Chapter 65: Victory
Lakyus looked up into the sky and saw the flaming trail that the Evil Lords made in the sky as they escaped through the Flames of Gehenna. It seemed like Momon, and the angels were able to fight them off. It was a shame that they weren't able to kill them, but this would require more effort, and backing them into the corner would only lead to unforeseen risks.
For this reason, Momon and the angel squad only had the priority to chase them away, much to their dismay. In the end, they had to agree that the most important thing was to stop the demons' invasion. If they pursued them then they wouldn't be there to help them if there was another Evil Lord hiding somewhere.
Fortunately, Renner seemed to have thought about the people who were still hiding inside the flames and sent another group to rescue anyone they could. She pushed these thoughts away and focused on the demons in front of them, watching them block the crystal lance made by Evileye's spell with their flaming shield.
The burly demon was pushed back by the force of the spell but didn't crumble beneath it. He rotated to the side and diverted the lance to shatter against the stone stairs. After a moment, it corrected its stance again so it would be ready to receive any follow-up attacks.
There were two that were guarding the entrance of the building. Both looked like they were from the same race, though one of them carried a flaming shield while the other wielded a flaming bastard sword. They were clearly here to stop or delay them as long as they could. Their strength was higher than most other demons, they had encountered until now. Fortunately, it wasn't an Evil Lord and could still be managed by their group.
"Fellglaive Sentinels." Evileye suddenly commented on what Lakyus guessed was this duo's race. "They are extremely dangerous. A difficulty level of at least 150." Lakyus couldn't help but take a sharp breath in, though she wasn't too surprised given their intimidating aura.
They had imposing figures adorned in obsidian-like armor with towering stature and muscles coiled like steel cords peeking through the few gaps in their armor. They exuded an air of invincibility and cruelty, especially with the dark runes etched into their skin that was pulsating with an ominous glow. Their eyes gleamed with malevolent crimson eyes like they wanted nothing more than to tear into their flesh.
Evileye was supposed to have a difficulty level of 150, so for her to put these on the same level as her didn't bode well for them. Of course, despite this, she was confident that they could handle them. If they took their time, they could whittle their defense down until they could slay them, but they didn't have the luxury to spend time on these two.
Lakyus looked at the feather in her hand. The side that was pointed toward the building was being corrupted faster than the rest of the feather, indicating that the demonic artifact was inside it.
After the demon blocked the lance with its towering shield, Gazef closed in. Razor Edge, the magical broadsword cut through the air before hacking against the flaming shield. The demon stumbled under the attack, but before Gazef could exploit this opportunity, the other guarding demon hacked at Gazef with his flaming bastard sword.
The captain warrior was forced to retreat. The demon didn't pursue though, instead opting to block Tia's strike out of its shadow. Even though the block sent Tia tumbling and revealed her side for a counter, the demon didn't step forward. It was like their bloodlust was being restrained, it retreated as if it didn't dare strike at her and returned behind its defensive-focused buddy.
All the demons inside this ring of flames were visibly enhanced by it. Some had flames enveloping their entire body while a few just focused it on their weapons and arms like these two did for their shield and sword. It was obvious that they could concentrate the flames' empowerment onto specific parts, enhancing that aspect significantly. Fortunately, these flames were quite conspicuous, revealing easily where their strength most likely lay.
The demons' defensive attitude reaffirmed their suspicion. After all, why else wouldn't the demons pursue a kill and firmly stand in front of the entrance again? It couldn't be due to their hesitation to strike women, could it? They had only stepped out once to strike out Gagaran and afterward, they didn't try it again.
Of course, perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they had repositioned themselves after Gagaran was hit. She was the slowest out of their group, so the others took over the ambushes in consideration of the demon's reaction time.
After Tia was pushed back, Lakyus stepped in. Kilineiram clashed against the demon's shield, knocking it aside. Without hesitation, she took another step forward and poised to stab the demon. Even though this would leave her open to the other demon, she trusted her armor and her friends to cover her.
Surprisingly, the demon with the flaming sword hesitated to slash at her open side and instead defended against Gagaran's strike, who was ready to exploit its attack to strike it down. Lakyus wasn't sure why it reacted this way, but she didn't ponder over it. The moment her foot stepped onto the cobblestone; her leg muscles tensed as did all the muscles up to her back to rotate her body. With the force of her entire body behind it, she pushed the dark blade forward. Without any surprises, the tip hit the demon's armored torso.
Unfortunately for her, instead of piercing through the black metal. There was a loud screech of metal colliding as a sigil made out of ghostly faces appeared on the demon's armor. In the next moment, a loud noise of glass shattering was accompanied by terrifying and ghostly screams. Lakyus watched as the sigil crumbled and the armor lost its luster as white light left the armor to rise into the sky. The young warrior couldn't help but think about the flame's effect that the angel had spoken about.
