The Emperor Class

Tragthan led Dreu into the cave. As they went through the cave entrance, the young man noticed the absence of the demonic children and their demon worms so he asked the demon about them..

“They already have a big head start reaching the other side of this passageway,” said Tragthan. “You will assist me against the holy knights.”

A part of Dreu wanted to ask if the demon was insane. Holy knights were far above his pay grade as long as he didn’t have his footmen and archer. Bayard might find a way to win in this situation. Zog didn’t come close and Aggich lacked the means to assist in any battle. As if sensing the thought, the demon worm gently headbutted Dreu. With a smile, Dreu followed the old demon deeper into the cave. Dreu reached out with his hands until he felt the walls. With one hand pressed against the wall, the young man made his way slowly forward, unsure how far the demon was ahead of him.

“This should help,” said Tragthan.

A burst of energy flowed through Dreu’s body. After blinking his eyes, the cave interior became clear as day.

“It's a temporary dark vision.”

With the darkness no longer posing as a hindrance, Dreu followed Tragthan down the main passageway of the cave. Both Zog and Aggich had no issues keeping up, making him wonder if all demonic creatures had dark vision. The two walked for several minutes before they entered a large chamber.

“Take cover behind one of those boulders.” Tragthan pointed to the many boulders in the chamber. “You will assist me and Jonoxad against the holy knights. Hurry!”

Dreu took up position behind one of the boulders. He knelt down and told his companions to flee deeper into the cave away from danger. Neither Aggich nor Zog obeyed his command. Unlike earlier, Aggich looked fiercer.

Did Ilveroz’s death affect her?

Upon hearing the sound of armor, Dreu turned his attention to the source of the sound. When he took a quick peek, he spotted a dozen or so holy knights entering the chamber. The holy aura from them gently illuminated the interior. While Dreu adjusted to the light, the holy knights advanced cautiously.

“There are demons here! Don’t let down your guard!”

“There’s also a human here. Must be the traitor!”

Dreu drew his blade and took a deep breath. The holy knights had some spell that rendered hiding useless so he was left with combat. Peeking around the boulder a second time, he could see one holy knight peeling off and heading towards him while the rest headed in the direction of Tragthan and Jonoxad.

If they think I’m easy pickings, they have another thing coming.

Dreu crouched down and pressed himself against the boulder. He positioned his blade to stab the holy knight as soon as the man was in sight. While mentally preparing himself, the young man lost track of where his two companions went. Unwilling to risk it, he didn’t look around for them. With his attention focused solely on the holy knight near him, Dreu steeled himself as the knight’s footsteps got louder and louder. Once he gauged the knight to be close enough, the young man made his move. Dreu’s blade was intercepted by a shield when he took a stab at his foe. Anticipating this response, Dreu got low on the ground and swept his foot to knock his opponent off balance. While the man fell to the ground, Dreu brought down his blade. Yet, the blade failed to get through the armor. The impact surprised Dreu slightly as he backed away from a counterattack. The holy knight quickly got back on his feet and readied his shield.

Shield Bash?

Dreu sidestepped out of the way of the attack. He glanced at the large dent on the boulder caused by the shield and shuddered at the thought of his fate if he was hit. Then, his opponent’s sword burst into flames and the knight charged. Dreu readied himself to dodge when the holy knight unexpectedly slowed down. Dreu was puzzled until he saw Aggich standing a few meters away. Her eyes were bright red with a dark aura emanating from her.

A curse? Nice work, Aggich!

Facing a slow opponent, Dreu easily sidestepped the man and hacked at the Holy Knight’s armor. Despite his best efforts, Dreu couldn’t break through the man’s solid defense. After a few hacks, Dreu widened the gap. The holy knight, clearly annoyed after the curse wore off, readied his shield once more. Dreu prepared a sidestep when the holy knight stumbled unexpectedly. Zog was tangled up in the Holy Knight’s legs which caused the man to cuss. While the holy knight tried to untangle himself, an orange aura around him appeared briefly before dissipating. Dreu used the opportunity to stab his opponent and, this time, his blade went through the armor with ease. Dreu stabbed a few more times to ensure the man was dead.

The young man then checked on Tragthan and Jonoxad. Corpses, heads and limbs of the knights strewn across the floor. The two demons were finishing off the last two knights when Dreu joined them. Except for the small splatter of blood on them, they looked unharmed from the battle. Unsure if demons could even tire, Dreu could only discern from their facial expressions that they were having an easy time.

They almost looked bored from the battle. That must be the fate of those who are too powerful.

When asked how he did, Dreu mentioned that he had assistance in defeating a knight, a feat he knew wasn’t even worth mentioning. Regardless of where he went, Dreu always felt like he was at the bottom of the food chain.

“Seems like you are growing,” said Tragthan. “With some training, you can handle a holy knight by yourself.”

Jonoxad has already dematerialized into his shadow, rendering him invisible in the cave. Tragthan mentioned that they should keep going to reunite with the others. They apparently had a lot of ground to cover before they reached their end destination.

“I also sense two powerful presences here.” Tragthan turned very serious. “Don’t let your guard down.”