Moonlight Demon

Keiko

Ahead of her, Ioko gave a few soldiers their orders. He had told her to pay attention to how he spoke, the combination of authority and respect in his voice. 

"Fight with the buildings to your sides, you'll want to limit the number of places from which you can taken by…" However, as they heard the sounds of battle suddenly intensify, he stopped. Keiko heard the same thing. The demons and humans intermingled cries and grunts were getting louder. "Well then. It seems our dance is about to start. Everyone, get ready."

What? Is it time already? Keiko wondered. To her right, Kaori and Ren both stood up from where they'd been sitting. One by one, each of the waiting soldiers began to get up, brandishing their weapons. Nodding to herself, Keiko replayed each of the three techniques she'd learned over the last couple of days. 

"Iridos," she said, activating her Spirit Eye. The sounds grew louder and louder. The soldiers began to form lines. Keiko stood at the back of them, near Kaori. She saw humans falling back in large numbers, terror in their eyes as they ran into the waiting soldiers. The fear in their eyes was matched by the fear of the soldiers who were now about to join this fight.

Alright, Keiko. The Zayama told herself. Her father's sword weighed heavily on her waist as she narrowed her eyes at the incoming demons. Time to show them what you can do.

The first weapon she planned to use was her naginata. Taking it out, she waited until the battle started properly. Kasumi, the crimson-haired Savior that Keiko had met back at Pearl, was in trouble, being chased by a few demons. Keiko honed in on that spot, focusing on it amidst the incoming chaos, and ran forwards. 

Soldiers and demons clashed, pained cries and demonic screeches instantly sounded off. Keiko tried her hardest to block it out and focus on Kasumi's position. Here, she'd use her naginata technique.

Blade Dancer Arts

Burst of Beauty (Naginata)

Trigger this spell after slashing at least five times. The last five cuts you make will explode with roses that tear the opponent(s) apart from the inside. 

Dex Required: 30

Mana Cost: 20

Incantation: Suezan

Keiko saw an opponent to Kasumi's right and ran up to it. She slashed through its neck, not killing the creature, but leaving a wound in it. One. She went up to another demon, dodging its swipe and spinning, slashing through its stomach. Two. Her Spirit Eye warned her that an enemy was about to come from the left, and she backstepped, dodging an attack and ramming her naginata's blade into its chest. Three. Running away, she encountered a Gluttony demon, ducking under the tongue that went to grab her and slashing its neck. Four. Finally, she helped a soldier fight off a Lust demon that was trying to grab it by slashing down the demon's back. Five. 

Keiko breathed in. 

"Suezan!" 

Suddenly, all around her, from the wounds she'd caused, roses exploded into the air, along with spurts of violet blood that surged up from the wounds she'd created. The demons whose necks she'd slashed through died when their wounds exploded. The others, however, were able to keep fighting. Keiko helped soldiers finish these creatures off and with that, five demons died around her. 

No time to celebrate, Keiko thought. You're on an open battlefield. Focus. 

Suddenly, Keiko was surrounded by demons. She took a step back as they started to close in. Using her Spirit Eye, Keiko saw their attacks coming. First, a swing from a demon to her left that she managed to avoid by crouching. Then, one demon tried to tackle her. Keiko jumped up, landing behind it. The third demon unleashed a Dark spell that nearly struck Keiko, but she leaned to the side and watched the black sphere go by her head. Before she could even respond, other soldiers saw her ongoing fight and went to help, taking the demons on and Keiko stood back, watching them collide.

Okay... At least it seems like we can do damage. Maybe this is winnable. She had no real experience with large-scale fights like these, but although the demons were killing humans in large quantities, Keiko could still see the bodies of her enemies and allies alike piling up as the fight went on. We just need a little more help… Keiko thought. Hopefully, there's some sort of a plan here… I can't imagine that we'd win if we just fight until one side dies.

Due to her pondering though, a demon took her by surprise. 

"Auah!" Keiko was taken down to the ground. She was pinned and the demon mounted her, raising up clawed hands. Her naginata had been tossed away in the struggle. In one fluid motion, Keiko reached down, grabbed her kunai, and when the demon went to claw her eyes out, she stabbed it in the arm, violet blood falling on her cheeks. She certainly wasn't strong enough to push it off, so she continued stabbing it from below until the demon weakened enough and fell to the side. 

Keiko stood up, covered in the demon's blood, holding the kunai. She didn't think, she didn't hesitate. Instead, as soon as her eyes fell on a demon, she went to attack it. She ran up to one from behind and stabbed it in the back of the head. She looked back and saw one biting through a young soldier's collarbone. Keiko threw one of her kunai at the demon, watching it stab through the creature's head, and then pulled the rope, bringing the blade out and back to her hands. 

She didn't notice this, but as Keiko continued to slice through one enemy after another, using the chaos of battle to create opportunities, avoiding straight-up fights, and opting to take enemies by surprise, she began to glow. Her skin took a golden aura, one that trailed behind her with her movements. To others, she looked like a star bursting through one body after another. 

Taking deep breaths, Keiko felt her arms straining, but she tightened her grip around her kunai and shook her head. 

