Fall of the Star Sentinels

"Star Sentinels, blaze!" Akemi cried, impassioned, raising her fist to the heavens, a look of grim yet hopeful determination on her face.

Her companions, stood in a circle around her, stared at her, dumbfounded. Nea and Zaina mimicked her gesture after a moment, but the rest of the group just seemed confused. Lian tapped her booted foot on the ground pointedly.

"Do we have to do that every time?" the diva sniffed, dismissively inspecting her freshly-manicured fingernails.

"Yes," answered Riley, matter-of-factly. She looked serious, but then, Riley always looked serious.

Tomi giggled. "Akemi, you haven't even, like, told us why you called us here?" She sounded stoned, which was far from unusual.

"Yeah," Mary Anne added earnestly. "What's wrong?"

"It's Lust!" Akemi explained urgently. "She kidnapped my boyfriend! And she's got everything she needs to complete her ritual!"

Her announcement made all the Star Sentinels pause and take notice, even Lian. Lust was the demonic goddess they had been hunting and battling for months, dealing with demon after demon that the seductive Lust summoned to wreak havoc upon their city. But they'd long since figured out that she was after more than just random chaos; she was planning something big. Despite their best efforts, the Star Sentinels had been unable to prevent Lust slowly gathering everything she needed to conduct her infernal ritual. If the demoness's plan was about fruition, they needed to act fast, and stop her at all costs.

"A-are you sure?" Nea asked nervously.

Akemi nodded. "Yes. We need to stop her. And save Darien!"

The rest of the Star Sentinels quickly nodded their agreement. Tomi looked more sober than she had done moments before. Mary Anne looked concerned. Zaina looked determined. Even Lian, always resentful of Akemi's status as their leader, fell into line and didn't raise any objections. For all her preening, posturing and bitchiness, deep down she was as much a magical girl as the rest of them.

"Is that why you told us to meet you here?" Riley asked, businesslike as always.

"That's right. She's here, in there." Akemi gestured to the church they were standing outside. It was an old, grand building, all stone and gothic edifices. It possessed all the dignity of a holy place and a sanctuary, but beneath that, Akemi could sense something different. Something wrong. A taint. A corruption. There was no mistaking it. It was Lust.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Zaina was already moving, heading towards the steps that led up into the church. "There's no time to lose!"

"Wait!" Nea cried, gingerly grabbing on to one of Zaina's sleeves. "Shouldn't we, um, have a plan, or something?"

"I'm afraid Zaina is right," Akemi replied, shaking her head gravely. "There's no time for that. Darien's been missing since last night, and we don't know how close Lust might be to completing the ritual. We need to move. Now."

"Agreed." Riley put in.

Nea slowly nodded, and released her grip.

"Let's move," Akemi ordered.

As one, the Star Sentinels turned and fell into formation, with Akemi leading the way. Despite how sick with worry she felt, having her fellow magical girls at her back was a comfort. They were all students at the same college, and despite their wildly differing personalities and preferences, the stellar magic that had chosen them all as the embodiments of light and hope had drawn them together. They made an odd bunch, but while they sometimes clashed, Akemi had learned to draw strength from their differences. Riley was serious and steadfast, and the butch, older girl was someone Akemi could always lean on whenever she was doubting herself. Tomi helped them all relax when they needed to blow off some steam, Nea's anxiousness tempered her instinct to rush headfirst into danger at all times, and Mary Anne's kindness was a reminder of what they were all fighting to save. Zaina's boundless, nerdy enthusiasm was often exactly what she needed to perk herself up. And even Lian, with her uncrackable, queen bitch facade, managed to instill Akemi with a degree of confidence when they were fighting on the same side, and their rivalry had pushed her to be better and stronger than she ever could have been. Despite the worries that were putting lines in her face and the sense of duty and responsibility weighing on her shoulders, Akemi was able to put a smile on her face as she led her friends into the church to face Lust. They were the Star Sentinels, and they were going to win.

***

"Greetings, Sentinels."

The soft, feminine, eerily sensual voice seemed to come whispering out of each shadow. It was dark inside the church - unnaturally dark. The shadows were larger than they should be, and from the corners of her eyes, Akemi thought she could see something moving around in them. Or perhaps the shadows themselves were moving. One thing was for sure, and that was that dark, powerful magic was at work. In the moments since they had entered the church, the Sentinels had found themselves creeping cautiously through the shadowy church hall, uncertain of where their enemy was or what she might be planning. Akemi's concern for Darien was gnawing at her, and it wasn't long before her patience ran out.

