Yuko grasped the blond-haired demon's arm with sand and twisted it.

"Hand it over, tanuki!" the demon yelled, trying to free himself from the grip of the sand.

"No! Demon won't take this from Yuko!" Yuko yelled, wrapping her right hand tightly around the black cross.

"So, they didn't run away. They performed a strategic retreat," I said as I kicked the father in the gut, sending him straight into the ocean.

"Dad!" Maki's grandfather yelled. "Bylet, why did you come here? You failed already!"

"Come on, we know that you won't kill them, Audrey!" Bylet yelled. "You're too soft! Look at that feathered wing of yours! Honestly, you disgust me."

Audrey laughed. "I know, not that I wish to be liked by you, dear brother. I know that you've hated me for years, even though you try your best to hide it. You envy my power, isn't that it?"

Bylet cut off his caught arm with his sword. Instead of attacking, Yuko, he flew straight toward his brother. "Shut up!"

"Maki, Serra, let's get out of here!" Tetsuya yelled.

Satoru's brothers appeared to be too distracted to pay him any attention.

Maki descended until he reached our altitude. "Sounds good. Why waste energy on enemies battling among themselves?"

"Then let's get going," I said.

"Boys!" a voice roared. It came from the sea. A beam of fire flew into the air, causing Bylet and Audrey to flinch.

More flame pillars burst into the air, evaporated the seawater below.

"Dad is mad," Bylet said, biting his lip.

"You think?" Audrey said, rolling his eyes.

"Kill them!" the fox yelled as he rushed at me.

Tetsuya formed a shield around me.

"This stupid barrier won't stop me!" he screamed. "I'm going to kill you all for this embarrassment!"

I backed away as cracks appeared on the barrier. Taking a deep breath, I raised my swords. A smile dotted my face. "I embarrassed your beloved younger son," I said as electricity crackled around me.

His eyes widened.

"Now, it's your turn! Tiger slash!" I yelled as soon as he snapped the barrier. My swords sliced the man in half.

"Dad!" Bylet yelled, sending spheres of demonic energy our way.

Tetsuya took a deep breath and spun his arms around, forming his unique barrier. The demon closed his eyes as the attacks back at him. Audrey appeared in front of his brother and pushed them away.

"Audrey," Bylet said, shocked.

"You owe me one, little brother," Audrey said, flying toward Tetsu.

Chakrams flew through the air, striking Maki's grandfather in the back of the neck.

"Agh," the robed demon said.

"My dad's family is more screwed up than I thought," Maki said as the chakrams flew back into his hands.

"Yeah, it almost makes mine look peaceful by comparison," I said as I flew over to Tetsuya and Yuko.

"Wait, what does the white-haired one mean by that?" Bylet asked.

"His dad is my son," Audrey said as he rubbed his neck.

Bylet laughed. "Oh, wow! First Satoru, and now you! What's wrong with you two? Honestly, picking angel woman as your mates."

"Satoru?" Tetsu and I yelled.

The dark purple armored demon smirked. "Oh, almost gave it away there," he said, laughing.

"You better explain what you mean later," Audrey said, leering at him.

Bylet sighed. "Alright, consider it payment for saving me."

"You won't be getting any time to talk!" I yelled as I threw my swords at them. "You'll be joining your dad in the afterlife!"

Audrey vanished from view and appeared behind Yuko.

"No!" Yuko yelled as the white-robed demon grabbed the rosary. Her sand gasped his arm as it had done to his younger brother, but Audrey didn't flinch. Actually, the safe was failing to twist his arm.

"Yuko!" Tetsuya yelled. He swung his red dragon tail, which had appeared from under his shirt. The white-haired demon flew up, still gripping on the rosary.

Yuko struggled to breathe as she clung to the rosary as if her life depended on it.

Bylet appeared in front of Tetsuya and stabbed him in the chest with his claws. "You should've kept your barriers up, knight," the blond-haired demon said, grinning.

"Damn," Tetsuya said, swinging his tail at him.

"Tetsuya!" I yelled, recalling my swords.

