Chapter 9: When There Is No More Room In Hell…

They ended up staying in Caldeum for several days, both because Ming still needed to heal and because they didn't know where the last Lord, Azmodan, was hiding. It did them some good to stop and rest, enjoying the fruits of their labors and seeing a city bubbling over with joy. What little of Belial's forces was still left were driven out by the Nephalem and the Iron Wolves, no longer a threat without their leader. Whenever they returned to their quarters in the palace, they found dozens of people offering all sorts of aid. Lyndon had been quick to spread dazzling stories about his prowess to scores of women, always surrounded by them and wine. And he seemed to never retire for the night without two or three ladies joining him. Kormac would only blush and stutter whenever he came across this, before throwing a glare at him and storming off. Korgaroth and Serenity spent their time training, toughening themselves up for the fights ahead. Naziba and Tyreal helped Leah and Andria search through the libraries of Caldeum, seeking anything that could help them find Azmodan or understand the Black Soulstone. Apparently they found scant few about either of them, though there was an old Horadrim scroll that theorized that Kulle made the Black Soulstone from his own blood. And Eirena spent much of her time with Li-Ming, helping her in matters that she couldn't do herself anymore. When she wasn't doing that, she was moving through the city, learning more about this new time she found herself in. And occasionally, they needed to help her out when she ended up in some mundane trouble.

As for Valla herself, she mostly kept to herself, though the urge to be with the others was strong. The reason she stayed distant is to avoid the pain. She had nearly given up when her little sister drowned in the river, her mind broken by the horrors of the demon attack that took their family. It was only through sheer rage and hatred that she was able to continue. But she wasn't so sure that she could do that a second time. Not without becoming like a demon herself, unable to do anything but kill. And so she tried to stay distant, to not grow attached to her temporary allies.

But that was becoming impossible.

She knew more about them all the time. Like how Korgaroth loved sweet biscuits more than even fighting. How Serenity thumped her chestplate when something was going right. How Naziba hated cannibalism, and Li-Ming still acted like a child at times. How Eirena and Leah gossiped about clothing, and Lyndon and Kormac were reading each other easier. It was an effort in futility. She knew too much about them to not simply care about them.

Speaking of which, she hadn't seen Li-Ming since they told her about killing Belial and moved her into the palace. She guessed it wouldn't hurt to just make sure she is still well. She stalked through the halls of the palace, once empty but now filled with refugees. They nodded to her and greeted her, smiling all the while. Eventually, she passed them all and entered the quarters they claimed in a far corner. She could hear a faint sound of talking. Eirena must've returned from her adventures in the city then.

"…Must have placed too much power into it, because Lysa spent the next several days practically fawning over me and holding me closely." Eirena was saying, smiling as she remembered. "The others had to keep covering for us whenever the Vizjerei grew suspicious of us. After if faded, Lysa refused to speak to me for nearly two weeks. It was only when I woke up with a bowl of water splashing me that she became close again."

Li-Ming giggled as she listened to that. "It reminds me of my younger days at the Yshari Sanctum. On my first day there, before I even met Valthek, I ran into three students there. They acted so smug because they were adorned in fine robes and I was completely covered in grime, and they thought it would be funny to use magic on me after I proclaimed myself to be a wizard. They quickly learnt that I was better than the three of them combined, leaving them bruised and humiliated. Anyway, a few years after that, they sought to gain revenge on me. They used their magic to levitate a bucket of offal over my bedroom door one time. But they didn't realise that I had learnt more than they could have. I simply teleported the bucket over their own heads, leaving them standing there in mild horror while I went for my lesson. Then they tried to loose wild animals on me. I burned them with ease. And after they tried to surprise me with a magic sneak attack, I decided I had enough and hung them from the balcony by their smallclothes. Isendra thought it was a good lesson for them, while Valthek scolded all of us for our petty pranks." She sighed and closed her eyes. "Those were some good times." When she opened them again, she saw Valla standing in the doorway. "Oh, Valla. How long have you been skulking in the doorway for?"

"A bit." She admitted. "Long enough to hear about your pranks. How are you feeling today?"

"Much better. Leah thinks that I'll be able to fight again by tomorrow. Still, I wish I was there when you killed Belial." She shifted a bit in her bedding. "So, what brings you to my bedside?"

