*Hyosetsu*

Rosa gasped as a pink prism of light suddenly appeared near the ruins.

"What is that?" Yuko asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm not getting good vibes from it," Tetsuya said as he stopped flying.

I glanced up and watched as Setsuko and Serrano flew toward the top.

Suddenly, the prism of light transformed into a giant pagoda. Oddly, the flames swarming around its base didn't even get near it.

"Serra!" Tetsu yelled. He flew upward.

"Stop! It's a trap!" I yelled. "As you said, that thing gives off bad vibes."

"Yeah, but I have to help my cousin!"

"He can take care of himself. I know mine can."

Tetsuya smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

It was surprising to hear him agree so quickly. I'd thought it was going to take me longer to convince him.

"Con is over there," Rosa said. She gasped as a portal opened. A dog with a rat on top of its head ran into it. "Aren't those your aunts?"

"Selena, yeah, but this is my first time seeing my aunt Rocio in her mouse form," Tetsuya said, scratching his head. "She's tiny."

"Seems they're running from your cousin," I said, eyeing at the black-winged white-haired boy.

"Oh, more guests," the possessed Conrad said as he flew over to us.

"Itou, I knew you were a snake!" Rosa yelled.

He laughed. "Well, yes. I am known as a serpent by many. Though, right now, I'm a cuddly bunny."

I scrunched my nose. "Stop that. It's disgusting."

He laughed. "Well, if it isn't the crybaby. I didn't expect you to join them."

I scoffed. "That me died with my dad. Now, release my brother's friend and the others!" I rushed at him, but he blocked with his sword. I pushed back against him, sending him flying.

He shook his head. "Sorry, but this body belongs to my soul."

I laughed dryly. "What soul? You're a demon! Demons have no souls!"

His smile vanished completely. "False. The soul is eternal."

I flew back and swung my sword at him, forming a blue energy wave. "Then you are in for a world of eternal punishment!"

Using the black sword in his hand, he blocked my attack.

"That's Zangetsu!" Tetsuya said, eyes wide.

"How can a demon use that?" I snapped.

"Yes, show me that pent-up rage you have stored inside of you."

I took a deep breath. "What pent-up rage?"

Itou laughed. "Don't pretend. Or is it that a weirdo like you can't read his own emotions?"

I shrugged. "I am not the best at it, but at least I don't toy around with those of others like a creep!"

He chuckled as he flew back. "You sound like Rosalba!"

"Don't say my name so casually!" Rosalba snapped.

Ifrit smirked at her. "Right, let that closed-off anger out. Both Yuko and you have demonstrated the purest of rage. It's all so beautiful! Though, Yuko's has to be the best I've ever seen."

Yuko gritted her teeth. "Yuko doesn't like this guy!" Sand poured out of her hands and grasped him.

"You need more rage. This sand is too weak to do anything to me," Itou said, blowing the sand and the four of us away with a swing of his sword.

Tetsuya formed a barrier around us. "You three, don't be so hasty to attack!"

"Ohh, it's odd to see you so calm, rapist," Itou said with a chuckle.

Tetsuya gritted his teeth. "You know that's a lie! One of your fellow archdemons controlled Eiichi!"

He shook his head. "No. All Anestarte did was draw out the lust buried inside of that young man. A desire which consumed him." The demon held a hand out. "A desire which consumed you too. The drug that Eiichi placed into that cup would've had no effect if you had no lust for the princess. What happened was all on you. Well, not entirely, the princess was also responsible."

Ifrit winced as lasers shot through his left arm. "Shut up!" Rosa yelled, glaring at him.

He held out his hands and laughed. "Yes, show me more of that wrath. Let the fury come out!"

"Stop it, Rosa!" I yelled. She didn't listen, charging at the demon instead.

Tetsu vanished and appeared behind the demon king. He swung his shield at his possessed cousin.

"Impressive. You've grown stronger, Shield Knight," Ifrit said, grasping Agnes. "I'm truly thankful for your help. If Dante and you hadn't died, Hanketsu wouldn't have been reunited with me in control at this present moment."

