Before Lumikki could hear the rest of what her companion was going to say, as the woman had suddenly stopped abruptly. Lumikki, with a confused expression on her face would simply match Nikki’s bewilderment. All the while tucking her harp right back into personal abyss.

When Nikki finally pointed in a direction, she’d turn over. The frost mage’s keens were too sharp to miss the behemoth ahead. Its awkward run was somewhat disgusting, staggering with every step as if constantly on the verge of tumbling over. If one wasn’t enough to displease, she could now see it was being followed by more creatures akin but in varying sizes.

”Please lass, don’t insult me. Whatever they are, they’re repulsive aren’t they….?” Lumikki spoke with a defeated sigh like one might have when walking into a mess. This would hardly hold any difference as begrudgingly it was now her responsibility to clean.

”Don’t rush in just yet, we don’t know what they are. Let me see if we could deal with the innocent still around us.” Lumikki held her hand up like a pleading gesture, emphasizing her desire that Nikki should walk. And before the Demoness could hear her answer, she’d unfurl her wings and kick off into the air.

At the moment the two would find themselves within the streets not too far from the markets. It was still a way to the residential area now, but it wasn’t all that far. Not many people roamed below but there was still a presence. A few dozen were still mixed in with the rioters, and though vexing, they too needed to be escorted now. No flames could hold to her chill, but fire wasn’t the only dangers around. Building were being destroyed still, and the debris littered about could also cause more harm. That would now have to be the focus of her men while she gave full attention to the weird ones approaching rapidly.

”I need ye to clear the roads best ye can and escort whoever’s left out the streets. Clear the markets too if anyone’s left. Do it now!” Wasting little time, she’d allow herself to drop. The impact wasn’t much of a bother, but it wasn’t pleasant either. “I’d tell ye to go with ‘em to safety, but I assume by how ya act that won’t listen to me. I’m not sure how well yer fighting style could help ye here, but I can still extend a hand just not as attentive as before. I’ll be headed for that group to the east should ye want to follow. If not, take care lass.” As fast as she dropped, Lumikki would kick off again toward the first wave of fleshy giants.

Lumikki kept her brunette companion in the corner of her eye as she surged forward. Though they just met, it was hardly a surprise to the frost mage that Nikki wouldn’t just sweetly comply to what she’d say; but the “rough around the edges” tendency of the woman didn’t bother her in the slightest either. Lumikki enjoyed the company of those who were sure in their ability and keen on making their own choices. Whether those things served them well was up to the skills and determination they possessed. Of course, Lumikki made it a creed to not be entirely heartless, else she would hardly be better than her Abyssal kin. It would be for this reason that she was in her way, rebellious as well. Acting out of accordance to the usual Demon norm. And so the mage would step in when the moment called for it; but Nikki clearly held herself well. Albeit tossing the citizens of the North like dolls and flour sacks. Still, the agency of the brutish brawler quickly put her mind at ease in terms of the state of her people’s safety.

It was coming to a point where Lumikki could hardly play the supporting role she preferred to be. With the encroaching danger, there was no room to play any games. And so the Demoness flew over to the first of many ginormous beings, now noting the “herd” just off to the distance. With man of its companions now poking past buildings and structures, if they could help themselves from not crashing themselves into them.

They repulsed Lumikki, who didn’t know in the moment which she’d rather more. Would she try her hand at slashing them with her talons, or should she simply encase them all in ice. The mages turned over to glance at Nikki, as if to see whether the women viewed her in scrutiny for her presence. It was then that she noticed the brawler was no longer alone, and more focused on her friend than she was on the soaring mage.

Lumikki turned back to face the first, its wide and toothy grin could easily conjure a nightmarish vision, paired with the lifeless and beady eyes made for a gruesome expression. Its hair was short and scraggly, and though the legs were proportionate to the body, its arms were not. They barely reached all the far from the torso, limiting its grasp and only inhibiting its moment. What more, the sloppy beast kept getting tripped up on the fallen debris. Causing it to fall prone often. It would have been a wonder as to how it could rise so quickly or that many times if it wasn’t a first thought to assume this disposition was one it lived throughout its existence. But more than anything in terms to the large amassed list of its putrid qualities, none could compare to its uncanny appearance. It was human adjacent but somehow nothing akin to one all at the same time.

Lumikki got herself close, not like she needed to with her keen eyesight or ranged prowess, but she wanted to observe the creature in full before she slayed it. Its ungraceful movements made her ponder its sentience, it looked more and more like a mindless beast the more she watched on. And so there was not even any pity left in her the moment she rose her arm and enacted a gesture to conjure her magic. Warping the thing in a cold embrace that quickly encased it with ice and with more time, froze it to its core. Lumikki flew towards the freshly made stature before drawing out her legs and kicking it forward. The behemoth toppled over from the impact, shattering onto the floor when it crashed onto the ground.

