Rise of Time Chapter Five: Rising Death

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Obyrion looked out across the sky as his skimmer descended to the tip of Mount Draken. The skimmer was made of iron flooring, iron bar safety rails, and a mounted swiveling dispenser cannon. Around him, uniquely armored and armed demonslayers stood at attention, patiently waiting to get to grips with their opponent. All of them were battle-hardened veterans, and their armor bore testimony to that fact. Many had dents and scars on the metallic protection suits, even burns on occasion. Demons, after all, were one of the very few creatures with weapons strong enough to pierce a Cydriod's armor. The color of their glowing parts varied from demonslayer to demonslayer. Some shared the dark purple coloring of the Techno-Lord himself, due to the fact they were from the same forge as him. However, there were many other colors as well: Orange for the Fire Forge, red for the Blood Forge, white for the Star Forge, and blue for the Storm Forge. At their sides, each had a Cywolf pet. These pets could smell demons and track them. Plus they were tougher and much better than organic creatures.

As they skimmed through the air, the wind whistling in their ears, Obyrion looked at the approaching peak. Mount Draken was a ginormous mammoth of stone, barren of any life on its volcanic surface. Running down it, lava could be seen oozing slowly and pooling in certain areas. Smoke rose from it, clouding the air with grit. But the electronic eyes and the armored helmet's sensors of the Cydriods cut through the light-choking cloud of ash. With perfect visibility, the Techno-Lord reflected on the mountain's poor state of existence. Once, this had been the home of the Draken people, an intelligent reptilian species. Long ago, they had ruled all of Titania with an iron fist. Every other race, even humans, could not stop them or defend themselves. That was until the Cydriods came. Feeling threatened by their presence, the Drakens attacked the newcomers. However, the Cydriods had power and technology that no one could hope to match. The war had been both swift and brutal, with the Draken people being defeated and losing all of their lands. Including their capital, Mount Draken. While the Techno Imperium had returned most of their land to them afterward, they had kept Mount Draken as a reminder to the Draken people of the consequences of opposing the Imperium. Occasionally, about once every century, the Drakens would attempt to take it back. But their crusades always failed due to their inferiority.

Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any Drakens here for a raid, though Obyrion wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. In some ways, demons were even worse since they could hurt his android kind. Still, the demonslayers were not normal Cydriods. Whispers followed them of dark witchcraft and eerie unnaturalness. They had the uncanny ability to know exactly where demons were and exactly how to defeat them. When a demonslayer and his pet set out on the hunt, they would not stop until they had destroyed their prey. And to date, they had never failed on their mission. Now, he felt chills going up his robotic spine as he thought about it. Even one as powerful as him, in control of massive ships and Cydriod legions, couldn't help but feel uneasy around these constructs.

The pilot set the skimmer down on the tip of the mountain, then hastily sped out of sight. Grimly, Obyrion surveyed the landing area for any sight of the foul creatures that they were hunting. He was disappointed to find nothing, then waved for his troops to exit. To his surprise, the demonslayers weren't the first ones out. Rather, the Cywolves disembarked with their noses to the ground as they tracked the scent of demons. Then, following their companion's senses, the demonslayers exited the skimmer. Obyrion, realizing the logic in what they were doing, fell in step behind the Cywolves. He, for one, couldn't sniff out demons. All his smell sensors could detect was the sharp metallic scent of smoke.

The group plodded along without much success. So far, no demons had materialized in their path, and the Cywolves were having trouble following the trail. They kept doubling back to figure out where the scent went. The lava they passed hissed and cast an ethereal glow around the dim area. All in all, it unnerved the Techno-Lord. Because of this, he was relieved when they finally spotted the first demon. Quietly, the lead demonslayer, Coranth, motioned for his men to shadow the target. The rough, uneven terrain made it slightly difficult, but not nearly enough for the demon to escape.

