Almost immediately, Rey was attacked by a demon. It was a hairy beast that looked like one of those long-haired dog breeds. Rey side-stepped and killed it by plunging his dagger into the back of its neck.

  [+1 Dexterity]

  [+1 Perception]

  [You killed a Belephus (Exiled) – E+2]

  In his rage, he kicked it away. The result was hardly satisfying. The demon hardly moved a yard. Rey cursed his weak body, and that somehow made him even angrier. If he hadn't been watching Tia, Kassandra would never have been distracted, and she wouldn't be in a life-threatening situation because of him.

  His grip tightened on his scythe, and he roared as demons crowded around the door. There was hardly any space to move, which meant he could kill indiscriminately.

  "How should we do this?" Filomena asked.

  "Just fucking kill!"

  Rey blasted forward. He had piled up so much Dexterity because of all the fighting and killing he had done. He was almost three times as fast since he had come here. The first demon fell with his scythe through its neck. A second leaped for him, but Rey took him in the eye with his dagger. The dagger that Kassandra had given him.

  [+1 Endurance]

  [+1 Vitality]

  [You killed an Apothis (Exiled) – E+2]

  [You killed a Demon (Exiled) – E+1]

  He roared as he ripped the dagger out and went for the next one. He felt heat on his back and saw a fireball blast a demon who had been creeping up on Rey from behind. Ajay and Filomena stood side-by-side while Sergei ran to Rey.

  Rey nodded to him, and together, they were the frontline while Filomena and Ajay threw their magics to cover their backs. Rey had made this mess, thinking they would be enough to kill all the demons, but he was wrong, and Kassandra had paid the price for his mistake.

  He roared and saw red. He threw himself into the fray, and soon, he had a pile of demons so high around him that it was hard to walk. He slipped and fell on the muddled ground, slick with demon blood. The others were left far behind, but he didn't care. He needed this release.

  Something moved to his right, and he snapped his head to it. Black blood like tar splashed everywhere. He must've looked no better than a demon, for the demon flinched when Rey's gaze fell upon it. The deformed monstrosity tried to run, but Rey hadn't had his fill of carnage.

  He thrust his hand out and activated Gravitational Attraction. The demon flew to him at near-blinding speed. Rey swung his scythe down as fast as his tired muscles allowed and ripped the monster in half. Its innards fell on the ground in a grisly manner.

  [+1 Magic Power]

  [+1 Magic Affinity]

  [You killed a Demon (Exiled) – E+1]

  "Rey!" Ajay yelled.

  He looked about but couldn't find him.

  "Over here!" Ajay screamed, waving his hand. "Come back. You've gone too far."

  Rey finally found him. His spicy friend was too far behind while he stood on a mound of corpses. He was exhausted. The anger and adrenaline had finally left him. He was bloody, scratched, and everything ached. His weapon was slick with blood, his hands were raw, and he was parched. His throat felt like a desert that hadn't seen rain in decades.

  Rey nodded. "Coming." His voice was just above a hoarse whisper.

  There were no demons around, or rather, no demons around him. They were still here, shrieking and hollering. Maybe they thought he was a demon, too, for he was covered head to toe with their blood and entrails. Or perhaps they were afraid to come close. These mindless kinds did know fear, but they couldn't use Identify; if they had, they would've stayed away from Rey in the first place. Regardless, he was just happy they were leaving him alone.

  He used his scythe as a cane as he stumbled his way through the demon corpses. As he walked back to the castle, his worry for Kassandra returned. It wasn't like it had ever left, but now, it was at the forefront of his mind. If she died a second time, he didn't know what he would do. If he struck out on his own, he could survive. That much he was certain of, but in order to get out of these exiled Kingdoms, he needed to please that traitorous fuck.

  He heard a squelching sound and the cracking of bones. Ajay and Filomena shouted and motioned behind Rey. He didn't need to turn to know he was fucked.

  A massive demon, the size of a pickup truck, walked over the corpses as it made its way toward Rey. The thing looked like a panther, if the panther had six limbs, fangs the size of elephant tusks, and spikes all over its body that dripped a dark liquid, which Rey was sure was not Coke.

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  Please don't be what I think you are.

  [Luthrol (Exiled) - ?]

  "Fuck me," Rey whimpered. "Actually, please don't fuck me."

  These were some of the worst demons in these woods. They secreted a poison that burned so badly that it was better to amputate the limb rather than endure the pain. If that wasn't bad, they could also spit said venom, and their fangs could tear people apart. He had seen that happen. He instinctively looked back at Ajay and Filomena.

  No, this is way too early for all that.

  The pair, along with Sergei, tried to make their way to him, jumping over corpses that they had charred or obliterated.

  Ajay's sword still hadn't found its way to Filomena's sheath. And Sergei might as well be a hero with zero plot armor in this fight. One touch and he would wish for death. He couldn't let them die so early.

  Rey raised a hand while keeping his eyes on the Luthrol. "Stay back, everyone. Do not come any closer if you want me to live."

  The sounds of their footsteps stopped, so he hoped they had stopped and weren't tiptoeing across the corpse-littered clearing to fool him.

  "Star-crossed lovers, please just support me from there, and Russian bear, your thoughts and prayers are enough," Rey called.

