The First Betrayal.

The green-eyed Yokai tilted their heads back and stared at the sky. The lesser Demons' eyes glowed green as well and every head looked up at the zenith of the dimensional barrier.

"What is happening?" Jane asked in a low whisper. Her voice travelled across the eerily silent and still battlefield. "They are here." Raymond replied solemnly. He scanned his allies and his eyes glowed purple.

 *

"Oh…no, no, no. We must hurry. The barrier is only partially under our control. We need to inscribe a rule that blocks everything out as well." Kagiso said urgently and Mdu scoffed. "How convenient." Clyde muttered.

"Indeed. None are as blessed and fortunate as you are. None, but those that have learned to tip the scales. Good fortune or good dealings?" the stocky one-horned man rumbled suspiciously. An intense pressure hurt their ears, and they all looked up.

"I could try to convince you, but it seems we are out of time. Our enemy is here, and you are the only one who can erect an impenetrable barrier. We need your knowledge and skill." The two-horned man rumbled sincerely.

"What would you know of my abilities?" Jabu asked threateningly. "Only what Jane was willing to share, nothing more." Kagiso rumbled sincerely and Mdu's eyes stopped glowing. He clenched his fist and turned his head to the side.

"Right, while he is doing that. You can answer my brother's question." Clyde said, and Jabu vanished. He appeared before the twisted golden seat and inspected the magical cells inside. "No. Make yourself useful and join the others outside. We still need to defend the mountain until reinforcements arrive. You will receive a mission report along with everyone else, when the job is done." The two-horned man replied sternly, and the one-horned man tilted his head to the side.

"Sincere one moment, elusive the next. You were jovial and carefree in the face of danger before, and now you are afraid and prophetic. Have you gone mad? Have you all lost your minds?" Clyde rumbled and his heartrate climbed steadily.

"Calm yourself, brother. There is a time and place for everything. For now, we will do our part to survive. You can ask your questions after we-""-leave the island and he is light-years away? Weren't we at each other's throats over the truth? He says a few clever words, and everyone dances to his tune. But I see through your half-truths. Truths? The eyes of enlightenment." The slender one-eyed man rumbled spitefully, and Hugo scoffed. The pressure intensified as an invisible force gripped the entire island and the dimensional barrier around it.

"Control him or unleash him on our enemies. We have delicate work to do." Jabu rumbled irritatingly and Clyde snapped. "I am tired of being dismissed, deceived and underestimated! Secrecy and mistrust. The Ascension Trials forces us to compete against one another. Then the Council expects us to work together? How much potential must be snuffed out, before you see the error of their ways?" he rumbled and shocked Kenpachi deeply.

"Indeed, the Ascension Trials are wasteful. But the power the survivors gain in the process is astronomical. You blame the Council for our secrecy and mistrust. No one forces us to hide what we have learned. We do so because we have earned the right to. Through our sacrifices. Through hard work and dedication. How many decades do you think it took her to learn what she gifted to you in moments?" Kagiso rumbled condescendingly. The one-horned man charged, and he swatted him away with a swift backhand.

Suddenly, a deafeningly loud shattering noise snapped Clyde out of his rage induced trance. Jabu placed his hands on the statue, and it syphoned a lake of Mana from his cells. He collapsed to his knees and let out a wild roar.

"What is happening? What have you done?" Hugo shouted and the two-horned man let out a sigh of relief. "See?" the slender one-horned man asked, and Kagiso chuckled.

"You are one annoying little brat. Go out there and see what we are facing, if you are so confident in your strength and your truth. I am tired of listening to your barking. Kenny and I will be enough to fill the well. Dragons aren't allowed to kill one another unless it is in self-defence. Then again, I could also just tear off your limbs. Leave, now." The two-horned man rumbled sinisterly, and he raised his energy output to sixty percent. The air became thick and the heat emanating from his body seeped through their armour. Clyde's eyes glowed red, before he vanished along with Mdu and Hugo.

