A quiver ran down Grace’s bones as Jim and she slid through Scarlet’s portal of blood; she’d never get used to the feeling of countless freezing fingertips stimulating every fiber of her body, but at least she was getting some breathing room from whatever insanity Rachel had jumped into ears first.

Scarlet could only transport them to a relatively close area from the former university, given her limited visual range.

Benedict soon exited after her, hugging his shoulders. “D-Does that ever get easier?”

Grace discharged a tight stream of carbon dioxide, shivering herself, Jim following as they slowed to a stop to wait for the vamp-girl.

She took a moment to rub her arms and flex her throbbing, stiff hands; she wasn’t doing too well after firing the second high-tier bullet, yet they were still fighting for their lives—not much she could do about it. “One can hope…”

Sucking in her dry lower lip, she coughed, experiencing the scratch in her throat that was likely there from the stress of this whole operation. Her gaze lifted to catch the arcs of crimson lightning that erupted across the heavens beyond the brim of her hat.

Grace, what have you gotten yourself into? It’s Hell … literally Hell … figures I’d end up here outta everywhere on the planet.

Their focus darted to Scarlet as she popped out of her gateway for the liquid to return to her body; oddly enough, the girl’s muscles gave their own involuntary quake as she glanced around, swiftly locking onto the university behind the apartment complexes blocking their view.

“I got it … Yeah, I see Wolfgang—he doesn’t seem too panicked, but he’s packing things up into a briefcase … Gah, why do all Legendkin have to be hot … even the evil ones,” she grumbled, scratching her left arm.

“Mmh,” Grace gave a strained chuckle, “I mean, humph—as a Legend-thingy, I can’t be complainin’ myself! Still, I get what you’re sayin’. Woah,” she hissed, fanning her face as her blood pressure rose, “I’m just a bit overwhelmed by all of this stuff—how ‘bout you?”

Scarlet’s lips pulled in, vision turning to the northeast. “Hmm … I’m freaking out, really … We need to get Wolfgang, though—I can’t lose Rachel to … whatever this thing is—I don’t even know what’s going on,” she mumbled, and her voice cracked a bit. “I’m just trying to do what I can to help.”

Benedict’s chest fluttered, arms tightening around his chest. “I feel … I’m so useless! Why can’t I do anything to help?!”

Emotion filled Grace’s chest, forcing her to puff out hot air through her cheeks. “Ahem … Yeah … Yeah.” She wiped a tear away from her eye before it could fall. “Lord almighty, this has been the most stressful thing I’ve ever gone through, but—how could ya not want to help at least one person after seeing … something like that…”

Scarlet tried to compose herself, blinking a few times to likely hold back her tears. “Benedict … Actually, maybe you should use your illusion powers to go around and—you know, help all these people that are still live … there are hundreds, and you could make an immediate difference.”

Trying to put on a brave, encouraging face, Grace nodded; she certainly wasn’t in the condition to protect him against any of the higher threats they might go up against when confronting Wolfgang. “Yeah, you can just go find the people that need help and keep them hidden from the demons.”

His jaw locked as he hovered in the air, teeth binding together as he glared at the street. “What about—no, maybe I should go help Fiona … Help her get Izzy and Edel.”

“No! No! No!” Scarlet protested. “I’ve been with Fiona when she gets like this … She’s a powerhouse on her own—she’s a natural disaster. I know you’re worried—I am, too, but we need to have faith in them. Right? And you can help so many people … Please,” she asked, knowing they were on a clock.

Closing his eyes, Benedict cursed. “Fine … I’m … I’m just so useless!”

“No…” Grace sighed as the Pixie Mythickin shot into the sky to help the suffering; he vanished in shimmering light. “Ugh…”

The vampire’s halo-like red eyes creased with pain while following Grace’s gaze to the partially eaten remains of a tortured teenager, riddled with markings on his naked corpse—if Benedict could help anyone still in torture, then it was worth it. “How could it get this bad in just two weeks?” she whispered.

