Running footsteps, doors rapidly opening, lights being turned on, sounds of someone coughing and almost throwing up, toilet being flushed. Those were all the noises that woke up Lilim for the third or fourth time this night. There was no reason to go back to sleep, and even if she wanted to, the light was hurting her eyes. Sitting up on the couch, she noticed Beatrice embracing Alice and rubbing circles on her back. The half-or-quarter angel was still crouching right by the toilet, trying to catch her breath. Lilim could only guess what could be the reason for the angel's current state, but she had to talk about it with the blonde-haired angel. Of course, only after Alice calms down, even if only momentarily,
Alice heard someone approaching and did her best to look decent, wiping her face and eyes before turning to face the black-haired demon, who had a rather tired and stoic look on her face. Though there was a slight bit of disappointment written on her face, it seemed to be mostly directed towards Beatrice.
"Sorry for waking you all up, but can you give me a moment? I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while." Angel once again repeated what she said before, each time more and more shaken by whatever drove her to this. Of course, she could guess that those corpses they found in the morning were at fault. Succubus knew that bringing Alice with her wouldn't be good, but she hadn't expected that. The half-angel being herself would never tell anyone that it bothered her, though both she and Beatrice could see it clearly. Succubus could only be glad that she had seen many gruesome deaths and that barely anything bothered her now.
"Al." Lilim tried to speak with the softest tone she could muster so late in the night. "Their deaths weren't your fault. The Schwarz attacked long before we could do anything, so please don't beat yourself up over them."
"I know. It's just that it hurts the same way every damn time. I'm supposed to protect everyone, and yet two more people lost their lives today. I cannot keep on failing like that." Neither Lilim nor Beatrice, who was already in similar situations, really knew what to do with the half-angel. The best they could probably do is let her calm down without putting any more pressure on her. The succubus did not like how she blamed herself for their deaths, especially because it really wasn't her fault. Alice felt that she was responsible for everyone, and even something like that made her lose sleep. The demon could only worry about how long she would be able to live like that. Granted, she herself never really cared for people, but even then, the deaths of innocent people bothered her. She could only imagine what Alice was going through. Beatrice still stayed closer to the ginger-haired girl, who used her as a support, and slowly stood up. Her gaze met the demon's just for a second, but even then Lilim could see the lack of the usual cheerful gleam that always accompanied her green eyes.
"Lilim, you don't have to worry about me. I've been through it before." Lilim only shook her head. There wasn't really any use in trying to argue with the angel. No matter how many times the succubus would ask, she would always say 'fine', despite it clearly being different. The demon waited for the half-angel to return to the room before pointing at the table next to the window. Both she and the blonde angel took a seat. An uncomfortable silence overtook the room, with the demon only giving the older woman an accusatory glance from time to time.
"Don't tell me you are okay with that." Beatrice could almost feel those cold blue eyes drill right through her. She knew that Lilim would surely be upset about Alice's current state and that there was no use in keeping silent.
"No, of course not."
"But?"
"It is our only way. I don't like this either, but you have to understand that."
"What is there to understand? Have you seen what she looks like? I've seen people come back from war in a better state!" Lilim was having a hard time keeping her voice quiet. She really had a hard time understanding how sending a nineteen-year-old girl to fight with demons was their only way. Beatrice was there, and she was supposedly much stronger than Alice.
"I know; I've seen her cry over them time and time again. Of course, she would tell you that they don't bother her and that she learned how to live with them. But I think you know how it really is."
"Yeah, so why do you let her do that? How is she the only one? Are you telling me that in this whole Force there is no one else capable of fighting demons? What about you, then? Aren't you much stronger than Al?"
"I am stronger; you got that much right. But my power isn't suited for urban combat. You've seen a fraction of it in the forest. Using that in town would result in too many unnecessary casualties. Let alone using anything stronger."
"I still don't understand why she? Can't you summon some stronger angels or something like that? I'm sure that any of them would be better than a nineteen-year-old girl."
