The constant chatter about demons in recent times was strangely suspicious for Jin. He had just acquired the powers of a Demon Slayer through some strange means, and now he was tasked with eliminating a den of demons that had burrowed their ways into the underground of Hargeon. No matter, he thought. This was a perfect opportunity to test out his new capabilities against demons. His employer had droned on about some sort of family heirloom that they stole from him, but Jin paid little mind. He was there for work. His work at present was killing demons. That was all that mattered. The employer pointed him in the direction of the den of demons, where he entered with complaint towards the matter. He donned his kitsune mask and walked in. He figured that if he were to fight demons, he may as well don the visage of a demon himself.
The cave system he was in was strangely beautiful. Small orbs of light fluttered down from the ceiling, dissipating as quickly as they formed. The quiet sound of a creek betrayed the more distant sound of a demonic raucous. One of the things he had subtly noticed upon gaining his powers was the sudden boost in his sense of hearing. Rumor had it that Slayers had heightened senses, some manifesting in stronger smell or sight or, such as Jin's case, hearing. Seemed those rumors were true enough. The cave was still a sight to behold, but the Bringer of Death felt himself, for the first time in a long time, anxious for a fight. He had new power. He had Hallow's Phantom at his side, as well as his own power, on top of the abilities of a Demon Slayer. Beneath the mask, he smirked.
Stepping into an opening in the cave system, he saw the first of his foes. A group of incredibly towering demons, all huddled around a fire drinking...something. It made no difference to Jin. He had ruined the parties and communions of humans before, and now he had the chance to do so to demons. Digging his hands into his pockets, he slowly walked over towards the group, wondering how his breath attack would work through the mask. He hoped that it would simply form on the outside of his mask, but there were no promises there. He came surprisingly close by the time one of them finally noticed him, throwing his comically-large stone mug at the sauntering Bringer of Death. Hallow's Phantom shattered the mug in mid-air as the remaining demons armed themselves to fight. Now that he was close, he could see the extent of his foes. Three of them were much taller than the others, but he knew that the two smaller ones were likely stronger. Not only did he have the mindset that looks could be deceiving, he could also sense their power. Perhaps it was a perk of being a Demon Slayer, but he had no idea. He slowly continued walking towards the demons, who muttered to each other in a language that Jin did not know nor did he care for.
Finally, after coming within ten feet of them, one of the smaller ones finally dashed towards him. Jin smiled beneath his mask, letting his body sink into the earth. The demons all looked around at each other, confused. Jin burst forth from the fire-formed shadow of one of the behemoths, releasing his hand from his pocket as he fired a concentrated beam of shadows into its skull. It collapsed without hesitation, the dust from its fall blinding the remaining foes. The remaining four demons all rushed Jin simultaneously, who backflipped out of the way of their incoming blows, whether by club or by arm. Springing himself forth from one of the walls, he wrapped his arms up in the white shadows, slamming them into one of the behemoths, destroying it easily as well. Torn in two, the legs fell to their knees while the torso arced through the air, catching the attention of the final behemoth. Jin took advantage of the situation, reaching the beast's head in mere moments before once more unleashing a Hell Demon's Horns to cut it down. The two smaller demons were shocked by the sudden dispatching of their comrades, and panickedly rushed at Jin. Jin jumped out of the way of one of the clubstrikes, while Hallow's Phantom blocked the other. Jin leaped into the air once more, delivering swift punches to the heads of each of the demons, sending them crashing to the ground once more. Jin smiled at this. Demons were once a force to be reckoned with, but now he was easily capable of destroying five of them with such ease.
Of course, this job would not fall so easily. Entering from the top of a nearby natural rampway, another horde of demons of varied sizes came forth. Jin smiled from ear-to-ear at the development. These demons were clearly weaker than even the behemoths. He rose an arm into the air, collecting energy into a ball of white shadows. As the demons neared, he unleashed it, letting it explode against the horde. He cared little for how many were destroyed in the initial blast, instead letting himself dash forwards once more through the shadowy haze. Each demon he saw, he struck down with ease, slamming fists and elbows and feet and knees into them, sending them vanishing into dust. He did not know how many of these demons there were, nor did he care. They were all defeated now. The demons could hardly be called "demons." They were weak. Even without the boon of Demon Slayer magic, Jin likely could have slain them all with ease. Pocketing his hands once more, he stepped through the entryway that the demons had all burst through.
