《Drifter ~ Aimless Wanderer》 Chapter 1: The Man in the White Coat ¡°You hear about the giant demon sightings out in the country?¡± ¡°Mate, I¡¯ve got way too much on my plate right now to be worrying about some demon bullying the local farmers¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, but I heard this one was about the size of a house. A real big bastard this time.¡± ¡°God, has the government really not figured out how to handle this shit after all these years?¡± ¡°They¡¯re bloody useless. By the time they get off their arses, the monster¡¯s either disappeared, or caused so much damage there¡¯s nothing left to do. Even arming the police with heavy grade weapons hasn¡¯t solved anything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­ I¡¯ve heard of the occasional demon attack in other parts of Europe, but they¡¯re nowhere near on the same scale as the shit we see in England. They get assaulted, while we have an entire city wiped off the map!¡± ¡°¡®Blinding Light! City of Birmingham Erased!¡¯ That was the headline I saw. I¡¯ll never forget waking up to the news that day¡­ what a fucking nightmare¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so bloody sick of this. Five years it¡¯s been, but instead of getting rid of these monsters, we¡¯ve all just gotten used to them. We go about our day, as if nothing''s happening¡­ until more people are killed in another random attack. Then we ''send our prayers'' and go back to pretending like nothing happened¡­ again¡­¡± No matter where you were, the conversation was always the same. Tired people, ranting over the hopeless hell they were forced to live in. With no outside countries willing to help, the people of Britain had been completely abandoned. The demons were just as elusive as they were destructive and no government wanted to take responsibility for any massive, collateral damage and/or casualties that would result in fighting off monsters they didn''t even understand. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, this was Britain¡¯s problem to deal with. However, the two men, drinking away their woes in a pub, on the outskirts of London, were suddenly distracted by a strange man wandering into the small establishment. Looking tired and weary, the man sat at the counter as the other patrons stared at him. Interrupting more than just one conversation with his arrival, with his rough yet peculiar appearance. His plain black shirt, boots and jeans were nothing too garish, but the white coat hanging from his shoulders screamed excessive, not the kind of extravagant attire one would expect to wear on a trip to the local pub. Still, the coat¡¯s colours were washed out, with dark, reddish stains and tears along the bottom and a hole stripped through the left shoulder. Its filthy state led some to believe this wasn¡¯t just for show. His long, black hair obscured his face, making it difficult for the patrons to confirm his facial features from afar. He gave off an aura of dread and disdain, leaving the patrons wary to approach him. Ironically, despite his intimidating presence, he was only of average height and build, with no wrinkles to speak of. A young man in his twenties, which only raised further questions. But, not as many as the final striking detail of his getup, the large sword and scabbard strapped to his back. In these dangerous times, where demon attacks were spontaneous and deadly, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for people to carry around weapons for self-defense, but a medieval style arming sword seemed a little performative. Even with all the low murmurs of speculation being thrown about upon his arrival, the man simply ignored them and sat down at the bar, waiting to be served. The woman working the counter was slightly on edge, but nonetheless, remained professional. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. What¡¯ll you have?¡± The man raised his head, peering at her through his wild hair and deep black eyes. ¡°Do you serve tea?¡± ¡°Uh¡­. what?¡± The server¡¯s brain cracked for a split second. ¡°This is a pub, sir.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s a no?¡± ¡°No¡­ I-I mean, yes! We don¡¯t serve tea, s-sir.¡± The man looked down in dismay. ¡°¡­fine, coffee then.¡± ¡°Um, okay. I guess I can get you that.¡± The server soon returned with a cup of coffee. Black, with a teaspoon of sugar. ¡°Anything else I can get for you?¡± She asked. ¡°No.¡± He bluntly replied. The server walked away, sighing with relief. The man barely spoke a word and yet she felt like she was navigating a verbal minefield. As the man sipped his coffee, he inadvertently interrupted the two men¡¯s conversation. The fact that he was sitting right next to them only raised their anxiety. ¡°Hey, you think that¡¯s him?¡± One of them whispered to the other. ¡°Him who?¡± ¡°You know¡­ the demon slayer guy?¡± ¡°What? If someone like that existed I think the news would have said something by now.¡± ¡°They have¡­ barely. They treat him like a cryptid.¡± ¡°Oh right, is he related to the demon corpses the police keep finding?¡± ¡°Yeah, the ones that look like they¡¯ve been brutally sliced apart¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s scary imagining anything being able to do that to a demon. Let alone some bloke with a sword. I mean, how is that even possible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s brilliant, right? That there¡¯s someone out there putting those bastards in their place.¡± ¡°And you think the guy sitting beside us is our mystery demon slayer?¡± ¡°Fits the description, don¡¯t he? White coat. Long hair. Sword.¡± The man in the white coat¡¯s entire body tensed up for a moment, overhearing their conversation. He really just wanted to drink his coffee and relax for a moment. The last thing he wanted was unnecessary attention. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be stupid! That could be any weirdo with a sword. People will try anything to look tough these days.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s a fake?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve got to make myself scarce before that big bastard shows up and tears Twickenham a new one.¡± Relieved that their conversation had steered away from the topic of the mysterious demon slayer, the man in the white coat was finally able to return to relaxing with his drink. It wasn¡¯t that he was anxious about being discovered, he just really hated dealing with people. Mere moments after the bar patron headed for the exit, a slight tremor erupted from the ground, with the door slamming open in the patron¡¯s face. Before he knew it, he was grabbed by two men in face masks, holding him hostage at gunpoint. As soon as the other customers realised what was happening, the bar burst into panicked screaming. The tallest of the two gunmen had his arm locked around the patron¡¯s neck, with his gun digging into his temple. The second, shorter gunman, pointed his firearm wildly in all directions to cover all of his bases, making sure no one escaped his sight. ¡°EVERYONE, SHUT THE FUCK UP, OR HE DIES!¡± The tall gunmen ordered. The people in the bar soon quieted down in response. ¡°Now, listen up! Just do as we say and nobody gets hurt! Got it!?¡± No one in the bar was in any position to argue. As if the thought of being mauled by demons wasn¡¯t already a reason for them to be living in fear for their lives, the heartless criminals, who took advantage of these fears, made life twice as miserable. With the police focusing their efforts on demonic terrorists, it was easier than ever for petty criminals to slip through the gaping cracks in the law¡¯s surveillance. ¡°Now! Everyone, get on the floor and don¡¯t move a fucking muscle! If I see even a hint of resistance, this guy isn¡¯t the only one who¡¯ll die!¡± As instructed, the men and women of the bar hid underneath the tables, the ones unlucky enough to be sitting on stools at the bar were left to crawl into the fetal position. Humiliated by their own uselessness. ¡°Alright. D! Go to the counter and take as much money from it as you can!¡± The smaller gunman remained still. ¡°Hey, D! Move already!¡± ¡°J... I think we¡¯ve got trouble.¡± He replied. The tall gunman looked around the bar, everyone was on the ground, just as he ordered, except for one. Staring up at the TV screen above the drink rack, the man in the white coat was too fixated on the news to even give the criminals the courtesy of his attention. ¡°Birmingham... ¡° He mumbled. ¡°Has it really been that long¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, arsehole! You deaf!?¡± The gunman yelled. ¡°Get on the floor!¡± The man in the white coat didn¡¯t budge, except to take another sip from his coffee. As the cup was about to meet his lips, it was shattered by a bullet, spilling the leftover contents all over the counter. ¡°Get on the floor, or the next one goes through your damn head!¡± Taking hostages and threatening the lives of innocents was one thing, the man wasn¡¯t fazed by cowardly, underhanded tactics like that anymore, but spilling the coffee that he just paid for was unforgivable. Now he was mad. The man in the white coat slammed what remained of his cup onto the counter and slowly rose from his stool, turning to face the gunman from across the room with a piercing glare. It sent a shiver down the burglar¡¯s spine. The man''s eyes were cold, filled with a chilling confidence, completely composed in the face of death. ¡°What are you playing at?¡± The gunman questioned. ¡°Robbing a pub, in broad daylight? Pretty ballsy.¡± The man in the white coat replied. ¡°Well, I¡¯d say the police are a little preoccupied at the moment.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it? It¡¯s coming!¡± The man in the white coat paused. The tremors from earlier had gotten stronger and just outside the windows, he could see police cars rushing past. ¡°The Big Bastard.¡± The man in the white coat realised. ¡°He¡¯s your distraction.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more important: A small time robbery, or a giant demon tearing through little old Twickenham?¡± The man in the white coat couldn¡¯t care less about his reasoning and stepped forward. ¡°Stop!¡± The gunman ordered. ¡°Another step and I kill this guy!¡± The man shrugged. ¡°A revolver? So, you¡¯ve got five shots left. Well, if you want gunpowder and brains exploding in your face, then go right ahead.¡± The gunman hesitated, but to show he meant business, he shot his hostage through the leg instead, causing the man to scream in agony, violently thrashing in the gunman¡¯s grasp, until he dropped him to the ground. Undeterred, the man in the white coat continued moving forward, one slow step at a time. ¡°Four bullets left. Wanna waste some more?¡± The gunman raised his weapon. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are!? Get any closer and you¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°A real hardened criminal would have pulled the trigger already.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Don¡¯t test me! I just wanted to make a clean getaway! You take another step and I''ll shoot you!¡± The man in the white coat took another step forward. ¡°Do it.¡± Insulted, the gunman fired his third bullet directly at the man in the white coat¡¯s forehead. His head was thrown back from the force and for a brief moment, the gunman was thrilled to have silenced his cocky target. His victory only lasted a few seconds as the man in the white coat didn''t fall. He stood firm as he raised his head back up. The robbers looked in awe as the bullet appeared flattened on the man¡¯s forehead, with a faint white glow emanating from the point of impact. The man in the white coat peeled the bullet off his face like a sticker, and dropped it on the floor, his skin completely unharmed. ¡°Three left.¡± He noted. ¡°Want to call it quits?¡± ¡°W-what the fuck?¡± D asked, dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯s a trick.¡± J reasoned. ¡°He must have a metal plate in his head or something.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± The man laughed sarcastically. ¡°Shut up!¡± The gunman fired his remaining bullets into the man in the white coat, this time aiming at the rest of his body. The faint white aura appeared again. The bullets struck his chest and waist, with the last only striking his coat. However, the bullets were still flattened, as if they had crashed into a steel wall. Even his clothes were left unharmed, without a single tear. J and D were too petrified to even attempt to comprehend the power they were facing, as the man in the white coat brushed the bullets off. ¡°Okay... my turn.¡± He lifted his left hand and pointed it like a gun, as a tiny speck of white light glistened on the end of his finger. ¡°Bang.¡± The speck shot forward at blinding speed, stopping just shy of J¡¯s chest. Then, in a flash, the speck let out an intense force of power, knocking the wind out of the gunman, sending him flying out the pub doors and careening to the other side of the street, where he crashed into a parked police car, smashing through the door and breaking the windows as the alarm went into a frenzy. As amusing as this standoff was, the man in the white coat had created too much of a scene. He needed to leave immediately or risk having to actually explain himself to the pub goers. Once he headed for the exit, the shorter guman, D, aimed his gun. ¡°St-stop, right there! What the hell are you!? Are you a demon!?¡± The man in the white coat didn¡¯t speak a word, he simply put the barrel of the gun between his middle and index fingers and twisted it upwards with no effort, like it was rubber. Without even bothering to check on the people he just saved, he exited the pub. D, was understandably baffled. The man in the white coat was definitely no ordinary human, but he also never heard of a demon that looked identical to a human either. There was always some sort of distinguishing feature, like horns or a tail. If this man was so powerful and yet, not a demon, then what the hell was he? D¡¯s fear soon turned into curiosity. At this point he had nothing to lose. The police were busy and J wasn¡¯t in any condition to order him around, not that he liked taking orders from him to begin with. D had nowhere to go, no family, or life to return to and certainly no goals to achieve. After this encounter, however, he may have found one. Who was this man in the white coat? If anyone was in a position to find out, it was D. He caught up with the man, following him down the empty street. Having no interest in pursuing him quietly, he immediately started shouting after him. ¡°Hey! Just who the hell are you, anyway!?¡± The man in the white coat said nothing and carried on walking, as if D wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me! I¡¯ve got a load of questions for-!¡± He was suddenly silenced when the man in the white coat merely turned his head. Glaring at him from over his shoulder. D was so caught up in his stubborn curiosity he had completely forgotten how terrifying the man was. ¡°Take off that stupid mask.¡± The man groaned. D complied, revealing his true face. He was young, like he just finished secondary school, with short, messy blonde hair and green eyes. ¡°Just a stupid kid¡­¡± The man muttered, continuing on his way. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid! I¡¯m eighteen! That makes me an adult!¡± D retaliated in offense. ¡°Good. You don¡¯t need me to babysit you, so get lost.¡± D was at an impasse. The man in the white coat still scared him, but what if the rumours were true? What if this was the man standing up to the demons? If he let him go now, he may never get another opportunity like this ever again. To discover a way for humans to obtain the power to fight back against the demons. Even a delinquent like him understood the importance of such a discovery. With J out of commission, he didn¡¯t have anywhere left to go. He¡¯d be on the streets again, back to the monotony and misery of begging, stealing and floating between homeless shelters. The life he would return to wasn¡¯t worth living, so he swallowed his fears, marched up to the man in the white coat and unloaded a tirade of questions onto him. ¡°Wait! Who the hell are you!? What are you!? What¡¯s with the sword!? What¡¯s with the coat!? What did you do to J!? Was that magic or a trick!? Are you human or demon!? Do you have demon powers!? Where¡¯d you get them!? Can I get them!?¡± Irritated by the sudden torrent of questions, the man eloquently responded. ¡°Go be a faggot somewhere else, kid!¡± D was shocked and appalled. ¡°How dare you¡­. I¡¯m not a kid! Stop being a cunt and answer my questions!¡± ¡°How about you fuck off, before you end up like your friend!¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t my friend. He was just some prick using me to make some easy money.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck me¡­¡± The man grew tired of talking and pointed his finger, with a white speck shining on the tip. D froze in fear. He wasn¡¯t used to the people he threatened actually fighting back. Luckily, before the man could take his shot, the quakes from earlier grew more violent as loud demonic laughter echoed from across the street. The man turned his attention in the direction of the roar of mocking cackles to find a large demon slowly trudging down the road. It was slightly taller than the two storey houses it passed by. A quadruped, centaur like creature with a lion¡¯s head and the lower body of a goat. The creature looked as if its entire being was made of stone, yet it walked with no restraints to its movements. A row of police cars and officers all waited for it at the end of the street, at the intersection where D and the man in the white coat stood. Despite their destructive tendencies and complete lack of empathy towards humans, the demon didn¡¯t seem interested in causing any sort of mayhem just yet and was instead, amused by the feeble human resistance, continuing onward without a care. While D couldn¡¯t figure out what the demon was after, he noticed the man in the white coat was staring it down, like a boxer glaring at his opponent from the other side of the ring, ready for a fight. The officers all gathered behind the cover of their vehicles. They had trained for demon attacks, but even so, monsters of this size were rare and their chances of survival, should they choose to engage it, were slim. All they could hope to do was buy time and wait for reinforcements to arrive while the citizens were evacuated. Even with their training and resolve, that still didn¡¯t stop them from shaking over the sight of the towering monster looming over them. It smiled gleefully at the tiny humans and their pathetic weapons. With one mighty swing of its stone arms, it ripped the road asunder. Tearing through the gravel with large fissures that reshaped the pavement with a powerful earthquake. The men clinged onto their vehicles for dear life, as the earth rose from beneath them. Since they weren¡¯t directly attacked, they managed to survive, but it was obvious from the effortless and smug grin on the monster¡¯s face that they were dealing with one of the most powerful demons ever recorded in the force''s history. Most demons were around human size. While they were still extremely dangerous, displayed supernatural abilities and strong resilience to most weapons, with enough bullets and coordination they could eventually be brought down, one at a time at least. The officers pulled out their guns and opened fire. From pistols to automatic rifles, all were rendered useless before the monster¡¯s stone plated body, as it slowly drew closer. The men weren¡¯t through yet, they still had one last backup. A trump card for particularly troublesome demons. It was risky and slightly over-the-top, but with the unpredictability of their enemies, they couldn¡¯t take any chances. Opening up the boot of the police cars, the officers armed themselves with military standard NLAW rocket launchers. The men all ducked for cover as the others fired their rockets, hoping to blow the demon straight back to hell before it had a chance to attack again. The demon was engulfed in a burst of fire and smoke as the rest of the men cowered behind their cars. As the vibrations of the blasts died down, two officers discussed who was going to check on the status of the demon. ¡°O-okay, rookie. You know the drill¡­¡± The brown haired officer ordered. ¡°I don¡¯t remember giant fucking titans being part of the drill, Michael!¡± The ginger haired rookie replied. ¡°Richard, you whiny wanker, just look already, that¡¯s an order!¡± ¡°Oh, Christ¡­.¡± The young rookie slowly pulled himself up and looked over the rim of the car. As the smoke cleared, Richard¡¯s worst fears were realised. The monster was still standing. The rockets had only left mildly irritating cracks on the demon¡¯s armour. All they accomplished was angering the creature. ¡°N-no¡­ what the fuck¡­ we can¡¯t fight this¡­ this is insane¡­¡± The rookie¡¯s body had gone completely numb from shock. He was staring death in the face, having already surrendered to his fate. The only thing that snapped him out of his trance was the sudden appearance of a man in a white coat landing on the rim of his car, seemingly out of nowhere. D was so distracted by the impressive display of explosions that he didn¡¯t even notice the man make a move, even though he was standing right next to him the entire time. As the man and the monster locked sights onto each other, there was silence. An anticipation that something big was about to go down. The rookie didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on, but his senior officer, Michael, pulled him back down and signaled him to be quiet. ¡°So.¡± The man in the white coat spoke. ¡°You must be the Big Bastard.¡± ¡°I can sense it¡­¡± The demon replied with his deep, echoing voice. ¡°The power I¡¯ve been searching for has finally shown itself¡­¡± As soon as the topic of searching for power came up, the man immediately lost interest. ¡°Not this shit again¡­¡± He pulled his sword from his scabbard, pointing it at the demon. ¡°You¡¯re rather confident, human, but there¡¯s no way, in the vastest, wastelands of hell, your kind will ever be able to defeat me. Compared to the usual trash who venture to this world, I am elite.¡± ¡°Hard to find a demon who isn¡¯t ¡®elite¡¯ at this point¡­¡± The man twisted the sword around, resting the blade over his shoulder, tucked in the tear of his coat. ¡°Before I claim your powers as my own, allow me to test them first.¡± The demon drew back its arm and thrusted his fist forward with the same might that had split the earth. All the men could do was watch in amazement, not at the monster¡¯s fearsome strike, but at the unbelievable sight that followed. The man in the white coat simply lifted his right foot. With that one simple motion, he blocked the monster¡¯s fist, dead in its tracks. The officers could feel the force of the punch and yet, the man didn¡¯t even budge. ¡°Impossible¡­ how can a human draw out this much power?¡± The big bastard questioned. ¡°I get that a lot.¡± The man replied, as he barely exerted any effort in booting the demon¡¯s fist out of his face. The man suddenly leapt into the air at a dizzying height, flying over the demon¡¯s head and landing on its back. The monster turned to face the man, who looked back with disinterest. ¡°Foolish human¡­¡± The monster taunted. ¡°If you thought my back was some kind of blindspot, then you are sorely mistaken.¡± Opening his mouth, the monster gathered a large amount of energy and breathed deadly flames onto his victim. Unfortunately, the man simply leapt away the moment the flames erupted from its mouth. ¡°Trying to use my own flames to wear down my armour? How sad. The desperate tactics of a weak creature with no dignity. Unable to fight using their own power. Now, where did you go? You can¡¯t hide from me, I can sense your presence.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got a nice view at least¡­¡± The man sighed, sitting atop the demon¡¯s head. ¡°You dare mock me?¡± ¡°Please, your whole race is already a joke.¡± ¡°Get off me, you filthy human!¡± Before the demon had a chance to reach for him, the man glowed white and kicked himself off the monster¡¯s head, chipping off a piece of his rock solid skull, infuriating it even further. The man landed on the other side of the street, behind the demon, forcing it to turn and face him. ¡°Now where did you-¡± The big bastard suddenly froze in place, overcome with panic by the man¡¯s sudden change in posture. The man positioned his sword behind himself as his body glowed with a white hot aura, his eyes focused like a professional hitman. The games were over, this next attack was designed to kill. The man turned into a white streak that blazed across the street in a second, leaving the helpless demon no time to defend himself. There was a sudden horrible crunch, partnered with a slash, as the man appeared just behind the demon, in front of the officers. As the man in the white coat rose from his position and sheathed his sword, the monster¡¯s torso slowly slid off of its waist as it cried in agony, revealing the flesh and bone underneath the stone armour. Its body sprayed blood over the pavement, as the life slowly drained from its eyes. The man ignored the monster¡¯s plight. The creature wasn''t even worth mercy killing, leaving it to bleed to death in the middle of the ruined street. The demon¡¯s wails turned to choked whimpers until eventually, the bleeding came to a trickle and there was silence. Richard looked on in disbelief, almost pitying the monster that had just terrorised him. As a rookie, he had only heard rumours. Stories from witnesses and from his fellow men on the force, but there was never any solid evidence to confirm his presence, nor were they allowed to formally investigate him, and yet, there he was. The legendary demon slayer, the man in the white coat. He actually existed and his powers were brutal. ¡°Who¡­?¡± Was all Richard could mutter to himself, as the man had already disappeared from the scene. D, on the other hand, was quick to notice the man in the white coat walking away, down the street. At first he was simply curious, but now he was invested. He had to know who this man was and what his powers were, before he vanished again. He quickly caught up with him, this time keeping his questions brief. ¡°What the actual fuck happened back there!?¡± D asked. ¡°Go away.¡± The man replied, still with his back turned. ¡°There¡¯s no fucking way you killed that fucking demon with that fucking sword alone. Those guys had goddamn rocket launchers and they barely dented that armour! What the fuck did you do!?¡± ¡°Piss off.¡± ¡°What was with that white glow? I¡¯ve never seen anything like that. Are you sure you¡¯re not a demon?¡± The man suddenly turned around, grabbing D by the collar and hoisting him up with a single arm. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, you dumb cunt.¡± D was shaken, but kept his resolve. ¡°What are you going to do, kill me?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Do it. I¡¯m just street trash anyway. No one will notice I¡¯m gone. I won¡¯t be missed. Do it. Kill me.¡± The man gave D a disgusted look, dropped him and left. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill me?¡± D called, before catching up to the man again. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, are you human or demon?¡± ¡°Listen, stupid. I¡¯m not going to kill some kid in cold blood in the middle of the street.¡± ¡°You waiting to lure me into a dark alleyway first?¡± ¡°Too bad there aren¡¯t any around¡­¡± ¡°Or maybe the man in the white coat actually has some morals?¡± ¡°Will you stop using that retarded name.¡± ¡°Then what should I call you?¡± ¡°Drifter.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not retarded, at all.¡± ¡°What the hell do you want from me?¡± ¡°I want to know who you are!¡± ¡°Well, tough shit! I¡¯m not telling!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just follow you.¡± Drifter suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t like company, especially stubborn little fuckboys like you. If you want to follow me around like a mentally challenged puppy, fine, but I am under no obligation to take care of you. Don¡¯t expect me to slow down for you, or save your dumb arse. If you die, it¡¯s none of my concern. That¡¯s your only warning.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re really just going to let me follow you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll give up eventually, or die trying. These problems usually find a way of sorting themselves out.¡± ¡°Fine with me, but my name¡¯s not kid. It¡¯s Dale.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Well, are you at least gonna explain where you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chapter 2: Powerless ¡°Hey, uh¡­ Drifter. I know you don¡¯t like the whole talking thing, but you do have an actual destination in mind, right?¡± Dale asked, as the pair strolled through Marble Hill park in the late afternoon. It was only a couple of hours after the incident with the Big Bastard and Drifter hadn¡¯t spoken a word since. He simply kept moving forward, with no hint on where he was going. ¡°Do you even know where you are?¡± Dale asked again, receiving no answer. ¡°Well, can we take a break soon? My feet are killing me.¡± Still silence. ¡°I guess when you¡¯re an inhuman freak you don¡¯t get tired so easily, but do you at least eat? I¡¯m getting kinda hungry.¡± Drifter suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Holy shit¡­" ¡°What is it?¡± He quickly looked behind himself. ¡°Are you still following me!?¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d lose interest and go home.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a home, dipshit. It¡¯s either this or go back to begging on the streets.¡± Dale¡¯s talk of begging prompted Drifter to check up on his own economic situation. His wallet¡¯s status: empty. ¡°You might want to dust off those begging skills, because I¡¯m destitute.¡± ¡°For real!? You seriously spent the last of your money on coffee!?¡± ¡°You mean that coffee I didn¡¯t get to drink?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not actually going to beg on the street, are you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll just pay a visit to the old cash machine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, there¡¯s a newsagent just up the road.¡± As Drifter and Dale crossed the road just up the street, Drifter caught a glimpse of a shadow peeking over the side of a building before instantly disappearing into the alleyway. He quickly examined the small space, noticing a peculiar trail that led toward the back wall. ¡°Ew, what is that?¡± Against his better judgement he lightly dipped his finger in the liquid residue and gave it a whiff. ¡°Good Lord¡­ that is the definition of repugnant. Fuck that, I don¡¯t wanna know where this garbage water came from anymore.¡± Despite his protests, Drifter could still sense the presence of something nearby and remained cautious. He kept this information to himself, in case nothing came of it and to avoid any unnecessary conversations. ¡°Dude.¡± Dale called. ¡°Why are you crouched down in this smelly alley? You taking a shit?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Drifter returned to the street where he found his cash machine. ¡°This area doesn¡¯t seem too busy¡­ empty even¡­¡± He pondered, checking his surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s usually pretty quiet on Sunday evenings.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sunday?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°I¡­ guess not¡­¡± As Drifter looked over the cash machine, a thought crossed Dale¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Drifter, do you even have a bank account? Do you have a job, or any sort of income? I mean, you¡¯d think the police would be using your card details to track your location or something, right? After the shit you pulled, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you were on some kind of watch list by now.¡± Drifter immediately kicked in the front door of the cash machine, destroying the lock. ¡°Did you say something?¡± ¡°No¡­ nothing.¡± He casually ripped the steel door away and reached into the tray, snatching a handful of banknotes, counting up the money with each one he slipped into his wallet. ¡°Two grand.¡± He confirmed. ¡°That should do for a few weeks.¡± ¡°I feel like what you just did was highly illegal.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you try to shoot me earlier?¡± ¡°The police aren¡¯t gonna fuck us up for this, right?¡± ¡°Well, they''ll certainly fuck you up at least.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay¡­ can we get food now?¡± Drifter looked around the street, spotting a restaurant conveniently placed across the road. Nothing too fancy, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about overspending, just a typical pub diner. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Without even explaining himself, he moved out. With Dale lagging behind. Upon entering the restaurant, Drifter was thankful the place was empty, as the pair were quickly greeted by the waitress. ¡°Welcome. Table for two?¡± She asked with a smile. ¡°Why do I still smell shit?¡± Drifter blurted out. ¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± The waitress asked, slightly offended. ¡°You sure it isn¡¯t you?¡± Dale sarcastically assumed. ¡°No, no, this is more the aroma of ¡®flies festering in forgotten feces¡¯. Is it coming from you?¡± ¡°Pardon!?¡± The waitress responded. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s just the rubbish outside, sir.¡± ¡°Jesus¡­ did something die out there?¡± Although the waitress was reluctant to serve such a rude individual, she remained professional and dutiful. ¡°So¡­ table for two?¡± ¡°No.¡± Drifter answered. ¡°Just one.¡± ¡°Fucking what!?¡± Dale objected. ¡°What do you mean, one!? What about me!?¡± ¡°What am I, your guardian? Get your own food.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Angered by Drifter¡¯s crassness, Dale was forced to pull out a special trick he saved for just such an occasion. Taking advantage of his youthful appearance and putting his acting skills to work and began his performance. ¡°What kind of brother are you!?¡± He cried. ¡°Ever since Mum died all you do is push me around! Call me names and treat me like crap!¡± ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Drifter couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what kind of brain disorder was suddenly afflicting this weeping manchild. ¡°You are awful!¡± From nowhere, Drifter was suddenly slapped by the infuriated waitress. ¡°First you insult me and my restaurant, with literal shit talk and now you¡¯re neglecting your poor, emotional brother!? You disgust me!¡± ¡°But, he¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d serve someone like you!¡± Drifter looked over to Dale, who was trying to hide the smarmy look on his face. He hoisted the pompous little prick with a single arm, for an intimate discussion. ¡°Bet you think you¡¯re real funny, you smug cunt.¡± ¡°Is this a problem?¡± He immediately dropped the boy on the floor. ¡°Fuck this, I¡¯m going somewhere else.¡± ¡°Dude, it¡¯s Sunday. You¡¯ll have a hard time finding any other place that¡¯s open at this hour.¡± ¡°Goddammit¡­¡± Before he knew it, they were already at a table ordering their food. ¡°I¡¯m not used to dealing with people for extended periods of time. They¡¯re usually either too scared or insulted to hang around me for long, but not this kid. He must have built up a tolerance for dealing with terrible personalities. I guess when you have nowhere else to go, you learn to make the best of a bad situation. A dumb kid bluffing his way through life, with whatever shitty cards life dealt him. I¡¯d be impressed if he weren¡¯t using those shitty cards against me.¡± The waitress returned with their meals, a simple order of a burger and chips. She showed nothing but kindness towards Dale, but shot dirty looks at Drifter, dropping his plate on the table before leaving. While Dale stuffed his face, Drifter took a more conservative and restrained approach to enjoying his meal. As he ate, his mind wandered and he soon grew concerned over the lack of people in the restaurant. ¡°There are no other customers, or waiters. In fact, I don¡¯t hear anything coming from the kitchen either. It¡¯s eerily quiet¡­ almost surreal. And that weird presence from earlier¡­ I can still feel it, but now it feels like it¡¯s surrounded the whole building. Something¡¯s watching us¡­ was this a trap?¡± The more Drifter thought about it, the more it bugged him, until he got out of his chair and started investigating, leaving Dale to continue eating, oblivious. He lumbered over to the waitress, who was minding her own business cleaning the tables and grabbed her attention. ¡°Hey!¡± He called. ¡°Where the hell is everybody?¡± She spun around, slightly shocked. ¡°Oh¡­ well business is usually pretty slow on Sunday nights, sir.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Don¡¯t touch my food.¡± He ordered. ¡°I need to check something, real quick.¡± He left the restaurant, immediately stepping into a slippery substance outside. The curb was covered in the same disgusting trail he discovered in the alleyway. ¡°Oh, god¡­¡± He gagged slightly. ¡°More demon¡­ juices¡­¡± He followed the trail back to the cash machine from earlier. It was completely untouched since he last interacted with it. He figured the damage would have at least drawn some attention by now, but no one seemed to have come near the shop in the past half hour. There wasn¡¯t a single person on the street, which made sense, given the sun had already set, with the evening darkness creeping in, but then he checked inside the newsagent. It was open, lights on and everything, but devoid of any life. Drifter¡¯s suspicions were slowly escalating, there was definitely demonic activity afoot. He exited the shop, but not before cheekily snagging some peppermint gum, an impulse buy for dealing with all these recent bad smells. Once he was back on the street, he caught a woman running past the restaurant. She looked distraught, sprinting like her life depended on it. ¡°Hey, lady!¡± Drifter yelled after her. ¡°Where are you going!?¡± The woman turned to face him, but his intimidating stature only scared her into running faster. ¡°No¡­ you dumb cunt¡­¡± Drifter¡¯s body emanated a white glow, as he dashed across the street to block the woman¡¯s path in just a couple seconds, as she bumped into him. ¡°Could you not run away when I ask you a question?¡± The woman was scared silent by the man, who magically zoomed in front of her petrified by his aggressive tone. ¡°Oh God, please don¡¯t!¡± She begged. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me! Just let me go home! Please!¡± ¡°What the hell are you running from!?¡± Drifter¡¯s frustration only made the woman more paranoid, as she was still shaking from whatever ordeal she had just escaped from. ¡°Dude, are you gonna eat that burger, or what?¡± Dale asked, exiting the restaurant. ¡°Uh¡­ am I interrupting something?¡± The woman locked sights onto Dale, noticing his more, approachable, innocent and less creepy appearance. She rushed over to the young man, holding him close for comfort. ¡°Please, we have to get out of here, before they get you too!¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Um¡­ Drifter? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one she¡¯s glomping on, you ask her.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ hello¡­ ma¡¯am. What¡¯s¡­ up?¡± ¡°Smooth.¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not used to girls grabbing me.¡± The woman calmed herself down and told them everything she knew. ¡°They¡¯re lurking the streets¡­ I don¡¯t know where everyone is¡­ I was just walking home when they started stalking me¡­ and I just ran¡­. Please help me¡­¡° Drifter could already feel their presence all around him. There was no doubt that demons were hiding in the neighbourhood and the oily tracks were their trail. He headed back inside the restaurant. ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Finish my burger.¡± ¡°What about the woman?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care. Leave her.¡± ¡°Are you serious!? It¡¯s way too dangerous out here! She¡¯s safer with us! You know? With the guy who can slice titans in half with a single swipe of his sword?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so adamant, you protect her then.¡± ¡°Fine¡­ dickhead¡­¡± Drifter returned to his seat where his burger awaited him. Dale sat the distressed woman down, helping her get comfortable. ¡°Who is that creep? Your friend?¡± She asked. ¡°We¡¯re more¡­ acquaintances¡­¡± ¡°Is he always so rude?¡± ¡°As far as I know.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a demon, is he?¡± ¡°What? Just because he looks scary, acts scary and smells scary, doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s some kind of monster.¡± ¡°But, he used some freaky magic, like a demon. He practically teleported across the street to catch me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that. I don¡¯t know¡­ He kills demons, so I doubt he''s on their side. I''ve actually just started following him around. Trying to figure out what his deal is, you know?¡± The woman looked over at Drifter, who was just casually eating his burger, completely ignoring the potential demon threat lurking outside. Something deep in her subconscious was nagging at her. A vague memory of stories she heard, videos she¡¯d seen. Glimpses of a white flash that slaughtered demons in the blink of an eye¡­ and then it hit her. She got up from her chair and marched over to Drifter, determined to wring the truth out of him. She slammed her hand down on the table, catching his attention. ¡°What?¡± He asked, still with food in his mouth. ¡°Get your own burger.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re the man in the white coat, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man in a white coat, yes.¡± ¡°Those weird powers. I thought you were just a myth, but the stories are true, aren¡¯t they? There really is someone in a white coat, slaying demons with superpowers.¡± Drifter grimaced. ¡°You even have a sword, just like in the videos. You have to be him, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°My point? There are demons out there, right now! Why aren¡¯t you fighting them!? Why are you just sitting there, with burger sauce dribbling down your face!?¡± ¡°Because, I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you out there helping!?¡± ¡°Since when was I under any obligation to help anyone?¡± ¡°What!? But, you¡¯re the only one who can help! You have to do something!¡± Drifter stood up, but not before wiping his mouth with a napkin. ¡°I''m not some superhero and I''m not here to fight the big bad, evil monsters for you. Those stories you heard. Of this mythical demon slayer, or whatever bullshit they¡¯re spouting. They''re just stories. I¡¯m just some guy trying to survive, like everyone else, that¡¯s all.¡± The woman was heartbroken. The one man that could save her, the whole town, maybe even the country, refused to help and for such a blas¨¦ reason. He felt so needlessly cruel and unfair. ¡°But¡­ what am I supposed to do¡­?¡± She lamented. ¡°Get the hell out of town, I suppose.¡± ¡°What kind of solution is that!?¡± Dale yelled. ¡°She can¡¯t go out there! They¡¯ll kill her!¡± ¡°You got a better idea?¡± ¡°Obviously, she¡¯s safer with us! She can stay in the restaurant with me, while you go deal with the demons. Hero or not, you¡¯re not just going to let those demons roam around freely, are you?¡± ¡°She''s not staying with me. End of discussion." "But, what do I do?" The woman asked. ¡°You¡¯re an adult, make your own decisions.¡± The man in the white coat turned out to be neither helpful nor likable, but Dale on the other hand had an innocent yet strong presence. He was more like the hero she imagined than Drifter ever was. With night time in full swing, she didn¡¯t feel like trying her luck on her own, so she opted to stay. As Drifter sat back, finishing his meal, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure silently watching him from outside the restaurant window. A blackish, grey blob creature, covered in liquid secretions that hid its true form. The creature¡¯s eyes lit up. Without even acknowledging its presence, Drifter lifted his finger and fired a speck of light that pierced through the window and upon contact with the creature¡¯s body, set it ablaze with white flames. The spontaneity of the attack caught Dale and the woman off guard, shocked by the sudden screams of anguish coming from outside, with the entrance engulfed in white fire. Thankfully, the flames died down before igniting the whole building. ¡°Jesus, fuck! What happened!?¡± Dale cried. ¡°I looked away for like, two seconds and suddenly the whole place was on fire!¡± Drifter got up from his seat and headed for the door. ¡°Where are you going, now!?¡± ¡°Our friends are getting impatient. Think I¡¯ll go say hi.¡± ¡°You mean you''re going out to kill those demons?¡± ¡°Well, duh.¡± ¡°What? Did you have a change of heart?¡± ¡°Nope, I just really hate demons.¡± At the front of the restaurant, Drifter examined the demon''s corpse, or what was left of it. It was impossible to determine the creature¡¯s appearance now that it was just a pile of ash. He took note of the trail the demon left behind, which seemed to have ignited along with him, with the burn marks carrying on around the building. Once Drifter entered the street around the back of the restaurant, the first thing he was immediately struck by was the horrible smell. ¡°Of all the god awful things these monsters have committed over the years, this dumpster fire smell is the worst.¡± His boots splashed in the stinky residue as he noticed the entire street was smothered by the revolting substance. Soon, another dark figure confronted Drifter in the middle of the street. It spoke, with a raspy, reverberating voice. ¡°We sensed your presence, human.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ I need to work on masking my powers.¡± ¡°They are not your powers. A lowly human does not deserve the right to wield our world¡¯s greatest achievement.¡± ¡°You dumbfucks had over five years to reclaim your powers. Doesn¡¯t that make you the unworthy ones?¡± ¡°The insects you¡¯ve grown so accustomed to swatting are, but fools. Arrogant and simple minded. They are nothing, compared to Lucifer and his followers.¡± ¡°A cult. Cute. So, what¡¯s your plan then?¡± ¡°We have more indirect methods.¡± Multiple figures suddenly crept out of the darkness. From street corners, doorways and even upper storey windows, some of which were keeping humans securely held to their oozing bodies. ¡°Hostages?¡± The townspeople were terrified by the dank, swamp spewing monsters, except for one woman who seemed to have her priorities elsewhere. ¡°Lord Anderson! I¡¯ve been chosen!¡± ¡°Give up your power and we will spare these people.¡± The demon bargained. ¡°I¡¯d rather just kill you.¡± Drifter countered. ¡°These humans aren¡¯t the only ones we¡¯ve seized. I¡¯m certain our insider at the restaurant is dealing with your friends as we speak.¡± Drifter held his head down. Shaken. ¡°Upset? Then give up your powers and we¡¯ll let them live.¡± Drifter shook even more, but not out of fear or grief, but laughter. Amused by the demon¡¯s ridiculous idea of a threat. ¡°Fuck me, man¡­¡± He smiled painfully. ¡°Hostages? Friends? Cut the bullshit. These people were dead the moment you got them involved. As if a demon would ever stay true to their word. You''d kill them no matter what happened. Sorry, but I¡¯m beyond caring about any human shields you scavenged together, none of you monsters are leaving here alive.¡± Dale and the woman were left alone in the restaurant, as they waited for Drifter to finish his business. ¡°Are you finished with your meal?¡± The waitress asked. ¡°What? Oh, sure¡­¡± Dale had completely forgotten the waitress was even here. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He suddenly asked. ¡°Do you even know what¡¯s going on out there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to collect your plates, sir.¡± ¡°Where the hell have you been anyway? You just up and vanished.¡± ¡°I was just in the kitchen, sir.¡± ¡°You sure you weren¡¯t putting out the trash, because you reek.¡± The waitress said nothing, frozen as she reached for the plate. ¡°And¡­ why are you leaking grease down your arm?¡± The waitress ignored Dale¡¯s plate, as her arms dangled lifelessly, until they snapped off, hitting the floor with a dead thump. ¡°Oh¡­ shit¡­¡± From out her sleeves, new arms burst forth. Bones covered in a disgusting liquid substance. ¡°Oh, fuck¡­¡± The skin and muscle peeled off of her legs, as more of the repulsive ooze covered her bones, sullying her uniform in the bizarre filth. ¡°That¡¯s nasty¡­¡± ¡°Why are you just standing there?!¡± The woman yelled. ¡°Run!¡± The two dashed for the exit, only for the doors and windows to be covered by hideous demonic energy. A barrier taking on the visage of wailing spirits and skulls, reaching out their phantasmal claws to anyone foolish enough to stand near them. The demon waitress slowly crept up behind them. ¡°I was ordered to keep you hostage, but acquaintances of CORE''s wielder pose just as big a threat as he does.¡± ¡°CORE!? The fuck does CORE mean!?¡± ¡°Pleading ignorance won¡¯t save you. Your lives are mere obstacles threatening our rejuvenation. Make peace and perish!¡± Despite the demon¡¯s slovenly appearance, it darted forward like a rocket, forcing Dale and the woman to separate as they dove out of its way. The monster turned its attention to Dale, who was panicking. He didn¡¯t know the first thing about fighting demons, but if he didn¡¯t do something, he would surely die. As the demon leapt at him again, Dale grabbed a chair and slammed it into the demon¡¯s body. He successfully knocked it off balance as it crashed into the table behind him. He got lucky, the demon weighed a ton, yet he somehow managed to just barely evade its assault, but it took all his strength to pull it off. Recovering quickly, the monster immediately pulled itself out of the wreckage. Thanks to the liquid covering its body, it was capable of absorbing the damage from any kind of physical beating. Dale readied his chair, but the monster slapped it aside, batting it into the wailing wall of spirits, which held the furniture in their distorted hands and ripped it apart, dragging the pieces into parts unknown. He was staring death in the face, as the demon rested its long, slender claws, on his throat. Before his esophagus was slashed open, the demon was caught off-guard when the woman leapt at it, jamming a knife in its eye. For a brief moment, Dale was relieved. The knife had been soundly lunged into the demon¡¯s skull, but it was barely effective. The face of the waitress finally peeled off, plopping to the ground like a wet mask. The rest of the uniform followed, revealing the monster¡¯s coated skeleton. The human eye the woman stabbed was expendable. Its true eyes were buried deep in its socket, peering at her with an eerie glow, safely tucked away from the knife¡¯s tip. The woman felt sick to her stomach, but wasn¡¯t given the leisure of lamenting over her actions. Without a second thought, the demon shoved its claw straight through the woman¡¯s chest, tearing through her lungs and heart. She died instantly. Her still bleeding body was tossed aside, as the monster returned to its original target. Nothing could describe Dale¡¯s horror. It all happened too fast for him to properly react. All he could think about was how this was all his fault. He wanted her to stay, he wanted to do what Drifter refused to. He wanted to protect her, to be a hero, but she died anyway. It was only now that he realised, he never even asked for her name¡­ The demon struck at Dale, only for him to instinctively jump back, landing just shy of the wailing wall, as he felt its cold embrace just inches from his neck. He had nothing left to defend himself with, nowhere to run and no one to help him. He desperately searched his body for anything he could use and that¡¯s when he found it. A gun. This weapon was his last hope, but just as he was about to fire he soon realised. It was the same gun from the pub. The one Drifter cartoonishly twisted the barrel of. It was completely useless. ¡°Drifter! You fucker!!¡± Out of pure anger and desperation, he tossed the gun at the demon. The force of the throw pierced through the demon¡¯s liquid defense as the gun¡¯s trigger was caught on a rib. The firearm slid down the bone and pushed against the trigger. A single second. A miniscule amount of time was all that was needed for the gun¡¯s mechanism to ignite the gunpowder, setting off a spark that caused the gun to backfire thanks to its blocked barrel. The resulting burst of flame ignited the ooze covering the demon, turning it into a raging inferno. As soon as he noticed the demon screaming in agony from the flames, Dale got the hell away from it before he caught fire. It only took a minute, but the monster¡¯s body soon turned to ash leaving nothing but a black smudge behind. The wailing wall dissipated and Dale was free from the monster¡¯s ambush. He was amazed he actually survived, but staring at the body of the woman he failed to protect, it was a hollow victory. It almost seemed pointless. There was nothing left for Dale to do. He was too frightened to leave through the front entrance, lest he be attacked by another demon. Instead, he chose to check the back by going through the kitchen. Everything seemed normal, with the exception of the man with his head in the sink. His attire suggested that he was a chef and Dale deduced he was the one who cooked their meals earlier. He pulled him out, but he was already dead. Clearly drowned by the monster, either to keep him quiet, or simply disposed of out of cruelty. With a sickening lump in his stomach, he pushed himself onwards, to the back door exit where, out on the street, he spotted Drifter surrounded by more demons and their hostages. ¡°A foolish human like you could never understand our goals.¡± The demon replied. ¡°You¡¯re not doing a very good job of explaining them.¡± Drifter yawned. ¡°You know you can¡¯t win, right? Just go back to Hell already.¡± The demon laughed. ¡°I must admit, my species is not suited for combat, our weaknesses are far too exploitable. But, any weakness can be turned into a strength.¡± Drifter was intrigued and the demon continued. ¡°Our bodies secrete a liquid that acts like our muscles, to command and protect our bodies, but it is highly flammable. We are not suited to living outside of our home, but for the sake of reviving Lucifer, we will gladly risk our lives for the future of our kind. Attack us if you dare, but with so much of our secretions covering this area, everyone here will burn.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You would let the innocent perish?¡± ¡°You never planned on letting them live in the first place.¡± ¡°You¡¯d sacrifice their lives?¡± ¡°Call it what you want, but I don¡¯t play those games anymore.¡± Drifter didn¡¯t give it a second thought. The idea that these monsters believed they had him cornered was absurd and that they would release their hostages, delusional. He didn¡¯t even need his sword. A single spark was all it took. ¡°Waste of time.¡± He fired a speck of light that immediately ignited the demon¡¯s body, triggering a chain reaction that engulfed the entire street in white flames, incinerating everything in their path. The fires lit up gas tanks, causing cars to explode, as the screams of people and demons alike cried into the night sky. And so, another peaceful street corner was left in utter chaos, with the lone man in the white coat standing in the epicenter of it all, completely unfazed. The last demon refused to die, not until his questions were answered. ¡°How? How can a human exhibit such cruelty?¡± ¡°A demon confused by human cruelty? Funny.¡± The monster disintegrated into ash as the screams came to an end, with only the sound of the raging flames filling the silence. Dale stepped back from the doorway to avoid the fire, but even from a distance he was horrified by the sight. The sheer callousness of Drifter¡¯s actions could not be understated and yet, he expressed no sorrow nor pleasure. He looked the same as always, like he¡¯d seen it all before. Dale barged through the flames to follow after Drifter, who wandered into a nearby alleyway, but once he caught up, Drifter had vanished, with a bright portal left in his place. A tear in reality. ¡°What the fuck am I doing!?¡± He thought. ¡°Why am I following him again!? Is it really worth it!? After what he did to those people¡­.!? No¡­ I have to follow him. I need to know¡­ What kind of heartless prick just sacrifices innocent lives like that!? How can someone with so much power use it so carelessly!? I need to know what kind of person you really are, Drifter¡­¡± Chapter 3: Hells Wasteland Hidden in a dark alleyway, illuminated by the white flames of a burning street, laid a tear in the fabric of reality. A portal to another world, or so Dale assumed. Where it led, he had no clue, but he was certain Drifter passed through it. Refusing to be left behind, he steeled himself for whatever horrors waited on the other side and crossed through the dimensional rift. The experience felt instantaneous. In a single flash of light it was already over. Dale landed on the rough earth beneath him, checking his body to see if he made it in one piece. As the portal sealed shut, he checked his surroundings. A barren wasteland of rusty stone, devoid of all life. Rundown shanty homes made from mud and dirt that were built up against the slopes of a cliff that spiralled downwards into a quarry. There was no wind, nor was there a sky, just craggy walls off in the far horizon, that stretched upwards endlessly into pitch darkness. Looking over the edge of the road, Dale peered into the bottom of the quarry, hoping it would give him some context for what this area could be, but it was just an empty abyss. There was nothing of interest, it was like the whole place was enclosed in a massive crater. To his right, stood a colossal stone tower, connected via a marble bridge. It had an imposing presence, whoever lived there clearly had power over the residents of the quarry, if there were any. The site wasn¡¯t entirely abandoned however, as just up ahead, Dale spotted a familiar white coat. He was so enamored with the new locale, he nearly forgot why he was there in the first place. Dale rushed after the man. ¡°Hey! Drifter, wait!¡± The man sighed as he turned around. After catching his breath, Dale was ready to lay into him. ¡°What in the holy hell were you thinking!? Do you have any idea what you were even doing!?¡± Drifter said nothing. ¡°Well, do you!?¡± ¡°You came all the way to Hell to lecture me?¡± ¡°What the hell? We¡¯re in¡­ Hell¡­?¡± ¡°Hell. The Demon World. Essex. It¡¯s all the same.¡± ¡°But, where¡¯s all the fire and brimstone and tiny devils sticking pitchforks in people¡¯s butts?¡± ¡°Long dead, or maybe they never existed.¡± ¡°So, are we in a specific circle of Hell, or what?¡± ¡°Circles? The demon world¡¯s not that grandiose.This is probably where those smelly oily cunts came from.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s disappointing.¡± Sadly, Hell was not as disturbing or bombastic as Dale imagined it to be. No tortured souls of the damned, or lakes of fire, or volcanic spires shooting magma. This world didn¡¯t scream phantasmal nightmares, it was just depressing. Drifter continued on his way, as Dale quickly realised what he just did. ¡°You bastard! You deflected my question!¡± His cry fell on deaf ears, as Drifter kept on walking. ¡°Those were innocent lives, Drifter and they were snuffed out by you! You didn¡¯t even try to save them! You just murdered them, like they were nothing!¡± Drifter stopped. ¡°What happened to that woman from earlier?¡± ¡°Wha- she¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Dead, isn¡¯t she.¡± ¡°She saved me¡­ she stabbed that monster in the eye, but it wasn¡¯t enough and before I could do anything¡­¡± ¡°Human lives mean nothing to demons, we¡¯re objects to them. They¡¯ll use us as hostages, food, weapons or kill us as entertainment.¡± ¡°But, why did you¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play their games. We¡¯re tools to them after all, and who the hell bargains with a tool? Just kill them and move on.¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s not fair¡­¡± ¡°Life''s not fair.¡± Though saddened by this harsh truth, Dale remained vigilant. It may look empty, but this was still the demon world. ¡°I don¡¯t care what Drifter says. Just because he¡¯s jaded doesn¡¯t mean I have to be. If he won¡¯t save people, then I will¡­ s-somehow¡­¡± As they reached the bridge to the tower, a sudden thought crossed Dale''s mind. ¡°Wait¡­ Why are we here?¡± ¡°Philosophy isn¡¯t my thing.¡± Drifter replied. ¡°No, I mean. Why did you come to Hell, or the demon world, or whatever this place is?¡± ¡°They mentioned something about Lucifer, so I got curious.¡± ¡°Going after the prince of darkness, already?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m sensing a demonic presence in that tower. I¡¯ll probably get some answers there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly talkative.¡± Drifter suddenly went silent. ¡°Yeah, real mature¡­¡± As they continued along the bridge, Dale took note of the two gargoyle statues, sitting on pillars at the center of the stone walkway. He was impressed by their incredibly detailed craftsmanship, with each individual scale carved into their body. They were almost lifelike. They even started shivering the moment they got close. ¡°Oh, balls¡­¡± The pair of gargoyles awakened from their slumber, spread their wings and soared into the sky, circling the two from above like vultures. They were around the same height as Dale himself and easily grabbed the defenceless boy with their sharp talons. ¡°Dammit! Let go!¡± Dale tried to fight back, but the monster had already flown high enough that breaking free would result in a deadly fall. The second gargoyle flew after Drifter. Without even flinching, he waited for the demonic bird to close in. Even with the speed the creature flew at, the second it made a swipe at him, Drifter slipped to the side, without moving a muscle. He violently clasped at the bird¡¯s neck, yanked it out of the air and without hesitation, crushed its throat. He discarded the lifeless monster and left it for dead. From above, he saw Dale carried off to the top of the tower. Drifter showed no concern, in fact, he was amused by the prospect of a demon believing they had just kidnapped his ally. Drifter didn¡¯t need any persuasion, he was coming for them whether they liked it or not. The white marble tower was stained a dirty red by dust and decay, with its giant stone doors cracked and frail. Too impatient to go to the hassle of prying them apart, Drifter simply punched a massive hole in the door and strolled through. Inside, the tower was decorated by stone seats with murals covering the walls, depicting darkness, demons and a winged being emitting a light that seemed to illuminate the land like the Sun. The room felt like the inside of a church. On the other side of the room, was a human-like demon, wearing robes, like a priest. With dark grey skin and long hair, flowing over his cloak. ¡°Welcome, to the Tower of Heylel. I am Priest Ferrum.¡± He greeted. ¡°Although, I find it rather insulting to bring the Legendary Demon Sword to such a sacred place.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Drifter had no clue what he meant. ¡°You look confused. Are you not aware of our Lord, Lucifer?¡± ¡°Not the religious type.¡± ¡°I see, so you are not aware of Lucifer¡¯s greatness. The one who casts light upon the darkness and reveals the truth hidden deep in the abyss of one¡¯s heart. With his guidance and strength, our kind were able to live under his light in this otherwise blackened world.¡± ¡°Could you shut the fuck up about your dumb religion for a minute? Is this Lucifer guy around or what?¡± ¡°Only the master of this tower can answer that question. I am but his humble servant. Come, I shall take you to him.¡± Drifter groaned, knowing full well this was obviously a trap, but he didn¡¯t survive this long, in a demon infested world, without learning how to muscle his way through an ambush. The gargoyle dropped Dale at the top of the tower. He didn¡¯t appreciate landing face first, nor the chilling gust of wind kicking dust in his eyes, but at least he wasn¡¯t seriously injured. Dale then spotted a lone demon, standing on the edge of the tower and immediately attempted to sneak away from it. ¡°Where are you going, boy?¡± The demon asked. ¡°Shit.¡° Dale cursed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me, are you?¡± ¡°No. You are bait.¡± Dale was confused by the demon¡¯s calm demeanor. It kept its back turned, but he could tell they had a humanlike appearance, but with grey skin and claw-like hair, his body hidden behind a black cape. The demon seemed surprisingly civil, but Dale still needed clarification on who he was baiting. ¡°Are you after Drifter?¡± ¡°If you are referring to the human wielding the sword, then yes.¡± ¡°You¡­ might want to quit while you¡¯re ahead.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already entered the tower.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re gonna fight him.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. The priest wishes to test him first.¡± ¡°Um¡­ why? What do you want from him?¡± The demon finally faced Dale and upon his face was the same detached look as Drifter. Total ambivalence, with only a single purpose driving him. ¡°Tell me, human? What is it like, living in a world full of light? A world that¡¯s prosperous and beautiful?¡± ¡°The only world I know is dark, dirty and depressing. For a society so prosperous and beautiful, they sure didn¡¯t waste any time throwing me in the gutter.¡± ¡°I see¡­ it seems humanity hasn''t changed much since the days of Lucifer.¡± ¡°What¡®s that supposed to mean? You think demons are better than us!?¡± ¡°Demons are naturally more powerful than humans and yet, it was humanity who was given a world of light. A world they do not deserve. A world they take for granted¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s no excuse for going around fucking everything up! Our world wasn¡¯t that bad, until you guys started destroying it!¡± ¡°Says the gutter boy.¡± ¡°Well, you know what? The gutter is still better than this dried out dump!¡± ¡°Fool. You become defensive of your own race over a mere insult, even though it was that very same race that ignored your plight and threw you away like trash. Blindly defending the ones who neglected you, a slave to your own tribalistic ways. For too long I''ve seen my own kind fall victim to such stupidity and it seems humans are no different.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± A small spire, raised from the floor next to the demon. Sitting on top was a stone shrine, with a sharp knife, shaped like a scimitar, but with no handle, just a raw blade. ¡°These weapons were to be gifted to those who earned the respect of Lucifer, but this blade never found a wielder. Therefore, I will choose in his place. Now, either reject the human world and take up this blade as an honorary demon, or continue to live your pathetic life in a world that abandoned you.¡± ¡°No way. What would I want with a demon¡­ weapon¡­ wait, will this thing give me demonic powers, like Drifter?¡± ¡°If power is what you are looking for, then I¡¯m certain that is what it will provide.