by J F Cain
Eiael and Fares extended their left arms. Bright rays shot out from the swirling hyperdimensional gateways that appeared in front of their hands, striking down two frontline Demons instantaneously. With pain written on their faces, they turned to black energy and vanished. In the meantime, Lyla’s sword had already met Abaddon’s blades and the rest of the Demons were attacking the Guardians in an attempt to break the protective ring around Aranes.
Hammering away at Lyla, Abaddon drove her a few feet away from Aranes, however always keeping his partner within the field of his supernatural vision. The Succubus barely managed to deflect the two bloodred blades that whistled through the air around her, threatening to put her out of action. The Celestial was attacking fast and furiously. She was forced to hold her sword with both her hands to withstand the strikes, but her pride wouldn’t let her show any weakness. Although a smirk was pasted on her face, she was starting to fear that she wouldn’t be able to handle him. He was a much more difficult opponent than she had expected. She could summon more Demons, who were waiting at her headquarters, ready to respond to her command. But if she did that so soon, she would be admitting that her powers were limited and that she had lied to them about the Angel they would be dealing with.
As Abaddon was driving back Lyla, he found himself beside a Demon who was hammering away at Stephan Thornton, forcing him to hold his sword with both hands, which made it impossible for him to open a gateway. The Dark Angel raised his left sword and, instead of attacking Lyla, he pierced the side of the Guardian’s opponent. The Demon swiveled around, growled and vanished, gritting his teeth with rage. Stephan nodded his thanks to the Celestial and rushed to the aid of another Guardian fighting nearby.
A few feet away, Diana was harassing a big and rather lumbering Demon. He had chosen her, thinking that her small size would make her an easy target. However, the warrior of Light could move so quickly that the Ethereal wasn’t able to get her with his sword. While avoiding yet another attack, Diana saw a Demon materialize behind Aranes, but far enough away from her that if a Guardian saw him, they would think he was here to fight and not to grab the high Celestial. The dark Ethereal glanced left and right and then began to weave carefully among the fighters.
Fares and Stephan Thornton, who were fighting close to the Superior, also saw the intruder and tried to dispatch their opponents so that they could annihilate him. But the Demons intensified their attacks so that their comrade could achieve their common purpose. Fares, who had been holding his sword with both hands, freed his left hand and released a bright ray, but then had to quickly lower his arm to save it from being cut off and the ray struck the floor, next to the Demon’s feet. The Demon glared at the Guardians’ second-in-command and then continued to make his way toward Aranes.
Diana glanced worriedly at Abaddon. He was facing Lyla and another four Demons and, since the chamber was full of dark entities, he probably hadn’t noticed the dark intruder. The warrior of Light wasted no time. She abandoned her opponent mid-fight and began to run, winding quickly among the fighters. As soon as she got close to the Demon who was approaching Aranes, she gritted her teeth and, justifying her nickname, she propelled herself like an arrow onto his back. The contact with the powerful negative energy struck her like an electric shock, but she didn’t lose her composure. Screaming with pain, she put his head in a choke hold with her free arm and with the other she slashed his throat. The Demon turned into smoky energy at once and Diana fell to the floor on her knees. Her clothes were blackened where she had come into contact with the Ethereal, but her armor had protected her. However, all along her inner arm, her sleeve and the straps used to tie the protective covering on her arm had burnt away and the stench of burned skin was already rising from the wound. Gripping the sword in her trembling hand, she breathed deeply and tried to beat back the dizziness caused by the pain and the contact with the powerful energy. She had to get up quickly. She was exposed. If an enemy caught sight of her, they could kill her in an instant.
The same thought crossed the mind of the Demon battling with Fares. Irritated by his comrade’s failure, he disappeared from in front of the Guardians’ second-in-command and reappeared behind Diana, his sword raised to kill her. Eiael, who was facing another Ethereal near her helpless comrade, took quick action. She lifted her arm and struck the Demon with a hefty dose of ethereal fire that instantly vaporized him. Fares dashed to Diana and hauled her up by the waist with his free arm. He lifted her and, carrying her at his side as easily as he would a child, he wound among the fighters and deposited her with her back against Elas’s leg, next to Aranes. That was the safest place in the sanctum until she recovered.
