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Lo-Nine

Soltana

She turned and deftly rolled away from a Brawler’s big meaty fist. She went to a crouch, turning to aim her utility spike arm and fired a thread of ruby solar energy, punching it through the eye and out the back of its skull. It burst from the heat, splattering the area with blood and chunks before it slumped over. The torch clattered to the floor, winking out to ash.

Remaining Power: 4612/8000 QC

She had almost half her power remaining. Although for reasons unknown she had gained five-hundred QC since her arrival. She kept her reserves high by using the most meager of attacks, which seemed to wipe out almost everything she faced so far. She stood, glancing and scanning the room. There were several doorways, all angled throughout the room. She could reach none where she stood. She spotted the torch fire of demons marching through the corridors.

I must hurry. Our advantage is staying together.

She sprinted to the lowest entrance and lept her highest, suddenly spinning and clattering to the wall she had just lept at as if the wall had suddenly become ‘down’..

This entire room is a mess of gravity anomalies. If only there were no conflict or pressing matters ahead, I would enjoy studying it.

She clambered up the wall and peaked through the door, ducking away as a bladed talon shot through. She leaned up, exposing an eye and spotting the Rakes as they rushed towards her. She fired a red beam, striking through four at once. They all either stumbled over or silently dropped. She scrambled through and immediately fell upwards, clattering to the ceiling.

Oh, dear.

She got to her feet, unharmed by the fall. She ambled along the corridor, feeling the tug of gravity. She was ready this time and tumbled again to the floor of the hallway, landing unsteadily to her feet. Her Balanced Steps module was working and learning in overclocked mode as she fought demons and gravity anomalies alike. She halted at the exit, seeing an upside-down staircase. The first few steps were tall, giving her little support as she slowly climbed up them. Within a few steps, it became easier and easier, with each succeeding stair becoming smaller than the last. Her pacing slowed as she became too big for the curling and miniscule stairs.

She glanced around, her balanced steps module pressed to the limit as she tried to gain some semblance of bearings in the twisted room.

“Gideon!” She shouted, looking around the room amongst the mob of demons.

A volley of blades whizzed by her. She turned, seeing a dozen Rakes standing on an upside-down balcony, aiming their clawed hands at her. She took a step and slipped, her smooth foot no longer able to grip the tiny stairs. She grabbed hold of the stair’s edge with her good hand trying to pull herself up again. Down she looked, seeing Steak fighting the large demon of chains. They deftly dueled one another as the Anform kept clearing out the imps as he pressed against the demon. The other demon named Revent was zoning Steak’s flanks, flowing back and forth with new weapons each second. His single wing glowed gold, blurring out after images as weaker imps fell under his press. The roar of fire from both ends of the room rang out. She spotted a floating cube and another large Anform battling as it marched around the sides. She scanned the newcomer, sensing the human life within.

Gideon.

She let go, trusting the strange gravity to get her where she needed to be. She fell past the Rakes and the balcony was immediately caught up in the pull of the cube. She struck the side and slid, missing Gideon and falling to the bottom of the cube.

Warning: minor impact damage detected

She got to her feet, spotting several demons rushing to her. Her eyes glowed and their bodies tore open from the solar energy beams as she swept across them. She got to her feet, moving to the edge of the cube and pulling back as a wave of bolts rushed past her, splattering her chassis with black. She turned and sprinted away just as a massive suit of mobile armor rose from the side of the cube, falling forward and stepping onto the down onto the cube-face she occupied. It turned, pivoting down to stare at her. She could see dozens of tiny black dots lining the hull. Gideon’s voice rang through.

“Soltana! There you are. I almost stepped on you there- hop on.”

He knelt down, opening the large palm of the armor. She sprinted and hopped aboard, ambling up the arm and gripping onto the base of a shoulder cannon mount.

“Steak and the others are fighting that demon near the entrance!”

The armored suit turned and lept, green diodes lit up as it appeared to float and fly along. He rushed forward, crashing into the throng of the rushing mob. She gripped the cannon with both limbs, threatening to fall off.

She was impressed by Gideon’s armaments. He had so many different weapons. They seemed far more prepared than her party was apart from Diniel. She wondered where he was. Or L’yophin. Or Ruth. Or Basil. Phela and Maw. She hoped they were all safe. Gideon traveled above the room, juking and dodging overarching and spiraling staircases. Gideon’s guns blazed away, clearing out the minions that lept or shot at them. She fired beams from her eyes, assisting Gideon as they maneuvered towards Steak.

