(October 3rd, 2017)

The god and his crusaders emerged back in the hall, the whiteness around them having faded into nothing after their discussion with the deceased deity. Unsure of what occurred before their eyes, the group looks at one another and everyone makes sure that the other is safe. But then, when Ethan looked at the boy he's in charge of, he found Justin looking down at his left hand, rubbing his middle finger.

"Justin?" The knight asked. "Are you alright?"

"I feel like I'm missing something," The young deity replied, turning to face his caretaker. "But at the same time, I feel like everything I originally thought about myself is now put into question."

"How so?"

"It's like that feeling where you know you're forgetting something, but you're not quite sure what it is," Justin explained. "But it's also not so simple. I feel as if I forgot a huge chunk of my memories."

"Are you sure they're your memories, though?" Zack asked. "They could be memories of someone else implanted into your head, similar to the times you lived through a significant moment in someone else's life. Recall that time you lived through my grandfather's memories as he fought in the trenches?"

Justin shook his head. "I doubt that, Zack. Those experiences felt mine at the time I experienced them, but when everything was over, they felt alien to me. Like a movie shown from a first-person perspective." The young god then looked at the messenger that is tasked to aid him and said: "You also feel very familiar to me, messenger. It's as if I've known you for longer than I actually do."

The messenger crossed his arms. "We've met with your predecessor's soul, so I assume he must have shared some of his knowledge with you in a way that makes them seem they're yours. If so, can you tell me my name?"

Justin sighed and shook his head again. "N-No, I can't. But maybe I could if I try hard enough. That said, I see that our efforts here were not entirely pointless." The blond boy looked at his watch. "It seems Mordaelyth has blessed me with his power. However, I don't think I can call upon his weapon just yet."

"Oh? And why's that?" Mia asked.

"It's... just a feeling."

And so after the group finished their discussion about the topic, they all felt incredibly frustrated by their failure to make any significant progress. All except for the leader, Justin, who felt closer than ever before to his goal. The closer he gets the more questions he asks, but that keeps motivating him to march forward. Justin became sure that he will discover more about himself at the end of the journey. That, or perhaps, everything about himself will be brought to light.

"So, Justin," Zack spoke. "What do we do now? I believe we no longer have anything to achieve here, but we don't have anywhere else to go."

"You have a plan, correct?" Ethan added. "I fear Zack is right, as much as I hate to admit it. We also don't have a plan, a strategy, or anywhere to go from here."

Justin did not respond to his friends' questions, as he was lost in thought. He held his chin with his hand and stared at the ground, his pensive state making his allies confused. The blonde boy did not utter a single word and remained stationary like a stone statue. "Hello?" Mia called. "Hey, hot stuff, are you in there?"

Once again, Justin did not respond. Justin's silence became worrisome, as he did not seem to move an inch, but rather stayed put for two minutes that felt like an eternity to everyone else around him. But after that, the young deity spoke. "What if we were missing the point?"

"Huh?" Alex spoke. "What do you mean?"

"Now that I think about it, the weapons I wield all have a sense of familiarity to them. It's not that I am wielding the powers of dragons, but it's as if I'm regaining what I once lost," Justin explained before turning around to look at the messenger. "Do you know anything about this, messenger?"

Confused and intrigued, the messenger shook his head. "I'm afraid I do not," He responded. "Shouldn't Myzoroth answer this particular question?"

Justin looked at his watch, and so Myzoroth responded to his deity, saying: "So you know now..."

Taken aback, Justin asked: "Know what? I'm as confused as ever!"

"The power that you wield was not truly our own, but it was hidden within us after the death of your predecessor. It is a secret every dragon is aware of but was still unsure about it. A part of me believed that this power was something that lord Zanoktryus kept hidden within us to shield us from outside influence, such as an attempt by the harbinger of the darkness to harm us or destroy us," The ancient dragon explained. "However, we now know that this was not the case."

"The berserk dragon incident..." Said Ethan, trying to piece together any piece of information in his head. "Even the storm bringers were dragon weapons. I got them from an ancient temple in Greece. I kept them but knew full well that they were Justin's once I saw his sword. So if the power you bestowed upon Justin was not yours, and it was not a divine blessing of some sort, then what was it?"

"After you awakened me from my slumber, my physical form vanished and I found myself sheltered within the magical device you wield on your left wrist."

"The watch?" Mia asked.

"I would not refer to a device with such unbelievable power as a 'Watch.' After engaging with the other dragons that lay dormant within you, I took the liberty of reviewing this device's aetherial energy and 'coding' to discover that it located dragons based on the power that we bestow upon you. In other words, this device tracks the power of your predecessor, not the dragons themselves."

"So in other words, the power within the slumbering dragons serves as a beacon for Justin to track," Nova deduced. "It also serves as the power that Justin gathers from the dragons in addition to having the dragons' souls reside within Justin after their awakening."

"So this means that we were going around, reclaiming Justin's lost power as well as freeing dragons," Zack stated. "So the conclusion I arrived at is that Zanoktryus' power is what we're after. It would not matter if the dragons awakened or not."

