Boom!
The sound reverberated through the Moonlight Forest as the demon's attack missed Alex. Without pause, the abyssal creature launched a flurry of strikes. Alex dodged each blow, retreating step by step, gradually distancing himself from the village until the two of them vanished into the depths of the woods.
Slowly but surely, the demon began to understand his tactic. Half a second later, it extended an empty hand—and a massive axe materialized within its grasp. Alex caught sight of the movement, and the demon exploded forward, swinging the axe in a brutal, sweeping arc.
Reacting with lightning speed, Alex unfastened his scabbard, drew his blade, and raised it above his head in one smooth motion—far too fast for the eye to follow.
The axe slammed against Alex's weapon with such violence that the ground cracked beneath his feet. A chill ran up his spine as he thought:
He's insanely strong. I'm honestly surprised I'm still in one piece. And the craziest part? My sword barely took a scratch.
The demon immediately followed with another strike, but this time Alex shifted the blow aside with a subtle twist and stepped away. A second attack came from the opposite side; again, he deflected it by lowering his stance. Every wild swing that followed met the same fate—redirected cleanly by Alex's two-handed greatsword, as he moved only by the bare minimum needed.
Every ounce of the demon's force was nullified.
And Alex… was enjoying himself.
It's weird, but physically, this demon isn't any stronger than Arthur when he's not using magic. Arthur always held back for my sake… even when he promised to try his best. Which means this thing doesn't stand a chance.
Still retreating, Alex baited the demon into a horizontal strike aimed straight at him. Rather than blocking, he lunged forward with a smile and sliced the creature's foot clean off, then severed the arm wielding the axe, and finally slashed across its chest.
The demon's eyes flared. Its arm regenerated violently, and it lunged, punching with enough force to shatter the earth. Alex leapt back just in time—but in an instant, the demon's blood twisted into massive serpents that struck toward him.
His senses razor-sharp, Alex dodged them with acrobatic leaps and spins before cutting each serpent down.
Fully regenerated, the demon emerged once more, conjuring another axe as it launched an oblique strike at Alex mid-air. Alex parried with a single arm—but the impact hurled him into a distant tree.
For a moment, the two stared at each other.
Then Alex's lips curled into a bright, unrestrained grin.
I don't know why… but something's firing up inside me. Adrenaline's rushing, my senses are blazing… and I want to play with this demon. It's almost exhilarating.
His breathing deepened.
Come on. Show me what you've got. Let me unleash just a bit of madness.
The demon conjured a second axe and charged. Alex watched it come, still smiling. When the creature cleaved through the first tree, Alex leapt to another. When the second fell, he jumped again. But the demon eventually adapted—cutting a tree at just the right moment to meet Alex mid-leap, slamming an attack toward him.
Alex blocked it but was thrown backward. He landed on another trunk just as it was being split. He bounded away again—but in mid-air, the demon assaulted him from multiple sides. Alex redirected every strike despite twisting wildly in the air.
And it didn't stop—two simultaneous horizontal blows came next. Alex responded by flattening himself mid-air, letting both attacks whistle past.
He landed, only to be chased relentlessly through the forest. This time, he didn't dodge or deflect—he returned every strike as he backed away. Yet the demon, like a predator unshaken by pain, stayed on him.
The two fought between the trees, exchanging blows, until they reached the edge of a slope. Alex blocked another axe swing and twisted to avoid falling.
The demon unleashed a powerful blow—but Alex sent it back with a grin. A second came. Same result.
Then the creature increased its speed.
Despite the size and weight of his greatsword, Alex wielded it with unnatural ease, batting away every strike even as the demon's strength grew.
And he smiled—like someone possessed.
A flicker of unease crossed the demon's eyes. It watched its own arms and blood flying apart. It tried to move—only to collapse, its feet already severed. Alex leapt forward and kicked it in the throat, sending the demon sliding helplessly down the slope. It regenerated while sliding, but Alex chased after it with the laughter of a madman echoing behind him.
Terrified, the demon launched more serpents, but Alex cut them down one-handed as he ran faster and faster downhill. The demon reached the bottom and rose—Alex was already upon him. It tried again to summon serpents, but Alex shredded them instantly, then leapt with his greatsword lifted high.
"It's time to end this!!!"
But just as he brought the blade down—
Nope. Too obvious.
He stomped on the demon's chest and flipped backwards, retreating.
A purple magic circle bloomed beneath the demon, and a cold voice rang out:
"Reaper."
And slowly, the demon's body was cleaved perfectly in half.
END OF THE CHAPTER
NEXT CHAPTER : Royal Academy (prelude)