The Marquis

"A marquis?" I turned my gaze to the stars, but I didn't see anything. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," answered Command. "The signal matches the intensity as during Orias's attack."

Nova sighed. "I wondered when they'd send another of the big guns."

I shared his distress. Orias was the last marquis to attack. He destroyed two of Asbestos' domes before Nova and I managed to stop him. It took a week to reclaim the bodies of those who'd died in the attack. "Where's it coming from?"

"North side."

The direction of the pulse cannon blasts gave me a general idea. Unable to see the incoming threat, I figured getting re-armed was a higher priority. A quick detour to pick up my sword made me feel as if I had a bit of a chance, but my heartbeat remained uneasy. "ETA?"

"Thirty seconds."

Cerviel's feet thumped against the ground as she landed. Despite its proximity, the marquis remained hidden from sight. I would've asked Cerviel to boost her radar, but her diagnostics indicated she siphoned energy from the radar and other non-critical systems to help the damaged arm motors.

Deliver us from evil, I prayed.

"I see it," said Nova.

"Where?"

"Getting closer."

"I can't see it! Share your radar!" A solitary triangle appeared on my visor. One almost on top of me.

"Cerviel, dodge!" She reacted in the nick of time. Cerviel stumbled slightly backward when the demon slammed against the ground in an explosion of gravel. The marquis attacked almost immediately after landing. Its right hand held a metallic staff from which a fireball burst forth. It would have stuck home had it not been for Cerviel's reactions.

Only now that the demon was up close did I understand why I struggled to see it. Although humanoid, its midnight-dark skin blended almost perfectly into the starry void above me. The red eyes and yellow tip of its staff were its primary giveaway.

"Nova!" I yelled as I dodged another fireball. "I need some help!"

"Trying!"

The marquis' head jerked sideways when one of Valoel's bullets slammed into its head. It didn't seem to do much damage. It merely grunted as a response.

"Shoot it again!"

Another bullet impacted its chest.

"Imbecilic pest," spoke the demon before pointing the staff into the distance. Its tip briefly shone bright white before a beam fired.

"Whoa, that was close!" The haptic suit simulated a fuzzy feeling as I dodged to the side. The intensity of the blast must have been something else.

"Don't get hit!" Command yelled. "You won't be able to survive that!"

"Then let's make sure it can't fire again." I readied my strike as I boosted forward. The marquis looked unimpressed as it deflected my blow with a swing of its staff before slamming its other hand against Cerviel's back. The blow made me gasp for breath as I stumbled backward.

"Energy anomaly detected," Cerviel said. My eyes were drawn to the glowing tip of the staff. I expected the marquis to point it into the distance like before, but instead, he punched it into the ground.

"Going airborne!"

A yellow wave circled out from the demon before a pillar of fire exploded. While threatening, I wasn't in danger from that single attack. That came from the dozen more pillars exploding around the marquis in quick succession. One pillar covered Cerviel's foot before I could move away and made mine sting with pain.

"Damage to the Watakar dome!" Command reported.

"What?!"

"Casualties?" Nova asked.

"Still determining that! Finish off the marquis! We can't risk another attack like that!"

"Easier said than done!" I heard a loud bang through Nova's channel before the marquis grunted in pain. A thin streak of blood trickled down its chest when it turned to me. It seemed almost insignificant.

"Your attacks mean nothing!" the marquis bellowed as its staff began to glow. "The lord of Hell demands your lives! I will see it delivered!"

"No!" I stepped forward to engage. The marquis responded by holding the staff above its head. It pulsed once before firing a dozen fireballs. While easily dodged, half flew towards the city.

"What the hell is it doing?" Command asked.

"What do you mean?" I kept my defensive stance even after the staff stopped spewing fireballs.

"The counter!" A movement drew my eyes to the top right of my visor. It increased.

"It summoned minions?!" I turned to the closest fireballs. All of them had landed on the ground and were rapidly growing. A fiery arm emerged from a few, followed by a fiery imp half of Cerviel's size.

"I'm seeing about a dozen between the domes," reported Command.

"I'll handle them," said Nova. "Vega, you take care of the marquis!"

Easier said than done. I stepped forward and swung the sword. The counter decreased when the blade passed through the imp. It was a small comfort. Several more rushed in my direction, and the marquis was already pointing its staff at me. Three fireballs launched from it, each flying over my head as I ducked underneath the attack. Another step, combined with a slice, decapitated a second fire imp as the marquis came within reach. It responded with a growl as it grabbed hold of Cerviel's chest. It growled through its ivory teeth before pushing me backwards. Cerviel and I flailed as we tried to keep our balance. We would have succeeded had two demons not latched onto Cerviel's body. The combined weight brought us low. I hiccuped as the force of the blow slammed into my back.

