"Dang!!"
The the two's fist collided, creating a dull sound of defeat.
Ikari retreat in a few steps due to the powerful force of the demon's fist carried in his arms.
He could feel the knuckles in his hand like breaking due to pain.
Grimacing in pain, Ikari grit his teeth and lunged toward the demon, punching with his other hand in a shout.
The demon looked at the oncoming fist.
He simply dodge it aside and make a counterattack, punching Ikari's stomach.
The attack landed and made Ikari's body curved in by the punch.
Ikari spat out a saliva mixed with blood and retracted back.
He take a two steps back, looking at the demon with red eyes, he forced his body to his limit and threw another punch.
His fist aimed at the demon head, much faster than his other attack before.
However, the demon is much faster than him.
Using the severed leg in his other hand, he swung it at Ikari like a staff.
Ikari didn't expect this move and he couldn't react in time.
"Paah!!"
The severed leg landed on Ikari's side, throwing him on the wall.
Ikari's body slammed at the wall and he land on the ground.
Laying down on the ground, Ikari caught out blood from his mouth.
Breathing heavily, he raised his head and look at the demon, slowly walking towards him with the severed leg he used against him in his hand.
Taking a bite, the demon walked slowly toward Ikari, whose coughing out blood.
The demon arrived in front of Ikari, looming over him.
Looking at Ikari on the ground, the demon licked his lips with its long tongue.
After a while, the demon reach it's free hand toward Ikari's head.
Ikari look on with a horrified face, his heart beating madly.
Ikari was about to lose hope when suddenly,
"BOOMMM!!!"
A thunderous explosion echoed throughout the town, shaking it.
At the north side of the town where the explosion came from, a dust rose high up in the sky.
The demon, whose about to grab Ikari's head, turned and looked at the north of the town where the bellowing dust hovered in the sky.
He narrowed it's eyes and suddenly, he disappeared.
Ikari looked on and sighs in relief when the demon disappear.
He calmed his beating heart and look at the ground where the demon stand before.
After the demon disappear, he saw an image of black shadow moving on the ground.
He didn't know where the demon is going. But alas, he was glad that his alive.
Ikari got up from the ground, eduring the pain in his body.
Looking around, he saw Yoku leaning on the wall with blood flowing from his mouth.
Seeing this, Ikari expression change. He quickly go over to check his condition.
"Yo.. Yoku..." Ikari said in a hoarse voice after arriving in front of him.
Yoku's condition is worse than he expected.
He's breathing is low with blood still flowing from his mouth. If one look closely, one would see a matter of guts along with the blood.
Clearly, the heavy kick and impact at the wall greatly damages his internal organs.
Ikari touched and raised Yoku's head with shakey hands.
In his hands, he could feel blood at the back of his head.
He looked at Yoku's eyes filled with blood and feel pain in his heart.
"Yo... ku..." Ikari hugged his only friend and said faintly, tears flowing from his eyes.
The happiness he felt when he survive at the hands of the demon was completely gone.
What replaced is grief and sorrow at his dying friend.
He treated Yoku as his relative. He viewed him as his younger brother, the only family left in this world after his parents.
The sight of him dying break his heart.
Ikari hugged Yoku tightly.
"AaagghhhhHHHH!!!"
Ikari shout in grief and sorrow.
Releasing the unbearable pain in his heart.
....
At the north of the town near the mountains, where the center of the thunderous explosion came from.
The dust created by the explosion covered half of the town.
Amidst the billowing dust, a figure could be seen standing midair.
This person emitted a strong mental fluctuation around him, holding a gleaming sword with lightning.
This person is the old man from the inn.
After disappearing in the Inn, he arrived in this place where the demon's main body hide.
Arriving here, he quickly brings his sword out and attack the demon whose hiding deep underground.
However, the demon sense the presence of the old man and defend with it's power in time.
Thus, resulting in a big explosion at the north side of the town, shaking it.
When the dust subsided, the old man looked down below.
Below, many shadows could be seen moving amidst the rubbles.
This many shadows are gathering toward the center of the rubbles.
At the center, a black figure in human shape could be seen.
This figure had two curved horns growing out of its forehead. It's eyes red, with many red lines around its sockets.
This figure had a sharp claws that can cut through metals.
Clearly, it's the main body of the several demons whose creating havoc in the town.
On the demon's chest, a gaping hole could be seen, with blood flowing out of it.
