The battle continued with unbridled ferocious as Damon drove his sword cleanly through the chest of his second demon, ending its life with precision.
He pulled his blade free, watching the creature slump lifelessly to the ground.
Thud!
The sound was nothing too loud but it sounded in the hearts of everyone present. Another demon was dead.
Turning his gaze to the last remaining demon, he lunged toward it, determined to claim the final kill.
But just as he reached the creature, Daveon darted in from the side, his twin daggers flashing in the harsh light as he struck at the demon first.
“Too slow, Damon,” Daveon called out, his voice tinged with smugness.
Damon skidded to a halt, sheathing his sword with a growl of annoyance. “Fine. It’s yours. Don’t take too long, though.”
Miss Leana, standing off to the side, observed the unfolding fight with crossed arms and a faint smile. Damon joined her, still scowling but willing to bide his time as he watched.
Daveon circled the demon, which was visibly more powerful than the others they had faced.
While the previous demons were newly advanced to Grade Six, this one stood at the very peak of its grade, its movements more fluid, its attacks more calculated.
“It’s strong,” Damon remarked, wiping sweat from his brow as he watched Daveon dodge a flurry of strikes. “Definitely not like the others.”
Leana nodded. “This one’s at the top of its grade. That’s why it’s putting up more of a fight.”
Daveon’s movements were quick and precise, but the demon matched him with brutal efficiency. Its claws swiped through the air, narrowly missing him as he weaved and ducked.
Daveon slashed with one of his daggers, landing a shallow cut on the demon’s side, but the creature didn’t even flinch.
“He’s struggling,” Damon said, his brow furrowing.
Leana’s gaze remained fixed on the fight. “He’ll figure it out. If not…” She turned her head slightly toward Damon. “You’re welcome to step in if he fails.”
Damon smirked at her response. “And by fail, you mean if he gets knocked out or worse, right?”
“Exactly,” Leana confirmed.
Damon leaned casually against a nearby rock, his smirk growing. “Not that I think he’ll lose, but just in case… you’d let me handle it?”
Leana glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You don’t think he’ll lose, but you’re already planning to step in? That doesn’t sound very supportive.”
Damon chuckled. “I’m just being practical. You never know.” He paused, then added with a sly grin, “And what if he loses because of someone else’s actions? I can still take over, right?”
Leana caught the glint in his eyes and immediately understood his implication. She raised an eyebrow. “If Daveon loses because of outside interference—your interference—then he’ll resume the fight, and whoever caused the disruption will be disqualified from participating. That clear enough for you?”
Damon laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Crystal clear, Miss Leana.”
He turned his attention back to the battle. Daveon was still holding his own, but the fight was taking its toll.
Clang!
Bang!!
The demon was relentless, its strikes coming faster and harder as it pushed him to his limits.
Sweat dripped from Damon’s nose and chin as he watched, the heat of the barren land finally continued cooking him up from the inside. He noticed Leana standing beside him, perfectly composed despite the sweltering temperature.
“How are you not sweating in this heat?” he asked, his tone incredulous.
Leana smirked. “It’s a meditation technique. With enough practice, you can regulate your body temperature even in extreme conditions like this.”
Anaya who’d just finished off her demon as well, joined them at that moment, her curiosity piqued. “Miss Leana, could you teach us that technique? It’d be really useful out here.”
Leana didn’t respond immediately. She watched Daveon’s battle for a few moments, her expression unreadable. Finally, she turned to Anaya and Damon with a faint smile. “I’ll teach it as a reward—for whoever wins against that demon.”
Both Damon and Anaya perked up at her words, their competitive spirits reigniting.
Anaya stepped forward, ready to volunteer. “In that case—”
Leana grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her back before she could finish. At the same time, she stopped Damon, who had also started moving toward the fight.
“Neither of you are stepping in,” Leana said firmly. “Not until Daveon is either incapacitated or completely unable to continue. And even then, only one of you can fight the demon at a time.”
Damon sighed in frustration but sat down on the heated ground, accepting her rules for the moment. He leaned back, wiping more sweat from his face.
“He’s going to win,” Damon said confidently, watching as Daveon continued to trade blows with the demon. “It’ll take time, but he’s got this.”
Leana nodded slightly, though her eyes remained focused on the fight.
The battle between Daveon and the demon grew fiercer by the second. The demon lunged at him, claws slashing wildly, but Daveon ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the attack.
He countered with a quick strike to the demon’s leg, causing it to stumble slightly, but it quickly recovered, snarling with rage.
Daveon’s face was set in a determined scowl as he moved with calculated precision, looking for an opening to land a decisive blow.
Discover hidden stories at empire
The fight reached its peak when Daveon, spotting his chance, clenched his fist tightly around one of his daggers.
With a burst of speed, he closed the distance between himself and the demon, driving his fist into its jaw with all his strength.
The impact sent the demon hurtling into the air, its body spinning before crashing back to the ground several feet away.
Damon, watching from the sidelines, smirked. “He really doesn’t know when to quit, does he?”
Leana’s expression softened, a hint of pride flickering in her eyes. “He’s got more fight in him than most people give him credit for.”
Damon stretched his legs out, relaxing as he watched Daveon close in on the fallen demon. “Let’s see how he finishes this.”