“We need to make it to the exit of this game. Those balls are blocking our way. Clear a path, and you shall return to whatever peace you were having,” I commanded them.
Since this is the Road of Worth and they were here as spirits, I doubt they can have much peace, but at least I won’t disturb them anymore.
“Now go!”
The spirits and ghosts that I have control of bow one by one, filing into a line behind each other, and begin running down the hall. As the first ghost hits the sun, it explodes, and the next spirit takes its place and leads on.
“Excellent thinking,” Knox praises as he gives me a squeeze on the shoulder.
“I couldn’t have done better.” Levi comes up on my other side and smiles at me. “I’m proud of you.”
Pride swells in me at the compliments.
“Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.” Before I second guess myself or worry about the time that’s against us, I reach out and pull Levi to me, squeezing him tight.
He returns the hug and pats me on the back before letting go of me, and I can’t help but break the touching moment.
“So, do you think you can whip up some corsets for JP? I think he’ll look hot in some electric blue and black.” I give him a toothy smile before turning to follow my minions.
“I’ll definitely make you some that you can surprise him with when we get back.” Levi laughs, shaking his head as he follows.
Even though we can see the exit sign over the maze’s wall, it’s not as quick or easy as I hoped. I’m ashamed to say I forgot about the devilish Pac-Man. It turns out that when the balls turn blue, he’s attracted to the ghosts, so he’s quick to gobble up all of mine.
We repeat the process a few times, summoning more spirits until the exit is a few feet away, just around another corner.
I’m right behind my ghosts when I turn the last corner and see the ghost in front of me disappear in a puff of smoke right as an ax comes flying at my head.
“Fuck!” I yell, jerking back in time for it to breeze by my nose within a millimeter.
Throwing out my arm, I bar Levi from running into the deadly weapon as it embeds itself into the wall behind me.
“What the hell was that?” he asks, already conjuring a fireball into his hands.
“We’ve got company,” I tell him, reactivating my rings. I had gotten complacent once I knew the ghosts could fight our battle and had put them away, but it’s time to get them dirty again.
Through my dissipated ghost stands a small mob of ten demons, all decked out in an array of weapons. The one in thefront, which I can only assume is the leader, pulls another ax from his sheath and growls.
“We can’t let you reach the portal,” he tells me, not at all explaining who he’s working for, but the medallion hanging off his neck is proof of his allegiance. Asmodeus. He’s the only prince that has a tarnished yellow and black sigil and two cocks—as in dicks—curving up to meet in the middle by a Demon’s tail. Thankfully, since Rez told me about their trip to the Bazaar while we stayed with L.A.M.B. and the unfortunate run-in with the Hercules goblin, so I know what it looks like.
As the leader says his intentions, I hear everyone behind me move up and pull their weapons. As soon as Moni turns the corner, she lets off a Sonic boom, knocking the whole mob down. Fluffers burst forward on the offense, taking out the leader’s throat. I don’t waste a moment as I use my vampire speed to pick up the closest enemy and slice through his throat with my rings.
Levi throws a fireball, catching two demons on fire as they try to get up off the floor. Instead, their screams of anguish die out as they turn to dust. Chester runs up beside me and swings his Guandao, cleaving through a demon, but yelps when he gets hit in the shoulder and falls. I don’t have time to see how badly he’s hurt as I leap toward his attacker and rip their throat out, covering myself in blood.
Levi runs over and pulls Chester out of the fray as Moni stabs a demon in the eye with her sai, and Fluffers finishes the takedown. Moni must sense Chester’s pain because she shrieks, “Chester!” and rushes over to him, leaving five demons left. Levi, leaving Chester in Moni’s capable healing hands, comes back into the fight with his boa staff and cracks a demon in the ribs and skull, killing them instantly.
Fluffers cuts me off as he pounces on a demon that starts to flee, and I turn to take out another demon with my rings as it tries to run the other way.
“Ahhhhhh!” I hear Moni scream, but as I turn, she’s not in pain; she’s slashing at a demon that tried to sneak up on them as we were busy killing the others. My tiny little sister hacks away at the demon, slicing across their heels, tendons in their wrist, and finally across their throat.
I stand in shock at her heaving chest as she watches the light fade from the demon before her. As soon as the demon’s chest stops moving, she turns back to Chester.
“Are you okay, Chestie? Please tell me you’re okay. I can’t live without my sweet papi and bowl of acorns. I love you too much.”
“Did you just call my dicksweet papi?” Chester whispers before moaning.
“Of course I did. It’s another essential in my life,” she says, running her fingers through his dirty hair.
I throw up a little bit in my mouth. “Okay, now I’m completely horrified, and JP would kill you if he heard this conversation.”
