Chapter 11 – A New Prey and the Demon's Pursuit
The battle was unfolding in a way none of them had expected. The Demon General towered over them, his eyes glowing with an eerie, malevolent light. The air was thick with tension as the S-Rank Hunter squared off against the monstrous being, his body bruised from the previous fight with the Demon Ape. The A-Rank guard stood by his side, weapons drawn and ready for anything, but it was clear that they were both outclassed.
Blue stood quietly at the edge of the clearing, his gaze fixed on the conflict. His mind was already working, calculating his next move. He could feel the intensity of the situation, the weight of every second that passed as the battle between the S-Rank Hunter and the Demon General raged on.
Then, with a voice that carried a sense of urgency, the S-Rank Hunter spoke.
"Run." His words were quick, his face grim. He glanced at the trio with an intensity that could only be described as desperate. "I'm only a Level 1 S-Rank… I'm new to this rank. You need to run. The Demon General is far more powerful than you can even understand, even for an S-Rank."
Celia's eyes widened in shock as the weight of his words sank in. She glanced at Lyra, her expression one of disbelief, but Lyra could only nod, her face pale with fear. They had faced powerful enemies before, but this was beyond anything they had ever imagined. The Demon General was an enemy of the world itself. The things they had heard, the legends… it all came crashing down now, in the face of the terrifying creature standing before them.
The S-Rank Hunter raised his sword, the blade shimmering with magical energy. "You don't stand a chance. I'll hold him off, but you have to run."
Lyra's voice quivered. "A real Demon… enemies of the world… and he's a General Class… We—We have to run, don't we?"
Blue, who had been silently observing the unfolding chaos, finally spoke. His voice was quiet but unwavering. "System, what are demons?"
The System's response was instantaneous, its cold, emotionless tone cutting through the tension in the air.
"Demons are a race of evil creatures that exist to destroy and corrupt all life forms. They view all living creatures as inferior, except for dragons. Their strength is unmatched, especially among those of General rank or higher."
Blue's mind raced as he processed the information. Demons. A race of evil beings bent on annihilation, their hatred for life forms clear in every word the System had just spoken. But there was more.
"Demon Generals are extremely powerful. They are ranked according to their strength, with both lower and higher ranks among them. The demons are ruled by the 10 Royal Demons. If you ever encounter a Royal Demon, your only option is to run."
Blue's eyes narrowed. He had been sensing the threat for a while now. The Demon General's presence was a foreboding one, and his instincts had told him something more was lurking in the shadows. The General was here for them, for Blue.
At that moment, the A-Rank guard, driven by desperation, rushed forward, aiming to buy the S-Rank Hunter some time. With a swift, powerful motion, he launched a series of attacks, the crackling energy of his magic lighting up the battlefield.
The S-Rank Hunter shouted, "No, don't!"
But it was too late.
In a flash, the Demon General's clawed hand cut through the air with an unsettling, almost casual grace. The A-Rank guard's head was gone before anyone could even react, a clean, horrifying strike. His body stood for a heartbeat longer, a grotesque puppet of death, before it crumpled to the ground in a heap, the gory spray of blood soaking the earth in an instant. The silence that followed was deafening, the reality of the act settling in like a cold weight, leaving them all frozen in shock.
Celia and Lyra froze. Their bodies refused to move, paralyzed by the horror of the scene before them. The suddenness, the brutality—it was too much for them to process. Their minds struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed. Fear had frozen them in place, leaving them vulnerable to the ever-growing sense of doom that pressed in around them.
The S-Rank Hunter gritted his teeth and lunged again, slashing with everything he had. His blade clashed against the Demon General's claws, sparks flying as the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
But it was useless.
The Demon General wasn't fighting.
He was playing.
A clawed hand lashed out—faster than the eye could track—smashing into the Hunter's ribs with a sickening crack. He was sent flying, his body folding in half mid-air before he slammed into the ground. A choked gasp escaped him as blood burst from his mouth.
But the Demon General didn't let him rest.
Before the Hunter could even process the pain, a shadow loomed over him. A clawed foot stomped down onto his back, grinding him into the dirt.
A sickening pop.
His shoulder dislocated.
The Hunter screamed.
But the Demon General wasn't done.
He grabbed the Hunter's arm and—like a child pulling the wings off an insect—twisted.
Bones shattered.
Another scream tore through the air. Agonized. Weak. Hopeless.
The Demon General tilted his head, eyes gleaming with amusement. "You're weaker than I expected."
His voice was smooth. Unbothered.
The Hunter wanted to say something. A retort. A curse. Anything. But the weight on his chest made it impossible to speak.
Then—
The pressure disappeared.
The Demon General stepped back, exhaling as if the fight had grown boring.
"Not yet," he mused. "Not when I've only just begun."
It was worse than death.
Because it meant he wasn't done playing.
A deep, cold fear settled into the Hunter's bones. We were never meant to survive this fight.
The Demon General stopped.
For ten agonizing seconds, there was nothing but silence. The forest stood still, the air thick with anticipation. The S-Rank Hunter, panting and covered in wounds, stood frozen, waiting. His eyes never left the Demon General's.
Celia and Lyra, still paralyzed by fear, watched in disbelief. What was happening? Why had the Demon General stopped?
Without warning, the Demon General disappeared. One moment it was standing before them, and the next—it was gone.
And then Blue moved. A shift in the atmosphere, so subtle it might've been missed by anyone else, but not by him. He felt it—the change in the Demon General's demeanor. It wasn't a sign of weakness, not exactly. But it was a sign. Something had shifted.
The instant the air shifted, the very moment Blue sensed the danger looming, he was already gone. In a single, imperceptible blink, his presence vanished, swallowed by the fabric of reality itself. Like a phantom, his body dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only the echo of a decision made with chilling certainty.
---
The serene surroundings of the kingdom were a stark contrast to the chaos they had just escaped. Blue showed his S-Rank Kingdom badge to the guards at the entrance, who immediately acknowledged him with respect. They took Celia and Lyra into their care, but Blue's cold gaze remained fixed on the horizon. He could still feel the Demon General's presence lurking out there.
The General was angry.
The Demon General's voice rumbled in his mind, low and menacing. "So I was right, stupid kid… He kept healing you every time you got injured, so the battle dragged on… And now he even has a teleportation ability."
The Demon General's laughter rumbled in his chest. "Seems like I have a new prey to dissect."
The S-Rank Hunter, still struggling to stay conscious, rasped, his voice barely audible. "That kid… he kept me alive?"
And then, with a flicker of movement, Blue reappeared beside the S-Rank Hunter, his presence a calm in the chaos.
"Let's finish this properly, shall we?" Blue's voice was low, but there was an undeniable certainty to it.
The battle wasn't over—not yet.