Chapter 28 – A Noteworthy Arrival  

Bastian's breaths were ragged, his body aching from exhaustion, but he refused to go down. Zadkiel was also starting to struggle when Asmodeus took this opportunity and slashed his demon blade across Zadkiel's midsection. Asmodeus towered over him, a wicked grin stretching across his face. The demon prince had already cut down dozens of angels, and now Zadkiel lay bleeding on the ground, his glistening armor of silver and gold slick with his own blood.

"Zadkiel!" Bastian's voice cracked, but there was no time for weakness. Asmodeus raised his sword for the finishing blow, but Bastian threw himself over Zadkiel, catching the strike with his own blade. Their weapons clashed, sparks flying, but Bastian's strength was waning. He dug his heels into the ground, forcing Asmodeus back with every ounce of power left in his body.

"Give it up, boy," Asmodeus sneered, pressing harder. "Your time is up."

Bastian gritted his teeth, muscles trembling under the force. His grip faltered, his legs nearly giving out. Then, out of nowhere, a searing blast of fire slammed into Asmodeus's head, sending him staggering to the side. The demon cursed, regaining his balance, and whipped his head toward the source of the attack.

Lucifer stood with his arms crossed, a smirk plastered across his face. Anastasia, Gabriel, and an entire squad of archangels flanked him, looking satisfied that they had just arrived in just the nick of time.

"Asmodeus," Lucifer drawled, tilting his head with mock curiosity. "It's been far too long. How's the attempted takeover going? Any luck yet? If I was running this show, the city would have been destroyed long ago. How pathetic."

"You traitorous wretch!" Asmodeus spat, rage contorting his features. He lunged—but Lucifer barely twitched, catching the demon's blade between two fingers.

"Tsk, tsk. So predictable." Lucifer sighed and yanked the sword free, flipping it in his hand before tossing it carelessly over his shoulder. "Now, tell me. Do you prefer a quick death or a particularly humiliating one? Because I do enjoy a good spectacle."

Asmodeus roared and launched himself at Lucifer. Their battle exploded into a flurry of steel and fire, the sheer force of their strikes sending shockwaves across the ruined streets.

Meanwhile, Anastasia rushed to Bastian, ignoring the blood staining his clothes. Without hesitation, she grabbed his face and crashed her lips against his. He stiffened at first, then melted into her, the exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

When she pulled back, he was grinning. "I had that, you know."

"Oh, of course." She smirked. "But I figured we'd let Lucifer have his fun."

Bastian chuckled but winced as the adrenaline wore off. Anastasia frowned, turning her attention to Zadkiel, who was attempting to push himself up despite the deep gash in his stomach.

"You're in no condition to fight," she said, crossing her arms.

"Neither is your husband," Zadkiel countered, giving Bastian a pointed look.

"I'm not leaving you here," Bastian argued, eyes dark with determination.

"Is everyone in your family this stubborn?" Zadkiel sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Yes," Bastian and Anastasia replied in unison. But at the mention of her family, Anastasia's heart pounded. She scanned the battlefield, eyes wild.

"Where are they?"

Zadkiel and Bastian exchanged glances before Zadkiel spoke. "They are alive. The healers are tending to them."

Relief swept through Anastasia, but there was no time to revel in it. "Bastian, can you get Zadkiel out of here?"

Bastian hesitated. "I can manage, but—Anastasia, please be careful. We've lost each other too many times already."

She smiled softly and brushed a kiss against his lips. "You won't lose me. Not today."

He exhaled sharply, then handed her a blade. Her eyes widened. "The angel fire blade—Zython stole this. Is he…?"

"Yes. He's slain."

A strange feeling twisted in her chest, but she pushed it aside. Now was not the time for emotions. She watched as Bastian and Zadkiel, both struggling to stand, were quickly intercepted by an archangel who carried them toward the city's center.

Her focus snapped back to the battlefield just as Gabriel clashed with a massive demon, one nearly twice his size. The creature fought savagely, and for the first time, Gabriel seemed to be on the defensive.

Anastasia shot forward, diving from above. She slammed her fist into the demon's skull, sending it reeling before landing gracefully behind it. The demon snarled, whipping around with razor-sharp claws, but she ducked just in time. Her blade sliced clean through its arm, but before she could celebrate, the remaining hand struck her hard, knocking her flat on her back.

A furious roar echoed across the battlefield. A blur of motion, and the demon's head was torn from its shoulders in a flash. A hand reached down to her.

"Ana, you alright?"

She grasped it and let herself be pulled up. "Elijah."

She barely had time to react before he wrapped her in a quick, relieved hug. "Don't you ever run off without me again, or so help me—"

"Elijah, she's fine," Gabriel assured him, exasperated. "You're wasting energy fighting demons that already have angels assigned to them."

"Gabriel, you are just envious that I took down a demon that you were struggling with," Elijah smirked, and before Gabriel could retort back, a voice interrupted them.

"Anastasia, don't you worry. You'll be on your back again when I'm done scolding you," a familiar voice cut in.

Anastasia froze where she stood, feeling a tinge of anger. Considering Zadkiel helped seal her emotions, her anger proved strong for the one who spoke. She turned, already knowing who it was.

Britney.