The ashes before Strife

Epiose 6 : Fox Fight ; 2

The demon wearing his white coat tumbled backward but quickly organized himself as he dug his orange sword into the ground sliding backward.

The crowd of adventurers had grown now since the start of the fight, I expected the demon to be getting shy from the attention but as I looked at him all I could see through his mask was a smile and emotions that screamed to fight!

It had been so long since I met someone who enjoyed fighting as much as i. However, I could tell he was holding something back something that could be detrimental if activated whenever I looked into his wavering passionate burning eyes, I felt it when we clashed with a small sense of wariness that stopped me from pushing him sooner but what was it?

I then rushed him with the edges of my staff covered in crackling thunder and he met me kindly throwing an ice javelin as he also ran forwards to clash blades.

I swatted the ice-made spear away landing next to an onlooker's head and met his blade with the end of my staff and we engaged into a barrage of attacks on each other running circles around ourselves just barely holding the advantage with my reach and frequent use of close-range small thunder orbs.

He managed to sneak in a kick to my ribs making them ache from the impact as I moved backward to stop his blade with the thunderous edge of my staff clashing with his orange sword he tried to slash down my shoulder with. We then both stood still for a moment and I watched the lightning get swallowed by the darkness leaking out of his dark orange sword spreading down the metal pole.

I bursted electricity through the large bluestone fighting the darkness back to the edges of my staff but I had miscalculated! I only realized it was a lure when I saw him now in close range impossible to run from swinging his sword widely with no chance to evade unless I used my full strength but even then I may... no wait. I've been using my full strength from the beginning, haven't I?

I a former high stage silver rank was going all out against a demon of mystery who had been keeping several hidden cards. In my excitement, I didn't realize it but now that I have a closer view of him he's emanating his dark magic in, frequent pulses steadily wearing me down from the inside disrupting my circuits! Perhaps I could do something similar to it with my lightning?

It's do or die! I circulated the magic inside me injecting as much of it into the crystal as possible with no plans to try and direct it but simply let it explode, Incursik seemed to notice I copied it off him now covering half his body closest to the blue orb in a dense layer of ice trying to accelerate his violet blade to strike me before I could release the spell.

Then an explosion of lightning with a loud boom echoed throughout the arena knocking the demon backward flying into the wall damaging it while I emerged unscathed with lightning crackling all around me.

I quickly ran up at him before he could get back to his feet placing the tip of my staff onto his neck "the test is over. please lower your weapon."

His purple sword was pointed straight at my eye, in the split second I lowered my defense to thrust at his neck, he planned to gouge out my eye! He was more than a genius prodigy for his age. He is an absolute freak of nature!

He then lowered his hand and laid his head back onto the cracked wall panting "so... do I pass?"

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly, I vanished my staff back into my void ring and extended my hand to pick him up "silver tier mid-rank. I'd say you passed with that result little cub." He then grabbed my wrist and I pulled him up followed by a round of applause and cheers from the celebrating crowd.

Albert rushed over covered in disbelief but we were both caught off guard when the demon got tackled face-first into the floor by a white wolf with a dark blue mane sniffing at him profusely on top of his back with concern filling its yellow eyes.

As he tried picking himself up Incursik spat out sand from his mouth "blegh! Lupra I'm fine see! Not injured at all you don't have to do anything drastic." The wolf then walked off his back and he stood up wiping the dirt off himself fixing his mask into place "so am I free to go now?"

"Not just yet Incursik" he looked over at Albert as he took off a necklace with two pendants one Y shaped the other made of 3 V's interlocking from the wolf's neck putting them around his in full view "we just need to get your rank card imprinted with your magic and then you are free to go." Incursik picked up his scabbards from the floor quickly and started following us down the corridor we originally emerged from.

We headed to my office on the top floor where I explained the protocol for dealing with demons. He was simply not allowed to be gone for more than a month without checking in but otherwise, he got lots of benefits such as an information lock and a 5% increase from monster parts he sold here.

"Alright, here you go little cub. Make sure not to lose that alright? It can act as ID and a coin card, and remember, Shelia will be the only other person in the guild who knows your a demon so make sure to get well acquainted with her when selling your beast cores and pelts." I slid the black card across the redwood desk with his name on it and he politely picked it up standing on the other side of my desk in my office with Albert standing beside me with a large window gleaming sunlight down my back and reflecting light off the demons bone mask

"But if I may little demon there's a question I wish to ask you." He looked at me skeptically as he sucked the card into the void ring on his necklace as the two silver pendants reflected light atop his blue shirt "what is the purpose of your journey?" He looked at me in confusion not expecting my question.

"Hmm, it's mostly so I can fund myself while looking for some people to who I owe everything."

Now intrigued I asked "Oh? Now could you tell me who these people are? I can put out a search warrant or bounty for them to help your little cub."

A smirk appeared through his mask "no thanks. It's something I need to do myself." Seeing the devotion he had in his eyes I didn't pursue any further.

"Alright, you may leave now. Albert make sure nothing bad happens!" The demon then walked away with his waving white coat as Albert escorted him downstairs. I leaned back into my leather chair and reminisced the fight "oh one more thing!" Incursik quickly turned around peering into me holding the door open "if you ever wish for a spar once more I'm happy to oblige."

Albert huffed annoyed while the demon smiled "I'll make sure to hold you to it, guild master." The two then left and I rubbed my right shoulder where the icicle he shot earlier hit me "that demon truly is a freak of nature. I look forward to what trouble he'll cause in the future."