The Host looked at them, occasionally tilting its head as magical energy was weaved around its hands. Riza meanwhile staired back, the magical energy seemingly avoiding it like the plague itself.

"A new guest has arrived. Do not worry, I will relieve you of your things and make you comfortable".

"Yeah, that ain't happening" Riza declared, holding his sword out. The Host however just looked at him, and gave him an odd look.

"...hmmm, what am I supposed to call you? What fancy clothes do I get for you? Young Master? Old Miss? %$#@$%&%?"

The last word it uttered repulsed their ears, its very sound dealing them a bit of harm. When it looked at Riza, it became confused.

"Riza Luminar? Or..."

Before it could utter its next word, several blades came out of nowhere and attacked it. Each one struck with precision, calculated to the extremes of lethality. The Host deflected them all with ease, but it was cut on the arm despite all that. Its barriers appeared to be magic, but they also felt different to Riku. Something older...and more dangerous.

"I see, you are one of them. Ones who hide their own truths, The Hidden" it muttered to itself. "To think, we would have another hidden guest like yourself! How joyous!!"

"...what do you mean?"

"My master made one of them feel right at home, gave her a permanent position here. She wishes to see the truth of people's souls, so he turned her into a special magic mirror! I think her name was...Alice was it?"

Riza narrowed his eyes, recalling what he endured just a moment ago.

Don't tell me...no, she was long dead. It was just using her face!

"Riku, Kaede, has this guy been making this little sense this whole time?"

The two ten year olds nodded, and Riza sighed as he glared back at The Host.

"Be warned, this thing can get into people's minds. It can toy with us easily, so you two just stay still and defend yourselves. Do not attack, you will likely just end up attacking me instead".

The two nodded, as Riza took a step forward.

"You are a terrible Host. Don't you know restraining your guests is against ettiquette?"

"You are wearing improper evening attire! I must take them!"

It tried to reach out, but then its arm got cut off. No one saw a sword appear at all, and in fact, all of Riza's swords were manifested. At least as far as Riku knew, Riza had six of them, yet all six were deployed when something sliced off one of the Host's hands. He regrew it immediately, but it had everyone a bit freaked out.

"I will need to educate you, you naughty boy" the host responded, making a motion with his hands and knees that he intended to spank Riza. Riku was pretty sure Riza was going to kill him first or that The Host would kill Riza first though, given its absolute incapability to acknowledge reality.

Riza then disappeared right in front of their eyes, only to appear behind The Host. The Host suddenly lost three arms, and one of its legs went flying. Magic seemed to be used to support it as it remained upright, its limbs already regenerating. Still, the more it was cut up, the longer it seemed to take, and while it made no signs it felt pain or shock from these attacks, it did seem bothered that blood and decayed flesh were ruining the floor.

"You know, a real host would have taken us to meet with the lord of this place" Riza chided, summoning countless fireballs and launching them at The Host. The Host blocked with a magical barrier, but then some of the flames seemed to burn through the barrier. These purple flames seemed to ignore the defenses entirely, and the moment it got on The Host, it severed away that part of its body and flung it away, regenerating soon afterwards and also exposing more of its grotesque, patchwork body. It was clear this thing was made from more then just human corpses, but that was apparent by its hands alone. Instead, it appeared to be a patchwork of human, elf, dwarf, beastkin, and various monsters. Not all humanoid monsters either, but some just straight up monsters. Honestly it was a bit hard to tell just how many things had been grafted together, although at least it didn't have like eyes and mouths sewn in weird places. No weird hidden faces under the clothes, just an obvious amount of surgery.

Riza grimaced however upon looking at it.

"No fucking way...some of this was self administered".

"What?!"

"For reals?"

Riku and Kaede were shocked at the revelation.

"Yeah. This thing works on itself. I wouldn't be surprised if a good number of 'guests' are added into itself".

Finally, Riku threw up a bit, having apparently hit his limit on the grotesque thing in front of him. And this was a limited boosted by Adaptability and Mental Fortitude, so it was much higher then the average ten year old.

