A/N: *drops this and runs*
Day 1:
The girls, Beelzebub, and Lucifer currently stood in one of Hell's old combat arenas. Old was an understatement. Compared to the modern city surrounding it, the relic of an arena seemed to hail from a different time period all together. Everything was made from a white, faded concrete which was still crumbling to dust slowly if the numerous rocks and craters littering the area was anything to go by. The seats (if you could call them that) were just larger blocks of concrete stacked haphazardly in a 'rising stair' pattern, with smaller slabs acting as actual stairs cutting and rising through each row.
"So, why are we here?" Gabriel asked.
"In order for Lily to feel that you all can journey through hell without dying, Lucifer will be prepping you in training and combat for a week. And today, we will be showing you a demonstration."
"A what?"
"A demonstration sweetie. Jeez, you're just as uptight as she was. " Beelzebub clapped loudly. "Now! Time for a show! You guys just sit down over there." The girls sat by the first row of seats, looking apprehensively at the two demons in the center of the arena.
"Okay! Come at me Lucifer!" Beelzebub challenged, waving her hand. Without hesitation, Lucifer rushed at her, sending a flurry of swipes towards her with his broadsword. She gracefully dodged each swing, the blade only hitting air each time it got close. After another missed swing, Beelzebub stuck a leg out to trip the general, sending him stumbling forward.
"ARGH! Enough!" Lucifer yelled and swung his sword in a large arc sending a red shockwave out. The energy cut straight through Beelzebub, separating her in two.
"AHHHHHHH!" Satania and Vigne screamed in unison, while Raphiel and Gabriel gaped in horror. Before her body could hit the ground, it swelled, then split into millions of buzzing pieces. The swarm of flies dove straight for Lucifer. He swung his sword madly at the oncoming swarm, but once again the sword hit nothing.
"What's wrong big guy?" A fist formed briefly and connected to Lucifer's jaw. After an audible CRACK the fist morphed back into flies. Lucifer stumbled backwards from the punch. A knee formed and came up towards his gut, knocking the wind out of him. The swarm of flies converged and finally returned to the feminine shape of Beelzebub. After a quick leg sweep, she stood triumphant over the defeated Lucifer, who clutched his gut in pain.
"Haaaaah. Easy peasy." Beelzebub grinned. "Alright! you guys are up!"
"I'm sorry what?" "Come again?" "Huh?!" "Pass." the girls all voiced in unison.
"Look, I made a deal alright, and if you guys wanna go anywhere you need to show me what you've got! And that starts with weapons! Platinum! You're first!"
With a sigh Raphiel summoned a whip, linked with chains and ending in a vicious point. The chain links and point were gilded in a luminescent gold. The other three followed suit, each summoning their respective scythe, trident, and horn.
"Very nice. Mm, good, good." Beelzebub nodded in approval before staring curiously at Gabriel's horn.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing!" the Sin waved her hands defensively. "Just didn't expect to see one of you having Torricelli's Trumpet. Especially from an angel so close to falling. How will you use it though? Can't really call on the apocalypse on Earth when you're not on Earth right?"
Gabriel raised the trumpet to her mouth & blew the doom horn. A billowing sound harmonized with a high-pitched screech before an arrow SCREECHED out of the horn and slammed itself a meter deep into the arena's wall at a horrifying speed. An appreciative whistle came out of Beelzebub's mouth.
"Top of your graduating class for a reason huh. Not bad kid." she patted the top of Gabriel's head, who grumbled in response. "That actually brings me to my next point. You all need to learn how to enhance your weapons and combat with spells. You guys are still students, so I don't expect you to fully have tapped into your powers and spells this early. But if you can, that little speed enhancement trick Gabriel gave her paralyzing arrow will be nothing compared to what you'll be able to do." With her pep talk finished, Beelzebub sighed dramatically. "Whelp! That's all the teachin' I have left in me and the end of my spiel! I'll let Lucy take it from here and pick you guys up when I'm finished! See ya!" Beelzebub fluttered off from the arena.
