La Finale----(end)

Psythiros was not a demon old of age. By demon standard, he was considerably young, barely two centuries to his existence. Yet amongst those of his kin he was known for his meteoric rise in strength and status. Over these two centuries, Psythiros has managed to amass power, notoriety, and a plethora of underlings at his beck and call.

Psythiros's most famous quality is his luck. He seemed to always be at the right place and time, nabbing at every opportunity that presented itself.

However unbeknownst to most, this…gift was no fluke, but the works of fate itself. Psythiros was born with the very rare ability to faintly read the strings of fate. More accurately, he seemed to be favored by them, for they seemed to reveal themselves for him in his time of need. This privilege was only presented for a very select few. Individuals whom the sentient strings deemed necessary for its own devices. If it were not, then fate would have been at the grasp of every powerful existence in Eos, mortal or not. Which was something worthy of debate. Would one be lucky to be chosen by fate? A marionette of its agenda? Fate is a fickle mistress, her kisses sweet; ones that might grant you the greatest of fortunes or the most gruesome of deaths.

To Psythiros, he could feel a certain instinctual tug guide him through his life. At times, a gash would unprovokedly split open his skin, letting the blood fly in a certain direction; one he would hungrily set upon. At others, a panic would suddenly engorge his senses, warning him of danger or approaching doom.

The only reason he chanced upon the hiding Fae queen was this ability as well!

One dark night twelve years ago, as Psythiros lurked in Acacia, a lightning bolt born of the clearest of skies slammed into him.

Ordinarily, a being as strong as him would be unaffected by such natural phenomena, yet this one was able to harm him.

Blasted away, Psythiros's skin sizzled as currents of electricity raced over his burned flesh. Laying in a cavity in the earth, the demon's eyes happened to open directly in the direction of a small village he had overlooked and deemed unimportant. While this would be an inconsequential detail to almost anyone in his place, Psythiros had become acclimated to the will of fate, recognizing its whims instantly. The demon's eyes shone with opportunity as they opened wide in enlightenment, his blood boiling in excitement.

If asked, Psythiros would confess of that moment being only his second strongest encounter with fate, for his strongest was happening right now.

Made clear to his senses, the strings no longer appeared mystic and unreachable. Rather, they were as thick as ropes, wrapping around his limbs tightly and tying a noose around his neck as he watched the destructive rain of thunder.

It was then made clear to him, the puppeteer no longer needed his presence. He was no longer a rack or pinion in the system, but a clog in the gears. His presence shall only hamper the foreseen future from here on, a variable to which fate is ruthless to.

The sky crackled madly with devastating bolts of thunder, merely taking a chant before cumulonimbus clouds formed by the dozens; each carrying innumerable projectiles.

Drowning the roars and shrieks of demons, the shower of thunder bolts barraged the town of willow shade mercilessly. Each time a bolt would connect with the earth, the ground would upheave, an explosion of electricity, fire, and debris spreading about. And for the demons who happened to be smitten directly by thunder, then all that awaited them was unimaginable pain and certain death.

Planting his scythe's butt into the ground, Psythiros stood within a red dragon's skull conjured of Aeter. Gritting his teeth, he drove his heels into the broken cobble stone as he struggled to withstand the violent spell.

Minutes crawled painfully until the hail of thunder came to a sudden halt, leaving the snakes of electricity to travel the earth and polarize the air.

The carriers of thunder all dispersed save for one, the biggest of them all. Blue energy visibly swirled within the grey of the cumulonimbus cloud as what remained of the demons spread about in anticipation… and a looming fear.

One last bolt of thunder split the air as its jagged structure pierced the ground in front of the Fae queen.

Upon its descent, a huge explosion spread waves of pressure and debris as the demons covered their eyes and clutched the ground for support. Taking shape, the thunder bolt molded into a giant man holding a small silhouette by the scruff of its neck.

With an electrified mane, the giant man stood just, his menacing figure spreading dread into all the demons who laid their eyes on him. He had two moose like antlers growing out of his temple, one of which seemed to be cut off at its roots, forming a stump. Resting his big war axe on his shoulder, the man's brown eyes shown with a golden color that contrasted the darkness covering his face, spreading his bloodlust as he scanned his surroundings.

"The burning flesh of your kind smells the worst…"

As the man stretched the hand in which he held an unconscious red haired boy backwards, Drea walked towards him and snatched the boy away as her glass-cracked eyes worriedly inspected his body.

"He's fine "muttered the man without taking his eyes off the slowly approaching demons.

Drea caressed Leo's soft face gently with her blood-stricken hands, gasping in concern when the blood was smeared on his face. Drawing from her limited Aeter pool, she purified the black liquid, turning it into evaporating smoke.

Chuckling to himself, Isaac suddenly felt a prick on his back when Drea glared at him, annoyed at his mocking laugh.

Interrupting their interaction, a furious voice intensified the atmosphere.

