[][][16][][]

Seven pillars of light descended towards the group, blinding their opponents, stopping them in their tracks, and giving the group the opportunity to flee from their opponents.

Joker breathed a sigh of relief, conjuring a teleportation spell in the nick of time, preventing their wards from being buried six feet under. Muttering strange words, Joker also disappeared, leaving the battlefield.

As for how they managed to hold on…then that’s a different story altogether.

[][][][][]

Deflecting another slash from the claymore-wielding Dark Fighter, she felt her stamina going down for every parry and counter she dished out, constantly aware of the Dark Knight whose shield charge nearly startled her because of her unpredictable nature.

Fighting against two opponents at once is difficult. I must conserve stamina to counter their attacks.

Reversing the side of her katana, she struck against the Dark Knight’s long sword, sparks flying as metal crashed against metal, twisting her body enough to execute a powerful counterstroke that left her opponent open and, without wasting any time, punctured through her chest, black-blood spewing out, and dodged another swipe of the Dark Warrior’s claymore that pitted a medium-sized crater on the ground.

Turning to face her opponent, katana set in a downward slash stance, she dashed towards her remaining opponent who took a high guard stance, ready to cut her into two the moment she entered her guard.

However, Alice saw what her opponent was planning and did a feint, executing a downward slash, pushing her muscles to their limits, increasing her speed and reaction time, and pierced the Dark Warrior’s chest, unable to counter because of the speed of Alice’s attack. Dark blood poured out of the wound, the Dark Warrior releasing her grip on the claymore, slumping to the ground after Alice pulled out her black stained katana from her opponent’s chest.

Flicking the black blood from her katana, she brought it back to its sheath, taking deep breaths to recover.

As both bodies disappeared into flecks of dark light, her eyes widened, sensing an even more dangerous presence approaching her from beyond the mist. Squinting beyond the haze, she saw the silhouette of a girl with long flowing hair and two swords strapped on her waist, walking towards her.

This is bad. I’m not at full battle condition to fight against another opponent.

Unsheathing her katana, she waited for her opponent in a guard stance, the blade slightly angled in front of her. When the mist cleared, the unknown opponent was a black-haired girl with blank hazel eyes wearing a set of white and crimson armor: chest armor, armoured skirt, white stockings, greaves, armlets, and a winged headband on top of her head.

A dual-wielding opponent? This is going to be tricky. She muttered, drawing out her mother’s teachings on dealing with opponents like the one in front of her.

The unknown girl unsheathed her weapons which were two long swords with different appearances: the one on her left shone with a golden warmth and the one on her right whispered a ghostly breeze. They looked ordinary at first glance but Alice sensed a hidden power inside that made her even more cautious.

Positioning the twin swords in front of her and getting into an offensive stance, one leg slightly behind the other, the two of them were at a stand-off, waiting for the other to execute their attack.

One heartbeat. Then another. Ten heartbeats before they disappeared and their clash of swords began, her opponent pushing her back again and again, with each stroke being parried and countered despite her years of training under her own mother.

What made it worse was that she was unable to execute any of the sword stances she knew, a slow acting poison of doubt and dread seeping through her body, her opponent already predicting every single one of her strikes…

…it was then she knew that unless a miracle occurred then she would be cut-down like grass. So she held on, a desperate attempt at gaining a few precious seconds in the hope of surviving her fight.

[][][][][]

The mist swirled, furled, twined, and coalesced around the figures locked in combat as they fought the Dark Apparitions. With the strange moon as their witness and the alien horizon their only audience, they started to push back their respective opponents.

Angelica’s opponent, the Dark Ranger, managed to recover from her first strike and managed to fire two arrows coated with a light green substance on their tips that nearly grazed her arm and cheek, dodging to the side as she pointed one of her pistols at the enemy and fired a couple more rounds that the apparition dodged, and shot several arrows of her own.

“Looks like I got lucky that time. Damn, she’s fast.”

Because her powers gave her unlimited ammunition at the expense of her magical energy, she had to be careful that her reservoir of magical energy did not run out or else she would be left defenceless, unable to fire her guns. With this in mind, she started firing only when she knew the chances to hit were above average.

The two of them danced, firing arrows and bullets against each other, the ever present mist reducing their vision as they fought, and since the area they were fighting on did not have any obstacles or barriers to rely on, there was no time to create plans or take quick break.

“Can I even switch weapons mid-fight? This Ranger is fast, too fast that I can barely switch to something else.” She rolled on the ground as an arrow exploded behind her leaving a small-sized crater and the smell of gunpowder wafting in the air.

