Ashley 'Ash/Soot' Clade's Story

~ Sebastian's Story ~

The mission was over. Drayne was dead. He still couldn't believe that, after all he had done to try to prevent someone dying, it happened either way on this mission. The first thing he did when he got back inside was sigh out and shake his head a little. "... I really hate vampires now. More then I did before as a kid." He said to himself quietly, entering into the main room as he stopped when he noticed a few Renegade soldiers. "Oi, someone give this to that Scott guy when you see him..." He then held up the head of Drayne to a few Renegade soldiers, who could only stare in shock when they saw what it was. It wasn't because it was a severed head, but more because it was Drayne's head that scared them. He then threw it lightly at two of them, who ended up stumbling around before they both caught it and quickly ran off with it, the other one just snickered and followed after them. He rolled his eyes once he was gone and sighed out again. "... Now to find Deon I guess." It would take a few minutes later to find him, who was in nothing but his boxers and socks, which made Sebastian raise a brow at him. He saw Deon wipe his eyes and let out a yawn as he stood in front of him. "Konbanwa, Sebastian. How ya doin?" Deon asked him.

"Well considering I just saw a vampire have his chest bursted open by some rabbit like creature, then getting blown into a pile of blood and guts... I suppose it would be a regular day for you." He admitted to him, remembering something as he quickly reached into his pocket. "Oh, also, she told me to give you this..." He said, pulling out the empty bottle she gave him before and handed it to him. "... I have no idea why she gave me this. Crazy rabbit demons, I suppose..." He watched as Deon grinned and took the bottle from him, but when he looked at it, his expression vanished and his eyes suddenly became lifeless, distant and cold. They stood there in silence, before Quake appeared behind Deon and wrapped her arms around him. She then rubbed her hands all over him, obviously drunk, and this brought Deon back to reality. "What the fuck woman! --" He quickly stopped. "Quake. Get your hand out of my pants, please." Quake responded with a grin and withdrew her hand, then turned herself away before turning back to them and grinned again. "Nice package, Phoenix boy." She then gave a wink before turning away for a third time and left Deon to hang his head. "Don't ever tell anyone that happened.... I'm begging you."

Deon then shook his head and looked at the bottle. "Lemme guess, the rabbit burst out of the vampire, killed him and gave you this to give specifically to me? Of course." Sebastian blinked a little in response and felt himself shuddering a little after what he saw. "... Who says I will, huh? I don't want to talk about you and her doing it any way..." He said, before then letting out a sigh. "Yeah, pretty much... Also, I know her name now it seems. Lunatic Red Eyes. Heard of her? She seemed to know about herself pretty well..." When Deon looked back at him, he saw Deon's eyes, cold and dangerous like Lunatic's had been before she left. "Of course I know her, she works for the person who ruined my life. She vanished in a tear in time and space, right?" Sebastian, confused Deon knew this, blinked three times. "... Um, your starting to scare me now. And I mean, really starting to scare me right now. What am I missing here?" At this, Deon's eyes began to feel like they were drilling into his very soul, before he turned away and ruined the moment by letting out a laugh. "I'm just screwing with ya man. You seen Luci anywhere? She just vanished when you left." Sebastian was able to let him know what had happened earlier with him and Lucifer, but stopped when Deon clutched at his chest, a few drops of blood emitting from his mouth. Sebastian felt his heart race at the sight of the blood, his mind coming back to reality as Deon spoke again. "Control Room, now." Then, he was off for said location. "Oh damn it Lucy..." He mumbled before running off after Deon, who was almost at a running pace, but was slow enough for Sebastian to keep up with him.

When they arrived at the control room, they both found who they were looking for. "Fuck. -" He said, before coughing again and sending more blood splattering to the ground. "What the heck are you doing, Lucifer?" He asked, Sebastian feeling his heart sank as she turned around to him and her eyes glazed, they were lifeless, cold and burning with anger. "What am I doing? What am I doing!?" She said to him, holding up what seemed like a piece of paper at Deon. "The hell are you doing with the contract, Luci?.... You're going to break the seal, aren't you?" And then, the other six sisters of purgatory appeared, all of them looking from Deon to Lucifer and back again in fear. It was Asmodeus who spoke up first. "W-What's going on?" She asked, before receiving the hateful gaze of Lucifer. "I'm giving our 'master' a choice. Either he reseals our contract, or I kill seven people." She said to them. Sebastian, suddenly feeling guilty, tried to hide himself among the six sisters of purgatory. "You're an idiot, you know that? What the hell caused you to act so bitchy all of a sudden, huh?" Deon asked with a sigh, as Lucifer suddenly laughed and grinned in spite. "What caused me to act like this? My Pride was destroyed, that's all. Oh, and besides, I finally realised something as well!" She then turned towards Sebastian, making him shudder out of fear. "I figured out why I left the Orphanage, Sebastian. I left because...... because I..." Her head then fell for a moment, and with a concerned expression, Deon stepped forward. Her head shot up at this, an unearthly laugh escaping her lips before she spoke out to him. "Well, I mean. I used to like you, Sebastian. I used to care about you even more than myself.... but now...... Heh... Heheheheh.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She then fell into a hysterical laughter before focusing her attention back on Deon.

"So what'll it be?" She asked him. Deon could only sigh out and lift his hands. "You know what I have to do, and I'll do it." Sebastian's heart was already sinking lower with each moment that passed by, before he heard someone whisper to him. "Sebastian, this is a Demon's Mental Break, if you weren't aware already." He looked over at one of the sisters, who's name was Mammon, as he began to shiver from what she said. "... I -- I did this...? I could make somene break like this unintentionally..." He needed all the comfort he could get right now, as he put his arms around himself and closed his eyes. "... I can't deal with this again... Not again..." He felt the one named Mammon pat his back. "No, it's probably been built up for a long time, ever since she rejoined us, probably. Just stay quiet, alright?" Deon, meanwhile, glared over at Lucifer and walked towards her. The dark aura was around her form once again, and the tendrils lashed out at Deon as he tried to get closer to her. He stopped only a few centimeters away, and then four tendrils shot through his chest and send a massive blood bloodsplatter onto the floor, which caused Sebastian to cling onto Mammon and hide behind her as it hit some of the sisters. Deon, however, only grinned and chuckled. "So do I have to fight you in your Demon Form as well, Lucifer?" He asked, as Lucifer shook her head at this. "No, you don't deserve to see that again, Phoenix." "... God, I can't do this again." Sebastian mumbled to himself, remembering when his mother was cut on that day, during the attack. He shuddered as he could again feel the heat coming from his scars, remembering when they were made on the same day. ".... Make it stop..." He mumbled out again, loud enough for only the sisters to hear. "... Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop..."

Deon looked briefly to Sebastian and grinned, before looking back at Lucifer and nodding. "Go on, do it, Lucifer." He said, and quickly, the tendrils pulled in different directions and tore Deon apart, leaving only bloodstains, flesh and pieces of bones and organs. Sebastian had heard it all and let go of Mammon, backing away from the sisters. "... N-n-no! What did you - why did you - I can't have... I did this to him?" He held his head as everything became muffled to his hearing. ".... Why? Why is this even happening? Why?!?!" He called out, seeming to have some sort of breakdown from all this. Meanwhile, Mammon turned to Sebastian and was about to speak, when she heard a giggle. "Oh come on Mammon, you're too kind to men sometimes. You just have to-" But then, Mammon suddenly whirled around and glared at Lucifer. "SHUT IT BITCH! YOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW HUMANS FEEL!? NO, YOU DON'T! YOU'RE A GODDAMN DEMON, AND I WARNED YOU ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED WITH HUMANS, BUT OH NO! YOU HAD TO GO AND RUN AWAY BECAUSE YOUR PRIDE NEARLY KILLED US ALL!" Mammon then sighed and turned back to Sebastian, he could see a sad smile upon her face. "I'm sorry that you have to hear this, but it'll all be good soon, as long as Lucifer doesn't piss anyone else off, at least." He could hear again, was the first thought that came to his head. He frowned at her and clung on to her again, hiding his face in her shoulder. "... But he's hurt because of me... Oh god, why did she do that to him? I didn't mean to do this to her...." He tightened his arms around her, shaking as he felt like if he let go he was about to lose it... When heard a voice.

"Lucifer. Don't ever do that again, alright?" It said, and when Sebastian looked up, he found Deon standing there. He had just pulled his boxers back up and pulled a packet out of them, it was a cigarette packet. He was grinning at Sebastian, appearing to only have minor scars on his chest from where he was torn apart. Lucifer's head had gone down at this point, a single tear hitting the ground as she rushed over to him and catapulted herself into his arms. Upon impact, his smoke lit. "Easy now, Luci. I'm still injured, after all." He said to her, before looking back at Sebastian with a grin. "Don't worry about me, ever. I can't exactly die, anyways." Sebastian raised his brows at this. "... B-but... What... What did you do? Why did she make you do that?" He tried to ask through chattering teeth as if he was freezing at this point. Deon looked down at Lucifer who was clutching on to him desperately and blabbering nonsense. "I'm immortal, meaning that whenever I die, I come back again...." He said, turning to Sebastian with a grin and took a drag out of his cigarette, patting Lucifer's head, who was crying at this point. "Her stress built up to a level where she just... broke, for lack of better words. It isn't your fault either.... I don't think, anyway." Sebastian then let go of Mammon as he put a hand to his chest and fell to his knees.

Meanwhile, a male voice came to Deon in the form of a mic. "Oi, you awake? We have a problem.... It's Michael... I need you to send Satan, Asmodeus and Leviathan over to my location right now. I'm pulling off an emergency code for this." Deon then quickly turned after hearing this. "Satan, Asmodeus, Leviathan. Get to Michael, asap. I'll follow as soon as everything is settled here." He shook his head after they left and turned to Lucifer. "Luci, go to our room and get some sleep. We'll speak more in the morning." She looked at him, shaking slightly and was about to speak when he rubbed her head. "I forgive you, and so does everyone else." He said to her, and then, she was gone as well. Meanwhile, Mammon had crouched down next to Sebastian and was calling his name while shaking him. Deon then went over to them. "What's wrong now?" He asked, as Sebastian only wrapped his arms around himself again and continued to shiver. He tried to rub his shoulders for warmth as he stared at the ground only. Unable to speak at the time, he leaned into Mammon for warmth.

~ Kallos' Story ~

Kallos sat in his throne, seeming to move his hand towards Yami for an indication as he set three tubes into Kallos' back. His body then glowed bright purple for a few, as he closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Yami then backed away as he watched, Golem was taking a nap at this point. Photos and Kiba had grown quiet. Kalh merely sat and watched all of this, Itzhet was in his room meditating. "Everything is going well it seems." Kallos spoke, as Eppenos had sat down in his seat, which had been somehow expanded to fit his larger status then how most humans were suppose to look. "Now we just need to plan out the distraction... I could easily send Yami and Eppenos out to do the job, but... We need a third one for this." Kalh, at this, stood up from his seat. "Allow me, my lord. My grace and style will put those children to shame." He said, as Kallos shook his head. "... No. Not if they gather and gain up on you." Eppenos, to everyone's surprise, rose up. "I know someone who can help us out." He spoke, as Kallos turned to him. "... Who?" He asked. "Simple. The Wandering Blade. I can convince it... Right, Baphomet?" The sword, Baphomet, let out a mere growl in response that sounded like hundreds of dying souls.

~ ??? ~

"My liege, we have the reports on the children ready to go." A voice called out from one of the chairs in the darkness, the main demon in the room shifted in his seat. The Revolutionary Leader of Hell gave a smirk at this. "Show me them." He said, as he quickly turned and snapped his fingers. "Oh, Kallos isn't here today?" A voice spoke out, his cocky attitude and fast paced voice sounding throughout the room as his hologram appeared. "... You should know he will be informed later, Kappa." A feminine voice spoke this time, her hologram appearing too as the Kappa glared darkly at her. "... Still your tongue, Countess. Or maybe I should come to America and dissect your head? How would you like that, to feel my technology ripping you apart?!" The Revolutionary Leader then raised his hands. "... Enough, or I will send my warlords to both of you. Now, Kappa, you have a status report to make to Kallos later I hear. As for now though, show us the information we require." The Kappa remained silent for a moment, before letting out a sigh in defeat and pressing a few buttons. "... Very well. I will give my report on the ones we have seen in action so far. Be warned though, one of them may turn out t be --" At this, he was stopped when a fist slammed down into an armchair. "... Right. Here are the first five known children." And with that, it began with Deon's.

~ Name: Deon Morris
Nickname: The Executioner
Type: Half Phoenikoi/Half ?
Rank: S(?)
Overall Threat: Capture at any cost.
Additional Information: Deon Morris is currently one of the three known leaders of The Renegades. He was known as Hikari Scarlet when he was under the control of the WDL. Currently in possession of two demon weapons, Deon Morris in the past has slain many types of demons, some of his most notable accomplishments are several Demon Kings. Another notable accomplishment is the former demon Eclipse.
Special Power: His most unique ability appears to be where he can copy the powers of others through just physical contact. Currently this power is being examined as to the strengths and limits it can do. ~

~ Name: Chang T. Wilson
Nickname: None
Type: Half Demon(?)
Rank: D
Overall Threat: Capture on sight.
Additional Information: Chang T. Wilson was a snobby asshole who was known for getting into crimes in the past. Since his last sighting, no one on earth or hell has been able to locate him, but rumors spread he is being trained by the demon king Loki.
Special Power: None known. ~

~ Name: Ashley Clade
Nickname: None
Type: Half Demon(?)
Rank: D(?)
Overall Threat: Capture on sight.
Additional Information: Ashley Clade was known for keeping to herself before she was employed under the WDL's services and sent to it's academy. Since the invasion on the WDL, she has since left the WDL and has since been employed under the services of The Renegades. Last known sighting was of her handling The Monster Train, one of the WDL's most wanted known demons.
Special Power: None known. ~

~ Name: Devin Namach
Nickname: None
Type: Half Demon(?)
Rank: E
Overall Threat: Moderate.
Additional Information: Devin Namach was best known for being somewhat of an asshole and a smart ass to others being being employed under the WDL's services and sent to it's academy. Since the invasion on the WDL, Devin has been reported as missing and is currently being searched for by Angel, the new Archknight of the WDL.
Special Power: None known. ~

~ Name: Sebastian Thomas
Nickname: Inferno
Type: Half Demon
Rank: D
Overall Threat: Captured at all costs.
Additional Information: Sebastian Thomas was best known for being raised at an orphanage before he left it and went missing for a while before being captured by the WDL. During the last known sighting, he was reported to be missing before reappearing during the invasion on the WDL. Not known whether to be trusted or not, it is believed Sebastian is a dangerous threat if allowed to continue to grow. He has been sighted as serving under The Renegades, last sightings of Sebastian were seen fighting against Drayne, who has since been reported dead.
Special Power: None Known. ~

With the updates over, the Revolutionary Leader rose up from his spot as the holograms faded away from sight. Four figures appeared behind him, each of their eyes glowing red in the darkness as he walked out into the light from his base of operations. Outside, the sky was red as always, fire surrounded them as always, and the cries of demons being slain ran out throughout the land. "My warlords, destroy the demon kings who oppose us." He said, and without hesitation, the four vanished.

~ Michael's Story ~

Michael and Rin saw it all too quickly and it all happened way too fast for either of them to control it. The A.I. had reported significant readings from Sebastian's suit, but what he saw was the horrifying part. Sebastian's body underneath that suit was covered in demonic red symbols. To make matters worse, a demon Renegade soldier had found this and run right to them, complaining about what this all meant. He furrowed his brows and was forced to call in three of Deon's girls, who indeed did appear, which made him sigh out in relief. "... Thank goodness you are --" "AHEM!" He was stopped as he looked over at the Renegade soldier, who by now had a glare and had his arms folded across his chest. "Well? Show them already..." He told Michael, which made him growl as he turned his attention back to the computer. Pressing a few buttons, he brought up the suit's analysis of Sebastian. "... Girls, I want you to look closely at this... If you know what they mean, say it." He said, but before he could go on, the Renegade soldier came in again. "Of course they will. Every demon knows abut that monster!" Michael gave the soldier a glare this time, stopping him from ranting on, and then pressed another button. "... Right." He said, looking up at the screen, and that was when the demonic red symbols appeared on the analysis. "See?!" The soldier started. "Rin, why do you not agree with me?! The boy is a threat, and must be treated as such!"

"Ah, so Sebastian's a threat then? What a shame..." The voice said, making everyone raise a brow and look over to see... Deon in his underwear. With a grin on his face to top it all off! His head then went down and for a few tense seconds, everything was too quiet with him. "Well, in that case..." He then lifted his head up and a smirk plastered to his face. "You're gonna have to get through me first. He's my kid brother, and I don't intend on letting anyone hurt him." The three sisters who had come looked at each other and then spoke out in unison. "We'll protect him also." Rin, meanwhile, looked to the soldier and glared at him. "He's a KID, you can't kill a kid!" Michael looked back at Deon and then sighed out. "... I'm not saying we need to kill him, but... Well, these symbols... I'm sure you recongize them as well, don't you?" After he said this, the soldier intervened again. "It does not MATTER if he is a child! He carries the blood of that MONSTER in him! I am telling you now, if we do not capture him and sentence him to an execution, he will destroy EVERYTHING we have worked for!" The soldier's glare then went to Rin. "Children have died in the past, I can understand that, but this CHILD is a harbringer!" His attention shifted to Michael. "Isn't it your instinctual duty to eliminate the blood of that monster from this world?!?" He asked Michael. Michael, in return, only could look down and close his eyes. ".... We tried before, but he's too strong --" He stopped when the soldier's hand slammed down.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT! We all could of tried, and --" "AND WHAT?!" Michael stepped in. "Have everyone DIE?! Is that what you want?!" The soldier then turned his attention to Deon. "Come on now, you must understand!" He then looked back towards Rin. "I am telling you, it is now or NEVER! We must act before it is too late!" Deon let out a sigh and scratched at the back of his head. "Yeah, didn't they say that I was the Harbringer of Death before?" He then grew a grin on his face. "And like I said, you're free to try and kill me, if you really want to have every single bone in your body broken ten times over. Be my guest." Deon then walked over to Michael and patted him on the back. "Calm down, you're meant to be the good guy out of us two." Deon turned away at this, taking his cigarette out of his mouth and blowing smoke out, as he watched it dance around on the air currents. "I'm aware of who that demon is, what it's capable of, and what it might do. But, for now, that's Sebastian out there, and I must admit, he's wearing a pretty nifty suit." Rin, meanwhile, rubbed her forehead and then glared at the soldier. "I'm out, you're free to do whatever you want, but Deon isn't joking." With those words, she left, and the soldier looked to Michael as he stood frozen to the spot with his hands clutched. "Listen to me Mi --" But Michael slammed his hands down to interrupt him. "... I'm calling a private meeting. Leave us." He looked towards the angry renegade soldier. "That's an order." He said, watching the Renegade soldier grit his teeth. "... Fools..." He mumbled, and then quickly walked away out of fear.

Michael turned around slowly as he opened his eyes and looked to Deon, a sad expression forming. "... Damn it Deon, I... I didn't think we'd have an issue like this." He said, sitting down as he put his face into his hands. ".... Damn it.... If every demon in here knows that the child has his blood in him.... Oh god help us all." Michael then felt Deon's hand on his shoulder as he banished the girls away from them. "Don't worry, we'll just keep it a secret for now, and if we have trouble in the ranks, then we'll deal with it there and then, but for now there's no need to freak out. Also, you can stop working so hard now, since me and Rin and back." Deon chuckled at this. "And besides, ya really think God above would help a bunch of Demons out?" Michael shrugged his shoulders at this. "... They say he works in mysterious ways..." He said to Deon, standing up and letting out a sigh. "... I will inform Scott to keep an eye on the suit readings from now on. I want all three of us alerted if the boy reaches critical emotional levels again... Whatever the hell just happened to him, it can't be allowed to happen again... At any cost, Deon. I know I've been working hard and I'm not as good as Scott is, but... I do know when times are needed to be called in. Even if some will disagree with it... I just never assumed something like that would ever happen to me." He looked in Deon's direction at this. "... I don't know how you can do it, but please... Don't let him reach this again. I'm going to have Scott run some tests on these symbols, but in any case... I fear that if Sebastian transforms again, he will lose control. Then again, I am talking to you... You'll find a way, you always do."

Deon sighed again and patted Michael on the shoulder. "Listen up, douchebag. If Scott was better than you, he'd be in the Leader seat right now, not you. Get it?" Deon looked away before he continued. "I'm sorry for getting caught by the WDL, as well. Rin shouldn't have come after me either." Deon then turned towards Michael and looked him straight in the eyes. "Michael, answer me honestly. How do you fell about Rin?" Michael looked at Deon and straightened his posture. "... You can take a guess, can't you? But it's not like I'm going to tell her or anyone else... Bah, listen to my own words. I'm a wreck already..." Deon laughed at this and patted Michael's back. "Yeah, she's alright ain't she? She probably feels the same way, given how you two act around eachother. And you're not a wreck, if you were you'd be on the ground crying like the little girl you are.... Anyways, how about I shout you a drink so you can loosen up a little?" Michael sighed at this. "... Thanks but no thanks. I need to keep an eye on things for now... So, how did the missions go? I hear one of your siblings went with you, while this child here went after a vampire... A type A vampire if I remember correctly..." Deon laughed and grinned at this, sitting on the edge of the table. "The mission went well. I got to fight again.... And I ran into a certain person." Michael rose a brow at this. "... Deon, please tell me it was The Nue. Medusa? Ronove, The Agent, I'll even take Miss Nuclear!" Deon's eyes suddenly grew cold and he locked them with Michael's own. "You already know who it was, so there's no point in trying to get out of it. It was Frankenstein, of course."

Michael put a hand on his face for a moment and then shook his head. ".... Lord help us all." He then removed a hand from his face and looked at Deon. "... Why now? Why of all times does he appear NOW?" Deon's eyes narrowed at this as he bit int his cigarette a bit. "You think I somehow know? He's always been there, ever since we last fought him, but he's just been in hiding." Deon then turned away and sighed. "Well, I'm off to sleep. You should get some as well, Michael. You deserve it." Deon patted Michael on the back again and stepped out of the room. But before he was out of earshot, Michael could hear one last thing. "Michael, it's back. The Madness. I'll be sleeping for a while, but I'm scared again, Michael. You know what happened when it was there last time." With that, he was gone. Michael then closed his eyes and sighed out once more. "... Two of the children are now in danger of themselves. What a nuisance... Adding work onto the work I already have to go here."

~ ??? ~

Eppenos found the location, an abandoned, old and broken looking building stood before him. He walked with stealth today, his movements quiet enough to take him inside despite in reality he was three stories high. He stopped before two old looking doors, he studied them carefully. Forced entry. A brief brawl that led inside. The familiar sensation of hatred and bloodshed he had endured many times himself in the past. He placed his hand gently upon both of them, seeming to study how well in place they were, before all too quickly pushing with violent force that it tore them down from where they were and sent them flying to the ground, and brought up for a cloud of dust around him. It didn't bother him in the least though, walking out of it as if it was normal air. Once inside, he noticed how much a wreck everything was - what had once been a normal building a few days ago had been hit by the apocalypse. Cars were destroyed, blood stains were everywhere, corpses were lying around all over the place, the usual stuff. He examined the cuts on each corpse for a brief second, that was enough for him though to know that it was here. "So... This looks like the perfect place for it to come to, perhaps... If it caused this, that is."

Just at this same time, Eppenos heard the sound of a sword being sheathed, and when the dust settled, a small child stood in the wake of the destruction and carnage it had caused. It turned to look at him, a maniac grin flashing across it's face before it seemed to 'vanish' before him. He did not move though, even when a blade appeared in front of him and went to slash his shoulder but stopped just centimeters away from his body. It was then the voice that sounded like a maelstrom of the voices of it's victims talked to him, sounding just like a demon would. "So, why are you to seek me out?" It asked him. He watched it so peculiarly and he wondered if he could perhaps make this blade his second, but Baphomet hated sharing the spotlight. Speaking of which, all too quickly Eppenos drew out his own demon weapon, who's aura clashed with The Wandering Blade's own. "You are the one with no name, but have taken the title of The Wandering Blade... Baphomet tells me of tales about you, and you are just as it described." A low growl came out of Baphomet in response, it's growls always were a mystery. It was unknown whether it was the many souls of fire demons inside it crying out in agony, or if it was Baphomet itself that called out from all these tortured souls. "We are here to hire your services... Temporarily, of course. We know of how much your hatred has grown over the years."

At this, the blade suddenly reacted by changing itself, making a surreal mouth appear along it's length with a tongue that seeped out and licked Eppenos. "You are Eppenos, wielder of Baphomet. Well met." It said, as the child that wielded it grinned deviously, his voice like gravel rubbing against rock. "Pray tell me why you are in need of my services?" He nodded at the demon's words before speaking himself. "One of my current partners, Balarus of Kallos, is in need of help for an attack tomorrow evening. There is a boy he is worried about, an unusual child who has the devil's blood in his veins. Sebastian. He needs to be dealt with tomorrow, while he is still inexperienced in the ways of fighitng in the real world. He needs you to do this, a strong and powerful demon like yourself. That all depends though... Are you up to the task?" He watched as the mouth of the blade grinned and it's tongue flapped around and salivated in anticipation. "Of course, I will take this task upon me.... What else will be happening, that day?" The child grinned at this, his eyes suddenly beginning to go dull. "Take me into your hands, and I will not try to take you over. I swear it on what I once was."

Eppenos looked at Baphomet, who merely growled in response. He placed Baphomet back into it's sheath and then took a hold of The Wandering Blade with one hand, pulling it from the child's grip before placing his other hand on it. His demon aura clashed with the demon weapon's at first, both fighting against one another before both would settle into acceptance. He was cautious though, and looked around for any signs. "Of course you do... For now, it seems you are trust-worthy. What else will be happening, well let me see... Ah yes, I will be fighting against a certain phoenix. A well known one, who holds two demon weapons in his possession. There will also be a girl there. Both are named Deon Morris and Ashley Clade. Although if you wish to know more, I will have to take you back to Balarus." Meanwhile, the child's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed into fits at the floor, foaming at the mouth before suddenly exploding and sending blood and stuff out everywhere around the room. The tongue of the blade simply licked the blood off of itself and grinned widely. "I don't want to know more, as long as you can give me another host, a stronger one. The other requirement?" The mouth of the blade then grinned, growing to almost impossible lengths before speaking again. "I want blood. Lots, and lots of blood!"

Eppenos had not been disturbed by the child exploding, and simply shook his head when he found himself covered in blood. "A stronger host... Of course. And as for the blood... You will get it. Lots of it." He said, turning around and beginning to exit the building. "Tell me one thing though... How did you come to be though? Do you even remember anything about what you once were?" He watched as the mouth of the blade vanished and felt a great weight overcome it. Slowly, the metallic surface of the sword became like liquid and then a male form came out of it. It suddenly hardened into steel and it looked like a metallic statue, albeit with incredible detail. A few seconds pass, the figure seemed in many ways like a human, aside from a crown of small horns jutting out at odd angles from it's head. Scars adorned his face and body, with half of his face being nothing but bone. The figure was only seen down to it's hips, it smirked at him. "I was a brave knight, once. I found that there was not enough blood and then I became a Demon, able to satisy my hunger for chaos and violence on a daily basis. And then I became the weapon of a feared warlord, who was killed in battle by the teamwork of two other Demons, a Kasha and a Phoenix. If I could challenge them again, it would work out nicely for me." The figure's smirk turned more sadistic as it's eyes lit up in anger. Eppenos rose a brow in response, nodding his head, as he found this unusual for a demon weapon to do. "Interesting... A Phoenix and a Kasha? Tell me then... Do they happen to be named Rin and Deon Morris of the Renegades? If they are, don't worry... You will meet them again."

The figure responded with a grin. "I knew not the name of the Phoenix, but the Kasha is the one. I want her blood, and I want it now!" It commanded at him, it's previously smooth edge suddenly became serrated and the tip shot out to a few feet longer then previously, twisting like a snake's tail and spiking up like a lollipop jammed with needles. The figure gave a final grin before sinking back into the metal. "Make sure I get their blood soon, or I will not take up the mission." Eppenos merely nodded at this. "Yes, we will get you the blood you demand for. But we need to lure them out first, remember. They will be cautious if it's otherwise... The wait though, will be worth it. Just think of all the blood you will get, and that shall be rewarding enough for you." In response, the mouth of the blade would reappear, and began to laugh maniacally.

~ Sebastian's Story ~

It had been some time now since Sebastian had left Mammon and decided to head back to his room. He had thanked her for calming him down after the... Set of events that had happened today. He took off everything about his suit except for the hat, thankful his clothes were unharmed. He quickly checked in the closet, seeing a new outfit set for him as he nodded to himself. He decided to look for a shower, taking one after ten minutes of searching. He then headed back to his room and noticed one of the new outfits in it, putting it on as he put away his normal attire. It'll be clean when I wake up, right? He asked himself mentally, thinking about the past three days. "... I'm such a fool sometimes." He said, before locking the case again just to be certain and headed out of his room, locking it too. He kept his hat on his head as he wandered the halls of the Renegade base, deep in his own thoughts as he looked at his right arm and pulled up the sleeve of it. He watched the strange red demonic symbols again, his heart feeling like it took a huge leap forward before he quickly put his sleeve down quickly and sighed, lowering his hat a bit over his eyes. "... I feel like cr -- I mean, crude." He mumbled to himself. It was by chance that he caught sight of Claire and Kane, the former was clutching what looked like a clipboard to her chest while the latter had an arm around her shoulder. From what Sebastian could make out, he was chatting away, but the conversation became more intelligible as the two forces got closer to one another. "Yeah, I think it's a great idea." Kane said to her, giving her a wink and a thumbs up.

Sebastian looked up and felt his eyes widened a bit, quickly looking back down and lowered his hat again a bit. "... Don't spot me, don't spot me, don't spot me." He said quietly to himself, and started to walk past them, however he began to take his time in order to hear what they were saying. Unfortunately his clothes slightly resembled his old ones, plus his height, however he could listen into the conversation from this. "You really think so? It's not too corny? Or presumptious of me?" Claire asked, smiling a little as she laughed. "After all, I'm not in charge here. They might get mad me taking things into my own hands." "Nonsense. I think it's brilliant. And They seem friendly here, I can't imagine Deon saying no to an idea like that." They were so deep into the conversation, they had no idea he was about to pass them. This made him stop and look at them as he rose a brow at them. "... What are you two on ab -- DARN!" He realized his mistake too quickly, shaking his head as he sighed out. "... Hi guys." He said in defeat, his head hanging a little as he put a hand on his hat. "Huh? Oh, Sebastian. Didn't see you there pal." Kane said, turning to face him as he scratched the back of his head while giving a nervous chuckle. "Is there a rodeo on or something?" Claire asked, giggling as she gestured towards the hat.

Sebastian rose a brow at this and patted his hat a little at this. ".. No, I think that guy called Scott gave it to me as part of my new combat outfit." He gave a shrug at this. "... So what -are- you two talking about any way?" He asked them. "Oh, I meant no offence by it." Claire waved her arms in embarrassment at this. "It's cute. But um, well... It's a surprise. To be honest, if I knew you were so close by I woulda zipped my lips." Sebastian shrugged his shoulders to this. "... Well then I suppose -- wait, you think this make me look -cute-?!" His cheeks then lit up bright red as he didn't know what else to do. ".... Ummm, no offence." He quickly added in, lifting his hat up a little to reveal more of his face. "... Um, well..." He started off. "... A-anything going on with you two then?" He wanted to get off this subject so badly, he wanted to not think about something with him and the word cute! Claire giggled from seeing Sebastian flush over this, for some reason to only herself she was enjoying this. "Well, other than the party we're organising-" Kane started off, only to be stopped by a slap to the back of his head, Kane winced in pain as Claire rapped her clipboard intimidatingly before folding her arms in annoyance and sighing out. "I'm beginning to think subtlety isn't your strong suit Kane... Honestly, we were just talking about it being a surprise a second ago."

"Right, right, sorry..." Kane slowly sat back up after saying this, laughing mainly at himself. "Guess the cat's out of the bag now, huh? Hopefully you can keep a tighter lid on it then me Sebastian." Sebastian nodded in reply as he furrowed his brows at this, looking down at the ground as he went into his thoughts before coming to a conclusion. "... As long as we're showing secrets, I -- I have something to confess..." He then held out his right arm towards them as he quickly pulled his sleeve back to reveal the fading demonic red symbols on his skin. "... D-do either of you know what this is?" Kane looked bewildered when he saw it, but Claire narrowed her eyes as her expression turned serious. "They're the mark of the Inferno, a symbol of relation to an ancient demon king. Naturally, he was a ruler of the flame - and by that token, it would be prudent not to go showing that around." Sebastian quickly rose his brows at this as he lowered his sleeve. "Mammon warned me not to show this to anyone... I-Inferno? But that's suppose to be my alias... I thought Scott gave me that alias..." He shivered at this, taking a step back. "... N-no. I -- I'm making things worse just by being here?"

"Hey, chill out Sebastian. I don't know what all this Inferno business is about, but know you're a friend to me, so it doesn't change a thing in my book." Kane said to him, giving him a pat on the shoulder with a grin. "I'm sure you're the same, right Claire?" He asked her. "Right..." She said, her eyes remaining hard for a moment before she finally relaxed and smiled again. Sebastian, on the other hand, placed a hand on his hat and furrowed his brows. "... U-um, I originally came to ask about Ash, but nevermind... I need to stay away now... I-if it's not too much trouble to ask... When's the party going to be?" He asked. "Well, it's not going to be for a while yet. Me and Kane were just going to head out to grab some supplies, then set up for it early tomorrow morning for everyone to wake up to. A bit of a welcome for all of us, really." Claire explained to him, holding out the clipboard. "I've got a list of things to pick up here. If you like, you can come with us. After all, We could use a spare hand, and it'll certainly help you lay low."

