Father Linus Vs Carrion Imp

Only a greater darkness can consume a lesser one

Why must light suffer when darkness can fight in its stead?

The Order of the Black Dawn is a covert faction within the Church, operating outside official doctrine. Tasked with eradicating demonic entities and eliminating those tainted by infernal corruption, they function in the shadows, answering only to a secret council within the Vatican.

Following a similar thought process to King Solomon, the order weaponized demons against demons. They used divine power to seal and weaponize the darkness.

Within the sect was a hierarchy of which Father Linus was at the bottom. The hounds of Solomon were special hunters trained to capture possessed individuals and extract information from demonic entities.

With a glance, he could always tell this was a Carrion Imp. This wasn't his first time coming across a demon like this.

The air carried a stench of decay and blood—the corpse looked mauled and could be easily passed off as an animal attack.

The alley grounds were wet, messy, and, worst of all, narrow—barely big enough for two people to stand side by side. Fighting a nimble demon in this location put him at a disadvantage, but Father Linus couldn't afford to let it escape.

The two stared at each other in silence for nearly a minute before the eerie silence was broken.

Thud!

The 4ft demon leaped to the wall before springing in Father Linus' direction. With a flick of his hand, something slipped out of Linus' sleeve which he tossed at the Imp while sidestepping.

Smash!

A sharp crack split the air as a vial of holy water crashed into the face of the Imp.

"Kiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

The Imp crashed with a thud—hands on its streaming hot face while rolling back and forth.

Father Linus ignored the exaggerated reaction of this beast because he understood its deceitful nature. While the holy water was effective against demons, it wasn't fatal—approaching now was a death sentence

"Fiat Lux. Per Umbra,"

{Translation: Let there be Light. Through the Shadows}

Father Linus's golden eyes turned pitch black to match the blade of his dagger. His aura switched from dignified to wild and an eerie writhing black aura escaped his skin.

The Imp abandoned it across and sprang to its feet upon feeling a change in the atmosphere. The Imp inhaled deeply and its belly inflated rapidly–dropping to the floor.

Screech of Dread!

Keeeshiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Sound waves sped through the narrow alley—lizards running up the walls fell off while cats on the alley floor froze in fear. Father Linus was calm, his dark blade raised to his face with dark energy dancing around him as he slowly crouched.

"This human is different…" The Imp frowned.

Humans would go limp upon, hearing its dreadful cries. If this human was unaffected the Imp couldn't afford to hold back anymore.

Blight Touch!

The Imp's eyes unleashed a green glow as its palms sank into the rotting pavement. The demon let out a hiss before lunging forward and swinging at Father Linus.

"From the abyss you came… To the abyss you shall return!" Linus snarled disdainfully and hacked vertically.

Kiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

Father Linus' black dagger cried out loud and crumbled into black dust as he slashed.

Zerachial!

Buzz!

A pair of crimson red eyes opened within the black dust, which made the Imp flinch in shock, but it was too late. Zerachial swept forward with the wind, shooting into the Imp's nostrils, mouth, and eyes.

Kaaaaaaahhhhh!

The Imp gasped while grabbing its throat tight. Blood flowed down its eyes as it felt something scorching hot rampaging through its body and destroying its organs.

The beast screeched in pain— rolling and scratching until its neck turned bloody. Father Linus watched in silence as the Imp continued this struggle for a few minutes before it went limp.

Minutes of agonizing pain—a death befitting for a demon that dares to step into the mortal realm.

Zerachial swept out of the Imp's body, and the sound of crunching bones accompanied by the Imp's pained screams could be heard. Within it was a white ball with thick darkness within, twisting and turning under the razor-sharp teeth rows.

The demon was feasting on the soul of the weaker demon.

"Carrion Imp—Hmph! There is no way a common demon can summon the flames of hell. There must be something stronger in this city." Linus frowned.

The priest suspected there was a lesser demon hiding in this city. At least, now he knew he was after demons and not people using dark arts.

He could finally stop following Dylan around and focus on hunting down the remaining demons. Father Linus pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Chicago is infested with demons and I have reasons to believe a lesser demon is responsible for that fire…"

"Yes, I'm certain…"

"My ability alone is not sufficient for this task. We will require a shadow priest and a few hounds to purge the demonic activity in this city."

"Thank you… I await their arrival."