They reached the other side of the underworld. Arete immediately got off the boat and chased the fog away through Crying Sun that blocked her path.

 

"Be careful, mortal."

 

"... Thank you. You are the fetcher of the souls that belong here in the underworld, right?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Does it hurt you?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"You follow souls who have a  regret for what they've done but it's too late."

 

"They put themselves in that position. I am doing what duty was given to me."

 

"...Death."

 

"Yes?"

 

"Is... Are my parents here?"

 

"You can find them up there where you can talk to our leader."

 

"... Thank you." She turns her back and starts walking, "Crying Sun is giving me protection from this suffocating realm. I'm glad I accepted this gift from Lobin."

 

"Mortal!" Death shouted.

 

She glances at them, "Yes?"

 

"There will be a lot of challenges that will test your mind and soul. If you don't succeed in one of them, you will stay here forever."

 

"....." She was frightened down to her feet, she didn't make it obvious but she's trembling, "I'll be fine."

 

"May the God of creations bless your journey, higher up." They bow and turn to the sea of ​​fire, sailing back to the starting line.

 

"Wooh... I will go back alive. I'm strong. I may not be invincible but I can survive this. Right Crying Sun?" She smiles at her spear which she was surprised that it responded by becoming warmer.

 

On the top of the underworld, Lobin was in his original form except he's not in a sitting lotus position. He's wearing red loosened unbuttoned long sleeves and white trousers. In his arms, is an almost transparent shawl that covers his back, almost floating due to his divine powers.

 

"Hello, brother." He grinned at the red haired man, sitting on the throne made up of skulls.

 

"I didn't know you would pay me a visit, Koryn." He's Guxav. He's one of the leaders of the underworld and the closest to Lobin back when he's still doing his Godly duties as Koryn.

 

"Of all places that you will make a spawn point, is the one I'm guarding at? Be matured."

 

"I mean, you got exiled in the heavens because you were protecting a bunch of humans."

 

"They were the hope of Iryankka. Those four are the evidence that there is still a beautiful thing in what we call living."

 

"Like what our father's first creation did, curiosity killed them and they became corrupted. They destroyed that world by themselves."

 

"I'm not here to digest all of your insults about my brats." He gritted his teeth, summoning his two metal poles.

 

"Still using incense metal poles? I'm impressed. You loved that mortal weapon."

 

"It was designed by a human but made by me, so I don't know what you're blabbering about, you little shit." He spinned it around and united them.

 

"You're in my realm, brother. Don't talk shit in front of my face if you want to go back to your human."

 

"Before these worlds existed, you're always the second best." He scoffs, "what makes you think that you will defeat me this time?"

 

"You're going too far, Koryn."

 

"I'm not. Unless you want me to and I'll be glad to give it to you in person."

 

Guxav slammed his hands on the arms of the throne, sneering in anger at his brother.

 

"Give it up, Guxav. No matter what happens, you're at my feet and your existence never matters to me as long as you won't put your hands on my brats." Lobin raises his right hand, signaling the other one to come down and fight him.

 

"You're making it hard for me. The underworld is the source of my strength, brother. You're far behind the light."

 

"I've been exiled for thousands of years, brother. But as you can see, I'm still thriving and full of divine powers. Father still loves me." He mocked the other one.

 

"You... You're testing my patience, you insufferable son of a —"

 

"We came from one creator. Be careful or he will create another disaster for your little minions."

 

He stands up from his seat, cracking his fingers, one by one, "even though you received a big humiliation from protecting those bunch of flies, you still held your head high? How thick is your face, brother?"

 

Smoke releases from each end of the united incense metal poles, letting himself disappear from the other's sight and attack from above, "Thick enough to slap that shit face of yours."

 

Guxav blocks it with his arm, smiling creepily, "You're a God and still talking like an uneducated mortal? I'm impressed."

 

"Everything is making you amused. I'm not shocked but do you want me to pretend that I am?"

 

Guxav's eyes sharpened, "What are you doing here? A God like you aren't allowed in my realm."

 

"Let my mortals go. Free them from the curse of turning into hellhounds, revenants and other creatures that the underworld has. Sera hasn't done anything stupid like Iryankka."

 

"Sera? The world that is dependent on Gods and its magic from nature? Amazing!"

 

"People were living in an illusion that they're still fine. Outside of it, slowly, the citizens are turning into hell creatures and destroying each other. Remove the curse. They didn't insult the Gods nor you, Guxav."

 

"All humans in different worlds are the same. Face that reality, Koryn."

 

"Father made them unique from each other. They have an identity to protect and be proud of!" He summons a knife on his left hand and stabs the other on his side.

 

"Tsk! Koryn, stop this nonsense! You still love humanity even though Iryankka scared the Gods?!"

 

"Our brothers and sisters dragged innocent people on it! The politicians! The powerful people made that world dirtier than this hellish fire!"

 

"And those people are your brats! They contributed a lot! They mocked the Gods and I followed Father's order to destroy them!"

 

"I know it's not you."

 

"Because the prodigy did. He asked me for help."

