Ashton sat cross-legged on the grassy ground, still catching his breath after the intense battle they had just finished. The other members of Team 7 gathered around him, their expressions a mix of relief and fatigue.
"Wow, that was intense," Kaida said, wiping sweat from her brow. "I don't think I've ever used that much magic before."
"I know, right?" Elias said, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of lingering danger. "But we pulled it off. Thanks to Ashton's massive support of course.."
Ashton smiled modestly. "I only did what's expected of me. After all, I can't just stand there and watch you all die."
Roderick grinned, clapping Ashton on the back. "And your healing and your Aiding Spells were crucial. We wouldn't have made it through without you."
Leila nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that last demon was really tough. But thanks to you, we all made it out in one piece."
Ashton blushed, feeling grateful for his teammates' appreciation. "It was nothing, really. Just doing my job."
"Speaking of which," Roderick said, pulling out a small bag of jewels from his pocket. "We should divide the rewards for this mission."
They already finished their mission. They had safely escorted the supply line to the next checkpoint and Roderick already received the rewards for clearing it.
Ashton whistled as Roderick handed each of them a share of the bounty. "Wow, this is more than I expected. Thank you."
Kaida counted her jewels, a grin spreading across her face. "I'm definitely using this to buy some new spell books."
Leila looked thoughtful. "I might save up for a new weapon upgrade. Something with a bit more range."
Elias tucked his share away in his pocket. "I'm just glad we all made it out alive. That was a close one."
Roderick nodded, looking around at his team. "We make a great team, guys. I'm proud of each and every one of you."
Ashton smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie with his fellow feys. "Yeah, we do. And I'm grateful to be a part of it."
The group sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying the quiet of the forest around them. After resting for an hour or so, they got up and decided to make their way back home before the sun sets.
Team 7 had been walking for hours, their fatigue and exhaustion from the previous battle beginning to catch up with them. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the forest floor.
Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the bushes, and they all stopped in their tracks. They instinctively drew their weapons, their eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.
"Everyone, stay alert," Roderick whispered, his voice low and urgent. "We may not be alone out here."
Ashton clicked his tongue in annoyance but he didn't dare to show it.
As they crept forward, they saw a group of demons emerging from the shadows, their eyes glowing with a malevolent light. But these were no ordinary demons. They were larger, stronger, and far more dangerous than the ones they had faced before.
Kaida gasped, her hand shaking as she reached for her spell book. "These are A-class, at least. We're not ready for this!"
"But this is only the way back home, and we can't be out here when it's all dark because that'd be more dangerous for us!" Elias exclaimed softly.
Leila gritted her teeth, her grip on her weapons tightening. "We have to be ready. We can't let them get the upper hand."
Ashton was annoyed because he just wanted to go back to the guild to rest. Unfortunately, these things just had to make things more difficult for them.
Roderick took a deep breath, steeling himself for the fight ahead. "Remember, we work together. We have each other's backs. We can do this."
The team knew that they can't escape this confrontation. The demons were making a camp on the very road that leads back to their home. They knew that they had to eliminate them not only because they want to go home, but also because that was their duty as members of the Demon Slaying Squad.
The demons lunged forward, their teeth bared and claws extended. The battle was intense, with Kaida and Elias using their magic to keep the demons at bay while Leila and Roderick worked to take them down with their weapons. Ashton did his best to keep up with the healing, but the demons' attacks were too powerful. Thankfully though, Ashton had recovered enough mana earlier, allowing him to ensure his teammates' safety.
The sun had long since set, and the only light came from the fiery spells and glowing eyes of the demons. The air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat, and the sound of clashing weapons and roars of pain echoed through the forest.
As the battle wore on, Team 7 began to tire, their movements becoming slower and less coordinated. The demons took advantage of their weakness, and one by one, the feys began to fall.
Ashton could tell that his teammates were at their wits' end. They were too tired and more demons lurked around than they initially expected.
Of course, Ashton was still relatively fine. He stood at the back anyway and he was being protected by his teammates, however, this situation was really starting to get on his nerves.
Then, something inside him snapped. Ashton didn't want to prolong this battle anymore since he wants to go back to the guild, so he decided to reveal a bit of his true power.
Ashton used a spell but none of his teammates noticed it. His eyes glowed with a soft rainbow-colored gleam and then he proceeded to glare at the demons that are harassing his team.
Each time he looks at them, it's as if a mysterious force seized up their bodies, causing them to stop moving. In turn, this allowed his teammates to land some lethal attacks on the demons, allowing them to reduce their numbers steadily.
The team noticed that for some reason, the fight became easier, but they didn't think too much about it.
Finally, the last demon fell to the ground, defeated. Team 7 collapsed on the ground, their bodies heaving with exhaustion. But they had won. They had survived.
Ashton looked around at his teammates, he felt a bit apologetic since he truly could've just ended everything in a snap of a finger but for personal reasons, he couldn't, so he could only let them suffer like this.
But at the very least, they are all alive. They were greatly exhausted and haggard from all the fighting but alive nonetheless.
"You did great, guys." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You really did."
Roderick grinned, his face covered in dirt and sweat. "We make a pretty good team, don't we?"
The group laughed, feeling a sense of camaraderie and unity that they had never felt before. They knew that they had just faced a near-death experience together, and they would never forget the bond that had been forged between them.
However, their celebration was short-lived as they realized that they were still in danger. The demons might return, and they were too exhausted to fight any longer.
"Captain, I can still sense some foul presences around. I'm afraid that there are still some demons lurking around. We can't fight them anymore. We need to call for reinforcements." Ashton suggested.
Roderick nodded in agreement and quickly took out the distress beacon that they had been given by the Guildmaster. He activated it, hoping that someone would hear their signal and come to their aid.
To their relief, help arrived in the form of the Elite Members of the Demon Slaying Squad. They swooped in, their weapons at the ready, and took down the remaining demons with ease.
The Elite Members then helped Team 7 get to safety, guiding them through the forest and making sure that they were okay. They led them to a nearby safe house where they could rest and recover.
As they sat down to catch their breath, Kaida turned to the Elite Members with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much for saving us. We couldn't have done it without you."
One of the Elite Members, a tall and imposing figure, nodded. "It's our duty to protect and serve, especially our fellow demon slayers. You did well out there, but remember, never hesitate to call for backup when you need it."
Roderick nodded, his expression serious. "We won't forget that. And we'll work harder so that we can be stronger and more capable in the future."
Ashton observed this interaction from the side. He sized up the Elite Members of the squad and discovered that they were all Grandmaster Ranked Feys.
Judging from how they moved earlier, he could tell that they were skilled and experienced. Well, that's expected from an Elite Member of the squad of course. Additionally, they seem nice and approachable too.
Team 7 decided to spend the night in the safe house. It's too dark and it's unwise to force their way back home so they decided to rest here for now. After the night passed, the team returned home and had a three-day vacation to recover from everything they'd been through.
