Not many things to say, if not: enjoy the reading!
CHAPTER 17
Pentagram City had never seen such an invasion before, even in the days preceding the concert of the famous Verosika Mayday, when an unprecedented amount of fans from the lower circles arrived en masse, threatening the security of the hotels and disrupting the local economy for a time. Overlords had enjoyed that particular time of chaos, as they had been able to form a large number of pacts, usually sinners that begged them for being able to get a last-hour ticket.
This time, however, the invasion was way less joyous and much more dangerous, the life-threatening kind. The black creatures were swarming around the city, filling the streets like a flooding river. They didn't seem to mind the fact that they could trample each other, they didn't seem to have a mind capable of processing pain in any capacity. Which was why Charlie had no qualms in using every inch of her power to strike them down. She was galvanised, energised by the answer Vaggie had given her, and that was fueling each and every hit she was dashing to the enemy.
She said yes.
Slash! Two creatures disappeared in a puff of smoke, demolished by Charlie's trusty pitchfork.
She said yes!
Sbam! Charlie slammed her weapon on the ground and a torrent of golden fire erupted, engulfing and disintegrating other four monsters.
She said YES!
Charlie roared something fierce in front of her, and the sonic boom alone made at least ten shadow creatures crumble to dust, together with the windows of the buildings in the neighborhood.
"Wow Hun, didn't know you could do that! That's fucking awesome!" Vaggie commented, while slashing down another couple of creatures, barely glancing at them. Charlie looked at her, a bit puzzled but smiling. "Well, I didn't know it either, darling, I just wanted to try!" the princess replied while piercing another foe.
Vaggie smiled back and went back to dispatching enemies: while she lacked Charlie's raw power, her speed, precision and technical ability more than made it up for it, as her spear twirled with expert finesse, decimating shadow monster with every step she was taking and covering Charlie's back flawlessly. Her eyes darted left and right as she moved in to the next target, trying to control the situation as much as she could: the close-range combatants seemed to hold up pretty well, although she could already see a lot of victims among the sinners. She hardened her heart: as much as she didn't know them, they were participating in the defence of Hell and deserved her respect, but she couldn't let pain stop her, she had to stay vigilant and sharp. Charlie, however, was way more emotional, and every loss just fueled her determination and her rage.
With the corner of her eye, Charlie noted a couple of monsters that had climbed on buildings, ready to jump on her, but before that could happen, two very precise shots destroyed them where they stood. Turning around, she saw with her enhanced sight Wicken signing her a thumb up before resuming his efficient sniping. Charlie smiled, replied with a thumb up and turned back to the endless black wave of enemies, striking them down any way she could, because every foe she was able to destroy was one less enemy the other sinners had to deal with. And given their disadvantage, every number counted.
While sniping wasn't the most impressive skill he had, there wasn't denying that Wicken was extremely good at it. Aided by the last product of the Carmine industries, able to dish out more than forty rounds before needing to be recharged, every shot he took, one creature disappeared in a black mist. Wicken's moves were very calculated: breathe in, aim, breathe out, shoot, rinse and repeat. Usually snipers took a lot of time to just take down a target, but the sheer number of them and the uncanny ability of his made that he basically could shoot a hundred monsters in a few minutes.
His targets were usually monsters that exhibited an erratic behaviour or that were ready to overwhelm the close-range fighters: that job was usually of the long-range shooters, while the mid-ranger were there to ensure that the close-ranger weren't getting too much shadows on their asses, but once in a while a creature or two slipped among the ranks and were about to outflank the forefighters and break into the lines, but at that point the sharp and trained eye of the assassin had caught onto them and had quickly dispatched them before they could do any damage.
"Yesss, my creaturesss, rain death on the enemy! Wahahahaha!" Sir Pentious laughed as his cannons were shooting relentlessly, their explosive energy ripping apart groups of creatures every time. He was commanding them through an ethereal console that no one really knew how he built it but it seemed to be quite effective, allowing him to manoeuvre the weapons quickly and precisely. "Someone here is very excited to fight" Wicken commented without losing sight of his objectives. Sir Pentious turned to the assassin, slightly embarrassed but not so much. "I'm sssorry, sssometimes I get caught by the moment. Mussst I sssay, though, that is my pleasssure to fight ssside by ssside with a legend sssuch asss yourssself". Of course Sir Pentious, a self-proclaimed villain, knew everything about Wicken, that's why he really didn't need any kind of introduction.
Wicken smirked. "Heh, likewise snake, I heard that for those that you love you're able to bring out the cojones, and that's something I respect. Keep shooting those things at the right direction and you and I are going to be great friends". Sir Pentious's eyes lighted up. "We? Friendsss?" he asked emotionally. "Yes…but don't make it weird. I don't swing that way, and I'm quite sure you're taken" Wicken replied. At this, Sir Pentious's loving stare flew down on the ground, where Cherry Bomb was launching her bombs in the mix, strangely avoiding anything that wasn't a shadow monster, making any straggler regret the choice to try and break the lines. "Aww, isssn't she just the bessst?"
"Yes yes, the lady is quite capable, would you mind staying silent? I have to understand where to spawn my barrier in the most effective manner" an annoyed Alastor interjected. He was asked not for his standard barrier, as the defenders needed to be able to cross it or at least shoot through it, so it was a different kind that took some time to set it up, even for him. Also, the positioning was crucial for the most effectiveness, but he had a hard time focusing on that, and sure enough it wasn't for the friendly chat of his peers.
