Chapter 34 - The Duel

After walking for too long they managed to get to the location of one of the main gates aside from the one they initially appeared in.

If they wanted to reach the Coliseum in time, they had to stop sightseeing.

"It's time, give me your knife Vera, I'll test it." Valentine said as they walked and Vera passed him her knife.

When they reached the Coliseum, they were surprised to see that there were a few demons present, not the crowd that they were expecting, however…

None of the demons looked like a pushover.

Ten of them.

'They look like demon soldiers.' He mumbled to himself.

"I think they filtered the people from coming here, we can assume they're the representatives of the 'factions' or maybe they're just Bellcroft's acquaintances in here." Fayette whispered as they made their way inside.

Vera tried to keep herself as close to the two as possible.

All of those demons looking at them from the stands.

She still couldn't believe they are in Hell, everything is so surreal.

***

"You have to pay attention to your surroundings, Vera, we are not on holiday, in fact, the situation couldn't be any worse."

While they were walking towards the city's gate Fayette embraced Vera's waist, making the two of them very close together.

"I…" Vera didn't know what to say.

"I'll train you thoroughly from now on, right now we're being hunted, haven't you felt like someone's watching you at all times?"

"… Indeed" but she never managed to catch that gaze.

"That's why get yourself together, pretend you haven't noticed keep the act of a naive girl and never let your guard down, be ready to draw that knife at all times." Fayette finished her small rant.

Vera could only give Valentine an apologetic gaze to notice that he was indeed acting 'carefree' but beneath that shell, there was a lot of caution.

She bit her lips slightly and nodded.

'Get yourself together Vera… this is not, a paradise… I'll become strong enough, to support them.'

With one hand she enclasped Fayette's hand and with the other… She grasped her eagle knife unconsciously.

***

Inside, at the centre of the coliseum, a big purple-skinned demon waited with heavy armour and two heavy axes digging in the sand ground.

"I didn't think you had the balls to present yourself here." Bellcroft huffed in disdain.

Valentine remained silent, remembering Sandmortelle's words, 'His weakness is his speed.'

He took out one of the horntail knives while using Vera's frightening knife in the other, the difference between the two was apparent just in size.

Seeing the knife, Bellcroft's eyebrows lifted as he released some smoke, "You got that, huh? You have guts, no one had dared to purchase that knife before."

"… Do you know what's wrong with this knife?" Valentine tried.

"And why would I tell a corpse? Let's finish this, let's see how good you truly are human! Try to not get destroyed to shreds too fast!" Bellcroft yelled like a war cry and two of his wings spread!

!!!

Vera and Fayette who were at the stands clenched their hands in apprehension.

Fayette put her hands together and started to pray… as if God would listen her words coming from hell.

Bellcroft dug his wings on the ground and brandished his axes!

He kicked the ground and propelled himself using his wings, ran at amazing speeds towards Valentine!

*BAAANGGG!!*

'Do you think you can humiliate me publicly and just leave!?'

Valentine got on guard with a grim expression, he prepared his knives and started to run towards the incoming Bellcroft!

!!!

"He's mad…"

"Foolish, what a waste of time."

The demon soldiers started to gossip, to them, Valentine is as good as dead.

Far on the top stand, a demoness sat with her crossed legs, her dark skin toned by wars yet it never lacked that mysterious allure, her silver eyes regarded everything with special attention.

None seemed to notice her presence.

She smiled wickedly and stared at the duel with interest, 'Let's see, Valentine...'

***

Valentine ran and prepared his horntail, all his eyes focused on Bellcroft's every movement!

With less than twenty metres separating them, the demon took one of his axes and threw it!

Valentine grit his teeth harshly and his shone with a white flame!

The figure of a blonde female naked in his arms filled his mind.

'Chance!'

"HHAAAAA!!"

He yelled his own war cry and slides on the sandy ground!

*FIIIUSSHH!!*

The spinning axe scratched his hair!

"I GOT YOU BASTARD!!" Bellcroft yelled as if he could already taste Valentine's soul!

