Demons & Mages (Demon Ace x Sorceress Reader)

Chapter 9: You Better Run

My eyes were blinded by a bright flashing light as I felt a force explode in front of me, propelling me back. I smacked against the wooden floorboards. My muscle memory and instinct had me tucking my chin towards my chest, so I wouldn't injure my head, and slapping the floor with my forearms.

I cried out in pain. Bracing my impact against the floor only jarred my injured shoulder, reminding me that a sizeable chunk was missing from it. Through spotted vision I turned over to see the demon, Ace, standing in the middle of a no longer glowing summoning circle. The summoning circle had fractures spreading from the center, where the demon stood, out.

A wicked, fang-bearing grin split the demons face as his eyes glowed a blazing red. The arguing rogues stood frozen, gaping at the monster before them. Only when the demon raised a black taloned hand, summoning his red and orange streaked magic, did the rogues begin to move.

I watched as the dark haired women shifted her arm into a shotgun and fired off four rounds at the demon. And I watched as each of those bullets melted as soon as they were within a few inches from Ace and fell to the floor in silver puddles.

The room had become heated. The air thick with magic. The demon's magic and raw power was overwhelming. Suffocating even. I watched as the demon I had freed flashed in front of the dark haired woman and slashed at her middle with his right hand, splattering her blood on the floor and stone wall. With a chocking sound she collapsed.

"BABY!" Dellinger shouted, charging at Ace, teeth bared and ready to tear a chunk out.

The blonde half shark man chomped down on the demon's right arm, dripping with Baby-5's blood. The demon hissed and drove the talons of his left hand into Dellinger's stomach. The blonde man released the demon's arm immediately, spluttering red, and I watched as Ace threw him across the room.

My vision fogged over as Ace proceeded to dispatch the other rogues. Through slow blinking eyes and faded vision I watched as the red and orange magic danced around the demon. I watched the blood of those who had imprisoned me splattered the walls, bookshelves, and floor. I heard the choking screams and pleas.

Just when I felt like I was about to black out I felt a strong pair of wet hands grasp my upper arms and lightly shake me.

"Y/N! Hey! Hold on! This might hurt a bit." I heard a smooth voice say right before a sharp burning pain seared through my body. It felt as though lightning had flashed through me. With a sharp gasp, I began gulping in air, my eyes widened, and my vision was no longer blurred.

"Can you stand?"

I took in the demon's muscled, crimsoned streaked chest and lifted my gaze to his face. Sanguine liquid speckled his face along with his freckles.

"Can you stand?" He asked again drawing me up.

"I-uh-I think so? –," I cautiously shifted my legs. "–Yes."

"Good." Ace leaned in close until his lips brushed against my ear. "Because you should run now." He shoved me back. "GO!"

He didn't need to tell me twice. I ran out the door that I had only just now realized was broken off its hinges. I stumbled down the stone stairwell, nearly tripping over the last few steps, and bolted on down the hall. A loud booming sound that shook the ceiling above me had me picking up the pace. When I reached the main foyer of the base, the remaining rogues were running around, shouting orders at each other as the walls began to rumble around them and chucks of ceiling began to fall. It seemed they were too busy, attempting to learn where the chaos was originating and how to contain it to notice a prisoner such as myself escaping.

I bolted out the front door and startled as I noticed the treetops around the base all aflame, their bark crackling vociferously. I watched magical creatures such as unicorns, pixies, fairies, miniature drakes, and many more, scurried around the base, racing towards their own freedom, and evading the few rogues who decided to focus on recapturing them.

I proceeded to take off as well. I couldn't fixate on helping them. I had enough of this mission and with all the chaos of a building being destroyed behind me and magical creatures running in front of me and next to me, now was the time to get fuck out of here!

I bolted through the woods, the panting and galloping of unicorns right next to me. The screeching of phoenix's above me. The hissing of drakes and chattering of wolpertingers near my feet. We all only had one thing on Our mind: Freedom.

I ran and ran through the woods. I hardly noticed when the magical creatures who had fled with me had split off in different directions. I didn't hear the commotion of rogues behind me anymore and I didn't much care. All I cared about was finding the main road.

The sun was beginning to set, and darkness had begun to set in at the corners of the sky. Finally I saw the trees beginning to thin and reveal the charcoal asphalt of the road my team had used. I finally came to a stop in the yellow lined middle and felt my legs give out. My lungs inflated and deflated rapidly as coughs racked through me. My chest ached painfully as my heart pumped blood vigorously through my body and to the muscles I just exhausted. I don't believe I have ever run that fast for so long in my life.

My face felt hot as breathed quick shallow breaths. I bent forward until my forehead and palms rested against the rough pavement. I don't know how long it took my breathing to finally slow. Trembling, I slowly unfurled myself to kneeling position and gradually stood up on shaking legs.

I'm on the main road.

I escaped.

I felt a laugh escape me.

I'm free.

"BEEEEEEEEEEP!"

A car horn followed by the screech of tires had me whirling around to see a pair of bright headlights coming right at me. I felt a hard bump against the front of my hips that sent me back to the ground. My vision turned black as my head impacted against the pavement.

****

A pair of glowing vermillion eyes watched as a large, mountain of a woman with a mane of wild orange curls and a small man with cloth wrapped around his head stepped out of large metal contraption that had glowing eyes. The onlooker stayed hidden in the shadows of the thick trees, keeping still on his perch in. His tail flickered as he scented the air.

One smelled human. One had the scent of humans but wasn't. The onlooker smelled no ill intent from them, so he didn't make a move towards them. He didn't interfere. The human female lying in the road needed help and he sustained wounds that would limit his ability to help her.

"Doesn't she look familiar?" the male asked.

"Of course she does. It's (Y/n), ya'know, Luffy's friend. A member of the guild." Said the large woman. "She looks like she's seen better days. Help me load her into the truck, - Gently!"

A hum rumbled within the onlooker's chest.

So they know her.

The demon waited until the two humans entered the large thing and it roared to life. Then he whispered a magic word and vanished from the branch he was perched on in cloud of red and orange.

A/N: Hey peeps! hope everyone is doing well! Thank you so much for the new follows and thank you so much for the wonderful new comments and messages! Maybe someday, I can respond to them all :)