Shattering Humanity-Chapter 440: Tough & Tangled Troubled Ties

"David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Kush the Benjaminite. I put my trust in You, Lord, my God; deliver me from all my pursuers and save me. Lest he tear my soul like a lion, crushing me with none to rescue. Lord, my God, if I have done this, if there is wrongdoing in my hands; if I have rewarded my friends with evil or oppressed those who hate me without reason— then let the enemy pursue and overtake my soul, let him trample my life to the ground, and lay my glory in the dust forever.

Arise, O Lord, in Your anger, lift Yourself up in fury against my foes. Stir me [to mete out] the retribution which You commanded. When the assembly of nations surrounds You, remove Yourself from it and return to the heavens. The Lord will mete out retribution upon the nations; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity.

Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous—O righteous God, Searcher of hearts and minds.

[I rely] on God to be my shield, He Who saves the upright of heart." -Tehillim(Psalms)7:1-11

__________

[Western Demon District Border]

{Ten Minutes Before Dom Spots Vegetius}

Walking down an empty freeway street, with her IceEye at 2nd Stage producing a worried blue aura, Scylia is also covered in Persephone’s rainbow SharedSoulSeiõrShield.

With a set of Sanpaku’s most up to date SunSwords strapped to both of her hips, the wife to be of Sanpaku’s leader keeps her head on a swivel while her brother’s love interest follows close behind.

Scylia: "I really appreciate your help, Honeybun. If it wasn’t for your insanely energizing SharedSoulSeiõr, I don’t know how much longer I would’ve been able to keep my eye ability active.

Sorry if I tore you away from some alone time with my little brother, teehe."

The aspiring author with the entire rainbow representing her soul blushes from both the feeling of sincerity behind the older woman’s gratefulness as well as her playful teasing.

The tablet she uses to write out her fictional story is stowed away in a small carrying case/backpack.

Persephone: "It’s my pleasure.

Besides, Charybdis received plenty of my SoulSeiõr earlier.

I figured, if he isn’t using his symbiote, it’s only fair I assist someone who is."

Keeping her back turned, Scylia smiles at the response from the young woman who could now possibly be her sister in law someday.

Scylia: "I’m glad you think that way, because I’ve been wanting to ask you a couple of questions for some time now.

Now that we’re alone, it seems like a perfect opportunity more than any."

Slightly confused, Persephone tilts her head.

The red haired woman stops and faces her party partner.

Scylia: "You’re from those mountains, correct?"

Not prepared to be questioned on her residency, the pink eyed 2nd Generation DæMon swallows her spit nervously, but nods in silence.

Scylia: "Do you have anything to do with that woman MamMon DæMon or that man obsessed with making Mina’s life miserable, Nephilim?"

Knowing all too well about her own relationships with both the individuals in question, Persephone begins sweating and her reaction is a dead give away.

Scylia realizes her desire to know the truth has suddenly made their gentle conversation feel like an interrogation.

Scylia: "Oh, don’t worry about answering truthfully, Hun.

You’ve already helped Takamagahara so much, and you have Char’s trust. I totally understand, even though we’re on supposedly ’differing sides’, not everyone is credulous towards conflict.

So I take that as a somewhat, ’yes’?"

Timid Persephone nods again and begins to plead her case.

Persephone: "That man you mention.

He is more or less of an adopted father to me."

Slightly caught off guard by the revelation, Scylia’s fists clench for a moment but she quickly relaxes them.

Persephone: "When this apocalypse started, that man took me in. He fed me, gave me my own bed, not to mention he encourages and admires my passion for writing.

But it isn’t just me either."

Unprepared for the overflowing graces being given from her accompanying assist, Scylia can do nothing but feel remorse.

Persephone: "There are others like me who have had nowhere else to go, no guidance, no structure, or nobody else to seek comfort in.

That same man took those others in too.

Even with the retaliation and backlash from some, he has acted as a better parental figure than actual parents I’ve witnessed."

Scylia(thinking): *If he’s such a saint of a human being, why doesn’t he just forgive Mina already?

This whole misunderstanding is based off the fact that man Nephilim doesn’t know Daisuki took the blame for someone else. If he knew his grudge was based solely off Mina’s selflessness, I bet he would feel really, really dumb.*

Scylia(quietly): "...how poetic..."

Persephone: "Hmm? What was that?"

Scylia: "Nothing.

Nothing.

So that’s one question cleared up, so now..."

Persephone looks down at the same shielding magic surrounding her own body.

Persephone: "As for Mrs. MamMon, well if Mr. Nephilim is almost like a father to me, then she would be more or less my ’Aunt’."

Interrupting the two women’s conversation, familiar growlings can be heard nearby.

With only the trees surrounding them, both girls know exactly what is making those noises.

The phyisically fit and reliable red haired soldier for Sanpaku unsheathes both of her glowing, heated weapons.

Scylia: "Stay close, don’t attract more by screaming, and if we have to run, jump on my back.

You got it?"

Scared and almost incapable of defending herself from the gang-like violence of the Earth invading aliens, the brown haired writer fearfully nods in acception.

Persephone: "M-Mmhmm..."

In a surprising style, almost of an ambush, a small wave of Icemen rush from their coverings and charge at the women in a pincer formation.

Realizing her enemy’s attacking strategy, the high adept fighter first charges the smaller group to her right.

Taking out the first ice alien she can, covered in Persephone’s ultra physical ability enhancing SharedSoulSeiõrShield, Scylia in the blink of an eye decapitates her first few targets, their inner red, misty aura escapes from the empty necks, and the human combatant quickly shifts towards the other group originally to her left.

The impressive combat display leaves rainbow trails as Scylia shuttle runs back and forth while defending the 2nd Generation who is actively buffing her overall capabilities.

