The swarm was now flying in circles just above them, screeching while the whole plaza was holding its breath in silence. For a couple of minutes, Peter could sense all that tension as he was aiming his gun, shaking, at those large birds. They were similar but way larger than vultures with a head closer to an existential chthonian horror with too many tentacles. They had to have metallic feathers, it was the only reason why the noise they made while flying was so horrible.

  Suddenly, the birds dived on them.

  Peter took aim at the first bird, shot and missed. His previous and only experience with firearms was from a trip in the U.S. and he had shot only with a small caliber rifle. Now, the gun he was holding was not only a one handed gun but also a strong revolver and the recoil was absurd despite him using his strong arm.

  He took aim and shot again. While he did not hit his original target, the swarm was now dense and close enough for the bullet to hit another bird. But that bird was still diving, despite a bullet in the abdomen. Those birds were really resilient.

  Peter shot again and again. He did not try to really aim anymore and was just shooting at the swarm. Behind him, he heard a loud and repeated sound. Lucas was firing with a large machine gun that partially merged with his arms.

  “Stay focus, newborn.” Ben shouted at him.

  “Sorry.” Peter said, cycling the cylinder on his torso.

  Peter kept shooting. He remembered the strategy Lucas told him. His task was simple. He was shooting the mass high above, while Lucas was butchering birds just before they hit the group. Ben was finishing them with his large forks. All around the plaza, similar groups were doing the same thing with more or less success.

  Birds kept harassing them. Their main strategy was to break a group by wounding enough of the members and then do a full assault on it.

  A bird rushed Peter on his left while he was busy dealing with a couple other ones higher in the sky.

  “Shit ! ” Peter shouted. He tried to shoot it but the bird was too fast and hit Peter who fell on the ground. The bird landed on him and tried to peck him.

  “Fuck ! ”Ben said, quickly launching one of his huge forks on the bird freeing Peter. The fork hit it on the neck, planting the bird on the ground away from Peter.

  “Quick, get back on your feet or you’re bird food.” Ben said, creating or summoning a new fork in his hand. Peter did not know how Ben's and Lucas's powers worked but it was efficient to hold ground.

  Still down on the ground, Peter was feeling the power in the ground again. The power was there waiting for him to take it and release it. Those birds were resilient but against a rock spear ? He was not so sure.

  He remembered Tianne asking him to not use his power. If she said that knowing what was coming, she may have very good reasons. Or she just thought he could not use it because he was out of juice according to her own terms.

  He tried to stand still while firing at birds around but it was not easy at all due to his injured leg. He wanted so much for his leg to be healed.

  Power flew around the ground and went in his leg, healing it, putting back bones and flesh where they were supposed to be. Sadly, the process was extremely painful as everything was moving way too fast inside him.

  “Argh ! ”Peter yelled. While he was at it, he tried to channel part of this power to his arm. The process was horrible but his chances of survival were better with all his members working. He kept firing at random in the sky hoping he would hit something.

  After a few long seconds, Peter was fully healed, still feeling the pain of the process.

  He bounced back on his feet, taking support from his stick and went to Lucas while reloading.

  “How big is a swarm ? ” Peter asked while shooting a bird which was diving on the teenager. Now healed, his aim was clearly better.

  “Usually ? Not that big.” Lucas answered, his machine gun arms still vomiting hails of bullets.

  “What the hell is your gun ? And how do you know how to create them ? And can’t you do anything about recoil since they are magical ? ” Peter asked, reloading it by sliding the cylinder to his newly healed leg.

  “MG-3. Part of my power and part of me being a fan of guns. And I could but my power is not unlimited and it would consume it on each shot.”

  “It’s the same reason why I can’t just keep launching forks at them. A demon power reserve is not unlimited.” Ben added while still planting birds that were coming too close.

  Peter thought what would that mean for him, who could apparently take it from the ground. Was that the reason he had to keep his power hidden ?

  Peter saw a group moving in their direction. It was Sophie followed by four other demons.

  “Looks like you're in better shape, newborn.” Sophie said while projecting scales on the birds. The demons behind her were using bow and swords to support her.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Why are you there ? Can groups move like this during that kind of battle ? ” Peter asked, still trying to focus on his targets.

  “Believe it or not, but for some of us, those battles are almost fun.” She said.

  “Fun ? Isn’t this a life or death situation ? With other people, you know, risking their lives ? ” Peter retorted.

  “We did all we could to maximize the survival of everyone. Now, in the middle of the battle, it’s time to have fun and let ourselves go wild.” Sophie said, excited.

  As she ended her sentence, she started dancing around sending large scales with each of her moves. Those scales were slicing birds as a hot knife in soft butter.

  “Believe me, Tianne is probably having as much fun if not more as we speak.” Sophie said, gently swirling around the group in an impressive dance.

  He kept firing, trying to keep his focus on the bird mass. Click ! Wait, already six bullets ? Peter swore to himself he counted only five shots before rolling the gun against his leg.

  “Yeah. I hope she is okay.” Peter said.

