Chapter 19 Like A Prayer

There really isn't much for me to say or do about my given situation. Whatever wind magic it used to hit me, knocked me off my feet and I was dazed by it. I watched as the birds dived at me, a few of them opened their beaks and a the rest reached out with their talons.

They were getting closer, but something tugged me away before they got too close. That was the good news.

The bad news was: the birds were set in their course to turn and ultimately ended up attacking the ground and where they hit, they left gouges. In the stonework...

Fuck my life...

That was a morale hit if there ever is one...

{Lilim: "STOP DAYDREAMING AND GET READY FOR THE FIGHT!"}

Snapping awake, I quickly scramble to my feet and just serpentine the little wind bombs, all the while cursing at the fact that there was no cover of any sort... AND WHERE THE FUCK WAS MY TEAM!? Grabbing a few darts, I hop over another wind trap, turn mid-jump and snapped it at a bird, before tumbling forward. {Lilim: "No good, Master. The dart didn't even make it to the bird!"}

"That's lovely Lily, but where is everyone else?!"

{Lilim: "I don't know! The moment the birds attacked you, they vanished! Eek!"} I watched as some dust swirled under her and dove to pull her way. Letting out a groan, I could feel how sore my shoulder was due to the incorrect landing. Small sacrifices when you wrap your arms around someone to protect-

Fate? It's Mitsuru! The others have almost broken through the barrier. They are on their way! Hang on for a bit longer!

Yelping in surprise, I feel something strong grab my ankle and hoist me into the air. Scrambling to grab what I could as my darts and a few of my knives fall out of my pockets, I am made very away of my terrible situation. I was several feet up in the air with the predatory birds surrounding me. The moment I heard its shrill cry, I protect myself as best I could: crossing my legs and clenching my thighs, tucking my chin into my chest, and using my hands to guard my neck and face.

Seconds later, I was in a blender.

I would have screamed, except... if I had opened my mouth. I would've bitten my own tongue off to make it all stop.

{Lilim: "LEAVE MY MASTER ALONE!"}

I could faintly smell ozone and hear a bird shriek. But then I hear lilim 'eep'. Opening my eyes, I can see the birds are now focused on her and readying another divebomb. Reaching behind my back and pulling my bowie from its sheathe, I did the king of all sit-ups and grab a handful of feather before plunging my mini-sword as deep as I could. As the bird instinctively let go of my ankle, I held on to the feathers when I felt the bowie begin to slice downward... Heh. I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I should stop honing all my knives. They're too sharp. Growling, I pulled myself up and stabbed it in the chest again. And again, until I could get my left arm around it's neck. Giving it a toothy grin, I just went on a stabbing frenzy all up and down its chest. But the bird wasn't going to just die, no. It clamped it's beak on my shoulder before it stopped flapping.

The two of us were hurtling towards the ground, but neither of us stopped our assault. It was trying to extract my collar bone and I started to work on its back, kidneys, and ribs.

Despite its wounds, the bird was far from dead and only let go of my collar bone to focus on flying and that was all the opening I needed. The moment it pulled up and we were headed airborne again, I jammed my knife into its armpit before pulling it out and safely stowing it into the bird's chest before plunging my hand into the wound. I was clawing and grabbing onto any muscle or tendon I could and just started tearing them out. Even if I fall and break my neck and this thing gets away, there was no way it was ever going to forget me!

As its left wing goes limp and it hurls towards the ground again, the sudden change threw off my grip and I was left suspended in the air, however briefly, without my impact cushion.

Gritting my teeth and screwing my eyes shut, I wrap my arms around my head and simply braced for impact.

I was terrified. I was doing everything I could to not whimper or soil myself.

No!

I'm not going to die! I refuse! Desperately I wracked my mind for something, anything! Did I really have nothing left? All those times I used to claim being quick-witted and clever, the one time I needed it most, I draw a blank? I couldn't be more than just a few feet away from the ground and all I could draw was a blank...

What happened next, I don't think I'll ever claim credit for, even in those few moments when I'm alone.

I don't know how close to the ground I was. I didn't have the courage to look, but I beg, pleaded... I prayed, Please. Someone, anyone... Save me...

So simple, so short...

In the next moments my mouth opened and I shouted what I thought were my last words, "Cadenza!"

WHAM!

I just struck the floor! I had to have. I cannot think of anything else that could hit me like a stack of mattresses falling off a high shelf or truck.

I kept my eyes screwed shut because I wasn't sure how much longer it took for my brain to die. It wasn't until a hand gently began stroking the back my head did I begin opening my eyes. Angel had caught me moments before the ground and now the others were driving the birds away from me and angel as Amy tried to catch up with us to heal me. What I thought was very cool, was the fact, even the slowest of us, Junpei, was easily dodging the windstorms.

