The Arrogant Hero

For hours, the two demons had been on a constant lookout for similar monsters. They traveled through the woods, searching the ground for clues, tracking footprints and paw marks. All of that led them no closer to any clues of where such an enemy could come from.

Jasmine gazed around, looking at the scenery as she wandered through the forest. The trees and foliage grew thicker in this area, creating a thick canopy above her that blotted out the sun and cast the ground below into dark shadows. The light filtered in from above, creating patches of bright color across the otherwise dull greens, browns, and grays.

She stopped briefly.

The path ahead was narrower, with heavy brush obscuring visibility farther ahead. A group of birds fluttered from a nearby tree as Jasmine trudged onward, watching carefully. There was a strange energy flowing from ahead.

"You think that's an enemy?" Eris asked. She crouched down, holding onto her hand. "The aura here feels... I don't know. What do you think?"

"It doesn't give out the same energy as that tentacle monster. Maybe it's a human?" she furrowed her brows. "But for some reason, I feel like I've felt something similar." She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she recognized it somehow, and it gave her a sense of déjà vu. It wasn't anything from back on Earth. It must've been something her new body had experienced. "We should be careful."

They moved forward cautiously, eyes scanning for danger, bodies tense and alert.

"Eris, I hear sounds. Someone's fighting!"

The duo picked up the pace. From a distance, a scream could be heard, followed by a thump of a body crashing to the floor, followed by the gurgling screech of a creature. Another howl sounded from afar. More fighting broke out.

"Quick, get behind the cover!" Eris dashed under the nearest bush, crouching down low and peering out from underneath her.

They peeked from behind some shrubs and found a blonde girl battling a tentacle monster, her blade shining bright white, stabbing straight through the abdomen. But the creature was resilient. It conjured every bit of strength it had to launch an absolute haymaker toward Alice that she barely managed to block with her sword. She slammed into the tree hard. She growled, biting her lips and wiping off the droplets of blood from her nose. "Grr, what kind of freak are you!?"

The creature rushed her, but Alice rolled quickly out of the way. With a swift flip in the air, she unsheathed the second sword. "No more games!"

With one arm wrapped securely around her waist, Alice held her other sword up, slashing the enemy in half. It stumbled backward, making gurgling noises, clutching its gut. Its tentacles waved around madly as it collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Alice huffed, lowering her weapons. "Man, I thought it would have a tougher time fighting back. Wait! Who's there?!"

She pivoted toward them and thrust her sword forward, a sharp glare in her eye. Her jaw dropped when her gaze landed on them. "Y-your horns!" she yelped, eyes widened at them. "Wh-who are you!?"

"Uhm, I... I'm a cosplayer! I... It's for Halloween!" she stumbled over her words, quickly rushing out from the bushes. Eris followed, keeping herself steady behind her. She gulped. "Did we scare you?"

Alice looked unconvinced. "Halloween was two days ago."

"Well, uhh. Can't throw away such an expensive outfit," Jasmine murmured.

"Right, and I'm a cosplayer myself," the redhead offered an explanation, obviously seeing the girl wasn't buying it. Eris's head bobbed around the clearing, seemingly distracted.

The blonde's mouth formed a straight line. "Hmm, fair enough," she crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Demons don't really exist anymore anyway. Name's Alice." She looked at both girls in front of her, reaching her hand out.

Eris shook it. "Pleasure. And this is—"

Alice immediately grabbed Eris' horns, giving them a light tug. "Fake horns wouldn't be this sturdy and stuck. Would they?"

Before Eris could react, Alice had raised her sword again. Eris stepped back, but Alice held her horn tightly. But before Alice could strike, Jasmine grabbed hold of the blade, using her magic to keep the edge away from them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, chill! Let's take a breath, shall we?"

"Yes, a breath is certainly called for," Eris said coldly. She narrowed her eyes, and the wind suddenly picked up, forcing the trees around them to creak. The ground shook slightly as leaves were blown about, dancing about the three women's feet.

"I can't believe some demons are still around," Alice gritted her teeth, keeping the hilt locked in her fist. She forced the blade downward slightly, ignoring Eris completely. Her jaw was clenched tight, the muscles of her neck visibly tense.

"Please, we aren't like our ancestors. We don't mean you any harm," she said. She had a pained expression. She glanced briefly toward Eris, trying her best to stay composed.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure you're innocent," Alice said sarcastically. She hopped back and loosened her grip on the blade, putting it back in its sheath, eying them both closely. "What's the deal, then?"

"Listen, if you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone. Or how about we work together to deal with the common enemy? Those ugly, gooey monsters you fought?"

"Demons will be demons," she narrowed her gaze. "They can't be trusted."

"Not all of them! Surely you haven't encountered all of us. Like I said, we'll stay out of your business," Jasmine added. "See, we haven't done anything in a hundred years!"

"That's cause you went underground, right?" Alice asked, tilting her head a tad. "To save up your strength, to rebuild your army." She raised her sword again. "I'll take you both at once!"

"Tsk, fine," Jasmine clenched her fists. Her reddish aura emerged, engulfing her body and giving her immense power. "I'll knock some sense into this racist."

Eris raised her eyebrow. "Racist?"

Jasmine chuckled.

Without hesitation, Alice lunged forward, thrusting her sword at Jasmine. The blade flashed briefly before Jasmine knocked it to the side. She conjured fire on her palm, concentrating it to explode upon her. It became a huge tornado, whirling wildly and completely obscuring her body in seconds. Alice flew back, grunting in pain, tumbling onto her side and losing control. The fire consumed her, and Jasmine sent a powerful punch straight through the cyclone.

It slammed into the ground next to Alice's head. Alice leaped away just in time, narrowly dodging the attack.

Jasmine leaped towards the young woman, knocking Alice's weapon free. With a blast of air, Jasmine sent her hurtling into the woods.

"Eris!" she shouted. "Help me restrain her!"

"On it, my lord." Eris extended both her arms. A myriad of roots shot up from the soil, sprouting and twisting into a giant mess of tendrils. It quickly coiled around Alice, locking her limbs in place. Jasmine quickly moved the girl to a nearby tree, letting the roots wrap her. The roots stopped at her legs, leaving her only able to wiggle, trying to move from her position.

"Get over here!" the girl howled. She tried struggling, but the roots kept her still. Her face twisted with rage and frustration. "This can't be. Let me go!"

"No," Jasmine sneered.

"Then kill me! I'm not gonna sit and rot in prison for you dirty monsters!" She spat, causing Jasmine and Eris to jump back.

"Rude."

Eris blinked. "Huh? Do we seem that threatening to her, though? Your intention isn't to hurt her, right?"

"Nope," Jasmine confirmed with a sigh. "I talk to her," she said, knocking the girl unconscious. "She's really strong. It shouldn't hurt her too much. Let's take her back to our place for now."