At the end of the evening, Nirrti had accompanied Kate home. There was no point staying at the library for the night, it would only postpone the inevitable.

The human had a hard time sleeping. Every sound woke her up, no matter if it was just Nirrti refilling her tea or a bird chirping in the early morning hours. Even on a morning like this, Apollyon had provided breakfast, which Kate shared with her Nightmare friend.

Sariel had been right, Arakiel hadn’t made his move yet. Kate was relieved he didn’t but hated it at the same time. She wanted this to be over.  She and Nirrti were on the way to the university now. Currently, it was one of the most well-guarded places in the city besides the library.

“I am trying to block out your fear, but you are radiating it too strongly, I can’t help but feel it. Will you be alright?”

“I don’t know… I don’t think so.” Kate shook her head.

“Understandable. Anything I can do?”

“Nothing. I just want to be safe again.”

“Then I will simply stay with you.”

“Thank you.”

The two walked for a few more minutes before Nirrti suddenly stopped. Kate turned around to look at her friend in full demon form.

“He’s here, isn’t he?”

“Yes.” She drew her daggers. “I am not a great fighter, but when he arrives, I will attempt to buy you time. You will need to run as fast as you can to the university, understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Let’s keep moving.”

“What if anyone sees you?”

“That will be a problem for later, but I can’t fight in human disguise.”

“Oh no, my dear Nightmare, that’s a problem for now.” A male voice, condescending and arrogant. It belonged to Arakiel, who stepped out of a side alley in his fully revealed angelic form.

“Just leave.”

“I don't think so. I will just dispatch you and then take my human and be on my merry way. Unless, of course, you step aside. I won’t hurt you in that case.” He drew a sword, making sure to display the gleaming gold edge.

“The threat of a blessed weapon won’t be enough.”

“I heard it is quite unpleasant to be killed by it. The pain lasting through your fancy little immortality trick. I am eager to try it out.” He lunged, Nirrti parried.

“Kate, run!”

Without looking back, she did. She ran, only stopping when she heard Nirrti scream in agony many streets away.

 

Kate took a deep breath and started to run again, only see the angel step into her way. She managed to turn into a small alley and evade him for a few more minutes, but he was faster than her. Every attempt to get to the university was blocked. There was another safe place though: the library. Kate decided to make a run for it. Her enhanced body should manage the several kilometre sprint. At least she hoped it would.

Arakiel hadn’t noticed yet. Kate managed to get close to the edge of the city unimpeded. But it would be too early to celebrate, turning her head to look back on the main street running through the city, she saw him. To her surprise he wasn’t flying, simply running. She couldn’t outpace him now, there had to be another thing she could do. Something to alert the demons…

She grabbed her left shoulder. The tattoo. She just needed a way to trigger it, and that way was coiled around her right wrist. Kate extended her liquiform blade into her own hand, wincing in pain.

The angel stopped in confusion. “What do you think you are doing?”

This close, it was clear why he didn’t fly: his wings were barely holding together. Not a new injury, but something that he had lived with for a long time.

Kate tried and managed to grin pretty successfully, given the rather severe wound. “Outplaying you.”

“A human? Outplaying me? Right.”

“She actually did.” Apollyon had arrived, just as Kate had hoped.

“General, how good to see you.” He drew his sword, black tar-like blood stained the golden edge now. Apollyon grimaced at the sight.

“I would have asked you to leave, but not this time. We have agreed to finally execute you.”

“Try it.”

Apollyon did.

 

Arakiel tried to slice at the demon with a wild flurry of strikes, none of them successful. Apollyon wasn’t getting through either though. Her methodical approach was better suited to fighting any opponent who wasn’t simply relying on brute force and speed to overwhelm.

Finally, a blow was struck. But it was not Arakiel who stumble backwards from a shoulder hit, but Apollyon. She screamed. The wound was glistening white. After a moment to gather herself, she swung again, this time disarming the angel with a swift strike and placing her own blade at his throat.

“Any last words?”

“You cannot kill me like this and you know it. You’d have to seek me out in Heaven and kill me again. You know what that will start, right? The war you tried to avoid for so long. You even let your last human die to prevent it, didn’t you? Bet you didn’t know that, eh Kate?”

“I hold nothing but regret for that decision.” Apollyon scowled.

“Maybe you can regret this one too then.” He lifted his hand.

“She will not.” Sariel had appeared, very close to Kate. All six of her wings unfurled and her sword lowered, as if the bright hot blade had just struck something.

Kate looked down to find blood not just dripping from her hand, but also her side. Arakiel did it, he had stabbed her. As he had raised his hand, his sword had flung itself towards the distracted human. Sariel had cut apart the blade, but it had still done enough. Kate was slowly slumping forward.

Apollyon dashed over to catch her. “Kate!”

“You are so easy to beat. Your ‘friendships’ make you weak, General.” Arakiel was taunting as Apollyon held Kate in her arms. The human was struggling to stay awake.

“Come on, stay with me.” She tried to magically seal the wound left by the angel’s sword, but to no avail. “Not like this, Kate. Look at me.”

Kate smiled at her friend. “I’ll be okay…”

“Yes, yes, you will be. I promise, you will be.” Apollyon poured more of her magic into Kate. If she couldn’t heal her friend, she could at least make sure her human lasted long enough for someone else to do so. The fact that it would forcibly keep Kate awake for a little longer was an appreciated bonus.

“Don’t lie to her.” Arakiel was sauntering towards the two demons and Kate, until Sariel put a stop to that. He found himself bound in black metal chains.

“No, Arakiel. She will be fine. She will be a demon. And you will be gone. Forever.” Sariel spoke with utmost purpose.

“And how do you intend to do that? Did you miss when I told General Apollyon here that you can only kill me in Heaven? I expected the Godkiller to know that already.”

“It is not I who will kill you, as much as I would have enjoyed it.” Sariel stepped aside to make room for Azazel. Kate only got a glance of her demon form. She was more of a shadow than a living thing, her hair coiling into tentacles before fading into nothingness around her knees. Her voice not a sound but a command for reality itself.

“Cease.”

A shattering feeling ran through Kate. No, not through her, through everything. Apollyon held her even tighter than before, the demon was clearly more than uncomfortable. When it stopped, Kate tried to catch a glimpse of where Arakiel had stood just a few seconds ago, but there was nothing. He was gone.

Azazel transformed back into her human form and was turning back to Sariel.

“It’s done. He will not bother us again.”

“We have not won yet.” Sariel gestured to Kate and Apollyon. Azazel nodded and vanished.

Despite the magic flowing through her, it was becoming harder to stay awake with every passing moment. Kate gave Apollyon a weak smile before forcing out a few words. “Permission to faint again?”

“Yes. Yes, one last time.” The demon ran her hand through her human friend’s hair and smiled.