"That is correct, young king," The dragon replied. "And that also means that some of the weapons lord Justin wields are weapons that were once wielded by his predecessor, while others are of his mind's creation."

Justin nodded in understanding. "I see," He replied. "I wondered why an ancient slumbering dragon would give me a weapon that did not exist today, let alone by the time he went into the deep slumber."

"I was wondering about that, too!" Alex exclaimed joyously. "I always knew Justin's imagination was wild-"

Suddenly, everything became rather silent around the young deity, who was looking at his watch before that happened. "Alex, you were saying-... Huh?" When Justin looked to see his friend, he was nowhere to be found. Everyone else also disappeared without a trace. "Guys?"

The aura around Justin felt rather dark, the air was thicker than usual and the atmosphere became dark and gloomy in the blink of an eye. He knew full well what was happening the second he took note of his familiar yet alien surroundings. "Steel yourself, my lord," Myzoroth spoke. "He's here."

Justin turned around to look at the doors leading to the room when he spotted a familiar figure clad in dark armor pass by, walking away from view to the right and disappearing behind the doors. Justin immediately gave chase and sprinted past the doors and headed to the right, seeing the dark armor at the end of the hallway walk to the left and disappearing behind the wall. When Justin reached the end of the hallway, he spotted the figure once again disappearing at another end. This time, however, Justin saw that the new hallway was now drenched in blood on the ground, over the walls, and even on the ceiling. Despite this, there were no bodies to be seen throughout the hallway. Justin kept chasing after the dark figure, noticing more and more blood covering his surroundings the further he went. Eventually, Justin found himself outside of the castle, standing behind the harbinger. The harbinger's back was towards the young deity, as the figure of darkness stared at the red moon.

"You!" Justin roared. "Back for more?!"

Without turning around, the harbinger replied, saying: "I'd give you the honor of being the first person to ever defeat me in millennia if someone didn't already beat you to the punch long before."

"What are you talking about?!"

"I am talking about someone very intriguing," He replied before turning around to face his enemy. "But enough about that. It seems your predecessor is still alive, but how?"

"Doesn't matter! I'll send you to the deepest pit of hell, where you'll rot for eternity!"

"Hell?" The dark figure asked. "I can come and go from that realm as I please. I can take you for a stroll there if you wish. It's that easy for me to walk to other realms, you see. But I did not come to talk to you about that. Your escapades are now well-known across the realms of eternal torment, I believe. And the ruler of those realms is not happy at all. You've defeated countless minions of his across your journey, be it weak or strong. But what enrages him most of all is that you took his most prized possession, of course. His living weapon of realm-wide devastation."

"You mean Mia?" Justin's eyes widened in utter disbelief and anger. 

"She knows more than she's letting on, you know. But of course, she wouldn't tell you. 'Tis not hard for me to imagine what she truly feels about you, your friends, and your divine destiny. I have been more honest about her than she ever was," The harbinger explained. "First, she told you that she was merely a resident of the underworld, tortured, and trained to kill. That she escaped the underworld to live peacefully on Earth. Then, when more came to light, she admitted that she was meant to be an archdemon who would lead other demons to destroy our world. Do you truly believe that this is the end of her lies? You of all people should remember how scared she was when you first awakened to your base powers. I was watching, you know."

Justin summoned his sword and pointed it at the warrior of darkness. "What do you want now?! Spare me the chatter and let's finish this!" Justin yelled at his arch-nemesis, but the dark figure merely shook his head.

"Oh, I'm not the one you should worry about today," He stated. "I came here to warn you about the demons. They want what's theirs. And they will wreak havoc on their way to getting it back. It has started as soon as your beloved emerged from the underworld. Demons will invade this place in less than twenty-four hours. The entire weight of the underworld will descend upon you and crush you faster than you can run for your life. Not even I can stop their wrath now. But, if you believe you can defeat the endless hordes of demons, I welcome you to try. Not only will they be attacking this city, but they will also head for every city and town in the country, as well as every other major place across the world. The demon invasion has already started years ago, but the main forces have yet to invade. That would be inconvenient for me if they killed you so early on." 

"What do you mean?" Justin asked, ready to lunge at the harbinger at any second.

"Gods, demons, monsters, destinies, magic... I'm sick and tired of all of it. I wish for a world where peace would reign supreme. Where no gods, good or evil, would enslave humanity in endless fights against one another. I wish to tear this world apart and remake it anew. In my new world, humans can decide what they want to do. A world where the individual would carve their own future and where no divine or demonic forces can intervene with the lives of humanity."

"And to create your ideal world, you seek to slaughter the gods and claim their power as your own?" Justin asked.

"That would make it easier for me to achieve my dreams. Do you not hate the fact that you're destined to leave your allies for all of eternity? I would make it so that you and they would live together happily and choose your own paths in life." The harbinger looked at the dark sky of his own making. "Were it not for this dream of mine and the power I possess, I would have gone mad centuries ago. Believe me when I tell you I nearly reached a point where I would have abandoned my ways and lived an honest life, but this cruel fate of mine would not let me know peace, no matter how much I crave it. I've stomached enough betrayals and abandonments to last me for eternity."

