Chapter 53: Mobs

“Weird.” spoke up Sylial as they entered into the darkened area of the underground labyrinth. “Something is not right.” looked around, watching the lamps without light and the walls and pillars, being shrouded in darkness.

 

“I agree.” replied Frederick, already holding his short staff, stopping in place, looking backwards, at the still lit part of the stormwater drainage system.

 

The only one who remained calm and silent was Everlong, looking deeper into the darkness, his blue eyes flashing with an eerie light for a brief moment. Seeing him remaining so calm, Hiyori also pushed back down the rising fear inside of her mind, not letting it get a hold of her. 

 

“Are you afraid of the dark?” asked Everlong, not looking back at them but his voice was clearly aimed at the two and not at Hiyori.

 

“Hmf!” snorted Frederick, already incensed, walking past him, heading straight into the lightless place before them. Sylial just furrowed her brows, before walking after him, but as soon as she passed by Everlong she whispered towards him.

 

“There is a demon here.” echoed her boots loudly, masking her voice as she walked past, following Frederick into the black abyss.

 

“I know.” smiled Everlong, following suit as Hiyori was glued to him like a siamese twin, holding the dagger so strongly her fingers turned white around the hilt. 

 

It only took them 5 minutes to wander so deep that no matter where they looked, it was pitch black all around them. Hiyori was holding onto Everlong’s coat with one hand, afraid if she let it go, she would be lost here forever. The other strange thing was, that the constant echoes of their steps were also gone by now, as if they were walking in muffled silence.

 

“Let there be light!” shouted Sylial, her whole body lighting up, painfully so, as it was impossible for Hiyori to look at her figure at that moment. The white, creamy light coming off of her body lit up everything around her but just as it didHiyori wished she did not do that…

 

Wherever they looked, they were surrounded by human-like creatures, numbering in the dozens. They had two legs, standing up and tall, around two meters. Their bodies and heads were that of a snake, covered in gray, black and dark blue scales and their eyes were either completely white, blinded or the exact opposite, black as the abyss itself. Their dark colored, forked tongues were silently sticking in and out, tasting their preys’ auras, seeing without their eyes. Watching their human-like arms, ending in either claws or human-like fingers, holding some kind of ancient weaponry, was enough to make anyone gulp. 

 

“These are not demons of Belphegor!” scoffed Frederick, spinning his staff, letting it crackle with electricity. 

 

“These are minions of Leviathan!” answered Sylial but by then the swarm of ‘snakes’ rushed forward, jumping them in complete silence. 

 

The first to make a move was Frederick, even earlier than them, jumping forward, flashing like a bolt of blue lightning, blasting apart a handful of demonic warriors, filling the weird, unnatural silence with the sound of hissing cries of pain. 

 

“Foul beasts!” shouted Sylial, rising into the air, with stretched out, white wings as a literal shower of light rained down on them, burning the demons. It was fire without flames, releasing sick, black smoke from their bodies as they wailed, cried and hissed, clawing at their own flesh as they melted away. 

 

The only one who did nothing was Everlong, just standing there, with crossed arms, sometimes side stepping a demon who was in mid-rush, letting its body pass by and tumble away. The even weirdest thing was the fact that Hiyori also had to do nothing. Any snake that just got a step closer to her, sticking their tongue out, shuddered as if they were zapped by electricity. They immediately changed their target and went after either Frederick or Sylial, leaving her alone. Hiyori quickly realized it must be because of her bracelet. She did not know why or how but she was sure, the aura it had was deterring the demons from attacking her. This was also immediately picked up by Frederick and Sylial but none of them had the time and energy to start asking questions as they had to focus on dealing with the immediate threat instead. 

 

“These are at the bottom of Level 3.” spoke Everlong, looking around calmly, explaining it to Hiyori “See the ones with human hands? Wielding weapons?” 

 

“Um!” nodded, quickly recollecting herself, listening to her boss.

 

“Those were humans once. The ones with claws are naturally born demons. These kinds of demons are plenty around in Hell. Try stabbing one.” 

 

“Eh…” flinched, looking up at him with a rapidly blinking pair of eyes, trying to see if she heard it right. “This is not an RPG where I can just go and gain XP by stabbing these mobs!” 

 

“I did not give you a rocket launcher, neither are they mobsters.” replied Everlong as he was completely left in the dark by what she just said.

 

“We need to sit down and work on our mutual vocabulary one day!” gulped Hiyori already looking around… but none of the demons were paying attention to her, even actively ignoring her presence. On the other hand, Frederick was fighting with three of them at the same time, elegantly and acrobatically moving between them, hitting their bodies with his staff, that spewed lightning, killing them in four or less blows. Same with Sylial, floating above them, acting as a floodlight and as an invisible flamethrower. 

