"R-Ruby! Athena! Where are we?" Dite asked, standing up.

"It seems we are free from the prison, but I don't remember the ground being this... destroyed." Athena replied, looking around at the devastation.

"The forest is gone. Where's Papa and White?" Ruby looked around.

"Please hurry!" A small voice called out to their minds.

"What?" They asked, confused.

"Here! Hurry! Father is dying! You must save him!" The voice called out again desperately.

They followed the sound of the voice with their eyes, seeing Phaestus collapsed.

"Phaestus!" "Papa!" They all cried out to him, rushing to his aid.

Dite began casting healing magic on him. His body was in bad shape. It looked as if many of his blood vessels ruptured. Blood was coming from his nose, mouth, ears, and closed eyes.

"Dammit! My magic is not enough!" Dite cried.

"I'll get help!" Ruby burst away toward the army to get more healers. Athena followed along in her giant form so that she could help carry them.

"Dammit! Why do you keep doing this to us, you bastard!? First the Basilisk, and now this?! You better not die on us!" Dite yelled at him angrily, tears running down her face.

A minute later, Ruby and Athena came charging back with several casters, one of whom was Queen Ami.

"Oh dear, this is bad." Queen Ami ordered the other healers to add their spells to the mix while she prepared a powerful healing spell. The six casters began casting their healing spells on the broken man's body while Queen Ami chanted her spell.

"Will her spell be enough?" Ruby asked worriedly.

One of the elves already healing him answered her.

"It will. Queen Amerilladen only has one shot of it, though. After her rebirth, she has a high amount of regeneration built up within her. Her majesty will be transferring that to Lord Hephaestus. It will save him. We guarantee it." His words eased the tension in her face, but Ruby could not help but still be worried.

"We don't have much time! His life is fading!" Dite cried.

"Her majesty is about to finish!" An elf tried to calm the desperate ladies.

"Azul faer dol get… [Rebirth Regen]." A divine, golden light flowed from Queen Ami's hands into Phaestus.

"Continue healing him. The regeneration will begin healing him, but his life is in a critical state." Queen Ami ordered.

Within a deep darkness, Eric floated within an empty sea as he sunk deeper and deeper.

Is this what it is like to die? He wondered. But his spirit jolted.

I stopped sinking… I wonder why…

A golden glow, in the form of a person, flitted about him.

"Father. It's time to wake up, father." It called out to him.

Who is that?

The ocean around him lit up like the sun had been switched on above.

So warm…

The golden form approached him, holding out a hand.

"Come, Father. Everyone is waiting!"

Everyone… Micah, Ruby, Rorroco, Leros, Ashe, Ria… I have to go back! I'm not finished! He gritted his teeth and reached out to the golden form.

Eric took the form's hand, the golden light grew until it was blinding.

Phaestus' eyes cracked open. He could hear several people softly weeping nearby.

My body feels heavy…

"You're finally awakening. At this point, I am not sure if thou are good or bad husband material." Queen Ami looked down into his face.

"Ami?" He sat up to see Ruby, Rorroco, and Micah before him, their eyes red and puffy.

"Papa, you dummy!" "I am quite angry with you, Eric." "You keep doing this, you know." They chastised him angrily through their tears of joy that he was alive.

"I'm sorry. That man... He... I'm sorry." His shoulders slouched. "I refused to let him do what he wished with my family. I had to take the risk."

"What happened to Big Sis Luna?" Ruby asked.

His expression saddened.

"Her physical form was destroyed by him." He replied.

The girls were saddened by the news.

"You lost a comrade? My condolences." Queen Ami said, great sadness in her voice.

"No, it is alright. Luna is a goddess. She took on a mortal form to travel the world with us. If her physical form is destroyed, she will return to her godly form. Though she will be unable to return to this world for many years." Phaestus clarified.

I wonder, though… A hopeful idea came to his mind.

