Chapter 8: The Eagle and the Raven

[Full Charge capabilities and stratagems are now accessible.]

The feeling of this power is almost overwhelming as each of my muscle fibers is supercharged with energy and my mind is injected with raw data. The suit and I meld into one singular being. It's terrifying and intoxicating at the same time. Rina and Kizzik are looking at me with their mouths agape. It's then I realize the armor I’m wearing looks different than it did before. Its ivory color is now blood red. The gold pattern has been turned black. The plates are elongated at the joints, forming pronounced spikes and my helmet has also changed. Two curved horns protrude from either side. The biggest difference are the giant plate metal wings that’ve sprouted from my back!

“R-Rip his head off Kenji!” Kizzik shouts.

The demon snarls at us and raises into the sky, his shadows warping and twisting around him, shifting to form a multitude of spikes and claws and gnashing fangs.

“You wretched thief! That mana sphere was gifted to me by Lord Rojan himself! I’ll make you pay!” He shouts.

No. If anyone is due some payback it’s him.

Minerva, show me the most powerful artillery we’ve got. We’re going for the kill.

[Your most effective options against a demonic entity will be holy affinity weapons and magic. 

You currently have (0) Holy Magic spells downloaded.

You currently possess (1) Holy Magic Weapon.

Would you like to deploy?]

“Yeah. Let's see it.”

KHISSHH

There's a loud hiss as a compartment on my thigh plate pops open. A long, thin cylinder sticks out and I grasp it and pull it out. It’s some kind of a sword hilt but it’s honestly pretty plain looking and underwhelming. Where's the sword part?

“What am I supposed to do with this?” I ask.

[Holy Photon Blade: Online]

BZZZZZZ!

A beam of radiant blue energy extends from the hilt, forming into the shape of a long blade. A huge grin spreads across my face. Oh hell yes. A freakin beam sword?! Yeah, this should work just fine. I take a few practice swings, getting used to the weight of the photon blade, or lack thereof.

Jet thrusters roar to life along my legs and wings, carrying me slowly into the air until I’m face to face with the shadow demon. My heart is pounding in my chest, not because I’m afraid, but because I’m excited! The view is actually beautiful from up here. The setting sun turns the sky into a blend of reds, pinks, and violets. It's a truly mesmerizing sight to behold.

With a clawed hand, the demon removes his swirling black mask to reveal his face underneath. His cascading waterfall of crimson hair unfurls, blowing in the wind. He looks almost human but his skin is the color of ash. With my super sharp vision, I can see his black veins pulsing just beneath the surface. His eyes are like a shark’s, black and lifeless.

“I am Metial, herald of King Rojan and my face will be the last one you ever see. Human scum.” He spits.

“I didn't come up here to listen to you talk. Let’s end this now.” I ready my blade. All falls silent as I focus on what needs to be done. With a flash, the two of us bolt toward each other, clashing with a loud

BOOM!

My sword sizzles and sparks against his shadows as we collide! We begin a deadly dance above the town, slamming into each other, sending out powerful shockwaves each time. I hope everyone down below is ok, but there’s little time to worry about anything other than staying alive. A shadowy scythe rips through the air toward my neck but I’m able to dodge at the last second. Metial lashes out with a maelstrom of inky black blades but I’m able to deflect them all. I can read the rage on his face growing with each failed strike. I think I can use it to my advantage.

“Do you need me to stand still? I might do it if you ask nicely.” I say innocently.

This does the trick, He flings his arms out wide, and with a guttural roar, He sends out a huge torrent of dark energy at me. A real ‘eff you!’ attack, the kind that leaves you wide open. Perfect! I dodge ever so slightly to the side as his demonic magic skates off my blade. With one fluid movement, I spin around his attack and slice into him. Bright lines of holy light are etched across his torso in an “X”.

“HOLY CROSS!” Did I just do the thing where I yell out the name of my attack? I guess I’m just caught up in the moment.

The crossing slashes erupt with thick black blood and the demon is blasted back by the hit, zooming away through the sky.

“Guaarrghh!!”

My jet thrusters burst with red energy as I race forward. It's a good thing I’m in such a powerful suit otherwise the g-forces would rip me apart. I catch up to him in a flash, matching his speed! He struggles to defend but he’s reacting too slow now. I slash at his body leaving trails of black blood behind us. I want to bring this bastard down now! A quick scan shows no one is directly below us. Perfect! I reverse my momentum midair, flipping into a devastating axe kick. The demon makes a terrible wheezing noise as the air is forced from his lungs. My kick sends him careening downward towards the earth like a meteor.

KAKOOOM!

The impact is devastating. The demon’s body obliterates a building as he crashes down into the town.

“Goooaaal!” I shout in triumph.

But as I gently hover there, I know I don't have time to waste. There are people down below that need my help. The visor helps me scan the town and survey the situation. The scene makes my heart drop.

Many of the buildings are on fire. People run screaming in the streets, chased by hideous creatures with wicked horns and leathery bat wings. I don't need to be a fantasy expert to know these things are demons.

Minerva, How do we help these people?

There’s a bit of a pause. I hear processors in the helmet whirring.

[To effectively reduce the threat to the people of Provo, a wide scale targeting spell would be your best course of action.

You have witnessed the spell (Fire Bolt Storm Lvl 2.) and It has been downloaded for use.

Would you like to deploy?]

Make it happen! Target all the demons!

The visor screen is filled with little red triangles that trace all the demons in my field of view.

[Upcasting Fire Bolt Storm to Lvl 3.]

A constellation of flaming spheres surrounds me as the spell is cast. They begin to spin and elongate into deadly spears. I watch in awe as the firebolts all zip downward in unison, homing in on their respective targets. The demons never even see it coming as one by one, they’re taken out by the bolts. One creature is sniped out of the air as it tries to pounce on a screaming woman. Two more demons try to duck into an ally only to be sandwiched between a dozen of the flaming missiles on either side. One after another, the evil things are put down. In a matter of moments, the cries fall silent. Demon corpses litter the streets but there’s almost as many human corpses as there are demon ones.

These damn monsters!

My stomach churns and my blood boils at the sight. I’ve never seen something so awful. I rush down to the crater where Metial lays still, my heart blackened by rage. His body is broken, his shadow cloak torn to pieces. Those shiny black eyes are full of disdain as he peers up at me. The feeling is mutual.

“You fool.” Koff koff! “You-u have declared yourself an enemy of the Demon King. He will hunt you to the ends of the earth. Nowhere is safe from his r-reach!” He coughs up blood through gritted teeth.

I lean down and grab the demon by his collar, my expression grim. There’s no joy to be had in this victory.

“I’ll do the same thing to your king if he ever shows his face around here.”

The demon cackles, sending a mist of blood onto my visor.

“You think yourself strong because you’ve best-ed me? I am but a humble messenger. M-My power is but a single drop of rain! Lord Rojan’s is the hurricane!” koff koff koff! “When the red moon swallows the sun, then all will be washed away by his cleansing storm!”

I drive my gleaming blade through his black heart. He lets out a sudden gasp and his eyes widen as the last of his lifeblood spills onto the rubble. Then all is still. A permanent look of shock is etched on the demon's face. With sudden clarity, I notice all the sounds of pain and panic that surround me. People calling out desperately for survivors, children crying for their dead mothers, mothers weeping for their…

I learn at that moment that the true horror of war is what comes after the battle.