Chapter Twenty-three

{This is Clockwork-5 area is clear. Proceeding to World Tree to check it. Clockwork-10, Clockwork-6, Clockwork-8, Clockwork-2 on me don't know if Chimera Invader's or Demons are around in this shit.}

"Copy Clockwork-5, area is clear over here so far…. CONTACT INVADER'S FOUR O'CLOCK!"

Flicking the safety off my M16, Clockwork-3's minigun is heard powering up behind us before bullets fly. The screams of the miasma creatures sounding off with my team opening fire all around us. Clockwork-7's daggers flash in the light purification before the assassin vanished reappearing in the midst of the monster's. Heads and limbs fly all around us with these things spilling from somewhere.

"Clockwork-1, give us a mobile purification barrier! We need to secure the World Tree and heal it before a Ruine spawns and fucks us like cheap whores!"

"『 PALADINS DOMAIN 』! MOVE IT YE FUCKERS!"

Flicking my gun up the barrel its swallowed by an Invader so I just blow its corrupted brains out. The holy domain covering the team we get a move on with a pep to our steps. The other teams reporting in while on the move, four teams never reported their status. Possibly KIA by Invader's or Demon's. Sliding under the sword tail of a Demon Baron breaking the domain. Three lights the unholy fuck up with her minigun causing it shriek its life away.

Springing to my feet I watched as Clockwork-4 was tackled into the foggy miasma mist and dragged off. His gun firing till the last second before white purifing fire exploded consuming the miasma hungrily.

"Clockwork-4 is KIA, Everyone hustle! We have little time before a Ruine spawns!"

"Clockwork-5, I got all of Four's items before he suicided. Treatment is still possible if all other teams perish."

"Understood One!"

"DEMON VISCOUNT! COVERING! SO RUN MOTHER FUCKERS WE AREN'T LIKE THE APOCALYPSE TEAM'S!"

Three swings her minigun and a pained scream sounds as a Viscount materialized, Parasitic Demon! Fuck fuck fuck! My feet pound onto the ground quicker my heart pounding in my chest, hopefully that Player can by us time! Just a few meter's from the World Tree we hear Three give a deranged laugh. Glowing white fire with a blue tint to it explodes from the woods. Clockwork-3 is KIA.

"DUSK WATCH THIS IS CLOCKWORK-5 MY TEAM HAS REACHED THE WORLD TREE, TWO KIA, VISCOUNT DEMON CONFIRMED! MULTIPLE TYPES AND CLASSES POSSIBLY IN THE AO! CAN YOU DEPLOY AN APOCALYPSE TEAM?!"

{Confirmed, Deploying Apocalypse team Zero from the Hellhound Division. ETA: now.}

With those parting words of Dusk Watch from the sky twenty figures came crashing down. Their heavy framed armor depicting Cerberus and Orthos signalling their Division. A very soft male voice that fills me with dread speaks up from one marked with six fangs.

"Okay Hellhounds lets maul some sinners!"

"AWOOOO!!" x19

"Clockwork's proceed with your task, leave the sinner's to the guard dogs of Hell."

"R-right! One begin figuring out how bad it is and adminster the medicine! Get this tree singing like your mother in bed!"

"Fuck you! But I'm on it buy me time."

"Dusk Watch, this is Elder Cerberus will the Angel Division be deployed enmass to purify the area?"

{Angel Division in its entirety will be deploying to cover the whole twenty mile radius. If it spreads further we may need to actually ask Heaven to send some Paladin's.}

"Copy."

{Movement, a Sin is charging through a Demon horde to the AO. Sin identified as Pride, he's actually moving to protect the World Tree, that's a lot of purifying flames he's leaving behind.}

Crashing through from the treeline is a hulking bipedal lion that looks as if its fucked a Xenomorph. A massive flaming scythe in its hands, it gives is all a glance before chuckling amused. Turning back to the treeline it swings its scythe creating a barrier of purifying fire to our west. Looking towards One he's managed to start getting how bad the corruption is by looking at some bark. The Hellhound's spread out toting various heavy weaponry around to create a perimeter. That was when shit went sideways, all other teams just KIA'd at once. Clockwork-20 had broken through the treeline before they were impaled by a stinger.