Standing before him looked to be a number of more formidable foes. Two more behemoths, two more club-bearers, and two more even smaller ones bearing swords. Jin let the behemoths charge in first, expecting to annihilate them once more with ease. He leaped into the air, prepared to fire off another DemonBuster. However, he quickly removed his hands from his pockets and protected himself with a Den Oskyldiga Beskydarren as beams of lightning crashed against him. He flew backwards, landing on the side of a stalactite some thirty meters in the air. Collecting his power, he launched himself off of it once more, firing off a series of Skoteina Dorata while he cloaked his arms for a Hell Demon's Horns. The behemoths, as expected, buckled under the assault from the Skoteina Dorata until Jin crashed into one of them, drilling through it, letting it topple to the ground. Jin was now stood in the hole that he himself had driven into the beast, surrounded by its slowly disintegrating corpse. The second behemoth, enraged, swung an arm at Jin. Jin jumped out of the way, slipping into the shadows to avoid the incoming clubstrikes from the medium-sized demons. Emerging from the shadows on the other side of all the demons, he finally decided to test a hypothesis. He focused energy into his mouth, firing off a Hell Demon's Call. To his relief, it manifested itself on the other side of his mask, or perhaps it simply went through the mask. Either way, it mattered not. The behemoth and the two club-wielders toppled to the ground as they slowly disintegrated into the dust. It was now time for the ones wielding swords to make their presence known. One of them fired off a thin beam of electricity at Jin, who dodged out of the way as the other came upon him in a moment. Hallow's Phantom brushed aside the blow with its arms before Jin landed on his feet, sliding into the earth as his momentum slowed.
Once more, he smiled. He figured these were not the strongest of the demons that he had to face, but they would certainly be interesting nonetheless. He sprinted forwards, kicking against the swordbearer's sword a number of times, pushing it slowly back. He pushed himself off, firing off a Hell Demon's Call, which it managed to withstand. He was glad he had the mask on, as he was sure that even the demons would be laughing at how much he was smiling. It was certainly strange for the Bringer of Death to be experiencing so much happiness, but it made sense given his newfound capabilities for Demon Slaying and the slaughter he was committing at present. Letting talons emerge from the tips of his fingers, he slashed repeatedly at the foe in front of him, pushing it back slowly until finally the claws struck and it howled in pain. Gathering energy in the palm of his hand once more, he fired it through the chest of the demon, which slowly disintegrated away. Instinctively, he ducked, letting the beam of electricity soar over his head. He sunk into the shadows, the demon unsuccessfully firing off more haphazard beams of electricity in an attempt to slay the Bringer of Death. Jin emerged from behind it, slashing once more with his claws. The demon roared, swinging its sword at Jin, who was merely pushed back due to the assistance of Hallow's Phantom's loving arms. Hallow's Phantom had decided that it was time for itself to have more of an impact on the fight, firing off a Scarlet Moon into the skull of the demon, who staggered back in pain. Jin rushed forwards, wrapping his arms once more for a Hell Demon's Horns, which slammed against the foe, sending it soaring into the wall. Its very being had vanished before it could collide, leaving no trace of combat.
Jin sighed, taking a seat on the ground. He looked up at the ceiling to confirm that, even yet, it was a beautiful sight. The azure hue of the crystals above gave an ethereal feel to the entire cave. The dripping water above and even the faintest hint of citizens living their everyday lives in the bustling port of Hargeon above let Jin know that this was reality. He truly was slaughtering potentially mostly-innocent demons, and he was excited about it.
