《Demon Knight》


 Chapter 1: The North American Union

    The sounds of battle could be heard throughout the valley, followed closely by the screams and warcries of men and women as both sides waged a brutal battle in the distance. Joining such voices was one of a young blonde haired officer who looked no more than twenty-six years old even with the starting of stubble that grew across his face and jaw. Though his blue eyes were showing the fierce determination he had locked in mind as he continued to order his soldiers about, directing them in the most efficient manner possible, trying to form some desperate measure to win the battle they fought. However the battle was not going as he had wanted as they were nothing more than a poorly equipped and trained group of rebel soldiers fighting against a massive force of disciplined and brainwashed soldiers whose sole purpose in this battle was to destroy their foes. The rebel officer was out gunned, outnumbered, and his own troops defences were crumbling from the sheer onslaught of automatic weapons fire with the added boost being their RPG¡¯s. All in all the whole situation was turning against the young officer whose body creaked and groaned as exhaustion began its brutal process of telling his brain it needed rest. He didn¡¯t care though as he continued to fire down range, his arms shaking under the sheer weight of his assault rifle, which was now being held up by the mound of dirt that had once been a sandbag protecting the troopers within the trench.


    ¡°Fuck! Keep firing! Don¡¯t let up, we have them on the ropes!¡± The young man barked, his voice ragged and coarse after yelling and barking orders for the past few days straight.


    An array of ¡°Sir!¡± was soon followed, as they tried in some small way to keep up their own spirits but fooling themselves that they¡¯re commander was correct. But as the enemy attack continued to smash into their defences it became harder and harder to do, more so as the automated defence turrets began to get taken out by rocket fire, erupting in wave of fire and debris which quickly turned to shrapnel that rained down on both sides.


    ¡°Colonel Damion, sir! We can¡¯t hold on much longer anymo-¡± A soldier cried in protest before a suddenly smack across the back of his helmet quickly silenced him.


    ¡°Stow that shit Private, and focus your fire!¡± growled another young man of twenty-five who looked as if he was actually in his thirties given how his dark beard, bald head, and gruff voice did well to give off the aura of a man well into his thirties.


    The private nodded his head in reply, shaking his fear away for a moment in time to re-focus his blurring vision to return fire once more, ¡°R-right, thank you Sergeant!¡± He yelped in reply before shooting off a few rounds.


    The sergeant then turned his attention to his commander and friend who continued to fire down at their encroaching foes. Slowly, he began to make his way towards the young Colonel, ensuring that he was low enough to avoid getting pinned in the head by a stray round, before finally coming to crouch down beside his commanding officer.


    ¡°He¡¯s right you know¡­ We can¡¯t keep this up.¡± The NCO said grimly as he brought his C-7 up and over the trench line before popping off two rounds.


    Damion paused a moment, keeping his eyes on the approaching forces he sighed some, ¡°I know Dylan¡­ I know¡­¡± his reply came softly and silently before he adjusted his right shoulder again and joined his friend in firing off another volley of rounds.


    Dylan frowned slightly in annoyance, though not at Damion, but rather whole situation unfolding around them. ¡°¡­ they¡¯re not coming¡­ are they?¡±


    His question quickly saw to both of them stopping, as Damion shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but given how bad the situation is all over the damn place, I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯re going to send us shit¡­¡± Letting out a small sigh he twisted about and sank down low behind the trench wall for a moment, ¡°¡­ That orders they gave me were to hold this spot at all costs, even if it meant the death of the entire regiment.¡± Damion sighed lightly, his piercing blue eyes looking almost empty, before shaking his head, and popping in a new magazine.


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± Dylan cursed under his breath as he continued to fire down range once more.


    Both men continued to fight, knowing full well that the chances of them getting out of this were impossible¡­ as the enemy continued to grow ever closer as the minutes continued to count down. Soon Damion found running on empty as he fired off the last round from his C-7, which prompted him to curse softly under his breath before he began to pat his vest for any remaining clips.


    Frowning now, Damion paused knowing how truly fucked he truly was now. ¡°I¡¯m dry¡­ All I have left to use against those bastards down there is my sword, and this rifle¡­¡± He stated aloud to Smith who too gave the same sour face.


    ¡°Same¡­ and judging by the sounds of gunfire vanishing on our side¡­ I¡¯d say there¡¯s a fairly high chance everyone else is as well.¡± Dylan replied softly before flashing a small smile, ¡°But hey, nothing saying we can¡¯t take a few of the shits out with a good old bayonet charge if worse gets to worse. Remember sir, even a cornered rat can be deadly.¡±


    Damion sighed lightly and shook his head lightly in reply, giving Dylan a small smile, ¡°True enough, and if this is to be our last moment¡­ well I¡¯m sure as hell glad I¡¯m going to go out fighting beside by brothers and sisters¡­ Not many commanders get to serve with such fine men and women, let alone fight beside them!¡± He announced aloud for all his troops to hear; or at least the ones close by.


    Some gave small nods or a sarcastic wave in reply, which in turn did well to raise up their spirits overall as the unit began to take into account was sure to come. Turning once more towards the encroaching thralls, Damion bit his bottom lip in annoyance, knowing he had only mere minutes to prepare the remainder of his forces for one last ditch effort to try and halt the enemy advance¡­ but he also knew that this would more than likely be their final action¡­ or at least so he thought until suddenly a new sound came booming into the slim valley.


    Quickly turning up and looking into the smoke filled skies, what he saw brought tears of joy from his otherwise near dry eyes. ¡°Those are our jets¡­¡± he stuttered softly in surprise, before he watched the first Wing come sweeping down across the battlefield dropping and raining down a mix of bombs and chain gun fire that made short work out of a surprised enemy force who could do little more than let out cries of panic as the first Wing flew off. Soon though even much of that soon vanished as the second and third Wings of the Squadron quickly swept in, taking out even more of the enemy. Soon the once proud and organised troopers were now turned into a mob of panicked people all running for safety.


    Damion slumped down to his knees in pure exhaustion, a beaming smile now across his face¡­ ¡°We survived¡­ WE WON!!¡± He cried out in a joyous cheer, tears of joy streaming down his dirty pale face.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one cheering and or crying either, as the surviving members of his regiment quickly joined in the cheer, each man and woman basically falling about or slumping in this place as the exhaustion hit them like a tonne of bricks upon seeing the sight of destroyed tanks, and enemy dead littering the battlefield rather than their own. They had won the battle, and as the radio waves returned once more, a general announcement could also be heard that announced that the war had also been won. The North American Union had succeeded in earning its independence from the corrupt Pacific Alliance¡­ And it was all thanks in part due to the apparent heroics of a single regiment of Infantry, and a small Squadron of M1-Abram tanks¡­ the very units which Damion had led¡­


    --


    It had been nearly 10 days since the battle of Niagara Valley (So named after Niagara River was dammed up some time ago), and Damion had still be walking around in an weakened state, having fought as hard and as long as he and his unit had¡­ it was not really surprising, more so given what they were up against initially. So as he stood at attention alongside now Warrant Officer Dylan Smith, and his brother Captain Evan Kitsure (who had also fought in the battle, but within the confines of a tank), he found himself a little confused and lost, more so as the President of the North American Union slipped around his neck the highest award for combat Valour, The Medal of Honour. It was all still a blur to him¡­ he and well over ten men and woman from those who had fought in the battle were being awarded with the prestigious medal, all in front of the new Government Capital that was at one point had also served as the former capital of the United States. After the award ceremony, a number of other events had also followed¡­ more medal awards, this time in his former homeland of what was once Canada, followed closely by more speeches, photo ops, and interviews. All of it had turned out to only exhaust him further due to how he was flown all across the North American continent with the survivors of his unit. Finally¡­ the final award and meeting had come, this time in the form of a private meeting between him, the President, and the Commander of the NAU¡¯s Armed Forces, General William Anderson.