Beginning dragged back into the forest Twenty growled, suiciding into a fiery explosion. One of the Hound's spoke up having identified the Demon class. It made my blood chill, reloading my M16 I prepared to die.

"DEMON LORD CONFIRMED!"

"HELLHOUND'S FUCK THE SINNER'S UP! DO NOT LET THEM REACH THE TREE! PROTECT IT WITH YOUR FUCKING LIVES!"

"You all are truly something to be worried about, but loath I am to say this I am glad you're here Watchmen. I had been protecting this World Tree as my home when these PEST invaded, annoying bunch tried to corrupt me. But I AM PRIDE! I WILL NOT BEND TO BEING A SLAVE TO DEMON'S!"

Pride really got pissed at the end of speaking when a lotd class lept through his barrier. The Sin of pride roaring his distaste loud and venomously at the Demon. Scythe cleaving through the lord with ease since Pride feels pretty damn insulted I bet making the Sin LETHAL. The Hellhound's are peppering and bombing any stray Demon's and Chimera Invader's. Sadly I hadn't noticed when but it's just me and One left now. Seven's shredded corpse is impaled into the World Tree by spiked barbs from a Demon.

Standing protectively in front of One I sighed realizing yeah I am dead soon. My gun is firing constantly causing heads to fling in different directions. Spinning half way around flipping my gun in my grip I used it as a baseball bat caving the chest of Demon Knight in violently. Something biting into my shoulder from behind but I blind fire my M16 in a reversed grip. My assailant squeals until I slammed them into the tree above One with a squeach.

One's progress is quicker by now with the Farmer begining to actually starr healing the World Tree. My eyes snap to below One, the ground is bulging oddly. Thinking fast I kicked my teammate out of the way, a Chimera Invader erupting from the ground. Its jaws closing around my outstretched limb, screaming a Katana amputated my leg before the offending monster died. A Hellhound with very scuffed up armor breathes heavily before burning my wound shut and returning to battle. Flopping against the World Tree I chuckled weakly, One visibly stressed as he gets what this means.

I'm going to become one of the Invader's if I'm unlucky. Looking towards Pride I prick its ego and the Sin looks at me funnily, but a smile spreads across its horrid face.

"You die with pride for this suicide mission, tell me your name Pixie. Before I send you to your destination."

"Shirin."

"Die with a pride almost worthy of mine Shirin."

The Sin's tail coiled around my waist before next I know I'm flying through the air towards a King. Growling at the surprised King I grabbed its face and pumped shot after shot into its chest. It yelps in surprise and pain until it ripped my guts out. Cackling as blood flies from my mouth I offered my entire self to harming or killing this Demon.

"『 RIGHTEOUS SACRIFICE』! DIE YOU FUCKING WHORE!"

The King blanches to late to act. My body feels light, then my world fades out with the Demon King glaring at me. Hah fuck you bitch get owned.

__________

"Well World Tree number six is on track to healing. Clockwork-1 is the only Clockwork still alive. Hellhound's 3, 6, 14, 17, 20, 4, 8, and 2 are KIA. Sin of Pride still kicking and pissed at being insulted by the Demon's. Angel Division is now purifying the last ten miles, their Blessed are keeping any remaining tango's contained. Everything is so far okay Captain Nihiriz."

"Keep me updated Sergeant Xatu. I'm going to take a breather, because fuck…. This is a mess….."

Stepping out of the room I sighed heavily through my nose. Seems my old Coworker has stirred shit up because unlike me he's kept the Dev Console. I wonder how he'd react to seeing me? Because I know I left everyone on the team depressed…. Stage four brain cancer does that to people. But I didn't die in pain, I died smiling because I had Kaiser's horribly awkward company. The man is fucked beyond words yet he's bad at goodbyes, its endearing in a way.

Shaking my head I look at the recent reports concerning him, and chuckled reading them.

"I'm glad he's smiling, the man deserves it after a life of pain. I really should drop in on my old friend and see what happens, will he be happy to see me again I wonder?"