32 Sower of Discord (Part 1)

"Aurora."

"Look at him, Hylos," she began. "Argus is fighting all of them at once. It won't be long before a Wretch gets through his wall of fire. We need to decrease the number of enemies to that side while we wait."

"Affirmative. One of my men will inquire Estes," the centaur replies. He watches the scene from the wall. The sky was littered with fiery prominences and dark blasts of energy directed towards Argus. Even with Zhask, Vexana, Alice, Helcurt and the Dark Lord working together, they had a difficult time trying to injure the angel, much less kill him.

"I once warned Estes… that Alucard will fight the Dark Lord early, and that someone will come and save him," the Queen of Ice narrates. "I knew at some point that it would be Argus, but I didn't expect-"

"That the situation would arise like this? It's alright, Aurora, most of us are shaken," Hylos says. "This is what Argus wants. We should let him have it, even if it would cost his life."

"But we need to help him there!"

"We can't," a voice responds.

Hylos and Aurora turn around to see Uranus and Kaja hovering to them.

"Kaja is right, we can't," Uranus supported. "Are you seeing what's unfolding? By the time we enter the field, we can get killed in an instant, whether it be through enemy fire or friendly fire. Even I won't be durable enough to survive the clash. Sure, you can disable the demons breaching through, Aurora, but if you try and make a boulder of ice that you can hurl at the Dark Lord, no doubt, it will just melt and evaporate."

"You can't be so sure," Aurora rejects.

Kaja lands and steps forward. "Aurora, just trust us. I know you want to help…" He sighs, turning his back towards her and the centaur. "Uranus and I… we've seen Argus fight up close. He could kill a thousand demons in a minute, and he was a newly appointed commander back then. It's when there were more adversaries that allied the Dark Lord. The rampage was overwhelming, even for us back then. Argus could carve through hordes in an instant, and that's without the blade he is using now."

Aurora stopped in her tracks and began to think deeply. "Oh…"

"He is one of the strongest to ever exist in Gaius," the bronze guardian adds. "Now let me ask you this question: If Argus is already delivering a punishment to them out there, then how about Lunox? Only a few really get to live to tell the tale, Aurora. And with all due respect, the spectacle that you're witnessing right now? That is power, in its purest form, and I don't think that's even half of what we must conceive."

Meanwhile…

"Zhask, concentrate!" Vexana scolds, unleashing projectiles of green energy towards Argus. "We need to put him down!"

"I am trying, but he is too fast!" the alien commander exclaims. "How is he dodging my projectiles?!"

Argus dives down and slashes sideward, using the momentum to spin like a top as his feet hit the ground. Alice yelps as she almost gets caught by the attack, a cauterized gash appearing on her arm. She winces and steps back, but Argus immediately stops spinning and throws his claw, catching Alice by the leg. He yanks himself upward and detaches, gaining altitude and slams the butt of his sword to Alice's skull, sending her crashing to the soft grass. However, the tips of the grass seem to dig to her skin, causing dozens of small cuts to appear on her shoulders and her back.

"AH! The leaves… they're like cacti! Don't trip!" she warns. "You bastard… YOU WON'T GET AWAY!"

Vexana uses her dark energy to animate large, skeletal hands. She lifts them up and prepares them so that she can swat Argus down. The angel flies around, dodging the Dark Lord's black swords and axes. The Necromancer sees the opening and claps with her large hands, crushing Argus between them. Suddenly, Argus slices through them in a split second, breaking free. His wings extend as he charges down towards Vexana, grabbing her by the face. Argus flies about a few feet above the ground and slams her to the ground, the dirt and grass scattering everywhere. Vexana lets out muffled screams, trying to scratch at Argus' arm with her hands, but Argus slowly lifts upward and drives her to the earth even deeper, the bladed grass nearly severing her leg. The seraphim pulls her up and lands, sliding on the ground with ease, and rotates, throwing Vexana towards the Dark Lord. The black knight telekinetically catches her in mid-air and puts her to the ground, right-side up. Vexana immediately falls to her knees, coughing up loam and blood. Multiple leaves of grass were embedded on her skin, and a large cut was on her left leg.

"Ugh… that menace…"

"Back off!" the Dark Lord commands her. "I will deal with him myself." He raises his metal hands, creating even more blades from the void, but as soon as he turns his head, Argus was already charging with insane speed, raising his sword to stab the Dark Lord. The spirit quickly casts a barrier with his hands in time, but the kinetic force of the charge sends them zooming around the field. The Dark Lord forcefully pushes back in order to escape the push. Before he could even start preparing more weapons, Argus was already curving his trajectory like a fireball.

The angel comes in contact with the Dark Lord, and the black spirit blocks Argus' sword with the palms of his hands. However, it was evident that he was struggling to push it back.

"This is madness, Andras!" Argus began, pushing his sword even harder. "This isn't glory… you're rasing Gaius apart!"

Andras unleashes a blast to Argus, throwing the angel off. "What I bring is not destruction, seraphim! I bring a new era, one of fulfillment!"

"Even with the knowledge of your brothers, you remain thoughtless. This isn't what she wants. This is not balance!" Argus runs, using his wings to achieve flight. Helcurt suddenly sprints from the side, leaping towards Argus and hoping to knock him down. The angel suddenly stops in his tracks, digging his feet to the ground. He corkscrews into the air from the sudden stop as Helcurt nears. Argus slashes downward with his sword as he lands back on his feet to sidestep, missing a gigantic dark blade from Andras by mere inches. Helcurt rolls to the dirt, screeching in pain as a huge gash appears on his back with second-degree burns covering it.

"A-A-A-Alice! W-We c-c-cannot… f-face him!"

Argus flies up again, another huge sword trailing him from behind. The Dark Lord rises to the air and guides the swords around as they chase Argus. The angel rockets upward for a few seconds before slowly falling back down in a 90 degree angle, maneuvering perfectly around the huge blades. Argus dives directly towards the Dark Lord and slices the air, throwing a huge wave of fire at the spirit. Andras blocks the flame with his aura, but Argus zooms as the wave comes in contact, preventing Andras to react properly. The angel tackles the Dark Lord and they fall to the ground, rolling. Argus balls up and skids far, easily gaining back his footing. Andras gets up and winces from the pain, some of the leaves of grass puncturing the armor. The Dark Lord grunts, expelling the dirt off.

"That does it… I need to kill you now, traitor!"