¡± Drifter followed the demon priest up a spiraling staircase. The two didn¡¯t speak a word to each other, as they silently ascended the tower, until a ceiling came into view. A room, approximately halfway up the tower. This was it. Drifter was prepared for whatever trap was waiting for him in that room. They arrived as Ferrum signaled Drifter to stop as he unlocked the door. ¡°Please, follow me.¡± ¡°What kind of church has a colosseum in it?¡± The room was a large empty space, with seats against the walls and stained glass windows. ¡°This place was where Lord Lucifer would watch as his followers battled with each other.¡± The priest explained. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He always had a fascination for watching lesser beings compete with each other. Those who proved themselves to be the most powerful became his closest disciples.¡± ¡°Were there twelve of them?¡± Drifter jest. ¡°No one knows¡­ this old tower is falling apart. Rotting away, much like the memories of those ancient times. The days of Lucifer¡¯s rule are long gone and me and my master are the last remaining descendants of the guardians of this sacred ground.¡± ¡°You dragged me all the way up here for a history lesson?¡± ¡°That sword¡­ what does it mean to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weapon.¡± ¡°Is that all? Such a mundane and simple answer. Are you oblivious or just feigning ignorance? To me and descendants, that weapon was the catalyst that changed everything. Its existence is the demon world¡¯s curse.¡± ¡°Look, is Lucifer still around or not?¡± ¡°Only my master is allowed to answer such questions.¡± ¡°Of course he is¡­¡± ¡°In order to meet with my master I must first test you.¡± ¡°Of course you do¡­¡± ¡°Now, en guarde!¡± Ferrum¡¯s robes tore off as he revealed the blades jutting out of his arms. Drifter didn¡¯t even flinch and simply waited for the knived demon to make a move. The priest darted forward, planning to rip Drifter to shreds for daring to leave his guard down, but Drifter stayed calm, his hands placed comfortably in his pockets. The second the priest invaded his personal space, Drifter¡¯s leg instantly sprung up, booting Ferrum clean in the stomach, killing his momentum. As the priest lumbered back in shock and agony, Drifter lifted his fist to Ferrum¡¯s face. Without even moving a muscle, the priest was suddenly flung to the other side of the room. Drifter unleashed a force of energy from his fist, like a gun firing a blank, with enough force to carry a fully grown man several feet. ¡°So, what were you trying to test with that move?¡± Drifter asked, condescendingly. ¡°If it was my speed, I¡¯d say I more than passed.¡± The priest was still in shock. He wished to test the power of the Legendary Demon Sword, but Drifter hadn¡¯t even drawn his blade yet. He barely moved and yet, his retaliation was impossibly swift and precise. It all happened too fast for him to get a grasp on how much power the sword was putting out. Was Drifter holding back, or did he attack so quickly that Ferrum couldn¡¯t even sense it? Picking himself up, Ferrum was determined to gauge Drifter¡¯s power. In a burst of adrenaline, the priest darted around Drifter, to attack from the back, but Drifter¡¯s reactions were on point. His body glowed with a white aura, as he tracked the priest¡¯s movements, turning 180 degrees with him, meeting him face-to-face. Ferrum was awestruck, Drifter followed him perfectly, but he didn¡¯t counterattack. He simply watched, daring Ferrum to make a move. The priest obliged and assaulted him with his claws. With every swipe Drifter ducked and with every jab Drifter side stepped. No matter how fast Ferrum attacked, Drifter was reacting far too quickly for him to land a single clean hit. The whole time, Drifter kept the same emotionless expression, as if he had seen these exact lame movements before. Flailing wildly clearly wasn¡¯t working, Ferrum needed to catch Drifter by surprise. In the midst of his attacks, the priest¡¯s arm blades retracted into his body and without warning, burst out of his chest, stabbing deep into Drifter¡¯s abdomen. While satisfied that he had finally exploited one of Drifter¡¯s openings with a decisive strike, Ferrum was curious as to why there was no blood. He soon looked on in horror as the visage of Drifter he stabbed slowly dissipated. It was an illusion, an afterimage, left behind by Drifter¡¯s ludicrous speed. The real Drifter was standing casually, a mere millimeter outside the blade¡¯s range. Drifter lifted his fist and once again, released another explosive burst of power, sending the priest flying across the room a second time. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Ferrum questioned, stumbling onto his feet. ¡°The Legendary Demon Sword is only supposed to enhance your power. How can a human, a being far less powerful than a demon, outclass me by such a wide margin? That strength¡­ you can¡¯t be human, what the hell are you!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re no different from the others.¡± Drifter calmly criticised. ¡°You throw your weight around without any thought and expect that to be enough. Then you go into catatonic shock when I start stomping your shit in. All because you assume humans are inferior. That they couldn¡¯t possibly stand up to a demon. You¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°Idiot? A human, calling a demon an idiot? Humanity are the real idiots. You¡¯re soft, weak and entitled. You¡¯re like insects compared to us. Compared to Lucifer! He should have exterminated you when he had the chance, but instead he fell victim to your¡­ Huh!?¡± Ferrum lifted his head, he was so busy ranting he hadn¡¯t noticed Drifter already heading for the exit. ¡°Where are you going!?¡± Drifter didn¡¯t even give Ferrum the courtesy of acknowledging his existence and kept walking, muttering under his breath. ¡°Useless twat, I¡¯ll find your master on my own.¡± ¡°You¡­ arrogant¡­ worm! A moronic human¡­ and that accursed sword! You¡­ you symbolise everything that¡¯s wrong with our world¡­ and you dare treat me¡­ like I¡¯m useless!?¡± The priest¡¯s rage boiled, decades of seething jealousy for humanity and hatred for the weapon that ruined his land rushed into him all at once. Ferrum¡¯s pride as a demon, as a follower of Lucifer and his disgust at being bested by a human, drove his bloodlust. His muscles tensed and his power soared. ¡°I can¡¯t accept a loss like this¡­ not to a human¡­ not to that sword! I¡¯ll deliver you to the master in bloody pieces!¡± In one final display of undying conviction, the priest lunged towards Drifter faster than he ever had in his entire life. This was no longer a test, this was a battle of dignity. The human had to die. But, as the priest closed in, his body suddenly became so petrified, he nearly went into convulsions. Time slowed to a crawl as he watched as Drifter¡¯s aura flared up. His sword was already unsheathed, resting on the ground, held backhanded and with a flick of his arm, Drifter swiped behind him. He swung with such force, it cut the air itself, slicing through the priest and even shattering the windows at the far back of the room. The attack came out so fast, Ferrum was still in mid-run, but the force of the blow lifted him into the air, as his body was bisected. The last moments Ferrum witnessed, before he was blinded by death¡¯s darkness, was the back of the human who slayed him, already leaving the fight. His death barely qualified as a footnote. Just another wasted effort. The two bloody halves of his body slid across the floor and were left to rot. Drifter continued to the top of the tower. Fighting the priest put him in a foul mood. ¡°All I wanted was an answer to a very simple question, but these demons have always gotta play games. They can never keep their damn egos in check.¡± He didn¡¯t have the patience for it anymore. He busted through the final stone door and arrived at the top of the tower. A strong wind kicked up dust on the hard, stone roof. Even at the top of the tower, the dirt from the desert roads still infected the air. Dale looked deep in thought, staring at the ground. On the other side of the tower was a demon of the same race as the priest, only he appeared more mature, resolved and powerful. ¡°So¡­ you finally made it to the top.¡± The demon greeted, as Drifter responded with his usual glare. ¡°I am Rado, the current master of The Tower of Heylel. I assume you passed my servant¡¯s test?¡± ¡°Another pointless death to add to my never ending list.¡± Drifter replied. ¡°His death was not pointless. Thanks to his sacrifice, we can confirm that the Legendary Demon Sword¡¯s power is very real and far exceeded our expectations. It seems Locke wasn¡¯t speaking nonsense. The one who unlocks that blade¡¯s full potential will have the power to bring this world back from the brink of extinction. All we have to do now is take it back.¡± ¡°How many fucking times do I have to kill you dumb arseholes? Five years you¡¯ve been doing this! Are demons just naturally suicidal!?¡± ¡°I have other methods of defeating you besides direct confrontation.¡± Rado taunted, throwing the curved blade on the pedestal at Dale¡¯s feet. ¡°Right, boy?¡± After some serious thought, Dale considered using the blade, but was interrupted by Drifter. ¡°Touch that thing and you¡¯re dead, kid.¡± Drifter¡¯s order offended Dale. ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re looking out for me!? I thought you didn¡¯t care about what I did!?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not kill a human, if I don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Are you fucking serious!? What about all those humans you burnt alive!? You didn¡¯t have much trouble killing them!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been over this. Those people were dead the moment they were captured.¡± ¡°But, you didn¡¯t even try!¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°What!? You¡­ you know I couldn¡¯t do anything¡­ even if I tried¡­¡± Drifter paused to think for a moment. ¡°Fine, do what you want. You¡¯re just distracting me.¡± He turned his attention back on the demon. Dale didn¡¯t have the drive to pursue the issue any further. Drifter¡¯s warning was causing him to second guess himself. Instead, he opted to take a step back and let Drifter finish his business. Not that he had any power to stop him. ¡°I didn¡¯t climb this godforsaken tower to listen to stupid religious lectures, or take some gay test. I just have one question. Is Lucifer alive?¡± Rado¡¯s face grew serious, almost angered by Drifter¡¯s callousness. ¡°Tell me, human. Have you noticed the wind bellowing around this tower?¡± ¡°Oh my God, really¡­?¡± ¡°Have you noticed how this world has no sky? No Sun or Moon to cast its light upon the land. An impassable ceiling, oppressing the people with its impenetrable darkness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not listening.¡± ¡°But, how can a world with no Moon have wind? How can a world with no Sun still have light?¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°This world was once bountiful and beautiful, as the people bathed in the light of our lord and saviour, but as you can see it is a shadow of its former self, surrounded by Abbadon¡¯s death and decay, with no hope of escape for any of us.¡± Drifter pointed his finger as a small spark shot out towards the preaching demon. The moment it made contact with the demon¡¯s skin, the spark detonated like a bomb, leaving a gaping wound in Rado¡¯s right shoulder, gushing blood, as he grasped at it in agony. The spark was so miniscule in size, Rado hadn¡¯t even noticed its presence until it had snuck right in front of him, interrupting his monologue. ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± Drifter ordered. ¡°Now, is Lucifer alive, yes or no?¡± The demon regained some footing and continued. ¡°This land¡­ was once prosperous¡­ inhabited by warriors, priests and commoners alike. All united under the rule¡­ of our God, Lucifer. But, once he disappeared, by the hands of that accursed sword, the demon world fell apart¡­¡± A white hot razor suddenly sliced through the demon¡¯s left shoulder, weakening him even further with more blood loss. Drifter had pulled his sword, which was smoking from the projectile he just fired from it. ¡°Cut the crap. Just tell me what happened.¡± Determined to tell his tale to the end, Rado continued. ¡°This world¡­ had many false gods¡­ rise to power¡­ but none of them¡­ held a candle to Lucifer¡­ they became obsessed¡­ with the power of that sword¡­ the sword that slayed Lucifer¡­ endless fighting¡­ over a power¡­ this world never needed¡­¡± ¡°Finally, we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± Drifter sighed. ¡°Locke¡­ I hate to admit this, but¡­ he is the only one¡­ this world has left¡­ the only one who truly understands¡­ if he can obtain the Legendary Demon Sword¡­ we can begin a new world¡­ and rebuild this wasteland¡­¡± ¡°Fine, Lucifer''s gone. So, who¡¯s this Locke guy?¡± Rado remained silent, he wasn¡¯t going to divulge such important information to a human. ¡°Is he the one who unleashed demons into my world?¡± Again, there was no response. ¡°What¡¯s with the silent treatment!? If Locke¡¯s such hot shit, then tell me more!¡± ¡°At this point, I¡¯d rather die¡­¡± Drifter groaned. ¡°What a waste.¡± He aimed his sword as it lit up, glowing a burning white, until it fired a razor sharp beam that tore through the demon¡¯s chest, dealing a fatal blow. The blood loss from his new wound was the final nail in the coffin, as Rado coughed up crimson mucus and fell to his knees. His vision blurred, his body could barely stay up and he soon fell on his back, having lost all his energy. Dale was awed by Rado¡¯s story. It sounded genuine, like they were struggling for more than just a selfish desire for power, but Drifter didn''t care. He was entirely focused on his new objective: Find Locke. Everything else was irrelevant, including the motivations of the demons he was fighting. To him they were just dumb monsters. After walking past Rado¡¯s body, Drifter mumbled to himself. ¡°Another one¡­¡± He slashed at the air, creating a rip in the fabric of reality. ¡°I thought I sensed some weird shit up here¡­ does that mean this Locke guy is close?¡± Drifter entered the portal. Dale attempted to chase after him, not wanting to be left in the demon world, but stopped when he heard the dying cry of Rado. ¡°¡­the arm blade¡­¡± ¡°No thanks¡­ I don¡¯t wanna be cursed, or die, or whatever that thing does.¡± ¡°...it is the last remnant of my kind¡­ take it with you¡­ so that we won¡¯t be forgotten¡­¡± Dale picked up the blade and examined it, reconsidering the option to use it. ¡°Are you sure this thing won¡¯t try to mind control me or something?¡± ¡°In the end¡­ all I could do¡­ was preserve one simple weapon¡­ Why¡­? Why couldn¡¯t I do more¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, how do I even use this thing? It doesn¡¯t have a handle.¡± Distracted by the strange weapon, Dale hadn¡¯t noticed that Rado had drawn his final breath. Even if he was a monster, Dale couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for the devil who ultimately just wanted to play his part in saving their world. As Dale looked over Rado¡¯s body, the blade suddenly began merging into his arm, sinking into the skin. ¡°Oh, Jesus! It is cursed!?¡± It completely buried itself in his arm, attaching to his bone until it disappeared inside him. Terrified as to what just happened, Dale desperately picked at his arm to try and dig the blade out, only for it to jut outwards below his elbow. Without even thinking, he could freely retract the blade in and out of his lower arm, like it was an extra limb. As if that wasn¡¯t bizarre enough, his body felt lighter. He felt renewed and refreshed, brimming with energy. He wasn¡¯t sure to what extent, but this demon weapon felt like it was enhancing his body¡¯s capabilities. It gave him newfound confidence. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have saved them, even if I tried¡­ but, now¡­ with this blade, I can be a real hero. Maybe I¡¯m getting in over my head, but it¡¯s worth a try at least. Anything¡¯s better than sitting around, praying for a miracle. But before I can jump into any of that, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve gotta do first. I¡¯m gonna give that bastard a piece of my mind.¡± Chapter 4: Bodyguards After escaping the demon world, Dale emerged in a grassy plain, by the side of the empty motorway. The road was illuminated by moonlight, with the crisp, cool, night air making a pleasant change from the dusty, dryness of hell. Just a few feet away, he spotted the back of that familiar, filthy white coat, standing alone in the grass. With his newfound confidence, and undying stubbornness, Dale fearlessly marched straight up to Drifter. ¡°Hey!¡± He yelled. ¡°Since when could you open up portals!?¡± Drifter¡¯s arms were folded, as he stared into the distance, trying to ignore the gnat buzzing in his ear. ¡°You know? I¡¯m really getting sick of your shit.¡± ¡°Then leave.¡± Drifter remarked. ¡°No way! I¡¯m in too deep! I wanna know more about this Locke guy! What happened to the demon world!? What made them come to our world!? And who the fuck are you!?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Drifter, you twit.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯re not exactly making progress with that one. What about those portals?¡± ¡°Dimensional rifts linger.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Portals between worlds. Created by demons. Even after they¡¯ve disappeared, their presence still lingers for a while. That¡¯s how I was able to cut open a portal, because it was already there, I just reopened it.¡± ¡°Oh, so you can¡¯t travel between worlds on command?¡± ¡°You got your answer. Now, shut up.¡± Dale was left even more frustrated. ¡°Why are you being so difficult!? If you don¡¯t know anything, then just say so! Stop trying to hide this shit from me! I¡¯m trying to help! I mean, how the hell are you supposed to accomplish anything if you won¡¯t even talk to anyone!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about accomplishing, it¡¯s about preventing.¡± ¡°Preventing what!?¡± ¡°Forget it¡­¡± Drifter went on ahead, but after being dragged to Hell and back, Dale wasn¡¯t going to just drop everything and pretend like it never happened. He was going to confront Drifter as many times as he needed to, in the hopes of dragging the truth out of him. He ran ahead and blocked Drifter¡¯s path. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake¡­¡± Drifter grumbled, already exhausted by Dale¡¯s pestering. ¡°Drifter¡­ that demon said your sword led to endless fighting and destroyed their world. Any thoughts on that?¡± ¡°Not my problem.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s your sword, don¡¯t you feel the least bit responsible?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did you destroy their world?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then¡­ aren¡¯t you at least curious about what really actually destroyed their world?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t you care!?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But, why!? Why are you wielding that sword? You don¡¯t help people, you don¡¯t seem to enjoy fighting and you can¡¯t even be bothered to at least find out why it¡¯s even here in the first place! If I had that sword I¡¯d use it to save people, not bring them more misery! What the fuck are you even doing!?¡± Drifter drew his sword, resting it on his shoulder. Dale braced himself, instinctively revealing his arm blade, in self-defence. ¡°I was wondering when you were going to show that off.¡± Drifter commented. ¡°You knew already?¡± ¡°I can sense the presence of demons, including your little knife.¡± ¡°So¡­ are you going to fight me, now that I¡¯m part demon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a demon, stupid. You just have a demonic blade in your arm.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ but, what if I fought you anyway?¡± Drifter¡¯s brow lowered slightly, in baffled intrigue. ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re an arsehole!¡± ¡°Your deduction skills are on point.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve deduced that you''re way too careless to be wielding that kind of power.¡± ¡°Careless?¡± Drifter almost seemed offended by Dale¡¯s claim. He distanced himself, pointing his sword, with Dale bracing for impact, assuming the battle had started. From what he saw at the top of the tower, Dale guessed Drifter would attack from a distance, before fighting him head on. Dale was ready and focused. His new demon weapon had heightened his senses. They were sharp enough to react to any minute movements and his blade was sharp enough to slice through steel. He felt light footed enough to avoid anything. The whole world slowed to a crawl, no matter what Drifter did, Dale could react to it instantly. Despite his hyper focused state, Drifter still managed to pull off a maneuver so unbelievable Dale could never have predicted it. Drifter tossed his sword in the grass, between the two of them and just left it there. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dale questioned. ¡°If you think you can wield that sword better than me, then take it.¡± He answered casually. ¡°You must think I¡¯m a right dickhead to fall for that. The second I touch that thing I¡¯m probably going to be set on fire, or explode, or both.¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s all yours.¡± Utterly perplexed by Drifter¡¯s actions, Dale slowly crept over to the sword, gently lifting it from the ground, praying it didn¡¯t obliterate his arm on contact. As he lifted it up, he felt a rush of energy through his body. The arm blade already made him feel powerful, but this sword was in a tier of its own. The Legendary Demon Sword''s power felt so intense, it was like he could split the whole world in two with a single swipe. It was no wonder why Drifter always looked so calm and confident whenever he fought. Anyone would if they had, what felt like, the power of a god at their fingertips. ¡°There¡¯s just one catch.¡± Drifter explained, snapping Dale out of his trance. ¡°If you want to keep it, you¡¯ve got to kill me, first.¡± ¡°Kill you? I don¡¯t know, that seems a bit extreme¡­ I just wanted to rough you up a bit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be such a pussy. Without that sword I¡¯m dead anyway. Come on, put me out of my misery.¡± ¡°What is he, suicidal? No¡­ no, that¡¯s not the grin of a man with a death wish. Is he baiting me? How? Without his magic, bullshit sword, what could he possibly do to me?¡± Though cautious, Dale took up the sword, its energy surging through him, as he emitted a white aura. With the enhanced speed and power from both the sword and his arm blade, Dale shredded through blades of grass, as he closed the gap between them in a split second, leaping into the air. He swung the sword down with enough force to cleave a mountain in two, but he was interrupted by a sudden, mighty force. It felt as if the whole world shook from the impact of that single swing, like he crashed into an impenetrable wall. That¡¯s when he noticed the white aura glowing in front of him. Even without the sword in his possession, Drifter¡¯s power hadn¡¯t dropped at all. With just one hand, he stopped Dale¡¯s assault, dead, without budging an inch, completely neutralising the strike, leaving Dale to drop pitifully to the ground. Drifter put up his other hand, his entire body radiating with energy, and without even touching Dale, unleashed a burst of strength from his fist that sent him flying, sliding on his back across the field, the sword still firmly in Drifter¡¯s grasp. ¡°Now do you understand?¡± Drifter clarified, as he headed over to Dale. ¡°The sword doesn¡¯t make you invincible, especially against someone who¡¯s already been wielding it for years.¡± ¡°But, I came at you full force. How did you stop me without even trying?¡± Dale asked, pulling himself up. ¡°If I explain, will you stop bitching at me?¡± ¡°No promises.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ¡­ The sword slowly generates energy over time, like an engine and gently transfers that energy into the body of the wielder. The boost is pretty noticeable the first time, but once you¡¯re over that initial high, the rest of its strength filters in more passively. Because of that, your body never feels overwhelmed or damaged by the influx of energy. It just feels natural to you. As long as you don¡¯t freak out and try to force out a shit ton of energy from the sword all at once, it¡¯s mostly manageable. As long as you only take what you need, or what your body can handle, everything should be fine. But, get reckless, or god forbid, lose control and shit goes south real fucking quick.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s like an infinite, demonic battery charger?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± ¡°Okay but, what the hell does CORE mean?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°On the sword¡¯s handle, it says CORE.¡± Drifter examined the hilt of the sword, four letters were engraved along the cross-guard that clearly read CORE. In plain English. ¡°There¡¯s also that weird dent up the middle of the blade.¡± Dale continued. ¡°It kinda bothers me that it¡¯s only on one side. It¡¯s so asymmetrical. Who designs shit like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t make the fucking thing.¡± As expected, Drifter was either clueless, or didn¡¯t seem to care for the details. ¡°I apologise for interrupting your sparring session boys, but may I have a word?¡± Drifter and Dale were so caught up in their conversation, they hadn¡¯t noticed the fashionable young lady, parking her striking red sports car on the side of the road, waltzing right up to them. ¡°Who are you?¡± Drifter bluntly asked. ¡°Please, forgive my sudden intrusion. My name is Reine Lajoie. Daughter of the famous musician, Bryan Lajoie, already following in his footsteps as the next big hit. You may have heard of me¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­ well, that¡¯s not really important, anyway.¡± Drifter and Dale were understandably confused. From nowhere, an upper class lady, sporting fashionable sunglasses, started speaking to them like they were her fellow associates, rather than two random, homeless bozos she just met on the side of the road. ¡°Are you¡­ driving around in the middle of the night?¡± Dale questioned. ¡°Yes. You take issue with that?¡± ¡°Are you nuts!? Nobody goes out at night! Did you forget about the demons that could be lurking out there!?¡± ¡°As if I¡¯d let some nasty monsters get in the way of a cool, evening drive.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a little later than evening.¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­ that¡¯s what I came to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Whuh¡­?¡± ¡°I just so happened to catch a glimpse of you two fighting and I just knew you¡¯d be perfect for the job.¡± ¡°Job?¡± Drifter recoiled at the idea. ¡°You see¡­ I¡¯m having a stalker problem¡­ It¡¯s been keeping me up at night, so I was wondering if you two could possibly act as my bodyguards for a short while? Just until we catch them.¡± ¡°I fight demons, not sexual predators.¡± ¡°But, it is a demon! Please, I know he¡¯s still out there, watching me! I asked the police, but as soon as I mentioned the word demon they turned me away! I need help! Look, I even have proof!¡± The flustered woman presented a box of chocolates as her decisive evidence. Drifter took one of the chocolates and promptly ate it. ¡°Ew¡­ almonds. This guy really is sick in the head.¡± ¡°He left them on my doorstep, like some creepy weirdo.¡± ¡°What a fucking tragedy.¡± He mused, taking the chocolates off her hands. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s a demon. I saw it with my own eyes. He¡¯s always lurking around my house with his¡­ pointiness.¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll do it.¡± Dale answered. Drifter spat out his chocolate. ¡°You fucking what!?¡± ¡°What? Now we can earn our money, instead of stealing it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got better things to do than play bodyguard.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Finding Locke.¡± ¡°Okay, where is he then?¡± ¡°Uh-¡± Drifter blanked for a second. ¡°Listen, cunt¡­¡± He was about to reprimand Dale, for being a smarmy prick, until something grabbed his arm. ¡°No, stop.¡± Reine begged, having lifted her sunglasses, revealing her saddened, deep blue eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at him, I¡¯m the one who asked. I can give you a place to stay, for as long as you need. I¡¯m not short on cash, so you won¡¯t be a burden, I swear.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As he looked into the eyes of the poor, distressed woman, Drifter calmed himself with a deep breath. ¡°Fine¡­¡° His face turned slightly red. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I have a soft spot for generous, rich girls¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll help? Oh, I feel so much more relaxed already¡­¡± ¡°Must be real bad if you¡¯re relaxed with someone like me around.¡± Switching from damsel to diva with the flick of her sunglasses, Reine wasted no time getting down to business. ¡°Now then, please follow me to my car. My home is just a short drive away.¡± The three hopped in the car, with Dale sitting up smart and straight and Drifter slouching in the back, picking away at his chocolates. ¡°Can I have one?¡± Dales asked, kindly. ¡°No.¡± For the rest of the journey, Drifter didn¡¯t speak a single word. He seemed much more interested in staring up at the sky in the open top convertible. They soon arrived at Reine¡¯s home in the heart of Oxford, Summertown. Upon reaching the rich suburb, Reine was eager to show off her lovely abode to her new guests. ¡°Ta-da! Welcome to my palace!¡± They entered the massive living room, adorned with bookshelves, shining polished furniture and a piano by the corner surrounded with other string instruments and stacks of CD¡¯s. As well as a large TV with sofa and chairs covered in pillows. ¡°This room is practically the size of the entire homeless shelter.¡± Dale mocked. ¡°Father did like to spoil me.¡± Reine obliviously replied. "Please, come in. Make yourselves at home. Ooh, I know, how about I play you some music? A lovely legato, perhaps?¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± Drifter replied, immediately dropping onto the sofa, lying down comfortably. ¡°Oh¡­ well, maybe we could do something else?¡± Drifter had already taken off his scabbard and thrown his coat over himself like a blanket. "Nope. Sleeping. Had a long day.¡± ¡°I suppose it is rather late¡­¡± Reine was hoping to have a little fun with her guests, since she so rarely had any, but was left disappointed by Drifter''s disinterest. However, she quickly remembered her other guest, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. ¡°Well, would you like to do something?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dale was taken aback by her sudden request. ¡°Well¡­ I do have a question.¡± ¡°A question? About my moi?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why are you so trusting towards us? I mean, we¡¯re just a couple of smelly, homeless guys. Why would you invite us into your home? We could be crazy serial killers for all you know.¡± ¡°Oh, please. Just because I wear sunglasses, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m blind. I can tell you two aren¡¯t the crazy types, especially you¡­ um¡­ what was your name?¡± ¡°Dale, and that lump is Drifter.¡± ¡°Drifter¡­? Ooh, mysterious¡­ But, you Dale, you have this adorable innocence about you. Like an eager little puppy, you just jumped at the chance to help me. Thank you, I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°O-oh, it was nothing.¡± He blushed. ¡°Now then, I suppose we should all get some rest.¡± Dale wandered over to the piano, curious about the CD stack. ¡°What are all these?¡± ¡°Oh, just unpublished works.¡± ¡°They¡¯re dusty.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I suppose they are. Anyway, we can discuss things further tomorrow, until then, there¡¯s a blanket just under the stairs if you need it. With you two here, I can finally rest easy for once.¡± With the lights turned off, Dale curled up on the large chair by the TV as he pondered the events that somehow led him to this moment. As soon as he stepped into her house, he thought Reine was some stuck up snob, but she was surprisingly generous, almost to the point of being na¨ªve. ¡°Hey, Drifter. What just happened?¡± ¡°Go to fucking sleep.¡± There wasn¡¯t a peep from anyone until the next morning, a rare moment of peace for Drifter who was used to sleeping with one eye open in fear of being jumped at his most vulnerable. However, while the outside world was safe, for the moment, the demons locked away in his subconscious were eager to play. A red sky, dark clouds, a burning city and the whole world shrouded by smoke rising from torched buildings. Serpents rampaged through the streets, slaughtering innocents, purely for the thrill of the kill and in the center of all the death and chaos stood Drifter, once again helpless to stop any of it. Only capable of watching, as all hell broke loose, with the sound of cackling laughter echoing throughout the night sky. It was the same every time. Drifter awoke the next morning, staring at the ceiling of the living room in pure terror, for a few seconds, until his brain slowly realised he was back in the real world. ¡°Dammit¡­ I hate that dream¡­¡± He sat up and hobbled around the room, still half-asleep. Glancing out the window, he spotted a shady figure standing at the gate of the garden. He threw the door open immediately. ¡°Nahas!¡± He called, but the figure was already gone. ¡°Drifter¡­ what are you yelling at¡­?¡± Reine asked, entering the room, in her fluffy nightgown. ¡°Nothing¡­ sorry¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could apologise.¡± Dale teased, only to be greeted with a pillow to the face. Before closing the door, Drifter noticed something sitting on the welcome mat. ¡°Roses? Sorry, dude. I prefer chocolates.¡± He mindlessly threw them away in the bushes. Reine prepared a hearty breakfast for the group with bacon and eggs. Dale was ecstatic to eat a proper meal for once and dug in. Drifter however, was uninterested and simply settled with fruit and water. He didn¡¯t even join them at the table, preferring to lean against the wall, staring out the window until he was finished. To Dale, it always seemed like Drifter was off in his own little world, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to bother interacting with the people around him. ¡°You could at least try to socialise.¡± Dale called. ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°You know, without that big coat, you actually look normal. Well, minus the crazy long hair. I mean, that shit goes all the way down to your knees.¡± Drifter ignored Dale¡¯s comments, turning to Reine instead. ¡°Hey, can I use your shower?¡± ¡°Oh. Of course, it¡¯s just upstairs.¡± Reine answered, shocked by his politeness. ¡°Thank God, I can¡¯t remember the last time I had a good shower.¡± ¡°But, don¡¯t take too long, we have to get ready for the garden party this afternoon.¡± ¡°You want us to escort you to a garden party?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going by myself. Not with that creepy stalker out there.¡± ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Drifter headed upstairs, leaving Dale to handle the details. ¡°What¡¯s this party for?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a gathering at Oxford University.¡± ¡°Oxford? You mean that place rich people go to?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ a place for rich people¡­ to talk about¡­ rich people things¡­¡± Reine¡¯s enthusiasm quickly died at the mere mention of the guests. ¡°What do rich people talk about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Not wanting to pry any further, Dale got up, only to catch a glimpse of a blur rushing past the kitchen window, suddenly followed by a loud crash. ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± Dale yelled. The ceiling above rumbled with loud thumping. ¡°Something¡¯s in my bedroom!¡± Reine cried. ¡°I¡¯ll go check.¡± Dale rushed upstairs, into the bedroom, but by the time he got there, it was already empty. Reine soon joined him, as he checked over the area. ¡°The fuck was that all about?¡± He questioned. ¡°It must be that creepy stalker, he''s getting braver.¡± ¡°Okay, but why did he break into your room?¡± ¡°Whatever the reason, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing good, I- AAGH!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°My makeup¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°He¡­ stole your makeup?¡± ¡°What kind of twisted, evil monster steals a lady¡¯s makeup!?¡± ¡°What the hell are you two screaming about?¡± Drifter casually asked, having stepped out of the shower, still drying his hair. ¡°The stalker demon stole Reine¡¯s makeup.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s a new one¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Reine explained. ¡°I have backup makeup anyway.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Dale called. ¡°You sensed that demon breaking into the room, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Drifter laughed. ¡°I was in the shower, stupid.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go find it?¡± ¡°Nah, fuck him.¡± ¡°But, what if-?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Drifter interrupted. ¡°Go take a shower, kid. Get some of that homeless smell off you.¡± ¡°But¡­ okay¡­¡± After cleaning themselves, Drifter and Dale relaxed in the living room, patiently waiting for Reine to get ready, while keeping their wits about them, in case the stalker returned. After about thirty minutes, Reine emerged from her room, with a red dress and her trademark sunglasses. ¡°Alright boys.¡± She announced. ¡°First on the agenda is shopping!¡± ¡°Shopping?¡± Drifter questioned. ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t bring you two to the garden party in those rags. We need to find you something more presentable.¡± Dale couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°You mean, like, new clothes? Not second hand stuff people dump in charity shops?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m getting you a fresh new suit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never worn a suit before¡­¡± While Dale was distracted by the prospect of new clothes, Drifter remained uninterested. ¡°Do we have to go?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my bodyguards, of course you do.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need two of us.¡± ¡°Oh please. It¡¯s not like you have anything better to do.¡± ¡°Fine, but only because that demon might show up again.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Why are rich girls always so stubborn¡­?¡± Reine drove the group through the city in her fancy red sports car, until they reached Westgate Shopping Centre, with the absence of a certain group of people catching Drifter¡¯s attention. ¡°No police? In such a busy area?¡± ¡°Oh, there are hardly ever any demon attacks here.¡± Reine explained. ¡°So, having them patrolling the street is unnecessary.¡± ¡°No attacks, but plenty of stalkers, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Well, when you see news of demon attacks so regularly you can¡¯t help but feel a little paranoid. Hopefully with you two around any demons that do try to disturb the peace will be in for quite the rude awakening.¡± They entered the bustling Shopping Centre, with Reine hurrying them along up the escalators to the clothing store. Distracted by his own excitement, Drifter snapped Dale back into reality with a smack to the back of the head. ¡°Keep your eyes peeled, stupid.¡± ¡°What? Taking your job seriously, now?¡± ¡°There are five demons scattered around the area.¡± ¡°Holy shit, are you serious? Already? It¡¯s like they knew we were coming.¡± ¡°Try not to die.¡± While Reine and the rest of the general public were blissfully unaware of the danger looming over them, Drifter and Dale were on high alert¡­ until Dale was immediately distracted with the clothing store and hurried off to find his perfect outfit. ¡°That dumb, fucking¡­¡± Drifter¡¯s outburst was cut short by Reine grabbing his arm. ¡°Oh, let him have his fun.¡± ¡°You call this fun?¡± ¡°What could be more fun than spending hours on end experimenting with new attires until you find your perfect look?¡± ¡°H-hours...?¡± ¡°Yes, come along. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find you something.¡± Against his will, Drifter was dragged deeper into the store, lost amidst the forest of jackets and trousers. ¡°What about this one?¡± Reine asked, pulling a random suit from the rack. ¡°Whatever.¡± Drifter responded, sitting on a cushioned seat. ¡°Okay¡­ what about this one?¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.. what about these?¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Drifter, you¡¯re not even paying attention!¡± ¡°Sure I am.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re fine with wearing this frilly white dress?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident in my sexuality.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to be this difficult, then you find something.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Drifter got up and yanked a random suit from the rack. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°You sure you want this one?¡± ¡°Oh, God. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°Nothing, but there are so many others to choose from. Don¡¯t you want to way up your options a little?¡± ¡°It all looks the same to me.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ fine.¡± Reine pouted. ¡°Fine.¡± Drifter folded his arms. Breaking their awkward tension, Dale returned, carrying a variety of clothing. ¡°Okay, so¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure whether to go with this long sleeved shirt, or this shorter one, but I also wasn¡¯t sure which shade of black looked best on these trousers, oh, I also have a bunch of jackets I want to try on. Um, Reine. Do you think you could help me figure out which of these looks the best?¡± Reine giggled to herself. ¡°Oh, of course. Come over to the changing room and we¡¯ll figure this out together. Coming Drifter?¡± ¡°No.¡± He replied, immediately planting his butt back on his seat. The two left, leaving Drifter to his own thoughts. ¡°Damn, now I''ve lost track of those demons¡­ I can sense them gathering near the entrance. I guess they¡¯re ready to make their move. Well, four of them at least¡­ where the hell did the fifth one go?¡± Four creatures brazenly waltzed in from the entrance of the shopping centre. Although they varied in height, they were generally tall, muscular creatures, with long thin spines protruding from their heads and limbs like hair. All of them were a slightly different shade of green. With the monster''s sudden appearance, the people weren¡¯t sure how to react. Some stood still in fear while others ran for cover in the stores. Either way, their mere presence cleared the area of all obstacles. The darkest skinned demon was clearly the leader, having a more imposing build than the others, addressing his lighter skinned underlings with a tone of superiority. ¡°Spinal! Are you certain this was where you spotted them?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Tuffnail.¡± The palest demon answered. ¡°They¡¯re with the woman¡­¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re not so worthless after all. Hubbs, Smalls.¡± He ordered his remaining followers. Hubbs being their tallest and skinniest, with Smalls being the opposite, short and stout. ¡°While we gather up hostages here, you two lure out the Demon Sword, by any means necessary.¡± ¡°But, what about the woman that¡¯s with them?¡± ¡°Who cares? Stop pretending these humans are our equals, Spinal, or I¡¯ll have to kill you out of sheer embarrassment.¡± The demons quickly headed up the escalators. In a cocky display of strength, Smalls barged through the windows of the store, terrifying the customers and employees, as they all hid in the back. ¡°Look at ¡®em run.¡± Smalls chuckled, satisfied with the mess he made. ¡°Yes, very subtle, Smalls¡­ you¡¯re just lucky you didn¡¯t give away Tap¡¯s position.¡± Hubbs berated. ¡°Oi! At least we¡¯re out doing the real work, instead of hiding!¡± ¡°Shut up, Smalls! Before that mouth of yours gets you killed.¡± ¡°Not bloody likely. You saw how those humans scuttled away into the back, like bugs.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you put it to good use and tell me which of those humans has the Demon Sword.¡± Smalls looked at the back of the store. ¡°I can¡¯t! They¡¯ve all huddled together!¡± ¡°Yes, very good, Smalls. You used your brain for once.¡± ¡°Aw well, guess we¡¯ll just kill ¡®em all! I''m sure we¡¯ll find the sword buried somewhere, underneath all the bodies!¡± ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to now, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Oh, come on. The killing is the fun part.¡± ¡°Wait! Shut up, you fool! Something¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Drifter pushed through the crowd of people, emerging from the forest of clothing, wearing the blade they had been searching for. Smalls sauntered over to the human, amused by his courageousness. ¡°You¡¯ve got pretty big balls for a tiny human. Now, be a dear and hand over that sword.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± Smalls laughed loudly. ¡°Hey, Hubbs! Get a load of this! This human thinks he¡¯s hard!¡± He leaned in, getting closer to Drifter. ¡°I bet you think you¡¯re real tough, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Does your breath always smell this bad or did you recently acquire a taste for eating shit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a smart mouth for such a dumb monkey brain. Tell you what? Since humans are such weak little fellas, I¡¯ll give you the chance to leave unharmed. Just hand over that sword without any fuss.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance to go back to hell, before I send you there myself.¡± The monster placed his large, foul hand on Drifter¡¯s shoulder, squeezing tightly, to really get his point across. ¡°Listen to me, you worthless ape! That sword belongs with a demon, not some frail, entitled, weak little human! Now, hand it over and I might kill you quickly!¡± Drifter''s hand glowed with a white aura, as he gripped onto Smalls¡¯ arm and without even flinching, tore it clean off with one thrust, ripping it right from the shoulder. The demon¡¯s gaping wound spewed blood, as Smalls was completely stricken by dizzying pain. ¡°Sorry, could you repeat that? I can¡¯t hear you over all the noise.¡± Drifter asked. ¡°My arm!? What did you do to my arm!?¡± ¡°I tore it off. Need another demonstration?¡± ¡°But, you¡¯re human! Humans are supposed to be weak! They¡¯re just¡­. lowly humans!¡± Smalls fell to his knees, as Drifter ruthlessly kicked him onto his back. Once the monster lifted his head, he was greeted by Drifter¡¯s open palm, already aglow with intense energy. ¡°Next you¡¯ll say: ¡®Please don¡¯t kill me¡¯.¡± ¡°Wha-? Please don¡¯t ki-¡± Before he could finish Drifter fired a small orb of searing energy into Smalls¡¯ mouth, which rapidly expanded until Smalls'' jaw could no longer contain it. The orb exploded, obliterating the demon¡¯s head, splattering viscera over the floor, leaving the lifeless body behind. Drifter looked over at the remaining demon, completely unfazed by the gory display. Watching someone¡¯s head pop like a balloon was nothing to him. ¡°You next?¡± Chapter 5: Admirer ¡°Smalls, you fat moron.¡± Hubbs ridiculed, still shaken from Drifter¡¯s attack. ¡°At least you died the way you lived¡­¡± ¡°With balls in his mouth?¡± Drifter retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, human. Smalls was fat, stupid garbage, but I¡¯m not so easily deceived.¡± Hubbs leapt backwards, toward the exit. He raised his arm, as the spines protruding from it quivered violently, intensifying until they burst out, firing like pin missiles. They were as fast as bullets and as sharp as knives, but against Drifter¡¯s defensive aura they may as well have been made of paper. The white heat surrounding Drifter¡¯s body caused the spines to snap upon impact without leaving a single scratch. ¡°What!?¡± Hubbs cried. ¡°My spines should have pierced right through you!¡± ¡°And you expected me to just stand there and take it?¡± ¡°But, you¡¯re only human!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you observant¡­¡± Drifter groaned as he marched over to the frightened demon. Desperate to gain any sort of advantage, Hubbs¡¯ attention was drawn to a stray woman, quietly trying to sneak by him. Hubbs immediately captured the woman, dangling her by the head. ¡°Not so fast, human. I know how much your kind hate to see innocents suffer, so take one more step and she dies.¡± Drifter continued walking, unfazed by his threats. ¡°I-I¡¯m serious!¡± He lifted his other arm, as the spines on it grew sharper, prodding at her bare neck. ¡°She¡¯ll choke on her own blood!¡± Drifter kept walking, like he didn¡¯t hear a thing. ¡°Stupid chimp! Don¡¯t you understand!? I will kill her!¡± ¡°Kill her and you¡¯re dead. Don¡¯t kill her and you¡¯re still dead.¡± Drifter asserted. Tired of dragging out his farce any longer, the monster was about to slash the woman¡¯s neck open when a blur suddenly zipped straight past Drifter¡¯s side and past the demon, accompanied by the sound of a cleaving blade. There was a brief pause, before both of Hubbs arms slid off, spraying blood. Drifter followed the blur until it came to a stop, watching the demon as it wailed in agony. It was Dale, with such a hateful, yet determined expression. ¡°Just try to hurt anyone now, you freak!¡± Dale proclaimed. In spiteful defiance of Dale¡¯s goading, Hubbs looked down upon the woman he dropped, who was too scared to move and with his monstrous foot, stamped on her leg, breaking it. As she cried in pain, the demon shuffled his foot around, making sure to crush as much of the bone as possible. ¡°You dirty piece of shit!¡± Dale yelled. ¡°Come any closer and I¡¯ll break her neck too!¡± Hubbs laughed to himself, convinced he finally won, until a cold shiver passed through his spine. ¡°Sorry, dude. You¡¯re already dead.¡± In his brief moment of glee, Dale appeared behind the demon, having already slashed straight through the monster. Hubbs¡¯ head was bisected in two and split apart like a coconut. He was finished. Dale maneuvered his way around Hubbs¡¯ bloody remains and approached Drifter. ¡°So, what did you think?¡± ¡°Four out of ten. You need more original one liners.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck off. At least I actually saved someone.¡± ¡°Not her leg, though.¡± ¡°At least she isn¡¯t dead!¡± ¡°If you just killed the guy immediately, instead of shit-talking him, she wouldn¡¯t be in pain right now.¡± ¡°Still a lot better than what you did!¡± Dale stormed off, carefully picking up the woman and gently placing her on a bench so she could lie down. ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­ feel my leg¡­ is it over? ¡± She replied, in gasping breaths. ¡°Not yet, but don''t worry, help will arrive soon.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ some kind of superhero¡­?¡± ¡°Hell yeah! Just stay here and we¡¯ll finish this!¡± Drifter was already riding down the escalator when Dale caught up with him. ¡°Holy shit, are you kidding?¡± Dale looked toward the entrance to find a group of people being rounded up. At the front of the pack was the burliest of the demons, waiting patiently for the Demon Sword to come to him. ¡°Welcome!¡± Tuffnail greeted as the two reached the bottom floor. ¡°I see you¡¯ve already met my subordinates.¡± ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡± Dale chastised. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised, those two were as dumb as each other.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even care that they¡¯re gone!?¡± ¡°Of course not! There can only be one wielder of the Demon Sword. If you hadn''t killed those two idiots I probably would have done it myself.¡± ¡°But, they were your friends!¡± ¡°They were tools.¡± ¡°You prick!¡± The moment Dale made a move, Tuffnail quickly responded. ¡°Hold up! You think I¡¯m gathering up this livestock for fun? Make a move and they all die.¡± He taunted, pointing to his collection of human lives. ¡°Really!? Again!? Is this the only trick you have!?¡± ¡°So long as it works. Besides, this time, there''s a twist.¡± With a snap of his finger, there was a scream, as a blur leapt from the escalators, over their heads and landed beside Tuffnail. A slender demon, covered in black rags, with a black scarf over his mouth, appeared before them. ¡°The fifth demon?¡± Drifter questioned, shocked that he somehow didn¡¯t notice its presence until now. ¡°No! It¡¯s got Reine!¡± Dale cried. ¡°How the hell did I not notice it earlier?¡± Reine called out to her subordinate. ¡°Drifter, don¡¯t just stand there pondering! You¡¯re my bodyguard, so guard me already!¡± ¡°Excellent work, Tap!¡± Tuffnail laughed, his plan coming together. ¡°Guess you were right, Spinal. This woman was important to them.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Spinal looked away in shame. ¡°Shit! Drifter, what do we do!?¡± Dale panicked. ¡°I got it!¡± Drifter replied. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°The reason I couldn¡¯t sense him earlier was because he was hiding in the shop with us.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with-¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a radar, the more I zoom out, the less detailed the enemy¡¯s positions become. I was so focused on the positions of the other demons around the area, I couldn¡¯t sense where the fifth one was, because he was hiding right under my nose. Ain¡¯t that a bitch? Damn, that was almost impressive, but judging by the shocked look on his face, I¡¯d say even he wasn¡¯t aware of that oversight. Lucky bastard.¡± ¡°Thanks for the exposition, but can we save Reine now!?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, sure.¡± Drifter drew his sword, prompting Tap to bolt in front of his master, using both himself and his hostage as a shield to protect him. ¡°Goddammit, every time¡­¡± Tap, Spinal and Tuffnail, moved behind the group of hostages they gathered, further shielding themselves from any potential attacks. ¡°You see what happens when you play by their rules, kid? Now we¡¯ve got more layers of bullshit to deal with.¡± Drifter berated. ¡°What do we do!? I¡¯m fast, but I don¡¯t know if I can beat all of them without someone getting hurt again.¡± Tuffnail laughed in mockery. ¡°Stupid humans. What a joke of a species. Their empathetic nature only impedes their progress. Allow me to remind you who the superior species is!¡± He fired a spine from his arm, piercing through the head of the man closest, killing him instantly. ¡°And in the blink of an eye, another human life is snuffed out.¡± The rest of the hostages cried out in terror, but Tuffnail refused to let them disperse any further. ¡°Sit perfectly still! Anyone who tries to escape dies next!¡± This was exactly the kind of scenario Drifter wanted to avoid. Human lives were expendable to demons, easily tossed aside. While Drifter held his tongue, Dale became absolutely livid, but he too, was still hesitant to act, unable to find a way to approach them without causing further harm. ¡°YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!¡± Shocking the pair, Reine snapped at the murderous monster. ¡°How dare you treat human lives so trivially! No one deserves to die like that! You disgust me!¡± Tap could barely keep her under control, as she fidgeted and ranted. Entertained by her outburst, Tuffnail confronted her, lifting Reine¡¯s chin with his finger. ¡°Feisty one, aren¡¯t you? Maybe we¡¯ll keep you for later.¡± In retaliation, Reine immediately bit down on his finger, digging her teeth deep into his flesh. Tuffnail pulled away in shock. ¡°You bitch! You bit me!?¡± ¡°You taste as rotten as you smell!¡± ¡°Living, breathing, filth!¡± Tuffnail raised his hand at the disobedient human, but was quickly stopped by Spinal, who grabbed his arm before it came crashing down. ¡°Stop! She¡¯s our hostage, you fool!¡± Tuffnail yanked his arm out of Spinal¡¯s grasp. ¡°I¡¯m the one in charge, weakling! You¡¯d be dead if it weren¡¯t for me!¡± ¡°We gathered these hostages to use as bait, killing them will accomplish nothing!¡± ¡°Neither will letting them live! And I will not allow this human¡¯s disgrace go unpunished!¡± ¡°Why!? Why can¡¯t you see that impulsiveness is what got the others killed!? And not just Smalls and Hubbs! So many demons have died pointless deaths in this world, all because they underestimated humans!¡± ¡°Any demon dumb enough to be killed by humans doesn¡¯t deserve to live! Obtaining the Demon Sword is all that matters! With its power, we can make both worlds kneel before us!¡± ¡°Tuffnail¡­ if you continue down this path, you will die here. Not as a proud demon warrior, but as an utter failure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you were barely able to survive in that wasteland. You¡¯re too soft! Tap, unhand the woman!¡± Tap didn¡¯t want any trouble and simply did what he was told, releasing Reine from his grasp. ¡°Uh, Drifter, shouldn¡¯t we do something?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Shh. I want to see where this is going.¡± He replied, with a smirk. ¡°What are you going to do!?¡± Reine yelled in scorn. ¡°Kill me!? Will squashing me like a bug make you feel like a big man!? Did the pathetic little human hurt your precious feelings!? Is that it!? I despise cowardly men like you! You¡¯re a-¡± Before she could finish, Tuffnail smacked Reine across the face, knocking her to the ground. Cutting her cheek. ¡°Stupid woman, you¡¯re better off dead.¡± ¡°Tuffnail¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Spinal immediately dashed in front of Reine, shielding her. ¡°I knew I should have left you to die in that wasteland.¡± Tuffnail chided. ¡°This is pointless, Tuffnail. Five years and not a single demon has managed to obtain the Legendary Demon Sword. Shouldn¡¯t that be evidence enough that your ambitions are completely out of your reach?¡± ¡°Obviously, they were all weak. Just like you.¡± ¡°Are you deluded!? Just look at those humans! They aren¡¯t even making a move! They¡¯re just watching! They¡¯re not scared of you, Tuffnail! You¡¯re not a danger to them! They¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°As long as I have my hostages, they can¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°I see¡­ in that case¡­¡± Spinal suddenly unleashed a blistering punch, as he could no longer stand another second of Tuffnail¡¯s excuses. His fist planted squarely in Tuffnail¡¯s face, crushing his nose, forcing him to back away from his hostages. ¡°S-Spinal¡­ you traitor!¡± He cried, cupping his bleeding face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if this is the hill you wish to die on, that¡¯s your choice, but I for one refuse to die for another demon¡¯s selfish ploy for power. If you truly had any sort of pride, you would have faced that man in the white coat head on! To prove you deserve to wield that weapon! Instead you wasted our time with this cowardly display!¡± ¡°When I get my hands on that sword¡­ I swear, you¡¯ll be my first victim!¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. A sharp pain suddenly pierced through the side of Tuffnail¡¯s ribs. The sword he so desperately craved was now jammed into the side of his abdomen. ¡°There¡¯s your sword!¡± Drifter mocked. ¡°Have fun, cunt!¡± The Demon Sword glowed a searing white. Its energy infiltrated Tuffnail¡¯s body, as bright light beamed from his mouth and eyes, with the power of the sword quickly incinerating his insides. In a final anguished scream, there was a burst of white light, as Tuffnail was cremated alive, his body reduced to ashes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that earlier!?¡± Dale exclaimed. ¡°I needed him away from the crowd, so no one else would catch fire.¡± In the aftermath of the scene, Spinal and Reine locked sights, only for Spinal to grow flustered. ¡°M-my apologies.¡± He bowed. ¡°I should leave now¡­¡± And so, he fled. ¡°What about you!?¡± Drifter called to Tap, still bemused by what just transpired. One look at Tuffnail¡¯s ashes and Tap tapped out. Opening a portal to the demon world, and retreating. ¡°That¡¯s the first smart demon I ever met¡­¡± ¡°Reine, are you okay!?¡± Dale rushed to help her up. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± She responded, her mind elsewhere. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you screamed at him like that!¡± ¡°Oh please, I hate men who so desperately try to assert their dominance.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s grab our stuff, get you cleaned up and head to that garden party, so we can try to put this whole ordeal behind us.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ let¡¯s¡­¡± As the group prepared to leave, Drifter was even more suspicious over the lack of police interference. Surely someone amidst all these people must have called the emergency services. Once they drove away from Westgate, they at least saw ambulances pass by. Drifter never bothered to pay attention to the emergency services before, but now that he was, he found their lack of presence slightly worrying. The drive to the University helped take the edge off of such a stressful morning. The group parked just outside the College, where in the large building, the garden party took place. Now changed into their brand new outfits, they strolled up to the front door, with a tall, bald, well-built man in a business suit, checking over the guests. Reine flashed her invitation allowing her access to the soiree. ¡°Ah, Miss Lajoie.¡± The man greeted. ¡°I see you¡¯re¡­ um, are you okay?¡± She bashfully touched the bandage on her face. ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s just an unfortunate bump, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± The guard turned his attention to her guests. ¡°Hold up, you ain¡¯t coming in with that filthy coat.¡± ¡°The fuck you say?¡± Drifter argued, offended by the remark. ¡°You ain¡¯t getting in, Rapunzel.¡± ¡°At least I have hair, Cue Ball.¡± ¡°You looking to start something?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯ll finish it!¡± ¡°Nathaniel, stop!¡± Reine ordered. ¡°But, Miss Lajoie.¡± The guard whined. ¡°Don¡¯t! That¡¯s my guest you¡¯re insulting and he¡¯s here for my own protection. Now, let him pass.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Nathaniel''s a dumb name.¡± Drifter mocked under his breath. The group entered the building, walking through the large hall, decorated with expensive curtains, rugs and paintings. ¡°You know, this particular college has raised three prime ministers.¡± Reine explained. ¡°And the man holding this party is hoping to become the fourth.¡± Drifter¡¯s disinterest peaked immediately upon hearing the words ¡®Prime Minister¡¯. ¡°Ew, politics. I¡¯m zoning out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen.¡± Dale assured. ¡°Well¡­ all kinds of people show up to his gatherings, but Adam Basil himself doesn¡¯t always make an appearance. I heard he¡¯s become quite the recluse lately, leaving his gatherings in the hands of his personnel.¡± ¡°Why even hold them in the first place?¡± ¡°What better way to get the elites of the country on your side than by offering them free food and alcohol? God knows, it¡¯s not for the conversation¡­¡± Without warning, Drifter yanked Reine back. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± ¡°My job. It¡¯s vague, but there¡¯s definitely a demonic presence here.¡± ¡°Is he nearby?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s weird. Normally I can pinpoint a demon¡¯s location by just concentrating, but this feels cloudy, like the whole building¡¯s covered in fog.¡± Suddenly, the sound of echoing footsteps rang out in the distance, growing closer and closer. As it came running towards them in a mad dash, Drifter and Dale prepared themselves for whatever horrible abomination was about to present itself. ¡°Please! Help me!¡± A senior citizen, stripped down to his underpants wailed. ¡°Some fiend knocked me unconscious and took my very expensive suit!¡± ¡°Is this the demon you were sensing?¡± Dale asked. Drifter cringed. ¡°God, I hope not.¡± Reine quickly took the initiative. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re just guests, but I''m sure the guard at the front door can help you.¡± The underpants man fled to the security guard, not letting the fact that he was half naked deter him from bringing his suit snagger to justice. ¡°Now then, shall we get going?¡± Once they were in the secluded garden, Dale saw that the guests looked just as cliched as he imagined. Men in posh suits, women in extravagant dresses, violinists playing music for atmosphere. It was almost comical. ¡°Jesus¡­¡± Dale chuckled. ¡°These are the kinds of people you associate with?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ if I want to get anywhere in the music industry, yes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just make good music?¡± ¡°Good music means nothing if you can¡¯t get anyone to listen to it. I need to make connections to attract distributors.¡± Dale tugged on Drifter¡¯s coat. ¡°Dude, check it out.¡± Before them lay a large, sprawling table, covered with only the finest of fancy foods and Drifter was more than happy to help himself. ¡°Well, have fun with that whole socialising thing¡­¡± Reine was left to her own devices, as she reluctantly prepared herself to join in with the rest of the socialites. She picked a group at random and wormed her way into the crowd. Luckily, some of the party goers recognised her as the daughter of the late, great Bryan Lajoie. Unfortunately, Bryan was the only thing they were interested in discussing, Reine herself was mostly irrelevant. It¡¯s not that she demanded to be the center of attention, she just wished she could show them there was more to her, than simply being the daughter of a celebrity and heir to his fortune. All she wanted was a chance to step out of her father¡¯s shadow and express her own musical talents. She remembered how her father would effortlessly win over people with his charm and charisma, explaining to her how these were the people she needed to impress, if she ever hoped to have a bright future in the world of music, but Reine didn¡¯t understand any of it. All she saw were a bunch of stuffy old people talking politics. Politics was something she never cared for, she was a musician after all, her passion lied in entertainment and creative endeavours, but without any knowledge of the current political climate, no one would pay her any attention and she didn¡¯t want to risk accidentally saying the wrong thing. It was like all they cared about was parroting their own opinions at each other, rather than actually having any meaningful conversations. Perhaps it was her own fault for attending a politician¡¯s party, but she hoped that, it being a party, the people within her community would unwind and act more casual for once, but that was never the case. Ultimately, she just wanted to play her music, but here she was, stuck at another social gathering with nothing to say, again. Hidden among the rich toffs and sniveling snobs was a strange fellow, but all he did was hand her a bizarre leaflet with religious text. ¡°Daemonism?¡± She read. ¡°Yes. It was founded by our Lord Anderson. ¡®To protect ourselves from demons, we must accept them.'' Please consider paying us a visit some time. We would love it if you could spread our words to the people.