Author's note: Here is the long awaited chapter! My apologies for the delay! Hope you will enjoy it :)

  ##########################################################################

  “But why? Why would Origin try to hide the child’s existence?” uttered Rouge.

  “Why you ask? Origin dictated the path of the universe as well as the action, emotions, the thoughts of each and every one of us…Asking why is a bit ridiculous at this point, considering how much the book has been changed.” Cronos spoke.

  “…Why do I feel like there is something you two didn’t tell me?” The woman in red spoke.

  “…..Well you never ask so….” Smiled Cronos before a parasol hit at his location. But like a mirage, his body phased a few steps back, avoiding the strike. “Hold your horses, Madame Rouge! It’s not good for a lady to be that violent.”

  “What are you not telling me?” Rouge pointed her parasol to the young man. Suddenly, she could feel a shiver on her spines as a malicious aura point targeted at her. The owner was not happy to see a fight in his home. In addition, the eerie expressionless ivory mask only added more to the already terrifying figure of the man. Aware of her own league compared to his, Rouge decided to take a step back and withdraw her weapon, much to the relief of the aura. “My apologies, Master!”

  “Emotions are fascinating. It transforms a paper character into a real one, someone we can love, hate, envy, pity, sympathizes…We ourselves are no different than them in this aspect. However, it is also a weakness and needs to be controlled in order to move on. Sometimes, they can be the driving factor you need but can also be the hindering obstacle. There is a place and time for everything.

  What I am trying to say is: don’t fight in my bar!” the bartender said in a grave voice.

  “Yes, Master!” Cronos and Rouge said.

  “Good! Then we can move on to the next topic then. There is no use in questioning Origin’s motive as long as….!!!!!”

  “WHAT?” The couple uttered in shock upon turning their head back to the book shelf near the counter.

  A burst of flame has sparked out from a specific item which was held in utmost care from the owner.

  “THE BOOK!!!!” Rouge reached out to the burning tome but was stopped by Cronos.

  “No! You can’t!”

  Within seconds, the once mysterious book has been turned to white ashes. Nothing of its traces was left, much to the bewilderment of the people in the bar.

  “No no no! Why….?” Rouge fell on her knees in despair. Her love for books was profound and this could be devastating to her to say the least, especially for this special kind of book that was so rare she never thought she could get her hands on one. And now, one of them has just been destroyed.

  Scratching his chin as he watched the piles of ashes, Cronos turned to the silent bartender who did not show much emotion compared to Rouge. Or rather he could not see it at all because of the mask. “Master…do you think it’s because of the anomalies?”

  “Highly possible! In addition to that, our actions have completely changed the tides of the war….well at least that was our intention but we never know what will actually happen from now on.” The bartender spoke. “I kind of expect this but still…such a pity that it’s gone!”

  “What are you talking about?” Rouge raised her voice.

  “Madame Rouge, the book has been written and finished. However, by changing the events taking place in it, the contents change as well. As they said, even if we try to alter the course of nature, fate will always find a way to go back to the path it was intended, as it was dictated by Origin. However, in some rare cases, there are simply too many modifications, pushing fate to go beyond the point of return.

  In our case, the book has been destroyed because it can no longer provide the story as the author originally intended.” Cronos explained.

  “But why? I admit changing the course of the war is big but it should not go beyond the point of destroying the book itself.” The woman uttered.

  “Because we have become the characters.” The owner conveyed. “Furthermore…..”

  “Furthermore?” inquired Rouge.

  “Before I came back, I have confirmed one thing….We are not the only ones who tried and succeeded in changing the story. The Astral Sword of Moonlight has been forged and the Blood Moon is coming!” proclaimed the Master.

  “So the big guy finally makes his move!” Cronos grinned. “It’s going to be fun!”

  “!” Rouge did not say a single word but her expression alone suggested that she understood what the owner was saying. ‘The Blood Moon is coming!’ the sentence echoed in her mind. She did not expect this at all. Then she uttered. “But in the book, the sword was never forged because…..oh no! Abalone!!!”

  “Yes! Abalone was supposed to be a minor character in the version we saw. In the book, the sea dragon never met Alastor because she was killed by the dragon hunters. Since her stone was taken by them, the sword never managed to be reassembled in time. However, things are different in this timeline.” The owner spoke.

