Chapter: Chapter 23: Selfless Sacrifice

Chapter 23: Selfless Sacrifice
And for the second time the group of four set out for the mountains. Only this time there was already snow on the mountain top, which didn't make the ascent any easier. That didn't come as a surprise, of course, since winter had already started a good month ago (a spontaneous idea, I just like mountains with snow on top. Actually, they should all celebrate Christmas too, only I decided that the story would be in a time before the birth of Christ. Besides, I didn't know whether demons believe in God)
"I'm cold! Can't we send Teiga up there alone?" Yuna complained and was immediately pelted with a few snowballs by her friend. "Don't complain! It's not far anymore, we'll be there soon," said Sky, but didn't really cheer her up.
After just a few minutes of staring into the area, a new problem arose: Because of the thick layer of snow, it was no longer possible to see where the entrance to the underground den of the demons was.Everything was covered by a white blanket and one corner looked like the other.
"Hm ... that doesn't look good. We need YEARS to find the entrance, let alone Lenya. Hey, Kenji! Can't you melt something with your firepower?", Teiga asked her brother kindly , but he shook his head apologetically. "That's too much snow, I can't do it all. I'm too untrained for that," he said.
Great, thought Teiga. But I'm completely useless, am I? At least I have mastered my skills!
`` If you did that, you wouldn't have to turn yourself into a demon all the time using them. ''
Snout! I'm busy right now, don't always interfere! shouted Teiga in his mind.
So they searched for the entrance without Kenji's help. It took some time to find something, but then suddenly they saw footprints on the floor that were not theirs. "Do they come from a demon?", Sky asked the others, who nodded silently. They followed the tracks and then came to a trapdoor that was set in the floor.
"I didn't even notice it last time," recalled Kenji, but lifted the door without hesitation and let the group climb inside.
"There you are, Teiga. You made me wait a long time," she greeted Lenya, who was waiting for her at the other end of the door. Several hundred demons stood behind her, just waiting for their mistress to give the signal to attack. Teiga motioned indistinctly to her friends to prepare for a fight.
"I'm actually only here because ..." Teiga began, but then broke off. How should Lenya even know why I turned for no reason? And even if she does: she has no reason to help us. But what else should I do? There are too many demons that the four of us can't manage. It would be different if my character had changed again during the transformation.`` My other self '' can control this body, but I have never fought in this form. If Lenya's people attack, we are as good as dead.
"I know why you came. You are here because you have resumed your demon form. But don't worry, this is only for a short time. As soon as you master your new abilities, you will transform back. IF you've ever mastered it, "Lenya added and smiled. "If it's just that, why have you gathered all your people here?" Sky wanted to know and pointed to her entourage. She said, "All of my people? Pah! This is only a tiny fraction of my warriors. They are here to prove to you that you have no chance against me. You are alone, there is an army behind me. Your only option surviving this war is joining me. What do you say? "
Teiga was quite determined to decline her offer, but was still waiting to answer.She didn't know how her friends would decide. Because Lenya was right: if there was a fight between the four of them and the demons, they might be able to kill some, but victory was out of the question. Teiga didn't want to decide the life and death of her people. She turned to them and all three nodded to her. "Decide. It doesn't matter how, we'll follow you," said Sky and smiled at her. Teiga returned the smile and shouted: "You can forget that, Lenya! We won't join you again, we'd rather die!"
Lenya replied sadly: "It's a shame. But I can fulfill this wish for you. Attack!"
Her people instantly picked up their swords and Teiga`s group also drew their blades. Lenya got out of the way and kept her distance from the fighting.
Come on, she thought. Save your friends, Teiga. Unleash the powers I've been waiting for so long! This is the only way you can defeat the demons! Then you will join me voluntarily because only I can tell you how you can develop these powers further.And then I can wipe people out for good! But even if you fail, I'll benefit from it. That would destroy my greatest enemy and the rest would no longer be a problem. I win either way. The only question is what are you going to do ...