His relaxation was short-lived, however, by the sound of beating drums. Emerging from yet another hole in the wall came an even bigger horde of demons. Unlike previously, this horde seemed to have no intention of fighting Jin. Rather, they simply circled him, making as many noises as possible. Behemoths came forth banging on drums before a host of smaller demons parted, revealing a demon no larger than Jin himself. Having picked up on the theme of this place, he figured that this particular demon was the leader of this pack. It was wearing robes, with a long sword attached at its hip and looked hardly different from a human save for the single horn protruding from the center of its forehead. It muttered some words in a foreign language to Jin, who merely shrugged to demonstrate his lack of knowledge at what it was saying. The demon seemed to smile solemnly before a burst of speed let it come up Jin in a moment. Had Hallow's Phantom not had the sixth sense of protection for its host, Jin certainly would have died in that very moment. Instead, the demon was pushed back, its long claws clanking against the metal of its blade. He figured that it could use magic, similarly to the other swordbearers, but it likely would not opt to use magic if it did not have to. Jin now had the resolve to force it to use magic. The demon rushed at Jin once more, who countered with a shadow-cloaked forearm. It leaped back to avoid the coming right fist of Jin, who had set upon himself a Cor Comedenti and an Umbra Refrenatem to further increase his power. The demon attempted once more to lunge at Jin, who nimbly dodged out of the way, his own speed having now nearly reached that of the swordsmaster. The demon grimaced, unfurling leathery wings from its back.
The two spent a moment of analysis on their foe before rushing at each other simultaneously. Each shadowed punch was met with the flat of the swordsmaster's katana. Each slice of the blade was met with an arm or a leg. The two flew all across the open chamber, reaching all the way from the stalactites thirty meters in the air all the way to the brook another twelve meters below the rest of the cavern floor. The two were clashing at supersonic speeds, their dance only ended with Jin kicking the swordsmaster down to the earth below. It landed on its feet, staggering for merely a moment before it dashed once more to catch the falling Jin. Jin prepared to strike it with an open palm once more before it vanished, reappearing behind him. Jin turned quickly, extending an arm to block away the sword strike, only for him to once again be saved by Hallow's Phantom. Jin plummeted to the ground, landing in such a way as to cause a crater to form around his feet. The demon extended an arm, firing off a thick stream of fire towards the now-smiling Jin. He rolled out of the way, the fire digging his crater even deeper. Jin fired off another Skoteina Dorata, with the swordsmaster easily dodging out of the way. The swordsmaster hovered slightly above the ground, glaring down the Bringer of Death, whose black mask hid the face of excitement beneath. The two once more rushed at each other, clashing hand against sword, foot against claw. The demonic audience that had morphed around them seemed to even have troubles keeping up with the duo of dueling demons. Mixed in with the melee clash that raged on, each side attempted to launch magic of their own. Jin would fire a Skoteina Dorata or DemonBuster, the swordsmaster launching a fireball or stream of ice. While Jin had the disadvantage in mobility, having to rely on the pressure of the swordsmaster's attacks and the walls and ceiling of the cave to stay airborne, the two continued their clash against each other, fiercely fighting.
There was not a moment of rest for either party in the aerial battle. If Jin were knocked back a moment, the swordsmaster was upon him before the moment could end. If the swordsmaster were knocked back, Jin would merge into the its shadow to continue to relentless assault. Even when the swordsmaster had cast a spell on itself to quicken its strikes, it merely meant a more fine-tuned stalemate as Hallow's Phantom hastened its own strikes. If given the slightest fraction of a second for respite, Jin was hastily and haphazardly throwing together a refreshment on his Umbra Refrenatem and Cor Comedenti. After a particularly heated strike, both were pushed away from each other, giving them a chance to fire beams of shadows and electricity to duel against each other. The swordsmaster kept its elevation from the beating of its wings, Jin having kept his higher place through his feet sinking into the shadows of the stalactites. The two willed their energies into their beams before Jin disengaged, slipping his body fully into the shadows. It was a benefit that certainly felt strange for Jin, being able to wade through the word of darkness at will, but it was a boon he was all too willing to retain. The swordsmaster had a knack for cutting off Jin's destinations, however, striking with either sword or sorcery to stop the Bringer of Death in his path. Finally, Jin burst forth through the shadows a distance away from the swordsmaster, the two now preparing high-caliber orb attacks. Jin had a Hell Demon's Aurora forming in his hand while the swordsmaster had a ball of morphing light manifest at the tip of its blade. The two launched their attacks mere seconds apart, the spheres of pure destructive magic colliding in a brilliant glow. Jin landed atop a jutting rock on the wall of the cave, perching atop it like a bird of prey while the demonic swordsmaster stood in the center of its arena, surrounded by its allies. Both sides seemed to be breathing heavily. Jin had to deal with the demons beforehand, and the swordsmaster was clearly outmatched had it been an even fight. Jin stood up, removing the mask from his head. This demon had been one of his most worthy foes yet, and he felt a strange twinge of sadness in his heart knowing that he had to kill it. Perhaps in another time, the two could have been allies, but the job stated that the demons must die and the old codger's heirloom returned. Jin sank once more into the shadows, going full-speed to ensure that the swordsmaster had little time to rest.