Sebastian sighed out a little at this. "... S-sure... It's just... I wanted you to ask if you would talk to Scott for me..." He asked while looking over the clipboard. "... I just want to know if you trust me Claire." He said to her. Claire smiled a bit again and parted her fringe behind her hair to fix it. "Well, if you really want me to vouch for you, I'd be happy to. Not that I have much authority around here anyway." She laughed at this, turning down the hall as she gestured for them to follow. "As for the matter of trust, just keep in mind I've got my eye on you. That doesn't mean I'm not willing to give you a chance however." She winked, sticking out her tongue briefly. Sebastian felt himself smiling at this. "... O-okay! Let's do this then!" He said with excitement as he was cheered up a bit now. He then grabbed one of Claire and Kane's arms as he walked a little faster at this. "Keep up, slowpokes!" He said, as he felt like a little kid at the moment.

~ Michael's Story ~

Scott was having one busy day it seemed. Anders had just completed his test with Eclipse, although he had no idea if it was a success or a failure. Eclipse was confusing that way. Nodding to Anders, he patted him on the shoulder as he began to head out with two Renegade soldiers moving in to stand by Ander's sides. "Do what you like from here, these two will help you out or try to answer any questions you may have for them." He said, before leaving Eclipse's room with the door opened. The guards would most likely close the door on their way out. He shrugged his shoulders when he got several notifications all at once. ".. Jesus christ, calm down!" He said, rushing to Michael, who was still standing by the computer. "What's happening?" He asked, as Michael shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. Sebastian's suit readings are starting to act a little funny, he may be coming down with something..." Scott furrowed his brows at Michael's words. [b]"No doubt he's making things worse by walking around. We need to get him to the medics and fast, I don't want him dying now of all times."[/b] He said, when he looked over at a soldier who just came over. "Sir, we -- we have some bad news!" He said, as Scott rose his brows at this. "Calm down, tell me what happened." He asked, as the soldier looked up at him. "It's -- it's the new child we just brought in. She's missing!"

Scott's eyebrows rose up at this as he put a hand on his forehead. "... Oh jesus." He mumbled, looking over at Michael. "Keep an eye on things here." He said, and began to walk away, when anther soldier came over. "Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you have a meeting in a few." This made Scott give the soldier a questionable look. "What for?" He asked. "It's... Um, another child, sir." He said, as Scott looked around at the other soldier. Quickly, he walked over to the computer and pressed a button as it began to track for Keilani. "Send one of the men that brought her in to --" He stopped as the computer started to detect something else approaching her position. "... Scratch that. Send a doctor over to them at once." He said, watching the soldier salute and quickly race off. He then followed the other soldier into a room where he sat down in his chair and waited. At this, a young woman was brought in, one with purple hair it seemed. "... Greetings." He said, a chair being pulled open for her. "Have a seat." He said, as once she was seated he would nod to the soldier who would stand by the door. "My name is Scott. I would like to know your name as well, because what I'm about to tell you will change your entire future from here on out. If you have any questions for me, ask them at any time." He told her.

~ Sebastian's Story ~

Sebastian at this time was making his way back to The Renegade base with Kane and Claire, listening to them chat on the way there. He had two bags in his arms, he stood in the center as he then saw the base coming into view. "So... Much.... Stuff. Just for one party. You two must of chosen a big room... Did you?" He asked. "Well, we were just going to deck out the main hall. Everyone'll probably be asleep by now." Claire said as she smiled cheerfully, seeming to be content with her one bag. Kane on the other hand got the burden with a heavy multitude of different things, seeming to be buried beneath the mountain of parcels. Sebastian nodded in response to her words. "Gotcha. Hopefully, we can sneak in and start setting things up before anyone notices us." He said, looking over at Claire. "Heh, yeah. I'm glad we managed to get everything though. Music, streamers, balloons, food, drink... And the cake! That looked scrumptious." Claire said, licking her lips a little as they then headed inside. Sebastian smiled again when he heard this, laughing a little once they were inside and headed for the main hall. "Yeah, I know right? Hey Kane, how you holding up?" He asked, glancing over at him. "I'm... Good! No problems here!" Kane said, poking his head out at this while taking careful steps. He had already fallen once on the way back, he could probably make it without more trouble. Sebastian chuckled at this as he raced towards the main hall. "RACE YOU THERE THEN!" He shouted out to them, as he tried to get to the main hall first.

"Ah, Sebastian wait!" Claire called out towards him, with concern in her voice. Sebastian tried to stop at this, but ended up spinning around as his eyes widened at this. "WHOA!" He cried out, increasing his speed temporarily which ended up slamming his back into a wall. He then collapsed onto his butt with the two bags falling into his lap. "Ahhh... Yeah?" He tried to ask. Claire giggled a little at this and then dropped her bag into his lap as well. "You need to carry my bag too." She then smirked and took off down the hall, having the current advantage. Sebastian gritted his teeth as he wrapped his arms around all three and then slowly stood up. "... C-crud." He mumbled out, increasing his agility again as he raced after her with the intent of getting past her in time, but he found that difficult when he found her there. Meanwhile, Kane continued to slowly shuffle down the hall. He had enough trouble keeping his balance at a walking pace... Catching her breath in the meantime, Claire began looking around the main hall, eyeing up where she'd like each of the decorations. When Sebastian got there, he ended up sliding in and just barely stopped beside her, panting as he put the three bags down and laid down on his back. "... Don't tell me I have to do you a favor?" She smirked at this. "Hmm... I'll think about it." She said, leaning over to the bag as she grabbed some balloons. "For now, let's get started on these. I was thinking three in each corner, tie some up in the center of the room..."

Sebastian got up at this and brushed himself off. "... Alright, I just -- feel a little -- light-headed right now... Is all." He mumbled before pulling out some items out of the bag. "You sure you're okay?" She asked as she leaned down and placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature, making him stop and shiver a little at her touch. "... At least let me help before I pass out... O-or something close to that." He tried to get out. "Nonsense. If you're sick we need to get you treated..." She said, looking at him in concern and frowned. "You should've told me if you weren't feeling well. Me and Kane could've handled this." Sebastian gritted his teeth at this. "I'm not some little kid anymore. I --" He stopped and quickly put his arm over his mouth and coughed a little. "... Oops." He said, before falling forward at this. However, Claire caught him and and held Sebastian against her chest. "Kid or not, you need help. Don't be afraid to get some support." Sebastian then looked at her and blushed a little, looking away at this. "... Fine, fine..." He mumbled out. "Now come on. I'll take you down to the medical wing." She helped Sebastian up and Claire got an arm under him to support his weight. Sebastian looked down and shivered from her touch, leaning against her a little as he felt her begin to take him away at this. While they were walking, it seemed they encountered a pink haired girl, as Kane looked around at all this with a puzzled look. "... Um, am I suppose to be happy or worried about this?" He asked them all in general before any of them could speak.

~ ??? ~

"This area is already under our control... Submit to the uprising and you will be spared, but if you do not submit, then you will be wiped out along with the rest of his forces!" His voice called out to them all as several fights were happening at once, his four warlords ending their fights. The first warlord seen was dashing in at a wounded demon king, who began gathering up his attack inside his own body. The robed figured leaped up into the air and sent in several attacks that paralyzed the demon king to his spot, as the robed figure landed in front of him. "Sorry about this... But I have to wrap this fight up for my master." He said, before quickly drawing out his dagger and stabbing it into his knee. "Burning Crack!" He shouted out, as a tear opened up in his leg as he screamed out in pain. The dagger was pulled out as he turned around and put it away, walking away as the demon king exploded into multiple flaming pieces. "The demon king Vysral is dead."

~ Name: Spirited Kami
Nickname: The Flaming Spirit
Type: Shinigami
Rank: A
Overall Threat: Very high
Additional Information: Kami is one of the Revolutionary King's Warlords. Known as the Flaming Spirit mainly for his enhanced inventory, he was once regarded as being on par to match that of Loki's power, but this sadly will remain rumors.
Special Powers: Kami has the ability to enhance any weapon he has on him, the most common one seen and used is his Dagger of Fire, Trident of Water and his Gauntlets of Earth. ~

"Your ruler, the Devil, must be shown the error of his ways. As such, I have raged war against his council and have dedicated my entire forces to wiping them out! No longer will they rule over hell, not when I'm done with them, that is!" He cried out, as a figure with a hat on flew by them. "You will fall prey to my undead now!" He said, and kicked the demon king he was fighting down into the ground. He landed nearby him as he smirked while watching the dead around him come back to life. "W-what did you do?! No, my body -- stop, ah, ah, ahhhh!!!" The figure grinned darkly and began to walk away to leave them to their feast. "Demon king Jaragar, terminated."

~ Name: Kaku
Nickname: The Sinister Shadow
Type: Kasha
Rank: A-S
Overall Threat: Destroy at all costs
Additional Informatin: Kaku is one of the Revolutionary King's Warlords. Mainly known for either bringing back the dead or his tactical battle strategies and his viciously cruel ways to end his opponents, Kaku is believed to have gone insane from experiments on himself.
Special Powers: Besides being able to bring back the dead, Kaku does not have anything else known at this time. ~

"It is time to accept your fate. You will either follow me, or you will die just like your fellow 'protectors' have today." At this, a gigantic Demon King was sent crashing into the ground by a human sized figure way too small to have taken him on. The figure rose up with a grin on his face. "Heh! Can I get an extra, please?! This Unsur or whatever his name was just the warm up!"

~ Name: Kurai Honoo
Nickname: The Oppressor
Type: Youkai Dragon
Rank: A-S
Overall Threat: Eliminate on sight
Additional Information: Kurai is best known as being one of the strongest in the Revolutionary King's Warlords. Formerly having traveled around the world and hell itself, Kurai is said to have become bored with his current way of life and decided to start taking an interest in what his ancestor's use to do for fun. Kurai is also said to have a large stash of treasure he keeps for himself, and because of this he has been known for collecting rare artifacts, rare demon weapons and anything else his master requests of him.
Special Powers: Kurai has none known at this time. ~

"You will either bow or submit, for that is the way of the future! MY future! For I am the Revolutionary King!" He said, and turned away and headed back towards his base of operations, his three warlords appearing behind him and following him while also leaving the area they had just wrecked to crumble to it's demise. "... Oi, didn't I send four of you out?" He asked, as the other three shrugged. "He must of gotten lost again... That idiot, I can go find him for you if you so wish it my lord." Kami asked, but the Revolutionary King raised a hand in objection. "No. We left our message for a pretty good while... My focus is what is happening on the human world at this time. As this war approaches, the tension up there just rises up. I wonder if Kallos will truly succeed with his plan in the end..." He shrugged and headed inside with the other three. "I guess that's up to fate."

In the aftermath of the mission with the demon train, Ash was left with a number of unresolved and uncertain feelings. She’d been unable to save the child and worse still, was even outright hostile towards her on an assumption. She could only be thankful that Deon was able to do what he did to keep her alive. Still, in spite of that knowledge, it bothered her the way things had gone. The entire situation with the monster train she hadn’t achieved anything. All she’d managed to do was run away and help others do that, while Deon and Quake ended up doing all of the fighting. Was she really that useless? She hated relying on others, but in that whole scenario, was there anything she actually could’ve done to help? She couldn’t lay a finger on that train, and when it came to that Frankenstein guy, Deon seemed to have no faith in her ability to engage him. Speaking of which, she’d always thought that Frankenstein was the monster, not the scientist. Seemed she was quite wrong on that aspect, though Deon hadn’t given her much more information other than to steer clear of him. From what she’d heard around the base, even that weedy kid Sebastian had managed to take out a deadly vampire on his own. It was kind of depressing that, comparatively, she wasn’t given the authority to go off on her own and do something like that. Not that she knew if she could.

Breathing a deep sigh, she continued to stare at the rotating ceiling fan above her, the light concealed behind it seeming to flash on and off as the shadows played over her face. The bed wasn’t exactly comfy, but it was somewhere to think over things. Part of her wondered if Claire was doing the same; not that she knew her sister as the kind to mope like she did. Still, it wasn’t like she could sleep, with the noise of Deon and Quake next door doing god knows what, it was kind of hard to relax. She didn’t like to think about it, especially with the way Asmodeus had been conditioning her; but the occasional stray thought filtered through. If it was something like that, good for them, and if it was something else, Ash was quite content not to find out. It was however, taking its toll on her patience, the frustration finally reaching the point where she decided to get up. If it was the former option, those two had stamina she’d never be able to compete with.

Stretching as she stepped out into the hall, she placed her hands in her pockets, before deciding it was a bit warm for her leather jacket, dumping it on her bed in her room as she settled on getting a late night snack. That was, if she could find the kitchen or something, as she was still yet to receive a former tour. Maybe she’d missed it after the incident in the main hall? It wouldn’t surprise her, but no doubt there’d be signs or someone she could ask about the whole thing. For now however, she’d explore on her own, wandering about the halls and past various Renegade employees. Which reminded her, she still needed to discuss with whoever did the payslips around here to forward money into her account. Another mission for when it wasn’t so late in the evening. Heading through another set of sliding doors, Ash wasn’t sure if she was getting anywhere before a voice softly filtered into her mind. It wasn’t intelligible, just some sort of off mutterings, but it was enough to make her curious as she turned through another entryway, before walking along a ramp to a more official looking set of doors.

She wasn’t quite sure why she felt so compelled to head into the room, and as she made her way inside she was a little awed by the displays. What was most eye-catching however was the ebon black blade that christened the centre pedestal, sealed within a glass case. It was ornate and delicate – beautiful, even to those without an eye for design. She was somewhat reminded of a museum exhibit, and part of her wondered if there’d be a grid of lasers surrounding it or something. Still, something bid her to approach and as she did, the case slowly began to slide away, leaving the blade open to the touch. Slowly, she felt her fingers reaching out to grasp it… Before she stopped herself, suddenly very aware that she was somehow being manipulated. Common sense and reasoning began to filter back in through the cobwebs of her mind, and she took a sharp step back, glaring to the sword and glancing about the room. Her eyes stopped and settled on another case, a gruesome looking severed head resting on a pillow. She gagged a moment and covered her mouth, taking another couple of steps back. Was this some sort of trap or something? Were people who were foolish enough to try and take the blade beheaded and put on display? A little paranoid, she hastily decided to back out of the room, but a quick analysis of the automatic doors revealed they weren’t budging. Banging on them a couple of times, no one came to let her out from the room. It seemed for now, she was trapped.

Sighing, she pushed off the door, moving back over to the sword and examining it a bit more closely. It certainly was more interesting then the trophy head in the other case, though she had to wonder why the glass had slid away like that. I mean, if they were trying to protect the blade, wouldn’t the glass be kept up as a security measure? Leaning on the pedestal, Ash gave a startled yell as it began to fall backwards, tipping over as it turned out it wasn’t fixed to the ground. With a soft clatter, the pillar hit the floor, sending the sword clanging to the floor and bouncing a couple of times. Ash winced, remaining tense… But there was no alarm. No poisonous gas filtering in the room. Seemed the place was clear. Grumbling to herself, she set the stand back up, before striding over to the sword, bending over and grasping the handle.

"Greetings, young maiden. Oh, sorry, you aren't a maid working here? Damn, disappointed... I wanted to give you an excuse to knock down that vampire's head.” The deep and dark voice made its way into Ash’s head, startling her a little as she instinctively looked over to the decapitated piece in the other display. “Yes, it's a vampire's head, sadly. An ugly one, at that. Pisses me off, but that's not why you are here, is it?” Ash blinked a little, finally recognising that the source of the voice was none other than the sword in her hand. Annoyed, she glared at it. “I’m not here for anything.” Apparently, the sword didn’t seem to care or notice her words, continuing off on a rambling tangent. “I remember the first one like... I think you'll know who this one is. ‘The Immortal’? Ah yes, he is... An interesting challenge. Then there was the boy, who was -very- easy, but I saw talent... I think he goes by ‘Inferno’ for now? One hears things-“ Annoyed by the sword’s rant, Ash began tapping it against the ground, rapping it repeatedly on the floor with little care for its wellbeing. “So you actually gonna tell me something useful or…”

The blade chuckled a little sinisterly, before Ash felt a dreading coldness run down her spine, the room beginning to swirl with darkness, fading the floor, walls, everything from sight. "Heh... You want something useful? Okay... Let's start with this~" As the whole world vanished, Ash glanced around nervously, before screaming as she felt her feet go out from under her, tumbling down into the black. Falling, falling, the endless void and the rush of the cold air around her was all she could see and feel. Steadily, the darkness began to obscure and engulf her. Up her legs, over her torso, creeping over her neck. Desperately, Ash craned her head upwards as it slipped over her mouth silencing her panicked screams before slowly covering her frantically darting eyes. In the end, she felt herself blinded in the dark, and the world went silent and senseless.

…

Unconscious, Ash slumped to the floor in the room, lying face first on the ground as her mind drifted away. Her fingers still loosely clutched the sword, as its voice aberrantly floated about the room. "... Well that's just great, isn't it? Now I have to waste more time by waking you back up. Nice going, princess." The sword gave a sigh of disdain, before Ash slowly began to rise to her feet. "Mmm, thank you for your help there. It's been a long time since she slept like that." Ash laughed a little, but it was hollow and somewhat sultry, the girl casually flicking her hair over her shoulder as she got to her feet. Darkness seemed to permeate from her body, and the calm blue of her eyes had been replaced by a deep, dark crimson… "... Well, your, well, new. Uh, yeah, they’re going to be pissed at me if you leave this room. Why don't you sit down and let's talk this over, shall we? I mean, I'm a god damn sword! Do you KNOW the weaknesses I obv-” In intense irritation, Ash swung the sword around to her face, glaring at it. “Shut up.” She seethed with a venomous tongue, before running a finger down the length of the sharp end. “Shutting up now…” The sword mumbled, Ash examining herself in the reflection of the sword. “My, the little girl’s all grown up now, isn’t she?” Playing with her fringe momentarily she laughed, tapping the sword over her shoulder as she strode towards the door. “Tell me, sword. How long’s it been since you’ve had some fun?” Grinning, she stepped up to the doors, shadows appearing from the crevices as it pulled the entryway open.

"... What are you doing? Y -- You don't honestly think -- I really have to tell you something... Something bad if you try to use me -- please tell me we're going to have some tea?!" Savouring the panic in the blade’s voice, she stopped a moment, glancing back to the case in the room. Stepping up, she made one sharp movement, vertically cleaving through the head, case and pedestal in one swift and violent motion. “Does that answer your question?” She chuckled, watching the blood trickle down the sides of the blade. "..... I would say I'm impressed, but they are going to be pissed now. I mean, you can use me, you'll start feeling your heart in pain in a few minutes.... It's all very complicated stuff from here. Although... If I may make a suggestion for you, miss...?" The blade spoke, attempting to draw out a name from its wielder. It seemed however, that it would receive no such answer. "Do go on. I'm so VERY interested in your trifling and insignificant feelings." The sarcasm was palpable as she continued her way out into the hall of the base. At this, the sinister aura of Eclipse finally unleashed itself, surrounding both itself and Ash as she could begin to feel its power flooding out. A sinister purple eye opened on the length of the blade, eying Ash. "... Why don't we head out and look for some poor demon waiting to die in a fight to the death?" It's voice was now different too. It sounded so much deeper, so threatening, so menacing, so... Much more evil.

“You make it sound so innocent.” Ash chuckled menacingly, cradling the blade for a moment as she brought it up to her face. “But the thing is, I’m anything but innocent. Tell me… Where can I find Claire Clade?” Eclipse let out a chuckle at her words, closing its eye a moment before speaking. "Do you feel the boy's presence like I can? Inferno's blood? If you can... That's where she is. Moving... Others are nearby. Are we going to cause a scene, m'lady?" Laughing in response to the blade’s ignorance, Ash pointed it down the hall. “Direct me. I intend to cause a slaughter.”

---

Travelling down the halls, the girl they encountered surprised Claire momentarily, her analytical eyes darting over her and assessing her words and the situation. Context was everything, and deriving just what was happening was generally the primary objective in every scenario to decide on the most appropriate course of action. This case was no exception, the hospital gown and the mention of how this girl had gotten lost allowing her to draw a couple of tentative, but logical conclusions. Smiling to herself as the girl introduced herself, it was always satisfying to have her hypotheses confirmed. This girl was Keilani, one of the most recently identified children. Glancing to Kane, Claire gave a small amused smiled at his slack-jawed expression. The revealing gown combined with the girl’s natural beauty made for an eye-catching moment, which Claire equally appreciated. In a refined and sophisticated way, of course. Nothing more than that. For now, it was time to be polite and reciprocate the greeting, especially with her innocent query about her patient.

“My name is Claire Clade. Behind me is Kane, and this here is Sebastian. He’s… Not doing too well, so we’re also heading to the infirmary. I’ll be happy to help you there too.” Smiling pleasantly, Claire gestured for Kane to drop the packages and take Sebastian as she moved over to help Keilani by lending a shoulder. Gingerly, she helped the girl off the wall, slowly walking her down the hall with the other two. Ironic how the girl was heading in the opposite direction of the place she was searching for – Then again, that was possibly intentional. No doubt she was a little confused, and had acted in haste after awakening in a strange and unfamiliar place.

Nearby, Sebastian didn't even seem to notice he was being taken by Kane now, seeming to be fade in and out of his awareness of reality at times. He looked over at Keilani briefly, and if he wasn't sick at the time, he would have been shocked by her beauty. But as it stood, he couldn't even concentrate on how his hand looked. He could however, hear her words; which made him cough a little into his arm. "... I don't recognize her... I don't remember her name..." His voice was in the form of a whisper, showing how weak he was. "... Someone please ask her where she knows me from. I can probably only remember --" He stopped to lightly cough again. "... That way right now." Kane knelt his head down closer to Sebastian, trying to listen in. “Sorry, what’d you say? I can’t hear you.”

Claire sighed, speaking to Keilani as her refined senses still managed to pick up on Sebastian’s words. “Well Keilani, our cowboy here is wondering if you can jog his memory. His mind’s a little fuzzy at the moment.” Chuckling a little, Claire’s laugh suddenly stopped, freezing midway as her expression froze into something of horror. Like a pulse, a shockwave of realisation hit Claire, sending a shiver through her body. It couldn’t be. She’d only felt this feeling once before. But there was no way that it could be… Soft footsteps made an approach, Claire tensing all over. Slowly, the shadow approached along the wall, until a tall female came into view. On her shoulder, a huge demonic sword rippled with dark energy, mixing and swirling with her dark aura. Red eyes hungrily stared down Claire, pure delight flashing across them. Ash smiled, finally finding her prey.

“Why hello there. Looks like you’ve got yourself some friends – Not that they look like much.” Ash laughed, eying over each of them. The casual malice in her voice was intimidating, Claire staring her down as she backed up. This was bad. Not only was it her, but she’d equipped herself with a powerful artefact. Then there were her comrades: Sebastian was basically unconscious, Keilani looked to be in not much of a better condition, and Kane’s fighting prowess could best be described as embarrassing. She wasn’t in a position to take her on, and it seemed her adversary knew it.

“We can settle this ourselves. No need to invo-“

Claire froze mid sentence as a black pulse of energy flew past her head, colliding with Kane and Sebastian to send them skidding back along the floor. Ash smirked. “There’s every need. Unlike last time, I intend to have insurance if you somehow pull off another dirty trick.” Stepping forward as she closed in on Claire, the sound of feet pounding down the hallways reached the ears of those engaged in or near the battle. Suddenly a figure appeared with tremendous speed, grasping Ash by the hand and slamming her into the wall, cracking it and sending a few bits of broken decor to the floor in a haze of dust. Deon leaped backwards, landing next to Claire, and looking to her. "Is everyone okay?..." Deon trailed off as his eyes landed on Eclipse, and his cigarette lit itself in his mouth. "Why can't you just stay sealed away for once?"

Eclipse merely chuckled at the scene unfolding before him. It was delightful, even though unknowing to Ash; her hand would now be covered by several tiny little purple vein-like things. Since they were small, it could be noted they weren't much of a threat yet, but would still be recognized by Deon as Eclipse's way of taking over someone. This was the main reason why Eclipse was picky - for almost anyone who had wielded Eclipse in the past had died. "What? I can't have my fun every now and then... But you Deon - Oh I got a bone to pick with you... Now if only this girl would attack you, unless you brought in back up. Which will be boring considering you three idiots keep telling these stupid people of my weakness..."

Casually, Ash peeled herself from the wall, cracking her back and neck as she looked to Deon. Behind him, she could see Claire stepping back, dragging Keilani with her as she attempted to protect the girl. Irritating, but her time would come soon enough. For now, it seemed she had bigger problems to deal with. “Well now, who do we have here? Oh wait, let me see…” Ash closed her eyes a moment, before laughing out loud. “Oh my, she ‘really’ dislikes you. Still, seems you’re the big bad boy around here. Well, if I can deal with you, there shouldn’t be anyone else that can stop me.” Pointing her sword towards Deon, she smiled a little. “Then again, you could always save yourself the humiliation and step aside right now.”

Deon grinned. "What's a little humiliation gonna do, eh?" Deon's grin was widening by the second. "And besides, you.... I want to see just how you tick!" A manic grin plastered to his face, Deon leaped forwards, kicking Ash in the chest and flipping backwards. "Well then, if Ash doesn't like me much, I have no reason to hold back anymore either". Deon grinned and took the cigarette out of his mouth. "I'll give you ten seconds to give us Ash back, or you'll be the one who's being humiliated." Unflinching, Ash remained completely stationary, like the impact of the kick hadn’t even affected her. Slowly, she yawned, showing complete disinterest. “Really now, that’s the best quip you have? Such a bore, really.” With a wave of her hand, the shadow at Deon’s feet rose up, grasping him by the ankles. Casually, she began striding towards him, sword poised for a thrust. “So, let’s just test how immortal you really are.” Deon sighed, a look of boredom adorning his face. "Well, hurry up then, after all, we don't have all night". Deon grinned, and his eyes sparkled. "Although". Suddenly, a set of flaming wings erupted from Deon's back, illuminating the area and banishing the shadow's grip on him. He simply stood there, waiting. "Didn't I tell you? Hurry up". Eclipse chuckled lightly at this. "Oh dear, you two seem quite bored with each other. Perhaps I can spice things up? Just make me cut him kid, and you'll see him change in the blink of an eye. Oops, have you forgotten about our first encounter already Deon?"

Ash glared a little, annoyed by the sword’s constant banter and instructions. She was in command here, and she was using it. There was no need for it to give her any such commands. Wickedly, she drew her arm back, before slamming the sword clean through and into Deon’s gut, wrenching it once in a twisting motion. It was time to see what the blade could do. If it couldn’t deal with this guy… Well, perhaps then she’d have to start trying. As the sword impaled Deon, he remained standing there, a sigh escaping his lips. "Is that it? This isn't very scary, ya know". A slight smirk grew across Deon's face as he reached out and tapped Ash on the shoulder, his eyes shining momentarily before the nightmare began. "Heh, is this it?" Eclipse, now having cut Deon, began to show him his worst fears. "Now the pain begins, Deon. You and this stupid girl are now both under my Nightmare Powers. Oh, did I forget to mention that earlier? My bad." A sinister laugh came out of Eclipse as his eye closed and vanished into the blade.

Smirking as Deon’s eyes rolled back, Ash slowly released the sword. Whatever hold it had on the Phoenikoi, it didn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. Well now, it seemed she could go back to her primary objective. Claire Clade. The girl was running down the hall, dragging Keilani with her as they fled the battle. When two super powers like that collided, there was no telling what would happen. Worse yet, if Ash had the chance, she’d come straight for her, and take out anyone in her way. This girl didn’t deserve to be dragged into all this. “Keilani, I know you’re not feeling great, but you need to find Scott, tell him what’s going on, and get to a safe place, got it?” Coming to a stop at a crossway, Claire pointed. “Just keep heading down there and get clear. Tell him Deon is fighting Ash and Eclipse. He’ll understand.” Waiting for Keilani to respond, Claire turned back down the tunnel. She’d make a stand against her here.

~ The Renegade Headquarters: Scott in Eclipse's Room ~

Scott stood there in disbelief for just a few. It only required a few minutes for him to register everything in, looking down at the head of Drayne, which he had put in here for a good reason and now it was cut and laid on the floor, to the empty case beside it. Scott's hand clutched slowly as he felt something going through his body, an emotion of such wrath that he felt he would of exploded had he not been human. He shook his head slowly, closing his eyes as he turned around and placed a hand upon his forehead, feeling the heat radiating from it. "Nothing... Change of plans." Scott told Mierya, who he had nearly forgotten about in his sudden rage. He took out his cell phone and quickly started texting, all the while his mind was quickly raging to form a plan. Once he had sent the text to Michael, he put the phone away and looked at Mierya. "I need you to go to where Michael is now, it's in the control room you briefly saw before. The one with the giant screen in it?" He said, watching her gain a confused expression as he looked away. As he looked away, an explosion came off nearby as it shook the very ground both of them stood on, Mierya would have trouble adapting to the base suddenly shaking while Scott held his ground. "No time to argue... GO!" He told her in such a harsh tone, he thought he might of seen tears start to form, though this might of just been his own mind playing tricks on him. With this done, the woman was gone, a demon was approaching him and all the while Drayne's head had vanished.

"My, my, Scott.... You've been busy. How are you, old enemy?" The demon spoke, gaining a sinister grin as he stopped and revealed his form before Scott. "... Tergun. What are you doing...?" He asked, watching the demon named Tergun gain a sinister grin on his face. "What do I want? It's called revenge, you stupid fool!" The demon spoke to him, wearing a uniform that looked similar to a human prisoner's, along with broken shackles being seen on his wrists and legs. The demon's skin looked metallic, his body stood at a mere five feet and six inches and his black hair and red eyes both made him look like a psycho. Sadly, he could not grow facial hair in the time he had been put away for these past two years.

~ Name: Tergun
Nickname: The Metal Kappa
Type: Kappa
Rank: C
Overall Threat: Capture on Sight (No longer in effect)
Threat Level: #101 on the WDL's wanted list (No longer in effect)
Additional Info: Tergun appeared two years ago leading the group he had dubbed 'The Metal Demons', who's goal was to make all machines in the country fail. Tergun's most unique ability was to be able to turn his body into metal at will, an ability he personally added instead of gained. Tergun's group ultimately was defeated and disbanded when Scott of The Renegades intervened with them, taking them down and sending them into The Renegade prison. Tergun has since been used as a prime example of how dangerous a Kappa can be and how they are always creating something new in the Demon World. ~

"I'm here to take you down, Scott Turner!" Tergun told him, seeming to walk closer as Scott moved back further into Eclipse's room. "... Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Scott asked. Tergun, in return, gave one of his sadistic grins. "My men are waiting for me to break them out... My two year plan will finally come into play - NOW!" With that, Tergun made his move, and charged towards Scott.

~ ???, nearby a village close to the WDL... ~

"Oi, Bellfoar! Hurry up!" Chill's voice shouted out in the night, as the quick form of Bellfoar the Boom Racer came into his view. In just a short amount of time, Bellfoar had made it out of the town, stopping near Chill with a cocky grin. "What are you making me rush for, Chill? For being a guy we hired to help us out with the plan, you sure are making me want to kick your ass!" Bellfoar told him. Chill rolled his eyes at his comments and sighed, looking at the next town they were heading to. "... Whatever. I didn't ask to be hired, you know." Chill responded. "Ass! You could at least show some respect to a higher ranking demon in the group then you! I mean, I actually made the WDL's most wanted list, after all!~" He chuckled after this with such glee, his cheeks flushed a little. "Oh how I love it! To think that break out finally did it for them! I'm so happy, I could almost cry!" Chill, having had enough of this, intervened. "Enough of that foolish jibber-jabber! Remember the plan Bellfoar, we all have a role to play. Right now one of our own Shikigami is entering into the base to gain some information for us as well as a few other requirements. You may be higher then me, but you are weak in comparison." Chill then walked ahead, while Bellfoar's rage grew. "Weak...? DON'T CALL ME WEAK, JACKASS! I AM BELLFOAR THE BOOM RACER! THE FASTEST LIGHTNING DEMON IN THIS WHOLE REGION! What I don't have in strength, I make up for in speed! And that is all that counts! GOT IT?!"

+ Several years ago, during the Rebellion King's growing popularity... +

Bellfoar remembered the first time he met Kallos, who was still in his prime before the fatal fight that would bedridden him for a number of years following it. He was excited, this was finally his chance to prove himself to someone important! As he walked towards the crystal demon, his eyes lit up with such joy as he saw the demon before him. Kallos, during this time, let his looks be shown to the world. His appearance looked to be somewhere in his late twenties, his purple hair and purple crystal in his forehead stood out from everything. He looked quite amazing back then, his cape blowing behind him, his posture looking like a true leader's would and his eyes showing knowledge and the confidence this demon had. Stopping in front of him, Bellfoar saluted to him as Kallos nodded to acknowledge it, letting Bellfoar lower his arm. "Bellfoar of Lightning, eh?" Kallos asked. "NO, NO! That's what those lower lifeforms would like to believe! I am Bellfoar the BOOM racer!" Bellfoar said. Kallos' eye twitched, but he shrugged this off for now. "... Right. So, you want to join my group because...?" He asked Bellfoar. "Because you need a guy like me! Without me, there isn't a group at all! For I am Bellfoar, the fastest Lightning Demon you will see!" He boasted out to Kallos.

"... Fastest? But you are incredibly weak, are you --" "YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT!" Bellfoar cried out, a serious expression on his face as Kallos rose a brow with a puzzled expression. "... Let me explain. Do you judge a demon based on his appearance? NO! Do you judge a demon based on the weapons he wields? NOT AT ALL! You base him by his skills! If he is damn well useful, and can also prove it, he is worthy to become a KING! Do you know the tale behind my creation?! It is a tale that is both unique and rare among Lightning Demons!" As he kept on going, Kallos simply stood in silence until he came to the word demons. "... Um, I didn't ask you to --" "It all started years ago!" Bellfoar interrupted him. "You see, there was this great storm that was said to be greater then any before it! And well, as you can imagine, it was amazing to witness! All the thunder to hear, all the lightning to see, it was a great show worthy to carry me in it! Well, during that same night..."

