“It’s good to finally meet in person… sir,” Levi said, adding that last part after a moment of hesitation.
He then gave a slight bow, keeping his gaze on the ground. His back was turned toward Jaco, so it was hard to see his current expression without moving first. At Levi’s sides, the Minotaurs had each already gotten down to kneel.
It was almost amusing to see the normally arrogant man bowing before the Demon… almost. Because if Jaco had to be completely honest with himself, he wasn’t exactly feeling cocky right now. Not when a true monster like that was within sight. That alone already made it far too close for comfort.
Impure Iranes (Demon)
Level: ?
Impure? Okay, so what the Hell is a pure one of these things supposed to be like, then?
The fact that Jaco couldn’t even see its Level wasn’t all that surprising. Yet the confirmation was still enough to send a chill up his spine. Now that it was a lot closer than before, when it was flying through the air, he even had the misfortune of getting a much better look at it.
The Demon was tall, even more so than the Minotaurs or Jaco when he stood at his full height in his bear form. But at the same time, it—or was it close enough to human to be a “he”—wasn’t overall as big. Jaco had assumed it would be equally muscular when he initially saw it from a distance in the sky. But he had been staring at its back with its wings in the way, so now he could see that his assumption actually wasn’t quite accurate.
If he had to describe its general build in one word, it’d be spindly. Its arms and legs were all extremely thin, practically sticks with a layer of red skin tightly stretched over them. The rest of its body was similarly emaciated, with virtually no muscle or fat on its frame. It looked almost like a person who’d already been starving for weeks on end, and was now at death’s door.
That was where the humanoid comparison came to an end, as it had several characteristics that it made very clearly not human. For one thing, it actually had two pairs of arms. The top ones were currently crossed as the Demon smugly looked down on the human in front of it while the bottom two were placed behind its back, hidden from sight. But being able to see its visible hands, Jaco knew he wouldn’t want it to hit him.
Rather than normal fingers, the Demon simply had four claws on each hand. They were maybe about a foot long with a slight curve, but more concerning was that they were also serrated. Each claw had a series of small spikes across its edge. Just one look at them was all he needed to understand that they would easily shred his flesh even if he dumped all his Unspent Points into Endurance at that instant.
Moving on, the next things of note were the Demon’s wings. It had three pairs that could be described as bat-like, and were all coming out of its back. When fully stretched out, each pair’s wingspan was easily longer than the Demon was tall. Though it should have been cumbersome to fly with the three on each side right next to one another, it seemed to have no trouble, from what he saw earlier.
Finally, there was the head. Out of all its features, this was simultaneously the least Demon-like yet also the most unnerving. There were no horns on top of its skull or spikes or anything like that. There weren’t any sharp teeth either, because that would require it to have a mouth. Something which it entirely lacked, along with a nose, ears, and hair. Its head was almost entirely smooth and devoid of anything else, with just one exception. Eyes, or at least what might be called an equivalent to a normal pair of eyes.
What it had instead were two coal-like spheres on the front of its head. They seemed to be pressed into its flesh as if it were made from soft clay. And as it stared down at the leader of the Chosen Few, a faint trail of smoke rose from the pieces of coal.
“Mmm, you were once nothing more than a young human,” the Demon proclaimed. Its words seemed to emanate out equally in all directions, while its voice sounded like two rough stones being scraped against each other. Just listening to it was enough to make Jaco wince, as this was a moment when he regretted his superhuman hearing.
“But now I see one who has been steeped in blood. Who has wrought death upon his own kind. A traitor of your species who has allied himself with those who bring devastation onto your world. It is no wonder that you managed to strike a chord with my servants. Tell me, human, what name do you go by?” the Demon asked.
“My name is Levi, sir.”
“You may drop the ‘sir,’ Levi. There is no need for such polite language between two fellow servants. Compared to the highest of powers, we are equally small under his thumb. But before anything is official, I must ask you one question. Tell me what it is that you seek above all else. What would you be willing to kill for? To die for? To commit every known atrocity and then some in a dogged pursuit to claim that which you seek?”
As the Impure Iranes spoke, it had begun to circle the human. As it did so, Jaco was able to see that it actually had another feature on the back of its head. It was a second pair of coal-like eyes.
To his credit, Levi didn’t just immediately spew out any random answer. He seemed to seriously contemplate the question and take his time to think about it. A full minute very slowly passed by as Levi continued to stare at the ground. But the Demon was apparently happy with waiting, as it made no move to rush him.
