Scarlet 37: Interlude: ???

Scarlet 37: Interlude: ???

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Commissioned by Sivantic

Wordcount: 2500

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There was something… something hunting us in these halls.

I watched the halls, searching for any trace of the misbegotten cur we told to hunt, and nearly leapt when one of my cadre whispered to me.

“What do you think this creature is? What vile monster did the Devils conjure up?” Unlike most of our number, Halyx wielded a sword. Normally, I would look down upon using a mundane weapon, but he held it with an ease that was comforting. Not only that, but his questions were not worthless. “I’ve hunted a fair few of the Devils/ familiars. If I know more, I can more easily slay the beast.”

He had less wings than I, therefore he was lesser, but I knew better than to look down upon my subordinates.

Having good ones was the key to staying alive.

“The first wave encountered it on the rooftop. It challenged them singular duels and the fools were led astray by its humanoid appearance. Before they could let go of their pride, it crushed most of them with naught but human toys.” I recalled the report, as well as the sight of the rooftop covered in blood. The first cadre was weak or had no chance to prove themselves in battle during the Great War. So, infirm or old, but hungry for prestige. “Its strength is immense, and it most likely slithered away to heal its wounds.”

“Hm, perhaps it’s one of the Beast Tribes. One who has learned Touki. That will be troublesome, but with enough force.” Halyx grunted and removed armor from his limbs. The unwilled construct of magic faded, and he looked upon his chest plate. A moment later and it was gone. “With such strength, I won’t be able to survive with such armor anyway.”

His explanation made me frown and glance at my own.

I had a pair of wings more than him, and those who had been on the rooftop.

I should be fine, right—

In a singular moment, there was a flash at the end of the hallway, and Halyx brought me low by pressing down on my shoulders.

If not for my surprise at his movements, allowing it to occur, I would’ve lost my head as a great hunk of concrete travelled past us and out the wall at the end of the hall.

Halyx grunted and came forward.

A moment later he cut through the next projectile flying our way.

“Such strength and skill! We are most definitely dealing with a sage of the Beast Tribes! None are as skilled or as strong!” Halyx grunted and readied himself to receive another thrown projectile. However, none came and his vision narrowed. His body tensed to leap forward into the fray, but I stood and retook control. “Your orders?”

This one was worth keeping.

“We will pursue the creature and put it down.” I unmade my armor and cast away my pride. Instead of the long spear of light that I prided myself in, I called upon a smaller pilum, which was faster and easier to throw. It shamed me to use it, but I had greater success with it in the past. “Now let us go—

There was a crashing noise to our left, from the room that we had ignored after focusing on the end of a hallway.

A towering human came forth from the wall. He held a great, misshapen club in his right hand, while his left was covered in a Sacred Gear. The gauntlet was serrated plates of ruby-red armor with glittering emerald gems. It made me freeze. I recognized it as the prison of Ddraig, one of the most terrible worms, and a retreated out of fear and understanding of his strength.

Halyx did not.

Halyx, thus, tried to block the oncoming club with his magic sword.

It shattered beneath the grotesque strength held by the human body before me. Its shards shattered into Halyx and cut into him, but he did not notice. His face was contorted with defiance and determination, even as the speeding shards of his beloved weapon carved into his skull. The mood on his face only began to barely change before my eyes, as the club descended into him.

I watched as his skull began to cave in, as his blood broke through his pulping skin, and as his eyes popped from their sockets.

The club continued to crush downward, unstoppable, and from his still-attached eyes, I saw fear as they began to fly… as the front of his face caved in and the front of his brain began to gush between the broken pieces of skull.

It was like I was watching a Seraph bringing low those who refused to be slaves to God once again.

Then, the moment of adrenaline passed, and Halyx was naught but pulp on the floor.

I continued to speed away.

I threw my pilum at the Longinus-armed human with a scream as I ran.

I thought that he would dodge.

