Lilith Versus The Seven Demon Gods [ONC 2024]

Chapter Sixteen: Lilith, Mother Of All Demons

Tendons stand out from her neck, her teeth clattering to the fast rhythm of her heartbeat; nothing can ease her sorrow, and in her last breath, a pair of crimson iris from the void within his hood glows back at her. Yaldaboath and Lilith are of the same race, and as her eyes widen in readiness for her death, Yaldaboath moves his blade back and forth over her throat, stealing each time a glimpse of her growing fear until he will decapitate her for good.

Yaldaboath takes all this time, savouring his victory pieces by pieces with his motion getting closer and closer until he jerks back with an unexpected squeal, a sword pierced through his chest.

"You won't hurt her, daddy!" The last word trails on Astaphanos' lips with sarcasm. Yaldaboath was never a father to any of them. She comes as a miracle in her dark armour and her own weapon while retrieving the one of Lilith from Yaldaboath's back for the latter to collapse on his knees, freeing Lilith from his grasp at the same time. Lilith now rolls back onto her feet as Astaphanos returns the blade to her with a wink.

Catching it midair with one raised hand, Lilith swirls it around her body while she assumes her fighting stance.

She has waited for this moment over centuries.

There they are now, Yaldaboath in the middle, recomposing his body again, with Astaphanos standing on the other side of him. They don't even allow Yaldaboath the mercy to complete his recovery when they both dash towards him with attacks unleashing out from every direction.

Steels clash and echo into the chamber, the wall mirror showing their ruthlessness under a red light that fades all their virtues as living beings. Yet no matter what they do, Yaldaboath only regenerates himself again in the middle of the room, leaving a breathless Astaphanos and Lilith to kneel on the side for a brief break.

"We are two demons, two fit and knowledgeable warriors, and we can't take him down!" Lilith grunts, despair coating the rasp of her breath. "But worst of all, where are you going to get your hair bleached like this?"

Astaphanos grins and brushes back her long, silky curtain of hair before blinking her red iris at Lilith. "Girl, have you never heard of the fairy in the demon's south territory?" Lilith shakes her head. "She will turn your hair completely blue if she can!"

"Interesting!"

"Honestly, from a demon to another, say my name to her, and she'll give you a discount!" Astaphanos winks again at Lilith, with a fully reformed Yaldaboath now marching towards them again.

Sparkles shatter into the ill-lit chamber after another slash from a sword broke a pipe, the fight resuming with even more fervour. Yaldaboath is still impervious to any of their combined efforts. Lilith, being the first to succumb to frustration, bares her teeth with her hands that can no longer cease to lacerate Yaldaboath. Anger possesses her, duty sweats out of her skin, and it reaches a pinnacle when Astaphanos slits Yaldaboath's heels from behind, causing the latter to drop to his knees before Lilith.

Their triumph is too close and too quick. Lilith doesn't waste a chance to chop his head off.

Blood gushes from it.

A heavy breath exhales out of Lilith's lungs while she steps back to stare at this last fatal attack—the one Sophia told her to do on her first murder of an Archon. She hopes this is the last time, and wonders even more. "Why did you help me, Astaphanos?"