Chapter 12: Time to Break In the Demonic Dual Knives...

The clash between ice and lightning illuminated the entire snowy street.

Dawn kept her ice katana locked against the inquisitor’s massive black greatsword.

Bolts of electricity exploded around both women while the snow evaporated from the impact.

The samurai was smiling.

As if she was enjoying the fight far too much.

"Enjoying the show?" she asked while glancing at Nox from the corner of her eye.

Nox spun one of his new daggers between his fingers.

"...Honestly?"

He looked at the two monstrous warriors fighting in front of him.

"I’m pretty sure every single one of you is completely insane."

Then he smiled behind the broken mask.

"But yeah. A little."

And he sprinted straight toward the inquisitor fighting Dawn.

The Demonic Dual Knives felt unbelievably light in his hands.

Every movement of his body felt more natural thanks to Grand Hunter’s Agility.

’Good...’

Nox smiled.

’Let’s see if these things are actually worth a damn.’

The lightning inquisitor barely had time to notice him approaching.

"Hm?"

But before Nox could reach her—

"TO YOUR RIGHT!"

Audrey’s voice echoed from a nearby rooftop.

Nox reacted instantly.

He twisted his body purely on instinct.

And in the very next second—

BOOOOM.

A gigantic metal fist smashed into the ground where he had been standing only moments earlier.

Snow and stone exploded everywhere.

Nox opened his eyes wide in surprise as he landed several meters away.

"...What the hell?"

Another inquisitor stood in front of him.

She wore heavy golden armor.

And massive metal gauntlets that looked far too huge for anyone to even lift.

The woman slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were locked onto him.

And at that exact moment...

The bark mask fell from Nox’s face.

The broken mask rolled slowly across the snow.

Revealing his red skin completely.

His small black horns.

And his demonic eyes.

Dawn let out a small laugh.

"...Now that I definitely didn’t expect."

The samurai smiled wider while continuing to clash swords with the lightning inquisitor.

"You suddenly became a very interesting guy."

The gauntlet inquisitor widened her eyes slightly.

"...So you’re the demon."

Her voice slowly hardened.

"The demon Tessa came here to deal with."

Nox raised an eyebrow.

"...Tessa?"

The woman clenched her teeth.

"If you’re still alive..."

The pressure around her increased.

"...that means my sister is dead."

Nox thought for a few seconds.

"...Ahhh."

He pointed at his head.

"The annoying pyromaniac?"

The inquisitor stepped forward.

Nox smirked mockingly.

"I don’t think she’s dead."

The woman froze.

"What?"

Nox started spinning one of his daggers.

"I mean... we split her in half and she still wouldn’t shut up."

He shrugged.

"That woman seriously didn’t know when to stop talking."

The inquisitor’s face twisted completely with rage.

"...You filthy demon."

Nox grinned wider.

He was provoking her on purpose.

Because he had already realized something.

That woman was ridiculously strong.

But slow.

And he...

Was fast now.

The inquisitor roared furiously and launched herself at him.

Nox barely dodged to the side in time as the enormous gauntlet tore through the air.

The impact destroyed part of a nearby wall.

"STAND STILL!"

Another punch.

Nox dodged again.

Then another.

And another.

The woman attacked completely blinded by rage.

And Nox simply smiled while continuing to move.

’It works.’

He could feel it—his body reacted on its own. His legs moved almost instinctively.

Grand Hunter’s Agility was incredible.

The inquisitor threw another punch directly at his head.

And Nox finally decided to test his new weapons.

He slid underneath the attack.

And as he passed beside her—

Slash.

One of the daggers sliced across the inquisitor’s arm.

The woman’s eyes flew open.

"...Huh?"

Then the pain hit.

"AAAAAGH?!"

The inquisitor immediately staggered backward while grabbing her arm.

The wound was burning her skin.

Literally.

Black marks began spreading around the cut.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

She glared at Nox furiously.

"IT BURNS!"

The demon proudly smiled at his daggers.

"...Oh, they actually work."

The inquisitor kept clutching her arm.

"What did you do to me?!"

Nox twirled one of the blades.

"No idea."

Then he pointed at the daggers.

"But hopefully they don’t give you some kind of disease."

The woman trembled with fury.

"DAMNED DEMON!"

And charged at him again.

But this time...

Using only one arm.

The punches still shattered the ground.

Nox continued dodging by mere centimeters.

But something started changing.

"...Hm?"

The inquisitor was getting faster.

Nox’s eyes widened slightly.

’Wait...’

Another punch grazed his face.

Way too close.

His skill was no longer enough to dodge comfortably.

’What the hell?’

The inquisitor smiled wildly.

And Nox used an opening to slash her shoulder again.

Slash.

Her skin burned once more.

The woman let out another pained growl.

But instead of stopping...

She smiled even wider.

And accelerated again.

Nox left another cut across one of her legs.

And another across her side.

Every wound burned even more.

But the more pain the inquisitor felt...

The faster she moved.

The woman started laughing.

"Don’t you get it?"

She vanished in front of Nox.

The demon’s eyes widened.

"My skill is Berserker!"

The fist slammed directly into Nox’s face.

Nox was launched violently through the air.

And crashed through snow and broken wood before finally stopping.

"AGH—!"

Everything hurt.

Especially his face.

"...Shit..."

◇◆◇

Meanwhile...

CLAAAANG.

Dawn continued clashing her frozen katana against the massive black greatsword.

Lightning and ice exploded constantly around both women.

The lightning inquisitor clenched her teeth.

"There’s no need for this."

Dawn smiled calmly.

Ice continued spreading across the street beneath her feet.

"You need to return to the castle."

The greatsword released a gigantic electrical discharge.

"Fulfill your duty..."

The woman stepped back.

"...Princess."

Dawn started laughing.

"You already know me."

Her ice katana glowed brightly.

"You know perfectly well I’m not going back."

And a dangerous smile appeared on her face.

"I have a mission far more important..."

The ice exploded violently around Dawn.

"...than those fake duties of a princess."