Zhask runs up to the Dark Lord as Argus begins to charge again. The alien summons a Dominator spawn in front of them, shooting a purple laser to the angel. Argus' aura diminishes the laser, but he stops in his tracks as Zhask forces the spawn to grow larger, further maximizing the output of the beam. The flames around Argus begin to intensify, but Zhask summons more spawns one by one, pushing Argus back due to the force. The Dominators grew larger, and now, five of them were concentrating their fire towards the seraphim. The Dark Lord clenches his fists and lets out a beam of void energy to Argus, and the angel curves his wings forward to block them.

"No matter the outcome, you and your friends will never win, Argus!" Zhask yells, summoning two more spawns. "In fact, you cannot! You and that boy can go to hell!"

Suddenly, Argus' aura glows even bright and hotter, somewhat overpowering the combined lasers. Vexana steps up and summons more specters and Ghouls, tens and hundreds of them running towards him with their weapons raised. Alice jumps high and throws a blood orb to tackle Argus down. The angel growls in rage and yells, the aura shadowing the beams. A bright explosion occurs from within him, the flames bursting outward as high as twenty meters to the sky like an atom bomb before dissipating. Zhask, Vexana and Andras gets flown backward to their butts, the former two suffering from the spiny leaves of grass. Alice received the worst, as she teleported to her orb as soon as the field erupted. She was lying down whimpering, around fifty meters away from the epicenter with third-degree burns on her face and arms. Her face was deformed and her wing was slightly tattered.

Argus slashes into the air and draws his blade, Caelesti Igni, black scorch marks extending forth to the ground around him. He turns his eyes to the wall. Some of the demons were already stacking on top of their own bodies to extinguish the flame and pass through. The angel grimaces and sets his eyes to his enemies, already trying to stand up.

"You know many things about me, Zhask, many but one… IT'S THAT I NEVER QUIT, AND I WILL NEVER BACK DOWN!"

Meanwhile…

"Does she ring a bell to you, bro? Maybe she's someone you met before?"

"Sorry for the inconvenience. We will explain everything to you for the time being."

Alucard tries to flutter his eyes open, but they remained shut. He felt unfamiliar forces acting on him, as if he was falling… or floating, or levitating? He didn't know. What he knew was that he's not unconscious, and that his feet are not on the ground.

"The problem was never just the time."

"We only took of this worldwide phenomenon a few months ago."

"Disassemble the carapace?"

"All of what happens, happens for a proper reason, Demon Hunter."

"I am sorry if we have to keep secrets from you."

"Estes, we need to tell him now."

"Right now, your friends will need you, most especially him."

"Hello?! Anyone? Somebody!" Alucard calls out, trying to shout, but he felt as if his cries were muffled. He tries to internalize. "Wait… my arm… I thought I lost it!"

"The Dark Lord knows it's not yet the time."

"I thought you wouldn't comprehend."

"I thought I'd owe you one."

"So, what's all the commotion about again?"

"You need to fend for yourself, Alucard! Attend to your friends!"

"Now that you're awake, the first thing you say to me is, 'Are you alright?' NO, I AM NOT, ALUCARD! ARE YOU THAT SELFLESS?!"

"You are destined for more, my child. Don't let my suffering be for naught."

"Take it from someone merely half a man, yet full of heart… Someone willing to die alongside his friends."

"Chou! Yinsen! Ruby! Lolita!" Alucard shouts, frantically trying to find someone. "Saber! Estes?! Help! I can't move! I don't know where I am! Augh… my head hurts…"

He clutches his head and curls in a fetal position, trying to stop the voices from ringing in his mind.

"If you think things are as planned out as they are supposed to be in here, you're wrong."

"That cannot happen. They are preoccupied to other matters."

"WATCH YOURSELF, ALUCARD!"

"What's important is that we prepare, and-"

"I know what you did. That was in total control."

"What are you doing standing there? Kill something!"

"The Land of Dawn may have had years of preparation, but we? We had millennia to spare. That alone proves our superiority!"

"SHOW ME!"

"Wait, who is this 'Lunox' character?"

"She's all around us, watching us quietly, acting as the balance."

"No, shut up! Why am I hearing all of you?! Where am I?! I need to wake up!" Alucard slams his fists to his head. "Wake up! Alucard, c'mon, wake up, goddamnit!"

"You look like someone who has seen a ghost."

"She's out cold. Don't wake her up."

"Only the inevitable."

"There will still be light beyond the endless darkness, hero. What matters is that you find it in yourself, for it's what makes us strong… Hope."

"Consider this our thank you… For reminding us what's worth the most."

"Alucard!"

"You will fall into shambles!"

"Not your fault, okay? Never your fault."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! GET OUT OF HERE!"

"ALUCARD!"

"End of the line, Alucard!"

"Alu, wake up!"

"Wake up!"

"WAKE UP, ALUCARD!"

"Alucard… R-Run…"

"THEY WILL NOT DIE IN VAIN!"

"WAKE UP!"

"COME ON!" Alucard shouts, flailing his arms around. "WHY WON'T YOU OPEN YOUR EYES?!"

"Alucard… listen to me, just this once!"

"Alu, I'm right here. I'm right here."

"Get up, Child of the Fall."

"Wake up!"

"ALU! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

"Wake up."

Alucard finally opens his eyes wide and clear. His vision was blurry for the first few seconds, forcing him to squint. As he rubbed his eyes, he finally gets a clean view of where he really was.

"What… on… earth…"

He was in space. Well, not necessarily space. All around him, humongous lines of white cosmic dust covered his whole field of view. More and more dots of white and pale yellow peppered and spread around like table salt. The whole landscape was mainly a dark, blue-green color with a rich, grunge texture, as if Alucard was floating on a messy painting. That is, if a painting had 3D, no… 4D effects. For Alucard, everything felt surreal.

"W-Where am I?" Alucard mutters. He touches his face. He still looked the same, but his clothes and skin were absurdly clean and neat. There was no more extreme growth of spikes and scales on the right half of his body. There was no blood on his clothes or on his skin. The hunter looked around, trying to maneuver around in a gyroscopic fashion. He notices that his greatsword was missing. It's as if he is floating on water, but he wasn't sinking, nor rising. He was staying put.

"What… What is this place? Is someone else here?"

"Yes."

Alucard suddenly jerked his body in surprise, looking around frantically. A familiar person was floating directly on his line of sight, a few meters away. It didn't take long for Alucard to know who it was as he notices the black patch on her blond hair, as well as her sharply curved, featherless wings, nearly reaching her feet. Her right wing contained a moderately sized sphere of purple energy, swirling with intensity. Her left wing, however, was white instead of pitch black, and it held a small orb of yellow energy, and it seemed to fade and blink every few seconds.

"Don't worry, Alucard. I won't hurt you. You're safe here."

