Chapter 6 – A Strange Girl [1]

The bloodied and charred demon had arrived in front of their leader, the only one who could use magic. Its fist was outstretched, and a light began to gather in its palm. It was a finishing move of some sort.

The leader didn't have enough time to dodge as the demon's fist crashed against his chest, creating a sickening sound of bones cracking and organs bursting out from his back.

In just one hit, he was dead. His eyes were lifeless as he stared blankly at nothingness.

Cheers turned to scream. They knew they couldn't win against the demon after their leader's demise. Among the remaining four, only Damian was still able to make a sound judgment.

"Run!" He shouted.

The two with a bat fled, but Damian stayed behind as the girl slumped down. He clicked his tongue and went toward her.

"Come on, Hina! We have to run!"

"Ah... Aaah! N-No, Riki..." She shook her head and refused to move. Her face was pale and she had lost all will to live.

The demon stomped its foot on the ground and growled at Damian. It slowly walked toward them.

"Come on! If you stay like this, you will die too!" He grabbed her hand and forced her up.

That moment of distraction was fatal for Damian as he didn't see the demon's arm had already arrived in front of him. He had no chance to dodge or defend as it grabbed him by his neck and lifted him up into the air.

"Aghhk!" He choked, trying to break free from the demon's grip. But it was useless as he could feel his neck cracked slightly and his body wasn't moving properly.

The demon roared in victory. It thought it had won as it opened its mouth wide, revealing its sharp teeth that could easily bite off his head in one go.

Vale couldn't stand by and do nothing anymore. His hesitation disappeared as he unsheathed his sword.

However, before he could move, a shadow leaped from the tunnel beside them and landed on the demon's arm. It was a girl with a braided hair and wearing a tracksuit. In her hand was a bloodied wooden sword covered in a bluish aura. She pushed her glasses up with her free hand and took a sharp breathe.

"Hmph! I am not letting you have all the fun." She smirked lightly. "Skill: Quick Slash!"

She swung her sword at the demon's arm and chopped it off effortlessly. The arm fell onto the ground and Damian was finally freed. He coughed a few times, looking up at the girl who had just saved him.

The girl didn't even look at him and just stood still. Her eyes were focused on the demon, that was writhing in pain, as she spoke.

"You better take that girl and run away. I don't have the luxury to look after you."

Damian understood what she meant as he grabbed Hina's hand and pulled her toward the exit. The other two had already left before this anyway.

Vale, however, didn't move. He just stood there with his sword sheathed again and observed the girl and the demon battle.

Demons, unlike other monsters, had insane regeneration ability. The stump was closed up in less than 5 seconds and the demon's arm was growing back rapidly. It wouldn't take long before it had its arm back again.

But that didn't deter the girl. She was fearless and swung her sword with deadly accuracy. The Mana around her wooden sword gave it a sharp edge that allowed her to cut through anything, including the demon's tough skin.

She dodged its attacks skillfully and struck back with her own. And in less than a minute, she had cut off the demon's arms and legs, rendering it immobile and unable to fight anymore. Blue blood belonging to the demon spilled everywhere, covering the field in a disgusting smell.

"Skill: Rising Slash!" The girl raised her sword above her head and swung it upward at an incredible speed. It was a devastating attack that would cleave even a rock in half.

Her blade reached the demon's neck and split its head in two cleanly. The attack created a wind pressure that pushed away the fog and blew away some of the seats nearby.

Vale blinked in surprise at the sheer power behind the girl's attack. It was truly impressive for someone who had just awakened this morning.

'She must've slain a lot of monsters and Level up to the point where her stats could rival an experienced fighter.' He guessed.

The girl exhaled audibly and tapped her sword against the wooden sword. She looked at Vale, who was observing her, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Why are you just standing there? Help me or something." She frowned at him.

"I thought you would handle it yourself." He smiled lightly. "However, I am grateful that you helped these people survive. Well done."

"Hmm, I don't need your praise." She pouted, "If you wanted them to survive, you could've helped them instead of watching them fight the demon."

"I will take note of that." He nodded his head seriously. "But, I believe that unless they ask for help, I won't meddle with their business."

"Well, I can't blame you either. But because you didn't even move, how about giving that sword to me? It looked like a real sword, not something like these bats or wooden swords. I will use it to protect you if you don't want to fight." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Ooh? Quite confident for a beginner."

"How rude. Do you not know that I won the Kendo Championship? Ah, my name is Kiara Hunt by the way." She introduced herself casually.

"Kiara, huh? I'm Vale Gilstar." He also introduced himself, "And I am not rude at all. You relied on the system skill a lot. I believe that's what made your movement a bit stiff everytime you used it, no? It's indeed strong, but you shouldn't rely on it too much."

"So what? My passion is sword, and I am stronger than anyone with it. So, just give me your sword and I will protect you with it."