Aiden and Maya struck in unison. The demon, caught up in the destruction it was wreaking, didn't see Aiden's powerful punches or Maya's precise knife slashes coming.
"Watch out!" Aiden said, not letting up his barrage. "Hit and keep your distance—its flames spread with every move."
"Then let's not give it a chance to fight back!"
Maya's stabs were lightning-fast, carving gashes into the demon's tough hide, while Aiden's blows dazed it.
Enraged, the demon swiped at them with its claws, but they were quicker, seizing the moment to land simultaneous strikes to its abdomen, drawing a roar of pain.
"We've got it!" Maya said, her voice bursting with excitement.
"Maya, look out!"
Before she could heed Aiden's warning, the demon grabbed Maya by the throat and hurled her into the distance, sending her tumbling across the ground.
The demon's next attacks targeted Aiden, who dodged with wide leaps backward to gain distance.
But the demon wasn't about to let its prey escape. It gave chase, its flames spreading as it tried to burn Aiden.
'Damn it… its fire grows bigger every second,' Aiden thought. 'I know I can take it down, but I need to deal with these flames. What can I do?'
While Aiden split his focus between strategy and survival, the demon picked up speed, intent on trapping him in its claws.
Suddenly, a knife flew toward the demon's skull, forcing it to halt and writhe in pain.
Aiden seized the chance, channeling a surge of magic power into his fist.
"Take this, demon!"
Aiden landed a crushing blow to the demon's stomach, unleashing a fierce gust that sent it flying, re-establishing the distance between them.
"Aiden! You okay?" Lyra asked, rushing to his side.
"That's my question for you. That last attack left burns on your face."
"I'm fine. But if I take another direct hit from those flames, I don't think I'll make it."
The demon rose from the ground and yanked the knife from its head, tossing it aside. But instead of focusing on its foes, it began spreading its flames across the surroundings, consumed by rage.
"Then… stay back," Aiden said. "I'll finish this fight."
"No way. You think I'm letting you have all the fun?"
"My aura protects me from the fire. I'm the only one who can fight it up close."
"Until your magic runs out, right?"
"I'm not holding back. I'm going all in from here on out."
"Still, I'm not letting you fight alone. Now that it's furious, it's not even targeting us anymore. We can use that anger to hit it hard."
"That's too risky…"
"I know. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have taken this mission in the first place."
Aiden and Maya exchanged confident grins.
"Alright… round two it is," Aiden said, clenching his fists and readying to seize the opportunity.
"Aiden, Maya!"
Leonia's voice grabbed their attention, and they turned to see her running toward them, breathless.
"Leonia? What are you doing here?" Aiden asked. "Get out of here! This place is too dangerous. Maya and I will handle this."
"The gem… the gem's been stolen."
Aiden's heart stopped for a moment, gripped by the terror of what that meant.
"Who took it?" Lyra asked.
"The bandit. He took it, and now he can…"
Leonia's words were cut off as a sudden silence fell over the scene.
The demon, which had been roaring and spreading flames moments before, now stood motionless, its gaze fixed on the sky.
"Guess that means I've already won this fight," Ruan said, stepping out from behind the demon and brandishing the stolen scepter with the gem.
"Ruan," Aiden growled. "You bastard, what are you planning?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Ruan, you've got the gem now," Leonia pleaded. "There's no need to keep this chaos going."
"Relax, Mayor. I don't plan on causing more trouble here. I'll take this gem, and you'll never see my face again. But first, I've got a score to settle with that kid."
"You're a coward, Ruan," Aiden said. "Why not fight your own battles?"
"In war, anything goes, kid. And now you'll pay the price for bruising my pride."
Ruan pointed the scepter at Aiden, and the demon's gaze snapped in the same direction.
"This demon's hungry. Might as well feed it, don't you think?"