Quietus

A minute later...

The battle between mercenaries and the enemies continues at the center of the wide road area. The two allied forces gunmen fired heavily towards the enemy forces two posted gunmen on the rooftop. Yet their accuracy was terrible making a good example displaying how a person could eventually afford such a weapon but it did not mean they were skilled using it. The rooftop gunmen unleashed a flurry of bullets down onto the mercenary's melee forces, both nearly being shot by the opposing gunmen quickly getting their attention and drawing their gunfire as well. A bullet array tore both men apart along with their cover leading to their quick but painful deaths. Just as their bodies hit the floor, two more people came into the enemy gunmen's sight down the road. Simultaneously Shingen and Miyaura exited the large hole in the building they had hidden away inside with their comrades. Shingen immediately drew his sword, dashing down the center of the road, and Miyaura continued her said dash until the sight of her was lost near where their allied gunmen were shot down.

(It's a smart idea. Let's hope it works!)

Shingen thought with a confident smirk on his face, moving at great speeds towards the central conflict. Racing toward the scene, Shingen watched men being slain on both sides although the enemies were quickly cutting down their forces. Further inspecting, the gunmen on the rooftops contributed greatly with their bullet fire. A single gunman noticed the fast-moving hunter closing in, quickly gesturing to the other gunman on the adjacent rooftop in his direction, prompting both to begin firing at Shingen before he could reach the fighting crowd. Shingen's eyes narrowed with focus, his vision focusing on the oncoming bullets as if in slow motion to his eyes.

(...Now!)

Swinging his sword with perfect timing, his blade not only blocked the bullet but deflected it as well. Not letting up in his defense Shingen continued swiftly striking and deflecting the multitude of bullets aiming to kill him. His movements shocked the gunmen the second before they angrily refined their aim onto the Demon Hunter. As quickly as they aimed down their sights, they lost sight of Shingen as he ran into the crowd of fighters in the center soon finding him in the fray of the battle swiftly cutting down various enemies with his blade. Shingen seemed to dance firmly in the middle of combat, his strikes precisely finding their way to his enemies and missing his allies, utilizing the spaces between friend and foe to outmaneuver and find openings to strike an enemy down. One gunman raised his head, not able to visibly keep track of Shingen's movements in between all the bodies. Suddenly the gunman's eyes would look towards the sky, noticing a shadow had blocked the sunlight briefly from entering his eyes. His mouth stretched open in an attempt to yell out but nothing managed to escape him, Miyaura descended on him from the sky, her fist already drawn back in preparation to strike.

"Ha!"

She yelled descending onto the male, her fist smashing into him with such a force it briefly deformed his torso immediately causing him to eject a great volume of blood from his mouth while his body was forced into the concrete rooftop. Miyaura's body and fist followed through downward, pushing into his ribs and down onto the rooftop causing the entire building to immediately collapse. Smoke and debris filled the air from the attack as the buildings fell, covering fighters on the center road in a cloud of dirt and dust. The remaining gunman began to panic, hearing the large crash and having his vision of the lower ground blocked by a large dust cloud.

"Die!"

The gunman cried out, falling to his fear and shooting randomly through the smoke, This only lasted a short time before the body of the other gunmen flew upwards, breaking the smoke screen density, at a high velocity crashing into the gunman, sending him flying off the building along with the corpse of his ally. The smoke clearing gradually now, Shingen's swift strikes could be heard through what remained of the smoke with the enemy's final painful wails calling out. Once the smoke cleared, Shingen could be seen calmly exhaling as he sheathed his weapon, while the three remaining mercenaries stood in a panic holding their weapons desperately, soon relaxing as their sight returned to them, feeling now relaxed to see Shingen calmly standing in the center of them.

"Stay cautious everyone. There's likely more hiding around town."

The mercenaries lowered their weapons in relief, falling to the ground or their knees exhausted, attempting to catch their breath. Miyaura stepped from the building she had collapsed, making her way to Shingen's side.

"Whoa! Elanor was right! You're pretty good with that thing!"