  “Oh, I honestly pity the part of the swarm that will go to her. The Feather Witch is not someone to mess with and she will teach them in the hardest way possible.”

  “You were kinda messing with her, sooner, at the council.” Peter said with a playful tone.

  The size of the swarm above them was getting smaller but it was still large and Peter did not know for how long they would have to hold.

  “Well, when you spend a century and a half in the bed of someone and the next one argumenting for everything and nothing, it does create that kind of special link.” Sophie answered with a smile.

  “Oh ! I was not expecting that one.” Peter said. Click ! Again ? Sophie was probably distracting him.

  “What ? Two women together ? I’m pretty sure it’s accepted now up there. At least, if I’m to believe what the last ones to fall said. Don’t tell me the society changed back on this.” Sophie said, launching volley of scales after volley of scales up towards the swarm.

  “Well, it depends on where and with whom you are talking but I reassure you, nothing of the sort. I was more surprised by a two hundred year old relationship. By the way, is that why you are in Hell ?” Peter said. He noticed that Sophie was less dancing with the time passing and more focusing on her volleys.

  “Peter. Learn that it’s rarely well perceived to ask others demons why they are in hell. And some of them are still not understanding it.” Sophie said with a quick look towards Lucas. “But no, homosexuality is apparently not a sin for the douchebag high above, despite what we learned at the temple.” Sophie said.

  Click ! Okay, that time, Peter counted four shots. Something was definitely not right. He turned back to look at Lucas. The teenager was on his knee. His machine gun was getting more blurry and the fire rate was getting smaller.

  “Lucas. What’s happening to you ? ” Peter asked, worried. Lucas was clearly one of the main firepowers of the whole plaza and if he was going down, that could not end well.

  “Hey, you remember when I said my gun power is not unlimited ? Well, we are hitting the end of the tank. Pun intended.” Lucas said, with a joy that was clearly hiding panic.

  Peter stopped shooting, no point in using more of Lucas’ reserve and looked around. All around the plaza, demons were breathing heavily, exhausted, some of them looked almost human. He turned to Sophie to see that a large part of her scales were now absent leaving a grey human flesh. He took a quick look at Ben to see his horns were way smaller than before.

  Peter looked up. The swarm was smaller but not way smaller. They will not destroy it enough to make the survivors fly away. This was bad.

  “Lucas, can demons share power between them ? ” Peter asked. He still had some of what he took when he healed his body.

  “Not without a lot of training, and believe me, you can’t have enough in you right now. It’s already a miracle you healed.” Lucas said. He was now clearly panicking and Peter could understand that. They were all going to die, devoured by birds in Hell.

  But Peter was not panicking. Fear was a good thing but falling to it was the worst thing to do. Tianne told him to not use his power, to keep it hidden. But what was the point of such a rule if everyone was dead ? He did not die to have his soul destroyed by a stupid bird or even tens of thousands of them. No, he won’t let everyone struggle and die around him if he could do something. Lucas was a nice one, Sophie was kind of funny for a three hundred lady and Ben fought at his side since the start of this battle. He had to act.

  Peter stomped the ground with his left foot trying to feel the power in the ground again. It was there waiting, not disturbed at all by all that was happening above ground. Peter sent his perception deeper. He was going to need a lot of it. Power went stronger and stronger as his perception went deeper. All of that power, ready to be used and released. What Peter used when he fought the pack of dogs was barely a tiny fraction of that, maybe not even noticeable compared to the large quantity he was now ready to use.

  Peter raised his hand, wanting to send a full rain of rock spears to that horrible swarm. But nothing happened, the huge volume of power stayed where it was

  “Peter, no. We can still push back the swarm.” Lucas said. His weapon was barely recognizable and his fire rate was closer to a musket rifle rather than the machine gun he had.

  “Peter, yes, Tianne definitely lied to me. You know your power. Use it. Put your will in it” Sophie said. Her face only had two scales on it.

  “It’s the only option, Lucas.” Peter said as more and more screams were coming from demons.

  Peter put both his palm on the ground, dropping his stick, and ordered the power to move. This was his power. This was the thing that will save everyone. He started raising his hands. The power was heavy. Like absolutedamned heavy. But it will move. Peter was going to save everyone.

  “You can do it. It’s kind of now or never.” Sophie said, on the verge of panic, with one large unique scale in her hand.

  Lucas was laying on the ground and Ben was trying to defend him the best he could as the swarm was getting closer and denser around them by the second.

  “Raaah.” Peter shouted. He will kill each of those fucking birds.

  The resistance snapped and the power went up as Peter raised both his hands high above him.

  The earth started to rumble and rapidly quaked. The swarm apparently felt it and started to fly away.

  “Oh no, you won’t flee, you won’t survive.” Peter said with all his anger. “You will pay for what you have done”

  “Tianne, really ? How did you think you could even try to hide him ? ” Sophie said, almost laughing.

  Peter closed his hands in fists and rocks spears appeared from the whole ground.