Bylet backed away and laughed. "Why won't you activate Second Heaven? Afraid to burn the girl?"

Tetsuya gritted his teeth as Bylet stabbed his stomach repeatedly.

"M-master! Activate it!" Yuko yelled.

"No! It might kill you," he said. He wrapped his tail around Audrey's arm. "I rather lose Zangetsu than to lose you."

"Master," Yuko said. She yanked on the rosary, breaking its cord, sending black bead flying everywhere. Her hands were tightly grasping the cross. She let go of Tetsuya and flew by releasing strong gales of wind from her arms and legs.

"She can fly now?" Maki said, shocked.

Tetsu formed a barrier around her. "She learned how to a moment ago. Serra, Maki, take care of her!" my cousin yelled.

"You think that you can take both of us on? Big talk for an injured man!" Bylet screamed, dashing toward him.

I appeared behind Bylet and cut off his head. "You talk too much, demon," I said as demon blood splattered my cousin and me. I kicked the man in the back, sending him plunging into the sea.

"I need to get the necklace," Audrey said, flying toward Yuko.

"No, you won't!" Tetsuya yelled. A faint aura appeared around him, but it quickly vanished.

"Tetsu, you're too injured. Rest, I'll keep Yuko safe."

A black pillar of energy flew up, blocking my path. Like his father before him, Bylet emerged from the sea. But his body had turned into that of a four-legged, nine-tailed, headless black dragon.

Tendrils danced around the neck, regenerating the missing head.

Damn, should've destroyed his core.

"You will pay!" his voice echoed. Nine blasts of black flame fired off of each tail into the air.

Tetsu grasped his abdomen and covered it in an orange aura. "I'll handle him," he said.

I looked up and watched as Maki pushed back Audrey. Yuko was assisting him by sending clouds of sand to grab his grandfather.

"I think that Maki and Yuko can handle him right now," I said as I watched the black flames.

"Out of the way, Audrey! I'm burning that girl into cinders!" Bylet yelled.

Tetsuya swooped down and stabbed the dragon on the back with his sword. Well, he tried to. The sword tip chipped off as soon as it struck the scales.

I looked up as the black flames flew toward Maki and Yuko.

Audrey's hand trembled. It seemed as if he was unsure about whether to move or not.

"Move, or you'll be burned too!" Bylet's voice roared.

Maki smiled at his grandfather. "I'll be fine," the crown prince of Kasai no Ki said as he flew down. The black flames moved toward him. He was drawing them in.

"How can he take control of them?" the dragon roared.

"Maki," Tetsuya said, smiling.

I gulped. Maki could absorb flames, but the demonic energy within those would corrupt him.

He raised my other sword and pulled in the flames.

"Serra, be careful," Tetsu said.

"Move, Tetsu!" I yelled.

My cousin jumped out of the way. Before my blade could absorb the demonic flames, I sent them at the black dragon's recovering head. A bone-chilling scream echoed in all directions.

"Damn you!" Bylet roared. He swung his tail at me. I brought both of my swords down on it, cleanly cutting off the tip.

"Did you get stronger?" Tetsuya asked, smiling.

I grinned. "I did some last-minute training with the others. It's why we took a while to depart," I said as I flew toward the dragon's burnt neck. My aura intensified further. My lower pair of wings grew In size, and my hair grew longer.

I tapped my swords together and fired off a beam of white lightning into the exposed neck. The dragon's body exploded into black flames, evaporating the water around us. If not for Tetsuya forming a shield around me, I would've been burned.

I could make out a faint red glow in the dense fog. "The core!" I yelled.

"On it!" Maki yelled from above. His chakrams cut through the dense fog, revealing the abysmals core.

"Hold it!" a voice called out. We gasped as a blue-haired woman in a tight-fitting qipao floated in front of the core. "You won't hurt be killing my dear Bylet."

The chakrams were pushed back toward Maki by an invisible force.

Yuko covered the prince in her sand, but it was blown away, along with the shield that Tetsu had made to protect Yuko.

