Airi as she approached the deck, she had a golden glow around her body, she raised her hands and said..  

"Holy Light! I summon you, spirit doll!"

As he shouted those words, in the destroyed city, a magic circle formed, from inside it a small ovule came out.

◇◇◇

The armor where the remains of Goetia, a demon, was used to repair Grappler, this caused Zorn to possess it by using Zack's emblem.

Grappler attacked Rudel with his spear, he defended himself with his scythe.

Rudel went to a destroyed area, as there was no one approaching, it was the perfect opportunity to attack.

He activated the power of the scythe and the great thunder struck his body.

Grappler let out a cry of pain.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Which changed to one of laughter.

"Gyahahahaha!"

"You idiot human, do you think that being able to attack me you can defeat me, I am a demon!"

"A unique and special existence which is superior to you! Unlike the other three times you defeated us, this time you won't be able to win!"

"That I was unable to take over your mental state is a mystery to me! But this time I will kill you, rest assured!"

Zorn's voice was being reproduced through Grappler, Rudel activated a new attack and walked away.

"Don't think you're a big deal!"

"I defeated a guy just like you and a huge shark in the past!"

"If I defeated your buddies, I can do it with you!"

As Grappler approached, he told him something he didn't understand.

"Don't compare me to 'that', we and 'that' are totally different. 'That' hates you for some reason, while I hate you for killing my own."

Rudel moved away until he entered a destroyed building, civilians had fled from there, but not all of them were lucky.

As a large internal part of the place collapsed, it was very easy to move there, Grappler entered through a wall approaching shouting.

"It's useless for you to hide! I'll find you and I'll kill you whether you want me to or not!"

"Don't run away and fight like the bitch you are!"

"The only bitch here is you! Don't think you're such a big deal Zack!"

Rudel thought Zack was inside Grappler, it was impossible for him to think that the armor was moving on its own, that's why he thought it was just like Diabolos the situation.

He moved closer, released large amounts of electricity so that the scythe would not be destroyed like the axes.

Grappler hit it with his spear.

The final duel began with Rudel's advantage.

"Zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"

Rudel desperately moved his hands to cut Grappler down.

He succeeded, but being half artificial demon, Grappler regenerated without any problems.

It was impossible for Rudel to defeat him.

But not knowing this, he only thought that he would have some core like the monsters and destroy it.

Grappler was retreating from the force of Rudel's blows.

They smashed through walls and walls.

A large resistant pillar hit Grappler, Rudel took the opportunity and split Grappler in half.

Again he screamed in pain, and changed to a laugh as he showed how he regenerated.

"Human, don't try to resist by screaming. I─"

"Stop fucking around and die already!"

"Huh?"

Grappler was surprised not only by being silenced by Rudel, it was more by the fact that the sense of desperation he should have... was missing.

Rudel, didn't have a hint of desperation in his body.

This made Grappler weaken a little.

(How could he be so confident in this situation?)

Rudel attacked mercilessly, chasing Grappler who was fleeing.

They broke several walls, causing the building to collapse on them.

(All the humans I have manipulated so far have been the same).

(Frightened by fear, the desperation of not knowing what to do.)

(The feeling that all is lost and there is no hope.)

(What the hell keeps despair from consuming you?)

◇

That feeling vanished after last year.

The feeling that I can collapse at any moment, that everything I do is useless, so I just wanted to live my lonely life in peace until the day I die.

But everything changed that day. The day I got to meet Ixion.

Thanks to him, my linear life was distorted little by little, people like Alisa and Airi appeared that I enjoyed being with, but I would never be with them due to my status.

Then came problems like Liam and Erselica, but thanks to Ixion, I can do anything I set my mind to.

Thanks to him I was able to have them as fiancées.

I was able to get out of the war alive.

Save Erselica, get money and above all... make my dark days feel more cheerful.

I'll never tell him that I like being by his side, I'd rather die than endure his sarcastic voice ridiculing me forever.

But there is one thing I can say, and that is...

"As long as Ixion is by my side, I can take down any motherfucker I come across! You're no exception!"

◇◇◇

Grappler was taking cover from Rudel's attacks as they dodged the collapsing building above them.

Hitting the occasional debris, Grappler was running away from Rudel as he defended himself.

The hands of his spear when they touched the scythe were destroyed due to the electric shock.

A part of the ceiling fell on them, Grappler used it as a curtain to hide, Rudel kicked it as if it were a board and when he saw Grappler hiding he cut it with the ceiling.

Although pain was not possible, because Rudel was not afraid, this made Grappler uncomfortable.

