Rogue Villain-Chapter 329: Doll

Karandiel turned back to the concentrating Mara. It looked like the dragonling had barely noticed what had been about to happen to her. Karandiel had seen what happened to Ackster after he got it. It wasn’t a pretty sight, and it wasn’t something that either of them could endure.

Karandiel wondered how Mara could be so at ease when leaving herself defenseless. She hadn’t known any of them for longer than a few weeks or months. Kargas was even a natural enemy.

’Does she trust Brian that much?’

Eventually, Karandiel concluded that Mara didn’t trust any of them. She trusted and obeyed Ackster. If he told her to prepare magic, she would. If he told her to trust and cooperate with the others, she would.

Karandiel reflected on herself after noticing Mara’s dedication and loyalty toward Ackster. She was lacking.

Karandiel closed her eyes for a quick prayer. At the same time as she opened her eyes again, Mara was ready.

Blue fire sprouted in her hands like a flower. It grew upward in a stalk before flowering. The flower of fire spread to the sides and closed down over Mara and the others like a dome. The flower didn’t target them, but they could all feel the oppressive heat.

A moment later, Mara pushed outward with her hands. The dome of blue fire expanded at a frightening pace, purging the miasma and the room as it rode forward like a tsunami before eventually reaching the walls on all sides.

Mara’s magic scorched the yellow stone, leaving it even darker than before, even if it didn’t do any damage to the stone.

More miasma poured into the room from the hallways. The fire also hadn’t done any damage to the demon. At first glance, it looked like it hadn’t done anything.

But it had revealed the demon’s location. One section of the walls was untouched by the fire. The ground was also free from scorch marks in a cone-like area leading to the wall.

The expanding dome was just the start.

Ackster pounced on the demon. It was finally unable to blend into its surroundings and obscure its location enough for Ackster’s sword to only scratch it.

Ackster pinned the demon to the wall with oppressive force and fierce swordsmanship.

Meanwhile, Mara prepared the next step. Mana gathered in her hands as she held one of them in front of her and drew her other arm back.

An arrow of blue fire gathered between her hands.

Karandiel knew what she had to do.

Mara breathed out and let the arrow fly.

At the same time, Karandiel finished readying her armory of light weapons and set them hurtling in the demon’s direction around the arrow, sealing the demon’s escape.

The ensemble of blue and golden light spiraled through the air toward Ackster and the demon. Karandiel couldn’t help but look on nervously, even if she knew Ackster would be fine and that she should keep an eye out for the demon’s retribution.

The arrow and its accompaniment arrived. Ackster turned to the side, his arm reaching forward and locking the demon in place with his sword. The sword pierced the wall on one side of the demon, and Ackster blocked the other.

Even without the Demon Sword and Ackster, Karandiel’s light weapons also interfered with the demon’s possible evasion routes. However, compared to Ackster and the voracious Demon Sword, Karandiel’s light wasn’t nearly as dangerous. It had the advantage of being a natural suppressant of the miasma and attributes of the demon.

But it lacked power.

The demon made a quick decision. Unlike the golden light, the source of the blue light was dangerous.

The demon jumped. With the wall behind it, it would be able to push off and dodge any shockwaves or follow-ups instantly without even needing to use flight magic.

The demon’s sleek stature belied its strength, and it shot off the ground like a frog.

*Not so fast.*

However, before it could get more than a couple of strides into the air, the demon stopped dead in its airborne tracks. The demon was reminded of the chains that had been locked around its wrists and ankles for several millennia.

Ackster grabbed the demon’s ankle with a vice-like grip. Before the demon could try and break free or counterattack, Ackster swung him down.

The demon might be powerful, but he wasn’t heavy or strong enough to compare to Ackster, especially when Ackster had a grip like that on it. The demon turned into a doll in Ackster’s hands as he swung it against the arrow of blue fire.

The spinning arrow pierced right through the demon’s forehead, the demon unable to even conjure magic to defend itself in time. The arrow left a sizzling hole through the demon’s head.

Ackster saw Mara on the other side. He smiled.

The next moment, Ackster raised the demon high in the air again and slammed him down. He raised him and flipped him over, slamming him down on the ground on the opposite side. He repeated the process with as much strength as he could.

However, before long, the demon’s leg broke off, and Ackster ended up holding in a mutilated foot.

Ackster shrugged.

He had eaten worse.

Ackster tossed the foot into his mouth before the demon or the others could react.

Ackster wiped his bottom lip with the expression of a gourmet.

"Mm. Like aged wine."

"What the fuck?"

The demon lost its composure upon seeing a human eat its foot. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way? Weren’t demons predators and humans prey?

The demon’s injuries recovered at a visible rate. Even its foot grew back in a flurry of black shadows.

’I see.’

Demons weren’t only difficult to kill because of their strength or tricks. They possessed an incredible regeneration that was on par with or surpassed Ackster’s.

Ackster narrowed his eyes. Maybe not pure regeneration.

"What is your name, Not-human?"

Ackster responded as he lunged forward.

"Don’t have one."

"What do you mean ’don’t have one’?"

The demon narrowly avoided Ackster’s punch, only for the sword that appeared in his hand to graze its stomach.

"How about you, demon? Isn’t it about time you tell us your name?"

"Oh, right."

The demon smiled and forced Ackster to back off with an avalanche of purple. Ackster could have forced his way through, but he took a step back to regroup and shore up his party’s defenses.

The shadows in the room rose on the walls behind the demon, and the air fluttered its clothes majestically as the demon ascended into the air with his arms spread to the sides.

"Be honored, child of man! I bestow upon you the knowledge of mine name! Fear and revere the great Mbelg! Baron of the demon realm!"