We Are Taking Down the Goddess

The First Challenge

The Demon Apple laid silent. Everyone stood there, like some lifeless statues waiting for one to make a move. Aiko’s large breaths and rapid beating heart broke the silence. From the look of it, she and Ren were the only ones who were terrified in the entire room. As she raised her head to look at the assassins that stood not far from her, one of the enemies recognized her.

-     “Target located. Move in for extraction.”

Every assassin was dressed the same. Dark leather clothes, masks that cover everything but the eyes, and black gloves that shield them from leaving any fingerprints. The only difference was in the necklace. Each warrior wore a pendant drenched in gold. While the man who issued the order had an iron necklace wrapped around his neck.

Suddenly, the thieves in the room vanished into thin air. They disappeared right before their eyes. Aiko just stood there, speechless.

-     “What is going on? Where did they go?”

-     “Aiko! Stay behind me!” – Ren ordered.

-     “Be on your guard.” – Kana warned.

Xeneth focused her gaze. She could see shadows moving through the tavern at an unimaginable speed. They bounced around in midair, like a deadly smoke waiting to erupt. Xeneth turned to face the sorceress and the rest of her crew to realize that only she and Kana could see these shadows.

-     “Pathetic thieves. They announce themselves first and hide in the shadows later. What’s the point of stealth if you do not engage the enemy with a surprise shot?” – the white-haired lady who greeted Aiko earlier mumbled with a smirk.

The girl untied her long wings with a single stretch. A powerful gust of wind blew the moment she opened those bat-like wings. All the glass and bottles that stood in the way flew towards the wall and shattered into pieces. The rest of the succubi servers followed suit. The room was completely obliterated from the strong winds. Even the walls fell down. Now, everyone was outside, standing under the starry sky.

But, these shadows didn’t falter. They kept moving from one place to the other, surrounding the succubi servers like a pack of hungry wolves. Then, these dark shadowy lines charged at the ladies that guarded the tavern. Although the women were ready for a fight, nothing could prepare them for what was to come. 

-      “Watch out!!!”

Xeneth tried to warn them. But, it was too late.

The shadows made their way to some of the women’s stomachs, slicing them in half. They briefly revealed themselves as their blades touched the women’s skin. Yet, before the other succubi could hurry to their friends’ aid, the assassins leaped away and hid in the shadows once more.

Just like that, over a dozen succubi warriors fell on the ground.

Aiko was mortified. Ren too froze in fear. These shadows were too fast for them to even see. Let alone fight.

But, before more lives were lost, Kana jumped into the fray. She called down the power of water, coating the entire ground in ice, except where her allies stood. Then, she touched the ground with a single finger and a cleansing water wave came forth, pushing those assassins that passed in front of her. The moment those killers were submerged in water, Kana blew a spray of an icy blast right at them, freezing every single thief she caught in a block of ice. Although she trapped over a dozen enemies in a blink of an eye, there were still more left, scouting the area in their shadowy form.

That’s when the white-haired succubus let out a loud war cry that echoed through the desert. She tore out a tiny segment of her wings and transformed the piece into a long pointy spear. The thorn part immediately regrew.

While Aiko and Ren sat on the ground defenseless, the woman swung the weapon in the air, unleashing a powerful shockwave. With the power of gravity, she brought down three of the assassins and took them out of their shadowy form. The killers were now stuck to the sand, while the heavy pressure of the woman’s spear kept them at bay. No matter how hard they tried, it was impossible for them to move a muscle.

-     “Now!” – yelled the woman and kept swinging her weapon in the air.

Two other succubi that stood right beside her immediately jumped at the knocked-down enemies. They charged them head-on and pierced their bodies with their sharp wings.

Xeneth felt relieved, and now it was her time to shine. She closed her eyes, and a strong, purple-like miasma formed around her skin. It looked as if she was covered in a terrifying dark vapor that engulfed her completely. Then, the miasma oozed out of her system only to create clones right beside her. Transparent images of Xeneth appeared before Aiko’s eyes. They looked exactly like Xeneth, which made it impossible to tell them apart. As more seconds passed, more and more clones appeared – creating an army of succubi warriors. Aiko rubbed her eyes. She had no clue which was the real Xeneth anymore.

-     “What is going on?!”

-     “These are phantasms. Illusions only the most powerful succubus can create.” – Ren explained. Although he had heard about such power, it was the first time he saw it with his own eyes.

