Saka thought that after the 'cleansing' Tom and Jerry had performed on his body yesterday, he would no longer see rutha. He was wrong.
On his way home, he saw ten people with demons clinging to their backs. These demons had human-like faces and physiques, but with bat wings and horns on their heads. Some had no wings or horns but instead had scaly skin like a snake, occasionally flicking out long tongues.
What caught Saka's attention was the chain on the demons' chests, connected to the humans' backs. Around the humans' necks were chains as well, some faint and others solid. At the end of these chains were two ruthas, holding and guarding them. Saka's eyes met the demons' several times, but they seemed indifferent. Some even reacted with fear.
As he entered the yard, Saka noticed a transparent barrier surrounding the house. Just as the door opened, his body was suddenly thrown backward by the bat-winged demon he had seen earlier on the road.
The demon was on top of him, growling and snapping its sharp teeth. Saka grabbed the demon's shoulders and shoved it away with all his strength. As he stood up, he kicked the demon in the stomach just as it lunged at him again.
A surge of excitement rushed through Saka as he prepared to defeat his opponent. He concentrated, feeling a strange energy ripple from his shoulders to his fingertips. His hands grew cold, soon releasing a mist of icy steam.
The demon screeched in rage and flew toward Saka, but he punched it square in the face, sending it tumbling back several meters.
"Wow." Saka was amazed as he looked at his hands, now glowing with a strange 'magic. "Come at me! You pathetic creature!"
"What did you say? You'll pay for that!" the demon snarled.
'It can talk.' Saka realized.
The two clashed fiercely. The demon slashed with its claws and snapped its jaws, while Saka dodged, waiting for an opening. When the moment came, he struck hard, landing a punch straight to the demon's chest. Without hesitation, Saka grabbed it by the throat and slammed it into the ground with such force that the earth cracked beneath them.
"Wait, Saka," a voice from behind called out, stopping him just as he was about to advance on the demon again. "Your part is done. Let us take it from here."
"But..." Saka hesitated, eager to finish the fight himself.
"I know you want to defeat it, but this is as far as you go," Jerry said calmly.
"Fine." Saka reluctantly nodded, stepping back as he accepted Jerry's command.
As Saka retreated, the bat demon stirred and began to rise, its wings flapping as it tried to flee. Jerry wasted no time—he leaped up, seized the demon by the leg, and slammed it back into the ground with a resounding crash.
Meanwhile, Tom plunged his sword into the ground, summoning glowing threads of energy that shot up and wrapped around the demon, binding it tightly. The creature howled and writhed, its skin burning from the red-hot glow of the threads.
Jerry then swung his sword in a smooth arc, tearing open a portal in the air. With practiced efficiency, he dragged the demon into the swirling void, and in a flash, the portal closed behind them.
"Where are you taking it?" Saka asked.
"To the underworld," Tom replied.
"The underworld?"
"A place where all negative entities are purified."
"So, the demon will become... good?"
"Yes. It will stay in the underworld until it's willing to be purified. For many, that takes hundreds or even thousands of years."
"Why so long?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe they've grown too attached to evil, or they've been corrupted by negative energy for too long. Let's head back."
The barrier vanished. Saka blinked, suddenly realizing he was back in front of the courtyard. "Wait, wasn't I just over there?"
"Not entirely wrong," Tom said with a slight grin.
"Oh, wow!" Saka jumped in surprise as he noticed Tom now standing on his right side.
"Each of us splits our consciousness. Our physical bodies are here, but when we fight demons, we use our astral bodies. Demons are astral beings; they don't have physical bodies," Jerry explained, now standing to Saka's left. "As for the barrier, Tom and I set it up to make sure no other demons interfere. Demons like to gang up."
"How long have you been here?" Saka asked.
"Didn't you hear me? I told you we split our consciousness and use our astral forms."
Tom chuckled. "Relax, Jer. He's new to all of this—it's normal to be confused."
"Hmm, fine. Anyway, we're heading home. Oh, and we've put a shield around your house. Demons like the one earlier won't be able to get in. Tomorrow, we'll pick you up for your first mission. See you."
Saka watched them leave. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he shrugged it off. "I'll figure it out later."
*****
That morning, Saka was startled to find a lion sitting by the door. "How did this thing get in? I'm sure I locked all the doors and windows... or is it some kind of demon disguised as a lion?"
Saka could sense that the energy radiating from the creature was different from the demons he had encountered before. The energy from the lion felt positive and peaceful.
In front of the lion lay a sword. The animal picked it up in its mouth and walked over, placing it right at Saka's feet.
Hesitantly, he picked up the sword. His hand reacted—just like when he fought the bat demon. The sword glowed with a bright red light as he swung it through the air. A portal appeared. The lion stepped through, and Saka followed.
A vast expanse of grassland stretched out before him, dotted with sparkling flowers that emitted a fragrant aroma. Winged unicorns roamed freely, their bodies occasionally glowing faintly. Suddenly, the herd took to the sky, flying gracefully above the fields.
The lion spread its wings and approached Saka. "You want me to ride you?" he asked. There was no reply. "I'll take your silence as a yes."
The lion soared through the air, weaving between the flying unicorns. Above the clouds, floating islands appeared, each teeming with even more animals. The cry of eagles echoed in the air, and some eagles, massive and clad in armor, circled the islands or swooped down, looking like majestic knights.