Dante sighed as he watched the sun rise.
As soon as sunlight began to break the night sky, Cecelia woke Dante up and told him it was his shift. Although he was sore from sleeping on a rock floor, he was surprised to see that she had stayed up as late as she did. She stayed up all the way until she could see the purple and pink in the sky, signalling that the sun was coming up. She even fell asleep as soon as she laid down on the floor and closed her eyes.
So Dante was left to his own devices, watching the sunset rise while Cecelia slept. Nothing came or found them during that time. Not even forest animals walked by, and certainly no demons. Eventually the sky was turning to a light blue, which told Dante that they needed to get moving. He looked back at Cecelia and saw that she was dead asleep. He reached over and tried shaking her awake, but she hardly even reacted to it.
"C'mon, Cece, we gotta get going," Dante said as he tried again. "Demon slaying and chasing and all that jazz."
There wasn't even a grunt from the woman. She was fully passed out.
"Ugh, damnit," Dante grumbled to himself as he was squatting beside Cecelia. "This is why we were supposed to do shifts, not one night stands."
His joke fell onto deaf ears. More like sleeping ears. With a heavy sigh, he knew that they'd lose daylight if they stayed until Cecelia woke up. Plus, the sun was already in the sky. Time was ticking and staying in one place for too long was a bad idea. So he did the only thing he could think of.
He carried her.
Bridal style, of course, because there was no room for her on his back. That spot was reserved for Oblivion, his blade, of course.
To be honest Dante was surprised that she didn't wake right away. He gazed down at her face, seeing the light and shadows from the trees casting over her as he walked. He couldn't help but sigh at her.
"You're a bit troublesome, you know that?" He murmured, knowing he wouldn't get a reply.
It took a while for Cecelia to wake up, having slept quite easily after staying up so long. The only way that she did stay up was that she used the energy she consumed to keep her going. By the time she woke Dante up she could still feel a small amount of demon energy that she had absorbed from before. She knew that it would be of use in the future, as long as she regained her own energy first.
When Cecelia did finally wake up, her eyes opened slowly as the sight before her was a little blurred. She saw colors of green, sunlight, and blurs of red and white. It was only then that she realized that she was in movement. She blinked her eyes slowly to try and clear them, gazing up at the face who was holding her. There was a strong kick in the back of her head, making her eyes go wide at the familiar sensation of remembrance. She could've swore that somebody was carrying her, and the face was all too familiar.
"Good to see you're finally awake," spoke the voice of Dante, bringing Cecelia into reality. "My arms are gettin' tired, you know."
She blinked in surprise and the sudden blur was gone, instead being replaced by Dante's face and figure. Slowly she lifted a hand up and held her head, closing her eyes as she tried to grasp the memory again. But, sadly, it was gone.
Damn it, she thought as she began to open her eyes again. I've been in a position like this before, but by whom? Urg, my head's beginning to hurt…
"You alright?" Dante asked, his joking tone gone as he saw her pained expression.
"Yeah, I'm fine…" She murmured as she realized the position she was in. "Why're you carrying me? I can walk, you know…"
"Well, you wouldn't wake up earlier, so I decided to carry you instead," Dante explained and finally stopped walking. He allowed Cecelia to stand on her own feet, watching her as she still was holding her head. "You sure you're feeling alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Cecelia sighed as she flexed her fingers, sensing the energy coursing through her. "I got enough juice from that sleep alone, thankfully. I'm good for a few fights. What about you?"
"I've been ready for a while now," Dante stated as he flashed her a grin. "I can't wait to return the favor of getting a hole in my jacket. I've even prepared to give it to them with an ever bigger bow on it."
"Good, because we're gonna need the strength we have," Cecelia said, her tone being as serious as ever. "They'll probably end for another squad of demons for us soon. Thankfully none came close last night, but I could hear them in the distance. These guys are going to be strong…"
Dante stared at her back as he could practically see the looming cloud above her head. Without warning, he patted her head, surprising her greatly as she whirled her head around in his direction.
