Inside William’s dimension, the all mighty Exorcist is relaxing, observing what's happening before his eyes. His hands interlaced, his eyes sparkling, he felt like he’s watching a great action drama show. He felt so exhilarated he shot his arms up in the air.

“Man! This is absurd!” he shouted, flailing his arms. “I find it hard to believe that this is all happening all at once and this fast! Nevertheless, I’m enjoying the bloody—I mean much enjoyment in watching Jack’s new mess.”

He lowered his arms, rested them on the cloudy chair’s arms, and shook his head.

“All this, unnecessary destruction. They’re tampering with the natural balance of realism. I should be intervening… but! God himself spoke to me last night and said to let things play out. My time will come when I have to step in, and conclude this whole charade of this young man's destructive life.”

Archard happened to spawn in, walking to where the action was happening. William felt his presence and tapped the arm of the cloudy chair to shut the picture, and turned it into fog.

“What’s going on now, sir William?” he asked while watching a cloudy screen.

‘Hm, sorry for cutting off the picture, but you have some explaining to do, my friend.”

“Uh, I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t act like a smartass, Archard.” William stood up, and turned to his friend. “Where have you been for the past few days? And don’t you lie to me, pollock.”

Archard drew a sweat gland, and looked away. “I-I was just getting some air, that’s all, honestly.”

William didn’t buy it, and shook his head in shame. “Oh Archard… you disappoint me.”

“No, really! Honestly, I just wanted to get some air and go for a walk.”

Just when William was about to say something, Mallory let out a putrid scream that got both of their attention. They instantaneously teleported to where she was being held prisoner. There, they saw her hugging herself, and crying, screaming. William snapped his fingers to summon some stairs to her circled prison. The two walked up, and he tapped her dome to get her attention. She immediately snapped and clawed at him, snarling at William, like a caged animal.

“Easy, easy. No need to be nasty, young girl.” William said.

She smacked the dome with her fist, and screamed again.

“Silence! You foul wretched spirit.” Archard exclaimed.

She stopped, and covered her face, muffling crying her eyes out.

William crouched and knocked on the dome. “What seems to be the matter? What has your beautiful face drenched in sadness, my love?”

She dropped her hands, and looked at William with bagged out eyes.

“Please… just let me go.” she weakly said.

William mildly tilted his head. “Love, you know I can’t do that. Not right now, only when the time is ripe.”

Mallory wiped one of her eyes, and shut them. “I beg of you… please. Jack… needs me.”

“I’m sure he does. I’m well aware of how you can aid the boy in his worst times. But right now, I can’t do that. God has specifically told me to keep you away from him.”

Mallory slowly opened her gorgeous eyes, and frowned. “Why? Why would he do so?”

William shrugged. “I-I don’t know myself to be fair. I’m just a messenger and his closest ear to this world.”

Mallory hugged her knees, and wiped her eyes. “If-If he didn’t say anything… then you wouldn’t keep me here away from him?”

William deeply nodded. “Of course. It would make things far more interesting and give me a better reason to Exorcise you from that poor young man’s soul. At the moment, there’s no actual reason as to Exorcise you. As a matter of fact, right now, I’m quite saddened as to why he chose this route. But, either way, I know you two will reunite, someday. Just not now, nor tomorrow, the month after—”

“Stop! Please, don’t say anymore… I’m already hurting, as is being apart from him.”

William straightened his lips, and felt bad for Mallory. Archard looked coldy at her, and beneath that casual face was an amused expression wanting to reveal itself.

“I know you don’t mean harm to the boy. And I believe you do have good intentions for him, but your actions have made him think the opposite.”

Mallory leaned her head on a hand, her face smeared with regret.

“I-I know… but I can’t help it when he’s done more harm to me than anyone in the world.”

William rose a brow. “What do you mean by that, love?”

Mallory softly blinked, and stared into William’s bright golden eyes. She can sense that William had no ill intention this time like before when they first met. This time, he looked more meaningful in helping a damsel in distress, even for someone like her.

“It’s a… long story. But, if you knew my history, and how I became the person I am today…”

Mallory let off her hand, and stared at her chalky palm.

“Then you would understand why… I am the overprotective girl that I am today.”

