"Ahh!" cried Cherry, dodging the bolt of lightening that the elder angel threw at them.
Guit grabbed her, and pulled her back from the line of demons, who still hadn't attacked. It looked like they were confused as to what had happened, and what they should do.
"Argen, are you okay?" asked Airow, stepping towards him.
"Yes, I believe so…" he said, looking around at the demons then up at the elder angel.
Stasia held up her sword, and glared at the elder angel.
"Corruption! You shall not win!" she screamed at it.
It responded by throwing another lightening bolt at her.
Having taken a stance before screaming at the elder angel, Stasia gritted her teeth, and hit the lightening bolt with her sword. There was a flash, and when they could see again, everyone saw that she wore angelic armor, and held a sword that flickered with the power of electricity. Even the elder angel looked surprised.
"How?" asked Airow, gazing at her in confusion.
With a flick of her wrist she shot the bolt back at the angel, and it was too stunned to dodge. The bolt hit it and it screamed in pain, revealing its true form. Its wings were revealed as black bat-like wings, with black skin. Horns that rose from its head up a full foot gave way to the white hair that fell around its shoulders. A long tail whipped behind it in frustration at how difficult this had become.
The demons all around them, howled in delight to see another greater demon to lead them, and immediately began to attack them. Airow quickly began shooting his bow, while Guit flipped and twirled, slashing and stinging every demon that got close. Cherry returned to throwing her pink balls and Argen joined in with his sword cutting them down as if they were nothing.
The elder angel/demon started to throw lightening bolts at them, left and right, not caring if it hit the demons or not. Stasia raced around, catching the bolts she could, and flung them back at it. When that didn't work very well, she took to the air, forcing the elder angel/demon to focus on her.
Giving off an angelic glow, as she slashed at it, it stopped attacking her friends and turned to her. Clapping its hands, it pulled them apart to reveal a long spear tipped with double blades. Stasia gripped her sword tighter, and charged at it, trying to get to it before the spear was fully formed, but she didn't make it. It lashed out at her, knocking her sword to the side and hitting one of her wings with the spear.
Screaming in pain, she fell to the ground. Airow was able to catch her at the last second, before having to return to killing the horde of demons that surrounded them.
"It's too powerful," whispered Stasia, tears forming in her eyes.
"No, we just need to pull out the big guns," he replied.
She nodded and called out, "Argen, Guit, Cherry, come to me!"
They fought their way across to the them.
"Cherry, protect us with a shield from the blasts!" she cried, catching the bolt that was just thrown their way, and flinging it back. "Argen, Guit, keep the demons off of us!"
They nodded, turning their backs to them, and suddenly more people were there, having been brought forth from Argen's shadow. Stasia wondered how many he had in there, but it wasn't the time to think about it.
She grasped Airow's forearm, and they bowed their heads, closing their eyes to the carnage around them, and prayed. The elder angel/demon screamed at them, trying to distract and destroy them. Cherry fell to her knees under the barrage that it threw at her shield.
Suddenly, there was a soft sound that trickled through the trees. The elder angel/demon turned its head towards the sky, and turned to flee, but Cherry changed her shield to a whip, and wrapped it around its ankle.
While it wasn't very strong, and it was able to break free relatively easily, it bought them the time they needed for the angel army to break through the trees and witness the scene.
They split their forces, half to help clear up the demons on the ground, and half to deal with the elder angel/demon. Airow and Stasia watched, exhausted, as the army fought and defeated the elder angel/demon, then wiped out the rest of the demons.
Argen's people disappeared back into his shadow, before they were attacked, and he drew close to Airow and Stasia with Cherry and Guit.
Airow healed Stasia's wing, just as several of the commanders of the angel army landed in front of them.
"You called for help?" asked the leader, a young-looking girl with a quick smile.
"Yes, thank you for your quick response," replied Stasia, folding her wings behind her, to keep them out of the way.
"What was that, an elder demon?" asked the angel beside the leader. His eyes were piercing and had taken in their companions already.
"That was an elder angel, that had fallen," said Airow, moving to stand beside Stasia.
"A fallen elder angel??" exclaimed the leader, as horrified looks flew over all of the angel's faces.
"Yes, we've been investigating the situation, and believe that most, if not all of the elder angels may be corrupt," said Stasia, standing firm.
"That is a very sever accusation," said another of the angels, solemnly.
"We fully understand the repercussions if our accusation is found to be false," said Airow.
"This will require a court of judgement," said the leader, her smile replaced with a grim look.
"We present ourselves for judgement," said Stacia, stepping forward and presenting her weapon. Airow stepped forward beside her and presented both his bow, and his sword.
The two angels on either side of the leader of the army, took their weapons, and they all proceeded to fly up into the heavens.
Argen, Cherry and Guit watched them disappear into the beam of light that could barely be seen through the leaves of the trees.
"Will they come back?" asked Cherry.
"Maybe," said Argen, turning back towards the town.
"What now?" asked Guit, turning to follow him.
"I think a drink at Bob's bar."
"But Airow had all of our coins!" said Guit.
"I'm sure we can get something from some of our friends," said Argen, glancing back at the empty clearing. All of the demons had disappeared to dust, and there was little sign they had ever been there.
Time for judgment of the elder angels!