Demon Hunter by Nick Venom (brene brown rising strong .TXT) 📕

Rik stood on top of a pile of bloody corpses that littered the ground. All the corpses belonged to the demons that had their lives extinguished. As the massacre continued, one child demon watched in shock as she watched the bodies of her family being thrown to the ground with their souls extinguished. “We’re leaving. Let’s go, Eric.” Rik shouted.

“Yes, sir,” Eric said, appearing from the shadows. He wielded his twin blades with a smug smile. 

“Head home after you slaughter every survivor. Zoe will clean up the mess.” Rik ordered as he wiped demon blood off his forehead. He wielded a chain that he wrapped around his victim to strangulate their organs to bloody pieces. 

“As you say,” Eric said while bowing his head. He then disappeared into the shadows. The demon child stumbled backward and turned around, attempting to flee from Rik. However, her attempt was stopped by Eric who appeared from the shadows to grab her. “Master’s eyes didn’t chance upon you, but my eyes did.” He whispered. “Well, I don’t believe that he’ll be angry if I take this piggy for myself.” He then plunged his twin blades into her skull and killed her within seconds. He let out a devilish laugh before cleaning his blade with his tongue. He then returned into the shadows. 

Rik went to the guild and showed the receptionist the proof of the demon subjugation. Clarisse, the receptionist, handed Rik his reward. “There’s your reward. You’ll need a couple of more quests before you can rank up.” She told him.

“Thanks,” Rik muttered as he turned his back on Clarisse.

“I don’t care!” The guild master shouted from within the conference room.

“What’s happening?” Rik asked.

“The guild master is chewing out some rookie. A fight was about to erupt between a couple of adventurers, but he managed to defuse the situation.” Clarisse explained.

“Oh, okay.” He muttered before walking off. He returned to his hideout on the outskirts of Striktin, an abandoned three-story house. Once there he met with his party members. The oldest person of his party is Eric--- a three hundred twenty-seven-year-old---a mixed-blood assassin with the skill known as ‘Shadow Movement’. The skill allows him to travel through shadows. The second oldest party member, Zoe---a twenty-three-year-old--a redheaded human with pale skin. Her skill was ‘Disingeneration’ and she acted as the janitor that cleaned up the slaughter that the other members created. The final party member was a young 12-year-old cat beastkin, Ashley. A small petite brunette child that held a skill to heal almost any wound, known as ‘Super Heal’. She acted as the medic of the party. 

“Tomorrow we will clear the High-Tier Demon Dungeon!” Rik declared “We will barge into the world of Hell to exterminate demonkind.”

“We’re here to serve your revenge. We are your hunters.” declared his servants, simultaneously. 

TBC…

The Demon Hunters made their way to the High-Tier Demon Dungeon. The dungeon was one of few that had appeared out of nowhere, all over the continent. These dungeons held a variety of monsters ranging from slimes to goblins to demons to dragons and everything in between. High-Demon Dungeons or Low-Demon Dungeons were rare and mysterious, hiding intelligent demons that could be expelled into the human world. They raided nearby villages and towns with ease and with little consequences. 

Due to the high intelligence of demons---low-tier, or high-tier---most adventurers avoided any missions concerning them. Quests for demon subjugation had been piling up and being reserved for the city knights. This allowed the Demon Hunters to take on multiple low-tier demons and rise through the ranks until they were allowed to venture into a Higher-Tier Demon Dungeon. Their extermination of demonkind was driven by Rik’s past and burning hatred towards demons. 

“Sir, the demons inside are few in numbers but they have tough armor.” Eric declared. “I would advise caution.”

“Caution isn’t necessary. I got a challenge for you.” He said with a smirk on his face. Ashley collapsed to the ground and stared at the ground with wide eyes while Zoe trembled in her boots. Eric slightly flinched, holding his body up to prevent him from collapsing. “Your goal is to eliminate as many demons as you can. The winner will receive a reward while the losers will be punished. Go!” He ordered. His servants dashed into the dungeon, hoping to avoid the punishment and receive the reward. 

Thirty minutes passed before all servants returned to the outside of the dungeon. The three walked out, drenched in blood with bits of flesh and brain matter dripping off them. “I’ve killed four demons.” He declared while whipping the blood off his twin blades.

“Five! I beat Eric!” Zoe shouted while jumping into the air and yelling out in delight.

“Aw, I only killed three,” Ashley whispered, disappointed. Her cat ears flopped downwards as she stared down at the ground.

“What’s my reward?” Zoe asked, her head tilting to the right.

