Chapter 54 – Taking the Fight to the Enemy


As soon as the hippo and rhino began moving toward Reynard's barricade, the bighorn sheep guard beside him tossed the bag of caltrops down the hall. However they seemed to have no effect on the hippo and rhino, but those behind them all began screaming as a large spinning metal cylinder appeared from the ceiling of the intersection with blades extending. Reynard yelled to get down and Alexei and the guards ducked their heads down behind the furniture barricade as the cylinder began firing darts in all directions as it moved up and down. Chaos erupted as those all caught crushed together at the intersection attempted to flee from the spinning death trap. The rhino and hippo turned to see what the commotion was reflexively raising their shields to prevent themselves from being struck with the darts.

Reynard instantly stood using the huge bodies of the hippo and rhino as cover from the darts and fired the tactical crossbow into the neck, back and legs of the huge mammals. WUMP! WUMP! WUMP! As the hippo and rhino began to turn back to face him with their shields raised, he lit a flare and tossed it down the hall and ducked below the barricade. The liquid which had time to begin to dissipate into the air ignited knocking the hippo and rhino and others behind them down with the force of the blast. Flames still licked the ground as The Fox was immediately up firing into the head and neck of the now prone hippo and rhino. As several other mammals attempted to rise and flee the burning ground now that the spinning cylinder had stopped firing, he moved forward from the barricade hammering their skulls with bolt after bolt. He waited briefly to move forward as the sprinklers in the area activated putting out the fire. He then began moving forward again sliding his armored feet forward through the caltrops firing into anything that looked like it might be still living.

Alexei and the guards had been caught off guard by the trap and the actions of the possessed fox. But once he was moving forward and the WUMP! WUMP! WUMP! of the crossbow could be heard, they quickly followed with Alexei drawing his large 140cm blade in one paw while holding a large throwing dagger in the other. The guards all followed with crossbows carefully attempting to clear a path on the floor so as not to step on one of the painful caltrops.

Red Death then placed the safety on the crossbow sliding it back to the guards informing them to pick it up and then drew a razor sharp short sword and tri-edged dagger leaping forward onto hippo struggling to stand landing on his chest driving both blades deep into his neck drawing them and then plunging them in a second time. Then The Fox dodged the strike of the rhino attempting to crush him kicking away from the hippos head so he lay flat on his back on the hippo's lower belly. As the rhino missed striking The Fox but instead smashed the shield into the face and upper chest of the gurgling hippo now fighting for his last breaths, the demon fox spun off the hippo landing between the legs of the rhino who was attempting to raise his upper body off the hippo. Red Death jammed both blades into the exposed upper thigh and crotch of the prone rhino seeking any soft opening.

The rhino had a thick hide which had protected him against much of the damage from the darts, fire and numerous bolts, but the accumulated wounds had weakened the large mammal. However the demon fox had decided to explore all the soft bits of the rhino stabbing him over and over. The rhino screamed pulling himself off the hippo letting go of the shield and attempted to crush the small red monster causing him agony with his mighty arms. But just as the rhino was able to raise his torso up, he found a large blade stabbed through his chest as Alexei punched the blade through the rhino with his incredible thrusting power.

The Fox, his bodyguard and four guards then quickly performed the grisly task of ensuring every unfortunate soul spread all over corridors had truly met their end stabbing each brutally in the neck and head. Many were still gasping, gurgling, screaming or crawling away. Red Death was cold and merciless slitting throats as easily as breathing. The guards appeared queasy, but followed his example quickly working through several dozen bodies. The guards then returned to the tactical crossbow to their boss who quickly reloaded it. Alexei then had a brilliant idea and picked up one of the large shields the rhino had been carrying holding it in his left arm freeing his right to draw his smaller blade. Two of the other guards together held the other large shield.

Reynard then slung the auto crossbow over his back draping a long sleeve of throwing blades over his chest and proceeded down the corridor from whence the enemy had come. He turned giving Alexei a bone-chilling malicious grin as he nodded his head down the corridor holding knifes in both his paws. The clearly insane fox had now decided it was time to take the fight to the enemy as he began silently creeping down the corridor with a fierce focused look on his face. A bobcat and gray fox got quite surprised looks as they sprouted knives through their skulls. By the time an elk, ermine, coyote and bison could turn, they too were victims to the flying blades as the red demon fired them one after the other.

The others in the corridor behind these dropping bodies were quite surprised as The Fox pulled out the tactical weapon flipping the safety off and began marching forward with murderous brutality firing WUMP! WUMP! WUMP! dropping the clearly shaken enemy forces who were trying to regroup. Alexei moved to the left of his boss and slightly ahead intercepting several who had tried to charge the mad fox throwing them back with his shield and impaling them quickly as they lay on the floor. Red Death ignored them stepping on their bodies continuing his relentless pace and Alexei and the guards had to quickly run to catch him. The rear two guards ensured that the bodies that littered their path were truly dead and could not attack them from the rear stabbing them in the neck.

