“She’s a nice person,” I replied. We quickly left the market and headed up the stairs.

“She has always been kind to magical creatures. Especially the rarer ones.” Adriel spoke. “She’s the understanding type, because of what she is. There is not a lot of Kilin alive today, especially someone her age. Most have been hunted down, and only recently did the population of her race have jumped back up.“

“How is it she doesn’t hate humans?” I asked. The thought of being hunted down to near extinction was quite a scary thought.

“What are you talking about? She despises them, but that does not mean she should stop business because of that. She’s a cold case entrepreneur, and she’s the best one there is.”

“That is a bit of a strange mix.”

“When it comes down to business, she has always been fair, but when you ask for her help, she will flatly deny helping you out if there is no money involved.”

“That’s quite a different image of her.”

“Everything has a price dragon. If you want her help, pay up. That has always been her motto.”

“I’ll remember that for future reference.”

Continuing forwards, we came outside underneath a bridge. I didn’t notice how fast the day had passed, it was finally night. The door we came out of magically disappeared from our sight.

“That’s pretty neat,” I spoke out awed, looking at the illusion magic that was cast. “Earth magic still always surprised me to this day.”

“You make it sound like you have never seen magic before.” Phil snorted. “What you should be more surprised about is your magical sense. It's unconventional.”

“What are you talking about, my magic has always been the same. You just don’t understand how strange it is to see magic so bountiful on Earth. The last time I was on Earth, there was no magic.”

“What are you talking about? Your world had plenty of magic. The so-called cars, TV, and many unique things that I have never seen before.”

“That’s not magic, it's science.”

“Science? Ah yes, Don did tell me about it a couple of times, though it seems there is a wide variety of subjects to it.”

“So magic is much more an everyday thing in your world?” Adriel asked.

“Yes, quite a bit,” Phil replied. “This whole science thing sounds more magical than magic itself honestly.” He chuckled.

“Science is logical, while magic is not,” I replied. “If everyone could do magic, the whole world would be able to easily do it.”

“Well, apparently, that’s not the case.”

“Exactly.”

“Stop!” A familiar voice called out from the back.

We all stopped to turn around, wondering who was calling out to us. I tensed up, worried about the familiar voice. My instincts were telling me that I needed to be on alert.

“I found you!” With Seething anger, Rei strode over with a large group of thugs that surrounded us.

“What’s going on?” Pedestrians stopped to look curiously at the spectacle that Rei was creating.

“I don’t know? Is it a territory fight?”

“Are they filming a movie?”

“Ah, crap. It’s the crazy Titan maniac.” I mumbled. Not liking how easily Rei had found us.

“You mean that’s him?” Phil motioned his head towards Rei.

I swear, staring at us even harder, will possibly bore a hole through our bodies. If glares could kill, he was at that level. I could tell that he wanted to hurt us badly, especially Adriel.

“You!” Rei pointed towards Adriel.

“Well, if it isn’t Rei, the idiot.”

“Idiot? Idiot! How dare you trick me!”

“So? Is there a problem with that?” Adriel haughtily replied. He shrugged his shoulder and sighed as if it wasn’t his problem.

“You don’t see a problem with it? I’ll show you my problem! Kill him and capture the girl!”

The thugs run towards us with brandished guns in hand. They raised it to fire.

“Tch, humans. They think that they can stop me.” Adriel scoffed. He stepped forward, and with just a wave of his hands, everyone was thrown back into the nearby stalls and buildings. Cars skidded to a stop, people ran for cover screaming in hysteria, and others started with gaping jaws at the surreal scene before them.

Phil whistled and clapped his hands, amazed at Adriel’s power. “I must say that was quite spectacular.”

“I’m not so sure about that. We got more coming, and we’re the center of attention. Everyone is recording the fight!” I, on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled. Being the center of attention wasn’t something that I wanted to be in, and Adriel was doing a fantastic job.

“Dragon, I sometimes wonder if you’re even really a dragon. Your self-esteem and power is so low that you can pass as a human.” Adriel scoffed. “Don’t you know how to even do something as simple as that?”

