As the higher rocks grew exponentially steeper, some of the four stayed in one place while the others continued pushing upward. First came Rufus, telling the others to go on without him, promising that he'll make sure no demons come forth. Sandy proceeded with a clenched jaw, and next was Sam, who gave out halfway up, when the wind picked up and the intensity of the rain grew. Judy stopped near the top when she slid down a few stair-like formations before Sandy's hand caught hers.

"I'll still need all of your help!" Sandy raised his voice.

Judy let go, sliding towards a lower step while Sandy's leg pushed on the few wheels. He turned to his sister, gulping. "You already told us earlier that shooting such a crucial shot will take all of our weight."

"We can just pull from here," Sandy uttered. "C-Come on, it's dangerous!"

She shook her head. "Pass the string from up there and tell us when to let go. It's that simple."

Sandy put his hands on the few rocks on his sides, gulping.

"Someone's gotta make sure that dream of yours works out, Sandy." Judy flashed him a quick smile. "Remember what you told me back then?"

Sandy stepped back, breathing in. The downpour gathered enough water beneath his feet to form a small pool on a few of the indents. Alas, though, the Great Weapon veiled in the very middle, and at the highest point where a few dark footsteps seemed to tread down.

Sandy vowed to focus on the lights, or lack thereof, in front of him. Gleaming, a hope shining through the dark sky and the demons gathering in the street. Still so little, but the perfect chance was surely there to come.

A chance not to only prove yourself, but make something out of what others gave you.

Sandy put his hands on the bow, before breathing out.

"So, this is it." he thought, beaming, as silence managed to peek out. "The view from the top."

He stared out, instinctively reaching his hand out. Everything seemed so insignificant in hindsight. Yet, every single thing told thousands of stories. Tales, which could one day reach the same heights he stood on.

Sandy pulled on the string, and the spear moved slightly, yet, he gave in every ounce of strength. Putting one leg behind, he managed to drag it so far, that Judy saw his struggle, and soon, the pull was passed onto the next, while nobody else let go.

There was one chance.

Meanwhile, the footsteps he ignored told of a different story. Pushing through the forests of Talin, Leiru stopped, extending his hand to the nearby, powerful army.

They all stood in a dome-like path, where the trees created this circular corridor, with steep mossy rises at the sides. Here and there, a Lignorian squirrel passed by or a sparrow sat on one of the branches, singing songs towards the few people hiding in the thick bushes, holding their breath next to the demons.

Katha and Ronpi trembled and barely managed to breathe under Bunmo's chokehold.

"We found them!" Tabus raised his voice, pushing on Ronpi's hand and flailing him around.

Leiru stared. The demons started gathering again, but not before he raised his hand again.

The demon put his hand on Ronpi's chin, as his one open eye turned to Katha, who seemed to be scanning something in the distance, through the birch leaves above that shrank in size or disappeared completely, at first revealing the monotonous, grey sky, and then, something at the top of a mountain. She clenched both hands before Bunmo's grip tightened.

Leiru chortled, moving away for a moment before treading around the perimeter. "So, what was the answer?" he asked.

Ronpi ground his teeth, glancing at Katha, as she slowly nodded. "We- We ran away."

"Much like last time, and you were punished for it. I've been looking for you since then." Leiru shook his head. "Not because I thought you deserved to stand in that same place again." he shook his finger. "Our plans have changed."

Katha gulped, her head moving left and right. Dark hooded figures moved through the forests, sticking their hands out and pointing towards something in the middle, that grew below the siblings' feet.

Leiru stood still as if expecting an answer.

"What... plans?" she asked.

"Ones that would greatly benefit from the involvement of someone like you." he smiled. "I have to admit, I didn't think you had it in you. To act upon bravery, and take the chance when it shines. Spotless in front of your mind and perhaps as clear as the day can get. Although, it is still raining." he snickered, taking the Ancient Bow out of a sheath. "What a funny coincidence."

Leiru was surprisingly calm. Katha focused on many things at the same time. Ronpi squeezed something near his pocket, while Tabus dug his finger into his shoulders.

"I'm not angry. I'm appalled by your actions." Leiru uttered. "A cowardice that leads to strength. Something... so bizarre, and exactly the power we need."

Bunmo smiled, while the other demons started nodding. The gathered Wakon never moved, and something shuffled below Katha's legs. A vine grew from a few branches beneath her, climbing around her shin, before silently reaching her palm.

Leiru took a step forward, putting both hands below their chins. "So what do you say, dear children? Why don't we leave this halved axe behind and start again? To give you that one last chance to make things right."

Leiru grinned, squinting his eyes, almost passing the bow into their hands.

"You know the enemy. You know where it hurts the most." Leiru muttered. "You know where to strike."

Ronpi gulped, before turning to Katha as if expecting an answer from here. Every other demon present did the same, staring.

Instead of adding another word, she chuckled and stuck her tongue out.

In the next second, something snapped behind her, as a spear grew out from her grip and pierced through Bunmo's stomach.

Stepping to the side, she threw it towards Tabus, as Ronpi ground his teeth and chucked the few colourful stones he still carried in his pockets right in Leiru's face.

The two stepped away, waiting before Katha haphazardly grabbed Ronpi's hand and made a chaotic run for it.

Leiru screamed out, as he shot the arrow out towards his children. Ronpi swang his arms forward, panicking, while Katha focused on the light in front of her.

"Glad you caught onto that!" she yelled out.

"How didn't they notice?!" Ronpi asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not willing to take chances. Screw those guys already!"

"Wh-what's the plan now?"

"Keep running!" she shouted, as a loud sound came from the back, followed by a demonic scream, unlike the ones the imps and devils could create.

The plan, unknowingly, turned into sprinting away from the massive onslaught.