"Lunox…" he began, stammering. "I… I don't understand, what is this place?"

The Twilight Goddess smiled at him, slowly extending her arms outward to the sides. "Oh, all of this? This, Alucard, is a concept… a dream. An idea, both beautiful and destructive, melancholic, full of shattered beliefs, overshadowed by gloom and despair. This is where I reside now. This… is my dream world, and Gaius will suffer this grim fate if the Dark Lord wins."

"W-What? No… that can't be…"

"This is what happens to your world if we fail to stop him, Alucard. That's why I'm here to guide you before you fight against him. And we should hurry, for it won't be long before he overpowers Argus and advances to the Land of Dawn. I am afraid that your friends might only barely survive a minute against him."

Meanwhile…

"Guys… the Gem."

Chou slowly approached the large artifact, noticing it glow brighter than usual. He couldn't distinguish the outline of Alucard's body on the Gem, as if his body was simply swallowed by the crystal.

"What about the Gem?" Bruno asks. "Something wrong?"

"No, no, it's just growing brighter than usual, Bruno. Just watch Lolita, she needs it."

"Okay, as you say so. Remind me that it's your fault if the crystal blows up on our faces or something like-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Chou grumbles. He turns around and slowly walks towards the Protector, watching over Lolita who was leaning against one of the citadel's pillars. "Good gracious… status?"

"Skull fracture, five broken ribs, shattered femur, dislocated hand… Damn," Yinsen answers, approaching them. "Estes tried to heal her up as much as he could, but the bone damage is still apparent. She cannot move until the mending is complete. It will take around an hour, but she will have difficulty standing up if she recovers."

"The hammer is still good, right?"

"Of course! That thing is rather indestructible, really. A few scratches and dents, but still works," Bruno assures. "Layla is holding up even with a missing ear… But she's rather woozy."

"I'm fine, Bruno, thank you," Layla sarcastically responds, leaning to one of the pillars as she stood, her cannon on the floor. "I'm alright… sort of."

"L-Layla…"

"Lolita?" the gunner asked, bewildered. She rushes towards the elf. "Hey! You're alive!"

Chou slaps Layla's shoulder lightly. "Wrong choice of words, airhead."

"Layla… ow… my head is ringing…"

"Stay still, Lolita. Estes put your jigsaw bones back together, but they're still kind of detached," Chou explains. "Seriously, you took one hell of a beating! I doubt I'd even survive getting slammed like that."

"Not… fun…" the elf groans, adjusting her position. "Not fun… at all. Don't… go head on…"

"Well, at least you tried. Bought us some time," Layla replies. "All of us were basically pinned back there. Don't worry, we're holed up here for the meantime. The last line of defense."

"Where… is he?"

Bruno scratches his head. "Who? The edgelord? Oh, he and his side women, the angry cat, and the praying mantis are fighting Argus, a legit 1v5. Argus is owning them."

"R-Really…? Y-Yay…"

"Yes, I know. If only we were able to watch him," Yinsen adds. "We're stuck here. Estes and his Royal Guard are just outside waiting. Aurora and a few more heroes are outside, just waiting in line to die- I mean, to hold the Dark Lord off. I hope Argus gets to kill one or two of these idiots. Would save us all of the trouble."

"Do you really think he can do that?" Chou asked. "Don't get me wrong, but… he's fighting against five of the strongest enemies we've faced, not to mention the demons trying to get through his wall of fire. If he dies, so does the hot barrier."

"I thought the Gem would hold the demons back," Layla conversed. "Isn't the force field up?"

"The energies on that thing are fluctuating like hell," Bruno answers. "Jumping up and down like a kid on a sugar rush. Probably some unusual activity happening inside the thing… I hope Alucard is alright. I don't understand why you have to put him inside that thing. Heh, who knows? Maybe he'll just burst out of there and BOOM! Mission accomplished!"

Meanwhile…

"Did he really just say that?" Alucard complains, watching the conversation between his four friends. The visual scene disappears from the landscape, slowly returning back to the interstellar infinity like rippling water. "Bruno can be the worst."

Lunox giggles and puts down her hand, floating closer to Alucard. "Well, yes, he is rather humorous, but he is determined, Alucard. He belongs alongside the others, more ways than one."

"Yeah… It's just awful that he got caught up with all of this mess," the hunter says, shaking his head. "He acts rebellious, but I know he must be afraid inside."

"All of us have a part in this war, they're simply fulfilling it. Hylos, Franco, Irithel, Zhao, Akai, Hayabusa, everyone. They wouldn't be here without a proper reason, and I can say the same to you, now that you're here with me."

Alucard slowly looked down, trying to think. "So… um… the Dark Lord."

"Yes?" Lunox asks, looking rather confident. "Oh, I see what you mean. He's our greatest threat. You've seen what he can do, and he was just fighting all of you again for the first time in thousands of years. You've heard him speak as if his cause is right."

"I know, it's rather painstaking to hear. But… I think he is trying to prove us a point, Lunox," Alucard remarks. "Not going to lie, he is desperate to stand up for it."

"Our beliefs are as strong as our physical capabilities, and he holds a concept so concrete, yet so immense. Ideas are what fuel our drive, and made us into what we are."

"Okay, I might need to stop you right there. If that's what you say, then… how come you're like… that?" Alucard asks, pointing and twisting his finger around Lunox. "They told me that-"

"Light and Dark merged as one? To put it simply, yes. But in something conceivable? It's more than that, Alucard. Estes, Kaja, Uranus, Hylos… they are old, and yet, such topics, such thoughts are hard to translate, even for them."

"So, what you're trying to tell me is that real power comes from our faith?"

"As strange as it sounds, Alucard, but it's true. You've fought against Alice and her acquaintances, I assume? You outmatched them, remember? They are really as strong as they say, in a physical sense. But their mindsets are torn. They lack focus, coordination, unlike the Dark Lord, who has truly set his sights on the Genesys Gem. That's why you beat them, until you lost control as well and let the Shadowbringer get to you."

"Alright, point taken… So, the same thing is happening to Argus?"

"As for Argus, he is more than just a leader," the Twilight Goddess adds, a serene expression on her face. "He is my harbinger of the Light."

"And I guess you have one for the Dark as well?"

"Leomord." Lunox turned her back to Alucard and stretched out her right arm forward. She slowly opens her palm and turns her arm to the right, creating a projection that covers the interstellar space. Alucard squints in order to view the panoramic scene better.

"Leomord?"

