by George Fry
“You what?” Dale was shocked by her cynicism.
“You might survive this, but I’m only human.”
“You can’t think like that, Amanda. You’ve got to keep fighting.”
“I never said I wasn’t going to fight. I’ll just go out, guns blazing.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“Still trying to play the hero? You’re such a dork.”
“I’m not playing…”
The serpentine demons slithered through the city buildings, excitedly searching each and every corner for humans to torment. It was a sickening sight as Dale watched them gleefully crash through walls and rooftops, as they swarmed the streets.
However, their excitement soon turned to disappointment, followed by a sense of raging betrayal. Something was missing. Many somethings in fact. Hundreds and thousands of them, vanished before they had even arrived.
“Where are the humans!?”
“This one’s empty too!?”
“What the hell!?”
“I saved my appetite for this!?”
“This is heresy!”
“Have we been tricked!?”
“This unexpected turn of events has left me greatly upset!”
The city erupted into angry ranting from enraged monsters, trying to pin the blame on anything from their master, to each other. They were promised humans to maim, torture and abuse, but they found nothing but empty streets. Screaming like children after discovering their toy box had been emptied before playtime.
“There's no people here?” Dale questioned.
“Those army guys must have evacuated the city before we got here.” Amanda assumed.
“So, they knew this was going to happen?”
“That police officer must have told them, why else would they allow him on the bridge?”
“Clever bastard.”
The tension that built up over the anticipation of a large scale attack quickly crumbled. Dale couldn’t help but crack up at the demon’s childish temper tantrums.
“Oh my god, look at them! They’re so pissed off!”
“Look! There’s a human! Up on the bridge!”
Dale’s laughter stopped.
“Good one.” Amanda chastised. “You gave away our position. Appreciate that.”
“Oh balls...”
All Dale wanted was to enjoy a moment of levity, but the front of the bridge was quickly blocked by the serpents and their intimidating presence, watching and waiting for the two of them to make a move.
“Well then. The three of us versus at least a hundred of them, I think, hard to tell with them so compacted together.” Dale nervously surmised. “Are you ready?”
“You mean two of us.”
“Huh?”
“Catherine’s long gone.”
“What!? She ditched us!? When!?”
“Don’t know. Probably around the time we arrived.”
“Oh man… that’s a lot of gross, creepy snake monsters, with big jaws, fangs and chests? I didn’t think snakes could look so ripped and their scales look as hard as armour. I could probably take on one at a time, but a hundred is a bit much.”
One of the monsters spat a warning shot, just narrowly missing Dale’s face, striking the ground and melting the granite.
“Oh, we’re fucked.”
“Alright, let’s start things off with a bang.”
Amanda readied her rocket, planning to blow apart the ground with an explosive, but was interrupted when the ground started rumbling behind them.
The earthquake threw Dale and Amanda momentarily off balance, even the demons were suddenly left petrified.
“Jesus Christ, Amanda! What did you shoot!?”
“What!? I didn’t shoot anything!”
“We have arrived, humans!” A loud towering voice announced.
A large, black, quadrupedal demon, with a lion’s face appeared behind them.
“It’s the Bigger Bastard!” Dale cried.
“That’s not my-”
“Wait a minute” Amanda interrupted. “I thought Drifter killed you!?”
“That would have been far less humiliating, but it has given me the chance to redeem myself, even if I had to suffer the embarrassment of being spared by a human.”
“Spared? More like, you just got lucky.”
“L-lucky…? Interesting....”
Something about that revelation worried the large demon.
“So, why are you here?”
“Ask the spikey one.”
The Bigger Bastard wasn’t alone. Leaping from atop his back were a pair of familiar faces.
“Spinal!?” Dale called.
“Good afternoon, Dale.” He answered looking rather dapper for the occasion.
“Dude, how are you and Reine doing?”
“Fine. Reine’s been just lovely. She’s recently been giving me piano lessons, although her teaching can be quite rigorous…”
“What are you doing here?”
“Helping, of course.”
“But, how’d you know?”
“Tap has been keeping tabs on you.”
Spinal’s sly scarfed companion waved awkwardly.
“Ever since that incident in Westgate, Tap has been keeping an eye on you two. He regularly visits me to inform me of your journey. How are your legs by the way?”
“Itchy.”
Spinal laughed. “So is my chest. Healing can be a rather uncomfortable experience. Anyway, once Tap witnessed your interactions with a certain chained demon, he began gathering intel in the Demon World and soon learned of the attack that was to take place on this island.”
“Cool, but why go to all the trouble?”
Tap pulled down his scarf and simply stated.
“You freed me from Tuffnail and spared my life. I owe you.”
“He figured you’d show up here and quickly brought us all together to help with the fight.”
“Wow.”
Dale was in awe. Demons who were once enemies had returned as allies.
“Answer me this, human.” Asked a tall caped demon in his corinthian helmet.
“Stolz!? ”
“Can a demon truly be accepted into human society?”