With less than a few metres away he slashed his axe forth!

Valentine, however, still with momentum kicked the ground and jumped!

Bellcroft was no infant, he changed the angle of his axe, ready to bisect Valentine!

The tension was at an all-time high, but the Bringer of Euthanasia would not fall this day!

Valentine slashed forth with his knife, hoping!

Still, on-air his knife clashed heavily against the axe but then the impressive happened!

The horntail didn't split in half, it cracked but didn't break.

And that was the hope of Valentine's plan, if the horntail knife had broken, he would be fucked... the assassin used the force of the hit to create momentum in spiral and when he had the movement that he desired, he let go of the horntail!

!!!

"W-WHA-!"

The demoness stood up with a maniacal grim!

Valentine spun above the surprised Bellcroft who couldn't change his trajectory at this point!

With his other hand, he slashed downwards with the eagle knife!

*SLASH!!*

The knife cut like butter through the demon's shoulder and bisected half of his arm!

"AHHHHH---------!!!"

Half of his arm was enough, the axe he had been holding left his arm and the bastard had the bad luck to fall on top of the injured arm, leaving a bloody mess.

*THUD!*

*BAANGG!!!*

Valentine fell heavily on the ground as he didn't have the correct position to easily recover, he left a bloody trail that came from the eagle knife, the knife had proven to be as sharp as it looked.

*BAAANG!!!*

Shortly after all this took place, the axe that Bellcroft threw hit the wall to the other side of the stage!

…

Silence.

The only things that could be heard were Bellcroft's pained yells and a burst of feminine maniacal laughter that no one knew where it was coming from!

Fayette and Vera both stared at Valentine who hurriedly got back on his feet with tears in their eyes!

'I LOVE YOU!' The two thought at the same time with Fayette even sticking her fist forward!

"YES! YES!" She yelled like her team just scored a goal at the last minute!

That's HER man!

Valentine stood up not knowing if he should just finish him off while he was like this, he didn't expect to cut half of the demon's whole arm, but this is a fight to death!

Therefore he ran!

…

The onlookers were all simply awestruck!

A human capable of overpowering a demon soldier has appeared!? his soul must be at least Bronze!

Moreover, his clothes and that knife.

A protector, he's a protector!

They stared a the direction where the laughter was coming from at the top of the stands but couldn't see anyone, their gazes turned even harsher!

'Could it be… A demon marquise?! It can't be! what is such an individual doing here?'

Only someone of that rank is capable of hiding in plain sight, just the presence of this individual was enough to stun everybody into silence, everyone that was aware of the implications that is...

***

Bellcroft's shining slitted eyes shook uncontrollably!

'How is that possible!?'

He sensed behind him, Valentine coming!

'YOU DARE, HUMAN!?'

His wings flapped violently creating a lot of dust!

*FIUSH!!*

Valentine stopped abruptly but then ran inside the cloud of smoke, towards a particular place!

Bellcroft ran with a hanging arm that he couldn't move towards the axe on the ground, he grits his teeth and directly tore out his arm!

*CRUNCH!!!!*

Valentine wasn't able to catch up and grunted in disgust upon seeing Bellcroft tear out his arm, but it was understandable, without being able to move it, it was in the way...

Bellcroft had to stop to pick up the axe and Valentine was relentless.

*FIUSH!*

A big cut appeared on his neck when Valentine slashed the eagle knife mercilessly.

Bellcroft managed to bend back before the thing beheaded him but a great amount of blood was falling from his neck and also from his wing that got scratched...

'That damned knife!' How can that think cut him down so easily!?

*FIUSSSH!!!*

Valentine evaded the swing of the demon's axe, he had been expecting it, and rather than chase him in close quarters, he retreated, there is no way he's fighting this demon in close quarters without any flaw.

As he ran Valentine threw his other horntail but the knife barely managed to embed itself deep enough in the demon's skin!

Moreover, no matter how sharp the knife was, he was still too weak to try and skewer him all the way through.

