Souls Online: Mythic Ascension-Chapter 261: Demon of Light (II)

The gunshot echoed through the ruined space like a firecracker in a crypt.

[-210]

The Demon’s glowing palm jerked to the side mid-strike. A hiss, low and guttural, rolled from deep within its body as green, sizzling fluid leaked from the new hole in its hand. Leo’s bullet had punched straight through the massive eye embedded in its palm, and the edges of the wound already sizzled with spreading poison.

Leo didn’t lower his weapon.

"If it can see everything, then we need to create our own blindspots!" Leo shouted as he fired his gun again, Greg turned his head as he felt something scrape by his cheek before it hit the Demon in front of him with another loud bang.

[-440]

The Demon’s head snapped back as one of the many eyes began to melt after being pierced.

It staggered slightly, its footing momentarily uneven. The eye hissed and sizzled, the poison eating away at the delicate tissue. The surrounding cluster of smaller eyes blinked rapidly, some closing for good as the corruption spread.

Greg didn’t hesitate.

[-134]

With a snarl, he drove his knee into the Demon’s midsection. This time, it connected. There was resistance, but the force still sent the creature skidding backwards across the warped floorboards. The air was filled with the stench of burning flesh and venom.

Adam blurred in behind it, dagger already raised, steam rolling off his back in thick waves. He stabbed downward, aiming for another eye, but the Demon twisted out of the way at the last second, barely avoiding the blow.

Still, it was slower now.

"Keep attacking the eyes!" Adam barked. "It can’t watch all of us at once!"

The creature’s body shuddered. Its movements were still alien, still wrong, but no longer perfect. Several of its eyes refused to open. Some had gone dark entirely. The wound in its palm oozed steadily, and the light pulsing through its arm had dimmed.

[-245]

Leo shifted his arm and fired another shot, aiming for an eye just above the creature’s right shoulder. Another bang filled the room, and the bullet struck true, popping the eye like a blister. Black sludge sprayed across the ground.

[-137]

To Leo’s surprise, Rachel blinked above the Monster’s head and brought down her staff on its head with a sickening crack.

"You can see?" Leo asked with some surprise in his voice as the Monster retreated for the first time since appearing.

"Haha. Nope. Not a goddamn thing!"

Rachel had a wide grin as she shouted and slammed her staff against the ground. As if to illustrate her point, she wasn’t even looking at Leo when she spoke.

"Then how are–"

"What I can see though are trajectories. So keep shooting Cutie and I will do my best to smack this thing. I wanna see your Venom Hottie form with my own eyes!"

Leo simply rolled his eyes but kept his focus.

Crystal was already moving before Rachel finished her sentence.

Her eyes locked onto the Demon as it staggered. She raised her hands and quickly formed five small, sharp shards of ice. With precision, she launched them all in rapid succession.

The shards pierced the creature’s many eyes. Two struck near its ribs, sinking deep and causing the Demon to jerk violently. Another embedded itself in a large eye near its shoulder. The remaining shards found their marks on smaller eyes scattered across its body. The creature twisted, trying to shake off the strikes.

At the same time, Aria’s voice rose clear and strong. She sang a single, perfect note that resonated through the room. The sound washed over the fighters, filling them with renewed strength and sharpening their focus.

Everyone’s attacks grew sharper, harder, faster.

Rachel seized the moment and jabbed her staff into the Demon’s calf, piercing one of the eyes there. Black fluid oozed from the wound.

"It’s breaking down," Rachel shouted, a wide grin spreading across her face.

Crystal prepared another volley of five shards, steady and sharp, ready to strike again.

Leo reloaded quickly and fired another shot. The bullet tore through another eye, making the Demon stagger back.

Near the wall, Lily sat with her bow resting on her lap. Her blind eyes stared into nothing. She clenched her fists, battling the heavy weight of helplessness.

"I have to do something," she whispered. "I can’t just sit here."

The Demon’s body trembled, its many eyes narrowing and glowing brighter. It slowly reared back, its limbs stretching in unnatural angles as it gathered energy.

The inky darkness pooling beneath its feet began to swirl faster, thickening and spreading outward like a growing stain.

A low rumble filled the room, vibrating through the cracked walls and warped floorboards.

The creature’s numerous eyes fixed on the party with an unsettling focus, blinking in unison as if preparing for a single purpose.

Greg stepped forward, fists clenched, ready to intercept.

Adam’s violet steam hissed louder, his dagger poised to strike.

Leo steadied his aim, breathing slow and steady.

Rachel tightened her grip on her staff, eyes locked on the Demon’s movements.

Crystal raised her hands, forming another set of sharp ice shards, prepared to unleash them the moment the monster made its move.

Aria’s voice faltered but did not stop, holding a steady, sustaining note that seemed to brace the group against what was coming.

From across the room, the inky darkness coalesced into a swirling orb in the Demon’s massive palm. It pulsed with blinding white light surrounded by black shadow, growing larger and brighter with every second.

Leo’s eyes widened as the orb in the Demon’s palm swelled, radiating an overwhelming light.

"Take cover!" he shouted, his voice sharp and urgent.

Adam didn’t hesitate. He sprinted back to Penny, wrapping his arms around her and planting himself firmly between her and the Demon. Violet steam hissed from his body, his rage fueling his strength and speed.

Crystal’s hands moved quickly, frost forming at her fingertips. She conjured a thick wall of ice, jagged and translucent, positioning it just in front of Luna, Rachel, and Aria. The barrier shimmered faintly, shielding them from the impending blast. Greg stepped forward without hesitation, planting his feet firmly against the ice wall. He braced himself, muscles tensing as he resisted the pressure the Demon’s growing energy would soon release. The ice trembled under his weight, but held strong for now.

Leo’s gaze scanned the room, landing on Lily sitting alone near the crumbling wall. Without a second thought, he dashed toward her. He slid in front of her, quickly returning to his base form and quickly formed the giant shield by bracing his arms.

The light in the Demon’s palm bloomed like a twisted flower, blossoming outward in a blinding flash that swallowed the room whole.

The shield screamed under the strain. Bright cracks of golden energy spiderwebbed across its surface as the beam pounded relentlessly against it. Leo gritted his teeth, boots digging into the floor, his muscles straining to keep his guard from collapsing.

Behind him, Lily flinched at the noise and heat. Her breath caught in her throat as the world trembled around her. The temperature spiked, the air burning like it was trying to strip the skin from her bones. But Leo didn’t move. He didn’t falter.

Wood exploded behind them. Sections of the ceiling collapsed inward. Shattered floorboards were ripped from beneath their feet as the attack continued to tear through the environment like a divine calamity.

Leo’s body groaned under the weight of it, but he held. His legs bent, his arms trembling, and yet the shield stayed up.

Aria’s sustained note wavered for a split second behind the ice wall but surged again, pouring power into the party. It was just enough to keep Leo standing.

Lily stared in the direction of his back, feeling his warmth, protecting her even as the air around them screamed. Her hands trembled in her lap, useless and numb, but tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Leo..." she whispered.

The light began to fade.

The scorched room smoked and hissed in silence. freewebnσvel.cѳm

[-900]

[Critical Strike]

Leo slowly collapsed to his knees before falling forward, his arms and legs were charred and carbonized from the burning light.

"I’m....glad" he groaned before he passed out completely.

Even after enduring that pain, he didn’t regret it. He had done it.

Lily had remained untouched.

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