233 Crossbow Mage Vs. Demon Goddess

They were staring at Evlin as she stood in front of a pile of wreckage that used to be the front doors of the building.

"What's happening?? Who did this!!??" Leona shouted with immense rage in her eyes while Marcus stood behind her in an absolute loss.

"Evlin?? What's going on??" the silver-haired lad asked.

Evlin wanted to turn around to look at him before answering, but she didn't want to let Hana out of her sight.

"Take Ellie and Dia out of here..." she whispered.

"What...?" Ellie asked while being carried by Claire in her back with Dia and Joseph on their side, "Why...?"

"Miss Evlin!! What's the meaning of this??" Leona shouted again while noticing Evlin aiming her crossbow at Hana, "Why are you being hostile towards our goddess!!?? Is this an act of betrayal??"

"Leona, that's not a goddess, that's Hana, the demon queen!" Evlin replied.

"W- What!!??" the fire mage mumbled, "what are you talking about??"

Hana herself started to glare at Evlin, she hated when people would put labels on her. Ever since she was a kid people would label her as a dead person walking due to her disease, and now, Evlin was doing the same thing by giving her a name due to her being the originator of red energy, "Why do you keep calling me that?? Who was it that named my faction with the word demon??"

"Lady East!! Is that true?? Are you really Hana??" Leona asked in disbelief.

"Are you starting to doubt me??" the goddess wondered while gazing at her champion, "Do not forget that you swore loyalty to me!"

"B- But..."

"Leona! Take Ellie, Dia, and Marcus out of here!!" Evlin yelled again.

"Leona!! You better not disobey me!!" Hana screamed next.

The blond fire mage began to shiver, "Wh- What should I do...??"

Marcus noticed the confusion on her eyes and started to feel he needed to do something as well, so he turned to Evlin again, "Evlin, please!! Tell us what's going on!!"

"I told you!! This woman is Hana, the demon queen!! And she wants to use you three to kill a dragon!"

"What!!??" all three replied.

Hana was starting to lose her patience, she raised her hand and pointed her index at the crossbow mage "Call me demon queen, one more time..."

Evlin noticed a small spark of energy glowing on her finger and realized that she was about to attack, "Sphinx!!"

The golden griffin woke up from his sleep on top of the temple and jumped to go to his master's aid. Evlin changed her crossbow into gauntlets and as soon as her pet approached, unleashed a wave of transformation magic that fused the two into one being.

As she was now taller, stronger, and with a body covered in golden fur with a tail and two wings on her back, she glared at the goddess once again.

"Wraaghhh!!!" Hana screamed as she started to shoot Evlin with a beam of silver energy, but the mage just applied healing magic to her legs which greatly increased her speed, and leaped out of the way.

As she gazed at where she was standing, Evlin noticed the floor exploding from being hit by Hana's attack, making the temple shake once again.

"This was my warning shot..." Hana declared, "cease this foolishness before I get angry..."

"Sure..." Evlin replied while landing on the ground, "just give me your word that you will leave me and the kids alone..."

"I can't do that..."

Evlin then smirked and changed her gauntlets to take the shape of small cannons and aimed at Hana, "Typical... You gods are all the same... Always thinking you have to answer to no one..."

The mage then unleashed a barrage of diamond bullets charged with raw magic energy at Hana, who just repelled each of them with her open palms.

"We have to help her!!" Gustav shouted as he rushed over the staircase and jumped into the fight.

Daren wanted to help as well and approached Marcus to ask for support, "Marcus, come on!! She needs us!!"

"R- Right!!" Marcus replied. He was about to change into a weapon for Daren to use but Leona grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait! Don't! If you make her mad, things could get even worse!"

"Leona! I..." Marcus stuttered.

"Marcus!! What are you waiting for!!??" Daren shouted.

Marcus then gritted his teeth and looked right into the fire mage's eyes, "I'm sorry Leona..."

The woman watched as the lad turned into a pair of metal claws for Daren and both of them joined Gustav in coming to Evlin's aid.

The crossbow mage was about to blast Hana with a display of her beastly howl, but the goddess just instantly approached her and grabbed her face, followed by smacking her against the ground.

"You're making a fool out of yourself!! Cease this, now!!" Hana stated.

"I'm a fool for protecting those who need me??" Evlin yelled while trying to free herself, but Hana was strong for someone with such thin arms.

"You are a fool for going up against the will of a god..."

"You are not a god!! You're just another brat that thinks just because you have a big, fancy toy, you get to decide how the game should be played! Just another bully full of yourself!"

"Grrr!!! You're so stubborn!!" Hana yelled while raising Evlin with one arm and throwing her at the mansion.

The woman continued to fly and was about to crash against the wall, but Gustav jumped to catch her.

"Evlin!! I got your back!"

"Ah!! Thanks, Gus!! Now throw me at her!!"

"What? Ah! Understood!!"

Gustav did just as he was told and using the boosted strength granted by his armor, he launched Evlin back at Hana.