+ The Present, Bellfoar and Chill nearing the next town. +

"... Ah jeez, it's going to rain, isn't it?" Chill asked in annoyance as he looked up at the clouds forming above them, narrowing his eyes as he could already hear the ominous thunder booming across the land. It was strange for a storm to suddenly appear during this night, but for Bellfoar, it was another piece of paradise. "Ahh, isn't it wonderful? A storm such as this to celebrate before the morning comes and my victory shall be upon me. I remember the plan in my head, yes I do Chill! But for now, let me enjoy this moment." Bellfoar said. He closed his eyes then and spread out his arms as the rain began to fall upon them, making Chill roll his eyes in annoyance. "Did I ever tell you of the time I joined Kallos when he was in his prime? I tell you, it was a wonderful day, full of charm, grace and tension! I can tell you, it wasn't easy to talk to him like I did, but oh boy, you could imagine the surprise he had on his face when he saw me..."

~ Back with Scott and Tergun's fight... ~

Things weren't looking good at first, as Scott barely had avoided Tergun's metallic punch. Tergun had calculated this already, and following one of the expected routes for a human to make, he quickly turned and aimed a roundhouse kick to Scott's head. Scott barely had time to react, and just narrowly leaned back away from the kick, obviously at a disadvantage. Tergun was a master strategist in battle, his intelligence only furthered this as he could calculate ten moves and not be stunned by the option you took. Scott was still recovering from his earlier fight at the WDL, as well as his human body being so limited. Tergun had two years to mentally prepare himself, and while his fighting style physically had decreased over the last two years, his mental thinking had only increased over time. Scott jumped back as Tergun threw two tiny little objects at him, both of them exploding near Scott and making him get sent back with smoke coming off his form as he landed on his feet and skidded back a bit. Tergun jumped out through the smoke and made his way towards Scott, as Scott pressed a button near him and the room suddenly sent dozens of lasers at Tergun. However, Tergun dodged and reflected them with relative ease, and upon reaching Scott, sent his right fist into his gut.

Scott nearly collapsed as he stumbled back, sending gas into Tergun's eyes as he did which had caught the Kappa off guard. Tergun screamed out as his eyes burned and he put a hand over them, shaking his head as Scott coughed out lightly at this and pressed another button. "I can still hear, Turner!" Tergun stated, suddenly leaping forward at him as Scott rolled to the side while two paralyzing nets were ejected and wrapped themselves around Tergun's arms, electrocuting him. As Tergun screamed in surprise, Scott got back up and panted as some of the bandages were coming off and some of the stitches were very close to re-opening. Tergun merely smirked and looked at him with confidence, even though his eyes still burnt a little. "How foolish, Scott Turner. You once again underestimated my capabilities." Tergun then broke free of the nets easily, shrugging his arms off as he walked towards Scott. "Now make this easier on yourself and let me -- me... Ugh!" He stopped as he noticed his body starting to stumble. "Something wrong, Tergun? I thought you were going to come after me?" Scott said. Tergun turned towards him and growled, leaping at him as he formed blades at the ends of his fingers. "Tough luck, Turner!"

Scott watched carefully until the right moment, then pressed another button as he leaned away from him, getting a few cuts on his right shoulder but worth it as the same gas but at a larger quantity was blown straight into Tergun's body while it was in mid-air. Tergun screamed out in pain as he hit the ground, rolling around as he felt the burning all over now. "W-what have you done to me, TURNER?!?" Tergun asked as Scott smiled a little, putting a hand over his new cuts that Tergun had made on his shoulder. "Surprised, Tergun? I'm not, to be honest. You thought you were clever back then when Deon and Rin vanished, leaving The Renegades without two important leader figures to guide them. I always have prepared for the day a demon outbreak would occur in this base, so... I rigged every room accordingly." This made Tergun's eyes widen as he struggled to get up. "For example, there is this one you are in right now, Eclipse's room. I have outfitted it with a deadly gas to only to demons with an unusually high defense. You chose the wrong day to fight me, Tergun. I allowed you to attack me before so that I could get an understanding of how weaker you have gotten over the past two years you have been locked away. I admit, you are smarter and more sharper then were back then, but you are in an environment only I can win in. The gas that I have been sending into you, by now, has started to leave a burning feeling on you, right? I know I cannot win as long as you possess such a body..." At this, Tergun had enough, and charged in his rage towards Scott. Scott sent his right fist into Tergun's stomach, bruising Scott's knuckles in the process, but also cracking Tergun's metallic stomach. "WHA --?!" Was all Tergun could get out as he collapsed.

"... So I weakened your metallic form with the gas. You didn't notice it when I released it in your face, but the metallic structure around your eyes was actually weakening because of the gas. The more gas I also send into you, the more it will start to make your metallic parts burn up kinetic energy, making you more exhausted every attack you make. I have outfitted this room if ever the chance came up that Eclipse should escape, but I did not think of having to have it used on you. You remember Eclipse, right? How lucky for me... That you based your current metallic body based on a sword's own blade structure!" At Scott's words, Tergun screamed out. "TURNER! I refuse to admit..." And at this, he charged for another attack, leaping at him as he returned his hands back to normal and hardened the metal on them both as he clutched them into fists, ready to strike them into Scott's chest. "... THAT YOU ARE SMARTER THEN -- UGH!"

He was interrupted this time by Scott, who sent a kick into the side of Tergun's head and caused it to break like his chest, while also bruising Scott's foot under his shoe. Tergun was sent collapsing to the floor as he stumbled around and hit a wall, laying there as he struggled to stand. "... Face it, Tergun. You have regressed too much to be able to stop me now." Tergun once again rose up and charged towards Scott, sending a quick punch at him despite the weight that was being dropped on it now. "SHUT UUPPPP!!!" He shouted and sent his quick punch into Scott's wounded shoulder, smirking as he saw Scott winch for a second, but was cut off as Scott punched him in the face with his other fist. Tergun was sent back at this as blood came from Scott's fist, Tergun's metallic skin breaking off as when he hit the floor, the rest of it breaking off as well, leaving Tergun unconscious with his normal Kappa form. Scott sighed out and lowered his arms to his sides, watching Tergun's form. "... I don't have time to deal with the likes of you. I have more important things to take care of... Sorry. Maybe next time, you'll be smart enough to try to escape first."

~ Meanwhile, in the control room with Michael... ~

Michael, at the time, was preparing to head off to bed after a long day's work. He sighed out and looked at the screen with a content little smile, turning around as he began to walk away when he felt the vibrations of his cell phone go off in his pocket. Reaching into it and pulling it out, he looked at the text he had gotten from Scott, and his eyes had widened at what he had seen.

'Eclipse is loose, gather up all the children at once. I also have figured out who the extra child is, but we'll talk more about that after this. For now, do what you must to get this done!' - Scott.

Michael had little time to react to all of this, suddenly panicking as his heart felt like it was being grabbed by someone! He quickly put the cell phone away and ran back to where he just was, slamming his hand down on a red button as the entire base had a certain red glow to it now with a feeling of urgency over them. Alarms began to go off, he could hear the sounds of soldiers rushing through the building who began to rush for weapons. To others like Rin, Quake and the Seven Sisters though, it meant they had to go to him. Now.

Rin had ran out of her room at the sounds of the alarms, she was still in her sleeping gown and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She then made it to the room fairly quickly, finding herself beside the towering figure of the Oni that Deon had fought earlier. "What is it, Michael?" She asked him. Michael let out a sigh and closed his eyes at this, shaking his head lightly. "... Emergency code number 104 has been activated." He told her, opening his eyes again as he looked at the screen. "... He's free." Rin's hand crept it's way up to her mouth as she gasped from the news, she knew exactly who he was talking about. "We need to find Deon, he's the only one of us not here so Eclipse might already have him!" She went to turn on her heel, but was stopped when a strong hand was put down on her shoulder. "He'll be fine, pussy-cat. He IS the Leader of the Rogue division for good reason, ain't he?" Michael, meanwhile, closed his eyes again as he continued on. "... Worse still, is the one who's supposedly wielding him." Quaked turned to Michael at this. "Who? One of the Children?" She asked the obvious.

Michael only nodded in silence at this, Quake sighed out at this and let go of Rin. "Let's go, Rin. We gotta stop Eclipse asap." Quake said, and went to step out of the room when Michael opened his eyes and turned to them. "... Wait a minute. I need one of you to stay behind here and another one of you to go to where Deon is. That same will be for the sisters, except the one going can only take four while the others remain here." Rin sighed from all of this. "Quake, you're a better fighter than me, you go." She spoke up. Quake then grinned and turned. "Of course, I'm gonna beat him up for making me miss sleep. Laters." With those words, Quake was gone. In the background, a giggle could be heard. "I still need to get Ash back for scaring me with her bike, among other things. I'll go as well." Asmodeus said to them, and before anyone could respond she was off bouncing behind Quake. Michael shook his head a bit, being thankful that Quake and Asmodeus were at least volunteering to go. He hoped they would make it in time, but things got out of hand. "... Now if only the other sisters would appear. I have a special assignment for them." And then, on Que, they giggled behind Michael. "We've been here the entire time, Mikey. Waddaya want?"

Michael sighed out a bit again, turning around to look at them. "I need three of you to go after Quake and Asmodeus to handle the Eclipse situation. He's free, and the entire place is in danger. The rest of you, I need you to gather up all the children and keep them safe at all costs. That includes freeing whoever is in Eclipse's control." All of the girls nodded in response and then vanished, leaving only Michael and Rin left. Rin let out a giggle at this. "Oh man, look at me. Always prided on being ready, and I'm standing here in my pyjamas while you're wearing proper clothes." Michael smiled a little at her words. "I was about to go to sleep, to be honest... Although I find it ironic, how we're always paired together... Um, don't take that the wrong way -- I didn't mean it like -- like -- um..." He stopped at this, having forgotten the crisis at hand for a moment. Rin merely giggled and put her head on his shoulder. "Oh come on Michael, is that really that bad?" Rin then grinned and poked her tongue out at him. Michael blinked a little at what she was doing and looked over at her. "... N-no... Not at all." He managed to mumble out, looking back at the screen. He suddenly found himself conflicted, to act upon this chance or to resume the mission at hand?

Rin closed her eyes slightly as her cheeks reddened. "So Michael, what's next?" She asked him. Michael once again blinked at this out of confusion as his heart leaped a little at this. He looked over at her, trying his best to avoid her cheeks. "... W-w-what do you mean next?" Rin's arm lazily found it's way to rest upon Michael's other shoulder, as she sighed in content. "You're an awesome standing post, ya know that Michael?" She said, letting out a tiny giggle at this. "And..." She started. Michael was blushing a bit as he stared at her hand. "... And?" He asked her, placing his hand on hers gently. He felt himself conflicted again until... "Zzzzzz." She was snoring! Her full weight fell on Michael as she shifted slightly and grinned in her sleep. "Fiiiiishies~" Michael in confusion blinked and sighed as he looked at the screen. "Excuse me..." A voice suddenly called out, a voice that made Michael get chills sent down his back and made him tense slightly. He looked over to see a figure in the shadows. "How did you...?" He tried to ask. "I have my methods, Michael." The figure responded back to him, leaning against a wall and taking a bite out of an apple in his hand. "What a wonderful thing, this planet is..."

Michael narrowed his eyes a bit at the figure's casual tone. "Who are you...?" He asked, the figure looking at him with serious eyes now. "I'm quite offended that you don't know anything yet, Michael... Perhaps my name will give you a little rememberance?" Meanwhile, Rin's ears fluttered, and her voice slithered out lazily into Michael's ear. "Michael, don't touch me there, it tickles!" She then suddenly fell to the floor and threw into a fit of laughter and tears. "O-Oh god, Mikey, s-stop tickling me! Nyahahahahaha!~" Michael suddenly turned to Rin and widened his eyes. "What did you --" He started to ask, but stopped as he looked over at the moving figure, who stepped out of the shadows at this. "..... I-impossible." He said, as the figure's angelic wings spread out from his back at this as it sent out feathers throughout the room and Michael suddenly had a feeling of peace from him. At this, Rin's cheeks grew slightly pink and she let out a moan. "M-Michael..... you're such a nice guy and.... mmph.... I-I..... ununh...." Then, her eyes snapped open as she looked around in fear. "W-what happened to me?!" She asked, as her cheeks grew even redder at this and she tucked herself into a ball on the floor, her tails went whipping around wildly.

Michael closed his eyes from this and sighed. ".... Oh geez... This was a bad time to be having a dream, RIN!" He said, hitting her little form lightly as he indicated to show some attention and concern towards the stranger, quickly turning to the figure like nothing had happened just now, he was lucky the figure didn't see it. "I am sorry to interrupt, but..." The figure said and bowed from his waist, before then raising it back up to look at him. "... I am Gabriel, of the New Angels." Gabriel said, which made Michael felt himself frozen to the spot at this. "... And I am here to train you to join our ranks."

~ Renegade Headquaters: Michael in the Control Room... ~

Michael stood there in shock of the scene before him, Gabriel and Mierya had his attention for the moment it seemed. Glancing between the both of them at this, his mind went blank as he felt... Off for a moment. Something pulled at the back of his head, urging him to do something and put an end to it. But he ignored it, looking over at Mierya at this. "Scott, huh?" He said, turning his body fully towards hers at this. "I am Michael. Michael A. Malachim... You were sent here at a request for all of the Seven Children to be brought here... Although it seems we only have you here at the moment." He then turned and walked towards the computer, beginning to type into it as the screen quickly as it showed up with another child's face and a profile. "If you don't mind, I would like to sit you down and ask you about a few things... I'm sure this hasn't been an easy day, but I assure you, after this... Well, you can rest easier knowing tomorrow things will be easier for you all." Michael sat down at this, turning around to look back at her. "If you don't mind telling me a few things about yourself before the other children get here..."

Gabriel slowly retracted his wings as he looked over at the newcomer, seeming to wait until Michael was done to then raise a hand and make a tiny light appear for a few seconds before making it go away. A feeling of clam, peace and ease rushed towards her at this, although whether she would accept it to calm herself or not would be entirely up to her. After all, all this trouble for a new one in the works was quite troublesome. "Please child, do not be afraid of me. I am Gabriel of the New Angels, I will do you no harm. I represent humanity's kindness, after all." He said to her in probably the most calming tone she would ever hear. Gabriel then seemed to look a little more worried at her. "You mentioned Scott, did you not? I thought I sensed some tension coming from his way... That, and the obvious explosion." He then turned towards Michael. "Mind checking on that for me real quick?" He asked. Michael then spun around quickly and input a few things before letting a map show up, a red spot glowing near Eclipse's room went on and off. "Oh no... It seems someone broke into the prison and destroyed the entrance. I hope he's alright..." He said, turning back around as Gabriel sighed. "I do hope you got out of there in time, young lass."

~ Meanwhile, at the scene with Ash and Eclipse... ~

Sebastian felt horrible at this. His vision was fading in and out as all he could mostly see at this point were blurs and such, his body shaking violently a little at this as he could tell he was starting to submit to something he couldn't understand. As he struggled to get up from the sudden attack that had hit him and Kane, he placed a hand over his stomach and forced his legs to stand, even though he felt like they were about to give in at any moment. His breathing had increased, his heart beat was going off the charts and his body felt like it was on fire. He looked over at where Deon and Ash were to find Ash having stabbed Deon with the demon sword Eclipse, and Deon just stood there, helpless. He coughed a little into his arm as he then looked over in the direction Kane was, raising his right hand slowly and pointing one of his fingers towards a nearby door. He closed his eyes tightly for just a moment, almost going outcold in that one instant alone. "... P-please..." Was all he could call out towards him. This was when his shoulders were grasped and he was suddenly hoisted from the ground, momentarily making him feel like he was going to puke out right there. Quake grinned over at Kane, who was still beside them and poked him in the shoulder at this. "Listen up, Kane. Get Sebastian to a safer place, maybe the Infirmary or something, but you gotta get him there fast, alright?" She asked him, then shoved Sebastian into his arms. She the turned to Ash as she walked towards them with a grim look on her face. "Well, looks like Deon's little sister was weaker than I expected. Not good at all." Quake's fists clenched at this as she glared at her. "Bring it on, you've started this, now you're gonna finish it. With me!"

Kane could only nod in response to the Oni and hoisted Sebastian up as best as he could. He stumbled for a moment before then proceeding to run down the hall Quake had come from. He could just vaguely hear Quake challenging Ash behind him, but he didn't stop to see how it all was going to go from here.
~~~
“I’m not exactly interested in dealing with a girl passing off as a Unicorn. Why don’t you go shove that horn up your ass and then I’ll deal with your fat ugly face, hmm?” Ash spoke out with a sickly sweet voice, but the words she said harshly contrasted her intentions. But it seemed Quake wasn't taking it seriously in the slightest, so she started to stride in the direction Claire had went. Quake stood in place until Ash stepped to her side, which was when she shot her hand out and went to hit Ash in the side with it. "How about I shove my horn up your ass instead, bitch?" Quake then turned to look at Ash, but only after stealing a glance at Deon to see if he was okay. From what she could see, he was still standing, but didn't look like he was in need of help. It was this glance that caused her to fail to notice her fist went clean inside of Ash and was now lost in swirl of darkness. She then casually turned to Quake with her eyes flashing red. As Quake tried to pull her arm free from it, she felt as if it was stuck in solid concrete, finding no give or yield. "Lose something?"
~~~
Sebastian could only feel Kane tugging him along, closing his eyes tightly again as he felt something wrong again with his body. When he opened his eyes, he could barely just make out the door he had pointed to just a few ago. It was somehow a stroke of luck that he managed to find a figure literally forming into shape right in front of them. He felt his throat and voice were too weak to be able to tell Kane about the attacker, so he did the only thing he could do for him; push him out of the way as the figure charged at them. The next thing Sebastian could only feel was a sudden pain in his chest and back that made Kane's yell of surprise be completely blocked out as his eyes widened slightly from this realization of pain, looking down to see... Five claws piercing through his chest, one had even nearly gotten through his heart. He felt stone-like, even as the claws were pulled out of his body, a liquid-like shape reforming them into a blade as it quickly backed away, the only thing he could make out was that it had no legs. It was at this he collapsed onto a nearby wall and violently began to cough up blood, as the liquid creature launched itself in for another attack at Sebastian. Kane had been roughly shoved to the ground, turning in time to see Sebastian getting pierced. His eyes had widened in horror at this sight, watching the liquid monster retreat momentarily and quickly drew up to draw his katana. As the creature made to attack Sebastian, he stepped in between the two and cleaved the blade arm, having saved Sebastian from possibly the next fatal blow.
~~~
Quake's brow rose as her arm was lost in darkness, and she grimaced when she tried to pull it free. "What is this? Concrete? Well, you do know, right?" She then grinned and her eyes quickly flashed! "I CAN BREAK CONCRETE WITH EASE!" At this, Quake gave a mighty tug and swung her arm around, pulling it free from whatever Ash had done and quickly leaped back with a slight grin on her face. "Well damn, she's definitely stronger now. What do I do?" She asked herself, seeming to not notice her arm now dripping black with a viscous liquid. She also didn't seem to notice where Ash had been punched it was like nothing had even touched her. She could barely hear what Quake said next, as it was inaudible to all others but herself, and she saw her straighten up. "Well, let's do this properly then, shall we?" She asked, Ash had watched her patiently and listened to her challenge. "Your resolute to fight me, are you?" She asked, sighing as she shook her head. "Very well." And with sudden ferocity, Quake found her own right fist slamming into her own cheek, which sent her careening into the wall. Even after this, her own arm would continue to attempt to pummel at it's owner.
~~~
Sebastian felt weary at this time, he was unable to tell what had even happened to Kane, hoping he was alright and didn't get hurt like he had. He closed his eyes quickly when he heard the blade suddenly being stopped, and then... His hearing lowered. His eyes quickly opened as he realized he was suddenly lost. He could hear it slowly coming back, but it was already going fast. He then looked to the door from before and stumbled towards it, seeming to not notice Kane dealing with the demon as he opened the door and struggled to breath. He then took one last glance at where he had saw Kane before looking inside the room. "... Sorry. I can't go." He mumbled to mainly himself, although he hoped Kane could still hear it, before then wandering in and closing the door behind him, briefly locking the knob at his. Meanwhile, the Shikigami withdrew itself from Kane as it reformed into a more humanoid shape after this. it then walked closer to Kane ,and the closer he got, the more Kane could see it's jelly-like body. Barely able to be seen in it's chest were the two main parts to a sliced up head that looked to be being put back together in it's stomach-like area. "... If you do not allow me entrance into the room, I will have to take you out as well." It told him. Kane remained determined however, his eyes narrowing as he hunched down, blade at the ready. His body posture was all the message that was needed for it. It took the answer pretty well, narrowing it's eyes at him as it quickly reformed it's right arm into a more hammer-like shape and, raising it above Kane, aimed to slam it down on him, as it's jelly-like substance hardened!
~~~
"OOOOORAAAAA!" Quake shouted out, quickly leaping forward as she threw another attack in the direction of Ash. It was bad that her other limp was stuck in darkness, but she had barely managed to stop herself from being beaten so far. "Dammit." She mumbled. "Idiot." Ash mumbled, her hair extending quickly around up and around her as it formed into a wall of pinpoint spikes. Quake quickly found herself being thrown into the air as her eyes opened in shock, before the tendril of Ash's hair drove her into the ground and shot through her body. A gasp left her lips before she began to cough up blood and curl into a ball on the floor. "God... God dammit...." Was all she could get out at this. Withdrawing each of the hair strands from Quake, Ash sighed as she fondled her hair between two fingers. "I dunno if these red highlights are really me..." She rubbed the blood between her fingers and examined it momentarily, before leaving Quake to wallow in her own blood. All the while she headed towards Claire and, unknowingly another child, a song was just finishing as another fight nearby had quickly ended just as it had started...
~~~
Sebastian looked around the room as his blood fell to the floor and was making a mess as he stumbled over towards what he thought was the controls and began to grit his teeth. "... A computer? Then.... I can --" He stopped to cough up blood violently onto the floor as he gasped weakly afterword. ".... Got to.... Find it." He mumbled weakly now as he quickly began to try out all the buttons he could find in reach on the keyboard, unknowingly turning on the speakers. Kane had rolled to the side of the hammer as it hit the floor and he could send in a counter attack the heavy blow with with a quick sweeping strike at the torso. As the shikigami watched it's hammer hit the ground, it reformed it's arm back to normal as it began to unharden until it was then stuck in the torso. It slide back a little but stopped itself just as quickly, but Kane now felt something getting sticky. The sticky feeling was beginning to be a problem, for it would put down pressure on to him as time passed, and after a few steps back, Kane would take a moment to investigate what this was as he glanced at himself. He found a piece of the shikigami's own body now stuck on him, but just as quickly as finding this, the shikigami rushed in for another attack, now having it's fingers formed back into blades and they were all aimed at Kane's head.

Kane ducked swiftly at this and whipped his jacket off to remove the liquid pieces on him as he then threw it over the shikigami. He then took the momentary solace in blinding the creature, reaching his sword as he then muttered a prayer and ran his fingers up the blade before setting it alight and swung it once. A small fireball was aimed at his jacket, and upon contact, lit it up, setting the creature also on fire. Sebastain had done it, but he quickly noticed his breathing getting rapidly heavier. His heart felt like it was starting to fail on him, and he could only keep himself awake for a few more minutes as he continued to bled out. He gripped his chest lightly as he looked at the screen. "... Please.... Mother... Help them..." He mumbled, then pressed a button as music began to play at this moment. While the music was starting up, the shikigami screamed out as it was set alight and let out an inaudible scream, trying to shake it off and get the fire off. It rolled around on the ground as it stopped after this. It sizzled for a while and twitched slightly as it laid there with a burnt jacket. Pushing this off, it quickly formed into a ball the size of a basketball before weakly rolling away as the lyrics began to start.

~ Fly me to the moon. And let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like, on jupiter and mars. In other hands, hold my hand. In other words, darling kiss me. ~

"Do you like music, Sebastian?" A voice asked, as the young Sebastian laughed a little in reply as his mother smiled weakly, looking to the wall as unseen memories began to play in her head. "... This is a very special song to me, you know. Your father always use to say it was our song. The song that brought us together." She sighed out sadly, as Sebastian grabbed a hold of her hand and looked up at her with a gentle and sweet smile as the music played. His mother looked down and smiled, although he could see it in her eyes, the tears that were begging to come down again.

"You're not getting away!" Kane yelled and then lunged forward. Moments later, he then hit the floor and slipped on the tattered remains on the ground. The shikigami stopped and looked over at Kane, reforming suddenly into a snake-like shape. "Your friend is going to die in a few minutes from blood loss. I would worry about getting to him then me." With a sinister smirk after these words it quickly made off to escape with no one seeming to to be able to stop it. The only thing left of it would be a trail of goo it left behind.

~ Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forever more. You are all I long for, all I worship and adore! In other words, please be true. In other words, I love you. ~

Sebastian felt weaker, his blood was making a puddle underneath his feet as his ankles shook. Blood fell from his mouth onto the keyboard now as he felt paralyzed to the spot. I never meant.... To do this to you all.... I..... His thoughts were interrupted his heartbeat was skipped, and his chest burned with pain! He clutched what he could, but found his hands too weak. He heard the song, as tears fell down from his face. A sad smile was brought on his face. His mother. Ash. Claire. Lucifer. Chill. Kane. Deon. He thought himself a monster, and they were willing to sacrifice themselves for him? So why couldn't he... Try to do the same?

~ In other words, hold my hand. In other words, darling kiss me. Fill my heart with song. And let me sing for ever more. You are all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true. In other words, I love you. ~

Sebastian's body couldn't take it anymore, he felt himself slowly slipping. Was this how his mother had felt when she was dying? Was his very presence the only thing that brought her joy from the pain? Blood replaced the tears at this, as he took a step back as his heart skipped another beat.

All went quiet.

All was growing dark.

His hat fell to the ground.

His body collapsed on to it's back, his mind now blank, and his eyes growing dull, a sad little frown on his face.

His last thought before he faded into the world of darkness and began to enter into the stage of dying, was that someone heard that song and heard his prayer.

With that... Only a loud thud could be heard from the room to all around it. Blood escaped underneath the door.

The song was over.

And so also were his chances lowering of surviving.

Kane burst into the room at this time, and found himself looking at the dying Sebastian. His eyes were now only filled with horror as he quickly rushed through the blood in his way as fast as he could and stopped nearby, falling down onto his knees as he grabbed Sebastian and lifted him up, checking for any signs of a pulse on him. Meanwhile... "Dammit Ash, you stupid fucking bitch! Making me miss my goddamn beauty sleep because you ca- Wha?" Asmodeus observed the scene in front of her. Quake laying on the ground, coughing up her own blood, and Ash walking away as if nothing had even happened. Asmodeus didn't bother to even talk to Ash, because her primary concern was Quake. She picked the Oni up, hoisting her over her shoulder and nearly losing her balance, before taking off down the halls, in the direction of the infirmary.

“When I touched that sword… I saw a lot of things. It wasn’t just seeing my greatest fears… Terrifying a prospect as that was, that wasn’t the thing that broke me. Regrets. All the guilt and suffering I’d ever felt filled me at once, swallowing me into a pit of despair. Every moment I looked back on that was filled with remorse or shame… I lived those all at once. It was like the world only remembered the things I’d done wrong… The mistakes I’d made… How I’d failed.

…

It was worse than the nightmare that followed.”

---

Dim light filtered from the moon, casting a pale blue glow across the park. The shimmering illumination was the only source of visibility in the darkness, the streetlamps cold and lifeless as they remained silent. No breeze stirred the trees or leaves, and no sound or movement made its presence known. It was amongst this, that Ash found herself. Initially, bewilderment was the first thing she felt. It didn’t occur to her how strange it was to be out at this time, or what had happened to her prior to this moment. It was an odd sensation being so empty. Despite this, it was not a relief when her feelings returned. Dread. Fear. Amongst the eerie setting, the cold sweeping feelings flooded her. She was alone. Isolated amongst the darkness. Vulnerable. She needed to find someone – anyone – that could help her. She needed to get home. Rising from her place on the park bench, she started at a slow cautious walk, before shivering unconsciously. Why was she so… Terrified? Her feet sped up into a run as she crossed the park, her head rapidly turning this way and that, eyes frantically scanning for signs of life. Breaking out into the street, the deep sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach began to grow. Cars lined the streets, but it was as if they had been abandoned. Every building was devoid of light, closed off and empty. It was like a ghost town. She was well and truly alone.

Falling to her knees, Ash was overwhelmed. The scenario should have seemed like an insane dream, but instead she believed every moment of it as the truth. There was no one around. No one to help her. No one to talk to. Down on all fours, she could hear her own ragged breath, clenching her hands on the concrete as sweat dripped from her brow. Right now she’d give anything to hear a voice. Just to have someone say something and hold her. To have contact. She’d never shown anyone how much they meant to her, and she’d always told them she’d be better off alone. But it was a lie. She needed them. Needed… Just needed them to be there. She’d deny it if they asked her but… She enjoyed hanging around with everyone. Feeling her tears begin to well up, a firm grasp on her shoulder snapped her to alertness, relief filling her as she turned to see who was behind her.

“You okay Sis?” Claire asked, smiling warmly like she always did. It was such a welcome sight to see her here, she didn’t care what she’d done to her in the past. Sobbing, Ash leapt up and hugged her, revelling in the warmth she felt as she clutched her close. Claire continued to hold her close, softly caressing her head as she whispered words of calming reassurance. “Close your eyes, everything’ll be alright…” The sniffles of Ash began to die down. She’d always been a crybaby when she was little, and Claire had always been the one to look after her. She trusted her more than anyone else.

Schkt.

“Gck…?!” Ash gasped, intense pain flooding through her body as the knife was driven into her back. Blood drained down her jacket as it was forced in deep, Claire unmercifully pushing it home to the hilt. Weakly, Ash turned up to see her sister, barely able to get out the words she needed. “…W-why?” Meeting her sister’s gaze, all she got in response was a crazed and maniacal laugh, Claire twisted the knife free and shoving Ash to the ground, sending blood across the pavement as Ash screamed out in agony. The splatter sickened Ash as she hit the floor hard, blood matting her hair as she became a tangled mess. S-she needed to flee. She had to get away. Getting onto all fours steadily, that insane laughter continued to ring in her ears as she crawled away before staggeringly getting to her feet. Running as fast as she could, the voice faded behind Ash as Claire remained unmoving…

Panic, pain and fear was still running rampant in Ash’s mind, she barely could make sense of anything. Her legs continued to drive her forward on those same emotions, plunging her deeper into the city as she rounded block after block. Claire was insane. She was trying to kill her. She needed help. Barreling into the nearest alleyway, Ash gave a yell of surprise as she tumbled into a trashcan, crashing to the ground in a clatter of noise. Wincing, she began pushing herself up, before noticing the shoes standing before her. Frantically glancing up, she was met with the sweet and seductive smiling face of Asmodeus, skirt as short as ever as the biker got a compromising view of the lust demon. “A-Az! You’ve got to help me, Claire is-“ Ash froze midsentence as the sin helped her up, putting a finger to her lips. “Shh… Calm down… I’m here now. You can trust me.” Ash blinked a little in confusion, and far too late did the paranoia and fear kick in. The knife was plunged hard and fast, first into her stomach, and then secondly, into her heart. Ash gave a choked cry as blood seeped from her mouth; frozen as she clutched her chest, vision blurring as she tried to maintain her focus. As the world swam and began to fade to black, the agony she felt from the knife was overridden by one prominent pain.

Betrayal.

---

Awareness slowly returned to Ash, the fog lifting and colour filling her peripherals. Blinking as the world came into focus, she suddenly was alert, sitting up violently as she felt her back before gazing around in a panic. There was nothing though. No injury or bleeding, just a dull aching memory of what had happened. Panting as she had worked herself up, it took her a moment to realise where she was. She was home. Beneath her was her soft, race-car bed and on the closet was the poster of that boy-band Claire liked. Well, she used to like. It’d been years since her room had that poster. Sitting up, Ash walked over to examine it, reaching her hand forward… Before gasping in surprise as her hand went through the wall. S-she was a ghost?! She’d died?! Running over to her bedroom mirror, her fears were immediately confirmed, as no reflection stared back at her.

“H-how…” Ash stammered before the sound of nearby footsteps caught her attention, heavy as they stormed up to the room and roughly tore the door open. She was brash, her face a scowl and arms folded, charging through Ash and flopping onto the bed with a huff. Ash remained speechless, staring at the teenage girl that had just walked past her. She knew who that was, but it bewildered her to no end. That girl… Was her.

“Oh come on Ash, it’s not that big a deal!” The mention of her name made her pivot, stunning Ash in her tracks once again as the young Claire stood in the doorway, scratching her head in annoyance. “Look, you can still come with us if you want…”

“As if. Who’d want to see something boring like that?” The snarky question of her younger self was rhetorical, and slowly but steadily, Ash began to remember what this was all about. Her and Claire had organised to head out together and visit the racetrack, but contrary to how things usually went, this was the first time Claire hadn’t gone along with her plans. It was stupid and selfish, so she probably should’ve done what Claire wanted for once… But back then, she wanted her own way. It was some girly chick flick at the movies, but not only that, it was with her older sisters. She probably shouldn’t have been so bitter about that… But she was jealous. Jealous of her sisters stealing Claire away like that and angry her sister had been duped into joining them. At least, that was how it seemed back then… In reality, Claire had probably always wanted to join in the girly things. It never occurred to her that Claire only went to those auto shows and things just to keep her happy. Perhaps if she’d had a bit of insight into that… The whole argument between them could have been avoided.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Claire responded in annoyance as Ash sat up, a smirk on her face. “I mean those sorts of movies are stupid. But whatever, go if you want. I don’t care.” Flopping back down, Claire hmmphed, stepping forward and standing over Ash’s bed. They’d long since lost the bunk beds after growing up.

