Chapter 38: No-Hit Runs Suck

Right now, I'm feeling pure terror.

Something incomprehensible, something I don't even want to imagine.

The unfathomable fear that comes from the unknown. Darker than the abyss, more maddening than insanity itself - that's what stands before me.

'...What the hell is this?'

My hands trembled as I thought.

Didn't I just say this guy didn't look like a demon?

No, he was more demonic than anything else. To think such a horrific mind lurked behind that ordinary appearance!

Chills ran down my spine involuntarily, cold sweat dripping from my hands and feet.

To drive away my fear, I deliberately spoke harshly to him.

"As expected of a demon bastard, your tastes are truly wicked."

"My my... your thinking is quite narrow-minded. Given how finite human life is, shouldn't one try to experience as much as possible?"

I really didn't want to include THAT kind of experience.

Even as I frowned, he continued speaking.

"Besides, I don't exclusively pursue men. I welcome anyone who's charming. After all, isn't joy meant to be shared?"

"...Seere."

So anything goes as long as it tastes good?

"You're a being that shouldn't exist."

As expected of someone worthy of the name 'demon', he seemed to care fuck all about morals or ethics.

I could only click my tongue at such horrific logic.

"Don't be like that, try it once. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

Instead of answering, I flipped him the middle finger.

"...How disappointing."

His face stiffened slightly.

"In that case, I'll have to teach you by force. Don't worry. You'll definitely enjoy it."

With those words, he lunged at me.

I cursed and raised my dagger again.

"Holy fuck...!"

If I lose, I'm getting fucked!

Faced with this terrifying reality that could drive me insane, I had no choice but to get serious.

I dodged his knife-hand strike aimed at me, then immediately launched a kick.

I didn't forget to circulate mana throughout my body for reinforcement. The robust physique granted by demon's blood was further energized by mana.

As my maximally contracted muscles released, tremendous energy burst from my foot.

He managed to block it like before.

WHAM-!

"Ugh...?"

Though he blocked it, the force still sent him sliding backward.

It felt like kicking steel, but this time damage definitely got through.

Even a demon wasn't completely immune to attacks.

Realizing this, I quietly rejoiced inside.

Good. This should be enough to protect my asshole!

As I was thinking that, I heard his voice from across the way.

"...Impressive."

A voice tinged with admiration. Yet his expression remained perfectly serene.

He looked quite relaxed, meaning he was still composed.

I charged at him again, aiming to wipe that composure away.

Gripping my dagger in reverse, I thrust it toward his chest. A faint sword energy flickered at the blade's tip.

It was a sharp and threatening strike.

But he didn't dodge even as the blade approached his face. Instead, that faint smile only grew deeper. As if he was planning something-

'?'

I sensed something was off, but it was already too late. Then again, who could have predicted what happened next?

Swoosh-

My perfectly advancing dagger suddenly vanished.

As if it had teleported, my dagger was now in Seere's hands.

He swung down the stolen dagger while saying:

"You cannot rely on weapons before me."

"...!"

I hurriedly pulled back my body.

But forcefully breaking the momentum of my charge wasn't easy.

As a result, I had no choice but to accept some injury.

Slash-

With that sound, the dagger left a small cut on my forearm.

Along with a stinging sensation, drops of blood formed on my arm. Honestly, the wound wasn't a big problem. It would regenerate soon anyway.

The problem was his reaction to seeing it regenerate.

"Oh?"

As the wound healed at an abnormal rate, a glint appeared in Seere's eyes.

"You... you're a Manifestor?"

"Sigh..."

As expected of a demon bastard, he has an excellent nose for demonic power.

"The demonic energy I sense is quite potent. Tell me child, who is your Blood Origin? Baal? Morax? Gamigin? Whoever it is must be quite powerful."

"I wish I knew too."

If I knew that, I probably would've gone to cut their throat myself.

"You interest me more and more. I absolutely must take you with me."

Saying that, he used his ability again. Suddenly a sword appeared in his other hand. It was a longsword commonly carried by guards.

Seeing this, I made my deduction.

'So he can bring items from somewhere.'

It was a troublesome ability in many ways. Especially bad matchup against me.

For someone like me who fights by switching between various weapons, not being able to use weapons was a huge disadvantage.

Unless I wrapped something around my body, it's not like my bare flesh was as hard as steel.

"Run away!"

Ha-neul's urgent cry rang out from far away again.

He was certainly strong and tricky. For adventurers who rely on weapons, this guy would be nothing short of a disaster.