Upon hearing the words of the dark one, something stirred within Justin's soul and made him feel pity towards someone whom he'd never thought he'd feel that way towards. Justin lowered his sword and dematerialized it. When the young deity looked a the harbinger once more, he no longer saw a vile monster that wished to destroy the world, but a broken man who only wanted to find the peace he long sought. Despite the hatred Justin harbors towards him, he could finally at least understand the dark warrior's motives. The pity, however, did not outweigh the rage that developed inside Justin ever since he lost his father figure. 

"Even if your wishes are true, I cannot abandon my world. The people that I've grown to know and love... all of them live in it. This world is my home as much as it is yours. I may not feel your pain or truly understand what you've been through, but if there's peace to be sought, then it will not be by restarting the entire world. I cannot forgive you for the sins you've committed throughout history and I still want to avenge everyone you killed or put in danger. But a part of me wants to give you the peace you've been seeking all this time. I will not let the demons conquer our world, nor will I let you destroy it and remake it anew."

The young deity paused and clenched his fists. "But I'll be damned if I let your soul continue to suffer! I'll save this world, you hear me?" Justin exclaimed. "I'll stop the demonic hordes and defeat the darkness. And above all else, I'll make sure you will rest in peace!"

The harbinger crossed his arms and nodded. "You're welcome to try, but I will stop at nothing to see my mission to the end. One day, the sun will rise, but will it be your world that'll welcome the sunrise? Or will it be mine?"

"I won't fail..." Justin told the harbinger, who nodded.

"Then let nothing stand in your way to stop the demonic army," The harbinger replied. "When we meet again, the fate of this world will be decided."

With his final words spoken, the harbinger disappeared, his altered reality vanishing with him. And when it vanished, Justin found himself standing just outside the entrance, exactly where he last saw the harbinger. He stood alone, the light of the sun shining brightly on his golden hair as he looked at the blue sky, thinking about the words of his arch-nemesis. A gentle breeze blew towards the young boy, making him feel the coolness of the air and appreciate the world he lives in. "We'll find peace... both of us... I promise..."

"JUSTIN!" Everyone's yells filled the air as they ran towards the young deity, surrounding him and asking him all sorts of questions.

"Justin, are you okay?!" Mia asked on the verge of tears. "Please tell me you're okay!"

"I'm fine..." Justin replied.

"You suddenly disappeared and I sensed the harbinger's powers at play, so we scoured the whole building for you!" The messenger informed. "Pray tell me you're unharmed!"

Justin then informed his group about the demon invasion, making Ethan contact the capital. Commander Astralis answered the knight's call, informing him that the entire country is under demonic invasion. Soon enough, the screams of people filled the streets as soldiers immediately dispatched everywhere. With the sounds of guns filling the air, the crusaders knew that the demons have arrived. "Justin!" Roxanna called her deity. "Demons have invaded! We're under attack! I repeat we are under attack!"

Justin glanced at Mia with grief evident in his eyes before looking at his watch. "Roxanna, rendevous with us at the castle entrance," Justin spoke before looking at his teammates. "Ethan, Zack, you guys stay with Aphroditia. Nova and Alex, you join the Alpha squad."

Colossal flying creatures with wings flew down from the sky, roaring as they destroyed buildings and threw down demonic infantry from sacs on their bellies. With their spiked scorpion-like tail, they shot lasers everywhere. Zack's squad went inside the castle to protect the oracle while Justin stood his ground and waited for Roxanna. Mia stood beside her lover, having called her loyal familiars back to her. As the two repelled seven-feet humanoid creatures with four arms each, a cyclops with sharp metallic scales and demonic teeth protruding from his mouth emerged, breaking a wall to come down and face the deity. It held in its hand a spiked club with its right hand, while its left was cut off and a demonic cannon was lodged inside it. The beast roared as it swung its weapon around, attempting to strike the demon and her lover. The deity dodged its attack and fired his railgun at it, drawing its attention towards him. As Justin ran around the area, the cyclops followed him with its gaze. It raised the club high in the sky as the weapon started to emit a red glow. The monster's hand shook before it slammed the weapon on the ground, releasing a massive energy wave towards Mia, but she flew away at the last second while Justin stood his ground and withstood the attack. 

Mia conjured her polearm and dove to the ground, stabbing the cyclops' shoulder before jumping off. The monster aimed his arm cannon at her and charged it, but Roxanna arrived in the nick of time and threw a spear of light at the weapon, damaging it enough to delay its charge. The monster screamed and rushed at the wolf girl, but she dodged fast and ran up the wall before backflipping onto the cyclops' back and sliding down. She then ran towards Justin and drew her sword. "Fighting together again, are we?" She asked the man she loves, who promptly nodded with a smile.

