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Sha had always hated the sensation of falling and now that he found him going through one such episode, to say he was panic-stricken would be an understatement. Kelly did her best to cushion their fall, but the impact still knocked the wind out of him. He lay there, glad to be alive and he coughed as he tried to get air into his lungs but only got sulfur instead. "Ugh, that wasn't fun at all." He got up slowly and then helped Kelly to her feet. "So, this Hell? This is where you guys call home? Talk about your fixer-upper."
Kelly blushed darkly as she had helped soften his fall with her cushions. She quickly regained her composure and brushed herself off.
"Yeah. Home sweet home."
She muttered. The air was thick and heavy. It was full of sulfur and humidity. Kelly was glad she wore some light clothes here. There seemed to be nothing but endless, engulfing darkness in every direction. It was only brightened enough to see by lava pools dotting the landscape. The ground was nothing but rocks and dust, cracked in some places to expose more lava.
"I need to get my bearings. It's been a long long time since I've been here. Keep a lookout."
She climbed up onto a higher rock pillar, trying to get her eyes adjusted to the darkness. As he waited, Sha could sense something nearing them. They definitely didn't arrive there on soft little cat feet. Someone or something could sense their arrival.
Sha looked around uneasily at the foreboding landscape. This was definitely unlike any place he had ever been. He couldn't quite place it, but he had the feeling that something or someone was close by, watching them from some place he couldn't see. "Kelly, something tells me we're not alone." He heard a hight pitch scream suddenly echo from somewhere far away, but not far enough.
Kelly's ears perked up at the sound and she took out her bow. She nocked an arrow and pulled back the string, sending an arrow whizzing just inches from Sha's head and into the eye of a lesser demon, felling it instantly. Its death illuminated many more of the same, surrounding them.
"Run! Get up here Sha!"
She yelled, firing a barrage of magic arrows at their attackers.
"I'm not going anywhere without you." He quickly drew his saber and brandished it with one hand and he conjured up a blast of lightning with the other. The demons hissed and swatted at them, looking for a weakness or opening. One of the more foolhardy ones rushed foreward and he wasted no time impaling it and blasting a few others with the lightning. "Watch your back Kelly!" He called out noticing a few trying to sneak up behind her.
Kelly smashed one with her bow and then put it away to grab her sword and sliced many others up.
"Up heeeere! You need to get to higher ground! I found a path that should lead us to our destination!"
She called back down to him. Then she charged up a shockwave of fire and sent many flying and impaling a few on the jutting rocks.
He managed to cut down one more and heave the dead body at its companions, before retreating with Kelly. "So much for the disguise." He said panting as they hurried along the path. "Well at least we got a welcoming committee, didn't expect that." He didn't hear any sounds of pursuit just yet, but it would be too much to hope that they would be let off that easily.
Kelly decapitated one last one before putting her sword away.
"Those are just feral demons looking to find prey. Nothing but base desires. Any strong being could them on. Those are the ones who cause chaos during demon invasions, murdering innocents."
She sighed and started onto the path. It was hard to tell exactly how far away they were. The city wasn't even visible yet.
"The closer we get to the city, the less things will attack us for no reason. Hopefully they'll back off as we near it, but still keep your guard up. Once the city is in view, then you can get out your disguise to wear."
The neko brushed the dust and blood from her dress armor.
"Oh lovely, just lovely. Ya know I haven't been here 5 minutes and I'm already starting to regret choosing this route of action. No wonder Lexi didn't want to come with us. I don't blame her and I can also see why you'd want to live in the forest. It's Heaven, compared to this nightmare." He shook his head as he continuously circled around as they trudged up the path. So far, nothing else seemed to be around and the cries of the feral demons seemed to grow fainter.
The trail continued to move in an incline manner before they came to a bridge of store a comprised of rock that looked ready to break apart at any moment. He paused to look down for a briefest of moments to see nothing but lava below. He shuddered as a sense of vertigo washed over him. He let out a shaky breath as he dashed across hoping from stone to stone. He squinted his eyes and thought he saw lights ahead. "Looks like we're getting close. I know this is probably a bad time to ask, but who runs Hell? I mean all these demons must answer to someone right?"