Around the demon's wound, a mysterious power reside, suppressing its regeneration ability.
The black shadows that are converging toward him all fuse to his body, increasing his power.
With this added power, he used it to remove the mysterious power in his wound.
While doing so, he looked at the old man hovering mid air.
"I didn't expect that I'll attract a person like you here." He said in a deep voice while recovering his injury.
The old man attack just now is so powerful that it nearly injured him to the point of losing all his combat prowess.
Thankfully, he sense the danger on time and quickly defend himself, reducing the power behind the attack.
Because of this, he prevented the mysterious power from invading his body and wreaking havoc inside. With his remaining power, he suppressed it in his wound.
The old man looked at the demon indifferently, ignoring what he said.
"With your strength split by those demons, your quite capable to be able stand right now after taking my attack." The old man said in a matter of fact. As if the demon below is nothing in his eyes.
The demon narrowed it's eyes at the old man words. Clearly, he's not happy about the old man statement.
However, experiencing the attack just now, he can't show the dissatisfaction on his face. Also, with the mental fluctuation emanate by the old man, he can't let his guard down.
"Who are you?"
Looking at the old man hovering above, he'd increase the process of removing the mysterious power in his wound. So that his body would be back to normal.
The old man narrowed his eyes.
He sees through the demon's trick and make a move.
With the gleaming sword in his hand, he gathered a power of lightning to his sword and swung it at the demon below.
A lightning sword slash toward the demon, creating sharp sound.
The demon watched the sudden change and make his move.
By gathering the power of shadow, he formed a black round shield in front of him and supported it with both hands.
"Banng!!" The lightning slash and black shield clash in a brief moment.
Then, the black shield shattered at the power of the lightning slash, taking most of its power.
The demon block the remaining power of the lightning slash with its hands, throwing him back away.
The demon landed at the distance, creating a two long gash on the ground with it's foot.
During this time, the old man had already land on the ground.
The old man look at the demon and walked on in steady steps.
Every time he took a steps, a faint thunder sound could be heard in his body.
In a few steps, his figure suddenly blur a he rushed forward, creating a thunderous sounds as he break the sound barrier with his body.
Arriving in front of the demon, he swund the sword on his hand toward it's neck.
The demon sense the danger and raised it's both claws to defend in full strength.
"Clang!!"
The demon took a step back, deeply planting his feet on the ground to transfer the force of the old man's attack.
Still holding the sword, the demon grit his teeth and didn't let go.
The old man narrowed his eyes at the demon's action.
Twisting his hand, the sword flashed with lightning as he twisted it, cutting the demon's fingers off.
The demon started in wide eyes.
He was about to leap up and retreat away from the old man.
However, the old man suddenly hold the sword by its two hands.
Positioning the sword in front, the old man then take a breath. Then, as if time seem to stop, his sword suddenly disappeared.
'Nine lightning strikes.'
What replaced the sword is nine lightning strikes appearing at the same time.
The nine lightning strike surround the demon without a sound, penetrating the sound barrier.
The demon, whose about to leap un in retreat, was struck by the nine strikes that suddenly surround him.
"Bam!"
The demon flew away after being struck by the nine strikes of the old man.
The demon's body landed and rolled a few times, coughing out blood.
The old man retracted his sword. With the sword in his hand, he walked toward where the demon landed.
Arriving in front the demon, his tall figure loomed over him.
He looked at the demon lying on the ground.
The demon's body is in a mess. All that's left is half of his upper body with its head intact, scorching black.
Although the demon's head is intact, it's regeneration ability is disrupt by mysterious power and destroying his inside, unable to regenerate itself.
This mysterious power is called mental power and it's fatal to any demon below the old man caliber.
Once this power enters one's body, it'll well wreak havoc inside.
However, individuals can have different types of mental power and efficiency. Just like the old man, which is to destroy, can be used to suppress the demon regeneration ability.
Still looking at the demon, the old man hold the scabbard at his side and put his sword back.
"To be able to hide my mental sense, I thought your strong enough and qualified to fight me." The old man said, disappointment evident in his tone.
He finally understand why the demon can avoid his mental sense before.
By taking advantage of the darkness underground, it blend with it's surrounding with it's power of shadow. Thus, avoiding his sense.
Looking at the demon for a while, the old man then turn his body around.
"Suffer till dawn." Leaving behind this cold words in an indifferent tone, the old man left the place.