SHE....!

IS.......! 

BACK!!!!!!!!

YES, Ayu has made her grand return, at last! But, how exactly was she able to wake from her coma? How did she enter her demon stae without her axe? Will she be able to defeat the pope with this power? Will she turn on everyone and try to murder them all? There are so many questions that will very soon be answered. And, to all of you who asked so many times about when i'm bringing Ayu back, i'm sorry I always said that I hadn't pinpointed an exact time yet. Truth is, I always had it planned for her to return at this very moment. There was no better time for her to do so. So.... yeah, I lied to you all just for some laughs. LOL! Now, let's get back into the story so I can answer all the questions that all of you probably have for me. Enjoy!

-PoV: Ayuma--10 Minutes Earlier-

I couldn't quite tell exactly where I was. It looked like the same meadow field from my dream a few months ago, only now flowers were blooming all around me. I tried to walk around but it was like my body was paralyzed. I couldn't move an inch. 

I could only move my head to look around but my vision felt off. Like my depth-perception was all wonky. It was like one of my eyes was open and the other was closed. 

"Hello, Ayuma Saruwatari." I heard a girls voice said as I tried to look around to find them. 

"Hello? Is someone there? I can here you, but I can't see you. Where are you?" I asked as someone walked around from behind me and then stood about 10 feet in front of me. They looked like a little girl with white hair, pink eyes, a gorgeous pink and white dress and angel wings on her back like Filo in her child form.

"This is not the first time we have met. But, it is the first time we've seen each other face-to-face." The girl explained to me. 

"Who are you?" I asked her. 

"My name is Fitoria, and that is all you need to know. Do you remember what happened to you?" She asked me as I tried to think back. My head felt all fuzzy but I could remember what occurred. 

"I..... I was captured by Myne and the other heroes and taken to the king. He and Myne had me imprisoned and sent off to a slave trader. Then, a lord bought me and used me for his own entertainment, torturing me. He.... did so many things to me. He-" I tried to say as I felt a tear run down the right side of my face. 

"You experienced many horrible fates, as did your faithful companions as they traveled with the shield hero. But, he was able to keep them all safe. And, because of all their actions, they released you from your suffering." Fitoria explained to me as I became relieved. 

"Well, that's a relief. I'm glad they're alright and found me. I.... I probably would've died if they didn't." I said as Fitoria shook her head. 

"You did." She replied as I became confused. 

"What? What did you just say?" I asked her. 

"Well, not quite dead, but rather your mind is. The only reason we are speaking to each other right now is because your body is simply refusing to shut down." Fitoria explained as I began to cry even more. But tears only came down my right side. 

"So, what!? Are you saying i'm in a coma!? Is that it!?" I asked her. 

"I'm sorry to say this, but yes. The injuries and wounds you acquired from your imprisonment caused you to lose the will to function. You have suffered a full week in this punishing state but, to my knowledge, you've only been in this coma-like state for a full day. However, now is not the time to lose hope. You must find the strength to awaken. A horrible even has appeared and is threatening the world we know. The shield hero, as well as, the others fight to defeat it but they are struggling. I begged them all to unite and fight together, but it seems it may not be enough. Not without the fifth hero...... not without you." Fitoria explained to me. 

"I understand what you mean, and i'll gladly assist Naofumi. But the other three turned their backs on me and helped me become a prisoner and suffer like this. Why should I help them?" I asked Fitoria. 

"Because if you don't.... then Naofumi, your dear companion Neela, and all the others will die." Fitoria said. 

"Neela? ......No, she can't! I have to see her again!" I shouted as Fitoria gave me a nod. 

"Then you must find the strength to wake up. The other heroes are all fighting as we speak, waiting for you to arrive. With all five of you fighting as one, this evil shall perish once and for all." Fitoria said to me. 

"But.... i'm in a coma. How am I supposed to just..... wake up? It's not like I can just open my eyes whenever I want." I asked her as she sighed. 

"That is something you must figure out on your own. When we encountered each other before, I attempted to wake you by using my mana to heal you. But, the wounds you suffered were too great. I did not work. So, as much as you do not want to hear it, but you must find a way to awaken by yourself. Otherwise, all of your friends will perish." Fitoria said to me. 

"Okay..... Okay...... but, if say, I did somehow wake up, how am I supposed to fight, or even stand for that reason? Hearing how much I suffered, I can imagine what's happened to my body." I said to her. 

