"THAT'S IT. YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT." one of the herald, Uriel, roared as he blitzed toward the young girl holding the slime. His sword clashed against a gigantic axe in the way. In an instant, he was sent off to the sky but thanks to his pair of wings, he managed to regain his balance midair. It was the three headed wolf beastman.

"Your opponent is me!" the beastman said as he swung his titanic axe.

The others heralds have also taken our their weapons and prepared for battle. Even Mikael. He turned to Ikarus.

"Ikarus, take the girl! If she try to run, kill her. Also watch out for the boy!" Ikarus nodded in agreement but her heart was telling her to do something else. Something that might cost her life. She reluctantly took Alice into her arms. But as soon as Mikael flew away, she whispered to Alice.

"Don't worry! Stay still and I promise nothing is going to happen to you." she tried to reassure the little girl.

"I don't care about me. Just don't hurt my brother and mother please... Hic ...hic" Alice tried to hold back her cries. Her body was trembling in fear but she could still spout those words that made the celestial clenched her fist.

* * *

As for the demon's side, the demons have prepared. Mephisto gave out the orders to everyone.

"I will take on Mikael and the angel beside him. Each of you takes on another one. That celestial holding the girl is staying behind so be careful in case she jumps in. As for you doll...."

"My name is Stella." the doll spoke coldly.

"..well then Stella, take care of the boy. He is vital to us. And be careful around that woman Morgan. We can't afford to let her trick us a second time." Mephisto did not fully trust the doll yet. But in this situation he had no choice.

The doll nodded before dashing towards Alastor. As she approached the boy, she saw a woman in question covered in blood. A complex feeling, unknown to the doll, started to make the doll ponder about something. But as soon as she tried to touch the woman, the little boy beside her took a nearby sword and pointed it at her.

"Don't touch her! Who are you people?" Alastor said in an intimidating voice.

"I am not your enemy, master Alastor." the doll replied.

How did she know Alastor's name? This was the first time they met yet Alastor felt strangely familiar as if he knew her for a very long time. He dropped his sword and decided to trust this person in front of him. Was it because of his naivety ? Or something else ?

"Please save her!" he begged the stranger in front of her.

"If that is what you wish." Stella crouched down to Morgan' side as she casted a healing spell on her. She told Alastor to hold Morgan as she tried to remove the arrows. With each arrow out, Morgan screamed out in pain. Soon it was over.

When the doll was healing his mother, Alastor saw that her hands were not human. In fact they did not even belong to a living being. It was a wooden doll's hand.

"You ... You are a doll. Sorry I did not mean anything offensive behind that. It's just the first time I see a doll." Alastor stuttered.

"Please don't worry, master! And you can call me Stella" she replied.

"Why do you keep calling me master? It's the first time we even meet." Alastor asked in confusion.

"Because you are my master." she answered coldly.

Alastor wanted to ask her more questions but he realized now it was perhaps not the perfect time. As the healing was done, with Morgan now unconscious, Alastor started to remember what happened earlier. He had so many questions for her about his real parents: who were they ? Did they really die? And why did that celestial say that Morgan was responsible. But one thing at a time, he needed to save Alice first.

"Stella, I need to save my sister. Would you lend me a hand?"

"Of course, master! Whatever you wish." Stella kneeled down before Alastor, putting on her hand on her chest, as a display of her loyalty.

"And you can stop with that 'master' thing. Just call me Alastor!"

"But... if that's what you want, Alastor! I await your orders."

"It's very simple. Make sure to catch me!"

* * *

"My name is Uriel. Remember the name of the one who will kill you, demon spawn!" Uriel said with a majestic voice.

"The name is Naberius. Likewise, don't forget to mention my name when I send you back to your maker." the head in the middle of the beastman said. His voice was filled with excitement.

For the last years, Naberius has not fought anyone decent. Mephisto wanted them to lay low. But now as if the beast was unleashed from its chains, Naberius laughed with hysteria. The thrill of battle, the smell of blood shed and the uncertainty of its outcome. Oh how he missed those.