Grace looked down at the concrete, adjusting her hat to block the scene of at least a dozen more sacrificial offerings; she understood how Benedict was feeling. “You saw those cultists in the field—kind of the same thing at the college … Once you get the ball rollin’, people would rather be doin’ the torture than bein’ on the other side—my guess, anyway.”

Scarlet brushed her hair back and shook her head. “I don’t know…” She paused, nose scrunching up a bit in frustration as her fingers tightened around her elbow. “I … I’m not back to a hundred percent yet—It’s taking longer than I thought to heal from … yeah. How are you?”

Still not raising her eyes to the horrors around them, Grace replied with a humorless chuckle, holding out her shaking arms—she had to force them still by holding onto Jim’s reins for dear life. “Honestly…”

A grimace shifted Scarlet’s vision away from her trembling fingers. “So, you’re not doing too well either … Still, we have to get Wolfgang before he can get away.”

Grace forced herself to smile; ever since she was a girl, she’d been told to laugh when things get tough because it can give you the strength to press on. “Mud, blood, guts, and glory—am I right?”

Scarlet’s expression lifted a little. “Where do you get it, Grace?”

“Hmm?” A sparkle brightened her blue eyes as she tried stretching out her stiff arms and fingers. “My Ma always said, ‘Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, and work like a dog—life ain’t always candy, cowboy boots, and horses, Gracy, but every gal should put hot lead in her belly and dirt on her pants ‘cause this world ain’t pullin’ no punches!’” she laughed.

Just thinking about her tough as nails mother gave her strength; in part, it was her mother’s advice that set her down this road—she’d been a bit headstrong and how she left home probably wasn’t the best way to go about it, but after all of this, she was determined to make things right with her folks—if she made it out alive, that was.

Scarlet gave a reluctant snicker, focus returning to the university. “I like that. Hmm … I think he’s getting ready to leave.”

Grace let the jitters quake through her bones, shaking herself out, throwing back her messy brown locks, and adjusting her shirt and tight pants. “Okay! Let’s do this, Lil’ Miss Vampy!”

“Let’s just get to Wolfgang … I can’t have anything happen to Rachel.”

The path she’d taken the last two days of being with the Lunar Hare flashed through Grace’s mind; she drew in her lips while watching Scarlet form the gateway.

What do I know about these gals? They’re risk-takers, which is all fine and dandy, but Rachel appears to be the driving force behind all of that … They certainly got big-gun support from the government … That’s not always a good thing, though. I hope this turns out on the right side of dawn.

Grace called her small pocket pistol to her right hand, looking at it in her grip; Scarlet seemed to be having trouble getting all the blood together, which was likely still being used in some manner to heal her. Her hand was still in a rough spot.

We’re such a mess … Rachel was too, after that big demon fight, yet she just jumps right back in … She’d make a good cowgirl. I just wanted adventure, not a trip to Hell—there’s no way I can use a rifle like this…

She tightened her thighs, glaring at the inescapable carnage around them; hundreds of thousands of people that had continued to fight and struggle in this nightmare made reality. A few men nearby showed pained but defiant and accusatory glares up to their final moments.

You aren’t quittin’ here, Gracy. If there’s somethin’ in your way, it’s there to see if what ya want is really worth fightin’ for … You’ve been lost for a while—wanderin’ through the desert … Well, it’s time to saddle up, buckle down, put yer spit where yer mouth is, and face the demons.

Tightening her hat, Grace gave a reassuring grin to Jim as he shifted his muscular neck to stare at her; she chuckled in return, patting his neck and puffing out a heavy breath. “Another storm to ride, Jimmy—let’s see her through.”

Hot steam shot out of his nose; Fiona seemed to think he was a rather serious fellow, which Grace got, but he could have a sense of humor—there just wasn’t much to set the mood.

Scarlet’s portal formed, and Jim lurched forward, coming out the other end to instantly grasp the terrain and prepare to land in the large office. Catching sight of Wolfgang’s calm, frowning royal blue eyes following her exit, she lifted her shaking gun. “Keep where ya are … Shit.”

