Myriad Devils-Chapter 186: First encounter, Daemon!
Upon making contact, the two drifting clouds interlinked, creating a battlegrounds that covered more than 1.1 kilometers in diameters.
At this level, such a distance was no different than fighting with someone in a room no wider than arm’s length. But at the same time, with minute control over the body, battling in such a small room would not be challenging.
The same logic applied in this present time.
.....
When Anon saw the appearance of his opponent, there was a slight moment in which he was utterly silent.
He had never deemed himself as a racist.
However, one could say that he was never really tested.
The different skin colors amongst humans were irrelevant. After all, they were all humans.
On the other hand, the beasts of earth were lifeforms, no. They were the inhabitants of earth, just like the human race.
The humans of earths, and the beasts of earths, they were all, in essence, earthlings. And earthlings, all fell under the jurisdiction of the Human Lord, and Anon, the young lord.
What he currently saw was not a resident of this world.
Obviously, Anon only knew from the information that was poured into his soul, and the one resident he had crossed paths with, and yet Anon instinctively knew that this existence...
Standing three or four meters tall.
Not really that bulky, however it wasn’t really all that slender either. Two pairs of demonic wings sprouting out of its back.
Skin the same color as blood. Demonic markings etched onto said skin. Three long, black horns that curved upwards. Long, black nails on its fingers and toes.
And plastered across its face was a strange grin that stretched from ear to ear. Such a grin was seemingly part of its biology.
"Ay."
The creature spoke a language not known by Anon, yet understood by his psyche. Its voice was full of amusement, and its tone was peculiar to say the least.
"Have you not seen a Daemon before?"
"Well, I guess, from your eyes, it seems to be the case. Such a stupid question on my part, ay, ay, my bad little one."
It looked down on him, condescendingly.
Its eyes gloatingly and daringly overlooking the little, swarthy-skinned human.
"And to think I was worried about being overly arrogant." Anon chuckled darkly, "It seems that compared to a demon, I have some work to do."
As the little human finally spoke, initially the daemon was intrigued, however something about Anon’s words seemed to strike a nerve.
"When you say our name, say it properly." The daemon explained, "Demon and Daemon is two different races. One is a cheap imitation you can find in your cosmic space, and the other originates from the great infernal realm."
Anon smiled.
"Ay, ay, my bad... little one."
Space trembled.
Strange cries and wails echoed faintly in Anon’s ears.
The daemon’s expression was rather dark.
"Little human, I commend you. Not from this world, this must be your first battle, and yet your soul cloud is so large."
"However, for a lesser dimensional human that is so reliant on stellar cosmic energy, your arrogance lacks the necessary backing to be so openly displayed."
The daemon smirked and leisurely traced its fingers across its chest. The daemon’s flesh squirmed strangely, opening up to reveal the hilt of a sword.
On the hilt, there was a dark eye that blinked multiple times.
As the sword’s blade exited the daemon’s body, the strange sword was slowly revealed. Its blade was forged out of what appeared to be wriggling flesh that still oozed fresh blood.
Observing the flesh sword, the daemon revealed a toothy grin. Once more, such a grin spanned from one ear to the other.
However, the parting air drew his attention, away from his flesh sword, and to the sharp tip of a spear that took up most of his vision.
The demonic wings sprouting out of its back trembled, however it was too late.
Anon’s spear tore apart the demon’s skull, bursting flesh, only its horns were not instantly pulverized into a bloody mist.
His spear sliced apart the daemon’s headless body before he jerked at it, sending remnant blood and matter into the surroundings.
Anon’s indifferent gaze shifted away from the ruined corpse and toward the sky some distance away.
It was not too far away.
The battleground could indeed enter the sky, however space was even more restricted in the air than it was atop the black cloud.
Anyway, in the restricted sky, the daemon traced its fingers across the fleshy blade of his sword.
"Little human, this sword has consumed the blood of sixteen million, nine thousand and fifty one creatures."
"Naturally, this was over the course of some hundreds of thousands of years in the infernal realm, but I know that you lesser dimensional humans have a stringent lifespan."
The daemon only saw the gleam of Anon’s spear.
