Chapter 278: Prey and Not Prey

Kai's instincts blazed and he nearly attacked in the moment he was isolated, but he restrained himself. He understood how the demons might think him weak, since half his strength was invisible to them. A straight brawl was hopeless, however, even with Zae Zin Nim and Omilaena at his side. Somehow he had to navigate these demonic politics.

The leader sighed and leaned his head onto one hand. "Gorutiel has made a claim. Does anyone want to challenge it?"

"Eh." One of the demons made a non-committal noise and several others just shrugged.

"Then let him make an attempt." The leader waved a hand as if deciding Kai's fate was unbelievably dull. "Find some sort of arena, if you must."

"Why waste all that time?" Gorutiel grinned and leapt down to the floor. "There's a nice big room right over there!"

Kai saw the demon move but wasn't quite fast enough to react: a foot struck him in the chest and sent him flying backward. He crashed through the doors leading to the council chamber and then skidded back into the hallway. The blow hadn't hurt as much as he expected, but it might have only been intended to move him.

As the demon stalked into the grand hall, Kai finally got enough time to read his soul.

Name: Gorutiel

Total Power: 994

Crimson Demon: Topaz Rank (395)

Demonic Cultivation: Nascent Foundation (220)

Physique: C-3 (315)

Soul Level: 8 (64)

>

What did that tell him? Gorutiel seemed like a physical powerhouse and was the first C-rank Physique Kai had analyzed in any detail. On top of that, he relied less on Demonic Cultivation than the others, as if he used qi primarily for support, the way Kai did. His Soul Level was higher than average for demons, which suggested he had plenty of combat experience and wouldn't rely on strength alone.

That left him with the man's central ability as a Crimson Demon, which formed the plurality of his strength. It would definitely grant raw physical power, but what else? Kai wasn't familiar with all types of demons, but if they primarily absorbed the power of others, and this one drained it via blood... the demon could end up being more flexible than he looked.

For his part Kai had his usual monstrous abilities, Tyrant's Claw, and Void Gaze. They would have to do, because he was out of time.

"Come on, make this fun for me!" Gorutiel roared out the words and then leapt at him.

"Uh... it's a technique similar to the Savage Heart." Kai certainly wasn't going to relax, not with a predatory demon right in front of him, but his focus on the battle had been thoroughly shaken.

"Those transforming savages! Ha, I get it. How old are you, kid?"

"Uh... about twenty-three?"

Gorutiel lifted him by the shoulders again and shook him in the direction of the watching demons. "Look at this fucking kid! Got some real balls on him! Never mind what I said, put him off-limits."

"Are you serious?" It was the short demoness again, glaring at them as she walked out of the room. "It's your business, I guess. Stop wasting our time."

Most of the others seemed to be leaving, except for some who just stayed in the large council chamber to talk or sleep. Troulon still lurked nearby, watching Omilaena, and could potentially be the larger threat. In fact, the polite man could be a bigger problem than the demon who had savagely attacked.

Without warning, Gorutiel pulled Kai into a headlock - and then began knuckling his head. "Twenty-three! I wasn't as strong as you until I was forty."

"Uh, thanks?" Kai twisted out of the headlock and took a step back. The demon didn't seem concerned by all his bleeding injuries, and thanks to Behemoth's Heart, Kai could ignore them too. "So just like that, I'm not prey anymore?"

"You bet! I won't eat you... the others might, though!" Gorutiel laughed heartily. "But I want to make a deal. You know those Savage Creed fighters?"

"Not well enough," Kai said. "I was traveling this way to talk to them and improve my own skills."

"Ballsy, I like it! Wish you were part of the Creed, but I can work with this. I've always wanted to eat one of them, but they won't let me get close enough. They might trust a human, though. Can you help me get closer? If you agree, I'll actually protect all three of you. Security, so long as you're here."

It seemed like a real offer, if a poisonous one. Kai glanced back to his allies, who looked like they wanted to move closer but were staying quiet. Zae Zin Nim watched in silent distress, while Omilaena was staring as if trying to get information from him. He had no idea what to say to either of them. Having a demon as an ally might help them avoid getting attacked again, but would it mean consigning an innocent Savage Heart user to death? Then again, would refusing just make him an enemy again?

"Thanks for the offer," Kai said. "Let me talk to my alli-"

"No, decide! If the answer isn't from your gut, it's not worth anything!" Gorutiel stared at him with those unnatural red eyes. He didn't look deceptive, just eager.

Normally Kai wanted his word to be his bond, but right now he was dealing with a powerful and predatory species. The question wasn't the final consequences of each decision, it was how much the immediate results would help them. Put that way, the right choice was obvious.

"Alright, agreed."

"Hah!" Gorutiel grabbed his hand and shook it violently.

Kai smiled back and hoped he hadn't just made a mistake.