CHAPTER 125: WHY CAN’T I BLOCK HIM?

The demon bent sharply at the waist, his body twisting with unnatural fluidity as Riley’s dagger whistled past his hooded head.

The blade cut through the air where his throat had been just a split second ago, and the demon’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

For all his mocking arrogance, he clearly hadn’t expected Riley to attack so suddenly, so viciously, without even letting him finish his words.

A faint snarl curled on the demon’s lips, displeasure radiating from his face as he straightened, the faint glow of his horns shimmering menacingly beneath the hood.

"That was rude," he said in a low, almost amused tone—but beneath that tone was something else. Irritation. Unease.

But Riley didn’t stop. He didn’t care for the demon’s words, nor did he intend to let him stand there and talk any longer. Words were nothing.

If he let the creature speak, if he let him gain control of the pace, then this fight would slip into the same nightmare as his first encounter with demons. And that would never happen again.

He pressed forward.

Riley’s dagger came down in a sharp arc, aimed at the demon’s chest.

The hooded figure twisted again, sliding to the side, but not before Riley’s blade grazed across his robe.

The faint tear of fabric split the silence. The demon’s eyes flickered—first with annoyance, then with a trace of confusion.

Another strike came, this time horizontal. Riley’s wrist snapped, his movement precise, sharp, vicious.

The dagger carved through the air like a streak of shadow. The demon tilted his head just enough for the blade to pass inches from his face.

The edge brushed against his cheek, close enough that a thin line of blood traced down, glinting under the faint light.

The demon’s lips pulled back into a smile, but it was forced, strained. "Persistent little thing, aren’t you?"

Riley didn’t answer. His dagger lashed forward again, this time thrusting straight for the demon’s gut.

The hooded figure’s hand darted up, catching Riley’s wrist, but the moment his fingers closed, thick shadow aura bursted outward from Riley’s other hand.

The energy quickly gathered around his blade, forming a thick coating of shadow.

Swoosh!

He suddenly swung the dagger towards the demon, unleashing a jagged crescent shadow blade which tore through the space between them.

The demon’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden release of power.

He let go instantly and jerked his body back. The shadow slash ripped forward, cutting straight toward him.

For the briefest moment, the darkness shrouding his form writhed—as though alive. But then, shockingly, it parted.

They split open as if terrified of being consumed. The crescent of energy slashed across his torso, carving through his robe and striking his body directly.

The sound of impact rang out, and a glaring red notification flashed atop his head.

—2700!

The demon staggered, his robe flaring as the strike bit into his side.

Splosh!

Dark red blood spilled out, dripping like oil. His grin twisted, turning sharp with both irritation and surprise.

Whoosh!

Riley didn’t pause. He darted forward, his dagger slashing again, this time at the demon’s arm.

The hooded figure barely managed to jerk away, raising his forearm to deflect, but Riley pivoted low, sweeping his blade upward in a sudden feint.

Another shadow slash exploded from the dagger.

This one came faster, sharper.

The demon tried to duck under it, his horns barely scraping past the wave of darkness.

But again—the darkness coating his body recoiled, leaving him exposed.

—500!

The edge clipped his shoulder, ripping through his cloak and leaving another mark on his flesh.

A hiss escaped the demon’s lips. His eyes narrowed, and for the first time, there was no amusement in them—only confusion.

Riley lunged again. His dagger slashed vertically, the edge glowing faintly with shadow aura.

The demon shifted left, then right, dodging with sharp movements, his robe fluttering with every step.

—300!

—200!

—400!

Each strike came so close that the demon’s own breath hitched, and each one forced him further back.

Riley pressed harder, striking in a flurry.

One slash aimed at his neck. Dodged.

Another thrust straight for his chest. Parried with the demon’s bare hand, but it still grazed his palm, drawing blood.

A sudden low sweep aimed at his thigh. He leapt over it, twisting mid-air.

But Riley was already there.

The instant the demon’s feet touched the ground, Riley unleashed another shadow slash, his dagger flaring with jagged energy.

This crescent screamed forward.

The demon’s eyes widened, his body jerking sideways, but the wave clipped his side again.

His robe tore further, revealing more of his dark flesh beneath, scarred and covered in faint glowing lines.