[Soul Harvesting]
The angel mentioned that they could more easily harvest and absorb the souls of their victims. She couldn't help but snarl, wanting nothing more than to kill this demon, though retreated as the demonic archers shot at her from the first floor.
"We can't continue like this!" Gazef shouted. "Rush inside. I will cut you a way open!" Without waiting for a response, he dashed towards the two demons, who were ready to meet him. The demonic archers were shortly suppressed by the Warrior Troops and Marquis Raeven's retired adventurers.
[Flow Acceleration] [Mental Enhancement] [Body Strengthening]
His speed accelerated, arriving almost instantly in front of the two demons.
[Possibility Sense] [Sense Weakness]
In a critical moment, he had activated 5 martial arts, putting considerable stress on his body. Under her lead, Blue Rose was doing their best to follow him as closely as possible, not wanting to let his effort go to waste.
[Sixfold Slash of Light]
He shouted his most famous martial art. Something that would allow the user to slash nearby enemies six times with one swing of their sword. Streaks of light appeared as Gazef's sword slammed into the flaming shield.
The flames were stirred up and then cut by one of the streaks of light, cutting into the demon's neck. Another slash cut into the shield-wearing arm and into the shield itself, dispersing the flames to reveal the dark metal that the shield is made of. The other three slashes made out of light, cut into the attacking demon. A long slash across the torso, another into his shoulder, while the last one was blocked by the sword mid-swing.
The momentum of their approach was instantly stopped, though Blue Rose knew it would be for just a moment. Without hesitating, her Floating Swords that were hovering over her shoulders shot out. Stopping them right before they wanted to continue their pursuit. Blue Rose rushed into the building. Lakyus could only look over her shoulder to see the Warrior Troop and its ferocious captain keeping the attention of the demons. He wouldn't be able to defeat them and surviving would be difficult. Hopefully, Momon and the angels would help him soon.
There were some underlings of these demons trying to block their way further in, but they could hardly make a difference when their strongest members at the entrance couldn't. She called back her floating swords before sending the underling flying. Although they were stronger than the lowest Imps, they weren't able to withstand her attack. This set of six golden swords directly impaled them into the wall behind them.
As the swords pulled out again, the demons disappeared in a burst of flames. She wasn't entirely sure whether it was because they were summoned and now disappeared due to their death or because the Flames of Gehenna resurrected them someplace else. [Resurrection Enhancement] had concerned her quite a bit when the angel had told them about it, but it seemed that it also came with severe limitations. If it had been a limitless resurrection option, then their chances would have plummeted to zero. No wonder, the angel said their chances were as high as 80 percent. These demons must have a fixed resurrection point.
They rushed through the lobby and the feather directed them to the right at an intersection. They ignored the shady corpses that seemed to be members of the Eight Fingers, given the symbols they carried. At the end of the hallway was a closed door. An eerie red light shone through the door's gap.
In the next moment, a familiar spell was activated.
[Shard Buck Shots]
Evileye's voice sounded out before many fist-sized crystals shot out and obliterated the thick steel door, revealing what was behind. At the corners were numerous items, ranging from gold to swords. It was clear that this was a vault from the Eight Fingers, though this didn't attract their attention at all.
There were numerous candles arranged at specific corner points at a large sigil drawn on the ground. In the middle was a marble table with several young women tied to it. They were only dressed in a thin transparent nightgown, and their hands were made to touch the artifact in the middle.
A small statue of a demon that was surely the goal of the demons' operation. It had three arms, each holding a gem that seemed to exude some magical powers. The eyes of the statue were glowing red, and it seemed to be about to be activated. The Gazer Devils around the group of women panicked when they saw their entrance.
Blue Rose instantly realized that they were trying to use these women as sacrifices to activate the item. They couldn't allow them to do as they pleased. One Gazer Devil moved to rip the throat out of one of their captives, but Evileye was faster. With [Crystal Lance] the attacking Gazer Devil's head burst into a rain of brain matter. Tia and Tina were the first who rushed in to intercept the demons, who were desperate to sacrifice the women.
Lakyus' floating swords shot out intercepting the strikes of the other demons, forcing them to divert their attention toward her and her friends. Evileye and Gagaran aimed at the Hellhounds that were pouncing at them, while Lakyus focused on the demon standing at the far-off end of the room, seemingly just having entered through a back door or perhaps a separate section of this vault
She pushed off the ground, heading straight at the three-meter-tall Scale Demon. Despite her rushing toward them, it ignored her and just stabbed into the sigil on the ground. Horrendous wails sounded out and she saw what she suspected to be souls rushing from his sword into the sigil, lighting it up.
She had already jumped over the altar, but there was still some distance, and she wouldn't be able to interrupt him from her position. The floating swords were restricted by the demons, so she had no other choice than to use it!
