A Demon User

Everyone was panting, their bodies aching from the brutal battle that had just ended. The air was thick with tension, the remains of the battlefield still smoldering around them.

Aika was shaking. Her fingers clenched around her staff as she stared at the ground, her breath uneven. "What the hell was that…" she whispered, her voice barely holding steady.

"That thing was so strong…" She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself together. "It was toying with us for so long…" Her shoulders trembled. She hated this feeling—this helplessness. She felt her throat tighten, trying not to cry.

Before she could spiral further, Rose stepped up beside her. Without a word, she placed a firm hand on Aika's shoulder.

Aika glanced up, her eyes wide.

Rose smirked, though it was softer than usual. "We were training for this," she said simply.

Kai crouched down a few feet away, exhaling as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "You guys can still resign if—"

Rose cut him off with a deadpan stare. "Yeah, no thanks. But if you're planning on it, suit yourself."

Kai twitched, a vein popping on his forehead. "Well, that's what I get for trying to be considerate."

Arnik let out a low chuckle despite his injuries, his arms resting at his sides. "That was… exhilarating." His hand, still battered from the fight, twitched slightly in pain.

Markus, watching him carefully, crouched down beside him. His gaze flickered to Arnik's mangled fingers. "Does it hurt?"

Arnik straightened his back, his voice grand and defiant. "Not at all."

Markus raised an eyebrow.

Then— poke.

"AAOOWOWOWWOWOWOO!!" Arnik howled, clutching his hand as pain shot through him.

Markus smirked. "Right."

Kai motioned toward Arnik, waving a hand. "Hey! Call for another evac ship."

Arnik blinked, still nursing his injured hand. "Why?"

Kai rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, Idiot. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Our last one was destroyed during that fight."

Arnik turned to look—behind him, the wreckage of their previous evac ship lay in a smoldering heap, twisted metal and broken parts scattered across the ground.

"Oh…" Arnik muttered.

Kai crossed his arms. "Also… let's bring back what's left of that thing."

Arnik frowned, glancing toward the decapitated body of their mysterious enemy. "Shouldn't you take a look at it, Kai?"

Kai sighed, crouching beside the corpse. His eyes scanned over the body, tracing the cybernetic armor, the eerie way it still twitched slightly even in death. He exhaled, rubbing his temple. "I have… and from what I can tell, it looks like a normal human to me."

Arnik didn't respond right away, his expression tightening. He activated his comms, bringing up the secure channel.

"This is Arnik, requesting immediate evac ship to our location," he stated, his voice sharp and to the point.

A brief silence followed before static crackled through the line.

"Arnik? What the hell happened out there?" Andrew Handerfall's voice came through, firm and urgent.

Arnik glanced at the others before answering. "We engaged an unidentified hostile. Strong—way stronger than expected." He hesitated before adding, "We took it down, but… we need to bring its body back. This wasn't an ordinary enemy."

A pause. Then Andrew's voice returned, more serious than before. "Understood. Sending a retrieval unit now. Hold position."

Arnik lowered his comm, exhaling. "Evac's on the way."

The group stood in silence, the weight of everything settling in.

Kai motioned toward Arnik, waving a hand. "Hey! Call for another evac ship."

Arnik blinked, still nursing his injured hand. "Why?"

Kai rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, Idiot. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Our last one was destroyed during that fight."

Arnik turned to look—behind him, the wreckage of their previous evac ship lay in a smoldering heap, twisted metal and broken parts scattered across the ground.

"Oh…" Arnik muttered.

Kai crossed his arms. "Also… let's bring back what's left of that thing."

Arnik frowned, glancing toward the decapitated body of their mysterious enemy. "Shouldn't you take a look at it, Kai?"

Kai sighed, crouching beside the corpse. His eyes scanned over the body, tracing the cybernetic armor, the eerie way it still twitched slightly even in death. He exhaled, rubbing his temple. "I have… and from what I can tell, it looks like a normal human to me."

