A swarm of purple needles the size of a motorcycle blast towards the demon. The pained cries of the creature echo into the air, and it sounds like music to my ears!

It jumps away, but the projectiles follow it around like a guided missile, causing it even more pain. The number of projectiles keeps increasing, and the demon does its best to destroy them mid-flight, but there are just too many of them for the creature to handle.

Thousands of projectiles rain down on the demon which is pinned down by the sheer amount of firepower that has been unleashed. The abomination's loud roar and insults are barely audible because of the noise caused by the magical projectiles exploding against its hardened body. And the spheres of energy it throws around as an attempt to stop the deluge of missiles doesn’t help in making the situation less confusing.

"So… are we winning?" I ask Riley who's focused on the cloud of dust that formed around the demon.

He stays silent for a few minutes before answering, “The mana of this thing is so strong that it overwhelms my senses, so I can't tell. But it's wildly fluctuating, so only time will tell if it's a good or a bad thing. ”

Great, this fills me with so much confidence.

I take my eyes off the demon to observe the Wolfheart group. Almost everyone is gathered in a circle in the middle of the barrier, and they look pretty focused. A small group of people is continually shoveling what looks like a mix of ingots of various colored metals and intricate artifacts in the middle of the circle where they vanish into thin air.

That certainly looks expensive!

I observe the rest of the ranks; the soldiers are either watching the demon getting obliterated or are too busy trying not to bleed out. A sort of makeshift field hospital has been set up, and overworked healers are running around while tending to the injured as fast as possible. Spells and potions are flowing at an alarming rate while patients are slowly getting teleported out of the area.

But the growing pile of lined-up corpses is a grim reminder of the slaughter that took place just a few moments ago.

I wonder just how many died…

I can somewhat understand why the Wolfheart went with this reckless strategy, and my sudden arrival probably threw a wrench into their plan. But still, they have full access to the amazing technologies of the Hidden World, so there must've been another way.

A mage collapsing from exhaustion takes me out of my thoughts, and he’s carried to the field hospital while another one takes his place in the formation. The pile of metal and artifacts is already almost empty, but it's to be expected when ten Werewolves are continually throwing massive handfuls of materials into the spell.

Seeing this makes me reevaluate certain things, like how to deal with Enforcers in the future. I'm one hundred percent certain that I'm going to clash with at least one Family in the not so distant future, but what can I do against something like the bombardment I’m currently witnessing?

My Glove wouldn’t last a second against this kind of firepower. And I have no hope of copying this since the sheer amount of resources required for this caliber of spells seems to be so big that only a select few could afford to use them.

I realize how much of a boon a spell jammer might be against this kind of force; this group of mage clumped together would be easy targets if their terrifying Strategic spell fizzled out in the air. But a jammer is nothing more than a pipe dream, and I wouldn’t put too much trust into that Goblin.

And I might also have to deal with another Hisako in the future once I go back to this planet…

This is depressing.

I focus back on the demon to improve my mood, and it seems like the amount of projectiles is quickly dwindling, it’s probably because the pile of metal has been consumed.

The atmosphere gets more burdensome, and every pair of eyes are now looking at the massive dust cloud surrounding the demon. This is the moment of truth. If the beast is dead, then we're pretty much in the clear. Cleaning up the remaining Scalebound forces shouldn't be too hard, but if it survives…

I don’t even want to think about it, the demon surviving would pretty much guarantee that we’ll all die today.

Everyone holds their breath when the dust finally clears-

For fuck’s sake!

The demon, which is on all fours, is covered in an assortment of wounds and scorch marks. A black, molasses-like liquid flows out of the holes the magical barrage dug into its flesh. The demon’s blood, which looks like toxic waste, distorts the air around it and dread washes over me if I stare too long at the puddles of black blood.

“We’re doomed…” a soldier whisper, and it quickly spreads around.

We all exchange knowing glances. We fought well, but there's nothing we can do now. Even I can’t do anything against this kind of absolute existence.

“Ha, is that all you maggots are capable of?! Don’t make me laugh!” Erdis declares through the demon’s mouth.

“Men, it’s been an honor serving with you!” The group of leaders declares in unison. “But we won’t go down quietly!” Alice’s booming voice echoes through the battlefield as the lightning surrounding her gets bigger and gains a tinge of red.

“So let’s give hell to those bastards!” she says before lightning strikes the ground behind her.

Damn, I can’t say that she doesn’t look cool right now. Fuck it; I might as well go down guns blazing and sincerely try to take that thing down in the next timeline. It’s very likely that it will amount to nothing, but I might as well do it just once…

The other soldiers take a deep breath and prepare for their last battle, we all know that our death is inevitable, and fleeing would only delay it. The Scalebounds are not known for being a reasonable bunch, so it's a certainty that they'll pursue every remaining member of the Families that participated in this conflict until there’s not a single one remaining.

A roar echoes through the remaining soldiers, and I look towards my two furry friends who are cracking their knuckles.

