Chapter 21: Chapter 20

Yuuji’s shimmering blade easily tore through the mottled skin of the moaning creatures, cleaving them in two without a shred of resistance. As they died their remains fizzled to dust in the wind, but not before releasing yelps of confusion. Their death rattles drew the attention of the surrounding demons, which each let out their own gargled cries and rushed towards the fight, causing a ripple effect and luring even more monsters.

Mitra’s bow twanged as a hail of arrows pierced the approaching wave, thinning their numbers with every strike, but the onslaught of flesh continued nonetheless.

His body was covered by tight-fitting leather armour that bore a deep red colour, with solid metal plates covering his chest and both sides of his wrists to protect him from the recoiling string. A red cloth was tied around his waist, and his metal-plated boots ground against the floor when he tensed his body, drawing the bowstring for another salvo.

Yuuji sliced left and right as stray demons leapt towards him, but just as the main bulk of the wave was due to arrive, it was smashed in two by a giant blast of golden energy.

Hema’s eyes and hair were glowing gold, and the ornamental bangs that lined her wrists shone like the sun. She wore a beautiful red silken sari, with a matching half-sleeved shirt underneath - both lined with golden threads that danced with her movements. With every delicate swing of her wrists, a ripple of gold would tear through the air and burst upon the lines of demons, devastating everything it touched. Her lack of defences made her seem an easy target at first glance, but her sheer might as a goddess clad in gold was breathtaking.

The horrific flood of demons was being shattered like the tide crashing on a rocky shore as the two siblings showed their fearsome strength.

Yuuji was close behind them as the main object of the demon’s ire, twirling his great polearm with immense finesse as it devoured scores of demons with every swing.

As he remained in the open, he saw the full magnitude of the lesser demons as they poured out from every nook and cranny in nearby rubble, through broken windows, and even dropping off rooftops - sometimes to their death before ever reaching the battle.

The moment a new demon arrived, it would instantly rush towards him, ignoring any and all obstacles in its way to try and reach its goal.

This was exactly what they were counting on, as their tunnel vision caused them to be easy targets for the others, funnelling them into a single path that could be dealt with using brute force alone.

It wasn’t known exactly what lesser demons sought out humans for, as greater demons often had a logic behind their actions, even if it was something as simple as viewing them to be a food source.

But lesser demons were different.

Like many greater demons, they also fed on livestock and other living creatures, but when the food supply dried up, they didn’t leave to find another source - they lingered in decrepit cities, ambling about mindlessly with no end in sight.

There had been cases of some greater demons such as vampires being starved to death, but lesser demons didn’t seem to have that same weakness.

Their abhorrence of humans was something that was part of their very core as if they only existed to destroy any trace of life they could find. It was this trait that made the reclamation of lost land so difficult, as even after 15 years their most resilient foe was unhindered.

“...”

Their earpieces crackled to life, and their faces all dropped with despair at the voice from the other side.

They didn’t have the time to respond, and their objective hadn’t changed, but they each strengthened their resolve in their own way and fought with renewed vigour.

*slash* *slash* *slash*

His blade flickering from side to side, Yuuji’s moves became even more fluid, and he entered a trance-like state, his mind emptying.

All that remained was the neverending horde before him, and the naginata in his hand that flowed like water.

His motions became even more efficient, and his ability to tear apart demons grew exponentially as if he were only a machine designed to slaughter… yet it was this exact state that led him to make a mistake.

He had become too focused and lost track of his surroundings, while a small solitary demon had slipped through a crack in the building beside him.

It was a small creature: hardly half a metre tall, with two twitching arms attached to an eyeless bulbous blob of flesh and razor-sharp teeth. Scrambling along the floor with a hiss, it launched off its larger arm directly towards his unguarded flank-

And was skewered into the rubble by a spear of ice.

The gurgling whimper it made as the life left its body brought him back to his senses, as he exchanged a moment's glance with Valeriya that spoke volumes.

‘Thank you for saving me.’
‘Don’t get complacent.’