Arnik didn't respond right away, his expression tightening. He activated his comms, bringing up the secure channel.

"This is Arnik, requesting immediate evac ship to our location," he stated, his voice sharp and to the point.

A brief silence followed before static crackled through the line.

"Arnik? What the hell happened out there?" Andrew Handerfall's voice came through, firm and urgent.

Arnik glanced at the others before answering. "We engaged an unidentified hostile. Strong—way stronger than expected." He hesitated before adding, "We took it down, but… we need to bring its body back. This wasn't an ordinary enemy."

A pause. Then Andrew's voice returned, more serious than before. "Understood. Sending a retrieval unit now. Hold position."

Arnik lowered his comm, exhaling. "Evac's on the way."

The group stood in silence, the weight of everything settling in.

The evac ship descended, its engines humming as it settled onto the cracked ground. The back hatch hissed open, and soldiers rushed out to secure the area. But they weren't alone.

Takashima stepped out, adjusting his glasses as his gaze swept across the battlefield.

"Master?" Kai muttered, surprised.

Takashima scoffed. "Surprised? Seriously?"

Kai crossed his arms. "Well, yeah. Didn't expect you of all people to show up here."

Takashima smirked. "This is an unidentified soldier… exactly my field." He chuckled, stepping closer to the remains of the fallen enemy.

Kai rolled his eyes. "I already examined what's left."

Takashima knelt beside the body, his fingers tracing along the damaged cybernetic plating. His expression shifted, his usual smug demeanor faltering for a second.

His eyes widened.

"You guys know this isn't a demon, right?"

A tense silence followed.

"We know," Markus muttered, his arms crossed. "But it sure wasn't human."

Takashima exhaled sharply. "Well, it looks like one to me."

Aika's breath caught in her throat. The others stiffened.

The realization hit them all at once.

They had killed… a human?

The air grew heavier, their exhaustion now laced with unease. None of them had wanted it to come to this. Even after all they had seen, this wasn't something they were prepared for.

Takashima stood, glancing over the body once more. "It's expected that some would betray their kind." He adjusted his glasses. "But… don't beat yourselves up. This was no ordinary human."

Aika looked up. "What? But you just said—"

Takashima sighed. "Think about it. Most humans could barely hold their ground against you guys. Even though you're not very strong."

"Hey!" Rose snapped, glaring at him.

Takashima held up his hands. "Calm down! Sheesh. I'm just saying—it's strange. Not impossible… but strange."

The squad exchanged glances. None of it made sense.

Takashima's eyes narrowed. "And another thing… doesn't this feel off to you?"

Arnik frowned. "What do you mean?"

Takashima gestured around the battlefield. "Look at the pattern. There were no other machines here after the fight. No reinforcements. No follow-up wave. Doesn't that seem odd?"

Kai's expression darkened. "It's like… they wanted to see what we'd do against him."

"Exactly." Takashima crossed his arms. "This whole thing seemed like a weapons test. They threw him at you and just watched."

Aika shuddered. "That's… disturbing."

Markus clenched his fists. "So we weren't just fighting for our lives… we were being studied."

Takashima nodded. "And that means there's more where he came from."

A heavy silence settled over them.

Takashima exhaled, standing straight. "Kai, join me in the lab after this."

Kai nodded. "Got it."

Takashima turned to the others. "Alright, everyone load in! I can already hear more machines incoming."

The squad didn't hesitate. They boarded the evac ship, leaving behind the battlefield, their thoughts heavier than ever.

2 Hours later, At Takashima's Lab.

Kai stepped into the lab, the cold air pressing against his skin as the doors hissed shut behind him. The sterile white lights flickered slightly, casting eerie shadows along the sleek metal walls. The hum of machinery filled the space, accompanied by the faint whirring of holographic displays.

He wasn't alone.

Takashima stood at the center, his arms crossed, eyes locked on the remains of the mysterious soldier laid out on a reinforced examination table. Data screens hovered above it, flickering with shifting magical signatures and cybernetic readouts.

