The Fiend #21

The Fiend #21

(Art by "Nabe". Link below)

(May have trigger points :bow: 🏾‍♀)

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"Ella? Ella, open the door, I need to talk to you. Come on and open the damn door already."

Elizabeth Sharpe stood in front of the apartment door that belonged to Daniella Reynolds. Her hand knocked on the door repeatedly, waiting for it's owner to open up to her. But nobody came to greet her. A light huff did she make, before turning so her back pressed against the door. "For the love of pete, can you open the door so we can talk? You've been avoiding me, I know you have. So can you at least humor me by looking me in the eyes? Daniella?" Again, she began to knock on the door without turning forward towards it. "I'm not leaving until we talk, now open the damn door already."

From a neighboring apartment about two doors down, an elderly man would peek out from his door to see the blonde knocking on that door.

This was Daniella's neighbor Mr. Moto.

He squinted his eyes at the woman giving no concern for the ruckus she was making by her excessive and relentless door banging. He knew Daniella was a nice young woman who kept to herself, with his wife Mrs. Moto baking her cookies every now and then. So seeing Elizabeth there felt to be like she was attempting to bother the quiet female who lived there.

"Young lady, can I help you?" Asked Mr. Moto with a cough that was intentional to gain the woman's attention. She would turn to look at the old man, and stopped her knocking.

"Who are you, old man?" She would ask him as her focus was one of a glare.

"Hmph... rude... I am that sweet girl's neighbor, and I'd advise you to leave her be if you're trying to cause her trouble," answered Mr. Moto with a light huff from her tone that held an attitude. Elizabeth stepped over to him, hands in her jean pockets as she gave him a looming expression that made him break a sweat. "I'm her friend, you little pug," she retorted with a scowl. "Unless you know where she is, I suggest you butt out."

"W-Why I never..." Exclaimed the old man. "How can you speak to me like that? I'm your elder!"

"....Screw it, I'll just see where she went through your memories." Elizabeth raised her right palm against the small man's head, and focused her own thoughts to seize control of his; gaining access to the information she desired. His eyes became her own through the memories she swam through, and saw a memory of Daniella leaving her apartment not too long ago, briefly speaking to Mr. Moto about her current whereabouts. The church." "Yeah, should have guessed that. Now then, as for you, I suppose I can let you slide, but you really pissed me off...oh, there's a thought. Do just that on yourself, you prune."

She released his head and began walking away.

Poor Mr. Moto would soil the pants he wore without any knowledge of doing it or even bearing the memory of Elizabeth Sharpe as he stood deadpan in the hall under a spell.

-----

The Fiend's eyes would be close to the edge of a blade that swept across her face. A katana held by Cerys Montesquieu would have made the swing, grinning with an appearance that was less human and more similar to something lycanthropic; a wolfish grin with claws, eyes, and teeth present on the woman's body as she swiftly moved close to her target with a vicious snarl that followed with the sword hissing through the wind.

A bright red cut that formed from the left shoulder to the right hip, bleeding suddenly as it was made on the Fiend's body.

The Fiend could feel the pain, like a hot iron touching her flesh. Dodging quickly to avoid another slash on her body, she stepped backwards with the feral woman following in a barrage of swings that are faster than her original state. Each swing made the air whistle, and grazing the Fiend as she barely avoided the katana meant to cut her down.

In a growing frustration, she swung across Cerys' head. But the swordsman quickly leaned back with a smile, which followed up with a quick swipe that cut across the Fiend's cheek. A low growl came as it bled.

"Not so easy to hit me when I'm like this, eh? It's expected," said Cerys with a leery look. "When I'm like this, I get rowdy! So try to make this more exciting before I cut off your limbs!" She laughed like a man as she continued a bladed assault that left her quarry coverer in cuts that were intentionally shallow; red cuts grazing her arms as she could do naught but defend.

She wanted to see the Fiend push back, wanting a taste of how Goroth struggled against the one who was human with a demon's body. If someone whom she knew was a legitimate demon being hindered by a human, then she too wished to test this for herself.

The sword slashed downwards towards it's target's head; suddenly being gripped by the Fiend's hands that tightly pressed between the side of the blade. The weight of Cerys' sword fought against her grip that kept it at bay.

