Every second that passed since Stolas left Stella alone in his office felt like an entire agonizing hour of uncertainty. She was no fool. The moment she arrived back home, Stella knew there were going to be consequences for her actions. The look of hatred in the eyes of Blitzo's daughter, his employees, and her husband made it clear that they wanted her dead. Even Reginald was looking at her with disdain instead of the calm and respected glance he'd give.

Not that it was any less than what Stella deserved. In her mind, she was just lucky to still be breathing. All she could do was hope that Stolas and his friends successfully saved Blitzo from his fate and stopped the madness Stella's mother had been planning. After that? Well, she didn't know. Stolas made it clear that a divorce was on its way and that her mother and brother were not long for this world. While a deep part of her wept for her family, it was clear they were going down a path that would ultimately lead to destruction, and she didn't want to follow. No, they had made their own graves to lie in, but Stella would mourn for them when it was all over.

Yet the one thing she wanted, now more than anything, was to see her precious daughter. The moment Stella hatched Octavia in this world, she swore she would do everything to make her dear owlet happy and safe. It was the main reason why she betrayed her husband and kidnapped Blitzo. If it was just her husband, or even both of them, alone facing the consequences for Stolas' illegal actions with the imp, then maybe she wouldn't have gone so far as she did. But the thought of Octavia suffering from it? Her entire future ruined because her husband couldn't think with his brains instead of his cock? No, that she would rather die before letting it happen.

The door slowly opened, and Stella lifted her head to see if Stolas had returned. Instead, her gullet started to choke up upon seeing Octavia enter. She walked in silence, but the young owl demon's expression was one of utter fury directed at a paling Stella. Her demonic aura was starting to spread, and every step forward only made it increase.

Gulping, Stella got up from her seat and walked over to her daughter. "Octavia, I-"

She didn't get a chance to finish because Octavia, her little baby, smacked her across the face so hard it forced Stella to her haunches. Touching her red cheek, Stella felt a tooth nearly come out before looking up at the enraged teenager.

"How could you?" Octavia muttered as her talons clutched into a fist. She then roared so loud the windows nearly cracked. "HOW FUCKING COULD YOU?!"

"Octavia...please...I'm sorry..." Stella whimpered, but this did little to please her daughter.

"Sorry?! You're fucking sorry?! You know what that's worth?! Utter nothing!" Octavia screeched, pacing back and forth. "What the actual fuck were you thinking?! Why did you even do it?! Did you hate Blizo that much?! Did you hate Dad?! Were you that fucking jealous he wasn't screwing you that you had to go and kidnap my best friend's father and have him tortured?!"

"I did it for the family!" Stella shouted. She got up while leaking tears in her eyes. "I didn't want to see our family ruined! I did it for us! I did it for you!"

She tried to reach out for her daughter, but Octavia violently pushed her way. "For me?! Bullshit! You did it for yourself, you stupid bitch!"

"Octavia! I am your mother!" Stella shouted, gritting her teeth.

"YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER ANYMORE!" Octavia screamed so loud that this time the windows did shatter, as well as Stella's heart.

The elder owl demon gasped and froze on the spot, clenching her chest as her daughter glared at her while tears dripped from her eyes. Octavia, bitterly, turned away and hugged herself while muttering, "Dad may be an overprotective dork who has embarrassed me more times than I can count, but he always let me grow into what I wanted to be! He never complained about the friends I made or the things I do, even if they're not what someone in my status should be doing! Because he cares about my happiness!" Turning her head towards a nearby painting of the three of them smiling together in fancy clothing, Octavia sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I know you never approved of my friends or my actions, which were unbefitting a princess, but I thought you at least did it because you wanted what was best for me!"

She turned to her mother sorrowfully as she marched over to an equally crying Stella. "That alone made me trust you! Despite what you thought, I looked up to you! I thought you were strong, determined, and never let others stand in your way of doing what you wanted! That's what I always wanted to be like as a person. Even if it was not the direction you wanted me to go, I did want to be like you! I thought you at least understood that!"