"Vexana's strongest knight, Leomord was risen from the dead and pledged total allegiance to her queen. His soul is righteous, and I deemed him the perfect representative, knowing that his mind is clear and absolute, unhindered and undistracted. It was a struggle to choose wisely, Alucard. I could've chosen someone else. I was glad that I made the right choice…"

The panorama shows Leomord, riding a brown stallion with glowing blue eyes that wore sharp, silver armor, charging through different warriors that allied with the Land of Dawn. He wielded a lance and used it to pierce through the lines, seemingly unstoppable.

"With Oath Keeper, his sword, and Barbiel, his beloved steed, they gave way for the Dark Lord's demons and helped him gain an edge. But I didn't know him by that time, for I was lost in thought due to the loss of my parents. We found each other in the middle of the woods near the Wastelands, and the initial encounter wasn't comforting."

"What happened?"

"I subdued him, but I noticed his true intentions. He didn't fight for the Dark Lord. He fought for his queen. No matter how cruel his actions, his mindset didn't change. I was thankful that we were alone as we met, for if demons accompanied him, there would've been unnecessary slaughter."

Alucard nodded, somewhat interested. "He didn't fight back once he recovered?"

"He was courteous, friendly, kind. Barbiel may seem like a brute, but the steed was rather playful as well. We cherished our time in the forests for months on end, never minding the problems outside. I guess it's safe to admit that we fell for each other…"

"Was he good?"

Lunox turned to Alucard, looking confused. "In what aspect?"

"You know, in…" Alucard tries to make a gesture, but stops. "Okay, forget I asked that. Sounded wrong. Anyway, what happened next? I don't think you'd escape the trouble that long."

"We were foolish, in a way. Thinking we can flee and avoid responsibility. I saw the light in Leomord's eyes. I can still give him the opportunity to prove himself, to prove that he is beyond an enemy to the eyes of the Lords of Order. I appointed him harbinger of Dark during our time together… but it wasn't long before… before he came."

Alucard pushes his arms back, floating closer to Lunox. "He?"

"One of seventy-two demons, Alucard. One of seventy-two demons that make up the Dark Lord. Their collective memory and consciousness and power against Estes and his fighters. He… he took Leomord away in secret and punished him for his absence, brutally. Leomord… he was never the same again. His body may not be fragile, but his will was, because of what… of what they did to him."

"Wait, wait, who is this 'he'?"

"The evil brothers were strong, but one rose above them all." Lunox stares at the panorama, and the scene changes, slowly reforming Leomord's figure into a dark silhouette, a grim aura enveloping it. Alucard recognizes the obsidian armor that encased the malevolent spirit. The design was slightly altered, but apparent and cannot be mistaken.

"His name is Andras, the Sower of Discord. He is the epitome of chaos. Some of his brothers, like Phenex, Vual, and Beleth, favored peace and unity over tyranny. Not all of the brothers sought destruction, but Andras cast them out himself."

(At this point, the panorama shows an intense scene of the Old War, warriors upon warriors clashing against hordes upon hordes of demons, Andras and a few of his brothers at the back. Alice, Vexana, Leomord, and two unknown individuals: a red-haired juggernaut with thick-layered armor and wielding a large hammer and a fire demon with large horns, sporting two huge scythes that scorched the ground.)

"Andras thought he had won the war. But I knew about his actions, I knew about what he did… what he and his brethren did, which disrupted the balance. So I intervened, not because I was furious, but it was the appropriate course of action."

Alucard witnesses a figure resembling Lunox appear in a flash of energy between the clashing sides, unleashing orbs and projectiles of Light and Dark, easily obliterating the hordes of demons. The Dark Lord and his servants retreated, but Lunox advanced, unrelenting with her assault. Andras and his brothers tries to flee, but Estes and a few Archimedians begin restraining them. The large fire demon attempts to fight back, but Argus stabs his sword straight to its chest.

"Thamuz and Terizla were easily vanquished. Alice and Vexana were imprisoned after the ordeal, and Andras and his brothers are trapped within the Dreadmare Chest and left to fade in Keva Infernus. I had to kill Leomord myself in the process. But history repeats itself, whether in miniscule or terrifying magnitude. Helcurt, Faramis, Selena, and many more have tried disrupting the balance all for the sake of power and revenge, and heroes step up to join noble causes, spanning across capitals, dimensions, universes alike… And the enemy falls down along with them."

Lunox turns to face Alucard, the orbs of energy encased by her wings now in moderate size. "You know what this means, Alucard. The New War has escalated in such anarchy that rivals the Old War. The only way to end this… is through sacrifice. To save everyone else, no matter where they are…"

"You don't mean-"

"Yes, hunter. I hypothesized everything. This is the only chance we have, and that is to bring Andras down with you. Gaius will fall… but it's a small price to pay to let the other worlds live to see tomorrow."

Meanwhile…

Argus begins dashing close to the wall of fire, cutting his sword through the flames and slicing down the demons that began crawling. Beyond his field of view, meteors of ice and storms of lightning clear out the demon-infested space.

"Well done, Eudora!" Freya compliments. "At least Argus won't have much of a hassle."

"Looks easy, but it isn't," the mage replies, sending another blast of lightning as she is boosted by two Archimedians. "We have to constantly bombard the demons, or Argus might have to fight Wretches."

"Or Shadowbringers," Hayabusa adds. "Can't they blink through the wall? I haven't seen one."

"Dude, only Helcurt can do that," Zhao answers. "But still. I think Argus already has those five scumbags on the ropes!"

"But he's growing tired. I'm noticing his aura dwindling. He might get overwhelmed soon…"

"I hope he kills someone when that happens, Freya."

She doesn't respond. Freya simply sits down, looking fatigued. But she wasn't tired of fighting. She may be injured, but she wasn't tired of trading blows.

"Freya? Hey, you alright?" Miya asks, worried. "You look haggard. You're not like that."

"Yeah… I know…"

"Is something wrong?"

"I should've confessed earlier…"

"Confess?" the archer questions, confused. "Freya, what's there to confess? We checked your movements, you did nothing wrong."

"No… not that kind of confession!" Freya half-yelled, raising her voice. "S-Sorry… I'm just-"

"Okay, girl, calm down. Tell me slowly, Freya. What is it."

"I… I should've told him earlier, before he fought them. How could I be so dumb?"

"What? What are you trying to say? What should you have told Argus?"

"He's oblivious, there were just so many hints…" Freya stammers, her hands shaking. "I've known him ever since I was young… a corrupted angel with a forgotten past. I fought him, and I brought back his old self again! I cared, but… but it was more than that…"

"Freya…"

"Argus… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

"Freya, don't cry, it's alright-"

"No, it's not that simple! I… I should've told him, before he went there, then he shouldn't have fought them at all. I could've been with him, but now, I don't have a choice… I'm sorry, Argus, for being afraid… For not being completely honest with you."