" " Uriel made the first move. His body was engulfed in a protective radiating armor. His sword flickered and turned into a luminous lance. "Prepare to die, demon!". He dashed toward Naberius and thrust his spear repeatedly with amazing speed.

But Naberius has defended Uriel's attack with his axe. The head of the axe was so big it could serve as a shield. But no normal man could even handle such a weapon as it was too heavy. For Naberius however, he could control it with ease as if it weighted nothing,

"My turn!" Naberius said with a grin of his face.

He used the axe's handle and hit Uriel in the face. With one handle, he caught the angel by his neck and threw him into the air.

Receiving a blow to the head, Uriel was stunned but before he could realize it, his body was in the air. The next moment he saw Naberius right above him, holding the axe with both of his hands, making a plunging attack.

Naberius executed a vertical cleave. The force of the attack was so powerful it made a hole in the ground with Uriel's body. One would think no one could survive such an attack. But then Uriel stood up from the hole. He was only lightly injured. The armor has protected him well although it has suffered a few cracks

"You dare!" screamed Uriel.

* * *

"Where are you hiding you demon?" the celestial Raphael screamed in anger while searching for his opponent. When Helel told him that he should deal with the slime while she would take care of the small girl, he thought it would be too easy. The slime has jumped from the girl's arms into the forest and he has pursued it. But now it seemed that he lost it.

"....." the slime tried to remain silent.

"You coward, come out right now"

"I am right here, you know!"

"What? Where?"

"You are stepping on me, you chicken bastard!"

At that moment Raphael realized he has literally walked into a trap. Since this was at the end of winter, he did not suspect the slime to be hiding as a water puddle.

Several icicles shot from the puddle. Luckily for Raphael, his foot were quick enough to jump and cover himself behind a tree. The puddle started changing form, back to a slime.

"You sneaky little shit!", Raphael cursed the slime. He raised his right hand, covered in chains and launched the chain towards the slime but it split itself into two, avoiding the chain.

"How rude! At least let me time to present myself!" the two slimes now said the same thing.

"I have no need to hear the name of a demon, especially one who is going to die." another chain attack but this time was a horizontal cleave which cut down easily multiples surrounding trees easily. But none managed to even touch the slime. Thanks to its small size, the slimes' movement were so quick normal eyes could not catch on.

"For someone who is the Archangel of Wisdom, you seem terribly dull. You don't even know my name. Me, the Great Azurus. But I guess you can't ask much from a chicken. With their little head and such." One of the slime continued to taunt Raphael, whose face was red in anger while the other kept bouncing around. " COME AT ME YOU CHEEKY WALLY!"

* * *

"So....", said the celestial Helel reluctantly.

"Yes ?", asked Amelia, the little girl in a luxurious robe in black adorned with multiple golden ornaments on it.

"Are you just going to sit there? Not doing anything?". Helel was baffled by the situation in front of her. Ever since that slime went to the forest with Raphael chasing him, this little girl has just sit there, doing absolutely nothing. But Helel would not get her guards down so soon.

Unlike Raphael who refused to learn about the demons, Helel actually knew quite a lot about the demon world. For her, the key to victory is the ability your opponent. So she spent years after years, going through archives and texts to learn more about the demons. Their leader, best fighters, organization, etc.

She was more like a bookworm rather than a leader. In fact she did not even want to be elected herald. But her friends thought her expertise on demons would make a fine addition to the herald's rank. So she accepted the position only one year ago. She thought things would go by peacefully. The demon king was gone. The rest of the demons were confined at Ragna. So there were not much to do as a herald aside from a few meetings she had to attend.

Yet look at her now. In front of one of the most influential and powerful demon. This seemingly harmless girl in front of her was the Witch Amelia. She has served the last three generations of demon lords, always being in their royal guards. Cunning and cruel, the worst kind of opponent Helel would want to go against. The same witch who slaughtered three hundred celestials by herself in one single attack.

Her thoughts was disrupted by the witch.