"Well, I've fought stronger!" Dante confidently stated with a matching smirk. "Just stay close to me and we can get through it without a problem. You've got a half demon on your side, after all."
Cecelia stared at him for a moment, her eyes still wide in surprise as she placed her hand on where he had touched. "Right…"
Dante gave her a stare, seeing her baffled expression as he could tell she was lost in thoughts. Her eyes always seemed to get darker when she thought, her eyes downcast as she stared at nothing in particular. She was doing it so much that it was starting to get worrying.
"You sure you're alright?" Dante asked.
"I… I keep feeling like memories are coming forwards," Cecelia admitted as she wouldn't look at him. "I can feel them coming, just barely hitting the surface before they submerge back down into my thoughts. Being carried like that and you patting my head… They've happened to me before, but I can't clearly see who… This is what's frustrating about my memories."
"It's really that hard for you to remember?" Dante asked as he watched her expressions.
"Very hard," Cecelia sighed. She shook her head as she put her gaze forwards, watching the trees and shrubs as they passed them. "...I'll be fine, I promise. Let's just keep heading to Néma, we're getting close."
"Alright," Dante said as he gazed forward. "I can't wait to see what a city full of witches is like. Makes me wonder if it's constantly in a state of Halloween. Hey, do they have broomsticks instead of cars?"
Cecelia gave him a deadpan look, clearly not amused by the joke. "...I wouldn't know."
"Well what do you expect from me when a whole town refers to themselves as witches?" Dante defended himself, throwing his hands out to either side of him.
All Cecelia did was shake her head and sigh.
As they kept walking Cecelia actually started to feel a bit of familiarity with the area. It took awhile but she felt like she started to remember the paths. She began to notice symbols on trees, almost all of them small and carved into the tree. Sometimes there's even carvings in the rocks, or painted with fine symbols. Even Dante was beginning to notice as she pointed each one of them out.
"So, do you know what these symbols are about?" Dante asked Cecelia as she brushed her hand against one.
"They're… a sort of ward," Cecelia explained softly. "Think of it as a sort of trail guideline. They all suggest paths to take, and if you don't take the right ones, well… Let's just say there's worse fates than death."
"Are we going the right way then, Ms. Amnesia?" Dante asked teasingly.
"We are, Mr. Demon Hunter," Cecelia said as she spotted another white symbol, unfazed by his tease. "Keep going straight. We should be there soon."
Dante glanced at one of the symbols as they kept walking. "So, what do these symbols say?"
"They're not really words," Cecelia said as she tried to explain it. "You see, they're embedded with magic. They're more like pointers for us witches. They signal the direction to go, and if you go the wrong direction, pray that they don't turn red."
"Why's that?" Dante asked.
"Any type of magic in the symbol will lash out at you, either killing you or causing you to feel pain in a very very very long time." Cecelia said nonchalantly with a shrug.
"Oh…" Dante murmured, eyeing the new symbol they found.
Cecelia placed her hand on the symbol and her eyes went wide. "We're almost there…!"
The black hair woman took off, running off to the right and weaving in between trees. Dante called out to her, quickly following because she literally is the only person who could read the symbols, and he did not want to be caught in a magic trap. Cecelia was running between the trees as she almost felt like she was seeing the scenery before her, but also seeing a familiar scenery in the back of her head.
She's ran through these woods before. She used to train in the forest. She used to pick apples from the branches after climbing up it so many times. This forest used to be the forest that she spent her life in on multiple occasions. It all began flooding back into her head as she was chasing after the sight of Néma city. Just as she broke through the treeline she skidded to a halt.
There it was.
Néma City. The creation place of The Charmer Sanction.
Her home.
Cecelia could help but stare, watching at how close she was to the city but also how far it was. As she stared in a shocked trance, Dante just caught up with her. He panted lightly from the quick chase. He stood beside her, telling her to warn him next time if she was going to bolt off. As he noticed that his words weren't being registered he finally followed her gaze, seeing a gigantic city before them.
