Chapter 37: Crimson Cathedral

The heavy oaken doors of the cathedral slam shut behind us as we enter. Its interior is dark, illuminated by just a handful of candelabras that line the pews. The air is stale, and suffocating like a tomb. The far wall is almost completely taken up by a large stained glass window. I’m sure it was once a beautiful piece of art but it's shattered now, the jagged glass pieces litter the floor all around us. Just outside the window swirls a maelstrom of wind and rage, a storm barrier erected outside the cathedral. Juracán is fulfilling her part by keeping the other demons from interfering.

The four of us stand ready together, staring at our enemy. Katariel stands up on the dais, behind the pulpit. She leers at us like a hungry beast.

“O devout followers, my poor flock of decrepit sheep, my wretched dogs. We gather today in the shade of immense glory and true divinity. We don’t worship some sullen judgemental old fart or his whore wife. No, we raise our voices and prayers, or rather, lower them unto the true ruler. The one that will cleanse this world of its putrid human filth. Praise the god of demons!” She cries out, throwing her arms wide in a dramatic gesture.

“My my, I didn't see you there. I was just rehearsing my sermon. Did you like what you heard?” She asks slyly.

We remain still and stoic, refusing to be goaded by her. We stand together united in our singular goal. No matter what happens next, we won't stop until the demon lord is dead.

No words are needed. We simply draw our weapons, my glowing red blade, Kizzik's gleaming cleavers, Rina’s phoenix staff and Camilla’s fists.

“No foreplay? That’s not very nice.” Katariel cackles.

She pauses and sniffs the air.

Sniff sniff

“You all stink, you reek of that blustering wind bag.” She scowls, noticing for the first time the cyclone outside.

“So that’s how it is.” She smiles. “Well if you all have new toys, I think it's only fair that I bring out mine.”

As she says this, she reaches her clawed hand to her side. Forcing her way through some kind of invisible membrane, her hand vanishes for a moment before pulling something out of another dimension. It’s a blade, long and curved, forged from a cold voidlike steel. It looks just like an Odachi, as long as the demon lord is tall. I can feel something coming from the blade, like a presence or a voice. No, many voices crying out. As she flourishes it, carving deadly strokes into the air, I can hear a chorus of voices all screaming in pain.

“Shall we pick up where we left off?” She points the sword at us.

The silence and stillness bubbles in the cathedral as our auras clash. Sparks of mana permeate the air as we steel ourselves for the battle. With a flash, we all dash forward to strike.

Learning our lesson from last time, we all attack in unison. Rina calls forth burning beams of fire that lance through the air towards the demon on all sides. Kizzik disappears and circles around, going for Katariel’s blind spot. Camilla charges in like a whirling tornado, her speed enhanced by Juracán’s wind. She aims her new fist at the demon’s stomach. My plasma thrusters shoot me forward faster than a bullet as I swing my sword for her neck. There’s a flash of movement as all our techniques converge. Katariel contorts her body in such a way that mine and Kizzik’s blades narrowly miss her vital spots, she uses her sword to slice Rina’s flames from the air while blocking Camilla’s punch with her off hand. She looks at me with amusement, her face just a few inches from mine.

This monster. She reeks of death. She throws us all away from her with a mighty push and targets me first. Her bladework is impressive, fluid like Read’s but ferocious at the same time. She moves like a lioness pouncing on its prey. I block a flurry of slashes with my great sword, each one making my arms numb with the impact. She’s strong but I can keep up! She stabs at my chest and I parry, throwing her off balance. I counter with an overhead strike that she deflects, letting it skate off her sword at an angle. Another volley of superheated firebolts slam into her back, causing her to stagger. As she does, Kizzik appears beside me, slashing at Katariel’s neck. They are only able to graze her as she bursts with red lightning. It lashes out at us as we retreat away from her back across the cathedral floor and regroup.

“Your souls are singing with such rage, and anguish. I love that sound! It always comes before despair!” She cups her face and swoons.

Not wasting any time, I activated one of my new abilities.

Machinist!

Minerva takes the schematics directly from a memory. Something I saw a long time ago. The armor shifts and grinds into place to form the giant gatling gun. It’s six barrels spin as I aim it at the demon.

Elemental Gatling Barrage!

A torrent of mana bullets is unleashed, ripping through everything they touch. The cathedral quickly fills with broken chunks of concrete and splintered wood as the gatling chops through it all. Katariel is forced to dodge as I sweep the gun back and forth through the space. She slips past a couple shots but is caught in the shoulder, blasting that part of her arm clean off. She reels backward off balance as more shots tear through her body. When I finally stop firing, the dust settles and the demon lord stands there, riddled with bullet holes. She growls and shrieks in pain like a wild animal.

[Ooooo Ouch! She’s not looking so hot!]

“That hurt, you little insect!” As she speaks, the wounds begin to quickly close.

Kizzik doesn't wait around though. They split into three wind clones and they all rush her. They slice at her neck, her arms, her legs, leaving bloody trails as they streak past her. Somehow she’s still able to move, blocking the majority of the blades, only a few making it past the Odachi. The healing continues to close the wounds as Camilla appears in front of her in a blur, launching a vicious uppercut into her chin with her wind fist. The punch explodes into cutting wind and lightning as the compacted storm is released. Katariel’s head is blown clean off by the force of the attack, leaving just her jaw there.

Her headless body stumbles around, clawing and swiping blindly. She hunches over, going eerily still, but she doesn’t fall. Camilla follows up with another strike aimed at the heart but the headless body is lightning fast. It’s able to block her by pure instinct.

“That's… not possible.” Camilla whispers, in shock.

The demon’s head reforms in a flash of crimson, her hair flowing out like a bloody river. She leers at Camilla, half of her face still without its skin.

“You appear to be having trouble finishing the job. Let me show you the proper way to kill a thing.”

Katariel spins swiftly, slicing through the air with the black blade. Camilla is just barely able to guard as a wave of dark energy shoots from the Odachi’s edge and sends her crashing backward through the pews. She lays there, bloodied and unconscious. How can this be happening?! How can she be this strong?! Katariel plucks a black crystal from thin air and pops it in her mouth. This is bad! We need to stop her now!

I aim my gatling at her again but as it begins to spin up, the demon lord lets out a piercing scream. It shatters the glass and cracks the stone all around us, forcing me backward with its intense pressure. I feel my bones shake as she continues to wail. Katariel is surrounded with swirling energy dark mana. Her form begins to swell as she absorbs more and more energy. Her slender form transforms into a hulking mass of muscle and sinew. Her eyes shine a bright crimson, her veins pulsate and wriggle violently under her skin. The Odachi grows even larger in her grasp, soaking in the energy as well. As the transformation ends, she towers over us, her large fangs dripping black ichor, her hair a wild mane.

She’s a nightmare made reality.