As the scene continued to stretch on, Jaco heard something come from behind him. It sounded like a small rock hitting the ground. The Druid’s face further paled with horror as a connection was immediately made within his mind. He tried to subtly turn around to look. And unfortunately, his assumption was proved correct, as he saw Sam and Evelyn approaching him.
The good news was that they were moving slowly and quietly in an attempt to be inconspicuous. One of them must have accidentally kicked a pebble, which had only been loud enough for someone like him to hear. Though if it hadn't already been for his stress from the current tension, he might have dismissed the sound as just a piece of concrete falling from a building. Otherwise, they were at least doing a decent job of being stealthy. But that still wasn’t enough to overturn the simple fact that they were getting closer to him, and by extension, the Demon.
Well, fuck! They must have gotten worried that I was taking too long. What the Hell do I do?! Jaco internally cursed. It was his fault. He should have realized that something like this might happen. A situation where he’d be frozen in place by an extreme threat, and the two of them could act accordingly with a premade plan.
But it hadn’t come up before, and he had foolishly assumed that at least one of them would quickly spot the Demon if it left the fort and took to the sky again. So without anything planned beforehand, of course their first instinct was to check in on him after too much time had passed.
But Jaco knew that a disaster was now imminent. The Demon and those with it were standing at a spot that was just past the left turn of the intersection. So from his position, he was currently looking at them from an angle. It was a good place to be in, keeping him hidden while still allowing him to use One with Nature.
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Because as long as he didn’t get any closer or make any sudden moves, Jaco shouldn’t get spotted unless they looked directly at him while paying close attention. And considering that the Demon hadn’t noticed him so far, it didn’t seem to have any automatic detection powers or anything like that.
But the angle that he was standing at was now presenting a drawback. It meant that until Sam and Evelyn were basically standing right next to him, they wouldn’t be able to see the danger that was waiting just ahead.
Even if he hadn’t been spotted yet, the same likely wouldn’t be true for them. While they were already being cautious, the two of them had no idea what to actually expect and wouldn’t be prepared. The Druid considered the most direct method of preventing them from getting closer. If he just raised an earthen wall to cut their path off, the message that implied should be crystal clear.
But did he dare actually do it? The actual physical motion to do so would only take a minimum bit of movement on his part. However, what about the channeling of Mana that it would require? Could the Demon detect something like that? It hadn’t noticed the ongoing use of his Passive Ability, but what about an Active one that would actually use a fair amount of Mana in the process? Would that single act just hasten their doom anyway?
Jaco had no idea what a Demon’s powers were like when it came to sensing Mana. So without any knowledge to form a basis with, this decision effectively felt like a coin flip. That was not a gamble he was currently willing to make. Especially not when it was other lives besides just his own that would be on the line.
Perhaps there was a better solution. But he was currently on a time limit and didn’t have the luxury to endlessly think about every possible option. Jaco was forced to very quickly make a choice. In the end, he decided to go with something that still felt risky, but was hopefully on the lower end of the risk spectrum.
Considering their eyelike placement, at least on the front side, he just had to assume that the Demon’s spherical coals weren’t just for the show. Why else would it have eyes on the back of its head if they didn’t serve any purpose, right?
The Demon was still walking in a circle around Levi. The Minotaurs and leader of the Chosen Few were both facing away from Jaco anyway, so they weren’t as big of a concern. So he waited, his muscles tensed as he watched for the perfect opportunity to come.
There was only one moment that he could make use of: when the Demon was turning. The point when only a side of its head faced him, and ideally acted as a blind spot. If he was lucky enough for that to be how its vision worked, anyway. If it could actually just see everything within 360 degrees, then Jaco’s plan was already dead in the water.
The instant his chance came, Jaco was already acting. His planned movement was intended to be no less than perfect. Ducking away from the corner would have been a simple act. But he was not only turning, he was trying to do so flawlessly. There was no wasted motion as he moved backward, and his feet didn’t even so much as budge a single one of the many pebbles strewn about.
Jaco’s breath was caught in his throat as he waited for something to go wrong. For the high-Level monster to take notice and react. But as he then slipped out of its possible line of sight, there was nothing. Yet even then, he didn’t dare release that breath until he was further back by more than another twenty feet.
Now actually able to face them and move as he liked, Jaco raised a hand to signal his companions to stop. They did so, though they seemed confused. Confusion which then quickly turned to worry as the two of them saw just how pale the Druid’s face had become. Before either of them said anything, he pressed a finger to his lips. Jaco then walked over to meet them, still trying to make as little noise as he could.