 

"... What?"

 

"He had an immense amount of spiritual energy inside of him that could be converted into magic. He always learns dangerous techniques just because he's bored. Now he achieved being the most powerful being in Iryankka, he wanted to destroy it because of the complexity of himself."

 

"No... You're lying!" He spins and the smoke aggressively goes out to suffocate Guxav. A speed like lightning cuts the smoke, planning to kill his own brother.

 

Guxav summons a staff and creates a barrier, "You love humans too much, Koryn."

 

"Because they're worth it!"

 

"You're losing against your emotions. Are you sure you're winning?"

 

"I am!"

 

At the path where Arete is walking on, she got injured because she's been fighting the revenants that use the faces of the people she loved. Since she's in their realm, their strength is doubled. They're too fast for her. Luckily, the bag was  still on her back and  she applied some medication so she wouldn't get weak at the next fight.

 

"Bastards... Once I have talked to their leader, I'll make sure they will kneel before me." She spits out the blood forming in her mouth, gripping on the spear that gives her protection from the tremendous amount of heat and corrupted energy inside the underworld. There's no light but you can still see the path you're walking through. It is indeed a wonder of life.

 

"Arete?"

 

She looks at the front to see her father, smiling at her.

 

".... Dad?"

 

"Arete... You're here..."

 

She lets go of the spear and runs towards the man who loved her until his death. Tears formed and already running down, on her cheeks as she sobs in the man's arms.

 

"DAD! I'M SORRY! IT'S BECAUSE OF ME YOU DIED! I'M A CURSED CHILD!" She holds onto him, screaming those words.

 

"Why are you here?"

 

"I'm saving the people who are cursed."

 

"There's no way for them to be saved, Arete. What happened can't be undone."

 

While hugging her father, his warmth is slowly fading away. Then she did realized something.

 

"There will be a lot of challenges that will test your mind and soul. If you don't succeed in one of them, you will stay here forever."

 

She opened her eyes and have realized she was already tied up. She shakes her head as an alternate solution of wiping off her tears. She looks at the creature. It's a type of ghoul that shape shifts. She can't believe that she fell into a simple yet tricky trap just like that.

 

"Ah shit. What a bait." She murmured.

 

The ghoul snatches the Crying Sun and sways it around carelessly.

 

"HEY YOU! AN UNDESERVING AND UNDESIRABLE CREATURE LIKE YOU SHOULDN'T BE HOLDING THAT WEAPON!"

 

The ghoul snickered and pushed her down the path she surpassed a while ago. She rolled down until she got into the sea of ​​fire. It didn't burn her body because Lobin blessed her.

 

She is slowly sinking in.

 

'So careless of me...' She looks at the black hole that is full of flying hellhounds and other creatures that scared her during her childhood.

 

'I should've died a long time ago... But...' She clenched her fists, determined, "I'm here to save Pacu and its people. Xian wants me to be the hope of Sera because she didn't get to do it in Iryankka." The hellfire starts to burn her skin, she tries to ignore it while cheering herself up.

 

Arete... Go..

 

"I won't back down!" She starts biting the unknown rope that has been stealing her energy the moment it was tied to her. Her tongue became numb from tasting it, 'Shit. Am I poisoned?!'

 

Demons don't stop for someone unless it's their leader who's asking it. The hellish creatures smelled human blood in her direction and they were going towards it.

 

Her eyes turned emotionless, but managed to give a huge smile, "I won't die that easily. Come at me, assholes!"

 

Back to Guxav and Lobin. The fight continues. Lobin's united poles shaped like a spear and it was throwing several attacks in each direction on Guxav. But the man blocks and shoves it aside. Chanting some spells that affect Lobin a little bit. He wasn't there for Iryankka. It's in the past.

 

He's there to save people's future. He's in a new world. He can still save people. His pole darted forward, slashes Guxav's whole right arm. The staff also fell down on the ground and stepped on it. He stared at the man and he slowly gained control of his mind, detaching the other arm.

 

"Apologize bastard. It's game over."

 

Guxav grunts, "Why would I? To feed your aching ego? Hell no."

 

Lobin separated the metal poles, "remove the curse from the people and I won't kill every single one of your men."

 

"You're here to talk, not fight and you still fought me. You, being a God, are full of contradictions."

 

"Did you forget that I'm literally the God of fire and violence? How insolent of you, brother. Let my mortals — ?!" He turns and blocks an attack. He was shocked to see Crying Sun being used against him.

 

"Crying Sun...? You..." He turns to Guxav, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ARETE?!"

 

"The higher up? I was talking to you. I don't know what my men did." Guxav shrugs and lays down on the ground, letting both of his arms reattach to his body again.

 

He looks at the ghoul and grasps its throat, leaving no air to breathe, "You guys have no heart so I wouldn't be able to tear that out." His other hand holds the Crying Sun that is still shaking, a sign that its new owner is in danger.

 

"Let's relax for a minute, brother."

 

"RELAX?! I GAVE CRYING SUN TO ITS NEW OWNER AND WAS STOLEN BY THIS LOWLIFE CREATURE OF YOURS!"

