Only one demon remains, but it's the most feared and powerful of them all. And, his opponent awaits. Neela takes on Aidoneus in the final battle to determine it all. It's demon vs. demon in this ultimate showdown, and boy, will all of you be on the edge of your seats. And boy, do I have something totally unexpected planned for you all. Just you wait, because I've been planning this for a long while. And it's time I reveal it. And, speaking of revealing, in case you missed the little bit at the end of the last chapter, I told everyone what my next series is going to be based on! It's the highly popular and recent hit anime, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba! Now, let's get right back into the story! Enjoy!

-POV: Neela-

Night had fallen upon the land of Melromarc. And, as both sides have become nearly depleted, our greatest enemy finally reveals himself. I now stand before the demon king, Aidoneus, the creature who caused all the pain, all the tortures, all the darkness within our world. He's the very reason why I myself am turning into a demon. So i'm going to be the one to finally put him down for good.

"Can you feel it, child?" Aidoneus asked me as we both floated in front of one another in the sky. 

"Feel what?" I asked him. 

"The dark power flowing through your veins. It belongs to my eldest, Sefira. And yet, you are resisting it, keeping control of your body, mind, and even your heart. It is very disappointing. I was hoping that the power would corrupt you and I would reunite with my fallen daughter. But this world is not fair. And so, I have no choice now. You must die." Aidoneus said as he gripped his serrated katana in both oh his hands. And, in response, I ignited my hands in my black flames. 

"I am no daughter of yours, Aidoneus. There is only one person in this world who can be my parent, and that is my mother, miss Ayuma, the axe hero." I said to him as he chuckled a bit.

"Weak mother, weak daughter. But, I shall be kind and end both of your lives. Then the two of you will live together always in the after life." Aidoneus said as he began to approach me. 

"You're wrong, demon king. My mother will live forever, and I will strike you down here and now. This night will be your last!" I shouted as I flew straight for him, bearing my flaming hands down onto him

"YOU'LL BURN IN HELL!!!" We both simultaneously roared as we clashed. Aidnoeus swung his sword while I smashed my flaming hands into it. At first, we seemed equally matched in strength as neither of us were able to push the other back. But, it became clear quite quickly who was the superior of the two. 

"You're unfit to wield Sefira's mighty powers!! No one can uphold her dignity and might!!! She is lost for all eternity, so I will ensure the same fate is brought upon the ones who slayed her!!!" Aidoneus shouted as he let go of his sword with his left hand and reached up to my head. He grasped onto one of my horns and pulled me in closer to him. He then stabbed me in the chest with a spike he had just formed on his left knee. I screamed as he then threw me aside. I still remained in the air but that attack felt like all my insides were beginning to contort on me. 

"This pain.... it hurts even more than when miss Ayuma struck me." I said as I held my chest to try and hold on my screams of agony. 

"Of my four children, Sefira was my strongest, having the abilities of corruption and overwhelming strength. Next to her was my first son, Rhia who possessed the ability to absorb an enemy's attack and increase his physical power. After him was my second son, Kovas. He contained the power of self-regeneration, allowing him to shrug off almost any attack without worry. And then finally was my youngest, Erines, who had the ability of shapeshifting. I molded each and every one of them into my image and I wished for nothing more than to rule with them by my side. But you and the newest cardinal heroes had to step in my way. Sefira believed she could handle them all by taking over the strongest of the heroes, the woman who wields the axe. And watching her plan unfold, I believed she would succeed. However, you and the human kings interference caused my Sefira to lose her life. Her soul may live on within you, demi-human, but even I know you'll never let her take over." Aidoneus said to me in a sad tone as the pain was finally starting to subside. 

"This Sefira and the rest of your children have fallen by mine and the rest of the heroes hands. Face it, you cannot win this war now. So please, just give up and flee from here while you still can. At least then you can walk away from this with your life." I said to the demon king as he slowly shook his head. 

"All of my efforts, all of my hard work, all the time and hardships my children went through to make all of this happen, I cannot abandon it now. The only course for me to take now is to fight and to win. No one, not even you or the heroes will stand in my way of glo-." Aidoneus tried to say as suddenly, several huge metal arrows flew into view and struck Aidoneus in the right side of his chest. 

