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Their struggle proved to be futile.

Mir finally plucked up his courage to fight back, easily overpowering Hana and knocking her out with a simple sleeping spell from his angelic powers. Cecil was helpless under the relentless attacks from Isleif, and she could only defend herself and watch as Mir captured Hana, preparing to lead her away. 

“Hana!” 

“Don’t worry, you’ll be coming along with her.” 

“I am keeping the two of you here,” Cecil gritted her teeth, sweeping away Isleif’s foot that was still stepping on her dagger. “Until Xue arrives!” 

Isleif dodged her attack and Cecil quickly snatched her daggers back. She transformed her daggers back into vines, commanding them to wrap around the ankles of the two men, rooting them to the ground. After which, she knelt them, slamming her hands holding onto the daggers on the ground, and the ground below them started to tremble. 

Immediately, the ground rose up and surrounded them, closing them into a cube made out of stone. The carpet around the hallway had been torn into shreds. 

The parents of the two ladies had already run off to gather more help, since the two ladies ensured they were more than capable of defending themselves for a moment. Moreover, even the guards couldn’t lift a finger against them, but the two ladies could. 

Their parents weren’t dumb, they needed to contact the authorities in this town, they were more than a pair of typical intruders. 

Cecil panted heavily, a drop of sweat sliding down her delicate face. 

She was still fatigued from the meditation session she put herself through yesterday, and she wasn’t in her best condition. If she had fully rested for a day or so, she would be able to put up more of a fight.

This was all she could do now to hold them back. 

Inside the enclosed cube, it was completely dark but it was something Cecil wasn’t afraid of. After all, she trained with Xue blindfolded on top of stone pillars, with nothing to support her other than her senses.

“I see, you have long passed your second form,” Isleif commented, tugging lightly at her vines around his ankles. “Your vines are tougher than those who have just passed. Not bad, for someone unknown at Xue’s side.”

Cecil steeled her resolve to keep them here, willing her vines to protrude its thorns and it pierced their skin. Isleif only grimaced, stopping his struggle to lessen the pain. Mir on the other hand, sighed and bent down, tearing away the vines easily. 

Cecil knew her vines, no matter how tough it was, couldn’t compare to someone who wasn’t even a mortal. 

Mir hovered his hand over his ankle, within the enclosed cube, the brilliant light on his palm was blinding. The injury around his ankle was healed and he approached Cecil, carrying Hana over his shoulder, an orb of light hovering on his other hand. 

“Mortal, you seem to be a good friend of Hana and Xue,” Mir spoke gently, but he wore a look of indifference on his face. “But these matters between all of us is something no mere mortal should interfere with.” 

The raven-haired woman smiled softly to herself, the light from the orb revealing half of her face, making her smile seem enigmatic. 

“Mortal or not, I plan to interfere in every matter concerning Xue and Hana,” Cecil lifted her head up, her crystalline eyes showing how earnest she was. “I made a promise to myself to see them happy, and I will surely make it come true.” 

Mir widened his black eyes at Cecil, they were originally slanted but her words shocked Mir to the point where his eyes had become round. 

“...are you just a mere friend to them?” 

Cecil continued smiling, not answering. 

Isleif had long freed himself of the vines, and he approached the walls of the stone cube, bringing his arm back and giving it a fierce punch. 

Cecil gasped, her eyes furrowed in pain as she ducked her head down. 

“He won’t be able to reach here in time,” Isleif smirked, lighting his knuckles on fire. “Just give up, Cecil Lan.” 

The knuckles struck against the walls again, and this time it was with a searing heat. 

Cecil narrowed her eyes both in pain and frustration at Isleif, and her vision started to grow blurry.

“Still struggling?” 

Isleif gave another punch at the wall. 

She knew she was at her limit, she was going to faint from exhaustion. Having one person to conjure a huge cube of stone, along with utilising her vine daggers, in addition to her already fatigued state, she was asking for trouble. 

The walls started to crumble and light began to leak into the cube, within seconds, the cube collapsed and the stone was absorbed back into the ground. The only mark that remained was the area where the carpet was torn.

Cecil felt herself losing control of her body as she collapsed, and right before she hit the ground, someone carried her in their arms. She glanced up through her blurry vision, furrowing her eyebrows. 

It’s exactly the same. 

This time, it wasn’t a yellow-haired man with a toothy grin carrying her. 

This time, it wasn’t an ash blonde-haired man with a gloomy expression carrying her either. 

This time, it was a red-haired man with a devilish smirk carrying her. 

...but yet, they all exactly feel the same. 

Her consciousness was drifting, and Cecil shifted her head weakly to look at the hallway, her mind hoping for a familiar man with grey eyes to appear. Fortunately, as if on cue, she could hear the muffled footsteps and caught a glimpse of a figure coming into her side view very quickly.

“Hana! Cecil!” 

Mir and Isleif turned around to look at Xue, and Cecil could finally see him clearly. 

“Finally…” Cecil sighed in relief, closing her eyes as she lost consciousness.