"Show yourself, fiend!" she cried out furiously. "We're here to stop you!"

"Stop me?" Lust echoed mockingly. "But, pretty thing, you couldn't even stop me snatching your boyfriend!" Her cruel laughter echoed from all around them.

"Where is he?" Akemi demanded, her anger growing.

"Where?" Lust replied. "Why, right here, of course. Why don't you come closer and see?"

"Darien?" Akemi called out. "Are you there?"

Akemi wheeled. There was a sound from the darkness that was something like a pained whimper. It seemed to be coming from the far end of the church, where she figured the altar must be.

"Akemi," Nea whispered, sounding more nervous than ever. "Be careful."

Akemi wasn't listening. "Darien!" she called out again, as she broke into a run, heading into the shadows. Her fellow Star Sentinels were right at her heels. As they moved, Lust's laughter rose in volume, becoming a terrifying, demonic chorus that was coming from everywhere all at once. Akemi was just beginning to come to a halt, sure that it was all some kind of trick, when suddenly the shadows parted, and everything was revealed. Akemi froze, suddenly nauseous. It was worse than anything she could have imagined.

Lust was there, in all her dark, resplendent glory. At first glance, she looked almost human, but a second glance revealed that she was anything but. She was too tall, and even sitting it was obvious that she towered over all the Star Sentinels, at seven feet or more in height. Her face was slender and she had an inhuman, red pallor, and her head was topped with a crown of horns. Her eyes were like cat's eyes, deep and piercing, and they glowed with a sinister light. Even in that moment, despite the urgency, Akemi couldn't stop her own eyes going wide at the sight of Lust's body. Her proportions were impossible. Her hips were begging for sex, and her tits were, quite simply, pornographic. Akemi's magic guarded her against the potent, mind-addling aura that Lust exuded, but she was still merely a mortal - not to mention, bisexual. She never failed to find the effects of Lust's presence on herself disquieting, especially since Lust was not given to hide her body. The tight, low-cut dress she wore, parted at both sides at her hips, was calculated to inspire shock and arousal. But Lust's body or outfit weren't the most shocking thing about what Akemi was now seeing. That was Darien.

He was naked and kneeling. Kneeling underneath Lust. Both of them were on a raised dais right before the altar, and Lust was sitting on his back, partially reclined as if she was using him as some kind of perverse throne. That, though, was not what had made Akemi nauseous. What had, was that it was clear that Darien had been completely and utterly defiled by his demoness captor. He was panting and shivering and sweating all over, and not from pain. Akemi could now see that the whimpering she'd heard had been his barely-suppressed moan of pleasure. The mess dripping from the end of his hard cock, hanging underneath himself, made that very clear. Akemi wasn't sure what was making him feel so good until she noticed something protruding from his ass. It was a dildo, but not like any she'd ever seen. It was glowing and throbbing almost organically, and from the way Darien was moaning in time with its throbs and pulses, it seemed almost as though it had a mind of its own, and was devoting itself to pleasuring him.

Whatever it was doing, it was clearly making Akemi's boyfriend hypersensitive; as she watched, Lust reached down and carelessly raked some of her long, pointed fingernails over his exposed body, making Darien moan even louder. But that wasn't all. Darien looked different somehow. Drained. Diminished. Darien was captain of the school's rowing team, but his body showed few signs of the honed muscles that he had worked so long to build and that Akemi knew so well. He looked thin, small, weak, even effeminate. His shoulders were less broad, and his hips were wider. His chest looked soft. His face was no longer so masculine and classically handsome; it was as if his strong jaw had just melted away. Akemi knew that Lust had a penchant for draining the life from her victims, but this twisted transformation was like nothing she'd ever seen - especially since it was happening to her own boyfriend. The worst part, though was his eyes. The look in his eyes was ashamed and defeated, as Akemi might have expected, but it was also manic and gleeful. She could instantly see that his mind was on fire with shameful, needy arousal. Lust had corrupted him, inside and out.

"Oh my goddess!" Mary Anne gasped, a hand over her mouth.

"W-what... no!" exclaimed Zaina at the same moment. Akemi heard gasps from the others too, even the normally-unflappable Riley.