    ¡°I have to say Colonel, I¡¯m impressed how you¡¯re still in one peace after all you¡¯ve gone through in the past year.¡± The President stated with warm regards as he gestured for Damion to take a seat.


    As he entered the oval office, dressed in his full dress kit he quickly went about doing as was offered and found a place on one of the must comfy chairs he had ever sat on.


    ¡°Holy hell~¡± The chair was freaking awesome, given how it basically shot a wave of relaxation shooting through him as he sank into his seat, his head falling forward, before suddenly blackness¡­


    SLAP!


    Damion was quickly woken up by a suddenly slap to the head, given by none other than the General himself who chuckled softly in his gruff voice.


    ¡°Wah! AH¡­ sorry sir¡­ I¡¯m¡­ yeah, I¡¯m not really sure how I¡¯m even still alive either to be honest with you.¡± He slurred as he shook his the sleep from his tired eyes. ¡°Though if I had to say anything¡­ luck I guess?¡± As the words left his lips, he rubbed the back of his head, before running his hand through his medium length hair, trying to once more keep it styled as neatly as possible.


    The two older men in the room just smiled before they looked over at each other, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny, that luck would seem to be the most fitting excuse to explain you being here¡­ or well¡­ maybe it¡¯s the opposite when you see what me and the General here have in mind for you¡­ General Kitsure.¡± The President replied slowly.


    The blonde just sat there for a moment, the sleep still kicking his ass¡­ well that was until he heard the new rank being put in front of his surname. ¡°General?... Fuuuccckkkk~¡± he thought to himself, as a frown soon grew across his handsome face.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Why am I being promoted¡­ again to a rank I don¡¯t have the age nor experience necessary for?¡± He asked, his question directed to both men in the room.


    The General raised his hand towards the President, letting him know he¡¯d answer this. ¡°To be honest with you Mr. Kitsure¡­ you¡¯re one of our more¡­ well¡­ successful officers.¡±


    ¡°You mean one of the surviving ones?¡± Damion replied quickly.


    The general nodded somberly, ¡°Yeah¡­ As much as it pains me to put more responsibility on your shoulders¡­ you and many of those who survived from your previous command are more or less our more experienced and hardened veterans.¡±


    Damion scratched the back of his head, before folding his arms over his chest. ¡°Yeah, and over half of those men and women are now retired, and I don¡¯t think ANY of them are going to come back, no matter how much you beg and plead for them to return¡­¡± He stated bluntly.


    ¡°¡­ would¡¯ve joined them too if I didn¡¯t need a stable career¡­¡± Damion whispered under his breath.


    William coughed lightly, indicating he heard that little statement, before moving on, ¡°Well, at the moment that¡¯s not an issue we¡¯re concerned with at the moment, more so with the war being over and all.¡± He continued, before being cut off by the President, who took a seat behind his large oak desk.


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    ¡°But~, that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be prepared for the future, and from what we¡¯ve been hearing¡­ the possibilities of a NAU-PA war might very well be sooner than we¡¯d like.¡±


    Damion slowly raised his head, before his eyes narrowed in on the President¡¯s. ¡°What do you mean, sooner than we¡¯d like? Are you suggesting those bastards are still hung up on trying to take over North American? Even with the European Union breathing down their necks on the Western front?¡±


    The President simply nodded in reply before waving his hand, signaling the General to display something. ¡°Correct, and sadly¡­ the future war won¡¯t be the traditional sort either. Rather, it will more than likely be something that seems from a horror movie.¡± And no sooner had he finished, the General pulled out a small folder from the side of the desk before passing it over to Damion.


    Quickly picking it up and opening the cream coloured folder his eyes were quickly met with the title, ¡®Hell summoning.¡¯ Automatically, Damion let out a small chuckle. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± He said, looking over at the two smiling. ¡°Hell summoning? What type of research are they doing over there?¡± Though as he continued to read more on the actual research he felt a cold shiver run down his spin.


    The ability to summon creatures, and demons from different mythologies to fight in the mortal plain. It seemed impossible to believe, more so to a man who didn¡¯t even really consider such things as factual or true. Needless to say he quickly began to read into the subject matter, taking into account everything that he could try to use to debunk all this crazy shit, sadly everything seemed flawless, more so as he saw the images displaying images of demons standing in a lab standing tall beside some research whose face was hidden behind a surgical mask. Damion couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, let alone the feeling of fear that began to well up inside his stomach.


    ¡°Believe me Kitsure, we were just as shocked as you were¡­¡± William stated as he took a seat across from Damion.


    Wide-eyed and fear struck he couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ this is some¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°Fucked up shit?¡± The President finished for him. ¡°We know General¡­ But, we have a way to prevent such creatures from occupying our recently liberated nation¡­ that is to say, we¡¯re making our own unit of unique soldiers with the abilities that should help level the playing field in our favour.¡± He continued, before pressing a button on his phone, ¡°Bring him in please Lieutenant.¡±


    And soon another figure walked into the room, adding a four to the large oval office. Though this figure was neither a soldier, nor a politician¡­ rather a scientist, and one Damion had seen and known before some years ago.


    ¡°Izumi?...¡± Damion found himself saying in a surprised tone as his eyes narrowed in on the woman standing at the entrance way, giving much the same surprised look as he was.


    ¡°D- no¡­ I¡­ I thought you were¡­ no, it can¡¯t be.¡± Izumi stuttered, her voice breaking up before tears started to flow from her eyes before she suddenly jumped onto Damion, damn near crying. ¡°I thought I lost you! T- they said you were dead!¡± She sobbed softly burying her face into Damion¡¯s chest.


    Damion quickly wrapped his arms around Izumi, his own eyes beginning to tear up. ¡°No, I¡¯m still here for you love¡­ I¡¯m so so sorry¡­¡± He replied gently, before kissing running his hands through her long jet black hair and kissing the top of her head.


    William coughed lightly, trying to bring attention to the fact they weren¡¯t the only ones in the room. ¡°I see you two know each other?¡±


    Damion nodded in reply, ¡°Mhm¡­ she¡¯s my wife¡­¡± He replied softly before pausing slightly, ¡°Well¡­ ex-wife. We were divorced during the war due to her parents not wanting to be associated with someone fighting for the rebel government¡­ Though I tried my best to keep in contact before the Pacific Alliance cut off all outside communication for North America.¡± As he finished, he once more pressed his lips against the top of Izumi¡¯s head. ¡°I missed you so much Izumi¡­¡±


    Both the President and General smiled lightly before the President took a breath in before speaking, ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy we could reconnect another citizen with their loved one. But¡­ sadly I¡¯ll have to ask you both to save any further catching up for later. Right now we have to get back on the matter at hand, which is to say, the good doctor¡¯s research.¡± He said, before motioning for Izumi to return to business.