"Had all of this pain and suffering before today not have happened, I may have actually felt sorry to hear that your children are all dead. But that is not the case now. You, your children, and the forces you have brought from the other worlds invade my home. Our home. And it is our job to defend it from all who would try and take it away. Prepare yourself, demon king, because now you face the king of Melromarc!" Alex roared as he came flying up to me on a metal platform.

"So, the mighty king of light reveals himself to me. So young, so bold, and yet, your sheer bravery is undeniable. I respect you as a man and a warrior, king Alexander. But, this will be your final battle." Aidoneus said as he readied his sword. And, at the same time, Alex created his own out of his ball of gold and silver. 

"No, demon king. I and the rest of the ones I love will live to see another day. But the same cannot be said for you. It's you who will fall by our hands." Alex said as he pointed his blade at Aidoneus. The two then brought their blades above their heads as they stared one another down with intensity. 

"Neela, are you ready?" Alex as me as he gave me a quick glance. I responded with a confident nod as I prepared myself to fight as well. The pain in my chest was nearly gone now so I was feeling much better now to continue.

"Yeah. We face him together." I said to him as he also gave me a nod. 

"That's right. Because together, we won't lose to anyone who stands in our way." Another person said as they flew up to us. We both looked down and saw miss Ayuma flying up to join us in our fight. She must've left Cry and Tetsa with Krystal to be healed and then rushed back here to help us.

"Our family, finally together once again. Let's show him the power we share when we fight as one!!" Miss Ayuma shouted as we cheered with her. 

"The hybrid demi-human, the king of Melromarc, and now, the strongest of the five cardinal heroes. The three of you are indeed worthy of being a mighty challenge before myself. Our battle shall be legendary!!!" Aidoneus roared with pride as he flew for us. 

"Let's take him down!!! One final battle to end it all!!! And we'll emerge victorious!!!! NOW CHARGE!!!!" Miss Ayuma roared as the three of us rushed Aidoneus.

"Grand Dark Saber!!" Aidoneus shouted as his black katana began to emanate a dark aura. He brought it to his right side as he approached Alex first. The two swung their blades at each other but, as they made contact, Aidoneus effortlessly cut through Alex's. Alex was caught off guard and Aidoneus went on to deliver a massive punch to his face that sent him falling off his metal platform. 

"Cobalt Eagle!!" Alex shouted as he created his huge metal bird from one of the balls within his pocket. He then grasped onto the back of the bird as it took flight, saving him before he could hit the ground.

"Soaring Thunderbird Axe!!" Miss Ayuma shouted as her axe changed forms, now allowing her to wield thunder and lightning as she swung her weapon at the demon king. She unleashed a wave of thunder at him which struck him right on his left side. But, Aidoneus shrugged off the assault and blew away the smoke around him, whilst simultaneously swinging his katana at miss Ayuma. She went to block it but the force of his swing was so massive that he sent her flying backwards in the sky. 

"My turn then!!! As source of thy power, I order thee!! Decipher the laws of nature and burn down all foes with the flame of the black demon who dwells within me!! Deathly Hades Geyser!!!" I screamed as I flew right up to Aidoneus and held both of my hands in front of him. I blasted him at point blank range with my black fire and I sent him crashing down to the ground.

"Despite not possessing her full capabilities.... this demi-human has such mastered control and the power Sefira once had. She is indeed a threat to me, but also one to her comrades. If she is not careful, then she may plant her own demonic seeds within them." Aidoneus thought to himself as myself, Ayuma and Alex gathered together again. 

"Like you said, Ayuma, together as one!!" Alex shouted as he brought out his ball of titanium and turned it to liquid before us. 

"I see what you want to do. Alright, let's give it a shot!!" I said as Ayuma added her electricity to the metal. And, I did the same with my black fire. 

"As source of thy power, we order thee! Decipher the laws of nature and combine our elements into a grand attack that has no equal!!! Magic Combine: Molten Annihilator!!!" All three of us roared at the same time as our magics came together and unleashed a huge silver, yellow and black beam of energy down at Aidoneus. 

"As source of thy power, I order thee! Decipher the laws of darkness and engulf my target in a void in which there is no escape from!!! Space of Inescapable Death!!!" Aidoneus shouted as a huge black circle appeared above him. It swallowed up our mighty attack like it was nothing before disappearing, leaving us in a stalemate.

