Chapter 20

Splitting up to dodge his attack, Yuna and Yozora ended up in front of one of the Cerberi with Inoue, Morigan and Philomena beaing attacked by Nazim himself.

Laughing, he stomped on the ground, swiping his axe through the air.

"You're Nazim's prey now. Nazim could kill you really easy with my pets but Nazim will go easy on you. You're only human after all. You! Stay over there. Move and Nazim will kill you himself."

The second Cerberi immediately backed away, no longer looking like a terrifying beast, but more like a scared puppy.

Clutching his sword tighter, Inoue glanced at Yozora and Yuna.

"You gonna be ok dealing with that?"

Smirking, Yuna stuck up her thumb while Yozora nodded.

"Yeah. We'll handle the puppy. You guys kill us a Demon General."

"I agree. If we can manage to release them from the crystal's influence. We can spare this poor animals life from death and slavery."

Slamming his axe down onto the ground, Nazim laughed before whipping his tentacles from his grotesque arm at the Cerberus in front of Yuna and Yozora, making it yelp in pain.

"Kill them you ugly, pathetic beast or your spawn gets the chamber again!"

Roaring at him, the Cerberus yelped in pain when the subjugation crystal that was lodged firmly in its neck right between it's two heads began to glow.

The cerberi's eyes glowed a bright yellow, the same color as the eyes that were within the subjugation crystal that was once stuck inside Ken.

Flames began to billow from one of its mouths as it charged at them.

Before he could yell any warnings or ask them anything else, Inoue gasped when the broad side of Nazim's axe slammed into him, sending him rolling away as Morigan and Philomena dodged some of his tentacles.

Quickly getting back to his feet, he ran back toward him.

Ducking under a tentacle that was reaching for him, he slashed upward in an attempt to damage Nazim but was met by is axe which blocked his strike.

Pointing her staff at him, Morigan fired an arcane blast at him which he bloo ked with his grotesque arm just as a tentacle wrapped itself around Philomena's leg.

Using her like a bat, he swung her at Inoue, knocking them both to the ground.

Rolling out of the way as the Cerberus stomped down, Yuna fired an arrow at it which it burnt with some flames as Yozora rose her arms upward, creating some large rocks to trap it.

"Please, dear. Try not to harm it. It's not this poor creatures fault that it attacks us."

Glancing at her as she knocked another arrow, Yuna groaned.

"Are you sure about that, Miss. Tanaka? This isn't some innocent puppy."

Nodding as she fired a wave of fire magic that became a chain which wrapped around one of its heads, Yozora smiled.

"I am sure, Dear. I can sense how much this poor thing wants to be free. It fights and allows itself to be enslaved so that its pup is not subjected to more torture."

Twisting her hands in a rhythmic way, she forced the fire chain into the ground, stopping movement of the left head as it roared, destroying the rocks.

"Dear! Help me distract it so I can chain the other head to the ground."

Nodding, Yuna fired an arrow at the spiked collar around its neck in an attempt to gain its attention.

As the arrow hit the collar, it glared at her and she chuckled nervously.

"I trust you, Miss. Tanaka. But I hope you know what you're doing!"

Yelling as she rolled put of the way when the Cerberus swiped at her while firing arrows at the collar to keep its attention.

Slashing at Nazim, Inoue fainted a downward slash before thrusting at his grotesque arm just as Morigan fired a beam of arcane magic at him.

As Inoue's sword punctured his grotesque arm and Morigan's beam hit him at the same time, Nazim yelled in pain while waving his axe wildly.

Slaming her staff into the ground she pushed Nazim back with some wind magic before he could hit any of them.

Running up to him, Inoue slashed at his head.

"Its strange. Why aren't the other adventurers in town fighting with us?"

Watching Inoue's sword clash with Nazim's axe, Morigan sighed.

"I used a paralysis and mind perception spell on the town. For two reasons. One. So that they wouldn't get harmed. And two. So that they would hear him call me a witch instead of a traitor or a Demon. When this is over, I'll pretend that my spells were his. To force them to watch us die. I... I know that it is selfish but I don't want to lose my buisness or friends. I am a Demon, yes. But I am not, that."

Meanwhile, Yozora had managed to chain both heads of the Cerberus.

"Now, Dear! You need to climb onto it's back and force that crystal out."

Unfurling her wings, Yuna took a deep breath.

"Just make sure that you get back a bit, Miss. Tanaka. in case it tries to attack!"

Doing as she asked, Yozora retreated toward the barrier while watching her fly upward to land on the back of the Cerberus.

Seeing the crystal that was lodged in the flesh between the two heads, she sighed and slid between them to stand on the crystal.

Holding onto the collars as the Cerberus roared and jolted from side to side, attempting to knock her off while pulling on the chains.

Wrapping her tail around the crystal and placing her feet agaisnt its neck, she grunted as she pushed agsisnt it. Trying to force the crystal free.