“I don’t see why not… as long as you’re not an arsehole, most people won’t mind.”
“I see… while I don’t need an excuse to wipe such vile vermin from this world, this is a golden opportunity I cannot waste.”
“I didn’t think you cared.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Enough talking.” The Bigger Bastard announced. “I shall take the lead. Female human!”
“Yeah?” Amanda begrudgingly replied.
“Your body is puny and frail.”
“Thanks?”
“I shall protect you! Your ranged weapon will be much more effective from a higher vantage point! Ride on my back, so we may destroy them together!”
Amanda laughed. “Well, Dale. Guess we might stand a chance after all.”
“Yeah… demons and humans working together. If only Drifter could see this.”
“I really don’t need to see this…”
As Drifter expected, blocking his path through the canyon stood a demon, having sensed the Demon Sword close by. The creature was humanoid, with dirty white skin, long unkempt grey hair and covered in rags. He looked tired and desperate.
“But…. I need it…” He begged, looking down at his feet in shame.
“Go away.” Drifter shooed.
“Then… I have no other choice…”
The demon rushed forward in a feral rage, but Drifter remained stern. He watched as it raised it’s hand to swipe at his face with it’s claws, but as it drew near, Drifter lifted his hand and swiftly flicked its nose.
Reeling back in shock, the demon’s nose stung, his eyes tearing up from the pain. While he stood paralysed, Drifter took the opportunity to walk right past him. He didn’t want to waste his time with such a trivial fight.
&n
bsp; “Hey!” The demon called. “Get back here! I’m not finished yet!”
“Yes you are.”
Although his pride was wounded, the demon had more at stake than just his ego. He needed that sword more than anything in the world and no human was going to stand in his way. He was going to fight till his dying breath.
He dashed at Drifter, grabbing him from behind and tossing him into the canyon wall, embedding him into the stone, locking him in place. With his target perfectly secured, the demon was free to unleash a wicked storm of fists that pummelled every inch of Drifter’s body.
Technique didn’t matter, he just threw out everything he had and hoped that it was enough to kill the human, as he beat him deeper into the rocks. Of course, to Drifter, it was just more of the same. Another arrogant, greedy punk, hoping to get an easy kill off a human in exchange for what they believed to be ultimate power.
Drifter allowed the demon to pulverise him to it’s heart's content, eventually they would learn how pointless their mindless lust for power was, once the fear set in. Truthfully, this was the only part of fighting demons that Drifter garnered any semblance of amusement from and yet, even their terrified reactions were getting old.
Soon, the demon grew tired, slowing their punches and backing off to look over their work. Drifter remained unharmed, covering himself in a faint white barrier.
The white aura surrounding Drifter intensified until it burst from the wall. In a flash of light, he freed himself, leaving a large cavity in the rocks. The demon was shaken to his core, too tired to move or defend himself from whatever counter measures Drifter had in store for him.
Drifter reached for his sword and drew it forth, only to chuck it to the ground.
“That’s what you’re looking for, right?” He asked. “There, take it.”
He took his leave, curious to see what the demon would do once they actually got their hands on the power they had been seeking.
The demon took up the sword and felt the surge of power flow through him.
“Incredible… this is it… with this we can survive… I’ll become the strongest… a demon without peer. Those monsters who threatened us. Laughed at our suffering. Took everything from us.
Our homes. Our lives. Our purpose. I finally have the power to take it all back! I’ll cut them all down! I’ll make them suffer! Take my revenge on all of them! But first, if I am to be respected, I cannot let this human’s disgrace go unpunished! I must slay the previous wielder as proof of my power!”
In a flash, he charged at Drifter, who kept his back turned. The demon was ready to swipe the sword across Drifter’s waist to cleave him in two, but the opportunity never came. Always patiently awaiting the perfect moment, as soon as he came close, Drifter backhanded the demon clean in the face.
His fist struck with the force of a meteor, stopping the demon dead in its tracks. Their nose didn’t sting anymore, it had been completely destroyed, like a burst, bloody balloon. Not even the Demon Sword could protect him from the power Drifter had already amassed within his body from years of experience.
“It’s always the same. You’re oppressed by those with power over you, so you seek power yourself. You desperately search for the human welding the weapon of legend, deluding yourself into believing it’ll be an easy win, simply because, they're only human.
But, those aren't the actions of someone fighting for the weak, or righting the wrongs of their world. That's the exact same mindset of an oppressor.
You dumb fucks never learn. I don’t care whether you're the oppressor or the oppressed, threaten my life and I’ll take yours.”
Drifter’s aura flared up like burning flames, as he pointed his finger at the demon.
His aura then burnt out as he fired a bright spark at the demon. Upon impact, the spark exploded. The force rippled through the demon’s body tearing through the skin on his back, blood spraying from the fissures in his body, shredded from the blast.
Left in utter despair, the demon’s body fell backwards, drained of all life.
“Idiot.”