"I wanted to see how you were. And… and I wanted to thank you. Kulle had us all pinned and ready to be slaughtered. Without your help, he might've succeeded."

"Well I couldn't let him win. And I really wanted to prove to him that I wasn't weak."

"That you did." Valla smiled. "Of course, you almost killed yourself doing so."

Ming suddenly seemed very interested in her own hands. "I… That was the first time I've ever done that. I just know that I can do it better next time. As soon as I'm out of this bed, I'm going to refine the Archon Form until I can use it without harm."

"Well take your time with it. We're not going anywhere until we figure out where Azmodan will be, and that may take a while. So until then, try not to kill yourself."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you Valla. Careful though, I'm starting to think that you're beginning to care about me." Ming teased.

Valla smiled again, though there was a hint of ice and bitterness to it. "Yes, well despite your lack of discretion and control, you and the others have managed to keep living against the odds. I can comfortably say now that it'll take a lot to kill any of you."

"Is that why you kept being so remote? You didn't want to get attached?"

"…I've already lost my family to the demons. I don't want to go through that kind of pain ever again." She said, standing up again. "I'll leave you to get some rest. Perhaps we can talk again when you've fully recovered."

"Don't be a stranger." Ming replied, lying back down and grabbing a nearby scroll. If it weren't for the bandages peeking out over the sheet, or wrapped around her arms, it was almost as if she wasn't hurt at all. As if she was just a normal young woman, enjoying the latest manuscript.

But Valla knew that behind her smile, Ming's mind would be furiously working on new spells and strategies.

It was late at night when Valla heard the sound of footsteps rushing down the hall. Even as she woke up, her body was moving through the usual rhythms. She grabbed the crossbow she kept at her side, loading an arrow even as she vaulted from the bed and stood by the door. She opened the door slowly, to spy on what was coming for them.

She found Leah staring back at her.

"Pack your things." Leah said, unconcerned with her behavior. "We need to leave. Now."

"Have you found an idea of where Azmodan is hiding?" Valla asked even as she opened the door fully. Outside, she found the others leaving their rooms in various states of undress. But they all were armed and awake, even Ming, now without any hobbling.

"He's not hiding. Not anymore. I had a vision of him. He's launching a full-scale assault on Bastion's Keep. We need to help them."

"She is right." Korgaroth said. "The keep is ill-suited to fight against Demons, having failed against my kin for so long. Our last reports suggested that it is manned mostly by boys still wet behind the ears." The door opposite them opened now, Lyndon groggily stumbling out in little more than a half-closed robe.

"What in Akarat's name is going on out here?" He asked them. "Can't a local hero get some sleep in these parts?"

"Bastion's Keep is going to be under siege by demons, likely within days." Tyrael explained.

"And you think we can make a difference? Sure, we managed to free Caldeum from Belial, but he's a thinker. And he only had a small army. We can't fight against the whole bloody lot of them."

"Perhaps not, but I think we can make a difference. You are all awakening your latent Nephalem powers now. And with those powers, you have crushed everything that tried to fight you. Even if we can't beat the demon army single-handedly, we can still help the defenders hold them back."

"So we're not going to stay here where everyone knows me and I'm a hero?" Lyndon whined. He sighed. "Well, I suppose I might as well stick around then. You lot have a very good habit of just running across oodles of treasure. When do we leave?"

"As soon as we can." Leah said firmly. "It's going to take us too long to reach them. Every second we waste is another life lost."

"I agree Leah." Tyrael replied calmly. "But we mustn't rush in. We will need to ensure that we are fully prepared before we leave. And I doubt you will find many caravans awake at this time of night. Li-Ming, are you feeling better?"

"Much better." She replied. "I pity any demon that gets in way."

"Good. Pack whatever materials you think you'll need. We have a long journey ahead of us back to Khanduras."

When they finally arrived, Bastion's Keep was worse than they feared. Already scarred by the destruction of Mount Arreat, the soldiers still stationed here were not ready to fight against the encroaching darkness. They fought bravely, but were dying in droves with every minute.

