TW: attempted rape, gore

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"Leave them alone," Seonghwa begged when he lifted his eyes to Yongguk atop the Crystal Throne. He didn't fight back when the two beastly males dawned on him, undressing their lower halves to rut into Seonghwa's dainty dress against his fragile bones. Their grunts were sickening, but if this meant they stopped tormenting his husbands, Seonghwa would give in.

"I will hand over anything you want. You can torment me eternally; just let them go."

"The alternative to using them as tools of torment against you is killing them, so no," Yongguk made his first decision as the emperor with a swipe of his hand. He cooed to Morana, who still struggled against him, and her fangs flashed as her desperation grew.

So sickened to see his brother hold the two, Seonghwa didn't bat a lash when the orc brusquely shoved up his skirt to palm over pale thighs and his backside. He knew what to search for, knew enough taunting might get other elves to get scared of their massive rods and to open their birthing channel so their wetness would spare them some pain.

But they would have to cut Seonghwa apart to make that happen. For as long as he was sane, he wouldn't grant anyone he didn't want access to his womb.

So worried for the others, Seonghwa prayed he would come up with a solution. That his soldiers would storm in here and save everyone. That Mingi could battle down the orc and find Hongjoong to take off his collar so his magic could restore the sorcerer.

Anything. Any blessing that didn't mean Seonghwa had to watch them end miserably.

"Athair?" Aodhán asked when Seonghwa's face was a mask of neutralness. He forced a smile while the orc squeezed his fingers into him, testing which entrance they were dealing with. He teased at the walls to that hidden one, luring it to open for being done by something as big as his.

Seonghwa was disinterested. He would rather mate with Buddy.

"Don't look, darling," he told Aodhán in a hopeless whisper.

Upset about the mood in the room, Aodhán also shoved at Yongguk. His little hands had no might, but his hidden magic did. It sparked down his fingertips and sizzled on Yongguk's skin, making him jump.

"Damn it! What did you just do?!" He hollered and Aodhán scowled up at him. He did it again, this time with purpose. Not enough to kill someone, but enough to hurt.

Yongguk was about to launch him through the room. He packed Aodhán by his neck and lifted him from his lap, grimacing against the insistent zaps of pain Seonghwa knew so well from carrying him. Aodhán learned to channel them, and they didn't hurt his sister.

Hurried to help him, Seonghwa stemmed against the rigid grip on him.

"You brat," Yongguk scowled when he couldn't understand what magic in this child meant. "I will find you a nice cage until you behave."

"Let go! And let Athair go!" Aodhán protested, scrambling in Yongguk's hold. His cries bellowed through the castle, carrying through long corridors.

No steps sounded since they were still far, so the rush of golden wings was nearly soundless when it cut through the air. At a speed Seonghwa could barely perceive, it charged at them through the air and the orc's head flinched up when he felt the rush of wind that came with it.

San didn't see the entire room at first. He moved so fast to get to Aodhán that he didn't spot Seonghwa trapped between the two massive bodies, didn't notice the fallen husbands on the ground. But as soon as he came close and realised Yongguk had both babies in his lap while seated on the throne and overlooked the chaos and a crying Mingi who fought against the orc trying to mount him, hesitation flashed across his brow.

Seonghwa's delight at seeing him morphed into naked horror when the seraph's outstretched hand reconsidered whether he shouldn't have come with allies.

And the male orc's blade came up to defend their new emperor.

San's howl echoed through the tall ceilings when he hurtled past them. He pressed the stump of his forearm against his chest and golden blood gushed over his body. Mortified, Seonghwa screamed at the sight of his fallen hand, but the seraph's many wings held him up. With a hasty glance, he assessed the room, and his pain didn't hinder his determination.

Yongguk scoffed at the sight of him, at Seonghwa's trembles when he stared at the fingers that once held him with so much dedication. They lay unmoving, bleeding out over the floor.

"Ah, I forgot about you. Seonghwa's most loyal dog. Be cautious when you deal with him. He is beastly," the elf informed his companions. The orc stood begrudgingly to leave Seonghwa to the demon and Seonghwa was forced face down when the eager king pressed up against him, ready to show San what he missed out on.

"Though he might not make it for long with that wound-" Yongguk cut off when San attacked, despite his assumption he was now handicapped. His blade rested in his left hand, unbothered which wielded it. Fury so hot melted the gold of his eyes and he sliced the orc's head off so fast that he already reached the throne before the body tumbled.

Yongguk screamed when San's shadow fell over him, suddenly unprotected. A mighty kick parted him from the two kids and sent him sprawling onto the floor. Aodhán scrambled up San's shoulder by himself while his injured arm cradled Morana. Safe in his grip, the two held onto his clothes.

"Emmya ouchie," Morana whimpered, understanding Seonghwa's dilemma, and San was unstoppable. While Yongguk crawled away to save himself, the angel lowered to his feet to point his blade at the Demon King.

"Off," he growled in a single word, and the demon scoffed at him.

"One wrong move and Mingi-" he started, but San didn't care. He only saw Seonghwa's cowered form, the agony in his haunted eyes as this bunch tortured him so. He flinched forward with the kids attached to him and the Demon King hastily tumbled back from Seonghwa to grab his blade. San crashed into him with the screech of metal and Seonghwa wobbled to his feet, barely able to stand, since everything ached so much.

