Dan looked at the group, his mind racing. "What's our move?"
"We head to the cave, obviously," Liam replied without a second thought.
"What are you talking about?" Joffrey exploded in rage. "Look at my wounded! Do you want them dead?"
"They can head back to the colony we cleared," Liam said calmly, unfazed by Joffrey's outburst. "It's in the opposite direction."
Joffrey fell silent, momentarily convinced.
"Honestly, returning to the colony might be for the best," Roen added, taking a deep breath. "Now that we know a demon is involved, he might have set traps."
"The Boss must die as soon as possible," Liam insisted, his eyes blazing with determination. "The wounded won't last long anyway."
Seeing the deadlock, Cain intervened. "Let's vote."
"I vote to return to the colony," Cain declared firmly.
"And I vote to fight the demon," Joffrey said, his voice surprisingly quiet. All eyes turned to him. "Don't look at me like that... my men will go to the colony, but Liam is right. The injured won't survive until morning."
The weight of the decision fell on Dan. He sighed; suddenly, he was the judge of their fate. After a long pause, he looked at them. "I vote to fight."
As the remnants of Joffrey's group retreated toward the colony, the remaining four followed Joffrey back to the cave.
"What are the demon's abilities?" Liam asked, his tone sharp.
Joffrey shuddered as the memories resurfaced. "He's a mage... Lightning element. But don't be fooled; his speed is terrifying, and his physical strength is just as lethal." He gripped his sword until his knuckles turned white. "He could have killed us all in a heartbeat, but he didn't. He played with us. He'd give us a thread of hope, only to shred it with cold indifference."
Joffrey's eyes reddened with fury. "Anyone who showed fear... he killed them instantly."
"So, he breaks his prey's spirit before the kill," Dan noted, staring at Joffrey. "I'm glad you made it out of his clutches."
Joffrey didn't respond. He continued walking with tense steps until they reached the mouth of the cave. It was empty. The silence was bone-chilling.
"Company..." a voice whispered.
They spun around. The demon was standing right behind them. He was drenched in blood—not his own. His wide, haunting smile preceded his words.
"Oh... hello again. It's been a while, hasn't it, Joffrey?" He tilted his head playfully. "That boy... the one whose leg I severed? He kept screaming your name until he died. He called you a coward, a traitor. It was so pitiful that I decided to... end his suffering myself."
A strangled cry tore from Joffrey's throat. He charged blindly, but Dan caught his shoulder, holding him back.
"Everyone... ATTACK!" Liam roared, drawing his weapon.
The battle began, and Dan realized the gap immediately. This demon was B-rank, maybe higher. Comparing him to the Prairie Bear was like comparing a tiger to a house cat. Yet, for a moment, they held their own.
Joffrey fought with suicidal rage. Liam surged forward, his blade flickering, but the demon parried with a casual electrical palm strike that sent Liam reeling. Cain summoned a sandstorm to bind the demon's limbs.
"Sand... exquisite. I haven't seen that before," the demon mused, effortlessly snapping the earthen bindings.
Roen was different. His body crackled with blue lightning as he unleashed a massive bolt at the demon's chest. The demon simply leaned aside, laughing. "Lightning? How marvelous. You use the same element as me."
Dan lunged from the flank, his blade grazing the demon's side. Sparks flew, leaving a shallow cut. But what truly chilled Dan wasn't the demon's power—it was his smile. It never wavered. Even as he grew slightly winded, he looked like he was having the time of his life.
"You truly are interesting," the demon said, pointing at Roen. "Perhaps... I might actually die."
His expression shifted into a jagged, horrific grin. "Or so... you hope."
Suddenly, a gout of flame erupted from the forest behind them. Dan had no time to dodge. The heat was blinding.
"DAN!"
Roen shoved him aside, taking the blast head-on. Dan hit the ground, gasping. When he looked up, his heart stopped.
More than half of Roen's body was charred. Smoke rose from his wounds, his face a mask of agony, yet he remained standing.
A second demon stepped out from the shadows. He was massive, with twisted horns and eyes like burning coals.
"Falric... you are annoying," the giant demon growled. "I don't know why I put up with you."
"Why not have a little fun?" Falric, the first demon, replied smoothly.
Two demons. The realization hit them like a physical blow. Roen was crippled. Their chances had dropped to zero.
Falric moved like a blur, his claws tearing through Liam's defenses and throwing him against the stone wall. Cain tried to intervene with his sand, but Falric was faster. His long claws plunged deep into Cain's chest.
Cain's eyes widened in disbelief. Blood filled his mouth, a gurgling sound his only farewell before he collapsed.
"NO!" Dan screamed, firing a blood bullet, but Falric dodged it with contemptuous ease.
On the other side, the giant demon slammed into Joffrey. Roen, trembling and bleeding, stood by Joffrey's side for one last stand. But the giant raised a hand, conjuring a massive fireball.
"NO—!" Roen tried to block it, but the flames swallowed Joffrey whole. A piercing scream rang out, followed by the sight of a charred corpse falling to the dirt.
Dan went berserk. His sword glowed with a dark, cursed aura. He prepared one final blood bullet, pouring every drop of his life force into it.
He never got to fire.
Falric appeared in front of him, his eyes sparkling with lightning. He thrust his claws directly through Dan's chest.
Dan gasped, blood spilling from his lips. His sword hit the ground with a cold, metallic ring.
"You were fun... until the end," Falric whispered.
The last thing Dan saw was Roen's burned face and Liam's desperate, hopeless struggle. Then, the world went black.
_______
"The injured won't survive until morning," Joffrey said, pointing to Liam.
Dan blinked. He looked around, his chest heaving. Roen had no burns. Joffrey and Cain... were alive.
He was back.
"Dan," Cain called out, his voice serious. "What's your vote?"
Dan took a long, deep breath, the phantom pain of the claws still lingering in his chest.
"Let's return to the colony," Dan said firmly.