"He's not like the one before. An attack like that most likely would've blown away the demon we all fought before back in Cal Mira, but their king is in his own league. This will take everything we have and more to defeat him." Alex said as we all agreed with him. 

"As source of thy power, I order thee! Decipher the laws of nature and rain down thunder and lightning on my target!!! Grand Bolt!!" I shouted as the clouds above us gathered together. I shot my arm down, making it point at Aidoneus as the clouds unleashed a massive thunderbolt that crashed into the demon king.

"Away with this annoyance, demi-human. You've acquired the powers of a demon. At least be smart enough to use them." Aidoneus said as I could see he was blocking my attack with the blade of his sword. But, as the demon king was busy defending himself from my attack, Alex had flown down to the ground with his eagle and was running straight for the enemy. 

"As source of thy power, I order thee! Decipher the laws of nature and grant me the power to withstand any blow! Shining Knight!!" Alex roared as all his metals came together over his body, creating a mixed armor of different metals over him. He then bashed into Aidoneus, tackling him and making him fall over. 

"Ayuma! Neela!! Hit him now!!! Don't worry about me!!! I'll be fine!!!" Alex shouted to us as we went along with his plan without a second thought. Miss Ayuma then swapped to her Dragon Heart Axe as we both prepared to use our full strength. 

"As source of thy power, we order thee! Decipher the laws of creation and merge into a blaze that burns down all who stand in its path!! Magic Combine: Burning Dragon's Hellfire!!!" The two of us screamed at the same time as we unleashed our mighty fire attacks. They came together into one almighty blaze that crashed down and struck both Alex and Aidoneus. Only, once the flames engulfed them, Alex pushed himself off of Aidoneus so he could avoid majority of the attack. Meanwhile, Aidoeneus took the full force of our attack head on, roaring in pain as our flames exploded, engulfing him in the blast and smoke.

"Be on guard, Neela. I have a good feeling that wasn't nearly enough power to finish him for good." Ayuma said as I agreed with her. The two of us flew down to where Alex sat, and he just brushed off the flames that were on his metal armor. 

"You may be reckless, but at the same time, very courageous. It makes me so glad to know that you're my husband." Ayuma said as she helped Alex back up to his feet. 

"Thank you, de-" Alex tried to say as suddenly, a broken wall was thrown from within the smoke cloud. It smashed into Ayuma and sent her flying away. And, when she stopped, the wall landed on her legs, pinning her there for the moment as she screamed from the crushing pain. 

"Mother, no!!" I screamed as Aidoneus reappeared from the smoke, looking completely fine.

"Forget about me, just focus on the demon king!!" Miss Ayuma shouted as I turned back to see Aidoneus standing right in front of me. 

"That was much stronger than your attacks before. While you did combine your dark magic with the axe hero's attack, I could not feel hers in the slightest. Only yours, which means you delved into your inner strength. That's good. Open yourself up and allow that power to flow through your veins." Aidoneus said to me as he reached for me and grabbed onto my shoulders.

"Let go of h-" Alex tried to say but Aidoneus swatted him away with his right arm, smacking Alex and sending him flying through a nearby broken wall. 

"Father!!" I screamed in horror as Aidoneus tightened his grip on me.

"There is still hope for you yet, demi-human. Allow my daughter within you to take control of your body. Become her eternal host and rule this world by my side!! And, when I pass, this world and everything within it will belong to you and you alone!!!" Aidoneus spoke to me. 

"Like I've told you before, I will never give in to the dark power that dwells within me!! Sefira may have corrupted my mother because of her rage, but the same will not happen to me!! I will not succumb to your darkness!! I will not succumb to your hatred!! I am my own being!! I choose what path I take and I choose the path of light!!!" I screamed into Aidoneus' face as I began to create my own sword from the skin on my left arm. I pulled it out and it looked the same as Aidoneus' but only smaller. I then swung it at Aidoneus' left arm which held me but my blade simply bounced off his armor like it was nothing. 

"I understand now. From this point on, I will refrain from attempting to turn you. I see now that it is utterly pointless. It saddens me to say this but my true daughter really is gone. If you are indeed not relieving your body to her, then I have no use for you anymore. And, as such, you shall die, demi-human." Aidoneus spoke as he tightened his grip on me further, making the sound of bones breaking fill the air as I screamed from the pain. 