"Relax, Radio Demon, just put somewhere between the mid-ranger and the long-ranger. As long as you don't block our line of sight I'd say is more than enough. Our shooters are basically the ones keeping the close-quarters alive for the time being, so if there is any straggler it's going to try and off them. I trust the cat and Bomb-girl, but with the difference in number they're going to need all the help we can provide". The analysis of Wicken met Alastor nodding. "I like your insight, my lupine friend, let's see if this satisfies your tastes". Alastor slammed his cane on the floor and a shadow barrier appeared, engulfing all the ground floor of the hotel and even a couple of metres beyond that, leaving the first one out.
Wicken looked at the barrier downstairs and then Alastor, a little dubious. "Won't they use it to climb to the shooters?". The Radio Demon's smile widened, becoming even creepier than usual. "I'd like to see them trying to do that". Sure enough, one of the few shadow creatures that had managed to slip under the guard of Husk tried to use the barrier as a ladder, but the moment its claws touched it a set of dark tendrils appeared and grabbed it so tight that the creature was reduced to pieces before it could attempt to jump higher. "Oh…pretty neat trick". Wicken commented. Alastor waved him off. "Yeah yeah, now I have to stay here and can't move, you be careful not to let anyone in here".
For a couple of minutes the trio continued to fight in their own way: Alastor keeping the barrier on, making the occasional tentacle appear to grab some monster and dispatch it, Sir Pentious managing his weapon gleefully and Wicken sniping down every creature he laid his eyes on. However, after killing the last one, the assassin snorted, unsatisfied. And that didn't go unnoticed by the angelic snake.
"What isss it? Missssed a shot?". Wicken's silence prompted Pentious to turn to him, looking at the sniper shooting relentlessly, but at each shot he was disgruntled. "Ssso?" the snake asked, a bit impatient. "I lowered my rifle. By two millimetres". Sir Pentious was still confused. "What doesss that mean?". Alastor chuckled. "It means, my serpentine friend, that we are getting pushed back". His eyes closed in a slit. "We are already losing". Wicken snorted once again. "What the fuck are those two grown-ass chickens doing?!"
Never, in his long, long life Lucifer had imagined to face an horror so primordial, whose lifespan matched and maybe even exceeded his by a wide margin. He had prided himself in his enormous power, able to be on pair or even overcome his Seraphim peers thanks to his deeper understanding of it, and when he arrived in Hell and came into contact with the other Sins, he learned so much more about infernal magic and how to blend it with his own angelic power, to the point Lucifer was quite sure to be the most powerful creature to live, if he excluded the Creator itself. However, he soon learnt some humility the moment he came face to face with Death.
An hulking figure, taller than the Hotel itself, robbed in pure darkness and shadow. A fleshless skull staring down the both of them with expressionless fire pits; a scythe, a weapon so deadly and enormous that just a swing of it destroyed at least three buildings, decimating those and making them disappear like they never existed to begin with. Such was the power of death, whose weapon was so powerful it could basically erase the existence of everything it touched, whether it was living or not. The only thing Lucifer and Sera had on their advantage was the fact that they were much smaller targets and able to fly at supersonic speed, using it to their advantage to avoid any and all attacks. However, they both knew that that was a losing strategy.
After dodging another strike of the scythe, Sera flew up and blasted a ray of golden energy right in Death's face; the sheer force of the attack made it recoil a little, but it lasted a few seconds as it raised his hand to try and grab the Seraphim. Sera quickly surrounded herself with a golden barrier, but a mere touch of the hand shattered it, pushing her down a couple of metres; the hand still tried to catch her, but a river of golden flames hit it, prompting it to withdraw its hand. They nodded at each other and then flew in two separate ways, avoiding the next strike and retaliating with another attack, but to no avail.
"Fuck, our attacks are merely tickling it! I knew that it would be hard, but that's just disappointing". Lucifer was frustrated at the lack of results: their attacks seemingly had no effect but drew the attention to them which yes, it was the main point, but it still irks him that he wasn't able to put a dent in death. "At least we are keeping it out of reach of weaker people. That is our role, and at least we are succeeding in it". Sera, being the more pragmatic of the two, was able to keep a more level head, although she too didn't like the fact that she wasn't able to damage it, even with Lucifer's help.
"I mean…we could use more power and see where it goes…" Lucifer proposed, but Sera shot it down almost instantly. "We have to save energy, if we overextend we can risk depleting our forces before we are able to contain it!". Sera's objection was a right one, but Lucifer was still skeptical they were able to 'contain' Death. The most they could do at the moment was keep its attention on them as long as they could and hope the others were able to destroy its creatures and join the effort. Assuming the two of them were able to survive, that is.
Lucifer's determination ignited his flaming sword: he flew down at high speed, dodging the incoming attack swiftly then hitting Death in the midsection; then, six globes of pure light emerged from each wing and shot forward, each hitting its target with a powerful explosion. The horseman recoiled for the force of the attack, but still didn't fall; instead, it spread its arms and blasted a huge wave of ghastly energy around, threatening to sweep Lucifer away, but a timely attack from Sera straight to its head avoided him that fate. However, as he was flying out of reach, he noticed that Death's movements were slowing down, even if just a bit.
