Fighting in the Shadows

The black smoke surrounded the ground like a rising tide. It spilled from the leader’s chained hand in a thick pouring stream, and had swallowed the intersection in seconds.

Two Ssarok broke from the smoke first.

They came in hard and fast, exactly as Azura had predicted. No coordination or no caution, just enraged momentum.

Azura's scythe ripped through the air in a wide instant arc. The first Ssarok’s head left its shoulders before landing a few feet in front of Shiro. The second managed to raise its blade to check the attack, but Azura had already followed up with a power bolt of lightning. The power from the lightning burned against the demon. Not enough to kill it, but enough to leave a clear opening for the reverse swing of Azura's blade.

Both headless bodies laid against cobblestones, the cut edges of their shells smoking faintly where the scythe had passed.

"Wow! Azura you're..."

"You three need to stay close to me. I can hold them off till the knights come to take you to safety."

Shiro tightened his grip on the ruined light rail cannon even though it was useless. Beside him, Johnaquil shifted his stance, one arm still braced under Geraltavin’s shoulder. The dwarf’s breathing was ragged, but his eyes were sharp.

“Ai, we'll get nice and all cozy while you handle the rest."

Still though... She’s way out numbered. Can she handle the rest till the back up gets here?

Azura didn’t respond. She walked forward a few paces ahead of them. Purple lightning still arching across her body and down the weapon’s shaft. The newly formed scythe waiting, hungry to be swung again

The rest of the pack charged in as the smoke continued to rise higher.

“Told you, they can’t help themselves.”

The air turned heavy, wet, and cold, carrying the sharp scent of blood and petrichor. The now wet stone releasing their oils, the blood of the countless demons acting like rain on the ground.

Visibility had dropped to almost nothing. All Shiro could see was the shapes that moved inside it. Lit up against the smoke by the flashes of Azura's purple lightning.

Ssarok silhouettes dropping from the rooftops one after another. Only to meet their fate against the master general's wrath.

Azura is something else. She's not as fast or strong as them, but her skills are amazing!

The half demon was slower and weaker than the full demons. Her movement style was not too different then their own. Power jumps and kicks, serpentine flexible and demonic power.

Yet despite being weaker and slower then the full Ssarok. It was her skills and talent that was creating the pile of bodies on the floor.

She probably wouldn't accept it, but I should also come up with some weapons for Azura...

...I don't think she'd like a pile bunker hammer, but something to synergize with her spear and scythe combo...

...Not to mention her purple lightning talent, she could power a heavy rail cannon on her own...

"Shiro not to interrupt but now it's the best time to get lost in though."

Shiro's eyes refocused as he looked over at Johnaquil.

"Sorry, you're right... There's not much we can do, so I was just thinking about a way to help Azura."

"No harm in that, but the battle isn't over yet. She's still outnumbered and the leader has a talent related to dark magic."

"Theirs no way of knowing if the leader just has a basic awaking to dark magic, like Geraltavin, or something more powerful like Azura?"

"Not without prior knowledge of your opponent."

Shiro looked around the rising smoke again.

So is this just a smoke bomb to obscure vision? Or something more?

Before Shiro could get an answer to that question, a pair of golden snakes opened in the darkness in front of him. A flash of lightning revealed the silhouette of the Ssarok leader with dramatic timing.

"Of course."

With a feeling of deja vu, the Ssarok leader sent a single powerful kick into Shrio's midsection. The air exploded from his lungs just like the last time but his grip on the rail cannon and bag of supplies held as he flew backwards.

Without the large glass storefront to slow his momentum, he flew deeper in the blacksmith's shop. Flying above the shattered display shelves, scattering weapons and pieces of armor laid across the floor, he crashed into the Smith's workshop.

The same pain bloomed through his back and spine as he landed hard against the floor once again.

Ugh that really hurts. Same spot and everything!

The Ssarok leader stepped into the workshop, black smoke and shadows still pouring off its body as it walked up to Shiro.

There's no way it's going to take me and run while Azura is still killing all its crew.

Its eyes scanned through the workshop as Shrio tried to stand up. Before he could, the demon stomped onto him, pushing him back to the ground and pinning him there.

Shit!... I should try insulting it like Azura did...

"What's wrong, you're afraid of the half demon so you came in here to hide?!"

The Ssarok didn't reply. Instead it continued scanning the workshop until its eyes landed on an incomplete sword. It reached for the weapon while still holding Shrio pinned underneath its foot.

"What are you doing?"

It once again didn't reply, but instead, it plunged the incomplete sword and threw Shiro leg, and deep into the ground.

"Aaaagghh!"

The cross guard pressed against Shiro's thigh, the sword now pinning him to the ground instead of the demon's foot.

"Ssstupid human. Ssstay!"

The demon took its foot off of Shiro and walked away, heading back towards the fight outside.

DAMN IT!

Shrio was left alone, completely trapped and in pain by the sword stabbed through his leg.