One of the first things to notice was the large, dark rusted walls surrounding the city, looking as if it was made of full metal and steel. Although the wall was absurdly tall, Dante could see some buildings and houses inside. But one of the things he could see was a tall building, overshadowing everything around it. The tower looked very clean, very prestigious, and seemed to be in the dead center of the town. There was something unsettling about the place. Whether it be the gigantic wall or the tower, Dante felt like there was something wrong going on.
"Is this Néma City?" Dante asked, his arms crossing over his chest as he stared at the place.
"Yeah, this is Néma," Cecelia spoke quietly, her eyes stuck on the place. "This is… my home. I grew up here. I remember playing in these woods, and even going through the gates. But, I can't remember anything else…"
"Not even your old home?" Dante asked, finally looking at her.
"No." Cecelia shook her head. "I just remember small details. Like, I recall how the woods were our training grounds and playgrounds. I remember how the doors in the wall parted for individuals, and right inside of the town were two small shops. Other than that, I don't remember much."
"You got all that from just looking at the place?" Dante nudged her arm, making her watch him jut his chin out towards the city. "Imagine what you'll remember once you're inside."
"Yeah…" Cecelia sighed, gazing back at the city with a solemn look. "If I'll even be let in through the front door…"
"Well, do you have a plan on getting in?" Dante asked.
"Beat up anybody in our way." Cecelia stated bluntly.
"Ha! And I thought I had poor planning!" Dante laughed loudly.
"Do you have any plans?" Cecelia asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she deapan at Dante.
"Nah, I was looking forward to kicking some demon ass," Dante said with a smirk. "I hope you don't mind me kicking your witch friends, too."
"They're not my friends anymore," Cecelia said with a nonchalant shrug. "They think I'm a traitor. I'm hoping to face some witches, because then I can find some answers."
"Then we're really in for a fight," Dante grinned at her. "C'mon, we can't stay gawking at the place all day. Let's go."
The man began walking before Cecelia could reply. "Dante, wait!"
"What? Do you need to pee or something?" Dante asked as he didn't even turn to look at her.
"First off, disgusting," Cecelia grumbled as she quickly followed after him. "Secondly, you have to understand that there are witches with powers that can hurt us greatly. Every witch has their own power, but they have a weakness too. I can't remember each one, but we have to be careful."
"Alright, then what's your weakness?" Dante asked as he turned towards her.
Cecelia frowned deeply, not at all liking how he said that. As much as she wanted to say no, she didn't want to see him end up dead from her withholding information. She sighed deeply before giving Dante a stern gaze.
"...Demon Eaters are very dangerous," Cecelia explained, her tone very grave and serious. It's not like the first time it happened, but Dante could tell she wasn't joking around. "We can suck the energy out of any beings, but we mainly get our powers from demons. There's even a thing called Angel Eaters, but that's for another day. Demon Eaters rely on the energy absorption of demons, which grants us our powers, our weapons, and they even let us go on without rest or even feeding. But the biggest danger about us is when we get hurt."
"Getting hurt?" Dante raised a brow. "The only way to defeat somebody is by hurting them, you know."
"Perhaps. But Demon eaters are very dangerous when they get hurt," Cecelia stated as she was moving her hands as she spoke. "We can withstand and take a lot of damage, but just when we're close to our deathbeds, we can go into a frenzy. We rely on consuming energy by demons, so when we're on the verge of dying, we exploit it by releasing as much demon power as we can to lash out and hurt anybody in our way. It doesn't matter if you're a demon or a human. We can even turn into a demon in our frenzy state and go crazy. If you're in our sights, we will drain you of all the energy that you have and use it for ourselves to heal. Sometimes we even eat our victims, feeling a hunger that no source of food can sate. It's why we have our names as such. We will eat anything in sight until we sedate our hunger, and as long as we can get our hands on any living being, we will feast until there's nothing left."
Dante was quiet for a moment, his eyes wide as he stared at this woman. She looked so serious and stern that it was a little hard to not feel intimidated by her. But her words were almost anything but.
