Headed by a Snake

With three pulls of the trigger, Lone put two bullets into the back of the devil's throat and one into its bony forehead. He planted a solid kick into its chest, forcing it back through the Gate, to wherever the hells it came from.

Sighing, he spun his body and put two more rounds into the chest of a devil approaching from behind. Slashing his sharper-than-steel sword, he cut the front half of the woman's neck, dark blood spilling out as she dropped to the chapel floors.

"⌈Whirl Shot,⌋ ⌈Whirl Shot...⌋ and... ⌈Whirl Shot.⌋"

Lone weaved through the chapel, swiping his sword. He swayed and spun to dodge the devils' scythe-arms, claws, and teeth. He fired his pistol another dozen times until it was far too hot to keep using.

A four-armed devil with a snapping, slavering maw on its stomach and no mouth was rushing at him out of desperation.

Lone wondered if that was what he looked like when he was losing... Because it looked really, really dumb.

He stabbed his longsword into its chest, avoiding its roaring stomach-mouth. Using the momentum, he flipped the devil up and over him... Then, he pressed his burning hot weapon against the pathetic creature's eyes, melting the whites into jelly.

Grabbing it by the horns, he slammed its face against the wall before cutting its head off. Then a leg too, just in case.

Lone holstered his pistol to allow it to cool down... But the situation was weird. Why were there so many enemies?

Rotating his body, he dodged a shallow thrust of a bony spear, simultaneously grasping a skinny devil by the throat.

"GRARRHAWRRRRGH!!!" It screamed, rancid, hot saliva spilling onto his face. Gross.

Lone pushed his sword through the devil's belly like it was a flame-hot knife through butter. Unlike what people said about him, he had become very proficient at melting butter.

Training made everything better.

He pulled the Shatterspike to the side, spilling the guy's blood and insides onto the floor...

Turning to Guild Letalis, Lone raised an eyebrow, "I could use some help?"

Sergeant Salt and the rest of the gunners were staring, but didn't move an ilm. Mister Lawrence didn't even have his hands on his scattergun, both of them grasping the sides of his horned helmet like he was having a headache.

Korr waved politely, "[YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.]"

Oh. It was kind of nice to be complimented... but Lone really didn't want to fight all of the devils by himself.

"Guys?" Lone asked.

Suddenly, the green-helmeted Sergeant seemed to... wake up, "Gunners! Assist the Lord Ranger!!"

Maybe they were affected by magic that clouded their minds? Whatever it was, it looked like they were okay, now.

"R-r-r-right!" Athena shouted, "We have to help, too! Tanamar! Mister Z! Let's go!!"

"To deliver mankind from the evil of the xenos!!" Zenon shouted, "Death to the mutant and to the heretic!!"

"Right," Tanamar nodded, "What he said."

...

Azalea slithered away from the old chapel as fast as she could. She stuck to the shadows, where she knew she'd be safe... just like her bloodline memories taught her.

"(Monty... Monty... who in the seven hells were those people? Those aren't humans!)"

The larger snake hissed at her in annoyance, his clear white eyes glowing in the shadows that sheathed his body.

"(Of course, they're humans, Izzy.)" Monty insisted, "(They're just... dressed weird, that's all. Like... like Legion Devils. Exactly like Legion Devils.)"

"(Okay... okay... Just... just let me breathe...)" Izzy took a deep breath, staring, but trying not to stare too-hard at Monty's eyes. He hated it when she stared, but it was the only thing that calmed her down.

The plan was simple. They just had to get back to Lady Ananta and report that there were humans... and they... and they...

"(WHY ARE THEY DRESSED LIKE DEVILS, MONTY??!?)" Izzy shrieked.

Monty reared back, swaying in distress and rising in height.

...Oops. She was being too loud.

"(Quiet DOWN, will you?!)" He scolded, "(How in the seven hells would I know that, you cracked egg!?)"

"(I'm not an egg!)" Izzy hissed indignantly... "(And... and I'm not cracked, either!)"

"(You should be nice to your juniors,)" A male voice said.

"(YEAH!!)" Izzy wiggled happily to show her appreciation, "(You should be nice to-- oh...)"

She and Monty looked... up.

It was... another shadow snake, just like they were... but it was big... huge, almost. Titanic, maybe!! He was covered in thick, black fog... which meant he was strong... maybe even Iron-Rank!! And... and his eyes weren't white like theirs were-- but a very, very scary gold.

Izzy wanted to slither awayyyyyyy as fast as she could. Her body didn't let her, though-- she was so scared, she coiled up, instead.

"(PLEASE DON'T EAT US!!!)" Izzy begged, bowing her head.

"(PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!!)" Monty pleaded, wiggling with all of his might.

Izzy let loose a furious hiss, slapping her tail on the stones. She didn't care how noisy she was being, she was so mad, "(We're in this together, MONTY!!! If we get eaten right here, right now, the Lord Master has to eat BOTH OF US!!)"

"(What?! No way! Lord Emperor, please eat Izzy first-- so I can escape!! I don't deserve to diiiiiie!!)"

"(YOU don't deserve to die?!)" Izzy couldn't believe what she was hearing, "(You're OLDER!! It's your DUTY to sacrifice yourself for the younger generation to live on!!!)"

"(I'm only a few suns older than you, you cracked egg!!)"

Izzy bared her fangs and the white inside of her mouth, "(I'm NOT a cracked egg!!!)"

It hurt a little bit that Monty kept calling her that.

"(Then we'll ask the Lord God-King what HE thinks!!)"

"(Oh yeah?! I bet you the Titan-Godslayer Lord will side with ME!!!)"

Izzy wasn't sure if it was true... she just wanted to get the last word in. Monty was insufferable!

The two shadow snakes turned to where the larger snake was...

And there was no one there.

Izzy looked up, to the left and right... in a crack in the floor below her. Where had he gone?

...Was it an illusion? Was she being pranked?

"I'm over here."

"(Oh, okay... Phew,)" Izzy breathed a sigh of relief. She hated being pranked.