Fool Demon

BOOM.

The shockwave rippled through the unnatural forest, sending leaves and dust swirling through the thick air. Perched atop a towering tree, Akira's glowing white eyes snapped toward the source of the blast. Smoke curled into the sky in thick, dark tendrils, a stark contrast against the eerie bioluminescent canopy.

Then, the system's notification flared before him in a cold, familiar light.

[Warning: Two strong presences detected in the impact zone.]

A slow exhale escaped his lips. He had expected this. The monster. And him.

"Finally…" Akira murmured, watching the distant explosion smolder with eerie finality. "Time to end this. Once and for all."

He crouched low, muscles coiling tight before launching forward, moving with calculated precision. His body screamed in protest—the wounds from earlier fights pulsed like molten fire under his torn cloak. But pain was irrelevant now.

Jump. Land. Dash.

Tree to tree, he moved like a phantom, barely disturbing the leaves as he surged forward. The sickly silence of the forest had been replaced by the distant crackling of flames and the lingering aftershock of the explosion. The scent of burning wood filled his nostrils, tinged with something fouler—something wrong.

Then, his voice sliced through the tension. "System, I have a question."

[Proceed.]

A pause. The words came out quieter than intended.

"Can my body hold on if I use Disaster Lightning?"

Silence stretched for a beat before the system's window flickered into existence before him.

[Even at peak condition, probability of survival: 50%. In your current state, probability of failure: 100%. Activating the skill now will result in irreversible bodily destruction. Recommendation: Do not engage. Retreat and recover. Survival takes precedence over victory.]

Akira faltered.

For the first time since he'd entered this accursed forest, his body hesitated. Not because of fear—no, fear had long since been burned out of him—but because of something far more foreign.

"Are you actually caring for me now?" Akira's voice was laced with disbelief. He let out a bitter chuckle, the storm in his chest intensifying. "That's the second time. Talking to me like that—like a human."

The system paused, as if considering his words. Then, a new message appeared.

[I only wish for the wellness of my user.]

Akira exhaled sharply through his nose. His mind was a battlefield of conflicting thoughts.

But rage had already consumed him.

"Yeah, sure," he muttered, forcing the doubt from his mind. He surged forward once more, leaping from tree to tree, his face twisted into something monstrous—something barely human.

His fury burned hotter than ever, a fire that even logic could not douse.

His mind raced back to the skill he had obtained after leveling up—the one he got after he defeated The Thermos. "Disaster Lightning." The only ability in his arsenal that demanded not just a portion, but every last drop of his mana to activate.

But right now, that didn't matter.

He could feel it—his bones vibrating with anticipation, his blood screaming for destruction. He needed to unleash it. To rip that bastard apart. To make them pay.

Akira's lips curled into a grin—a demon's smile stretched across a face contorted in wrath. His body ached, his soul burned, and his mind teetered on the edge of madness.

"I can't wait to tear that fucker apart," he growled, his voice seething with rage.

The sky above seemed to shudder. The trees beneath his feet trembled.

And Akira raced toward it.

Akira's breath was ragged, his muscles screaming from exhaustion. His shining white pupils cut through the darkness, illuminating the scene before him—a nightmare given form.

The demonic human, the one who had killed Sylara, stood engaged in conversation with a creature Akira had never seen before. It was small, covered in crimson skin adorned with black tattoos, its yellow eyes gleaming with a sinister intelligence. Its face bore the features of a goblin, but if one stripped away its colors and marks, it would look like a grotesque human. Despite its size, it carried an air of command, more dangerous than its stature suggested.

Akira's chest heaved as he observed them, his hatred burning hotter with every breath.

"So, I proved my strength now what are you going to do?" the demonic human asked, his tone casual, as though discussing the weather. "Are you going to do that for us? Can you send it, yes or no?"

The red-skinned monster seemed to contemplate before answering, but then the demonic human suddenly froze. His expression shifted, his crimson eyes narrowing.

"Wait," he muttered, tilting his head slightly. Then, a wicked smirk spread across his stolen face. "I think we have a really big fool around us, don't we?"

Akira's body tensed.

They noticed me.

Before they could make another move, he launched himself forward, landing with a heavy thud in front of them. His body was battered, torn, and worn out, but he stood tall, unwavering. The red-skinned monster regarded him with curiosity.

"Who is that?" the monster asked, its voice cold and calculated.

"Don't worry," the demonic human replied, his tone filled with arrogance. "He's just a fool. A pitiful human. I'll take care of him."

Akira's torn and worn-out body stood like an unbreakable pillar before them. The demonic human's crimson eyes glowed with amusement as he smirked in his stolen form—Olian's form. His voice slithered with mockery.

"To think you'd come here… I didn't expect it," he mused, shaking his head in feigned disappointment. "But seeing that rage in your eyes? Hah, I can't blame you."

"Shut up," Akira said, his voice low, seething. His bangs cast a shadow over his face, only the piercing glow of his white eyes cutting through the darkness.

The demonic human took a step forward, his expression twisting with sick amusement. "You actually surprised me, but now that I've nearly finished what I came for—"

"Shut up," Akira interrupted, his voice sharper, colder.

The demonic human chuckled. "But to think you're such an idiot, kid. Coming here like this… Even that hottie sacrificed her life for you, and yet—"

"SHUT UP!!"

Akira's roar split the air. A surge of white energy erupted from his body, crackling around him like a living force. But this wasn't Soul Infusion—he couldn't activate it yet; the cooldown still had time left. Yet, something else was emerging, something raw, something… dark but shining. White mana swirled around him like an aura, unstable and brimming with an unfamiliar fury.

The demonic human's eyes widened before his lips curled into a grin. "Ahahaha! What can you do, trash?" He spread his arms mockingly. "Come, then! Show me!"

But before Akira could move, the red-skinned monster spoke again, its tone unnervingly serious.

"Foolish demon," it warned, its yellow eyes locked onto Akira. "Back down."

The demonic human snarled, turning to glare at the monster. "What?"

"I can feel something… something truly evil coming from that human. Something beyond even your dark energy."

"What?" The demonic human's laughter died instantly.

For the first time, his demonic red eyes widened in shock as he stared at Akira, realization dawning like a creeping nightmare.

What is this…?

Akira took a slow step forward, the ground beneath him cracking under the weight of his sheer presence.