As Rox distracted the giant monster, Mia went after the smaller monsters around her and sliced them open using her new katana. She copied the techniques Ethan taught her on the yacht perfectly, emulating his style while adding her unique charm to it. As Justin fired his railgun at the creature, a giant dark lion-like beast emerged from a spontaneous portal and attacked him. The lion wore dark armor that covered his head, back, tail, and legs. Its paws were very sharp and its teeth protruded out of its mouth alongside four sharp twisted horns. Two were similar to a ram while the other two pointed outwards and possessed an electric spark to them. Justin dodged the monster and retaliated with a shot from his rail gun, but that was not enough to stop the monster, as it charged once again, roaring and biting with the intent to slice the deity open. Suddenly, a familiar silhouette emerged from the sky, spinning around and slashing the lion creature's helmet. Selena landed next to Justin in her battle stance, ready to slice open anyone who stood in her way.

"Time to see whose claws are sharper!" She exclaimed at the beast before rushing to fight it alongside Justin. 

When Mia finished dealing with the armed demons, she summoned her polearm once again and leaped into the sky before diving down to strike the cyclops' head. As the sharp weapon pierced the demon's skull, it roared in pain while flinging around its club randomly Mia held onto her lance and tried to jab it in further when a humanoid creature with wings for arms grabbed her with its talon legs. It screeched loudly as it pulled the devil off the cyclops and attempted to fly away, but Kevin arrived and shot it down with his assault rifle. Ian then arrived and jumped on the cyclops' head and clawed it with his werewolf arms while biting it. As soon as Mia landed on the ground, Selena and Rox went to check on her, but Justin stood in the distance, staring at her and not knowing what to feel. He knew that they are here for her, but he did not know whether to feel about it. A slight feeling of shame and remorse overtook him when thinking about the lives that were lost because of Mia's simple existence within this world, but that was not enough to make him feel ashamed to have been raised alongside her. He took pride in having her as an ally and as a lover, but he knew that the responsibility lies on their shoulders.

Justin sighed and conjured his railgun once more, aiming at the lion-like demon and firing everything he has at it, getting more and more consumed by rage. The more he thought about it, the more he felt enraged about demons in general. From the fact that they mistreated his beloved, to the fact that they initiated this invasion. That hatred for them grew within him as time passed, but Justin never took notice of it nor embraced it until now. When a piece of the helmet broke, Justin conjured his spear and charged at the beast, stabbing it in the eye before twisting the weapon and lodging it deeper into the eye socket. The monster roared in pain as Justin pushed the spear deeper, making everyone take notice of his rage. The deity then pulled the spear out of the dead beast and threw it at the cyclops' canon. Seeing Justin's intent on finishing the monster, Ian jumped off and made way for the furious god. Justin leaped into the sky and dove down with the Deiform Wrath, punching the monster with exceptional speed and strength. To end the cyclops, Justin leaped into the sky once again and charged the energy built up within him before firing it in the form of a beam at the cyclops, destroying the monster and leaving no trace of it except for tiny pieces of armor and some of its metallic flesh. When Justin landed on the ground, Mia and her retainers returned to the deity.

"Justin, are you okay?" Mia asked. "Take a deep breath."

When the demon girl tried to comfort her lover by holding his face, Justin moved away and went down the stairs. "We need to move," He said. "Zack and the others can take care of themselves in the castle."

"There's a demon concentration to the east, Justin," Kevin informed. "A large centaur creature with four arms is laying waste to the city as we speak. Its location seems to be one of the many hubs for portals where demons spawn."

"We head there," The deity ordered. "Everyone, on me."

The group headed towards the east, overcoming many demonic obstacles that stood in their way. As Justin led the way, his group noticed his frustration become more and more apparent by the minute. The deity slaughtered mindless demonic entities with intense rage and speed as time went on. Eventually, the party arrived at a rooftop of a building that was recently brought down by the havoc and carnage of the underworld. The view that the building provided showed the team the very image they never hoped to see. The raging demons wreaking havoc all around them, the city streets painted in red by the blood of countless victims, and the whole city, blown asunder and reduced to nothing but smoke and ash. The morbid sight only served to further enrage the young deity, who was reminded of his inability to stop the destruction of his capital. He looked at his demon comrade to see her clenching her fists as tears fell from her red eyes.

"How could I truly be one of them?!" Mia cried. "These disgusting creatures sow nothing but chaos! They live to kill and destroy! I... I realized something when we were fighting, Justin. They... They're here for me, aren't they?"

Roxanna gasped upon hearing her friend's question and grabbed her hand, saying: "Surely this cannot be true, now! I-It's not true, is it?!"

"This is why you're angry, Justin, right?" The demon stared at her beloved as tears blurred her vision. "You just don't want to tell me. I was born alongside those creatures. I was raised to be the perfect weapon. I know what they want, Justin. You know that too, don't you?"

