Tobey's surroundings got frozen all of a sudden as if time itself had stopped. His heart was beating so fast and the panic inside his mind was so great, that those events were registered in slow-motion. At times when one's life seemed to be on the line, that kind of thing usually happened.
The biggest problem there is that he could not do anything to change the fact that he was going to get struck by the spear. He was just a spectator of his own tragedy. His body seemed paralyzed just as Caelum's blade wasn't moving anymore toward him.
He knew exactly what to do, but his body couldn't respond as quickly as he needed at that crucial moment. If he had a bit more power, if he was used to his Demon Form, if he could have predicted the attack beforehand, he would be able to do it... but no matter how many times he rambled about that, the number of cards on his deck would remain the same. If there were no outs, the only reasonable course of action was to manage the amount of damage he would receive.
'If I can, at least, move a bit to the side! Just enough for him to miss my heart! Just enough for this blade not to even touch there!' he thought.
It was clear that, when looking at the anatomy of a man, one shouldn't be concerned just with the heart. There were arteries around that area, blood vessels, ligaments, joints, muscles... The point of that strategy wasn't to avoid serious harm, but not to die right away.
As time began to move again, Tobey concentrated on the tip of that spear, the course it was making towards his body, and the exact point it was about to reach.
'Just a few centimeters, Tobey Foster! Just a few centimeters isn't a big deal for you. It's just to avoid any harm to your aorta and heart. This much is enough!'
Tobey was in the middle of his motion to give another step forward as he moved towards the paladin. Thus, he did not have the time to step to the side or regain his balance and wave his body. Instead, he did what would economize time the most: he just changed the spot where his foot would land, thus making his trunk rotate slightly.
The spear struck him squarely, piercing through his body with ease and launching him several meters away after the condensed electricity on its tip burst out entirely.
Tobey felt a burning sensation where the spear pierced him. For a moment, his left arm got entirely numb. He didn't know whether an important nerve or ligament got messed up due to the attack, hence causing numbness, but the fact was that he still felt his heart beating.
'It's just the shallow inspection of a detective, but it seems that both my heart and aorta are intact. I cannot move my left arm properly, but that's not my biggest concern here,' he thought as he got up from the ground, never diverting his eyes from Lancelot.
Then, a bit far away from him on the rooftop, Mark also got up. It was especially difficult for him because his harm was near the same place where he was hurt before. Since the day when he met the two scouts at that bar, he was feeling way better, but the harm was still there, and now the wound got opened again two times worse.
Nonetheless, as a soldier, Mark was used to that sort of damage. When on the battlefield, you should be prepared to lose your limbs and keep fighting, after all. He already saw beheaded people that continued attacking for some seconds before finally falling to the ground. He witnessed the determination of steel and burning willpower of other soldiers before, and he always used it as fuel for him to keep going.
Just like his brother, Mark did not divert his eyes from the paladin.
Lancelot felt his heart throbbing when he came across Tobey's and Mark's gaze. His hair stood on end and he needed to hold back the urge to recklessly attack them again.
Both had challenging eyes when staring at him. The eyes of an enemy who was just starting, as if that harm was nothing for them.
'Both used the very same trick to avoid getting killed. Are they really considering sacrificing their bodies in this battle? Shouldn't a soldier as precious as Mark fight to conserve his body, so that he can keep protecting his family and friends by defending his territory?'
However, an attentive look at Mark's eyes made the paladin conclude something else.
'No... I am utterly mistaken here. Mark never had the intention of preserving himself. Since the very moment when he chose to step on this territory, he was prepared to give away even his soul if it was needed. That's why he is fighting so seriously. It isn't a battle he decided to fight to possibly run away with Tobey. Instead, this is a battle he is fighting to win.'
Lancelot needed to take a deep sigh to prevent himself from panicking. It was not every day when you had the opportunity (or misfortune) to fight a life or death battle against the Bloodseeker, the strongest demon of the clan Ignus Cornus. Although the latter was worn out due to several weeks battling against paladins consecutively and nearly without rest, he was still a frightening enemy.
'If that's the case, then I must choose to fight this battle at the same level as them. I am the one at disadvantage here, after all. I need to be brutal and relentless,' he concluded.
Meanwhile, Mark and Tobey didn't dare to give a single step forward. Speed was the core of Lancelot's battle style. If they were careless regarding their positioning on the battlefield, he would surely use it to his advantage. When fighting fast enemies, positioning was the key factor.
'Tobey is harmed in a way that makes it difficult for him to take huge clashes on his own. His right wrist is messed up, and he was struck in a place that I am sure will have an effect on how he moves his left arm. He isn't useless yet, but he can't take this battle 100%. I need to carry a bit of his load!'
Mark advanced first this time. Now, he would be more careful about the new use of the Blessing that Lancelot showed.
'To save my brother, there is just one way which I can choose to fight this battle! It's reckless, it's arrogant even. However, I cannot find any other option available. I am in a critical situation here, where a timer is always in my field of vision. I have too many responsibilities on my shoulders right now, so I cannot make this battle last longer than it should!'
Mark ran forward while roaring, advancing ferociously. The tip of Lamia's curved blade was dragging on the ground, sparkles were being generated due to the friction and speed. The vampire scythe never stopped absorbing blood from the surroundings as well, the red color of its blade getting deeper every second.
Once he got into range, Mark stopped going in a straight line and swiftly zigzagged to all sides. For a moment, it looked like he was warping, such was the perfection of his footwork.
Lancelot, though, never lost sight of him. He was paying attention to every step that the demon was taking.
When Mark got into range, the paladin didn't hesitate and activated his Blessing. He had two attacks. Those two attacks should be enough to end the life of that man.
'I cannot aim to a lethal spot when you move like this, but I can still hit you!' he thought as lightning tendrils wrapped around his body.
Fast like a lightning bolt, Caelum's leaf-shaped blade shot forward, predicting Mark's next step.
Just as the paladin had predicted, the blade reached Mark, striking him near his hips. The blade pierced through his body and the electricity accumulated on it exploded.
Nonetheless, with the resolution of a true soldier, Mark bore that burst of electricity. He gritted his teeth and planted his feet on the ground.
"I am not letting you get away from me!" he shouted as he slashed with Lamia, breaking another part of the paladin's armor and hurting him just as severely as he did with Mark.
Lancelot did not lose his concentration and attacked once again, his weapon piercing through Mark. However, the same happened. He did not let himself get repulsed or lose his balance.
He once again swung Lamia and hit the paladin, blood gushed out from Lancelot's body as he got slashed another time.
'Now, the paralysis! It's your chance!' he thought as he nearly fell to the ground, the pain finally making it difficult for him to keep going forward.
"Switch Zed!" he shouted.
Even though Tobey didn't have any idea why that man called him like that, he answered.
"Understood!" the detective shouted as he ran past the Bloodseeker and dashed towards Lancelot.