William moaned, and grinned for Mallory. He surprisingly appeared inside the bubble of Mallory’s prison, which made her gasp and fall back. He put his hand out, and smiled for Mallory. She was afraid to grab his hand, and knew if she touched anything holy like him, then it would burn her horrendously. She instead scooted back, and turned away, being on the brink of crying again.

“It’s okay. I’m not a monster as people make me out to be.”

Mallory opened her eyes, and looked up at what people called a God instead of a monster. She carefully reached out, and almost grabbed his hand, but held herself back, balling her fist.

“I know you may not think I know much about you. But love, I know exactly as to what happened to you in the past. Only you though, not Jacky boy.”

She lowered her head, and held her fist against her chest.

“Even… how I-I originally looked like?”

William nodded, “of course. You’re a tragic girl, traumatised by love, and betrayal. I wish I could’ve saved you back then, but the young man’s already trying to do that it seems.”

Mallory lightly giggled, and again, looked up at William with a half smile.

“I-I find that hard to believe since he’s blamed me for everything horrible happening in his life.”

William chuckled. “I don’t think it’s necessarily your fault, but your actions have led up to them partially. So I’d say, "you're at half the fault, love.”

Mallory shook her head, and carefully lay down. “Hmph… whatever. I’m just going to lay here then, but I won’t promise that I won’t go crazy again. Try being locked up in a bubble made of your only weakness and let's see if you don’t go crazy.”

William approached Mallory, and patted her. She was about to lash out, but it didn’t burn when he touched her head. It surprised her, and made her wonder how it was possible. William backed away, and before she could even blink, he was already gone along with Archard. Mallory slowly extended her arm out, lying carefully on the ground, and rubbed it. Her eyes shook as she fought her emotions, thinking of Jack and how everything would turn out for him.

“I can feel his pain… I can sense his fear, his confusion, his—everything.”

She looked at her hand again, and softly blinked.

“Oh… Jack. I know you need me, but please… hang in there, for us, my love.”

Back where Jack’s at, still aching, broken with pain, all three watched as the blue robed man stood still. He appeared to be contemplating, and thinking of what to do now that Leon is here. Sarah stood close to her father, and Linnea stayed on edge.

“Where’d all that confidence go? Fool.” Leon said.

The blue robed man brought one of his hands up to the side of his face, and crushed it.

“At last… at long last. I have you all to myself, Bolverkr!”

He dropped his arm, and swiped the air.

“Now to prove to the rest of how powerful we’ve become since your last appearance!”

Leon’s face didn’t change, and he remained absolutely calm. Instead he relaxed his arms, and dropped his guard.

“Is that so? Well then, prove to me as to how you all have surpassed me as you claimed.”

“Tch… that arrogance will be your undoing! To put it to you straightly, I’m just as powerful as you were since your last rampage during that tournament.”

Leon tucked his hands into his pockets, “that so?”

The blue robed man squinted an eye to his response. The confidence in his tone, his dropped guard, it all indicated that Leon wasn’t taking any of his threats seriously or him at all. The rest watched, waited, eager to see what the two would do next. Linnea went next to Leon and pulled on his arm.

“Hey, if it’s alright with you, I’ll take them away. You got this I take?”

Leon’s left cornea turned to her, and he nodded. “You make sure my daughter doesn’t use an ounce of mana or think of helping me.”

“Right, you can trust me you damn Nazi.”

“Cheeky, but jokes aside, after I’m done dealing with this fool, you’re going to explain as to why you’re here, Linnea.”

Linnea walked backwards, “maybe, or not.”

Leon groaned. Sarah also tugged on her fathers arm to get his attention.

“Father…”

“Sarah, I’m going to do what I should’ve done since the day you were tragically born—and that’s taking care of you myself.”

Sarah’s eyes glistened and she let go before he could freak out of her touching him. She gently punched his arm, and softly smiled.

“Beat the living hell out of him, father.”

Jack can’t help but smile at their interaction. Leon turned his full attention to the beaten young man.

“Jack, you sure are as brave and courageous as you are caring.”

“Heh… I don’t know if that’s both calling me a dumbass or complimenting my heart.”

