Chapter 76: Kill

The snow-covered streets of the city were a mess of chaos, with the sound of clashing steel and screams of terrified civilians filling the air. Lucinda, her long white hair blowing back in the wind, her eyes shining with fierce determination, ran through the midst of the battle.

As she turned a corner, she saw a group of Knights of Verdantis, their armor gleaming with a faint mana hue, fighting off a horde of demons. The creatures were twisted, nightmarish beings with razor-sharp claws and teeth, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy.

The knights were holding their own against the demons, but they were vastly outnumbered. Lucinda could see that they were starting to tire, their movements slowing as they fought to keep up the pace. That was when she spotted a group of Vel'ryr troops, their plasma rifles blazing with a bright red light as they fired off shot after shot at the knights.

Lucinda's eyes narrowed as she took in the scene. She knew that she had to act fast if she was going to help the knights.

"I don't want to cause further damage to the city, I'll stick with ice magic then." With her mind made up, she reached out with her magic, feeling the familiar surge of energy as she summoned a blast of cold air. The wind howled and buffeted the demons, freezing some in place. But it was just a temporary reprieve - the creatures were too numerous, and soon they would be closing in again.

With a swift motion, Lucinda conjured up a wall of ice crystals, sending them hurtling towards the demons. The creatures screeched and recoiled as they were hit by the sharp, frozen projectiles. But even as they stumbled back, more and more demons kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless.

She spotted a group of demons clustered around a particularly large and terrifying creature - its body a twisted mass of scales and tentacles, its eyes blazing with an eerie green light.

"That one could be troublesome." With a swift motion, Lucinda summoned a burst of frosty energy, freezing the ground beneath the demon's feet. The creature let out a deafening roar as it stumbled and fell, its tentacles thrashing wildly as it tried to regain its footing. But Lucinda didn't give it a chance - she conjured up another blast of cold air, this one targeted specifically at the demon's eyes. The creature let out a pained scream as its vision was frozen over, its tentacles thrashing wildly as it tried to see.

The knights took advantage of the distraction to launch a counterattack. They surged forward, their swords flashing in the pale light of the snow-covered streets. The demons were caught off guard, and for a few moments at least, they were able to hold their own against the knights.

"There were only a few here, but the demons will regroup eventually, and when they do, they will come back with even more ferocity," she cursed Vel'ryr.

That was when she spotted a group of Vel'ryr troops setting up a makeshift barricade in front of one of the city's buildings. They were using their plasma rifles to blast away at the walls, creating a makeshift barrier to protect themselves from the knights.

Lucinda's eyes narrowed as she took in the scene. Vel'ryr troops could be trouble, so it was best to deal with them now.

She targeted the plasma rifles themselves. She felt a strange sensation as her magic interacted with the technology - it was like trying to manipulate metal itself. But slowly but surely, Lucinda began to feel herself gaining control over the plasma rifles.

With a swift motion, she directed them to fire off blasts at strategic locations around the city - at key points where the other Vel'ryr troops were most likely to appear next. She heard some troop members let out pained screams as they were hit by bolts of superheated energy, their numbers beginning to dwindle as they stumbled back in confusion.

But this was only one section of Emberreach; Vel'ryr was no doubt deploying troops around every weak spot. Her mulling could not continue, however, as she heard someone clapping their hands. Turning on her heel, she was met with the sight of a rather peculiar humanoid demon.

At first glance, her form was striking, draped in a cloak that seemed woven from the very essence of the night itself. The fabric cascaded around her figure in fluid, shadowy waves, clinging to her curves. Her face was a portrait of beauty, framed by tumbling locks of black hair that cascaded in waves around her shoulders. Her piercing eyes were pools of molten gold that flickered like flames. Her features were both delicate and alluring, with high cheekbones that spoke of unearthly beauty. Her lips, full and crimson, curved into a smile that was equal parts inviting and dangerous, and of course, there were the horns protruding out of her head. She looked peculiar because she seemed more human than demon.

"That was some impressive mana control," the demoness complemented, her voice soothing and low.

"You're another one." Lucinda's eyes narrowed as she studied the demon; all around them, knights began to surround her, looking to offer Lucinda support. "A Chaosmaw. That absurd amount of mana and your intelligence attributes to this."

