Crimson skinny hands popped out of the portal, on which were nails longer than common sense and black as midnight.
One hand held onto the lower part of the portal and the other held onto the upper part, stopping it from closing in its entirety.
Exchanging Skyfall for Darkane, Ezra coated his sword with lightning, Ezra swung down on the hand to have it withdraw.
Instead…*Kang*
A ring of dark energy exploded as Ezra was repelled farther that even the portal had managed, smashing deep into the ground.
'What?'
Ezra was so confused he could only stare blankly for the next few seconds.
The protruding arm had a slight gash, healing immediately afterwards, and like a curtain draw, it stretched the portal's edges, pulling it apart.
The portal opened little by little, it began behaving chaotically being bent to another's will.
The aura of the intruding being spilled out of the portal.
Immediately afterwards…
[You must stop it from emerging] Zydrax's voice pitched into Ezra's head, alarmed.
Zydrax hadn't spoken in such a voice even when he realized Ezra's efforts to close the portal had failed.
Forcing himself back on feet, he went for another strike, this time stronger, but…
*Boom*
Getrahan smashed into him, disorienting him and cancelling his attack as both men were blown off course.
Balancing themselves soon after, they find the grandmaster demon in front of them.
Ezra dodges the axe, back on track to attack the portal while Getrahan blocks it with his hammer staff, holding down his opponent.
The portal had stretched to a considerable length, dark particles started pouring out, permeating a presence that had the human grandmasters uncomfortable.
As Ezra approached the portal ready to deliver an even more powerful strike, he briefly halted as a spinning axe flashed by, missing his face by a centimeter.
Those few seconds cost them much as a leg stomped onto the lower part of the portal, and the ground shook.
Right after, the second leg enjoined and the ground shook again.
[You're too late] said Zydrax.
"What are you talking about?!" said Ezra, reaching the portal.
[You need to turn back now, there's nothing you can do about this anymore]
Ezra went deaf, striding towards it without fear.
Emblazoning his sword with lighting, black lightning this time, he struck, blood from his hands had dyed his hilt red.
But this time, the unbelievable happened.
The sword was stopped. The creature's hand held it in place, with the other holding up the portal.
The impact of Ezra's attack was redirected, the feet dug deep into the ground thanks to the abrupt stop and cracked the ground around him.
"Gah!" Ezra gritted his teeth, such an abrupt stop of motion affected his internals as well, but Ezra still tried to force Darkane through.
But no, it was like an adult was holding back a toothpick in the hands of a baby.
The sword shook but budged not.
Worse, Ezra was unable to pull it out.
'Stopping my attack so easily!' Ezra was apprehensive, full of sweat, gritting his teeth trying to pull Darkane away, but to no avail.
Another part of the creature popped out, and Ezra shook involuntarily, a chill like no other ran down his back.
'No way'
It was the head.
With the size being four times Ezra's fists, it was covered in reddish black skin, its oval shaped head held two horns shooting upwards like curved spears, eyes bright like lava and no mouth, Ezra was forced into the darkest parts of his memory.
'How is he here?!' Zydrax's words now made sense.
This demon wasn't someone a grandmaster could contend with.
Then… "Hmmmm?"
Outing its head, it prompted a stare down with Ezra, who realized he was mistaken thinking the demon had no mouth.
Its mouth was simply camouflaged and at this moment, it was revealed.
Looking, Ezra saw no teeth, rather, like a damp fireplace, he saw a devouring darkness.
The demon's mouth curved, looking down at the sword within its fingers that Ezra was trying so hard to remove, and then… *Snap!*
Darkane was snapped in half like any random twig.
[You can't defeat it, retreat]
With shaking legs, Ezra stepped back, still maintaining eye contact…before suddenly landing a swift kick on the demon's face!
Sadly, it bore no fruit as the demon was merely smeared.
It did serve to enrage the demon lord though.
Opening the portal wider than it was before, the demon jumped out in one go and the portal immediately closed, generating a force that pushed Ezra a few steps back.