Meanwhile…

"Yield, Andras!"

"This has just started, Argus!" Andras releases a clone and charges at Argus, dark blades rising from the ground. Argus uses the flat of his sword to block the ram. The clone impacts hard on the angel, forcing Argus to slide backwards with his feet on the ground. The projection charges at Argus again, using powerful melee strikes and kicks to make him drop his sword. Argus gets punched at his helmet, its silver alloy slowly being scratched off bit by bit. He intensifies his fiery aura, causing the clone to back off with blitzkrieg speed.

"You dare use clones?!" Argus makes his move and dashes to the Dark Lord (not the clone), simply passing through the copy without slashing at it with his blade. Argus fakes a light strike, making Andras raise his arms and cover his upper body. He doesn't see the angel's foot, going downward, and Argus lands a hit on Andras' kneecap, forcing him to kneel. The Dark Lord lowers his arms, but Argus lands a swift uppercut, making Andras rise and leave him open to Argus' blade kick, the black armor receiving a huge dent. The spirit rolls to the ground, apparently hurt. Small scorch marks lined the dents.

"Ugh… insolent… wretch! Helcurt!"

"Coming, master!" The Shadowbringer jumps behind Argus, and the angel ducks instinctively. Helcurt rolls and recovers immediately, clawing at Argus' legs. The angel simply corkscrews in mid-air and whacks Helcurt away with the dull edge of the gold sword. As soon as Argus stands up, he was hit by a numbing bolt of lightning from Zhask, who was hiding behind a rock. More and more arcs of lightning gets released from his purple staff, forcing Argus to stumble, but all it could do is just faze him.

"Vexana! Your Ghouls!"

The Necromancer summons specters that force their hands out of the grass, clinging to Argus' feet. The angel struggles to get them off, striking his sword to the ground. He hovers upward, away from their grip. Argus prepares to strike his sword to the ground, but Alice leaps from the side, pushing Argus down and slowly dragging him towards the grass, thinking it would hurt him as well.

It didn't. Instead of trying harder, the succubus simply slams Argus multiple times to the ground, preventing him from making any sort of action. The arms of the specters successfully restrain Argus' left arm, but not his right. The angel recalls his greatsword, the cap of the sword hitting Alice square on her occipital, making her woozy. Argus pushes her off and extends his wings, the feathers digging to the ground. The plumes were set aflame, burning the specters down as Argus rises, mowing down a group of Ghouls in a circle, causing them to disintegrate to ash. He tries to dash towards Vexana, but his vision suddenly blackens.

"Ready for your atonement, traitor? Your m-m-murders will not go unpunished!"

Argus tries to see clearly, the glow of his burning aura his only light. He could feel a continuous, pushing force hurting him from behind, and powerful punches and claws striking him. His armor and his sword will hold the impacts, but Argus needs to get out.

"Where are you, Helcurt? You've been bothering me and everyone else for too long!"

He slashes blindly in the air, knowing that the sword can still throw waves of flame. He turns quickly and gains the momentum to spin like a blind razor, rings of fire bursting forth from his sword. Beyond his sight, the Ghouls and specters easily burns to dust, but Zhask and Vexana dodged. The alien shoots more lightning bolts at Argus, and the angel loses his footing and falls to his knees. Vexana throws orbs of green energy, exploding upon contact with Argus. He struggles to turn around, the armor on his wings slowly decaying and deteriorating from the continuous blasts. Argus successfully faces the blasts and uses his blade to block them. The projectiles ricocheted off of the edge of the blade, nearly backfiring directly to the two. Thinking that the assault was over, Argus turns back and tries to find Helcurt.

Alice was still there. She pounces on Argus and enters her Drinking State, slowly sapping his energy away as she begins to claw at his torso. Argus covers himself with his right arm and tries to recall the sword with his left, but a blade impales his wrist to the ground, locking him down.

"Argh… your blood is poison!" Alice shrieks, digging her claws into Argus' face, trying to wedge through the slits. "For years, I cannot live with the thought of not being able to beat you, but now, my wish has been fulfilled!"

Argus grunts in frustration, trying to find a way out, then he remembers something.

"All of this to win against me?"

"I've waited for years, Argus! I'm not waiting anymore!"

"Then wait longer." He launches the claw of his left arm, grabbing the handle of the sword, which was a few meters away from him. The claw retracts and throws the sword into the air, straight into Argus' right hand. As he grips the handle, he slashes in front of him, driving Alice backward via a wave of fire, burning her skin. She groans from the pain, trying to stand up as Argus removes the black sword nailed to his arm. He hears slight whooshing behind his ears, meaning that he dodged the Dark Lord's swords just in time. The bad part is, he's still blind.

"Wings are tired… Armor weakening… I need to find him."

"You've fought well, seraphim," Andras said, his voice resonating in Argus' head. "But your fight ends now!"

Argus could hear a faint, eerie laughter within the Dark Lord's words. He is cloaking Helcurt's sound as he races to Argus with his tail raised and ready to inject. The angel looks around in a panic, trying to find Helcurt. He couldn't see anything in the darkness… until a grey outline appeared, closing in on him.

"Got you."

He turns his head, pretending that he didn't see the Shadowbringer, and in a split second, grabs Helcurt by the neck as soon as he attempts to pounce on the angel. Argus' vision returns, and Helcurt was suffocating from his grip, desperately trying to scratch and injure his hand.

"Y-Y-You… how d-did you… urgh!"

"There was a chance for your race to flourish… If only you've been understanding!" Argus tightens his grip, nearly breaking Helcurt's neck. His aura makes the Shadowbringer's cloak catch on fire, slowly turning to cinders.

Helcurt's face was fully exposed. He had a bald head and the skin on it was completely wrinkled. Helcurt bore no ears, but had holes on either side of his head. His razor-sharp teeth were fully exposed, but most of them were yellowish or broken. Helcurt screamed in despair as the sunlight hurts his vision.

"M-MY EYES! I.. I C-CAN'T S-S-S-SEE! MAAAAASSSTEEERRRRR!!!"

"Let Helcurt go!" Vexana warns. "Or else…"

"Too late," Argus hissed. "The real traitor will atone for his sins."

"MASSSTEERRRRR-"

Argus crushes Helcurt's neck and snaps it, his head silent and lifeless. He chucks his body into the air and slashes upward with his flaming sword as the corpse fell, cutting the body in half. The halves slowly burned in yellow flame, as if it was cremated… And Helcurt was gone. All that was left was his broken tooth, dislodged and left on the ground.

