The Fire Raged [Chapter XVII]

[DC Comics]

The guards and demon Sorcerers gave chase to Utena and Aminee meanwhile more Jherrazad guards broke into the room where Fukari had entered and charged her with their blades raised to force her out of the room and away from the explosives that were stored away here.

---

"Retreat to the gate, I will remain here!"

Jeho was pushed back by the soldiers but broke free and started knocking them back one by one as the portals around them were being closed. A couple thanks to Miracle and the rest by Superwoman. Though he despised the woman that was his successor he would have to put up with her for now as Ranko was the bigger threat to Jherra's security. After Ghost Rider took out a portion of the soldiers around Ranko he charged towards the woman again and this time aimed to behead her from behind.

[Maelys Knight]

[Transformation- 8]


The young boy had been outside the palace when the demon army arrived. He had been waiting for two of his friends, however thanks to this invasion, he may not be able to stay and greet them on their arrival. The young boy watched the fight, observing, watching the demon army for weak points, and while the continuously opening portals kept bringing in reinforcements, there was still a factor that, with some of the portals seemingly being blocked, may be possible to apply. This might leave me open... Here goes... The boy stepped into view of the nearby demons, but before they could react, he threw his arms to the sides and was engulfed in swirling threads of black and white light. The threads began to glow, reaching an intense glow that would have been difficult for anyone to continue watching without causing pain to the eyes, until finally the threads blasted away, leaving a round form that seemed to be composed virtually of feathers. The large wings unfurled to reveal six of them, all outstretched.

Without a moment's hesitation, in an expectant maneuver away from any preemptive strike, he shot upwards, into the sky, putting off a white glow in the dark of the night. He was as a lightbulb to the darkness, clearly visible to all. But would his ruse be found? Only time would tell.

[Garrus Vakarian]

As Kara began making copies of herself to close the large quantities of portals spread throughout the Empire of Jherrazad she would find opposition in the form of Noob Saibot who also made a clone of himself for each Kara that appeared on the battlefield, pushing them away from the portals and keeping her at bay as more portals resumed opening releasing death on the field.

[Linx]

As the guards gave chase to Aminee and Utena, a flash of light intercepted their path, a single cross of a blade blazing with radiant light would sever their torso from their legs, and an upraised palm would create a barrier of light, blocking any incoming fire. "Don't worry, I've got your back." the figure called as he held the rear guard, falling back in their steps. "And it's good to see a familiar face Ms. Starlight, has Vulture gone down if you're away from the Resistance?" he calls, throwing her a quick smile. Dark brown hair lay in casual disarray around his head, and his eyes were of a brilliant emerald. Dressed in his black pants and boots, with his leather jacket over a plain tee, he seemed rather casual and unfamiliar to combat. He was anything but however.

The most identifying features to him were the silver pendant of a lions head open in a roar of defiance on his chest, the gunblade in his hand, and the massive scar across his face from above his left eye to beneath his right. Without a shadow of a doubt, Leon Belmont had returned from the grave. Twirling Lionheart in his hand, he brought it across in a heavy slash, wreathed in light and holy fire across the ranks of demons assaulting them. "I suppose we'll have to catch up later, get going!" he calls as he throws himself into the fray with a wild fury, emerald eyes ablaze as white fire lanced forth from his body.

[Miracle]

"Miracle! We need to get inside the castle."

"The gates are opened!"

"Retreat to the gate, I will remain here!"

"They're too many..."

The Aircano officers remained around Miracle at all time, protecting her from the demon army as she looked around to what remained. Her violet eyes made it to Solomon and they softened as a regrettable expression appeared on the young High Priestess' face.

"Forgive me. I have no choice."

Miracle held up her staff and closed her eyes, darkness coming to focal point of where she stood as a great power swept over the field in a matter of seconds. And behind her, growing at an alarming rate, was the form of the Second Aspect. The Arashi known as Aper with his dual blades held out and burning blue eyes looking upon the Queen of the Netherrealm and her armies. With a few turns of her staff she sent commands to Aper who swung his blades which cut through air and explosions soon followed from the slashes ripping through the demons and Ranko loyalists still on the field in a matter of seconds, clearing Jherrazad and leaving an easy path to the castle gate for the others to go through.

[Alex]

Fukari spun kick into the guards knocking them off their feet, landing on her own and grabbing her explosives before dropping back out of the window.

---

"Miracle, please. You mustn't!" But there was no reasoning with the High Priestess as she summoned Aper to the field. And even though his presence did in a matter of seconds what would have taken many of them hours, if at all, to do in his heart Solomon knew it wasn't worth the price Miracle would have to pay for summoning this power. If this was what Miracle felt she needed to do then Solomon wouldn't be leaving her side. He joined with the other officers that had gathered around her and continued to protect Miracle while she took control of the Second Aspect.

[Chloe/Kat]

"D-don't ignore me! Nobody ignores me!" Chloe's eyes turned blood red as her anger came bursting out to the surface and in the moment to pass, a puddle of blood began to rise from beneath Ranko's feet. A crimson bath fit for a Crimson Devil as it threatened to drown her where she stood. The moans of the undead would be the next thing Ranko would hear as they came rising up from the ground and reaching out to grab her, to violate her body and consume her very being as she would bare witness to her own nightmare coming to life as the river of blood washed over her.

