Dark Light

Chaos erupted.

All around Cam, demons swooped in and clashed with his brethren. Streams of light trailed the angel’s swords as they battled the demons in all sections of the building.

Near Cam, a demon jumped up from the lower level. An unzipped hoodie stretched over its large frame, a tracksuit straining over its bulging legs. Clawed feet had broken free from the remains of the trainers it once wore. Cam rushed towards the demon, swinging his light sword in quick successions. The demon dodged the attacks, moving with startling speed considering its bulky size.

Pushing the demon further back, they neared the edge of the floor. Cam swung out and then struck his shoulder into the demon. He became caught up in the unbalanced demon as they rolled off the side, falling to the level below.

Cam hit the ground hard, with the wind momentarily knocked out of him. He blinked back his focus, seeing the demon lay beside him, and swung his arm out while re-igniting his light sword. The sword struck the ground, missing the demons chest as it jerked away and rolled to its feet.

Cam swung his sword out as he rose, keeping the demon back. Ducking under its reaching claws, Cam shot up and brought his sword across its arm. The severed forearm flew away, thick black ooze weeping from the wound. The demon stumbled back. Cam leapt onto its chest, plunging his sword into its neck. His sword fizzed and smoked as it embedded in the demon. Cam pushed off as he released his sword, soaring up to the level above.

Scanning the area, he saw Balthiour fighting back two demons. Their Commanding Angel preferred to extend his sword from his knuckles, making for an unorthodox fighting style, rather than a conventional sword grip as if he held a handle, like the other angels did.

Nearby, Kalaziel leapt over the demon she was battling, twisting in the air and bringing her sword down across the demon’s broad back.

The air shifted above Cam. He stepped back as a demon fell from above, landing on its back with long gashes across its chest. Its red eyes dwindled as its grotesque head flopped to the side. Looking up, Cam saw Zophiel flying through the air, colliding with a demon that jumped from the opposite side. They grappled as they fell to the level below.

Cam turned to see a demon stomping towards him. This one wore a basketball vest, that was likely once long and baggy over its human form, but was now torn and stretched across its hulking torso. Cam unleashed a succession of sword strikes, though the demon dodged and ducked under each attack, becoming a blur as it shifted positions.

Finding an opening, Cam lunged up and brought his sword down towards the demons head, but a clawed hand grabbed his arm, stopping the motion. Cam’s hand remained above the demons head, his sword pointed away from it. Rechanneling his light, the sword retracted and then extended from the other side, penetrating the demon’s forehead. The demon’s red eyes bulged in shock, before their light faded.

Cam released his sword, rechanneling it to his preferred position, and saw Leo battling two demons.

Leo’s long blond hair streamed behind him as he spun and twisted around the demon’s attacks. His light sword rotated around his fist, spinning like a helicopter blade, before locking in place and swinging out again. Leo used the momentum of the spinning sword to keep the demons back, before he would lock it in place, either projecting ahead or pointing behind him, and continued striking out.

Cam saw that Zophiel was pressed up against a corner, fighting back a demon. He broke into a run towards his brethren. Readying his light sword, he leapt into the air—and froze in place as a hand grabbed his leg. Cam jerked back as the demon him swung him over its head, smashing Cam into the ground.

His head struck the ground, momentarily darkening his view as pain lanced through his skull. Cam coughed and fought through the pain. He tried to rise, but his arms buckled and he fell back to the ground, sending up puffs of dust and dirt around him.

Rolling onto his back, he looked up as the demon stood over him. Its thick lips were upturned into a growling snarl, tufts of dirty blond hair sticking out of its distorted head.

A stream of suddenly light burst through the demons chest, jerking it upwards and sending thick pulpy blood spewing outwards.

The light sword retracted back, and the demon collapsed to the ground, revealing Sablo standing behind it.

Cam looked up at his friend, who held a hand towards him.

“I told you to be careful,” Sablo said, helping Cam to his feet.

Around them, Cam saw that Rathanael and Briatha had also joined the fight.

“Why bother, when I have you to save me?” Cam said, a smile spreading across his face.

Sablo also smiled, nodding, but then his expression hardened. “Come on, we have demons to kill.”

With that, he was off, running ahead before hopping onto a demon that Kalaziel was fighting. Sablo pushed off the demon and soared to the level above. While the demon stumbled back, appearing startled at Sablo’s fleeting presence, Kalaziel struck out in a quick succession of searing blows, before plunging her sword into its chest.

Balthiour grabbed a demon by its arm and swung it around, releasing his hold and sending it flying through the air. The demon crashed through a pillar in a shower of crumbling concrete and dirt. As the rest of the pillar fell, the ground above them shook and rumbled. Deep cracks spread through the ceiling above Cam, breaking a section of the upper level and sending it falling towards them.