There was nothing that could explain the fear Ren felt inside. For a moment there, he was grateful Xeneth was on their side. Because if she decided to turn against them, she could kill Aiko and Ren in an instant. He was supposed to feel reassured that Xeneth was there to protect them. But, for some reason, he felt overwhelmed to stand in her presence.

When the succubus created the last clone, the miasma shattered like glass; sending forth a dozen sharp mirror blades that pierced through the shadowy figures that stood in her way. The wave of magical energy was so strong, it sent the remaining assassins flying. An illusionary mirror blade appeared in each of the clone’s arms; massive greatswords that were too heavy for a mere human to hold. That’s when the clones were ready. Before a moment’s notice, the illusionary army charged at all the remaining enemies that were now easy to see.

It was a bloodbath.

The succubi joined their leader and Kana fought beside them. The battle was going smoothly. One by one the enemies fell. In just mere seconds, the assassin army was almost eradicated. But, there were still a few that were no easy prey. They were agile and shuffled to the side whenever there was an attack headed their way. They dodged the swords, icicles, spears, and sharp succubi wings in a fluid motion. Every moment the weapons would get too close for comfort, they swiveled in the right direction dodging the deadly attack. Then, when the time was right, they would thrust their dagger forward, only to be met with their opponent’s sharp edge. Both weapons would meet in a resounding “clang”.

-     “This is too easy.” – the white-haired succubus chuckled.

When she was ready to launch at a nearby enemy, that’s when she realized his menacing eyes were now hiding a confident smirk. As if she played right into his arms. While everyone was busy fighting the thieves in front of them, the man who stood close to the white-haired succubus disappeared. The lady had already charged and couldn’t back down in mid-air. But, for the thief, this was a piece of cake. In an instant, he switched places with his leader, the man who wore an iron necklace. At that second, the fearsome assassin somersaulted into the air and cut the succubus’s wings. The crippled woman screamed in pain and tumbled to the floor.

-     “No!!!!” – Aiko yelled.

Her voice pierced through the noise and reached Xeneth. When the leader turned around, she was met with a gruesome sight. The white-haired lady turned to dust. But, the carnage didn’t end there. The leader of the assassins bolted towards all the defeated succubi warriors and cut their wings as well. It only took him less than a second to cover the vast battlefield. These succubi too turned to dust. Their bodies vanished. Soon, only those who were alive remained on the field.

-     “No! No! No!!! Die!!!!!” – Xeneth screeched.

The man’s tongue was soaked in the taste of blood. To Xeneth, there was nothing more heinous than cutting off a succubus' wings.

At that single moment, a short memory flashed in front of her eyes. It was a time when Xeneth was preparing the young succubi to take care of the tavern. They were but hatchlings when they stepped on this land and they all sat on the ground surrounding their leader waiting for an order. The white-haired girl was among them. She was the most energetic of them all.

-     “Now that you are going to live on this land, you need to know how to take good care of yourself. First, who can tell me what’s the quickest way to kill a succubus?” – Xeneth eagerly explained.

-     “Oh… me, me!” – the white-haired succubus raised her hand high.

-     “Yes, Torya.”

-     “By cutting her wings, of course.”

-     “And why should you protect your wings at all costs?” – Xeneth prompted another question.

-     “When a succubus is killed any other way, she returns to the demon world and is reborn. But, if her wings are cut, her soul leaves the physical realm never to return again. It’s worse than death.”

-     “That’s right, my warrior. So, what’s the lesson?”

-     “Protect the wings at all costs!!!” – the succubi cheered in unison.

Her flashback ended and Xeneth emerged from the middle of her clone army. That’s when it was too easy to recognize her. Her eyes were drenched in fury, while the rest of her illusions showed no emotions at all. She shouted out an energy bolt that distorted the space around the assassin leader. Then, she sent out a flurry of glass strikes that flew right at him. When the rest of the assassins jumped between their leader and the deadly spikes, a massive wave of water pushed them back – opening a clear path for that assassin’s head. It was Kana. She interfered at the right moment to give Xeneth the final opportunity to put an end to this fight. However, as the assassin faced the barrage of deadly strikes, he simply let out a confident smirk before those unstoppable furies pierced his skin.

That’s when Kana realized there was something missing. Aiko’s loud breaths and quick-beating heart had all but evaporated. The assassin leader had lost his life, but he also managed to execute an unimaginable feat. A small shuriken had pierced Aiko’s skin. It had left a tiny cut on her left shoulder, but it was more than enough to send out a powerful poison to her system. The young girl was now passed out cold.