Lifting my head up, I only just notice that angel was soaring with her back just a bit off the ground and hitting turns to avoid the birds at a ridiculous speed. Hissing a bit from pain, "Angel, let me down. I have to take command again." Resting her hand on my face, she nods in understanding. Making another turn, she slants upwards before landing like a dainty butterfly. I stumbled a bit and then got my bearings and nearly passed out when I realized how much I was hurting. Angel wraps her arms around me to hold me up, "My knives and darts, where are they? I need to help fight."

{Amy: "Sorry, Darky. But most of your darts had the pointy end blunt, broken, or bent. A few of the good ones we were able to collect are with Ako."}

"What about my knives?"

{Angel: "Scattered. A few times, the birds launched their garu attacks at your pile of weapons to send them flying towards your allies. I'm sorry, but I had no choice but to scatter them before they could cause further injuries."}

"Well... shit... Let's get in there and give them a hand." I wobble a bit before taking a step forward. Apparently Amy stood in front of me with her arms out to stop me, but being the size and weighing less than a PS3 controller, it turned into an absolute fail. So she resorted to the tried and true action of plucking out a nose hair. While I was tearing up and cursing for the day I could shrug off such pain, Amy was fluttering in the air pouting and stomping up a storm, {Amy: "Darky is in no condition to go out and fight again! Darky must be healed!"}

{Angel: "Lady Amy is correct, you are badly injured. It would be very bad if you got hurt worst or died. Lady Amy could spend a bit of time to heal you up. Besides, you have no weapons on you."}

Growling, I knew they had a point but I didn't like it. I have no idea how much longer the Cadenza spell had left and I didn't want any of them to be surrounded when it wore off. Taking a knee, I could feel Amy begin working the healing magic on me but I wasn't idle. I spent this time to scan the battlefield and made constant notes on everyone's position. It was at this point I saw a glint of something on the floor, focusing on it, I could see a rapidly melting, thin layer of ice. "Hm..."

{Angel: "What's wrong my lord?"}

"It's terrible I should say this now. But I can't feel my left arm. Like, at all..." I could feel my stomach doing flips, but I had to take a look. Closing an eye, I turned my head towards my left side and slowly open my eyes. I nearly screamed bloody murder. Until I remembered that my arm banana peels when I summon. Paying more attention, I finally see a blue streak gliding around the fight launching icicles. Letting out a heavy sigh, "Nevermind, I'm just being stupid."

A screech catches our attention. Off to my side, I watched as Yukari struck a birdie causing it to lock up mid-flight. As it started to fall towards the ground, Minako runs and vaults after it. She hurled her naginata at it the same way Steve Irwin would dive after a reptile. The weapon basically nailed the bird to the ground. It flapped a bit before both Minato and Junpei lopped off its head.

"What the hell?! They're working better now! What did you lot do while I was gone?!"

Letting out another bolt of lightning, Lilim growls in frustration as the last three birds effortless avoids it. {Lilim: "Now is not the time, master!"}

Grumbling, "Mitsuru. What's the current situation with the birds?"

The birds are weak to piercing but slashing, ice, and electricity doesn't seem to do any extra damage. I'll keep you updated as I find out or when you do.

"Copy! ... Now what do I do?... Shit..." Without a weapon, I really didn't have much of a choice but to hang back and not be a liability. Problem was, the fight was lasting too long and it was getting harder and harder for the rest of the party to even graze the beasties.

Missing another swipe, Minako stomps the floor a whines, "Stand still!"

It was until Junpei got blasted by another wind attack that I really started to panic. "Dammit all! Amy, redirect all healing to Junpei, angel I need you to start covering him, Mitsuru! Where is the analysis on the bloody birds?!"

They are healed by fire attacks!

"Bloody fantastic! I have two cats I can summon and they both only have fire elemental spells! Fuck! Gate: nekomata and senri! Senri, put your healing skills to work, start patching up Junpei. If you so much as touch him inappropriately, the last thing to go through your mind will be my foot as I curbstomp you to death! Nekomata, make yourself useful and try and hunt down those birds!" As if to further aggravate me, I lost sight of my bowie, so instead of going on the offensive, I was running around like an idiot in an attempt to avoid the attacks.

{Orobas: Summoner, perhaps it would be wise to calm yourself. Review what your allies are capable of. Rather than charge headlong and rely on brute tactics.}

"Cut the cryptic crap out and just tell me! Two of my powerhouses are basically useless in this fight! I'm unarmed! And as a whole, we're running out of energy keeping Junpei from getting killed! Tell me what I need to know!"