"What are you? You curious thing?" The Host looked at Riza, puzzled as it swerved around him at fast speeds, observing Riza like a child would a curiosity. "I cannot fathom you. You are like me, yet not me. Combined, yet separate. Multiple, yet individual. Two sides of the same coin, you and I. A clever creation we both are. And yet your presence...your aura...it feels familiar, like a memory or a dream".

"I am nothing like you" Riza growled, as he entered full blitz mode. Holding an oversized sword in each hand, the four others flew around and struck at The Host. The Host created that strange barrier again to deflect them, but Riza's swords suddenly began to burn in purple fire and strike at the barrier, and Riza was infuriated as he sought to end The Host as soon as possible.

For some reason, The Host's words appeared to affect Riza more then anything else they had seen before. Whatever it was, it had ticked him off to no end the moment it called them the same. No, even before that, it was when he mentioned the mirror that Riza's attitude began to shift.

Something must have happened to Riza while he was here...it seems he might be easier to antagonize.

Normally, Riza was an aloof person who never seemed to let anything phase him. But the Riza that Riku and Kaede were witnessing right now was different. He seemed genuinely angry and irritated, and seemed to want to destroy The Host for more reasons then just its repulsive way it treats people. No, it was as if he simply wanted to destroy something right now.

Its like an adult tantrum.

It was one of the rare moments that Riza, despite his appearance and personality, truly seemed like an adult to Riku. While children tended to unleash everything instantly, the older you got the more you tended to bottle things in and relieve it in increments, which arguably made children healthier at handling things right now but that could be debated another time. Right now, Riza was simmering with a bottle that was ready to burst at any moment, and he was relieving that pressure by going all out against The Host.

Suddenly, The Host was cut up again, despite having seemed to deflect or dodge all six swords. Riku and Kaede watched from a distance with the other ghosts, behind the spectral barrier.

"Riku, what is Riza doing?"

"Its unclear. It might be some sort of magic, but...I don't see how its bypassing the barrier without him incanting or drawing a single formula".

Riza's attacks started to get faster and faster, a truly blitzkrieg assault. He moved behind the Host faster then their eyes could see, but the Host was able to adapt to it.

"Having so many brains lets me be a serious taskmaster!"

"Too bad you didn't gain any intelligence or sense of reality from them!"

Riza suddenly stepped backwards for a change, as his swords took up positions all around The Host. He snapped his fingers in that moment.

"Arcia Ralia!"

Each of the swords shot out beams of light, just as powerful as the beams The Host used. It rained down upon his barrier and pierced it at several points, but secondary barriers appeared behind them to help block it.

And yet, Riza then teleported right under those barriers, and was at a point blank range.

"Explosion!" he shouted as he snapped his fingers, and suddenly a torrent of flames erupted from them in the direction he was facing. The Host took this at point blank range, an inferno that raged and threatened to consume all. The flames seemed intent on staying, and purple flames were mixed in this time.

Wait, purple flames...isn't that Divifyre?! He can use Divifyre?!

Riku finally remembered what was said before, and realized now that Riza had yet another mysterious element to him. Riza meanwhile brought both hands forward this time.

"Explosion times two!"

With the flames inside the barriers this time, this allowed him to get much more on The Host. He would have to cut away his entire body to be spared from such a blast.

"Ohohohoho. How indecent of you!"

It reached out as it tried to either claw Riza in two or shred off his clothes with its freakishly long bladed fingers. It was hard to tell with this thing, given how detached from reality it was. However, Riza had dodged, sparing himself from both injury and humiliation, and even deflected some sort of claw shaped projectile that went after him when he dodged. Riku was honestly impressed. None of them had seen that claw ability before, yet Riza anticipated and blocked it.

His fighting style is really advanced too, and his instincts. The longer he fights, the more he predicts what The Host will do.

