Truly, Demons Have No Shame or Honor

…

From the dark meadows, a figure of a middle-aged man emerges. It was the one that referred as Toma's 'uncle'. His body generates purplish aura, his eyes emit reddened flash, and he walks like a zombie. He even sounded like one.

Shortly, the man collapsed himself to the ground. And like Toma Zil, he disintegrates the flesh and bones off his body, reforming himself into his actual self.

The midnight has become far more serpentine than ever.

Ognist clenches his sword harder, "Be on guard," he said to his colleagues.

Gust of breeze wind enhances the nightlife with further dreadfulness. The middle-aged man doesn't appear human anymore. But unlike the demon general, the man has an actual body.

Lack of visibility during night makes it harder to see what was taking form, however. Only two sources of lights coming from Ognist and Scias made it visible, but even that's not quite enough.

Slowly yet creepily, the man emerges small spines ranging from five to eight of them on his back slowly growing bigger than himself. His skin that was once human now turned into scale of a monster. Its nose now expands into a big snout with a sharp object emerging from the tip, which seemingly is a horn. Flashes of red color reflections are seen from it. Shortly, vines that shared the shape of chains emerged from his head. That creature is an abomination. Not long afterwards, the creature's body enlarges himself. Larger than ever instilling fear to whoever sees it.

But suddenly, a gigantic burst of fire incinerated the creature before it can accomplish taking form. The fire came from Ognist, whom has a match with fire blazing on its tip aimed towards the creature.

Toma grits in anger upon the dragonian in an instant. "Grrr! How dare you!"

"Do you think I would let an abomination took shape completely? Best to get rid of them before they do," Ognist stated while promptly throwing away the match, switching back to his sword that was stabbed into the ground.

"My mouth is getting sour again…" he muttered quietly while swinging his sword in a quick stance, followed by his fellow dragonians.

Suddenly, his senses tingled rapidly. Ognist immediately searches his front to see what gave the chills to his spine.

Unbelievably, the towering large flame in front of him slowly diminishes. From it, emerges a much bigger creature. Its eyes wildly stare at Ognist with killing intent.

"You got to be kidding me. That monster is immune to my fire?" he piqued.

Shortly thereafter, the demon general laughs uncontrollably. "HAAAHAHA! Do you really think he would succumb to your magic? That fire magic of yours is just a tickle to him!"

"BEHOLD! My strongest underling! Doutha!"

In the end of the demon's intro, the gigantic creature roars deafeningly.

"Now… let us begin!"

…

Doutha's eyes are visible for its size. It stare the dragonians viciously. It readies itself to charge, making the dragonians prepare to welcome it unto their swings of power.

And so the four-legged monster charges forth from its back feet. But in midway, it suddenly blasted its right feet unto the ground, breaking it apart. It changed course immediately, rampaging any object within its path.

"What the—

Doutha charges at Marco's party instead under the command of Toma. The short demon general knows well that Marco and his friends are not in their prime, thus they are much vulnerable. He himself plunged into the charge as well, dashing through the field unto the unsuspecting party.

"First I must finish off these humans before they become a bigger hindrance. They're weak as of now, so it will not be hard to kill them!"

Marco pulled his gun out, but he realized he won't make it, "Dammit! He's too quick!" He quickly changes move and tries to protect both Aily and Pio while Scias tries to pull Nina away from its path.

*ROOOOAARRRRR!!!*

Suddenly, a massive roar is heard followed by a blast of wind in the area. Shortly, a large creature bludgeoned its head unto the charging behemoth, piercing through its scaly hide with his dragon horns.

"Herr Marco! I shalt not let zee die in ze hands of 'tis impudent being! I shalt not forgive zee if zee die here! I shalt be ze one who will defeat zee!!!"

Zeugen had changed into his dragon form. He charged at the behemoth successfully. But it didn't end there. From many orifices in his body, hazy clouds emerge wildly. He lets out a louder roar, whereas right in front of his head between his skin and the behemoth's skin, a large green magic circle is generated. Shortly, a massive blast of wind sends the behemoth off his horn and breaks into several trees in its flying direction.

The demon general quickly halts his move and is astounded for seeing his one and only underling received a deadly blow from the dragonians. His mouth that comprised of sharp teeth can only wobble in uncertainty. His eyes tints in irate.

Even so, Toma neglects him and charges forth at Marco directly, who was defending Aily and Pio respectively. "Doutha shall not be defeated that easily," he yelled hoarsely. "I will consume you, Marco!!"

The demon scarily charges in insane speed towards the explorer. In a sense of panic, Marco tries to reach for his short sword. Scias' eyes widens as he stances to save his best buddy. Aily covers Pio. Neither of them have the time to deflect the demon's attack.

