One choice

‘It doesn’t seem like anyone really got hurt, as soon as he went rage mode the left over people all made a run for it. Smart on their part…’

Kiramaru glanced around him and noticed the wall that Kyosuke went flying into earlier had been cracked open. The wood was severely damaged with deep cracks running out of a hole that was big enough for him to slip through.

(Gulp)

“I could very easily get through that and then…and then I could be on my way- to Umi.”

‘I still haven’t heard anything from Arisa yet, the signal never came…that doesn’t mean I should wait though, she said it herself that I should run for it!’

He glanced back to the wall and then over to Kyosuke who was unconscious on the floor beside him. Poking out of his robe pocket was a talisman that Arisa owned; as Kira saw this he got a nervous feeling and suddenly jolted up in place.

‘If he had this then they probably got to her and knew that she was working to help me. It’s not my problem!’

Kira was stuck between options and didn’t know what to do next, the only thing playing through his mind was Ko’s smile that sort of reminded him of Demen’s. He walked towards the clearing in the wall while trying not to let his thoughts take over but suddenly remembered Arisa’s words.

*That being said, I can’t call myself a human being if I let another person that tried to save me be treated like a monster!*

Kira stopped in his tracks and had a flushed expression, he took a deep breath and turned around. ‘I can’t believe I was so lame.’

“Sit tight.” He said while racing towards the other side of the area.

On the opposite end of the manner, standing outside in the garden was Demen and his followers. Kiramaru noticed a group of people standing in organised rows in front of Demen; he had Arisa in his clutches. She looked as if she was barely alive but she was definitely conscious.

Arisa was tied up with tight ropes but there didn’t seem to be any signs of talismans or mana based restraints. She wasn’t giving up any sort of struggle or fight so they didn’t give her much thought, they did look skittish. Most of them were panning left and right as if they were waiting for something.

“Are you waiting for me, aw~ how sweet!” Kira jumped down from the roof of the manner and landed in the centre of the crowd, slamming his sword into the dirt and blowing away majority of the followers.

Kira had focused the flames around the sheath of his sword when slamming it against the ground, which created the heavy force able to blow them away.

Kira stood up in the centre of the mass of followers, they reacted by raising weapons and objects to him in a frightful manner. All types of weapons were used, like swords and spears but every one of them were painted to have the crest on them.

All the followers wore a blue and white uniform, some of which had earrings and other assorted jewellery which were shaped into the orders crest.

‘This might be a problem, I’ve never seen this many people emit mana together before. I probably can’t fight them seriously or they will die so…I’ll just overwhelm then.’ Kira thought as he rushed in.

He held his sword beside him and channelled a wave of flames along the side of his blade. A wave of dark fire followed him like a flag as he slashed forward against a large chunk of them.

‘If I use low heat then I might be able to cut loose a little more...’

“Midnight slash!” He called out as his blade cut through their numbers and pushed back a line of followers. The fire struck them with an intense force even though it was colder than usual.

People in blue and white robes went flying backwards into the walls of the manner. Most of them tried to push him back but weren't able to keep up with his speed and just followed the rest by being sent flying.

“How can a demon be this strong, w-we need to attack together!” “You guys go left and we will hit it from the right!” The followers shouted.

Groups of fighters with weapons ran to their fighting posts around Kira and started charging in on him. Sharp, blunt and even a few ranged weapons were all forced on him but Kira managed to repel them all together with an overwhelming difference in speed.

He found himself getting an occasional scratch and cut but nothing dangerous made its way onto him directly. It seemed that his new style was adjusting nicely to his abilities.

Kira was down to his last opponent who wielded a large battle axe with the crest carved into the side of its handle. The axe itself was a sharp silver colour but the handle was entirely oak with a gold trimming along the end. The man was quite large with scruffy hair tied up into a fuzzy ponytail.

The axe circulated an ominous red aura around the handle which made him incredibly strong. Each of the man’s swings was able to push the wind around its blade and smash craters into the ground with each swing.

The warrior charged in with a heavy bloodlust, swinging his axe wide into the air. The blade broke through the air and pushed a gust of wind forward from the swing alone.

Kira went under the axe and narrowly dodged it, tucking his sword up against his waist. The blade cut into the warriors arm and made him lower his stance.

“Hyaaa!”

Kira plunged his sword upright towards the axe’s crest with absolute precision. The blade pierced into the carved crest and broke straight through it.

The crest cracked open and released a potent purple aura that vanished up into the air like a mist. The man holding the remnants of his weapon fell to the floor with a sudden wave of exhaustion. The faint aura that was surrounding his arms had disappeared along with the purple vapour.

(Clap Clap)

Demen took a step forward and started to applause with a wicked smile on his face. As he dropped his hands the sides, a knife fell to the ground and Kiramaru noticed a slight drop of blood fall from the palm of his hands.

‘Blood…when did that happen? That knife came from his hands, did he do it to himself?!’ Kira pondered nervously.

“You seem a little distraught there…uh sorry I never did get your name? Although this is the first time I have found myself conversing with a demon for so long, it is rather unnatural after all.” Demen snickered.

“Bold of you to call me that after what you did to your own member there. It’s Kira, remember that! Cuz I’m going to be the one to kill you!”