"Impressive! But can you really hold it for long," asked Cerys with a competitive smile.

"Shut up already," snarled the Fiend as she grabbed the entire blade of the katana. Her growling increased while moving Cerys' sword from reaching her head, and throwing her into the air to create distance.

Cerys would flip and land on her feet with the sword in hand.

"You're annoying me...everyone one of you who thinks they can control me. Telling me things to get the upper hand on somebody else. It's getting annoying, and I've had enough of it. Of all of you idiots." The Fiend was speaking while projecting her thoughts from her human counterpart. Her body immediately healed from the shallow cuts made by the sword, and shifting her body in preparation of fighting Cerys some more.

"I'll make sure to rip your head off your shoulders and use it as a fucking kickball," she said angrily with teeth gnashing.

"Bold words for a half demon, kid. You're a thousand years too green to be a true threat for me to worry about. But please, feel free to play some more, otherwise I'll get bored." Cerys lifted her sword and glided her tongue along the blade, hunching over and dashing; becoming like a blur in the eyes of those present. Her katana swung towards the Fiend's face, and had suddenly been blocked by an invisible barrier in front of her. The tip of the katana felt to have hit a hard surface, with it's owner struggling to get it any closer to the Fiend.

"Telekinesis... something I don't usually do unless for punks like you," said the Fiend, who focused all she had to keep the sword out of her reach. Cerys tried with all her might to get the tip of her katana to touch the nose, but no luck. Instead, her sword was forced up over her head and was met with a heavy kick into her chest. Her bones broke like a sheet of ice against a hammer as she was sent into the air, and crashing onto the ground on her back. As she reeled from the pain, the Fiend didn't hesitate to lung onto her with an angered look that came with her next attack to be more personal in her fury. She dove her forehead straight into Cerys face; bashing her head with a headbutt that made the ground beneath them become like a crater.

"O... Oogh.... Uh..."

Cerys' face was broken, bleeding from the nose while unable to hold onto her consciousness.

The Fiend lifted her head with an unamused glare at the swordsman who struggled and slowly fell into unconscious. She wiped the blood off her forehead with a scoff.

"Now then... you're next," the Fiend said with an aim on Korin and her master.

Korin playfully grinned at the sight of her ally being beaten into a deep sleep. "Hmm... I don't think so. Since dear Cerys couldn't convince you, I have already taken the means of doing so." She spoke and pointed behind the Fiend who was straddled on her defeated enemy. What the Fiend saw was Maxwell King being frozen in place, stiffened by a spell that the sorceress would make on him. "I'm not the type too fight as you would, Daniella. Wit favors over might, and I hold the royal flush."

"You dirty little... Maxwell!" The Fiend attempted to reach him. Her hands would go through air as the bound clergyman was warped to Korin and her prince.

"Tsk-tsk-tsk, little Fiend. Now you're going to have to watch your favorite human die. You see this dagger, Maxie? Yeah, this one in my hand. Pick it up and press it hard against your throat."

Maxwell, in a state of being barely lucid, did as Korin commanded. She held an old dagger that was strange in it's appearance, which came into his hands as he obeyed her will; placing the edge of the knife against his throat without barely any hesitation. It was hard enough for the sharp edge to draw blood once it was pressing against him.

"No, don't," Exclaimed the Fiend with a fearful expression that was from seeing him preparing to do the unthinkable against his will.

Korin saw this look and smiled widely in delight. "If you don't want to see the priest spill his own blood all over the floor, I suggest you comply! Maxwell, on my mark, you will slit your throat! ONE! TWO--"

"ALRIGHT!"

The Fiend trembled, scared while seeing Maxwell unable to resist; his face was in a state of half-lidded eyes, a low hanging jaw, and aimless in his stare as the dagger on his throat pressed harder by the countdown that came from his oppressor who charmed him. Even in this form, the Fiend was still Daniella. And she loved Maxwell like a daughter would for a father --despite not being her biological one, but one who cared for her for many years, since infancy. She couldn't let him die. She won't let him die, not here, not in the place where it was shadow and devoid of anything good. Daniella owed him that. Her body, regressing in height, her beastly appendages reverting to normal until she was her normal height, hair long and down her back, and her body naked as the day she was born. Her head hung low in defeat, knowing there was no other way to save Maxwell's life.