To the right, leaning lazily against a console, was Crowne, his usual smirk plastered across his face. "About time you showed up, Kid."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Unlike you, I actually had work to do."

Crowne chuckled, flipping a knife between his fingers. "Oh, please. I am work."

On the opposite side of the lab, dressed in his pristine, elegant attire, Alaric stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was unreadable, but there was a flicker of intrigue in his golden eyes.

"So," Kai exhaled, stepping forward. "What's the deal? Takashima, you said this guy wasn't human, but—"

"He is human."

Kai blinked. "Shockers."

"That's not why I called you up." Takashima's expression darkened as he pressed a few buttons on the console.

The examination table shifted, and a containment chamber slowly hissed open.

Inside—

The remains.

A shriveled, rotted corpse, enclosed in reinforced glass. The flesh was sunken, dried, barely clinging to the bone. The cybernetic parts had decayed beyond recognition, rusted and corroded as if they had been abandoned for centuries.

Kai's breath hitched. "This… isn't the same person."

Takashima didn't take his eyes off the screen. "Trust me, it is."

Kai turned sharply to him. "What?"

Takashima exhaled. "It seems this one has been dead for many years."

Kai scratched his head, his brow furrowed. "What does this mean…?"

Takashima remained silent for a moment, his eyes locked onto the decayed corpse. "I have theories."

Before he could elaborate, Crowne's laughter echoed through the lab.

"This is an easy one!" he said, grinning. "So pathetic, Takashima. You haven't figured it out yet?"

Takashima's eyes twitched. "Who's the scientist here?"

"Hard to believe you are!"

"Excuse me?"

Their glares clashed, the tension thick between them.

Kai groaned, rubbing his temples. "Everyone, calm down! Seriously!" He turned to Crowne. "Alright, genius. What's your explanation?"

Crowne smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Lionel is a true villain, a madman. To understand one, you must also be one!"

Takashima and Kai responded in unison, "Yeah, a bonafide psycho."

Crowne threw his arms out dramatically. "What's the craziest thing you can expect?"

Kai frowned. "Just say it already."

"This was a possessed being," Crowne declared.

Kai scoffed. "Come on, you can't be serious."

Takashima, however, was quiet, his mind working through the information. "It makes sense, though…"

Crowne smirked, turning to Takashima. "You gathered some of the destroyed machines, right? What did you find?"

Takashima adjusted his glasses. "Almost little to no electronics inside. A core, and most of the metal is solid."

Kai narrowed his eyes. "And that means…?"

Crowne leaned forward. "He released the sealed demons after all!"

Takashima sighed. "Honestly, I expected this answer… and frankly, I knew it myself."

Crowne scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, take all the glory."

"Shut up."

"But the human is still a mystery," Takashima added, crossing his arms.

Kai tapped his chin. "If we're considering possession… and the involvement of a human…" He paused. "Then I'd say—it's a contract."

"Contract?!"

"You see, magic is strong, but it's not all-powerful." Kai's voice grew more serious. "There's no such thing as mind-control magic, as you both know. Possession, however, must be willing."

Takashima exhaled sharply. "I see… So, this is how he brings about the second coming—demons reborn into metallic and human bodies."

Crowne laughed. "Irony at its finest! They want to destroy all humans, yet humans are what they need to regain their full power."

Kai clenched his fists. "If we look at it this way… a possessed human is clearly stronger than the machines." His voice dropped. "And if he has an army of these…"

Takashima's expression darkened. "I need to inform the captain and the other colonies about this finding."

"But it's still just a theory," Kai reminded him.

"For now," Takashima admitted. "But we have a live sample of a machine… and this possession theory seems on point. I need to study its metallic makeup more."

Kai crossed his arms. "If this theory is true… what should we call them?"

Takashima adjusted his glasses. "Demon Users. Ones that use demons."

Crowne grinned. "Hah! That would make a great movie villain."

Kai sighed. "Yeah, too bad we're living in it."