"RASCAL!" Andras yells in anger. "YOU WILL SUFFER A PAINFUL DEATH!"

The angel opens the palm of his left hand, Helcurt's blood soaking the armor. He clenches his fist and sets his arm on his left, drawing his sword.

"One down… Four to go!"

Argus runs straight to Andras. The Dark Lord throws swords and axes from the void, but Argus dodges them easily. One of them hits his shoulder, but he keeps on sprinting, barely even hurt. The angel pushes his blade to the Dark Lord's chest, but Andras catches the sword, his hands pressing on the flats of the blade. Andras twists his arms and with a swift upward motion, sends the sword skyrocketing. The black knight charges his energy and pushes Argus back to gain some space. Andras himself charges to the seraphim, his fists clenched. He lands a clear punch to Argus's helmet, slightly denting it. With a flurry of blows to the angel, Andras manages to prevent Argus from retaliating, letting Zhask and Vexana open for more shooting opportunities while Alice prepares for the supporting ambush.

"Argus is barely hurt!" Vexana notes, growing tired from her assault. "It must be his wings!"

The wings were just part of the problem. Argus' aura was also taking part, as well as his new power. Even Andras was having difficulty making the angel's knees buckle a bit. He stops the rampage and backs, generating two clones. The clones lifted their hands and raised the ground, forcing a large wall of dirt to be conjured. Argus breathes heavily and recalls his greatsword from the air, returning back to his normal strength. He dashes and cleaves through the wall of dirt, as well as the clones. Argus was about to reach the Dark Lord, but Alice intervenes successfully, catching Argus and tackling him to the ground. The angel rolls and recuperates, trying to bring the sword back, but Zhask spawns two Dominators between Argus and attacks him, cutting off the link immediately. Vexana nears the wall of fire, figuring out an idea to let the demons get through.

"Alice, hold Argus still!"

She begins to raise dozens of Ghouls and specters and commands them to go to the wall with a point of her index finger. They briskly dived to the wall, covering the scorching ground with their bodies and ethereal spirits. They slowly begin to snuff out the heat faster than the flame could recover. A Hellhound attempts to breach, but immediately burns to ash. Vexana needs bigger monsters to fight against Argus. The corners of the wall are easily being breached, but it's not enough for them to infiltrate the Land of Dawn. The wall was spanning for kilometers. They had to eliminate the angel in order to gain the upper hand.

"Faster, you swines!" Vexana grumbles. "Kill the angel!"

More and more Ghouls topple over their own kin, extinguishing a small section of the wall. A few Ravagers get in, rather confused and surprised. As soon as they saw Argus, they sprinted in haste. Alice continues to claw at him, being able to target his midsection other than his head. Argus kicks her groin and rolls on his front, trying to stand, but the Ravagers catch up to him climbing onto his back. Before they could sink their jaws into him, Argus extends his wings, recovering a segment of his aura. The Dark Lord conjures swords in haste and throws them down to Argus, but the angel rolls out of the way, covering himself with his six wings. It doesn't take long before Andras decides to defend as a volley of silver knives suddenly get launched at him, forcing him to descend. Argus stops spinning and notices the change in his wings. Most of the feathers have already begun merging with the gold and silver armor, slowly turning them into sharp blades of gilded steel. As Argus recalls his greatsword with his hand, he spins around, using his wings as a shield against Zhask and his spawns. A few Kastiyans began firing through the wall of flame, trying to hit the angel, but a stray shot hits the alien commander square on the shoulder, making him drop his staff. Argus stops attempting to recall his greatsword and hastily grabs Zhask's staff, dodging Andras' black swords.

"Give it back!" Zhask screeches. He runs, but Argus charges and butts the alien's chest with the staff, nearly breaking Zhask's skin. Purple blood began oozing from the injury, and Zhask coughed up some of it as well.

"My sword can't kill you… but your staff can!" Argus unleashes a bolt of lightning from the stick, electrocuting his foe. The spawns also lose their focus, swinging their nozzle-like heads and spitting their lasers in random intervals. The angel rolls out of a projectile and aims the staff at Zhask once more, noticing that his limbs are already being scorched inside out.

"N-n-nooo! I won't… let you… kill me!"

Argus yells and pokes the staff harder against Zhask, a moderately severe dent on the alien's upper chest. He pokes it even harder, not letting Zhask recuperate. After a series of shocking blows, Argus backs and dashes, breaking the sound barrier and completely punctures Zhask with the staff before swinging it around like a sling. Argus releases more lightning as Zhask could no longer speak. He was only gurgling from the blood flooding his throat. Caelesti Igni flies overhead, knocking Andras before he could stop Argus' assault. It sidetracks and slashes at Vexana on her side, interrupting the flow of demons that were entering through the wall of flame. The sword begins zooming towards Argus. The seraphim stops and runs straight to it, preparing to swing the staff like a batter reaching for the home run. Instead, Argus throws the staff as Sun would throw his cudgel, spinning wildly with Zhask's body in tow. Both the staff and the sword collide in a frenzy of fire and lightning, but the sword survives, recalling back to Argus' hand. The spawns around suddenly begin shaking uncontrollably, forks of electricity extending outwards from them.

Vexana shouts, "Retreat! They will explode!"

Sure enough, they did. The Dominators (along with Zhask's body) bursts into a mess of viscera and lightning, corrosively burning the grassy ground. Some of the debris skyrocketed upward, nearly reaching the top of the wall of flame. Argus zips around, using his wings for cover and to avoid retaliation by Andras.

But not Vexana's.

She sees Argus and ensnares him with her green energy, tendrils of smoke restraining him. Argus manages to break free, homing closer towards the Necromancer. A large Wretch manages to break free from the pillars of fire, rushing towards the angel. In response, Argus sidesteps and changes direction, slashing diagonally and cutting the Wretch in half, making it lopsided. The demon crawls in agony, trying to run, but Argus digs his sword deep into hits belly and slices it open, spilling the Wretch's intestines. It makes a loud, gurgling sound, blood bubbling from its jaws.

"I can't do this…" Argus internally spoke, panting. "I need… to kill Vexana… and Alice…"

He doesn't notice a herd of Hellhounds sprinting to his direction. Argus grunts, trying to swing his greatsword with his tired arms, releasing a wave of flame towards the demons and incinerating them. Far behind them, a few Wretches burst through the wall, apparently only minimally injured. Alice was behind them, now throwing projectiles of blood at Argus. The angel blocks one with his hands, but the armor slowly began to melt and deteriorate.