Dante just couldn't help it. He started laughing. He couldn't imagine the woman before him going on a blood lust rage, devouring anything in her way. The thought itself was ridiculous. But Cecelia didn't think it was funny at all. Her expression showed her irritation as she was staring at Dante with a glare, her arms firmly crossed over her chest. Her index finger was tapping against her arm as her patience was thinning very quickly.
"Okay, okay, hold up." Dante held his hands up in front of him as his laughs slipped through his words. "I'm sorry, but you're being way too dramatic about all this. Blood hungry demons? That's just the usual. I don't get what you're so concerned about."
"You don't get it!" Cecelia exclaimed with agitation from his laughing. "As soon as we're in a frenzied state, nothing matters anymore! We gain speed and strength as we release the demon energy that we've been holding it, having it surge through us as we rip our enemies limb from limb as we drink their life away. We even turn into demons until we feed our hunger! This isn't a laughing matter!"
"Alright, alright," Dante waved his hands down in a motion to "calm down." But that smirk on his face was pissing Cecelia off. "So when will we meet your witchy friends?"
"Now." A voice spoke from afar.
As Cecelia and Dante turned their heads they both jumped away from each other as a streak of red came flying at them. Recognizing the color, Cecelia turned her head to the left and saw a familiar duo. The woman and man from before had returned, with at least ten bound demons behind them. The witch was once again on her demon mount while the warlock stood to the side, clawed weapons already out and ready.
"Hey look, it's our party gifters!" Dante exclaimed as he was still grinning. "It's so nice to see you both drop by again!"
Cecelia slowly faced them, hand on her jutted hip, as her eyes narrowed. "Be warned. I'm not in the mood to play today."
"You started this when you stepped onto our territory," growled the warlock, slightly moving his hands as he talked. "The only game that we'll be playing is for you both to beg for your lives."
"And once you feel safe, we will be there to strike you right in the back," Spoke the girl as she readied another arrow.
"And right as you die, we will put your heads on pikes," the warlock said as he pointed at Cecelia. "And the traitor's body will be displayed for all trespassers to see! Everyone will know what happens when people cross The Charmer Sanctions!"
"Mind enlightening us on this so-called "traitor" business?" Dante asked as he pulled out Oblivion from his back. "You see, my client here has had amnesia for a very long time. So frankly, neither of us really understand this whole traitor bullshit. Maybe if you told us why, we might just leave."
"Where's the fun in that?" Spoke the warlock as he grinned under his hood. "I'd have more fun spilling your guts out onto the ground!"
Cecelia groaned as she summoned her guns to her hands, pointing the pistols at the people before her. "If you aren't going to give me answers, then I'll just shoot you in the head."
As soon as she finished her sentence she pulled the trigger. Bullets began to fly at the enemies, each of them getting prepared for it. The warlock swung his arm up and cut the bullet off, and the witch's mount moved his horn in the way, causing the bullet to rickashay off. She then fired her bow in retaliation, and the ten demon minions rushing forwards as battle began.
Cecelia simply had to bend back, the arrow flying past her chest and chin as she watched it hit a tree. She threw her head back up and began firing her gun at a demon who was coming far too close. She fired at other demons and allowed one to come close. One demon jumped up as it got close, attempting to pounce on her with three inch claws. Cecelia easily dodged it's attack, since these demons tended to swing way too wide, and she grasped at it's head with a bare hand, her pistol disappearing in the process. As she tried to absorb the energy from the demon, the witch began firing her arrows at Cecelia, but the woman kept countering with bullets.
As soon as the demons began rushing at Dante the man began strutting down the field, watching demons coming at him. He could hear Cecelia firing her gun, but he was still focusing on what was in front of him. As soon as they got close he began slicing demons down, slicing one across the chest, then going for a stab as another was running at him. He pulled out one of his guns and fired, then put it back as he got ready for another swing.