Xue wanted to throw his spear at the two men, until he realised the two ladies in their arms. His face began to twitch in anger.

“A good show indeed,” Veau raised his eyebrows, his tone relaxed. “I came here once again to witness your people getting stolen away again.”

Xue swung his spear at Veau, and Veau just avoided it with a lazy smile. 

Kai: “Damn it, you can’t attack them now!”

Zasiok: “Calm down, you will surely find an opening, Xue.” 

Alric was a panicking mess on the inside. 

Leonaut decided to knock Alric out with a single blow, since he wasn’t helping with the situation at all, especially with Sid still snoring away. 

 Xue: “This time, shut up, all of you.” 

The soul fragments willingly obeyed him. 

The three men maintained eye contact with one another, with an extra and unnecessary cobalt blue-haired devil among them. 

All of a sudden, Mir broke the eye contact, reaching out to hold Isleif by the shoulder and Xue reacted, throwing the spear. Just before the tip of the spear touched Mir’s outstretched arm, the two men became the same white mist and floated off hastily. 

The spear plunged into the carpeted floor, and there was a long silence as Xue gazed at the empty spot in front of him. 

...again.

It happened again.

Xue squeezed his eyes close, crouching down on the ground. 

“FUCK!” 

He ruffled his hair with both of his hands wildly, lifting his head up as he panted heavily. The anger in his eyes was unbridled, and his wrath was rolling off from him. 

It was suffocating.

Even Veau took a step away from Xue when the man rose up to his feet.

However, Xue only went to retrieve his spear, and he started to recall the words Mir uttered to him earlier. 

“Supreme God, we will wait for you, with Hana Katae in our hands.” 

Xue clenched his jaw, wracking through his brains for any particular location that Mir would surely wait for him at. 

If it was in the mortal world, there was only one place Xue had in mind.

“What do you plan to do now, Xue?” 

“Find them.” Xue stated coldly, gripping tightly onto his spear. “Kill them to the point where nothing remains.” 

“I never expected to hear those words from the chosen descendant of the Supreme God.” Veau smiled lazily, nodding in approval.

Xue aimed the spear at Veau’s throat. 

“I made a promise to kill you too, until nothing remains.” 

Veau sighed, pushing the spear away. “Yes, yes--”

Something caught his attention and Veau widened his eyes, showing a rare alert expression. He turned his head, his lazy smile dropping from his lips. 

Xue observed Veau, scoffing. “You are still capable of making expressions like that?” 

Xue started to walk off, the murderous aura still around him as he held his spear in his hands. 

“Seems like...we are headed in the same direction.” Veau reverted back to his lazy self, stretching his arm out and pressing down on Xue’s shoulder. “I will transport you, free of charge, how’s that?” 

Xue widened his eyes in anger, trying to shake off the hand on his shoulder.

“You crazy son of a--”

The two men became a trail of black mist, drifting off.

Just then, the parents of the two ladies sprinted down the hallway, only to be greeted by an empty sight. However, it was apparent that a fight had occurred here, with the shattered glass on the floor from the window, and the torn carpet.

No other traces were found.

Fortunately, they found no signs of blood.

The parents could only pray. 

Pray that wherever their daughters had been taken to, that they were safe and sound. 

***

Veau was travelling through the clouds at a rapid speed, and to make things simpler for him, he had cast an immobilising spell on Xue. If Xue was an angel, and in his optimal state, such a spell wouldn’t work. 

Alas, Xue was like a mortal now, and he only had less a tenth of his powers. 

Veau was dragging Xue by the collar of his shirt and Xue had a gloomy expression on him. The wind blew by, hitting Xue in the face and his clothes flapped violently.

The soul fragments were speechless at how the situation had escalated. 

“I never asked for a transport.” 

“I know.” 

Xue sighed in frustration, wanting to massage his temples until he realised he couldn’t move anything except his mouth.

From the entire time he had known this man, he had always been capricious, even until this day. Getting dragged unwillingly into his pranks, games or problems, that was something Xue was accustomed to. 

“...If...If you have at least treated me as a tiny bit of a...friend, just throw me down right now! I’m not letting Hana and Cecil get stolen away again!” 

Veau stiffened at the first sentence uttered by Xue. 

He never expected Xue to bring up such a subject again.

“...I know.” 

“Veau, you fucking crazy son of a bitch!” Xue cursed out without restrain, since this was the only way he could show his anger. “Do you know what it’s like to see the people you treasure get taken away before your very eyes, multiple times?!” 

“I know.” 

“I don’t care if you know, release me!” 

“I know that feeling all too well.” Veau murmured softly.

Xue only narrowed his eyes as he heard Veau’s words. 

If it was him in the past, he would have exchanged cups of wine with Veau. 

He would have bothered to ask Veau to tell him the story, offering him a listening ear. Alas, it was too late now.

It was far too late. 

They could never return to those days, where he treated Veau as a friend. 

They could never return to those days, where the antics of Veau amused him endlessly and even he found himself laughing at getting pranked at times. 

