81 Saving a world? (1/2)

We are back on board of the Nomad and I watch the tactical display in unconcealed dismay. The demons which got created until now are still on a rampage.

”Our weapons don't work. Even by using completely non-magic projectiles, the demons don't get killed. It only takes them longer to regenerate.” A technician informs me of the situation. ”The only thing that worked so far was to slay them with a mana-crystal weapon in mana absorption mode.”

I nod at the explanation and think about the situation.

”Going down and fighting them hand to hand will cause us quite a few causalities for sure.” Nicosar points out one of our options.

”Destroying the planet would just set them adrift. But at least they wouldn't be able to continue to feed on mortals.” Celes mumbles to herself

I think back to the moment when I looked at these ghastly things with my mana sight. They looked similar to a soul. An artificial soul. What's the reason for their existence. I have to get a look at one of these things up close. I just saw the newly made ones, which hadn't fed yet. I need to see one of those things while feeding.

What actually happens to the soul?

The prisoners told us that from time to time a group of demons would return to the cavern and pray to the sphere. Were they bringing back the souls they caught? It's a creepy thought but were they acting as gatherers?

A shiver runs down my spine when I think back to my own experience with the sphere.

I open the command menu for the plasma weapons of the nomad and lock everyone else out of the system. Then I restrict the settings to my command chair.

”Your majesty?” The weapons officer turns around to me with an inquiring but polite voice. I just locked him out of his console.

”It's just an experiment and I don't want anyone to know the magic for this.” -Me

After ensuring that I am the only one with access to the plasma weapons, I call up the magical casting devices, which are used to create the containment field for the plasma.

The plasma weapons are a combination of magic and science. A stream of superheated plasma is caught by a magical barrier and then ejected with movement magic.

In principle the casting devices of the cannons could cast any other spell too. I tune down the amount of plasma, which frees one of the casting devices for another purpose.

Then I change the magical system within the device to interact with the plasma. The wonderful blue orb of runes which displays the magical system turns into a red one with sickening swirling interactions on its surface.

”Give me a target which is beyond saving and has a high concentration of demons.” I give the command and a technician zooms the screen on a city. There isn't much to see on that scale, but there are many red dots and a few blue ones. The red dots obviously represent demons and the blue....

Being sentimental won't change the situation.

I input the coordinates and press the button to fire the cannon. A swirling maelstrom of red energy is sent down towards the surface. It's a doomsday magic without a name. I never bothered to give it one and I only use it if I really want someone dead.

It acts like a shredder on all levels of existence. Even souls are hacked to so many small pieces that it would take an eternity for them to heal on their own.

Everything happens in silence, as the maelstrom hits the surface and the screen blackens out for a second.

After it comes back and shows a wasted city with a crater in the centre, the technician gives his assessment.

”No demons... no anything. The place is dead like the surface of a moon.... your majesty.”

”Give me the coordinates for other high concentrations of demons.” I urge the Technician to continue.

Over the next twenty five minutes I fired the plasma cannons on thirty four different targets.

Nobody said a word during the entire time. Everyone was aware that I was wiping out quite a few innocent mortals together with the demons. But their souls may heal after an eternity, to them it wouldn't make much difference if they reincarnated after a hundred years or a few thousand..... or so I told myself.