She tried to squint beyond the thick mists and noticed her opponent nocking another arrow and saw the opportunity to switch to a steel-black single-barreled shotgun. In her hands, the weapon gave her another approach, one that entailed a certain risk to her person.

“Gotta get in close and personal. Alright, take a deep breath…” She cocked the forearm, muttered a wind spell that increased her movement, and dashed, the arrow whizzing past her as she appeared in a gust of wind crouched in front of her enemy, pointed the muzzle at her, and discharged eight bursts that shredded her armor into splinters, blowing wide holes on her body that knocked her back and struck the ground twitching and spasming as a dark blood liquid leaked out from her orifices, creating puddles of black ink.

Angelica stood up and observed the slow expiring apparition, the weathered short bow still held by her hand, as it stopped moving and laid still.

“That was easy. Now to—” She did not finish as she dodged a musket ball aimed straight at her head, barely making it at the last second. In front of her, walking out of the mist, is another Dark Ranger, this time with blonde hair, green eyes, and pointed ears dressed in a leather shirt, leather skirts, leather boots, and leather gloves, clad in a green leather cloak. On one outstretched hand was a flintlock pistol with an attached bayonet pointed straight at her, with another one on her other hand.

Using wind magic to keep distance, she cocked the forearm and crouched, dark blue eyes observing the new arrival.

Shotgun versus Flintlock pistol…I wonder who would win between us. She wondered.

Those flintlock pistols of hers look like hand-guns—does it have unlimited ammo thus removing the need to reload?

The unknown being raised the other pistol and fired straight at her, the speed, skill, and execution catching her off-guard, grazing her left cheek, drawing a sliver of blood. She switched to her pistols and fired, both shots deflected by another round of musket rounds from her new enemy.

With no barriers to conceal herself or hiding places to rest, they danced with their guns, weaving and dodging the other’s shots.

Pointed ears. Unnatural grace. Lithe movements…is she an elf?

Skill for skill. Shot for shot. Blow for blow. They were nearly equal, with the only advantage being of the unknown beings physiology that made her superior to Angelica who was a mere human.

And she knew then that her opponent was just playing with her, and knew that she would be killed if their dance would go on…unless she gets lucky and survives.

But she knew that luck was a fickle mistress, and so she continued their dance, wishing that lady luck would keep her alive.

[][][][][]

The Dark Magician was aflame, its entire body now engulfed in a raging inferno, even burning the ground underneath her, as it writhed and struggled, the countless number of fire spears lancing her fueling the flames, eventually expanding and resulting in an loud explosion that burnt her to ashes.

Marie just stood her ground, observing the now ashes of her opponent, breathing a sigh of relief. As the wind blew away the ashes, she heard footfalls from beyond the mist, summoning a raging ball of fire and a smooth curling ball of earth circling around her.

A figure emerged, a girl with curly medium length dark brown hair, purple eyes, and dressed in a brown cloak, leather boots, and held a wooden staff on her left hand. There was no expression on her face, and her lifeless eyes unnerved Marie even more, sensing that the girl in front of her was here to fight her.

She also sensed a large amount of magical energy stored inside the dark brown haired girl, one that was even larger than hers. And something else…

When did I get so sensitive when it comes to detecting magical signatures of other magic users? Was it because I unlocked my powers?

The girl slammed her staff on the ground and summoned three dragons with glowing yellow eyes made of water out of thin air that spewed a cloud of ice-cold steam straight at her, raising an earth wall to blunt the attack, feeling the cold splashes of water that landed on her skin. In response, Marie called forth an arrow-shaped bolt of fire and launched it towards her while constantly reinforcing the earth wall that started to melt due to the water dragon’s powerful breath.

If maintaining one element already takes a bit of magical energy, then maintaining two elements will force her to use-up a lot more magical energy, a fact that drove her to resist and hopefully stop the girl’s assault. Even the bolt of fire was shot down mid-flight because her opponent called forth a large lightning bolt from the sky that vaporized her spell.

The difference between them was enough to send her into a panic, trying hard to control her trembling body as she cast spell after spell, unable to move, hiding behind the wall of earth where most of her opponent’s spells either bounced-off or were absorbed by its surface.

I hope I can last long enough to survive and flee. If not, I’m dead…

[][][][][]

The Dark Ace kept firing off orange bolt after orange bolt that kept missing their mark, Janice dodging them using her dark magic to flash from one location to the next, keeping her opponent occupied by her movements.

