Chapter Fourteen: Heroes Party, Overwhelming Power, Fear

Subaru cut down another demon with his axe. It was made of solid ice and looked vaguely similar to a snowflake if someone could see it up close.

His icy blue eyes squinted as he looked around for another demon to attack in case they got past him. His greying hair shifted in the wind as he heard footsteps.

Another demon came charging at him from behind, and he didn't have time to turn around, his old age catching up to him in recent years.

But he didn't have to as an arrow pierced through the temple of the demon, sticking out the other side.

He shot a grateful glance over at Rina, the Hero Pary's resident elven archer. With bright blonde hair, with light and bright green eyes, a relatively standard look for an elf.

Even though a massive clash had started in the centre of no man's land, the fight around them still raged on, although at a distance that they wouldn't get caught up in that fight that was happening out there.

Subaru would never say it to her face, but he was worried for Nariko.

She wasn't used to fights like that. She was stronger then almost every demon, so instead of focusing on the power of her attacks, she focused on the speed of them. As the power in them should already be enough.

But because of that, because every real opponent she faced was weaker than her, she didn't have any experience in fighting someone stronger or equal to her in power. And Subaru knew that if someone didn't interfere, that would be her downfall.

Although he couldn't see Nariko because of her speed, that was enough for him. She was too focused on speed. She would waste her stamina too quickly, while her opponent seemed like they hadn't exerted themself.

But Subaru and Rina couldn't abandon their post on the Eastside of no man's land.

The situation was far worse than they could have imagined there. There were barely any helpful human soldiers left, the rest were dead or useless to the battle.

And if Rina and Subaru didn't get there when they did, then the demons would have an exact route to the medical stations and temporary base that had been set up at the start of this battle.

So, as much as Subaru, and Rina as well, they couldn't leave the east to fight with Nariko, even as much as they wanted to. Their job was to protect the injured and if possible escort some of them to get medical attention.

But as Subaru saw ten more demons charging him, and five charging Rina, different weapons in hand, some using magic, he knew neither was possible for now.

He just hoped that someone would be able to assist Nariko in her fight, and if they won, then the rest of the demons would hopefully retreat.

…

A giant torrent of bright flaming hot fire was speeding towards a cat person.

She looked at the fire with wide eyes, her eyes drying up because of the heat of it.

For a normal person the fire would be a problem for them, but she was powerful.

Her body quickly changed into a running position off to the side as she activated her technique. "Kōsoku tankyori idō!" She shouted out the name of it. *

Her body flickered out of existence as it left an after image, but out of harm's way from the fire was the cat girl as she then wasted no time in charging towards the Demonic Mage with her daggers.

The Demonic Mage staggered in shock as he saw the cat girl unharmed from his attack.

He put his hand out in front of him, going to activate another spell to definitely kill her at such a short distance.

But as he did so she activated the technique again, appearing above the Demonic Mage upside down.

Their heads almost touching, but his started to fall down backwards as he watched his own body come into view, confused. But then everything went black soon after.

The cat girl performed a 'purrfect' landing as she landed on all fours. The daggers in hands covered in the blood of that demon and the many more she slated since entering this battle. The sight of blood covering her weapons and clothes has not bothered her for some many years now.

She stayed on the ground, looked around cautiously with an arched back, like an actual cat that was scared. The drawbacks of the technique being used in rapid succession begging to take its toll.

In another part of the west side of no man's land guttural roar sounded as two hands came into a demon's chest, appearing out the other side. Before they started to spread and the demon was literally ripped in two, with the culprit of such a bloody show moving through the demon's body as well, seemingly enjoying bathing in the blood that was showering on him.

The demons that surrounded him looked at him with fear at such a show of brutality. He looked around at them, a deep cut on his back not bothering him as he looked at the demons around him.

"Who's next?!" He shouted out, demanding an opponent for him to step forward. "You?" He said, pointing at a random demon. "Or you?" He questioned another. He coughed a little and spat out a blotch of blood.

One of the confident demons then spoke up. "If we surround him and attack at once, we can win! He won't be able to handle all of us at once!" He declared.

The demons around him nodded, believing that it was true, there was no way someone as injuried as this tiger Demi-human in front of them could beat them together.

The tiger Demi-human just grinned as he then spoke. "My name is Riger, remember my name when you look into the eyes of death."

Just then another strong gust of wind from the battle between the two heroes showed itself upon them and that's when Riger decided it was time for another massacre.

…

A series of loud clashes could be heard as the area around the two continued to worsen in condition.

Just then both went for big attacks, and they both managed to dodge what would have been their opponents most deadly attack so far.

Fumiko went for a powerful diagonal slash on the other hero's chest, but had missed because the hero had ducked back. The pressure Fumiko's attack instead transferring to the ground.

But thanks to that dodge Nariko missed her attack by going straight for the Demonic Heroes neck. Instead the attack went straight into the clouds, never going to reach its intended target.

As Fumiko's giant greatsword dragged along the ground with the power from the attack… the landscape itself changed.