Justin did not answer his comrade, instead, he stared into the distance. His silence did not soothe his beloved, but it made her burst into more tears. His silence was the confirmation she needed and the guilt pierced her heart faster than any arrow could. She collapsed onto her knees, where she smashed the ground with her fists. As her retainers went to comfort her with words and praises to both her humanity and soul, Justin simply stared away, not knowing what to say. He himself barely maintained his emotions. 

"I am nothing but a demon. I do not deserve to live in peace..." Mia spoke. "I am cursed to bring death and destruction wherever I go..."

The young deity bit into his lower lip hard enough that blood started spouting from the wound. The view of the once ethereal city, accompanied by the sorrow of his weeping girlfriend made Justin feel his hatred for the residents of the underworld grow and manifest itself into words he spoke from his heart.

"This pain... It's more than just blind emotions. I can feel it deep within me. Even when I learned you're a demon, I saw you no differently than I would see a normal human." The deity looked at the burning sky and took a deep breath. "But I could not shake the thought that if it weren't for a miracle, you and I would be crossing swords one day, fighting to the death as sworn enemies. We would stare at one another, longing for the other's death as we shed blood. If I were to win, I would cut you down, never knowing your decades of pain and suffering. You would have also lived not seeing this world for its true beauty and killed the people you call your friends and family. But that is not what happened. Instead, we fight side by side and are bound by something stronger than friendship."

Justin sighed and turned to look at his girlfriend, whose eyes stare back in tears. "Do I feel guilty for bringing the demon horde here? Am I responsible for the deaths of the thousands who perished today? Indeed, I am. But do I regret ever meeting you? Do I regret welcoming you into my life and growing up alongside you? Never. I take pride in earning your love and I would soon die than regret you. If it means slaughtering millions of demons to keep you with me, then so be it. Never blame yourself for who you are not." He reached out and offered his hand to her. "Now, let's go save our home. Together."

The light of hope in his eyes made the demon see the love that Justin harbored towards her more than ever. It was at this moment that Justin lit a fire of passion in the heart of the woman who fell in love with him years ago. Mia remembered why she fell in love with Justin and reached to grab his hands, remembering the young child who helped her become the person she is today. "You're right, Justin," She spoke. "This is our home. I cannot let them take it away from me, no matter what."

After letting their hearts speak for them, Justin and Mia strengthened their resolve and decided to continue their way east. As the group continued, the sounds of havoc and destruction intensified. They knew they were getting closer when they spotted a gargantuan portal manifest in the air and unleash a flying demon the size dwarfing a skyscraper with unholy metallic scales and a deafening roar. It possessed dozens of eyes on each side of its head and rows upon rows of sharp teeth. Its gaping mouth unleashed a beam of energy towards the sky before its body fully emerged from the portal. 

"Justin!" King Zachary called the group. "Do you see that thing?!"

"Yes. We're quite near it, actually," Justin replied. "We're heading to a source of portals where they stationed a centaur-like demon."

"Portals have been spawning here as well, but enough potent light magic seems to do the trick. Now, every portal differs in the amount and density of light it requires to destroy it, but that is enough to destroy them for good. We've also discovered that the portals also provide a link of power to the demons, giving them more strength. So closing the portals would make the hellsent weaker. The aetherial atmosphere of the city somewhat balances the scales, but you have to do the rest of the legwork yourself, lest the magic in the atmosphere becomes obsolete."

Justin nodded and turned to his group, saying: "You heard the man, now let's go!"

But before they continued, Selena's screams made Justin's heart skipped a beat. The young teen got pulled away by a giant web attached to her feet. Her gaze met that of a large spider-like demon with the upper chest of a human woman and demonic wings attached to the spider's stomach. The human torso held a trident in her right arm and she tried to pierce her prey, but Mia flew and stabbed the monster in her chest with the polearm before releasing her retainer with the claw gauntlet. Selena then kicked the beast in the face before jumping down to the ground and watching as Kevin fired his assault rifle. The vampire was cut off by a giant gecko-like creature with sharp metal scales landing next to him and grabbing him with a toad-like tongue and wrapping him with it. Ian jumped onto the head of the creature and clawed on it, making it shake its head and delaying Kevin's demise. Mia flew down and slashed at the creature's surprisingly durable tongue, forcing it to release its captive.  

As the young vampire landed on the ground, he reached for a grenade and threw it at the creature. Mia struck the monster's head with an uppercut and the grenade landed in its mouth as the demon forced its head upward. The grenade exploded, but that did little damage. It was, however, painful enough that the creature lost its balance and fell on the ground.

"Everyone!" Shouted Alex through the earpiece. "The giant flying demon! I-It's, uh... Cannons are coming out of its body!"

