Chapter 209: Battle for Salvation (III)

Filch’s heart hammered against his ribs as he pressed himself against the crumbling wall, peering around the corner with just enough of his face exposed to see.

The three demons moved through the Secondary Ring like apex predators. The Withering Beasts parted before them like subjects acknowledging royalty.

They were mindless, but not foolish as to not identify a life threatening danger.

Filch recognized them instantly. The green eyed one walked at the front… his eyes had a single vertical slit like a crack in perfect glass.

He was the leader… or so was evident from all Filch knew.

Behind him walked the, one with violet eyes with two slits in his eyes and a third one with five slit marks.

’Shit. Shit… why are they back here?’

Filch’s mind raced through multiple scenarios. He could not fight them head on… He had barely escaped the last time and that was when he had the element of surprise and Ishiki’s unconscious body to motivate his desperation.

But right no… he was feeling very unmotivated, having lost two people he had come to care for. Ishiki’s actions had just told him once again… never to trust a human too much.

Human mind is the vilest of things… it doesn’t care of anything in front of its own survival.

Moreover… he was exhausted from two hours of continuous combat.

’But judging from their direction… they are going towards the gates of the Inner Ring as well ! It will be a disaster if they somehow managed to reach them before they are closed.’

In such case… there was an option that someone had to slow their tide. Someone needed to buy time for all the players to reach the Inner Ring and actually close the doors.

But there is the variable of the dragon as well. Who knew when that fucker would have a sudden urge to close the doors.

It was all a mess.

’I wonder how are things inside the Inner Ring. How are the players there reacting?

’

But no matter what… these demon’s could not be allowed to reach there. Someone needed to stay behind like an idiot, while everyone else an for safety.

Suddenly as if sensing his presence… the Demon with green eyes tilted his head and looked in Filch’s direction. For a split second their eyes met and Filch’s whole body shivered.

Apparently, that Idiot was none other than him.

“Fuck me sideways.” He muttered, bringing out a fresh cigarette. He brought the lighter near the bud… shielding it from above and rolled it.

There were a few sparks, but it didn’t light up. Filch cursed under his breath and tried again… this time the lighter produced flames and hardly lit the cigarette.

“This is so…” He was at a loss of words and nor did he wanted to say anything.

He was going to take the most reckless step of his life. Filch took a long drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke out slowly.

“Of course,” he said to no one in particular. “Because tonight wasn’t interesting enough already.”

“Filch.”

The voice came from directly behind him.

Filch didn’t jump… months of surviving in hostile environments had trained that reaction out of him—but his hand did move toward the ground in preparation for defensive spikes.

Then he registered the voice.

Jeanne stood three meters away, her back against the opposite wall of the narrow alley. Santiago was with her, both of them looking worse for wear. Jeanne’s leather armor was torn in places, golden blood from Withering Beasts mixed with her own crimson across her torso. Santiago’s left arm hung at an odd angle, and his face was pale from blood loss.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Filch hissed, keeping his voice barely above a whisper.

“Who knows,” Jeanne replied quietly, nocking an arrow made of crystallized light onto her bow. The golden radiance it emitted was dim.

“The fuck do you mean by that?”

“Because you’re an idiot who stayed behind alone,” Santiago muttered. “And idiots need people to pull them out of stupid situations.”

Filch wanted to argue and order them to leave again. But the truth was, he was glad they were here.

Not because he thought they could win.

Because dying alone had always seemed like the worst way to go.

“Those aren’t Withering Beasts,” Filch said, jerking his head toward the corner where the demons were still visible. “Those are the demons I told you about. The ones I saved Ishiki from. And they’re…”

He paused for a moment and then shrugged. “You know I have already been discovered.”

“What?!”

Both of the players said in unison as they felt a cold shiver run down their spine. It was the coldness of instinctual fear.

“Commander Velrith,” the five slitted demon said. “Should we clear the remaining people? Some of them have gathered near the Inner Ring’s gates. It would be simple to—”

“No,” the green-eyed demon, whose name was Velrith—interrupted. His gaze continued sweeping across the ruins before finally moving on. “We have other objectives. The Orb is our priority.”

Filch’s eyes widened slightly. ’Orb? That orb?’

“But the humans…” the violet-eyed demon protested.

“Are irrelevant,” Velrith finished.

The brown-eyed demon nodded. “And if we encounter resistance?”

Velrith’s smile was visible even from this distance. “Then we demonstrate why humans should fear us.”

He turned away from the alley, and the three demons began moving deeper into the Secondary Ring.

Filch felt ice water flood his veins.

’They’re after the orb on the dragon’s head. So the one from earlier was their companion.’

His thoughts cut off as something moved in his peripheral vision.

A Withering Beast. It was one of the humanoid ones with arms that bent backwards at the elbows.

It had spotted them. It opened its mouth to screech, the sound that would alert every corrupted thing in a hundred-meter radius.

Santiago’s hand shot forward.

Flames arced from his fingers, striking the beast before it could make a sound. The flames coursed through its body, frying corrupted flesh and silencing it permanently. It collapsed with barely a whisper.

But the flash of orange light had been visible.

Velrith stopped walking.

The violet-eyed demon’s lips pulled back in a predatory smile. “Hey… if it isn’t that bastard from last time. I have always wanted to rip him to sheards.”

“Have you?” Velrith’s tone was one of interest. “And what can you infer about him, Karvax?”

“The burgundy-haired one manipulates particles at a fundamental level.” Then, Karvax—the violet-eyed demon—gestured toward Jeanne. “The archer uses light-based projectiles.”

“And the last one?”

“He can produce and manipulate flames in a short area span.”

Velrith nodded slowly, as if filing away the information. Then he took a step toward the alley.

Filch, Jeanne, and Santiago emerged from hiding simultaneously. There was no point staying hidden now… the demons knew exactly where they were.

But more or less… they were beyond shocked at what had just happened. The Violet eyed demon had somehow told about their skills with just a quick glance.

Truly such a terrifying ability.

“You know,” Filch said conversationally. “we could do this the easy way. You walk that direction, we walk this direction, and nobody has to die today.”

Velrith was silent for a long moment. “The easy way. How very impudent… you always seek the path of least resistance, even when surrounded by inevitability.”

“I prefer to think of it as pragmatism,” Filch replied, taking a drag. The ember glowed orange in the darkness.

“Pragmatism.” Velrith seemed to taste the word. “Is it pragmatic to stand between three demons and their objective? Is it pragmatic to sacrifice yourselves for people you barely know?”

“Probably not,” Jeanne said, her bow raised. The arrow of golden light pulsed weakly. “But we humans are not exactly known for making good life choices.”

Santiago said nothing. He just let the flames build between his fingers.

Velrith’s smile widened. “How foolish… I have a question to ask you, the burgundy haired boy. ” He pointed at Filch and asked. “Do you know what happened to Sylvanna.”

Filch was clearly confused at the sudden question. “Who is that? Is that the name of the demon you sent to infiltrate this place?” His eyes narrowed as he remembered what had happened to Kaori.

The demon heard him and then nodded. “Yes…”

“Well she is dead…” Filch shrugged. “She was eaten by the dragon as I was told. I didn’t see that happening with my own eyes.”

The demon, Velrith seemed to have overjoyed at the answer. “So… she was successful. The Orb is within reach.”

Filch was confused… but not enough to not understand the last line. “Not so soon…”

“If you dare stand in our way, you will be turned to dust as well. Our Lord is waiting for Salvation… and we shall be the ones to free him from his torment.”

This statement was like the war drums for the chaos yet to unfold.

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