¡± ¡°Sure¡­. okay¡­¡± As soon as the man left her alone, she tossed the pamphlet away and sulked over to the beverage table, hoping the sweet numbing taste of champagne would make the event more tolerable. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand these creatures." A voice rambled to himself. "I don¡¯t know who they¡¯re talking about or why they¡¯re even important, but it''s all they seem to care about. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have come here¡­¡± ¡°I feel you, I feel you deeply¡­¡± Reine admitted. ¡°Wait, who said that?¡± She looked to her side to find a tall man, in an old fashioned suit, complete with gloves, monocle and top hat, with strangely pointy ears and unnaturally pale white skin. She almost giggled at the sight of him, but the innocent embarrassment on his pretty face kept her attention. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you around before. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I-I¡¯m Spi¡­¡­ Spi? Spi! Just Spi.¡± ¡°Spy? Odd name. You¡¯re not here on some secret mission are you?¡± ¡°Wh-what!? No!¡± ¡°I¡¯m only teasing, so what are you really doing here?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure anymore¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ fending for myself, in a world I don¡¯t really understand. These people don¡¯t really seem interested in helping me though, or anyone, really.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s like these events are just an excuse for them to bolster each other¡¯s egos, instead of socialising like regular people. Still, at least you seem somewhat normal.¡± ¡°Y-you really think I¡¯m normal?¡± ¡°Somewhat¡­ compared to these tarts, Mr. Monocle.¡± ¡°Thank you, M-miss Sunglasses.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t diss the sunglasses, darling. They¡¯re my trademark¡­.¡± She replied, flicking her glasses on, only to sheepishly raise them back up. ¡°My father gave them to me, before he passed¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to insult them. I was just joking.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m not insulted. You¡¯re the first person here to even notice them.¡± ¡°Oh, well, they look nice.¡± Spi replied, awkwardly looking down at his feet. ¡°Aww¡­ that¡¯s sweet. Too sweet, what¡¯s your game?¡± ¡°G-game? There¡¯s a game? I wasn¡¯t prepared for this¡­¡± Reine laughed out loud, amused by the flustered gentleman. ¡°Would you like to join me at the buffet?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± Spi was a bundle of nerves, but he was amazed that the woman he was pining for seemed to finally be enjoying his company. However, his happiness was swiftly cut short when an old man, still in his underpants, came charging towards him. The enraged man confronted Spi without a hint of shame. ¡°Oi! That¡¯s my suit!¡± ¡°P-pardon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my suit! My hat! And, my antique monocle!¡± ¡°Are you okay, sir? You seem confused.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid with me, you little bollock!¡± The ranting old man left the gentleman utterly embarrassed. He was causing a scene, but it seemed the guests were more concerned over the man¡¯s sanity than his accusations. Just when Spi thought he could weasel his way out of the situation, he spotted his worst nightmare. ¡°No, not him!¡± He thought. ¡°Not that human! Anyone, but THAT human!¡± The one person who wasn¡¯t buying his charade, the one person who could easily ruin his entire day, his whole life even, put down his plate of chicken wings and marched straight toward him. The man in the white coat. He shoved the ranting senior aside. ¡°A missing suit, stolen makeup and a stalker.¡± He commented. ¡°I wonder what these three things have in common. Any ideas?¡± Spi¡¯s plans fell to pieces so fast he didn¡¯t know how to respond. The man was just standing there menacingly, but Spi could still feel an immense pressure coming from him. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was the man¡¯s power, or if he was just so terrified his mind was playing tricks on him. ¡°Drifter?¡± Reine asked. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± In a flash, Drifter swiped the hat off the gentleman¡¯s head, revealing his curved back spines now fully standing on end from fright, along with his pale green skin. ¡°You stole her makeup to cover up your skin?¡± With his true identity revealed, the gentleman had no answer. He was petrified. ¡°So, you were the demon from earlier. Spinal, was it?¡± Reine asked. ¡°Did the pointy ears not give it away?¡± Reine couldn¡¯t bring herself to admit to the obvious flaws in Spinal¡¯s disguise. Though scared stiff, Spinal accepted his defeat and simply uttered: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You will be when I¡¯m through with you.¡± Drifter retorted. Just as he was about to get to work, Reine blocked his path. ¡°Could you move?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him, Drifter.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t feel a thing.¡± ¡°Just let him go.¡± ¡°I already did and he came back. Not the smartest idea.¡± ¡°Well, he hasn''t done anything¡­ to me at least.¡± ¡°You hired me to take out your stalker.¡± ¡°In that case¡­ you¡¯re fired.¡± ¡°Cool. Now I¡¯m free to do whatever I want.¡± Reine continued to stare Drifter down, refusing to budge. There was a sudden loud crash. Reine turned behind herself to find Drifter having already manoeuvred around her and delivered a devastating punch to Spinal¡¯s gut, sending him flying. He moved so fast, she hadn¡¯t noticed she was staring at an afterimage until it was too late. ¡°That one was free.¡± Drifter explained. ¡°Later.¡± Without saying another word, Drifter left the garden party. Reine ran over to comfort Spinal, with Dale following. As soon as Drifter was out of sight, the gentleman demon lifted his head. ¡°Oh my god! Are you okay!?¡± Reine cried, holding his head up. ¡°I knew demons weren¡¯t welcome here¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t fatal, is it!? Can you stand!?¡± ¡°I should leave¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not bleeding are you!?¡± ¡°Are you¡­ listening to me?¡± ¡°You should be listening to me! We need to treat your wounds immediately!¡± ¡°But, I¡¯m not even human¡­¡± ¡°Who cares! You¡¯re more human than any of these mouth breathers!¡± ¡°I was¡­? So, my facade wasn¡¯t a complete waste, then¡­¡± ¡°Well, putting on my makeup was rather silly, but the effort was appreciated.¡± ¡°It was?¡± ¡°As much as we seem to forget, humans usually strive to judge people based on their actions, not their appearance. Even though your efforts were misguided, and unintentionally creepy, I understand what you were trying to do. I just wished you had the courage to talk to me before I hired a superpowered bodyguard.¡± Spinal wheezed out a laugh. ¡°When I followed that group of demons to the human world, I was overwhelmed by just how beautiful it was, compared to the wasteland I was born into. I wanted nothing more than to live here, instead of scavenging for scraps in a barren hellscape, dominated by monsters far more powerful than me. Tuffnail and his men accepted me into their group, in the hopes of one day finding the Sword, hoping its power would allow us to survive without worry, but I was never interested in such power. That attitude made me their errand boy, left to gather intel by myself. Too weak to be accepted by my fellow demons and too frightening to be accepted by humans. I was alone in both worlds, until I saw you¡­ carrying that same look of loneliness and neglect. You were the first creature I ever felt empathy toward. I thought, if I could take a chance and share my feelings with you, we could come to understand each other. I watched how humans treated their loved ones and tried to mimic them, but I still kept my distance, in case I scared you. Once Tuffnail and his gang were defeated, I was left completely alone again, with no other purpose, other than seeing you. So, I hid my skin and even dressed like a human. It was inevitable that I¡¯d be caught sooner or later, but I didn¡¯t care, I just wanted to know what it was like to live a peaceful human life, even if just for a moment.¡± ¡°You went through all that just to see me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what compelled me to do any of this. This all feels so complicated¡­¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t live that peaceful life lying on the ground.¡± Reine answered. ¡°Can you stand?¡± ¡°My chest plates have been completely shattered, I won¡¯t be moving much, for a while¡­¡± ¡°But, you¡¯ll live, right?¡± Dale interjected. ¡°Just about.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re a lucky bastard. You¡¯re the first demon I¡¯ve seen survive an encounter with Drifter, who didn¡¯t run away¡­¡± ¡°Tap was certainly the smartest of the group.¡± ¡°Yeah, even Drifter was caught out by him.¡± ¡°Drifter¡­ his power is truly fearsome. He barely tried, yet he obliterated me in a single hit. It was so fast I couldn¡¯t even defend myself. I¡¯m not even sure his fist actually connected with me at all. I pity any demon foolish enough to challenge him. Still¡­ as frightening as he was. I¡¯ve never seen anything, human or demon, look so soulless before¡­ his eyes lacked that human spirit and then for him to just leave, like I wasn¡¯t even worth finishing off¡­¡± ¡°His eyes, huh?¡± Dale was intrigued. ¡°What do my eyes say?¡± ¡°That you''re still a child.¡± ¡°Man¡­ is it that obvious?¡± Reine giggled. ¡°Are you two going to be okay?¡± Dale asked. ¡°If you could help me carry Spinal into my car, I can bring him home.¡± Reine explained. ¡°You¡¯re sending me back to the demon world?¡± Spinal exclaimed. ¡°No, silly. You¡¯re staying with me¡­ I could use the company.¡± ¡°What about the party?¡± ¡°Oh, to hell with it.¡± Chapter 6: Monster of the Mist ¡°Dammit, Drifter!¡± Dale called. ¡°How did you get all the way out here so fast!?¡± ¡°I walked.¡± Drifter replied, loosening his tie and untucking his shirt like a true delinquent. ¡°Did we really have to leave, so soon!? We could have stayed! Reine wouldn¡¯t have minded!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t. I was fired.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t mean it. Come on, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But¡­ I liked her¡­¡± ¡°Then go back and stop following me.¡± ¡°Never! Someone¡¯s gotta keep you in check.¡± ¡°Really? How?¡± ¡°With this!¡± In a display of bravado, Dale unsheathed his arm-blade, whilst tearing through the sleeve of his expensive suit. ¡°Oh, fuck! Reine¡¯s gonna kill me¡­¡± Drifter chuckled under his breath. "Fucking mongoloid." ¡°Speaking of¡­ are you really okay with leaving her with that demon?¡± ¡°He lived?¡± ¡°Of course. It was only one punch.¡± ¡°Huh, surely I crippled him a little.¡± ¡°He said he¡¯d make a full recovery.¡± ¡°Ain''t that lucky.¡± ¡°I''m getting the sneaking suspicion you let him live on purpose.¡± ¡°Hey, did Reine ever pay you?¡± ¡°Fuck me! I forgot!¡± Drifter broke into a vigorous laughter. ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡± Dale cried. ¡°You¡¯re such a fucking idiot¡­¡± Continuing their journey, they crossed a bridge over a river, to the next town, but were suddenly stopped by a loud car horn, with two officers exiting their vehicle. ¡°Oh, what the hell?¡± Drifter sighed. His patience for law enforcement was nonexistent, as their vain attempts at intimidation and asserting their authority merely annoyed him. ¡°Stop right there!¡± The ginger officer ordered. ¡°You, with the long hair. You¡¯re under arrest.¡± Drifter pointed to himself with a befuddled look. ¡°Yes, you. We need to bring you in for questioning.¡± ¡°Questioning?¡± Drifter was shocked. Most officers tried to have him arrested out of desperate fear, however this ginger lad was surprisingly professional. ¡°There was a major incident last night, just near a restaurant in Marble Hill. Charred corpses discovered in a sea of white flames, with witnesses reporting of a man in a white coat at the scene.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So!? You think I¡¯m stupid, mate!? After seeing what you did in Twickenham, you¡¯ve become my prime suspect, in a number of cases. I don¡¯t know how you managed to evade the law for this long, but I¡¯m bringing you down to the station for a bit of interrogation.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Drifter held out his wrists, accepting his arrest. ¡°Oh¡­ well that was easy.¡± The cop replied, swiftly cuffing him. ¡°You see, Michael. You never know what¡¯ll happen unless you don¡¯t give it a go.¡± Drifter¡¯s wrist became illuminated in a white glow, as he effortlessly snapped the cuff¡¯s chain and ripped the cufflinks from his wrists, like flimsy paper. ¡°Oh, shite.¡± Although his plans were foiled, the officer refused to let Drifter leave, just yet. He pulled out his gun as a final threat. ¡°Wait! You¡¯re coming with me, or¡­ I¡¯ll shoot!¡± Drifter merely pinched the barrel of the gun shut, with his fingers. ¡°What!? That comes out of the taxpayer¡¯s money, you know!¡± ¡°Good thing I don¡¯t pay taxes.¡± The officer¡¯s partner stepped out to calm his subordinate. ¡°I told you driving all the way out here would be a waste of time, Richard.¡± ¡°But, he¡¯s a potential criminal and clearly linked to god knows how many unsolved incidents. We can¡¯t stop when he¡¯s right in front of us.¡± ¡°We can do this another time. He¡¯s clearly not interested and I¡¯ve got a whole stack of paperwork that needs dealing with. Let¡¯s just go.¡± Richard looked down at his now ruined gun, all it could do now was backfire in his face. In a world full of monsters even the humans were becoming impossible to arrest. ¡°This isn¡¯t over, yet, you long haired, poofter!¡± Was all he could muster to save face. Sadly, Drifter wasn¡¯t around to receive such an eloquent insult, as he had already left. Realising the direction he was heading, Officer Richard called after him one last time. ¡°Oi! You can¡¯t go that way!¡± Drifter waved back, as he continued on his way. ¡°Stop him, Michael!¡± The officer¡¯s partner reluctantly stood up straight from leaning on his car. ¡°You can¡¯t cross the bridge, sir. The entirety of Donnington is a Quarantine Zone.¡± Drifter stopped in his tracks. ¡°A what now?¡± ¡°A Quarantine Zone. Only certified personnel are allowed entrance.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well, I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Drifter didn¡¯t care to stick around for the details, ignoring the officer¡¯s warnings, with Dale awkwardly trailing behind. ¡°What was that all about?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Who cares.¡± The quarantined village was on the other side of the bridge. As they approached, it became increasingly apparent as to why the entire area had been sealed off with police cars, jeeps and barricades. A bizarre white mist covered the village like smog, unnaturally settling over the houses and streets, completely unaffected by the wind or weather. Drifter grew evermore suspicious as they came up close to the parked vehicles. Inside was a single officer, sleeping in the passenger seat. ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± Dale demanded. The officer flinched in irritation before eventually opening his eyes. ¡°What do you want?¡± He yawned, rolling down his window. ¡°What¡¯s with the weird mist?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. Demons, I guess.¡± ¡°You guess?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been here all day, but nothing of interest has been reported so far, other than that mist.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve? So, you¡¯re not alone?¡± ¡°The rest of the guys went in to evacuate some of the residents, but they haven¡¯t been back in a while.¡± ¡°Well, maybe instead of sleeping you should do your job!? Make sure they¡¯re not dead!?¡± ¡°Sure. Suppose I can check.¡± The officer lazily pulled out his phone and called one of his allies, patiently waiting for an answer, only to receive a voicemail message. ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯re probably dead.¡± Hopping into the driver¡¯s seat, the officer started the engine. ¡°Wait!? You¡¯re leaving!?¡± ¡°No point in sticking around here anymore. I¡¯ve got to get some rest. Those online trolls aren¡¯t gonna ban themselves. Then again, after this abortion of an operation, I¡¯ll probably be swamped with fucking forms tomorrow instead.¡± The officer drove away into the night. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that guy!¡± Dale yelled. ¡°It was like he didn¡¯t even care! Why do they even bother coming out here, if that¡¯s their attitude!?¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Drifter replied. ¡°Just means there¡¯s less people to get in the way.¡± The two infiltrated the foggy village, where the mist was so thick they couldn¡¯t see anything that wasn¡¯t immediately in front of them. They had about a few feet before everything became a white blur, but as long as they could still see the ground beneath them, they could keep moving. ¡°So¡­ sensing any demons?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Possibly.¡± Drifter bluntly stated. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Normally I can just pinpoint a demon¡¯s location like a radar, but this mist is masking their presence. Something¡¯s definitely lurking out there, but I can¡¯t figure out where it is.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°Wait for them to come to us.¡± As they wandered the foggy street, Dale was overcome by a sudden dizziness. He didn¡¯t understand why, but he tried leaning against a car to get his bearings, but the dizziness persisted. Then, he coughed into his hand, disturbed by the blood he hacked up. Drifter was caught off-guard as well, not by strange bodily behaviours, but from something latching onto his leg. A red haired woman, laying face down on the ground, just outside a garden gate, wearing a grey beanie, had reached out to him. She desperately wrapped her hand around his ankle in a final effort to seek help. ¡°¡­please¡­¡± She moaned. ¡°No thanks.¡± Completely uninterested in rescuing someone who was already practically dead, Drifter tried shaking her off, but she refused. ¡°¡­ before it comes back¡­¡± ¡°It?¡± ¡°¡­ take me¡­ inside¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me what ''it'' is, here?¡± ¡°Dude.¡± Dale moaned, hobbling over, light headed. ¡°I think something fucked up is going on. I¡¯m coughing up blood.¡± A dying woman and bloody phlegm. If something serious was going on, then getting out of the mist was top priority. ¡°Fine¡­¡± Drifter sighed, throwing the woman over his shoulder. ¡°This is your house, right?¡± ¡°¡­ hurry¡­¡± She barely answered. Following the path quickly led Drifter to an open house. Once the three were inside, they promptly closed the door, cutting off the fog inside from its supply, as it dissipated. Within mere moments, the dizziness that was plaguing Dale lifted, as his throat cleared. The woman soon regained her strength, allowing Drifter to put her back on her feet. She was young and dark skinned, with a sweater and ripped jeans, a regular looking punk. Her hair was long and unnaturally scarlet, even her eyes were a striking crimson, but for Drifter, the only red he was seeing were from the flags being raised from her unusual appearance. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± The girl wheezed, still catching her breath. ¡°But, we should keep quiet, in case that thing shows up again.¡± ¡°What thing?¡± Dale questioned. ¡°Was it a demon?¡± ¡°I think¡­. It was a tall, lanky monster, exhaling mist from its large mouth and eye sockets.¡± ¡°Eye sockets?¡± ¡°It was obscured by the mist, but I don¡¯t think it had any eyes at all, just two empty craters in its skull. It was wrinkled and decrepit. Just thinking about it¡­¡± The girl teared up, unable to bear the mental trauma of recalling such a horrid creature. ¡°Whoa, you okay?¡± ¡°Those arms, stretching all the way to the ground, and those terrifying claws. That thing was no demon, it was a monster! I never want to see it again!¡± She leaned against the wall, shivering in fear, fighting to get a hold of herself. Dale didn¡¯t know what to make of the situation. He never heard of a mist demon before, but he wasn¡¯t an expert on the subject either. ¡°What do you think, Drifter?¡± Drifter seemed distracted, but quickly responded with a question. ¡°What¡¯s with your eyes?¡± He asked the girl. ¡°E-excuse me?¡± She replied. ¡°Why are they red?¡± ¡°B-because I¡¯m crying, you idiot!¡± ¡°No, I mean your irises. They¡¯re red.¡± ¡°You have a problem with red eyes!?¡± The girl seemed to have a short temper, but at least it stopped her sobbing. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a human with red eyes before.¡± ¡°You obviously haven¡¯t met many humans then, jerk.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not hiding something, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a demon!¡± She blurted out loud. Drifter seemed to have accidentally touched a nerve. ¡°Just because I have some weird eye colour doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a monster!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± In the blink of an eye, Drifter swiped the beanie from the girl¡¯s head. Expecting to rip away her disguise. However, what he found instead looked far more agonizing. Underneath the hat, hid a spiral of bandages, covering the distressed young woman¡¯s entire head. She held her arms up, to protect her fragile skull. ¡°No¡­ stop¡­¡± Drifter wasn¡¯t sure what to make of them, but his suspicions wouldn¡¯t let up until he knew exactly what the bandages were hiding. ¡°Take those off.¡± He slowly drew closer, convinced they were covering something. ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡± She cried. ¡°I was in a car accident! You can¡¯t take them off! Please!¡± However, Drifter was unfazed and continued moving, until a sharp pain shot deep into his arm. Dale¡¯s blade stabbed straight through him. ¡°Stop it, cunt!¡± Though his guard was down, Drifter clutched Dale¡¯s arm and yanked out his blade. It left a massive gash, but the white aura from his sword covered the wound, healing it fairly quickly. ¡°You seriously falling for this?¡± ¡°Just leave her alone.¡± ¡°What if she¡¯s a demon?¡± ¡°What if she isn¡¯t? What if you kill an innocent woman, for no reason?¡± ¡°Fine, geez¡­ You talk to her then.¡± Drifter threw the girl¡¯s hat back, wandered into the living room and sat on the sofa. He couldn''t be bothered with arguing. If she was a demon then Drifter would deal with her when the time came. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°What the fuck is his problem?¡± She asked, putting her hat back on. ¡°Still trying to figure that out.¡± Dale answered. ¡°Who are you weirdos, anyway?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dale, and Dickhead over there is Drifter.¡± ¡°At least you seem decent, name¡¯s Catherine.¡± ¡°So, Catherine. Could you tell me more about this mist demon?¡± Catherine hesitated, holding her arms close for comfort. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°How are we supposed to stop this thing if you won¡¯t talk to us?¡± ¡°B-but¡­ I-I¡­¡± She shivered again, the thought of the demon alone was enough to freeze her in place. ¡°O-okay, how about instead of talking about the demon, you can tell me how this all started?¡± ¡°H-how it started¡­ right¡­¡± This new line of questioning seemed effective, as Catherine finally divulged some information. ¡°It was about a week ago. That mist, it just appeared out of nowhere and the whole town went silent. I''ve been too scared to leave the house. I only went out today to try and get food, but I couldn¡¯t even bring any of it back, I was too exhausted. By the time I got to my front gate, I collapsed. I felt completely drained. If you two hadn¡¯t shown up, I¡¯d probably be dead. If that can happen to me, then I can¡¯t even imagine what the death toll is, out there.¡± ¡°That mist is definitely deadly. Even I started feeling sick after a while. We should stay inside until we figure out a way to stop the demon producing it.¡± ¡°Are you seriously considering fighting that thing?¡± ¡°Of course. Someone¡¯s gotta be the hero around here. I may be new to this whole demon slaying thing, but I¡¯m no pushover. Check it!¡± Dale flashed his arm-blade, pridefully. "Ouch, doesn''t that hurt?" "Not really. It does get itchy though¡­" ¡°And how is that thing going to protect you from the mist?¡± ¡°Easy, I¡¯ll just kill the bastard before the mist kills me.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Catherine was unconvinced. ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°Drifter? I have no idea. He probably has some bullshit immunity.¡± ¡°Hey, Catherine!¡± Drifter called. ¡°Do you own this place or what?¡± ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s Nan¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Nan?¡± ¡°You know, a grandmother?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well that makes sense. This is my grandparents¡¯ house.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a photo of us on the cabinet over there.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, but okay.¡± ¡°You wanted proof I wasn¡¯t a demon? Well, there it is.¡± ¡°Alright, quit your bitching.¡± On the other side of the room was a tall cabinet full of nicknacks and a photograph. Drifter examined the photo, shocked to see that Catherine was indeed in it. Different clothes, but same beanie. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, her grandparents looked like typical old folks. If this really was a demon trap, it was the most elaborate trap he¡¯d ever seen. ¡°They still here?¡± He asked. ¡°No¡­ not anymore¡­¡± ¡°Oh god, don¡¯t start crying again¡­¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°Car crash¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ wait.¡± It took a second, but Drifter quickly put two and two together. ¡°You mean?¡± ¡°It was about a week ago¡­ we were driving¡­ then the mist suddenly appeared¡­ and then I woke up¡­ and they were gone¡­ this house is all I have left¡­¡± Recounting such painful memories made it impossible for Catherine to hold her tears back. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, Drifter.¡± Dale criticised. ¡°Could you at least try to consider someone¡¯s else¡¯s feelings for once? She¡¯s trapped in this house, terrified of the demon lurking out there and she¡¯s still grieving the loss of her family. The last thing she needs is some arsehole throwing accusations around and scaring her.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Drifter yelled. ¡°I¡¯ll shut up about the demon thing!¡± Catherine¡¯s story sounded legit, but Drifter remained skeptical. ¡°There¡¯s usually two types of demon traps. They either assume humans are stupid and lay obvious ambushes out of sheer arrogance, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, perfectly hide themselves like professional assassins. But, this situation¡¯s unique. I can¡¯t say for certain if it¡¯s one or the other.¡± He looked back at the photo and on closer inspection there was one small, noticeable detail. A tiny white cloth, just barely poking out of her hat. He wasn¡¯t sure what it meant, but he took note of it, just in case. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Catherine assured. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ gonna go make something to eat. A nice meal will help take my mind off things.¡± She headed into the kitchen. Drifter followed after. ¡°Think I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°You fucking serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just keeping an eye on her.¡± Dale snickered. ¡°Alright, but keep it in your pants.¡± His laughter was immediately cut short, via a cushion flung directly at his face. ¡°Faggot.¡± Drifter found Catherine opening her microwave, about to shove in her premade dinner. ¡°I thought you said you couldn¡¯t bring any of the food back?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m starting to scrape the bottom of the freezer¡­¡± ¡°What even is that crap?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ er¡­.¡± Catherine wiped the frost from the container, revealing the name underneath. ¡°Mac an¡¯ Me, Cheese in Me? What the fuck, Grandpa¡­? Why do you keep buying this?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know what it was?¡± ¡°What!? Does that make me a demon now!? Because I couldn¡¯t remember the name of the mac and cheese!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little suspicious.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck off.¡± She slammed her dinner into the microwave and angrily set the timer. ¡°You gotta poke holes in the film first, so it doesn¡¯t explode when cooking.¡± ¡°I knew that!¡± She cried, opening the door, stabbing the film and shoving it back in. ¡°If you and Dale are hungry, there¡¯s some other shit in there too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not poisoned, is it?¡± ¡°What the fuck? It¡¯s frozen! How could I poison it!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you used some bullshit demon magic on it.¡± ¡°What? The magic to lace microwave dinners?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen weirder.¡± ¡°Are you dumb?¡± ¡°No, just cautious.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you should loosen up!?¡± ¡°That sounds like something a demon would say.¡± ¡°What!?¡± At this point, Drifter didn¡¯t even care if she was a demon, teasing Catherine was a reward of its own. She was like an adamant child, mindlessly arguing with the older kids, too stubborn to know when to walk away. ¡°Are you laughing at me!?¡± She accused. ¡°N-no.¡± ¡°Yes you are! I can see your dumb grin through your dumb hair.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to loosen up.¡± ¡°Have you been making fun of me this whole time?¡± ¡°I have no further comments at this time.¡± ¡°First you scare the shit out of me and now you¡¯re mocking me!?¡± The microwave dinged and Catherine immediately grabbed her food and stormed out of the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole, Drifter.¡± The three soon gathered in the living room with their meals. It may have been cheap microwave dinners, but food was food. Still annoyed by Drifter¡¯s immature behaviour, Catherine turned to Dale for conversation instead. ¡°So, Dale. You¡¯ve been outside the town, has the mist spread very far?¡± She asked. ¡°Uhh¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡­ We did see a whole bunch of police barricades, though.¡± ¡°Fat lot of good that¡¯ll do. Why did you come here in the first place?¡± ¡°Drifter got curious and sensed a demon was here, so we came to beat it up.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­ okay¡­¡± A surprisingly straightforward answer, as if the two of them weren¡¯t strange enough already. Catherine had never heard of vigilantes going around hunting demons, especially ones with odd powers themselves. She was starting to question their sanity. ¡°Sounds a little reckless.¡± ¡°Heroes have gotta be a little reckless, sometimes.¡± ¡°Heroes?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m still new, but it¡¯s better than my last occupation.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Being homeless.¡± ¡°Homeless¡­!? With demons running around? How did you survive?¡± ¡°In small hotel-like rooms, squashed together with other families. Emergency Accommodation, I think they called it. It was cramped, loud and everyone was always fighting over what little resources we could spare. It got so bad I just ran away from it all. I¡¯d rather risk living on the streets than put up with another second of that constant stress and noise.¡± ¡°What about your family?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have one. I spent most of my life being tossed around different care homes. You know, until I eventually left.¡± ¡°I see. Guess that makes two of us now.¡± ¡°Your grandparents were your only family?¡± ¡°Pretty much¡­¡± She mindlessly stirred the remainder of her dinner around on her plate, as a veil of depression fell over her. ¡°They took me in when no one else could¡­ and now they¡¯re gone¡­ what am I supposed to do now?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Drifter suddenly interjected. ¡°You¡¯ll survive on their inheritance alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point! What am I supposed to do, now that they¡¯re gone!?¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t think of something, you¡¯ll end up like me.¡± ¡°God forbid that ever happens.¡± ¡°Exactly. If you don¡¯t get over this, you¡¯ll be trapped in your depressing little world forever. Never making any progress, aimlessly whiling away your precious time, until you wake up one day and realise it¡¯s too late to turn back. The world¡¯s moved on and doesn¡¯t need you anymore.¡± ¡°That¡­ sounded a little personal¡­ Did you lose someone?¡± ¡°I''ve lost lots of things.¡± ¡°Is that why you use that fake name?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Wait, Drifter is just an alias, right?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°A straight answer would be really nice right about now.¡± "I don¡¯t remember anything from before the past few years.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s amnesia?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t remember. Sometimes, I can recall some faint memories, but it¡¯s like a subconscious reaction I can¡¯t control, but when it comes to friends, family, names and faces, that shit¡¯s been completely wiped. Now, I just spend my days wandering the country killing demons. I don¡¯t really have a true identity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ so sad¡­ amnesia sounds awful¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s amnesia. Maybe it¡¯s just my paranoia, but my gut¡¯s telling me someone has actively fucked with my head.¡± ¡°Is that gut feeling what¡¯s kept you going?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just stubborn. Life keeps shitting on me and I refuse to clean up the mess. I¡¯ll just keep wading through it all until I find something worth living for, like a purpose.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you that your memories are so screwed up?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Not really. Less emotional baggage weighing me down.¡± Catherine looked into her empty plate. She found it difficult to express her feelings towards the strange company she found herself in. Loneliness, misery, a lack of purpose. She suddenly found herself relating to these people. ¡°An amnesiac asshole, a homeless hero and a lost orphan¡­ we¡¯re just a trio of fuck ups, aren¡¯t we?¡± In a brief moment of levity, Dale and Catherine awkwardly chuckled to themselves, finding humour in the absurdity of their shared misfortune. Even Drifter smiled a little, until he abruptly became fixated on the window. With its face pressed against the glass, there stood a tall, skeletal, wrinkled creature, hunched over, peering through into the window. Its large head with two gaping craters for eyes immediately put Drifter on edge, even to an experienced demon slayer like him, it was beyond unsettling. Before he had a chance to warn the others of the demon¡¯s presence, the window suddenly shattered, as a stream of fog seeped into the room, enveloping it. ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± Dale cried. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± Drifter ordered. He ran outside to confront the demon, still staring inside the house. ¡°Finally showed yourself, cunt?¡± Drifter berated, but to no response. ¡°Your fart gas might work on most humans, but those cheap gimmicks won¡¯t work on me.¡± The demon continued to pay Drifter no mind, leaving him puzzled. Every demon he ever encountered either gained a sadistic pleasure from torturing humans, or were easily flustered by his insults. Regardless, it always ended the same way, their grandiose delusions always lead them to their own demise, but this demon was an alarming exception. ¡°What¡¯s this thing¡¯s deal?¡± He questioned. Drifter looked inside the house to see what the beast was so preoccupied with, but all he saw were Dale and Catherine suffocating inside. They didn¡¯t even have the energy to escape through all the coughing. The fog in the house seemed much thicker than outside, which clued Drifter in to the monster¡¯s true intent. The demon wasn¡¯t interested in him or his sword. Instead, it seemed to have a sick fascination with watching its victims struggle with the fumes it exhumed, like it was experimenting on how long it would take for the fog to strangle the life out of them. Drifter jammed a super powered fist straight into the beast¡¯s gut, to try and grab its attention. However, the monster didn¡¯t even notice. Drifter¡¯s fist slipped into its body like it was made of gooey tar. With his fist stuck inside, Drifter quickly flared up his aura to burn the tar off, freeing his hand. The creature¡¯s body reformed with a disgusting, slimy shlick. ¡°What in the holy hell is this thing?¡± He thought to himself, having never encountered a being like it in his life. The beast turned to face Drifter, standing upright to reveal its true, terrifying height, reaching the second storey window of the house. Drifter watched closely, preparing himself for whatever it was trying to pull. Without breaking its glare, the beast stretched its long arm through the broken window, grabbing the defenseless Catherine by the head. It retracted its arm, dragging her outside and chucked her across the street. Even though Drifter couldn¡¯t see, he heard a loud crash and crumbling debris, she clearly collided with a wall. Before he could retaliate, the creature disappeared into the mist. With its presence masked by the fog, even Drifter had a hard time figuring out where it was hiding, however he spotted a faint shadow moving away from the house. He ran into the street, assuming it was going to finish Catherine off, but once he reached the middle of the road, he could no longer hear the beast''s movements. It was silent. All Drifter could do was rely on his hearing. Suddenly, without warning, the beast latched onto Drifter¡¯s shoulder from behind and with its gaping jaw, bit down like a vice. Luckily, Drifter¡¯s aura always protected him from sneak attacks. The beast tried shaking its head violently to tear off Drifter¡¯s flesh and bone, but accomplished nothing through its struggle. ¡°Ravenous little shit, aren¡¯t you?¡± Drifter chided, as the beast continued to rip into him. ¡°Alright, fuck off!¡± Irritated by the beast¡¯s persistence, Drifter unleashed a burst of white flame from his body. The blast not only threw the beast off his person, but also left half its body a melted mass of tar, leaving it horribly disfigured. As Drifter was about to deal the finishing blow, the beast hid in the mist once again, forcing him to follow its movements with his ears. It was still hard to envision which direction the beast was scurrying in, he almost lost it completely. Just when he thought the street had gone silent, Drifter heard an oozing, slithering sound. He immediately realised what it was doing and swiftly pulled his blade, turned a complete 180 and threw the sword into the fog. There was a loud, wet thud, confirming he hit his target. Drifter followed the direction of the sound to find the beast with the sword jammed into its back, its spine snapped, bent over backwards, facing Drifter from behind. Its cold, empty expression made it impossible to tell if the beast was even in any pain. ¡°Following your movements was pretty tough, luckily it seems you were more concerned with regenerating your body than actually attacking me. If you had just kept moving, you could have got the jump on me, but I guess you were too dumb to think that far ahead.¡± Drifter explained. The beast simply stood in silence, paralysed by the sword in its spine. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the fuck kind of monster you are, but you¡¯re dangerous, even by demon standards. You need to die.¡± The sword embedded in its back released a surge of power, setting the beast ablaze from the inside. As it burned, the beast¡¯s body melted, falling to pieces, but never dropping eye contact from Drifter. Soon, it was nothing more than a puddle of black sludge that was quickly absorbed into the earth and disappeared. Drifter wasn¡¯t sure the creature was dead, but as its cursed fog began to lift and the light of the moon illuminated the street, the battle was obviously over. Dale stumbled out of the house as Drifter continued gazing at the ground, still puzzled by what he just fought. ¡°Holy shit, dude¡­ is it over?¡± Dale asked, still recovering from the mist¡¯s assault on his body. ¡°Yeah.¡± Drifter looked over at Catherine, stumbling over herself, using the rubble of the wall she crashed into as a crutch to slowly lift herself up. She faced the others, still dazed from her own injuries. ¡°Is the demon¡­ dead?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Drifter answered, pointing his sword at Catherine. ¡°There¡¯s still one left.¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Your bandages are slipping.¡± Catherine''s hat was buried in the rubble and her bandages unwound, revealing her small, but very noticeable devil horns protruding from her head. Her jeans fell slightly, releasing her long, thin, black horned tail, disguised as a belt. She was the most classic depiction of a devil you could get. ¡°Oh man¡­¡± Dale had a strange feeling of disappointment. Catherine was completely exposed, left in a state of shock. ¡°Please don¡¯t look¡­¡± ¡°So, was it all a lie?¡± Drifter asked. ¡±An elaborate ambush? How much rehearsal time did you need to get your character down? Please, I¡¯d like to know for future reference.¡± Catherine said nothing, she felt naked and scared, she never wanted anyone to see this. ¡°What are you going to do to her?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Don¡¯t know. How the fuck does a demon end up living with human grandparents? Unless that didn¡¯t happen at all, and this was all just a ruse.¡± As Drifter approached her, Catherine frantically looked for a way to defend herself and took a risk with a severed limb from the garden she crashed through. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t make me use this!¡± ¡°Where did you-?¡± The limb melted, bone and all, merging with Catherine¡¯s own skin, to create a large, deadly claw, ready to rip apart anything that dared approach her. ¡°I-I won¡¯t hesitate to use this, I swear!¡± She was clearly anxious, lacking any sort of confidence in her abilities. Drifter was more concerned over where she even found the severed limb to begin with. That¡¯s when it hit him, like a bad smell. A horrible smell. A disgusting, wretched, rotting smell. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Dale exclaimed, horrified, as he and Drifter took a good, hard look at their surroundings. Corpses littered the streets. They were mutilated, vandalised by some sick force of nature. Ripped apart like sacks of meat, with blood, viscera, bones and other parts left lying on the ground like trash. The sheer carnage gave Drifter flashbacks to his own nightmares. The sight of such blatant disregard for human life was soul shattering. It didn¡¯t even matter whether Drifter swore to protect people or not. That monster¡¯s mere presence was enough to rob the lives of hundreds before the fight had even begun. The mist had not only hidden the slaughter from their eyes, but also the stench of death from the countless carcasses. ¡°What the fuck is this¡­?¡± Drifter muttered, completely overwhelmed. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them!¡± Catherine answered. ¡°You used that corpse as a weapon? Was that your plan!? It¡¯s not enough to kill them, you have to defile their bodies, too!? This is disgusting!!¡± ¡°I can explain!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Drifter took a moment to compose himself. ¡°I¡¯m tired of you monsters making excuses! You treat human lives like they¡¯re garbage to be thrown away, but then beg like cowards when it¡¯s your own life on the line! You¡¯re pathetic!!¡± Suddenly, a bright light appeared before Drifter, tearing through reality and shielding Catherine. The light dimmed, revealing a bizarre figure. A being wrapped entirely in chains and demonic padlocks, with not a shred of their body visible underneath all the darkness and metal, save for a single piercing blue eye, peering through an opening on their left side. ¡°I see¡­ so, this is where CORE ended up?¡± ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°I am Locke.¡± ¡°Fitting.¡± ¡°The irony is not lost on me.¡± ¡°I hear you¡¯re after my sword, Locke.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of me?¡± ¡°The Tower of Heylel. They name dropped you.¡± ¡°Those fools. I tell them the Demon Sword is in the human world and they all rushed to find it. Why must my own people continue to throw their lives away, just to satiate their own lust for power?¡± ¡°Oh? And you¡¯re somehow different?¡± ¡°I do not fight to satisfy my own ego, but for a greater purpose.¡± ¡°And, that purpose is¡­?¡± ¡°None of your concern.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck off!¡± Drifter fired a blast from his sword, but the attack didn¡¯t even singe Locke¡¯s chains. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this portable prison is impenetrable.¡± ¡°Why are you showing up now?¡± Locke looked over at Catherine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was late.¡± ¡°Did you find him?¡± She asked, still shaken. ¡°I have a lead, but I need to investigate further. If Zaphon is still under his control, then we may have a problem.¡± ¡°Sorry I can¡¯t help.¡± ¡°After what¡¯s happened here, I can¡¯t leave you in the human world any longer. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be stuck with me for a while.¡± ¡°Thanks for looking out for me¡­¡± ¡°Drifter!¡± Locked exclaimed. ¡°Hang on to that sword, I¡¯ll need it soon.¡± ¡°Running away?¡± ¡°No. Just biding my time. I¡¯ve waited five years, what¡¯s a few more days?¡± A blinding light suddenly flashed and in seconds Locke and Catherine disappeared. Refusing to let them escape, Drifter slashed his sword at the air, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing came of it. ¡°He closed the portal already? The bastard''s no slouch.¡± ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Dale asked, still processing everything. ¡°Shit happened.¡± ¡°Man, you sound pretty pissed off.¡± ¡°I just¡­ a part of me wanted her to be different, you know?¡± Chapter 7: True Warrior Drifter and Dale spent the night in Catherine¡¯s abandoned home. It felt strange sleeping in the empty house of the recently deceased, but Drifter was willing to take advantage of whatever luxuries he could get. It wasn''t as if anyone was going to be using them any time soon. He spent the next morning snooping around, until he wandered into, what he assumed was, Catherine¡¯s room. It looked rather plain overall, but he did take an interest in her collection of bizarre comic books, featuring burly men battling alongside ghostly apparitions with the most extravagant poses he had ever seen. ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± Drifter thought, flicking through the illustrations. ¡°I remember this¡­ yeah¡­ it¡¯s all coming back to me. Damn, I wonder what other random weeb shit is floating around in that brain of mine.¡± He put the book back on its shelf. ¡°Good grief, what a nerd¡­¡± After finishing whatever food they could scavenge together from the kitchen, the boys were ready to leave, but as they passed through the living room, Drifter paused at the cabinet of knickknacks. He took one last look at the photo of Catherine with her supposed grandparents. Every time he looked at it, he got a nagging feeling. ¡°The more I think about it the more unbelievable it feels that someone would go to the effort of faking a photo like this, just on the off-chance of setting up an ambush for me.¡± Carefully removing the photo from its frame, he folded it into his wallet, figuring it may be useful if he ever encountered Catherine again. Dale pulled back the front window curtain and sighed. ¡°Oh, great¡­ they¡¯re everywhere¡­¡± Drifter took a look for himself. The street was packed with police officers, paramedics, cop cars and ambulances. They already heard them the moment they woke up, but they had no idea there would be this many. ¡°Shit¡­¡° Drifter moaned. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll just have to muscle our way past them.¡± The instant they stepped outside, all eyes were drawn to them. Nobody present expected to find any survivors to the carnage they discovered. A certain ginger haired cop showed special interest in the boys, immediately confronting them. ¡°What the bloody hell are you two doing here!?¡± He demanded. ¡°Who are you?¡± Drifter bluntly replied. ¡°What!? We met yesterday, you daft bastard! I¡¯m Officer Richard Watson!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well, see ya.¡± As Drifter attempted to leave, Richard put his hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay. ¡°Hold on! You didn¡¯t answer my question! Did you do all this!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Clean up.¡± Richard lamented. ¡°After seeing the state of the neighbourhood, we were ordered to dispose of everything, before letting the few evacuees return to their homes. We were so traumatised by what we found, no one had the stomach to perform a proper investigation. We just wanted to remove the corpses¡­ but, there¡¯s so many.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to investigate?¡± Drifter questioned. ¡°You already know what caused this, why are you wasting your time?¡± ¡°But, we need to know! Why did all this happen!? An entire squad! An entire town! Murdered! For what!? And how do we stop it!?¡± ¡°Give me a call when you find the answer.¡± ¡°Hold on a minute. There was an incident at a shopping centre yesterday. You two wouldn¡¯t happen to-¡± In the brief moment Officer Richard looked away, Drifter and Dale had already left. ¡°Oh, bollocks, they¡¯re gone¡­¡± ¡°That guy¡¯s persistent.¡± Dale surmised. ¡°A persistent pain in the arse.¡± Drifter added. They continued down the street, hoping that the corpses of the victims would gradually peter out, but the carcasses were more widespread than they initially thought. From bloodied shop doors to a car, crashed through a building, disjointed body parts lay everywhere. Dale had to pause for a moment, leaning on the wall. ¡°You dying again?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°What¡­? Worried¡­?¡± ¡°You look pale.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ probably something I ate¡­¡± They stopped momentarily, as the stench of death slowly crept into Drifter¡¯s nose. He had grown accustomed to fighting off such foul odours, but the sheer scale of the attack only intensified the sickening smell. The sight of the miscellaneous bodies littering the street was off-putting even by his standards. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep doing this.¡± Drifter mentioned. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯ve proven your point. You''re perfectly capable of defending people from demons by yourself. As long as you¡¯re not a fucking retard about it, you¡¯ll be fine. This town is already gone, so go be a hero somewhere else. I¡¯ve got my own shit to do.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Dale refuted. ¡°I need to know! Who was that Locke guy!? Who¡¯s Catherine!? What were they talking about!? What are they planning!? A real hero wouldn¡¯t just ignore them! They¡¯d find the truth, so a tragedy like this never happens again!¡± Drifter was impressed by the kid¡¯s resolve. ¡°Then quit whining about your tummy ache and let¡¯s get going!¡± Unfortunately, as they continued down the road, the sickening feeling only worsened upon coming across a ghastly scene. Short, boney, feral, gremlin-like demons were feasting on a defiled corpse, in the middle of the road, like vultures. It was hard to tell what parts they were picking at for sustenance, nor did Drifter care to find out. He drew his sword and with one mighty, horizontal slash, sliced the air, sending a razor sharp wave towards the monsters, slicing them in half from the waist. Car roofs slid off and street lights crashed to the ground as a result of his massive swing. ¡°Uh¡­ you missed one.¡± Dale pointed to the remaining gremlin, who meekly rose from behind his comrade¡¯s torsos, attempting to flee. ¡°Oh, Jesus¡­¡± Drifter groaned. ¡°Dale, you go after it.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the hero.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Dale drew his arm blade and dashed ahead, quickly overtaking the fleeing demon and blocking it from running any further. ¡°Hold it, you little shit!¡± The gremlin got on all fours, growling and snarling at Dale to intimidate him. ¡°I¡­ have no idea how to interpret any of what I¡¯m seeing right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lesser demon.¡± Drifter explained. ¡°They¡¯re basically like animals, acting on pure instinct. Don¡¯t bother trying to reason with these ones, you won¡¯t get anywhere. Just kill it.¡± ¡°Kill it? Is that really necessary-¡± The demon swiped its fist across Dale¡¯s face, with shards of glass from the broken street lights hidden between its fingers, slashing Dale¡¯s cheek as he leaned out of the way, leaving three distinct cuts, bleeding on his face. ¡°H-he did that on instinct!?¡± As the demon came around for a second swipe, it was interrupted by a blast that scorched its back. Drifter had fired a shot from his hand, burning off the gremlin¡¯s skin and leaving its muscle exposed. The pain was so agonising, it left the monster paralysed. Without giving the gremlin a chance to recover, Dale bisected its body with a short uppercut. Just as he was about to declare victory, the monster¡¯s body split in two, spraying blood all over the back of his priceless suit. ¡°Oh, God!¡± He cried. ¡°I got gremlin juices everywhere!¡± ¡°Hey, stupid!¡± Drifter called. ¡°Remember the whole ''not being a fucking retard¡¯ thing I mentioned earlier?¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know he was hiding glass!?¡± He sulked, trying to rub the blood off his face. ¡°Whatever, if these monsters are in the human world then they must have a master who brought them here.¡± ¡°Should we go look for him?¡± ¡°Sure. I could use a good punching bag right about now.¡± The two eventually stumbled upon a church. Not the religious type, Drifter would ordinarily pay it no mind, but this particular building was surrounded by a strange aura. A white barrier of spirits, stretching and contorting, wailing as they reached their ghostly palms out to any living being that drew close to them. They were like moving textures, slithering across an invisible wall. A bird that had foolishly flown too close was snagged out of the air by the phantasms and swallowed into a space beyond the realm of the living. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± Drifter was unfamiliar with this strange phenomenon. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this.¡± Dale explained. ¡°This wailing wall appeared in the restaurant when I was attacked by those oily dudes. It didn¡¯t disappear until I killed the demon that summoned it first.¡± "What is this a fucking video game? Is there a blue orb hidden in here?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a blue orb?¡± ¡°They¡­ forget it¡­ I don¡¯t see a demon around, so whoever¡¯s maintaining this barrier is probably trying to keep us out.¡± ¡°So, how do we get through?¡± ¡°Brute force.¡± ¡°What!? No! God knows what¡¯ll happen if you let those things touch you!¡± ¡°Well, if I die I¡¯ll be sure to ask him for you.¡± Drifter reached his hand out to the wailing spirits. As he inched closer, the hands of the spirits excitedly clawed out to him, desperate to get a hold of another precious lifeforce, but before they could make contact, Drifter¡¯s aura appeared. The spirits suddenly retracted in fear, wanting nothing to do with the energy Drifter was exerting from his body. As he pushed closer towards them, the spirits dispersed, creating a hole in the barrier for him to pass through. Dale dived through the gap before the spirits had a chance to grab him, as Drifter simply walked through with no issue. ¡°Really?¡± Dale scolded. ¡°Those things scared the shit out of me and you just walk right through them like they¡¯re nothing? That¡¯s bullshit.¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± Drifter pointed to the sword on his back. ¡°Why do you think those fuckers are always after this thing?¡± After passing through the barrier, the boys entered the church, hoping to find the source of the wailing wall. The inside was dimly lit, with only the light from the stained glass windows fending off the darkness. Rows of benches were filled with people, kneeling down and praying silently, all wearing the same black robes. Drifter didn¡¯t concern himself with the acolytes and quietly headed down the aisle. There was only one person he was interested in. The hooded figure standing behind the podium, raised above the rest of his followers on a stage. While some of the attendants continued praying, others lifted their heads and solemnly watched as Drifter continued to approach the stage. Some out of fear, while others out of curiosity. As he reached the end of the aisle, one of the acolytes leapt from their seat, stretching out their arms, blocking Drifter¡¯s path. ¡°Wh-who are you!? How did you get past the barrier!?¡± The man questioned, terrified for his life as Drifter stared him down. ¡°Sit down.¡± Drifter responded. ¡°I-if you¡¯re not here to pray, then please leave.¡± ¡°You pray to a demon?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. W-we¡¯re not hurting anyone.¡± ¡°Not yet, now move.¡± ¡°Lord Anderson warned us about people like you¡­ Heathens who can¡¯t accept that the world is changing¡­¡± ¡°Oh, fucking christ, here we go¡­¡± ¡°Everyone thinks the demons are evil, that they¡¯re here to destroy humanity, but you¡¯re wrong. The demon¡¯s are here to bring salvation to us all, to find those who are worthy. If everyone joined us in solidarity with the demons, we can live in peace together, as they change our world for the better.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you think demons are evil or not. You can have that argument with someone else.¡± He called to the hooded figure on the podium. ¡°Hey! Demon priest! How about you face me, instead of hiding behind your brainwashed followers?¡± ¡°How did you get past the barrier?¡± The priest asked. ¡°Not telling.¡± Drifter teased. ¡°I see¡­ then, I have no further reason to converse with you, Heathen. Now, leave this place.¡± ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake¡­¡± Tired of their deflection, Drifter leapt over the acolyte, landing on the stage behind the priest, back to back. The onlookers, shocked by Drifter¡¯s sudden acrobatics. The priest had the same disgusting smell as the oily creatures from Marble Hill. ¡°The lesser demons¡­ I can smell their blood. You vanquished them, didn¡¯t you?¡± The priest asked, neither of them giving the other the courtesy of looking at the other, keeping their backs turned. ¡°Not a fan of disgusting little monsters snacking on the corpses of dead humans.¡± ¡°Those humans were Heathens. Death was their fate.¡± ¡°I guess death must be your fate, since they led me right to you.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°What are you saying? Confronting me is a waste of time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of time to waste.¡± ¡°I can sense great power within you¡­ why would you abuse it for such petty reasons? What do you hope to gain from striking me down? What have I done to deserve such an end?¡± ¡°Nothing yet, but if you don¡¯t get your greasy paws off my scabbard, I will be forced to retaliate.¡± ¡°That sword doesn¡¯t belong with you, Heathen.¡± ¡°Oh¡­? And you think you deserve it, instead?¡± ¡°That sword is only fit for a king!¡± The priest yanked the sword from Drifter¡¯s sheath, becoming entranced by its legendary power. ¡°With this, I can avenge my brothers that fell at your accursed hands, Heathen!¡± ¡°If you can handle its power.¡± ¡°Of course I can! My people have existed solely for this moment!¡± ¡°Little over-the-top, but okay. Let¡¯s put that conviction to the test.¡± With a snap of his finger, Drifter¡¯s sword erupted into white flames, setting the priest ablaze, as he cried in anguish. ¡°But, why!?¡± He wailed. ¡°Why won¡¯t it accept me!?¡± ¡°The sword doesn¡¯t accept anybody. It¡¯s just a sword. You¡¯re the one who needs to accept its power.¡± Like his brothers before him, the priest quickly fell to ashes, leaving only charred robes behind. Drifter took notice of the items hidden behind the priest¡¯s podium. A dish full of money and a syringe with a black substance inside it. The money didn¡¯t surprise him, but the syringe gave off a bad vibe. He didn¡¯t sense anything demonic from it, but it definitely didn¡¯t belong in the human world. Whatever it was, it seemed valuable. He slipped it into his wallet, purely to mess with whoever at the church may have needed it. While the rest of the acolytes looked on in horror, Drifter continued on like it was business as usual. ¡°Dale!¡± He called. ¡°Is the barrier gone?¡± Throughout the whole ordeal, Dale had no idea what Drifter was doing and was still a little stunned by his actions, nonetheless, he quickly checked outside. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, it¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Cool, but we¡¯re not done yet. I can still sense a bunch of them around the back.¡± As Drifter dropped from the stage, his path was blocked by more of the acolytes, who weren¡¯t pleased with his behaviour. ¡°You murdered our priest!¡± One person yelled. ¡°This won¡¯t go unpunished!¡± Another threatened. Drifter was unfazed by their criticisms, as they blocked off the aisle. Rather than force his way through them, he instead opted to walk around them, ignoring their angry cries. ¡°Let¡¯s blow this shitshow.¡± Drifter groaned, as he and Dale began their search for the remaining demons. They headed around the back of the church, casually strolling through the graveyard, surrounded by trees, as Drifter followed the scent of the demons. ¡°Did you really have to barge in and make a scene like that?¡± Dale asked. ¡°What? And let them drone on about their gay little religion?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ okay¡­¡± Dale quickly changed subjects. ¡°To think there are really people out there worshiping demons, although I can¡¯t say I blame them.¡± ¡°Elaborate.¡± Drifter questioned. ¡°Uh¡­ well, imagine being religious all your life, only for literal demons from Hell to show up and ruin that life. It probably shattered their whole world view, like everything they were taught was wrong. It¡¯d certainly make me question my beliefs, if I had any.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t go all fedora on me.¡± ¡°What? Do you believe in a higher power?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Do you believe in anything?¡± ¡°I believe you''re an idiot.¡± ¡°Goddammit, walked right into that one¡­¡± Luckily for Dale a sudden soda can to the back of his head snapped him out of his misery. ¡°What the fuck!?¡± He cried, as he noticed the group of acolytes closely following them to their destination. ¡°Drifter, you seeing this shit!?¡± ¡°Ignore it.¡± "But, they''re yelling at us." "And that''s all they can do. Ignore it." They soon arrived at the center of the graveyard with the acolytes continuing to hurl threats and slogans at them. ¡°Those who oppose demons will only bring about their own demise!¡± ¡°Demons are the true Gods!¡± ¡°Lord Anderson will not tolerate the existence of wicked souls, who deny the truth!¡± Their words meant nothing to Drifter, who hadn¡¯t met a single demon he couldn¡¯t handle, doubtful that he would meet one now. Then, they arrived at the demon¡¯s location. A large, torn chair, surrounded by more gremlins sat at the edge of the field, behind the graveyard. Upon this ragged throne, sat a tall individual, covered in black armour. It was simple and sleek, built with functionality over style, with the exception of his long black cape and horned, corinthian helmet, hiding his face. ¡°So, you must be the big boss around here?¡± Drifter called out to the armoured creature. The creature folded their arms as they examined their new guests. ¡°The Legendary Demon Sword? So, the rumours are true. It really was in the ownership of a human these past few years. How amusing.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Dale yelled. ¡°Are you the one in charge of this cult!?¡± ¡°I suppose. These humans and their priest were all defenseless against the mist demon plaguing this town. They seeked help from me and after I obliged, they chose to worship me. But, it seems you two didn''t come here to shower me with the same adoration. Thank goodness. Their groveling was annoying me.¡± ¡°Did you bring those gremlin things with you?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°No, they followed me. Opportunistic little fiends.¡± ¡°That sucks. So, do you recognise the name Locke?¡± ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°Welp, I¡¯m outta here.¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± The demon sat up in his chair. ¡°You¡¯re not seriously leaving!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your cult. Later.¡± ¡°Lessers. Attack them.¡± On his command, the gremlin demons rallied together to viciously assault Drifter for their leader. ¡°Ugh, Dale, you handle this.¡± Drifter planted his sword in the ground and folded his arms, completely uninterested in fighting cannon fodder. Dale rolled his eyes, before drawing his blade and slicing through the lesser creatures. They weren¡¯t very smart, nor fast and they certainly weren¡¯t dangerous, as Dale made quick work of cutting them to shreds in a blindingly fast display of hacking and slashing. Despite his impressive performance, this only further stained his suit with blood. ¡°Oh man¡­ it¡¯s even on my shirt now¡­¡± ¡°Now, that was a sight to behold!¡± The demon exclaimed. ¡°Two humans with demon weapons? What a pleasant surprise.¡± The demon directed his attention to Dale, intrigued by his swift techniques. ¡°Boy! I wish to see the extent of your powers for myself! Duel me!¡± ¡°Wait, what!?¡± Dale yelped. ¡°Prepare yourself and duel me!¡± ¡°You heard the crazy man." Drifter coaxed. "Duel him.¡± ¡°I thought we were leaving.¡± ¡°You said you wanted to find their master and now you have. So come on, Mr. Hero. Defeat the villain.¡± ¡°Oh Christ, fine!¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± The demon responded. He blew his cape open, revealing two scabbards strapped to his back, crossing over each other in the shape of a crucifix. With his left hand, he drew his blade from the horizontal scabbard, just under his neck and with his right, he drew from the second scabbard, just over his shoulder. Patiently, he unsheathed his two impossibly large zweihanders. Swords, almost as tall as he was, wielding both of them effortlessly, despite their massive weight. How he managed to fit them into such small scabbards was beyond the understanding of anyone present. He crossed his swords to properly display them to his audience, before scraping them together and assuming his fighting stance. Wielding the left sword in front and the right sword backhanded, from behind. ¡°Now, come at me.