Since there was no barrier and they fought on open terrain, she decided to use a new spell that summoned black tentacles from the ground and constricted the Dark Ace’s movement, wrapping around her ankles as they slowly drained her magical energy, restoring Janice’s own magic energy pool. The distraction was enough to stop her attacks and gave Janice an opening to kill her.

She used the opening to finish her fight with a well-placed spear of light lancing through the Dark Ace’s heart and a spear of black light puncturing through her forehead, leading her to bleed out and disappear. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to catch her breath when an unknown girl materialized in a storm of lightning a few paces from her.

The new girl had black hair styled in a hime-cut, golden eyes, and was dressed in a shrine maiden’s uniform, an ofuda held between her index finger and middle finger raised protectively in front of her chest. She also had a blank look on her eyes, a feature that did not go unnoticed by her.

A shrine maiden…so that’s what they look like in real-life huh? She muttered. And she’s beautiful too, even better than those starring in some of John’s collection of pornographic cartoons.

Janice was all too familiar with John’s ability to masturbate to as much porn as possible since she herself was also indulging in the same things that he did.

Not now. I have to focus on the girl in front of me.

They just stood there facing each other, not making a single sound except the sound of their breaths and the beating of their hearts, waiting for something to happen between them. Then…she was choking.

She felt something wring her neck, eyes bulging, unable to breathe and make any movement, as if constricted by some serpentine touch that threatened to suffocate her. She grasped at her neck with both hands frantically trying to grab the invisible force around her. A quick glance showed that the unknown girl already used the ofuda to cast a spell on her without her noticing.

She also noticed eight stone pillars surrounding her and glowing in an eerie red glow, strings of light extending from their tips towards her body, wrapping around her, preventing her from escaping. Then she felt her eyes blur, the life force inside her slowly being absorbed by the strange light, and attempted to mutter a spell that could at least push back the girl’s power.

A bright light popped above her head and slowly expanded, burning the beams of light into small particles, cutting off the unseen force wringing her neck, and expanded into a round spherical shield surrounding her. She slumped to the ground on both legs, using both hands to grasp the ground, trying to catch her breath, sweat now dappling her body.

T-that w-was c-close…I t-though I-I w-would die… She mumbled, now attempting to still the fear of death that nearly overwhelmed her. She raised her head and faced the black-haired girl, empty eyes not bothering to express any sort of satisfaction or disappointment.

Within the sphere’s protective embrace, she thought up ways of buying enough time to survive because she knew that John and Joker had a plan. Or should have had a plan in case something like this happens.

I should create another layer that can detect her magic on the off-chance that she’ll use it again. And hold out until I’m rescued. She narrowed her eyes, another thought entering her. “It seems the others are also facing a similar situation. Very well. I’ll hold out until we get out of here.”

Janice summoned another layer, this time a smaller sphere a few inches behind the larger sphere, glowing yellow, as a warning system if another magic attempt is made by the opponent.

[][][][][]

In what should have been a battle between Summoners and their summons instead descended into a brawl, the Dark Summoner unable to keep up with Cara’s ability to constantly shift her abilities on the go by taking in the traits of several animals, giving her an overwhelming physical advantage.

I could summon some dogs, like the ones I sent to protect John and observe the others, but they’re weak, so I think I should add some upgrades and turn those dogs into wolves. Or something different.

Finishing off her opponent by crushing her head like a watermelon, she rinsed off her hands some of the black blood that her opponent splashed on her, the now near headless body bleeding profusely, body laying face down on the ground. She looked down the lifeless body and nodded.

“That wasn’t so bad. I wonder how the others are faring.” Her senses tingled and saw the figure of a girl emerging from a curtain of fire. As the curtain subsided, a tanned girl with short messy red hair, pale yellow eyes devoid of life, dressed in a leather cloak with a leather tunic underneath, short leather pants, and brown boots.

The new arrival stared at her, neither angry nor bitter, but merely empty, a shell with no life. Cara took a step back, senses telling her that she was a dangerous opponent to face.

While observing the opponent in front of her, she caught a whiff of her scent, a look of surprise on her face.

She smells of…reptiles. Or as close to reptiles as she could be…tinged with sulphur and brimstone…but what?

The girl muttered something under her breath and her arms transformed into scaled appendages, interlocking plates of dark green surrounding both her arms, both hands transformed into sharp ivory claws that resembled a large lizards paw. Or a dragon’s forearm.