"The solution to your problem lies with your weapon. The axe will give you the strength you need, as it has done before. But, you'd be wise to heed my warning. Do not use your demonic axe anymore. It carries a truly terrifying power that comes at a heavy cost to the user in the form of bad luck. If you know what is good for you, your friends and all others around you, you will refrain from usi-" Fitoria began to say to me as several long black arms broke through her like glass. She shattered away as the arms latched onto my body, arms and legs. The flowers around me were beginning to wilt away and catch on fire. And, from where Fitoria used to be standing, it looked like the wall of reality shattered, revealing nothing but darkness on the other side. 

"Yes, you must wake. That way, we can exact our revenge on those who chose to harm us. To kill us!" A demonic sounding voice said as that same black sphere came through the wall. The arms were attached to it and it began to reform into the shape of a human. They morphed their body until their form was complete. They now looked like I did during the last wave when I fought Glass. Black scales all over the body, dark curved horns, black angel wings..... but it was missing an eye on its left side, as well as, some fingers on each hand. 

"Let go of me! What do you want!?" I asked the demon as it began to walk closer to me. 

"It's not what I want, Ayuma. It's what WE want. WE want to get back at those who decided we were too dangerous for this world. They were jealous and afraid of our power, and so, they cast us aside, throwing us into a bottomless abyss for all eternity to suffer away and die! They harmed those you care about as well! Doesn't that make you want to have revenge? To make them feel your pain? Our pain?" The demon asked me as they pointed to their missing left eye. 

"What do you mean? I don't understand!" I shouted to it as it morphed into me. 

"Witness the horrors that have been brought upon you! Let you find the strength to rise up and take vengeance on those who caused all this pain and suffering!" The demon said as I got a good look at myself. The whip marks, the stab wounds, brand marks, missing fingers, and my missing left eye. 

"All this..... they did it to me....?" I questioned as the demon changed back to its previous form and nodded. 

"Now you understand! Let the memories of all that torture fuel your hatred! Your urge to kill and consume everything in darkness!" The demon said as it walked up to me and grabbed my head with its hands. 

"Become one with me, Ayuma! Together, we will punish all who stand in our way! We will eliminate this great evil Fitoria spoke of and then we will destroy the other heroes once and for all! WE WILL COVER THIS WORLD IN DARKNESS!" The demon roared as they leaned their head into my head, where my left eye was missing. It dissolved into a black smoke and flew inside the wound. The pain was simply unbearable as I screamed at the top of my lungs. I felt my body changing as I shut my eyes from all the pain. 

. . . . . . 

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" I roared as my eye shot open, revealing the bright blue sky above me. My right hand raised itself into the air on its own and I shot a black circle into the sky, aimed at the sun itself. The circle grew larger and larger until it completely covered up the entire sun. I had created a solar eclipse.

I sat up and saw I was in a carriage, wrapped in what looked like Naofumi's cloak. I ripped it off of me to reveal my body had taken the form of the demon itself. But my axe was nowhere to be found. But I could feel its energy calling to me. I turned my head around and saw an enormous green coloured cathedral-like building, and I could feel my axe was inside. 

"Our source of strength calls to us, Ayuma! Break through and take it! Then, we can begin!" The demon inside me shouted as I spreaded my wings out and took off into the air. I flew higher and higher until now hovered above the cathedral. 

"Break through it, Ayuma, and smite all those who oppose us!" The demon roared as I aimed my left hand down at the roof of the cathedral. I fired a giant black beam of light down at it and blasted a hole through it. I then entered the beam and soared down until I reached the ground. When my beam disappeared, I got a look around the inside. I saw I was in a crater, the pope standing on a hill in front of me with what looked like Motoyasu's spear in his hands. But, he was not my concern at the moment. I turned around and saw my axe was stuck in the ground. I reached my left hand and called to it. My axe broke loose and flew over to me where I took a firm grasp of it in my hand. It morphed into my mighty demonic axe the instant I touched it and I turned to face the pope again. I could feel the evil and darkness surrounding him, no doubt making him the evil Fitoria spoke of. I raised my axe into the air and fired another beam, blowing up the ceiling and letting the darkness from my eclipse surround the area. 

"My, my, it seems the demon of the axe has finally appeared. Let's see how you fair against the mighty judgement of god himself!" The pope declared as his spear began to shine brightly with a golden light. 