The mage then began to raise her arms and spin around while covering herself with diamonds until she took the shape of a giant green drill.

"Bunch of idiots..." Hana mumbled.

She was about to blast Evlin with another beam but Daren appeared out of nowhere and slashed her arm with his silver claws.

"Ugh!! What are you doing!!??" she asked while holding her wounded hand.

"The same thing I always do! Protecting my friends from stupid gods like you!!" Daren announced.

Hana was about to attack him but Evlin finally managed to arrive and stabbed the goddess with her giant drill made of diamonds.

"Guaaahhh!!"

Ashley and Detra continued to watch along with Leona and the kids while the three of them kept attacking the goddess of the east from all possible sides.

"What's going on?? What's happening!!??" Lilith asked while holding Lance in her arms.

"Evlin and the others are fighting a goddess..." Ashley answered while dripping cold sweat.

"What!!?? Why!!?? How???" Lilith yelled.

"How indeed..." Detra whispered while holding her chin, "How did an attack from Marcus and Evlin managed to harm a god...?"

Ellie continued to watch as well while wondering if she should join the fight, but she had no strength left to even walk right now, so all she could do was hope things would turn out well.

"Why are my aunt and that goddess fighting?? Why would she want us to kill a dragon??"

As Ellie whispered that, she started to noticed Dia by her side shaking a little.

"Dia?? What's wrong?" Ellie asked.

"I- I don't know... Suddenly, I'm not so hungry anymore..." the ponytailed girl replied.

"What...?"

"I don't know why, but for some reason... I'm feeling full right now..."

Detra also noticed Dia's reaction and continued to look at Evlin who just kept rampaging like a wild beast.

"She's feeding on the crossbow girl's rage... That idiot is losing control again!!" Detra realized by seeing that Dia still had some cursed energy left in her.

And just as she said that Evlin started to create an army of diamond golems that all charged after Hana, who simply reacted by clapping her palms and shattering all of them into pieces with the shockwave.

Gustav tried to strike her from behind but she dodged with barely any effort and smacked him by flicking her fingers, making him fly backwards and collide against a tree.

"Ugh!!!"

Daren attempted to attack next by leaping with his claws aimed at her. Hana then raised her arm and closed her fist, which resulted in a bolt of lighting made of blessed energy falling from the sky and striking him down against the ground.

"Guaaaahh!!!"

Hana then turned around and glared at Evlin again, "How many of your friends will I need to punish before you come to your senses?? I'm not your enemy!!"

"Wraaghhh!!" Evlin tried to shoot her with another magic howl, but Hana just slapped it away and sent it to crash against a bolder, exploding it into pieces.

"I know you don't have the best history with gods and is overprotective when it comes to kids... But I need you to understand that I wouldn't be asking this of you if it wasn't extremely important!!"

"Wraaghhh!!" Evlin released another howl and once again, Hana slapped it away, this time towards the sky, opening a hole among the clouds.

"Just listen to me!! I know you think I'm evil because of my connection with red energy, but I'm not doing this out of ill-intentions!!"

"Wraaghhh!!!" yet another howl was unleashed. Evlin had no intention of listening to what she had to say.

The blast was slapped just like before and sent towards the ground, opening a massive hole in front of Hana.

"You call me a demon queen, but you're the one bearing your fangs and attacking wildly while all I want is the chance to explain myself!!"

"I'm not going to stop..." Evlin whispered, "I'm never going to stop... I know what it's like to be dragged into the problems of others and being forced to carry them on your shoulders..."

Daren and Gustav began to stand up again.

"I'm not going to let you drag me into something like this again... And I'm definitely not going to let you drag these kids in my place..." Evlin declared while stabbing the ground with her claws and preparing another blast, "My fight is over... Their fight is over... Respect our wish and leave!!"

Hana then looked at Marcus in his weapon form and Ellie and Dia watching from the staircase.

"I need you... Please... Won't you at least listen to my words?"

"I said LEAVE!!!" Evlin shouted while being on the verge of attacking. Hana also decided to stop holding back and attack with full force.

"Evlin, wait!!" yelled a voice.

The mage ended her attack and gazed at the one who called her name, her sister, Ashley.

"Ash??"

"Evlin, she's right..." Ashley commented while approaching them battlefield, "at least give her the chance to explain herself... She did help us in the war by giving Leona the power of a champion... And her blessing allowed Ellie to take the souls out of Mia..."

"Ashley?? Are you crazy??" Daren screamed.

"You heard what Evlin said, she wants to kidnap Ellie and Marcus!!" Gustav said next.

"Wrong!" Ashley corrected, "Evlin said she wanted to use them to kill a dragon, but she never said anything about kidnapping!"

"Ashley, she said if they declined her offer, she was going to force them to obey her!" Evlin stated, "we can't trust her!"

Ashley then looked at the goddess proceeded by then looking at the other three who were also involved in this.

"Marcus, Ellie, Dia!" she shouted, "This decision concerns you three as well, what do you want to do?"

"Eh!?] all three replied.