"This is why we're trying to escape from here. It sucks."
Kelly daintily crossed the stone bridge and stopped, the lights of the huge city now visible.
"This city is where most demons congregate to indulge in all their desires. Other demons have their own domains in hell, lording over them and dragging humans and other beings here to entertain them and drain their souls. But the one demon who rules them all is the oldest. You may know him as The Devil. Satan. Beelzebub. We know him simply as Lucifer. He was the first, back when all this heaven and hell stuff started. After they are judged, sinful human souls fall here, but in his domain. The Seven Circles of Hell."
She cringed, remembering the screams and other horrible noises.
"But for neow, let's get moving. Put on your disguise, I'll keep a look out."
As Kelly watched on, Sha went through his transformation, his clothes became back robes, his face and body became burnt looking and were covered in intricately placed demonic tattoos. Kelly had to repress a shudder as she looked at him as he wielded a great obsidian mace. "Ok, I think I'm ready to go." Even his voice had changed, becoming raspy and hoarse.
Kelly blinked a few times. She hadn't expected him to have that good of a disguise. It was better than the one she was going to use.
"Right, so, you're under my control. Allegedly. Just follow me closely and everything should be fine."
She conjured up a chain collar that gently wrapped around his neck and she head the other end, then she began to enter the city with him in tow.
((Just a reminder... you still working on that other PM or are you stuck?))
He watched tensely as she conjured the chain collar that wrapped itself around his neck."The things I do for you babe." He muttered under his breath. Sha was a prideful man, sometimes too proud for his own good which had landed him in trouble on many occasions. He hated the idea of being displayed as a trophy, but if it meant them getting out in one piece along with Kelly's family, then the warrior in him would have to suck it up and bear it. He kept his head down and watched his surroundings using his peripheral vision.
((Haven't forgotten about it. Just don't have solid Internet access right now. Stupid parents. stressed ))
((Okies. Just wondering why~))
Kelly stuck out her tongue.
"Just be glad this hot and melting into your flesh. Come along, Jeffrey."
She lightly tugged on the chain as she led him inside the city. The entire place was chock full of demons of all kinds. Some beautiful looking, some horrible looking. The air was heavy with darkness, even more so than outside the city. Kelly was feeling just a little funny from all the demonic power flowing into her. She had been used to the forest's energy so much that all this darkness was a little straining on her.
...just have to... resist it. I've gone into the light so far and I'm not going back. Besides... I need forest mana to attune the crystal on this side.
She stood tall, passing by many demons who barely gave them a glance. Street vendors were hollering about the latest merchandise gained from all the realms. Others were selling themselves or buying enslaved beings from the mortal realm. Humans weren't the only ones whom demons loved to trick into coming here.
Soon enough, Kelly's ears perked up as someone called after her.
"Well, look who it is..."
A sultry woman's voice came from all around. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared from the neko's shadow and grabbed her wrists, holding them back.
"Little Kelly... well, not so little any more. And she's got a pet with her. How cute."
Kelly growled and then feeling the woman's hand running up her side, she quickly retaliated with a headbutt, causing her to let go.
"Back off, Elvira."
She said, turning around to see the succubus behind her. The sultry demon was the model of what most men desired. She looked just like a human woman, but the curved horns and slender tail said otherwise. Her large bosom and shapely hindquarters were covered, just barely, in a two piece bikini that left little to the imagination.
"Jeffery is mine. And I already told you years ago not to touch me again."
"Oh come now, kitten... I long to hear that sexy purr of yours just one more time..."
Her red eyes pierced into Kelly's green, but she had long learned to resist such charms.
Instinctively, Sha reacted by lashing out and grabbing the succubus by the throat and bringing her close to his face, forcing her to look into his vacant blackened eyes that appeared illuminated by a hidden flame somewhere behind them. She looked back unwillingly and her body began to shake. "I believe she told you No. Now move along" The flames in Sha's eyes began to reflect themselves in the succubus' s eyes and she quailed as he finally released her.
