The red crystal in Harvey's hand flickered violently, its light pulsing as if reacting to the urgency of the situation. They could feel the panicked in voice from other side.

A distorted voice burst out from it, loud and panicked.

"The base is under attack!"

"Demons have breached the perimeter!"

"All units, this is an emergency. Return immediately!"

The message cut off abruptly. For a brief second, no one spoke. Then Harvey's expression hardened.

"Demons…" Lucien muttered, his playful tone completely gone.

Mira's fingers tightened around her bow. "So it finally happened."

Harvey clenched his jaw. "No time to think. We move now." He could understand the dangerous situation they are in.

He turned sharply, facing the direction of the base.

"Run faster!" he barked. "Don't hold back!"

Without another word, everyone pushed their bodies to the limit.

Amon enforced his feet with mana. His shadow wrapped around his legs to boost his speed more. Their pace increased drastically.

Boots pounded against the dark soil as they sprinted through the Black Forest, branches snapping underfoot, black leaves scattering into the air. The trees blurred past them, their twisted shapes closing in from all sides.

Amon felt his heart hammering in his chest.

'The base is under attack… by demons.' Amon thought grimly. Now they need to fight huge number of demons. Amon wondered if it can considered as war. Since the humans number is not that large. Only in three digits.

This wasn't a patrol anymore. This was like a war.

"Any idea how many?" Lucien shouted while running.

"Unknown!" Harvey replied. "But if they managed to attack the base directly, it's not a small number."

Derrick's eyes kept darting around as he ran. "So the feeling of being follow was because of them. They were tracking us. This wasn't random. They might be still near us and watching us."

Kaelra clicked her tongue. "So we are is real trouble"

Amon's grip tightened on his sword. His mana stirred uneasily.

'Demons… so they really are near us.' Amon look around the forest. To find anything suspicious or any sign of enemy.

The forest suddenly felt even darker. Even heavier. Then. Something moved. Amon's eyes widened.

"Wait—!"

Something move from far trees.

They ran.

Fast.

Too fast.

Harvey glanced back briefly. "Don't break formation. If we get separated, we're dead."

Amon nodded instinctively, pushing himself harder. Mana circulated through his body, strengthening his legs as he kept pace with the group.

The trees around them blurred.

Then—

Rustle.

Derrick's eyes widened. "Left—!"

Too late.

Several dark figures burst out from between the trees.

They moved fast.

Too fast.

Eight shapes leapt into the open path ahead of them, landing with predatory grace.

They were humanoid.

Too humanoid.

They stood upright like men, their bodies lean and well-built, clad in dark, unfamiliar armor. Two curved horns rose from their heads, some sharp and straight, others twisted. Their eyes glowed faintly, pupils vertical like those of reptiles.

Demons.

"They are here!" Harvey roared.

The demons grinned.

Sharp teeth glinted in the dim light.

"So you humans think you can run away from us," one of them said mockingly, his voice smooth and cruel.

Another said "Running already hah?"

Another demon cracked his neck. "We have been following you guys for a while."

Before anyone could reply.

They attacked.

One demon lunged straight at Lucien, blade appearing in his hand mid-motion. Lucien barely had time to block, his spear clashing against the demon's weapon with a sharp metallic screech.

Kaelra intercepted another, her sword meeting its claws in a burst of sparks. She held him well. Her eyes cold and without any fear or nervousness.

Harvey slammed his shield into the ground as a demon crashed into him, the impact shaking the earth beneath their feet.

Amon reacted instantly.

Two demons came for him from opposite sides.

'They are fast!'

He twisted his body, narrowly dodging one strike, then slashed upward with his sword. The demon jumped back, eyes narrowing in surprise.

"Oh?" it sneered. "This one's interesting."

Mira fired an arrow. The demon turned its head slightly. The arrow was slapped aside mid-air. She didn't use too much strength in it. It was a normal arrow without much mana on it.

She was trying to guess their power level.

"Pathetic," it laughed.

Derrick appeared behind another demon, daggers flashing, but the demon spun unnaturally fast, kicking Derrick away before he could land a clean hit.

They weren't like monsters. They reacted. They thought. They coordinated well.

"Formation!" Harvey shouted. "Don't let them isolate you!"

Amon felt his heart pounding. This wasn't like fighting beasts. This was different.

Dangerous.

The demons circled them slowly, smiles wide, eyes filled with cruel amusement.

"Relax," one of them said casually. "We're not here to kill you all."

Another chuckled. "Not yet."Amon tightened his grip on his sword.

Whatever was happening at the base. They were already late.

And now, the forest itself had turned into a battlefield.

Amon summoned his hatchet and held it in left hand. His shadow move from his leg to wrapped around his hatchet blade. While he enforce his sword blade with his darkness element.

