10. The King is Coming 2
"50 years ago, when the end of the world began, demons deceived humans into creating a weapon, a barrier against the heavens, to leave the Earth unprotected and to give demonic armies the necessary time to fully occupy the Earth and gain all the power to wage war against the heavens. The end of the world continued even though the heavens were blocked by the beam coming from the west; it continued on Earth. Demons gained even more power, the freedom between Hell and Earth, cataclysms and natural disasters everywhere on Earth, unimaginable destruction of nuclear power plants, and cities submerged underwater. I don't know how we survived 50 years without God. Humans resisted for a good period of time, and without my discoveries, the defense from walls, weapons against demons, and, last but not least, humans with demonic powers, some with angelic powers. However, humanity is not made to withstand demons; it is made to join the heavens. We, those on Earth, steal the freedom of others to ascend to the heavens. Our last chance is today, the Super Full Moon during the spring equinox, an event that happens three times a century. Finally, we have the power of a prince, a power still unrestricted by the heavens, wings still uncut. The heavens are waiting; we just need to turn the doorknob, Max." - Dr. Romanov
"On the eastern front, Guardiol engages directly with the 5 Earls of Hell.
"Skip this fight, go after the king, don't tire yourselves with these." Guardiol said.
"We'll help here too." Atalanta said.
"Agreed." Rozalia added.
"And we'll cover the entire area; the marquises aren't far. We'll try to lure them into our fight. Atalanta, shoot at the second row." Achilles suggested.
"Sure thing!" Atalanta replied.
"That's the plan. Nick, you need to be there with me." Cain stated.
"Of course, I'll be with you. Let's go!" Nick responded.
"Don't mind if we join you upfront; we're looking for something more challenging." Spartacus said, followed by Vlad.
"I expected nothing less from you." Cain replied.
"Another one is coming." Nick noted.
"Don't leave me behind!" Richard added.
"So, we have three dukes, one prince, and one king. It should be easy for the five of us, one for each," Nick suggested.
"No, Nick, we'll fight together, you and I against Bael. There's no scenario where any of us alone could face him, but together we might have a chance."
"The prince is mine!" Richard declared.
"I wanted him, Ricky. Anyway, be careful not to die." Spartacus said.
"I won't die." Richard assured.
"Can I take on the three dukes alone?" Vlad asked.
"As if I'd let you steal my fun again." Spartacus retorted.
"Be careful; it's the first time you're fighting a duke. They're on a completely different level than the Earls you've faced before. You'd have a tough fight with a Marquis if you underestimated them." Cain warned.
"They're coming!" Nick shouted.
"I'll try to land a powerful blow to make your job easier. Be on alert! Nick, Richard, flank them." Cain ordered.
"Got it!" Nick and Richard responded, with Richard going left and Nick going right.
Cain attacked one of the three dukes head-on, but the duke managed to defend himself, only being slightly pushed back.
"I can't believe he resisted Cain's attack; they're quite resilient." Spartacus commented.
"I'll leave the rest to you two!" Cain said.
"Count on us!" Spartacus replied.
"They'll be judged!" Vlad declared.
"Richard, you have to defeat the prince; I know you can." Cain said.
"Of course, I can. After all, I'm the strongest. Good luck with Bael!" Richard responded.
"We'll flank from here, attempting to attack from behind, even though he'll sense us anyway. Let's go, Nick!" Cain said.
"Coming!" Nick replied.
"Leave the rest to me," Richard said.
"Destroy him!" Nick encouraged.
"Are the others okay? Should I have left Hope and Sofia in Rex's care? No, now isn't the time to think about that. If I lose here, it won't matter anyway. I need to focus; I need to win!" Nick thought.
After the volley of arrows unleashed by Atalanta towards the front line, they join the battle alongside the Earls.
"How dare mere humans and simple demons challenge us to battle? I am Marchosias, the Great Marquis of Hell, commanding thirty legions of demons."
(Marchosias, a wolf-man with griffin wings)
"My name is Furfur, the Great Earl of Hell, ruling over twenty-six legions of demons."
(Furfur, a hart-man with wings)
"I am Bifrons, Earl of Hell, with six legions of demons under my command."
(Bifrons, an old man who changes his appearance into a monster)
"My name is Ronove. I am both a Marquis and Great Earl of Hell. The others are the Marquises Shax and Gamigin, and the Earls Raum, Malthus, and Andromalius."
(Ronove, a big monster holding a staff, with a tail)
(Shax, a snake-headed man with a sword)
(Gamigin, a monkey-faced creature, magic user, wielding a scepter)
(Raum, a vulture-faced being with a spear)
(Malthus, a stork-man, carrying two swords)
(Andromalius, a man holding a big serpent in his hand)
"Guys, are we sure we can defeat them? There seem to be quite a few powerful entities here." Guardiol inquired.
"Can we lose?" Miyamoto asked, drawing his two katanas.