"The might of your god is no match for me! You will die for causing so much pain and suffering to the ones that I hold dear to me, pope! I'll make you rot in the place you so rightfully deserve to be! HELL!!!!" I roared with my demon voice as I pointed my weapon at him, preparing to begin my assault. 

"Ayuma!!" I heard someone yell as I turned my head to look behind me. There stood Naofumi and his party, Melty and Alex, Motoyasu, Myne, Ren, Itsuki and two other female mages. And in between me and all them was Neela who's right leg was impaled by an arrow, pinning her to the ground. 

"Ayuma, if that's really you, then we have to work together to defeat the pope!" Naofumi shouted but my gaze was set on Myne and the other heroes. I turned around to face them, spread my wings out and flew straight for them. 

"You will all suffer and die for what you all did to me! I'll break your bones shatter your very souls!" I shouted as I headed towards Myne first. 

"Sir Motoyasu, please, stop her!" She cried as she fell over in fear. 

"Ayuma, stop! We're not the enemy here! It's the pope! He's trying to kill us all and overthrow this country!" Motoyasu yelled as he stepped in my way and blocked my attack. 

"Motoyasu, you are part of the reason I suffered! I'll kill you!" I roared as I removed my right hand from my axe, reached forward and grabbed onto Motoyasu's face. I forced his head down into the ground and I proceeded to stop on him. I then raised my axe into the air with my other hand and brought it down to try and kill Motoyasu. But Ren interfered by deflecting my attack with his sword. 

"Get a grip of yourself, Ayuma! We're sorry for what we did to you, but we're not the enemy here! He is!" Ren shouted, pointing at the pope. 

"Then you are no different from the pope! You all are evil incarnate! And thus, you must die!" I howled as I swung my right leg at Ren. He blocked my attack with his sword but I sent him sliding backwards. 

"Get off of Motoyasu, Ayuma! I do not want to hurt you, but I will if I have to!" Itsuki said as I saw him pull back an arrow. 

"You will all share the same fate as I bury you six feet under!" I shouted as I threw my axe it him. But he rolled out of the way before I could strike him. 

"That's it, I warned you!" He shouted as he fired his arrow at me. But I simply reached up and caught the arrow before it could pierce me. 

"What!? But how!?" Itsuki questioned as I crushed the arrow in my grip. I then spread my wings out again and headed straight for him. 

"Ayuma, STOP!!" Naofumi cried as he got in between me and Itsuki. He was using his curse shield and I rammed right into it. With the power of that shield, he was able to stop me mid-flight. 

"Listen to me, Ayuma! You need to focus on who is truly the real enemy here! And that's the pope! He's the one who caused all this suffering to you, to me, to all of us! He's the one to blame for everything!" Naofumi shouted as I pushed against his shield. 

"That may be true but Myne and the others heroes are the ones who imprisoned me! Myne took me away and the other three just stood there and watched as I was dragged away to my suffering fate! And now, I will teach them every bit of that pain I felt by killing them!" I shouted as he began to push back. 

"How disgusting this sight is. The demon of the axe is unable to control herself and now acts like a vicious wild beast. Perhaps it will be mercy for god to end you. We shall see." The pope said as I turned to face him. A beam of light was flying towards us both. I used all my strength push Naofumi out of the way and take the attack head on. I faced the attack and held both of my hands out, blocking the attack with them. The light burned away at my scales and skin underneath but I was holding the attack back. 

"Use the power of the eclipse, Ayuma! Consume the darkness and then consume the light!" The demon within me roared as, from my hands, dark aura was beginning to be sucked into them. 

"As source of thy power, I order thee! Decipher the laws of destruction and waste away all my targets in eternal darkness!!!! Eclipse of Darkness!!!" I screamed as I raised one hand into the air, pointing it at the eclipse. The massive black circle in the sky then shot down a beam of black light at the pope, breaking through a magic barrier and striking him down. We both ceased our attacks simultaneously. I fell to my knees in pain as my arms were charred and smoking. My scales now felt like they were made of rock. 

"Ayuma, are you okay!?" Naofumi said as he rushed over to help me. 

"So the demon can use the element of darkness to strengthen itself? Then causing that eclipse has empowered you drastically. I can only imagine how much of your mana it cost to summon it." The pope said as he got back up and changed his spear to the form of Itsuki's bow. 

