Chapter 19

An alarm rang out as Inoue lay in bed, grumbling and pulling thr blanket over his head.

Trying to return to sleep as people could be heard yelling from the streets outside aswell as running footsteps from the halls, he grumbled again.

"Darling! Get up. Quick."

Shaking him, Philomena continued to yell at him.

"Five more minutes."

Huffing and pulling the blanket from his  head, she slapped him, leaving the mark of her hand on his cheek.

"I said, get up! He's here."

Jolting upward at the slap, he clutched his cheek.

"Who's here? Why is everyone so loud this morning?"

Grumbling and tossing his armor at him, Philomena ranted angrily in Elvish.

"The chosen Demon General is here. He's outside the town gates and you're here hungover? You cannot be serious right now."

Gasping, he grabbed his greeves, quickly putting them on.

"Ugh. I shouldn't have drank so much. Last night."

Helping him, Philomena shook her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"How did you get so drunk? I stopped you after the second tankard."

Chuckling nervously, he put on the rest of his armor.

"I had two bottles of the milk we got during our first quest after you fell asleep."

Placing her hands on her hips, giving him a look of disapproval, she shook her head.

"Men. They never listen. No matter how wrong they are. So now because you wouldn't listen to me. We have to fight one of the chosen Demon Generals with a hungover leader."

Finishing putting his armor on, he grabbed his sword.

"Sorry."

Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him along.

"Sorry means nothing right now. Our first and only priority right now is making sure that we defeat him and protect the town. The others are waiting at the west gate, let's go!"

Following, he winced at the sounds of people yelling and running as well as wincing when the sun hit his eyes.

Reaching the western gates. He saw Yuna and Yozora as well as other adventures who were staring at the gates.

Stepping next to Yozora and the others, he saw a human sized Demon with a grotesque left arm which had tentacles flicking from it with a crate that had spikes protruding from it covering his head. He wore metal pants that had belts of steel bolted into them, connecting to bolts in his chest.

Laughing, he stepped forward, pointing at Yozora.

"You. You took something that belongs to Nazim."

His voice was high pitched and squeaky, slightly muffled by the spiked crate on his head while speaking in the third person.

Stepping toward the blue barrier that surrounded the town, separating them from him.

"Ken does not belong to you. You forced that crystal into him and tried to make him a slave. He is a good boy and much happier with us."

Laughing, Nazim walked up until his head touched the barrier.

"You gave a name to it? It's a beast. A tool to be trained and used. Beaten into submission and forced to follow orders. They understand fear and pain."

Clenching her fist in anger at his words, Yozora growled at him.

"Not to worry. Nazim will be sure to get the Wyvern in line once Nazim kill you."

Hitting the barrier with his grotesque arm, he laughed, pushing his arm agaisnt the barrier in an attempt to break it.

"That barrier is far stronger then you are, Nazim. It is meant to stop you from entering the town."

Walking up, Morigan had her hand on her hip, glaring at him.

"There you are. The betrayer. Master is not pleased with you. He will be pleased very much when Nazim returns to him with you. Nazim will be Master's new favorite. Nazim will replace Stragus as the leader. While you, you will suffer for betraying him. Nazim will delight in your screams."

Shaking her head with a disgusted expression, Morigan sighed.

"Strange that you came alone. Did your enslaved beasts decide to shun you like the rest of the Demons?"

Laughing, Nazim slammed his grotesque arm into the barrier once more.

"Nazim's pets? They are here."

Spreading his arms, two large Cerberi appeard from portals on either side of him.

"Nazim wants the Wyvern and her. Let Nazim have them and Nazim will leave. You will not be harmed. Nazim promises."

Stepping forward, Inoue took his sword in hand, pointing it at him.

"I won't hand over my friends to you or anyone else."

Laughing, Nazim started head butting the barrier.

"Then Nazim will take them by force and my pets will eat you alive while Nazim listens. The pleasure Nazim will get from watching you die will be amazing. The tingles and rumbles will be so nice."

Shivering as he spoke, he started slamming his head into the barrier again with increased fervor as his Cerberi roared.

Placing a hand on Inoue's shoulder, Morigan sighed.

"He is a lost fool. Obsessed with inflicting pain and getting pleasure from watching others suffer. We cannot let him into the town."

Nodding, he glanced at the others.

"Then we go out there and fight him while the town stays safe inside the barrier."

Smiling, Morigan nodded as Yuna and Yozora stepped forward to be next to them.

"Where did your hangover go, Darling?"

Looking at Philomena, he shrugged his shoulders.

"I sensed that he was suffering from one so I used a spell to free him from it. Hangovers are cured by a simple poison cleanse spell."

Smirking, Inoue rested his sword on his shoulder.

"Good to know. Now. Let's kill us a Demon General."

Following him through the barrier, the took their weapons in hand with Morigan forming a beautiful wodden staff with a carved Dragon head adorning its peak with talismans hanging from the horns. An orb of pure arcane power rested atop it, floating between the ends of the curved horns, crackling with power.

Looking at them, Nazim laughed, the tentacles on his grotesque arm flailing wildly as the Cerberi turned to look at them.

Forming a large great axe that seemed to be made of rotted flesh, Nazim laughed as the air around him began to smell of rotting flesh and death.

Charging at them, his Cerberi followed behind, their heavy stomps shaking the ground.