Yujin scratched his head, puzzled. The searing heat at the nape of his neck was becoming sharp, almost stinging. Aurelia, noticing his sudden erratic behavior, looked at him with utter confusion.
"What are you looking for now?" she snapped. Yujin turned back, looking just as bewildered. "I don't know... I just suddenly felt a bit under the weather." "At a time like this? Oh, please. I thought a Fighter would be tougher than this. Turns out the one I brought along is completely unreliable."
The moment Yujin let his guard down, Aurelia snatched the bag of Minotaur horns from his hand using her long magic staff, sticking her tongue out at him. "Enough. Let’s hurry back to the guild. I don’t want my useless junior becoming even more of a burden." "Who said I ever saw you as a senior?"
As they bickered, a thunderous boom erupted from the clearing where the Minotaurs had fallen. A humanoid figure emerged, a fusion of man and demon, wreathed in dark crimson flames.
Aurelia and Yujin’s bodies suddenly refused to move. The sheer pressure radiating from this demon was on a whole different level. Even breathing felt like a chore. Yujin stared at the demon, a hint of dread creeping in. He had never seen a demon with flames this immense—the fire acted like a majestic, terrifying cloak that followed its every move.
The demon locked eyes with Yujin and unleashed a roar so deafening they both had to cover their ears. [How dare lowly creatures like you set foot in our domain!]
"Eh...?" Yujin’s breath hitched. After a long silence, the System window flickered back to life. But this time, it contained a single sentence that sounded like a divine scolding.
"What is it growling about?" Aurelia asked, her voice trembling. "That’s the Demon Tongue, you idiot! We won’t understand a word unless we’re demons ourselves."
Though Yujin had no intention of telling her, he realized one thing: the System could translate other languages. But how do I talk back? he wondered. Even if he understood them, being unable to reply made it a one-way street.
As he was scanning the System, the demon attacked. It fired a fireball the size of a bullet that streaked toward them with terrifying speed. Yujin reacted instantly, shoving Aurelia out of the way. When the flame hit, the explosion was massive—completely disproportionate to its tiny size.
Dammit, how am I supposed to beat this? His attacks are already this fast... As if hearing his complaint, the System displayed the demon’s profile.
[Profile] Name: Pyraxis Race: Red Flame Demon Rank: Tier III Demon Status: One of the Elite Demons of the Second Demon King...
Tier III?! Are you kidding me? I can barely handle Tier I, and now a Tier III? Yujin’s heart nearly stopped. He instinctively gripped the sword handle on his back.
"H-hey, do you know anything about this demon, Yujin?" Aurelia asked, drenched in cold sweat. "Not sure, but my gut says he’s at least Tier III."
"Tier III? You're crazy! There shouldn't be a demon that high-tier around here." She looked at Pyraxis, whose flames were still raging. "I take it back. He definitely looks like a Tier III."
She looked at Yujin again, her pupils shrinking. "What’s the plan? Do we run?" "Doubt it. It’s impossible to outrun him." "Why do you say that?" Yujin went silent for a moment. He stepped forward, eyes fixed on Pyraxis without glancing back at Aurelia. "Because... I’ve fought his kind before." "Huh...? Wait, when?!"
Another roar erupted from Pyraxis. The ground began to crack, the fissures racing toward them. When they reached their feet, the ground exploded, vomiting glowing, molten lava.
Yujin activated Acceleration, scooping Aurelia up and darting away from the blast zone. As he ran, a stray thought crossed his mind. "You're kind of heavy, aren't you?" Aurelia’s face flushed bright red. "You moron! This is not the time for jokes!"
Looking up, Yujin saw the sky turn a dusty grey-red. Before he could comment, the heavens seemed to split, raining down chunks of molten rock. "Y-Yujin! Look up!" Yujin clicked his tongue. "Hey, can you use your magic to at least block those rocks?" "I-I'll try..."
Aurelia began waving her staff toward the sky. An orange glow radiated from behind Yujin as he felt the surge of Aether flowing through her. He let it be; he had a bigger problem. I can’t keep running like this... I'll hit the penalty limit just like before!
As a rock exploded in front of him, a "genius" idea struck him. He looked up, spotting a rock close enough to reach. Without hesitation, he began jumping from one falling boulder to another, climbing higher.