"Once this is all over, this world will be mine and I will restart everything. I'll spawn new children of mine, more powerful than the last. Together, we will cover this world in darkness and turn it into our image. No creature alive will be able to oppose us!" Aidoneus said as he forced me down to my knees. He then began kicking me hard in the face over and over again until I finally began to bleed.

"Let this be an example of what happens when you challenge the might of the demon knights!!! This demi-human hybrid challenged me to a battle to the death, so let her passing be seen by all who side with her as a grave warning!!" Aidoneus said as he let go of me with one of his hands and then pulled out his sword again. He raised it up and readied it to slay me but, before he could swing, miss Ayuma came back into action. She rammed herself and her axe into Aidoneus and knocked him away. 

"Are you alright, Neela?" She asked me as I noticed her legs were shaking. Blood was seeping out of her armor. 

"Your legs...." I said as she tried to walk over to me. But, she nearly fell over in the process due to her injuries. 

"They're fine, Neela. Can you stand?" Miss Ayuma asked me as I gave her a nod. I stood up and she then wiped some of the blood off of my head. She the held that hand over her axe for some reason. 

"What are you doing?" I asked her as she took a deep but nervous breath. 

"Taking a risk. One that may turn the tide of this battle." Miss Ayuma said as my blood on her hand dripped down onto her axe. Her axe absorbed the blood and then began to change shape. It took the form of an axe I was all too familiar with.

"Demon Axe!!" Miss Ayuma cried as she held up the mighty weapon, black and dark silver in colour, with veins all over and that sinister skull symbol on its face. Miss Ayuma did not change into her demon form like before, but her armor itself changed shape. It became even darker, symbols of darkness and evil emerged on all over, it grew sharp spikes all over, and a dark helmet appeared on miss Ayuma's head. Her hair still flowed through it but it turned a pitch black colour, as did her eye, and, her teeth grew into the shape of fangs

"RAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Miss Ayuma roared as a massive surge of power began to emanate from her body. She was breathing and grinding her teeth heavily, trying her absolute best to withstand the dark power within her. 

"Please, mother, endure the pain!! I know you can do it!!" I spoke to her as her breathing began to calm down. Her eyes changed back to normal as she nearly dropped to her knees.

"It..... worked...." Miss Ayuma said, sounding exhausted as Aidoneus rose back up to his feet.

"Is this what's become of the great axe hero? Having to resort to the power you tried so hard to resist, only to now accept it and potentially allow it to corrupt you once again. How sad." Aidoneus said as he began to charge us. 

"Stand back, Neela." Miss Ayuma said intimidatingly as she began to sprint for Aidoneus as well. The two neared each other and readied their weapons to strike. Aidoneus held his sword above his head with one hand as miss Ayuma held her axe close to her chest with its flat face forward.

"You will all fall!" The demon king shouted as he began to bring his blade down on miss Ayuma. But, before he could, miss Ayuma thrusted her axe forward, striking Aidoneus with its face right in the gut, sending him sliding backwards on his feet a bit. Aidoneus seemed surprised at first at the sheer force miss Ayuma just displayed from such a simple attack. 

"Did that hurt? I hope so. And here's some more!" Miss Ayuma shouted as she threw her axe at the demon king. 

"Begone!" Aidoneus yelled as he knocked the axe away from his by swiping it with his sword. But, miss Ayuma held her left hand out and called the axe back to her. It flew over and she caught it in her hand before going after the demon king again.

"Amazing...." I said in complete awe as Alex finally returned and stood next to me, watching miss Ayuma as she was more than a match for the demon king now. 

"She's simply incredible, isn't she? My wife.... your mother.... it makes me so glad that she came into my life. What about you?" Alex asked me as I gave him a nod. 

"Yes. Mother and Naofumi saved myself and Raphtalia from a life of slavery, and for that, I owe her my life. I'd do anything for my mother. And, i'm glad you came into my life as well, father." I said as Alex gave me a smile.

"You cretin!! You are bothering me!!! Die!" We heard Aidoneus shout as we saw him grab onto miss Ayuma's hand which held her axe. He then grasped her face with his other hand and squeezed tightly with both. He forced miss Ayuma's hand open, making her drop her axe from the pressure. He then raised her up by her head and slammed her down onto the ground on her back. Aidoneus then stepped down onto her chest and began stomping on her face with his other foot. 