"We've tried this many times. They always said that they were busy or simply didn't even respond. And even then, there is the matter of their strength."
"Bunch of bastards; don't they care about their own?"
"They don't treat Alice as their own."
"What?"
"Due to her being half or even less of one, they barely anyone acknowledges her as one. The same goes for succubi and incubi, doesn't it?"
"Never have I thought that this would be the problem we would be sharing. But even then, demons try to take care of succubi like me. And you are taking care of Alice. You surely must know anyone who would come to her aid."
"Sadly no. They all think that if Alice wants to be considered one, then she has to prove herself. They did the same with her mother."
"Why the fuck are they fine with sending a little girl to her death? Aren't angels supposed to protect people?" Lilim lost her temper for a while, smashing her hands against the table as she stood up. Though quickly calming down, she sat down, trying to avoid the hurt look in the blonde angel's eyes. Succubus spoke in a much more hushed voice than before. "Sorry for yelling. It's just that, in my eyes, it isn't fair to Alice. I mean, you saw what state she was in. I can't even imagine how she would react if something worse happened."
"That's what terrifies me the most. Should a demon beyond her league appear, I don't think Alice would be able to handle it physically, let alone mentally, if it destroyed Znena. I'm worried that she would do something to herself. As for the angels, truth be told, it isn't an angel's job to protect. Our task is to kill demons. That's how it always was. Of course, Alice doesn't need to know about that."
"I hate this. I hate the fact that she has to risk her life, that everyone relies on her too much, and that with just one bad day she might never come back. She shouldn't live like that; no one should."
"I know. I also hate this. Trust me, I too want to take her out of this as quickly as I can. In fact, I've made a deal with Ezekiel. Once we get rid of Tetra, Alice won't have to fight anymore."
"So that's why you agreed to take me in."
"Believe it or not, that was actually Ezekiel's idea. Like I said, no one wants to see Alice hurt. But no matter how many times we tell her to stop, she simply won't listen. Saying that she has to. That her mother would want her to follow her steps. Though I know that Anastasia would oppose said idea the most, I wish she would just tell me that she has enough, that she doesn't want to get hurt anymore, and that she just wants to live a normal life." Lilim went silent, trying to understand the angel's reasoning. Of course, no one wanted to see the ginger-haired ball of cheerfulness get herself hurt. It was stupid of her to think her guardian would be fine with that. That she wouldn't be doing anything and would just be watching as Alice wears herself down. Beatrice cared for the half-angel even more than she did. But she couldn't help it after seeing Alice constantly wake up with a scream. And neither could Beatrice.
"Again, sorry for yelling. I must have been tired."
"I can't really blame you. I myself lost count of how many times I've straight up screamed in Ezekiel's face about the issue. Though I'm glad that you are so agitated to keep Alice safe, it's quite nice that she has someone her age as a housemate."
"Now, if you don't mind, I'll take a nap. I've got a morning shift tomorrow."
"The same goes for me." Saying that both of them returned to their beds, the night was no longer disrupted by anything.
The very next morning, Lilim was already sitting in the canteen, observing people coming in and out while pretending to listen to what was going on the news channel that was put on at a too low volume for such a crowded place. Having been in the Force for quite a few days, she started to remember a bunch of faces that passed her by. Though most of them were still strangers to her, not really engaging in any longer conversation than a quick exchange of "good mornings" and "goodbyes", some even seemed to avoid her. She couldn't really blame them; after all, she was the very thing they were fighting against. One face from the bunch was all too well known to her. As Alice entered the canteen, her face mostly covered by her orange hair, the cheerfulness and positivity that radiated from her seemed to spread to others. With a wide smile, she marched over to Lilim with a lunch made by Beatrice, acting as if the events from the previous night had not happened at all. Truth be told, this somewhat concerned and even scared the demon. Alice was too good at switching moods and hiding everything that worried her.
