Descending Into A Novel

Standing there around the small grave, the three stood in silence for a while. Before the silence was quickly interrupted by several of the others appearing.

The first was Audrina, quietly wiping the blood of her blades. Her hood was pulled up over her head, hiding her face and letting them see only her glowing eyes.

Well, Audrina probably didn’t even think twice before killing her opponent.

Second was Lin Qingyi, with the viciousness and cruelty often seen in Wulin. She already had a higher tolerance for these things, but she still looked shaken up by it.

Then Lucy and Cador came out at the same time. Despite being partially covered in blood, Lucy still retained that same calm look on her eyes.

Noelle came out next as well, her spear and armour completely pristine and shiny. Although she was breathing hard, taking off her helmet and revealing her blue hair as she stared at the ground.

Finally, Zachary came out last. Dropping his sword and collapsing onto his knees as he dry heaved.

With that, the attack from the Black Legion was over. There was no other opponent left to fight.

The only one left was the one still currently fighting with Rudeus, and while they were both equally matched. It wouldn’t stay that way for long.

In Raymond’s hand’s, he held several small fragments. The moment the Black Legion had appeared, he had immediately broke it in order to send a signal to Sienna.

In the sky, Rudeus and his opponent continued fighting.

Rudeus wasn’t known as the Weapons-Meister for nothing.

Landing a right hook with his gauntlet hand, his other hand immediately pulled out a dagger in reverse grip. Bringing it down onto his helmet and aiming to pierce through his visor.

Even when his dagger was blocked, he didn’t falter. Calmly changing weapons and trying again, his every movement could only be described as the perfect weapon handling.

Even One-armed Sword King, an SS-rank had begrudgingly admitted that when it came to the way of the weapons. Rudeus would stand at the peak of every weapon. His skill was simply that good.

Not a single one of his attacks was consistent, one moment he was executing a barrage of thrusts with a spear To try and pierce his heart. The next, he was using a warhammer to try and bludgeon his skull in. Then he would swap to an axe immediately to try and cut off a limb and so on and so forth.

But his opponent was also extremely proficient as well. Despite being faced with the constant unpredictability of his weapons and ever changing Arts for each different weapon. Each swing of his halberd was more then powerful enough to meet his weapons heon-on.

Smoothly partying another strike, Rudeus let out a roar. His grey aura expanding temporarily, as he swung a mace at the end of a chain.

’All-Encompassing Weapon Art:Metal Shatter!’

The mace struck the halberd, immediately shattering both it and the halberd. Sending pieces of metal fragments everywhere.

"Amazing! What an amazing Art! No wonder the Floriza Family is known as the Family of Arts!"

Throwing away the ruined halberd to the ground, he assumed a different stance. Holding his fists up like a boxer. His onyx gauntlets morphing and transforming.

Two blades the length of a forearm abruptly shot out of his wrists. Curving slightly over his fists.

"One more round!"

"Quiet, demonic scum."

The two launched towards each other again. Rudeus grey steel mana against his crimson demonic energy.

Before they could meet in the middle however, a wall of ice abruptly formed in between them.

"That’s enough now."

Seeing his wrist blades not even leave a scratch on the ice. He recognized her immediately.

"Sienna Lerdusk...it’s an honor to meet you."

Holding a wand in her hand, her white coat and brown hair fluttered in the wind caused by her spell.

His eyes blazed with a dark fire. Seeing her, he immediately felt his fighting spirit start rising again.

Sienna sighed, seeing the passion in his eyes. She already knew he wasn’t going to just give up now.

"Sienna! Let’s fight!"

"So damn annoying..."

Already forgetting about Rudeus, he immediately set his target on her.

An opportunity to go up against an SS-rank was rare after all. They almost never took action unless it was a last resort or if an equivalent power had appeared!

With the current state of humanity right now. This meant that the chance an SS-rank appeared to actually fight was practically close to zero.

Naturally, an S-rank going up against an SS-rank had an easy to predict outcome.

A warrior at the seventh tempering and a mage at the eighth circle. There may have been only a difference of one level. But there was a reason they were split into S-rank and SS-rank.

He struck a stance, arms extended forward. With his palms facing each other, he clenched his fists.

"With this contract. I summon. The one who wields blades for arms, the cursed child of the sword. Prince Nezerath!"