¡± Though a little intimidated, Dale wasted no time and immediately charged in. Wanting to test the demon¡¯s reactions, he aimed for his left side, to see if he could even defend himself against his blistering speed. In a split second, Dale rushed to the demon¡¯s left, but was suddenly thrown off balance when the earth spontaneously shattered underneath him. Without even realising, the demon¡¯s sword had preemptively crashed into the ground in front of him, blocking off Dale¡¯s angle of attack. A moment earlier and Dale would have been crushed. After jumping back, Dale sprinted around the demon to attack from behind, but was quickly met by a backhanded slash from his right sword. The demon didn¡¯t even bother to try and attack Dale, he simply swiped horizontally to ward off his assault. Once again, if Dale hadn¡¯t reacted and leapt back, he would have been cleaved in two. Dale was at a loss, either the demon¡¯s reactions were impossibly fast, or it was predicting his every move. He circled around to its front again. This time, he charged at the demon¡¯s right side, left open as it was preoccupied with defending its back. Even if it could predict his moves, there was no way it would be able to react fast enough to swing its sword completely around to stop him, they were too large for suh precise movements. However, Dale¡¯s hypothesis was only partially correct, the demon couldn¡¯t attack him with his sword in time and Dale managed to land a blow on the demon¡¯s armour, but it was all for naught. Rather than attacking with the blade, the demon simply thrusted the hilt of the sword into Dale¡¯s stomach. All Dale managed to accomplish was scratching the demon¡¯s armour, before being tossed back to Drifter with the force of a megaton punch. Lying defeated on his back, all Dale could muster, after coughing up blood was a pained: ¡°Your turn, dude¡­¡± Drifter checked Dale¡¯s pulse for a moment. ¡°Well¡­ he¡¯s not dead¡­ Interesting¡­ who are you?¡± The demon pointed to the crowd of acolytes behind Drifter. ¡°There was a human with a strange manner of speaking who referred to me with the word Stolz. I¡¯ll use that as my moniker.¡± The acolytes all moved aside, singling out the heavily accented German man of the group. ¡°Nein! I did nothing!¡± He pleaded. ¡°Alright then.¡± Drifter ignored the strange man and returned to the matter at hand. ¡°Keeping your identity a secret?¡± ¡°I have no need for names. I exist simply for the thrill of the fight. Now, will you pose a challenge, or have I sorely overestimated the Demon Sword¡¯s abilities?¡± Drifter was ready to bring the heat and casually strolled over to Stolz, who had already assumed his fighting stance, again. The moment Drifter got in range, Stolz wasted no time hammering his sword down, only for Drifter to stop it by merely raising his fist, covered in his white aura. Convinced the force of his aura alone would snap the blade in two, Drifter was mildly shocked to discover the blade had instead embedded itself into his fist, slowly carving through between his knuckles. Stolz¡¯ second blade came swinging from the other side, with Drifter catching it with his free hand, clamping him in place. Just as before the blade slowly seeped into his palm. Stuck in a sudden stalemate, Stolz put more force into his blades, to crush Drifter. However, Drifter took advantage of this force to hoist himself up, like a gymnast and deliver a super charged dropkick to the demon¡¯s chest. The force of the blow sent Stolz reeling back, releasing Drifter from his grasp, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to deal any significant damage. Before Drifter had a chance to counterattack, Stolz charged forth, with the hilt of his sword. He thrusted it forward, only for Drifter to catch it in the palm of his hand at the last second. Although he successfully blocked the attack, Drifter still had to brace himself for the extraordinary weight pushing behind it, briefly opening him up, as Stolz¡¯ second blade came swinging overhead. Drifter¡¯s paralysis was only temporary. He sidestepped the blade as it crashed beside him. He then grabbed the demon¡¯s right arm and yanked it forward, throwing it off balance, as it stumbled forward with an embarrassing wobble. Stolz recovered swiftly, but didn¡¯t face Drifter, instead he got back into his stance, with his back-handed blade awaiting Drifter¡¯s approach. ¡°You sure do love that stance.¡± Drifter mocked. ¡°You must be predicting our attacks.¡± He pointed his finger like a gun, gathering energy into it. ¡°But, can you predict this?¡± Drifter fired a shining speck of light like a bullet, closing in on Stolz, but by just slightly raising his sword, the demon was able to block the glimmering gunshot. However, despite its minute size, the speck detonated like a bomb, tearing up the earth beneath the demon, engulfing it in smoke. "And now to finish it." Drifter charged in, aura ablaze, when suddenly, a black, X-shaped, energy projectile, burst forth from the smoke. It appeared so suddenly, Drifter barely reacted and took the full brunt of the attack head on. The black cross collided with Drifter, leaving an X shaped burn mark on his face, stopping him in his tracks. As Drifter leant backwards, losing his balance. The demon leapt out of the smoke, ready to pounce on his bewildered prey. With both swords raised above his head, Stolz prepared the killing blow. However, glancing at Drifter¡¯s face, he saw his deep, black eyes already locked onto his target, with a smug grin. Whether it was on purpose, or his quick wit, Stolz could tell Drifter hadn¡¯t lost yet. Using his power, Drifter clenched his fist, regained his footing and rocketed forward. Stolz crossed his blades to shield himself, as Drifter slammed his fist into them, sending Stolz sliding across the ground with the force of his strike. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a tough cunt?¡± Drifter praised, taking a quick breather. ¡°Shame you joined a shitty cult.¡± The demon took a moment to compose himself. ¡°I am no cultist. I simply came to the human world out of boredom. I heard there was a human here who was far stronger than any creature in the demon world, so I grew curious. It seems the rumours were true.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve been sitting on your arse this whole time, waiting for me?¡± ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m not sure why these humans chose to worship me, a simple warrior, but the priest insisted I stay, implying if I did, that you would show yourself. Although, I wager he wasn¡¯t expecting to encounter you first.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan now?¡± ¡°Now¡­ we begin phase two.¡± Stolz raised his two zweihanders above him, in an upside-down cross formation as he began his chant. ¡°May the souls of the fallen, lend me their undying valour! May their hopes and despair, their forgotten dreams and empty screams give me strength!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The corpses of his deceased underlings emanated with a black aura, transferring their demonic energy into Stolz, as he too gained a powerful black burst of energy. ¡°What¡­ the hell is he doing?¡± Dale asked, just barely lifting his head off the ground. ¡°His power just fucking skyrocketed.¡± Drifter bemoaned. Stolz stabbed his sword into the earth, creating a fissure that chased towards Drifter. Once it reached its target, a burst of dark energy erupted from the ground. Drifter dodged to the side, impressed by how far the geyser of energy reached into the sky. So distracted was Drifter, he wasn¡¯t aware of the second fissure chasing him down. He braced himself for impact, but this was no mere geyser. Now that Stolz could see he had Drifter trapped, the fissure spread out around him. A large circular crater quickly formed, before a massive explosion of energy consumed Drifter in a wave of black lightning. Stolz seemed pleased with himself. ¡°You look irritated.¡± While Drifter didn¡¯t look hurt, protected by his white aura, he did seem frazzled by Stolz¡¯ sudden power escalation. He wasn¡¯t like most demons, he wasn''t fighting on instinct or ego. This was a true warrior. Drifter drew his sword and charged forth, once again. Stolz returned in kind. He ran forward until the two of them clashed, at least that¡¯s what Stolz expected to happen, but Drifter instead chose to use his sword to vault himself over Stolz at the last second, landing behind him. Without even turning to aim, Drifter pointed his finger behind himself and fired another sparkling shot at Stolz, but the demon spun around, smacking the light grenade away with his darkness infused fist. The blast collided with a tree, vaporising it. ¡°Stop playing games!¡± Stolz demanded. ¡°Now who sounds irritated.¡± Drifter retorted. ¡°If you refuse to fight seriously, then I shall make you!¡± Stolz clashed both of his swords together, raising them into the air as he gathered his full might. The blades crackled with dark bolts, as they glowed with an intense black luster. The blades slowly merged together, forging a massive murky sword, twice their size. ¡°Now¡­ Face me!¡± Stolz hammered the gargantuan zweihander down upon Drifter. Without even facing his opponent, Drifter lifted his hand and caught the blade, which was intent on crushing him under the weight of its sheer force. The earth shook at the ferocity of the power on display, as Stolz pushed against Drifter¡¯s single palm harder and harder. ¡°Why!? Why!?¡± He questioned as the pressure intensified. Even with the ground splitting underneath him, Drifter refused to budge, his white aura growing ever more fierce. He felt his hand along the heated sword, until he found the spot he was searching for. ¡°Got him.¡± With a sudden firm clench of his fist, Drifter snapped the thunderous saber in two. The world became still again, as the large beaming blade split into its original form, with one half landing beside Drifter. He picked up the smoking blade and tossed it over his shoulder, back to Stolz, who was still unamused by Drifter¡¯s lackadaisical attitude. "How did you do that?" Stolz asked. "You combined your swords together, so I just found the spot where the blades met and split them apart again. It''s not rocket science." Drifter responded. ¡°Why? Why do you hold back? Why do you refuse to face me head on?¡± ¡°Not my style.¡± ¡°When I came to this world, I expected CORE¡¯s wielder to be an unparalleled warrior, whose power was absolute, but I was wrong. You are no warrior, you¡¯re just another human.¡± Stolz turned his back, but before leaving he left with one final comment. ¡°I do not understand why you humans continue to lie to yourselves, fearing your own potential. I can only hope that one day, you will take responsibility for the power you¡¯ve been blessed with and use it properly. Whatever insecurities are holding you back, once you''ve overcome them, I¡¯ll gladly fight you again, with your real strength.¡± With his parting message, Stolz tore open a portal and returned to the demon world. ¡°You going to lie there all day, kid?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°You could give me a hand, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got two, don¡¯t ya?¡± Drifter looked up at the acolytes, still stunned by the battle they witnessed. ¡°What the fuck are you people still doing here!? Your little cult gathering is over! The mist demon¡¯s gone! Go home! Get a beer, watch TV, go back to your normal lives!¡± The crowd meekly dispersed, unsure of what to do with themselves now that the demons they had put all their faith in were defeated, by just a couple of humans. However, one stayed behind. They needed answers, advice, anything to put them at ease. ¡°Lord Anderson told us that humans were weak, that succumbing to the demons was the only way for us to survive the coming new world, but you contradict those teachings¡­ tell me, are you our saviour, or another devil?¡± Drifter wasted no time in responding. ¡°Fuck off, retard.¡± Chapter 8: White Heathen Having reached Templar Square shopping centre, close to Donnington. Drifter was surprised to see that the area was fully populated, clearly beyond the range of the mist demon¡¯s plague. The people went about their day as normal, despite the massive quarantine zone just a mile away from their commute. As was typical of the British, even if tragedy had struck just across the road from their home, they continued on as normal. Drifter and Dale took the opportunity to rest and relax at a caf¨¦ inside the shopping centre. ¡°Tea and cake?¡± Dale asked, judging the sweet treats. ¡°You got a problem with that?¡± ¡°Eh, kinda gay.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say a goddamn thing when I ordered it, but the second the rim of the cup touches my mouth, that¡¯s when you decide to object?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we go to a pub and get a beer, like normal people? I feel so exposed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because everyone keeps staring at your blood stained clothes.¡± ¡°To be honest, they¡¯re not drawing as much attention as I thought.¡± ¡°People these days have a higher tolerance for weird shit. We¡¯ve all grown accustomed to horrible violence at this point.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be admirable if we weren¡¯t so complacent about it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much else normal people can do when it comes to demons.¡± ¡°Now I really need a drink¡­¡± ¡°Then stop your bitching and go get one already.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ¡­ I don¡¯t have ID¡­¡± Drifter laughed uproariously. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you want me to go!? Get fucked, idiot!¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m not some poofter who sits around drinking tea!¡± ¡°Tea is an integral part of our culture.¡± ¡°You one of those cunts who thinks they¡¯re better than everyone else because they refuse to drink alcohol?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to do that to prove I¡¯m better than you.¡± ¡°I bet you¡¯re just too scared to get a little tipsy.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get drunk if I tried. The Demon Sword¡¯s power protects me from harmful substances.¡± ¡°Cursed to be sober your whole life? How cruel.¡± ¡°Beats being poisoned.¡± ¡°What other bullshit does that sword protect you from?¡± ¡°Disease, viruses, drugs, smoke, fatalities, dumb magic.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± ¡°Every so often, you get some tard who thinks he can use mind control or some other stupid shit to kill you, but it never works.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that sword is a little overpowered.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve barely scraped the tip of the iceberg¡­¡± ¡°What do you¡­? Oh no¡­¡± Dale suddenly stopped mid-sentence as he stared wearily behind Drifter. ¡°What? Oh fuck¡­.¡± Drifter cringed as he turned around to find a group of hooded individuals, carrying signs, marching up and down the shopping centre, chanting: ¡°Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Demons are the way to go!¡± and other expertly crafted slogans, while handing out pamphlets to passers by, whether they wanted them or not. ¡°Are they the same cultists we saw yesterday?¡± Dale reluctantly asked. ¡°Different faces, same mental disorder, except there¡¯s more of them and they''re way more embarrassing.¡± ¡°I think now¡¯s a good time to go take a piss.¡± Dale left to do his business, leaving Drifter to deal with the freak show. He couldn¡¯t grasp the concept of anyone willing to waste their time doing something so humiliating. It was extremely rare to find anyone who had sympathy for demons and the acolytes weren¡¯t exactly providing solid arguments for them. They were clearly the bottom rungs of whatever organisation they were screaming for. The whole march was nothing but an annoying blockade for anyone trying to go about their business, prompting Drifter to ignore them entirely and return to his tea. A spot of milk, with two teaspoons of sugar, a simple yet divine blend of sweetness without overpowering the bitterness of the tea. The perfect drink to help him ignore the madness around him. Before he could enjoy his brew, he felt a stinging sensation near his temple, like a bug bite, irritating him. He lifted his hand to check his skin, rubbing it before checking his fingers. ¡°Blood?¡± He thought. ¡°Been a while since someone tried to assassinate me, let alone drew blood.¡± Drifter ignored it, assuming it was probably an insect that got lucky, as the cut healed over without any issue. Then, a second shot hit his hand. ¡°Who keeps doing that?¡± He questioned. His hand bled, but it was hardly serious, just another scratch. The real concern was who or what was being fired at him. With no bullet left behind, Drifter could only assume it was something demonic, but he didn¡¯t sense anything out of the ordinary, besides the obnoxious crowd. He went back to his drink, but as soon as the cup came close to his mouth, it shattered in his hands, spilling shards and tea all over his cake. His lunch was ruined. Now, he was upset. Rising from his chair, he looked at the glass ceiling over the shopping centre. It was brief, but now that he was paying attention, he noticed a slight demonic presence, just before the third shot ruined his day. As he turned his attention to the roof, he noticed one of the windows slightly open, with something peeking through the gap. Lying on her stomach, white sniper rifle in hand, a woman looked down the scope of her bizarrely dyed gun. Her calm composure was shattered the moment Drifter¡¯s sight met with hers. She had been spotted. Wishing to confront the sniper, Drifter was forced to converse with one of the acolytes, as the obnoxious group were blocking the walkway. This proved far more difficult than he initially thought, as people dumb enough to obstruct the daily commute of the average citizen weren¡¯t going to be the easiest people to engage with. ¡°Hey!¡± He called one hooded individual. ¡°Could you move?¡± ¡°I have all your answers right here, good sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I-¡± The bemused man completely ignored Drifter¡¯s request and handed him a pamphlet, titled: Daemonism, but Drifter barely acknowledged it, immediately tossing it aside. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to ask again. Can you move, please?¡± ¡°The only thing we aim to move are the hearts of the people, who have been misled by their leaders.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you-¡± ¡°For we have seen many things these past few months. Monsters, massacres and madness, but thanks to Lord Anderson, I have finally seen the light of truth. We all have. The light of Lucifer himself. A light of hope, shining upon humanity¡¯s destiny. Indeed we-¡± ¡°Please stop.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sensing great animosity and antagonism from within you. You should join us, and let our demonic brethren lead us to a new world.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t, for we have been tasked with spreading the word of Lord Anderson, to save as many souls as we can.¡± ¡°Fine, fuck you. Go play in traffic.¡± Bored by their lofty preaching, Drifter prepped himself, before launching through the ceiling, wishing he had just done that from the start. As the man watched Drifter perform such an inhuman feat, he was reminded of what his fellow worshippers had spoken to him about, only yesterday. The man in the white coat, who had murdered their demonic leader. Upon this realisation, the man quickly rallied his fellow worshippers to bring the man to justice. The sniper quietly tried to crawl away, only to remember they hadn¡¯t planned an escape route and thus, were stranded on the roof. It wasn¡¯t long before Drifter burst through the windows, landing in front of the woman, as she tried to escape. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± He questioned. She was a short haired blonde. A real tomboy, with baggy trousers, large boots, jacket and sweater. She spoke with an American accent. ¡°Hold up there, don¡¯t try anything funny with me.¡± She pointed her white gun, threatening Drifter. ¡°You gonna shoot me?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Come on, get it over with.¡± ¡°Wait. This ain¡¯t any ordinary gun. I could blow you to pieces with this thing.¡± ¡°I doubt that.¡± ¡°Wha-? Are you stupid or just plain suicidal!?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t do it, can you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t pull the trigger now that I¡¯m right in front of you.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t bear to look a man in the eye before you end their life, can you?¡± ¡°Fine! I warned you!¡± In a flash of light, the woman transformed her rifle into a shotgun and without hesitation, fired at Drifter at point blank range. A burst of energy exploded upon contact with Drifter¡¯s body, covering the roof in smoke for a brief period. The woman breathed heavily, shocked by her impulsiveness. Unfortunately for the woman, once the smoke cleared, she found Drifter to be completely unharmed. ¡°That¡¯s a strange gun you got there. Can¡¯t think of any in the human world that can transform and shoot demonic energy like that.¡± ¡°Oh shit.¡± The woman exclaimed, slowly backing away. ¡°Where did you get it? Let me see it.¡± Backed up against the edge of the open window, the woman needed an escape plan and fast. Luckily the distraction she needed suddenly came in the form of a loud obnoxious noise. ¡°White Heathen! White Heathen! White Heathen!¡± Chanted the crowd at the foot of the building. Drifter, dumbfounded by the incessant yelling, marched over to the window. ¡°What the fuck are those idiots doing now?¡± Unable to sense any demons nearby, he peered inside the mall, only to find the acolytes shouting back at him the moment he came into their view. ¡°There he is!¡± The previously mild mannered acolyte decried. ¡°The vile White Heathen! The true evil threatening to bring this world to its end, through his violence and terror!¡± ¡°Whoo!¡± The woman exclaimed. ¡°What¡¯d you do to piss off the crazies?¡± ¡°Who cares about the pillock parade? Are you gonna tell me about that gun, or what?¡± ¡°Sure¡­ if you can catch me first.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? And how do you plan on-¡± Before he could finish, the woman pointed her gun downward and blasted the ground. A bright flash of light, blinded Drifter, giving her ample time to slip through the window, with the crowd below breaking her fall. By the time Drifter recovered, the woman had already disappeared into the mall. ¡°That was a cunt move¡­ I don¡¯t know whether to be mad or impressed.¡± Drifter looked around the roof of the building, hoping to find her exiting the mall. ¡°Dammit, if she were a demon, I¡¯d be able to track her. The only way I¡¯d be able to find her now, is if she fired that gun again.¡± He kept searching until he caught a glimpse of her heading for a caf¨¦, just outside the multi-storey car park. "Or, she can just run right into the open like a retard." Drifter prepared himself for another huge leap, as the woman disappeared from his sight behind a tree. Not wanting to accidentally crush anything, or anyone, upon landing, he aimed for a clear opening in the road. Even if it put him further behind the woman, he was confident he¡¯d be able to catch up to her quickly from there. He flew off the roof, landing just outside the mall¡¯s exit. He toppled slightly as he wasn¡¯t used to doing massive leaps, as they tended to draw too much attention. After pulling himself together he found that the woman had already hidden herself. She was nowhere to be found. ¡°Oh¡­ fuck me¡­¡± He moaned. ¡°Not this hide-and-seek shit¡­¡± ¡°MURDERER!¡± Cried the acolyte, now suddenly equipped with a megaphone. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. He marched down the street towards Drifter, followed by his army of cultists, drawing the attention of the public, who were just minding their own business. The man called out to the people, hoping to rally their support from his outburst. ¡°This Heathen is a murderer! He killed our priest, slaughtered the demons who swore to protect us! The fall of mankind will rest entirely on the shoulders of those who oppose the divine machinations of our saviours, with such horrific violence!¡± Naturally, his fellow protesters echoed his sentiments with their repeated chants of ¡°White Heathen!¡± The citizens turned to Drifter out of confusion, who merely shrugged, dumbstruck by their childish ranting. His bewilderment was all they needed to confirm that the acolytes were talking bollocks, rolling their eyes, like they¡¯d seen it all before. Drifter ignored the fanatical group and continued his search. This only angered them further, as they soon began throwing rocks and other trash, as they yelled more insults to provoke him. Thanks to his protective aura, Drifter didn¡¯t even feel the projectiles hitting him, and found their insults more amusing than hurtful, especially when they were drowned out by each other¡¯s incomprehensible screaming. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even look like a real gun, you dumbass!¡± A woman yelled as she was forced out of a caf¨¦. ¡°First you break in through the back and then you pull out a freaky gun!? I can¡¯t let you leave, yet! Tell me where you got it! Don¡¯t make this difficult!¡± As the woman backed up, Dale stepped out of the building, blade at the ready. Relieved he didn¡¯t have to search for her with a crowd trailing him, Drifter attempted to catch the woman while she was preoccupied. However, his position was immediately given away by the man yelling into his megaphone. ¡°Follow the White Heathen!¡± As the woman heard their approach, she realised she was trapped. Luckily she had the perfect move for the situation. The barrel of her gun widened, as she blasted the ground with a burst of glaring light that blinded the boys for a few seconds, giving her a head start with her escape. ¡°Fucking, cunt, cultists!¡± Drifter yelled. As their sight returned, the two gave chase. With their superior speed, catching the woman should have been a cinch, but whenever they got close, she would unleash another flashbang to blind them. Even though his aura protected his eyes from such intense light, Drifter couldn¡¯t help but flinch on reflex. The woman only ran a short distance, heading around the back of the car park. ¡°He said he¡¯d meet me on the roof once I completed his test. I don¡¯t get what his deal with these two is, but I owe him one, so I won¡¯t complain.¡± Once she was in, a swarm of chains burst from the ground, sealing the entrance as well as all other openings into the car park. They were the same unbreakable chains Drifter had encountered before. They may not have seen her, but it was obvious where she was hiding. Drifter tried to force his way inside, but the chains were impenetrable and he was afraid the sheer force of his power may accidentally topple the building. Even he wasn¡¯t going to be that reckless. ¡°Dude, you know that girl?¡± Dale asked. ¡°No, but I take it, you saw her unique firearm?¡± ¡°That thing¡¯s definitely demonic, right?¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°You cannot escape us, heathen!¡± The acolyte cried, still commanding his followers. Dale was bemused by their sudden appearance. ¡°Are those guys still here?¡± ¡°Sadly.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made a lot of friends today.¡± ¡°Forget them, if we can¡¯t get inside, we¡¯ll just have to jump to the top floor.¡± Dale rushed ahead while Drifter paused for a moment, before strolling around the building. ¡°Hold on, this flight of stairs is open. I guess our wannabe hitman is expecting us.¡± He casually took his time climbing the stairs to the roof, as he heard gunshots being fired from above. Upon his arrival, Dale was already engaged in battle with the woman, weaving effortlessly between her bullets. It was impressive how quickly he had grown accustomed to his powers, he was practically using her as dodging practice. She noticed Drifter enter the scene and immediately ceased fire. ¡°What kind of freaks are you two, anyway!? You can¡¯t be human!¡± ¡°You have a fucking magic gun.¡± Drifter retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t make me flashbang you again.¡± ¡°If you did that to Dale you might actually hit him.¡± Frustrated by Drifter¡¯s mockery, the woman fired off another flash of light, blinding the boys, before unloading a hailstorm of bullets through the light where Drifter stood. However, even though her aim was spot on, there was no sound of impact from her energy bullets, like they disintegrated before hitting their mark. Once the light dimmed, she clearly saw that Drifter¡¯s aura fizzled out the bullets, they were simply too weak to penetrate his defenses. This only meant one thing. ¡°I need something bigger¡­¡± Before Drifter had a chance to taunt her further, the woman lifted her gun onto her shoulder, transforming it into a rocket launcher. ¡°Let¡¯s see you stop this one!¡± Shocked by her sudden escalation, Drifter braced himself as the rocket soared towards him, exploding in a burst of smoke. Of course, even that wasn¡¯t enough to deal any real damage, all she accomplished was nudging him slightly out of position. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­ ¡° The woman gasped. ¡°You should be seeing stars after a blast that hard, but you¡¯re not even fazed.¡± Drifter dusted himself off, satisfied that his demonstration showcased just how outclassed she actually was. ¡°Alright, Locke. You¡¯ve had your fun, now get your arse out here!¡± As if on command, a bright light tore through reality, as the sound of clanking chains rang out from the portal, with the bound demon emerging from the other side. ¡°Did the large chains give me away?¡± ¡°Cut the shit. What¡¯s with the girl and her magic gun?¡± Locke¡¯s single, azure eye, the only part of him still visible, looked over at the woman. ¡°Amanda, I take it the results of the test were as predicted.¡± ¡°If you mean my attacks didn¡¯t do jackshit, then yeah.¡± She groaned. ¡°I see¡­ Well, no harm in trying.¡± Drifter was left puzzled by his response. ¡°What the hell were you trying to accomplish?¡± ¡°I was curious to see just how much power you could draw out of the sword.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lot. Now bugger off.¡± ¡°Drifter, no!¡± Dale cried. ¡°We were looking for this guy, remember!?¡± ¡°Wait, was that it?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°This was just an experiment. Not just on Drifter, but on you as well.¡± Locke explained. ¡°As thanks, you can keep the weapon.¡± ¡°You helped me, just for that? Aren''t you gonna take my soul, or something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so clich¨¦. I have no use for human souls.¡± ¡°What about their souls?¡± Drifter pointed out. Locke looked down upon the acolytes surrounding the building, still chanting their same tired mantra. ¡°So, that¡¯s where that noise was coming from.¡± ¡°They worship you, for some reason. All your kind. They think you''re here to save them from¡­ something¡­?¡± Giving the angry mob a hard analysis, Locke was unimpressed. ¡°Mindless sycophants. Siding themselves with whomever has the greater power, immediately handing them their free will. They lump praise upon demonkind, all in a vain attempt at survival, in the hopes their all powerful masters do not do to them what they have done to the rest of their kind. To prove their loyalty, they rally others to their cause and attack anyone who opposes them, all to secure their positions in their clique. They may seem dedicated and determined, but in truth, they¡¯re just desperate. Helpless to stop the oncoming disaster, fighting their own people in the hopes their enemies will spare them. This self serving, traitorous behaviour is exactly why the demon world fell. They may act strong now, but in the face of true adversity, they¡¯ll fold, betray, scatter and eventually die.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting an essay¡­¡± Drifter responded. ¡°And here comes that very adversity.¡± A portal suddenly flashed open above them as a large, black, chimera demon fell from the sky and crashed into the road, inches away from the acolytes, who looked on in stunned silence. ¡°He looks just like the big bastard from a few days ago.¡± Dale realised. ¡°Did you just summon that thing?¡± Drifter questioned. ¡°Ever since his brother was defeated, he has been aching to avenge him, so I may have pointed him in the right direction.¡± Locke replied. The acolytes looked up to the large demon in awestruck silence, before one of them proclaimed: ¡°Our prayers have been answered!¡± ¡°He can slay the White Heathen!¡± ¡°He will lead us to the new world!¡± ¡°SILENCE!¡± The monster decreed. ¡°Where is the one wielding the sword of legend!?¡± The acolytes quietly pointed to the roof of the building, where the demon focused his attention. ¡°Human! You cannot hide! I can smell you! Step down here and fight me, or the hooded ones'' lives are forfeit!¡± Drifter snickered. ¡°Win-win for me then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not seriously going to let them die, are you?¡± Dale asked in disbelief. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°What!? No! It¡¯s not their fault they¡¯re stupid!¡± ¡°Then you save them.¡± ¡°Fuck you, I will!¡± Dale leapt off the building, ready to confront the hulking beast. ¡°I should go help him.¡± Amanda added, heading for the stairs. ¡°Wait, why?¡± ¡°Situation¡¯s changed!¡± Drifter and Locke were left alone on the rooftop, to watch as their associates went into battle. ¡°So¡­.¡± Drifter awkwardly asked. ¡°How¡¯s Catherine?¡± Locke didn¡¯t answer, choosing to watch over the fight instead. Annoyed by his silence, Drifter picked up a pebble and lobbed it at what he assumed was Locke¡¯s head area. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Locke replied. ¡°Got your attention didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Catherine¡¯s well being is none of your concern.¡± Drifter threw another pebble, aiming for Locke¡¯s eye, but a stray chain swatted it away. ¡°Damn, almost.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re just being childish.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your deal Locke?¡± Drifter asked, throwing another pebble. ¡°If you want my sword, then come take it already.¡± ¡°Now is not the time. Once his men have headed to the south island, there will be no interference.¡± ¡°What¡¯s heading south? Interference from who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing you need to worry about.¡± Drifter threw a few more pebbles, but Locke refused to divulge any further. ¡°Twat¡­¡± ¡°Alright you giant fuck!¡± Dale cried. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°So¡­ he refuses to fight me.¡± The demon was not pleased by this turn of events. ¡°In that case, I shall make this quick.¡± The demon opened its gaping, lion mouth as it crackled with violet lightning, merging his power into a shocking orb that grew larger by the second. Realising the attack was far too large for a single target, Dale immediately yelled at the acolytes. ¡°What are you still doing here, you idiots!? Fucking run!¡± The acolytes refused, believing the demon had come to slay their enemies. They had the utmost faith that they would be spared. They were beyond reasoning. Dale had no choice but to leap into action. He rushed over to the demon and leapt towards its face, uppercutting its mouth closed, to seal off his attack. He quickly landed on the monster¡¯s protruding snout and held his lower jaw, heaving his mouth shut to prevent him from launching his attack. ¡°Try firing that shit now, you¡­ bigger¡­ bastard¡­¡± However, there was a fatal flaw in Dale¡¯s plan, the monster still had two arms free. As the Bigger Bastard swung its mighty fist toward Dale, he could do nothing but hold its mouth shut for as long as he could before he was inevitably launched from the demon¡¯s face and sent straight into the concrete. ¡°NO! STOP!¡± Dale cried. He picked himself up, but the monster cared not for his pleas, as he prepared a blast that would tear through the crowd like an oncoming train. Just as he was about to fire, a blast of light shot into the demon¡¯s face, causing it to reel backwards, firing the blast over the crowd and through the car park. The attack soared into the sky and exploded, as part of the building began to collapse. ¡°And down she goes¡­¡± Drifter quipped as he leapt from the falling debris. As if in sync, Locke leapt with him. Both of their jumps had the same trajectory and they both landed in the field on the other side of the road, at the exact same distance. As chunks of the building fell over the acolytes, Dale could only watch in horror. In the few seconds he had, he was only able to save one person. He dashed full throttle, and without thinking, grabbed Amanda by the arm and yanked her out of danger. While some acolytes had the foresight to escape, others caught in the middle weren¡¯t so lucky and met a bloody end, crushed to death under the weight of falling concrete, as their screaming suddenly went silent. ¡°Why did you save me!?¡± Amanda cried. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I had to save someone!¡± Dale responded. ¡°Well¡­ thanks. Guess I owe you now.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for that!¡± The two looked over at the carnage left behind by the Bigger Bastard¡¯s single attack. ¡°Christ¡­ I need to stop this, now!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to stop this now.¡± Amanda insisted. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re helping?¡± ¡°Of course! Who do you think stopped that guy from firing into the crowd in the first place?¡± ¡°Cover me!¡± Dale dashed in as Amanda backed him up with a storm of bullets beating down on the demon¡¯s back. The Bigger Bastard turned around, covering his face with his hand, slightly agitated by the pellets pelting him. ¡°What is this nuisance?¡± Dale swooped in undetected and slashed through the demon¡¯s chest with a solid uppercut. However, like his brother, the Bigger Bastard was covered in a thick, stone hide, protecting his skin. Dale merely left a scar on his armour, leaving the demon unharmed. "Do all of you fuckers have armour!?" Embarrassed by his weak slash, the demon grabbed Dale out of the air, ready to crush him with his massive hand. Amanda took action and fired a rocket at the demon¡¯s cut armour, the explosion successfully winding it momentarily, freeing Dale from its grasp. As he was about to make his escape, the demon thrusted its fist forward, crashing into Dale and sending him flying into the field. Any normal human would have been killed by such force, but Dale¡¯s powers kept him from crossing over, instead leaving him lying on the ground in agony by Drifter¡¯s feet. ¡°You okay, retard?¡± He asked. ¡°Yeah, as soon as the feeling in my legs comes back.¡± Dale responded. The Bigger Bastard was pleased to see that his real opponent was about to step in. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve defeated your underlings, you¡¯ve finally decided to show yourself, human?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not my underlings, they¡¯re just idiots.¡± ¡°Either way, I can finally pay you back for killing my brother and humiliating my kind.¡± ¡°Whatever¡­ just do your thing already.¡± The demon charged up his mouth blast again, but instead of stopping it, Drifter merely waited for it to fire, without a hint of fear. He pointed out his finger, as the demon fired a blast the size of a house. It ignited the grass as it flew by, but Drifter was hardly impressed with the demon¡¯s technique. ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong. It¡¯s not the size of your energy attacks that matters, it¡¯s the density.¡± He fired a glimmering speck of light that collided with the massive violet spark bolt. Despite its miniscule size, it stopped the blast dead in its tracks. The Bigger Bastard couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing, from his perspective it looked as if his attack had just grinded to a halt without explanation. Soon, the demon¡¯s energy burst, giving way under the pressure of the tiny speck of light, allowing it to pass through unscathed. It flew over to the demon where it detonated with a blast so intense it shattered his black armour, flinging the two storey tall monster into the rubble behind him, burying him along with the people he killed. ¡°All bark and no bite, as usual.¡± Drifter didn¡¯t even bother to check the body. ¡°That was amazing.¡± Amanda exclaimed. ¡°Gee wiz, Drifter. I hope I get to grow up as big and strong as you one day.¡± Dale sarcastically added, before a pebble was tossed in his face. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry about attacking you earlier. I just owed that Locke guy a favour.¡± Amanda apologised. ¡°Whatever.¡± Drifter replied. ¡°Just get¡­ Goddammit!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Locke buggered off!¡± ¡°What!? Then what was the point of all that!?¡± Dale wondered. Drifter couldn¡¯t answer, but he speculated Locke simply acted on a whim. Not wanting to let an opportunity slip by, Amanda quickly asked about a problem that was deeply concerning her. ¡°Before you fellas leave, could you help a gal out?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m pissed off.¡± Drifter replied. ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ll be interested in this. It¡¯s about that cult.¡± ¡°Why would I care about a bunch of crazy people?¡± ¡°Because, their base of operation is near here. How do you think they managed to rally so many protesters so fast?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in human problems.¡± ¡°What if they aren¡¯t human?¡± ¡°What?" ¡°I was a part of that cult for a short while. When I arrived here from the States, they told me I had to join them to avoid being targeted by demons, but ironically it was a demon who saved me from them.¡± ¡°And that demon was?¡± ¡°Locke.¡± ¡°What the fuck? Why?¡± ¡°Well, if you come with me, maybe you¡¯ll find out.¡± Drifter thought about it for a second. ¡°Fuck it, why not¡­¡± Chapter 9: The Cult of Daemonism ¡°I heard about how bad the demon problem had gotten over in the UK, but I didn¡¯t understand how bad it really was until I experienced it myself.¡± Amanda explained. ¡°What the fuck possessed you to come all the way over here from the States?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°I don''t¡­ I mean I do¡­ have family¡­ over here, I mean. A sister. She¡¯s a college student and I¡­ came to visit her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own demon problems to deal with, back home?¡± ¡°Occasionally¡­ it ain¡¯t nearly as bad as what you guys are dealing with. Just look around.¡± The group stopped to examine the cold, empty street. ¡°It¡¯s early evening and everything''s already closed, not a single car on the road and the only people out here are the occasional cops. We¡¯re not too far from the mall, but this place is empty already.¡± ¡°If you came here to look for your sister, then why did you join a crazy cult?¡± Dale questioned. ¡°That¡¯s where I found her. She said she found a group of people who would keep her safe and told me to get in contact with them as soon as possible, for my own protection. I didn¡¯t really believe it myself, but once I arrived, I figured I¡¯d go to one of their meetings with her, but it didn¡¯t go so well.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I just couldn¡¯t stand how they rejected everything I was taught. Praising demons? Giving up your individuality? Treating them like gods? It made no sense! Why should we bend the knee when those monsters are the ones who caused all this suffering in the first place!? It ain¡¯t right!¡± ¡°So, they attacked you for having the wrong opinion!?¡± ¡°Not exactly. I stormed outta there, but after I left, I was chased by these gargoyle things. They cornered me in an alley. That¡¯s when Locke saved me, but I¡¯m pretty sure that attack wasn¡¯t a coincidence.¡± Drifter sighed. ¡°Goodie¡­ Idealogues. They¡¯re always fun to deal with.¡± ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re gonna go fuck them up?¡± Dale asked. ¡°I guess¡­¡± The group soon arrived at the imposing cathedral, with its large steeples and looming bell tower. The headquarters of the Daemonism cult. ¡°This the place?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°Yeah¡­¡° Amanda answered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of chapels in my travels, but this one doesn¡¯t have any of the wear and tear the others have. Looks new.¡± ¡°Those weirdos brought me here. At first they just seemed overly enthusiastic, but once I was inside, it was another story. They¡¯ve all given up their free will in exchange for peace of mind and their dedication is unnerving. After seeing those acolytes willingly die in front of their demon god earlier, I realised I needed to get Abby out of there immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s her name.¡± Without saying another word, Drifter kicked the entrance to the cathedral open. The banging of Drifter¡¯s foot against the massive wooden doors as they screeched open, drew the attention of the acolytes inside. It was the same scene as before. A room full of hooded people, kneeling on benches. The group hung back as the sermon continued, the entire church falling silent in prayer. This time however, there was no demon priest on the podium. Instead, a stern old man in pure black robes, looked down upon his followers, paying no mind to the interruptions. ¡°Hey! Abby! You in here!?¡± Drifter yelled, drawing the ire of the attendants. Unfortunately, he received no answer. ¡°Welp, I tried.¡± ¡°Are you sure your sister¡¯s here?¡± Dale wondered. ¡°Hard to tell with all their hoods up. I¡¯ll look around.¡± With Amanda searching, Drifter casually waltzed down the aisle, to get a closer look at the cult¡¯s leader. He looked down upon Drifter, from atop his podium like a disapproving school teacher dealing with yet another delinquent. ¡°Hey!¡± Drifter called. ¡°Are you Anderson!?¡± ¡°I am Lord Anderson, yes.¡± He responded, sternly. ¡°Is there a particular reason you are interrupting our prayer time?¡± ¡°Yeah! Are you a demon?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why do you worship demons?¡± ¡°I have chosen to cooperate with the demons, as doing so will lead mankind to a new world, where our two races can live in peace. Unlike you, man in the white coat. You, who has so carelessly slaughtered countless of our demon brethren.¡± ¡°The only ones who got slaughtered this afternoon were your own people.¡± ¡°I have already been made aware of the horrible tragedy from this afternoon, as well as the one at the church that was swallowed by that deadly mist. We have paid our respects to the fallen who were cruelly taken from us. Perhaps if the White Heathen hadn¡¯t antagonised our demon brethren, with his vicious and volatile vexations, they would still be alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your excuse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s plainly obvious that it was your actions that caused that demon to attack our people. Their deaths were the result of your callousness. Their blood is on your hands. If you are not stopped, your actions will only continue to breed more despair and violence across this great nation.¡± ¡°Or maybe your demons need to show a little respect to the people who already inhabit this world. Instead of attacking us, just for being different.¡± ¡°How dare you imply that demons brought violence into this world. Humanity has been violent ever since we achieved free thought. The demon¡¯s we see before us are a punishment sent by God. It¡¯s little wonder that they have such a low opinion of us, when we are nothing but primitive primates struggling for ourselves, at the expense of others. By contrast, the demon''s power allows them to thrive without the need for such petty struggles. After humanity stripped them of their god Lucifer, their world fell into ruin while ours flourished. Now it is time for them to take back what is theirs. If we can admit to our own weakness and submit ourselves to the demons, they can lead us to a world where survival for all is guaranteed. A world of equality and peace. And I, Lord Anderson, have taken it upon myself to become their messenger for the human race. Now, abandon your outdated beliefs and become one with Daemonism.¡± Drifter zoned out and lost interest halfway through Anderson''s speech and swiftly changed subjects. ¡°Did you try to kill Amanda because she disagreed with you?¡± ¡°Of course not. Although, heathens are more at risk of having fatal encounters with our demon brethren.¡± ¡°Sounds like a nice cover-up for attempted murder.¡± ¡°I will not tolerate such baseless accusations. If you have no further business, then be gone White Heathen.¡± Drifter glared for a moment, before turning around waving his hand. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ whatever¡­ nice gargoyle statues, by the way.¡± He remarked, pointing to the statues perched above Anderson and his stage. He returned to Dale at the entrance. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Drifter replied. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just vaporise him, like with the demon priest.¡± ¡°And piss off even more cultists? No thanks. I''d rather stay off their radar.¡± "But, what about Anderson?" "Who cares? People like him usually end up destroying themselves anyway.¡± ¡°Now my followers!¡± Anderson suddenly announced, prompting the hooded figures to lift their heads in unison. ¡°With our prayers over, it is time for my final announcement of the evening. The demons have finally chosen their candidate for the ascension ceremony.¡± A short, blonde girl walked onto the stage, next to Anderson, whom Amanda recognised immediately. ¡°Abby!? What are you doing!?¡± ¡°Ammy! I¡¯ve been chosen!¡± The girl replied before being interrupted by her Lord. ¡°Yes! To pay tribute to the demons who fell, the sister of their murderer shall be chosen as the first to ascend! To venture into the depths of Hell with her newfound powers to further strengthen the ties between demon and humankind by becoming both!¡± ¡°What!? You can¡¯t punish Abby for something I did! What the hell are you going to do to her!?¡± Amanda cried, pulling out her gun. ¡°This is no punishment, this is a perfect opportunity to strengthen the ties between our two worlds. The ceremony will be quick and painless.¡± He assured, escorting Abby away. ¡°You are dismissed!¡± Amanda tried to give chase, but a wailing wall of spirits blocked her path. ¡°I ain¡¯t afraid of no ghosts!¡± ¡°Amanda! Wait!¡± Dale yelled, dashing over to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch that! Those ghosts are deadly!¡± ¡°But, my sister!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Drifter can get past it, right?¡± Drifter was already in the middle of leaving with the rest of the acolytes. ¡°What the fuck, dude!?¡± Dale dragged Amanda out of the cathedral as they caught up to Drifter. ¡°Are you going to help us or what!?¡± ¡°This situation¡¯s too complicated for me, I¡¯ll pass." Drifter reasoned. ¡°But, we can¡¯t just leave!¡± Amanda objected. ¡°Abby¡¯s still in there!¡± ¡°Then go get her.¡± ¡°But, if you went in, you could save her no problem.¡± ¡°Use your head, stupid. Killing random demons is easy, no one gives a shit about them. But, the fact that this place is even allowed to operate without any government interference means they must have some influence. I was able to lay low for this long by staying out of that shit. If you want to investigate the old man¡¯s demon cult, go find the evidence yourself.¡± ¡°But, why can¡¯t you just-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your damn sister! She¡¯s your sibling, so you save her!¡± With that, Drifter left, leaving Amanda and Dale to their own devices. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Dale assured. ¡°Drifter may be a lazy cunt, but I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± Just then, the last of the acolytes left, with the doors to the cathedral locked tight. Dale spotted Anderson entering his car from the car park. ¡°That was a quick ceremony.¡± He wondered. ¡°Ammy, you stay here and see if your sister¡¯s still in the cathedral and I¡¯ll tail Anderson back to his home. With her as a witness and a little incriminating evidence, we can take this cult down.¡± ¡°Did you just call me Ammy?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I mean¡­ that¡¯s what your sister called you¡­ so I just thought¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so red?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going now¡­¡± As the cult leader drove off, Dale hurried after him. Light on his feet, it was easy for him to keep up with the vehicle whilst staying out of sight. Amanda was left at the empty cathedral, in the middle of the night, completely alone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Abby. I¡¯m coming for ya.¡± She psyched herself up. ¡°Okay¡­ so¡­ how do I get in here?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She pushed and pulled on the doors, but they weren¡¯t budging. She refused to break in through the windows as it would be too obvious, she wanted to leave as little of a trail as possible, but she had to take some kind of risk if you wanted to get in. Amanda quickly came to a solution. She pulled out her gun, and using its demon magic, shot a tiny bullet into the keyhole, destroying the lock mechanism and opening the door. ¡°Oops.¡± She sarcastically shrugged. She slowly nudged the door open and slipped inside the cathedral, making as little noise as possible. The room was covered in darkness, save for the spots illuminated by the light of the Moon from the ceiling windows. ¡°This place is huge.¡± She groaned to herself. ¡°And this is just one room. How am I supposed to find anything in here?¡± She thought about climbing onto the podium, but as long as the wailing wall was blocking her path, no one was getting anywhere near it. ¡°Dammit. Why would Anderson even leave my sister in a place like this, all by herself?¡° Feeling hopelessly lost, Amanda figured that since she was in a church she may as well ask the big man himself. ¡°Oh Lord, I know there¡¯s evil, twisted, godless sinning going on in this temple of yours. But if you can hear me, I humbly request you give me a sign. Anything that¡¯ll point me in the right direction.¡± There was silence for a minute straight. Nothing happened. ¡°Why did I think that would work? I¡¯m just wasting my time.¡± Suddenly, a bright light manifested before her, as if the light of the heavens themselves were shining through the darkness. ¡°Holy crap. Is that you God?¡± ¡°God?¡± The light responded, as the sound of clanging chains echoed throughout the room. Amanda was disappointed that her divine intervention was just another demon. ¡°Locke? What are you doing here?¡± Locke appeared curious. ¡°I would like to ask you the same thing. Is it coincidence we met like this, or fate?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t, I¡¯ve heard enough lofty crap today.¡± ¡°Yes. The humans here are rather strange, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Hey, since you¡¯re here. Why did you enchant my gun like this? Why would a demon help me like that?¡± ¡°It was just an experiment.¡± ¡°Experiment? For what? Is it about Drifter?¡± "I just wanted to see how much power a human could draw out of a demon weapon. Be it sword, or gun." "You were testing me too?" "It seems you''ve already drawn plenty of power from it and I¡¯m not even that good at enchanting objects." "But, why test me in the first place?" Locke looked over to the model of the man pinned to a cross, hanging on the back wall of the room. To humanity, this man was sacred. A saviour, whose teachings and actions are emulated to this very day, but as a demon born in another world, he meant nothing to Locke, he was just another human. ¡°Tell me, Amanda. What does this place mean to you?¡± ¡°Changing the subject?¡± ¡°In my world, there were temples just like this. Places of worship, where we paid respect to our superiors, Lucifer and his disciples. Their powers were so far above our own, we considered them gods, but that was foolish. They were no gods, just talented liars. Manipulators who wormed their way into power through intimidation and cruelty. How Lucifer could consider any of them as his disciples is beyond my understanding. Unlike the snakes, Lucifer was truly exceptional. One who stood above the elites and brought light to our realm. The demon world rallied behind him, granting him all the support we could give in the hopes that he would lead us to a brighter future. A future where we would no longer have to be subservient to these false gods. Sadly, he too eventually fell. Disappearing from our world. Leaving us at the mercy of one false god after another. Gods who abandoned their people and brought them to the brink of extinction, through their own self indulgent actions, until our world became the wasteland it is today. I wonder, are the Gods you humans worship just as false as ours?¡± ¡°They¡¯re just stories. Examples we use to live by. Whether they¡¯re true or not isn¡¯t really important.¡± ¡°Just stories? If only my people were so fortunate¡­¡± ¡°Is there a point to all this rambling?¡± ¡°This human, well, former human, Anderson, is just another false god, abusing his influence to manipulate his followers for his own gain. Including my people. A human controlling demons like they were his pets. How much lower must my kind fall in their desperate attempts at attaining power?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who wants to get rid of Anderson and his cult. You¡¯re free to help us, you know.¡± Without warning, Locke¡¯s chains fired out of his left and right side, shooting into the pitch-black ceiling, stopping only after a disturbing crunch echoed throughout the hall. With a single chain on each side, Locke dragged the corpses of two gargoyle demons off their perches as they limply fell to the floor. His chains penetrated through their skulls. ¡°There¡¯s your help.¡± Locke replied as the wailing barrier dissipated. ¡°There are no more traitors in the building. Feel free to investigate to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Amanda was baffled by his actions. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why are you helping me again?" The chained demon stood silently. ¡°Locke, what are you fighting for?¡± He gave no answer. ¡°Because, if you¡¯re trying to destroy humanity like all the others, then you¡¯ll have to get through me.¡± Amanda drew her gun, but Locke showed no interest in fighting. She fired a few shots, but they didn¡¯t even singe his chains. No matter how many shots she fired, Locke took all of it without budging an inch. ¡°You¡¯re just like Drifter.¡± She remarked. ¡°You just stand there and take it, like some indestructible wall of indifference, neither of you seem interested in standing up for anything. Is it pride, or have you just given up?¡± A white portal emerged from behind Locke. ¡°I stand for one thing: The resurrection of my world and its people, but as long as the catalyst for my people¡¯s misery still exists, neither of our worlds will ever obtain peace.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Drifter?¡± Locke disappeared into the white light, leaving Amanda alone, in the dark, empty cathedral. With no demons lurking in the shadows she was free to snoop around for any signs of her sister, but with the sheer size of the building she questioned whether that was even possible. Thinking back on her encounter with Locke, Amanda wondered how he was able to find those gargoyles without even knowing they were there. ¡°Can demons sense the presence of other demons?¡± She thought. ¡°But, Drifter¡¯s human and he can do it too¡­ I wonder¡­ can people who wield demonic power sense the presence of other demonic powers?¡± She figured, if her gun had been bestowed with demonic power, then maybe, she too could sense this power. She closed her eyes and focused, clearing her mind, just to see if she could sense anything, even the tiniest blip. To her surprise, she felt something. It was vague, but it was resonating somewhere within the building. It was an odd feeling, like having a third eye that could see beyond what was humanly possible. Amanda followed this sensation, occasionally bumping into walls and tripping over herself, her newfound abilities did not take into account her surroundings. After fumbling in the dark for a few minutes, carefully feeling around, she made her way into a back room. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she kept the light off, but even with just the light of the Moon, shining through the top of the bell tower, she could tell this room was special. It was far more decorative and contained a casket in a glass case in the center. Whatever was in there, it was the source of the demonic presence she felt. Examining the glass, Amanda found the locks that sealed it to the floor and shot them out, allowing her to delicately lift the glass to access the casket. Upon closer inspection, the casket almost looked like a coffin, which only made her more nervous about opening it. Pushing the lid off, Amanda felt a sickening mixture of relief and dread upon viewing its contents. ¡°Abby¡­? What the heck are you doing in here?¡° Her stomach was throbbing, something was terribly wrong. ¡°Why would Anderson just leave you locked away in a casket like this?¡± She then noticed a strange vial laying beside her slumbering sister. Suddenly, Abby awoke, staring into the distance in a daze. ¡°Abby? You okay?¡± ¡°Ammy? Is it done? Am I¡­ a demon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so cold¡­¡± ¡°Abby? Hey, Abby! Look at me!¡± ¡°¡­cold¡­ and pain¡­ why¡­?¡± Despite her cries, Amanda¡¯s sister didn¡¯t react to her. Her mind was completely absent. She continued mumbling to herself until she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Where am I¡­?¡± She whimpered. ¡°I can¡¯t feel¡­ so empty¡­ it¡¯s numb¡­¡± Amanda backed away, as her sister struggled to breathe. She grabbed at her chest, as her body began to convulse violently. Amanda wanted nothing more than to help her sister, but it was far too late. Her skin was peeling, her muscles expanded and contracted unnaturally, her body was transforming against her will, as she began leaking substances from every orifice. She wasn¡¯t even conscious anymore, no longer capable of acknowledging Amanda¡¯s presence. As her body continued to contort, she became unrecognisable, a distorted mockery of the human form, rotting like a zombie. Amanda was left in tears, helpless to stop her sister¡¯s grotesque metamorphosis. ¡°What in God¡¯s name did he do to you¡­?¡± ¡°Holy hell, that was easy.¡± Dale cheered, having successfully followed Anderson to his home undetected. The cult leader''s house was situated just outside the main city, in a forest near the motorway. Dale quickly hid in the shadow of the trees as Anderson looked around, confused by the sudden yelling he heard. Unable to ascertain its origin, he left his car and headed towards his front door. Dale waited for Anderson to enter his home before leaping over his metal fence and sneaking through his garden. The house wasn¡¯t particularly interesting, it was large, but certainly not mansion sized, but its location gave it an air of exclusivity. Waiting for the noise in the house to die down, Dale bided his time until an opportunity to search the place finally arrived. After ten or so minutes, he finally found his chance. ¡°Fuck me, he¡¯s finally settling down. Next time I¡¯ll just rush the guy and steal what I can while he¡¯s knocked out, I can¡¯t stand waiting around like this.¡± After waiting patiently, Dale couldn¡¯t afford to just break in so crudely, he needed to be more sly. He quickly noticed the tree leaning over the house behind him. Its branches looked strong enough to support a person and were close enough to the house that perhaps, they could serve as a route inside. Dale jumped onto the branch and examined the upper window, expecting it to be locked, but was pleased to find that it had been left open. ¡°Is this a trap, or is he stupid? Let¡¯s find out.¡± Diving through the window, Dale landed inside the darkened room with no problems. However, he felt an eerie presence inside. He treaded carefully, making little to no noise, as two silhouettes emerged from the darkness, from either side of the window, maces in hand. The shadows swung their steel clubs, only for Dale to draw his blade and with a quick turn, slash straight through them, leaving their spiked balls castrated. ¡°You two must be confident to just leave the window open like that.¡± With their weapons cut short the shadows were hesitant to make another move. ¡°Look, if you just leave, I won¡¯t hurt you, alright?¡± The shadows threw away their desecrated rods and resorted to using their fists. He may not have had Drifter¡¯s destructive force, but Dale¡¯s speed was more than enough to overwhelm his two assailants. Ducking underneath their swinging fists, Dale uppercutted the first shadow in their jaw. One punch was enough to slam the creature against the wall, knocking them out. As he thought, they were mere guard dogs, peons he could handle easily. Dale quickly dealt with the second demon, who was too awestruck by his partner¡¯s defeat to guard himself. With blinding speed, Dale dug his fist into the demon¡¯s gut, rendering it unable to fight. Though proud of handily defeating two opponents at once, without resorting to killing, his victory was far from perfect. ¡°Dammit¡­ that made a lot of noise. Better look around as much as I can before the old man shows up.¡± Dale rummaged through the room, looking through drawers, closets and even under the bed, but found nothing of worth. There was a laptop, but his hacking skills were severely lacking. ¡° ¡®You have inputted the wrong password too many times. Please restart the computer to try again.¡¯ What¡­? Oh fuck off!¡± Having no luck with the computer, Dale frantically searched the room again, looking under the bed. ¡°There¡¯s got to be something in here. Anything? Besides¡­ ew.¡± He pulled out something soft, slithery and rotten. ¡°¡­dirty old man socks¡­¡± He sighed in exasperation, staring into the abyss underneath the bed. ¡°Am I dumb¡­ or have I not thought this through?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°Uh oh.¡± Dale banged his head under the bed in fright, before jumping to his feet. Anderson, still in his robes, was leering at him through the doorway. Although he panicked for a moment, Dale quickly regained his composure. ¡°Well, damn. Guess I¡¯ve been caught.¡± He sarcastically admitted, throwing his arms up in surrender. ¡°What are you doing in my house?¡± Anderson calmly, but firmly asked. ¡°Looking for an autograph?¡± ¡°I doubt that.¡± ¡°Okay, I found God and I¡¯ve come to repent for my sins. How¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you''ve strayed too far to repent now, boy.¡± ¡°Oh geez, am I in trouble?¡± ¡°How bold of you to mock me to my face, but I would suggest you take this more seriously.¡± ¡°I bet you feel pretty big when you stand on that stage, preaching to your little army. But, strip all that away and you¡¯re just another weak old man, with horrible fashion sense.¡± ¡°Is there a point to these petty insults?¡± Dale suddenly rushed the old preacher, slamming him to the floor, in the hallway. ¡°Get some sleep, old man.¡± With the old preacher knocked out, Dale took this opportunity to search him, eventually coming across his wallet. ¡°Fuck yes, now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± Dale opened the wallet, but found nothing other than a single credit card. ¡°Really, that¡¯s it? Not even some spare change?