A Powerful Foe Appears

"Well here I thought we'd be fighting an entire city, but it's just three guys in an open field." Said the demon with the biggest aura.

"So I guess you're the human that helped kill Ray. You don't seem very strong. I guess Ratar was right in assuming Herderal did all the heavy lifting." The one with the smallest amount of aura said. I don't respond.

"Hey Thra, you said there was a village out here you idiot. I was told I'd be a part of a massacre." After the demon said that I noticed Gabe grip harder on his hammer.

"T-there is one. It's below us Dravak." Thra said pointing to the ground. 

"Is that so? How about I give them a little wake up." Dravak slams his foot into the ground and the field, along with the trees surrounding us, shakes. I can't believe it. Even I went off the ground a little bit. What type of physical strength does this demon have?

He began to kick again but this time he seemed to be gathering even more strength than before. At this point if he hits the ground the entire underground city will cave in. As his foot moves down I chuck my sword at his head. Even at a distance my sword arrived at his head before his foot made it to the ground. 

Though my sword made it in time it didn't actually hit its mark. That demon stopped moving his foot so he could hold out his finger and stop the sword. He stopped a sword that heavy, moving that fast, with one finger.

"Hey you threw that pretty fast for it being so heavy. Even though you seem super weak, you're probably the strongest out of your little group. How deceiving, I can see how Ray lost to you."

"Then how about we do a little contest?" I propose.

"Why would I do a thing you say or even suggest?"

"Well you came here to fight didn't you? I can tell you this, we are the strongest fighters in this city. So how about we all fight one on one?"

"I see, trying to get rid of your disadvantage?" He assumed

"Not really since this system I came up with just now will still give you guys the edge in numbers if you even need it. First we start with one of us and one of your group. Then whoever wins gets to fight the next one. So even though it's a 1v1 it's still three versus five. 

Dravak gets pulled aside by the demon with the least aura. They talk for only about 30 seconds before they face us. 

"Yeah, I think we're going to decline." Dravak said. 

He then quickly launched himself at me. He moved at a speed the others couldn't even react to. One hit to the gut was all it took to send me flying into the trees. 

I quickly got up and shook off the damage I just took. Not even a quarter of a star. I guess the goddess and I are more synced than ever. 

"I don't fight the weak seriously," Dravak said, looking at Gabe who was ready for action. "You however seem to hold more than you're showing. Quite like that boy I just sent flying. All of you, take this one seriously while I handle him. If I come back here and witness even one of you on the ground I'll kill you where you kneel." 

After I recuperated, a loud explosion-like sound ringed through the forest. His speed was immense as he dove in between each tree with ease. Like he had moved through these exact forests his entire life. I quickly move out of the way but he redirects himself using the trees and grabs onto me. He launches me into the air, easily one hundred feet above the forest. He jumped up to join me and began to land numerous blows on me. 

Everytime I tried to react it felt like my body was being held back by water. Is the difference in our speed truly too great to deal with? Hurting myself to get even one attack will only hinder me from now on. I know that much. Alter drilled it into me that protecting myself was essential even if getting injured could lead to an opening. 

Ray isn't the example I should follow for future encounters. Purposely getting hurt is only failing myself. I quickly surround myself in spikes of the goddesses energy. Before he lands another attack he stops himself.

We both landed crashing into the ground. The pressure on my back was a relief compared to the onslaught of attacks I was dealing with in the air.

Before he could reply I launched at him. He caught my fist in his hand but I managed to kick him in the leg. His leg didn't even move an inch. Physical strength isn't working on this guy. Or rather I can't seem to do nearly enough damage. Still holding onto my fist he strikes me in the face blowing my head clean off. 

I sit tight and wait for him to let go but he doesn't. Instead he stares into me with eyes of joy and evil.

"I know about your little trick." He said. His face grew even more cocky.

Instead of growing my head back I ripped my hand off and became free of his hold. After that both my head and my hand took an entire star off my arm band. Six and a half stars left. And not even a scratch on him.

"You can move even without your head? There's something I didn't know."

Clearly one of those demons has knowledge of us. Even Gabe and Alter don't know too much about my powers specifically. Also he was still shocked by holy sever meaning the amount of info he has is limited. 

Before I could get my thoughts together he again rushed at me. How am I supposed to defend myself?

"And that's one of your problems. You think oh I just can't do it or oh, it'd be too much effort to come up with any other solution." Alter said

"You don't get it. Alter, these demons we'll be fighting are so much stronger and faster. Not using every advantage I have seems like a waste." I respond 

"That kind of thinking is the only waste here. Here's your problem and one I'll be trying to fix before they arrive. Instead of preparing to take or react to an attack you have to set up and already be prepared before that attack comes close to landing."

"Oh no big deal, I just have to see into the future." I say sarcastically.

"You say that but given how a body moves it almost is like learning language. Learn your opponent like text and use what you learned to read and predict. That is what I'll be trying to teach you."

That move, he did it before. When he lunged at me the first time and I got sent flying into the trees. I jump up slightly, landing on both his arms. The momentum from my landing puts his arms on the ground.

"Holy sever!" I say forming it on my right arm,

Once his hands hit the floor the momentum reset and he was able to shake me off of him. He stood up and touched the top of his head. A small leak of blood dripped.

"Well, this was certainly unexpected. Never would I have thought a human could even touch me, let alone leave a mark. It won't even heal," He said as anger slowly filled his voice. "What's your name?"

"My name is Arthur. I will protect these people with my life. You will not be the only demon that falls in this fight. I hope you know that." I stated.

I can tell more than ever the power this demon wields is a power I haven't ever witnessed. If this is the summit of strength a lesser demon can possess than a true demon must be so terrifying I couldn't even stand in their presence. Though I'm starting to learn and understand him with every interaction we have.

He abruptly began a combo of attacks, again they felt familiar. It was the combo he did up in the air. I let go of my inability to react to his moves and let myself remember what he did. I began to perfectly block and redirect each attack. I was no longer reacting but predicting and adapting. Still each time I struck him he got faster and stronger. I need my weapon. The moment I thought that, I sensed something approaching me. While Dravak kept dealing attacks he was quickly pierced by the end of a blade.

It was my sword sticking into his back. Did it just move on its own? It almost seemed like it was alive. Gabe mentioned it had magical properties to it but I didn't use any magic. What's going on? 

Dravak fell to his knees and landed face first on the ground. My sword had stabbed clean through his heart. He was no longer breathing. I got to get back to help Gabe and Alter. I quickly grab the sword and dislodge it from Dravaks body. The moment I did the ground around me shook in intervals. Almost like the ground had a heart beat beginning to slowly race faster and faster. 

That aura, I thought I was the only one that could cheat death. Dravaks' wound began to slowly reform and fix itself. It wasn't like how it works for me. His healing wasn't from magic or godly powers, it was from his genetics. 

"I was sure my life had ended. But it seems the king has given me another chance and I won't waste it. Letting him down now would surely be the height of foolishness. 10% energy withdrawn!" He said as his nose began to bleed and his strength grew far past what it was before.

Forget adapting and predicting. I'm fighting a monster that could destroy this entire surrounding forest in one strike.