Snippet #2039900

Snickt. In one fell blow, the nearest demon seemed to stand for a moment vacantly before blood spurted from its torso, the beast crumpling to the ground lifelessly. Rising slightly from her kneel, Ash stood, flicking the droplets of blood from her shadow blade, turning to the 3 demons that had just watched their friend run to the slaughter. The flaming monsters roared, deciding to charge her simultaneously, brandishing their axes high as they tried to close the gap. Ashley smirked. In a flash she was behind them, blade once again dripping from use. The whole instant was barely recognisable to the naked eye, Ash melding into the shadows of the ground and darting through them at incredible speeds, raising her blade from the safety of the shadows to cleave each demon in two. Behind her, the three demons collapsed like dominos. Ash was no slouch in combat, having been taught self-defence amongst other things from her father’s spurt in the army. Combined with the work Asmodeus had put in making her combat ready, the general demons of Ansgar’s army looked like they were standing still. "So, having fun, 'princess'?" Ash glanced over to Asmodeus, who seemed to be putting the finishing touches on her own adversaries. Glaring, she turned to face her entirely, thinking to say something before hesitating. She was enjoying this… The satisfaction of dispatching those demons like they were nothing to her… Was she really that sick and twisted? What was wrong with her? Demon or not, that sort of pleasure was inhuman… Distracted by her own self-prejudice, Ash didn’t hear Asmodeus’ warning before it was far too late.

“Ash!”

With a whipping pain, Ash gave a gasp as a chain coiled around her arm. Dropping her blade, she fought with it a moment, pulling back with both hands. “Shit!” Was all she managed to say before being pulled off her feet, flying through the air and back to the brutish flame demon with the coil. Wincing as she landed hard on her back, she gave a sharp cry of pain as she felt a heavy foot stomp on her free arm, pinning her down to the ground. Fighting with the pain, she opened her eyes to a heavy shadow looming over her, a second demon’s maw wide with a grin as it approached, raising its axe high in both hands. Ash froze for a moment in fear, the blade glinting red and menacing in the light of the fires, before slamming down towards her.

Crunch! The axe embedded itself deep, ripping blood out of the rended flesh torn into by the serrated edge. A deep cry of agony roared from the demon as it was slain by its ally, the executioner’s eyes going wide as it quickly retrieved its weapon from the skull of his comrade. Behind him, there was the soft jingling of chains before the iron bonds were twisted around his neck. Feebly, he dropped his axe, grasping with both hands to try and get underneath the coils constricting his air supply. Dead weight quickly pulled him to the ground, pinning him on his back as the chains continued to pressure his soft neck, suffocating him a moment before a sickening crack reflected his broken airway, the demon lying limp. Rising from the shadows, Ash took a shuddering breath. Her timing had been perfect, sinking into the shadows with the chain had caused the first demon to fall into the axe, before she’d surface again to hook it around the other’s neck, falling back into the shadows to exert more pressure then she ever could with her own weight. Dropping the chain, she was shaken a moment, but didn’t get much more chance for a breather as another coil whipped around her neck, dragging her back to another demon. With a humongous clawed hand, he snatched up her throat, squeezing tightly as he lifted her to her feet.

“You killed Gragnon! For that, you can suffer!” Raising her higher off the ground, the demon smiled wickedly as Ash gave choked gasps from her restricted air supply. Dangling as she was, she couldn’t merge back into the shadows like last time, and she made a number of desperate kicks at the demon. Laughing to himself as he watched her struggle, he began to plod off towards the nearest fire, holding Ash over the top. Heat began to boil throughout her body, white hot sensations flooding her feet and legs as she was held over the open flame. Ash’s vision began to blur as the smoke and lack of oxygen began to get to her, and dimly, she could see the flames dancing around her, casting shadows all around… “GCK!” The demon choked this time, blood rolling out of its mouth as it staggered, loosening its grip on Ash. Behind it, the demon’s shadow had risen large from his proximity to the fire, but what was worse came from the splintering and twisting shape it had formed, snaking back towards the demon and impaling him with a multitude of spikes. Like a pincushion, black spears covered in blood pierced through him like a demented thorn bush, leaving him suspended in an expression of shocked agony. Finally, the last of his life left him as Ash was dropped, the girl coughing and staggering as she stumbled from the fire, landing on all fours. With a soft thud, so too did the demon drop, falling into the flames and smouldering with the smell of burnt flesh.