"There is no need for us to fight. By keeping you here, I have already fulfilled my mission. Now how about some tea?" Amelia asked as she made a tea set with two cups coming from no where. She took the tea pot and filled the two cups. She then pushed one of the cup to Helel's side, inviting Helel to sit down.

Had it been any other celestial, they would have refused and attacked Amelia by now. But Helel was different. Not special but she knew what would happen if she drew her weapon. Behind the innocent smile of Amelia hided a terrifying aura. Helel was experiencing fear for the second time of her life. The first was when she first saw Amelia ten years ago. The image of a young child covered in blood walking on a mountain of corpses.

Then Helel realized it. If she could keeping Amelia here, the others might be able to come and help her. The four demon royal guards might be tough but she did not know about the lich and the girl. Surely they could not be at the same level as Amelia.

And so Helel decided to sit down and accept the invitation. But the moment she took the cup on her hand, one thing crossed her mind. "What if this is poisoned? What if this is part of the witch's plan?".

BAM. Helel fainted from a head blow from behind.

"What's wrong with your opponent?", asked the person who hit Helel from behind. It was Azurus the slime.

"I am afraid that my fear aura worked a bit too well. Been a long time I have not used it so I put on a bit too much power. What about you? Done already?" Amelia asked gently.

"That guy is an idiot. I just have to leave a few of my clones back there to play with him." Azurus replied while making a victory sign with his body.

"Well then. Let's finish this and go home. I need to refill my tea pot."

* * *

Alastor's POV

Leaving mother behind a tree, I casually walked to the celestial who was holding my sister hostage.

"Hold it right there! Don't take another step!", the celestial shouted at me.

I stopped going any further. I knew that I would not be able to use force to take back my sister. The celestial already saw Stella so she could not use the element of surprise on her. Also I did not know the extent of Stella's abilities. I had to carry out my plan by myself. All I hoped was that Stella would be able to hold the celestial back after that.

"What does a high celestial like yourself have to fear from a kid like me? I may be young but I am not stupid. I have already lost so if you let my sister go, I will surrender myself willingly. Just promise that you would do that! Or do you really want to kill a child to capture another one?" I did mean every word of it. If there were really no other choice, I would gladly take Alice's place.

But I obtained something I did not expect. The celestial seemed a bit taken back by what I said. Now that I remembered, when that guy Mikael passed Alice to her, she had a disturbed expression. As if she did not want to do it. Could it be? Should I gamble on it?

"You would not do something that dishonorable would you ?" I continued.

"OF COURSE NOT"

That was it. She was exactly like Alice. The type who held justice and honor above all. Now I was sure that my plan would work.

"Release her first. Even if I try to run from this distance, you could catch me easily." I said to the celestial.

At first she hesitated but the moment she released her hands, Alice ran toward me.

"Are you ok, sis.... " SMACK. It hurt like hell. I could not even finish what I was saying and Alice just gave me a slap to the face. I did not understand why she did that. Until she showed me her face.

"You idiot brother. You scared the shit out of me. I thought you would die when that mage threw a fireball at you. Idiot! idiot!", Alice said as she tried to punch me further. But it did not hurt. So I just let her continue and took the beating.

"Sorry to interrupt but we don't have all day. Come now, boy!"

I pushed Alice but she would not let me go.

"This is for your safety Alice! Please let me go!" I said to Alice.

"NO NO NO! I would not lose you."

"Please! Or the bad lady bird will kill both me and you. This is the only way!"

"NO" Alice took a tree branch on the ground and stood in front of me. She pointed it toward the celestial. "I would not let anyone take my brother from me." I found it quite funny. She was trembling in fear yet she stood up for me still. I expected nothing less from my sister.

"I..." The celestial could not say another word.

As I thought this lady celestial was the kind of person who would not resort to cheap tactics like that guy Mikael. If I could create doubts in her, I would win. And I did.

"Very well" The woman withdrew her sword."I did not consent to this kind of underhanded ploy in the first place. I will let you go for now. But know this demon. There won't be next time."

Finally we did it. The others must still be fighting. Now we just needed to go back to mother and use the confusion to get out of here. Or so I thought.