Through her daze, Diana realized that she was next to the high Celestial. She lifted her head and, still dizzy, gazed at her.
“Forgive me,” she muttered weakly.
Since her one arm was burned and the other was her sword arm, she folded her legs under her, came to her knees, and tried to stand up, swaying all the while.
Aranes gripped her arms, taking care not to touch her burns, and helped her to her feet.
“Are you better, my child?” she asked her with concern.
“Yes,” mumbled Diana, gazing at her with awe. She had often stood close to Elether’s leader, but she had never touched her. The Guardians’ respect for the Eternal Soul, as they usually called their protector, did not permit them to come within six feet of her. “I’m very well,” she added with a wide smile, thrilled with the honor she had been granted.
“I applaud you on your fighting skill. However, I think you should withdraw until you recover,” Aranes advised her.
She let go of the theurgist and observed her to see if she could stand on her own. But Diana didn’t even wobble. She stood with her sword in her hand and with a joyful expression on her face that seemed out of place in those surroundings, where raging violence was swallowing beings whole. The touch of the Superior of the Angels, the greatest blessing for a Guardian, had activated all those capabilities hidden within that are awakened when something significant happens.
“I am better than ever,” she declared with determination.
With the hilt of her sword, she knocked off the protective coverings hanging from the burnt straps on her left arm. When they had fallen on the floor, she nudged them toward the Nephelim with her foot, and then rushed back into battle.
As soon as Diana left, Aranes looked around her worriedly. The battle had heated up very quickly and the large chamber echoed with the eerie sounds of ethereal weapons whipping through the air, the startled cries and moans of Guardians being wounded or killed, and the curses of Demons going up in smoke. She looked for Abaddon and saw him land a blow on Lyla’s right arm. The Demon let out a pained cry and immediately retreated in alarm. Two of her comrades rushed to attack the Dark Angel to keep him away from their leader, who was the only one who knew how to exploit Aranes and make them Archdemons.
Still holding her sword, Lyla looked at her arm. The black particles forming her symbiotic armor were moving spasmodically now that it had been ruptured. A dark viscous liquid welled from her deep wound. She was slowly but steadily losing energy, but she couldn’t afford to leave the battle. He had already eliminated his opponents and, realizing that she neither intended to leave nor had the strength to attack him at that moment, he was using that time to wipe out anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. Lyla had no doubt that he would return to finish her off and, given the way he fought, that would happen soon. The Dark Angel seemed like a well-oiled exterminating machine. His fighting technique was a mix of speed and caution, wiliness and ingenuity. He used up the space around him with mathematical precision, varied the timing and rhythm of his actions with completely natural mastery, and his precise movements made his two blades lethal extensions of his hands. His swords seemed to be everywhere at once. Her comrades definitely didn’t have the skill to go head-to-head with him, which was why he wiped the floor with them so easily.
Useles
s, she cursed inwardly and summoned another five Demons from Eregkal. They were more powerful than the first team she had sent into battle—she had been keeping them for when the Exorcists appeared and things got more difficult. She thought it was strange that the Demons’ persecutors had yet to make an appearance. Of course, it would suit her immensely if they didn’t appear at all, but because that was impossible, their unprecedented delay was ruining her plans. She had believed that her team would be able to abduct Aranes on its own. But now she was being forced to send into battle the entities she had been intending to unleash on the Exorcists. Yet what irritated her most of all was Abriel’s absence. The bastard! He said he would make sure nothing bad happened to me. So where is he?
Protected from Abaddon, who had to deal with her newly arrived comrades that she didn’t doubt would soon be returning to Eregkal, Lyla scanned the area with her ethereal vision, noticing even the slightest detail.