"Don't throw those words around in front of Miyamoto. He's a bit of an idealist. I, on the other hand, just want to fight, and if I'm watched while doing it, even better." Achilles, ready for battle, replied.
"Alright, so what's the plan?" Guardiol asked.
"I'll take the animals; you guys can handle the others." Miyamoto suggested.
"Animals?" Guardiol questioned.
"You're cheating, Miyamoto. That means three Marquises and three Earls for you. What's left for us?" Achilles complained.
"Are you serious?!" Rozalia exclaimed.
"I don't know Miyamoto to joke. He's one of our strongest warriors. Keep shooting the other demons." Atalanta replied.
"Sure!" Rozalia, meanwhile, was thinking: "There must be some monster who trained Nick."
"It can't be serious; I'll kill him with one blow." Raum said, throwing his spear at Miyamoto, who disappeared for a second and reappeared next to the vulture man, piercing him with his sword. The other fallen angels retreated and gathered in a defensive position.
"Achilles, can you kill that monster?" Miyamoto asked.
"Of course, but it seems to be the weakest of them all." Achilles said, running towards the monster. At the same time, Guardiol entered the battle with Andromalius, who attacked with the great snake in his hand. Meanwhile, Atalanta aimed at the Marquises, and Rozalia killed the demons around them.
After an elegant battle between Achilles and the monster Bifrons, Achilles easily managed to eliminate him. Guardiol cut off the snake's head, and Andromalius, defenseless, was pierced by an arrow from Atalanta.
"Stay in position; the remaining ones are very powerful." Miyamoto warned.
"I don't want to complicate things with these humans; they've already managed to kill three Earls. Shax, go!" Marchosias, the wolfman with griffin wings, seemingly the highest-ranking fallen angel among the participants in that battle, said as he unsheathed his sword.
"Understood!" Shax replied.
"Furfur, Malthus, the three of us will fight the samurai. Ronove, deal with the weaker one. Gamigin, you must stop the third one." Marchosias continued.
"Do you think you can choose your battles as you wish?" Miyamoto asked.
"Surround him; we'll defeat him!" Marchosias ordered.
"These Marquises are much more powerful than the ones we fought before." Achilles noted.
"That's because I am Gamigin, a Great Marquis of Hell who rules over thirty legions of demons." Gamigin declared.
"So, a powerful one. You seem somewhat on par with Crowley." Achilles said, dodging the lightning from Gamigin's staff.
While Furfur and Malthus momentarily distracted Miyamoto, Marchosias rushed towards Achilles, managing to cut his right leg near the ankle, right where the tattoo was, making the number 5 bleed. In a fraction of a second, Miyamoto impaled Malthus, and Atalanta collapsed.
"What happened?!" Rozalia asked.
"You thought you could defeat us by staying in the back?" Shax, who had reached them, managed to pierce Atalanta with his sword while dodging Rozalia's shot.
Rozalia tried to shoot at him, but Shax managed to dodge and cut her weapon. Miyamoto and Guardiol tried to move towards her, but they were stopped by the others. In a moment of carelessness, Rozalia took out the dagger given by Lycia and stabbed Shax, killing him. Still, she couldn't rejoin the fight as she was left unconscious by a long-distance spell from Gamigin.
"We have to keep fighting, Nick's friend." Miyamoto said.
"I'm Nick's brother, not just a friend." Guardiol replied.
"In that case, if we survive this, the two of us will have to share a cup of sake." Miyamoto suggested.
"Yes!" Guardiol agreed.
In a swift move, Miyamoto reached behind Gamigin and managed to kill him before the fight resumed its normal dynamics. Guardiol took a stance and approached Ronove, while the demon tried to attack him with the large serpent in his hand. At the same time, Atalanta shot towards the Marquises, and Rozalia killed the demons around them.
After an elegant battle between Achilles and the monster Bifrons, Achilles easily managed to eliminate him. Guardiol cut off the snake's head, and Andromalius, defenseless, was pierced by an arrow from Atalanta.
"Stay in position; the remaining ones are very powerful." Miyamoto warned.
"I don't want to complicate things with these humans; they've already managed to kill three Earls. Shax, go." Marchosias, the wolfman with griffin wings, seemingly the highest-ranking fallen angel among the participants in that battle, said as he unsheathed his sword.
"Understood!" Shax replied.
"Furfur, Malthus, the three of us will fight the samurai. Ronove, deal with the weaker one. Gamigin, you must stop the third one." Marchosias continued.
"Do you think you can choose your battles as you wish?" Miyamoto asked.
"Surround him; we'll defeat him!" Marchosias ordered.
"These Marquises are much more powerful than the ones we fought before." Achilles noted.
"That's because I am Gamigin, a Great Marquis of Hell who rules over thirty legions of demons." Gamigin declared.
"So, a powerful one. You seem somewhat on par with Crowley." Achilles said, dodging the lightning from Gamigin's staff.