{Orobas: Senri. She has a skill that could slow down the birds' wind attacks.}

"THANK YOU! Senri! Use whatever bind-y, debuffing attack that you might have on the birds!"

{Senri: "I can only target one of them at a time and the attack doesn't have a guarantee!"}

"I don't give a shit if you can only hit them at a one percent chance or I have to drop trow and wave my cock around. JUST DO IT!"

Reaching into her hat, senri pulled out a sheet of yellow paper with some red writing. I recognized them as the 'fu' talisman. I couldn't see what she did with it, because a bloody bird flew at my face and started flapping up a storm. But rather than letting rip gale force winds of razor, I got treated to a bird burp. As the bird's eyes widen in shock, the fu snaked from the back of its neck and wrap itself around its mouth. Grinning broadly as the overgrown buzzard flapped desperately to get lift, I balled up my fist and decked it with everything I had with enough weight and follow-through that I faceplanted on the ground.

The one I punched took off, looking a bit ruffled but none to worse.

Senri is just tossing her talismans at another bird and finally hits on her fourth attempt, spell-binding a second bird.

With two less of them tossing spells around, patching up Junpei and the others became a bit easier. Trouble was, we still were having a bitch time hitting them.

Observing just a bit longer, I finally see the pattern! The only bird left that could cast was focusing its wind spell at Junpei to knock him down while the remaining two would divebomb him. It didn't happen back-to-back. But after a few modes of attack, the wind spell was followed up. That was my chance. Allowing the others to fight, I quietly fade into the violence and away from sight. I just need one chance to ambush. One shot... one shot.

{Orobas: Your plan is sound, but fate will not make it easy for you. Your shot will hit but punch through your target, either one of the twins will be collateral. I am sorry.}

I could only hope they will forgive me, "Mitsuru, what are the weakness of the twins?"

Minako is weak to fire and light while her brother is weak to ice and darkness. Why? Dark, why?

Mitsuru's question went ignored, I had to hurry up and end this before we take any more time. Switching to Orpheus, "Hey, buddy, I need you to do me a favor. Broadcast out to the summons this exact command, on my word: apsaras is target Minato with bufu, nekomata at Minako with agi, and then everyone redirect all healing to those two right away." Quickly turning to Yukari, "Heal Junpei! No matter what."

Ignoring everything else, I'm crouched lowed with all my weight resting on the balls of my feet. Taking deep inhale to calm myself. Freeing my mind of any doubt. As my eyes track the magic-bird, my right hand feels the cold metal of my wallet chain and follows the links toward my pocket. Only when my last two fingers wrap around the textured rubber of the handle do I let out the exhale.

Breathing in again, I could see the exact moment the garu spell is sent downwards at Junpei.

Exhaling, I spring forward as Junpei hits the floor, but my eyes never leaves my target.

Sprinting, my right hand secures my gun and clears my pocket as I bellow out 'now'.

And everything happened simultaneously.

Minato starts to take a step and locks up as the muscles in his back seizes up as a layer of ice begins clawing up his spine causing him to fall to his knees.

Minako charges after the diving birds when a sudden gout of flame bursts to life near her face, the sudden heat causes her head to violently jerk away, throwing off her balance.

I have no time to feel the pain or guilt. Raising my hand cannon, I only just had enough to time clear behind my target and gauntlet my hand before pulling the trigger. Even with me leaning forward, the recoil caused me to tumble backwards. The audible crack from my wrist, elbow, and shoulder was not lost on me. But neither was the Venus Eagle vanishing with a poof of feather and gray-ish mist. I think there might have been a beak and talons, but who can say with the pain I was in. Even though I was slow to stand up, the other magic locked eagle gave up the attack on Junpei and was now desperately flapping to stop its dive. Not wasting time, I grabbed my wallet chain and gave it a rough yank, tearing it free from my ripped up belt (courtesy of the fuckin' birds' earlier blender attack). As the chain clatter out of my gun's large trigger guard, I pistol whipped the flappy bird to throw it off balance before aiming at the leader, the casting bird.

Before I could shoot, the pistol whipped bird performed an amazing feat of loyalty by diving at my arm and with each flap, it was bouncing my aim all over the place. I was not going to risk killing a friend, so with my left hand, I started punching at the bloody thing. Retaliating with each strike by pecking at me, I didn't need future-sight to know I was going to get the worst of this soon enough. Grabbing my chain and spinning it so it wraps around my hand, I ball up a fist, cocked back, and put everything into this one punch.

And I basically buried my fist far enough into the bird, that I am without a doubt sure, that I just punched a bird in its balls.