The sandy blonde-haired man smoothly slid his hand into a file and held up a paper; a flash of red light projected off the parchment with several ruby-like spheres attached to various points expanding in black flames.

Jaw tightening, Grace tried to steady her aim, firing a shot between the ritual as the paper flared black and Wolfgang dropped it to the floor, already moving toward the door’s exit with his jacket on, briefcase in one hand, and folder in the other. The projectile struck an invisible force as the design shielded most of his body and blocked the door’s exit.

Crimson energy arched out to form a rip in space within the blink of an eye, releasing a six-eyed bloody red hound, spikes jutting out of its back, and horn-like appendages on its forehead. It landed on the ground, and in one fluid motion, leaped at her face; it was the size of a giant wolf.

She fired another round, but her hand jerked at the last second, missing the creature’s head and bouncing harmlessly off its shoulder to dig into the floor.

Screw these weak rounds!

It tucked into a tight circle to spin like a saw, releasing a horrific clicking noise that made her wince; Jim danced back, carrying her out of danger as it sailed through the air, ripped the concrete wall, and moved up to the ceiling, changing directions to follow.

Grace raised her weapon, trying to focus on its eyes, but she was exhausted; never had she fired so many bullets in a single day and in such a short time.

Jim side-stepped again, but this time a sharp array of bloody spikes shot out from the corner of the room to impale the hellspawn; its rapid motion caused the hound to be ripped apart by its own kinetic energy, spraying blackish goo across the desk.

The bubbling blood would have struck Jim and her, had the crystalline spear not expanded on the other side like an umbrella, blocking the eruption. Everywhere the goo struck instantly started to fizzle with a chemical reaction that broke down whatever atomic structure it settled on.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

She caught Scarlet moving at a swift pace with a frightening look in her blazing halo irises, and her blood soon followed. “I think he’s trying to activate a teleport…” Shadows engulfed the vampire as her crystal liquified and surrounded her.

“Dammit!” Grace cursed, biting her lower lip to draw crimson and hopping off Jim to follow on foot since her horse couldn’t go through the doorway. “I’m practically useless now!”

Taking care to not touch any of the bubbling black blood splattered across the ceiling, floor, and back wall, Grace dashed after Scarlet; Jim faded in red light to return when she needed him. Her muscles and throat burned, body breaking down after using so much focus without recuperating its pool; until she had another taste of alcohol, her shakes would only get worse.

Her chest heaved while jogging up the basement stairs, following the path Rachel and she’d taken not too long ago; heart thumping, she skipped to a stop upon making it to the hallway—Wolfgang was between her and Scarlet—the girl had her blood wrapped around the young man’s body, and across the floor were scattered pages that had fallen out of his folder.

Grace’s eyes darted to a floating rectangle enclosed by the crystal liquid; Scarlet had pursued the Legend, subdued him, and protected her in seconds. Wow … I need to step up my game.

She closed her fingers around her chest with a breathless chuckle, experiencing her blood pumping through her veins. “N-Nice!”

“Not quite,” Wolfgang said in a composed manner. “You underestimate my own knowledge, girls—if you wish for Relica’s prize to be destroyed, I would be more accommodating.”

Scarlet smirked, walking forward to resituate her blood around the man’s frame to keep the Legend in place. “What makes you believe we’re after whatever Relica wants?”

“Yeah,” Grace groaned, tugging off her bandana from around her neck to send it to storage and unfastening two buttons on her pleated top to fan out her collar; she was burning up. “We aren’t simping that witch.”

When she stepped to the man’s front to join Scarlet, Grace saw Wolfgang’s cool machiavellian brain processing thoughts far beyond what she knew her simple mind could link, and instantly knew she was in over her head—this wasn’t your typical man, and his subsequent statement proved it.

“You aren’t with Relica—which means you betrayed her after using her dagger to disrupt Yseress’s seal … oh, how unusual,” he whispered, astute gaze wandering to Scarlet who was trying to look for Rachel back the way they’d come. “What creature sleeps inside you?”