The ceiling fell on Grappler, while Rudel escaped.

On his way out, he used a gamma ray to melt the walls so that the high temperature killed him.

After a while, Grappler came out screaming.

"No matter how hard you try, it's useless to kill me!"

But Rudel was serene.

"We'll see about that."

◇◇◇

Ixion was bombarding the monster tree.

His ammunition was already used up, he was using energy beams from the ambient ether.

But even with that, it was still insufficient.

"I can't believe that for the second time I'm going through the same thing as last year in fighting something I can't defeat."

"But..."

He remembered that Rudel was struggling as well.

"It would be very embarrassing if Master is the only one who wins and I don't."

"Be prepared. I will use all my power, even if I have to burn my engines and cannons I will─"

Ixion stopped as he heard a strange rumbling sound coming from the far side of his location.

He watched as a beam of light shot out of the ground for no reason.

He used his cameras to take a closer look.

"What is that?"

There he could see a white colored fetus.

In less than ten seconds, the fetus began to develop as if it were a newborn baby.

Then, in less than a minute, it reached the teenage stage.

Going through all the stages of being human, Ixion observed that the silhouette of that body and face were undoubtedly those of....

"Airi?!"

As Airi's body formed, everything was pure white, as she opened her eyes they were also white, it was as if a mold of Airi was created as a mannequin.

As she fell, she gradually grew, and as she reached the ground she continued to grow until she took the same height as the monster tree.

Her blank eyes seemed to stare at the tree.

She lifted one leg and stepped delicately on the ground, but because of the size she still had a big stomp.

She walked slowly between the buildings, getting closer to the monster.

Ixion was speechless, something like this was not only absurd to him as unreal.

But there was something he did understand.

"... This is... the power of the saint?"

"Airi used it that time when Diabolos attacked them and even that huge energy we used to destroy the shark came from her."

"How did she awaken that kind of power again?"

The huge Airi-faced specter approached the monster tree.

As she opened her mouth, a gentle sound of a bell was emitted.

Ixion analyzed that sound, as he reproduced it. he heard something that surprised him.

"I will defeat you for the good of the world. Ixion, support Rudel."

To Ixion, that voice, despite being Airi's, was someone else's voice, mainly because of the ending.

Airi always treats Rudel in a respectable manner and she referred to him as her equal.

But most surprisingly, Ixion listened to her.

The moment he walked away, he reacted.

"Why did I listen to her? No, I heard a voice in my head. It means that she commanded me as if it were a command voice and me, being inferior to her, I heeded her."

"... The power of the saint is terrifying."

Ixion went to help Rudel leaving Airi's giant doll against the monster tree.

◇◇◇

The monster tree─ Lugh looked at Airi.

The two of them looked at each other with attachment.

Through those pure white eyes, the real Airi was looking at everything.

Alisa asked her upon seeing her so strange.

"What's wrong with you Airi?"

Airi answered not to her but to the giant monster.

"I'm going to stop you once and for all."

At that moment, the giant Airi ran at high speed against the monster.

When she was less than a meter away from it, she raised her fist and punched it hard in the face.

After making contact, it recoiled and the monster began to scream.

"It hurts! It hurts so bad! I'm burning!"

His right cheek was melting, as if acid had fallen on it, with Rudel and Ixion's attacks it only regenerated, but when touched by the giant Airi, the regeneration was not activated.

They were polar opposites, therefore, Airi's power was his nemesis.

Airi did not stop, she approached the monster and began to hit it all over his body.

The pain and melting of parts of his body was evident, but it made him angry.

The melted parts he spat out and formed new ones.

Using his three right arms, he gave her a multiple punch on the cheek.

In doing so, the real Airi spat blood.

"Airi! What's wrong with you?"

Alisa called out to her as she noticed how her cheek was red and blood was dripping from her nose.

But Airi told her in the face of that pain.

"This is nothing compared to what will happen if he wins. I must stop him, if it's the last thing I do."

Alisa didn't understand Airi's words. She watched her raise her hands and the giant Airi materialized several swords of light in the sky.

She ducked her hands and the swords fell like a torrential downpour.

They embedded themselves into the monster's body.

"Gyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Screamed the monster in pain.

Airi pummeled it again, but even with that pain, the monster didn't stop.

"Don't think you can beat me, bitch!"

It was an exchange of punches as if watching two boxers fighting for the belt of the world.

The monster's fists were three times as many per side as Airi's.

She was at a disadvantage, but every chance she got, she manifested giant swords that struck the monster.