"Maybe we are doing something, it's starting to get a bit sluggish. Don't want to keep hopes up, though". Sera watched Death closely for a full minute, then turned to Lucifer. "Its energy is the same and there is no visible damage. So either we are damaging internally, or…" Sera stopped, not knowing how to continue. "...or its head is not fully in the fight. Could be both, I'd be fine either way. Let's keep doing what we are doing and hope for the best, little sis!". He flew down at high speed, slashing the lower part of the body, where the legs were supposed to be. Sera sighed. "Please do not call me that, Lucifer". She flew up at a speed matching the fallen angel and launched a barrage of light-based attacks on the head, hoping that hitting in two places at the same time would slow it down further.
Angel Dust had loved fighting in turf wars and he was always ready to embrace his weapons to defend the people he cared about; however, he was far from being a competent leader, especially when so many people had to rely on him for direction. Fortunately, though, Odette was filling that role flawlessly, probably the byproduct of being the daughter of the most capable businesswoman in Hell. Used to direct many people in her workplace, the daughter of Carmilla Carmine had no problem redirecting the tactical schemes of Vaggie to make the long-range fighters somewhat even more effective than originally planned, much to his surprise.
At that moment, Angel Dust was working in coordinating the shooting in Velvette's zone, the least attacked since the majority of the attack force was on the other side but still important to defend in order not to be overwhelmed and backstabbed. Suddenly the earpiece he had on, courtesy of Odette herself, buzzed. Angel Dust touched it and started to hear the soft-spoken sinner. "Here's Odette, what's your status?" she asked in an almost robotic voice, as the noise of shooting was heard. She sounded almost militaristic, and he had the impression she was doing it by design. "Heh, the same as when I switched out before, we're containing the creatures. Velvette's doing a banging job, did you know she could change the clothes she is wearing or any other kind into weapons? That's sick!". He heard Odette snorting: as her mother, Odette had no sympathy towards the Vee. "Aaat any rate, we're doing okay. What about you?".
There was a bit of silence, then Odette replied, her voice lowering a little. "Maybe it's my impression, but we are getting pushed back, if only slightly. My position doesn't allow me to have a clear view, though". Angel Dust didn't like that news, but unlike Odette he might have a way to confirm that. He looked around and soon enough found what he was looking for. "Hold that thought, Imma back in a jiff!". He pointed at one sinner, a girl with a slim frame, grey hair closed in a high tail and black horns, holding a crossbow that was being surprisingly effective in the sea of fire weapons around her. "You! Your name?". The girl looked at him, confused at first. "Me? Ehm…I'm Melissa, mister Dust. I too work at V tower, but under Velvette". Angel didn't stop asking why he hadn't recognized her, although she worked in a different department. "Don't work there anymore, I'm free as a bird now. Look, I need you to hold the fort for a couple of minutes here, I need a better position to confirm something. Can you do that?". The sinner made a tentative nod, which was all Angel Dust needed. He jumped on one of the tentacles of the barrier and climbed on it like it was a dance pole and ended up on the roof, where he saw Wicken, Sir Pentious and Alastor.
"Hey Papa Wolf, Odette's telling me that the front side is getting pushed back, is that so?". Angel Dust asked Wicken specifically, since he knew he was the most observative, and wasn't really disappointed when he answered. "She ain't wrong, I'm afraid, the pressure is really high and they're barely able to contain it. How is it going in the rear? Better, I hope". Angel Dust nodded. "A bit, there are less creatures there and Velvette is holding up pretty good. But I'm afraid that if we shift forces in the front, we're going to get pushed back next, and it will be worse if the rear falls". Angel Dust was slightly upset, as he felt it was under his responsibility and he was failing to protect his friends.
"On this I have to agree with you, but there's still the fact that the front is in need of a back up, and fast!" Odette interjected through the earpiece. Wicken glanced sideways towards Alastor. "You can't make the barrier stronger and wider on the back so they can move forces on the front, can you?". The Overlord pondered for a moment, then turned to the assassin. "Technically, I can. But if the rear falls and the barrier gets overwhelmed, it would be worse in the long run. Is it a risk you're willing to take?". Wicken snorted. "I'm not in charge, but no, it's not". The assassin kept shooting in the front, falling enemies with each bullet, knowing perfectly he was hardly making a difference at the moment. They needed something more, able to destroy many more creatures. They needed something explosive. They needed… "Hey, Bomb-girl! Get your fine ass up here fast!" he shouted, getting up. Sir Pentious and Angel Dust stared at him confused while Cherri Bomb appeared on the roof. "Hey mate, you called?" asked the one-eyed sinner cheerfully. "Yes, I've got two questions. First, how powerful can you make those explosions of yours?". Cherri Bomb's smile widened. "Pretty powerful, I'd wager. Why?". Wicken waved her down, signalling that that question would be answered later. "How well do you know the underground system of this city?". The sinner shook her head. "Not much, but my two-dicked boy here knows it like the scales of his hands, right?". Sir Pentious blushed heavily and then nodded hastily. "I might have memorisssed the entire underground plant. You know, for evil!".
