Chapter 9
"Now I'm mad… really mad."
Sorial's voice was low, dangerous.
The wind current around him stirred, then surged into a maddening frenzy.
Demons foolish enough to get close were ripped to shreds in an instant, their bodies torn apart by raging blades of air. And it did not stop there.
The wind gathered around Sorial, layer upon layer, screaming like whistling knives. It converged around his figure until nothing could be seen but a roaring wall of wind.
For a moment, only the deafening howl remained, a raging tsunami of tornados where Sorial once stood.
Then something changed.
The pointed-finger fiend was hurled away from the half-collapsed building he had been standing on.
A second later, the structure disintegrated completely. Through the unraveling storm, a figure emerged.
The howling wind peeled away.
Sorial stood revealed, and he was different.
His upper body was bare, gleaming like white jade under the stormlight.
His white hair had grown longer, rippling wildly in the air. His blue eyes glowed with an otherworldly light that made the surrounding chaos seem small.
When he spoke, his voice carried the weight of thunder and the scream of the storm.
"You have crossed the line," he said. "You will die first. And in the most gruesome way you have ever imagined."
Bakaros stared at him for a moment. Then he grinned.
"So you've taken your transformation," he said. "But that won't be enough to face me."
His long red nails stretched even farther, extending several meters like living blades.
They glowed as the air around them rippled with heat. From Bakaros's head, two red horns burst out, sharp and twisted.
"I will rip you to shreds, burn you, and then have a sweet Shural meal," he said, then paused, frowning. "Ah… ex-Shura."
Before he could finish, the air rippled violently.
Sorial was already in front of him.
His fist shot forward with insane speed, carrying crushing force. Bakaros reacted instantly, crossing his arms as his elongated fingers formed thick red walls in front of him.
The punch slammed into them.
The red walls rippled violently.
Then boom.
Bakaros was launched into the air. He stabilized himself just in time, but Sorial was already there again.
Even prepared, the impact rattled his bones to their limits and slammed him straight into the ground.
Sorial floated high in the air, his gaze locked on him.
He's tough. Just what I expected from a corruptor.
For him to send two corruptors after me… he really intends to capture me today.
Sorial's eyes shifted to the second corruptor nearby. He had not moved yet, but that meant nothing. He could strike at any moment.
Sorial was tempted to engage both of them at once. He knew he could end it if he went all out. But doing that would put his family at risk.
That was a risk he refused to take.
Bakaros stood back up.
His body was heavily mangled. His arms were twisted unnaturally. His neck was turned completely around, facing backward.
It was a horrifying sight. Yet he still stood.
Meaning he was still alive.
The thought itself was insane.
Bakaros spoke, his voice muffled. His throat had clearly taken heavy damage.
"You damn Shural… and your cursed transformation," he growled. "You really pissed me off."
Then he stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
Because Sorial was no longer there.
He was staring at nothing but a crumbled building.
And the wind had gone completely silent.
"Hey… where—"
Oh.
Bakaros set his mangled body first.
Bones creaked as his back forced itself into place. Then his hands. Then his arms twisted violently and snapped back where they belonged. Torn fingers surged, flesh knitting together like it had never been ripped apart.
Only his head remained dislocated.
He grabbed it with both hands, eyes never leaving Sorial, and twisted.
Snap.
Everything locked into place.
He stood whole again.
Sorial's face did not change, but inside he cursed.
This was why higher-ranked demons were such a nightmare. Their vitality and regeneration were absurd, breaking every sane principle of existence.
"You are the feared Storm Fang," Bakaros said, then shook his head. "Overhyped."
His grin widened.
"I don't find you that scary. Since you failed to kill me earlier, I guess it's my turn."
His five nails flared red.
Then he launched himself at Sorial.
Sorial met him head-on.
Their clash began in earnest.
The force of their battle instantly erased lower-ranked demons that strayed too close, their bodies pulverized by shockwaves alone.
Buildings around them lifted, shattered, and collapsed as if the city itself was being torn apart. Red flashes streaked through the air, and wherever they passed, explosions followed.
Boom after boom after boom.
The city came alive, not with life, but with chaos.
Their fight was dragged farther and farther from the Shural outpost, mainly due to Sorial. He was controlling the battlefield, keeping the destruction away from his family as much as he could.
Meanwhile, back at the outpost, the battle only grew more violent.
Karren cut down demons one after another with frightening speed and ferocity. She was wild, relentless, but she was not alone. Their mother supported her, her power flowing like a steady tide behind every strike.
Gazel saw it clearly now.
The guqin their mother always played. It had always looked plain.
It wasn't plain anymore.
Its sound formed a barrier around them, shielding them from harm, but that was not all.
Each plucked string carried an attack of its own. Seven strings, seven different effects. Death woven into music.
With mother and daughter fighting together, the battlefield tilted in their favor.
Things will calm down soon.
At least, that was Gazel's prayer.
Then Scar moved.
The corruptor named Scar did not need to speak for his name to be understood. Beneath each of his eyes lay a deep scar, left deliberately unhealed. Even for a demon, that said enough.
His gaze shifted from the godlike clash between Storm Fang and Bakaros and locked onto the girl cutting through the demon horde.
She was dangerous.
Not just because of her strength. Before any demon stronger than her could get close, a slashing white energy would flash out and erase them before they even understood what was happening.
Scar's eyes narrowed.
Then his gaze slid to the black-haired woman playing the guqin.
That one is worse.
Scar's black hair rippled as he raised a finger. The air warped slightly as a strange energy pulsed outward in all directions.
The collapsed buildings around them began to rise.
Debris lifted into the air, then compressed, shattered, refined. Millions of pebbles formed, each one elegant, razor-sharp, and deadly.
A dark gleam crossed Scar's face.
"Let's get rid of her first," he said.
He flicked his finger.
The pebbles launched forward at insane speed, shattering the sound barrier as they screamed toward Gazel and the others.
And there was no time to run.
To o be continued.....