Even with that pain, the monster kept hitting her.

He grabbed her shoulders and prevented her from moving.

He opened his mouth and the cannon poked out.

"I'll finish you!"

The energy beam charged with great speed, just as the attack was about to be fired, the cannon exploded.

It was an Ixion missile which reloaded his weapons through the robots that took down Aurora's ammunition without Alisa and the others noticing.

"I'm sorry, but Master would be mad at me if I let anything happen to Airi."

"That's why I came up with a method to help you."

Drones and robots approached the arms and sprayed different types of pesticides such as corrosive mushrooms and plant cannibal viruses.

The arms were slowly coming apart.

Ixion was helping Airi in his own way.

Again he heard a chime.

Translating it, he could not understand what it said.

"Stop. You mustn't hurt the tree, just remove the evil inside it."

Ixion asked intrigued.

"Why does it have to be done?"

Airi answered him.

"The whole humankind depends on the sacred tree. If it dies, humankind will die with it."

"...!"

Ixion couldn't believe it, it was too ridiculous to be true.

"Why is this tree important?"

Again the chime sound was translated. The answer perplexed him even more.

"The tree is the lung of the planet, it is responsible for supplying the world's ether. If it dies, the ether will run out and humans won't be able to breathe because of the lack of oxygen the ether creates."

"Wait a second, you're saying this tree is a huge lung? Then why did the attack happen? You know about the anti-ether toxins?"

Once again he translated the message.

"Yes. The tree is a huge lung, it is also responsible for purifying the toxins and malice of the world. Without the sacred tree, Rudel and everyone else would die sooner than expected."

"That's too bad. If the Master dies before I kill him, I would be very angry."

Airi smiled at him despite being a specter of light.

Ixion translated the small chime she emitted.

"Liar. You of all people wouldn't let that happen, after all. I know what you don't want to tell him, don't you─?"

The Airi-like voice said something that stopped the robots.

Ixion was dismayed.

"You... aren't Airi. How do you know that?"

He heard a small chuckle coming from inside him.

"All that matters is that I am your ally. That's why we must defeat him, but we can only do it with the outside, on the inside lies the real problem, which only she can stop."

"She?"

The monster tree again prepared to attack as it regenerated only two arms.

Airi moved into a fighting stance next to Ixion.

"The priestess, Lucy."

◇◇◇

Inside the sacred tree, Zorn was greeting his brothers.

More and more demons were coming out of the door, the number was already hovering around 1000.

According to Zorn, there are 7 ranks in the hierarchy of demons.

The first rank is for their only king,

From the second to the fourth are ranks of nobles and commanders.

Zorn was at rank five, a knight.

Ranks six and seven are for vassals.

The gate, whose name was written on the front and translated as "Gehenna, the Gate of Hell".

That meant the Hell is real.

Demons of lower rank can pass through, as for example, Goetia was of last rank while Helsalem was of a higher rank but lower than Zorn.

All three came to this world a long time ago, being inferior to those of high rank, they could enter any dimension they wanted and look for a host so as not to perish, as if they were ticks.

But those of rank four and above are different, they need a different method.

Zorn was planning to achieve that method once he went outside.

But how would he get outside if he mentioned that he was trapped?

The answer is simple. Using the pregnant women who possess an emblem, he would seize their hearts first, then their minds and finally their spirits.

Once all three obstacles are defeated, they can be reborn in a vessel of flesh and blood.

Almost as if they were being reincarnated just like Rudel and the others.

Lucy trembled as she watched the darkspawn laugh and wave after not seeing each other in a long time.

"What will I do?"

"There's no way I can defeat it."

"I need help, please, someone help me."

"Rudel."

Lucy was crying, that sadness only caused the demons to feed on that impure feeling and grow stronger.

Everyone was ignoring her so she would feel more fear.

Then, a voice spoke to her.

(Lucy.)

That voice was similar to Airi's, but her tone was much more mature.

"Who are you?"

She looked around thinking it was Sara speaking to her.

(Don't worry, I'm a friend. Listen carefully and don't answer with your mouth.)

"..."

Lucy was silent in sign of understanding.

(At this moment I am using my power to send you this message, on the outside we are fighting against the sacred tree that went mad.)

(Lucy, you are the only one who can stop it from the inside.)

Lucy thought how impossible that was.

(I can't do it. I don't have any power, besides, those things are scary. I want to get out of here.)

Airi's voice calmed her down.

(I understand that, but Lucy, what do you think Rudel is doing outside?)

Lucy clenched her fist as she understood that Rudel must be fighting the monster tree.