Slashing down his third demon, he pulled his sword up and saw a blur coming for him. Readying his weapon he felt a strong impact against him, pushing him slightly from where he stood. He realized he was getting pushed back by a familiar warlock, seeing the man grinning under his hood. They pushed each other back and began swinging their weapons again, each clashing with sparks that came off of it. As they faced off with each other, Dante officially pushed the man back, watching his feet skid across the ground. The warlock stopped himself and straightened up. As a demon was about to run by him, he slammed his hand on its face and began to absorb its energy.
"Oh no you don't," Dante said and immediately pulled out one of his guns.
Without hesitation he shot the demon, the bullet going right through the man's hand without a second thought. The warlock tore his hand away, releasing a noise of pain. The demon he held died, disappearing into dust.
"Sorry, but I've watched enough of Cece's powers to get how you guys work," Dante said as he waved his gun back and forth. "Plus, I was warned to kill your kind first."
"Bastards…!" Growled the warlock.
Just as their brief passing of words, Cecelia was jumping up and dodging the wild demon that the witch was riding. It kept dashing at her, trying to bash her with his horns. The witch kept firing at her, but the most she ever got off of Cecelia was the close calls with her arrows and the momentum of them being the only thing to hit her. As she kept dodging attacks she made attempts to fire her gun, usually hitting the bigger mass instead because he was the bigger target.
Every injury the mount got seemed to aggravate it's rider, making the woman's attack become more frequent and rapid. As the witch fired another arrow, Cecelia jumped into the air, dodging the arrow completely. She quickly landed on the mount's head, standing right in front of the witch. The woman quickly held her bow with both hands, preparing to smack Cecelia with it instead.
Before she even got her chance Cecelia brought her right hand in front of the woman, a bluish sphere spinning rapidly in her hand. The archer gasped in shock, and before she could do anything else, she felt something blast her right off of her mount and into the air. The last thing she saw was Cecelia's smirking grin before a shine of blue blasted her right off of her mount. The demon that Cecelia stood on also felt the blast, releasing a loud shriek as it began stumbling over its feet. The black haired woman quickly jumped off, witnessing the demon slip and crashed as it dug out the ground. Cecelia landed completely fine on both feet, smirking as she watched the witch finally hit the ground harshly. The warlock noticed and he released a shocked gasp.
"Jude!" He exclaimed and began rushing for her, completely losing interest in Dante.
"Hey! I thought we were in the middle of something!" Dante shouted at him, watching the man sprint across the field.
The warlock ran fast, rushing to the woman's side as soon as he could. He fell to his knees and rolled the woman over, picking her up as careful as he could. Dante couldn't help but watch with interest as he slowly made his way across the field.
"Jude, are you alright…!?" The warlock asked, his head turning back and forth as he was examining her up and down.
"Ugh…" She quietly groaned before staring up at his face. "I'm fine. Not as bad as the time in Washington, remember…?"
"It'll be hard to beat Washington," the warlock released an airy chuckle.
"Then perhaps I'll challenge that," Cecelia spoke up, guns in each hand as she had them pointing at each of them.
The woman and man gazed up at her, both frowning as they realized the situation they're in. Cecelia gazed down at them with narrowed eyes, not at all caring for the scene before her.
"Fawn over her all you want," Cecelia said to the man. "But I came here for some answers. And if either of you want to see the other live, I suggest you answer them…"
The man growled from under his hood, seeming ready to open his mouth and insult her until he felt a tug on his chest. He looked down and saw the woman in his arms staring up at him, giving him a shake of her head. The man instead clicked his tongue and glared up at Cecelia instead.
"...What do you want to know?" He growled.
"How do you know me," Cecelia demanded, the hold on her guns tighter.
The man could only scoff, as if preparing for a laugh. "You're widely labeled as a traitor to the entire Charmer Sanction. The whole town knows it. There's been a reward promised by the crown for your head, and it's quite the price..."
"Mind telling me why that is?" Cecelia asked, seeming rather annoyed. "Why am I considered a traitor?"