Leon shut his eyelids, and for a second a grin appeared. Even though it lasted a millisecond, the two saw and knew he was enjoying the moment despite the threat in front of them. Sarah grabbed Jack’s arm, wrapped it around her shoulders, and carefully lifted him off the ground. He loudly groaned, moaned in pain, and out of the bloom, the blue robed man leaped in front of the moonlight, drop kicking down in between them. Linnea quickly caught the two young adults as the earth was stabbed into. He screeched, threw something replicating a funnel beside Leon’s side, and it shot out a stream of blackened tar light that stretched out as far as the eye can see. The three were shocked to see him attacking him straight on. For a moment, they thought he had defeated him, but Linnea knew that wasn’t the case.

“That was too easy. Goes to show how much of a gap there is now.”

“Father?!” Sarah shouted.

Linnea also had Jack around her shoulders. “Leon…”

The attack slowly disintegrated as Leon casually walked out of it. Leon stood still, the ground beneath him charred and pulsing hot as the blue robed man had his bloodthirsty eyes set on him while being surprised.

“Hmph, deplorable and despicable as the rest of your wretched cult.”

The blue robed man brushed himself off and stretched. “Big words coming out of a miserable coop as yourself, Bolverkr. I’m surprised you survived that despite not using any mana to shield yourself.”

Leon brushed off his right shoulder before tucking his hands back in his pocket. “I don’t need to.”

“Say what?”

“You heard me. Unlike the rest of you, it’s not necessary when you’re as strong as I am.”

“Why you!”

The blue robed man rubbed his chin, and his gaze set on the three. He chuckled and shot his palm in their direction. He shot out a barrage of tiny missile blades. Leon quickly reacted, sliding in the line of fire and blocking it with his forearms. Upon impact, behind him the force of those blades sent out a ginormous shockwave, gusts of wind that carved the environment behind them. They all gasped, covered their faces while Leon easily lowered his arms.

“You guys alright?” he calmly asked.

Sarah couldn’t help but pump her arms in excitement. “Aw-Awesome!”

While they all were collecting themselves, he rushed in, at mach speed, and smacked Leon’s face, erupting in a scorching explosion and simultaneously smacking his other palm against his abdomen. A spiral of red light grew larger, larger, and eventually swelled up, bringing forth a magnitude explosion that trembled the earth.

The three were blown away from it, and landed a couple yards away. The two girls did their best to help protect Jack from getting more hurt. Nonetheless, he still did and lay on the ground, groaning with more pain. Sarah sat up, and shook her head, seeing the cultist laughing and turning over to them, marching his way towards them.

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“Father!”

Linnea got in front and was ready to take action. “Damn it.”

“Too easy! That’s what he gets for taking me so lightly! I told him his confidence would be his undoing. This ain’t the past, this is the present, and we’re the future once we have Aby—!”

“Hey!” Leon shouted.

“Huh?!”

Leon walked through the smoke again, and scratched the back of his neck.

“It seems that you’re still not getting it, freak.”

“What are you talking about?!”

Leon brought out one of his hands, and reeled his index finger at him. “Come closer, and you’ll find out.”

He growled and narrowed his eyes. He did what Leon told him to, and went up to the tall german man. He clenched his fists before taking another step. Now that he was almost a foot away, he couldn’t approach him anymore, which made him gasp.

“Wh-What’s going on…? Why can’t I get closer to you now?”

Leon lowered his hand, and twirled his wrist. “Just goes to show how foolish you really are.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

“You haven’t realised this, but when you took that other step, I clenched my fist inside my pocket, therefore demonstrating just how much of a gap there is between us.”

“Wh…at?”

Leon took a step forward, and whatever force was in between had pushed him away.

“You’re no match for me, is the point. You can’t touch me. You’re so weak that you slow down that much it actually pushes you away like a barrier. And to add insult to injury, I’m still not using any mana, not even an ounce.”

Im…Impossible! That-that’s not natural, it has to be a trick! There’s just no way his natural strength’s this great, I-I refuse to believe this! He thought.

With his eyes wide, sweat starting to pour out his bald head, the blue robed man jumped away, and started to breath heavily.

I-I can hardly breathe now? Am-am I this afraid of him now that he’s demonstrating just how much stronger he is!