A skinny but long lasting and deep ravine showed itself in the ground, the ground shaking as it hit a tectonic plate deep within the earth. But not breaking through the plate itself. The attack created a short powerful earthquake before it faded out into a weak but almost constant one.

The deep ravine glowed as deep within it lava was seen glowing in it.

Up in the sky where Nariko's attack went, a single cloud had a streak in it, the attack seemingly not doing anything else to the clouds in the sky.

Before a moment later any clouds in the sky immediately evaporated, creating a powerful but short lived storm of rain.

Although each attack went to different places with different results… if the attacks were to switch places the results of such power would be the same.

Nariko jumped back as she sought to regain her balance from the earthquake and to make sure her vision wasn't obscured by the sudden rain downpour.

Nariko cautiously took her eyes off the Demonic Hero as she looked at the deep ravine now permanently scarring the ground. If that attack had hit her, Nariko gulped with fright, that attack would have cleaved her in two.

Fumiko looked up into the sky with an angered look in her eyes, this hero was still holding back against her. If she could put that much power into one attack so fast, then why didn't she do it for the others? Was she underestimating her? No, Fumiko doubted that, maybe she just didn't know her true strength. If that was the case then Fumiko needed to end this fake before she became a real threat.

Fumiko suddenly felt a sense of dread on her, she looked back at her replacement infront of her, but Fumiko could tell that it wasn't her. She was still reeling from the thought of such an attack hitting her. So where was it coming from?!

Fumiko turned around quickly and blocked an attack from a person that she didn't sense behind her before.

The attack didn't seem that powerful at first and Fumiko held on well, before she noticed a transparent glowing orb at where the swords were connected. It then flowed brighter and then full force of the attack was on her and she flew back past the other hero as the sword flew out of her grip.

What the hell was that?! Fumiko thought to herself. That attack was powerful! She didn't want to admit it, but… it was probably more powerful than her without any preparation.

She had preparation for that attack against the hero just a minute ago, but even so she felt like that attack just there was more powerful.

It didn't achieve the same level of damage to the surroundings, but to Fumiko she found that even more impressive. Whoever that person was, they had more control and technique over their attacks, making it so that they could achieve the same level of power as the 'ravine attack' but not even move a stone unless they wanted to.

Fumiko for the first time since coming to this world, or as far as her memory would allow her to remember, she felt an emotion she never wanted to feel again. One that she thought she would never feel again after gaining this much power. Fear. She was scared of whoever was on the other side of that sword.

Fumiko finally stopped flying and hit the ground with a boom, and then continued to roll back for another few metres, even as she tried to stop it.

Finally she managed to get a grip on the ground, and stopped moving.

She got into a kneeling position as she brought her claw-like gauntlet to her chest, hearing the sound of metal crumbling as it separated itself from her armour.

She still had her mask on and thankfully that wasn't damaged, but every other armour piece she was wearing had cracks in them. Although, thankfully, her armour was imbued with magic enchantments, so it would repair itself, if it could, over time with enough mana.

Fumiko let out a growl of frustration as she started to realise the full weight of the situation. This person was currently more powerful than her, the fear she was feeling was beginning to cloud her judgment, and her armour which was supposed to be one of the strongest metals Lord Zerad had was starting to break.

Fumiko made a move to get up, but let out a sharp breath as she felt some of bones broken, with the most pain in her ribs.

She grunted as she pushed past the pain of it all and stood up, letting out a quick succession of coughs as she stood up to full height, the blood that followed those coughs leaking out of any holes or exits in her mask.

"I'm impressed, most would be killed by that. But I guess that's my fault for underestimating someone like you, isn't that right? Demonic Hero?" A strong male voice said to her, presumably the one that had attacked Fumiko and reduced her to such a pitiful state.

The man then turned his attention to Nariko, but didn't directly address her by her name but the title given to her.

"And you, Human Hero, should have been paying more attention to your enemy, such distractions could get you killed-."

His speech was then interrupted by Fumiko conjuring a sword out of magic, like the one from before, with the one that flew out of her hand dissolving into thin air.

She then ran at him at speeds others couldn't hope to keep up with, as he continued talking to the other hero.

Just when she was in striking distance of him, and she stuck her sword out, he blocked it without trouble as he payed attention to Fumiko as she attacked him, but continued his conversation with Nariko.

"And so, I'll teach you an important lesson right here, right now. And that is… how to use magic that would help you during a fight, and remembering to use it."

He said casually, as Fumiko attacked him at full force using 'Wrath' to compound the force behind each strike.

Nariko could only watch in shock as Gazef dealt with someone who she couldn't do anything against in a fight with ease.

And even though now was an inappropriate time and place, considering what was happening between Gazef and Fumiko right now, Nariko would definitely commit whatever lesson Gazef was going to teach to memory.

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Sorry this fight isn't over yet, if you're bored of it. I thought it would be over by now as well, but it will most likely end next chapter or at the beginning of the one after that, and then the plot can really start.

So yeah, thanks for reading and stuff!

Kōsoku tankyori idō* = high-speed short-distance movement