She stared on at Revent as the strange demon deftly rushed and flowed, stabbing or shooting imps with equal finesse. The question was why? Both of those special demons and Gup were apparently owned by this 'Amy'. There appeared to be an internal conflict. All demons she had encountered up to this point had tried to attack or hurt them. Now she was fighting with them against one another. It was quite confusing. But now wasn’t the time for such thoughts or words, but of deeds. Gideon descended crushing atop several Brawlers to paste. There he was, the demon Lictor and his hideous chains. Steak was damaged from the assault, but continued to block his attacks. The enemy’s wounds appeared to have healed as it sent a flurry of steel at the anform.

“Chisel the work of pain into the golem,” the demon spat as its demented eyes snapped from Steak to them. Its twisted grin grew wider.

“Human meat to chop and rip. A beast made to suffer.”

He flexed a shoulder, sending forth a chain. Gideon shifted sideways with a thruster, letting loose a volley. The demon took it all, flesh and bone ripping apart under the salvo. It spun its chains, blocking the rest of the volley. She hopped off Gideon’s chassis, stumbling to the ground. Lictor was now pressed on two sides and yet appeared to be filled not with worry, but confidence.

“More pain! More agony! Send me all the hell you can muster.”

Soltana’s sensors relayed that the demon was getting stronger each second they fought. Why? She glanced around, seeing waves of torch-bearing imps falling. She sensed the inflow of power, like a continuous stream of curling tendrils from the fallen. As each imp fell, Lictor gained each sliver. She couldn’t know the how or why, but she at least knew what was happening. she ambled to his side, putting a hand on his armored leg.

“Gideon! He is getting stronger the more imps we defeat!”

“Well, we’ll just have to put him down quickly! Steak! And the other guy- aim for the demon!”

Steak’s salvo of lasers, missiles, sabots, det charges, and plasma bursts all focused on the bigger demon, tearing through him. Revent added his own shots, having pulled out his horn to form a strange looking rifle. She was about to add her own before the demon buckled and fell over with a hideous bellow, his chains thrashing like a dying Kraken. The imps all halted their assault, standing dead quiet.

She could see the demon still twitching, trying to move.

They all held off their assault, cautiously advancing.

“Did we get him?” Gideon asked.

Her scans revealed Lictor’s life was fading.

“Yes, he has only moments left.”

His ruined face gagged and wretched up black. Revent was the first to arrive, sheathing his rifle horn into his head and pulling free a thin greatsword.

“You were foolish to oppose the will of our lord Amy,” he commented.

The larger demon rumbled a gasping laugh of a dying madman.

“I wasn’t meant for clandestine ideals, Revent, only the giving and receiving of pain. You know this. I am but a chunk of nerve endings and meat, telling this ugly universe the story of pain. From one master to the next until our end. That is the way of demons.”

Gideon was still a ways away, guns drawn as he spoke.

“All of this over a damned crazy angel! Life would be better without any of you.”

“And yet, Amy saw something in us, be it a footstool for power, or genuine sympathy for our plight,” Revent interjected.

“Leave the meat alone.” Lictor coughed, “he is new as a babe here; I can smell it. It was a good fight, but now to rest.”

She marched closer to the giant of a demon, placing a hand on his ruined flesh. his one good eye lolled to her, alien in estimation.

“Do you know what I liked the most of all this?”

There was a pause as she glanced at the chains, spotting one snaking off into the dark. She suddenly felt stupid. She turned to shout back at Gideon.

“It is a ruse!”

“Soltana- move!”

She was gripped by a large meaty hand as the chain yanked him and her along. She felt the rushing of movement as she was pulled away. She suddenly hit the ground, skidding against the floating cubic structure in the middle. She fell, striking and catching on the gravity of the side.

She spotted the imps, all gripping their heads in pain.

“The Blood of the Slave; The Feast of the Master.”

She felt the sudden burst of power and witnessed the lesser demons crumble to ash, all of their power flowed to Lictor. She ran backward, leaping and landing upon the top face of the Escher cube. There she witnessed the fallen husk of the demon, swelling with power.

“PlAyInG uPoN SyMpAtHiEs Is mY gReAtEsT tOrTuRe.”

Gone was the raspy gasping voice and in its place was dying madness.

