4:00PM

A Taste Of Demon

"All doors, windows, and every possible hole those things might crawl through have been fully sealed, brother," Jubi said, gripping a bat firmly in his right hand.

"Good," I replied. "Now we watch and see what the night brings."

"Damn, it’s really pouring out like I’ve never seen before," one of Jubi’s friends said, peering outside through the tiny holes in the wall as the rain continued to pour violently.

"It’s been raining for almost four hours, and not even a single attack from anywhere," another added. His skin was dark like the night, and his eyes glowed golden like the setting sun.

"Kind of surprising that time still works, don’t you think, brother?" Jubi asked, seated on the couch.

"Yeah, it is," I said. "But all of you must stay vigilant. You never know when those demons will strike again." I winced as my two sisters treated the wounds from earlier.

"Brother, tell me," one of Jubi’s friends spoke up, glaring at me intensely. "How long are we supposed to remain here? If they come back with reinforcements, we might not survive."

Suddenly—**BOOM!**

Thunder unleashed its roar, and lightning flashed brightly, momentarily turning night into day.

"We leave tomorrow," I said softly, my eyes spinning from the pain. My back burned as if on fire. I bit down hard on the wooden table to muffle a groan. "Please, sisters… be careful."

"Brother," Jubi called. I raised my head slightly. "Let me properly introduce our friends to you. This dark-skinned one is John. He and Williams are brothers. And these two ladies here are Debbie and Dora. Both are tw—"

"Arghhh!" A loud roar suddenly erupted outside.

"Seems the introductions will have to wait," I said, rising to my feet. I picked up my newly acquired demon sword. "Men, mount your positions. It’s going to be a long night."

One by one, they moved to their stations around the house.

"Ladies, go to the basement. Stay there until I tell you to come out, alright?" They nodded and hurried off.

My sister suddenly ran back and hugged me tightly. "Don’t die, brother." I managed a weak smile before she disappeared into the basement.

"Praise, tell me—what do you see?" I asked as I walked toward the back door.

"There are far too many to count, senior," Praise replied.

"Okay, keep monitoring from up there."

"What are you going to do, senior?"

A wicked smile spread across my face. "Isn’t it obvious already?" I responded, loading my gun and hanging the remaining grenades on my waist. My demon sword was firmly strapped to my back.

"Don’t die, senior. If you must die, it shouldn’t be here. We’ll all die together—but not today," Praise replied.

"Everyone, no matter what… do not let them into the house!"

"Understood, brother!!!" they all answered in unison.

I slowly opened the back door. Two demons were already approaching. I reacted instantly, taking both their heads with one powerful swing of my sword. **THUD.** Their bodies dropped to the wet ground.

The heavy rain sharpened my senses. Strangely, it felt almost peaceful, even though we were outnumbered.

I hurried out of the backyard into the parking area and quickly scanned my surroundings. One… two… four… six demons in total. Attacking them head-on would be foolish, but waiting here would only get me discovered. Unlike the backyard, this open space was much wider.

"Now we’re talking," I chuckled softly as I spotted an old fire extinguisher.

I attached a small explosive to it and tossed the canister. The demons were instantly drawn to the sound. **Pim!** The tiny explosive detonated, releasing thick white smoke everywhere.

I moved in with precision and caution. The first demon behind the black car fell in ten seconds. I split the second one’s head open cleanly. The third I killed with its own sword. The fourth suddenly attacked—its fist connected squarely with my face.

I slammed hard into my dad’s black Mercedes. The driver’s window shattered on impact.

"Fuckkkk…" I groaned, my vision blurring as blood dripped from my nose. My ribs screamed in agony as I slowly pushed myself up.

"You’re different, human. I can sense it," the demon spoke. Its voice was deep and powerful. It had dark skin, a body like a child’s, and glowing red eyes. No horns. Its head was bald, unlike the others.

"Are you analyzing me, human?"

**BAM!** Its fist drove into my gut like a piston. The air exploded from my lungs. I never saw it move. Blood burst from my mouth, and the ground beneath us cracked.

"Beautiful. You’re the first human to take my blow and remain alive. I’ll let you live… for now. Get stronger, human. One day, you and I will fight again."

Just like that, it was gone. I slowly raised my head. No demons were in sight. The parking lot was empty.

"Ahhh!" I grunted. My arms refused to support me. My legs throbbed with unimaginable pain, and my stomach and jaw burned like hell.

Suddenly, screams erupted from the house—my sisters’ voices. The demons had broken through.

"No! No!" I promised to save them. I wasn’t about to break my word now.

With no other choice, I grabbed a piece of the dead demon’s corpse in front of me and ate it. I wasn’t thinking straight, but right now, family came first. I chewed and swallowed.

My heart immediately began burning. My blood grew hotter. Sounds from everywhere echoed loudly in my head. I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t run. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

I could only remain on the ground, shaking violently.

I don’t know how long it lasted.

Then I blacked out.