*Reginald*

I glared at Margaret as she smirked at me as the ice gripping my legs advanced.

"You think that you've won, don't you?" I asked as I stared at the thorns which had failed to pierce her scales.

Margaret flipped her long dark blue hair. "I don't think, I know," she said as darkness swirled around her. "Next time we meet, it'll be on the battlefield. That is, assuming that you get out of that alive. Goodbye, old friend."

I cut off my legs and threw myself at her. Vines erupted from the stumps of my legs, going in all directions.

Margarett crossed her arms over her face, but her scales shattered as my vines transformed into thorny branches. She gritted her teeth and froze the limbs, breaking them off.

The demoness grinned. "I should have figured that you were not going give up so easily."

"You won't get away!" Rocio yelled as she rushed forward. My second daughter kicked Margerett's arms. Cio's eyes widened as she realized she failed to move her even an inch.

Margarett grinned as ice spread over Rocio's leg.

"Cio!" Skah yelled, running toward his sister.

Rocio jumped back and was caught by Daisaru. The Monkey King unleashed a torrent of green flames, but water shielded The Dragoness.

"Take Cio away. I'll take care of her!" I yelled, raising my hand. Roots erupted from the ground, but Margaret and her kids vanished before I could grab them.

Daisaru gritted his teeth. "She got away!"

"That evil woman got away, but don't worry, son. We'll get her," Daiyu mumbled as she embraced her son's core.

I punched the wall closest to me, turning it into dust.

I'll get you back for this, Margarett. I swear on my position as the Chosen of Darkness, I will get my revenge!

"Serra! Wake up, Serra!" Selena yelled, crying as she crawled over to her son. Her legs were drenched with blood.

"Sel," Woolsey said, grabbing her arm. He walked her over to his unconscious nephew.

"Thanks, Sey," Sel said as she winced. Her eyes became watery as she saw Serrano wasn't moving. "Serra. Wake up. Serra!"

I knelt by my kids and placed a hand on Serrano's chest. "His core is still alive, though its light is dim."

"What do we do, Dad?" Selena asked, shaking. "Conrad got taken away by that guy, and Serra's on the brink of death!"

A green glow radiated from my hands. "Relax. I'll think of a way to get him back." I bit my lip. In case Itou succeeded in assimilating Conrad, I would have to undo my revival technique. That would hopefully spare the kid from remaining a demon.

"Con."

"Serra!" Selena said, hugging Serrano as he opened his eyes.

"You finally woke up," Woolsey said, grinning.

"Mom? Uncle? Where's Conny?" Serrano asked as his eyes flickered.

Selena looked away. "He was taken away by Mr. Itou. Or rather, by the Archdemon of Wrath. I- I failed him again!" Tears streamed down my daughter's face. "I couldn't protect him!"

His silver eyes became watery. "We need to... save him," he said before shutting his eyes completely. This time, he didn't open them.

"Serra!" Selena said, shaking him. "Serra!"

"He'll be fine. He's just tired," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "While he rests, we have to prepare for the upcoming war."

"I don't care about that! I just want to save my sons! They're all I have."

I averted my gaze. "What about me?"

Selena gasped. "Dad, I didn't mean-"

I forced a smile. "It's fine. I haven't been there for you for the past couple of years." I dusted myself. "I'll ask Aster if we can put him in a pod. It'll speed up his healing."

Selena smiled. "Thanks, Daddy."

"It's nothing. Plus, I'll like for Serrano to meet a certain someone."

Her eyes widened. "Who?"

"Hey, sorry to barge in like this, but what happened here?" We turned to the broken door. Standing there was a blond man dressed in shorts and a colorful flower shirt. He looked like someone who had just come from a tropical resort.

I smiled. "Right on time, Mason! We were just talking about you."

Mason removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of blue eyes that reminded me of my brother's. "You were?"

"You're the one my dad wants Serrano to meet?" Selena asked, furrowing her brow.

"Mas!" Plum yelled, running to hug him. "I missed you, little brother!"

Mason patted his sister's head. "I did too, Plu."

Selena blinked. "Huh? Little brother?"

I nodded. "This is Mason. He's your little brother." I scratched my face. "Well, he did time travel to the past and stayed there. That's why he looks older than Plum."

Selena leered at him. "Oh, yeah. I did hear from Shi that you remarried and had two kids with Aster."

I averted my gaze. Great, she got mad. "Yeah. Mason, this is Selena. Your big sister."

Mason waved. "So you're the crazy one."

"What was that?" Selena yelled.

I grabbed her. "Selena. Remember Serrano?"

Selena turned her attention back to her son, who was now being picked up by Woolsey.

"I'll take him to the pod. You teach Mason a lesson," Woolsey said, grinning. He wasn't fond of his half-siblings either.

"No, I'll go with you. I don't want to stay around someone who smells like fish!"

"Uh, Shi smelled like fish," Skah said, laughing as he and Daiyu followed them.

"That's different!"

"No, Mason and he are both bad," Cio said, smirking.

I sighed. Why couldn't my kids learn to get along?

"So, what did happen here?" Mason asked as he let go of Plum. My little girl ran off to join her older siblings.

"Margaret barged in, asking for the red liquid. We were using it to restore Roa's body. It was destroyed after a recent battle in Zionia."

My youngest son crossed his arms. "Oh, I see. Poor Roa, but I'm sure that he'll come back from this situation stronger than ever before!"

I snickered as I nodded. "Roa is a hardy one."

