Cecelia was pleasantly surprised by the upstairs rooms.
She had gone to the available room that Dante told her about and peeked inside. It was a decent size room with a twin bed. Clearly it was meant for one night stays, probably for clients. But now this is where Cecelia will be allowed to sleep. But before she entered she stepped back out and closed the door. With her fingers she began to draw symbols on the door, seeing ethereal glowing marks as her finger moved along. She formed three symbols in total before placing her entire hand on the center of the door. The symbols gave a shine before disappearing in the wood, hidden from sight.
Her hand went to the door handle and she gave it a twist and stepped inside the room. It was now a far different room than it had been before. The small twin size bed had doubled in size, and there was furniture now inside. It almost had a dark aura to it, but that could just be the protective wards Cecelia had placed inside.
With the door closed behind her, she gazed around the place. Shelves of books covered an entire room. A desk was on the wall across from where Cecelia stood, along with a window adorn with dark purple curtains. In the center of the room was chalk marks in a circle, and candles at each corner of the drawing. She could already smell the scent of incense and dried herbs practically ingrained in the room. She felt relaxed by it as she made her way to the bed, knowing she would be safe here.
Cecelia sat down on the bed, her elbows being placed on her knees as she gazed around the room. It felt so hard for her to realize that she would actually be staying here. For how long, she couldn't say. But, she figured it may be for a while. Never in a million years did she think she'd stay with a half demon in a demon slaying shop.
Then again, her life has never been really normal to begin with.
With her thoughts still jumbled, slowly taking everything in, it took her a long while before she could take off her clothes and get ready for sleep. With her stomach warm from the alcohol and thoughts hard to form, Cecelia eventually found herself falling asleep in her bed.
Eventually the next day came. Cecelia woke up slowly as she realized she was in an actual bed for once. She honestly couldn't quite remember when she slept in a bed. At least a familiar bed. Slowly she climbed out of her bed, pulling her legs over the edge and then pushing off of them. With a brief stretch she pulled her curtains back, seeing the sun clear and up in the sky. She wondered how long she had slept in for. Pulling away from the window she walked over to the otherside of the room. Opening a drawer, she began to rummage through clothes to wear. She had worn casual clothing every now and then in an attempt to throw the demons and Charmer Sanction off. But, it would only work sometimes.
Eventually she decided to wear fitted jeans with a white shirt that slipped off of one shoulder. The white shirt had a red design on the front, but Cecelia had no idea what it was about. It was only when she was in the middle of changing did she hear muffled voices coming from down stairs. Curiosity got the better of her.
She slipped on some random pair of black heels and decided she could go down stairs. Pulling back her overly long hair, attempting to keep it out of her face with placing a clip on it, she exited the room finally. As she stepped outside her room the noise from before was louder and clearer. This time she could recognize Dante's voice, but she also heard an unfamiliar female's voice. Cecelia listened slightly as she placed her hand on the bedroom door and saw the previous symbols appear again, giving a soft glow, before disappearing entirely. Content with her room hidden, she traveled to the second floor balcony.
Being as quiet as she could she walked over to the railing and put both her hands on it, gazing down to see who was causing the noise. She spotted Dante first, who was leaning against the front of his desk with his arms crossed, wearing his signature red coat. Standing a few feet away from him was a woman who was walking back and forth, seeming to pace as she spoke with the half-demon.
Cecelia couldn't help but examine the stranger. She was a young woman, hair long and blonde as it swayed with her walking. She wore black fitted clothing, a rather revealing top, and matching black heels. Either way, Cecelia had no idea who she was, but it was clear she didn't seem too keen on what Dante was saying.
"C'mon, Trish. You can't just say no when you haven't heard of the entire situation!" Dante exclaimed, sounding rather frustrated.
Trish…? Cecelia raised a brow as she listened in, remembering the name.
"You hardly know a thing about this woman, and suddenly you're offering her stay here?" Trish scoffed at Dante as she continued pacing back and forth. "And a witch, nonetheless! This is ridiculous, Dante!"
"Look, Trish. She might be a witch, but she's a good person." Dante said as he began talking with the wave of his hands. "She knows how to hold herself in a fight. Plus, she's got a lot of neat tricks. And she's not even a part of the Charmer Sanction! She won't cause trouble, seriously!"
"And suddenly that makes it okay for her to stay here?" Trish looked at him with a scoff as she shook her head. It was like she was scolding a child. "You're being ridiculous. Did you even talk to Morrison about this?"
"For your information I did. And he said it was fine for her to work here!" Dante exclaimed as he spread his arms out.
The woman, Trish, groaned loudly and turned away from him. She seemed to rub her head, signaling an oncoming headache. Cecelia could tell they haven't realized she was hearing the whole conversation, but she was curious about what they would say next, so she kept quiet.