Don't stop. She told herself. Keep going. 

She saw a demon up ahead that had just finished killing a pair of soldiers and began spinning her kunai in her hands. 

Blade Dancer Arts

Thorned Impact (kunai) -

Spin your kunai and focus on a target. Then, unleash your kunai in the opponent's direction, and on impact, an explosion of roses will occur that deals damage proportional to your Dex skill.

Dex Required: 40

Mana Cost: 10

Incantation: Seizen

It was the same technique Keiko had shown Kaori yesterday. She wound up her kunai and then launched them both at the demon in the distance. The kunai stabbed into its chest.

"Seizen!" As Keiko said the incantation, roses erupted from the demon's body, and the monster exploded.

Words appeared above Keiko's head. 

Trait Discovered!

Battle Trance

In fights, the user is decisive and precise. Dexterity receives a permanent increase of 5, and after successfully performing a technique (an ability gated by a Dexterity req.) that increase is temporarily raised by another 5.

Of course, Keiko completely ignored the message. 

However, it was not because she was killing enemies.

Around her, she saw Ioko, leader of the Zayama squad, taking down multiple demons, but just to her left, there was something else. Feet thudded against the stone. She paused, all around her the struggle still ongoing while Keiko searched for the source of the sound. Her head snapping back and forth between locations frantically, when she found it. 

It happened as a man was launched back, a spray of red following him in the air. He had been hit by a spiked mace and landed just a couple of meters in front of Keiko, his body utterly ruined. Keiko's eyes slowly dragged up and she saw it. 

A Nightmare approached. It was larger than any other demon, holding a mace in its right hand. It had stone-like legs, with blank eyes that Keiko could feel on her. Its body was best summed up as a mass of muscle, clumped together by demonic energy. 

Keiko took a step back. The Nightmare slowly walked towards her. Keiko searched for Ioko, but he and his squad had moved up the street, too far away from Keiko for her voice to reach him. 

Keiko wasn't about to run away. She didn't know if she could win, but she would at least try. However, if she was going to fight this, she needed to be at her best. So, she put away the kunai and brought out her father's sword. Its golden blade shimmered, and Keiko held it out between her and the demon. 

Then, the enemy raised its mace up and Keiko's Spirit Eye told her that instead of bringing it down directly, it would do a sideways swing from this position. The mace began to descend, much faster than Keiko had anticipated. She leaped up into the air and held her sword out. 

"Agh!" 

The Nightmare spun and with its free hand slapped her away. Keiko crashed into a building, falling atop a dead soldier.

She tried to stand, and her ribs burned. Ah… It broke something… She realized. That wasn't even a punch. It just slapped me away and did that much damage… She took deep breaths. Push through the pain. Go! 

Gritting her teeth, Keiko stood up and held her sword out again. It's faster than I thought it would be. I need to be even faster to beat it. 

The Nightmare ran up to her and pulled its mace back. Keiko saw that this time, the attack was going to be much more direct. She ran to its side, successfully reaching the Nightmare, and stabbed it. 

Just as quickly, she pulled her sword out and backed away, narrowly avoiding a swing from its hand. Good! 

Her ribcage flared up and Keiko nearly dropped her sword. 

She was waiting for the Nightmare to attack again, but instead, her Spirit Eye told her that a second demon was about to attack. She dodged a tongue that had tried to wrap itself around her neck, seeing a Gluttony demon ahead. The Nightmare started jogging towards her and Keiko's eyes widened. I don't have time to-

Before the Nightmare could crush her with its mace though, a pair of warriors in golden suits of armor stood between it and Keiko. One held out a shield, the mace slammed into it so strongly that the ding that resulted echoed in the street, but the person holding the shield was not pushed back. They held their ground and Keiko's lips parted. 

What…? 

And then, as she focused, she recognized them. 

Kaori and Ren had come to stand between her and the enemy, protecting the Zayama. 

---

Kaori

"It's about saving lives, Kaori, remember that!" Ren had told her as the battle started. Indeed, she knew her role. She simply wondered if she was ready to fulfill it. She'd discover the answer soon enough though. 

The demons had arrived. The soldiers got ready, and among them were Kaori and Ren. However, the blonde noticed that someone was missing. 

"Where's Vermia?" She asked. "She's a Savior too, right? She should be here." 

"I don't know," Ren answered. "But, as you said, she is a Savior. I… Have some firm disagreements, let's say, but I trust that she will not abandon the city. As for us, focus, Kaori! You have people to protect!" 

"R-Right!" 

For the first time in a long time, Kaori's armor weighed heavily on her. Ever since Pearl, this was the first time in a while that she had to be a real Savior. And because of that, she was, of course, feeling nervous. Her hand shook at her side, holding her swordstaff loosely. It was hard to breathe as well, and although last time she had Ash in front of her, who she trusted to help her pull through the battle, this time Ash was in the skies, fighting off Lust demons one at a time, nowhere near her. 

She had nothing but her own merits to fall back on today, and that terrified her. But, as soldiers began to charge forwards towards the demons, Kaori had to play her part. So, she followed Ren into battle, only hesitating for a moment to make a mental note of Keiko's location. 