"You really don't know?" The man scoffed and shook his head at her as he helped his partner to be able to sit up on her own. "Right. Like we'd believe that."
"You're not in the position to believe or not," Cecelia said as she slightly moved her pistol.
She pulled the trigger, causing the woman to release a shocked scream. The man pulled her in closer out of instinct of the sound, but only he felt the tug of his hood and heard a tear afterwards. It took him a moment, but he realized that she fired at his clothes, only damaging his hood. He slowly pulled away and gazed up at Cecelia, realizing that his hood was yanked off by the force of the bullet.
"Now I'd like that answer, my dear Demon Eater," Cecelia smirked as she positioned her guns at both of their heads.
"I-it was announced by the Enchantress!" Exclaimed the woman as she kept her grip on the man next to her. "She declared you as a traitor five years ago! You, you broke one of the Demon Eater's rules of the Charmer Sanction. You were declared a traitor right after…!"
"A rule…?" Cecelia raised a brow as she felt the back of her head itching once more. "Which one was that?"
The man looked at her in disbelief. "Are you serious—!?"
"Luin…!" The woman hissed, giving him a look to not say something they'd regret.
"I wasn't exactly joking when I said she had amnesia," Dante stated, finally reaching the group as he came up beside Cecelia, his sword resting on his shoulder. "We wouldn't be here wasting each other's time if Cece here hadn't lost her memories. Now, what's this rule thing all about?"
The man sighed deeply, looking at his partner as they exchanged looks. After seeming to silently communicate with each other, the man sighed again before looking up at Cecelia.
"You broke the oath," The man, apparently named Luin, stated as he began to explain. "Demon Eaters are known for being dangerous because we can eat the energy of other beings. All "Eaters" can absorb energy. But The Charmer Sanctions have restrictions on all power branches."
"Summoners can't summon ancient beings," The woman named Jude said quietly. "And we also can't make any summons unless the Charmer Sanction authorizes it."
Luin pointed at Cecelia with an accusing finger. "And you broke our oath! The oath to never feed on the innocent!"
"What… What does that mean?" Cecelia asked, her hands slightly shaking as she felt her head banging with pain.
To Cecelia, every word they spoke felt like a big slam of reminders. She began to remember hearing these rules and laws, and she even had the memory of being authorized as a "Demon Eater" in the official eyes of The Charmer Sanction. She remembered the words and chants, and she recalls the ceremonial robes each member had to wear. But there was a throbbing pain in her head, each throb making her hands waver. Even Dante could see the shaking of her hands, and even witnessed a bead of sweat dripping down her face.
"You went frenzy, and killed your fellow witch," growled Luin as he glared at her. "We lost one of our best witches in all of Néma because of you!"
The guns Cecelia was holding began dipping down, her hands being more obvious in how they shook. She released a pained noise as her eyes squinted, trying to fight against closing her eyes. She could only step back as she began remembering.
"Hey, Cece, you alright?" Dante asked, putting his hand out in case she was about to fall.
Flashes of memories began showing themselves inside of her head.
She recognized the rain, and the place was cold and dark. Someone was beside her, wearing clothes of black and red who had a similar hood on their head. They seemed to be shouting something at her.
Next thing she knew was the world around her turned red.
She was gazing at her blood soaked hands as there was a puddle of blood on the ground. Before she knew it she was staring at the person from before, their body soaking in their own blood. Cecelia scrambled to their side, lifting up their upper body as she was holding them up in her arms.
As she stared at their frozen face, she heard footsteps in the grass and looked up, witnessing a woman in red staring down at her, her expression cold as stone. Before she could even do anything they held their hand up as a circle of magic surrounded it, and sudden Cecelia's body collapsed, and the world went black.
The real Cecelia gasped, her eyes going wide as she began stumbling back. Dante grabbed her arm and kept her steady, asking her what was wrong as her breathing became rapid. She was unable to respond, her mind swirling as she felt shocked by her findings. She could only assume that the memory she just had was the one Luin was talking about. As shocking as it was, she couldn't help but be confused. As she wasn't responding anymore, Dante looked at Luin and saw him standing up, helping Jude to her feet.