"Octavia...I..." Stella closed her eyes and turned away. "I...I just..."

"Did you ever think once that Dad and I wouldn't be hurt by this? Did you even think about how Blitzo, Loona, Moxxie, and Millie would be affected by this?!" Octavia demanded. "I had to hold one of my best friends as she cried in fear of never seeing her father again! I've seen two brave imps risk their own lives to save their boss even when it nearly killed one of them! And that boss of theirs was willing to die to prevent his own kind, and dozens of others, from being wiped out by your sick and twisted mother! Yes, I did overhear that earlier!" A harsh laugh escaped from Octavia's mouth. "Everyone says that the lower races are selfish and disloyal scum who deserve to be mistreated, but I've seen proof that's a load of shit!"

Taking a few deep breaths, Octavia just shook her head. "I knew you didn't like them...but I never expected you to go so far as you did...I hate you. I hate you, and I will never forgive you."

"Octavia, please!" Stella threw herself to her daughter's waist. Lying on her knees, she sobbed into the still from her daughter. "I'm sorry! Please! I'm sorry, Octavia! Just tell me what I can do to make this right!"

Octavia slowly pulled away from Stella and coldly looked into her eyes. "The only thing I want is for you to leave and never come back. I never want to see you again, and I never want you to talk to me again. You're dead to me, Stella."

"Octavia!" Stella shouted, but her daughter was already walking across the room. "Octavia!"

She didn't stop crawling until she made it to the door, where they were shut and locked. Stella screamed and pounded on the door until she could no longer speak. Knowing that she had lost everything, the former princess and mother fell to the floor and wept alone in silence.

***

Moxxie was starting to run out of ammo, but thankfully there weren't many targets left to take out. Every enemy outside was dead, and Team 3 was reporting that they had cleared most of the rooms. Usually, Moxxie would feel some kind of guilty for having massacred an entire household. However, considering what they had done for the past few days to his family? Moxxie only wished he could have taken out more.

"Sir! I got a vehicle leaving the premise in the back!" one of the shadow guards alerted. "Looks to be an armored limo!"

"I see it! That's Lady Natasha's car! She's trying to make a break for it!" Grimbeak shouted. "Anyone got a shot?!"

Many 'negatives' were heard as Moxxie turned his scope towards the other end of the home, where a long black car was making tracks. "Damn! It's too far away!" Moxxie then got up while turning his face towards Grimbeak. "Can you fly me closer for a better shot?!"

"Can you hit a moving target in the air?" Grimbeak asked, eyebrows raised.

"I can and I will," Moxxie said, readying the chamber.

Nodding, Grimbeak levitated himself into the air with his mighty wings before grabbing Moxxie with his rear legged talons and taking flight. Moxxie gulped upon seeing just how high they were in the air, but he pushed his worries down to focus on getting their runaway. He honestly had never done something like this before. A shot like this was something only his Dad could make, but he wasn't going to let a single one of these bastards escape.

Moxxie rarely ever thought about his Dad's lessons on sniper training, but this time he felt like he had to. "Deep breath and calm yourself. The moment you agitate, the target is lost," Moxxie muttered to himself as he slowly took gasps of air in and out. "The heart is your most important muscle. It will be what decides if you are a sharpshooter or a loser with a gun."

He could feel his heart slowing down as Moxxie slowly took his Barrett M82 Rifle into his shoulder. "The rifle is not a tool. It is a part of yourself. Treat it as you would treat your dick. Carefully, and with pride. A single shot determines if you are a man or a pussy. Make the bullet your bitch and tell it who to fuck."

His hands pressed against the handle and grip, making sure he wasn't sweating to ruin the shot. Putting his eye near the scope, Moxxie continued to mutter, "Take notice of everything from the wind to your place on the ground. Adjust to find the perfect spot."