His onyx armour turned even darker. If it was black previously, it seemed more like a endless abyss of darkness now. Absorbing all light and making it hard to see him.

Only his faint silhouette remained, his horns and sword alone the only things that could be made out.

His aura of demonic energy surged, turning sharp and jagged as he expanded in size.

Sienna sighed, making eye contact with Rudeus.

"You deal with the aftermath. Also, get the kids some where else or protect them."

"Got it."

Crashing down onto the ground, he pulled out a shield and slammed it into the ground. His grey mana expanding and expanding until it had the appearance of a small castle.

He even decided to make the walls slightly transparent for them.

It wasn’t everyday that one got to witness an SS-rank on action after all.

Raymond craned his neck up, seeing instructor Sienna simply still in the air as she waited patiently for him to finish his summonning.

Not because she was arrogant or overconfident in herself or anything. But because trying to interrupt a demon summoning could lead to some undesirable, and very bad consequences.

These summonings were essentially just opening a rift from where the demon was (usually the demonic realm) to the individual after all.

The rift only opened just long enough and only for the particular demon it was being opened for. When interrupted, the rift had a tendency to...not be so specific anymore about the demon it summoned. Often dragging in any demon that even slightly matched as the initial summoned demon.

But humanity learned from their mistakes, and they made sure to never repeat the same mistake ever again after the first time.

As Prince Nezerath fully stood up. His hulking frame made it so Sienna had to raise her head just to look at his face.

Rather then arms, extending from where the elbow was, he had two swords each over a meter long. Sticking out of his back as well, was over a dozen more swords. Clad in onyx black armour similar to his contractor.

His horns, were quite similar to Audrina’s. Looking more like decorative ritual blades rather then the goat horns that most had.

Staring at Sienna, his sword arms blazed with a black fire.

"Kane! What a wonderful foe you’ve managed to find!"

Prince rank demons weren’t at the top of the demonic chain. The King was naturally the top, followed by the Grand Dukes or Duchesses of the Sin Clans. Then only the Prince and Princesses. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But they were definitely up there, among billions and billions of demons. There were only a few dozen prince and princesses after all, and only seven grand dukes.

The two assumed the same stance, sword arms burning in the same black fire.

The whole time, Sienna just stared at the two. Patiently waiting with her wand out.

"Don’t hold back on me now Sienna!"

"Wasn’t planning to."

Flying towards her, the two raised their swords high in a x shape. Letting out a battle cry that flooded the surroundings with demonic energy.

She sighed, despite the demonic energy being strong enough to easily destroy buildings and entire cities. She faced it head on without a single trace of fear in her eyes.

Aiming her ivory wand, mana gathered at the tip of it. A bright blue glimmer that reminded Raymond of a sunny snow day.

"Herald of Winter."

Her words were short, precise.

But the spell that followed was anything but.

The clouds in the sky gathered above her. Plunging the entire area into darkness.

The air itself turned cloudy. Snowflakes and shares of ice forming in the sky to create a swirling storm of hail despite it being the middle of summer.

It was like a scene right out of a painting, the three figures flying high in the sky with the wrath of nature behind them.

Except it wasn’t the wrath of nature. But of a singular individual.

Surging out of her wand, a wave of blue ice erupted—resembling a volcano. The ice claiming every thing that it met as it travelled through the air. Freezing every speck of dust, pocket of air and even the very molecules in place.

The swirling hail around them intensified, making it near impossible for anyone to see. Frost and ice flying through the air, freezing and cutting everything in its way.

Kane and Prince Nezerath swung their swords. The slash containing enough power to destroy mountains.

Their fighting spirit burned hot, the black flames raging and forming the shape of a sword as it attempted to cut through the hail.

Letting out a roar, the flaming sword swung at the faint target of Sienna.

To no avail. As the sword of flames met the force of ice. Frost started forming on the sword, crawling up the blade and freezing it and the two in place.

Huuu

As the hail died down and the clouds parted again. Sienna lowered her wand, letting out a breath—mist coming out as she did so.

A few remnants of frost and snow clung to her clothes. Her hair and coat still fluttering wildly.

In just a single spell, she had managed to incapacitate an S-rank demon contractor and prince ranked demon.

"...so annoying."