//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Demon Assault // Story: The V-Team // by Reizthefakebrony //------------------------------// The remaining ponies were struck with shock by what had occurred, not expecting that happening. Kamahl was the first to recover, silently leaning his root-like hand to the handle of his stone axe and dragging it toward him while keeping an eye on his aggressors. The guard ponies of the Regime were left speechless, with Duskthorn becoming instantly furious for the demonic ponies escaping him. "WHAT IN THE BLAZING TARTARUS JUST HAPPENED!?" Duskthorn screamed Incredulous. "I-I don't know, Duskthorn," Hide stuttered incredulous, with her cold demeanor being partially shattered. "It was so fast that none of us could had saw that coming. Whatever that thing was couldn't had gone too far. We have to go after them." "Well you better hurry! Killing them should be my job!" "Whatever you said, narcissist." As the guard alicorns were talking, Kamahl exploited their distraction to slowly get up and pointing his axe at them. The weapon glowed in a light-blue light. He was then surrounded in an azure vortex of flames that engulfed his enemies. The flames engulfed their bodies, yet they weren't devouring them their bodies, but were rather eating something else. "Damn you... What have... You... Done?" Duskthorn asked with an angry but weak tone, feeling a sudden fatigue weighting on his back. "This axe has the power to drain the magic and the energy from all of you." Kamahl explained coldly. "You were stupid enough to have thought to hold me in you grasp. " The altered ponies felt their energy being drained away and collapsed on the grass like metallic statues. A few moments after that, the flaming vortex was then sucked back into Kamahl's axe, as if it was eaten alive. As the flames vanished, the light-blue glow of his weapon became even brighter. "I never thought that I had to use this axe as an alternate plan," Kamahl said calmly but concerned. "I don't know where did that thing go with the demons, but I can't do anything for them in this moment. I have to hurry." Without even looking at the fallen guards, Kamahl turned around and walked away from the scene, heading toward the forest. But unbeknownst to him, a debilitated and yet enraged Duskthorn forcefully lifted his head, pointing his horn at him, and charged it with his magic. Hide, seeing that, followed suit. But before they could even unleash their magic, two sudden blasts of dark energy struck them, making them letting out a briefly scream in agony, a moment before loosing their consciousness. Kamahl turned toward the source of the projectiles, only to find a quadrupedal figure walking toward him, thinking him to be responsible for that assault. The creature in front of him stopped a few inches away from the axe wielding stallion standing on his two legs. The stranger appeared as a pony being completely covered by a dark-blue mantle. The only visible things were his legs, showing his pale-violet coat, and his mouth. He remained immobile, watching the marine-green stallion without showing any expressiveness. Kamahl couldn't see his eyes, but could feel a very alien sense of awe coming from him. The mantled pony approached the incapacitated Kamahl and lifted his head upward. His own dreadful aura intensify, giving to the marine-green stallion a bad vibe. The stranger tilted his head, and after a moment, he spoke his condition. "Now we are doing things my way." Opening his eyes, Zade was greeted by a vertigo. That wasn't like he lost consciousness but he remembered to be engulfed by a veil of pure darkness, a few seconds ago. Nothing of what he had experienced made any sense. A legit question instantly made its way through his mouth. "What the fuck was that?" Zade said with a dizzied tone as he slowly rose upon, with his companions following suit. Feeling disoriented, they scanned their surrounding to find out where they are until they realized to not be where they were anymore. Like Zade, the other three recalled to be swallowed by a black blur. As they continued to look, they, until they some burnt trees. Upon seeing that, they instantly recognized that place. "No way," Zade said incredulous. "Is that place what I think it is?" Chris asked dumbfounded, having a sense of deja vu. "Yes, Chris," Zade confirmed, reluctantly. "This is the same point in which Jace brought us into during our escape from Neo Canterlot Castle." "What!?" Jace muttered. "You are telling me that we ended up in the same place that we came from?" "But more importantly," Sera cut in, creeped out. "What the heck was that black blur?" "I don't know," Zade replied perplexed. "But whatever it was, he dragged us away from that ambush." "Oh, now," Jace said horrified before turning at the path leading to the Everfree Forest. "Kamahl probably fell victim of those alicorn bastards. And Starlight won't probably make it." Suddenly, bizarre sounds ranged from afar, coming from the depths of the Everfree Forest, but that didn't looked like the sound of a castle being crushed or that of the magic being unleashed. It sounded like roots coming out of the ground. They looked at the path and saw a few trees in the distance moving forward. They went wide-eyed upon seeing this. Sera shook her head with a face marked by stupor. "Are you seeing that too?" Sera asked incredulous. "It's probably Kamahl's doing," Jace