"Listen. I get that you're angry, but Cece isn't that bad." Dante said as he was trying to coax the blonde. "She can fight well on her own, she can do a bunch of things, and she can even help heal people! Plus, something's weird about the whole mess that she's in, and I want to try and help figure it out. These Charmer guys aren't as clean cut as they make themselves out to be."
"Dante, they're a bunch of witches who can control demons like dogs!" Trish whirled around and gave him a glare. "And you want to bring one of them into our shop!?"
"Ex-witch, and she can't control demons! Only eats them! ...Figuratively!" Dante exclaimed.
"Oh, that just makes everything better." Trish rolled her eyes, her words full of sarcasm. It was clear she wasn't falling for Dante's words.
"I can't just throw her onto the streets, Trish!" Dante exclaimed as he gestured an arm at the door. "I promised her a place to stay, and a job for her to do. She's got nothing. No friends, no family—not even her own memories, and you want me to throw her out?!"
"It's unfortunate about her situation, but you can't just try to fix every problem a girl has," Trish said, crossing her own arms firmly as she was trying to be a voice of reason.
"I'm not going to throw her out when we've made progress on figuring out who she is!" Dante exclaimed, raising his voice out of anger.
"She doesn't belong here, Dante!" Trish raised her own voice back at him.
"Alright, that's enough yelling." Cecelia spoke up. Her voice seemed to almost startle the two, making them both whip their heads in her direction. As she saw them looking at her she began to descend down the stairs. "If you want, I will leave. I don't wish to create any problems if I can help it."
"Yes."
"No!"
Trish and Dante both gave each other glares, neither of them backing down from where they stood. Cecelia verbally sighed at the two, her eyes looking between them as she could practically see the tension.
"Look. I really don't want to cause you any problems." Cecelia said as she gestured for them to calm down. "I can understand why you'd be wary of me. You are, after all, a demon. But, if it brings you any comfort, I can't control you. My powers don't allow me to do that, especially to a demon like yourself."
"You know I'm a demon?" Trish raised a brow, but gave a harsh look in Dante's direction.
"Dante didn't tell me much, if that's what you're worried about." Cecelia stated as she tried to get the blonde's anger off of the man. "Plus, I can sense it. I'm a witch, or more specifically, a Demon Eater. I can recognize demons easily. They're a part of my power, after all. But, again, I can't put a collar on you. None of the witches can unless they have summoned you. But, you can't exactly be summoned, can you?"
Trish firmly crossed her arms as she raised a brow at Cecelia. "You seem to know a lot for someone who's lost their memories…"
"For five years, to be exact." Cecelia shrugged with a half-amused smile on her face. "I've been an amnesiac for five years and counting. I've discovered enough information to understand how witches work, at the very least." Her smile fell soon enough as she got serious again. "I don't mean to cause any discomfort, really. I only mean to figure my memories out. Believe it or not, Dante has actually helped me regain some of them, as small as some of them may be. But if my presence causes more harm than good, then I will leave."
"Nobody's leaving, alright?" Dante said as he looked between her and Trish. "This is my shop. What I say goes, and that's final."
"So you're just going to act like our conversation from before never happened?" Trish asked, a hand on her hip as she glared at Dante.
"No, I'm just saying that Cece gets to stay." Dante said firmly. "I promise her that I would help, Trish. I'm not going to back down now."
"It's fine, Dante, really." Cecelia said as she gave him a sympathetic look. "Trouble tends to follow me anyways. You know that better than anybody else. I understand why Trish would feel the way that she does. I don't want to cause trouble for you all."
Dante looked very frustrated at this point. He sighed deeply as he put his hands firmly on his hips, turning away from the women as he tried to collect himself. Cecelia couldn't help but feel like she was already causing trouble. She was fully prepared to head on her way if they asked her too. After all, she was used to this. Her being around people only caused problems for others. Just because the Charmer Sanction said they wouldn't send demons after her doesn't mean that nobody would ever try to hunt her down. Just because it's the modern day doesn't mean that witch hunts weren't gone. Especially with the people Cecelia used to be associated with.
"If she helps us on a mission, will you let her stay?" Dante spoke up, directing the question at Trish.
The blonde was quiet for a moment. "If she can hold herself fine, maybe. But I still don't trust her…"
"I have no intention of eating you, I can say that much." Cecelia stated as she raised her hands up.
"Then what are your intentions." Trish asked, more like demanded, of Cecelia to answer. She had her arms crossed as she stared at the black haired woman with suspicion.
"I only intend on finding my memories. That's it." Cecelia answered with honesty. She gazed off to the side as she fell into her thoughts. "I've been labeled a traitor of The Charmer Sanction. Whatever they do I have no involvement in, or knowledge of it. All that I do know is that they want me dead. Me and anybody who gets in their way…"
"Why'd you betray them?" Trish asked.