Tetsuya and I rushed at the two, but white lightning rained down around us. Audrey caught the two and pulled Zangetsu out of the hands of the injured Yuko.

"Let her go!" Tetsuya yelled as his aura caused the heavens above and sea below to shake.

Audrey threw Yuko at him, forcing Tetsu to power down in order to safely catch her. The robed demon turned around and formed a black portal in front of him. "Let's go, Mother. I got Zangetsu."

"Hmm, you aren't going to kill them?" the lady asked.

He glanced looked down at Maki before throwing him over at Tetsuya. "You can do it, but don't injure that white-haired one."

His mother sighed. "Alright. Go and deliver that to bosses." She glanced at Tetsuya and me as soon as her son left. She smirked. "So we finally meet, grandchildren of Reginald."

"Who are you?" I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

"My name is Margaret. I'm the Dragon Pillar and your executioner," she said, chuckling. She dashed behind us, but before he could lay a finger on us, a cloud of sand grasped her. "W-what?"

Tetsuya and I glanced at Yuko. Her eyes were slightly open. "Y-Yuko won't allow anyone to hurt her master." The sand pushed the woman away.

"Where is this power coming from?" Margaret asked, blowing the cloud of sand away with her bare hand.

Yuko's typically brown pupils appeared to turn a deep crimson. "Yuko will protect her Master, even at the cost of her life!"

"Yuko, stop!" Tetsuya yelled as blood started to emerge from the girl's eyes.

"No, Yuko must protect Master," she said, shaping the sand into a drill.

Margaret laughed. "You think that you can defeat me? Hilarious! Your power is indeed impressive for a fragile girl, but it pales in comparison to us ancient ones." The woman flicked one of her fingers, blowing away the sand, and pushed us back. Luckily, Tetsuya managed to form a shield to weaken the attack's power.

I held my swords tightly. "Tetsu, I'm sorry, but you must go land by yourself. I'll fend her off."

"Are you crazy?" Tetsuya snapped as multiple purple shields formed around us. "I'm not leaving you alone to fight her! She's a Pillar!"

"Tetsu..." I said, smiling slightly.

Margaret made gagging noises. "Are you done with your little exchange?" she asked as she formed a circle with her index finger.

Tetsuya placed Maki and Yuko down and held his hands out.

"Master," Yuko said, forcing herself up. She held out both hands and formed a spiral of wind. "Let Yuko help."

Margaret snickered. "She's just like that sister of hers."

Yuko gasped. "Evil lady knows big sis?"

She smirked. "Yes. It's because of her that I know of you."

How does Onami know one of the Pillars? Did my uncle introduce them?

Yuko gritted her teeth and clapped her hands. Sand struck the woman on both the left and the right.

"Ugh, another futile attempt! I wonder what that treasonous cat saw that made him think that you could defeat us." The woman suddenly lowered her hand and turned around as a distortion in space appeared. "Why is he here?" She snapped her fingers and vanished.

Tetsuya, Yuko, and I watched as a portal, like the one Audrey had used, manifested by where Margaret used to be. Stepping out of the vortex of shadows was our grandfather.

"Great, just what we needed," Tetsuya said, wincing. His wounds hadn't completely healed.

Reginald crossed his arms over his chest. "What a rude welcome. You really are that cat's kid."

Tetsuya gritted his teeth. "My old man, what did you do to him?"

He scoffed. "He's in timeout."

Yuko snickered. "M-mean mister deserves it for being a bad kitty." She dropped to the floor.

"Yuko!" Tetsuya called.

"Y-Yuko's fine," she said, gripping his shirt. "Yuko just needs some rest."

Tetsuya stared at the blood that continued to pour from her eyes. "Yuko..."

Reginald sighed. "Lower the barrier. I'll heal the girl."

Tetsu glared at him. "Why should we trust you?"

"Tetsu, do it," I said. "He helped me out once. If not for him interfering, I would've died at the hands of Satoru."

"Tails, actually," Reginald said with a slight grin.

