Targeted Hate

Countless Ssarok lined the rooftops surrounding the intersection.

They had been drawn here by the serpentine horn of the now fallen demon, summoned to complete the kidnapping mission set in motion.

Shiro and Johnaquil stood on either side of Geraltavin, helping the injured dwarf stay on his feet.

We barely survived when there were three of them.

Shiro’s eyes moved across the gathering. Every demon was Ssarok, humanoid fusions of reptile and amphibian, nearly identical except for the different colors of their scales. But among them one stood out immediately as the leader.

While the others carried a pair of massive talon edged swords, this one held only a single blade in its right hand. Its left hand was wrapped in heavy chains and rings, each link and band etched with intricate runes

“Great. A demon with a talent.”

Shiro tightened his grip on the light rail cannon and the bag of remaining supplies. The former was ruined, its rails bent outward like a peeled banana. The lather was useless without a working weapon, and half the capacitors inside were already crumbling to powder.

“They’re after me. Johnaquil, you should take Geraltavin and run to the left. I’ll run to the right…”

“Don’t be foolish. They wouldn’t let us escape.”

“Not to mention yer almost as beat up as me. Either of us would ain't get two feet before they jumped down.”

Shiro looked up at the group of Ssarok. They watched him with the stillness of predators, their eyes fixed on him like a mouse in a snake pit.

Why have none of them attacked us yet…

"Hey guys, why are they still just watching?"

"Look around you. All they know is that two of their own were killed with a single blow straight through their shells."

"Huh, I should also bring up the Ssarok in there said their Oracle, who received a message from Revorgress. Said I was a crafter of weapons beyond reason."

"Aye, that explains a lot. Tell me, if you had to kill one of these demons as a normal warrior, what would you do?”

Shiro looked over the body of the Ssarok. To him, they looked like artificially made Chimera. Some of the best aspects of different reptiles and amphibians combined together.

“…I'd go for the neck. But even so, its neck has the movement and speed of a snake’s neck. And it's attached to a head with a jaw that can bite you in half. Probably venomous too."

"A double edged sword, no doubt, but decapitation is still the most common and best shot yer have to kill one of these demons. Everyone knows that, but look what they found when they came here. Their dead punched clean through their shells. The one part of them that was supposed to be invulnerable.”

Shiro scanned the rooftops once more. The predatory stillness remained, but his earlier assumption shifted. These demons weren’t stalking them like easy prey, They were carefully observing and assessing a threat.

"Huh. Azura made them sound more reckless."

"Because they are!"

A familiar voice called out from down the road. Tired and strained, but unmistakably Azura’s voice.

She walked toward the intersection, unfazed by the demons lining the rooftops. Purple lightning arced over her body, running from her blue hair all the way down to her red thighhigh boots. The flagged spear in her hand was covered with blood.

None of it hers.

"Sorry I'm late. I came as soon as I heard the horn. More knights should be arriving soon."

"Better late than never."

Azura’s gaze swept across the countless Ssarok surrounding them. Their attention was shifting back and forth between Shiro and Azura.

"They try to plan or strategies, but lack the mental control to follow through. Let me show you."

Azura yelled out towards the Ssarok.

"Look at all of you. An entire pack of walking molt, too coldscaled to jump down here and fight. Sitting up there like pretty little birds. Are those lizard brains of yours so dumb that you would confuse your scales for feathers?"

Hisses erupted in every direction. An incoherent roar of anger flying towards Azura. Blades were being drawn and sharpened against each other. Muscles twitched as the predatory stillness of early was lost.

That's all it takes..?

"Oh how cute? Are you little songbirds now? You're too soft shelled to fight. Too weak to hold your own against a lone half Ssarok. Worms wishing to be snakes. How pathetic!"

Shiro's eyes looked towards the leader. The only one able to restrain itself as the rest of its unit were enraged.

It was shouting to its team, trying to control its own squad, but it was too late. The chorus hisses block out whatever it was trying to say.

Azura was right. A few insults and they lose it. This is why they only unite under a demon King.

With no choice left, the leader extended his chain covered arm past the edge of the building. With his palm facing to the ground, black smoke and shadows poured out, like water from a faucet.

The other Ssarok finally began jumping off the building to the intersection below. Twin blades at the ready as they surrounded the group along. Moving in with the shadow magic that was filling the intersection

Azura I hope you know when you're doing...

Without looking down, Azura ran a pair of fingers along the Vermilionne flag hanging from her spear. Hidden within its fabric was a set of runes entirely different from those etched into the weapon itself.

Like Nitinol, the cloth stiffened and flattened. Its fibers drew tight as they reshaped into a razor edged, curving blade. In an instant, her flag bearing spear had become a scythe.

A weapon shift made not merely for all slicing during combat, but rather, to express a precise targeted hatred against the Ssarok.