"If I could remember, I'd tell you," Cecelia said with a shrug, crossing her own arms across her chest. "They think I killed another witch, but I can't say for certain if I did or not. The only time I've ever killed anybody was when they came after me first. Even then I don't finish them off…"
"Don't you think that's a little strange, Trish?" Dante asked, making her look at him. "Supposedly a secretive, supernatural organization is posing a crime against one of their own, but they just so happened to gain amnesia at the same time of the crime. Nobody can explain what's going on. Don't you think that's a little fishy to you?"
"The Charmer Sanction has nothing to do with us, Dante." Trish stated. "Yes, it sounds strange, but she can't even say for certain if she's actually killed anybody before. What right do we have to have her join our shop and protect her?"
"I'll take care of it," Dante said quickly. "Demons and beings and weird things come after me anyways. It's nothing new for us. Plus, weren't you the one telling me that we should gain some more hands to help out?"
"Hands to help out with the shop. Not some witch who has a bounty on her head!" Trish exclaimed, glaring at the white haired man.
Cecelia could already feel the headache coming on if she let this argument continue any longer. "Look, I think I should just—"
The opening of the front doors is what cut Cecelia off. They all looked at the source, wondering who was coming in at this time. The doors were pushed open to reveal another woman. She had short black hair and wore a white jacket with matching shorts. But what Cecelia thought was peculiar was the gigantic weapon strapped to her back. As she quickly came in, the familiar face of Morrison followed right behind her.
"We've got a problem." Stated the woman as she stood in the middle of the room.
"A problem? What kind of problem?" Dante asked as they would sense the worry in the air.
"A big ass one," Said Morrison as even he looked worried. "We got these crazy ass bitches summoning creatures that are destroying buildings downtown. You're the nearest Demon Hunters, and the town is willing to pay for a job. But you gotta be quick, 'cause they're attacking everyone on the streets!"
""Summoning?"" Cecelia quoted as her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
"Just say where and we'll go," Dante said as he rushed towards his desk, grabbing his guns and quickly loading them.
"Downtown boulevard," The short haired woman said. "You can't miss them. They're shouting nonsense, demanding to face the "demon hunters" of Redgrave."
"They want us specifically?" Trish questioned, looking towards Dante with unease.
"I tried confronting them, but they've got these weird creatures on their side," explained the short haired woman. "They're not like any demon that I've ever seen, too. There's a lot of flying ones."
"Those aren't demons," Cecelia said as dread filled her stomach. "Those are angels…!"
""Angels?" What're you talking about?" Trish gave her a skeptical look. "Angels don't exactly meddle in human affairs, much less do a demon's jobs."
"Not unless they're summoned by The Charmer Sanction," Cecelia exclaimed as she began running towards the door. "I have to stop them!"
"Hey! Wait!" Dante called for her.
Cecelia ran out of the door without another word spoken. As she rushed out of the doorway she moved her hand in front of her and made a circular motion. A large magical circle formed in the air a few feet before her. Cecelia ran through it and her clothes changed as she ran through it. She was back into her black suit again, the regular clothes gone, as if she hadn't changed at all.
As soon as she ran across the street she focused on the energy she was feeling in her body, making sure that she could feel prepared for a fight. Focusing the sensation in her feet, she bent her knees slightly and jumped up. She flew up and in the air, only for gravity to pull her back down. She landed on a building ceiling, then kicked off of the roof and onto the next. It was useful being a Demon Eater, using her powers to enhance small parts of her body to jump farther or run faster.
It was the only way she could catch up with Dante that one time.
Cecelia found herself jumping from building to building, running along rooftops as she looked ahead for any source of The Charmer Sanction. As she kept running along she began to notice motion from behind. She looked over her shoulder as she jumped once again to see Dante, Trish, and the other woman all following after Cecelia. The women both rode on a motorcycle that Cecelia had never seen before, while Dante seemed to be keeping up the same way that Cecelia was going.
She gazed forwards and saw a roof coming closer. She tucked and rolled across it, pushing herself back onto her feet by the momentum, then continued running. She hurried all the way across the roof and jumped up again, only for her eyes to widen at the sight before her.
It was only then did she see the flying creatures in the air, each of them seeming to circle around like golden vultures. These creatures were far different than the demons the demon hunters were used to. Most of them seemed white in appearance, the only color it had seeming to be decorated in white and gold. Their faces almost seemed to be like a porcelain mask. Not only that, but most of them appeared to have wings. It didn't seem too far fetched of Cecelia calling them angels, but even then the creatures had a creepiness to them. Clearly they aren't of this world, and Cecelia already could see for why that is.
Two of the Charmer Sanction witches were waiting for them.
