"Is that true? Dignitas Qwerdan and John Ailey have set foot outside of the Academy?"
In the very same place known as Devil's Crypt, the twelve demon generals could be seen conversing with each other.
Their childlike appearances remained somewhat the same, except for the few visible signs of aging beginning to appear on their young, supple faces.
""It's true, it's true~""
"The Shadow Demons have always owed their allegiance to His Majesty, so I see no reason for us not to trust them. That being said, an opportunity like this is sure not to come often."
Somehow, the generals had managed to catch word of John, despite him having no place in their first meeting.
"11th is right. Send Balduri, the younger brother of Varnier. If he falls to the humans, that can only mean they possess power that can rival an A rank demon, despite being D ranks themselves. And if they do, we must do everything we can to offer that power to His Majesty."
""Long live His Majesty, the Demon King."" All twelve generals simultaneously stood up, before chanting.
***
"There's no need to speak, humans! Say your last prayers to whatever god you worship. I, Baldurai of the Earth Demons, will now start playing the prelude to your last symphonies!"
"Shit. Disperse, guys!" Dignitas ordered, and all three of them instantly retreated in multiple directions.
Baldurai was about half the size of Varnier, being only the same height as the smallest automobile if it were to be folded upright. But being a Stone Demon, he retained the bulky frame most demons of that lineage held.
Unlike Varnier, though, Baldurai still had hints of his original demon form showing up in some places, making him look like a cross between a human and a demon.
"You won't escape, humans!"
Giving the three no time to escape, the demon slammed his fists down, making way for dozens of earth spikes to travel across the ground and erupt in their locations.
Based off the current mana signature and how much heavier the area was thanks to the pressure Baldurai was exuding, then it meant that he was around the B- to B+ rank. Indeed, he would most likely be able to take on the trio barehanded if he so wished.
"He's playing it smart, John," Dignitas said to his earpiece. "He's deliberately standing his ground, so as to keep an eye on each of us."
Currently, both him and John were ducked behind a rooftop, shielding themselves from the volley of bullets being fired at their cover.
"Do you think we should engage him? Maybe Eva will help us bridge the gap between ranks." He replied.
Moon Elves, among other races, were quite powerful. It was said that if humans didn't exist, it was extremely possible that they could have been the one to take their place as one of the galaxy's strongest races.
The only reason they lost to the humans during the First Astral War was due to their overwhelming forces and superior technology powered by mana.
If one were to pit a Human and a Moon Elf in battle against each other, there was a great chance the latter would win, as elves were known to be blessed with a close connection to the energy they used.
"I've never seen a Lunalite in battle before, but it could be worth a shot."
"Let's do it, then. Eva, are you ready?" John called out to the Moon Elf, who nodded silently. "We charge on my signal, Dignitas."
"Copy that."
Instead of chasing the trio around and risk losing its prey if they were to retreat, Baldurai calmly fired a barrage of earth bullets at them.
Between each volley, he took some time to refuel his arms with Devil Ashra, before subsequently firing more bullets.
His reaction time was leaps above Dignitas and John, which allowed him to instantly intiate suppressing fire to whichever one of the two decided to peek out.
It served as a great way to keep both of them pinned while Baldurai waited for their cover to gradually break apart from the constant fire it was under.
"Now!"
At the exact same time, John and Dignitas leapt out from their cover and ran to the closest area that could serve as their footholds.
As if in sync, both swordsmen elegantly ran, dashed, and slid their way across the rooftops of Mislokur's houses. It was a scene that belonged in an action movie; each movement from Dignitas and John served to keep them unhindered and allow easy movement past the unending barrage of bullets.
The few that did manage to closely graze their bodies were deflected by the duo's swords, only slowing them down slightly.
And as if Mislokur's architecture had been designed specifically for this moment, both John and Dignitas' pathways would soon reach its end as the various roofs they were parkouring on slowly began to lessen in number.
"You sure we should keep going? We ain't got any more of these to walk on!" Dignitas notified John shakily.
"We're fine! Make sure to reach in front of you, because Eva will be there to help!"
If John could blindly trust him multiple times, then Dignitas didn't see a reason why he couldn't do the same. Keeping what the protagonist said in mind, he kept watch for any sudden changes in the air.
And there it was. Just as he was about to reach the last possible roof to run on, a tear in space manifested itself in front of him, and a hazy, blueish trident materialized within a blink of an eye.
"Whoa, nice usage!" Dignitas praised the Lunalite as he reached forward to grab the trident.
With the momentum from his sprint, he was able to instantly let go the moment he caught the trident's handle.
A sudden shift in the mana around him alarmed Dignitas, and a heavy feeling of dread descended on him.
He knew what this feeling was. It was the same sensation he would receive whenever Death's Vision caught something closing in on him.
But by then, it was too late. Baldurai had figured out his flight path and preemptively fired an earth bullet.
Woosh! The bullet flew past Dignitas' safe zone and shattered his bubble of safety, piercing his left shoulder. The force from that single bullet slowed down his momentum to a complete halt, leaving him to start falling towards the ground.
"No! Eva, please make sure he's okay. I'll try to hold off the demon for as long as I can. Quickly now!"
Eva nodded in response, before making her way towards the location where Dignitas fell.
***
"Ow, ow… the fall hurt more than that damn bullet."
Even as he was falling Dignitas acted quickly to save himself from instant death. Using Reality Construction, he was able to slash into creation a hastily drawn scribble of a flat surface just a few seconds before he hit the ground.
"Should've drawn a trampoline or something, ow…"
Forcing himself to stand, Dignitas tried to shake off the numbness in his lower back, but was unsuccessful in doing so. And while one might think he needed to focus on the more threatening wound on his left shoulder, the bullet was quite firmly lodged inside, making any attempts to take it out futile.
A medical professional back on Earth would've told Dignitas to keep the bullet inside him, as that was the only thing preventing from bleeding out. Here in Midania, however, almost everyone had an innate regenerative ability, no matter how weak.
Keeping the bullet in was only going to further hurt him and make his body unable to heal itself.
"Gah, fuck! That hurts like hell. Well, at least it didn't hit my right shoulder."
It was happening on a molecular level, but the mana currently circulating in Dignitas' body was clashing with the Devil Ashra from the Baldurai's earth bullet.
The very next moment, the wind in the area suddenly shifted, indicating someone was coming. Dignitas gripped Dainsleif in his dominant hand tightly.
But he did let his guard down once he realized that person was Eva. With a worried look on her face, she approached Dignitas and inspected the wound.
"Are you… okay?" She asked.
"I'm fine, but the corruption from the Devil Ashra is hurting a lot. Here, take my sword," Dignitas handed the elf Dainsleif.
"Could you insert my sword into the wound and try to poke around for the bullet? Once you've got a good grip on it, try to fish it out."
Dignitas had a perplexed look on his face as he wondered why Eva donned a disgusted expression mixed with hints of worry.
"Oh, it won't hurt, trust me. I've stabbed myself with my sword multiple times now. At most, you'll give me a tickle. Come on now, we need to get back to helping John."