Kelly was about to tell her off when Sha suddenly intervened. She blinked a few times as she watched this go on.
"Y-You'll be back! N-Next time you won't have scary friends backing you up!"
The succubus called back to them as she ran away into the dark alleys.
"...um... wow. I don't even know what to say to that. Thanks, I suppose."
Kelly cleared her throat and started moving again, keeping her eyes peeled just in case that whore called someone to beat them up.
"...she always took it too far. Made it feel too dirty. I'm not some object used only for sex. Sometimes we all need to indulge ourselves, but not the way she does it. What the three of us did earlier today made me feel wonderful. Alive. I know what I like, and it's nothing close to what she has to offer."
She looked back at Sha and smiled softly, finally reaching their destination. An exotic pet store.
Sha watched the seductress run off, his face stotic and grim which gently eased listening to Kelly's voice. "That's quite understandable sweety. That's the only way they get their power, by taking things too far and when things are taken to that extreme, the act does become dirty."
A small smile flitted across his face at her comment about their session earlier. "I'm...pleased to hear you say that. It will be better, once we're married." They had stopped outside the shop. "Why did we stop here?"
Kelly looked around carefully and then looked towards him.
"This is it. Remember your line."
She took Sha into the store. It was full of cages that contained all manner of monstrosities from all the realms. Demons were big fans of having horrible creatures at their beck and call.
"Welcome~ What can I do for you?"
The peppy store clerk asked as they walked in.
"It's my human. He's been acting funny."
"Really? Did you try turning him off and on again?"
"Tried. Didn't work."
"Hmm... what has he been doing?"
"Lately, I've just been trying to get him to do things, but he just sits there and does nothing or forgets what I told him."
"Alright, let me see..."
The clerk went up to Sha.
"Human, are you feeling alright?"
Sha momentarily froze causing Kelly to tug on the chain to make him follow her into the shop. He wracked his brain trying to remember what exactly the phrase was. It didn't help that he saw all kinds of captive souls and monstrosities of all sorts. He remained quiet while Kelly and the shop clerk conversed. He let his eyes wander to a little imp who was trying to play peek a boo with him. He felt himself in danger of cracking up listening to the two compare him to an appliance and the goofy imp.
He kept his gaze unfocused until the clerk came up to him and asked him if he was feeling ok. He tilted his head to the side and looked at her absently until he replied with "I don't can brain today" before he start cackling madly.
The clerk frowned at his response.
"Well dang, you must have been given a defective one. Follow me to the back and I'll set you up with a new one."
Kelly nodded and pulled Sha along with her. Once they got to the back, the clerk looked around carefully and pulled a book on a bookshelf and said shelf moved to the side, revealing a door. She got down and the door scanned her eye, then it opened up. The clerk ushered them inside and the door closed behind them. They walked through a scanner and both the clerk's and Sha's disguise was dispelled. Instead of being a peppy little demon, she was instead a tired looking cat demon.
"Thank Christ you've finally arrived. I can not do that much happy all the time."
She led them through a hallway and pushed a button to call an elevator.
"I do hope you have good news for us. We're getting so close to our goal."
Sha looked down at himself with relief. He felt glad to be himself again instead of feeling constricted in that demonic form. "As far as I know, we have someone working on our end to get things up and running." He took a look at the tired cat demon. She looked awful. "Sorry for the delay, but we weren't exactly expecting the welcoming committee we received. The elevator arrived and the trio entered where the cat demon pressed a button. "So, how are things going on this end?"
"Don't worry about it. Not your fault."
The cat sighed and leaned against the elevator as it went down.
"We've been trying for decades to get this up and running again. Had to make this bunker in order to keep the others away. They want to use this to invade the human realm and wreck up s**t, but we're not going to let them. Sorry about the weird precautions, but it's the only way."
She rubbed her temples.
