All the Dust that Falls

Chapter 328: Nightmare in Dreamland

Chapter 328: Nightmare in Dreamland

Bee pushed forward to meet the mass of demons, sweeping out with her broom in a deadly arc. She grumbled under her breath as the first actually managed to block her strike, though it lost a number of claws in the process.

A quick scan confirmed her suspicions. All of the demons above level 60 had the same Sacrificial Pawn note in their statuses, greatly increasing their power. She redoubled the force of her blow, slamming back the Archfiend into the group behind it. A collection of newly-trimmed gowns and claws clattered to the ground before it.

She stepped forward, her defensive instincts flaring to life as she moved in front of the Nighty Knights and sent a rapid series of Scouring Strikes into the force. Golden light engulfed the foes in a barrage like a sandstorm, killing off the weaker ones and pushing back the rest. Her Holy Aura billowed out of her, the warm glow eating away at their very forms even as it strengthened those around her. With a thought, she focused on directing the rest of her passive skills toward those around her. The Nighty Knights seemed to straighten as they began mending minor injuries and stabilizing major ones at a relatively negligible energy cost.

Bee's broom struck out over and over in a series of jabs and feints, tearing apart one Archfiend and blasting its body back into another. But there were too many for her to take on alone. As she fought, several of the Nighty Knights' more aggressive members rushed forward to fill in the gap alongside her, offering their support.

A column of orange flame cleaved through the air, sending another demon screeching in pain. She noted Bradley's massive sword out of the corner of her eye as its fiery blade clashed with the claws of another Archfiend, forcing it to give up ground. But despite the smoldering wound left behind as the blade sunk in, it didn't stop the Archfiend from pulling him a little farther out of position. Evidently, the Theocracy's champion duelist had gotten a little too used to fighting one opponent at a time.

Bee caught a slight wavering in the air. In an instant, it materialized into a smaller demon clutching a wicked-looking dagger. Its blade dripped a blatantly green-colored poison or acid onto the ground, the liquid sizzling on impact. Bee nearly stepped forward but held herself back to deal with the new threat. Her Improved Pathing was telling her to ignore the development. And she had an idea of why.

Just as it was about to stab Bradley in the back, a massive claw made of golden light appeared behind him. It pinched the dagger out of the demon's grasp before a bubble of blackness enveloped it and sucked the demon into the construct.

Irene stood half a dozen paces away, her head bowed and eyes closed. Bradley's sister stood with her hands pressed together in prayer as the battle raged around her. Bee wanted to warn her to pay attention to her surroundings, but even as she watched, claws, projectiles, and spells seemed to curve around her. It was as if there was an invisible barrier around her. No demon moved to attack her directly, either. Despite having worked with the girl, Bee was unable to figure out exactly what skill she was using to control the battle so well.

Bee's own attention snapped back to her own battle as a pair of unholy juggernauts charged forward. These level 60 demons didn't pose the same danger as an archfiend, but that didn't mean they were easy opponents. While they wouldn't be able to kill her, she would definitely have trouble killing them. Their defensive properties were insane, and every attempt to slash at them was quickly rebuffed by their tower shields and thick hides. Only her aura allowed her to slowly eat away at their shields.

Bee kept them occupied as she watched the Nighty Knights around her rally and support each other against the wave of high-level demons still pouring out of the fortress. But even as they came, they became less and less of a problem. As Bradley finished off the Archfiend, Bee felt her Scan pick up that he and his sister both gained two levels from their fight. The next Archfiend they faced down seemed just a little bit slower and weaker compared to their upgraded capabilities.

The Knights were already terrifyingly powerful from the strength of their skills. But as their levels began to catch up, they quickly began to match their opponents as they cut them down. The combination was too much for their foes to handle. Bee couldn't help but grin as she forced her way further toward the twisted and melted remains of the gates..

A massive wolf bit down on the mangled steel that remained in the way. Crystals of frost formed with every breath from Cliff's nostrils as Tanu yelled encouragement and buffed his steed. She raised her head to the sky, letting out a bone-chilling howl that sent pillars of ice shooting upward in a wide cone.

The wolf's massive fangs were bared in a snarl, her mouth so large that Bee thought the wolf could devour the entire world. With a nod to the boy and his "dog," Bee led the others forward. They'd left them with a perfect path to delve deeper into the fortress.

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However, just as they pushed in through the doors, she screeched to a halt. She felt her blood chill as she saw the broken halo floating over the black-winged "angel's" head, telling her exactly who she was facing. Nazareth'Gak had been a nightmare she'd always heard as a child in stories. Still, he was far from her least favorite Lieutenant. No, the one that she'd always been most terrified of as a child wasn't any of the more powerful or brutal ones. Midianthia, Nursemaid of Retribution, had always held a special place in her heart.