He was suddenly pushed away again, and fell on his fours, facing the ground. He looked over his shoulder in a panic and saw Leon standing menacingly. With the moon shining behind him, his hellish stone cold blue eyes glowing, he can’t help but try to attack again. But, not even he can raise an arm to the unknown force forming around him. He got back on his feet, and readied himself to throw it down despite the fear coursing through his veins.

Everytime I try to do something, it stops before him… you mean to tell me everytime he closes one of his fists, if you’re not evenly matched with him, the gravity around his body crushes you?

Leon pulled out his closed fist, and eerily raised it to his chest. “No need to be so afraid, you’ll only reignite my old ego.”

In the blink of an eye, Leon had pushed his palm against the blue robed man's stomach so severely his eyes popped out of their sockets while gagging a pool of blood. He was lifted off his feet from the force of the impact. The force created by it sent out a sonic boom, forcing the other three to cover their ears from how loud the impact was. Leon kicked him away, sending him flying through the forest. Dust, dirt sent flying high in the air. As he traveled, destroying miles and miles of nature's garden. He caught himself by grabbing a big tree, and fell to the ground. He grabbed his abs, and coughed out more blood.

“That… mo-monster…”

He weakly got on his feet, and grew loopy.

“How… How did he get this strong? It-it’s inconceivable!”

Leon’s feet brushed the dirt, scraped the earth, letting the cultist know that he was in close proximity. He panicked, scanned his surroundings, trying to figure out where he might appear from. He grew tired of the anticipation and put his arms out, sending out an explosive wave. Leon walked through the expanding red dome, and walked up to him, throwing a fury of punches to his face, and chest. It sent him flying away, into the air, and led him to an open area. As he crashed and landed on his back, Leon kept up, but always appeared walking with boredom. The blue robed man skinned his robe off, revealing his tattoos, markings of Witchcraft throughout his body. He screamed and put his arms forward, shooting out a stream of lava type plasma.

“Burn to hell, you devil!”

Leon kept walking through the attack, and when he reached the tattoo man, he leaped into the air, and threw a barrage of distant attacks in the shape of missiles. Each impact kept growing the explosion into a giant dome, stadium size. Smoke plumed the air, shrouded the forest. He laughed and thought the battle was won when Leon swiped the air once, blowing away all the debri and smoke around the area.

“Im-Impossible?!”

Leon grew tired of this spar, and decided it was time to end it. He flung himself towards him, and shot into his stomach again with a straight punch. His mouth opened so wide it almost stretched out his face. Leon backhanded him back to the earth. He crashes, the earth crumbles, rocks tumble down a hillside from the impact. The three spectators watched in praise and the two girls appeared to be fangirling over his mighty display.

“Get him, dad!” Sarah shouted.

Leon quietly let out a breath, surprised his daughter called him Dad for the first time. It brought out an actual grin, and he felt just as confident as before.

The tattoo man lay in his crashed grave, broken, shattered along with his spirit. Leon made his way to where he was lying, and peeked down at him.

“Finished, already?”

Hearing his stone cold tone, mocking the encounter had him fueled with rage. He exploded, and flew out of his grave. He yelled, and growled tremendously towards Leon.

“I’ll have you swallow that damn grin! You bastard! No one lives to mock me!”

An explosive red light came out of his pores, and he raised his hands above his head.

“Face my wrath!”

He crossed his palms, and a spiralling ball of volcanic magma formed.

“Mana! Fill me! Swell me up, my lost ancestors, aid me in destroying the enemy in front of me! Obliterate every cell in his body, eviscerate him!”

His tattoos glowed purple, and the intensity of the ball reached around the surroundings. It shot out flickering bolts of plasma that stabbed the earth around them. Tree’s blown away, the earth shook, and the night sky was engulfed by his angry glow. Sarah couldn’t believe they were up against such a foe. This doesn't concern Linnea as she was analyzing the fight, watching closely how Leon uses his body against his enemy. Jack watched in horror and quickly realised how close to death he came with again.

Leon stood his ground, leaned forward, and both hands were once again, tucked into his pockets.

“DIE!”

