Chapter 104: Angels vs Demons
Artis shifted instantly into her green wolf form. Her fur rippled over powerful muscles, and her fangs bared in a savage snarl. The cubs transformed beside her in tandem. As direwolves, they were almost twice as large as their mother, growling in unison.
"Stay close!" Artis barked. "Protect each other!"
The angels watched their targets transform and laughed. "How adorable," Rachel cooed mockingly, placing her hands on her wide hips. "The mangy unholy bitch thinks that her fangs can hurt us."
"Come on then, mongrels," Rochel taunted the cubs, walking forward and circling lazily. "Show us what the dark one's slut taught you."
Lupin bounced forward bravely and recklessly, lunging for Rachel's throat. She sidestepped the attack with grace, backhanding him casually. The firewolf flew backward, crashing into a tree with a pained yelp. He shifted into human form on impact.
"Lupin!" Artis roared, her heart in her throat. She charged Rochel, her jaws aiming for the angel's exposed thigh. Rochel caught her mid-leap by the scruff, slamming her down hard enough to crater the earth.
Pain exploded through Artis's body, but she twisted, her claws raking across the angel's arm. The counterattack was perfect, but it didn't even leave a mark on Rochel's skin. Instead, Artis's claws shattered.
Rochel hissed at her enemy. "Feisty whore. How dare you touch my holy skin!"
Realizing their mother had engaged Rochel, Sylvan and Grimm attacked Rachel together, leaping for her wings. She spun like a dancer, grabbing each by the tail and smashing them together before hurling them into the lake.
Sylvan and Grimm surfaced moments later, sputtering. They climbed back to the shore, shifting back to humans, bruised and bleeding.
The battle was brutal and hopeless. Artis fought like a demon, biting, clawing, dodging when she could. She succeeded in denting the angels' golden armor, but paid the price tenfold. Every counterattack from them was devastating.
The angel wings buffeted her like hurricanes, their fists cracked her ribs, and their kicks sent her tumbling like a rag doll.
The cubs also tried valiantly. Lupin got back up again and again, tackling the enemies' legs, trying to bite on their ankles. But the angels toyed with them, laughing and taunting as they beat them into pulp.
"Look at the little bastard pups nipping at us!" Rachel snapped, stomping her foot near Grimm's head. He rolled away just in time, or his head would be mush.
"Your mother's a sinful beast who spread her legs to the devil," Rochel sneered at Sylvan as she pinned him. "You're all abominations!"
Artis's mind raced even through the pain. I have to protect my children. They are his legacies. Ethan, please come and save us. Or else it will be too late…
Memories of their time together flashed in her mind. Ethan's lovemaking in the tent, his dominance, the way he had claimed her completely. It gave her strength for one more attack.
She bowled into Rachel, knocking the angel off balance for a moment. But Rochel was there instantly, punching Artis in the side, cracking more bones.
Fifteen endless minutes later, the entire pack lay broken and near-death. Artis collapsed on the ground, shifting back to human form from exhaustion. Blood and bruises covered her beautiful body. Her cubs lay nearby, human again, whimpering and too injured to move or transform.
She crawled weakly towards them, pulling Lupin into her arms. "Please..." she gasped, her tears mixing with blood on her face. "They're innocent. Just children… Kill me… But let them live…"
The angels hovered above now, barely scratched, and breathing steadily as if it were a casual affair. "That was mildly fun," Rachel admitted, examining a torn armor strap over her breast. "But I am bored. We have played enough games."
"Indeed, sister. It is time for judgment," Rochel agreed coldly.
The twin sisters put out their hands, and divine light exploded over their palms. Glowing orbs of power manifested in their grip.
Rachel held the Yellow Orb of Justice while Rochel wielded the Silver Orb of Afterlife.
"Let us start with the eldest whelp," Rachel said piously. "We can make the whore watch her precious bastard die first."
She raised her orb and aimed at Lupin. A golden spark shot out from it towards the motionless cub.
"No!" Artis screamed, throwing herself in front of her child with her last strength. The spark from the Orb of Justice struck her right shoulder.
"Arghh!" She felt pure agony. Her entire arm vanished as if it never existed. It was obliterated instantly, with the stump seared clean. There was no blood, just nothing where flesh had been.
Artis collapsed on the ground, screaming. As her body convulsed, she tried desperately to regenerate her lost limb. It was an easy task for her dark nymph power. However, no matter how much she tried, nothing happened. The stump remained empty, and there was no magical repair.
Rachel pointed at Artis and laughed triumphantly. "Stupid beast. The Orb of Justice's wounds are eternal. It cannot be healed, regrown, or replaced. Moreover, the pain never goes away."
Artis writhed in blinding pain, tears streaming down her gorgeous face. "Ethan... it hurts… Help me…" she mumbled unconsciously.
"Mother..." Lupin whispered weakly, crawling towards her. "No…"
Rochel raised her orb now, charging it with silvery light, aimed at Artis. "The Orb of Afterlife separates the mortal soul from the body. You have lived long enough in sin, Dark Nymph. It is time to tear the life out of you."
The attack built up, ready to shoot. Artis pushed Lupin away and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, my lovely boys… I couldn't protect you…"
Rochel's Orb sputtered out a silver beam towards her.
Suddenly, the ground under Artis shimmered. With a splat, a trap door manifested in the grass, swinging open like a void. Artis fell through.
Identical doors appeared under Lupin, Sylvan, and Grimm. They dropped down with startled cries. As soon as the four had fallen through, the trap doors closed and disappeared, returning to grass and soul.
Boom! Rochel's beam blasted on empty earth, carving a smoking crater. She and Rachel exchanged shocked and confused glances. "What dark sorcery is this?!"