Cecelia and Dante jumped off of the buildings and landed on the ground. The other woman and Trish both stopped on the one motorcycle and climbed off, both of them pulling out their weapons as they knew a fight was going to ensue. Cecelia could already feel her stomach churning, staring at the angels on the ground as they seemed to resemble large dogs. Even they had porcelain faces covering their eyes, as if a child had wrapped a mask on their dog. They both gave a howl, only to then bare their teeth as they growled. As Cecelia took one look at the white and black body suits of the witches across from them, a title for them came to her mind.
"Ah, I recognize those symbols," Cecelia said as she narrowed her eyes at them. "You're what Néma calls "Wardens," correct?"
"And you're the traitor," said one of the women as she held her hands out, her hands shining for a moment before an ethereal whip appeared in her hands.
"I have doubts that none of you heard the news," Cecelia stated as she held her hands up and guns appeared in a bluish flame. "After all, you Wardens are the first ones to hear of any new laws or rules made by the Enchantress…"
"We heard the deal made, pressured by the Demon Hunter," Said the other woman as she looked at Dante, only for a grey spear to appear in her hands. "No demons shall be sent after you. But, that doesn't mean that you're free to live however you please…"
"This is a formality, Cecelia The Demon Eater," Announced the other woman. "Witches and Warlocks alike will hunt you for the bounty on your head, no matter how many deals you make…"
"Sorry, ladies, but you're not going to get the chance to touch a hair on her head," Dante spoke up as he stepped forwards, Oblivion in hand as he rested the blade on his shoulder. "You see, I know this is none of my business, but it becomes my business when you start hurting people in my town. So how about you get those chickens out of my sky and head on out, yeah?"
"Stay out of the way, Demon Hunters," Growled the women with a spear, who pointed the sharp end towards Cecelia. "This is the punishment for killing one of the Royal Seers. The Wardens will never stop until justice is brought for Baila The Siren!"
Cecelia felt her head ache softly. She tried not to show that she cringed in pain, trying not to show a weakness to the witches. She recognized the words they were using. It was like she understood what they meant, by the meaning in words was lost to her. Although she wanted nothing more than to remember, there was something in her mind that knew that they were wrong.
"I didn't kill Baila," Cecelia spoke up firmly, making Dante look over his shoulder at her. "I… I couldn't have killed her."
"It was only you who was on patrol with her that night!" Exclaimed the woman with the whip, even going so far as to crack her weapon across the ground. "Even the Enchantress had been a witness to the event, and everyone who had been there says it was you! Do you have any proof that it wasn't!?"
Cecelia opened her mouth, only to close it as she gritted her teeth. She was still missing pieces to the puzzle. There was no way she could convince the Wardens, much less two lower ranking ones. Until she figures out the remaining missing memories, there was no way she could make such firm claims, no matter how true they felt to her. As she was at a loss for words, Trish and the other woman walked past her, both of them standing in front of her as they held their weapons firmly.
"Whether she's guilty or not, hurting innocent people doesn't make you any better!" Exclaimed the short haired woman.
"Just because we hunt demons doesn't mean we won't kill angels," Trish said as she held up two guns. "Especially ones that are controlled by collars."
"You sure you two want to fight us?" Dante asked as a smirk was on his face. "You might have a couple of angels on your side, but these are some of the strongest women I know. If killing a bunch of angels sends me straight to hell, bring it on. I've already been there a few times."
"Fools, all of you," Growled the woman with a whip. She cracked her weapon on the ground before shouting. "Angels! Eradicate them!"
In that instance, all angels gazed down before them. Cecelia looked up and watched them all descend down upon them. She pulled her guns up and began firing, knowing that she needed to kill the creatures before they could touch them. She watched her bullets harm their wings, making the creatures crash into the ground instead. As she walked back, trying to get as much of a distance as she could, she saw what the demon hunters were all doing.
Mainly they were firing their guns, knowing that the quickest way to get a flying enemy down was to hurt their wings. It was when they got close did Dante use his gigantic blade, slicing down enemies left and right. Trish was fighting not only with her guns, but she would pull out a gigantic sword that looked as if it was made of flesh and bone. Clearly it was a heavy sword as well. But, Cecelia had no doubt that a demon like her could handle such a thing. As for the woman with short hair, who's name Cecelia desperately needed to get, had been fighting with what Cecelia began to realize was a missile launcher. She was shooting the angels out of the sky better than anybody else at this point, seeming to almost kill them on the spot. Whenever one or two got too close, she would stab them with the front of her gun, which seemed to have a bayonet on it, and would mercilessly pull the trigger.
Needless to say, Cecelia was grateful they were on her side.
At this point Cecelia put away her guns and summoned her sword, the ethereal blade forming in her left hand as she prepared to slice down the heavenly creatures. Cecelia found herself in the back of the group, slicing and stabbing any angels that had only gotten shot down, or tried to go after the heavy hitters. The dread she had before was lifting slowly, a realization coming to her that they were thinning out the horde.
But it was Trish's shout that made her dread come back again.