"So, are you ready for today's training?" The half-angel sat rather close to the succubus, who didn't really mind it that much. It was surely better than sitting alone.
"I guess so. But is your back fine already? Maybe we should wait for a few more days."
"Come on, don't treat me like a child; I'm fine. You start to sound more and more like Beatrice. Speaking of her, what were you two talking about last night?" Now, how was she supposed to answer that? That they want her to step down from protecting the town because she hurts herself without noticing? That they know nothing is fine, no matter how many times she repeats that lie? Lilim knew that she couldn't be beating around the bush, but she also knew that telling her all of that straight would fall on deaf ears or maybe even worsen the situation with Alice trying to try harder.
"You know, just a simple talk between adults. And about your nightmares last night: Are you sure that you don't want to take a break from all of that for a while?"
"So that's what it was about, huh?" Alice's voice lacked its usual cheerfulness and instead was rather dull, even apathetic. "Beatrice still brings that up. I wish she would understand that I can handle this and that I'm not a child anymore."
"Al, I think she understands that. It's just-"
"It's just that no one wants to see me hurt, right?" Lilim nodded, albeit slowly. It seemed like both of them had gone through this exact conversation countless times already. "I get that Beatrice worries about me, but she fails to understand that if the roles were to reverse, then I would be constantly worrying about her. I've lost one mom; I don't want to lose another." Alice's voice broke down slightly at the last sentence. Now Lilim felt bad. Of course, they would worry about one another. There seemed to be no way out of the situation. Perhaps getting rid of Tetra might be their only choice. The succubus put her hand on the half-angel's shoulder and brought her closer to herself, not even noticing the blush coming to Alice's face.
"Seriously, both of you are lost causes. You will get nowhere if you don't talk it out."
"I know, but I really don't want to bother her. I get that she wants the best for me, to step down a little bit, yet I want to save Znena. And I know I'm the one capable of doing so."
"If you want to keep the town safe, then just wait for me to officially join. On my pride, I, Lilim, swear to keep Znena away from demons and to not let a single hair fall from your head!" The black-haired demon exclaimed, the flame of passion springing to life in her eyes.
"Thank you; I'll keep that in mind. But can you let me go?"
"Don't tell me you don't enjoy an embrace from a pretty girl like me."
"That's not it. People are staring." Alice added quietly. Taking a look around, Lilim noticed that, in fact, most of the canteen had its eyes focused on them. After letting Alice go and sending the crowd a quick, cold glance, people returned to enjoying their meals.
"Though I still do not understand why you care so much about me, I hope I don't bother you too much. And sorry for last night; you probably didn't get enough sleep because of me."
"Don't worry about that. And like I said before, I can't let such a pretty girl end up covered in scars."
"Pretty, huh? You mean that seriously?"
"I might tease you about many things, but being pretty is not one of them." Despite saying that Lilim loved how red Alice's face got as she mentioned that. It was clear to her that the girl had barely any experience, if any, with relationships. If she was going to stay with her for longer, then, who knows, it might change soon.
"We now move to the scene with our fearless demon hunters. Mister Roland, may you please speak up about your newest catch?" The news reporter drowned out the half-angel's answer to Lilim's slight tease, her voice echoing through the canteen. All eyes were focused on the small TV on the wall. Next to the news reporter stood a rather well-built man. Standing proudly at 6 feet tall and even more proudly showing his well-kept military garb, he spoke of the most recent demon that he and his crew managed to capture. The camera then focused on a jeep, which had a gray body in it.
"Oh no." Alice muttered what probably was the most common response amongst all of the people gathered in the canteen. "Lilim, we need to go now!" She added, dragging the succubus out of the room. The black-haired demon spread out her wings once they got outside, and following Alice's instructions, she flew in the direction of the park where they had fought against Zmeya.
Gathering a higher speed than usual, Lilim had to crash-land right behind the bunch of Jeeps that were parked in the middle of the park, causing a cloud of brownish dust to rise into the air and cover the entire area.