Bringing himself to a halt, he looks to see the demon lord's wings flapping as it lands without tremor.
Clenching his fist, the demon lord rejoiced looking up. "I'm here. I've done it"
Dark energy surged from its body, all grandmasters felt a terrible premonition.
Those fighting above Quartez temporarily stopped and looked to the source.
Getrahan and the Emperor also halted their battles, stepping back a few feet while the demons enjoined their lord and stood by his side.
They'd never felt so weak in a very long time, and it sent shivers down their spine.
Moreover, how was this demon speaking their language?
It was not fully polished, but they could understand what he was saying.
Ezra didn't step back, staring at the demon lord who was almost twice his size.
It had lanky arms neither short nor long with black fingernails reaching almost half almost half of Darkane's full length.
It had armour on, crassly created metal covering its chest, the right shoulder and left leg.
Dark energy swirled as none dared to attack, and after a moment, the demon punched out, snapping its bones into place.
It looked at Ezra, and then those behind him, specifically the Emperor.
As per communication between him and his followers, he knew not all, but the most relevant information.
"Emperor Andrew" spoke in a slow tone, giving the grandmasters another shock.
"You know me?" the Emperor asked, showing very little sign of surprise.
"Of course. My underlings told me much about you, especially your formidable strength"
"I must say I'm not flattered"
The demon eyelid thinned, his voice thickened, "Don't be. I wasn't trying"
"You know my name. Shouldn't I know yours?" the Emperor inquired.
"Call me Alvarach" it said. "I am here to conquer Orion"
Such a declaration had Getrahan gulping while the Emperor's grip tightened around the shredder.
Alvarach's eyes then fell upon Ezra.
"You" it said, looking at Ezra. "What are you?"
Before Ezra could form a response…
*vom*
Alvarach was in front of him.
Ezra was alarmed. 'I couldn't catch his movements!' But he stood as if frozen with a broken sword in hand.
His nails caressed Ezra's cheeks. "I smell my blood from you, yet you maintain your human form rather that of a demon"
The nail cut his skin, blood spilled onto it and the nail absorbed.
"You do hold my blood" he said. "Yet…
He spread his fingers, moving them, but nothing happened.
"I hold no power over it anymore" said Alvarach, staring right into Ezra's eyes "What is your name?"
Ezra had to hold himself down from immediately attacking.
"No one important" he replied.
"Is that so?" the demon smiled, before…
*Whip*
Alvarach's tail flashed, Ezra barely raised his broken sword to block it.
*Boom*
It blasted him further than where Getrahan and the Emperor stood.
The Emperor grabbed him, but the force pushed him a few more feet, before setting Ezra down.
"When I ask a question, I expect an answer" Alvarach spoke, his voice deep.
He hadn't noticed before because of the level of destruction, but looking around, he saw the demonic ornaments broken and then he could feel the demonic essence in the blood sprayed on the floor.
On his feet, Ezra blurped out a mouthful of blood, wheezing.
His body was already overspent and healing, the attack penetrated his defences easily.
With a grunt, Ezra observed the demon closely.
[I told you to retreat but you refused to listen]
Regardless of the demeanour held, its legs were twitching imperceptibly.
'We might have a chance'
[A chance to survive that is] Zydrax countered.
Ezra concurred, he'd seen the demon only once during his time as Kevin, watching as a bystander and he'd almost lost his life.
At that time, he peaked at Expert rank, so he didn't know the significant difference between ranks well.
For one, the power gap between ranks only widened as one advanced.
The gap between an Expert ank and a Master was smaller than the gap between a Master and Grandmaster.
Having said that, there was just no way Ezra saw them defeating the demon.
They already battled heavily till this point, so like Ezra, they were overspent.
Moreover, they'd accumulated injuries-which was another reason why they kept their words to a minimum.
They were all tired.
Especially not when the demon in front of them stood a rank above theirs.
Alvarach was a Mythical rank being, and he stood at the apex of Orion at the moment.
Last time, things proceeded in a way that allowed humans time to match the demons.
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