Suddenly, a spiral of flame generates in an instant in front of Marco. Within less than a second, the demon's arms to shoulders got incinerated and sliced to dicey bits. In the wake of the fire, Ognist appears in a blink of an eye, defending the human party.

"Fire Sword Art – Vortex Blaze"

The demon avoids any incoming slashes meticulously. After gaining some distance, the demon remarks angrily as he noticed the dragonian, "You again…!"

In three seconds, the demon regenerates his entire arms back.

The fire dragonian now stands in front of the battered party. He then speaks to Toma, "You have regeneration skill. Moreover, it's insanely fast. With that alone, I suppose you can conquer these lands without worrying losing your life."

"I am no masochist like that yutz, Dantalion. Having the ability to regenerate does help in some way but it didn't remove the pain off my ass," said Toma composedly.

"But you are in fact, a sadist. Hunting down a downed foe with your full strength… truly, demons have no shame or honor."

"Don't say like you know everything, you dragon."

…

A short pause, yet the two glared at each other. Doutha is clashing with Zeugen and Taizun, rising smoke can be seen covering the twinkling stars in the sky because of their battle.

Toma charges in once again to attack Ognist. The both clashed in a fast speed, unseen by simple sights. As the two send their attacks rapidly to one another, Marco's friends regrouped with him.

"Marco!" Scias called.

"Marco, you okay?" Nina quickly asked while examining him.

"…" Marco clenches his fist in aggravation. He smashed it into the field, shocking Aily and Pio. "It makes me mad. I… I felt tricked and betrayed."

"M… Marco…" said Aily while getting off Marco's cradle.

"The boy I thought as innocent was a demon that wanted to consume us. I never felt this betrayed…" Marco stated as he felt miserable, angry, and aggravated.

Marco observed the battlefield with his fellow party members.

Heavily sweating in the tough situation they're in, Marco remarks again, "I can't see those series of attacks. I can't follow them at all!"

"It's obvious, Marco. The level of demon general of the world of Tellus is no joke. They're on a different world," said Nina. "We cannot comprehend or even reach their state, yet."

"I wish to slay that demon for tricking us this far. But still… I can only rely on my bullets. I'm still low on mana energy…" said Marco seriously while loading a bullet into his gun. "I cannot force myself to use magic, or else, I will end up dying. Even with bullets alone won't make it, I fear."

"Pio will kill that demon for making Mister Marco mad!" said Pio while showing another knife coming from under her cape. "Pio can see that demon's movement a little! Pio thinks Mister Scias can also see him!"

"I can," said Scias replying shortly. "I can go head to head against him probably a few minutes, judging from my experience in battling Dantalion."

Suddenly, something smashed through the ground so hard that it created a tunnel. Shortly, fire starts in that hole as if that hole is a gateway to hell.

Ognist then landed just in front of the party with several scratch injuries.

"Ognist!" Marco shouted.

"Let me heal you!" Nina stated while having her healing magic active already.

"Urgh, that's helpful, much obliged, lady," said Ognist in a quick manner. "Don't force yourself. I sense your mana energy would be wipe clean if you continuously using it," he stated additionally.

"Yes! Leave it to me," Nina replied.

"Marco," the fire dragonian called.

"There's little to no time to talk, though. But I will ask. If you are in your prime condition, are you going to kill this demon?"

In a truthful and sincere voice, he confidently tells, "Without doubt."

"Then, I offer thee. I will destroy this insolent demon in exchange of your inability to fight him."

"Hey, hey… you're saying that as if you're asking my permission to take my hunt, man," said Marco offhandedly.

Ognist chuckles a bit, "What are you saying? I would rather let you die than live. It's troublesome to keep fragile lives of human safe, you know? But you gave me trust. You gave us your words of trust. That's why, this time, I will do your biddings."

"Ahahaha, that's not what I pictured Dragonian as, you know? But… very well then." Marco fixes his standing position and gave his hand.

"Please, send that demon back to hell, Ognist."

The fire dragonian widely smiles, "As you command, Istinggar."

…

Shortly, the tunnel collapses after a landslide filled it. An eruption caused it, from it emerges the demon general into the air. He lands swiftly, appearing with his spiky hair waving in silhouette.

Toma takes a stance to attack again, "I will not let all of my efforts go down to waste because of you being here. I will kill you."

Toma crosses his arms down, stretching it all the way to nearly touching the soil. From his feet, emerges a wide radius of multiple flashing blue circles. Three needle-like pointers rotate in clockwise forming three points as in triangle. The illuminating light does not make his all black persona disappear. He stared forth, with flashy red eyes, he casts.

"Demon Aspect – Accursio"