Chapter 138: Exponential

Chapter 138: Exponential

They sped out over the desert, Jason flying alongside and easily keeping pace with his ongoing Flight. Jelly and the Castrum had remained behind to guard the castle in case of a rear attack; if so, Jelly would fly close enough to communicate telepathically with James whod teleport everyone back.

Out they flew, forming a V with James at the tip of the spear. He hunched over the gleaming handlebars, shoulders tense, jaw set, staring through the whipping winds at the dusty horizon.

Serenity was to his left, riding her Wing like a surfboard, autocannons strapped, hair snapping in the wind like a flag in a storm.

Jason flew to his right, Superman style, resolute and silent.

James could sense the rest of their crew arrayed behind him. Everyone keeping tight formation, keeping pace, no jokes, nothing but deadly intent.

A dark line appeared on the horizon. Pencil thin. It swarmed as if with eddies of heat. Maybe eight miles away? It was nearly impossible to gauge distance out here on the endless sands.

They were several hundred feet up. James drew his pistol and activated Eye of the Needle.N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

His vision magnified as if he were staring down a snipers scope, even exceeding the power of Deadeye.

The line on the horizon leaped into focus.

It was a wall. A standing army. An endless line of demons standing shoulder to shoulder, still and quiescent. The first thirty ranks were identical and were composed of massively shouldered ogre-like brutes wearing piecemeal black iron armor. Their skin was pale ocher, their lantern jaws heavy, and each held a cruel weapon in their fist alongside a tower shield.

Beyond them? Another fifty or sixty ranks of a different kind of demon. These were gaunt and towered over even the ogres, but were wrapped in gauze as if cocooned while over their spindly bodies crawled thousands of spiders.

More stretched beyond. Ranks after ranks. Each spreading as far as he could see to the left and right.

They didnt react to Crimson Hydras approach, and James stopped just a mile before their front ranks, easing up on the throttle and sitting back.

Close enough, I think. He checked in with the others. They looked sobered by the numbers arrayed before them. It wasnt even the depths of the ranks, but the knowledge that the demons completely circumscribed the castle in such manner.

Jesus wept, said Serenity. Even Eternal Fires not got enough bullets for that many suckers.

Which is why were gonna let the angels do the heavy lifting. Go ahead, everyone. Drop your Angelic Hosts on the ground below.

James summoned his menu, focused on the angel section, and hit the Angelic Hosts options all seven remaining times.

Below them scores of golden portals formed, splitting the air and allowing elegant angels to emerge, their movements languid, assured, their smiles smug - right up until they saw the demonic host.

James willed his Wing to lower. Afternoon, lads.

The Angelic Hosts, some seventy of them, stared in horror at the millions of stoic demons. They all sought to respond as one, their voices forming a clamor, but then deferred by some unspoken instinct to one of their number who stood forth.

What is the meaning of this outrage?

James wished he had some gum to chew while talking to them. Youve been summoned to fight a few demons. Whats it look like?

The Host glared at James in horrified fury, manage to tear his gaze away to glance at the demons, then stepped back again. This is not agreed upon encounter. These are staging grounds. You cant ask us to -

Listen, buddy. James crossed his arms and leaned forward. The contract we have with you is one summons per angel, and that you only completely one encounter before disappearing back to your lounge in the sky. Well. Theres your fucking encounter. Now get to it.

That is not an encounter, an encounter is any set conflict on either your home planet or level of the Pit in accordance with the natural process involved -

None of this is natural, said James softly. But this is the shitty hand we humans were dealt, and you know what? This is the hand you guys just got dealt. So either you break your contract with us, Lords of the Increate that we are, and refuse to fight demons when summoned, or you shut your traps and get to fucking work.

Such such insolence, hissed the angel. His fellows glowered up at James, their wounded hauteur momentarily erasing their fear of the demons, but then they turned to study their foes and shrank back once more.

Well? James checked his wrist. Tick tock, motherfuckers.

The lead Host extended his hand and a burning broadsword manifested in his fist. A shield appeared in the other. It is because of our holy natures and divine adherence to the greater good that we shall see this perversion through. We take no responsibility for the repercussions for attacking a staging area, and will make no effort to shield you from the fallout should there be any. Are we clear?

Crystal, said James.

The seventy or so Host Angels turned to regard the millions of demons. The millions of demons seemed to stare right back at them, implacable, still as statues, diminishing into the distance in both directions.

No need for tactics, gentlewings, said the leader. We face nothing but hours of slaughter here. Fight for glory, fight for the cosmos, fight for the joy of the Seraphim. Advance.

This time the first rank of the horrifically cocooned demons awoke. Even as the ogres in the vicinity readied themselves for combat once more the second tier stirred to life. Fifteen feet tall and hidden within their cocoons they slashed their way free with a flurry of bladed limbs.

They looked like centaurs, if instead of human torsos you had giant killer centipedes and instead of a horse body you had that of a tarantula. Their fronts undulated with blades like beds of kelp underwater, and they scurried forward with terrible speed.

The two thousand angels rushed to fall into position, to form up their blocks and regiments. Horns blew, archers drew, and then the battle was met.

This one was shockingly swift.

The centipede tarantula centaurs wiped out the angels. Their bladed fronts shredded everything they came in contact with, be it blade, spear, or flesh. Those who were killed exploded and released thousands of palm-sized spiders whose bites caused instant rot to consume their victims.

Three minutes later the angels were dead.

Nausea roiled Jamess gut. Their deaths had been horrific.

Four thousand golden portals opened up.

I Im not sure I want to see that again, said Miriam.

This isnt going to stop, said Jason. We might as well return to the castle till James is ready to call our assault. Want me to escort you back?

They both looked to James. Yeah. Sure. I can teleport back to collect you when the time comes. And its better not to leave the diamond unguarded for too long.

I will head back as well, said Kerim. Denzel?

Same. Thanks.

Ill stay, said Yadriel. Shits just getting good!

Same, said Olaf. I feel like I am watching battle of Ragnark. Twilight of the gods. Would not miss this for the world.

Ill head back, too. Jessicas Omni bobbed. Might as well continue figuring out how the castle works, all things considered.

Sounds good, yall. Stay safe. Ill let you know when its time to fight.

The five of them sped back toward the castle.

James looked back at the massive battle that was taking place below. The angels had returned with a different balance of weaponry; half their force now consisted of archers with the rest forming a shield wall before them. The yard-long arrows fell like burning rain upon the centipede centaurs, and though it took scores of arrows to drop one, thousands were falling ever second.

The carnage was brutal.

More ogres from the wings and deeper ranks of centipede centaurs piled into the battle. They were fighting atop bodies now, the number of the dead underfoot numbering in the thousands upon thousands.

The angels fought valiantly, but when the enemy came at their flanks they were destroyed once more.

Eight thousand golden portals opened.

Any of you fools bring popcorn? asked Yadriel. And you sure we cant help em out a bit?

No popcorn, said Olaf gravely.

And no helping them. Jamess voice was sharp. For all we know that could trigger the whole lot of them to wake up at once. Let the Host angels do what they do best.

What? asked Yadriel with a grin. Die?

The eight thousand moved with precision and purpose, as if theyd trained for this fight for all eternity. Deep phalanxes formed in a large U, the air before them bristling with layer upon layer of thirty-foot long spears. In the center a thousand archers immediately got to work.

More of the demon army awoke.

Several thousand of the enemy were dead now, and their battle front looked like a huge bite had been taken out of it.

But several thousand were a drop in the bucket compared to what yet stared stoically ahead.

Fuck me, whispered James as he watched a thousand centipede centaurs race forward on their eight hairy legs. And this is only getting started.