I shook my head slowly. I didn't know what he was talking about. Was there a way to stop people from recording the whole fight? Was that even possible?

“Watch and learn.” Adriel hands created a small energy sphere that crackled with life. It grew and expanded outwards into a large, black dome shape, causing every single electronic to malfunction.

Left and right, the phone, TVs, lamps, and any digital devices started to sizzle and explode, turning them defective. I couldn’t help but be awed at Adriel’s power. He had more grasp on how to use his magical ability while I couldn’t. I was a bit jealous of his precise handling of magic.

The black dome expanded even further, becoming a broad blackout coverage from the outside world at the same time, the barrier outwards he completely demolished any electronics.

“Tch, you got this far?” Rei was snarling. “You think that this will stop us from taking her?”

“I don’t know about you, but I dislike unnecessary fame.” Adriel yawned, not taking this fight seriously.

“Bwah. Humans are just pieces of trash. It does not matter if they know or not. Demon Lord Abraxas' power will be known throughout the world.”

“So, he’s coming out of the dark. I thought he would only fester in his shit before showing his ugly face. If I remember correctly, you didn't even believe he was real. What’s the change of mind?”

Rei gulped and, for a moment, stood silent. There was something about the way he spoke that made me realize that he feared Abraxas. “That’s none of your concern.”

“I see, he finally tagged you, didn’t he.” Adriel chuckled. “To be tagged by the shit bag Abraxas, truly, you must have made him furious.”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Oh? I don’t think so. It seems I’ll be seeing you more often.”

“I highly doubt it.”

“Don’t you know who I am?” Adriel arrogantly stated.

“That is none of my concern.”

“But you should be concerned, I am the Black Slaughter Adriel.” Adriel's body shifted and changed into a demonic-looking humanoid creature. Black metal covered his body from head-to-toe, his armor reminded me of a mix between a Japanese Samurai Armor to a futuristic feel. Air erupted out from the back of Adriel’s calf. In an instant, he dashed forward and sliced his enemies in half. Body parts, weapons, and blood were flying all around him like rain.

Screams of people could be heard, scampering. Just watching him made me shiver. The atrocity that he had committed made me realize why he was a demon lord. His fights were brutal and merciless.

Adriel’s body was drenched in red, and seconds later, his armor was absorbing the blood like a vampire. His armor glowed scarlet, evilly glistening underneath the sunlight. Oppressive energy exudes out of his body, making everyone, including me, pull in a sharp gasp. Hatred and Evil pooled out of him, pervading the surrounding. Anyone who was caught up in his aura was instantly killed, and only the strong were able to survive the harsh power that Adriel produced.

“For an idiot, he’s not bad.” Coco crossed her arms and watched the scene play out in front of us. She didn’t seem to be phased too much by Adriel’s power or hiding it very well. Either way, she was extraordinary in her way.

I couldn’t help but turn my head towards her. She just called Adriel an idiot, and not only that, she even complimented him. Was the world going to come to an end? I mean, she hated his guts awhile back.

“Don’t stare at me like that young mistress. I am only stating that because his cuts are creating a dazzling ruby red color that matches well with my coat. Any finer cuts won’t create a nice sparkly color that I like.”

My face turned white. I, for sure, shouldn’t cross Coco when she was furious. I didn't want to be the butt end of her blood lust.

“I think I might join.” Coco shifted into her horse form and ran out towards the oncoming thugs. She slaughtered as if she was out frolicking in the field. Were all monster humans like her insane? Was this natural? Possibly? Hopefully not.…I felt cold sweat litter my whole body and onto my back.

“Berry!” Phil pulled me to the side just in time. I realized that I almost got snatched away. “Pay attention!” With a flick of his wrist, he chopped the man in half with his magic.

I stumbled forward, catching myself.

Phil sent out a gale of wind magic, cutting up the swarm of people. He ducked and dodge forward, punching another in the face.