Seriously?! This guy’s so creepy … Hold up...

Scarlet stiffened. “You don’t know what you’re talking about; just shut up and—what?!”

Grace’s drawn eyes darted to the vampire when her blood peeled back from Wolfgang’s chest. “Huh?” A black sigil was illuminating below his white shirt.

“Stop it! No! Stop!” Scarlet barked, fingers darting out to grip his throat; there wasn’t a smile or fear on Wolfgang’s face as he became paralyzed. “Why are you … Stop!”

“What? What’s he doing?” Grace asked, stepping back and holding her hands against her chest in case she needed to dive and roll out of the way, expecting some kind of bomb.

Scarlet’s eyes were bugging out as her blood ripped into Wolfgang’s chest, trying to carve out the symbol or disrupt it, but the force seemed to repel her blood; she looked lost. “H-He’s killing himself! No! Stop it!”

The intensifying light soon diminished, and Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief, taking her hands off of his throat; Wolfgang wasn’t finished.

Clearing his airway, the German worked around his jaw a second before leveling a cool stare directly at Scarlet. “Now … are we going to be civil? I have little regrets about ending my life here to bring about a demonic calamity. Did Relica not warn you about this failsafe? It will activate every thirty seconds unless I disable it; knocking me out or putting me to sleep will do no good.”

Grace hissed, reaching up to tighten her loose hat after she ran up the stairs. “We aren’t gonna just let ya go; we’d rather ride it off the edge than let ya surrey off! At least, I hope we’re not…”

Scarlet’s teeth were bared, showing her fangs; if Wolfgang killed himself, then Grace only assumed it meant Rachel would be dragged to Hell with Yseress. “I’m not letting you escape,” she growled.

“What she said!” Grace added, lifting her shaking gun.

Stupid arm … Stop moving! Focus … Focus!

Grace tracked his gaze to a nearby classroom; he never lost his composure. “I don’t intend to escape.”

Silence followed his ridiculous statement as both of them worked through the confession.

“Uh-huh,” Grace scoffed. “Eh, heh … You seriously believe we’d fall for that, bud? That’s like the oldest trick in the villain book!”

For the first time, Wolfgang’s lips lifted into a tiny smile that was directed at Scarlet. “I do, and I wouldn’t consider myself a villain—I’m more of a utilitarian. In fact, I have accepted my fate to have this portion of my soul devoured by Yseress for her to remain in this world.”

Mind reading loser! How are we supposed to fight against that?! Utilitarian … bullshit!

“What … Eh, and why would you do that?” Scarlet groaned, rubbing her forehead. “No, seriously?! What is with you bad guys and always playing mind games—what even is utilitarian—speak English! You people never—never give up!”

Wolfgang seemed to believe the questions were pointless and moved on. “You have two options. Be civil, and allow me to choose the last few however minutes I have to live, or I take my life here and now, thereby disrupting this deal you’ve made with this higher entity. Make your choice within the next twenty seconds, or all hope is lost.”

The sigil’s flaring light illuminated again; the Legend of the Angel of Death wore an expression that dared them to call his bluff, but it only took eight seconds for Scarlet to grunt a furious scream before removing her blood—not without ripping at his jacket and pants to remove whatever items were on his person.

“Fine! You have…” she trailed off, glancing toward the wall as distant booms and roars filled the air; Rachel had begun her battle with Armand.

Wolfgang didn’t appear too put off by his damaged clothes, vision following Scarlet’s blood as it brought all of his items, including the scattered papers and folder on the ground, back as a clump to her side.

Scarlet pointed a finger at a room two doors down, likely not trusting him with the one closest since he’d looked at them, but Grace was sure this man could run circles around them in the mind game department. “No funny business! Just … What do you want?!”

The man rubbed his throat and rolled his shoulders while slowly making his way to the area, taking deliberate steps. “Simple. I’d like answers … A player far more capable than I thought possible has entered the field … As a utilitarian, I am intrigued and alarmed.”