 *

"Hold the line!" Raymond bellowed and the hordes of green-eyed Demons clambered up each other. They blanketed the barrier and smiled from ear to ear. The Yokai's hands ignited, and they clubbed the invisible dome around the mountain.

"We're running out of time. What is taking your brother so long?" Gloria asked and her Mana enveloped the injured Candidates. The glittery golden light grew dimmer with each wound that it mended. The radiant inter-dimensional energy pumped macromolecules and clusters of cells into the masked men and women.

"I don't know, but it won't be much longer now." The three-horned man replied, and he scanned the horizon. Jane noticed his gaze, and she inspected the darkness beyond the barrier. "Cheeky bastards." The two-horned woman whispered, and she dashed forward. Jane passed through the barrier and the Candidates glanced at her out of the corner of their eyes.

The two-horned woman cleaved through the Yokai, and the remnants of her legion held their ground at the edge of the barrier. They fired and thrust their weapons through the barrier, while their benefactor slaughtered the enemy by the hundreds. Duke crash landed two kilometres west of her position. Jane smiled at him, and their pupils generated dim orbs of light in their centre. The light spilled out of their eyes, and they vanished in unison.

The stoic two-horned man charged west, and the two-horned woman charged east. They circled the barrier and cleared the area in front of the mountain at hypersonic speeds. The Candidates and the legionnaires huffed and puffed as they watched carefully. The two blurs blitzed through entire groups and turned the monstrous bodies into clouds of blood and gore.

"Almost." Raymond whispered, and the barrier wobbled. He looked up at the blanket of Demons ferociously pounding away at the top of the dome. "Our timing has to be perfect." The three-horned man whispered eagerly.

Hugo, Mdu and Clyde's energy signatures emerged from the palace at the western foot of the mountain. They charged towards the barrier, vanished and appeared beyond it. More monstrous bodies exploded, and a deep darkness swallowed every coastline. The pitch-black shadow blotted out the abyss beyond the Yokai and devoured everything in its path.

Raymond slammed the bottom of his staff on the ground. Dense spheres of Mana ballooned and enveloped Jane, Duke, Hugo, Clyde and Mdu. The clearly visible translucent bubbles contracted just as five more swelled behind the barrier. The three-horned man transported the five Candidates to safety, and the tsunamis of shadows broke against the dome.

"They're here." Raymond said softly and six blindingly bright searchlights pierced the watery veil. The Candidates gasped at the brightness of the light. They raised their heads slowly and their eyes barely made out the three-hundred-metre-tall shadows that the eyes belonged to. The Demi-Gods scanned the mountain and the dimensional barrier inflated. The inner layer contracted, while the outer layer pushed them back.

"W-wait! What is he doing?" a Candidate stammered in a panic. "Someone needs to call for help. The rest stay behind. We keep trying until a message gets through." The three-horned man prophesied, but his were not glowing. "You expect us to go out there?" a Candidate asked, before he went deaf. He touched his ears, looked at his hands and saw blood. A high-pitched hum rang in their ears and the temperature skyrocketed. The pressure exerted on their bodies increased with each passing second, and the three giants stepped back.

"Yes, if you wish to survive. My brothers and I head north. Jane, Jabu and Laurence head southeast, while Hugo, Mdu and Clyde hold the southwest. Mei, Laurence and Gloria are behind the barrier with the medical teams. The rest of you support us from the rear." The three-horned man prophesied, and the Candidates nearly breathed an audible sigh of relief.

The eerily cold searchlights fell onto the masked men and women. The ominous glow was nothing like the Golden Eyed Sisters' light. The malicious stares emitted a pale, silvery light that sapped the energy out of everything it touched. The light instilled a deep sense of dread in the masked men and women and their hearts sank into their stomachs.

Clyde, Duke and Raymond recognised the sensation immediately. It brought them back to the dojos, where Kagiso had encountered the assassins. The slender one-horned man and the Candidates felt powerless against the overwhelming odds. In a brief moment of weakness, he closed his eyes and wished for it to end quickly.

