thread of hope.

Then something moved ahead.

A silhouette.

Itsuki.

But not the Itsuki they knew. Something was wrong. Terrifying wrong.

Eyes black as night. Pupils glowing red. Veins dark and pulsing beneath his skin.

Cold fear ran up Rei’s spine.

He whispered, voice breaking,

“Itsuki… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

A deep, cruel voice cut through the chaos.

“Finally… free. After centuries. I will take my revenge… and crush you all.”

Rei’s heart hammered. Legs trembling. He took a deep breath, forcing himself calm, then eyes locked on.

“Let’s do this,” he muttered, fists clenched tight.

Small orbs shot from his hands, gliding toward the Demon King.

BAM!

A flash. A piercing crack of sound. For a split second, the Demon King wavered.

Kazumi swung her whip, wrapping it around his torso. While

Daichi slammed his hands down, earth rising like a wall, trying to trap him up to his chest.

But it was nothing.

Nothing at all against the most powerful being this world had ever known.

The Demon King stretched his arms, and the earth cracked, shattering like glass under his strength.

He laughed. Deep. Cruel.

“You really thought that would stop me?”

Akira and Denryuu charged.

Light sword swinging, electricity crackling.

But before they could even reach him, the Demon King lifted a hand.

A violent surge of energy threw them into the air. Dust and stone swirled around, bodies spinning like papers caught in a storm.

Kaitsuki dove from above, fire flaring.

Enshin and Sarutobi combined their power, spinning a tornado of fire. The flames roared and twisted, howling like a beast.

But the Demon King simply stepped through, untouched.

Not even a burn.

The other exorcists trembled, but they lunged anyway, strikes, spells, anything they could throw at him.

Again, bodies flew.

Screams tore through the air. Blood sprayed. Dust and ash clouded the air. Fire, lightning, earth, water , all collided.

Chaos everywhere.

And still, the Demon King did not move.

Not a hair. Not a scratch.

Then he yawned, slow, bored.

“Is this… all you have? Exorcists have really grown weak”

Rei watched, horror in his chest. They were like ants crushed under an invisible boot.

“Impossible … how… how is he so strong? This… this can’t be…”

He knew the Demon King would be strong but not that strong. This wasn’t a battle anymore but it was an extermination.

Rei spoke into his earpiece, voice tight.

“Kai… Kaitsuki… please… you find something, right? A weak spot… tell me… please…”

Kaitsuki hovered above the battlefield, scanners active.

Heat, aura, vibrations, energy signatures. Every micro-motion of the Demon King tracked, analyzed.

“Sorry, master… nothing.”

Rei clenched his teeth.

“Keep scanning. Tell me the second you see something.”

He forced himself forward, knife in hand.

Then he froze.

Eyes of Itsuki , or what was left , met his.

I can’t… I know it’s not Itsuki. But I can’t…

“Itsuki… please wake up. I know you’re still there.”

The Demon King smiled. Slow. Cruel.

“Your friend… is dead.”

In an instant, he grabbed the young magician by the throat.

Rei’s eyes locked on Itsuki’s, desperate, searching for any trace of the friend he once knew.

“Itsuki … please … ”

The Demon King raised his other hand, claws flexing, ready to rip out his heart.