Miyaura exclaimed, approaching Shingen with a smile on her face as she adjusted her top back properly on her shoulders. The life and energy seemed to suddenly return to the formerly exhausted mercenaries once their eyes fixated on Miyaura. To their eyes, a beautiful woman walked towards their small group, her body illuminating with sparkles around her. Hearing Miyaura behind him, Shingen turned to face her but on his way, he unavoidably noticed how energized and awe-struck these men now were with her from head to toe. Shingen let a deep sigh escape his lips once she stopped in front of him, noticing the men pretending to be alright and mighty to impress her, yet noticing she only looked directly at him with her smile.

"Thanks, bullets are hard to predict with their speed. It takes quite a bit of skill though."

He said nervously scratching the back of his head, embarrassed from the praise. Noticing Miyaura continued ignoring their presence, the surrounding mercenaries dropped their facades and fell to their knees, this time from the sheer disappointment of Miyaura's lack of attention. The sound of footsteps caught Miyaura and Shingen's attention, simultaneously shifting their gaze to their side to see Aisellia and Elanor approach them. Miyaura placed a hand on her hip, listening to Shingen before she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

"Does she notice those guys are acting macho around her? They're trying to impress her pretty hard right now." Elanor asked Aisellia, both watching it all unfold on their way toward the fighters.

"No. She's essentially oblivious to their presence. Only one guy gets her attention. The only other way if you're not her friend is to piss her off. It's kind of funny to watch when it happens. Sometimes things escalate a little too far though."

Miyaura's facial expression changed so rapidly that even Shingen could see the sudden immense irritation that came over her. Miyaura's fist clenched in her anger as her eyes looked from their corner, seeing one kneeling man drooling from his mouth, his eyes focused on Miyaura's body. His eyes ogled her thighs in her thigh-high stockings, then ascending to her large breasts. His head tilted slightly in an attempt to view up her skirt, having a short time to simultaneously and successfully reach for her rear end, "This ass is unbelievable from a side view!" he consciously revealed before he looked up to see Miyaura delivering a deathly glare into his eyes, shaking the man with fear down to his very core. As Aisellia and Elanor drew closer, both reactively created a large space between them as they saw a single mercenary's body soar through the air speeding past them and crashing into one of the buildings near them. Elanor and Aisellia witness it crumble on top of him. After Miyaura angrily launched the man, she gritted her teeth, the heat from her breath seeping out from between. She took deep heavy breaths attempting to quell her rage. The other mercenaries fell onto their backside at the sight of Miyaura launching their comrade. Her appearance even struck Shingen enough to take a couple of steps back for himself as the color of Miyaura's eyes bounced between their normal hue and a demonic red. Elanor moved by Shingen's side, seeming cautious of Miyaura. Aisellia could see the caution in all their expressions once she and Elanor stood near the two. Walking up to Miyaura, Aisellia slowly lifted her hand, smiling at the enraged growling girl.

(She's hurting...she's struggling right now. Is she pissed and trying to control herself? It may be still too soon. She draws on her emotions to fight. In her training with Angelia and Karna, she's learned how to suppress it. Hm...I'll figure out how this all works for you, I promise Miyaura.)

Aisellia bent over slightly, putting her face in view of Miyaura. Their eyes met as Aisellia placed her hand gently atop Miyaura's head and began stroking her hair, leading Miyaura's expression to gradually soften more and more until the rage in her eyes was visibly no more.

"I'm here for you now. It's just me and you right now"

Hearing Aisellia's voice and feeling the touch of her hand slowly drained the intensity from Miyaura, curiously looking into Aisellia's eyes as the rage disappeared from her own. Aisellia returned to standing straight with a gentle smile on her face. Miyaura seemed lost for words during this transition but once she made it through, she perked up happily seeing Aisellia.

"You see that Aisellia?! He was all *Shink Shink Shink* then I was like boooom!"

Miyaura said excitedly swinging her arms around comically as if they were swords before animating her heavy punch.

(D-did she blackout?) "Oh, I saw! You looked pretty cool out there! How's everything feeling?"

Aisellia confirmed raising her hand to high-five Miyaura of which the cursed girl happily slapped hands with her friend. Miyaura clenched her fists in determination, the joy on her face evident by her large smile.