Noticing that he wasn't low enough, he told Grimbeak to go lower and then a little to the right. Moxxie made sure to ask Grimbeak to adjust his flight pattern every few seconds while focusing. "A split second is all it takes and when you have the moment..." The world seemed slow for Moxxie as he slowly read the path the car was going to take. "...take it."

A single shot sailed across the desert's scape before it found its target right on the right rear wheel. It exploded into bits of rubber as the car found itself suddenly jerking off its beaten path and heading straight for the cliff of the canyon. The driver tried to steer away, but it only made the car flip over a few times before going off the edge. Moxxie and Grimbeak landed right near it as they saw the expensive car slowly fall to its doom, crashing into the rocks before landing in a heap on the bottom.

"Hope they had insurance," Moxxie said, smirking.

"Car or life?" Grimbeak asked with a chuckle. He reached for his radio and said, "Car is down. Doesn't look like there are any survivors, but I want a team sent to the canyon to double-check. Over."

"Roger. This is Team 3 Squad Leader Beta. All rooms are clear, and all Tangos are down. Prince Stolas is just dealing with Lord Alexander. Over."

"Copy that. We're heading back."

Grimbeak then turned to Moxxie with a raised eyebrow. "Where did you learn to shoot like that? I've never seen anyone pull a shot like that in all my years."

Moxxie sighed before looking up at the moon. "I learned it from my dad. Only thing I ever got that was useful from him."

He turned around and started making his way back until, much to his embarrassment, Grimbeak pointed out, "You do know I can fly us there, right?"

***

Millie and Loona made sure to sweep every corner as they continued running down the prison cells' East Wing. So far, there had been no resistance, and it looked like the last of the guards had been the three they had dealt with previously. Millie bit her lip and hoped that Blitzo would be right at the end so they could get him the help he needed.

The two of them were about to make it to the final corner when suddenly a gunshot nearly took Millie's head off and forced the two to duck to the ground. She was about to fire her shotgun but froze upon seeing what the brown feathered owl demon was holding in his other hand while pointing a pistol at it.

"Move, and the fucking imp gets it!" the owl demon shouted, pressing the barrel against Blitzo's temple. Cursing, Millie kept her sights on the brown feathered asshole while Loona growled with her teeth showing. She took a moment to take a look at Blitzo and nearly dropped her gun in shock at the sight of her boss. The damage done to him was worse than she ever imagined. It almost looked like she was looking at a rotten red carcass instead of her cheerful and weird employer. The worst to look at was his expression. His mouth was foaming and bleeding black pus while his eyes rolled in the back of his head as tear marks cascaded down his face. Millie didn't know if this was from the parasite or some other horrible thing they had done to Blitzo.

"Drop him, or we'll kill you!" Loona shouted, aiming one of her M1911's at his face.

"Fuck that! He's my only ticket out of here alive!" The brown feathered owl shouted, sweating up a storm. "I already know you've killed everyone else! You think I'm going to trust you to spare me?!"

"We just want our boss," Millie said, narrowing his eyes. "If you let him go, we'll let you go. You have our word!"

"Bullshit! Imps like you never keep your word," The owl said, grinning like a mad man. "But you sure have nice tight assholes." Millie and Loona's eyes widened upon realizing what he meant, making the bottom of their stomachs sink down into a pit. The owl demon then licked Blitzo's cheek with a wink. "Like this guy, right here?! Tight as a fucking bolt nut. I made sure he liked it really good."

"You motherfucker!" Loona shouted, fur going wild. " I'm going to take that dick of yours and make you choke on it!"

"No! What you are going to do is drop your weapons and put your hands against the wall!" The owl demon shouted, nodding behind them. "You got ten seconds, or I just go ahead and blow his brains out!"

Millie looked at Loona, who was glaring back. The two knew they had to do something, but it had to be fast. There was only one thing that Millie could think of doing, and that took a significant risk. Still, what other option was there?

Millie winked at Loona, hoping the hellhound would trust her. Loona hesitated at first but then nodded and sighed. "Alright, fine. We'll do it."

