The demon looms over the group, standing well over twelve feet tall. He looks almost humanoid, his horns slicked back. His eyes, a menacing mix of yellow and red, glow with a sinister light. His massive wings, black as the night, spread wide, casting an eerie shadow over the battlefield.
His outfit consists of black and gold armor, intricately designed with wicked engravings and pulsing runes that seem to shift and writhe. The armor clings tightly to his powerful frame, exuding both regality and pure terror. A tattered crimson cape, its edges singed and worn, flows behind him as if caught in an unseen, hellish wind.
In his grasp, he wields a colossal spear, its shaft forged from twisted black metal that pulses with ominous energy. The tip of the spear glows with a deep, malevolent red, its serrated edges dripping with an unknown, steaming substance. At the weapon's base, a grinning skull is embedded, its hollow eyes flickering with an eerie glow as if whispering to the damned.
With a wicked grin, he takes a slow step forward, his presence distorting the air around him. The ground beneath his feet cracks and blackens, recoiling from the sheer corruption radiating from his form. His deep, rumbling chuckle sends a chill through the air as he locks eyes with the group.
The demon lands in front of the group, smiling from ear to ear. "Hello, mortals. My title is 'The Prince of Ice.'" He bows theatrically before them.
As the Prince casually strolls around the group, Sunny keeps her gun trained on him while Father Fredrick stands firm, gripping both of his crosses. Alter, watching with amusement, smirks. "Heya, handsome. Quick question—are you an Archdemon? Be honest, and I'll answer a question for you in return!"
The demon pauses, glancing at her with intrigue. "I am not… however, if I kill the priest over here, I will rank up and be promoted to an Archdemon!" His grin widens. "Now, for my question to you, dear—do you know if the Cowboy John Doe is still alive?"
Alter's smile fades slightly as she shakes her head. "I do not. Most likely, he's dead. It's been well over two or three hundred years… maybe more. Who knows?"
The demon chuckles, a deep and unsettling sound. "I see… Killing that man would have boosted my reputation greatly. He was one of the greatest marksmen to ever walk among you mortals. Monsters, demons, devils, and everything in between feared that man."
He sighs while shaking his head. "Most unfortunate… Well, I shall settle for killing—"
Before he can finish, the Chief Wendigo strikes him in the face with a full-force, psychic-infused punch. The uppercut is so powerful that it breaks the sound barrier, sending the demon flying. He soars through the sky, only to crash directly into the barrier the clergymen and the nun had set up beforehand.
Alter sighs. "Luna, you can take back over," she says within their shared mind. Alter's eyes shift from red to silver as control returns to Luna. Luna blinks, adjusting quickly—not too confused, as she had been conscious for most of the brawl between the Wendigo and Alter.
Sunny raises an eyebrow upon noticing Luna's eyes change color. "So, that malevolent force seems willing to help Luna… but why? More questions for later. I'll figure that all out later. For now, I'm just glad Luna has control again," she thinks to herself.
Luna quickly runs over to Sunny. "I'm sorry if you saw, um, that woman taking over. I wanted to say something, but she wo—"
Before Luna can finish, Sunny places a hand on her head. "Calm down, partner. You don't have to apologize. And don't worry—whatever that was, I'm sure she, he, or whatever the hell they are has their reasons. So let's not fret about all that and focus on the fight. I know I told you all to run, but I just got off the phone with Sanctum—backup is on the way.
"We're going to help with this fight. I'll provide supporting fire—I hate demons with a passion, and I don't like fighting them, but I'll do what I can. Y'all support in any way you can and let Father Fredrick and the Wendigo do the heavy lifting. Got it?"
JJ reloads his 1911, ready to fight. He scans the area, locking his sights onto the demon, waiting for the right moment. The demon begins free-falling but quickly regains control, catching himself midair before gliding downward with a furious glare.
Before the demon can descend, Father Fredrick swiftly sprints forward, throwing a short sword into the demon's side. The demon lets out a piercing scream and slams his spear into the ground. Suddenly, an eerie chill fills the air as the buildings around them begin to freeze over. The temperature plummets, and the people attempting to flee are caught in the freezing wave, turning into frozen sculptures mid-scream.
Father Fredrick doesn't hesitate—he hurls three more blades into the demon. In retaliation, the demon conjures two massive Chinese ice dragons. One lunges forward, sinking its fangs into Father Fredrick, while the other speeds toward the Chief Wendigo. However, the Chief intercepts the dragon, gripping it tightly before channeling his red psychic energy into it, causing the creature to explode from the inside out.
Without wasting a second, the Chief dashes toward the demon, delivering a series of devastating punches to its face. Each blow would have been fatal to a human, but the demon withstands them, his expression contorted in rage. The Chief follows up with a powerful kick, aiming to send the demon flying—but before the strike can land, the demon catches his leg and, with a swift motion, severs it clean off.
The Chief roars in pain as the demon hurls him away, sending him crashing through a nearby car with a thunderous impact.
Meanwhile, the nun stumbles toward JJ, praying softly as she places her hands on his pistol. A faint golden glow spreads across the gun, now coursing with holy energy. For a brief moment, JJ's eyes shift from purple to blue, a flicker of divine power surging through him. Confused, he tightens his grip on the pistol, only to realize that the demon has suddenly been struck eight times.
The demon staggers back, caught completely off guard as holy energy surges through his body. He lets out an agonized scream, his form writhing in pain. In desperation, he swings his spear wildly, ice spreading from each impact, freezing everything around him. However, something is wrong—his power is fading.
Panic seeps into his expression as he frantically scans the area, his voice booming with fury. "What is this trickery?!"
The group begins to surround the demon, each launching their own attack. One by one, their strikes land, forcing the demon to stagger back. He lets out a furious scream, his voice echoing through the frozen streets.
"Enough of this foolishness at once!" he roars.
Slamming his spear into the ground, he releases a powerful burst of energy, expelling the lingering holy power from his body. Ice rapidly spreads across the battlefield, consuming the entire casino strip in an instant. The temperature plummets, and the frost continues to expand, creeping outward like a relentless tide.
With a savage growl, the demon punches the ground, absorbing the very ice he created. His body glows with a chilling aura as the frozen energy surges into him, strengthening his form. However, the sudden shift in power has unintended consequences—frozen buildings begin to defrost rapidly, while others shatter completely, sending debris and rubble crashing down into the streets below.
The demon slowly rises to his feet, his once dark skin now a pale, icy blue. His wings are completely frozen over, jagged and crystalline, glimmering under the flickering neon lights of the ruined cityscape. A newfound intensity burns in his glowing red eyes as he clenches his spear, exuding a terrifying presence.
Now, it seems, he is finally ready to take this fight seriously.