"Our mages are giving all the juice they can to this thing and the engineers are having a hay-day trying to keep it running smoothly. Lexi was our first test run and since she got to you, that's great. I'm assuming Kelly has the last piece we need? You've got a bunch of forest mana in you. Should be enough to attune our stone here to where we need to go."
-------------------------
Meanwhile, up on the surface, Lexi was working with the fairies to build an exit portal. The little ones were moving thick roots with their magic, forming a big enough archway. The blonde neko set the portal stone inside the top of the frame and, with the help of the fairies, began the process of slowly attuning the stone to the forest.
Sha nodded as Kelly produced the stone. "Don't worry Kelly. I'll be with you all the way and will give you all the strength you need." The cat demon looked at Kelly and Sha curiously. She had never seen such compassion shown by a human towards any of her kind. The elevator slowly ground to a halt and the doors opened to reveal a plethora of at demons working frantically. "Please follow me."
-------------------
The fairies watched apprehensively as Lexi began to power up the portal. "You sure this is a good idea using that thing? What if something goes wrong?" Lexi gave the fairy a look. "If I keep getting interrupted, things could definitely go wrong."
Kelly followed the neko out and blinked a few times. There was a big portal frame made of metal and some mages in little robes resting and gaining their mana back. A couple nekos were working on a machine.
"Welcome to the HQ..."
A pair of nekos in particular stood out. One was a woman with shoulder length brown hair who wore a tight, red mage robe, inlayed with gold runes. By the looks of her, she couldn't be much older than Kelly herself, though the line on her face and the larger chest said otherwise. Next to her was a taller male, much larger than the rest of them. He had on a dark set of armor made from the skins of demons. On his back was a large sword, much bigger than any should be able to wield. His hair was fiery red and with his full beard, it encompassed his face like a lion's mane.
"M-Mom! Dad!"
Kelly shouted out and quickly dashed over into their waiting arms.
Sha watched with a tight throat and misty eyes at the family reunion. Perhaps he would have been called soft or over emotional, but it didn't matter what others thought of him, he was happy to bear witness to it. Kelly's parents were pleasantly surprised and pleased to see their daughter again.
After a good, long moment of finally meeting back up again, Kelly was released from the vice grip hugs from both her parents.
"Mom, Dad, this is Sha. He's the um... man who wishes to marry me."
The looks on both their faces were completely opposite. Her mother was delighted to hear this news.
"Oh, that's just wonderful. My little kitten has finally grown up."
"Mooom... I'm like, I donno, 40 some human years old."
Her father though, made his way over to Sha.
"What's this I hear? I saw the ring... you proposed to her without asking me? What makes you think you can take my lovely daughter's hand in marriage? All I see is a man in his pajamas being courted around like a pet."
Kelly tried to protest, but her mother held her back.
"No no dear... you know how your father is. Just... let the two of them settle this out."
He walked a circle around Sha, breathing in his scent.
"I can smell her all over you... and that fire in her eyes means that you've done something to earn her trust. But I know nothing about you, little man. What makes you so special? I know you humans can be fickle creatures. Only out for their own and shunning any who look different."
The man got down to glare into Sha's eyes.
"I want you to look me in the eye and tell me why you're so special. Tell me or show me."
Sha knelt before Kelly's father, at first not wanting to appear to be confrontational. "It's an honor and privilege to finally get to meet you and your wife Sir. Kelly has told me a little about you. I apologize for not asking your permission first in asking your daughter's hand in marriage. Circumstances happened so quickly and my fear of losing her again, well it made me rush things. That's part of the reason we're here. I wanted to do things properly...It's a custom for us humans to gain the parent's blessing first. As for why I am special...Well that's quite a story to tell. I've helped Kelly return to the Light and in turn we were able to restore your home forest from a dead wasteland to a thriving living environment. With her permission, I trained her to better herself not only as a fighter, but as a complete individual." Sha worked up the courage to look Kelly's father in the eyes. "I love your daughter Sir, with every fiber within me. I would do anything for her...to help her...protect her. Even if that meant giving my life in the process."
