Queen's note: Here's a question, would anyone be interested in a discord server for Garnets? To ask questions, see random cute bits that don't have a spot in the story, or help with giving a writing challenge, and see some offshoots, crack AU ideas. Let me know! I have one I'm trying to set up.

Also added warning, canon typical violence and gore…cuz… raging Slayer.

Garnets

Chapter Fifty Nine:

The Great Slayer

He was not ashamed of admitting to liking a good fight, far from it. The Slayer would actually seek out bigger opponents for a good fight sometimes. This?

This was surprisingly harder than expected, not just because this demon was an elder class. No, he had faced that kind of strength in demons plenty of times.

It was the healing factor both of them had. It was not just new armor the Baron had been given, but ever time the Slayer was finally able to give a mortal wound that encrusting crystal growth would extend to rebind the limb or cover the wounds and let the Baron get back up. Add to that this Baron could and did use tactics other than using his near 12 inch long claws.

The Baron roared, and the Slayer found himself unable not to roar back. Some part of his mind not clouded with the song of violence and rushing blood noticed both they were going farther down the tower. Taking turns who slammed who through a floor.

He had not tipped into that certain type of all consuming power of rage and hunger. So the Slayer noticed how the elder Baron was slowly losing control of not just himself but the horde as they were starting to jump into the enclosed area like space the tower had turned into.

It was as infuriating as amazing.

It was cramps, barely any room to properly move, hot and smelled of blood and visara. Cracking bones and crystal echoed with the ugly side of not just battle but the raw fight of survival against Hell's current offering. Not exactly his survival, as the Slayer knew he would not stay dead and was well able to march his way back out of hell. He had to be reminded more than once, or five times by Vega about his Sentinels and the other argenta by way of updates on their fight outside the tower. The Slayer was only partly aware of what Vega said, but the AI's voice helped somewhat to remind him.

With a low growl, the Slayer shoved off more debris off him. Hitting the ground hard enough in frustration that the next floor cracked. Red energy crackling over his form and feeding his crucible to keep the Last Gift charged and activated.

The Last Gift hummed in the back of the demigod's mind, pushing in past the building rage. Something it noticed through the Slayer, where the living weapon had done direct damage, the Baron's added armor was not healing.

That gorgon gift, stopped by a Crucible with a gorgon's heart. And a soul almost as stubborn as his own.

The Slayer grinned in his helmet, pacing around to his right, forcing the elder Baron into moving. Though he could not really hear what it was saying past the song of power in his veins. Shifting his hold on the Last Gift, much to its sudden confusion as the demigod triggered an ability of the crucible it had not been aware of.

Being such a young living weapon, but also being overfed consistently, the Last Gift had a lot of stored power it was oblivious to. The Slayer was not though, and he knew how to trigger that wave of power. Cutting through not just the air and a few imps with the shockwave of energy from the crucible. The Slayer gave a satisfied sound almost like a purr as he watched the altered Baron get thrown through the wall of the tower and launched after it.

The howling from the Last Gift in the back of his mind was incoherent. First in shock at being used like that, it had no idea the fed energy could be emitted back out! Then confusion as it tried to sort out the second energy wave the Slayer trigger as he launched after the elder Baron. Forcing the demon straight downwards and landing on its broken body.

The Last Gift was slammed down through the Baron's now own chest and the Slayer felt the satisfying crunch of the demon's spine severing. The pulse that came from the blue opalescent blade matched his heartbeat, overpowering the green sea glass as the Baron finally started to turn into death char.

The demon was laughing as he died, the sound warping into something gargling as its lunges and chest collapsed into themselves. Where the green crystal was reinforcing was getting washed out by the frost-like coating of the Last Gift's powers. Altering that other coating armor, then it dissolved into sand to be mixed with death ash.

The Slayer reached down, grasping one of the spikes of green crystal. It took an annoying amount of strength to break it off before the Last Gift altered it. After everything else dissolved he pressed the green sea glass crystal to the flat of the blue blade. Humming as the Last Gift followed his will to coated and incase the chunk in its own ice like crystal. Making it safe to slip into a now empty ammo pouch on his back.

Something big hit the ground to the Slayer's right as a wintherin's shadow passed over. The Hellknight groaned before freezing as the demon realized it just involuntarily triggered the Unchained Predator.

