Hunter’s Blade

C41 – A Small Demon

The garden lay to the east of the hall, while the Holy Tower stood to the west. The entire tower above ground served as accommodations for hunters, while below ground, it functioned as a prison.

Shire and Inese entered the tower via the inner corridor. The central corridor bore a horrifying sight, with deep claw marks etched into the walls, evidence of chaos during a devil’s escape. The spiral staircase leading to the prison appeared gloomy, with all the torches along the way extinguished.

Retrieving a fire knife and flint, Shire sparked a flame to life, illuminating the nearest wall-mounted torch. Taking it down, he used it to light their path.

“You’re the ones who incarcerated my kind in this place,” Gradiu’s tone lacked warmth. “I sense the scent of companions, some familiar, some not…”

“What’s on your mind?” Shire retorted. “Aren’t we supposed to imprison them?”

“This world is agonizing for us,” Gradiu murmured. “An unseen pressure compels us to flee, incessantly tormenting us. Even with our outer shells as barriers, we remain restless. If we cannot consume souls, the suffering only intensifies.”

“Then I’ll have to find a way to capture some devils alive and confine them to make them uncomfortable.”

“Humph, they won’t remain imprisoned for long. They’ll break free and wreak havoc. You’ll come to regret it.”

They ventured into the Holy Church’s dungeon, a corridor paved with grayish-white Xuanwu stone slabs. The spacious cells on either side had metal-sealed walls, concealing the activities within. The doors were exceptionally thick and intricate, resistant to brute force but unlockable with a silver key. Three prison doors were ajar, revealing quarter-inch thick metal doors transformed into twisted scraps. The power required to destroy them was unimaginable.

Three devils had escaped from the dungeon.

“This should be the door that imprisoned the demons,” Shire examined the door’s remains. It bore signs of corrosion and burning, with large bubbles. “They couldn’t have done this on their own. Someone aided their escape.”

“Who could it be?” Inese pondered.

“I don’t know, but if there are individuals assisting demons, then… They’re our foes,” Shire fretted. Hidden adversaries lurked in the shadows while they remained exposed. The Holy Church occupied a central city location, and anyone supporting demon escapees posed a threat. Were these the same people as the thieves? Robbers had infiltrated the Holy Church, plundering it, followed by wicked wizards releasing the Winged Devil. It was maddening! Who covertly aided the demons?

“Could there be demons concealed behind these sealed doors?” Inese boldly rapped on a tightly shut metal door.

“Wuwuwu, no, those doors are all empty.”

“How did you know?” Shire asked in his heart.

“Why are you asking me? I didn’t say anything.” Gradiu complained, “What’s wrong with you? Why would I scream?”

Shire shivered.

“Who is it?”

In the flickering firelight, a small demon advanced slowly.

A little demon? Shire found himself mildly surprised. Among the hunters, demons were categorized into various roles and ranks. At the highest tier stood the Demon God, while the Imp resided at the lowest and most unassuming rung. Any reasonably courageous person could dispatch an Imp.

Its appearance was far from appealing. With dark red skin, a pointed nose, large vacant eyes, two lengthy horns adorning its head, and bat-like wings gracing its back, it cut an eerie figure. Its slim tail trailed along the ground, and its limbs ended in sharp claws.

Shire furrowed his brow. “Where have you come from?”

“Quack, quack, quack,” the little demon scratched its head.

“I asked you where you originated.” Shire inquired again, his suspicion piqued by the low-level demon’s presence.

“Lord!” The little demon bowed before Shire.

Shire drew his knife, clutching a torch in one hand and the blade in the other.

The little demon emitted a terrified shriek, scampering frantically across the floor to take refuge in a corner of the cell. It shivered, folding its wings and covering its head with both hands.

“What is it, little demon?” Inese regarded it with curiosity.

“It’s the lowest of demons. We refer to it as the little demon. Above it are the larger demons, followed by the run-of-the-mill lower-level demons, demon vanguards, demon warriors… and the highest rank is the Demon God,” Shire elucidated as he moved closer to the cell’s wall, brandishing his blade at the little demon, poised to strike if necessary.

The little demon turned, its gaze alternating between the blade in Shire’s hand and Shire’s armor, where the blade’s pattern gleamed brilliantly.

“Lord!” it cried out, “Lord!”

Gradiu burst into laughter. “Hahahaha! It’s taking you for a demon! It’s treating you as a demon! A Demon Hunter! A human the size of a speck, and it regards you as an upper demon! It’s because the demonic aura surrounding you is so thick that it has become confused!”

Shire was a little surprised.

“You…” He thought for a while and said, “You called me ‘Lord’?”

The little ghost emitted an eerie, unfamiliar wail, then added, “I crave fresh souls.” It seemed that regardless of a devil’s rank, they all shared an insatiable appetite for souls.

Shire issued a veiled threat, “If you desire fresh souls,” he warned, “you must cooperate honestly, or your demise is assured.”