“Look, I don’t see why we can’t just go and see this together-“

“Because it’s lame. Duh.” Ash interjected, eyes closed as she cut Claire off. Trembling a little in annoyance, Claire raised her voice an octave as her frustrations grew. “It’s not lame!”

“Yes it is.” Ash responded dismissively, nonchalantly fobbing her sister off. “What do you care anyway? Everyone else is going to be there, it’s not like you need me.”

Claire paused a moment, her expression calming as she sighed. “I’d still like you there, sis…” Drawing out the best guilt trip she could, Claire attempted to appeal to Ash’s sympathy. Unfortunately, it would have no effect. “Ugh, you’re such a wimp. I don’t care about you, so it’s not like you should worry about me.” Ash rolled over in frustration and annoyance. She hated when her sister got all mushy like that, it made her uncomfortable. Besides, she’d organised this day together. She was being a jerk by ditching the plan.

…

Silence filled the room, Ash cautiously opening her eyes as she lay there. Finally, Claire broke the silence, provoking a twinge of guilt from the biker.

“Well… If that’s the way you feel, maybe I don’t care about you either!” Claire shouted a bit, slamming the door behind her as she ran out of the room. Ash was left alone in the silence of her room, watching herself sit up. She remembered this night all too well. After the argument, she’d sucked it up and gone to apologise to Claire. That was when…- Ash froze, watching her younger self grab her phone and begin dialling a number. This… This wasn’t right. She didn’t remember this. Curious and confused, she watched, mesmerised as she heard half a conversation she’d never known. It was Jim… her ex. Well, who would be her ex in the next few hours. Why was she calling that asshole up? It didn’t make any sense.

“Right, I’ll see you then. No, my lame ass sister won’t be there. Heh, cool. Alright, I can’t wait to hear it. See-ya.” Snapping her phone shut, Ash grabbed her jacket and keys, jumping out the door. No, no, this wasn’t right. She was going to the races with Jim? That never happened. Bewildered, Ash felt herself following, running after her young self. Just what was going on? If this was another nightmare like before, why was it so similar to her memories? Frantically thinking back to this day, she couldn’t get out of her head how this was wrong. She didn’t remember it being like this! Unable to shake the feeling how wrong it was, she felt like stepping into her own shoes and doing things the right way. She’d thought about what she’d said to Claire in her room for a while, than driven down to the cinema to meet her family and apologise. Then… Then, as she left, she learnt how twisted her sister truly was. It was a lie. The movies, being upset with Ash and storming off. It was all a trick to leave Ash behind, so she could see him. She’d stolen him away from her, and had no remorse about doing so behind her back. Both had betrayed her.

She glared at Jim as she saw her younger self give him a brief hug. That bastard… He was a bad-boy and it was what had drawn her to him. He was reckless and stupid, but she’d never expected him to cheat on her with her own flesh and blood behind her back. She never expected it of her own sister either. But they had. And it burned her to this very day. Flaring up in anger for only a moment, it disgusted her seeing the foolish way she fawned over him. Her annoyance was quickly replaced by confusion at this new situation. If that never happened… Then what was going to occur here? Watching in silent curiosity, she crept ever closer to the two, listening in to their conversation. With the way she was so deeply absorbed in observing the moment… She could see just how awkward the two were. Jim looked… Uncomfortable being around her. Eyerolling, keeping his personal space... It was… odd…

“Look Ash, ya know how I said I had something to tell you?” Jim spoke, hands in pockets as he turned to face the young her.

“Hmm? Oh, I completely forgot. Spill, what’s the deal?” Sitting up from the fence where they’d been watching the show, she smiled at Jim, showing how she clearly expected something good. As the situation continued to unravel, it became apparent that a gift was the last thing on Jim’s mind.

“Well… Look, I’m done with it.” Jim turned away after the words, leaving Ash a little perplexed. “Uh… Done with what?” She asked after some hesitation, confused with what he was referring to. “Look just… Ugh, I’m done with you alright? I met another girl, and believe me, she’s way less hassle then you. Basically, I’m dropping you. Dumping.” He turned back to face Ash, his face stern. “Ha, nice one. You’re a real… Kidder…” Slowly, the realisation dawned on her that Jim was serious, his expression grave and his body language somewhat aggressive. “It ain’t a joke. Unlike you, I don’t bitch at people all the time for no reason. I’m out.” Shoving past the younger her roughly, Ash watched herself stand there in shock, before calling out to Jim, running after him and catching him behind the stadium. The next few moments were… Painful to watch as the argument escalated, both yelling at each other in frustration and exasperation. She felt awkward, like she was eavesdropping on an argument between a couple… But this was her, right? Her in some… Alternate timeline or something?

Finally, the fight reached it’s breaking point as Ash moved up to grab Jim, only to have him roughly shove her off onto the ground. “Fuck off, get over it you stupid bitch!” Turning on the spot, he began to storm off, leaving her there. Ash watched herself remain on the ground, then her eyes widened in fear, seeing the transformation overtaking her. Darkness began to flood out of her and consume her, morphing her into some sort of demonic shadow cat beast, sharp claws rending the ground and teeth gnashing wildly. Jim turned and screamed in panic, attempting to run before a huge demonic tail snaked after him, pinning him through his back to the ground as he cried out, scrambling to try and escape. Slowly, the monster Ash had become stepped up, changing back to a human form as she cupped Jim’s cheek and turning him to face her. Grinning, she began to whisper. “If you never want to see me again… Then I guess I’ll give you your wish.” Jim gave a startled cry as the shadows around him began to rise up, holding him spread and in the air before more formed, this time a multitude of blades and spikes. Ash could only watch the scene in horror before turning away, choking back tears as Jim’s screams of agony echoed in her mind. Just what sort of nightmare was this?!

“Nightmare? Oh, no, this is real; I can assure you of that.” The voice came from behind her, Ash freezing as she whirled. The stadium was gone, and now she found herself in an endless black void. Before her, stood the monster she’d just witnessed her identical twin aside from those blood red eyes. Grinning wildly, she raised a hand, Ash giving a gasp as a shadow tugged her down, pulling her into a seat. “Comfy? Good. I’ve got some things to discuss with you…”

---

Claire had intended to head down the corridor and face Ash alone. However, the persistent questions and concern from Keilani made her hesitate. This girl… Ugh, she couldn’t protect her and fight that demon! No matter how positive her intentions, she was just needlessly risking herself, and making the situation more difficult. Fully intending to give Keilani a piece of her mind, she stopped at the last few words she uttered.

"You don't want to hurt her at all... I can feel that."

Claire blinked a moment, wondering how this girl had identified that. Monitoring her psychic barrier, indeed, it seemed that however unintentional it may have been, Keilani had somehow read her feelings through it. So, there was more to this girl then her dreamy appearance… Interesting… Maybe there was a way she could help after all. Claire narrowed her eyes, retrieving her glasses from her breast pocket and appraising Keilani. She didn’t seem to be in the best physical health, but the mind was far more important for what Claire intended. Was it wise to trust a stranger with something like this? At this point, she didn’t really have much choice. She needed her Ash back, but she also needed to fend off this monster. That meant someone had to go in there and find her true self. This girl seemed to have a pure spirit - A natural tendency of empaths – So maybe… Just maybe, Keilani could save Ash.

“Alright. But you need to do exactly as I say.”Claire removed her glasses before stepping up, placing her hand on Keilani’s forehead. She’d just do a little probing of her mind, perhaps make some suggestions and feed some information in to help- Recoiling her hand, Claire blinked in surprise. Considering how dazed this girl had been, her mental defences were extraordinary; especially considering Claire couldn’t use her unfocused powers to get a read on her. “Remarkable…” Claire muttered, turning away. With psychic fortitude like that… Yes, it was clear now this plan had merit. It was disappointing she couldn’t transfer her knowledge, but at least Keilani might be safe once she crossed the mental barrier. Well, she had no choice. They’d have to do this the old fashioned way.

Suddenly realising how little she’d been speaking, and how strange her actions must have seemed to Keilani, Claire apologised. “Sorry, I got lost in my own thoughts. I’m not sure how much you know about things, but I need your help to save my sister.” Claire stressed the urgency in her tone, remaining serious. “She’s not herself… The darker side of her personality has taken over.” Claire continued her rushed explanation. There was no need to complicate things by explaining why this side of Ash had manifested into a separate consciousness. Especially since that was her fault. “Basically, I need you to enter into Ash’s mind, and help her get free of whatever is holding her back while I stall her here. You don’t need to worry about the specifics of it, I’ll get you in there, and Blanche will be there with you. Just walk around, find her, and I’ll get you out.” Claire turned, seeing the shadows of her sister creeping down the corridor. She didn’t have long.

“Get yourself somewhere safe and comfortable. When you’re ready to go, tell Blanche and she’ll bridge the connection.” Claire gestured to the white cat that had made its way over, meowing to Keilani and leaping down the hall. When she was ready, it would induce the hypnotic slumber and connect Keilani into Ash’s nightmare. As the girl remained behind, Claire glanced back over her shoulder. “…Sorry. About dragging you into all this, I mean. And thanks. Just be careful.”

---

Tearfully, Ash remained broken and hollow. Mindless and blank, she remained sitting in the chair of shadows, eyes reflecting the sorrow of what she’d learned. In her head, fears and nightmares continued to play in a waltz of choking atmosphere. Surrounded by the darkness and abandoned to herself, she was alone. In the isolating black, she remained dead to the world.

~ A room in the hospital area... A brawl between Shikigami and Transformed Anders begins! ~

As if the situation weren't dire enough, a fight had broken out between the Shikigmai and one of the seven children, Anders. As Anders got closer to the shikigami, he uses his jaunt ability to appear behind the shikigami, and then turned to swing his makeshift club at it. The shikigami, however, had noticed Anders using his ability and spun around to catch the club and stab the tips of it's claws into it, it's arms now having returned to a more human look. "Ohh... Are you letting up, Devil's Child?" It taunted him, but Anders simply smiled at the shikigami. Anders quickly moved back to his bed and sent three chains at the shikigami, all of them spread out so that it would be harder to avoid them. But, the shikigami saw through this, and letting go of the club, reformed one of it's arms into a shield and placed it in front of itself as the chain hit the shield. It then quickly moved out of the way of the other two. "I am beginning to see through your moves..." It taunted him again, as Anders picked up a larger shard of his broken guitar while still smiling. "That won't help you for much longer." He said, and then chucked the shard at one of the lights, shattering it in the process. The shikigami chuckled in response to this. "Trying to cover up your movements? Ah... Then let's do this right."

The shikigami picked up the two unconscious guards and then threw them at the door, watching as they hit it and broke right through it. It then shot out more of it's liquid to cover the entrance of where the door use to be. It then started to drip a little, before starting to send off liquid from it's own body and spread it across the floor. "... What will happen if you can't move with your feet?" It then watched as Anders jumped onto the bed to avoid the liquid coming. "I was always really good at that the floor is lava game." He then fades into the shadows, shooting out a projection at the shikigami, but vanished before it could hit. The shikigami smirked as it already knew who would win. "Illusions, huh? Do you not notice my body? I am a rare form of water demon... The Jello Demon! My ability is to be able to copy any shape or form as I please, and another one of my abilities is to also solidfy any body part I choose. Do you get it? I can easily fill this room with jello the size of a pond. Darkness won't help you... I am the better fighter here. You are but a newborn in the way of me. Unless you'd like to prove otherwise?"

~ Name: The Jello Demon.
Nickname: The Jello Shikigami
Type: Water Demon (Jello)
Rank: D
Overall Threat: Cunning from the sidelines, dangerous to any mortal it encounters. Must be captured if seen.
Threat Level: #257 on the WDL's wanted list
Additional Information: The Jello Demon, true to it's name, is a water demon who, instead of being made out of water, is really made out of jello. It is unknown how this came to be, but it is believed that around a hundred years ago it was created as a result of a demon's blood being part of the ingredient to make it. Once the jello was made, The Jello Demon was born. Being different from the rest of it's kind, it decided to become a Shikigami and would soon be employed under the services of Kallos. While it is a D ranked demon, it is very useful to it's master with it's unique abilities and unique body. ~

Anders then used his jaunt ability to a shadow that was behind the shikigami and sent three chains at it. Two of them hit the Shikigam's main body, the other hit the liquid that was being spread across the floor, although it more or less was being dragged along with it now more then anything. The shikigami once again chuckled. "What do you plan to do? I told you.... I'm Jello!" It then pierced holes rapidly in it's arms and chest, making a total of nine as each hole would release liquid like a broken pipe, adding to the already increasing liquid in the room. "Let's see... Nine holes. That means you have to seal nine different spots on my body at the same time. Or are you going to try to kill me still?" "I will kill you, now that the chains are attached, its only a matter of time." Anders responded, vanishing again as he reappeared back on the bed with another smile. "I'll give you credit though, it takes alot to get me to smile this much." The shikigami then narrowed it's eyes at him. "Now what are you on about? The chains are pointless... They cannot harm liquid." It told him firmly. "They won't harm the liquid, no, i'm going for something a little more vital than the stuff that makes up your body, something that not even your liquid form can protect from my chains, something you need to function." He then sent two more projectiles that seemed to almost hit the shikigami, but didn't. It was more like he was just teasing him now...

The shikigami rose a brow at him. "Oh? And what would that be, Devil's Child?" It asked him. "Its kind of sad that you can't figure it out, considering the clue i just gave you. and i can't just tell you, that would be stupid, its the biggest flaw in all action movie villans. they always reveal how their plan works." The Shikigami blinked at this. "Movies? Is that a human device? But I think I know what your on about... Sorry to dissapoint you. But a water demon doesn't function the same as a human. For you see..." It then grabbed a hold of one of the chains and started to spread out it's liquid across it, doing the same to the others. "... My body doesn't have a heart. I'm all water, punk!" It told him confidently. "You may not have a heart, but water dosn't just controll it self, also, i'm not a punk, i'm a goth, there is a very big difference there." Anders told the demon. The shikigami then tapped it's head lightly and split it open. "See? Nothing but water... You have no idea how to fight me." It then reformed it's head back in one piece. "I need to end this... NOW!" It then blasted out more water at him, making it so that the water was up to it's waist. "How about that?!? I've nearly filled the room with just about my liquid! The bed will be consumed and then YOU WILL!" It exclaimed to him. "You have to think some how." Anders said to it, as he leaped from the bed directly towards the shikigami.

The shikigami, in response, spread out it's arms as it chuckled. "Then try me!" It taunted him as he leaped. "One last chance! Or you will drown!" It told him, watching as he neared. As Anders got close enough, he touched the demon in order to try to send impulses throughout his body, to which the shikigami merely smirked at this action. "My, my... I don't know what your trying to do, but..." It then formed a spear-like shape as the liquid exited out of the hole in it's chest and sent it piercing through Ander's stomach. "... You are so slow~" It taunted him, grabbing a hold of the spear and pulling it out of him as it watched Anders put a hand to his wound. He then jaunts out of the room before he could fall into the liquid below him. The shikigami absorbed all the liquid back into him as he phased through the liquid covering the door's entrance. "... What a pain. But... Time to die." It then changed it's right arm into a blade again. "Any last words?" The shikigami asked him. "Thought you could see through my moves?" He then laughed before the jaunt pulls him back into the room. The shikigami rose a brow and smirked, tapping the liquid that sealed the door's entrance. "... Fool. You should of been more careful!" It's holes then closed up as it looked at Anders now trapped in the room. "My prisoner... How lovely~" The shikigami stated, before then heading off towards the control room. "Now... To do what I was meant to do. Assassinate the Half Angel!"

~ Meanwhile, in the control room, unaware of the intruder closing in on them... ~

Scott dragged along the defeated body of of The Metal Kappa, who was currently unconscious whilst being wrapped in chains that restrained him if he awoke. As he approached the control room, he stopped as the doors opened, and he walked inside to see three figures. He let go of The Metal Kappa once he was inside, laying him down on his back as he looked over to see Michael and Rin on one end and nodded to them. Then he looked over and saw... Someone with angel wings?!? This freaked him out for a few seconds, before suddenly he felt... Calmer. Gabriel looked over at him with an apologetic look at this. "I apologize in advance for not warning you sooner." Gabriel spoke, as he walked over and held out his hand. "I am Gabriel, of the New Angels." He said to him so calmly and with ease. Scott looked down at his hand with confusion as he blinked and took his hand slowly, shaking it as he put his other hand on the side of his head. "You look injured... Allow me." Gabriel said to him, holding his hands as a bright light surrounded Scott briefly, as all his minor wounds started to heal. "My god..." He said softly to himself, watching the glow fade away and Scott feeling much better now! "... I -- I thank you..." Scott said out of amazement, to which Gabriel smiled and merely nodded in response.

"How touching." A voice called out to them, as from above a liquid form fell upon them and reformed. The Jello Demon grinned demonically as it looked at them all. "An intruder? So... I assume you are the one who freed Tergun?" Scott asked him. "Indeed I am, if that's the metal punk I freed earlier that you are referring to! I am the Jello Demon... Nice to kill you all. Now, if you'll just stand still for a few..." The demon said, Scott gritting his teeth as he looked to see Drayne's fully restored head in it. "... I need that head." He mumbled to Gabriel. "So it shall be." Gabriel said, walking forward towards the demon as Scott backed up slowly. "Scott, what are you --" Michael started, but was interrupted. "Listen to me Michael, take Rin and get out of here now." He said to them, as Michael rose a brow. "What are you --" He stopped as Scott glared a little. ".... Ok." Michael said, quickly taking Rin's arms out of surprise and dragging her away before she could complain. Scott then looked forward at the demon. "Foolish angel... Get out of my way, now!" It spoke, as Gabriel stopped in place. "... No response? FINE!" It shifted it's fingers into blades as it moved forward at the angel, only to be stopped as Gabriel's hand struck into the Jello Demon and pulled out the head of Drayne, throwing it to Scott, who luckily caught it in time. "You... Will pay for that." The Jello demon mumbled as it backed away slightly.

Gabriel glanced over at Scott at this chance. "I need you to get out of here... What I'm about to do is almost strictly forbidden." He said to him, as Scott's eyes widened at the thought of what happened before one time with Michael. It was on accident, of course, so it didn't count against him. After all, he was still developing to control his powers. "... You mean you can -- you have control over THAT?" Scott asked, shocked at what Gabriel could do then what Michael did. "... Okay, I'll leave it to you then." He said, before quickly rushing off. Gabriel looked back to the Jello Demon at this. "... I believe it's time we both got serious, don't you agree?" He asked him, to which the Jello Demon furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you --" But at this, he was interrupted when an angelic light surrounded Gabriel's form as his wings fully spread out. The Jello Demon stopped momentarily, seeming to be overpowered by this as lights began flickering on and off throughout the base. Michael stopped briefly to protect Rin from this holy force, most of the Renegade demon soldiers were put off by this immense holy power. "So... I underestimated you." The Jello Demon managed to get out, as Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him. "You did. That was your mistake, and the best part is... I can concentrate the main power of this on you and not anyone else. If anyone will die from this... It'll most likely be you."

~ A meeting between high ranking demons begins... The rebellion's leaders meet in a special way! ~

The Revolutionary Leader sat down in his throne as he relaxed all tension from his body, seeming to concentrate now on three other chairs. Immediately, three figures appeared as they looked like they were holograms of some sort, only you couldn't make out much detail from them besides the tones in which they spoke. "Ah... Finally time for another one, eh? I see Kallos has been able to fit us into his busy schedule." The more intelligent one spoke first, seeming to tap it's fingers gently against each other. "A lot better then what can be said of you, short one." The countess spoke out next, as the intelligent one glared over at her. "Watch your tongue there, countess. Otherwise you may find it --" They were both interrupted as the Revolutionary Leader raised a hand to stop them. "Enough bickering. It is time we do this now. Kallos, give me a full report on the children." Kallos shifted at this, the tubes sticking out of his body could be barely made out. "Deon Morris is the same as always. Although currently, our spy reports he has been subdued by Eclipse." The intelligent one shifted at this uneasily. "That annoying sword? How did he get out?" He asked, as Kallos looked over at him. "I'm getting there." He responded, before looking back towards the Revolutionary Leader. "Sebastian Thomas nearly died tonight by our own spy. The children are very weak it seems... They are still at human level." The Revolutionary Leader nodded in response.

"Devin Namach is still missing, although whether he is being held captive by the WDL or is just simply on the loose is unknown. It is fully possible he is also dead since no one has seen him in a while. Chang T. Wilson is believed to be under the same category. Ashley Clade appears to have gone berserk, from what our spy has told us, she is also the one who freed Eclipse. It also seems they have three new children with them. From what our spy has told us from looking at some reports, he has discovered a few names. Keilani Dreahen. Anders Agni. And finally, Mierya Nightless. All of these names were confirmed because someone had written them down on paper. Keilani's was medical, Anders and Mierya were for recruiting." The Revolutionary Leader closed his eyes at this. "We will keep an eye out for them as well... But there is a problem with your report, Kallos. That means there are eight children in this world instead of the normal seven. Care to elaborate this for me?" He asked Kallos, who looked at him calmly, already having the answer as the Leader opened his eyes. "We believe there is an extra child, sir." The Leader rose his brows at Kallos. "An extra? Who?" But before he could go on, the intelligent one stepped in. "It is obviously Deon Morris. After all, he was not born of the generation the others are in. It only makes sense then." The Leader then shifted his eyes back to Kallos. "Who do you believe it is?" He asked him, as Kallos closed his eyes slowly while he thought. "... We believe it to be Sebastian Thomas. Both have had strange readings in the past, Ash's readings are normal compared to them."

"I see. Where is the spy now?" The Leader asked Kallos. "He is currently facing off against one of the New Angels." He confirmed, as the Leader nodded. The Countess looked over at the Leader. "New Angels? They sound like pansies to me." She said with a laid back tone, almost insulting them as it were. "The New Angels are a group of the former highest angels in heaven's ranks. They are all half angel, it is unknown how they are this way, but it is believed that they are the children of an angel each before they died." Kallos rose his brows at this confirming from the Leader. "Some of the angels are dead?" He asked in surprised. "Yes. Someone killed them, and now they have passed on their ranks to the New Angels. That is why they exist. We only have a few confirmed kills though... Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. Camael and Sataniel have been missing." The intelligent one chuckled at this. "The rumor is pretty funny, how one of their own betrayed them and they succumbed to a deadly poison. Quite interesting... You would of expected better from them." He licked his lips at this. "You really are disgusting." The Countess commented to him. "So, I wonder... What happens if a child does die?" Kallos asked them. "That's easy." The intelligent one spoke. "They go back to they're creator." The Countess shook her head at this. "I thought they went to Purgatory?" The intelligent one smirked at this. "They have the devil's blood in them. Unless they were directly descended from him, which is an ill possibility, then they will make him more powerful until he dies. THEN they go to Purgatory." The Leader sighed at this. "Whether one is right or not does not matter right now. Kallos... I have a special job for you to do. It involves giving those Renegades... A little warning. I want all of the children alive and safe, if not, well.... Someone will die by my hand."

~ The brawl between Jello Demon and Gabriel of the New Angels! Who will emerge victorious?! ~

"This is going to be interesting then..." The Jello Demon said, extending his arms out as they formed into multiple blades. "Let's do this then!" He said, and came charging right for Gabriel. Gabriel sighed as he closed his eyes and held out his right had. "Sorry, guys... I got to hurt you for a second to defeat him." He then furrowed his brows as a ball of light was casted towards the Jello Demon. "Heh! What's that suppose to do to me?!? I can just --" But all at once, the ball of light collided with the Jello Demon as it left him stunned, a bright light engulfing him as his scream howled loudly throughout most of the entire base. The light sent out a holy radiance throughout the entire base, nearly making almost every demon stop as if a heartbeat had skipped. "Incredible..." Scott noted to himself. "Gabriel's holy powers are powerful enough to do THIS? ... I hope the children are alright, otherwise... I just hope this stops the Ash situation, or... God damn it, this is NOT my day!" He stated before continuing on. The Jello Demon struggled as liquid dripped down his body rapidly, he struggled to move as he felt enormous pain. "That won't be enough... That won't be enough to hold me down, angel! You will have to do better then that!!!"

"Is that right? Then I will need to take extreme measures... Prepare yourself, Demon. You are about to experience the most terrible pain you have ever felt." The Jello Demon's eyes widened, but before he could even move, Gabriel was already on the move. "Heaven's Restraint!" He called out, as light portals opened up around the Jello Demon and holy chains wrapped around his body rapidly, restraining him to the spot as he struggled to get free, but could not even morph to get out of them. "N-no! Wait! D - don't kill me! You can't kill me! You are an Angel, right?!?! RIGHT?!?!? YOU AREN'T MEANT TO KILL, YOU ARE MEANT TO BE HUMANITY'S KINDNESS!" The Jello Demon cried out in misery, as Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him. "I will not kill you... But. I know you nearly killed a life here today. And so... I will unleash my second weakest attack upon you." Gabriel then held his hands out in front of him as light began forming in front of him. The Jello Demon continued to struggle, his eyes widening as he saw the attack forming. "N-NO! T-T-T-T-THAT COULD KILL ME! AND EVERY OTHER DEMON IN HERE! YOU ARE MAD! MAAAADDDDDD!!!" He continued to shout, as for that moment alone, Gabriel... Turned dark. His expression became very serious and stern, his eyes piercing into the demon's eyes as he was held frozen to the spot. "Exactly... I wish to not see any more pain and suffering here. That is why... I am willing to risk knocking out every demon in here!!!" And with that, Gabriel closed his eyes for the upcoming attack. "Heaven's.... Rage." He spoke the words, and a beam of light was sent hurling at the Jello Demon. His stomach area was pierced clean through by the light as he lost consciousness at this point. A bright light enveloped the whole control room, and bright holy light quickly dispersed through the entire base. The outside of it glowed as it could clearly be seen in the night. It lasted for a total of three minutes before finally stopped, with the Jello Demon laying collapsed on the floor, twitching every now and then as Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him. "... Have a good night's sleep, monster." Gabriel turned to the monitor briefly, to see that every demon in the Renegades had survived the attack.

~ Confrontation! Dark Ash and Eclipse meet face to face! ~

Eclipse stood in the 'Center' of the Nightmare World. He wore purple robes over his body as he made himself look as royal as possible. He looked human, if it wasn't for those demonic eyes. "I already know someone is already in my world... Besides Deon. This one feels familiar." He spoke to mostly himself, seeming to be alone in his mansion-like place as he sighed out. "Better to go and investigate then let this person cause trouble. I can't have that, the stupid bitch would have my head if I failed to keep this world as it is..." With that, Eclipse 'vanished' and 'reappeared' outside in the Nightmare World, standing on the 'ground' as he looked around the 'area' he was in now. "So, where is this intruder? The person is around here somewhere, I know that for sure..." The place he was in now was made of pristine metal and benches with various breaker tubes and the like were scattered about. There were similar microscopes and other sorts of technical equipment that were on display, though jagged and fearful shadows tended to stretch from them in the haunting light of the laboratory. He then heard the faint sound of glass being tapped that came from a corner in the room. When he walked over into there, he found Ash, who was examining a test tube in scrutiny.

"My, my..." Eclipse mumbled to himself as he walked over casually to where Ash was. "... Oi, you are the one from earlier. Why don't you do me a huge favor, and go shit yourself now?" He said, all the while remaining calm as he did. "... Unless you aren't available for an appointment?" At this, he then brought a big smirk on his face, revealing his demonic fangs. "You don't scare me, fear monger." Ash told him, returning the tube to it's place in the rack. "This may be your world, but you're as petty and pathetic as always." Eclipse slowly shook his head at this. "Such confidence. Why don't YOU be the ruler of this damn place then?!? Oh, I forgot... You aren't a demon weapon, and even if you were, you would be pathetic compared to me." He told her, his smirk fading rather quickly at this. "... So, I wonder... What would you do if I showed you a few 'disturbing' facts to light?" He told her. "I have better things to do then rule over this dump." Ash seemed to reply casually, ignoring the rest of his comments as she strode away from him. Eclipse merely chuckled. "... Then, how was it to watch that young man die again?" He asked, as his smirk slowly returned to his face. "... Or how was it to find out your sister cheated on you? Does it make your blood boil? Does it make want you... Want to hit me for knowing your inner fears?" He began laughing like a madman at this. "... I should probably explain myself. In this place, I am god of this world. I see all of my victim's fears... And my, what a pleasant thing Deon is goig through again~ But, here's my little thing... I don't tell other people what I've seen, no matter who they are. Now, unless you want me to dive deeper into your inner fears... I am going to assume I have your attention on me now."

Ash, however, laughed at this. "You misunderstand. That's her fears." Turning, her eyes flash red at this. "Not mine. Tell me, what do you see in the depths of my fears, hmm? Or perhaps does it frighten you that you can't?" She then returned her own superior smirk, seeming to think she was in control of the situation right now. Eclipse laughed again at this. He quickly stopped himself this time as he glanced over his shoulder at her. "You aren't like Inferno, who's blood was created from the devil's own, and passed down through several generations of a family. I know your type... A newborn demon who's in way over her head and gains control over a weaker territory in order to avoid the big boys. I know what you are scared of quite easier then a human's, contrary to popular belief. You seem powerful, but in reality, you are unbalanced. You fear becoming one with your host because you do not wish to fade. You also are cunning, keeping away from death's door. But you also focus too much on power, and your powers are out of control as they are... Hell, the girl gets better performance rates then you do! Ah-hahahaha, YAH-AHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA! If you'd like to show me otherwise though, we can do this all night my dear... Because I can keep going all night about what you fear. This is the NIGHTMARE world for a damn good reason! Tell me... Do you get off when you are in pain, are you afraid of not being in control? To feel the pain your host goes through as she fights her own battles, while you stay behind in the shadows in your true form... I wonder how big you are."

Ash simply smiled again. "Your guesses are amusing, but I'm afraid you can't startle me." Taking a seat on one of the benches, she absentmindedly played with a syringe she picked up. "Still, you're quite pathetic. If you're so powerful, then you shouldn't be concerned about little old me. Go back to the rock you crawled out from under before I get bored with you." Eclipse shook his head again as he chuckled at her response. "You two are the only ones I've had in the Nightmare World for ages... And amusing? I think I'm right here... Unless you have proof you are older then you seem. Until then, well... I'm going to have my fun. I was going to taunt that girl just now, but you've taken her away from me. So... I have to do it to you now." He told her. "Your taunts need some work." She told him, chucking the syringe and embedding it into the wall. Eclipse rose a brow at her. "So... What do you call yourself, dark spirit?" He asked. "That's a stupid question. Honestly, you're not very bright, are you?" She replied. Eclipse crossed his arms over his chest at this. "Explain. You look like the girl, yet you aren't really her." He said to her. "Why should I explain myself to a washed up loser like you? It's not like you're actually any threat to me." She laughed a little to herself as she turned to the nearby bunsen burner and fiddled with it to get it to light.

Eclipse snapped his fingers at this as, in an illusion, Ash's left arm started to bleed and soon, it would fall off, the arm looking like it had been severed. "... Nightmare World. Ruler of it. Hello? A newborn demon like you can't begin to even comprehend the years of pain and suffering most demons go through!" Not reacting in the slightest, Ash slowly pulled up her arm and watched the blood pool on the bench. "Tsk, what a mess..." Reaching over with her other arm, she made a sharp wrenching movement removing the rest of the limb and casually tossing it to the floor at Eclipse's feet, as he watched it fade away. Black ooze then began to secrete from her shoulder and flowed down to form a new arm in it's place, outfit and all, with no injury in sight. Eclipse shrugged his shoulders at this, the blood fading away. "So you avoided the nightmare... What a lovely surprise you are so full of. But... I must tell you that, well... Your stays in the Nightmare World are not that exciting, and I must expell you and Phoenix boy back to the real world. You don't mind, of course, do you?" He asked her. "Do as you will. It's of little consequence to me how you stroke that ego of yours." She told him, hopping from the bench and strolling past Eclipse, stopping once she was level with him. "But do bear in mind, I'm not so easy to get rid." Moving onward, she waved over her shoulder. "As he once said, the ash will always remain."

Eclipse rose his right arm up slowly as he cracked his neck. "... Ah, but you of all people should know... Once I let you back into the real world, every demon stronger then yourself will be hunting you down until the day you down. You are a danger, young lady..." He then lowered his arm and laughed. "... I'm just kidding! You can stay as long as you like really... Someone else can do the pain in the ass job of finding you and eliminating you." He then began to walk away. "... Besides, you are one of the devil's 'children' ..... Although I will tell you, there is a much greater threat to you then you realize. And you left him to recover... Want to know his name?" He asked her. "Names mean nothing to me." She stated simply, fading as she stepped through a doorway and into the laboratory.

~ Old nightmares! Sebastian's struggle in his own mind! ~

~ Lost.... I feel.... Lost. What is this feeling? Why have I never felt it before? I've lost so much blood... It was all over me. It was all over the controls. It was all over the floor, forming into some kind of puddle. My own pond. My own tomb. I hear voices... I hear Kane. And I hear someone else. I don't know who that is. I... Feel so lost. Like I'm inbetween worlds. Is this... What it feels like... To nearly die? I feel... So much better now. But... I feel... Like something's missing...
Maybe something IS missing.
What.... Is -- is that you?
Yes... It's me. I came to check on you. You nearly died back there, you know.
I don't care.... I just wanted to save her.
Oh, so you still want her, huh? It's always been about her, hasn't it? Right from the moment Arthur took you in, and then tried to make you all dogs. Now look where you've all ended up. Dogs. Miserable hunters meant to track down and kill demons. How pathetic. You have no free will of your own.
Who says I don't?
I'm not saying it's going to happen... I'm saying it has. Perhaps... A little dive into your memories will help you out? ~

It was a hot day for the orphanage... We were outside, the three of us. Rob, me, and Lucy. Lucy was my left hand, Rob was my right. Had I known this meant so much more, I would of found it funny then. But now, I find it tragic. Rob had hair, he wasn't blue. Lucy was... Still human. I was the first to talk. "Have you ever thought of the future?" I said. I sounded younger back then, looked younger too. Adults always said I looked too cute for my own good. I hated the attention I got from that. "The future? Of course I have. You aren't dying, are you?" Rob asked. He was... So nice back then. Him and Lucy were true best friends, no matter what happened, we stuck together. "Of course he isn't!" Lucy spoke up next. God do I miss seeing her like this, before she was... Crazy. "... You aren't dying, right Seby?" She asked me. "Of course not!" I replied. "It's just... I wonder if there's someone out there for me. That's all." Lucy and Rob both rose a brow at me. "What?" They both asked at the same time. "... A girl, okay!" I admitted to them. Both blinked at me... And laughed. "Don't laugh!" I tried telling them. "Rob, you can talk so easy with girls it's not even funny! And you, Lucy, you hang out with guys all the time!" Lucy punched me roughly in the shoulder. "Says who?" She asked. "Says the two guys you always hang out with." Rob interjected, laughing a little. At the time, they thought it was a joke, while I blushed for a few minutes. But then...