 

"Ouch~ All my men here are the fruit of the Gods' neglect. Don't blame me on their appearances."

 

"The Gods don't have anything to do with your nonsense."

 

"You've been running from your responsibilities, brother. Of course, you wouldn't know what they had done to other worlds."

 

"Stop talking like a rat. Useless and pathetic."

 

"Pathetic? Me? You are. Imagine, still protecting the prodigy and his group's reputation. They mocked the Gods' for having supernatural abilities like us. They have the power and intelligence to challenge us. They deserved it!"

 

"You little shit doesn't know how to stop talking, do you?!" Lobin made fire in his hands, causing the ghoul to turn into dust. He kicks the staff upwards and catches it with his other hand.

 

Since it's not his designated weapon, there's a contrast between his powers and the weapon. Dark substances explode right in front of him causing him to be blind for a few moments.

 

He heard Guxav laugh, "Brother, did you forget that heavenly bodies aren't allowed to touch the underworld's keepsakes? Oh.. Maybe you did because you lived with those fragile mortals!" The man starts to pick up his own weapon and prepares for another attack.

 

He closes everything in his body. Not literally. It's a process in which he will receive any sign of movement from specific senses. It organizes his mind and will to make sure that his spiritual energy will be unified.

 

He opens the sense of awareness. It took him a while, but like a thread in a spider's web, he can follow which direction his brother is going.

 

"Don't underestimate me, Guxav." He smirked and swayed the Crying Sun to his right side. Guxav jumps to avoid it and steps on its head, balancing himself.

 

"Oh. You're not rusty dusty."

 

"Because I will never be, asshole." A magic circle appears in his hand and points it towards Guxav and releases a huge wave of fire.

 

"Tsk!"

 

"Humans can change the world with or without our help. Father made them become like us. They're supposed to be powerful, intelligent, and able to stand beside us."

 

"NO! WE WERE CREATED TO FORESEE EACH CALAMITIES!"

 

"YES BUT—"

 

"THEY HAVE LIMITATIONS UNLIKE US!"

 

"THEY DO BECAUSE FATHER CAN SEE THAT THEY WILL TURN THEIR BACK ON HIM ONCE THEY FALL INTO THEIR DARKNESS!"

 

"THEN WHY ARE YOU SIDING WITH THOSE HUMANS?! THEY DON'T DESERVE WHAT THEY HAVE! THEY DON'T DESERVE US! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

 

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" His hand opened a path for him to pull Guxav's hair down to the ground. He stabbed Crying Sun on the man's chest. Both of them are panting heavily from all the fight and talk.

 

"Why?" He snickers, "You can't think of a comeback?"

 

"Humans have limitations to remind them of their mortality and the repentance they need to go through. They were made from dust and before they enter the afterlife, they will go back to being dust."

 

Guxav frowned, trying to get out of the Crying Sun.

 

"Humans became sinners but they have a chance to accept it and  come to us, renew and restart themselves as a whole new being." Lobin added.

 

".... It seems like you're right, brother."

 

"... Do you think so?" Lobin removed Crying Sun from the other's body and offered him a hand, "I love humans because I want them to realize to love their own self. If you don't, it's a big disaster. A tragedy that can be written in a book ."

 

He accepted his hand and stood up, "Loving one self huh..."

 

"Yes. If you are hurt from other people's actions, you can comfort and hold yourself. Assuring and believing yourself because you..." He pointed out Guxav's injured chest, "you know what's your strength and weaknesses. Until the pain dissolves in your heart, you can hold yourself. It will be the constant source of motivation."

 

".... I guess, I can think about your words while managing the underworld."

 

".... Don't you want to come with me?"

 

"Where?"

 

"Sera. I'm on a journey to find his comrades."

 

"The prodigy huh..." He turns his back on him, "the pillars of the underworld don't need such mortal affairs."

 

"You will learn a lot more about humans."

 

".... I'll think about it." He smiled a little later.

 

"Well... You need to explain about the Crying Sun, little brat." He ruffles his hair, "I gave this weapon to my comrade. Why is your ghoul holding it?"

 

".... You realized it, didn't you? Who she really is."

 

"Yes."

 

"Well... It doesn't matter how that happened, but she will be a target of the underworld."

 

"...."

 

"You must go to her location right now."

 

"Hmm? Why?"

 

"I know my men. I can tell that they will tear her apart so that they can eat her spiritual energy."

 

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

 

"Don't get too tense, okay? First, you're here for some mortals. Second, we got heated from our argument. Third, we've just got into a fight. Are you even thinking right in your head that I need to explain every bit to you?"

 

"COME WITH ME!" He grabbed his arm, dragging Guxav like a little kid.

 

"HUH?! I HAVE A REPUTATION TO PROTECT! YOU KNOW IT!"

 

"HUH?! I NEED YOU TO COMMAND THEM TO STOP WHAT THEY'RE DOING!"

 

"Ugh. What a pain!" He whined, "Brother, let me go!"