The Demon lunged at Amon.

Amon reacted instantly. His left hand move in lightning speed. A black line drawn from him, towards the incoming enemy.

The demon barely avoided it. His still smiling at Amon. "Nice try~"

To which Amon also gave a smirk. Amon move his empty left hand. Giving his shadow on the hatchet command to move back.

The spinning weapon in midair unnaturally move in backward direction.

It struck at the back of Demon.

"Aarrgh! What the?" The enemy slow down because of pain.

Just the something shadowy gripped his legs.

[Shadow Clutch]

Amon didn't gave him another chance to reach. Because he was already doing first of his sword.

[Umbral Veil Sword Art: First Form - Crescent Of Dusk]

The wide dark horizontal slash shot towards the Demon.

"What!?" the slash cut horizontally on his stomach. It was too deep.

The demon's body hit the ground with a dull thud.

Silence followed for a fraction of a second.

Then

"Good kill!" Lucien shouted.

But there was no time to celebrate.

The remaining demons finally dropped their playful expressions.

Their smiles faded from their faces. Their eyes sharpened.

"So one of you can actually fight," one of them said coldly. "Kill them."

The forest exploded into motion. Two demons rushed Harvey at the same time.

Harvey stepped forward instead of retreating. Mana surged through his body as he raised his shield.

"Come!"

One demon slashed downward, the other stabbed from the side.

Harvey slammed his shield forward.

A golden barrier flashed into existence.

Boom!

Both attacks struck the shield at once, but neither broke through. Harvey twisted his body and bashed one demon in the face, sending it flying backward into a tree.

The second demon tried to retreat. Harvey didn't let him.

His battle Axe flashed. A heavy, crushing arc of light followed the blade.

The demon was split cleanly from shoulder to chest. Blood sprayed across the roots.

"Two down," Harvey said calmly.

On the other side.

Kaelra moved like a storm.

Wind mana wrapped around her legs and sword, boosting every step, every strike.

She slid beneath a demon's claw swipe and slashed upward. The wind sharpened her blade.

The demon's arm was severed instantly.

Before it could even scream, Kaelra spun and pierced its throat.

Another demon tried to flank her. A sudden arrow pierced its eye. Mira stood at the back, calm and focused.

Her bowstring hummed again and again.

Each arrow glowed faintly with elemental energy.

Fire.

Ice.

Piercing wind.

Every shot found its mark. One demon leapt toward her.

Derrick appeared out of nowhere. His twin daggers flashed.

Lightning sparked along their edges.

He stabbed the demon's knees, then twisted behind it and slit its throat in one clean motion.

"Don't ignore me," Derrick muttered.

Lucien laughed even as he fought. "Now this is more like it!" He was enjoying the fight.

His spear danced wildly, lightning crackling around the shaft.

A demon charged him head-on.

Lucien spun the spear and slammed its butt into the ground. Sparks started to form around him.

Electricity exploded outward.

The demon convulsed mid-step, muscles locking.

Lucien didn't waste the opening. He thrust straight through its chest.

Only two demons remained and both were wounded. Both of them were angry.

They looked at each other. Then charged Amon together.

"Kill the shadow one!" one of them roared. Amon's eyes narrowed.

Darkness surged. His shadow spread across the ground like liquid night. One demon leapt. Amon raised his sword. His darkness element condensed along the blade.

He stepped forward and slashed upward.

The demon blocked—but the impact shattered its weapon.

Amon followed with a kick reinforced by shadow.

The demon was thrown backward. The second demon tried to strike from behind.

Too late.

The shadow beneath its feet twisted and rose.

[Shadow Clutch]

The demon screamed as its legs were bound.

Amon extended his hand.

Darkness erupted. His sword blurred. The demon's head fell to the ground. The last demon tried to escape.

It turned and ran. An arrow pierced its spine. Mira lowered her bow. The demon collapsed, lifeless. Silence returned to the forest.

Eight bodies lay scattered among broken roots and torn earth. Everyone stood still, breathing heavily.

Lucien wiped sweat from his forehead. "Well… that escalated quickly."

Derrick glanced around. "No more movement." He sighed. "It's clear now. I cannot feel anyone close to us."

Kaelra exhaled slowly. "So these were the ones tracking us." She sighed in relief.

Harvey looked at the corpses, his expression grim.

"These were scouts," he said. "Just like us."

Amon tightened his grip on his sword.

If scouts like these were this strong. Then the situation at the base– maybe someone as strong as Galahad Valliant might appear from demons side.

That might be the most dangerous situation then. They still don't know how many demons were out there.

He didn't finish the thought. Harvey turned sharply toward the path ahead.

"We move. Now." No one argued. They ran again.

Faster than before. Toward a battlefield that was already burning.

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