Grace snorted. “Right, and how does all of … that … all of this,” she asked, waving her hands at all the demonic rituals, gore, and horrific tortures around them, “fit in line with that? Isn’t utilitarianism that religious thing about whatever you do is right if it’s for the benefit of all of mankind or something?”

Wolfgang adjusted his shirt and pants before taking one of the thrown-over chairs and setting it upright to drop into it; he motioned for them to do the same, rolling back his sleeves and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, fingers steepled against his nose and mouth.

Scarlet and Grace glanced at each other before hesitantly standing before him with crossed arms.

“I think we’re good, bud,” Grace mumbled.

“Suit yourselves … Do you know the number of scientific advancements that were made by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party that pushed the fields of physics, biology, zoology, medicine, psychology, vaccine science, anthropology, genetics, nutrition, and engineering—to name a few? Much of that has been used as a basis which pushed humanity forward by decades—perhaps centuries, we’ll never know since it was used as the base for much of what you know.”

His stunning blue eyes shifted to Grace, causing a chill to run down her spine. “The needs of the many outweigh the suffering and hardship of the few—look at me. From this work—what is in those files and briefcase could end world suffering—advance us by millennia, and usher in a golden age for humanity … Only at the cost of a few—oh, tens of millions of lives. Is not a perfect future worth such a minor drop in the bucket for the whole?”

Grace wanted to say no, but it was a compelling argument at first thought. “And … what if it doesn’t work?”

Wolfgang’s chuckle didn’t reach his eyes. “They said the same thing about Socialism, Capitalism, and a host of various other systems of governance among countless inventions that were said to be impossible. I propose what feeble and weak-willed people cannot grasp and therefore deny out of fear and feigned moral superiority … Such as you,” he said, vision settling on Scarlet.

“What about me?” Scarlet growled, lips tight and speaking through her teeth.

He went silent, studying Scarlet in ways Grace didn’t even want to think about. “This is insane, Scarlet! Are you sure he’s not bluffing?”

Scarlet hissed. “I wish … I could feel his spirit being pulled into some kind of … I don’t even know … Some kind of black hole or something…”

“The Ender Beast … Not of Hell, but a Nether Dimension that is contractually bound to destroy my killers and all those that they hold dear for the price of my soul—Yseress would be disappointed … That being said, let’s get to the topic of why I’ve accepted my death … Who gave you the means to unlock Yseress’s restraints … Was it that fathomless entity inside of you?”

“Bastard,” Scarlet spat. “I still don’t trust you—wow, I feel stupid even saying that aloud! Go to Hell!”

Wolfgang bypassed her remarks. “No … How strange … You’re worried about your friend and what might happen to her if I … Oh … Oh, that’s fascinating…”

Screw this guy…

His focus darted to Grace, making her skin crawl. “That Hare Mythickin that was with you had another soul she was bonding with … Is she using that process to insert Yseress? I can’t imagine she’d be happy about it, yet she does serve a higher master, as do all devils … You’ve made a deal with a Hell Lord? A dangerous game you’re playing.”

Scarlet’s eyebrows knitted together, stepping to the side to stare at Grace. “What … Rachel made a deal with who?”

Grace took a step back, holding up her hands. “Look, I don’t know nothin’ about Hell Lords or anythin’ of the like! All I know is that we were over our head and that sketchy devil diva hog-tied us like a pig for a feast, and then we’re all friends or … Gah, I should just shut up!” she groaned, pushing down on her hat. “I don’t know!”

Wolfgang sat back with a hum, vision narrowing as a frown touched his smooth lips. “Still, the question is … How did you draw the attention of a Hell Lord?”

His attention slid to Scarlet again. “This is exactly what I wished to build a defense against … Entities like that which inhabit you … Too horrifying to even peer past the fog, and … to think you’d use that seed’s weighted potential as a sealing mechanism for such a creature was … brilliant, I must say—even more, that you’d accomplished it.”