But should I run away like this? After he's noticed I'm a Manifestor?

'...No.'

I can't do that.

At the very least, I need to land one solid hit on this bastard's face.

"Well, I was getting tired of being so careful anyway."

Honestly, fighting while perfectly avoiding attacks didn't suit me.

I was just being careful because I didn't want to give away clues about my demon's blood. Now that I've been found out, it doesn't matter.

Besides, I have this awesome regeneration ability, so why bother going for a no-hit run?

It might hurt a bit, but trading hits while fighting would be more threatening.

SWOOSH!

His sword came rushing at me.

Aiming for my arms and legs rather than my neck - seems he wants to capture me alive. Instead of dodging his attack, I dove deeper inside his guard.

Slash-!

Blood sprayed as my shoulder was cut. While I couldn't avoid the wound, diving inside actually helped minimize the damage.

As I turned, I saw an opening in his exposed flank. A look of confusion crossed his face.

"What?"

Trade flesh to take bone. No, even if I have to trade bone it doesn't matter.

In the end, time favors me since I'll regenerate. An equal exchange of damage is my fighting style, and pursuing offense over defense is the path to victory.

Instead of a blade, I gathered mana in my fist. My body strengthened as a hard barrier formed over my fragile skin.

Then, without hesitation, I drove my fist into his side.

"Ugh...!"

For the first time, a pained groan escaped from him.

The pattern continued similarly after that.

*

Seere, the 70th ranked Great Demon, also known as the Demon of Theft.

Having appeared in the mortal world not long ago, he was experiencing bewilderment for the first time in hundreds of years.

Being pushed back by a single human, not even an army, was quite something.

BAM-! WHAM-! CRACK-!

With each strike from his opponent, Seere's feet retreated one step.

While each individual hit wasn't particularly powerful, they were enough to damage him.

Seere desperately swung his sword trying to drive the opponent away, but even that wasn't easy.

His opponent was sticking to him even at the cost of injury.

'How incredibly aggressive.'

Yor's body accumulated minor cuts, but they healed quickly.

'...And sharp.'

He was even somehow dodging attacks that would cause serious injuries, which frustrated Seere to no end.

This meant the opponent wasn't just recklessly charging in.

In that split second where sword and flesh crossed, he was thoroughly calculating gains and losses.

Should I go in here? Or should I pull back one step?

Getting cut by the sword was clearly disadvantageous, but if it meant closing distance, it was worth enduring.

The opponent was making these judgments every moment. It was an amazingly cold and calculated ability to assess situations.

What battlefield did he have to go through to acquire such capabilities?

'This is dangerous.'

Thanks to this, he felt a sense of crisis. To begin with, he wasn't currently at full power.

Though the sect had offered sacrifices to free his physical form, much of his power remained sealed below. It would still take time to fully recover his physical strength.

Of course, even that much power was quite formidable, so he hadn't been worried... but he never expected to meet someone like this here.

And that's when it happened.

Thunk-

Charging inside, Yor grabbed both of Seere's hands. This stopped Seere's sword attacks, but it also restricted Yor's movements.

What is he planning to do in this position? Seere briefly wondered.

And he didn't have to wait long to find out.

Yor's head tilted back briefly, then thrust forward with all his might.

CRACK-!

With a dull sound, blood sprayed through the air. Blood from both Yor and Seere.

A headbutt is naturally a mutually destructive strike that damages both the attacker and target. Yet Yor executed it without hesitation.

"Ugh! Such brutality...!"

Blood streamed from Seere's nose.

A dizzy pain spread from the center of his face. His surroundings spun from the impact to his head.

While his opponent must be feeling the same, a smile was actually spreading across Yor's face. Blood trickling from his forehead, he muttered:

"Take that, you gay fuck."

At this point, Seere could only click his tongue.

'This one's properly insane.'

This was truly dangerous. So Seere was forced to consider something quite unseemly for a Great Demon's dignity.

'...I need to retreat.'

If this continues, he might actually be destroyed. Having just revived, he couldn't risk being sent back to hell.

But how to escape?

Looking at his opponent's expression, he seemed ready to chase him to the depths of hell.

As Seere's face clouded with worry about whether he could rendezvous with the sect members in the back alleys...

That's when it happened.

Suddenly a voice rang out from the slum entrance.

"Halt! Where is the demon!"

Dozens of humans in full plate armor.

"Hmm?"

The Knights' Order had arrived.