As the distance between them and Pyraxis closed, Yujin whispered, "Attack when I tell you," and lunged. Aurelia frowned. Why does he look so confident all of a sudden? Suddenly, her feet left the ground. "Eh...?" Yujin had hurled her straight toward Pyraxis. "W-wait!" Aurelia’s face went pale, her mind blanking out—until she heard Yujin’s voice: "ATTACK!"
Driven by pure instinct, she unleashed a massive wave of fire magic at Pyraxis’s face. A giant explosion rocked the air. Yujin landed safely on the ground, a growing smirk on his face. When he saw Aurelia’s body in freefall, he jumped up and caught her. Just as he suspected, she had fainted, her eyes still wide with shock.
He laid her on the ground and turned back to Pyraxis. Through the dust, he could feel an Aether signature so dense it felt like a hundred slabs of steel forged into one.
[Enough. I am sick of your games, you filthy human...!]
The dust cleared, revealing Pyraxis gathering magic in his right hand. [You will be silent forever after you witness this!] He prepared to hurl a magic sphere the size of a soccer ball.
"Wait a second!" Yujin shouted, puffing out his chest with feigned confidence. Veins popped on Pyraxis’s forehead. He was dying to hear this human's final words. [You brat! Do you have last words before I roast you alive?]
With a smirk, Yujin stared him down. "I have a very interesting offer for you!"
Pyraxis froze. For the first time, he had met a human who spoke the Demon Tongue. The magic sphere in his hand flickered, shrinking until it shattered into harmless Aether fragments. [You... you understand our language?] "Of course. And like I said, I have a deal."
Pyraxis clenched his fist. How can a lowly creature understand us? Is he a descendant of that Hero?! The air around Yujin shifted, the pressure nearly choking him as the demon stepped closer. [You said you have an offer. Speak.] "Heh, I knew you'd be interested." [Get to the point.]
Yujin took a deep breath. "I challenge you to a game—" Before he could finish, Pyraxis’s flames roared again. [Do not think a demon like me will play your boring little games!] Yujin laughed awkwardly. "Let me finish first, okay? Then you can complain all you want."
Pyraxis went quiet, dimming his flames. [Speak.]
"Fine. I challenge you to a game seven months from now. If I can survive your attacks for 15 minutes, I win. If I lose, you can take our Magic Cores. Deal?"
Pyraxis looked at him suspiciously. [Are you serious? There must be a catch.] "Hahaha! You're sharp! Yes, I'm serious. But under one condition. Since the stakes for us are so high, I want a reward if I survive." [What is it?] "Besides letting us live... I want your Flame Cloak... and those Gauntlets you're wearing!"
Pyraxis narrowed his eyes. Such an absurd request shouldn't come from a weakling. But the lure of a Magic Core was too much to resist. [Fine. I accept. But I will double the duration of the game. Furthermore, I am cutting your preparation time to seven months. That is my final offer.] "Heh, deal."
Immediately, a searing sensation surged through Yujin’s body. [If you feel heat inside you, then it is done. If you fail to show up for the game within the agreed time, that fire will slowly incinerate your internal organs.]
With a dismissive shove, Pyraxis vanished into thin air. Yujin let out a long, shaky breath. If he had followed Aurelia’s plan to run, they’d be ash by now.
He sat down next to the unconscious Aurelia, imagining her reaction to being thrown like a baseball. He grabbed the bag of horns she had snatched earlier, then picked her up in a fireman’s carry.
He walked out of the demon territory with a casual air. Before long, he felt Aurelia stir. Without hesitation, he set her down and chirped, "Wakey wakey, it's time to wake up, sleepyhead!"
As she hit the ground, she jolted awake, her messy hair covering a stiff, confused face. Before Yujin could explain, he felt a sudden, familiar heat radiating from her.
"Y. U. J. I. N..." Well, I'm dead.
After receiving his "reward" (a beating) from Aurelia, he explained the situation. "WHAT?!" was her first reaction. "Are you insane? Betting our Magic Cores for a cloak and gloves? You let him put demon fire inside us?!" she screamed, fixing her hair. "You’ve lost your mind, Yujin!"
"Hey, relax. I have a plan for us to survive." "Oh, really? And what is this 'plan', Mr. Mastermind? You think you can actually compete with a Tier III demon?" "Absolutely."
Aurelia just let out a long sigh. "Oh, Great Goddess Aurelyne..." "At least it's better than dying back there. After the deal, I saw him speed away. We're safe for now." "Whatever. You are taking full responsibility for everything that happens today," she said, pouting. "Hahaha... of course."