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Chapter 23: When It All Comes Together

Jason didn’t feel the presence, nor did Antes. They should have, but they didn’t. Hercules didn’t see it and neither did any of his men. Janice hadn’t noticed. Eeskit had been too late. Far too late. Now Eeskit was dead.

Janice screamed and bolted from Vessius, but the corrupted angel made no move to pursue her. It could have and the thought did cross his tormented mind, but that would have been bad sport, especially after killing the rodent so easily.

“My master bid you welcome,” Vessius said and opened his arms in a welcoming manner. “I would have been here sooner, but I had to let the pets have their small bit of fun.” Vessius looked to the bodies of the other demons. “And use the last bit of usefulness up.”

“You murderer!” Janice screamed at Vessius and she was about ready to lunge at the angel if it weren’t for Hercules who held her back. She was crying. Eeskit had been one of her closest and most loyal friends. She knew that the vermin had developed feelings for her, but there was there was the understanding that nothing would come from it. That understanding had only cemented their friendship. Now he was gone, as quickly as he had come to join them, join her in their quest to stop Malus.

“Yet another casualty of war,” Vessius said and shrugged. “It was war does. Kills. No one is left unscathed.”

Jason, at Antes behest, turned to the others. “Go. You have to go now.”

“What about you?” Hercules questioned. “You don’t plan on staying? He is my lord. My god. My father. He gestured to his men who held stern faces. Out father.”

“Then you know that only I have any chance of defeating him.”

Hercules went tight lipped, his eyes darting back and forth between Vessius and Jason. “I don’t think even you can beat him.” It was an honest truth.

Jason looked at him and then nodded. “I’ll hold him off then. It’s up to the rest of you to stop Malus. The soul stone will be there when you need it.”

Hercules looked like he wanted to argue, but instead he nodded.

Janice, Hercules and his surviving men began to make their way towards the exit which would take them even further down. Vessius watched them, but didn’t move to stop them. He spoke once they were out of sight.

“They will fail without you,” He said and chuckled. “Just like how Sacra will eventually fall without me. The demons left behind on this world will fail without Malus. Your home world will fail since the angels aren’t there. How fascinating that the absence of one factor could cause so much failure.”

“You talk too much,” Jason said and felt an urging from Antes and gave in. Despite Jason’s potential powers from the Divine, Antes was still more experienced.

“So the cat is out of the bag,” Vessius commented as he watched Jason shift into a more angelic form and become Antes. “Been a good long while since we last spoke, Antes.”

“I don’t think this would count as a reunion,” Antes said. “Last time we spoke, you weren’t a foul desecration, a corrupted half spawn of both hell and heaven. Last time, you were grieving, having received your orders to abandon the people you loved.”

“Love?” Vessius sighed. “Is that what it seemed to be?” He tapped his blade to his chin. “It’s not what I remember. I remember being worshipped, feeling powerful, controlling and owning their lives. I remember you and the others being jealous.”

“You really have fallen,” Antes growled, baring his teeth. “Truly corrupted to spew such lies. I know what I had seen that day. No words from you will change the truth. You wept like a boy.”

“Boy!” Vessius exclaimed. “I will show you who the boy is.” Vessius leapt at Antes, sword bared to strike.

Hercules was correct, Antes couldn’t beat Vessius in a fight. The angel had been the closest to perfection when it came to his martial might, able to dodge and parry any blow while striking with absolute efficiency and grace.

Antes raised his ice blade just in time to block the thrust to his chest, deflecting the punishing blade off to the side. He then barely had time to jump back and out of the way as one of Vessius’ defiled wings struck out at him.

Vessius didn’t press the attack. He stood up straight and curled his wings around him. “You grow slow. You may have a young body now, but your soul is weak.”

Antes kept at the ready with his sword held in both hands and raised. “Then show this old soul how it’s done.”

Vessius grinned vehemently. “I will.”

Again, the two angels clashed. Swords sparking and wings stabbing at each other with neither gaining any ground over the other.

Each swing of a blade was parried or dodged. Each strike of a deadly wing was avoided. Every maneuver countered. It was a stalemate and yet, Antes grinned. Vessius frowned.

“If this was the true Vessius, I would have lost in the first five seconds,” Antes said. “You’ve lost your touch or rather, you never had the touch. Vessius was honorable. All his intentions were built on his love for his people. You. You are not him.”

“I am better,” Vessius snarled. “Much. Much better.”

He hunched over and there was the sound of bones breaking. His skin, mottled, pale and corrupted turned a deep maroon and black. The wings pulled from his back, bringing out blood and flesh as they extended and grew twice as large. Muscles bulged, ripped and sewed themselves back together. Massive horns, gnarled and twisted, made of a blackened ivory, sprouted from his matted hair. When the transformation was complete, Vessius was gone, replaced by a horrid winged abomination.

“I am Primarch,” the beast said. “I am the end of all that is holy. I was the end of Vessius. I am your end too.”