None of them could ever return to it.

“...why did you do it, Veau?” Xue questioned, snarling. “What have I ever done to you?” 

Veau smirked. “You did nothing, Xue. Nothing at all.” 

Xue closed his eyes, sighing, losing the mood to talk any longer. 

***

Cecil awoke from her drowsy state, realising she was leaning against a tree with an unconscious Hana beside her. 

Were we kidnapped...again?

Cecil groaned softly, glancing around and she noticed two men standing a distance away from her, staring into empty space. She shifted her body closer, her movements quiet and furtive, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“So the place where you were meeting your great Supreme God, is here? In the middle of the woods?” 

Mir shook his head. 

“It’s not in the middle.” 

Mir lifted his hand, pushing forward and his hand was instantly bounced back. 

Isleif widened his eyes in surprise, and Cecil did the same. 

“A barrier?” Isleif pointed out, mimicking Mir’s actions and his hands bounced back as well.

“It’s a barrier placed by the very first Supreme God to ascend the throne, to bring peace throughout the heavenly realm and the demon realm, and even the mortal realm,” Mir explained, drawing a circle in front of him. “Just like how there are powerful demons and angels, powerful humans existed too, and some of them even matched the powers of demons or angels.” 

The circle glowed and became a seal with incomprehensible letters. The letters used in the seal were clearly not something humans could understand. 

“That’s true, no matter where and when, powerful beings exist in every form.” Isleif nodded in agreement.

“This barrier serves as a gateway to the heavenly and demon realm,” Mir summoned out his wings, pressing his hand against the glowing seal. “The first Supreme God created this indestructible barrier, only allowing those of great power to pass through, especially mortals.”

The barrier slowly vanished, and the illusion was broken.

They weren’t in the middle of the woods.

They were close to a cliff, and past the cliff, an neverending white fog extended past the horizon, and past the sight of where one’s eyes would go. 

“This place is a test for those powerful mortals, to enter the heavenly or demon realm, which is past the fog.” Mir pointed towards the horizon, where the late afternoon sun was clearly seen. “And above the fog.”

“What’s below the fog then? It’s a cliff, so if you drop…”

“Nothing but death awaits you.”

Cecil inhaled sharply, taking in the unbelievable sight of the cliff.

It was a location that was mentioned in the book a few times, and there was never a fanart for it. However, without a doubt, Cecil was sure this was that location.

It was called Death’s Edge. 

***

《 start 》

You are late again, Veau.

You are just early, Xue, and you too, K'xug.

The demon realm has been really restless lately.

Veau raised his eyebrows at K'xug, settling down on the table.

Were you spying in disguise, again? In my own demon realm?

K'xug cleared his throat, drinking down the cup of wine, maintaining a solemn expression.

What issues are you having now? A fight for power? Another greedy demon wanting to steal your throne? Or just someone seeking chaos?

Veau looked at Xue, who poured him a cup of wine as he rambled on.

As usual, you sure are interested in the affairs in the demon realm.

Maintaining the peace within the demon realm is part of my role as the Supreme God as well.

Veau knocked his cup of wine with K'xug and Xue.

You aren't the Supreme God just yet.

I'm almost there, Veau, almost there.

Xue grinned proudly, gulping down his wine.

Do you know what they call you in the demon realm, Xue?

Xue leaned in, his grin growing wider, his mannerisms cocky.

The Great Supreme God?

Not quite.

The Nosy Angel.

Veau and Xue glanced at K'xug who was casually sipping at the wine after exposing the truth.

K'xug is right.

Wh-what?!

K'xug nodded, crunching loudly on the snacks provided, his face serious.

They also call you Dog God, since you always sniff out whenever there's trouble brewing in the demon realm.

Do-dog God? Why I ought to--

Xue's pride has been wounded, and he angrily drank down the cups of wine, huffing angrily.

I didn't know you listen to gossips, K'xug. What else did you hear about Xue from the demon realm?

They call him Supreme God of Poop too.

Veau nodded with a hum, amused.

Shitty God.

Veau nodded again, pouring himself another cup of wine.

If they are lazy, they call you Poop God.

Correct, K'xug,that's the most common one they call him, actually.

Xue made an angry noise, throwing his cup of wine at K'xug and Veau.

K'xug just dodged to the side, snorting.

Veau simply waved the wine away, not wanting to be splashed by it.

You--you dare to laugh?!

Veau started to laugh along as well.

K'xug was a person who rarely laughed, and once he did, it somehow charmed people into laughing with him too.

The both of you! So this is funny to you guys, huh?!

Xue summoned his spear and K'xug immediately reverted back to his serious self.

Poop God.

Veau taunted with a snort.

The Great Supreme God of Poop.

K'xug's shoulders shook with mirth as Veau continued the insults.

Xue couldn't bear it any longer, standing up to fight but his knee banged against the low table. He clutched at his knee, looking pained.

Poop God.

Poop God!

Shut up...! The both of you!

-- Path to the Supreme God

《 stop 》