Jyuzou nodded, before standing up, with her help.

...and then, the isle hit another rock in the lava, slightly tilting forward. Jyuzou tumbled, holding onto the boulder, grinding his teeth and looking upward. The volcano was rapidly pulsating, either spewing massive balls of fire at the top or creating even bigger magma lakes in the distance.

What once was the red sky was now covered in dark clouds, although the crimson seemed to still peak through, signs of a thunderstorm, mixed with embers starting here and there kept the two hearts beating.

Jyuzou groaned, looking down at the massive rivers forming below, and finally, the first legs and hands of dried-out grasses and other passages moving towards Omer Narrows.

Jyuzou gulped before Genni's hand landed near his. A smile appeared on her face, one of courage.

Home or not, something is worth fighting for.

"On three," Genni muttered. "One, Two-"

Her words were suddenly interrupted by another explosion of sound and light from behind.

"Three!" Jyuzou grabbed her hand and jumped down, swinging his weapon out.

There they went, arm in arm, battling against the odds of the volcano's rhythm, while erecting their own. Their weapons seemed to work out a silent strategy and swung based on a whim or a thought that meant saving each other in such a scenario.

Running down slopes, avoiding crashing rocks or jumping over newly formed boulders were all done with the help of Jyuzou's wind whirls, pushing the two forward.

Pathfinding around the lava, dipping down the side and etching closer towards the ground was supported by Genni's boomerang, as it created paths or fused magma with the liquid and created new ones.

The rivers were bubbling, moving fast and building platforms for them to jump on and then immediately leap out of. One splash of lava was deflected with Genni's invisible shield, while the ground forced them to take flight, following the ghost sword in Jyuzou's hands.

As the magma poured out on dry land and eventually crept into bigger fires surrounding the crater, the two looked back, huffing, brushing sweat off their faces, but after a while, smiling at each other.

"Come on!" Genni said, pushing Jyuzou forward, and the two continued running towards Omer Narrows, following the distant noises pushing against all the shakes and fidgets of the eruption.

The same could be said about the citizens of the town itself, as a few raised voices sounding concerns managed to sneak above the music.

"What's kartenly?" one asked.

"Mann nah know!" the other shrugged.

"The volcano..." Kanuya spoke, squinting her eyes. "The eruptions were gidi this calcim." she shook her head.

"Miss Kanuya!" one of the citizens shouted. "What's kartenly?"

"Nah clue," she muttered. "But... something strange, for sure." she scanned around the festival attendees. The music went abruptly quiet, matching the fading, earlier-strong emotions associated with the yearly party.

The clock almost struck midnight as well. Through fervour, the citizens continued to ramble, almost as if completely reliant on the women's announcement. Kanuya stood proudly, while the other four surrounded her, whispering to each other.

Everything concerning fun and games instantly froze for one simple reason. The eruptions were never this severe.

This time, it was sudden and abrupt, and the lava levels were continuously rising and spouting more and more. A river of magma flew down the mountainous landscape, burning down trees that stood in the middle of nothing and moving towards Omer Narrows, with everyone's hopes being along the lines of "this can't be happening", even though, it was very real.

Throughout the next few minutes, people began evacuating, all the while, Olala, Ingo and Morio, were still walking around town and in between alleys, trying to find whatever attacked them.

No traces of Wakon or that thing which perfectly mimicked three people. Olala seldom thought back to Dakarai's silhouette and couldn't shake off a dreadful feeling.

Maybe it was too late already.

The girl huffed, putting both hands on the side of a building, not too far from one of the main streets. People started walking and chatting, without any music to back up the long-gone festivities, and the three quickly became worried as well. "What the hell is happening?" she shook her head, confused, turning to Morio and Ingo. "Why is the damn volcano erupting like crazy?"

Morio and Ingo only looked at each other, in added confusion.

"Where is Koyote? Jyuzou, Genni? Maybe they know something we don't?" Olala continued.

"I-I was meant to search for Genni when I sneaked out of the fortress." Morio nodded. "Then, both of us got," he scratched his head. "Distracted."

Ingo rolled his eyes, sighing, but couldn't necessarily deny Morio's words. "I guess so."

"Is there a reason why you searched for her?" Olala asked, furrowing her brows.

Ingo folded his arms. "She's been lying to us about something."

"Genni?"

"I just wanted to ask a few questions." Morio gulped. "We talked back in the Einar Apartments, and..." Morio stared at the ground for a second, then at Ingo, and back to Olala.

