Jonathan's confusion didn't last long. Once Marcus had summoned Martha from the farmhouse and explained the developing situation, both elderly farmers found themselves grappling with revelations that challenged everything they thought they knew about the world.
"Demons," Martha repeated slowly, as if testing the word's weight. "You're saying there are actual demons being summoned by organized groups across the country?"
"And the church we attend every Sunday," Jonathan added with wonder, "actually has protective properties against these creatures?"
Marcus nodded patiently as the couple processed information that would have been incomprehensible to them just hours earlier. In their decades of quiet farm life, they'd already adapted to having an alien son with godlike powers. Now they were learning about supernatural threats, divine protection, and shadow conspiracies that operated on a national scale.
"Your life experiences have been remarkably eventful for Kansas farmers," Marcus observed with gentle humor. "First an alien baby, then a cosmic-powered friend, and now demons and angels. Most people go their entire lives without encountering any of these things."
Martha laughed shakily. "If we didn't have such strong hearts, all this excitement might have killed us by now."
"Which brings me to the practical concerns," Marcus continued more seriously. "Constantine's investigation suggests demons may appear in every major population center. They could be possessing ordinary people or hunting openly during nighttime hours."
The weight of personal danger settled over the elderly couple as they realized their isolated farm could become a target. Rural locations offered demons privacy to conduct rituals or establish temporary bases without immediate interference from law enforcement.
"What can we do to protect ourselves?" Jonathan asked practically.
Marcus produced two elegantly crafted rings from his dimensional storage. Unlike the powerful Incinerator Rings he'd given his students, these were more subtle creations made from leftover materials during the Covenant system's construction.
"These won't give you superhuman abilities," Marcus explained as he handed over the rings, "but they'll provide comprehensive protection against demonic threats. The divine energy I've infused into them will actively repel demons while gradually improving your health and extending your natural lifespan."
Jonathan and Martha exchanged uncertain glances before slipping on their respective rings. The transformation was immediate – warm, comforting energy flowed through their bodies, easing aches they'd carried for years and filling them with renewed vitality.
"Think of them as supernatural repellent," Marcus continued. "Demons will instinctively avoid you unless you actively provoke confrontation. But don't mistake avoidance for invulnerability – if you deliberately seek out demonic encounters, the rings won't protect you from your own poor judgment."
Both farmers nodded their understanding. The rings functioned like spiritual insurance rather than supernatural weapons.
"I'll be staying in the area for the next several days," Marcus added. "If you notice anything unusual – strange behaviors in neighbors, unexplained animal deaths, or simply feeling that something is wrong – contact me immediately."
With their immediate safety addressed, the couple's curiosity about demons themselves began to surface. Their biblical education had provided certain expectations about demonic encounters that Marcus suspected might be somewhat inaccurate.
"Could you tell us what demons are actually like?" Martha asked. "The Bible describes them in various ways, but you've encountered them directly."
Marcus settled into a comfortable chair, recognizing the value of proper education about potential threats.
"Demons are fundamentally different from most biblical descriptions," he began. "They're not subtle tempters or philosophical challengers to human morality. They're predatory entities driven by bloodlust and sadistic pleasure in causing suffering."
He paused to ensure his audience was following.
"Most demons view humans as mobile food sources rather than souls to corrupt. When they encounter people, their first instinct is hunting and consumption, not seduction or moral testing. Some species do practice possession, but the possessed individuals become violently insane rather than subtly evil."
Jonathan frowned thoughtfully. "What about the classically beautiful demons that are supposed to tempt people with worldly pleasures?"
"I've never encountered anything matching those descriptions," Marcus admitted. "Every demon I've faced has been physically monstrous and psychologically alien. Perhaps such entities exist in other dimensions, but they don't seem to be involved in current summoning activities."
The conversation provided valuable context for understanding the threats they might face, while the protective rings ensured they could focus on vigilance rather than constant fear.