"Bishop, have all of our mages now focus their mana into the weapon. I plan to end the terror that is the demon of the axe here and now." The pope said as I could see mana particles seeping through a wall behind him. It was being absorbed into his weapon as it began to glow again, even brighter like the sun itself. 

"Ayuma, please! Just listen to me! The five of us have to work together right now! It's the only way we can defeat the pope! Please, just control this hatred inside of you and help us fight him!" Naofumi shouted to me as I reached my right hand out, calling to my axe again. It flew in between Ren and Itsuki and I grabbed it with my hands. 

"No, Naofumi! I can kill him on my own! I took on Glass alone, and I can take on the pope alone! I didn't need any of you then, and I don't need you now!" I shouted as I took off into the air, flying straight up into the sky until I was about 200 feet off the ground. I then angled myself and dived for the pope, readying my weapon to end his life. 

"May god's righteous hand of judgement cleanse you from this world once and for all! Goodbye, demon of the axe! And may a new, more suitable hero take your place!" The pope said as he shot a huge golden arrow at me. As it flew, it split into dozens of smaller arrows, and then they all split again into hundreds of even smaller arrows. 

"You caused me pain! You caused harm to my friends.... my family...... my daughter!!!! And for that, I will not fall to you! Not now, not ever!!! Now, DIE!!!!" I roared as the top of my lungs as I began to swing my weapon. I was cutting through the arrows but there was simply too many of them. I began to get skewered by them, each impaling different parts of my body. My legs, my chest, my arms, my shoulders, everywhere was being struck. My vision was becoming dark as I felt my strength leaving my body. 

"May this final arrow put you to rest for all eternity!" The pope shouted as he fired one last arrow at me. I tried to use my weapon to block it but I had no strength left. The arrow flew straight at me and made direct contact, impaling me through my head. I flew over the pope and crashed into the earth behind him, my body riddled with hundreds of arrows. I laid there...... 

.....Lifeless

-PoV: Neela-

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" I screamed as it was all to horrifying to watch. Miss Ayuma had attempted to kill the other heroes, but, after Naofumi's interference, she took her rage out on the pope instead. But her attempts to stop her were in vain as she was struck down by his mighty weapon. She laid dead behind him as he laughed at his victory over her. 

"The almighty black demon has fallen! God reigns supreme! And now, god will continue his judgement upon you false heroes and the dreaded devil of the shield!" The pope said as he changed his weapon into the form of miss Ayuma's axe. 

"You..... you're a disgrace.... to the man you call "god!" And now, you say you're acting in his name by using the very weapon that a demon uses! You're the farthest thing from god that can be!" I shouted as I finally pulled out the arrow in my leg. I slowly began to stand but my legs were just so weak, I fell down to my knees. 

"Yes, grovel before me before I cease all your futile attempts to stop me! With five of the heroes, you actually might have had a chance to stop me! But, the axe hero chose to take measures into her own hands, choosing to rely on the powers of a worthless demon to kill me. And look what has become of her! And now that only 4 false heroes remain, nothing can stop me!" The pope roared full of confidence as his axe started to glow with the most intense light it's ever shined so far.

"I shall end this battle right here and now in the name of god! All the attacks you faced before this were mere child's play compared to what I am about to unleash upon you all!" The pope said as he began to point the axe at us all. But, something else was more concerning to us. A huge black mass was growing behind him, getting larger and larger by the second. 

"What is that?" I questioned as the pope became curious and turned around. The black mass was about now about 50 feet in diameter, and it was beginning to reshape itself. First came four large clawed legs. Next, came drake-like wings, spreading out over 60 feet on either side. The body came next, covered in scales and black spikes protruding from the hide. An extremely long whip-like tail came next, extending over 40 feet behind the body. And it completed itself when three long necks emerged from the body, extending 50 feet out and each carrying the head of a dragon, eyes blood red with fury. This monster raised its three heads into the air and let out an ear deafening roar. 

"What the hell is that!? How did that hydra just appear out of nowhere!?" I heard Motoyasu question in fear. 

"There's only one thing it can be! That's Ayuma!" Naofumi shouted. 

"So, the demon is not quite finished yet. No matter! This next blow will silence you once and for all!" The pope declared as he swung his axe behind him, getting ready to attack the hydra. Meanwhile, the hydra's three heads began to suck in dark mana from the air around it and into its mouths. Flames were forming inside them and it was preparing to attack as well. 