  “Then….this war won’t be just about Alastor and the others anymore. With the coming of the Blood Moon, none of them will even matter.” Rouge conveyed. “That sea dragon….we must remove her.”

  “No! It is one thing to change some events but I forbid the act of killing a character, no matter how small their roles are. Your actions with Lucifer were already on the borderlines of breaching the rule.” The Master said.

  “Then what do we do???”

  “The Blood Moon in itself is harmless. The problem is that the Path will be opened from it. In short, the only way to counter this issue is to interrupt whatever will come through from reaching Astora!”

  * * *

  “….Something is wrong!” The demon lord Beelzebub uttered as he realized something odd.

  It has been a moment since Beelzebub started launching dark orbs one after another consecutively at the young Deus mage. However, none of those could even touch him for some reason. One instant Edward was almost hit by an orb but the next thing the demon lord knew, the boy was already behind him.

  ‘How is he able to move that fast?’ the demon lord thought to himself. ‘Physical Strengthening Magic? No, I didn’t see him do any of those and even with that magic it is impossible to move like that. Teleportation? ….too sophisticated and impossible to do consecutively like what he is doing….Then how?’

  Suddenly, Beelzebub could feel a sting on his legs as he fell down on his right knee. His leg has been lacerated by a sharp blade but neither the weapon nor the perpetrator could be seen. Was someone helping the boy? Maybe Edward was just a distraction from the real enemy? Because it was impossible for the boy to close the current gap between them in a fraction of a second like that. To the demon lord, Edward was standing still from afar so he could not be the one attacking him. So who? What was happening?

  “Feel like giving up?” The demon lord was shocked upon seeing the boy now right in front of him. Pulling a punch at the boy only to have him gone from his sight again, Beelzebub was once again surprised by the sudden appearance of the Deus mage behind him.

  “How? How are you doing this?” he asked.

  “…I am sorry…” Edward pushed his palm on the demon lord’s back.

  “”

  In an instant, Beelzebub began to age at an incredible rate. His skin became dry and wrinkled. His fur turned ashen, losing their once bright colour of life.

  “Arg….arg…..you…what is…this…?” Beelzebub stuttered as he fell down to the ground. The current age he was in has left him unable to even move by himself. Like an ancient decrepit relic of the past, the old demon lord now turned into an old man reached out his skinny arm toward the boy.

  “Time magic! The power to control time…it all lies in this tiny thing.” Edward showed the hourglass in his palm containing black sand inside.

  “Time...but that will…you are…willing…to pay that cost…?” the old demon lord uttered tiredly.

  “….I know the risk…But this is necessary. As well as your defeat! My apologies for using it on you!” Edward spoke.

  “Ha…ha…ha..well done! Out of all magic….you used the only one that can hurt…me…Well done, young one! Haha…ha!”

  “Goodbye, demon lord Beelzebub!”

  “…I wish you good luck, young Edward…Stop…Alastor!” Beelzebub uttered his final words as his body turned into particles taken away by the wind.

  “I will…I will stop Master from his madness!” vowed Edward as he clenched his fist while staring at the peculiar hourglass in his hand. “No matter the cost…”

  The twenty seven bars around Edward’s heart have been reduced to twenty four.

  * * *

  “”

  A giant column of lightning struck down onto the trio of brothers and sister. Reacting to the attack, Kaiser, in his ultimate form, spread out the large three pairs of wings and shielded himself together with his brethren.

  “”

  Luminous light covered the trio and reflected the bolts to the old man sitting on the ground. However, they all vanished half way to the man.

  “He is invulnerable in this state.” Sinforma commented. “We must cancel his spell!”

  “Spell?” asked Kaiser.

  “Yes. Surely you must have noticed the weird things happening during your fight with him. It’s because this is not reality but the Dream World. He has dragged you into his dream even before the fight and here, he controls everything.”

  “Then how do you suggest we do?”

  “Our sister will take care of that. How do you think I arrive in this place?” the shadow spoke. “NOW!”

  “

  ”

  In an instant, Odium’s body turned transparent like a ghost and faded away from the place. A short moment later, without warning, the ground trembled and the sky began to crack like a mirror before breaking apart and revealing the true world.

  They were now standing in the same field of tall green grass with the same landscape untouched. However, the only difference was that the old man was now standing holding to a golden staff and fully awake after dodging an attack from the assassin targeting him.