"Dear! Look up!"

Looking upward at Yozora's command, she saw Ken who was flying toward her with a rope in his mouth.

The instant she grabbed it, he rolled in the air to fly back toward the town.

With the combined force of his speed and the strength of Yuna's tail, the crystal was forced out of the Cerberus which roared in pain before collapsing, panting and making a dog-like whining sound.

Seeing this, Philomena clutched her staff.

"We'll talk about this later. First let's help Darling kill him."

Nodding, Morigan twirled her staff, creating a storm of razor sharp blades of wind that flew toward Nazim.

"Inoue! To the right!"

Following the order and rolling to the right, he chuckled when the razor wind slashed Nazim, making cuts across his chest and arms.

Seeing his chance, he thrust his sword toward the crate on his head.

Looking down at him, Nazim gasped when Inoue's sword went straight through the crate, pulling it off when he backed away. Revealing his face which was disfigured and hideous with large, swollen lips and one single buldging eye.

Inoue quickly dashed backward, visibly wincing alongside Morigan and Philomena at the sight.

Petting the heads of the Cerberus, Yozora hummed as it continued to make whining sounds.

"It's ok, my darling. You're free now. You don't have to listen to him anymore. Youre safe now.'

Roaring in rage, Nazim begun to stomp his feet and jump in place, looking like a child taking a tantrum.

"No! Nazim's face. Give Nazim's face back!"

Smirking, Inoue held out his sword that had the crate still attatched.

"You want this back, huh?"

Asking in a mocking tone, they watched as Nazim nodded, falling to his knees and crawling forward.

"Yes. Nazim's face. Nazim needs his face. Master hates Nazim without it."

Chuckling again, Inoue swung his sword into a tree. Breaking the crate into splinters.

"Nooo!!! Nazim's face!! Now Master will be upset and hate Nazim even when he brings the traitor back!!!"

Stepping forward and pointing her staff at him, Morigan scowled.

"I'm not going back to the Demon realm. Not with you, not for any reason. And just so you know, Nazim. These Humans are going to kill you."

Punching the ground, Nazim growled and grumbled.

"Kill them you beasts!!!"

As the Cerberus barked in reply, he looked at it and roared even louder in anger when he saw that the Cerberus was nuzzling Yozora as Yuna dropped next to her, tossing the crystal toward him.

"I believe this is yours."

Glaring at the Crystal at his feet, he yelled and slammed his head into it, shattering it.

Lifting his head to glare at them, his out burst had caused the act of shattering thr crystal to wound himself. Large gashes and shards of the crystal remained in his face as his sickly green blood dripped to the grass. 

Turning his head to the other, smaller Cerberus, he growled.

"Kill your Mother!!! Your Master commands it. Do it!!!"

Growling, the Cerberus looked at its Mother that was next to Yozora and took a step forward before its Mother barked.

In reply to the bark, the smaller Cerberus turned toward Nazim and growled, barring its teeth.

"Inoue dear!! Gara says that her daughter doesn't have a crystal in her. She said that she made a deal with Nazim to take the punishment for both."

Smirking at Yozora's words, Inoue twirled his sword.

"Alright then. Guess we're on easy mode now. Let's wrap this up and kill him."

Nodding, they all came to stand at his side with the two Cerberi behind them.

Walking forward, Inoue pointed his sword at Nazim.

"Nazim is one of the Chosen... Nazim will not die. Master will save Nazim. The engine will revive Nazim."

Laughing, Philomena tossed something into the air.

Looking, they all saw that jt was Nazim's insignia which bared the likeness of a whip and a chain.

"I grabbed it when you decided to use me as a weapon agaisnt Darling. You should protect something so important more carefully. Mr. Chosen Demon General."

Smiling, Morigan rose the back of her hand infront of her mouth to laugh at him.

"Do you really think that the Demon King will promote you and gift you Stragus's position as leader after such a joke of a fight? I knew that you were pathetic but come on, Nazim. I'm pretty sure Toragam's puppets would have put up more of a fight."

Growling and punching the ground again, he gripped his axe.

"Nazim will not let this stand. Nazim will kill you!!!"

Jumping to his feet, he started waving his axe crazily. No longer aiming but instead just swiping in pure rage.

At the same time, tentacles started to shoot forth from the ground at random.

Dodging his attacks, they all backed away excpet for Inoue who was slashing the tentacles as Yuna fired arrows to back him up.

Dashing over and slashing a tentacle that was close to Philomena, he stopped for a second to check on her and gasped when Nazim's axe got lodged in his side.

"Darling!!"

Hearing her scream, everyone looked and gasped.

Dropping his sword, Inoue took a deep, shaky breath as he fell to his knees with Nazim's laughter being the only sound to disturb the silent plains as a combination of fear and anger covered the group.