replied convinced. "Seriously?" Sera said impressed. "Are you telling me that not only he survived but that he actually turning most of the trees of the entire forest into living beings?" "Not just vines, flowers or trees, but even mountains, meadows and even swamps." "..... He may be a hero, but that powers scares me like no other." Looking at the horizon filled by the sounds of a very tremendous clash that seems to get closer, Zade could tell that things are going to get heavy. Although he and his companions were safe, the same couldn't be said for Starlight and the Insurgence. A grim warning thought wormed inside his mind, and at that point, Zade decided what to do. "Guys, we have no time to fuck around," Zade warned. "We have to go back there." "WHAT!?" Chris, Sera and Jace exclaimed at the unison. "I know fully well that douche of a alicorn seized the crystal that Kamahl kept for his eventually," Zade pointed out, almost apologetically. "But right now, I have another plan regarding that," "But we are too far from them." Chris pointed out concerned. "Dudes, did you had forgot that I have the Hell Gate?" Jace said confidently. "I mean, thi-" Before Jace could even say anything else, a sudden female scream echoing from the forest. Saving their talk for later, they rushed inside to see what was and found a mare and a colt, both battered and unconscious, cornered by three alicorn Royal Guards. As Zade was about to do something, Chris he felt a lingering sense of power being ignited inside of his. He didn't know what it was but that made him recall when Zade unleashed the wave of purple energy and when he talked about that feeling. He understood what he meant. "Guys," Chris said, getting the attention of the other ponies. "Allow me to test my theory." He stood two legged and looked at his three digit clawed hoof, as if he was concentrating. It started to change at a rapid pace, deforming itself into something grotesque and sharpened, resembling a huge sword. Chris charged that with a dark energy and slammed it against the ground. The impact unleashed a wave of destructive energy that traveled toward the abhorrent alicorns in his trajectory and hurled them out of its way. After that, Chris reverted his sword into his clawed hoof and returned four legged. Expecting a reaction that he cannot avoid, he turned to his companions, who were just taken aback upon seeing that. More than that, Jace was outright astounded. "What the FUCK!?" Jace exclaimed. "Is that... The SOUL EDGE!?" "Don't exaggerate," Chris replied calmly as he change his sword back to his normal form. "Is just a cheap copy." Not knowing what happened, the mother and her daughter exploited the alicorn's unconsciousness to escape. Seeing this, Zade felt even more motivated than he ever was. He know what that means. "Guys," Zade called. "You know what that means right? We are going back." "Again with this story? We are not prepared with our powers!" Chris pointed out. "And yet we have no time for learning right know since our enemies could easily snug out that opportunity before we have the chance." "Normally I will agree with you," Jace said. "But this?" "Exactly!" Sera added. "I made up my mind about that," Zade insisted. "We started this story in the most brutal way possible without any valid tool, but we have this chance. There's no time for training. The only way to get through this story is fucking do it. So... What about it?" Chris, Sera and Jace were a little more worried about the words coming from him but as they were reflecting about the situation and what he said, the couldn't help but smile. "You wanted us being involved so badly, right?" Sera asked deviously. "Hey, I just learned about my powers but I will do my best," Chris said. "Hell yeah!!" Jace declared. Zade exuded determination from himself. "We are ready." The battlefield nearby the Castle of the Two Sisters was filled with fallen electric pegasi and huge metallic ponies, broken living trents and other defeated ponies. The castle was almost destroyed but were no causalities. The only remaining ones standing were the alicorn Royal Guards, surrounding a very injured Kamahl, Julius and the mysterious cloaked pony. Julius ignored Kamahl and focused his gaze at the mysterious pony with a seething frustration. There's no word at first but then Julius spoke. "Why you never stop interfering with my plan, you damn relative of mine?" Julius demanded. "R-relatives?" Kamahl demanded weakly. "Enough of this!" Julius roared. "KILL TH-" Before the order was going to be delivered, the hell gate suddenly appeared in a columns of flames. Kamahl looked surprised and Julius became just a little bit irritated. As for the mysterious pony, he disappeared in the darkness under the eyes of Twilegion's general. The fire column slowly dissipated, revealing Zade, Chris, Sera and Jace being filled with newfound determination. No fear, no doubt and no hesitation. There's only their own counter revenge for what their pursuers had put them through. "And most of all, no fucks to give." Jace proclaimed. Sera glared. "Was that even needed?" "We better save it for later, I mean, we have still all of those alicorns and Julius to deal with," Chris pointed out. "Idiots! Get out of there!" Kamahl shouted. "Too late for that," Julius retorted. "Yeah, they will regret this," One alicorn Royal Guard said. "And how," Another one said. "LET'S GET THEM!" Zade exclaimed.