The girls each dropped their weapons one by one, as well as their ammo clips. What the owl demon didn't see was Millie dropping her MP5 close behind her feet. Afterward, they slowly put their hands up. "Well? Let him go," Millie said, glaring at the asshole.

"Up against the wall! Face first!" The owl demon said, nodding to the stone wall behind them. Loona and Millie proceed to do so, but the latter quickly put her foot in front of her downed MP5. She then pretended to trip onto her knees. "Hey!" The owl pointed his gun at her. Millie quickly slipped one of her smaller throwing knives into her sleeve. "The fuck you doing?!"

"I tripped, okay?!" Millie said, holding her hands back up as she slowly got up. "I was just-"

Flicking her wrist, Millie threw the knife as fast as she could, aiming for the talons holding the gun. Her aim proved true as the dagger sank into the owl demon's flesh, causing him to drop the weapon and Blitzo as he gripped his arm. Millie made a dive for Blitzo, catching him before he hit the ground while Loona launched herself at the screaming owl demon.

Millie didn't bother to check the carnage that Loona was doing and instead checked to make sure the boss was still breathing. Sighing in relief, Millie activated her radio. "This is Millie! We got Blitzo! Teleporting to the hospital right now!"

She then turned behind her and shouted, "Loona! We need to move! Blitzo doesn't have much time!"

"On it!" Loona said as she got off her motionless prey while covered in blood and feathers. Once Millie felt Loona's paw on her shoulder, she shouted the name of the hospital, and the two disappeared in a blink of an eye.

***

Loona nearly lost her lunch upon landing face-first on the clean hospital floor. Yeah, it was official. She hated teleportation. Remembering her father's condition, she got up and somewhat relaxed upon seeing the doctors already taking Blitzo onto a stretcher where the nurses and aides got to work.

"Patient has an unstable heart rate! Check to see if it's from the stress of the nightmares or lack of blood. I also need fluids and nutrients prepared for him, stat! Give him that potion to neutralize the parasite, then I want him straight into surgery!" A tall classic looking devil figure shouted as he issued orders. The only difference he had from most was his face was like a demonic plague doctor's mask with a mouth that seemed to move with razor-sharp teeth.

Loona and Millie watched as they forced Blitzo to drink in a blue vial of smoking liquid before pushing him on his side. A second later, Blitzo's body began to convulse before puke out black and moldy contents that smelled like rotten acidic meat. A small worm-like thing was among the puke that the devil doctor quickly scooped up in a jar before closing. He handed it off to a small imp assistant. "Get this analyzed at the lab. Alright, people, let's move it!"

Placing Blitzo back on his back, the hospital staff began to drag his stretcher bed down the hall and through a set of double doors where an "Emergency Room" was labeled above. Loona rushed forward and shouted, "Wait!" The devil doctor stopped and turned to the worried daughter. "Is my dad going to be okay?!"

"We don't know," the devil doctor said, shaking his head. "I've never seen a patient look this bad save for Extermination Day. For now, just pray he'll be okay."

Loona fell to her knees, tears dripping down her eyes, as Millie walked over and put her hand on her shoulder. "Loona, we got him back. Now we just gotta hope..."

Nodding, Loona slowly got up and closed her eyes. She remembered when her father told her that he once did something no demon ever did when she was very ill. He prayed to God. Now, Loona was also doing the unthinkable and started praying to him as well. She didn't care what she had to do or what it took for him to listen, but the hellhound wanted that old man up there to listen to her prayer, just this once.

Or she was going to find a way up there and rip him a new one.

***

In all honesty, Stolas wasn't expecting much from Alexander, but he didn't expect it would be this boring and pathetic. The so-called proud and noble owl blueblood was running down the halls like his tail was on fire. Stolas decided to have a little fun by appearing before him with a simple teleportation spell, only to have little Alex scream and run away.

When Stolas heard that Moxxie and Grimbeak had taken care of Natasha's little escape attempt while Millie and Loona managed to finally get Blitzo, he knew it was time to end this. Everyone else was already dead save for one last worm he needed to squish.

