The soldier crouched behind the crates of strange-smelling food, eyeing his target. The dog behind him waved her tail excitedly, drool dripping out of her mouth.

Apparently, Eld was a girl. 'Eld' being short for 'L.D.', which was short for Little Doom. It'd taken some finagling to convince Handyman that his limited vocabulary wouldn't quite let him speak, and the helpful had eventually settled for reading his mind.

He'd made his way out of the strange cave system and found his way to an odd market of sorts. It was here that he was waiting, ready to strike.

The demon he was watching was burly, with broad shoulders and curling beige horns. It wore a tough brown apron and thick black pants, leaving its back exposed. The reason for its apron was due to the forge it was operating, a variety of lethal weapons hanging outside. Its roof slanted downward at a steep angle, the ramshackle walls leaning inward. Despite the otherwise rundown appearance, the wickedly sharp swords and blades just outside were of a high quality from what the soldier could tell.

It was for that reason that the soldier was keeping an eye on it, a plan ready in his mind.

The soldier smiled behind his helmet. Perfect timing.

Seizing the blue rectangle, he vaulted the crates into the back of the forge, swinging the board. It stuck into the demon's neck and blood sprayed, the creature gargling. Kicking it in the backward-facing knee, the soldier quickly crippled it, then paced to the weapons and seized one, a wavy knife.

Turning, he was surprised to see the demon standing, ignoring the makeshift blade in its neck. With a growl, it strode forward and punched. Raising his arms, the soldier took the hit.

It felt like a battering ram. The soldier was launched out the front of the building, crashing through the weapons and startling the horned denizens walking past him. He lost his grip on the knife and it whizzed off somewhere.

Getting to his feet, the soldier seized the notice, flipping it expertly around his hand as if it were a knife and wondering in the back of his mind how he knew how to wield a flat board.

Rushing him, the forge demon lowered its horns with a growl, charging him. The soldier instinctively knew he wouldn't survive another hit like the one he'd taken, and jumped, trusting his newfound strength. It worked, and the demon went underneath him, just barely clipping the bottom of his boots. As he landed, he spun and threw the board. It shot through the air as the demon turned around, and stuck it in the throat.

Choking on its blood, the demon went to one knee, but got back to its feet. The soldier shook his head, still a little stunned from the hit, but ready to fight all the same. As the demon started approaching him, its yellow eyes widened, looking above him.

A black form leaped over his head and crashed into the demon, snarling and growling in rage. Eld bit and clawed at the demon, and both of them rolled around, the demon giving back blow for blow.

The soldier didn't hesitate. Sprinting back to the forge, he seized a significantly heftier sword, this one almost as large as he was, and ran back to the fight, decapitating another demon heading for him as he did.

Leaping towards the demon, who was holding Eld down with both hands, the soldier swung his new sword. The demon looked up to see him and complained, "With my own-"

The soldier didn't let him finish. He could have said a memorable quip, maybe something along the lines of "DOOM!", but he just cut to the chase. Or rather, cut to the neck.

Hefting the sword over his shoulder, the soldier immediately started running. Shaking what was left of the rapidly disintegrating demon in her mouth, Eld looked up and dropped it, following him with a happy grin.

The soldier had acquired a weapon. Not a firearm, but it was better than nothing.