"Hey, tell me," Dante spoke up as he kept a grip on Cecelia's arm. "What's this frenzy thing all about with you Demon Eaters? I thought it was a common thing for you guys."
"Not as common as you might think," Luin growled as he kept Jude behind him. "We only get that way when we feel cornered. It's a last resort. There's so many ways we can sedate the frenzy that it doesn't need to happen. And it certainly didn't need to happen five years ago! You took it all too far, Cecelia!"
"Then explain how it went so far," Dante said as he saw Cecelia slowly recovering. "What was so bad about this event?"
Luin looked at him with flabbergast like the man grew five heads. "You serious?" Luin shook his head with a scoff. "She didn't just go frenzy. She turned herself into a fucking demon!"
"What…?" Dante questioned, his eyebrows furrowing together.
Cecelia's head shot up in surprise, her head turning as she stared at Luin in slight horror. "But… But doesn't all Demon Eaters do that…? When we frenzy we tap into the demon power…"
"When we frenzy we tap into that power hunger," Luin said as he kept Jude back. "We need to eat to make up for all of the energy we released. But you didn't quell it. You didn't eat a demon, you ate a human. So now every time you frenzy, you tap into that demon power and you need to feast far more than any of us Demons Eaters need to. And that's all on you."
Cecelia gripped her head, feeling her breath quicken as she couldn't fathom what she was told. She thought what she did was normal to the Néma witches. She had such heavy, crippling guilt that she couldn't connect to anything with her memory loss. She felt like the memories she gained had definitely played a hand in it, but there felt like something was missing. Something important. Something just wasn't right that she hardly even registered the words slipping from her mouth.
"I'm not at fault for it…!" She hissed under her breath, with Dante only really hearing it.
As Dante was about to say something, he noticed something in the distance.
Acting quick he wrapped an arm around Cecelia's waist and jumped back, making her release a surprised exclaim. Right where they had been standing was now in flames, Cecelia missing the throw of a ball of fire got flung their way. Luin quickly shielded Jude as they witnessed the flames, but thankfully didn't get hurt.
As Dante landed on the ground with Cecelia, two more people suddenly appeared before them. Two women stood there, one appeared to be in white robes while the other wore a black suit with white trim. The woman in white was clearly elderly, while the other seemed fairly young. They both had on scolding expressions as they stood beside Jude and Luin.
"Madam Victoria…!" Luin hissed as both him and Jude stepped away from the woman.
"U-uh, what're you doing here?" Jude asked as her eyes darted from her to the woman in black. "You, you're normally having your afternoon ceremonies at this t-time…"
"You two have been taking far too long," bluntly stated the woman as she kept her eyes forwards. "If you both can't kill this traitor, then I will do it myself."
"W-wait, Madame!" Jude exclaimed, catching everyone off guard. "The traitor can hardly remember a thing of what she did. She doesn't even remember the Sanction rules. If she's forgotten everything she's done, maybe we can—!"
"Silence, fool!" The woman barked, silencing Jude quickly as she stepped back from the elderly woman's voice. "Don't even try to justify what she did! If you even think she should be defended, then you might as well die with her! Are you willing to die, Judiah?"
"N-no, ma'am," Jude said as she held her head down, stepping back once more.
"Then get over here and place your hands out," demanded Madam Victoria. "Since you two idiots can't kill a single person, then we will summon something that can."
"But… Jude is exhaust—" Luin tried to speak, but was suddenly smacked across the face by the woman. Jude gasped as she watched Luin's head whip to the side.
"I don't give a damn about what you think," Madam Victoria hissed at him. "Just because you both have a cor necto doesn't mean you have the right to muddle in your mission! Now step aside. Judiah, give me your hands—now!"
"Cor necto…" Cecelia whispered as her eyes went wide. "They both share a cor necto…"
"I think we have more important matters than whatever the hell your saying is," Dante said as he began reaching for his guns.
