Tobey looked to all sides, trying to find a way out. However, everywhere he looked had an enemy. This time, it was a troop of five paladins, as well as that woman who went to call reinforcements, totaling six.
They didn't seem to be an average troop, either. Those six had a different posture than the previous one that he took down. The confidence behind their actions was truthful and clear. They weren't afraid of his dagger, or his Dark Energy. They looked at the demon as though he was just a mere insect.
[What? Too afraid to do something, Tobey? I thought that your sense of justice would make any difference in the end since you are willing to earnestly fight even for the people who are trying to kill you! I thought that this sense of justice was going to give you superpowers, to get you out of this situation, or even make those paladins spare your life...]
Tobey's face went grim as he heard Mask's harsh words. His face was distorted in frustration and wrath.
'I cannot help feeling like this, can I? Although these people are trying to kill me, they also live as normal human beings. My grandma Clementine also did it. She took care of Han better than anyone else, she had friends and was a very joyful person. Even though her paladin side is bound to hunt me down by nature, her human side treated me so well during all these years...
'And now, looking at these paladins, I can only wonder whether they have this strong trace of humanity within them. Do they have families? Do they have friends? Do they feel and live like humans just as much as I was doing some days ago before getting into this mess?'
Mask got silent for a moment, just looking at those paladins as they approached Tobey. His silence made the latter get anxious. For a moment, he thought that his demonic self had left him behind.
[I cannot understand this empathy you feel towards people that is naturally the opposite of you. Maybe, that's just your human side trying to put its nose where it doesn't belong...
[Let me tell something to you, unfortunate bastard. In this battle between demons and paladins, hell and heavens, humans are just weed that is taken sometimes in the flow of things. The weed, though, must stay in idleness and just wait to be randomly ripped off by people who have power enough to do so.
[Due to this fact, you shall accept that your human side cannot make any judgment when it comes to this war. You must think and fight in order to survive. If you, weakling, can't do it by yourself, I will be the one doing it in your place.]
Tobey clenched his fists, feeling weak like never before.
[Remember all people that one day depended on you? People that trusted you? You want to protect them, don't you? When the time comes and you need to choose between their lives and the life of someone threatening them, what will you do, apostle of justice?]
'I don't know...'
[You must know from now on! You will move this unlucky ass of yours and do what needs to be done! You will do it because, if you die, I will die as well! You will do it because, when I find the opportunity to do so, I will take the lead of this freaking body we share and will never let you get the wheel again!]
Tobey looked at the troop of paladins nearing him, they were all holding their weapons, looking at Tobey and waiting to see whether he would do something or not. After all, he had a paladin in his hands. Any brusk movement would cause his death, or so they thought. Little did they know that Tobey had no intention of killing him.
"So... I finally am able to get to know you, Tobey. Your name is being very famous among the paladins. They barely can believe that someone like you could, in the end, make such a ruckus," one of the paladins gave a step forward, his golden eyes narrowing behind his helmet.
Tobey didn't answer and just stood there, still holding the nearly dead paladin that Mask had just beaten.
"My name is Gabriel. My surname isn't necessary as you will soon die. After all, I bet you won't be able to fight with your two fists nearly broken and your Soul Mirror quite harmed as well. You also used a lot of power from your Demon Form, which your body doesn't seem to withstand quite well," Gabriel explained, approaching him some steps further, being followed by his troop.
'Mask...'
[What?] His demonic self asked, a mischievous smile on his face.
'Can you take care of them?'
[Hmm, maybe it's possible to hold on for a little while. Why do you ask?]
'I don't think I can do this. Not with the same proficiency you did it. I cannot control Dark Energy, I can't wield this dagger properly, nor do I have full control over the strength of my Demon Form.'
[I can do it, but you won't interrupt me this time. That's not a question nor a request but an order.]
Tobey bitterly nodded his head, feeling his heart sinking into his chest as he remembered Clementine, Han, Beca, and many other people that he knew during his life. He felt that his human side was losing that battle and vanishing bit by bit.
Mask once again took the wheel, leading their body on his own.
Without any mercy, he looked at the paladin that was still in his hands. He had shallow breathing and his eyes were already showing that he was about to get unconscious.
[Don't worry, mate. I am about to give you some rest.] Satisfied that he could do whatever he wanted right now, Mask pleasantly grabbed his arm with both hands and broke it easily. The paladin, even though nearing unconsciousness, moaned soundly in pain.
Tobey closed his eyes inside his mind, not wanting to see that.
As a detective, he saw the result of many gruesome deaths in his life. Even in a city like that, sometimes something happened that would shake everyone. There were some crazy people out there that would do the cruelest things.
However, in truth, he never saw the actual thing happening in front of him. Watching this personally was way more difficult than taking what rested after the crime.
Gabriel, who was still staring at Tobey, gritted his teeth upon seeing what happened. He wasn't a cold person, he cared for every soldier, even those who weren't part of his troop.
Mask didn't end there, though. He threw the man to the ground, stepping on his back with all his strength, making his bones snap. He did it yet another time, then another, crumpling his armor.
Finally, he took the paladin's Soul Mirror, looking at it with a malicious smile. The gleam inside his eyes was filled with cruelty. His intentions were quite obvious right now.
The paladin's Soul Mirror didn't disappear after he got unable to fight. Even Mask himself didn't know that it happened with those mystical items. It was like his soul got crystallized into that material weapon form.
[You like to spend all your time running after me, right? I bet that it is very funny for you since you have huge numbers and all... Frankly...] he snorted, shaking his head in a display of sheer sarcasm as he held that sword in a reversed grip.
[Here is the thing, though. I prefer to believe in Karma, you know? If you do something to someone, the universe will retrieve it twice as much. That's why I will show you the beautiful sight of your friend getting stabbed by his own Soul Mirror. Isn't it quite ironic? He will die by the blade of the weapon that protected his life all this while! A weapon being wielded by the race that it was made to kill!]
Mask raised the sword in the air, prepared to stab the paladin lying on the ground with that. There was a sadistic grin on his face, his eyes were glazed.
Gabriel was holding himself not to be hasty and mess up with that siege. The thing was that Tobey had pulled an incredible amount of power out of nowhere while fighting against the first troop that hunted him. Somehow, the second troop that found him couldn't make it as well, and one paladin got severely hurt.
However, the leader of the paladins couldn't help but let the anger surging inside him show in his eyes. There was killing intent mixed with the golden aura around him.
'If I was alone, I would surely take him down without caring for my life. However, I am the leader of an entire troop, so I will fight acting as such. Their lives are under my responsibility. I will struggle and see the cruel death of a comrade, but I will make sure to take down this demon in the end!'
However, his plan shattered as one of his subordinates lost his mind to the wrath and couldn't hold himself back, summoning his Soul Mirror and charging forward while madly roaring.
Mask chuckled while seeing it, narrowing his eyes with pleasure. Gabriel looked at that scene and cursed out loud, his heart stopping as he saw one of his most loyal subordinates running to his certain death.