* * *

"The situation does not look good for us, Lords Mikael. Helel is down and Raphael has fallen into the enemy's trap. If we continue, I am afraid we would not walk out of here alive.", the celestial explained his concern to Mikael through his mind, who was in midst of a battle with Mephisto.

Mikael would not accept those words. He could not admit defeat. But reality was cruel. He could sense two powerful aura approaching his location. Even together with Gabriel, they were only on par with Mephisto. If another two came, they would surely lose.

However he still had one option left.

"Call everyone back to Ikarus' location. We will settle it there.", he gave his orders to Gabriel.

In an instant, Gabriel has used a spell to teleport all celestials back to Ikarus. The demons soon followed and now everyone has gathered back where Alastor was. But what shocked Mikael was Ikarus has let the girl go and now they were running away.

"Damn you Ikarus, you useless!" he yelled at Ikarus, who seemed to have a satisfied expression on her face.

"That's what you get for resorting to dishonorable means, Lord Mikael! I am prepared to accept my punishment but I will not pursue that boy any longer. Not today." As Ikarus declared, she dropped her sword to the ground, making Mikael even angrier. But he could not deal with her now. The demon threat was right in front of him. In his mind there was no other choice. He turned to Mephisto

"I admit you are strong. But it matters not. I know not what the boy means to you but at least you won't have him."

As Mikael proclaimed, he created a luminous spear and threw it towards Alastor. The young boy only had a second to turn his head back before realizing his incoming death.

But then nothing. There was no pain. Was that how death was supposed to be? Like a gentle embrace?

Alastor reopened his eyes but he saw no spear. Only a gentle smile from his mother. She looked with tenderness. Her hands reached to his face,

"I am sorry, Alastor! I neither deserve your forgiveness nor your sympathy. But please take care of your sister for me!"

"Mo..m ?" spoke Alastor haltingly.

"I am proud to be your mother, Alast...or!" Those were the final words of Morgan. She collapsed on the ground. The spear that pierced her has turned to dusk, leaving behind a bloody body.

"MOM!" screamed Alastor and Alice.

"Mom, please stand up! Please, mom!" Alastor tried to cover the wound from the spear with his hand. "Please Stella! Help her! I beg you!" He turned to the doll next to him.

"I am sorry but there is nothing I can do. She is already gone." the doll answered as she looked down to the ground, apologetic.

Before anyone could act, Mikael was already in front of Alastor and drew a sword on his neck.

"A pest till the very end. Don't worry! You will join her soon!" Mikael smirked. Finally victory was at his hand. It was regrettable that he could not bring the boy back alive but at least this would not be a failure. He waved his sword in the air and performed a guillotine.

Half way down he could not move his arm. It was by caught by a small arm. How could such a delicate arm could block an attack from one of the strongest celestial?

The tiny hand clutched so tightly Mikael could not even move away. He looked down the small boy holding his arm. It was no boy. The looks in his eyes, filled with hatred. The thirst for vengeance bursted all bounds. In his mind, he cursed the ones who killed the villagers. He cursed the ones who took his family away from him. But most of all, he cursed himself for his powerless. He was too naive, one or two special abilities would not make a boy into a man. He was the same feeble as before.

'The one who took away my dear mother. And the weak child who failed to protect her. They die today' that was the last thought, what was left of his rationality, before giving in into insanity.

"Suffer!"

A single word from the boy. Mikael was screaming in pain. He could feel his arm being suck into the boy's hand. No matter how he struggled, he could not fend off this force.

"Die!"

The absorption increased. Mikael's right arm was already crushed. At this rate, the celestial would be sucked whole into that black hole. But then with a single slash, Mikael was burst away. Ikarus has reacted in time, taking the decision to cut Mikael's arm. She could not retrieve his arm as it was already devoured by Alastor's hand. But it was better an arm than his life. She took Mikael, moaning in pain, and tried to fly away toward the others celestials.

