Moonlight Demon

As the New Age Inn could be found fairly close to the Onyx's southwestern gates, even in this building Ash could hear the fighting outside as she raced to throw on her armor.  What the fuck? Why now? Hell, just why?  Ash asked herself. Maybe it was due to her lack of experience with this sort of thing, but she couldn't make sense of this. Kaori finished up next to her, but Keiko was being a tad slow. Ash noticed that and asked:

"Are you okay?" 

Keiko simply nodded slowly, continuing to put her fighting outfit on, the black and gold set of clothes she'd wear to train with. Eventually, the three of them were done and they walked out, finding Satsuhiro standing outside. 

"So, what the fuck is going on?" Ash asked as citizens screamed in the streets. 

"Three different places are being attacked," Satsuhiro explained. "The nearby gates, the northern wall, and the southern wall. They're using demon mages to try to break through those walls but apparently, they're still holding up." 

"Where should we go first?" Kaori asked. 

"The gates, since they're so close, then make your way to the southern part and then go to the north. Good luck," he told them and with that, the three of them ran down the nearby stairs. 

"What's happening!?" A customer asked as the Saviors appeared. 

"They're fighting, it's the demons!" A lady cried out. 

"We're doomed!" 

One by one, the employees and customers alike began to go crazy. One of them was barricading the front door. Ash walked over to him. 

"Take that shit off, we're going out." 

"B-But, the demons..." The man said with trembling lips. 

Then, Keiko spoke up from behind Ash, surprising her. 

"Citizens of Onyx," she said, though her voice sounded a bit raspy. "Do not worry, we're Saviors. We're heading out there to fight now, just stay inside, stay in the other rooms and remain calm! We've got this under control!" 

Ash blinked. 

Wow. Where the hell did that come from?  She asked herself as she saw Keiko in front of her, standing with her back straight looking like a proper commander. 

"Right!" A woman said. "The Saviors! They'll save us! That one," she pointed at Ash. "That's the one who beat them! At Sapphire!" 

"Of course!" Another customer gasped. "You're right! We're saved!" 

Slowly, each of the citizens began to agree with her and Keiko nodded to herself turning away from them. The man who had been barricading the inn took the obstacles away and joined the other customers. As the group turned hopeful, Kaori walked over to her and asked:

"Keiko, really? What was that?" 

"I, well, I just remembered what Satsuhiro said," Keiko muttered. "It doesn't do anything good for anyone to have a crowd of panicked, volatile people. Right?" She asked. 

Ash remembered as well. The idea was that even if they didn't know what would happen, having these locals be calm was preferable to having them tearing the place apart. 

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "Let's go." She sighed. "They don't pay us enough for this shit." 

The group ran out into the streets, to see people running away from their right.  So, the fight's not here yet.  Ash thought as she started jogging towards the direction they were running from. Above, the sky was a light shade of violet, but not quite the dark oppressive color that it had turned during the other battles. That was likely an indicator that the portals hadn't fully spread yet. 

So,  she asked herself,  why does Niven want to fight now? 

Upon passing a few streets, Ash received the usual notification. 

Status Effect Gained: Niven's Blessing

However, when she went to check her stats, she was confused. 

Level 42

MP: 250/250

EXP: 0/420

---

STR: 34

DEX: 24

CON: 22

INT: 22

WIS: 25

L: 100

"Yeah," Ash said, so the others could hear. "My stats barely went up." 

"Huh?" Kaori replied, jogging next to her. "What do you mean?" 

"I'm saying that the portal's barely affecting them. So, we're pretty much fighting base-level demons. Should be easier for us, though I'm not gonna be that strong so, yeah." 

When they finally reached the first scene of battle, Ash narrowed her eyes. Lust demons were coming in from the sky, picking soldiers, guards, and civilians alike up and carrying them into the air, only to let them fall to their deaths. Onyx's guards, armed with crossbows and spears, battled Wrath demons, many of them falling at the hands of their relentless opponents. Finally, Gluttony mage demons were casting spells and whipping their tongues out at soldiers from a distance. 

It's a mess,  Ash thought.  They weren't ready at all. 

Level 35

MP: 100/100

Level 33

MP: 10/10

Level 33

MP: 30/30

"Okay, listen, their levels are in the 30s, this should be fine for us," Ash told Kaori and Keiko, and they both nodded. 

Ash's eyes remained on Keiko for a few extra seconds. She was worried for her, she seemed a little slower than usual.

However, now that they were here, it was time for them to do their job. As a crossbow bolt stabbed through a demon's head to Ash's left, she transformed her  Lust  into those gauntlets and ran towards one to the right. The Wrath demon hissed at her, and before it could close its mouth Ash ran her right weapon into its face. 

Her attack didn't kill the creature, but it did wound it heavily as it let out a spray of violet blood. Ash punched its torso twice, stabbing it, and then finished with a stab of her right gauntlet into its neck. 