Running through the crumbling debris, Cam cleared most of the falling ground as dust and dirt rained down all around him.

He gathered himself and looked around the dissipating dust. Sablo flew through the air, hacking off a demon’s head as he soared past it and clashed with another demon when he landed.

A shout came from further away. Cam turned and saw Leo fighting back three demons. His heart jumped when he saw the bloodied wounds running across Leo’s chest and arms.

“Leo!” Cam called out, breaking into a run towards his brethren.

Leo stumbled back, his long hair falling over his face as he swung his sword desperately out. Cam saw that Leo’s strength was waning.

Grunting with heavy breaths, Leo planted his feet and raised his sword. The light extending from his hand widened and lengthened as it grew brighter, becoming a thick beam of light.

Cam’s heart raced as he neared them. “No, Leo,” he cried. “Don’t!”

While Leo’s larger sword was a more powerful weapon, the expense of using more of his own Light meant that he would be weakened, and his defences lowered. Cam knew that Leo didn’t intend to survive the fight.

Leo’s great sword swung and tore into the demon nearest him, slicing it down the middle, while a second came from his side. Leo spun, managing to intercept the second demon with his sword and severing its arm, but was not able to block the third demons attack. Huge claws pierced his back, as more claws ripped through his torso. The bright sword hacked one final time, separating the demon’s torso from its legs. The three demons fell along with Leo, all becoming still as death took them.

Cam stuttered to a stop. He froze at the sight; his heart jumping as he looked over the remains of Leo’s bloodied body, lying among the mess of torn demon limbs.

A scream rang through the air. Cam looked up to see Briatha falling from the upper level, her arms and legs flailing. Her back cracked against a pillar that wasn’t connected to his level. She remained dazed, splayed out over the jagged top. Near her, a demon reached up and grabbed her foot, pulling her down towards it.

Cam called out, but he could only watch—horrified—as the demon tore into Briatha’s body, bits of her bloody clothes and flesh falling through the air.

He cried out again, but his shouts were drowned out by a rumbling growl that echoed through the building. Around him, his brethren and the demons stopped fighting as the rumble increased, shaking the entire building.

Looking to his brethren, Cam saw Kalaziel, Rathanael, and Sablo—who also searched for the source of the growls—but there was no sight of Balthiour anywhere. Cam dreaded the thought of their Commanding Angel having fallen, but a deeper fear overwhelmed him as the hideous growl strengthened.

Further away, the ground suddenly erupted. A giant, dark form burst through the concrete and landed amid the clouds of dirt and falling debris.

The dust settled, revealing the hulking mass of a grotesque, impossible creature.

Its jet-black form was similar to a demon, but stood twice as large as the rest. Its long, bulging arms reached around ten feet, with massive clawed hands. A wide mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and thick, scaled horns curled away from its rounded head.

Cam’s eyes widened as a crippling fear struck him. It had been a millennia since he last saw such a thing, and he had not thought he’d ever see one again.

Before him stood a pure demon, unfiltered by humanity. A raw, demonic presence that should not exist on the mortal plane.

“It can’t be,” Rathanael said, awe softening his voice.

The pure demon grunted and growled as it looked them over, its red eyes glowing with a fierce intensity.

With a burst of movement, the demons began attacking again.

While Sablo, Kalaziel, and Rathanael continued their battles with the demons nearest them, Cam remained on his own. He hesitated, his fears giving him pause only for a second, before he broke into a run towards the pure demon. He wished Balthiour was still around, missing the strength and resolve that their Commanding Angel could give them all, by his very presence alone.

The pure demon stomped and huffed, shuddering with a ferocious rage. Something cut through the air before Cam reached the demon, and he saw Zophiel appear. His shirt was torn and most of his muscled torso showed, his bald head gleaming with sweat.

Zophiel darted around the giant demon, swinging his light sword and ducking under its reaching hands. He brought his light sword down across its arm, but rather than slicing through the flesh, his sword bounced off the thick arm. Zophiel stumbled back, his eyes wide as he stared at the thin scorch mark on the demons arm.

In his moment of hesitation, the demon shot out and grabbed Zophiel, enveloping its thick claws around his head.

Cam called out as he ran to them.

Zophiel struggled under the hold of the demon, hacking at the arm with his light sword. In a sickening motion, the demon squeezed, and Zophiel’s head collapsed, bursting in an explosion of light and blood. The rest of his body dropped to the ground, a heavy pool of blood flowing from his neck.

Sablo fell from above as Cam reached the giant demon, which turned towards them both, baring its pointed teeth and growling.

“For Zophiel!” Sablo cried as he swung his sword at the demon, ducking and striking out in a succession of blows.

Cam came upon the demons side. “For Briatha!” he shouted, striking the demons arm and then its leg. Each of their attacks hit the demon but caused little more than scorch marks on its black skin.