“Uuu… Uwah… Uwah… Uwah… Uwah… Uwah… Uwah… Uwah…” The little ghost nodded in agreement.

“Should we provide sustenance for this creature?” Inese inquired with curiosity. “It is a demon, after all.”

“Demons don’t exclusively require human souls. Animal souls can suffice. Furthermore, it appears to be a demon. Most importantly, I need to inquire about something,” Shire contemplated.

While Shire and Inese conversed, the little ghost became increasingly agitated, jumping up and down with restlessness.

“In the blink of an eye, countless little ghosts will emerge from the magma. They hunger for strength, slaughtering and consuming one another, growing in stature. Many formidable devils emerge from these seemingly insignificant little ghosts. Soon, you shall witness…” Gradiu’s voice chimed in.

“Who released the Winged Devil?” Shire pointed at the melted iron door. “How did they breach the door?”

“Several ordinary human souls, along with a black soul. These souls ascended from the surface to the depths of darkness,” Imp described in a shrill tone. “The black soul shattered the door, discovered winged demons and demon beasts. The black soul also located me but deemed me too feeble, leaving me here.”

“A demon beast… what is it?” Shire widened his eyes. Having escaped from the Holy Church, where could it be hiding now? And where was it planning to launch its assault? This unexpected revelation left Shire’s mind in disarray. If another devil were to wreak havoc, it would result in further damage and casualties.

“It’s a ferocious devil. It threatened to tear me limb from limb,” the little devil flailed its arms and legs. “Me! It aimed to devour my soul, transform into a formidable Abyss Devil, and have it draw its war chariot.”

“I want to know what it looks like, and what kind of abilities it has?”

“An aggressive Abyss Devil… is utterly fearsome! Incredibly potent! A massive creature, it is!” The young ghost conveyed this with great disarray.

“This little imp explained it quite clearly. You simpleton. A demon beast is inherently ferocious, adopting an animal form in this realm, yet retaining all the characteristics of a demon. I wager it could take down three or four of you,” Gradiu scoffed with disdain.

It posed a significant challenge… another bloodthirsty monstrosity. He needed to swiftly discern its whereabouts.

“You mentioned someone came in to set you free? Who were these individuals? What did they look like?”

“Human souls, I perceived human souls.” It skittered to the wall and delicately scraped at the stone surface with its sharp claws. “Within, resides a potent soul, a shadowy soul, the soul of a half-demon.”

Indeed, demons only possess souls within their eyes; what they perceive differs from humans. Higher-tier demons might have more advanced senses, but these primal, low-level imps likely haven’t developed such sophisticated faculties yet.

“I am your master… So, you must heed my commands.” Shire felt as though he had acquired a follower.

“Wuwuwu.” The young ghost clamored, crawling to the floor and approaching Shire’s feet.

“Without my directive, you cannot initiate an attack. You may only flee or conceal yourself. You must not reveal yourself to humans, nor depart from this sacred hall.”

Imp nodded vigorously.

“Will it truly remain obedient?” Shire harbored doubts in his heart.

“It won’t dare to negotiate with you. Ghosts fear devils stronger than them because they acknowledge their own weakness. When I’m bored, I often gather the ghosts and squash them flat,” Gradiu took pleasure in tormenting the weak.

“What are your intentions regarding this youngster?” Inese probed with the tip of her sword. The little devil made a nimble evasive move, akin to a small animal.

“It will prove useful. Follow it.”

The inconspicuous little devil fluttered its wings and trailed behind Shire.

“We ought to give it a name,” Shire mused, twirling his hair. “A little devil… ” He had numerous ideas. He could name it Wing, Wuwu, Claw, and so forth.

“No need to bother giving a name to a little devil. They remain silent and nameless. No name, no individual thoughts. They’re all expendable. A single conflict in the realm of hell can result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of little ghosts. Ghosts in Hell are akin to the impoverished in your world, inconspicuous and vanishing without a trace,” Gradiu snorted.

“Do you have a name?” Inese used the sword’s tip to prod the little demon. She purposely bullied it, forcing it to fan its wings to avoid falling.

“I’m Hoppe,” the little demon replied.

“You have your own name?” Shire was somewhat surprised. “You named yourself?”

“Uuu. Uwah. Uwah. Uwah. Hoppe.” The little devil nodded vigorously.

“These little fellows have their own names,” Shire pointed out to Gradiu in his thoughts. “You mentioned earlier that they don’t have names.”

“Forget it, who cares!” Gradiu cursed.

Shire realized Gradiu’s predicament.

“Hey! You rascal, you lack a comprehensive understanding of your kind.”

“What do the other demons have to do with me? I don’t care!”

“I have a rough idea why the Lords of Hell exiled you to this world.”

Gradiu fell into a lengthy silence.

“You don’t comprehend,” it reluctantly admitted.