Ren's earlier words were still fresh in her mind. One Keiko was worth ten soldiers, and Kaori would certainly be there if the Zayama needed help. 

The first exchange happened when Ren pulled a demon off of a soldier it had been biting, slamming his shield into it, and crushing its head with his mace. 

"Ah," Ren said, "their Constitution makes them quite sturdy, but we're far enough away from the portal! We can fight!" His voice boomed throughout the street, the sort of quality that Kaori understood you just had to be born with. The only other person Kaori had ever met who had this natural-born commanding voice was Varcon. She was glad that this time, it was on someone she could respect. 

To Kaori's left, a young, short-haired woman was trying desperately to hold back a demon but wasn't able to. Kaori ran over. The demon gaped its mouth about to bite down on the woman's neck. Kaori stabbed right through its head before it was able to. 

"Are you okay!?" Kaori asked. 

"Y-Yes!" The woman replied. 

"Uh, good! Stay that way!"

And so, Kaori went on to the next exchange. She found a group of soldiers and demons clashing against each other and ran to the center of it. Once here, the demons targeted her, slamming clawed hands into her armor and scratching her face, but her actions had the desired effect. She gave the soldiers enough room to fight back and take the demons out. 

They thanked her, but Kaori was already out, looking for more people to help before they could finish speaking. This would be way easier with a shield, I need to look into getting one. There has to be a way! Kaori thought as she used her arm to push away a demon that had been tearing a soldier apart. 

"Healers!" Kaori called out, "healers!" 

One man in a white robe ran towards her and saw the injured soldier. 

"Thank you," Kaori said, and she stood by him as he worked to bring the man up to fighting conditions. 

As much trouble as she was having to try to keep up with everything, Ren was the exact opposite. She could hear him laughing, borderline cackling boisterously as he swung his mace like a toy. However, as careless as he seemed, in the brief seconds that Kaori spent watching him work, she could tell he was effective. Any time someone nearby was in danger, he'd put his shield between the human and the demon and fight the enemy back, then resuming his joyous carnage. 

At one point, Kaori saw him use some strange technique. 

"Tisen!"  He yelled out and multiple soldiers were covered in a white barrier. Demons tried to break through with attacks, but they simply couldn't. The spell didn't last too long, but it kept many people alive for more precious seconds.

I… I don't think I can live up to that. Kaori noted in her mind. Then, she heard a scream for help and went to go assist another human. 

Kaori took many hits for the sake of others in the minutes that followed, but her body held up. Scratches, claws, bites, punches, slaps, swings, she tanked them all in the hopes that other soldiers wouldn't have to, and although she knew she'd wake up tomorrow with nasty bruises and at least a few broken bones, she was still standing. 

That was when the Nightmares came. Not just one, but three Nightmares entered the area. One was dressed like a healer, wearing a white robe stained in violet. He seemed familiar to Kaori, though she didn't quite recognize him. Another feminine figure with no eyes and carrying a single black whip at her side, and finally, one holding a mace. Two of the Nightmares began hunting down humans around them, casually wiping out different soldiers. The one holding the mace instead was looking down at one lone warrior ahead of it.

More shocking than that though was the person standing in front of the mace-wielder. Kaori saw Keiko with her sword held out, about to take the Nightmare on. 

Are you crazy!? Kaori thought as the two started fighting. 

I need to get over there! 

Kaori began trying to weave through the fighting forces, but by now everything was so chaotic that she couldn't go a few steps without running into people. She tried to get closer and ended up tripping over a corpse. 

Ugh, come on, I just need to… 

Looking to her right, she found Ren, his armor covered in violet, smashing a demon into the ground. 

"REN!" She called out. The man looked at her instantly. Kaori stood up and pointed at Keiko, who was just moments away from being destroyed. Ren moved quickly. He charged forwards, barreling past anyone in his way, demon, and human alike. 

Just before the Nightmare could kill Keiko, Ren stood between them. 

Yes! 

Kaori joined immediately, looking back at Keiko who was staring up, shocked. 

"There are some healers that way," she gestured to her left. "Go, get yourself healed!" 

"I… I can't waste time like…" 

"Keiko, just go!" Kaori said, helping her up to her feet. The Zayama watched her for a second before nodding. Then, she left. 

"Ah haha!" Ren laughed as he pushed the Nightmare back. "Come, demon, let me show you the light!"

Around them, demons began to notice the battle and started moving towards the two of them, surrounding the Saviors. Before they could do anything though, fire sprayed out over each one. 

"What?" Kaori audibly asked and looked to her right, where she found Satsuhiro casting spells at a rapid rate. It was an impressive sight. The man looked like a demon all on his own, covering anything he looked at in fire that burned whatever it touched to crisps. 

However, he failed to notice the Nightmare watching him from a distance. The woman-like demon with the whip pulled it back and cracked it at him. 

"Satsu!" Kaori cried out. She ran towards him as fast as she could, shoving him out of the way and taking the whip's impact herself.

