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Donovan glared at the two karnal demons, each ready to dispense their magic spears at him. "So, they can speak human." He grimaced. "If they knew we were here, they somehow must've been watching us for a while."
"We'll give you to the count of three before we fill your body with these spears. So, what will it be, human?" With a dead seriousness, Girn raised his hands and pinched his finger. "One... Two." From his red finger, blood fell.
On impact, Donovan's body charged, Spear launched, and thrusted as he was in the flurry, each one scratched and parried with intense focus.
He swung his water-covered pipe, clanging loudly against the sword and dagger of the two.
"W-what the hell!? Why did I just move!?"
" " The air rushed with the closing stone walls. Acting, fact, Donovan deflected their attacks and raised his pipe.
The two walls shattered in an instant, striking a rectangular barrier around Donovan as he coughed blood.
" " Focused, Donovan aimed his pipe at the demons. The two split and circled from opposite ends, launching spears and a spike that whizzed at Donovan with a fierce intensity. Each one struck and shattered on impact, with every blow flowing more blood from Donovan as his mouth and nose ran red. Remained composed, he aimed his Pipe at Girn and blasted a ball of water at the demon.
The water bullet missed, cratering into the tree, leaving its mark.
The two demon brothers convened far behind Donovan with eyes narrowed. " ""
Just then, the barrier protecting Donovan dissipated into a vapor in the air. Donovan reeled forward, coughing blood, yet maintaining his stance against the two.
Gen Smirk. " " "Heh. Let me guess. You two were part of the demon army, and then they kicked you out, right?"
Girn huffed. "You must understand us too, don't you. I'll give you credit, it's not common that your kin know our tongue. If you think that'll give you an advantage, you're sorely mistaken. GEN!"
The black-haired Karnal leaped with his dagger and swung it at Donovan. Like magic, the blade extended its reach, clashing with the edge of Donovan's pipe, the two ends scratched and twisted around in a contest of strength.
From below, Grirn dashed at him with his sword poised and swung.
"Shit!" Donovan pulled, dodging the two attacks, and raised his pipe. Suddenly, a new urge to charge at the two arose. And without thinking, he charged and swung his water-coated pipe, hitting it into the tree, completely missing them. Unable to stop, he swung, left, right, and center, swooshing his pipe like a madman as the two demons maneuvered around him. "D-damn it! Why can't I stop myself? It feels like everything inside me is INTENSIFYING!"
Girn slashed his sword, nicking hair from Donovan's head. His deadpan expression quickly shifted with a smirk.
"Tch! I can't fight them like this! I need to distance myself and fast!" Unexpectedly, he felt a sudden shift in his body. As if acting on his previous thought, he dodged and ran into the forest. Confusion quickly clung to him like a parasite, as he dodged and weaved through the bushes and rocks, tripping on a few roots along the way.
"I don't understand what's happening, but…" He glanced back with a growing uncertainty. "At least this'll give me more time."
A sudden sharp pain nicked his neck. He felt the back of his neck, unsure what to make of the suddenness. He looked at the blood on his finger and quickly clenched his fist, continuing to storm on through the forest. Unexpectedly, he suddenly lost footing and rolled down a steep hill. He winced from pain and glanced up, meeting eyes with a confused demon boy holding a big green crystal. "What the-!?"
The boy cocked his head. " "What-?" Branches cracked, and the tree creaked. From the forest, Donovan heard the woosh of a blade. Acting fast, he pushed the child and evaded Gen's blade. "Too close!!"
"< There's no point in running from us. With my powers, I can track you and your friends anywhere you go.>"
" " " Girn and Gen instantly turned to the child. " The boy meekly backed away with his crystal in hand and hid behind a tree, still watching with some interest.
" " Donovan, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I wonder… Is his blood magic similar to Bjorn's? If that's the case-" He aimed his pipe straight at Girn. "I just have to somehow distance myself."
Water built up from inside his pipe, building until a flat disk formed. Without hesitation, he shot one water disc after another. Undeterred, the two demons sliced through the meager discs and pressed on Donovan. Both slashing and clashing their blades in a flurry of overwhelming attacks.