Before she could fire, a chain clipped out her feet, tripping her. Something else tore and burrowed its way free of the demon. Black blood, tissue, and bone littered the cube as a hand burst from his chest. It looked like a man’s hand, bereft of skin and showing revealed muscle, tendon, and bone tissue. It stepped up and out of the corpse, gingerly planting his boney feet on the ground. it looked at her and she could feel the wave of malevolent intent wash over her. His voice was more refined.

“I had been so close to growth for an age. Can you understand how it worked? The rules I had to follow? Like a good little boy. And now here we are on the cusp of divinity.”

She only understood slightly what he meant. it had something to do with his imp minions and perhaps something else. Those thoughts were put aside as she fired a beam of red, tearing a hole in his shoulder. He didn’t flinch, closing his slitted eyes in apparent pleasure.

“Exquisite pain. Like a fine drink. Let me show you. Come here.”

A fine silver chain shot from his outstretched hand, wrapping around her as she tried to retreat. He pulled her to him and gripped her legs, slamming her to the ground with a force she couldn’t brace for. Her systems went dark for a brief moment.

Warning: major internal damage received

She lay on the ground, feeling a sudden swelling outpour of power. She knew right away what it was.

Diniel’s blessing.

A blue being of mist coalesced in front of the demon. It looked like Diniel, all four arms filled with swords. It spoke just like him, his voice filled with resolve. Lictor's face twisted into a mixture of surprise and delight.

”You've attacked a youth under my protection. Let your pyred ashes be a warning to other villains who mistake the caring of the young as weakness."

His spirit wings of blue branched out as he rushed ahead, swinging his blades in a whirlwind. Lictor's thread-like chains rushed to answer his assault. She watched as both parties fought furiously. She rose to her feet, seeking an opening for a shot. They were too densely packed together as Diniel sought to break through the demon's guard. She scanned him again, seeing his power had grown to an Elder class demon.

He is keeping Diniel's protection at bay. Neither are really gaining an advantage. I do not know whose power this is a testament to.

She glanced off the side of the cube, seeing Steak rushing up to her. He landed, scanning her and the skirmish ahead. His chassis was heavily damaged, with both shields warped and the central torso having taken a serious strike.

”Good Soltana; you are well. I calculate the angelic spirit is yours?"

She shook her head.

"Not quite. Diniel, our guardian Angel had blessed me, protecting me from harm. This demon Lictor triggered that. Where is Revent?"

"Unknown."

Steak's chassis began to change as he was enveloped in blue light. His form changed, becoming slimmer and more humanoid. He wore a strange armored gi.

"Please watch for Gideon," he advised.

He marched off to the fight, adding his might alongside Diniel's. She spotted his shadow, seeing the demon Revent hiding within. She wondered where Gup was. He was probably still hiding in his bag.

Diniel somehow sensed Steak and flowed to Lictor's side, allowing the Anform to assist. He bobbed his head, dodging a whipping chain. Within a brief second, he was within arm’s distance of the demon.

"The golem shows new forms, new paths of pain! Show me," Lictor rasped through boney teeth.

Steak struck out with a quick left jab, which the demon slapped away. The Anform flowed to an impossibly fast right, catching Lictor on the jaw, sending him reeling back a step. Its perpetual boney grin widened as he stepped, jabbing with his own left. Steak snapped a grasping hand to its wrist, sending his other rushing to its throat in a knife-hand strike. Steak bent forward, bending his leg behind his body and slamming it into Lictor's face. The demon spun away, black blood flowing from the wound in his exposed cheek muscles. Steak rushed in as his antigrav nodes flared and sent in a volley of fists into its side before backing away.

Soltana glanced away, seeing Gideon's massive armored suit flowing down to the bottom of the room to collect his rifle. She looked back, seeing Diniel broke through the vortex of chains, with all four swords running Lictor through. The demon cackled a coughing laugh as he wrapped his arms around the angel. And then the chains wrapped them all up in a cocoon. Steak was beaten back by thread chains.

She heard a sickening crunch before the chains released, revealing a bloodied Lictor and no more Diniel. Glowing blue smoke wisped over the demon as he grinned at them. Sadness washed over Soltana.

"Diniel…"

"Wonderful agony. Now… which is next?"

Steak rushed forward, juking under the heavy right hand of the demon. A volley of punches slammed into his ribs before pivoting and throwing him over the shoulder. The chains attempted to gain purchase but slipped off a strange aura surrounding the Anform. The demon landed on his feet twisting out of his grip. Steak had retreated, feet slightly off the ground. The demon stood, pacing towards him.