When they caught up, the Cydriods found themselves looking into the demon camp. Obyrion was shocked to see how many demons were gathered around. *They have an army!* So far he had counted at least five dozen of them. He was tempted to retreat and call for more forces, but the demonslayers were already taking out their weapons. Obyrion couldn't help but be mesmerized by their unique gear. The blades and arrows used by the standard soldier Cydriod were made of pure energy. However, the demonslayers used something different. The blades and arrows were practically invisible with only the edges being seen by a faint white glow coming from them. None knew how they got such weapons, but the demonslayers claimed it was angel's grace that made up their weapons, though they refused to tell how that came to be. Whatever the case, it was deadly energy. Their weapons could destroy living or nonliving beings with a bare glancing touch. This included demons and even if the demonslayers were to be believed, angels. Coranth nodded for the soldiers to use their crossbows first. The idea was to shoot down demons and thin their numbers as much as possible before attacking with melee. This would make fighting them easier with more even odds. Obyrion smiled as he watched them take up firing positions. The wooden crossbows of the Humans had to be pulled back and loaded. The metallic crossbows of the imperial forces, however, didn't need to be loaded. After each shot, it automatically went to full charge as it reloaded itself. This function made it easier to shoot.

Coranth then gave the firing signal, and a dozen heavenly arrows streaked through the sky, hissing then thunking as they hit their victims. The demons sprang up with cries of alarm, scanning the area as they tried to locate the source of the deadly shower. They couldn't seem to find the demonslayers, however. It was then that the Techno-Lord noticed that his troops were surrounded by white glows. He had the feeling that, since he was a droid and thus not fooled by magic tricks, he was the only one who could see them right now. As the demons grabbed their weapons and fanned out to find their enemy, the demonslayers pulled their swords out. At first, they seemed to have no blade. Then, by an electrical signal from the Cydriod's gauntlets, the weapons activated, becoming angelic blades.

With the stealth of master thefts, the demonslayers came out of the grove. Most of the demons looked around in confusion and fear, still unaware of the Cydriod troops advancing. But a few demons, the ones that Obyrion assumed were the most powerful, seemed to notice the demonslayers. Their eyes widened and they drew their burning hell stone swords. Then, with savage roars, they charged at their new enemy. They were strong fighters, and a fierce battle ensued. Obyrion knew that he couldn't defeat the vile underworld creatures with his weapons, so he watched from the shadows instead. Coranth was on a roll with his broadsword. He step-sided the first overhead blow, stabbing with his blade as he did. The sword sank into the demon's body, though the demon was dead after the initial contact. From the side, an enranged comrade used his powers to reveal the presence of the Cydriods. Not that it mattered. *They'll be dead within a matter of minutes.*

Indeed, the battle was going horribly for the demons. Though they had superior numbers, they didn't have the skill or weapon power of the demonslayers. The Cydriods that did fall to the hell stone blades, in a flash of heavenly light, repaired themselves and continued to battle. One demon threw an ax at Coranth, but Coranth just activated his arm shield. This shield was paper thin, but made of the same thing as his sword. Because of this angelic energy protection that extended to the same range as a Human shield, the ax failed to harm him. Rather, it ricocheted off the shield and sank into the skull of its sender. This made the other demons mad, and the closest swarmed the demonslayer commander. However, they soon realized how foolish they had been by making that choice. Coranth spun in a flurry of strokes and stabs, killing three out of the four in mere seconds. The last demon managed to take advantage of the fact he hadn't been noticed and stepped forward with a slash at Coranth's hilt. This sent the angelic broadsword flying from its wielder's grasp.

To the dismay of the young underworld creature, this did nothing. Cydriod swords were magnetic, and if a magnetic force was sent its way over the object's natural frequency, the magnet would draw the sword back in a second's notice. Which was an ability of a Cydriod's gauntlet. Now, the weapon came streaking back to Coranth, slamming into the demon's exposed back before the hell stone blade could hurt its intended target. Coranth pulled his sword out, threw it into the chest of another enemy, then recalled it again. Without looking, he stabbed backward, ending a demon trying to sneak up behind him. All around the clearing, demons were falling left and right. Obyrion smirked. Lucifer's minions were no match for the demonslayers. Or their Cywolves for that matter, all of whom were also attacking the demons. Their teeth and claws were made of the same thing as the demonslayer's blades, causing them to end demons with mere light bites.