When Jin emerged from the shadows, arm outstretched in an attempt to grip the beast's neck, it had already taken flight and fired off a series of arrows of hardened wind, striking the ground around the newborn Slayer. Jin burst through the shadows, letting loose a Hell Demon's Call, which the swordsmaster narrowly avoided, recklessly planting its feet against the side of the wall. This was confirmation enough that the swordsmaster was weakened. It had little need for roosting in the moments prior, and now Jin could take advantage. He slipped into the shadows once more, the swordsmaster ensuring to take flight at the moment the Bringer of Death escaped into his own realm. He emerged from the wall above the swordsmaster, Hell Demon's Claws outstretched as he slashed feverishly at the beast. Even with its high-speed sword movements in an attempt to block aside the swings of Jin's animalistic arms, the white shadows tore through the demon's flesh. Jin smiled as he retreated once more. The soul-rending properties of his shadows were taking effect, but Jin could not relent. The swordsmaster raised its hand as if to heal itself, Jin not allowing the demon to rest. He emerged from the shadows of the swordsmaster's wings against its body, striking down with a Hell Demon's Horns, sending it spiraling to the ground. For the first time in the entire duel, a combatant had failed to land on their feet, the swordsmaster crashing through the stalagmites and fellow demons alike. It slowly got up, clenching its side in pain as Jin landed. Gathering shadows in his mouth, he fired a Hell Demon's Call, the swordsmaster narrowly avoiding, though some of the gathered audience was unable to share the same fate. The swordsmaster was clearly wounded, and yet it still was in flight. Even with his task having been to slay the beasts, Jin felt a certain respect for it. He dashed into the sky once more, feinting a blow with his right to spike it into the ground with his left. Focusing his energy downwards, he began furiously swinging at the beast, Hallow's Phantom joining in the fray. The demon rose up magics to try to assist in warding off the attacks, both from Hallow's Phantom and from Jin. The flames certainly burned Jin's fists, but he would not give in. After nearly a minute of constant swinging punches from both Jin and Hallow's Phantom, the fabric of the demon's being began to tear apart at the seams. It faded from existence, failing to emit a scream. Perhaps that was a boon to Jin. He had too much respect for the swordsmaster demon to want to see it writhe in pain as it died.
The swordsmaster had finally faded from existence, the dust of its essence soaring in the light breeze from the brook. The arena remained silent, before the demons all used whatever power they had remaining to transport themselves out of this world, leaving the energy of the entire cave significantly less magical. Jin smiled before collapsing to a knee, exhausted. The Bringer of Death vanished into the inner recesses of Jin's mind, allowing the Paragon to take the helm. He grabbed the heirloom, an old, rusty plate, and left the cave. He was saddened to leave this cave. Even if the Bringer of Death was not listening to the client, the Paragon of Virtue certainly was. This cave was unnatural and otherworldly. As soon as Jin left, it would vanish into nothingness forever, most likely. The light blue hue of the cave began to slowly dissipate as he neared the edge of the cave, and sounds of the brook began to fade to the sound of the nearby ocean waves. He stepped out of the door, which itself faded from existence. Jin sighed, saddened by the disappearance of such a lovely place. Even though he did not participate in the combat, even the Paragon of Virtue respected the swordsmaster. It was a demon, yet it refused to give in, and it ensured that its allies did not interfere with the fight. Jin smiled to himself softly and returned to town to return the heirloom.
