D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 2181 Real Dangers

Kat ---

The first inkling of something amiss was noticed by Lily. A faint, repetitive 'thwip' sound reached her ears, and upon focusing, Kat could discern numerous arrows hurtling towards her position. These projectiles also obscured her vision of the assailant. The volley of arrows, not particularly swift, allowed Kat to cease her movement once alerted. Dozens of arrows whizzed past, several meters ahead of her current spot, and the barrage continued unabated.

Her attacker seemingly possessed an abundant supply of arrows, or perhaps a method of duplication. Observing the arrows in flight, Kat noted their perfect uniformity, identical down to the wood grain; no arrow stood out from the rest. This relentless stream was inching closer to her location, albeit slowly.

Just as Kat prepared to relocate, a sense of unease struck her. Lily had already deduced the situation. Paper materialized, forming a barrier behind Kat, swiftly followed by shadows. The arrows proved their ability to track targets, impacting Lily's conjured defense, draining her mana as they shattered. Spreading her wings, Kat plummeted downwards, aiming for the source of the arrows on the ground.

The arrow-launching mechanism was advancing towards her present location. Kat unfurled her wings momentarily, diverting her from the direct line of fire. It appeared that whatever device was propelling such a copious amount of arrows—certainly not a conventional bow—lacked swift maneuverability.

As Kat descended closer to the earth, she observed the peculiar contraption. It resembled a wooden box, reminiscent of truck-mounted missile launchers combined with a trebuchet, or perhaps multiple trebuchets. This launcher comprised six boxes, each affixed with a crossbow, capable of firing four arrows simultaneously. It seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply, at least for the time being, though mana depletion would likely become a factor.

Yet, even as Kat neared the ground, she could not identify the wielder, nor even perceive if anything was operating this monstrous crossbow assembly. Kat deemed the identity of the operator inconsequential and crashed directly onto the device, obliterating it under her landing impact. Lily, meanwhile, spotted the gunner—a Timmy concealed behind the colossal contraption, somehow directing fire with sufficient accuracy. Perhaps not perfect, but adequate.

Leaping from Kat's embrace, Lily darted forward, dropping her shadow shield to assail the Timmy. Still retracting her shield, she had limited shadow material, so she enhanced what was available. Her claws, coated in shadow, slashed at the Timmy. It attempted evasion, but instead of just three strikes, massive tendrils of shadow erupted from Lily's paws, lacerating it as it moved.

The Timmy staggered but remained intact. Unfortunately for it, Lily was not inclined to relinquish her quarry. Less than a second later, she bounded after the Timmy and clamped down hard on its neck. Realistically, Timmy was an amalgamation of wood animated by teamwork. Though its neck was crushed, Timmy had no need for breath. Nevertheless, it ceased all movement, going limp in Lily's jaws.

Lily wasted no time confirming Timmy's incapacitation. Despite the diminutive creature's undeniable cuteness, she understood the necessity of the action. Consequently, she shredded the remains to near nothingness. Meanwhile, Kat set about intercepting the arrows. Apparently, they retained their tracking capabilities even after the crossbow device was largely destroyed. Kat drew her fans and began to parry each incoming arrow.

The task was not arduous; the arrows were more fragile than they appeared, shattering not merely into splinters but disintegrating upon contact with her fans. Arguably, she should not possess the strength to repel such a volume, but she did. The bracer was exerting less pressure on her as she played defense. Her muscles seemed to absorb the shock as effectively as usual, and since she was not counter-attacking, the bracer was not impeding her. Kat smirked.

Perhaps her self-satisfaction was a touch premature. The sound of shattering arrows masked the silent advance of the true threat. Even Lily missed it, suggesting some form of interference was muffling the sound. Regardless, Kat remained entirely unsuspecting as it approached.

An axe slammed into her neck, and Kat felt its sharp bite. Even as the blow landed, arrows still rained down, but the axe was an immediate, overwhelming threat that she wasn't prepared for, even as the world seemed to warp and slow. The axe head snagged on her bones, preventing a clean beheading, but the sensation was agonizing. Kat was violently yanked sideways by the force of the strike, and Lily began to panic.

Lily yearned to lash out at Kat’s assailant, but Kat’s prone form blocked her path… until she wasn't. Bursting into a spray of water, Kat allowed Lily to charge through the void, a tempest of shadows hurtling towards the dwarf who had just been revealed. Greaves.

Greaves appeared ready for this assault. She calmly closed her eyes, and from behind her shield, produced a bomb. With a blinding flash, it detonated, stunning Lily and forcing her shadowy form to recoil. This left her vulnerable, and Greaves seized the opportunity, delivering a swift kick to Lily's face. Kat desperately tried to reconstitute herself, but she had dispersed too much of her water essence while allowing Lily to scatter, delaying her reformation.

Greaves’ armored boot connected squarely with Lily’s face, sending her hurtling through the air. Disturbing sounds echoed as Lily flew, parts of her face contorting unnaturally under the impact. Kat fought to regain her own form amidst Lily's pained screams, which tore through both the physical and spiritual realms. When Kat finally reformed, she was no longer holding back.

Demonic flames erupted around her coalesced body as she unleashed them towards Greaves. The dwarf simply grinned… and vanished. An empty, ice-covered arena remained, Greaves nowhere to be seen. Kat forced down her rage, extinguishing her demonic flames. That reckless blast and the accompanying light show had consumed a staggering TWENTY PERCENT of her reserves. It was a grievous waste, fueled by her fury, and her only true regret was that she had missed her target.

Alert for any nearby disturbances, Kat moved towards Lily, gently lifting her from the ground. After a moment's consideration, Kat propelled herself upwards, soaring into the sky. Perhaps Greaves possessed more of those arrow-launching devices, but with their limited space on their bracelets, Kat held onto hope that this was the end of it. Surely, something of that caliber would have been brought from the outside… wouldn't it?

Kat winced as she examined Lily, who was slowly becoming lucid again. Honestly, Kat wasn't sure if the situation was good or bad. Lily's eyes appeared unharmed. Her nose seemed mostly intact, though it was bleeding profusely at the moment. Her ears also seemed fine. The primary concern was her mouth; it was obviously bleeding, and some of the damage might have been to Lily's own teeth.

Kat let out a sigh.