Instead of replying with words, the soldiers responded to Ru's taunt with the multiple, small explosions generated from their magical rifles.
The mana based shells streaked towards Ru and Elelth in a dazzling display of bright, white lights.
Ru took a deep breath, his eyes turning cold as time seemed to slow for him, though it was only his perception. The soldiers had exceptional aim and knew what they were doing, half aiming for Ru, with the other half aiming for Elelth and within the constraints of the alleyway, there wasn't much chance of dodging.
Ru's mind went into overdrive, analysing the situation the best he could with the limited data available to him and, even though the magic projectiles were incredibly fast, he had come up with a plan before the first shell was a quarter of the distance. -"Time to draw friendlies into the firing line."
Ru was not one for words, and the only reason he had engaged in conversation instead of immediately jumping into action was to stall for more information and to increase his chances of survival. Subconsciously, even before he made the decision that he would protect Elelth, Ru had already been preparing to get her out the way and, though it wasn't complete, he felt confident his backup plan would work.
As the bullet's hissed towards them, the yellow, brick road beneath Elelth crumbled as two black tendrils wrapped around her feet and dragged her downwards at an incredible speed.
Initially, Ru was happy to let gravity take its course, but with the incoming onslaught of bullets, it wouldn't be fast enough. So, even if she had a few bruises from her rapid descent, he decided that he had no other option but to reveal another one of his abilities, hoping that none of the soldiers saw it or at least, would not survive the encounter to tell others.
The pit was barely deep enough for Elelth to be completely covered, the top of her pointy ears sticking out of the ground like shark fins, as she landed heavily on the uneven floor, not even having time to scream due to the increased speed of her descent.
As she fell, Elelth had raised her head and watched the streaks of light hiss past where her body had been moments before and felt a chill run down her spine. Even as a manaless, if those hit her, the kinetic energy generated by the displacement of air, she would be dead.
She had learnt the limits of her ability first hand when facing the bounty hunters that, while Ru continually praised her kind's abilities, stating that she was, in his words, his Achilles heel, proved that magic could still hurt, if not, kill her.
Opposite to every book and bit of common knowledge she knew, Ru explained that he believed mana was just a fuel or binding agent that triggered a reaction by changing unseen things he called atoms and molecules. The mana rifles were not firing mana but condensed air, saturated with mana to propel it forward.
Elelth shivered at the memory of when Ru shot her to prove his theory. Admittedly he had been a fair distance away, and she had what he called her anti-mana armour activated, but it still broke one of her ribs which had yet to heal. She still remembers Ru walking over with the innocent; I told you so expression as she rolled on the floor in pain.
-"RU!" Thinking about the man who made her, in a very conflicting way, feel terrified for her safety at the same time as completely safe, reminded her that they were under attack. They had only been travelling for three weeks and while they had been attacked nearly every day, instead of falling into nerves, like she expected anyone would, Ru turned it into a game and she quickly found that, at least while Ru was dealing with it, her mind would wander.
They had only been travelling for three weeks and while they had been attacked nearly every day, instead of falling into nerves, like she expected anyone would, Ru turned it into a game and she quickly found that, at least while Ru was dealing with it, her mind would wander.
Pinching her leg and letting the pain focus her, she cleared her mind. This wasn't like those times; they were in danger. Without waiting for a second longer, Elelth rose on her tiptoes as he fingers grasped the edge of the pit and she heaved her body up enough to see what was going on, wondering if Ru had dug a hole for himself.
As her eyes rose over the pit's edge, she sucked in a deep breath and almost fell back into the hole.
Ru, even though she doubted more than a few of his stories and thought that he might be one harpy short of a flock, was the strongest man that she had ever met, Devil or not, and even with the Alliance military surrounding them, subconsciously she hadn't been afraid. However, what she saw caused fear to claw at her heart. She knew that Ru was the only one keeping her alive. If he died, she would, and he did not look to be in good shape.
"Ru, Get out of there," screamed Elelth as the alleyway fell into, what felt like, deafening silence after the soldier's noisy salvo.
Ru was barely standing, his clothes once again in tatters as large, circular holes littered his body, displaying the swirling, black liquid of his insides.
"Hmph, resilient cockroach aren't you?" shouted the Captain as he smiled wickedly, "I would ask what the hell are you, but honestly, I don't care. Though I will admit, I am impressed. Even though we are using metal casings designed to maim, not kill, you are still standing after so many hits in what should be vital areas."