Screams and metallic scratches filled my ears as the imps clawed away. The haptic suit made my body itch, but I tried not to focus on that. I turned my attention to my left gauntlet blade. Striking at the imp on my chest decreased the counter by one. It helped, but the vacant position was filled by two other. I would have struck a second time had an imp not sensed the blade's danger and pegged my arm to the ground.

"Incoming energy surge-" Cerviel warned as a torrent of fire surrounded me. I screamed as the suit protested against the abuse.

"Vega!" Was it Cerviel? Nova? Command? I don't know. The pain obscured the voice. The flames left a cockpit bathed in red lights when it disappeared. At least the imps weren't attacking us anymore. Maybe they succumbed to the inferno as well.

"Severe damage detected." Cerviel's movement felt sluggish.

"No... kidding..."

"Pitiful." The marquis guffawed as he came into view. "Just like your comrades..."

"Cerviel, get up!"

"Energy reserves low. Rerouting power from non-critical components."

"We don't have time for that." I watched as the marquis pointed the staff at my head. It would be impossible to miss at this distance.

"Rerouting."

"Faster!" My arms felt heavier than lead.

"Your death will appease the lord of Hell." The tip of the staff started to glow.

"Cerviel!"

"Vega!" An explosion covered the Marquis' hand before a clash between flesh and metal slammed the demon from view.

"Rerouted." The weights lifted from my body. "Energy reserves will be depleted in five minutes." Several thuds vibrated through the ground as Cerviel rolled around and pressed herself upwards. Not all the thuds originated from me. The dance between Valoel and the marquis was underway as the former attacked with my sword and the latter with its staff and claws.

"Vega!" Nova parried a blow but failed to prevent a strike against its chest. "I could use some help here!"

"Coming!" I readied my gauntlet blades while stepping closer. A grunt from the marquis sent Valoel flying, and I heard a grunt of pain when he landed. It didn't stop my charge. The marquis pointed its staff in my direction and fired several fireballs a moment later. I dodged the first, but the remainder struck Cerviel's head. Flame and smoke obscured my vision.

"Heat hazard," said Cerviel as I dropped into a defensive stance. That didn't prevent three blows from striking Cerviel's chest. A blind counterattack forced the marquis to step backward, but several fireballs pelted Cerviel's head and obscured my vision a second time.

"Step to the right!" Valoel flew past me the moment I did so, slamming the sword through the marquis' chest to the effect of a fearsome roar.

"Vile creature," spat the marquis as it grabbed Valoel's head and slammed its other fist against its chest. "I will see you burn!"

Hang in there... The haptic suit vibrated as Cerviel's last missiles flew out from their launchers. Each missile raced true, only to crash into Valoel's back when the marquis used him as a shield.

"No!" Nova's screams echoed through our channel with each impact.

The marquis chuckled as it dropped its prey. "Your resistance is amusing."

"That's what you think," Nova replied as Valoel slammed the sword through the Marquis' leg. His yell was deafening, and I knew an opportunity when I saw one. Activating the booster brought me within range and a strike robbed the marquis of its right arm. It yell led all kinds of profanities, but I didn't pause to listen. A second swing embedded both my blades in its chest.

"Heh, heh, heh..." The marquis chuckled as it dropped to the legs. It wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting. "This means nothing, human."

"Talk, demon."

"Do you think... you have won?" A forked tongue snaked through its blooded teeth. "The eyes of our lord have fallen on this wretched world. It will fall... and you can do nothing about it..."

"Maybe, but at least I know you won't be among them. Now, begone!" Blood sprayed as I drove the blade through the Marquis' head. He could do little other than twist an eye in my direction as its life force left him. Its body landed with a dull thud when I dropped it.

The silence afterward was almost deafening.

"Is he dead?" Nova asked as Valoel turned his head toward me.

"Looks like it," I took a deep breath when the counter dropped to zero. "Command?"

"I'm not seeing any other threats. Looks like we're safe for now." I heard several cheers in the background but tuned them out. The cheers would turn to cries of terror soon enough. I'd seen it many times before.

"Live to fight another day, sister?"

Valoel asked for help by sticking out its hand.

"Till heaven comes or we go to it." Cerviel grabbed hold in return.