“Your reward is being excluded from tomorrow’s training. For the losers, however, they will receive double the amount of training.” This time both Eric and Ashley shivered as the thought of receiving double the amount of training ingrained itself within their mind. Rik’s training course was rigorous and stressful leaving all three of them to the brink of death. If they ever fainted then the training would be extended. 

None of the party noticed a presence watching them from afar. A man in his twenties dressed in all gray clothing watched the group with malicious intent. He stood up and turned around, walking away and leaving the area, never revealing himself to the party. “They’ll be dead soon,” he muttered.

TBC…

Rik and his party returned to the guild to turn in their completed quests, receiving the rewards from Clarisse. As she handed Rik the money, she had on a worried look. “I have a warning for you; a party, known as Angel’s Eye, has been inquiring about you.” She informed him. Rik’s eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head, slightly, to the right.

“Angel’s Eye?” Rik repeated. He then looked over at Eric, who shook his head, before turning back towards Clarisse. “What do they look like?”

“All I’m allowed to tell you is that they are one of the strongest rank D parties in Striktin. The part consists of five members. The leader’s name is Glance. The others are Azo, Lucy, Dante, and Cole.”

“Stronger than my party?” Rik asked. 

“I wouldn’t say that. The only advantage they have over you is their extra party member and their familiarity with the surrounding lands.” She told him

“Ok,” Rik muttered before turning towards the door. Clarisse waved at them as they departed the building and entered the main road. Rik passed by the inn and headed to the marketplace with his servants following behind him with Ashley standing next to him, Zoe standing slightly behind him, and Eric being a few paces behind everybody else. Once at the entrance of the marketplace, Rik scanned the shops for a specific item.

“What are you looking for, master? Shall I search the area for it?” Eric asked, noticing his master’s stare. 

Rik shook his head. “I’m looking for a potion called Dragonbreath, a reddish-yellow vial.” 

“What does it do?” Ashley asked, raising her head to look up at the taller, almost 6 feet tall, Rik. 

“Probably a fire potion.” Zoe guessed.

Rik shook his head. “It’s an expensive healing potion,” 

“Oh,” Zoe whispered.

“If you don’t mind me asking this, master, but why do you need a healing potion?” Eric inquired, tilting his head slightly. “Couldn’t Ashley heal you?”

“You’re right, but if an instance occurs that we’re separated and I receive heavy damage to my bodies then I’ll need this potion.”

“I would never leave your side!” Ashley shouted, catching the attention of a few passersby. 

Rik smiled and patted her head. “It’s okay, Ashley. I would never let that happen.” He remarked. Ashley giggled, feeling ecstatic at receiving a head pat from her master. 

“Master, it seems that something’s going to happen,” Eric whispered, stepping closer to Rik. Rik’s soft face soon turned harsh as he nodded his head. “I sense four… no… five individuals hiding in the buildings around the marketplace. We’re surrounded,”

“Are they strong?” Rik asked.

Eric nodded his head, softly. “Their strength is under ours. What are your orders?”

“Keep your guard up. Don’t strike first or we’ll be painted as criminals and forced to flee from this town. Remain quiet and observant.” Rik ordered. Eric nodded, whispering the order to Zoe and Ashley. Eric then looked up to scan the area, but, swiftly, took out his blades and pointed it at an individual standing in front of them. 

“You were so lively a second ago,” remarked a human male dressed in yellow and black clothing. The same swirl of colors was painted on his jacket, pants, and hat. His long red hair, that reached his shoulders, swayed in the fresh wind. The lower part of his face was covered by a black mask with an inscription of a triangle with two of its lines. The third one had curled into the middle before shooting up slightly up. It nearly formed a smaller triangle within the incomplete one. The upper part of his face, only, exposed his red glittering eyes.

“Who are you?” Rik asked.

“Me?” The man asked, smirking. “I’m Glance, the leader of Angel’s Eye.” 

“What do you want?” Rik asked, brandishing his demonic sword that held the nickname of Zero, preparing for chaos to erupt.

“Let’s see,” Glance said, stroking his chin. “I want you dead. Now, roll over and die a dog’s death.” He said, with his murderous intent leaking out of his body to the point that, even, Eric shuttered in fear. 

“I see that this won’t go peaceful then,” Rik muttered.

“Carry animosity, skin knives.” Glance muttered as four people appeared behind him. Two females and two males, all, wearing the same outfit as Glance with different-colored hair. The females---Azo and Lucy--- had blue eyes and blonde hair that was put in a ponytail while the males---Cole and Dante---had black hair and red eyes.  

Ashley and Zoe held out their weapons while Eric smiled as he prepared himself for the fight. Rik stood straight and glared at Glance, muttering to himself: “Burn heaven and unroot hell.”

TBC…