Chapter 45: The Last Standing City

In the sky a red winged demon hovers above a large heavily fortified city, away from the prying eyes of the soldiers below patrolling the large stone walls. Loud explosions, Fire whizzing through the air in what looks to be a makeshift training ground.

The demon watching this takes note of the strange weapon they're holding, using a scroll to write this information. Another blue winged demon joins the red. "It's just like he said," The red demon said.

The scroll is handed to the blue demon.

"Give this to the king."

The blue demon agrees, leaving the red demon to continue his recon of the city. He watches as all the villagers start to be escorted into the nearby fortified castle. With the army, most likely sensing an impending battle.

********

The army is marching through the heavily fortified city with Lucius, Lillian and their two top generals following closely behind, guiding the demon army.

"Hmm… strange," Lucius said.

Lillian looked at Lucius curiously. "What is it, Lucius?"

"We should have encountered some patrol's by now…"

Lucius immediately halted the marching army, commanding the scouts' reports. With the new order's two red demons are sent out in search of the scouts. Just then the Blue demon with the report arrives, gracefully landing by Lucius.

Lucius is given the scroll in hand, quickly reading its contents.

"Azar, Jala. Have everyone start setting up camp."

"What about the patrol?" Jala asked.

"It seems that the confederate army is converging in Gralin. Perhaps news of Kiden's city's fall had reached them. In any case, We'll need to be ready by tomorrow."

********

In the dead of night Lillian sits upon a rock in the middle of the plains. She looks in the night sky gazing upon the stars, away from the prying eyes of the army she's leading.

"No Prayers, Again?"

Lillian turned to find Lucius making his way to her side. She turned back to look at the skies. "Back from your war meeting already?"

"It's unlike you not to pray to your God. no one else is here. Is that sister of yours on your mind again?"

"No… But I would like to see her again. It's almost been half a year." Lillian then gave a slight chuckle. "Do you think she misses me?"

Lillian glanced back at Lucius, seeing that he could only give a chuckle at the idea.

"I thought so too…"

Looking upon the stars more seriously, she found two mountains, not too different from that cliff Kalika would look over every now and then. Memories of a deeper past flourished through her mind. Memories of simpler times.

"When this war is done, I'd like to give Kalika her own room in the castle…"

"Hmmm...? What brought this thought upon you, Lillian? Have you forgiven her?"

"God no." she chuckled. "I don't think I'll ever forgive her for what she's done… But after everything that's happened, with the Hero's of prophecy and that Angel. I guess I just want her to be closer to me I guess."

Lucius could only smile. "If we do that, She'll be your responsibility. I hope you understand."

"Of course, and if you want, we can even revise our old agreement to include… You know."

"Ah, yes. It's due to expire after this war is over, isn't it? I almost forgot about it." Lucius now looked at the stars above too.

"You've been a lot of help to keep the orders in my court, it must've felt strange to keep your origins as a Saintess hidden."

"Not quite. I was already used to keeping it a secret. To be honest I never wanted this power to begin with." Lillian looked at her hand, channeling a faint glow of her holy magic.

"I always wanted to live my life day to day as carefree as possible. But that didn't work out." she closed her palms, canceling the magic.

Lillian got up stretching from her head to her tail. "So much changed in one day. But this is my life now and I'd like it to stay as it is now."

"Hmph." Lucius, amused, gazed back at Lillian. "So how would you like to do this agreement?"

"We don't have to change anything. Well maybe just a line or two But I think that's it."

"Just a line or two? Why not three or four?" He teased.

"Let's look it over then, when the time comes. How does that sound?"

Lillian leaving rubs the tip of her tail by Lucius's neck. This signaled for Lucius to follow close behind.

"That sounds good to me," he said.

********

Within a room two men cladded in heavy iron and gold-plated armor kneels before an old man lying in a bed. One of the kneeling men had great blonde hair, while the other had brown hair. They're in a highly decorated room with fancily designed carpets decorating the stone walls.

"We are ready. head priest Frances." The blonde-haired man said.