"Girls, let's head to the Haven." He shifted them into the Haven, including Queen Ami.

"Oh my, you have a pocket dimension separate from our world? Most impressive." Queen Ami commented, looking around the location.

"Luna! If I'm right, you can come here, can you not?" Eric asked to the air.

Shortly after his question, Luna appeared before them.

"Oh! I was not sure if that would work, but it did! Yay!" She cheered happily.

Eric moved up and hugged her tightly.

"W-what?! E-E-E-E-ric?! The others are watching?! Micah is going to kill me!" Luna began freaking out.

"Idiot. Why didn't you listen?" He asked.

"Heh, this coming from you means little, Mr. I-used-a-god-sword-with-no-restraint." She hugged him back.

The others approached and joined in on the hug.

"My, what a heartwarming sight." Queen Ami commented, a bit of envy in her eyes but a warm smile on her face.

"So, what will you do now, Eric?" Luna asked.

They all separated.

"End this. We now have a clear path to Dawn, bypassing the Goun army. If we defeat the Pope, we can finally bring this nightmare to an end."

"Are you sure you are up for it?" Micah asked him.

"Yes. Queen Ami, we will go with the plan we thought of." Eric said to her.

"Understood." She said, nodding her head.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Several hours had passed, and the allied forces stood before the capital city of Dawn.

"What does it look like inside, son-in-law?" Tanya asked Phaestus.

He was using his Beholder Eyes to scout out the inside of the city.

"Mostly non-combatants. Though they seem ready to fight to the death… They seem nearly crazed. Women, elderly, even children." Phaestus reported with apprehension.

"Most likely due to the barrier around the city." Queen Ami commented while pulling out a bow and arrow.

"I will take care of it. This arrow is a special gift from Lord Lystmour. It will destroy the barrier around the city, making it easier to free their minds." Queen Ami drew the arrow back and took aim at the city.

Thwip! The arrow whistled through the air and struck an invisible barrier.

A crash of power occurred. The now visible barrier tried to resist but shattered under the arrow's power, dissipating from the point of impact.

"Hmm? What was that?" Phaestus looked down at Yilan.

"Uh, son-in-law, are you talking to your sword?" Tanya asked, worried his mind was not all there.

"Yilan is sentient. She is also a part of the reason I am alive right now. She kept me alive until you guys were able to save me. She has a nice idea that we will try. It should lessen our trouble in the city." Phaestus drew Yilan and held her horizontally before him with both his hands.

Channeling his magic into her, she began to glow with power. A solid beam of light shot above the city, creating something similar to a golden flare, raining a purifying light upon the city.

"Oooh, what a clever idea. The light will free the minds of the people so that they will be able to make their own decisions." Queen Ami observed.

Phaestus observed the city through his Beholder Eyes.

"It worked, the people are a bit confused, but they no longer seemed crazed. [Project Voice]. People of Dawn! I am Duke Hephaestus!" He called out.

"I have freed your minds from the Pope's control! Stay away from him, and you will remain free! We do not seek to harm anyone in the city. If you attack us, we will respond in kind. Please stand clear while we deal with this evil man." Phaestus observed the populace moving away from the main road. Even the guards seemed to be abandoning their posts.

"Wow, I was not expecting the people to abandon him completely. Anyway, I found him. He is at the summoning circle. I believe he is waiting for us."

They moved their forces to the main gate. Athena took to her actual size of a giant and kicked the gate in with ease, scattering the remaining guards.

"Tanya, I want our forces to set up the mind cleansers throughout the city to ensure the people remain free. We will deal with the Pope, he has no more guards, and it seems many of the higher officials of the church have run away. Try to gather as much information as you can to hunt them down later. The wealth they enjoyed is stained in the blood and sweat of the innocent. It should be returned to the people." He said solemnly.

"Understood." Tanya gave out her orders, and her forces split up throughout the city.

Phaestus rode along with his family to defeat the final boss.