The Guardians were holding on, but even the strongest among them were struggling to deflect their supernatural opponents’ strikes. Just like she was doing, Eiael was also summoning more Guardians to make up the losses. However, no matter what the earthly warriors did, sooner or later they would succumb to their opponents’ superiority.
As if wanting to confirm her thoughts, a Demon stabbed one of the female Guardians near Aranes in the belly. The latter knelt by the dying Guardian.
“Thank you,” she said sadly, touching her face.
The warrior of Light smiled painfully.
“It was my honor,” she gasped and faded away.
The dead woman’s hand opened and the flames of the sword she had been holding, no longer connected to her spiritual energy, began to slowly fade. Before they could fade entirely, Aranes took the magical sword in her hand.
“Anasa Noa, came ame ese devan shey,” she said with determination.
Her hand was enveloped in white light and the sword’s flames flared again. Aranes got up quickly and turned to the Demon who had killed the Guardian. He was about to take out Paul Thornton, who despite his years of tough training, wasn’t coping. As the dark entity was swinging his sword down to deal a death blow to the earthly warrior, Aranes’ sword struck his, shoving it aside. The clash with the ethereal weapon sent a jolt of pain up her arms to her shoulders, but she didn’t let that faze her and moved immediately to attack.
Her unexpected involvement startled the Demon. His first reaction was to strike back, but Lyla had made it clear that she needed her alive and unharmed, so he just parried her second attack. The third time he wasn’t so lucky. Aranes lifted her left arm as a diversionary tactic and as soon as her opponent ducked to the side to avoid being wiped out from the fire spewing out of the gateways, she swung her sword down toward his chest. The Demon’s vengeful instinct surfaced unbidden and, not caring about Lyla’s order, he lifted his sword to strike her. But before he could even lower his arm, his body and weapon had dematerialized.
As his last remains hovered in the air, his replacement entered the physical dimensions and, weapon in hand, stood in front of Aranes with a sarcastic smile that bared his black teeth.
“Superior, would you do me the honor?” he mocked, inclining his head in a bow.
Despite his mocking stance, he kept his eye on her sword. It was the smartest thing he had ever done, because he managed to see it bear down on him and was able to deflect it. The Demon sobered suddenly and plunged into battle, taking care not to wound Aranes. He seemed to be trying to break her defense, whereas his true purpose was to keep her occupied until his comrade, who was sneaking up behind her, could grab her.
Abaddon saw the Demon materialize between Aranes and the immobilized Nephelim and almost panicked. He made short work of his opponent and appeared in front of the sly Demon who thought he could abduct his precious partner. The Demon had no time to react; he felt the ethereal fire of the celestial blade scorch his chest and his physical body turn into vapor. Another two Demons entered the physical dimension and charged the Dark Angel with wild cries. Abaddon practically glued himself to Aranes’ back to guard her from a rear attack and parried the dark swords.
“What exactly are you doing, may I ask?” he said through gritted teeth.
“What I always do; fighting Demons,” she answered with exquisite calm, as her sword struck her opponent’s.
“Because you know I can’t kill you,” the Demon spat, deflecting her attack.
Aranes feinted to the right and, as soon as he had raised his sword to ward hers off, in a lightning quick movement she swiped the other way, slashing his belly.
“But I can,” she said, watching the dark entity evaporate.
Fares, who had been watching the scene out of the corner of his eyes, heaved a sigh of relief and carried on dueling with a Demon who was taller and more massive even than him. He blocked one his opponent’s attacks, and as soon as their weapons clashed, the Demon punched him in the ribs with his free hand. The hit was so powerful that the earthly warrior collapsed on the ground. With a grim expression on his distorted face, the dark Ethereal stood over the Guardians’ second-in-command and raised his sword to finish him off. But he didn’t get the chance. A flaming sword passed through his neck and his head fell off his shoulders. Body and head quickly dematerialized, revealing Eiael behind them.
