"Can you still recall the names?" Leiru asked, turning to the few demons. The group stood atop the tallest mountain in Saphrith.

Aishao shook his head, but curiously.

"I'm talking about the districts." Leiru continued. "Oldenklow." he pointed. Demons stormed out of the circles earlier left by either him or Lisbeth, but instead of attacking the castle, they vowed to turn to the guards, their defence still holding up. "Eggre." he pointed to the right, as groups of demons chased after the people desperately running back home.

He squinted his eyes, grinning.

"Willia." his finger turned to the theatre smack-dab in the middle, with a few guards trying their best to distract the onslaught from the people hiding inside. "...and here they come, Mokota." his eyes drifted towards the bridge, as demons slashed through and eventually made their way, in heaps. "We're in four out of sixteen, five if you count our group, but focusing on the middle is still the most important."

Aishao breathed out.

"What's the strategy here?" Leiru snickered. "Wear them out, be it simply. The weakest of demons will want to attack, and I say, let them. But unlike in Magna, it is up to us to leave the most powerful assets one couldn't defend themselves against."

Aishao nodded, putting his furry hands together.

"I'm sure Lisbeth is out there, fighting someone as strong as her," he muttered. "What about you, Aishao?" he turned to the demon, as it only huffed. "Have you found your opponent yet?"

***

Words ensued inside one of the spacious halls of the castle. What once was a private library of the King's family turned into mass hysteria, cries, and words of being unsure. A few big windows on the sides let the darkness of the rain seep in, while the pillars separated each bookcase, growing towards the balconies where people rested.

Some Royals looked at the ceiling, as it told stories of aristocrats jumping above one another and reaching towards the sun at the top. Royals who could battle, proudly holding Ancient Weapons and rising above the sea of the demons presented below. Coming in from every side, but still unable to reach the top.

"I'm telling you, damn it!" Eryk stood up. "I haven't gone insane!"

"Demonears are demons coated in human skin." some angered, big woman uttered. "Your views are bastardised!"

"Surely, Petunia!" Eryk added, angrily. "If they manage to save your fat bum from being killed twice, then maybe it's not all telltale!"

"Look at yourself, Nuil!" her husband pointed, his moustache obscuring most of his words. In all honesty, trying to bring down one another based on weight, especially in the eyes of Royals, seemed a little hypocritical.

"Letting us listen to a demon to defend ourselves from demons... it's all just a damn trap."

"Nananana." Eryk mocked someone. "How many times do I have to tell you? I know that guy!" he clenched both fists. "He swang his sword around and chased away all the demons without even breaking a sweat! He knows what he's doing!"

"How did the Demonears even find their weapons to begin with?!"

"Yeah, they're not welcome here!"

"Setting something on fire that's already engulfed in flame doesn't set it out!"

"What's your best idea, then, huh, Neilson?" Eryk pointed. "Bless us with your knowledge!"

"Give us the crown already and just let us escape from this damn Saphrithian prison!" he put his hands together. "My family's waiting in Malikan."

"If the King had already solved this issue it wouldn't have to concern us!"

"Wait, what?" Eryk blinked a couple of times.

"It's all his fault anyway! We're under attack because of his idiocy!"

"Could've done all of this way earlier!"

"Give us the crown already!"

"Come on!"

Eryk stepped back. He couldn't believe it. Maybe it's the experience that shaped the answer, in the end, but with the sight of Magna somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but recall the tragedy.

Death, slaughter, exactly what most, if not all demons had in mind. Yet, the royalty here only focused on themselves, even when someone else gave them a fighting chance, they'd still riot against it.

Just like he would, back then. Eryk ground his teeth, stepping off the armchair and frowning, angrily.

"GIVE US THE CROWN!" the chants ensued.

Jyuzou stood near the balconies of the library, on the other side of the wall, where a door led to a shortcut right from the King's room.