The Pope stood in the middle of the summoning circle, his back to the doorway that Phaestus, Dite, Athena, Ruby, and Queen Ami approached through.

"You have finally come. Since she is with you, I am guessing you know the truth of me." He referred to Queen Ami.

"I do, Lucasi." Phaestus replied.

"Ah, it has been some time since I have been called by that name. You, Duke Hephaestus, have been the biggest hindrance to me in all of my lives." The Pope turned to face them, a grimace on his covered face.

"Glad to add another title to my growing list." Phaestus mockingly bowed, the Pope's grimace changed to a light smile.

"So then, you come here for my life. Very well, let's get this over with." Two swords seemed to materialize in his hands.

"This will be our final battle pretender. Phaestus, ladies, I will support the rear with my magic." Queen Ami prepared herself while the rest readied themselves.

"Let me just say, no matter the outcome, you will not win in the end." The Pope stated.

Phaestus, Dite, Athena, and Ruby instantly appeared around him.

"What?!" The Pope quickly and barely defended against the surprise attack.

The four shifted around instantly, attacking once more, pressing their attack. The Pope was barely keeping up.

"Damn you! [Barrier]!" A protective barrier appeared around him.

The four attackers' struck the barrier, stopping. The Pope swung his weapons, hitting nothing but air as they were shifted away.

"Ami! Anything you can do about the barrier?" Phaestus shouted his request.

Queen Ami fired off a spell that absorbed into it.

"Hahaha! I developed this spell just for you, Amerilladen. Magic will only strengthen it!" The Pope yelled confidently.

Athena jumped high into the air, turned to her giant form, and performed a double-handed swing of her club into the barrier, but the magic shield made her devastating attack completely inert.

"Oh, that's bullshit!" She complained as she shrunk back down to avoid a fireball the Pope sent her way.

"Be right back! I'm gonna spin up!" Ruby vanished from the battle as the rest of them pressed the attack.

Dite's attacks were precise, but the Pope's barrier took all the attacks with no effect. Each time she tried, she was forced to retreat from the Pope's deadly attacks.

Not even Yilan in a slightly empowered state could break the barrier as Phaestus failed another attack.

The three melee fighters were shifted away, and a glowing bunny appeared, striking the barrier with force greater than any of the previous attacks, only for it to become inert.

"Oh, come on! I'm so dizzy!" Ruby complained as she was shifted away.

They continued to press their attack to keep the Pope from moving.

Phaestus was not the one in charge of shifting them about. It was their ally within the Haven, Luna. Though Luna may make many mistakes, Rorroco and Micah realized how much of a tactician she was while playing various board and video games with her. Not a single one of them was able to beat her in terms of strategy.

"Eric, this is going nowhere! The barrier will make any attack inert! We need a way to break it!" Luna called out from the Haven. Phaestus stopped as he just had a great idea.

"Not breakthrough…" A grin came to his face as he added his God Hammer to his empty hand.

Yilan, focus on defense only. Yilan hummed in acknowledgment.

Phaestus appeared at the side of the Pope after he attempted to attack the others. Phaestus swung his golden glowing hammer down, smashing the barrier, striking the ground next to the Pope.

"Impossible!" The Pope cried out in shock as his perfectly created spell was shattered like glass.

"Ami! Now!" Phaestus shouted.

"[Lockdown]!" She cast a spell that created spectral chains to hold the Pope in place.

"Confound you! [Barrier]!" The Pope summoned another shield.

They continued their assault on the Pope without holding back. The girls would unleash their melee assault when Phaestus would smash the barrier all the way to the ground every time. Each time the barrier broke, Queen Ami cast another spell to weaken or keep him in place.

"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL!" The Pope cried as his barrier was broken once more.

"[Barrier]!" The Pope shouted in frustration, but he was still fighting them with minor issues.

"Last one, girls!" Phaestus informed them.

They charged in, striking at him, and Phaestus broke the barrier once more.