“What are you doing spacing out? Hurry up and fight!”

Jolted from his sudden yell, I pulled out a couple of Magic Stones. Twisting and turning, I weaved through each flaying hands that were trying to grab me. Throwing the Magic Stone into a large group of people, I yelled, “Explode!”

I jumped and slid underneath a parked car and crawled myself to the other side. Purposely I didn't throw the Magic Stone towards any of my allies. I wasn’t stupid enough to blow my friends up, though it probably didn’t matter for Adriel. I got the feeling that he probably would’ve survived it.

A loud bang like sound ricocheted outwards, causing the nearby windows to break. The power of the explosion was three times more destructive than a regular level E, it was a Level D Magic Stone that wreaked havoc. Death was apparent for any unlucky soul that was caught up in the explosion.

“Where did she go?”

“A grenade? How the hell did a kid get a grenade?”

The thugs that were out of the vicinity of the explosion were uncomfortably scooting backward.

People were running around, trying to figure out where I was. Underneath the car, I could see the fight between Adriel and Rei.

“Old man, get back to your hole!” Rei shouted. He flings out five glowing talisman towards Adriel. Each one of the amulet stuck against the car or the ground. In a matter of seconds, a massive explosion of energy shoots out from the magic circle engulfing Rei.

“Hahahahaha! See that? That was one of the best fire magic!”

“Really?” A chilly voice cut through the black smoke.

Adriel emerges unscathed from the ordeal.

Rei stares at Adriel with disbelief.

“Did you think that a trivial talisman can harm someone like me? This is why I hate humans. They think that they can win against someone like me.”

A blast of even more overwhelming pressure erupted outwards throughout the vicinity. In seconds, every human that Coco and Phil were fighting was pushed to the ground like flattened pancakes. Bones could be heard breaking, and the screams of pain were heard echoing throughout the city.

I slipped out and climbed up onto the car. Even though both Phil and I were a good distance away from Adriel, we could feel the heavy pressure of his energy bearing down on us. It was scary how just his strength alone could stop everyone in their tracks. Though Coco, Phil, and I were the few exceptions that weren’t heavily influenced by the pressure.

We were able to withstand the Adriel’s pressure without becoming a cripple. In a sense, the air was stifling, but not to the point where we would be having a hard time breathing. I had a feeling that this wasn’t even Adriel’s true strength.

“Human worm, is this the best you can do? I barely even used a tenth of my strength.” Adriel stepped forward and stepped on Rei’s face.

“I’ll kill you!” Rei seethed, his cheeks, flattening against the pavement.

“Kill me? You can barely move. Spouting such empty threats makes me disgusted that I have to put some effort into killing you. Your feeble barrier that you have put up around your body is nothing compared to my power.”

“You think you can get away with this?”

“Yes.” Adriel stepped even harder, making Rei’s face into a squash. “You’re going to die! I’ll make sure of that!”

“The last crying words of an idiot.” Adriel raised his hands, and a black energy spear appeared. With a quick downward force, he impaled Rei’s back in one swift attack.

Rei screamed a blood-curdling scream and went silent. The whole ordeal was over. Every single thug that was around us was dead. They were dead bodies littered everywhere. I swear, this was like a mass murder in public display.

“Was that necessary?” I gulped. “I mean.….killing them like that?”

“What do you think? I would just let them walk all over me? Hell no.” Adriel spat on the ground in front of Adriel. “Get your head straight, dragon. This world is not all sunshine and butterflies. We are at war with the humans. War means death. Get that through your thick skull.”

“Okay. Okay. I get it.” I threw up my hands in front of me, stopping him from advancing any further than necessary.

“I don’t think you understand at all.”

Honestly, I haven’t killed a single person yet. I can get all crazy against monsters and legendary creatures, but right now, humans are a different story. I know that one day my hands might be dyed with human blood. Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to go through tainting my hands with human blood any time soon. Now that I think about it, I’m not even entirely human anymore.

Phil walked over and replied. “You stated that as only a tenth of your power, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Impressive, so this is what a Demon Lord can do.”