¡± Distracted by the wallet, Dale failed to notice Anderson, pulling himself up, his eyes glowing a monstrous red. Before he knew it, Anderson¡¯s arm burst out of his robe, expanding to the width of a tree trunk, as it stretched forward, completely overwhelming Dale, shoving him back with his massive claw. Anderson¡¯s arm forced Dale into the bedroom, his claws clinging to the wall, holding Dale securely within his grip, as the card Dale was holding, the only useful item he could find, flew out the window. ¡°Goddammit! No! What the hell is this!?¡± The priest slowly crept into the room. ¡°You arrogant child. You dare underestimate the power of the demon¡¯s messenger!?¡± ¡°What the fuck!? You were a demon!?¡± ¡°Not quite. I have been blessed with demonic power, a gift from their King, to gather followers for demonkind.¡± ¡°There''s a Demon King!? Who!?¡± ¡°That information would be wasted on you.¡± Dale unsheathed his blade, stabbing Anderson in his massive arm, but without any room to manoeuvre he couldn¡¯t sever anything off, only leave a deep stab wound. ¡°You little vermin!¡± Anderson cried from the pain. ¡°For breaking into my home, assaulting my guards, insulting my power and for harming my very being. I will make you suffer.¡± ¡°Try me, cunt!¡± Anderson¡¯s free hand morphed as his fingers became sharp like knives. He swiped at Dale¡¯s legs, slicing his flesh. It stung like crazy, but Anderson was far from finished, he continued hacking away, tearing through the muscle and scraping away at the bone, until Dale¡¯s legs snapped clean off. Dale had never experienced such intense pain in his life, even with his demonic healing, all he could do in the face of Anderson¡¯s relentless hacking and slashing was scream in agony, until he eventually passed out from the ordeal. Anderson retracted his arms, returning them to normal as he panted in exhaustion. ¡°Now look at what you¡¯ve made me do.¡± Anderson moaned. ¡°I¡¯ve used up too much demon power. Now I¡¯ll need to extract more from that girl tomorrow.¡± He picked up the remains of Dale¡¯s legs. ¡°I¡¯ll keep these for now, in case you get any ideas of escaping. Perhaps I¡¯ll return them to you at some point. You could be a useful slave, or a nice backup energy resource.¡± Anderson carried the unconscious Dale to his downstairs hall, opening a door to a dark room, chucking the body inside, like dead weight. He took one look at the garbage bin in his kitchen and promptly dumped Dale¡¯s legs in with the rest of the trash. ¡°Or, perhaps not.¡± Chapter 10: Leader of Daemonism ¡°Man, fuck cultists¡­¡± Drifter sighed to himself as he left the cathedral. ¡°Why the hell are these guys so active all of a sudden? They couldn¡¯t have been around for longer than a few months¡­ and all that debating over ideology and morality is just soul draining¡­ it¡¯s all a bunch of bullshit anyway. They can worship demons all they want, but it won¡¯t save them.¡± Drifter suddenly spotted a woman, wearing a familiar beanie, exiting the off-licence, smoking a cigarette, looking like she just crawled out of bed. ¡°Those things will kill you, you know.¡± Drifter commented. ¡°Fuck off.¡± The woman replied, before freezing in place at the sight of Drifter. ¡°Fuck you, too.¡± Catherine was taken aback, she never expected to run into Drifter again so soon. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Drifter took note of the poor state she was in. Her clothes were dirty, her jacket was practically sagging off her and her eyes were baggy. ¡°You crawl out of a meth lab?¡± ¡°Funny.¡± ¡°In a detached sort of way, yeah. Where the hell have you been?¡± ¡°Why do you care? Is this about Locke?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t, but sure. Tell me about Locke.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding out in the demon world, but I followed Locke back here to stock up on food.¡± ¡°And cigarettes?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m not used to living in the demon world. It¡¯s hard to relax when you don¡¯t have a bed, or shelter, or anything but the cold dirt to sleep on. You try living in the depressing silence of a dead world, especially when that silence is broken and you¡¯re suddenly thrown into a battle for your life against some monster. I was only there for a day and I¡¯m already a wreck! I can¡¯t even change my clothes!¡± ¡°Do demons even need clothes?¡± ¡°Not every demon has a freaky exoskeleton, stupid!¡± ¡°Alright! No need to fucking shout!¡± Catherine glared with Drifter glaring back. ¡°This is your fault, you know!¡± She accused. Drifter was flabbergasted, unsure of what she meant. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t shown up, I¡¯d still be living a normal human life! I¡¯d still have a home¡­ and food¡­ and family¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ remember hurting your family¡­¡± ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s what¡¯s so annoying! You¡¯re not even aware of the damage you cause! You just run away from it!¡± ¡°Hold the fuck up! You¡¯re the one who ran away!¡± ¡°Because you¡¯d kill me! Is that why you¡¯re here!? To finish the job!?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± ¡°Were my grandparents not enough!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t touch your damn grandparents! I¡¯m still not sure if they even existed!¡± ¡°Locke told me everything! None of this would have happened if you hadn¡¯t shown up!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill your grandparents, retard!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the fucking retard! You¡¯re responsible for their deaths and you don''t even know it!¡± Drifter wasn¡¯t sure what to think. Catherine¡¯s anger seemed genuine, but there was still a chance she was faking it. He needed to test her. Reaching into his wallet he pulled out the photo from the house. ¡°Here.¡± He tossed the folded picture to Catherine, landing at her feet. She examined the photo, puzzled. ¡°Why do you have this?¡± ¡°I can see a bandage poking out of your hat in that photo. Why? If it was taken after the car crash, then your grandparents shouldn''t be in it, right?¡± ¡°Why are you asking? This is getting creepy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a demon go to such lengths to pretend to be human before. Not unless they had some ulterior motive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Catherine refused to elaborate any further. ¡°Fine.¡± Drifter conceded, changing subjects. ¡°So, about Locke. Is he in town?¡± ¡°Obviously, but he got distracted by that stupid cult. Honestly, how is he supposed to free Alexander if he¡¯s wasting time here?¡± ¡°Wait, who?¡± ¡°Who cares? As long as you¡¯re around, we won¡¯t make any progress anyway¡­ just get lost¡­¡± She turned her back and left, taking her photo with her. "And for the record." She corrected. "The bandages were for covering my horns." The photo seemed to calm Catherine down, clutching it tightly as she left. At this point, Drifter was starting to believe she was telling the truth, but that begged the question: How did Catherine end up here in the first place? Who was she? At the very least, there was one thing Drifter was certain of. ¡°She''s such a punk.¡± Drifter popped into the off-licence. ¡°Why¡¯s this place even open, anyway?¡± He took a quick look around, only to be met with the clicking of a gun¡¯s trigger as the barrel poked into his side. ¡°Hold it right there.¡± ¡°Great, I walked into another fucking robbery¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m no criminal, you idiot.¡± ¡°The ginger twat? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Caught sight of a break-in and took action. I would have arrested her, until you showed up.¡± ¡°Neat. Can I go now?¡± ¡°Oh no. I¡¯ve got some questions for you. Know anything about the collapsed car park in Templar Square?¡± Officer Richard raised his gun to Drifter¡¯s face hoping to intimidate him, but Drifter simply pushed his finger into the barrel of the gun, crunching it up like an accordion. ¡°Wha-? How did-?¡± ¡°Not much to say.¡± Drifter answered. ¡°Demon showed up. I killed it. Then I left.¡± ¡°What about all those corpses?¡± ¡°I told those cultists to piss off, but they wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°Cultists? Crap, so it was them¡­¡± ¡°What? Sad you can¡¯t arrest them in case you offend their religion or something?¡± Officer Richard picked up a newspaper from the rack. The frontpage featured Anderson meeting with Mr. Basil, with the headline: ¡®Daemonism: Our Last Hope?¡¯ ¡°They¡¯ve been gaining traction recently. Nobody on the force wants to investigate them due to their demonic connections, not that we could¡­¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you guys fucking useless.¡± Richard looked away in embarrassment. ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t think they were this big.¡± ¡°Do you not keep up with the news at all?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What do you do all day?¡± ¡°Sleep¡­ eat¡­ um¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Christ¡­¡± Richard was starting to suspect Drifter wasn¡¯t quite the terrifying engine of destruction he initially thought he was. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the kid?¡± ¡°The what now?¡± ¡°The little blonde runt that follows you around.¡± Drifter shrugged. ¡°What? I thought you were his guardian or something.¡± ¡°Wow, you guys can¡¯t even gather intel properly. I¡¯m not the kid¡¯s guardian, he¡¯s just a little shit I can¡¯t scrape off my shoe.¡± ¡°Well, where is he?¡± ¡°Investigating that gay cult. I didn¡¯t care, so we went our separate ways.¡± Richard was getting suspicious. ¡°That kid is investigating that cult, but not you? What¡¯s your game here? Are you playing dumb?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s genuine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously not planning on taking down Anderson¡¯s cult? I thought a demon hunter like you would be the most interested in Daemonism.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a demon hunter¡­ I just fight whatever gets in my way. Taking down a famous cult would draw too much attention. The last thing I want is to have the media on my arse.¡± ¡°What if the police took the credit instead? Would you help then?¡± "A cop offering me a bribe? How ironic.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to investigate Daemonism¡¯s shady activities and now I have the perfect opportunity. Help me with this and I¡¯ll make sure the police take full credit and you can disappear into¡­ wherever it is you go.¡± ¡°If it gets you off my back then, sure¡­ why not?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound very enthusiastic.¡± ¡°I just hate work.¡± The two headed to Richard¡¯s car. ¡°Alright, get in.¡± He ordered. ¡°You¡¯re not taking me down to the precinct, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯d blow my car to pieces before I could even attempt that.¡± ¡°Smart man.¡± They drove through the town, heading straight to the source of the cult¡¯s power. ¡°Why the hell are you so interested in these pricks anyway?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°Demons are driving this country to the brink of destruction. The public despises them. Then Daemonism comes along and suddenly the media tries to convince everyone that the demons are here to save us. All sounds a little fishy to me. To top it off, anyone on the force who tries to investigate them will face termination. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s corruption or cowardice, but I¡¯m not going to let an opportunity to find the truth pass me by, even if I have to put my job on the line.¡± ¡°You think there¡¯s a conspiracy?¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to be blind not to be a little suspicious, or been living under a rock, like you.¡± ¡°Point taken.¡± ¡°I think there are people out there taking advantage of all this chaos for their own gain.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you handle that shit, Mr. Policeman. So, are we gonna barge into Anderson¡¯s home, guns blazing?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll just say we got a report of a disturbance and ask to check his home.¡± ¡°What if you don¡¯t find anything? Or he gets suspicious? What if he just kills you? Or what if-?¡± ¡°Alright! I get it! It¡¯s risky! That¡¯s where you come in. If something bad happens, that¡¯s when you barge in guns blazing, as long as I¡¯m not caught in the crossfire.¡± ¡°And if I refuse?¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m fucked.¡± Richard¡¯s gung ho attitude resonated with Drifter. A thick headed rookie, looking to prove himself in a world that was trying to suppress him. His plan was clearly stupid, rushed and poorly thought out. The perfect plan for Drifter. He didn¡¯t have to think, just act. As a police officer, Richard had access to the addresses of everyone in town, allowing them to find Anderson¡¯s home in no time, parking the car right outside his gate. ¡°What¡¯s all this computer shit?¡± Drifter asked, looking at the car¡¯s dashboard. ¡°Drifter, you had the whole car ride to ask me that, and you¡¯re asking now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s recording equipment, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Sounds useful.¡± ¡°Right, now remember, back me up on this, in case shit goes south.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Richard headed for the front door, knocked and anxiously waited for an answer. The door opened and standing tall with his robes, Anderson looked down upon Richard, with a judgemental stare. ¡°What is it?¡± He sternly answered. ¡°Oh¡­ excuse me sir, but me and my partner here received a call to check out a disturbance at this address.¡± Anderson seemed perplexed. ¡°What partner?¡± Richard looked to his side and around the immediate area. Drifter had completely disappeared. ¡°Bastard!¡± ¡°What is this disturbance you¡¯re talking about?¡± Anderson interrupted. ¡°What? Oh, that¡¯s what I¡¯m here to find out.¡± ¡°I see¡­ and who called you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that, I¡¯m afraid. This shouldn¡¯t take long though, it¡¯s just a precautionary search.¡± Anderson was immediately skeptical. ¡°Very well.¡± He invited Richard inside. On the other side of the house, Drifter was aimlessly snooping around. ¡°I can sense demonic energy. Like a portal, but it¡¯s coming from inside the house, so fuck that. That¡¯s ginger¡¯s job.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Drifter to grow bored of his investigation as he inattentively lurked around for evidence. ¡°A credit card?¡± He exclaimed. ¡°What kind of idiot would lose this out here?¡± Drifter threw the card into the bushes, convinced it was of no use. Richard gave the downstairs of the house a quick once over, while Anderson watched him, diligently. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, even checking the closet and garbage revealed nothing, which was a problem. If he searched for longer than he already had, it wouldn¡¯t really be a ¡®quick¡¯ search anymore. Still, something seemed off, but he needed to buy more time to figure out what, so he took his search upstairs. At first, nothing looked out of place, but soon enough. ¡°Are you satisfied now, officer?¡± ¡°I suppose so, except for one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°You missed some blood here.¡± Richard pointed to a single red spot on the floor, just outside Anderson¡¯s bedroom. Despite making sure he cleaned up the mess Dale made, he clearly didn¡¯t have enough time to do a thorough enough job, before Richard arrived. ¡°Th-that¡¯s not blood.¡± Anderson argued. ¡°Is it paint?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°What were you painting?¡± Anderson stammered to come up with an excuse. Richard continued. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s blood. I think I saw something similar near the bins and closet. In fact, I¡¯m going to have to give that closet a more intensive examination.¡± Anderson had no choice but to comply, as Richard returned to the closet. Although they were hidden by the darkness, with a flip of a switch, the light revealed the blood splatter on the floor. ¡°Oh yeah, something¡¯s up here.¡± Richard noted. ¡°The blood leads into the wall, is there something behind it?¡± ¡°Perhaps you should see for yourself.¡± With his ominous permission, Richard searched for a way to look behind the wall. Eventually he figured out the back wall could be pushed aside, sliding across to reveal a secret room. Richard was sickened by what he found. Corpses, torn and rotting, bound by chains. As the wafting smell of decaying flesh assaulted his senses all at once. The bodies appeared human, but they were deformed and contorted. Among the amalgamations of flesh lay Dale, still unconscious, missing his legs. ¡°What the hell is this¡­?¡± Richard muttered, shaken. ¡°What? This is just a normal closet.¡± ¡°What the fuck is so normal about this!?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t get so excited. You found nothing to be concerned about." ¡°Nothing to¡­? There are bodies in there! Chained and rotting! What in God¡¯s name have you done!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand.¡± Anderson¡¯s arm stretched around to Richard¡¯s back, as his hand expanded into a massive demonic claw. Richard could feel it, the presence of a large weight pressing down on him, ready to crush him at any given moment. He was left paralysed by fear as the monstrous priest bent down to whisper into the young man¡¯s ear. ¡°There is nothing to be concerned about. This was just a quick search that warranted no further action. Merely a false alarm. You will be leaving now, lest anyone end up hurt, or worse. Is that clear, officer?¡± Richard weighed up his options, but with Drifter gone and no way to defend himself, he complied with Anderson¡¯s request. ¡°Right. There¡¯s nothing to report. Sorry for disturbing you so late. I should head home now.¡± ¡°That would be wise.¡± Drifter put his feet up in the car as he waited. After what seemed like hours, Richard finally returned, slumping into his seat in silence. ¡°Find anything?¡± Drifter asked. There was a pause, before Richard slammed his fist into the dashboard. ¡°Dammit! I couldn¡¯t do anything!¡± He slammed his fist again. ¡°I was totally petrified! The truth was right there and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it!¡± Drifter laughed. ¡°Shit, what happened?¡± Richard immediately directed his fury towards Drifter. ¡°Where the fuck were you!? If you had just been there, we could have done something! You could have stopped him! I nearly died! He chose to let me live because he knows I can¡¯t do anything! And you just sit there laughing, when you could have fucking done something!¡± Drifter was slightly stunned by the officer''s emotional outburst. He was clearly traumatised. Once he was given a moment to calm down, Drifter finally spoke up. ¡°Did you record any of it?¡± ¡°Record? Of course! The recording equipment! We can take this to the station and-¡± ¡°No.¡± Drifter interrupted. ¡°We¡¯ll keep it to ourselves.¡± ¡°Right, they¡¯ll probably just confiscate it anyway and I¡¯d be taken off the case. Tomorrow¡­ tomorrow we¡¯ll confront Anderson and his cult with the evidence and prove what a monster he really is. Then, you¡¯ll have free rein to take him down.¡± ¡°Tomorrow sounds good. I¡¯m getting sleepy.¡± Drifter climbed into the back seat and laid down. ¡°Are you snoozing in my car?¡± ¡°Well, where else am I going to?¡± ¡°A hotel?¡± ¡°Nah, this is fine.¡± ¡°Fucking¡­ alright¡­¡± Drifter soon fell asleep in the back of the car as the hours passed by, with night turning to day. There were no surprise attacks or recurring nightmares, just a peaceful sleep, which was immediately interrupted by a sudden cold splash over Drifter¡¯s face. ¡°Fucking cunt! What!?¡± He cried, flailing his arms in protest. ¡°Get up, Drifter.¡± Richard ordered, holding an empty cup of water. ¡°It¡¯s time to get to work.¡± ¡°Work? No thanks¡­¡± Drifter rolled over, ready to return to his dreams, aggravating Richard. ¡°My car isn¡¯t a bed, you bum! Those cultists will be holding their morning mass soon. We have to get moving.¡± ¡°Cult¡­.?¡± Still half asleep, it took a minute for Drifter to remember what he had been doing the past 24 hours. ¡°Oh¡­ that cult¡­ I¡¯ll wait for the evening mass.¡± ¡°After what I saw last night, I refuse to wait around any longer. We¡¯re bringing them down now.¡± Drifter lifted himself up, still slightly sleepy. ¡°You really think you can bring them down with just a video recording?¡± He yawned. ¡°We can only hope.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Drifter suddenly cried. ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°Can we get breakfast first?¡± ¡°You what? You think we have time for breakfast?¡± ¡°There¡¯s always time for breakfast.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury of lounging around in a restaurant, you stupid sod!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll order it to go. I¡¯ll eat on the way.¡± ¡°God¡­ you¡¯re such a child¡­¡± They drove up to the cathedral and waited for the last of the acolytes to enter, while Drifter finished scarfing down pancakes, ordered from a fast food chain, with Richard calmly sipping his coffee. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually got you to buy me breakfast. You must be real desperate for help.¡± ¡°No one cares about these demons until after they¡¯ve already killed. By then, it¡¯s too late. Now we¡¯re being told to just bend over and accept them, like we¡¯ve given up. I want to prove that there are officers out there still willing to fight for the people instead of just pretending to save face. I¡¯m not going to let this chance slip by. I will reveal their hypocrisy to the public.¡± ¡°With just a video?¡± Richard stepped outside the car. ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s go, Drifter.¡± As they were about to enter the cathedral, they were stopped by a woman calling to them. ¡°Drifter!¡± ¡°Amanda?¡± He answered. ¡°You look like shit.¡± ¡°I¡­ I found something¡­¡± ¡°What? Like a penny?¡± ¡°Drifter¡­¡± Amanda appeared soulless. A sleepless husk of her former self. ¡°¡­this can¡¯t go on¡­ you have to stop them¡­¡± ¡°Stop what now?¡± ¡°Anderson.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t rely on me to solve your problems. I¡¯m not a superhero.¡± ¡°Please!¡± She grabbed at Drifter¡¯s arm, suddenly springing to life. ¡°You can''t let anyone suffer like Abby did! No one deserves that! Please, stop that monster!¡± ¡°Alright¡­ we were gonna do that anyway.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Amanda walked away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°To get Abby¡­¡± With Amanda gone, Drifter looked over to Richard who was ready to head in as soon as he was. With a hard kick, Drifter booted the doors wide open, interrupting Anderson¡¯s sermon and disturbing the acolytes in the room. ¡°Apologies for the interruption.¡± Richard announced. ¡°But, we¡¯re here on official police business.¡± Richard marched down the aisle, with Drifter casually strolling behind. ¡°And what could the police possibly want with us?¡± Anderson questioned. ¡°What department are you from? Who are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to reveal that information.¡± ¡°Very well. If you wish to throw away your entire career with false accusations, then be my guest.¡± ¡°Those threats won¡¯t work on me.¡± ¡°Time-out!¡± Drifter called. ¡°Dale, what the fuck are you doing up there?¡± Beside Anderson, toward the back of the stage, were two demons, holding up a tired, legless boy by his arms, no longer able to stand of his own free will. ¡°Did you lose your legs?¡± Drifter chuckled. ¡°Guess that¡¯s one way to stop yourself from blindly running into fights.¡± ¡°Drifter!¡± Dale yelled. ¡°Will you kill this cunt already! The guy¡¯s a sociopath! And I want my legs back!¡± ¡°Of course he¡¯s a sociopath! He¡¯s running a fucking cult!¡± ¡°What the hell Anderson!?¡± Richard objected. ¡°Why¡¯d you bring the kid here!?¡± Anderson was adamant with his response. ¡°To serve as an example to those who go against the wishes of the demons! He¡¯s lucky he¡¯s still alive after I rescued him!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± Dale retorted. ¡°You¡¯re the one who did this to me!¡± ¡°Do not cast the blame onto me, when it was your own folly that led to your crippled state.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Anderson¡¯s the one who attacked me! He had freaky huge demon arms! He¡¯s not human!¡± ¡°You see, my children. This boy has been consumed by his own arrogance and can no longer accept the reality he lives in, instead choosing to create lies to better fit the narrative he wishes to create. Do not be fooled. He has no proof. Do not believe the lies of one who has already committed murder upon demonkind.¡± The people in the church rallied behind Anderson¡¯s words. ¡°He¡¯s the one who killed our comrades!¡± ¡°He was with that White Heathen!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a traitor to humanity!¡± ¡°Dale, you paraplegic plonker!¡± Drifter yelled over the crowd. ¡°How are we supposed to prove anything with them screeching at us!?¡± ¡°We have to quiet them down somehow!¡± Richard explained. ¡°Just fire your gun into the air! Assert your authority as an officer of the law!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, you stupid sod!¡± ¡°Why!? Oh¡­ oops¡­¡± A gunshot rang out in the cathedral, startling the crowd into silence. Beside the stage stood Amanda, gun pointed to the sky, with all eyes on her. ¡°You want proof!?¡± She announced. ¡°I¡¯ll show you proof! A dose of harsh reality for you blind, boot lickers!¡± Amanda stepped aside to reveal the creature crawling on the floor behind her. There, sprawled out like a lumpy rug, struggling to maintain its connection to the living world was a creature neither human nor demon, just a contorted mess of what was once a sentient being. ¡°Remember the girl chosen for Anderson¡¯s ascension scam?¡± Amanda elaborated. ¡°She was my sister, Abby and this is what he did to her. Take a good, long look, because I can barely stand to anymore¡­¡± The acolytes were horrified into silence by what they saw. No creature could possibly be born into such a painful existence. They questioned if this was their eventual fates as well. ¡°Do not listen to her.¡± Anderson retorted. ¡°She could have found that pitiful creature anywhere.¡± ¡°¡­Ammy¡­¡± The creature wheezed. ¡°She still knows my name. I saw Abby transform with my own eyes, but what I want to know is why? Why did you do this!? Why did you destroy my sister!?¡± ¡°That creature is irrelevant.¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± Amanda was frozen by her own fury. Anderson was dead set on deflecting any and all accusations being thrown at him. ¡°If you need more evidence of Anderson¡¯s cruelty,¡± Richard explained. ¡°I have plenty of footage recorded from my visit to his home last night.¡± ¡°You did what!?¡± The priest cried. ¡°I wonder how your people would react to your private dungeon? I guess Ammy wasn¡¯t your first victim.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bluffing. How could you have recorded anything?¡± ¡°All officers wear a recording device in their pocket, in case they run into trouble. I¡¯ve got the footage in the car if you all want to see it?¡± There was a loud crash from outside, as one of the demons burst through the doors, revealing the wrecked police car from outside. ¡°Oh my.¡± Anderson snickered. ¡°How unfortunate.¡± ¡°Ah, shit. Why did I open my big mouth?¡± ¡°Well, officer, how do you intend to prove anything now?¡± ¡°I think the fact you just destroyed the evidence is proof enough.¡± ¡°I did no such thing. My servant merely acted on his own.¡± ¡°Crap, now what?¡± ¡°Now nothing.¡± Anderson asserted. ¡°Your carelessness has only proven your incompetence. Please stop wasting our time and get out.¡± ¡°Hold it!¡± Drifter called. ¡°You forgot about me.¡± ¡°As if I care about the opinion of the White Heathen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m more interested in your lackeys, up there.¡± Drifter directed his attention to the demons keeping Dale captive. ¡°Why are demons taking orders from a human?¡± The guards looked confused as Drifter continued. ¡°Demons look down on humans. We¡¯re nothing to you. So, why? What¡¯s the interest in the old fart?¡± The demons kept quiet. Not out of stubborn refusal, but what looked like fear. Anderson answered for them. ¡°They recognise the potential of our organisation and simply wish to help. Nothing more.¡± ¡°Or maybe, you¡¯re a demon too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m growing tired of these wild accusations. Do I look like a demon?¡± ¡°No, but neither do I.¡± Drifter¡¯s white aura flared up. ¡°But, I¡¯ve got plenty of demonic power at my disposal. Same goes for stumpy up there.¡± Desperately trying to ignore the insult, Dale revealed his arm-blade. ¡°So, it¡¯s entirely possible you¡¯re hiding demonic powers too.¡± ¡°The burden of proof lies on the accuser. If I am truly a demon, then prove it!¡± Drifter smirked. ¡°Okay.¡± From his wallet, he pulled out a vial of black substance. Anderson froze on the spot, upon witnessing it. ¡°Impossible.¡± He exclaimed. ¡°You recognise this? It had me stumped for a while. What is this black goop and why was it in one of your churches? After seeing that sad abomination, I think I¡¯ve figured it out.¡± ¡°That vial is worthless!¡± ¡°Oh, I think it¡¯s worth a lot, especially to you. A vial of otherworldly substance. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s blood, rotted flesh or demonic diarrhea, but whatever it is, you need it.¡± ¡°What would I possibly need that for?¡± ¡°Demonic substances have strange effects on the human body. Depending on the person, it can either grant them powers, or disfigure them horribly. Anderson. You need this substance. It¡¯s what gives you your power over demons, your own source of demonic energy. I can sense the demonic power inside you and you tried to pass that power on to others. That¡¯s the purpose of the Daemonism cult. You want to create an army of hybrids. Am I right?¡± ¡°This is nothing but conjecture! That evidence means nothing!¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s right!¡± Amanda cried, holding up a similar vial. ¡°I found this in Abby¡¯s coffin! It¡¯s the same vial Drifter¡¯s holding!¡± ¡°That evidence was planted!¡± ¡°You poisoned my sister with demon juice to turn her into a monster!¡± The acolytes were losing faith. They felt used, betrayed. They were not loyal followers, but pawns being prepped into becoming an army. They were taught that the demons would one day destroy the non believers, they didn¡¯t think they would become those very demons. Anderson however, still denied everything. ¡°That vial means nothing!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Drifter dropped the vial, as it fell to the ground, shattering to pieces. ¡°What have you done!?¡± ¡°Broke it.¡± ¡°Imbecile!¡± ¡°What? I thought it meant nothing to you?¡± ¡°Not to me, it¡¯s for my followers! For their protection! How are they supposed to ascend without that demonic essence!?¡± Drifter pointed to Abby¡¯s mangled form. ¡°You call that an ascension?¡± ¡°That monster is nothing but a worthless failure!¡± There was a sudden gunshot. A bullet pierced through Anderson¡¯s head as he collapsed onto his podium. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not a monster!¡± Amanda yelled, tears in her eyes, having finally broken under the emotional pressure. The room fell silent again, as everyone attempted to process what had just happened, but soon Anderson raised himself from the stand, blood still spewing from either side of his skull, but he was far from dead. ¡°There¡¯s your proof.¡± Amanda declared. ¡°Should have done that in the first place.¡± Dale commented. Richard stepped in to put their argument to rest. ¡°Surviving a fatal injury like that is decisive proof you¡¯re no longer human. You¡¯ve been collecting demon essence to transform yourself, and your followers into hybrids. All under the guise of creating a new world! You corrupted an innocent girl, mutilated a hostage and used lies and murder to hide the truth. You''re not a saviour, Anderson, you¡¯re just a psychopath!¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± A black tar substance crawled onto the stage from the floor. Drifter looked at his feet, the shattered glass was still there, but the essence had vanished. ¡°It¡¯s alive?¡± He thought. ¡°But, I didn¡¯t sense anything.¡± The black tar slivered up Anderson¡¯s body, entering his being through the bullet hole in his head. ¡°I will¡­ ascend!¡± Anderson could feel his body changing, his powers growing. All his fears finally melted away as he no longer needed to pretend to be human. He could now fully embrace his demonic side. His mind became dominated by a single thought, a single purpose: Death. Although he felt liberated on the inside, to everyone else, Anderson¡¯s body stretched and convulsed erratically. His eyeballs consumed by darkness, leaving empty crevices in his face, spewing black tar. He had become a hunched, slender horror, leaking mist from every orifice, his humanity completely lost. The first action he took in this new form was to open his gaping maw, gather black energy directly into his mouth and fire a shot, directly down the aisle. Richard dove out of the way, while Drifter stood steadfast, tanking the full brunt of the blast. At this point, the acolytes fled the cathedral, fearing for their lives. Even the demons Anderson had under his wing fled after witnessing his gruesome transformation. Whatever Anderson had become, not even a demon could bear to witness it. The smoke cleared, but Drifter hardly budged from his spot. The power of his aura whisked the smoke away. The priest''s twisted new form revolted Drifter. He didn¡¯t even try to hide his utter contempt for what Anderson had become. ¡°You threw your humanity away for this? What a fucking waste.¡± Anderson leapt off the stage, as if reacting to Drifter¡¯s disrespect. ¡°That make you mad? Did I hurt your feelings?¡± Anderson lumbered over to Drifter, but he did not answer, as he was incapable of speaking. ¡°No. You can¡¯t even think anymore. Just a mindless, impulsive monster. A pathetic creature, once known as Anderson.¡± The creature reacted to Drifter¡¯s remarks with a powerful swing of its elongated arm, sending him clear across the room and sliding across the floor. However, Drifter immediately jumped back onto his feet, unharmed. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Drifter chastised. ¡°I¡¯d thought sacrificing your humanity would give you more power than that.¡± Anderson¡¯s gaping mouth drew in energy once again. This time, he charged longer, making sure his next attack killed. A black beam burst forth, a beam of pure concentrated hatred. ¡°I¡¯ll show you real power.¡± Drifter¡¯s aura flared up intensely as he dashed towards the monster in the blink of an eye, tearing through the beam of black energy, like a torpedo through water, lodging his fist deep into Anderson''s melted chest. The black energy dissipated. Beams of white light shimmered from the hole in Anderson¡¯s chest, until a burst of bright energy tore through his back and shot through the ceiling above. The beam of light expanded, ripping Anderson apart from the inside. His body began to break apart, until the beam suddenly expanded, consuming him. His whole being was disintegrated by the wave of energy released from Drifter¡¯s palm until nothing of the monster remained. His grotesque form was completely erased from the world, without any of the catharsis or grandiosity of a big explosion. He simply faded from existence, as Drifter¡¯s energy petered out. "Didn''t even put up a fight.¡± Drifter complained. ¡°Is it over?¡± Richard asked, still in shock from Drifter¡¯s light show. ¡°No.¡± Drifter headed over to Amanda and her unfortunate sister. ¡°Wait! Please!¡± She begged. ¡°There¡¯s a way to save her, right?¡± Drifter examined what was left of Abby, but it was far too late. ¡°She¡¯s barely sentient.¡± ¡°Then, what do we do?¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯d do, but she¡¯s not my sister, so I¡¯ll leave you to decide.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°Just¡­ do what you think is right.¡± Drifter hopped onto the stage and grabbed Dale, carrying him under his arm like he were firewood. Along with Richard, the three left the cathedral to give Amanda space. ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± Dale asked. ¡°Find a way to reverse the effects? Like an antidote?¡± ¡°No.¡± Drifter answered. ¡°What? But, we can¡¯t just-¡± A single gunshot echoed inside the cathedral. Soon, Amanda exited through the large doors, with her jacket covered in blood splatter, with a dead, empty look in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Chapter 11: The First Kill ¡°I found them!¡± Drifter called, exiting Anderson¡¯s house. Upon Anderson¡¯s death, the acolytes were left lost and terrified, huddled outside the cathedral like sheep. Their leader and beliefs had been mercilessly stripped from them. As Drifter was the one who ultimately destroyed their leader they turned to him for his advice. He sneered at them, simply stating: ¡°Fuck off and go home!¡± The acolytes dispersed and quietly returned home, some feeling a wave of relief. Their cult was a safe haven from the demons lurking just outside, but the knowledge that someone like Drifter existed eased their anxiety. Even the demons under Anderson¡¯s control were thankful and escaped to the demon world. With his car wrecked, Richard called his partner, Michael for a ride, but before they could leave, Dale insisted they pay the cult leader¡¯s home one last visit, to find his legs. Dale sat in the back of the car like a lump, patiently awaiting the return of his severed limbs. Once Drifter returned, chopped legs in hand, he shoved Dale down to prepare him for the ordeal he was about to suffer through. ¡°This¡¯ll work, right?¡± He asked. ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Oh, great¡­ so, where were they?¡± ¡°In the garbage.¡± ¡°Oh God, is that what that smell is!? Gross dude! You couldn¡¯t have washed them first!?¡± ¡°You said you wanted them back as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What if I get an infection!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not dead yet.¡± ¡°Could you at least pick the banana peel out of the wound?¡± Drifter mindlessly tossed the limp, rotten fruit skin aside, slapping Dale in the face as it slowly slid onto his chest. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± He lined up Dale¡¯s legs with the healed over stumps poking out of his torn trousers and pushed them together. ¡°Hold still and your demon weapon should do the rest.¡± ¡°It better.¡± After a few moments there was a reaction. The skin on Dale¡¯s stumps slowly healed over his detached legs, reconnecting them. ¡°Holy crap.¡± He gasped. ¡°It¡¯s woo-aaugh! FUCK!¡± A sharp piercing pain shot through Dale¡¯s nerves, like a knife stabbing straight into his wounds. ¡°Oh fuck, that hurts! Why does it hurt so fucking much!?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the bone piercing through your healed over skin.¡± Drifter surmised. ¡°Fucking Christ!¡± ¡°Is he going to be okay?¡± Richard asked, looking on from the front seat, while his partner nonchalantly read the newspaper. ¡°Sounds like he¡¯s giving birth.¡± Dale continued to wail in the background as Drifter answered. ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What about her?¡± Richard pointed to Amanda, leaning on the trunk of the car, staring at the house. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t be fine if I went through what she just did.¡± ¡°And nothing I say will change that.¡± ¡°You could at least comfort her.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so concerned, you do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know her.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± ¡°Drifter you dumb cunt!¡± Dale yelled, still convulsing from the pain.¡°Just talk to her already!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Drifter begrudgingly exited the vehicle. ¡°I¡¯m not her fucking therapist.¡± He muttered. Amanda was fixated on Anderson¡¯s house, staring blankly, lost in her own thoughts. Drifter waved his hand in her face, but didn¡¯t get a reaction until after he started snapping his fingers. ¡°Hey! You alive in there?¡± ¡°You say something?¡± She replied, waking up. ¡°Did you hear us?¡± ¡°What¡­? No, I didn''t¡­ sorry.¡± ¡°Good, less awkward for me. What¡¯s the obsession with the house?¡± ¡°The man that lived here killed my sister. He slept soundly, warm in his bed last night, while Abby rotted away, into a living nightmare. Her mind, body and her humanity, all melted to nothing. He locked her away like a freak and left her to die. I can¡¯t even imagine how terrified she must have been in her final moments. How could another human being do something like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ what¡¯ll you do now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Good talk.¡± Drifter attempted to leave, only to be blocked by Dale, who was already back on his feet, though leaning on the car door for support. ¡°Damn, up already?¡± ¡°Hey, Amanda.¡± Dale called. ¡°You can stick with us until you¡¯ve figured out what you want to do next.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s better off going home.¡± Drifter argued. ¡°That¡¯s for her to decide.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She answered. ¡°I¡¯ll stick around. I¡¯ve got nowhere else to go.¡± Drifter groaned. ¡°Bloody hell, fine. But, you¡¯re responsible for your own safety.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look out for you.¡± Dale reassured. ¡°Well.¡± Richard announced. ¡°If everything¡¯s okay with her we can leave then. And for the love of God, try to stay out of trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± Drifter replied. The two officers drove away. As they headed down the road, Richard turned to his stoic partner. ¡°You didn''t say a single word the whole time. Why?¡± ¡°Like I''d risk my career getting involved with that guy. Remember: I was just here to pick up the rookie whose car broke down. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Risk your career? How?¡± ¡°I just do what I¡¯m told, kid.¡± That was the last the two of them spoke of the incident the entire ride home. One whole week passed and the aftermath of Anderson¡¯s death was mild at best. No one seemed to care about the disbanding of the cult, despite all of the previous coverage they had received, like the whole operation was expendable. No one at the police station was aware of Richard¡¯s presence at the scene of Anderson¡¯s death, as all attention was entirely focused on the man in the white coat. The legendary vagabond had struck again, but this time his target was something that couldn¡¯t be swept under the rug. Although interests were high and those skeptical of the man¡¯s existence were changing their tune, no one seemed motivated to do any investigations into who this man really was. Richard was plagued with numerous questions the moment he returned home, but no one was willing to help him gather any more information that wasn¡¯t already made public. ¡°A demonic priest¡­¡± He thought, sitting at his desk, staring at the ceiling. ¡°A man who sold his humanity and corrupted his own people, turning them into unrecognisable abominations¡­ Someone that horrid was left to roam free among the general public unopposed. Free to set up his own organisation to manipulate the vulnerable. Even with evidence we still couldn¡¯t bring him down, but thanks to some unknown man simply calling himself ''Drifter¡¯, that monstrous priest¡¯s evil was finally erased from the world and he did it with just one punch. How can someone like that exist? Where¡¯s he been hiding all this time? What¡¯s his motive? His purpose? Where did he come from? Who is he? How can I focus on doing any other work when I have all these puzzle pieces bouncing around in my head, with no leads to connect them? A lead¡­ that¡¯s all I need, just one lead to point me in the right direction¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Michael called, snapping Richard out of his trance. ¡°Whuh? Oh, coffee¡¯s over there.¡± He pointed to a tray of coffee mugs, but the beverages had already gone cold. ¡°Huh, so that¡¯s where those went. What¡¯s got you so preoccupied?¡± ¡°Last week¡­ I saw some crazy shit and I can¡¯t get it out of my head.¡± ¡°You thinking about the guy in the white coat? Because I told you not to.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s not like we have to fight or arrest him. I just want to know who he is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t make the rules. I just enforce them. If you want to investigate this guy, you¡¯ll have to do it in your own time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rule against that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, but what you do off-hours is none of my business.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ trying to help me?¡± ¡°Here, I came to give you this.¡± Michael handed over an envelope. ¡°It¡¯s the result of the DNA test.¡± ¡°Wow, that was quick. Wait, they actually accepted it?¡± ¡°They did when I gave it to them.¡± Richard opened the envelope and furiously read the documents inside, but his enthusiasm quickly vanished. ¡°Oh¡­ well, ain¡¯t that a kick in the bollocks¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I sent them a sample of Drifter¡¯s DNA for testing. I wasn¡¯t expecting them to pinpoint his identity immediately, but I was at least hoping for a lead.¡± ¡°They were inconclusive?¡± ¡°Oh, they were conclusive. They concluded that his DNA is nothing like any other human¡¯s. Their best guess is that it¡¯s been corrupted by some kind of demonic essence.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s not human?¡± ¡°No idea. It was a long shot, but it seems whatever¡¯s corrupted his DNA is completely unique from every other case of corrupted human DNA by demonic essence we have on record. As if this guy wasn¡¯t already difficult enough to understand.¡± ¡°Toppling giants with a single sword swing? Punching priests into oblivion? Manipulating his own DNA? Demon powers are right mental.¡± ¡°I sent in his fingerprints, but those came up with zero matches too.¡± ¡°What, did his demon magic change those too?¡± ¡°Who knows, even the blood test came up invalid. He doesn¡¯t match any human or demon we¡¯ve managed to record. A total anomaly.¡± The officers took a breather, as Richard filed his failed results away and Michael poured some fresh, hot coffee. ¡°Why are you trying to find info on this guy? You think he¡¯s important?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been about five years since these demons showed up and soon after, a man in a white coat, with unimaginable superhuman powers, comes out of nowhere and starts slaying them. That can¡¯t be coincidence, he must have some relation to why these monsters are here.¡± ¡°Facial recognition.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you really want to find out how long this guy¡¯s been around, look through the database. Security footage, phone footage, photographs, his face must have shown up at some point before these demons appeared¡­ not that you heard that from me.¡± ¡°Those databases are never accurate and if they were, you¡¯d think someone would have figured this all out by now.¡± ¡°I see¡­ welp, I¡¯m heading back. You know, it¡¯s a shame you¡¯re so focused on this guy. If you put this much effort into your real work, you¡¯d get promoted in no time.¡± ¡°You call monitoring internet trolls work?¡± ¡°Good luck, rookie. And remember, I didn¡¯t tell you nothing.¡± Richard was left in his small cubicle office to ponder his next move. If finding Drifter¡¯s identity was impossible through the usual forensic science then perhaps he needed to do some field work and speak with witnesses. ¡°But, where would I even begin to start looking for a witness?¡± He wondered. Drifter had been around as long as the demons had, so asking random people on the street or at certain incidents would be a waste of time. Richard needed to investigate the most significant incident in Drifter¡¯s life. The first incident. Drifter¡¯s first kill. He headed to the internet to find the earliest video footage of Drifter uploaded. Naturally the results were all phone recordings of varying quality and none of them good. Still, even with mediocre footage, a man in a white coat, with black hair, superhuman strength, a white aura and a sword was featured in all of them and there was no way there were other people with Drifter''s powers running around. But, this presented a new problem. The upload dates only went back four years, not five. One whole year was left unaccounted. The locations were all wildly different as well, meaning Drifter, as his name suggested, never stayed in one spot. ¡°Shit¡­ was he really inactive for a year? If he was, this could blow my theory out of the water. Think, if he was active earlier, there must be some other way to prove it¡­¡± Richard suddenly got an idea. He shifted his focus to reports of demon attacks. If footage of Drifter couldn¡¯t be found, then maybe there was another way to track his movements. After looking through file after file of demon attacks, skimming through them in chronological order, pinpointing each location on a map, a strange pattern began to emerge. ¡°They¡¯re moving?¡± While there were the occasional outliers and jumps around the map, from the first reported attack onwards, each new attack took place close to the last, gradually moving across the country. It was like watching a snake slowly crawling across the country. ¡°These attacks can¡¯t be random, they''re following something. But what?¡± That¡¯s when it finally hit Richard, like warm coffee spilling onto his leg. ¡°Drifter?¡± He remembered the previous incidents he investigated, he always wondered how Drifter managed to be at the right place at the right time, but now he understood. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°That has to be it. He isn¡¯t drifting around the country hunting demons, the demons are hunting him. If that''s the case, then maybe¡­¡± Richard looked through the files again, searching for the attack that started it all. A small cluster of incidents from five years ago all pointed to the small rural town of Hearg. ¡°A strange monster appeared in an outside shopping centre, surrounded by flats. The monster disappeared as quickly as it came, in a bright white light. Nothing but ash remained. This is it. This is where it all began. Drifter¡¯s first kill, it has to be.¡± Richard looked at the map again. After the incidents in Hearg, the attack locations began to move again, until they reached Birmingham, where they formed another large cluster before moving on. ¡°Birmingham? Were these just before¡­? Is Drifter connected to that incident too¡­? What the hell has this guy been up to?¡± The next day, Richard made preparations and headed out to Hearg to investigate. Driving through, there was nothing interesting or notable about the town itself. It seemed peaceful enough, almost untouched by the demon attacks across the rest of the country, although considering what he knew about their movements, it made sense. He soon arrived at the shopping centre, although it was more of a small town square surrounded by shops and apartments. Large potted fixtures with trees and other plants were on either side of the square. Richard examined the area, looking for any signs of a battle. Based on experience, Drifter wasn¡¯t exactly concerned about collateral, so if he was here, he must have left some evidence behind. However, there was no immediately recognisable damage to the area, everything seemed perfectly fine, until Richard noticed the glaring scar in the pavement. The ground was made up of small, square paving slabs. They were dirty and worn, from years of scuffed shoes, littering and gum, except for the slabs leading to the wall of plants. They were clean and bright, sticking out amidst the filth. The bricks of the wall also seemed to have been replaced at some point as they also looked less worn down with age. It was only a hunch, but if this place was where the first demon attack ever recorded took place, then these clean slabs might be where Drifter had his first fight. This wasn¡¯t enough to prove it of course. Richard needed to speak to the locals in the area to see if any of them witnessed anything. His first thought was to check the local grocery store and ask the man at the counter if he knew anything. Upon entering, Richard walked up to them, pulled out his police badge and introduced himself. The man looked to be of middle eastern origin, and jumped at the sight of Richard¡¯s badge. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m here legally! I have a passport to prove it!¡± Richard was taken aback by the man¡¯s outburst. ¡°Uh¡­ I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡± ¡°Sorry, can I help you with something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to ask a few questions.¡± ¡°Questions? Please, I don¡¯t want to go down to the station again, I have no one to cover for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to take you away, sir.¡± ¡°Really? Oh, thank goodness.¡± ¡°Do the police question you often?¡± ¡°Oh, not just me. Everyone in this town is uncomfortable around the police. Everyone is a suspect to them.¡± ¡°Suspect? For what?¡± ¡°For being a demon.¡± ¡°But, this is one of the safest towns in the country. There hasn¡¯t been an attack here in years.¡± ¡°Yes, but peace in times of turmoil breeds paranoia. They¡¯ll arrest anyone for being even remotely suspicious.¡± ¡°Christ, when did this all start?¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯ve been here.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about a demon attack that happened here around five years ago?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only heard rumours from the locals. A large monster appeared from thin air, terrifying the people. But, before it could hurt anyone, it was suddenly slayed by a young man wielding a sword. No one knows who the man was or where he came from and then he disappeared soon after.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡± Richard slammed his hand on the counter, startling the cashier. ¡°Oh, sorry¡­ but how can someone like that just show up and no one even know what he looks like!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I wasn¡¯t here at the time.¡± ¡°Dammit! Well, at least I can confirm there was an incident here.¡± ¡°The shop across the way still has the CCTV footage.¡± ¡°Are you serious!?¡± ¡°Yes. The owner likes to brag about it. He claims it¡¯s an important historical moment in British history that the government will have to pry from his cold, dead fingers.¡± ¡°Oh, he doesn¡¯t sound crazy at all, but I suppose I¡¯ll have to chat with him. Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem, so are you going to buy anything?¡± Richard walked away, with fresh gum in hand. Ready to speak with the store owner across the street. Unlike the grocers, this store was a small supermarket. Once again, he headed to the counter to ask the cashier to see the manager, revealing his police badge to show he meant business. The tired teenage girl working the till turned to the door on the other side of the room, took a deep breath and yelled. ¡°HEY! BILL! POLICE ARE HERE, AGAIN!¡± The doors burst open as a tall stuffy man in glasses and suit stormed towards the counter, fixing his tie. ¡°Right! You irritating little shits! I didn¡¯t go through three years worth of legal battles, just so you can constantly come in here and harass me for my footage! It¡¯s legally mine! You can throw around your brain dead demon accusations and cry to the media all you want, but I¡¯m not handing it over! Now, get out!¡± Richard swallowed his gum in fear, he felt like a child being chewed out by his very large and very angry school teacher, utterly powerless before the man¡¯s looming presence. ¡°Um¡­ sir¡­ I¡¯m not with the police in this town. Please don¡¯t hurt me.¡± Bill fixed his glasses and took a closer look at the police badge. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re from London. Well, what do you want? Come on, spit it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m investigating the demon incident from five years ago, sir.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey! I just said I¡¯m not giving my footage to anyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not here to take it, I just need to see it.¡± ¡°Why are the London police interested in security footage from a small town supermarket?¡± ¡°Well, to be honest, officers tend to operate wherever they can due to all the budget cuts, but that¡¯s not the point! They¡¯re not interested. I¡¯m doing this solo. Please, that footage might contain a vital piece of evidence.¡± ¡°Vital?¡± The man laughed. ¡°You having a laugh?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Alright, guess I¡¯ll let you take a peek.¡± ¡°Really? Thanks.¡± ¡°Remember: I said a peek!¡± The man stressed. ¡°Y-yes sir.¡± Bill led Richard to the back doors, through the storage area and into a small security office with a computer. He searched through the files until he found the video in question. 06/06_3:24pm. A simple filename but significant as it matched the date of the first reported incident. Once the file opened, Richard watched the scene play out in its entirety, as the camera remained stationary the whole way through. It started with people simply wandering to and from the area, followed by those same people suddenly scattering, fleeing from the scene as a giant, orc-like demon slowly roamed on camera. It roared and stomped at the ground, then suddenly stopped and gazed at something off-camera, like someone had interrupted its primal rage. A bright light shined from the edge of the camera and in an instant, a black figure, surrounded by a white aura, dashed toward the monster, stabbing his sword straight through its gut. Then, in another burst of light, the monster exploded into white flames and flew off-camera, tearing up the stone slabs beneath it. There was a brief moment of pause before an elderly man ran toward the dark figure and attempted to pat his shoulder, only for his arm to catch fire. The man screamed in terror as the figure¡¯s aura disappeared and he awkwardly tried to put out the flames. After which he bashfully apologised and ran away. Richard reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a USB drive. ¡°Please, you¡¯ve got to give me a copy of that footage.¡± ¡°I said: ¡®a peek¡¯!¡± ¡°But this footage¡­ it¡¯s extremely important.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s funny. I was only able to hang onto it by proving how useless it was.¡± ¡°Useless!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about it?¡± ¡°Have you not heard of the man in the white coat?¡± ¡°What? You think the guy in the footage is the same person?¡± ¡°No doubt. They have the same powers.¡± ¡°But, he doesn¡¯t have a white coat and you can¡¯t even see his face.¡± ¡°Actually, that is weird. I can see the old man, but Drifter¡¯s face is always in shadow, why?¡± ¡°Apparently the footage got corrupted during the evidence transfer before the first trial.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an oddly specific video corruption. Makes me wonder if the real corruption was from whoever was in charge of handling the evidence for that trial.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, there was no other evidence that could point to the identity of the man in the footage and even if there was, there¡¯d be no way to prove it, since you can¡¯t even see his face. Years of analysis from professionals and witness testimony amounted to nothing.¡± ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± Richard couldn¡¯t fathom the amount of effort it would take for Drifter to hide his identity to such a degree. Almost seemed out of character given how lazy he acted. He ran through the footage a few more times, but after a while he was inclined to agree with the court¡¯s decision. There really wasn¡¯t anything useful in the footage other than just reinforcing his own personal theory. Still, there was one last thing he needed to know. ¡°Do you still know any of the witnesses in the case?¡± ¡°Old Jonathan. The geezer who burned his arm in the footage. He was our key witness. He lives in the flats around here.¡± ¡°Could you give me his address?¡± ¡°Alright, but it¡¯s your funeral.¡± ¡°Uh, okay?¡± Richard climbed the iron staircase to the top floor of the apartments where Old Man Jonathan was said to live. The first person to meet Drifter. The flats were owned by the town council and as such, were rundown and dirty, but not to the point of dissuading anyone from living there, just enough to keep them cheap. Richard knocked on the door with the chipped, blue paint and waited for a response. Peeking through the crack was a short old man leering at him. ¡°What do you want?¡± He grumbled. Richard showed the man his badge. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m with the police. I¡¯d like to ask you a few-¡± ¡°I ain¡¯t paying for your damn TV licence!¡± The door slammed shut. Richard knocked again. ¡°Uh, sir. You didn¡¯t let me finish.¡± ¡°Get lost! We watch everything on the internet now! Bother us again and I will call my solicitor!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about your TV licence!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the last guy said, but he didn¡¯t sound so confident once he became acquainted with the backend of my cane!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to you about the incident five years ago! The demon attack! The man you met!¡± The door opened slightly, the man glaring again. ¡°What the hell do you want to talk about that for? Did that lunatic at the store put you up to this? They trying to take his stupid video again?¡± ¡°No, but I have seen the video and its contents are very important to my investigation, especially the man captured in the footage.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s at the door, Jonny?¡± Asked a kindly old voice from inside the flat. ¡°None of your business, woman! Just watch your show!¡± ¡°Jonny! Don¡¯t be rude! He¡¯s our guest!¡± ¡°What are you on about!? I didn¡¯t invite him into the house!¡± ¡°Well, let him in, then!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be daft!¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯ll make some tea.¡± ¡°Oh great, now you got her out of her chair. Guess you better come in, before she gets angry again.¡± Richard didn¡¯t quite know what just happened, but accepted the invitation nonetheless. The flat was small, yet cosy. A surprising departure from how rundown the outside looked. The kitchen was just next to the living room with doors leading to the bedroom and bathroom to the side. A quaint little home for a crotchety old couple. He sat on the sofa as the kind old lady served the tea on the coffee table. With the three gathered round. The old man got down to business. ¡°Well, what do you want? Out with it.¡± Richard took a sip from his tea. It was sweet, really sweet, like warm candy melting in his mouth. ¡°Oh, wow. This is really good.¡± ¡°Why thank you, Dearie. It¡¯s a special blend I ordered online.¡± The old lady blushed. Richard smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s delicious.¡± Jonathan banged his fist into the table. ¡°Will you hurry up and tell us why you¡¯re here already!¡± ¡°Er, yes. Mr. Jonathan, sir. I¡¯m here to-¡± ¡°Mr. Jonathan? Jonathan¡¯s my first name, you stupid sod! It¡¯s Mr. Beattie!¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Beattie. I¡¯m here to ask about the incident five years ago.¡± ¡°You said that already, what¡¯s your question!?¡± ¡°Uh, okay. Well, let¡¯s start with your account of what happened.¡± ¡°Fair enough. A big demon showed up just outside the shop I was in and then a strange young man destroyed it. The end.¡± ¡°Destroyed it?¡± ¡°Yeah, it burst into flames and burnt to ashes.¡± ¡°That must have happened after it flew off-camera.¡± ¡°Camera? You talking about Bill¡¯s prized possession?¡± ¡°Yes. And after the demon was defeated, an old man ran up to the mysterious figure. That old man was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Bah, you can¡¯t prove nothing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That could have been any old man.¡± Richard was at a loss. This old coot wanted nothing to do with him. Was he hiding something or just being stubborn? If Richard could have gotten his hands on the footage he could easily refute this claim, but he couldn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed, until Mrs. Beattie intervened. ¡°What are you talking about dear? What about that scar on your arm?¡± ¡°Woman!¡± The old man yelled. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Richard added. ¡°The old man in the footage burnt his arm.¡± Jonathan had no choice but to roll up his sleeve and reveal his scarred arm. ¡°It¡¯s a little grotesque, but nothing too serious.¡± He clarified. ¡°So, you were the man in the footage.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Could have been anyone.¡± ¡°But, you already admitted you were there.¡± ¡°So, there was another old man there. I just coincidentally have a scar on the same arm.¡± Richard got up, slamming his hands on the table. ¡°Why the hell are you being so stubborn!?¡± Jonathan returned in kind. ¡°Why the hell are you so interested in that demon!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the demon I care about, it¡¯s the man that killed it!¡± ¡°Why are you interested in him!? He¡¯s long gone!¡± ¡°Because I met him!¡± Jonathan paused for a moment. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that convenient, Jonny.¡± Mrs. Beattie smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s worrying about him.¡± ¡°What is she talking about?¡± Richard asked, slowly sitting back down. Jonathan sighed. ¡°Nothing. She¡¯s just senile, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Oh, nonsense.¡± She replied, getting up. Mrs. Beattie headed into the bedroom and returned with a tablet. ¡°Look, here.¡± ¡°Marie! What are you doing!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m showing the police officer the videos you¡¯ve saved.¡± ¡°But he works for the government, we can¡¯t trust him. They¡¯ll take us away.¡± ¡°No they won¡¯t. Besides, he seems nice.¡± ¡°Marie¡­¡± ¡°Anyone who compliments my tea can¡¯t be that bad can they?¡± ¡°God, I can''t win with you.¡± Richard examined the videos, some of which he had never seen before and were much higher in quality. However, they were just more of the same, Drifter fighting demons and nothing more. The fact that they were downloaded suggested these videos were pulled down from video sharing sites, which may imply someone was trying to censor them. Interestingly, Drifter''s face was not obscured in any of this footage and he had his signature white coat. ¡°Well, now you know.¡± Jonathan chided. ¡°So, now what?¡± ¡°Why are you so interested in Drifter, that you¡¯d go out of your way to archive videos of him?¡± ¡°Is that his name?¡± The old man laughed. ¡°When that monster appeared, I thought my life was over right there, but then he showed up and killed it as quickly as it came. Like a miracle. We avoided disaster that day, completely unaware that thing was just the calm before the storm. Still, even though he was so strong, that man didn¡¯t have the face of a battle hardened warrior, he wasn¡¯t a man at all, he was still just a dumb kid. Even he didn¡¯t quite know how he stopped that thing and then he goes and burns my arm like a moron and runs away. After that I never saw him again. I was afraid the idiot went and got himself killed, but once footage of the man in the white coat started surfacing, I was relieved to find out he was alive and well and by the looks of him, much more experienced. Ever since, I¡¯ve been keeping tabs on him and archiving any videos of him I could find. When you¡¯re old and retired like me, you got nothing better to do, anyway.