[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 721 (+1 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 176/90
[b]Location:[/b] Edinburgh MagicaPolis[/color][/center]
It would only be a matter of time before the demon was put down for good. After Red's surprising punch Artemis was obviously hurting, and while throwing haphazard lasers around it seemed to be in its death throes. Perched where he was, the Ace Cadet was more than content to keep an eye on things and support where needed while the others finished it off. That was until the action stopped, held up by Albedo. After side stepping a laser the Cadet leaned over the railing to get a better look at what was going on. If the alchemist was looking to carve a piece off, the hunter couldn't fault him, but it was kind of a bad time for that considering the circumstances. when he did slice into the demon it was not to take a piece of it, but to reveal something inside.

[i]Sierra,[/i] he heard Band and Wonder Red exclaim, to which the Cadet could only answer, [color=salmon][i]"What?!"[/i][/color]

It was true - what brief glimpse they were afforded of the inside of Artemis' torso showed that Sierra was inside of it. So she had been the strange thing he'd seen earlier in the fight. Had it absorbed Sierra? Or was she in the process of being transformed into that thing? The Cadet felt a dreadful feeling crawl up his spine and he took several steps back from the ledge, away from Artemis. At the same time, concern and anger on the girl's behalf bubbled up. Surely they weren't going to be condemning Sierra to her death if they destroyed this monster, right?

The reveal had been cut short by Artemis' pod, and the demon itself escaping its pin and flying up again amid a flurry of lasers. A smattering of them hit the Cadet before he could take cover, shoving a writing desk over and ducking behind it. He stood to shoot what pods he could before dropping down again. 

Detective Band was right - Sierra wasn't dead yet, and if they had anything to say about it that fact wouldn't change, but it require a change in tactics to keep her safe while fighting Artemis. With his back pressed to the desk the Ace Cadet stowed the great bow, running through his equipment check list. After a moment, the sword and shield Master Bang filled his hands. The more controlled attacks he could perform with it would hopefully prevent any more damage to the girl inside the monster.

About that time, Wonder Red returned from getting the civilians out and delegated the duty of actually getting Sierra out to Albedo and the Cadet. The redhead in question opened his mouth in surprise, the second time that day he was volunteered for something. He wasn't sure he was the best person for the job but it wasn't like he was going to refuse - he wanted to rescue Sierra.

[color=salmon]"You got it boss,"[/color] he replied. Then he left his cover, shield up to block any beams that shot his way. He used the Isotoma to get closer to the rising angel, springing into a Shoryugeki once he was near enough. 

[i]Without hurting her inside[/i] was the goal, but the only way the Cadet could see to take down Artemis while sparing Sierra was to hope that freaky head it had functioned just like any other living thing's head, and they could either knock it out with some blunt force trauma or separate it from the body entirely without risking the person trapped in its torso. His sword cut into Artemis' abdomen, another shallow vertical slice. He used the demon itself as a launch pad to force himself up higher, shield first to deliver a powerful uppercut to Artemis' chin. 

Now how was he supposed to get Sierra out? Just rip her from the thing's body? The Cadet drove his sword into Artemis' side to stop his descent, an unwelcome hanger-on. Time to test his strength against Artemis' self closing wound. With the cut he just made already almost closed the Cadet jabbed a hand into the wound to pull it open again. Anyone that wasn't working to subdue Artemis could try and wrench Sierra out, or he'd go in to try it himself. It was a clumsy plan, but if it worked then he'd take it.