The Demon King's Guide To Not Getting Defeated By A Paladin-Chapter 47 - 46: Whispers Of Darkness

< HP: 800/800 >

< MP: 1500/1500 >

Quinn’s eyes remained glued on the creature — the bug-like abomination that twitched, its mandibles clicking together in a grotesque pattern. Its bulbous eyes shone with an unsettling, dead light, and its wings buzzed, filling the air with a grating hum.

"Human?" it rasped, tilting its head as if trying to grasp the concept. "No... not quite human. No, not you... Not you..." It sniffed the air, its long, segmented arms twitching as it took a step forward.

Quinn’s jaw clenched. The air was heavy with the stench of blood and rot, and he could feel that predatory intent pulsing from the creature. It crawled beneath his skin, making the hairs on his arms rise. "What the hell are you?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"Mine... Mine...!" the creature shrieked, its eyes locking onto Quinn as it jumped forward, a little too fast.

Quinn barely had time to raise his arms before Emilia stepped forward, her pink hair wild around her face, eyes flashing with furious determination. "Summon: Ironhide!" she yelled, slamming her hands together.

A burst of light erupted beside her, and from it materialized a massive tortoise, its shell gleaming like polished stone. The bug collided with it, its spindly arms slashing uselessly against the tortoise’s impenetrable defense. The force of the impact sent the creature stumbling back, screeching.

Quinn blinked, his breath coming faster. "Emilia..." he started.

"I know," she snapped, her jaw tight, her eyes focused solely on the bug. "I was having a great day, you know?" She rolled her shoulders, her tone sharp and biting. "And then you had to come along and ruin it."

The bug twitched, its mouth opening and closing, spitting out strings of saliva. "Not human... no... Not you... Not you...!"

Emilia’s expression twisted in disgust. "Oh, shut up already. Summon: Crimson Wings!"

Two fiery birds appeared on either side of her, their feathers blazing like molten gold. They shot forward, spiraling through the air before colliding with the bug. Flames exploded, filling the room with heat and blinding light. Quinn shielded his eyes as the bug screeched, its body blackened and twitching.

Emilia panted, sweat dripping down her brow. Her pink hair clung to her cheeks, her chest heaving with each ragged breath. "Why don’t you just die already?" she muttered. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Not human... Not human...!" the bug hissed, its singed body rising again. Its eyes rolled back, and its mouth opened wider than it should, revealing rows of sharp, needle-like teeth.

Quinn’s fists clenched, his gaze tracking the way Emilia moved. The way she commanded those summons, the sheer control she possessed over such raw power. How could someone so gentle, so sweet, be capable of so much destruction?

"Summon: Leviathan Maw!" Emilia roared, slamming her hands against the ground.

The floor cracked as the walls trembled. And from the fractured ground erupted a monstrous, shark-like beast, its maw filled with rows of serrated teeth. It shot forward, catching the bug, jaws snapping shut with a sickening crunch. Green blood splattered everywhere, coating the walls, the floor, and Emilia’s face.

Quinn’s breath hitched. His pulse pounded in his ears as he watched the shark retract back into the ground, dragging the bug down with it, leaving nothing but bloodstains and silence.

Emilia rose to her feet, her eyes dark, her breathing ragged. And for the first time, Quinn saw it — the raw, terrifying power that simmered beneath her pretty, sweet surface. And it was beautiful.

The boy’s sobs shattered the silence, a sharp, piercing sound that echoed through the blood-splattered room. He lunged forward, collapsing at his father’s side, his small hands gripping the man’s blood-soaked clothes. "Dad! Dad, wake up!"

Quinn moved quickly, his boots splashing through the pooling green blood, and crouched beside the boy. The father’s chest rose and fell in shallow, erratic breaths, his skin pale and clammy. Quinn sighed, glancing over at Emilia. "Can we help him?"

Emilia knelt, pressing two fingers to the man’s throat. Her pink hair tumbled over her shoulders as she leaned forward, brow furrowed. After a tense moment, she smirked. "Yeah... he’s alive. Barely." Her expression darkened as her gaze flicked to the corpse of the insectoid creature. "But what the hell was that thing?"

Quinn’s jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as he stared at the mangled remains. "I don’t know," he said, his voice tight. "I’ve never seen anything like it."