Miyaura: "Yes!  I was caught off guard...but I've got a better understanding of it now that I've felt it."

Miyaura pressed her hands gently over her heart, closing her eyes and smiling as she felt something deep within.

Miyaura: "...You can sort of feel him inside of you. A warm flame."

Mercenary: "She's a damn demon! Those Deimos people have eyes that change like that when they've gone feral and lost their minds!  The Devil's Red!"

One mercenary said with the other several survivors rising to their feet and drawing their weapons once more, prompting Shingen to move Elanor behind him and Miyaura quickly stepped in front of Aisellia.

Mercenary: "She killed our man and she was ready to kill us. Damn, Demi's can never control themselves anywhere in this country!"

Shingen Miyamaru: "Put down your weapons, she just helped me save your lives."

Mercenary: "Only before she killed one of us herself! That monster doesn't play sides!"

Miyaura: "I didn't-!"

Mercenary: "Shut the hell up!"

Aisellia Rae: "Hey! Nobody fucking talks to her like that! Your friend overstepped his boundaries! Shut the fuck up right now or I'll-!"

Mercenary: "Or What?! You gonna sic that thing on us too!"

Aisellia Rae: "Or I'll bust both of your fucking knee-!"

The sound of the mercs drawing their weapons cut Aisellia's sentence short from surprise. The short pause allowed Aisellia to have a second to look back at Miyaura. Seeing the poor girl crouched down holding her head trembling as an extreme fear had taken over her. Resurfacing what Aisellia identified, only from its severity, as a possible past trauma within Miyaura.

"No-no-no. I-Im, not a monster! I promise!"

She muttered, crouching and placing her head into her lap, hands placed on her head. Lost memories flashed in her mind rapidly. Visualizing a rioting mob around her as a little girl, chanting slurs and hitting her with blunt objects and throw-able items. The Demon hunters watched in guilty silence, with one of the mercenaries taking a step closer. In an angry reaction, seeing what the two men did to her friend, Aisellia reached towards her lower back yet hearing one of them step closer made her grip onto her gun held there. Aisellia aimed her weapon at one of the mercenaries who in turn had his blade pointed at her as well. Before Miyaura could lift her head to see what was happening Shingen quickly smacked the man's weapon away from Aisellia. This made the other merc swing his weapon towards Shingen but his attack was swiftly stopped by a blade piercing into his neck from behind. His painful screams attracted all their attention and clinging to the man's shoulder was the culprit. Everyone's faces turned fearful at the sight of the small hideous green creature, grotesque in appearance yet its evil grin portrayed well enough its sinister nature. Repeatedly stabbing at the man's neck until his body fell to his knees.

"G-g-g-goblin!!"

Elanor's face told the extent of fear she felt seeing the demons form with tears already streaming down from her eyes. In her shock, Elanor attempted to take a step back only to fall on her rear paralyzed with fear. Seeing his friend's traumatic fear of hearing her call attention to the goblin, Shingen reached to his waist tightly gripping his blade ready to unsheathe it on the lesser demon species. Just as he began drawing his sword, a spear suddenly came from behind Shingen, swishing just past his head and cutting off several hair strands in the process. The spear pierced into the goblin's torso snatching its body away from its prey. The force from the weapon being thrown shredded the goblin and what remained of the mercenary head in its split-second flight before piercing into the ground behind the two beings. The spear's force crushed a small portion of the ground where it made an impact with the demon obliterated before it could get stuck in what remained of the close ground around it. Aisellia, Shingen, Miyaura, and the remaining mercenary's eyes locked on the spear stuck into the ground with awe, remaining silent as they were all surprised by the mysterious weapon.

"Aah!"

