A silent cast of Flame Lance shot forward - probably from Aether - towards the stone wall of the fortress giving way for us to enter through the broken wall.
"Our goal will be to engage these beings one on one. Helmsmen and Rudel will engage them head on whilst we prepare to strike it with Magic. Tenshi will proceed to engage one and stall - and if possible eliminate it if possible." Aether told everyone.
Bold to assume I could stall one Demon, and even suggest I could eliminate it.
"Understood." I replied.
-----
We entered combat quickly here. We fought one and took it down without much hassle. Even to the three veteran mercenaries, their combat power struggled in the face of the Demon. I took in support in the back whilst I left Helmsmen and Rudel to the front line combat - from Aether's order. When they clashed, a terrible screech resounded through the room. It at the least proved swords could block the fierce claws of the Demons... Eventually, the bombardment of spells did their work. A sense of fulfillment filled me again as I saw another one disintegrate away from the masses of Magic spells fired at it.
"..." Helmsmen looked at the black dust and the various creators that filled this suspiciously large hallway. "Tenshi, do you feel the sense of dread and fear when fighting these?" I shook my head.
"No, simply a need to purge and annihilate them." I told them.
"I suppose that is further proof that you are indeed supernatural." Helmsmen said.
We went on through the countless massive hallways to meet our next opponents...
-----
"... I sense three presences..." I noted as we closed in near a massive door. I felt an desire to rush in--, yet I suppressed it with all my reasoning I held...
"... Three here--, we underestimated the number we will have to fight by a lot." Aether uttered... "Not to mention the other two Magic Links nearby."
"This fight--... Do any of us have any potential last words?" Helmsmen asked everyone... Err--, "The only one who is guaranteed to make it out alive is Tenshi."
Well--, ahem... I suppose I guess I might be the only one who could Dissipate away in a pinch.
"Tenshi--..." Katherine uttered... "Could you come with me?" She asked as she backed away from everyone. No one batted an eye, as they probably thought it was something between us two.
"Sure." I didn't think too much of it as I followed her away from the group. As we got to a fair distance to the group, "Is there something you would like to tell me?"
"Err--..." A long pause, as she looked down... "I'm--... worried... I don't want to see Aether or Elise or Kristina die!" Err--...
I let out a long sigh... "I will do what I can." I told her...
... if it is three, I could probably take one on fine, but--, Well, it is the main group, we should be able to take on three, provided we don't get ambushed by the other two Demons... We probably will--, if my luck is anything to expect, but hopefully we won't have to fight 5.
"Though--, regarding the two magic presence away, I will need you to stray out of formation to stall the two monsters if they close in to our position; even a few seconds can help me formulate a plan." I told Katherine. I took in another large sigh... "Now--, is there anything you want to tell me as your final words? Any confessions you would like to make or words you would like for me to deliver to someone?" I struck to the main point--, basically coping Helmsmen... for a friend...
"Err--..." Another pause by her... "... Um--, I... will tell you when--... If something happens..."
Sigh--, well, I won't be able to force her to express her obvious feelings, but--... "Do tell him in case, or your feelings may never be heard."
I returned back to the group first before Katherine. I needed to speak with Helmsmen or Aether regarding our battle plan... to which they were busy speaking with their respective side; Helmsmen with the commissioners, and Aether with Rudel speaking to the other two girls... err--, well, maybe I'll just do this alone...
Katherine was all I needed for stability. If she could stall - provided we have to fight the other two in the distance -, I could distract up to four Demons in a fight through some clever tactical retreats...
I prepared and tried to pass time through playing with the translucent Fragment that came to me. "Are you ready Tenshi?" Aether asked me. I nodded.
"Let's go."
Everyone neared the door and pushed... Nothing, haha--...
I stood there laughing at them... "Let me... try." I pushed them the group aside and touched the door with my left palm... I felt like I knew what to do, I focused my mind in my left hand... I felt a oddly warm, yet chilling feeling pass through my left palm before I pushed the door open... "Prepare for battle!" Enough in being in awe.
I spent no time in haste; I Dissipated and struck one as fast as possible with the translucent Fragment - with little success of course... I summoned my swarm of Fragments to bury another one nearby whilst I engaged this one in combat.
I paid little attention to the group as they should be able to handle one Demon. I only kept my ears open to hear the Demons approach and any silent breeze Katherine will send for my signal.
... Slash, Dissipate, slash, dodge... Maintain a quick guard and counter quickly, before Dissipating to chip away at it again. Even the sparks from the Fragment will slowly fade and destroy it...
"Die!" I poured my everything into this attack--, and... Of course, nothing should have come from it.
Through the amount of momentum I held through the countless Dissipations that launched me forward and the translucent Fragment I held lodged itself deep inside the small wound in it's chest. It fell apart, alongside a feeling of satisfaction...
... Eh--...? A breeze--, err, this... is troublesome...
Without looking back, the Demon I kept within the swarm of Fragments broke out with chips all over it's black body. Alongside that--, from beyond the door where we entered from, I could sense two strong presences arriving closer and closer.
"... Tsk..." I looked around and found that that I was fighting two Demons... I backed off and Dissipated whilst keeping an eye at the group--, huh? Why did those Demons run past everyone? I--... starred around me, the four Demons surrounded me where I stood. I pulled my translucent Fragment--, when did it fill... with purple? A very faint purple glow emanated from it; it was weak but it was still there.
Looking at them, the Demons were vey cautious... Something unusual. Usually they would charge mindlessly and engage like skilled fighters, but here... They acted differently. A sense of... dread filled me, "... die..." I uttered. I Dissipated to prepare for my attacks.
After closing in, I knew I would be alone... No way they would fire any spells of any kind for the chance of friendly fire. I forced myself through and through... Striking quickly, and making fast-paced attacks, even if they were light. I dodged between all four of the Demons, whilst striking close with many of their claws and Magic strikes. Countless scratches and rips tore into the golden dress that served as my armor; blood flew as I miscalculated my dodge and stuffed my dress before it magically repelled all the blood and repaired itself. This repeated again and again.
"Kuk--..." Pain would shoot through me before fading just as quickly. I honestly had no way to fight a 1 to 4 battle against strong opponents... Is--... this... Haha--, I took a deep breath... 'How do I fight this...?' I asked myself. I focused myself to my hands and legs... I... focused my arms as a pale-cold feeling surged through me. I struck a--,
"Huh...?" I struck a Demon and it utterly... broke, the arm of the one I struck fell like nothing--... What--, was... my strength? All the times before, I felt like I was hitting and striking a hard stone, yet here it felt like I slashed through leaves?
... I tried to replicate that feeling, the pale-cold feeling through my body... And--, surprisingly, it worked. I felt numb and cold, but my movements felt much quicker, and intense. A strike from that translucent Fragment easily cuts and pierces the skin of these Demons; where it took me a minute to engage and take one out, now only took mere seconds to strike one down. I looked back at the translucent Fragment--, it started glowing in a faint purple glow...
After looking at my Fragment, I looked back at the dust, and the face of utter surprise from behind me... "Let's go..." Asking any further questions on why or how is pointless--, even I don't know how I did what I did.
... I should ask the Apostle as to what happened, and how to it again... and to ask him what these Demons were an why they were here.
