CHAPTER 208: INVASION

The evening sky in Celestine was soft, and calm for the most part. Kids chased glowflies across the plaza, their laughter mixing with the chatter of vendors hawking spicy skewers and sweet rolls.

Floating hovercarts hummed along, their lights casting a warm glow on the cobblestone streets.

Initially it was a calm evening, and majority of the citizen were enjoying the outing, but peace was never an eternal thing.

Without warning, the sky split open.

A jagged red and black tear ripped through the dusk, like someone had taken a knife to the heavens.

A large Fissure tore at the sky, of Sector-C...ugly, and disfigured in it’s tear, but like a gaping wound, it poured out something horrific.

Demonic energy, flooded the area from above soaking the world in it’s marks.

So thick it formed a massive blanket of a foul cloud, as the giant red and black mist that stein the world began to spread further and further leaking from the fissure above.

And from this great red, glowing eyes of all color peered down from above cloaked by the mist that started to flood the ground below.

For five year now, these rifts had been tearing into the Human World at random, especially in Sectors A, B, and C. Tonight, Celestine, was the target of infection. As the hoard from above sink into the world below.

The demons came fast, spilling out like a sea, just seeing there sheer numbers would fill anyone with apprehension.

They were grotesque in form, some so tall they dwarf the average houses, others skittering low like bugs, but all of the were demonic entities of some kind

Their bodies were black and shiny, like oil, some had sharp and thick claws, other had jagged and razer sharp teeth. Some had too many eyes, glowing red or yellow, staring at multiple things at once. Others had no eyes at all, just gaping mouths full of jagged fangs that dripped something foul, like poison or tar but when that substance touch the ground it corroded it to point the earth melts.

They came in various shapes, some dog like, other akin to a horse, a good portion was humanoid looking for the most, and other flew through the sky with a hump body, or eye with multiple tendrils.

But all was not last thankfully. Because the moment these things arrived, a large forcefield cover the entire Sector.

Separating the crack from the city below.

And like a massive fly trap, the feild blaze with great power strong enough to kill the majority of the demonic flood that bombarded it structure from the outside.

Their body turned to ashes, whatever the energy that was being used to repel these feinds seem to potent enough to leave nothing behind.

And those who were lucky, or just strong or more capable in general manage to break away.

But is unable to enter the city without risking imminent death, as such the flying type demons hovered above the city, far from the protective reach of the barrier.

While the ground ones, those without wings or means of flight stayed at the border of the Sector in a large army.

Numbering into the thousands.

But the one’s on the inside, despite their numbers being cut from without still rage on from within.

"Torment the Humans... The ritual we most complete."

One big armored demon command, controlling the hoard inside the Sector.

The humans, and other alien like life form began to scream in fear, although some capable, or not defenseless began to fight back.

As things are, these people were push against a horrifying corner, that was sure death by the vast numbers that encircle them from various parts of the sector.

The plaza turned into a slaughterhouse. A vendor, mid-shout about his grilled meat, didn’t even have time to scream before a demon’s claw cut him clean in half.

Blood sprayed, soaking the cobblestones. A woman running with her baby tripped, and a demon’s tail lashed out, wrapping her neck and snapping it with a sickening crack, before eating her.

The baby’s cry was cut short as another demon, a smaller one looked at it.

And it’s jaws widen way beyond it’s body, and closed over it eating the newborn slowly.

Enjoying it’s squirm within.

People tried to run, but the demons were faster, stronger, and vastly more powerful than a normal human can ever be.

There numbers tearing through the crowd like wolves through sheep. A group of kids, maybe sixteen, laughing just moments ago, were shredded, arms torn off, guts spilled, their bodies left in pieces. The air stank of blood and and entrails.

But all in all, it was nothing but pure chaos at every turn.

"Hang on Jorgy, Mommy will get us out of here."

A young woman said holding her son by the hand, running away from the chaos, her face pale and streaked with tears, stumbled through the wreckage, clutching a boy no older than five.

His small hands gripped her shirt, his sobs lost in the chaos.

They ducked behind a toppled hovercart, its lights flickering weakly. But with this hoard being so large, hiding is basically pointless.

