The Demon emperor logged into a Divine Game

Chapter 9 — Five-Fold Slash

Garrick stepped away from the boss line and faced Ravan.

The smile was gone.

“Drop the sword.”

Behind him, the Shadowfang Wolf King was still circling. Hale was wounded from Tobin’s arrow. Lyra had her staff raised, keeping Hale standing while watching the boss.

Ravan looked at Garrick with a smirk.

“Finally tired of pretending?”

Garrick’s expression shifted.

He had expected fear. Anger. Maybe Ravan trying to bargain.

Not this calmness.

“You knew?”

Ravan chuckled. “Kid, with those greedy eyes of yours, even a fool could see through your act.”

Tobin’s face tightened. “Shut up.”

Garrick lifted his blade. “Last chance. Drop it, or die here.”

Ravan looked at him. “Make me.”

Tobin fired first.

“Piercing Shot!”

Twang—

The arrow drove toward Ravan’s chest.

Blood Step: 8 seconds remaining.

Ravan moved sideways. The arrow passed through empty air.

He rushed Tobin.

Tobin’s eyes went wide. “Garrick!”

Ravan reached him before he could draw another arrow.

First cut across his chest.

-76 HP

Tobin staggered back.

Second cut.

-84 HP

Tobin lifted his bow to block.

Third cut knocked it aside.

-93 HP

Ding! Combat pattern detected.

Ravan did not stop.

Fourth cut.

-99 HP

Tobin’s HP dropped into red.

Fifth cut.

SHHK—

-132 HP

Ding! Player Tobin has died.

His body dissolved.

Ding! New skill registered!

Please name the skill.

Ravan lowered the sword slightly. “Five-Fold Slash.”

Five-fold Fold Slash

Rank: B — Level: 1/3

Cost: 20 Energy — Cooldown: 30 seconds

Five consecutive slashes that increase in damage with each successful hit.

Effect: Each successful slash increases the damage of the next. Maximum stack: 5 hits.

Garrick’s face finally changed.

Tessa stepped back but did not run.

Behind them the wolf moved again.

Hale forced his shield up. “Lyra!”

Lyra turned. “Light Mend!”

+66 HP

The heal settled over Hale but she kept glancing back toward Ravan.

Tessa lifted her staff. “Mana Bolt!”

A pale blue bolt formed at the tip and shot toward Ravan’s chest.

Ravan shifted his shoulder.

The bolt grazed him.

-24 HP

Tessa’s eyes widened. “I hit him.”

Ravan glanced at the mark on his shoulder.

Garrick moved at the same time. “War Slash!”

Ravan turned like he was going to meet him straight on.

Garrick braced.

Ravan changed direction midstep and passed him.

Tessa raised her staff again. “Mana—”

Ravan reached her before the bolt formed.

One cut across the staff arm.

82 HP

The spell broke.

Tessa stumbled back.

Second cut.

96 HP

Ding! Player Tessa has died.

Ding! Blood Step has ended.

Garrick saw the change in Ravan’s movement.

For one second, hope came back into his face.

He lifted his sword with both hands. “Not so fast now, are you?”

Ravan looked at him.

Garrick forced a laugh. “What? Thought that speed would last forever?”

The Shadowfang Wolf King growled behind them, still circling.

Garrick’s eyes flicked toward it, then back to Ravan. “You should have dropped the sword when I asked. We waited for the right moment. That’s all.”

Ravan stopped.

For a second he saw tribulation clouds. Figures with mocking smiles. One of them laughing as the lightning tore through him.

You can’t blame us, Demon Emperor Ravan. We simply waited for the right moment.

Ding! Unknown pattern detected.

Ding! Unable to classify.

Ravan ignored it.

Something rose behind him.

A huge shadow formed over his back, taking the shape of a beast’s head with curved horns and bloodred eyes. Its mouth opened without sound, and the pressure that fell over the clearing made the air feel too thick to breathe.

Garrick froze.

His sword hand shook once.

Across the clearing Hale’s shield arm tightened. “What the hell…”

Lyra’s body stiffened, a chill ran visibly through her arms.

Even the Shadowfang Wolf King lowered its head and stopped moving for a breath.

Garrick stumbled back. “Wait…”

The beast shadow did not move. It’s cold eyes stared at Garrick

Garrick’s face drained. “Wait, listen. I’m sorry for targeting you, you can keep the sword. I swear.”

Ravan walked toward him.

Garrick’s voice cracked. “Please. It’s just a game.”

Ravan stopped in front of him. “Too late.”

Ding! Five-Fold Slash activated.

First slash hit Garrick’s guard.

CLANG—

79 HP

His sword shook.

Second slash.

88 HP

His sword arm dropped.

Third slash across his side.

96 HP

Garrick stumbled back. “Wait—”

Fourth slash drove him to one knee.

104 HP

“Please…”

Fifth slash.

134 HP

Ding! Player Garrick has died.

His body dissolved.

Ding! FiveFold Slash proficiency has increased.

Ding! You have killed three players outside the safe zone.

Ding! Penalty assessment in progress…

Ravan closed the messages before reading the rest.

The Shadowfang Wolf King was moving again.

Hale was still standing, barely. Lyra’s breathing was uneven. The boss was wounded, angry, and circling the clearing.

Nobody spoke for a moment.

Hale looked at the dissolving bodies. Then at Ravan.

Lyra’s gaze moved from the sword to the wolf.