Soon it became me and Rob at the orphanage. It was cold this time, probably because the fan was on or something like that. I stared outside at the oncoming rain falling onto the ground. I felt... Lonely. "What's up, little man?" Rob asked me, hanging me a glass full of orange juice. I took it, and drank half of it quickly. "Whoa now!" He called out to me. "Drink slower, it'll help keep the taste in." He told me, raising a brow when he saw me just nod. "... You miss her?" He asked me. I sighed out and stood up. "Of course I miss her!" I admitted to him. "You two were all I had at this place, and now... Look at it. We're the only ones left of our group! Can you believe it?!" I told him. It was unfair... Everyone else had gotten adopted. Everyone but us. The outcasts. The loners. The non-normal people. "I could." Rob said, taking a slow sip of his juice. "... What's that mean?" I asked him angrily. "Well..." He started. "... Have you ever thought about what's beyond our grasp?" He asked me. "... If this is pay-back for that one time --" I started, but... "No. I'm serious. Demons, angels, humans... We are but the weakest part in this role! I mean, come on! Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like, to be well known for taking down one of the highest demons in the world?!?" He asked me. "... I think more of my personal life then my overall life, ok?" I told him. "... Still on about the girl thing. Why do you want a girlfriend so bad?" He asked me another question. "... Why?" I started. ".... Because... I want to know what love is like. How my mother felt when she was with my father... Something like that. Call it cliche if you want... But... It's how I feel."

~ Then that fight happened.
I don't want to remember it.
You have to. It was a big important part in how you came to be here.
I won't!
You won't?
I refuse...
Very well. But remember this... There is more then just Ash you know. Two more children have been found. And they are both females. Remember this, as you wake up in that bed of yours... And remember. I am always watching. After all... I only have one eye to do it with. ~

. . .

~ Deon and Eclipse, the reunion of two old foes! ~

Eclipse had just returned to his home as he cracked his neck slightly as he sighed out. "What a bitch..." He commented, walking over to a chair and sitting down in it. His attire consisted mainly of purple robes to make him look more royal then he already was. "Oh well, let her do as she wishes. I don't care anymore. I try to help warn her, and what does she do? 'Oh I can handle it all by myself, I'm sooo gorgeous that way!' BAH! Makes me sick that she even exists still... Oh well, she'll be defeated soon enough. That's MY revenge to HER!" He then laughed demonically. All at once, his door flew right open and slammed into the nearby wall, breaking through it as the leg of it's destroyer rested upon the floor. Deon stepped inside as his feet hit inside the room with a thud. His cigarette lit up in his hand as he looked around. "Eclipse, show yourself you asshole!" He demanded. The sound of three slow claps came to his ears then. "... You'll have to pay for that you know." He commented. He then stood up from his chair with a sigh out of annoyance. "Oh Deon, Deon, Deon... So quick, so rash, so... Dull! What business do you wish from me this time? Or... Is it me who wishes to know business from you?" He chuckled at this. "It was fun watching that scene again... Of the girl dying, being reborn into a demonic entity... Oh and the ending was SO priceless!" He chuckled darkly again at his own taunts.

Deon, however, simply grinned at him. And... That was it. Eclipse rose a brow at this action. "Did I go too far or something, young phoenix? I would of thought you would of been happier... Considering it is early morning now and all." He waited for a response, a taunt, a joke, something. Yet he got nothing. Only his eyes locking with Deon's. Eclipse blinked. ".... O..k then, don't answer me. Be as weird as you want, it makes no difference to me." Still he got nothing. Deon's hands were beginning to move unconsciously, his fingers being the starting point, twitching and moving in unknown patterns. His hands also began to clench and unclench at unknown points, his grin widened and the flame on his cigarette flared now. Eclipse sighed at this. "Oh dear... Insanity lost again, is it? How many times do we have to go over the same thing every time?" The fire in Deon's eyes sparked at this, and he cracked his neck. "Oh come on, Eclipse. You honestly didn't expect this to happen? Oh come on, have you really grown this dull?" Deon grinned again and his eyes widened, and out came the madman's laugh. Eclipse couldn't help but shake his head. "... I thought you were better then this." Deon's eyes widened as he hit the highest pitch in the laugh he could go, and dropped forward suddenly so that his spine was bent at a 90 degree angle. He looked up for a moment to lock his own maniac eyes with Eclipse's calm and calculating ones. "What's wrong, Eclipse? Can't handle it? You reap what you sow, right?"

Eclipse shrugged his shoulders at this. "I could honestly restrain you at any time, to be honest... I just don't yet because you seem to be torturing yourself rather then helping out others... Oh, but wait... I just remembered. You shouldn't be going crazy when someone very close to you is dying right now." All at once the sound of a blade being drawn emitted throughout the room as a cut appeared on Eclipse's neck, the sound reverberated throughout the room and Deon was now behind Eclipse, with a grin so wide that he could be mistaken for a Cheshire Cat. "Heheheheh, you let your guard down sometimes, Eclipse!" No blood came out of Eclipse's wound as he stood there, looking down at it. He pressed two fingers against it and closed it, sealing it as he sighed out, his form fading in and out for just one second, but Deon didn't seem to care too much, after all he didn't even bother to think something might of been up. "... No wonder she's so interested in you." He spoke. ".... And you don't seem to care whether that stupid oni you like dies from blood loss or not. Oh well, I can tell she's already dead anyway. Being dragged off like the corpse she is now... Oh, and what's this? More blood... Coming from one of your brothers it seems. The youngest... Yes. He was pierced, and he's lost so much blood now.~" Deon's grin slowly faded at this, and simply remained in the spot...

Eclipse then drew his iconic sword out and pierced it through Deon's back without hesitation, smirking as he did. "... Oh Deon, you are such a bastard. Allow me to... Show you what I mean." He told him, and then slowly pulled the blade out of Deon, who allowed this or try to resist. Deon, all at once, began to fade from the Nightmare World. "... I will allow you to return, if only to stop that crazy bitch from wrecking me like she did that vampire's head." He chuckled and sheathed his sword. "Enjoy watching Sebastian and Quake die... I know I will~" Deon growled at this. "Hey Ash, beat the shit outta him for me, will ya?" Eclipse grinned at this. "Ash?" He asked him. "I don't think you know where Ash is. The Ash I met a while ago just went to kill people... The Ash in the real world is going to kill people. And the Ash you know... Is being held captive! If you really want to be a hero for once, then just knock the stupid bitch out! Otherwise, Quake WILL die! You no longer have the time, reality is against you now! She is testing you here... Wanting to see if you will harm a sibling or not! Are you willing to harm her in order to stop her?!?! After nearly killing Sebastian and Quake?! Or.... Will you let the next person to die... Be Rin?" He chuckled at the fun, Deon's lower body was now gone, only his upper body remained. "... I wonder though. She seems to be very interested in your actions, your choices, how you affect the future of others. Rin, Michael and Scott all follow by morals... They never kill an innocent under evil influence unless that person is impossible to bring back. You were always the brute Deon... Think about it. You are nothing but a monster in your own right. I wonder.... If you killed this woman, would they hate you? Oh, who am I saying, of course they would! You would be hated among the Renegades! Ah-ha... Well, ta-ta~ I won't be able to see you off on your adventure most likely, but... I will be watching. Always~" And with that, Deon was back in reality... Eclipse having exited out of his body and fallen on the floor. "... Ow, ow, OW! Rough landing!"

“What’s wrong Claire?! It’s like you’re not even trying to fight back!” Ash grinned maniacally as she flew forward, her arms eclipsed in black shadowy claws as she made a series of violent sweeps. Darting her feet backwards, Claire did her best to catch her breath. She WASN’T trying to fight back – This was her sister Ash! All she had to do was hold out until Keilani could snap Ash out of her trance. She was strong. Ash had inner strength. All she needed was a nudge, and she’d discover her own power. She had faith in that. All she could do was give her the time to do so. Ducking behind an overturned table, Claire stayed only a moment before diving to the side as it was ripped in two. It was a heavy strain on her powers to keep using them like this, but she only needed to hold out a little longer. Focusing a moment, she analysed each of the variables and made her decision, darting to the left before ducking and sliding, slipping past the rain of shadows that came from the floor intending to skewer her. Any moment now, he’d be here.

Removing her glasses, Claire decided to take a chance. She couldn’t risk overstraining herself, so she’d just have to make due for a few moments longer. Weaving back and forth as she parried the series of strikes from Ash, she paused as she watched her sister jump back, turning to face one of the other halls as if hearing something. Had the conflict inside of her become that distracting, or was it something else? Remaining on the defensive, she watched as a wall of shadows rose, cutting off the corridor Ash had travelled down. Was she trying to keep someone out, or trap her in? Claire remained completely uncertain of which, until the tremendous crashing sounds of Deon reached her ears, the Phoenikoi busting in through the side wall, his arms wielding strange gauntlets that emanated a malignant energy.

"At this rate, the entire complex will be going down. Ah hell, why do I care so much, anyway!?" Claire watched Deon look about the smashed room, rubbing his head and breathing in his cigarette. "Sheesh, Ash. What the heck did you even do? Oh right, you're not exactly the normal Ash, are you?" Slowly, Ash’s claws began to reform into her hands as she rubbed them together, before tossing her hair to the side as she turned to face Deon. “Nothing… Yet. Though I see that good for nothing sword fulfilled my expectations. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stay out of my business, would you?” Ash looked unamused as she watched Deon, ignoring whatever banter Eclipse attempted to instigate.

Deon let his hands drop to the ground, and he look down. "Oh, of course. I didn't mean to interrupt you, miss. I was just checking on things, that's all." His tone was apologetic and conveyed something like a touch of submission. A few moments passed before he jerked his head up and laughed, eyeing Ash and blinking. "In all honesty, I'd rather be asleep right now.... Buuuut, I can't just let you kill Ash's sister, can I? After all, I'm technically your big brother, and Claire's too." He grinned, flexing his arms and cracking his neck. "Is there any point in asking you to come quietly, or is this a 'I won't stop until I get my revenge' type of thing?"

“She’s my Sister. I think I have the right to do what I want with her.” Ash stated simply. “But, if you’re going to get in my way, I suppose I’ll have to deal with you. It’ll be a pleasure to wipe that cocky smirk off your face.” Deon continued to hold that stupid grin, plainly speaking his mind with an air of confidence. "Well, since you're so confident about winning this fight, there's no need for me to hold back then, is there?" Stepping up towards her steadily, he gave Ash the finger. "That was for wrecking my car with Umbra." Arriving a mere body’s length from ash, he simply stood there, before blowing some smoke straight into Ash's face. "Hurry up then, I don't have all day." Waving her hand to dispel the smoke, Ash remained where she was, letting Deon’s shadow rise up behind him and form into its shape. Deftly, it darted forward, attempting to coil around his biceps and restrain him. Unmoving, Deon seemed unfazed by Ash’s manipulation, grinning as the shadows wrapped themselves around his arms as he spat out his cigarette and let it fly past Ash, landing over near the wall. Yawning as Ash had the shadows rip him onto the floor, he continued with the smarmy attitude as he was pinned down against the ground. With a single boot, Ash stepped on his chest, narrowing her eyes at him in annoyance. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay down.”

Deon laughed, maintaining that cocky smile as he decided to make a jab at Ash. "I bet you love being on top of me, don't you, Ash?" Deon snickered and his grin widened, but otherwise he seemed calm, as if he was waiting for the right moment. Ash however, had had enough of his tongue. Within moments of speaking a shadow wrapped over Deon's mouth, silencing him completely, and even masking that Cheshire grin of his. “Now, where were we?” Ash stated in satisfaction, turning back to Claire. Returning her gaze, Claire looked to Ash, having taken the time to get some much needed rest and recuperate her abilities. Standing up calmly, she retrieved her glasses once more, focusing her gaze on the dark copy. Seeing time flow past her, she could only smile as she saw the options. Casually removing them as Ash made her approach, she did nothing to avoid her grasping arm grabbing the front of her jacket, lifting her up off her feet. “Decided to give in, have we? Well, that just makes… Everything…” Ash began to hesitate, blinking a couple of times before closing her eyes, as if deep in thought. Around Deon, the shadows receded, if only slightly, as her attention was focused elsewhere…

---

No words filtered into Ash’s mind. No feelings, no sensations. The world was silent, cold and empty. The void consumed her, suppressing everything but her despair and loneliness. And then… Softness. Warmth. A rhythmic beating… It was all so strange. In a world with nothing, these odd new phenomena brought startling clarity and focus. Desperate for contact, she latched onto those new feelings, craving them for solace. This gentleness… Just… Who was it? No one but Claire had ever…-! Like a shockwave, a new sensation accompanied the embrace, radiating from her forehead. The sincerity of the gesture, and the care with it… The blankness began to fade from Ash’s expression, her eyes slowly looking to see just who was kneeling in front of her. Dimly, she thought for a moment that it was Claire but… This girl… Who was she? Mouth slightly agape, she listened in wonder and confusion as she continued to speak, savouring the soft touch caressing her hair.

"You're not alone anymore. I'll be there for you from now on."

Blinking twice, Ash didn’t know what to say. She’d never been good at expressing her feelings or anything, and most of the time she acted like she didn’t need anyone. Right now however, after escaping the solitude of depression… She didn’t know what else to do. Leaning forward, she embraced Keilani, doing her best to hold back and hide the tears she felt, clenching her eyes shut. She had no idea why this girl was here, why she cared or anything. But the fact was she did care. She was here for her. Ash needed that more than anything else right now. If this girl was willing to stay with her… She wouldn’t be alone…

“How touching…”

Ash froze, her eyes going wide, as that fearful voice of sweet sarcasm filled the air. It was her voice. Staring down at the black floor below, she stepped back and stumbled away from Keilani in panic as it opened, a massive looming red eye staring at her and encompassing much of the floor. Narrowing slightly as it locked onto Ash’s gaze, it seemed to be enjoying itself as the voice filled the room once more, the eye slowly floating up into the air to watch over the three beings in the realm. “This truly is momentous. Little Soot found herself a friend amongst the darkness…” A mouth and second eye formed, floating into the vague outline of a face as it circled them, coming to a stop by Ash’s ear as it whispered.

“But… how can you trust her...? What if she turns on you like your sister did?”The mouth warped into a grin, acting as devil’s advocate as Ash turned to face Keilani with a somewhat horrified expression. Steadily, she began to take a step back from her. “What does she want from you anyway? There’s no way she’d be nice to you for no reason…” Continuing her steady whispers to breed fear, the bodiless face continued to swirl around Ash, influencing her decisions and perspectives. “Once she gets closer to you that’s when she’ll hurt you. Hurt us… We can’t have that. Keep her away…” Ash held her head and clenched her eyes shut, shaking violently.

“Stop it! Shut up! Shut up!” Ash screamed at the taunting voice, receiving only laughter in response. “You know it’s the truth. This is what you fear. I’m you, and you’re me. You can sense it, and that’s why you’re so afraid. You can’t deny it.”

“No no NO! I’m not you! You’re not me!” Ash lashed out, attempting to strike the floating face futilely. The mocking laughter continued, darting this way and that as it continued to speak its mind. “Aren’t I? Wasn’t it you that wanted to kill him? Wasn’t it you who wanted revenge against Claire? Didn’t you crave the chance to put that cocky Oni in her place?” With a yell, Ash gave another violent lunge, this time catching something. Slowly, she found herself holding the neck of her nemesis, the dark and twisted version of herself, still derisively looking down at her. Staring each other down, Ash felt the tears running down her cheeks again. Before gradually, gently, she released her grip, bringing her hands to her side as she kept her head downcast.

“You’re right.” She murmured softly, her fists trembling. “You’re right about everything.” Turning her head up to lock eyes with the dark mirror, Ash glared fiercely. ”I am afraid of letting her get close to me. Of what might happen if I do. And back then, I wanted Jim dead for humiliating me like that. Claire betrayed me, and I wanted nothing more than to have her suffer like I did… But even if that’s what I felt deep down inside, that’s not what I really wanted!” Her lips curling into a bit of a smile, Ash brought her fist up, examining her hand a moment as she opened and clenched her palm. “Even if that’s what I felt in the heat of the moment… I regret your… … My actions those days. I understand now who you are - What you are - and I don’t need you. Even if you are a side of me, whether that be my fears or dark desires… I’ll make my own choice whether to embrace them or not.”

“Hmmph, look at you. Acting like you’re so smart. Well fine, do what you want. See if I care.” Turning on her heel, Dark Ash began to stride away, fading and becoming one with the darkness. “Just know you can’t get rid of me.” Watching her go, Ash nodded, mumbling softly under her breath. She stayed there a moment, staring at the spot where the shadow of herself had left. Finally, she turned back to Keilani, forcing a wry smile. “So, you said there are people waiting for me, right?”

---

…Deon slowly stood, not daring to make a sound. As he began to stalk forward, he also began to grin. Having broken Ash’s restraints, it was the perfect opportunity to take her down. As he slowly stepped forward, he was quick to close the gap, lining up to strike. A palm, aimed straight into Ash's back was all he'd probably need, and he grinned as he pushed it forward, closer to its target. His hand hit Ash, but only for a moment before it passed clean through her due to the abilities he'd copied off of Illusion. As soon as his hand passed through Ash and reached Claire, it resolidified and grasped her collar. Suddenly he pulled backwards, bringing Claire through Ash with him and safely passing her through her opponent. When he was done, and his arm was out of Ash, he spun around. His left leg hit Ash in the ribs with a crack, and sent her flying into a nearby wall. After Deon finished his pirouette, he turned to Claire, a look of concern on his face. "Hey, are you alright? You're not too hurt, are you?"

“J-just what do you think you’re doing?! That’s Ash!” Claire fumed, pushing herself free from Deon as she hurried over to her sister, now buried within the rubble of the nearby wall. Argh, this idiot! Ash was about to regain control, and then he went and did something reckless like that! Using her psionic powers, Claire began clearing the debris, finding her way to her sister. Deon simply stood and rubbed his forehead. "Well, thanks for the thanks. Next time I'll just let you get hurt or something, ya know. Just don't get angry at me if someone snaps your neck. And besides, your sister's already shown an AMAZING amount of control, don't you think?" With that, Deon left the room.

Uncovering Ash, Claire gave a sigh as she remained asleep and unconscious. Assumedly, Keilani had been successful, and when next she was up, Ash would be back in control of herself. She’d probably be sore, and the two would have a lot to talk about… But the important thing was that she was alright, and no one had really been hurt. She wasn’t sure where Keilani had gone to hide, but no doubt Blanche had brought her back to reality by now. She’d make the effort to personally thank her, but for now, she needed to get Ash somewhere more comfortable. Heaving her sister over her shoulder, Claire began carefully picking her way through the mess of the room, aiming to take her straight to the infirmary…

---

It had all happened so fast, Kane hadn’t known what to do. Sebastian was dying from a critical injury, there was that strange liquid demon having disappeared to gods no where, and he had no idea what to do! There was so much blood all over, and he had no medical training and and…

“Don’t move him.”

Kane froze as he heard the voice behind him, turning slightly to see just who it was. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any recognition of this girl, but that didn’t matter. It was someone else, and from the sounds of things, she was here to help. Acting near instantaneously on her instructions, he helped open up Sebastian’s shirt to allow her better access, watching in helpless worry as he was useless in a scenario like this. The girl was continuing to mutter to herself, and the situation sounded grim. With grievous wounds like that, it wasn’t entirely surprising, but it was still a hard blow to take. He’d let Sebastian down, he was going to die. Punching the ground once in frustration, the shocked voice of the girl brought his attention back to reality. What he saw made his eyes go wide.

It was beautiful, a soft silvery wisp of light emanating from the girls palm, shimmering in a wave like a velvet curtain. Kane could only watch in fascination as the lacerations over Sebastian’s body began to disappear. She… She was healing him! In stark amazement, Kane could only give a cheer as his mystery doctor spoke in utter bewilderment. She didn’t seem to know what she’d done, but he didn’t care. “You’ve done it, you saved him!” Giving her a pat on the back and a grateful shake of her shoulders, Kane immediately regretted the latter action as her eyes went slack, and it looked like she’d lost her sense of equilibrium. Holding her upright, Kane asked what was probably a dumb question.

“Are you alright?” Keeping her in the sitting position, he heard her mumble something about being tired before she fell slack, Kane forced to catch her before she hit the floor. Whatever she did, it must have completely worn her out. Gently, Kane placed her onto the floor, looking around the room. Well, with both of them unconscious, he couldn’t exactly haul them to the infirmary. He needed help – but he wasn’t about to leave them alone in case that thing came back. Sighing, he took a seat watching over them. Hopefully everything with the others was alright…

---

---

~ Aftermath: A hard decision to make! ~

Silence. That was the only way to describe the feeling in the room, after Deon had gone off with two of the most wanted demons. Gabriel stood there, wings slowly entering his back, his expression still showed anger at the loss of the capture of Deon or Eclipse. Michael and Scott turned to the screen, where the remaining four figures seem to not be paying attention at the moment to them. This quickly changed after a few minutes. "... So, with that, I think we will leave you to rest and think about tomorrow. If I were you, I'd have the others stay -far- away from the meeting as much as possible." The oldest exorcist spoke, he was sort of speaking like the representative for the other three. He was strong, if he had been the one arriving instead of Angel, things would be different. Angel was younger, more reckless and more willing to kill off without listening to reason. This exorcist however had once respected the former three leaders of the Renegades, enough that at times, the three of them could convince him to see past a few things. It made Scott angry on the inside, but the decision had already been made, and the Renegades seemed more in trouble then ever now with Deon finally gone.

The screen finally died and Gabriel closed his eyes. He turned around as he opened his eyes, looking at Scott and Michael with sorrow in his eyes. "If it helps you both, I could go looking for any that are still mis --" He stopped as he sensed a holy presence in the building. "No..." He mumbled, Michael stopping as it came over him as well. Scott furrowed his brows. "Soldiers, investigate!" He called out, as the three human soldiers saluted to him before rushing off. "Over there! Go that way!" Michael called out to them as he saw them rush off into the direction he pointed out. He took in short breaths as Gabriel furrowed his brows. "It's gone..." He said. "What is?" Scott asked, looking between Michael and Gabriel. "Forget about it... It's nothing." Michael said to him, making Scott raise a brow. "If you say so... Alright Gabriel. I need you to round up anyone who's still out there. If you find any of the children, lead them back here, alright?" He asked him. "Will do." Gabriel responded, quickly rushing off at this, leaving only Michael and Scott to wonder...

Michael closed his eyes and sighed out as he shook his head. "Five..." He said, Scott looking over at him. "We only have five of them now... Eight children, damnation! An extra child... Two of them are probably dead, Deon's gone now... Our chances of keeping them safe are falling!" He cried out, putting his face in his hands as Scott looked over at him. "Rin wouldn't want to hear this from you..." He told him. "Rin's off going to check on Quake! Of course she would not want to hear this from me, we've all lost Deon!" Michael cried out to him. Scott furrowed his brows at him. "Would Deon want to hear this from you either? He did it because he had no other choice... To die or to escape, what other choice was he given?! The five most powerful exorcist in the world were watching over us, ordering one of the most powerful entities to fight!" Scott stopped and sighed out, putting a hand on his forehead. "... We need to search for the others." He said to Michael. "... I'll go search near where the Jello Demon was last spotted. I'll see you later..." Michael said to him before beginning to walk off. Scott sighed out as he looked to the screen at this. "... Why couldn't we get more help when we need it most?" He said before heading off.

~ The Jello Demon's only chance! An uneasy alliance! ~

The Jello Demon struggled to move as the hole wasn't exactly healing. The attack Gabriel had sent through him had effected him drastically, time seemed to have paused for him as his mind closed itself off to rest. Once he had awoken, he had no idea what time it was anymore. He groaned out lowly, seeing no one in the room... Except one voice came out. "Well, what a coincidence..." The metallic voice rung out to the Jello Demon, it's eyes widening as it slowly looked over at the chained up body of Tergun, who grinned at the defeated sight of the one who freed him. "Y-you... Aren't you --" The Jello Demon tried to ask. "Yes, I am Tergun. I am the Kappa who you freed from his prison, I am the Kappa who did as you asked and distracted the Renegades with my appearance. I am the Kappa... Who can save you." The Jello Demon looked at him with caution. "In exchange for...?" He started. "In exchange for my freedom, you will be healed and can go back to your so called master. I know you are clearly a Shikigami, who couldn't do well as a regular water demon due to being made of jello. You are infamous after all, a rare sight to see these days. The WDL will pay a hefty reward for someone like you... Of course, I can't get that reward. But if the Renegades turn you in, you will die... So, deal?" He asked with an uneasy smile. "... Very well." He said, extending his arm out as he formed claws and sliced off the chains with ease, before retracting his arm and his claws turned back into fingers.

Tergun chuckled as he stood up, watching the rest of the chains fall off with ease. "Impressive... I had heard your abilities were well developed, but to go this far... I'll need a sample of you first." Tergun said as he walked over and got on his knees, taking a tiny piece of jello off of the Jello Demon before putting it away in a tube. "Excellent. Now... Let's begin, shall we?" The Jello Demon narrowed his eyes at him. "Just heal me already... I hear you aren't good at keeping to your word." Tergun chuckled again at this. "You heard right. But... I do keep to a promise. So, no more talking, this... Will take a bit." Tergun said before beginning to work on healing the Jello Demon.

~ Kane's burden, an idol appearing before him! ~

A Renegade squad of ten was searching out, being led by one of the Renegade's more higher ranking. They were searching for anyone who was still missing, including the children. As they neared Kane's position, he could hear the faint footsteps grow louder. Remaining silent, he drew his blade out and was prepared to ambush the enemy if they got close. He was about to spring out into action when Mireya's sudden scream caused him to give a loud and fearful scream as well, jumping and turning back to her in panic. "Sir, did you hear that?" One of the soldiers in the squad asked the one leading the squad. "Yes I did... Could you investigate that?" "Of course sir." The soldier responded, the squad then moving out into the same area where Kane's room was and began looking around the area. "If anyone needs assistance, speak up now! We are of the Renegades, we are part of Rin's division!" Upon hearing it was the Renegades, Kane sighed in relief and sheathed his sword. "Yeah, over here! We've got a couple of, uh... Injured, I think?!" Kane said to them, not entirely sure whether the purple haired girl was injured or not. At his call, the squad entered in, three of them guarding the outside of the room while the other seven went in and began to look over the two. "The boy appears to be suffering from major blood loss... But... I can not find a single wound on him! Incredible... Whoever did this is certainly gifted in medical knowledge!" One of them said about Sebastian's case. "The woman appears to be merely suffering from over-exhaustion... Handle her with care, guys! We don't want to send her into some sort of panic attack!"

"Well done." A familiar voice spoke out to him, the figure walking into the room and stopping before Kane. “I am glad to see someone was brave enough to watch over these two while nasty events occured... Thank you for you support. May I ask your name?” The person standing over him turned out to be... Michael. "I.. I-I... I uh... Uh... Mah-" Kane stammered incomprehensibly as he stared at his idol. Michael merely blinked a bit by his behavior. “Tongue twisted, are you? I understand... From the amount of dried blood I see here, you must of seen some scary things. Everything’s fine now though.” His eyes wondered around the room at this. “... Were there any others with you then, sir?” He asked him. "N-No sir! Well uh, actually, wait, there was Keilani Ash and Claire!" Kane's mind was remembering more of what happened, he had been so distracted by Sebastian that he had completely forgotten the situation from before. Michael rose a brow as he head some names. "Ash Claire? Keilani Dreahen? Hmm... Do you have any way of contacting them?" He asked.

"N-no sir! Ash attacked us and well... I don't know where they are now." Michael sighed out from the news. “Damnation to that Eclipse... I suppose you have recovered enough to speak. What is your name then?” He asked Kane. "Kane sir! Kane O'Reilly!" Kane said, saluting stiffly as he did his best to show formality. Michael nodded at this. “I’ll remember it. Kane, I need you to do me a favor from here. Do you mind watching over things here while I look for your friend?” Michael asked Kane. "Of course sir! Anything you ask!" Kane remained rigid as Michael smiled at this. "Thank you." Michael said to him, before then turning around. “I’m counting on you to do this...” He told Kane before walking out of the room. "Of course sir!" Kane remained frozen, even as Michael left out of sight. The Renegade soldiers saluted Michael as he passed by them, before returning to their normal duties, but they watched Kane carefully from here... "Take the two back to the infirmary once they are well enough. If anyone finds Keilani, I want them in the same room. On different beds, of course, but I want them close. I don't want them turning up missing..." Michael said to the three soldiers outside the room, each of them saluting to Michael as he walked off...

~ The unusual team! ~

The Jello Demon rose up from his spot as he looked down his chest, which was now good as new. "My word... That stuff really does work." He commented, to mostly himself. Tergun smirked as he watched the Jello Demon begin to move again. "Yes, it is quite extraordinary what we can do sometimes... But we must leave now, if we want any chance of getting back to your master." The Jello Demon looked at him cautiously, but then heard multiple foot steps approaching. "This way! Go, go, go!" Many voices shouted out towards them, with both demons looking in the direction they were coming from. "Shoot... They came too early!" Tergun exclaimed. "You, lead the --" He stopped as he turned to look at where the Jello Demon was, only to find nothing there now. "No, he... He betrayed me?!?!" Tergun stated to himself, gritting his teeth as he quickly began to run away from the scene. "How dare that creature... Even though I would of experimented on him, I -- ugh... His master. That damn master of his! He knew something was up, didn't he?!?! Is he trying to mess with me, is he trying to make Tergun the Metal Kappa look like a fool?!?"

After running for some time, Tergun stopped and leaned against a wall, gasping for breath at this point. "Damn my luck... They haven't given up yet -- I'll give them that... But -- wait..." Tergun stopped himself as he looked over his shoulder to see a figure walking away with something. "... Who is that? I don't know either of them... But wait. Maybe -- yes... That foolish demon left me behind, but I can still get this girl and the other one! Yes... I can smell it from one of them. An unusual blood... It smells rare." Tergun's cunning mind quickly sprang into action. His mind began working out many ways he could surprise this person -- but then, a sudden jolt of pain sprang him back into reality! He grabbed his arm as he watched it shake slightly, gritting his teeth as he did. "Curse that Turner... I will get him back for that. But first... My new subject!" With that, Tergun began making his way towards the girl's position. The girl had pink hair and looked similar to the other black haired girl she was carrying. Tergun had to play it cool for now, otherwise the surprise would be ruined. Meanwhile... A liquid form of a creature watched him from a distance, narrowing it's eyes at him as it quickly slithered away. It's plan had worked, the distraction was going to make a scene, and that was all it needed to get back to it's master. Tergun's role had indeed gone back to what it originally was meant to all along.

~ A nasty surprise for Claire! ~

With caution, Claire was filing through the halls, Ash was slung over her shoulder and she was heading towards the infirmary. In the distance, footsteps of a single person could be heard, but her focus remained on Ash's health above all else. She turned to head down another corridor as a voice came out at this. "I'm surprised you aren't armed..." A voice spoke out from behind. "It could of protected you better..." It told her. "I wasn't exactly prepared for this." She admitted. She didn't turn though and continued to carry Ash. “Perhaps you need some... Assistance, then?” It asked her. The foot steps were getting closer at this, and since she didn't turn around, she couldn't tell who it was. "She'll be fine. Just needs some rest." She commented towards the mysterious person. “What about you? Perhaps I...” At this, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, the mysterious person stood behind her now. “... Need to give you some help after all?” It asked her again. "I can take care of myself... I'm not really that hurt at all." She responded, keeping her focus on Ash and not this person. “Too bad.... It’s your life.” Tergun said to her, a smirk on his face as he tightened his grip on her shoulder. “Now... You will put her down, or... I crush your shoulder. Do we have a deal?” He asked her. "You will release my shoulder, or I will make sure you regret it." Claire told him, at this point she had stopped walking. “Ohhhh ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! Scary lady, are you? You don’t scare me... Why, I laugh at you! I was going to have some fun, but... I could just kill you instead. Real easy too...” Tergun said with such confidence, even in his weakened state.

With sudden ferocity, Noir leaped from the shadows and bit into the wrist of Tergun with deep fangs. “YOOWWWWCCHHH!!!” Tergun shouted out in pain, backing up a bit as he aimed to hit Noir, but Noir let go quickly and got away from Tergun's hit. “WHY YOU PEST! That’s it... Your dead. YOUR BOTH DEAD FOR THIS!” Ducking downward, Claire's leg kicked backward as she did a variation of the vertical splits, kicking Tergun clean in the face as it sent him flying back. Spit left the Kappa's mouth as he landed roughly on his back, twitching a bit. Noir hissed once, urinating on the Kappa as Claire ran with Ash down the hall, Noir following her. “How dare you, you fucking little -- AGH!” Tergun was suddenly pinned to the ground by Renegade soldiers as they quickly restrained him. “Take him back to a cell! Make sure the cell is refined this time!” Scott shouted out, watching as Renegade soldiers raised Tergun from the floor. “YOU ARE ALL DEAD! YOU HEAR ME, SCOTTY BOY?!?! DEAD!” Tergun shouted out before he was dragged away from sight. Claire stopped as she reached the next turn, not far from the infirmary now. "Good Boy Noir. You did great there." She smiled at the cat, hearing it meow pleasantly before it scampered off down to another part of the hall. Scott walked over to Claire at this. “Are you alright then...? I trust he didn’t do too much in his current state?” He asked her.