"I'll...do it..." she spoke lowly. Her head then lifted to glare at Korin and the prince on the throne. "I'll do as you say. But you let him go. Release him back to your world, and then I'll obey your command!"

Her words were pleasing to the two's ears, and with Cerys slowly sitting up after a moment of being downed on the ground.

"Excellent! Truly excellent! You hear that, man of the cloth? You get to serve your god a little while longer." Korin mockingly spoke to the charmed priest, and snapped her fingers. At the sound of it did Maxwell drop the dagger and blink with the shaking of his head.

"Let's send you on your way, hm? Don't need you to interfere. We'll be sending her back soon." With a wave of her staff, Maxwell's body was propelled through a different dimension; his body warping as quickly as it came the first time.

He was gone. And safe...

Daniella looked at Korin who smiled at her with the prince slowly standing up.

His cape spreads like the wings of a bird, and his body jumped forward to descend with the resemblance of a glider.

He landed gently on his feet directly in front of the woman. His height was more than her form as the Fiend -- around 8 or perhaps 9 feet in height. Those eyes never once blinked as they met hers. It was... inhuman.

Korin appeared by his side quickly.

"I will say the incantation. You will copy my words. Simple and easy. Once I do, I will send you on your way...okay?"

Daniella didn't say anything. She didn't even looking at her, filled with disgust that what was happening had to be done for the sake of her friend; only glaring at the taller being that looked on her, not as a woman nor even a human being, but merely an object to be used for his freedom -- a carrier, nothing more than that. It filled her with a great hate for him and his acolytes.

But she complied nonetheless.

"Repeat after me: By flesh and spirit."

"... By flesh and spirit."

"I grant you age to the world..."

"... I grant you age to the world."

"Be born anew through me..."

"... Be born anew through me..."

"Let you be made flesh..."

"Let you be made flesh..."

"Reborn to life anew."

"Reborn to life anew."

As the incantation was performed, the Woeful Prince's body slowly glowed into a bright color; his features disappearing into pure energy, into a color that was clear and pure, shrinking down into an orb -- that lime colored orb that Korin would once carry. It was the size of a gumball that floated towards the sorceress's finger tips, awaiting for the finale of this ritual.

"Consume this...once you do, the process will instantly begin when you are returned to the physical realm."

Daniella glared at her, not blinking, just glaring as if she could hurt her by doing so.

"I swear...when this is over, I will kill you for what you've done for this to happen." Daniella's tone was grim and aimed at Korin.

Korin giggled, and said, "Not the first person to threaten me. But sure, I'll see you soon~" she would watch Daniella take the orb, place it into her mouth, and then swallowed it after a brief second of hesitation.

"The binding is done... congratulations... you're a mother," Korin said mockingly before waving her hand and suddenly casting Daniella off. Her body disappeared from that place. Now it was just Korin and Cerys.

"Could've done that sooner...?" Remarked Cerys with a light groan while rubbing her head.

"Heh. You seemed excited to fight her, so I humored you. Not my fault you got more than bargained for."

"Tch. Next time it will be different."

"Sure, sure. But enough of 'next time'. Now is the time for our lord's rebirth. I can't wait."

Korin chuckled and had a great hope for the soon-to-be born prince in the real world beyond.

-----

Pews splintered and scattered all over the aisle as both Maxwell King and Daniella Reynolds fell from the ceiling; a portal dropping them both from a great height, with Daniella transforming mid fall to shelter the human priest with her larger body from impact. She groaned and softly removed him from off her person, and felt a sickly feeling come over her.

"We're back," she said softly and looked at Maxwell, who now was slowly coming to after being enchanted.

So far, nothing felt wrong. Not at the moment anyway. But Daniella knew for certain that the so-called "Prince" was inside her, growing like a tumor inside her belly.

...a pregnancy that she was forced to play part in to save the priest's life.