"What... what have you done to him?" Akemi screamed, once she'd had a moment to regather her ability to speak.

"We just had a little fun, that's all," remarked Lust, as casually as if she was discussing the weather. "Oh, I know I left my mark, but... he's much better this way, don't you think? I'm sure you liked him handsome, but that just seemed so boring. Now... well, the irony is just exquisite, don't you agree?"

"Change him back!" Lian demanded, stepping forwards. Akemi knew she had feelings for Darien too. For once, she was glad of it. She was glad someone else could understand the horror of what she was seeing.

"Oh, darling," Lust sighed. "I wouldn't, even if I could! Un-corrupting is not really my business." She laughed. "Besides, I think you might find the boy has some very different ideas, now."

"Darien!" Akemi cried out, addressing him. She realized she didn't quite know what to ask. "What... are you OK? What did she do to you? Can... can we reverse it?"

Darien just kept shaking his head. Akemi wasn't sure what that meant. She wasn't sure if he was thinking straight, or even really listening to her. "I-I'm sorry Akemi," he gasped, through moans. His voice, too, was distinctly more feminine than it had been before. "I couldn't... I can't... I can't fight it. Feels... so... good! Ah!"

"Good boy!" Lust purred approvingly. She reached down and spanked his ass firmly, provoking yet more wild, depraved moans. Then, she turned her attention back to Akemi. "Oh, don't look so sad! You can still be together! Come, join him. I promise, the things I will make you both feel together will blow your prissy little mind."

"You..." Akemi felt herself tearing up, but she choked down on it. This was no time for such feelings. She hardened her heart, and pressed her mouth into a thin, set, determined line. Through gritted teeth, she declared: "Hear me, demon! I will beat you. I will destroy you so utterly that your wretched kind will never blight this world again for fear of the same destruction. We are the Star Sentinels, and compared to us, you are nothing. In the name of the stars, I'll punish you!"

Even Lust seemed a little surprised by the vitriol and hatred Akemi was able to muster, but she quickly regained her composure. "Punishment? Oh, I just love punishment! Will there be spankings? Will all seven of you be involved? How thrilling!"

"God, doesn't this thing ever shut up?" Tomi asked exasperated.

"Akemi," Riley warned, by her side. "She's wasting our time. No more talking."

"Right," Akemi said. Then, solemnly and carefully, in a gesture she had done a thousand times before, she raised one hand and clasped it over her heart. "Star Sentinels... transform!"

In an instant, Akemi and all of the other Sentinels were engulfed in blazing, pearlescent light. It was bright enough to momentarily keep the unnatural shadows of the church at bay, as Akemi gave herself to the starlight's warm, empowering embrace and let it lift her off her feet. It glowed all around her, surrounding her, almost as if she'd been transported to a different dimension, one made of light and color and hope. The feeling was familiar to Akemi, and it promised power and safety. It was enough to take the edge off her stress and worry, despite their dire situation. It had always felt that way, ever since the first time, when she'd discovered she'd been chosen. It hadn't always been easy - balancing her studies, her role as student body president, her social life and leadership of the Star Sentinels was a lot to handle. But she'd sworn to keep the world safe from whatever threatened it, and now more than ever, she was determined to keep that promise.

As those warm, hopeful thoughts filled her, the starlight began to spread across her skin, melting her clothes away and shrouding her in an ever-shifting, multi-colored cocoon. Within moments, the cocoon shattered, leaving Akemi in an outfit very different to the smart, professional-looking clothes she had been wearing before. It was a white sailor uniform, complete with a form-fitting blouse, an impressive collar, a pleated skirt, and a multitude of different bows and frills all over. Akemi felt a silver tiara settle on her head, atop her neat ponytail, and as the transformative magic lowered her to the ground, its work complete, she felt that her plain flats had mutated into high, corseted, heeled boots. Akemi grinned. The light of the stars was rapidly fading, but she knew it was always inside her, and with it, there was no way she could lose.

