Soul Merger

Alissa's brain stopped swirling around in time for her to grab a shelf and keep from swaying on her feet. "Where?!"

Juli flinched. "It flew away north. I don't think it's around anymore. But, well, you should still know."

"Alissa." She looked over to see Fili shaking her head. "We really shouldn't have anything to do with it right now."

She took a few deep breaths and forced the bile back down. Fili was absolutely right. The woman apparently knew about the damned demon's abilities, and their party should have nothing to do with it.

Besides right now they needed to rescue people, she thought as she steadied herself. Burning to death wasn't as personally infuriating, but it still was something she didn't want to happen to any kid out there. "Right. We've got fires to handle. Sorry for being weird. Let's grab Rosalina and Akari and head out."

"Sure you're good?" Clara asked with a fair amount of concern.

"Need to be moving anyway," Alissa said as she headed back to the main room.

Rosalina and Akari were waiting for them there. The dragon priestess was working kinks out of her arms and looked fairly tired. Both of them had gained a number of bloodstains, though probably all someone else's blood. "Ready to head out?" Rosalina asked.

"No quip?" Alissa replied. The priestess had to be pushing her limits after so many hours of healing. Mental fatigue was still fatigue, and unlike Alissa, Rosalina actually needed to use her brain when fighting.

"She'll be fine," Akari said. "We'll fall back if that changes."

Clara and Fili looked over all of them, but the mage shrugged weakly. "Hopefully it'll just be me putting out buildings. Let's go."

The fire's location was obvious as soon as they got into the streets. Its source was obviously not natural given the pillar of blue flames. Alissa guessed whatever was at the center of that was gone. Clara led them up past the main source and around towards some of the further buildings that would have been caught. Several other groups were also moving in that direction, splitting off to handle the first building that wasn't being dealt with.

They'd moved pretty far by the time they ended up at the front of the pack. The building they were looking at was a decent sized apartment with a plaza out front. Several chunks of the roof had already caved in, so at least they weren't going to get buried under beams. "Can you tell if anyone's in there?" Alissa asked Rosalina.

"Sorry, not a chance." Rosalina shook her head. "We'll have to handle things the old fashioned way." The priestess held up her hand and sent a bolt of lightning into the sky. As the crack of electricity faded she yelled out. "Anyone inside!"

Alissa did her best to hear over the roar of the flames, but she didn't hear any human voices. She did hear a cat's plaintive meowing, somewhere on the second floor to the left. "Well this is stupid but it's the only thing I can hear. Let's go rescue that cat."

She turned to find the others looking at her. "What?"

"You're the only one who can hear it," Akari replied. "You need to lead the way."

"Ah." That made sense now that she thought about it. "Fili, it's to the left. If you could drench that part of the building-?"

Fili held down a chip and started summoning a jet of water as soon as Alissa finished. Alissa hurried over and kicked open the door to the left wing.

The heat that washed over her was stifling, and the wave of smoke that followed made her crouch to get fresh air. She'd thought the flames down here hadn't been too bad, but she'd been wrong.

Clara pulled her back and planted a wet cloth on her face. "Okay, new plan" the woman said through her own face covering. "You tell Akari where to go, because you can't be trusted with leading."

"What-" Alissa swallowed her complaint. "Fine. Upstairs." She had no idea what she'd done wrong here, but now wasn't the time to argue.

A cool shroud fell over them as Rosalina finished her spell, and then Akari led them into the building. They all had to stay low to avoid the smoke, with poor Clara basically having to crawl, but they made it to the stairs without much problem.

Up the stairs was worse. Several heavy beams had fallen in the corridor between them and the sound. At least Alissa had a good idea what room it was. The only door that hadn't been opened. She tapped Akari and pointed the woman towards it.

Akari nodded and shifted posture as Ibaraki came in. The oni wandered over and threw the first beam to the side before waving Clara up. "Need your help big girl."

The two grabbed the next beam and used it to prop up the ceiling. Meanwhile Alissa moved forwards checking in the doors. The first three had been broken into, and she saw bodies inside. Obviously dead from injuries. The next apartment had two ogre corpses. Probably the cause of the previous damage. That meant the building had been attacked. Hopefully that meant all the humans had gotten out.

Ibaraki flung aside the last beam then let Akari take over. The catgirl scurried to the door, putting a hand against it, then trying the knob. "Barred."

"Safe to break?" Clara yelled.

Akari shrugged. "Alissa, try first."

Alissa worked her way over to look over the situation. It had been barred, but not locked. And the faint red glow from the iron bar told her that the thing was enchanted. Probably to strengthen the door itself.

That was a good sign. She grabbed a curved lockpick and tested the top of the bar. Nothing. She tried again at the bottom and found a small indentation. Pressing against it caused the red glow to fade. Emergency override for just this situation.

That done she drew her sword and used the thin blade to raise the bar. The angle caused the muscles in her arm to complain but she ignored it. She was rewarded with a clang as the bar fell inside, so she gave the door a push.

