Chapter Nine: Disaster.

In a nearby alley just to the left of the lawyer’s apartment at the sidewalk’s end and a convenience store, two Syndicate agents stepped out from the shadows. Nodding at each only briefly, one of them stepped forward, revealing a bandaged limb cradle in their arms.

They knelt and started unwrapping the limb, revealing the shape of a charred demonic arm. Wholly black unlike anything ever before seen; the agent’s continuously heavy breaths finally subsided as he sighed deeply into the open air.

He quickly stood up, looked at his fellow agent, and the two of them vanished into the darkness of the alley, abandoning the blackened arm for it to wallow alone. Loathsome whispers escaped the inner shell, tempting all subjects who dared to bypass it. The alleyway wasn’t guarded by a metal fence, so anyone walking past could walk in unhindered, meaning that they could also peer at the limb flat against the ground. Before eventually ignoring it.

Then, it shook—producing a disruptive shockwave that sent everybody walking nearby to stumble and every car driving down the street to spontaneously halt, followed by a literal field of darkness that engulfed everything in its path. Though the humans were undoubtedly consumed by the generated void, it was only temporary.

Meanwhile, Talen, awakening slowly, scratched his chin. Just about to stand up straight, a piercing headache shot through his head. But he wasn't the only one. Suffering from such migraines the most was indisputably Anthony. Gasping for air and grasping at his chest, Tony fell from the chair.

"Oh my god!! Anthony? ANTHONY!!" She fell beside him and lifted his body from the floor, shaking him by his shoulders continuously. "Wake up!"

While pleading for his safety, a feeling of powerlessness plagued her. Wrought by responsibility to stay by him despite everything, she held him tight in her eyes--even as Tony started to turn into something crazier. Slipping from her grip and standing up tall, Alora was confused; only when she looked up did she spot the vessel for her would-be lover possessed by the ancient evil that was the Disastrous Monster God.

White hair over his shoulders, the monster calmly hummed, looking over his blackened hands and the claws at the ends of them. He slicked his hair back with two hands and closed his eyes, then sighed. Only after fixing his locks did his attention shift to the helpless girl cowering below him.

Staring down at her with one eye open, she glared right back and started to stand; he chuckled at her determination. Even if everything was telling her to run, it was unmistakable the body this creature was inhabiting was Anthony's. With that fact constant in reality, she couldn't run away. Not while she still drew breath.

Though she was ignorant of his true intentions. When she closed her eyes, assuming the worst—the sound of crumbling debris infiltrated her ears. Upon opening her eyes, she spotted a hole in the wall to her right.

Talen sprinted into the living room, immediately spotting the hole in the wall and then his sister on the ground.

“Hey! Are you alright? What just happened?” The lawyer frantically asked, kneeling in front of her.

“I-it’s Anthony. That… that thing’s got him again.”

Just as he feared. Talen approached the hole in the wall, tearing off his shirt’s sleeves to reveal the stream of bandages around the tips of his fingers, spreading over his arms and extending to both broadened shoulders.

Refusing to waste any more time, he jumped from the hole and landed behind his white-haired target. Unbeknownst to him, Malum was occupied, raising the arm in his hand.

Once Amit stepped the tiniest bit forward, the Disaster stopped. Malum carefully turned around, showing his hand to reveal the misty arm flat in his palm, and then, smirked.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I was kinda hoping the prodigal son would be the one to face me too. Unfortunately, however, I’d rather fight you when I’m at full strength. Though if you come any closer, I will slaughter you. It’s… your choice—“

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Though Malum was the most dangerous thing in this alleyway, Talen’s eyes couldn’t help but trail off as the Disaster kept speaking. Reconnecting eye contact quickly, the lawyer carefully inhaled and took one step forward. Walking forward with raised arms that beckoned his daring foe further, the Disastrous demon stifled a snicker.

“How interesting. You’ve truly earned my full admiration. But my words were clear. Despite your seemingly limitless strength, I’m still too weak. Wait a little longer, mongrel.”