Miyaura suddenly screamed prompting everyone to turn their gaze toward her, seeing Miyaura on her knees, her face held to the ground. A white boot pressed on the back of her head. Miyaura was held in a submissive position as her arm was being pulled up and twisted behind her by another woman Aisellia had never seen before. The woman stood at average height and had long black hair although as of now it was tied into a hair double bun style with strands of hair forming pigtails where they were not bound in the bun. She wore very light armor that covered her upper arms and torso while matching shin-high boots connected at her lower-outer thigh up to her waist connecting it with the armor on her upper body. It had an uncommon design being armor visibly light and fitted tightly along each curvature of her very well-figured and proportioned body. Her armor however left her stomach and lower body exposed inside what covered her feet and outer thighs. However, it could be easily seen she wore a tight bodysuit under her armor to cover all exposed areas underneath.

(She's human but how is she this strong? I can't break free!)

Miyaura thought, gritting her teeth in an attempt to lift herself and free herself from the woman's hold.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Aisellia yelled in rage as she took a step closer to the woman attempting to confront her but Aisellia would be stopped by Shingen's arm lifting in front of her leading her to stop as Shingen locked eyes with the woman holding Miyaura down.

"Captain please release her, they are our allies. Without their help, I and Elanor might have been worse off seeing as how the enemy had an ambush set up."

The woman remained silent hearing Shingen's words, clearing up that she was Elanor and his Captain of the Demon Hunter Guild. The woman turned her head to see Elanor sitting on the ground trembling in fear. The traumatic state she was in had stopped her from fully acknowledging the demon was gone much less her presence. Her eyes shifted over to Aisellia who held a glare to pierce daggers into the woman.

"Miyamaru tell me, are both these girls human?"

"Aisellia here is definitely human. Until moments ago I thought Miyaura was too...but she killed a guy and destroyed a building with her bare hands. No human is capable of such feats outside of the Captains and Lieutenants ma'am."

"Hmm. If she's not human then what do you think she is?"

"Deimos ma'am. It only made sense. I have full confidence in your judgment but she isn't a threat. Someone of your skill and rank can sense demon energy so if you're sensing demon waves in her then it only confirms she's a demi-human."

Hearing Shingen's response the woman remained silent as she looked down at the struggling Miyaura then back up to meet eyes with Aisellia.

"You girl, you have no qualms about traveling with a violent...Deimos?"

Without hesitation, Aisellia nodded in response to the demon hunter captain's inquiry.

"Of course not! She's my friend and has given her all to protect me since we met! You might be stronger than me but I won't let you keep hurting her! Now get off please!"

The mysterious woman looked down at Miyaura once more, remaining silent as she thought.

"Hm...Curious one you are. Apologies then"

She said before releasing Miyaura's arm and lifting her foot from the girl's head.

"Please remember it was not luck that stopped me. I admire your strong will for this girl. Strength in various forms is something I respect. Unfortunately, we're running out of time. Miyamaru I have new orders for you and Martin."

A few moments later...

Aisellia stood in a small circle with Shingen and the hunter captain. Miyaura sat next to the now calm Elanor a short distance away. Elanor hugged her knees to her chest as she spoke to Miyaura, Now past her panic, one could tell she was emotionally exhausted. Soon enough Elanor began opening up to speak to Miyaura who sat calmly next to her.

"I can't apologize enough for the captain's actions. If I were stronger I might have been able to stop her sooner..."

"It's alright, I'm not hurt and Aisellia's clearing things up. I'm more concerned about how you're doing right now."

Elanor remained silent for a second, looking awfully depressed before releasing a deep sigh.

"It was a goblin. I can't seem to stop being so scared even now. I was the first to see it but...but I froze. I'm so pitiful, I'm a demon hunter who nearly dies from seeing goblins. Shingen is the fighter but even so, it's been so long since I've seen one face-to-face."

"You're far from pitiful in my eyes. It might have been just one but I can tell you've survived scarier, and you still follow your heart and being a hunter."

"Hm. Thanks, Miyaura."

Elanor said, a faint smile appearing on her face as she looked over to Miyaura who sat with a bright smile of her own. Elanor raised her head to see the others still speaking to each other in a small circle, taking in the situation for a moment before looking and meeting her eyes with Miyaura once again.