 

“Here, let me help you!” shrugged Everlong, stepping forward. As soon as he did, getting out of the area of effect of Hiyori’s bracelet, the snake demons' heads snapped towards him. One immediately moved to attack him, mouth opening so wide that it could easily swallow him whole. “A wild animal is more dangerous than you.” shrugged, picking out a small, marble-like object from his pocket, throwing it into the approaching, salivating mouth. As soon as it made contact with its forked tongue it exploded into a greenish, nasty smelling cloud of smoke that started to harden in the next seconds, turning into foam. By the time it reached Everlong, its whole mouth and face was stuck in a green, sticky, slimy substance, still hardening until it became completely solid making the demon unable to close or move its mouth. Everlong simply dodged its body, kicking its back, making it fall forward, right before Hiyori. Walking back up behind it, stepping on its spine, pushing it down, he made it immobile in only a few moves.

 

“Woah…” gulped Hiyori as everything happened in only a few seconds. 

 

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“Experience.” replied Everlong leisurely “On the other side you are the prey or the predator. No in betweens. Now…” fixed his eyes on Hiyori “Stab it.”

 

“W-where?” gulped Hiyori, holding the dagger with both hands, looking at the struggling, hissing demon below his leg.

 

“Anywhere.” 

 

Hearing his voice, Hiyori dared not to ask another question and finally walked over the head of the demon, plunging down her dagger with full force. What happened next surprised her as it went into its skull without any resistance. She felt like poking a hot knife into butter as it just sizzled, melted away any resistance or flesh and bones, going down as far as she pushed it. Fearing its spurting out, bluish blood may be dangerous she yelped, quickly pulling it out and hurriedly stepping backwards. 

 

“Worry not, your bracelet protects you against their corruption. These kinds of demons are too weak to do harm to you.” smiled, lifting up his leg from the wiggling, struggling demon before it finally died. 

 

“O-okay…” nodded Hiyori, her eyes watching the dagger in her hands, burning away the blood on it, quickly returning to its original, immaculate state. 

 

“The owner of that bone exorcized a thousand demons from people and objects and destroyed another thousand in his own, holy crusade against those who trespass in our realm.” came Frederick’s voice as all the other demons were slain around them. “It is a potent weapon against these kinds of Trespassers.”

 

“You should keep it safe.” landed Sylial, watching it in Hiyori’s hand “Its owner is part of His army now in the afterlife, it is an honor for a mortal like you to touch something that belongs to a Holy Soldier!”

 

“Ignore them.” shook his head Everlong, before Hiyori could feel overwhelmed by their looks. 

 

“Like you ignored us?” walked up before him Frederick, questioning him with a disgusted voice. 

 

“You had it under control.” answered Everlong with a smile “I won’t spend my energy to deal with a group that's only purpose is measuring our abilities. That is why YOU are here. I’ll let you deal with the… mobs.”

 

“...” Sylial quickly furrowed her brows, looking at the bracelet on Hiyori’s hand then back at Everlong and the dead demons around them, starting to put the pieces together. Seeing the angel’s reaction, Frederick also realized something was not right, questioning Everlong with an even more heated voice.

 

“What are you hiding, Fallen?!” tried to raise his staff into his face but Everlong already turned around, watching the darkness that already encroached around them, swallowing the dead bodies of the snake people. 

 

“What is going to be next, Mr. Demon? Sending more minions against us? Or would you finally come out by yourself?” chuckled Everlong, and seeing his revolver sliding out from his sleeve, into his hand, Hiyori knew it was not the time to lower her guard, so she just held the dagger before her, darting her eyes left and right, searching for the enemy.

 

“You are… good. I admit that… But don’t get too cocky.” echoed a cold, dark, inhuman voice from everywhere. As soon as Sylial heard it, she tried to emit a bright, strong light from her body but it was also swallowed up by the dark, dimming her into a level that even Hiyori could look at her figure. 

 

“This is not good… this is a very strong demon and has the same presence that-” said Sylial quickly while Frederick also had a somber look on his face, no longer bothering with Everlong.

 

“Yes, I know.” cut in the detective “It's the one who scoured Sheby. Implanting false memories and leaving a mark behind. Seeing the coin in her hands, you knew she would be saved, didn’t you? Knowing what she knew, it was the easiest way to lure me out through her!” said, standing still, looking into the deepest part of the dark, without blinking. “Isn’t that right Mr. Jibil? If that is even your name.”

 

“Hmf. You are already in me, even if you realized it… It is too late now… you are going to do one thing; Die.” 

 

“Really now?” laughed Everlong and it was a genuine laugh. “A Knight? Like you? Killing me?”

 

“Scheiße…” cursed Frederick under his nose as an entity like that warranted a squad of Sigil Bearers to fight against and even Sylial had a troubled look as it was a demon, above her in terms of strength. 

 

The only one, who remained calm, hearing the demon’s strength was, funnily enough, Hiyori. By now, her bracelet was shining with a strong, blue hue, surrounding her like a thin, second layer of skin, keeping the creeping darkness at bay around her. 

 

“Come…” licked his lips Everlong “Do your worst, Jibil!”

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