Maybe... Maybe if she were fast enough, she could dig out the growing thing before it could fully grow. She'd be killing the monstrous entity before it can be a threat to her or anyone else in the world.

She raised a clawed hand, with a determination that came with the idea of righteousness and an obligation to do so.

I can do it... right?

I can kill him now...right?

He's not really a human... Not even an infant...right?

Thoughts swirled as she prepared for herself -- attempting to motivate herself to do something heinous for the betterment of those around her; an act so vile that it would cause her to later be wrought with guilt.

Her claws got closer to her stomach, enough for the pointed nail to prod against the skin.

I... I can... I... I... I... Can't....

Her clawed hand slowly became a gentle palm. She couldn't do it. She couldn't force herself to take the growing being out of her body. It was strange though, to find some weird sense of... motherhood from being made to play the role of surrogate.

Obviously, this was a bizarre and, probably, abominable act towards everything she knew; her faith, her morals, her everything. Even so, Daniella couldn't take the life of another way.

Will it be something she regrets? Perhaps. But for now, she had to serve her part in the growing of the unborn prince. Her prince. Her child.

".... What is your name," she asked herself about that child inside her. "I don't know who you were before I met you. But I'd like to give you a name...if you're a boy... Jericho. If a girl, Sarah. Hopefully, I won't come to regret doing this. Maybe you'll be different. Maybe... Argh..."

A pain started to grow. Daniella stood upright with that pain inside her stomach.

She staggered forward and backwards, collapsing to her back as she felt something well up inside her body.

A loud cry came out that echoed throughout the church, and out into the night sky.

-----

Around half an hour es by, and Elizabeth Sharpe would just arrive at the church by way of taxi. Just now, she started to ascend the brick steps leading to the large cathedral that was known in that side of town. She knew Daniella had to be here; it was the only place she could have gone to escape the world around her.

For Elizabeth, this place was merely a faint memory, one of which she had as a child when first being taken under the Order's wing. She couldn't grasp how the other woman could enjoy being in a place so quiet and dull, with people(with all due respect)she could not stand for long. A question for another time, should it ever arises in a conversation.

With her hand grabbing the handle of the door, Elizabeth paused, looked down at her shoes to see a bright light creeping from the crack at the bottom of the door. A curious thought came to mind, on what that could be. Then she heard a scream; a cry of pain she recognized instantly.

It was Daniella's.

Without hesitating did Elizabeth bash her way inside with a shoulder, only to be met with a blinding light that made her shield her eyes. The light was brief -- 5 or 10 seconds was it strong before slowly returning to the church's normal dim lighting.

"Daniella? Daniella, are you alright," Elizabeth called out with her arms lowering and her eyes opening. She gasped loudly, with a face becoming horrified to the sight of blood on the ground, belonging to Daniella who was lying on her side, in human form and unconscious.

Standing over her was someone who caught Elizabeth's attention.

"What did you do to her, you bastard!?" She quickly drew out a gun, glaring madly at the person there close to Daniella.

That someone turned around, naked and having long hair that flows down towards the middle of their back.

They were...well, hard to truly consider it, but they had the face of a woman. But the body was that of a man's; lean but definitely not scrawny. The eyes were a dark shade of blue with pupils similar to a snake or a bird's.

Guess one could say that they were pretty... beautiful. Too beautiful to be considered a normal man to be.

The beautiful creature said nothing in response to Elizabeth's demand. No, he remained staring at Daniella who was there at his feet. What he could be thinking was a mystery to all but himself. His left hand slowly lowered to reach for her.

Blam!

A bullet whizzed by his head. An intentional action by Elizabeth who held her gun.

"Touch her," she started to say, "and I'll put a bullet right in your damned skull.

"... Touch... her?"

He repeated her words, a softspoke voice as he slowly turned to look at Elizabeth. Those eyes glowed brightly.

A conflict brews there in the cathedral.

To Be Continued

Cover Image link(there are a lot, but scroll down, you'll find it :smiling_imp: 56th or 57th image):

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/59691678

(As for the images regarding the Woeful Prince, they belong to the Berserk manga, with the more colorized look of the character being part of the manga in chapter 365/366. That's it...goodbye! :kissing_smiling_eyes: )