"I turned twenty this year. When I turned seventeen I became a mercenary, looking for...I can't even tell you. A fun lifestyle maybe? I just wanted to be that mercenary people looked up to, form a group of really nice friends, and go on an adventure. One day I met a group of other new mercenaries, None of us could have had more than a few weeks of experience but we were all excited to live our dream. There was one quest open so we excitingly took it. I had done jobs by that point but it was my first quest."

Miyaura quietly listened in as Elanor appeared to tell a story of her past, bringing her chin to rest against her knees as she continued the story.

"We were to go to a village. The plan was to wait until nightfall and kill wolves who fed on their livestock. That night we went out but it wasn't wolves harassing and kidnapping those who stray too far from the village. We found a trail leading into a cave...but...they were already waiting on us right at the entrance outside."

Elanor could only look down to the ground at her feet as she went on. Miyaura gently placed a hand on her shoulder attempting to comfort her but just as her hand touched Elanor, Miyaura's eye color shifted to their pink color once again. Before her eyes, she would witness the story Elanor told in her vision as the words were spoken.

"...When a demon develops the desire, its form changes to reflect that desire. That desire twists them into an incarnate of their desire, resulting in their sin. Wrath, Pride, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Envy, and Greed. Each sin has its weakest and most common lesser species born from that sinful energy. Goblins are one of the shared common lesser demons of lust and greed. That night all of my new friends...All I could do was watch them die as more and more goblins came from the shadows, threw me, and held me on the ground. in our party of five, the three guys were getting stabbed, throats slit, and brutalized until they died while I and the other girl could only scream and try to fight back. I knew at that moment...we both knew it would be better to die than let them take us. When it came down to it, we were too scared to take our own lives then and there. The goblins tore our clothes from our bodies...together they were just too strong to fight back..."

Elanor paused her story to take a minute to rise to her feet, prompting Miyaura to join her as the two still stood a short distance away from the others to keep the conversation between them.

"There were a lot of them, Eventually we lost our voices from screaming so much while they violated us for their entertainment, scarring our bodies with their jagged nails and vile intent. Demons can't easily reproduce. The stronger they are the less likely it can happen. But a goblin...goblins are born from goblins who use human women to reproduce. They'll use you over and over until their use for you is done, Luckily I didn't have to experience it that far but feeling them use your body for... is the epitome of an unholy nightmare. That's when Shingen and a few rookie knights saved us, that was our first meeting and all I could do was lay there covered in...ugh! After we were saved, neither I nor the other girl was the same. After a few days, the trauma got to her and she killed herself. I can't say I didn't try myself but it was more of I was too weak too. Scared to live and too scared to die. Like most girls around the world who lived through something like that, I took up the temple as an initiative to become a sister and pray for everyone around the world."

"I'm sorry. It's so horrible to even think about."

Miyaura said, her eyes returning to their normal color and removing her hand and Elanor's shoulder as Elanor looked up from the ground back to Miyaura having a faint smile once again.

"Thank you, I appreciate it greatly. It's... been hard. After a year I met Shingen again who told me about his goal to join the Demon Hunter guild. I couldn't put my finger on it but something was very wrong with the temple I had joined, I became scared of even the priests so I ran. I ran away with Shingen who was on his way directly to the guild. So I ran away with him and he's been like my protector ever since. I can personally understand how Aisellia feels so close to you not just as her friend but also like a protector, someone you can rely on in your weakest moments. Shingen, the captain, and my friends at the guild have helped me deal with my pain but I guess I'm not quite over it yet. But...one day I will be with people like Shingen, you, and Aisellia around to help me."

Elanor finished saying with a slightly larger smile on her face. The two girls looked at each other until a waving hand entered their peripheral view prompting both to turn their heads seeing Shingen waving over at them, gesturing for them to come to where he and the others stood.

"Elanor I'm withdrawing my prior orders of engagement." The captain announced.

"Ready for new orders captain," Elanor stated, balling her hand into a fist and placing it over her chest in what looked like a formal salute acknowledging her superior.

Miyaura: "Did something happen at the other places?"

Aisellia Rae: "In short yes. While you two were resting a bit she briefed me and Shingen. It seems we weren't the only unit to be ambushed. From what it sounds like, we got lucky such a smaller group waited for us."

