Earlier at the East gate.
"Well that was a let down." Kino said to no one in particular. "That only took me a cou…" Kino collapses.
"Hey look, something happened to that girl."
"Did someone attack her?"
"No. She just collapsed."
"Let's take her to the Guild. Someone there might be a healer."
"What are you two doing over there?"
"That girl out there just collapsed."
"I'm Jay the adventurers guild master. I want you to follow me and you stay here and keep watch. Whistle if you see anything."
Both nod their heads in acknowledgement.
"Let's see now." Jay squats down next to Kino. He begins a visual inspection of her body. "Sorry miss." Jay apologizes as he grabs one of his Liujiao Dao (Deer Knife or Crescent Moon Blade) and in one swift motion he severs her arm just above the elbow. He then tosses it to the side and starts tying off the wound.
"Um Jay?"
"Take a look at that limb, but keep your distance."
The man does as he's told. And then he sees something protruding out of Kino's severed limb wiggling back and forth as it makes its way out of the arm. The man swallows back the bile that rose up in the back of his throat. He pulls out and puts on a ring.
"Ice Magic: Absolute Freeze."
"Didn't realize you were a mage?" Jay said, having finished tying off Kino's stump of an arm.
"I'm not. That was a magic item imbued with ice magic. I was planning on selling it at the merchants guild to make some money."
"So why use it then?"
"She saved my life. The least I could do is freeze that parasite that infected her. Hopefully someone can identify it."
"I know an excellent healer back at the guild. We'll take her there."
"I'll take the arm and parasite. Can you carry her on your own?"
"Yeah no problem." Responds Jay.
Both men meet up with their look out and run straight to the guild.
*
North gate.
"Sergeant, where is Captain Brodi?" Fiora asked.
"Ma'am, no one has seen him since the fighting started."
"What about your lieutenants?"
"All officers are MIA. In all this confusion no one knows who's in charge."
"Listen up everyone." Shouts Fiora. "As of right now you all are under my command. Is that understood?"
"Ma'am!!" All fifteen soldiers answer as one.
"Piercing Shot!!" An arrow passes through the metal helmet and skull of one soldier, and penetrates the skull of the soldier standing next to him.
"Enemy attack!!"
"Take cover!!"
"Did anyone see the shooter?"
"Calm down all of you." Orders Fiora. "Corym, explain yourself."
Corym hops down from a nearby rooftop with ease and walks over to his mother.
"Asmodeus gave us the ability to identify the enemy. Those two were traitors."
"Why is one of the Seven here in the city?"
"Because the Demon Queen is here."
"Come again."
"Queen La-Tif is here in the city." Corym reiterated.
"Hey Corym!" Leo calls out. "We have more civilians over here."
"Same thing over here!" Luna also yells out.
"We'll split into two teams from here. Sergeant, you'll take seven men and escort those civilians to safety along with Corym, Leo, and Luna. The rest of you will follow me."
"Master, hey master."
"Oh, Silver. What are you doing here?"
"Queen La-Tif sent me to find Corym, Leo, and Luna, because something happened to Kino and Alice."
"Where are they?" Demanded Luna.
"Back at the guild. Kino's in bad shape."
"I need to tell Kiyo.
"Silver, can you give her a speed boost?" Asked Corym.
"Sorry can't right now. I'm low on mana."
"It's fine. I just need to get in range to reach him."
"Silver, go with her. On the way find Corin, and Holly. You three will look after her."
"You got it."
"Corym and Leo, can you help my guys get everyone back to the guild?"
"Yes."
*
West gate.
"Heed my call and come forth my Monstrous Wolf: Wolfy." A giant black wolf with blue eyes appears next to Abby. "Go play Wolfy."
"Ahh-woooooo!" Having acknowledged her master's command Wolfy charges in.
"Well now I'm bored." Abby, still in her adult form, sits down with her ax resting next to her, and watches her summon tear through the enemies.
"Please miss, spare my life, I beg of you." A True Believer down on her knees begging to live.
"Fine. Now go away."
"Really, you mean it?"
"Yes, now go away."
"Thank you" The True Believers rushes past her. But once she's out of Abby's line of sight she lunges at her dagger in hand.
"Nulla Gravitas" (Zero Gravity) Asmodeus recites. The True Believer begins floating upwards.