“Aren’t you surprised at all that he is a Demon Lord?” I asked Phil. Wasn’t a Demon Lord supposed to be a taboo existence or something? They were an all-time evil that came and destroyed the world?

“A Demon Lord is a Demon Lord. There is nothing more to it than that. A Demon King is what you need to be wary of.” Phil stated.

“Wait, isn’t a Demon King and Demon Lord the same thing?”

“No. A Demon Lord is a step below a Demon King. There has only been one Demon King that had ever lived. He terrorized the whole world and caused devastation that set back advancement for six thousand years. It was called the Dark Ages because the Legendary Creatures appeared one after another without being killed. It took another thousand years for the world to be balanced.”

“Wait,” I held up my hands to stop Phil from saying any more, “you're saying that all six Legendary creatures were all out at once?” I gaped with shock. It finally hit me, I was calling him Demon Lord instead of a Demon King. If I remember correctly, his title did say Demon King.

Phil nodded. “Demon Lords are given the title to take care of the explosive population control. Sometimes the Legendary Creatures won’t do much of a job, and they were killed off too quickly. Demon Lords take up the job to finish off what they have started.”

“Exactly.” Adriel nodded. “We are the same here as well.”

“That’s quite unusual for both worlds to have the same job. Was there ever a Demon King on Earth?”

“Yes, a couple.” Adriel walked over.

“Like?”

“Hitler for one. Ghangis Khan for another. Just look at the history. The one with the most notorious crimes in world history are considered either Demon Lords or Demon Kings. Though, we don’t have this so-called Legendary Creature that you speak of.”

“That’s quite fascinating.”

“Young mistress,” Coco came over and dusted off the dirt on my clothes. “We should go. We are attracting too much attention.”

I realized where we were. Running around, trying not to get caught, made me forget that we were still in the middle of the city. People were crawling out from hiding, staring in disbelief and chaos that Adriel had caused.

Not too far away, we could hear the sound of the sirens getting closer. Though following after, we heard the car engine stalling out, and even the sound of crashing. The reason was simple, Adriel’s barrier was still up. Even cops came out of their vehicles, confused at the sudden strange turn of events, looking at their vehicle as if it was possessed.

“Cops.” Adriel turned away from the police. “Let’s go before we bring more attention to ourselves.”

“We already did that, you know.” I shook my head in disbelief.

“That might be a good idea.” Phil was examined at the destruction that Adriel had caused. Smoke rose from the cars and buildings, bodies were scattered around them like leaves, street

lamps were bent, large potholes were created, and even windows were shattered.

All of a sudden, I felt a wave of chill coming from my back. Every single one of us turned around to see who or what it was. A horrifying stench of sulfur and a swarm of black energy spilled out from Rei. A woosh of dark energy came and hit us with such a force that all the air in my chest escaped out of my lips. I stumbled back in surprise.

The oppressive air was nothing compared to Adriel’s pressure. It was on a completely different level of its own. A thick air that was so suffocating that it made breathing difficult. People not even ten feet away, near Rei, dropped like flies, convulsing on the ground.

“Adriel Lux.” A deep voice escaped Rei’s mouth. He started to float upwards in the air. The bloodied face slowly became healed, and his eyes became pitch black. Even his body began to shift and change to a whole different person. A jet black hair that fluttered behind him and a black trench-like coat magically twisted and turned covering his body. A feminine-looking male appeared before our eyes. If I didn’t hear his voice, I swear I thought he was a girl rather than a guy.

Adriel glared towards Rei with annoyance. “What do you want?”

“I have not seen you for a while, and this is how you say hello to an old friend?”

“Friend? Abraxas, we were never a friend.”

Abraxas? The Abraxas? I stare, wondering what would happen next.

“You do always say that, but I have always thought we were.”

“What do you want?”

“Getting right to the point like always. Well then, I’ll get to the point for you. I want the Dragon next to you.”