Ru slowly straightened, a faint blue flicker of lightning jumping from his hand as the Captain's smile grew.
"FIRE!"
Elelth fell back into her hole as the soldiers fired another salvo into Ru before silence returned to the alleyway.
"Ru~," whimpered Elelth, her body starting to shake. Even though he was partly responsible for her parent's death, she felt tears running down her face. Over the weeks, even though he irritated her to no end, he had grown on her, and she couldn't deny the only reason he was in this situation because of her.
He could have handed her over or tried to escape on his own. Even though she knew he was always holding back, she had seen a bit of his strength and had little doubt they could keep up if he decided to run. She just couldn't understand why he was still here.
What confused her, even more, was she felt like he was letting himself get shot.
Realising that these might be the last few minutes of her life, dark thoughts began swirling through her mind. -"At least I won't die alone."
Slapping her cheeks, she scolded herself. -"No, I am not like them, and even if it seems helpless, Ru is an ancient hero that has killed Demon Lords and Demigods. He isn't going to die he-"
The dull thud of a body hitting the ground, splashing in liquid reached her sensitive, elf-like ears and echoed around her hole causing her heart to lurch. There was only one person close to her, and he had fallen.
The Captain, while walking forward with his sword pointing at Ru, released a hearty chuck. "All bark and no bite. Just like those filthy demons."
Gerrard significantly paled, thinking he had failed his mission and his Goddess, before turning and quickly walking away, contemplating how he would phrase his report. From what the head priestess, Alex, had told him, his Goddess held the man, the girl called Ru, in high regard and he was almost certain there would be consequences for his failure.
Ignoring the disappearance of the priest, just as he was within striking distance of Ru's body, the Captain's body flickered forward, and his sword pierced Ru's head. "Hmm, guess he was really dead. Still, better safe than sorry."
Drawing his blade out and only frowning when it didn't even have a spec of the black liquid, that had pooled around Ru's body, on it, the Captain turned and signalled one of the nearby soldiers to approach.
Pointing to the hole, in which Elelth hid at the bottom of, before turning around and walking away, he sighed. "You know what to do."
Ru's body was only a couple of feet away from the pit, but the soldier paid it no mind as his black, metallic boots marched forward so he could get a good look at the cowering dark elf.
Standing next to Ru's body, his face hidden by his helm, the guard slowly lifted his rifle and pointed it at Elelth, who, even though she was cowering, glared back defiantly. "Sorry about this. Just following orders."
Just as the man was about to pull the trigger, he froze, terror wracking his mind as his skin crawled. A white, frail looking hand had wrapped around his ankle, but to the man, it felt as if Death himself, had claimed his soul.
Ru's joyful voice reverberated off the walls. "That's good, but I should let you know, I am not sorry for this in the slightest, hope it hurts like hell."
The Captain's steps stopped but still had his back to the them as he felt a cold sensation settle on his skin and the hairs on his arms stand upright.
Even though the voice seemed to be cheerful, the pure rage and bloodlust it contained were enough to cause him, and most of his men, to forget to breathe.
A loud snap, followed by a scream, as Ru crushed the man's greaves and the bone underneath woke the soldiers from their stupor.
The Captain was the first to regain his senses and, in a flowing motion, drew his sword as he turned, intending to attack Ru immediately, however, for all his speed and training, he was too slow.
As the Captain completed his turn and his enchanted sword struck forward, the screaming man flew towards him and was impaled, sending him stumbling backwards as his mind scrambled to make sense of what had just happened.
Pushing the man to the side and off his sword, the Captain's eyes returned to the front only to narrow in shock.
Standing in front of him, the Ru stood like a vengeful spirit, a faint blue glow emanating from his eyes as his haunting smile stretched across his face.
With a slight tilt of his head, indicating the dead soldier at the Captains feet, the smile only became more twisted and sinister. "Aww, you drew first blood. Well, it looks like I am going to have to go for the other... achievements."
Before the Captain could even blink, Ru had backhanded his enchanted sword into the nearby wall, breaking the bones in his hand, and was lifting him up by his neck as if he was weightless.
The rest of his men looked on in terror as black chunks, of what they assumed to be the man's flesh, melted and merged with the streams of black liquid snaking towards Ru before being absorbed, rapidly filling in his wounds.