The man listened carefully to his words and when he finally looked up, his brown eyes met Sha's blue. For a moment, he stood there, eyes, unblinkingly staring. Then a smile crept onto his face and he clapped his hands on Sha's shoulders, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Well then, I can tell when someone's lying and you're the most genuine human I've ever seen. I don't know what it is exactly, but I feel as though I can trust you. The look in my daughter's eyes... she's hasn't looked this happy since she was just a little girl, chasing after butterflies. What more can a father ask for than to see his little girl full of joy once more."
He looked over to his girl and then looked back at Sha, getting him up to his feet and dusting him off.
"You have my permission, young man. And there was no need to kneel, I'm no king. Even if I look like one. Ha!"
Mister Chambers clapped him on the back with his big hand.
"Now, there's much to be done now that the two of you are here. You're both full of that forest's power. It's up to the two of you to help get the stone here attuned to our home. Go to the twins over there, they need the most help."
He pointed to two nekos whom looked like they were having an argument. Kelly scuttled off to them and as Sha walked over, Mrs. Chambers pulled on his sleeve.
"Excuse me... can I have a word, Sha?"
Sha felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. The hard part was over and he was happy that Kelly's father was accepting of him and Kelly being together. He nodded as he felt himself pulled to his feet. "Sorry Sir, old habits die hard." He went over to join Kelly when Kelly's mother approached him and asked to have a word with him. "Of course you may Ma'am." He had an inkling of what the question was, but he didn't want to assume, so he remained quiet."
----------------------
"Ok, I think we are very close to getting this thing up and running." Some of the fairies were trying to recover their mana and to gain what rest they could. Lexi's ears twitched. She hadn't expected so much resistance.
"I think it's time you learn more about us, Sha. You're going to be marrying into our family, so you should know about our culture and some... differences from your culture."
The brunette neko ran her hand through her slightly wavy hair.
"I am known as Serana, the Big Mama, as the others have taken to calling me. I don't get the 'big' part. Do you have any ideas?"
She tilted her head and stretched her arm above her head, pulling on her elbow and arching her back, her DDs straining against her robes.
"Anyways, my husband is Lysander, the Red Lion. Pretty self explanatory. We have no chieftain or kings and queens. Though he has earned the respect of us all and so his input has the most weight."
She looked over at her husband and smiled, watching him roar orders at a few nekos sleeping in a pile of cushions, blankets, and pillows. They sleepily arose and stretched, then many put their shirts and/or bottoms back on.
Sha smiled at the introduction. "It's nice to meet you Miss.Serana." He had to bite his lip at the question. "Good Lord, she has a great set of tits." He himself staring a few minutes too long and he had to jerk his head up and clear his throat." I-I would have to say because you have a big personality. Your energy just fills up the room." He directed his attention to Kelly's father roaring out orders. He could definitely see why everyone respected him. "He's a great leader...remind me never to get on his bad side."
Serana giggled and blushed slightly at the compliment.
"Well, thank you. And you can just call me Mama if you like. Everyone else does."
She crossed her arms.
"That's wise. I'm surprised he likes you. Most who get on his bad side don't continue to have limbs for very long."
The neko coughed nervously.
"We are a very affectionate and social race. The term we prefer is neko or cat folk or something like that. We try to not to associate with the other demons. Its got a bad connotation, the word demon. Aside from that, you've probably noticed we're quite affectionate people. We're playful and like to be petted, just like other cats. I can tell you've had some fun with both my daughter and her best friend Lexi. To us, intimacy is the highest form of interaction. You can learn a lot about someone who agreed to bare their body to another. Don't be alarmed if you find that little Lexi will want to stay friends with benefits with the both of you. There just how we are. I've been with other girls and so has my hubby. Sometimes other men, too. You shouldn't get jealous or anything. The one we choose to marry is the one we always come back to tell them about what we did. It's a social experience. Each person has their own techniques and brings something different to the table. Kelly and Lexi may share an intimate moment and Lexi may want to have fun with just you. I can see many eyes on you, too. Mine included. We respect how far one wishes to go in the fun times, though usually we wish to get to know the person first before we make any moves."
