He knew that sooner or later, his conquest of the Dagon's island would break its infernal gossip containment and soon spread across the supernatural world. It was just so fast that he didn't believe it, merely two weeks after the ordeal, and it had already spread enough for the supernatural to remember his face.
"I see. Did you know who I was before we came here?" He asked in a grave tone, reconsidering drinking the Stamina and Mana potion.
Suzie Anne snapped her fingers, which caused two more figures to appear before her in a flash of smoke. Nima and her sister Ninda stood behind Suzie Anne with neutral expressions on their faces.
Unlike Suzie Anne's floral dress and washed-out pink apron–looking like a wife in the 50s who would most definitely kill her husband after snorting a line of cocaine–the sisters wore ceremonial battle armors, and each had a weapon that could double as a surgical tool.
Nima had a sheepskin skirt with the skin turned inside and the wool combed with decorative tufts–the decorations being miniature human skulls. The wraparound skirt was pinned in place and extended from the waist to her ankles.
The upper part of her torso was clothed by another sheepskin cloaking her shoulders, woven with tufted loops. Her laid bare stomach had a golden sheen, ripped with muscles that contrasted with the dainty figure she had conveyed during their earlier meeting.
Ninda, on the other hand, was clothed in a large piece of linen draped around her body over a skirt with two cuts that showed her skin. She had elaborate golden jewelry laid across her bare neck, gleaming with iridescent jewels and untold power.. The shawl was edged with metal-lined tassels that chimed whenever she moved. She had one free left arm, cut at the shoulder, with her right arm fully inside of the garment.
"Of course not." Suzie Anne, or, rather, Šuzianna, grinned at Dean's admittedly betrayed look. She cooed with pity in her eyes, "Oh, sweetie poo. Did I hurt you?"
Dean growled, "You fucking–"
"Dean." Ellen yelled, eyeing the sisters as they walked closer. "Focus."
Šuzianna giggled at their banter before noticing Irwin stepping forward. "We knew you were of the Greythornes wolves that once roamed the lands of Briton. We knew how decadent, deceivious, and delicate you have become. But we never knew how truly devious you are. To think that you would suss out our plans to revive the Great Matron, planning months far ahead when your magical prowess are on par with the High Priestess of old…"
Šuzianna barely held the venom in her tone as she accused Irwin of knowing their plans. "Know this, Thorn of Grey, the Sassuratu does not back down from a challenge. Life bound by blood, in the honor of the Great Matron."
Nima's and Ninda's eyes glowed crimson red as they roared, "Life bound by blood, in the honor of the Great Matron."
The sisters rushed forward with Irwin rushing in to meet them head on. The Angel Sword appeared on Irwin's hands, deflecting their initial fist attacks with great difficulty.
Having fought Huwawa not mere minutes ago, Irwin was forced back from the blow. He cursed inwards as he began ordering the hunters. "Defend yourselves. Use the blades."
Dean practically hauled Bobby down the hallway as the older hunter adjusted to his new limb. Ellen took the front, defending them with her Angel Blades as it gleamed under the illumination of the roaring flames behind them.
The clash of blades and fists echoed through the corridor as Irwin fended off the furious assault from Nima and Ninda. The Angel Sword, its radiant edge barely visible against the rapid movements of the sisters, blocked and parried with a precision that belied Irwin's exhaustion.
Still, he was kept on the defensive, which he would rather not be, given that Šuzianna was still involved in the battle.
Irwin parried and dodged with the Angel Sword, but the sisters were relentless. The impact of each blow reverberated through his already weary body, and he could feel his vitality waning. The battle with Huwawa had drained him more than he wanted to admit, and now he was paying the price. But Irwin was nothing if not a cockroach–even if did not want to admit it.
Nima's sheepskin skirt swirled around her as she flicked her wrists, sending long strips of paper cloth shooting out like whips. As if given life, it snaked towards Irwin, seeking to bind his limbs and render him helpless. He dodged and slashed at them, but the enchanted paper reformed instantly, tightening its grip on his sword arm.
"Flagello!" The Flaming Whip formed almost instantaneously before he struck the tendrils of enchanted cloth and ripped it with ease. The moment the cloth lost its connection to the pagan god, its glowing form lost its color and form before becoming nothing but common linen.