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And yet, The Host survived that last attack...as a head. It was a floating head now. But right as Riza planned to attack, something new appeared. It came storming down from the depths, a large hulking four armed body with a dragon's tail. The head floated right on top of it, still hidden by the mask, and attached itself to the body.

"...what the absolute fuck is this thing?"

Riza growled as Riku asked a question.

"Something new. And something old".

The Host simply laughed. "I am the caretaker of this place! I am one who has been born again! I who was once an enemy, now has risen again".

"I should have realized it sooner. This level of vitality, this level of magical control. Even as an undead abomination, there is only one thing that could possible be maintained and still hold this much power after becoming an undead and being treated as a patchwork. A power so great, that chooses a new vessel every fifty years to try and bring down this world. A power that even lets him invade the minds of all the world passively, but even in a weakened state, can still be used on those near him. Something that requires the efforts of a Hero to defeat" Riza said, growling. "The undead bastard who controls this place...he went and stole the soul of the very Demon King that destroyed his city, and punished it by making it his minion!"

"Ahahahahaha! Once I was a King, now I am a Host. From one to another, just like you, Riza Luminar! You may call me Carafax!"

"Demon King Carafax...also known as the Mind Render. One who was said to have been defeated by a hero while an undead horde attacked his castle" Riza muttered. "Die!"

Countless orbs of light appeared around Riza, and they all fired out beams of energy right at the Demon King. The Host, who was in truth a patchwork that contained a fragment of the Demon King, blocked them all effortlessly. Riza hated that he didn't realize it sooner, all the clues were there. The passive ability to affect people's minds. The fact that undead were weaker than their original selves. The fact that the soul could withstand being made of so many beings. And the alien way of thinking that could surpass logic and reason.

But the biggest clue was the Divifyre. There was no way a patchwork could have withstood Divifyre, but a Demon King was a different story. An undead fragment of one still held some of its power, including its innate resistance to the Divine. Which was why, the gods couldn't just smite the Demon King whenever it appeared.

It brushed it off because it didn't have its full immunity, but only a resistance, an effect of becoming an undead. But it allowed it to walk these halls unimpeded. And Demon Kings were also known for being able to adapt and change their bodies, though not quite like what was seen here, it would have been adapted to the undead form.

And most importantly of all...

He said we were similar. I hate to say it, but knowing what I know now, he nailed it perfectly. We both came back from the dead after all.

Riza had many secrets, but that was one he never told even his family about. Even Ozlo didn't know about this particular truth, a necessary measure to keep them all safe and preserve the order of the world. And when it connected to the other aspect that Riza and the Demon Lord, or rather, the power that created Demon Lords shared, it made sense when Carafax said they were "two sides of the same coin".

"Fine then Carafax. You whose mind has been warped by your wretched master, who lives in this horribly pitiful state considering what you once were. I will take you on. I am Riza Luminar. This is the name I use, although I trust you understand if I don't introduce myself using my other name".

"Ahahahahaha! Excellent, wonderful!"

"It appears you might be regaining your sanity here".

"Of course. Seeing you here, how can I not? Tell me, when you fought against the last Demon King's army, did you ever fight that fool?"

Carafax appeared to be regaining his mind now. The fight between him and Riza was triggering things for him. Even the fact he remembered his own name was an issue.

Kaede shouted out with worry to Riza. "Hold on, isn't this really bad?!"

"It can't be helped. The magic of this place...its shifted. The master of these ruins must be up to something, and my fight might be too stimulating".

"Entertain me more, let me consume you!"

"The one who will be consumed is you by my blades! Awaken, Caliomarios!"

The moment Riza said that, cut marks seemed to emerge on the ground and walls around Riza, and continued to appear rapidly heading towards Carafax. Carafax tried to block with barriers, but the attacks bypassed them all and cut up his new body.

"And now, Ascend! Caliomarios!"