"Son of the fierce warrior! How dare thee! How dare thee ruin my plans!"

Dispersing the dragon's head structure momentarily, Psythiros manipulated the Aeter into forming once again and charging at Isaac. Fangs bared, the house-sized conjuration roared menacingly, its attack paving a wide ditch into the earth.

Reeling his axe, Isaac fed Aeter into his weapon as the runes lit up with a greenish glow.

"{Akash Khadga} " yelled Isaac as he swung his axe downward with great force.

Cleaving the dragon's head conjuration in half, the spell created a raging bladed beam of wind, forcing all the demon in its way to scurry frantically, of which only Psythiros faced head on as he deflected the attack with his scythe.

"Did you bring what I asked of you?" urged Drea as she raised her claymore once more.

Handing her a black pouch off his waist, Isaac grinned in affirmation.

Drea quickly opened the pouch finding four transparent spheres housing swirling shades of black and blue. Placing one in the palm of her unconscious son, Drea held that same hand and closed its fingers so Leo could crush the sphere. The sphere burst into a smoke of Aeter, swallowing the boy whole as he vanished from Willow shade.

Watching it play out, Psythiros gnashed his teeth as the only leverage he had over the Fae queen escaped his hands.

Motioning for the remaining demons under his command to attack the pair, Psythiros swung his scythe wildly in frustration as he sent out Aeter attacks in frustration.

"CHERLINDREA!"

Raising one last barrier as her mortal shell began to unravel, Drea softly thanked the warrior of Kali as she directed him to the last remaining survivor of Willow shade village.

"Go, Champion of Kali. You have fulfilled your oath."

Free of the shackles of his promise, Isaac broke through the barrier and sailed the wind eager to reunite with his son

'Hang in there Eli, Eset, your father is coming'

Grabbing her attention from the running father, Psythiros madly called out to the Fae queen.

"CHERLINDREA! You might have let the boy escape, but you are on your own now! There is no one left to help you, no one to shield you of your demise!"

For the first time, Cherlindrea's visage showed a hint of expression, smirking as she stared into Psythiros's eyes in ridicule.

"You are mistaken, young demon. You are the one trapped with me, you are the one who hath no shield from his demise….Fool"

###

v

Battered and bruised, Elias and Eset stood facing Tsuchigmo bravely.

Their fight had raged on for most of the night, only the destruction of the village halting their onslaught briefly.

The duo battled with heavy hearts, unable to escape the demon and aid the villagers. However, it was already too late.

Elias and Eset broke out every spell they had in their arsenal. Teleportation, wind blades, earth attacks… Elias even implemented a spell he had been working on for the longest; golems. While not sentient, Elias was able to conjure them with one programming action. For example, Every time Tsuchigmo would attack, he would conjure a golem to block only that specific attack and then another with one specific movement to strike back. While not the most Aeter efficient strategy, the element of surprise was a key element in the success of that plan.

[One more time Eset, we will have her in the next attack!]

Charging at Tsuchigmo right after his sister nodded at him, Elias dodged the incoming projectiles of hardened webs with extreme flexibility as small unnoticeable dolls of earth spawned besides Tsuchigmo's abdomen.

"SWITCH" / [SWITCH]

Changing places with one of them just as a lance of webs was inches from his face, Elias grasped the air as if he was clutching a piece of cloth and swung both his hands upwards towards the scowling demon.

A pillar of earth rose from the ground and hit the injured and tired demon in its waist, tumbling its body across the grassy meadow

Eset and her brother were overjoyed, thinking that their hard war of attrition had come to an end. Yet Tsuchigmo refused to simply go down.

"Oh the pain~ how…how… HOW WONDERFUL!"

Grimacing as his expression twisted, Elias cursed internally.

'This…FREAK!'

Out of frustration, Eset send dozens of wind blades at the demon already knowing that it was futile.

BOOM!!

[Conserve your Aeter! Keep your head cool or we'll slip up] shouted Elias into her mind.

Elias waited patiently for the smoke to clear, drawing up elaborate plans in his mind to find a way to take the spider demon down. And just as he was about to make his move, a strong voice made its way into his ears.

"Great control you've got there boy!"

'Wha-

"No time for chitchat. Here crush this, you too Eset."

Not giving them a chance to think clearly, Isaac rushed as he handed both kids an orb and held one himself as he egged the children on.

Both Eset and Elias were elated at his arrival, and most of all confused, but Isaac's domineering voice snapped them right into action as his drill sergeant like attitude overcame their fluster.

"Come on now, don't waste time!"

The three crushed their orbs almost simultaneously, as a smoke of Aeter enveloped their figures completely.

However just as Elias's figure was in the midst of teleporting, a poisonous neon-green web shot into his position teleporting with him.

Standing in her lonesome, Tsuchigmo grinned weakly, muttering under her breath as a divine radiance enveloped Willow shade Village and miles upon miles of its surroundings.

"mAsTer…"