"There are only three of them." A Candidate whispered and Clyde glanced out of the corner of his eyes. He noticed that Raymond, Mei and Duke had already vanished. The slender one-horned man blinked and saw a bright golden light for a moment He closed them and saw Gloria's glow long before he felt her presence.

The golden eyed women's aura shielded the Candidates gathered near the southwestern palace and they all snapped out of the trance. The masked men and women were shocked to find that they had already repositioned themselves. They were standing right in front of the barrier, with no recollection of how they got there. Clyde's frustration grew and his heart-rate climbed steadily.

"W-what…what are we supposed to do if we can't even focus?" Priya asked curiously. The blue-eyed Candidate was merely thinking out loud. However, her companions took it as a sign of defeat. They considered their options and backed away slowly. A few at first and then dozens at a time. The masked men and women retreated to the safety of the palace and the forts.

"Cowards." Jane muttered under her breath, and she stared at the corpses at her feet. The light had burnt her legionnaires' eyes out of their skulls and melted their nervous systems. "I do not blame them. Their minds were invaded so easily." Laurence rumbled sympathetically and the two-horned woman chuckled. "Come now, Doctor. The Surgeon of Death should know exactly why one would let a patient die." She rumbled ominously and the eldest of the Golden Eyed Sisters stared at her. His eyes flashed, and he turned towards the mountain.

"To end one's suffering or to save another's life." Laurence said. He racked his brain, but nothing came to mind. "How can I stop them, when I do not know what they are about to do?" the eldest of the Golden Eyed Sisters wondered. "You are trying to figure out what they're doing." Jane guessed, with a delighted chuckle. "Help me or they will all die." Laurence pleaded through clenched teeth. The two-horned woman stared at him. She rested her sword on her right shoulder and sighed.

"Have you ever heard of the Jewel of Moonglow Meadows?" Jane asked softly, and the eldest of the Golden Eyed Sisters' eyes bulged. "Will you be fine-""-do not insult me. I am at my strongest, when I am alone." She rumbled and Laurence felt her pride, sadness and fear. "Good luck. And farewell." He rumbled sincerely and the two-horned woman smiled, before she stepped forward and strolled through the veil confidently. The eldest of the Golden Eyed Sisters turned towards the north and vanished.

 *

"My turn then." Kagiso said with a sigh and Kenpachi stumbled backwards. He shook his head, breathed heavily and cleared his throat. The imposing one-horned man stood next to Jabu, while the two-horned man placed his hands on the twisted golden seat.

"For what it's worth…I am sorry." Kagiso rumbled sincerely. Kenpachi felt a deep sense of regret, before he blinked and found himself standing on a pebbly beach. Jabu blinked, and he saw his sister's energy signature for the briefest of moments. She passed through the veil and the searing hot light disappeared beyond the veil. "Jane? How?" Jabu whispered in disbelief. He stepped forward and reached out to the glittery embers. "Help Hugo. I leave after this battle. Goodbye brother…and thank you." Her fiery Mana whispered, before the embers died out.

The imposing one-horned man scanned his surroundings. He spotted Duke and Raymond standing on the pitch-black seawaters. They had lowered their energy signatures and were standing with their back to the mountain.

"Are they just waiting? What is going on?" Kenpachi wondered. He closed his eyes and felt his brothers' energy signatures to the southwest. The imposing one-horned man turned around and stared at the mountain. "What are you up to?" he wondered out loud, and Laurence's energy signature appeared above the mountain for a split second. "Do not retreat! Hold the line! The mountain is a trap!" he shouted, and his voice travelled across the battlefield.

"Hmm. You were right. They are quick." The stoic two-horned man admitted, and it appeared as though the three giants had shrunk. "But not quick enough." The three-horned man replied. Gloria turned around just as Kagiso's stasis field ballooned. It passed over the mountain, the ruins of the palace and forts, the Candidates, the inner barrier and finally the outer barrier. Raymond and Duke felt their brother's Mana wash over them and their eyes glowed purple and orange.