Her armor cracked and Kaori felt the wind being knocked out of her, but she was not hurt. Satsuhiro turned towards the demon and launched orbs of flame at it, and the two began fighting in earnest. The mage moved quickly, dodging the whip as it attacked him while the demon effortlessly avoided his spells. 

As Kaori caught her breath, she focused up and ran forwards. I need to distract that thing so Satsuhiro can get a shot in! 

Kaori ran straight into the Nightmare, who clearly hadn't been expecting her. She pushed it to the ground and placed her forearm over the creature's neck, dropping her swordstaff. 

"Satsu, do it!" 

Satsuhiro saw what was happening and looked to pause for just a second before nodding. 

The Nightmare thrashed at Kaori from below. Kaori tried to press her forearm in even harder, but the Nightmare was stronger. It was only a matter of time before she was forced off. She needed Satsuhiro to attack now. 

The Nightmare reached up and clawed a line straight down Kaori's face, from her forehead to the spot between her brows, to her cheeks. The blonde screamed but kept her forearm pressed on its neck. She was committed. This enemy needed to die, and Kaori was prepared to sacrifice whatever it took to see to that. So, as it continued to struggle under her like a rabid beast trying to get free from a trap, Kaori held it down. 

"Dragons of the golden era," Satsuhiro muttered, "roar for the memories of those who've challenged you. Soar for the spirits of those who've worshipped you. And breathe for the sake of those who still defy you. Surge!"

From his palms, a dragon made of flame emerged that shot straight towards both Kaori and the Nightmare. Only then did Kaori get off, falling back. The Nightmare almost instantly got to its feet, but the dragon reached it before the monster could react. Kaori watched as the fires engulfed it, the Nightmare letting off an ear-piercing screech as the flaming dragon disintegrated its skin slowly until the monster was nothing but ashes. 

Satsuhiro fell to his knees. Kaori wiped away some blood that was getting in her eyes and ran up to him. 

"That… took a lot out of me," he said. "I'm almost out of mana." 

"Uh, alright, head back, we've…" 

"AGH!" When Kaori heard that voice, she turned around. 

Her eyes widened. 

The mace-wielding Nightmare had just slammed its weapon into Ren's midsection. The demon pulled the weapon back and Kaori saw blood on its edges. She was running towards him before she even knew what she was doing. 

Ren's shield was on the ground. The Nightmare was holding its mace over Ren's head. Ren smiled defiantly at it. 

Kaori reached the shield, picked it up, and ran towards them. She managed to get to the Savior and held her shield up, and the mace crashed into it. Kaori was forced to one knee. She cried out, the blow powerful enough to the point where she knew it had fractured some bones in her arm. 

Then, Ren pushed her out of the way and slammed his own mace into the Nightmare's body. The monster stepped back, a wound on its torso that mirrored the one Ren received. 

From Kaori's right, she saw Satsuhiro aiming his hands at the Nightmare. He was about to cast a spell, but then, the Nightmare did something none of them expected. It reached back with its mace and threw it at Satsuhiro. 

Kaori couldn't do anything about it. By the time she had seen it happening...

It tore his leg clean off. 

Kaori's words caught in her throat as she saw Satsuhiro fall forwards. 

Then, Ren ran up and slammed his mace into the creature's head, forcing it back. The creature was severely stunned. Ren fell to one knee, but Kaori ran towards Satsuhiro first. 

"S-SATSU!" 

"Agh... Shit..." Satsuhiro tried to sit up. His right leg had been torn off just above the knee. 

"BACK OFF!" A pair of healers suddenly arrived and took Satsuhiro away. Kaori nearly ran after them. 

"It got me good," Ren said, chuckling, but Kaori's eyes stayed on Satsuhiro. Only when he disappeared from sight, as the healers turned a corner, did Kaori look at Ren. "That thing is damned strong." 

"L-L-Let's get you to a healer..." Kaori's teeth were trembling against each other. Her arm was shaking as well.

"Ah… that won't work." 

"W-What!?" Kaori asked. 

Then, Ren showed his status. Kaori saw the message that appeared and she nearly stopped breathing. 

"It cursed me," Ren nodded. "Healing magic won't do anything right now. Not to worry though," he said as the Nightmare began to walk forwards, "thank you for your help, Kaori, you're a true Savior. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to fight this thing." 

With those words, he took his shield back and the two large beings clashed again. 

Ren's… cursed? Kaori thought, but then she shook her head.  And... Satsuhiro...  Kaori fell to her knees. 

However, as more demons approached, she looked over at them.

They were going to reach her. She couldn't move to stop them. However, then, someone landed in front of her. 

Ash. The half-demon crashed on top of one enemy, and then flew towards the demons and taking one of their heads off with one swing of her clawed right hand. 

Kaori saw this and her stats went up, thanks to the mark she'd placed on Ash earlier. Using the newfound strength, she pushed away several of the demons nearby before turning towards the hybrid.

---

Ash

When the battle started

"Shit…" Ash muttered as she saw Lust demons flying up from below. 

Level 25

MP: 40/40

Level 26

MP: 50/50

These levels are just around mine… So, I should be able to kill these things. She noted. My spells are going to make the difference. I need to use them at the right times. 