    Izumi, nodded in reply as she wiped away her tears of joy, before standing up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Just¡­ yeah. Getting back to business¡­ Umm, so as the President and General have more than likely told you Damion, the Pacific Alliance has been working on some incredibly creepy shit as of late. Which¡­ sadly I¡¯ve had the displeasure of being a part of during my time with the team who had actually developed the tools and rituals required to summon these beasts to our domain.¡± Izumi confessed as he grabbed a remote off of the President¡¯s desk and clicked on the buttons which saw a screen unfold up from the oak desk before displaying some new files.


    ¡°Now¡­ Having seen the horrors these creatures have been wracking all across the Alliance had me afraid for the future. More so after Mr. Alexander refused to step down from his position as President of the Alliance, and going so far as to announce himself as the only leader the alliance would need¡­¡± She continued before directing everyone¡¯s attention to the monitor. ¡°So, I took a page from my husband¡¯s book and joined the only side that knew how the Alliance operated. Upon my arrival two months ago, I quickly began to work with the North American government to develop a new tool to defend against these¡­ ¡®demons¡¯¡­ But sadly-¡°


    ¡°But sadly we¡¯ve hadn¡¯t managed to create a defence¡­ rather, we instead made a new weapon.¡± The General interrupted as he stood up once more. ¡°Sorry Doctor¡­ but I think I should be the one to fill in the next bits¡­ I know how much you disagreed with us in making this new weapon.¡± He said softly, taking the remote from Izumi¡¯s hands which quickly turned to fists before she visibly calmed down upon sitting down beside Damion, who had to fight the urge to hold her in his arms once more.


    Clearing his throat with a powerful cough the old general quickly moved on. ¡°Now, that¡¯s where you come in Brigadier General Kitsure. You¡¯re going to be the man who commands this new unit that will be specially trained to use this new weapon in our future fight against the Alliance. And¡­ this is the tool of your new trade.¡± As he spoke he quickly brought up an image of a small hand held orb containing some sort of miasma or smoke within it. ¡°These orbs act as a gate way to the mythological realms¡­ essentially, the moment you and your troops come into contact with the orb, you¡¯re consciousness will be transferred to ¡®their¡¯ realm, and from there you¡¯ll come in contact with the beast, demon, angel, or whatever other mythological figure that is someone best relatable to you.. basically you¡¯ll be making a contract with one of these figures to gain abilities and skills that far surpass what a human can do.¡±


    Damion quickly jumped in as he raised his hand for a moment, ¡°Excuse me sir, but, what!? You both are throwing a lot at me here, and I¡¯m still in shock that you¡¯d both actually promote a twenty eight year old man to such a high rank! It¡¯s already bad enough I was fast tracked through to the rank of Colonel, but General? And now this!? Don¡¯t we have someone else to do all this shit? I mean¡­ I don¡¯t think I qualify for such a Command, let alone come in contact with some sort of mythological being.¡±


    The grey haired general William just sighed lightly before returning to his former seat. ¡°As I told you before Kitsure¡­ you and your unit were just about the last ones to hold a senior rank through combat field promotions. Plus you have more combat experience, and have lead an entire base during times of war¡­ well¡­ that and you¡¯re just about the last senior officer we have left to assign to this post, with most of our other Generals, Admirals, and Air Marshals having to command and reorganise the armed forces all around the continent we have no one else to spare, plus as you are the only senior officer who doesn¡¯t currently hold any command since your entire unit was virtually decimated through both combat and with over half of the survivors retiring shortly thereafter the war and award ceremonies.¡± His reply came gently as he crossed his leg over is other and leaned back against chair. ¡°So¡­ really you have no choice in this matter Kitsure. Plus seeing how you¡¯re a ¡®war hero¡¯ it stood to reason that we should pick you to lead this new unit.¡±


    Damion just sat there wide-eyed and shocked at what he had just heard, he was getting all this forced onto him last minute, all because he was the last one they could look to? It was all bullshit in his mind, but he couldn¡¯t say or do anything to change their minds at this point, so slumping his shoulders he agreed. ¡°Yes¡­ sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now then, YOU and Doctor Izumi will both be expected to report to the Pantheon in two days¡¯ time. From there you will be expected to go through a screening process to determine who¡¯ll work best within the Order.¡± The General finished before tapping on the folder set out on the table. ¡°Inside you¡¯ll find all the details on where to go and what to expect. Any further questions General Kiture?¡±


    Damion sighed lightly as his mind began to flood thoughts of how absurd this all sounded and how the unit and base were named¡­ it¡¯s almost as if the new government enjoyed making this shit¡­ but he had already been fairly insubordinate enough during this whole meeting so, he knew he couldn¡¯t voice his thoughts on the matter, but there was one thing he DID want to know though, and bring up. ¡°So, I take it I can bring in ANYONE I want into this unit? Even retired members from my old command?¡± He asked, as he picked the folder up and rested it on his lap.


    Both men raised a brow curious for a moment before the General spoke up, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t see why not¡­ if you can somehow convince them to re-enlist.¡±


    Damion suddenly grinned as a name quickly came to mind, ¡°Do I have the full authority to give them what they need in order to get them to join?¡±


    The President replied this time, scratching his head, ¡°Well given the dangers that come with this new post, you will be granted further funding outside of the norm to help in better establishing your command.¡± As he finished Damion suddenly stood up and gave both men a stiff salute before turning to Izumi with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you sir¡¯s!¡± And with that he quickly about faced and made his way to the door before stopping and opening the door for Izumi to exit first, who couldn¡¯t help but laugh having an idea who he was going to bring in. The former Warrant Officer, Dylan ¡°Bull¡± Smith.


    As both Damion and Izumi left, and the door closed firmly behind them, both men sat in silence for a moment before looking over at each other.


    ¡°¡­ I feel sorry for Mr. Kitsure¡­ he¡¯s gone through a lot already, and now we¡¯re basically throwing him back into the fires of hell, and this time literally¡­ are you sure we didn¡¯t have anyone else to give this new command to?¡± The President asked, his voice echoing his worry.


    ¡°No one as qualified as he¡­ you heard what that deity said... he¡¯ll only bond with the best we have to offer, and Damion Kiture IS the best we have to offer. He¡¯s the youngest senior officer we¡¯ve ever had in damn near a hundred years, and what¡¯s more he¡¯s also the most successful, so no¡­ we don¡¯t have anyone else we can give such a task to. After all¡­ the god of war and sky only wants the best and the best he shall have.¡± And with that he ended the conversation as he stood up pouring himself a glass of scotch.


    The President merely remained silent, nodding his head before twisting his chair around to view the reddening skies as the sun began to set.