Within minutes, only one demon remained a giant one who looked like a purple-runed Ardoni. He had dark wings, and his presence seemed to darken the atmosphere. His diamond broadsword had a green enchantment sheen to it, with the blade being surrounded by a red glow. *A demon's curse.* The demon snarled at his opponents as they made a circle around him. Coranth was about to give the execution order, but Obyrion stopped him. With confidence, the Techno-Lord strode over to the demon and grabbed a blade that was slung over his back. The broadsword was strange, with its blade textured like the void as lighting with black cores and white outlines flickered across it. Obyrion looked at it with interest, then turned to the demon. "Who are you, and what do you want with this?"

The demon chuckled, not scared in the slightest. Still, he gave an honest answer. "This is the Final Doom, the blade of Kronus himself." Within his mind, Obyrion recognized the significance of the weapon. In his mind, the Greater Mind whispered the secret of the sword. Obyrion studied it critically. "So this is one of the three items that Herobrine needs to defeat those wretched two..."

The demon snarled at Obyrion with hatred. "Herobrine will never succeed! I, Valor Mendoris, and Lucifer shall end this quest of his!" Valor would have said more, but Coranth pulled out his crossbow and shot him in the shoulder. But instead of dying, Valor howled and, with one look of contempt at his tormentors, teleported away in a flash of red. Obyrion sighed and cast an exasperated look at the demonslayer commander. Coranth shrugged in reply, not sorry in the least about what he just did. Obyrion let it go, however, as he looked at the sword. He would deliver this to Herobrine, then gain his next task. Waving for the troops to follow him, the Techno-Lord walked back to where the skimmer was now parked. Once they had loaded, they raced back towards his mothership, one step closer to the end of this conflict.

Valor Mendoris looked around. He was now back in the divine underworld realm and kneeling before his master. The being was shadowed and obscured, preferring to stick to the background. Lucifer studied his nails before looking down at the Ardoni before his throne. With a sigh, he rolled his hand in a gesture to get the report over with. Valor, though fury pulsed through him, hid his indignation. With a pleasant tone, he gave his account of the skirmish. "The demonslayers came to stop us, my lord. They killed all my men and stole the Final Doom before I could get to it." To him, it seemed wiser to act like he had been unable to get it rather than getting it and losing it.

Lucifer scrutinized Valor's face, then was satisfied. "I should have sent the top demons to get it, rather than your rif-raft." The Mendoris was about to protest, but a dangerous look in Lucifer's eyes stopped him. With the wave of a hand, the angel dismissed his underling. Valor, before his fury showed, left the room. As he went through the halls, he vented with anger. Just because he was given inferior men didn't mean it was his fault. *Lucifer should have planned better!* But it wouldn't matter. Not much longer. Lucifer had ruined the realms, he had forced him into this form and bound him to the underworld. And now he threatened to destroy Valor's home because of some petty revenge.

Valor's mind was grim as he thought about his plans. He had too many people he cared about still in the realm of the living. Everything Lucifer had ever done to him, to his world, and to his people would soon be avenged. Valor would help him, pretend to be his friend, and gain his trust. But when that was over and his opportunity came, Lucifer would fall to his blade in the end. The Mendoris grinned, knowing that Lucifer would never see it coming. He could see many things, but not the fate of Valor. By making Valor a demon, something which shouldn't be possible, he trapped his essence in a strange place. Valor couldn't live in both at once. So instead, to make his existence possible, time had made his essence core exist in neither thus his future outside the realm of Lucifer's sight. And soon, Lucifer would pay. Valor looked out across the burning underworld and nodded satisfaction. *Very soon, you will fail. You chose the wrong person to mess with, Angel!*