Stunned for a moment, I grabbed it's legs and pulled it downwards while turning my gun sideways, 'gansta-style'. Basically slapping its belly with the cylinder, I angle the barrel upwards as best I can. "BOOM BITCH!"

The shot missed or there was nothing to hit. Can't be sure. Right after the shot, I dropped the gun and was busy cradling my arm in absolute agony. The bright-side was the fact that the myth was proven true. The blast coming out of the front of the cylinder was so powerful, it basically ripped the bird into chunks. Left leg was completely blown free, ribs exposed and left wing was just being held on by the collar bone. In some ways, it reminded me of that pigeon I saw when I was younger that got clipped by a car. It was lying there, with its futile flapping while each breath just brought up bits of blood. Doing for this bird what I could not do with the pigeon, I drag myself over towards it. Making it to my feet, I, with a huff and a puff, nudge its head with my toe so the beak is on its side. Resting my heel briefly on its head. I bring my foot downwards with my full weight before I just start stomping away.

With a last squish, I collapsed on the ground in blinding pain. Why? Why did I take the hand cannon. Mistakes were made and I'm regretting my decision...

I was only vaguely aware of the fact that the last bird was divebombing me. Try as much as I might, there was no way I could move anywhere. With an eye closed, I was once again watching everything in slow motion as the damn thing closed the distance.

By now, it was close enough to see the anger in its eyes.

It was now close enough that I could smell it, but before it could get any closer and make it painful and messy for me, a loud twang followed with a loud whistling arrow slams into its back. That moment's lock-up was plenty of time for the twins to criss-cross their blades and skewer the chicken.

As it dissolved into sludge over me, Minako huffs and shakes her head, "Are you never going to not get into trouble? Oh, and by the way, Phatiamos-san?" Stomping down on my right hand, I was about to scream and curse, but all the air left my lungs when her brother immediately kicked me in the hip.

I blacked out.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen Phatiamos-san!"

I woke up about ten minutes later. The twins figured that I told my summons to blast them, and decided to inflict some bodily harm on me. What they didn't expect was for me to nearly flatline or black-out. At this moment, the two of them are kneeling in apology while the summons who could, all focus some healing on me. Those that couldn't were off looking for my lost arsenal. "I'm not happy. But I'm not gonna hold it against you two. I only kinda deserve that..." Taking off my necklaces, I was pretty happy that the both my bracelet and the necklaces were untouched... But I couldn't say the same for my duster, wallet, or wallet chain. Shredded to hell... Taking off my duster I give it one last sniff before placing it on the ground with a gentle pat. Pulling out my wallet, I handed the cash to lilim, but I carefully remove a small, old piece of red paper before dropping chain and wallet on top of the duster before tying it into a bundle.

Yukari curiously watches my action, "What's wrong?"

"I really don't want to just toss this stuff here. But all of it is completely trashed beyond repair... I'm probably going to have to toss it... Fuck..."

"Oh come on, it's just an old jacket and your wallet. You can get that anywhere."

Junpei drapes an arm over my shoulder, "You're not gonna get this Yuka-tan, but the wallet and the jacket have special significance for a man. Something near and dear to their hearts. Like a sword or their first love."

Lilim just rolls her eyes, {"Last I checked, you 'near and dear' sword is currently with Dark when you tossed it aside for your new one. And I doubt you've had anything short of a crush."}

"Hey!"

As the two bicker, Amy floated over and took a seat on my shoulder, "If it means that much to you, Darky. I can ask some of the fey. They might be willing if you're willing to pay. Nothing we can do about the broken weapons though."

"If you can get them to fix the jacket and wallet, that'd be nice. I'd really like to not throw them away. Been with me long enough that sentimental doesn't describe it."

Amy does a flip in the air, "No worries Darky. I'll get it done!"

"Amy?"

"Yes Darky?"

"Be careful. I don't know much about fey barring from what I read. But if you come back hurt or I have to resummon you, either ways, I'm gonna hunt down who ever hurt you." Yeah, I creeped her a bit, but I think there was a look of appreciation. I think. Pressing on, there was stairs, a briefcase, and another teleporter. Snagging the loot, we warped back to the start and tipped the fuck out of there.

Didn't even check how much we collected or loot as a whole. Just too tired to care.

AN: Wow. Been a full year since my last chapter... There really isn't much to say other than I honestly forgot. I let myself get get absorbed into work, home, game, sleep, and repeat. Lots of work and games. I forgot I even had a story until my sister asked me when my next chapter's coming out... I am sorry to my readers. I needed a more accessible way to forget something that happened and writing just didn't do it. I am back now.