“Well,” Jason said internally. “You’ve pissed him off. Good job.”

There wasn’t much further to go fo Janice and Hercules before they found the chamber where Malus was in and they were surprised to see Kieth there already along with Gorston. They were surrounded by multitudes of smaller demons, fighting for their lives.

“Kieth!” Janice called out and came charging into the wide space to go to him, but was cut off by a trio of Hell hounds.

“Glad you could join the party,” Kieth replies as he blasted demon after demon with his spells. “Gorston and I thought that you might need help, so we went into the tunnels, got lost and ended up here.”

“We could use the help,” she replied and tried to get past the hounds but they snarled and snapped at her.

“You stay right there,” A chilling voice called out from the center of the space. A being floated there, wrapped in a shroud of smoke and with red skin, goats eyes and horns. Malus and Janice knew in extensions, Anthony.

She could finally see him. Her friend, twisted and used for such atrocious villainy.

“You let Anthony go!” She yelled out at him and then quickly back stepped to avoid the teeth of the hell hounds. Hercules then stepped in and engaged then.

“You must be another one of his little friends,” Malus said. He hovered over a large bubbling pot. “I wasn’t expecting such a reunion so soon. It’s rude to show up unannounced.” He waved his hand in her direction and more demons came spilling into the room from various entrances. Hundreds upon hundreds of demons.

Hercules finished dispatching the hell hounds quickly and looked at the horde coming towards them. “On me!” He yelled and his remaining soldiers formed around him, making a shield wall with their shields locked together and with their spears sticking out of the gaps.

“Stay behind us,” He said back to Janice who felt deflated.

She looked over to where Kieth was. He was sending bolts of fire and bringing up walls of flames to keep his flanks secure, but he looked exhausted already.

Gorston was a mad bull, his horns were covered in blood and he had a massive club that smashed demons with every blow. It brought chilling flashbacks to the fight they had just gone through. He was tired as well and she grew afraid that she was about to lose another friend.

It wasn’t fair. Why does she lose all these friends. All around her. Friends on the verge of being killed. First Eeskit. Poor Eeskit had only been there a few moments. He was there for her and now gone. Was there hope.

Hercules looked back and saw her slump, her sword barely in her hand. “Don’t give up on me now!” He yelled as the sounds of the demons grew louder. A massive pit demon, human like with plated black armor and a bisected jaw, came charging into the nearly filled room. It gave a roar and began to bound towards the shield wall.

“There’s no hope,” she shrugged.

“Not if you’ve given up already,” Hercules yelled or tried to, but the first demons hit the wall and his voice was drowned out in the fighting

Janice watched with a numbness that overcame her. Spears stabbed into distended black bellies, spilling out worms and guts of the small impish demons. A hell hound snapped its jaws around the shaft of a spear and snapping it. The man then dropped the spear and pulled a short stabbing sword from its scabbard.

Demons began to run around the edges of the shield wall to flank them. Janice looked at a three eyed monstrosity that scrambled on three legs and held two short daggers. It had large bulbous eyes that were barely contained in its sockets. They looked right at her and the creature turned to her and its small mouth gave out a throating screech as it charged.

Janice just watched the horrid little creation come at her and made no move to defend herself. It leapt and then just as it was going to stick her with those sorry little blades, it vanished in a brilliant flash.

“Janice, you stupid bitch!” Kieth yelled out at her, his palm outstretched towards where the small demon had been. His face was drenched with sweat and his eyes sagged with exertion. “There’s a war going on.”

She blinked a few times, the smell of putrid burnt flesh stinging them. She had given up hope, but what good would that do for everyone else? They hadn’t given up on her. She was being useless. She was never the useless one.

A cry got her attention. A demon had gotten over the shield wall and struck a soldier in the back of the leg and drew some blood. Unable to break the wall, the soldier was swatting back with his sword, but couldn’t reach. The demon was about to strike again, but Janice quickly moved and cut the thing’s head in two at the jaw line. She looked around and quickly began to dispatch the demons that tried to hit the wall from behind.

With the flanks secured, Hercules ordered the wall to push forward through the swarm of demons, striking them down and scattering them before them. They moved slowly towards where Kieth was. They were making good progress, but the roar of the pit demon got their attention again. The thing, which stood at least four meters in height and bore a scythe shaped blade, was still coming.

“Whatever happens,” Hercules said. “It’s been a true honor.”

“Just shut up,” Janice grunted as she stabbed a demon in the chest and kicked it away.

Hercules grinned and then frowned as the entire room shook.

Malus had been watching the whole fight with a grin. There was no victory here for them. Even though their armies were winning the field up top. Even though the angels had subdued and captured Hermès. There was no victory for them. The spell was nearly complete. Just minutes away from opening a stable portal. Then the room shook and there was a loud crack.

Everyone looked up as the ceiling split open. Large chunks of rock came crashing down, crushing small groups of demons and scattering more. Then the entire center of the ceiling fell and Antes fell with it along with Primarch.