Chrono X Angel, Book 5: Winds of Change

Chapter 11

Abigail looked out from her hotel room window, down at the hustle and bustle on the streets of Dublin, and smiled darkly. If only these fools knew what was coming.
She had just finished her most recent ritual to restore her powers, supplicating before the statue of yet another dark god, this one known as "Karodis". She could feel her dark energies growing greater with each mortal sacrifice she gave to those demonic entities. Now, who was the next one on her list...

"Oh, Ahrimanes hm?" She pondered aloud, "Hmm, lets see how to invoke him..."

Pulling a few skulls, a vial of blood and some fresh tendons from her bag, she placed them in the summoning circle she had drawn on the floor of the room. Ahrimanes was said to be the most powerful of all the demon gods, so gaining his favor would be quite the boon indeed.

"Mighty Lord Ahrimanes," she began to chant in an ancient tongue, lighting the tendons aflame with a purple glowing candle, "I beseech thee to come forth and hear my prayer, oh unholiest of unholies."

The room began to fill with the scent of rotten eggs, sulfur, meaning a demonic presence was near. From the smoke emerged a massive saurian, armored face with countless eyes within eyes. When it spoke, the room rumbled as though there were an earthquake.

"Who DARES to invoke me in this pitiful age??" He demanded, setting his eyes on Abigail and instantly recognizing her.
"You. I know you."

"Then you know my need for your power is great, oh mighty one!" She placated, bowing fully nude before him in submission, "Please, just a portion of your energies, a small trifling is all I need and I-"

She was cut off as Ahrimanes laughed as though he had just heard the funniest joke of his life. Abigail could feel her face flushing with embarrassment and rage, but managed to keep her cool for the moment. He was the highest ranking demon god after all, and she just a lowly witch. One with incredible otherworldly powers, but a witch even still.

"I know I am unworthy of your power oh lord, but I ask only for a... temporary boon? You may have whatever you wish in return, short of my own life. The lives of my followers though? As many as you wish."

"You don't understand your place or your purpose, do you whelp?" He continued to laugh, "You are simply the means to an end for me, to make Tachibana stronger. Your plans for the Veil are directly antithetical to my own, so tell me why I would ever consider lending you my power for even a brief moment? No. And in fact..."

It felt like something inside of Abigail had burst, an organ or two perhaps. The pain was beyond excruciating, and she doubled over, letting out an agonized scream.

"Enjoy dealing with a ruptured spleen, worm," he growled, "I'm certain you can repair that, oh I absolutely know you can. But it will take time. Time enough for Tachibana to find you, and to finish you."

As Abigail lay there on the floor, writhing in pain and clutching her abdomen, the smokey and vaporous form of Ahrimanes faded away and vanished. She was perhaps fortunate that someone in a neighboring room had heard her scream and alerted the front desk. She would probably be sent to a human hospital, one where she could peacefully convalesce, but one where her movements would be severely limited. That damned demon, how had he known about her plans?? And who was "Tachibana"? Briefly she recalled the pink haired girl she had seen at GARDNA back in Japan, the one she had spied on along with the blue oni. She recalled hearing that name then as well. Was that girl someone to be contended with? As she lay there, abating the pain with magic, she consulted her tome for answers. A useful tool, it functioned like an encyclopedia of whatever it's owner wanted to know of. If the information was stored somewhere in a book on Earth, the tome could access it. Of course, the rise in popularity of digital media over traditional had started to make her beloved tome obsolete, but she still used it.
Ahhhh, so this Tachibana girl was part Angel and part... Dweller? She was essentially a walking contradiction, half Angel and half Fallen Angel? What a terrifying concept, and one Abigail almost found herself hoping she would never have to fight.
Almost.