"You have my respect, golem. I've never fought one such as you. New pathways of pain… Show it to me."

Gideon had landed off on the corner, aiming all guns at the demon.

"No- we've seen all of that. Show me what else you have!"

"Fear of Enslavement."

Gideon's mech toppled at the spell and opened up, revealing a smaller armored suit curling up and screaming.

Steak rushed in, trying to position him with a flurry of blows before retreating at the increasing volume of return strikes.

Soltana began to run towards Gideon, her tiny legs pumping. She turned her head, firing a beam into the demon. A chain melted through, taking the brunt of her attack. The solar beam struck true, burning its surface muscle flesh on the shoulder.

"So many ideas of pain. So many ways of spilling blood. Give it to me!"

Steak continued to press the attack, keeping Lictor's back to Gideon and Soltana.

He is buying us time. I need to help Gideon!

She dropped to his side, touching his shoulder.

"Gideon! Please shake free! The fear is not real!"

She channeled the power of the Seal, feeling and sensing the magic coursing through his body. Gideon scrambled to his feet, storing and shedding his armored suit.

"Soltana… I can't breathe... It's strangling me..!

"The Seal! Gideon- use it to break your fear!"

Gideon trembled, curling up on the ground.

"I can't! It's just a mark!"

"Then how did you change this Saddiffer?"

"It was a fluke!"

"And what of your own revival?"

He halted as the magic continued to torture him.

He looked to the Seal on his hand. She gently grasped it, only able to grab the bottom of his palm; like a toddler trying to hold an adult's hand.

"Together, we can fight it. Adonai will fight it with us. Trust in him."

Her Seal glowed as did Gideon's. She felt the evil magic sputter out and cease. He got to his knees, feeling at his head.

"Go. I'm fine- put the bastard down."

Soltana turned back to see Steak and Lictor stuck in a heated brawl. The demon suffered multiple wounds, including four impalements, a shattered and jutting rib, a hanging jaw, and now a shattered forearm. Still, he fought with furry as he bellowed his taunts, voice gargling and slurring unintelligibly from the damage.

She fired a beam, aiming for his knee cap. She melted past a thin chain, striking true as it stumbled. Steak and let loose with a backward kick, catching it in the neck. it sent it stumbling head over heels before it slid to a stop. a shadow appeared behind him, forming into Revent. He grasped under his arms, gripping them into a lock, wrapping his legs around Lictor’s own.

“Shoot him!” Revent cried.

She aimed her utility spike arm, hesitating.

“But I will hit you as well!”

“There won’t be another chance! Just shoot!”

Lictor was slowly working his way free, overpowering the other. Lictor broke from his leg lock and stood.

A ringing screech crack rang out as a golden sabot punched through both Lictor and Revent through the chest. And then a machine gun volley ripped through both. Revent fell away as Lictor tried to march forward, only to fall as his legs blasted out from under him. She stared at Gideon as he slammed an ammo sphere into the gun and opened fire again, riddling the body with holy bolts until it was spent. He slapped in another ammo sphere, aiming as he advanced. The room went quiet as the last chain jingled to the ground.

Soltana ran to Revent’s fallen form, seeing his golden wing scatter to glowing particulates.

“Revent!.. I am sorry...”

She didn’t know what else to say.

“It was for a good cause. Don’t worry about me; the mistress Amy will just resummon me. It will happen to Lictor, too. Unless you find a way to end him for good and break his connection. He cannot exist anymore, even if the mistress wishes it. He must be destroyed… He-”

He trembled once and went still, crumbling to ash.

She turned to Gideon as regret flooded her. He didn’t hesitate like she did. Could she take a life if it also meant an ally or friend falling in the process? Was Gideon a man with little empathy for others outside of his group? Or was his loathing of demons ironclad?

“Gideon… Amy will simply resummon Lictor when he falls. He will exist again to hurt others!”

Gideon lowered his rifle, giving her a look of concern. He appeared exhausted.

“Can you destroy him?” he asked.

“I can,” she replied, “but you can change him.”

Gideon showed the Seal on his hand.

“It would make a covenant with him. It could change him like Saddiffer. I am sure Lictor would appreciate living,” she pleaded.

“Just… End… Me…” Lictor gurgled.

“Living? After all he did to us? We should end him here and now. We won’t get this chance again.”

“I concur with Gideon. Mercy to the merciless is foolishness. He cannot be allowed to live.”

