----------------------------------------
The demon’s second scream reverberated through the shattered cistern. Its mottled form oozed a greenish-gray slime as it rippled toward us across the slick stone floor. Droplets of goop slid out from between the segments of its wormlike lower half, lubricating the ground it swiftly slithered across. The demon’s undulating upper half provided a counterbalance as it shot forward, and its elongated fingers were extended, slicing at the air in its path.
“Stay behind me!” I shouted to the others, raising Holy Celestia high. The blade’s silver glow surged as I braced myself for the demon’s charge. At the last moment, the demon shot around my left and headed directly toward a small part of the curved wall that remained intact. It slid up and along the side of it before curling and launching itself towards Relias, who was at the back of the party.
Tetora caught the slippery centipede around the middle, his iron claws shrieking in protest as they skittered across the demon’s carapaces. He slammed its upper body into the ground with a sickening, crunchy squish. Although a few tiny trails of black miasma seeped out from the demon, it seemed ultimately unbothered by the throwdown. The creature twisted its tail and flung it around from behind, knocking Tetora off his feet in a sudden reversal. Instead of taking advantage of his felled opponent, however, the demon reoriented on Relias, who was gripping his staff as he chanted fervently under his breath.
“…I cast this sacred seal…” Relias uttered as I ran to intercept. A gold magic circle appeared around the demon, but a gush of sticky slime spewed from its multiple lower segments, burning away the spell’s glow that emanated from the ground. Relias, unaware of being countered, continued his chant, but his final shout echoed hollowly as no effect was noted. “Why is it targeting me?” Relias gasped as if such an act was forbidden.
Doesn’t everyone know you take out the OP healer/demon exorcist first?
As the demon reared up to strike him, I lunged forward. I slashed through its arm, severing it from the body just below the shoulder. The emaciated limb turned to viscous slime as it fell to the ground, spawning several tiny leeches that fanned out in all directions. They leaped in cascading waves. I danced around the little vermin, relieved as they fled, wanting nothing to do with the battle.
“Revenge… revenge for my grandsire!” the demon cried with a sibilant hiss as it clutched at its stub, jerking back to avoid my advancing swings and slashes. “I shall send you to Naught, where Epiales will forever feast upon your soul, Sage!”
With its rows and rows of wrong-way teeth, I couldn’t fathom how it managed to speak at all.
And, shouldn’t it be just as upset with me for the death of Epiales?
With a snap of her wrist, Nora targeted the demon with the orb of her staff. “Exsuge Animam!”
Master Landon reached out an arm to halt her attack, only to withdraw it in wonder as she successfully stripped strands of animus from the demon’s body. With an abrupt inhale, he also cast the spell, though it seemed to have only a negligible effect at best.
What a difference in their abilities…
“Suckle at me all you want, dark mages. You’ll never siphon off enough to make a difference now! I’ve fed on this city’s sinister secrets for decades!”
The demon then shot a blast of dark energy at me. It hit my aura-enhanced shield, only to break apart into a dark cloud, temporarily obscuring the battlefield. Dark smoke hung in the air as bits of inky ooze clung to everything, including Relias’s staff.
Tetora didn’t bother to wait for the miasma to clear. He sprinted forward, his iron claws sparking through the dark veil as he attacked repeatedly at the demon’s wounded side. It flinched back on itself, its other arm flailing as it slashed at the fierce tiger. With every clang of Tetora’s claws, more leeches bolted across the broken floor of the cistern, flattening and burying themselves in the tiniest cracks.
I concentrated, focusing my will to target the location of the demon’s core.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Betrayal. Abandonment. Despair. Disgust. Rage.
These emotions washed against my senses rapidly, overflowing into each other until only rage remained. As a pulse radiated within me, I reached out with my mind, finding its core where one would expect a heart.
Wasn’t that where Epiales’ core was as well?
Was it a symbolic placement? Coincidence? He had referred to Epiales as his grandsire, a term that went beyond a minimal level of respect and hinted at some emotional attachment—a positive one, surprisingly enough.
Being trapped here in the dark for so long, left behind by those I had called brother and sister… Learning of the death of my grandsire from the jubilant cheers of my sworn enemies… And the Sage at the heart of all my misfortunes, still breathing…
Those aren’t my thoughts! I thrashed violently, severing our connection. Curiously, the demon also flinched before grabbing its tail.