They were not shocked by the black blood or flesh as more than one species shared that particular trait, especially in the south of the continent, however, what they had just seen terrified them to their core.
Not only was Ru able to lift a fully grown man, wearing the enchanted armour gifted to all captains, into the air with a single arm, survive such grievous wounds, including a penetrating strike to his head, but he was able to heal faster than even the strongest dragons and healing potions.
They had not been close enough to hear Ru and Elelth's conversation, but already knowing the girl's title, the Devil's priestess, they were quick to put two and two together.
The man standing before them was not the High Inquisitor. He was the Devil.
What many initially thought to be overkill with the extent of preparation undertaken, pooling the resources of two rapid response divisions to capture a single, manaless girl while the Demon Lands were being overrun with mutants and abominations, made sense.
"Fuck, you're a regenerator," gasped the Captain as he tried to relieve some of the pressure on his neck knowing full well that if Ru wanted to, he could snap his neck before he could even act.
Ru tilted his head to the side as if listening to something as his eyes narrowed in thought.
The Captain knew that threats never worked in this situation and repressed a shiver. He was ultimately loyal to the Alliance but if he could escape death, he would. His expression turned apologetic and his voice, gentle. "Look, let's make a deal. You let me go, and we will give you a day head start. I can't say we won't chase you and if I did, you would know it was a lie. It's the only way you and the girl will leave this town alive."
Slowly, Ru lifted his free hand to his chin as if he was thinking about something before his eyes snapped to the Captains.
Second ticked away, before the man let out a terrified groan and a yellow liquid started leaking for the joints in his metallic armour.
Ancient, merciless eyes that held no value for life, especially his own bore into his soul as Ru displayed an amused expression. "Sorry. No deal."
Knowing his death was assured and already losing most of his dignity, the Captain scrapped together the remnants of his resolve and took a deep, calming breath.
Defiance replaced the fear that was in the man's eyes as his lips twitched in what could only be assumed to be an attempt at smiling. -"Yes, I may die, but if this thing really is the Devil, then my name will go down in the annuls of the Alliance. He must be killed."
Watching the sudden change of emotion, Ru raised an eyebrow.
"You are a curse upon the Alliance and its people. You must be destroyed, even if the cost is my life and that of my men," spoke the Captain in a calm voice as if he was stating a glaring fact.
He had killed many people, both deserving and undeserving, and ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, they fell into despair. In fact, he had only known one other person stare into the abyss known as death and laugh in its face.
The memories of the Demon Lords last stand, as his friends fell one by one, flicked across Ru's mind as the Captain took a final, deep breath and released a mana infused shout so powerful, that the shockwaves were visible to the naked eye. "CODE HELLFIRE! KILL THE DEVIL."
Mana surged from all around Ru as the soldiers dropped their rifles and drew their melee weapons, runic patterns on their armour glowing in different patterns as the grown started to shake.
Though the glowing runes on their armour intrigued Ru, faintly looking like an inferior imitation of the ones found on the Divine Spears, he did not have time to think as a long forgotten feeling squirmed through his insides. He had always trusted what he called his gut feelings, even if had been silent for centuries, and right now, it was screaming that he was in danger.
Breaking the Captain's neck with little effort and throwing him to the side, Ru's arm stretched to grab Elelth as he ran past, pulling her to his chest as he sprinting deeper into the alley.
After evaluating his options, even though the possibility for ambushes and hidden threats were greater in the narrow alleyways, Ru did not want to risk the open streets, and breaking through the small group of soldiers blocking his path seemed to be the safest option.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
When he was no more than twenty feet away, the wall to his left exploded as two, large stone hands, easily half the size of Ru, reached out to grab him. Falling to his knees in a slide, Ru dodged the hands and growled as what was left of his leather trousers started to fall apart. -"What the fuck is everyone's problem with my clothes? I swear the world want's me to be a bloody nudist."
Slowly a golem's head, green glowing eyes, came into view as it emotionlessly looked for its prey while Ru silently mouthed the words. What the fuck.
Even towards the end of the war, golems had been considered a fantasy that the summoned brought with them. Too complicated and mana intensive to even be considered by the native mages and even Zed, his squad's most eccentric mage and only guy to get most of Ru's jokes, gave up after a few years, stating it couldn't be done.