¡± ¡°Why do you care so much? Are you related or something?¡± ¡°Nah. I guess, with more and more of these demons showing up, each day just feels more bleak than the last, but that kid, he¡¯s like our light of hope. This is just my little way of showing support. Not just me. There are a lot of people out there who are secretly wishing him luck on whatever he¡¯s doing. He¡¯s saved a lot of people, even if he doesn¡¯t realise it himself.¡± ¡°I see. Is that all you have to share?¡± ¡°Why are you looking into him?¡± ¡°I just want to know the truth. Who is Drifter? What happened to him? What is his connection to the demons?¡± ¡°I see, well before you go. There¡¯s something you need to know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember his face.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I may be old, but I¡¯m not that forgetful. I remember the looks of the people as they screamed in terror, the monster that nearly killed us all, but the kid¡¯s face? Even after seeing those videos, I can¡¯t remember what he looked like back then. For all I know, that might not even be the same kid from five years ago, but I like to believe it is.¡± ¡°Strange.¡± Richard thought. ¡°The footage didn¡¯t show Drifter¡¯s face either, it was all in shadow, but I saw the old man¡¯s face just fine. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°There were plenty of other demon attacks after that first one, especially near the houses up the road on Mound Street. I¡¯d look there next, if I were you.¡± ¡°Thank you. You¡¯ve been a great help.¡± ¡°Great, now do me a favour and get the hell out of my house.¡± ¡°Y-yes sir.¡± With this new lead, Richard drove to Mound street. Based on his theory, if the demons were following Drifter then it would be safe to assume that the increased demon activity in the area would imply Drifter lived in this town, possibly on Mound Street. He was so close to finding the truth, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he figured out which house was Drifter¡¯s and from there, he''d solve the mystery of his identity. However, what greeted him when he finally arrived crushed those dreams to tiny pieces. He climbed out of his car and simply stared in disbelief. ¡°No way¡­¡± One of the houses had been burned to the ground. There was nothing to salvage, save for a pile of charred rubble. His trail had gone cold. Chapter 12: Not Human ¡°Hey, Catherine? Pass the remote.¡± ¡°Grandpa, you knocked it on the floor, again? Just pick it up, it¡¯s right by your feet.¡± ¡°But, my back hurts¡­¡± Tired of the old man¡¯s whining, Catherine got up from her groove in the sofa, slumped over to her grandpa¡¯s chair and handed him his precious remote. The old man had a satisfied look, clearly blessed by his retirement, not that he wasn¡¯t already like this before, but it was nice to finally have an excuse. ¡°Thank you, dear.¡± He humbly praised. ¡°I don¡¯t recall the doctor saying your back pain was this bad.¡± ¡°It depends on how comfy I am.¡± With the remote firmly within his grasp, Grandpa was ready to spend the rest of the night channel surfing, that was until his lovely wife called for him in the kitchen. ¡°Harold! The sink¡¯s blocked again!¡± ¡°The plunger¡¯s under the sink, Anne!¡± ¡°I tried that already! You come have a go!¡± ¡°But, I have to rest my back!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not crippled, Harold! Get in here!¡± ¡°Oh, bugger¡­¡± Harold pulled himself up, unable to exaggerate his back pain any longer, passing the remote back to Catherine. ¡°Here you go, this might take a while.¡± Catherine was left alone in the living room, the power of the remote lying in her lap. She mindlessly skimmed through the channels, but nothing interested her. ¡°Man, when you can watch anything you want on the internet, TV just doesn¡¯t cut it anymore. But, since I¡¯ve already gotten myself comfy, I guess you¡¯re making a temporary comeback.¡± She continued flicking through channels until she landed on the news. The presenter seemed to be in a debate with a cloaked cultist over the current issue of demon attacks transpiring throughout the country. On the one side, the strange guest argued that demons simply needed to be shown kindness and compassion instead of resistance and that the population would be better off if they were more open towards letting demons into their lives. The presenter disagreed, arguing the contrary, that demons were monsters with no respect for humanity, who deserved nothing but contempt. Any kindness shown towards them would be taken advantage of and would lead to unnecessary suffering. These were the two sides dominating the discussion surrounding the demon issue that had engulfed the news media over the past few years. Absolute altruism and idealism versus adamant opposition and pessimism. When Catherine first heard that demons other than herself had appeared, she was thrilled, but that quickly turned to fear when all she saw were monsters destroying people¡¯s lives. She felt caught in the middle of a war she never wanted any part of. As the debate continued, the men grew more detestable. The guest¡¯s idealistic preaching sounded nice, but offered no real solutions to the problem, offended by the very idea of humanity fighting back against their invaders. He seemed more interested in looking righteous and just, their reputation being their top priority. No amount of lofty preaching or moral grandstanding would change the fact that there were demons that killed and destroyed just for the pleasure of it, treating humanity like an infestation that needed exterminating. Catherine had already come to terms with the reality of the situation and watching the pompous preacher ignore these issues, to save his own ego, infuriated her. The presenter was no better. While he provided a more realistic take, he still perpetuated the narrative that all demons were evil scum that needed to be destroyed. The public were already terrified and this fear mongering only served to make life more difficult for everyone, breeding paranoia among the populace. She never cared for the media¡¯s opinion. Catherine never looked down on humans as inferior beings. Her own grandparents were human, they may not be related by blood, but she still loved them anyway. But, not caring didn¡¯t change the reality she lived in. A reality where all demons were seen as enemies or worshipped by fanatics. A reality where she had to keep her true self hidden for fear of her life and her family¡¯s. Stuck on the sidelines, Catherine could only watch as the two ideological extremes clashed over and over again, deepening the divide between the people, with moderate voices drowned out and ignored. Whichever side won, Catherine lost. Her grandpa returned and gently held her shaking hand. ¡°Cathy, your eyes are turning red.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes became scarlet whenever she was especially upset. Even if she tried to hide it, her demonic nature would always find a way to seep through her human facade, but after being comforted by her grandpa, she soon calmed down and returned to normal. ¡°Sorry¡­ these stupid assholes pissed me off¡­¡± Harold looked over at the TV. ¡°What are you watching this crap for? This is just tabloid nonsense. You know the people that go on these shows just talk bollocks for a living.¡± ¡°I just sorta stumbled onto it.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t let it get to you. Most people aren¡¯t stupid enough to believe everything these idiots say.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ doesn¡¯t change the fact that I have to keep it a secret. God knows what would happen if anyone found out I was a demon¡­¡± ¡°Maybe a nice walk will help you let off some steam.¡± ¡°Why a walk?¡± ¡°Well, how else are you going to get the sink cleaner?¡± He gave Catherine a handful of money. ¡°Pawning your chores off on me again?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Harold laughed to himself. ¡°But, seriously, the fresh air will do you good. Take your mind off all this demon shite.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head out then.¡± Whenever she ventured outside, Catherine always made sure to keep her demon parts covered. This meant wearing her beanie hat to cover her horns, along with an extra layer of bandages around her head, in case the beanie somehow fell off, as well as wrapping her tail around her waist, disguising it as a belt and of course, keeping her temper under control to avoid the red eyes. Disguising herself wasn¡¯t an issue, but changing her behaviour slowly wore her spirit down over the years. Always presenting herself as an almost emotionless, anti-social husk, just to keep her true feelings from accidentally exposing her demonic nature. At the store, Catherine wandered over to the cleaning products, but was faced with a conundrum. ¡°Crap. Was there a specific brand Grandma wanted, or¡­? Aw fuck it, I¡¯ll just take this one.¡± She grabbed her cleaner and headed to the counter, but stopped as it came into view. ¡°Dammit.¡± She muttered. ¡°Gerry¡¯s working the counter again. I don''t wanna deal with his shit right now¡­¡± Gerry, the twenty year old doofus who believed he was a hit with the ladies. There was only one way out of this predicament and it wasn¡¯t pretty. ¡°I¡¯ll have to use the self-checkout.¡± Catherine steeled herself for the battle ahead. She snuck over to the machine, ready to roll the dice on whether the damn thing would work or spit in her face, refusing to accept anything but the highest quality of barcodes to scan. She scanned the sink cleaner and it was thankfully approved, passing the first stage. She confirmed her purchase and payment option using the touch screen buttons. They were sticky and required an excessive amount of force to register any of her inputs, but after tapping the screen repeatedly, she finally forced her way through. Gerry hadn¡¯t noticed her yet and all she had left to do was hand over the cash. She inserted the pound coins into the slot and finished her purchase, as the change jingled into the slot below, Catherine readied her bag, took her receipt, crumpled it up, tossed it and placed her sink cleaner in the bag. Suddenly, there was a ringing sound, a dull siren calling out to any nearby employees. Spooked, she looked up and saw the light next to the machine blinking, exposing her position. ¡°Are you fucking-!¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s you again.¡± Gerry greeted. Catherine was beyond mad, she couldn¡¯t believe her god-awful luck, but she couldn¡¯t show it, lest she destroy the machine in a demonic rage. She had no choice but to bottle up her fury. ¡°H-hey¡­¡± ¡°Having trouble with the auto-checkout again?¡± ¡°Ye-yeah¡­¡± ¡°This thing¡¯s always playing up. You should have just come to me from the start.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I think the weight measurer for the bagging area is what¡¯s causing it, let''s just turn the alarm off and I¡¯ll let you go.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± ¡°No problem¡­ so, just sink cleaner, huh? Having trouble with your plumbing, or something?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you know¡­ I know a thing or two about plumbing, maybe I can come over and take a look sometime¡­ if you want¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s okay, I should really be going.¡± ¡°Oh, sure¡­ come again.¡± Catherine exited the store, as red as her hair, embarrassed beyond words. It happened every time. What Gerry mistook for shy infatuation was just Catherine trying to keep her emotions in check. She felt terrible for accidentally leading him on like that, but she couldn¡¯t think of any other way to handle the situation. It was already night time when she left, but now it was really late. Still, at times when she needed cooling off, she took the long way home, to the enclosed field by the Donnington boating club, without even thinking of the possible dangers. The sounds of the river and the surrounding trees made it feel like her own hidden sanctuary, away from the rest of the world. However, with the current demon problem came the advent of opportunistic criminals taking advantage of the demon¡¯s presence to commit crimes and cover them up as demon attacks and Catherine¡¯s hidden sanctuary had been desecrated by such a ploy. Shrouded by the shade of the trees Catherine discovered a body, laying still in the fallen leaves. Concerned, she checked on them, but they were already dead. She felt sick, this was the first time she''d ever seen a real corpse. However, touching the man caused the skin on his cheek to melt and stick to her fingers. She freaked out and flicked it off. Catherine didn¡¯t understand what happened, but she instinctively reached out as the man¡¯s skin bubbled slightly in response. She didn¡¯t know why, but she was somehow manipulating the man¡¯s dead cells through some kind of innate demonic power. ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± A hooded thug appeared behind her. As they came closer, Catherine showed no fear. Her body was far stronger than any humans, but she still preferred to avoid any kind of physical confrontation. She wasn¡¯t sure to what extent her powers could be used, nor did she want to find out. The man pulled out his knife. ¡°Excuse me, but could we talk for a moment?¡± ¡°Pretty brazen of you to jump straight to whipping out a weapon like that.¡± Catherine stated, unimpressed. ¡°Well, you¡¯re pretty brazen coming into my territory at this hour. You new here?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve lived here a while.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well you must have been living under a rock. You haven¡¯t heard the rumours?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of gossip.¡± ¡°Or, maybe you just don¡¯t get out much.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Calm down, lady, or the scary knife demon that haunts the forest at night might get you.¡± ¡°Knife demon?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ they say it shows up and demands an offering from its victims, if they ever get near its territory. Those that refuse, end up like that poor soul over there. Tragic really.¡± ¡°Sounds more like the work of a deranged psychopath.¡± ¡°Deranged!?¡± ¡°Yeah, a disturbed killer, taking advantage of a shitty situation to cover up his crimes, because he¡¯s too scared to face the consequences of his actions.¡± ¡°Scared!? You bitch!¡± The man punched Catherine in the face, knocking her on top of the body. "I was just going to rob you and cut you a little, but maybe I should do the world a favour and shut that mouth of yours!¡± In a rage, the man threw his arm down to penetrate Catherine¡¯s chest with his knife, but on reflex, she caught his hand, stopping him. ¡°What the fuck!? I can¡¯t-! My wrist!¡± Catherine had no clue what to do next, she couldn¡¯t fight him, but she had to defend herself somehow. Without thinking, she gathered dead cells from the victim beneath her and forged them into a claw on her hand. Thankfully, before she was forced to use it, a couple of police officers emerged from the bushes and knocked the man down, cuffing him. One of the officers quickly comforted Catherine, as she hid her grotesque claw in her jeans, the dead cells slipping off like a glove. She was confused by the officer¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! We shouldn¡¯t have let that go on longer than it should have!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡± ¡°We heard a commotion, but we were in the middle of another investigation. But, once we heard signs of a struggle we had to step in.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay¡­?¡± ¡°Thank God. Thanks to you, we finally found our killer. Please, just get home safe. We can talk about this tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure¡­ right¡­¡± The officers escorted the criminal out of the park, although when they got to the car, the man was still clutching his wrist in agony, leaving them baffled. They were also confused by the lump of flesh just sitting in the grass, certain that it wasn''t there when they first arrived. Catherine was left even more agitated than before. The police officers treated her like a defenseless child. She knew they were only doing their job, unaware of her personal issues, but it still hurt. She could have easily defeated the thug, but if she did, then she¡¯d be the criminal, the demon assaulting a human. Not to mention her strange powers she just discovered. The power to manipulate dead skin, a truly revolting power befitting a demon.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Once home, Catherine left the sink cleaner on the kitchen counter and went to her room. Laying on her bed after a stressful night, she unravelled her tail, staring up at it, as she aimlessly waved it over her face. ¡°Cathy.¡± Her grandmother asked, letting herself in. ¡°Is your tail cramping up again?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯d think I¡¯d be used to wearing it like a belt by now, but it still gets sore after a while.¡± ¡°I keep telling you, putting it down your trouser leg would be more comfortable.¡± ¡°Too risky. I¡¯ll stick with the belt strategy.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever you think is best.¡± Catherine let out a saddened sigh, rolling over on her side. ¡°I can¡¯t keep doing this.¡± ¡°Doing what?¡± ¡°Pretending to be human. Hiding myself from the rest of society. Scared of being seen as a monster.¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to keep your demon self a secret?¡± ¡°Not if the alternative is just being miserable.¡± ¡°Then, maybe it¡¯s time to stop hiding. Maybe we¡¯ve sheltered you too much and you just need to start being honest with people and prove to them that there are demons out there that aren¡¯t monsters.¡± ¡°Like that¡¯ll work, they may act nice in real life, but on the internet everyone¡¯s thoughts are unfiltered. Humans despise us and I don¡¯t blame them. The Birmingham incident was the last straw. Demons are monsters. I never wanted anyone to fear me, or pity me, or feel like they have to do anything. I don¡¯t see humans as inferior or different, we¡¯re all just people, right?¡± ¡°Humans are tribal, Cathy. They like to stay with the people they trust and understand and are cautious around those who are different. If those outsiders are seen as enemies, then over time that thought becomes ingrained in their society, making it difficult to change their minds. But, if you can take small steps to help them understand you better and earn their trust, then maybe our society will change for the better. After all, most people would rather welcome newcomers than fight them. Understanding other people¡¯s fears and proving those fears wrong and earning their respect and trust through honest effort. That''s the best path to acceptance. I mean, if we can accept you then surely there have to be others out there who will accept you too.¡± ¡°I hope¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out, but for now, try not to get too depressed about it.¡± ¡°Right, thanks¡­ I needed that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re always here if you need to talk.¡± Her grandmother left the room, leaving Catherine alone. She always appreciated their talks and the thought of one day meeting humans as accepting as her grandparents gave her peace of mind, allowing her to sleep soundly that night. Unfortunately, that was the last pep talk they would ever have¡­ The next night, Catherine and her grandparents were driving home from a restaurant. It was just a small night out that turned into a nightmare when the road suddenly became shrouded in a thick mist. It was impossible to make out what was happening, so they came to a stop. They initially thought it was smoke from a fire, but then Catherine saw it. The hulking husk of a lanky creature, emerging from the mist. Before they could even comprehend what was happening, the creature swiped at the car, tossing it several feet into the air, as it crashed through a building. Catherine was injured, but managed to roll out of the wreckage. Though terrified for her life, she was more concerned for her grandparents well being, but it was too late, the crash killed them instantly. No warning. No final goodbyes. Nothing. In a matter of seconds they were gone. Reduced to bloodied corpses, hanging out of the car, pierced by broken glass and crushed by debris. There was nothing she could do but stare at the gruesome scene. As the monster entered the building, searching for survivors, Catherine had no choice but to abandon her family and escape, passing by the monster who simply watched. The monster had an otherworldly presence, with its empty eye sockets spewing fog. Most demons at least showed some familiar human or animal traits, or a motive for their actions, but this thing was a soulless killer. All she could think to do was run home, even with the mist, she could still remember the general route to her house. Her chest tightened, her stomach ached and she couldn¡¯t stop coughing, but she soon forced her way through the door and locked it shut. At this point her only hope was to pray the creature would leave town and forget about her. For one week, she was trapped. The monster''s presence lingered and she had to survive on whatever food she had left. The whole time, her eyes remained red, unable to revert them back to her human brown colour from all the stress and so, she simply stopped trying. She refused to cry, not until she was safe, a promise she made to herself to give herself strength, but she couldn¡¯t keep her word and teared up during the lonely, fearful nights. Eventually, she had no choice, but to venture outside and attempt a journey to the store to stock up on food. Luckily, she didn¡¯t encounter the monster, but she discovered plenty of corpses, littering the streets. There was no annoying cashier to greet or embarrass her, just the occasional body that seemed to have been beaten and tossed around. Whatever that thing was, it was vicious and it was safe to assume, from the silence, that no one in town was left alive and that the only reason Catherine hadn¡¯t perished with them was because of her own natural demonic resilience. However, the journey home proved too much even for her. She tried carrying bags of food, but her body soon caved in to the infectious smog and she was forced to abandon them if she wanted to make it home alive. The closer she got, the worse the pain became, like her ribcage was collapsing. She was suffocating, but refused to stop moving. However, despite her best efforts, she fell just outside her garden gate. She couldn¡¯t move anymore. She focused what little energy she had left on staying alive, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before she too succumbed to the deadly mist. At this point, she was awaiting death, her life, as far as she was concerned was over. Then from nowhere, a man in a white coat passed by. She didn¡¯t know at the time, but reaching out to that man, in a desperate cry for help would change her life forever. Drifter, the most dangerous human a demon could encounter, saved Catherine¡¯s life, only to soon discover her true nature. Were it not for Locke¡¯s intervention, she would have died that day, too. From that point on, Catherine could never return to her normal human life, not while Drifter knew of her existence, so she turned to the last person she could trust. A demon she''d known since she was a child, Locke. After retreating from Drifter into the demon world, Locke informed Catherine of who Drifter was and the source of his power, the Legendary Demon Sword, CORE. As well as how demons were attracted to the weapon, which may explain the sudden appearance of the mist demon. As they conversed, Locke led Catherine outside the gates of a small castle. At the top of a large peak, surrounded by a chasm of darkness. Having reached the castle, their conversation shifted to the matter at hand. ¡°There¡¯s no one around?¡± Catherine wondered. ¡°Yes. It seems Nahas¡¯ men have already left.¡± Locke answered ¡°But, where to?¡± ¡°According to the rumours, an island in the South of England.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to be those guys¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s important now, is that we¡¯ve finally found his resting place.¡± ¡°A castle in the middle of nowhere?¡± ¡°Yes. Imprisoned in his own kingdom for the past five years.¡± ¡°How did you not figure this out sooner?¡± ¡°Gathering information after his defeat was near impossible. If I hadn¡¯t heard the rumours of Nahas'' men¡¯s disappearance, I would have never even considered returning here.¡± ¡°Can I help free him?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through enough. You should return to the human world.¡± ¡°No! There¡¯s no reason for me to go back there! Not as a human!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of pretending to be something I¡¯m not! Tired of holding myself back! I want to embrace my demon heritage! I want to know the real me!¡± ¡°Catherine. Demons are proud, competitive creatures. For over a millennia we¡¯ve lived with a ¡®might makes right¡¯ mantra, but you¡¯re different. You lived with the humans and learned both kindness and cautiousness. In other words, you¡¯re not blinded by your own sense of pride. Are you truly willing to throw all that away, just to become another demon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not throwing it away. I just want to discover what I am.¡± ¡°The only way you can accomplish such a goal is to stay in the demon world, alone. Survive in the wasteland, teetering on the brink of death and only then will your dormant instincts finally awaken, but, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety. You could die out there. Do you have the tenacity to risk your life, on just a hunch?¡± ¡°After everything that¡¯s happened, I don¡¯t have much of a life left to live. Please, I can¡¯t ignore this nagging voice crying in my demon heart! I need to know!¡± ¡°Very well. I''ll keep watch over you at first, in case you change your mind, but once I''m gone, that''s when the real test starts." Of course, understanding her demon powers wasn¡¯t her only goal, Catherine wanted to become stronger so she could one day challenge the man in the white coat. The one who inadvertently, yet carelessly ruined her life. ¡°THAT¡¯S FUCKING BULLSHIT!¡± Drifter protested. ¡°Dude, do you really have to make a scene?¡± Dale sighed. ¡°There are other people here.¡± ¡°Obviously! What kind of shit-tier tea is this!?¡± He yelled. ¡°I-it¡¯s just Tetley, sir.¡± The waiter replied, just doing his job. ¡°I should have known. I¡¯m a PG Tips man! Here, take it back!¡± ¡°Y-yes sir.¡± The waiter quickly returned with Drifter¡¯s correct order. ¡°Better.¡± ¡°Hey, Drifter?¡± Dale asked. ¡°What?¡± Drifter replied, kicking back in his chair, his tea break interrupted. ¡°Any particular reason we¡¯re just sitting around a beach caf¨¦, in the south of England?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a conversation, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°To take a break from all the bullshit.¡± ¡°You mean all the cannon fodder we¡¯ve curb-stomped over the past week?¡± ¡°Curb-stomped or not, it''s still busy work. I¡¯m relaxing now.¡± ¡°You treat this like your job?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like an inescapable nightmare.¡± ¡°So, a job?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay, but is there a reason we¡¯re all the way out here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, already?¡± ¡°No! You don¡¯t tell us fucking anything! You barely speak to us!¡± ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡± Drifter put down the tea and sat up straight. He felt they deserved some kind of explanation by this point. ¡°Locke mentioned shit was about to go down on an island, in the South of England and the further South we¡¯ve gone this past week, the more I started to feel a strong demonic presence.¡± ¡°Cool, so what¡¯s the next step?¡± ¡°Taking a break.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ okay¡­ I guess a break would be good for all of us, right Amanda?¡± On the opposite end of the table, staring at the ocean, with her coffee untouched, sat Amanda, who had been even less talkative during the journey. A journey that should have taken them a few hours took a whole week thanks to being constantly interrupted by demon attacks. Luckily, with Amanda and Dale at his side, Drifter never had to worry about any civilian casualties as his companions would either defend the people for him, or fight off the demons without him ever having to lift a finger. However, Drifter still considered traveling alone the better option, as it was just easier. ¡°Amanda?¡± Dale called. ¡°You feeling okay? You¡¯ve been pretty quiet the past week, too.¡± Amanda continued staring at the sea, absentmindedly. Then Drifter flicked her cheek. ¡°Ah! What the-!?¡± She cried. ¡°He¡¯s talking to you.¡± Drifter responded. She turned to Dale. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you okay?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not acting fine.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Drifter intervened. ¡°You were way more obnoxious when we first met.¡± Amanda rose from her chair, insulted. ¡°The hell did you say?¡± "That''s more like it." Amanda slowly fell back into her seat. ¡°What am I doing? Getting mad won¡¯t help anything. Being sad won¡¯t help either. I just feel empty¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be rude.¡± Dale cautiously stated. ¡°But, maybe you should go back home. Grieve with your family? No one will blame you if-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go back home!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­ I don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°Oh God, here we go¡­¡± Drifter muttered. ¡°My home is gone. Destroyed by demons.¡± ¡°You really have demons all the way out in the US?¡± ¡°Yeah, lord knows what they were doing out in the countryside¡­ I came to England because my sister was the only family I had left, and now she¡¯s gone too¡­¡± ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Drifter quickly became interested in Amanda¡¯s story. ¡°They treated us like cattle, and planned to slaughter us like them. We were locked in the basement, waiting for death, but I passed out. When I woke up, my family and the monsters were already dead, the only other thing I remember was our wrecked car, burning in white fire. After that, I used my family¡¯s savings to head on over to England.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Drifter had a curious look on his face, but it didn¡¯t last very long. ¡°Jesus¡­ Another sappy backstory? When did I become a sadness magnet?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Amanda apologised. ¡°Nice one!¡± Dale yelled. ¡°You made her feel worse!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Drifter got up. ¡°I¡¯ll just leave then.¡± ¡°Now? What about Amanda?¡± ¡°If she can¡¯t handle a stupid insult then she shouldn¡¯t be following me around. She¡¯s got a weapon and money, so she can take care of herself.¡± ¡°But, she¡¯s so vulnerable right now.¡± ¡°Not my problem. I¡¯m not her babysitter.¡± Amanda soon pulled herself up. ¡°I¡¯m staying!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ gonna keep fighting¡­ until I figure out what to do with myself. That¡¯s what Abby would have wanted.¡± ¡°Then stop shaking. I¡¯m heading for the bridge.¡± Drifter pressed on, leaving his companions to catch up to him. ¡°A bridge? What bridge?¡± Dale questioned. ¡°The one that leads to the Isle of Wight.¡± ¡°What!? There¡¯s no bridge to the Isle of Wight, you fucking liar!¡± ¡°Yeah there is. Look, it¡¯s just up ahead.¡± Drifter wasn¡¯t lying, a massive white suspension bridge, stretched over the ocean and into the horizon, leading to the island, vaguely visible from across the sea. ¡°When did they build that!?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± "Well, can''t we take a boat?" "What? And get stuck on it forever? Even I don''t have the guts for that." Upon reaching the foot of the bridge they noticed a large group of soldiers guarding the entrance. While Dale and Amanda were hesitant to force their way past them, Drifter paid them no mind. He leapt over the human blockade, catching their attention immediately. ¡°Hey!¡± One of the soldiers yelled, as they all pointed their rifles at Drifter, who didn¡¯t even bother to face them. ¡°No citizens are allowed on the bridge!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Drifter replied, ignoring their orders. ¡°Stop! We have full authorisation to use force!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The soldiers took shots at Drifter, but he just walked on, as the bullets bounced off him. ¡°Hold your fire!¡± Their General ordered. ¡°Shooting him is pointless.¡± ¡°General!?¡± One of the men remarked. ¡°Looks like Watson¡¯s brother was right.¡± While the guards were distracted, Dale and Amanda took the opportunity to run past them. They were caught, but as some of the soldiers readied their weapons again, the General stopped them. ¡°Halt! Those must be the companions he told us about.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We''ve already done our job, but I am curious to see what¡¯ll happen, now that the man in the white coat has arrived.¡± Strolling down the bridge, a deep fog started rolling in. Thankfully this wasn¡¯t the result of a demon, but rather, good old fashioned British weather. A figure soon came into view. A man leaning on a car, waiting for someone. The man noticed Drifter and his companions and started moving towards them until the two parties met. ¡°Just when I thought I¡¯d finally gotten rid of you, ginger twat.¡± Drifter complained. ¡°Nice to see you too, Drifter.¡± Richard greeted. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± "I''ve been following your movements and you''ve been moving a lot this past week. That''s pretty out of character for you. I''m guessing something''s about to go down here, right?" "Hey, you actually did your job." Drifter praised, before immediately walking past him. ¡°I¡¯ve done some sleuthing this past week.¡± Richard explained. ¡°About your first kill.¡± ¡°Neat.¡± ¡°Know anything about the destroyed house on Mound Street, Drifter?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I looked up the records of that house, but couldn¡¯t find anything on whoever lived there.¡± ¡°Guess no one lived there then.¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s definitely evidence that it was inhabited, but the owner¡¯s have completely vanished and their records erased.¡± ¡°Okay! See ya!¡± ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not all I found out! I know your secret!¡± Drifter ignored Richard¡¯s cries and kept walking. ¡°I know why you always seem to be around whenever demons show up!¡± Richard¡¯s words fell on deaf ears, as Drifter disappeared into the fog. ¡°Is this guy for real? Does he really not care?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Dale answered. ¡°So, what¡¯s this secret?¡± ¡°I suppose you should know. The demons plaguing this country, Drifter isn¡¯t hunting them down, they¡¯re hunting Drifter. Wherever he goes, demons follow.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Amanda yelled. ¡°You mean all these demon attacks are his fault!?¡± ¡°Hard to say, but that guy is definitely a demon magnet, but I have no idea why.¡± It took a moment, but the penny finally dropped, as Dale yelled. ¡°The sword! Drifter told me that demons are always after his sword! That must be it! All these years, he¡¯s been moving from place to place, to keep them off his trail! If he were to settle down anywhere, that place would become a hotspot of demon activity! He¡¯d put himself and everyone around him in danger!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why doesn¡¯t he just go someplace where there aren¡¯t people around!?¡± Amanda retorted. ¡°Could you live the rest of your life like that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡­ no¡­¡± ¡°When you think about it, it¡¯s kind of a sad existence.¡± ¡°No wonder he¡¯s always so cranky.¡± While the others discussed Drifter¡¯s crankiness further, the man himself pressed on, until his path was blocked by three mysterious figures, one of whom he quickly recognised. ¡°Catherine, what the fuck are you doing?¡± Chapter 13: Too Human ¡°How¡¯d you know it was me with all this fog!?¡± Catherine angrily cried in disbelief. ¡°I can sense you, stupid.¡± Drifter responded, unfazed by her outburst. ¡°Dammit! There goes the element of surprise!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just taking my new pets for a walk.¡± ¡°Ew, that¡¯s what you¡¯re into?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be gross! They¡¯re just lesser demons! I brought them back from the demon world as souvenirs.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To fight you with!¡± Drifter sighed, fighting Catherine¡¯s pets seemed like a chore. Instead, he chose to go for the more entertaining scenario. ¡°Dale! Amanda! Get your arses over here!¡± ¡°Calling your friends!? Too scared to fight them yourself!?¡± ¡°They¡¯re acquaintances and I¡¯m not in the mood to fight your dumb dogs, Cathy.¡± ¡°Sounds like a scared coward making excuses.¡± ¡°What?¡± Drifter laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve probably sensed how much stronger I¡¯ve gotten and don¡¯t have the balls to face me head on.¡± ¡°Have you been ingesting stupid pills?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Amanda answered. ¡°Cool. Take care of the jobbers will ya?¡± ¡°Hold on, we need to talk about you and these demons.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± ¡°But, what about all the damage you¡¯re causing, the people you''ve hurt?¡± ¡°I may be a piece of shit, but if this sword ever fell into the wrong hands, it would be thousands of times worse.¡± ¡°Amanda.¡± Dale interrupted. ¡°You can argue with Drifter later. Let¡¯s just get rid of these guys.¡± The opposing demons were tall and humanoid in shape, but their skin covered their entire body like a thin wrapper. They had no recognisable features. Feet with no toes, giant hammer-like arms with no hands and round, smooth heads with no face or chin to distinguish between their neck and head. Just were grey, sack-like mannequins with jerky movements. Dale analysed their body¡¯s. ¡°Those huge gorilla arms seem to be what¡¯s keeping them balanced. That must be their weak spot.¡± He rushed in, attempting to slice the arm clean off, but a split second before his blade made contact, all the muscle inside the arm disappeared, leaving a limp hanging skin sack. Missing his target, Dale stopped in his tracks, looking up at the monster, grossed out and confused. All the mass inside its arm had collapsed into its shoulder, creating a large throbbing lump under its skin. Frozen in bewilderment, Dale couldn¡¯t fathom what the creature was trying to do. Pointing its deflated limb at Dale¡¯s face, the mass of innards shot through the arm back into its dumbbell fists, like a balloon rapidly filling with lead, smashing into Dale¡¯s face like a wrecking ball as he flew across the road, crashing into the curb. ¡°Neat.¡± Drifter commented. The second grey creature lunged after Amanda. Having witnessed their unorthodox abilities, she quickly took potshots at the lumbering monster, but her bullets didn¡¯t seem to phase it. The shots aimed at the arms bounced off the thick muscle and the monster avoided headshots by simply deflating its skull. Amanda jumped away as the demon threw its arms down, imprinting its fists in the concrete. ¡°It deflects bullets and flashbangs won¡¯t work against something that doesn¡¯t have any damn eyes¡­ am I really gonna have to jump straight to using explosives already?¡± She leapt back and readied her rocket. ¡°Fuck it. Let¡¯s just go all in and see what happens.¡± She took aim and fired. As the rocket drew closer, the creature sent all of its innards into its arms and legs, stretching its empty torso like rubber. The rocket was caught in the fleshy net of skin, and like a slingshot, the creature flung the explosive back to Amanda. ¡°What!?¡± She dove to the floor as the rocket flew over her, crashing into Drifter who took the full brunt of its explosive force without even flinching. He didn¡¯t even try to dodge. ¡°I thought you said these guys were jobbers!?¡± Amanda ranted. ¡°They are.¡± Drifter replied. ¡°What the hell kind of ¡®jobbers¡¯ are you thinking of, boy!?¡± ¡°You know, the usual.¡± ¡°What in God¡¯s name are you talking about!?¡± ¡°Just¡­ find their weakness, okay? This isn¡¯t hard.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say, Mr. Invincible! How am I supposed to do that!?¡± ¡°Stop bitching and figure it out!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not-!¡± A terrifying presence suddenly loomed over Amanda. The monster crept up undetected, with its powerful arms about to hammer down upon her. Amanda felt the hairs on her neck stand up as she instinctively jumped aside, as its arms slammed with enough force to send her flying, landing flat on her chest. ¡°Dammit, that hurt¡­ I ain¡¯t no demon. I can¡¯t get tossed around like this all day¡­¡± She pulled herself up and immediately dodged out of the way of the demon¡¯s follow-up strike. Amanda scrambled to run to the other side of the bridge. The demons were fast, but only in short aggressive bursts, it took some time for them to recover before they could give chase again. Meanwhile, the second grey sack of flesh found Dale, crumpled at the edge of the bridge, his face bloodied from the impact. The only thing separating him from a thirty foot drop into the ocean was a small wall just underneath a railing. Dale pulled himself together, but could only muster the strength to stand on his knees and watch as the monster¡¯s blank face hung over him. It raised its arm for the finishing blow, which was exactly what Dale hoped for. Feigning serious injury, he zoomed under the monster¡¯s fist, evading the hammer. ¡°Time for a swim!¡± Before the creature could recover, Dale punched into its back with all his power, hoping to push it into the ocean, but the monster didn¡¯t budge an inch. A sharp pain spread throughout Dale¡¯s hand until it went numb. The bones shattered. It felt like he had just punched solid steel. ¡°FUCK! What is this thing!?¡± Without turning around, the creature pooled half of its weight into its leg, using it to balance itself, as the other half went into its arm. With a quick 180 swing, the demon planned on copying Dale¡¯s idea by using its arm to throw him into the water. As Dale watched the grotesquely enlarged limb fly towards him, time slowed down, as his mind raced to find a way to stop this seemingly impenetrable monster. That¡¯s when he saw it. The weak point. The flaw in its technique. He immediately ducked under the hammer and jumped aside. With his broken hand still healing he needed full concentration to pull off his counterattack. Now that he understood where its openings lay, his mindset had completely changed. Replacing his impulsive and sporadic need to hack and slash at his enemies, was a more focused and deliberate approach. All he had to do was patiently wait for his target to reappear, like a sniper waiting for the perfect shot. ¡°Just wait.¡± He told himself. ¡°Wait for him to come to you. Wait for them to make a move.¡± The demon enlarged its fists again, but Dale paid no attention to them. The fists were not his targets. As soon as they came within an inch of his face, that''s when he struck. Before anyone knew it, Dale had moved at exceptional speed, cutting his target. The demon¡¯s waist had been slashed open, like a ripped bag. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Dale smirked, as the demon toppled over. ¡°You guys manipulate your innards to strengthen specific parts of your body. They move so fast that the average person wouldn¡¯t be able to counter them, but with the right amount of speed and precision, the openings in your attacks can be exploited no matter how much you try to hide them. As long as we can strike at your deflated spots while you¡¯re in the middle of attacking, you guys are helpless.¡± To avoid spilling its innards from the hole in its waist, the grey sack forced its innards into its fist, making it incredibly easy for Dale to rip open its waist even further, before it could defend itself. The demon toppled over under its own weight. In a fit of desperation, it tried punching at Dale with all its might, but that left its remaining arm vulnerable, allowing Dale to slice it off, leaving even less room for the demon to move its innards. With such a large hole in its sack, Dale easily peeled off the rest of its skin, revealing the squirming organs within. The innards spilled out onto the ground reducing the demon to a pile of wriggling organs and muscle with no skeleton nor skin to give it form. One stomp on the exposed brain was all it took to finally kill it. Amanda understood what to do, she focused too much on power instead of precision. She transformed her gun into a rifle, a weapon with powerful piercing bullets. The second grey sack dumped all its innards into its foot and threw itself forward, hoping to crush Amanda before she tried anything. Its efforts were in vain. From Amanda¡¯s perspective, its body was shielded by its massive hammer foot, except for the flabby skin, flapping on its side. She shot at the wrinkled skin, as the bullet easily pierced through it, after which she dodged to the side to avoid being crushed. With its leg punctured the creature was forced to move on its large arms to hide its vulnerable spot. Its limited mobility gave Amanda the perfect chance to fire more bullets into it, hoping to pierce more flesh, but the strength of the grey sack¡¯s innards had not been diminished, bulking up to deflect the bullets. Just when the monster seemed confident in its rock-hard defense, Amanda changed her weapon again, this time to an anti-tank machine gun. A weapon so large and heavy it needed its own stand to be used effectively. ¡°Hoo boy! I honestly didn¡¯t think that would work! If you¡¯re just gonna sit there, then I¡¯ll gladly blow you away with the best firearms humanity has to offer! You don''t seem to have an asshole, so let me tear you some new ones!¡± Amanda fired an immeasurable amount of bullets into the creature. No matter how tough its skin may be, the relentless hailstorm of armour grating gunfire was far too much for it. Small holes started popping all over its body. As cathartic as pumping demonic lead into the creature was, Amanda couldn¡¯t keep it up for long. Overusing her gun¡¯s powers was a strain on her own stamina and this was beyond overkill. For her final move, she dropped a bomb of light into her hand. The creature was still recovering from the onslaught it endured, but there was nowhere left on its body to safely move its innards. As it desperately searched for a safe spot, Amanda had no problems dropping her light bomb inside one of the holes of its skin and walking away. A burst of white light shot out from the hundreds of holes in the demon¡¯s sack, as the creature¡¯s insides were obliterated in a concealed explosion. Drifter applauded their efforts, genuinely impressed by their battle, far more entertained than if he had blown them to pieces himself. ¡°Still feeling depressed?¡± He asked Amanda. ¡°I couldn¡¯t! If I stayed depressed they would have killed me!¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it.¡± Dale rejoined the group. ¡°Well, that¡¯s two down and one to go¡­¡± Catherine stood a few feet away, her arms folded trying to keep her cool, hardly containing her anger, like a stroppy teenager. ¡°What¡¯s gotten you all pissy?¡± Drifter mocked. ¡°You¡¯re not taking me seriously!¡± She yelled. ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m Locke¡¯s only friend! His right hand demon! Why aren¡¯t you trying to beat answers out of me!? Am I not demon enough for you!?¡± ¡°Locke will show up whether I fight you or not. This whole confrontation is pointless.¡± ¡°Pointless!? Fight me, you coward!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°After everything you did! My home! My grandparents! My life! Now you¡¯re pushing me aside like trash!?¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Here we go again¡­¡± ¡°I did not spend a whole week fending for myself in that shitty wasteland, just for you to ignore me! I was alone. Starved with no water. I thought I was going to die, but I kept pushing on. If I didn¡¯t, if I had just given up and died, I would have never awakened my dormant demonic instincts. The monsters I ran and hid from. The demonic powers I kept bottled up inside¡­ I pushed my body¡¯s endurance to its limit, until I couldn¡¯t take anymore! My head pounded from lack of sleep, lack of food, or water. I could feel the predators slowly closing in on me, waiting for me to kick the bucket so they could use my remains for whatever twisted desires they had. I could feel them glaring. Hear them breathing. Patiently biding their time, until I collapsed. I couldn¡¯t move. I was exhausted. But, I could still hear them. Hovering over me like vultures. I had no strength! No help! I was about to die, all alone! But I refused! Not like this! And then, just as I was about to slip into unconsciousness, something inside me¡­ broke. It was like a warrior¡¯s spirit suddenly raged within me. A part of me I neglected my whole life had finally been released and¡­ I killed them. I murdered another living creature with my own hands. I slaughtered them all. Ripped them apart. I feasted on their remains, like a ravenous monster, just to save myself. After all these years posing as a human, I could finally become what I was always supposed to be¡­ a demon! That¡¯s why, Drifter, I have to fight you! Not just for revenge, but to prove to myself! That I¡¯m a true demon! I need to put my new powers to the ultimate test and- huh?¡± Catherine had gotten so worked up over recounting her experience in the demon world, she hadn¡¯t noticed Drifter and the others had already passed right by her, ignoring her completely. ¡°You¡­ FUCKER!¡± Her rage reawakened her savage demonic powers in the form of a blistering red aura, forcing Drifter and the others to finally pay attention to her. ¡°I knew we should have just stayed and listened.¡± Amanda lamented. ¡°You guys up for round two?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s your ass she wants mounted over her wall, you can fight her.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Dale added. ¡°My hand¡¯s still fucked up from that last fight. She¡¯s all yours dude.¡± Drifter, abandoned by his comrades, was left alone with the enraged she-demon. ¡°Aw, shit. What did I do to deserve this?¡± ¡°You ruined my life, you stupid asshole! I went through Hell to get here and you¡¯re still ignoring me!¡± She stamped her foot into the concrete as the slabs of cement levitated in her aura. ¡°No one forced you through all that suffering, Catherine.¡± With a powerful cry she kicked the slab, hurtling it towards Drifter. It flew with such force it caught fire before bursting in Drifter¡¯s face, but it did naught, but dusty Drifter¡¯s coat, which he begrudgingly brushed off. ¡°Look. You clearly have some emotional issues to deal with and I get that. But, I¡¯m not your therapist and I don¡¯t care about your sob story. So, either shut up, or go cry to someone else.¡± Infuriated further by his callous comments, she levitated more debris and punched several slabs in Drifter¡¯s direction, but it was all the same. Drifter didn¡¯t even acknowledge them as a threat. ¡°Hey, stupid! Are you listening!?¡± Catherine wasn¡¯t sure how much angrier she could get, but she seemed to be breaking new records with each word that came out of the man¡¯s mouth. She darted at Drifter, hoping a fist to the face would finally shut him up. She tore the road up as she barrelled toward him, but her speed and ferocity meant nothing, as Drifter simply slid to the side just before she could connect. Losing her balance, Catherine landed on her foot and spun around to quickly block any incoming counterattacks. However, Drifter just stood there, watching. ¡°How did he do that?¡± Catherine pondered. ¡°He didn¡¯t move a muscle, he just slid like he was on ice.¡± She threw a flurry of fists, but Drifter dodged each one, slipping in and out of her attacks. ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re just using me as a scapegoat.¡± He commented, sliding out of her range. ¡°Shut up and let me hit you!¡± Catherine replied, charging at Drifter again. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m a pretty reckless guy, but I don¡¯t recall ever getting the old farts in that photo of yours killed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult them! And don¡¯t insult me, either! Locke told me the truth! That monster would have never shown up if you hadn¡¯t! It was after your stupid sword! Everyone died because of you! I nearly died because of you! You should have died! Everything¡¯s your fault!¡± Catherine ended her barrage with a final punch, but this time, instead of just dodging, Drifter slid to her side, grabbed Catherine¡¯s outstretched arm and effortlessly tossed her into the fog. ¡°See ya.¡± Drifter walked away, as Catherine crashed on her face in embarrassment. She lifted herself from the concrete. She didn¡¯t sustain any real injuries, except to her pride. ¡°Why is this happening to me!?¡± She decried. ¡°I never even cared about being a demon! I just wanted to live a normal human life! I controlled my anger and my powers! I did nothing wrong! But, ever since he showed up, my life¡¯s spiralled out of control! I¡¯m losing myself! I¡¯m becoming a monster!¡± The corpses of the grey sacks started to melt, as the mounds of flesh slithered to her. ¡°Everything¡¯s gone! My life. My family. My humanity. None of it matters anymore!¡± Catherine absorbed the flesh and viscera, melding it into her arms, making them larger and buffer, with clawed fingers. Her own flesh tinged with a scarlet undertone. She rose from her depressed heap, ready for round two. ¡°Why are you so weird with her?¡± Dale asked as Drifter returned. ¡°Weird? What?¡± ¡°You usually straight up kill most demons, but that¡¯s the second time you let her get away.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I find her fascinating. I¡¯ve never seen a demon so emotional before.¡± ¡°Emotional?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ she¡¯s doubting herself, figuring out who she is. It¡¯s just so¡­ human.¡± Like a tomahawk missile, Catherine suddenly rocketed out of the fog with a burning kick, crashing into the back of Drifter¡¯s head and sending him flying across the ground, face first. ¡°MAYBE YOU¡¯LL TAKE ME SERIOUSLY WITH A FACE FULL OF DIRT, YOU FUCK!!¡± She cried at the top of her lungs. Dale and Amanda were left stunned. This was the first time they had seen someone effortlessly send Drifter flying that wasn''t twice his size. A jarring experience, but not as jarring as Catherine¡¯s sudden change in appearance and composure. ¡°What the hell are you looking at, blade boy!?¡± She chastised. ¡°You want me to kick your ass, too!?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Dale replied, still in disbelief at what was happening. ¡°You heard me!¡± Catherine suddenly turned her attention to Amanda, her anger making it difficult to concentrate. ¡°What are you staring at!? I¡¯ll kick your ass, too! I¡¯ll kick both your asses!¡± Just then, Catherine felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Drifter, already lurking behind her. She immediately swung her massive arm to attack him, but Drifter simply flared up his aura to absorb the blow. However, when the inflamed limb collided with him it didn¡¯t stop. His aura wasn¡¯t strong enough and Drifter was thrown into the fog from the force of the blow. ¡°Where¡¯d that shit stain go!?¡± Catherine roared like an animal. She was acting on instinct, not even paying attention to where her target had landed. ¡°Shit, did you see that?¡± Dale uttered. ¡°You say something!? I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Catherine stormed over to Dale at an incredible speed, but Dale took advantage of her blind anger, immediately finding an opening to exploit. With her arms raised, Dale ran underneath them, slashing at her side, leaving a bleeding gash. ¡°You need to calm the fuck-¡± Before he could finish scolding her, Catherine swiped at Dale¡¯s face with her corrupted arm. He flew across the ground like a ragdoll. Her wound however, was only a scratch, her body had become far more resilient than before. ¡°Hey!¡± Amanda yelled. ¡°Leave him alone, you dumb animal!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an animal, I¡¯m a demon!¡± Catherine corrected, enraged. Her red aura flared as she roared. This was Amanda¡¯s chance, she pulled out her anti-tank machine gun and unloaded a stream of bullets into the demon. Catherine took it all, most of the bullets evaporating in the intensity of her aura. ¡°What in the hell!? That ain¡¯t right!¡± Amanda cried. Catherine barged straight through the storm of bullets until she reached Amanda. With no defence to speak of, Catherine was free to release all her fury on her new punching bag. In that second, Amanda had nowhere to run and no way of surviving Catherine¡¯s beastial assault. At that very moment, she seriously believed she was about to die. Out of the fog, Drifter¡¯s sword suddenly stabbed straight into Catherine¡¯s abdomen, the pain putting a stop to her frenzied state. ¡°Run, you fucking idiot!¡± Stunned by her luck, Amanda heeded Drifter¡¯s advice and got out of there. ¡°And you!¡± He yelled, addressing the rampaging she-demon. ¡°Just because I underestimated you, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve won!¡± Catherine pulled Drifter¡¯s blade out and tossed it aside. ¡°You know, most demons risk their lives trying to get that thing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your stupid sword! I want you dead!¡± She screamed. ¡°Well, then. I¡¯d say the score¡¯s even now. Ready for the final round?¡± ¡°Shut! Up! And! Die!¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t care less about Drifter¡¯s showmanship, she had already abandoned all self-control and restraint, his words were like buzzing white noise at this point. Her fiery aura burned an even deeper red as she dashed forward. Thrusting her fist outwards she decked Drifter straight in his face, as usual he didn¡¯t budge, but this time, her efforts were rendered useless. She didn¡¯t understand, her power had only been growing this whole time, why did her attack suddenly not work now? Just above her fist, she could see Drifter¡¯s eye, looking down on her, whether it was intentionally condescending or not, it still pissed her off. She wasn¡¯t letting him off easy, a single punch was nothing, she pulled back and unleashed a barrage of fists, beating Drifter from every angle she could. His body flopped around on the spot, rapidly contorting with each hit and yet, despite the dizzying thrashing he received, once Catherine delivered the final decisive blow, Drifter barely moved, showing no signs of damage. Having vented most of her anger through her relentless beating, Catherine was petrified by Drifter¡¯s steadfast resistance. ¡°Why¡­ why?¡± She took a step back and noticed his white aura, it wasn¡¯t just a faint glow anymore, but a radiant light surrounding him with a deep burning energy, the depths of which were impossible to quantify. ¡°That¡¯s how he moved earlier.¡± She realised. ¡°He didn¡¯t use his muscles, he used his aura to slide around, like he was on ice. He can use the force of his own energy to propel himself!? With that much precision!?¡° She was at a loss for words, she felt like a kitten picking a fight with a lion. The more she fought, the more impossible victory seemed. ¡°How can you have that much power, when you don¡¯t even have your sword?¡± She questioned in disbelief. ¡°Come to your senses yet?¡± Drifter responded. ¡°Shut up! What¡¯s going on!? Why are you so strong without your sword!?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? The real power was inside me all along.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me!¡± Just when she was calming down, Drifter couldn¡¯t resist infuriating her again with his sarcasm. She looked over to the demon sword she threw earlier and made a run for it. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you won¡¯t mind me taking it!¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± With no interference from Drifter or his companions, Catherine took up the sword and soon felt its power course through her. It was breathtaking, finally embracing her demon powers was cathartic enough, but now it felt like her power was being multiplied several times over. By wielding the power of this sword, victory was assured, Drifter didn¡¯t stand a chance. Without his weapon, his power was limited, he couldn¡¯t possibly keep up with her for very long. She had all the advantages. At least that¡¯s what Catherine assumed. She lowered the blade and charged forth, planning to joust the sword straight through Drifter. His gut, or his chest? It didn¡¯t really matter, just as long as she skewered him with one mighty thrust. Her red aura and the sword¡¯s white, mixed into an intense pink burst that launched Catherine towards Drifter, who simply stood still, and waited. Then, Drifter got into position. He widened his footing, raised his fists and assumed a fighting stance. By the time Catherine realised he was preparing a counter, it was too late. The instant she got within arm¡¯s length, he suddenly became a blur right before everyone¡¯s eyes. A white streak that pierced through Catherine¡¯s body while she was still in mid charge, with Drifter appearing behind her. That single strike killed all of Catherine¡¯s momentum as she stumbled to a halt, paralysed. At first she couldn¡¯t comprehend what happened, but after her senses caught up with her, a powerful force blasted her gut as she coughed up blood and the sword flew out of her hands, lodging itself into the ground. Catherine fell to her hands and knees, she was far from dead, but couldn¡¯t move from the pain. Drifter pulled the sword out of the ground and sheathed back into his scabbard. ¡°You got that strong after just a week? That¡¯s not bad. Most demons would be dead by now. But, that¡¯s enough, I¡¯m only here for Locke, you can just-¡± Drifter stopped upon witnessing Catherine getting back on her feet, she could barely stand, but she was standing nonetheless. She hobbled over to him and threw a punch at his chest, but it was as light as a feather, even an average human wouldn¡¯t have felt it. ¡°Stop it, or you might die.¡± ¡°Then do it. I don¡¯t have much to live for anyway¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ what?¡± Drifter hadn¡¯t a clue how to properly react, confused by her submissiveness. ¡°You¡¯re not going to lash out at me in a last ditch-revenge kill?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Drifter could sense it, the raging furnace of energy had burnt out, she had exhausted all her hate. Underneath it all, she wasn¡¯t some murderous monster, but a sad, emotional girl. A bright white light broke through the fog, a light Drifter instantly recognised. Locke had finally reappeared. ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± Drifter sighed, pushing Catherine away. ¡°That was getting awkward.¡± The rustling of chains and his single, piercing blue eye were a welcome sight to Drifter, much to Locke¡¯s chagrin. ¡°I find your joyous expression unsettling. Please desist.¡± As requested, Drifter returned to his mopey self. ¡°Well, we¡¯re here, Locke. Mind explaining what the fuck is supposed happen next?¡± ¡°This island and the human city at the center of it. In a few moments, it will fall victim to a demon invasion. It¡¯s estimated hundreds of them shall enter the city, wreaking havoc wherever they go. From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯ll be like Birmingham all over again.¡± ¡°What!?¡± The mere mention of the Birmingham incident was enough to set Drifter off. He marched over to Locke, desperately wanting to get in his face, but his chains formed a blockade around him, preventing anyone from getting close. ¡°What the hell do you know about Birmingham!?¡± ¡°Catherine!¡± Locke called. ¡°I¡¯m glad you survived your training, but come. You need rest.¡± ¡°No way!¡± She cried. ¡°I¡¯m not going back there! I¡­ need some time to think, by myself.¡± ¡°If you insist¡­ do what you will here.¡± The same bright light returned, as Locke escaped into the portal. ¡°What!? That¡¯s it!?¡± Drifter yelled. ¡°You¡¯re just going to show up for two seconds, then fucking disappear again!?¡± ¡°Forget about him, Drifter!¡± Dale argued. ¡°A literal demon invasion is about to wash over the city!¡± ¡°Fuck that!¡± ¡°But, we can¡¯t just leave them!¡± ¡°Not even the Demon Sword can handle an invasion of that scale. If you want to be the hero who saved the Isle of Wight from a demon invasion then go for it, but I¡¯ve got other priorities.¡± Drifter slashed his sword at the air, reopening Locke¡¯s portal. ¡°I¡¯m tracking this cunt down, right now and beating answers out of him! I¡¯ll drag them out, chain by chain, if I have to! I¡¯m not gonna defend this city, I¡¯m gonna make sure no city ever has to suffer the same fate as Birmingham ever again!¡± Drifter leapt through the portal, leaving the rest alone on the bridge. The three walked down the long country road, until they eventually reached the outskirts of the Isle¡¯s capitol, Newport. ¡°Is she still following us?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think she has much of a choice.¡± Dale answered. Catherine trailed behind them, still clutching at her gut. She looked up at the sky and ominously stated: ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± Dale and Amanda looked over to find a massive portal, covering the city¡¯s air space, as small dotted figures started to fall like hail. ¡°Fuck.¡± Chapter 14: Rejection ¡°Oh, fucking nice. I lost him, again.¡± Drifter followed Locke through the portal to the demon world he had left behind, only to appear on a dusty road between the large, overhanging walls of a canyon. However, unlike the majority of the neglected wasteland, obscured by the dust and dirt, a finely crafted marble pathway laid before him, leading down a long road toward a massively tall peak, with a castle hidden beyond it. Although he had been to the demon world before, architecture of this calibre was a rare sight, as was the castle sitting on the horizon. It was hard to make out the details, with the walls of the canyon closing around his view, but a spiralling staircase led up the perilous summit. He had a strong hunch that Locke was purposely drawing him towards the castle. Of course, he hadn¡¯t the slightest clue why. Along the walls of the quarry were simple shelters built into the rocky cliffs, for housing the peasantry, although they were long abandoned. Dilapidated and worn down from decades of negligence and erosion, there was at least one point in time, where this place was a secluded, yet flourishing, society. The demonic equivalent of suburbia. ¡°Three of them.¡± Drifter told himself. ¡°Three demons up ahead, but only one of them seems tough enough to be considered a threat.