"A cluster of dimensions that create more. The power over space and time. A gift from the Dragon King Himself. Makes you wonder what they did to deserve such a treasure. The Jewel of Moonglow Meadows. Have you ever heard of it…Demi-God?" Jane asked as the colossal watery sphere sparkled like a diamond. It passed over her and the giant shadow in nano-seconds.

The Candidates looked up and the pirate ships circled the skies above the mountain. Time stopped, the stasis field contracted, and dragged both layers of the barrier with it. The dimensional barriers sandwiched the stasis field and the two horned man set the rules for the pocket world. The Ark Dimension expelled every immortal as it shrunk.

Kagiso held out his hands, and the iridescent orb shimmered and sparkled. The bauble shrunk until it was small enough to pass through the nano portals attached to his organelles. The Candidates were cast out into the abyss beyond the barrier. The mind-numbing ringing returned. They scanned their environments, but they could not see anything.

Clyde roared and flew into a bloody rage. He lashed out at the darkness and his fist struck something heavy. A heavy slap snapped the slender one-horned man out of his trance. He looked up and saw the giant shadow standing over him. The searchlight focused on the tiny Candidate and Clyde realised they had hurtled across the entire island.

Kenpachi's heart sank, when his brothers' energy signatures were snuffed out. His heart-rate climbed and his blood boiled. The ground trembled, and a hand rested on his right shoulder. Laurence appeared before him.

"Calm yourself. We have been scattered, not defeated. Your brothers are to the-"Laurence was interrupted violently. His ribs shattered and a sharp pain shot up his right-hand side. He locked onto his assailant and his eyes flashed. A golden light highlighted the shadowy fist, the size of a small house, and the eldest of the Golden Eyed Sisters crossed his arms. Golden hexagonal bricks materialised and formed a glittery golden wall. The seams disappeared just as the fist crashed into the shield wall.

Laurence's Mana made the magical metal shine, as he reinforced it. The impact pushed the shield wall, and the interwoven clusters of energy fields that held it together, right up against his body. The eldest of the Golden Eyed Sisters turned his shield, before the energy fields inflated like an airbag and he sent himself skipping across the pitch-black ocean.

Duke encapsulated himself inside of a bronze bell, with magical circles embedded in the sides. The Bell Barrier sparkled, and the stoic one-horned man punched it. A glittery ring of Mana and sound burst out of the sparkly metal, and the deep chime rolled across what was left of the island.

The sparkly sound-waves rolled over everyone and everything. It struck the borders of the island's barrier and rolled back towards the bell in the very centre of the island. Duke activated his sonar and assimilated the data contained inside of the wispy ring of Mana. He struck the bell again and shared the results with the Candidates. The second pulse returned, and the stoic one-horned man struck the inside of the bell yet again.

The pulses rolled out more frequently, and the remnants of the Demonic hordes were revealed, along with three silhouettes that seemed to belong to a trio of mortals. One of the mortals waved their hand, and the Yokai clutched their heads. They charged at the Candidates and their energy outputs increased sharply. Their fiery souls screamed, and the green flames grew taller.

"Shields up." Kagiso instructed, and the masked men and women blocked. The Demons detonated and sickly green explosions of fire engulfed the island. The shockwaves collided with the glittery sound-waves and the three mortal silhouettes turned into giants before they disappeared.

Duke's Bell Barrier let out another deep chime and the pulse sent the three giants flying in opposite directions. It snuffed out the sickly green flames and the glittery golden seat replaced the sparkly bronze bell. Molten cracks formed in the ground, before three glittery walls of fire erupted. The partitions shot up and cut the island into three equal parts.

"Much better." Jane said, and a bright orange glow revealed that she had caught the Demi-God's fist. "Impressive…for a lizard." The tall, muscular woman said coolly. She tried to pull her hand free, and the two-horned woman tightened her grip. "Prejudice? I expected your last words to be funnier. Most usually beg for mercy." She replied malevolently.

Jane pulled the Demi-God closer. She swung her sword downwards, cut her clean in two and vanished. The tall woman smiled from ear to ear. An ice-cold silvery light spilled out, and she grew back the missing halves of her body. The Demi-God high-fived her doppelgänger, before they charged in unison.

