Yeah, I'm alive. But tired. Very tired. yawns See? Anyways, I have a lot of schoolwork going on and (before you ask I still am working on my fics) that means I haven't been able to output as much as I would like. So you're stuck with something previously written, but altered and improved somewhat. In particular the ending. For those of you who have read it before, you'll se what I mean- gone is Sparda's 180 change of opinion. "

Anyway, if I have time I'll finally finish another chapter of Ice to Fire. Later!

Disclaimer: Still don't own DMC or any of the characters. Like, wow, shocker. XD

---

The human captain breathed deep to calm himself down. All around him, his troops shifted restlessly. He cursed under his breath and cautioned them to be silent. Though he couldn't see them in the dark, he knew that every one of them was as nervous as he was. Some of them more, probably. And he knew that most- if not all- of them would never see daylight again. Their wives and children would never see them again, either, though they would know why. This thought caused the rage and hatred to boil up inside him again, and his grip on his sword tightened.

Just then, a series of blurred shapes and lights appeared on the horizon. A murmur ran through the company. They were coming.

"Hold your ground." the captain instructed curtly, jaw clenched.

They would, he was sure of it. Even though they all knew it was a hopeless battle, each one of them would fight until the legs gave out from under him and he collapsed with the life fading from his eyes.

He waited as the demons drew nearer. There were more than they had expected- almost two hundred. Some took the forms of hideous mythological beasts, hydras, sphinxes, griffons, even a dragon or two. Others preferred enlarged versions of wild animals- huge wolves and tigers were scattered here and there. There were even a few who- perhaps out of some twisted semblance of humor- has donned human forms.

As the demons drew past markers they had previously set, the captain turned to the man beside him.

"Catapults." he ordered.

"Fire!" the other cried out at the top of his lungs. The people manning the catapults set the cloth and resin-wrapped boulders aflame, launching them into the night sky. As they rose up into the air, they appeared almost like fireflies. Then, gravity's inexorable grip drew them back down onto the ranks of the demons.

Though more than a few of them were engulfed in the flames, the overall effect was little. And the demons kept advancing.

"Again." the captain ordered.

Once more the catapults fired, setting even more of the demons aflame. However, they continued their relentless advance.

"Steady." he said to his nervous troops. "Wait for them to come."

As they passed another marker, the captain touched his second-in-command's shoulder.

"Now."

The other man lit and raised the torch he bore. At this preset signal, the front-line troops ignited a series of other torches. Just as the demons were about the reach them, they threw the torches down onto a trench filled with dry grass, logs and oil, which ignited immediately. The demons had to execute a sudden stop to avoid charging straight into the wall of fire now separating the two opposing sides.. A brief period of confusion followed in the ranks of the demons as they regarded the "firewall". Unfortunately for the humans, many of them had wings.

Several griffons and dragons, armored bodies glinting in the fire's blaze, took to the skies, flying directly over the fire. One then dived, completely ignoring the arrows being shot at it. It swooped down on the human soldiers, taking two of them in its claws and launching them in the air. They came down with a sickening crack, and were still. Several of the sphinxes sprung over the fire with a leap, coming down on the soldiers with claws and teeth bared. Those unfortunate enough to be in their way as the landed were immediately killed, as the demons swiped at them, opening cruel wounds and throwing them into their companions. Demons who could not jump over the fire ran around it, coming at the humans from the other side. Now they were surrounded, the fire that had briefly protected them now cutting off all means of escape. There was no hope for them, and they knew it. With wild death cries, tears of hatred and rage standing in their eyes, they launched themselves at the demons.

From the forest near the battleground, Sparda surveyed the slaughter with a strange expression. Though he himself had participated in this type of battle before, now he could see the 'senseless killing' the humans talked about- almost like having a dual vision. Finally, he turned away. Unable to watch any more.