As evening approached, Martha and Jonathan began preparing dinner with noticeably improved energy levels thanks to their rings' health-enhancing properties. Marcus extended his sensory perception to cover the surrounding farmland, using enhanced hearing and dimensional awareness to monitor for any supernatural intrusions.
Meanwhile, several states away...
Constantine found himself facing a challenge that tested even his enhanced capabilities. The demon before him represented a significant escalation from the minor entities he'd been eliminating across other cities.
"Bloody hell," Constantine muttered, studying the massive creature that had just devoured its own summoner along with the ritual sacrifices. "They actually managed to call up a Devourer."
The demon was a grotesque parody of obesity, its bloated form dominated by an enormous mouth that split its belly like a grinning wound. Despite its deceptively sluggish appearance, Constantine knew the Devourer ranked among Hell's most dangerous predators.
These entities possessed tremendous physical strength, the ability to ignite their entire bodies in hellfire when enraged, and jaws capable of chewing through solid steel. The mouth on its stomach wasn't decorative – it was a genuine threat to anything within reach.
"Whoever summoned this thing was either incredibly ambitious or completely insane," Constantine observed, checking his equipment. "Probably both."
The Incinerator Ring would provide substantial power for his spells, but confronting a Devourer required more than raw energy. He needed tactical advantages and carefully preserved resources.
Constantine reluctantly withdrew a pocket watch from his coat, wincing at the necessity. The timepiece represented one of his most valuable protective artifacts – a device that could literally turn back time for its wearer if they suffered fatal injuries. Using it against a single demon, no matter how dangerous, felt like squandering irreplaceable insurance.
But facing a Devourer without maximum protection was essentially suicide.
He activated the pocket watch, feeling its temporal distortion field settle around him like invisible armor. Next came a silver-blessed dagger from the Vatican's collection, one of the few conventional weapons capable of harming high-ranking demons.
"Let's see what divine enhancement does for classic exorcism tools," Constantine said, channeling heavenly power through his ring.
The transformation was spectacular. Divine energy flowed across Constantine's body, turning his usual rumpled appearance into gleaming white armor marked with golden symbols. The dagger blazed with holy light, while protective shells of crystallized divine force formed around his vital areas.
"Much better," Constantine approved, then began casting the first of several coordinated spells.
Multiple phantoms materialized around him – perfect duplicates that moved with synchronized precision. Each phantom manifested chains of pure divine energy, which they hurled toward the Devourer in a coordinated assault.
The chains struck true, wrapping around the demon's massive form and immediately producing clouds of green vapor as hellish flesh met heavenly power. The Devourer's roar of pain and rage shook windows blocks away, but the divine restraints held firm.
"Now for the real challenge," Constantine muttered, straining against the demon's incredible strength.
Even with multiple phantom duplicates pulling in unison, they could barely slow the Devourer's advance. The creature's raw physical power dwarfed anything Constantine had faced before, and the chains wouldn't hold indefinitely.
Recognizing the futility of a direct strength contest, Constantine drove stakes of crystallized divine energy into the ground at strategic points, anchoring the restraint chains to create a more stable prison.
"This won't last long," he acknowledged, beginning the complex hand gestures for a more devastating attack. "Better make it count."
The spell he was preparing required extensive preparation and would drain significant energy from his ring, but it represented his best chance of actually damaging the Devourer rather than simply restraining it.
As mystical energy gathered around his hands and ancient words of power flowed from his lips, Constantine hoped his preparations would prove sufficient. Failing against a demon of this caliber wouldn't just mean his own death – it would leave the creature free to rampage through whatever city housed this summoning site.
The phantom duplicates maintained their grip on the restraint chains as massive stone fists erupted from the earth, converging on the Devourer's head with devastating force. Each impact produced sounds like thunder, driving the demon to its knees despite its supernatural resilience.
But Constantine knew this was only the beginning of what promised to be an extremely dangerous battle.
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