Just as multiple Demons dived for him, Jabez ran forward and then slid on his side to go between their legs. They swiped as he passed them, but he quickly spun and used his right leg to trip the closest one before they could get their claws into him.
Closing in on Zylah and those still struggling to keep her down, he tackled a Demon to get his fangs into their throat. Their claws rent down his back as he drank from them with quick suctions, and the rune next to his heart turned hot.
The fog at the edges of his vision cleared as he let go, although excruciating pain remained.
Jabez refused to hide his blood scent by cloaking it, instead focusing all his mana on his own healing and his magic strength. Black markings around his ankles lit up green as he sensed for any roots hidden beneath the dirt. The resistance of flora chattered to him through vibrations, and his mana whispered back until the ground cracked open and they shot out.
Reddish roots covered in dirt entangled themselves around Demons who dared to come near him. The bindings were easily broken, as he didn’t focus them on temporarily paralysing any individual, instead slowing down his enemies as a whole.
It gave him freedom to stalk his way closer to Zylah, his mind never straying from his singular task of rescuing her.
A snarl so beastly it ripped at his chest to the point of pain burst from him as a Demon raised some kind of club above her pretty skull. He teleported and materialised next to them while in a horizontal position in the air, and he kicked them so hard they flew above their companions holding her down.
He landed above another one holding onto the rope simmering with some kind of enchantment – likely to stop it from breaking, rather than interfering with magic use. He should be able to get them free from here as soon as he was able to touch her.
A few dived on top of her to shield her from his touch, to prevent him from getting near her. And he knew without a doubt they understood he wouldn’t be leaving without her. He had no intention of abandoning this female, no matter what they did.
And they were right.
Running on pure instinct, he dug his nails into the face of the one he’d landed on top of and tore it open. They gave a satisfying scream, letting their piece of rope go to cover their face. He dived for another, tackling them to the ground to get them to let her go.
Someone grabbed the long length of his hair and yanked him backwards, and as he was dragged, he looked up to find it was Lueka. A grin curled Jabez’s lips, and he teleported. The male came with him, Jabez’s hair a bond to his mana manifestation. They didn’t go far, literally just a foot to the left, but he got what he wanted.
Dizzy, Lueka stumbled and released him, giving Jabez the freedom to twist to his front, get to his feet, and lunge forward. He tackled the big Demon to the ground, flipped over him, and then grabbed his horns. Jabez stepped back, teleporting as he did to evade those coming near them, and landed right next to the broken statue of the Gilded Maiden, where it was mostly empty of enemies.
They underestimated me.What he was capable of, the kind of person he was. How ruthless he could be, and how little life mattered to him.
He’d been fighting against Demons his whole life! He trained his body relentlessly, refusing to be the scrawny boy he’d beenwhen he first escaped his prison cell. He wasfast, he was agile, and he knew how to fuckingkill.
Not giving Lueka a chance to get his bearings or fight with the strength his large body obviously wielded, Jabez gripped his long horns firmly and twisted. The vertebrae in Lueka’s neck popped as he snapped his neck, then just to make sure, he gave an additional twist until the Demon’s face was pointing in the wrong direction. The tight muscles in his throat snapped his face forward when Jabez let go.
A few of the Demons paused their approach, baulking at how quickly he killed their leader. He stepped on Lueka’s body to walk to the other side of him.
Should have let us go when they had the chance.
But the Demons were savage, and his Elven scent in the air was fuelling them. The death of their leader was meaningless, and they dived for Jabez just to get a taste of him.
He jumped before they could reach him and then teleported to Zylah’s side while he was in the air.
He grabbed the back of a Demon’s pale hair, someone obviously lacking any magical capabilities, and threw them off her. He did the same to another, and another, kicking away those that tried to get ahold of him.
He winced when someone from behind managed to get their fangs into his right forearm, but he pulled it forward with all his strength and let them take a large chunk of his flesh.
Jabez roared as he shoved his foot down and just his toes managed to skim the ground.Get the fuck away from her!
Roots sprang from the dirt and wrapped around all those surrounding Zylah. His roar grew louder as he shoved a large wave of his mana into the dirt so he could use them like limbs, and they picked up the Demons who instantly shrieked in surprise. Dozens of enemies were sent flying as the rootsdipped back and flung them away, scattering in all directions and crashing into many others.
But Zylah was freed.
Just as he went to touch her, she lunged for him. He managed to dodge her dangerous maw, but her claws swiped across his face. Spittle sprayed from his mouth when she succeeded in tearing his lips, nose, and right eye apart. The point of a claw sliced through his cheek like butter and even dug around a single back fang to pull it out.
Fuck!Jabez hissed at the agony splitting apart his face, but didn’t allow himself a moment to adjust to it.
Blinded in one eye, he teleported behind her and grabbed her calf. It was severely wounded, her blood instantly smearing against his palm, and he gave a strong wince when she yelped, hating that he was causing her more pain.
He didn’t know why he looked up now that he had her, but he thought it may be due to the multiple gasps he heard.
The one who had bitten his arm had red blood dripping from their mouth. A cold chill crept through him, just as all the void-like flesh upon their skin receded to gift them with the Elysian brown of this world. Others had noticed their strange behaviour and the change.