Sha allowed himself to relax. He was finding it very easy to get along with Kelly's mama. Not only was learning more about the neko race, but also the dynamics of Kelly's family. The more he found, the higher his eyebrows went and the bigger his eyes got which made Kelly's mother laugh. He couldn't help blushing that the fact that she knew about his fun time with Lexi and Kelly from earlier. "Yeah, that was definitely a pleasurable experience. I um...I hope you don't mind me telling you this. Awhile back before I died and came back....Kelly offered me a very special gift, something very honorable. Her...her first time. I turned her down, because we humans...well a select group of us consider that very sacred. I know how affectionate Kelly is and I never wanted to be the one who was her first time and then leave her. She chose me and to me, if I were to take it...I wanted it to be in the right way. Other ignorant humans would look at her as a plaything or something to be used. To me, she is a person with feelings..a heart...a soul...someone to be respected...cherished as a gift. That is what she means to me."
Serana nodded and smiled widely, still having to hold back her giggles.
"I can smell her scent still on you. It lingers. I can definitely smell both of their in heat scents on you. Don't be surprised."
She put a hand on his shoulder and listened to what he thought of her daughter.
"I understand that. The gift of virginity is not one to take lightly. We like to save that for the one we really want to stay with. Doesn't mean we don't have other methods for having fun in the sheets. I won't get into the details there as I'm certain your face is about to burst from how red it is. Though I will tell you to not be alarmed if others proposition to you. Different races are interesting. Especially a strapping young human like yourself. If you weren't about to marry my daughter well..."
The woman gave him a playful wink.
"In any case, go help Kelly with the portal. We're nearly done on our side and our reports are saying that Lexi is close, too."
Too embarrassed and flustered to speak, he merely nodded and made his way towards Kelly. She noticed his red face and tilted her head, to which he mouthed the word "Later" He stood ready as Kelly made the final preparations with the stone.
---------------
Lexi's brow was bathed in sweat as she and the fairies put everything they had into one final effort. "Almost got it neow." Finally with a loud whoosh and a small crackle, a small portal appeared that steadily grew larger. Lexi painted as she stepped back and just concentrated on enlarging the gateway.
Kelly looked over at Sha, noticing his red face and the fact that he had been talking with her mom.
"...oh yeah. I forgot to mention that about my mom. She um... likes to socialize with everyone. Even me. Um yeah."
She blushed softly, wondering if she'd ever grow to be the size her mother was.
"A-Anyway um, the twins just need us to use our mana to attune that stone there. The demon power will disperse here safely. Just do as I do."
The redhead concentrated momentarily and her hands glowed a soft green. She channeled her magic into a beam that struck right onto the stone, which began to absorb the power.
"I-I'll need you here, or else I'll be using up all my mana."
-------------------
The fairies gave Lexi a drink of water from a canteen.
"Whew... that's the exit portal. It's nothing but a fancy light show at the moment. O-Once they get the entrance set up all the way, w-we should be fine."
The blonde faltered a little, feeling dizzy. She must have used up a little too much of her mana.
Sha watched as Kelly went first, her beam of light struck the stone causing it to begin powering up.Sha closed his eyes and began to knit his fingers into different symbols. His own hands began to glow a soft green and he released his energy into the stone. With their combined energies working in time with the mages, a dim light began to appear which then blossomed into a brilliant white portal which steadily grew in size.
The nekos murmured in astonishment as the portal slowly but surely developed until it was at its full power. The elation was sure lived as a distant rumbling began to sound from deep beneath them and they all heard a cold sinister laughter echo through the cavern.
Kelly wiped the sweat from her brow, finally glad to have the portal up and running. This was it. They would all finally be home.
The rumbling and laughter made her ears perk up. She knew something was amiss. The other nekos could sense the danger and all become battle ready.
