Deathsong Chronicles - Tacet 6

Shadowz, Ruby, Razel and Emily fought their way through the hordes of demons. They knew the four soul warriors would need all the help they could get.

A tremendous explosion shook the land, the sky and everything in it. It came from the top of the demonic castle.

"We've no time to lose. Get to the top now!" shouted Razel.

"As if we weren't trying hard enough." muttered Ruby as he rolled his eyes.
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Aria had suffered a couple of moderate wounds, and he was seething, spit flying as he cursed and fought. Xepher, Kaffleen, Kaithlyn, Sieghart and Alloyn were spamming all they had against the archdemon, but were tiring slowly.

Aria, sensing weakness, leapt back and cast a series of lightning bolts made of pure darkness. As the five bolts were about to strike, Kaffleen cast an arc of scintillating rainbow energy to Aria.

The holy attack attracted all five dark bolts, and Aria took the hit with a furious scream. He was blown backwards, and landed hard on the ground. When he rose, there was a smoking mark on his chest, and the stench of burnt demon was heavy in the air.

"You will not live, defying the will of a god!!!" shrieked Aria.

"God, huh." Sieghart spat on the ground. "You're as much a god as I am an arcane practiser."

"You..." Aria said something that was censored.

Just when he uttered that word, Alloyn struck him from behind, the full force of the Exorcism combined with holy energies and sheer girl power. Aria fell to the ground, gasping.

"Tch, bastards. Die!"

Aria unleashed another blast of raw magic, and this time Alloyn was caught by it straight into the face. She screamed and was blasted backwards so fast that she smashed into the battlements, and the whole thing shattered.

Kaffleen cursed and cast another bolt of rainbow energy at Aria. This one he caught and held in his hands, while evading the strikes of the others.

He narrowed his crimson eyes, and sent an evil hued bolt arcing back at Kaffleen. She only had time to widen her eyes at the incoming bolt before it struck her with astonishing velocity and gut-wrenching force.

Aria shrieked in glee as she fell, eyes wide in surprise and anger.

"No!" shouted Xepher, dashing to break her fall.

"..." Kaffleen coughed out blood. A lot of it. "Xepher...I...can't go on. Take my sword, and kill that...monster. Don't let him...unleash his full power."

With that, Kaffleen, the archangel closed her eyes, and knew no more. Her body floated up in the air, and flashed brightly before vanishing into the afterlife.

"No!!!" shouted Xepher, tears falling thick and fast from his eyes. He was dimly aware of Aria laughing in triumph, of the others standing between him and Aria. He fell to his knees, sobbing in agony and sorrow.

"You...bastard..." snarled Xepher eventually, anger and loathing twisting his words into venomous lances. He picked up the fallen Kunou no Yami and sheathed Cypheria.

"You're gonna pay for this." hissed Xepher as wings as black as night flared up behind him, and he charged, the demon within him unleashed.