Of course, they won’t all be handled with such care, the rest would see swifter results. As when to turned back to the coming hoard, she noted around twenty of these “Titians” in her sight. Lumikki sucked her teeth in utter annoyance, rolling her eyes as she looked back toward her patrol and her new acquaintance. It would seem most of the people were long cleared, the men now were preparing for the coming threat. Lumikki, sure of their skill, for what ever reason still felt utter uneasiness. As if some tragedy was yet to strike. It would seem to her that the only way to quell the rising anxiety was to finish most of them up herself is she could muster it.

It was then that she held back less, allowing herself to shift into her harpy form. The shadows and darkness still mingled in the air swirled and wrapped around her. Until breaking from the blanketed dark, Lumikki flew, busting out in her more monstrous form.

Nikki was not to far behind the harpy, the girl below was her share of monstrous. Her companions also sported a little surprise of their own as they spilt into two and shifted into guns to be wielded. The crack of the pistols were loud in the air, contrasting Lumikki’s silent magic entirely with its rapturous noise. It was easy to pull the harpy’s attention so that she could notice, watching the explosive tactics of the quick-footed brawler from below.

One body of a titan dropped, followed by another eating the next round of bullets. Lumikki would then in one motion, snatch a staff out of thin air. Her precious weapon existed within the realms in between but always at her side. And so she’d drag it back into this existence and wield it tightly within her hands.

As Nikki kicked off the fallen monstrosity, hanging into the air and shooting for her next target, Lumikki pointed her staff toward the brunette and funneled mana. The dark night air just around the girl wrapped and twisted, clinging into Nikki’s being and granting her a pair of wings to shot far more swiftly from above. Lumikki would then turn her gaze back down to the behemoths that waddled quickly toward them. Some better fit to use their legs than others among them. Now that she and her partner were in the air, it would be easier to impede the foes who had not other means to cross the desert scape from below.

Lumikk twirled slowly as she channeled much of her mana into her staff. Letting it pulsate with her dark lavender aura as it glowed and shimmered. When it reached a climax Lumikki felt satisfied with, Lumikki weaved her following motions rather gracefully. As one would when leading a dance. The final motion of her performance now pointing the head of her Abyssal Spine toward the floor and shooting the mana into a way where the ground was slowly freezing over.

Black ice encased the ground, in certain patches black frostflowers would grow in crystalline darkness structures before blooming into dagger-like, sharp petals. The rest was fine and smooth, easy to slip. The pure black almost looking like a mirror to the sky above as it caught the last of the lights in glimmers and shown them back from its surface. With this, the Titans could no longer handle their momentum or a means to stand around. Instead, they would fall over to the floor and maintain a loop of struggling to get back up only to continue slipping.

Lumikki’s dance however was not entirely done. Her movements kept going on in a melodic fashion, as if there was a song playing that she’d keep to, tucked within her thoughts. And her staff would react to such, its hungry form was consuming the next wave of its master’s mana. Readying itself for the next explosive and expansive spell to manifest.

Though the conclusion of the dance was a jarring one. Its final motion was not one somebody would predict. As Lumikki allowed herself to drop from the heavens, her talons outstretched to meet with the ground and carry the momentum form the drop. A momentum she channeled to her staff as she swung it down to the floor and unleashed the stored mana.

From which a wave of rising stalagmites ripped the ground like hunger teeth crushing their prey. The sharp and jagged, black spikes of ice now impaling all the Titans unlucky enough to fall into her environmental trap. The bunch that thankfully flocked together, were now writhing together from the brunt of her “Ragging Axe God” spell. And seeing their displeasure as they both froze and bleed out was pleasing to the Demoness as she kicked back up into the air. Her stunt took out a batch of ten, but she’d leave Nikki to have her fun now as there was not reason to hungrily take the carnage for herself.

Lumikki chuckled, her laugh like the tundra gales echoing amid the icy caverns. It was melodious as she was amused, and in her playful mood, she’d choose to answer her brunette friend. ”Ye could say that yes. Not often someone calls me out on it so directly, they are usually occupied by the chill or wonder.” A smirk crept along her features as she rose back into the air. Her hand gesturing a prayer before send some of her frost magic to Nikki in a winter, whimsical manner. Black frostflowers grew along her skin, though cool, their chill did not bite. Rather, they alleviated the fresh wound on her arm as they constantly withered and bloomed until the flesh was fully mended.

Sure Nikki did not need the assistance there, but Lumikki made it a habit to look out and accommodate her allies. Even such small matters like these were not too small to escape her attention. Was it kindness or compassion? The Demoness would never really know. Often concluding that it was simply a benevolent way to express control and power, the act of supporting was perhaps just a manifestation now of her Demonic tendency to pull the strings from the back line. Or of course, it was just a clash of her internal self, as her human and demonic self mused and reasoned for the potential machinations that drove her. It was just to abstract to define, and seeing as it brought good to those around her, she wouldn’t think to much about excuses for doing so.

”Playin’ a good girl is something I find to be an amusing pastime. Keeps them wondering when the mischief will see its way.” This wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t her reality anymore. Lumikki harbored responsibility that required her to behave. Seeing as she loved her guild enough to choose this caged fate, she’d convince herself it was worth it.