A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The stench permeates the gray city.

Melted snow has turned to water, seeping between the pavement. A blend of damp earth and the foul smell of sewage fills the air.

The north wind, carrying the characteristic dryness of winter, has descended from the sky along with pure white flower petals.

I swallowed hard after confirming the corpse.

“…Given that they aren’t in military uniform, I can tell they’re from the Magic Tower.”

The fallen body of the magician was gruesome. Flesh, battered and splattered, looked akin to mashed potato salad with broomstick shards embedded in it.

Stepping closer, Lucia asked in a cautious voice, “Do you think… healing is possible?”

“It’s too late.”

I straightened my bent knee and stood up, raising my rifle towards the sky and scanning the area.

“Let’s keep our guard up and start searching.”

The area was quiet. Only the sound of the wind and distant military announcements filled the night of Orventzku.

The scene was not one you’d expect from a city of hundreds of thousands.

Aside from the refugees huddled at the stairs leading to the basement, looking on in fear, the number of people encountered during our search was scarcely worth counting.

Amidst the chilling echoes, we silently traversed the snow-covered gray city.

Crossing alleys where wild dogs roamed and passing through desolate roads and stops, we brushed by homes with light seeping through their curtains.

Bloodied footprints came into view.

—

Episode 12 – The Most Powerful Magician

When tension and stress take control of the body, one feels a distinct difference from their usual self.

Things one would normally overlook suddenly catch the senses.

The wind brushing past my ears, the soft thuds of tiny footsteps on the ground, the metallic sounds of loosely attached components, the backs of people scattered through the crowd, an unidentifiable scent wafting gently, the license plates of swiftly passing cars…

Even when I swallowed with a dry throat, my sharpened senses remained keen.

The winter air, brushing against my skin, felt all too vivid.

It felt as if someone was tugging at my hair from behind, drawing my mind away from reality through my neck and the back of my ears.

“…….”

The bright red splattered on the pure white snow was vivid enough to stand out even in the depth of darkness.

“It’s blood.”

“Could it be the traces of a demon?”

As Francesca placed her hand on the hilt of her rune sword and questioned, Camila grimaced and added, “Whatever it is, it’s ominous. Just looking at it makes my head hurt and my stomach churn.”

The moment I laid eyes on the bloodied footprints, my brain felt bleach-white, as if my senses had been stripped.

The footprints stretched long across to the commercial area on the other side of the road.

Following the red traces, I quietly began to walk.

The narrow alley between the buildings was dark.

Without the faint moonlight, distinguishing objects ahead would have been nearly impossible. But even in the dense darkness, there were things clearly visible.

Dried, dark red blood splattered on cracked tiles, potted plants fallen and spilled over with dirt and vegetation, scattered belongings presumed to belong to a homeless person.

While I held no certainty, I felt assured I was on the right path.

That thought soon morphed into reality.

While leading the way, I heard a noise and raised my hand to halt the group.

“What’s wrong? Is there something ahead?”

“Shh….”

As soon as I placed my finger to my lips, Camila fell silent. The street now devoid of sound was eerily quiet.

As the short silence lingered and everyone focused on their hearing, soon a strange, indecipherable sound began to emerge.

It didn’t take long to realize the sound was something voraciously chewing and swallowing.

“…….”

I peeked out, pressing my back against the building’s exterior.

It only took an instant for my vision to adapt to the darkness.

In the thick gloom, I spotted a shape flattened on the ground in the distance. The figure was lying face down, using its front and back legs like a wild dog. Similar forms littered the area.

The figure on the ground was munching on something, making slurping sounds.

I didn’t need to see more.

“Camila.”

I lifted my rifle and aimed at the figure, quietly calling her name.

In that moment, fire burst forth in the air.

The flames streaked across the night sky of Orventzku, pushing away the darkness.

The area brightened in an instant, and the sudden commotion drew the creature’s attention.

Our eyes met in the air—its black pupils locking with mine. The grotesque face splattered with scarlet and the red flesh caught between its teeth became sharply illuminated.

At that moment, I pulled the trigger with all my might.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶!

The sharp crack of the gunfire pierced the snow-covered gray city.

—

In the dreary streets of Orventzku, I bore the falling snow on my body.

My optic nerves, stretching into the brain, transmitted every single piece of external information without fail.

Snowflakes, which melted into slush as they touched my gloved hands, the barrel of the gun wavering with each gunshot, and the demon reeling on the ground from the impacts of bullets.

How the creature broke free from its seal, and what it intended to do here, was inconsequential.

What mattered was that the demon was right in front of me.

And the weapon capable of delivering a blow was in my hand.

As I repeatedly squeezed the trigger, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Get that bastard!”

In response to my command, Camila gritted her teeth and swung her arm.

Her clean hand sliced the air, igniting a burst of flames.