Scarlet’s arms were trembling, eyes closed as she took deep breaths to control herself. “You’re a monster! I don’t care about whatever it’s called … It’s wrong! These people … they didn’t deserve this,” she yelled, and Grace felt bad while following her gesture to a man’s silhouette in the corner, his legs and arms chopped off to allow his blood to leak out across the floor. “It’s sick!”

Wolfgang didn’t blink at the sight. “If it benefits the majority, the sacrifice is worth it, but you seem to be shockingly limited by your morality, considering what inhabits your soul—perhaps it is a counterbalance or some needed condition of its stay … trauma … I see. Hmm … This changes everything … I’ll need to adapt my plans.”

“What plans; you’re dead!” Grace shot back. “You’re going to be eaten by that devil girl; what’s the point of this then?”

The blonde man crossed his legs and sat back, rubbing his chin before looking at the items Scarlet collected. “It is not my fault you cannot comprehend the full scope of the plan … Although you have been most helpful in bringing several flaws to my attention … I am no longer needed—adjustments will be made. It is as simple as that.”

“I hate people like you!” Scarlet seethed, spiked blood surrounding the man in an instant but refrained from striking. “You, Relica, my mom! You’re all sick—twisted!”

Wolfgang didn’t flinch, practically ignoring her outburst, and a thought crossed Grace’s mind; releasing a sad sigh, she walked over and slumped into a seat. “Ah—well, shit … You have some kind of mental link with your other doubles or whatever, don’t ya?”

“More intelligent than I thought for a farm girl,” Wolfgang stoically stated, “but it didn’t take a genius to discover. I could end my life and force this plan to fail, yet I don’t know the details of the exchange, which would be premature to make a rash decision, and if what I’ve concluded is true, then Yseress is more than capable of turning this entire play on its head—ah, right on time,” he smiled.

They glanced toward the window—the red-tinted sky grew black as night fell over the city, Scarlet’s lips falling open in shock. “The shield … It’s down?”

“Predictably,” Wolfgang stated, rising to his feet as Scarlet withdrew her blades. “If I’m correct, we’ll be meeting your friend Rachel in the heart of Asher’s ritual soon … Oh, and as an added bonus, the U.S. military … opportune timing. Shall we go?”

Grace didn’t know what they should do; her brain checked out about an hour ago. She didn’t know what to believe or do—she needed alcohol. “Scarlet…”

“What?” she asked, mind racing to come up with a decision; Wolfgang was offering to willingly go to Rachel and Yseress, which was what they wanted—it just didn’t seem right.

“I know it’s not the best time,” she groaned, “but … can you see any alcohol anywhere?”

“Really?” Scarlet snapped but soon hissed, pounding her head in frustration. “Gah! No! No! I know, it’s like Fiona with sugar … Sorry, I’m just … I hate this devil—he’s not human!”

“And you are?” Wolfgang returned, playing with his sleeves. “Personally, I find such statements childish. Are you going to yell at me and panic for the remaining fifteen minutes … God, I hate American music,” he growled, hearing the songs from the military vehicles softly playing from loudspeakers as they neared and what sounded like missile attacks struck not too far away, making Scarlet and Grace flinch.

Grace couldn’t help the pit growing in her stomach at Scarlet’s outburst; she felt useless enough but had to press on, drawing upon her mother’s words. “Sorry, Scarlet.”

“Gah! No, it’s not you … It’s like we’re playing into everyone’s hands!” She cast her eyes around, scanning for anything alcohol-related. “Ah, got a hidden barrel under some rubble … You’ll be better after drinking?”

Grace tried to put on a smile. “Yeah. I should be able to whip out my rifle and help—you know, if I’m needed.”

“I’ll gladly take the help,” Scarlet sighed, crafting the blood portal. “No funny business, Wolfgang!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it; I’m on a schedule, and I need to see if my metrics are correct.”

He walked through with Grace’s shaky hand holding a gun to his back. Rachel better have a damn good explanation after all this is over, because dammit … I don’t know what to think anymore, and what’s up with this whole ‘entity’ thing in Scarlet?!