“Who? I don’t see any. Are you sure you're not going senile?” Adriel was looking around as if Abraxas was saying something stupid. He shrugged his shoulder, not understanding what Abraxas was saying.

“Don’t play the fool, Adriel. You know that the girl next to you is the one I am talking about.”

“Her?” Adriel pulled me over by the scruff like a baby cat. “You kidding me, right? This kid is a dragon? Don’t you think you are going too far? I understand that she does have quite a bit of magical power, but that’s it. Nothing more.”

Abraxas eyes turned into silver. “All the Demon Lords felt the power of the Dragon when she rampaged. I am not a fool.”

“You need to have your eye check-” Adriel was suddenly punched hard in the stomach by Abraxas. He flew through a couple of buildings and disappeared in the wreckage that he had caused.

“He talks too much.” Abraxas shakes his flaming black fist that was encased with magic. “Now then, why don’t we get down to business.”

I took a faltering step back. I knew right away, I was not strong enough to go head-to-head with Abraxas. Fighting toe-to-toe with the Black Gryphon was honestly a miracle in itself. He was just gaining his powers like me, though I couldn’t even shift right now.

“Get back!” Phil stepped forward, covering me from the Demon Lord’s advance.

“We got another fledgling blocking my path. I swear you guys appear like flies.”

“We shall see about that.” Phil jumped forward and attacked. He didn't hold a single bit of his energy back.

Phil missed, Abraxas swept his foot under Phil. He hit the ground with a sickening thud and split in half, causing a small fissure. With a grunt, Phil got back on his feet, he lunged towards Abraxas.

“I don’t like plucking the feathers of a fledgling Demon Lord in the making. It would be better that you stand down.” Abraxas was weaving back and forth. Not a single hit landed on Abraxas’ body.

“A fledgling Demon Lord? Are you out of your mind?”

I groaned. Seriously? I was hoping that Phil wouldn’t find out that he was a Demon Lord in the making or worse a Demon King. Wanting him not to take the Demon King's path was my goal, and this idiot that flew back and forth in the sky just ruined it.

“You don’t know?.” Abarax asked, amused.

“What are you talking about? That’s not possible.”

“Really? I thought everyone knew when they were becoming one.”

Boom!

Another part of the ground was broken.

“Hah.…” Abraxas shook his head. He jumped backward. “The awakening of a Demon Lord begins when his magical power appears. The second awakening begins when he kills his first human. Then the third awakening happens when one unlock their potential and can shift into their first form. The final awakening happens when one embraces their final form. From my understanding, you are only at your second awakening. That's quite good, actually.”

Wait...This is bad, isn’t it? I couldn’t help but worry about what Abraxas had said. This meant that he was already down the path of being a Demon Lord, which means disaster for me. Gahhh! I need to find out a way to stop this, but what?

“What bogus are you spewing!” Phil cried out, annoyed.

“I am not. This has always been the tradition of the Demon Lord’s awakening. Even Adriel has not stepped past the third awakening.”

Abraxas was simply chatting without getting hurt. Phil was running out of breath as he continued to fight. Any longer, I could tell that he was not going to last long.

“Well then, you're not my opponent. So-” Abraxas disappeared and reappeared right next to me. “I’ll be taking this.” He grabbed the back of my clothes.

I tripped backward like a cat I twisted to gain my balance and somehow ended up in Abraxas arm. What the hell? How did he come beside me?

“We’ll be going now.”

“Young mistress!” Coco yelled as she shifted forms into a horse. She charged forward but was smacked backward as if she was nothing by Abraxas’ hand.

“Coco!” I yelled out in horror.

Coco went flying and hit a lamppost, causing it to bend. She slid down, but she didn't fall unconscious. Blood seeped out of her mouth, and she shook herself. Her steps faltered, and she glared at Abraxas.

In anger, I punched Abraxas in the face as hard as I could. “You vile demon!” I yelled. Even though my punch squashed his face, he didn't budge from the punch and instead grinned down towards me.