“You want to handle the wolf yourself?”

Garrick stepped away from the boss line and faced Ravan.

The smile was gone.

“Drop the sword.”

Behind him, the Shadowfang Wolf King was still circling. Hale was wounded from Tobin’s arrow. Lyra had her staff raised, keeping Hale standing while watching the boss.

Ravan looked at Garrick with a smirk.

“Finally tired of pretending?”

Garrick’s expression shifted.

He had expected fear. Anger. Maybe Ravan trying to bargain.

Not this calmness.

“You knew?”

Ravan chuckled. “Kid, with those greedy eyes of yours, even a fool could see through your act.”

Tobin’s face tightened. “Shut up.”

Garrick lifted his blade. “Last chance. Drop it, or die here.”

Ravan looked at him. “Make me.”

Tobin fired first.

“Piercing Shot!”

Twang—

The arrow drove toward Ravan’s chest.

Blood Step: 8 seconds remaining.

Ravan moved sideways. The arrow passed through empty air.

He rushed Tobin.

Tobin’s eyes went wide. “Garrick!”

Ravan reached him before he could draw another arrow.

First cut across his chest.

76 HP

Tobin staggered back.

Second cut.

84 HP

Tobin lifted his bow to block.

Third cut knocked it aside.

93 HP

Ding! Combat pattern detected.

Ravan did not stop.

Fourth cut.

99 HP

Tobin’s HP dropped into red.

Fifth cut.

SHHK—

132 HP

Ding! Player Tobin has died.

His body dissolved.

Ding! New skill registered!

Please name the skill.

Ravan lowered the sword slightly. “Five-Fold Slash.”

Five-fold Fold Slash

Rank: B — Level: 1/3

Cost: 20 Energy — Cooldown: 30 seconds

Five consecutive slashes that increase in damage with each successful hit.

Effect: Each successful slash increases the damage of the next. Maximum stack: 5 hits.

Garrick’s face finally changed.

Tessa stepped back but did not run.

Behind them the wolf moved again.

Hale forced his shield up. “Lyra!”

Lyra turned. “Light Mend!”

+66 HP

The heal settled over Hale but she kept glancing back toward Ravan.

Tessa lifted her staff. “Mana Bolt!”

A pale blue bolt formed at the tip and shot toward Ravan’s chest.

Ravan shifted his shoulder.

The bolt grazed him.

24 HP

Tessa’s eyes widened. “I hit him.”

Ravan glanced at the mark on his shoulder.

Garrick moved at the same time. “War Slash!”

Ravan turned like he was going to meet him straight on.

Garrick braced.

Ravan changed direction midstep and passed him.

Tessa raised her staff again. “Mana—”

Ravan reached her before the bolt formed.

One cut across the staff arm.

82 HP

The spell broke.

Tessa stumbled back.

Second cut.

96 HP

Ding! Player Tessa has died.

Ding! Blood Step has ended.

Garrick saw the change in Ravan’s movement.

For one second, hope came back into his face.

He lifted his sword with both hands. “Not so fast now, are you?”

Ravan looked at him.

Garrick forced a laugh. “What? Thought that speed would last forever?”

The Shadowfang Wolf King growled behind them, still circling.

Garrick’s eyes flicked toward it, then back to Ravan. “You should have dropped the sword when I asked. We waited for the right moment. That’s all.”

Ravan stopped.

For a second he saw tribulation clouds. Figures with mocking smiles. One of them laughing as the lightning tore through him.

You can’t blame us, Demon Emperor Ravan. We simply waited for the right moment.

Ding! Unknown pattern detected.

Ding! Unable to classify.

Ravan ignored it.

Something rose behind him.

A huge shadow formed over his back, taking the shape of a beast’s head with curved horns and bloodred eyes. Its mouth opened without sound, and the pressure that fell over the clearing made the air feel too thick to breathe.

Garrick froze.

His sword hand shook once.

Across the clearing Hale’s shield arm tightened. “What the hell…”

Lyra’s body stiffened, a chill ran visibly through her arms.

Even the Shadowfang Wolf King lowered its head and stopped moving for a breath.

Garrick stumbled back. “Wait…”

The beast shadow did not move. It’s cold eyes stared at Garrick

Garrick’s face drained. “Wait, listen. I’m sorry for targeting you, you can keep the sword. I swear.”

Ravan walked toward him.

Garrick’s voice cracked. “Please. It’s just a game.”

Ravan stopped in front of him. “Too late.”

Ding! Five-Fold Slash activated.

First slash hit Garrick’s guard.

CLANG—

79 HP

His sword shook.

Second slash.

88 HP

His sword arm dropped.

Third slash across his side.

96 HP

Garrick stumbled back. “Wait—”

Fourth slash drove him to one knee.

104 HP

“Please…”

Fifth slash.

-134 HP

Ding! Player Garrick has died.

His body dissolved.

Ding! FiveFold Slash proficiency has increased.

Ding! You have killed three players outside the safe zone.

Ding! Penalty assessment in progress…

Ravan closed the messages before reading the rest.

The Shadowfang Wolf King was moving again.

Hale was still standing, barely. Lyra’s breathing was uneven. The boss was wounded, angry, and circling the clearing.

Nobody spoke for a moment.

Hale looked at the dissolving bodies. Then at Ravan.

Lyra’s gaze moved from the sword to the wolf.

“You want to handle the wolf yourself?”