Chapter 53: From The Shadows

Chapter 53: From The Shadows

Udana trembles, gazing in total fear at the giant ogre demon. Zeth, Sasha, and Kurt get in battle stances while Joe helps Emily stand up.

“No! You can’t win!” Udana shouts, showing genuine worry for the first time to the heroes. The heroes widen their eyes as they turn their attention toward her as she continues. “I can tell that demon is far beyond us! All we can do is escape!”

“I’m not leaving without the captured civilians!” Zeth shouts back.

“Fine, if you must,” Udana replies, knowing there is no talking him out of it. “The poachers keep their vehicle inside the trunk of the giant tree that holds their base.”

Zeth nods. “Thanks for the info. Just distract that monster until I can get the captives out.” He heads back for the giant tree.

Sasha stands firm, staring out at the ogre demon as it starts stomping closer to them. “I won’t let you down,” she says in a serious tone.

Udana removes her blade from Gorge’s body. “I suppose distraction is realistic. We all must contribute.”

Kurt charges his magic energy. “Count me in!”

Emily leans against Joe, unable to stay standing on her own. Joe looks at her and then back at the others. “I can’t leave Emily by herself. She’s in rough shape.”

“Three of us it is then,” Kurt states.

The giant ogre roars, “Crush the light!!”

Sasha, Kurt, and Udana rush forward, determined to keep the demon distracted long enough for Zeth to free the captives.

The ogre demon stops in place, taking notice of the three people rushing toward him. The demon speaks in a deep, low tone. “Hmmm? Insects? Not the light? Crush anyway!”

The demon slams its hand down against the ground, causing a rupturing wave of powerful purple magic energy to blast forward. Sasha, Kurt, and Udana all jump out of the way to avoid the attack, which leaves the ground scoured.

“Don’t let him hit you with that attack!” Udana shouts. “You won’t survive if you get caught in it!”

“We need to surround it!” Kurt yells.

Kurt approaches the demon from its front, while Sasha approaches from its right, and Udana from its left. The ogre turns its head to take time to gaze at each of the three surrounding it. It scratches its chin. “Insects are weird. They can’t do anything to me.”

Seemingly ignoring them, the ogre starts stomping forward once again. Alarmed, Kurt unleashes a barrage of Aura Whips, rapidly slamming against its abdomen. However, the attack has no effect. It doesn’t even make it flinch.

“Annoying insect,” the ogre remarks as it attempts to stomp on Kurt. Even though he jumps out of the way to avoid it, a shockwave from the sheer force of impact blows Kurt far back.

“Kurt!” Sasha shouts with worry.

“Not good!” Udana laments.

With Kurt out of the way, the ogre resumes stomping forward.

Udana readies her sword. “Sword. Red.”

With her blade turning red, she leaps toward the side of the ogre’s head and slashes it. As she lands back on the ground, she realizes her slash didn’t even leave a scratch.

The ogre rubs the side of its head. “Head. Itchy.”

Sasha runs toward its other side and punches it in the side of its leg.

“Annoying insects!” the ogre roars. It bends down and uses its hand to swat both Sasha and Udana away. They remain conscious but they are knocked on their backs, no longer able to fight. There is no one left to distract the ogre.

Joe walks away with Emily leaning against him. He looks back, noticing what has happened. “Hang in there, guys…”

“Crush!!” the ogre roars up at the sky before focusing on Udana and Sasha to its left and right. “Insects need squashed!”

Sasha and Udana stare up at its face, trembling.

Suddenly, out from the trees comes a long red scarf made of glowing magic energy. The scarf pierces all the way through the ogre’s abdomen before coming out the other side and turning around to pierce through its chest. The ogre roars in pain as the scarf continues to tear the ogre apart.

Sasha and Udana stare in awe, completely amazed by the display. The scarf tears the ogre to shreds until its body collapses to the ground in pieces.

“How…? What…?” Sasha utters, almost speechless.

With the ogre demon dead, the scarf dissipates.

In the trees and out of sight, a woman’s silhouette stands on a tree branch, gazing toward the opening to the field.

“So, this is where you went, you naughty ogre,” the woman mutters. “I want to see this little union continue on longer, so I needed you gone. Sorry about that.”

The heroes are saved by a woman in the shadows! Just who is she? Her power easily killed a demon that was beyond A-Rank!

Chapter 53 END

To be Continued in Chapter 54: A City Recovering