Using the ice that adorned her, she fended off any stray demons that wandered from the main group.

Being an Empowerment user, she couldn’t launch effective ranged attacks, and her ice was far more suited for piercing than cleaving or smashing large hordes.

In that manner, her style closely matched that of a fencer, as ice formed a guard around her hand, and a keen crystalline rapier extended outwards when she thrust. She wore a refined outfit of dignified frilly whites and blues, with neat black breeches that closely fit her slim and defined legs.

It looked to be a ceremonial garb rather than one fit for a battle, but makeshift plates of ice blossomed around her vitals when a demon got too close for comfort. She was prioritising mobility and speed over raw defence, but her well-trained battle sense kept her safe, and she used her spirit for protection when the need arose.

Weaving in and out beside her was the grey wolf Faolán, who had only dealt with lesser demons in the double digits, but patched any other cracks in their barricade.

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Directing him from behind was Sidheag, who silently orchestrated his movements as she shared her senses with the wolf. From the relative safety of her vantage point near Mitra, she could provide Faolán with far more information, but the constant link was exhausting to maintain.

Her wavy green hair cascaded down towards her bosom as she wore a crown of animal bones crested by two large deer antlers which stood proudly above her head. A fine cloak of fur was draped over her chest and shoulders and was pinned to her green knee-length woollen tunic by a dazzling brooch of silver and inlaid gold.

*crash*

A far-off rumble echoed from the distance, but they couldn’t spare a thought past the creatures before them that blocked out the horizon.

The time dragged on as the group grew wearier and wearier, praying for a breach in the onslaught of death that swarmed them with renewed frenzy.

The first to falter was Sidheag who, unable to maintain her linked senses with Faolán, collapsed to her knees weakly. The wolf’s movements dulled and his once brilliant coat became dull and translucent.

His attacks became slow and unfocused, and after being onset by several lesser demons leaping on him, he let loose a low, remorseful howl and vanished into thin air.

“Tsk… Just a little longer!”

Mitra clicked his tongue through laboured breathing, as he was forced to double his efforts to try and fill in the gaps Sidheag and Faolán had covered.

It wasn’t long before he pulled back his bowstring, only for a rough *twang* to sound as the string snapped, and his spirit disappeared, causing him to slump to the ground in exhaustion.

The three remaining fighters backed off slowly before Hema’s mighty blows began to waver as well.

With the lack of rear support, she was occasionally being attacked from behind, causing her to expend excess energy dealing with suddenly appearing enemies, and she was quickly worn down.

Without any real means of self-protection, she was forced to retreat to where Mitra and Sidheag were sitting lethargically; both to protect them and to ensure she wouldn’t be left unarmed in the open.

Only Yuuji and Valeriya remained, fighting back to back in the fray - him at the front, and her covering his sides.

They were both gradually suffering wounds and had begun to accumulate a host of nasty scratches and bites across their skin.

Yuuji, with his thicker armour and more stationary position, had fared slightly better, as even though he had far more injuries than Valeriya, they were mostly dulled by his leather gear and were far less severe than they would have been otherwise.

Valeriya however had a thick gash along her left arm from a sharpened claw, and a bloody bite wound around her waist from needling piranha-like teeth.

But still, they fought.

They fought, and fought, and fought.

Time had lost all its meaning in the flurry, as they weren’t sure if they’d been fighting for mere hours, or days on end without break.

But it wasn’t for nothing. They weren’t fighting a losing battle.

*slash* *slash* *slash*

The trusty naginata rose and fell like the raging waves of a stormy ocean, accompanied by the whistling of Valeriya’s rapier of ice, in a beautiful symphony of extinction.

*slash* *slash*

A glimpse of sunlight.

*slash*

The winds fell silent, and the only noise surrounding them was the weakened panting of their peers.

An end to the madness and chaos, as Valeriya finally stumbled to the ground unconscious, and Yuuji’s weapon evaporated from within his grasp where he stood.

He remained standing as if it were the only thing he knew how to do, but as he swallowed a gulp of crisp air, he knew.

They had won.

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