Demon Hunters: Book 1 Faith [editing]

Chapter 72

The living room wasn't very large, but at least it had a high ceiling. This allowed Osaka full range of motion with his swing. He swiped the blade in a circular arc around him, his body rotated with the fluidity of an Olympic figure skater. Of course, his bones creaked with the movement, and his body ached each night after their swordplay.

Why? Osaka couldn't understand how he and Ren found common ground.

The night before, he finally bested the demon. Ren encouraged him. "You can do better, master." Sword master, that's what Ren called him now. "Don't let the flames distract you. To a human, they're just for show."

"Aye," he answered and returned to his starting place, where the couch used to be before the demon split it in half during his attempted escape. Just five days ago. Now Osaka wouldn't dream of leaving. He'd never felt so alive.

He glanced at the clock on the wall: 10:17. He's late. Ren did not call as he had done once before when he ran behind schedule. Something not right.

The other demons wouldn't return back here, not after their last encounter with Ren, who had quite a strong reputation among them. Maybe Ren had a meeting with Z, the mysterious angel he wrote letters to.

"We know you're in there!" A voice boomed from outside the door. "Face your death with honor!"

Again, magical creatures in human form kicked the door off its hinges. Three beings walked in, each with swords drawn. Two men and one tall woman with blond hair spread out in front of him.

Osaka faced the intruders and pointed his blade at them. "Akuma. You are not invited here. Leave now." The master straightened his spine and cracked his neck.

One of the men laughed. "He's still pretending. Let's kill him."

The other man motioned to Osaka's sword. "It's a demon's blade."

The woman raised her hand. "Wait."

Osaka narrowed his eyes. "I said leave!" He waved his sword in a gesture of intimation.

"Let's get him, Ivo," one man said to the other.

Ivo nodded, and instantly his sword sizzled with electricity.

Osaka hadn't seen an electric sword before, but he remembered Ren's words. They're just for show. "Akuma, I said leave my house now," he yelled, crouching into a fighting stance.

The two man attacked at the same time, electricity buzzing in the air. Osaka, leaped into the foray, gyrating his body beneath the blades. With his sword, he guided one of the demons off-balance. A swipe of his blade and that demon tumbled into the other one.

Thanks to Ren, Osaka had grown accustomed to sparring against a much stronger opponent, one with unworldly strength.

"Ouch!" Ivo said. "You okay, Jed?"

Jed sat on the ground laughing. "Clever move."

The woman held her ground, blocking the door. Osaka studied her, catching her eyes. This one does not wish to fight.

He bowed to the woman and turned around.

Ivo and Jed leapt from the ground, wings bursting from their backs, and came down upon the Japanese man.

Ren had done this move before, use his wings as a kind of net. Given the confined space, Osaka instantly saw the weakness of the attack. He dove to the floor, planted his sword upward, and then twisted his body under the feet of the demons.

Seeing the evasion, the demons pivoted their direction, causing their wings to push into the sword, which forced them to pull away—wings colliding.