In that brief moment of vulnerability for Damien, Fenrir and Cerbe flanked the demon, coordinating their attacks to keep it off balance. They couldn’t allow it deal any more attacks on their summoner.
Another attack would spell doom for their summoner, themselves, and the town as whole as Damien was the one keeping the demon at bay.
Roaaaar!
Fenrir lunged for its legs, its powerful jaws snapping down on one of its ankles, while Cerbe targeted its torso with a barrage of fiery bites.
The demon fought back viciously, its tail whipping through the air with deadly precision.
Boom!
It struck Fenrir, sending the wolf crashing into a nearby building, but the summon quickly recovered, its massive form shaking off the debris as it rejoined the fight.
Damien quickly regained his balance, moving to rejoin the battle immediately. Even as his head throbbed in sync with his internal injuries, he refused to give up now.
Damien pressed his advantage, using his speed to land precise strikes on the demon’s joints and weak points.
His attacks, combined with those of his summons, began to wear the creature down.
Damien barked a sharp command to his summons, Fenrir and Cerbe, ordering them to engage the demon and keep its attention locked on them. “Keep it occupied for me while I prepare to defeat it.”
The monstrous wolf and the three-headed hellhound stepped forward, their eyes locked on the towering demon. Their combined attacks were both fierce and relentless as the attacked the demon from all corners.
Even when one was throwing away, the other managed to keep it occupied until the second rejoined the battle.
Their goal wasn’t to overwhelm the demon but to buy Damien the time he needed to execute his plan.
Stepping back from the chaotic melee, Damien focused inward. He began activating his arsenal of skills, each one building upon the last to amplify his power.
(Advanced Flame Magic) ignited his sword, the flames engulfing his prized blade with an intense red glow.
(Wind Manipulation) wrapped around his body, augmenting his speed and agility far beyond what was humanly possible.
(Advanced Earth Manipulation) surged beneath his feet, extending tendrils of hardened rock toward the demon’s legs to hold it in place.
As the demon lashed out against his summons, Damien silently poured his magic essence into his flaming sword, amplifying the intensity of the fire until the blade burned as bright as molten steel.
Damien’s wind skill accelerated his movements, making him a blur as he darted around the battlefield, closing in on the demon from behind.
The demon roared, its reptilian eyes narrowing as it sensed Damien’s approach.
However, its legs had becomenhelf in place by the earth skill Damien had activated.Before the demon could react, Fenrir bit into its arm with powerful jaws while Cerbe unleashed a stream of crimson fire from one of its heads, forcing the demon to stagger back, breaking free from the leg restrictions Damien had placed but it didn’t matter.
They’d distracted the demon king enough for Damien to complete his preparation.
The momentary distraction was all Damien needed. With his wind skill propelling him, he launched himself into the air, hurtling toward the demon like a blazing comet.
Hie flaming sword was aimed at the creature’s exposed back, the heat radiating from the blade enough to even ignite the air around him.
“This ends now!” Damien shouted, his voice filled with determination and fury. This one was definitely responsible or leading the demon horde here to interrupt his sleep.
But as he neared the demon, something snapped him back to reality—he had forgotten about the demon’s tail.
With terrifying speed, the demon’s serrated tail whipped toward Damien, slicing through the air like a blade.
Swoooosh…
Damien barely managed to twist his body midair, using his wind skill to pivot and avoid a direct hit.
The tail missed him by a hair’s breadth but struck the ground with such force that it carved a deep trench, sending chunks of earth flying in all directions.
The tail wasn’t done. In one fluid motion, it lashed out again, faster and more vicious this time. Damien gritted his teeth and raised his flaming sword, determined to sever the tail once and for all. If the tail was out of the way, it would be easier to land his blow.
With a fierce swing, Damien brought the blade down on the tail. “Get lost already!” Damien roared.
For a moment, it seemed as though he had succeeded—the blade made contact, and a thin horizontal line appeared where the flames had scorched the tail’s tough hide.
But then, disaster struck.
The demon’s tail proved stronger than Damien had anticipated. The flames dimmed, and the pressure from the strike traveled back through the blade.
Snap!
A muffled sound echoed through the battlefield as the sword broke clean in two, the upper half clattering uselessly to the ground.
Damien’s eyes widened in shock, but he had no time to process what had happened. The tail came around once more, striking him with devastating force.
The impact sent Damien hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.
Boooom!!
Damien slammed into the ground with a bone-shaking crash, the sheer force of the blow driving him three meters into the dirt. Dust and debris filled the air as his body lay crumpled in the newly formed crater.
Pain shot through every inch of his body. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. For a moment, the world seemed to blur, the edges of his vision darkening.
“This… isn’t over,” Damien muttered weakly, his fingers clawing at the dirt as he tried to push himself up. “Not in the slightest!”
Then, amidst the haze of pain, a familiar sound rang in his ears.
Ding!
A notification from his system appeared in his mind’s eye, its golden text cutting through the fog of his thoughts.
«Your summon, Luton, has advanced to Grade Three!»
Relief flooded through Damien as he processed the message. Luton, his trusty slime, had finally reached the same rank as Fenrir and Cerbe.
“I was wondering when you’d show up,” Damien muttered with a weak grin.