Trembling a bit in fear, Ash’s second brush with death was beginning to sink in. This was no game. She wasn’t toying with the demons or anything like that. One mistake, and she would die. Kill or be killed, that was the mantra for this situation. This wasn’t something she was enjoying; it was a battle of necessity. But if for this moment, ignoring what she was doing – Putting the death she was causing behind her – If that would help her survive through this situation, then her choice was clear. Standing amongst the flames all around her, she took in a deep breath, looking up to the sky as the rain had begun tumbling down. As some of the fires extinguished, leaving nothing but flakes of ash in their wake, she was reminded of her father.

…

“Daaaadd! They’re picking on me again and calling me Sooty!” The little girl whined, tugging at the pants of the man underneath the bike.

“Well, that’s not so bad. You should take it as a compliment.” The voice was smooth and calming, the man performing some final adjustments before he slid out from under the bike, wiping his hands before sitting in front of his daughter.

“Huh?” Rubbing her eyes a moment, she blinked in confusion as she felt a comforting hand on the top of her head.

“Ash…” Slowly, he ruffled the girl’s hair, smiling. “Do you know why your Mother and I decided to call you that?”

“Uhhhmmm…” Ashley paused, thinking on it for a bit, before tentatively speaking. “After that character in Mass Effect…?”

The man laughed, patting her head a couple of times. “Not quite kid.” He stopped again, smiling briefly before calmly meeting her eyes, a strange intenseness hidden in them. “No, ever since you were born, I knew you’d have things tough.” Sitting up from Ash, the man moved over to his desk, rubbing his stubbled chin before retrieving a cigarette. Carefully, he flicked his lighter, holding it against the butt for a moment, letting the flames dance. “Like a log in a fire, you’ll endure intense hardships. But no matter how much it burns…” Slowly, he moved back over to his daughter, before tapping the end of his cigarette, sending bits of dust into her face and making her squint.

“…The Ash will always remain.”

…

“AIIiieeeaaaAAGGGHH!” The demon gave a squeal of death as Ash pivoted, ducking the flame imp’s trident before cleanly slashing upwards through its torso. Behind her, she caught the glint of an approaching flame, instinctively sinking beneath the shadows before reappearing behind the fire breather, wrenching a blade into either side of its neck and twisting them free, severing the monster’s head from its body, causing it to roll across the ground. Around her was a swath of destruction, piles of demons in various states of decapitation and butchery, while Ash herself suffered minimal cuts and bruises through her clothes. For the moment, she’d cleared the wave of demons, having dealt with the onslaught as effectively as any of Deon’s servants. For that reason, it seemed she was to have her mettle tested by a far greater challenge.

Jumping back as a scorching flame buffeted the asphalt where she had once stood, Ash glanced up to the source. The sky was blanketed with a carpet of fire and smoke, the beast leaving a trail of flames in its wake as it galloped towards Ash. A midnight black demon clad in burning red armour, spikes and other jagged protrusions solidifying its position as a war horse as the Night Mare closed in, galloping in close before slowing to a stop, snorting in Ash’s direction as it’s flaming mare flared. Her attention was less on the horse however, and more dedicated to the rider. He was a huge demon, clad thickly in armour that matched his mount. In one hand, he held a long and menacing looking polearm, while the other seemed to be a massive stone gauntlet, brimming and pulsating with some arcane power. His skin was a fleshy red and eyes a burning yellow, framed by a pair of curling horns atop his flaming hair. With little hesitation, he pointed his weapon to Ash.