“Thank you,” said Fares, and breathing shallowly to check the pain, grabbed his leader’s outstretched hand so that he could get up. “Incoming!” he shouted immediately after, seeing a Demon attacking her from behind. With his free hand, he grabbed her shoulder and yanked her to the side. The dark sword whipped past her. As the Demon was lifting it again, Fares struck it with his flaming weapon, forcing it down, and gave Eiael the change to stab their common enemy in the side.
“Are you alright?” she asked her deputy composedly as the Ethereal’s remains whirled in the air beside them.
Fares was still in pain, but that wasn’t going to keep him from such an important battle.
“Yes, I can go on,” he assured her with a convincing air.
The Guardian leader nodded approvingly and headed to Aranes’ side. This time she wasn’t in a rush, as she had been before when she had gone through the hyperdimensional gateway to reach her second-in-command in time. With total focus, as she walked she listened for the hollow sounds that presaged the entrance of Demons in the physical plane, so she could react in time if an otherworldly entity appeared behind her. As she strode among the adversaries fighting in twos and threes, she eliminated any dark entities that didn’t notice her approach.
A Demon saw her sly tactic from afar and sought to stop her. In his next attack, he plunged his sword in his opponent’s heart, immediately disappeared, and, as soon as he had rematerialized in front of the Guardian leader, he lowered his sword to kill her. But Eiael had sensed the vibrations caused by his materialization and was able to get out of the way in time while also shoving away his dark blade, which he then immediately turned to swipe at her waist. She ducked and the pitch-dark sword passed over her back, ripping through the air.
The Demon, who had a high opinion of his fighting skills, became irritated and began to strike at her repeatedly. With each failure, his composure slipped a little bit more. Eiael parried with great swordsmanship, maintaining control without her adversary being aware of it. In one of her parries, the Ethereal blocked her sword and kept it low. Eiael lifted her hand and opened her palm, but he grabbed her wrist and swung it up so that the ethereal fire wouldn’t hit him.
“And now?” he mocked.
Eiael stared at the Demon expressionlessly for a moment, almost unaffected by the contact that would make any other human scream with pain. With unnatural strength that surprised her opponent, she freed her hand from his grip and punched him in the face. The Ethereal stumbled dazedly and before he could recover, he received a fatal wound in the chest. Eiael didn’t give him a second glance. As she resumed her position beside the Superior and lifted her sword to deflect an attack by a Demon
who had appeared in front of her, the faint burn on her wrist healed and the reddened skin returned to its normal color.
As Abaddon fought off yet another coordinated attack, his ethereal vision caught the Guardian leader’s duel and her skin’s quick healing. He paid no attention to the latter, but her fighting prowess impressed him, and the presence of the other powerful Guardians gathered around Aranes once again made him feel relatively certain that his partner would be safe until he was done with Lyla. He wiped out his remaining opponents and directed his gaze at those standing in front of the leader of the attack. Before any other Demon appeared to delay him, he leaped into the air with his swords crossed in front of his face, disappeared, and then rematerialized as he landed in front of them. He flung his arms outwards and the blades, like red lightning, slashed down diagonally, cutting the first two in half. Cutting through the dark cloud the vaporized Demons left behind them, the rest of the Demons charged.
Once again delivered from the fear of being put out of action, Lyla stepped back and, with her malevolent gaze on Aranes, pondered how to achieve her purpose. The Superior’s lengthy experience in battle and the fact that her bodily integrity was not being threatened by her aspiring abductors made it possible for her to help the Guardians without moving away from Eiael, the twins, and Diana, who had gathered around her. They were the reason why Lyla wasn’t risking an approach. Even if she managed to surprise Aranes—who wasn’t letting her out of her sight either, except to glance at her partner or to assess how the battle was progressing—the two earthly seconds it would take to materialize behind her, immobilize her, and whisk her away would be enough for the Guardians’ swords to get her. She had no other solution but to wait for her comrades to kill the earthly warriors.