As the group looked at the flying abomination, the demonic monster fired beams of energy at random areas throughout the city, causing further damage and chaos. Before the group could react to it, a portal opened near the gecko demon and spawned more demons. When Kevin moved to stop the demons, Roxanna rushed to the portal after charging her sword with light magic and struck the portal. The portal did not close, but its essence started to fade and the rate of demons stepping through it lowered. The wolf knight struck the portal again a few more times, weakening the portal. But the more she attacked, the more light magic she used by sacrificing the mana within her body. Eventually, she became too exhausted to convert her mana into light magic and collapsed on the ground. The portal did not regain any of its lost energy, but it managed to let a large demon through. A grey-ish white demon with horns protruding out of its head and fangs as sharp as blades clearly visible from its gaping mouth. It towered over everyone at eleven meters in length. It looked at the weakened wolf knight and lifted its arm, intending to strike.

The fearless knight watched powerlessly as the demon attempted to kill her and closed her eyes as it lowered its massive claws. But before the demon could strike her, its claws struck a metal ax instead. As Rox opened her eyes, she saw the sight of a red-haired man wielding a large ax holding back the killing blow. The ax then spontaneously burst into flame before the man pushed the monster away and struck at its right leg. The gargoyle's leg then caught fire and the monster stumbled backward before the ax-wielding warrior jumped in the air and struck its head. The weapon got lodged in the monster's horn as the gargoyle shook its head to throw away its attacker, but before it could grab him, Kevin opened fire on it and managed to stall it before Ian rushed at it and struck it with a shoulder attack. As the monster stumbled down, the ax warrior jumped down and ran to the tired knight, offering to lift her.

"Are you alright?" He asked her. "Can you stand?"

"Axel?!" Mia exclaimed. "W-What are you doing here?" 

Axel, after helping Roxanna up, answered her by saying: "Killing demons, Mia. What about you?"

"Th-The same. The same."

"Thanks," Roxanna responded. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," The redhead boy responded. "Not that we have enough time to sit around and share thanks with one another. That other thing is still alive."

As she turned around, Mia spotted the gecko creature getting back to its feet after being stunned by the grenade. The demon girl cracked her knuckles and lunged at the demon, summoning her polearm and striking it in the head. Axel paused for a second and watched how Mia fought the monster before snapping out of it by the gargoyle's deafening roar. The young boy wiped the sweat off his head and sprinted towards the monster with his ax in hand and slashed the monster's left leg. The gargoyle attempted to grab the axman but it failed to notice the werewolf jumping on its back and biting into its neck. It managed, however, to kick Kevin away, who went through a glass window. Axel then made a swinging motion, creating a giant spectral fire ax that slashed the demon's leg and brought it onto one knee. Meanwhile, the gecko demon jumped around to shake Mia off of his head. Selena struck and slashed with speed and strength at its left rear leg enough times that she managed to slice it off. Before she could celebrate her feat, however, the severed leg shot tentacles out of its wound and latched onto the cat retainer. With her quick reflexes, the young teenager cut herself free and rushed at the gecko with her demon master and began cutting and slashing at its tongue until she severed it and watched as the demon roared in pain before Mia launched herself upward and dove down with demonic reckoning, impaling the monster and putting an end to its terror. As blood exploded out of its head, Mia drank some of it to recover her energy before using her finishing touches to turn the demon and its blood into a new weapon. And what she forged was a surprise to her as much as it was for her retainer, as she forged a double-blade spear that was twice her height.

After Roxanna recovered some of her lost strength, she mustered up her mana and converted it into light before rushing at the portal and shoving her sword in all the way. The portal then exploded into particles of energy and vanished, leaving nothing behind. After closing the portal, the knight fell on one knee and gasped for breath, having not fully recovered from the exhausting waste of mana. "Oh, Gods... I've definitely earned myself a break..."

Mia then spun her weapon in the air before lunging at the beast's head, impaling it directly. As the monster died, Mia did the same thing as before and absorbed the monster's flesh and blood into her and forged another weapon. This time, much to everyone's shock, a weapon was not the result, but pieces of white and red armor for the wrists, thighs, knees, elbows, hands, feet, and a demon head-like helmet. The armor also came with an additional pair of demon wings. When the demon girl summoned her armor, the floating parts immediately attached themselves to their intended places, making them augmentation for her existing armor.

"Cool!" Selena jumped at the sight of the new and improved armor of her master. "It definitely looks amazing on you!"

"So you can absorb demons into yourself and make weapons?" Axel asked, making the entire group jump once they realized that he was standing there. "Cool, but I've definitely seen weirder stuff."

Kevin then emerged out of the destroyed shop and approached the group, saying: "Nice armor, boss." The vampire then promptly removed a glass shard out of his leg and threw it away. 

Ian wrapped Roxanna's arm on his shoulder and brought her back to the group. The knight's stamina and mana were too exhausted for her to balance herself on her own two feet. She panted her breath and gave the group a thumbs up without lifting her head up. "We did it, Justin!" Mia exclaimed and turned around to see her lover, but to her surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. "Justin?"

"I did not see him when I arrived," Stated Axel, who was as confused as the rest. "You mean to say he was here?"

"Justin?!" Mia called out again, but she got no response. "Justin, where are you?"

"Hold on a second!" Ian spoke. "Justin would not have let the portal remain active for as long as it did! He'd have destroyed it easily."