He thrusted his palms forward, and a beam of volcanic magma made its way towards Leon. Everything was scorched in red as it made its way towards Leon. He casually walked towards it, and wanted to meet the oncoming hellfire. It made contact, swallowing up Leon, and making its way out towards the edge of the earth. He laughed, feeling victorious at last. It came up short when his own attack felt rebellious. It started to pull him, drag him by his feet. He loudly gasped, and panicked, trying to break free from it. It began to thin out, and eventually swallowed up his wrists, forming handcuffs around it. He was chained up, and saw Leon grabbing hold of his ultimate attack, as if it were chain molten rope.

“You… you are a monster!”

Leon rattled the chain, and whiplashed it, taking him down face first on the ground.

“So I’m the monster? Yet you weren’t being one when you and your freak cultists were stalking, waiting to go after my daughter?”

“Da-Daughter? Huh? She-she isn’t Aby-Abyzou?”

“Took you morons this long to realise that she wasn’t your damned God. Yes, she’s my daughter.”

“No… can’t be, gagh! You’re-you’re lying!”

Leon whipped the chain again, this time it wrapped around him and began squeezing the life out of him. He loudly gasped for air, his eyes buldged out, and he began to scream in anger.

“Well, your time is up. You deserve what’s coming to you.”

Leon gripped the chain intensely, and furrowed his brows.

“Anyone who wishes to harm my daughter deserves death, nothing more.”

Leon was about to whip the chain again to squeeze him to a pulp until a barrage of cultists swept from the depths of darkness. They surrounded him, at least close to forty of them. He paused, and slowly lowered his hand, scanning the circle.

“Great, more of you.”

“That’s quite enough, bolverkr!” someone shouted.

The group opened up their circle and three other people walked forward. In the middle, a tall man with a holy type outfit stood in front, his black hair and eyes made him seem ominous. To his left, a woman with red hair, pigtails, her outfit resembling an edgy goth girl had a huge smirk on her face. One more man came out from behind, and he had an outfit that fit to that of fancy and business. Yet what stood out most was his deplorable glinted red eyes. Leon immediately knew who these three were, and it made him knit his brows.

“Kallikrates, Shaman, and…”

Leon dropped the chain, which freed the man and allowed him to get back on all fours.

“...Ravana.”

All three stood behind the beaten cultist, and each one of them had a smile on their face.

“Why am I not surprised that you all have fallen so hard for that damn woman. But to be affiliated with these freaks? That’s a new low, even for you three.”

Ravana chuckled beneath his breath. Shaman wiggled his lips in amusement, and the girl giggled.

The girl winked at Leon, and licked her lips at him. “Kallikrates! Leon remembers my name! How joyful, but I go by Chelsea these days, hehe!”

The tall man gave Leon a nod of approval. “Damn you’re strong—and alive, somehow?”

The mysterious man with red eyes had a subtle grin, his hand placed on his hip, he took a step forward to get closer to Leon.

“My my my, how you’ve changed, Bolverkr the destroyer.”

“What do you three want?” Leon said.

“And as rude as ever, but, besides that. What else have we come here for? To come get our beloved God, you numbskull.”

“And you’re gonna do that how?”

Chelsea jumped ahead, and brushed her red dyed hair. “We’ll figure it out, hot shot. Oh I wish my beloved was here to see you!”

“You mean that idiot Eligor?”

“Uh! Why I—okay he may be a bit dumb but he’s really battle smart.”

“My fellow cultists, let us not haste. We are here for one thing, and that is to get… her.” Shaman said, pointing in Sarah’s direction.

Leon balled and unballed his right fist. “Like I’d let any of you desperate freaks to do so.”

Ravana’s glinting eyes were locked onto Leon, and he didn’t seem the least bit afraid of him. He chuckled beneath his breath, and brushed his brown hair.

“We just want to take her to confirm she’s Abyzou. We know she’s your daughter, but we want to make sure she isn’t just some fake claiming to be Abyzou.”

“Huh? What would bring that type of conclusion?” Leon said.

Ravana began to narrow his eyes. “We sense her inside of that girl… and if you won’t let us get to her—”

The other two back off, and Ravana easily shut his eyelids.

“Then… perish!”

