The lion's maw flashed its teeth in a sort of grin. While its lips didn't move, a guttural, grinding voice issued through those teeth. Those words slithered out with agonizing slowness in a fashion that screamed maliciousness. “You know me...? I'm. .flattered, to say the least. Not every self-important runt with a halo does their research.”

As badly as Zander wanted to ignite his fists with golden fire, he knew to hold off open aggression until they had ascertained that this Buer was a threat. “Save your small talk for your victims. Why are you here?” He repeated.

Buer rasped out a resigned sigh. “Always in a rush. You ought to respect your elders, my dove. At my age, you learn to take it slow. My purpose in this town is to send you a message. An associate of mine spotted you following him, and has requested that you abandon your pursuit.”

Union frowned. “Is that all?” Zoe inquired.
“Yes,” Buer gazed at the angel as if it were prey, though his tone remained even and devoid of desire.
With their course of action decided, both voices of Union spoke in perfect unison. “Any demon we encounter is subject to our judgment. We will not relent in our pursuit of those who would steal the oracles away from their rightful side by the angels.”
If a five-legged wheel with a lion's head for a hub could shrug, Buer would have done so. “Two heads, twice the thickness. Luckily, I expected this meeting might turn out this way.”

Zander grinned invisibly beneath his helmet. “Are you going to fight us?”
Now Buer's eyes were filled with hunger. “Me? No, no. I'm little more than a doctor and a teacher, really. I leave such base matters as combat to my legions.”

Buer waved the legs he held in the air, and red circles appeared in the pavement. Rather than pavement, these magic inscriptions appeared to be drawn in blood, eking out of the asphalt as if it were bleeding. In the space of seconds, the five of them reached their full size and abruptly opened, coughing out noxious red, yellow, and black gases. Union's hands and wings erupting into blazing golden fire as a score of demons appeared in the street. These were gaunt, about the size of a human, with mottled, charred skin, pointed white teeth, and lidless pink eyes. Some of them wore armor, but all of them carried weapons.

Still sporting that predator's grin, Buer took a step back. “Not bad, eh? I might only have two or three mobilized, but it shouldn't take more than one to drag you down to hell. I wonder what sort of demon a two-headed angel might make? Lust, maybe. That'd be...heheh, [i]delicious[/i]. Go on, troops; relieve our fiery friend of its soul.”

As one, the pack of lesser demons began to move forward. Without hesitation, Union leaped into the air, pumping its wings to gain height and inertia. Wreathed in burning passion, Union crashed into the middle of the group, instantly incinerating half of the fell creatures in a holy explosion. What remained were quickly dispatched as Zander streamed fire from his hands and Zoe delivered searing slices with her wing-tips. Before Buer could utter an exclamation of surprise, let alone start rolling away, Union was upon him.

“I don't know what you're planning, Buer, but your part in it ends here.”
The demon snarled, very out of character for an individual normally so composed. He seemed to know his fate. “You haven't seen the last of me, you meddlesome pigeon. I hope you do find Astaroth. He's not as cultured as me.”

A flaming fist to the repulsive lion's mouth was all it took to send Buer back to hell.

Union changed back to human form. They stood alone on an empty street; it was as if nothing had ever happened. “Well,” Zander said at last. “That was interesting.”