262 CCLXII. The Goat Demon

"I don't need allies. After I'll kill all of you, it will be your people's turn. I will make them suffer, one by one, returning the pain you have caused to the inhabitants of Vaeren..." Roar exclaimed, looking down as if the memories of his men falling under the blows of Dag and the others echoed through his mind.

Immediately after those words, from the rubble of the walls sprang again Sander, who charged for the second time towards him, with his bare hands, trying to hit him with a punch, which was parried with ease by Roar, who grabbed his hand and with a decisive gesture, fractured his wrist, causing Sander such acute pain that, even he, uttered a groan.

Fed up with waiting in fear, at the sight of an ally who was about to be atrociously defeated, Dag leaped to Roar, who turned his gaze on him.

The goat demon left Sander's wrist, which scrambled back and grabbed Dag in mid-air, with a movement so fast and precise that it was almost imperceptible to the eyes of others.

As the huge hand partially covered in white fur squeezed Dag's abdomen, the dark liquid began to slowly leak from his arms.

Roar, at the sight of the fluid, increased the strength of the squeeze, slowing its flow, under the astonished eyes of Dag, who could not explain the phenomenon.

As the beast-man was focused on watching Dag, grabbing his neck with his other hand, a chain wrapped his neck.

Kjell snapped behind him, pulling the chain towards him, that slightly twisted his torso backward and loosened his grip on Dag, whose dark fluid managed to flow again and, widening around his chest, spread on Roar's fingers, helping him open his hand.

The goat demon grabbed the chain on his neck, but at that very moment, a second chain wrapped his arm, pulling it back and making him kneel on the ground.

Gridd and Karl were still standing in their seats, fascinated by Kjell's unique fighting style, which was perhaps the strongest warrior among them, in terms of tactics and weapons skills, so much so that he possessed the n°5 emblem.

Before Roar was able to free himself, three arrows hit his chest, apparently causing him no damage.

Reidar charged the Failnaught again, generating two more additional magic arrows and hitting the target again in the chest, as his head was slightly bent back and the chain wrapped around his neck, making it impenetrable.

Roar grabbed the chain wrapped around his arm with his other hand and quickly turned to Kjell, risking breaking his neck.

Meanwhile, Ellen made an incredible leap behind him, lifting her heavy stick upwards and violently hitting the goat demon on the head.

But he, regardless of the arrows stuck in his chest and the blow he had just received, pulled the chain around his arm towards him, partially disarming Kjell, who preferred to let go of his grip, rather than be dragged towards that abominable monster, which when had both arms free, grabbed the chain around his neck.

Before he could pull, three huge dark spikes pierced his back and chest, causing him to spit a huge amount of magenta blood in front of his feet.

The beast-man knelt again and the three spikes violently detached his body, then struck him again, increasing the amount of pain and blood loss.

After stabbing twice his enemy, Dag stood still and looked at him, with three long, sharp black appendages sticking out of his back, floating around him.

Ellen did not hesitate to hit him again on the head, which bent slightly to one side.

Roar stopped moving: his arms dangled forceless downwards, while liters of blood gushed from his back and chest, forming a pool of blood below his knees.

Kjell pulled the chain towards him, freeing the beast man's neck and causing him to fall with his face to the ground, unconscious.

"Is... is he dead?!" Karl asked, who had stood near the ruins of the temple with Gridd and Freydis, while Sivert, behind them, watched the scene with a macabre interest as if he was scared but at the same time enthusiastic about what was going on.

"Aaaggh!" suddenly screamed Freydis, breaking the silence and attracting the attention of everyone, who turned to her, ready to intervene.

"What's going on?" asked Gridd next to her, noting that the girl was touching her neck.

"The scar... It hurts!" Freydis continued, moaning and wailing in pain, as if someone was turning the blade of a dagger in her flesh.

Karl approached her and moved her hand from the runic scar so he could take a look.

"Ehmm... there's definitely something wrong with this rune shape wound!" he exclaimed, trying to be heard by Dag, who had his eyes pointed at them.

Around the Inguz rune-shaped scar, a blackish, bruise-like halo appeared, pulsing abnormally, while Freydis continued to complain.

"The rune... why is it starting to hurt her right now? I have a bad feeling..." Dag thought, who immediately turned to Roar, that suddenly opened his eyes and pushed his arms toward the ground, rising to his feet, resting his hard goat hooves on the terrain.

Under the astonished gaze of everybody, who until a few moments before thought that the demon had died, the wounds on his chest and head had completely healed, leaving only small scars.

Very quietly, the beast-man began to giggle, mocking his opponents, who were underestimating his strength.

"You just don't understand, do you, boy? You're never going to kill me, just… surrender. Every time you think you've made it, I'm going to get up, no matter the extent of the injuries. And every time I get up, my spirit and my body will be regenerated, unlike yours, which cannot withstand endlessly. The more you fight, the slower your agony will be toward an inevitable death!" Roar yelled, jumping upwards, more than ten meters.

He raised both fists to the sky, then falling to the ground, in the direction of Dag, who promptly managed to dodge the devastating blow, which when hit the ground, shattered it into a crater.