Alastor turned to Wicken. "What do you have in mind, my old friend? Want to do some daring and borderline suicidal action?". The assassin smirked. "Something like that. You two will come with me, I need your expertise". Cherri Bomb was slightly confused but nodded, while Sir Pentious was a bit insecure. "But what about the cannons? I'm the only one that knows how to man them effectively!". The answer came through Angel Dust's earpiece. "I can do that. I glanced at them, doesn't look too hard to manage" Odette said, with a little of sass in her voice. Sir Pentious was about to reply, offended, but Cherri Bomb shut him down. "Ok, Dusty-boy can take her place. Do you have someone in the rear that can take over for you?". Angel Dust pondered, then nodded. "I might have someone. But you still haven't told us what you have in mind". Wicken smirked. "Like Radio Douchebag said, something daring and borderline suicidal. Come here, I'll explain…"
Vaggie was so happy that Charlie had embraced her more combative side and was willing to fight at her side; it wasn't just a nice feeling, it was effective. Their combinations were devastating, their coordination flawless; they were able to cover each other's back without speaking a word, something that no one else could do. But no one else had their bond, shared their complicity. In many aspects of their life, and now even in combat, they complemented each other, they were one. Charlie was powerful and raw, Vaggie was technical and precise, a hammer and a chisel, together they created deadly art with their weapons.
The spear of the fallen angel cut through at least four creatures with expert movements, making them disappear almost instantly. And, on her back, she heard a dozen of monsters screeching in pain as they disintegrated in a sea of golden fire: Vaggie smirked as her weapon slashed upwards, downwards and sideways, each time taking down an enemy, then she let her eyes wander around her, looking at the surroundings and stopping to a seemingly unassuming three-storey building. Her smirk soured and she let out a slight snort.
"What is it, babe, something wrong?" Charlie asked as her pitchfork decimated a couple of monsters. Vaggie didn't even ask her how she heard it. "Look at that building. When we started the battle, it wasn't in view, now we're behind it!" she replied with barely contained disappointment. Charlie glanced towards the building her fianceé mentioned, but didn't really understand. "What about it?". Vaggie snorted louder. "If we can consistently see it now, it means we are backing down, and that's not good, it's been barely half an hour!"
At first Charlie didn't really understand why Vaggie was so concerned, but then it hit her: if they were being pushed back so soon from the start of the battle, it meant that they were losing people and they risked ending up inside of the Hotel. She saw that many sinners in the front had already died, overwhelmed by the sheer number of the enemy, and many more were brought to Emily. She could tell that it wasn't sustainable in the long run, that their effort was being frustrated by the difference in number, too great to be contained even with her own increasing power. The only silver lining that she could find was that Death had not appeared in front of them yet, meaning that whatever her dad and Sera were doing was at least effective in distracting it. But it would be for naught if they were to be wiped out completely!
Rage, sadness, frustration and many other feelings she couldn't properly describe welled up on Charlie's chest: she raised up her pitchfork, which was engulfed in white hot flames, and slammed it on the ground. A huge wave of hellfire crashed on the street in front of her, destroying buildings and creatures alike, leaving only destruction and desolation in its wake.
"Woooah, that was awesome Hun!" Vaggie cried, elated. But then, her smile turned into terror when she saw Charlie waning, unsteady on her legs. The fallen angel jumped ahead, catching her loved one before she could fall down. "I guess that thing you did drained you a lot".
Charlie didn't answer right there and then, too busy catching her breath. "Yeah, shouldn't have done that, that was stupid of me, now I need a minute". She was panting heavily, still unable to stand properly: she had used up a lot of energy, but unlike her father she still lacked the necessary control to unleash power on a large scale. Hell, even he needed to be careful about it, all the more reason for which she needed to do it twice as much. And now, because of her carelessness, she was vulnerable and Vaggie had to protect her as well as herself, which was quite difficult if not borderline impossible in that situation.
"Mi amor, I don't think we have ten seconds, let alone a minute" Vaggie joked. Charlie's outburst of power wiped out several hundred of creatures, but the street soon filled up with many more, frustrating Charlie's effort even more. It was like there was no end to it! Vaggie laid Charlie gracefully on the ground and prepared to make a stand against the creatures, when she heard a series of gun shots before her: turning around, she saw Wicken and Angel Dust shooting ahead with assault rifles and machine guns. Behind them there were Cherry Bomb, Husk and Sir Pentious, charging ahead; Cherri launched a series of bombs that exploded in succession, effectively stopping the advance of the monsters for at least a few seconds. Husk launched a few cards that sliced through multiple creatures while Sir Pentious shot with his rifle, the form of which was rather peculiar and made Vaggie thinking about some kind of weapon straight out of a videogame. The rifle shot and the bullet ricocheted through several creatures, taking them down. "Wow, I never thought it could actually work, I'm sssurprisssed" the snake angel said, looking marveled at his creation.
"Guys! I'm happy that you're here but what are you doing out of your place? We are already losing on this front, we don't need more spreading out!". Vaggie was genuinely happy that their closest friend had intervened, but the strategy was the only thing keeping them from being overrun, and that was already failing. "Don't worry, Whiskers and I will be back in a minute, but first…". Angel Dust turned towards the hotel and cupped his hands on his mouth. "Hey Al, do your thing!" he shouted stronger than he could. Several green voodoo glyphs appeared out of nowhere and a barrier of translucent shadow formed in front of them, stopping the creatures once again. "This won't hold very long, Angel and I will keep those things at bay. Wicken, you explain your plan". The cat spread his wings and carried Angel Dust on a balcony of a ruined building and the two started to blast the monsters that were already hitting the barrier hard.