"ENOUGH! [DARK PULSE]!" A wave of black energy drove them back but did minor damage since Yilan cut through the spell.

"You think you will win!? I am the master of this world! This world belongs to me! What can you do to me!? You kill me, I wander a bit, gain a new body, and the process just begins again! Give up and accept your fate as my slaves!" The Pope shouted, his madness and frustration hitting their peak.

Phaestus smiled.

"Who said anything about killing you? [Remote Activate].” With Phaestus' spell, a runic circle at the Pope's feet lit up.

“GAAAAAH!” The Pope cried out, dropping his weapons.

"What is this?! What have you done?! M-My magic!"

The summoning circle began lighting up.

"You see, Lucasi, I saw your summoning not long ago. Which I was the one who saved the other-worlders from you, by the way. I realized something in watching, you don't have enough magic to power it yourself. So I figured, if I make a runic circle to drain the magic of one standing in it, I could drain you dry, making you simple to capture."

The Pope had dropped to his knees, heaving.

"Luna, could you go inform that Lystmour guy that he should get ready to retrieve this prick?" Phaestus asked her.

"Roger!" Luna left the Haven to find the god of the world.

"Here is the plan, Lucasi." A crystal coffin appeared nearby.

"We are not going to kill you this time. We are going to seal you away, forever. You will never darken this world again."

The Pope was face down, unable to move, barely staying awake.

"D-damn, you…" The runic circle finished its mission and went dark.

Athena and Phaestus headed over, picked the man up by his arms, and moved him toward his permanent prison.

“RAAAAAAAH!” The Pope exploded with power, throwing them all away from himself.

"What? Ami!" Phaestus turned toward Queen Ami, only to see a look of dread on her face.

"No… You can't! You can't do this!" She cried at the manically laughing Pope.

"HAHAHA! Can't do this?! If I cannot have this world! No one will!"

Damn stereotypical bad guy… Phaestus thought bitterly.

"Ami, what is he doing?!" Phaestus demanded to know.

"Self-destructing! When he explodes, the power of the curse will be unleashed onto the world! It's the end of the world…." She drifted to a sitting position on the ground, hopelessness on her face.

Phaestus looked at the laughing madman.

I still can't shift him away… I have to touch him to do so… Phaestus looked to his family.

"Phaestus! Don't you do another self-sacrifice!" Dite cried out angrily.

"No choice. It's either the world or the Haven. I'll be back!" Phaestus shifts himself onto the back of the Pope.

"What the hells are you-?!" They vanished, replaced by all the rescued Heroes in their crystal sleep.

"You better come back… If you don't… I am going to slap you so hard in the next life…." Dite promised to herself, her shoulders shaking.

"AHHH!" Phaestus fell back off of the Pope, burned by the power of the curse. His right arm, chest, and a part of his face were burned.

"YOU BASTARD! WHERE ARE WE?!" The Pope screeched.

Damn, that hurts. Need to get out of here… Phaestus tried to focus his thoughts outside the Haven.

"[DIMENSION LOCK]!" The Pope cast a spell that prevented Phaestus from leaving the Haven.

Shit… Phaestus stood up, pained by the burns on the areas that came in contact with the Pope.

"I demand you return me at once!" The Pope cried.

Phaestus smirked at him. "Nah, since you kept me here, this will just be our little grave. Aren't you happy? You get to have your most annoying opponent with you." Phaestus struggled to say, the cursed burns paining him greatly.

I wonder how bad these burns would hurt if I wasn't holding Yilan?

The Pope attempted to take a step toward Phaestus, but his body began to crack like pottery.

“No, no no no no no no NO! DAMN YOU!" He shouted at Phaestus.

"NOW STOP!" Phaestus shouted, striking a pose, stunning the Pope with stupid.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"Hammer time." Phaestus said mockingly as he threw the god hammer at the Pope.

The hammer shattered the man's head, unleashing the explosion of the curse.