"Kill 'em!" the first daemon barked.

  They advanced without hurry, shoulders loose, smiles stretched wide on their faces.

  I activated Discerning Eye on each of them. Information slammed into my skull—too much, too fast.

  Too many?

  Hard to tell. All I managed to extract was one thing—they were all Lesser Daemons.

  Good. My level.

  No more standing behind someone else.

  This was it.

  Breath in.

  Breath out.

  I forced spiritual energy through my limbs. It crawled beneath my skin, reinforcing muscle and bone.

  The energy responded sluggishly and inefficiently. Like pushing water through cracked pipes.

  Doesn't matter.

  "I'll handle them," I said.

  "David!" Shen Wei snapped. "You are not ready."

  "Idiot," Masayori muttered.

  I jumped anyway. I'd been training for this. I was stronger now.

  I launched from the landing and came down hard on the lead daemon. I had the advantage. The first strike was mine.

  The daemon didn't even flinch. It looked up at me and laughed.

  "You two deal with the others," it said lazily. "I'll handle this one."

  The daemons, clearly amused, kept walking towards everyone else.

  "Let's go."

  Shen Wei barely finished his words before jumping down, landing in a low stance. Masayori landed next to him, with Button flying towards me.

  "Don't worry, I've—"

  A fist drove into my ribs.

  I was launched backward, slamming into the wall hard enough to crack the reinforced wall.

  "How?" I choked.

  "Hehehe… is that all?" the daemon sneered. "This'll be easier than I thought."

  'Scuse me?

  I struggled to stand up. My head was throbbing, and my vision was getting blurry.

  This isn't right.

  I moved first.

  Reinforced first.

  So why—

  I had the jump. I reinforced before contact.

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  So why did it feel like nothing had changed?

  He's just a Lesser Daemon… right?

  I tried Discerning Eye once again.

  This time, I forced it deeper. I concentrated, as much as I could, on the daemon in front of me.

  Lesser Daemon.

  Contracted.

  External augmentation of power.

  Enhancement source—

  Sin of Pride: Lucifer.

  …You've got to be kidding me.

  Not too far, Shen Wei and Masayori were engaged in battle with the other daemons.

  A daemon lunged at Shen Wei.

  He didn't meet it head-on. His forearm brushed the strike aside, hips turning with the motion, guiding the force past him. The daemon stumbled forward—already falling before it understood why.

  They weren't trained, but there was significant power behind their strikes…

  A daemon barreled toward Masayori.

  She didn't retreat.

  Her back heel dug into the floor as her hips snapped.

  Her fist drove straight through its centerline. The daemon lifted off the ground like it had been hit by a battering ram.

  She didn't chase it. Just reset her stance, eyes locked onto the daemon.

  But she couldn't shake the question plaguing her mind.

  How did they make it this far?

  They continued the fight. Most of their energy was spent redirecting attacks. The daemons, though unskilled, packed a punch.

  The daemons kept getting back up.

  Too durable, too strong, and just fast enough.

  They drifted together without looking, backs nearly touching.

  "Can you summon him?" Shen Wei asked quietly.

  I don't want him to get critically injured," Masayori responded.

  "...Alright."

  If that wasn't an option, they needed to work together. The daemons being well versed in teamwork was doubtful.

  They moved immediately.

  Shen Wei stepped inside a strike and turned, dragging the daemon's arm with him.

  He flowed past it, redirecting its weight, feeding its balance forward.

  Masayori was already there.

  Her kick snapped into its ribs.

  A sickening crunch of bone echoed through the lobby.

  Then, there was a faint voice.

  A chant.

  I heard a voice. And the bastard in front of me must've heard it too.

  He wasn't even looking at me anymore.

  I turned towards the voice, curious myself.

  Button hovered near the edge of the lobby, light gathering around her as she chanted.

  The air around her trembled.

  The strain was obvious from her expression.

  I thought back to my lessons on spiritual energy.

  If that chant broke halfway through—

  The backlash would tear her apart.

  The daemon began chuckling to himself.

  You aren't going anywhere.

  I was here now, standing between the daemon and Button. But what could I do? He was powerful.

  Got it.

  I charged at it again, an act that amused it greatly. It didn't bother dodging.

  My fist snapped its head sideways—

  And its knee drove into my stomach.

  I twisted midair, bracing as best I could before crashing near Shen Wei and Masayori's fight.

  The daemon took the opportunity to go after Button.

  Perfect. Let's do this again.

  I focused, hard.

  I slammed my palm against the floor.

  Summon Fae: Pixie

  An intricate magic circle burned itself into the ground, emanating a bright light. My vision flickered, and my chest felt tight.

  The daemon stopped, wondering where its target had gone.

  It worked.

  The daemon turned, looking in our direction.

  I wiped blood from my mouth and grinned.

  Not so bored now, are you?

  For a second, I understood it.

  That look. That certainty you would win.

  I relished the furious expression on its face. I was proud, catching it off guard like this. My head throbbed, and my nose was bleeding. I didn't care.

  Shen Wei and Masayori caught on, throwing and kicking their opponents away respectively.

  No command was necessary. Everyone understood this was the window, and we were taking it.

  We all ran at the daemons, refusing to let them get their bearings.

  Shen Wei slipped between two daemons, catching a wrist and pivoting under it.

  The daemon's own momentum carried it forward into Masayori's rising knee.

  Another stepped in.

  Shen Wei deflected the swing with a short circular motion, guiding it wide.

  Masayori's hand cut down into the side of its neck.

  It dropped.

  The leader lunged at her.

  She pivoted. Her heel drove into its jaw.

  It flew—

  Straight at me.

  I had been focusing on guiding my energy to my fist, but my current state made it much harder.

  It was getting closer.

  Fuck it.

  I met it head-on.

  I stopped trying to shape it. Stopped trying to refine it.

  If control wasn't enough—

  Then output would have to be.

  I compressed everything into a single line down my arm. Spiritual energy surged, wild and unstable.

  I drove my fist into its chest. The energy detonated on impact. It wasn't clean control, just violent.

  It flew back, crashing into the wall.

  I swayed where I stood, arm useless, vision dimming.

  The leader didn't get back up.

  Silence fell heavy in the lobby.

  I was in horrible shape. My arm hung useless, as if every bone inside it had shattered. I couldn't feel my hand.

  And despite the pain, I smiled.

  We won.