"Even your demon form is exquisite," Zerhen said with a sigh. "I don't want to destroy a work of art. Don't make me do this, Syryn."

The younger demon made the first move. Strained as he was controlling his demonic impulses, Syryn could not focus on the fine control of his magic. He poured out great amounts of mana that sealed Zerhen in ice. Layers and layers of ice grew around the demon till it was as tall as the surrounding buildings that hadn't been destroyed.

And for a moment, the demons in the sky looked down at Syryn.

Signus' transformation was as horrifying as Syryn's was beautiful. The fire demon was like a wraith of black skin illuminated by glowing lava-like eyes. His mouth was a slash that went from one end of his face to the other. Blistering red magma lit up the inside of his mouth when he smiled.

"What do we have here? Julie, take care of the prince. I've found something more interesting to investigate."

The female demon hadn't transformed yet. A dark veil covered her face but Syryn knew what she looked like. Julie carried scars that made her hate beautiful men and women.

"Don't come back," she told the fire demon who was already rushing away towards Syryn.

In the middle of the wrecked avian neighbourhood, Syryn sat on the ground and waited for Signus to reach him. Zerhen wasn't dead either. He was just being dramatic, enduring the ice, and no doubt mentally monologuing about what it felt like to be surrounded by such cold. Even his arms were stretched out to the sky like he was in supplication to the gods.

Signus brought with him a wave of heat that had Syryn feeling like he was standing next to a furnace on a hot summer's afternoon. It didn't burn him but the discomfort it caused made his skin hurt. A high pitched scream came from the sky and Syryn knew that Julie had begun her assault. He hoped Riaku's ears weren't bleeding.

"Syryn," Signus landed in front of him. Heat wafted off him in bursts of flames and Syryn bemoaned his fate. This wasn't how he wanted to die.

"Signus," the teen greeted the fire demon. Syryn had to use the power of darkness to escape when a blast of fire exploded where he was previously sat. The presence of flames in every direction threw shadows that allowed Syryn to phase through them.

Signus laughed in delight because he realised that Syryn was strong enough to be played with. He waved his arm and caused a burst of fire wherever Syryn stood. The teen could have used his power to run away but if he did, Riaku would have to bear the attacks of Julie and an irate Signus gone berserk from having lost his prey.

"What other tricks do you have, Syryn? Can you freeze me like that?" Signus pointed to the rapidly melting ice.

"Please stop melting him," Syryn asked the fire demon. Without the ice around him, Zerhen would break out of his dramatic mood.

"Why? Do you only want to play with me?" Signus leered. "We can do that, Syryn. Just you and me." The fire demon licked his claw and pointed it at Syryn.

The teen's eyes widened and he disappeared again through another shadow. No sooner had he disappeared, a pillar of fire roared into existence. It spun like a tornado, chasing after Syryn everywhere he appeared. He was like a mouse being played with by a fiery cat.

Syryn wanted to return fire, he really did. But the teen was so busy evading the powerful attacks of Signus that he could no more than react.

"You said you wanted to take down the prince, why the hell are you here messing with my quarry?" Zerhen who had been freed from the ice walked up to Signus and asked in a gloomy tone.

Signus held his palm up facing Zerhen and released a wave of fire. The puppeteer reacted just as fast by summoning a wall of rock.

"Such bad manners," he grumbled. Amongst the half-demons, Zerhen was the most likeable to Syryn. While the two demons were distracted, the teen began to move.

Signus was in a good position where his shadow was behind him. Syryn fluidly stepped through the darkness and appeared behind the fire demon. He jabbed a dart into the blackened skin of the demon's neck, flooding it with drugs that disrupted him for a few seconds. Syryn then used those few precious seconds to crush Signus' throat.

He had hoped that Zerhen would remain dispassionate towards his attack on Signus but it wasn't so. Syryn was forced to abandon his deadly attempt on the fire demon and escape the puppeteer's clutches. He regretted gambling it all on that dart because he had not only calculated wrong and failed, now he had pissed off the demons for real.

Adrenaline coursed through Syryn's body and every move and action came into focus. Zerhen was upon him with fire and fury. The teen's ice armour rapidly sizzled and melted before Zerhen's fire. He ducked and avoided the palm that came at him with fire. Then with a massive consumption of mana, Syryn channelled an attack that came from the sky. Spears of ice violently fell on the gathered demons, forcing them to back off.

Melting ice and sizzling pools of water reminded Syryn again that he was at a heavy disadvantage. He exhaled tiredly. Half of his mana was gone.

"I'm afraid we're running out of time, Syryn. I hope you had fun," Zerhen informed him. "You refuse our invitation so there's only one fate for a rogue half-demon who refuses to bow to the emperor's rule."

"I'd rather die than be Traxdart's bitch," Syryn replied. "Kill me if you will."

"Signus, finish him fast. I'll have to remind Julie that we've allowed playtime to go too far." Zerhen turned around and walked through the rubble and fire in a slow gait that contradicted his complaints.

--------------

The teen was aware of Riaku's form plummeting from the sky. His side hurt so much but it was nothing compared to the pain of his burning lungs. He had inhaled a lot of smoke and heated air.

Signus held him up by a hand around his throat. Fire licked the skin on his neck but his thick demon armour protected him from the worst of burns.

"It's time to say goodbye," Signus grinned manically. His eyes were alight with fire.

"You feel that?" Syryn lazily smiled at Signus. His voice was scratchy and it took massive effort to speak when he was getting choked.

"Guess I'm not dying today," Syryn mumbled. A thin blanket of anti magic field had covered the entirety of Helios. Rowan was searching for him.