 Chapter 2: The Wolf Knight

    ¡°No¡­ no, nuh uh. I ain¡¯t going back to the military, one war was enough for me! There¡¯s nothing in this world you could say or give me that could change my mind on this one Damion!¡± Dylan¡¯s refusal was made plainly obvious from the moment both Damion and Izumi stepped into his new place of work, which happened to be his original trade before the war¡­ which was to say he was a mechanic, and a damn good one at that.


    As Dylan made his stance quite clear on the matter, he did his best to keep his face buried deep in his work, trying to focus on what was going to make him money more than the two government officials standing in his shop. Damion however just smiled shaking his head lightly as he slipped his gloved hands into his dress coat pockets.


    ¡°Bet you one grand I can convince you to join.¡± Damion offered, a shit eating grin now spread across his face.


    Izumi rolled her eyes laughing before she rested her hand on Damion¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to get coffee, while you two talk business.¡± And no sooner had the words left her lips did she twist about giving the two a nice wave, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes!¡±


    Then the two men were left alone in the shop as the winter air continued to blow in through the bay doors. Dylan, despite wearing a thin pair of overalls just ignored the biting cold that pierced through the light clothing. It was always an impressive sight to see how Dylan could just shrug off such weather conditions. But right now wasn¡¯t the time to be jealous of his friend¡¯s natural tolerance to the cold as he walked up to the side of car the smug grin still plastered across his face.


    Dylan sighed lightly, letting his hands come to rest on the frame of the car before pushing himself back to look Damion in the face. ¡°Alright, fine. Let¡¯s see how you can bring me over to this new unit of yours.¡± He relented, folding his arms over his chest as he waited impatiently for Damion.


    Still smiling he pulled out a small cheque book from his coat pocket followed by a small pen, before suddenly filling out the first cheque in the book. Ripping it off, he handed it to Dylan who didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment to take the piece of paper.


    ¡°You know the government pay is sh- holy shit!¡± Dylan paused half way before his sudden surprise at the amount being promised to him became evident. ¡°¡­ So¡­ who¡¯s ass are we kicking this time?... sir.¡± Dylan asked now smiling.


    ¡°Glad to have you back, Warrant Officer Smith. And the asses we¡¯ll be kicking are none other than our friends the PA. Seems they didn¡¯t take to kindly to losing us North American¡¯s¡­ and needless to say, there are a few other nations who are planning on leaving soon as well, and it¡¯s up to us to ensure they can leave with peace of mind¡­ no matter what might be thrown our way¡­ like, say maybe, Demons?¡± Damion said, making the last bit sound more like sarcasm than actual fact.


    Dylan just shrugged it off however with a small wave of his hand. ¡°Demons or men doesn¡¯t matter. After all the shit I¡¯ve seen in the last two wars we¡¯ve been in¡­ they¡¯re basically rated the same in my book.¡± Then as soon as the words left his lips, he scratched the back of his head sighing as he noticed Damion¡¯s smile soon fade, knowing full well that the past wars were still a sensitive subject for the two men.


    Damion just stood silent for a moment before mentally shaking his head, dismissing all thoughts of the past wars from his head, before reminding himself of his duty at the moment. ¡°Well, so long as you¡¯re ready to see some crazy stuff then that¡¯s pretty much all I can tell you out in the open at the moment. You¡¯ll have to wait until we get to our new base before I can divulge any further Intel your way.¡±


    Dylan nodded slightly before pausing a moment to look at his current clothing, ¡°Well¡­ Sounds good, but you¡¯ll have to wait until I¡¯m a little more¡­ presentable. Don¡¯t want all you officers jealous of my manliness after all.¡± He joked warmly as he walked towards the back.


    Though before he could any further he was stopped by Damion, whose hand gripped his shoulder gently. ¡°No time for that I¡¯m afraid. But don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll have the chance to change upon our arrival. I¡¯ve taken the liberty of asking Elizabeth to give us your uniform before coming to get you.¡± He said, before making his way past Dylan and towards the open bay doors.


    Dylan looked confused for a moment as he watched Damion walk into the mini blizzard outside before it hit him. ¡°Wait! You were at my house!?¡± Dylan asked, a little taken back.


    ¡°Heh, your wife was all but dancing when we told her the news of your ¡®new¡¯ job. Didn¡¯t even get half way into the house before she basically gave us your old uniform¡­¡± He replied quickly, before pausing a moment, ¡°Was actually a little scary at how fast she was upon hearing how much we were going to be paying you too¡­ ANYWAYS! Doesn¡¯t matter. All that does matter is getting to our new base and getting things in order.¡±


    As Damion finished speaking, Dylan just stood there in shock¡­. Everyone but him had basically forced him to join even before he had the chance to agree. Needless to say, he was a fair bit pissed at the news but the figures on the cheque pretty much saw to him letting it all vanish, so long as they were paying him, he didn¡¯t care where he was going. And so, without another word he quickly jogged up beside Damion who slid his hands into his coat pocket.


    ¡°By the way¡­ I haven¡¯t actually been to the new base yet either, let alone meet any of the people I¡¯ll be commanding¡­¡± Damion¡¯s admitted nonchalantly.


    Dylan stood there in the cold, before slowly turning his head towards Damion. ¡°You what?¡± Dylan questioned.


    Damion shrugged, ¡°Haven¡¯t been to the new base yet. First thing on my agenda was getting you.¡± He repeated quickly, trying to avoid all eye contact with his friend.


    ¡°¡­ you know, sometimes I wonder why the military keeps promoting you¡­¡± Dylan said before turning his head away and focusing his attention on Izumi¡¯s car as it pulled up in front of them. ¡°Also surprised to see you two back together again as well. Thought the civil war ended you two.¡± He added once more.


    Shaking his head Damion spoke, ¡°We¡¯re not. We¡¯re still divorced.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡± Dylan pointed towards her car as he spoke before Damion walked over and opened the rear passenger door for him.


    ¡°She¡¯s part of the new unit.¡± And with that, he walked away before climbing into the passenger side of the car.


    Izumi looked back at Dylan beaming with joy at the sight of another friendly face. ¡°Glad to see the old gang back together! Elizabeth seemed to be happy as well to see you return to the military again too!¡± She told him in a joyous tone. ¡°By the way, I got your coffee, it¡¯s in the back there. Large double-double right?¡±


    Dylan gave her a smile, ¡°Glad to see you as well Izumi. Last time I saw you was three years ago, and judging by your tone¡­ you¡¯re still the same ball of joy as you were then.¡± He replied coolly as he grabbed the offered cup of coffee from the cup holder. ¡°And yeah¡­ surprised you still remember what I take, to be honest with you.¡± He finished before taking a sip from his cup.


    Izumi chuckled softly before turning about, ¡°Well, unlike some forget heads, I have a long memory.¡± She joked, looking over at Damion who shook his head smiling as he looked outside.


    ¡°Good point! I remember when we were posted over in China, I was often having to remind Damion when there was a briefing haha.¡± Dylan added, half-jokingly.


    Damion just sighed lightly, ¡°Can we just get going please, we can all make fun of me AFTER we get to the ¡®Pantheon¡¯.¡± Damion said trying to change the focus as he pointed ahead towards the general direction of the base.