“Damn, I wanted to watch the last season of Game of Thrones, but it looks like I'll have to change my plans…” Steve says, and we chuckle before turning towards the massive demon. It roars, and we take it as a signal to start our last stand, so we teleport out of the safety of the decaying barrier.

Spells are flying in the air while warriors are teleporting and striking the demons like giant mosquitoes. It must've been more damaged than I thought since our assault could've been stopped with one of those massive balls of energy, but the creature attacks us with its fists and legs.

But its attacks are still devastating; some of the smaller species like the dwarves are turned into red mist as soon as an attack connects. The larger species are not spared, and they are also killed on the spot. The only difference being that their remains are slightly more identifiable compared to the others.

I rack my shotgun and grin; I might as well see what those MH Shells can do at close range-

A pained roar stuns everyone present, and the demon falls on one knee before clutching its head.

What the fuck?!

Everyone is suddenly forced into the ground, and a massive red pentagram appears in the sky.

What is this?! It’s not another trick of the Scalebound, so could it be reinforcements?!

No, it can't be reinforcements; if it were, then we wouldn't be targeted. Maybe it's a rival that was waiting for the opportune moment to kill two birds with one stone? That would make sense since that pentagram doesn’t look like anything I ever saw before, it’s devoid of any glyphs and-

“Greetings, dear sacrifices!” a man with red skin and two pointy horns on its forehead wearing a white three-piece suit floats in the middle of the battlefield. He’s soon flanked by similar looking creatures wearing old surplus military uniforms.

Sacrifices?! What is this guy saying!

I struggle against the force holding me down, but I can’t free myself from its clutches no matter how hard I try.

The horned man glances towards Riley’s mom and his smile reveals a row of perfect white teeth, “I bet all of you barbarians are wondering what’s happening, right?”

“Just who are you…” she says while gritting her teeth and a zap of lightning barely misses the man. He retaliates with a smirk and by forcing her into the ground evens more, causing a large splatter of blood to come out of her mouth.

"I suggest you don't get too feisty. Otherwise, you might regret it…" he says before slamming the Wolfheart Matriarch even further into the ground.

Man, I am almost starting to like this guy, but I feel like this whole sacrifice business would put a strain on our friendship.

“You see, the owners of this distasteful fortress have something that is quite precious to my kind…”

“You filthy Devil, it was you who attacked our vault a few moments ago!” Erdis says through the demon’s mouth.

The Devil nods, "Good; I can see that the one controlling this thing isn't a complete idiot. But it's too late to do anything about it, we already obliterated the few guards in there, and we'll find you eventually…"

“How dare-” the demon screams in pain and sinks into the ground a little more.

“I’ll have to admit that I’m impressed by this chimera of yours, if it was fully complete then it might pose a threat to us, but right now it’s nothing more than a paper tiger. And its potential would be wasted with you anyway, using such a primitive and crude Control magic is a disgrace. You should honestly feel ashamed of yourself if this is the best you could do!” the Devil says.

“Sir, we are about to unseal the Relic!” a Devil wearing a military uniform says to their leader, who nods with a satisfied smile.

“Well, it looks like our chit-chat session has come to an end. But I bet you are all wondering why we are going to use your worthless lives. I might as well tell you, I particularly enjoy seeing despair on the faces of inferior life forms like you bunch of idiots!" The Devil turns around and spreads his arms.

“To put it simply, we want to strengthen our bloodline which goes back to the Primeval Demon. If we succeed, then our kind will awaken to its hidden potential and gain their rightful place as absolute rulers of this planet!” He shows a wild look as he surveys the crowd of pinned down soldiers. “And what could be the best way to do that?! To put it simply, we are going to bring back the soul of Beelzebub back to this world!”

“You’re insane!” Alice spits out, “Doing that would trigger the end of this world, not to mention that it’s impossible to-”

“You’re not wrong Ms. Wolfheart. But you see, the Scalebound here have in their possession something we Devils call the Relic. And the Relic is the skull of Beelzebub’s latest incarnation on this mortal plane!”

A heavy silence falls onto the area. Even I realize that bringing back some ancient biblical demon isn’t a great idea.

“And all the souls lingering on this battlefield, as well as the ones of everyone one of you remaining barbarians, will be fed to the Primeval Demon so he’ll bless our kind!” he says before having a fit of maniacal laughter.

So we’re going to be sacrificed to a demon, so the Devil gets his wish… I almost want to shout ‘GRIFFITH!’

But let’s be serious for a second, sacrificing my soul doesn’t sound like something I can Rewind out of. At least this confirms that souls are a thing, and it could shed some light on how the Rewinder works. But I'm not exactly in the mood for researching right now.

“So let’s get this show on the road!” The Devil wearing a white three-piece suit waves his hand in the air, and a massive stone trunk covered in old chains bust through the castle’s roof. He flicks his wrist, and the metal restraints explode before the Relic floats out of the chest.