Vaggie turned to Wicken. "What do you have in mind?". She knew that the assassin wouldn't have left his position unless he had a good reason and she was all hears: at this point, having him sniping down was proving more and more useless, and she was sure he had many other talents that would be more effective. "It's actually quite simple: Snake-boy, Bomb Girl and I are going underground and place some explosives in key places in that direction" the killer explained, pointing towards the neverending wave of enemies. "With the right positioning, we can make that part of the city cave in on itself, burying down a lot, and I mean a lot, of those things. Hopefully, that will stop them, or at least slow them down a lot".
"Wait…you want to destroy half the city? Fuck no, I can't let you do that!". Charlie, who had regained at least the use of her legs, stood up and confronted Wicken. That was her city, she couldn't stand there and let it get destroyed more than it already was! "Hun, I don't think we have a choice here. We are getting pushed back, and if this continues we will fall, everyone of us!". Vaggie could read in Charlie's eyes pain and frustration, something she shared with her: she didn't like that plan one bit, but she had to admit it was pretty effective and there were concrete possibilities that it would help them, something she knew they needed desperately. She stroked Charlie's cheek delicately. "Babe, I know that you love this city. I love it too. But I love you even more, and if ten Pentagram Cities have to fall in rubble so that you will survive, then so be it!". Vaggie's passionate speech hit Charlie: she leaned on her touch, a light smile on her face. "You always know what to say to convince me". Vaggie smirked. "Isn't that why you want to marry me?". That made Charlie laugh even more; then, she turned to Wicken, Cherri and Pentious and nodded. "Go and do your thing, we will hold the fort. Please be careful, everyone of you! If it becomes too dangerous, I want you to flee and not look back!". The three nodded and disappeared into a nearby tunnel, ready to execute their plan.
Suddenly, they heard a cracking sound and turned to face it, seeing that the barrier Alastor put up was already failing. "Hey girls, gonna need some help real fast here!" Angel Dust cried as he was shooting down creature after creature, but they were threatening to overwhelm Husk and him. "Fall back, you two, we will handle them. Go back to your position and take a breather!" Vaggie shouted. Both the sinners nodded and Husk threw a couple of explosive dice and helped Angel Dust down the balcony and both ran back. Vaggie followed them with her eyes until they disappeared then she got back to see Charlie, who had sat down to regain her energies.
"Let's just wait for the barrier to fall off. And no more outburst! They're cool but you need your strength at the moment". Charlie didn't answer but nodded and got up; she was steady on her feet and her breathing wasn't laboured anymore, which surprised Vaggie but only just a little: she knew that Charlie was extremely powerful and, if in control of her powers, could do way more than just that. Vaggie regretted not picking up her training sooner, but Charlie had manifested only recently the will to improve herself so it wasn't something she could do about it. Vaggie could only hope that she would be able to pick up something during the battle itself, something Vaggie had done numerous times in the past.
A war cry suddenly broke through like a thunder, making both Vaggie and Charlie turn: it was difficult to understand where it was coming from amidst the intense noise of the battle, but soon it was way clearer that it was somewhere above them. Turning their heads upwards, they saw a small, black cladded figure that was coming onto them at high speed. "Oh, what the fuuuuuuck!". Vaggie was barely fast enough to raise her spear to block the golden sword that the figure tried to slice her with. The impact itself was so strong that Vaggie perceived her bones shaking and the ground below her almost caving in: she didn't know how her knees and legs withstand such power but she was grateful for it.
Only then, Vaggie was able to raise her head and see who tried to attack her, and she gasped, shocked: even under a hood, it was difficult not to recognize the golden, crazed eyes of Lute. "What the fuck are you doing here, you bitch?". Lute didn't answer with words but with a precise kick on her stomach that launched her behind and made her roll down at least ten metres before she could stop, short of breath. Before Vaggie could regain her bearing, Lute was on her, sword high on her head ready to cut her down for good, but before she could attack a powerful punch of a muscular black arm striked her on the face, throwing Lute inside of a building after breaking down the wall. Vaggie got up, looking at Charlie, whose arm turned back on her usual white and lean one, even if her red eyes and horns were remaining. If looks could kill, Charlie's could probably massacre thousands.
"What the fuck is that whore doing here, and why she attacked you? Heaven is supposed to stay at least neutral!". The rage in her voice was so much that even Vaggie was a little intimidated, but she was also proud of how easily she swatted away Lute. "Fuck if I know, but I don't like it one bit". Vaggie heard some rubble moving and saw Lute slowly emerging from the debris, unharmed. That worried the fallen angel, as Charlie's punch was surely powerful enough to do more than a couple of scratches. "Why are you here? If you want a rematch, wait in line, I'm busy! Your boss is here too!". Vaggie was of course referring to Sera, who the fallen angel didn't forget was the enabler of the Extermination. But Lute's answer shocked Vaggie and Charlie alike.
"Oh yes, I know my boss is here, they will destroy your friends, your blasphemous bitch, her traitorous father and will proceed to lay waste to Hell and Heaven. But you, I will enjoy destroying you personally. Everyday after I detach your head from your body, I'll use to pleasure myself knowing that I will have put an end to every sin you and that whench have been doing since the day you decided to show mercy to a condemned soul!". Both Vaggie and Charlie looked at each other uneasily. "Did…did she just say that she will skull-fuck me?". The hellborn nodded. "I don't think she is able to properly threaten you…is that a common problem between you exterminators?". Vaggie scoffed. "I'm getting better, at least".
