A red-hot stream of molten stone slowly, but assuredly creeps at the imperial advance force from the entrance to this chamber, while the only other exit has been blocked by a thick wall. Can this get any worse? Well, I guess the ceiling could open and swarm of tentacle monsters fall in, but let's hope the Dwarven practicality outweighs their obvious sadism...

The soldiers go pale and start climbing and hacking at the wall still manned by dwarves, who happily take a stab through the minimal slit at any who get close. One of the bigger demons left tries to batter the wall with his fists, but the wall is too sturdy to be broken by anything less than earth magic or metal battering ram, neither of which seems to be available here.

One of the imps I came here with attempts to fly over the lava, but dwarves left no obvious openings: he reported that the lava is pouring in from a ceiling just out of sight, blocking the way back with a shower of liquid stone. I and other flying demons could still avoid the rising lava for a time by keeping airborne, but the low ceiling makes certain that would only delay the inevitable.

The lava reaches the chamber and starts spreading on the floor. Satisfied that their lava trap is working, the dwarves block the opening in the wall with a perfectly fitting metal bar and retreat. They don't want the lava to leak on their side.

As the death creeps closer, both demons and humans begin to become desperate. Especially certain auburn haired succubus…

"Aiiiissss~! Celica's afraid of lava~! Save me~!"

Celica jumps at me seemingly panicking as well.

"Weren't you just fine with it in hell?"

"'Twas not coming towards Celica like this~."

"And just how clinging all over me helps? ... Or trying to undress me? ... Celica, stop playing around."

"I just want to feel nice~ with Ais~ before dying!"

"Think of ways to avoid dying instead!!!"

I attempt to untangle from Celica as I furiously think of a way out. If I had tons of essence I could probably stop the flow with enough hellrime. Too bad currently I can't risk even one shot, which wouldn't be even nearly enough anyway. The weakness this trap has is probably the source... Had I acted like a real demon from the beginning, I think I'd still have had enough to momentarily halt the lava fall at its source and fly to safety through the gap in the curtain of molten death closing me in here. Hindsight is merciless.

With safe space slowly diminishing, demons around me start getting seriously rowdy. While some climb the ceilings or throw their hellfire at the sturdy wall uselessly, others start attacking everyone indiscriminately. We can of course reform after dying, but obviously no-one relishes the idea of slowly burning alive in lava. I also suspect that in part their rampage is to collect essence from the doomed soldiers while they still can. In any case, it's beginning to be a total pandemonium here.

Without way to cool the lava fall the only viable direction out would be through the wall. But stone is difficult. Weapons we have aren't good enough for shattering it and would rather shatter themselves. Celica, and likely few other demons, have hellfire, but it isn't enough to melt granite. What else can break stone? Only things that spring to mind are water, wind, and temperature changes, which all slowly erode it…

...Temperature changes! That's the key.

I need to secure at least one blast of hellrime. Earlier I used countless small, almost insignificant acts of evil to gain essence, but there's no time for that here. I must settle this with one big act of unwholesomeness (or malevolence or whatever it is really called)... What is the most effective act of sin I could do here quickly?

I can't really use the soldiers to get the essence either. The other demons have already pretty much saturated them with various flavors of fear by now, and whatever I could add to it would be insignificant and inefficient.

Besides, even if I got out of this situation by... for example inciting hopelessness in them and absorbing the delicious apathy, there would still be the Dwarven forces to contend with. Let's just say I don't relish the idea of fighting the whole damn fortress with all the allied soldiers sobbing in fetal positions.

Ugh... I guess I'll have to ask Celica. Nothing to lose now...

"Celica, I need essence and quick... Any ideas?"

"Huhuu~! 'Tis simple~."

"...Do tell."

"All you~ need is wild sex~ with big sis~! Put the 'bi'~ in 'succubi'~!"

"Umm..."

Wait, essence can be gained from other demons as well? Maybe this would-- No, I very much doubt it'd be enough. Or fast enough. ... Never mind that it'd be a ludicrous thing to do in this kind of situation!!

"I'll pass. PASS."

"Owwww~... You're no fun~."

Does she never stop trying to mess with me?! Wait... messing? Maybe I'm thinking of this the wrong way, and it's not the act itself but the strength of emotion caused that matters... And I just happen to have a generator of intense emotions right here.

"Celica, I never considered you my big sister."