A sudden surge of mana in front of him drew Ru's attention. Standing in front of the soldiers, who now had locked shields together in a weak attempt at forming a wall, stood a tall man holding his palms out.
Ru's mouth twitched as he saw the swirling red energy gathering in the mage's hands. -"Fireball. About time they used something I recognised. Was starting to think I was in a different world."
Instead of the flying ball of destruction, Ru was expecting, a stream of fire erupted from the man's hands causing the ex-heroes eyes to bulge, the laws of magic, at least from what he was taught, were being broken right before his eyes.
Separating his hands, the steam of fire spread, filling the entire width of the alleyway and causing a wall of flame to rapidly approach Ru.
Not even given enough time to be shocked by the duel wielding mage, who once again challenged his understanding of the world, Ru slipped to his feet and kicked off the floor, covering Elelth as his shoulder smashed into the wall next to the golem, and the pair fell into what appeared to be a tea shop.
Momentarily wondering if he could take some tea with him, and how they managed to get the golem into the shop without trashing it, Ru was forced to throw himself through the front window and into the main street as the building exploded in ice.
Still in mid-air, cradling Elelth's head close to his chest to stop her getting hurt from the sudden movements, Ru resisted the urge to laugh at the frozen golem's rear just as a shimmer to his left drew his attention.
Not hesitating, Ru kicked out his left foot, sending a woman in brown leather sailing through the air as he twisted his body to avoid a dagger she had thrown moments before.
"Out of the fire and into the frying pan," chuckled Ru as he rotated his body in preparation to land. Just as his feet touched the floor, Ru twisted his body and span, taking extra care to make sure Elelth was out of harm's way, as two metal disks shot past them at near supersonic speeds, sparks of electricity left in their wake.
Taking a deep breath during the momentary reprieve, Ru's face twisted in anger. -"Automation, flamethrowers, a large area of effect spell that can be triggered away from the caster, what I can only consider being a rail gun, stealth... What. The. Actual. Fuck."
To say that Ru was shocked was an understatement. To say he was pissed off with not anticipating that not only technology but magic would advance couldn't even be put into words.
Before he was imprisoned, both the military and adventurers relied on small; cohesive combat groups called parties. Each member would cover a particular role and relied on, at least what the summoned considered simple spells and tactics.
Even though the spells were simple, at least compared to the fantasy stories of the summoned's home world, they were terrifyingly powerful. Enough so, that the strategic concept of having groups larger than ten people were considered beyond madness. They wouldn't even be cannon fodder for a well-placed battle mage who could, in the right circumstances, kill hundreds with a single spell.
Towards the end of the war, when the summoned had the most experience and power, people started taking note of their theories, strategies and tactics but Ru had considered it too little, too late. There was only a handful of them left and, through bitter experience, even with the slave collars, the zealously guarded any knowledge they had.
Ru wanted to spit blood at how foolish he had been for not anticipating this. Even without the summoned, logic was logic and just like on his home world, people always found more efficient and pragmatic ways to kill each other. Throw in a couple of different species with a similar sort of intelligence, and it was a poultry dish for rapid development, especially when they were unified under a single banner and constantly under threat from monsters.
It hurt his pride, something he hadn't really considered before, that he didn't recognise the telltale signs of change. The large groups of armoured men heading towards the Demon Lands, the dissolution of the adventures guild as it split into various entities and the fact that even if she was a minor noble, Elelth had knowledge that would make the Alliance's researchers, at least in the past, scream in ecstasy.
Ru backflipped, dodging an ice lance, letting out a relieved sigh. -"At least there is one attack that I recognise. I guess things like stabbing your enemy never go out of fasio-"
Ru's thoughts jarred as, high in the air above him, two shapes shimmered before, like a cloth pulled from the table, two sky battleships slowly revealed themselves. The floating islands, a mass of metal and what looked like cannons, instantly darkening his mood.
"..."
Ru landed on his feet, as quickly release Elelth's head and pushed it to the side as she vomited, the constant, irregular movement making her nauseous.
Ignoring the elf, as he slapped away another dagger, Ru recalled his last few weeks.
As his journey had started out in the deepest parts of the South, an area where the Alliance had intentionally kept as technologically and socially backwards as possible due to the rebellion that sprung up every couple of decades, Ru had assumed that the world had not changed very much. His fight with the town guards previously had only reinforced this belief. However, after facing off against a minor detachment of Alliance troops, that illusion was now well and truly shattered.