And dragons do not exist or did exist. Until now. When she’s now facing someone who possessed a power similar to a dragon’s.

Impossible…is she a dragon? I thought dragons are only limited to cartoons and myths. Now she knew why she was dangerous, feeling the hostile intent being generated by the red-haired girl in front of her.

But what could match a dragon? My skills are limited. Should I combine some traits to even the odds?

Exhaling, she willed the natural energy inside her, creating an image of several animals that could grant her the traits that she needed: the cheetah’s speed, mongoose’s agility, gorilla’s muscle, crocodile’s jaw physical force, the thick skin of the rhino, keen eyes of the eagle, limbs of the deer, solid head of the hummingbird, and the echidna’s resistance to fire.

Feeling the transformation coursing through her veins, she set herself in a boxing stance, ready to face her enemy.

She lunged at her, sharp claws extended, ready to rip her to shreds, and Cara managed to easily dodge her attack, sprinting to the left and throwing a fast punch towards her left ribcage. The red-haired girl leaned back and the attack missed, forcing her to leap away from the transformed girl’s draconic arm.

In that brief exchange, Cara was already panting for breath, the amount of traits she’s using putting a large strain on her rapidly decreasing nature energy. She knew that if she kept this up, then she would lose and would die here, a realization not only she but the others knew the moment they awakened to their powers.

With her opponent someone who has an affinity with dragons and has draconic abilities, she knew she was outmatched because only a beast with overwhelming power can hope to match and overwhelm a dragon,

She also sensed, at an instinctive level, that if she could transform into a dragon, then she could also summon dragons.

A small pack of dragons to wreak havoc on their opponents. A terrifying thought that not only scared her but also strengthened her desire to improve in the hopes of matching such a ridiculously powerful enemy.

That is if she survived, and surviving this trial is difficult if not impossible. So she hoped for a miracle that she be given a second chance to return the favour. And so the only path available to her was to struggle, to not show fear but determination.

And thus she continued her struggle, small scratches accumulating all over her body, a bloody gash on her chest slowing her down significantly.

[][][][][]

Jack and Rios used their beam axes to keep slashing and slicing at the still body of the Dark Creator, the body surface constantly being seared with heat like cooking meat above the bonfire, the vials of unknown liquid lay broken into tiny pieces beside her, their contents spilling into the cold earth. Each strike let out more blood that first spilled as rivulets, turning into streams, then coagulating into puddles of blood around the body.

Sylvia observed, noting the difference between this and the previous Dark Apparition she faced back in the real-world a few days ago.

However much she wanted to dissect the body, she knew that there were some things that she could not do to the unconscious body. Like taking it back to the real-world for example. And so she gave up on the idea of doing so and instead ordered her two servants to keep hacking at the body so that she could see their strength again.

And she liked what she saw, and decided to stick to these two for now.

An Interesting Specimen, This Dark Apparition. Able to Throw Bottled Liquids with A Variety of Effects. Most Interesting. Perhaps I Can Create My Own Chemical Weapons...

Footsteps sounded, Sylvia glancing straight ahead, a girl with long purple hair tied in twin ponytails and bunny ears on the top of her head dressed in a maid uniform with black stockings and black bunny shoes. She had armlets on both arms inscribed with unknown characters, and carried two satchels attached to the leather belt tied around her waist.

On her left hand she held a two-handed hammer crackling with energy, forest green eyes filled with nothingness. She appeared out of the mist, her movements out of the ordinary.

Sylvia called back both Rios and Jack, the two men dashing to her left and right side, positioning themselves in front of her. She observed the unusual being in front of her, as a biologist who is eager to learn a new species of organism.

A Girl With Ears At The Top but Not At The Sides. Maybe A Half-Human? Very Interesting…

Gripping her tonfas, she raised them protectively in front of her, ready to engage her opponent. The half-human girl with bunny ears acted first, leaping above her, the shaft of the hammer gripped by both hands, ready to turn Sylvia into a red human paste.

Her bodyguards reacted quickly, raising their beam axes and swinging them, deflecting the attack. The beam axes sizzled with steam as they grinded against the surging energy being emitted by the enemy’s hammer, straining against her overwhelming strength.

Using the brief exchange between the three, she leapt and swung her right hand towards the right ribcage, the girl with bunny ears narrowly avoiding her attack, disengaging from the two men and trying to separate the distance between them. Sylvia did not let up and kept pressuring her, parrying her powerful hammer blows with her tonfas on both arms on the few chances that the half-girl managed to catch her off-guard.

