Reunion

"What do I do now…?"

Regis asked himself as he looked at the gigantic worm's body.

It was slowly disintegrating, turning into black smoke that rushed towards the sky.

He could see the familiar faces of the demonic children that had been kidnapped along with him to the demonic human camp.

They didn't have that close of a relationship.

After all, Regis hadn't really had time to chat and make friends with them.

However, seeing their familiar faces, he felt a little surreal.

Not knowing what he should do next, he watched the black smoke that arose from the gigantic worm silently.

"Why do you look so down?"

"Right, aren't you proud that you were able to become so strong?"

"Strong enough to the point that even a hundred of us weren't a match for you!"

…

"Huh?"

Regis was filled with confusion as he heard voices that were both familiar and unfamiliar.

He turned his head and was shocked.

The faces of the hundred or so children that had been kidnapped along with him greeted his sight.

Their faces were translucent, like a mirage that was about to fade at any given moment.

"What…?" 

It was all Regis could say at this moment as he was still filled with shock.

"Hehe… You're quite cute when you're confused." A girl's giggle could be heard among the voices.

Regis looked for the origin of the voice.

Then after a few tries, he saw her.

The one who was supposed to be one of the demonic human leader's generals.

"Vanessa?" He said subconsciously.

The girl, Vanessa's mirage nodded as she stared at him.

"That fucker promised us that he will nurture and lead us to a bright future… then he fucking sacrificed us. What a fucker."

Regis's eyes widened at the words that came out of Vanessa's mouth.

Hearing profanities from a seemingly prim and proper lady like her surprised him a little.

After all, the only time they had contact with each other was when she led him to the demonic human leader.

And even then, they didn't really speak with each other.

"Right! I still wanted to hear the desperate screams of people as I killed them!"

"You should try drinking blood, it's quite delicious."

The two peculiar boys on Vanessa's side also spoke to him.

Vanessa sighed, a fed up expression appearing on her face, "Don't mind them, they were good kids, but the demonic power had affected their minds."

Regis was speechless.

"How can you speak to me?" He asked, confusion still apparent on his face.

Vanessa shook her head, "When that fucking demon used his despicable evil craft and turned us into a monster, our conciousness were bound together."

"Then, when you killed us, the chains that bound us also shattered."

"As for our state right now, even with the knowledge that that fucking demon shared with me, I have no clue."

"However…" Vanessa turned her head to the side and continued, "...don't you have friends you want to talk to?"

Regis looked towards the direction she was looking in and was surprised.

He saw the mirages of his two friends.

"Took you long enough to notice us." Lea pouted as she spoke.

Meanwhile, Greg giggled, "Don't worry about her, she's probably jealous because you talked with Vanessa first."

"What did you say?" 

"No–nothing!"

Regis giggled as he saw their antics.

However, a sad expression appeared on his face afterwards.

"Sorry, I couldn't save you…"

Greg and Lea looked at him as their expressions softened.

"Don't worry about us, you've done your best."

"Lea's right, what's important is that you really tried to save us. That's enough for me."

"But…"

"No buts!"

"If not for you, then I would be just like Greg who turned into a crazy maniac."

"C-Crazy maniac!?"

"Yes! You have a problem with that!?"

Greg really wanted to rebut, but remembering the time the demonic power took over his mind, he couldn't find anything to say.

Regis smiled, "You two are still going to fight each other even in the afterlife?"

At this moment, Vanessa interrupted their conversation, "I don't want to spoil your reunion but I'm afraid we don't have time."

The three of them looked towards her with a confused expression.

Vanessa pointed at the sky and said, "The demonic circle above is absorbing everything in the vicinity in order to fuel itself…"

"...this means that rather than going to the afterlife, our souls might become absorbed by Agaroth instead."

"What should we do?" Greg asked.

However, Vanessa only shook her head as she replied, "I don't know. That giant finger in the sky is a part of Agaroth himself, I don't think we can do anything except accept our fate."

"Ugh, I thought that we will be free once we die. I can't believe this…" Lea complained with a dissatisfied expression.

"Wait."

At this moment, Regis spoke.

His words gathered the attention of the souls of the 112 children.

Looking at them, he continued, "I have a way but I don't know if it will work. Do you trust me?"

Vanessa looked at the other children before turning to Regis and nodded.

Greg and Lea also nodded, "We'd rather do whatever you plan than be helplessly absorbed by that Devil."

"Ummm… whatever it is, I think you have to hurry." Vanessa spoke as she pointed her finger.

Regis followed the direction to where she was pointing.

He saw that the other children were holding each other in order to prevent themselves from being sucked into the demonic circle.

Therefore, not willing to waste any more time, Regis spread his arms wide.

He looked at their familiar faces for one last time as he opened his hands.

Soon after, a chant resounded in the area.

[Indiscriminate Absorption]

A powerful pulling force suddenly appeared in the air.

Vanessa's eyes widened, but a smile appeared on her face afterwards, "We'd rather be absorbed by you than that fucking Devi–"

However, she soon noticed something.

The pulling force of the demonic circle seemed to turn everything it siphons into demonic power to fuel itself.

Meanwhile, Indiscriminate Absorption was an evil art that absorbed anything as it was.

'He's not turning us into energy…!'

Was Vanessa's last thoughts as she, too, was absorbed by the evil craft.

Thud—

Regis's body suddenly fell to the ground.