Cold dread filled Ru as he realised that his plans were a stone throw away from being completely destroyed. He had anticipated lots of things, but he was quickly realising that the foundations he had built those assumptions were gone. Just like when the concepts of gravity, the earth being round and the theory of relativity fundamentally changed his planet, the world he now resided was now completely different, even if it had the same skin.
Anxiety gnawed at his mind, the risk that he would once again, be trapped trying to overpower his mental defences causing his face and body to twitch as emotions as varied as snowflakes rapidly transitioned over his face.
Two massive explosions, either side of him, distracted him long enough to regain control and repress the emotions threatening to overtake him.
Two golems, covered in what looked like steel plate, slowly rose from the ground, however, unlike the one that ambushed him in the alley, their right arms were nothing more than long, hollow tubes with what appeared to be a large box on their shoulders.
Ru had a very bad feeling. "You have to be shitting m-"
Feeling like all he had been doing lately was throwing himself around, large metallic cannonballs flew past him, obliterating the buildings they hit as the golems started to slowly march forward as they reloaded, shadows of people seemingly forming up behind them.
The rage that had been simmering at the back of his mind exploded forward, egged on by his fear, as Ru realised that he was outmatched. It wasn't the individual skill or powers of his opponents that stumped him, but their numbers, variety of attacks and most importantly, they hadn't given him even a chance to retaliate by always keeping him on the back foot.
The only chance, so far, that he had to get a kill was when the woman appeared at his side. Ru shook, feeling his fragile control slipping. If he had used his Spears instead of kicking her, she would be dead. He couldn't afford to pass up opportunities like that.
Ru had been trying to hide his abilities. If he revealed them all, it wouldn't be too hard to work out his weaknesses were. In a world that he no longer knew, that would result in his end without a doubt.
Something deep down told him that, if he were to be imprisoned again, that Styx would probably rescue him but instead of comfort, that only fueled his fears and insecurities.
Ru could almost hear it, the chains that shackled him drawing near, the cold, unending darkness and solitude calling to him as a spurned lover wanting her pound of flesh.
From behind the golem that was on the same side as Elelth two men carrying tower shields sprang forward, approaching Ru at a blistering speed.
Letting out a muffled growl, knowing that if he moved fast enough to dodge their shield bash, he would kill or at least seriously injury Elelth, Ru's body flowed over the manaless and reformed on the other side.
It was a dangerous move, even with Elelth only being able to use a fraction of her ability as she could quickly cripple him but he had little choice, especially when she was so close to his core.
Just as he solidified, his skin now littered with black patches of skin covered in glowing blue runes, the Woman in brown leather, who Ru thought of as a rogue variant, appeared above him with a huge man in her arms.
The man was already swinging at Ru head with a giant axe as he released a battle cry loud enough to wyvern proud.
Two more metal disks, without seeming care for their allies, screamed towards Ru's right as the the golems charged forward, dropping their cannon-like arms as they clenched their fists.
Realising he was out of options, madness danced in Ru's eyes as he pulled Elelth's head close to him. "Bite down. This is probably going to hurt."
Elelth had no idea what Ru meant and refused to believe he was making an innuendo at such a dire moment, but before she could even question his words, the wind tore at her skin as she was abruptly thrown high into the air.
Rotating, so she faced downward, enabling her to open her eyes, she saw Ru rapidly getting smaller, being charged at on all sides, as she rose further into the sky.
The street they were in, as well as the surroundings, were almost entirely destroyed as hundreds of soldiers, now looking like ants, swarmed towards Ru.
She felt a gust of air, momentarily halting her deceleration, as a loud explosion erupted from Ru as what appeared to be a ring of blue smoke shot outwards, disintegrating golem and man alike. Stone, metal and gore were sent spiralling outwards in a horrifying dome before raining down on those that charged forward.
Not waiting for them to recover, Ru's figure flickered and appeared in the midst of an approaching column, holding two black spears, crackling with energy in each hand as he spun and twisted through the group.
No movement was wasted, no energy lost as Ru became a whirlwind of death, occasionally throwing a spear, another reforming in his hand the moment it departed, at any casters that were gathering mana for an attack.
