14 Almost

The plan is simple. We will corner all three demons, launch water attacks and then deliver lightning attacks. It can stun them and damage them! And then we kill them. Two birds with one stone!

See? It's simple!

Licht and Hiiro-san doesn't seem to agree though.

"That's the craziest plan I've ever heard." Hiiro-san says. "It has a lot of holes and what if things go wrong in the beginning?"

"Every plan can go wrong Hiiro-san."

"What if they're resistant to lightning attacks?" Licht asks.

I shrug my shoulders. I already checked. None of them are resistant to such attacks. But I can't exactly say that directly. They might ask how I knew and I don't really feel like explaining my <Appraisal> skill and about Slayer.

"Most demons aren't, unless they're born with it." I answer. "With the time you spent running away from them, have they shown such resistance?"

He's being silent. He obviously doesn't know. Or maybe he doesn't want to share?

"Just follow my plan. If it doesn't work then we'll look for another way to get them under control."

"Fine. What do you want us to do?"

I immediately give them the tasks they're supposed to perform for the plan. Of course Licht is the one with the biggest role, being the bait and all.

"Are you seriously going to try to kill them?" Licht asks. "Not even Hiiro and the onmyoujis were able to."

"It's because their ways aren't effective on them. I suppose you used to be able to handle them but right now you can't. You still haven't shared why you have the [Curse of Depravity] and who gave it to you."

I'm really curious about it but Licht is good at keeping himself mum from revealing such sensitive information.

"You haven't told me how you knew." he retorts.

"Fair point. But you won't believe me if I tell you."

"I've seen a lot of things April. Try me."

"Maybe. Now… any requests before you go out there and get the demons' attention?"

"I don't know who gave me the curse you know, but those lower demons work for someone, they're bound to know."

He's got a point.

"Spare the one with the bird's face. He needs to be interrogated."

Bird's face?

Licht points to a direction and I follow hit. I look into the distance and see the only demon in it. He's not difficult to miss; after all he's big and he's the only demon among the three with dark brown wings.

Right. Bird's face.

He literally has a bird's face.

I watch as Licht run to the direction of the nearest demon. I watch not that far from the little demon so I can respond if something suddenly goes wrong. Hiiro-san and some of his comrades are already waiting in the area we're planning to corner them, preparing to launch attacks once the demons are on sight.

Unfortunately, nothing really goes according to plan. That should be true in just about everything. Small slip ups happen all the time and if not taken action immediately then the results can be disastrous.

Of all things holy, Licht just suddenly tripped on a protruding concrete debris and fell face first to the broken road.

Oh my gods. Please tell me that did not just happen.

I witnessed it so there was not use denying it. Worse, the demons are all closing in on the small demon who's groaning in pain.

I swear this day is just getting even weirder and worse. I have to make a move or else Licht will be in danger. The little brat may not like me but he has been an important housemate for everyone. I'm not about to let him get killed.

I activate <Flash Step> and I immediately zoom in on Licht.

"Earth Magic: Rock Wall!"

A wall of earth emerges between Licht and the demons which deflects their strike on him.

"Lightning Magic: Thunderstorm!"

Tendrils of lightning dances in the area where the demons are and hits them each with low level bolts of lightning.

"Fire Magic: Fireworks!"

I shoot balls of fire up in the air and they all blow up creating red colored fireworks. Other than its stunning beauty, I just used the fire spell <Fireworks> as a signal to Hiiro-san and his men that something happened and we need to use Plan B.

Yes, we have Plan B. I just did not think we will have to use it because of such a slip up.

"Licht! Get out of there, now!"

I wrap my body in lightning and lunge at the demons who are still stunned at the lightning spell I launched at them. I punch the one with bull horns in the head, cutting the skin and he starts bleeding. Next, I give a roundhouse kick to the closest demon, which happens to be the one Licht asked to spare for interrogation, and he is thrown a few feet away from us. I then run towards the last demon and throw a spear made of ice.