"She's not going closer… she'll wait before I'm vulnerable enough…"

Argus spins his sword and angles them straight forward, his left arm supporting its weight. He then dashes with incredible speed, cutting through the Wretches easily. Argus ducks under a Wretch's jaws and stabs it. Using the momentum, he guts it from below and spills its insides before using his wings to gain flight. Andras appears, rising above the carcasses of the Wretches and throws his swords at Argus, all the while unleashing dark bolts of energy. One of the bolts strikes Argus' left lower wing, and the feathers grow rusty and matted with soot.

"Argh… I need more space… I need more space! The others can't help me, best thing they can do is stop the demons from pouring in!"

"You cannot run, Argus! This is your legacy… All angels fall!" Andras yells, generating clones one by one, trailing Argus and attempting to shish-kebab him. "And all of your friends behind the walls will learn what it's like to lose."

"Quit talking and try to kill me!" Argus taunts. He flies sideward, isolating each clone in order to finish them off easily. Argus knows the Dark Lord's exact location. "The time will come, and so will he!"

"Who, the boy? The prophecy should have chosen you, out of all the rest! But no! They chose someone… an ant among this world!"

Argus barrel-rolls around the airspace, coming in contact with Andras and dematerializing the demons. The Dark Lord struggles to break the grip, stabbing Argus multiple times with his swords. The two crash to the ground, but Argus doesn't let go and holds on to the Dark Lord. He regains footing after several rolls and throws him off far away while Argus stops, using his sword as an anchor to keep him still. Four punctures were on his leg, shoulder and chest. A horn from his helmet was broken, while the other was chipped. Gold ichor slowly poured out of Argus' wounds.

"Don't die yet… come on…"

Argus tries to run, but a wave of blood hits his back, coating his wings with corrosive red fluid. He slashes behind him, not minding the pain. Alice uses the glare of the sun to hide and pounces on Argus from above. The angel rolls out of the way and folds his wings to prevent them from getting damaged, but Argus knows that two of his wings had lost a large portion of his feathers while one of them was completely dead. Droplets of blood dripped on his armor, and they slowly began to corrode on his armor, the plates beginning to feel unbalanced and partially torn.

Alice throws out her arms, causing much more quantities of blood to encircle her. Argus grips his greatsword and carves through the blood, setting it aflame and causing it to evaporate. Alice absorbs some of the blood and turns them into scarlet blades. She grips them and combats Argus, spinning around and trying to hit his lower body. This proved to be difficult as Argus' aura was protecting his body. As soon as Alice comes in contact, the aura was deflecting the impacts, causing only minimal damage. Argus finds an opening and stabs forward, missing Alice's neck. The succubus smiles and attempts to slash downward, but Argus lowers the blade, cutting Alice by the shoulder. The angel pulls the blade off and backs. Alice screams in pain as her shoulder felt as if it was burning, a cauterized gash nearly amputating her whole arm by the socket.

Argus' breathing labored as he tries to live out. A Wretch appears from behind, trying to butt Argus into the wall of flame. Argus immediately jumps forward and stabs the Wretch on the skull, making it stop in its tracks. The angel leaps off and slowly retreats, seeking a way to gain leverage.

"They're not yet done preparing… Five minutes… five more!"

Argus could hear the internal thoughts of the other heroes on the wall, apparently worried about his state. He didn't care. He knew that what mattered is buying them time.

"She's talking to Alucard now… and they're most likely watching us. All of us can still live… all of the fallen. She's not telling him the possibility, because if she did, it will never happen."

"Growing tired, Argus?" Alice asks mischievously. She summons a whip of blood and lashes at Argus, but the angel easily tanks the shot, the whip curling around his right arm.

"Just hurt." He ignites the sword, causing the blood whip to burn like gasoline. Alice tries to dematerialize the weapon, but Argus yanks it and literally grips the cord, his hands slowly burning from the corrosive liquid. To speed up the pull, Argus tugs hard, bringing the surprised Alice to the ground. The angel lets go of the whip and stomps her repeatedly, the sharp grass digging into her skin and eyes. Her muffled screams could be heard as Argus recalls the sword to pin her, but a black hammer emerges from the void and slams Argus off.

"You will not touch them again, Andras calmly spoke. "And the Spitfires and Hellbats have begun breaching your barrier."

Argus tries to recover, his helmet cracked, but he soon gets toppled by a group of Ravagers, carrying him across the field like a tidal wave upon fish. He pushes off successfully, but two Wretches smash their feet to him forcefully on the ground. Andras was above the growing horde, throwing more and more dark bolts at the center of the mass. Argus tries to break free, but more and more begin to surge through the walls.

"Aurora!"

"Hylos, there's too many!" the queen yells over the commotion. "I can destroy them, but Argus-"

"DO IT NOW! EUDORA, DO THE SAME!"

The sorceress doesn't respond. She was laying on the floor, apparently exhausted, her silver hair slightly frizzy. "Too much expended… Need to… recharge."

"You call my acts pointless," Andras says. "But this is the future, Argus… the pinnacle of perfection!"

Argus doesn't shout back. He was pinned. He could feel claws and sharp teeth dig into his skin and armor. He could tell that one of his wings was completely torn from his back. Waves upon waves of pain flooded his mind, to the point wherein Argus couldn't recall the blade anymore. His mind was an absolute haze. It was as if he was being torn apart.

"Argus!"

"F-Freya?"

"Argus… I'm sorry…"

The angel was suddenly alerted. He tries to get up, but Vexana spawns more and more specters and Ghouls, pulling Argus into the ground.

"Freya, can you hear me?"

"Argus! I'm… I'm so sorry…"

"I can hear her, but she can't hear me! Freya! FREYA!!!"

"It's too late… I'm so sorry…"

"Freya, don't say that!"

"I wish I would've had the stomach to tell you… I adore you!"

"All of this to kill one seraphim," the Dark Lord muttered. "Incredible…"

"F-Freya?"

"Ever since I stepped up for you… defended your actions… Argus, come on! Please! GET UP!"

"Freya…"

Argus didn't know it, but tears began to roll from his eyes.

"Argus… get up! Don't die for me!"

"Freya!" Argus tries to reach his hand upward. He could only see swirling darkness. The Ravagers began biting and chewing at his extended arm, but this was his only opening. He has to escape.

"Argus… I…"

"FREYA!"

"I'm sorry."

"FREYA, NO! DON'T GIVE UP!" His aura began to swell tremendously, the light glowing through the bodies.

The Dark Lord was stunned by the phenomena. Some of the demons began retreating.

"How…"

"Argus? ARGUS!"