Emilia drew her knees up, resting her chin on them. "When I was fighting it, it felt like... something dark. Something that was coated with dark magic."

Quinn’s brows knitted, mind spinning with possibilities. Dark magic. He glanced at the boy, still shaking his father’s lifeless arm, tears streaking his dirty cheeks. The creature had said it sensed something ’not human’ in him — something demonic. The implication settled heavily in Quinn’s gut, twisting like a knife. How did that thing know?

"Hey," Quinn said softly, reaching out to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder. The kid flinched but didn’t pull away. "What’s your name?"

The boy sniffled, rubbing his sleeve across his face. "S-Simon."

Quinn forced a reassuring smile. "Simon, your dad’s tough. He’ll be okay. We just need to get him some help, alright?"

Simon sniffled again, nodding shakily. Emilia leaned over, her eyes gentle as she ruffled the boy’s hair. "You know, Simon," she said, her tone overly bright, "Quinn here’s got a real bad habit of getting into fights he can’t win. But he still tries anyway."

Quinn shot her a glare. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime," Emilia quipped, smirking. "But seriously, your dad’s gonna be fine. We’ve got you."

*

Quinn straightened just the moment he head a sound that was faint but unmistakably a scream. He jerked his head toward the door, eyes widening. Without another word, he bolted, Emilia hot on his heels. They burst out of the apartment, their eyes going through the crowded streets, searching.

And then they saw it.

A monstrous insectoid creature hovered above the cobblestone road, its translucent wings beating rapidly, creating a sickening hum. Clutched in its pincers was a woman, her body writhing as she screamed, arms flailing helplessly.

Another one? But how?

The streets were turning into a disaster. People shouted, some pointing skyward in horror, others sprinting away in panic. "What is that thing?" someone shrieked. "Is it from the Demon Kingdom?!"

Quinn’s blood boiled, a hot surge of anger rushing through him. The demon magic inside him pulsed, clawing at the surface, urging him to strike. He ground his teeth, muscles tensing but Emilia was already moving....before he could think about anything. Without hesitation, she thrust her hands forward, her eyes blazing. "Crimson Wings!"

Two streaks of fiery red light burst from her palms, curving through the air like twin comets. They zeroed in on the creature, slashing through the air — but the bug jerked sideways at the last second, and the birds exploded against the building behind it, showering the streets in sparks and debris.

Quinn cursed, taking off at a sprint. He jumped over a toppled cart, eyes fixed on the creature as it flew higher, the woman’s screams growing fainter. Emilia’s magic flared again, a pair of birds formed from scarlet flames, streaking toward the monster. They collided with a thunderous explosion, and the insectoid shrieked, dropping its captive.

Quinn jumped, power surging through his veins as he channeled his magic to his legs. The world blurred around him as he leaped, aiming to catch the woman before she kissed the ground.

A shadow darted in from the corner of his eye, and before he could react, another insectoid crashed into him, its weight slamming him to the ground. Pain exploded through Quinn’s skull as he hit the cobblestones, the wind knocked from his lungs.

His vision swam as he pushed himself up, blood trickling from a cut on his temple. Above him, the insectoid loomed, its jaws clacking, green drool dripping onto the ground.

"M-Mine!" it screeched, its beady eyes glinting with hunger. "Mine, mine, mine! My catch!"

Quinn’s lip curled. The thing reeked of rotting flesh and decaying magic, the dark power rolling off it in waves. But what gnawed at him most was its words.

"Not human. Not human. Not human."

"Calm down, Winter," he said over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the creature. "I’m going to help Simon’s dad and then," his eyes narrowed, his lips curving into a cold grin, "I’m going to deal with this thing."

The insectoid jumped, and Quinn braced himself just as a streak of darkness sliced through the air, cleaving the creature’s head clean off. Green blood spattered across the cobblestones, the head rolling to a stop, its eyes still twitching. The body collapsed, limbs spasming, and Quinn’s breath caught in his throat.

A figure stepped forward, emerging from the shadows. Dark, hooded, and with a smirk that was all too familiar.

"Well, well," the stranger drawled, resting a massive, wicked looking sword on his shoulder. "Looks like I showed up just in time."