 *

Mdu scanned his surroundings, but he could not see Clyde. He closed his eyes and his brother's energy signature flickered behind him. The stocky one-horned man spun around and vanished. A large group of Candidates fumbled around in the darkness. They tended to their wounds and picked themselves up gingerly.

The masked men and women had just gotten to their feet, when the curtains of Dragon fire were raised. The roaring flames illuminated their third of what was left of the island, and they were all shocked to see trampled and charred corpses scattered around them. The Demi-God and the Demonic firebombs had made short work of their comrades.

The Candidates huddled together, and Regius erected a powerful barrier. Priya's eyes glowed blue, and a heavy object collided with the dome. The meteoric impact rattled their teeth, and the ground trembled. The blue-eyed woman scanned her surroundings, looked down, raised her head and vanished.

Jabu watched Clyde bounce off the dome. He turned towards the south, scoffed and vanished. Hugo glanced at his brother, when he appeared right next to him. Jabu shook his head, and Hugo nodded. He let out a sigh and turned away from the battle.

"She is still fighting." Jabu said, and Hugo clenched his fist angrily. "Why? What's the point?" he roared angrily. "It's the right thing to do. Or have you given up on your dream?" Jabu rumbled hopefully, while tears ran down his cheeks. Hugo turned towards the south. Mdu swung his axe and the Demi-God disappeared for a split second. He reappeared and delivered a devastating counter-punch to the stocky one-horned man.

"How can he vanish?" Clyde asked, and Mdu snarled. "It, isn't. It's doing something else." He replied and the slender one-horned man felt irritated. "Am I offended by his words? No, it is his attitude. Why belittle and degrade your enemies? Is that not what pushes them to extremes? Can the strong understand the weak?" Clyde wondered, and he was reminded of his time on Raymond's ship.

"Do not underestimate your opponent. There is a possibility that they can, and they are merely deceiving us. I would if I could do something the enemy thought impossible. I would just keep it a mystery." The slender one-horned man said confidently, and his words sent shivers down his brother's spine. Priya appeared near Hugo and Jabu for a split second, before she disappeared. The two brothers glanced at her and chuckled, before they vanished as well.

"Stay with me. Focus on my voice. Do not lip away." Gloria rumbled caringly. Her radiant Mana stitched the watery mass that resembled Mei to the body she had artificially generated. Clyde crashed into the wall of Dragon fire behind them. He roared as the flames scorched his armour and seared his skin. The slender one-horned man vanished. He appeared on the ground in front of the golden eyed woman and extended his hand.

"Heal me." Clyde said in between breaths. "Are you blind? I am busy." Gloria rumbled desperately. She glared at him, and her golden eyes flashed. "She is already dead. The weak have no place on this battlefield." The enraged one-horned man rumbled sincerely, and the golden eyed woman swatted him away with a wave.

"Then why are you here? Weakling." Gloria rumbled apathetically. Clyde's energy signature turned a bright shade of red. "Oh? So, the little pup thinks his bite is worse than his bark? Unfortunately, I do not have the time to educate you properly. You are trapped in here, so let us see how you fare without us." The golden eyed woman rumbled sinisterly. She stood up and two bone plated eyeballs, the size of beach balls, materialised above her. The golden eyed magical drones shone a blinding light, and Clyde crashed down on their position. He waved his hand, cleared the dust and scanned the area. However, the two Golden Eyed Sisters were gone.

"Now they have abandoned us. Is this the Council's doing as well? Treacherous scum! What is the cost of a life? What are we to each other? Nothing? No answer! I will not die for another's cause! No matter what it takes! I will survive!" The enraged one-horned man vowed, and his Mana became blood red. Mdu felt a sinister chill run down his spine.

"Oh? A few managed to escape. They must know the secret to these flames." The African man said to Mdu. "What are you?" the stocky one-horned man asked in disbelief. "I am retribution. I am justice. I am truth. I am Vuyo. Oh, I suppose that's Lord Vuyo to you." The African man said with a calm smile. He wore a black suit and a bowler hat on top of a head of short silver braids.