Alexander had finally stopped running and collapsed from exhaustion at the entrance of the building. The entire place was littered with corpses of his servants, guards, tengu, and some of Stolas' own men, but not by much. Alexander, tears in his eyes, tried to look for another route to escape, but each pathway was blocked by a web of dark energy that Stolas conjured with his magic. Realizing that this was the end, Alexander turned around, where Stolas slowly moved through the halls with his entire body glowing with an ebony aura.

Lowering his head in defeat, Alexander threw his father's blade into the dirt and began to kotow. "Please! Spare me, Stolas! I-I-I didn't want to do it! Mother was the one who forced me! She and that friend of hers!"

Stolas's response was to push him off the floor and against the wall telepathically. Gasping, Alexander began to weep and beg even more. "I'll give you anything! All our wealth! Our contacts! Businesses and properties! You can have our ancient spells and knowledge! Even my father's blade! Just spare me! I beg you!"

"Really?" Stolas asked, pretending to be interested as he levitated the Angel Blade, Blue Sky, towards him. "You know, Octavia is technically the granddaughter of Malphas. It's only proper that she wields his blade as his heir."

"Y-yes! Octavia would be a lovely little princess with that bl AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Alexander found himself pierced against the wall as Stolas' spear, Gáe Bulg, found itself in his lower stomach. Spewing out blood, Alexander weakly lifted his hand towards a glaring Stolas. "Stolas...please...mercy...I'm...I'm...family..."

"Consider this a tearing of family ties," Stolas growled before taking the Angel Blade and using it to cut off Alexander's head. He watched as Alexander's essence escaped from his neck, screamed, and then was absorbed by the very earth of Hell itself. The fate of all demons that were permanently killed.

Sighing, Stolas felt his anger dim down as he slowly reached for his helmet and took it off to get some fresh air. Despite barely working up a sweat, he felt his feathers wet from experience and banished Gáe Bulg away while letting Alexander's body fall to the floor.

A few moments later, Reginald walked over and bowed before his master. "Everyone in the household is dead, Sir. We've lost a few of our own, but not many."

"Did we confirm Natasha's death?" Stolas asked, looking at the Angel Blade in his hands.

"We're sending a group to make sure, but Grimbeak believes it's near impossible to have survived the fall. Even if she did, she'd be too wounded to move," Reginald pointed out.

"Nevertheless, I want her, Alexander, and the rest of their staff in this house laid around inside the place. I want the bodies of our men returned back to the palace. I'll...tell their families personally they died, but I'll keep the nature of it a secret. Make sure to prepare their belongings to be sent to their homes and double the hazard and loss pay we normally give. If they request anything else, please let me know," Stolas said, running his talons through his feathers with his eyes closed. Guilt began to eat inside of him that his people died doing this, but they had all sworn to him, and he would honor their memories as best he could. "Once all the bodies are taken care of, I want it blown up. Make it so that there is no trace of anything left. I want the official story to be run as a gas leak that killed everyone here. I don't care who we bribe, just make sure nobody looks into this."

"Understood," Reginald said as he then took the blade from Stolas. "Now, my Prince, I think you and Moxxie should get to the hospital right away."

"...Reginald, be honest with me," Stolas asked, closing his eyes. "Is it wrong that I am doing this for one imp?"

"...Stolas, I have served you since you were born, and I have been by your side since your parents died," Reginald said, placing his hand on Stolas' shoulder. "You are the most precious person in my life, and I could never ask for a better master to serve. All I have ever wanted was for you to be happy and safe. Blitzo makes you happy, doesn't he?"

"...yes," Stolas answered with a small smile. "I've never felt more alive than when I am with him."

"Then I will serve him as I have served you because of that reason," Reginald said with a nod. "Now go. He needs you."

Stolas nodded and quickly ran out of the build via its entrance to find Moxxie. His heart no longer desired revenge or justice. Now it only wanted the one he loved with all his soul.