Her hands tightened around the hilt of Kilineiram. The sword responded to her intentions as it started trembling. Mid-air, she raised it above her head and the dark blade sucked in all the light in the room, gaining the attention of the demons and her friends. Without hesitation, she swung her sword, causing a dark wave of unstoppable might to be released.
A faint red barrier sprung up from the sigil on the ground, resisting her wave for a moment before shattering like glass. The dark wave tore through the sigil and cut through the tiled floor as it headed straight at the Scale Demon.
The demon had hardly any time to react, only able to raise his hand. The dark wave cut through his arm and deeply etched itself into his torso, almost bisecting him. He staggered back as spurts of blood squirted out of his open wounds.
Even though she felt drained, Lakyus wanted to follow up and kill it before it could miraculously recover. However, at this moment, the destroyed sigil glowed fiercely. Wind seemed to converge toward the altar. Tia, Tina, and Gagaran reacted quickly as they dragged the young women out of the room.
Lakyus was a step too far into the room. She would have to jump back over the altar and then reach the door. It was too far! She had to continue through the door where the scale demon had come through. Without stopping, she rushed over the downed demon and toward the door. To her despair, the door was protected by a red glow. Even with a slash of her sword, it wouldn't budge.
She looked back and watched as the sigil reached a critical amount of energy. Only after looking back did she realize that Evileye had followed her. Her friend raised a [Crystal Wall] on the other side to prevent the weak women from dying from the debris of the explosion. Then a faint red barrier surrounded the two, though they both knew it would be difficult to survive with that level of protection.
Her floating swords rushed toward them forming a meager wall to ease the pressure the explosion would have on Evileye's barrier. The surging energy and wind ceased for a moment as the light vanished at the same time. At the next moment, all the build-up energy exploded forth from the sigil.
A roaring explosion in the form of a flaming ball expanded outward from the altar. The tiled floor and the marble table couldn't even resist the force for a moment as they were obliterated. Her floating swords hardly held on and were directly scattered, shooting through the stone walls of the building.
Evileye's barrier instantly wavered as the flames hit it. The flames spread across it as the barrier flickered and Evileye buckled from the pressure. Lakyus tightened her hand around her sword, not knowing what to do. She could hardly slash at the flames as they surrounded them already.
Her eyes watched Evileye with regret. Evileye had to expand her barrier to fit her in it. Perhaps if she wasn't there, her friend would survive. Just as her determination rose to do what was necessary. A force pulled her against Evileye- no it was against someone else.
Lakyus and Evileye looked up at the person who had suddenly appeared inside Evileye's fading barrier. An incredibly handsome face greeted them, with a gentle smile on his face. For a moment, Lakyus was enamored, just staring at him. It wasn't just his appearance, but also the warmth and security his presence gave her.
Just his presence completely overshadowed the critical situation she had been in just now to the point she forgot that she was just at death's door. She only snapped out of it due to the slight wind that seemed to have arisen from nowhere, which made the angel's golden hair and white feathers sway slightly.
"You two alright?" He asked with a tone that made her want to just melt into his arms and close her eyes to forget about all her worries.
"Now, I- we are. Thank you, Lord Azazel." Evileye answered for her, making her realize that this was the angel that everyone had talked about.
"I'm glad." He responded with a slight squeeze of his hands that were around her waist. She couldn't help but gulp as a heat arose inside her, an unfamiliar sensation that wasn't caused by the fading flames beyond the golden barrier.
At that thought, her gaze landed on the golden barrier that had replaced Evileye's and then on the fading flames. The entire building had been blown up with only debris and burning wreckage being left behind. However, particularly eye-catching was the demonic statue on some rubble. Seeing its undamaged condition made it even more eerie than it already had been.
Azazel steadied the two, so they could stand on their own much to their reluctance before walking up to the artifact. With a finger pointed at it, sigils appeared around the statue. In the next moment, the sinister feeling it gave Lakyus seemed to have vanished. "You have done a great job. They won't be able to activate it in the future."
He then turned around with the artifact in hand. His pure white wings spread wide behind him. Just watching him made her realize that she was truly standing in front of a deity. Perhaps even the gods of the past would pale in front of his glory. His wings were tucked away, disappearing as he stepped toward them.
He put a hand on her and Evileye's shoulder, "I have to commend your bravery. If it weren't for your actions, this country would have been lost even if I had arrived in the end. So, thank you." As his words fell, she felt happy to be praised only to slump slightly, only keeping herself standing by stabbing her sword into the ground and using it as a crutch.
The Flames of Gehenna that had previously lit up the city were now gone and the normal darkness of the night had returned to the streets. There were only a few lingering flames of the street lights and the aftermath of some spells, but otherwise, it seemed like they had won.