"FREYA! COME ON! COME ON, ARGUS! COME ON! FIGHT! JUST THIS ONCE!"

"ARGUS!"

A loud cry was heard from within the mass, and suddenly, a large explosion of light burst forth from within, sending most of the demons flying. Most were eviscerated by the blast, while some were completely cremated. Andras becomes temporarily blind by the flash of light.

"MY EYES! ARGH, I CANNOT SEE!"

A streak of flame suddenly zooms through, aimed straight for Vexana. The Necromancer couldn't even react in time as Argus stabs her with his sword straight to her head. He drags her body along to the ground with the speed, shredding her to viscera completely, some of the chunks burning. Alice was stunned by the sudden kill and took too long to react.

"V-VEXANAAAAAA! NO! HOW COULD YOU?!" She leaps towards the speeding ball of flame, charging up her blood energy. Alice catches, but suddenly gets pulled along it, the flames reaching up to her body. "YOU KILLED HER!"

"AND MANY OTHERS BEFORE THIS! AND NOW, YOU REPAY YOUR SINS IN KIND!" Argus speeds up around the battlefield in Mach speeds as Alice loses her focus from the sustained injury and tremendous amount of Gs. The angel notices a large boulder on the path and heads straight towards it. He angles Alice's body to it and uses her as a shield, making her absorb the full impact. Her wing breaks as she shrieks from pain and panic, trying to claw at Argus, but it was too late.

At long last, the Queen of the Apocalypse was doomed to die.

Argus throws her up into the air follows up with a flurry of punches and kicks, causing her skin to sear. Alice lifts up her arms but her bones were already broken. She was no longer regenerating properly. She tries to charge up more blood and enter her Drinking State, but Argus' aura overwhelms her, preventing her from fighting back.

"YOU TRIED SO HARD TO BEAT ME… YOU COULDN'T ACCEPT THE REALITY! ALL OF THIS TO BEST EVERYONE… AND IN THE END… YOUR OWN BLOOD WILL BE SPILT!"

The angel recalls Caelesti Igni and with a scream of rage, slices Alice downward into the ground, the two of them falling like comets. They hit the ground with a large explosion, leaving a brown crater. A sharp, puncture sound echoed throughout the landscape as the dust and smoke clears, revealing the aftermath.

Alice's skin was completely burnt. 90% of the hair in her head was missing, the ends scorched off. Her bones now looked frail and her arms and legs were nearly amputated by the assault. Gallons of blood poured out from all of her sides. She was barely recognizable. Argus' sword was upright, impaling her to the soil. Alice coughs up and tries to look at the angel. She was astounded.

"H-How… d-did you… survive…?"

Argus was in a much more delicate state. In fact, he should've been dead. His right arm was almost torn off, a bloody stump oozing large amounts of ichor as a few blood vessels hang from it. The angel's lower left leg was chewed off by the previous demons, rendering Argus as a cripple. It was severely dislocated and hanged via the veins and arteries for dear life at a near 180-degree angle. His right eye was completely torn off the socket, multiple cuts on his face, arms and torso. Most of his armor was stripped off via blunt force or corrosion. His helmet was gone, most likely shattered, revealing his face.

He was handsome. No, more than handsome, rivaling even Lancelot or Gossen. He had a distinct jawline and somewhat perfect teeth. One of his ears was cut, the bite marks of a Hellhound seen on the freak injury. Argus was completely clean, if we are to ignore his current situation, and his hair was medium in length and gold in color. But now, he looked like a corpse on his last breath.

But he was still alive, still fighting. He doesn't know why. Three of his wings, one on each pair, was torn off. The other surviving wings were bloody with ichor and apparently nearly going to fall off.

"All I w-wanted… w-w-was t-to… become the b-b-best…" Alice choked, tears flowing from her face. "I t-tried…"

"You betrayed us…" Argus spoke, his voice hoarse. "And worst o-of all… you betrayed yourself."

Alice shook her head in despair, trying to deny it. "N-No… Argus… p-please…"

"Go… home."

The angel pulls out his sword clean out from Alice, her body slightly being pulled. The blade bore stress marks, and was about to break, its aura ebbing. Argus immediately uses the sword as support as soon as he pulled it out from Alice, watching her corpse slowly burn into cinders, the char blown by the gentle breeze.

Andras was in front of Argus, accompanied by a few Wretches. Argus awkwardly hovers miraculously by a few feet, clutching his sword weakly on his left arm.

"Come on, Andras. COME ON!"

He charges recklessly, raising his blade. Andras simply conjures a humongous sword, ready to swat Argus. Surprisingly, Argus breaks the void weapon, forcing it to dissipate into a mass of dark smoke. The problem is, Caelesti Igni shatters as well, the pieces scattering off. He doesn't see Andras throw a black javelin into his chest, and Argus was sent flying back, the spear poking him down on the ground.

The Dark Lord lands and slowly walks up to Argus, and the angel was barely even struggling. Argus grabs on the javelin and tries to pull it out, but his left arm was already weak.

"You impressed me," Andras admits. "I have to say… You put up one hell of a fight against me. It's a shame the fun has ended, now that your other friends will be easier to take care of."

Argus grunts incoherently, trying to escape, but Andras simply chuckles.

"Farewell, fallen angel." He walks away, the demons slowly following Andras and doesn't speed up, except for the airborne monsters.

But Argus wasn't finished.

"You think y-you… have won?"

Andras stops in his tracks and slowly turns to Argus, who still spoke. "You're still kicking?"

"Alucard… he will stop you!"

"I'd like to see him try, Argus."

"He and Lunox."

"DO NOT DARE SPEAK OF HER NAME!" Andras shouts, summoning another sword and stabs Argus' other eye. The angel simply winces from the pain. "SHE IS NO LONGER HERE, AND YOUR FAMILY WILL PERISH!"

"She knows what to d-do… And s-she will use the boy to bring you down along with her… You w-will never succeed, Andras. Try a-as you might… but your brothers knew better than you. And her dream will be s-sought."

The Dark Lord clenches his fist, hyperventilating in anger, and raises his foot, sharp spikes suddenly forming beneath on the sole.

Argus sighs in relief, smiles, and turns his head to the sky. "Volo pro veritas."

Andras stomps Argus' face repeatedly, not seeking to cease. Ichor splatters throughout and the head nearly gets torn from the neck. The spirit stops, lightly trembling.

"Take away my world, I'll take away yours," Andras monologues, brushing imaginary dust off the shoulder armor. "And your world will be taken away, Argus. The boy will not win… And his companions can go sod off in hell for all I care."

The Light has fallen, and Darkness floods the gates.