Satoru crawled slowly upwards the white stairs, all the while making sure that he remains unseen.

He has successfully infiltrated the palace, now all he had to do was find the queen and have a way secured for his escape. If he recalled correctly, then this staircase led to the throne room, there he should be able to find her. At least he hoped so.

He carefully looked over the top of the staircase, making sure that he remains hidden from prying eyes. There he saw the Queen standing face to face with a slender form.

A demon dressed in crimson suit stood there, he didn't know why, but Satoru had the feeling that he has seen this demon somewhere before. The other demons he recognized as Yggdrasil spawns, could this demon be another? He should be a higher ranking one, considering Tepes hasn't dispatched it already. True, he didn't know her all that well, but he could tell the thing was irking her.

He weighted the pros and cons of revealing himself, but ultimately decided against it. He wouldn't reveal his hiding spot if he could help it, after all it could be the divide between life and death.

Satoru waited with withheld breath as his eyes darted around the room, looking for a way to pass the two and somehow reach the place behind Krul's back. He didn't know how long it would take until the demons caught up to him, so it would be the best if he could reach a safe place. That safe area right now was behind Krul's back and so he focused on reaching that zone.

After confirming that no other demons waited in the shadows looking for him, he was just about to try and sneak around the corners of the room, hoping that the pillars would provide enough cover for his escape when a familiar face came rushing forth from one of the tunnels.

Mika! He almost shouted but managed to restrain himself.

As he watched his only vampire friend, he couldn't help it, as his eyes were involuntarily drawn to a pulsing red orb levitating above his palms. The item was enclosed in a transparent cage of pure energy, surely a type of magic vampires possessed. It was only expected, — Satoru thought. After all, a world where there are vampires and demons must have magic, no? It only makes sense.

Satoru's eyes were drawn to the object. It was mesmerizing true, but it could never bewitch Satoru to an extent where he would leave his cover. He felt something pulling on his being.

It was something else, something else entirely. It was like the red orb was speaking directly to his soul, as he felt his legs taking step after step, unable to command himself to come to a halt.

He could faintly hear Mika's relieved voice which soon turned into horror, but Satoru ignored it all.

He could feel the slow pulsing of the item as his soul resonated, and his heartbeat picked up the pace. He could feel it. It was hard to describe but it was like the item was always a part of him, one with his essence. It was like a fantom limb he didn't know he had.

Satoru took vehement steps, arms reaching out. So close, he could almost grasp it. One more step, just a little more and he could reach the item, no he could reunite with a lost piece of his soul.

Just then his consciousness cut off, much like how he was denied of Yggdrasil when the lights gone out. For an infinitely long moment, he ceased to be…

…

Krul was at a loss for words. She saw how a human child reached for the orb meant to be her ultimate weapon against this filth that dared to invade her domain. She didn't stop him; she had no reason to. She believed that the moment the child touched the orb he would simply be erased from existence. Much like how all other matter was erased. After that she could just grab the weapon and utilize it against the demon, however what happened had left her flabbergasted.

The demon whom she had fought head-to-head, evenly, or slightly mismatched had disappeared.

Although the fiend overpowered her, it was not to an extent which she couldn't stabilize with skill, but she needed the orb to completely turn the tide of battle. Her eyes dilated as she felt the air pressure explode around the room, — the next moment sound registered.

She turned her head to see Mika crashed into the side of the throne room, stuck in a crater that for all purposes shouldn't be possible on a wall. Next her eyes darted to the child whose body was a mess. No, it would be misleading to call it a mess. It was more like a puddle of meshed intestines.

She could hear the demon utter faint words. Cursing the world, and all living. Blaming vampires and humans alike… she could feel her senses going haywire, screaming at her to flee with all her might.

Something malevolent was coming. She had to flee.

She would have done so already, were her legs not rooted in place. Her hands interlocked around her head as she fell to her knees. Her empty eyes stared at the floor in front of her, slightly trembling.

'Impossible.'

Unbearable pressure descended upon the room as the fiend's body burst into flames and it turned its cruel visage to face her.