  “….The dream is broken.” Nyx muttered.

  “So the entire time I was in a dream?” questioned Kaiser in shock.

  “Correct! And all we needed to do was to wake him up to cancel the spell. But that would be close to impossible to get out of the dream without a third party that could interrupt him and release you. More importantly, we still have the real battle up ahead.” Sinforma pulled out a giant obsidian scythe.

  “Very well! Let’s do this together!” The True Monarch uttered as he rushed forward toward the sage. Raising his twin great swords, Kaiser took the initiative.

  “”

  A protective translucent wall of mana appeared around the staff as Nyx used it to defend himself from the relentless assault of the winged monarch. But the enemies were more than one. From behind, a slender figure appeared out of nowhere like an apparition, drawing her knives as she lunged them toward the mage. In an instant, a bright light shined and Nyx disappeared before his body reappearing in a quite far distance away from the two.

  “Not so fast!

  ” Sinforma created a strong gust blowing the dark smoke from his body toward the sage. Watching the green grass wither under the power of that mysterious smoke, Nyx realized its true nature.

  “This is..miasma?” Nyx muttered as he jumped up and floated on air to avoid the deadly mist. “One is immortal…One with

  while the last is capable of controlling miasma…The children of Alastor are to be feared.

  But I will not lose that easily.

  ”

  Raising his staff high toward the sky, Nyx chanted his spell and cast down a rain of white projectiles upon the battlefield.

  “Sinforma, Odium, we will perform that skill! Be ready!” Kaiser addressed his siblings in a majestic voice.

  The three were all once parts of the same being: one formed of Courage, one of Spite and the last one, so easily forgotten. Despite all those differences and disagreements they might have, their connections to each other could not be denied. Maybe, just maybe, that connection, that link was still there, giving them the ability to understand, to communicate with each other in that short instant. And now, they all knew what they had to do.

  Facing the rain of destruction, each took a pose in a triangular formation as they chanted their hidden power. On the ground, strange words appear inside the large magic circle as they shined brightly.

  “Follow the path of salvation

  Cross the sea of Inferno

  Climb the mountain of Purgatorio

  Ascending the spheres of Paradiso

  ”

  Three columns of blazing crimson fire, boreal dark wind and brilliant white light rose from the circle and launched themselves at the sage.

  “This power…..!!!!!!” Nyx uttered as his body was consumed by the tremendous attack, banishing him away from the realm of the living.

  “So we won…!!! Sinforma? Odium? Where are you?”

  * * *

  “Please, Father! STOP!”

  “Someone please help him!!!”

  “You will kill yourself at this rate, human! Step down!!!”

  The cries out of the soldiers, from humans, elves, dragons, celestials, were all mixed up together in despair as they watched the act of a brave man in front of them. His white cloth has been dyed with the crimson colour of blood, soaked like wet towel. His thin legs and arms were trembling while doing their best to stand up facing a most dreadful threat: a demon lord.

  “”

  Beatrix held her crimson dagger firmly before stabbing it into her own shoulder. From her chest, a chain was connected to Father Maxime as it transferred the pain she suffered to him. One look at the ground and grass below them already showed how much blood has been spilled. It made one wonder how could both of them even stand or stay conscious in this state, especially for the young pope since he was nothing more than a common priest with only powerful healing spells, which were all useless facing the witch Beatrix.

  “Argg….” Maxime hugged his shoulder in pain but he did not scream. Instead he held back while using all his strong will to hold his stand.

  “Why do you struggle so much, Father? Won’t it be better if you succumb to the pain and fall into the depths of unconsciousness? It would be much easier and less painful.” The witch spoke.

  “….We made a deal….and I will uphold it….” Maxime panted.

  “The one about if you are able to last for an hour of torture, I will let you and your people go? Do you realize how easy it is for me to just kill you right now? That deal only made more fun out of it.” The witch grinned.

  “…Then why didn’t you do it already?...*heavy breathing* The deadline of one hour….is running out…soon.” Maxime agonized.

  “Won’t it be better if I kill you just at the last second? When the hope is at its peak, I will just steal it away, to the horror and despair you would feel from that.” And another stabbing in the stomach.