WC: 3514
The cave system he was in was strangely beautiful. Small orbs of light fluttered down from the ceiling, dissipating as quickly as they formed. The quiet sound of a creek betrayed the more distant sound of a demonic raucous. One of the things he had subtly noticed upon gaining his powers was the sudden boost in his sense of hearing. Rumor had it that Slayers had heightened senses, some manifesting in stronger smell or sight or, such as Jin's case, hearing. Seemed those rumors were true enough. The cave was still a sight to behold, but the Bringer of Death felt himself, for the first time in a long time, anxious for a fight. He had new power. He had Hallow's Phantom at his side, as well as his own power, on top of the abilities of a Demon Slayer. Beneath the mask, he smirked.
Stepping into an opening in the cave system, he saw the first of his foes. A group of incredibly towering demons, all huddled around a fire drinking...something. It made no difference to Jin. He had ruined the parties and communions of humans before, and now he had the chance to do so to demons. Digging his hands into his pockets, he slowly walked over towards the group, wondering how his breath attack would work through the mask. He hoped that it would simply form on the outside of his mask, but there were no promises there. He came surprisingly close by the time one of them finally noticed him, throwing his comically-large stone mug at the sauntering Bringer of Death. Hallow's Phantom shattered the mug in mid-air as the remaining demons armed themselves to fight. Now that he was close, he could see the extent of his foes. Three of them were much taller than the others, but he knew that the two smaller ones were likely stronger. Not only did he have the mindset that looks could be deceiving, he could also sense their power. Perhaps it was a perk of being a Demon Slayer, but he had no idea. He slowly continued walking towards the demons, who muttered to each other in a language that Jin did not know nor did he care for.
Finally, after coming within ten feet of them, one of the smaller ones finally dashed towards him. Jin smiled beneath his mask, letting his body sink into the earth. The demons all looked around at each other, confused. Jin burst forth from the fire-formed shadow of one of the behemoths, releasing his hand from his pocket as he fired a concentrated beam of shadows into its skull. It collapsed without hesitation, the dust from its fall blinding the remaining foes. The remaining four demons all rushed Jin simultaneously, who backflipped out of the way of their incoming blows, whether by club or by arm. Springing himself forth from one of the walls, he wrapped his arms up in the white shadows, slamming them into one of the behemoths, destroying it easily as well. Torn in two, the legs fell to their knees while the torso arced through the air, catching the attention of the final behemoth. Jin took advantage of the situation, reaching the beast's head in mere moments before once more unleashing a Hell Demon's Horns to cut it down. The two smaller demons were shocked by the sudden dispatching of their comrades, and panickedly rushed at Jin. Jin jumped out of the way of one of the clubstrikes, while Hallow's Phantom blocked the other. Jin leaped into the air once more, delivering swift punches to the heads of each of the demons, sending them crashing to the ground once more. Jin smiled at this. Demons were once a force to be reckoned with, but now he was easily capable of destroying five of them with such ease.
Of course, this job would not fall so easily. Entering from the top of a nearby natural rampway, another horde of demons of varied sizes came forth. Jin smiled from ear-to-ear at the development. These demons were clearly weaker than even the behemoths. He rose an arm into the air, collecting energy into a ball of white shadows. As the demons neared, he unleashed it, letting it explode against the horde. He cared little for how many were destroyed in the initial blast, instead letting himself dash forwards once more through the shadowy haze. Each demon he saw, he struck down with ease, slamming fists and elbows and feet and knees into them, sending them vanishing into dust. He did not know how many of these demons there were, nor did he care. They were all defeated now. The demons could hardly be called "demons." They were weak. Even without the boon of Demon Slayer magic, Jin likely could have slain them all with ease. Pocketing his hands once more, he stepped through the entryway that the demons had all burst through.