"I was prepared to deal with him if it was necessary, but I appreciate your assistance." Claire told him, sighing as she adjusted her grip on Ash before continuing to walk. Scott walked with her as he looked over Ash and rose a brow at her condition. “What happened to her...?” He asked Claire with some caution. "Deon plowed her into a wall when she was regaining control. She's just got a bit of a concussion is all. I'm taking her to the infirmary." She told him, hefting Claire up a little as she quickened her pace. “I’m Scott, if you don’t remember... I don’t think I caught your name before though. Mind telling me it?” He asked her, looking ahead to see the infirmary close now. "Claire. Claire Clade." She told him, turning to the infirmary as she quickly found a bed for Ash to lie in, taking note of Quake and the other injured. “Ahh.... Well, I know this is kind of sudden, but... Do you mind doing me two favors?” He asked her. "Depends on what they are." She told him in response. “Well, first... I need you to represent Ash tomorrow for a meeting... And second, I need you to start training Kane and Sebastian.” "Represent?" Claire asked. She then closed her eyes. "Wait... I see. Yes, that will be fine." She nodded before opening her eyes. Scott blinked at this. "Do you even know what's happened...?" "I have some idea... Though you can confirm the details with me. I... Have some time." She then took a seat by Ash's bed and crossed her legs.

Scott sighed and sat down at this. “Very well.... Earlier, there was an explosion. It was caused by Gabriel. I imagine you remember the WDL... Well, there are four other Exorcist organizations similar to it. Each of them has a leader - they are known as the five most powerful exorcists in the world. Deon was in trouble earlier, it was either he got on trial or Ash be sent in for execution... We all had to make a tough decision, but we had to choose Deon’s trial over her execution. Two demons then showed up, one of them holding Eclipse. The exorcists somehow got control over Gabriel and had him go to fight the demons... This didn’t go so well, and the three escaped... Now Angel is coming here by morning... And there’s going to be a meeting. If things don’t go well for us... They will take Ash away. Plus.... They want the Extra Child, and they think it’s Ash...” "So I'm to represent her in the trial and attempt to prove what exactly?" She asked. "That she was manipulated." "As long as the trial is fair, that shouldn't be a problem." She admitted. Scott looked at her with a risen brow. "One of them is the WDL's new leader... I think that says a lot about what they're going to try to do tomorrow. Plus, they wanted Deon dead for some reason... Must be because Arthur failed to make him under they're own control." He told her. "So you're indicating to me that they'll do whatever it takes to win the case?" She asked. Scott sighed. "That... And get power over us."

"If worst comes to worst, I will be getting Ash out of here. You understand that, right?" She asked. Scott nodded. "Of course... But if you do, take Kane and Sebastian with you. Also... The Extra Child I mentioned. You know of the Seven Children already, I assume?" "I do." Claire responded, but made no guarentee on Kane and Sebastian. "We believe, after many translations of ancient demon writings and many clues we've gotten before... The Seven Children are keys, in a sense. They are the only thing that can stop Hell and it's forces for good. They carry the Devil's Blood, they are, in a way, immune... But this Extra Child is different. Legend holds that, if an Extra Child was born... This child would go on to be a key for the apocalypse. The Child's powers could grow to such an extent, that he or she could become... The next ruler of Hell." Claire laughed an honest laugh at this. "And they honestly think that's Ash?" She asked. "I know it isn't her." Scott told her. "If that's the case, why don't you submit that as evidence in her trial?" She asked. "Because they themselves do not have facts... They're only guessing it's her because of this recent incident. That's why I need you to stand in her place... To defend her, to prove she is innocent, that she is one of the original seven..."

"I get it. You need me to defend her to cover your own secrets. It's a calculated risk, I assume." "... I'm sorry to put you in this position. But you already know the corruption the WDL has..." He admitted. "I'll do what I can. That's all I can promise." ".... I also need to tell you.... I've found out who the Extra Child is." "Don't think I haven't done some investigation of my own." Claire smirked at this, sitting up. "I have my own ways of finding things out." Scott blinked again. "So you know too then?" He asked. "Naturally." Scott smiled a little at her response. "... Looks like I made the right choice in having you train the two after all. Anything you would like to tell me then before I go?" "You need to work on your security." Claire told him, giving him a quick glance over the shoulder. Scott chuckled a bit from this. "Right... Is that all then?" "I'll detail anything else you need to know in a dossier for your desk. For now, I hope we can have a quiet night until morning..." Scott nodded at this. "... Anyone with demon blood is also not allowed to go outside... WDL guards and all. They'll be guarding the outside of the base until Angel arrives in the morning... I just hope we make it tomorrow..." "Have a little faith in your people. We can manage this." Claire stated, standing up at this. Scott took out a plastic bag and put it down near where she had just sat. "Take that with you... It'll allow you into a few places normally no one would go. It has a feather in it... An angel's feather. You can go visit the injured and ill with this as well... I best be going as well. Also... Faith is what we need most." He said before leaving the room. Claire nodded and thanked him before taking the parcel.

~ The end of a day... ~

Sebastian was in a dream of sorts. A dream of a memory. His mind was sent back to that day... The day the attack happened on the poor city. His mother had grown up in that town, her name... Something Adam. Why couldn't he remember? And her last name was not that of his father's... Something Thomas, probably. He would probably forget once he awoke... He had no idea when that would be, he felt his body was being moved... Perhaps some place to rest? Who knows... He felt himself being laid down somewhere, his dream was repeating itself... That memory came to him over and over again, and he felt hot. He probably had a fever of some sort. He knew he had lost a lot of blood, they would probably try to make him recover somehow... His mind then went back to that day, it was a horrible day for all.

* ... *

Young Sebastian awakened, as if right on cue, to witness a horrible event. His mother stood in front of him, wounded and tired, her body had been beaten with so many bruises to show. In front of her stood Balarus of Kallos, back then he had no need for tubes in his body. Kallos was at his prime here, and back then he was just referred to as Balarus it seemed. His partner stood in the background with two other figures, one of them who's name was never mentioned back then. The other was known as Countess Cecilia. The partner's name was Kergun the Mechanical, who was sitting in some sort of mechanical device that had several spider-like legs. Balarus narrowed his eyes at the woman and spoke words, but he couldn't hear anything. It was at that moment Sebastian saw the unforgivable... His mother was struck down by his scythe! Sebastian's mouth opened as he shouted out for his mother as she collapsed. More talking... He couldn't make anything out. He felt himself stand up and race towards Balarus, only for his chest to get cut by three blades instead of one... He collapsed, his mind fading in and out as the... It came. Only two words came to his head...

Shadow Guardian.

With this memory slowly fading, Sebastian rested on for the day, waiting for the morning. He wouldn't wake up probably util the morning... He was on the center bed, the other two were reserved for Keilani and Mierya.

When you make a mistake, what is it that you do? Do you ignore it ever happened? Try and pass it off as your intention? Maybe blame things on someone else? Life is full of challenges, and sometimes, things don’t go the way that was expected. Its times like these we should take an active approach; use initiative and try and correct or improve what’s gone wrong.

…

But sometimes, things are so bad, you can’t even do that.

And when that’s the case, you have to accept the consequences of what you’ve done.

---

When I came to, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. My body was ached and numbing, and although I had some satisfaction in having come to terms with myself, there was still a deep hollow inside me that I couldn’t ignore. As the memories and actions I’d taken began flooding back to me, I was filled with nothing but guilt and dread. Guilt, for having caused so much trouble and suffering – for the harm I’d done to so many people. Dread, for what was to follow from such actions. I’d turned on innocent people like Sebastian and Kane, and not only that I’d…

Swallowing as the vivid picture returned to my mind, the anguished face of Quake tormented my mind, visions of the blood splattering as I skewered her through, tendrils of darkness stabbing viciously through her torso and pinning her to the floor. I had wanted to stay down on the bed, closing my eyes and wishing all my problems away. It seemed that the darkness was not to give me any solace however, and given what had happened when I touched Eclipse, I’d had my fair share of nightmares for a while. Slowly, I opened my eyes, sitting up from the bed I found myself in. The room was a buzz of activity, but it was all just beyond me, a makeshift curtain having been pulled close around my bed and isolating me from the frantic sounds of nurses and medical staff. I briefly wondered if I was getting some special treatment – along with why I wasn’t shackled down or something, before noting the seat beside my bed, my sister patiently sitting and watching me. She had a habit of doing that, even when she was little. It always made me curious what she was thinking, but I suppose I’d never know.

I didn’t say anything at first, just sorta tried to meet her gaze before awkwardly breaking eye contact out of shame. She was always the one that ended up getting me out of trouble when things went bad, and it was embarrassing to have to rely on her each time. What made it even more troubling was what I’d learnt in my dream world. The way Jim… “I killed him… Didn’t I?” I finally spoke, still looking down at my hands in front of me. When we’d first got here, my sister had wanted to talk, and I’d shoved her away out of fear and a stupid grudge that wasn’t even real. Now that I had some answers, it just left me with even more questions. We needed to talk through things. I needed the truth.

“That’s right. Five years ago, ‘she’ came out, and murdered Jim.” Claire spoke finally, the delay clear she’d thought long and hard about how to answer my question. I waited a bit longer, seeing if maybe she’d volunteer any more information. When none came, I forced myself to delve deeper. “And you knew, right? Of course you did…” Reminding myself that she just admitted it, I decided to rephrase my question. “So you altered my memory?” I received silence, but looked up in time to see her nod. Tensing a little, I decided to ask one of the more important questions.

“Why? Why do that? Why change it to…?” Stopping myself since it was all so confusing, I could hear Claire sigh and shake her head, carefully thinking on how to respond. Eventually, she spoke. “I did it to protect you… But that’s for another time… After we get through tomorrow, I’ll promise I’ll tell you anything. For now… Well, I think there are some people you need to see, and then I’ll need to talk to you about your defence tomorrow.”

“Defence?” I asked in genuine curiosity, a degree of dread flooding through me again. Her answer did little to alleviate my fears. “You’re going on trial, and I’ll need to be the equivalent of your attorney. For the most part, I should be able to handle things.” She smiled at me, that familiar warm smile… It was comforting; and even if I was a little annoyed she was postponing my question, she was right that we’d probably need to prepare. And that I had other people I needed to apologise to and thank.

“…So how’s...?”

“Quake?” My sister guessed, before turning away, sitting up. “She’s… Not doing well… We’re not sure if she’s going to make it. Sebastian, Mireya and Keilani are all in the beds next to you. Deon has left-”

“Keilani?!” I interrupted my sister, sitting upright as the name struck a chord in me. “She’s here? What happened to her?!” Last I remembered, she was with me in my mind… Now she was here? In the medical ward? When I’d passed out had something happened to her?

“She’s sleeping at the moment. She got into a fight, that’s all I know. Blanche was badly injured as well…” Claire opened the curtain, revealing the sleeping Keilani before glancing back over her shoulder. “You can see her from here, so just try to rest until then. You’ll be able to ask her yourself. I’ll keep you updated on Quake.” I nodded, shuffling back down into my bed and rolling over. I didn’t really feel like sleeping, so instead, I found myself impatiently waiting for this girl to wake. I didn’t know her. Apparently, she was one of the other Demon children, like myself, but other then that… It felt so pathetic to have relied on her like that, but I at least owed her my thanks in person. And so I continued to wait.

~ Saulkur's Appearance! ~

"My Lady Elegia, welcome back." It was one of the servants that had been waiting for Elegia's return. The Archduchess gazed at the male demon with curiosity as she had noticed his rather nervous gait. "Yes, I have although; it has not been that long." She greeted back while walking passed him as she was headed to her throne room. The said servant immediately followed her as he maintained a respectable distance between the two of them. "I'm happy about your arrival... But, you see..." She did not bother to look at the servant and stopped immediately before her throne room with a raised eyebrow. "I have a guest." The male servant nodded fervently while rubbing his hands in nervousness. Noticing this, she released a sigh and raised her right hand waving it for him to leave now. Following this the servant hurriedly bowed and left the place without a second look. As for the Archduchess, the large doors leading to her throne opened before her as she greeted her guest with a smile. "My, my, my, have you not traveled too far from your father's side?" She asked. "My father's castle is fine..." He stated, walking inside as his blue robes flowed about around him, his body looking human for the most part as what stood out was his light blue hair. He rose a brow as he looked at her. "I imagine you know what I am here then, Lady Elegia?" Crystal blue eyes glowed with an unspecified glint as Elegia walked ahead of the man and went straight to her throne before speaking.

"I'm glad to hear you father is doing fine." After saying that, she took her seat and looked at him in coy manner. "Perhaps. After all, it is just your imagination." She said with a smile on her face while her words were tinted with sarcastic humor. The son of Rhanksar rolled his eyes as he walked forward and stopped before her at this. "Right... So am I meant to get on one knee or sit beside you or what?" He asked with a seemingly casual tone, trying not to get wrapped up in her humor right now. Elegia released a small sigh and closed her eyes. "Take your seat, please." With that said, a stone chair came out of the ground directly opposite of hers. "Aren't you quite serious?" She noted as she leaned on her throne and crossed her legs in the process. "So, let's not waste time. What is it that you want exactly?" The son of Rhanksar took his seat as he looked at her with a risen brow. "I can't tell if you are trying to flirt or just want my attention... Either way - I’m not quite happy at the moment... It's why I'm here. It's about my little brother." He admitted to her. "You will know if I'm flirting and certainly I will let you know if I want you..." Elegia answered in a matter-of-fact tone accompanied by a smile. "So, it is about your brother." She spoke coyly while narrowing her eyes at him. "Are the instincts of being an older sibling tingling within you, hmm?" It was wrapped with subtle suspicion but more with humor than anything else. One would wonder if she was being serious but it was also a fact that the Archduchess had always been a serious person with just a carefree demeanor. "What can I do to ease your unhappiness?"

The son of Rhanksar shrugged his shoulders. "Well.... There is one thing." He said as he looked up at her. "... He's in love with a bitch. Another child who goes by the name of Ash Clade... I hate her for it. She doesn't even give a damn for god's sakes - pushing him aside like some toy. It bothers me... A lot. But there's nothing I can do about it - if I come in, it would ruin everything." Placing her elbow on the armrest of her throne, Elegia casually placed her chin on top of her hand and looked at him with interest. "So, he has entered puberty. How delightful." Closing her eyes momentarily, she waved her free hand to the sides. "I cannot intervene directly, yet." She said with slight disappointment and continued on. "However, there are other two children as the newest recruits. They are both females. As a matter of fact, I have a little birdie that told me that one of the females saved your little brother." Looking at him, there was a glint of auspicious meaning in those blue eyes of hers. "Emotions are so fickle. You will never know. But, what exactly do you want me to do?" The son of Rhanksar shrugged his shoulders at this. "... I wanted to know where you stood with Rhanksar and the Council of Hell currently - in case anything were to happen or turn up.." He said as he shrugged his shoulders lightly. "... I also need to know how the King's progress is going so far with his army." A smile was again present in her lips as Elegia listened to his words.

"You want to know my allegiance... I see..." She paused momentarily as she looked at the nails of her free hand. "As long as Rhanksar stands beside the Lord Devil. I will be his ally and as for the council, it is the same." Then, she shifted her attention to him once more. "As for the Master's army, he strengthens them even more. The borders of the inner sanctum are well protected. The Rebels will have a hard time penetrating it. As you can see, he is not much concerned. I am not sure whether that is confidence or simply something else." After saying that, she removed her chin from the top of her hand and her eyes narrowed to a certain degree. "But, what do you really want to discuss with me, son of Rhanksar?" The son of Rhanksar looked at her and sighed. "... It's Saulkur. And it's... Well... Nevermind." He said as he went to stand up at this. Saulkur's actions made Elegia sigh once more. He was the other person than the Master Paimon who had made her sigh more than once. "Do you not like me calling you by that title?" She asked nonchalantly before looking at him with curiosity. "So, you're not going to tell me your real intentions?" Running her fingers through her long black hair, she looked at him in a sideway manner. "I can be overbearing when I am oh so curious. You do know that don't you?" Saulkur stopped as he looked down at her and sighed. "... I'd.... Like.... A job." He tilted his head down at this, if there were an anime sweatdrop, one would be present right now. There was a moment of silence. It was like a ton of cold ice dropped on a desert. Time seemed to pass by ever so slowly and it was only interrupted with a delightful chuckle from Elegia. It had rather melodic tone to it as it echoed within the large throne room. She did mind her manners in front of Saulkur as she continued to show her mirth. "You--- Hahahaha!" Her words become incoherent but soon enough, she was able to settle herself. Taking a deep breath, she could tell that he must be annoyed at her reaction.

But, no one in their right mind would not laugh. "You never ceased to make me laugh. In any case, did you not ask Rhanksar, himself about this?" She coughed in between trying to control her bubbling laughter. "I'm just curious as you are his eldest son." Saulkur kneeled down in front of her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "... I meant in the human world." If it was possible to have Elegia's vein's popping on her forehead, it would have been done. "You should have completed your sentence." Glaring at Saulkur, she released another sigh. "Another reason, I don't get bored with you." Looking at the hand on her shoulder, she continued on. "Like I said, did you not ask your father?" This time she looked at Saulkur. "Although, I have an idea I could use you for." Saulkur sighed. "Father said it would be unjust for him to have any fake human businesses. It'd be a big demonic factory..." He shivered a bit at this and lowered his hand down to her hand. "... I just.... Need a cover for the human world, t-that's all..." He kept his best to look down at this. "...." Elegia listened to his words quite intently and had the idea that would what Rhanksar will tell his son. Looking at Saulkur's hand on hers, she then looked at him. "All right. I will give you a cover." She said with a very serious tone. The humor that was always present in her words had completely vanished. "I do have a reputation to uphold as an Archduchess and Liege to Master Paimon now."

Saulkur looked at the ground at this. "....And in return, I must do -- what?" He asked. Retrieving her hand from Saulkur's, Elegia looked at him intently before speaking. "Just watch. No matter what happens or even when your brother gets involved with my people at the human world. You must do absolutely nothing." She spoke every word with intent and seriousness. "I am certain he won't die that easily. He is your brother and even more Rhanksar's son." Saulkur sighed out and stood up slowly. "... Anything else you would like to tell me then?" He asked, not sure whether to stay or go at this point. Elegia tilted her head to side and had a thoughtful look. Her serious presence instantly dissipated. "One more thing. I always liked the starwberry frappe at the human world. Bring me some, it would be awhile before I return then. I do have my territory to handle at the moment and there is also the report... So, be a dear." She said with a very sweet smile. Saulkur felt one of his eyes twitch at this. "W-what do you take me for, a mate or a slave or... Some kind of s-servant?" He said as he closed his eyes then and sighed. ".... Oh god, it's going to be like this, isn't it?" A bright smile was on Elegia's face as if to confirm Saulkur's conclusion. "It is all of the above." Clapping her hands together, she gave him a wink. "Now, do hurry. I am quite parched, unless, you will kiss me to satisfy me for now." She said with a smirk on her lips with her eyes of blue glimmering with sarcastic humor.

Saulkur felt his brows raise at this. ".... Y-you can't be cornering me like this! If I do that, I'll.... Oh dear what, you are cruel, so cruel!" He said as he shook and looked around. ".... Those two are all I have?!? Are you mad?!?! Are you really really serious about this?!?! You devil woman.... Uggghhhhh..... Tell me it's your hand, tell me it's your hand please tell me!" Elegia cannot help but smile at the flustered Saulkur. She had always enjoyed teasing him when she has the chance. "Of course, a kiss should be proper here." She tapped her index finger on her lips playfully and then pointed at the door to the throne room. "Or you could just grab my strawberry frappe. They are two easy choices, really." Although, she had the idea what choice he would take. Saulkur blinked as he walked to her and knelt in front of you. ".... You really are crazy... You would send me on a fool's errand to earth without knowing my way around it?!?!" He told her. "It's not a fool's errand. I'll give you directions." Elegia handed Saulkur a piece of paper along with the intricate details of how to blend her strawberry frappe. "See, how considerate, I am." She said with much pride and a smile. Saulkur looked at it as he sweatdropped and looked back at her. ".... You know what? I'll take my chances." He told her. "Really? Then go and do it now. We don't have all day." Elegia said with slight impatience present in her tone. She waved her hand forward as a gesture for him to do what he had decided to do. Saulkur sighed. ".... If you are so impatient to wait..." He said, before reaching his hands up to grab her arms, making it look like he was using her as a means to get up. But instead, he quickly leaned in and .... She felt the rest.

Elegia watched him as he saw her fit to be used as a stand of sort. He really does have the nerve as she released a sigh. It was at that moment he made his choice. Her eyes widened a fraction showing her surprise. Saulkur slowly pulled away as he fully stood up then and looked down at her. "..... Well? Did you need five more seconds or was that enough to satisfy you?" He asked. "Just 50%... Don't be too cocky." Elegia had finally regained her former composure. "That will do for now. Now, go... I'll just inform Devant and Alvanzo about your arrival." After saying that, she looked away from him as a sign that she had ended their conversation. Saulkur huffed at this and turned around so his back was facing her, before vanishing in a bright blue light. When Elegia was certain he was gone, she immediately covered her face as it was beet reed. Despite her flirtatious way, she actually had never been kissed by anyone before and she would rather die many painful deaths than to admit that to him.

~ Sebastian and Mireya meet! ~

Sebastian felt his eyes slowly open as he forced himself to sit up on his bed. He flinched a bit, falling back down as he felt the pain from his wounds come into effect before he was able to get a good grip on the bed with his hands. He was struggling at this point, having to breath faster as well from this. He closed his right eye as the pain went through his body, and he tried to sit up again. "When you awake, you will get hurt again..." With those words, Mireya's eyes slowly opened. The light on the ceiling welcomed her. As her blurry vision returns to normal, the dream that she had faded into the deeper recesses of her mind. It was once more a forgotten memory. She moved her head to side and felt how limp her body was. There was no pain but she felt a bit lousy. It was then she caught sight of the boy she had saved earlier. "Don't move..." Sebastian stopped as he looked over towards her, his eyes watching her as he rose a brow at her. He found her purple hair rather unique and he found it to be quite -- different... I mean, he's seen two people with pink hair, brown hair, blonde hair, gray hair -- but purple?!? That got the job! He laid down on his back slowly as he looked over at her. ".... Who are you? I'm Sebastian... Sebastian Thomas." He admitted to her, feeling like utter crap at the moment - it was shown and heard! Mireya could identify that he was not feeling the best at the moment. She offered a weak yet small smile. She wanted to lightly chuckle but that was out of the question. Her battery is still empty to say the least. "Mireya Nightless... I helped you recover I think... So, don't move too much.."

Sebastian smiled slightly as he chuckled a little. "Really? I didn't even notice... But thanks. I would of died if you hadn't turn up." He said to her as he closed his eyes for a moment, taking in deep breaths as he relaxed himself before re-opening them. "... So uh, what does this mean? Do I owe you something now in return or are you just going to accept a hug?" Mireya closed her eyes and answered. "You're welcome..." She opened her eyes and then glanced at him. "I don't think so. Just don't push yourself. I don't want my effort saving you wasted now." After saying that, she tried to sit up but was unable to do so. "Still little tired..." Sebastian pushed his arms down on to the bed as he forced himself up at this. ".... Really? You are tired? I got stabbed through the chest all at once by five different things..." He sighed out at this. ".... I don't want to tell anyone this, but I'm hating how everything's getting so.... Dark suddenly." Mireya looked at him. "I noticed that you were like a dart board earlier..." Her eyes remained on him and understood what he meant. "There are just those days... All one can do not to be swallowed by it is to smile..." She said while ending her words with a smile. "Although, it may be ridiculous." Sebastian rose his eyebrows at her at this. "... How can you just sit there and still smile after all that's happened? Or what's to come?"

Mireya looked at the ceiling and then answered him. "If I don't, I might just break and right now, it won't do anyone good if I do especially myself." She closed her eyes and continued on. "I have to be able to move... So, I can help others from the darkness." Sebastian frowned at this as he heard her words. ".... Oh.... I.... I see. I wish I could follow that advice sometimes...." He admitted to her. Upon hearing this, Mireya let out a light chuckle and then spoke afterwards. "You'll be fine. You don't need to do things my way or or the way of others." Opening her eyes, she looked at him. "Just be yourself. It will work out. I do that and I'm still here." Sebastian nodded silently as he looked over at her and rose a brow. "... So... How old are you exactly? And why are you here?" He asked with a bit of caution, knowing he might be tredding on dangerous grounds. "17..." Mireya answered nonchalantly. "I believe I'm supposed to be one of the Devil's children or something. I didn't get much information about that for my liking..." Raising her hand, she looked at it remembering what she able to do earlier with Sebastian's injuries. "Are you also like me?" Sebastian rubbed the back of his head at this. "I am." He confirmed. "....15 years of age, can you believe it? Youngest of the group and yet all I can do is just... Run around and get injured."

Mireya looked at him with a small smile. "You saved someone, didn't you? I don't think that you just run and got injured." Lowering her hand, she looked at the ceiling again. "Being youngest doesn't mean you can do everything. But at the very least, you can learn more than others." Sebastian shrugged his shoulders at this. "... So uh.... Anything you want to do while we're here?" Mireya had a thoughtful look on her face. "I probably want to take a walk around." With that said, she took a deep breath and pulled herself up to sit which she did finally. Her purple hair fall around her like messy silk curtains. "But, we are not probably allowed to do so..." Releasing a sigh, she looked at him. "What do you want to?" Sebastian tilted his head at this. "...Can I.. Join you?" Mireya reached out her hand to him to take with a bright smile. "Sure. I could use a companion." Sebastian smiled and reached out for it, but instead fell on the floor with a loud yelp as he landed on it. He then climbed up the bed and took her hand, smiling at her. "I -- I'm okay..." He stated. Mireya eyes widened at the sudden drop and released a soft giggle. "You're funny. I like you." She said without hidden agendas or brazen flattery. It was the plain truth as she hold his hand and smiled warmly. "Shall we go, Sebastian?"

Sebastian blinked. "G-go? I thought we were staying here...?" He asked confused. Mireya nodded. "Yeah, we are." She winked at him and then laid back on the bed. "Let's play pretend!" She pointed at the ceiling and at the lights. "They are beautiful stars!" Sebastian blinked and laid next to her, blushing a bit from her winking. "... Y-yeah... T-They are...." He said a little nervous, not sure what to do at all... "Just think what you want to see and tell them... For example, we are in a meadow with the night sky above us." Mireya explained while glancing at him with cheerful demeanor. "It's good to think things that bring you comfort the most." Sebastian blinked, bushing a little more as he inched a little closer towards her. "...Um... Y-yeah...." He looked up at this as he felt his side touching hers. Mireya felt him moving closer to him and she did not mind at all. "The cold night wind blowing through us... The scent of flowers..." Upon saying that, her natural scent of roses could be smelled by those close to her. "It's relaxing... What about you?" Sebastian blushed more at this as he felt his eyes widen a bit. ".... Y-yeah...." He said, shivering a bit at this. "It's really nice..." Mireya murmured under her breath, Her head was now leaning onto his shoulder.

Sebastian smiled slowly at this and wrapped his arms slowly around her, closing his eyes as he moved his head so it could be leaning on hers. ".... It feels nice." He mumbled. "Hmmm..." Mireya murmured as she fully leaned on her and did not mind his actions and soon enough she had fallen asleep. Sebastian blinked as she did this and looked at her. "......" He felt himself sweatdrop as then the door opened and quickly, he fell out of the bed screaming and blushing like an idiot. "You two have been summoned to attend the trial... Um.... What's he doing on the floor?" The sudden commotion woke Mireya up as she sat up and looked at the person who entered. "What?" Then she looked around for Sebastian. "Sebastian?" Soon, she found him on the floor and looked at him awkwardly. "What happened? Did you roll off the hill?" Sebastian got up as he took her hand. "N-nothing.... Let's just go." He mumbled. Mireya looked at him for awhile before taking his hand. She would not pry into it further. "Okay." With that said, she followed him.

~ The Trial! The Ten Most Powerful Exorcists in the world! ~

Morning had come. The sun was in the blue sky, few couds were noticed and the arrivial of Angel brought suspense to all. His three personal Knights surrounded him as they lead him inside, making him feel like a king. Every demon watching tensed up, for some reason they found this all to be... Unusual. There had never been a time when such a large threat had come close to them before, the rare few who weren't there were lucky. They didn't get to meet Angel. As he sat down in his spot, nine holographic figures appeared in they're seats, each looking royal and dressed up for some reason for this. The main one slammed down a hammer, which made a loud echo go throughout the entire room, booming across everywhere. "Bring out the representatives for Ash Clade, Keilani Dreahen and bring out Mr. Morris himself!" The sound of a door being booted open filled the room. If anyone turned to see who did it, they would find the Ex-Leader of the Rogue Division grinning and blowing the smoke from his cigarette from his mouth. Deon cracked his neck and took a few steps forward, before noticing Angel sitting on his 'throne'. Deon grinned, and raised his hand at Angel, waving in a comedic fashion.

"Yoooooo!~ Angel! Remember me? I'm the guy who beat you up in third grade!" Deon suddenly looked down, and muttered to himself. "You're great, great Grandfather was a nice guy, ya know" Deon looked up, and yawned, crushing the cigarette in his hand and looking up at Angel. "So you're not restraining me.... At all?" Deon rubbed his brows, but let it slip. He'd expected some sort of re- His train of thought was cut off as shackles were placed around his wrists and ankles from behind, and he sighed. "Sneaky fuck"

In full business attire, Claire remained at her defendent bench,a briefcase by her side, her hair in a bun, and the ever formal reading glasses framing her face. Standing, she decided to introduce herself. "I will be conducting myself as the representative. I introduce myself to the court as Claire Clade, and am ready to proceed with the hearing, your honour."

Sebastian watched Claire appear, growing nervous as he shifted a little where he sat. Scott and Michael stood nearby, watching and waiting for them to speak up if anything should occur or happen. Everyone else was either seated/watching or waiting to hear what was going up first. The Ex-leader, the child who supposedly killed several soldiers or the person who nearly went on a rampage to destroy the entire base? "First things first..." The main exorcist said as he rose up to his feet, everyone fell silent at this, wondering which was to be done first. "Something unexpected has come to my attention. Angel and several of his witnesses have alerted me that this Keilani went on a sudden rampage after the Ash incident was over and decided to kill several soldiers under the Renegades and the WDL. Does anyone have to say anything against this, or... Shall we pass our verdict now?"

"Indeed your honour. I ask to humbly address the court?" Claire stood again, fully prepared for the coming examination.

"Very well.... You may speak." The main exorcist told her, several of the other holograms nodded in silence and obsevered Claire with caution.

"Firstly, I think the implication that Miss Dreahan made the 'decision' to attack Renegade and WDL forces has been taken completely out of context. Should she have come to such a conclusion as to purposefully eliminate those providing aid to her, she could easily have done so at any moment prior to the incident with Miss Ashley Clade, or during with much more devestating results. In this regard, the violence witnessed, though tragic, was in no way a premeditated action." As she spoke, Claire paced around the court, referring occasionally to a set of papers she carried with her.

Mireya attended the court hearing as she was asked to do so. She stood with Sebastian, Michael, and Scott as she watched the proceeding before her. She had never seen what Ash was capable to do; however, she did see her at the infirmary along with this Keilani person. From her personal opinion, they don't seem the type to be able to do such things that they were being accused of. However, there were a lot of things in this world that can't be explained by just looking. The same could be said about her she guess. "This is just for show. They already decided..." She said to no one in particular.

"It is of the opinion of the defence that instead, other motives played a much stronger role in the actions Miss Dreahan was made to take. Given the nature of the trauma she had endured, one can surmise that she was forced to take drastic measures to defend herself - Indeed, having been assaulted by comrade and foe alike, my client was both in a panicked state of mind, and uncertain who or what to trust in."

"But there was no evidence to support this." One of the other exorcists spoke out, everyone briefly gave they're full attention to this man. "Witnesses have claimed they saw nothing on the scene but bloodshed and violence. Clearly, this woman somehow decided that we were the enemy and treated us as such. Unless.... You have the evidence to contradict this?"

"Survival instincts can cause many things. I'm not admitting the events that followed weren't a tragedy, but merely suggesting that the intensity of the situation and pressure of the situation cause the subsequent accident. My client had just prior barely survived an intense fight for her life, and was likely still working on pure impulse. Intent to bring harm to the WDL or Renegades was never present."

"Given the general distaste by many soldiers to the children, it's quite possible a comment or action by one of them could have brought threat to Miss Dreahan's life, sparking the violent reaction from her out of self defence and fear." Claire adjusted her glasses, returning to stand by her bench for the moment. She coulda bring doubt into whether Keilani had done what she did, but she could call into question the motives and how it came about. That was her only angle of defence for the girl, and she wasn't about to let her down without a fight.

"Nonsense. WDL Warriors do not attack unless they see the situation is fit to do so. Every WDL guard last night was accounted for being at they're positions - not one of them gave a single insult, as far as I've heard. Allow me to demonstrate... Does anyone in here know of a single person who saw this Keilani when she went berserk?!?!" Silence filled the room. "No? Then how are we to believe what you say?"

"How are you to prove otherwise?" Claire retorted, simply. "Your accusations are as much baseless conjecture as my own."