"Come on, we have to save mother!" I shouted as we both went back into action. I went ahead and flew for Aidoneus, still gripping my own sword tightly in my hands as I brought it to my left side.

"As source of thy power, I order thee! Decipher the laws of nature and embody my target with a flame that burns through all in its path!! Black Goddess Flare!!" I shouted as the edges of my sword burst into flames. 

"THAT'S ENOUGH, AIDONEUS!! GET OFF OF MY MOTHER!!!" I screamed as I swung my blade at his right arm. He lifted it up to guard himself but by sword still made contact. I was able to break through his armor and cut into his skin but I was not able to chop off his arm. Aidoneus let out a roar of pain as he looked utterly stunned to see i'd hurt him. 

"You cut through my armor!? That shouldn't be possible, not even with the powers of a demon!" Aidoneus claimed as he stepped away from miss Ayuma to grasp his arm. 

"Nothing is impossible, demon. Let that sink into you as I cut through the remainder of hat armor you wear." I said to him as I pointed my blade at him. 

"Ayuma, are you alright?" Alex asked as he helped her back up to her feet. 

"Yeah..... i'm okay.... he just caught me off guard..... that's all...." Ayuma said, obviously in pain as she picked up her axe and took a few deep breaths. 

"The three of you have become quite a bother to me. I believe it is time we move into the final portion of our battle, don't you?" Aidoneus said as we all prepped our magic and weapons for him. 

"You took the words right out of my mouth. Whatcha got, demon king?" Miss Ayuma asked him as Aidoneus began to laugh maniacally. 

"Up until now, you've been fighting me at half of my true strength. And now, I think the time is right to unleash the other half...." Aidoneus said as he began to take off his armor. Chest pieces, arm pieces, shoulders, his helmet, and lower leg pieces all came off, revealing so many scars all over his body. His rib cage was slightly exposed, as was his heart. We could see it beating within him. Aidoneus spread out two enormous dragon wings on his back as he stretched his arms a bit and cracked his neck. 

"It feels good to take that off. To finally have challengers worthy of the name. But, as I said before, this begins the final portion of our battle. Not even the three of you together can defeat me now." Aidoneus said to us as he moved around his clawed fingers a bit, stretching them now. 

"His power..... it's just keeps on rising...." Miss Ayuma said in horror as I agreed with her. The powerful aura Aidoneus was giving off was just getting larger and more imposing by the second. It now felt like we were mere insects crawling on the ground in the face of a giant.

"What.... do we do..... now?" I questioned as Alex stepped forward. 

"We fight. Even if he's only gotten stronger, we cannot back down now. We're the only ones remaining who can face him, so we cannot run away. We fight and we win, or we fight and we die. Those are the hands fate has dealt us, and even in the face of this terrifying foe, I know we will emerge victorious." Alex spoke as he removed the golden metal of his helmet and morphed it into a double edged sword in his hands. 

"You're right. We can't lose hope now. We've faced countless enemies, just like him, and we're still standing while they are not. And this battle will end no differently." I said as I joined Alex. 

"Yeah. I think it's time we show the demon king just what makes our family bond so special." Miss Ayuma said as she joined us as well. 

"No matter the challenge, no matter how strong, no matter how feared, we will achieve victory for Melromarc!!" The three of us simultaneously roared as we began to approach Aidoneus. 

"Still not backing down, I see? Very well. You've chosen your fates. And all three of you choose death, starting with the boy king." Aidoneus said as he took one step forward and then vanished before us. But, before I could even blink, he reappeared in front of Alex and grabbed him by his neck.

"What the!?" I questioned as Aidoneus then disappeared again with Alex still in his grasp. He reappeared back where he stood before and we watched as he reeled back his free hand, opening it up and spreading his claws. 

"Don't worry, king. I'll make sure this is as painful as possible." Aidoneus said as he swiped his claws and slashed right through Alex's armor, tearing through his chest plating and leaving three huge gashes in his skin. Alex wailed in pain as me and miss Ayuma ran in to save him. But, as we prepared to attack the demon king with our weapons, he disappeared yet again. He reemerged behind us with Alex still with him and we watched as he reeled back his free hand again. Only this time, the result was far worse. Aidoneus thrusted his hand forward and slashed Alex's right leg, tearing through it and completely severing it from his body. Alex's screams grew even louder and the sound began to screech throughout the air. 