"You will not get away!", Alastor claimed as he lifted both of his arm and created a black orb. He then threw it toward the celestials. The orb exploded and expanded into a gigantic dark sphere but Ikarus and the others, including the demons were fast enough to avoid its range.

"Not over yet!", Alastor proclaimed.

The sphere now retracted back to only a tenth of its initial size, almost like a single black dot floating on the sky. In an instant, everything around was sucked into this tiny dot. The trees in the surrounding areas, the earth near it. Not even the light from the moon could escape from it.

"Lord Mikael, we need to get out of here right now! Or it will suck us in!" Gabriel screamed to the injured Mikael.

But Mikael was already out of his mind. He was afraid. The mixture of pain from a lost arm and the taste of fear was quite a dangerous combo. He continued mumbling some intangible words, not even paying attention to what was going on around him.

"Forget about him! Get us out of here or we all die!" Ikarus shouted at Gabriel. Gabriel nodded in agreement. Soon they were being engulfed in by a bright light and disappear into thin air.

"Alastor stop! You will kill us all!" Mephisto tried to shout at the boy but his words could not reach him. It seemed like not even sounds could escape from this black hole. And if the demons tried to come closer to Alastor, they would be instantly sucked in. The only two would could stop him now were Alice and Stella. Both were unknown to Mephisto.

"Brother stop!" Alice wailed at Alastor. She tried to stand up but kept losing balance and fell to the ground.

"I... can't... control...it" Alastor tried to stop the spell but to no avail. At that this even him and Alice would be sucked into it.

But then someone hugged him from behind. She pressed her chest onto his head and wrapped her arms around his. Then she gently whispered into his ear.

"Calm down! Listen to my voice! Breath, Alastor!" Her voice echoed inside his mind. 'Do you trust me Alastor?"

He was baffled. Although the girl did help him before, he has only recently met her and now she was asking him to trust her. But strangely he did, without a single doubt.

"Yes I do!" Alastor replied

"Then close your eyes! This would only hurt a little!"

As he closed his eyes, he felt calm. Then he felt a slight discomfort on both of his arms. But it did not hurt at all. On the contrarily he felt at peace. Thus he fell deeper and deeper unconscious.

The orb was already gone. The catastrophe was averted.

Alastor fell unconscious but Stella caught him and slowly put him on the ground, with his head placing on her laps. Mephisto and the others rushed to the boy. What might seemed like a tranquil scene from Alastor's point of view, shocked everyone. Both of Alastor's arms were crystallized.

"What did you do to him?" Mephisto drew his claws toward Stella.

But the doll felt no fear. She simply replied.

"Please lower your tone. He is sleeping!"

"You..." Before Mephisto could continue, Noroeth the lich interfered.

"Please calm down. She did not harm him. In fact she has saved us all" Noroeth continued to convince Mephisto to trust the doll. But in his mind, he was now the one who trusted her the least. But right now it would be preferable to keep her around.

'That was Crystal Magic! It can't be...', Noroeth the lich was the most dismayed by this performance. He knew about this magic. He knew it too well.

"Let's just bring them back to the castle! It's not safe here! Then you can continue your little chat later!" the witch Amelia interrupted.

"Very well. Let's head back! Naberius, take the boy please!" Mephisto said.

"What about the girl?" Azurus asked as he jumped down on the ground, staring at a frightened Alice.

"We can't just leave her there. It's his sister after all." Noroeth commented.

"Wait what about Grandpa and mother?" asked Alice in confusion.

"I am sorry to say this. On our way here, we have not seen any survivor. We were looking for you so I made sure that we did not miss anything back at the village. Right now I could sense a large group of people is right near the entrance of the village. Must be some kind of adventurer group so we cannot risk going back there now." Mephisto explained to little Alice.

At first Alice refused but gave up in the end. She quietly followed behind Naberius who held her brother on his arms. Everyone headed back to the portal Amelia used to come here.

The long night finally came to and end, opening a new dawn and a new world.

* * *

A man was running inside the forest near Caine village. He has witnessed the events that took place here. The demons. The celestials. The mysterious boy.