When Jaco reached them, he very quietly began to summarize what he’d seen so far. His voice was barely a whisper, so the two of them really had to concentrate to actually be able to hear what he said. With how relatively close they still were to the Demon, this was the highest level of noise he deemed safely acceptable. As they listened, their eyes widened with shock as they realized just how close they’d come to what would be practically guaranteed death.
After giving them this quick rundown, the Druid then began to add on his own thoughts about what they should do next.
“This is the gold mine of information we’ve been looking for. I have an idea. I should still be able to easily overhear what they’re saying if I just get a little closer again. As long as we don’t make any loud noises, this spot should be safe as is. I think you guys should still get farther back and find a spot to hide, just in case they move toward us. That way—” Jaco then paused as he heard a voice around the corner.
“Power,” Levi began.
Pursing his lips, Jaco left his last sentence unfinished as he crept a bit closer. They weren’t too far, but he wanted to be a little closer, to reliably hear anything that was said in a low voice. Even then, Jaco would still be too far to peer around the corner and actually be able to see anything, but he’d rather stick to being safe than sorry. As he moved forward, the leader of the Chosen Few continued to speak.
“More than anything else, I need the kind of power that makes nobody even dare to challenge me. To take what I want, when I want, because who’s going to stop me? If I have enough of that, then anything I could ever desire would easily be mine too.”
The Demon then stopped its encirclement. A few seconds of silence then passed, until a horrid noise filled the street. It was as if someone had taken a bag of rocks and then tossed them into a blender. Jaco internally swore as he was forced to cover his ears. It felt like someone was taking a pair of screwdrivers, twisting them around inside his ears, and poking them into his brain.
“Good! Good!” the Demon said, before the horrible sound came again. Jaco could then only wonder if it was its painful version of… laughter?
“That is the correct response! Very well, by my status as amongst the first true Demons to reach this world, I shall grant you the highest of honors. You may join me in returning to my home through the Gate, and have an audience of none other than the King of Hell! If you wish for ultimate power, then he is the one who can give it.”
“It would be my honor.”
“Yes, yes it would be. You call your group of humans the Chosen Few, yes? A normally foolish notion, but one that can be made a reality for yourself if my liege accepts you. Consider yourself truly lucky, for even other Demons above my station would slaughter all in their path for just a chance to receive a boon from him. If you survive, that is!” it exclaimed before the blending of rocks again returned.
“I thank you for this opportunity, then. When will we be able to go?” Levi asked.
“Very soon. There is just one thing you must learn about the expected etiquette within Hell. Especially while inside the domain of our master.”
The Impure Iranes was then in the middle of the street, seemingly appearing there without having moved. From what happened before and now this, a part of the Druid’s mind made the connection that the monster likely had the power to teleport. But that was a tiny detail before the fact that it was looking straight at them.
“Eavesdrop for too long, and you will eventually be caught.”
Its hand was already raised, aimed straight at Jaco and the two others directly behind him. The Demon’s claws were enveloped by a red-black energy that seemed to distort the very air around it. Just one look was all his instincts needed to scream that this energy carried a death sentence for him. One that could not be avoided or blocked by him, no matter what he attempted.
Oh shi—As the thought was still midway through Jaco’s mind, a beam of pure white suddenly descended between them and the Demon, burning into the earth.
“You… it seems we missed a spot with removing your kind,” the Impure Iranes said as it lowered its claws. Behind the almost-blinding light, the pair of coals on its face now glowed red hot, as though they were on the cusp of catching aflame. From behind its head, two columns of now much darker and thicker smoke trailed up into the air.
A moment later, the beam dispersed to reveal the figure within. Jaco’s eyes flashed with recognition as a pair of feathered wings were stretched out. Though her main body was still that of just a little human girl, the white wings and aura of golden light could not be mistaken for anything else.
The Guardian Angel he previously saved had now arrived. Jaco could not know the expressions of the two women standing behind him without turning around. The utterly dumbfounded face of the leader of the Chosen, however, was plain for him to see.
In her right hand, there was a spear that seemed to be made of pure, condensed golden light. In her left, she had a similarly made construct in the form of a shield. The Angel’s aura flickered, sometimes appearing as light surrounding her while other times being a translucent suit of armor.
She pointed her spear at the Demon. “Foul creature whose presence stains this world! These souls are not meant to be your quarry, and this one cannot tolerate their light being snuffed! Flee now like the coward you are, or meet the challenge of this spear and face justice for your unholy transgressions against creation!”