From the opposite side of the clearing, beyond the ring of stones, a cacophony arose: the guttural shouts of demons and the baying of hellish hounds. Through the trees, the glow of sickly green fire grew brighter.
The gray witch snarled, "Hell's dogs at our door!"
Elise's heart lurched. How had the devils caught up so soon? Perhaps the mirror-flame's ritual, or the bright beacon of her life-thread, had been like a signal flare in the tapestry of fate.
The Coinbearer immediately pulled Elise behind him, standing between her and the approaching threat. The cloak unfurled, readying itself for combat with a whip-like crack.
The crimson witch's voice rang out, authoritative and cold. "Sisters, to the mirrors! We cannot let Hell's filth taint the Flame!"
The three witches moved swiftly, casting aside their hoods and raising their hands toward the pillar of mirror-fire which now flickered chaotically with images of approaching fiends.
The forest around the clearing exploded into chaos as the first of Hell's forces broke through the treeline. Elise's breath caught in her throat. Leading the charge was the devil who had attacked them in the woods, the same ash-gray robes and curved horns, though now his face bore an ugly burn mark on the forehead. His eyes blazed with fury as he locked onto the Coinbearer and Elise within the circle.
"You cannot hide from Hell!" the devil bellowed, voice echoing with infernal rage.
The forest around the clearing exploded into chaos as Hell's forces charged forward. Trees splintered under the weight of bounding hellhounds and the air reeked of sulfur.
At the center of the clearing, the three witches stood firm around the towering Mirror Flame, their hands raised and chants turning into harsh, arcane syllables. The Coinbearer stepped in front of Elise, mask back in place, silver coin glinting in one hand and cloak billowing, ready to strike or shield as needed.
Leading the onslaught, the horned devil who had pursued them burst past the ring of stones. His ember-eyes locked on the Coinbearer and Elise. "You cannot hide from Hell!" he bellowed again, voice crackling with fury.
Behind him lunged three slavering hellhounds on chains, their handler a hulking demon wreathed in green fire. More lesser demons skittered at the flanks—twisted imps and armored fiends, eager to overwhelm the intruders.
"Begone from this sacred ground!" the crimson witch intoned, thrusting her palm toward the nearest hellhound. The Mirror Flame surged in response, a tendril of golden fire shooting out to intercept the creature. It struck the hellhound and the beast yelped, erupting into cinders and ash.
The devil snarled at the witches. He flung out his robed arms, and a wave of sickly green flame rushed forth, aimed at the Mirror Flame itself. The infernal fire collided with the witches' protective barrier around their sanctum. The standing stones flashed, absorbing much of the impact, but the witches staggered under the blow.
Seizing the moment, the demon handler unleashed the remaining hellhounds. They bounded toward the circle's defenders. One leapt at the gray-cloaked witch with fangs bared.
Before it could reach her, the Coinbearer's cloak snapped out like a whip. The cloak's fabric coiled around the hellhound's neck in mid-air and jerked it back violently, slamming the beast to the ground. The creature whimpered as the cloak tightened. With a brutal crack, the hellhound went limp, neck broken. "Good riddance," the cloak spat, tossing the body aside.
Another hound swerved and charged at Elise directly. Elise, still weak and barely upright, shrank back, eyes wide. The Coinbearer was faster, he flung his silver coin with deadly precision. It whizzed past Elise and struck the hellhound between the eyes. The coin sizzled with a burst of light, drilling through the beast's skull and embedding itself there. The hound crashed at Elise's feet, dead before it could touch her. The coin returned, magnetized back to the Coinbearer's hand with a metallic snap.
The horned devil shrieked in frustration. "Kill the witches! Seize the girl!" he commanded his remaining minions. Two burly, axe-wielding demons lunged toward the Mirror Flame, aiming to break the circle of stones and disrupt whatever magic the witches were weaving.
The blue-cloaked witch stepped forward this time, her youthful face calm as she spoke a single word of power. The reflective fire behind her flared and solidified into a gleaming barrier. The demons' axes struck the barrier and rebounded as if hitting hardened steel. The demons howled, one dropping its weapon as the mirror-shield singed its flesh.
The gray witch cackled and flicked her wrist. Vines from the forest floor, imbued with flickers of mirror-flame, sprang up and coiled around one demon's legs, dragging it back screeching into the mist.
Seeing his minions falter, the horned devil roared and hurled another blast of emerald fire, this time directly at Elise and the Coinbearer. "If I can't have her soul, I'll incinerate it!"