"The Keep's defences cannot hold." Tyrael noted gravely. "Its soldiers are scattered, fleeing before Azmodan's onslaught which rushes forth from Arreat Crater. Should the Keep fall, Azmodan will claim the Black Soulstone. And if he does, there will be no hope for this world."

"I refuse to let that happen." Korgaroth growled loudly. "If Bastion's Keep is to fall, it will be to mortal hands. Not the claws of these monsters. Perhaps seeing true warriors in action will empower these soldiers."

"Agreed. But I know a better way. Light the signal fires. They show that there are others still fighting back. And as they are surrounded by the demons, it will show them that they can be stopped." Tyrael smashed a nearby lamp against the frame of the signal fire by him, the timbers flaring into a heart blaze. "Salvation has arrived." He said, looking heroic with the flames behind him.

"Of course." Serenity said. "Let's get going, while we still have a chance." They all headed down the stairs of the tower, the echoes of battle non-existent in here. At the bottom, they reached the soldier quarters they were given upon their arrival. And inside, Leah was holding the Evils at bay. Though not without effort.

"The Black Soulstone's getting hotter. It's straining against me, and I can hear them whispering to me from inside." Leah said, her body strained as she covered the Soulstone with magical fire. Sweat beaded her face and arms, exhaustion just beneath the surface.

"The demons within seek escape. Only your power can keep them at bay and prevent the Soulstone from splitting apart. It's a heavy burden, but the fate of the world lies in your hands." Adria said.

"I know. I know." Leah sighed. "It's just getting harder."

"Couldn't Ming or Eirena help her contain it?" Kormac asked, standing near Leah with his hand on his blade. "Surely either of them would match Leah's own power."

"Leah's magical affinity is different from theirs. And Ming's presence could enrage the demons enough that they break free anyway. No, the best thing either of them could do right now is to go out there and kill Azmodan." Adria explained.

"Why is it in danger of breaking? Wasn't it built to contain all the Great Evils?" Valla asked. That was the question on Korgaroth's mind too.

"It was built to hold many souls, yes. But it wasn't likely designed with all the Seven Evils in mind. And it's flawed, too. Kulle likely didn't have time to finish it, what with dying and everything." Ming said. "But Adria's right. The sooner we stop Azmodan, the better. Guard, how many signal fires are there?" The soldier jumped as she addressed him. He stood to attention, nearly smacking himself in the face as he saluted her.

"There are 12 signal fires still accessible, Wizard." He said. "But there are too many demons around them for us to reach them."

"Not a problem for us." Korgaroth said. The men watched him warily. Understandable, really. Until now, the only time a Barbarian would be in the keep was if he was attacking. "Shall we split into groups of three again?" he asked Serenity.

The Crusader nodded. "Agreed. I've been inside the Keep once before. I will take Ishtar and Eirena and light the fires to the East. Naziba, you will take Lyndon and Valla and attack the West side."

"Which will leave me, Ming and Kormac to approach the Northern signals." Korgaroth finished. "Are you ready for a fight, young one?"

Ming smirked at him. "Just try to keep up with me, old man."

"Hah. Just like Sorcerers, aged Barbarians are the most lethal of all. You won't be able to match my strength." He shot back as they headed their separate ways. They ran up the stairs, his footsteps shaking them as he ran. Ming floated behind him, using the winds to lift and push her.

"I do believe that is the sound of overcompensation. Don't worry though. When I win I won't make too much fun of you." By now, they had reached the stronghold of the keep, filled with wounded or tired soldiers waiting to be sent back into the fray. Just past them, he could hear the clashing of weapons, and the screams of men. There were large demons clawing away at the soldiers, smashing at them with massive maces. Korgaroth yelled as he jumped into the battle, crushing a demon beneath his armored feet before cleaving into the score before him. With every blow he unleashed, he could feel his fury empowering him and his blows coming faster and faster. He spun around on the spot, his axe carving into the demons surrounding him, their blows failing against his Nephalem power. Some of the damage they unleashed bounced back onto them. He yelled threateningly at them, causing them to cower before him. He then spun himself round and round, turning into a whirlwind of pain and death. By the time the others made it, there were only piles of dead around him.

He smirked at Ming. "That was 20 demons to me. Better hurry up, or there'll be nothing left to kill."