    Izumi just continued to laugh in response as she pulled out of the parking lot, doing her best to try and keep her focus on the road. Dylan, on the other hand, leaned back against his seat and looked through the window and into the blizzard, a small smile across his face¡­ He was happy to see his two friends together again, even if they weren¡¯t officially back together, it was still nice to see the two of them smiling and laughing with one another once more, he only hoped he could manage to protect their happiness this time, a thought which was shared by Damion who found his eyes looking over at Izumi¡¯s gentle brown. Seeing her laugh and smile again did wonders to lift his own spirits¡­ Just seeing her smile brought up so many memories of their past¡­ a past he wished he could bring back¡­


    --


    The Pantheon was a massive newly constructed base, designed to house some of the nation¡¯s best and brightest citizens, most of whom had dozens if not close to a lifetime worth of experience each within their fields and all of them were under the command of a young 28-year-old blonde whose only reason for holding the rank of Brigadier General was due to past actions during the Pacific Civil War. In truth, Damion found himself biting his bottom lip out of a nervous habit¡­ which was only made more obvious by the shaking of his right leg that started to shake the car a bit to the point Dylan had to constantly remind him with a small cough. Both he and Izumi knew of Damion¡¯s habits when it came to his nerves¡­ he was damn good at his job and had proven himself a highly talented leader and warrior to thousands of men and women in the past wars, but despite all he had been through and had done he was still very much a normal man who often feared how people viewed him¡­ it was one of his greatest weaknesses, one that was often covered up with the help of those close to him to try and give the image of an imposing and almost Napoleon-like figure¡­ when he was the farthest thing from. But all of that vanished as they pulled up to the main building which served as both the ¡®brain¡¯ of the entire base as well as the only building that lead to the main research facility being hidden underground.


    As the car came to a stop, Damion quickly shook away all his fears and steeled his nerves with a quick breath in, before expelling it all in one go as his lungs emptied again; a small habit he had picked up during his time as a junior officer in the 3rd World War some years back. And so as he opened the car door and stepped out into the cold air he found his eyes wandering about before they rested on four flags of the North American Union, The NAU, the Canadian flag, the flag of the United States of America, and the Mexican flag. All four waved proudly in the bitter winter winds as if to symbolize how strong each of the three nations as a single entity. Then suddenly his attention was quickly taken away by the sound of heavy footsteps falling in alongside him followed closely by a small whistle of amazement.


    ¡°Damn~¡­ now this is an impressive base! Have to say, this has got to be the most modern looking place you¡¯ve ever commanded hahaha!¡± Dylan stated first, ¡°Well no point waiting around. Might as well see what this place looks like from the inside!¡± As he spoke he was the first to walk forward, making his way towards the large array of glass doors.


    Damion smiled, shaking his head lightly. ¡°Thanks, Dylan.¡± He thought before quickly jogging up beside both his friend and Izumi who were a decent bit ahead of him already.


    As they opened the glass doors they quickly greeted with the scent that only a newly constructed building could offer, which surprised the blonde man a fair bit as he shook his head trying to sniff out the scent of new building; as it often times bothered him seeing as how most of his military career had been spent in old rundown buildings, an FOB (Forward Operating Base), or an firebase that was quickly put together¡­ and given how Dylan looked, he too was in the same boat, though he was making it plainly obvious with the frown he was giving that not even his large brown bushy beard could hide.


    Shaking away it all he looked over at Izumi who was talking with the nearby Airmen sitting behind the reception desk. Within moments she came walking back over to both men handing them each their temporary passes.


    ¡°Here, your passes. You¡¯ll need these to get around both the base and this building as a whole. Needless to say, you won¡¯t have solo access to the floors below until we can manage to get your own set. Now then. Once Dylan¡¯s in uniform we can explore further.¡± Izumi told both men as they took the passes.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Damion said as he pulled off his dress coat showing he was wearing his uniform underneath.


    Dylan stopped to look at the Star on his friend¡¯s uniform, marking him out as a Brigadier General. ¡°Well¡­ now I see why you¡¯re in charge of the base. Though I have to say it still a little impressive to see the NAU Gold Star on your shoulder haha.¡± Dylan laughed before he began to follow Izumi who was now gesturing for them to follow her.


    ¡°I know¡­ it¡¯s surprised even me man¡­ it surprised even me¡­ mind you, it¡¯s not like you can talk either, ¡®Warrant Officer Dylan Smith¡¯.¡± He returned with a grin.


    Both were young for the ranks they held, and both believed they were still surprised by the fact as well, but they knew that there was little point arguing the fact since what was done has been done, and all they could do now was focus on the job they had now.


    --


    After years in the military, it became almost second nature for Dylan who walked out in full dress uniform looking quite sharp, although his large bushy beard made it hard to actually take him serious, but that was all part of his look and anyone who had served with him before would know full well that the beard was the only thing protecting his image as the scary Senior NCO, more so since he had a baby face underneath all that hair.


    ¡°Seems you still remember how to wear a uniform at least.¡± Damion joked with a small laugh before standing up from the chair in the waiting area.


    Dylan smoothed out the dress coat of his uniform a bit as both Damion and Izumi walked towards him, ¡°Mhm¡­ well, it¡¯s only been a few months since I ¡®retired¡¯, I can¡¯t imagine anyone forgetting how to put this freaking stuffy thing on¡­ more so after how many events we had to attend wearing the damn things.¡± He replied, making light of the many different ceremonies they had to attend shortly after the Civil War.


    Damion shrugged lightly as they began to once again follow Izumi, this time heading for the elevator. Once inside, Izumi quickly pulled out her ID and slid it into a small key port hidden behind a small wall. Soon the metal doors closed, and the three stood silently as the elevator made its quick decent¡­ that was until Damion coughed.


    ¡°Could¡¯ve put in some better elevator music¡­ ¡± He thought aloud, a grin across his face.


    Dylan and Izumi chuckled softly but didn¡¯t say anything in reply, as soon they hit the bottom floor. The thick metal doors soon slid open and all three were quickly hit by a wave of warm air that seemed to have the scent of¡­ sweat?


    ¡°Why does it smell like that?¡± Damion asked as they all stepped out of the elevator and into the large hallway.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t honestly know¡­¡± Izumi replied, also looking a fair bit puzzled for a moment until she came to see why it smelled the way it did.


    Out from the nearby corner came walking out a group of soldiers in PT gear, each looking absolutely exhausted as they jogged past, covered in sweat.


    Damion and Dylan just watched wide-eyed and a little surprised to see a small section of soldiers marching past them, paying all three little mind as if they all had tunnel vision.


    ¡°The fuck?¡± Dylan caught himself saying aloud.


    Damion looked over at Dylan giving a small chuckle, ¡°Well, guess you have some work cut out for you, hey Warrant?¡± Damion joked, knowing how Dylan wasn¡¯t really a fan of soldiers who forgot to pay attention to everything even when tired as hell.


    ¡°¡­ Apparently¡­¡± He replied lowly as he made a mental note to himself.