"Y-You're saying he's been missing ever since it showed up?"

"Perhaps even... longer!" The wolf knight forced out her words. "We were too distracted... t-to notice!"

And so everybody rushed to search for their leader, thwarting demons of myriad shapes and sizes. However, there was no sign of the young deity anywhere for blocks upon blocks in every direction. It was as if he simply vanished into thin air. Mia then got instantly reminded of the moment the harbinger of darkness whisked him away in the blink of an eye and her heart nearly stopped. The desperate girl immediately contacted her friends throughout the city.

"Alex! Zack! Ethan! Anyone! Justin is missing! I repeat, Justin is missing!" She reported with a weary and quivering voice. " There's no sign of him anywhere!"

"Calm down, Mia! I need you to stay calm." Zack immediately replied. "All units, I want you to conduct an immediate search and rescue operation right now. The objective is to locate the high-value individual Justin walker and report his location. Also, provide backup as soon as he's found."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Selena asked, wiping the sweat off her face. "We can't just stay here and do nothing!"

"You're right," Roxanna replied. "We cannot possibly stay here. This place is dangerous as it is without that giant demon flying around. If we're lucky to not be directly hit by his energy beams, we might not be as lucky to survive the surrounding debris."

Mia nodded and replied: "Then we continue moving forward. I'm not going to sit down and do nothing either way. Justin expects us to be strong and reliable, so we should prove that we are. We can't let him down! We'll march towards that beast and fight it ourselves if we must! And as Justin doesn't doubt our skill, neither should we. We'll continue the fight until he returns, no matter what!"

Axel nodded. "Now this is what I like to hear! Nothing like a rousing speech to raise morale!"

And so the group continued on their path, fighting any demon that dared to step in their way. Although they struggled without the power of their leader, they managed to survive and make it all the way to an empty plaza after three whole hours of fighting. With no signs of demons anywhere around them, the group decided to take this golden opportunity to put their weapons down and rest. Mia looked at her companions and saw the evident weariness etched onto their faces, alongside the blood spilled by their demonic opposition.

As the group rested and tended to their wounds, the leader of the Alpha squad of androids spoke through the earpiece. "Alpha-One reporting. There has been no sign of Justin whatsoever. We scoured the western and southern fronts but found nothing, over."

Another voice then responded: "This is Squad-Epsilon reporting. There have been no signs of the HVT in the northern front. I repeat, there have been no signs of the HVT in the northern front."

Mia sighed and pitched in, saying: "This is Mia Valentine reporting. The eastern front is clear. The HVT is nowhere to be found." The girl then fell into silence, her gaze meeting the floor. The group looked at her in sorrow, none of them knowing what to say. Never in their lifetimes would they imagine their leader to suddenly disappear without any possible explanation and leave no trace of him behind, let alone in a dire situation such as this. It was evident that, despite her own words, Mia was slowly getting anxious and afraid for the well-being of her beloved deity, and it was becoming harder for her to keep her emotions hidden as time passed. But despite that, the resolve that stems from that same love for him was enough to keep her from faltering and yielding to sorrow. 

"I must go on..." She whispered to herself quietly... "I cannot give up... not now..."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of her royal friend speaking in her ear, saying: "This is king Zachary speaking. Reports have arrived of a mysterious individual in the southeast, wearing black and gold armor and soaring through the sky, engaging demons. This person may be our missing HVT. I want all nearby units to investigate."

As soon as Mia heard what her friend had to say, she raised her head and looked at her team. "We need to go!" She exclaimed. "It could be him! That could be Justin!"

Roxanna shook her head, saying: "And even if it is, we must not waste time. We're supposed to head to our destination, Mia. That's our top priority now."

Mia was going to protest, but she stopped herself. "You're right." The young demon sighed and nodded. "He'd kill me if I wasted precious time like this. I need to make him proud..."

The demon girl looked at the ground in silence for a moment before gazing at her team once again. She nodded to them and said: "Our objective remains unchanged. Ending the source of the portals is still our top priority."

"What's happening, exactly? Who did you find?" Alex asked, to which Roxanna explained to him. As the group continued on their way, Axel paused to think. 'Blak and gold armor... Soaring through the sky? Is... Is he here as well?'

However, before the group could exit the plaza, a portal suddenly appeared before them without prior warning. A large, dark, circular portal that a large, humanoid creature passed through. The creature was over eleven meters in height. The creature donned a dark eastern armor that covered his entire massive body. His face was also covered by an eastern war mask that appeared to be a part of his helmet and overall outfit. His eyes glowed red through the dark holes of his mask. With his left arm, he held a gigantic sheathed katana as he stared directly at Mia and Mia alone. As the group readied for combat, Mia stood there, silently gazing in shock at the demon she recognized.

"You..." She spoke quietly, but audible enough for everyone to hear.

"You have grown, child," The demon spoke, not moving a muscle. "And it seems you have become well-adjusted to the world of man. This does not come as a surprise."

"So, you're here as well?!" Mia shouted at the demon, who remained unfazed by her.

