Lilitu broke the door down after Melakios rushed out of the way. Lilu quickly flew out and grabbed him before he could protest.

“Oi, you kids better hightail it out of here! That must be an attack by a Baron! Maybe even a Count!”

The driver ushered them to hide in the forest, away from combat.

“Does that mean Ardat Lili will have trouble?”

“Yes, now quiet. Don’t bite your tongue.”

The three flew towards a forest below them. Just as they were about to enter, Melakios shouted,

“Dodge right! There are incoming attacks from behind us!” 

As soon as they veered away, soul needle arrows whizzed by as a cackle was heard from around them.

“Kekeke! It is true! You have a human who can sense the power of souls! Give him here!”

“Are you willing to go to war with the Lilim Household?!”

“Quiet, brat! Just hand over the little pink fellow, and you might just live! We have you surrounded with all sorts of people!”

Even though he was being carried piggyback, Melakios didn’t feel uncomfortable. He glanced at the Demon before them, with his red body, tails, horns, and wings. His eyes were as black as night, and he wore basic brown clothes. Melakios could not help but to try and mess with him a little. 

“Oh? How can you even matter against our numbers? You are outmatched and outnumbered.”

“Kekeke, we have 10 people at the peak of the Mortal Stage, a Demon Lord, and even a Demon of a higher level! YOU are the ones who are outmatched and outnumbered!”

“Thanks for clarifying that. I think I can take some of the Mortal Stage people, let’s get these guys then go help Ardat Lili and the driver.”

“Hehehe, you’re vicious. I’m glad we’re now on the same side, idiot.”

“Can I trust you, Melakios?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, brother. Let’s get to a clearing and set down. We need to protect Melakios first and foremost.”

“Got it.”

After touching down into a nearby glade, the three saw 9 more Demons appear out of the shadows of the trees.

Melakios pulled out the monstrous lizard and a corpse beetle. The lizard turned back into the sword, as the beetle opened up and swallowed him. It morphed into a suit that surrounded him entirely!

“Ooh!”

“Nice!”

“That’s the stuff!”

“We gotta get that boy!”

All around, the Demon bandits were yelling out cheers and celebrations, as if they already got what they came for.

Lilu pulled out his Rose Rapier and gave it a flick. The previously straight sword fell limp, as spikes began to protrude from it.

“Come! My Thorn Whip yearns for blood!”

On the other side, Lilitu merely pulled out a strange accessory. She put it on her face, as the device covered her eyes. Melakios remembered that this is what some of the women in the mansion wore when they went to sleep!

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

As soon as she equipped the eye mask, her power seemed to double.

“So these are Soul Items?”

“Enough gawking, let’s fight!”

The red demon was eager to get the show on the road, so he rushed towards Lilu, first.

Lilu flicked his wrist and the whip swung towards the red demon. He parried with a massive bow that was on his back.

‘That must be what shot those spirit needles.’

Melakios was thinking ahead, making sure he could defeat the opponent and be ready for a stronger adversary that might appear. He remembered the words of the driver, there might actually be a Count nearby, or at least a Soul Item capable of matching a Count’s attack.

He quickly dispatched the two Demons who rushed towards him, damaging their souls and consuming them. The bodies of the two Demons slumped to the floor, lifeless. He was quickly filled a new type of energy, one that could damage him if he wasn’t careful. He looked around to see that Lilu was still fighting the red demon, while Lilitu was standing over the other 7 Demons that were left on the ground like trash.

It seems that Soul Items allow one to combat others stronger than them. This was more evident in Melakios, as all he had were Soul Attacks. It just goes to show how important souls were to the Demons. 

“You bastard, stay still!”

“Like I’m going to listen to a snot nosed brat!”

Melakios walked over to Lilitu who gestured with a shrug when asked what to do next.

The red demon kept flying out of range of the whip, but every time the red demon tried to fire off his arrows, Lilu would rush in, closing the distance. If Lilu did not rush in, he could still smash the arrows with his whip once they neared him. All in all, it was a stalemate.

Melakios took out a spider and placed it on his wrist. Its legs seem to lengthen to hug his wrist, and the mandibles changed to look like an iron sight for a gun. Not that anyone there knew what a gun was. He just formed it that way to help him aim.

Yes, the spider became a launcher. He took aim, and then fired a shot of Soul Energy at the red demon’s direction.

Seeing a projectile approaching, he teetered a little to the side, planning on barely dodging the shot, but he didn’t realize it would open up into a web and capture him!

“Argh! Let me go!”

As the three stood around the red demon, Lilu couldn’t help but to interject,

“I had it under control.”

“That may be, but we need to hurry and help Ardat Lili.”

Lilitu then quickly knocked the red demon out.

“That’s right, brother.”

“Yeah, too bad you didn’t get there fast enough.”

From behind them, they heard a gravelly voice. When they turned around, they saw Ardat Lili was thrown to the ground, her outfit in tatters. A new figure approached from above.

“Run…he’s…a…Duke…”

“Hahaha! Yes. I, Duke Valafar, am at your service.”