Red Wedding Part 2

"We have to run, Aizawa!" Tsukino tugged on my arm, desperately trying to budge me. But I was transfixed—terrified—at the scene unfolding ahead.

White Swamp up in the cathedral's loft began glowing red, his crimson eyes blitzing lightning. Cyclones swept through our hall where guests were trampling over each other to escape.

It was too late.

With a massive blast of red lightning, White's hands collapsed nearly the whole cathedral. Entire walls toppled onto people, and rubble rained down like meteors. I saw kids, women, seniors, all flatten and disappear beneath stone. They didn't even get to scream.

"Aizawa!" Trixie was blown off my shoulder. Enormous dust clouds forced my eyes shut as I shielded Tsukino with my body. All we could do was crouch behind a church pew for cover while chaos ensued.

Rubble kept falling around us. Pebbles and glass pelted my back but our luck couldn't last. Nowhere was safe. I heard thunder boom as red lightning crashed down onto journalists somewhere behind me. It made me think—

What'd happen if I died a second time?

Soon, the havoc quieted. Crackling static and people's own breaths were all anyone could hear.

When dust clouds cleared, I checked Tsukino cradled in my arms. "Hey, are you okay?"

She coughed twice. "I-I'm fine. Where's Trixie?"

Trixie? I peered around then saw sheer devastation. Half the cathedral had collapsed and buried dozens of people under rubble. Cries, calls, whimpers, all begging for help rang while the first guards from outside arrived. Trixie was nowhere in sight.

At the back of the cathedral where an altar once stood, nothing remained. Blue skies shone down onto a debris field as elite knights began digging themselves out. They searched frantically for their master, unaware of the threat looming overhead.

White Swamp in his still-clean porcelain suit floated downwards, clapping both hands. "My, my. You must all be quite strong to endure that attack."

Elite knights fished out the groom and bride, both injured, before carrying them away to safety. The knights that stayed readied their swords.

"All of you, back off," Count Duval's voice said. Beneath everyone's feet, a huge slab of wall lifted off the ground before Duval hurled it away. His white suit had been shredded by debris and torched by lightning, but he was otherwise unharmed.

"Sir!" one of the knights said. "Please evacuate! White Swamp is a former demon army general—his power ranks just below a Hero's!"

"Then why do you buffoons think you can handle him?" Duval countered. "The course of action is obvious: go protect my daughter, and help the wounded. I'll fight him here."

"But—"

"Don't make me repeat myself. I'm the one he wants anyway."

White Swamp snickered, his body trembling in ecstasy. What once was a handsome face contorted with nirvana as an enormous scorpion tail erupted from his back. The bloody stinger glimmered in sunlight, dripping toxins that could sizzle even the air itself.

"You're a hard man to hate," White said. "But do you hate me?"

Duval cracked his knuckles. "Alchemy is the trademark of demon kind. Not despising someone that's modified their body like yours would be non sequitur."

"What does that make you then?"

"Heh. At least I'm still human."

Elite knights took their cue, withdrawing with haste like they feared Duval more than demons. The old noble ripped off what remained of his suit to reveal biceps larger than melons. Brawny shoulders cracked into place, flexing their muscles one after another. And all along his back were blue, snake-shaped tattoos sparkling vividly.

Amused, White Swamp perched up on his scorpion tail. "Whatever happens to me doesn't matter. The demon king already excommunicated me, so don't hold back."

Even from here I could see Duval's wide grin. He took a battle stance before speaking.

"I'm the last person you'd ask about showing mercy towards demons."

Then without another word, they both charged at each other and clashed. A shockwave pulsed through the cathedral that jerked me back to my senses.

"L-Let's go! Run!" I grabbed Tsukino's hand and tried tugging her. But her panicked eyes were still frantically searching the air.

"No! We're not leaving yet! Find Trixie!"

"Later! For now, let's just—"

"Guys!" A pixie descended from above until she hovered in our faces. "There's trouble over there! A little girl can't free her mom trapped under rubble!"

"Trixie!" I said. "It's dangerous! We can't help anyone right now! Count Duval will handle—"

Trixie buzzed away towards the debris field, almost right beside that ongoing fight.

Damnit! I didn't know what to do. But after peering into Tsukino's eyes, we both nodded and ran towards the action.

Even with shockwaves pelting us, we didn't slow until finally reaching the rear of the cathedral. Duval and White's chaotic clash continued in the background while we searched for someone that needed help.

"Over here! Guys!" Trixie waved. "They're here!"

Tsukino and I bolted over—dismayed at what we found.

Laying amongst blood, a woman and her leg were trapped beneath the biggest stone block I'd ever seen. Kneeled beside her was a little girl in a dirtied dress, trying to scrape away at the block with her nails.

"M-Mommy!" the girl said. Her nails were cracked and stained red. "P-P-Please help my mom! Anyone!"