Drifter took back his sword and searched for the remaining two demons he sensed earlier. They weren’t far, as he quickly discovered their location. Hiding in one of the houses built into the canyon, he kicked the door open.
It was a small house, the size of a single room, with nothing but a bed and chair. Resting in said chair, now trembling in fear was a female demon. She looked the same species as the one Drifter just killed. Same pale skin and grey hair, but in cleaner robes.
She immediately bolted for the bed, grabbing something small and frail. The small object started crying as the woman helplessly asked.
“Who are you!? Please, go away!”
Drifter wasn’t going to bother pointing out the contradicting nature of her request, he was too busy piecing together the situation before him.
“Oh no…”
It was a mother cradling her young child. A baby.
Drifter despised demons, but even he wouldn’t stoop so low as to attack an infant. While there was still a slight chance it could be a trap, he didn’t want to stick around and find out. He pretended he didn’t see them and left, contemplating what to do next.
The door slowly creaked open behind him, as the woman peered through the crack.
“Are you… leaving?”
“Forget you saw me.”
“Wait… my partner is still out there, did you see him?”
“No.”
“But, that loud bang... did you really not see anything?”
“No.”
“No you did, or no you didn’t?”
“Just go back inside.”
“He’s dead… isn’t he…”
Drifter said nothing.
“I felt it… the moment I heard that bang… his presence disappeared from this world….”
“Later…”
“Wait! Take me to him.”
After trying to ignore her for so long, Drifter finally faced the woman.
“What makes you think I know where the hell he is?”
The woman glared at him. She knew. Without saying a word, her mere expression told Drifter she wasn’t falling for his ignorance. Her glare wasn’t out of hatred, but of duty. She needed to see him, one final time.
“Fine… it’s your funeral.”
The grieving widow did not appreciate Drifter’s impeccable word play.
Still sprawled on the ground, in a bloody pool, laid the woman’s deceased partner. Drifter felt nothing, to him he was just another demon, but he was curious to see her reaction. She brought the baby with her, wrapped snuggly in a blanket, thankfully it had fallen asleep.
She stared for a moment, as she slowly came to terms with the fate they had been dealt before finally speaking.
“Oh, Chain… you sweet, selfless, stupid idiot. Why did you do this? You said it was do or die, but I didn’t think you’d actually…”
Incapable of containing her sadness any longer, she lifted the departed’s head, closed his eyes and embraced him as her tears flowed.
"Selfish cunt." Drifter thought to himself. “Letting his pride get the better of him, when he had so much more to live for.
Still, makes me wonder… how many other demons have I killed that were just idiots trying to survive?”
“...farewell, Chain. Thank you for everything…” She laid him down and pulled herself up.
“Why must it be this way? This world falls further and further into decay, as the selfish monsters that brought it to ruin move onto the next unsuspecting world, leaving us behind in their waste.
Why must good people like my partner risk their lives trying to obtain powers they never needed, just to win battles that never needed to be fought? As this world grows emptier, so too, do our hopes of ever living a peaceful existence.
Fighting is the only way to live. Power becomes the only valuable resource in this world. Killing is the only way to persist. But, death is the end result of it all, for
everyone.
We can’t go on like this… my kind were never meant to be warriors, but this harsh world has nearly brought us to extinction. Without Chain, what am I supposed to do?”
“I don’t know.”
Drifter looked the other way and walked. It’s not that he didn’t feel for her, but finding Locke was far more important than the plight of a random stranger.
The widow contemplated for a moment, but she soon figured there was only one thing she could do, there were no other options left. Without saying a word, she followed after Drifter and it didn’t take long for him to get pissy about it.
“What are you doing?” He groaned.
“I’m not sure…”
“Let me guess… you don’t have anywhere else to go?”
“There is nothing left for us here. No food. No water. Nothing. We can’t survive here without Chain. If we stay, we will surely die.”
“Goddammit… I really am a sadness magnet...”
“Please… I just want my child to be safe…” She pleaded, clutching her baby tightly to her chest.
“Whatever… just don’t backstab me okay?”
The look in Drifter’s eyes was unexpected. They didn’t look angry or threatening. To her, they looked sad, almost as if he wanted to trust her, but something was holding him back, something deep in his heart, even if he didn’t realise it himself.
“I’m sorry... “ She replied. “I never even considered how difficult this must be for you…”
“Uh… what…?”
“My name is Pad and yours?”
“Drifter…”
“Thank you, Drifter.”
“You’re pretty composed for someone whose boyfriend just died.”
“I can’t afford to be sad yet. Not until we’re safe.”
Drifter muttered to himself. “An escort for a fucking demon. What the hell is happening to me?”
Amazed at the situation he found himself in, he sighed in concerned laughter.
“Locke, Chain, Pad, what’s your kid’s name? Key?”
“H-how did you know?”
“Are you-!? Just an… educated guess...”
“How many do you see, Amanda!?” Dale asked, as Amanda scanned over the area, perched atop the Bigger Bastard’s head.