The silence was absolute.
Only the gazes of the men were fixed on Lilith's figure. She took the first steps forward. The crunch of dry branches beneath her feet was the only sound. The Purifiers began to retreat, stumbling over roots.
Only the leader stood his ground.
They stood face to face. The torchlight danced between them, casting long shadows across their faces.
"I expected something more terrifying," said the leader.
Lilith tilted her head to one side. Her red eyes glowed softly.
"Why aren't you surprised? Aren't you afraid?"
"No," the man replied. "I simply understand the situation."
Lilith smiled faintly.
"That saves me a task. Now step aside. I want my things."
She waited for the man to move aside. He didn't budge. He held the creature's gaze without blinking. Lilith took a step back. She placed her hands on her hips, wrinkling the dark fabric of her clothes.
"Please?"
There was no response. Lilith let out a short, irritated laugh. Her eyes sharpened.
"That's enough. You'll cease to exist."
She stretched out her hand.
A beam of black sand shot from her palm. The stream of dark energy hissed through the air, cutting through the night. The leader reacted swiftly. He threw himself to the side. The black sand grazed his chest. The fabric disintegrated instantly. The skin charred.
The man clenched his teeth. He closed his fist over the burn, stifling a cry.
"This is absurd!" bellowed one of the Purifiers. "Let's kill her!"
Courage filled the clearing. The men's paralysis shattered.
They all drew their weapons in unison. Crossbows with silver tips gleamed in the firelight. The bows were drawn. They all aimed at the center of the clearing at once.
Lilith looked around. She waited.
"Fire!"
The arrows whistled. A rain of silver sought her flesh.
In that instant, Lilith expanded her aura. A blast of black wind exploded from her body. The air struck the projectiles, deflecting them toward the trees. The soldiers were pushed back by the shockwave.
They covered their faces. They shouted. They drew their swords and charged at her, treading on the ashes of the bonfire.
Lilith gathered energy in both hands. Two spheres of purple, vibrant and dense.
She began to fire.
The first man vanished in a cloud of dust. The second. The fourth. The air smelled of ozone and death.
But they were already upon her.
A sword pierced her shoulder. The metal broke through the bone. Another blade entered her stomach, exiting through her back in a gush of blood. More blades cut her legs.
She fell to the ground on her back. The weight of the men pressed her into the earth.
They stabbed her incessantly. The kicks were rhythmic. Dry. Blood splattered the faces of the Purifiers, who screamed with frenzy.
"Monster!"
"Demon!"
"Don't come back!"
The leader watched from the ground, kneeling. His lips moved in a rapid prayer. He placed his hand over his wound. A faint light emanated from his fingers. The burn closed, leaving a rough scar.
The men finally stopped. They were exhausted. Their chests rose and fell violently. Their clothes were soaked in the creature's black fluid.
"Leader," said one, extending a heavy sword. "Take this and split her head open in one blow."
The man stood up. He took the weapon. His hands were steady. He approached the pile of flesh and fabric that lay on the ground.
Lilith's face was disfigured. Broken. But her eyes remained open, fixed on him.
The leader raised the sword above his head. He brought it down with all his strength. The steel split the skull in two. A sound of cracked wood echoed through the clearing.
The Purifiers jumped. They celebrated. They embraced each other, laughing and crying. Their shouts echoed into the emptiness of the forest.
The celebration did not last long.
The leader maintained his melancholic expression. He stared fixedly at the remains.
"What's wrong?" asked a Purifier, stopping his laughter.
The leader sighed. He ran his hand over his face, wiping away the sweat.
"You have to get out of here," he said. "I'll stay."
"What are you talking about? We killed her. Look at that."
"She's not dead, idiot."
The leader pointed at the corpse.
"Her aura is as intact as when she arrived. You'd better leave now."
He looked at a man who was resisting moving.
"You too. Out!"
The Purifiers, confused by their leader's tone, began to withdraw. They trusted his instinct. They looked one last time at the minced meat they had left on the ground before disappearing among the trees.
When the leader was alone, the silence returned to absolute.
He turned toward Lilith's body. He leaned on his own sword.
"Are you going to get up now?"
The mass of flesh began to move.
It wasn't a shining magical process. It was mechanical. The muscles began to pile up on themselves. The bones cracked, dragging across the ground to fit back together. The blood returned to the veins by pure magnetism.
It was as if someone had thrown the books off a shelf and now they were returning to their exact place.
The skin closed. The skull sealed without leaving a mark. Lilith was back. She stood up gracefully, brushing the dust from her hands.
"You've ruined my clothes," she said, not hiding her body. Her voice also didn't hide her annoyance.
She looked at the extinguished bonfire.
"You stole my things and killed my little beast."
She began to approach the leader.
"Is there anything you want to say before the end?"
The man closed his eyes. He whispered something barely audible.
"Only that God receive my soul."
Lilith smiled. Her fangs gleamed under the moonlight.
"Send him my regards."