Shingen Miyamaru: "Other units were ambushed by more people than we were. Going by their skill level I'd say we dealt with common bandits instead of any ex-mercenaries."

Hunter Captain: "Here are your new orders. Elanor I want you to do one last maintenance and medical check on Shingen and yourself. Shingen I want you to take Elanor...and retreat."

Shingen Miyamaru: "Retreat?!"

Elanor Martin: "Are some of the other units retreating as well?"

Elanor and Shingen both questioned, visibly surprised by the sudden order of retreat, their confusion could easily be seen on their faces.

"No, they're continuing the mission but I'm sensing something is off about their attack. Not only their men are fighting but why would goblins be hiding in the shadows? Any normal demon would have attacked those men too. Similar things are being reported elsewhere, they aren't attacking both forces indiscriminately..."

The captain explained, leading Aisellia to ask her own question.

"No...it couldn't be...Do you suspect that somehow the demons are collaborating with the human cult?"

"Hm, You're very sharp. Those were my thoughts but it proves impossible for goblins to work beside humans. There must be something deeper going on here and the closer we get the less I like the feel of things."

Thinking on the matter Aisellia raised a finger to her chin going into thought when suddenly her eyes widened as she returned her gaze back towards the captain.

"The cult! At the briefing, it was said the cult behind all this had been involved with demons before. Have you ever heard of anyways a human could control demons you might know of?"

Hearing Aisellia's question the captain's own eyes widened, turning to look into the far distance the direction their forces were moving before she separated herself from her unit.

"Hm?! No...couldn't be...but I can't ignore the chance. I would have come to the conclusion far too late. I admit I can tell you're no fighter but your intellect must be part of the combo between you and your ally. May I ask your name?"

"I'm Aisellia Noel Rae."

"Hm, as expected your name sounds as noble as you look, yet I can't say I'm familiar with that family name nor any noble heading into battle themselves. I am Leilliana Cor, the eighth-division captain of the Demon Hunter Guild. Pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Rae."

"The pleasure is mine. I want to note battle certainly isn't my specialty, but I wouldn't dare leave Miyaura to do something this scary on her own. We overcome obstacles together as a team." Aisellia said before the two extended their arms to shake each other's hand.

Leilliana Cor: "It would be a shame for a brilliant mind like yours to fall out in this mess. Shingen I put Miss Rae's safety in your hands retreating."

Aisellia Rae: "Me? You're way above my level of knowledge of the entire situation but if the assault on their base fails, Orion is done for and everyone in it."

"Indeed it would be done for. This is why no matter what happens you and my subordinates will be safer than the battle closing in on us. It's a lot worse than anyone could expect. You gave me an idea about their tactics and if I'm correct...we all may be in danger."

"You're still going? Who knows exactly how dwindled our forces will be by then? Not to mention more demons!"

"It's safe to say our forces are already close to being a fraction of its original size. Even if I can't take on that many people and demons together, with their numbers one of them is bound to catch me off guard. Which is why I want to ask that you allow your ally there to accompany me."

"M-Me?!" Miyaura interjected questioning how she fits into the overall plan.

"Yes, being...proclaimed Demi, Combined with the teamwork you showed with Shingen, I believe your strength and speed would be helpful out there. Other than me and Shingen, there were only a few mercenaries of great skill but for now, we may be the best chance we have."

"Hmm. So you were watching until the goblin got close to Elanor. Strategically it's your best shot. While the majority of their forces are busy with the bulk of ours, you two could shoot straight to their HQ while there are still gaps in their defenses from being spread out."

"Next to Shingen your ally-"

"Her name is Miyaura..."

"There's no last name to it, just Miyaura is fine"  Miyaura confirmed for Leilliana, waving her hand around to dismiss the complications of her lack of a surname.

"Hm. Miyaura then, next to Shingen, she seems to be the best to pair with to accomplish our goal. I'd rather keep as many of us as possible alive. It'll only be more dangerous from here on and we don't have much time left to move. So what do you say?"

"Hmm. Well, it's really not up to me. How do you feel about it Miyaura?"