But she found herself quickly tiring, calling on the help of her two bodyguards to pressure her even more. Even surrounding her enemy on three sides was not enough because her agile movements allowed her to leap, slide, and weave in between their attacks, never landing a single hit on her.

The three of them retreated a few paces from their opponent, Sylvia catching her breath as she noticed the half-girl barely breathing, staring at her with a blank visage.

No Chance To Win. Have To Rely On A Miracle. Must Survive. Chances Of Survival: One Hundred Percent.

Like the others, she decided to stand her ground and trust John…as well as the mysterious being known as Joker for their survival.

[][][][][]

John fought the Dark Lord with the smooth and grace of a martial arts practitioner, weaving between swings, launching well-timed attacks and counter-attacks, using the lessons he was taught to confound and overwhelm the enemy.

During their clash of fists, John broke the spiked gauntlets, leaving only stout fingers whose strength, despite being diminished by the lack of the said weapons, still managed to rattle him a few times. Its  armor fared no better, a well-timed kick shattering it into little pieces that lay scattered on the ground. Its armlets suffered the same fate as its armor, and left him defenseless.

A couple of hits managed to hit him, knocking him backwards, leaving him in a daze, wiping the blood on his mouth, standing up, flying straight towards his charging opponent, nailing the Dark Lord on the neck with a lust-boosted suplex, smashing him to the ground in a cloud of debris.

“Yo Lu, damage report?”

“A few ribs broken, small cracks in your skull, bones in your arms and legs close to shattering partner. I’m using your reserve lust energy to heal all of them. Better end your fight soon.”

John did a quick check of his condition, noting the state of his body, agreeing with Luscious’ prognosis. He waited for his opponent to rise and attacked him again.

Despite the Dark Lord’s muscular frame, John’s ability to strike at the pressure points of his enemy tilted the scales to his favour. A lust-boosted smash to the face, a one-two punch to its solar plexus, grabbing its outstretched arm and throwing him flat on the ground on his back, and pinning his legs in a wrestling move culminated in so much physical damage that John’s opponent stopped struggling and laid still. John slowly stood up, dusting the dirt off his clothes, feeling dizzy and in a haze because of the damage he suffered.

Shaking his head, the haze cleared and saw an ordinary looking boy with spiky hair, hazel eyes, and clad in a set of golden armor inscribed with red gilts on their edges staring at him. On his right hand he held a sword inscribed with runes, his dark red cloak fluttering behind him.

Who is he? He looks familiar…no. He reminds me of those stories where ordinary looking boys are summoned to another world to become the chosen one and save their world from the Demon Lord.

“Yo partner, this guy’s bad news. I sense a powerful energy inside him. It’s better if we retreat for now. You can’t fight him at your current state and you need to rest.”

“But what if he wants to kill us, Lu? What then? My instincts are telling me the same thing: I have to escape.”

A sense of unease settled inside him, his heartbeats quickening, wiping the sweat forming on his forehead, his body’s flight or fight response working on overdrive. The boy raised his arm and pointed his sword towards him, forcing him into a fighting stance, knowing that he came here to kill him. But for what reason…and why?

Joker, you better get your ass over here and help us escape… Then before the two of them clashed, he was engulfed in a bright pillar of light, a sense of relief washing over him.

The same things happened on the rest of the girls, engulfed by the light, and sent to a place where their enemies would never reach them.

[][][][][]

Erasing their presence, Joker observed the battle through a holographic screen, and hummed in approval at the sight of the Dark Apparitions being taken out one by one. As Joker was about to revel themselves, alarm bells sounded in Joker’s head, a sign of danger nearby.

Joker saw the newcomers appear from the mist and after a few seconds of staring started their attacks against the group, who were now fighting for their lives.

NO! It’s too soon…they’re not ready to face them yet! They’ll die if they attempt to fight them now. I must create an escape for them…

Joker knew that they needed more time to train to familiarize themselves with their powers and with the arrival of these powerful beings, they would not survive.

He also sensed John’s plea for help and acted quickly, muttering a strange chant as seven balls of light circled above Joker’s head and shot up high above the sky, traveling to their designated targets, their mission to teleport the group out of this place into a safe area.

[][][][][]

When the Greek Gods overthrew the Titans, the three brothers decided to each rule separate territories to consolidate their power.

Zeus chose Mount Olympus as his home while Poseidon chose the sea and established his own territory called Atlantis.