"Huh~? What do you mean you never did?"

She freezes as I said that. I'm not sure if this really gets me enough essence, but I do have a solid idea how to push Celica's buttons. For once it goes this way.

"In fact, I thought from the beginning that you are a failure as a demon."

"Ais, how can~ you say that?!"

"And your horns look stupid."

"S-stupid? ... That can't be~! Whaaaaaaaaahahahaaaaaa~!"

That was the final nail? Oh well, if it works... She throws down and rolls on the floor crying hysterically, completely forgetting the lava that has engulfed majority of the room and is now closing in the wall everyone crowds in front of.

Sorry Celica, but your tears are delicious power. I believe I can cast my hellrime safely now. ... Of course, I might have been able to do that regardless and I just broke Celica pointlessly... Buuut, anyway, time is of essence now - no pun intended.

"Everyone! CEASE MUCKING AROUND! ... If you want to survive, listen up and help me break the wall."

The demons and soldiers who heard me stop their panicking and look at me with fragile hopes. Yes, it's time everyone listened to me, your new glorious leader!

"I'll soon make cracks into the wall right there..."

I point a finger at a stone next to the closed off opening in the wall.

"Ready weapons to wedge into those cracks. Once they are in place, everyone who can blast the spot with hellfire as much as you can. Everyone got this?"

An officer barks at them to do as I say and a group of soldiers stands ready. A demon who has been meticulously targeting a same place in the wall with his hellfire blasts in hopes it would have an effect nods that he's got this.

They don't know what exactly I'm planning, but this really isn't the time to lecture about the concept of thermal expansion anyway. Regardless, everyone is eager for someone to direct them in this dire situation and they follow my lead with a commendable haste.

I prepare my blast of coldness, dipping into the essence as much as I dare...

"This will make some fog, so don't let it slow you. Readyyyy... NOW!"

I hit the designated spot with hellrime, and the supernatural coldness instantly shrinks the stone just enough to open seams between the stones. The soldiers push their blades into the cracks without worrying about the frostbites they could get in the process.

Once they are wedged as deep as possible, several demons cast hellfire onto it. The extreme rise in temperature increases the volume of both metal and stone in an instant, making significant cracks into the otherwise perfectly fitting wall. It doesn't break enough yet though. That would be just too easy.

"It's weakened now! Break through by any means!"

One of the demons thinks quickly, and tosses a green blast of acidic power, filling the cracks with caustic liquid. The biggest demon around hits the weakened spot repeatedly, and the now smoldering stone half crumbles half slides out with his repeated hammering. The way is open! I'm positively surprised no-one fucked up this last chance.

Now it's a race against the approaching lava, which had been slowed by its spread to cover the room's width. Everyone rushes into the narrow opening and tries to get out first. I pick up Celica who is still out of it, and hover in the air, surveying situation. I spot the big demon who finished the task looking at the small opening, then at his own bulky body, then at the too small hole again.

"Sorry. That's not going to work out for you."

He looks at me like a lame child who was just told she can never be a ballerina. Oh come on... I have one crying demon here already, don't you begin too.

"... I'm sure the demon lord will have you a reward once you've reformed."

"Ugh. I just know it will be a speech, pat in the back, and some stupid non-reward..."

Ahaha, this fellow knows the demon lord well. Too bad there is nothing I can do for him now. He was the hero we needed, though I'm not sure about deserving.

The other demons have almost all got out already, but the soldiers, who are weighted down by their scale mail armors, still struggle with it. While the hole isn't that high, mobbing to climb in full gear is not going to work fast enough. Which I do care about, because unless every able fighter gets in to hold off the Dwarven counter-attack to come, this will be just us jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.

"Sigh... Do I have to do everything myself here?"

I feel like I've had a group project or two that went almost like this... The good news is that I know exactly what to do. I'm really on fire today, and I'm happy to say it seems to be only figuratively. I quickly fashion the corpses made by Dwarven bolts and erratic demons into a makeshift ramp. There, am I not nice?

They step over their dead comrades without much hesitation; gathering lava is the best motivator. When there's an opening in the crowd I toss Celica through the hole - she's still mortified. I may have to do something about her as soon as this is over with.

I follow through myself, dreading the next step: a chaotic battle to the death between fortressful of psychotic dwarves and bunch of very pissed off demons. The ride never ends...