There was a howling scream across the now dying battlefield as the normally big demon was pounced on by the shorter Demigod. A crucible pierced through its stomach to pin the Hellknight as the Slayer gave into the rage at last to rip apart something with his bare hands. Power sang through his blood and veins, so hot and sweet. Letting the god of death launch at what had no soul.

Feeling the demonic bodies crunch and then crumble into death char no matter if he squeezed or flexed to rip apart.

Everything was hazy in red, no sound penetrated into his mind past the Slayer's own breathing and beating heart. The sound of bones and armor breaking off demonic bodies only because he was holding the things. Flashes of moments came and went.

Ripping a prowler off an Argenta in breaking green armor. Seeing his arm blade cutting through the demon's spine- then hefting the bigger Argenta up and throwing him back towards the others.

He was launching over Asin as his Sentinel doubled over with a double hit from imps. Angry at the cheap shot to what belonged to him-

-the shrieks of the dwindling horde that kept breaking user his hands too soon-

-Zanin was on the ground again, pulling the crucible out of the ground despite the pain it caused him-

-the familiar feeling of the Last Gift's hilt-

The Slayer screamed, roared in frustration as cold ice and frost crawled up his left arm from the crucible.

Hunger!?

Why was there no more for him to rend and disembowel?!

A shout and a flashing red dot drew his attention. Haco was standing alert on the once gray and white roadway. The red dot flickering behind him as the Sentinel suddenly launched into movement. Triggering that predator instinct of the Slayer into going after him because of the sudden movement.

Haco had complete faith in his war king, and knew he would be safe. Possibly sore if the Slayer did not notice the large gore nest in time.

He did not.

The Slayer tackled the bigger Haco with an excited, almost playful growling as an acidic ball of slime was coming at the Sentinel. Sending them both off the road and down a slope where both hit the gore nest. It howled with stolen voices and summoned a wave of demons from the portal to hell.

The Demigod roared in excitement, realizing where his Sentinel led him. Jumping back to his feet and hitting the nest to force a second wave at the same time. Well able to fight defensively around the spot to give Haco a chance to get back to his feet. It was turning from blinding rage to something fun for the Slayer. Even if he had to linger over his Sentinel a few times, grasping a shoulder to pour some of his energy into Haco to help. Numb the fatigue as Haco flagged, or rapidly heal a wound.

Despite his sentinel slowly losing stamina as they kept fighting as the daylight tilted into dimming light. Haco was trying to stay at the Slayer's side, feeding the Demigod with the undying loyalty and faith until his hunger was mostly sated. It was still relieving to Haco when the Slayer drove his arm into the gore nest to start ripping it apart and siphoning off the hell energy while digging out the hearts.

The gore nest was screaming with stolen Argenta vocal cords as the crucible was then used on it. Stopping the creeping corruption of the land and surviving forest.

Haco dropped into a kneeling position, then just sat on his knees. Gasping for air as Haco tried to recover and catch his breath from trying to keep up. His hands spasming over the hilt of his broken broadsword, before pointedly dropping the ragged blade. The raw power given by the Slayer still coursing through the man. It was hot like liquid metal and charged like lightning at the same time. Burning against his wraith gift, and numbing other pain as his body was forced to heal.

It was no easy task trying to keep up with the Slayer's endurance normally. In this case?

Haco did not try to hide the shaking of exhaustion as a shadow blocked the setting sun. Looking up at the figure covered in gore. Layers of demonic blood caked and clotted, viscera, chunks from the gore nest and several open wounds from the elder Baron still bleeding from under the armor.

"Good gift?" Haco asked the god of death, wincing at the dull edge of his voice.

Affection.

The Slayer dropped his crucible and reached down. Grasping Haco's helmet and head on either side. It was a bit rough as their helmets thumped against each other as something like a purr vibrated out of his chest.

Grateful-Pleased. Sated.

The Slayer pressed his head a little more firmly against Haco, catching the clear scent of his soul now. That heat of his own strength of will, it smelled like hardwood edged in liquid metal with wraith energy simmering under it all.

Haco leaned forward, his body still shaking as he closed his eyes. Relieved his idea worked so well as his head rested against the gore coated armor as the next primordial words echoed through his bones.

Protective-Affection-Possessive.