Once he opened his eyes, Leon was caught in some unseen force, which made him freeze then brought forth a mega explosion. The other cultists jumped into it, and bodies began to hurtle out of the fiery smoke. Leon ran out of it, and dashed his way towards them. Ravana smacked his teeth and flew off, and the other followed as the other cultists did their best to distract him. One by one, he kicked, punched, and stabbed them with his fingers. Blood, heads severed, punched off their bodies, ribs kicked completely clean off their chests prevented Leon from advancing further. The more he killed, the more that continued slithering, creeping their way out of the darkness.

“Damn it.” Leon said while being jumped more by cultist people.

Ravana can’t help but squint one eye with anger. “How… how did he survive my glare?”

“He’s a lot stronger than we’ve imagined, and just as sexy as before!”

“If your lover found out you complimented another man, then you’ll be smacked again.” Shaman said.

“It’s okay, he knows he has me.”

“Whatever, let's go get the girl.”

Linnea sensed three strange surges of mana coming towards them. Once she could see who was approaching, she clenched both fists.

“You two, wait here!”

She lunged off the hill, heading towards their direction. Sarah held Jack as she saw the three odd people come their way.

“Did… did they beat my dad?” Sarah said.

“No, he’s-he’s still out there, look!” Jack said, pointing a finger where trees were being dismantled and flown into the air.

“Who are they?”

“You’ll find out soon enough, gorgeous.” someone said, their voice heard behind them.

Ravana stood there, and once his eyes laid on Sarah, he fell in a trance of love. His smile reached ear to ear and he couldn’t help but drop to a knee, proposal style.

“Even if you might not be the real deal, I’ll still devote my undesiring love for you!”

Sarah ground her teeth, and Jack gently pushed her behind him.

“Jack!”

“Go Sa-Sarah! Now!”

She refused this time, and ran in front, putting her hand out.

“No, I’m not letting you get hurt any more. I got this!”

Ravana abruptly grabbed Sarah’s hand, and immediately, he had an orgasm.

“You’re softer than I imagined, you’re as beautiful as I imagined, but now that our flesh has made contact—I can tell that you’re not her.”

Sarah freaked out and tried fighting from his grip. Linnea suddenly came back, and drove her foot at his chest, pushing him away. His body didn’t react to being kicked, instead he was frozen in time, as if he were still touching Sarah.

“No more games! You’ve got to get out of here!” she shouted.

“Oy, oy oy oy… that was rather rude of you? Don’t cha think, missy?”

Ravana sounded frustrated, annoyed, and ready to explode. Shaman appeared in front of the Norwegian woman, smacked Linnea away from them, sending her flying towards Chelsea. She spread her arms out, and put her in a full nelson lock once she apprahanded her.

“Wh-Why you?!” Linnea growled.

“Hey! Linnea! Long time no see, you Norwegian weirdo!”

Jack stayed on guard, he took a step forward, and a vein popped out of Ravana’s forehead.

“I’m… annoyed.” he brought his glare towards Jack, and twitched an eye. “Just the sight of someone this weak trying to stand up against me really—”

He tucked his hand into his pants pocket, and snapped a finger.

“Frustrates me—aggros—pisses—makes my blood boil.”

With every word coming out of his mouth, retaliated in some unknown gravitational force that punted, kicked, flung Jack in the air, down to the ground, away, shot, and blasted him face first to kiss the dirt. Jack loudly groaned and lay in defeat, bleeding out his mouth and forehead. Sarah rushed to his aid and barely saw any of that damage happening to him. It was so quick that everytime she blinked he was already either on the ground or in the air being humiliated by a potential ghost.

“Oh my god, Jack!”

She got up, reeled her fists towards her, and growled at Ravana.

“I-I can’t take it! I have to do something, I can’t just stand here and not help!”

Jack moaned, and grabbed Sarah’s heel.

“N…o…”

“I’m sorry, Jack. But I have to fight back. There’s no other option.”

Ravana smiled. Seeing her fighting spirit made his heart race ten times faster.

“Once I take you in, beautiful, even if you happen to be a mock up of Abyzou, you’ll fit so well as my new wife.”

Sarah was about to build up Mana when her father shot into the scene, grabbing her and Jack then escaped the cultists' sights. Ravana deeply sighed and rubbed his head, feeling more angry by these constant interruptions. He clapped his hands, and everyone stopped on what they were doing. Linnea managed to escape her full nelson lock against Chelsea, the other two men appeared beside him, and the other cultists surrounded Ravana and the men.