"Well I can't say I'm a fan of being separated from Aisellia but if it keeps her safe, I'll do whatever it takes so they can retreat!"

"Then it's settled," Aisellia said walking over to Miyaura, promptly hugging her tightly.

"You stay safe out there and don't do anything risky. I need you safely back with me. Plus we wouldn't want to piss a certain guy off. So I'm releasing restriction level one while you're fighting. Just please be careful and stay safe."

Aisellia's words brought a joyful smile to Miyaura, who quickly embraced her friend tightly in their hug.

"Right! It's a promise! Our journey together will continue. I won't fail either of you. It's my first big job!"

Separating their bodies, Miyaura had her hands reach and hold onto Aisellia's hands.

"As long as you are safe I know I can do this! It's my turn to protect you and our paradise!"

A minute later...

Miyaura would be standing next to Leilliana, watching as Shingen led his partner and Aisellia on their retreat back the way they came.

"Let's go. I only left my unit to make sure my subordinates were alright. None of us were expecting a simultaneous ambush."

Leilliana began walking away, prompting Miyaura to quickly follow behind her. The staring fraction of the walk remained silent until Miyaura offered a question to the Demon Hunter Captain.

"Shingen seemed really powerful and he's your subordinate, Why did you pick me to join you?"

"The cult behind this attack on Orion...my guild may have come across them before but it's difficult to be sure. If their plans are like before...then this will be a battle Shingen cannot be prepared for at his current level."

"I see, so when we were ambushed we got lucky compared to other groups."

"Indeed, none of these mercenaries could have predicted the battle to come. These bandits, ex-mercs, and organized crime minions may be nothing but sacrifices for a demon."

"They're sacrifices?!"

"Correct, a ritual of blood and death, using the hatred, despair, and all negative emotions released on a large scale by something exactly like this battle. They may use the collective Sin energy to bring powerful demons to life."

"What?!"

"The surviving units have already gone ahead. The only hope we have is for me to take on whatever comes head-on and if things come to their worst, I'll need someone powerful enough to cover me if it's worse than I can expect."

"Powerful? We just met. I would think someone strong like you would have been able to find another Demi who could have been more helpful. Maybe if we find more A-class mercs it can help us!"

"If your average Deimos or merc was enough, Yes, I could have. Unlike my subordinates, captains have trained and endured many years to develop our skills in various ways. Never have I seen it...but I once met a man who spoke of meeting a demon who only wished to live in peace. That man was a legendary demon slayer who's now retired, formerly a captain himself. No one but the leader of the guild ever took his story seriously...Until I witnessed my subordinates work with a demon for myself moments ago."

Hearing her words Miyaura's eyes widened hearing the Captain's surprising revelation of her nature. Causing Miyaura to suddenly stop in her tracks with her fearful expression toward Leilliana.

"As well as protect and show such a bond of closeness with a human. On normal terms, I would have killed you immediately but...Shingen and Elanor vouched for you as they lack the skills given by many years of training. It's too late to call for reinforcements and the situation seems to worsen by the second. As you can see even minor demons have all converged in this area from all the blood and negative energy. Even goblins waited until you were weakened to try to finish your unit off with similar minor demons showing up at the other ambush sites."

"So...after you've seen what the mercenaries could do, you still chose me?"

Miyaura questioned picking up her pace once again after seeing no hostility from the Demon Hunter.

"A critically decisive decision. If I didn't take you, I would've been leading my subordinates to their early graves. Seeing how you and Aisellia protect each other...She wouldn't be able to escape without their help as well. Alone I wouldn't be able to hold off what's heading for Orion, but if some of the enemies were occupied, together we may have a greater chance of victory and give our forces a greater chance to escape...from this point on, there is no escape for us..."

"But Miss I have a question. I can sense you're even stronger than me, but you're a captain which is the strongest in your guild. Are there many so young and skilled as you?"

"Hm...No, I'm the youngest of the captains. Some in the guild like Elanor and Shingen place me on a pedestal since I'm the youngest to make captain in the history of the guild."