Standing before him looked to be a number of more formidable foes. Two more behemoths, two more club-bearers, and two more even smaller ones bearing swords. Jin let the behemoths charge in first, expecting to annihilate them once more with ease. He leaped into the air, prepared to fire off another DemonBuster. However, he quickly removed his hands from his pockets and protected himself with a Den Oskyldiga Beskydarren as beams of lightning crashed against him. He flew backwards, landing on the side of a stalactite some thirty meters in the air. Collecting his power, he launched himself off of it once more, firing off a series of Skoteina Dorata while he cloaked his arms for a Hell Demon's Horns. The behemoths, as expected, buckled under the assault from the Skoteina Dorata until Jin crashed into one of them, drilling through it, letting it topple to the ground. Jin was now stood in the hole that he himself had driven into the beast, surrounded by its slowly disintegrating corpse. The second behemoth, enraged, swung an arm at Jin. Jin jumped out of the way, slipping into the shadows to avoid the incoming clubstrikes from the medium-sized demons. Emerging from the shadows on the other side of all the demons, he finally decided to test a hypothesis. He focused energy into his mouth, firing off a Hell Demon's Call. To his relief, it manifested itself on the other side of his mask, or perhaps it simply went through the mask. Either way, it mattered not. The behemoth and the two club-wielders toppled to the ground as they slowly disintegrated into the dust. It was now time for the ones wielding swords to make their presence known. One of them fired off a thin beam of electricity at Jin, who dodged out of the way as the other came upon him in a moment. Hallow's Phantom brushed aside the blow with its arms before Jin landed on his feet, sliding into the earth as his momentum slowed.
Once more, he smiled. He figured these were not the strongest of the demons that he had to face, but they would certainly be interesting nonetheless. He sprinted forwards, kicking against the swordbearer's sword a number of times, pushing it slowly back. He pushed himself off, firing off a Hell Demon's Call, which it managed to withstand. He was glad he had the mask on, as he was sure that even the demons would be laughing at how much he was smiling. It was certainly strange for the Bringer of Death to be experiencing so much happiness, but it made sense given his newfound capabilities for Demon Slaying and the slaughter he was committing at present. Letting talons emerge from the tips of his fingers, he slashed repeatedly at the foe in front of him, pushing it back slowly until finally the claws struck and it howled in pain. Gathering energy in the palm of his hand once more, he fired it through the chest of the demon, which slowly disintegrated away. Instinctively, he ducked, letting the beam of electricity soar over his head. He sunk into the shadows, the demon unsuccessfully firing off more haphazard beams of electricity in an attempt to slay the Bringer of Death. Jin emerged from behind it, slashing once more with his claws. The demon roared, swinging its sword at Jin, who was merely pushed back due to the assistance of Hallow's Phantom's loving arms. Hallow's Phantom had decided that it was time for itself to have more of an impact on the fight, firing off a Scarlet Moon into the skull of the demon, who staggered back in pain. Jin rushed forwards, wrapping his arms once more for a Hell Demon's Horns, which slammed against the foe, sending it soaring into the wall. Its very being had vanished before it could collide, leaving no trace of combat.
Jin sighed, taking a seat on the ground. He looked up at the ceiling to confirm that, even yet, it was a beautiful sight. The azure hue of the crystals above gave an ethereal feel to the entire cave. The dripping water above and even the faintest hint of citizens living their everyday lives in the bustling port of Hargeon above let Jin know that this was reality. He truly was slaughtering potentially mostly-innocent demons, and he was excited about it.
