Théoden pulled out the sword. A fine double edge symmetrical long and thin knife, he would describe it. It shone in a silver shine due to the sun's rays. Théoden hadn't noticed the change of environment as the pressure around him became heavier due pressure he exuded.

His breathing let out a soft but warm mist. His ruby-red rare lustered eyes turned a slight shade of blue. His mind was clear. Very clear, it was scary.

He could notice the slightest details he had missed before. The movement of the wind could be felt much more sensitively as all sound resonated in his ears giving him a better grasp of where he was standing at. His observation became that of a predator.

Théoden tried to find the weakness of the creature. It was, however, not as easy. Other than its injuries, it didn't show any obvious opening. I mean, it simply paced toward him nonchalantly, and that was hard enough to deal with.

'Whoever makes the first move wins is what they say. I have to do it.'

Théoden rushed forward putting all the power bust to the heel of his foot. He plunged himself with the most power he could gather and pushed toward the demon. The sound of metals clashing was heard.

Clang!

'Huh? Clang?'

The humanoid demon had somehow stopped the vertical slash from cutting its head in two. The demon was not so tall. At least not taller than an average human. It used one arm at that to stop a sharp sword with its claws.

Looking closer, the claws that met the sword had been scratched a little. The demon twitched a little. It seemed to be in immense pain, but Théoden didn't have the leisure to pity it. It was his survival or the monsters. Looking at the state of the demon you could tell it wasn't interested in him, but saw him as food to replenish its health somehow.

It was a kill-or-be-killed situation.

Théoden didn't stop there. He needed to utilize everything he could at the moment. By observance, he could tell the demon's other arm was unfunctional. That was one less danger to him. He pulled back a bit and rushed in again. This time aiming for its eyes. They looked almost lifeless. A hollow abyss of blood-craving void holes.

'A dying demon is still a threat to me.'

When it put its claws up to defend he twisted his body so the sword would shift towards the demon's torso. His attack landed. A place with a torn and open bleeding wound. The sword hit precisely, but there was a problem. He couldn't pull it out. In a panic, he let go and jumped back a few steps behind.

He quickly got a knife from the side and pointed it forward. There was something weird. The demon that was supposed to attack him in the moment of weakness didn't. He realized that the demon never took the initiative. It only defended.

'Why is that? Why won't it attack?'

"...eak human.....grrr....dare....challenge me? Stupid....pest....human. I am...superior. " The demon said in a low sinister voice mixed with rough growls that gave Théoden chills.

"It can speak?" Théoden mutter under his breath. He pointed the knife even wearier than before. The monster had to have the intelligence to manage speech.

"I.....Nalbthalur..am the envy demon in the 10th class of Envy demons. I am not to fall to a mere human. Now I shall eliminate those who challenge me. Become my nutrient human. Feel honored."

The demon's speech got more fluent. Théoden felt insulted, devalued, violated, and most of all angry. His eyes which had gained a cold azure blue gleam switched again and glowed an intense crimson red. They were completely bloodshot with reptilian pupils.

Similarly, the pressure he had was more intense and heavier as the ground sank a bit little to Théoden's knowledge.

He held the knife much more tightly, and small blood droplets fell from his palm. He rushed in with only one aim.

'I have to make it out alive. NO MATTER THE COST.'

He kept fighting for his dear life. He was scratched multiple times and his skin torn many times over that he was in a more miserable state than the demon.

The demon parried his attacks and casually swung its arm with razor-sharp claws.

Théoden never let go of his weapon. The knife was getting more and more cracks. They fought close quarters and it was inevitable to receive the attacks directly. Théoden couldn't let himself fall here.

'Go on. Stand up again. Don't slack. Don't turn your back. The minute you do, it will be the end. '

He kept chanting words in his mind. It was true that his body which had never held a knife was moving with only one instinct. To defend and survive. He instinctively knew that a direct hit from the demon was his death sentence, so with full concentration, he dodged every attack that came to him a breath's distance.

His goal wasn't to defeat the thing. He wasn't conceited enough to even dream of it. He was aware of the pathetically weak state of the body he possessed and due to that, he understood where his limits reached. He only needed to live. He could gain strength elsewhere at another time, but he would need to stay alive then.