[Aminee Starlight]

Aminee looked at Leon and then searched around the place to try to figure out where he had came from but decided to just accept a miracle at face value for once in her life. "Thank you!" Was all she had time for before catching up to Kara with Utena by her side. "Kara. Thank you. How bad is it outside?"

[Sparda]

Same damned story as Moon Valley. Not this time. The Ajerian was quick to join the rear guard covering the retreat into the castle, Diabolus raging to and fro as he threw himself into the fray. Great torrents of energy surged forth from his blade with every swing, batting aside five or six invading soldiers at a time and ripping their bodies to unrecognisable pieces.

The Shadow of Darkbroode rampaged across the battlefield, claiming dozens more victims with each passing second, moving and attacking so fast that no opposing blade could reach him. It would take the likes of Quan Chi or Scorpion to even slow this monster down.

Speaking of Quan Chi - where was he...?

[Kara]

"Bad," replied Kara to Utena and Aminee. "Come on I'll get you somewhere safe." While that was going on the many duplicates of Kara did battle with the duplicates of Noob Saibot until she felt the presence of the Arashi enter Jherrazad. They didn't. Kara made another copy of herself that appeared before Miracle and the Aircano officers. She looked up in horror as Aper's gaze fell down upon the Empire of Jherrazad. They had went behind her back to recruit Aircano and summoned an Arashi to do their fighting for them. This couldn't stand. "Miracle! Summon that monster away this instant or I will!"

[Kyrie]

Kyrie's own enhanced physical attributes came into play when Ranko started swinging her blades at her faster. Allowing the White Mage to parry her shots a little while longer before finally having to back away or risk losing her weapon and parts of her soul. Seeing Jeho come at the Crimson Devil from the rear with a beheading attempt Kyrie charged her front again, aiming for a downward strike should she duck underneath the man's sword.

[Cap'n Failz]

One moment he was nearing his destination to make what stand he could, next he found himself ripped from his Hellcycle and pulled through the air. And for a brief instant, he was shocked and surprised. Then instinct took over and he lurched forward, and even as Scorpion's uppercut came at him, he spun forward and launched his own blow, a pulverizing downward hammerblow with his closed left fist, wreathed in Hellfire. "You just made a big mistake."

[Jehanne]

Jehanne stepped out from the circle around Miracle her sword raised and pointed straight at Superwoman.

"Stand back!"

The knight in training didn't know who this woman was and she didn't care to know. Many would call her foolish for that line of thinking but what good did people names do when you swore to defend somebody no matter who opposed you? Jehanne side stepped placing herself directly in front of where Miracle stood meaning Superwoman would have to punch through her to get to the High Priestess.

"I won't let you harm her."

[Marvel Universe]

Bruce Banner was brought to this place two weeks ago trying to wrap his head around the sea of events of how he got here, how all of this was possible and the current events plaguing Jherra. He was among the outer-world refugees that held no affiliation with Jherrazad but was left in peace for not causing any trouble with their way of things. When the demon army attacked Bruce and a small group of refugees, two men, one woman and an eight year old boy attempted to flee from the desert city but that would prove impossible as before they knew it they were surrounded by demons.

The two other men jumped to defend the woman and the boy. The woman grabbed the boy and carried him in her arms while Bruce and the others tried to give them time to escape but the two men were impaled on swords by the demon knights and arrows caught the woman and child leaving Bruce as the only man left. The stress and anger at seeing innocent people murdered right in front of him got the best of him. And as the demon knight's blade came down to claim his head. The other guy's fist came up hurling him into the air.

His skin turned green, clothes tore off his body leaving nothing but a ripped pair of dark purple jeans, he grew to eight feet in height, muscles growing massive and bones becoming thicker as a load roar alerted the surrounding demons nearby. Subtly was lost when you became a large green man in purple pants. The Hulk leaped through the air and pressed both hands together as he came crashing down on top of the demons near the exit of the city sending a powerful shock wave ripping them apart. Debris kicking up around the big green giant as he turned around to look at the rest of the people in the city. Not able to differentiate between friend and foe.

[Maelys Knight]

[Transformation- 7]
[Light Beam- 5]

Clearly his grab for attention did not work. All the better. His initial leap into the air brought him above the wave attack unleashed by the Arashi, and into his aligned path. The portals had begun opening again to release more demons to the battlefield. Good... not as many eyes to look up... He accelerated in flight, pure white orbs appearing all around him, swarming rapidly into existence around his already glowing form.Suddenly as fast as they had appeared, the orbs began plummeting to the ground below, homing in on the sections of demons emerging from the portals, decimating them with the holy magic. He kept his angle, watching for any enemies stronger than the general demons, until he finally realized something. He was sensing the goddesses energy signature in multiple places. She must be able to... wait...

In the time frame of two seconds, he finally realized that the same residual signature could be sensed near each of the goddesses copies. Someone on their side can clone as well..... He looked around for the closest and his right hand was already charging with a large ball of Light energy. The orbs forming and nuking the army below continued unhindered as Maelstrom slowly charged the orb in his hand upon his approach towards what he realized was the goddess fighting someone near a portal. Maelys took aim and fired a moderate sized beam of pure Light energy at the man she was fighting, but aimed back slightly, closer somewhat to the portal, as to prevent him from using the beam against the goddess.