Tim ran as fast as he physically could, but he couldn't help but glance back at the strange sight behind him. With every glance all he could feel was a confusing mixture of relief and rage. Relief, that someone had blocked Kevin’s charge, and rage as the very sight of that figure brought back brief memories of a village burning, and a gray figure standing above it all.

Still, Tim pondered through rasping breaths, what the hell is a demon doing here? Why here, why now? Tim shook his head with exhausted irritation as he and Bert desperately rounded a corner, heading closer and closer to the labyrinthian slums that made up the objective of their escape plan. Almost there, Tim, we just have to make it a few more turns, and we can lose Kevin in the slums as we make our way to the hideout. Well, as long as he doesn’t start mowing down buildings… that might be a bit too much to handle. Tim thought. It was never a good idea to rely on an enemy acting with restraint, but it really was their only option at this point.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The streets surrounding Kevin’s mansion were silent for once. There were no greetings from passing acquaintances enjoying the fall air, no carriages winding their way down the street while avoiding others of their kind. The bystanders had fled long ago, after the more unfortunate ones began to catch loose tongues of flame or bolts of lightning from the eager combatants, the main characters performing a deadly dance of singing blades and crackling magic on the center stage that was the street.

Once more a crackling bolt of electricity swarmed out from Kevin’s outstretched fingers, and once more did the demon Dimitre artfully somersault onto the roof of a nearby building. Instead of his skull it charred the very bricks of the street. The movement brought the battered and twisted shape of his beloved scimitar into view, and for what was not the first time that day, the demon hissed in displeasure at the sight. Indeed, it was a fine weapon, but indeed, it proves insufficient when compared to the magic of a hero, Dimitre complained to himself. Really. Just when I find that half-elf Sir Mavier needs to see, a hero shows up. Well, I suppose, He thought as he leaned to the side to dodge another bolt of hissing fire, that half-elf did seem to start it. Heh. What will Sir Mavier think when I tell him I met the target when he was assaulting a hero with some strange device. Another projectile impacted with Dimitre’s perch, and he begrudgingly vacated it for the streets once more as the house disintegrated into a pillar of bright blue fire, wincing slightly as the very edges of the attack singed his back.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Kevin let out an almost concussive burst of laughter as his adversary was forced to flee once more before the strength of his magic. Now, if you can just stay still, you lizard fuck, he thought as he twisted the very air around him with his mana to draw and gather slight bits of electricity towards his figure. A wide grin contorted Kevin’s face as his efforts paid off, the air beginning to flood with the stench of ozone again. He took a step forward and relished the look of the demon’s eyes widening as a single step of his propelled Kevin to his target with the speed of, well, lightning. Kevin’s right arm shot out in a powerful, yet undisciplined haymaker, his grin only widening as the demon desperately blocked the strike with his scimitar. By this point, the blade of the weapon was visibly dented, and with an earsplitting crunching noise the blade folded before the hero’s strike and shattered into countless pieces.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Dimitre’s stoic façade finally broke, just the same as his beloved weapon that had seen him through many a battle. The sheer force of the strike catapulted him backwards, away from the maniacally grinning hero, and he swiftly took in all his options. Okay, this is definitely not winnable, he realized, Sir Mavier could do it, and if I had my countrymen backing me up, maybe, but that’s not doable right now. The air around him began to fill with the rather unpleasant smell of ozone, and Dimitre frantically threw his body to the left as a thundering axe kick impacted the stones of the street where he had been a second ago so brutally that the very stones themselves were crushed to a fine powder. Yes, not winnable, Dimitre concluded as he dashed towards the network of side streets he had scouted earlier in preparation for finding his target. At this point, losing his foe in the slum district sounded like the best option.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“You fucking coward!” Kevin roared as the demon rounded yet another corner in what was swiftly becoming a confusing mess of buildings, alleys, and side streets. Dammit, should I just drop an AOE blast to get rid of the buildings? Shit, Elena would get pissed and that murderous fuck Adrian might even get involved. Kevin fought back shudders at the thought of it. No, lets not. Kevin let out a frustrated sight and slammed his meaty fists into a nearby building, stopping his pursuit and ignoring the spiderwebs of cracks that had formed in the wall.

He swung his head in all directions, but only one thing was clear. “I’m fucking lost, aren’t I?” He bit back a disappointed sigh. The adrenaline that had coursed through his body, making him actually feel alive for the first time in years, had began to fade, and all he could feel was the familiar emptiness. Again. He turned around, attempting to find just one familiar landmark, all the while ignoring the faint whimpers coming from the other side of the wall he had hit. Ah, fuck it, he thought as he flexed his legs and sprung up towards the rooftops. Well, I still can’t see shit when looking towards the streets, but I think that’s my mansion? He contemplated, filling the air with the crackling of lighting and bursting across the rooftops with almost unimaginable speed.