Alexia approached the anthropoidal stone container and touched the sculpture’s face. With her eyes closed, she whispered a chant.

John stood close to her while monitoring the ancient sarcophagus. “What do you see in there?”

Alexia clenched her eyes. “Something….. Is alive….. inside.”

“What is it?”

Before the space witch answered, a red blast of energy pushed her back from the tomb. She hit the floor and moaned as if she was slapped hard.

Lena helped her up. “Are you alright?”

Alexia rubbed her face. “I don’t know what the fuck is in there, but it wouldn’t let me see it.”

“Do you think it is the source?” John asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe it is part of the demonic source.”

Kara shrugged and marched toward the artifact. "Then let’s open it and blow the thing up."

John grabbed her shoulder to make her stop. "Hold on! We can't do that. The thing might-"

The lid flew off the sarcophagus and crashed to the floor. John and squad jumped as they aimed their weapons at the coffin.

A red hand with long black fingernails, sharp like knives, rose from the open sarcophagus, and another rose, touching the edge. Then a woman with red skin and long smooth black hair sat up. Two silver horns stood on her head, and her eyes glowed yellow like the sun.

While leaning her upper body forward, two black hand wings stretched out from her back. She yawned and raised her arms up and cracked her neck.

John felt his heart raced as he aimed his Gatling guns at the female creature. Although he knew she was a demon, he couldn't help but understand she was extremely beautiful. She has a nice sharp chisel face, juicy dark red lips, and ample breasts within her black leather bikini top. How could a man stop staring at her unholy beauty?

When the demon gazed at the squad, Lena pointed her shotgun closer toward the creature. "Identify yourself!"

The demon lady hissed and blasted red energy toward the squad. It pushed them back as they flew across the lab. Then they crashed into the wall.

While they were down, the demon woman raised her long slender legs out and swung them over the coffin's edge. Her black heels touched the floor as she slid out. Her yellow eyes glanced around, studying the strange new environment she was at.

John rose and aimed his Gatling arm guns. "Eat this, bitch!"

He fired, but his blasts bounced off a red energy shield, surrounding the demon. She laughed and held out her left hand.

Two red energy spheres appeared around John's arms. He tried to fire, but he couldn't. The energy froze his mechanic arms.

Since he couldn’t use his guns, John charged toward her, screaming. But she swung her fist into his left cheek, knocking him into a glass case. John’s body shattered the glass as he flew through it. He landed on the floor, covered by the fallen glass shards.

The chick's punch felt like a freight train. A demon that strong could only mean she was an elder demon.

Ah shit!

“I’ll take out the bloody bitch!” Copper charged while firing his rifle.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The demon glared at him and tossed a fireball toward him. He dodged it, but the demon shot a kick toward him in the air. He screamed as he crashed into the coffin.

After she landed on her heels, Lena pounced her to the floor. On top of her, the zombie girl punched the demon’s face. She kept pounding until the demon grabbed Lena’s face and pushed her off. Lena slammed into the ceiling and dropped onto a table.

Alexia stepped forward as she shot out her purple energy blades on her upper arms.

The demon stared at the witch's blades and smiled. She held up both her upper arms, and firing blades blazed on them, just like Alexia's blades.

The space witch widened her eyes, but she slowly grinned. "I see you have a similar style like me."

The demon laughed elegantly and wiggled her finger, signaling the witch to attack.

Alexia charged, raising her energy blades up.

John slowly rose while his back arched in pain. He could help Alexia take down the elder demon, but he knew she could handle herself.

Alexia swung her blades down and the demon blocked her attack. The witch widened her eyes at the flaming blades. Apparently she was surprised her energy blades weren't penetrating through the demon’s weapons.

John knew demonic magic was very strong. Stronger than any power he knew.

The demon pushed Alexia back and swung her fire blades toward her. Alexia ducked and slashed the demon's belly.

The creature screamed and jumped back from her opponent. She stared at the cut on her stomach. Little blood dripped down to her thong.

Alexia giggled. "It sucks to wear a bikini in battle. Am I right?"

The demon laughed and rubbed one finger across her wound. She brought one drop of blood toward her lips and licked it like a lollipop. She moaned, enjoying the taste of her own blood.

John felt his spine turned cold. That bitch is crazy!

After she sucked her finger, the demon rubbed her fire blades together and charged with a battle cry.

Alexia swung a kick, but the demon leaped over her. She landed behind Alexia and back kicked her.

Alexia cried and landed on the floor. She tried to get up, but the demon placed her foot on her back.

Kara charged and grabbed the demon from behind. She opened her mouth and stabbed her fangs into the demon's neck.

The demon giggled instead of crying in pain. "I like that."

Kara paused with her eyes widened until the demon woman threw her to the floor. She pointed both her flaming blades at the fallen women.

Watching his squad die wasn’t part of John's intention. He rose as his back healed quickly. "Hey!"

The demon turned to him.

He held up his metal fists with his legs spread out. "Want some of this? I can fight you all night!"

The demon growled and marched toward him. Shooting her seemed impossible while her body energy shield was up. However, she could get hit by close-range attacks if she doesn't block fast enough. Moving toward her closer was the only option.

Before she reached him, Lena rose behind the demon and swung a metal barrel, knocking the devil lady down. She hit the floor, remaining still while breathing.

Lena raised the barrel to strike again, screaming in rage.

"Wait!" John rushed toward her and grabbed the barrel. "That is enough!"

Kara and Alexia rose, rubbing their heads.

"Why?" Kara asked.

"We have to exterminate her!" Alexia exclaimed.

John held up his hands. "I agree, but I think we should interrogate her first."

Lena widened her white eyes at him. "Are you nuts?"

"If we make her talk, she might tell us what the hell is going on here."

"Demons don't speak English, John," said Kara, "unless they are inside you."

John pointed his finger at the vampire. "But she spoke English to you. Remember?"

Kara rolled her eyes. "So what. She will kill us the moment she wakes up."

"She is right," Alexia agreed. "Interrogating her is too risky."

John glared. "Then we need to place her somewhere she can't harm us. If she doesn’t talk, then we kill her. Agree?"

"But where can we interrogate her at?" Kara asked. "The freaks are still outside, trying to burst in."

Alexia rubbed her chin and smiled. "I can draw a demon binding circle here. She can't move on it."

John nodded with a grin. "Good idea."

"And if it doesn’t work, we kill her then?" Lena asked.

John nodded to her next. "Hell yeah."

Copper hovered toward the group while rubbing his head. "What did I miss?"