Fighting these demons again reminded the group what danger they were really in. Coming and going from multiple worlds, each one inhabited by a multitude of demons can easily confuse one on the level of strength their foe has. One week you can be in a world that you could rule by yourself, and the next you need to fight for your life to live for one more day.
But these foes that they have run into on this world were by far the deadliest they have met. Even for a low-level demon most of their attacks were shrugged off like a breeze, while only their hardest attacks barely left a bruise on their course red skin. Although they were physically strong, their speed was average at best unless they ran in a straight line. These demons are essentially peasants in the demons world, no fighting experience to speak of and no real-time to conform to their new strength after just waking up after thousands of years of long sleep.
Blow after blow was rained down on Face's shield as he kept the attention of one demon. Using the wind he could read the ways his foe moved, which arm were raised to smash down, letting him weave and parry easily enough with his shield while the rest tried to do what they could to harm the creature. Reaper dragged his blade across every inch of its body trying to do some harm which left nothing but a slight mark on its skin. Larry's bullets bounced off its skin like hitting metal and did nothing but push the demon back a bit with each shot. Shaper went in and out of multiple forms of different combinations of animals trying to find something that would help him deal with their problem but nothing short of a narwal horn hit with the force of a mantis shrimp could do anything to these demons.
In the distance Gremlin by herself was dancing left and right as her chain moved like a snake to force her demon off balance. Pulling its legs out from under it as it swung its fist or flipping it on the ground as it overextends its hand. The demon became more and more aggressive, hating that despite the power welling up inside it, it could not tear apart a fragile girl in front of it.
After a few minutes of fighting and wearing each other down, Face was reaching his limit of what he could do. Even with the strength he has, swinging around his metal slab of a shield for minutes, tanking hits from a slightly divinity powered monster caused his bones to creak and ache and muscles to bruise from each hit.
Getting more and more frustrated at the events going on he yelled out "Dang it man, we saw what you can do, kill it already! You can do it can't you?" followed by a deep grunt from taking on another blow in the middle of his shield which caused it to dent inward.
"I'm trying here! This power didn't come with a manual you know!" Larry rebuked loudly firing off shot after shot from his sniper at the demon's joints, causing its arms and knees to shift to the side disrupting its force as it swings its arms around.
"Focus!" Shaper yelled "You just wanted to do something during the spar right? Focus your thoughts on just trying to make a difference. Don't doubt it, just will it!" He finished saying as he smashed a large fist into the side of the demons head, shifting it only an inch to the side.
After listening to his words Larry thought deeply what that could mean, was he not already trying to make a difference here? Was he not already wanting to do his part? maybe his thoughts were just too varied? Kill the demon, make a difference, be looked up too, don't be useless, don't fail, all these thoughts whirling in his head.
"Maybe I should just clear my head, focus on one thing and one thing only, killing what is in front of me." he came to a resolution as he stopped firing his gun and took a deep breath to sharpen his thoughts.
After his epiphany to himself, Larry focused hard on one thing, his only goal at the time to kill the demon in front of him. As his image came closer and closer to being the only thing he wanted the gun in his hands began to shine a dim blue, barely noticeable, light.
After what felt like an eternity, but a short time, in reality, a calm washed over him like he never felt before as he whispered to himself "just die already." as he pulled the trigger when he found his moment as the demon shoved everyone else away and roared into the sky after swinging its arms wildly trying to give it some space.
This shot was different somehow, he felt it as he was preparing for the recoil, but it never came. There was no recoil and only a soft clang as a blue light seemed to come to life as it exited his gun faster than anyone could perceive, and just as quickly as it appeared it vanished leaving everyone stunned. The demon, hit by the blue beam was motionless as it looked ahead wondering what its enemies were staring at, but as it tried to take one more step it fell to the ground never to get back up with a hole straight through its head.
Everyone around stared at Larry as he himself could not believe what he had just done. Giving a brief pause as they watched the demon lay flat on the ground they looked at him who was feeling a mixture of pride and indifference, as his thoughts forced on him the feeling as it should be expected. But before they could steady themselves a loud smacking sound was heard.
Gremlin, caught off guard by the ray of light coming from Larry, faltered as the demon with its back to the others landed a solid hit to her head. Her smallish body was flown tens of feet away as she slid to a stop, unmoving. The rest, who saw her get hurt, rushed to her aid to see if she was ok as Larry far behind fell to his knees using his weapon as a cane to not fall to the ground, breathing heavily.