Damn! He managed to evade it!

I throw another five spears and two of them manage to pin him to one of the bigger concrete debris by the shoulder.

It's not enough to hold them down.

I send bolts of lightning to the demons for good measure. And I can't help but sigh at the sight at them twitching.

Was it too much?

"April! Licht! Get away from them now!" I hear Hiiro-san shout but I already I'm not going to listen to him. These demons are probably the only ones that can answer my question.

Like who the hell was that Lloyd look-alike that killed everyone else in Hope Orphanage. I've got a bone to pick with him.

I make my way to the demon nearest to me, the one I pinned with an ice spear, and grab the collar of his sloppy clothes that I can't even call clothes.

I guess lower demons don't have much great sense of fashion.

"Hey you, do you know a demon called Lloyd?"

"Ha? Why is a mere fleabag even talking to the great me?!"

Okay, he's rude.

I form a Japanese sword, a katana, made of ice and decapitate the demon. I'm sure he's not going to give me a straight answer.

There's no question that he really died too since my attacks are automatically integrated with <Slayer Magic>.

[Congratulations! You have slayed a lower demon!]

[Generating rewards…]

Hmm… I should as the other one.

There's a sudden flash of light and I see Licht standing over the corpse of the other demon, the one with the bull horns.

[Congratulations! A lower demon has been slayed with your assistance.]

[Generating rewards…]

Eh? I can gain rewards even by being support?

I return my attention to Licht.

"He's not answering my questions." Licht nonchalantly replies and proceeds to the remaining demon, the one he asked me to spare.

He's a demon all right. Even though he's weak because of a curse.

Ah, he wants to know how I know he's cursed. I'll probably be grilled later.

I follow him and head to the remaining demon. The demon who has no name since my <Appraisal> just shows Lower Demon as his name. It's the same as the other two. I guess they're too low in the food chain that they are not named.

That's normal apparently. Named monsters are scary. Or what Slayer said.

Now that I think about it, the monsters in the [Penalty Zone] doesn't have names as well, just what kind of monsters they are. Licht is the first monster I have encountered to have a name.

Is he even an average monster at all? His total HP is definitely not something that belongs to average.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even notice I have already arrived to the last demon. He's still having spasms, courtesy of the lightning attack I hit him before.

"Will you do the honors?" I ask Licht but he just shrugs.

"You do it. Seems like you have questions of your own."

I'm grateful for what he said and turn my attention to the demon.

"You, do you know any demon with red eyes and horns?"

"Y-y-you will have to be… s-s-specific."

Hmm? What does he mean?

"April, you're basically describing half of the demon race. Be specific."

"Oh. Then, do you know a powerful demon with dark violet hair, red eyes, red horns, a scorpion's tail and can manipulate dark energy?"

I can see the sign of recognition on his face but he kept his mouth shut.

So that's how he wants to play it.

"April, how do you know Levton?" asks Licht.

"Levton? That demon is called Levton?"

"There are currently only three demons that can manipulate dark energy, and only one of them has dark violet hair; Levton li Dantalion, son of the head of the House of Dantalion, Destas li Dantalion, a Great Duke of Hell, land of the demons."

"Do you work for this Levton guy?" I ask again.

"How dare you address his highness merely by his name!"

I guess that answers that. Now then…

"Tell me lower demon, where can I find this Levton guy and why is he after Licht?"

The demons clams his mouth shut but I put more pressure on the wound on his chest and he lets out a shriek of pain.

He's breaking. My interrogation skills from my previous world are quite handy I see.

"His highness is-"

*SLASH!*

The demons head falls to the ground and demon blood sprays unto my face since I'm the closest.

Who did that?! I was close to getting my answers! Who-!

"Talking demons are useless kid. You should kill the on sight." says a new voice.

I don't like what he said and the tone he used to say it.

"Who the hell are you?" I growl.

"None of your concern kid. Now then, there's one last demon to deal with."

Another demon? He just killed the last-

Shit! He's talking about Licht!