Jumping back from a swinging arm, Cam stumbled and caught himself. He still struggled to comprehend the presence of the pure demon. Nothing was said to withstand the power of their Light. Their swords could penetrate any object on the mortal plane. But of course, this creature was not from this world.

Both Cam and Sablo ducked and spun around the great beast, attacking in unison. But the pure demon took all the blows they could give, and kept pushing them back, as strong as ever.

Cam swung down fiercely, determined to penetrate the black skin. The demon dodged his attack, and a huge arm swung out. A massive fist caught him in the chest and Cam was sent flying through the air.

He hit the ground and rolled along the dirt, pain shooting through his chest. Each breath brought a fresh pain to him. He coughed and sputtered, sending dust up into his face and causing him to cough more. Flecks of blood sprayed on the ground and dripped from his mouth.

His blurry vision made out a figure, standing on one of the window frames above. Cam blinked back his focus, and saw that it was Balthiour. Their Commanding Angel stood with his arms crossed, still as a statue, watching over the battle. Cam strained to focus more, but his eyes watered with pain, and he dropped his head as fatigue consumed him.

If it was Balthiour, why would he be just standing there?

Sablo continued to attack the pure demon, leaping around its great form and striking out with his sword.

Stepping back and gathering himself, Sablo’s massive chest heaved as he looked upon the demon. His face contorted into a determined grimace, and he struck out again. A brilliant burst of light exploded from Sablo’s attack. The demon roared and stumbled back. Sablo ducked under a reaching claw and swung again, the impact releasing another burst of light. The demon reeled back again, thick, pulpy blood oozing from its arm.

Cam rose onto his knees, but his breath was still weak, and he fell back to the side. Sablo’s efforts gave him strength, however. Sablo had implemented a brilliant tactic. Pulsing his light sword with extra power, but only on the moments of impact. It was not an easy feat, but he was a strong fighter. Even so, Cam knew that he would not be able to last long against the pure demon, and the technique would drain his stamina.

Fighting through the pain burning through his chest, Cam struggled to rise to his feet. His legs buckled and he took a moment to gather his strength.

Sablo struck in a succession of blows, each attack flashing with a powerful light. Stepping away from a fist slamming to the ground, he leapt up, holding his light sword in both hands. With a blinding flash of light, he plunged his sword into the demons chest. Swinging with the momentum, Sablo launched himself into the air as he released his sword. Arching over the demon, he fell down and struck his sword into its back with another burst of light. Swinging from his embedded sword, Sablo flung himself back into the air as the demon turned to reach for him. With his sword pulsing as he came back down, Sablo sliced a line down the demons torso and landed.

The pure demon stumbled back, thick black blood gushing from several wounds.

Cam smiled, though it was more of a grimace of pain, as he watched Sablo approach the reeling demon.

Raising his light sword, Sablo leapt onto the demons chest. Before he could bring the sword down, a large claw reached up, tearing long gashes down his back. Sablo cried out, his light sword ebbing and dwindling.

No! Cam screamed, though he wasn’t sure if he said it or thought it. His heart sank at seeing the bleeding wounds down Sablo’s back.

Sablo’s expression hardened as he looked down at the demon, his chest heaving with exhaustion, but Cam saw a determination in his eyes. Raising his arms up again, Sablo’s sword expanded and shone brighter, glowing with a burning force.

Sablo cried out as he plunged his sword into the demon’s chest, sending out a burst of light that filled the building. As the light subsided, Cam saw Sablo release his sword and stab the demon again. And then again. His sword no longer pulsed, but it was able to plunge further into the demons open chest wound, each strike throwing up pulpy blood over his arms and face.

The demon lurched back, before falling to the ground. Sablo flopped down and rolled beside the demon, completely exhausted.

Cam steadied his breath and rose fully to his feet, stumbling and then steadying himself. He took a tentative step forward, finding his balance, and then approached Sablo.

Sablo groaned and pushed himself up, bringing a knee under him and then rising.

A sharp pain shot through Cam’s side and he keeled over, resting his hands on his knees. When he raised his head he saw that Balthiour was standing in front of Sablo.

Cam squinted to focus his view, determining that it was in fact Balthiour. His rigid form stood a few feet from Sablo, who was still panting heavily and just about standing.

The sounds of battle rang through the air as Kalaziel and Rathanael continued to fight off the remaining demons. But sounds faded for Cam as he regarded Balthiour and Sablo.

Their Commanding Angel remained still, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly Balthiour’s arm shot out, his light sword coming to life. The light swept across Sablo, severing his head and sending it to the ground.

“No!” Cam cried out, his body electrifying.

Sablo dropped, blood gushing from his lifeless body.

Balthiour turned to Cam. His dark eyes glared, sending a numbing chill through Cam.