CHAPTER 236: THE REAPER

The demon looked at Quin. This battle had taken a toll; he had been running and summoning as fast as he could, and he used a lot of his demonic energy to keep his summons here. Yet Quin cut through them like a hot knife through butter. He wasn’t having any of that, he was a dignified demon, and even if he was going to lose a battle, he was going to make sure his opponent fought with all seriousness.

He gritted his teeth, looked Quin right in the eye, and then bit hard into his arm. Blood splattered all around, but rather than fall, it formed into some sort of magic circle midair. The blood flowed and started glowing, giving a very eerie feel, pulling all the mana around toward its center.

Lara and Quin simply watched. Quin didn’t attack yet. He could tell something pretty powerful was about to come from there, and he wanted to see it.

And he was right, because at the center of the circle, a black hole formed, and death oozed out of it. Quin frowned slightly at the sight of that; he could tell this wasn’t going to be good.

"I am a demon, a high-ranking one that spent hundreds of years honing my summoning ability, reaching the peak and coming in contact with some of the greatest creatures to exist.

I gathered knowledge from many, and I tamed many. I gave my life to this craft, and so I’ll be damned if someone like you makes it seem like my effort wasn’t worth it.

Since you have refused to acknowledge my attacks, blame yourself for what is about to happen. Come forth, The Reaper," the demon said, as a bony hand stretched out of the hole.

The hole grew in size as the rest of the body began coming out. This creature was anything but normal, its skin was almost completely falling off, and its bones were what showed.

It reeked of the aura of death and bloodlust, an insatiable desire to consume. Cloaked in black rags and wielding a cracked sword, it came out, standing ten feet tall.

Quin looked at it, and he didn’t like the feel of this creature. He was right, this demon was dangerous. To be able to acquire a creature like this showed that he was.

"This is The Reaper, once a divine being of judgment and death. He was eroded by his own craving for death, and only through the destruction of souls can he regain himself little by little, until he becomes the divine being that he once was.

And when he does, he will be under my control, for my use and for my satisfaction. Even in this incomplete state, he is powerful beyond imagination, and he will force you to fight with your all, Quin, I promise you that," the demon said.

"Tsk. I’m guessing this is your trump card, a creature from another world or something. I don’t know how you got your hands on something like this, but this simply reinforces my idea that you are a risk, and I can’t allow you to walk away from here," Quin said, and a white flame engulfed his sword.

Lara, who was watching, frowned at the sight of the flames. She looked at the demon, silently praying he would at least make an impact before he died here. She had already ruled he would die; it was just what he would do before he died that she felt was important.

Seeing that Quin was ready, the demon pointed forward, and The Reaper lunged at him, covering the distance in a split second.

It wasted no time, swinging down at full speed. Quin blocked the attack and was thrown back by the force. He looked up, and The Reaper was already in front of him with another attack.

He blocked again and was tossed back. The demon watched with a grin on his face as he saw Quin getting pushed back, believing that somehow he had managed to start actually suppressing Quin.

But then suddenly, Quin lunged forward rather than waiting to block. The Reaper attacked, sword slashing fast, but Quin was faster. He dodged the blade and attacked. A white flame arc traveled and hit The Reaper, shattering some bones and immediately sending the flames all over its body, burning it right there.

The bones cracked as the flames burned hot. The Reaper screamed in horror, a scream that traveled far and wide.

Then Quin pointed his finger at the head of The Reaper, and a small, compressed ball of flames formed on his finger. He fired it. The ball traveled fast, penetrated the skull, and shattered it instantly, destroying the summon.

The demon watched as his priceless summon plummeted to the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief. How could this have happened? He looked up, and Quin was there, standing with a bored expression on his face.

Only now did he realize, only now did he know about the strength of the strongest human. His body trembled, he tried to back away, but his body refused to move an inch.

Quin came close, and then in one slash, he cut off the head before the demon could say anything. He grabbed the head and allowed the body to plummet.

Then he turned around and raised the head to Lara before letting go of it and allowing it to fall to the ground.

They both locked eyes.

"I guess that demon was useless," she said.

"Lara, come back, it’s not too late," Quin said.

"It is for me. I’m not stopping until Vermillion is forced to pay for the crimes they committed against me, against you," she said. Her tone was sad when she said the last line.

"I don’t know what they have done to you, but I’ll save you, Quin, and once again we’ll have the golden set together again," she said, her face said it all, there was grief in her heart