His hands quietly tugged on the Lina necklace, as its shine reflected off the few torches on his side. He wasn't as selfish as everyone down there. Yet, their requests were strange. Amongst the sea there, Eryk would've probably been the best choice, but Jyuzou would never know.

He had to decide if the King wasn't to do it.

He stepped forward, treading towards the railing, and everything went quiet before the eyes down there met his scrawny figure.

"Who the hell are you?" someone pointed.

Jyuzou blinked a few times, gathering the courage to blurt out those words.

"Raise your voice!"

"I shall speak on Sir's behalf." Jyuzou raised his voice. "T-To put this chaos on hold."

"Speaking on his behalf and you're stuttering?" someone asked. "You're one damn Royal! Give us the King!"

"The King won't come!" Jyuzou put his hands on the railing, edging forward. "But if it can't be otherwise then..." he gulped, clenching his fist. "I'll m-make the choice."

***

The district of Mokota was now chock-full of the weaker demons, patrolling the streets and running towards any sign of humanity left. The others hid inside their homes, praying to whatever deity they believed in, or flanking their items to push on the door and not let anyone inside.

All in all, they were weak, as said earlier, but that still meant more trouble if they were to gather up.

Such was the occurrence with the workshop, unfortunately.

"Damn it!" Sam pushed on the door, as the force from the other side kept him moving. Rufus threw a chair forward, sliding its leg between the doorframe.

He clapped both hands, pulling Sam away and breathing out. "We've got that covered!"

The sound of shattering glass came in from above. The contraption on the ceiling started animating itself, faster than usual, with Judy holding onto one of the ropes and jumping in with her leg onto the sill, pushing an imp off to the ground, whilst more kept climbing the tower they created. She pulled a thick serving of a strange tape out of a pouch and sealed the opening shut, pulling on the blind while swiftly jumping off and landing on one of the tables.

She breathed out harshly. "Did you seal off the basement entrances?"

"Crap!" Sam uttered, storming downstairs.

"Rufus-" she gasped. "Get the trapdoor upstairs and defend it with your life."

"What about you?"

"I can hold them off."

Rufus ground his teeth, before eventually doing what she asked him to. The door started moving back and forth again, as the chair broke in half. Judy's eyes shrunk in fear, as she waddled away, with the imps sneaking inside. She jumped to the side, pushing with her legs onto the stand of the Great Weapon earlier brought down by Rufus, as the cart moved towards the wall and essentially splattered one small demon into bloody pieces. The others though, quickly leapt, while Judy made a beeline towards the door to shut it.

The demons bit into her body. Then, the other window broke, with the same faces smiling in.

Judy panicked, thrashing around the workshop, crashing into tables, running away with chunks of her blood in their mouths. "S-Sam! Rufus!" she yelled out, crashing towards the ground.

Both Paladians stormed in, as the imps jumped onto Sam's back and some bit into Rufus' leg. The door was flung open again, and the tape on the other side was sliced in half.

Judy closed her eyes. "There's too many of them, damn it!" she yelled, trying to push the nearby table, but a small flying one eventually made its way in.

Sam pushed the imps away, trying to reach Judy, who was strung to her machinery by the neck. She struggled, choking, as the other demons leapt onto Sam and Rufus, pushing them to the ground.

Only more kept coming, in every way they could. None reached for their precious equipment, but all found themselves attacking the remains of humanity, and no one was there to save them.

No one.

Judy repeated these words in her mind, with her vision eventually blacking out. There was no one to blame.

But she wouldn't mind if that light was cast again.

Something flew past her face, and she opened her eyes, shocked. With a slow and quiet turn, she looked at a leafy spear, bloodied at the tip and stuck inside the cobble, which was now cracked, almost revealing another bit of the rain.

She looked down. All of the demons and the creatures wandering in either lay on the ground or some that she remembered were completely erased from existence.

Sandy brushed the sweat off his forehead, stepping in, and putting the bow to the side. "I was sure that I'd miss my shot!" he slammed his fist against a button on the side and Judy dropped onto one of the tables, stretching out.

