The demon's crimson eyes glowed menacingly as his suffocating aura pressed down on the forest. Lucien's muscles tensed—this was unlike anything he had ever faced before.
Ignis floated beside him, his flames flaring wildly.
The fire spirit's voice echoed in Lucien's mind. "Be careful. This one is powerful."
Lucien clenched his fists. "Yeah, no kidding."
The demon stepped forward, the ground cracking beneath his heavy boots. "I'll say this once more… Give me the child."
Lucien instinctively shifted his foot back. Can I even win this fight?
[Nope.]
…Thanks for the confidence.
[Just being honest. You're about to fight a demon. A real, actual demon. You might as well challenge the headmaster to a duel while you're at it.]
Lucien ignored the system's commentary and stood his ground.
"Umbra isn't going anywhere," he said, his voice firm.
The demon's aura darkened. "Then you will die."
Before Lucien could react, the demon moved.
FAST.
In an instant, he was right in front of Lucien, his clawed hand swinging toward his chest.
Lucien barely managed to dodge, stumbling backward as the sheer force of the attack sent shockwaves through the air.
[You're going to have to do better than that if you don't want to get turned into a pancake.]
Not helping!
"Ignis! Attack!" Lucien commanded.
Ignis launched a massive fireball straight at the demon's face.
The flames exploded on impact, engulfing the area in fire.
Lucien held his breath, hoping it had at least done some damage.
But as the smoke cleared, the demon stood completely unharmed.
"…Is that all?" the demon sneered.
Lucien's heart pounded. That attack didn't even leave a scratch?!
[Okay, new plan. RUN.]
Not an option.
Lucien took a deep breath, forcing himself to think. He had to find a way to turn the tide.
"Ignis, buy me some time," Lucien ordered.
Ignis darted forward, sending out streams of fire, forcing the demon to shift his focus.
Meanwhile, Lucien focused on his mana, channeling everything he had left.
If fire wasn't enough… then he needed something bigger.
He recalled a technique from his training. A risky one.
Lucien placed his palm on the ground.
Come on… work!
A magic circle formed beneath his feet, glowing a deep red.
The demon, sensing something was wrong, lunged toward him.
But it was too late.
Lucien unleashed the spell. From what he learn from basic magic theory.
"Infernal Burst!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted, engulfing the entire battlefield in searing flames.
The shockwave sent Lucien flying backward, crashing into a tree.
His vision blurred as he gasped for breath. Did… did I get him?
The dust settled, revealing the battlefield.
The demon still stood.
But this time… his armor was cracked.
Lucien's eyes widened. It worked.
The demon slowly looked down at his damaged armor, then back at Lucien.
"…Interesting."
A twisted smile formed beneath his helmet.
"I think I'll kill you first."
To be continued…