"I may as well do something about those right now though… Just hope those archers don't hit me too." 

And so, the half-demon flew towards her enemies. She flew over the bridge, feeling her strength at an all-time high, and relishing in it. 

Come on, come get a taste… Ash smirked as a Lust demon saw her and flew towards her. 

Then, Ash flew at it first and with her claws, slashed straight through its neck. The Lust demon, surprisingly though, was still alive. It took two more swings from Ash to take it out.

She ignored the EXP message that popped up and planned to do that throughout the battle. 

The second Lust demon reached her and tried to swing at her head. Ash held her by the arm, pulled her in, and bit down on her neck. She chewed on it until she felt the demon go limp and then let it go, watching it fall out of the sky. 

Then, an arrow struck her left thigh. She hissed, but pulled it out and found she was barely hurt.  Still, she nearly looked down and cursed the archers out. 

Easy. Easy, just keep it up. 

Her time over the bridge wouldn't last for too long though. After a volley of spells and rocks, the Nightmares began to come out of the portals and that meant that the bridge was finally compromised. With their help, the demons pushed through, and the humans began retreating. That's my cue to fly back too. 

With every second that passed, her thoughts went back to Keiko and Kaori, but she had to force them out of her mind. You'll be more of a burden to them than an aid if you go to where they are. Stay up here and stay focused. Ash told herself. The next stage of the fight started then. 

The fight in the streets began properly, and Ash checked her status. 

Level 28

MP: 200/200

STR: 35

DEX: 20

CON: 15

INT: 25

WIS: 20

L: 100

The buff is active, but we're far enough away for it to not make too much of a difference. Ash noted. Those soldiers need to fight their hearts out, but they can make it if they fight smart. 

More Lust demons came for her, several. Now, Ash started to use her spells. As one drew close enough, she aimed a hand at it. 

"Corruption spread, corruption launch!" 

A black sphere was propelled from her palm and it collided with the creature, earning a screech and killing it. Anger flowered through her veins, but it slowly turned into a burning desire for more action. Wow… This magic feels about as good as I thought it would, Ash noted, smirking. Guess there's one good thing about this form, at least.

Two more Dark spells were launched out at other opponents, and each one produced the same effect. Below, she saw some soldiers being taken out and she hovered just low enough to see them all. 

"This is a place of piety, let our faith be rewarded and our wounds become old memories, soon forgotten!" 

She used her AOE healing spell, Land of Grace, and brought as many of the soldiers up to full health as she could. Checking her mana, Ash stopped for a second. 

Level 28

MP: 100/200

Shit… Half already? Ash thought. Maybe I need to put more points into that Wisdom stat. 

However, thanks to her efforts, a few soldiers were able to win the fights they were in the middle of losing. Acknowledging that, Ash searched for more targets, and then, her eyes fell on one of her friends. 

Keiko was tearing through multiple demons at a time. It was a sight to behold, but Ash tore her eyes away. 

You'll see them once this is all done. She told herself. Just keep doing your job. 

There was, however, something she was wondering about. By now, she'd seen almost all of the Saviors, except for one. 

"Vermia, where the hell are you?" Ash muttered to herself. She was attacked again before she could continue pondering that question. 

A Lust demon collided with her in midair, and the two of them crashed into a building, breaking through it. They ended up in an empty bedroom where the Lust demon was trying to claw at Ash's face, but the half-demon turned her around, mounting the enemy. Then, she placed her hands over the Lust demon's neck. She had intended to choke her, but she applied so much strength that she heard a crack and the Lust demon just died. 

Disregarding that, she looked back out. 

Shit… Ash thought as she saw them. The Nightmares. 

She saw Kaori, Ren, and Satsuhiro taking them on. At the back, Kasumi was casting her illusions, but they didn't affect many of the demons. Whenever it did though, soldiers were able to get killing shots in. 

I'll… If they need me, I'll be there, but for now, just focus on everything else. 

So, Ash turned towards the regular soldiers and cast two different spells. 

First, she cast the AOE healing spell again, then, she cast Sacred Ground. 

"Make this field unbearable to those who commit sin freely, let Lumina's judgment purge their consciousness." 

The Turning spell irritated the demons, while the healing spell secured the soldiers enough for them to turn the tides of their respective fights. 

However, all of this spell usage was beginning to wear on Ash. Shit… I need to… 

Something caught her attention from the corner of her eyes. Kaori. The Savior was surrounded by demons. She was clearly beaten up, and Ash's spell hadn't affected her, as she had aimed it in the opposite direction. 

She didn't even have to think about it. She flew towards Kaori and landed on top of a demon, crushing its head under her feet.

From here, Ash then flew towards another demon and decapitated it with her claws. 

When it looked safe enough, she walked back to Kaori and cast a basic healing spell. 

"T-The others... Help them!" Kaori squeezed out through a strained throat.

Ash turned towards where Kaori was looking and saw Ren in a struggle with a Nightmare. Both of them were wounded, but the Nightmare was winning. Ash narrowed her eyes and flapped her wings, flying towards the creature. Once here, she punched it in the head, hitting it with enough force to bring it off-balance. 