The Demi-God clapped his hands and transported the Candidates in the region to his location, along with an enraged Clyde. Regius looked around, but his brother Riekes was not amongst the group inside his barrier.

"Well, let's get this over with. I know you're there. You can come out now." Vuyo said playfully, before he turned to his left and then to his right. Jabu and Hugo appeared a few moments later, with their weapons drawn. "Have you both lost your minds? One-horned simpletons." Jabu rumbled angrily. "Were you paying attention?" the stocky one-horned man asked. He picked himself up and healed his wounds almost instantly.

"Hmph. Perhaps you aren't as big a fool as your brother. Can you direct his rage at the target?" Hugo rumbled, and Vuyo tilted his head to the side. "Combat is only one element of war. Strategy and tactics are another. He is my brother. I will deal with him." Mdu rumbled solemnly. "What is that sound? Is that Dragon tongue? It sounds like an earthquake or a thousand drums. I was just going to kill you, but you have earned my curiosity, my dear Dragons." Vuyo said with a delighted grin.

 *

Kenpachi gripped his scabbard with his left hand and the giant shadow appeared before him. He drew his sword with a flash and a tall, muscular woman with short hair appeared beside him. She kicked and a crystal buckler materialised in time to block the strike. However, it was not enough. The crystal bricks shattered and the Demi-God's foot collided with the imposing one-horned man's bone plated armour.

Laurence placed his hand on Kenpachi's back and he repaired the damage to his magical bone cells. The duo vanished right before the giant foot came crashing down and the fiery curtains were raised. The tall and muscular woman smiled from ear to ear. She adjusted her blazer and brushed her short hair behind her right ear. The Demi-God turned around on the spot.

"Well? You don't have to take turns; you may attack all at once. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Cameron, God of War. I will be your executioner." The Demi-God said with a delighted smile. "How polite. Please forgive my rudeness. I have met beings that can use one's name against them and feel no obligation to share mine." Duke replied, with his eyes closed.

"Apology-" and the stoic two-horned man slammed his bell down as soon as Cameron answered. The metal expanded instantly and it turned into a temple with giant magical circles embedded in the glittery walls. Raymond swung his sceptre and struck the bronze walls. This time, the ring of sound and Mana erupted from the inside of the temple.

Cameron wandered through the strange passages, while waves of powerful inter-dimensional vibrations washed over her. The temple trembled and Duke opened his eyes. A few of the magical circles lit up and the bell at the very top of the temple chimed once. The temple exploded and Cameron landed a mask cracking punch on the stoic two-horned man. He skipped across the pebbly beach and his back slammed into the wall of Dragon fire.

"A War God? Does that sound familiar?" Kagiso asked, and his brothers' eyes glowed orange and purple. "You're more than welcome to question her." Duke replied, with a groan. "Hexagram Seal." Raymond instructed and the three brothers formed a triangle around the Demi-God. Cameron's smile grew wider, when she saw Laurence and Kenpachi in front of one point of the triangle. "Stay hidden and wait for your chance to strike." Gloria instructed to Mei.

The golden eyed woman appeared behind the two-horned brothers and she completed the second triangle. The Demi-God folded her arms and waited. The six Candidates thrust their sword, sceptres, staves and hammer down into the ground. Beams of light and Mana cut through the ground and two glittery steel pyramids materialised in split seconds.

Cameron's smile faded away. The metal creaked and the hexagonal chamber shrunk. The six masked men and women stood at the tip of a pyramidal prism attached to each side of the chamber. They pushed in unison and the Hex Seal shrunk some more. The chamber collapsed upon itself, and the invisible tide dragged the six masked men and women closer to one another.

"How long before your bell is ready again?" Kagiso asked, and the invisible forces pushed them back a few centimetres. "Not soon enough. Please tell me you still have a blank dimension." The stoic one-horned man replied, and his brother chuckled. "I did, but some in our family might say I wasted it on mortals." He replied and Duke let out a rare laugh. "And others would say it was well spent." He replied.