"Really? That's incredible! Hmm, I find you actually really beautiful! Although beauty and a great figure can be a gift and a hassle, having no intention but some just toss envy towards us physically gifted ladies and guys whose first words are about your body and it's somehow always in a creepy way. It's hard being sexy and skilled at the same time out here!"

Leiliana's solid expression softened upon hearing Miyaura's words, seeming surprised such words came from the demon girl next to her. Noticing her surprise, she quickly returned to looking forward, reflecting on her own past occurrences that proved what the demon girl was saying was true, having felt what she described to her as a normal human girl would.

"...Unfortunately true."

"I and Aisellia always agree, that being young and having quality assets has its benefits, especially for the self-confidence once you own it, but we're having fun with our lives. It wasn't always like this but I'm glad it is now, hopefully, we can keep it that way. Oh! I just turned twenty-four this year how old are you?"

"I don't see how that's needed information...but I suppose it wouldn't hurt since we'll be fighting together. I'm twenty-two."

"Oh! We're practically the same age! Maybe we were meant to be allies!"

"That's quite the long shot..."

"It may be but Aisellia and Karna have taught me sometimes, that things work out strangely. Maybe struggling for so long means you're just being prepared to be where you're meant to be! Better than before!"

Miyaura said with a happy smile on her face. Her smile and words earned Leiliana's gaze once again.

Slowly ascending to a bird's eye view, one would be able to see the entirety of the city left in ruins they were in, and in the far distance north, a barren wasteland, its grounds covered with the many boots of marching combatants. A mile north of Miyaura and Leilliana a war ensued. The mighty forces of both sides clash, a battle of blood and desperation for survival on the battlefield each side covered with their enemy's blood. Their war cries of momentary victory mixed with the cries of the slain traveled far beyond the battle itself. Invisible to the naked eye, at every death, dark energy was siphoned from each corpse ominously.

Close to the battle lay the large ruins of a castle long forgotten. Its halls were covered in cobwebs and debris from its broken walls and inner contents. Underground below this castle were twelve cloaked men standing parallel to one another forming a circle, all could be heard chanting an indistinguishable language, a circle formed of the indistinguishable language circling a symbolic formula in its center at their feet. Dark and ominous energy would continue to be drawn into the circle's center focal point. Focusing to the point of a single man sitting there, the energy flowing into his body.

"Proceed to the next stage..."

Hearing the cloaked man's words, those surrounding him began yet another chant, causing the circular formula to turn red. Out on the battlefield, a red mist would begin to seep from the very skin of every corpse. Their eyes sprang open once again but with no color but white could be seen in their eyes paired with their greyish skin resembling a corpse. The look of allied forces was horrified at each case of seeing their comrades return to life once again, only too late to realize the person was no longer alive themselves. The undead tore allies and enemies alike apart, tearing flesh from bone with their teeth. Each corpse adds to the overall number of undead immediately after falling victim.

In the catacombs of the castle, a small figure stood on an elevated ground watching the humans from the shadows.

Shadow Voice: "Soon master will be able to cross the void into this world, and he will kill all puny humans."

On the battlefield, many fought for their lives against the undead. One mercenary avoided injury and cut down each that approached him. Slaying several he turned to face the direction the enemy had come from, seeing a sight that robbed this man of his will and hope, his grip loosening and dropping his weapon to the floor.

Mercenary: "W-we...we can't possibly survive this..."

In his sight was a surprising enemy force running their way, an army of small goblins, teamed up with their much larger counterparts Hob Goblins. Each stood higher than any man on their own and one could visibly tell they held not just height and weight superior to a human, but power as well. Once again to the catacombs, the short shadow figure stepped forward into the light, revealing themselves. It was a goblin itself, wearing shaman-like robes and holding a staff with a human skull adorned on its top. His intelligence speaks for itself at the display of his mastery of demon language.

"Yes. Soon the anger, sorrow, and hatred of those cattle will release enough Sin, With this ritual a Dark Lord of the demon-kind shall be summoned and destroy all humans. This world will be owned by our demons and the humans will be nothing more than playthings and breeding stock for goblins everywhere...yes...soon...soon."

The goblin said overlooking the ritual below it, his red eyes piercing the darkness slightly shadowing his face.