The door popped open and the cat began crying in earnest. The puffy black furred beast was pawing at a woman on the ground, occasionally trying to drag her away.

Akari rushed over and the cat seemed to turn to her for help. As her friend checked the fallen woman Alissa looked through the other rooms. There didn't seem to be anyone or anything else.

"She's alive," Akari said.

"Great!" Clara said. "I'll carry her, you get the cat. Alissa, tell us if you hear anything else."

"Right." Alissa slid out the door behind her friends as they moved quickly to get the two survivors out. She did her best to keep her ears and eyes open, but no one else seemed to be here. The woman had probably barred herself in when the rampage started while the rest of the building fled.

She hurried up to get outside after she finished her quick checkup. Roalina's spell dropped as she exited the doorway, letting the heat flow back over her.

Looking around the situation... didn't seem much different. She could tell Fili's water spells had put out some of the worst hotspots on the left side, but there was no signs of the fire stopping, or of any life except themselves.

Rosalina was looking over the woman while Akari and the black cat attended. Right now she was flipping through her spellbook. "Stupid. Forgot to equip smoke inhalation cure." Alissa grimaced. Picking out the right spells in this chaotic situation had to be a pain.

Fili was resting as well, so Alissa walked around the square trying to listen in on the buildings. Still there was nothing but flames. She really hoped that meant everyone was out. Clara was peering around as well, but without any proof someone was in danger running back into a burning building was stupid.

A hacking cough signaled Rosalina had found her smoke cure and was helping the woman. Alissa headed back. "Anything we can do to help?"

"Not really. She needs rest and clear air." Rosalina sighed. "I think we're done here other than keeping Fili safe."

Alissa nodded. Well hopefully that would be that.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the crack of massive wings opening and catching the wind. She spun and froze as her eyes were dragged to the figure that had just landed.

It looked like the perfect example of a man, with short red hair, glowing red eyes and large black wings. He stood completely naked, with a bloody sword in hand. "Well, well," the voice raised goosebumps as it washed over her. "I'm glad I wandered back to find you ladies. Such a lovely party. Why don't you come over to me?"

The magic in his words latched onto Alissa's soul and she saw her friends start taking hesitant steps forwards. His presence, his voice... It called out to her. It was an unquenchable need. A need....

A need to rip his guts out.

She launched herself at the incubus with a scream. It stared at her in shock for a few seconds, her own power washing over him. That was enough to get next to the demon and swing her sword down.

He recovered enough to block the blade and step back. "Oh my. A sister. Or bits of her." He shivered. "I have to crush you," he screamed as he brought his own blade down.

Alissa parried and cut at his arm. He twisted the blade and pain flashed through her own arm as Alissa was cut. But she'd drawn blood as well.

More. Bleed more.

Their swords clashed again, this time each of them trying to just overpower the other. They got closer and closer, her own eyes matching the demons. Then it tried to kiss her.

She lowered her head and smashed it right into his face.

He reeled back and she took the chance to stab. He blocked badly and she pierced his arm. Her merge bubbled with joy and she called out the technique it offered her. "SOUL DRAIN!" Her sword glowed black, and power surged. Her heart started beating faster, her breathing accelerated.

And then she fell to her knees and vomited out everything in her stomach as everything started to feel wrong. There was too much. Too much of her, too much inside her, too much around her. Just too much.

The stupid incubus was screaming too, staggering around as its power bled out. Why was it making so much noise! Its body shifted and cracked as the soul power that had been overflowing waned. The pectorals bulged into breasts, while its massive member shrank away. Within a few moments it had shifted to being a succubus.

The burning uncontrollable need to kill had faded, but Alissa still wanted to stab the fucking thing. She tried to push herself up, but the ground insisted on keeping hold of her.

"Fuck. Well played sister. Another time." The succubus jumped up just as a blast of steam and a crossbow bolt flew past. Alissa hissed in rage as the demon flew into the second story of a building, chased by Fili's spells and Clara's arrows.

Alissa pushed herself up again, but only managed to fall on her back now. This wasn't fair! She screeched in frustration, and pounded the pavement.

Then she saw Rosalina standing above her. "Chase her," she managed to spit out. But to her fury the woman didn't move. Instead she was fiddling with spell chips. Why? They had to kill the demon!

Words managed to get through the pain in her head. "-got soul poisoning. I can stabilize her but it's going to be miserable. Get her something to bite on."

She tried to tell the stupid dragon woman she was going to be okay, but Fili appeared over her and put something hard that tasted like violets into her mouth. Alissa tried to spit it out, but the mage held it in. She'd trusted Fili too! Alissa blinked away tears as Clara and Akari put their hands on her shoulders and feet.

Then pain flashed through her entire being. Her jaw clamped down and she thrashed in her friends' grip.

The pain got worse, and some tiny part of her decided it was a good time to pass out. So she did.