Devil hunting chronicles of the impossible city.

Epilogue IV Project Hastur

Rush Collins didn't hesitate to raise his shield wishing to crash it down over her, the old woman smiled as she dodged to the and swung her staff towards his head he raised his iron arm to block it, even if it was a blunt object the strength of her swing would be enough to break his skull, he could tell as his muscles bared the impact that her strength would not lose to his own. But there was no reason to retreat the mist had already reached the two of them from behind and Abram had disappeared she was aiming for this moment and Rush knew it so he swung his shield again and again.

"You all taking too many risks, Really how about this." Rodger pressed a switch on her staff and its tip opened showing a flashlight, Collins's eyes went white from the intense light as he covered his eyes with his arm, but then he screamed and strumbled forwards as black orbs emerged from below his feet and injected tendrils into his back.

"Hehe...you got close." Behind her, Abram reappeared with his dagger aiming at the back of her nape but the floating eyes grabbed his arm with tentacles and from the ground, a black ooze had taken form and grabbed his legs. Chief Rodgers raised her staff and hit Abram in the chest with the back of it throwing him through the air as he landed he saw the black tentacles crawl through the floor towards him it was but a black mass of eyes and those growing viscous tentacles, but the bride appeared behind him and slashed them with a furious swing of their claws.

"The hell was that..." Rush Collins ripped the tentacles off him and punched another floating eyeball with his shield before retreating away from her, he could see that the floating orbs were growing in mass and growing longer and longer tentacles, and the black ooze below them had disappeared.

"This is Hastur you can consider it a perfect offense and defense weapon, really One of the finest critical demons the Engel family has made I have never let a single person escape alive after seeing it, so do prepare for your fate now, you are no our ally anymore Collins, just one more criminal on the outskirts a shame." She raised her staff towards him and the wave of floating viscous orbs moved in his direction with its eyes wide open as they did Rush stopped and shot the chains of his arms to pierce and the black orbs banished on impact, Abram didn't hesitate to attack again with the bride behind him, as he ran he threw a knife towards Rodger who simply moved to the side evading it without even turning back.

"Useless I can see everything, there's no getting me off guard." The police chief rushed towards Collins instead, her baton opened to show the flashlight inside Collins expected the flash this time and hid behind his shield, but as he did he was immediately pierced by tendrils from behind like black spikes that pierced the muscles on his arms and legs and a swarm of black orbs grabbed his back as he lost his posture the old woman reached him and stroke him on the face he spits blood and she proceeded to maul his shoulder cracking his bone from the weigh of the staff. He tried to punch her but she merely side stepped away evading it and quickly swung the staff breaking his nose from the impact.

"You a tough one is fine I can do this the whole day young man!" As she said that Rush moved forward as his nose bleed and stroked her staff with his shield, the mouth on his shield opened and bit the staff. At the same time, Abram ran towards her again, with the bride floating and ripping the eyeballs off his way As he was about to reach her the flashlight shined again and Abram stopped as a wall of tentacles raised from the ground towards him, he quickly ran on the opposite direction but one of them reached his arm and ripped his skin to the bone, those things feel sharper than any knife, still before the crawling shadows could reach him, his spectral bride blocked their path and began to attack them, but the tentacles grew long in an instant and grabbed the skeletal demon, they began to crawl over it forcing it down into the ground. Abram saw that Collins managed to break free by releasing her staff and ran back before the crawling shadows could pierce him again, the whole ground was a minefield no matter where they looked those floating eyes kept appearing...but Abram noticed something and ran to reunite with Collin, the bride banished into mist disappearing to free itself and all the eyes turned towards them as the police chief remained in the middle.

"I saw it...when that flashlight illuminated the room all of that eye started crawling from the shadows...that is why she has that huge light, she can make shadow even in a rak room like this." Abram was breathing heavily it would be easy for those eyes to pierce him on a vital spot, turning into mist didn't work with them either...it must be because they simply react by instinct, they all independent to the woman that controls them.

"Damn, so that's it...so any shadow can turn into more of those monstrosities that ain't fair!" Rush screamed as he spit blood on the ground, his black attire was tainted red as he had open wounds all over his body. He saw that there was indeed a black slime growing under the woman's shadow.

"We need to turn off all the lights, Abram fixed his cap as he looked at the light that had been set around the room, it seemed that if they wanted any hope of winning they would need complete darkness.

"Well, I wouldn't be an agent of the law if I didn't give you one last chance. You both are under arrest If you surrender and offer your boss maybe we can make a deal, Im the kind of woman who hates to lose anything she can use, and the two of you could be good assets in the city.

"No, I will never do any deal with you again...I will never forget it, but I will need to thank you now. Is only because of Sabnock that I can face now, even if all you wanted was to see me die...listen my life is still a short one, you can't brime me, I have nothing to lose, I will offer my life here and now because I know that it is tour doing that our lives are always at the border."

"I see, so you figure it out too...you have to understand that for there to be peace among demons sacrifices are needed, can you claim their lives empty of meaning and future as those of the people of the outskirts are not worth giving for our city, the people of Argia have true civilization and if sacrifices are needed to protect it, I will gladly dirty my hands as many times as it takes."

"What a joke, you aren't here to protect anyone...you are just looking for power back in that city of yours....if you cared for the people you would not have left your men to be slaughtered behind you..." Abram interrupted her, he had followed since she abandoned her squadron behind

"Sacrifices for peace...I understand that, but I think to you everyone is a sacrifice not for the city but for yourself, but well is not my place to say, we are murderers, terrorists, criminals you are not wrong, but we won't let you judge us not you old lady."

"You got that right bud, let's do this It may just be our first fight together, this isn't her city right, This is our home, we are done letting Argia dictate our lives, Once we are done with her they better get it." Collins reached to Abram and slapped his back with his usual vigor even if Abram could tell he was struggling.

"Well, To be frank, it would have been disappointing if you youngsters gave up so soon, I dont mind people that dream big at all...very well I guess the peace we are looking for is a different one, no need for me to hold back anymore, I will not fight as policemen any longer, now I will have to slaughter you both as a demon would." She raised her staff as it flashed its bright light as she did her shadow projected behind her started to swirl as more and more eyes opened within them and like a swarm, they all flew into the air behind her.

"I guess we will see whose peace is meant to last."