Chapter 102

Mar barely spared a second glance at Orian as he charged Bilmoth and swung his mace horizontally toward his head. Once again, instead of using illusions, Bilmoth ducked under the swing, evading Mar's attack effortlessly. With a slight smirk, Bilmoth turned back to face Mar. "What did I say about attacking me when I'm asking someone's name?" he asked in annoyance. Refusing to relent, Mar attempted another swing, but before he could fully complete the motion, Bilmoth sprang into action.

With remarkable speed and precision, Bilmoth seized Mar's right arm with his left, locking it in place, while simultaneously using his right arm to grab the side of Mar's head, effectively immobilizing him. Then, in a display of fluid motion, Bilmoth pivoted on his planted foot, generating momentum as he extended his right leg in a wide arc. With expert precision, he aimed the sweep just below Mar's knees, leveraging the force of the motion to destabilize him completely. 

Mar, caught off guard by the sudden shift in momentum, felt his balance falter as Bilmoth's leg made contact. With a swift and powerful motion, Bilmoth's leg swept beneath Mar's, knocking his legs out from under him and sending him sprawling to the ground in a graceless tumble. The move was executed with such fluidity and finesse that Mar found himself sprawled on the ground before he even realized what had happened.

A howling of wind accompanied by the eerie silence of the crimson sky filled the air as Bilmoth leaned to the side, dodging a razor-sharp blade of wind sent by Orian. "Honestly, you mortals really are some dishonorable creatures," Bilmoth remarked with a wink and a shrug, his demeanor almost playful despite the gravity of the situation. As he turned to face Orian, who wore a scowl on his face, confusion flickered in Orian's mind. *What's happening? When I looked through the eyes of the minor spirit, there was nothing here,* he puzzled, trying to make sense of the unexpected turn of events. Then, his gaze shifted downward to where Mar lay sprawled on the ground. *He came back, huh? Most likely for Mincs,* Orian concluded, his focus sharpening as he prepared for battle. 

Locking his gaze on Bilmoth, Orian pointed his saber at the demon, his expression serious. "Who's stronger, you or the pale demon I just killed?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. Bilmoth's surprise was evident as he processed Orian's question. "Oh, so you're the one who killed Daymier just now," he acknowledged, assessing Orian with a keen eye. Meanwhile, Mar began to stir, gradually rising to his feet, his movements cautious yet determined. 

"You don't really look all that tough," Bilmoth remarked casually, shrugging once more as if dismissing Orian's threat. "Whatever, maybe you're one of those 'Never judge a book by its cover' types," he added, though neither Orian nor Mar understood the analogy. "If you must know, I'm stronger, by leaps and bounds," Bilmoth declared with a confident smile, his words laced with arrogance. 

Without warning, Bilmoth suddenly charged toward Orian, his movements swift and agile. In response, Orian unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp blades of wind, each slicing through the air with deadly precision. Before Bilmoth could reach his target, he was engulfed by the onslaught of blades, his form torn apart into countless pieces before disappearing completely.

Orian scoffed, "So much for being stronger by leaps and bounds," he remarked mockingly, though inwardly, he couldn't deny his surprise at how easily he had killed the demon. Meanwhile, Mar observed the scene with growing confusion, puzzled by Orian's words and actions. *What is he saying? That was nowhere near the demon, and he's standing-*

Suddenly, from behind him, Orian heard a taunting voice. "Do you need glasses? Are those pink eyes of yours a special case of pink eye where the eyes actually turn pink?"

Orian's eyes widened slightly as he attempted to spin around to swing with his saber, but Bilmoth effortlessly intercepted his movement, casually grabbing Orian's sword arm at the elbow. With a swift motion, Bilmoth then delivered a powerful kick to Orian's back, sending him hurtling forward through the air. "Don't want to do that song and dance again," Bilmoth remarked with a bored yawn as Orian utilized his wind magic to slow his descent, spin around mid-air, and land safely.

*An illusion? This is going to be annoying,* Orian thought to himself, instinctively shifting his stance. *That kick had power to it but not to an overwhelming point; it's like he held back.* His gaze flickered to the front gates. *I could run,* he considered momentarily before shaking his head slightly. *Me run? The Deadliest Man in Aetheria? What would my men think?*

He let out a long sigh. "What? Feeling annoyed?" asked Bilmoth with a cheeky smile.

"Shut up and just die," Orian retorted, unleashing another flurry of wind blades that shredded Bilmoth into pieces once again. Without pause, he accelerated his movements using wind magic to quickly spin around, attempting to swiftly slice Bilmoth's head off with his saber. However, Bilmoth ducked under the blade with ease.

"Wow, you catch on quick," Bilmoth complimented as Orian unleashed a grid of wind slashes at close range, not only cutting Bilmoth into pieces once more but also going beyond, destroying a part of the mansion's outside wall.

"You're really strong for a mortal," Orian heard from his right, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he turned to slash with his saber. However, this time, when his blade connected with Bilmoth's form, it distorted into smoke, unlike before when the illusion was very realistic in terms of being damaged.

*What was that?* Orian questioned internally, his answer coming swiftly as he heard the sound of metal clashing against cobble. He turned to see Bilmoth jumping back from a swing of Mar's mace, the weapon striking the ground where Bilmoth had stood moments before kicking Orian away.

"Man, fighting multiple opponents really isn't my thing," Bilmoth complained with a light smile as Mar swung again, splattering Bilmoth's head with his mace.

"Where are you swinging, you imbecile?" Orian stated in annoyance as he sent a blade of wind at Bilmoth, who in reality was standing behind Mar. Bilmoth turned his attention back to Orian as the wind blade cut him in half.

*That wasn't even close!* Mar thought as he swung his mace at Bilmoth, who in actuality stood in the middle point between Orian and Mar. Bilmoth gracefully sidestepped the attack.

"Or maybe I lied. Maybe I specialize in dealing with crowds of opponents," said Bilmoth with a sly grin before swiftly maneuvering behind Mar as Orian launched another blade of wind. Mar's enhanced reflexes barely allowed him to dodge the razor-sharp assault.

*That monster almost hit me,* Mar thought, his irritation flickering momentarily towards Orian before refocusing on Bilmoth, who had now distanced himself from them.

"You two do not know how to fight as a team, do you?" Bilmoth taunted with a grin. "If you fight like that, you'll never hit me, let alone kill me," he continued, his mocking tone. Both Mar and Orian scowled, both considering bringing out their trump cards. Both of them saw metal scales go over their heads... Wait, what was that last one?

Bilmoth watched as metal scales landed near his feet before glowing orange-hot. "Whew boy, this is gonna hurt," he said, putting his arms up to cover his face as the scales exploded in a fiery fashion.

*That's-* Mar turned around, and Orian did the same. Behind them stood Mincs, her right arm outstretched from hurling the scales of her scale armor. "Take that, you weirdly attractive demon!"