Cecelia whirled around, startled from the shout by Trish. It sounded like it was nothing but pain. As she turned, her eyes widened in horror. The blonde woman was flying through the air, sword scattered on the ground, as she crashed haphazardly like a rag doll. She was clutching her side, and it was only then that Cecelia recognized it to be a burn. A burn from an angelic weapon. With her blood turning cold as fear gripped her throat, Cecelia rushed to Trish's side. She dropped to her knees and placed her hands down on the wound that Trish was holding. The blonde haired woman grabbed Cecelia's wrists, making her look down on her pain covered face.
"S-stop…!" Grunted Trish as she tried to push her back.
"I know you don't trust me, but you have to just this once!" Cecelia said as she moved Trish's hands away so she was touching the bare wound instead. "If you don't let me heal you your wounds will bleed out! It's too dangerous to let them heal on their own!"
"Ah…!" Trish's head fell back in pain, as it was clear she was trying so hard to keep it in. "I-I've never felt pain… like this…!"
"Just hang on…!" Cecelia exclaimed as she focused on the wound.
As Cecelia focused on the fresh wound in Trish's side her palms and fingers gave off a light glow. Trish's body tensed as she gripped harshly on Cecelia's arm, silently conveying how much pain she was truly in. Cecelia could even see her gritting her teeth together as she tried to contain her pained noises. Cecelia watched as she felt her hands go cold, watching Trish's blackened skin slowly begin to shrink and heal. Trish released a gasp as she lifted her head up again, watching in awe as her own body was healing up faster than she's seen before.
Just as the wound was about to fully close, the shouts of the other woman and Dante made Cecelia look up. Her eyes widened yet again in horror as the other woman hit the ground, her weapon scattering to the side. She tried to get up again, only to fall back down as an angel stepped on her chest to keep her down. Dante, on the other hand, completely flew back at an unnatural speed. His back crashed into a lamppost, denting the entire pole, before falling face first onto the ground. Even he tried to slowly climb to his feet, but an angel jumped down on him and stabbed him right through the back.
The shout that he released gave Cecelia chills.
It truly did sound like Dante was dying, his scream full of pain and agony. Trish released a gasp as she cranked her neck back, concern and horror written over her face as she looked at Dante. Before, Cecelia saw Trish as a defensive, stoic woman. She clearly held confidence and a pride in her. Something that clearly reflected off of Dante as demons had a hard time feeling emotions. But in this instance, Cecelia knew that Trish was fearing for Dante's life.
"No… Not like this…!" Trish grunted as she pulled away from Cecelia, beginning to claw at the ground as she pulled herself across the street. "Get up, Dante…! Get up…!"
"Dante…!" Even the other woman looked concerned as she was trying to pry the foot off of her chest. "Get off of me, you bastards…! Urg…!"
"This is what happens to those who cross The Charmer Sanction," announced the female Warden with the spear. "Remember that it is your fault for protecting a traitor!"
"In order to rid of demons properly, one always has spare angels on hand," said the Warden with a whip. "Since we can't rid the Demon Eater with demons, Angels should do the case just fine."
"After all, Demon Eaters can't eat Angels, can they?" Said the other woman as they both seemed to smile triumphantly. "This is your end, Cecelia. All of this could have been prevented if you haven't eaten your fellow witch, and turned traitor to all of Néma. Remember this, as the sight of us Wardens killing you will be what you take with you to the afterlife…"
As the two witches spoke, Cecelia lifted her head as she stared at them. Her cold body began to fill with a boiling anger. Her cold, bloodied hands began to warm as they clenched into fists. She placed her hand back down on Trish, as she hadn't gotten very far, and sent energy through to her. The woman gasped sharply as she looked back to her side, seeing it now looking as if it had never been harmed. As Trish looked back at Cecelia, she watched the woman in black push herself to her feet.
"All of this could have been prevented, you say…?" Cecelia spoke as she glared at them, her head throbbing as anger filled her whole being. "Do you mean the handful of witches and warlocks who have actually lost their lives in their attempts on my life? How about the innocent civilians who have died by your recklessness of sending blood hungry demons all the way from Néma? Or those who just so happened to be in the line of fire of angelic spears? Have you Wardens even bothered to look into Baila's death at all? I doubt it, as you all just blindly trust in what your "precious" Enchantress has to say! You're both pathetic, worthless worms who shouldn't even have the title of "Witch"...!"
"How dare you…!" Growled the woman with a spear.
"We'll show up a true Warden's strength!" Exclaimed the woman with a whip.
Suddenly their weapons began glowing. Their weapons changed into something completely different. As their weapons changed, so did Cecelia. She reached up and pulled out the red pin in her hair as she knew it would get in the way. She began walking towards them as her body began to change before everyone's eyes.