Instead, he endured the blow as it scorched through his left shoulder, and he descended upon me with misshapen club still wet from Halyx’s demise.

I saw it descend upon me.

One of Halyx’s eyes hanging off an errant, jagged edge was jostled and looked straight at me.

Judging me for my weakness, as I stared and could do nothing.

Everything seemed to squeeze together, while darkness claimed my vision, but even before the pain came forth to my mind… there was darkness.

And, I knew no more.

…

???

…

“Two more dead here.” I placed my hand on the remains of my fellow. Much like the others first sent in, they were nothing more than pulp. “Crushed.”

“The strength of this Sacred Gear user is immense. Are we sure we cannot confirm it is the Longinus: Boosted Gear?” Lopus spoke lowly. We were concealed in the darkness, and our own magic, but we could still be overheard. I rose from my examination of the corpse. The battle outside bathed light through the windows, shining upon us three in an instant. “What else could give a human this much strength?”

“Twice Critical, one of the more common ones, could do it with perfect mastery. But, the human is young.” I nodded in assent with Lopus’s words. He probably puffed out his chest at my words. However, he and I couldn’t see one another. “It is most likely we are contending with the Longinus. Which does not better our chances in the slightest.”

“Aye, we don’t happen to have weapons that are mighty against Dragons. Our poisons will be of little effect now, too.” Hypatia muttered lowly and I agreed once again, while guiding them through with a single footstep forward announcing my intent. They responded with their own single footsteps, before only our aimed whispers resounded as we walked. “We should retreat and rearm, my lord.”

“Hah, as if we won’t be killed if we go back.” Lopus gave a grim chuckle. I nodded at his words. The deaths of so many meant our deployment was essential. We could not fail, but neither could we turn back. This battle has gone on long enough. The overwhelming victory we sought was nowhere to be found. “We’ll just have to fight hard. Like always.”

Hypatia sighed, but I agreed with Lopus.
“We are only ever gathered to fight against mighty foes.” I rose and searched the halls. I took note of the cracked wall at the end of the hall, and the broken wall at our side. The angle of the attack, how the bodies lay, all created the scene in my mind. After all the countless battles I’d fought, I knew how my allies died today. They were distracted or suppressed, then as they defended themselves, their foe rushed at them and performed an ambush that slew them with ease. “But this one seems to be one skill rather than raw power.”

“Truly? It doesn’t look like that to me.” Lopus glanced towards our pulverized brother and sister, then at the broken wall. “Whatever we’re killing seems to be plenty tough. It just looks like it has a brain.”

“Unlike yourself?” Hypatia snidely jabbed at Lopus, but my larger brother simply shrugged and gestured at the scene again. Hypatia scowled in her helm, as he jibe was ignored, and glanced towards the scene. She was a greater tracker than me. Taking off her helm, she got onto one knee to look upon the floor. Her fingers traced something I hadn’t noticed. An imprint of a foot onto the floor that had been hidden by blood and bile. “But, it seems an idiot can be right once or twice—hurrk!?”

A sudden noise of violence and pain.

All the battles I’d gone through flashed through my eyes, while my body rushed towards the enemy—

That I couldn’t find.

I searched, wasting time, as Hypatia clutched at her neck… and missing jaw. Wind rushed out of her throat, as she clasped and desperately tried to hold her blood in. However, soon enough her strength faded and she went limp and fell. Her blood flowed out of her body, while Lopus and mine’s back connected.

“Where did it come from?” I furtively whispered, examining every shadow for threat, but found none. Lopus shivered at my back while he wielded his hammer and shield. “Did you see it?”

“No. Dammit, I didn’t.” Lopus’ fear was plain to hear. I could not blame him. Greater strength was something we could fight against. Greater speed? “We can’t even run if we wanted to!”

I grimaced at the words, nodding, and looking back at Hypatia’s corpse.

What had done the dead?

That question pervaded my mind, before I where the blood was flowing.