(You are the priestess of the sacred tree, the sapling is just an uncorrupted extension, you must use your power and create a weapon to destroy them.)

(Only you can do that. We need you to release the power of your pure feelings to face this enemy.)

"You've been quiet for a while now, are you so terrified you can't breathe?"

Zorn spoke to Lucy in a smug way in front of his siblings.

"Do you love your mommy? Do you want to cry?"

"Go ahead, cry. Anyway, your pain and sadness is our food so it only makes us stronger."

"Gyahaha!"

The demons taunted Lucy, she couldn't stand that taunt and faced them.

"Don't fuck with me! You fucking... campfire head!"

Zorn was silent at that taunt, his brothers also mocked him.

Hearing their laughter Zorn angrily moved closer.

He pointed his hands at Lucy and Sara.

"You think you're funny bitch?"

"In a little while me and my brothers will come out when many have died, we will take over their bodies while you stay here with that bitch friend of yours forever."

"Why don't you start crying like you used to? Go on, do it. That's all you've done since your parents died, cry like the bitch you are."

"Or do you think Diana will come to help you? Then watch this!"

Zorn snapped his fingers and Lucy's emblem like Sara's were shattered like glass.

Lucy was shocked as if horrified to see it.

"See? Inside the sacred tree I rule, your emblem was just an extension of me that I could not control. Don't think you can defeat me, after I leave, I will personally kill that cursed human and drink his insides."

Unlike before, Lucy was seriously angry.

"Take it back."

"... What?"

"That you take it back."

"Why should I?"

"I said take it back now! Take it back from telling Rudel that!"

Zorn grabbed Lucy's neck, releasing Sara in the process.

"Or what else!?"

"You think that unhappy boyfriend of yours is going to come here?"

"Do you really think that nobody can defeat us, we're legion!"

"Losing is impossible for us!"

"Just stand there and tremble in fear like that woman over there!"

"If you don't want to die already. Just give us your fear!"

Lucy finally understood those words.

She remembered several things from this year.

She was afraid many times.

When Jude was stalking her, Derrick, the Cashmiro Family, the wedding, Rudel's fiancées.

All those situations terrified her, but thanks to him.

She could see how all of that was defeated even though it was a disadvantage.

She thought at that moment, it was time to do the same.

(If Rudel is not here, I must not wait for him to save me. I must look for the method in which he can get us out of this situation.)

(Even if I no longer have the emblem. I must not give up!)

(No one else will help us if we are not the ones to save ourselves.)

Lucy shouted.

"Sara!"

Sara raised her head slightly, her eyes were dark because she lost all hope, she was looking at Lucy only by reflex.

"Don't listen to him!"

"Between you and me we must defeat them!"

"Have faith!"

"Gyahahaha!"

Zorn laughed derisively at Lucy's words.

He raised one of his eyebrows before answering her.

"Are you serious about what you're saying, beating us? You don't see where you are!"

"There are thousands of us and you two! If we want, we can rape you or devour you."

Lucy took Sara's hand again, she was talking to her and not Zorn.

"You're wrong. I am absolutely sure that outside, Rudel must be defeating that monster. Therefore, we must defeat you."

"Hah? Do you really think that miserable─?"

Zorn's words were cut off by a chill.

"What was that? I felt what my connection to Goetia's body was failing due to fear."

"Moment, fear? That idiot is scared of a human being?"

"Don't fuck with me you fucker! Scared of a human is─!"

Then, a loud rumbling sound was heard from outside.

The inside shook as Zorn screamed.

"It hurts! Burn! Why is that power here again, why again do we see it!"

Lucy didn't understand what happened, but she walked over to Sara and hugged her.

"Please, Sara. Right now I need your help. I need you to support me now to gain the missing strength to gain more confidence."

Sara spoke awkwardly.

"... Why do you want to do it?"

"We can't beat him. It's impossible. That thing is not from this world."

"I don't care if it's from this world or if it is! We must protect the people we care about!"

"Out there Rudel is fighting! Don't you want to go with him to the Kingdom?"

"If we die here, we'll never be together again!"

Sara's eyes were slowly regaining their light.

"I don't want... I don't want to lose Rudel again."

"I don't want to. I don't want to. I don't want to!"

Sara's willpower was returning quickly.

Lucy smiled, and at that moment, the backs of both of their right hands glowed with a faint green light covered by a golden aura.

An emblem was manifesting.

"This is it?"

On Sara's hand an emblem of a rose that symbolized her family name.

While on Lucy's hand, a different one than Sara's formed.