"NEELA, GET ME IN THERE, RIGHT NOW!!!" Miss Ayuma ordered me. 

"AS SOURCE OF THY POWER, I ORDER THEE!! DECIPHER THE LAWS OF NATURE AND SPEED UP THINE'S TIME!!! FLASH FORWARD!!!" I shouted as I used my time dilation spell on miss Ayuma. Her body began to glow with a gold outline as she ran forward at the speed of sound. She raced for Aidoneus who was preparing to strike Alex yet again. But, with the massive increase in speed, miss Ayuma was able to make it before Aidoneus could move again. She swung her axe with so much force that, when she struck the demon king in his chest, she nearly cut all the way through, almost cutting him completely in half. 

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Aidoneus bellowed as he dropped Alex in pain, stepping back to grasp and mend his wounds. Meanwhile, miss Ayuma caught Alex as he was dropped and then rushed back over to me to lay him down on the ground. 

"Neela, try and seal up these wounds." She ordered me as I placed my hands down on the gash wounds on his chest and the opening to where his right leg used to be. 

"No.... don't worry.... about me..... just focus on.... Aidoneus...." Alex said, sounding like he might faint at any moment. 

"Just shut up and let us heal you!!! I'm not having you or anyone die on me, you hear!? We've already had one major casualty in this war, we don't need anymore!" Miss Ayuma shouted into his face as I ignited my hands in flames. I did the same as I did to Tetsa back in her world when we escaped from the demons then. I melted her skin back together and sealed up the wounds on Alex's chest and leg. He wasn't bleeding anymore, but if we didn't finish this fight quickly, they'd become infected and he could die. 

"One opponent falls at the cost of a near fatal wound. And now, only two remain. Which one of you will be next, I wonder?" Aidoneus said to us as me and miss Ayuma both stood up to face him. 

"Alex, can you move at all?" Miss Ayuma asked him as he gave her a nod. 

"Crawl to somewhere safer. Things are about to get crazier around here." I said to him as he began to crawl away. We could see Aidoneus used the same strategy we did by melting his skin together with fire. He'd completely healed his wound as best he could. 

"Never in my life have I experienced pain such as that before. It truly is an exhilarating feeling, indeed. I wonder how either of you would react if the same happened to you?" Aidoneus said as miss Ayuma stepped forward. 

"It has." She said to him as she removed her eye patch and metal gloves. 

"I see. And I can tell that none of these wounds you've received were willing. Forced upon you by the ones who wronged both you and the shield hero not too long ago. If only you weren't found by said hero and this demi-human. You'd either still be rotting away in that dungeon or a lifeless corpse by now." Aidoneus said with pride as I could see miss Ayuma's rage beginning to build even more. Her Demon axe was beginning to resonate with an even greater dark aura then before, and I could feel her strength rising. 

"Not too long ago, it was discovered that one of the people who I brought back with me from his world was worthy of being this world's axe hero, just as myself. He may not have been chosen like I was, but he was still able to wield this legendary weapons amazing power. And, with the powers he already possessed, he pooled his ability through our axe and empowered it. And through that, my axe has evolved even further. That second axe hero has granted me a nigh unstoppable power." Miss Ayuma said as her axe turned completely black in colour, it's power increasing drastically to levels i'd never felt it have before. 

"Dark Matter Axe!!!" Miss Ayuma roared as she raised her axe high up into the air. 

"The power that slayed Rhia...." Aidoneus said as miss Ayuma charged him at full speed. My dilation magic had worn off by now, but for some reason her speed was still increased. 

"Let this almighty blade finally put an end to your reign of terror, demon king!! DIE!!!" Miss Ayuma roared with righteous fury as she approached Aidoneus. But, Aidoneus didn't move a muscle and just stood there.

"THIS IS YOUR END!!! FOREVER!!!!" Miss Ayuma shouted as she leaped up into the air and brought her axe to the right side of her head. When she neared the demon king, she swung it at him, looking to decapitate him. 

"THIS IS FAR FROM DECIDED!!! AND IT IS NOT I WHO WILL DIE!!!" Aidoneus roared as he leaned his body back, avoiding miss Ayuma's attack as she flew right over him. But, as she did that, Aidoneus reached up and grabbed her chest, stopping miss Ayuma as he brought his body back up to face her. 