Ren saw this and took advantage of the moment, following up with a blow from his mace that caved the Nightmare's head in. 

"Ah, thank you for the assistance, Savior," Ren said, taking strained breaths. Ash turned towards him and saw the man on one knee, coughing up blood. She went to heal him, but the man raised a hand and stopped her. "I'm cursed." He stated. 

"… Shit…" Ash muttered. 

"Wait, Ash, you can remove curses though, right!?" Kaori asked, running up to them. 

"Takes too long," Ash replied. "The spell takes like, eight hours to work and puts Ren to sleep." 

"Ah… Then, no." Ren stood up. "No need. I have a job to do. I will see it done." 

"But, Ren, you're… You're hurt!" Kaori tried to stop him. 

Ren put a hand on her shoulder. 

"This is our duty, Kaori. Do not worry about me. Worry about the lives of those around you. We can win this fight. Their numbers are not infinite. We need to keep going." 

Ash saw Kaori's eyes watering up, but she nodded. 

"R-Right…" 

Ash looked around and saw a few healers attending Satsuhiro, but the Savior wasn't on his feet.  What? 

Ash turned back towards the other demons. One more Nightmare left… 

She saw him ahead, healing the demons around him. 

Takomaro. 

The Savior-turned-Nightmare was winning multiple fights for the demons nearby, healing up wounded monsters and crushing soldiers at the same time. Something that couldn't be allowed to continue. Their eyes met. Ash prepared herself. She didn't know what offensive capabilities Takomaro had before he turned. She didn't know what to expect. 

Takomaro focused on Ash, perhaps sensing that she was the most powerful of the opponents nearby. He raised a palm, aimed at her. What? Then, he spoke a few words that Ash couldn't quite hear. 

Suddenly, violet lightning came out of his hands, aimed straight at Ash. 

The half-demon didn't react in time. The magic caught her and her body burned. Ash screamed.

"AAAAGH!" 

She fell back as the lightning continued uninterrupted. Finally, someone stepped between them.

"Tenso!" Ren yelled out.

Ash quickly cast a healing spell on herself and looked up. Ren was standing there, his shield placed between him and Takomaro, glowing white. Takomaro's spell was being siphoned into it. 

"Ash, get up!" He said. "This magic is far too strong for me to hold on for too long." 

"Yea…" Ash nodded and stood. Then, she narrowed her eyes. 

That's... Way too strong. Ash thought.  He never did anything like that as a Savior. Doesn't he have a Light affinity? That's insane. 

Standing back up, Ash glared at the blank-eyed Nightmare as it continued casting the spell at Ren's shield.

For a moment, she wondered if there was a way to change anyone back from a Nightmare to a human again, but, she doubted it. 

For now, she simply had to focus on what she could do, and that was to kill the enemy ahead of her. 

"Corruption spread, corruption launch!" 

She launched a Dark spell of her own and it struck Takomaro in the chest, causing him to drop the spell he'd been casting. This allowed Ren to put his shield down. 

She stepped past Ren and nodded at him. 

"Thanks, I've got this though," Ash told the older Savior. 

"Have at it, young blood," he said with a smile. 

Through all of the carnage, Ash flew up into the air. Takomaro's eyes followed her the entire way up. Ash waited. Then, he stuck out his right palm and Ash focused in. When a bolt of lightning came out that threatened to strike her right out of the air, she dodged it. It was easier to do in the air than on the ground. 

Thanks to that, she had a free path towards him. 

Ash flew into the man and tackled him, the Nightmare practically allowing it to happen. 

Ash was about to claw his eyes out, but Takomaro reached up and grabbed her by the wrist from below. 

"Huh!?" 

Then, she heard him speak. 

"Make this field unbearable to those who commit sin freely, let Lumina's judgment purge their consciousness."

It was the Turning spell. He used it on her, and Ash felt like her skin had been set on fire. 

"AAAH!" She screamed but gritted her teeth. Then, she raised up a hand and slashed through Takomaro's chest. Sensing that Ash wouldn't be as weakened as he must have wanted her to be, Takomaro punched Ash off of his body. 

Ash was quick though. She rolled to a halt and then ran back up with a fleetness that stunned Takomaro. Then, she picked him up, and flew into a building, slamming through the walls. Stone fell around them as Ash went to claw at him again, but Lust demons followed her in and bit her shoulders and her arms, trying to save the Nightmare. 

"Get off of me!" Ash muttered, trying to fight them off. 

Takomaro stood up. Then, he extended a palm towards Ash, and the next thing she knew, both she and the Lust demons who had come to help the Nightmare were being covered in lightning. 

She was propelled back by the force of the attack, sent back down to the street. 

Ash actually whimpered from the pain of the spell, but she tried to stand back up. 

"Ha... Ha..." She took deep breaths, and then, she growled as Takomaro jumped down to the street. 

How much mana do I have? 

She checked her status. 

Level 28

MP: 70/200

I should have enough to finish this asshole...  Ash thought. Takomaro extended a hand as he walked over a corpse, and Ash got ready to move out of the way. 