"You damn bastard," she muttered. "You damn, scheming weasel."

"But it worked, in the end." he grinned. "I'm guessing Katha's and Ronpi's seed was left all over this spear!"

"Stop calling it that." Rufus stood up, pressuring a wound on his arm, and quickly tending to the shocked Sam.

"Anyhoozles!" Sandy turned to the others. "Quick, we need to get the Great Weapon up on that mountain in Talin!"

"Talin?" Judy sat up. "That's kilometres away!"

"T-The basement connects to Ursonus, and from what I could tell, that's only a kilometre from the Talin mountain," Sam uttered, pulling one of the maps. "You guys struck gold with this workshop, but we'll have to make a run for it."

"With all those demons out?" Judy asked. "No, this is an awful idea."

"All those demons mean we need to see the whole town from the top. Talin is the highest point and we have all the people to make it. Pinky promise, it'll all work out."

"E-Everyone here?" Judy asked.

"I'll stay, like you asked me to," Zuimu uttered, brushing some blood off her hands. "They stormed in from the basement as well, but I managed to take care of that."

"Zuimu," Judy muttered.

"I'm just giving back what you gave me." she pointed. "Eh, half-half?"

"Half-half?" Sandy asked, just as Judy stood up, pressuring a quick wound.

"Look, if this fails, I don't recall standing in Saphrith for much longer. We'll have to make a run for it elsewhere."

"It won't fail if we follow my plan," Sandy spoke through his teeth. Sam gulped, Rufus breathed out and Zuimu folded her arms. The scientist turned to the cart of the Great Weapon, pulling it from the side and moving it towards the stairs with a certain ease. Rufus felt a little embarrassed. "Trust me."

Judy shook her head. "Because it's gonna be your view from the top, right?"

Sandy beamed. "Yeah."

***

Atomu ran out of the third gate around the castle, looking left and right. Except for the sounds of the battle and the few demons strolling by, he couldn't find anything.

"Chyuuichi?" he called. The blood trail he followed earlier only led forward, before suddenly disappearing.

Even though the Paladian vowed not to help him, he knew what lengths someone like Lisbeth would've gone to. There was no holding back this time even if... ever.

He clenched his fist, only to face the puddles of water reflecting his expression. His hand landed inside his bag, searching for the vial.

Although, when he felt its shape, Knrhum's Blade made a strange noise. He turned to his weapon, seeing as the half-open eye pointed towards something.

There it was again, as well. That thing he felt in Orania, where each demon's strike could've been seen a few seconds before it happened. With a swift turn and ground teeth, he yanked the edge of the blade towards the figure behind him.

No one was there.

Once more, the feeling overcame him. Atomu turned left, haphazardly, but no one appeared.

One, two, three. All with the same outcome.

Atomu gritted his jaw, putting his hands on the grip and squeezing tightly. He closed his eyes, feeling the danger.

They came from the back. Rushing footsteps, as fast as they'd get. He focused, waiting for the right moment, and when that stress elevated to the highest degree, he turned, yelling out.

He stuck his sword against someone who leapt forward, and the blade pierced through the leg, leaving some blood falling onto the Paladian.

Atomu's eyes focused, as the short pants, the blue shirt and the bandana wrapped from the cloth around his neck flew in the wind slightly, stained by his crimson.

Chyuuichi flipped through the sharpness, eventually falling, spinning his leg and standing up. Atomu took a cautious step back, his eyes shaking.

The figure's arms flailed by the side.

It didn't make sense.

Tightening the clench around his sword, he breathed in, before readying it to the side.

"No." The Paladian shook his head. "You're not Chyuuichi."

The figure threw the bandana off, and the hair moved down and cast a thick shadow over its eyes.

Atomu ground his teeth, while the creature on the other side kept moving his hands back and forth, almost trying to cast something.

A sly grin appeared, facing his unsureness.

There was no other answer, though. Whatever that was, it needed to be defeated.