Raymond's eyes glowed furiously, when his brothers started laughing out loud. He let out a sigh and shook his head. The hexagonal chamber glowed red hot, before the heat spread to the pyramids. The Hex Seal expanded and exploded. Cameron's suit burned and golden tattoos crept all over her body. Her skin shone like a porcelain doll and her energy output skyrocketed.

"I hate underestimating my opponents and I absolutely despise holding back. Let us have a glorious battle. The title of Dragon Slayer would look so beautiful next to my name." The Demi-God said eagerly and she took a fighting pose. Cameron dashed forward and the surrounding air ignited. She landed three devastatingly powerful punches on the three brothers and they scattered in opposite directions at mach speeds.

Kagiso, Raymond and Duke vanished simultaneously. They surrounded the Demi-God and appeared with their weapons raised. Cameron let out a loud roar and a violent shockwave knocked them back. Her eyes shone like two floodlights and she dashed towards the stoic two-horned man. The Demi-God threw two jabs and two quick leg kicks, before she unleashed four heavy blows.

Duke grit his teeth, when his armour cracked and the bone shards pierced his under armour and skin. Kagiso swung his sceptre and Cameron ducked underneath it. She swept his legs and threw an uppercut that seemed to miss its mark. A powerful glittery updraft launched her opponent into the sky and the blazing hot winds ignited. Raymond dashed in and the Demi-God booted him at the stoic two-horned man.

Laurence swung his sword downwards and Gloria's magical drones transported him to safety. Cameron chased after him, with a bloodied face. She smiled as her skull healed in split seconds and her eighth punch pierced the eldest of the Golden Eyed Sisters' chest. Laurence grabbed her arm and flashed a bloody smile.

"Judgement. Eradicate my enemies." Riekes rumbled apathetically and a pillar of glittery light fell on Cameron's head. She looked up just in time to see the circles of colossal magnifying glass lenses high above her head. "Yes! Throw everything, including the kitchen sink! Gods versus Dragons! Me versus you! This is War!" the Demi-God roared, and she sent Laurence sent flying out of the pillar of light like a bullet.

Riekes vanished, before Cameron darted up into the sky and she changed directions sharply. He crossed his arms, braced himself and Gloria transported him to safety. In his place was Kenpachi, with his hand on his sword's hilt. He drew, slashed and sheathed his sword with a blazing flash. The fiery wheel roared and buzzed as it revolved.

The Demi-God blocked and the Draconic Blade Wheel drove her hundreds of metres back. She dashed back and stepped to the side. The Blade Wheel had scorched her arms. However, her metal tattoos were still intact. Cameron laughed and her arms ignited she burned them off and grew them back quickly.

"In the heat of battle, I call upon thee…Leo Malleus!" the Demi-God roared, and she raised her right hand. The golden tattoos coiled around her arm and a golden gauntlet formed around her fist. Cameron opened her hand and revealed her razor-sharp claws. "I thought their so-called infinite energy was what made them anomalous. But they are more similar to us than I thought." Raymond rumbled curiously and Kagiso's eyes glowed. "Aye. Too similar for my comfort." He rumbled, and his fear outweighed his curiosity.

"Focus. It has been too long since we have had to overcome the threat of death on the battlefield." Duke advised. He stared at the Demi-God and a silhouette that resembled his stature appeared in the bottom left corner of his field of view. The lime green damage indicator had one indigo ring around it and three grey brackets that were broken up into eight segments.

"Indeed, I have been so wasteful that I almost forgot how to manage my resources. I wonder if Jane is having the same problem?" Kagiso wondered out loud, and Cameron boomed with laughter. "There's a fifty percent chance she's already dead. No matter, what happens on another battlefield is not my concern. Let us put on a brilliant display of violence…and rip each other to fucking pieces!" Cameron screamed, with a sinister smile. She dashed forward, became a fiery comet and slashed Gloria's throat.