She smirked back at him before pointing her wand towards an approaching horde of demons. A large black orb flew from the tip of her wand, exploding as it smashed into them and sending body parts flying. She pointed her free hand at the other side, and a hydra of flames rose up from the ground and ensnared the demons coming from there. By the time the flames vanished, they too were dead. As almost an afterthought, she created a small flame to light the signal fire.

"24 to me. Better luck next time." She patted his knee – one of the few places not covered in gore – before walking off confidently ahead of him.

He had to admit, this was going to be fun.

They continued like this for some time. Korgaroth would charge in, a whirlwind of death and destruction, slaughtering anything unfortunate enough to get close. Kormac stood by Ming's side, defending her from any demons that tried to attack her. Not that she needed it though. He learnt much about the power of magic since they first met in Tristram. Only the largest, toughest demons managed to get close to her without dying. And they found themselves trapped in a spell that slowed time, before she carved it apart with a spectral blade. Winged demons flew from above and tried to dive-bomb them, but they were easy prey.

"Hah! Three at once." Korgaroth laughed as he speared three demons with a single throw, the lot of them sailing down below and screaming. He created another spear from his fury and spearing another demon. But this time, he had created a chain as well. He spun around, dragging the chain and the demon around him and knocking aside the Fallen rushing inwards. The little ones wailed as they were sent flying. "That makes 208 demons for me. You're falling behind, Wizard."

"Hardly." She called back, throwing lightning around at the flyers, the stray bolts striking the Fallen below. "I was just herding them all so that I could do this." She stopped shooting above, now firing a cone of flame towards the demons. They burned and disappeared, disintegrated into nothing. She shook her hands once they were all gone. "And that makes 209 by my count." They were approaching another signal fire. "So, do you suppose there's another Hell Bearer up there?"

"Probably." He admitted. "After all, it's an important strategic location. And they're likely aware that we're after them. It makes sense to keep a Hell Bearer or two waiting for us."

"Uh huh. And just so we're clear, a Hell Bearer and the demons within only count as one."

"Agreed. It wouldn't be fair if we could just wait for them spit out a small army." They nodded at each other, before they both charged forward towards the fire. Just as expected, the whole building shook as the Hell Bearers climbed up towards them. They both clamped onto the roof with their claws, spitting out demons and venom. Ming distracted her demons with a hydra, before using her magic to slice through the claws. The Hell Bearer fell away, rubble following it as she fired a destructive layer of magical orbs down upon her demons. Korgaroth charged through the demons, burying spears into its face before slamming them into its brain. It too dropped away as he jumped off, before he slammed into the demons below. It was invigorating, listening to them squelch under his boots. A Hellflyer flapped towards him, but he grabbed it out of mid-air and held it near the signal fire, squeezing it until it lit the torch. Then he threw the demon into the blaze, holding it down until it stopped squirming.

"Not bad. Nice use of technique, even if it was a bit silly shoving your hand into open flames." Ming said to him, clearly still impressed. She curtsied him. "I believe that fight goes to you, for now at least."

"Good. And I can see the last torch from here." He replied, looking out over the keep to see the final tower.

"Yes. A pity that Azmodan's finally stepping up his game though." Ming was looking down at the path leading up to the torch, twin paths separated by a wide drop. On each path, there were many demons, including the yellow and blue glows or Elites and Ultras. "We're going to have to work for this last one."

"Then this will be a fight to truly remember. May my brothers and sisters look upon this destruction in awe." He yelled loudly, his body filled with strength and vitality. He then jumped off the tower, throwing two axes and several spears before he landed on top of the closest demons. Their blood splattered everywhere, and he was already carving his way through before they knew what had hit them. He looked back long enough to see Ming floating down on a pillar of air, Kormac held in some kind of magical field behind her. Once they were low enough, she tossed him right into the fray, before bouncing her ray of frost off his shield. The demons roared in fury as they attacked, spears and arrows and bile firing down from above. Confident that Ming would be fine, he slammed his axe into the bridge and charged. The demons' bodies shattered and bled from his attacks, his axes carving through them with ease. One group tried to take advantage of his axe getting stuck in their ally, but he simply grabbed the hammer on his back and sent them flying off the bridge. He then slammed the hammer downwards, crushing a grunt in his path and causing the ones behind him to almost explode. Then he slammed his foot against the ground, stunning the survivors. After that, he grabbed his discarded axe and swung it and the demon it was stuck in into the others. The corpse exploded upon impact, and his axe was free to fight again.