Every cut mark that was just made glowed with light, before light shot out violently from them all. This included all the marks upon the Demon King's body as well. In addition, one of Riza's swords now looked different. They had appeared just as generic swords before, but one had transformed into something new. It was as if the old appearance unraveled itself, revealing itself to be ribbon and wrapping paper that had concealed the true sword. This sword was a sword of gold and silver, with an orante handle with curved ends. The pommel had a ruby in the center, and golden lines of energy eminated from the blade itself, as if it was advanced and futuristic technology.

Invisible cutmarks! Like before!

"I see...that is quite the nasty thing you have there. To think, you came into possession of the Holy Sword used by the previous hero to slay the Demon King".

"Wait...what?"

Riza however shook his head.

"It's just a fragment created from a spark. A copy if you will, forged in moonlight".

"And to think, despite its amazing power, its not the source of your immortality".

"I am sure you want to know that, but you won't find me giving up answers or letting you into my head. You might have gotten some things, but my immortality is something you will never possess. I have no intention of allowing a second Demon King to revive itself while the first is still being dealt with".

Riku frowned. "Does this guy have his full sanity back?"

"No, but he is fighting for control now that someone has that he has been looking for. He plans to devour me and take my immortality for himself, as well as my other abilities. All Demon Kings possess the ability to gain some fragment of power and ability of the souls of great enemies they defeat. He was probably biding his time in the deep recesses of his mind. But, he can't maintain it for long. Eventually the magic of the necromancer will take control of you again, Carafax. How does it seem, serving one who you wronged so badly?"

"How bad does it feel, knowing you will watch your children and grandchildren die from old age while you watch? Except perhaps Ozlo I suppose, it seems like he is bordering on that potential as well".

Carafax simply laughed.

"You know you won't be able to defeat me. Tell me, why do you think that even after all this time, even if the ruins were sealed before, that not a single person has reported this place? I AM a Demon King. You cannot simply kill me. I am an Undead, and a Demon King".

Riza growled, but he knew they were right.

"And while you are busy fighting me, I wonder how those other three are doing?"

"Tsk. Don't let him psych you out! Don't move, it's too dangerous!"

"It's dangerous for you to stand still!"

Carafax attacked Riza the moment he looked back, but Riza disappeared right in front of Carafax' eyes. Riza then got behind him and hit him with green fire this time.

"What?!"

"You may have once been a Demon King, but now you are just some patchwork zombie. And thanks to your blunder, you revealed your Necromancer's weakness. You are severely weaker than a true Demon King. A true one, I would have only had the wiggle room to just escape by myself maybe. But you can't actually do it can you? You can't risk ignoring me, can you?"

This time it growled.

Riza in that moment began his full on assault, but occasionally using invisible slashes. Carafax was wary now that he was fully aware, although it didn't always seem to be the case. Occasionally his Host personality would slip out when he did some lines here and there, and frankly speaking everything about this thing was creepy.

Riza created countless orbs of light, all while doing his six-slash blitz and using the power of Caliomarios to keep the Demon King on edge. Riza slammed his foot onto the ground, and suddenly crystallic shards shot out of the ground, impaling the body at several points.

"As expected, you are severely weaker than a normal Demon King. I wonder just how much of your strength has been lost over the millennia?"

"All in service to the master, I will just need to put in more effort to host my guests better".

This thing's brain is absolutely fucked over. It can't maintain a single persona other than The Host. Still, the moment Carafax notices this, the moment he will turn his power into a giant explosion out of spite. I can't let him realize how degraded he really is!

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

If I used all my swords, I could do this a lot better...but that would put me and everyone else at risk, especially down the line. Not to mention the recoil...

Plus, Riza wanted to save some trump cards for the final boss. This thing wasn't a real Demon King anymore, but if the Necromancer was actually able to utilize such a corpse, then they must be someone of incredible power and ability. Riza would need all the firepower at his disposal to fight him potentially, and he never knew when he might need something later. Going all out against an enemy was always a terrible idea, because you never knew what might happen in the climax itself.

I need to defeat this guy here and now. The Necromancer is the main threat.