Because a large demon found them quickly, it large frame loomed over them, a lanky, humanoid thing with arms that were long and slender. Its fingers ending in curved, bone-white blades that gleamed like wet teeth. Its mouth split wide, revealing jagged fangs dripping with corrosive tar.

The woman curled around her son, her body a frail shield, her scream raw as the demons claw slashed down.

And a sharp crack split the air, and the demon flew backward, its body twisting as if caught in a violent wind.

It slammed into a stall, wood splintering in it skin, its chest caved in like it had been crushed by an invisible fist.

From the shadows stepped a boy, twenty years old, his wiry frame taut with tension. His dark eyes burned with a hatred that seemed to sear the air, his black hair a messy tangle falling into his face.

A jagged scar ran from his temple to his jaw, a cruel gift from Gremory, the demon who had stolen his family and carved his life into pieces.

"Damn demons."

He said angrily, but soon the voice of girl echoed behind him.

"Xeres wait for me, you know I can’t keep up with you."

"Tia...just stand back and heal the wounded, I will take care of these bastards."

He firmly said.

Confident in his skill to kill demonic beings.

Just seeing them makes him sick beyond measure. Because every demon he faced was a reflection of that monster, so whenever he fought, he would fight with a fury that was personal, as it was relentless.

"Yeah, just be careful, I have never seen a flood this big."

"....I know, hopefully I can hold up before the Hunter’s arrive."

He said with monotonous tone. His focus more on the demon than on Tia and the lady.

Xeres then raised his right hand upward, and the woman and her son slid across the ground, pulled by an unseen force to his and Tia side.

As he hit the demon from long range.

"You’re okay."

He said, his voice rough but warm.

The woman just nodded, still visibly scared.

"Stay close, alright... If you are hurt Tia can heal you and your son"

The woman just nodded, clutching her boy, who stared up at Xeres with wide, teary eyes.

Before she could speak, a shout cut through the chaos.

"Xeresssss!"

Three girls, all of them no younger seventeen called out to him, they scrambled from behind a shattered vendor’s cart, their clothes torn but their eyes alight with awe.

"Tshhh, not again... There boobs are big too."

Tia said with a frustrated look in her eyes. Vividly annoyed by fan girls crowding him even in a situation like this.

The leader of the group, a blonde with ash smeared across her cheek, gripped a broken pipe like a sword.

"Haaaa?!"

Xeres said with visible confusion.

"Ah, how are you guys??"

He asked, after all, this was the first time he had seen these girls.

"I knew it was you... you’re the Black Mask, aren’t you? I knew it! I knew it! You’re freaking legendary!"

Xeres still confused act polite, his lips twitched into a half-smile, his charm slipping through despite the blood dripping from a gash in his side from a demon surprised attacking him earlier.

"Legendary, huh? That’s new....Hahaha... Really I am not that good as you guys are saying."

But as if the world decree itself, a loud explosion went off, a large rock bigger than bus flew towards them at high speed.

But before it even reach, all the motion within suddenly stop, as Xeres flicked his wrist, stopping it mid air.

Before tossing it back at the hoard of approaching demons, killing twelve at them at once.

But the number kept coming.

As such, he began control the constructs around him to build a barrier.

Picking up seven giant mental beams that shifted in the air in accordance to Xeres will, sliding across the plaza to block them all off in an instant effectively creating a safe zone of sorts within this area atleast.

But it was not big enough to stop the smaller ones that can just pushed themselves between the beams.

The creature, a bug-like thing with razor claws, puss forward, to attack them, but Xeres just made a nearby rock float just between him and the approaching demons.

And with a loud thud, it slammed directly into it, dazed upon crashing. Xeres then snapped his fingers, and the demon’s own momentum of falling down to the ground turned against it, crushing its skull against the ground. Blood sprayed, sizzling on the cobblestones.

The kill was swift, and clean.

The blonde girl’s eyes widened, her voice breathless.

"So freaking awesome, how do you even do that!?"

Her friends, one with braided dark hair and another with a ripped hoodie, nodded eagerly, inching closer despite the chaos.

Xeres just laughed it off, by saying.

"I rather not say, still you guys should get out of here, it dange...

But before Xeres could finish his words, a large pointed tentacle came out of nowhere, and stabbed ann three girls in the head, skewering them all at once infront of him.