Suddenly, in the midst of defending himself, Girn pinned his pipe to the ground.
"Heh! Give up." Gen said. Both demons aimed at his neck. A cold sweat ran down the side of his face. He glanced back at his pipe, looking at the green glow just beneath his hand, he smirked knowingly, and channeling his magic, conjured a sudden expanding barrier pushing the demons away.
" " " " Donovan scoffed and clenched his teeth. In an instant, Girn dashed at him, clashing sword with pipe. He pulled away just as quickly and with practiced ease, splattering blood in Donovan's face.
Like a stringed puppet, Donovan charged at Girn, swinging hard with his water-covered pipe. Dirt and debris filled the air, and splinters of wood flew with swing after swing as he recklessly attacked the two dodging demons.
"" Gen pondered out loud.
" The two continued, mocking and taunting out loud in their demon. tongue. Just close enough to swing at, yet too far to hit.
"D-damn it! I need to calm down!" With a pained face, Donovan barely managed to stop his body. Slowly, he stumbled back. His hands shook, and his grasp tightened on his pipe, holding himself from acting again. "Cocky bastards!"
The two brothers split, surrounding Donovan on both sides. His glare shifted from brother to brother. Suddenly, at the corner of his eyes, the demon boy, still watching in awe, continued watching them with a glint in his eyes.
"Hold on… Didn't one of them talk about how that kid was affected, too? But he's not attacking…" A sudden weight lifted from Donovan's shoulder. The urge to battle dissipated a fraction of a second.
Acting fast, he backed off the two demons, entering deeper into the dense forest.
" Donovan's mouth twitched, tuning and dashing into the forest. He ran and ran, trying to outrun the two demons behind him. The taste of iron slowly grew stronger in his mouth as one mock and slash after another came his way.
Frustrated, Gen yelled. "< You're only delaying the inevitable. Even if we didn't catch a pathetic human like you, that won't stop us from getting the savage companion of yours.>"
Donovan flinched, listening as the demon continued.
" "Gen!" Girn glared.
Gen glanced, " The springs pulled back on Donovan, driving him back to the demons behind. "Ah… So that's it…"
With a fury, Donovan swung, clashing his water-cloaked pipe with Gen's extended dagger. " From the side, Girn swung his blade down with an icy cold glare. " The slashers rushed through the forest and cut through the ground like a natural disaster. Girn's glare lingered on Donovan, narrowing more intensely. " Donovan looked at his pipe, left with Gen, then quickly steeled himself. "Because my friend's life is on the line." He clenched his fists. "I can't let demons like you get in our way!!"
Striking true, Donovan punched Girn in the jaw.
Girn tumbled away from the unexpected attack. Gen, oblivious to the danger, turned only to be struck in the stomach.
Gen reeled, over, falling on his back as Donovan glared at the two.
"Your blood magic makes us act more on our desires, doesn't it?"
Girn could glare back, unwilling.
"That blood magic must've backfired hard if it let me actually punch you two."
"Don't get so cocky, human. That's not how it works at all." Girn stood, still feeling his face. "That just means that the blood blade of your is already destroyed."
Gen wobbled up with a cough, then laughed. " "What are you two talking about?"
The two walked around Donovan, Gen with Donovan's pipe tossed it to the side, growing smug as Girn kept his stern composure.
"A fun fact about our blood blades," Gen began. "The only way to destroy a blood blade like ours is to melt it down in a vat of molten lava. But completely melt it, it needs to be continuously run for days and nights, equating to our life spans. Each day equates to a year. And being generous, let's say it finished melting away just now."
"That's still only four hours at most, meaning you'd have at most two months to live."
"That's ridiculous! You honestly expect me to believe the two of you!?"
"Just ask former General Bjorn when you meet him in bindings!" Gen poised, ready to attack. Suddenly, the clanking of the armor broke through the quiet forest… " "Gen!" Girn yelled.
Acting on impulse, Gen swung his extended blade at Donovan, only to be blocked by a soldier's blood blade. Using the cover of night and trees, Donovan obscured himself behind the trees, escaping into the forest.
" " " " 'Gen chuckled. "Looks like that power of yours struck again, Girn."
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