Ash - Elder Dryad, Leader of the Grove

  I overlooked the central plaza of Lilith's city. Rows of armed and armoured succubi awaited the enemy horde. Three towers loomed over us, the crystals at their tops charged with lightning. It was an ingenious design, connected to our roots.

  It was strange, standing here in hell. My tree was in another dimension, yet I could feel it. Haruka made this area part of my grove, our grove. Electricity was coursing through our roots, strengthening us, nurturing us. It was not how trees were supposed to work and yet it felt completely natural.

  I could feel the enemy army approach through the soil. Soon our traps activated and the city was engulfed in flames. Bombs, delayed spells, rituals and even physical traps had been placed everywhere. Lilith's decree had been simple: Buildings can be rebuilt, the fallen are permanent. She had accepted the loss of the city as long as the inhabitants survived. We made our stand around the portal, the remaining city was just a giant trap to consume the enemy. Except her palace.

  I could feel Amaya's aura in the distance. A part of her power reached us, even here. Sadly it was not enough to truly bask in her storm. At least the lightning unleashed from her towers was accompanied by soothing thunder.

  As the enemy horde emerged from the fiery hell that the city had become, they were injured, weakened and met with solid steel. Well, in my case they were met with solid wood. My spear and shield were made from the bark of my own tree.

  I joined the front lines against Levathius' monsters. A tentacled hellhound charged at me and I whacked its face with my shield. Then a root shot up from the ground and pierced its belly. Electricity flowed through the monster and paralysed it, then the root drank deeply. Haruka would get a lot of meals from this, and through her the grove would grow.

  As the fighting continued my body took some damage. A claw here, a bite there, but it was just a vessel. My tree stood strong, as did the grove.

  Iris

  As I watched the fighting I desperately wanted to join. I longed to draw my blade and fight at the front, but that was not my duty.

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  "SEARGENT, REINFORCE THE LEFT FLANK. THE HELLBEASTS ARE ABOUT TO BREAK THROUGH."

  "Yes ma'am!"

  "3RD SUCCUBI PLATOON, WE NEED YOUR SPELLS AGAINST THOSE FLYING OCTOPI. GIVE THE 5TH SOME COVER!"

  "Yes, sweetie!"

  I snorted. While the succubi were surprisingly competent soldiers they liked to flirt. I would have preferred them to sound more serious but I had to make allowances for their culture, I suppose. In the end they did follow my orders, even though I was a mortal. Was I even still a mortal? There was no time for such thoughts. A large two-headed bat? A large two-headed something came in for a dive. I was about to shout new orders when a tower unleashed its lightning. The beast started to spasm and crashed.

  I had no idea what that monster was but I felt it could use a specialist. "Minerva, ensure that beast stays down." I ordered my fellow maid.

  She nodded and moved out.

  Suddenly a siren blared. Amaya's stealth detectors!

  "PREP-" I jumped backwards as a blade appeared before my eyes. Damn, they were already here.

  A figure was before me, draped in a cloak of pure shadow. It was wielding two black daggers covered in smoke. I drew my sword and engaged. My opponent was slippery but I could boost my body. I drew upon the powers granted by my lady, then I attacked. The speed caught the opponent by surprise. I sidestepped an attack and slashed from below. My blade, now coated in electricity, slashed through the shadow and drew black blood. The attacker gasped and tried to jump backward but I pressed my attack. My sword pierced their heart, or where I hoped they had a heart, with a satisfying squelch.

  "ADHIRA, WARN THE COMMANDERS. THEY ARE GOING FOR OUR OFFICERS!"

  The storm sprite saluted and flew away.

  I looked around my command area. A few more attackers lay dead on the ground but we had casualties as well.

  "SIMONE, GET THE RECOVERY SQUAD. WE HAVE WOUNDED. AND CALL THE RESERVES TO GUARD THE HEALERS!"

  Assassins were bad news. Hopefully they were part of Abaddon's force. Our information about his troops had been limited but neither Levathius nor Focalor were known to employ such demons. It could mean that Ashema did join the assault. If there was a hidden demon lord around it would get messy.

  The sound of a familiar howl eased my concerns a bit. It seemed that Lucy had vanquished her opponent. I could see Kira in the sky, still unleashing her lightning. Levathius' troops were still attacking but their morale should break soon with their leader dead.

  "CAPTAIN, USE THE 2ND AERIAL TO PUSH THAT CLUSTER OF MINOTAUR'S. THEY SHOULD BREAK WITHOUT THEIR LORD. DON'T PURSUE THEM AFTERWARDS, I NEED YOU TO HARASS FOCALOR'S MAGE SQUADS."

  As my troops took to the sky I felt a shift in the enemy legions. They stopped advancing and hesitated. Had another lord fallen?

  Suddenly the world lurched, or at least it felt like it. Amaya's storm changed in the distance. The bond changed. The power coursing through me expanded. I could not tell what had happened but somehow I heard a laugh in the distance, or did I imagine that?

  Haruka's tree crackled as the entire crown was covered in lightning. Somehow she became an enhanced tower and bolts started to shoot in all directions. Meanwhile clouds formed above us. Amaya's storm was here, somehow. Maybe she had dealt with the enemy lord and was now free to use her full aura?

  As the rain began to fall I smiled, if she had won her battle we only had to hold on for a bit longer. Once Amaya returned this army would fall.