"The hell was that?" Roland asked, shielding his eyes from the dust. Did another demon appear? He hoped that it would be a small fish, but seeing how quickly it appeared, he had his doubts.
"Stop right there!" The energetic voice of a teenage girl made him groan in annoyance. Great, she was here. He could have expected that if he were being honest. "Any sort of action taken against demons by third-party organizations is illegal and punishable by law, as stated by the Holy See!" Alice pointed her finger at the man as the dust finally settled down.
"Extermination Force's errand girl, I see. Look, kid, I've told you many times that my hunting crew is perfectly legal. And surely less shady than your organization could ever be. Now scram, we have a demon to get rid of." He said, pointing at the Jeep with the hand-made cage, which now held a rather skinny but tall gray demon with long claws. The said demon had crouched down, trying to hide itself from the stares it was given. The news team had already backed off from the scene, not wanting to get on the bad side of any of the parties.
"Your crew is anything but legal! Only organizations approved by the Vatican can handle demons. Besides, how do you even know you have the right demon?"
"Of course I do. He has guilt painted all over his face.
"Messer didn't do that. He is innocent."
"You think I'll believe that? If he were innocent, then he wouldn't be trembling in fear."
"He is scared because you came here and put him in a cage. If I hadn't come here sooner, you would have killed him, is that right?"
"Someone has to kill demons when the Extermination Force sits on their asses and does nothing."
"We are trying our hardest to keep Znena and its citizens safe!"
"Yeah, yesterday I saw the results of that. If it wasn't his fault, then I don't know whose." Roland rapidly took out a bunch of creased photos from his pocket. Alice's face paled, and the half-angel had to turn her gaze away. Lilim instinctively went before the girl, eyeing Roland, who still held the photos. All of them showcased mangled bodies like the ones they found yesterday. There were more of them than Alice ever could have guessed. Even more people died because of her. Roland put back the photos and kept on looking Lilim straight in her blue eyes as he spoke. He could swear that something was wrong with the girl. Other than hanging around the errand girl, of course. She had to be a demon of some kind or, at the very least, have some powers like them. Otherwise, they wouldn't get here so fast. Unless that was another trick of the errand girl, she and her damned powers always caused him trouble.
"Overall, we've found the mangled bodies of eight people. All of them seemed to be straight up cut into pieces by some blades or claws. And if that thing over there doesn't have claws to cut human bodies, then I don't know what does. If it wasn't for us, then who knows how many more would have died?"
"The demon responsible for that is dead. And none of you did anything." Alice replied meekly, the colors slowly returning to her face.
"How can I be sure of that one, eh? It wouldn't be the first time you tried to bail out a demon. What kind of demon hunter are you?" Before Roland was able to add anything, a black blade appeared before him. The eyes of the black-haired girl seemed to glow slightly. The man smirked inside. He knew it. She surely was a demon. Somehow, it didn't surprise him. The girl always tried to understand the beasts, saying that not every one of them was an enemy and that, in fact, most of them did not hurt people. She tried to protect the damn backstabbers, and it looked like she had found herself one. If she hadn't pissed him off that much, maybe he would have tried to warn her.
"Surely better than you with your puny toys." Lilim pointed at their guns. "Try scratching a demon with that."
"Watch your mouth, demon; I know you are like the rest of them. And don't take me for a fool. I'm well aware that your kind doesn't like silver."
"Is that so? Then come on, shoot me. See if you can scratch me with your silver." People like him infuriated her the most. Those self-proclaimed demon hunters who called themselves such because they managed to kill an imp or two in their life, she met many like that. Of course, they've met a similar fate. Either they died when a proper demon appeared or they were the first to run with their tail between their legs. She had a hard time imagining how the hell Alice managed to put up with this guy.
Feel free to get rid of him. I'll lend you my strength. He's nothing but trouble for your angel. I'm sure she wouldn't mind.
