The Broken Halo

Simon looked down at his token and he saw a faint red glow covering the grey surface, then a number slowly appeared on it.

Four.

Simon looked at the number, then walked toward Stage Four without saying anything.

”Don’t disappoint me, little kitty.” Sonya said with a smile, drawing numerous strange looks from the demons around them.

Akaza could not help but facepalm since he could imagine the embarrassment Simon must be feeling right now.

However, he had no idea that Simon did not care one bit about this.

He was slowly reaching a point where the opinions of others mattered very little to him.

Only his strength mattered.

He glanced at his opponent, and he realized that his opponent was already looking at him.

The demon was a Prime Archfiend with ash-brown skin, long arms, and sharp black claws. His body was not bulky, but he looked fast. There were several old scars across his chest and neck, and his eyes carried the confidence of someone who had survived more than one ugly battle.

Simon recognized the demon.

He had a low C grade fire affinity and nothing more.

He was weak.

As for his name... Simon had no idea and would not be bothered to know his name.

When the demon saw that Simon was his opponent, his lips curled.

He entered Stage Four from the other side and rolled his shoulders slowly.

Simon stepped onto the stage.

The red barrier rose around them.

It curved inward and sealed the stage from the rest of the compound, leaving only the two of them inside.

The moment the barrier closed, the match had begun.

But neither of them moved.

The Prime Archfiend looked at Simon from head to toe, then his smile widened.

”So you’re Blackmoon.”

Simon said nothing.

The demon chuckled softly.

”I was wondering what kind of demon would walk around with that Kragh demoness and that Martial Demon. But looking at you now, I think I understand.”

He tilted his head slightly.

”You let them do the fighting, don’t you?”

Simon looked at him calmly.

The demon continued.

”The small demoness punches like a monster. The Martial Demon looks like he was born to break bones. And you...”

His gaze moved across Simon’s pale face and lean body.

”You look like son of a slave of a whorehouse.”

Simon’s right eye twitched at the word- ’slave’.

The Prime Archfiend’s smile became more mocking when he saw Simon’s reaction.

”Don’t tell me I’m right?”

He laughed.

”You were calm during the strength test, but everybody saw your result. Prime Archfiend physical strength twice. Not bad for a Minor Archfiend, but compared to those two?”

He laughed for the second time.

”You are standing in their shadow.”

Simon tilted his head slightly.

The demon took a step to the side, but he still did not attack.

It was obvious what he was doing.

He was trying to get under Simon’s skin. But unfortunately for him, Simon was cold as ice.

”Maybe that is why you look so quiet. A male demon walking around with a demoness stronger than him must be tiring. Does she lead you around? Does she tell you where to stand and when to speak?”

His smile sharpened.

”Or do you like it that way? Is that what you are?”

”A fucking cunt who is led by a strong midget.”

Simon finally showed a reaction.

A faint trace of amusement appeared in his eyes as he perceived a change in Sonya’s aura from behind him.

He knew she was pissed as fuck, and if she could switch places with him, she would and she would kill this demon in the most painful way possible.

The Prime Archfiend noticed Simon’s expression, and his expression stiffened slightly.

That was not the reaction he wanted.

He wanted anger.

Embarrassment.

A careless attack.

Anything that would make Simon easier to read and predict.

But Simon only looked amused.

The demon’s voice became colder.

”What’s funny?”

Simon still did not answer.

The Prime Archfiend clicked his tongue.

”Maybe you are not even a proper male. Hiding behind a Kragh and letting her scare everyone for you. Even your name sounds like something a frightened child came up with after staring at the sky for too long.”

Simon looked at him for a few more seconds.

Then he shook his head and spoke.

”You talk too much.”

The Prime Archfiend’s eyes narrowed.

Simon raised his right hand.

His palm faced the demon, then a thin green line appeared in front of his palm.

The Prime Archfiend’s expression changed immediately.

He moved.

A wind blade shot forward.

It was fast.

Extremely fast.

Whoosh

Chiii

But the Prime Archfiend had been ready. His body twisted to the side, and the wind blade passed beside his shoulder, cutting through the air with a sharp sound.

A shallow line appeared on his arm, but it was not deep.

He had dodged it.

The Prime Archfiend’s eyes brightened.

”This is all you can do? How pathetic?”

The words had barely left his mouth when his pupils shrank.

Another wind blade was already in front of him.

This one was even closer.

He cursed inwardly and dropped low, his claws scraping against the stage as he forced his body down. The second wind blade passed over his head and sliced through a few strands of his dark hair.

Too close.

Far too close.

Cold sweat appeared on the demon’s back.

He had barely dodged it.

However, before he could rise properly, a strange feeling crawled up the side of his neck.

It was cold.

Then hot.

Then wet.

His eyes widened.

The first wind blade had not disappeared.

It had swerved.

Under Simon’s control, it had curved after passing him and returned from behind.

The Prime Archfiend slowly raised his hand to the side of his neck.

His fingers touched blood.

A lot of blood.

A deep cut had opened along the side of his neck. It had not severed his head, but it had cut deep enough that blood poured out in thick streams, running down his chest and arm.

His expression changed completely.

He quickly pressed his palm against the wound.

But the blood kept flowing between his fingers.

His breathing became rough.

He tried circulating his demonic energy in order to expel Simon’s demonic energy and wind chaos from his body so as to reduce the bleeding.

However, he came to realize that Simon’s demonic energy was abnormally strange and the wind chaos was still in his body, causing his blood to flow in copious amount.

He became terrified.