"Tch. Goddamn gnat." Lucifer muttered, finally rising from his previous defeated position. "Alright imps. Let's get to work!" Lucifer said, pointing to a makeshift training area. "Before we get to combat, we will be starting with physique. 1000 laps around the arena, followed by 100 pushups, and 100 squats. You'll have 15-minute breaks before we start from the top. Now get to it!" he roared.
The girls burst into the room exhausted. "I can't feel my arms." Vigne mumbled weakly. Even the more physically adept Raphiel and Satania crashed into their beds. A hoarse, barely audible groan escaped Gabriel's lips. Maybe this would be more difficult than they thought.
Day 2:
"Divine and demonic creatures as we are resilient. Very resilient. My great-great grandfather Azrael survived the Great War with one arm gripping his blade and hopping on one leg. That being said, divine and demonic creatures can only be killed in three ways: traumatic damage to the skull, breaking of the neck, or an attack directly wounding the heart. Any other injury, no matter how grave, will be healed naturally due to our para-causal nature." "Para...causal?" Satania asked with a tilt of her head. "Our ability to change causality - the events of the physical universe. All demons and angels are semi-para-causal and naturally the more powerful of us are more 'para-causal' than others."
"Okay, but why tell us this?" Vigne asked.
"Because you might find wild demonic fauna at Slechtvoorteken. Now begin your laps!" Lucifer shouted.
"Screw...this..." Gabriel rasped between breaths.
"I didn't say you could rest angel." Lucifer snapped.
"I can do what I want! Besides, you can't do anything to me anyway, if my sister found out anything it 'll be your head." Gabriel challenged.
"Oh? Can't I?" Lucifer responded back, not even remotely impressed.
"Hey guys, how was today's... whoa what's with the gloominess? And where's Gabriel? " Beelzebub asked. The three shell-shocked faces held up a glass sphere which showed a hysterically screaming Gabriel in a black pit.
"As an...example and reminder for what happens when we don't listen...he said..." Vigne mumbled.
"Oh boy..." sighing, Beelzebub massaged her temples. "Before you ask, she's fine. Lucifer just sent her to the Void in the Second Circle of Hell. I'll go get her after I drop you guys off at my place."
Day 3:
"COME ON! PUT BACKS INTO IT!" Lucifer chanted.
Now in full general mode, he was yelling at the girls who were practicing using their weapons at training dummies. Vigne, while behind on pace, had little issue striking the dummy with her trident. Due to its length and light weight, it easily connected through each swing, retract and swing again. Satania however, was faring far worse. Her scythe's heavy mass made it difficult to aim where she would swing. Each clang she made with the dummy reverberated through her arms, causing more distress in her already aching muscles. Her hands, screaming in agony, lost grip on the slippery metal pole, and the weapon traveled out of her grip to her right. Thankfully no one was to her right.
"This sucks! I'm never going to get used to this!" Satania yelled in defeat.
"That is because you're using it wrong." Lucifer said after watching the demon's pitiful training. "You can't use a scythe like a sword or spear, swinging to attack. You swing to defend and disorientate." Lucifer gestured to her scythe, Satania obliged and handed it to him. "Your weapon is an extension of yourself. Do not fight it, use its weight to your advantage. Let its momentum work for you." He began twirling the weapon like a baton slowly, demonstrating his arm movements. Then he picked up his speed, a slow whirl of a blade quickly turned into a deadly spinning whirlwind. "When you need to strike, pivot with your blade and add force to your swing." With a firm left step Lucifer pivoted his body and brought the scythe down into the dummy driving a deep gash into its chest, far deeper than the paltry chicken scratches and pokes Satania marked on it.
"Whoa..." Satania muttered in awe.
"Your weapon is heavier and more impractical than most, so practice those swings I was doing earlier to ease yourself into the motion." Lucifer said, handing the scythe back to Satania, gesturing for her to try. One arc almost knocked her off balance, but she slowly kept swinging, imitating Lucifer's earlier arm movements. Each swing gradually became more stable, until she was firmly arcing the blade of her scythe beat after beat. "Very good. Keep practicing."