His relaxation was short-lived, however, by the sound of beating drums. Emerging from yet another hole in the wall came an even bigger horde of demons. Unlike previously, this horde seemed to have no intention of fighting Jin. Rather, they simply circled him, making as many noises as possible. Behemoths came forth banging on drums before a host of smaller demons parted, revealing a demon no larger than Jin himself. Having picked up on the theme of this place, he figured that this particular demon was the leader of this pack. It was wearing robes, with a long sword attached at its hip and looked hardly different from a human save for the single horn protruding from the center of its forehead. It muttered some words in a foreign language to Jin, who merely shrugged to demonstrate his lack of knowledge at what it was saying. The demon seemed to smile solemnly before a burst of speed let it come up Jin in a moment. Had Hallow's Phantom not had the sixth sense of protection for its host, Jin certainly would have died in that very moment. Instead, the demon was pushed back, its long claws clanking against the metal of its blade. He figured that it could use magic, similarly to the other swordbearers, but it likely would not opt to use magic if it did not have to. Jin now had the resolve to force it to use magic. The demon rushed at Jin once more, who countered with a shadow-cloaked forearm. It leaped back to avoid the coming right fist of Jin, who had set upon himself a Cor Comedenti and an Umbra Refrenatem to further increase his power. The demon attempted once more to lunge at Jin, who nimbly dodged out of the way, his own speed having now nearly reached that of the swordsmaster. The demon grimaced, unfurling leathery wings from its back.
The two spent a moment of analysis on their foe before rushing at each other simultaneously. Each shadowed punch was met with the flat of the swordsmaster's katana. Each slice of the blade was met with an arm or a leg. The two flew all across the open chamber, reaching all the way from the stalactites thirty meters in the air all the way to the brook another twelve meters below the rest of the cavern floor. The two were clashing at supersonic speeds, their dance only ended with Jin kicking the swordsmaster down to the earth below. It landed on its feet, staggering for merely a moment before it dashed once more to catch the falling Jin. Jin prepared to strike it with an open palm once more before it vanished, reappearing behind him. Jin turned quickly, extending an arm to block away the sword strike, only for him to once again be saved by Hallow's Phantom. Jin plummeted to the ground, landing in such a way as to cause a crater to form around his feet. The demon extended an arm, firing off a thick stream of fire towards the now-smiling Jin. He rolled out of the way, the fire digging his crater even deeper. Jin fired off another Skoteina Dorata, with the swordsmaster easily dodging out of the way. The swordsmaster hovered slightly above the ground, glaring down the Bringer of Death, whose black mask hid the face of excitement beneath. The two once more rushed at each other, clashing hand against sword, foot against claw. The demonic audience that had morphed around them seemed to even have troubles keeping up with the duo of dueling demons. Mixed in with the melee clash that raged on, each side attempted to launch magic of their own. Jin would fire a Skoteina Dorata or DemonBuster, the swordsmaster launching a fireball or stream of ice. While Jin had the disadvantage in mobility, having to rely on the pressure of the swordsmaster's attacks and the walls and ceiling of the cave to stay airborne, the two continued their clash against each other, fiercely fighting.
There was not a moment of rest for either party in the aerial battle. If Jin were knocked back a moment, the swordsmaster was upon him before the moment could end. If the swordsmaster were knocked back, Jin would merge into the its shadow to continue to relentless assault. Even when the swordsmaster had cast a spell on itself to quicken its strikes, it merely meant a more fine-tuned stalemate as Hallow's Phantom hastened its own strikes. If given the slightest fraction of a second for respite, Jin was hastily and haphazardly throwing together a refreshment on his Umbra Refrenatem and Cor Comedenti. After a particularly heated strike, both were pushed away from each other, giving them a chance to fire beams of shadows and electricity to duel against each other. The swordsmaster kept its elevation from the beating of its wings, Jin having kept his higher place through his feet sinking into the shadows of the stalactites. The two willed their energies into their beams before Jin disengaged, slipping his body fully into the shadows. It was a benefit that certainly felt strange for Jin, being able to wade through the word of darkness at will, but it was a boon he was all too willing to retain. The swordsmaster had a knack for cutting off Jin's destinations, however, striking with either sword or sorcery to stop the Bringer of Death in his path. Finally, Jin burst forth through the shadows a distance away from the swordsmaster, the two now preparing high-caliber orb attacks. Jin had a Hell Demon's Aurora forming in his hand while the swordsmaster had a ball of morphing light manifest at the tip of its blade. The two launched their attacks mere seconds apart, the spheres of pure destructive magic colliding in a brilliant glow. Jin landed atop a jutting rock on the wall of the cave, perching atop it like a bird of prey while the demonic swordsmaster stood in the center of its arena, surrounded by its allies. Both sides seemed to be breathing heavily. Jin had to deal with the demons beforehand, and the swordsmaster was clearly outmatched had it been an even fight. Jin stood up, removing the mask from his head. This demon had been one of his most worthy foes yet, and he felt a strange twinge of sadness in his heart knowing that he had to kill it. Perhaps in another time, the two could have been allies, but the job stated that the demons must die and the old codger's heirloom returned. Jin sank once more into the shadows, going full-speed to ensure that the swordsmaster had little time to rest.