His blade clashed with Carafax's claws. The fact that he did not rend the blade in two right then and there was telling in its own right. Against a real Demon King, even his swords wouldn't be able to trade constant blows like this. They would get shattered for sure, even blades like these.

And yet he was pushing the Demon King back. Even if Riza was infuriated, even if he was fighting only a diminished version, he was.

Riza had not noticed it yet, but even if physical he seemed to be frozen, he could still grow. Both as a person....and a fighter.

"Eclipse Slash!"

"Nightmare Teller".

Riza used a new move, but Carafax unleashed a black smog that seemed to consume the slash of light that came from Riza's sword. However, several swords attacked from behind. And yet, arms grew out from its back and projected barriers, blocking the attacks.

"Ascend, Caliomarios!"

And yet, the slashes that were blocked suddenly glowed again, breaking through the barrier as the beams of light pierced the barrier and harmed Carafax again.

"You may be quite special and unique, RIza Luminar! But you are no hero! You don't have the spark of heroism! Only those who have been summoned through the dimensional field with the ritual can possibly do such a thing! Hahahahaha!"

This guy is just an undead...undead Demon Kings have been recorded before, always much weaker then their original selves, and never needed a Hero in the past. But this thing isn't just a normal undead it feels like. Its still weaker, but...its almost like The Host...Carafax...borders between life and death.

Riza could tell there was an anomaly to this. The way it moved and acted felt both alive and dead. Not just undead, a middle ground, but more of a paradox. As if it existed both as alive and dead at the same time. Existing in a parallel state.

However, he didn't have time to figure it out. He had to defeat this thing fast, and then the three of them had to find the others and group up. They couldn't allow this to go any further. And yet the Demon King, while harmed, had yet to truly suffer a mortal blow. Riza had always wondered why it was a Hero that was needed, but figured it was a matter of power. After all, the summoning ritual requires a great deal of mages, effort, and time. But if there really was another factor, and somehow this thing still had it...

No. This is just it trying to invade my mind and slow me down with doubt. I will just have to take a risk for a change, and utilize another hidden technique. Only then can...

The moment Riza was about to do something, he spotted something lurking in the darkness in the hallway behind Carafax. He was left dumbfounded for a moment, as this something...no, this someone, clad in a dark robe and with a hood drawn over them, simply put a finger to their lips.

Impossible...unless...wait, could it...

As he had these thoughts, this figure created an X with their arms, and then put their finger to their lips again.

I see...so this must remain a secret. However...

"Can you do it?" Riza asked.

Carafax seemed to realize there was someone new there as well.

"What? Who managed to get in here?"

The figure nodded to Riza, who then proceeded to back up and reach Riku and Kaede.

"We are leaving".

"Why, who is that?"

"No one. In fact, speak nothing of this moment ever".

"But..."

"Never. We are leaving".

"Do you think I would let guests leave early without taking proper care of them?"

It appeared The Host personality resurfaced, the moment Riza took distance from him even there was a noticeable shift. Even Riku and Kaede noticed the uncanny change.

"I am not the one you need to worry about. Go get him, hero".

The moment Carafax heard that, he turned to face the cloaked figure...only for an arm to immediately be cut off by their sword. Furthermore, regeneration was inhibited completely, and Carafax coughed up blood for the first time...it was weird black blood, but blood none the less.

"What, how...why are you here, yet I cannot sense your physical presence?"

The figure did not answer him, but simply drew their sword and went at him. He blocked with a barrier, but it was shattered instantly. Still, he had sensed the danger and just barely dodged in time.

"I see now, you are that person. The oh so legendary..."

Before it could finish, the figure appeared right in front of him, having moved with a burst of speed that even surpassed The Host's perception. He had successfully perceived all of Riza's attacks, but the figure had managed to move just a bit faster.

And so the battle between the Cloaked Stranger and Former Demon King Carafax began, as Riza, Riku, and Kaede rushed towards to find the others and regroup...after the latter two got changed in a hurry, of course.