Chapter 83 Broken



"You will fucking die..."

Quiet whisper that had escaped my lips was muffled by the sound of the Demon's guttural laughter, but the creature's green eyes glinted hungrily as it leaned in closer to me, its jagged fangs bared in a devilish grin.

"So... You can speak, human?"

The Demon's voice was raspy and rough, and it echoed through the ancient bedroom that had become our battleground.

Its green eyes glinted in the dimly lit room, moving up and down my wounded body with sadistic pleasure.

"Do you like the pa-"

I cut off the Demon's words with a quick strike of my Katana, but the monstrous creature barely flinched, instead, it let out a mocking laugh.

"You truly are a pathetic creature..."

It raised its left hand, intending to block my blade and threw its right hand forward, aiming to sever my limb.

However...

Pluck...

My Katana was, suddenly, shrouded in the shadows and changed its trajectory mid-strike, catching the Demon off guard.

Thud...

Its right hand fell to the ground, momentarily stunning the creature. Its green eyes widened in shock as it registered the sudden loss of its limb.

"..."

I wanted to take advantage of the Demon's momentary vulnerability, but my tired body was not cooperating with me.

I was wounded and my movements were sluggish, giving the Demon enough time to recover from the initial shock.

Swish...

It swiftly sidestepped my weak slash and countered with a powerful blow from its remaining hand, smashing me against the wall.

"You humans are so weak...so fragile..."

Dark Mana erupted from the Demon's body, swiftly mending its severed hand as it advanced toward me with a sadistic glint.

I gritted my teeth, ignoring some pain that shot through my body as I pushed myself off the wall, gripping my Katana tightly.

Drip... Drip...

Blood dripped from my wounds onto the wooden floorboards below, there was probably no part of my body that wasn't injured, but I was not affected by the pain.

My Golden eyes were fixed on the approaching Demon, inviting it to attack, lunge or strike me again.

I think my inner masochist was taking over at this point.

"You humans are entertaining. I'll give you that..."

The Demon's words were laced with amusement, as it derived pleasure from torturing me. It seemed to relish in the sight of my broken body and unyielding spirit.

"The more you struggle, the more fun it is..."

Demon's smirk widened as it taunted me, preparing to strike once again.

Time around me seemed to slow down, as I focused solely on the Demon's movements. Everything else blurred out, leaving only me and my opponent in this deadly dance.

Swish...

The Demon bolted towards me with incredible speed, its claws extended to carve me into pieces.

I waited until the last moment, then unleashed a swift side-step and swung my Katana with all my remaining strength.

Pluck...

One of the Demon's claws sank into my shoulder, while the other one sliced through the air, missing me by inches and embedding itself deep into the wall behind me.

Meanwhile, my Katana cut through Demon's chest, opening a gaping wound that spewed out black blood.

Whoosh...

Instead of instantly retreating, I made sure that my blade was covered with my Mana, making it as deadly as possible.

This strike had left the Demon momentarily disoriented, since Dark Mana collided with my own Mana, causing its wound to burn and sizzle.

If enough Mana is poured into a weapon, it can prevent even the strongest Demons from healing their wounds.

"How... dare... you..."

The Demon growled in fury as it stumbled back, pulling its claw out of my shoulder with a sickening squish.

The creature looked at its wounded chest in disbelief and then back at me, gritting its teeth.

Although my face was still stoic, I couldn't move my left arm. The world around me was getting hazy and if not for the surge of adrenaline, I would have collapsed to the ground.

"You'll pay for that, human..."

The Demon's words dripped with anger as it licked my blood off its claw, savoring the taste of my pain and fear.

"..."

I steeled myself, feeling that the end was near. The Demon has recognized my strength and now there would be no mercy.

"Let me show you something..."

The Demon growled something before Dark Mana started pouring out of its body in strange waves.

The air around us grew heavy and oppressive, while the dimly lit room , suddenly, disappeared in a swirl of shadows.

"Wha-"

Even I was caught off guard, my face consorting in surprise and dread. The Demon belonged to one of the Seven Noble Houses!

The Demon race had long been divided into the Seven Noble Houses, each with its unique traits and abilities.

These families were like royalty in the Demon society, with tremendous power and influence over the other Demons.

Only the Demon King had more power and authority than them.

This realization filled me with dread. The Darkness that surrounded me wasn't just any ordinary blindness skill, but a Domain - ability exclusive to the Pride family.

'I'm so fucked...'

I could only curse my luck as I watched two bright, green orbs appear in the abyss of darkness, growing closer and closer to me with each passing second.

Swish... Whoosh...

I blindly threw myself to the side barely avoiding the Demon's attack, feeling the wind of its claws slicing through the air where I stood just moments before.

This time the Demon wasn't playing around, it didn't even bother to taunt me any longer, it simply wanted to kill me.

Swish... Clank...

I tried to rationalize, but since I had only one arm working and my vision was impaired, my attack seemed almost laughable.

My Katana was blocked and I felt a searing pain in my side as the Demon's claws dug deep into my flesh, ripping through it with ease.

Slurp...

I rather heard than saw the Demon licking my blood from its claws again, seemingly waiting for me to make my final move before finishing me off.

If only I had the chance to see the Demon, I could've probably seen its attack, but with the Darkness Domain cast, it was impossible to use my eyesight.

"..."

I felt blood... no... droplets of tears slowly trickling down my face. These weren't tears of pain or fear, but tears of frustration and anger at my own helplessness.

I had trained a lot since coming to this world, drawing blood and sweat to become stronger and yet, by the end of the day, I was still nothing but a helpless weakling in front of a Demon, a race that I, so sought to eliminate.

I wanted to be a Shadow, someone who is strong and independent, but now, all I am is a mere spectator, watching my demise unfold in front of me.

"I hate this..."

I muttered to myself, clutching my side with the only working arm that I had left.

At the end of the day, the only thing I wanted to do was survive. Everything I've done, since coming here, was to become stronger, to ensure my own survival in a world that has proven time and time again that strength reigns supreme.

But now, as I stood there, bleeding and broken, I realized that it wasn't enough.

Staying in the Shadows sounded cool in theory, but it was merely an illusion. There was simply no way to survive in this world without constantly fighting, without being strong and skilled.

eαglesnovel`c,om I could train in the dark, gain power and knowledge, but at the end of the day, it was all for naught if I couldn't stand up to my enemies.

So... What the fuck have I done, wasting my time hiding from the light when, I could've used that time to become stronger and fight back?

As the Demon prepared to deal the final blow, I lifted my golden eyes to meet his green ones.

While I still thought that staying in the Shadows was the best option for me, I realized at that moment that it would hinder my growth if taken too seriously.

I could still hide my strength when necessary, but there would be times where I needed to step out in the light, whether I wanted it or not.

I needed to find the right balance between hiding in the Shadows and stepping out into the light, to become a true Shadow, powerful enough to withstand any enemy that comes my way.

With this realization a clear path forward appeared before me, one where I would no longer be limited by my own stupid ideals.

Swish...

The Claws of Demon missed me by mere inches, as I quickly dodged out of the way, regaining my composure and clenching my Katana.

"So, you still have some fight left in you... Good, good~"

The Demon cackled menacingly, but I ignored his words completely, instead I licked my bloody lips and flashed a smile.

"Hey, Demon..."

Creature's green eyes met my Golden ones.

"Have you ever felt true pain?"