"What did you talk about?" Olala took a step towards him and in turn, Morio took one back. "We have to understand before things get any worse."

"Frisks." Ingo spouted from behind his teeth.

Morio clenched his jaw, shaking his head.

"Damn it, Frisks!" Ingo pushed on his shoulder. "Stop being a wimpy bitch and spill the beans already!"

Morio pushed him back, and Olala observed, seldom peeking back at the craters in the distance.

"I don't understand it either, okay?!" Morio raised his voice. "It doesn't concern anything with that damn volcano!"

Olala stared, not budging.

"Then what is it?!" Ingo inched closer. "What is she afraid of?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Morio screamed. "I WANT TO KNOW TOO! I WANT TO STOP BEING THIS WEAK AND KNOW-"

"OI!" Olala yelled out, and the two abruptly halted any of their spouted words.

The three looked at each other, before subtly turning to the right. Everything went silent.

Olala shook her head again, stepping out of the alley and onto the main street.

It was empty. The lights which shone so brightly just a few seconds ago disappeared behind half-open storefronts, ajar doors and papers, carried by a warm wind. There were no traces of people either.

Silence.

Despite all that, the volcano was still active, and the only break inside the hush.

Ingo ran out from behind. He furrowed his brows, his eyes meeting the tree standing atop a few stairs, in front of an empty church.

"What the hell?" he huffed. "There were Harans here, just a few seconds ago."

"It's that thing again, screwing us up," Olala muttered.

"Wakon?" Ingo asked.

"Whatever it is," she answered.

Ingo nodded, and looked back and forth, before raising his voice.

"Oi!" he walked around. "Is anyone there? Oi-"

His words were cut off by a large clock, hanging off a big, stone, red-roofed building. The arrows met right on twelve.

Olala moved back a little.

It didn't seem right, especially now, but if everyone was gone, where was Dakarai in all of this?

Something was amiss, and finding out the truth concerning everything, including him, was part of the plan. Olala ground her teeth, and Ingo glanced back at her.

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Ingo asked. "Fight them?"

"No," she shook her head. "This isn't something a Demonear can fight. I know demons, Ingo," she uttered. "They can't warp reality to their liking, even if they tried. This is something that-"

"But Koyote can. We have to find her." Morio muttered.

Olala breathed in. "Koyote...?" she asked, weakly.

"If it ain't our weak ass selves, then it must be her." Ingo looked forward, gulping. "We have to make it to the fortress."

"What if she isn't there?"

"Then we'll wait, damn it!" he stomped.

The volcano continued erupting, spouting even more fires in the distance. The lava rivers started climbing atop hills and burning through the small open caverns.

Ingo was right, after all. If it wasn't going to be the three of them, it was Koyote.

Surely, she'd know how to fix it.

Olala breathed out, turning to the alley. "Morio? What are you slacking for? Come on!"

Her voice echoed back to her.

The alley was empty.

"Frisks!" Ingo took a furious step in. "The fortress, did you hear us?!" he put his hands around his lips. "Don't get pissy with me! Weakness or not, we have to fight for the same-"

A growl sounded on the right-hand side of the junction. Ingo's eyes widened, as the noise was followed by a dark figure, emerging from the already hushed and gloomy street. Its skinny, black hands came out of something that could only be described as a void, and the sight struck fear into his heart.

One step in turned into one back, and an unsure glance at Olala, who was also keen on seeing something that shouldn't necessarily be seen.

The bony hand ripped its sharp fingers into the stone, and eventually, its hooded head came out as well.

It turned to the two.

Olala and Ingo looked at each other. That one second could've cost them their entire lives if it wasn't for another otherworldly screech emerging from its mouth, and... body.

It didn't look human or demonic.

One tap of its finger led to the building it trod next to being sliced in half, and the brick almost hitting Ingo's face.

But in the face of fear, there was no other answer. Olala wanted to run. Ingo wanted to run. But there was no running.

Ingo ground his teeth, sinking one tooth into his lips, his hands gripping tightly around the club, and he struck at the ground before him, creating a crack that only seemed to propel the creature further ahead.

It came right towards him, grabbing his neck, pulling up and throwing him elsewhere.

Olala screamed out. With its head tilted, it reached out towards her body, but somehow, miraculously, she was faster.

Its fist struck the ground and created an even bigger explosion than the one Ingo attempted to make. Olala was thrashed to the side and slid across a wall, before crashing into the cloths spread across various alleys.