"Indeed, Chaosmaw Ezerald, a pleasure." She did a small curtsy, not paying mind to the numerous knights that surrounded her.

("Two were confirmed back at the attack on Luminare Academy, and now a third?") Lucinda frowned deeply as her left hand flexed, sparks of red illuminated her palm as her blade began to take shape. "What is your purpose here, demon? Do you mean to destroy all of Emberreach?" Ezerald gave an empty-eyed smile as she answered.

"Nothing that grand." She murmured. Lucinda tensed as she felt the mana of the demon spread rapidly before her eyes widened as she turned to the knights.

"All of you ru-" Her words were cut short as one by one the knights seemed to implode, armor shattered to naught but pieces as blood, guts, and organs decorated the icy city streets. Eyeballs and the odd tooth or finger were mixed in; it was instantaneous.

"I am merely here to rid the world of the spawn of Octavia." Ezerald gave a nasty smile at Lucinda's horrified expression. "So please do not resist, and die."

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The snow-covered streets of the city, once a bustling hub of commerce and trade, now lay in ruins. The thatched roofs of the buildings were charred and blackened, the wooden beams splintered and cracked. The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and ozone, and the sound of screams and clashing steel echoed through the streets. She had split up with Mirabella to cover more ground so they could support the knights.

("But still why attack a city now?") She mentally questioned.

As she turned a corner, Agatha was met with a sight that made her frown. A group of demons, their twisted bodies writhing with dark energy, were attacking a group of Verdantis knights. The knights, clad in shining white armor, were fighting valiantly, their swords flashing in the dim light. But they were vastly outnumbered, and Agatha could see that they were beginning to falter.

The demons came in all shapes and sizes, from towering behemoths with razor-sharp claws to smaller, quicker creatures that darted in and out of the shadows. But they were all united in their desire to destroy the knights.

As Agatha watched, a group of Vel'ryr troops emerged from the shadows, their plasma blasters crackling with energy. The knights were fighting bravely, but they were no match for the sheer number of enemies they were facing. Agatha knew that she had to act quickly if she was going to save them.

With a deep breath, she reached out with her magic, feeling the power coursing through her veins. She focused all of her energy on a single point.

"Creation Magic: Azure Wolf,"

A burst of magic erupted in front of her, and a massive white wolf materialized before her. The wolf was huge, its body longer than a horse's, and its jaws wide enough to swallow a man whole. Its eyes glowed with an intense azure light, and its fur rippled in the wind like snow.

The wolf charged forward, its jaws wide open as it attacked the demons. It was a terrifying sight to behold, and even the Vel'ryr troops took a step back as it approached. It tore through demons with ease, its sharp teeth shredding them to pieces.

It was nimble on its paws as well, dodging blasts of light and the demons' efforts to harm it.

"Basilisks."

But Agatha wasn't done yet. With another burst of magic, she summoned a massive white serpent from the ground. The serpent was larger than the wolf, its body coiled and ready to strike. Its eyes glowed with an icy blue light, and its scales seemed to shimmer like diamonds in the dim light.

As the wolf and serpent attacked the demons and Vel'ryr troops, the knights were finally given a short moment of respite, but they would still need more help.

"Great owl."

Agatha summoned one more creature: a massive white owl. The owl was enormous, its wings spread wide as it soared through the air. Its eyes glowed with an intense yellow light, and its talons seemed to be tipped with razor-sharp claws.

The owl dove down from the sky, its wings beating powerfully as it rained down wing projectiles on the demons and Vel'ryr troops. The creatures howled in pain as they were struck by the owl's sharp claws, and even the knights looked up in awe as they watched the battle unfold.

The demons and Vel'ryr troops fought back fiercely, but Agatha's creations held their own against them. The wolf's jaws snapped shut again and again, taking down demons left and right. The serpent coiled around its victims, squeezing them until they were nothing more than limp corpses. And the owl continued to rain down wing projectiles on its enemies.

Agatha took a step forward to partake in the battle, but she was stopped by a familiar voice.

"I was hoping for the mask child."

She turned to face it, and her eyes widened. It was a demon, and a familiar one, Asmodai.