"Demons are going to strike Magna once more. It will happen on the last night of Yule. As said, it was to be the Zimorron dynasty's final hope. They're going to side with the goblins they so seemingly despise."

"What?"

"Last ditch effort to prove their strength. I have no clue if Shi Hon is involved, but that's what I heard. They won't stop at children or women."

"They never did." Bancho shook his head. "Then..." he blinked. "I'll have to protect them."

"All alone, at your age?"

"I won't be by myself." Bancho smiled. "I'll have great new Demonears on the side, ready to fight for what they believe in. If I'm fast enough, I might gather the other Demonears." he counted on his fingers. "Tributals like Rowan, or virtually any other Demonear amongst their liking. Hell, even Zenon will put everything on the line. Then, there's you. You could join, Axel."

"I wish I could, Bancho. But that's a great risk with no reward." Axel stood up, before putting his ear against the floor. "Do you feel its presence? I do. If I leave this church, he'll escape into the world and cause wrath amongst towns, before someone eventually kills him, but then it'll be too late. I'm not just changing my faith. I'm sacrificing myself, and vowing to never leave this place until the demon does what it's supposed to do." Axel said. "I succumbed myself to its strength."

Bancho gulped. "You-"

"I chose this. I believed in this. I know I'm right. So, until then." Axel took out a sabre from its sheath, and let go. It dropped to the ground, bouncing off a few times, as the setting sun shone on its blade. Bancho gulped. "Take it."

"It won't work." Bancho pointed.

Axel shook his head. "Do you know what's embedded in this weapon?"

"A guardian demon. A creature that swears to protect its wielder."

"Your Khuna, my Julai, they're both Wise. Just like us." he grinned. "Julai will listen to you when you call out its name. It knows you. Remember when we fought side by side, all those years ago?"

"Water and fire," he added, with a small beam, as a reassuring hand landed on his shoulder.

Axel handed him the weapon. "Take it. Let it see the world that I'm restraining myself from. Let it be the thing that saves hope."

"Axel," Bancho muttered, clenching his fist around the grip. He slowly nodded, as Axel moved back into his seat. The two looked towards the sky, as pinks mixed with a subtle orange, and then moved into a navy blue of the evening. "If I want to make it back to Magna, I can't waste any more time."

"Pass through the passages closer to Mount Aria. It's a direct connection towards the sinkhole. You'll step out at its edge."

"I never trod through these paths. Won't I get lost?" he looked up.

"Julai is a demon of flames. Let it be the light in the darkness extending with these unsure times." Axel said.

Bancho walked towards the staircase and turned back, glancing at Axel's wrinkled, but wise face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Bancho, for the greater good."

The Morian scratched his neck. "I've met up with a woman on the way here. She said the same thing you did. That she doesn't need to step out, and the comfort of home was right where she was. Could you say the same thing, Axel?"

"The Wise never doubt each other's words. People grow, people live, people die." Axel answered. "Everyone decides how they'll spend the last of their days." he nodded.

***

Bancho untied Pearl, riding around towards a smaller staircase outside. He looked up, as Axel stood atop, eyeing his friend.

"The night sky here seems so much different than in Shimori. It doesn't light the path, yet... all the stars cumulating together make it just as bright," he noted.

"I wish the moon came out more often. It's the biggest star out there, standing among the many more, like a king with its people." Axel noted.

"A king can't rule forever," Bancho added. "Even though they're expected to."

"I wish things could've gone a different way." Axel shook his head, putting his hands together. "Such was for the people of Hakh-Nivena."

"They didn't need to attack me." Bancho chuckled.

"I'm sorry, we'll talk this out one day."

"I understand fear, not violence," Bancho pointed.

"You... you didn't wreck them up that bad, did you, Bancho?" Axel asked, smiling.

"Maybe a little bit, nothing fatal." Bancho snickered. "I suppose I'll be seeing you soon, then, Axel."

"I wish so too, Bancho."

The two nodded, Bancho pat the horse's head, and she ran towards the mountains. Axel waved for a bit, before moving down a few steps.

The Morian found himself on open plains, near a little copse, with two massive boulders in the front, separating a different river into two. He took out the thunder emblem bracelet from his pocket, and it rested on his glove's palm before a small beam permeated his expression. "Sorry, Axel. I always bring something from my travels," he muttered to himself, before moving forward.

He stepped down from a hill and wandered into a valley, and as trees sporadically disappeared or either turned into small bushes at the mountain's side, a small, pitch-black opening in the very first steps towards Mount Aria was revealed.

Bancho had to put his head down to make it in, and Pearl barely squeezed through. The light from behind guided a short path between sharp stones, but when it disappeared, Bancho took the sabre out from a small strap near the horse.

"Julai, helius," he muttered, catching a breath, before the blade found itself engulfed in flames, from top to bottom. As he swung it around, it illuminated a road into the caves, which had water dripping from above and into the pools on both sides.

The chambers grew wider, with greyer stones at each turn, and the pools turned deeper, then endless, leading down a steep path.

No matter how often the road changed, Bancho knew he needed to head forwards, at all times. When the echo of his voice grew louder, and there were many different paths for him to choose, he always took the safest.

The grey of the caves started turning into a thick brown. He looked down, spotting many bridges above endless dusk. He wasn't sure if the next step he'd take would lead him towards a certain death, but he didn't stop for a break. Bancho trod along the edges of different rocks, sometimes stepping down from Pearl and leading her through a different path if he made sure it'd let both in.