The last of the three brothers, Hades, chose the underworld, a place filled with unfathomable riches of the earth and the place where the souls of the dead went as their final resting place. Like the rest of his brothers’ domains, it had an entrance that was only revealed if they think them worthy to be in their presence. For Hades’ Underworld, it was  a vast subterranean tunnel that went a hundred steps downwards towards an empty concrete thoroughfare with a path leading straight to his territory surrounded by pale figures of flora and fauna.

Unlike the sky and the sea, the underworld featured a dull gray atmosphere, where the sun and the moon never appeared, the clouds moving at a snail’s pace, the wind having the touch and coldness of death.

To enter the territory required the traveler to cross the River Styx by riding Charon’s boat and cross blackened fields where ghost flora and fauna grew whose worn cobblestone paths lead to the well-guarded gates of his territory. And in the middle of the territory was a pillar that emitted a pale light, powering the dwellings of the souls of the dead.

To the north of the pillar was Hades palace, a large temple-like structure made in the Greek style of architecture, the entablasures supported by seven doric column on each side, the front featuring a statue of Hades himself riding his four-horse chariot raised up towards the sky. He entrance was guarded by two spirit warriors wearing rusted armor, battered round shields, and long spears whose tips produced wisps of gray smoke.

Inside the palace, there were four rooms, one pair to the left, the other pair to the right, the lobby’s polished marble floors featuring the shape of Cerberus, Hades three-headed pet who guard the entrance to his territory. Straight ahead, beyond two large black doors, lead to the throne room, and in the middle was a tall and wide throne made of marble carved with the image of skulls.

In the middle of the throne room stood Hades, ruler of the Underworld, whose body was shrouded in pale-ghostly flames, rubbed his fluffy beard, dull-gray eyes observing the scene in front of the screen floating a few inches above him, a wide screen powered by a pillar of souls located in the middle of his territory.

It seems I made a fatal mistake. I only planned to partially resurrect them yet it seems I gave them their lives back, including their full powers.

“Yes dear, you screwed up again, didn’t you?” A beautiful woman dressed in a simple white shift, flowing blonde hair, pale skin, blue eyes, approached him, enter the throne room, gliding along the cold marble floors of his palace towards him.

Why are you here, my lovely wife? Is anything wrong?

The disapproving look on her face made him flinch, knowing that his latest mistake was something serious.

What? I just did what Joker asked me to do. You can’t blame me for the outcome of the ritual.

She shook her head, clicking her tongue in disagreement, as if to say he chose the wrong words to say to her.

“Now, now, Hady. I’m sure you’re doing this as a favor to Joker but don’t you think you should be more careful of when to use your powers?”

But Persi—

“No but’s Hady! Did you tell Joker that something went wrong with the resurrection ritual?”

I’m sure Joker has sensed by now that instead of his ward facing their equals in battle, they’re instead facing opponents who are at the peak of their strength. Joker already knows what to do Persi, but I’m sure you’re aware of that. Am I right?

Persephone just sighed, rubbing her temples as she listened to Hades response.

“Very well Hady.  I’ll let it slide just this once since it was an accident on your part. But if they die, then their blood is in your hands. Besides, you’ve always wanted to grant a portion of your powers to one of them, yes?”

Hades just grunted, now dismissing the video on the screen, turning to face her.

I know Persi, I know. As one of the Advisors who serve as substitute Arbiters to one of the Harem Kings who attempt to fight the Harem Gods, one of my roles is to ensure that they have every single advantage possible, as well as provide temporary boosts to their abilities so that they stand a chance against Zeus and the others.

“At least you still know your role dear. Now, how will Joker handle this mess of yours, hmm?

 How indeed, my lovely wife. This reminds of that time…

“Is my husband getting sentimental now?” she chuckled. “It suits you as grave as your expression is.”

Hades just shrugged taking slow steps towards the exit of his throne room. Persephone fell in-step beside him.

Come Persi, let’s see how our citizens are doing.

She grabbed his hand and tugged him hard, desperately trying to keep up with her fast steps that resembled more like a bird skimming over the seas. The guards put their fists over their chest as a sign of respect, not bothering to look back at their retreating figures.

[][][][][]

Joker fled the area once they confirmed the safety of the entire group, the new arrivals unable to detect Joker because of their magical power.

It looks like something went wrong with Hades’ resurrection ritual. This needs to be investigated.

Joker disappeared in a flash of light, landing on a large empty room where John and the others waited for their arrival.

Seeing their curious stares and questioning faces, Joker knew that they had some explaining to do, especially with the unexpected arrival of their new opponents.

[][][][][]