In less than five minutes, all of the ambushing aliens lay decapitated, and sweating Scylia takes a few deep breaths but Persephone’s aiding energy expedites her respiratory recovery.

With only the silence of falling SeiõrSnow around them now, Scylia in her cool style and fashion, baton twirls her now half charged SunSwords before perfectly sheathing them back in their designed heaters.

Admiring her calm defenders smoothness after a short, stressful battle, Persephone absorbs the stoic sight.

Persephone: "Th-Thank you. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

That was really impressive."

Being the humble woman she is, Scylia wipes the sweat off her forehead and half smiles from the gratitude given to her.

Scylia: "I couldn’t have done it without your help."

Now able to process what had just happened, Scylia thinks about the sudden rearrival of the alien pests.

Scylia: "Including the water on the beaches, somehow there are Icemen still showing up from their hiding spots around the island."

Remembering the information about Roronora City’s downfall, the highly intuitive woman can figure out where the majority of the monsters may be coming from.

She crouches while looking at her magical assist.

Scylia: "Hop on, Hun.

We’re heading South."

The willing Persephone nods and does as she’s told. Now directly in contact with a source of overwhelming SharedSoulSeiõr, the zealous Takamagahara member’s feet hit the ground running. Even with the extra metal weight on her hips and the 18 year old girl piggybacking, Scylia’s sprinting strides are just as long as they are graceful.

In the midst of there high speed travel, Scylia’s walkie talkie attached to the back of her pants *BLOOPS!* and Sol’s voice comes out from the communications device making the sprinter slow down to a walking pace.

Sol’s Voice: "All clear out here on the southeast.

Everything ok on you guys’s end?"

*BLOOP!*

...

[MamMon’s Southern Apartments]

Beyond the threshold of the vault-like doorway is a dentist/medical emergency walk-in office with one of the universally recognisable bead maze toys in the center of the white walled, carpeted office.

Two parallel, rail sliding, bullet proof glass panels are open to an empty receptionist desk. Separate individual rooms are open along the far wall behind the desk and in clear view of the women, from the procedure room currently in use, Holliday leans back in his dentist chair to see who has arrived.

Sitting in the same procedure cleaning room the dentist is in, the muscular, dark skinned man who arrived with the women, Wilson.

Wilson: "Morning, Ladies!

Guess who I found?"

Both Buzz and Nomad’s eyes widen, their oculars immediately moisten, but an accompanied smile from the both of them gives away their overwhelming sense of happy relief.

Poppa, unfamiliar with the unimaginable possibilities due to Seiõr, can’t seem to put together the reality of this absurd placement of a health facility/clinic.

Poppa: "Wh-What...

How?"

MaMmon DæMon: "Is something bothering you, ’kitten of salvation’?"

In complete disbelief, the black haired woman can’t find a way to word her questions properly.

Poppa: "I d-

How is there a medical office down here?"

Playing coy with the newest member to her group, the DæMon acts as if she doesn’t understand the confusion.

MaMmon DæMon: "What’s the problem with the location?

The fact that a health facility exists should be the only thing that matters."

Poppa: "Who built all this?!"

MaMmon DæMon: "Do you ask that every time you come across any professionally built infrastructure?

I don’t seem to understand what’s causing you to be so skeptical."

The confused but contentiously defeated Poppa accepts her unorthodox reality and she slowly strides into the brightly lit waiting room.

Knowing her tactics of emotional and indulgent manipulation are coming along perfectly, the solo DæMon twin smirks, thinking to herself.

MaMmon DæMon(thinking): *The only reason these two are here is because of the meeting in that arcade last night.

After speaking so highly about these two wildcards..."

Usually calm and level headed, the DæMon who rarely seems on edge quickly turns around as she senses something....

From across the dark basement her group had just crossed, coming down the steps is Nephilim, his entire home possé(Silpheed, Mania, Arai, Eden) along with Tristan, Stephanie, and all the residents under the couple’s roof(the crowned quadruplets, Bethany, Icythis, Isfet, Jay, and Peyton).

The group of 14 specially selected young men and women also seem skeptical of their otherwise belie setting at first but the sight of the "Queen" standing in the white light doorway is reassuring to the hastily evacuated group from inside the Sister Mountains.

Petra, the most dependable and responsible of Stephanie’s identical little sisters and the only one who was briefly trained to use Seiõr by the other twin version of the identical DæMons, leaves her group and excitedly runs to her admired superior. The influential little lady also has her large fiction novel tucked under her arm.

Petra: "Mizzuz MamMon!"

Stephanie: "Petra, you don’t need to yell."

The rest of the arriving group makes their way to the large, quiet, medical waiting room in the extended basement of an apartment complex.

Already having been inside, reuniting with the thought to be dead prison pal, Buzz and Nomad stand with Holliday and Wilson. The once separated prison escape group, now smiling ear to ear, knowing they have been reunited.

Looking down at the dentist’s hands, Nomad notices the missing finger on Holliday’s hand.

Nomad: "What did they do with that finger after they took it from ya, ’Doc’?

For your sake, I hope they didn’t shove it up anywhere.

Haha!"

Holding up his forever changed hand, the man with incredible high spirits, even when tortured in captivity, chuckles it off and then thumb points back towards the room he was working in.

Holliday: "Yea, Big Brute Bitch, I mean Butch, tried to make me rat you all out, but instead made it easier for me to pleasure the ladies, hehehe."

At first confused, the two women don’t know what he’s pointing at until the giant of a man, who was in the interrogation room when MamMon DæMon had invaded and caused a havoc amongst New Dodge, emerges. Ducking under the doorframe of the procedure cleaning room he was also in, the giant of a man, only comparable to TayTay, stands up tall, looking down on the Vinland prisoners who had recently escaped.