Lilim tried her best to ignore the voice, but it kept echoing in her head. It muffled every other noise that came to her, accidentally ignoring further provocations and boasting that came from Roland. He might have been trouble; that much was true, but succubus knew that Alice wouldn't want him gone. Not now, at the very least. Without her noticing, the tip of Prince started to cover itself in a blue flame. Alice, seeing that, stepped before her, grabbed the blade, and put it down. Lilim was just getting to know what happened.
"Don't bother with him, Lilim." The half-angel said with a slightly colder tone than usual. "I don't want any of you to kill each other in my eyes. Release Messer now; he has nothing to do with it. If you don't believe me, feel free to ask Bishop Ezekiel about the records of the most recent extermination."
"Sir, I think we should let it go." One of the men who was with Roland came to him with a small portable radar in his hands. Roland, while still keeping eye contact with the blue-eyed demon, took a quick glance at the machine. The reading they got from her made the radar struggle to keep up with measuring it. Just what the hell was she? That demon surely meant trouble. He almost pitied the errand girl for being so close to such a dangerous beast. Who was to say that she wasn't from the Tetra that he heard so much about?
"Fine, this time I'll let it go. Think of it as my good will. But don't come crying to me later when that damned demon ends up stabbing you in the back." Roland ordered his crew to move. While Alice wasn't sure, she thought that the last sentence wasn't directed at Messer. The gray demon in question was now bowing right before her while making animalistic sounds of gratitude.
"Go now, and make sure to get into trouble next time." Messer nodded and ran off into the deeper part of the park. Alice sighed. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess. It's just that I couldn't ignore him."
"But why, though? Can you trust an imp like him?"
"As I've said, I protect everyone. Even demons. Especially those who are innocent."
"An innocent demon, huh? For as long as I've lived, I could name you only a bunch of such."
"That's why I want to change it. I know that there are more of them. And anyone who wants to live in peace should have the right to do so."
"Tell that to those 'demon hunters.' "
"I've done it. I know that they also want to protect Znena, but they can't hurt every demon they find. A foolish wish, I know, but maybe they could help the Extermination Force one day."
"I personally wouldn't bother with them. Say, why don't you show me around the town? We should have a break anyway." Lilim winked as she took Alice's arm. Of course, the half-angel already did so, but succubus wanted to let her forget about the photos. And taking a nice stroll through Znena might have put her at ease. Alice didn't protest against that and, together with Lilim, went to see the town square. Passing by houses and apartments of various sizes and colors, the half-angel cheered up more and more. Both girls took joy in how their boots clicked against the cobblestone pavement and at the people passing them by either going to work, school, or returning home. At how lively the streets were. At the many old buildings that to this day stand proudly at the town square, encircling one watch tower that seemed to remember the very first days of Znena. The tower in question always shone brightly in the evenings, illuminated by hundreds of small lights, bringing a special feel to the square. Both girls sat on the bench near a momentarily turned-off fountain.
"You know, Al, I kind of get why you want to protect this town."
"It is a lovely place, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it reminds me of my hometown." The gaze in Lilim's eyes seemed to wander to a distant place at a distant time. The black-haired demon looked to be bothered by something, either from the distant past or now. "Hey Al, promise me one thing."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Don't die." To say that Alice was shocked would be an understatement. She had to make sure that she heard her correctly. Just what did she mean by that? Was something bad going on? Did the succubus get into trouble? No, it didn't seem to be so.
"I don't plan on doing that anytime soon. Who would protect the town if I was gone? Though why? Did something happen to you?"
"Nothing like that... I just want you to promise."
"You can be sure that I'll keep my word." The half-angel's words seemed genuine to Lilim. Or at least genuine for her to not worry about the ginger-haired girl. That was enough for her for now. As long as Alice is safe, she will be happy. The angel said to keep the promise, and the succubus had to believe her. To keep Alice and Znena safe. That was her new goal in life. She won't let the mistakes of the past happen again. No matter what it takes.