Irwin winded his Flaming Whip back, wrapping around his left arm, while stabbing his Angel Sword in the ground as he drew an imaginary line of battle. His panting, coupled with the crimson sweat dribbling back and forth across his skin, gave away his exhaustion.
"Resistance is futile," Nima said monotonously.
"Death is but the only option." Ninda continued.
Ninda, with her shawl's metal-lined tassels chiming, began to chant under her breath. Irwin knew not to fuck with Pagan Magik and rushed forward, dragging his Angel Sword along the grain of the floor.
Nima met him head-on, preventing him from reaching her sister. Strips of clothes felt like the heads of Hydras at the moment as his arms grew heavy.
Irwin groaned as a balled-up cloth pierced his defense and struck him in the chest, sending him tumbling across the hall. "L-little help here." He pleaded, shakily standing up before Nima could strike him once again.
"I got you, boy," Ellen whispered, parrying cloth after cloth with near perfect counts, yet Irwin could hear her teeth being ground from the sheer strength behind each blow.
Irwin quickly downed a Stamina and Mana potion in one go. He then shouted over the sound of clashing metal. "Get Bobby out of here. We'll handle this."
Dean hesitated for a split second, torn between the urge to fight and the need to protect Bobby. But the sound of Bobby's pained groan made the decision for him. With a nod to Ellen, Dean practically dragged Bobby down the hallway, away from the fight that raged behind them.
"Where are you going, lover boy?" Šuzianna asked with a mocking smile as Irwin interrupted Ninda's casting to let Dean and Bobby have access to the corner.
Dean, still grappling with Šuzianna's betrayal, forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He guided Bobby, who was still getting used to his newly attached limb, further down the hallway and turned to the bend. Ellen, however, stood her ground, her Angel Blades flashing as she deflected Nima's sudden strike meant to blindside Irwin.
Ninda, noticing Dean and Bobby's retreat, broke away from Irwin to give chase. But Irwin wasn't about to let that happen. With a burst of energy that surprised even him, he closed the distance between them and slashed at Ninda's exposed back. The blow wasn't deep enough to incapacitate her, but it was enough to slow her down and keep her focused on him.
She growled, blood dripping from her back. Her crimson eyes were a picture of surprise, seemingly astonished that his blade could cut that deep into her battle armor.
"You will be the first sacrifice, heathen!" Ninda snarled, angered by the interruption. She tried to circle back to her sister, but Irwin blocked her path.
The gems in her necklace glowed one by one, each summoning a spectral beast that lunged at Irwin with ethereal claws and fangs. A ghostly wolf, its eyes burning with unnatural fire, leaped at his throat, only to be cut down by the Angel Sword. But for every beast he vanquished, another rose in its place.
Still, he could see some progress in the fight as each beast was progressively getting weaker. Ellen joined the fray, her Angel Blades a blur of steel as she sliced through Ninda's summoned creatures, trying to relieve the pressure on Irwin. But the sisters were relentless, their combined powers pushing the hunters back.
Irwin could feel the strain in every movement, his body protesting against the exertion. He needed to end this quickly before the successive fighting killed him.
Meanwhile, Šuzianna watched the chaos unfold with detached amusement. She hadn't moved from her spot, her eyes following Dean as he disappeared down the hallway with Bobby. Her grin widened, and she turned her attention back to Ellen and Irwin, who were now fully engaged with the sisters.
"You know, Irwin," Šuzianna purred, her voice cutting through the noise. "This could all be so much easier. Just give up, and I might let your friends live."
Irwin didn't dignify her with a response. Instead, he focused on the rhythm of the battle, anticipating the sisters' moves with growing clarity. He was tired, but so were they. He could see it in the slight hesitation in their strikes, the labored breathing that they tried to conceal.
Ellen, ever the warrior, took advantage of a brief opening and managed to land a solid hit on Nima's arm. The cut wasn't deep, but it was enough to make Nima hiss in pain and falter in her attack. Irwin seized the opportunity, pressing forward with renewed determination. He had to trust that Dean would get Bobby to safety. His focus needed to be here, on ending this fight.
A bright-white light filled the halls, eliciting groans from those who were not familiar with it.
"Solar Slash!"