Isolated in thought

The cobblestone-layered streets, so quiet and empty the only sound perceivable was the echo of their footsteps through the barren night. It was almost unimaginable this place was once bustling with ear-splitting rage and unrest. 

There was a multitude of stalls and shops although missing their keepers dotted on either side of the street without much order. The few stalls Somniya had thrown down in his desperate escape, alongside the few more that were negligently dashed to the ground in his desperate pursuit still lay in the street untouched.

All the banners were selling and buying different things although in some kind of dialect, Somniya couldn't recognise at all. "Do you sell here as well; you'd make a perfect therapist ha-ha." 

Somniya painfully giggled hating his bad joke more than anyone else who would hear it themselves would, but he needed anything, anything at all to not leave him isolated drowning in his pain-filled thoughts alone. 

However Eve didn't even make a single gesture in response. 

Coming up to a small shop Eve stopped in front of its weak battered door. 

Although Somniya couldn't read its dimming banner, he could tell it was some sort of general store, with several staple food items, household goods, and tools visible through the display window. 

"Wait out here, this shop is closed, but I know the guy." 

"Wait why?" 

"I'm sure such a big word would've spread by now. I don't want you to encounter anyone else at all if possible, even if they don't want to trouble you, they may be troubled instead. 

The doctor's depressing words instantaneously echoed in Somniya's mind. 'All that is evil.' 'And I hope you know I won't be the only one trying, how long can you protect him...' Causing him to lose his voice Somniya remained silent consumed by his thoughts. 

Eve gave an empathetic frown as her eyes dropped in dismay before entering the shop, the door creaking closed behind her. 

Sitting on the floor beside the door Somniya drew his knees in some cheap black shorts into his chest and hid his head between them, attempting to hide from the inescapable dark shroud enveloping him until- 

"Hey, you. Raise your head!" Commanded a nameless yet powerful voice, that denied Somniya's body the ability to refuse. 

As a result, Somniya met eyes with a giant of a man towering over him at, at least seven feet or more tall. 

"The name's Rucks, I'm guessing you don't know me, but soon you won't be able to forget me!" 

 His voice very easily matched his physique, with massive muscles bulging at every corner of his body, the stress on his white t-shirt making it seem as if it were about to tear to shreds. 

 "Without even looking at you, I can tell the demon king is gone just by the atmosphere in the air. 

Haha, look at you dressed like a peasant ha-ha, no wonder..." he cackled cradling his head in his hand and swaying it from left to right. 

Somniya sprang to his feet more than instinctively, his flight or fight responses screaming; flight, flight, flight. 

However, before Somniya could even swivel his body halfway around in the opposite direction Rucks gripped him by his shirt and dragged Somniya back in front of his face as if a puppy on a leash. 

 Somniya dangled gently twirling left and right, now airborne completely at the mercy of this beast. 

"I-" 

*Bash!* 

Before Somniya could release even a single syllable, Rucks didn't hold back for a second, slogging his fist into Somniya's face denying him the minute leisure of collapsing to the ground. 

*Bash!* 

Regardless of the fact a single punch knocked Somniya almost half unconscious, he continued to pummel his fist into Somniya's face, chest, stomach and arms relentlessly. 

Over and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. 

And over Somniya pleaded and cried for mercy, apologising at every possible moment where his face wasn't being bashed in, in spite of all the blood and saliva quickly flooding his mouth. 

"Somniya!" 

The door to the shop flung open slamming against the wall beside it, leaving the door barely clinging to its hinges. 

"Somniya!" Eve yelled once again, her anxiousness rendering her unable to keep her tense breath steady. 

And unluckily what she had feared most had occurred, - no - worse.

Somniya's face once recognizable had now been reduced to a grotesque harrowing sight. 

Both his eyes whited out; his neck left limp backwards somehow still holding on to his bloodied head. 

Each and every feature was obscured into a swollen mess with an intricate network of dark bruises from up to down.

 His new clothes gifted by Eve ravaged into nothing but rags. 

His lips slit down the middle still leaking blood, Eve questioned for a moment if he was even alive anymore until he let out two raspy coughs, his body reflexively attempting to save itself from drowning in its own blood, bestowed a slither of relief during such a distressing moment it felt like heaven. 

"You- how...?" Eve questioned, stepping back in an unquenchable shock unable to release any more of the words all jamming together halfway down her throat. 

"How, how you ask?" Rucks asks devilishly tilting his head to the right, his right cheek still stained with Somniya's blood. 

"This isn't why I became a better, everyone that went through the effort of becoming a better got a free cash prize every time the demon king fought because. 

How can the ruler of this world possibly lose!? 

But what did he decide to do today Rucks queries as he throws Somniya's body to the ground like a pile of scrap papers. "Wait, stop!" Eve pleaded. 

 "He decided to take a beating from a little girl with a toothpick.

Not to talk about the fact he had defeated her countless times before.

And guess who bet their every last qwell he had on this fight like he usually did?" Rucks crookedly points at his crazy smile with his bloodied finger, "This guy hahaaha! And I really needed this money more than you could fathom." 

"How else can he make up for this? I'm sure he has the money to repay me, just needed to provide a message along with it." He continued. 

Eve bit her lip in an instant realisation. 'He-he won't have access to the bank would he, it's opened with a magic check, and everyone's mana flow is unique, but Somniya sealed it with his even more unique demon magic.

He'll have no access to it even if he learnt to use mana now, I have no idea how he'll access demon magic.' 

"We'll get you your money I swear it!" Eve promised, although that promise held no weight, her only focus right now was on getting out of her ASAP. 

"Yeah, I'm sure of that." 

"Thank you, thank you!" Eve repeated graciously, crouching down to grab Somniya by his armpits. 

"Although I'm done with Ruthless, that pink-haired girl that stole my win was my second target." He said turning his vile stare towards Eve causing her to freeze in place petrified for a moment. "I cant let anyone that crosses me think they can just walk away scot free either right? It'd ruin my name."

The second Eve returned to her senses she jumped back holding the unconscious Somniya in her hands and after shielding him behind her she shot her arm forward, "El fuuusion!" However, Rucks calmly stared down the palm of Eve's hand without moving so much as an inch. 

The same bright green aura from the first time she cast a spell returned around her arm, and the moment she completed her cast a stone spike pierced through the ground directly under Rucks. 

But as if it was just a fat slab of cream, he slaps it to the side leaving Eve watching in dismay as her futile attacks crumbles to pieces. 

 Suddenly the perfect plan graced itself within her mind.

Immediately putting her new plan into action Eve stood up straight and clasped her hands together sharply just before taking a deep breath and 

"Egeírō Petra!"