"Good… I am the name of God Cassell. We will drive these horrid invaders away. God is on our side." The priest held some indistinguishable arms in his arms.

"Yes. Tomorrow will defeat the demon King and queen, and take back our country!" The brown hair man proclaimed.

*********

The morning of the Big battle has arrived. Rows and rows of the demon army troops marched in unison, approaching the city. rows and rows of infantry littered the front lines of the confederate army. Men with bows and those piped weapons keep a vigilant eye out on the demon army, as some of their winged compatriots take to the sky.

Some of the archers stationed at the wall started to lose nerve seeing the demons flying in the air.

"Stand firm." a veteran archer said.

Back down with Lucius, he approaches the confederate army in his black armor. Despite the stoic expression of the men he saw before him, the frightened murmurs of the other Soldiers behind could clearly be heard.

Lucius lifted his right index finger. He steadily channeled a small light, into a blazing ball of fire. Bigger. Bigger. Bigger. It started to grow much bigger than even the huge, fortified gate before them.

"So this is what remains of the confederate army?"

Men in the front start to panic as others quickly readied their shields. Orders to charge flooded the battlefield as the confederate army made their last stand!

With a simple flick of Lucius's finger an entire row a battalion became engulfed in fire, charring each man to ash.

The Demon army charged in upon this attack! Winged demons swooping in as archers fired arrows. A mess of blood stained the ground in an instant with the confederate soldier easily being overwhelmed by the demon's strength.

Explosions from both Lillian and Azar's attack filled the back line of their enemies, scattering the bits and pieces of the human soldiers across the battlefield.

Jala on the other hand broke through enemy lines. Using both his scorching Blue flames and chilling Ice magic to cover the field, inducing further chaos onto the battlefield. He continues driving through the enemy forces and slaughters man after man. Slowly closing in on the walls ahead.

"Sir, they're Breaking through our lines!!" An Archer shouted.

"Ready your bows." Their Captain ordered.

From the wall the groups of archers pulled their strings and upon their command. Released a Hail of Arrows upon the demon horde.

"READY!!!"

The Captain readied many more Archers this time.

"FIRE!!!"

The fire in rapid succession in hopes to slaughter the demon horde. Arrows rained down onto the battlefield striking ally and foe alike. Very few people were from this barrage. Sparing most of those who wore armor.

"Ready the Pipes," The blonde-haired general stated.

"General Trevor? What are you doing here?" The Captain questioned.

"I wouldn't be much of a general if I stayed back to protect the priest. Now how many of those pipe weapons do we have in reserve?"

"I reckon over a thousand sir."

"Well what are we doing, we should arm our best men now!" General Trevor turned his attention to a wimpy looking soldier. "You! Kid! Go grab those pipes to our best, and those pouches of powder too."

"Y-yes sir!!"

The soldier ran off to gather the equipment, leaving the general and captain as they watched the chaos unfold before them.

"We can't let them get any closer."

"Folly. They can't get any closer as it is. All we have to do is lead them back. They'll never expect our barrier!"

"Fool. Didn't you hear? Thomas perished at the hands of that demon queen."

"And?" The captain became confused.

General Trevor scowled at the man. "You must be new to your position." he scoffed. "Alright listen carefully. Thomas was not only one of the best generals, but he was also extremely cautious, wearing a holy relic that was the holy stone of the church."

"W-wait he was given both a holy relic and a holy stone from the church!?"

"Yes. In fact the priest gave me and Cier a piece of the stone too just recently. Albeit much weaker than Thomas's." Trevor became much more serious looking over the battlefield with scrutiny.

"Still… If the Demon queen is able to destroy his barrier, how do you think our city's barrier will hold up if she arrives?"

Hearing General Trevor's statement, The captain began to feel a sense of dread. "W-what do we do??"

"Isn't it obvious. We kill her as soon as we can. Kill the queen and we'll likely win this battle."

Back onto the Battlefield, The demon army is noticing that the confederate forces are being slowly pushed back to the walls.

