The Survival of an Inferior

In a room, surrounding a large table are representatives from different families and institutions in Pole Ridge. 

Lia storms into the room and slams some documents on the paper. 

"We lost contact with the Eagle Knights a few hours ago." Says Lia. She glances at Alure Isva, whose family is in charge of military affairs. 

Alure shakes her head. "I've sent a small reconnaissance team as per your request. Our last contact was an hour ago when the entire team was wiped. They describe the mysterious attackers as crazy and powerful."

One seat in the meeting room is missing, the organisation responsible for distributing rations. Lia has ordered them to be detained for further investigation. 

With the confirmation of an approaching threat to the city, Lia placed the city on lockdown. Normal people are evacuated into a shelter Military defence is fully deployed as they prepare for whatever is attacking. One million warriors surround the walls of Pole Ridge with a full barrage of mages and musketeers on the wall. 

A dark eerie aura arises and surrounds the city. 

"What is this?" Alure mumbles to herself. 

She glances at Lia and notices Lia glaring at the energy. Lena is shivering from the familiar trauma, reminding her of the day Samuel "died".

"It's demonic mana," Lia says. "I didn't expect them to be so bold."

Many hooded individuals reveal their presence fearlessly, each leaving a trail of death on nature. 

On Lia's command, artillery and ranged troops fire hell on the enemy. The demonic invaders rapidly dash towards the city. Their numbers are small compared to Pole Ridge's manpower. 

Yet... 

Most of them manage to endure or dodge the heavy firepower. 

"Damn it! Fire again!" Lia shouts. "Warriors advance! Do not underestimate them!"

A constant barrage of power descends from the sky as the sea of fighters engages the darkness.  

A knight attempts to cut through one hooded demonic human who allows the blade to sink into his arm. 

?!

The demonic human then grabs the knight by his throat. Using only grip strength, he crushes the knight's neck and blood bursts. 

Another knight stabs through the demonic human but he seems unfazed. The demonic human grabs the arm of the attacker and twists it, the armour crumbles as the bone protrudes. 

"ARGHH!!"  

He falls to the ground grasping his broken arm. The demonic attacker pulls out the blood and decapitates the injured knight. With an exhilarating smirk, he absorbs the life force of both victims. 

The pleasure numbs any discomfort, further fueling the rampage. 

Another knight rushes in and cuts the invader's arm off. The maniac looks at his new enemy with insatiable obsession. He dashes at the knight who swiftly cuts off his second arm. Still, his tenacity brings him to use his mouth, biting into the hand of the knight. 

"What the fuck?! Get off!" The knight exclaims. 

Another demonic human pierces his hand through the knight's chest. He dies together with the armless demonic human. 

The narcotic nature of the demonic humans made every one of them relentless beasts. They easily make up for their numbers with insanity. 

However, in a battlefield of chaos, the strong controls the tides of the battle. Alure and Aerin, both ruthless close-combat fighters of the Isva household, shred through the beasts and attain a better position while Kae provides bombarding support. With the lead of strong vanguards, the soldiers persevere in their formation. 

On a far mountain, a masked man stares at the battle, analyzing the strength of the city. He jumps and floats in mid-air. Looming dark energy gathers at his fingertips and shoots into the sky. 

!!!!

Lia glances in the direction of the masked man. 

"Black magic?! No...it's an executive of the cult!"

She turns to a man behind her. "Send a report to Rena! Tell her an executive of the demonic cult is here!" 

The man nods and climbs down the wall. 

If Lia is in her prime, she can easily crush that executive but an injury from twenty years ago destroyed part of her energy core. Maile is the only one that can match the executive and she is out of the city at Hira on tasks of investigation. 

The closest alternative is Rena who is at Opium City. 

The black energy spreads throughout the sky. Suddenly, black goo rains from above. Lia quickly turns to a priest healer and asks her to cast her blessing on everyone. 

"What the hell is this?" Aerin swipes off the goo on his head. 

Although it only serves as an inconvenient disgust to the troops, it stimulates something within the demonic humans. Their muscles expand bigger, their eyes become bloodshot red, and their nails extend into a sharp claw. 

"ARGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!" The shouts of every demonic human tremble nature itself. Weaker troops who are unable to protect their ears with mana experience extreme pain and permanent hearing damage. 

The invaders' aggression spikes through the roof as well as their strength.  

The masked man waves his hand again, this time, a mysterious magic circle engulfs the entire battlefield. Enemies and allies that have fallen rise clumsily, becoming undead with their broken bodies, and attack Pole Ridge. 

A beam of fire abruptly bombards the masked man. 

*BOOOOOM!!!* 

The masked man was pushed back with his arms raised, the barrier he cast slightly broken and the tips of his black hood burning. 

The man widens his eyes to see Lia flying before him. He chuckles and takes off his mask, which prompts Lia's jaw to drop. 

"Y-You are..." Lia says. 

With a burnt scarred face, the man grins. "I never thought I would have a chance at revenge so soon." he is the man who injured Lia years ago. His face was also caused by Lia. 

Lia's face stiffens and contorts in anger. Many magic circles appear around the man and chains shoot out and wrap around him. Next, she pulls back her hand as a flaming mana engulfs her and punches the air, releasing a fiery phoenix of flame that zaps towards the man. 

However, sudden static dispels all flames around him. 

"Reverse magic?! (A type of magic that can dispel other magic. Similar to Jon's passive skill.)"

In an instant, a black pillar spikes up beneath Lia. She barely avoids it as the magic cuts her forehead. 

Lia zooms midair as she avoids the piercing magic spiking out of the ground. To counterattack, she waves a fan of flame towards the man. He dispels it into a cloud of smoke. 

A sudden silhouette appears within the smoke, Lia jumps through and places her hand on his body. 

*BOOOM!*

Large flames burst and engulf him. 

"This was what caused this scar..." He mumbles. 

!

*BAM!* 

Three black matters attempt to shoot through Lia but she manages to put up a barrier in time and is propelled to the ground. 

"Ugh..." Lia grasps her chest. It's getting harder to breathe. 

"Did you think I would fall for it again?" The man falls to Lia. "Odd, you are weaker." He appears unscathed with a layer of mana around him. 

She knows how to use stronger spells but can't. 

The man raises his arm as a black sword materializes above. "Well, it doesn't matter."

Lia stares at the sword, greeting death. 

*WHOOSH!* 

The man freezes. "What-"

I abruptly jump out of nowhere and throw a rapid powerful slash at the man, aiming at his neck. However, my ambush only managed to cut his left arm off. 

Blood sprays from his open wound as he jumps away in pain, groaning.

"ARGHH!! FUCK!? WHAT THE FUCK?!  WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU...FUCK!!" 

Lia stares at my back. 

"Miss Grande, please support me. I will help you defeat that man." I say.