"You seem surprised," He replied. "I remember you know that this time was coming. That the demon hordes will invade the world of man and lay waste to everything that exists. It is your purpose, after all. This is what you were designed to do."

"Don't you speak to me, Ikaryuu!"

"Mia, who is this demon?" Ian asked with a small and nervous whisper.

The young demon lady clenched her fist as she gawked at the familiar sight in front of her. "This man, this... Demon. He's known in the east as the walking weaver of chaos. Thousands of years ago, he traveled the east, slaying people and monsters alike. Once a noble warrior recognized for his talents as a master swordsman, now he's nothing but a nightmare that remains in the ancient demonic legends," She revealed. "He... He was also assigned to force me to master the sword."

"That day... When you ran away from the realms of hell, I realized that you truly had the potential for something greater. I had hoped to meet you again one day and see what you have become," The demon swordsman responded.

"I had more 'lessons' with you that day, didn't I? Had I not run away, I would have been subjected to your training. I may have become infinitely more skilled than I currently am, but I am glad that I escaped the underworld and spared myself your presence for all these years! Despite your cold demeanor, you are the same as the rest of them. A soulless demon!"

The demon, still not moving from his position, nodded to the girl. "That is indeed true. However, I did not begin my existence as a demon, as you may know. I, too, was a human once. With noble goals and aspirations. Seeing as we finally meet again, I believe I owe you this story."

"Story?" Mia asked.

And so the demon regaled them with a tale. "In an era long past, I was a noble swordsman. I lived my life fighting on the battlefield and serving my nation with pride. I was revered by many for my talent with a sword and my loyalty to my country and her people," He explained. "But despite my accomplishments, I was still a mortal man. I had my limitations."

"And so you cast them away for more power?" The young girl asked.

"Quite the contrary. I took pride in my mortality. I knew that when my time would come, I'd rest my head and watch the sunrise either on the battlefield or on my deathbed, having spared my lands the wrath of demons. But one day, I met a young woman around my age. She obviously knew of my legend and was an admirer, but something about her was really captivating. Something that... drew me to her. Even to this day, I fail to put it into words. She did not admire me for my skills or my status, but she was drawn to me by my creed. She was compelled by my code of honor that drove me to protect the world against any who would dare harm it or the people living in it. And she, too, wanted to protect this world alongside me. So I taught her the art of the sword. Eventually, our love would blossom and she would bear my children. But the life of a demon fighter is rarely lived in peace and solitude."

"On a dark night, under the light of the moon, demons attacked my home. We fought and slew dozens of them, but eventually, one of them hit her and corrupted her soul. Upon her defeat, the demons suddenly vanished, never to appear again that night. As I lay by my beloved, watching helplessly as she succumbed to the demonic influence, I prayed. I prayed to every deity that I could think of, but none chose to help me. I chose to take her and our children on a race against time, going from one temple to the next, and seeking help. However, every door was closed for us and not a single soul offered help. I was shunned and forsaken by the gods, the land, and the very people I swore to protect. However, I did not give up. Eventually, I climbed atop a mountain in a land to the west and met a sorcerer. The man did not hide his allegiance to the demons and revealed that this was a deliberate plan to end me and my line. But in my despair, he offered me a decision. It was the hardest decision I ever made, but I do not regret it whatsoever."

"In exchange for the soul of my beloved, I would sacrifice my own and become a servant of the underworld. A soul for a soul, as he put it. Even as she lied on the ground and nearing her transformation, my beloved begged me not to do it. My children cried for their father, but there was nothing I would not do to see them survive."

"And so you accepted."

The demon nodded. "That I did. But as my beloved's soul was freed and mine was corrupted, I slew the sorcerer and left my family, fearing that I would murder them in cold blood. As I wandered the realm, I was overcome by the compulsion to slay, murder, wreak chaos... Unable to exercise restraint, I did all those things. For the sake of my family, I became a demon. And as the fear of me grew, my demonic power grew with it. Eventually, the world was spared my wrath by the blade of a western warrior, who defeated me on the battlefield. That warrior was from the noble house of Astralis, which you most certainly know of."

Mia gasped. "Astralis?! All the way there? In the far east?!" But then she stopped and shrugged. "Guess I should not underestimate them, should I?"

"And when I was pulled into the realms of chaos and torment, I became a demon of legend. I would be challenged by countless demons across centuries who all want to become the ultimate force of destruction, all of whom perished by my cursed blade. Until eventually, I was tasked with overseeing your training."

"You mean the torture."

"Your technique was adequate and improved every single time you wielded the blade. But that was not enough to satisfy me. But when I learned that you escaped to the mortal realm alone, I felt something. I felt it in my heart that you are not bound by the shackles of your demonic origin, but you are destined for something more. And now that we finally meet again, child, we both know there is only one who will leave here alive."

The demon then pointed at Mia and said: "If it is in your heart to save this world and defeat the armies of hell, then I expect you to defend it with your life! Have at thee!"