Chapter 102 A Secret Technique That Starts With "R"!
It\'s not going to last…! Think! He told himself.
Moving mostly on instinct and quick, successive thoughts, he picked the table up, using it to shield the flames before launching it forward with a kick, momentarily diverting the flames as he dashed to the side.
After using an instantaneous step to launch atop an electronic pillar then crawling onto the second floor, he could see the six-armed boss still spewing the red flames from his demonic maw.
The many pieces of jewelry; gold, sapphire, ruby, and emeralds alike, jingled in the fiery winds forged from the Demon King\'s breath.
It finally seemed to notice that he had moved once the plastic table had been reduced to a condensed ball of melted plastic, pulling its head to the side as the far-stretching cone of flames moved upwards towards up.
"Crap–!"
He quickly began to rush across the marble-floored second floor as the beam of scarlet flames chased him, chewing through the stores in its path as glass shattered and materials melted.
Ducking through a sudden turn of the flames that went overhead, he struggled not to fall as he temporarily moved on all fours to pick himself up, rushing over as he found a flight of stairs to descend.
No time was wasted sliding down the railings of those white-made stairs, reaching a different section of the humongous mall that had yet to be reached by the boss.
Now\'s my chance…! He thought.
"Cast: Conceal!" He invoked.
[Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 3550/3600]
The assassin-class spell that embodied the very nature of stealthiness turned him nearly completely invisible, leaving his footsteps untraceable and even his breaths unheard.
Even dressed in all-black, which stood out amidst the contemporary, snow-white section of the building, he became nearly impossible to see.
He still kept cautious in his step, moving carefully around the narrow area of the mall as the thunderous footsteps of the jeweled, humanoid demon approached nearer and nearer.
With a booming crash, Hadimba barged through the other side of the staircase with a single thrust of its gargantuan blade, marching forward as it stopped–looking around for him as he remained still.
Even though he was concealed almost perfectly, it still wasn\'t quite impervious in nature: if the enemy focused hard enough, they could still find him.
…I can\'t let my guard down now. Even if my concealment worked, if I\'m careless–it won\'t mean anything! He thought.
He kept to the bushes, using them as an extra layer of protection from the sight of the demonic entity\'s eyes as it slowly marched forward, sending tremors through the hall with each step, scanning the area.
Its breaths were heavy, exuding in a rumble reminiscent of a vehicle\'s engine. With every step it took, drawing further into the hall, it filled the width of the narrow space, stretching each of its six, scarlet-tinged arms out as its illustrious jewels dangled and jingled.
With its arms outstretched, the blue-steel of its demonic weapons scraped across the once perfect, immaculate walls of the mall, releasing an ear-filling screech as the tusked-demon moved closer.
He remained perfectly still now, ducking behind a withered bush as he still quieted his breathing just out of instinct.
"--"
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
Those stomps which rung against his ears like bombs were accompanied by the constant jingling of the scarlet-skinned, bearded giant\'s dress of gold jewely, overlapping a glistening, metal-plated tunic.
…Just pass by! He thought to himself.
–It stopped.
Hadima fell still; it was clear by the sounds of his previous steps before halting that the ludicrously powerful entity was but a few stomps away from him, but he didn\'t turn back to check.
It was completely silent–eerily so.
Within his own concealment, not even his own breaths were heard. This prompted him to slowly look back, checking where the colossal, jeweled demon was–
He froze.
In his veins, his blood ran cold, and for a moment–his heart stopped. But once it resumed–it pounded against his chest–ba-dump. Ba-dump. Badump.
It was right there; bent over, meeting him face-to-face and looking directly at him with its inhuman, bloodthirsty gaze of spiraling, crimson irises. It exuded heated, heavy breaths through its pierced nostrils, breathing out as he struggled to do the same, with his body frozen in totality from the insurmountable fear engraved in that very moment.
What finally released him from the icy grips of dread was the tusked, human-like demon opening his mouth full of countless, razor-sharp fangs and unleashing a distorted howl that declared its violent intent.
"Grgh–!"
He immediately flipped up, using his taekwondo proficiency to spin his lower body into a crescent kick directly against the massive being\'s jaw before sprinting down the hall.
The kick itself did absolutely nothing to the decorated demon, in fact, it hurt his own leg from how sturdy the entity was, but he used that moment to run with all of his might.
…Shit! He thought.
Bursting off with such speed caused his concealment to wear off, prompting him to move with the fear of death chasing behind his heel.
Again, that monstrous speed was displayed once again as the surprisingly nimble giant shot forward before leaping over his head with a stomach-dropping shadow soaring over him.
Cutting off his path, the demonic giant crashed down in front of him, spreading its six, muscular arms out as each of its violent weapons shined with malicious intent.
"What\'s your damn problem?!" He yelled out in half frustration, half fear.
All he got in return was a booming roar from the golden-dressed demon, who once again exuded a fiery aura.
The tangible, supernatural flames that enveloped the body of the demon shifted the air, heating it and bubbling it up as the surrounding tile began to melt and tremble.
"--"
His breathing became slower and more strenuous while being near the six-armed demon, sweat being reeled from his pores as he gulped, pondering his options.
It\'s persistent, fast, and in another realm of power from myself. What the hell do I even do?! He questioned himself.
Even with all of the tactical experience he thought he\'d accrued, and further bolstered by his optimizing system–there was still only one concept in his mind:
Run! He thought.