The pair of axes glowed for an instant before cutting through the air.
SHRACK!
The last of the insectoids fell with a sharp, metallic scream, its legs twitching in spasms before it finally fell silent. The silence that followed was almost deafening, broken only by the distant sound of sirens and rubble still collapsing.
Seth stood over the creature's twisted body, panting, his chest rising and falling in a heavy rhythm. Its aura slowly began to recede, fragments of bluish energy dissipating into the air like embers in the wind.
He looked at his own arm, covered in dried blood and smoke. His gaze then went up, scanning the scene of destruction around him - overturned cars, broken asphalt, a building still on fire.
In the distance, Vixen swung her axe over her shoulder as if it were made of foam, while Connie wiped her hands on a dirty handkerchief, her face still tense. Lilith just watched, sitting on a pile of rubble, swinging a leg with almost sensual indifference.
Seth lightly kicked the monster's corpse under his feet.
"And to think I just wanted to go for a walk after the hospital," he muttered, closing his eyes for a moment.
The wind blew, carrying dust and smoke. The city was still standing... but barely.
He took a deep breath, then raised his head, looking up towards the reddish sky, where the last portal still wavered before closing completely.
"Is it over?" asked Connie, approaching him with a watchful eye.
Seth ran a hand through his hair, still sweating. "For now."
Vixen stopped beside him, smiling with that wild glint in her eyes. "I'd say that was a pretty good reunion."
Lilith descended from the rubble slowly, her heels echoing on the concrete. "Only that battle wasn't the end... it was the invitation."
Seth frowned, staring suspiciously at Lilith. "Invitation?"
She smiled sideways, her red eyes glowing for an instant, almost like a living flame. "Someone is testing this world's defenses. And it's not for fun. It's preparation."
Seth narrowed his eyes, assessing every feature of that strange woman - dangerous, unpredictable. "How can you be so sure?"
Lilith raised her finger, pointing in a specific direction between the buildings. "There."
She paused, her voice dropping almost to a whisper, laden with warning. "Two presences. Watching us. And they weren't human."
Seth, Connie and Vixen exchanged incredulous glances, the tension growing in the air. Then a shadow appeared next to Seth: an imposing black panther, with golden eyes and an alert posture.
"She speaks the truth," Bastet said, her voice deep and firm from the shadows that surrounded her. "We were being watched. That's why I didn't attack."
Seth crossed his arms, looking directly at the huge panther. "Are you sure? You look like you were sleeping on the spot."
Bastet growled softly, making his fur stand on end. "Shut up and pay attention. They're beings from the other side."
Lilith added impatiently. "A warrior with prehistoric features and an ice elf. Rank-S portal monsters."
Seth swallowed, the weight of the information pressing down on his chest like a rock.
"S-rank, huh?" he repeated, his tone laden with incredulity and concern. "These guys... are they the most dangerous that have ever appeared around here?"
Connie frowned, clenching her fists. "Probably... the ability to appear and disappear like that..."
Vixen rested her axe on the ground, looking in the direction Lilith had indicated, where the shadows were beginning to move between the buildings, menacingly. "Let's warn the association."
Bastet slid closer to Seth, her golden eyes fixed in the same direction."These two presences are just the beginning. If they've come in person, the threat level has risen too high."
Lilith stood up, adjusting the hood that fell over her shoulders, her red eyes shining with determination and a touch of dark pleasure."What awaits us is a real war. And this world..." she paused, her smile turning colder "is not ready."
Seth clenched his fists, feeling his pulse quicken."Then let them start arriving. Let's show them that everything is fought for here too."
'I just hope Kerissa's okay on the other side...' Seth thought.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Seth asked, trying to absorb the calm after the storm.
"Home," Connie replied without hesitation, the tiredness visible in her voice.
"I'm going to the guild, to make sure everyone's okay," said Vixen, already starting to walk away.
The three of them turned to Lilith, who stood there, leaning casually against a wall.
"Hm?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm going home too," Lilith said with a half-smile. "The maid's on vacation, and I'm cooking tonight."
Seth blinked, surprised. "That was unexpected."
Lilith rolled her eyes, with a tone that was half annoyed, half amused. "What? Did you think a succubus like me would spend the night in some strip club just because of my nickname?"
"No, no," Seth began to explain, scratching the back of his neck, "I just imagined that a succubus's food would be... let's say, a little different."
She crossed her arms, her purple eyes sparking with anger. "I'm human, you lunatic! Stop this crazy idea."
'Damn it,' Seth muttered softly.
Connie nudged his shoulder, smiling mischievously. "You've done very badly this time."
Vixen agreed, laughing. "Even worse."
Suddenly, Bastet, the black panther, appeared next to Seth, with a serious look and a touch of sarcasm.
"Did you imagine that she feeds on those white things that come out of men? Surely she's too virginal for that."
Lilith stopped in the middle of her comment, her face freezing for an instant. "Too virginal?..." she muttered, turning slowly to face them.
"FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I AM A VIRGIN, YES, BUT NOT 'VERY VIRGINAL'! I'M ONLY 21!" Lilith exploded, her voice full of indignation as she pointed at herself.
The four of them were silent for a second, and then they let out, almost in unison:
"Twenty-one?..."
"But you look like a 35-year-old milf..."
"That doesn't match..."
"Not at all..."
Lilith's eyes widened, her face burning as if on fire. She stiffened, tried to maintain her imposing posture, but a nervous laugh escaped her lips.
"I... I'm not a milf, okay?!" She said, tossing her hair back, trying to disguise the blush that was now spreading across her neck and cheeks.
Seth, Connie and Vixen burst into laughter, their gazes amused and comradely. Even Bastet let out a low, almost mocking purr.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah... you got me," Lilith muttered, her voice a little lower, as she crossed her arms, still blushing. "But seriously, stop comparing me to older women!"
Seth stepped forward, smiling mischievously: "Relax, Lilith. I'm just saying that you have that 'mature and dangerous' look... I just can't imagine you're 21, that's a surprise."
Lilith snorted, but couldn't hide the shy smile that appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Enough with the jokes," Connie said, clapping her hands. "We have something serious to take care of."
[You caught the eye of a Rank-S Slayer]