It had only been seconds, and Elelth hadn't even reached the zenith of her flight, but Ru had slaughtered over a hundred soldiers, destroyed another golem as he filtered across the battlefield like a spectre of death, prioritising killing the mages over the body enhancers.
It was at this moment that Elelth realised what a burden she had been to Ru, her view finally being hidden as she uncontrollably turned to face the sky, her accent slowed enough so she could see the clear blue sky and feel the warming rays of the sun upon her skin.
Over a hundred feet below her, Ru was almost unrecognisable, his arms, legs and half of his face and chest revealing the black and blue flames that were his true form as he gradually lost control of his body manipulation.
Screams of pain and despair filled the air around him as black smoke and dust clogged the air.
Starting off as no more than a chuckle, Ru's laughter grew until it was almost maniacal, but to those who still had the frame of mind to think, it was laced with despair. Though he hated it, he felt home. He had returned to the battlefield where everything was simple. A small part of him, one he refused to acknowledged longed for the days when he was just pointed in a direction and set lose.
As Ru's slaughter was reaching its peak, Gerrard stood on the top of a nearby church tower, confusion and fear etched upon his face as he watched what had rapidly become a massacre.
He had made a grave mistake.
All was not what it appeared to be between his Goddess and the man known as the Devil, and he knew deep down, he had made things worse. He was fanatically devoted to Styx, and would happily lay down his life for her, but at that moment, he felt that even if he had a million, it would not be enough.
He had woken and enraged the beast, potentially setting it directly against his mistress.
Not knowing if he was making the right decision, Gerrard shakily brought the hand clutching a yellow crystal to his lips. "Admiral?"
A moment later, the crystal clear voice of an old man responded, the gem flickering as his tone rose. "Yes, High Priest?"
Though he was the highest ranking official here, the Military had their own command structure, and it was likely that the admiral, with all the observation equipment on the battleships and his scouts, knew everything that was happening.
"Code Hellfire has been initiated. I am also granting the use of Devastator rounds under the authority of the Goddess Styx. Mobilise all forces and prepare for combat drops." Gerrard watched as the dark elf he had been tasked to kill, plummeted towards the ground, screaming incoherently as she fell.
"But we still have troops on the ground. They will be caught in the fallout," responded the Admiral.
"I will take full responsibility. As I am sure you know, we suspect we are engaging the Devil. The one who has killed demigods and destroyed entire cities. We cannot let him escape, or more innocents will suffer. May the Goddess forgive us."
Silence fell on the tower for a few seconds before the crystal light up again. This time, the Admiral spoke with a regretful voice. "So be it. For the Alliance."
Gerrard shook his head as he put the crystal back in a hidden pocket and started muttering. "I pray I am doing the right thing. Surely my Goddess would want me to stop this monster now that it has come to this?"
Meanwhile, hundreds of meters away, screaming at the top of her lungs, Elelth closed her eyes at the rapidly approaching ground. There were no last thoughts, no life flashing before her eyes, just confusion, fear and regret.
Luckily for her, Elelth's screaming had snapped Ru from his bloodlust as he remembered the falling elf.
Meters from the ground, Elelth felt herself lurch to the side, her insides screaming in agony as the air was forced from her lungs. Opening her eyes, blurred with tears, she noticed she was once again in Ru's arms. "Y..y...yyou bbassstad."
"Enjoy your flight?" Asked Ru as he turned, slamming his hand into an armoured man. Elelth felt a prickling on her skin, similar to when she actively used her ability, as the man exploded in a gory arch, flesh tearing from his bones.
Nothing felt real to Elelth anymore, and where she knew she should be disgusted by what she saw, instead it seemed like a dream. Looking up at the black and blue flames that covered half of his face, something she knew that should have scared her, she tried to calm herself down and took a deep breathe as Ru dodged towards the sides of the street. "You ever do that again, and I swear to the Gods I will kill you."
Ru, threw himself to the ground, spinning so that he landed on his back, ensuring Elelth would not get injured, as the place they had previously been exploded in ice. "Fucking Ice mage. I swear when I find them, even the real Devil won't get his due." Flipping himself up in a way that would be impossible for most species, as it would have broken their back, Ru darted down a nearby alleyway and towards a group of soldiers with shields.
Ru's body flickered past the group, as blood sprayed up the stone walls. "Anyway El, Your vow to the other gods is pointless, I own you. Mind Body and Soul... remember? They have no power here."