"What's going on?"
"There's no way they could have found us out. No way."
"Whether they did or not is no matter. We stick with the plan. Hurry through the portal and activate the self-destruct sequence."
A few non-combat nekos rushed towards the safety of the entrance portal while the twin engineers got out their activation keys.
"WAIT!" Sha held up his hands and everyone halted. "It's not they who found us. It's HIM." The nekos looked on in confusion before the realization hit them. "You mean to say it's..." The neko was cut off as a section of the floor sagged and fell away. A blast of ice cold wind escaped causing the nekos to start shivering violently and huddling away. Sha caught Kelly's eye and the name came to her mind. A form came leaping up from the depths and landed with a crash. It was in the shape of a man, but horribly emaciated. The figure's skin was blackened and tough like the hide of some beast. It strode towards them with legs that ended in cloven feet. Protrusions sprang its back that were at one point wings. The creature lifted its horned head and gazed at them with empty white eyes. It laughed as it looked at the huddled masses.
"An escape attempt? Very brazen for such a pathetic race, so pathetic you don't even deserve to call yourselves demons...yet you and your ilk have served me well and for that I will do this as a token of my generosity. Which among you was the ringleader of this? Let them come foreward and I will let the rest of you go. It is but a small sacrifice for your freedom."
Sha noticed that Kelly's father was musing stepping foreward to take the blame, but Sha placed his own hand on the elder neko's arm and shook his head. With his eyes alone, he glanced around at all the nekos, especially Kelly, then focused back to Kelly's father and then to the portal. Kelly's father and even Kelly herself were stunned, but Has silenced them with a look. Sha then turned to address the figure directly. "Hail Morning Star. You ask for the guilty party to show themselves and you now have your answer."
Kelly stood in front of her mother and the other nekos, keeping them back. She looked at Sha with her best "What are you doing?" look. The engineers tip toed to their separate key stations to try and activate the fail-safe without Satan noticing.
"S-Sha. You can't trust him on this! Deals with the devil never go the way you think! He just wants to use our portal to invade the mortal plane!"
She used their connection to mentally yell at him.
Sha used his remaining energy to conjure up a massive battle axe and assumed a battle ready stance. "I know what I'm doing. Just make for the portal when I say. I'll hold him off as long as I can. I've known this was coming. It was inevitable."
Lucifer was a bit surprised to see Sha step foreward."Once again, you humans surprise me. Many brave warriors have tried their hand;Odysseus, Hercules, Attila, Lancelot, they all failed...but you...your pride has surpassed even theirs and has done what they could not."
"And what of your pride Son of Perdition? Have you spent so long judging others by their sin of pride that you've forgotten your own? How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”
Sha's reply only served to incense the Fallen Angel and he ground his teeth in anger. "They will never leave and nor shall you!" Drawing a blackened sword, the Devil charged and Sha met him halfway, the sound of their weapons clashing like thunder.
Kelly nearly went to help Sha, but her father grabbed her by the arm.
"I know what you're thinking, but we need to get out of here. The gods won't give us another chance. Whilst Sha distracts him, we can get everyone out of here."
She knew he was right and sighed.
"Sha, if you die here, I will personally find a way back and torment your soul for eternity. And you'd better not leave me alone at the altar."
The redhead sent back to him and helped gather their essential things. The twins used their keys and pushed many buttons in sequence. Soon enough, a warning siren began to go off.
"We don't have long neow! Only a few minutes until-"
"-a big a** bomb goes off and vaporizes everything! Equipment and anyone-"
"-dumb enough to not leg it!"
With their weapons locked together, Sha spared one glance at Kelly. "GO...NOW!" The nekos raced into the portal as the siren's wail grew louder and the place began to shake and rumble. Kelly's mother brushed past her, her robes billowing followed closely behind by her father and lastly of all Kelly. Just before she stepped into the portal, she glanced back one last time. Her father grabbed her arm. "Kelly, c'mon. There's nothing you can do to help. I'll not leave you behind." Slowly, reluctantly Kelly allowed herself to be dragged through the portal, her eyes remaining on Sha before she felt the portal's energies whisk her away.