The fierce fire directly hit the demon’s body.

-Whrrr!

A grotesque wail erupted. The demon screamed like a soul fallen into hellfire.

Having never heard such a horrifying scream before, Camila clasped her ears tight with both hands.

“Ugh…!”

“Step back, Hero!”

Amidst the terrible screams, a soft voice was heard. In that instant, a vial flew above the suffering demon.

Francesca, having thrown the potion high into the air, swung her rune sword.

The swift blue slash seamlessly cut through the middle of the glass vial.

-Swish!

Freed from its glass prison, the solution dispersed freely. However, even the mystical potion couldn’t defy the laws of physics.

The potions, propelled forward by inertia, were drawn down to the ground by gravity.

The solution escaped the vial, soaring in an arc and forming into a vast net that ensnared the demon.

Francesca did not stop there; she continued to relentlessly assault the demon.

-Slash! Slash!

With each swing of the rune sword, light filled the inscriptions on the azure blade. The deadly slashes sliced through the air, leaving wounds on the demon’s flesh.

As Francesca maintained her barrage, I finally had the chance to take in the demon’s true form.

Its appearance was beyond what the word “wretched” could express.

The well-built physique, honed by intensive exorcism training, now looked emaciated. Its once strikingly handsome face had withered to emphasize its gaunt cheeks, and the darkened eyes visible between the sunken eyelids sent chills down my spine.

Its once shining hair had dulled, becoming thin, resembling dried seaweed. To add to the horror, the scalp was dotted with wounds akin to those on a cancer-stricken patient.

Its skin sagged, clinging to the bones. Skeletal limbs, a hunchbacked back, and the few strands of hair remaining made it look like a monster driven mad by the allure of the Ring of Power from the movies.

I wasn’t the only one having those thoughts, as Camila, who had been grimacing, suddenly gasped and pointed accusingly at the demon.

“What, what’s with that Gollum-like creature?”

“It’s a demon!”

“A demon, you say? I’d believe it’s a monster from Kevin in the Woods! I was thinking of Constantine when you said ‘demon’!”

Click! As I pressed the trigger to reload, I scolded Camila.

“Quit the nonsense and fight!”

Bang! The gun fired again.

The sound of a pained scream echoed, and just as Camila gathered her wits, she conjured flames and hurled a fireball at the demon.

Francesca, Camila, and I poured our all into the assault. The fire burned its skin, and the potion, concocted from deadly toxins, inflected its wounds, poisoning it. The bullets blessed with holy water created from the bones of Saint Balthazar, though they didn’t kill the demon, certainly dealt it a significant blow.

We took full advantage of the element of surprise to deliver as many effective strikes as possible before it could react.

The key to this demon hunt was to kill the demon in the fastest and most efficient way possible. For this, countless nations had banded together, centered around the Empire, the Cult, and the Magic Tower.

To ensure the plan’s success, a force capable of decisively exorcising demons had to gather. Therefore, our first objective was to hold on as long as possible until reinforcements, including Veronica, arrived. With clear signals sent out, they should come rushing in like a horde soon enough.

Though it was just the four of us, it was a feasible goal.

– ̶! ̶! ̶!

-Clink…!

Amidst the gunfire, the booming sound abruptly stopped, replaced by the cute sound of components colliding. The bullets had run out.

I quickly moved my hand, dropping the spent cartridge to the ground. With one hand gripping the gun, I sought out a new clip. Just as I hastily finished reloading and aimed at the demon again, I was jolted to alertness by Francesca’s shriek.

“Watch out!”

In that brief moment of distraction, the demon had vanished.

It didn’t miss a small opening. Like Spider-Man climbing a wall, the demon’s limbs were pressed against the ground, launching itself at me with powerful thrusts.

I froze momentarily at its snake-like advance, intent on pouncing. When I finally became aware and aimed the gun at its mouth, the demon’s face was already past the muzzle.

From its wide-open maw emanated an overwhelming stench of decay. As it lunged forward to rip my face apart, a fist struck the demon’s face.

-Pow!

The dull sound of crumpling bones struck my eardrums. The demon, having just been punched, soared backward and crashed to the ground with a thump.

The one who had dealt that blow was none other than Lucia.

Having somehow appeared to protect me, she swept her blond hair dusted with snow aside and exhaled a sigh of relief.

“It seems I’m not too late again.”

Turning around, Lucia smiled at me. On her hand, which she tossed her hair with, was a shining silver knuckle.

“Thank you for your hard work, everyone.”

With tension easing off, I let out a chuckle as I questioned her.

“…Are we all set?”

“Yes.”

Lucia, with her soft smile, nodded.

She then pulled out a thick tome strapped to her waist and added,

“Now, I’ll ensure it won’t rampage anymore.”

As the opened tome began to emanate a pure white light, the scene shifted.