  “Argg…..ah..ha…ha…I won’t yield…I won’t let anyone…die…This madness…all these meaningless killings…have to stop.” The pope spread his arms like a wall protecting his people, much to their desperate cries out.

  “I admit that you are different from your predecessors. Yet in the end, you are just a weak, miserable tiny spark of life in this world. You may think they are worth saving. You may want to offer them a second chance at salvation. But, that feat is impossible and you know it. What can one man do to change the world if he himself has no power over them? And even at the peak of power, there are many things you could not do. Alastor himself is the perfect example of that. And his actions today are the results of the accursed sins of the world. You all brought this upon yourself, Father!” Beatrix argued.

  For the first time in that conversation, she showed a slightly different emotion. While her face was hidden by the hood, her mouth, her cheeks were still visible to allow one to notice that tiny difference. Before, they were expression of contempt, mocking over the pitiful creatures called men. Now, it showed a somewhat pity toward the lonely pope who was by himself standing for this idea.

  “You….are not wrong….we have committed many sins…most of them unforgivable…But that was a small part off us. The rest were simply struggling to live in this world. I believe in our kind…I will not let my faith waver because of that…”

  “What a strange man you are! Though your words sound convincing, your actions do not. You are just on the brink of collapsing right? I believe it will all end in the next strike…along with your life, Father.” Beatrix said. “But it won’t be fair for you so I will give you a chance.”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The final minute countdown began. Beatrix threw her knife to the ground before Maxime.

  “If you kill yourself before the end of the countdown, I will let your people live.” The demon lord made her odd proposal. “Will you be able to do it? Time is running out!”

  Crawling toward the knife, Maxime stared at the crimson blade as he took it in his hands. Without hesitation, he pointed it at his heart.

  “Please…promise me you will let them go unharmed!” Maxime uttered.

  “…I don’t get you….Why? Why are you willing to go that far?” questioned Beatrix with a bit of anger in her voice.

  “Because…I believe in the people.” Maxime smiled gently with blood dripping from his body.

  “I could have lied to you and still kill them later you know?”

  “Somehow, I have the feeling you are an honest person, someone who will never betray their promises…”

  “…Is that something you should talk about an enemy?” asked Beatrix.

  “You are not my enemy…We all are families…together under the home called Astora…”

  Fifteen seconds left!

  “……”

  Ten seconds left!

  “I guess this is goodbye!” Maxime uttered as he slowly raised his knife.

  Five seconds left!

  “Good bye!” Maxime brought down the knife to his chest.

  “….”

  *CRACK*

  “….What? I am still alive?” Maxime uttered in awe upon checking his chest. He saw the handle poking out but felt no pain. Of course he didn’t since the blade of the knife was gone, broken and lying in the ground. It could not be a normal crack, not when the timing was impeccable at the last possibly second and how the blade was broken so nicely Maxime did not suffer a wound or even a scratch from the handle.

  “…You won! I forfeit!” Beatrix crouched down on her knees. At that moment, all the spells and chains she cast shattered and freed the soldiers, including Maxime. “Go ahead! Kill me! I have had enough of the living already.”

  As the soldiers rushed to the pope to help him up and take care of his wounds, Maxime reassured them and asked them to stay where they were while he himself took painful steps forward toward the witch.

  “So? What are you waiting for?” Asked Beatrix.

  “…I won’t kill you if that’s what you are thinking…You could have killed us easily….My life was in your hands…Why didn’t you do it?” said Maxime.

  “…You remind me of someone. A fool he was, just like you…but a fool I enjoyed to spend my time with nonetheless. How funny it was that both of you ended up in priesthood…

  But never mind my past! I want you to end me. I have lived for too long…seen enough of this accursed world…Now I am back but can’t end it myself. What use is there to live for?”

  “…Then will you come with me, miss Beatrix?” Maxime extended his hand, much to the witch’s bewilderment.

  “What is the meaning of this?” asked the demon lord.

  “You said yourself you are tired of this world. But that’s because you have not seen the good side of it. I want to show it to you, to prove that there are still many more things worth living for, that it is worth saving.”

  “…….” Beatrix remained silent, shocked by the proposal of the pope.

  “What do you say, miss Beatrix?”

  “…Lara.” The witch muttered.

  “What?”

  “Call me…Lara! Lara Beatrix.”

  “Lara…what a beautiful name!” said Maxime.