It goes without saying the difference between the two knives in quality.

The more he used it, the more he convinced himself that there must be some kind of trick as to why this knife was sold so cheaply, this thing is simply unbelievable.

Bellcroft barely felt that as if he had been bitten by a mosquito and didn't even bother to take out the knife, his pride would be his fall.

'COME HERE!!'

He ran towards Valentine in total anger, he wasn't going to follow the plan!

He's going to slaughter this human, torture him before eating his soul!

Bellcroft slashed down intending to finish the exchange with a kick, no matter how agile he is or his ability, he's still just a human!

Valentine evaded the axe that cut the ground heavily, but as expected he received a kick, but he couldn't receive it without causing heavy losses for the opposite party!

He placed a cracked horntail knife between himself and the demon's leg!

!!!

*BAAANGG!!!*

The noise of bones breaking resonated as Valentine's rather 'delicate' figure flew several metres.

*COUGH!*

He spits blood at that moment, feeling as if a mountain just clashed against his body.

Fayette's heart stopped when she saw that and her praying hands quivered.

Bellcroft groaned in pain when the horntail stuck inside his leg not only that but as it had been cracked before, it just shattered inside, further enhancing the pain!

He staggered on the ground in a bloody mess, missing an arm and his neck wasn't any better... but it didn't matter, that damned human must be finished.

He got his axe and tried to stand up but when his gaze raised what he saw was Valentine's standing body with the eagle knife!

*COUGH!*

Valentine coughed a big volume of blood onto the ground, his body pained all over, standing by pure sheer will.

'A single kick… damaged me this much…'

He wanted to run, but couldn't… his body was battered and he could barely stand!

"Why are you standing!?" Bellcroft yelled and tried to stand up still losing a big amount of blood from his neck and arm, his consciousness getting fuzzy but never reaching the point where his consciousness would stagger.

The coliseum was totally silent, everyone stared at Valentine like he was some monster!

It had been hundreds of thousands of years since some of them saw a human injure a Demon Soldier to this extent!

"HAAAAA!!!" Valentine walked as fast as he could, eventually running while yelling.

Bellcroft prepared, also walking slowly with the knife deeply sinking in his flesh with every step, he just planned to defend with his axe and then counter... the dastardly human still dared to be arrogant enough to start an offensive when he's radically weaker.

Valentine jumped on him and to the demon's surprise, he threw the eagle knife at his head!

Bellcroft easily moved his axe away from his chest to cover the dagger… and that was his mistake.

"HAAAA!!!"

Valentine fell and grasped the knife that stuck in Bellcroft's chest!

!!!

*SLASH!!*

*SPURT!!*

He dragged the knife across the demons flesh, cutting a big gap before retracting it and giving him the finishing touch, Bellcroft yelled in pain and the axe that successfully blocked the eagle knife was already descending, intending to crush Valentine but...

He was too slow.

As fast as a phantom, he slashed the blade exactly where he had already injured his neck before, leaving a deeper cut that sunk straight inside the demon's veins

…

And the demon soldier's head fell, together with Valentine's body.

The winner stared at the demon's head and breathed heavily.

'Eat it…'

'…?'

'Open his brain and eat it…'

He crawled and approached the demon's head!

"VALE!?"

Valentine's white flame inside his eyes turned red at that moment.

*CRUNCH!*

His hand pierced the head's eye!

The demons all stared at this with shaking bodies!

A human… killed a Demon Soldier!?

Bellcroft is no weakling but he's also not the strongest of demon soldiers, they all didn't dare say they could defeat him easily!

Let alone as quickly as this human had done, he had suffered heavy losses yes, but the fact that he could defeat him in itself was already a miracle, doing so without any injures? that's just a delusion.

*CRUNCH!*

Valentine took out a piece of brain that contained a crimson core inside, not bothering to heed the approaching Fayette's shouts.

And while struggling with his injured body, placed it inside his mouth, slowly.

'Eat it...dear~ eat it.... DEVOUR IT!'