Should I keep an eye on Ariayah? Were the demons coming to get her? Or was it just an accident?
All this went through Cass's mind in an instant. Before he could act, a voice rang out through the hall.
"CASS! HELP ME!!"
Ayman!? What the hell was he doing here at this hour?
"What's going on?"
"I was taking a prisoner back to his cell after an interrogation! I-it got loose!"
Cass pushed Ayman against the wall and dove the opposite direction. Just then a piece of rubble larger than Cass shot between them and slammed into the end of the hallway, sending cracks throughout the reinforced wall.
That's…not good.
The demon emerged from the darkness; his eyes filled with a red glow and madness. He was around 7 feet tall. His torso was somewhat emaciated; still, it retained more muscle than seemed possible given how gaunt the rest of him was. His ash skin was almost purple, with a criss-crossing pattern of runes tattooed along his arms. His wild white hair writhed in the energy flowing from his body. This was closer to what Cass imagined demons to be. The most unsettling sight was the mana chain swinging limply on the floor. He had broken the chains; the shackles, luckily, were still connected. That meant they might be able to survive until one of the Blessed arrives.
"Hey! Your gun?"
The color had drained from Ayman's face.
"H-he swatted it away! It's behind him somewhere."
He was curled against the far wall, shaking uncontrollably.
Useless. There wasn't anything in the hall. Cass would have to face him directly, unarmed. The only advantage he had was that the demon was frenzied. It slammed against the walls and howled maniacally.
That's right, fool, alert the whole base. Throw all the tantrums you want and we'll be out of this in no time.
As if hearing his thoughts, its head snapped forward. Its eyes focused directly on Cass. It lunged with incredible speed; the wind from its body kicking up dust and rubble as it tore through the air. Cass shot forward with his arm cocked, ready to unleash all his might in a single blow. As the inevitable clash drew near, Cass abandoned his attack all together and ducked low to the ground. His goal from the start was the swinging chain. He snatched the loose chain out of the air. If he slipped or lost his grip, he was dead. This was his only shot. He sprang up and pulled the chain as tight as he could around the demon's body.
"Hurry and get the gun, you dunce!"
Cass couldn't see. He was behind the thrashing demon holding on for dear life. As long as he kept the chain around its body, its destructive power would be diminished. Though not entirely. Each blow that landed on Cass sent a shock wave of pain through his body. He could hear the alarm go off. As long as he could hold out until help arrived, it wouldn't matter if Ayman was moving or not.
Ow! You miserable bastard! Stop hitting me!
He wanted to say that. All his might was currently focused elsewhere, so all that came out was a pained grunt. Enraged by the repeated assault, Cass looked for any way to retaliate.
Well, there is one way.
Cass opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the demon's back. It let out a pained scream. His teeth tore into the flesh as blood and meat filled mouth.
Ah, it's the sweetest thing ever.
Actually, it was so disgusting, he almost retched. But in the moment, Cass felt a joy he hadn't in a long time. He spat the vile blob out of his mouth and continued his assault on the demon's back. Unfortunately, the momentary reprieve from the blows was over. Cass was starting to lose his grip. Then, for a moment, they stopped again. He heard the familiar sound of a mana rifle firing and felt the demon's body vibrate with each impact. It whipped around, picking up a chunk of rubble and flinging it down the hall. Cass heard scurrying followed by the impact. It had bought him precious seconds, but he could tell the focus was back on him. As he mustered his last bit of strength, he braced himself for the incoming blows. However, they never came…the demon was completely still.
"You're good, son. You can let go."
Cass did as he was told. A familiar reaction to the voice in question. The demon's headless body collapsed to the floor. Captain Stanev had beheaded it in a single swing. Ayman was picking himself up off the ground, his mana rifle still smoking from the rapid firing.
"Get yourself to medical and prepare for a debriefing. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Captain Stanev turned and headed towards Ayman. Cass panted, trying to catch his breath. Then his stomach knotted.
No way…
He got up and ran towards Ariayah's cell.
"I-"
There she was. Sitting on her bed. Staring directly at him. A somber look on her face.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that's the look of suspicion rather than concern."
Cass didn't answer.
"I guess you really are a jerk. The night's been ruined anyway. You might as well leave."
"I wasn't…"
Wait! Was she trying to make me feel bad for what happened? I was almost killed and I'm the one apologizing!? Is this how all women were? Or maybe just demons?
She curled up in bed and turned away from him. He looked around, unsure what to do.
"I just remembered I had some extra pudding leftover. Maybe I'll bring it by tomorrow with breakfast."
She remained silent.
What am I doing? Why do I care if she sulks like a child? Or even if she hates me for that matter? Do demons experience hate? It sure seemed like the one he fought did. Was that a ruse too? He was too exhausted to think about it.
"Good night, Ariayah."
It was the first time he'd given her a proper goodbye…whatever that was worth. His body ached. He had better do what Captain Stanev ordered. When he was that serious, doing so was the wisest choice. He walked out of the broken hall and into the cool night air.
"Good night, Cass."
The next morning, Cass felt worn down. The beating was more extensive than he thought. Not to mention he had depleted what little Blessed energy he had fighting the demon and the spider. He had also spent part of the night being debriefed by the higher ups. Apparently, Ayman had followed protocols, but a freak accident caused the chains to break and the demon to access some of its power. Mana chains weren't manufactured, though they were trying desperately. They were actually the result of a few Blessed's special abilities. Cass didn't know the details, but he could piece a basic picture together with the bits of information he heard. If any of these Blessed lost focus: through battle, injury, or death, the chains could break or even disappear entirely. These Blessed were powerful and well guarded to boot, so it was exceedingly rare.
Wonderful. Things are really going my way lately.
The sun wasn't up yet and Cass was already kitted out and ready to leave. He was assigned an early patrol at the last minute. He was grumpy when waking this early, so he wasn't in the mood to care about the details. He would accompany a Blessed along with a few other soldiers selected by Captain Stanev.
Gah! Who wakes this early? No one in their right mind.
His mother was an early riser; often beating the sun. Cass was never sure why. He'd never thought to ask. Or actually…she probably never cared enough to tell him.
And I guess Misha too. But Misha had a full day's work to take care of along with all the tasks mother relegated to her. Mother couldn't even bother to raise her own children; too beneath a woman of her status. So Misha had been left to do that as well…at least, with Cass she had. There were plenty of other maids. Maids they deemed superior likely got his siblings, the lucky stooges.
"Let's go, boys! Wanna make it by sunrise!"
The large, reinforced gates slid open, lowering the invisible mana barrier that covered the base like a dome. Cass slumped his shoulders and yawned lazily. As they crossed the threshold his blood ran cold. A red glint out of the corner of his eye.
No way…She wouldn't.
Cass swung his head around as fast as he could. An involuntary breath escaped his lungs. His stomach knotted…Along the base of the fence in a haphazard line were the heads of demons, arranged on pikes. The one Cass's eyes immediately fixated on, was just as beautiful as he remembered. It was Ariayah's.