With Kelly and the others gone, Sha freed his weapon and continued the fight. He was able to wound the Devil with some fortunate blows before Lucifer felled him with a blow of his fist. Sha hit the ground hard, hos body nearly spent with the injuries inflicted by the battle. "You dare to assail me? You who have done worse things than I. I stood with my fellow angels for justice...for truth. And then...He made you..in His image...a weak flawed creation. And I was supposed to bow down to you? NEVER!" Lucifer raised his weapon to finish Sha off, but Sha drew a hidden blade from beneath his robes and parried the blow away before retaliating with his own. The Devil staggered back towards the hole and upon retrieving his weapon, gave one final strike. The Devil stood there reeling and Sha tackled him over, sending them down into the pit. As he fell, Sha grabbed hold of a piece of jutting rock and His best to hold on, even as the Devil sought drag him down. "You...you are no better than me. Your soul is forever tarnished and no matter what, your sins will follow you." Sha looked down with a look of pity on his face."Yes, I have done horrible things, but unlike you, I've done my best to make amends. I've done what you and the others couldn't; I've asked for forgiveness. I've turned away and I allowed Him to better me. Maybe my road to redemption will be a lifelong one, but I rather that than be stuck down here with you. I'm a child of the Light once more and your hold over me is at an end. You're alone in your Hell...welcome to oblivion."
The Devil's eyes widened as an alien word escaped his lips. "Amen"[/] Using the last strength Sha kicked himself loose and climbing up dove through the portal as it collapsed.
Kelly felt her stomach reel as she went through the portal. Trans-dimensional portals were the worst. She must have blacked out for a bit, but then her ears perked up as she heard birds singing. Slowly, she rolled onto her back and hissed slightly at the bright light directly above her. She sat up and looked around. All the nekos had made it. But no sign of Sha. The portal was wavering and sending out some arcs of lightning. Finally, it collapsed, letting out a flash of light. Once it cleared, she someone lying there in the grass.
"Sha!"
She yelled as she got to her feet and ran over to him.
--------------------
As power left the portal once and for all, a number on one of the screens reached zero. The whole bunker exploded, rocking the foundations of the city. No trace of anything was left. The nekos had taken all the blueprints and artifacts before getting out of there. No ounce of any of the technology that was once there was left.
Kelly fell to her knees beside Sha's motionless body. There didn't seem to be any sign of life and he was barely breathing at all. "No..not this again! I can't go through this again!" She held her head in her hands as her parents came over to comfort her and to look at the brave man. Their hearts sank at the grim prospect that Kelly had lost him when a fit of coughing startled them as Sha gingerly opened an eye.
Kelly blinked a few times and then hugged him, not realizing just how tightly she was doing so, even as her little chest was smooshed against him.
"Y-You need to quit scaring me like that..."
She murmured and kept her grip on him until someone coughed nervously. It was then she took the time to look around. A few dozen nekos stood around, many disorientated from being back here once again. The fairies zoomed around gleefully, glad to pretty new faces.
"After all these years... I... we can... do anything we want. No more living in fear or being angry all the time. We're back... finally back..."
The big neko looked like he was about to shed a tear and his wife held onto his arm.
"Look at my big scary lion, showing off his sensitive side."
She teased and he growled slightly, quietly shushing her and saying he just got something in his eye.
"I think this calls for a celebration!"
Sha was caught off guard by the sudden hug, but he relaxed as his head was tightly nestled in between Kelly's perky boobs. "Mmmm soft." Kelly abruptly released him as she blushed crimson when she figured out what he was up to. She let him fall with a thud and he slowly got up rubbing his head. Kelly's father brushed him off. "You are by far one of the craziest humans I ever met."
"Last time someone faced the devil himself, he was using Death's scythe to do so."
Lysander just laughed again.
 sha312 · Thu Dec 01, 2016 @ 03:47am · 0 Comments |
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