"What kind of monsters were they? I have to report back to Father Terrick." Javis the mage thought out loud.

He was the only survivor of that battlefield. But he knew there were other squads in charge of the siege of that village. Now that the monsters were gone, he could just run there and this terrible night would be over. But he was stopped half way.

"My, my. It's bad to peek at people you know. Although I could not say the same to myself." A mysterious voice rang inside the forest.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Javis yelled at every direction. Could one of the demon has discovered him? He started to sweat like crazy.

"I was curious when I first heard of members of the Church collaborating with the Archduke to attack some villages at the borders. But now I have found something much, much more interesting. Who would have thought a new demon lord would rise at this forsaken place?" the voice disclosed to Javis.

"What? Then that boy is the new demon lord?" Now that Javis calmed himself, he remembered that the boy used strange abilities, none he has ever seen or even heard of.

"Surely you must have realized it by now. Else why would the demons even bother to come here? It's too risky, even for someone powerful like them. They have remained hidden for the last ten years. Why come out now? Because something or someone even more important than their safety is here. And that could only mean the demon lord. Even the celestials were involved." the feminine voice analyzed the facts to Javis.

"Yes of course. How could I miss this? But you still did not answer my question. Who are you?" asked Javis loudly.

"I am but a simple mercenary." answered the voice.

"Mercenary? Then if you could help me out of this forest, I will make sure that you will be rich for the rest of your life. Could you imagine what people would say if they know that we are the one who discovered the demon lord? I might even be hailed as a hero." Javis imagined all kind of richess and glory he would receive from the royal family if he told them this information. Even Father Terrick would have to acknowledge his abilities now.

But all he got back was a sinister laugh. From the tree, a woman jumped down. She wore a curious set of cloth: a leather attire in black with a long coat covering her legs, a tricorn hat and two swords, each on each side of her garb. The woman herself was a beauty: pale skin with white hair. Her golden eyes and crimson lips could only add to her charm. Yet the woman emitted a dangerous feeling.

"Oh but it would trouble me if you go around babbling about the new demon lord. They would just want to hunt him down. He is still weak now so he needs some more time to grow.", the woman said as she gave a gentle yet creeping smile.

Now Javis knew. This woman was dangerous. But before he could even retaliate, the woman was already right in front of him. In an instant she raised her arm and touched Javis' face gently with her slender hand.

For a second, the mage was mesmerised by her beauty. And it was the last thing he ever saw.

Blood started coming out of his nose. His eyes turned red as they began to bleed. The red liquid even surged out from his mouth. Javis could sense his blood boiling inside him. He could not move his body to resist. All he could do was keeping his mouth open.

By now he recognise this woman. He has heard of her. Many things were said about her. But no matter the source, they all agreed on one thing: "Don't let her touch you!"

"Yo..u...are... Blo...ody...Ma...ry", the poor mage tried to say his last sentence.

"Shhhh. Don't resist! It would be over soon!" She maintained her gentle smile. Even though she was killing a man with a single touch.

She moved her hand to close Javis' mouth. The mage started chocking on his own blood. A few minutes after, the woman released her grasp and Javis fell down, dead, drown by his own blood.

She took out a white handkerchief to wipe out the blood on her hand. She called out "Scarlet". Then a shadowy figure appeared behind the woman.

"Yes, Lady Maria!" the figure kneeled before the woman.

"Find the rest of the soldiers at the village! Kill every single one! Leave no witnesses! Make sure no one who knows about the existence of the boy leaves this place alive. Be quick as the group from the Guild is near!"

"What if there are any survivors from the villages, milady?" the figure asked.

"Then make it as quickly and painless as possible!", with no hesitation, the woman answered coldly.

"It will be done, milady!", the figure replied before disappearing into thin air.

Now all alone, she placed the handkerchief, now bloodied, on Javis, covering his face. "Good bye Javis!" she smiled to the dead mage lying on the ground.

She stood up and walked toward the forest's exit. Inside her head, she thought about the boy she saw today.

"Grow, my little demon lord! Grow and I will see you again!"