She coughed out blood, before looking at the sheets.

The creature started moving again, each step swaying to the side.

She wasn't strong enough to fight it. There was no Koyote that was going to save her. There was no home to run back to if that thing wasn't already destroyed by some other, otherworldly being. Her hands sunk into the sheet and...

"Sheet?" Olala thought, looking at her own hands, before the sounds of the people screaming, and running from something in the distance eventually came back to her. There was no ruined building, no other crack in the floor, except for the one that Ingo created.

Olala stood up and stared right into its void-like head.

Ingo screamed out, thrashing in from the side, as the club made contact with its body.

Much like the sheets she crashed into, it collapsed to the ground, but only momentarily. One blink, and she was back in the hellish realm where everything formed an imperfect scenario.

"It's not real," she muttered. "It's not real!"

Ingo moved back, still proudly holding his weapon. He soared in the air, spinning on nothing, as his club conjured a small tornado that flew through the street and carried the Serpigo elsewhere.

Olala ran out from the stand. "Ingo, it's not real-"

"The wounds are real!" Ingo muttered. "The pain too, it's bloody real!" he smirked. "You can't fight it, but I damn will!" he yelled out. "Run, Olala!"

"It's lying to you!"

Ingo pushed the woman away, as the Serpigo soared back, much like an arrow, continuously striking at Ingo's heart.

Olala ground her teeth, and slowly stood up, raising herself on both hands. "The fortress." she stared at Ingo, who managed to land another hit, and in turn, create ruins of what already was ruined. "I'll be waiting for you there, Ingo!" she nodded, before turning around. "Don't trust it!"

***

Jyuzou and Genni breathed in and out, heavily, standing at the top of the stairs eventually leading down into Omer Narrows.

"Everyone's leaving," Genni commented, sitting down. "They're running away from the lava." she shook her head.

Jyuzou trembled, squinting his eyes, and fixing his glasses.

"Go down to the fortress, remember?" she asked. "How is that supposed to protect us from the magma, storming in? If something like that even happens..."

"It's not about the volcano, Genni," Jyuzou spoke. "Mrs Koyote warned us of something else. Whatever it is, w-we're supposed to avoid it."

"...as long as I remember, once you're dead, that's it." Genni shook her head. "The thing we should be worried about is natural, and not imaginary, Jyuzou. You'd know better, right?"

"But Demons are different!" Jyuzou stood up. "I'm sure as hell that the Wakon and Swannes leader was nothing along the lines of natural."

Genni's eyes widened. She questioned Jyuzou's reactions and Koyote's yells, but things slowly made sense. The person, serving both sides of the same coin, meant something to her, and Jyuzou knew more too. He seemed worried but determined to make the right choice.

"I wish to just take out a book and find an answer to all those questions, but I can't," Jyuzou explained. "Something like this would never-"

He stopped.

"Would never what?"

Quickly, he put the bag on the ground (earlier found amidst the ruins of the volcano), and searched for a good few seconds, scanning through pages, before landing on one he read back in Shimori, with his back perched up on a white willow.

He looked down at the town, and into the book again.

"Serpigo," he read in his mind. "Creatures unrelated to demons, humans or any other animals."

Something that would perfectly fit the description of the black mass floating through the streets of Omer Narrows, leaving black gloom around every building it touched, as it slowly, but surely crumbled, consumed by the void. Genni stared in shock and then turned back to Jyuzou.

The longer he stared into Genni's eyes, the less sure he was, and the more fearful she became.

"What is that?" she asked, shaking her head.

"A Serpigo," he muttered, weakly. "It's..." his voice grew shaky. "It almost killed all of us, in Shimori, back when..." he stuttered. "W-When..."

Remembering that day felt like living through another nightmare. He didn't only think about Shimori and the Demonear test, but the attack in Morta as well. It happened twice, Morio's life was close to being taken, only for him to battle against the odds and come out victorious.

There was no Morio, though. If that wasn't it, what was the bloody thing searching for, anyway? It looked different than the one which chased them down. Its robes were layered, and its structure too, seemed to resemble something closer to a human.

...and that feeling of unsureness, which always came with the Serpigo. That everything that once was hope in this world immediately faded.

"Ghai sun..." a demonic whisper sounded from the back, and Jyuzou slowly turned, holding onto Genni's hand instinctively. "Hat khuu mai san..."

There wasn't just one Serpigo. There weren't even two.

There were four.