“Go after them, and bring the girl back to me, alive.”

They nodded, and smeared into the depths of darkness. The other two men were about to move when another explosion rocked the forest, and they saw the bodies of some of their followers being either flung into the air or screaming with pain.

“Uh! What now?!” Ravana shouted while turning his attention to the newest intrusion.

More explosions went off, and an array of mana stabbed the night sky. A sea of dead leaves shot into the air, drifting, flooding the sky. A smearing shadow came out of the barrage of natures napkins. The source was Mandy who came out of the tree tops with her shotgun and aimed it straight at them. She pumped it, shot and a barrage of mana pellets were coming their way.

“Fuck!” Ravana shouted again, his eyes exploding in annoyance.

All three men took the attack, and it sent out a giant mushroom cloud in the air. While Chelsea was caught off guard, Linnea shot a ball of plasma at her, sending her back to the earth. Linnea hovered her hand over her eyebrows, and smiled, seeing her close friend continuing to distract the enemies.

“You stalking bitch, I love you!” Linnea shouted.

Mandy sent out a crescent mana ray towards the forest, killing more cultists and slicing the earth. She went to, and landed beneath Linnea, and she was starting to be surrounded by even more cultists. She loaded more shells into her shotgun, kissing the last one which enhanced it with mana. She stomped the ground, breaking the earth and flew up beside Linnea.

“How did you know I was going to be here?” Linnea asked.

Mandy’s coat billowed, and she brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

“It’s not because I wanted to, it’s because I knew you were getting yourself into deeper shit.”

Linnea covered the edges of her mouth and shouted in the direction of Leon who was still running with the two beneath his arms.

“Hey! You can get the hell out of here! We got this!”

Leon heard her loud and clear. “Alright, you two, hold onto me as tightly as you can.”

Sarah did, but Jack could only do it with just a finger. Leon stopped, and took a big step forward. They three vanished out of thin air, and once Linnea and Mandy couldn’t sense the two young adults' presence, they got ready for the next wave.

Mandy had a grimace, and nudged Linnea with her elbow.

“Hmph, this doesn’t discourse our original plan of killing Abyzou, right?” Mandy said.

Linnea nodded, “Of course not. Once things have settled, we’ll have her all to ourselves without that monster of an Exorcist intervening.”

Mandy grinned. “That’s my best friend.”

When the dust, smoke cleared where Mandy had shot the three, they were still standing. They saw the tattooed man fully healed and ready to fight again, this time having a confident smile. Ravana looked just as annoyed, meanwhile Shaman had a smug grin on his face. Linnea and Mandy were back to back. Mandy let her shotgun hang where it was tied around her bottom right arm, opening up more of her coat. She pulled out a submachine gun while more cultists were showing up around them.

“This won’t be easy, you ready?” Linnea said.

Mandy narrowed her eyes, and they began to glow. “As always, my friend.”

***

Just like that, they were back home, in front of Sarah’s house. Sarah couldn’t believe her eyes. Jack’s much too broken to pay any attention to what just occurred. He gently let go, Sarah stood straight, patting herself, and Jack fell on the ground.

“Jack…” Sarah grabbed his head, and he appeared out cold. “Damn it, Jack.”

Leon scanned their surroundings and once he knew there weren’t any signs of mana, he let out a breath. He gently put his hand on Jack’s chest, and pumped it once to get him healed and awake. The young man gasped for air and shot straight up.

“No! Uh, oh… wh-where are we?” he said.

“We’re back at my house.” Sarah replied, patting his head.

“Already?! How!”

Leon cleared his throat. “Who else, young man.”

“But how?! Is what I’m asking. Like, we were there, and not here in just one second?”

“Once their attention was on the two girls, I just used my actual speed to get us here. That way they couldn’t follow us.”

“You’re-you’re that fast?! It’s like lightspeed!”

“Listen to yourself, you actually sound intrigued.”

Jack stood up, his arms out, but pumped.

“But I am. You’re incredible.”