Reynard's mistress had been screaming in elation from the moment the slaughter at the barricade had begun. She praised her servant and reveled in his non-stop rampage of massacre and mayhem. Red Death was pleased she was enjoying the show, but anticipated much more blood would be spilled in her name. She spoke encouragement in the mind of her instrument of destruction and he nodded as he fired down the corridor now using the scope to drop targets attempting to flee his wrath.

However as he reached an intersection, he stopped, pointing to the left and right as Alexei and the guards arrived next to him. Suddenly there were yells as groups poured out of rooms down each corridor charging towards the group now surrounded on two sides. Alexei instantly threw his shield up on the left intercepting several knives and bolts while the two guards threw a shield up on the other side doing the same. Reynard crouched around the tiger's shield firing rapidly into the heads of the charging mammals, while the guards behind him did the same on the other side.

WHAM! Then the force of the enemy groups slammed into both his own groups as Reynard slid the now empty crossbow behind him drawing his short sword and tri-edged dagger stabbing through the openings under and around Alexei's shield as the huge tiger held the press of mammals back. Screams of pain and agony could be heard as Reynard's blade pierced the legs, torsos and exposed flesh of those attempting to stab around the shield. The ground below their feet was now covered in thick blood and bodies. The guards on the other side had been pressed back into the middle of the intersection as several of the enemy had gotten around them and were engaging them from behind. Several then turned their attention trying to strike Alexei's back, but they found their way blocked as Reynard twisted rolling and coming up behind them taking a boar through the neck while stabbing a lion under the rib cage with the vicious dagger. The strike got the attention of the lion who had struck Alexei in the back. The large cat struck down at the small fox, but the red demon had spun to the left jamming his short sword through the hip of feline and then slid under his legs coming up behind him and jammed the dagger repeatedly in his side. Red Death then kicked off the roaring beast rolling backwards and came up firing multiple knives into the skulls of a camel, jackal and impala that were attacking the guards.

The lion was gasping holding his side attempting to stop the bleeding from the brutal wounds. Red Death ignored the cat instead spinning forward and sliding under a surprised wildebeest stabbing his femoral artery in his right leg with the sword and burying the dagger in his crotch, then turning to a large musk ox who was hammering the guards slicing the backs of both his legs and jumped onto his back as his legs gave out climbing the large beast's back burying the dagger deep into his neck three times then climbing on his shoulders and pushing off performing a forward flip landing behind a surprised group of mammals who had been pressing the guards back into Alexei.

Red Death wasted no time striking those now before him brutally in the kidneys, rib cage, thighs, neck and any vital spot he could find. As they all turned to faced this vicious demon, they found themselves now sandwiched between four guards stabbing them on one side, and the nightmare creature covered in red ripping them apart now thrusting the sword through one of their number's sternum while stabbing another in the gut. Several struck the demon fox, but the creature spun causing the blades to slide off while he struck them from under, behind and to the side.

The demon fox then spun backwards and then sprinted forwards leaping through an opening to the left rolling and yelling for Alexei to back to the left. As the tiger quickly stepped back and around the corner the group of mammals he had been holding back fell forward into the intersection many falling over one another. The fox wasted no time taking two steps forward stepping over several prone bodies leaping into the air spinning and coming up behind them stabbing furiously. Screams of pain and frustration, death and agony filled the air as the group turned to face this blur of red severing the paw of one holding a blade, removing the head of weasel, embedding a dagger into the eye of sheep, slicing the torso of wolf and attacking any other target of opportunity. Reynard's guards struck those who were prone struggling to untangle themselves from all those who had collapsed.

Alexei was now free to throw those in front of him forward bashing them with his shield. He then tossed it to the side and impaled three of the stunned mammals pressed together with his sword and then spun bringing it down slicing through the neck, half the torso and lower body of three more with one sweep. The remaining moments of the fight consisting of brutal stabbing, slicing, pounding, crushing and impaling.

Red Death swept across all those showing signs of life jamming his dagger under the chin and neck of a zebra, decapitated a serval, disemboweled a yak and plunged a short sword through the eyes of a puma. Blood, gore, intestines and brains covered his paws as he furiously sought the death of anything living. Every speck of the intersection was covered with blood, bodies, pieces of bodies and vomit. Reynard's mistress celebrated each death inhaling the thick metallic smells of blood and bile dancing as the last cries, the final gurgling breaths, the screams of agony and horror, were like the ultimate perfect symphony to her ears.

The demon fox then calmly searched for anything to wipe the thick blood and flesh off his blades removing a towel from Alexei's backpack. He sheathed the blades and calmly retrieved the crossbow cleaning the mechanisms and loading another magazine. He then calmly retrieved any of his throwing blades he could find.

The huge Amur tiger crouched panting on the ground and then began helping to clean and bandage the many wounds sustained by the guards. He fitted one arm of a guard in a sling, bandaged the paws of two others, and helped with the dozens of various cuts deep and shallow all over their bodies. He then realized he had sustained several wounds that he just now began to feel. Several blades had cut through his legs, arms and shoulders. The demon fox calmly helped him clean and bandaged the wounds. The guards all took some heavy duty drugs to manage the pain, but the tiger refused them himself. The tiger did not wish to take any chance that their effects would make him sluggish.