"Why do you actually want to kill people? They haven't done anything to you personally, you even have two children with one of them!" Asked Yuna, who was just impaling a demon. She hoped that somehow she could distract Lenya and the demons, so that the four of them could escape when the time was right.
But Lenya didn't answer because she already knew the trick. But in her mind she said: You will never understand that, since you are only human. That was exactly the reason I wanted to wipe people out: Because I have two children from one of them. Who are just like their father. They too betrayed me and turned against me, as all members of their mendacious race have done.When I got to know this human man and fell in love with him, I wanted to fulfill his greatest wish: peace should reign between humans and demons. I agreed to negotiate between the two parties and represented the demons. We agreed on a temporary truce: to prove our loyalty to the humans, it was our job to wipe out the vampires who had been terrorizing humans for years. For our armies, which were already powerful at the time, it was easy to drive these bloodsuckers back. We were just about to go into our devastating battle against them when people stabbed us in the back. They probably thought the vampires were the lesser evil, allied with them and attacked us. It turned out to be a bitter struggle and great losses on both sides. But in the end we were beaten. I and a few other survivors fled, vowing never to ally with humans again.Fifteen years later, less than a year ago, our armies had recovered enough that we could go to war against the humans again. But this time ... this time there should be no survivors, this time we win. Never again do I want to experience this disgrace of crawling in the dirt in front of someone!
While Lenya was absorbed in her memories, the situation for the four friends became increasingly critical. For every demon they killed, three seemed to obey. In addition, all of them were already quite badly wounded and were hardly able to continue fighting. Kenji and Sky also tried several times to use their demonic powers. But they were always attacked by a demon before they had fully recited the sayings that were needed for this. Of all four, Teiga had the greatest difficulty. She didn't really control this body yet and couldn't move as fast as usual. So she had to take almost twice as many hits as usual and if Sky didn't protect her all the time, she would be dead by now.Damn it, she thought. I can hardly move at all. This body just has too long legs! How should one walk like that? Shit, another demon! she thought, barely avoiding another attack. "Now I've really had enough! You can experience something! I ask you, dead souls, lend me your strength and ... and ... and kill them! UNLEASH THE POWER OF DARKNESS!" Cried Teiga, furious. All of their enemies stopped in the middle of the attack and stared in horror in their direction. They already knew these powers from Lenya and were afraid that this all-destructive power would be used against them. But ... nothing happened.
"Um ... um, that ... that was just ... an exercise! I'm ... not really warm yet, that's why it doesn't work! But this time I'll destroy you for good!" Stuttered Teiga and repeated the phrase .
But this time too it was ineffective. "Damn it ... Well, a third time! It always worked! Okay, go!"Again nothing happened.
"Pah! That's laughable! Your old powers are useless here, my daughter! The new magic you received today blocks your old one. They are opposing powers that try to suppress each other. But why are you leaving Do you ever focus on your old energy, the power of darkness, when something much stronger lives in you? The darkness is weak, Teiga ... it can stand up to all elements: fire, wind, water, earth ... thunder. It there is only one thing against which the darkness cannot do anything and that of all people lives in you. A puny half-demon ... you don't deserve this power! ", was Lenya's comment and Teiga, who still had no perspective, asked again: "What are you talking about?"
Her mother continued: "You still don't know? I must have overestimated you ... The only thing that can conquer the darkness ... the light!
A demon received this power only twice: first Maia and now you.But I guess your powers are far more powerful than your sister's. Because you also have the power of darkness, which has saved your life so often! If you don't learn to use the power of light now, you and your friends won't get out of here alive! "
Sky and the others looked at Teiga with a look that meant something like: "Come on, go ahead and do it!", But that wasn't that easy! How are you going to use a force that nobody has any idea how it works?
`` Just try something! You can't do much wrong there ... '' said her inner voice encouragingly.
You can't go wrong with that ?! You can do everything wrong there! I could blow myself up if I said one word wrong with the saying or something!
`` Hmm, okay. I guess Lenya won't tell you how to do it either ... Hey, you've often watched your sister Maia training and she had that strength too!Just say the line she said and you'll be fine!