No matter how I looked at it, this situation seemed hopeless. But Trixie and Tsukino already mobilized and began their rescue operation.

"Turn into a gorilla!" Tsukino said. "We just need to lift this a little!"

"Right!" Trixie poofed with purple sparkles to sink gorilla fingers beneath the block. Muscular arms, however, couldn't make it budge. "T-Too heavy!"

Tsukino came to help, pushing herself against the mass; but their combined efforts did nothing. Even the trapped mom lost hope.

"Just take my daughter! Please! There's no time!"

"Wait!" I said. "Trixie! Can't you transform into a dragon? Or maybe an ogre could lift this rock up?"

"Impossible!" Tsukino said, trying to budge the block. "Trixie can't transform into special creatures! Just normal animals!"

"Maybe an elephant—"

"No! Shut up! Just come help us over here!"

But I was frozen in place, panting, hyperventilating. Flashbacks blinded me of that day on the train when I'd died trying to save a mom's daughter. This was almost no different: a life or death situation. It made me take a step back, then a step forward. My morals were clashing with self-preservation.

Wh-Why should I risk dying for this woman? I thought. I forgave the train girl, but who said I'd forgive everyone after that? If our roles were switched, this mom here on the ground would abandon me without a second thought. She'd choose her daughter over me 100% of the time. That's just life though, I can't blame her!

Tsukino's piercing yell broke my trance. "Aizawa! Watch out!"

I turned in time to see White Swamp charging straight at me, grinning. His scorpion tail aimed for a sting when Duval jumped between us and blasted White away with magic.

"Idiot!" he said to me. "Evacuate this area if you value your life!"

Before I could reply, he'd jumped away and continued brawling in the distance. His movements had slowed though, with weaker punches and sluggish footing. Whether it was old age or exhaustion, he couldn't fight much longer.

White Swamp noticed the weakness and lunged. Sharp, black pincers jutting from his back tried swiping at Duval, but the old man just dodged.

"You're serpentine like everyone says," White cackled. "But you're definitely no Kuroki. Why not just die?"

"Heh. I can't die until all demons are dead."

A fast punch rammed into White's face and launched him away. The demon backflipped to regain his footing while Duval powered up.

"Not done yet!" The old man clenched both fists, bulking muscles. Sapphire snake tattoos on his back came to life that floated off like sparkling ghosts. They curled around his wrists to imitate spinning halos which increased power drastically.

Even White looked weary as he raised his fists and pincers for defense. Then a metaphorical lightbulb lit.

"If we're engaging seriously," he sneered, "perhaps it's time I up our ante."

His scorpion stinger plunged into the ground and pumped toxins deep down. Glowing red cracks formed along the floor where skeleton warriors began emerging. They crawled out armed with swords and shields—an entire army of undead.

"Wh-What?" I said when a skeleton head erupted beneath my feet. An immense line of undead spawned with gleaming red eyes then charged at us.

Without thinking, I pulled out Dauntless Effigy and deflected a sword. My cursed knife crackled red lightning, begging me to activate it:

'I am your salvation.'

'Let me feast on your will.'

'Original sin!'

I did my best ignoring those voices as skeletons surrounded us. The undead warriors formed a phalanx formation before marching forward.

Shit! Just when I readied to fight, a cowboy leapt onto the scene and blasted away the skeletons. He fired flintlock pistols one after another while dynamite exploded in the background. Bones flew in all directions until just craters and flames remained.

"Cowboy!" I cheered. "You came!"

"Yeehaw, pardners! Darn tootin' right I came to help pals!"

"Thanks, we owe you!"

But our celebrations were cut short. Another wave of skeletons marched over the bones of their fallen friends. Now behind them was a taller, heavily-armored skeleton carrying a huge axe.

"This is too much!" Tsukino pulled out her wand and explained the plan. "If we can't free this trapped woman, we'll just defend her until someone shows up who can!"

"Sure thing. Ain't my first rodeo." Cowboy unholstered two flintlocks before grouping beside me on the frontline.

C-Crud . . . In my hand, Dauntless Effigy kept whispering for me to unleash its power:

'Release me.'

'Together we are many.'

'FECKLESS NEOPHYTE!'

The red static—enraged—started stinging my palm. Sharp pain made me wince, enough to grit teeth. But I knew even without activating the blade, it was tougher than normal knives and could help in combat.

From behind us, the stumbling steps of a gorilla rushed over.

"Tsukino!" Trixie said over her hairy shoulder. "Toss me my weapons!"

"Right! Here, catch!"

Brass knuckles flew through the air until caught by gorilla hands. Trixie equipped them then leapt towards the frontlines in a battle stance, ready to fight alongside us.

"Haha! Ain't we all just the merriest band of misfits ever?" Cowboy said.

We were a trio—an unlikely alliance between cowboys, gorillas, and journalists—staring towards the charging army of skeletons. No knights could help us since they were away fighting other foes, while Duval remained busy trading punches with White.