Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

Thirty-two seconds.

The massive demon landed on the building directly across the street, its weight causing the entire structure to groan and crack. Concrete dust cascaded from damaged support beams.

It's close enough to see the details of its face now. It looks as ugly as every other demon...

Arthur's vision catalogued the creature's features.

The demon's gaze swept across the hospital's facade, searching for something specific. When its burning eyes found their shattered window, a slow grin spread across features that belonged in humanity's darkest nightmares.

It knows exactly where we are.

Arthur felt the weight of that attention like ice water in his veins. Being noticed by something that powerful was like being marked for death by forces beyond mortal comprehension.

The demon's mouth opened, revealing rows of serrated teeth that could bite through steel.

"Found you, little mortals."

It speaks...huh?

Arthur stepped closer to the window, his photon weapon raised but not yet aimed. The gesture was purely symbolic, establishing eye contact with apex predators required courage or stupidity.

The massive demon's grin widened as it recognised the challenge in Arthur's posture. This wasn't cowering prey—this was something that intended to fight back.

Amusing. It thinks we're entertainment.

[00:00:30]

Thirty seconds until the merge.

Thirty seconds until the real game begins.

The demon gathered itself for the final leap, muscles coiling with enough power to demolish buildings. Its burning eyes never left Arthur's position.

Here it comes.

Arthur's enhanced perception tracked every detail as time seemed to slow. The creature's stance. The calculation behind its eyes.

The satisfaction of a hunt reaching its conclusion.

Distance: one hundred meters.

Time to impact, approximately eight seconds.

Time until merge, thirty seconds.

Survival probability, approaching zero.

Their eyes locked across the devastation-scarred cityscape—human determination meeting demonic malice in a contest that would determine who lived and who died.

...

The creature launched itself through the air with earth-shaking force. Its trajectory painted a perfect arc toward their shattered window, four arms spread wide like the wings of some apocalyptic angel.

Here we go.

"OPEN FIRE!" Arthur's command cut through the tension like a blade.

The security team's weapons erupted in brilliant harmony. Energy beams lanced across the gap between buildings, each shot aimed with desperation at the airborne threat.

ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!

The photon blasts struck the demon's crimson hide perfectly. Energy that had vaporized defective demons merely left scorch marks on its supernatural flesh.

Barely scratched it.

The creature's laughter boomed across the distance as it completed its leap. Four clawed hands found purchase on the hospital's exterior wall, leaving gouges in reinforced concrete that spoke of impossible strength.

CRACK!

The building shuddered under its weight. Dust rained from the ceiling as structural supports groaned in protest.

"Pathetic." The demon's voice carried casual amusement as it peered through the shattered window.

"Human toys pretending to be powerful with pathetic weapons. Just because you were able to kill those defectives, it doesn't mean that you will be able to even make a scratch on me."

It's not even breathing hard after crossing that distance in a mere minute or so.

Arthur kept his photon rifle trained on the creature's head, though the gesture felt increasingly meaningless.

"Everyone stay calm. Maintain firing position, don't lose hope."

I have to stay confident even when facing annihilation.

Arthur knew that the weapons were meaningless, he also knew that killing the demon or even injuring it was practically useless, but despite that, he kept their moralle up.

The hidden card still hasn't acted; he should be able to buy us some extra time.

The demon's burning eyes swept across the huddled survivors with a smile on his disgusting face.

"So many frightened little mortals. Which one should I eat first? I heard that hands tasted pretty good, brains too."

It wants us terrified; it wants to enjoy seeing us terrified. If I show it weakness, it will get bored, I have to show strength, entertain it more, make it feel the need to break me.

"You talk big for something that bleeds," Arthur replied, his voice steady despite their circumstances.

The creature's grin widened. "Bleeds? Did your little light show actually convince you that you hurt me?"

It has a point.

With deliberate slowness, the demon extended one massive arm through the window frame. Claws that could shred steel scraped against the wall as it reached toward the nearest survivor.

He is testing our response; he wants us to give up and despair.

Marcus raised his weapon. "Sir, should I—"

"DO IT!"

ZAP!

The photon beam struck the demon's extended arm at point-blank range. Energy that should have severed limbs merely left another scorch mark on crimson skin.

The creature examined the blackened spot with academic interest. "Your weapons is functional. But, they're simply too weak to matter."

Completely outclassed.

"What are you?" A nurse whispered from her position against the wall.

The demon's attention shifted to the woman who had spoken. "I am Rex the Render, young mortal. I have devoured armies. Watched empires crumble to ash."

"And you," its burning gaze fixed on Arthur, "are barely worth the effort of killing. But, I'm quite bored, so I suppose I can play with you mortals for a while."

Arthur's countdown timer pulsed with increasing urgency.

[00:00:24]

Twenty-four seconds until everything changes. I need to buy time, I need to keep it interested, because once it loses interest...we are dead.

The demon began forcing more of its massive frame through the window. The air itself grew thick and oppressive.

It's coming inside.

"Sir!" One of the security team pointed toward the building across the street. "Movement in the target structure!"

What now?

Through the smoke and debris, a figure emerged onto the rooftop of the building Arthur had designated. Floyd Henderson, clutching his photon rifle like a sacred relic, took position behind a makeshift barricade.

The cavalry arrives...haha.

The demon's head turned to track the new presence, amusement flickering across its features.