Chapter 42: What does it mean to be human Part:2

The group braces themselves, ready for round two as they witness the demon's power surge and swell. The monster wastes no time, slamming his fist into the ground, sending a wave of jagged ice spikes erupting from below. One nearly impales Sunny, but she dodges at the last moment, flipping away just in time.

Jamal rushes forward, but in a strange flicker of motion, it looks as if he skips ahead—his movements suddenly erratic and unpredictable. He delivers a powerful kick to the demon's face, then instantly appears behind him, landing a punch to the demon's back. He then skips downward, attempting to sweep the demon's legs, but before he can complete the motion, the demon slams his fist down, ground-pounding him into the frozen earth. Jamal crashes into the ground with a sickening thud, spitting up blood from the force.

The demon swiftly turns and kicks Tera away, having caught onto her movement patterns. Sunny, seeing an opening, unsheathes her sword and coats it in white fire before slashing at the demon's legs. The enchanted flames ignite his flesh, and he howls in pain. In retaliation, the demon fires two ice lasers directly at Sunny, but she swiftly dodges and counterattacks, sending a wave of fire in his direction, forcing him backward.

Luna suddenly unravels her leg, using her thread-like limbs to lash out at the back of the demon's head, staggering him for a brief moment. That small window allows JJ to take his shot. With his last reserves of psychic energy and a bullet blessed by the nun, he fires. The enhanced round pierces straight through the demon's foot, blowing it off completely. Blue blood spills onto the ice as the demon screams in agony, immediately forming a new foot out of ice to replace the lost limb.

Rage burns in the demon's eyes as he sets his sights on JJ, who is exhausted, his body barely able to move after using his Will technique twice. The demon charges at him, ready to kill—

Until the Chief Wendigo drops from above.

From a nearby rooftop, the massive beast crashes onto the demon, sinking his claws deep into his back. The Chief begins pumping raw psychic energy into him, sending violent shocks through his entire body.

Luna takes this chance, slamming her hand onto the ground, transmuting it into rubber. The battlefield beneath the demon sinks and warps, making movement impossible. The Chief shouts for Luna to release the effect before the ground snaps back to its original shape. As soon as she does, the Chief spins the demon violently, twisting his entire form into the warping terrain, trapping him in place.

Father Fredrick steps forward, raising his cross, a holy energy gathering within it, crackling with divine power. He unleashes a golden beam, striking the demon directly in the head.

Luna seizes the moment.

She completely unravels her arm, twisting her threads into a drill-like shape. The threads begin spinning faster and faster, vibrating at inhuman speeds before she lunges forward, stabbing it directly into the demon's chest.

The demon, weakened by the overwhelming holy energy coursing through his body, feels everything. He screams in agony, his insides turning into a grotesque slurry of blood and organs as Luna continues drilling.

Despite his mortal wounds, the demon fires two ice lasers from his eyes, striking Luna directly in the chest.

Yet, she does not stop.

She keeps drilling, her expression shifting for just a moment.

For one brief second, her eyes flash red.

A look of pure rage and unsettling joy overtakes her face as she continues her relentless assault.

Father Fredrick throws several blessed crosses around the demon, beginning the banishment ritual.

Sunny, sensing something wrong with Luna, immediately tackles her away, breaking whatever trance had overtaken her.

The demon, barely recognizable, now slumps forward as holy light engulfs him. His final scream is cut short as he is erased from the mortal realm, his body disappearing into the void of Hell.

The battle is over.

Jamal finally calms down, taking a deep breath. As he looks at Luna, for a brief moment, he wonders if she was no different from the monsters they fought.

Sunny still holds Luna tightly. "Calm down, partner. It's over!" Her words echo through Luna's ears.

Luna's breathing is heavy, her body still trembling with adrenaline. Slowly, she deactivates her technique, her arm returning to its normal state.

The Chief Wendigo watches from a short distance, his expression unreadable—perhaps even joyful. But before anyone can say a word to him, he suddenly takes off, vanishing with inhuman speed. No one reacts in time to stop him.

After all, just because he helped the hunters doesn't mean the bounty on his head has disappeared.

Father Fredrick walks over, placing a reassuring hand on Luna's shoulder. "Child, you must remember— in the heat of battle, we hunters must not become the monsters we fight. Never forget that, young Luna."

Still shaking from the rush of battle, Luna simply nods, her mind clouded with confusion. She glances around and quickly realizes the Chief is gone. Something in her gut tells her this won't be the last time they see him—only next time, he'll likely be their adversary, not their ally.

Tera confidently strides over to Sunny, hands on her hips, beaming with excitement. "Did you see how amazing I was out there? Go on, you mere humans—praise me!"

JJ rolls his eyes as he walks past, ruffling Tera's hair despite her protests. He then looks down at the melting ice surrounding them.

"So… how the hell is Sanctum gonna cover all this up, Sunny?"

Sunny shrugs. "No clue, to be honest with you. But they'll find a way. They always do."

Father Fredrick smiles. "Well, you all did well out there. And Sister Jolene, you are forgiven—just try to be a little kinder to those around you next time!"

The nun simply nods, her expression annoyed but saying nothing in response.

Father Fredrick then places a hand on Luna's head. "Child, about your devil issue… I don't know if I can remove whatever has attached itself to you here. But what I can tell you is that it's strong—very strong. However, it doesn't seem to be in control of you yet."

His expression darkens slightly as he continues, "Heed my warning. That devil will try to deceive you, to trick you. Do not listen to it, alright?"

Luna smiles and nods.

"Good," he says with a satisfied nod before turning to Sunny. "Now, I'll be off. There's paperwork to do because of this mess. Call Sanctum and inform them that the Chief escaped, but the demon and its minions have been banished."

Sunny lets out a heavy sigh, realizing she's in for a long conversation—and will likely get yelled at for failing to kill the Chief Wendigo.

Luna raises her hand. "Should we go and make sure all the Wendigos have been taken care of?"

Father Fredrick laughs. "Don't worry, child. I've already dealt with them—I captured them. So go and rest. Anything that needs cleaning up, I will handle."

The group sighs in relief before heading back to the RV for some much-needed rest.