Chapter 123: The Celestial Spirits That Protect Demons
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The Demons were handling things better than they expected, driving the Blood Knights slowly to a corner! It was all thanks to their cooperative efforts to fight together as a single unit.
This was all thanks to Anna, who taught them basic strategies with the aid of Gram, who held great experiences on battlefield strategies and how to teach soldiers how to fight together, being an Ancient Sword held by a Hero who once led an entire army of warriors to many battles and all.
Thanks to the inherited Skills from Inferna, such as her Demonic Spearmanship and Anna’s Twin Cutter, they were able to dish decent amounts of damage; the Blood Knights were only a dozen while they were over fifty.
However, as the battle kept going and Inferna was fully concentrated on fighting their boss, who kept monstrously transforming into larger and more aberrant shapes, the Blood Knights started gaining an advantage in terms of durability, vitality, and energy reserves compared to the Demons.
Many of them started falling after taking near-fatal wounds, barely saved by the Doppelganger’s little fragments that sneaked into their armor, healing them with Healing Touch to keep them barely alive.
However, as they fell unconscious, the Demons that could fight reduced more and more in numbers, while the Blood Knights were still about seven. They had taken five of them, but the Demons were already at their last stand.
“If this continues, we’ll end up losing!” Muttered one of the Demons leading the last battalion that could fight, a group of only eighteen men were left.
“You pathetic livestock, know your damn place!”
“You’re going down no matter what; give up already!”
“After taking down our friends, don’t think you’ll go down without suffering their pain as they die!”
“RAAAH!”
The eight Blood Knights were overflowing with strange, dark auras, as if an otherworldly power had blessed their bodies, giving them an even further boost in power.
[The Bleeding Scream] shrieks, their appendages wiggling as they delight themselves, glancing at the mortal's struggle in a pointless battle…]
[It is truly the most delicious of settings; this flavor never gets old…]
It was very clear who was behind their power boost; as Blednica was currently busy dealing with Anna, the entity behind this entire thing was delighting themselves with the development of this battle.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
Several blood magic weapons rained upon the Demons, who desperately used their shields and weapons forged by Anna and everyone else underground. Their armor was already slowly falling apart, their shields were on their last bits of durability as well, and their weapons were barely holding on.
“DIE!”
One of the more angered Blood Knights roared, hissing at the Demons as he jumped into the air and then descended, pointing his sharp spear down towards them and attempting to pierce the skull of one of the Warriors!
CRASH!!!
However, the warrior barely evaded, as a purple-colored tentacle pulled him back just a few centimeters before he could get impaled to death. The shockwave of the attack hitting the ground was powerful, though, enough to shake the ground and unleash an explosion of blood energy across dozens of meters.
“Urgh…! I-I barely evaded…?!” The warrior thought, gasping for air. His body could no longer respond to him anymore; it was too exhausted to move anymore. “But even then... This is as far as we’ll get! We fought well, but…” He glanced back at his companions; everyone was very tired. “This is the extent of what we can do…”
Tears of frustration started coming out of his eyes, gritting his teeth. Even after having battled and worked so hard to get to this point, they were still not enough to fight and defeat the entire squadron of Blood Knights, several Ranks above them.
In this world where one person could become strong enough to battle one hundred on their own, there was no such thing as quantity over quality. The strong will always triumph, no matter what.
Unless…
FLASH!
Bright lights emerged from the skies seconds before yet another attack could reach the brave warrior. The skies opened up as angelic figures started to descend!
“W-What is that?!”
“Celestials?! No way!”
“Didn’t they leave years ago?!”
“W-Why? Why are they back?!”
The Blood Knights instantly panicked, stepping back as they opened their mouths in disbelief, glancing at the figures descend while feeling completely paralyzed.
The Demons were just as surprised, already driven completely to a corner and desperate for a miracle. A miracle happened!
The ten Angelic Figures reached the ground, standing around the weakened, wounded Demon Warriors, lifting their swords, shields, spears, axes, and many other weapons.
Their bodies seemed completely made out of holy light, which made both demons and vampires recoil in fear, yet it was quite clear who they were protecting and who they were going to battle.
“W-Why?! Why are you here?!”
“Have you come to finish us off now?”
"No, they’re protecting the other demons!”
“Don’t tell me that damn brat called for her friends from the Celestial Realm?”
The Vampires started thinking about a million scenarios that could explain what was currently happening, but they could be easily explained based on the text Anna was seeing as she confronted Blednica, smiling a bit.
[You have activated the [A Being Between Heaven and Earth (A Rank Privilege)]!]
[Ten [Angelic Spirit Knights] have descended from the Celestial Realm! Their power and Stats will be based on your own Status and accumulated Skills, plus +50% to all their Stats.]
[Duration: 1 Hour. Usages: 1/2 Per Day.]
“It only lasts for one hour, but I guess it was about time I used them.” Anna thought.
“Charge!”
The largest of the ten Angelic Spirit Knights roared, pointing his huge greatsword against the Vampires, his Holy Light and Celestial Energies gathering into his sword as he unleashed a powerful slash with it, unleashing a wave of pure blinding light!
SLASH!!!
The slash pierced through the sound barrier, reaching the Blood Knights in a single second and exploding; the explosion of light easily burned their skin and pushed them back completely!
BOOOM!
“Uuaargh!”
“It burns! The light of the celestials!”
“They’re the authentic ones at that! Not like that brat!”
“S-Shit! ARGH!”
The last eight blood knights recoiled in horror as they started to step back constantly, grasping their weapons as their bodies started to tremble. Just recalling the horrors the Celestials brought to their world made them lose their will to fight!