  The scary demon paced over the demon bodies, squishing them underneath its massive paws. It was like he was popping bubble wrap, and with each pop, bones broke, and blood burst forth. Its yellow eyes regarded Rey with a cold fury.

  Rey quickly checked his Mana, and his heart sank.

  [Mana: 74/120]

  It wasn't as bad as he had expected, but it wasn't good either. He needed to do something drastic and then make a run for it. He tightened his grip on his scythe and let the Luthrol make the first move.

  "Come on, you naughty pussy."

  Luthrol roared in response. A fireball streaked overhead and would've crashed on the demon if it hadn't jumped aside. Still, Rey waited. He didn't want to play his hand yet. Besides, he didn't have much of a hand. His two measly skills had worked great against the succubus, but she wasn't the size of a truck or had tusks that could create additional pleasure holes in his body.

  The Luthrol finally moved towards Rey, and still he waited. Once the beast was within half a dozen yards, that was when Rey used Gravitational Repulsion. A wave of anti-gravity burst out of him, and everything within ten meters of him was blasted back.

  The Luthrol's momentum worked against it. His forward momentum crashed against Rey's repulsive wave, and he was thrown away like a burrito in a food fight gone nuclear. All the corpses cleared off by themselves, and Rey had enough room to maneuver now.

  The demon was less than happy. It growled like one of Rey's exes when she found out he had an entanglement with someone else, which were false rumors, of course. A thick, viscous liquid dripped from the beast's mouth and sizzled on the ground. The next moment, it spat the liquid at Rey. The thick venom flew so fast and did absolutely nothing, as Rey sent it hurtling back with Repulsion.

  Rey targeted the demon pickup truck and pulled it towards himself with Attraction. The blob of venom and the Luthrol crashed against each other and did absolutely nothing. Rey wasn't surprised at all, but the demon got even angrier. So, Rey gave it something to be really angry about.

  He targeted one of its big tusk-like fangs and used Attraction on it. It slammed against the ground so hard that a crack formed along the base, but it didn't break. Rey threw his scythe and used Repulsion on it while using Attraction on the tooth. The two smashed against each other, and the tooth broke. The fang fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

  The Luthrol yowled in pain, and its venom dripped off its fur and spikes in droves. Rey checked his Mana, and he didn't have much left. It looked like he could pull off a couple more magical skills before he was done, and he wouldn't be pulling the big cat demon anymore.

  Since he couldn't call the demon to him, he charged without a weapon, save for the dagger, which he kept sheathed. Even if he had his scythe, it wouldn't have done much. He used Attraction on the fang he broke. The big, sharp tooth rolled on the ground as it drew towards Rey. The Luthrol roared and came for its prey.

  The fang landed in Rey's hand. It was the size of his torso in length and as thick as a baseball. His friends screamed for him to watch out. The Luthrol pounced on him, and Rey fell into a skid. He skidded right under the beast. When he was in position, he used Repulsion on the fang, which shot upwards, pierced the demon's chest, and shot up out of his back, giving it another thick spike. He quickly targeted a random spot on the ground, used Attraction, and pulled himself out from under the massive demon before it crushed him under its bulk.

  The Luthrol was long gone by the time its body fell to the ground.

  [+1 Strength]

  [+3 Magic Power]

  [+2 Magic Affinity]

  [+1 Endurance]

  [You killed a Luthrol (Exiled) – E+4]

  Rey dropped his head to the ground, huffing, and then laughter bubbled up in his throat. It started slow, then all at once. Then, a familiar face came into view.

  "Gloria?"

  [Demon (Exiled) – E+1]

  The Spanish beauty smiled and offered him her hand. "That's right."

  He took her hand and stood. She handed him his scythe. "Thanks to you and everyone for drawing away all those demons, I was able to consume my soul with no problem."

  Rey smiled. "You're welcome, babe."

  "Most of the demons have dispersed," she said. "I don't think they want to tangle with you, especially after you killed that."

  "Well, you know, I've got mad skills." Rey smiled. There was a silence that stretched on. It became so awkward that even crickets refused to chirp. "Do you…want to come back to the castle to…you know, say goodbye?"

  She raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to—what was the word—axe me?"

  He snorted. "I've had my fill of killing demons for today."

  "Then I'll take your leave. Goodbye, Rey, and thank you once again." She kissed him on the cheek, smiled, and moved off.

  "Gloria, I hope we meet each other again."

  She smiled. "I hope so, too."

  And please don't go searching for Phil. He left that part unsaid, hoping she understood that nothing but pain awaited her if she tried to search for that demon. He couldn't help but wonder how long it would take till her demon side took over.

  Ajay, Filomena, and Sergei finally arrived.

  "Was that Gloria?" Filomena asked. "Did you tell her to leave?"

  "No, she knew that was the only option after Phil."

  She sighed. "But still, she could've stopped to say goodbye."

  "I said the same, but she didn't want to," Rey said.

  The Italian gave him the same look Rey's grandmother often gave him when she thought he was lying.

  "I'm serious, I swear," he cried. "Let's go back. I've nothing left in me and need to check on something."

  "Don't you mean…Kassi?" She teased and snickered with her future boyfriend.

  "Shut up."