“You shall not defeat me!” it screamed as it tore off the last three segments of its body. Animus leaked from both severed ends, but that didn’t stop it from slapping the twitching stub of flesh over its chest. The segments quivered and then molded themselves into a makeshift breastplate before producing another arm where the first one was lost. Armguards also appeared, completing its armored appearance.
It knew that I knew about its core!
Relias raised his staff again, but the dark, gelatinous ooze that had stuck to it caused its light to wane. He discarded the staff and tried to cast without it, but even his palms were coated with the sticky substance. “Chosen One! It’s up to you!”
With the haze almost gone, I inhaled and launched myself forward, swinging Holy Celestia with all my might. This time, my blows did not sever its limbs, but widening cuts appeared in the half-plate it had fashioned. Several times, it tried to lash its tail out from the side to trip me, but its efforts were undoubtedly hampered by the fact that a few feet of its tail was still missing.
It shot a second, even larger bolt of black energy at me. “Share my despair,” it howled. This time, I didn’t block with my shield but pierced it with my silver blade, its shine obliterating all traces. Without pause, I slashed it across the chest with a scream, tearing through its form and exposing its mottled gold and black core.
“No!” it screeched, covering its gaping wound. “I won’t be defeated here!” As I readied myself for another round, a black cloud dropped in from above, hovering a few feet above our heads.
“Morcelos…” a faintly familiar voice called in sinister amusement. The demon froze in terror, and a giant, glowing, blood-red X slashed itself across the demon’s chest and core. The demon screamed and flopped to the ground, contorting into a rigid set of zig-zags.
“This is what happens when you don’t follow orders,” the disembodied voice sing-songed. “You were supposed to wait for the General’s signal before dropping the barrier. And here I even find you violating Edict VI.”
Relias gestured to the rim of the cracked cistern, and I retreated to its edge, my shield up and covering my vitals.
What’s going on here?!
“The Edicts no longer apply,” Morcelos croaked, his body still quivering as if it had been stepped on.
Private Belgaldi, still wearing his red military fatigues, appeared, kneeling on top of Morcelos. Belgaldi’s clawed fingers wrapped around the demon’s exposed core, and he pulled at it playfully, stretching the sticky, rubbery flesh surrounding it. “The General plans to follow in our grandsire’s footsteps, taking his rightful place as the new King. But your loyalty is in question, isn’t it?” He placed the core back into Morcelos’s chest, giving it a quick pat. “However, I’m feeling rather generous today. Promise you’ll return to the General’s side like a good little brother, and I’ll let you live out the remainder of your life begging for his forgiveness.”
“…Never…” Morcelos squirmed. “Never will I forgive him for abandoning me here!”
Private Belgaldi sighed loudly. “Too bad. It looks like I’ll have to accept my promotion this time.” He plunged his hand into Morcelos’s chest and tore the core completely free. With a final shudder, Morcelos’s body faded to nothing.
Private Belgaldi turned, looking at me with two fiery eyes. An eerie smile unfolded across his face. He brought the core to his mouth, his jaw unhinging and opening wide as he swallowed it whole with an audible snap.
I couldn’t help but gasp. “You just ate your brother?”
“Standard protocol,” he said with a shrug as he stood up. “Oh… but don’t expect me to thank you for the assist.” He wrapped his arms around himself, and a strange look crossed his features. “It looks like I’m in for a bout of indigestion. Let’s make this quick, oaf. The General wants to speak with you at the South Gate. You have one hour to report.” He belched loudly and patted his stomach. “I’m sure even someone like you knows what happens if you fail to meet his deadline.”
With an exaggerated bow, he dissolved into dark smoke before shooting to the surface. As the general darkness around us cleared, several ranks of the Order of Silver lined the edge of the cistern’s rim where the ceiling once was, their faces ashen.
Only one hour?
We were already running out of time.
----------------------------------------
Post Chapter Omake:
Nora: Morcelos hissed all his words, yet you didn’t go crazy with ‘sss’ everywhere.
Rae: I tried at first, but it was hard on the eyes. So, I italicized when needed instead.
Nora: I think it works. Nice improvement.
Rae: ...
Nora: What?
Rae: I’m just waiting for the sarcastic part.
Nora: I was being sincere!
Rae: Now I’m even more worried.