    But before they could do or say anything more, another figure came walking¡­ or¡­ rather dancing out from the corner wearing a lab coat and¡­


    ¡°What the fuck!? What¡¯s wrong with this place?¡± Dylan said as his voice began to grow louder just as his face began to redden by the new image of what he saw, a man wearing only a lab coat and boxers was dancing about the hall as if there was not a worry to be had.


    Damion looked a little taken back by the sight, but Izumi just stood there shaking her head. ¡°Damion, Dylan¡­ let me introduce you to the Assistant head of Research¡­ Doctor Michael W. Taylor.¡± She said introducing the man who came dancing towards them before stopping as he heard his name being called.


    Looking up quickly Mike saw the two figures in uniform, and Izumi facepalming hard. ¡°OH! That¡¯s right, I totally forgot we were getting a couple of noobs today.¡± Mike reminded himself aloud as he walked up to them, extending his hand to Damion. ¡°Pleasure~¡±


    Damion raised a brow as he shook the man¡¯s hand, ¡°Likewise Doctor.¡±


    Mike just smiled as he shook his head before he pulled it closer and looked twisted his hand so his palm was facing up before he suddenly went in close, pulling out his glasses from his white lab coat to examine his hand. ¡°Hmm¡­ AH! So you¡¯re the one! By the gods of science, finally!¡± Mike exclaimed dramatically as he suddenly twisted about on his heel.


    Izumi coughed lightly reminding Mike of her presence, which promptly saw to him turning to see his boss who did not look the least bit happy with him. ¡°O-oh¡­ hey, Miss Nakashima¡­ I¡­ uh¡­ right, so you have this one sane me!¡± He said before suddenly shaking his head which saw to his green eyes quickly becoming brown. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Doctor¡­¡± Izumi growled, which quickly saw to Mike go wide-eyed in surprise at both the sight of his boss and by what he wore¡­ that and the sight of a red-faced man with dark brown bushy beard giving him the evil eye.


    ¡°I¡­ Sorry doctor, you know the price I paid¡­¡± Mike apologized quickly as he quickly buttoned up his lab coat, hiding his hairy chest before coughing lightly into his hand. ¡°Forgive me gentlemen¡­ I believe you had the misfortune of meeting with the other me¡­ gift from the Hydra. Seems each ¡®head¡¯ has its own personality and set of skills.¡± Mike explained, talking as if Damion and Dylan knew what he meant.


    Both Damion and Dylan just looked at him confused; although Dylan was both pissed and now confused¡­ making for a rather scary mix as his veins began to shows. Damion just patted his friends'' shoulder though letting him know to calm down, which he did almost immediately, as his face suddenly became flushed.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Doctor, they have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, let alone know what we¡¯re doing here yet. They¡¯ve really only been given the bare-bones of what we¡¯re doing here and that¡¯s it.¡± She reported in a soft tone showing she was happy to see the sane Mike return.


    Mike just stared at both men for a moment then shook his head sighing lightly. ¡°Well shit¡­ Suppose we should just give them the crash course then? Looks like they¡¯re dressed for a meeting anyways.¡± He suggested as he looked over at the two men then back towards Izumi.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care what we do, so long as I¡¯m informed what we¡¯re doing here and why there are soldiers running about here.¡± Damion chimed in before Izumi could say anything, further.


    Both Scientists just looked at him before Izumi nodded in agreement with Mike¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Well¡­ lead them towards the ¡®gate¡¯ then Doctor. I have to get a few things from my office before anything else.¡± Izumi ordered which saw to Mike twisting about motioning for the two men to follow him.


    Dylan sighed lightly shaking his head before he followed behind the crazy scientist, and before Damion could go any further he was suddenly stopped by Izumi who grabbed his arm. ¡°Wait¡­ I¡­ well I just wanted to say be careful Damion¡­¡± She told him, her eyes looking down the ground before she let go of his arm and turned around to head towards her office.


    Damion watched her for a moment before smiling, ¡°You know me love. I¡¯m considered to be one of the luckiest men out there. I had you remember?¡± He replied gently, which quickly saw to Izumi going red in the face as she continued to walk away, not saying anything in reply.


    He watched her for a moment longer before turning around and walking to catch up with both his friend and the good doctor.


    --


    The walk to the ¡®gate¡¯ room proved to be a rather fast one, giving how the doctor knew the fastest way to the room, walking through a number of labs and on the way, all of which seemed to be populated with a number of men and women all of whom were some of the most brilliant scientists in their field. In truth, it would be an understatement if Damion did admit to being a bit impressed at how the North American Union government had managed to gather all these brilliant minds together for this one job. But he had to stow away all wonder as they came to the supposed ¡®gate¡¯ which wasn¡¯t as much a gate as it was a small orb that sat atop a small column in the middle of a room.


    ¡°That¡¯s some gate there Doc, seems like it could take on a whole army.¡± Dylan said sarcastically as he followed Mike into the room.


    Damion however just remained silent, keeping all thoughts to himself for the moment, more so after the initial briefing at the white house a day ago. After seeing the reports and images of demons and mythological beings walking about in our plain of existence, he wasn¡¯t surprised to see that something like an orb would be a sort of gateway for them to enter and exit through. Grinning a bit, he couldn¡¯t help but think how much this seemed like fantasy more than reality, but again it was another thought he pushed from his mind as he walked into the room with the two others.


    ¡°Gentlemen, this-this is the gate.¡± Mike practically beamed with excitement as he showed both men the smoke filled orb.


    Damion and Dylan both walked around the pedestal. ¡°So, how do you open this ¡®gate¡¯¡± Dylan asked making quotations with his fingers on the word gate.


    ¡°Just rest your hand on it. See what happens.¡± Mike replied quickly, a smile now across his face.


    Damion looked at the doctor for a moment then over to Dylan whose focus was still on the orb. ¡°Fuck it, might as well be the first to try it out.¡± Dylan said before resting his right hand on the small orb, before suddenly¡­ he collapsed, falling unconscious.


    ¡°Dylan!¡± Damion exclaimed as he rushed too quickly catch his friend before he fell face first into the metal flooring. ¡°What the hell happened Doctor!?¡± Damion demanded.


    Mike looked at Dylan for a moment before his eyes went green, ¡°He was transported to the mythological realm to meet the being most attune to his soul¡­¡±


    His reply was cryptic and offered little in the way of an answer to Dylan¡¯s state. ¡°F-¡­ well is he going to be okay?¡± Damion had to stop himself from cursing, trying his best to remain as professional as possible.


    ¡°Depends how the first meeting goes¡­ sometimes they just wake up with nothing and others¡­ well¡­ sometimes they don¡¯t wake up at all.¡± Mike shrugged as he looked down at Dylan, his emerald green eyes looking as though they were examining another project.


    Damion swallowed back a hostile retort upon hearing how his friend could well possibly die but knew he had to remain calm at the moment. ¡°All we can do now is wait I¡¯m afraid. If you¡¯d like I can get some tea ready?¡± Mike chimed up as he twisted about on his heels making a b-line for the attached lab.


    Damion just shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ thank you. I¡¯d rather wait here.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± The Green eyed version of Mike replied coldly before walking into the other room, leaving him alone with his friend.


