Page 18 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

There is a small alleyway between buildings a few paces away. The perfect place for this demon to meet his end.

He’s dumb, too. He doesn’t even question why I’m doing this or who I am. He simply follows along.

The streets are dark, but the alleyway is even darker—if that’s possible.

Luckily, I have rather good night vision, so I am able to scan my surroundings and position myself in the best spot to attack the demon.

His shoes scrape the ground as he enters the alleyway.

Caught you!

Before he can open his mouth and say another disgusting thing, I’m on him. But whereas before I would have killed first and asked questions later, now I have to remember to take out the crystal and confirm whether the mortal soul is gone.

I roll my eyes.

Rummaging for the crystal, I push it into the man’s hand just in time to see it turn red.

Thank the Source!

Sliding the crystal back into my pocket, I will my energy to the surface. Two long ice blades descend from my hands, and I waste no time in slashing the demon in a crisscrossing motion.

The poor demon barely has time to react. Poor not because I pity him, of course. How could I pity demons and kill them in the same breath? No, no. Poor because no one taught him how to be a proper demon, and as such, this will hardly be a challenge.

He tries in vain to block the attack with his arms, but my blades are far too sharp. They cut through flesh and bone until the hands of the vessel fall to the ground.

He releases a loud sound of pain, but before he can wail some more—not that I would not enjoy that—I slash across his neck all the while murmuring a low chant to exterminate the demonic essence.

As the blood splashes out of the host, the demon struggles to keep control of the body. Despite the darkness, it’s hard to miss the shadowy smoke coming out of the dead vessel. It’s slow and aimless.

Extending my arm to the side, I will my sword to turn into a larger version, all the while murmuring the same chant.

The disoriented demon heads straight for my enlarged sword, which by now is shrouded in the holy chant. Upon contact, a sizzling sound erupts in the air as the smoke promptly disintegrates.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you kill a demon.

My swords disappear and I pat my clothes to shake off the demon dust.

A smile creeps up on my face.

One down, a few more to go.

But just as I’m about to turn, my ears pick up on another sound. It’s close and getting closer.

I swivel.

My eyes widen as I note another demon coming straight at me. But this time, he’s carrying a weapon in the form of a long knife.

I smirk.

This one seems to be a bit more knowledgeable. He’s charging at me as if he actually means to do me harm.

So he knows I kill his kind, doesn’t he?

Feeling for the crystal in my pocket, I throw it at him, waiting for the flash of light that will confirm whether I can go ahead with the kill.

But just as the crystal emits a low, red light, another set of steps echoes in the alleyway.

I barely get to react before two strong hands cup both sides of the demon’s face, and in a swift movement, they twist the head of the vessel.

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