“I, Ifrit of Stone Flame, challenge thee. Prepare to meet thy fate.” The great demon rider growled, spinning his halberd in one arm as the horse reared back in a hellish neigh before charging forth towards Ash, each thundering step rocking the ground beneath its feet. Ash simply stood still, unflinching as she stared the charge down, hand’s in her pocket. Closer, closer, the demonic horse and rider closed in, eyes narrowed with intense focus. Ifrit was no fool. No one stood like that without some plan, and having seen what she’d done before, he was all too prepared to strike into the shadows should she vanish away. Closer now, less than a couple of metres away, the roar of his thundering horse vibrating through his ears like a monstrous engine…

VROOOM!

Shooting out from the roof behind Ash came the streak of black, Ifrit’s eyes going wide as the massive motorbike flew over Ash’s head, the girl unmoving other than a curl of her lips and the whipping of her hair in the wind. The Night Mare reacted as best as it could, dragging its head to the side in an attempt to escape the speeding machine hurtling towards it, only to be blindsided by a brutal impact to the temple as momentum carried Ifrit, the horse and the bike slamming into the nearby wall, bricks crumbling around in a collapsing smoke. Ash continued to smile. Too easy. Turning around, she aimed to regroup back with the others, taking a few short strides away from the scene. Then in a flash, she felt it. A warning. Ducking to the floor, there was a screech of metal bouncing and sliding across the ground as Umbra flew over her head before cracking a tree in two, and slamming to a stop.

“Cute trick. But it will take more than that to extinguish me, girl…” Ash whirled, turning back as Ifrit rose from amongst the rubble, his gleaming weapon still in hand, while his massive gauntlet glowed brighter then before. Ash grimaced a little, striding back towards the fight. Umbra wasn’t able to get free of the tree that was crushing it, but by the same token, Ifrit’s little Nite Mare wasn’t going to be getting back up. It was just her and him. Slowly, Ifrit began making his own steady advance at Ash, walking until they were little more than a couple of metres away. “Nothing to say, Welp?” The demon taunted her clenching his gigantic fist and grinning. Ash simply tossed her hair a bit, glaring back. “Why would I bother saying anything to you? You’re not going to live long enough to remember it.”

“Cocky one, aren’t you? I think I might take your tongue and wear it as a trophy of my victory…” Storming forward, he kept his halberd low, coming in with a vicious series of thrusts. Ash was quick though, backing up and sidestepping this way and that, before leaping a heavy sweep from the brute, rolling past him. Deciding to try and press an offensive, she focused, raising Ifrit’s shadow from behind him, making a shadow lance to strike straight through his heart. “Is that the best you have?!” Ifrit growled, turning on the spot and slicing clean through the shadow lance, dissipating it. Ash glared, deciding to try something new. “Far from it!”

Sinewy black tendrils spiralled all around Ifrit, the shadow from the building coagulating into a solid wave of blackness, rising all around him in a dome. Bringing her hands together in a clasp, the shadows converged, tightening and sealing Ifrit in a capsule of darkness, squeezing and suffocating. Barely, the humanoid form of Ifrit could be seen within its cocoon, shaking about… Before a violent and fiery explosion shredded his prison! Waves of heat burst forth, knocking Ash from her feet as she brought her arms up to shield her face from the cinders. “N-No way!” Ash exclaimed, having been certain she had him. That technique… That was the best she had! Ifrit growled, his flames having grown exponentially and travelling down the length of his arms and halberd. “My turn.”