    --


    Nearly an hour passed before suddenly Dylan started to move again, but as he began to wake up, he let out a large cry of pain as suddenly a long black chain wrapped itself around his arm and neck before turning into a highly detailed dark tattoo that was now hidden under his uniform. Damion rushed over quickly to his friend¡¯s side as he began to blink the sleep from his eyes.


    ¡°Dylan, you okay buddy?¡± Damion asked, his tone showing the worry he had for his friend.


    Dylan looked over at him then down at his left hand that had the chain tattoo. ¡°Fenrir is an asshole¡­¡± He replied back weakly.


    Damion looked puzzled for a moment but smiled and shook his head, he was just happy to see Dylan was up and well, despite the scream of pain he had let out just moments before.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve made a successful contract with your ¡®demon¡¯ then I take it?¡± Mike started as he walked into the gate room, his eyes still the same emerald green as before, although the only difference this time being he was now wearing clothes under his lab coat, a welcome change to the previous choice of clothing.


    Dylan nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ I made the contract alright¡­ although I can¡¯t say I¡¯m too happy with the ¡®gift¡¯ he gave me.¡± Dylan added as he raised his arm up before pulling back the sleeve to show the black chain tattoo that wrapped around the entirety of his arm.


    Both Mike and Damion both looked at the new tattoo a bit confused as to what it was supposed to mean. ¡°I take it this is supposed to be some sort of special gift then?¡± Mike asked, as he pulled out his phone and took a picture.


    Dylan quickly covered up his arm upon the camera flashing. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯d say it¡¯s more a curse than a gift.¡± He replied slowly before continuing, ¡°And it¡¯s a weapon gift. Apparently¡­ An unbreakable chain called the ¡®chain of eternity¡¯. Essentially, it¡¯s the chain that binds Fenrir to the rock.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ I remember now. Fenrir, the wolf son of the Norse god of trickery, Loki.¡± Damion recalled.


    Dylan nodded in reply before Mike interjected before he could say anything more. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you to-¡±


    Suddenly the entire room shook violently as the sound of an explosion echoed throughout. All three men quickly found themselves quickly looking towards the source of the explosion before the lights quickly turned red and the alarms began to blare to life, causing Mike to curse under his breath.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ they found us already¡­¡± Mike growled low as his eyes suddenly turned to a shade of blood red. ¡°Dylan, we¡¯ll be needing you to use your new abilities here.¡± He added turning to face a stern-faced Dylan who pulled off his dress coat throwing it to the side, before rolling up his sleeves.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡± He replied coldly as his veteran mind began to take over.


    Damion did the same pulling off his coat but before he made his way towards the door Mike stopped him as he pressed his hand on the General¡¯s chest. ¡°No you sir. You¡¯re not ready to fight what¡¯s coming¡­ not yet anyways.¡± He told him in a deep tone before he looked over and pointed towards the orb. ¡°It''s your turn to step through the gate this time. And don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll guard this room while you¡¯re having your own meeting.¡±


    Damion opened his mouth to protest, but before the words could be formed, Dylan spoke up, ¡°He¡¯s right Damion¡­ my meeting quickly opened my eyes to the new threat we¡¯ll be facing here¡­ and believe me¡­ convention weapons won¡¯t do the trick this time.¡± And as he finished speaking a dark grey fog began to quickly envelop him until suddenly he was covered entirely.


    Mike watched unsurprised, while Damion stared in shock at what he was hearing and now seeing before suddenly a loud and might howl could be heard from Dylan before suddenly the dark fog vanished in a wave of light forcing both men to shield their eyes. Upon the light fading Damion quickly turned to see what happened, but what he saw made his jaw drop in surprise as his friend stood two feet taller wearing a demonic silver and grey armour wrapped in black chains, with a torn up looking grey shoulder cape over his right arm covering the demonic pauldron wrapped in spiked chains. His head covered by what appeared to be a timber wolf shaped helmet with ruby red eyes. Staring down at the two Dylan spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Damion I¡¯ll go protect Izumi until you get back.¡± Dylan spoke in a deep and dark sounding tone before suddenly two long blades appeared in his armoured hands.


    Damion couldn¡¯t say anything due to how much shock he was still in at the sight, but he gave his head a shake before speaking finally, ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it Dylan¡­ just remember to keep the doors to hell open for me when I return!¡±


    And with a small demonic chuckle Dylan smashed through the glass doors and charged through the lab and into the halls, vanishing from sight, leaving Mike and Damion alone.


    Mike watched for a moment before turning to face Damion who he quickly nudged over towards the orb. ¡°Don¡¯t keep him waiting. And don¡¯t worry¡­ he¡¯s not the only Demon Knight in the base. The other is standing before you General.¡± Mike grinned before suddenly blood red waters began to enveloped the black haired scientist.


    Within moments Damion was now staring at a 7 foot tall crimson coloured demonic armour with seven heads, each with different coloured eyes and voices. This armour however looked like metallic scales, with a trident for a weapon, which was held firmly in the Knight¡¯s right hand. ¡°Heh~ been a while since I¡¯ve gotten take this form¡­¡± Mike thought aloud in seven different voices before turning to face Damion. ¡°Go now! I¡¯ll guard the door.¡± He barked before then turning and walking into the lab, leaving the General alone with the orb.


    A lot was happening and had happened in front of Damion¡¯s eyes as he stood in shocked silence at what he had just witnessed. But he knew he couldn¡¯t ponder on what he had just seen and heard, remembering quickly what Mike had said. And so turning towards the orb he made his approach, taking in a deep breath before he brought his right hand to rest on the small smoke filled orb¡­ suddenly he was hit by a bright white light before suddenly he was thrown into another world¡­

 Chapter 3: The Bloody Halls

    Dylan was quick to run outside of the lab, his wolven helm looking about the hallways, the helmet¡¯s ears acting a lot like a sonar as a HUD came flashing up in front of Dylan¡¯s eyes that seemed to give off the look of a man surprised by the sudden appearance of such high tech gear in¡­ well¡­ something you might see someone from the medieval period wear. Although Dylan knew that wasn¡¯t entirely true, he had met with the Norse god of destruction so it was but a small shock that was quickly pushed aside as he walked forward, his elongated silver like armoured gauntlets opening and closing as he tried to adjust to the new ¡®body¡¯ of his. It was an odd thing for him to be standing well over eight feet tall, that and the fact that he felt¡­ lighter, younger, stronger, and faster than before. Even the bulk of his body of muscle had seemingly spread about the armour taking on something that looked like a demigod rather than a man who had previously been just under 5¡¯10¡±. So with every step he took he also found him a bit off balance a little bit given how much taller and lighter he now was. Though as he walked further way from the lab and further into the hallways that glowed red under the alarms, he couldn¡¯t help but pause a moment.


    ¡°So¡­ this is what it¡¯s like being tall?¡± Dylan said aloud as he brought his gauntlet hands up to his helm.