But then he got to the Elites, and there he ran into trouble.

He panted as he bled, his fury the only thing keeping him going. He quickly downed a healing potion, but there were just too many of them. Dying against such a horde would be good, but he couldn't do so while Azmodan still lived. He shouted loudly as he charged in again, his strength feeling empowered, but it wasn't likely to turn the tide. He used all his remaining fury to create a massive spear, tossing it overhead to skewer an Elite. The blue glow faded from it as the demon died, and the force scarred the others. But they were still alive and kicking, and he was getting tired. He glanced over to see Ming doing better, only stopping to watch him.

"Well, it looks like you won our challenge, Li-Ming." He thought to himself. "You go and stop Azmodan with the others. As for me, I intend to take as many of these bastards with me as I can." He got back to his feet, holding his hammer between his hands. He slammed the haft into the ground and the head against his chest, before yelling loudly. The demons backed away in surprise, as he charged straight for them. This was his final moment. This was what people will speak of when he is long gone. He yelled again, showing the demons his rage and fury, showing them his strength.

And as he ran, he noticed that he had allies. Talic, Korlic, and Madawe. The Ancients that once defended the gates to Mount Arreat, and the Worldstone. It was said that only the greatest of Barbarians could ask the Ancients for aid in times of need. He took heart at that, his pain ignored. He will not die here, not now. He will leave a conquering warrior, a destroyer of demons. He grinned at the demons as they got closer, fear deep in their eyes. They tried to rally themselves, but it was too late.

The four of them charged through the line, and then there was only death and destruction.

The Elites that originally gave him so much trouble were cut down with ease, the Ancients working together to tear through them. Even the Ultra, a massive Golgor, was little more than an obstacle to their strength. They slammed their weapons into its flesh, the shockwave shattering the bridge behind them. Korgaroth spun behind it, and smashed its legs from under it. Wailing in pain and agony, it could do nothing as Talic buried his axe in its head. The corpse wavered, before falling backwards off the keep. The Ancients knelt before him, before turning into gold statues and vanishing. Ming and Kormac approached, both with amazement in their expressions.

"…I… That was…" For the first time since he met her, she was at a loss for words. "I honestly thought you were going to die."

"As did I." He admitted, downing another health potion. His wounds healed over, his body lined with scars. "But it seems that I was deemed worthy. Come. Let's light that fire and meet up with the others."

"Right." Kormac agreed. Ming was still mostly silent. "Well, I've been trying to keep count of how many you both killed. But I lost track at the bridges. If we assume that they both contained the same number of demons each, then it appears that you are both tied." Korgaroth smiled at Ming, who smiled back.

"Well now." Ming said. "I see no shame in being equal to a man able to impress his ancestors like that." They climbed up the stairs to reach the torch, Kormac nearby to lend him aid. Ming moved to light it, until a fiery apparition appeared before them. From it, Azmodan's foul face glared at them.

"So, you're the wretches that's giving me such trouble." He said in a voice so deep it was like the ground grinding against each other. "Thrash as you might, you will not keep me from the Soulstone. I will feast on your bones."

"Your demons fall before us, Azmodan." Korgaroth growled. "As will you." He swung his axe at the image, disrupting it and creating the sparks that lit the fires.

While it would do nothing to Azmodan's real form, it made him feel much better.

With the signal fires lit, the men were rallied once again. The demons that once threatened to overwhelm them were now being kept at bay. For the moment. Fortunately, one of the corporals believed that the siege catapults would be able to break Azmodan's lines, giving them room to breathe again. They already got one catapult up and running, surrounded by the remains of the demons that tried to stop them. Now they just needed to reach the others.

But for some reason, the bridge was out.

"Thank the heavens you came." Captain Haile said to them. "We're down to four lads until reinforcements arrive. But I don't know if they'll ever make it to us."

"We are reinforcements." Korgaroth said confidently. Indeed, the number of demons seemed far less ever since they took to the field. "But right now, we need to cross this bridge."