The shadows coating him hissed and recoiled violently, shrinking back from the strike as though terrified.

The demon’s brows furrowed deeply. He gritted his teeth, his expression finally breaking from mockery into something else—confusion.

"What... the hell is this power?" he muttered under his breath, his tone sharp.

But Riley didn’t give him time to recover.

He stepped forward sharply, his dagger cutting diagonally upward, then downward in a brutal X-pattern.

The demon was forced to twist and bend, his body contorting unnaturally to avoid the blade.

The first strike nicked his robe again. The second grazed his chest.

And then—another shadow slash.

This one came without warning, mid-combo. The crescent erupted from Riley’s dagger at point-blank range.

The demon had no time to fully dodge. The strike ripped across his arm, slicing deep. Black ichor sprayed, sizzling as it hit the ground. The demon snarled, his eyes glowing faintly beneath the hood.

But worse than the wound itself was the reaction of his own darkness.

It recoiled again, splitting apart as if refusing to shield him. The protective shroud seemed terrified of Riley’s slashes, unwilling to even touch them.

The demon’s confusion deepened. He stumbled back a step, clutching his arm, his lips twisting.

His eyes locked on Riley—not with disdain, not with arrogance, but with something closer to wariness.

Riley noticed. He saw it clearly. And he pressed on even harder.

His dagger slashed horizontally, the demon barely managing to duck.

Riley pivoted with the motion, spinning and bringing his dagger down in a savage overhead strike. The demon jerked his body to the side, the blade missing by inches.

But Riley didn’t stop. He kicked off the ground, closing the gap again instantly, and slashed in a tight arc aimed at the demon’s waist.

The blade carved across, the demon twisting again, but this time Riley feinted. The dagger stopped mid-swing, and instead, Riley flicked his other dagger—unleashing another shadow slash.

The crescent screamed out, hitting the demon dead-on.

The hooded figure staggered backward violently, his robe flaring open as the strike tore through it.

His chest was laid bare now, black flesh glowing faintly with red cracks, blood dripping freely.

His shroud of darkness rippled, shivering violently before it collapsed inward, shrinking even tighter against him as if afraid of Riley.

The demon’s teeth gnashed audibly. He stared at Riley with eyes that glowed faintly, his expression twisted between irritation and disbelief.

"This... is impossible," he hissed under his breath, clutching his chest.

Riley didn’t hesitate. His dagger lashed forward again, relentless.

Slash after slash. Strike after strike. His movements were unending, ruthless, feral in their intensity.

Every swing of his blade forced the demon further back, every shadow slash unleashed another wave of terror against the creature’s body.

The demon was on the defensive now.

He bent, twisted, dodged. His robe tore further with each graze. His arm was marked with wounds.

His chest bled freely. His movements were fast, but Riley’s strikes were faster—unpredictable, vicious, relentless.

And through it all, the demon’s eyes flickered with something Riley had never seen personally in them before.

Confusion, mixed with fear.

The demon’s expression was no longer composed or amused.

His lips curled back, baring his teeth, and a shadow flickered across his face as irritation seeped in.

Suddenly, another strike came towards his chest.

His eyes narrowed, and he snapped his arms across his chest, forming a barrier of thick darkness over his arms to intercept the next incoming slash.

But the moment Riley unleashed another shadow slash, the attack moving through the air at terrifying speed, the demon’s eyes widened.

Just like the last time, the blade ripped through his barrier almost effortlessly.

Even before it reached it, the darkness he layered over his arms had already started giving away, unable to withstand the strange energy.

The slash carved across his flesh, tearing into his skin, leaving a jagged wound that split open instantly.

Blood spurted out, hot and crimson, dripping down his forearm and staining the floor.

"Khrrrghh—!" the demon hissed through his teeth, gnashing them in rage as the sting of the wound deepened.

The thick liquid poured freely, and the sight of his own blood only enraged him further. His thoughts twisted in confusion and fury.

’Why...? Why can’t I block him?’ he thought, clenching his teeth in frustration.

No matter how many layers of darkness he wrapped around himself, those strikes broke through.

Riley caught the flicker of panic hiding beneath the demon’s anger, and all it did was excite him even more.