"She's allowed the darkness in her heart to take over! She just pure unrelenting fury now!" I thought as the pope swung his axe forward, firing off a massive wave of light that headed straight for the hydra. The hydra countered by opening all three of its mouths wide and unleashing an enormous stream of black and purple flames from each of them. The two attacks collided and shook the earth to the extant you'd think an earthquake was just set off. 

"No demon has ever bested god's righteous justice before and he will certainly not be bested today! Now perish, demon!" The pope shouted as he tried to amp up his power. But the flames from the hydra were literally burning away the light it came in contact with and was slowly making its way towards the pope. The hydra moved its heads closer as well until they were right in front of the pope. 

The hydra then used its center head to bite down onto the end of the pope's axe and take it away from him, stopping his assault. 

"No, this can't be! There is absolutely no possible way this can be happening!" The pope yelled as the three heads of the hydra came together and bit the axe, ripping it apart into three pieces before swallowing each of them. 

"She destroyed the weapon! She really did it! We've won!" Filo yelled as the three heads of the hydra came down again to attack the pope. 

"No, stay away from me, demon! I am a vassal of the great god himself! I cannot be harmed!" The pope shouted as the heads of the hydra roared in his face. The two to the left and right each then bit down on one of his legs, picking him up into the air where the third middle head awaited. It roared into the face of the pope again as it opened its mouth and chomped on his upper body. The three heads then pulled apart the pope until he split, allowing the heads to swallow what remained of him. 

"Jeez, I think i'm gonna be sick." Myne said. 

"Yeah, Ayuma! WOOHOO!" Motoyasu shouted as the three heads turned and faced him, Myne and the other heroes. It let out another ear deafening roar as the hydra began to charge them all. 

"Uh, what's she doing!?" Itsuki questioned as he pulled back an arrow, ready to fire. 

"It's all that rage built up inside her! She's totally out of control!" Naofumi shouted. 

"How the heck can we stop her now!? In case you've forgotten, she's the one who just easily killed the pope while all four of us struggled!" Motoyasu yelled. 

"I'm sorry, miss Ayuma, but you leave me no choice! With what I have left, I must help to stop you before you kill the other heroes! 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 I raised my hands up into the air. I then brought them down, slamming them into the ground as an huge blue lightning bolt shot down from the sky, striking the hydra with immense force. It slowed it down for only a moment as it then turned and faced me, roaring at me. 

"That didn't do a thing to it! There's no way to stop her!" I yelled as I tried to run away. But my leg injury caused me to fall over in pain as the hydra started to slowly walk over to me. 

"Get away from her, you monster! We're the ones you want, not her!" Ren yelled as he fired a stream of flames from his sword, hitting the left head of the hyrda. It got its attention as Filo rushed over and picked me up, getting me to safety. 

"Are you okay, Neela?" She asked me. 

"I am now but none of us will be if we don't stop her! We have to save her!" I said as Filo dropped me next to Raphtalia and Myne. 

"But she's so strong. How can we fight something this powerful?" Itsuki asked as Naofumi stepped forward. 

"Oh come on, before you were all saying the same thing about the pope. And what did we come to? We decided to fight together, to stop the evil in front of us. Now, I know that this thing we now face is NOT Ayuma! She's trapped inside and now the demon has taken control! We have to stop its rampage, otherwise the whole world will fall to this thing! Now, stop being so afraid and do what you were summoned here to do! Be a hero!" Naofumi roared as the hydra began to absorb dark mana again. It was going for that same attack again. 

"Alright, if it's gonna hit us with everything its got, then so are we! When I say, I want all three of you to use your strongest attacks on me!" Naofumi shouted as Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki gave him a nod, aiming their weapons at him. The hydra let out yet another roar as it unleashed that devastating flame breath attack again. 

"NOW!" Naofumi screamed. 

"Meteor Spear! Meteor Shot! Meteor Slash!" Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren howled as they all struck Naofumi's curse shield. They all then dove out of the way as Naofumi launched an equally as impressive stream of black flames at the hydra. The two attacks collided a massive shock wave ensued, nearly knocking us all down to the ground. Neither of the attacks were gaining ground on the other. They were in a stalemate. 