¡± He sighed in exasperation. ¡°Fucking hell¡­ it can¡¯t just be a straight shot to the castle. There¡¯s always got to be a roadblock¡­¡± In the human world, Dale and Amanda arrived in the heart of Newport on the Isle of Wight, watching from the bridge on the river Medina as serpent-like demons rained down upon the city, ready to wreak havoc among its populace. They recklessly crashed through buildings and cars as they fell, ready to unleash chaos and destruction on a massive scale. ¡°Welp, there¡¯s no coming back from this.¡± Amanda accepted. ¡°You what?¡± Dale was shocked by her cynicism. ¡°You might survive, but I¡¯m only human.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t think like that, Amanda. You¡¯ve just gotta keep fighting.¡± ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t going to fight. I¡¯ll just go out, guns blazing.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°Still trying to play the hero? You¡¯re such a dork.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not playing¡­¡± The serpentine demons slithered through the city buildings, excitedly searching each and every corner for humans to torment. It was a sickening sight as Dale watched them gleefully crash through walls and rooftops, as they swarmed the streets. However, their excitement soon turned to disappointment, followed by a sense of raging betrayal. Something was missing. Many somethings in fact. Hundreds and thousands of them vanished before they had even arrived. ¡°Where are the humans!?¡± ¡°This one¡¯s empty too!?¡± ¡°What the hell!?¡± ¡°I saved my appetite for this!?¡± ¡°This is heresy!¡± ¡°Have we been tricked!?¡± ¡°This unexpected turn of events has left me greatly upset!¡± The city erupted into vitriolic ranting from enraged monsters, trying to pin the blame on anything from their master, to each other. They were promised humans to maim, torture and abuse, but they found nothing but empty streets. Screaming like children after discovering their toy box had been emptied before playtime. ¡°There''s no people here?¡± Dale questioned. ¡°Do you think those army guys evacuated the city before we got here?¡± Amanda added. ¡°You mean, they knew this was going to happen?¡± ¡°I bet that police officer told them. He¡¯s been following Drifter¡¯s movements and probably gave them the heads up.¡± ¡°He convinced the British army to actually do something productive? Clever bastard.¡± The tension that built up over the impending large scale attack quickly crumbled. Dale couldn¡¯t help but crack up at the demon¡¯s childish rantings. ¡°Oh my god, look at them! They¡¯re so pissed off!¡± ¡°Look! There¡¯s a human! Up on the bridge!¡± Dale¡¯s laughter stopped. ¡°Good one.¡± Amanda chastised. ¡°You gave away our position. Appreciate that.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ bollocks¡­¡± All Dale wanted was to enjoy a moment of levity, but the front of the bridge was quickly blocked by the serpents and their intimidating numbers. Watching and waiting for the two of them to make a move. ¡°Well then. The three of us versus¡­ about¡­ a hundred of them.¡± Dale nervously surmised. ¡°I think¡­ Are you ready?¡± ¡°Just the two of us?¡± ¡°No, I said three.¡± ¡°Nope, Catherine¡¯s long gone.¡± ¡°What!? She ditched us!? When!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Probably around the time we arrived.¡± ¡°Oh man¡­ that¡¯s a lot of gross, creepy snake monsters, with big jaws, fangs and rock hard chests? I didn¡¯t think snakes could look so ripped and their scales look as hard as steel. I could probably take on one at a time, but a hundred is a bit much.¡± One of the monsters spat a warning shot, just narrowly missing Dale¡¯s face, striking the ground and melting the granite. The creatures laughed at Dale¡¯s shocked expression. ¡°Oh, we are fucked.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start things off with a bang.¡± Amanda readied her rocket, planning to blow apart the ground with an explosive, but was interrupted when the ground started rumbling behind them. The earthquake threw Dale and Amanda momentarily off balance, even the demons were suddenly left petrified. ¡°Jesus Christ, Amanda! What did you shoot!?¡± ¡°What!? I didn¡¯t shoot anything!¡± ¡°We have arrived, humans!¡± A loud towering voice announced. A large, black, quadrupedal demon, with a lion¡¯s face appeared behind them. ¡°It¡¯s the Bigger Bastard!¡± Dale cried. ¡°That¡¯s not my-¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Amanda interrupted. ¡°I thought Drifter killed you!?¡± ¡°That would have been far less humiliating, but his mercy has given me a chance to redeem myself, even if it means enduring the embarrassment of being spared by a human.¡± ¡°Spared? I¡¯m pretty sure Drifter didn¡¯t do that on purpose.¡± ¡°W-what¡­? I see¡­ M-most interesting¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re here to help us? Why?¡± ¡°Ask the spikey one.¡± The Bigger Bastard wasn¡¯t alone. Leaping from atop his back were a pair of familiar faces. ¡°Spinal!?¡± Dale called. ¡°Good afternoon, Dale.¡± He answered looking rather dapper for the occasion. ¡°Dude, how are you and Reine doing?¡± ¡°Fine. Reine¡¯s been just lovely. She¡¯s recently been giving me piano lessons, although her teaching can be quite rigorous¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Helping, of course.¡± ¡°But, how¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°Tap has been keeping tabs on you.¡± Spinal¡¯s sly scarfed companion waved awkwardly. ¡°Ever since that incident in Westgate, Tap has been keeping an eye on you two. He regularly visits me to inform me of your journey. How are your legs by the way?¡± ¡°Itchy.¡± Spinal laughed. ¡°So is my chest. Healing can be a rather uncomfortable experience. Anyway, once Tap witnessed your interactions with a certain chained demon, he began gathering intel in the demon world and soon learned of the attack that was to take place on this island.¡± ¡°Cool, but why go to all the trouble?¡± Tap pulled down his scarf and simply stated. ¡°You freed me from Tuffnail and spared my life. I owe you.¡± ¡°He figured you¡¯d show up here and quickly brought us all together to help with the fight.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Dale was in awe. Demons who were once enemies had now returned as allies. ¡°Answer me this, human.¡± Asked a tall caped demon in his corinthian helmet. ¡°Stolz!?¡± ¡°Can a demon truly be accepted into human society?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not¡­ as long as you¡¯re not an arsehole, most people won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I see¡­ while I don¡¯t need an excuse to wipe such vile vermin from this world, this is a golden opportunity I cannot waste.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you cared about being accepted by humans.¡± ¡°I have my reasons.¡± ¡°Enough talking.¡± The Bigger Bastard announced. ¡°I shall take the lead. Female human!¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Amanda replied. ¡°Your body is puny and frail.¡± ¡°I noticed.¡± ¡°I shall protect you! Your ranged weapon will be much more effective from a higher vantage point! Ride upon my back, so we may destroy them together!¡± Amanda laughed. ¡°Well, Dale. Guess we might stand a chance after all.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ demons and humans working together. If only Drifter could see this.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t need to see this¡­¡± As Drifter expected, blocking his path through the canyon stood a demon, having sensed the Legendary Demon Sword close by. The creature was humanoid, with dirty white skin, long unkempt grey hair and covered in rags. He looked tired and desperate. ¡°But¡­ I need it¡­¡± He begged, looking down at his feet in shame. ¡°Go away.¡± Drifter shooed. ¡°Then¡­ I have no other choice¡­¡± The demon rushed forward in a feral rage, but Drifter remained stern. He watched as it raised its hand to swipe at his face with its claws, but as it drew near, Drifter lifted his hand and swiftly flicked its nose. Reeling back in shock, the demon¡¯s nose stung, his eyes tearing up from the pain. While he stood paralysed, Drifter took the opportunity to walk right past him. He didn¡¯t want to waste his time on such a trivial fight. ¡°Hey!¡± The demon called. ¡°Get back here! I¡¯m not finished yet!¡± ¡°Yes you are.¡± Although his pride was wounded, the demon had more at stake than just his ego. He needed that sword more than anything in the world and no human was going to stand in his way. He was going to fight till his dying breath. He dashed at Drifter, grabbing him from behind and tossing him into the canyon wall, embedding him into the stone, locking him in place. With his target immobilised, the demon was free to unleash a wicked storm of fists that pummelled every inch of Drifter¡¯s body. Technique didn¡¯t matter, he just threw out everything he had and hoped that it was enough to kill the human, as he beat him deeper into the rocks. Of course, to Drifter, it was just more of the same. Another arrogant, greedy punk, hoping to get an easy kill off a human in exchange for what they believed to be the ultimate power. Drifter allowed the demon to pulverise him to it¡¯s heart''s content, as they would soon learn how pointless their mindless lust for power was, once the fear set in. Truthfully, this was the only part of fighting demons that Drifter garnered any semblance of amusement from and yet, even their terrified reactions were getting old. Soon, the demon grew tired, slowing their punches and backing off to look over their work. Drifter remained unharmed, covering himself in a faint white barrier. The white aura surrounding Drifter intensified until he burst from the wall. In a flash of light, Drifter freed himself, leaving a large cavity in the rocks. The demon was shaken to his core, too tired to move or defend himself from whatever counter measures Drifter had planned. Drifter reached for his sword and drew it forth, only to chuck it to the ground. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for, right?¡± He asked. ¡°There¡­ take it.¡± He took his leave, curious to see what the demon would do once they actually got their hands on the power they had been seeking. The demon took up the sword and felt the surge of power flow through him. ¡°Incredible¡­ this is it¡­ with this we can survive¡­ I¡¯ll become the strongest¡­ a demon without peer. The monsters that threatened us. Laughed at our suffering. Took everything from us. Our homes. Our lives. Our purpose. I finally have the power to take it all back! I¡¯ll cut them all down! I¡¯ll make them suffer! I¡¯ll take my revenge on all of them! But first, if I am to be respected, I cannot let this human¡¯s disgrace go unpunished! I must slay the previous wielder as proof of my power!¡± In a flash, he charged at Drifter, who kept his back turned. The demon was ready to swipe the sword across Drifter¡¯s waist to cleave him in two, but the opportunity never came. Always patiently waiting until the last moment, as soon as he came close, Drifter backhanded the demon clean in the face. His fist struck with the force of a meteor, stopping the demon dead in its tracks. Their nose didn¡¯t sting anymore, it had been completely destroyed, like a burst, bloody balloon. Not even the Demon Sword could protect him from the power Drifter had already amassed within his body from years of experience. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°It¡¯s always the same. You¡¯re oppressed by those with power over you, so you seek power yourself. You desperately search for the human wielding the weapon of legend, deluding yourself into believing it¡¯ll be an easy win, simply because they''re only human. But, those aren''t the actions of someone fighting for the weak, or trying to right the wrongs of their world. That¡¯s the same mindset of the very oppressors you were trying to fight against. You dumb fucks never learn. I don¡¯t care whether you''re the oppressor or the oppressed, I have no tolerance left for people who threaten the lives of humanity.¡± Drifter¡¯s aura flared up like burning flames, as he pointed his finger at the demon. His aura then burnt out as he fired a bright spark. Upon impact, the spark exploded with a force that rippled through the demon¡¯s body tearing through the skin on his back, blood spraying from the fissures in his body, shredded from the blast. Left in total despair, the demon¡¯s body fell backwards, drained of all life. ¡°Idiot.¡± Drifter took back his sword and searched for the remaining two demons he sensed earlier. They weren¡¯t far, as he quickly discovered their location, hiding in one of the carved out houses built into the canyon. He kicked the stone door open. It was a small home, the size of a single room, with nothing but a stone bed. Sitting on the bed, trembling in fear was a female demon. She looked the same species as the one Drifter just killed. Same pale skin and grey hair, but in cleaner robes. She immediately grabbed something small and frail from the bed. The small object started crying as the woman helplessly asked. ¡°Who are you!? Please, go away!¡± Drifter wasn¡¯t going to bother pointing out the contradicting nature of her request, he was too busy piecing together the situation before him. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± It was a mother cradling her young child. A baby. Drifter despised demons, but even he wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to attack a helpless infant. While there was still a slight chance it could be a trap, he didn¡¯t want to stick around and find out. He pretended he didn¡¯t see them and left, contemplating what to do next. ¡°Are you¡­ leaving?¡± The woman asked, peeking from behind the entrance. ¡°Forget you saw me.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ my partner is still out there, did you see him?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But, that loud bang¡­ did you really not see anything?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No you did, or no you didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Just go back inside.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead¡­ isn¡¯t he¡­¡± Drifter said nothing. ¡°I felt it¡­ the moment I heard that bang¡­ his presence disappeared from this world¡­¡± ¡°Later¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Take me to him!¡± After trying to ignore her for so long, Drifter finally faced the woman. ¡°What makes you think I know where the hell he is?¡± The woman glared at him. She knew. Without saying a word, her mere expression told Drifter she wasn¡¯t falling for his ignorance. Her glare wasn¡¯t out of hatred, but of duty. She needed to see him one final time. ¡°Fine¡­ it¡¯s your funeral.¡± The grieving widow did not appreciate Drifter¡¯s inappropriate word play. Still sprawled on the ground, in a bloody pool, laid the woman¡¯s deceased partner. Drifter felt nothing, to him he was just another demon, but he was curious to see her reaction. She brought the baby with her, wrapped snuggly in a blanket, thankfully it had fallen asleep. She stared for a moment, as she slowly came to terms with the fate they had been dealt before finally speaking. ¡°Oh, Chain¡­ you sweet, selfless, stupid idiot. Why did you do this? You said it was do or die, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually¡­¡± Incapable of containing her sadness any longer, she lifted the departed¡¯s head, closed his eyes and embraced him as her tears flowed. "Selfish cunt." Drifter thought to himself. ¡°Letting his pride get the better of him, when he had so much more to live for. Still, makes me wonder¡­ How many other demons have I killed that were just idiots trying to survive?¡± ¡°Farewell, Chain. Thank you for everything¡­¡± She laid him down and pulled herself up. ¡°Why must it be this way? Our home falls further and further into decay, as the selfish monsters that brought it to ruin move onto the next unsuspecting world, leaving us behind in their waste. Why must good people like Chain risk their lives trying to obtain powers they never wanted, just to win battles that never needed to be fought? As this world grows emptier, so too, do our hopes of ever living a peaceful existence. Fighting is the only way to live. Power becomes the only valuable resource. Winning is the only way to persist and killing is the only way to garner respect. But, death is the end result of it all, for everyone. We can¡¯t go on like this¡­ my kind were never meant to be warriors, but this harsh world has nearly brought us to extinction. Without Chain, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Drifter looked the other way and walked. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t feel for her, but finding Locke was far more important than the plight of a random stranger. The widow contemplated for a moment, but she soon figured there was only one thing she could do, there were no other options left. Without saying a word, she followed after Drifter and it didn¡¯t take long for him to get miffed about it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± ¡°Let me guess¡­ you don¡¯t have anywhere else to go, do you?¡± ¡°There is nothing left for us here. No food. No water. Nothing. We can¡¯t survive here without Chain. If we stay, we will surely die.¡± ¡°Goddammit¡­ I really am a sadness magnet¡­¡± ¡°Please¡­ I just want my child to be safe¡­¡± She pleaded, clutching her baby tightly to her chest. ¡°Whatever¡­ just don¡¯t backstab me okay?¡± The look in Drifter¡¯s eyes was unexpected. They didn¡¯t look angry or threatening. To her, they looked sad, almost as if he wanted to trust her, but something was holding him back, something deep in his heart, even if he didn¡¯t realise it himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡° She replied. ¡°I never even considered how difficult this must be for you¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ what¡­?¡± ¡°My name is Pad and yours?¡± ¡°Drifter¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Drifter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty composed for someone whose boyfriend just died.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford to grieve for too long. Not until we¡¯re safe.¡± Drifter muttered to himself. ¡°An escort for a fucking demon. What the hell is happening to me?¡± Amazed at the situation he found himself in, he sighed in concerned laughter. ¡°Locke, Chain, Pad? What¡¯s your kid¡¯s name? Key?¡± ¡°H-how did you know?¡± ¡°Are you-!? Just an¡­ educated guess¡­¡± ¡°How many do you see, Amanda!?¡± Dale asked, as Amanda scanned over the area, perched atop the Bigger Bastard¡¯s head. ¡°Uhh¡­ five¡­ hundred¡­¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t know! There¡¯s too many to count!¡± ¡°What a fucking mess.¡± ¡°Can you fools really not handle these pests?¡± Stolz grunted. ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t have big fuck-off superpowers like Drifter, okay? I¡¯m a little overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Please¡­ we just need to strategise.¡± ¡°I got nothing.¡± ¡°Then allow me.¡± Stolz seemed a little too excited over the prospect of coordinating his new comrades for battle. ¡°Tap and the short one. With your speed, you can shred through the scales covering these beasts easily. It won¡¯t be enough to kill, in fact, you should avoid killing. Just weaken them. Stay on the move and rip through as many as you can, as much as you can. Wearing them down will be your top priority.¡± ¡°Okay and what about you?¡± ¡°I, along with Spinal, shall guard the large one, while he, along with his gunslinger, shall pick off enemies from a distance. A widespread assault, designed to wear down their defences. That should be more than enough to defeat these sycophants.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Dale turned to Tap. ¡°I¡¯ll cover the left and you focus on the right. Let¡¯s rip them apart!¡± The two dashed into the horde of monsters, swiping past every demon in their path, too fast for any of their foes to react to. They were blurs swimming through the sea of serpents, leaving trails of gleaming lights in their path. Those lucky enough to be at the front of the pack, were free to attack the group directly, unfortunately that meant having to battle Spinal and Stolz head on, a far more difficult task than they envisioned. Spinal may not have been the most experienced, but his spiked body made for a brutally punishing defensive shield. Able to extend and even shoot his spines to subdue enemies, he kept them at bay for the Bigger Bastard to swipe aside whenever possible. However, the real unbreakable wall blocking the serpent''s path was Stolz. An indomitable warrior, unyielding in his steadfast battle style. Blades held at his front and back. Any serpents foolish enough to even come close were torn apart by the sheer force of his swings. Keeping the rest of the crowd under control was Amanda, standing atop the Bigger Bastard¡¯s back, firing rifle shots and explosives to pick off any straddlers attempting to flee. None escaped her sight, she made sure they were all neatly packed in for the others to easily blow apart. The Bigger Bastard was perfect for this role. When not swatting away weakened creatures with his massive claws, he was charging dark energy blasts with his mouth and blowing away packs of serpents at a time. Their large numbers meant nothing to him. The serpent''s tried to fight back, with their meaty tails, large jaws and poisonous saliva, but they hardly got the chance to utilise any of them. Being forced to huddle together by Amanda¡¯s gunfire made it impossible to use their tails, and their enemies were either too fast or too heavily armoured for their bites to have any effect. Their poison was their only useful weapon, which had no effect on Stolz or the Bigger Bastard¡¯s armour. They tried to focus their attention on Spinal, but Stolz was adamant on protecting him. The armoured soldier would deflect the poisonous bullets with his mighty zweihanders, leaving Spinal to fire spines into the mouths of the monsters to seal off their spit. It had only been a mere twenty minutes and the serpents already desperately wished to retreat. They were beyond upset. They were promised an island full of defenseless humans to feed on, but were instead met with an unexpected ambush from both humans and demons, somehow working together in perfect harmony and they were far more powerful and coordinated than they could ever hope to be. ¡°This was a setup!¡± ¡°Nahas betrayed us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die here!¡± The demons were exhausted and their wills whittled away. They knew if they continued on they were dead. Having noticed their aggression turn to fear, Dale took it upon himself to address them. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re not even going to fight back, then get lost! Go back to Hell while you still can and stay there!¡± The fighting stopped momentarily as the remaining demons considered the option. They all nodded in agreement and quickly slithered past the group and retreated. ¡°We did it." Dale cheered. "We actually convinced them to leave. We barely killed any of them, too.¡± ¡°They sure weren¡¯t as tough as I thought they¡¯d be.¡± Amanda commented. Stolz scoffed at the thought. ¡°They were mere pawns, far too accustomed to leeching off of their master. As if they could possibly stand up to true warriors. You could have dealt with them easily on your own, if you hadn¡¯t foolishly drawn their attention.¡± She turned to Dale. ¡°Yeah¡­ if only.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ruin my moment.¡± Dale responded. Near the edge of the city, rummaging inside a convenience store a couple miles away, Catherine had gone her own way, looking for anything to replenish her stamina after her loss against Drifter. With no one around, she helped herself to any sandwiches, snacks and drinks she fancied, but it wasn¡¯t enough, she needed something to calm her nerves and help her clear her mind and think about what to do next. She went behind the counter to grab a pack of cigarettes, but there were no lighters. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Catherine kicked the counter, not in the mood for a treasure hunt. The building suddenly shook, although it had been shaking periodically for the past ten minutes now. ¡°Those guys are still fighting?¡± She had no interest in joining their fight, as she had no stake in the matter. At this point she was just waiting for Locke to finish his business. Another quake caused the draw under the register to slide open slightly. Curious, Catherine took a peek. ¡°Yes! Finally!¡± She found her lighter and left the store. Catherine walked down the road, the rush of nicotine giving her peace of mind. Now she just needed a tranquil place to rest. A place to escape from the eerie emptiness around her. The large roundabout in the middle of the road, covered in grass and trees seemed perfect. As she laid in the grass, surrounded by nature, it reminded her of her personal sanctuary by the river in Donnington. She could finally laze around in peace. Watching the steel clouds, floating through the air, Catherine lost herself in her thoughts. ¡°Even if Locke finds Alexander, what is he supposed to do then? Will he just magically make all our problems go away? Humanity¡¯s not gonna give a shit. And how is he going to deal with Drifter? There¡¯s no reasoning with that guy, especially if you''re a demon, and you can¡¯t fight him, either. As long as he¡¯s around, this all seems pointless¡­ Those two guys following him though¡­ they seem okay¡­ maybe they can help¡­ will they even want to? I doubt they even trust me after I just tried to kill them.¡± Her tail bobbed over her head. ¡°I still can¡¯t control it¡­¡± ¡°Brothers! There¡¯s a human in here!¡± Catherine shot up from her lounging spot and looked over at the voice. A serpentine monster stared back at her, the look in its eyes unnerved her. Soon others started invading the outside of her small hideaway, lurking around the trees and bushes, watching like starved predators. Catherine jumped up, threatened by their presence. ¡°This one looks delicious.¡± As the monsters gently closed in, one broke out of the pack and slithered towards her. The creature was far taller than she was, looming over her with its intimidating stature. ¡°We¡¯ve just suffered through a pretty traumatic experience, care to relieve our stress?¡± Leaning its head in, the creature desired a closer look at its prey, but at that moment, Catherine reached out with both arms, grabbed it by the throat and chucked it over her shoulder, slamming the creature into the ground with a powerful throw. The other serpents laughed uproariously. ¡°You showed her!¡± ¡°You were real scary!¡± ¡°Dumbass!¡± Enraged and humiliated, the fallen demon immediately rose up and in a spiteful fury and spat poison at the repugnant human. Caught unaware, the poison ejected at such speed, it slathered Catherine¡¯s eyes before she could even see it coming, burning and blinding them. She screamed in agony, but that was nothing compared to the seething hatred that was rapidly boiling inside her. ¡°Y-you self indulgent, disrespectful, arrogant monsters! You¡¯re the reason I have to hide away from the rest of the world. As long as parasites like you exist, I¡¯ll always be stereotyped as a monster just for sharing the same demonic blood as you! But, I¡¯d rather die than be associated with anyone, or anything as inhuman as you!¡± Hardly listening to the strange human¡¯s cowering, the serpent moved in on its subdued prey. At this point, they were free to engage in whatever degeneracy they had in mind before they eventually killed their pacified target. ¡°Just for embarrassing me, I¡¯m gonna make sure your suffering lasts twice as long, you whore.¡± The moment it tore her jacket off, Catherine snapped. Her eyes stopped stinging, instead they burned a deep red. Her eyes healed and her sight returned. She changed her mind, she wasn''t the one dying today. ¡°You¡¯re monsters¡­¡± She grabbed at the demon¡¯s head and in a concentrated rage, dunked it into the dirt. ¡°You¡¯re all fucking monsters!¡± She stamped on its head, crushing its skull and killing it instantly. Catherine couldn¡¯t contain her anger anymore, her soul had ignited into an intense inferno, her demonic warrior spirit had been reignited. ¡°You¡¯re not demons! You¡¯re gluttonous, egotistical, disgusting, mouth-breathing hedonistic monsters! I''ll destroy you! You worms! You cancerous cockroaches! I¡¯ll devour all of you!¡± Shocked by her sudden outburst, the demons couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. ¡°She kills one moron and now she thinks she can take us all on!?¡± "Just makes them all the more fun to play with." ¡°This human needs to know their place.¡± The snake monsters suddenly threw themselves at Catherine. However, the corpse of their deceased ally melted. Its gooey aftermath slid up Catherine¡¯s arm and solidified, beefing up her muscles. With her new strengthened claws, she swiped at one of the attacking creatures, ripping through the scales and flesh from under its head like flimsy fabric, leaving a massive gushing gash exposing its insides. The other monsters backed off, watching their comrade scream in terror, as they bled out profusely. They couldn¡¯t stop it, their vision darkened and they quickly fell unconscious from blood loss. None of the others helped him, they simply watched in disbelief at their brother drowning in a pool of his own blood. Catherine absorbed the corpse of the fallen serpent, converting his body into a second forearm, giving her twice the killing potential. ¡°That¡¯s not a human!¡± ¡°A demon!? But, why is she fighting us!?¡± ¡°Her eyes. They look murderous.¡± Without saying a word, Catherine lunged into the crowd of confused demons and wildly slashed her massive claws around, ripping and tearing through everything in sight. It was a bloody massacre, unable to react to the sudden storm of death they had unleashed, the creatures could hardly defend themselves. Before they realised they were being attacked, they were already dead. The more she killed, the more corpses she added to her collection. Once the creatures tried to retreat, it was far too late. She already had enough material to extend her arms into twenty foot long meat blades. With one swing she felled every tree, sign post and street light in the vicinity. There was no escape, she eviscerated the last of the monsters like a massive blender. Hundreds of demons butchered into oblivion by a single angry girl. The roundabout became a ring of blood and death, the soothing trees, razed in a furious rage and the soft grass, tainted by the stains of violence. And yet, her hunger wouldn¡¯t subside. The massive amount of corpses fuelling her power and anger overwhelmed her senses. Catherine¡¯s lust for battle was far from satisfied. ¡°Holy shit! What the fuck happened here!?¡± Dale cried, looking over the carnage. ¡°Oh, lord¡­ What did those monsters do?¡± Amanda sighed. Just when she thought her impulses would be left unheeded, Catherine had found her next victims. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t those fuckers unfortunate.¡± Drifter commented, finding a couple of fresh serpent corpses lying just outside a mysterious gate. ¡°They have holes in their chests? What could have caused this?¡± Pad wondered, holding her child close for comfort. ¡°Who cares? Let¡¯s go.¡± Just as Drifter was about to touch the gate, Pad yanked on Drifter¡¯s sleeve. ¡°No! Wait!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°This place. You can¡¯t enter it.¡± ¡°Yes I can, watch.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s sacred ground!¡± Taking a closer look, the inside did look rather exceptional. It was full of greenery. Trees, grass, even fountains. All enclosed in a wall of hedges. A heavenly oasis in the midst of a demonic desert, but nothing special by human standards. ¡°It¡¯s just a garden.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s holy ground! Only the Demon King is allowed entry!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see any Demon King around, so fuck it!¡± Drifter kicked the front gates open. ¡°But, what if there¡¯s still a guardian living here? What if we end up like those serpents!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about this fucking place? Is it the Garden of Eden?¡± ¡°Y-yes. How did you know?¡± ¡°You fucking what!?¡± Drifter never imagined his sarcastic guess would actually be right on the money. ¡°The Sacred Garden of Eden.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ interesting.¡± Chapter 15: Corpse Sanctuary Strolling down the marble laden path of the lush haven, Drifter felt no fear of repercussion or punishment for daring to enter the sacred grounds. ¡°The Garden of Eden, huh?¡± Drifter thought to himself, curious. ¡°Is this really the sanctuary told of in biblical times, or is this all just a coincidence? There¡¯s no way I¡¯d just randomly stumble across it, is there?¡± His progress into the garden was halted by the demon mother, clutching at his sleeve. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Pad shivered in fear. ¡°We must leave this place.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Drifter responded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look anything special. I mean, sure it¡¯s pretty, but it¡¯s just another fancy garden outside a big castle.¡± ¡°This garden is the personal paradise of the Demon King. A place where he and his elite followers gather to bask in its radiant light. A place of meditation, celebration and bliss.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°It is not a place for commoners to just waltz into without permission, lest you incur the wrath of those who worked their entire lives, yearning to be accepted by the elites, surviving deadly battles to prove their superiority over the commoners. Acceptance into Eden is considered the highest honour of any demon.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no one here now.¡± ¡°YOU DON¡¯T KNOW THAT!¡± Pad¡¯s anxiety accelerated, she absolutely needed to convince Drifter this place was not to be trespassed in with such carelessness. ¡°When I was young, I too, foolishly stepped foot into the garden, but I was caught and nearly executed for my crime. If it weren¡¯t for my father begging the elites and taking the punishment in my stead, I wouldn¡¯t be alive today.¡± ¡°You keep calling this place sacred, like it¡¯s some holy ground, but your story just sounds like a bunch of rich arseholes trying to keep the peasants out of their private paradise. What makes the garden itself so special?¡± Pad was so consumed by the fear from her traumatic memories, she failed to mention the most important aspect of the garden. ¡°It is the only place in the entire demon world with natural light.¡± She pointed to the ceiling. Stretching across every corner of the world was an all encompassing void. A black barrier, robbing the residents of their sky. An oppressive reminder of their inescapable prison. ¡°While the rest of the demon world is cursed by this infinite void, Eden is the exception. Lucifer''s light broke through the darkness, giving us hope that one day, demonkind could venture beyond the boundaries imposed upon us and explore what lies beyond this wasteland.¡± ¡°Even if you do somehow leave, there¡¯s no guarantee anything good will come from it. It could just lead to more empty wasteland, or worse.¡± ¡°But if we''ve been given the opportunity to one day bring light to this barren world and discover brighter pastures, then it is a risk we would gladly take. That is why, for as long as Eden has existed, the King¡¯s of this land only granted access to those they considered elite.¡± ¡°Does this light lead to the human world?¡± ¡°No¡­ not even Lucifer knows what lies beyond the light. We''ve all given up on it. The human world is our new bastion of hope now.¡± ¡°You gave up on paradise, so now you¡¯re trying to steal it from humanity instead. That¡¯s pathetic¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I never wanted to steal from anyone¡­ I just want to raise my child in a healthy environment. This world has been decaying since the day I was born, but now it¡¯s uninhabitable¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call the human world a healthy environment, but I suppose it¡¯s better than this dump. Let¡¯s just keep moving¡­¡± Deeper into the garden, past the fountains and marble pillars stood a tremendously tall tree. It towered over everything in the haven, providing shade from the intense light, bearing fruit from its countless branches. ¡°Wait!¡± Pad asked. ¡°What now? If you need to piss there¡¯s a fountain over there.¡± ¡°N-no! We must be weary of the flaming sword!¡± ¡°What the fuck are you whining about now?¡± ¡°The flaming sword, which faces every which way, attacking from all directions, to punish those who approach the Tree of Life without consent from the King.¡± Drifter had enough of the woman¡¯s ramblings and marched toward the tree, ignoring her pleas. He got close enough to reach out and touch it with his bare hands, resulting in¡­ nothing. Nothing happened. It was just a tree. ¡°See!¡± Drifter called. ¡°No divine retribution here!¡± Pad hurried to join him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ I know I saw it when I was little. Embedded in the tree, burning with pure white flames¡­¡± Drifter was intrigued by Pad¡¯s tale. She seemed so certain there must have been some truth behind it. Looking up at the colossal plant, he quickly discovered an interesting detail. ¡°Was it in that hole there?¡± He pointed. ¡°Yes. That must be- what are you doing!?¡± ¡°What does it look like!?¡± Already clinging to the bark, Drifter was scaling the trunk of the sacred tree. ¡°Are you insane!? You can¡¯t just climb the Tree of life!¡± ¡°Says who!?¡± ¡°The King!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see a king around here! Besides, I gotta check something!¡± Eventually reaching the imprint on the bark of the tree, Drifter confirmed it was in the shape of a sword. He unsheathed CORE and placed it in the indentation. The moment the flaming sword was mentioned, he had to confirm his suspicions. He placed CORE in the indentation, but it didn''t fit. It was too small. ¡°Damn¡­¡± He muttered. ¡°Worth a shot.¡± He immediately jumped back down. ¡°But, if that¡¯s not the flaming sword of Eden, then what have we been protecting all this time?¡± Pad asked. ¡°Beats me. This is the Legendary Demon Sword, CORE¡­ that¡¯s all I got¡­¡± ¡°They say that, but other than its power, nothing is known about it, not even its origin. Even stranger, how did a human end up wielding it? When did it appear in the human world? And how? Drifter, where did you even find this?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of questions I can¡¯t be fucked to answer.¡± ¡°After the heartache you''ve put me through, I at least deserve to know this much.¡± ¡°Thought you¡¯d use that as a bloody excuse.¡± She gave Drifter her determined glare again. Pad wasn¡¯t going to back down no matter how many times he tried to wave her off. ¡°Fine¡­ but I don¡¯t owe you shit after this, you got that?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Drifter tossed his sword high into the air as he began his tale. ¡°My memory¡¯s kinda fucked up, but this I still remember. It must have been at least five years ago¡­ It was a clear, sunny day, which was pretty rare for England, but other than that, there was nothing out of the ordinary. I was just walking home, minding my own business, the streets were completely clear, when suddenly¡­¡± On cue, CORE dropped between them, lodging itself into the ground, perfectly upright. ¡°This thing fell right out of the sky.¡± ¡°It just fell?¡± ¡°Yep, scared the shit out of me. If I had been walking just a little faster, I¡¯d be dead. I looked up to see where it came from, but saw nothing, other than the same blue sky. Naturally, I inspected the sword and pulled it out of the ground. That¡¯s when I felt it. A rush of sheer overwhelming power flowing through my body. I was filled with an otherworldly energy, beyond my wildest imagination. I felt unstoppable, invincible and¡­ fucking terrified. I threw that shit away immediately.¡± ¡°You threw the Legendary Demon Sword away!? Why!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t need it. I wasn¡¯t interested in having that kind of power. It was a responsibility I just wasn¡¯t prepared for, so I tossed it. But, as I was leaving a thought crossed my mind: ¡®What would happen if someone else picked it up? What if that someone else was some kind of crazy sociopath? Could I really live with myself knowing I let a power like that fall into the wrong hands, just because I was too scared to wield it?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t let that happen, so I went back and took the sword home with me. I promised myself to never use it, to keep it a secret from the world, that way my life and the lives of others wouldn¡¯t be destroyed by it. That idea lasted about ten minutes before a huge monster showed up and I was forced to use it. Disposing of that demon was only the beginning. No matter how hard I tried, more and more of those fuckers kept showing up to take back the sword. They¡¯d try every trick in the book to lure me out, so eventually I just left home. That way, the only person who was in any danger was me. Of course, they just retaliated by taking the entire country hostage instead. To think, after all these years, I''d finally tell my story to a demon of all people¡­¡± Pad started to understand the source of the sadness in Drifter¡¯s eyes. ¡°I had no idea. All this time, I assumed the wielder of that sword was blessed with powers so great, they would never have to worry about anything ever again, but, that¡¯s only because the wielder inevitably loses everything that had any meaning to them in the first place¡­ If Chain really did succeed in taking that sword, would he lose me and Key, too?¡± ¡°Without question.¡± ¡°Thank you, for sharing your story. Reliving that harrowing experience must have been quite taxing.¡± ¡°Honestly, it was more irritating¡­¡± ¡°Fascinating!¡± A voice called, followed by the scraping and clanging of rusted chains. ¡°But, that¡¯s not the full story, is it?¡± ¡°Hey, Locke! You actually showed up. So, what cryptic bullshit are you gonna drop before running away, this time?¡± Locke stood atop a hill , behind him a stairway leading up a rocky spire. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to continue, Drifter? Surely there must be more.¡± ¡°There really isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh? Not even about Nahas?¡± Drifter¡¯s fist clenched, angered at the mere mention of the name. ¡°Did that strike a nerve?¡± ¡°What the hell do you know?¡± ¡°Enough to know that the fruit from the tree you¡¯re standing under was his favourite.¡± ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE ABOUT HIS DAMN FRUIT!¡± Drifter¡¯s cry echoed throughout the garden. ¡°They say consuming the fruit from this tree will grant you great power. Evidenced by the fact that all those who have eaten from it, all became powerful elites.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point!?¡± ¡°Perhaps you should give it a test. See for yourself if the rumours are true.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Pad interjected. ¡°We¡¯ve broken enough laws already, you cannot eat the sacred fruit!¡± ¡°Or what?¡± Drifter countered. ¡°Or¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I just have a really bad feeling¡­¡± ¡°You always have a bad feeling.¡± Drifter kicked the tree, knocking loose several apples. As they plummeted to the ground, he held his hand out to catch one. The forbidden fruit was in his grasp. Whether eating it would grant him new powers or forever curse him, there was only one way to find out. He took a bite from the succulent, juicy, fruit, chewed for a moment to really savour it and swallowed. His face was bitter with disappointment as he callously dropped the apple in the dirt. ¡°Thought so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you can¡¯t just toss the sacred fruit aside like that!¡± Pad decried in shock. ¡°Have you no respect!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing sacred about it. It¡¯s just an apple.¡± ¡°Just an apple? I¡­ don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of these things in the human world. Besides, I hate apples. I prefer strawberries.¡± ¡°Does that mean, there are trees just like this in the human world, too?¡± ¡°Tons of them. All over the world. I mean, where do you guys even get your oxygen?¡± ¡°The luxuries of the demon world are nothing but common essentials to humans¡­¡± Pad was shook over the revelation. She had spent her entire life living in her dusty canyon home, dreaming of a chance to join the elites in their sacred paradise, but instead feasted on whatever lesser demons her family could hunt, completely unaware that there was a world that made the beauty of Eden look trivial. Suddenly the decay of her homeland was beginning to make sense. She didn¡¯t want to believe it, but Pad suspected that the people ruling over this land weren¡¯t the spiritual and just leaders they made themselves out to be. It wasn¡¯t just selfishness and violence, but apathetic neglect that led this world to its ruin, never to reach its full potential under the elite''s rule. She fell to her knees in utter shock. ¡°Hey, careful!¡± Drifter called. ¡°You¡¯ve got a baby, remember?¡± ¡°It was all a lie?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Pad?¡± She laughed to herself. ¡°Of course¡­ Those monsters humiliated my father and executed him, not as divine punishment, but for their own amusement. Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never even seen the Demon King. We all assumed he was too important to make an appearance, but in truth, he never cared for us at all¡­¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. After coming to terms with the truth, Pad felt liberated, she was no longer scared and rose to her feet. ¡°You! The one in chains! Tell me! Who was the Demon King!? Did he even exist, or was he a lie, too!?¡± Locke answered, without hesitation. ¡°He exists. In fact, he is the most vile, gluttonous and dangerous creature to have ever existed. I¡¯m sure Drifter is already familiar with him.¡± ¡°That piece of shit was the Demon King?¡± ¡°Indeed. The current king of the demon world is Nahas.¡± ¡°So, you lured me all the way out here, just to tell me that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish. Drifter, I need your sword.¡± ¡°Oh, right. That¡­¡± ¡°Meet me at the castle gates.¡± ¡°Fine, but after I¡¯m done beating the hell out of you, you better tell me everything you know about Nahas!¡± ¡°If you can¡­¡± ¡°GOOD FUCKING LORD, WHAT HAPPENED!?¡± Dale screamed from the horrific sight he and his comrades had discovered. An entire street laid to waste, with sliced corpses piled up on the roads, along with collapsed signs, foliage, lamp posts and a river of blood circling a roundabout. All topped off with a creature in the center, equipped with twenty foot long, razor sharp, meaty appendages, that simply slipped off their arms like gloves. The creature turned around, revealing their face. ¡°Catherine?¡± Dale questioned. Her appearance had radically changed. Her skin was a crimson brown, her eyes were blood red, her fangs protruded just past her lips, her hair was frazzled and her tail was lashing at the ground. She was completely consumed by her demonic nature. With a single flick of her arm, Catherine tossed something straight at Dale. Still overcome with confusion, he barely reacted. Thankfully, the Bigger Bastard¡¯s arm blocked the sharp piece of debris, aimed at his face. ¡°W-what?¡± He muttered. The large demon pulled out the sharp tree bark, lodged in his mighty arm. ¡°Pay attention. That thing is on a completely different level to the fodder we faced earlier.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all dead¡­¡± He muttered again. ¡°I turned my head for, like, ten minutes and the demons we spared are all dead!?¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Stolz replied. ¡°Those creatures have always been scum. Your mercy was wasted on them.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± Dale punched at the ground. ¡°Why don¡¯t they ever learn!? When someone spares your life, you just leave!¡± ¡°Stand strong! Here she comes!¡± Stolz cried. Catherine walked through the flowing river of death, anxious to break her new toys. ¡°Let me take charge.¡± The Bigger Bastard requested. ¡°She won¡¯t get past me.¡± She accepted the challenge and scooped up a pile of viscera from the bloody pool, forging it into a large, meaty fist. Catherine dashed at full speed, leaping and appearing before the large demon¡¯s face in seconds. He was completely unprepared for such blindingly fast movement and ate the giant fist to the face, sending him flying, clear across the motorway, crashing into the bridge, miles away. Catherine landed in front of the group, pleased with her display of strength. ¡°Spinal! Tap! Go help him!¡± Dale ordered. ¡°But, we¡¯ll have a higher chance of winning if we all stick together!¡± Spinal argued. ¡°No! You¡¯re the only one who has someone waiting for you to come back! And she¡¯s gonna be real pissed off if I let anything happen to you!¡± Spinal understood and reluctantly retreated, along with Tap. ¡°You stay back too, Amanda!¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯m gonna-¡± Catherine suddenly charged at Amanda, with Dale just barely able to block her off, raising his arms to defend himself, she grabbed onto them, squeezing them viciously. ¡°You need to stay back, she¡¯ll kill you before you even get a shot in!¡± Having just nearly died from Catherine a second time, Amanda decided this was a good time to not get stubborn and backed off. Catherine¡¯s tenacity was unyielding. Dale repeatedly kneed her in the gut to throw her off, but the pain didn¡¯t seem to bother her. She kept a tight grip on his arms as they started to crack under the pressure. Receiving great pleasure from watching Dale struggle, slowly giving in to the pain. However, just when she thought she¡¯d won, Dale threw his arms apart, throwing hers open as well and with her face exposed, he went straight for a headbutt, smashing his forehead into her face. The brutal blow finally knocked her back. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you, Catherine!? Why are you doing this!?¡± His pleas went unanswered. Catherine turned her fists into long sharp blades shoving one towards Dale, but this time, he was ready. He dodged to the side with such speed he left an afterimage, temporarily fooling the mad demon. In that brief moment, Dale swiped his blade, cutting off the meat spike, rendering it useless. She tried using her second hand, but Dale slipped past that one too, cutting it off just as easily. In an instant, Dale appeared beside Catherine, triggering her defensive instincts. She swung her stubby rods at Dale but once again, he demonstrated how slow she was and ducked underneath them, rising back up with a counter uppercut. Despite his effortless mobility, he was still lacking in raw power, as Catherine¡¯s face felt hard as rock. His counterattack only reeling her back slightly. It was no wonder his head throbbed so intensely from the headbutt. Realising she was at a disadvantage, Catherine retreated to her crumbled sanctuary, protected by her ring of blood. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep piling on the pressure!¡± Dale was ready to keep fighting, but Stolz halted him. ¡°Stop! She¡¯s doing something.¡± ¡°What? How can you tell?¡± ¡°The sky is darkening.¡± Suddenly, the clouds turned black, with crimson linings, painting the entire area in a dark red hue. ¡°Only an incredibly powerful demon can affect the atmosphere like this.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never seen this before¡­¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d best brace yourself.¡± The river of blood boiled in anticipation. The others watched on, unable to ascertain what she was attempting to do. Then, a large, demonic hand rose from underneath a car swimming in the blood, and tossed it at the trio. Dumbfounded by what he just saw, Dale once again gawked at the sight, only for a missile to meet the car halfway, blowing it to pieces before reaching its target. ¡°Hey! I thought you were supposed to be the fast one!?¡± Amanda chided. ¡°Where in the shitting hell did that hand come from!?¡± Dale questioned. ¡°The blood I assume.¡± Stolz answered. ¡°But, how!? How are we supposed to get close to her with that thing roaming the waters!?¡± ¡°If you''ve lost your composure, then I''ll take my turn now.¡± ¡°Hang on, hornhead! What makes you think you can get through that death moat?¡± ¡°My swords are far more powerful than your toothpick. I¡¯ll force my way through and then, once she¡¯s sufficiently distracted, you two follow after me.¡± ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t get killed.¡± ¡°HA! Perish the thought!¡± The lumbering armoured warrior leapt straight into the river of blood. With his mighty zweihanders at his front and back, he slowly edged his way towards his target. The scarlet plasma was shallow, going only up to his knees, but it was riddled with chopped, decaying body parts which seemed to have softened into a mushy state, from the blood. The revolting state of the corpses didn¡¯t faze Stolz, he simply kept pushing through. Just then, another meat claw burst out of the blood and swiped down at the caped warrior, but with one massive swing of his blade he cleaved the hand in two and simply walked around it. The cut pieces melted back into the blood. This was only the first act of Catherine¡¯s assault. Three more hands rose from the moat, and stretched their fingers at Stolz, firing them like arrows. He reacted accordingly and sliced them all before they hit. Confident he disarmed them, he continued on, but the moment the chopped fingers fell into the blood, they shot out again, like sharp tendrils. Stolz leant back, the piercing appendages just barely scraping the front of his helmet. ¡°Sneaky devil!¡± He stomped the fingers, before they could attack again, but the three hands from earlier had already regrown their claws and fired again. Stolz predicted she¡¯d go all out and fire them all at once, so he went on the offensive. Using his zweihanders, he vaulted himself over the extended claws, crashing down behind the towering hands and quickly got to work. Swinging his enormous blades, he hacked off all three hands in one swing, but just to be safe, he continued hacking away at them until they were in tiny pieces. Then, he placed the handles of his two swords together, holding them like the hands of a clock and spun them in his hand like propellers. Using the wind of his propeller blades he blew the pieces away before they could launch any sort of counterattack. One final hand lunged at him from behind, but he quickly grabbed his swords and spiralled towards it, cleaving the meat to shreds. ¡°Child¡¯s play.¡± With the final obstacle conquered, he finally reached the shore of Catherine¡¯s sanctuary. Bushes were stained with blood, trees were felled and in the epicentre of it all was Catherine, eagerly awaiting her next challenger. ¡°Look at you¡­¡± Stolz commented. ¡°You¡¯ve grown into a true demon, thirsty for battle, like I¡¯m your scheduled entertainment.¡± Catherine lunged at Stolz, who blocked her with his swords. Just like with Dale, she refused to let go and held onto them tight, regardless if the blades pierced her skin, locking them in place. ¡°You¡¯re completely consumed by your powers. A rush you¡¯ve denied yourself all these years and you wasted no time capitalising on them. You can¡¯t even speak anymore. There¡¯s no time for idle chit chat, when your blood is screaming for violence. But, you can¡¯t rely solely on those demonic instincts forever. If you can¡¯t learn to control your power, then you¡¯ll die before you reach your full potential and that would truly be a shame.¡± With a burst of black energy, Stolz blew Catherine off of him as he prepared to face her with his full might. He crossed his blades over his head and readied himself. ¡°I will put you down here and now! Let the might of a true demon warrior wake you from this nightmare! May the souls of the fallen lend me their undying valour! May their hopes and despair, their forgotten dreams and empty screams invigorate my spirit!¡± Stolz surrounded himself with a black aura, crackling wildly as he prepared¡­ nothing. His aura dissipated and his power remained still. Watching from a distance, even Dale could tell something was wrong. ¡°Um¡­ what happened?¡± ¡°Why¡¯s he just standing there?¡± Amanda criticised. ¡°I don¡¯t know, last he did that pose he got a big power up.¡± Even Stolz was baffled. ¡°I do not understand¡­ Hundreds of demons fell here, why can¡¯t I absorb their spirit?¡± A smug smirk slowly crossed Catherine¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t contain herself, building from a self-satisfied chuckle to mocking, wild laughter, she was ecstatic. Suddenly, large meat hands rose from the river of blood, covering all sides, preventing Stolz from escaping. That¡¯s when he realised. ¡°Impossible¡­ these large fists, her claws and spikes. They weren¡¯t just extensions of her body¡­ they were molded from the corpses of the fallen¡­ I can¡¯t absorb their power, because she¡¯s already stolen it for herself¡­¡± ¡°Die!¡± A corpse fist burst from the ground, beneath Stolz¡¯ feet. For the first time, he was genuinely caught off-guard. ¡°It burrowed underground!?¡± It flung him into the air, where he was left in a perfect pummelling position. The large hands surrounding the bloody sanctuary flew towards him and rapidly beat him senseless in a crimson flurry. The impact violently shook his body around as his armour was bent out of shape. If the relentless assault didn¡¯t stop soon, he was dead. Catherine enjoyed watching her corpse fists brutally demolish her opponent. It was pure bliss. Until a rocket suddenly blew up in her face, knocking her down and releasing Stolz from his beating. ¡°Holy shit! Are you okay!?¡± Dale entered the sanctuary, aiding Stolz. ¡°What are you doing, you fool!?¡± Stolz yelled. ¡°She¡¯s at too much of an advantage here! You have to retreat!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ve got cover. Let¡¯s get you out of here.¡± As Dale made his escape, Amanda fired a storm of bullets in Catherine¡¯s face, keeping her pinned down. ¡°Stay right there, ya crazy bitch!¡± Unable to carry his massive weight, Dale dragged Stolz to safety. Even if it was through a river of blood and viscera. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience, but with backup from Amanda, he successfully got the armoured knight out of harm¡¯s way. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan now?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it sucks, but we - CAR!¡± The two ducked as a small vehicle soared past them, exploding in the distance. ¡°Shit¡­ oh, right. I think we might have to wait for Drifter.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been gone a while now. How do you know if he¡¯s even coming back?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Are you dense!? You heard what he said! He¡¯s only interested in Locke!¡± ¡°But, what do we do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to sort this out ourselves. Otherwise, who knows what damage that lunatic will cause to herself or others if we don¡¯t stop her now.¡± Dale let out a pained snicker. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny¡­ I keep trying to act like the hero, but I never realised how much I relied on Drifter to do the heavy lifting for me. And now that I have the chance to prove myself, the people I spared all died and now¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± ¡°To be honest¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing either¡­¡± Amanda said as she took a sniper shot at Catherine, preventing her from tossing another car. ¡°I¡¯m just fighting because I need to. Because no one else can.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s all the justification you need. A true hero fights because he needs to!¡± ¡°Wait! You¡¯re not just gonna run in there, are you!? Who knows what other moves she¡¯s got up her sleeve!¡± ¡°Fuck it! I¡¯m going in anyway! I don¡¯t care what she¡¯s got, I¡¯ll always be faster than her!¡± Dale sprinted off at max speed, with Amanda sighing to herself. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll cover for ya.¡± Emerging from the river of blood, the giant corpse hands materialised, but by the time they were ready, Dale had already passed them and infiltrated Catherine¡¯s sanctuary. ¡°Too slow, Catherine. Finished with your temper tantrum yet?¡± In response, a shadow suddenly appeared over Dale as a car crashed on top of him. Luckily, he dodged to the side at the last second, even luckier, it didn¡¯t explode in his face. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s a no?¡± ¡°Go die.¡± Catherine choked. ¡°Hey, fuck you! No, I mean¡­ look, I don¡¯t want to hurt you, but I can¡¯t let you fall deeper into whatever the hell all this is! Killing those demons was one thing, but I¡¯m not going to let you hurt innocent people! I¡¯m stopping you right here, before anything like that can happen!¡± Catherine cared little for Dale¡¯s words and raised her hand in preparation to absorb more dead cells. A gunshot suddenly rang out, nailing the demon in the eye. ¡°Now, Dale!¡± Amanda called. Dale rushed in while Catherine was still recoiling and dealt a blow to her stomach, hoping to inflict some kind of damage. She stood firm, even with one eye shot out, she still had the energy to punch back into Dale¡¯s face and send him flying into the crashed car. She took her hand off her eye, already fully healed. Not even Amanda¡¯s guns were strong enough to fight against Catherine¡¯s demonic regeneration. With Dale now the one recoiling, it was Catherine¡¯s turn, but the moment she moved, another gunshot rang out, piercing her leg. Not even demonic regeneration made her immune to the stinging sensation of a bullet. Catherine had enough of Amanda¡¯s meddling and threw up a large wall of dead cells in front of her sanctuary, preventing further intervention. ¡°That bitch!¡± Amanda gasped. More dead cells gathered from behind, merging onto her arms and forming massive claws. Her sharp fingers extended towards Dale, but even though he was dazed he still managed to duck under them and shred them with his arm blade. ¡°I ain¡¯t dead yet.¡± He taunted. ¡°Wait, what smells like gasoline?¡± Catherine wasn¡¯t aiming for Dale¡¯s head, but the fuel tank of the car, now leaking petrol. A single spark was all she needed. ¡°N-no¡­ you wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± With a swipe of her massive claw she cleaved through the car, severing the electrics, creating sparks that ignited the petrol, as the vehicle burst into a raging inferno. Dale¡¯s body was consumed by the flames. Catherine cackled to herself, amused once again by the futility of her opponent¡¯s struggle, but her laughter was cut short when she realised, despite being literally on fire, Dale was still standing. ¡°Wh-why aren''t you dead!?¡± ¡°Because a true hero never dies!¡± Still burning intensely, Dale rushed Catherine and slammed his fiery fist into her face. Catherine was so dumbfounded by Dale¡¯s indignation she didn¡¯t even try to defend herself. Dale suddenly latched onto the she-demon. ¡°You wanna know what else is highly flammable? Corpses!¡± Her claws, forged from the bodies of the dead, burst into flame which quickly travelled throughout her body. No amount of healing powers could numb the pain of her searing flesh. She screeched in agony as Dale prepared his final assault. With the last of his strength and his lightning speed, he pummelled the living hell out of Catherine. He didn¡¯t care that his own skin was burning or if he would even survive for much longer, he was entirely focused on causing as much physical pain as possible. Catherine¡¯s body already had trouble fending off the fire, she could do naught but take every one of Dale¡¯s blows head on. Finally putting an end to the onslaught, Dale laid a smackdown that smashed Catherine into the dirt. ¡°That should¡­ cool you off¡­¡± Satisfied with his efforts, Dale¡¯s flames petered out and he fell unconscious. The flames scarring Catherine soon burnt out and she sloppily hoisted herself up. Her skin was peeling, her clothes were ash, if it wasn¡¯t for her hair miraculously surviving, she¡¯d be completely exposed. Still, Catherine was in a far weaker and pitiful state than she ever hoped to be in. However, even after her beating, her demonic hatred was still burning. She took one look at Dale¡¯s unmoving body and took the opportunity to end him. Until a white bullet shot straight through her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Catherine.¡± Amanda called, standing just off to the demon¡¯s side. ¡°The fight¡¯s over.¡± Catherine refused to give in. Amanda was just a normal human, even in her weakened state she could still destroy her. She roared, but was silenced by another bullet in her opposite shoulder. Her body could no longer withstand the projectiles from a measly handgun. ¡°You got two choices. Either you give up and snap out of this, or I put more bullets through ya.¡± ¡°Choices?¡± Tears started welling up in Catherine¡¯s eyes. Her human personality slipping through the cracks of her demonic facade. ¡°I had¡­ no choices¡­ Demons took my family¡­ Humans robbed me of my freedom¡­ Nothing I do¡­ can change that¡­ I¡¯m a monster¡­ Loathed by humanity¡­ and outcasted by demons¡­ I hate all of them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just like us. You have no idea what you¡¯re doing anymore. Completely aimless.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­ you¡¯re still accepted¡­ by friends and family¡­ I have nothing! You¡¯re nothing like me!¡± Catherine tried, again, to lash out at Amanda, but she was too quick on the trigger, with a couple more shots to her chest, keeping her at bay. ¡°Listen to me, you damn idiot! My family¡¯s gone too and the only surviving member was turned into a nightmarish abomination! Don¡¯t, for even a second, suggest that¡¯s somehow better than whatever you went through! This isn¡¯t a competition!¡± Unable to fight Amanda head on, Catherine used her last resort, and tried to use Dale¡¯s life as a bargaining chip, but Amanda, already steaming, refused to fall into her desperate ploy. She fired a shot through Catherine¡¯s hand, causing her to back off from Dale. ¡°Don¡¯t you lay a goddamn finger on that boy¡¯s head, or I swear I¡¯ll put a bullet between those pretty red eyes of yours! I already executed my own sister and I won¡¯t hesitate to do the same to you!¡± Her entire body was screaming in agony, but Catherine¡¯s demonic pride was far too strong. With a final roar she attempted to jump at Amanda, but was swiftly brought down by a single bullet through the skull. This time, she fell to the ground, motionless. Amanda shivered at what she had done, but didn¡¯t waste too much time thinking about it. She picked up Dale¡¯s body and took her leave. ¡°Hey¡­ what happened¡­?¡± Dale asked, just barely regaining consciousness in Amanda¡¯s arms. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s over.¡± Chapter 16: Unlocked ¡°Weather¡¯s pretty ominous today¡­¡± Richard noted, leaning on his replacement car at the foot of the bridge, on the edge of the Isle. Down the long road ahead of him laid Newport, basked in the grim red light of the dark clouds above it. Something was stirring in the city, but Richard could neither see nor do anything about it. ¡°After all those demons fell from the sky, I thought all Hell would break loose, but I haven¡¯t heard a peep since then. There¡¯s no fire or smoke. I wonder if they got bored and left when they realised there was no one to torment? Still¡­ where did Drifter go? I go to all the trouble of digging up his past, only for him to say nothing and leave. Why? Does he not remember? No¡­ How could his memories just disappear like that? What happened to the man who became Drifter?