"You all have shown great resolve and progress in making it this far. Normally some of my soldiers would've broken this point. Starting tomorrow until day 6 you will be doing moving exercises in the morning followed by dummy exercises in the afternoon. You know the drill: report here sharp at 7 tomorrow morning."
"Today wasn't as bad as yesterday." Gabriel sighed happily.
"If all I had to do was cast spells instead of actually moving, I wouldn't be tired either." Vigne grumbled, stretching her sore, but at least not aching arms.
"Well my throat is pretty sore from blowing my horn." Gabriel retorted.
"Would be nice if the rest of you were as sore as I am." Vigne mumbled.
"There's a time and a place Vigne." Raphiel added with a smirk.
"That's not what -you- ugh!" Vigne rolled her eyes irritably.
"Looks like training went well today! And no ones in one of the circle's either!" Beelzebub greeted cheerfully from her car.
"I think we're doing great!" Satania grinned proudly.
"This calls for celebration then! Boar steaks from the best steakhouse in Roodkloof sound good?"
All four girls nodded enthusiastically.
Day 6:
"I've put the four of you through the ringer, and you all stand here with calloused hands and strengthened muscles. I'm almost proud." The general was met with four deadpanned stares. "That being said, today's training will be cut short. You will need the rest. Lady Tsukinose and I have met, and agreed that as a final examination of sorts, you will all need to win a sparring match."
"As in a fight?" Vigne asked, the color draining from her face.
"No, like a game of catch. YES, AS A FIGHT! " Lucifer snapped. "You'll be facing green horn soldiers, who've been training for the same amount of time like you have. The rules are as follows. 1: To win you must either pin your opponent with your weapon or knock them unconscious. 2: No flying. While midair combat would be more realistic, I want to keep these matches contained. 3: You have 3 minutes to win the match. No draws. In a real fight you either win or die. There is no such thing as a draw. If even ONE of you fail to win the match, you all will be sent back to Earth effective immediately. Sins' orders. "
'Things just keep getting more complicated. Why can't I just go there and get this over with?' Satania thought sullenly.
She raked her hand through her hair. There had to be some way out of this. This was too much. As if she read her mind, Raphiel perked up, eyes alight with an idea.
"What happened to keeping Gabriel and my presence in Hell a secret? Wouldn't us facing demons be detrimental to that?" Raphiel questioned, an attempt to weasel everyone out of this situation.
"Do not fret over it. They won't tell a soul, in fact they might even be more eager to spar and go all out on you two given your angels. So be wary of that." Ignoring the stupefied and concerned faces the girls were making, Lucifer left the arena.
"Huh. Even I didn't know about that." Beelzebub stated lamely.
"Auntie can't be serious?! Sin Beelzebub you have to do something!" Vigne pleaded to the woman.
Beelzebub raised her hands defensively. "Hey, I said we'd do this by her rules, so my hands are tied. Besides I wouldn't fret too much over it. Lucy may seem as tough as nails, but he's a big 'ol softie deep down. He WAS an angel after all, before he fell at least. If he didn't think you could do it, he would've told Lily. So don't stress! You guys got this!" Beelzebub grinned, her dazzling smile reaching her ears.
"She's right. The most we can do is try right?" Raphiel said, trying to harness some of Beelzebub's confidence.
"Right. Thanks Raphiel." Satania said.
Raphiel shot a smile back at Satania.
A gentle warmth trickled up Satania's neck.
Day 7:
Satania's heart kept drumming against her chest as three pairs of eyes leered down upon their little group. Judgement Day was upon them, and it was already against their favor. Vigne had barely eked out a victory against her opponent. She ran from the fight initially, and only scored lucky hits against her opponent. Vigne was lucky her aunt wanted her fight to be done first and out of the way. Satania really didn't want to leave Vigne behind if her aunt said she couldn't leave. But she was getting to this town, no matter what stood in her way.
"...hm. Good job Vigne. Next up is Gabriel." Lucifer ordered. Gabriel strode forward and met her opponent, a demon with spiky blue hair and an even more abrasive sneer on his face.