“That was not a bad punch.” Abraxas moved his jaw back and forth. “But no matter, it’s not-”

A thundering sound of impact could be heard. Abraxas went flying to the other side and was punched through buildings. I was dangling on Adriel’s arm like a sack of potato.

I glanced upward and noticed blood dripping out of Ariel's lips.

“Stupid Dragon. You should’ve run when you needed to.”

“I-”

“Don’t talk.” Adriel threw me upwards like a hot potato towards Phil. He caught me in the air and landed with a thud with both feet. “Move! I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold him back!”

Phil didn't ask to say anything and ran with me in his arms. Coco followed behind as we dashed away from them.

“Tch, stupid dragon.” Adriel wiped his mouth and flicked it off his hands.

“Well. Well. Well. I’m surprised you were able to take my punch, but I know I broke a couple of ribs.” Abraxas appeared before Adriel, like nothing happened. “Have your punches been getting weaker? I thought it would be stronger, but I guess not.”

A chaotic hand-to-hand combat was underway. Each one was trading off blows that would be impossible to see with the normal naked eye. Dust and wind swirled around them, causing a torrent of heavy wind.

“At your strength, you won’t be able to fight on par with me.”

“We’ll see about that,” Adriel growled.

“Such courage. You always had such honest words. That’s why I enjoy fighting with you.”

Boom!

Bang!

Boom!

Each one traded off blows, and when one connected, the other was sent flying to the nearest building. Abraxas was overpowering Adriel in power. Blood spewed out from Adriel’s mouth. The city was becoming demolished by the two Demon Lord’s fights.

“I am not through with you!” Adriel let out a scream. His body shifted and changed into a half-demon. Horn grew out of his head that curled around him in a swirl, black tribal markings decorated downwards on his left side of his face. Long black claws that were like sharp metal appeared six black metallic wings like metal sprouted from his back. Each one was like a spider's arm that struck Abraxas’ body.

Each one struck Abraxas’ body with pinpoint accuracy, causing Abraxas to fall back. The fight swung into a full swing where this time, Adriel was winning with the upper hand. He didn't let Abraxas take a single breath to change or to fight back instead of turning him black and blue.

“The third awakening. Not bad if I say so myself.” Abraxas coughed up red blood. “But that’s all you amount to. Come, Adriel, let’s see how you will deal with my new creation!”

Dark energy swirled around Abraxas, covering him completely. Large bulky hand was as large as a truck appeared out of the darkness and smashed downwards into the ground. It was an ugly disfigured demon with a slack jaw chin, that was five-story high emerged out of the black energy. Black tribal tattoo appeared down its face and stopped on its chest. A pungent stench of rotting body wafted throughout the city, causing people to fall over unconscious.

“Graaahhhhhhh!” The monster roared.

“What abomination is this.” Adriel gawked. The monster zipped towards Adriel in a split second and pummeled him into the ground without a single mercy. This was a one-sided battle that didn't allow Adriel to escape.

Boom!

Bang!

Bang!

Boom!

Adriel laid down unconscious deep into the ground.

“Gahhhrhrharar!” With a fierce roar, the monster leaned back in victory.

I couldn’t help but stare over Phil’s shoulder. I gawked at the scene that played before me. “A Titan?” I gasped.

“What? A Titan?” Phil peeked over his shoulder. “Damn!” He sped up and ran as fast as he could. We zipped through the streets in a hurry, hoping that we would lose the monster behind us.

“This is bad. How the hell did a Titan appear in this world?” Phil scrunched his eyes in worry.

“Are you sure that’s a Titan? I thought there isn’t one on Earth.”

“I’m not sure, but that monster fits the exact description of a Titan of Torren’s history. The pungent smell and the tattoo that stops at its heart.”

“Wait, you were able to see all that?”

“My vision is better than a hawk.”

“That’s impressive.”

“No time to compli-”

Boom!

Phil skidded to a stop and took a sharp turn. The Titan destroyed the fence that we were going to hop over and blocked our way. Screams of people could be heard as they ran around, trying to get away from the mayhem.