  “I will make you uphold your words.

  ”

  Another set of chain launched out of her chest and impaled the priest. However, unlike the one before, this one felt warm and…alive.

  “It’s a gift but also a curse. Those affected by the same are forever connected. Our minds are linked and so are our souls, our fates. If one is to die, the other will either die by that excruciating pain or have their mind broken. Either way, they might be as well as dead like their partners. Only a very small select few have been able to survive that agonizing death of their counterpart. This way, I know you won’t betray me.

  If you are to accompany me, are you ready to bear this curse?” asked the witch.

  “I don’t mind.”

  “…You have just been cursed and still you behave like that? You truly are a fool.”

  “If this gives more confidence to trust me, then I certainly don’t mind it at all.”

  “…Show it to me, Maxime! Show to me that this world is worth saving! I will keep a close eye on you from now on.” Smiled Beatrix.

  * * *

  Inside a world of nothingness but pure white, in the depths of the unconscious mind of a certain young woman, two figures were standing facing each other. One was the owner of this vessel in her usual colour while the other one, a silhouette with the exact same outline as the woman but was pure white and faceless.

  “What are you? Where am I?” the woman asked the strange figure.

  “I am you…in a way. As for where you are, this is your dream, Ikarus.” Said the white figure.

  “I don’t understand….” Uttered Ikarus.

  “You don’t have to. There are more important things at hands and you cannot afford to stay idle anymore. You must wake up and confront him.”

  “But he…he…I love him! There is no way I would ever want to fight him.” Shouted the celestial.

  “So will you stand on the side, watching him destroy the world?” inquired the figure.

  “No, of course not!....But what can I do? I am powerless to do anything. Even if I want to stop him, there is nothing I can do.” Ikarus said.

  “That’s why I am here, to give you what you lack: power. But power without the will to confront him is useless. You know that right?”

  “….I know…”

  “At least, go and see him for yourself! You won’t know until you talk to him. And when the time comes, you will have to face that decision.”

  “…..”

  Walking toward the celestial, the white doppelganger wrapped her hands around her back. “Be strong, myself! I am putting all my hope, our hope in you.”

  Bright light shined from the figure as the light engulfed Ikarus before entering her.

  “From now, we are one!”

  Opening her eyes, Ikarus found herself in a small tent in the middle of the camp. Something was itching on one of her fingers: the ring Alastor gave to her…there were two of them now on the same finger.

  ‘You have transcended the realm of mortals! Now go, Ikarus! Go and release that new power of yours!’

  * * *

  “Hahahahaha! Is that all you got?” Asmodeus laughed as she uprooted and wielded a giant tree in her hands and swung it around with ease.

  “”

  Viviana summoned a wall of vegetation to protect herself but was blast away when the demon lord’s gargantuan strength obliterated the wall with a single strike. Lucky for her, Yggdrasil has summoned a bed of flowers in time to prevent the cat girl from hurting herself.

  “Damn it! She is too strong!” Viviana uttered.

  ‘Of course she is! This is Asmodeus, the most powerful demon lord in history we are talking about.’ The spirit spoke in the girl’s mind.

  “Aren’t you the most powerful spirit of all??? Why can’t you do anything against her?” asked Viviana.

  ‘…..It’s…complicated.’

  “Oh yes, always the same excuse!” Viviana grunted.

  “Sorry to interrupt your chatter but can you talk to your staff when you are alone? It’s a bit creepy and now it’s definitely not the time or place for that.” Sullivan said as he grabbed the girl and teleported away from the incoming boulder thrown by the demon lord. “Where are the others? We need them now!!!”

  “I don’t know!!!” Lilith slashed her sword to destroy the trees thrown at her.

  “”

  A giant orb of intense heat and flame appeared above Asmodeus before taking altitude. Like a sun, its ray evaporated all sources of water and turned the landscapes into ashes as it continued to expand its zone of shine.

  “EAT THIS!” The orb launched itself at the trio. Its size alone covered the entire area and judging from the heat and energy it contained, that attack could potentially ravage the entire battlefield.

  “”

  Magical clocks appeared around the orb and stopped it in its track as if its time has been frozen. “Do it now!” Lilith shouted.

  “”

  Sullivan cast his spell and a fissure in space opened, sucking in the fiery orb. Within seconds, the thing was gone, leaving only a black trail on the ground it passed through.

