Page 75 of The Wishing Game

"That's incredible. And no one knows you guys do that—that you're basically real-life superheroes."

"Well," Thea's expression sours. "They do have multiple fan clubs at home."

"His energy levels are going down," Cer interrupts us, nodding to the cage.

Ze's wielding his sword with both hands, rotating it in a circle. His speed is out of this world as only flashes of white remain as he moves it, taking out all the shadows in his vicinity. He takes one step at a time as he gets closer to the demon. And at some point, the demon stops producing those external shadows.

By the time Ze reaches his side, all the shadows are gone. The only thing remaining is the extended body that seems to be losing control.

When he's only one step away from the demon, Ze puts his sword away, his movements incredibly graceful as he slides it into the scabbard before resting his palm on top of the handle.

The demon releases a loud, roaring sound as he tries to move forward. The added weight of his body makes the earth quake with each step, and it's quickly evident that he's slowed down by the additional limbs. He tries to land a blow on Ze, but he's too slow.

Ze looks entirely unbothered as he plants himself right in front of the demon. Bringing his hands forward, he clasps his palms together until a purple-like energy emanates from him. He looks up at the demon, his eyes full of focus as he presses his palms to his chest, pushing the purple energy into the demon.

The demon opens his mouth to release a deafening screech that slowly turns into a myriad of cries for help—all in different voices.

"What the..." Cer mutters, taking a step forward. His eyes are wide with shock.

"The souls," Thea whispers. "They're still in there."

I purse my lips. I don't dare to hope that might be true. But as I watch the energy emanating from Ze's hands and onto the demon, I start to make out different shapes emerging from that monstrous body.

"How is this possible?" Cer shakes his head. "I've never heard of a level one demon retaining the souls after ascension."

"Maybe we got in time?" I add.

"No. Without the energy of the souls, the demon would have been unable to ascend. So how the hell did he do it?"

Colorful particles of mist erupt from the demon, filling the room and creating a kaleidoscope of color. But I quickly note that they're trapped in the black circle, swirling around the air and hitting the barrier before floating away, only to attempt it all over again.

The demon's screeches intensify as he loses more and more souls, his additional limbs evaporating. From the giant hulking mass of flesh he was before, now he resembles a child in stature. His cries become sharper until suddenly they stop.

Ze takes a step back, the purple disappearing from around his hands. He regards his handiwork for a moment before he nods to himself. Before I can blink, he withdraws his sword once more and pushes the sharp tip into the demon's body. This time, it doesn't heal anymore. As Ze withdraws his sword, the demon's physical manifestation becomes fragmented, bubbles appearing on the surface. Slowly, the bubbles rip through its flesh as if it's being burned by a caustic substance. It gets eroded until nothing remains of it. Nothing but the empty floor with no stains, nor any trace of a past presence.

Ze sheathes his sword, turning his gaze to us. He steps carefully over the circle of black dust.

"The Collectors will be here any moment," Ze mentions.

"That demon... I've never seen anything like that," Cer says, his expression still one of awe. "How did you know it hadn't consumed the souls yet?"

"I didn't," Ze replies blankly.

Cer frowns.

"Why didn't you kill it directly then? You attacked it as if youknewthe souls were still inside of it."

"Did I?" Ze muses, his gaze dipping to me. There's an odd gleam in his eyes that makes me question my previous impression of him. If he didn't know about the souls, then...

I give him a tentative smile. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all. Sure, he might be a little gauche, socially inept, and overall rude, but he fought until the end without even knowing if it was worth it. And going by Cer's words, he could have killed the demon at any point.

But he didn't.

He seems puzzled by my smile, a frown pulling at his brows as he stares at me for a good moment.

My smile wavers under his intense perusal. What is it with him and staring—all without saying one word?

"You were really good in that fight," I add, just to fill the silence.

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