Marcus charged the angel with his curved saber at the ready while the angel flapped his wings to throw Marcus off balance, simultaneously putting distance between them by flying into the air. However, Marcus remained unfazed, enhancing his body to maintain his momentum. With the angel out of immediate reach, Marcus redirected his focus towards Xain, who nervously prepared to defend himself.
Mid-charge, the angel lashed out with his whip, aiming directly for Marcus's head. But Marcus reacted swiftly, swinging his saber diagonally with a flick of his wrist. The gems adorning the blade glowed brightly as it sliced through the fall hitch of the whip effortlessly, cutting it like paper. "Why, you little!" the angel exclaimed in anger.
Meanwhile, seizing the momentary distraction, Xain seized the opportunity to launch himself forward, channeling all his strength into a powerful front kick aimed at Marcus's midsection. Anticipating the attack, Marcus deftly blocked the kick with his left forearm, his movements precise and practiced, ready to counter with his saber.
However, before he could strike, Xain spat in Marcus's direction, catching him off guard. The saliva struck Marcus's left eye, causing him to involuntarily close it in reaction. Seizing the advantage, Xain followed up with a forceful left hook aimed squarely at Marcus's sternum. Though Marcus flinched at the impact, he remained largely unaffected.
As Xain narrowly dodged a wild swing from Marcus before swiftly jumping back to create some distance between them, his heart was pounding with adrenaline as he braced himself for the next exchange.
But then, Xain felt something wet on his back, far too thick to be sweat. He grimaced as the wounds on his back reopened, the shimmering golden light of the armor having seemingly prevented this until it was destroyed or stopped by Marcus's saber. *Should I take one of the pills now?* Xain thought to himself, his gaze fixed on Marcus, who wiped away the spit from his eye.
*Might as well. This is what they are meant to be used for anyway,* Xain concluded, reaching into his left pocket. As he did so, the angel brought out a different weapon from Heavens Inventory—a guardless dagger with a deep amber-colored blade and a stark white handle.
Xain retrieved a blue and red colored pill and swallowed it. The effects were immediate. He felt light, almost weightless, as all the pain in his body disappeared, replaced by a surge of energy that coursed through his veins. *Wow! I feel amazing!* he thought, marveling at the newfound vigor coursing through him. He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them as if he were in a different body.
"Don't get distracted, kid!" he suddenly heard the angel yell. Startled, Xain looked up, just in time to see Marcus about to bring his saber down, only to be intercepted once more by the angel. With precision, the angel flew down and delivered a swift dive kick to Marcus, who managed to block the attack with the flat side of his saber but was still sent skidding across the cobbled ground on his feet.
The angel stared Marcus down before turning to Xain with a stern expression. "Don't go turning into a druggie, kid! We have a demon invasion to stop, remember?" Xain blinked before nodding in acknowledgment. "I do, it's just... I've never experienced something like this before," he replied, his voice slightly shaky.
"Cool, you experienced your first high. Now get your head back in the game and let's kick this guy's ass!" the angel exclaimed as he turned back to face Marcus. Marcus took in a few deep breaths before shifting his stance, adopting a more aggressive posture with his saber held high, leaving himself more exposed.
With a burst of speed, Marcus charged once more, and this time, the angel and Xain followed suit. The angel soared into the air, while Xain dashed straight at Marcus. As they closed the distance, Marcus was the first to attack, swinging his saber downwards at Xain. Xain swiftly sidestepped the swing and countered with an uppercut aimed at Marcus's throat. Marcus reacted quickly, bringing up his left hand to grab Xain's fist, but the momentum and force behind Xain's blow surprised him. His hand was pushed back, his knuckles grazing his own chin slightly, though not enough to cause any real damage.
Not giving him a moment to catch his breath, the angel flew down fast and attempted to stab Marcus in the neck with the dagger. Marcus brought up his saber to block the stab, the gems on it glowing. But to his shock, so did the amber-colored blade of the angel's dagger, which managed to pierce one of the gems on Marcus's saber, causing it to crack slightly.
The angel let out a sneering laugh. "You're not the only one with anti-magic weapons!" he exclaimed before delivering a powerful kick to Marcus's chest, sending him stumbling backward. Meanwhile, Xain swung with an overhand right, aiming for Marcus's left forearm, which he raised to block the blow. Marcus managed to deflect the hit, but Xain followed up with another attack, this time a left hook. However, Marcus swiftly swung his saber, forcing Xain to dodge, and then dashed backward to create some distance between himself and his opponents.
As Marcus retreated to put some distance between himself and his opponents, he took a moment to assess the situation. *My left arm is almost fractured, my stamina is low, my saber is possibly damaged, and I've taken a few hits,* he thought, breathing heavily. *The angel has yet to take any damage, and the boy has gained a sudden second wind. My chances of winning are extremely low.* Despite this realization, Marcus gritted his teeth. *So what? I was given a job to do, even if it was given to me by that monster. I have to complete it. I have to fulfill my contract, no matter what.* He resolved himself, not that he ever wavered in the first place.
"Let's continue. I have places to be," Marcus taunted, though his panting betrayed the strain he was under. The angel's eye twitched in anger. "That's what I should be telling you, you little shit!" he exclaimed, about to charge once more. However, before he could act, the ground shook violently, accompanied by the sound of something shattering and tearing. The trio looked up, and the angel muttered a curse under his breath. "Ah, fuck."