"General, I'm sparring with this...thing?" he jabbed a thumb in Gabriel's direction. "Sure, she's an angel, but she's pint-sized!"
'What's this guy's problem?' Satania's thoughts beginning to paint her vision red. She may have not wanted to before, but Vigne gripped her trident menacingly for the first time that day, ready to impale the rude soldier. Said 'pint-sized' angel gaze remained level, matching his insults with a level gaze.
"Mind your tongue, Ubel. Let combat commence!" Lucifer boomed, signaling the start of the match.
Ubel rushed Gabriel, charging rapidly towards the angel. Before his blade could even get into striking distance, Gabriel raised her horn and blew it at a ear shattering tempo. Satania had to cover her ears to help alleviate the ringing her head was feeling. The high pitch created a cacophony of sound around forcing his charge to skid to a halt. He grit his teeth, teetering slightly. Gabriel raised the tempo, eliciting a higher pitch and with a yelp Ubel was sent flying into the wall at the edge of the arena. The shell shocked (and most likely hearing damaged) demon slumped slowly until fading into an unconscious heap. With a flippant gaze and the faintest smirk, Gabriel gazed back up towards Lucifer.
"Ahem. Well done, Gabriel. Let this serve as a lesson to you all. Never underestimate your opponents." Lucifer lectured.
'Nice. Two out of four down.' Satania smiled to herself.
"Step forward Raphiel, Kino." Raphiel met with the demon, who easily stood a foot over her and bore jet black and yellow striped hair and was smiling at Raphiel.
"Never fought an angel before. Good luck gorgeous." one of her pitch-black eyes' winks. Satania bristled at the compliment.
'At least she isn't a jerk.' The slight tightening in her chest didn't convey the same sentiment.
"To you as well, however I will not need it." Raphiel replied curtly.
"Oh~ I like 'em feisty." Kino plastered on a lascivious grin.
If Satania's jaw clenched any harder, she would start cracking her teeth. If the bombardment of flirts affected her any, Raphiel's neutral face didn't show it.
"Let combat commence!" Gauntlets drawn, Kino charged Raphiel, a fist flying directly towards Raphiel's face. A strike that only hit air, as Raphiel easily sidestepped.
'As graceful as always.' Satania watched Raphiel easily dance around the increasingly agitated Kino who kept hitting air. If she wasn't being constantly targeted with blows, Raphiel would've been akin to a dancer performing for a vast audience. Satania blinked, and the comfortable scarlet hue of Hell's afternoon sky was replaced with the crimson, blood like hue of Hell's night sky. Raphiel was no longer in the arena sparring but was now careening towards the arena's ground at alarming speeds before landing with a sickening, painful THUD.
"Goddammit Raphiel." Satania grumbled under her breath, looking up from the Raphiel shaped crater towards the sky.
"Alright! You made your point!" She shouted to Raphiel's angelic assailant.
'Wait...what?'
With a tentative blink, Satania reopened her eyes to the previous, much less unnerving scene of Raphiel standing in the arena, instead of crumpled into the arena. A victorious Raphiel, with a groaning Kino lying face first in the ground.
Which meant...
"Last but not least! Satania, you're up."
Alright. She could do this. She put in the hours, blood, sweat and tears.
'Let's do thi-'Satania's head felt heavier than a dumbbell. Her knees almost gave out as her head dragged her whole body forward. And theeeree was the inertia rush she was used to from the visions. And with the rush so too did her happy mood plummet. In an instant Raphiel was besides her, helping her find her balance.
"Are you okay?" Raphiel asked, her golden eyes doing a once-over Satania.
"I'm fine. Just a little wobbly."
"Any day now Satania." Lucifer ordered, getting increasingly annoyed.
"Are you sure? I'm sure Lucifer won't mind if you need a minute-"
"I said I'm fine." Satania snapped back. "We already wasted a week. We can't slow down now." Perfectly sculpted silver eyebrows knit together at the remark. Reluctantly, Raphiel released her hold on Satania.
