The Beach (Part Two)

As the jumble of footsteps drew closer, the two men hidden in the bushes felt their hearts climb into their throats.

"My lord, what should we do? Stay here and wait?" Lusenpei whispered to Romon. "Or should I charge in first, with you covering me from here?"

"Wait a little longer. Let's see what's happening first. You can't rush into a fight." Romon shook his head, signaling Lusenpei not to move yet.

"Yes, my lord!" Lusenpei nodded. His lord's word was law. As a proper attendant, his duties were to protect his lord and obey him. There was no third duty.

"Ah—"

Just as they decided to keep watching, a shrill scream tore through the night. It startled several birds into flight—and jolted both men.

"What happened? Someone's dead..." Lusenpei had fought demons before. At that scream, an image sprang into his mind: blood everywhere, beastlike demons tearing at their victims...

Romon lay in the grass with his longsword in hand, his eyes narrowed.

It seemed those people really weren't with the Imps.

No one could blame him for being cautious. This was unfamiliar territory, and they had to think before they acted. Given their circumstances, even making it home alive might be too much to hope for.

Others might consider it impossible for humans to work with demons, but Romon came from Earth and had heard plenty of war stories. He knew that, in wartime, even different species could end up on the same side for one reason or another.

Until he knew for certain, how could he rule out the possibility that these people were scouts sent ahead by the Imps?

But from what he could see now, the humans really were being chased. One after another, the Imps caught up to them as they ran and killed