Tales of betrayal and deception. A kind stranger offering to cure the hero, only for his limbs to rot off mid-battle. A supposed "healer" who spread only pain and death. She always managed to find her way into stories, bringing defeat from the jaws of victory. Whether it was healing the villains or cursing the heroes, it didn't matter. The idea that any errand act of kindness could be a dagger in disguise bothered Bee in a way she couldn't exactly explain.

The rust-colored scepter that the angel gestured at the Nighty Knights let out a pulsing wave of light that Bee imagined only she could see. In an instant, she flung herself into the sky with a powerful thrust of her legs in an attempt to slam her broom through that Lieutenant's blackened heart.

Midianthia was shocked as her golden aura shielded the Nighty Knights below from whatever foul magic this fallen angel was attempting to hit them with. The High Priestess of Void slammed into the fell cleric, her broom's point meeting the surface of a glowing round shield. But even as gravity took hold again, Bee didn't let up. She opened her mouth and inhaled.

Her Void's Breath ability was nowhere near the strength of her master's, even with all the training she'd done. There was no way she'd be able to swallow an enemy like that whole. However, she didn't have to.

Gales of wind buffeted the angel, pulling her down toward Beatrice. Her wings flapped frantically as she tried to stay aloft, but a force like a small tornado sent her careening toward the ground. Bee took advantage of the opening, sending a series of Scouring Strikes and stabs forth as she slashes. Holes appeared in the Lieutenant's feathered wings as she screamed in anger and pain.

As she neared the ground, Bee tucked herself into a neat roll, cutting off her skill as she did. Her opponent hit the ground moments later, facing the young priestess down with eyes of venom.

---

Archibald fought to keep the smile from splitting his face in two. It was inappropriate to smile in a situation like this; it was downright irresponsible. But as the three lieutenants charged toward him and his friends, he couldn't help but revel in the adrenaline pumping through his veins. His mind focused, and the world seemed to slow down around him. The feeling of his sword's leather-wrapped handle in hand and Daedalus' slowly beating heart beneath him felt rejuvenating.

The last several years had been downright boring. He never complained out loud, of course. Daedalus had dealt with a much longer wait than this, even if he spent much of it asleep. But for Archibald, it had felt like nothing but a blink since the last war with the demons. That had only been more true when his first moments awake had been filled with such immediate excitement for months on end. But when it was followed by four years of enforced downtime… well, it had been torture.

But now, he was back in his element. Not only were there demons to fight, but they were big ones. Powerful enemies who would give them a real challenge. And even better, they were actually equipped to deal with them for good.

A deceptively lazy arc of his sword flung out a crescent shimmering with the reflective fire of his friend's breath. It streaked through the air and toward the shadowy form, flitting up to meet them, the crescent too fast to dodge. But instead of being cut in half or tumbling through the sky, the darkness of its body seemed to lose its deepness somewhat, the shadows washed out by the light of the skill.

Air wrapped around Daedalus' wings and attempted to force the dragon onto the ground. However, the ancient being shrugged it off with contemptuous ease. Even the demon, mighty as it was, had no power over that of a dragon's wings.

The sight made Archibald smile harder. The Lieutenant wasn't the first to try taking down Daedalus that way. Unfortunately for their opponents, he was fairly certain that it was taking exactly the wrong approach. Bee had more than once noted how a dragon's wings simply weren't large enough for flying to make sense, not from a logical standpoint. And Archibald knew that there was no skill involved with Daedalus's flight either. Their best guess at an explanation suggested that dragons only stayed airborne through some combination of arrogance, stubbornness, and sheer ego. And knowing Daedalus, it certainly seemed plausible.

The shadow semon recovered, finally reaching its destination, and Archibald lost himself in the rapid exchange of blows. Air, fire, sword, and darkness clashed, turning the sky itself into a churning mess. He got so into the fight that he almost forgot three of the lieutenants had flown up at them, not two.

The alarm spiked Archibald's adrenaline even further. His head turned on a swivel, looking for the surprise attack he knew to expect. But looking around, he saw Tony fighting one all by itself.

It was perhaps the worst one for him. The succubus demon of lust floated on her bat wings, her movements by far the slowest of the trio. In that way, it was a good pairing, seeing that Tony was not the most maneuverable either. But this was still perhaps the worst matchup for him. The enemy didn't need speed with her skills.

Archibald parried a series of shadowy spikes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the charm attempting to wrap around Tony's glowing blue form. A husky, tinkling laugh was cut short by Tony's sudden yell. "I have a girlfriend!"