The skull looks like a giant human skull except the jawbone is protruding and looks a lot thicker than usual; the eye sockets are also abnormally large. The teeth in the skull’s mouth are the size of my forearm, not to mention the two sharp horns attached to its forehead.

The giant skull flies into the middle of the pentagram that begins to rotate. Screams echoes into the distance as small orbs of light burst out of the corpses littering the ground and are forced into the skull. The pentagram turns faster and faster as more and more souls are pulled out from thin air and bodies.

Shit, I need to do something! But I can’t move no matter what I do!

But it looks like I am too late anyway; the skull is beginning to vibrate, so it shouldn’t be long before-

A deflagration nearly knocks me unconscious, but I hold onto my consciousness just in time to witness what I believe will be a historical moment… If there's anyone left to record history after this demon is brought back to life.

An aura formed around the skull, and it's genuinely terrifying! The most notable feature is in the eyes, it looks like the eyes of a fly, but every facet is a normal human eye.

“Who dares to disrupt my slumber?!” the Primeval Demon shouts with an eerie voice that tightens my stomach.

“Oh great Beelzebub, this child of yours has gathered all those sacrifices to bring you back! All we ask in return is to receive your blessings!” the Devil shouts.

The floating head turns towards the Devil and clicks its tongue, "Tch… You call yourself a child of mine?! I can barely feel your power, and the bloodline you have is so faint that it might as well not be here!”

The Devil freezes,” Great Demon, this one is-”

“Shut up! I do not want failures like you to taint my name! And you want to receive my blessings?! Your body would explode if it even receives a whiff of my power! But it seems like you have provided an acceptable vessel for me! However, I need a bit more souls to possess it, so be thankful for serving your lord!”

The Devils scream in horror as their bodies dry up and their souls are stolen by Beelzebub, who then turns towards the still kneeling chimera. “This vessel is barely worthy of hosting my esteemed self, but it will do for now…”

Erdis’ chimera screams in pain when the skull explodes into tiny fragments of light that enters the kneeling creature.

The chimera immediately starts to warp and tremble, and his appearance soon changes. First of all, his skin gains a deep red tint, and it becomes even more muscular. The face was where the most changes happened since the eye sockets expanded to fit a few dozens of continually shifting human eyes in each. Finally, two horns made of black energy emerged on top of its forehead.

The pressure pinning me down lightens a bit, and Beelzebub clenches his fists, “It’s been too long since I walked this Earth…” He roars and glances towards us, “I don't know why you ants are here, maybe you were supposed to be sacrificed? What did that failure think; your souls are so pathetic it wouldn’t even-”

Beelzebub cups his chin, "Oh? It seems like there's a particularly strong soul hiding here.”

Who could it be? I bet its Riley’s mom or Erdis…

The demon chuckles, “Interesting, very interesting! This soul is quite powerful, yet its structure is unlike anything I ever saw. Rejoice worm, for I am in need of sustenance and I will honor you by feasting on your soul!”

The demon stomps the ground, causing massive cracks to appear on the soil, we all glance at the flying figure slowly-

Wait a second… isn’t it headed straight towards me?!

My worst fears are confirmed when the chimera lands just in front of me and points one of its giant fingers towards me.

“You, I will give you the honor of introducing yourself to me before I consume you!” Beelzebub says with a booming voice that shakes me to the core.

“My name is John Thomson, and I’m a demon slayer!” I say before blasting the creature with a healthy dose of MH Shells directly into its disgusting eyeballs. The surprised creature recoils for a brief moment, but it’s still enough for me to teleport on top of the Scalebound palace.

“Your resistance is futile, your attacks do nothing to me!” he says between two MH Shells. “I’ll show you what real power looks like!”

The demon jumps and strikes at me with his massive fist before I can even react, my Glove expends all its ammunition but it's not enough to stop his strike for more than a second, and the fist connects with my body.

My armor is crushed, and my torso is caved-in before I am sent straight into the ground, destroying what remained of my metal suit.

I spit a glob of thick red blood, and feel nothing from the neck down, but I'm somehow still alive.

The demon lands next to me with a grin, but it shifts when my body regenerates itself.

“Interesting, truly interesting… I will eat your soul and steal your secrets!” he says while readying another strike.

I can't die here! Otherwise, I would give the secrets of time travel to an ancient demon, and that can't be good!

I teleport just in time to avoid the strike, and blue lightning suddenly rains onto the demon, which makes them disappears with a flick of the wrist.

“So you worms decided to participate as well! It’s not like it would make a difference!” Beelzebub roars and sends a sphere of energy straight towards the Wolfheart Matriarch who teleports away at the last moment.

“Keep supporting the human, we need to give everything we have!” she shouts, and her lightning becomes red while her fur becomes white.

Well, at least I’m not doing this alone, but-

A laser burning half of my body interrupts my thoughts, and the surge of pain makes my mind go blank.

"Interesting, truly interesting…" the demon, which lands near me, mumbles.

Something rattles in the back of my mind.

We CanNot be stoPped…