Takomaro didn't get the chance though. 

"Zansae!" 

A voice Ash knew screamed out an incantation, and suddenly, an arc of roses slashed not only Takomaro but multiple demons around him. 

What? 

Ash looked to her right and found Keiko, covered in both red and violet blood, her sword held out. 

"Go!" Keiko called out. 

Ash looked back at Takomaro and flew towards him almost instantly. She grabbed him by the neck. 

Both he and Ash began to mutter an incantation at once, but Takomaro's finished his first. And, from point-blank range, he cast his lightning spell. Ash flinched. 

But, she felt no pain. Instead, she heard a scream from her left. 

"AAAGH!" Kaori writhed on the ground.  She's... 

As Ash realized what was happening, she looked back at Takomaro. With her hand still on his neck and the Nightmare's confused eyes looking back at her, Ash said: 

"Lesser being, give me your life!" 

Now, black lightning came from Takomaro's body and started surging into Ash. 

However, this time, the feeling was unlike any other time Ash had performed this spell. 

W-What!? 

Ash felt power entering her body. Takomaro intensified his lightning, and then clawed at Ash's face, through her left eye, which made Kaori's screams that much more shrill, but Ash was unaffected, so she kept going. A violet aura covered her and Ash felt herself growing stronger and stronger. Several seconds passed and finally, Ash checked her own stats. 

Level 28

MP: 300/300

STR: 50

DEX: 40

CON: 30

INT: 30

WIS: 30

L: 100

Smiling, Ash dug her other hand into Takomaro's neck. 

One slash decapitated him. 

The lightning spell stopped, Kaori's screams ceased, and Ash let his body drop. 

However, she didn't stop there. 

Almost immediately, the power started slipping away. Ash flew over to Kaori, and looked around, seeing many wounded demons and humans around them.  She's in bad shape. It's probably a good idea to try this now.

Ash decided to use the  Living Vortex  spell that Vermia had gifted her on Kaori at this time. 

The incantation came to her as though Vermia had burned it into her memory.

"For one who is surrounded by the impure, let them be the one to rise." The demons around her started crying out in agony and Ash saw Kaori's body healing rapidly. Done. 

Trying to make use of this surge in power, she began flying from one demon to another, ripping them apart. 

Her Strength was so high that one hit from her was enough to kill most enemies she touched. 

This is amazing!  She thought as she single-handedly cleared out a couple of groups of demons before the power finally faded. It reminded her of when the Nightmare back at Jade had tried to turn her into a demon, the feeling was similar but much stronger. 

But, the demons didn't stop, and as her power left her, Ash realized how tired she was. She could see that another wave had entered the city. The humans' numbers were dwindling. 

How many of us are actually left?  Ash wondered, looking through the streets. As she did, her eyes fell on one woman.  I might just take Kaori, Keiko, and Satsuhiro and just fly... However, her thoughts trailed off as she saw someone she recognized. Someone she hadn't seen throughout the entirety of the fight. 

A woman as pale as snow and covered in black feathers. 

Vermia... What the hell, why did you only just show up!? 

She had half a mind to slap her. Vermia looked around and smirked. 

Then, she sat down, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. 

What is she doing? 

The necromancer began muttering something. 

White lines started to glow, lines that had been painted all throughout the city.  What?  She hadn't noticed them there before, but there were lines stretching throughout the streets.  W-What...? 

Vermia continued, a few demons looked at her and Ash quickly flew over, stopping them from interrupting the process. The lines' glow grew in intensity. Soon, Ash could feel Dark magic so intense that it almost repelled her. Some of the human soldiers who weren't currently fighting were also starting to stare at Vermia. 

How long is this incantation!? 

She spoke for almost a full minute before she finally raised her hands up. 

Her eyes opened. They were glowing black. 

"Rise," Vermia said, and then, Ash heard them. 

... You're joking.  She thought as she realized what was happening. There's no way.

She flew up to the sky to see if her assumption was true. 

It was. 

It was at this moment that Ash understood those nighttime preparations Vermia had been getting up to. This entire part of the city had been painted with those white lines. And, because of this, when Vermia activated her spell, almost half of all of the humans who had fallen were resurrected as thralls. 

But that wasn't it. By now, the demons had stopped coming in from the portal, as of course, their numbers weren't infinite. All of them were in the city, and from the bridge, Ash saw a few skeletons, stronger than the thralls though by a few levels, rising from the water, entering the city from the same spot the demons had, cornering them. With so many numbers suddenly added to the human side, the demons were finally on the defensive.

All of a sudden, they were the ones who were outnumbered. Ash looked back at Vermia and found her bleeding from her eyes, but smiling. 

The half-demon had no words to describe the act she'd just seen.

Thanks to this, the demons were promptly slaughtered. These undead thralls were unlike regular humans in a few crucial ways. Firstly, they did not care for their own wellbeing, and second, they did not tire. So, even as demons bit and tore them apart, they continued attacking. 

Ash watched as the undead piled onto the demons nearby, and slowly, but surely, the demons were eradicated. The thralls and the skeletons promptly turned to dust as the enemies were taken out.