"Will you two shut up so I can slaughter you?! What's with the fucking banter?!". Vaggie turned to Lute: she could leave her to Charlie, let her fianceé destroy her in a matter of seconds. But despite the grave situation they were in, she could not let Charlie handle the results of her mistakes: Adam was able to hurt Charlie because she wasn't able to deal with Lute soon enough, Dazzle had died because she wasn't able to defend him. She had to be the one to do it. A shadow passed through Lute's eyes, making Vaggie gasp: things were getting more and more difficult. "Hun, leave her to me. You're stronger, but she's a master fighter. And we have a score to settle". Charlie looked at her fianceé, unsure. "Vaggie, I don't know…". Vaggie growled. "She's cursed, Charlie, same as Wicken, you can't disintegrate her and she could use that to kill you. But I know how she fights and I can take her down, or at least stall her. Just say to Wicken to join me once he finishes, he'll know what to do". Charlie gasped: if Lute was cursed and able to not die, she was a much more threatening foe than even Adam. Charlie nodded. "I'll go hold the fort, you fuck her up in every hole conceivable. That will be a really riveting story for our wedding!". Charlie nodded her head towards Vaggie then ran away, ready to confront the creatures once again.
Lute growled, feeling she was treated like a joke. "I will slaughter you, you dirty angel fucker!". The leader of the extermination army shot forward, chasing after Charlie, but before she could get remotely close to her, Vaggie pole-vaulted on her spear and kicked her former captain right in the face, forcing Lute to skid back and use her wings to avoid another collision with the wall. The angel snarled and then charged towards Vaggie, but the fallen angel predicted the attack easily and jumped up to avoid the sword, then made her wings appear, floating over her enemy.
"Catch me if you can, you entitled bitch!". Vaggie then started to fly away from the army, chased by an enraged Lute. She didn't think she could outrun the lunatic angel for a lot, but she only needed to draw her to a secure place in which she could fight her without worrying about casualties. Vaggie also didn't have the means to actually kill Lute in her state, but the more time she could stall her, the more possibilities were that Wicken would pop up and solve that particular issue for her. Until then, she had to resist: Vaggie trusted Charlie to be able to handle things on the front, as long as she wouldn't repeat the stunt of a few minutes ago.
A swinging sound of a blade interrupted Vaggie's thought, forcing her to turn midair and block another attack from Lute, who had managed to finally reach her. Her spear blocked the sword, but the force of the impact threw her to the ground, where Vaggie managed to land, albeit with some difficulty. She couldn't win a mid-air confrontation, so she was actually fine to be pushed to the ground. Lute launched herself towards Vaggie, beginning a frenzied series of attacks, which Vaggie parried, although she felt every attack making her bones cry of pain.
That told Vaggie that Lute was cursed for real: in her right mind, Lute was a fierceful warrior, one of the most powerful she knew and her ability with the sword was unmatched, but that attack lacked the usual speed and precision Vaggie always associated with the figure of the captain; such a reckless flurry of strikes was almost unbecoming of the lethal grace she always showed. That could help her, Vaggie thought: if Lute was going to be predictable, Vaggie would have an easier time dealing with her. And the fallen angel hoped that would be the case.
Lute once again charged forward, trying to impale Vaggie, but the attack was straightforward and the fallen angel could read it a mile away: with a graceful twirl, she narrowly avoided Lute's assault and when she turned around to strike her back, Vaggie's spear broke through her opponent's guard and pierced through her heart; then, she punched Lute in the face, throwing her a dozen of metres away. As predicted, Lute didn't take too much time getting up on her feet, with no visible injuries on her body; even the broken teeth she should have for the devastating punch were back on their place. Vaggie expected this outcome, but was disappointed nonetheless.
"I'd say you sold your soul to the devil, but since he's here fighting with us, I'll say that you stoop even lower. You once had honor, at least, now you're but a puppet" an enraged Vaggie said, trying to provoke Lute. She thought the more she was able to get under her former captain's skin, the more she would be fighting without her head into it. However, she was surprised when Lute raised her head, an emotionless expression in her eyes. "You don't get it, you stuck-up bitch. Hell is a despicable hole of filthy sinners which needs to be completely annihilated just for its existence. But Heaven is equally faulty if they thought they have the rights and inclination to strike a deal with it. Death will cleanse them both and I will herald its coming and the arrival of a new age! And you will be my first victim!".
With a cry of pure hatred, Lute jumped forward and directed her sword towards Vaggie's neck, an attack the fallen angel was barely able to block; the sheer force behind it was so much that she lost her balance and Lute used that to her advantage, kicking her in the stomach with such force that it cut Vaggie's breath. Then, the angel grabbed her head and slammed Vaggie on the ground. Blood filled Vaggie's mouth, but she managed not to lose consciousness, and that saved her from being impaled by her opponent's sword: she conjured a knife out of nowhere and slashed Lute's hand. It wasn't a deep wound but it was enough that Lute relented and Vaggie used this opportunity to turn around and kick Lute's abdomen with both legs, pushing her away.