Gritting his teeth, Phil ran in between the thin building, hoping to keep the Titan back. Instead, like a bull, the Titan bulldozed through the building, causing a giant gap. I couldn’t help but feel that if the Titan was not stopped, he would destroy many more and endanger the people around us.

Fishing through my pocket, I pulled out three magic stones that I had left. I threw the first magic stone behind Phil.

“Barrier!”

A blue barrier appeared in front of the Titan. With a crash, the barrier broke into a million pieces from the Titan’s impact. I threw a second one on the Titan’s face.

“Explode! Explode!”

Boom! Boom!

A perfect hit landed on the Titan’s face. Coming out from the smoke, a chunk of his face was missing. Even still, that didn't stop the Titan from rushing forward.

I knew that was not enough, but I hoped that would temporarily stop the Titan, but it barely did anything. That was a level D Magic Stone. I didn't have any more programmed Magic Stones anymore, and instead, I prayed that we would escape in time.

Coco turned around and dashed forward, she lowered her head towards the Titan without a single hint of fear.

“Coco! No!” I cried out in horror and fear. I didn't want her to die.

Coco jumped onto the wall, and a blazing fire like horn appeared on her head. All over her body, a fire erupted around her. A bright sheen of light appeared at the tip of her horn, and a blast of fire energy shot forward.

The Titan held up his arms, but couldn’t stop the energy from hitting his arm. A large gaping hole was created in his left arm, becoming useless. With the other arm, the Tian slammed his right arm into the wall causing the building to collapse.

Coco jumped upwards, wall-to-wall, and disappeared before she got buried. I was glad that she didn't get hurt and instead escaped. Seeing her hurt, because of me, made me furious, but right now, I couldn’t do anything. The stupid restraint caused me to stay stuck in my human body with not much power. This was the one time I wished I could shift and punch the daylights out of the Titan.

Large pieces of the building fell from overhead, and Phil gracefully jumped through the falling debris without getting caught. I knew I was not as nimble and quick as him. If I was, I wouldn’t be in his arms right this minute. This whole princess carrying thing was not something that I was used to. Right now, I couldn’t complain.

Phil gritted his teeth. He skidded to the right.

“How close are we?”

“A couple of blocks left.”

Phil continued to run. The Titan bulldozed through the building, causing it to completely collapse. Cars screeched to a halt and were thrown around like toys. Nothing was stopping, the Titan that was coming after us.

Every second felt like a whole hour. The Titan was getting closer and closer. I could already smell the putrid air that was invading my nose, making me want to hurl. “Was all the past Titans’s body odor this bad?”

“Yes.” Phil was having trouble breathing. I could tell that his speed was slowing down because he was having a difficult time breathing. He was panting out of his mouth, tears streamed down his face.

Even I was having a hard time breathing from the overwhelming stench. I had to close my nose with my finger and breathed through my mouth, but I could still smell the putrid air.

I could tell that in the next couple of minutes, we will be overrun. Closing my eyes, I felt the magical power in my body. My hands raised towards the Titan, and I pointed.

“Fire Ball!”

A large fireball the size of my fist shot out from my fingers and went flying towards the Titan. With a flick of his hands, the Titan swatted the fireball as if it was nothing.

“Fire Ball! Fire Ball! Fire Ball!” The fireball became bigger and bigger from each cast, but not a single one harmed him.

Annoyed, I threw a different elemental attack. “Ice Arrows!” Swirls of large Icicles that were like spears appeared around me. I compacted the icicles as hard as I possibly could, making them tougher and sharper. I flung the arrows towards the Titan one after another. Half of them were destroyed, but the other half embedded itself into the Titan’s body.

“Yes!” I shouted in glee, but my happiness was short-lived. The Titan broke off each icicle without any care, and he still bulldozed forward. “What the hell is going to stop it?!”

Coco flew from the side and impaled the Titan with her horn. The Titan roared, causing the windows to shatter from its voice. A burst of flame engulfed the Titan, and Coco pulled back. The Titan swung side-to-side, the cars to fly temporarily stopping the Titan.