We...  Ash saw as the last of the demons were killed by the undead.  We... We won... 

She couldn't believe what she was saying. 

We actually won. 

---

The first thing Ash did was look for everyone she knew and saw if they needed healing. Kaori had been in pretty bad shape, but Ash helped her out. Keiko had suffered only a few injuries. The two who were in the worst condition were Ren and Vermia. 

Vermia had collapsed just after the move she'd pulled, while Ren was still cursed, and therefore, still wounded. 

They were taken to the palace, away from the battlefield. The Saviors, General Ioko, and Keiko were the only ones allowed in along with Lord Anders. At the palace, healers watched over them. 

This was where Ash finally found Satsuhiro, who was missing a leg. 

"..." Ash gaped, her eyes not quite comprehending what they were seeing. Satsuhiro was resting at a bed, his eyes closed, but he was apparently alright, according to the healers who attended him. They explained to Ash that healing bringing back lost limbs was a tier of Light magic that was well beyond anyone  in Sapphire. That such a thing didn't require a high INT stat or raw power, but a specific spell in order to accomplish. 

The last person on record as having known that spell, sadly, was Takomaro.

The half-demon stayed by Satsuhiro's side, as the other Saviors were being attended to. 

Ash saw that already, a few had started the process of removing Ren's curse, but the issue was that he couldn't be healed at the same time as the curse was being removed. 

"Ah, get away from me," Ren said, waving the healers off, "you're taking up my air." 

Next to him, Vermia was on a bed, unconscious. Kaori ran up to Ren. 

"D-Don't, just let them help you." 

Ash stood up and walked over to him. She looked at the wounds Ren had suffered. Some cuts were so deep, she could see his bones. Ren smirked. 

"Kaori... I think it's fairly obvious that's not an option." Ren looked over at her.  "Some of us are born lucky, others aren't. Either that or the gods decided that today was my day, either way, Kaori, I... ah..." he hissed, clenching a fist, "I am alright with this outcome. We won. Hahahaha!" He laughed loudly. "We won, Kaori. Celebrate that." 

As Kaori shed a tear, Ren looked up at the ceiling, a smile on his face. 

"If you're going to cry, let them be tears of joy, not sadness. I am a Savior. I was born to be one, and I will die as one. Precisely as I wished. You, though, half-demon," Ren said through tight breaths. "Come." 

Ash hadn't expected that. She walked forwards. 

"I see now that humanity owes up somewhat of an apology," he said. "The way you fight. The ferocity you showed on behalf of us made me damn ashamed to have any prejudices against you. I just wanted to let you know that."

Hearing that made Ash nod. 

"Now, leave me with Kaori," he said, and Ash noticed his eyes briefly going to Kaori's Savior Weapon. "There's something I need to tell her, for her ears alone, before I... well..." 

"Of course, sir," Lord Anders, the lord of Sapphire himself, bowed. "Thank you for what you have done for us." 

"Aye." 

With that, everyone except Kaori left the room. Kasumi, who had been watching this all, had her eyes linger on Ash, but then walked away without a word. 

Outside, Anders turned to Ash. 

"Have you any insight as to what's happening to Vermia?" 

"Dark magic..." Ash muttered, looking away. "She said it takes away from our life energy. A spell like that..." 

"... Ah. I see," Anders replied. "It was her idea, you know." 

"Hm?" 

"That day, when you arrived and you found us speaking. That was when she pitched the suggestion to me. Originally, I hadn't wanted to fight. I was going to organize a retreat, allowing as many people as possible to escape the city safely. Vermia had another plan. She wanted to purposefully allow soldiers to die so that she could then bring them all back at once. I asked how such a thing was possible and she simply said, 'with enough persistence, anything is possible'. That is... Maybe was, the kind of woman we were dealing with here, haha." Anders chuckled. 

Ash had no problem believing she'd go that far, considering how she'd grown up. 

"But, Ash, rest, but do not misunderstand, the battle isn't over." 

"What?" 

"The portal is still up," he told her. "That is the final step. You need to go in and close it. Unfortunately... from the looks of things, you'll be going alone. But, if you do this, then, Ash," Anders put a hand on her shoulder, "you will have granted humanity its first true victory against the demons. This is a frightening task, I'm sure, but one of equal significance. When you are ready, you must go. I will let you decide when that moment is. Understood?" 

"Yes." 

Ash nodded. 

"Yeah. I understand." 

"Good... Now, maybe your friend has finished. I will leave you to it, best of luck, Savior." 

With that, Anders turned around and walked away. Ash looked over at the door next to her and opened it slowly. 

Kaori looked over at her. Ash looked back at Ren and found him unmoving. When she walked up, she found Kaori's Savior's Weapon, turned into a dagger, in Ren's chest.

"W-What?" 

"He..." Kaori said, saddened. "He asked me to kill him." 

Ash looked over at Kaori in disbelief. 

"So that I would get the, uh, points for it..." Kaori explained, choking up.

Ren's face held a small, peaceful smile, his eyes closed and his hands limp by his sides.