Tetsu gritted his teeth and unleashed flames from his shield. Much to my surprise, the fire demon let go of it and grasped his hand.

"Damn it! I have to fix this," Ifrit mumbled.

"What was that?" Yuko asked, leaning forward. "Why is mean guy weak against fire? Nori said he's a fire demon."

"Yeah, he is." However, Hanketsu wasn't a fire being, to begin with. Could reunification have resulted in the loss of some of his powers?

I laughed. "Grasp the flames around you, Tetsuya!" I yelled.

Tetsuya grinned. "No need to tell me twice!" The flames disappeared into his shield's core.

Ifrit shook his head. "You fools think you can defeat me with fire? I might not be immune to it anymore, but it matters not." He waved his sword, slashing Agnes in half.

"Tetsu!" Rosa yelled as a white-eyed Tetsuya fell toward the ground.

"Master!" Yuko yelled, sending her sand over to him.

"You three will die too!" Ifrit yelled. He rushed at Rosalba, but he found himself unable to move as a white aura covered Rosalba as she grasped him by the neck.

Ifrit laughed even as the princess's nails dug into his neck. "Yes, that's the rage I wanted!"

"Die!" Yuko yelled as she pointed an arrow of light at him.

The technique she was using belong to Queen Saya. How had she learned to us that?

"Stop!" I yelled. Itou might've been in control, but it was still Conrad's body.

Yuko released the arrow, piercing Ifrit's side.

The demon let out a grunt. "That tiny toothpick of light is useless!"

Yuko gritted her teeth.

Rosa increased the pressure around his neck and drew his energy into her weapon.

"Stop it, Rosa! He's a demon!" I yelled. "If you do that, Caelio will become demonized."

The princess didn't listen, continuing to drain the archdemon of his power.

Ifrit smiled and stabbed her in the back with a long, pointed red tail.

"Rosa..." I said, lowering my sword. My heart felt like shattered ice as I watched the princess fall to her doom. My body moved on its own and grasped her tightly. I covered the chest wound with ice.

"T-thanks, Hyo," a weakened Rosa murmured. Her eyes closed.

"Rest," I said as I flew down. I placed the princess in a burned clearing. Her pulse had weakened immensely. I had to get someone to heal her.

Yuko's screams drew my eyes up to the sky. She continued to slash at Ifrit with all the speed she could muster, but nothing she did seemed to stick as he regenerated immediately. 

The demon grabbed her by the neck and laughed. "Join your other half too, sister."

The tanuki smacked him with a tail made of sand. "D-don't call Yuko that! Yuko isn't the sister of a monster! You'll pay for what you did to Master and the princess!"

Ifrit laughed. "Nice rage, slave. But that's all you'll ever be, a slave! Even if your Master lives, he'll never love you. He only has eyes for that princess."

"Yuko just wants Master to be happy!" Yuko cried. "To that end, Yuko will do whatever it takes!"

I gripped Baldo and flew up. The air around me went from warm to extremely cold as I switched to my Third Heaven form.

"So, you finally decide to join the fight. Can't work with others, huh?" Ifrit said, smirking as he threw Yuko away.

Hyoryu rushed out of my sword and grabbed the tanuki girl.

"You're right. I'm not the best at working with others, but I have been trying to improve," I said, drawing my twin swords out of their sheaths at the same time. The demon gasped as my ice sword slashed the same spot where Yuko's arrow had struck. It was the only part of his body that didn't appear to have healed.

"Two," I said, smirking.

Ifrit glared at me as the ice continued to advance. Small embers danced against the ice, but they failed to do a thing.

"Just weak flames won't stop my technique," I said, smirking as I slashed his wings. More ice encased them. "That's four!"

He growled. "Think you've won?" His wings shook, shattering the ice even as the frostbite caused the wings to shatter. Unfortunately, they regenerated, just this time a bit slower than his prior wounds. Seemed his recovery was at another level compared to the run-of-the-mill abysmals. But, seeing him heal gave me hope that Tetsuya was fine. Plus, that guy had survived through far worse already.

"Yuko!" I yelled.

