Chapter 370: Tsukiko

'It's a good thing this primordial demon knows how to play along. If this plays out a bit more I can gain a lot of time for him.' Tsukiko's lips curved upward.

The people who were killing each other stopped in their frenzied states as they saw the gorgeous newcomer. The aura she was emitting was the opposite of Nyarlom's as it was quite relaxing. Was this perhaps their savior that came to deliver them from their hopeless situation, the people all had that one single thought. Those that had already killed look at Tsukiko in anger, if only you had arrived sooner why would I have become a murderer? Everyone present had many conflicting feelings as they looked at Tsukiko. Yet despite that, all of them still wished to be saved.

"So Lady Tsukiko what is the protector of the tree of life doing so far from the tree?"

"That's none of your business."

"Oh, is that so? Then there's nothing to talk about is there? Please forgive me again my lady, as I have a prior engagement that I have to tend to. I won't be able to accompany you for today... But on a later date, I will find some time to head to the tree of life with my brethren to visit you." Nyarlom turned around and was going to once again focus on gathering malice. He did this since he knew that the farther the protector of the tree of life was from the tree the weaker the mana the tree could offer as support.

The basic strategy for killing the protector of the tree was to trick the protector into distancing the protector from the tree. So this was the best time to kill Tsukiko, but Nyarlom didn't want to do that. He wanted the protector of the tree to face true and utter despair. At the peak of her power lose everything all at once. Just thinking about that made Nyarlom tremble in delight.

'Oh, to see the despair in such an arrogant lady who is full of pride is so sure of herself would be most delightful. Just thinking about her wails of hopelessness makes me shiver in delight. How wonderful, how truly wonderful!' As Nyarlom was thinking of such a wonderful future, Tsukiko's voice resounded in his ears.

"Don't act like that, entertain this lady for a bit more!" Tsukiko appeared before Nyarlom, and it wasn't just one Tsukiko there were multiple Tsukiko's surrounding Nyarlom. These were all clones made out of different elements using mana.

"Such an impatient little lady." Nyarlom's body started to emit a black aura which enveloped all the clones that were close to him. Nyarlom's sinister smiled grew as the black aura enclosed all the clones crushing them into nothingness.

"Now that's the spirit, entertain this lady even more now!" The real Tsukiko was above Nyarlom and was controlling the mana in the air. Several bolts of lightning fell from the heavens breaking a portion of the black dome and hitting Nyarlom.

The black dome immediately fixed itself after getting destroyed, and Nyarlom had his hands raised upward capturing the bolts of lighting. Now in his hands, the bolts of lighting became a huge spear made out of lightning. Nyarlom even added his very own malice into it.

"Even though you're a lady please don't look down on me too much!" Nyarlom flung the lighting spear at Tsukiko who was floating above him. Tsukiko looked shocked but the moment the lightning spear pierced her body she smiled. Tsukiko's body suddenly dissolved into thin air.

"If you want me to not look down on you, then you better entertain me some more." When Nyarlom heard the voice below him he was about to move, but then spears of earth burst out of the ground and pierced his limbs. There was no blood coming out from the limbs that were pierced, as primordial demons weren't made out of flesh and blood. In their true bodies, primordial demons were made out of different things.

Nyarlom was stunned for a moment and then chuckled. Nyarlom pulled his own limbs to break free from the piercing earth. Nyarlom who was free and was floating without limbs looked horrifying, but he continued to smile as the limbs he lost regrew. Nyarlom looked at Tsukiko who was now below him and bowed.

"I'm very sorry my lady I have been quite rude." When Tsukiko saw Nyarlom's smiling face she didn't feel relieved at all, instead, she felt her body grow cold. She knew that from here on out would be the real thing.

'This guy is pretty similar to Kretos.'

"Well at least, you know when to apologize." Hearing what Tsukiko said Nyarlom nodded his head and disappeared from Tsukiko's point of view. He appeared beside Tsukiko and was about to attack, but Tsukiko was faster. Flames came out of Tsukiko's hands hitting Nyarlom, but as the flames hit Nyarlom his body disintegrated.

"This is how you do it right?" Tsukiko's felt goosebumps as she heard Nyarlom's voice whispering in her ear. She quickly jumped forward and saw Nyarlom was indeed behind her, but he didn't attack.

'This guy is playing with me.'

"Lady Tsukiko, your way of fighting is full of trickery and falsehood. It does resemble a little bit of what a primordial demon does. To fool one's heart, to cheat, to lie, to do as one desires. I kinda like it, the way you fight."

"Hearing praise from you isn't really making me feel good."

"Oh my, is that so, I wonder why? I was just praising you normally. Using tricks and lies during a fight is surely one way to fight. It is actually quite a good way, but. I like fighting that way because I find it most enjoyable as I toy around with my opponent, but how about you lady Tsukiko, do you feel the same way?"

When Tsukiko heard what Nyarlom said she frowned. He looked at the smiling Nyarlom and found his face even more irritating than before. After a while, the frown on her face disappeared as she sighed.

'This guy really knows where to hit me. Yeah, I did like fighting using tricks and lies, but that's not the only reason. It's because unlike that battle idiot I can't really fight head-on... I wonder what he would say to me in a time like this...' Tsukiko closed her eyes as she imagined him standing before her.

...

Nyarlom looked at the silent Tsukiko and said nothing. 'Hmm, did I push her too much already? Is this the limit of the current protector of the tree? Well, this got boring real fast. If this is all she's worth, then waiting for the best moment won't give me any satisfaction. Should I kill her now?' As Nyarlom was deciding to finish off Tsukiko, the eight tailed fox suddenly laughed.

It was a joyous laugh that reverberated through the arena. The people that were watching, the people that had killed their families, their friends, and total strangers, couldn't understand why they were smiling as well. Hearing the sweet laughter of the beautiful maiden made a lot of their feelings clearer, it was as if something was pushing away the darkness in their hearts.

Nyarlom who felt that the malice being produced by the people in the arena was getting lower, looked at Tsukiko in confusion. What did she do? Also, why is she laughing like that, has she truly lost it?

"Why are you laughing?"

"Huh?... Oh sorry about that, you just made me remember someone, and the words he used to say to me." When Nyarlom heard Tsukiko's response he was confused but more than that he was shocked. The person in front of him was still the same Tsukiko, but the feeling she exuded was now different. It was like she was a completely different person.

'Is this another trick of hers or is it something else?' Nyarlom didn't show it on his face but he felt a bit nervous about this change in Tsukiko.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. This time I won't stand before you as the protector of the tree of life, instead, I shall stand before you as the Demonic Fox Tsukiko!" Tsukiko's eight tails started to burn bluish flames, and her mana had burst outward.

When Nyarlom felt the mana Tsukiko was emitting he was truly surprised. He knew that the distance from here to the tree of life was extremely far. If this was a normal protector at this distance she would only receive the bare minimum protection and mana from the tree.

'This must mean that's her own personal mana... Wait a minute, Demonic Fox Tsukiko where have I heard that name before? Oh right, so that's who she is.'

"You're one of those that stood side by side with the supposed strongest demon lord Kretos, right?"

"You better removed the 'supposed' Kretos is and forever will be the strongest demon lord. No Kretos is the ideal form of strength, it's as if he was the embodiment of battle itself. But enough about that, this time I'll be going all out, be sure to keep up with this lady!"