Alexei then realized he had no idea if his boss was injured as he was completely covered in blood from head to toe. He tried to wipe off the blood covering his boss and search for any injuries, but it was difficult to determine where they might be located. He asked the demon if he felt anything, but his only response was a blank stare. So Alexei had to just try and bind any area he suspected might have been injured on The Fox as he appeared to feel no pain at the moment.

Suddenly the head of the demon turned down the corridor in which they had been originally heading and he instantly had the tactical crossbow out focusing down the corridor with the scope. The fox had his ear focused listening intensely. The tiger then heard what The Fox was detecting. It was a small voice. A faint voice of a small child crying. He heard the voice screaming, "NO! I will not kill my daddy!" It was Scarlet! Alexei's blood ran cold as he frantically tried to stop his boss who was rising and heading down the corridor alone with a look of pure hatred and death on his mind ready to face the entire enemy force alone.


A frantic deer came sprinting into the room screaming, "He's coming! He's coming!"

Mors smacked the deer in the head knocking him off the feet.

"Calm the fuck down! Who's coming?" The jaguar demanded.

The deer held his jaw shaking his head and nervously informed the commander, "The Fox. The Red Demon!"

"Surely he is not mad enough to take us all on by himself?" A shocked Ratio responded in skepticism.

Mors grinned beaming at the miserable looking little kit in the wolverine's arms still sniffling, "I do believe he is! I told you this little shit here would see him dead."

"But… but we had at least seventy or more men down there." The disbelieving wolverine stuttered.

Ratio then turned to the deer staring at him with a disquieted look, "What happened to everyone down there? Where is everyone?"

The deer looked up at Ratio in terror shaking, "Dead I think, or least they probably all are by now."

Ratio turned to Mors in disbelief, "The Fox did all that by himself?"

The deer then spoke up, "No… not by himself. But… he is… he is something else… he is a demon… possessed or something..."

Mors laughed with glee, "He is not possessed. He is just blinded by this little cunt." The jaguar pointed at Scarlet who looked down sorrowfully.

The jaguar then shouted, "Gather everyone together. It is time we take our bait here and catch us a fox!"

Once everyone was together, he had a weasel and marmot scouting ahead while a large brown bear and polar bear carried large shields. Armis the Giant Armadillo and a force of several other large powerful fighters followed behind with some also carrying shields. Mors and Ratio carried the bait while the large remaining force surrounding them all continued onward preparing to slaughter the suicidal fox. Mors then began instructing the kit to begin screaming. When she glared at the jaguar furiously shaking her head, he smacked her across the muzzle yelling at her, "Scream for your daddy you little shit! Scream or he will just find a bloody pile of fur and broken bones instead of his precious daughter."

He smacked her again harder and poked her with the tip of a dagger drawing blood.

She screamed at him repeatedly, "NO! I WILL NOT KILL MY DADDY!"

Mors grinned malevolently at her and then cackled, "But my dear little shit, you already have!"

The weasel shouted to the group, "He's coming!"

Mors then announced to everyone, "Ready yourselves, it is time to finally end all this!"


Alexei had dropped his shield and sprinted down the corridor after The Fox grabbing him and turning him to face the bodyguard staring into those intense dead unworldly eyes. They were scarier than Sheba's even when she was at her most furious, but he didn't care. He would be damned if he let whatever this creature was charge to his certain death.

"You can't just charge into them! They will have a huge force of their best fighters ready to slaughter you! You are doing exactly what they want!" The huge tiger screamed at his deranged boss possessed by something which had caused him to lose all reason.

The expression on The Fox changed for a moment as if he had a brief glimpse of sanity and he nodded and then casually walked behind the tiger opening the backpack on the tiger's back as the four guards came limping along carrying the two large shields. The demon fox then ordered them to grab several bodies and toss them along the sides of the corridor. Alexei and the guards looked at him curiously and did as he asked. The Fox then placed two small half meter high barrels on top of and behind two of the mammals on each side of the corridor covering them with some bloody clothes. He then had them back up twenty meters at the intersection where they had previously fought and then had everyone begin to pile all the bodies up along the corridor making a large grisly wall of dead mammals.

Alexei looked at the demon fox curiously, but was satisfied that at least they now had a somewhat defensible position. It would at least prevent the enemy force from just charging and overwhelming them. They could also flee down one of the side corridors and barricade themselves into a room forcing the enemy to come at them one or two at a time. The tiger still wondered what was in the barrels until The Fox calmly pulled out a remote detonator and flipped the safety switch off. The barrels were far smaller than the normal boxes of demolition explosives the tiger was familiar with. He didn't believe they would do that much damage, but they would at least be a good distraction.

Alexei and the guards placed the shields up behind the body wall extending its height so they could all stand in a protected position, while Red Death watched through the crossbow scope in a small opening in the wall as the army approached their position. The tiger imagined he was looking where his daughter and the others were positioned. He could only hope the possessed fox knew what he was doing.