“Hyaaah!”
“Raaah!”
“Begone!”
The Angelic Spirit Knights could speak very basic words, but they did have some sort of mind and personality. Roaring furiously and valiantly, they clashed against the Blood Knights, darkness, and blood energy clashing against their blinding holy light.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
One Blood Knight could no longer take the overwhelming blows anymore, as he was impaled by a Light Spear and then burned by Holy Flames!
BOOOM!
“UUAAARGGHH…!”
His scream of agony brought hope to the hearts of the weakened Demon Warriors, who slowly started to get up, glancing at the scene in disbelief.
“T-This is… Is this Anna’s doing?! Are these... her friends?!” The warrior who was crying before smiled, his eyes shining brightly, filled with new hope. “I don’t know if you’re doing this to redeem your kin or because you pity us... But we will never forget everything you’ve done for us, our savior…!”
As he regained his resolve, he felt slightly more recovered; the purple slimes nobody noticed had already healed them plenty, enough to give them a second wind.
“Alright… We can’t let our allies do all the work! Those that can still move, let’s aid them!” He roared, leading everyone else.
“RAAAAH!”
As the roars of the bravery of the Demons echoed in the background, on the other side of the battlefield, Inferna’s body had suddenly undergone a drastic change, almost as drastic as the changes that Emiliette had undergone after becoming the vessel of The Bleeding Scream’s child.
Ding!
[The Effects of the [Half-Beast Demonic Transformation (B): Lv6] have been activated!]
[The Innate Beast within {Inferna} has Awakened, transforming her body!]
[Mana, Ki, and Demonic Energy are being consumed each second in exchange for a great boost to All Stats!]
FLASH!
Her body erupted with a stronger Aura than ever before, and even though she was now consuming all her energies rapidly with each second, this transformation was activated!
Inferna’s entire body was beginning to be covered by black and purple scales as she grew a long reptilian tail and even wings and a horn! Her eyes flashed with red light, resembling those of a reptile.
The Half-Beast Demonic Transformation Skill was originally wielded by the Demonic Humans that served the Archdemon Leviathan and transformed them based on their sponsor's many monstrous and beastly forms.
However, whenever there was no real sponsor to base this transformation on, it would take different shapes and forms based on the latent potential of the user, taking into consideration their Skills, Magic Affinities, and more.
The form that Inferna took was based not only on her skills but also on the Doppelganger temporarily fused into her body, giving her a beautiful armor of purple scales.
“My body transformed…!” Inferna thought, glancing at her claws, arms, legs, and everything else in disbelief. “I even grew taller… And this power I feel…!”
She felt like she was being drained of everything she had, but she also felt like she was gaining unprecedented strength like nothing ever before.
“I knew it would work!” The Doppelganger Anna celebrated, laughing. “Now, Inferna, don’t lose focus, and let’s beat that monster once and for all!”
“Alright.” Inferna nodded, her emotions suddenly feeling much calmer, as if her transformation was bringing her the mental strength needed to keep calm even in this dire situation.
The aberrant Emiliette roared furiously, her entire body already having undergone yet another transformation in her last moments, the blood she had splattered everywhere going back to her and reforming her limbs and arms into blood-made claws and tentacles.
FLASH!
With blood-made wings, she flew into the skies and then descended rapidly towards Inferna, while the demon girl held her spear tightly and waited for the right moment!
“{Draconic Infernal Spear}!”
Her transformation powers activated as lesser draconic demonic flames surged from her claws and covered her entire spear. With all her might, she clashed against the aberration she was fighting bravely, a huge explosion of flames and blood energy spreading everywhere!
CRAAASH!
The blood-made claws of Emiliette suddenly burned into ashes, the aberrant beast groaning in shock as it realized its powers seemed to not be enough! With a frustrated hiss, her blood quickly shifted again into new arms, countless giant fists falling over Inferna at the same time.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
However, Inferna’s draconic eyes flared with almighty strength, her spear moving at lightning speed, intercepting each attack rapidly, and shockwaves of power emerging with each explosive strike she blocked.
“{Enlightened Demonic Spear Barrage}!”
A slight fragment of Enlightenment reached Inferna’s mind as she awakened her latent potential to her limits, each of her strikes leaving a huge hole in the body of her foe, which couldn’t easily regenerate as her draconic demonic flames burned through the wounds themselves!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless blazing explosions covered Emiliette’s aberrant form as Inferna kept pushing her higher and higher, flying with her new wings while shredding apart her body. The beast tenaciously regenerated, trying to get to her even as she was being torn to pieces!
“{Chaotic Blades}! {Sunlight Blades}! {Sealing Chains}!”
As she battled to end this once and for all, dozens of blades made of chaotic energy and sunlight materialized around the beast in front of her, piercing her entire body and then wrapping her around sealing chains!
“AARRGH!”
With a frustrated scream of pain and fury, Emiliette glanced in horror as Inferna’s spear pierced through the rest of her body all the way into her torso, shattering her very soul!
“This is IT!”
The draconic, demonic flames surged to their limits from within Inferna’s spear as her weapon started to shatter into pieces at the same time as an explosion consumed Emiliette completely!
BOOOM!
“UUAAGH…!”
With her last scream of agony, Emiliette’s body and soul were completely extinguished, as Inferna immediately fell from the skies, her transformation undoing at the same time as she felt completely exhausted.
“Ugh… I-I… did it… Anna…”
A smile surged on her lips as her eyes slowly closed.
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