Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

Three twangs shook the air simultaneously, and with them, Adam's eyes narrowed at the three blurs about to pierce him.

Vile energies already licked his scales, forcing an icy shudder down his spine. But would speed matter when his sharp instincts whispered in his ears?

Following them, he craned his neck to the right, his hair dancing as the first arrow whistled by his cheek. He spun his torso in the same movement, the second arrow's edge grazing his scales in a shower of sparks. As for the third?

An inferno ignited in his dark eyes, swirling into a chaotic pool as he gripped it before it pierced his groin. His fist trembling, he raised and shattered it before his clenched jaw.

"There are certain areas you should never target."

His icy voice reverberated as he coated his left hand in a layer of flames and slapped the djinns' elemental attacks off course.

On the ground, Leraje's smirk broadened as he offered him a gallant bow.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"And you should never touch my arrows."

A demonic mist rose from the shattered arrow to complement his words and engulfed Adam.

The disgusting stench made him gag, but the attack was more indirect, more insidious. He felt the mist attack his mind, trying to warp it into submission. Yet he waved his left hand to dissipate it and smirked as a golden barrier protected his thoughts.

His blade blazed next, chaotic flames crackling on its frame as he extended his perception to the dry earth.

'You're crying because of the abuses they put you through? Show them your fury.'

Rock and lava stirred hundreds of kilometers under Leraje's feet as if to answer his will. Chaos brewed like an eager weapon requesting to be used.

As he raised his blade, Leraje's feet trembled. No... His eyes widened as the ground shook more with each second crawling by. Before understanding the reason, he draped himself in a shadow mantle and blurred tens of kilometers away—just in time to witness the soul-chilling spectacle and hear Adam's voice.

"Erupting Maelstrom!"

Tremors rocked the ground, throwing the confused djinns off balance. Long gashes pulsing bright orange ran along the bloating earth as sulfur invaded the air.

"Run!"

Leraje's warning echoed from his safe position. But it was too late for the slow djinns. Instead, horror gripped their hearts as the ground exploded.

BOOM

A raging pillar of magma erupted, vaporising their bodies. Worse, even the fire djinns could only agonise for one more second before the blade's infernal energy reduced their fire-resistant bodies into ash.

Pure chaos unfolded as nature ravaged everything without distinction in its uncontrollable wrath. No one was safe, not even Adam.

'I'd better never use that when my army is nearby.' He gulped, cleaving molten obsidian shards shooting at him while keeping his eyes glued on Leraje and the shadows devouring the shards. 'Wide area strikes and projectiles won't work. I must overpower him in melee.'

The wind whipped against his armor as he cleaved the air toward his target.

However, Leraje drew his bow, five arrows nocked and ready to split the air, forcing him to slow down.

Without hesitation, he moved the moment the twangs reverberated, dodging three effortlessly before a frown creased his brows.

'Where are the other two?'

Before he could resolve the mystery, his instincts deafened him, roaring at him to dodge.

Simultaneously, the first missing arrow collided with one he had dodged, shattering its momentum with a clang and making it spin mid-air. The next projectile curved and struck its tail, propelling it toward Adam's shifting back with new momentum.

"Did you think you could dodge the best demonic archer's shots? Hahaha!" A cold laugh left Leraje's curved lips as his amused voice reverberated. "You have good instincts, but they'll only warn you about what you can see and feel. This battle and Baal's rewards are mine!"

Adam's jaw clenched as he shoved his body aside—a split second too late.

"Argh." Biting his lip to muffle his pained scream, he reached for his back, feeling a burning gash through the sliced leather and scales.

Instead of anger or determination, confusion made his eyes tremble. He was sure it was a mere scratch, yet the burning sensation increased in intensity, and the gash seemed to broaden with each second crawling by.

'Shit! What's this dark power? Cursed arrows?!'

He flapped his draconic wings as he theorised, charging towards Leraje to engage him in melee before he suffered more of these festering wounds.

However, an icy shudder ran down his spine as he saw Leraje draw a thick bundle of arrows. Like a demonic machine gun, he nocked them five by five and shot an endless barrage of lethal precision to stop him.

"Amateur." His mocking voice reverberated amidst the deafening twangs, smoke rising from the bowstring. "Did you confuse the demonic hierarchy with my tier? Fool! None of the seventy-two noble demons are under the seventh tier. I'm a duke according to the gods' little game!"

"A duke?!"

Adam's pupils constricted as he gave up on approaching and took refuge in the sky. Yet Leraje's relentless assault followed, each projectile whistling faster than an anti-tank rifle's bullet. Worse, preemptive shots met him each time he tried to bridge the distance.

'He's playing with me!' His eyes narrowed into fiery slits as his knuckles whitened. 'I won't let him humiliate me even if he's two tiers higher!'

The festering wound acted like a countdown to his death, making it foolish to avoid the arrows if it cost him precious time. Even more so considering Leraje's small quiver but the unlimited arrows it seemed to produce. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and did the unthinkable.

With a wave of his hand, he encased himself in a layer of chaotic flames and dived into the barrage.

"I can do it! She believes in me. They all do!"

As he thundered, arrows collided with his body.

Each strike pierced his tough armor and shattered his scales, lodging themselves deep into the flesh. A decaying scent wafted from the wound as his sticky white blood dripped from the holes. Yet he pressed onward with a cry as his flames vaporised the arrows.

"RAH!"