Deon simply stood at the back of the room, and he cocked his head sideways. His smirk grew wider as Claire comtinued to impress him with her know-how and businesslike act. Deon didn't exactly care much, but he was being drawn in. If Claire did a good enough job and got Ash and Keilani out of their punishments, then he didn't even have to be here. Deon's grin faded as the room was reduced to silence, but with Claire's rebuttal, his smirk returned. "Not bad, Claire. Not bad at all" Deon shifted uncomfortably, and looked over the expressions of Angel and his elite Knights. Some of which Deon recognised, others he didn't much care for. He caught Angel's attention, and poked his tongue out at the newly elected Archknight, who gave Deon the bird, and Deon replied by mouthing 'I bet you'd love to, Angel'. Deon grinned as Angel realised he couldn't win, and sat down with a growl and a mumble about how he'd make Deon suffer. Deon simply snickered.

"No one is flawless. All it would take is one false move, one panicked moment of fear, and the whole situation could have been dragged out of hand. Who knows? Perhaps one soldier heard that a child was on rampage in the base, and assumed it was Miss Dreahen? Given the battle she had just been part of, no doubt my client looked the part of that description." Claire pressed her line of doubt, knowing full well that there was no hard evidence of Keilani's motives - How could there be?

"But --" He began, but the main one silenced him quickly with a wave of his arm. "Enough. I've had enough of this, it's clear that we do not have someone who knows the what-ofs about this incident. Now... I have a proposal to make." He said to everyone in the room. "Would Rin step forward please?"

Claire gave a bow, excusing herself and returning to her desk.

During the Trial, Rin had been sitting there patiently, hoping that she wouldn't be called out. Her hopes were shattered when she heard her name called, and she stood. Her entire body was shaking due to nervousness, but she took a few deep breaths and proceeded forward, locking eyes with the one who had called her out. "Yes, sir?"

"Rin of the Demons Division. Since it woud take such an incredible amount of time and patience to move Keilani to the WDL Academy, I am instead going to hold you responsible for training this child to control her powers. You will have two weeks to accomplish this, or... She will be sent to the WDL Academy at once. Am I understood?" Every holographic figure remained silent at first, but then slowly they nodded in response. It was clear this was the better decision to go with.

Rin sighed, and spoke. "Sure. I'll get her trained and ready to control her powers so that this type of thing won't happen again" On the inside, Rin was relieved that she hadn't been asked to get involved with Deon's case, and it probably showed on her face. She sighed again, and spoke. "Is that all, sir?"

"Yes. I will call you back when you are needed. Now.... It's time for the Ash incident. Is the defense ready?"

Rin nodded, and returned to her seat, breathing a sigh of relief. "Damn, that Angel guy kept looking at me weird"
Claire had taken the brief moment pause to remove her glasses, cleaning them and taking the time to recuperate a little. As she was summoned, she steadily donned them once more. "Of course your honour. I patiently await your opening assessment to the case."

"Very well. For this case, we have the most witnesses, the most evidence and we clearly have a possibliity of Eclipse lending help to this case. However... I am going to allow Angel to speak on my behalf on this case... Since he appears to be busy flirting with the damn Phoenix." At this, a nasty glare was given to Angel at this, then eight other glares were added.

The commentary about someone flirting with the one called Phoenix made Mireya release a light laughter. She just found it very funny in a sense and for one, she was not the type to hold back when it comes to humor. It would seemed that she was not really bothered by the seriousness of the situation. However, she does know what was going on at the moment. Truly, how could she not feel that this was so unrealistic. There were even floating bodies before them and the technical term for it was holograms. She was definitely in some cheap sci-fi movie. Where was the director? Covering her mouth, she noticed a few looks towards her. She quickly contained herself and gave a slight wave along with an apologetic smile. "Sorry... Do continue on..."

Deon grinned, and shouted in a teasing tone; "Not my fault I'm so damn hot!~" Angel shot out of his seat at this, and glared. "SILENCE! I SHOULD HAVE YOU KILLED ON THE SPOT, DAMMIT!" Deon simply laughed and jabbed back. "I'd loooove to see you try, Angel. You still owe me for saving your life ya know~" Angel growled and drew Excalibur, pointing it at Deon. "Shush, Phoenix, or your death will be swift" Deon let his head drop, and he muttured to himself, although everyone could probably hear him. "For the last time, you CAN'T kill me" Angel adjusted his tie, and turned to his superior. "I was not flirting, he was attempting to distract me so that his fellow felons could escape of devise a plan to escape" Angel coughed and turned to Claire. "I was given reports that Clade came into contact with the blade, Eclipse. After which she underwent a transformation into a 'darker being', or so it was said, and went on a rampage through this Base. We have numerous eye-witness accounts, evidence in our favour, and much more. What say you in her defence, Miss Clade?" Angel grinned and his eyes lit up. Either way, today was a victory for him.

"Indeed, there's no denying that the one known as Ashley Clade underwent a change, though it was not quite a transformation as has been suggested. Incidently, if it pleases the court, I would from now on prefer my client to be reffered to as either Ash or Ashley, for the sake of clarification between her and myself." Claire paused a moment, bringing up the point to help prevent any further confusion.

Angel sneered, and replied. "Fine, we shall address her as Ashley, for formalities sake. Now, moving on. Care to explain these changes to us, Miss Clade?" Angel's grin widened, until he noticed a certain Phoenikoi smirking at him from the corner of his eye. Angel growled, and spoke. "Pray let us get this over with quickly, his constant interruptions are driving me mad" Angel quickly turned back to Claire, and spoke. "Well, hurry up"

"As you wish. Transformation, as you referred to it, implies that Ash underwent a physical change. This assertion is entirely incorrect, as the physical body that was involved in the incident did not change in the slightest. Instead, at the core of this incident, is the mind." Claire paused, partially for dramatic effect, partially to allow for any interruptions.

Angel simply nodded, trying to ignore the Phoenix who insisted on making his concentration an impossible task. Angel shook his head and turned to Claire. "So you're stating that something or someone caused Ashley's mind to 'change' in a sense, awakening a sort of alter ego, I assume?" Deon smirked. "Still a douchbag"

"A secondary Persona indeed. An entirely seperate entity - One that is entirely different from that of the regular Ash, as I'm certain any of our witnesses can testify to." Claire waited, seeing if such a formality was necessary.

Deon coughed loudly, hoping that people would turn and look at him. "I would say 'Your Honour', but I have more respect for a Sake Dish than I have for you, Angel. Anyways, when I came across Ash, it only took my a little while to notice that it wasn't her. I mean come on, Ash is a snarky bitch, but she isn't a cold-blooded murderer. I have proof to that, too" Angel turned to Deon, and growled. "And what proof would that be?" Deon grinned. "Simple. Our fight with the Monster Train"

Scott closed his eyes as he adjusted his glasses, Michael remained silent and observing, Sebastian was too intent on listening to it all to be able to speak. "So it was your group who took down that thing." One of the exorcists spoke out. "Interesting... We had reports that Drayne and the monster train went missing around the same time. Only, as I recall... The head of Drayne is now being displayed to the demons of the Renegades as a symbol of hope. I wonder... Did you show it mercy?"

Deon grinned. "When we faught the Monster Train, both Ash and I realised that mercy wouldn't be a part of that fight. She visibly changed after we first entered to carriage. There was a young girl who was critically injured by the Demon, and almost immediately Ash changed from her usual demeanor to something.... She got all soft and mushy, pretty much. Even after we defeated the Train, I offered her the chance to finish it off for all of it's sins, but she refused" Deon grinned, and locked eyes with the Head Exorcist. "I know that the majority of us in this room would have killed it off without hesitation, myself included. Ash, on the other hand, still couldn't bring herself to do it, and shit was she happy when I told her that the girl was in Hospital, being treated" Deon laughed, and spoke. "But I'm not here to dwell on that. I came here with a more specific reasoning. Tell me, would you hear me out?"

The head exorcist sighed out as he shrugged his shoulders. "Speak."

Deon grinned. "I offer myself up as a tool of the WDL. You may do as you wish with me. Kill me, torture me, force me into slavery, whatever. I'll be your instrument of 'Divine Justice' or whatever. I, the Executioner, offer myself up to you so that you may do what you wish. I will not leave, I will not betray you, and I will do as you wish for me to until I have become obsolete and you lock me away for eternity, until I rot from the insine or become useful again" Deon looked up, seeing the manic victory in Angel's eyes. "But, there's one condition..." "It's simple and obvious, actually. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't already figure it out. You acquit Ash, Keilani, and anyone else in here of all charges, and allow them freedom in whatever they do, and you will not interrupt their lives again. Ever" "After all, an older Brother has to protect his siblings, right?"

Mireya raised an eyebrow upon hearing this statment from the Phoenix. She was not exactly certain how to put his words in context at the moment. This man who seemed to be the type of person who does everything he wants without much regard for anyone else just offered his freedom for someone. It was truly an interesting thing but somehow, she had a vague feeling that there was something more to this. More importantly... "Did he just said older Brother?" She said with a rather loud voice while looking at Deon curiously. She was pretty much certain that she had no relatives unless something came up. "Are you saying that pipsquek is my brother?" Looking at Michael, Scott, Sebastian and then back at Deon.

Deon turned to Mireya. "Did you just call me a pipsqueak?"

The room was loud at this point, and the head exorcist was looking mighty pissed. So pissed, a vein had formed on his forehead. In one quick motion, he slammed the gravel down hard enough to silence everyone talking in fear. "SILLLLLLLLEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He demanded, the vein slowly dissapearing as he stood up to attention. "You are not siblings. You only share the Devil's blood, nothing more! Now... As for your 'request', I can not allow it. The children are too important to waste, and if they cause any trouble or become a threat like Mr. Chang was, then I have no choice but to do my JOB! However.... There is a solution. If... You take full responsibility for the events that have occured yesterday."

"...." Deon looked down, and closed his eyes. His base instincts were telling him to tell them he was joking, and for a few moments he felt like doing just that, but... He'd come here for a reason, and he'd been prepared for the worst. Deon looked up, his eyes blazing with intensity and determination, locking with the Exorcists own. "I do"

Mireya was about to answer Deon. She calls everyone smaller than her pipsqueak. However, the geezer with anger management issues intervened. She covered her ears in response as his voice was definitely that of nightingale. It was more fiiting for a crow. "Someone has menopause problems..." She muttered under her breath while pouting like much a child. It was then she looked at Deon again and heard his answer. She could not help but release a sigh. This man was either a genius or a fool.

"Very well! Miss Claire, in response to this, you will have one week to prove your sister is, in fact, a nice person and is not a threat to society. If you can not do this in one week... I will see to it she is sent to my personal dungeons!" He glanced at Angel before looking at Claire. "Are you both satisfied with my decision?"

"You are gracious and accommodating your honour. I promise my sister will undergo reformation for her attitude." Claire smirked a little at the private dig at her kin.

Angel simply growled and nodded. Rin, who was sitting within earshot of Mireya, sighed and whispered. "Just what the heck is Deon up to? Sure, he's strong enough to take on Angel and basically any Exorcist, but this.... This is a risk even for him" Rin glared at the Phoenix, who simply grinned, but his eyes were stern and determined, not cheerful and full of happiness. Rin furrowed her brows. "Something's definitely off"

"Very well! Now... For the final trial! Deon Morris!" He announced, everyone looking at him. "... You know the charges, you know the reasons, and you also know how you act. You also know the WDL guards you killed during the time Angel had taken Arthur's spot. Now.... Will the defense argue against this?"

"I believe the client would prefer to defend himself, your honour. However, should he require my consultation, I would be happy to oblige." Claire looked to Deon, allowing him the option.

Deon grinned as his name was called, and his prior demeanour returned. "YES, IT IS I! THE IMMORTAL! HAHAA!~" Deon grinned and cracked his neck. "I can argue that Angel's a dick and he deserved it. Also thanks, but no thanks Claire. You're a pretty good Lawyer though, take care of your sister or I'll kick your ass into the next century. Possibly literally" Deon turned back to the Main Exorcist and grinned. "Hey, not my fault I'm slowly going crazy. Ya know, kookoo? Gaga? Anyways, do I even need a trial, boss man?" "Blame the dude with the glasses that likes to dissect people and make them go crazy. Can I sleep in a nice cell now?"

Hearing the cat-girl's comment whose name was Rin, Mireya glanced at her. "If you say this is not normal, then it just means he has an ace under his sleeves." Crossing her arms over her chest, she cannot help but have a small smile. "Or he is just doing what he feels like at the moment, like a brother would do to his so-called siblings." Looking at Claire's direction, she closed her eyes momentarily. "Just like that Claire is doing for her sister." Then, she released a sigh while looking at Deon with a very comical depressing expression. "Or he is just a plain idiot. Hey, I've heard he's mad."

Deon sighed and slid to the ground, a yawn escaping his lips. "I haven't had a good sleep in...like, aaages" Meanwhile, Rin turned to Mireya and smirked. "He isn't maad, he just likes toying with people, ya know? Besides, he's a good guy at heart, ask anyone who knows him really, and they'll say that to ya. He's just had a loooong past and sometimes he gets a little gaga because of it. By the way, my name's Rin, leader of the Demon's Division of the Renegades. You're Mireya, right?"

Raising a hand up slowly, the head exorcist snapped his fingers as he nodded. "... Everyone. Code. Nine." And all of a sudden, all the WDL guards, soldiers, knights and the like rose up and took out a white mechanically advanced gun, each of them pointing it at a Renegade soldier who was either a demon or who had demon blood. The only person who wasn't aimed at was Claire and Deon. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?!" Scott shouted out as he saw everyone who was pointed at now had a red dot on they're forehead. "BE QUIET! I AM CALLING THIS INTO A SERIOUS ISSUE! Now... DEON MORRIS! If you say you are innocent and should receive the least of punishments, then I will execute everyone here with demon blood, who has even an INCH of demon blood, EXECUTED ON THE SPOT! If you say you are guilty... I will let them go. It is, after all, up to you... Mr. Madman's apprentice."

Mireya looked at Rin and smiled warmly as if she knew that from the very start. "I know. We are kind of related aren't we?" After saying that, she looked at Deon again who was yawning. "He is not that bad..." Hearing Rin's introduction, she turned to her and nodded. "Yeah. Nice to formally meet you Rin."

Claire remained still, watching the scenario unfold. Though she was prepared to take action, she was confident that they wouldn't act on such an unorthodox and bloody approach to the matter.

Deon ground his teeth in anger, before standing up. "Madman's Apprentice? That was a long time ago, my friend. Ah well, I guess I'll have to pay for my past. Again" Deon's expression turned stern, and his eyes blazed even stronger. "I will pay the full price for any and all sins and acts of unfair or criminal basis that I have committed. On the notice that you never, ever enter this place again, I will take full responsibility for any and all heinous actions or crimes I ever have or will commit" Deon's expression softened, and he spoke again, appearing calm and collected. "In other words, I admit it. I am Guilty"

Mireya's eyes narrowed at the sudden turn of events. It was just like she had commented earlier. "This is just for show. They already decided..." Her words from before flashed through her mind. She hated it when what she said appeared to be right at some point. Clicking her tongue, she looked at holograms and the one named Angel with cold authority. She was definitely not liking those guys. WDL or whatever they are if they do shoot, she would definitely show them they picked the wrong person to mess with literally.

Rin's eyes widened as the red dot appeared on her forehead, and she began to shudder. "Oh god, I hate lazers. It's like our bane. You know when you have a lazer and you mess with your cat with it? Well, that's a lazer and I'm a Cat, technically, sooo...." Rin closed her eyes and took deep breaths. "Don't chase the red light. Don't chase the red light" Each gun was put away at this and every WDL member waited for the command.

"Very well. As of this moment, the verdict is hereby passed. You are to be sentenced to be BANISHED from the Renegade forces FOREVER! You will be replaced, sadly... Don't worry. That is for another day that does not concern you. You are also sentenced to rot for 10,000 years in the dungeons of the WDL or otherwise, should you be moved. You are also at liberty to do WHATEVER Angel tells you to do, and if you leave WDL grounds, you will be turned to dust and sent to the bottom of the OCEAN!" With those words said, the exorcist leader looked over at Angel. "Take him away. Our business here is done." And with that, the 9 holograms vanished.

The tension and irritation that Mireya was feeling was immediately washed away upon hearing Rin's reaction. She could not help but laugh quite heartily. "So funny!" Once more, the question ws raised. Is she really treating the situation at hand seriously or just child's play. But, she regained her serious facade when she heard the annoucement for Deon's punishment. She covered her mouth and could not help but want to topple down those spoiled brats from their high and mighty position. After all, the bigger you are the further you fall. "Pretentious bastards." She said quite loudly without interest if any of those so-called WDL heard her.

Deon sighed, but a snarky comment still escaped his lips. "You CAN'T kill me, dammit!" Deon laughed, but Rin saw through it. "Imprisonment, the one thing that he's actually terrified of. Well shit, they must really hate him... And he's banished from the Renegades too. Fuck it all!" Rin booted the chair in front of her out of anger, and it's patron glared at her. "Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck!" Meanwhile, Deon sighed, the fire in his eyes dying as he realised what would actually be happening to him. He sighed again, and let his head drop, but he still couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on hs face. "The things I do for my loved ones. Sheesh, I'm getting too old" Angel strode up to Deon, and grinned like he owned the world. "You're my tool of destruction now, Deon, and you-" Angel was cut off as spit hit him in the face. "Haha, gotchya!" Angel growled and punched Deon straight in the gut, and Deon simply laughed at him, which made Angel storm away in anger. A tall man in full armour approached Deon, and Deon spoke. "Excuse me sir, but could I get a glass of water?"

Scott closed his eyes tightly as Michael clutched his arms at this. "No.... This was all a set up." Michael mumbled to himself. "Of course it was. Keilani and Ash were only the diversions... They intended to either capture Deon or send him to oblivion. Damn it!"

Mireya looked at Scott, Michael, and then Rin. Hearing their comments, she then looked at Deon who was still acting all tough. "Then, I'll make a diversion."

Rin turned to Scott and Michael and glared. "What now!? You know how much he hates imprisonment, he goes on about it all the time! 500 years in that dungeon broke him, and now he's got 10,000 years!? Man, he'll be in a whole new world, and not only that! They'll probably forget about him, and probably on purpose too!" At Mireya's comment, Rin shook her head. "No. He's got a plan, he's got to. He's got that glint in his eye"

Mireya looked at Rin for a moment. "Then you should stop your commentary then" She looked at Deon "You'll just make it worse for him"

"Quiet! We already have a plan for Deon's division... You two just stop talking! NOW!" Scott whispered to them, glaring at them both before looking back at Deon.

With that being said, she jumped down from the platform she was in without much regard. Fortunately, she landed on her feet. "I finally got that perfect."

Rin watched as they put a bag over Deon's head and tightened it with a thick cord, and tied his wrists up with steel chains. A small box was brought in on a wheeler, and after reinforcing the steel bindings with leather straps, then threw him inside and tightened the clamps to keep him in place, and shut the lid. Angel entered the room, a smirk on his face. "Not so confident now, are you?" His only answer was a laugh. Angel glared, and observed as chains were placed around the box. Several vials filled with liquid were placed into holes on the box, and Angel spoke. "Pure Holy Water, it's a complete bitch to your kind, ya know" Angel laughed as the box was carted away, and he turned. "Anyone else wish to join him?" Angel's voice rang out in the clearing, full of pride and boastfulness. "Anyone, anyone at all?" Rin glared at the man, and clenched her fists. "If I could punch that fucker!"

Mireya smiled at Angel's cocky statements. She approached the man. "I have something to do for you." Without furter ado, she kissed Angel on the lips. It was trully a shocking dispaly. At that very moment, her passive ability that has no off-switch activated. She was sucking his lifeforce out of him. However, she was able to stop leaving enough for him to replenish within the next few days or months, whatever works and not die. "I have been told that my kisses are to die for. Thanks for the meal." She winked at Angel. One thing about Mireya when she hates someone or dislikes. She is not too subtle in showing it.

Angel staggered back, coughing violently. "What did you just do to me? You bitch?" From inside the now-leaving box, Deon called out. "Good game, kid!", followed by laughter. As the box was tugged out of the building, Angel regained his composure. "You'll pay for that, bitch!" And then Rin landed on him. Literally. Rin stood and dusted herself off, a grin on her face. "Ooopsie daisy~" Rin's voice was laden with sarcasm, and she winked at Mireya. "Man, I'm starved. Chat over lunch?" With that, Rin extended her hand to the other girl, a grin on her face. Angel stood, growling. "Heh, I'll make sure Deon pays the price for your idiocy, bitches" With that, he staggered away, still coughing.

Mireya took out something from her pocket and threw it at Angel. It was a rock. Janet had told her to always bring one for self defense especially when she goes home from work. It hit Angel squarely at the back of his head. "It would be best not to be such a spoiled little brat especially being a pansy." Her eyes that were smiling earlier were now glazed with a threat. "If you have something against me do it. If you get him involved, I swear the next kiss I'll give you will be your death." After saying that, she looked at Rin and smiled. "Sure! Let's have lunch!" Taking the girl's hand "Sebastian, come and join us!"

Sebastian blinked and walked over, titing his head a bit as he did. "..... Um..... Okay...." He said a bit nervously.

Then glancing at Scott who was not probably pleased with her actions and then Michael as well. "Let's eat... Oh you better give Deon something to eat" Looking at Angel with a deathly glare

Rin turned to Sebastian and grinned, and she glared at Angel after Mireya's statement was made, who simply give them the bird before disappearing through the door. Suddenly, someone nobody would've expected to enter, entered. Rin's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. "Oh god, Quake!?" The oni simply smirk and eyed them. "So, what'd I miss. Also, got any food, I'm hungry as an Oni after nearly dying can be!" With that, she let out a laugh, but was cut short by a coughing fit. "No jokes thought, I don't want to literally die of laughter"

Mireya looked at Sebastian and smiled warmly as she reached out her free hand to him. "Don't be too nervous. It's just lunch." Then, she glanced towards the newcomer with a curious look. "Quake? Like an earthquake?" She asked while blinking her eyes in a rather adorable manner.

Quake grinned, and spoke. "Well yeah, but I'll explain over lunch. Can we hurry up, it looks like you've got a ton of shit to tell me and I'm not supposed to be out here because I might 'die', but meh, it's too cramped in there for me, ya know?" Quake grinned, and motioned for Mireya, Rin and Sebastian to follow her, and possibly Scott and Michael too. "Come on, I want some Steaks!"

Scott and Michael both groaned out at this as they began to follow them. "Is she going to do the usual?"
"She is."
"Oh my god, stop her."
"I can't.... It's too late! She's up!"
"I'm going to die!"
"Me first, asshole!" Sebastian blinked and wrapped his arms slowly around her arm and leaned close to her at this, acting more like a little child then before suddenly.

Mireya shrugged her shoulders and then took a deep breath. She was still not completely satisfied with the whole punishment deal for Deon. Somewhere inside her mind, she was thinking very complicated ideas. However on the outside, there was not a slightest hint of it. She simply smiled afterwards while looking Sebastian warmly .She did not mind at all "Alright! Time for steaks! I want the big ones!"

S: "I do too, but then again --"
M: "Quake eats everything."
S: "And she'll get the big ones."
M: "Always does man."
S and M: "ALWAYS!"

Quake grinned, and spoke. "No way, they're mine, shorty!" Rin simply sighed, and grinned. "Distractions, we need them" "Race ya there, kiddo!" With that challenge to Mireya, Quake dashed off, laughing heartily, leaving Rin shock. "W-Wait, you can't have them aaaaall!" With that, she took off too.

Mireya looked at Scott and Michael with disappointment. "You're men! Act like one! If not, I am calling you Sadist and Masochist from now on!" It was then she heard Quake's challenge. "Hey! I haven't agree yet! I change the deal! The slowest one wins all!"

~ Celebration or Otherwise?! ~

Quake sat at the table, grabbing the Steak and biting into it, juices spilling down onto her plate as she nommed away in happiness. Rin observed this, and faceplanted onto the table while Quake swallowed the Steak whole and shouted out. "GIMME MOAR!" Rin sighed. "Don't challenge her to a drinking competition, Mireya. Ever"

Michael sat next to Rin in total silence as he laid his face down on the table. You could hear him sobbing a little. Scott cleared his throat. ".... Quake. I have something to ask."

Quake looked at Scott, a steak hanging out of her mouth. "Wsh vht?" Suddenly, she flicked her head back and devoured the Steak whole. She wiped her mouth, and eyed Scott. "What's that?" Rin patted Michael on the back. "It's alright, I'll buy you a Steak later man. I'll buy everyone a Steak. Except Quake"

Mireya sat on her chair while eating a rather large piece of her steak. After swallowing the portion she placed in her mouth earlier, her eyes of blue looked at Rin in question. "Drinking contest?"

In response to that, Quake grinned widely. "Alcohol-wise, nobody here can outdrink me except Deon! Haha, I bet you can't even handle Sake, Kiddo" Rin buried her face into the table further, and sighed. Why did I even mention drinking?".

Scott felt his eye twitch at this as he sighed out, it felt more like a groan. ".... I need to ask you if you.... Will be the new leader of the Rogue's Division?" Meanwhile, Sebastian sat watching it all, leaning agaisnt Mireya as he clung to her arm like a frightened child.

The new steak in Quake's mouth dropped to the plate, and she leaned back in surprise. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!?!?!?!?" In seconds, Quake's head joined Rin's and Michael's on the table, and she groaned. "Doesn't that mean I'll have to be SOBER?..." Rin patted Quake on the back. "It's alright Quake, sobriety can be fun too"

Scott goaned out. "... You know you are the only qualified person for the job! There's no one else here who can do it!" "I'll trade places." "SHUT UP MICHAEL!"

Mireya blinked her eyes a couple of times before digesting the information about a drinking contest. She was thinking of passing it up but upon hearing that she was not able to take it. Her eyes were filled with determination "I will take you on a drinking competition!" She said with intensity and then looked at Sebastian. "Don't worry. You want a piece of my steak?"

Quake's head shot up at the mention of a challenge, and she rocketed up from here seat and shouted. "500 rounds of Sake, right here right now! It's a Sake fight!" Rin lifted her head from the table, and slammed it down onto it again. "Gah, me and my big mouth" Meanwhile, Asmodeus and the Seven Sins were sitting nearby. "Quake's tits are biiiiiig!~" "Shut up, Az!"

Sebastian nodded at this as he looked up at her. Scott groaned. "....I forgot. We're stuck with them now..... I don't know what to do with them."

Suddenly, 1,000 Sake Gourds were placed in front of the group. 500 for Quake and 500 for Mireya. Each had about 5 liters of Sake in them, and that ended up being a LOT of Sake. Quake grinned, and spoke. "Hope ya can stomach this, Kiddo!" Rin just facetabled again.

Mireya handed it to Sebastian. "Here. You can have all of this! I'll just show this Quake who is boss!" After saying that, she faced Quake while rolling up her sleeves preparing for the battle. "Bring them on!" She smirked at Quake. "You'll bite the dust!"

Quake simply grinned, lifting up one of the Sake Gourds and pushing it to her lips, downing the entire thing and moving onto the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and then next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, etc. Rin lifted her arm up to try and stop Quake and Mireya, but she just let it fall down onto the table in exasperation. "I give in, gimme some Sake"

Sebastian took the steak and began to eat it slowly while watching. Michael rose his head up. "Maybe we should leave and let them do they're thing..."

Mireya looked at the Sake and did the same thing. She was not going to lose. The one thing she hates the most than being yelled at is being told that she would lose or not be able to do something. She'll be damned before she let anyone get the best of her. Soon, she was emptying the Sake Gourds one by one. It was quite a sight really.

Within 5 minutes, Quake had finished at least 400 of her Gourds, and was still going. She grinned at the Bartend, who began reusing the gourds for more Sake, and an endless stream of Gourds kept piling up onto the table. Quake grinned at Mireya, and kept on drinking as if it wasn't even affecting her. "Getting hard yet, Kiddo?" From somewhere in the background, Asmodeus giggled uncontrollably. "Nyahahaha! Hard! Hahahaha!"

Michael watched from another table with Rin. ".... Yeah this is too far out of hand."

Rin lifted her head up, and looked at Michael. "Wanna have a contest of our own?" Rin laughed her cute cat-ish laugh. (Nyahahahahahaha~) and fell out of her seat. "Nyahahahaow"

Mireya glared at Quake. She wanted to wipe off that cocky grin on her face. "I'm not going to lose!" With renewed determination, she had just 50 sakes left before her and somehow, she seemed unfazed by the Sake she had drank.

Michael blinked. "A contest of what?"

Rin then sat up, and shrugged. "Iunno, waddabout Catn- I mean erm.... Uhh, Oooh Red Do- Uhmmm... Any ideas?" Quake grinned at her opponent, who seemed to be unphased by her alcohol intake. Quake downed yet another Sake Gourd, totalling her near the 700's now. "Hurry up, slowpoke. Or it's an automatic fail!"

Michael blinked again. ".....What are we on about? Drinking or what?"

Rin sighed and lay her head on the table. "I have no idea, man. No idea at all"

Mireya quickened her pace and was now matching up to Quake's intake in about 788 sake gourds. Still, she remained uninfluenced by the alcohol. Her eyes were focused on the goal. "No way!"

Quake grinned, downing yet another Gourd, but before she could grab another a man in a Doctor's Coat burst into the room, instructing Guards to grab her and take her away. Quake sighed, and put down the Gourd. "It's a tie for now, but I'm just gonna...." Quake quickly grabbed Mireya's remaining Steaks and the steaks of everyone else, then ran off to somewhere to nom on them all, laughing all the while. The man in the Doctor's coat was wearing nothing but a purely white loincloth underneath it, and he sighed, "Not again" The, he walked off. Rin facetabled again, and sighed. "We are the Renegaaaades, nyaa nyaa nyaa~"

Mireya blinked for a couple of times before she realized what was happening and when she did, "Hey! Wait a minute! I won't accept a tie!" She stood from her seat and was about to ran after Quake when she noticed the doctor in just a loincloth. "You wear something! Perverted doctor!" After saying that, she released a loud sigh and sat back on her chair while looking at Sebastian. "Can you do me a favor?" Her eyes that were alit with determination became hazy with drunkness. It would appear her sheer will power was the only thing that made her go through all of it. "I---" She was not able to complete her sentence as she fell asleep her head on the table.

Sebastian blinked as he looked around at this. "...................................."

Rin raised her head, and smiled. "Oh god, if Deon was here he'd be laughing his ass off right now, eh Michael?" With that, Rin succombed to sleep as well, her head hitting the table and her snoring beginning. "ZzzzzNyaa.... ZzzzzzNyaaa... ZzzzzNyaaa.... ZzzzzNyaaaa.... ZzzzzNyaaaa... ZzzzNyaaa"

Scott blinked. "Did no one go to sleep last night....?"

In an instant, Mireya was off to dreamland wherever that may be. Her breaths were even emphasizing that she was in deep slumber. Her face was now obviously red now as her cheeks were flushed. It was enough to say that she was definitely drunk.


Rin's head arose from it's place on the table, and she stood, rehearsing the steps to Thriller by Michael Jackson. She had this weird look on her face the entire time, a mix between unconsciousness and ecxtasy as she danced around everyone, and suddenly. Jiang-Shi. Jiang-Shi everywhere. Rin eventually DID stop dancing, but the amount of Jiang-Shi in the area was just... lots. LOTS of Jiang-SHi, man. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of Jiang-Shi, man. Then she turned into her Cat Form and slept on Michael's head and pretended to be a hat that snored like "ZzzzzNyaaa... ZzzzzNyaaaa.... ZzzzzNyaaaa"

~ Disturbing Messages! A new terror appears on Earth! ~

The Jello Demon had rejoined with Bellfoar and Chill as they had finished setting up the bombs, when a strange new figure approached them. On his right arm was that of a purple armband with a silver pin. He stopped and drew his sword, aiming it at Bellfoar. "I am Middle 2nd Class of the WDL forces - Ronald! I am here to challenge you, Bellfoar the Boom Racer!" And with that, Ronald vanished from sight. Bellfoar's eyes widened as he looked around for signs of Ronald, only to be kicked in the side of his face as he was sent flying away from The Jello Demon and Chill, who both watched in surprise as Bellfoar was sent crashing into the ground suddenly. Getting up, Bellfoar growled as he looked at Ronald, who landed and aimed his sword at him. Angered by this, Bellfoar dashed towards Ronald, the two going into hated action. Meanwhile, The Jello Demon and Chill both looked back to see an Upper 1st Class approach them both. "If you gentlemen will allow Ronald to fight, I will only be here to make sure you do not intervene. Who am I, you ask? I am Upper 1st Class of the WDL forces - Timothy!"

~ -- ~

A Knight was helping Angel depart when he felt something troubling near by. He motioned for the others to go on ahead while he stayed behind, watching as a mysterious figure walked out of the shadows of the trees. "You... Yami?!" He asked as Yami rose his head up and smiled at him. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, Yami appeared above the Knight with quick speed and sent down a ball of shadows at him. The knight rolled out of the way as the shadow ball hit, expanding around for two miles before finally stopping. The knight rose up as he glared at Yami, who landed with grace and smiled as his hands were behind him. "So... You are the Yami I seek after all. Very well, since I already know your name, allow me to introduce myself!" And with that, the Knight drew out his sword as it glowed brightly in the morning sunlight, Yami raising a brow as he watched the Knight get into a stance. "I am Sir Melvin! COME AT ME, DEMON!" A smirk came on Yami's face as he threw his arms back and both dashed for one another.

~ -- ~

Scott felt something vibrating in his pocket as he put his hand in there and drew it out. His eyes widened with horror as he quickly got up and raced off. Three minutes later, they heard his voice ringing out. "ATTENTION EVERYONE! PREPARE TO DEFEND THE BASE! THREE HEAVY FIGHTS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED AND THEY ARE QUICKLY HEADING THIS WAY! I REPEAT, PREPARE TO DEFEND THE BASE FROM SHOCKWAVES!"