Akemi didn't need to look behind herself to confirm that each of the other Star Sentinels had gone through the same transformation. Transformed, they all looked so different. Lian's body-con dress, Riley's jock garb, Zaina's loose maxi dress, Mary Anne's skirt and blouse, Nea's hoodie and Tomi's tank top - they were all gone, replaced by the same sailor outfit to the one Akemi was wearing. Or rather, almost the same. Each Star Sentinel had their own color, marked on the details and accents of their clothing. The colors matched the names they went by when they needed to keep their identities hidden. Akemi was Sentinel Purple, Lian was Sentinel Orange, Riley was Sentinel Blue, Zaina was Sentinel Pink, Mary Anne was Sentinel Red, Nea was Sentinel Green, and Tomi was Sentinel Yellow. No matter their differences, once transformed, they stood as one. Akemi was beginning to think that, despite her power, Lust, standing alone, didn't have a chance.

"That's always my favorite part!" Zaina squealed quietly, momentarily forgetting where she was.

"Does it really still have to be a schoolgirl outfit?" Riley groaned. The butch girl always looked like she felt a little uncomfortable in her outfit. "We're all college students. And does the skirt have to be so short?"

"I think it's tradition," Tomi giggled. "Or, like, something."

"It's over, fiend!" Akemi cried, leveling an accusatory finger at Lust, who seemed entirely untroubled by what had taken place before her. "Seven against one! Even for you, that's hopeless. Surrender now, and perhaps I'll show you mercy!"

"Not a chance, Sentinel!" Lust replied, letting out an evil laugh befitting a true supervillain. "I'm afraid you're too late! My ritual is complete. There's just one more thing I require, and fortunately, it's right at my fingertips." Lust rose elegantly to her feet, taking a moment to swing her hips as she turned away from Akemi and looked down at her kneeling boyfriend, still lost in a haze of rapturous pleasure. She raised one foot in the air and pressed it down on Darien's neck, her wicked, pointed heel digging painfully into his skin. The pain just made him moan all the louder. Then, as the Sentinels watched in shock, she reached down underneath him and ran a taloned hand along his hard cock. "It's time to cum, boy," she whispered sensually.

"No!" Lian cried, but it was futile. One touch was all it took to push Darien over the edge and, with a girlish moan of ecstasy, he shot his load all over the stone floor of the church.

The Star Sentinels, moving together, began to charge, sensing that something terrible was about to happen. But before they could take a single step, a massive shockwave blew them off their feet, sending them hurtling backwards and battering the old stone walls that surrounded them. Akemi hit the ground hard, but she quickly picked herself up, ready to do battle. What she saw, though, froze her in her tracks once again. In the centre of the church, a rip had formed in reality. She could feel the air itself being ionized and cauterized by the red, jagged tear that hung over the altar, bleeding shadows like an open wound. Just looking at it made her head throb, but the way it felt was far worse. It felt wrong, in a deep, fundamental way she didn't know how to name. All she knew was that, in that moment, she was staring into hell itself.

"Come forth, my sisters!" Lust cackled, her triumphant laugher echoing long and loud throughout the building. "We are united once more! The seven deadly sins, given flesh: Envy, Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath - and of course, myself. Together, we shall conquer this world!"

In response to the demon's unearthly call, the portal widened, and six shapes slipped out from its edges. They were formless, at first, but they quickly gathered strength. Growing and congealing until they formed clear silhouettes. They remained shrouded by shadow, though, and Akemi could not see the beings that had been summoned within.

"Seven on seven!" Lust mocked. "Not so hopeless now, it seems!"

"Be on your guard!" Riley warned, already in a fighting stance. "We don't know what they can do."

"Ugh," Lust groaned, making an exaggerated gesture of weariness. "You magical girls! Always so quick to jump to violence. Why don't we get to know each other a little better first? Ladies, take your pick!"

Without warning, the shadows at Lust's side surged forwards, making directly for the Star Sentinels. Akemi cried a wordless warning, but they moved impossibly fast, and seemed as slippery and intangible as the night itself. Before any of them could react or defend themselves, Akemi's comrades found themselves in grave peril. Each one was surrounded by a shadow, by a demon, swirling around them in a churning vortex of infernal sorcery. A dark tempest battered Akemi, forcing her to raise a hand over her face to protect herself. When she lowered it again, the winds had died down, and her friends were gone. Not dead, simply vanished. Desperately, she turned this way and that, searching for her friends. But they were nowhere to be found. Lust's mocking laughter still ringing in her ears, Akemi's magically-instilled confidence started to evaporate as she realized that, with Darien in no position to aid her, she would likely be facing Lust alone.