While Furfur and Malthus momentarily distracted Miyamoto, Marchosias rushed towards Achilles, managing to cut his right leg near the ankle, right where the tattoo was, making the number 5 bleed. In a fraction of a second, Miyamoto impaled Malthus, and Atalanta collapsed.
"What happened?!" Rozalia asked.
"You thought you could defeat us by staying in the back?" Shax, who had reached them, managed to pierce Atalanta with his sword while dodging Rozalia's shot.
Rozalia tried to shoot at him, but Shax managed to dodge and cut her weapon. Miyamoto and Guardiol tried to move towards her, but they were stopped by the others. In a moment of carelessness, Rozalia took out the dagger given by Lycia and stabbed Shax, killing him. Still, she couldn't rejoin the fight as she was left unconscious by a long-distance spell from Gamigin.
"We have to keep fighting, Nick's friend." Miyamoto said.
"I'm Nick's brother, not just a friend." Guardiol replied.
"In that case, if we survive this, the two of us will have to share a cup of sake." Miyamoto suggested.
"Yes!" Guardiol agreed.
In a swift move, Miyamoto reached behind Gamigin and managed to kill him before the fight resumed its normal dynamics. Guardiol took a stance and approached Ronove, while the demon tried to attack him with the large serpent in his hand. At the same time, Atalanta shot towards the Marquises, and Rozalia killed the demons around them.
After an elegant battle between Achilles and the monster Bifrons, Achilles easily managed to eliminate him. Guardiol cut off the snake's head, and Andromalius, defenseless, was pierced by an arrow from Atalanta.
"Stay in position; the remaining ones are very powerful." Miyamoto warned.
"I don't want to complicate things with these humans; they've already managed to kill three Earls. Shax, go," Marchosias, the wolfman with griffin wings, seemingly the highest-ranking fallen angel among the participants in that battle, said as he unsheathed his sword.
"Understood!" Shax replied.
"Furfur, Malthus, the three of us will fight the samurai. Ronove, deal with the weaker one. Gamigin, you must stop the third one," Marchosias continued.
"Do you think you can choose your battles as you wish?" Miyamoto asked.
"Surround him; we'll defeat him!" Marchosias ordered.
"These Marquises are much more powerful than the ones we fought before," Achilles noted.
"That's because I am Gamigin, a Great Marquis of Hell who rules over thirty legions of demons," Gamigin declared.
"So, a powerful one. You seem somewhat on par with Crowley." Achilles said, dodging the lightning from Gamigin's staff.
While Furfur and Malthus momentarily distracted Miyamoto, Marchosias rushed towards Achilles, managing to cut his right leg near the ankle, right where the tattoo was, making the number 5 bleed. In a fraction of a second, Miyamoto impaled Malthus, and Atalanta collapsed.
"What happened?!" Rozalia asked.
"You thought you could defeat us by staying in the back?" Shax, who had reached them, managed to pierce Atalanta with his sword while dodging Rozalia's shot.
Rozalia tried to shoot at him, but Shax managed to dodge and cut her weapon. Miyamoto and Guardiol tried to move towards her, but they were stopped by the others. In a moment of carelessness, Rozalia took out the dagger given by Lycia and stabbed Shax, killing him. Still, she couldn't rejoin the fight as she was left unconscious by a long-distance spell from Gamigin.
"We have to keep fighting, Nick's friend." Miyamoto said.
"I'm Nick's brother, not just a friend," Guardiol replied.
"In that case, if we survive this, the two of us will have to share a cup of sake." Miyamoto suggested.
"Yes!" Guardiol agreed.
In a swift motion, Miyamoto reaches behind Gamigin, managing to kill him before the battle resumes its normal dynamics. Guardiol takes his stance and approaches Ronove, the demon attempts to strike him, but Guardiol jumps sideways, in a dynamic similar to Achilles when he killed one of the Presidents of Hell. And just like Achilles, Guardiol pierces the Marquis's throat with his sword.
"Only a marquis and an earl left. You can rest now." Miyamoto
"We're leaving, Furfur! Let's fly!" Marchosias, and the two spread their wings, attempting to leave the battle. At that moment, Guardiol focuses his energy into his sword, extends it towards the sky targeting the two winged beings, and launches a beam that immediately renders Marchosias unconscious. Marchosias, the Great Marquis of Hell, manages to avoid the attack, but Furfur is not as fortunate and is pierced by the beam, being killed.
"What a twist, Atalanta, to fall on the frontlines on the same day... For me, it's becoming more and more ironic, to die twice in the same manner, this heel, a true curse. I don't think I'll die with regrets; I just hope the boys win this fight." Achilles, dragging himself over Atalanta's body, picks up his bow, grabs an arrow with trembling hands, and envelops himself in a demonic aura. Gathering all his demonic power into the arrow, he launches an attack that brings down Marchosias. Miyamoto, also suffering from wounds after the battle, only manages to pull Guardiol to the area where the other three are and stays on guard.