TW: Blood

I find myself on the floor, my body protesting with pain and exhaustion. Michael towers over me, his expression victorious. "Looks like you're finally out of steam," he sneers, his arrogance shining through. "Not... yet..." I gasp, my breath coming in ragged pants. I try to force myself up, but my muscles are weak, my body refusing to cooperate.

Michael chuckles, amused by my attempt to get back on my feet. "You're pathetic," he sneers, his tone condescending. "It's over, little princess. You've lost." I want desperately to prove him wrong, to show that I can still fight. But my body isn't responding. I can feel defeat settling upon me, the realization sinking in that perhaps he's right.

"Just give up," Michael goads, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "You're only prolonging the inevitable. You can't beat me." "Not yet," Ellidy grins. The sound of Ellidy's voice cuts through the tension, causing Michael to whirl around in surprise. "Ellidy?" I gasp, my voice filled with a mixture of relief and surprise.

Michael's gaze shifts to her, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face. "Stay out of this, rookie," he snaps, his tone commanding. "This is between me and the princess." Ellidy holds her ground, her expression resolute. "No, I won't," she retorts, her voice firm. "I won't let you hurt Libby."

"And what do you plan on doing about it?" Michael challenges, his eyes narrowing. "You're just a rookie. You're an angel—why do you want to help that demon princess?" "Because it's the right thing to do," Ellidy replies, her voice filled with conviction. "I may be a rookie, but I won't stand by and watch you hurt her." Michael scowls, his irritation clear. "So self-righteous," he mutters, his tone disapproving. "You're just asking for trouble, you know that? You're siding with a demon."

"I'm siding with what's right," Ellidy shoots back, her gaze unwavering. "And that means standing up against you. And Heaven." Michael sneers, clearly unimpressed by her defiant attitude. "You're delusional," he scoffs. "You think you can take on Heaven?" "No clue," Ellidy replies, her voice steady, "but I'm not standing by you anymore."

"Well, aren't you a little saint," Michael mocks, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "But your 'righteousness' won't save you from the consequences of your actions." Michael takes a step toward Ellidy, his expression menacing. "So, you want to fight, too?" he asks, his voice filled with anger. Ellidy readies herself, her grip on her sword tightening. "If I have to," she replies, her tone defiant.

Michael scoffs, his eyes locked on Ellidy. "You're making a mistake," he warns, his voice filled with menace. Ellidy squares her shoulders, her eyes never leaving Michael. "Maybe," she acknowledges, her voice steady. "But I won't back down." 

The clash of their swords rings through the air as they exchange blows. Despite the difference in their experience, Ellidy holds her ground, her moves precise and calculated. Michael seems taken aback by her skill, his arrogance slipping momentarily as he realizes he underestimated her. He increases the intensity of his attacks, trying to overwhelm her.

Despite the barrage of attacks, Ellidy keeps her cool, deflecting each blow with quick, precise motions. Her expression is focused, every move fueled by her determination to protect me. Her breaths come in short gasps, the effort of holding her own against him starting to show. Michael, on the other hand, is growing increasingly frustrated with her resistance. He doubles down on his attacks, putting all his strength into each blow, determined to break through her defense.

Despite the pain and weariness coursing through my body, I can't help but feel a glimmer of hope and pride as I watch Ellidy hold her own against Michael. "She's incredible," I whisper, my voice hoarse. Michael, sensing my comment, shoots a brief glare in my direction, his irritation clear. "Save your praises," he snaps, his tone brusque. "She won't last much longer."

I can see the strain becoming apparent in Ellidy's face, her muscles tensing and her breath coming in shallow gasps. But despite her exhaustion, her determination remains steadfast. Michael continues his onslaught, his attacks becoming fiercer and more powerful. He can sense Ellidy's weakening stamina and he's pushing his advantage.

"You're getting sloppy," he jeers, his confidence returning. "It's only a matter of time before you collapse, rookie." Ellidy responds with a glare, her breath coming in labored gasps. She's fighting for every ounce of strength she has left, her determination the only thing keeping her standing. Despite her exhaustion, Ellidy continues to deflect his attacks, but it's becoming increasingly difficult. Her parries become less precise, and she's visibly struggling to hold her ground.

"Just give up," he goads, his tone condescending. "You're out of ideas." Ellidy smirks. "Not all ideas." Michael sneers at her response, his impatience growing. "And what ideas could you possibly have left?" he mocks, his voice dripping with derision.

Caught off guard, Michael's sword goes flying out of his hand, his expression momentarily shocked. He looks at Ellidy with a mixture of annoyance and surprise. Michael's irritation turns to anger, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You're starting to get on my nerves, you know that?" he snarls, his eyes narrowing.

Michael's focus on the sword leaves him momentarily distracted, giving Ellidy and me the opportunity to make our escape. She grabs my hand tightly, pulling me up, and we start to run away from the scene. I feel a mix of confusion and panic as we flee, the pain and exhaustion from the fight still lingering in my body.

"What are we doing?" I gasp, my breath coming in ragged pants. "We're not gonna win this fight," Ellidy replies, her voice steady despite her own fatigue. "Not here at least. We need to regroup, think of a plan." "Let's get to Hell," I blurt. Ellidy nods in agreement, her expression set with determination. "Alright, let's go," she says, continuing to run, pulling me along with her.

As we run, I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my side, causing me to gasp in pain. The exhaustion from the fight and the sudden movements are taking their toll on my body. I stumble, my pace slowing as I clutch my side.

"Libby, are you okay?" Ellidy asks, glancing at me with concern, her own breath coming in labored pants. "You don't look totally okay," she replies, her tone laced with concern. "You're clutching your side. Are you hurt?" "No, no, I'm fine," I insist, but when I look at my hand, it's red with blood.

Ellidy immediately catches sight of the blood on my hand, her expression darkening. "You're bleeding," she gasps, grabbing my hand to examine it. "What happened?" "He stabbed me when he knocked me down," I admit, rolling my eyes. Ellidy's expression darkens further, her eyes filled with anger and concern. "Those bastards didn't hold back, did they?" she mutters, gently inspecting the wound.

"It looks like it isn't too deep," she mutters with relief. "But it's bleeding quite a bit. We need to stop the bleeding, quickly." She looks around, searching for something to use as a makeshift bandage. "Do you have anything we can use?" she asks, her gaze scanning our surroundings. I shake my head, "No, we just need to get to Hell." "Alright," Ellidy nods, her expression determined. She reaches out and offers her arm. "Lean on me. We'll get there as quickly as possible."