Her pale skin began to turn blue, her body growing a couple of inches in height. Her arms and hands began changing as well. Her nails began to grow through her gloves in long, pointed black nails. Her arms almost looked as if skin was growing over her clothes, layering on top of one another along her arm like plates of armor. Even the whites of her eyes turned black, her blue irises seeming to glow in the center of them. Black markings surfaced from her neck all the way to her face. Three black marks were on her cheeks while the entire bridge of her nose and forehead was black, following along her eyebrows as it circled around her cheekbones.
Even her ears seemed to change as they began to be pointed. Four horns seemed to sprout out of her head, two sprouting from the top of her head and curving forwards, while the other two growing from the side of her head and curved downwards, resting along her cheekbones. Not only did her own body change, but the pointed parts of the jewel on her chest grew two inches, the red gem on her chest seeming to give off a glow. Her eyes never left the witches, anger burning like fire within the cold blue color of her eyes. Cecelia then released a scream, the noise echoing around them as it was practically inhuman.
Cecelia had turned into a demon.
As she stood in the center of it all, she ignored the gaping stares of the Demon Hunters. Not only did they see the transformation before their eyes, they also could sense it in the air. Dante, even in the immense pain that he was feeling, couldn't help but recall Cecelia telling him about a "frenzied state" that Demon Eaters can go into. He could only conclude that this is what she had meant all along.
The two Warden's finally gained their weapons, one wielding a large gun in both hands while the other held two long, dual wielding swords. The living angels, reacting to Cecelia's scream, all looked at her immediately. They all could sense the change in the air, a new source of demonic energy standing before them. A new demonic threat was in their sights, and warning bells were ringing inside everyone's heads. In an instance, without hearing any orders, all angels swooped down on Cecelia.
Cecelia stood still as all angels came rushing at her. As soon as they got close, she began fighting back. She grabbed the angel's weapons by the neck, which were mainly spears, and she would rip them out of their hands and stab a different angel. If she didn't do that, she would punch or kick them down with so much force that they would go flying back. She grabbed two by their porcelain faces and looked back at the Warden Witches. The angels began to struggle, only to start letting out pained noises. A bright, yellow color of energy began to come off of the angels as they swirled around her arms before turning into a blue color.
The witches watched in horror as the angels disappeared before their eyes, dying by Cecelia's hands as their life source swirled around her arms. The Demon Eater grinned at them, her teeth looking unnaturally large and sharp as she kept their gaze. She lifted her hands and the energy collected above her palms, circling tightly into a ball of blue energy before she crushed it with her hands. The energy went straight into her arms, making the cracks in the plates glow blue, just as it has done so many times before.
"What's wrong…?" Cecelia asked with a malicious grin, her voice sounding deeper and more distorted in this form. "What was it that you said earlier? "Demon Eaters can't eat angels." Ha ha ha…" She released a deep chuckle as she began walking towards them. "If I was any normal Demon Eater, maybe you would have been correct. But it looks like I'm not so normal after all…"
"You truly are a monster…!" Exclaimed the witch with swords.
"Oh no, my dears. I'm just a simple, lonely witch," grinned Cecelia as she continued advancing forwards, the clicking of her heels seeming almost loud. "I must thank you! Those two angels were a perfect breakfast to have. Why don't you send some more my way? I'm awfully hungry…"
Without another word, the witch with the large gun began firing her weapon. Cecelia released a laugh as she began dodging the attacks, practically taunting the other witches with her unnatural movements. The witch was attacking in such a panic that she didn't even realize Cecelia's advancement towards them, which was her actually making her way towards the angel on top of one of Dante's colleagues.
As soon as she was close, Cecelia grabbed the angel by the throat and lifted the being off of the woman with just one hand. Without even a moment's hesitation, she looked in Dante's direction and threw the angel across the street. The creature flew and slammed into the other creature, both crashing into the building behind as a metal sign had somehow pierce both of their heads. As Cecelia jumped back, the witch with the swords released a shout as she began charging at her. She pulled her swords back and then swung at Cecelia, trying to chop off her head.
"Too slow!" Cecelia shouted as she bent her body unnaturally back, dodging the swords.
As she bent back, she kicked her leg up in a fluid motion. Unable to dodge her fast reaction, the witch was met with a heel to the jaw. The action caused her head to be thrown back as she stumbled, her entire mouth hurting as she could feel her ears ringing. As the witch stumbled back, the other covered her by firing bullets.
Cecelia couldn't help but laugh as she jumped in the air, flying an unnatural height as she flew at the gun wielding witch. The woman stumbled back, trying to keep a distance as she continued firing wildly. Unaware that her bullets were doing absolutely nothing, at most nicking Cecelia's clothes or hair, the black haired woman landed on top of the Warden witch. Her weapon clattered out of her hands, disbursing in a shine of grey. Without hesitation Cecelia grabbed the woman's face with her large, demonic hand, covering her entire face.
