"These humans are boring. I'll just bother the balding primate."
Malphas proceeded to metamorphose on the spot. It was downright sickening for the Knights to watch human flesh melt right afore their eyes. The view was similar to the process of immersing a body in a drum containing a mixture of lye for several hours. The only difference was that the deliquescing was sped-up, occurring then and there.
More than repulsion, Mikhail was distraught of the image of his brother turning lifeless by the second. But he sought to put a reign on his emotions, vigilantly observing the succeeding actions of the Demon Noble.
Out of the dematerializing carcass emerged a raven black crow blanketed with all sorts of bodily liquids. It subsequently grew larger than that of an adult Elephant's size, and its height towered a fully grown Giraffe -- It was Malphas' real physical form.
"------------ ------- ---- - -------------"
Mikhail and Sarakiel did not comprehend a word that the demon articulated. They purely heard layers upon layers of high-pitched ringing in their ears. The sound was headache-inducing to the extent that they coveted to pass-out just to seek relief. Since the two knights had their eyes shut, they didn't notice the demon flying off towards the inner part of the island.
Admittedly, in terms of superiority in capabilities, humans were nearly at the bottom of the hierarchy among species. Inferior beings that reside in a lower realm and were unqualified, so to speak, couldn't hope to converse with eminent supreme existences. The voices of such individuals could solely be perceived by beings of equal or higher standing.
There were exceptions to the rule, as all things should be. One must have a history of setting foot and sticking around for multiple aethras in a realm, enabling them to absorb the parlance. Second, obtain the blessings of the deities.
In a matter of seconds, Mikhail snapped out of his musings once he couldn't feel the presence of the demon anymore. He then hoisted Sarakiel since he fell on top of him. He assisted the Duke in his efforts to sit upright, letting the young knight lean his back on a tree trunk.
"Stay still. I will heal you."
"No, haa-" Sarakiel raised his hand, stopping Mikhail from doing anything.
If what's used to impale him was a normal weapon, Duke Helian wouldn't be having difficulty in bearing the pain from the injury he recently received. Unfortunately, it was a sword that had the ability to devour mana and life essence. In addition to that, the only person who could wield a Holy Sword was its contractor, unless of course, the challenger was someone with a greater magical capacity.
"Remo- hooo... removing the sword is enough. I can- I can heal myself." Sarakiel said, breathing heavily as if he was still running in an endless marathon.
The Knight Commander willingly acquiesced to his subordinate's request. It was pointless to argue because he knew that his companion was aware of the status of his mana reserve. Thus, exercising utter caution, Mikhail slowly pulled out the sword.
Sarakiel covered the hole with his left hand pronto and began reciting a minor healing spell. A dull white light enveloped the tunnel made by the blade in his abdomen, the incision gradually being mended from the rear. A few seconds into recuperation, his complexion regained a lively colour and his breathing stabilized along.
"My Lord, please recount the events that brought you to this situation. I require an overview of what exactly happened." To make their idle time productive, Sarakiel went ahead and inquired the details touching his comrades' escapade.
"Alright, then I'll start from the instance we discovered the presence of another Demon Noble."
"That will do."
Mikhail sat on a boulder, directly opposite of Sarakiel, before beginning to narrate his account.
"Basically, we had a mishap in our surveillance. We were so focused on Ronove that we didn't notice that someone was on our tail. That's when I saw Malphas' in its avian form. Somehow, it completely masked its aura when it transformed, so I didn't recognize that demon the moment it bellied up to us."
"I see. Did Malphas attack you then?"'
"Yes, we ran towards the shore seeing that the forest was quite a disadvantageous location for me and Khamael. That demon could spot us no matter where we hid anyway. I thought that we could escape when I discerned that Malphas wasn't chasing us. I assumed too soon."
Mikhail's visage was reflective of how gruelling the tribulation they just underwent. He looked awfully exhausted, almost on the verge of passing out. However, his tone of speaking signified his certitude to put an end to the adversaries they were facing.
"We were supposed to pass by a clearing, but that very area held us back. The reason why Malphas did not follow us is that there were roughly forty gates, set to transport demons and monsters, in that field. You can imagine what ensued, right?"
Sarakiel nodded his head, perfectly sentient of what transpired in the said fief. His wound was fully closed, so he adjusted his posture before speaking, "The enemies came pouring out at once, didn't they?"
"We diminished their numbers as quickly as we could. Withal, all of a sudden, we heard an earsplitting screech. I dismissed it as my senses going haywire, yet Khamael judged otherwise."
"If I may ask, My Lord. What was it?"
"I have yet to question Khamael regarding it. He merely told me to duck when he went in front of me as if to block something, though nothing developed out of it. He was perfectly fine, not harmed or of the sort. I advised him to reinforce his defence magic in case."
"What of the demon noble?"
"It bolted towards me. I took that demon as my opponent, leaving Khamael with the minorities. He was pushed by the horde to the nearby shore. Regrettably, it was a losing battle on my side. I cannot keep up even with the help of my spells. It was like-" Mikhail trailed off his words, debating whether his assessment was right or not. "Like I was in combat with multiple individuals, each bearing a similar strength with the Emperor. That damn sly fox is everywhere."
"That strong?" Sarakiel reacted assertively, curious of the validity of the statement. The Emperor wasn't one to be taken lightly. Thus, if the adversaries were similar in prowess, then that would pose nothing but trouble.
"Frighteningly, yes. Malphas rendered me unconscious within a minute. We do not really know the full strength of the Demon Nobles, considering that those who encountered them never woke up after their bouts. His Majesty will be a good sparring partner."
"Well, it's not a stretch to say that the Emperor can defeat the entirety of the Rounds even if his magic was sealed." Sarakiel sighed, clearly disturbed by the issues that Mikhail was dishing out. "Going back, what did you do next?"
"Once I awakened, there was a message from the Emperor to open a gate. So, I ran away from the field and searched for a safe place."
"What of Lord Khamael?"
"Well, I don't know."
The instant that he heard Mikhail's response, Sarakiel prayed for the bitter torment of his commander's nonchalance to be gone soon.