Johan crawls out of the cave, followed by Helena and Qiang, they take a moment to look around and get a hold of their surroundings.

The time is still night although it's clear that sunrise isn't too far away, they walk forward on a small forest path until they reach some sort of pavement on the path, not even a few meters after a lit up torch can be seen on the path as well, followed by many torches after and across from the others: it's clear they were reaching civilization.

They continue walking with slow, weary steps as they aproach the sleeping city, the sky beginning to light up from the mornings ethereal light.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Wouldn't we just be walking into the lion's den?" Helena asks Johan, her hands close to her chest in a nervous way.

"Yeah! We're wanted criminals, y'know!" Qiang adds

"If we are to be stopped by the millitary police then we will kill them." Johan says nonchalantly, as if it's expected.

"But Helena has no energy! Look at her! She hasn't slept and looks like she is about to fall over!" Qiang says with concern in his voice as he frantically glances back and forth from Helena to Johan.

"So what? If she can't fight then she can die for all i care." Johan says coldly, not caring that he hurt Helena.

Helena looks down in shame, feeling like a burden, until she feels Qiang's comforting hand on her shoulder, Qiang says nothing but smiles warmly in a weirdly comforting way which brings a smile to her face as well.

The city is finally visible to them, they aproach it as the morning sun rises above the horizon. They walk through the street, gazing at the dock of many ships that connects to the city, their mouths open in awe at the magnificent sight.

They walk through the long and nicely decorated streets of the city, Helena looks around and enjoys the scenery, her manner of walking is clumsy as she apears more tired than before, her eyelids droopy and her face pale.

In the streets, not a single soul is seen or heard, the time is about five in the morning and air smells fresh as a slightly cold wind blows past them.

From around the corner, footsteps are heard and a certain sense of unease can be sensed, Johan immediatelly summons his swords and awaits for the people to show themselves while Helena and Qiang stare in confusion.

The next moments apear like an eternity, as from around the corner guards and officers armed with swords and guns come out to greet Johan's cold and weary gaze, moments later guards surround them from all sides, Helena tries to conjure a water sword but she begins to stumble forward while coughing up blood.

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Qiang catches her before she could fully collapse and looks up at the guards, "drop your weapons and submit." A guard with a pitch-black longsword commands.

Johan looks around, the grip on his swords tightens as he grits his teeth before he sighs, dropping his swords onto the ground and raising his hands above his head.

The guards quickly step forward, putting shackles on their legs and arms and taking off Helena's blue earings.

They are led into a forest, in the forest was a giant almost mansion-like prison, as they enter, they witness nicely decorated walls with metal cells for prisoners, the prisoners remain in their cells as they are guided through by the guards, they apear to watch them closely while laying tiredly on the floor, mostly out of malnutrition.

"Amazing plan, Johan." Qiang whispers over to him mockingly.

"I was merely outmatched is all..." Johan replies, while he apears to be lying.

"Quiet!" A guard hits the two with a baton while yelling angrily.

A slightly quiet rumbling sound can be heard from above, getting louder until the ceiling breaks and rubble crushes the two guards in front, Mammon falls from above and lands on the pool of blood from the crushed guards, immediatelly stabbing Helena in the gut with a sword and throwing her out of the window.

Guards come from behind to attack but get decapitated easily by the sword, who's blade apears to have extended. Qiang quickly tackles him and jumps out of the window with him, getting his arm cut off in the process as they fall in different places.

Johan follows quickly, jumping out as well to defend Qiang, the shackles on his arms get cut by the sword and he jumps forward, summoning his blades and clashing swords with Mammon.

Qiang acts quickly as well, breaking his shackles on a nearby rock while Johan keeps Mammon busy, he then runs over to Helena who is unconscious and tends to her injuries, he lifts her up and puts her down leaned up on a tree.

Guards rush out of the building to see the commotion but they quickly get decapitate as well, the whole lower part of the building apearing to be destroyed as the building crumbles into ruin, Qiang tends to his own bleeding arm expertly, then runs off into the ruins.

"How weak!" Mammon says as he slashes Johan across the eyes and stabs him, all while keeping a sinister grin on his defformed and scarred face.

Johan tries to speak but blood pools into his mouth, "you are strong in using manna so this cannot kill you, i'll have to end your missery right now then!" Mammon says again as he pulls out the sword from Johan's gut, "you will pay for destroying my shoulder!"

He slashes towards Johan's neck but the sword gets stopped by another sword, a pitch-black longsword in hands of Qiang, he smirks, deflecting his sword away with his own and kicking Mammon away.

"How pitiful, this is the strength of a real principle?" He chuckles as he rubs his beard thoughtfully.

Mammon roars in anger and dashes at Qiang who keeps up his strikes well, he keeps their swords tied in a clash and tries to use his ability to break his sword but it proves ineffective.

"This sword isn't metal, sorry to dissapoint." Qiang chuckles to himself before Mammon's blade apears to get wider and with a swift movement, Qiangs sword is destroyed.

"I didn't want to use this here but this is the perfect time!" Mammon rips out his own eyes and grips them in his hand, they apear to melt into gold as he holds them, his screams resemble ecstacy rather than pain as his body is torn apart by golden chains, "This is the form of a demon!" He smiles widely until a black, curved sword pierces his chest.

TO BE CONTINUED...