EXP Gained: 200

EXP: 200/420

Okay, they're a bit harder to finish off, but with our stats, this should be easy enough. Just stay focused, and don't get caught-

A demon's claw scratched her face and briefly, the world went white. Ash closed her eyes, felt herself slipping, and then fell onto the ground. Whatever demon had attacked mounted her. 

She opened her eyes, but could only see a blur looming above her, a claw raised to the sky. And then, the demon's head was cleaved off by Keiko, its blood falling onto Ash's chest. She pushed it off and quickly healed herself, and suddenly, she could see again. 

"Thanks," Ash said as Keiko helped her up. However, as this happened, she saw Kaori in the middle of the street, just standing there. 

The blonde was looking ahead with a terrified expression, her hands limp by her sides and her bottom lip quivering. 

"Kaori!?" Ash said, walking over to her. She put her hands on the blonde's shoulders and it was like she hadn't even realized Ash was approaching. Kaori shook her head and blinked. 

"W-What?" 

"What are you doing?" 

"I... Sorry," Kaori shook her head, transforming her hand into its shield form. "Sorry, um," and without another word, she ran towards the nearest soldier who was fighting off a demon. 

She pushed the demon off and gave the soldier room to land a crossbow shot at its chest. 

What was that about?  Ash wondered. However, wanting to avoid what had just happened, she focused up and went to the next fight. Surprisingly, the soldiers weren't doing that bad a job. They were absolutely outmatched as far as stats were concerned, but their positions gave them ample space to land ranged attacks and although the melee fighters stood no chance, they gave Ash, Kaori, and Keiko the room to clean up the battle. 

Ash picked one of the demons up by stabbing both her gauntlets into its stomach and pinned it to a wall, removing one of those gauntlets and stabbing through its head. Keiko was a little sloppier than Ash could remember her being, but she still managed to cut down multiple demons, moving from one side of the street to another. Kaori used her bladed shield both to defend the soldiers and fight off any demons that came to attack her. 

At one point, a tongue wrapped around Ash's left leg. 

She slipped and a Gluttony demon started dragging her towards its mouth. 

"Shit, shit, help!" Ash called out and Keiko turned towards her. 

"Ash!" Keiko yelled and, in a flash, she charged over to Ash and sliced the tongue in half. Then, she ran up to the Gluttony demon and slashed its rippling stomach multiple times, its entrails spilling out onto the street. 

It was already bloody, and this was just the first "skirmish" of three that the girls would be doing tonight. 

Ash stood up and, out of instinct, hugged Keiko tightly. 

"Thanks," Ash said and she gently pushed Keiko away, running over to the next demon and pouncing on it. 

All around them, many soldiers were losing their lives as they tried to hold back the demon forces. Ash, for the most part, focused on fighting but there were a few things she noticed. For one, the demons didn't seem interested in running through the street. Instead, they remained in this one spot, fighting here and only here. Second, there were no Nightmares. Every demon around Ash was a basic one, barely buffed up by Niven's Blessing. 

Suddenly, a drum sounded off in the distance, beyond the walls. 

What? 

One demon heard that, snapped its head up, and began to retreat. Then another, and as the drum continued to ring out, the demon forces retreated in their entirety. 

"What the fuck?" Ash muttered as some of the soldiers fell to their knees, exhausted and wounded. 

She breathed in a few times and then turned to look for Keiko and Kaori. Both girls were dealing with a few stray demons while healers began to run up through the streets. Kaori walked up to her. 

"They... They just left," Kaori noted. 

"Yeah, I don't get it either." 

"We have to keep moving," Keiko reminded them. "There are two other fights happening right now as well." 

Ash nodded and again, the group began jogging towards the southern portion of the city. Now that the citizens had properly evacuated already, the streets were empty, with only the sounds of soldiers receiving and yelling out orders in the distance to let the girls know where to go. 

They arrived at the southern wall a while later and found that demons were attempting to breach it. Literally, trying to break a hole through the stone. From above, soldiers were alternating between fending off those Lust demons and shooting at the demons trying to break the wall down. 

Ash, Kaori, and Keiko ran up some stairs leading to a wooden platform where they could see outside the city. There were around a hundred demons, all of which had poured in through the diamond-shaped portal just up ahead, using magic, rocks, and boulders to try to bust through the wall. 

Okay, spells then.  Ash thought and she took a deep breath. 

"Corruption spread, corruption launch!" Ash said, casting a Dark sphere at one of the demons that hit its head and caused it to cry out in pain. Ash instantly felt her anger surging thanks to the Dark magic, but she tried to keep herself in check. 

Beside her, Keiko asked a guard:

"Is there a bow around here? And some arrows?" 

"Y-Yes, that box over there," he pointed to where some weapons were being held. Keiko quickly ran over, grabbed a bow, and began firing off shots at the demons below. Kaori, of course, could do nothing but watch until one demon mage tried to fire a spell at someone nearby. 

"Watch out!" Kaori stepped between the soldier and the spell. The spell struck her and Ash saw her grit her teeth and bear it, but then, the soldier, who had been using a crossbow, accidentally shot Kaori in the back. "Agh, w-what!?" 