    Though as he inspected the silver armour he found himself wondering if the piece of gear could actually protect him from lethal damage, more so considering how light it was¡­ and how silver it was. Though as he thought on the matter he suddenly heard the sounds of screaming come piercing his now elevated hearing forcing his head to snap towards the general direction of the voice. He felt a cold shiver run down his spin, forcing him to shudder in what he assumed was his old hunter¡¯s instinct letting him know something bad was responsible for that scream of terror that rang out. Though, biting back his fear, and all the thoughts that were telling him to retreat he mustered up his courage and made his way to a nearby corner, trying his best to sound as silent as possible. Which¡­ surprising enough turned out to be a rather easy thing for him as he pressed himself against the wall. Taking a deep breath in, he was about to lean his head around the corner but the HUD lit up, showing him what was around the corner, in shapes that appeared with every sound wave that reached the ears of his helm, which saw to Dylan¡¯s eyes widen in shock at just how much this helmet did, more so as the shapes taking form gave off the appearance of something from a fantasy novel, or¡­ something more from the bible by how they appeared. Though he shook it off as he blinked his eyes wanting to see a radar instead of these shapes, and no sooner that the thought crossed his mind, the HUD changed once more, this time turning into a radar, just what he had wanted.


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s convenient!¡± Dylan thought to himself with a small shrug before he turned the corner finally, coming face to face with his new foes.


    Just as he had previously thought they were very much like something from fantasy¡­ no not fantasy, a horror movie, one about demons and angels. The figures standing over the bloody remains of what were at one point in time fully armed and prepared soldiers, their limbs and guts in the hands and mouths of the dark red beings that stood no more than five feet tall, each wearing nothing but a loincloth, their weapon being crude pieces of black metal sharpened into deadly blades, which proved to be far more effective than any blade Dylan had seen before¡­ or at least, since Damion¡¯s. As he looked upon them, they looked saw him with their cold crimson eyes, before each began to growl and let out demonic sounding cries that seemed to echo across the halls before. Though it did little to nothing to scare off Dylan who instead, felt a shiver of excitement shoot through him as if something unnatural had just taken hold of his mind. The group of 10 imps started to scream in a demonic war cry as they dropped the bloody remains of the patrol and began to slowly move towards the 8 foot tall demonic looking silver wolven armour, their crude blades in hand before they jumped forward into a frenzied charge towards the lone warrior.


    Dylan grinned before he pulled from his hip armour two unique hand axes, each elaborately forged and finely made, the blade on both, looking as if they could cut through a steel door. Dylan didn¡¯t bother to look at either blade, slowly walking towards his new foes, his brown eyes became dark as experience began to take over. After nearly 8 years of constant fighting and bloodshed, Dylan had learned to turn off that side of him that feared¡­ that side of him that showed mercy¡­ that side of him that made him human. Now, the figure that walked towards the charging red creatures was a weapon¡­ no, a Demon.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    As the two sides came closer, the closest and by the looks of it, the strongest of the demonic creatures leapt forward, arm extended in the air with its crude blade ready to strike at the wolf headed helm. The red figure came within range of Dylan, he quickly pulled across his left arm before launching it into a powerful sideway slash. The edge of the hand axe cleaving in two the demonic being who had the look of pure shock as his crimson eyes watched his lower body fall limp while he went flying to the wall before its head smashed against the cement wall killing it instantly. Though Dylan didn¡¯t bother thinking about what he had just done, he quickly did the same for his right arm before swinging the axe towards his second target, the blade cleaved the creatures skull in two, the section of head sliding off onto the ground, its mouth went slack and its long tongue rolled out before crumbling to its knees. Its lifeless body crumbled to the floor and Dylan quickly spun around in time to dodge an incoming thrust to his neck, and as he twisted around he brought the left handed axe around digging the edge into the creatures own neck. Pulling it free he quickly threw it into the fourth who was sent reeling to the ground as the blade dug itself into the imp¡¯s chest. It was still alive, though only for a mere second before Dylan came to leap up inches off the ground before smashing the imps head under his armoured boot ending its life in one swift move.


    Already four of the creatures were dead in a matter of seconds, the remaining six stopped their charge as a fear struck them. It hit them that they weren¡¯t fighting a normal human, but something far worse¡­ a demon, and not one like themselves, but one on the level of a god. He didn¡¯t give them time to think, utilizing the moment of hesitation to his advantage lunging forward in blinding speed, both arms at his side before he swinging them both out to cut his fifth victim apart, the body itself was used as a cushion as he and the corpse came to smash against the wall, lunging himself towards his next target without the axes, his silver gauntlet smashing through the imp skull and the tiled floor before he pulled his bloody hand free, the demonic wolf looking for its next victim. The remaining four imps knew it was a loss, and began to scream in terror after witnessing a brutality, and made a hasty retreat.


    He growled softly, a wicked smile formed across his bearded face. Crouching down low he began to feel the power well up inside of him before closing his eyes and began focusing it to his legs. Blood and debris began to circle and spin around him before his eyes popped open and he launched himself past the four in a blinding light coming to a skidding, spinning halt, both his arms were covered in blood as he stood up from his place. As he stood he watched as the four imps collapsed to the floor headless, being smashed off their shoulders by Dylan who had used his new found strength and armour to cut them all in half with little to no effort. Though he knew he didn¡¯t have time to look over his handiwork, nor see to the bodies of the soldiers, more so with more of those imps running about the base. Walking up to the remains of the imps whose bodies still had his hand axes dug deep within them, he pulled them free, using what little clothing the creatures had on as a means of cleaning his blades. Shortly after doing so he stood up looking towards where he knew Izumi was supposed to be.


    Spinning both blades in his hands he pondered what his next course of action would be, ¡®Well¡­ if I know Izumi, she¡¯s more than likely fortified her office into a makeshift bunker.¡¯ Dylan thought, recalling how Izumi had at one point in time served with the Alliance military during the third World War.


    Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought entirely as he looked at the imps lying dead at his feet. ¡°None of it will matter if I don¡¯t get to her soon though¡­¡± a shiver of fear shooting through him as he thought of what Damion would do to him if he fucked up.


    Without wasting anymore time he started to make his way towards Izumi¡¯s office. As he did he found more and more bodies of dead soldiers lying dead and or ripped apart by the imps. Although there were no imps around, it was almost as if the only ones attacking the base were the ten he had fought back a few hallways ago. Raising his brow curious, he couldn¡¯t help but scratch his shoulders out of habit as he thought.


    ¡®It¡¯s odd¡­ how is it the defence forces couldn¡¯t even scratch the imps, but yet my blades were able to cleave the fuckers in two?¡¯ He thought to himself as he returned on his trek towards Izumi¡¯s office.


    He continued to wander quickly down the hallways and found himself often halted by makeshift barricades, which was another shocking feature to come across, as it had been barely a few minutes since the alarms had gone off¡­ though he guessed that the attack had been actually been going on for a fair bit longer than he had originally thought. Due to the brave actions of some man or woman that the rest of the base became aware of the actual attack.


    ¡®Fuck¡­ that means they might have already got to Izumi¡­ please God, don¡¯t let it be true.¡¯ Thinking to himself he quickened his pace, charging towards Izumi¡¯s office even faster than before, and trying as hard as he could to reach Izumi so Damion wouldn¡¯t have to worry any more than he more than likely already was during his meeting with whoever the hell it was he was making a contract with.


    He only hoped he would make it in time to save and protect his friend¡­