The thousands-strong Demons, previously blinded by the betrayal of their own kin, turned as one. Thousands of glowing red eyes fixed on John and Ricky with the intensity of a dying star.
"Retreat for now," John said, his voice cutting through the roar of the demonic horde with a chilling lack of emotion. "I'll keep them busy for quite some time before joining you. Don't look back."
Ricky had already scouted three potential exit routes and mapped the terrain for a high-speed withdrawal the moment they stepped into the fray. When the order came, he didn't flinch or offer a heroic protest.
He spun on his heel, his swords blurring into the nearby, hastily grouping Demons, as he carved a bloody path through the stragglers at the edge of the encirclement. He sprinted toward the base of the hill with a speed that defied human limits.
For John, however, the situation was the definition of a death trap. He was the centre of a closing circle of dark-red giants.