He'd choose a thin bridge above stalagmites, which led to a mossy staircase. Finally, he decided to stop, for that moment.

"Pearl, wait here." he put his hand on the horse's head, as she closed her eyes and swung her tail back and forth. He stepped around and then found himself atop what resembled a big compass, pointing to an empty pedestal. He looked up, seeing a stream of shining blue water, passing into a small river which flew down into the caves, pointing west. He breathed in, closing his eyes. "A temple?" he asked, aloud.

Despite what was commonly thought, there were still active temples splattered around Errarion, particularly, in the depths of Cirim or Mirillis. The lower one would go, the more there would be, and more demons tended to reside there. If travelling through the grottos, people tended to follow paths that led upwards, rather than downwards.

The caves were thrice as big as all the landmass of Mainland Errarion combined. There were those filled with water, decorated with magma, covered in grass and moss, full of snow, brown, grey, dark, yellow, orange... yet, most of them were never explored.

Some wished that they never were, in the first place. People were afraid of things they couldn't have control over.

Bancho glimpsed at what resembled a stone anvil, covered in leaves. He brushed off the excess dirt and looked at the blunt edges of different blades, dotted around the area. He glanced at Saxyo, which rested in its sheath.

"I recall that day as if it happened yesterday. The great forging of our weapons, done by a wise forger, with a glance as sharp as the blades he made." he closed his eyes. "Loovicus, your name will forever be engraved into the demon that protects me," he smirked.

"Yet, humans weren't here." he continued to tread down a path, as the blades grew bigger and wider.

Bancho found himself slumped over a shining crystal, embedded into a thick stone. He reached his hand in, feeling a whisper, travelling into his ear. He squinted his eyes, burying his fingers into the blue material, before ripping it out. A sign appeared, changing into letters he didn't recognize.

Then, a growl echoed through the adjacent corridors. Pearl stepped back, hiding behind a rock, and Bancho looked back, with furrowed brows. He immediately dropped the crystal to the ground, and it splattered, in a speck of gleaming dust.

He stomped it with his boot, before speeding up and jumping over Pearl's back. "Come on, come on!" he yelled, as the horse neighed, and the two moved, as Bancho turned back.

Following loud footsteps, he pointed Julai forth, as a shadow was cast on the nearby wall. A massive figure, with big, rocky forearms, two long twisting horns which constantly went through the ceilings above, and a massive, matte black blade in its hand appeared before him. It bellowed, seeing Bancho and its white eyes pierced the surroundings

An opening appeared in the front, created by the stalactites falling from above and destroying some of the thinner stones. "Go, go!" he yelled to Pearl, and accordingly, she sped up.

Bancho ground his teeth, seldom glancing back. Eventually, he turned at some of the navy dust, stuck to his fingertips, which then landed on the sheath, pulling out Saxyo, with Julai in the other hand.

"It must've built its temple, and forged its sword," he uttered. "I took the wrong path, I'm way too deep. It seemed so unassuming like it knew it'd attract fear. Because that's what it wants. Fearful blood." he thought.

"They're not as different from us, after all.," he added. "They're merciful if you treat them like you're on the same page." Axel looked up, stretching his arms into the darkness.

"Tsk." Bancho huffed, throwing Saxyo forward. It stuck to the ceiling above, creating a thick, watery spear, that pierced through the demon's back. He turned around, as some of the ground shook, causing the two to fall through the ground. The animal neighed in fear, and a rock hit Bancho's eye.

The demon stood again, and its wrecked back formed into a third arm, extending above its head. It threw the blade upwards, and Bancho pushed onwards, with the demon clearing and obstructing more of the nearby path.

Closer to an opening, he chucked Julai into the air, as its fire spawned at each side. He closed one eye, and a thick black trail moved towards the demon, wrapping around its sharp chest. Bancho managed to create enough distance between the two, but then, something happened that he couldn't predict.

The demon used magic. During the Demonear test, it is explained that, very rarely, demons are able to unlock the hidden potential within their bodies, and at their last breath, they manage to chant something otherworldly.

A string of murk light appeared from the sword, and quickly dove into the ground, creating massive leaps of small bones, which chipped off the strings holding the demon down. It banged the ground with its fist, sending a shockwave towards Bancho, separating him from his horse, as Pearl flew to the side, almost falling off a cliff.

Bancho rolled on the ground, with Julai far from him, finding himself at the edge of a fall. He coughed out. His nose was bleeding, blood covered his face, and there was a deep wound in his stomach. He sat up, turning his head towards the demon, as it slowly treaded his way.

Bancho gulped, closing his eyes. "I lied, Axel," he muttered. "It's way stronger than I thought it'd be."

Saxyo shook on the edge of the rock, before tumbling in. Bancho glanced, before squinting his eyes.

"Should've thought twice," he spoke, standing up. "But I'm too stubborn of a man to die here."

The demon started speeding up, growling and shaking the adjacent corridors.

Pearl climbed to the side, as Bancho put his hands together. "Mann nah kann." he chanted. "MANN NAH KANN!" he yelled out, as a blue aura, resembling an emblem, surrounded him, and enchanted the shadows behind him.

The demon momentarily stopped, breathing in and out, noticing a change in Bancho's behaviour. He looked down for a moment before a smirk appeared on his face.

"I'll finish you off," he pointed. "Someday." he leapt, launching himself into the unknown depths below.