The Coinbearer crossed in front of Elise, crossing his arms as the cloak unfurled to cover them both. The green flames washed over the cloak's dark surface. The cloak trembled, emitting a pained hiss as smoldering holes singed through its edges, but it held fast and protected its charges. "That the best you've got?" it growled defiantly, though a bit shakily.
Elise peeked from behind the Coinbearer, heart hammering. The situation was dire but under control for the moment until a piercing scream cut through the air.
She whipped her head around to see the gray witch collapse to one knee, a black-fletched crossbow bolt protruding from her shoulder. From the shadowed woods, an armored humanoid demon with the head of a jackal lowered a crossbow and reloaded, a cruel grin on its muzzle.
"Sister!" the crimson witch cried, breaking formation to rush to the gray witch's side.
With their unity disrupted, the Mirror Flame wall wavered. The horned devil seized the opportunity. With a guttural incantation, he summoned a massive scythe of hellfire and hurled it spinning toward the witches.
The Coinbearer saw the danger. In a flash, he sprinted across the circle. With the cloak's aid propelling him, he intercepted the flaming scythe just before it struck the witches. The fiery blade bit into his left arm as he deflected it with his forearm and coin together. He grunted, blackened cracks appeared on his gauntlet from the impact but he managed to swat the fiery scythe aside, where it dissipated into sparks.
The blue witch's eyes widened at the Coinbearer's intervention. The crimson witch helped her injured gray sister stand again. Blood darkened the gray witch's sleeve, but she grit her teeth, refusing to fall.
The horned devil advanced now into the circle, confidence surging as he sensed the witches' vulnerability. "Your flame dies here, hags!" he snarled, lifting both arms to summon a great sphere of green fire that pulsed above the Mirror Flame, threatening to crash down and engulf everyone.
The crimson witch exchanged a quick look with the blue witch, a knowing look filled with resolve. The injured gray witch closed her eyes and began muttering a new incantation through her pain.
"Collector! We saw her thread. Swear on the coin that you will protect her!" the crimson witch barked, her authoritative voice cutting through the chaos. "We will deal with this filth, whatever the cost."
The Coinbearer didn't seemed to understand their choice but nodded and retreated to Elise, who was now near the base of the Mirror Flame. He placed himself in front of her, coin ready, as the remaining demons closed in from all sides.
Elise realized with a surge of fear what the witches intended. "No… you can't!" she protested weakly. "You'll..."
"Hush, child," the gray witch said, surprisingly gentle despite her agony. "This is beyond you now."
All three witches raised their arms high, faces set with grim determination. The Mirror Flame behind Elise suddenly blazed white-hot. The reflective surface turned opaque, then shone like a beacon.
The horned devil hesitated, the great sphere of green fire still hovering in his hands. "What?"
"In the name of the Balance, begone!" the three witches cried in unison.
A column of blinding light erupted from the Mirror Flame, shooting straight up into the heavens. Then, in a breathtaking instant, it imploded, sucking inward with tremendous force. The standing stones rattled as winds howled toward the flame, dragging everything not anchored.
Elise felt herself pulled forward, but the Coinbearer grabbed her tightly, planting his feet. The cloak wrapped around a stone at the edge of the circle, anchoring them.
The horned devil and his demons were not so prepared. The jackal-headed archer and the axe-wielding demon were lifted off their feet and yanked screaming into the collapsing pillar of light. They vanished utterly, as if swallowed by a vortex.
"No! I will not be denied!" the horned devil shrieked. He dug his claws into the earth, trying to resist the pull. His robes flapped wildly as the force dragged him inch by inch toward the brilliant Mirror Flame.
The witches, at the center of the storm, were levitating now, their cloaks whipping around them and eyes glowing as they poured all their power into the banishment spell. The gray witch sagged, blood dripping from her wound, but her sisters held her hands, supporting her as they chanted the final words in an ancient tongue.
The horned devil let out one last, furious glare at the Coinbearer. "Traitor! You will burn for this!" he howled. Then his grip failed and with a rush of wind he was sucked into the column of light. His form contorted and disappeared into the brilliance, his howl cut off in an instant.
Every remaining trace of Hell's incursion as fire, ash, demon, and beast was drawn into that fierce glow within the Mirror Flame.
For a heartbeat, it was silent except for the gale and the luminous roar of power.
And then, with a thunderous whoosh, the column of light contracted and vanished.