"Well I'm afraid we're all in the same boat then. We're waiting for the bridge too. Something must be stuck, or broken down in that muck below." Their musing was interrupted as the metal grill behind them started buckling. A sure sign of demons attacking from below. "Oh, what now?" Everyone dodged as the fragments of metal exploded outwards, a demon hand gripping the side. It flipped over onto solid ground, and roared at them.

"It's more of the brutes, Captain. Wh…What do we do?" one of the men said in fear as more demons climbed out. Korgaroth buried his axe in one's skull, before punching another away.

"Private, if you need to be told which end of the sword goes where, then you haven't been paying attention. Fight to your last breath lads!" Haile charged in after Korgaroth, joining him in cutting down any demon in his way. Ming smiled as she blasted the demons from afar, turning them into demons-sicles and letting the guard shatter their brittle flesh. The men were scared, yes. But their success, along with having the three of them near, emboldened them to greater heights. By the end of the fight, instead of scared men on the cusp of defeat, they had proud soldiers cheering for victory. The grinding sound of gears turning started behind them. "The lift is moving again lads. Hold steady, and we'll have a drink of whatever mead is left at the stronghold." Ling smiled as she turned, only to frown as she caught sight of the demons waiting on the bridge. "Of course there's demons waiting on it. You can't swing a cat around here without hitting a demon today."

"Allow me." She said sweetly, as she created a massive fireball above the demons. They only had time to look up before she dropped it, the flames searing the demons alive. When the bridge finally fitted into place, there was only the smell of overcooked meat in the air.

"Thanks for that, Wizard." Haile said warmly to her, before turning back to his men. "Alright then, we've got two options. We can head on back to the stronghold and get some rest; or we can help out our brothers by stabbing some demons in the arse. What say you, lads?"

"Let's make those demons squeal." One of the soldiers shouted. The men around him yelled in approval.

"Alright then. Nephalem, you keep pressing onwards and get those catapults ready. We'll help get the next one ready for you."

"Onwards then." Ming said, crossing the bridge with the soldiers in tow. There was a small army of demons standing in their way, but to say it was easy to slaughter them was laughable. The soldiers, led by Kormac and Korgaroth, funneled the demons towards the kill zone, where she unleashed all her magical might upon them. They kept fighting like this, funneling and slaying, until they reached the second catapult. Haile and his men guarded the workers as they pulled the catapult from its berth, while the three of them pressed on ahead.

But when they reached the final catapult, there was but one man.

"Soldier, where is everyone else?" She asked when they got close enough. The soldier pointed his blade at her, but lowered it once he saw who it was.

"Dead, ma'am. Dead and gone. But I refuse to desert my post for any reason. I'll keep going even after I've died." He looked at the catapult bay, and the two pulleys needed to lift it. "I've heard that you can kill a dozen demons with a wave of your hand. Is that true?"

"True enough. I highly doubt they live long enough for it to make a difference." She answered.

"Good enough for me then. You, Barbarian. Start turning that pulley so we can get out of this hellhole."

"You heard him Korgaroth. Kormac and I will defend you while you're doing that."

"Right. Cut them down before they start trying to overwhelm us." He said as he grabbed the pulley. She could hear the roaring and screeching of the demons approaching, even over the grinding of the pulleys. The demons poked their heads over the ramparts just in time for her to melt them off. The startled roars below told her than their bodies knocked their brethren off the walls. But there were more and more of them with every wave, and Hellflyers attacked from above. She had to take a step back as they closed in, her magic holding them at bay with their corpses.

"Ming! Get down!" She dropped to the floor at Korgaroth's command, his axe sailing overhead and cleaving through the demons. She got back up and lashed out with spectral blades, slicing a demon into tiny pieces even as the soldier joined the fray. What had been difficult numbers for just her and Kormac was easy prey for all of them. In a matter of minutes, they were utterly surrounded by the dead.

"You think you're so clever?" They all jumped as they heard Azmodan's voice again. "While you have been tinkering with your paltry catapults, my demons have breached the depths of your keep. Once they've claimed the Black Soulstone for me, your entire world… will burn." He gave them a chilling laugh as his projection faded.

"Does anyone else wonder what is with our enemies and telling us their plans?" Ming asked as she started creating a portal. "Magda was just as bad."