"Sorry, sorry!" The soldier lamented and Ash walked over, yanking the bolt out and healing Kaori up. 

Keiko continued firing off shots, but out of nowhere, she started to miss more and more of them, until finally, she stopped and set the bow aside. 

"Keiko?" Ash asked. 

"I need a moment, keep shooting them. Don't mind me," Keiko said, getting on her knees. 

Fuck... She's getting sick in the middle of this fight. 

"Do not let up!" A captain yelled. "Do not let them breach the wall!" 

Well, shit, dude,  Ash thought as an orb of flames impacted the very structure he was talking about.  Doesn't look like the soldiers can do much about it. They really weren't ready at all. 

And, on that note, one demon managed to break through with a fairly large Ice-based spell. 

And instantly, the demons began retreating. Ash raised a brow as she saw them run back to the portal.  Seriously, what the fuck is this? 

"We..." Keiko started, but then she paused, holding a hand to her mouth. She breathed in and continued, "we should keep going." 

"... Keiko," Ash said, "maybe you should head back to the inn. It doesn't look like the demons are committing to anything." 

Keiko looked at Ash like she'd just called her worthless. 

"I can fight. Do not worry about me," Keiko said, turning around and running off. 

Ash sighed, looking over at Kaori. 

"Come on, one more to go." 

"Right." 

---

Keiko

This entire time, her body had been fighting a war of its own. Every step Keiko took, every slash of her sword, every sprint towards an enemy, it all made Keiko's stomach burn and her head feel lighter and lighter until she could barely tell whether she was falling or still running. 

But, she had finally gotten on Ash and Kaori's level recently. She wasn't about to fail them now. She had to keep going so that she could continue proving herself to everyone around her. She needed that.

That was why Ash and Kaori's concerned eyes and the way the world would start spinning if she put too much effort behind her moves weren't things Keiko was about to let get in her way. She kept her sword outstretched and ready as she and the others arrived at the northern wall. 

Unlike the southern one though, this one had already been broken down, and the demons were fighting as opposed to just running away. Keiko saw one, a Gluttony demon that was swallowing a female soldier whole, and she stabbed right through it. The demon let the woman go and she scurried away as Keiko finished it off. 

An EXP message appeared above her head, but Keiko ignored it. Instead, she ran up to her next target. The demon saw her and instantly swiped at her. Keiko dodged the attack and nearly slipped, but she kept herself standing and retaliated, but the demon dodged as well. 

They traded slashes, neither one connecting well until Keiko found an opening and she ran in, stabbing it. 

She was breathing heavily at this point, the city around her spinning a little as the demon fell lifeless, on top of her. She let it fall to the side and then, she looked around again. 

Okay, now...  Keiko thought but she took one step and fell to the ground. 

"Agrg," she gagged, but this time, it was too strong. She puked out that violet onto the stone next to her, and instantly, her stomach felt better. 

She remained there, for a while, the liquid getting into her hair as it spread in a puddle, Keiko's chest rising and falling. 

I...  She tried to stand up, but her arms felt too weak.  I can't... 

Then, someone picked her up and put her on their shoulders. Keiko's eyes focused and she saw blonde hair and Savior's armor. Then, she was placed against a wall and she saw Kaori looking back at her, worried. 

"Just stay here," Kaori told her. Then, she kissed Keiko's forehead and ran off, defending soldiers and fighting off demons at the same time. And Keiko's eyes, feeling far too heavy, closed of their own will. 

...

When they opened again, it was eerily quiet. There were a few pained moans coming from people around her, but no swords clashing, no demons snarling. Keiko shook her head and quickly felt a headache pounding against her skull. 

Ugh... This... This feels terrible.  She noted as she looked around. It was still nighttime, so she hadn't been out for too long. 

"Oh, you're up?" She heard someone say and looked to her right. She hadn't realized that Ash was sitting right next to her. 

"Ash?" 

"Yeah," the half-demon nodded. "You passed out. Mid-fight." 

"..." Keiko let her head fall back against the wall. "It... It won't happen again." 

At that Ash gave her a worried look and didn't say anything. 

Keiko put a hand on her stomach then, sighing.  Why does this have to happen to me now?  She wondered as she saw Kaori walk up to her. The blonde had been talking with some of the soldiers. 

"Oh, she's up." 

"Yeah. Let's go," Ash said, standing up. 

"Um... What happened to the demons?" 

"They just left again. You weren't out for too long," Ash stated. "Come on, let's head back to the inn." 

Keiko stood up and quickly fell back down. Her eyes widened. 

"M-My legs..." 

"Huh?" Ash knelt down beside her. 

"They feel... Weak." 

"... Okay, don't worry," Ash said and she picked her up. "Wrap your arms around me. I'll carry you back." 

Keiko, a tad embarrassed, nodded. Ash held her up and Keiko wrapped her arms around her neck. Sighing into her, Keiko shook her head. 

I am a fighter. I can't let this keep going. There has to be something I can do about this. 

With that, the girls headed back to the inn, with Ash carrying Keiko on her back the entire way there.