The woman released a muffled scream, legs kicking as her hands clawed and pulled against Cecelia's hand. But she couldn't fight her newly found demonic strength. Just like any demon or angel that Cecelia had ever come across, she began to absorb the witch's energy.
The other Warden witch charged at Cecelia, swords ready as she knew she had to save her companion. As she swung her swords once again, Cecelia interfered by lifting her hand up. Somehow missing the blades she grabbed the woman by her suit and threw her to the ground. As soon as she fell, Cecelia grabbed her by the back of her head and began to do the same. She sucked out the witches energies, different colored energy sources swirling around her arms. As she saw their struggling lessen, and their fighting spirits lower, she stopped her powers.
Cecelia climbed to her feet and stepped back gazing down at the witches as they had become unconscious. Cecelia clenched her hands into fists, the swirling powers absorbing into her, as she felt her inner wanting lessen. She turned and looked at the few remaining angels, knowing they could be a problem. She watched them for a moment, seeing the black and white collars expand before shattering like glass. Seeming to also snap out of a trance, the creatures shook their heads before gazing around. Seeing no reason for why they were on Earth, they began to ascend upwards, returning back to their heavenly home.
Content with knowing that they wouldn't harm anybody anymore, Cecelia began to transform again. Bluish flames began covering her body as it seemed as though it was burning away her demonic features. She shrunk back in size before she turned back to her regular, human self. Her jewel even seemed to go back to normal as the glowing came to a stop. She took in a deep breath, slowly feeling like herself again, as she gazed back at the battered Demon Hunters who now stood together, staring at her with mixed emotions.
"Alright," grunted Dante as he looked her up and down. "What the fuck was that…"
.
"So… You can turn into a demon?"
"Partially, but yes."
Cecelia couldn't help but feel a little exhausted already. After the incident with the angels, they had all traveled back to the Devil May Cry shop. Morrison had stayed there during the fight, knowing that he shouldn't get involved. He does the paperwork. Not the brute work. But seeing the exhausted state the four of them were in as soon as they got back, the older man took pity and ordered them something to eat.
The exiled witch had no idea that it was already noon time. Her head could hardly wrap around the fact that so much time had passed already. Maybe it was because she had woken up late today. Or maybe the fight was really that long. It didn't feel like it had been. But, either way, she knew she had to explain a lot to the Devil Hunters. She just didn't expect to do it over a few boxes of pizzas. All of them pulled out some chairs and sat around Dante's desk, each of them having a slice or two in their hands as they talked.
"From what I understand, because of my powers, I can tap into the demon energy I absorb and turn into a demon for a short time," Cecelia tried to explain. "At first, I thought all "Eaters" could do it. But, it turns out it's just me. It takes very specific conditions for me to use the ability. It's more of a last resort for me."
"So, why did you use it back there?" Asked the short haired woman, who went by the name of Lady.
"At first I was worried," Cecelia admitted as she stared at the floor. "You were all knocked down so quickly, one right after another. Not to mention that we had been fighting against angels. Beings that we were all weak to in one way or another… But when those two witches started talking I just got angry. They sounded so hypocritical that I felt like everything was just unfair." She shook her head before looking back up at Lady. "So, I went into a small frenzy."
"I thought you said that when you went into a frenzy you couldn't control it," Dante spoke up after downing a slice of pizza. "But you didn't kill those witches."
"Well, they didn't put me into a critical condition," Cecelia explained. "I put myself into that form. I had plenty of energy in me to not go out of control. They'll be unconscious for a while. Afterall, I still couldn't help but suck out most of their energy…"
"Are you sure it's fine to just leave them on that rooftop?" Asked Trish before biting down on food.
"They won't come after us again. At least not for a while," Cecelia said before taking a bite herself. She chewed for a moment before talking again. "They said it themselves, it was a formality." She paused to swallow before speaking again. "They wanted to make it clear that no matter what I do, no matter who's willing to help me out, that I can never escape the Charmer Sanction."
"They really want you dead, huh?" Lady said, looking at her with sympathy. "What those two said back there… Did you really kill somebody?"
Cecelia's eyes went back to the floor as her face hardened. "...I can't say for certain. But something inside of me keeps telling me I didn't do it."
"Then that's good enough for me," Dante said as he bit down on his food.
"And if I did kill somebody?" Cecelia asked as she looked over at him.
"We'll figure it out when we get there," Dante waved a dismissive hand. "I've said it once and I'll keep saying it, the entire situation smells fishy. You lose all of your memories, wake up in the cold wet woods, and suddenly an entire city is declaring that you've killed somebody. How can somebody just lose their memories so conveniently?"
"It is strange…" Trish trailed off, seeming to go into her own thoughts.
"Either way, I'm just a beacon for trouble," sighed Cecelia as she reached for another slice.
"You know, if you eat anymore you're going to blow up, right?" Dante said jokingly.