The history of this small forest connecting Talin and the other side of Mokota told of the same stories. Its paths were formed at first, by the river, and then by the people, running away from its massive waves.

***

Koyote swung her weapon, without a word added. It missed the Serpigo's body, before she continued slamming, even though it parried every move or outsped her.

She stared out from the shadow cast by her hat, raising the weapon and slashing through the air. Even stopping time didn't prove beneficial, as it now flew above, and out of her reach.

Before she could attack again, it dove right in, sticking its grimy hand out and placing it on her neck. Koyote pushed away, flailing and falling, before kicking the cross with her legs and launching across the cobble towards its spinning point.

Using the moment, she raised it, pushing its end into the dark sheets from below.

The Serpigo screamed as a streak of blood appeared on Koyote's face. The creature flew, while chanting came out from the sides, turning into this strange choir.

The woman stood, before taking good luck at the circle of Wakon, gathering at the sides.

"Once again with this bullshit," she raised the cross before trying to slam it to the ground, while the Serpigo came grabbing her by the shoulders.

Koyote struck, and the Serpigo crashed through a different building while she appeared elsewhere, catching her weapon midflight. She drifted, slamming into the choir.

One hit led to the few getting pushed away, while the others seemingly dropped this demonic act, and bloody hands started attacking the woman. Vile scratches, screams and even headbutts with the thick, animal skulls.

Koyote threw one against the other, or swiftly punched and kicked, with a heavy breath.

The Serpigo started circling her again. Then, it dove down, with a quick snap to the side allowing Koyote to punch the cobble below with her fist.

"Come," she uttered, taunting the enemy. The Serpigo moved around his damaged army, pushing the Wakon before attacking Koyote. This time, though, it was faster, as with every hit received, it grew stronger.

In turn, though, Koyote grew angrier and more restless each time a new wound formed on her already scarred body. The Serpigo flew, chucking Koyote across walls, and then she came flashing in again, trying to strike. Each time though, it came parried, and its grimy hands battled her.

Flying above the Soma Area, their fists locked for a minute, as the matte black started overtaking her bodily functions. Her legs froze before she hung off the invisible cloth, with her cross tumbling.

Koyote let go, blood combining into a cough, before managing to land on the cross. It emanated a red aura, before she flashed up again, finding herself above the Serpigo, as its head turned. She dove, missing the opportunity.

Her eyes shrunk in anger. "Again." she thought, as two blinks flashed and there she was again, up above the sky with a faster reaction.

The Serpigo took the same route, but Koyote bounced off of nothing, hitting its head with the top of the cross, as it got stuck on a gooey, black substance that turned into a thick shadow, consuming the weapon.

The Serpigo flew forward, screaming and almost deafening everything in the area. A small explosion came, and there she was, tossed into the trees while the creature spun around its axis and dove towards the prize.

It dug through the ground, ruining all its flowers and pushing Koyote ahead. She coughed in pain when her back hit the cobbled ground, but her head was raised when the two crashed into the bridge.

She stuck her hand out, pushing it into the cross, continuously repeating the same motion, before she reappeared on the side again, and the Serpigo flew into the Odre river, with a scream permeating the area.

Its fond blackness disappeared before a dark flash trimmed down with the rain. Koyote fixed her hat, standing up and breathing haphazardly.

"A-Amazing." Someone uttered, and she turned, with half-closed eyes. They met a Paladian, shaking lightly, with ruined clothes and blood seeping out of various wounds. She focused on the others as well, an almost small group of humans gathered around the bridges leading into Oldenklow.

The castle seemed like a deathly dungeon at this point, and its surroundings either spoke of imps trying to pry into the various, closed houses or catching the few people on the streets trying to make a run for it.

"Hide somewhere," Koyote uttered, sticking her hand out.

***

Atomu readied his sword, staring at the copy, as its nails grew in size. The other grinned, staring up as a shadow never unveiled its eyes. It started running, much faster than before.

The Paladian stepped back, moving the sword up, but Chyuuichi slid below his legs, striking from the back. Atomu turned too, but a big wound appeared on his back, resulting in a halved scream as he struck forward, in anger.

A quake appeared, but the creature kept jumping above each rumble. Atomu stared, grinding his teeth, as it flew upwards, creating a stream of ice moving down. The Paladian hit, almost letting the weapon choose for him. Its blade crashed with Chyuuichi's fist, as both sides kept pushing harder with each passing second. Atomu raised his voice, and his leg moved into the cobble. One final hit resulted in him launching Chyuuichi forth, as the body crashed into a nearby gate.

Atomu breathed out. He sprinted forward, and Chyuuichi came back, now rapidly striking with his claws like a wild animal.

Another ground attack revealed a quake moving to the gate and sending Chyuuichi flying. The weapon surrounded itself with a reddish aura, and the open eye almost targeted the thing on the other end. Chyuuichi trod, before ducking down.

He smashed the ground with his fist, flying up. Atomu's eyes followed as the copy surrounded itself with a windy tornado, transforming into something else. There it came, in the form of none other than Sam.

Yet again, though, Atomu couldn't see its eyes. He moved the weapon to the side and slid back upon impact, as Sam crashed with a roll and readied his fists. The Paladian breathed out, shaking and pointing his weapon forward.

"It's not Sam," his eyes shrunk, as Knrhum's eye stared at the target in front of him. Sam, however, stayed still, clenching his fists with a strange grin.

He raised his hand, swinging it around. The Paladian sensed it, from behind this time. With a quick turn, he dodged an attack from the demon army in the back and sliced through one of the weaker imps. Atomu rolled and stared at Sam, who continued the same motion, controlling the horde of sheep.

Atomu had no time to rationalize each move. The onslaught was relentless.