When Jin emerged from the shadows, arm outstretched in an attempt to grip the beast's neck, it had already taken flight and fired off a series of arrows of hardened wind, striking the ground around the newborn Slayer. Jin burst through the shadows, letting loose a Hell Demon's Call, which the swordsmaster narrowly avoided, recklessly planting its feet against the side of the wall. This was confirmation enough that the swordsmaster was weakened. It had little need for roosting in the moments prior, and now Jin could take advantage. He slipped into the shadows once more, the swordsmaster ensuring to take flight at the moment the Bringer of Death escaped into his own realm. He emerged from the wall above the swordsmaster, Hell Demon's Claws outstretched as he slashed feverishly at the beast. Even with its high-speed sword movements in an attempt to block aside the swings of Jin's animalistic arms, the white shadows tore through the demon's flesh. Jin smiled as he retreated once more. The soul-rending properties of his shadows were taking effect, but Jin could not relent. The swordsmaster raised its hand as if to heal itself, Jin not allowing the demon to rest. He emerged from the shadows of the swordsmaster's wings against its body, striking down with a Hell Demon's Horns, sending it spiraling to the ground. For the first time in the entire duel, a combatant had failed to land on their feet, the swordsmaster crashing through the stalagmites and fellow demons alike. It slowly got up, clenching its side in pain as Jin landed. Gathering shadows in his mouth, he fired a Hell Demon's Call, the swordsmaster narrowly avoiding, though some of the gathered audience was unable to share the same fate. The swordsmaster was clearly wounded, and yet it still was in flight. Even with his task having been to slay the beasts, Jin felt a certain respect for it. He dashed into the sky once more, feinting a blow with his right to spike it into the ground with his left. Focusing his energy downwards, he began furiously swinging at the beast, Hallow's Phantom joining in the fray. The demon rose up magics to try to assist in warding off the attacks, both from Hallow's Phantom and from Jin. The flames certainly burned Jin's fists, but he would not give in. After nearly a minute of constant swinging punches from both Jin and Hallow's Phantom, the fabric of the demon's being began to tear apart at the seams. It faded from existence, failing to emit a scream. Perhaps that was a boon to Jin. He had too much respect for the swordsmaster demon to want to see it writhe in pain as it died.
The swordsmaster had finally faded from existence, the dust of its essence soaring in the light breeze from the brook. The arena remained silent, before the demons all used whatever power they had remaining to transport themselves out of this world, leaving the energy of the entire cave significantly less magical. Jin smiled before collapsing to a knee, exhausted. The Bringer of Death vanished into the inner recesses of Jin's mind, allowing the Paragon to take the helm. He grabbed the heirloom, an old, rusty plate, and left the cave. He was saddened to leave this cave. Even if the Bringer of Death was not listening to the client, the Paragon of Virtue certainly was. This cave was unnatural and otherworldly. As soon as Jin left, it would vanish into nothingness forever, most likely. The light blue hue of the cave began to slowly dissipate as he neared the edge of the cave, and sounds of the brook began to fade to the sound of the nearby ocean waves. He stepped out of the door, which itself faded from existence. Jin sighed, saddened by the disappearance of such a lovely place. Even though he did not participate in the combat, even the Paragon of Virtue respected the swordsmaster. It was a demon, yet it refused to give in, and it ensured that its allies did not interfere with the fight. Jin smiled to himself softly and returned to town to return the heirloom.
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