My eyes widened, just as something suddenly grasped my ankle with immutable force.

“Captain!?”

From below, through the floor of the human construction, was an arm covered in segments of armor. The claws, skin, and strength of a Dragon condescend into a human form, but granted the intellect, cunning, and willingness to do everything to win that only humans had. I was dragged downward, through the floor, as Lopus tried to turn and save me.

My limb broke in the human’s grasp, and when I slammed onto the ground, I realized my mistake.

Hypatia had been correct.

It was stronger than I had thought.

Clad from head to toe in Scale Mail, the wielder of the Longinus, Boosted Gear loomed over me. Entirely clad in armor, in control of all the power the Sacred Gear provided, the human loomed over me enrobed in magical energy that swirled around its form. It wasn’t Touki, but simple control over magic brought to near-mastery. We hadn’t heard the ground beneath us break, because it had disintegrated in contact with is power. The field around his arms couldn’t harm us, but the mundane material of the school stood no match.

Yes, without a doubt, as the human’s claws descended upon me… I knew that this battle was lost.

This creature as everything the Father wanted humanity to be when he gave them the Sacred Gears.

Creatures that could slay gods.

With that final thought, even as Lopus broke through the floor above screaming my name, I closed my eyes.

A moment later… I knew nothing more.

…

Kokabiel

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Worthless.

Boring.

Tiresome.

I gestured and the building came apart with a wave of my hand. My simpering subjects were at my back, their fear making my lips curl into a sneer, as the stench filled my nose.

Fear for another, and not for me, was something I hated.

“Find the human and kill him, or you will die by my hand.” The Devils were fighting well, as I expected of their heiresses. I did not search for them, because I wished them brought before me as I slaughtered them. Their peerages and their own skill were perfect to test those who followed me. Those who couldn’t do as I wished were better off dying, helping their own fulfill my commands. However, even as that front fared as I expected, this one fared poorly. “If his carcass is not at my feet, then your lives are forfeit.”

They simpered, bowed, and gave me their reverence, while flying into the structure.

I ignored them after that, but my scowl remained.

This was supposed to be the beginning.

The return of the battles, destruction, and glory that we once all experienced together. All Fallen, all Devils, and all those who remained in Heaven were to be blessed by my gift of glory and horror to the world. No more boring, despicable, and false peace. No more wretched hiding from humanity. No more legends being forgotten.

Once again, we would embroil he world in conflict, grow stronger, and rule over it through our pursuit of victory over one another.

And, to the victors, will be a planet of supplicants of worshippers.

It was supposed to be a bright, spectacular beginning of what I yearned for.

Yet, now, it was soured by a single human that did not know his place.

The same human that I suspected had tried to kill me.

Some part of me wished to pursue and kill him, but I knew that was not the path of a superior. Chasing after him would be acknowledging him, seeing him as something more than vermin to be killed, and I detested the very thought of even treating him like worthy prey. Trickery, deceit, and lies were all that creature had at its disposal, thus all that it deserved from me was a fading into obscurity.

My thoughts were interrupted as screams began to resound from the building I had opened by blasting apart one of its sides.

I spared it a glance… at the blood flowing from its halls and side, and the pieces of worthless peons spread across it.

I saw him.

It was more feral than I believed. On all fours and covered in segmented armor that seemed to slim and tight against one another to be artificial, it crept on the floor. A long tail slithered on the ground, dragging and coiled around a torso of one of the unworthy. On its back were dragon’s wings, composed of metal and jewels, and lacking in a connecting membrane between each rung.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight.

How long?

How long has it been since I last fought a magical beast that did not bore me?

A laugh left my lips, and I raised my hand to stop my retinue from killing it.

“No. Don’t.” I smiled at the sight of the murderous, powerful creature that was no longer human. “This one dies alongside the Devils.”

I kept laughing as it roared at my back and as I flew towards my targets.

This night was more promising than I could’ve ever imagined.