"Blame my powers for being connected with hunger," Cecelia said, unaffected by his words, as she downed a whole slice.
"I can't imagine how torturous that must feel," Lady spoke up as she watched Cecelia eat. "To have magic powers that go in hand with how hungry you are. I feel like I'd get sick."
"Well, when you get used to being in a constant state of hunger, it's really nothing special." Cecelia stated. "Plus, even when absorbing energy I get full. I could probably go on for days without eating or drinking. It's how I've lasted for so long, actually…"
Dante eyed Cecelia for a moment before speaking up. "You seemed pretty shaken by those women earlier. Did you remember anything new?"
Cecelia paused as she began thinking. "...They called themselves "Wardens." Back in Néma, a Warden Witch is someone who can use their powers to create multiple weapons. Usually those who have that ability get sent straight to the Wardens to be trained. They're Néma's form of police and military. Also you don't specifically need that power to be a Warden, most of them tend to go into the law force of Néma. It's why they held such superiority, even though they were low ranking Wardens…"
"So you have witches who classify as Eaters, Summoners, and Wardens." Dante counted on his fingers. "Is that right so far?"
"Correct." Cecelia nodded. "But… There is also another faction. Singers. That faction is heavily led by women. Baila is… was, a Singer. It might seem like an innocent title, but they use their voice and sound as weapons. It's dangerous to fight against them. Especially if they scream." She lightly shook her head. "They can kill you just by singing a single note. At least, Baila could. She was a Seer."
"The Wardens also said that," Lady pointed out. "What exactly is a "Seer" to witches?"
"They're the heads of the factions," Cecelia stated. "Eaters, Summoners, Wardens and Singers have their own Seers. It's the title we give for the leaders of it. There's multiple ranks that each faction has, but they all run the same. But, at the top of it all is the Enchantress. She is the equivalent to a king or queen. What she says goes, and none try to defy her. The head witch, if you will…"
"But didn't they say "Royal Seer?" Does that mean you have royalties among the witches?" Trish asked.
Cecelia paused as she seemed to gaze off. She felt like she was recalling a lot about the culture of Néma. "...Yes. Each of the Seers are considered a part of the royal family. Each one of them controls a faction."
"No wonder they're so hellbent." Dante said as he shook his head. "They have a murdered royal on their hands, and they're blaming you for it. No wonder they've been running after you for five years!"
"But yet they made an agreement to stop sending demons," Trish spoke up as her eyebrows seemed to pinch together. "There's a lot of things that aren't lining up…"
"That's why I need my memories," Cecelia said as she gently grabbed her head. "If I can just remember what happened that night, maybe I can figure out the truth. It might not make The Charmer Sanction stop coming after me, but I need to know the truth. As much as I want to say that I didn't kill her, I can't look at you and say that I didn't do it. I don't know what happened that night, but it left me with my memories lost. I have to recover my memories…"
"Which is why you're here," Morrison spoke up, reminding everyone he was still there smoking his cigarette. "Over the past five years, it's only been recently that you've been recalling your memories, right? If you keep working here, you might just find your answers…"
"It's what I'm hoping for," Cecelia sighed as she looked exhausted.
"Then stay." Trish spoke up, startling both Cecelia and Dante as their heads shot up in her direction. "You just learned a lot of things just now. Although I'm not the biggest fan of working with a witch, your powers are useful to have around…"
"What changed your mind?" Dante asked, a large grin curling on his face as he leaned in her direction.
"We could've died if she hadn't stepped in," Trish stated as she looked at Dante with a stern expression. "Not only did she help take out a bunch of angels, she also stopped the two witches from killing us. Plus, she saved my life. For that, I guess she can stick around for a bit."
"What a change of heart!" Dante exclaimed, followed by him throwing his head back and laughing.
"Laugh all you want, Dante," Cecelia said before looking back at Trish, her expression showing genuine relief. "You don't need to force yourself, Trish. I understand why you'd feel uncomfortable with me around. You just have to give the word and I'll leave…"
"No, it's fine," Trish said followed by a sigh. "Plus, you saved my life, so I guess I owe you. If you really meant any harm you would've sucked my energy dry already. But, you didn't. So, do whatever you want. Lady?"
"I don't have any issues," Lady said as she shrugged at Trish. "Plus, having another hand around could be useful. Not only that, but clean up can be easier if she can just make demons disintegrate."
"It's settled then!" Dante declared as he stood from his seat, raising a greasy slice of pizza in the air. "You're now one of us, Cece. Welcome to the Devil May Cry shop!"
A surprised chuckle escaped Cecelia's lips. She was in disbelief that this was actually happening. It was like she was reliving the emotions she had last night. As she lifted her head up, seeing Trish and Lady both copy Dante's cheer, Cecelia couldn't help but lift her own half eaten slice in the air.
"Thank you," Cecelia said with a smile. "I mean it…"
.
.
.
.