It was in the shape of a circle of saplings with hands opening in the center.

"This is..."

Lucy heard a little girl's voice.

(Lucy... help her... I must help Lucy.)

It wasn't the first time it had happened.

"This voice is the sapling's voice."

The sapling was speaking to Lucy.

(Give you my power... full control of absorbing the ether and... the toxins...)

(But... need guardian... Lucy needs the guardian.)

(Only the priestess and the guardian, can defeat him...)

Hearing the meaning of those words, Lucy understood what she must do.

"I know. I need your help, from the outside so I can gain strength in here."

She clasped her hands together in prayer.

Zorn saw her and wanted to attack her.

"What the fuck are you doing bitch!"

As he approached her, a giant ice tempane hit him.

Sara used her powers.

"I won't let you touch Lucy. As long as I'm here, you're not getting through."

Sara had become a maiden to the priestess. She was Lucy's right hand in other words.

Zorn called to his brothers.

"Brothers, come kill this wretched human who knows not her place."

The demons were approaching, Lucy was glowing brightly.

◇◇◇

Rudel was attacking the armor with all his power.

At that moment, a voice called out to him from the side.

"Rudel..."

Turning his face, he cried out in fear.

"Uwaah, a ghoooooost!"

A translucent Lucy manifested, her face was the only thing visible, the rest of her body only her silhouette was transparent.

Rudel was frightened.

"Huh? Why is Lucy a ghost, did we all die?"

"Rudel listen to me."

"I need your power."

"My power? Right now I find myself kicking Zack's ass who went crazy."

"That's not Zack. He's an aberration, you can't defeat him like that."

"You need my blessing to do that. So, once again be my knight."

Lucy approached Rudel and after placing her hands on his face, she kissed him lovingly.

That kiss similar to touching a balloon with her lips, made Rudel's right hand glow even with a glove.

He took off the glove and saw that the guardian's emblem had manifested.

It was different from the previous one, this one was surrounded by swords and Battler's head in the center.

"This thing again?"

As it glowed. On Battler's back manifested a six-meter magic circle that grew to be a ten-meter one.

Rudel's emblem was not just the guardian's, it was the king's.

The sapling recognized Rudel as the king of Aster.

He was the guardian king of the sapling, the sacred tree.

A green light covered Battler.

The energy was increasing to beyond the limit.

Rudel asked Lucy.

"What happened?"

She before disappearing said to him.

"This is the sapling's gift for protecting him, my gift is waiting for me somewhere else."

Lucy disappeared.

Rudel focused again on his opponent.

"Well, I have no idea what that was. but I feel recharged with energy!"

◇◇◇

Lucy's emblem was not only that of the priestess, it was that of a queen. The priestess queen, like Sara's was that of a knight maiden charged with protecting Lucy.

Sara created giant ice floes and threw them against the demons.

Everyone was hit by them.

Although they were damaged, it was not serious enough to kill them.

Little by little they were getting closer, Sara was getting tired.

Lucy spoke to her.

"Sara. It's okay, I finally made contact with Rudel."

"It's all right now."

Lucy smiled with a confidence equal to Rudel singing victory.

Zorn was angry to see her smile. It took power away from her.

"Are you some kind of idiot? There's no way you or that guy can do anything against us!"

"We are superior beings to you humans!"

"It's impossible for you guys to win!"

After saying that. Footsteps were heard coming from outside.

Everyone turned their faces to a crack forming from the same place where the girls arrived.

Little by little it was opening up forming a mouth opening.

There, they heard a familiar voice.

"Hey."

It was Rudel's voice.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing yelling at my women, huh?"

"You want me to kill you!"

Zorn laughed at Rudel who wouldn't give his face.

"Gyahaha! Really?"

"You say that without showing your face, gyahaha! You're just a─"

"Gyaaaah!"

Rudel threw from that darkness a rock at Zorn.

The rock disappeared after the impact.

Zorn became much angrier.

"Come here if you really think you can defeat us!"

"We are thousands and you are only one!"

*Laughs*

"You know. I love cliche dialogues."

"There's nothing better than them because I like to crush you."

"For example, you say you're thousands?"

Giant footsteps could be heard from the background.

As they set foot out of that darkness, the eyes of everyone present were shocked by what they saw.

"Funny you should say that. Because there are thousands of us too."

An army of Rudels were all coming out of that hole.

They carried katanas and the emblem of the guardian king in their hands.

The Rudel in the center smiled his most terrifying face at Zorn.

"So. Now can I defeat them?"

The final battle reached its climax.