Hunter’s Blade

C24 – Sky Threat

They found the devil.

In the village of Lorman, Shire, Rocher, and Teibout, accompanied by a small retinue of personal guards and mercenaries, found cover within a small forest. Their gaze was directed upwards, fixed upon the Winged Devil causing chaos in the sky. The main army force stood by in readiness, awaiting orders at a distance. Their intention was to engage only once conflict emerged, preventing the monsters from being alerted prematurely.

To Shire, the devil embodied a living nightmare. One nervous soldier fixed his gaze upon it momentarily, his endurance soon exhausted. Paying no heed to the gazes of others, he hastily retreated. His cry was low, akin to that of a startled animal.

Possessing a pair of black wings akin to a bat’s, the devil’s long tail featured spear-like bone spurs at its end. Its neck was short, its limbs powerful. Forelimbs were robust, while hind legs resembled the talons of an eagle, suitable for capturing ground prey.

Strangely, something appeared to hang from the back of the Winged Devil. Additionally, there were heavy metal components on its head, manifestly not natural appendages. Shire pondered on these peculiarities.

“End its suffering,” Rocher ordered, “Terminate it.”

“Yes, sir,” Teibout promptly instructed his subordinates to ready the ballistae. “Gannix, take control of the ‘Blood Bride’ and give that monstrosity a memorable farewell.”

“Understood.” A silent, red-haired man clenched his fists and moved behind the massive ballista. “Assist me in setting it at 15 degrees east.” The mercenary meticulously adjusted the massive crossbow’s orientation, aligning its firing trajectory as closely as possible with the Winged Devil’s flight path.

Surveying the land ravaged by the creature, Shire observed that once fertile ground now wore an aura of misery and anguish. Once scattered with peaceful, hopeful farmers, it now lay bloodied and torn. Strewn across the earth were remnants of carnage. The mutilated corpse of a farmer hinted at the grisly outcome, with only fragments left strewn on the road. Livestock, stomachs ruptured, lay hollowed out. Families that were once idyllic and expectant had been shattered by the arrival of demons. Bereft of even the strength to resist, they were mercilessly trampled.

The more he observed, the more Shire’s abhorrence grew. Despite the mercenaries’ past treatment of him, he secretly yearned for the arrow’s success.

Rocher’s gaze remained locked on the devil. Shire noted the knight’s clenched fist, as if seeking to grasp a thread of hope.

But… it was very difficult.

“I can’t miss it.” Gradiu burst into hearty laughter, “Haha, this is a flying devil.”

“Don’t underestimate humans.” Shire clenched his teeth.

Ganicus, stationed at the ballista’s controls, meticulously aimed at the Winged Devil’s location. Suddenly, he jolted, causing everyone’s hearts to leap. Seizing a prime moment, he exerted all his strength to pull the joystick downwards.

Bang!

Before Shire’s eyes, an engineering marvel was unfolding. As the switch was activated, the tensioned colossal crossbow had already stored up energy. It instantaneously released this energy, causing the taut string to revert to its original state. The precision-crafted crossbow bolt shot out, its trajectory slicing through the air. With an ear-piercing whistling sound, it soared toward the horizon, zeroing in on the grotesque and massive wings of the Winged Devil.

Who said it couldn’t be hit?! This arrow’s accuracy was impeccable!

“All right!” Teibout pumped a fist into the air and couldn’t help but cheer, turning his head to proudly gaze at Shire.

Shire’s eyes widened.

The arrow’s velocity was incredibly swift. In the blink of an eye, it reached the demon’s side. In a peculiar midair somersault, the enormous black creature, initially soaring ahead, contorted unnaturally. It flipped and skidded in the opposite direction, coinciding with the arrival of the substantial arrow. The projectile pierced the spot where the demon’s wings should have been, tracing an arc across the sky. It descended powerlessly in a parabolic descent.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the group. Teibout looked up and found the Winged Devil still unharmed, causing his entire frame to tremble.

“Prepare the arrows.” He ordered.

“We have to escape!” The mercenaries cried.

No wonder their panic was palpable; the Winged Devil had lunged at them already.

Flapping its wings, it rapidly closed the distance. Now Shire could distinctly observe the unfamiliar objects hanging from its body.

Adorning its face was a sizable iron mask, rusted and marred by time, devoid of any openings. This metal plate concealed the Winged Devil’s fearsome countenance, sparing mortals from its terrifying visage. Encircling its back and ribs were seven or eight hefty chains, fastened tautly around it. They used colossal metal spikes to affix them onto its flesh, imposing an immense burden.

This was the Devil Hunter’s captivity, Shire recognized.

Most alarming of all was that despite the weighty shackles, it maneuvered freely alongside the Winged Devil. It executed precise, swift aerial maneuvers. If the Devil Hunter didn’t impose any constraints, how agile could it be, free of these impediments?

“If we assemble a demon army, this creature could serve as a relentless vanguard…” Gradiu mused.

“Ah!” Confronting the descending black demon, everyone was terror-stricken.

Rocher inhaled deeply, adopting a combat stance. Yet, Shire could sense the knight’s faltering confidence in victory.

“Load it up! Reload it! Let me loose another arrow!” Gannicus was in a state of extreme agitation. He exerted all his might to restrain his companion, who in turn employed all his strength to shake Gannicus off and hurriedly retreated, heedless of his own well-being.

“Cease aiming, let’s flee!” Teibout yelled.

Gazing at the rapidly approaching Winged Devil, Shire observed its immense, night-like darkness and its enormous size akin to a house.

“Phantom Divine Power!” Shire focused intently, releasing an indignant shout.

Bang!