¡± Richard could have spent the entire day wracking his brain, but nothing would come of it. There was no evidence left of Drifter¡¯s previous existence. He was completely unpersoned. ¡°Woah¡­ what¡¯s that thing?¡± He looked over at the city in exasperation. Then, he caught sight of a strange, massive object ascending into the sky. Richard couldn¡¯t make out what it was and quickly grabbed a pair of binoculars, stored in the dashboard of his car. Upon closer examination, he became both anxious and horribly nauseous over what he found. ¡°What in God¡¯s name¡­?¡± The Garden of Eden. A vast, sprawling greenery, carpeted with lush grass and vegetation, surrounded by a wall of hedges. In the center of it all was the Tree of Life, which towered above all, bringing shade from the warm light above. However, to Drifter¡¯s disappointment that¡¯s all it ever was, just a garden. The personal paradise of a selfish king. On the other side of the demonic wasteland¡¯s oasis lay a staircase, spiralling around a massive rock pillar, leading toward a grand castle situated on a cliff. The castle was only the size of a small mansion, but its gothic architecture made it stand out from the rundown huts of the canyon below. Drifter, Pad and Locke, all climbed the staircase. Not a word was spoken as they scaled higher up the cliff face, until they reached the top. A wide, flat landscape greeted them, along with the bustling of dusty wind from having ascended so high, with nothing but a steel gate separating them from the castle entrance. From such heights they could see the entire network of canyons, where Pad¡¯s people once lived, splitting off from the pillar, but without the blood of its community pumping through its veins, the heart of this world had long stopped beating. Locke finally broke the tense silence. ¡°Beyond these gates lies Castle Zaphon. There, inside its dilapidated walls lies the final hope for all demonkind.¡± ¡°Hold the fuck up.¡± Drifter insisted. ¡°So, after all this bullshit, you¡¯re telling me you want the sword to enter some stupid castle in the middle of nowhere? That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°It has taken me a long time to return to this castle and to find the perfect moment to bring the Demon Sword here without interference from Nahas¡¯ men.¡± ¡°Is there something inside the castle you¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°And what does Catherine have to do with all this?¡± ¡°Catherine¡­?¡± ¡°How do you know her?¡± ¡°I suppose I can explain.¡± ¡°No bullshit, just tell it to me straight.¡± ¡°It was around five years ago. After gathering the strength to finally conjure portals, I appeared in the human world, searching for the sword you carry on your back, but I made a miscalculation. I was searching for a demonic power in the human world, but instead of finding the sword, I discovered an orphanage and in that orphanage, I found her. Catherine, the demon girl, somehow already living among the humans. I put my search for the sword on hold, as this was a discovery I could not ignore. In the past, demons who appeared in the human world were revered as deities, to be feared or praised. Our relationship with humans was always complicated, but Catherine, she lived with the humans as if she were one of them, completely unaware of her true nature. I appeared to her one night. Understandably, she was terrified at first, but once I taught her about the demon world, she quickly became invested. Her repressed feelings and odd appearance. Everything was beginning to make sense to her. Unbelievably, she had lived her whole life in that orphanage. As for who left her there and why? Those answers didn¡¯t matter to me, what truly mattered was that a demon girl was somehow living peacefully with humans. Whether it was fate, or a mere accident, from that moment on, I stayed in touch with her. She was the future I was striving for. A world where demons could finally set aside the pointless bloodshed and egotism and live peacefully with each other and humanity. For her sake and others like her, I will obtain CORE, break the chains that bind me and move toward resurrecting the true king of this land.¡± ¡°But, in order to do that you¡¯ll have to get past me, right?¡± ¡°If you give up your sword now, there will be no need for fighting.¡± ¡°I don''t care how noble you think you are, I''m not trusting anyone with the power of this sword.¡± ¡°You refuse?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving this sword up for nobody.¡± ¡°How thoughtless, but I expect nothing less from the man who¡¯s caused more damage with that weapon than anyone else.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°How many lives have been lost by your hands? Demons and humans alike? Do you seriously believe that sword is safe in your hands? Is that a decision you¡¯re qualified to make? All I¡¯ve seen from you is destruction, negligence and death. You¡¯ve done just as much damage to human-demon relations than any of those monsters. You are the embodiment of humanity¡¯s wrath. It¡¯s time to pass the sword onto someone who can truly use it to save lives, before you destroy more of them.¡± ¡°Think you¡¯re fucking smart, huh? Think you can do a better job than me? That all your problems will be solved just because you have some big powerful sword? Having power doesn¡¯t solve shit! Those monsters will always find a way to break you, no matter how powerful you are! If they can¡¯t kill you, they¡¯ll kill everyone around you! Hold the whole world hostage if they have to! Think you can handle that? The burden of protecting everyone around you in a never ending battle against the monsters controlling the world?¡± ¡°With CORE¡¯s power, we can finally resurrect this dead wasteland and bring about a new age of prosperity for demons and humans! We can purge those monsters! Why can¡¯t you see that!?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s idyllic nonsense! Those monsters will still destroy everything you care about! And they won¡¯t do it quickly either. It¡¯ll be a slow burn, gradually eating away at your soul, until you wake up one day and realise you have nothing left to fight for. If you think you have the power to change the world, then prove it! Come at me! I¡¯ll slap your shit so hard, you¡¯ll be forced to wake up!¡± ¡°Very well.¡± As Locke slowly approached, Drifter turned to Pad. ¡°Take cover on the staircase, this might get rough.¡± She took his advice and left the two of them alone to sort out their differences. Drifter and Locke met in the center of the landscape, face-to-face, staring each other down. Drifter with his cold, black eyes and Locke with his single piercing blue eye. They waited in silence for someone to make the first move. Due to his impatience, Drifter threw the first punch, smashing into Locke¡¯s chains with blinding speed, but it did nothing but rattle them violently while kicking up dust. Locke was unfazed. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Drifter grunted. ¡°Lot tougher than I thought.¡± Suddenly, Drifter felt a slight tremor beneath him and leapt back as chains burst out of the ground, almost impaling him from below, but he couldn¡¯t rest yet. He continued hopping back as more chains shot out, one after another, driving him further from Locke. The chains soon stopped, as Drifter surmised he was out of Locke¡¯s range. Assuming this gave him the advantage, he pointed his finger and fired a miniscule spark packing its usual explosive power. In response, Locke thrusted one of his chains forward. It crashed through the spark, detonating it from a safe distance, and continued toward Drifter who dodged with a small slide to the left. He quickly realised Locke¡¯s range went much further than he thought. Before the chain retracted, Drifter caught it, tightly holding it in place. Locke tried to retrieve it, but Drifter¡¯s grip was far too strong. He dug his boots into the ground to ensure he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°You okay, Locke?¡± Drifter grinned. ¡°You look like you¡¯re having some difficulties.¡± ¡°What game are you playing!?¡± Locke chastised. ¡°Are you being irritating on purpose!?¡± Frustrated, Locke fired another chain. Intended to bat Drifter away, but Drifter instead caught it with his other hand. ¡°You know, these chains remind me of something.¡± ¡°This is not the time!¡± ¡°My memory¡¯s pretty muddy, but I just remembered. I really loved swings as a kid.¡± ¡°What are you babbling about?¡± ¡°Swings! The tire swings were my favourite. The way you spun around, slowly building up momentum, reaching higher speeds with each twist. They were fucking cool! You want a demonstration!?¡± Drifter¡¯s aura flared up as he swung the chains aside, flinging Locke helplessly through the air. He swung the ball of metal around in circles, like an olympian hammer thrower, building up speed, but instead of tossing the demon away, he instead returned him to the ground by slamming the bundle of chains into the dirt with a satisfying crunch of iron and rock. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how we did¡­¡± He waltzed over to the collapsed pile of scrap, dusting off his hands, only to be greeted with an explosive burst of chains, firing in all directions. One chain even sliced through Drifter¡¯s cheek, catching him off-guard. Locke pushed himself up with his chains. It was hard to tell if he had taken any damage with his body buried underneath all the metal, but Drifter could definitively assume Locke wasn¡¯t a fan of swings. ¡°You okay?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°I can see your eye twitching behind all those big iron bracelets.¡± Eight chains launched out of Locke¡¯s back, all attempting to slam down on top of Drifter, but he simply slid in between all of them. They pounded at varying intervals, growing in speed, but none of it was enough to even graze Drifter, he was slipping through them effortlessly. ¡°Come on, Locke.¡± Drifter taunted. ¡°You were talking a lot of shit earlier. Are you even trying?¡± The clanking chains halted, but contrary to his boasting, Drifter was not in a favourable position. The moment he tried to taunt Locke a second time, he paused. ¡°Uh¡­ I can¡¯t see.¡± Locke¡¯s chains had kicked up a haze of dust and dirt. Drifter was so caught up in his theatrics he hadn¡¯t noticed the smokescreen that slowly built up around him. ¡°Huh, didn¡¯t see that coming¡­ literally.¡± He grunted. ¡°But, I can still sense your presence, Locke. You haven¡¯t moved from that spot.¡± ¡°How perceptive of you.¡± Locke responded. ¡°If cheap tricks like that are all you''ve got, then you''re done.¡± Drifter rushed toward Locke, but was suddenly blindsided by a large metallic fist flying in from his left, crashing into his cheek and cancelling his attack. Drifter stumbled momentarily as he tried to figure out what just hit him. ¡°Fuck¡­ what was-?¡± Before he could finish, another fist slammed into his back. He remained standing, but was still stumped. ¡°Where did-?¡± Another metal arm battered him in the gut. Being attacked from the front gave Drifter a clear view of what was assaulting him. ¡°Chains?¡± He wheezed. ¡°You fucking serious? I can sense Locke, but I can¡¯t sense his chains? That¡¯s¡­ fucking gay¡­¡± Locke¡¯s eight chains bundled together to create a large iron battering ram that he repeatedly slammed into Drifter over and over again. With no way of seeing or sensing which direction they were coming from through the haze, Drifter continued to take a beating. And yet, Drifter drew no blood, his bones were intact and even his clothes remained untorn. He just stood there, allowing himself to be thrown around like a ragdoll. Eventually, chains appeared from underneath Drifter and wrapped around his legs, followed by another set constricting his arms, locking him in place. Once the dust finally settled, Locke could see Drifter had been completely immobilized. He held him at a distance, lifting him into the air. ¡°Got you.¡± Locke declared. ¡°You think so, cunt?¡± ¡°Not even your power can break these chains, Drifter. Give up.¡± ¡°Make me.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I could rip you apart if I wanted to.¡± ¡°Then do it.¡± ¡°Tell me, is the reason you¡¯ve stuck around all these years simply out of childish stubbornness?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course, but is this really how you want to die? Why not surrender the sword?¡± ¡°You fucking stupid? I¡¯d be amazed if you could rip off a single limb, let alone kill me.¡± ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s put your claim to the test.¡± The chains around Drifter¡¯s limbs tightened and began to pull. As they gripped harder, Drifter¡¯s aura intensified to fight back against the strain. The struggle turned into a tug-of-war with neither side willing to give an inch. The stronger Locke tugged on his chains, the more Drifter¡¯s power increased and his muscles tensed. It soon became clear to Locke that he wasn¡¯t making any progress and that Drifter could easily stall him out with his near limitless stamina. ¡°This is getting a little queer, can we stop?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°Why¡­? Why won¡¯t you break!?¡± ¡°I could say the same to you. What the hell are your chains made out of? I can¡¯t break them, no matter how much power I use.¡± ¡°YOU LIE!¡± Drifter was stunned by Locke¡¯s sudden emotional scream. ¡°Even now, you¡¯re holding back! Stop patronising me, Drifter! Show me your real power! CORE¡¯s real power! This fight is pointless, otherwise!¡± ¡°Hey, now you¡¯re catching on. How about you let me down and we stop wasting each other''s time?¡± ¡°Never! As long as you¡¯re in my clutches, you¡¯re completely immobilised! I¡¯ll keep you locked tight for days if I have to! Until you show me what you¡¯re really made of!¡± ¡°What about food?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t needed food for over five years!¡± ¡°In that case, have some of this.¡± With all his limbs securely fixed in place, Drifter still had one degenerate trick up his sleeve. He gathered his strength and shot a ball of spit from his mouth. The sticky saliva fired like a bullet and upon contact with Locke and exploded in a white light. Drifter had focused his power into a volatile spitball. It wasn¡¯t his proudest technique, but he had to admit, he was pretty amused by it. ¡°You repulsive infant!¡± Recoiling from the blast, Locke¡¯s chains loosened, freeing Drifter. As soon as he dropped to the ground, he dashed toward Locke, but his incoming attack was interrupted by chains suddenly bursting from the ground and locking his legs in place. Angered by Drifter¡¯s lack of respect for both his opponent and basic decency, Locke lifted him into the air and swung him around, just as Drifter did to him, twirling him in circles until he was ready to slam him face first into the dirt. The loud crash was nothing but simple catharsis for Locke. He knew an attack like that would mean nothing to Drifter, but he still felt it was necessary to pay him back for the humiliation from earlier. As predicted, Drifter got up relatively quickly and with Locke still recovering from the whirling, Drifter dashed forward and struck his fist in Locke¡¯s general face area. The ground quaked and the earth split, but despite the sheer strength of the impact, it did nothing to shatter Locke¡¯s shackles. ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s awkward.¡± Drifter moaned. ¡°Indeed. CORE¡¯s power is too great for me to overcome and you¡¯re not willing to use that power to break my chains.¡± ¡°I only use as much power as I need to. There¡¯s no reason to go all out against you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honestly baffled. How can any creature with such immense strength be so afraid to use it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, I¡¯m cautious!¡± ¡°Only those prone to making mistakes are inherently cautious. What was your mistake?¡± ¡°None of your damn business!¡± ¡°This is why I can''t trust humans with such power. They either abuse it or are too frightened to wield it to its full potential. They lack the discipline to be trusted with such a large responsibility.¡± ¡°You think you could do a better job? One eye?¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± Drifter unsheathed his sword and chucked to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s see it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°No, no, show me. Let¡¯s see how much you can handle it.¡± The Legendary Demon Sword. CORE. After all this time, it was just laying before Locke, sitting in the dirt, waiting for him. He wasn¡¯t sure what Drifter was trying to pull, but if wielding the sword would help break their stalemate then he was willing to take the risk. His chain wrapped around the handle, but it wasn¡¯t until he brought the sword close to his body that he felt its power flow through him. It was a burning yet refreshing feeling, like his soul was reinvigorated after having been kept in stasis for so long. He was immersed in a white light that engulfed him until¡­ There was a snap. One of the padlocks that had burdened him for so long fell to the ground and disintegrated in the light. Then another one fell, and another one. Soon, the very chains that bound him slipped away and disappeared. Locke was set free. Having been released from his mobile prison, a single shining hand reached out from the blinding light to touch the first object it had felt in years, the Legendary Demon Sword. As he took up the blade, the light dimmed, revealing Locke¡¯s true form. He was the same species as Pad and Chain. A demon of pure white skin and youthful appearance, with a lean build. Compared to others of his species his grey hair was messy and only shoulder length, but his eyes were still the same piercing blue. Drifter was fascinated with his appearance. He had no idea Locke even had a true form hidden under all those chains. Before he could crack wise to the newly unveiled demon, Locke vanished before him. In that brief second, Drifter couldn¡¯t sense his position, he moved so suddenly he lost track of him, but in the blink of an eye, he reappeared. Without warning, Drifter was struck with the force of a ballistic missile, slamming him to the ground and dragging him across the land, tearing up the terrain as they flew by. They stopped just shy of the edge of the cliff, with Locke standing over Drifter and his sword lodged straight through Drifter''s chest. It wasn¡¯t until Drifter started coughing up blood, that he realised what had just transpired. ¡°Y-you fucker!¡± Drifter sputtered. ¡°Oh? Is that pain you¡¯re experiencing?¡± Locke calmly ridiculed, jamming the blade further in. ¡°How unfortunate.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡± ¡°No one special. Just another demon. A demon, who five years ago, stood up to the monsters that ruled over us, to fight for our freedom, but failed. Nahas, the monster among monsters, sealed me away in chains, for his own sick amusement, to make an example of me. A lesson to all those who dared to fight back against the tyrants that ruled over them. Assuming there was anyone left alive to listen.¡± ¡°Cool¡­ can you get off me now!¡± Locke jiggled the blade, to further irritate Drifter¡¯s nerves, keeping him quiet so he could continue his story. ¡°But, it wasn¡¯t over. Another demon soon appeared, wielding the Legendary Sword, but due to his inexperience he was forced to cast the blade away and then it fell into your ungrateful hands. While you wandered the human world I was banished to the far reaches of the demon world. For five years, burdened by the weight of those chains, I searched for a way home, for hope, and now that hope has come. Nahas and his followers are absent and I have returned to Castle Zaphon, the place where the true king fell. Now, I¡¯m finally ready to bring him back. And what did you accomplish in all this time? Nothing! You used your power selfishly. You helped nobody and killed aimlessly. You¡¯re just as dangerous as the very demons you despise! I will wield this blade and use its power to rid this world of the monsters destroying it. Only then can we finally begin repairing this broken hellscape.¡± Despite having a sword lodged through his chest, Drifter still managed to let out a condescending laugh. ¡°You poor sod¡­ That self-righteous bullshit sounds nice¡­ but in practise¡­ it¡¯s a death sentence, to everyone around you¡­ You think Nahas is going to fight you fairly¡­? That he¡¯ll accept your challenge like a man¡­? He¡¯ll destroy you before you even get the chance¡­ Friends, family, even your memories¡­ nothing is off-limits to that monster¡­ you can¡¯t change anything¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­ you¡¯ve given up¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡° Drifter laid down, with his head looking over the cliff. ¡°I guess I have¡­¡± ¡°A shame¡­¡± Locke pulled the sword out of Drifter, leaving him to bleed out. ¡°What wasted potential.¡± Locke walked away in disappointment as Drifter slowly lost consciousness from blood loss, but just when the dark abyss of death started to descend upon him, random thoughts started flowing through his mind. ¡°Could I really live with myself knowing I let that power fall into the wrong hands¡­?¡± ¡°What if they were some crazy sociopath¡­?¡± ¡°Even I don¡¯t know how deep this well of power goes¡­¡± ¡°Please, take care of yourself¡­¡± That last voice echoed in his mind. An earlier memory from an earlier time, when Drifter still had someone to fight for, reminding him that there¡¯s still one other person he needs to protect, himself. This sudden instinct woke him from his nihilistic trance and triggered an explosion of power. Suddenly, a burst of white light engulfed Drifter¡¯s body as he rose from his bloody stupor. A burst of power Locke felt, without even looking at it. A presence of boundless strength where Drifter¡¯s body lay. Power far beyond anything he¡¯d ever felt before. He faced the fallen warrior, stunned. His aura was practically on fire, his eyes were pupiless, burning white and his wound had completely sealed up. ¡°What is this!?¡± Locke cried. ¡°How much power is this human hiding!? This is several times more than what he used against me! It¡¯s beyond measure!¡± In a flash, Drifter appeared before Locke¡¯s eyes. He instinctively raised the sword and swung down to counterattack, but instead, the white warrior slid back, avoiding the falling blade. With his knees bent, arm pulled back and fist at the ready, the failed attack left Locke wide open and in a second flash, Drifter launched his fist into Locke¡¯s gut. The force sent Locke flying like a burning white rocket, crashing through the iron castle gates and crumpled on the steps to the castle doors. With that, Drifter¡¯s powers wore off. He stumbled for a moment as he regained his senses. ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± He looked around the area, relieved everything was still standing. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re good, nothing exploded, or died¡­ we¡¯re fine¡­¡± Drifter casually strolled over to Locke¡¯s collapsed body. He was still alive, but completely immobilized, he didn¡¯t even have the energy to stand. Drifter reclaimed his sword, sheathing it back in its scabbard. ¡°Sorry¡­ but I¡¯d never forgive myself if I let an idiot like you lose this thing.¡± He loomed over the exhausted demon, who could do nothing but watch, terrified of what he¡¯d do next. Drifter clenched his fist and thrusted it in Locke¡¯s face. He flinched, but slowly realised that the fist never connected, instead it had opened up into a palm. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just messing with ya. Come on, you¡¯ve got shit to do.¡± Locke reached out his hand, and Drifter pulled him to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re helping me? Why?¡± ¡°You seem like a cool guy.¡± ¡°But, you hate demons.¡± ¡°Look, at this point, I¡¯ve realised there¡¯s more important shit going on to let petty prejudices get in the way.¡± ¡°I see¡­ but why didn¡¯t you use that power of yours from the beginning?¡± Drifter sheepishly rubbed his neck. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ thank you for sparing me.¡± ¡°Hey, Pad! You can come out now! Everything¡¯s cool!¡± Pad quickly rejoined the group, having hid on the spiralling stone stairs for her and her child¡¯s safety. ¡°After everything I heard, I was almost certain one of you would die. I¡¯m glad you two have reconciled.¡± ¡°We have?¡± Locke asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need for sappy shit.¡± Drifter explained. ¡°We¡¯re cool.¡± ¡°Right¡­ wait¡­¡± Locke suddenly noticed the young demon, huddled in Pad''s robes. ¡°Pad, you¡¯re¡­ carrying a child?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­? I always keep him tucked away, for safety.¡± ¡°You raised a child in this wasteland?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still very young, but we did our best¡­¡± ¡°Incredible¡­ Drifter¡­ do you now see why we must fight for the future of this world? For the future of our children. Human and demon alike. Please, will you help us?¡± Drifter shrugged. ¡°Got nothing better to do.¡± ¡°Then help us search Castle Zaphon. Hidden within its decrepit walls, the true demon king still sleeps. Alexander.¡± After having a bullet blasted through her head, Catherine¡¯s body lay motionless on the ground while Amanda carried Dale out of danger. Their battle was over. She laid him down on the grass beside Stolz, who was equally exhausted. ¡°You two alright?¡± She asked. ¡°Being cared for by a human¡­ ¡° Stolz lamented. ¡°How humiliating¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Amanda¡­¡± Dale asked, just barely staying conscious. ¡°Does it look bad?¡± ¡°What? The injuries?¡± ¡°No, those¡¯ll heal¡­ I mean my clothes¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ they¡¯re all burnt to hell. Just charred rags now.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ Reine¡¯s gonna be so disappointed¡­¡± ¡°At least you¡¯ve got your priorities straight.¡± ¡°What happened to Catherine?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ I¡­ I did what I had to¡­¡° ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you finish her off?¡± Stolz asked. ¡°What?¡± Amanda responded, baffled. ¡°I just did, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°But, I put a bullet through her head!¡± ¡°And you think that¡¯s enough to stop a demon like her?¡± ¡°I saw her fall! It¡¯s over! Right¡­?¡± ¡°If she were truly dead, the sky would have returned to normal.¡± A feeling of dread washed over Amanda as she looked up into the dark, crimson clouds, still swirling around them. ¡°I told you.¡± Stolz continued. ¡°Only a powerful demon can corrupt the atmosphere. That bullet to the head may have knocked her down, but it won¡¯t finish her. By drawing on the power of the hundreds of deceased, her strength has been significantly magnified. If you really wanted to end this, you would have destroyed her body while she was still unconscious.¡± ¡°But, I shot her in the head!¡± ¡°There are many demons with exceptional endurance and regenerative powers, which are naturally enhanced when their power grows. Even a fatal blow can heal in seconds, if left unattended. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean the recovery period will be pleasant.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You shot her in the head, damaging the brain. I can¡¯t even imagine what kind of mental trauma that must have brought upon her already fragile psyche.¡± ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± Catherine stumbled to her feet. She was cold, confused and scared. Standing naked in the middle of a bloody wasteland, surrounded by death and coated in an oppressive red tinge. She had no understanding of where she was. ¡°Grandpa? Grandma?¡± She meagerly called out, shivering from the frigid wind, unable to recall anything that had happened, her memories having regressed to weeks earlier. She stood in the silence, waiting for a reply but received nothing, she was completely alone. Her body ached, her skin irritated all over, like a stinging rash and her head pounded intensely. She was in pain, and didn¡¯t know why. Catherine tried to remember, but her mind was blank. She desperately tried to stop herself from crying, but tears quickly welled up. ¡°Where am I? What happened to my grandparents? Wh-why am I surrounded by corpses?¡± Her head ached so intensely she couldn¡¯t focus, her vision blurred. It was all like a horrible fever dream, unable to hold on to a single thought before another awful possibility barged into her brain. ¡°Are they dead? Did someone kill them? Did¡­ I kill them? Were we attacked? Was I¡­ violated!? Am I dead!?¡± Anger. Hatred. Fear. Sadness. Shock. Confusion. A maelstrom of emotions amassed in her damaged skull, unable to contain them. She needed release, to purge her disturbing thoughts and to rid herself of her unbearable migraines. And so, she snapped. With a gut wrenching scream that echoed throughout the city, Catherine became overwhelmed by her emotions and her powers exploded. She was engulfed in a burning red aura as the blood swirling around her came to a boil, with the discarded corpses of the demons she had killed melting in the heat. The river of blood and the corpses mixed together creating a thick, moist meaty bag. ¡°Oh, good lord¡­¡° Amanda commented, in awe at the revolting sight. ¡°What is she doing¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dale asked. ¡°I can¡¯t get up, what¡¯s happening?¡± Her screaming suddenly ceased. ¡°Humans¡­ demons¡­ they hate¡­ hate¡­ hate¡­ hate¡­ I hate them! My head¡­ won¡¯t stop throbbing¡­ it won¡¯t stop¡­ why won¡¯t it stop¡­? MAKE IT STOP!¡± As she ranted nonsensically the mold of corpses she created gathered into the sky above her, forming into a massive, dripping cyst. Once it was complete, Catherine quieted down, as tendrils dropped down from the levitating lump, attaching themselves to her limbs, pulling her inside the gruesome floating sack. The sack convulsed at a disturbing rate like a beating heart, as pained, wailing faces formed around the outside of its walls. Crying, hurting, begging for their misery to end. The loathsome, living fortress had become the amalgamation of all the regret and fear of the souls that forged it. Amanda couldn''t begin to comprehend how they were supposed to stop such a monstrosity. ¡°So¡­ on a scale of one to ten, how fucked are we?¡± She asked Stolz. Suddenly one of the wailing faces opened its gaping maw unnaturally wide, snapping its own jaw and painfully fired a massive red laser that tore through the city, vaporising everything in its path, with bursts of flames following behind its trail. ¡°About an eight, I¡¯d say¡­¡± Stolz answered. FINAL CHAPTER: Last Save The doors to Castle Zaphon screeched open, with dust and cobwebs fluttering down from the hinges, with the light of Eden illuminating the dark corridors of the grand foyer. A large staircase laid at the entrance, with short corridors on either side leading to the west and east wings of the castle. Drifter, Locke and Pad entered as the door creaked shut behind them. ¡°Castle Zaphon.¡± Locke explained. ¡°Apparently, it was created as Lucifer¡¯s own personal mansion and over time became the default living space to whomever was crowned the demon king.¡± ¡°Why does it smell like arse in here?¡± Drifter responded. Pad lifted her foot in disgust. ¡°I think I stepped in carpet mold.¡± ¡°Is that the smell?¡± Locke snapped his fingers. ¡°Focus, Drifter. We¡¯re here to find Alexander. This castle isn¡¯t very large, we should have no trouble if we split up and search.¡± ¡°He¡¯s up there.¡± Drifter pointed to the large doors at the top of the staircase. ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s faint, like a dying candle light, but I can sense a demonic presence behind those doors.¡± ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s tread carefully, in case it¡¯s an enemy¡­¡± Slowly creeping up the unpolished stairs, the three of them quietly snuck up to the door. They listened in, but heard nothing from the other side. Locke delicately held the handle, pulled down and lightly pushed the door open, to just a crack. Then Drifter battered the door wide open with a powerful kick. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Locke yelled. ¡°Got bored.¡± ¡°Have you no subtlety?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one here.¡± ¡°But, what if there was!?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d beat them up.¡± The room was decorated like a medieval study, with a desk, chair and bookcases lining the walls and a window opposite the door, as faint rays of light seeped in through the ragged, worn out curtains. ¡°You sure this place belonged to Lucifer?¡± Drifter questioned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look nearly old enough.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, this style of architecture does seem different from the rest of the demon world.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± Pad gasped as she rushed into the room. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Embedded in the wall, just behind the desk was the visage of a demon, sealed in stone. They looked as if they had been crucified, with their arms and legs melting into the wall. Even encased in rock, it was obvious the creature was of the same species as Locke and Pad, but taller. ¡°Is this him?¡± Drifter asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Locked answered. ¡°Can you still sense his life force?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s definitely alive in there.¡± ¡°But, how do we get him out?¡± ¡°The same we got you out.¡± Drifter slid over the desk to approach the fossilised demon. Their eyes were closed, making it impossible to tell whether they were still conscious. He pulled out his sword and leaned it against the demon¡¯s body. The blade began to glow, reacting to the demon inside. Cracks appeared and pieces of stone flaked off. Light shone from underneath the casing as more pieces were stripped away until the king was set free. He fell to the floor on his knees, as the newly awakened being slowly regained his senses. The demon looked down at Drifter with a blank, disinterested stare. His hair was long, curly and stringy, drooping over one side of his face, but most notable was his five o¡¯clock shadow. ¡°Are you¡­ human?¡± He muttered. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°The sword¡­ CORE¡­ has fallen into human hands?¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°You¡­ used it to free me?¡± ¡°You going somewhere with this?¡± Out of nowhere, the demon embraced Drifter in a powerful hug. ¡°I¡¯m so grateful!¡± ¡°Uh¡­. that¡¯s nice¡­ please let me go¡­¡± ¡°What? I thought that was how humans showed gratitude toward each other. Am I mistaken?¡± ¡°No¡­ I just find it uncomfortable.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­ how about a handshake?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± Drifter reached out his hand and the tall demon grabbed hold and shook. ¡°Come on, human. You got to use a more powerful grip than that.¡± ¡°Who the fuck is this guy?¡± The demon suddenly rummaged through the drawers of the desk, searching for something. ¡°Ah, thought he put you here.¡± It was a large, black, stetson cowboy hat. The brim was round at the front, but extended into two sharp points at the back. He seemed pretty happy to have found it, like he was finally complete again. He looked over to Pad and smiled. ¡°Hey, sis. Is that a baby? Congrats.¡± Drifter stood in stunned, dumbfounded silence as Pad rushed over to her brother crying. ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again! I thought you were dead!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t really think they could kill me that easily, did you?¡± ¡°You two are siblings!?¡± Drifter yelled. ¡°Well, duh¡­ can¡¯t you see the resemblance?¡± ¡°What¡­ Locke, are you his brother too!?¡± Locke grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. We don¡¯t even have the same eyes.¡± Drifter couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the demon king!?¡± The wannabe cowboy looked confused. ¡°I am?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Alexander, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, did Pad tell you about me?¡± ¡°No, Locke did!¡± ¡°Locke?¡± Alexander looked over at the demon beside Drifter. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that guy before in my life.¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­ holy fuck¡­ I need to sit down.¡± Drifter hobbled over to the nearest chair and slumped into it. Locke stepped in. ¡°Alexander, do you remember the demon locked in chains?¡± ¡°The one who got his ass kicked by Nahas?¡± ¡°That was me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ man you got wrecked.¡± ¡°Hold on¡­¡± Drifter added. ¡°So, you two don¡¯t actually know each other?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Locke you lying cunt! You said this guy was your king!¡± Locke scratched his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it literally.¡± ¡°No! Of course not! That¡¯d make too much fucking sense!¡± ¡°After witnessing their father¡¯s death, I challenged Nahas of my own volition and failed. But before I was banished, I witnessed Alexander¡¯s battle and was captivated by his power. Even though he too lost, his selfless and righteous demeanour made him a far better candidate for demon king than anyone of those monsters. I knew I had to meet him again.¡± ¡°You mean this whole time you were just some fucking sperg, poking his stupid fat nose into someone else¡¯s business, just because you fucking felt like it!?¡± ¡°When you put it that way, you make me sound like an insane fool.¡± Drifter immediately chucked a book at Locke¡¯s face and moved on. ¡°And you.¡± He addressed Alexander. ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Pad wandered into the Garden of Eden when she was young and our father was killed as punishment. I disagreed, and took action. It¡¯s not complicated.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡­ just couldn¡¯t forgive them. I always knew they were corrupt, but blatant murder? That was the last straw. I didn¡¯t care about the consequences, they stole my father and my sister, so I took the legendary blade and used it to confront Nahas and his sycophants, but I lost¡­¡± ¡°Legendary blade?¡± ¡°CORE¡­ It¡¯s been in my family for generations, buried in a secret location. Father told me that in the wrong hands, that sword¡¯s power was borderline apocalyptic. Using it was forbidden, but I couldn¡¯t just sit by and let those monsters destroy my family, not when they were the only thing I had left." ¡°So, do you want it back, or what?¡± ¡°Well, in my humble opinion, as a previous wielder, I can tell, just from looking, that you¡¯ve drawn out way more power than I ever could. Hell, you¡¯d probably give Nahas a run for his money.¡± ¡°Nahas¡­ Do you know anything about him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s certainly got quite the history. You see¡­ in the ancient past, this world used to be illuminated by the light of Lucifer, but he was usually distracted by his fascination with humans and their world. Then, one day, he completely vanished. According to rumours, his fascination got the better of him and that Legendary Demon Sword somehow played a part in his downfall. After retrieving the sword, Lucifer¡¯s second in command, Cherubim took over and used his powers to create a barrier between our worlds as a precaution, but after his death the demon world began its descent into ruin. As time went on, Cherubim¡¯s barrier weakened and about twenty years ago, our father and a few of his comrades discovered they could conjure portals to the human world again, just like the demons of the old days. However, this didn¡¯t become common knowledge throughout the rest of the demon world until yours truly used that same trick to throw CORE away. Incidentally, this sweet hat was a souvenir from one of my father¡¯s visits to the human world.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad we¡¯re all familiar with the backstory of your hat, but what about Nahas?¡± ¡°After Cherubim died, as a fellow follower of Lucifer, Nahas appointed himself demon king. Not that anyone had the power to protest this decision. That tyrant¡®s nothing but a monster. He cared for nothing but himself and plunged our world into ruin, all while he basked in the only light we had left. I have no doubt that if it weren¡¯t for Cherubim¡¯s barrier, the human world would be at his mercy as well. You guys got lucky.¡± There was a silence as Drifter spent a moment taking it all in. ¡°Satisfied?¡± Locke asked. ¡°No¡­ you fucking idiots¡­¡± Drifter responded. ¡°Because you stupid cunts, trying to take down your oppressive ruler, my whole world fell into chaos. God knows how many human lives were lost, all because you opened that fucking portal right where Nahas could see it!¡± ¡°We can only apologise¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m perfect either¡­¡± ¡°The real problem is that we¡¯ve been fighting alone.¡± Alexander interjected. ¡°But, what if the three of us teamed up? I mean, as long as Nahas is around, neither of our worlds will ever find peace. So, there¡¯s no point in fighting each other. How about it? Drifter, Locke? Wanna crush Nahas together?¡± Locke nodded in agreement. ¡°Obviously. What about you Drifter?¡± ¡°Sure. Wandering around aimlessly was getting stale, anyway.¡± The three formed an alliance, all fighting for a common goal: Defeat Nahas. ¡°We should return to the human world.¡± Locke suggested. ¡°Nahas¡¯ forces could still be causing chaos as we speak.¡± Drifter¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Oh shit¡­ I forgot about that¡­ Meh, I¡¯m sure it won''t be that hard to clean up.¡± ¡°What in the shitting hell is that?¡± Upon his return to the human world, Drifter was greeted by a massive pulsating tumour, floating in the sky, vomiting lasers in all directions, tearing up the countryside as it ominously inched in the direction of the bridge to the mainland. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Shocked by his sudden appearance, Amanda marched over to the bemused vagabond. ¡°Drifter! It¡¯s about time you got your sorry ass back here! Where the hell have you been!?¡± ¡°Demon world.¡± He answered, bluntly. ¡°Well, what took you so long!? And who are they!?¡± She asked of the demons who followed Drifter from the portal. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Drifter introduced them by pointing to each one. ¡°Pad, Locke, Alexander and the baby¡¯s named Key.¡± ¡°Wha- Who are they!?¡± ¡°Pad, Locke, Alexander and the baby¡¯s named Key.¡± ¡°I meant in relation to you, smart ass!¡± ¡°Alright, speak more clearly next time. They¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Since when do you have friends!?¡± ¡°Since about five minutes ago.¡± ¡°Do you have a fever? Are you being brainwashed? What happened in there?¡± ¡°Can we talk about this later? I think the giant pus ball spewing lasers everywhere is more important.¡± ¡°Drifter!¡± Called a voice, as a raggedy young man limped over. ¡°Holy shit, Dale.¡± Drifter chuckled at the sight of the boy¡¯s charred rags. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°I was set on fire¡­¡± ¡°And you survived!?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it, Drifter¡­¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Be a hero¡­ There were hundreds of snake demons and I tried to spare them. We all worked together too. I even convinced them to leave when they were beat, but instead of running away, they just found another victim to torture, and that new victim slaughtered every last one of them¡­ How can any creature be so cruel and stupid? Why couldn¡¯t they just leave!?¡± ¡°The fact that you fought an army of monsters and lived is impressive enough. You gave them a chance and they fucked it up, don¡¯t beat yourself up over it, or you¡¯ll end up like me.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re not berating me? I didn¡¯t know you were capable of empathising like a normal human being.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay cunt. Don¡¯t take the piss.¡± ¡°But¡­ I couldn¡¯t save Catherine either.¡± Locke shoved Drifter aside. ¡°What was that about Catherine!?¡± ¡°She went berserk. Lost control of her powers. She wiped out the entire army of demons in a blind rage and then tried to kill us, too. We couldn''t get through to her, we were forced to fight her and now¡­ she¡¯s closed herself off in that giant, flesh fortress.¡± Locke fell to his knees in disgrace. ¡°Catherine¡­ I had no idea she was suffering this much¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have left her here on her own! She wasn¡¯t ready yet!¡± ¡°That flesh fortress is impenetrable.¡± Amanda explained. ¡°It¡¯s way too high up, even my weapons peter out before they can reach it and we¡¯re all too worn out to try anything else.¡± Drifter analysed the horrible monstrosity. Using his senses he could feel the power of each individual demon that was molded into crafting the unholy bulbous balloon. Hundreds of souls swarming together into a giant ball of destructive energy, more powerful than any individual demon Drifter had ever faced. However, locked away, deep in the depths of the ball of scorn was a single tepid soul. It was separate from the amalgamation, an independent entity, unconsciously controlling the fortress from the inside. It became obvious to Drifter that this soul was the core of the beast. The nucleus holding its dead cells together. The source of its power. If he wanted to bring down the sobbing cyst, he needed to remove that soul. ¡°If that thing reaches the mainland, it¡¯ll be total chaos.¡± Amanda reasoned. ¡°Catherine has to be stopped, no matter the cost.¡± Drifter took a deep breath. ¡°Geez¡­ can¡¯t imagine what kind of shit you guys had to put up with while I was gone, and after all that work, this flying blood soaked turd was your reward? That¡¯s just annoying. I don¡¯t know whether you should scream, or cry, or give up and laugh¡­ I think you need a break. Let me finish this.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Dale yelled. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill her, are you!?¡± ¡°Nah¡­ I¡¯m going to save her.¡± Bathed in a white aura, Drifter blasted off at top speed, leaving the others in the dust. All they could do was wait and hope Drifter knew what he was doing. As he made his way out of the city, the flesh fortress, despite being far off in the distance, still detected his presence as a face morphed onto its back, firing a massive red laser to try and keep Drifter away. Of course, Drifter had plenty of time to dodge, ducking and weaving around the searing wave of heat. As he closed in, the fortress switched tactics as hundreds of tiny faces formed on its surface, heaving a hailstorm of small red energy bullets to smother the sprinting swordsman. Unable to avoid all of the shots, Drifter took a gamble. He pulled out his sword and using his power, levitated it, slightly in front of him, in an upright position. Maintaining this state was tricky, but it was working surprisingly well for a trick he came up with on the fly. Next he pulled down on the sword¡¯s handle, spinning it like the wheel of a ship. It span at such speeds it turned into a blurry shield, deflecting the blanket of bullets raining down on him, clearing a path forward. The flesh fortress moved at a snail¡¯s pace, allowing Drifter to take cover underneath the floating hellspawn at a casual walking speed. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s pop this zit.¡± Drifter tossed his sword straight into the center of the fortress¡¯ surface. Upon contact, there was a massive flash of white light. The sword returned, leaving a large crater on the underside. ¡°Damn. Thought it¡¯d blast a hole right through¡­¡± The crater suddenly morphed into another wailing face and fired a red laser right on top of Drifter. However, the power of his burning aura alone, shielded him against the pressure of the consuming energy. ¡°Not bad¡­ but your beam¡¯s like coal¡­ it lacks density¡­ let me show you what a diamond can do!¡± Drifter pointed a single finger to the sky, gathering energy into the tip, until there was a small, crackling white spark. Once ready, he fired the spark as it pushed back against the burning red plasma. That single spark of light pushed back against the large laser and slowly drove it back toward the mouth, but the pained expression of the face suddenly intensified. Its jaw dislocated, forcing it open wider as its eyes rolled back from the strain. The beam darkened, as it focused more of its energy, growing denser. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Expertly reading the situation, Drifter bailed. He ran out from under the fortress and took cover, as the beam forced the spark into the ground, obliterating the road beneath it. ¡°Guess my usual tricks won¡¯t work against this fat fucking behemoth.¡± Wasting no time, Drifter leapt on top of the fortress, stabbing his sword into the center. This time, instead of using a fraction of his power to throw his sword and detonate it, he instead directly pumped as much power as he needed to forcibly rip open a gaping gash in the beast¡¯s belly. Unfortunately, he was given no time to charge up the power necessary when eight mysterious figures rose up from the liquefying flesh around him. The mounds of rippling skin cells solidified into grotesque, bleeding copies of Catherine. All of whom closed in to attack Drifter. ¡°Fuck that¡¯s gross¡­¡± He complained, disturbed by their likeness to the undead. As the flesh clones lunged at him, Drifter was forced to defend himself, or risk being devoured, but this proved difficult once the flesh under his boots melted, holding his feet in place like quicksand. He had no choice but to pull out his sword and fight off the clones, while glued in place, completely at their mercy. He slashed away, cutting off limbs and heads, splitting them in half and yet, it meant nothing as they were just constructs created from dead cells. They could not die and continued to resurrect indefinitely. They relentlessly assaulted Drifter, much to his annoyance. Soon managing to get close enough to grab at his back and legs. ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of your shit!¡± They couldn¡¯t penetrate his jacket, but they peeled at the skin on his legs. ¡°Will you fuck off!?¡± Then they started biting and gnawing on his legs and shoulder. ¡°I said FUCK OFF!¡± Drifter suddenly exploded in a bright light that vaporised the flesh clones plaguing him and freeing him from the fortress¡¯ grip. Clearly attacking from the top was far too much of a hassle. As if reacting to Drifter¡¯s sudden explosive power on instinct, the flesh fortress suddenly shot forward at insane speeds, throwing Drifter off its back and onto the hard tarmac below. ¡°What the hell was that!?¡± Drifter looked up at the fortress and caught a glimpse of two faces spewing red flames from the back of the cyst. ¡°Jets!? It has fucking jets!? Goddammit! At that speed, Catherine will reach the mainland in just a few minutes! Fuck!¡± Frustration clouded his mind, but he knew he didn¡¯t have time to bitch and moan, he needed to act. He took a deep breath to calm himself. ¡°Welp, this is it, Drifter¡­ You can¡¯t afford to hold back, not this time. Don¡¯t think about what might happen, just stop Catherine.¡± His white aura flared up like white flames and with a massive boom, he rocketed down the road, leaving a streak of white fire in his wake. As he gradually caught up, Drifter surveyed his surroundings, looking for any possible way he could reach higher ground. He knew where Catherine was inside the fortress, but in order to free her, he needed to come at her from the right angle, but with the exception of fragile trees, the countryside was flat and barren, with nothing to climb. That was, until the suspension bridge came into view in the distance. The towers near the entrance, connected by the main cables, provided the perfect height for what Drifter had planned. He kicked into high gear and streaked past the jet propelled flesh fortress, beating it to the bridge. Drifter put on the brakes and slid down the road, stopping just shy of Richard and his car. Richard just stood there, petrified by the ominous flying monstrosity barreling straight for him, but was thrilled to see Drifter had returned. ¡°Nice of you to show up at the last minute!¡± He yelled. ¡°Hey, ginger twat.¡° He greeted, putting a hand on the officer¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do me a favour, when this is over, could you come give me a lift?¡± ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± ¡°Booking a one way flight.¡± Drifter ran up the bridge cable to the top of the support tower. He was perfectly lined up with the flesh fortress¡¯ position. As the ball of dead cells drew near, Drifter gathered up as much power as he needed, his aura, shifting into a ball of white light around him that melted the steel beams he was perched on. He needed to be careful, charging too much power at once could destroy the metal beneath him, he had to gather his strength at a moderate pace, but also needed enough to penetrate the flesh fortress¡¯ defenses. ¡°Stay calm¡­ stay in control¡­ stay focused¡­¡­¡­ NOW!¡± The second he hit his limit, he launched himself at the fortress like a human missile. With sword in hand, he was ready to pierce through the thick wall of flesh as he soared at the speed of sound, but not without the fortress putting up a resistance. A giant face morphed onto the front of the fortress. With an ear splitting scream, it fired one final laser to stop Drifter. A dark, dense, blood red beam that clashed with his sword. Locked in a clash, Drifter and Catherine went all in on their final gambits to overpower the other. Drifter fueling his ballistic charge with CORE and Catherine desperately trying to push him back as stray plasma deflected off of Drifter¡¯s sword ripping up the terrain around them. ¡°Incredible¡­¡± Drifter thought to himself. ¡°I can¡¯t remember the last time I felt a rush like this. Catherine¡­ you¡¯re the first opponent to force me to play at my best. Fighting for the sole purpose of saving you, it¡¯s like a part of my soul, I thought I killed dead, suddenly reawakened. I¡¯ll have to thank you for that, later. But, right now, I can¡¯t let you win! This isn¡¯t even close to reaching the sheer depths of CORE¡¯s power! Hell, I don¡¯t even know how far this rabbit hole goes, but it¡¯s about time I did some digging! It''s time I lived up to CORE''s reputation and showed you a power deserving of the title of Legendary!!¡± With a roaring battle cry, Drifter¡¯s power skyrocketed. In a burst of blinding light, his body turned into a black blur within his raging, ivory flames. Rather than push back against the scarlet energy, he drilled straight through it, carving into the beam itself. Within seconds, he blasted through the gaping maw of the fortress and burst out the other side, eviscerating the back side of the beast in a sea of flames and smoke, soaring over the horizon, leaving the empty shell of dead cells to plunge into the side of the road. Engulfed in flames, the flesh fortress bled profusely, as it crashed and burned in a field, beside the bridge. Richard crawled out from behind his car, sweating profusely. ¡°Fuck me, man¡­ bastard nearly gave me a heart attack¡­¡± Amanda looked up to the sky in disbelief. ¡°The clouds are clearing up.¡± ¡°Are they okay?¡± Dale asked aloud. ¡°They¡¯re just fine, kid.¡± Alexander answered. ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°Look here they come now.¡± They all looked to the sky, as a white streak flew overhead. ¡°Holy shit! He¡¯s flying!¡± The white streak soared over the horizon, behind some buildings, followed by an earth shaking crash. ¡°I¡¯d say that was more¡­ falling¡­¡± Amanda corrected. In a football field, on the other side of the city, laid a massive strip of freshly ripped earth. Huddled in a pit of dirt and mud, created from the impact lay Drifter, clutching tightly onto the unconscious body of Catherine, whom he ripped right out of the core of her own flesh fortress. Drifter pulled himself up, as he regained his senses. ¡°Fucking hell¡­ women¡­¡± After a few minutes, Catherine finally awoke from her slumber and pulled herself up. Upon seeing Drifter, she immediately went on the offensive, wildly pounding on his chest with her fists, but they did nothing. Her beastial, demonic fever had passed and she was far too drained to pose a threat¡­ and she knew it. ¡°It¡¯s over, Catherine¡­ you can stop.¡± Drifter explained. With a final limp punch, her head drooped down as the waterworks started up again. ¡°Um, why are you crying?¡± ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m a monster¡­¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not, you¡¯re a demon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference¡­?¡± ¡°Monsters don¡¯t cry.¡± She suddenly looked up at Drifter¡¯s face. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Monsters don¡¯t feel remorse, or sadness, or regret. They only destroy. Is that what you are?¡± Catherine backed off, she wasn¡¯t used to seeing this side of Drifter. ¡°Here.¡± He took off his coat and held it out. ¡°You look a little chilly, unless you really do have some sort of freaky exoskeleton.¡± Her face turned red upon realising she was completely naked, grabbing his coat immediately. She threw it over herself as the two sat on the benches at the side of the pitch. ¡°So¡­ how are you feeling?¡± Drifter asked. Catherine just stared into the distance. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡­ killed so many of them and was consumed by so many emotions. When I gave into my demonic side, I finally felt free¡­ like I could do anything. No holding back, no pretending. I could finally be the demon I knew I¡¯d always been. After that, I became a bloodthirsty knight who only cared about taking the life of their next victim.¡± ¡°Have you always felt like this?¡± ¡°Even when growing up at the orphanage, I always knew I was different from the other kids. The caretakers would always tell me not to be so mean and violent. To not bully the smaller kids just because I was stronger than them. It took a while, but eventually I learned to repress my urges and be nicer. I think on some level, the caretakers knew I wasn¡¯t human. The horns and tail never seemed to bother them though, they still treated me like any other kid, but I was never allowed to be adopted. They were terrified of what might happen. They didn¡¯t want some asshole turning me into a media freakshow, or worse. So, I stayed behind and watched as kids came and went, even my only friend. I was all alone, until Locke showed up. After spending years questioning myself, not understanding who, or what I was, thinking I was some kind of freak, Locke explained everything. I wasn¡¯t a freak, but I wasn¡¯t human either. I was a demon and there were more out there. Eventually, I was adopted by one of the caretakers'' parents. By that point I was old enough to hide my identity on my own, and with them, I could live a semi-normal life, all while secretly keeping in contact with Locke, to never lose that connection to my true identity. Then, five years ago, more demons showed up. At the time I couldn¡¯t believe it, I didn¡¯t have to hide anymore, I could finally be myself. But it was just a stupid pipe dream. Demons wreaked havoc across the country and became public enemy number one. I was heartbroken. Now more than ever, I had to keep my identity a secret. If I ever wanted to be accepted into human society, I needed to hide my demonic side at all costs, not just for myself, but to protect my grandparents too, so when they died, I didn¡¯t have a reason to hold back any more¡­ But, buried underneath all that negativity and violent demonic urges, all I really wanted was¡­ acceptance.¡± ¡°Um¡­ shit¡­¡± Catherine¡¯s story was a lot for Drifter to take in, but at least now, he finally understood where she was coming from. ¡°Well, I told you mine, what about yours?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± ¡°But, I want to know. Please, Drifter. Who are you?¡± ¡°After all the shit you put us through, you still have the gall to give me the angry eyes?¡± ¡°What if I gave you the sad eyes instead?¡± ¡°Oh for¡­ f-fine¡­ but, keep it between us, okay? I hate sharing sob stories.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°My memory ends about five years ago. The early days are a bit fuzzy, but I can recall running from something and that I was a mess. Until, one day, I saved the life of this upper class lady from a demon. When she asked me my name, I couldn¡¯t remember. She said I must be some sort of drifter and like a dumb, retard, I just took that as my name. She was so thankful, she hired me as her family¡¯s personal bodyguard. From then on, I lived with them in their fancy manor in Little Aston, protecting the neighbourhood and by extension, the city from demon attacks. They may have been rich twats, but they were nice rich twats. Life was good, for a short while, but I soon remembered why I stayed on the move in the first place. Those demons¡­ they weren¡¯t just attacking Birmingham for no reason, they were after me, or more specifically, my sword. Fighting them was easy, but each new foe was more dangerous than the last. I did everything I could to protect my new family, but then¡­ all hell broke loose. On a trip to the city, hundreds of snake demons rained down from the sky and those things were monsters. Murder, mass destruction, devouring the innocent. Within minutes, the entire city fell into chaos. No one was safe and no one could stop them. I was paralysed. Do I stay behind and protect my family, or defend the city? Save as many people as I can, or slay as many demons as I could find? I was completely overwhelmed. I had never experienced an attack of this scale before. Then, he showed up. That horrible, serpentine shadow, Nahas. I could barely make out his form, or even strike at it. As the world was dying around me, he grabbed the woman who took me in and held her up like a toy, taunting me. Before I could even comprehend what he was doing, Nahas ripped her in half before my eyes and tossed her body away like trash. After that¡­ I broke¡­ and everything went white. When I regained consciousness, I was standing in a crater, surrounded by nothing. The entire city of Birmingham¡­ gone. All I could do was run away¡­ it was a miracle no one saw me. I found out later, a massive explosion of white light erased the entire city. Since those snake demons were there, everyone assumed they were the culprits, but I knew. I wasn¡¯t stupid. I destroyed Birmingham. Ever since, I¡¯ve taken special care to keep my powers under strict control, to never use any more than what¡¯s necessary, so something like that never happened again.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ no wonder you¡¯re so good at wielding that sword¡¯s power. But, what happened after that? What have you done all this time?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ I avoided people, fought demons and gradually stopped caring about anything. As long as there were demons around, I could never live peacefully. But you know what the worst part is? I can¡¯t even remember her name¡­¡± Catherine sympathised. There was a reason why Drifter was the way he was, but still she couldn¡¯t help but shudder thinking about his story. ¡°If Newport hadn¡¯t been evacuated beforehand, I could have caused a second incident¡­¡± ¡°Guess you¡¯re not so different from humans after all.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ we''re both a couple of fuck ups.¡± ¡°There you are.¡± A familiar cop car drove onto the field, as Richard greeted the two. ¡°When you said you wanted a lift, I didn¡¯t expect you to be halfway across the damn island.¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time to head back, Catherine.¡± ¡°Back where?¡± ¡°To the others.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Locke¡¯s waiting for you.¡± ¡°Locke¡¯s alive!?¡± ¡°And better than ever, you won¡¯t even recognise him.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him?¡± ¡°Look, we¡¯re all stuck in this boat together. So, what do you say? You got the guts to come with us?¡± ¡°Of course! But, before that¡­ Can we make a quick stop? I want to put some proper clothes on.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, we should do that.¡± As the Sun was setting, everyone gathered by the bridge entrance, waiting for those two to return. The car came over the horizon and parked in front of them. Catherine with her new shirt, jeans and boots exited the car, with Drifter following. She didn¡¯t bother with the hat, as it wasn¡¯t needed anymore. Catherine was confused at first, but upon hearing his voice, she immediately rushed over to Locke, overjoyed that her big brother was finally free of his prison. Drifter was shocked too, mostly at how many of his enemies returned to help when he wasn¡¯t around. It was a little embarrassing. ¡°Geez¡­ and all because some little blonde cunt, refused to leave me alone.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t get rid of me if you tried.¡± Dale replied, apparently, having done some clothes shopping of his own. ¡°Drifter.¡± Alexander called. ¡°The monsters that showed up were definitely snake demons, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, so Nahas really was behind this.¡± ¡°It seems like he¡¯s starting to make some bold moves. If we don¡¯t find that son of a bitch, both human and demonkind will never know peace.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not much of a detective, so I¡¯ll let you handle that shit.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m better at punching things, you just point me in the right direction.¡± Drifter walked on by, toward the bridge. ¡°Hold up!¡± Dale called. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving without me!¡± ¡°What¡­? Yeah, sure, whatever¡­¡± ¡°Or me!¡± Amanda added. ¡°This Nahas guy sounds like a real piece of work, so I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help bring him down.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ I mean¡­ one more couldn¡¯t hurt¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Called a voice. ¡°What the fu-! Oh¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ want to go too!¡± Catherine pleaded. ¡°Just like how you learned to control your powers, I want to learn how to control mine! I want to fight for all the demons out there who just want to live in peace, like Pad and Spinal. I want to show the world that there are demons out there that aren¡¯t monsters.¡± Drifter sighed. ¡°Goddammit¡­¡± ¡°Was that a no¡­?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Dale interrupted. ¡°As if we¡¯d turn down an offer from someone as strong as you, right Drifter?¡± Drifter saw the determined look in Catherine¡¯s eyes. He had developed a fondness for her, one he¡¯d never admit to, but before he could accept her, there was one final question that he needed an answer to. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Twenty?¡± ¡°Thank God¡­ I didn¡¯t want to babysit another dumb kid.¡± Drifter, Dale, Amanda and Catherine. Victims of a cruel world that took everything from them, have found the will to fight and take back control of their lives. They all followed different paths, but somehow, through their aimless wandering, those separate paths have coverged together. Now, they walk the same path, a path they hope will lead them to a better future.