I wasn’t sure when I had fallen asleep. It was kind of embarrassing, considering I’d intended to stay awake until Keilani was up and about. Instead, I found myself waking to her quiet gasp, my eyes lazily opening to look at her as she winced, falling back into the bed. She said something, but it wasn’t really audible to me, and so I found myself sitting up, intending to grab her attention, and maybe see if she needed any more help. It seemed she’d felt my presence, turning to face me as her expression changed into… Well, I’d be inclined to say it was tears of joy. Maybe relief. It was… Refreshing for me. I hadn’t seen someone feel that way about me in a long time. Struck by the moment, I delayed my thanks perhaps too long as Keilani spoke, wanting to ask me a question I briefly nodded, before she inquired into Blanche’s safety, drawing a weak smile from me. It said a lot about someone’s character when their concern went to others before themselves.

“Blanche was pretty injured, but Claire seemed to think she’d be fine with some rest.” It was a little truth stretch, but I couldn’t imagine Claire would neglect to inform me if Blanche was in critical condition. Seeing Keilani’s soft eyes, I couldn’t help but feel the need to ease her worry, speaking once more. “Considering the beating she’d taken, I’d like to think that you probably saved her.” Pausing as I thought on it a bit, it seemed now was the perfect segue into thanking Keilani for what she did. Both for me and Blanche. So I just had to say it. Those two words. Just… Be polite. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I mean… Stalling like this is pretty stupid. It’s not like I’ve gotta be ashamed… Come on Ash, just do it!

“So uh… Well.. T-Thanks… For saving Blanche I mean.” Turning away sharply, I leant my hand in my face, hiding the slight tinge to my cheeks as I forced out the next set of words, mumbling them almost inaudibly. “And for saving me…” Annoyed at my own sheepishness, I hopped off the bed, grabbing my jacket and pulling it on as I continued to run my mouth. “So like, everything you saw and happened in there, you better not go telling anyone. Got it?” In my attempts to sound tough, it occurred to me I was probably making the whole thing sound less convincing. Shaking my head, I turned to face Keilani again giving a bit of a deep sigh.

“Look I’m just… Not good at this sort of thing, okay? So just… Keep it to yourself alright?” I’m gonna get the nurse, see if she can help you and maybe take you to see Blanche…” Trailing off, I turned away again, attempting to ignore Keilani’s expression as I set about finding one of the medical staff.

---

After the trial, I got told numerous things. Deon had been taken to the WDL, in exchange for Keilani and my freedom. It was a bittersweet victory, and probably the worst part of it was I felt a little indebted to the asshole. Still, it was nice of Claire to come and inform Keilani and myself while the others were off at a bar or something. Apparently, we were to undergo training of our abilities so we could better work at fighting against the evil demons of the world, and that we needed teachers for it – Keilani was to be working with Rin, while myself, Kane and Sebastian were to learn from my sister. It wasn’t something I was entirely comfortable with, but the next day, I found myself heading off to the meeting area to receive the start of my training…

---

“Kane, your swordsmanship is excellent, but you lack balance and refinement in what you do, therefore…” With a wave of her hand, Kane was forced to watch as a glass of water floated over, being telekinetically hold on top of his head by Claire. “You’ll have to balance this for the entirety of today. Should it break, I’ll provide you with a new one.”

“W-what? There’s no way I can keep this-“ Kane stopped as the glass fell forward, drenching him a little. Claire giggled a little, before refilling the glass and returning it to his head. “You’ll have to learn fast then. Now, be a dear and head down to my room and grab my bag, ‘kay? Each time it spills, you’ll have to come back here for a refill and start over.” Claire giggled as the glass tipped once more, forcing Kane to sit and stand multiple times until he finally managed to get up without losing the glass. Slowly, very very slowly, he started making his way out of the room. With the first of the assignments set, Claire next turned her attention to Sebastian.

“Now as for you young man, I think it’s time you started to get a handle on those powers of yours. So, we’re going to start simple.” Sitting up, Claire gestured to a nearby wood fire and an ice cube, a sizable distance between them. “I want you to control the heat, and attempt to melt that ice, before Kane gets back with my bag.” Stretching a little, Claire smiled to Sebastian. “If you can do that, you’ll earn a reward. I’ll make sure it’s something really special if you don’t need my help either.”

Standing, Claire next made her way over to Ash, looking her in the eye. “As for you Sis… Come with me.”

~ Bellfoar VS Ronald! ~

Bellfoar felt himself slide back as he stopped himself. He gritted his teeth as he looked forward at his opponent, who stood ready for another exchange in blows, Ronald aimed his sword at him. "Stand, demon!" He shouted out with anger for the demon, it was obvious he had been trained to hate demons even from just looking at them. Bellfoar rose up quickly from his knees at this, Ronald responding by charging in quickly again. Bellfoar sent in a quick lightning bolt at him, to which Ronald responded by dashing to the side from. Ronald then leaped and sent his sword down for Bellfoar's head, Bellfoar moving back with quicker speed as he reappeared a few feet away. "Stand still, demon!" Ronald cried out, charging in once more as Bellfoar furrowed his brows and stomped his foot on the ground. On his feet appeared two boots, both of which began to glow brightly. Ronald stopped himself as he recognized them. "The Speed Boots?! But, how --" He was stopped by Bellfoar calling out. "SPEED ON!" He shouted, and with that, he was gone. Ronald was suddenly hit in the stomach by one of Bellfoar's feet, which sent Ronald flying back. Stumbling across the ground, he finally stopped when he slide across the ground and was left lying there. "You are lucky I held back... Now... What will you do now?" He asked, but before he could go on, a mysterious figure in a cloak appeared between the two.

~ Chill and The Jello Demon VS Timothy! ~

Chill found himself get hit by a kick as he stumbled back, while The Jello Demon aimed an attack for Timothy's head, but failed when he was knocked away. Jello rolled across the ground for a bit before stopping and began to get up. "Damn it all..." He mumbled, raising himself up as he shook his head. "Who is this guy?" He asked, as the man approached them both. Timothy stood there with a death glare that was suited for an assassin. Timothy then raced forward and appeared in front of the two, kicking them both in the stomach as Timothy used this to hurl himself back. He then landed on his feet as the two stumbled again, allowing him to race forward at this. Jello and Ice were sent flying at him, but he quickly moved to the side of this and pulled out a pole, spinning it in his hands as he spun himself around and smacked the two with it across they're faces. Then he used it to break the Jello Demon in half, then spinning it around in his hands to slam one end of it into Chill's chin and send him flying on to his back. "Hmph... This isn't worth my time." Timothy stated, as a mysterious figure appeared before him. "It's time to go, sir." The figure responded, holding an unconscious Ronald over one arm. "Very well..." Timothy said, and as The Jello Demon and Chill got to they're feet, they saw the two vanish.

~ Yami VS Sir Melvin! ~

Sir Melvin watched as Yami kept appearing and vanishing before him, as if the darkness demon were taunting him to strike first. "Do not mock me, you ignorant thing!" Melvin shouted out as he sent out three chains towards Yami. Before they could get him, he vanished again, the chains wrapping around only air as they fell to the ground. Yami then appeared in front of him and kicked towards his face, but Melvin blocked it with his right arm, holding off the demon with it as he did. A mini-shock wave happened as the two collided, Yami kicked off of Melvin and gracefully landing on his feet, spreading his arms out as two shadow balls appeared in front of him. Melvin readied himself as Yami threw both at him, to which Melvin spun around and sliced through both dark balls, making them dissolve. Yami charged forward at him and began sending a barrage of punches and kicks towards him, each time Melvin was able to block each blow that was sent at him, both of them creating shock waves with each collision they made with each other. Finally, it seemed the demon Yami had enough of it and leaped back, pulling on two gloves as darkness formed around him. "Ah, a demon's own invention to power himself up... Heh, try me!" Melvin shouted out with confidence, meanwhile Yami was forming darkness around Melvin.

Yami then clapped his hands together as a tornado of shadows suddenly formed around Melvin, making wind be blasted into him from this as the darkness became more and more harder to see through until it was completely dark. Then, it formed from a tornado into a ball that was around Melvin's size, keeping him trapped in it as Yami smirked upon seeing this. But then, cracks of light formed on the ball as a sword pierced through it, cutting it in half as it dissolved away, the light fading just as Melvin's form could be seen. Yami felt his eyebrows colliding with one another as he dashed forward, Melvin responding by doing the same. They both collided with each other, fists meeting sword as the ground around them began to shake from the collision. Then, after one minute they both leaped back and landed on they're feet as they stared each other down. Then, the mysterious figure appeared at Melvin's side. "Sir, it is time to go." He commented while holding the unconscious Ronald over his shoulder. "Hold on a minute while I --" He stopped when looking forward, to find the demon Yami having vanished. "... Ugh, very well. Let us go." He said, and the two then left the scene, they're missions done.

~ S VS Mireya, part one?! ~

S stood ready at one side of the room, her arms were folded across her chest as she watched Mireya. "Well? If your going to learn how to use your abilities, attack me already. Or do you want a kiss first?" She teased, aiming to piss her off. Mireya glared at her and could feel her eyes twitched. "Kiss me and you're dead." She retorted at her while wondering how would she attack S. It was already much proven that S was more physically stronger than her. It was not like she could punch her or anything like that. "How could I attack you when I don't how to use them in the first place? Shouldn't you teach me like concentrate or something along those lines?" S yawned a little at this. "You apparently know how to use that kiss... You just need to do something similar with the rest. Like, I don't know... I'm not one of the Devil's 'chosen ones' or anything. So until you can transform... I'm just going to have to beat it out of you." Mireya released a sigh at this. "My kiss has no off switch. Even if, I don't want to use it." She pointed at her lips. "It still works." She then had a rather disbelieving look on her face. "Beat me? Really now? Moreover, I am just new with this devil thingy."

S laughed. "You obviously can't beat me... You're just too pathetic, too weak... Besides, your kiss does have an off switch... It just has more power over you then you do over it." "Thank you for pointing that out." Mireya sarcastically said while still glaring at S for laughing. "Pathetic? Weak?" She could feel her patience wearing thin. "I told you not call me that!" S shrugged. "What's wrong? Can't handle a girl?" She teased again. "You're not a girl at all." Mireya said in a deadpanned voice. She could feel the pain of her headache crawling back in. "Tell me why Scott chose you as my trainer." She noted while rubbing the bridge of her nose. S smirked. "Because you can't handle my challenges. Can you, little girl? Come on, you can't beat me. Not a chance, not a chance~" She wagged a finger at her. Mireya crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you even a challenge to begin with?" S got a serious face for a moment before punching the wall behind her, making a dent appear in it as several large cracks came across the dent. Mireya whistled at S' little show. She raised an eyebrow at this. "That supposed to scare me then?" She smirked at this. "Why not attack me instead?" She then had a thoughtful look. "Or are you the one who is really afraid?" S rose her right foot at this as she stomped on the ground, making the entire room start to shake rapidly at this. Then, a crack started to appear on the ground of the room as it quickly began to head towards Mireya's position whilst the room's floor began to split in two. Mireya was startled at this as she slightly wobbled and then, she noticed the crack approaching her position and subsequently the room splitting apart. She stepped to the side avoiding the crack directly.

S crossed her arms over her chest at this. "You were saying?" She asked, before grabbing both ends of the room and slamming them together, the gap becoming a crack, and the crack vanishing as the floor was suddenly repaired. "... This is a special room for a good reason. It allows you to use your powers without any consequence, well, except to the people around you... You still want to try me then?" Mireya straightened herself and run her fingers through her hair. "You're a coward." She looked at S haughtily. "That is what I am saying." She stretched her arms upwards and the tilted her head to the side. "Come. Let me see you can do to me. All you did is just play with the room. Nothing impressive." S sighed and quickly ran in front of her, then stopped as she pulled back her fist and aimed to punch Mireya in the gut. Blue eyes began to darken as Mireya caught the fist with her hand and then delivered a blow with her elbow with the other arm towards the back of S' neck. S smiled at she let it hit her, but barely moved as Mireya could feel her own hand shaking just from catching the blow... "Not bad, not bad! I see the scroll was right after all about that whole specialist crap..." She then kicked at Mireya's arm to knock it away from her fist. "Come on, I'll let you have this one for free. Hit me!" Mireya looked at her hand and she felt the strength of the punch directed at her. It was clear that she was not that physically apt in that department. Looking at S once more, she stepped back after her arm was kicked. She subsequently delivered a roundhouse kick to S' face. S closed her eyes as the foot hit her cheek, being held in place against her body as she looked at Mireya. To her, she felt like a wall of steel. "That's it?" She asked, grabbing her leg. "You may look slim and all, but in reality, your just paper~" She then aimed to slam her elbow down on her leg.

It was then a seemingly invisible field surrounded Mireya's leg to meet with the incoming elbow. The effect would be to return the amount of force that it had received to the one who hit it in the first place. S rose a brow as she felt it, chuckling a little as she shook her arm off. "What was that? The barrier thing I assume?" She shook her head a little at this. "... Your getting closer, but not close enough. Your barriers can't last forever..." Mireya retracted her leg and was also surprised at that sudden appearance of the field. Her blue eyes seemed not only to darken further but appear to be in some sort of a haze. She narrowed her eyes at this and the she felt the so-called barrier disappear around her leg. After that, she attacked once S once more this time with a chain of punches and kicks. S watched as she was hitting her with punches and kicks as she blinked at this. ".... Um... I didn't know you were into me so soon." She said as she then knocked away one of her arms and then grabbed her by the face. "Come along then!" She shouted, before raising her off her feet and throwing her at a wall. Before colliding with the wall, the barrier surrounded Mireya in protection. it cushioned her momentum as such, she stood looking at S while the barrier dissipated. "Aren't you irritated?" There was this voice that echoed in her mind. It has a familiarity to it. "Go ahead... Like at that time..." She shook her head as if trying to remove the voice. "Shut up" She retorted. "Just like before..." Her eyes widened as she felt emotions of hatred and depression fill. The atmosphere within the room differ and the temperature began to drop rapidly to an absolute zero. S watched with a risen brow at this. "Oh? What's all this suddenly...? Maybe you're finally coming out of the closet?" She taunted.

Mireya held her head as if in pain. The ceiling of the room begin to be filled with looming dark clouds as crackles of thunder and gleaming lightning peeked behind it. "At least... when you're angry... the world is angry as well..." The voice continued to haunt her. S' words were drowned by it. "I said shut the hell up!" She yelled as lightning begin to dance all around them and wind out of nowhere filled the room in a torrent. S stood in place as the light show began, watching Mireya as she merely blinked at this. "... Well now.... Looks like we're halfway through, aren't we?" She said with a smile. "This time... you won't kill an innocent..." Upon hearing those words in her head, a raging storm was now present within the room. Mireya's position was the only part that was not affected by the sudden weather tempest in the room. The floor surrounding her began to be lifted as vines began growing around her. S blinked at this as she saw plant-life begin to grow. "I guess that means we only have one more left to control, don't we?" She smirked, crossing her arms across her chest. "... Come on then. You've almost got them all unlocked - just focus. Come on, I'm waiting for you to give me your best shot!!" The plants growing began to stop upon reaching the ceiling. The flowers at its tip began to bloom. Instead of beautiful bloom, it resembled a Venus flytrap with its fangs all directed at S. Mireya slowly removed her hands from her head and then looked at S with eyes that were in complete trance. "Feed." It was said in a whisper but it was enough for the plants to attack S. At the same time, she closed her eyes as the lightning now aimed to hit S as well. S watched the two come for her as she moved to the side and kicked the plants in the way of the lightning, looking over at the Venus flytrap's head as she leapt up and landed on the plants, snapping them almost all the way off. She then grabbed the Venus flytrap's neck part and goes to snap it before then tearing it off and throwing it onto the ground. "You've lost control, haven't you? Pathetic, Mireya... I thought you had it more in you then that."

Mireya looked at S and then smiled. It was so empty that it resembled a corpse. A barrier surrounded S as it locked her up in a small bubble. At the same time, the torn plant heads' regenerated. As for her, she raised her right hand upwards as lightning began to gather around it. "Thank you." It was then the concentrated power she gathered aimed at S. The plants heads' directed at S as well. Then, it was released not to cripple but to kill. S smiled at this. "I did say... Your barrier can't last forever." At this, time seemed to slow down as S concentrated, energy building up inside her body as she held her arms across her. Then, thrusting them out, a large shock-wave was sent out as the barrier was destroyed and a light appeared around S now. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" S' scream could be heard throughout the entire room as if echoing, the plants around her shirevling up as the clouds would part. Then once she was done, she collapsed to a knee, still smirking as she tilted her hat down a bit. Mireya had a disinterest look on her face as the wind gathered underneath her feet. Lightning circled around her as she approached S and then delivered a blow to S' face. This time powered by a tornado and enhanced by lightning. It was released resembling a shotgun as the trail it left carved the floor in half. The room shook as well at the force being released. S smirked as she raised her right arm up in a block, letting it get hit instead as she stood up after it hit, letting out a loud laugh. ".... Hey Mireya, what rhymes with pain?" She asked with a smirk, even though her arm was numb.

Mireya did not respond as she simply grabbed S by her neck. This time it was easy as her strength seemed to be enhanced. She raised S in a choke hold and those eyes remained vacant. S whistled at this as she felt her choking her. "He-llo~" She said as she grabbed a hold of her arm with her good hand at this. "Gain?" She then thrusted her knee at Mireya's gut, aiming to knock the wind out of her and send her flying into a wall. Mireya felt that connect with her gut but, she didn't relinquish her hold on S. Instead, she flew to the wall with S tagging along. She really felt the strength behind the thrust but the barrier cushioned the blow and at the same time the wind current soften it as well. She then punched S to the face with another force similar to the earlier she released. S closed her eyes as she felt herself move faster then before, vanishing from sight as she appears a distance away from Mireya at this. ".... Ah, now this isn't fun anymore. Now... Well, it's pointless to keep trying, so..." She opens her eyes and looks at Mireya. "Ah, just do what you want. I don't care any more... It's not fun when your own ally is trying to kill you." "Ally, who told you were mine." Mireya took back the force she released and directed it to the ceiling blowing it up in the process. The huge explosion caused a lot of dusts. She then ran her fingers through her hair again. S sighed out. "Oh shut up.... I was talking to Mireya, not whatever the bloody fuck you are." She said as she fixed her hat a little at this.

"And what makes you think, I'm not Mireya?" Eyes of blue remained in a haze as Mireya raised her hands in front of her and lightning touched each fingertips. S smiled a little. "You want to kill.... Your eyes say everything. So what, you going to beat me to death or what?" Mireya pointed her charged fingertips at her own neck. "Let's activate the other two skills simultaneously, shall we?" S blinked at this. "And those would be...?" She asked. "Death and Life." Mireya smiled with such an empty visage. With that done, she fired all the charged lightning fingertips at herself and the explosion covered her. S stood there as she sighed out. ".... So..... Tell me. Miss M.... Do you want to see me at full power?" When the explosion cleared off, Mireya laid on the ground bleeding now to death. S looked at her as she saw her lying there. "......... Da fuck?" Was all she could get out. Mireya was getting paler every second. Her body was broken and even some of the bones were sticking out of her skin. The heartbeat was slowly coming to a stop. S walked over towards her slowly as she knelt down beside her and rolled her on to her back. "..... I don't get it." Was all she could say.

Mireya slowly opened her eyes and instinctively grabbed onto S. Her lips met hers and the transfer of life began as the wounds began to regenerate. As for S, she was being drained of her own life as some of her cells began to degenerate from the sudden pull. When Mireya was satisfied, she removed her lips from S. "Thank you once more." She was back to good condition as if nothing happened. However, the same could not be said to S as it only left a fragment of a life-force in her judging the life-threatening wounds Mireya had. The rate of exchange was equal. S blinked as she did this and flushed a little as she felt her life force being drained. Once Mieya was in seemingly perfect condition, S smirked as she began chuckling of all things. "Oi.... I didn't say.... We could KISS YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She shouted out as suddenly, her power began to skyrocket. Her life-force was suddenly returned to her as her ears became more pointy and her eyes changed to almost snake-like. "..... Fine.... Now we're on even terms..... Witness my -- Demon Form." And at this, her appearance became more beautiful. Her hair was longer, her skin looked smoother, her charm seemed to have increased beyond that of any human woman's and her eyes just seemed to sparkle. S smirked despite all these changes as she tilted her hat again, two bat-like wings ripping out of her back. Mireya could tell S was now in a whole different league. ".... Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Succubus, one of the Demon Division's most well known fighters. I have a severe rivalry with Quake and Rin and I love to tease any one I please...." Mireya stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. She stretched her arms upward and bend her body sideways as well. Her eyes were still dimly haze then looked at S. "I guessed that part."

S chuckled a little. "Thanks for the kiss though... It really inspired me...." She teased, taking a step forward, and despite the room having healed at this point, the room was suddenly filled with an IMMENSE pressure that caused it to shake and nearly fall apart. ".... Sorry that I'm only at 50% full power in this form, I would be at my full strength, but, well.... That kiss blew me away." She said as she stretched out her wings. ".... Got a transformation or should I proceed with the ass-kicking now?" "Transforming is not an option." Mireya said in a matter-of-fact tone. There was not even room for arguments or anything else. Her eyes looked at the ceiling which she had blown up. S suddenly vanished from sight and appeared behind Mireya. "Over here, sweet lips~" She whispered into her ear before suddenly ramming her knee into Mireya's back. The collision would of caused the ground to form a small crater underneath them, it was clear S' strength was tremendous now - equal to that of an Oni's even. Mireya felt the blow but the barrier once more halved the strength of it to her body. Still, it made her fall to her knees. S looked over at Mireya as she fell on her knees. "Well? You wanted a fight - you got one!" Mireya looked at S without even a tinge of emotion or something that could say she was bothered by the demon form or such. Instead, she stood up and dusted her clothes as if nothing was wrong. "Will this be to the death, or are you just going to be my toy?"

S furrowed her brows at this, and sent her fist towards Mireya's stomach. She intended to knock her out. Mireya bent her body forward as if to appear that she had been directly hit. However, she grabbed the fist with one hand and slowly stood properly before S. "Answer." Her grip on the fist tightened as a something invisible around Mireya began to be apparent. Eyes of blue darken further but now glowed menacingly. S furrowed her brows as she kicked her arm away and then proceeded to punch at the barrier with two fists this time. Mireya flippantly looked at the arm that was kicked by S. The seemingly invisible force around her began to be tangible as it seemed to be her powers leaking like tentacles. They hit the ceiling, walls, and floors leaving gaping craters while the ceiling were blown as the skies from outside could be seen clearly. Her body seemed to be surrounded by something. Grabbing both fists, she bent them without much effort wanting to break them. S gritted her teeth at this. ".... Fuck it."

She then concentrated as she released energy again like before - only this time it had a more tremendous effect in the room. Mireya was unswayed by the action and soon enough, she was surrounded by a translucent light. Her gripped on S' fists remained. After a few minutes, she threw S towards the wall like a rag-doll. As the light that encased Mireya began to unravel someone else. S slammed her feet on the wall as she got down on her feet and sighed out. "...." Mireya looked at S with the darken blue eyes which had regained its bright quality once more. There was also a confident smile present on her lips as she stood there with a raised brow. "Warm up is done right, S?" She was completely in a different form. Her purple hair were braided into long twin-tails and black with cross buttons adorned her hair. She wore a body-fitting attire that seemed to be reminiscent of those cyber costumes.

~ Sebastian's training! ~

Sebastian looked at the ice and walked over to it, putting his hands out facing it. Nothing happened though. He blinked and waited a few more seconds, before thrusting his hands out again. "OH MAGICAL POWERS! COME UNTO ME!" He shouted out, but felt dumb after saying that out loud. He focused as he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he tried, but only felt a fart come out. He flushed and collapsed, twitching a little on the ground after doing this. He got up and after a few minutes, rubbed his hands together and focused on the emotion of hate. "Hate.... Hate..." He said to himself, focusing on the ice cube, but then felt a yawn come out. ".... No, NO! I don't want to do that... Come on!" He then slammed his hands on the ice cube. "HATE! HATE! HATE! HAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted out at this, and a miracle happened. An aura of radiation heat surrounded him and rapidly began to melt the ice cube, but he was too far into the power to notice. He gritted his teeth as the heat radiation increased until it bursted and then vanished! He felt himself stagger back and lean against a wall, gasping for air as a burnt spot was left where he formerly stood, the wood of fire was blazing with fire as he collapsed near it. "... I prefer cold right now."

Of course, given how quickly Sebastian had achieved his task, Claire was still absent with Ash. In fact, the only person around was Kane, who was taking the time to refill his glass after another less then gracious fall. Sebastian felt his eyes roll as he shook his head and sat up. He looked around him as he shot his arms up into the air. Of course, given how quickly Sebastian had achieved his task, Claire was still absent with Ash. In fact, the only person around was Kane, who was taking the time to refill his glass after another less then gracious fall. Sebastian felt his eyes roll as he shook his head and sat up. He looked around him as he shot his arms up into the air. "I did it! I did it, ha ha h -- WHA?!" And then, Kane would hear the idiotic screams of Sebastian as he started running around like an idiot while his butt was smoking. "WHA, WHA, WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY ASS IS ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Looking over to Sebastian, Kane was quick to hurry over with his glass, chucking the water straight at his rear in the hopes of extinguishing the flame. Sebastian felt the liquid hit him as he collapsed and rolled around in circles like an idiot. He soon got up and sighed out in relief. "That's all good no --" He stopped as the fire from the log began to spread somehow. He must of let out more then he hoped for! "........ FIIIIIREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Quick! Grab the water cooler!" Running over to the dispenser he'd been using for his training, Kane began wrenching off the bottle on top. "FEAR NOT, YOUNG ONES!" A large demon in a suit that hid his face arrived, bringing out a large fire extinguisher as he did. "I HAVE SENSED THE DANGER! AND I AM HERE TO EXTINGUISH THE SOURCE!" "W-W-W-WAIT, THAT THING WILL --" "QUIET, YOUNG LAD! NOW, LET THE AWESOME MIGHT OF THE CAPTIAN OF THE BLASTER BOYS TAKE CARE OF THIS!" "KAANNNNEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kane turned, just as he managed to pull the large bottle free, carrying it towards the fire. "FIIIIIIRRRRREEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!" And then, everything went wrong. The fire extinguisher blasted out some powerful force into Kane and Sebastian, sending poor Sebastian flying away into a wall as the suited demon holding it was seen flying all over the room with it. Then after several minutes, he landed and acted as if the incident was totally normal to him. "Another job done! If I had been here a few minutes earlier, you both would of been totally screwed!" And with that, he departed. Sebastian collapsed and his body rolled over to the now empty burnt spot with the charred remains of the burning wood near him. It took him a few minutes to regain his thoughts. "..... That reward better be worth it. Kane?!?"

Dazed and upside down, water the bottle from the water dispenser was embedded into the wall, liquid trickling out and drenching Kane underneath it. Sebastian sat up as he moved his hand in front of his face, trying to see clearly. "Kane?!" He called again, doing his best to try and stand, but failed and only ended up sitting up as everything began to clear up. "At least you get a reward..." Kane mumbled as he began to reorient himself, sitting up and wiping the foam from around him. Sebastian brushed himself off as he looked over to where he heard the mumbling. "You met her before I did! How the heck are you complaining of all times!?!" "I guess you're right. Still, She's probably going to be pretty mad if she comes back to see this..." Scratching his head, Kane looked over the mess they'd made. Sebastian sighed and sat down with his legs crossed at this, clapping his hands together as he closed his eyes. "Stand back." He said and increased the head radiation around him. The foam slowly began to fade around them, but it was taking time this time. A few minutes passed by and it was still slowly going away, while Sebastian was starting to sweatdrop like mad.

Kane watched in partial amazement, and a little envy. Sebastian already seemed to have mastered his task, while he doubted he'd be able to take a few steps without dropping the glass. Sebastian concentrated harder... And this is where Kane began to see Sebastian's lack of control. The ground underneath him began to form a burnt spot, just like the one from before. "W-whoa whoa! Watch it! Don't start burning things again!" Sebastian quickly stopped the burn stop at his words, but steam was beginning to emit from his body at this... "Uh, Sebastian-" Kane was really getting worried now, and contemplated running to get Claire. Sebastian opened his eyes as the last of the foam vanished - he gasped for air and fell on his back. ".... Water." He managed to strain out. "What? Oh, uh, right!" Running back over to the cooler embedded into the wall, Kane managed to prise it free before returning to Sebastian, holding it steady for him to drink from. Sebastian opened an eye at him. ".... Just pour it on me." Nodding, Kane dunked the last of the water over Sebastian's head. Sebastian coughed at this as he sat up and held out an arm towards Kane.

Reaching down, Kane decided to help him up. Sebastian felt himself get up to his feet and sigh out. "...T-thanks.... S-she better get here...." "Well, I can't say I expected you to nearly burn down the place. She's probably doing some special training with Ash." Kane concluded, looking to the double door the two had gone through earlier. Sebastian collapsed again at this. "Whoah, hey, easy there. Need me to take you to the medical wing again?" Sebastian sighed out. ".... Just tell me when she gets here...." At that, there was a loud thud against the double doors, a huge dent mark present. Sebastian glanced over towards it. "..... Another break in?" He mumbled. Drawing his sword, Kane remained focused on the door, but no other sounds were heard... Sebastian tried to sit up again at this. ".... Should you open it?" "Me?" Kane blinked, looking it over. "Claire did say not to open it under any circumstances..." He added, clearly uncertain. Sebastian glared. "And if she's dying?" He asked. "Uhh... Wouldn't she um... Open the door if they were in trouble?" Sebastian rose a brow. "It might be locked on they're side." "Arrgh! Alright, we're in this together, yeah? If I open it, it was a joint decision... Right?" Sebastian sighed. "Yes, yes.... Now do it!" Nervously swallowing, Kane gripped the handles, and... "Aw man I can't do it!" Kane chickened out, letting go and stepping back from the door.

Sebastian quickly got up at this and stomped toward it. "For the love of.... Fine, you big sissy! I'll do it!" And with that, Sebastian quickly grabbed the handles and went to open the doors. As the doors spread wide, Sebastian had only a moment to react as a streak of light shot towards him, a beam of energy rippling with power. Sebastian felt his eyes widen as he underwent his super speed, grabbing Kane and having him stay behind one of the doors. "..... Da hell was that?" He asked. With the doors now open, the intense sounds of battle echoed throughout the hall, impacts, explosions, clashes... Sebastian listened to them as he felt his eyebrows raise slowly at this, looking over at Kane. "Maybe we should close it." Kane was looking to here the laser had impacted, a deep singed mark on the wall... Sebastian looked at him. "Screw that..." He said as he walked over to one of the doors and looked over it to try to see the action going on in it. Inside, he could catch the slightest glimpse of Ash, a dark aura surrounding her as she locked blades with Claire, her sister holding a brilliant sword of light in the clash as they fought for superiority. Sebastian felt his eyes widen as he looked over at Kane. "Jesus.. They're fighting with swords.... And they both have auras." Slowly, cautiously, Kane peeked his head out to watch, just in time to see the two girl's separate. Ash reacted first, waving her hand as coiling shadows rose up from the floor, chasing down the running Claire and attempting to ensnare her legs. Leaping, the psychic-femmefatal dived towards the wall, but not before firing off another beam of energy at Ash. Swiftly, Ash's Hair moved, swirling in front of her to block and deflect the beam, glancing to where Claire had fled to.

In the split second Ash had been distracted, Claire had closed in behind her, charging up energy in her hands and reaching round for a hard shove to her back, the impact causing a rippling explosion that sent Ash into the far wall. Sebastian looked at him. "... I think we should close it before they notice." At those words, a sharp meow sounded behind Sebastian. Sebastian looked over to see what it was. ".... A cat?" He asked. Noir sat behind the two, snickering a little. Sharply, both Kane and Sebastian felt a firm hand on the top of their heads. "So, how goes the training?" Claire asked, her voice sickly sweet and pleasant. Sebastian felt himself going to collapse again at this. Kane simply stuttered some as Claire laughed, glancing back over her shoulder. "That'll be it for now Ash. I'll take it as my win." Sebastian caught himself as he glanced over at her. ".... Uh, I saw nothing." He said to her. "Sebastian, do you remember what happened last time we met and you tried to lie to me?" Claire mused, leaning in close to him. Sebastian took a step back. ".... Uhhhhh...... If I said maybe, would you take that?" Laughing some more, Claire sat back up, stretching as she looked over the training room. "Well, I suppose you can just be thankful you completed your task." Looking back to Sebastian, Claire headed over to her bag, pulling out her purse before heading back over to him. Sebastian continued to shake as he watched her. "As promised, here's your reward." Pulling out a large, crisp $100 bill, Claire handed it towards Sebastian... Tugging it away when he reached for it. "Now, this is to be spent so that you and my sister can get the time to chat. I haven't forgotten what you first came here for, and she'll need to do something fun to take her mind off her bruises."

Sebastian blinked as he looked at her. "....Wha.... What?" He asked. "Just take her out somewhere, get a bite to eat, maybe do something fun, and then you can work through whatever you want to ask her. She needs to be on her best behavior too, given her trial the other day. Noir will accompany you just to make sure you don't get into any trouble." Sebastian gulped at this. "....O-okay..." Patting Sebastian on the head, Claire next turned to Sebastian. "As for you, it seems we're going to have to intensify the training a little bit, hmm?" Kane had attempted to sneak off during the interrogation, but found himself being dragged back by the collar. Sebastian looked at Claire and sighed. "...Um.... C-claire?" "Yes Sebastian?" Sebastian remained silent for a moment, but he looked down at this. "...N....Nevermind... I still need that money, you know?" "Oh right, I almost forgot." Laughing she dropped the note into his hands, turning back to the room where she'd been fighting Ash. "Come on sis, you can't stay in there moping all day!" Grumbling, Ash was pulling herself from the rubble as she dusted herself off, slowly trudging back into the hall with Sebastian and Kane. Sebastian looked at her as he glanced over at Claire. He frowned for a few seconds before sighing out and shaking his head and looking over at Ash. "... Let's just go." He said. "I hear that..." Ash grumbled, heading out the hall towards the garage. "You can't drive, right? We'll take my bike." Sebastian blinked. ".... Okay." He said, and they were off to find her bike.