"Squad leader. We are close to destination."
"Copy that. Attention all teams. A and B will go inside the warehouse. C team will be on Stand By with me. Just like we planned together except it is blizzard outside. This demon is large but the blizzard makes it harder to find its core. This may be our last demon to kill. The first person who found it, please don't be an ignorant bastard and take all the credits for yourself."
"Bro, we team C is just waiting outside the building. How do we get credits while other 2 teams do all the actions?"
"Well, sucks to be you on this team."
The laughs of my comrades roared in the radio. But I trust my team. They never work alone. Team play is much of their style. Everyone got everyone's back. But damn this blizzard. Very bad time to be searching a demon with these bulky-ass coats. Heat magic could be useful but we got to clear our mind and mana strength as much as possible. Luckily, someone donate us three vans to travel here, Northern side of my mother country, Russia. We recently had indicator that one large demon was roaming near the Pur River. We took 12 men, one of them was a friend I knew for very long time, Nikita. He is one of the strongest Guardian in Russia. He didn't come out strong but he made its way to here.
"This demon is special you know. This one hide. A demon hide from us! But don't get your hopes up. We need to clear this professionally. Got it?"
"Copy!"
"Right, team A and B, cast detection spell and ready your weapons. Tell any movements you see."
"Copy that."
I silently watched as A and B went inside the warehouse. Just like we planned, Team A went in the front and B from the back. As they slowly walk through this metallic warehouse, the snow blurred my vision of them. I went by the radio to check on them.
My team wasn't as nervous as me but I feel something wasn't right. Demons are stupid and usually don't stay in one place for long. Especially, in this kind of area. They come from cold, isolated area which lack mana. Then they head straight to nearby town to feed on souls and create more. I hope this one got bored and stay inside.
"Team, you see anything?"
One of the team member make the first reply,
"No, it is pretty clear inside. Just machines and some snow. This place is may be warmer than outside."
All Team C members shouted at him,
"Shut up!"
"You guys are jealous."
"Yep, totally jealous." Said one of the team A
"Team, remember what we are here for? Look for it."
This is wrong. Why would it hide? This isn't their normal behaviour. Since I am not inside there, I only have to rely on hearing. Then something happened.
"Hey guys, yo…u..hea…rin….g..thi…s?
Interference in radio waves. They hit the jackpot.
"Team C standing by. Comrades, they might have found it."
Our team summoned weapons, like swords, bows, gauntlets. Medieval type weapons. Everyone who is gifted to be guardian was given these. Why not modern weapons like guns, I wonder.
We left the van and surrounded the warehouse. Still cannot contact to team A and B. I think they are giving it hell as I heard bangs and screeches of metals, mix with some kind of magic.
Finally, a large explosion was erupted inside and thought they must have done the job. I was relieved there are no more problems. Months ago, we have to fix a bridge with earth and levitation magic. That was absolute mess and we fix that on time before any one even notice it was destroyed.
"Team A and B, you good?"
Nikita was the first to answer.
"Yeah, it was pretty easy. Took a hard time finding but we did it. You said it was large, not what I was expecting."
"It wasn't? The blizzard must've made false indication. Anyway good job team. Let's pack things up."
"Cop.....y…..th….a..t..what'….s hap…..pening?"
Wait. Why is there an interference? They killed it, didn't they?
I looked to my team and they are as confuse as me. One of the member decided to go inside the warehouse. Before I had a chance to stop them, three dark lines teared through above us. This wasn't something we never seen before. Not even a single ray of light could pierce through it. Those dark tears, that's where the demons came. The moment they touch the ground, anything but destruction follows.
Before I could react, one large demon with its mouth wide open, releasing its heavy breaths and from between its split jaw emerged a stretched-out inky tongue. Its torso and spine hanging on the air. With its elephant-like arms squash one of our member, his blood and guts all over the snow. I couldn't do anything.
I ordered the team to retreated with other members. Things couldn't get any more worst as I saw 3 other demons just like that. We didn't even have time to make a distance between them, they started to destroyed our teams and demolished the warehouse. We didn't just stand there and watch.
We casted earth spells to stagger their movements and ice spears to destroy their cores which we detected at their bloody-red arm. The shitty thing is, they are thick enough to withstand our ice spears and projectiles. And dodged all our earth attack magic with ease. Although the arms look thick and heavy, they move around with it quite easily.
We were getting demolished by the second. Seeing the death of our comrades, calming ourselves down isn't even an option anymore. The triumph roars of the demons and the anguish screams of the Guardians. Never thought I would live to see this.
As a leader of this team and as a Guardian I couldn't just let this happen. I need to do here thing I was born to do. We have to cut them off at the shoulders. Some members had the same idea and move in for the kill and some stay back and support their teammates. I concentrated the surrounding mana to give my axe extra electricity power and then move in to cut off their limbs.
It was easier said than done. I went in to cut off its limb but it reacted to me faster than mine. I was launch far by its arms and broke my ribs.
I gasp for air but got none.
I coughed out blood, vision's getting blurry.
It's cold. I can't breathe. I can't breathe.
What is happening? What? Wha..
.......
I blacked out.
Suddenly, I woke up in warm bed, alone. I touched my ribs to check but they were healed already. I looked around and this isn't my room. The place is messy and there are medications on the floor and the air reeks of alcohol. Immediately, one of team B member, Nikita rushed in telling me how are my ribs, if my is head healed.
Now that he mentioned that, I felt a weight on my head. Layers of bandages binding my head. He said upon impact, I had broken the back of my head. Healers had a hard time fixing that.
Now that I am ok, I asked him what about the others?
He didn't reply. He just stood there. Then I knew instantly.
"How many died?"
"You and I were the only two survivors."
I looked at his face to tell me it was all a prank or something.
Sadness, Anger and Regret were written all over his face. He just stood there and slowly took a chair that was on the floor and sat down.
I couldn't look at him. This was all on me. Why didn't I prepare more? What happened? How did the demons outsmart us? Why?
I banged my head against the pillow. Tears started to fill the rim. I just want to bite my tongue off.
"Mikhail, you need to take responsibility for this."
"I know, Nikita."
I can't speak. I wanted to apologise. But I can't look at him. He can kick me off this bed and I wouldn't mind. This was all on me. All of THIS was on me.
"..."
"If you really know, get up. Get up and revenge for our comrades. We'll show those demons what hell really is."
I have known Nikita for 7 years and I have never heard something so determined, yet filled with immense anger coming from him.