"Enjoy his arrogance while you can, Ming. Every mistake he makes in another blade through his skull." They jumped through the portal just in time to see the far wall quaking as something rammed into it. Cracks started forming as it was struck, over and over again. Tyrael turned to them as they entered the stronghold.

"I see you heard Azmodan's threat." He said. "We're still waiting for the others, but in the meantime I want you ready for when they break free. They're not setting one claw in this stronghold."

"I will enjoy the look on their faces when they see what's waiting for them." Ming said as she took up position. Korgaroth chuckled as he stood just beyond the edge of the wall. It was barely holding together now, the demons obviously not interested in subtlety or discretion. Ming heard footsteps on either side of her, and saw the others marching over. Lyndon smirked at her as he prepared his crossbow, Valla with a small smile on her other side. The wall shattered into pieces, scattering before their feet. The demons charged through, their battle cry already dying at their lips. They could only look on in horror as the Nephalem stood before them, weapons at the ready.

"You made it." Ming said slyly as she prepared a magic orb, thinking back to the speech made by the Hellsing Family when a small army of demons attacked them. "Congratulations."

And then there was only destruction and death.

When they came back from the depths, the demon invaders completely wiped out, only Korgaroth, Valla, Naziba and Ishtar were not visibly ill. The others were rather pale or green, with Eirena supporting Ming as she visibly suppressed the need to throw up. Tyrael watched them all carefully as they approached him.

"From the look on your faces, I gather that encountered Ghom." He said to them. A soldier approached with a plate of food, but Ming waved him away, retching and heaving as she did so.

"If by Ghom, you mean 'a terrifyingly fat demon with several mouths; who fights with bile and noxious gases; and like to feed people to others before he eats them', then yes, we encountered him." Lyndon replied scathingly. "And we also found this among his… meals." He handed over a bloody page. Tyrael had to read it several times to see what it was saying, it was so illegible.

"Demons. Take the flesh from those I have left half eaten. I wish to ensure that my next meals are far more plumbed than these scraggly wretches. Fill their larders with their fallens'…" He stopped, aware that soldiers were trying to listen in. That would certainly explain their ill looks.

"I am never eating from Bastion's Keep's foodstores ever again." Ming whispered."

"An understandable reaction. But at least they won't be able to attack us from below." They were interrupted by some polite coughing. A messenger, baring the sigil of Westmarch, stood to attention.

"I come bearing a message from King Justinian IV, Seraph." The messenger said politely.

"Ah, good. Has he agreed to send us reinforcements?" Tyrael asked. Everyone close by watched them in naked interest.

"My lord says that 'He will send no living men to battle imaginary demon lords." The messenger said apologetically. The soldiers around them sighed and sagged, with some cursing Westmarch loudly and boisterously. Tyrael felt a range surging from within, to take his anger and frustrations out on the man before him. He suppressed it, and limited his anger only to words.

"Perhaps we will believe when his kingdom is burnt to ashes around him, and Azmodan drinks from his skull." He said acidly. "You are dismissed." The man nodded, leaving quickly as he noticed the soldiers glaring at him. Tyrael sighed. A deep chuckle filled the air. He had heard that voice enough to know who it was without turning to face it.

"How sad this must be for you, Tyrael." Azmodan mocked him. "You are a leader with a broken army, with no allies to save you from your doom, and no way out of this aside from death. While I am moving one step closer to crushing every last one of you."

"And yet all your plans are failing as we speak Azmodan." Tyreal countered. "You sent a small army to undermine us, yet none made it beyond the depths. And your Sin Lord lies dead."

"An empty victory over a useless tool." He dismissed Tyrael. "You have only delayed your inevitable destruction. Your walls have grown no stronger. Our assault continues unabated. The stone will still be mine."

"Your words have no power here, vile demon. Begone." Kormac replied before smashing his shield through Azmodan's projection. Tyrael nodded appreciatively at the young Templar. Right before a shudder ran through the building, and terrifying noises echoed from the armory downstairs. Where the Black Soulstone resides.

"I suppose we should've expected something to go bad right after his message." Serenity said. "It always does."

"Well, it could be worst. At least we are here to stop it." Naziba pointed out.