"Everyone, I need your help! Use everything you've got! Let's take this thing down once and for all!" Naofumi roared as everyone joined in on his assault. 

"Chaos Spear! Wind Arrow! Hundred Blades! Grand Bolt! Fast Light! Zweit Tornado! Shining Drill Shot! Zweit Aqua Shot! Zweit Hellfire! Zweit Air Shot!" Everyone cried as we all fired our attacks, merging it with the power of Naofumi's flame. We all screamed at the top of our lungs as we poured everything we had into breaking through the hydra's flame and defeating it. And it was working. Naofumi's flame was pushing back the hydra's. 

The hydra roared as it tried to push back but it just couldn't achieve the strength to do so. It's heads were pushed back as the force of Naofumi's flame was too much. And when the flame struck the hydra, a colossal explosion filled the area. 

"Did that do it!? Did we win!?" Motoyasu questioned as the massive smoke cloud flew around us. But, we could no longer hear the roars of the hydra. Perhaps we were indeed victorious. Naofumi dropped to his knees in exhaustion and I kneeled down next to him. 

"I think...... I think we got it. Let's just hope..... that our attacks.... helped free Ayuma...." Naofumi said as a deep growling noise started to fill the area. The smoke cloud began to clear and standing in the same spot was the hydra. Two of its heads had been blown off, leaving only the one in the center remaining. It let out an agonizing roar, no doubt in pain from the attack it just took. 

"How is it still standing after all we threw at it!? Can anything put this thing down!?" Ren asked as the hydra began to absorb dark mana particles again. And, with Naofumi exhausted, he probably wouldn't be able to counter with the same attack as before. We had no way to stop it from attacking this time. 

"As source of thy power, the queen orders thee! Decipher the laws of creation! Surround my target in a cage of ice and hold her there! All Dritte Fall: Icicle Prison!" Someone shouted as the ground beneath the hydra turned to ice. It's legs froze in place and it briefly stopped the hydra as it tried to escape. 

"That's mother's magic! The queen must be here!" Alex said as everyone became shocked. 

"The queen!? She finally made it, eh? Guess it's better late than never!" Motoyasu said. 

"Shield hero! If you can here me, I have restrained the mighty beast before you, but I cannot hold it for long! End this, now!" The queen roared as Naofumi listened. 

"Alright! This is all I've got left! I'm giving it every last ounce of mana in my body to do this one last assault! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Naofumi roared as his dark armor appeared over his upper body. He held his curse shield out in front of his as it glowed with an immensely powerful dark fiery aura. 

"Foolish sinner, I sentence you to cast your screams unto the hell that you reside! The jaws of the dragon born from my flesh shall swallow you! And you'll become an offering to the gods as you howl in pain! Legendary Shield Skill: BLOOD SACRIFICE!!!" Naofumi roared from the top of his lungs as blood exploded out of his body from several parts. We all looked on in horror as his blood continued to spew from his body. Naofumi fell to his knees as he now sat in a pool of his own blood. But his blood began to seep into the earth itself, continuing until there was nothing left. The ground started to rumble shortly after as blood shot out from the earth in front of the hydra. 

"What's happening, now!?" Itsuki questioned as a huge black and red metal dragon head shot out of the ground. It's long neck and face covered in sharp spikes. It roared at the hydra with an even more intense howl. 

The two monstrous creatures smashed their heads against each other but the hydra reeled its back and let out a painful roar.

"Send this death stricken demon back to the land of once it came! DEVOUR!!!!" Naofumi cried as he closed his right hand. The metal dragon let out another roar as it began to wrap its long neck around the neck of the hydra. It squeezed it tightly and the hydra continued to wail in agony. The metal dragon's head hovered above the hydra's and it bit down onto it. A crunching sound filled the area as the metal dragon ripped the head off of the final hydra head. It's body slumped over as the metal dragon closed its jaws on the hydra head, swallowing it whole and cascading the entire crater in a black blood shower. The metal dragon then returned to the earth as it let out one final roar. The body of the now dead hydra then began to dissolve into a small flood of black liquid. And in the centre of it all...... miss Ayuma laid on the ground, naked and covered in black scars. 

"Look, over-" Naofumi began to say as his body gave in and he collapsed. 

"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia cried as she and Filo rushed to his aid. Meanwhile, I limped my way over to miss Ayuma who laid in a pool of the hydra's black blood. 