As her mind relaxed, her body made itself known with pains that she had previously didn't register. However, more importantly, her experience settled into her mind as she thought about what she had gotten to know and seen.
She had interacted with these angels, and fought by their side. Now their master, who could only be described as a god, was standing in front of her after having saved her from certain death. She had been able to put the mission to the forefront as it was something she had cultivated as one of the best adventurers, but now that their mission was fulfilled, she could finally mule over it. As a woman of faith, this obviously affected her heavily and she wasn't sure what to think or what to do.
Her eyes fixated on the statue in Azazel's hand, addressing it as she didn't know what else to say to the literal divine, "What are you going to do with it?"
He smiled reassuringly as if he could read her mind, "Usually, I would just destroy it, but perhaps your magicians can learn something from it. To be honest, I don't even want to hold this as it goes against my nature." He then turned to Evileye, who was just gazing up at Azazel until now. "Could you hand this over to the magicians of this country?"
Evileye seemed to accept the statue without thinking, "I-I- it would be an honor." He then patted her head.
"Will it be fine to give her this?" Gagaran asked she and the other members of Blue Rose approached. They seemed to be fine with the exception of a few cuts and bruises. The women behind them, sitting down to the side were fine as well and just looked exhausted.
Lakyus could even see Gazef, Momon, and the Luminari Guards approaching. It seemed like Momon and the angel squad had gotten rid of the demons.
"There is a certain corrupting effect this artifact has, but given her nature, she should be able to resist it." Blue Rose knew what he was referring to when he mentioned her nature, which was a huge relief as it meant he didn't have anything against her despite being a vampire.
"Maybe Evil Boss will better handle it. She usually deals with the corruption of her sword. If someone can handle it, she would be it." Tina suggested, making Lakyus freeze. Although she had always acted like the sword tried to corrupt her mind, she didn't think it would be brought up now, especially in front of a god!
Azazel glanced at her with a contemplative look. His gaze wandered down her body before landing on her sword. "Hm. I don't sense any corruption on you." She was done for! She would be revealed as the fraud she was! "Seems like you have a good way to deal with it."
Her mind was despairing as she couldn't possibly lie to an angel. Besides, who knew what would happen if she was truly corrupted by the demon artifact? She was confident in her mental strength, but what if it wasn't that simple? Just as she was about to confess her sins, he shook his head. "I still think Evileye should carry it for now. Although you are doing great in purifying your mind, the artifact might affect your methods."
As he said that he stretched out his hand and two cards were suddenly formed from particles of light, "You can call out to me in your mind with this pressed against your forehead and I will hear you. If you feel like the demon artifact has left a permanent mark even after depositing it, don't hesitate to contact me as soon as possible. And you, if you want me to give you a more thorough inspection of whether your mind truly is safe from your sword, contact me as well. Regardless of what you feel, you should contact me in 1 to 2 weeks so that I can check up on you. It's the least I can do for your assistance."
Evileye waved her hands hurriedly, "It should be us to thank you. If it weren't for your presence, Jaldabaoth would have succeeded."
"Indeed. It is as she said." Gazef took this as his opportunity to step forward. "This country is in your debt. The king would be delighted to show his gratitude." Azazel gave them a thankful smile, though he shook his head as he denied the invitation.
"I appreciate the gesture and send my regards to the king, but I have to move on quickly. Although this plan has been thwarted, Jaldabaoth has more in store and I shouldn't spend too much time here." He then glanced at Momon, who had been waiting patiently as he watched Azazel.
Lakyus heard the two knew each other and were said to be friends, though she wasn't clear about the specifics. "Momon, we will talk soon. I hope I can get your assistance in the future as well."
Although Momon's face was obscured by his helmet, she felt like he was smiling faintly underneath it. "Of course, Azazel. We are in this together." The way he emphasized the last word, made it clear that they had allied to fight this demon before already. Perhaps this was the source of their friendship?
Azazel gave him a graceful nod before his wings unfurled once more. With a mighty sweep, he ascended into the sky. A woman had been hovering in the air. From her appearance, Lakyus identified her as Fubuki, Azazel's wife. At that moment, a deep pang of disappointment gripped her, causing her heart to sink, though she didn't quite understand why she felt this way as she watched Fubuki being embarrassed by Azazel.
"Don't let my departure dampen the mood. Although lives have been lost tonight, you have prevented the worst. You were able to stop their invasion and capture this artifact. Rejoice in your victory this night." After saying this he teleported away.
She then turned to her comrades, who were gazing into the sky with awe before turning to look at each other. Relief washed over them as they were able to protect their country. Of course, there was still lingering anger toward the Eight Fingers who had brought this artifact to their capital, but they could be dealt with another day.
Shouts of excitement erupted from the soldiers and adventurers after Azazel finished his speech. Lakyus couldn't help but join them as she squeezed her fingers that were holding Azazel's card.