He needed to free Mingi, and he needed to catch his brother, who slowly backed towards the exit, suddenly not sure anymore if he could win here.

The noise of stomping feet got loud from the corridor to the left. Yongguk's eyes widened.

"We need to get out of here!" He yelled at the Demon King who was mercilessly battled down by a one-handed San. He barely caught those violent hits, stumbling over the bodies of Yunho and Wooyoung on the ground.

"We have nothing to pressure him right now!" The demon hollered back, but Yongguk didn't hesitate.

"Leave that for later; we are winning! He has nowhere to run! Drag Mingi along for all I care!" With that, he bolted, just in time when Yeosang and Jongho appeared in the doorway. They were flanked by a bunch of dryads, golems and elves. Buddy panted between their feet, and this was the entire group that was supposed to rush in. San lurched ahead at Aodhán's scream.

Mortified, Yeosang took in the state of the room while Jongho rushed to help Mingi. The orc lady stemmed against him, but he rolled over her like a boulder, squishing her against the wall like a ripe fruit. He helped a babbling Mingi up, glad his panic was unhurt while Yeosang knelt next to Yunho.

Seonghwa swayed on quivering legs. He wanted to help San, wanted to take the weight of the kids off him as the Demon King gradually backed toward the exit.

"Yongguk ran," he lamely supplied to the elves who rushed past him and they followed the traitor. Two dryads knelt over Wooyoung and Yeosang almost passed out when he saw Hongjoong's state. He was clear-headed enough to release the collar and immediately, the gold returned to weave its healing magic around its master.

San wasn't about to let the Demon King go. He pounced time and time again, making his taller foe stumble and slip. None of his hits reached the two kids clinging to San, and he cursed in frustration when he was shoved further back. But his tenaciousness persisted, and he held out for a moment too long when he should have turned and ran.

San's blade sliced across the length of his upper body, from the shoulder to his hip. The demon wailed when he broke down and Mingi flinched where he blindly searched the room for Seonghwa, unsure if this was friend or foe falling. He found Buddy, momentarily relieved by his licking tongue. Jongho held him back, assured his aching limbs to take it slow.

San kicked back the demon.

"You will pay for this," he growled as he loomed over the fallen king, dripping golden blood all over him. "Tell us where that traitor went so I can bring Seonghwa his heart."

The Demon King scrambled, still glowering despite his inferior position. Black blood spilled all over the ground and Aodhán hid his face in San's shoulder, trembling. With big and accusing eyes, Morana stared down at the snarling king.

"You and your elf whore can all die," the king spat, and San stabbed down on him, impaling his chest with his sword. The body underneath lurched, then it lay still and black foam formed at his mouth. San yanked the sword out, stumbling back. Panicked eyes searched the room for more danger and found his quivering husband.

Yeosang made it to Seonghwa's side first, while the others tended to his fallen husbands.

"Hwa-" he began, speechless at the situation, but Seonghwa shook his head.

"They direly need help. Please," he begged, unable to form more words. He collapsed into Yeosang's arms, overwhelmed with his pain. Aodhán and Morana were safe in San's arms, but the rest were gravely hurt.

Seonghwa couldn't breathe. He was so glad they came in time, but so scared someone might not make it. What now?

"The orcs are in the castle. We have nowhere to go. We must flee to the rooftop. If Hongjoong can't help, your call will summon the ravens, so-" Yeosang pressed, but Seonghwa was close to passing out. His head spun with agony and he slumped into Yeosang's shoulder while San caught up with them. He handed Morana and Aodhán to Mingi to rip apart his sleeve to tie off the blood flow of his ruined arm using his teeth. The sight twisted Seonghwa's stomach.

"Let's get out of here first," San pressed as he wrapped an arm around Seonghwa to keep him upright. Mingi was overjoyed to hold the two kids again and carefully whispered to them if they were in pain. They muttered back about the other husbands and Seonghwa, confused and disturbed, but he felt no blood on them, so he held out.

So sorry to leave him tapping in the dark, Seonghwa also couldn't bear to describe what had happened here.

Jongho picked up Wooyoung and Yunho. Yeosang carried Hongjoong, and they rushed out into the corridor, flanked by their guards. Out here, the near yelling and clanging of weapons sounded louder. In just a few moments, more reinforcements would have arrived at Yongguk's side. He must have disappeared into the mayhem already.

Bitter not to have killed him, Seonghwa stumbled alongside San. He was gagged of words, couldn't address his husband's grave injury nor what might have happened if he hadn't swooped in.

They made it up the stairs into safe territory. Everyone was down there fighting, and Seonghwa had no idea if his plans worked. If the titans pushed in from behind and these were the last fleeing orcs. If the nymphs had arrived to tend to their wounded and the Cavern of Nightfall was sealed.

As the orcs slaughtered anyone they could see, Seonghwa and his troupe stumbled out onto the snowed-in rooftop.

Once more, they were here. Where they parted once.

The warning in San's eyes told Seonghwa this wouldn't happen again.

But it was too much on the elf. He felt himself waning, the shock that kept him going dying down to leave him trembling in the cold.

"I won't make it," he pressed out, and San yanked him against his body when the elf's lashes fluttered. He lost his wits and his consciousness drowned in their collective yell when the very ground beneath their feet started shaking.