Jonathan wove together the energies of destruction and summoned them in the air above the demon. A second later, two beams of obliteration descended from on high. The air split with a piercing whine as the ground was erased from existence. When the beams vanished, nothing was left of the monsters.

  Satisfied, he held back, letting the others attack. Arkanon dove at one of the demons, his fists humming as they neared critical state. With a single, ringing boom, he drove his right gauntlet into the center of one of his hideous foes. There was a flash of white light, and then a wave of searing heat that washed across the field. Grass blackened, and then caught on fire for a dozen miles in every direction. A shockwave pulsed outwards, tearing the ground apart.

  The demon itself shot back and skipped across the churned earth like a stone. It rolled to its feet, and hissed at Arkanon. When it rose, its entire torso had a hole punched straight through. If that bothered the monster, it didn’t really show the pain.

  The miasma surrounding it condensed around its arms a moment later. It clapped its hands together, and the space around it started to curve. The creature chortled merrily as Arkanon lost his footing, falling through the empty air towards it.

  Meanwhile, the rest of Jonathan’s party engaged their foes one on one. Edgar swept his demon off the ground with a supersonic jet of compressed air. Eliza surrounded her mark in a burning mantle of golden fire, searing it to the bone. The Uthraki fought as one unit, combining their powers to greater effect. Hushar and Tukar took the front lines, while Maranta remained behind to support. Bordeg in turn defended her, a massive shield of obsidian slung over one arm.

  The demons were just a bit weaker than Jonathan’s allies, and the battles were close ones. Edgar and Arkanon dealt with their targets easily enough, but the others had a bit more trouble doing so.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Jonathan watched one of the monster barrel through Bordeg’s defence, shattering the shield. Its clawed hand stretched out towards Maranta, only to be stopped by Bordeg’s flesh. The claws sunk in, injecting a toxic melange of various elemental and conceptual effects. To the best of Jonathan’s abilities, he was able to surmise that the overall effect was one of forced quiescence. Bordeg’s muscles slackened, and his eyes twitched. He almost fell over there and then.

  Jonathan wondered whether he should step in, and he almost did so. Then Bordeg roared, and a pillar of flame engulfed his body. When it cleared, the demon’s arm was charred to the shoulder, and he was back in fighting form. His muscles bulged, veins of molten blood spreading across them. His right hand shot out faster than a missile, and he slammed a spike of rapidly congealing lava and obsidian into the center of the demon’s chest. Then he detonated it. Shards of razor sharp rock ripped through the center of the beast’s chest, quickly followed by a wave of burning stone.

  The top of the demon’s body was blasted apart like a firecracker, spreading its viscera across the charred earth. Bordeg stood there for a moment, breathing heavily. His muscles deflated, and he almost collapsed. Maranta steadied him, and moved forward. It was time for her to claim one of the demons for herself.

  Eva lagged a little bit behind. Out of all those there, she could be considered the weakest. However, she was still head and shoulders above most other warriors. Every one of Jonathan’s little cohort were some of the strongest in the universe, at least for their level. Jonathan was completely sure that he was the strongest person for his level to have ever lived. Angranor had confirmed it after all. He was the lowest level Lesser God in existence.

  Eva’s spear was like a serpent as it sped around her foe. Over her training arc, she had developed her connection with the Wind to a greater extent, helped by her boyfriend Edgar. She could now fly, and that increased mobility ensured that her spear could reach all the weak points that it needed. Her fighting style was less visually stunning than the others’, but it was highly effective. She had focused on single target damage, becoming more of a duelist than anything else. It was a talent that was serving her well in this fight.