"Bring her to me." Orders Abby.
Asmodeus grabs the woman, removes the dagger from her hand, and pulls her towards Abby.
"Why did you attack me from behind like a coward?" Abby asks while looking straight ahead watching Wolfy play.
Instead of answering, the woman tries to spit on Abby only for it to float away instead.
"Answer me or I'll have Asmodeus let go and you'll float up, up and away."
"You're just mad I attacked you before you could attack me."
"Huh? Did you hit your head or something?" Abby finally looks at the woman. "I told you to go. If I wanted to kill you I would have. I keep my word when given."
"Why would a demon keep its word? You all are nothing but liars."
"What you say is true I can't deny it, but the same can be said of you humans as well. Asmodeus, release the spell you put on her and let her go."
Asmodeus takes it one step further and makes sure the woman is up right before releasing the spell. Once on her feet the True Believer still tries to attack Abby.
"Contundito." (Crush) Asmodeus recites. A wet squishy sound, and bones breaking is heard as the woman is crushed by Asmodeus's gravity magic with such force the surrounding area is stained with blood, bone fragments, and the entrails of the woman.
"Now I need a bath." Said Abby wiping some of the gore from her face, and turns back to the carnage before her.
"𝐴𝑠𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑢𝑠, 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑏𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒. 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒."
"Young Mistress, Your mother requests for you to return at once. Something has happened to Miss. Kino and Miss. Alice."
"Wolfy, time to go. Asmodeus please finish things up here."
"As you wish."
*
Road to the South gate.
"Why are you all just standing around? It's just one girl dressed as a shrine maiden no less. Do I have to do everything around here?"
"Lieutenant, she's stronger than she appears."
"That sounds like an excuse a weakling would say." The lieutenant kills his own subordinate. "Now watch and learn you pathetic little shits."
𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒. 𝐼'𝑚 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑦. Holly wonders.
"Hey little girl come here would you. I have something for you."
"Is it food?"
"If it's food you want, I have a big sausage stick you can have." Said the lieutenant adjusting his belt.
"Oh, are you sure I can have it?"
"Yes you can." A smile crosses his face.
"Then I'll take it." Holly raises her hand. "Barrier Magic: Isolating Barrier."
"W-What are you doing?"
"Taking your sausage. You did say I could have it. Now Barrier Magic: Barrier Movement." The barrier begins moving towards her.
"Agghh!!...Stop!!...Argh!! Don't I'm begging you STOP!"
Holly doesn't listen. She keeps the barrier moving to her albeit very, very slowly. The lieutenant begs for her to stop. Tears, and snot cover his face. He even begs his subordinates to kill her. None of them move to intervene. They've had enough of his abuse. One by one they turn their backs on him and leave.
"Ahh, fucking stop you cunt!!" The lieutenant can feel blood running down his legs and can hear a ripping sound as his dick is slowly pulled from his body. "I…will…kill…you…" He threatens.
"Just die." Holly gives a jerk of her hand completely removing the lieutenant's dick. "Thought you said you had a big sausage stick."
"Are you done playing?"
"Yes, but now I'm hungry. Feed me Corin."
"Did you eat all your food that's stored in your item bag?"
"But I want something sweet." Protests Holly.
"You'll just have to wait then."
"I'll…kill…you." The lieutenant slowly crawls towards Holly and Corin. "I'll…kill…you"
"Barrier Magic: Isolating Barrier." This time a barrier forms around the lieutenant's head. Holly keeps it there as the lieutenant slowly suffocates and then dies.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Luna calls out to them. As she makes her way over to them.
"Were you able to reach Kiyo from here?" Corin asked.
"Just barely. Silver took off to go get him. But I want to wait for them."
"Very well."
"Luna, do you have anything sweet with you?"
"Sorry Holly I don't."
*
"I need more bandages over here!!"
"We're all out. How bad is she?"
"She's lucky, got away with just a head wound and a few scrapes."
"Use a clean towel or a cloth to apply pressure to the head wound. That's the best we can do right now."
"Someone help!! My husband is having trouble breathing."
"Bite down on this. And on three I'm gonna pull this arrow out. Are you ready?"
Employees from the adventures guild and the merchants guild are doing what they can to help the wounded civilians, adventures, and Templar soldiers. By order of The Merchants Guild Master Marco. Stamina potions, mana potions and whatever else is needed are being given out free of charge.