"I don't think I'm going to be much help for a while Lord Slayer." Haco said as the edges of his vision were more than just dark.

The Demigod rumbled reassurance as he knelt. Reached to attach the deactivated crucible to his right thigh and then pulled his Sentinel closer. Adjusting to reach around to bleed energy into Haco's back as he was now unconscious to help at least heal the physical wounds.

Affection-Loyal-Pride…His.

The Slayer lifted Haco into a fireman's carry. Feeling Haco's mostly limp weight settled across his shoulders, a little stiff with the armor. Not nearly a burden though as he backtracked to what was left of the ruins of Hiech. Glad that Haco's armor seemed intact, insulating him from the heat rolling off of his body.

The surviving Argenta were staring down the path they had taken. Having moved with Zanin and Asin away from there the fight happened to wait. It was not a large group, five adults and that young woman still stuck on another tower under Viola. The Slayer looked over at the odd sphere of stone that was being groomed, extending his senses and grunted in surprise. Little souls. Young souls had been hidden inside of it.

"Stop it, let me go!" A still young female voice from above yelled, followed by a yelp as Viola growled in response. Pausing her rather aggressive grooming to get the demon blood off who she held in her forepaws, looking over the wall as she saw her person. "Help!"

The Slayer tilted his head as Asin helped take Haco's limp form off of him. Amusement flashing through the not quite man, as he first ignored the cry of help. Letting his mount finish cleaning the argenta girl as he checked his Sentinels, and then chuckled.

Want!

Viola shivered her wings and carefully picked up the wiggly girl in her jaws again. Gliding down to the ground level with her mate and older offspring. Scenting the Argenta but holding the girl sideways in her maw as the Slayer walked to the sphere, to get a grip, then ripped a chunk of the shielding rock off.

The startled yips and an infant cry hand Viola swinging her head around and perking up. Careful not to hurt the now limply hanging girl, walking over and sniffing intently around the bloody mass clinging to her person. Then the now open sphere.

Fear scent of the young. Newly hatched?

Viola crooned around the girl she held.

"Can…can I be put down… Lord Sentinel? Please?" the girl whimpered from where she was hanging, staring with wide obsidian eyes at the gore coated being who slowly turned to face her. Amber swallowed thickly, being held almost level with the visor, he still had to tilt his head down to look at her.

This eerier being tilted his head, something about him told the argenta girl that she was very… very much out classed. Not just because her wraith gift was spent for now, or that he could rip open the shield-stone she had made. Amber whimpered as she was lowered a bit before a large hand reached out. It was hot, sticky-wet with who knows what on it before closing almost over her whole head.

There was immense strength behind the fingers she could feel on her. Amber's wraith gift fluttered as she might have tried to shrank away from the indomitable willpower and… endless well of power of this being-

He lifted his hand, and then Amber realized all at once he was patting her head. She peeked up from where she was braced against… The girl was not sure what against. A head pat was not what Amber was expecting at all as heat rolled off this strange Sentinel.

He tilted his head to one of the silver armored Sentinels…that was taller than him?

How was anything bigger than this immensely powerful being?!

Want-Curiosity?

The Primordial words vibrated through Amber's chest shocking her all over again. Like a deep earthquake compared to the flowing ice of the wraith she had once met.

"Definitely a geo-witch. I don't sense any corruption in her," The Sentinel chuckled looking at her, glanced to where the kids were still huddled in the sphere, watching in amusement at her reaction at his words and the next one. "Do you sense any, Lord Slayer?"

The shorter Sentinel hummed, focusing on the wide-eyed girl. His warm, almost hot hand rested on her head, blocking her view before Amber felt her body jerked in the now loose wintherin jaws as his energy bled over to her. The girl sagged as she was deliberately pushed into unconsciousness by this being's will it seemed.

Just before Amber fully lost all awareness, a last string of thought popped up.

Lord Slayer.

The Slayer

The Great Slayer.

The legendary War King… who she had been told stories about her whole, short life not just by her mother but other argenta. That was lost in hell… was… back?

Amber settled into unconsciousness with the not so faint feeling of being picked out of the wintherin's jaws and into warm arms.

The legendary great slayer grunted as his wintherin started to aggressively grooming him now. Barely getting the child into Zanin's arms before getting grabbed by his upset mount.