Tetsuya grunted, dissolving the barriers, except for their floors, which we continued to stand on.

Grandfather remained where he was and held out his hand. An azure light covered Yuko, quickly, the bleeding stopped. "That girl, she's not normal," he muttered.

"Thanks for healing Yuko, but why? We're your enemies," Tetsuya said, giving him a confused look.

Reginald sighed. "I didn't come here to fight you."

"Then, why did you come?"

"I was looking to see what Margaret was up to." He stared at the air. "I can tell she was here recently."

"Yes, she came to bail out her sons. That Audrey guy took Zangetsu. I'm not sure what they need it for, since no one can use it but the reincarnations of Hanketsu."

Reginald took a deep breath. "So it's as I feared. I better return. They'll be after Conrad next."

"My brother?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," he said as he turned around. "Being the reincarnation of Hanketsu, he's the key to activating it."

"But it went dead," Tetsuya said.

"That's because its power went to Conrad. Hanketsu sacrificed himself to revive you."

Tetsuya growled. "Right, this whole thing is my fault..."

"Well, it was actually Takon's for killing you. If you two wish to protect Conrad too, come with me."

"What? You expect us to betray Zionia?"

"No, but for the time being, we have a common enemy. Plus, it'll give you a chance to see Selena."

"My mom?" I asked.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Yes. I took her out of that asylum you placed her in."

Tetsuya glanced at me. "Asylum? I thought you said she was on a world tour?"

"Sorry, I lied," I said, lowering my head. I stared at Yuko and Maki.

Tetsu sighed. "Seems that Xime and I were right to suspect something was up."

"Tetsu, go and take Yuko and Maki somewhere they can rest. I'm going with our grandfather."

"Wait, you can't go!" he said.

"I need to, to defend Conrad. Plus, I wish to speak to mother," I said, flying over to grandfather. "Stay safe, cousin. I'll come back, if possible."

"If you're going, then I'm coming with you! I can't leave you alone in that world!"

"No, Yuko and Maki's safety matters more than mine. Plus, I'm not alone," I said, staring at my swords. "I have Aventine with me."

Reginald smiled. "What a wonderful bond. Reminds me of my twin brother and me," he said with a bittersweet look in his eyes.

He had a twin?

"Alright, but be sure to come back!" Tetsuya yelled. "Else, I'll go to the realm of the dead and drag you out and kill you myself!"

"Or not," Reginald said, snickering.

I laughed. "He doesn't mean the last part." I tapped my chest. "I promise that I'll return. Now, go and meet with the others."

"They're likely already engaged in battle," Reginald said.

Tetsuya narrowed his eyes at him. "Why don't you recall them?"

"The Monkey King seemed very eager. I'll have you know, even if we obtain the Ziz, our plan is missing one ingredient, the Leviathan. I lent it to that woman."

"Wow, you're a crummy judge of character."

Reginald scoffed. "Who asked you?"

Tetsuya chuckled. "Yeah, you're definitely that cat's dad."

Our grandfather ran a hand through his dark blue-hair and grunted. "Don't steal my lines and change them!"

"Uh, can we hurry up and leave?" I asked.

"Alright," Reginald said, opening a vortex like he had come through.

"Bye, Serra," Tetsuya said, turning away.

I watched as he flew away. His flying was off. He still hadn't healed his wound completely.

"I would've healed his wounds, but injuries inflicted by demons are beyond my skill set," Grandfather said with downcast eyes. Was he thinking of grandmother? I'd heard that she was killed by a demon. Her death had been one of the things that motivated my older cousin to become a demon hunter.

"Wait, before we go, let me take care of him. That guy is useless without me," I said.

Reginald laughed. "I said the same thing to my brother once, sure go help him."

"I heard that!" Tetsuya yelled, looking back.

I laughed and flew over to him. Wait for me, Conrad. Once Tetsu is healed, I'll go to you and Mom.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :). From now on, I'll be updating this story every six days until its finale (only 9 chapters and the epilogue are left) ^^. Thoughts? Predictions?**