"Let's see how strong you are without this!" Aidoneus said as he grabbed onto her axe and yanked it out of her grasp. He then threw it far away as he began to crush miss Ayuma in his grip. He was breaking apart the armor she wore and her screams filled the air with horror. 

"It seems fitting that the strongest of the five cardinal heroes and the one who started all of this for me is the first I slay in this great war!!" Aidoneus shouted as he threw miss Ayuma into a nearby pile of rubble. She landed hard on her back and she was struggling to get back up. She was hardly moving anymore period. Meanwhile, Aidoneus recreated his sword in his right hand and began to charge miss Ayuma, preparing to finally end her life. 

"THE BEGINNING OF THE END STARTS NOW, AXE HERO!!! THE AFTER LIFE AWAITS YOU!!! NOW, BEGONE FOREVER!!!" Aidoneus roared at the top of his lungs as he leaped high into the air, aiming the tip of his sword downward as he began to drop right for miss Ayuma. 

"NOOOOOO!!!" I screamed as I took off running for her. I had to do something to stop him from killing her. But, I couldn't use any spells in time to save her. I had no options left. I ran in there without thinking as I was able to make it to miss Ayuma in time. 

"NO, NEELA, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!!" Miss Ayuma screamed with fear as Aidoneus brought his sword down onto me. With a simple thrust, he impaled me through my back, all the way through my chest. But, the blade never touched miss Ayuma.

"no....." Miss Ayuma said quietly as tears rolled down from her eye. I could see the blood within me dripping down the blade of the demon kings sword, but that wasn't what was concerning now. Another feeling within me had ceased. It was my heart. 

It stopped. 

I looked down at the blade and saw where Aidoneus had impaled me. Right through my very heart.

"One last act to save her dear mother. How touching..." Aidoneus said as he pulled his blade out of me, making me slump over on my left side. Aidoneus then walked away, wiping the blood off of his sword. 

"I'll be kind and give you 5 minutes, axe hero." Aidoneus said to her as Miss Ayuma crawled over to me and raised my upper body up to rest on her knees. 

"Neela..... why.... why did you do that for me?" She said as she cried tears of sadness like i'd never seen. 

"It was.... the right thing.... to do.... And besides..... you would've.... done the same..... for me...." I struggled to say as the pain surging through my body began to burn. 

"KRYSTAL!!! WENDY!!! SOMEBODY, PLEASE, GET OVER HERE!!! PLEASE!!!!" Miss Ayuma screamed as I raised my right arm up and touched her left cheek. 

"It's okay.... it's okay.... I've lived.... such a happy life.... by your side...." I began to say as my demonic features began to absorb themselves back into my body, turning myself back to normal. 

"The curse.... Is it lifting?" Miss Ayuma cried as I coughed up blood. 

"All that time ago.... back when we first met.... I may have seemed afraid of you at first..... but in reality.... I never was..... of anything.... because of what you taught me.... you gave me a reason.... to smile again.... and you gave me friends..... and a loving family....." I said as miss Ayuma grasped me even tighter, her tears dropping onto my face. 

"Don't say this!!! I can fix you!!! ANYBODY!!! I NEED YOU!!!! JUST PLEASE!!!!" Miss Ayuma wailed but still, no one came. 

"Even in darker times.... like when you struck me.... with your death curse.... I never held it.... against you..... We both chose.... to live our lives.... to their absolute fullest.... no matter how bad.... the situation may be. We went... on countless journeys.... each more dangerous than the last.... but each more fun than the previous..... And, even when you were taken from me..... I still never forgot how to smile...." I said as I tried my absolute hardest to give miss Ayuma that smile she taught me so long ago. 

"Xev..... Krystal.... Naofumi.... Raphtalia.... Filo.... Father.... and you..... Mommy..... I love..... you all so..... much....." I said as my vision began to go dark and my eyes started to shut. 

"No, no, no! Don't you dare shut those eyes!!! Please, I need you!!!" Miss Ayuma pleaded to me. 

"My fight.... is over..... you're the only one.... who can face the demon king.... I believe in you....." I said as I began to tilt my head back as my eyes fully shut. 

"Did I.... make you proud..... Mommy.......?" I said as everything went black for me. All sight, all sound, all smell, all feeling of anything simply went away. It was in that moment....

I died.....