With an acrobatic jump, Vaggie got back on her feet and threw herself on Lute, pinning her down on the ground despite having a smaller frame. Lute tried to headbutt Vaggie but the fallen angel foresaw the move and hit her with a headbutt of her own. It hurt, but it was effective in stunning Lute long enough for the spear to appear in Vaggie's hands; Vaggie rose the spear and then pierced right through her shoulder, nailing Lute on the ground. The fallen angel got up, panting: it was just a few minutes, but she was already starting to tire trying to keep up with Lute, who was still stronger than her. And this time, she didn't have half of a hotel to bury her under. Lute grabbed the spear and pulled it off, disregarding the entity of the injury it left: golden blood poured along her harm, falling into a pool on the ground. Normally, it would be an incapacitating injury, but the flesh soon reformed around it, closing it.
"You don't get it, I'm invulnerable! You can't hurt me! You can't kill me! But I can kill you, and it will bring me great joy! And then, the next one will be your bitch!". Lute cackled maniacally, causing Vaggie to cringe: it was difficult even for her to see her former captain in that state, very little sane and maniacal. That may have prevented Lute to be the formidable adversary she was in the past, but it still didn't sit right with Vaggie. However, there was nothing she could do about it save it for trying to hold her back for the moment and hoping that the only one able to remove the curse appeared sooner rather than later. If she was having difficulties to keep up with Lute, there weren't many that could then!
Staying up top of the Hotel allowed Alastor to have an all-encompassing view of the battle and to draw its own conclusion on it; the Overlord was far from being a military strategy, but his analytical and sharp mind understood enough to say that if the pace didn't change they risked total annihilation. The last time the odds were so against him was just last month, especially after Adam wounded him, forcing him to run away, and even then there wasn't the risk of the total destruction of Hell as it was. Which was something Alastor didn't want, but he alone couldn't do much, much to his frustration; all the power he accumulated in the years since he appeared into Hell wasn't enough to even put a significant dent in the enemy. Oh, how he hated to be helpless and, especially, to rely on other people, some of whom he didn't even like in the first place!
He could run away! He could just disappear in the shadows, letting people think he had fallen to the creatures when they would definitely breach through their well-thought defences and scheme to reconquer Hell for himself once the waters were calmed down. Who was going to stop him? That Odette that was now manning the cannon just beside her, deeply focused on her task and not giving him even an ounce of attention? Maybe, but a shadow tendril appearing out of nowhere could snap that slim neck of hers, leaving no witnesses. And he would be free to flee.
…No, he wouldn't. As long as he was alive, there was always someone who would be able to find him. Lilith was still the owner of his soul, and should she fall to the battle Alastor was quite sure that the ownership would transfer to Charlie. And would Charlie fall? Honestly, he didn't want that! In his own twisted way, he had some semblance of affection for the Princess of Hell, and sure he respected her, way more after recent events. No, fleeing wasn't the right call. But that didn't mean he couldn't take advantage of things now.
Alastor focused his smiley stare toward the other Overlord involved, each and every one of them was busy fighting directly in the battlefield: Carmilla Carmine and her daughter, who had a fighting style quite similar to her mother, were leading effectively the resistance on the right side of the hotel, kicking up creature after creature with incredible prowess. And together with Carmilla's firm and incredible leadership, that side was holding up incredibly well. And the same could be said for the other side, where Zestial and his own friend Rosie were fighting with surprising sinergy, leading sinners and cannibals alike. The ancient overlord was zipping around the battlefield with his claws magically enlarged, taking down shadow after shadow with cruel efficiency, while Rosie was almost dancing, using her umbrella like a club and, occasionally, opening it and using it as a shield. For being a mundane object, it was quite durable.
What surprised the Overlord the most was how good Velvette was doing on the rear. Granted, it was the side with the least pressure, hence why she was alone in her leadership there, but still her abilities and her cunning were more than enough to keep that front from falling. Alastor was also quite impressed with the fact that the young Vee was showing the least fatigue among his peers, fighting relentlessly with a whip-like weapon that was quite effective in not only slashing down the monsters but also keeping them away from her.
Each Overlord was clearly fighting by giving them all; each one, except for Alastor, who hadn't invested any of his souls in this battle, although no one would dare to say that he wasn't making an effort, since the barriers he was setting up were quite consuming. But who knew him really well could say he was able to do more. Well, maybe it was time to show them something, Alastor thought. The deer Overlord tapped twice with his cane on the ground and a series of little shadows, at least a dozen. Then, he turned to Odette "Sorry, I didn't really catch your name. Did my friend leave some explosive here, by any chance? I might have a way to help the fighters down there but I need at least a dozen of high power explosives". Odette turned to Alastor: she wasn't particularly fond of him but wasn't hostile either. As her mother, she didn't care much for him. "They left some materials, I can craft them in a few minutes. How powerful do you want them?". Alastor's smile widened and his eyes shined of a sickly green light; this didn't impress Odette but made her a little uncomfortable. "Quite a lot, at least able to take down a building or two, if you are able to". Odette snorted and started to tinker with the leftover material and in a couple of minutes handed Alastor a dozen clusters of explosives. "Here, one of them can burn a three or four-storey building to the ground. Just push the button on one of these, they all explode". Alastor thanked the young Carmine and started to bind each cluster to its creatures. "Go behind enemy lines and then explode, my dears. Come one, chop chop!". The little shadows saluted Alastor and then jumped down the building, disappearing in the midst of the shadow monsters.
