“Archdemon!”
“That’s an Archdemon portal!”
“What’s an Archdemon doing here?!”
The demons who had been attacking us seconds ago looked up at the ring of fire in confusion. I had no idea what the difference between a demon and an Archdemon was, but I dreaded finding out.
Fortunately, annihilation was not what came through that portal.
“Kyouma?!” I called out, as my right hand herself descended from the ring of fire. She was holding one side of an incredibly tall demon, his other side held by Sunao, the three slowly descending to the ground. I had absolutely no idea what the circumstances were, but I knew they were favourable. If there was one thing I could always trust, it was Kyouma’s unwavering loyalty.
“Demonkind, lay down your arms! The tyrant, Baal Zebul, is dead! You need no longer be slaves to his whims!” The Archdemon called out in his hideous voice. Though the noise was grating to the ears, the words were music to my ears. An end to the bloodshed? Could such a thing be possible?
“Lord Baal? Dead? You lie.” Called one demon as the three reached the ground.
“He tells no lie.” Another portal opened behind me, and through it exited another demon of the same stature, along with the rest of my allies. They had all returned safely. “Sealed by holy power and the strength of human souls. It is a slumber he shall never wake from. His bidding need not be done.”
The two Archdemons then, with a single swipe of their hands, extinguished the flames that were turning the forest to ash. The battlefield, which less than a minute ago had seen corpses piling, bodies burning and arrows flying, turned silent.
Then, all at once, our demon foes threw down their weapons and erupted into a cheer. It was one that pained the ears, but relieved the soul. So many of my girls killed, over a war neither side had wanted to fight.
I couldn’t say I harboured no resentment for the creatures before me, but I recognised that we had slaughtered far more of them than they had of us. They had as much reason to celebrate as we.
“Commander Hana… does this mean… the war is won?” Isshiki asked me in disbelief.
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“I… I can’t believe…” I tried to respond, but was rendered speechless.
“Believe thine eyes and ears, my forever faithful.” The voice that took my attention was that of my right hand and most beloved person. “In victory we return, to bring about an end to the bl-“
Kyouma was caught entirely off guard as I dropped my shield and spear and wrapped her in the tightest hug I possibly could.
I was so sure I had lost her. That she would never make it back alive from inside the fires of hell. And yet, there she stood. Alive, well, and winning my war for me. I could ask for no better.
“Kyouma… I love you so much…” I cried into her shoulder, not letting go of my hug.
“And I thee… but… I just as much… love my lungs… so might you…?”
It wasn’t until that moment that I realised I was seriously inhibiting her ability to breathe. It would have been little use celebrating her survival if I killed her by asphyxiation right after. I loosened my hug and pulled back to see her face.
“Sorry,” I said, wiping the tears from my eyes but still lightly sobbing, “I just… I’m so glad to see you alive.”
“Think thee that a short trip through the underworld is enough to kill me? I’m wounded by thy words, my lady. Ye of little faith.”
“You’re right… I should have known… you always come back to me.”
“And I always will.” She pulled me into a hug of her own, the warmth of her body putting my tired soul at ease.
After a long moment, I pulled away again and addressed the party that had accompanied her.
“I can’t thank you enough, mister…”
“Laplace.”
“Mr Laplace. Were it not for you, I’ve no doubt me and my girls would have faltered soon. You saved our lives.”
“Gratitude is not a concept we as demons yet understand. Though,” he paused as if deep in thought, “perhaps it is time we learned. It was the power of humankind, the ability to work together yet stay individual in mind, that won this war. For aeons past, we have disdained the very idea of the collective. But I see now that its power is nothing to make light of. Your kind has taught me much, brave warrior. Though I still do not understand ‘thanks,’ I believe I owe it to you all for the wisdom your kind have given me.”
“Then let’s better understand each other in the future, that we may prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.”
Though his face was grotesque to look at, and his voice was grating to the ears, I saw something resembling respect and reverence in Laplace’s expression, and for that I was glad. If our kinds could understand each other now that hell was free of the yoke of Baal’s control, a permanent peace between Earth and Hell could be possible.
For now, however, I had an army to address.
I turned back to the 200-something girls left, holding splintered spears and shattered shields, covered in cuts and bruises and exhausted to their very cores. I raised my right fist in the air, and called out to all of them.
“Humanity is strong! Humanity is safe! Humanity is victorious!”
Despite being battered and beaten to hell and back, the girls erupted in cheers. I looked on with pride at the warriors who had fought at my side.
My soldiers. My comrades. My friends.