She wanted to, Krul wanted to put on a brave front and meet the challenge with an elevated head, with pride, but she could not. The terror she felt wouldn't let her. It was just too much to bear.

She collapsed and crawled on the floor, futilely trying to escape. Never has she felt something so brutal, something so ruthless, something so overbearing.

She didn't even crawl a ft forward when pain ignited on her back as the demon's burning tail impaled her. She shrieked in pain but couldn't stop moving. Her instincts wouldn't let her. They were powerful enough that she couldn't refute them. A testament to the terror the fiend instilled in her.

"Mi-Mika!" She faintly called out as her right hand reached toward him, for a moment she believed that she could reach the boy. He was so close, yet so infinitely far.

Tears streamed down her delicate cheeks as she felt her limbs ripped out of her torso and tossed aside like parts of a cheap toy. This is the end, — she thought, unaware of the eternal suffering the fiend would condemn her.

…

Demiurge felt his muscles practically tearing as he was overcome by rage. Unforgivable.

He acted on impulse faster then the eye could perceive before he stopped himself.

He let his hands drag his hair back, — calming his nerves, as he let out heavy breaths.

These lower life forms dared possess his master's treasure. Unacceptable. He had to right this blasphemous act right away, and right he did.

He swatted away the insolent human and the vampire almost instantly, but it didn't quell his anger. They had to pay, they had to suffer for what they have done. He would resurrect them using items his glorious creator had bestowed upon him, and subject them to untold terrors, but first…

He turned towards the self-proclaimed vampire queen. What a joke, this pathetic excuse of a vampire wouldn't be able to put up a resistance against a true vampire — Shalltear Bloodfallen — even if she held back and didn't use her divine equipment would still beat her into submission without breaking sweat.

Although in the spur of the moment he has accidentally killed the human kid, but he was sure that he could bring him back to life, after all it would be unacceptable if he couldn't exact revenge for his blasphemous act. The vampire guard although barely still drew breath, — he could work with that.

Demiurge nailed the little vampire queen to the floor, but the annoying thing was still squirming under his hold. He swiftly removed her limbs and proceeded to press down on her while he weighted his options. The plan was to have her face off against his so-called seraph, but after the previous developments he had to end this himself.

No matter, — he thought. He could always make use of Yu another time.

Demiurge was about to start dragging the vampire queen, or more like what was left of her.

There he had to give credit to her, as her pain threshold must have been astronomic or else, she would have already lost consciousness. Maybe a unique trait to vampires in this world? He had so many experiments to run… he shuddered in anticipation.

He dragged her slowly on the ground making his way over to the human, but his steps soon halted.

His senses sharpened as he felt an unnatural shift in the air, which wasn't caused by him.

The red orb of Momonga no longer shone, nor did it pulsate any longer.

It levitated silently, then it moved…

The magical formations seemingly binding it into order broke one after another as the orb slowly but surely made its way over to him. At least that's what Demiurge thought, only to be surprised when the orb stopped right above the human child he has previously crushed.

Demiurge stared in disbelief, his crystalline eyes audibly cracking as his mouth hanged open.

The orb exploded into a brilliant light… by the time demiurge could see again the boy stood before him. The kid was brought back to life, his mortal injuries healed, he stood before him.

However, this was not the same boy he smote down. The aura he emanated was on a whole different level. The guardians would be no match for this being he realized. It was no longer human that stood before him but something more, something Supreme.

In his stupor he let go of Krul's hair, and she plummeted to the ground.

Demiurge felt his knees going weak under the increasing pressure as light converged in a single spot — on the forehead of the child. A chill ran down his spine as he broke out in cold sweat. This overwhelming feeling, this unforgiving aura of despair… he would recognize it anywhere.

Only one had such power, and only one could wield the treasure of the 41 supreme beings.

The one who stood above all, the one who had the power to silence the forty with but a single command. The overlord of death, leader of the 41, Lord Momonga.

He heard a chilling voice as he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

"Demiurge?"