Malum looked to the arm in his hand and pulled up his hoodie, revealing Tony’s chest marked with a chaotic stretch of darkness and the widened mouths ingrained on his stomach and the other two etched vertically into his biceps. While the one in the middle revealed sharpened fangs that shone against the night sky’s moonlight, the Disaster chucked the blackened arm into his stomach’s open mouth. Only a few seconds after doing so did he hear his stomach gulp.

“That’s disgusting…” Talen froze, suppressing the urge to vomit.

“I’m glad you think so. Let it be known that the only reason I’m letting you live is that I hunger. Then again, being who you are, I’m sure you sense it too, don’t you?”

“Sense what?”

The Disastrous sneered. “It isn’t a coincidence that a piece of the infamous Monster God appeared so suddenly. Didn’t you know the Syndicate held half of them?“

Talen’s eyes widened.

“Oh, don’t worry. That revelation isn’t what you think it is. The brat I’m suppressing didn’t know about that either. Even so, if the official Head of the Syndicate didn’t know what items they had stored, who do you think does know?”

Malum placed both hands on his hips and heartily chuckled. “What a mystery this is for you. I can’t wait to see how it progresses. Do your best, prodigal Amit.”

The Disaster’s eyes rolled to the back of his head briefly; seconds later, he lost consciousness and fell onto the concrete. Talen slid forward onto his knees, catching Anthony and holding him by the nape. The whiteness of his long hair darkened slowly, returning to the usual brown once Tony opened his eyes.

“T-Tal? What just—?” He started to sit up before an overwhelming soreness threw him right back. “Oh, man… it happened again, didn’t it?”

“Unfortunately. Before you ask, nobody was hurt.” Talen threw Tony’s arm over his neck and stood upright. “Well, ‘cept my wall up there, I guess.”

The duo looked up, then back at each other. Despite the severity of their situation and whatever it spelled for the future, they chuckled. It was good to know that even when everything seemed like hell, they still had one another to rely on even after ten long years. Desperate to get out of view from the public, Talen warped from the alley and reappeared in his apartment’s living room. In no time flat, the demolished wall was telekinetically repaired and the Disastrous threat was quietly quelled.

The threat of the monster would vanish from the masses’ minds; nothing more than a forgettable impossibility in an already-unusual world.

Fluffy white hair swaying in the wind, Uriel’s usual mischievous cadence was entirely gone. Peering through the windows of his old friend’s home from a rooftop of the building across them—he couldn't find it within himself to keep up the charade of a mischievous evil mastermind.

After the disastrous bomb activated, his plan worked to absolute fruition. Uriel shook the doubtful thoughts away from his mind and stared through slowly reopening eyes, spotting Talen release Anthony from his hold and Alora slide onto the living room couch beside him.

‘We’ll laugh about this someday.’

Even so, he couldn’t falter now. Turning around, his snowy robe flowing, Uriel frowned and briefly remained idle.

“You alright?” Alora worriedly asked beside him, tightening her hold over the ice on his legs.

“Fine. Don’t worry ‘bout me, alright?” Tony smiled softly.

While they spoke, Talen stepped back—eyes now wide. Before he knew it, his neck turned to the windows behind the TV. Just barely, he could spot the running white hair of his dear old friend, thought to be dead, flowing in the wind. He blinked once. By the time he opened his eyes a split second later, Uriel’s apparition had long but faded. But the visage of a ghost lingering in the dawn of night.

“Tal? You okay?” Alora called out to him.

He looked back to the other two. “Y-yeah. Fine. I’m gonna order some food.”

Talen fled into the kitchen before either of them could question any further. In the aftermath of the reappearance of the Malum the Disastrous, everyone was left with just more questions.

…

In the King’s castle, Divine Barron sat quietly on his throne. Only after footsteps infiltrated his ears did he start to snicker and raise his head, opening one eye to glare down at the would-be challenger. Unexpectedly, it was a boxer. A woman with brown skin and white hair tied back into a ponytail, bearing nothing but her bare fists, bright golden eyes and a formidable technique against the unwavering Supreme King.

“So you’ve returned. And here I thought this day would never come,” said the King.

“I’m shocked you still remember me. Now, whaddya say you get down here so I can thrash you myself, old man?” Marie glared back at him.

“If that’s what you wish for. Then come. Let us fight, daughter.”