"Hey, Look They're running" a demon yelled. The demon's army continues to press forth.

Lucius continued to watch from afar. Something felt off to him.

Lucius quickly turned to Azar. "Tell everyone to fall back."

Azar became shocked upon hearing this. "A-are you sure you want to fall back now?? We have them where we want them."

Lillian, who is also with them, stares straight at the large stone wall. She saw a strange familiar wave or some sort of distortion.

"Lucius. There's a Barrier."

The Confederate Army fell back to the walls, just as it seemed that the battle was finished a demon blade struck an invisible blue barrier!

"READY! AIM!"

The Demons looked up, finding the humans now geared with some strange pipes in their hands.

"FIRE!"

Torrents and a flurry of balls of flames shot at the demon's horde. Massacring many of the demons there.

All Lucius and his Lillian could do was watch as their force started to get decimated by the piped weapons

"So they were holding back," Lucius said. "If they have a barrier, We won't be able to end this war."

"Strange, How is it that this city has a barrier???" Lillian questioned.

"Most likely thanks to the Celestine Empire just like those staff's they're using…"

Lillian became more serious hearing this. "Them." Without warning she grew her demonic wings taking to the sky.

"Hey! Where are you going!?"

"I'm going to destroy that barrier!"

Hearing this Lucius Furrowed his brow as Azar became evidently confused by these proclamations. "Destroy the Barrier, That's impossible."

"Lucius, watching Lillian, Issued his orders. "Have our frontline fall back and on standby. And gather your best with earth magic to erect walls until further notice."

"Your Majesty?" bit her lip and followed his instruction. "Right away!"

Lillian in the sky shot through the battlefield hurdling her way to the barrier. The General, seeing Lillian, quickly gathered men with bows and pipes, ordering them to fire.

"Kill That demon!"

Fire and smoke filled the sky with a single target in mind. A blast fire grazed Lillian's wing and face. She dodged the fire and arrows being hailed to her until she finally opted to reach the far side of the Barrier, at the corner of the fortified city.

She landed on the barrier quickly using her holy magic to disrupt the portion of the barrier. She quickly entered the newly made hole that had closed back up just as quick.

A wave of disappointment hit her, but she ignored this. She flew herself over the wall casting explosive magic unto the archer below, decimating their forces on the wall.

Azar and Jala, seeing this, are in shock. All the while Lucius could only strike the hairs on his chin, impressed.

"Y-y-your orders?" One of the demon captains asked.

"Standby until this barrier is destroyed."

Azar returns, finishing her duty. "A-are you sure we should wait?"

"Take a look at Azar. We can't pass that barrier. But will Lillian on the other side it's only a matter of time."

"But what if she's killed?" Azar Ask's.

Lucius glared at Azar. "Your offly worried for Lillian's wellbeing… How unlike you. She is the queen of demons, the second most powerful among all of you. And you know this better than anyone here. Azar."

"I-I'm not worried for her. But there's two generals in that city with those strange pipe weapons."

"She'll overcome it. Just like she did with the Heroes of Prophecy." Lucius finished.

Lillian continued to wrought down chaos on the soldier below until finally she was struck in her wing with a torrent of fire.

Falling from the sky she landed on her feet hard, quickly retracting her wings. She became surrounded by soldiers gunning for her head. But with a wave of her finger she dismember each and every one of the soldiers around her with wind magic. She cleans the splattered blood off her skin taking note of her surroundings.

She found herself in a leveled part of the city that was demolished aside from a few homes. Behind her stood the large that was now consumed with fire.

An explosion rang out, She quickly went to her side, nearly avoiding an attack from another of those pipe weapons. Now standing before her was General Trevor who now sported a freshly burned scar to the right of his face. And the blonde hair he once had partially burned from his head.

"Strange. I feel like I recognize you from somewhere." Trevor readied a second piped weapon in his other hand.

"It's just your imagination." Lillian attacked the General with her wind magic aiming true until it hit his Barrier. "Huh!?"

The General smiled, contently. "I won't die that easily!"