"Miss Ayuma, can you hear me!? Please, wake up!" I shouted to her but there was no movement. I dropped to my knees next to her and I shook her a bit, trying to wake her. 

"Please, please, please, you just came back! You can't be gone again already! Not again! Please, just wake up!" I shouted as I began to cry. But there was no time to as I heard a weapon become unsheathed behind me. I turned and saw Motoyasu, Itsuki and Ren standing behind me, each with their weapons out, aiming them at miss Ayuma. 

"Neela, please move out of the way. If she continues to live, then she may go on another rampage. We must slay her and end her terror." Ren said to me as I said no words back. I simply stood up and held my arms out, protecting miss Ayuma. 

"Neela, what're you doing!? Get out of the way now so we can save everyone from her darkness!" Motoyasu shouted as he pointed his spear at me. I reached up and grabbed its blade, it ripping the skin of my palm as I moved the tip of his spear over my heart. 

"If you're going to kill her then you'll have to kill me too. If you think you have the courage to do that, then at least have the balls to point your weapon in the right spot." I said to him. 

"What're you talking about!? You saw what she became, didn't you!? Don't be stupid! If she continues to live, then that's just putting this world in danger!" Itsuki said as I let go of Motoyasu's spear. I looked down and saw miss Ayuma's axe was laying by my feet. I crouched down and picked it up, now gripping it tightly in both of my hands. 

"If you do not withdraw your weapons...... then I will stop you with the very weapon you all fear. I will not stop protecting my master..... my mother, Ayuma Saruwatari until all three of you yield." I said as both Alex and Melty came around them. They stood on either side of me and they both held out their arms just as I did. 

"Both of you two as well?" Ren questioned. 

"The creature you all just fought was not Ayuma, just as Naofumi had said. It was the demon you all fought. And, now that it has been beaten, she is freed from its control. Now, do as Neela said and withdraw your weapons!" Melty ordered them as they all began to hesitate. 

"I've waited so long to see Ayuma again and I am not having you three take it away from me. It's like Neela said, "If you want to kill her...." Then you'll have to kill us too." Alex said with an intimidating stare as all three of them let out heavy sighs. 

"Whatever...." Ren said as he put away his sword. 

"This feels so stupid. We're just putting the future in jeopardy." Itsuki said as he withdrew his bow and arrows. 

"If this does happen again, don't expect us to come and help stop her. This mess will become your own." Motoyasu said as he put away his spear. 

"We understand. Now, go inform our mother, the queen of the situation. And have her bring doctors down here for the injured, at once!" Alex ordered them as they all nodded and climbed up the crater. 

"Thank you. Both of you, truly, I cannot thank either of you enough." I said to both Melty and Alex as they let out some chuckles. 

"After watching Ayuma handle the pope, there's no way we could let those three silence her. She's part of the family now, and we'd do anything to see her safe." Melty said as I hugged her and then Alex. 

The great battle that began with the pope and the devil of the shield had finally ended. With the demon of the axe somehow becoming revived, she clashed weapons with the pope and, ultimately, succeeded, taking his life in the process. But, her hatred and rage consumed her mind, soul, heart, and body and she lost control. She entered into a rampage where only the other four cardinal heroes stood a chance at stopping her. And, after a tremendous sacrifice by the shield hero, Naofumi, she was brought down and freed from the clutches of the demon within her. But, the battle took its toll on both of them and now, their fate rests in their own hands. They both must now overcome the pain, suffering, tortures, and hardships that have accumulated to what has happened on this day. And there is no guarantee that either will survive. 

"Mother..... Naofumi...... please....... don't die......"

To all of you who read this series, I just wanna say a MASSIVE "thank you" to all of you! This series has absolutely exploded recently and it's all thanks to all of you who choose to read my chapters. This chapter in particular is my most dedicated, longest, and most heart filled piece of work I've ever, well.... worked on. It's the combination of everything I've been through with each of my series, the comments you've all given, the ideas you've shared, the support you all send me! I poured everything into this chapter! My fingers are literally on fire from all this typing, almost like the curse shield was used on me. This chapter will forever be my ultimate piece of work and I thank you all for reading this chapter and this entire series! Please, I ask that you leave at least a comment or a vote, showing your support, not only to me, but to this series itself. I've put the most effort into this story than any other I've done, and we're not done yet. 

I'm Trishula97, and I thank you! 

Enjoy!