Since they had already started moving in a specific direction to due running to the archer who got attacked by an Earthworm, Toz and the cats continued on in that very direction, following the sounds of battle.
It didn't take long until they came upon a fight between a trio of humans and a demonic beast that looked like an oversized bull. The demonic energy surrounding the demonic beast tinted the air red with malice. Toz could tell the bull was significantly stronger than the Earthworm, even from a distance.
But the three humans fighting it were stronger than the archer who lost his leg against the Earthworm, so the fight was still even. However, compared to the Demonic Bull's inexhaustible stamina, it seemed like the three humans were trying to leave the battlefield. One had a bandaged arm, and the other two looked exhausted and worn out.
They still had enough mana and martial energy to attack and defend against the bull's attacks. But they were quickly running out. And they couldn't dodge the bull's rampaging hooves as it charged back and forth across the ground, trying to stomp on the fly-like humans.
Eventually, the shieldbearer couldn't handle it anymore and got sent flying by the Demonic Bull's kick. The shield of aura in the air in front of him cracked in less than a second. The hoof landed on the shield unobstructed. The shieldbearer's armored body crumpled and crashed on the ground several meters away, not showing any signs of getting back up.
The two mages shouted after the shieldbearer, but if they lost focus, the bull's hooves would strike them as well. And without armor, defensive magic, or the sturdy body of a fighter, their fate would be worse than their crumpled companion.
One of the mages seemed to be specialized in close combat as she enveloped her fists and feet in fire and dashed around the Demonic Bull, keeping its attention away from the water mage and the shieldbearer's body.
She flitted around, narrowly dodging the hooves that slammed into the ground and left behind pits and craters everywhere. But she couldn't dodge the shockwaves, and she burned through mana to keep her body protected.
In order to stop the Demonic Bull from ignoring her and targeting the others, the fire mage began flinging out fist-shaped flames at the bull's legs and body. And when she got the opportunity, she even landed strikes directly with her flame-enveloped hands.
However, her attacks had minimal effect and only served to infuriate the bull.
The bull seemed to have realized that it couldn't catch the fire mage, so it decided to take its anger out on an easier target, the water mage.
Both the mages noticed the bull's intentions, and the fire mage screamed at the water mage to get away as she began to unleash a flurry of flaming fists onto the bull's leg. But the bull ignored her efforts and charged at the water mage with furious momentum.
The water mage wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to, so he didn't even try. Instead, he unleashed the magic he had been conjuring while the fire mage kept the bull's attention.
The fire mage noticed what the water mage was doing and quickly distanced herself from the bull. The fire mage moved away just in time since a tsunami came crashing down onto the Demonic Bull. If she had stayed in place, the mass of water would have crushed her and washed away her remains without her being able to resist.
Unfortunately, the bull wasn't as weak.
The water tore off skin in some places and maybe broke a few bones. It even managed to push the bull away as the enormous amount of water swept it off its feet. But the bull stood up, almost unharmed, with its strength barely affected by the water mage's full-power attack.
However, the fire mage and water mage weren't around to check on how it was doing since they had already started fleeing, the fire mage picking up the shieldbearer on the way.
The fire mage left behind scorch marks on the ground as she ran with her feet and legs fully enveloped in flames. After picking up the shieldbearer, she caught up to the water mage and threw him atop the shieldbearer's unmoving body.
The fire mage didn't even think about looking back, not that she had to since the bull's footsteps rang through the ground. She could feel the tremors travel up her legs as she fled. And running as fast as she could, the tremors were growing in intensity.
The Demonic Bull was catching up to the fire mage carrying her two companions.
However, the fire mage noticed something else, maybe due to her element. But the temperature in the air was rising, and it wasn't due to her own flames. It was a clear difference in the entire surroundings. She wanted to look around and find out what was going on since it was clearly the magic of someone powerful, but even without the two people in her arms, she wasn't in a position to leisurely inspect the surroundings. It was impossible to forget the bull huffing and puffing as it chased after her.
The temperature continued to rise. The fire mage managed to hold on due to her own attribute being fire. But the water mage and the shieldbearer had sweat dripping off of them as if they were fresh out of the shower. The water mage used a little magic to keep themselves cool as they tried to flee from the bull. But it seemed like both the bull and the heat were intent on chasing them all the way back to the base.
Since it would cost merit to bring a demonic beast back to the camp, the trio had originally not wanted to do it. But losing merit was a lot better than losing a life or three.
But the temperature was rising so much that even the fire mage was beginning to have difficulty breathing.
