Turning my focus to Rathor, who is limp in my hand, I slam him to the ground, over and over again. Each time feeling something else break or snap. Raising him up, I pull him close. “Since you took away the only thing I loved,” I gaze at Lilith who can only look back, “I’m going to return the favor,” I snap as I rip one of his wings off.
Then I walk over to her, dragging him by his throat. His bones protrude from his arms and legs.
“Lets see if you find this funny,” I shout as I pick him up, over the top of her and dig my claws into his chest, forcing every bit of divinity and rage into him. He quickly turns to ash and falls onto Lilith, covering her.
“Look at that,” I say, bending over. I dig my claws into her chest and pick her up off the ground. “He died like a mongrel,” I spit, void of all emotion.
When I’m about to kill her I get hit hard from the side, ripping my claws from her and sending me rolling through the dirt. Quickly getting to my feet, I see Beelzebub was the one who struck me.
As I run at him, without thinking, he pummels me again. This time when he hit me I felt my shoulder snap. Trying to get to my feet, I hear the rest of my friends crying out in pain and agony.
Without a second to spare he is on me again, striking meover and over in the head and chest, breaking my ribs, slashing at my stomach, and cracking my skull. He delivers a blow that throws me back to the ground.
I land in a heap right next to Frida’s body. I take a look at her even though I’m barely able to move, then get to my feet. Looking around through swollen eyes I see Lucius and Perseus pinned down by the Hydra and Achilles is getting pummeled by the Leviathan.
They are all about to die and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Gazing back down at Frida, I lose my will to live seeing her like this. I don’t care anymore.
“Fenrir, are you good for one last stand?”
“Let’s give this fucker everything we have. They all will pay for what they did to Serafine even if it costs me my soul,”he responds.
As we prepare to charge with our final attack a blinding light and tremendousCRACKrings out through Purgatory. From out of nowhere, now standing before me, is Michael.
Chapter 21
Michael looks over his shoulder at us. “I’m sorry, Evander, that I couldn’t get here sooner,” he says, gazing at Frida’s body. He takes one look around the battlefield and sighs.
“I will handle things from here. You have already done more than you know.” With those words he draws his sword. Holding it vertically in front of him, he slides his hand up the blade and it is coated in a brilliant whitelight.
With one swing of his sword the entire battlefield is covered in a white flame. As it engulfs me I don’t feel heat, but a soothing presence. A horrible scream rings out from the demon horde and after only seconds the flames vanish. The only things left standing are the Hell beasts, the Knights, Beelzebub and us.
Did he just wipe out thousands of demons with a single swing of his sword?
I notice my wounds have healed too and I have recovered a bit of stamina. Looking at Beelzebub, he has a few burn marks and his wings are charred to the root. The Hell Beasts and the Knights are writhing around in pain, screaming and howling.
Lilith is no better, looking like she has third degree burns covering her as she rolls around screaming.
“Evander, get the others back to Heaven while I finish this,” Michael commands, as he takes off toward Beelzebub. They engage in a fierce battle, while I rush to get everyone back to Heaven.
First I reach Achilles who, like me, is a bit healed. “Can you walk?” I ask.
He nods. “I’ll manage, let’s help the others,” he responds as we reach Perseus and Lucius.
They are in worse shape than I thought, the Hydra burnt both of them badly. As we pick them up they let out painful groans, so we throw them over our shoulders. We rush them back to the gate as fast as we can.
Once we reach it I give Lucius to Achilles. “I need to get Frida,” I say. Without giving him a chance to speak I run back out into the battlefield. Michael has the upper hand against Beelzebub as I see Michael cut off his left hand.
Just then the Leviathan attacks Michael. Without hesitationhe decapitates it with one stroke of his sword. Its body twitches about on the ground, as its head is still trying to bite anything it can.
He then turns his attention to the remaining Beasts and Knights. He charges the Cerberus and cuts it clean in half, then severs the Knight’s left arm and leg. As the dead Cerberus falls, its rider falls off to the ground, trying to crawl away.
Michael jumps and lands on his back. He stomps his spine into the ground; as the Knight arches up Michael plunges his sword through the back of his skull.
Without missing a step he darts at the Hydra, cutting off every head, then drives his sword into the center neck. The Hydra bursts from the inside and falls to ash.
Grabbing the rider by the head, he crushes their skull into a bloody pulp. He sees me running back to Frida and dashes over.
Just as I get there he does too. “Do not pull Rathor’s arm from her chest,” he warns. I look at him, confused. “I don’t have time to explain now, but I will. Just make sure that you do not remove it. I will ensure you make it back to Heaven,” he says as he vanishes from sight.