The devil stretched its wings, gliding down in alignment with the air currents. However, to its astonishment, the once loyal atmosphere had turned turbulent. An invisible force assailed it, causing its expansive wings to contort. It was propelled backward. Its body plummeted swiftly, barely skimming the ground at low altitude. It nearly crashed before employing every ounce of wing power to recover.

“What?”

“Oh my god~”

“This?”

“It’s the Devil Hunter!”

Upon hearing the strange rush of wind, the soldiers turned their gaze. What met their eyes was the demon undergoing a bizarre transformation into a grotesque horn, twirling awkwardly in the air like a marionette. Stiff and contorted, it struggled to find its balance. Every onlooker widened their eyes, fixated on Shire’s figure.

“Devil Hunter…” Rocher clutched her sword tightly, one of the few daring enough to stay and observe. “Such immense power.”

Teibout was on the brink of fleeing, yet upon witnessing the sudden turn of events, his excitement surged.

“Hold your ground, Pier! Tarkin, get back here, load, load! Ganicus, take aim! This time, we cannot fail!”

The morale of the Van Mountain Crossbow Squad under Teibout’s leadership was rekindled. Rushing to their crossbows, they loaded with a speed surpassing their own limits. These mercenaries strained their muscles, exerting every ounce of strength as they cranked the winches and drew back the firm bowstrings. Courage surged like a fountain, much like how Shire himself had once begun to cultivate the determination to hunt demons.

“You’re right. Devils and dragons are distinct.” Teibout wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

Shire remained silent, his gaze locked on the flight path of the Winged Devil. He spread his wings, ascending rapidly over their heads, homing in on their rear.

It’s leaving? Shire swiveled around in haste. His heart raced faster and faster, practically pounding out of his chest. Dread engulfed his thoughts. No—can’t allow it to reach there. There…

Filled with anxiety, Shire paid no heed to those who remained behind. He navigated through the forest with a heavy heart, stumbling toward the wilderness that stretched beyond.

Soldiers were stationed in this area. Witnessing the demons, they gazed upward, fingers pointing at the airborne monstrosities in alarm. Archers swiftly armed themselves and launched arrows at the Winged Devil. Shire observed dozens of arrows hurtling into the sky, blanketing the Winged Devil’s form.

Despite its valiant attempts at flight, the creature couldn’t evade every arrow.

Yet, this didn’t equate to a successful assault. The arrows merely lightly punctured the demon’s exterior shell, while others simply rebounded off its demonic body, descending feebly.

Faced with the demons, did the human army truly possess no means of resistance whatsoever? Shire had once harbored a faint hope that these trained soldiers could contend with the devils, but now, he feared they couldn’t even safeguard themselves.

Shire turned his attention. Mercenaries wielding crossbows struggled to placate their steeds, manning the hefty ballistae, and readied for another volley, though it appeared they wouldn’t be effective in the short term.

Piercing screams echoed. Some Winged Devils had already descended among the soldiers. They raised their shields in an attempt to fend them off, yet with a flap of the devils’ wings, the soldiers were knocked to the ground, heads bloodied. Like a falcon seizing its prey, the devils swiftly captured a soldier, soaring higher into the sky.

“Help! Help!” The soldier’s cries abruptly ceased. He was slain mid-air. The demon gripped his torso with one hand and his head with the other. With a twist, the soldier’s head was torn off. Then, the demon clenched its other hand. Instantly, the soldier’s spine, internal organs, and blood gushed from the rupture at his neck. All were squeezed out and scattered on the ground, a macabre rain.

The assembled soldiers stood in horrified silence, watching this nightmarish scene unfold, their terror mounting. The devil’s cold, iron mask exuded an even more merciless aura. It flung the mangled corpses to the ground, seemingly venting its fury. Absorbing the souls of the deceased, it then conjured a dark green demonic flame from its hand.

“Spread out…” Shire felt powerless.

The devil fire condensed into a fiery ball. It streaked towards the densely assembled army and erupted upon impact with the ground. Flames roared and consumed everything, sending over a dozen individuals crashing down. Their bodies were engulfed in the inferno, cries, screams, and the frantic rush of those fleeing filled the air.

Proulx shouted for the people to quiet down. Spotting Shire on the grassy slope, he swiftly rode his horse towards him.

“Demon! It’s a demon! We need to find a way out!” He continued to shout in alarm.

A Winged Devil descended with remarkable speed, as if to flaunt its strength before Shire. It snatched the veteran from the horse’s back with its claw. Proulx struggled in the devil’s grip, his armor pierced by the sharp talon. Blood seeped from his mouth as he cast a despairing look at Shire.

“Are you a hunter?” A Winged Devil made a hoarse sound.

“I’m here to kill you.” Swiftly extracting a devil rope from his garments, Shire hurled it at the Winged Devil. The rope shot towards the demon’s feet.

“I despise all of you. How much suffering must you endure, day and night?” With a forceful sweep of the Winged Devil’s arm, Proulx was thrown to the ground, emitting a wretched cry. His skull caved in from the impact. Shire’s heart skipped a beat, the rope failing to ensnare its intended target.

He missed! Shire was disappointed.

However, to his surprise, the Winged Devil descended rapidly, extending its claws to purposefully catch the rope. Upon locating its target, the rope quickly coiled around its leg.

Why did it willingly allow itself to be captured…

“Silly, you fell into my trap.” Gradiu shouted.

What was the demon saying?

A potent force pulled Shire upwards as the Winged Devil flapped its wings, soaring higher into the sky. In an instant, Shire, gripping the demon rope, was hoisted into the heavens by the demon’s ascent.

It was over. He thought.