Ru briefly smiled as recalled a movie he had watched a very long time ago, his thoughts leading to another quote. "In a galaxy far, far away."
He knew he was only trying to distract himself from the growing tension in his body. Something was wrong, but he just couldn't work it out.
"My name is Elelth," hissed the dark elf. "Not El."
As Elelth glared at her saviour, most notably his dark blue, flaming eye, she realised something. While everyone else was firing spells at Ru, causing a dazzling array of lights and explosions around them, he had only been using raw mana, indicated by its dark blue colour. "Ru? Why aren't you using your magic? Like the earth magic, you used in the alley?"
Ru briefly glanced at her, before returning his focus to the fight at hand. "Do you really need to ask that? It's kind of obvious, and I didn't use any earth magic, I just dug a hole."
Black liquid seeped from the side wall, returning from his brief time at a spear that had been thrown, and was quickly absorbed by Ru as he ran. As he turned down a side alley, Ru made his mind up and decided to trust Elelth a little more; she was his comrade after all. "I can't use elemental magic anymore. Just good old raw mana. If I try, my core absorbs it instantly and becomes part of my... "
"Your core?" Elelth was shocked while Ru was happy she had interrupted him. Only monsters and mutants had cores. She immediately dismissed what he said, assuming it had to be a reference that had fallen out of favour with time like so many of the things he said.
Ru smiled bitterly, remembering his old magic and what it felt like but almost instantly, the smile was wiped off his face as hs skidded to a halt. He didn't recognise it immediately but the constant attacks had stopped, and he doubted it was because of the damage he had caused.
Having a greater control over mana, he could vaguely tell that, most of the lifeforms around him were retreating, leaving only a handful behind.
Turning his head up to the sky, as his skin tingled, Ru's eyes fell on the front of one of the battleships as it glowed ominously. Black boxes, covered in glowing markings, surrounded by winged humanoids hovered nearby as if waiting for something before starting their approach. "... Oh, Fuck."
Focusing his senses on the battleship, the side of Ru's face that remained human paled. "... Oh, Fuck."
Dropping Elelth to the ground, Ru's body turned into a blur as he carved runic markings into the stone around him, pushing the fear of the consequences for what he was about to do to the back of his mind and praying that his trust in Elelth would be repaid.
As if realising what he was doing would ruin their plan, figures appeared at both ends of the alleyway and from above. Unlike the majority of those he had been fighting to this point, they were dressed in dark leather armour and did not wear helmets. The only variance of colour, except their hair and skin, was the dull grey collars they wore.
Ru knew these were the scouts that had frustrated him so much. The ones that had been observing and directing the attacks on him, however, even though he would love to tear them limb from limb, he didn't have time.
His rest of his human body erupted into black and blue flames as he continued to carve runes into the ground while the scouts attacked with suicidal vigour. Surprisingly to Elelth, both her and Ru were not the targets but whatever formation he was creating.
The first man, falling from a nearby roof was instantly impaled by a spear and sent flying into his comrade nearby, sending them slamming into a wall as an arc of dark blue lightning erupted from Ru's blurred form, slicing through a group of four approaching from his back.
Elelth's heart hammered in her chest. She had experienced so much today that she didn't feel like she could be shocked anymore but Ru was doing something she would never, in a million years, expect. He was using his mana without reserve.
He had never told her why, but he seemed to horde it as if it was life itself and was begrudging to use even the smallest amount for anything.
A wail, so cold and unearthly that even Ru shivered, erupted from high above them as the glowing light of the battleship focused on one point, at the bow, before the entire ship violently shook and a loud explosion tore through the air, followed by a supersonic boom.
Ru's figure stopped as he kicked Elelth to the centre of the circle and slapped his palms to the ground, ignoring the single surviving figure leaping at him, a blazing sword made from the flame in their hand as the other hung limply at her side.
A blinding blue glow had erupted around them before the entire area exploded, obliterating everything withing hundreds of meters.
Within less than a second, the town had been reduced to rubble. The sound of horns and whistles filled the deafening silence as the airborne soldiers descended with military precision. It was unlikely they were to discover any remains, but they had to be sure. They were fighting a figure with almost mythical strength One that caused, and more impressively survived, what many were calling the Demigod's purge.