Orion let out a bitter laugh, rough and broken, catching in his throat. His legs trembled as claws scraped against the pavement, sparks dancing in the dark. The demons had closed in, a wall of teeth and hunger circling tighter with every step.
If this was it, if this was really how he was going out, there was one small comfort: maybe Grandma hadn't been torn apart yet. Maybe this nightmare was his alone.
There were no other people in sight - no neighbours, no police, not even a single scream.
It was just him.
And somehow, even with death at his throat, that fascinated him.
'This isn't a normal space. It feels… separate. Like I've been dragged into a dream realm, or maybe only I got pulled into this hellhole. If it's true, then my body's safe, right? Or… maybe not.'
He clenched his fists. 'Either way, I can't die yet.'
'Not before finishing every webnovel in my library. Not before losing my virginity.'
His eyes snapped open, teeth gritted. It was stupid. His priorities were superficial, to say the least. But the thought lit a fire in his chest, raw adrenaline roaring through his veins like liquid fire.
And if death was inevitable, he'd drag a few of these disgusting monsters down with him.
One slime-slick gremlin crept closer, its claws twitching.
"Not today!"
Orion lunged. His slipper connected with its face. The creature shrieked and stumbled back into the swarm. Another came, and Orion slashed wildly with the kitchen knife he'd grabbed from Grandma Hargrove's house.
And to his own shock, he was cutting them down. The small creatures shrieked as steel tore through limbs and skulls. For a fleeting heartbeat, Orion felt almost proud.
But it didn't last.
Clang!
The knife flew from his grip, clattering uselessly across the pavement as claws raked across his arm. Pain lanced through him, three jagged gashes wrapping around his forearm and dripping blood. He barely had time to groan before a splash of acid hit his chest. His hoodie sizzled, fabric melting away in smoking holes.
"Goddamn it - this was my favourite hoodie!"
The words came out half snarl, half whimper. Without the knife to prop up his flimsy confidence, and with the sheer number of demons pressing in, Orion felt whatever scraps of hope he had left wither. Worse, the bigger ones hadn't even moved yet.
His chest heaved. Blood slicked his arm. His back pressed against cold brick as the swarm closed in. But they weren't rushing him anymore. No - these things were circling, snapping their claws and baring jagged teeth, taking turns lunging close just to make him flinch. They were toying with him, savouring the fear, like cats drawing out the death of a mouse.
Then one broke from the ring.
It was child-sized, but nothing human - its claws long as kitchen knives, its jaw splitting far too wide. Rows upon rows of teeth glistened, a grotesque maw stretching open as it launched for Orion's head.
"Shit-!"
It was midair, moments from chomping off his head when...
Shing!
The sound sliced the night. A silver arc tore through the dark like lightning. A roar followed, guttural and pained, shaking Orion to his core.
But that wasn't what shocked him.
Hands - no, talons - latched onto his hoodie. His shoulders yanked back as the ground vanished beneath his feet.
"What the fuuuuu-!"
The monster's claws slashed empty air as Orion shot upward. He flailed, eyes wide, breath ragged, as the world blurred.
He glanced left. He glanced right.
Two birds.
On second thought, not birds. More like beasts.
They were crows, ravens, or something in between. But they were massive, each the size of an eagle. Their wings churned the night like storm clouds, their talons hooked deep into his hoodie, hauling him up as if he weighed nothing.
"These are some strong fucking birds…"
They didn't falter. Didn't even struggle. With terrifying ease, they flapped him over rooftops and deposited him gently on the shingles of a nearby house.
'That was a nice ride,' Orion thought to himself as he landed on shaky knees, lungs pumping like bellows.
That's when the shadows stirred beside him.
A figure melted into existence from the darkness itself, draped in flowing black robes. A hood obscured its face entirely. Every inch of skin was hidden, save for the eyes - if they could even be called that.
Twin pools of endless black. No white. No light. Just void.
'Overkill much,' Orion thought to himself, heart still hammering. 'But damn, he does look pretty cool.'
The figure didn't move. Didn't speak. It only stood, tall and unyielding, like a reaper watching its crop ripen. There was something sinister about him.
"T-Thanks," Orion stammered. Words felt clumsy, his mouth dry. This guy, this being, had saved his life with those birds of his that now settled on his shoulders. So… villain or not, which was very likely considering his appearance, he wasn't complaining.
But then Orion saw him - the source of the flash of light and the wails of agony from the demons.
And for a moment, he forgot how to breathe and was wholly focused on him.
Silver hair. Eyes like liquid steel. A blade in his hand that shimmered brighter than the moon.
'So that's an Exorcist...'
Orion wasn't sure what to say or think; he was simply in awe.
Below on the street was pandemonium, a living tide of demons writhing and shrieking. Yet the man moved through them like a phantom, his form blurring at the edges, every motion impossibly fast, precise, and devastatingly elegant.
The largest demon, a six-armed titan tearing its way out of a ruined roof, bellowed, its claws descending with the weight of an avalanche.
Shing!
In a single gleam of silver, two arms fell cleanly away. Ichor fountained into the night like a ruptured hydrant, painting the street in black. The titan's scream rattled windows, a sound of pure rage and agony.
But the swordsman was already in motion. His feet kissed the ground only to launch him higher, his blade singing arcs of silver that split the air itself. Each slash loosed crescent waves of energy that carved deep through flesh and bone, ripping the titan apart piece by piece until its massive body toppled in a shower of limbs and dark, viscous blood.
The air itself seemed to shift.
Every demon nearby, from the snarling imps that had been toying with Orion to the larger beasts circling in the shadows, turned toward the silver-haired man. The same power that made him a threat drew them in like moths to flame.
Hunger and hatred burned in their eyes.
Orion's own eyes tracked everything, as much as his stunned brain would allow. Strike after impossible strike. Bodies falling apart before he even registered the motion. Shock piled on shock until his thoughts jammed like broken machinery. He wasn't even processing anymore - his mind had gone numb, overloaded by the sheer impossibility of what he was seeing and experiencing.
The swarm froze, guttural howls fading to uneasy growls. Their claws scraped the pavement, an orchestra of tension and dread.
A few broke first, driven by madness or desperation. They lunged, only to be carved down before their feet even touched the ground. Heads spun away, bodies collapsing in neat, bloodied halves.
The rest faltered. Fear spread like fire in a wooden house. Then chaos erupted again, but not toward Orion - away from him. Dozens of demons scattered, trampling one another in their frantic scramble to flee into the night.
Orion couldn't move. Couldn't think. His heart thundered, his jaw hung slack.
Meanwhile, the man calmly pressed a hand to his ear, voice cold and low. "It's just a swarm of lesser demons and has been taken care of." He paused, blade dripping black blood, his steel gaze narrowing.
"As for the energy spike…" His tone dipped darker, ominous. "…I think I know the cause."
He clenched the hilt of his blade tightly and couldn't help but tense up slightly. 'The demons were nothing to worry about, and any half-capable exorcist squad would have been fine. But him…'
The silver-haired man turned, as if drawn by Orion's fascinated expression. His eyes - cold, merciless, piercing as blades - locked onto him.
Orion's awe quickly curdled into fear.
Because those eyes didn't look at him like a person.
They looked at him like he was worse than the demons he had just faced.