The Fiasco at Scala

The Redeemed, part two

2. From the palace gardens, the Devil had summoned a legion of his minions from Hell, under the command of the Marquis, mangled and resurrected to fulfil his duties. His eyes were bright orange and his wig had been blackened between soot and beach sand from his untimely demise at the hands of Ilaria and Ennio. The demons formed a defensive perimeter hoarding the front entrance through the palace gates, making a fight between the two opposing forces inevitable. Julian's massive feet and Ilaria's shining sword made quick work of the demonic horde, but the Marquis remained to menace the team with his musket and dagger. Only at the twist of a duel with Ilaria did the Marquis finally meet his true end, leaving the pathway to the palace wide open. 

The noise of the scuffle out front alerted the Devil to the coming confrontation, compelling him to send royal guardsman and volunteer soldiers out to face Ilaria and her company. While the second wave of forces charged out to fight, the Devil took a hold of Vico's green codex and began to cast spells in order to summon more of his forces from Hell to attack the queen. He watched on from the palace roof as wave upon wave of demons, witches and dark warriors flooded forward to hinder the advance of the rightful royals. 

The street fight in front of the palace became a war of attrition as Ilaria's group made slow progress across the devastated palace gardens to the main building, managing to survive the onslaught of dark forces at every turn. When Ilaria was halfway up the hill, though the gardens to the palace, the Devil cured his frustration by using the codex to erect a tall wall of solid rock around the palace as a final line of defense while his forces continued to pour over these new obstacles like water in a bathtub.