The Damned Demon

The skies themselves had been torn open. High above, a massive radiant tear sprawled across the darkened sky like a bleeding wound, brilliant white-blue light streaming down relentlessly upon the battlefield below. From within this rupture surged endless waves of Hunters, their figures blurred and illuminated by the searing radiance. With each heartbeat, more emerged, their numbers swelling without end.

Below, chaos reigned.

The battlefield had become an inferno of clashing energies, a maelstrom of destruction and fury. Explosions erupted relentlessly, shattering the ground, reducing boulders to rubble, and scarring the earth in deep, jagged fissures. Blinding bursts of radiant energy burned away darkness, leaving trails of smoldering corpses and scorched earth in their wake.

Amidst the brutality stood Rhino King—towering, unmoving, a monolithic figure of sheer dominance. Nearly three meters tall, his form was a fortress of dark-golden metal armor, shaped fearsomely into the likeness of a colossal rhinoceros.

A single, brutal horn protruded from his helmet, glistening cruelly under the radiant blaze, while his crimson eyes glowed ominously, burning fiercely through the narrow slits. Deep, guttural breaths resonated from within his armor, thick with menace, hinting at the monstrous being beneath.

He stood behind his Hunter army, arms folded in a posture of disdainful authority. Calmly, coldly, he watched as his forces crashed mercilessly against the demons.

Yet, even amid his troops' seemingly unstoppable assault, one figure stood defiantly, drawing Rhino King's attention.

Lysandra.

The Draconian Queen led her people fearlessly, a beacon of blazing resolve amid the despair engulfing her warriors. Her crystalline armor gleamed in hues of molten red, her twin blades of shimmering dark red and silver carving through enemies with lethal elegance. Usually, she used a spear but for this war, she wanted to personally taint these lands with the blood of these vile humans.

Wings spread wide, she soared over the battlefield, rallying her forces with cries of fiery passion:

"Do not falter, my people! This is our world! Destroy these invaders until not even a spec of them is left!"

Her voice echoed like thunder, renewing courage even as the sky rained fire and death. Her dark red flames incinerated Hunters by the dozens, leaving streaks of smoldering armor and charred flesh. Yet, despite her power, dread seeped through her veins as she watched her foes refuse to fall, continuously rising to fight anew.

"My Queen!" a Draconian general roared desperately as he staggered towards her, chest heaving, scales streaked with blood. "They…they do not tire! Their mana—it never runs out!"

Lysandra's eyes widened in horror as she surveyed the battlefield. This was something Asher had warned about once but there was nothing they could do to keep up except fight to the death.

Where was he now? They needed him and everyone more than ever.

Demons of all races—draconians, vampires, goblins, orcs, vulpins and more had united and put aside difference. They were fighting desperately, pouring their mana and lifeblood into every strike. Yet, their Hunter adversaries stood unfazed, their mana seemingly inexhaustible.

Then, she noticed it—a Hunter faltering briefly, only to hastily inject a small vial filled with swirling radiant liquid into his neck. Instantly revitalized, he unleashed a devastating wave of radiant power, cutting down dozens more of Lysandra's warriors.

"No…" she whispered, voice trembling with shock and horror. She could see they were somehow recovering their lost mana in the blink of an eye, allowing them to unleash powerful attacks without holding back.

Her heart clenched bitterly, knowing well that this was nothing but forbidden. There must be a price to recover mana like this.

Yet, these Hunters reveled in their unnatural strength, roaring with twisted exhilaration:

"For humanity!" they screamed fervently, voices merging into a terrifying chorus. "Death to demons!"

Hope faded quickly among Lysandra's ranks, replaced swiftly by despair. Demons fell in waves, their dying roars echoing hauntingly. Bodies piled high, rivers of blood soaking the shattered earth. Lysandra herself felt the mounting weight of dread, realizing they could not hold out against these endless, evil forces for long.

Rhino King watched her from afar, eyes narrowing dangerously. This demon posed a greater threat than he'd expected. Irritation surged through him, a growl reverberating within his armored chest.

"Enough playing," he rumbled deeply, voice vibrating with raw menace as he slowly unfolded his massive arms, stepping forward with thunderous footsteps that cracked the earth beneath him. His deep voice resonated like distant thunder, commanding his forces, "Get out of my way!"

The Hunters parted instantly, their awe-filled gazes following their monstrous commander as he advanced into the heart of the battlefield, a towering, unstoppable force.

Lysandra spun to face him, her dark red eyes blazing defiantly, weapons raised. "So, you finally step forward yourself," she hissed fiercely, "coward!"

Rhino King's response was a low, dark chuckle, dripping contempt. "You mistake boredom for cowardice, you demon bitch. I am going to make you eat your words now."

Before Lysandra could fully prepare, Rhino King surged forward in an explosion of power and speed, his massive form defying logic, closing the distance instantly. His armored fist, glowing faintly with tainted radiant power, slammed brutally against her blades.

Lysandra gasped in agony, staggering back from the sheer force of his strike, arms shaking violently. Her feet dug into the earth, leaving deep gouges as she skidded backwards, barely holding herself upright. Blood trickled from her lip as she fought to regain balance.

Impossible! she thought desperately. His strength—it's monstrous.