The tanuki stirred. "Y-yes?" She seemed to be on the brink of passing out.

"Can you form more of those arrows from earlier?" I asked, flying over to her.

"You two are plotting something while I'm right in front of you?" Ifrit asked as he floated a few feet from us. His eyes widened as ice began to form on his face and hands.

"You fell for my trap," I said, smirking. My aura intensified, freezing the air all around me except for where Yuko stood.

"S-so cold," Ifrit said, hugging himself. He closed his ruby eyes.

"Something's wrong with Conrad," Yuko said.

Conrad? She called him 'mean guy' earlier. Could it be that the real Conrad was breaking through? Or was it a trap?

Suddenly, a red sphere of light floated out of Yuko's knife and spun around Conrad, melting some of the ice.

"What are you doing? It might be a trap!" I yelled.

Yuko shook her head. "Yuko didn't do that!"

I gasped. "Then what's that? It came from your wea-" My eyes widened as I realized her knife resembled the angel tool that Conrad used to wield back when he was alive. How did she get that weapon?

"It's alright, Bunny. No need to be cold," a soothing voice called out. The sphere transformed into a girl. She was the angel who used to follow Conrad, Azar.

"Get away from him; a demon possesses him!" I yelled.

"Move!" Yuko said as soon as Ifrit moved his sword toward the angel.

I rushed ahead and slashed him in the chest with both swords, barely missing Conrad's core. "That makes six!"

Ifrit laughed weakly. "My favorite number."

The angel moved away from him. "Wait, aren't you the prime minister?"

I glared at him. His eyes were twitching. The grip he held on his body must've been slipping.

He sighed. "Conrad, did hurting Rosa make you that mad at me? She wanted to hurt us."

"Seven!" I yelled as I dashed at him. Sadly, a cloaked figure rushed in and pushed me away with a blast of darkness.

"I'll be taking him back with me!" the figure said.

"No, you down! Celestrial Knuckle!" Osamu yelled as he flew as fast as he could.

The cloaked figure formed an earth wall.

Suddenly, the earth wall shattered into sand. Yuko landed an arrow on her chest and Conrad's angel burned part of her cloak off with a fireball.

"Unhand him, you-"

The angel gasped at the sight of Mammon's face. Her face, it was the same as another of Kohri's friends.

"Piedad? What are you doing here? I heard you died," the angel said.

Mammon dashed into the air and glared at her. "What do you care? You never were fond of me."

The angel opened her mouth but no words left it.

"See, you can't even deny it," she said as shadows swarmed around her.

"Piedad, you came back," Conrad said, smiling weakly. Had he returned to normal or not?

"Let him go!" Osamu yelled, appearing behind her and grabbing Conrad.

"Piedad!" Conrad yelled, grasping Mammon.

"That's not her! She died!" his angel yelled.

Conrad cried. "But she's here! I know it's her!"

Mammom kicked the king in the kneecap and threw rocks in all directions.

Yuko shattered the ones coming at us while His Majesty redirected the ones aimed at him.

I dashed. "White Swan!" I yelled, swinging my sword, though it slipped from my hands. My entire body began to ache and blood tricked down from my mouth. The aura around me wavered.

"Hyosetsu, I'll take care of this!" a voice called out. Beams of white light flew out from below.

"Rosa!" Yuko yelled, smiling.

Mammom clicked her tongue. "Another nuisance."

"Head... for the tower," Conrad mumbled.

Mammon nodded and rushed over to it, but a barrier surrounded her.

I smiled as I turned to look at a blood-soaked Tetsuya.

"About time you made it back," I said, falling back.

"Hyo!" Rosa said, grabbing me.

I sighed. "Sorry that I couldn't do more, Princess."

She shook her head. "You did enough. Rest now."

I pushed myself up. "Would love to, but this fight is not over."

Tetsuya sighed as he kept shaking the barrier to not give Mammon a chance to teleport away. "Another one who won't listen."

I chuckled. "Hmph. Like you're any better." Baldo returned to my hands.

Tetsuya held his restored Agnes. "Enough talk, time to finish off these archdemons!"

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter ^^**