"It's about time. I was about to drag you out here into the match myself." Lucifer chastised. Okay, now she was officially mad. First the other one flirting with Raphiel and now this?
"Let's just get this over with." she mumbled to herself. Her opponent was, actually the most normal looking out of all their opponents. Short black hair and an average, slim body. If he had wings, they were concealed behind his back. He looked the most "military" if she had to name his demeanor. He simply bowed to her before gripping his revolver and taking a combat ready stance.
'At least he's the quiet type.' She followed in suit and gripped her scythe aggressively, remembering to place her left foot a tad behind her right.
"Let combat commence!"
Immediately, he began firing round after round at Satania. She attempted blocking each shot with the blade of her scythe or its handle, but to no avail as two shots peppered her shoulder.
'Dammit!' she winced. Those training rounds stung like a wasp. She needed to close the distance. Once the hammer of his pistol locked in place she surged forward. Thanks to her time and practice on the track team, she was able to close the distance immediately. She spun her scythe to strike his torso. The officer easily dodged the clumsy swing, before striking back with a haymaker, sending Satania tumbling over before she clumsily got back to her feet. She could already feel the bump forming on her cheek.
'How the heck am I supposed to get close to him without getting knocked senseless?' She focused her gaze at her current roadblock and her gaze filled with a vision of this same battle, and her vision self side-stepping each fired shot.
'Duh.' The demon in front of her cocked the hammer on his pistol, the gun full with new rounds.
'Let's try this again.' He aimed at her chest and fired. Satania dodged right.
'8.' she noted, counting the rounds left.
Two more shots whizzed pass her ear after a dodge to her left.
'Left. 7. 6.' With each dodge she inched forward slowly but surely closing in.
'Right. 5, 4, 3.' Almost in striking distance, just a little further.
'Right. 3. 2.' Panicking, the soldier shot his remaining bullet, which she easily sidestepped.
'NOW!' She launched towards him, pushing the business end of her scythe towards his legs, forcing the demon to jump back slightly.
'Gotcha.' She swung the back of her scythe upwards in a vicious uppercut, the hit lifting the demon off the floor. After the first blow connected, she pivoted and slammed the scythe into the demon's side sending him flying. Groaning, the demon struggled to rise from his splayed position on the floor, but the blade of Satania's scythe was already placed in front of his neck.
"That's the match. Well done, Satania." Lucifer congratulated.
"Well then, that's that. You all won your matches, and I am a demon of my word. You all are granted access to Slechtvoorteken. Be at my office at 7 PM tomorrow or you won't be going anywhere." Lilith and Lucifer left the arena.
"Congrats you guys! Told ya you could do it!" Beelzebub grinned. "We have a day and a half to celebrate! What do you guys wanna do? Fancy restaurant? Watch some souls get tortured in the 9 circles?" she asked expectantly.
"I wanna sleep until tomorrow happens." Gabriel deadpanned.
"Wha- right. Weeklong nonstop training." she responded dejectedly. "You all feel the same?" Three tired nods were Beelzebub's response.
"Fair enough."
A/N: Its been a whole year now but chapter 8 is finally here! This one's been in development hell for awhile, what originally was supposed to be a short 'montage' transition chapter to the penultimate chapter of this arc ended up becoming the longest chapter to date.
I generally wanted give a brief glimpse into the girls intial combat styles:
Raphiel is graceful and always attempts at maintaining the upper hand.
Vigne, being the holy and pure being she is, is opposed to fighting.
Gabriel is resourceful and is adept at using spells
And Satania is headstrong and brash, because of course she is, and charges in first but thinks second.
Of course things will change as they get more experience.
As for Raphiel's weapon, since it's never shown if she has one like the others I just retconned it. Her being a dark angel, I figure she would have something along the lines of torture-ish.
So these were the first fight scenes I've written so let me know what you all think! And as always, welcome new readers, and those who have waited paitently, thanks for sticking by! And don't worry, the next chapter won't take nearly as long :P. It's one of the handful of chapters that I'm really excited about!
Ciao for now!