"What's wrong, queen of the draconians?" Rhino King sneered, crimson eyes glowing cruelly as he stalked forward slowly, heavy footsteps shaking the battlefield. "Can't catch your breath? That wasn't even 1% of my power."

Clenching her teeth fiercely, Lysandra forced herself upright, glaring defiantly despite the pain pulsing through her body. "Never!" she roared back fiercely, igniting her blades in dark red flames, rallying her rapidly fading strength.

Rhino King merely laughed darkly, utterly unfazed. "Futile resistance," he growled. "But enough to entertain me."

He lunged forward again, unstoppable, a titan fueled by forbidden darkness. Lysandra desperately raised her blades, channeling every ounce of remaining mana into a powerful strike—but Rhino King simply crushed through her defense with terrifying ease, slamming his armored fist brutally into her midsection.

The impact was devastating. Lysandra's vision exploded into flashes of white agony, her breath violently expelled from her lungs. Armor fractured, bones cracked audibly beneath his overwhelming strength. Helplessly, she collapsed to the scorched earth, gasping desperately for air.

"My Queen!" her warriors screamed in horror, desperately rushing to her defense, only to be ruthlessly cut down by waves of radiant energy from the Hunters.

Rhino King loomed menacingly over her fallen form, crimson eyes glowing with sinister satisfaction. "Witness your queen!" he thundered triumphantly, voice booming across the battlefield. "Even the strongest of demons fall beneath my might!"

His army erupted in cheers, their voices echoing hauntingly amidst the smoke and ruin. Lysandra stared upwards weakly, vision blurring as pain wracked her battered form. A single tear slipped silently down her cheek, a bitter whisper escaping her trembling lips.

"Asher…" She didn't know why she mumbled his name but it was the only thing she could mumble with her dying breaths.

But then her eyes fluttered closed, accepting her grim fate with quiet dignity. Around her, warriors screamed in despair, their voices lost amid the cruel laughter and triumphant roars of the Hunters.

Rhino King sneered coldly, armored fist raised to deliver the final blow. "This is where you belong—-beneath me, you pathetic little thing."

*KRACKKK!*

But suddenly, the oppressive sky shattered apart with an ear-splitting thunder.

*BOOM!-CRACK!-KRAKOOM!*

A fierce, dark-green comet of pure mana ripped through the clouds at impossible speed, splitting the air in violent sonic booms that echoed across the ruined landscape.

The raw, overpowering shockwaves stunned everyone below into frozen silence, every gaze snapping upward to the blazing green trail hurtling towards them like a fallen star.

"What the—?" Rhino King's crimson eyes widened in startled disbelief as he turned, sensing danger—but far too late.

Asher slammed into him with the devastating force of a meteor, the impact erupting into a cataclysmic blast that shook the very earth. The shockwave cracked the ground beneath, hurling Hunters and demons alike into the air, as dust and debris billowed outward violently.

Roaring in blind fury, Asher's fists gripped Rhino King's colossal form, driving him upward into the sky. Rhino King was helpless, utterly overwhelmed by the sheer monstrous strength behind Asher's assault.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Asher bellowed savagely, voice distorted by rage and grief, his dark green flames blazing around them in an inferno of fury. His fists pummeled Rhino King's armor relentlessly, each blow landing with bone-shattering force.

"YOU DARED TO HURT MY WOMAN?!"

"URGHHH!"

Rhino King could only choke on stunned disbelief, unable to form words or retaliate against this unstoppable onslaught. His metallic armor buckled and cracked under the brutal barrage of punches, sparks and fragments flying with every strike.

Asher's eyes blazed ferociously, veins surging with wrath as he drove Rhino King mercilessly through the air, the speed shattering the sound barrier repeatedly. They tore across thousands of miles, blasting violently through towering mountains, dense forests, and old structures.

Buildings exploded into showers of stone and metal, trees splintered into oblivion, fields torn into ragged wastelands beneath their rampaging trajectory.

With every punch, Asher's voice seethed with venomous fury. "I THOUGHT I KILLED YOU ONCE ALREADY! THIS TIME I'LL MAKE DAMN SURE OF IT!"

Rhino King, battered and stunned, could only helplessly endure, his mind reeling at the raw, overwhelming power radiating from the enraged demon king.

His armor shattered further, his body screaming in agony as Asher smashed him ruthlessly through another ancient ruin, leaving a path of devastation miles long.

But Asher's vengeful words managed to confuse him amidst all this, feeling a chill down his spine as Cedric's face flashed in his mind.

Finally, with one brutal roar, Asher hurled Rhino King away with contemptuous ease, discarding him like mere trash. Rhino King's enormous form slammed violently into the earth, bouncing and tumbling through the terrain, carving a deep, massive crater in his wake. Dirt, stone, and metal exploded skyward, leaving him sprawled, broken and motionless, amidst the wreckage.

The air grew eerily still as Asher slowly descended from the sky, his dark-green flames dissipating around him. He landed gently yet heavily upon the cracked, scorched earth, eyes burning darkly with vengeance. His steps echoed softly, deliberately, as he approached Rhino King's prone form, his voice quiet yet chillingly intense.

"I am surprised you are still alive. That's disappointing. I was hoping Derek left someone worth killing." Asher said, voice dripping with barely restrained wrath, his gaze fixed coldly upon the kneeling Hunter before him, "No matter. You'll scream just the same."