We finally saw the Blue Rose Host Club not too far away. Phil didn't stop, and he ran with full speed till we finally arrived at the front. Coco came running up behind Phil and changed gracefully back into her human form. She opened the door for us to enter.

“Don!” I cried out. I was so glad to see him. “Get us out of here!” Phil placed me on the ground allowing me to walk on my own two feet.

“What’s the rush?” Don was looking at me, confused. He was standing at the entrance of the Hostess Club.

“No time! Go! Go! Go!” I pushed him in the back.

“Calm down, you need to tell me what’s going on.”

“Move!”

Boom!

The walls shook, and the people inside screamed in horror. Don't look up in shock and see the Titan charging towards us.

“What the hell is that?”

“Hurry!”

People were streaming out of the building in a hurry. Don understood and turned towards the direction of where we needed to go. Phil, Coco, and I ran close behind him. The rumbling of the building became more apparent, we could hear the Titan coming closer.

We ran down the stairs and appeared in front of the basement door. Don fingers fumble around his pocket, sweat started to drip down his face as he rummaged for the key.

“Come on, Don.” I hurriedly replied. The Titan hand ripped the doorway from behind us. We could hear the metal crashing into another building.

“Don’t push me,” said Don. He opened the door with the key allowing us to enter. We ran through nonstop. Zigzagging through the massive pile of debris and unwanted items.

“This way!” Don took a sharp turn.

Bang!

The door behind us was ripped open once again.

“Gragg!”

The Titan bulldozed his way through the door knocking over the mountain of items. It became a domino effect causing everything else to fall over like an approaching tide.

Up ahead, we saw a small door that was five feet wide and five feet high. We ran with everything we got. Don reached. His hand reached out, and with a vicious yank, he opened the door. He jumped through without looking back.

“Young mistress, I’ll hold him back!” Coco shouted. She was in front of me, and I didn't want her to stop.

“This is an order! Go in now!”

“But!”

“Now!” I pushed her. Coco fell forward, and she crawled through behind him.

“Phil!” I looked behind to see him close.

“Go! I’ll be right behind you!”

I nodded and fell on my knees. I variously crawled through the small door, my hand scraped against the stone-cold ground, and even my heart started to thump wildly out of frenzy.

Boom!

Boom!

The sound of an explosion could be heard behind us, but I couldn’t hear anything except the pitch-black darkness. Not being able to see made moving a lot more complicated. I didn’t know where the end of the beginning was. Even the sound of things blowing up wasn’t making the trip any better.

“Coco? Don?” I called out.

“I’m here, young mistress.”

“Keep crawling!” Don shouted. His voice was resounding around me.

“Phil?” I once again called out.

No answer followed from my call.

“Phil? Are you there?” I stopped. Did he make it? I couldn’t help but be worried. Did the Titan get him? What the heck happened behind me?

“Phil!” This time I shouted.

Suddenly, I felt something hit me in the butt.

“Gaaaaaah!” I screamed out in shock. I kicked behind me, and I heard someone cry out in pain.

“Who's there?”

“Damn it, Berry. Why did you stop? Did you have to kick me?” Phil grumbled.

“Phil?”

“Yea?”

“You're alive?”

“I’m alive. I said I was right behind you.”

“I thought the Titan got you. I heard explosions.”

“That was me. I almost got caught, but luckily I left a new hole in its stomach.”

“You did?”

“Yea. Just keep moving, will you?”

“Okay.” I let out a sigh of relief and continued to crawl.

“Is everything alright young mistress?”

“Yes. Phil is with us now.”

“I’m glad to hear that young mistress.”

“Guys! We’re almost out of here.”

“Great.” I let out a sigh. This whole trip back to Earth was a stressful event. I didn't want to visit Japan any time soon, especially if it meant meeting that monster again. We continued onwards until Don opened the door to the other end. Bright light entered through the darkness, and the sunlight welcomed us out.

To Be Continued.