Fire began to swirl and solidify in his gauntlet, forming a sphere of burning light. It was like he held the sun in his hand, shimmering with arcing flames as it continued to grow larger and larger, bigger then Ifrit himself. With a malicious grin, Ifrit pointed his hand towards Ash. “Burn!” Fire streaked forth, weaving and shaping into the form of a dragon’s head, roaring as it closed in towards Ash. Eyes wide, Ash could feel the searing heat even from a distance. If that thing touched her… Ash really would be all that remained! Not hesitating for a moment, Ash dived into the shadows, planning to let the attack bypass her. Ifrit grinned. “You can’t hide from me!” The dragon rose up, flying high into the sky before plummeting back on the spot where Ash had once stood. The effect was instantaneous, shredding the darkness that Ash was hiding in, forcing her to return to the surface. Letting out a scream of agony, Ash was engulfed in the flames, her body boiling and bubbling from the intense heat. It was too much! She…. She was going to die! The last Ash saw was a bright light, before the world faded to black…

…

Ifrit grinned. Brenhin would give him his own army after this! With a deep grin he turned… “Ack! H-how?!” Ifrit leapt back, eyes wide as he stared at the girl before him. How had she gotten behind him without him even noticing?! Her eyes were narrowed beneath her glasses, her expression dark as she continued to stare at the demon. With one hand, she adjusted her glasses. “Gah! WH-wha?!” Ifrit grunted, struggling slightly. He couldn’t move?! Just what the hell was this?! Was she somehow doing all this? Eyes wide and body trembling, Ifrit was unable to look away as she strode up to him, stopping centimetres from his face. “No-one…” Claire grinned a little, her eyes glinting behind the mask of her glasses. “…Harms my sister.”

A deep howl of agony echoed throughout the courtyard where Ash had been fighting, before the world returned to silence…

…

Faintly, light began to return to the world. Ash blinked, looking around… Just… What had happened? She remembered fighting that demon when… Had she blacked out? Sitting up and shaking her head, she blinked as she felt something soft and fuzzy on her lap. “Noir?” Ash asked dumbly, picking up her pet cat. Playfully, it licked the tip of her nose, meowing softly. “Just… How…?” Ash stumbled over her words, before remembering where she was. As she went to stand, she found herself sitting on Umbra. Glancing around, she recognised the buildings, not far from the park where they’d been fighting. Absentmindedly, she continued to stroke her cat, who purred pleasantly in her grip. What was going on…? Sharply, she turned her head as the sounds of battle could still be heard nearby. Hikari and the others were still fighting off the attack. She had to get there. Hugging Noir to her chest, Ash quickly revved her engine, setting off back towards the park. She had to help them. She could work out what happened later.



“Sebastian, Lucy, behind me!” Kane made a dramatic step forward, reaching into his jacket pocket and retrieving a set of beads. Breaking a pair of them, he held them between his fingers, closing his eyes for a moment before pivoting, pitching both at the Ice Demon skating towards them. There was a brilliant flash of light, Kane grinning. His fire beads would melt that demon to… Oh, wait, had he used the- The Ice demon froze. Literally. Around its legs, a casket of ice had encased it, the explosion from the beads having scattered even more ice around. Kane laughed a little as Lucy grabbed him, shaking him by the lapels of his jacket. “What’d you do that for you idiot?! Now he’s got even more Ice to play with!” Kane chuckled a little, awkwardly excusing himself. “Heh I uh, used the wrong ones…” Laughing some more, he was roughly set down by Lucy who continued to nudge him in exasperation. “Well, use the right ones this time!”

Kane nodded, stepping up once more as he grabbed 6 beads this time, muttering his prayer before chucking a spread of the beads out in a fan. The effect was instantaneous as a wall of flames quickly burst forth, burning even amongst the rain and icy surface, the magic infused beads likely to last at least a few moments. Around them, the ice arena began to melt under the newly introduced heat, just as he planned. Closing his eyes, Kane continued to focus, placing a hand at the base of his blade and muttering a prayer, before running a pair of fingers along the length. Shimmering, there was a soft white glow of the silver katana before it burst into flame. Turning to the side in what he hoped was a cool stance; he pointed the blade towards the icy demon. “So, who’s got the advantage now, huh?” Kane smirked, taking a step forward. Unfortunately, puddles are still very slippery. With a yelp, Kane fell to the ground once more, grimacing as he dropped his sword. The flames sizzling, but were still burning in the water, Kane groaning as he rubbed his poor rump…

Did nothing ever work out for him?