Thirty-eight

I looked at the information Julie had shown me, and first of all there was a photo of someone in a hoodie, and judging by her build I'd say it was a young girl. She was standing in a dark alley, surrounded by trash cans and graffiti. You can't see the girl's face but you can see her talking to a demon mage.

He was wearing a black cloak and a hood, but his features were clearly visible. He had black skin, green eyes and green hair. He also had horns, fangs and claws. He looked menacing and powerful.

"Who is this demon?" I said, looking at the photo with curiosity and disgust. "He looks like trouble."

"It seems to me that it's a demon mage of lower class, there are plenty of them in the capital but I know this one well enough and I'll leave you to deal with him, doing what you want," said Julie, with a smirk on her face. 

"His name is Zane, and he's been causing trouble for a while. He's been recruiting young humans to join his cult, promising them power and wealth. He's also been involved in some shady deals with other demons and humans. He's a threat to the peace and order of the city, and he needs to be eliminated."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, nodding. "But how do we find him? This photo is not enough."

"Don't worry, I have more," said Julie, handing me a folder. "I've been tracking him for a while, and I've gathered some useful information. Here are his usual hangouts, his contacts, his habits, his weaknesses. Everything you need to know to take him down."

"Wow, you're amazing, Julie," I said, impressed. "You've done a great job."

"Thanks, but it's not over yet. We still have to finish him off. And that's your part. Fire is his biggest weakness. He's afraid of it. You can burn him to ashes with your magic."

"I'll do my best," I said, feeling confident. "But what about the girl? Who is she? Why is she talking to him?"

"I don't know much about her, but she seems to be one of his followers. She's probably brainwashed by him. She's not important. You can ignore her or kill her, it doesn't matter. She's just a pawn in his game."

"I see," I said, feeling sorry for the girl. She looked young and innocent, but she had made a terrible choice. She had sided with a demon, and that was unforgivable. "Well, I'll deal with her later. Right now, I have to focus on this demon"

"Good," said Julie, smiling. "Then let's go. We have to hurry. He might be planning something big, and we have to stop him before it's too late."

We left the classroom. I'll go and look after this demon after class, it shouldn't take me too long. I had to finish him off before the sun set, and then return to the castle. I had to pretend that nothing had happened.

The rest of the day passed fairly quickly and in the blink of an eye the class was already over. But now I had a problem, how to get away from Zara if I had to protect her. 

Me and Zara walked towards the carriage that was waiting for us outside the school. It was a luxurious vehicle, pulled by four white horses. It was the royal carriage, and it was reserved for us. 

Opening of the system

The hologram with my statistics appeared and I saw that with all the training I'd been through my fire magic had reached level 10, it still hadn't changed colour but I hadn't taken the time to observe. I had been too busy with my missions, and I had neglected my own development. I had been using the same spells and techniques for a long time, and I had not experimented with new ones. I had been complacent and lazy, and I had to change that.

I clicked on my fire magic to see what I could do with it.

Fire magic level 10: Creation of fire weapons, creation of a fire clone that will look like you but won't have all your power.

I was surprised and intrigued by the new skills I had unlocked. I had never heard of them before, and I wondered how they worked. I wanted to try them out, to see what they could do. I wanted to test their limits, to see how far I could push them. I wanted to have some fun, to see how much I could enjoy them.

Oh this skill would be very useful and if I used it and then went away.

I had an idea, a brilliant and daring idea. I could use the fire clone skill to create a copy of myself, and then leave it with Zara. I could make it act like me, talk like me . I could fool her and everyone else, and then sneak away. I could go after Zane, and then come back. I could switch places with the clone, and then destroy it. I could pretend that nothing had happened, that I had never left. I could get away with it, and no one would ever know.

"Zara look over there there's someone fighting" I said, it must have been one of the worst excuses she'd ever heard but Zara turned her head and I took the opportunity to create a clone.

I activated the fire clone skill, and a burst of flames erupted from my body. In a matter of seconds, a perfect replica of myself appeared next to me. It looked exactly like me, down to the smallest detail. It had the same face, the same hair, the same clothes, the same voice. It even had the same memories, the same personality, the same emotions. It was me, but not me. It was a fire clone, and it was under my control.

I quickly gave it some instructions, telling it what to do and what to say. I told it to act normal, to be nice to Zara, to follow her wherever she went. I told it to be careful, to avoid any suspicion, to avoid any danger. 

 I ran away, leaving the clone behind. I ran as fast as I could, heading towards the nearest alley. I had to find a place to hide, to change my clothes, to disguise myself. I had to blend in with the crowd, to avoid being seen, to avoid being recognized. I had to find the, and then kill him but first get some information from him.

All I had to do now was find this demon mage.

I followed the clues that Julie had given me, and I tracked down the demon location. He was hiding in an abandoned warehouse, on the outskirts of the city. He had set up a makeshift altar, surrounded by candles and symbols. He had a book in his hands, and he was chanting some words. He was performing a ritual, and I had to stop him.

I sneaked into the warehouse, avoiding the guards and the traps. I had changed my clothes, and I had disguised myself as one of his followers. I had a hood over my head, and a mask over my face. I had a dagger in my hand, and a fireball in my palm. I was ready to strike.

I approached him from behind, and I waited for the right moment. I waited for him to lower his guard, to focus on his spell, to forget about his surroundings. I waited for him to make a mistake, to expose his weakness, to reveal his flaw. I waited for him to finish his sentence, and then I attacked.

But before I could do anything, he sensed me. He turned around, and he faced me. He recognized me, and he smiled. He knew who I was, and he knew what I wanted. He knew why I was here, and he knew what I was going to do. He knew everything, and he was ready.

He threw his book at me, and he grabbed his staff. He uttered a word, and he unleashed his magic. He summoned a wave of darkness, and he sent it towards me. He wanted to stop me, and he wanted to make me pay. He wanted to save his life, and he wanted to save his plans. He wanted to complete his ritual, and he wanted to change his fate.

I dodged his book, and I blocked his wave. I stood my ground, and I faced him. I smiled back, and I taunted him. 

"I promise you that you will have a slow and very painful death," I said as my eyes glowed blood red.