Outcast Hunter

Min's belly was about to burst with all the food inside her tummy. She was very delighted and had already forgot the tension she felt earlier. Her big brother's name was Ark. His cautious behaviour earlier had also slowly faded, as he ate quite a lot of what Leo bought and what Kenkage and Kin cooked.

They didn't need to stay that long. They only looked for a place to hide, to have a quality time with their lunch.

"Humans can'r go on with an empty stomach"

Gin exclaimed.

"And with a full one too...".

Kin added nonchalantly.

They first lowered their food and then continued walking towards the Demon Nation border and reached Fallonia.

Before they leave, Leo left Ark a small amount of Plata and told him where he can use the Plata he gave him.

"Take better care of your sister, that amounts to 20 pure Plata, in which you can buy lots of food"

He saw the sadness in the eyes of the two children when he said goodbye. They haven't known each other for that long, and that's how sad Leo feels for the siblings. They are still young and they have to face the bitterness of the truth, that in the end, only your family and yourself will be the only one with you in the hardships of life. You are lucky, if you have a friend or two, who are there for you and are willing to accompany and help you.

Leo, with Ark's and Min's pitiful, sad faces on his mind, a new goal surge within him. A goal tho overthrown whoever's leading this Nation and free the demons in his grasps.

Guilt and doubt course through his mind and what ifs came in and made him confused.

'What if... what if all of the monsters that I killed so fat, were monsters that have families waiting for them? Just like me, like us, humans, who fought and slew them'

And if Aophy was inside his shadow at that time, what would she say? That's one question yoo, that had crossed his mind.

Or would she stay silent and let all his questions stays deep within him.

Leo made a turn, walking straight to what seemed to be a path, made by the demons, directing towards the populated areas of the Nation.

Kenkage stopped him. He's the one who's trying to avoid engaging with the demons, as much as possible. He don't want unnecessary deaths from their group or from the other.

"Why are you suddenly having a change of mind?!"

He tried not to raise his voice, but also made it still audible for Leo to hear, and also for the others.

"I'll be taking a different route. I'll have Devi and Aophy with me, Jayce will lead you to safety"

Aophy, Devi, and Jayce didn't say anything. They just stood where they should be and silently watched their conversation.

"What are you saying?! Don't tell me you're going straight to where the demons' leader is?! Don't even think about it! He's dang-"

Leo cut him with an eye, brimming with hatred and conviction to destroy and overthrow whoever the fuck is sitting on the thrown.

Kenkage let out an exasperated sigh. When he saw Leo's eyes, he immediately knew, he can't stop this guy.

"Then, Jayce and us, ninjas, will also take a different route"

Leo smiled, as if he was expecting Kenkage would say that.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go"

Leo don't have the slightest idea, where the leader of the demons resides. He's only relying in his extreme keen senses and was following the most powerful aura he could feel.

They went straight to a road, it leads to a large Town, a densely populated one. They blend in just right, but not Devi, whose tail and ears were out in public.

One look at her and demons quickly knew that she's no demon and suspected the others as much. Demon guards and what seemed to be quarrelsome demons had swarmed them.

"Humans! And a demi-human! Aren't we lucky today?!"

One of the demon guard said. Humans and demi-humans, these two must cost quite an amount for demons.

"Hey, look at that girl! Isn't she a hottie?!"

"Damn! She has the curves! Hehehe! I guess we will be having a really good time today!"

A demon guard lick his lips wet and took out his weapon.

"Listen!" Leo suddenly exclaimed. "To those who wants t9 waste their lives, join the circle and to those who value their lives, step aside, hide or run away immediately, for I am going to kill every demons my eyes meet!"

His words have a strong sense to it. There were demons who joined the circle and there were demons who chose not to interfere and hide.

Having been mocked, by what they thought to be a mere humans, who are no more than a weak goblins, they gritted their teeth in anger and humility and attack, all at once.

It sounds degrading for Aophy to be mouthed and get verbally harassed by what she thought was disgusting demon guards and thugs, who can't keep their libidos out of their work.

Devi bared her cute little fangs and claws, showing her cute hand-like paw. She strode forward and scrabble the demons who get on her way and nerve.

"Small but terrible... also, everything about her is cute"

Leo even got to praise Devi for being cute and wild, despite the situation.

Does circle have infinite sides or has no? 'Cause if they do, Leo and the others will be fighting from infinite sides.

As a payback from what the demon guards had said Aophy used her Blue Rose to them and they suffered a painful death.

Leo dodged sideways and used Cloak-and-Dagger. It made him invisible playing pranks to the demons.

'This skill has two critical strikes. Let's see just how much of a damage it will do'

Leo did not took his sword out, but, he used his bare fist instead. He jerked his arm and landed punches to a demon. The first two made loud, cracking noises, of what seemed to be the demon's bones, getting crushed.

The demon went limp and soon succumbed from his punches.

Kenkage and the three used their ninja-like moves and fend off the demons charging.

Jayce stood silent and did nothing to defend or attack the demons. They feared him more than Leo. It's because, deep within his blank stares, there's something terrifying staring at them, as they look in his dark-brown eyes.

The other demons hiding inside the stores, weapon shops and bars, took glances at what's happening outside.

Pool of blood were shed, as soon as the fight broke out and it continued until the fight died.

"Demons of this Town!" Leo continued his speech from earlier. "Let your leader know I'm coming for him!"

Scouts, spies, whatever it is, they are an inevitable existence in every story there is.

Aophy incinerated their corpse. Her blue flames engulfed the bodies of the dead and were turned into ashes.

They proceeded after interrogating one of the demon guard, asking him where their leader is.

Hours passed. News spread faster than Leo's pace and reached the leader of the demons.

"Acting leader Wiriam, a number of our guards from the Town of Zaun, has been slew and it's the humans' group"

Wiriam, how long he wanted to sit and make himself looks like a King. He's been overjoyed when Abaddon assigns him as the knew leader of the Demon Nation. He almost could not contain himself and almost burst into laughter.

It was afternoon, the sun was set to go down in an hour or two. He finished his snack and was about to have his quality time with his beloved. But, he was robbed of it and has to prepare for the impending battle against Leo's group.

"This isn't bad too... there's excitement in fighting too! All right, have the guards and other demons, who are willing to join the battle, gathered in front of the castle!"

His assistant lightly bowed his head and have his leader's orders spread throughout the whole Nation.

Hours and hours flies and Leo's group's nearing to the castle. They made a stop when it's time to sleep. They took over a house, where a single guard was living. The only thing Leo wondered, that he could not ask his companions, was why there was not a single carriage or animal that could be ridden, so that they could reach their destination faster.

They spent the night there, leaving the guard alive. He's not a bad demon and was kind enough to let them stay inside his house. He's too tired to serve his Nation, where all he did was too kill his fellow demon and took things from them. That's all he did in his past few years, working as a guard. He's tired, too exhausted, his body and mind, ashamed that he's a demon. How many have he killed in those past few years? A hundred? Two? He doesn't remember anymore. That's his reason for withdrawing from the impending battle stirring up.

---

The sun rises and sunlight woke them up. The sun was brighter than usual and larger than usual. An eclipse will soon happen.

They had breakfast and their journey goes on to the thousands army of demons awaiting their arrival in the castle.

~