An Extra’s Rise in an Eroge-Chapter 269: Demon [End]

Chapter 269: Demon [End]
"Alan, cover me!" Arthur shouted.
Alan raised both arms, summoning twin circles of ice and lightning. "[Thunder Field]!" Sparks burst around the battlefield, lightning striking erratically as frozen mist spread across the ground.
The demon stepped into it unfazed, every bolt that hit its body sizzling out harmlessly. Its twisted head turned toward Arthur with a jagged grin.
"Still fighting? I admire your spirit... but you’ll break soon."
Arthur ignored the taunt. He shot forward using [Shadow Step], reappearing behind the creature and swinging his blade upward in a vertical arc. The edge of his sword carved through the demon’s left arm—but the limb regenerated instantly, black blood steaming.
"Cheap trick," Arthur muttered, twisting his blade and channeling mana through it. "[Arcane Sever]."
This time, when he slashed, the blade glowed white-hot, infused with pure arcane energy. The demon howled as the attack sliced clean through its torso, burning away the flesh around the wound.
"Arthur!" Alex shouted. "Behind you!"
Arthur ducked on instinct. A tail of black bone whistled past his head, cutting through several trees. The demon’s lower back had sprouted the weapon-like appendage during the fight.
Arthur clicked his tongue. "It’s mutating further."
He kicked off the ground and leapt back, narrowly avoiding another strike. His mind raced.
The longer this drags, the stronger it gets.
He exhaled sharply. "Alex, on me. We need to finish it fast."
Alex nodded, blood still dripping from his lip. "Got it."
He charged in, sword glowing faint blue, using [Flowing Edge]. His movements were fluid and unpredictable—slashing low, then pivoting high, always keeping the demon’s attention divided.
Arthur mirrored his rhythm, each of them attacking from opposite sides. Steel met corrupted flesh, sparks and blood flying.
For a brief moment, they managed to corner it.
"Now!" Arthur shouted.
Alan clenched his hands together, activating a spell he’d been building this whole time. "[Ice Collapse]!"
The ground beneath the demon froze and shattered, sending jagged shards upward in a spike formation. The demon screamed as the spikes pierced through its legs and torso.
Arthur lunged forward with a roar, his sword flaring. "[Arcane Drive]!"
The impact was massive. The blade tore through the demon’s chest, sending it crashing backward through the trees.
Silence followed.
Smoke and black blood coated the clearing. The creature’s mangled body lay still.
Alex dropped to one knee, panting. "Is... is it dead?"
Arthur didn’t answer immediately. His eyes stayed locked on the demon’s corpse, the faint hum of corrupted mana still lingering in the air.
Then the ground beneath them cracked again.
"Not yet," Arthur said grimly.
The demon’s body twitched, its black blood bubbling. From the gash in its chest, pulsating veins emerged, crawling up its body like vines. It roared, shaking off the spikes of ice.
Its voice was deeper now—twisted, unrecognizable. "You think...
this
can kill me?"
Its aura flared violently, blowing away the surrounding mist.
Arthur raised his sword again, muttering, "Persistent bastard."
He was about to charge when a sudden explosion rang out from the left side of the clearing.
Oliver’s group had clashed with the Black Hand.
"Emily, behind you!" Noah shouted, parrying a blade aimed at her back. He followed up with a blast of wind magic, throwing the attacker several meters away.
Oliver, dual swords flashing, cut through two cultists in a single motion. Their bodies fell limp, black smoke seeping out of their wounds.
"They’re corrupted too," Amara noted sharply, dodging a dagger. "Their mana reeks of demon essence."
"Then don’t hold back," Oliver said coldly, crossing his blades to block an incoming strike. Sparks flew as steel met steel.
The Black Hand captain, still kneeling earlier, now stood—his calm demeanor replaced by fanatic fervor. "You dare lay hands on His servants?"
He raised his hand, demonic energy swirling. "[Dark Binding]!"
Black chains shot toward Noah and Emily. Noah reacted fast, slicing one apart, but the second caught Emily’s arm, searing her skin.
She bit back a cry, using her free hand to conjure a [Holy Burst]. Light exploded outward, disintegrating the chain in a flash.
Oliver stepped in, cutting down two more cultists in a blur of movement. "Focus on survival! Don’t let them surround us!"
Meanwhile, the demon had fully recovered, its body emanating steam as dark energy flooded its veins again. It let out a guttural laugh.
"Your efforts amuse me," it said, its distorted mouth twisting. "But in the end, all of you will—"
Arthur didn’t let it finish. He appeared before it mid-sentence, his blade driving straight through its abdomen. "[Mana Burst]."
The explosion from point-blank range sent both flying in opposite directions. Arthur crashed into a rock, his shield barely holding. The demon stumbled but recovered fast, growling as smoke poured from its wounds.
Arthur coughed, blood on his lips, forcing himself to stand. His legs trembled. "You’re really testing my patience."
The demon tilted its head, amused. "You’re testing your limits."
Alan rushed forward, chanting rapidly. "[Triple Flare]!" Three consecutive fireballs slammed into the demon, forcing it back a step.
Arthur seized the moment, spinning his sword. Shadows crawled along the ground toward him, coiling around the blade. "[Shadow Amplify]—[Blade Storm]!"
He unleashed a flurry of dark slashes, each one faster than the last. The demon barely managed to block a few, but several connected, tearing through its limbs and torso.
Arthur’s final strike hit home—a diagonal cut from shoulder to hip. The demon screamed, staggering backward, its black blood splattering everywhere.
Alex immediately followed up with his finishing skill. "[Crimson Rush]!"
He blurred forward, stabbing his sword into the demon’s core. The blade ignited red, mana exploding inside the creature’s chest.
This time, the demon dropped to its knees, growling in pain.
Arthur stood before it, panting, his body trembling from mana exhaustion. "Stay down," he muttered.
The demon lifted its head, its empty face somehow smiling. "You can’t kill me, mortal... not yet."
Its hand shot up, grabbing Arthur’s throat.
Arthur’s vision blurred as the pressure increased. He slashed down desperately, cutting off the demon’s arm, but its grip didn’t loosen immediately.
Then, suddenly—
A sharp, glowing arrow pierced through the demon’s skull.
Everyone froze.
Oliver stood at a distance, bow in hand, mana still swirling at its tip. "You’re welcome," he said flatly.
The demon’s body convulsed, black smoke pouring out as its limbs twitched uncontrollably. Its body started to dissolve, melting into a pool of dark sludge.
Arthur stepped back, breathing heavily, wiping the blood off his neck.
Alan and Alex joined him, equally exhausted.
"Is it... over?" Alan asked, voice shaking.
Arthur watched as the black mist slowly dissipated into the air. "For now."
Behind them, the surviving Black Hand members fell to their knees, wailing. "Our lord has fallen! Curse you, humans!"
Oliver’s group advanced, cutting them down without hesitation.
The forest fell silent again—broken trees, scorched earth, and the lingering smell of burnt mana marking the aftermath of chaos.
Arthur lowered his sword, eyes dull with fatigue. "That... was a premature awakening," he muttered. "If that thing had been at full strength, we’d all be corpses."
Oliver sheathed his blade. "Then we’re lucky."
Arthur gave a faint, humorless smile. "Luck has nothing to do with it."
Emily rushed to her brother, tears forming in her eyes. "You idiot! You could’ve died!"
Arthur sighed tiredly. "Good to see you too, sis."
Oliver glanced around at the wreckage. "We need to this. Whatever that thing was—it changes everything."
Arthur stared at the fading black mist, his expression darkening. "Yeah. And something tells me this is just the beginning."