The ‘man’ splutters as the pike presses itself through his chest, the base of the weapon rests against the stones of the floor as Canta leverages it up against the ground, hoisting the flailing demon up suspended atop the pike on full display like a grim banner.

A scream comes from his side as another guard rushes towards them. “Look out!” shouts Alleluia, grabbing his hand and pulling him back towards herself. In that second, she spins around, her leg smashing against the oncoming guard, sending him flying as she holds Canta against her chest.

Grabbing her pike from her hand, Canta ducks down out of her grip, jabbing its needle-pointed head straight into the next on-comer. In that instant, only three seconds later, the pike with the body on top of itself falls down, smashing the bleeding entity onto the already red stones. An arrow flies his way, silencing the wailing man for good.

Canta’s chest heaves as he gasps for air. The castle was on high-alert now and they’re very much the center of attention. His body lurches back as a force presses against him from the front. His foot lands back a step, next to Alleluia’s, as he looks down at the arrow in his chest. Gritting his teeth, he grabs it and rips it out of both his flesh and the long since ruined breastplate.

With an annoyed yell, he throws it to the ground, next to the others that were already there, covered in bits of him.

“You demon fucks!” he yells at the crossbowmen up on the balcony. “I’ll eat your eyes!”

One of the demons up on the row of guardsmen moves forward and leans over the railings. “Like to see you try! Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!” yells Canta.

“No! Fuck you!” yells the demon back at him.

His eye twitches. Canta bends down, grabbing the bloody arrow from the ground, fully intent on stabbing someone with it. “Throw me.”

“Huh?” asks Alleluia.

“Throw me,” repeats Canta, looking up at the balcony. Alleluia grabs his hand, but instead of throwing him, she drags him to the side and behind a pillar. “Hey!”

“I’m not letting you go away by yourself!” she yells at him.

“I’m not going away,” he argues. “I just want to kill those mouthy fucks up there!” he argues, gesturing to his bleeding chest. “I’ve gotten shot like seven times now!”

“What’s the matter sin-eater?” yells a voice from above. “You afraid? Bakaw!”

“FUCK YOU!” yells Canta, leaning around the pillar. Alleluia yanks him back just in time as a barrage of freshly loaded arrows whistles past his head, smashing against the stones next to them.

“Fuck you!” yells the demon back down at them. “They’re behind the pillars, boys! Get them!” he yells as a group of metal boots march their way into the room.

“Fuck’s sake,” hisses Canta. “See?” he says, looking at her. “Not so nice now, are they?” He looks at her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she says, looking back at him. “But you look pretty rough.”

He hits his fist against his breastplate. “They say chicks dig scars. Is it working?” he asks, winking at her.

Alleluia tilts her head. “You can’t get scars, Canta.”

“Damn,” he says, looking around for a weapon. Broken arrows as knives it is.

“But I like your muscles,” she says, clasping her hands together next to her face. “They’re very manly.”

He hands her an arrow to stab someone with. “What can I say?” he says, nodding his head towards the approaching pike-men who are coming around from the front of the row of pillars. “A good husband should be able to carry his bride over the threshold.”

“Cantaaaa~” she swoons, acting as if she were embarrassed.

“Throw me,” he says. This time, she obliges, though it’s more of a kick than a throw. Though, ‘kick’ is also a crude word. Canta crashes in through the line of guardsmen, a pike ripping through his shoulder as he flies right into their ranks, his eyes wide, his teeth gritted tightly shut but smiling as he jabs the arrow through the slit of the man’s metal-visor, right through his eyes.

The guards around him scream as Alleluia crashes through them now, grabbing one she had stabbed in the chaos and using him as a shield, as she rams the rest of the group off of their feet. Throwing the one in her hands down to the floor, she lifts her leg and crushes the man’s head. His metal helmet bends inwards, flattening like a compressed can of paste as all of its contents squirt out of the sides.

“Not jealous,” says Canta, getting up and wiping red off of himself. He holds his shoulder with his good arm and feels it slowly start to heal itself back closed. He picks up a pike and jabs it into a confused man who is still on the ground.

She steps on another man’s head, killing him. “What about now?”

“Now you’re just making me even more attracted to you,” he says.

“You’re such a hopeless romantic, Can-ta,” she laughs.

Canta grabs her hand, pulling her away towards the other side of the room. “I know, come on!” he says. She grabs a pike.

Arrows fly past them as they run between the pillars. “There’s no way out down there, sin-eater!” shouts a voice from above, on the walkway.

“Go fuck yourself!” barks Canta, pulling himself and Alleluia behind another pillar as a fresh volley of arrows fly their way.

“No! You go fuck yourself!” yells the man up on the rafters.

Canta holds his hand over his damaged shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment.

(Canta) uses: [Forest Cure]

[12 (WIS) * 32 (LVL)] = 384%

Rolling - SUCCESS!

[SOUL : 80/96]

The wound closes itself up as a green light, oozing out from his fingers envelops it. A second later, feelings return to his fingers and arm.

“Now what?” asks Alleluia. “The only way out is up there,” she says, nodding towards the rafters above their heads. Canta knocks against the pillar next to them.

“Think you can knock this down?” he asks. Alleluia stares at him for a moment and then turns her gaze to the pillar.

“I can,” she says, lifting her arm.

Canta nods, stepping back.

“Chicken!” yells the man from above.

“Says you!” barks Canta. “Why don’t you come down here?!”

“Why don’t you come up here?!” yells the man back down at him.

The world shakes for a moment as a violent crash runs through the stone structure. Dust and debris fly everywhere all at once as the stone pillar crashes outwards into the open room. Part of the upper, inner balcony collapses downward. Canta grabs Alleluia’s hand, dragging her up after himself as they charge towards the crossbowmen.

“Fuck you!” yells Canta.

“No! Fuck you!” yells the guard, throwing his crossbow to the ground and charging his way with just his bare hands.

It’s really a matter of principle at this point.