His Blitzy.

***

Natasha had no idea how she was alive, but she praised Satan for giving her a second chance. It took all her remaining strength to kick the door open, but she managed to do so with a bloody leg. Gasping for air, Natasha dragged herself out of her wrecked car and cursed upon feeling her body half broken and half maimed. Her entire feathery body was covered in blood, and she could feel her wings dislocated from the crash.

Natasha rested her back against the wrecked car with a grunt and tried to think of her next move. Despite the pain she was in, Natasha knew she had to do something before Stolas sent out a squad to check to make sure she was dead. He wasn't stupid to not check without proof.

"Fuck you...Stolas...fuck you...Stella..." Natasha spat as she thought about her accursed daughter with sinister thoughts. She had only discovered her daughter had escaped a mear half an hour before the attack, and it didn't take long to figure out who it was behind it. Stella had always been weak, and so had Alexander. If only her precious Malpha hadn't been taken from her by those damned Angels.

Natasha tried to get up, but even breathing was becoming a pain. Just as it seemed all hope was lost, she saw a figure walking down the canyon. At first, Natasha feared that it was one of Stolas' men but sighed in relief upon seeing her cloaked friend. She didn't know who he was or what he looked like, but Demon Lord Belial trusted him, and she trusted him in return.

The cloaked figure stopped in front of her and looked directly at her. "You seem to have fallen into a nasty situation."

"No shit, ugh!" Natasha grunted as she felt her kidneys nearly explode from moving. "Help me..."

"Your son is dead, as is everyone else in the house," He pointed out, which made Natasha's breath pause before she shook her head.

"It's...no matter...I will...avenge him..."

"No, I'm afraid your life ends here," The cloaked figure said as he wrapped his arm around her throat. She gasped as she looked down and saw the arm was that of human flesh, but twisted, torn, and covered in black tattoos that looked to be ancient. Red pulsing veins ripped through his skin while pulsing with energy she never felt before.

"Wh...gah...what is...this?!" She demanded, choking on her own blood. "We're...allies...Gah!"

"No," He answered with amusement. "You're just a pawn. Expendable and worthless now. To be honest, I didn't think we would get the book to begin with. The plan had so many flaws; it was laughable."

"Then...why?"

"Because I needed to know who had the book and how powerful he is. Now that I know for certain Prince Stolas has it, I have ways of getting it from him," The Cloaked figure said with an amused tone. "He's good, but I am far older and stronger than him. Still, I do need to play this carefully. So I and my real allies will be taking our time, and we can use the Grimoire of the World to finally make Heaven, Hell, and Earth true utopias without the fear of God getting involved."

"W-what? I don't..."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm just rambling. Allow me to give you your death now," The cloaked figure said as his eyes began to glow.

The twisted arm holding Natasha then began to pulse before she felt a pain unlike anything imaginable. She couldn't even scream as she felt something flowing through her veins like poison combined with lava. Natasha had felt the power of Hell and Heaven before in her life, but this power was something else. It was like feeling a sense of agony and doom, but greater than anything Hell itself could create.

This power and the pain behind it was ancient. Prime and raw with an undeniable feeling of death creeping down your shoulder. Hatred in its purest form. There was only one word to describe this horrible feeling: Cursed.

She looked down at her murder, and from the slightest glare of the moon above, Natasha could see whose hand she was going to die from. Her mouth opened in silent horror as she recognized him by... the mark.

The cursed mark that was given so long ago to one being in existence. Cursed to forever be damned beyond salvation. Natasha felt her mind exploding from the knowledge of who it was that stood before her. This being who was supposed to have died so long ago, and yet was breathing before her anew.

Before she could speak his name, every vein in Natasha's body exploded, leaving her a bloody husk of a body that was tossed into the desert sand. The cloaked figure wiped the blood off his fingers before opening up a portal to leave before the shadow guards arrived.

It was time to begin the next phase of the plan.