Cecelia thought on his words for a moment before shaking her head. She lightly patted her cheeks before looking up and facing the four people before them. "Dante, whatever you do, make sure your firing is accurate."
"Oh I plan on it," Dante said as he began lining up a shot.
The woman in black stepped forwards in front of a Madame Victoria, waving her hands left and right as the palms of her hands began to shine. Cecelia couldn't help but watch her, feeling that tickling sensation once more. Dante began firing his gun, only for the bullets to suddenly begin falling to the ground when they were about to hit their targets. It was then that Cecelia began to recognize the spell as a barrier.
"What the hell?" Dante grumbled before pointing his gun down, seeing that it wasn't hitting anything.
"I—I won't!" Judiah exclaimed as she pulled Luin back with her. "Not this time, Madame Victoria. Something isn't right in the air. And it's telling me not to do this."
"You're a fool, then," growled the old woman as she turned to the other witch in black. "Avythen, help me with this spell. We must summon a demon to kill the traitor while we can."
The woman said nothing. She kept one hand up, but extended the other to Madame Victoria. Madame Victoria grabbed her hand, and extended the other as they held hands up in the air. Both began speaking in tongues, each chanting words that Dante couldn't understand. The man began firing his gun again, but the bullets couldn't get through. He doesn't know much about witches, but even he could tell something was up. Quickly Judiah and Luin grabbed each other's hand and began running, each of them heading towards the demon Judiah had been riding before.
"What is she summoning…?" Cecelia murmured as she glared at the older lady.
"Whatever it is, it's not gonna be good." Dante stated as he kept his guns up, not focused on the other two running.
Suddenly a circle began manifesting in the air right before the two women. As it began forming suddenly smaller demons began escaping from it, running right towards Dante and Cecelia. But what before they could get to them Cecelia noticed that they didn't have the usual collar on their necks.
"Dante, they're not under control…!" Cecelia shouted as she brought her guns up, already firing her guns.
"Even if they were they'd be after us," Dante said as he began firing at the new targets. "Controlled or not controlled, I'm still killing them."
"I'm saying that they aren't trying to control them," Cecelia exclaimed as she kept firing. "They're focusing on their powers on something bigger—deadlier, even! Be prepared, and kill as many as you can, because these guys might escape into cities!"
"I'm shooting as fast as I can!" Dante shouted back as he was trying to make as many demons fall as he could. "Look out for the big guy on your left!"
Cecelia took a glance as she saw Judiah and Luin climbing back up on their demon mount. It seemed back to being fine and allowed them to climb on, huffing as it seemed agitated. They turned the big demon away from them, seeming to point to the direction of the city instead. As she looked back to the portal, her jaw dropped as she could see something already climbing out.
First there was a hand. A large, thick, clawed hand first emerged out of the portal and slammed against the ground. The skin was practically black, a sort of red color throbbing up it's arm that reminded Cecelia of veins. Then came the arm, and the shoulder, and finally a head popped out.
A large, veiny head came out of the portal, looking elongated like an animal. The skin was pulled and stretched over the skull, being decorated with more veins on its head. Poking out of the side of it's head were two horns, starting from the head and curving forwards and dipping down. The tips of it were facing Cecelia and Dante, the end of it seeming to be wrapped in metal with a sharp point. As it kept climbing out of the portal Cecelia and Dante both stepped back, eyeing the large demon as it was clearly strong and large.
Finally the demon stepped out of the portal, the demon standing on all floors. Even on all floors it was still towering, seeming larger than a one story floor. It looked like it had large muscles, veins seeming wrapps all around the demon with a throbbing red color. Its eyes were black with red dots in the center, it's head focused forwards on the two standing across the field from it. Suddenly a shine of black and white began manifesting around its neck, the colors spinning rapidly to the point where it was a blue of black and white. Suddenly it shrank tightly against the beast's neck and it stilled, showing a thick familiar collar that Dante and Cecelia have been seeing for days now. The two got their guns ready and poised, preparing for battle.
Until the collar broke.