She shook her head.

“I can not violate my own internal conscience. That would be an execution.”

“Good Soltana, We would put many innocent people at risk. Can your conscience bear their weight versus the weight of a dead demon?”

Steak’s words made her mind process and churn. Should she violate a small thing to protect a bigger ideal? Could she execute someone evil to potentially save other innocents? What would Adonai do?

Holy God, please give me strength.

She stood and thought for what felt like minutes. Although in reality, it was only a quarter of a millisecond.

“I can not.”

“Soltana- you do this- you can’t help them! Saddiffer was an exception because it would have hurt Baxter. This is a clear-cut case. He attacked us- we waste him. The end.”

“Nevertheless.”

“Nevertheless? Nevertheless?? He tried to murder us!”

“I can not violate my conscience, even with all of the future possibilities.”

Gideon swore before storing his rifle away.

“Goddamn it- fine- fine! Let’s ask Lictor.”

He turned to the fallen demon with disgust.

“Hey asshole. Join in a covenant with me. you’ll get to live. Otherwise, Soltana may have a change of conscience and waste your ass to oblivion.”

“I said I would not-”

He gave her a withering look.

“-Level with me here, alright? We can’t bargain without your ability to kill him- alright?”

“I am unsure how to level with you as you are much taller-”

Gideon gave her a look that made her go quiet. If Lictor refused and resisted, what other choice did they have?

“Very well,” she acquiesced.

“You think… To change me? In a Covenant?”

He gurgled a gasping laugh.

“That’s what I said, asshole. Join or die.”

The demon let out a rasping laugh.

“Agreed.”

She was surprised by how quickly he said yes. Now it was Gideon’s turn. He only needed to channel the Seal’s power. The power of God. And yet he only stood. Why didn’t he move? Why didn’t he respond?

“Gideon?”

She looked at Steak, seeing he was combat ready with a laser pistol in his hand brandished at Lictor. She saw the thin chain from the demon's side wandering around before snaking up Gideon's leg and around his neck. His eyes were wide with shock and fear. She looked at Lictor, seeing the sabot wounds burning and eating away at the surrounding tissue. It would only be a matter of minutes before he succumbed to the wounds. But not before taking another with him.

"You really thought I would just sign a covenant with raw meat? Did you learn anything?"

"No! Let him go!" she cried.

"Why? He is weak. He is in my jaws. I will make him suffer. You hesitated and now you'll know pain. You said it yourself; it would violate your conscience to execute-"

Her Seal flared as righteous anger burned in her Theonware. The air charged with energy. She had to save him. She had to protect him.

Her soul roared.

"You will not harm him!"

She fired a thread of white hot energy, kicking up a windstorm as the air became super heated. The lance struck Lictor in the head, punching out the back, blasting apart his skull. His empty eye sockets were wide with shock as he fell over, slowly crumbling to ash; as did the chains. Gideon dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.

The room went quiet apart from the dying windstorm. Gideon’s eyes were wide, she was unsure if it was from shock or amazement. Humans were difficult to read.

Steak marched over to them, kneeling down to her and giving her a reassuring pat.

"You did well. I admit that I too was taken off guard. Obviously demons are not to be trusted, even in death."

Soltana rushed to Gideon's side, touching his knee.

"Thank you. I worry this Amy will simply resummon him again. I am unsure if what I did actually destroyed Lictor. Gideon, are you well?"

Gideon rubbed at his throat, nodding as he spoke with a hoarse voice.

"I’m fine. Next time, let's just blast them, alright?"

“That would be wise,” Steak added dryly.

"I can not make that promise," She replied earnestly.

Remaining Power: 14/8000 QC

She looked at the entrance to the Escher room and saw the black clad men all standing at the ready. Her eyes flashed in understanding. They had proven victorious over it, but now in their weakened state had other threats to face. She would be out of commission for some time. Whatever she did to that Lictor, it had taken more than two-thousand QC to discharge. It was just how she slew the demon in her dreams. Now Lucifer’s Chosen were upon them.

“Gideon, I do not think we are out of danger yet. There- Lucifer’s Chosen. And I have more bad news. I-I-I am low on power. Please take care of me.”

She looked upon Gideon’s concerned face and Steak’s impassive stare.

Remaining Power: 0/8000 QC

Warning: Low Power

Shutting down…

Oh, dear.

Like a puppet with their strings cut, she gently clattered to the floor.