"Say, was that guy Woolsey's carrying the one you want me to fight?" Mason asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Well, more like test him. Serrano's key to defeating Margaret." I smiled as I recalled how he shattered her scales.

"Can't you defeat her yourself?" Mason asked.

I stared at my hands. "My power is starting to wane. Margaret, being a half-demon, isn't affected the same way. The same goes for her brother, Collin. Say, did you see him on the way here?"

Mason rubbed his right ear. "Yeah. He was walking just outside Mom's lab."

I gritted my teeth and formed a portal. "We better go."

Mason swung his arms behind him like a little kid as he followed me. "You think that he's on his sister's side?"

"He might be Margaret's brother, but I'm still not sure whose side he's on. But it seemed that I would find out soon enough."

"Oh, it's you, Reginald," Collin said, turning around as we emerged on the other side. He had on a pair of sunglasses. I had told him to wear them whenever he was here. Those eyes of him could turn people into stone if he wanted to. "What happened here?" He pointed at the broken metal door leading to Aster's laboratory.

"Your sister broke it. She also attacked the rest of us."

He frowned. "So, she's finally gone ahead and done it."

Mason dashed forward and pointed his tiger claws at Collin's neck. "So, you knew what she was up to!"

He averted his gaze. "Some parts. Still, I'm guilty of staying quiet. If you wish to punish me, then do it."

"Mason, back away from him," I said.

Mason kept his eyes on him and moved back slowly. "You sure?" my son asked, letting Collin go.

I stepped forward and peered down at the half-demon. "Tell me, what do you know about the demon world?"

https://youtu.be/f5d0VCHll4w

*Conrad*

Mr. Itou threw me into the center of a circle and gripped the exposed core on my chest. He smirked. "Once this is over, I should thank 'Momma' for her help."

"My mom? Why?" I asked, squirming.

He showed up a set of sharp teeth. "You don't remember, do you? The entirety of the pain you've endured." Itou leaned toward my ear. "That's why your rage isn't consuming you. But it will soon. Now, my dear angelic-half, drown in despair."

Memories flashed before my eyes. One was of me wiping beer off of the floor. I had accidentally knocked down my mom's alcohol bottle while running to turn off the water. Mom had left the eggs for too long that the water was boiling over.

My mom appeared behind me and asked what I was doing. Once she saw the broken beer bottle, she yanked me up by the ear. She berated me, calling me useless. I wanted to run away, return to my room, but her grip on my ear was too tight. It hurt. It hurt.

She threw me to the living room floor and started striking me on the back with her belt. Tears streamed down my face and stained the wooden floor. I begged for her to stop, but she didn't. Mom never stopped whenever she was in a drunken stupor.

Another memory that popped into my head was of my mom throwing the rabbit that Serra had made me into the fire for failing to throw away the trash. I threw myself toward the fire and grabbed my burning Mr. Bunny. Once I got it out, I glared at my mom, causing her to step back. There was fear in her eyes. That was the first time I'd felt sincere hate toward Mom. In the other occasions, terror overshadowed every other emotion I felt.

I also saw myself getting thrown into a ditch out on the farm by a couple of kids. They threw stones at my head, calling me a cursed child who was going to destroy the world. Others even went as far as to call me a demon. Eventually, I passed out from their attacks. I didn't defend myself. The last time I fought back, I nearly killed one of them. I didn't want to become a murderer. Mommy gave me quite the scolding.

Luckily, my big brother swooped in to save me from them after I had fainted. Else I might've died... earlier than I did. Apparently, Tetsu had to stop him from killing the kids. Still, they kept on pestering me. Mommy decided to lock me up indoors to prevent me from going out. Rarely did I get to go out after that. When I did, I met Piedad, which set into motion the events which led to my demise.

All I wanted was for them to leave me alone. Why did those kids insist on picking on me when all I was doing was minding my own business? If it weren't for them, maybe I wouldn't have died. Perhaps, I wouldn't have been in this situation. This was all their fault! Mom was also to blame!

"You see now? You're a cursed existence. Conrad, no, Calamity, you're special even among the reincarnations of Hanketsu. You're not too different from me," Itou said, laughing as his body turned into raw energy. "Now, become the true cursed existence that those kids and your mother feared! Show them that they created a monster in their attempts to keep you contained!"

I screamed as the energy poured into my core.

"Soon, we will have our revenge!" Mr. Itou yelled.

The pain caused me to pass out. My consciousness sat in the same place where I had talked to Hanketsu earlier.

"Brother," I whispered as darkness rose around me and swallowed me whole. Never before had I found the dark to be terrifying. Lonely, yes, but not horrific.

A hand suddenly reached into the darkness and grabbed mine. It didn't belong to my brother. But it did feel familiar. "My child, hold on. I'll save you. Don't give in to the darkness," a male voice called out, pushing aside the darkness. The darkness appeared to flee from him as if it were scared.

Tears trickled down my face. This voice, it belonged to Dad. My original dad, the one who created the earth and the heavens.

"Dad!" I yelled as I raised my hand. My body shifted to that of Hanketsu.

"Hold on, son. I'll save you. Just have faith."

I smiled. "I know you will, Dad. You're my fortress. You're the one I trust, my god."

I couldn't see his face, but I could tell that he was smiling at me.

"Father, I'll be waiting," I mumbled as I could no longer feel his hand. I was once again surrounded by shadows, but this time, they didn't come from Itou. Instead, they were Dad's roaring clouds. The ones making up his canopy. They swaddled me, taking away all of my worries.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :). Any thoughts and predictions?**