This time, the speed of Anon’s movements was noticeably sharper.
By the time he reacted, only a false body was left in his wake as Anon lunged at the daemon’s true body which barely blocked the incoming spear with its fleshy blade.
The two exchanged attacks hundreds and thousands of times. Blood splattered in their surroundings as their false bodies faded away over time.
It did not take long for Anon to overpower the daemon.
He laughed lightly at the edge of the drifting cloud, observing the daemon standing on the other end with a condescending gaze that the daemon once had shown him in a previous time.
"I did not expect that even after the hundreds of thousands of years spilling blood, your sword mastery would be so pathetic."
Anon sighed.
"I did not expect that after consuming sixteen million, nine thousand and fifty one creatures, your sword would be so, pitifully, pathetically, abysmally, flimsy."
In truth, Anon was not pleased by the daemon’s taunts.
There were many things that he, Anon Xerxes, could ignore. However, to ignore someone, or thing, taunting his human race, his property... it was unacceptable!
’Especially a demon, or daemon, whatever...’
"Hehe," the daemon grinned.
"Good, good, good."
"You must really think that wielding such a plain weapon is admirable."
"As expected, you lesser dimensional humans who live little more than a hundred years are naturally ignorant of the wider world."
Anon heard the daemon’s words and shook his head. "Hundreds of thousands of years sure have made you talkative."
Tsk, tsk...
The daemon released the grip on his sword.
As the flesh sword floated into the air, the daemon slashed at its palm and dripped blood onto the eye on the flesh sword’s hilt.
Space folded as Anon appeared before the daemon.
Although he was unimpressed by the daemon’s ability, he still refused to fall into carelessness.
Seeing the strange actions of this foreign creature of another race, Anon was naturally unwilling to carelessly wait and see what the outcome would be.
Better to interrupt the power up upon realizing that the opponent is weaker, than regretting realizing that the power up dramatically increased the opponent’s strength above one’s own.
And yet, even with these thoughts, his body grew heavier, space became robust, and his speed slowed.
A wave of exhaustion fell onto him as the eye atop the sword’s hilt released a demonic power that had unknowingly washed over Anon’s body.
He instantly retreated to the edge of the cloud.
"Limited, too limited."
"A lesser dimensional human like yourself knows very little of the greater world. If knowledge is limited, then power is naturally constrained."
The daemon’s emotions had seemingly calmed.
Upon seeing Anon’s sour state, the daemon’s gloating eyes had returned.
"In fact, this daemon is not the physical specimen. I slaughter millions not due to great mastery of the sword or the like. Truthfully, I must lack some talent in that aspect."
Grinning, the daemon grasped at the floating flesh sword. Gripping its hilt, he pointed the flesh blade at Anon.
"But upon killing you, would it really be a stretch to say, my sword defeated your spear?"
Anon suppressed a smile upon hearing the daemon’s words.
He really found it laughable.
Indeed, the weakness assaulting him had caught him off guard. It even affected his strength to a certain degree.
But that was about all.
"Was this really the big reveal?"
The daemon did not seem to hear Anon’s mumblings and rose an eyebrow with visible confusion.
Anon continued.
"Has age made you senile? Until now, I’ve yet to reveal anything really. I’ve attacked you with raw physical strength and wielded my spear with simplicity."
"Or is it that your insights into battle is so faulty?"
Anon sighed with meaning.
This was the problem with revealing one’s cards first.
Even if one has multiple cards, it was best to wait until the opponent revealed a card before countering that card.
Morale was also important in a battle.
Though this could only be considered the beginning of the battle, there was a subtle yet present sense of being on the backfoot when one’s first card was countered.
The daemon had sensed something unusual.
Without much hesitation, he crossed the distance between him and Anon, but before he could strike with his flesh sword, a blood spear rushed towards his neck.
Though he reacted just in time, the force contained within that spear instantly overwhelmed him.
Anon’s movements were strange as he approached the daemon, and at the same time, a figure similar to Anon yet made out of blood, and clad in armor, seamlessly attacked alongside Anon.
By the time the daemon reacted, Anon and the blood figure had unknowingly become one.