"We'd better go and see what's happening down there." Tyrael said as he drew El'druin. "Adria would be able to protect Leah, but that doesn't mean that there are not dangers beyond her power to confront." He led the quick, but careful, charge downstairs, ears straining to hear anything over the wailing. Soldiers squeezed against the walls to let them past, aware of how tense the Nephalem were now. When they entered the armory, they stepped back as a wave of demonic energy bloomed from the Soulstone.

"I'm losing control!" Leah shouted, body trembling against the strain. A stronger burst of energy exploded from it, this one killing all the soldiers and creating vile shadows from their remains.

"Don't let them get close to Leah! If they disrupt her concentration, then the Seven Evils will be unleashed upon the world once more!" Adria shouted to them as she blasted at the shadows getting closer. The Nephalem charged into the room, their weapons and powers making short work of the shadows. Tyrael stabbed El'druin's point into the ground, the wave of holy power dispersing the nearest shadows. Ming blanketed the ground with an arcane torrent. The blossoming magic flew erratically, but shredded the shadows with incredible ease. While Naziba summoned grasping hands to pull the shadows under, Ishtar swept through them with a wind blowing around her. With their might, it was almost trivial to mop them all up, even with the large number that were summoned.

"Thank you." Leah said gratefully. "The Soulstone seems stable now, but I don't know whether or not it'll happen again."

"The demons' rage has been subdued for now, but we don't know for how long. We can't just keep waiting in here for Azmodan's forces to wither and weaken."

"Well what's the alternative?" Lyndon asked. "In case you haven't noticed, it's a war out there. It's not like we could just waltz out the front gate and knock on Azmodan's door."

"Why not? It'll be fun." Korgaroth said. Lyndon and Leah looked at him in confusion.

"You forget Lyndon. We have already fought a small army. What difference would a large one make?" Ishtar said to him. Lyndon turned to look at her now.

"I know we've fought an army before. But that was inside, where we could have chokepoints and walls and other ways to limit how many we fought at once. Out there, it's a free-for-all. I wouldn't be surprised if every demon out there abandoned their fight just to come over and kill us."

"The battlefield is a large and chaotic place, where no one knows what's really going on. Even a large group like ours could march through with most of the demons none the wiser." Serenity told him.

"Well what if you're wrong? We're the only thing keeping Azmodan from just taking the Keep by force. If we die, then that's it. Game over. Humanity lost." The building shuddered again, dust raining down on them.

"But if those siege engines aren't stopped, then the keep will fall all the same." Valla added. "We know it will be dangerous to go out there. The demons will do everything they can to stop us once and for all. But I believe that as long as we work together, we will not falter."

"Oh good. The Demon Hunter's being optimistic. Now I know we're in trouble." He sighed. "Alright, alright. If you're all going to be insane enough to go through with this, then I can at least ensure that you don't go it alone. You can thank my bleeding heart for that."

"I knew there was kindness deep within you." Eirena said sweetly. "Somewhere very, very, very deep within you."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'd say that between the seven of us we'll have gathered enough gold to pay for your brother's parole." Ming said.

"You… You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. You're our friend. And you're joining us on this even though we can tell that you don't want to. That's what a good person would do."

"I… I don't know what to say. I'm honestly touched. No one's ever done this much for me before."

"Actually, I believe you'll find it to be between the eight of us." Kormac added, patting Lyndon on the shoulder. "Now, I believe that there's a Lord of Hell deserving of an 'ass-kicking'. Is that correct?"

Lyndon chuckled. "Indeed it is. I can see it now. Lyndon the Scoundrel, a mighty rogue who helped boot Azmodan up the arse. People all over will flock to meet with me."

"Now, are we done with all the sappiness? Because there's an army out there waiting to kill us."

Man, this is taking a while. When I first started this flashback, I mainly did it because partway through writing this crossover I felt an urge to do my own story of Diablo 3. A way to show the Nephalem being badasses back home sort of thing. So I figured I could put it in here, with each part only taking up a chapter. Boy, was I wrong.

I think it's probably because I want to show more character development than what was in the game. How this ragtag bunch of misfits ended up becoming a close bunch of vitriolic friends.

Still, as fans of Diablo 3 know, next chapter's when things go horribly wrong for our heroes.