  “Nicely done!” Viviana cheered.

  “Don’t let it get over your head! She has not even used half her power yet.” Lilith warned.

  “WHAT?”

  “Here she comes!” Sullivan roared upon seeing Asmodeus disappearing from her spot, rushing toward Lilith.

  With a single punch parried by the molten sword, Liltih was sent flying away on air. Using the ground as her footing, Asmodeus jumped high above Lilith and used both her hands to smash the Goddess down to the ground, creating a crater. As the little girl struggled to get up, the demoness dived downward and hit her in her stomach, expanding the crater even more and burying her further into the ground.

  “LILITH!” Sullivan and Viviana shouted.

  Reaching down to the hole, Asmodeus pulled up a heavily injured elf covered in dust by her neck. “The feeling is coming back to me. This sensation of killing you all over again…Can you feel it?”

  “ *Cough blood* You…monster!” the Goddess muttered in pain.

  “I am. You are my creator after all. We share this similarity in that aspect. You are no better of a monster than I am, Lilith.” Asmodeus strengthened her grip. “And now, I will……!!!!!”

  Suddenly, Lilith’s body vanished from Asmodeus’ hand, to the bewilderment of everyone including the demoness herself. How was it possible that she could simply disappear like that from Asmodeus’ grip without her noticing anything? There was no spell, not even a trace. So how?

  …..

  Without warning, a small figure appeared in front of Sullivan as he handed an injured Lilith to him. “Please take care of her!” The boy spoke.

  “Edward??? But…how did you?” Sullivan uttered.

  “There is no time to explain. I will leave her healing to you and Viviana.” Edward turned back to the confused Asmodeus who was still ascertaining the situation. “I will deal with her.”

  “How did you do that? I didn’t sense your presence at all….!!!!!” A stream of blood expunged from the ground below the demoness. Thanks to her quick reflex, the woman has managed to jump up, dodging it completely. And she was right to do it. Everything the blood touched became corrupted and started to melt like in contact with acid.

  As the crimson geyser filled the crater, the red liquid began to converge toward the centre and formed a body of blood before taking a black colour, revealing the shape of a silver-haired woman. “I have come….the sense of your blood…I will taste it.”

  ‘The Blood Beast of Lilith? But she is so different from what I remembered…When did she become this powerful? And that blood…the colour is so much deeper than those of Lilith…’ thought Asmodeus upon the arrival of the new guest.

  “Don’t forget about me!”

  A blue haired young woman appeared from the sky and landed down on the ground.

  “Ikarus?” Lilith muttered after seeing the once weak celestial. But now, something felt different about her.

  “Come to me, Spear of Longinus!” Ikarus proclaimed as she raised and showed her rings on her finger.

  Bright light shined and a long golden bident appeared in her hands. Adorned with a red blade and a blue blade at its end, the spear possessed two gems of ruby and sapphire on each side, emitting an extremely powerful aura. But that was not what shocked the people gathered at the scene. It was what was poking out of her back. Five pairs of large white wings spread widely from Ikarus as the celestial wielded the spear in a majestic stance.

  ‘Ten wings??? But how?? Even Merkabah only has eight and he is the most powerful celestial!!’ Liltih shouted in her minds at the sight of the angelic figure.

  “Now, let us put an end to this war!” The celestial Executor declared.

  The three individuals who have received the Gifts of the Olds have now gathered here to face the strongest demon lord. These Gifts, so powerful that not even the Gods could hope to achieve, could potentially rival Alastor and Asmodeus, balancing the tides of war. The situation surely looked bad for the demon lord. Not only was she overwhelmed in numbers, the power scale too might not be in her favour. However, Asmodeus too had her trump card she has not activated since a very long time.

  Clenching her fist, the demon lord burst in flame as she roared a horrifying scream, not out of pain but of anger.

  “”

  A storm of fire scorched the area surrounding Asmodeus as veins of lava appeared all over her body. A massive power started to emerge.

  “Oh no…she has taken her true form!” Lilith uttered upon remembering the horror of the First Calamity.

  * * *

  “From the tiniest ember of the world

  It was born

  Bringer of Destruction

  Epitome of Life

  Death or Living hold no bounds to it

  The Phoenix shall rise from its ashes”