"Hmm?" He has only begun his return back to where he'd laid waste to dozens of demons and beasts when the sensation hit him like a blade sliding under the skin.
Fast. Focused. Hostile.
Damien's eyes narrowed mid-flight as Aquila banked through the air. The forest below blurred, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the direction and speed of the presence racing toward them.
"…Another one," he muttered.
The magic essence was unmistakable. Dense. Refined. Not wild like a mana beast, not crude like lesser demons. This one knew how to move. How to hide its intent until the last moment.
Damien exhaled slowly.
"Cancel Aquila's summon."
Aquila vanished mid-flight in a rush of wind and light, its form dissolving back into essence. The sudden absence of lift sent Damien plummeting toward the forest canopy.
That was intentional.