Leon liked Jack’s complement, but couldn’t accept it. His past actions and remembering who he was wouldn’t allow it. The pain, suffering he’s inflicted, caused to the world can’t be forgiven. Yet none of that can’t compare to what his wifes done to him, but if she never trapped him in her contract, then who knows where he’d be right now. Accepting his sins, and with years of meditation, now that he’s properly spending time with the only thing he cares about, slowly he’s starting to value life around him.

The two wondered why he went silent, but they saw his eyes shaking. Sarah wanted to hug her father, but knew she couldn't touch him, for now. She still has a secret plan for that. Leon rubbed his head, and shrugged. Jack looked at Sarah, she looked to him, and brought their eyes back to him.

“I appreciate your respect towards me, young man. Yet if you knew who and what I was, then your opinion on me would change.”

Jack understood what he was saying and going through. He approached Leon, and placed his hand gently on his shoulder.

“Sir, you saw who I was, you read me like a book. You and I both know that I’m not a saint, and far from being the man to protect your daughter. Yet you still thought otherwise because you knew, you and I both have troubled pasts and I’m more than capable of handling myself… despite the differences between us.”

Leon looked at Jack, and actually let his grin stay.

“Of course, you’re a hot damn mess of a human being.”

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh and Jack also chuckled.

“But you’re right. The past is the past, and today is now. And together, we’ll both protect her, and vow to never allow her to be taken by the hands of this common enemy.”

“Don’t chu mean enemies? We can disclose Archard.” Jack said, “Anywho, my question is—how do we beat these freaks. What’s the game plan?”

“We can discuss that later, for now let's all have a good night's rest and see where we go from now. I also want to talk to Linnea to see why she’s here.”

“Yeah, I wonder that too.”

Sarah tapped Jack’s back, making him turn to her.

“Hey, don’t leave me out of this. I need to know why I’m the target. Who are those girls, what are these people, and who importantly… is Abyzou.”

Sarah grew serious. Her muscles tensed, her eyebrows furrowed, the two man can’t reveal to her what’s actually going on. They don’t know how she’ll react to it, especially knowing that her mothers the main reason as to why all this is happening. Leon went up to his daughter, and eased in on her forehead.

“You’ll find out, soon. I promise, Sarah.”

Sarah grew frustrated, and looked up at Jack.

“And you?”

Jack deeply sighed. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you yet either.”

Her head bounced, her eyes slightly erratic, and growing watery, she wiped them with one hand, and walked forward.

“Whatever…”

She walked off to the front door, unlocked, and opened it. She closed the door behind her, leaving the two by themselves. Leon understood her reaction, and scratched the back of his neck. The guilt swallowed him and made him eager to tell her but he can’t just yet. Jack also felt the same way, and joined along with him to bask in their guilted dome.

“Poor Sarah, I wonder what she’s thinking.” Jack said.

Leon placed his hands on hips, “I-I don’t know… but if I had to guess, she’s probably thinking who she is.”

“And it’s all because of her mother.”

Leon squinted his eyes, a wrinkle formed between them. “You’re right.”

Leon turned around and went towards his front door. He paused for a moment to say one more thing to Jack.

“Say Jack.”

“Yeah…?”

Leon slightly looked over his shoulder, showing Jack the edge of his face.

“Thank you for keeping your promise. Keep it up and maybe I’ll allow you to date her once all this wraps up.”

“Wait… wha—?”

Leon was gone before Jack could say anything else. The young man stretched his arms out to the air, letting out a loud groan. His nerves felt tingling and the young man wondered what he was feeling.

“Fuck! Why did I get all tingly and nervous like that when he said that. But—”

Jack’s brain began to get mushy, and flashed some memories of him and Sarah getting along. The first time they reunited after he was supposedly dead, moments of sharing deep secrets, it all made him wonder if this was what everyone else, especially Mallory was talking about. The concepts of love still had Jack question what they were, but after witnessing, feeling it, and now starting to experience it slowly: Jack wonders if he was beginning to fall for her like he did for Alexandria, although this time, it was different.

Jack gently smiled, and closed his eyes. “Leon’s right… you are a hot mess, Jack Samr.”

The young man walked backwards, and back to the sidewalk, walking off into the night. A familiar white enchanted owl landed nearby, watching the young man walk away. The owl stared at the young man, and let out a deep hoot before flying, and following him into the misty night.