Everyone has gathered back in Jay's office.
"How are they?" Kiyo asked, stepping into the room with Luna in tow.
"Alice seems to be in some kind of trance." Answered Jay. "And Kino has been infected with parasites. I amputated her arm in an attempt to stop them from spreading. But I was too late."
"Alice looks like a glow-worm with white eyes because?"
"Don't know. What we do know is that she exhausted all her mana healing the injured, but when she saw Kino she kinda lost it. She was able to reattach the arm. But now she's like this. I even tried forcing her to drink a mana potion, but as you can see it didn't work."
"Who are you?" Kiyo asked. "And for that matter who the hell are the rest of you."
"I am Belphegor."
"She is one of mine." Said the Queen, stepping forward. "Her knowledge in the medical field is quite vast. Making her an excellent healer. The others from left to right are Lucifer, Mammon, Asmodeus you've met, Leviathan, and Satan. Beelzebub is out right now. Collectively they're known as The Seven, and my personal guards."
"Thank you for clarifying Your Majesty."
"Anytime dear."
"Now let's circle back to the parasites you mentioned?"
"Yes. There's this one here." Jay holds up a vile with the parasite floating in a clear liquid. "And according to Belphegor there are three more in her brain."
"Yes, that is correct. And after studying that one I can say with certainty that this type of parasite has never been seen before" Explained Belphegor.
*
"Where am I?"
"You humans call it Limbo."
"Did I die?"
"No Alice, you're very much alive."
"So why am I here?"
"Your spirit cried out for help, and here I am."
"I was…I was trying to help...Kino. Wait Kino!! Please send me back, I need to help her!!"
"I know and I'm here to help you do that."
"How?"
"Grant me permission to possess your body, and I can save her."
"Yes, do it. Just save her."
"Hang on, you need to know that if I do this one of two things will happen to you."
"What's that?"
"The first is you'll fall into a deep sleep for an unknown length of time, and the second is you die. Are you sure you want to take that risk?"
"I've put my life in danger to save others so many times I've lost track. So if my dying or taking a long nap saves Kino then so be it. I, Alice Rose, grant you permission to use my body however you like. As long as Kino lives."
"I'll ask you one last time, are you sure you want me to do this?"
"Yes."
"Very well."
"Thank you. Oh, I forgot to ask your name."
"My name is…"
*
"You're telling me this is a never before seen type of parasite. Something that you know absolutely jackshit about has somehow infected my sister." Kiyo's voice starts to crack. "And to top it all off there are still three more inside her head probably killing her as we speak." Again his voice cracks. "She's the last living family member I have left. I can't lose her too!!"
"Calm the fuck down would you. You're giving me a headache."
Everyone turns to look at Alice as she stands up and starts stretching.
"Man it's been awhile since I was in a body." Alice starts touching herself all over. "Too bad her breasts aren't a little bigger."
"Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with Alice!!" Demands Kiyo.
"I'm a goddess-spirit. This human you call Alice was using her very life force to save her friend. So I stepped in to help."
"Stepped in? Don't you mean you invaded her body."
"I didn't invade her body. I got permission first. I'm not a parasite after all." Answered the spirit.
"Fuck you!!" Kiyo yells.
"Kiyo, calm down and take a breath." Said Leo, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You said Alice was using her life force to save Kino, Would she actually go that far to save someone?"
"Yes, Belphegor she would. Alice has a deep seeded obsession with needing to help others. Even at the expense of her own life." Luna explains.
"Why are you helping us?" Asks Leo, looking at Alice/goddess-spirit.
"Because I can."
"So she granted you permission to take over her body."
"Correct."
"What will happen once you leave Alice's body?" Luna inquired.
"One of two things will happen. First, she'll simply fall into a deep sleep."
"For how long?"
"Don't know."
"What's the second thing?"
"She dies."
Luna drops to her knees and starts crying. Abby moves to her side to console her.
"Did Alice know this beforehand?" Asked Kiyo.
"Yes, I explained it all."
"Alice knew she could die then?"
"Yes."
"What's your name?" Kiyo asked.
"I'm the Goddess-Spirit Menalam."
"Tell me Menalam, did you save my sister?"