Axel and Arthur raced toward the demon settlement, their first target in the campaign to cleanse the land.
Their journey was marked by silence, each man occupied with his own thoughts.
Axel, in a rare moment of patience, hoped Arthur would break the silence, signaling interest in their conversation.
Meanwhile, Arthur had been instructed to keep his distance, to observe, and not to engage in unnecessary friendliness.
After a swift race across the grassy plains, they arrived at the demon village.
About twenty demons, seemingly more settled than marauding invaders, continued with their daily routines.
Their appearance suggested they had stumbled upon a village, looted it, and were now living off its spoils.
One succubus, adorned in official demon armor, hovered in the air, keeping watch.
Axel dismounted Diego and turned to Arthur. "Give me ten minutes."
Arthur's response was immediate and clipped. "Four minutes."
Axel smirked, ready for the challenge. "Fine by me. This is business, after all."
He began walking towards the tribe, gradually building up momentum before breaking into a full sprint.
A few demons noticed him and initially assumed he was a friend, but that illusion shattered when they locked eyes with him. His smile revealed his intent—this would not be a friendly visit.
As they noticed his approach, several demons launched black fireballs at him. Axel dodged effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise. Before he could reach the heart of the settlement, the succubus appeared, blocking his path.
The two clashed swords in a flash of steel. The succubus grinned, her voice sultry, "Aren't you a cute one?"
Axel broke the clash with a shove, sneering, "I get that a lot."
With a flick of her wrist, the succubus blew him a kiss before lunging for a strike.
Axel, never one to pass up a good challenge, danced around her attacks with ease.
Every time she tried to land a hit, he countered with deftness and playful precision, making small cuts across her body.
Frustration grew in the succubus's eyes as she transformed into a swarm of bats, disappearing and reappearing in an instant.
She attempted to strike from every angle, but Axel blocked each attempt, retaliating with swift backhands that left her more enraged.
"That's twenty times you could have killed me if you weren't such a useless swordsman," she taunted.
Axel, clearly enjoying himself, continued to toy with her.
Finally, he saw his opening.
With a clean slice, he cut through her left leg, causing her to scream in agony, "If you can walk in the next ten seconds, I'll leave everyone else alone." Without waiting for her response, he cut off her remaining leg.
She howled in pain, her body trembling as she tried to heal. Before she could react, a powerful voice boomed from behind her.
"ENOUGH!"
A swarm of black bats appeared in a flash, gathering into the form of a tall vampire cloaked in a dark cape.
His presence was imposing, and his eyes glowed with a predatory light, "A daywalker, I see. It makes sense that they made you the leader." The vampire's gaze flickered to Axel as he approached the succubus's injured form.
Axel was about to finish off the succubus when the vampire blocked his sword with his own, "I recall receiving information about a suspicious-looking man watching my tribe. I assume that was you?" The vampire's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
Axel spat on the succubus's prone form, "Yes. I'm not here to talk. I'm here to slaughter your kind."
Before Axel could make a move, the vampire expertly blocked his attempt to sneak attack.
The situation had escalated quickly. Axel knew he was up against a dangerous foe—a daywalker, someone who could walk in the sun without suffering its usual vampire drawbacks, but at the cost of losing their innate vampire immunity.
Axel's hand slid behind his back, reaching for a small pouch.
The vampire noticed this motion, but Axel was quicker. He leapt back, throwing a dozen knives with deadly precision.
One of the knives struck the vampire, causing his eyes and nose to bleed as the poison seeped into his skin.
Axel's knives were coated in a special venom, designed specifically for demonkind.
The vampire hissed in pain, "Crafty—" he muttered, pulling the knife from his flesh.
Axel responded with a powerful energy wave, sending the vampire stumbling back toward the remaining demons.
As the vampire struggled to regain his footing, the succubus attempted to flee, but two of Axel's poison-coated knives found their mark.
One struck her in the leg, paralyzing her, while the other caused a slow-acting poison to spread through her body, "I don't need to worry about you anymore," Axel said coldly, then charged toward the vampire.
But Axel quickly realized he wasn't just fighting one opponent.
A horde of demons charged toward him from all directions, some casting various types of magic while others moved in to attack.
Their plan was clear—to give the vampire time to recover from the poison.
Before any demon could reach Axel, they were interrupted by a sudden, brutal attack.
Arthur, in his wolf form, leapt into the fray, tearing through the demons with savage efficiency.
As he tore through one demon, his body began to shift, growing into a tall, muscular human-like figure.
He conjured a green energy axe, the weapon glowing with power, "I was given permission to assist with your cleansing," Arthur said, his voice deep and resonant. "Thank the girl who begged my leader to allow this." Without further hesitation, Arthur joined the battle, his axe cleaving through any demon foolish enough to get in his way.
Axel watched the battle unfold, a smile tugging at his lips, "Good work, partner," he said as he joined Arthur, their combined assault relentless.
The two fought side by side, cutting down demon after demon, pushing the remaining enemies back with overwhelming force.
Two minutes later, the battle was over, save for the vampire, who lay on the ground, barely able to move. The poison had done its work.
Axel approached the vampire, sitting on his chest casually.
He twirled a strand of the vampire's hair, a look of amusement in his eyes, "Some might call it dishonorable to use poison in combat," he mused. "Those are the people who want a more challenging fight with consequences. For me, it's all about strategy. Why risk my life when I can ensure the best results with minimal effort? If I were a different man, I'd fight you to the death, but sadly, I'm just the wrong opponent."
The vampire groaned, trying to speak, but Axel placed a finger to his lips. "Shhh, it'll end soon."
The holy symbol on Axel's chest glowed bright, and the vampire began to burn, white holy flames licking at his skin.
Axel ripped the vampire's right arm off before turning the rest of his body to ash.
Arthur, now in his wolf form again, padded up beside Axel, "I understand why he wants to work with you," he said, his voice low and approving.
Axel turned and smiled. "I'm not that special. But I'll accept compliments after we finish off the orcs," he replied playfully.
Arthur let out a laugh, licking his paw as Axel sheathed his sword. "Let's go to the next place."
The hunt was far from over, and their journey continued with determination and a newfound camaraderie.