The Flower Among the Flames

Chapter 28

There were days where Seulgi wished he could have avoided the battlefield and lived a simple life as a farmer or merchant of sorts. Have a quiet life in some small town and never worry about petty things like war. This was not one of those days. The Man of Joseon reacted in time to the demon's strike and only just. Yù Fēng narrowly caught the blow, a few inches from hitting his face, with a loud clang. Seulgi grit his teeth from the impact, his form compromised and shattered. This demon was strong. Very strong.

KID! I TOLD YOU TO RUN! WHAT PART OF RUNNING INVOLVES SWINGING ME AROUND LIKE A DAMN STICK IN THE WIND!

This was not the time to have an argument with the doomsayer, Seulgi knew. All the same, the spirit had absolutely no intention to stop screaming into his skull. What was he supposed to do? Running away would not solve the problem and the demon would simply give chase anyway.

If you want to have a fighting chance, let loose the restraints over me! I'm not kidding, Seulgi!

Shut...up....

It was because of this nuisance that Seulgi had only just realized what dealt the blow. Now revealed from underneath the seemingly endless red cloak, a pair of shining razor sharp knives were in plain view. Not knives, he noted while blinking, but fingers. The demon had claws. Seulgi scowled, staring deep into the blackness of the cowl, the cloak still floating all around him.

Fire. Fire and screams. Everywhere he turned, there was a cacophony of chaos. The pathways were sparsely filled albeit a few townsfolk running for their lives. Most of them had already evacuated. The path ahead was a different matter altogether. He needed to find her fast before–

Seulgi shook himself, his face filled with utmost confusion. I blacked out? In the middle of a fight?

"You blocked my attack," The demon declared, never impressed nor frustrated. The pitch in its distorted voice was flat, suggesting mild boredom. "I'm impressed, Spawn of Cheol-Won."

As if, Seulgi thought bitterly in his head, straining under the pressure of the demon's five-pronged claw. That's right. He was fighting. He just barely prevented those sharp blades from ripping him into pieces. Bending his knees, Seulgi pushed away from the demon. He jumped back several times and landed on his feet, his eyes never leaving the demon's shape. The demon never moved.

Seulgi pulled Yù Fēng in front of him again and formed a defensive stance. The demon turned his body to face him directly, his claws curling and uncurling at his sides. He let out a derisive laugh.

"On the defensive, are we? Fine. Run. Let's see how well your skills are in battle with your tail between your legs!"

On that note, the demon all of a sudden teleported directly in front of him, claws poised to strike him from two sides. FAST! Seulgi widened his eyes in alarm, letting out a growl as he parried a claw away from his right side. But the other claw was still coming at him from the left. Seulgi shifted his footing and moved to parry the blow. Only thing was the blow never came. The demon had also adjusted his position and now the claw was not coming from his left.

Seulgi let out a grunt of pain as he felt something slash him across his backside. He tricked him. Instead of attacking head on, the demon had spun around him, giving him opportunity in striking his exposed rear. Damn it, Seulgi cursed. He was way too slow– or the demon was too fast. Spinning on his heel, the warrior turned himself around with his glaive poised in cutting the demon down. He swung from over his right shoulder, eyes determined to cut through that red cloak.

Yù Fēng cut into his shoulder like a knife through butter. The shock and horror in the man's face as he went down was indescribable. But he was not alone. More came from–