"You're using those things as kamikazes? My mother told me you were ruthless, and she was right" Odette commented. She didn't seem shocked by Alastor's plan and kept operating the weapons without changing expression. "I do not care that much if you disapprove. I'd like to see the end of this battle, if you don't mind, and will use any means necessary in order to win". Odette didn't turn from the console. "I've never said I disapprove. It's actually a clever plan. It's just that if I had known that those things were going to blow themselves up, I would have made those explosives even more powerful". Alastor smiled widely: he was starting to like her!
Without Vaggie covering for her, Charlie didn't feel that secure fighting in the frontline; nonetheless, her presence and power alone were enough to keep the other sinners from panicking. She imagined that in the last month the title of Princess of Hell has gained at least some respect, where there wasn't any before. Charlie couldn't say if that it was because of her last stand against the Extermination Army that led to the cancellation of the Extermination or if it was because Lucifer was a little more involved, but she had perceived that her words were much more effective on other people.
A new wave of enemies threatened to overwhelm them from above, but Charlie was quick to notice that; she extended her hand and a torrent of golden flames engulfed the creatures, bringing them their demise and in the process saving a group of sinners that hadn't noticed the danger. "All Hail Princess Morningstar, Slayers of Monster!" the group chanted, then charged forward, engaging another group of creatures.
Charlie scratched her cheeks, a little embarrassed by the appreciation of her peers but happy nonetheless: there weren't many times in which she could say she was so much respected and, why not, loved by the sinners she instead loved so much, and now that it was happening she felt she had to give her all to save as much as she possibly can. Suddenly, she saw a small shadowy creature, one she usually associated with Alastor; it was carrying what seemed to be a belt full of metallic disks which use she could not fathom. The small figure walked towards her, then handed her a small piece of parchment before jumping in the fray of the enemy lines, disappearing behind many monsters.
A little confused, the Princess opened the parchment, which contained a couple of lines written by what she knew was Alastor's handwriting. "This creature, together with many others I'm sending, is carrying powerful explosives that are going to blow up. I suggest you and your army fall back in order not to get caught into the explosion. Yours truly, Alastor" the piece of parchment said. Charlie's eyes widened. "Guys, go back…I mean, fall back. Fall back!" she cried. The group of sinners looked at her, confused, but then followed her. Just in time not to be involved in a powerful explosion that reduced the shadow monsters and some of the buildings to smithereens. An equally loud sound of explosions was heard in many other directions: Charlie counted at least a dozen of them, some in the front but others in the other fronts of the battle.
"That plan was absurd, Al" Charlie murmured. However, she had to admit it was at least effective, as she saw that the number of creatures immediately in front of her had been reduced quite a lot. She had no doubt that the situation would return as before in a few minutes, but at least they could take a breather. "We have a chance. You, you seem strong, bring the wounded back to the Hotel. The others, with me and stand by, try to catch some breath, let them come to us!". The big, burly sinner that resembled a rock golem Charlie pointed to nodded and carried on them a large number of wounded sinners. The others, instead, came close to the Princess, weapon in hands.
As Charlie predicted, it didn't take long for the streets in front of her to start swarming once again with the different emanation of death, but she was ready, and so were the other fighters: they let the creatures come and blocked their assault, slashing, piercing and battering away any aggressor they could see in front of them. At this point, just standing and fighting to keep themself from being wounded was a battle in on itself, but they had to resist at all cost: they sort of knew that the battle was going to go in that direction, they were ready for that and they would not lay down their lives without fighting to their bitter end. Charlie's rage mounted once again, the frustration of fighting a war of attrition building power inside of her: she opened her mouth and roared like a feral beast, but this time the scream was accompanied with white flames that destroyed anything in their path and formed a wall of fire in front of her.
Charlie panted, the attack having drained some more energy from her, though this time she wasn't anywhere near tired as she had been before. "Heh, that should keep them at bay for some time" Charlie said with a confidence she didn't know she could have. The other sinners rejoiced, then got suddenly quiet as they started to hear a rumble. The noise and the tremors increased, becoming a full-fledged earthquake that threatened to make them fall down. Charlie saw the buildings in front of her trembling and starting to fall, the very ground in front of her caving in in a wide radius. She knew what was happening. "Fall back! Fall back anyone, the city is going to fall down. Fall back, back to the Hotel!" Charlie screamed at the tops of her lungs. No one stopped to ask what was happening and everyone ran towards the hotel as the ground caved and fell with an earth-shattering noise, lifting an enormous quantity of dust.
As the dust settled, Charlie was able to see the scenery in front of her: the city had been basically leveled in a radius of at least ten kilometres in front of her, even though she couldn't help but notice that the extension of the destruction had spared a lot of ground in front of the hotel, enough that the front line was almost saved from it. Seein Pentagram City so barrend and destroyed tore Charlie's heart, but she could see that at least thousands and thousands of creatures had disappeared amidst the destruction, giving the defenders the edge they desperately needed. Wicken's plan had worked, and now it was their turn. It was time to bring the battle to Death!
I hope you liked this chapter. I know it goes back and forward between characters, but many things are happening and I wanted to showcase them as much as I could. If i'm doing things good or not, please comment on it and let me think what are you thinking about. Or about the story in general. See you next chapter!