Book 1: Chapter 8: People

Book 1: Chapter 8: People

Scarlet Asger

After a quick walk down the stairs, I find myself entering the twenty ninth floor through the open stairwell. But before I enter the rather large greeting room on the floor, I walk over to the edge of the stairwells center to peek down at the lower floors. And as I suspected, I see quite the number of demons on the lower floors just moving through the stairs themselves.

What makes it even worse is that I can hear the occasional scream coming from the other floors now that Im at the main stairwell an area connected to every floor of the building.

I shake my head after a few seconds before going into the greeting room, which is basically just a massive room with a few areas full of comfortable chairs or couches meant for relaxation while people wait here for something. What this floor is meant for, Im not sure. But I do hear people on the floor. And none of them are in a bunker by the sounds of how loud their voices and movements are.

At the same time, none of the demons are near them either. So theres that at least.

From what I can hear, two of the demons are most likely more Spawn, while the third demon on the floor is something else. It clearly has only two legs, but at the same time, it has much lighter steps than anyone else on the floor, and is moving around through the floor rather slowly.

If I had to guess, then Id put my money on it being a huntsman. Which is a type of demon that tends to narrow in on someone they mark as their prey before chasing after them and beginning their hunt. Its also something Ill have to worry about, since they actually use a weapon. A crossbow.

To start things off, I head in the direction of the spawn closest to the humans on the floor. Since it may go after them while Im dealing with the other two.

Look whos already getting into their role as a defender of humanity, I hear the tanukis voice echoing in my head. But I cant help but frown at its words.

No, not really. While I do think it would be a shame for them to die, Im not some superhero wholl run around killing demons all the time to save peoples lives. After all, its their lives to live. Not mine.

Life in a tier 3 city taught me how heroes end up in the end. Six feet under.

Oh? the tanuki mutters, sounding both slightly amused and interested. Tell me then, half demon. Why are you going after the one closest to the humans first, despite it being the furthest away from you?

The instant the people in the bunker notice me, the terror on their faces is replaced with hope, and I even hear several of them muttering, Guardian!

I give them a brief nod before activating my Blood Claws skill again and leaping straight towards the spawn, landing on its back, and startling it in the process thanks to its attention having been focused solely on the people in the bunker. It lets out a loud screech that only grows louder as I dig the claws of both of my hands into its body. Then I-

A sudden flash of light makes me blink twice to clear the spots from my eyes before I glance towards the people to find two of them pointing their cameras at me while the others continue trying to close the door. The two being the youngest of the group. Just a couple of high school girls by the looks of it.

Seriously?

One of them even seems to be recording. Whichll be a pain.

Why are they here anyways?

I focus on the spawn again as I begin to climb its body closer to the head, only to notice out of the corner of my eye an incoming leg to which I move my arm up at the last moment, making the claw strike at its own back.

By the stars that couldve been painful.

The spawn lets out a high pitch screech showing off just how painful it thought it was before I finish making my way across its slightly-longer-than-a-meter body to grab onto and dig into its head, just like the last one. Then I finish it by dragging myself forward and stabbing my other hand into its biggest eye.

Thats really turning out to be a good way of killing them.

Although its rather gross every time I do it.

I turn my head towards the bunker again to find that the people are still staring at me.

Oh. Right.