Dolorma rode off into the night with Fei and Moonless on her back. Neither of them would be coming back until the threat at the village was eliminated.

Suzaku’s blade glimmered and crackled in her wielder’s hand, her greatness imbued in the fury of her Ghost Mansion. They warmed the cold that sent shivers down Yushia’s spine and brought confidence to his once anxious self. Now, he stood on the edge of the forest. His eyes set on the demon before him as he waited for Lei-Lei's cue.

Hidden in the trees, Lei-Lei had climbed high into the forest ceiling, straddling a thick branch. The branch was firm, and so was the grip on her staff. Her ether field touched the demon, and she too felt the same confidence as Yushia, and though she was blind, she lifted the hair covering her eyes. As Jiuli, it only felt right to embrace all of herself as she lifted her staff in the air. “Voice of Mist: Seer’s Light!”

Like snow, yellow specks of dust fell from the sky, descending down on the barren clearing. They lit the ground beautifully like that night’s stars. Yushia could see better now—fight better now.

Suzaku spoke through her wielder’s mind. “You remember everything my greatness has told you about the demon, correct?”

“Correct,” Yushia replied. He set one cautious foot forward, waited a moment, and took another step.

It was just a moment ago. Their brief moment of peace began to fall like trickling sand. Suzaku had informed Lei-Lei of the same crucial information she had gathered and given to her wielder.

“The beast next to the demon is invulnerable to damage, but that leaves it unable to fight, too,” Yushia said, repeating the details Suzaku had forewarned him of. “The black liquid will instantly take anything it touches, but I can fight at a distance with your Well Mansion.”

Suzaku—if she could—would have crossed her arms in a positive light. “Very good.”

The pieces of the playing board were set in place. Lei-Lei took a deep breath and drew threads of ether to the tip of her staff. She whispered. “Voice of Ice: Spears!”

Merew whipped his head at the spear of ice hurling at him from his right. His arm rose from its side as he summoned a sphere of black liquid.

It was time! Yushia pushed his planted feet off the ground and shot himself across the space between him and the demon. His body, light and agile, whistled in the dead of night.

The spears of ice coming at Merew entered his black liquid. In the corner of his eyes, he spotted the Cerulean and let the black liquid dissipate. The Cerulean’s blue eyes glowed ever so dimly, giving away his intentions. Merew dodged to the side, stumbling from the sudden action and fell. He crawled away, leaning against an arm as he pointed his free palm at the Cerulean. He shot a beam of black liquid but the Cerulean spun his body a different direction.

“Voice of Ice: Spears!” Lei-Lei whispered again.

As another ice spear released, Yushia kept a safe distance from the demon and drew his blade behind his head. Suzaku’s blade and the fire that imbued it roared, growing large enough to caress her wielder’s cheek. He swung his body forward and lashed with the whip-like flames.

A wall of black liquid appeared in front of Merew, swallowing the fire whip. But, as a result, the spear of ice punctured the side of his torso, its high velocity drilling itself deep inside his body. A deathly chill entered him, creating several paths of ice that hindered his ability to move.

Horror filled Merew’s thoughts as he held his wound, stopping it from bleeding out. The Cerulean had already rounded to another opening and charged toward him. “TRUFAGETOU!”

Trufagetou, who’d been idle, lowered its head with haste and granted its master its ether. Merew pointed his hand at the Cerulean again. He knew his aim couldn’t adjust to his speed, so he summoned an elongated wall surrounding his entire frontside. He panted with desperation. Suddenly, another icy spear drilled into his body from the back. Several icier paths dispersed inside his body.

You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you two? Lei-Lei thought. My spells are landing.

“The demon can only shoot his black liquid through his hands!” Suzaku shouted, her voice reverberating inside her wielder’s head. “Keep going! It can only perform one task at a time with its black liquid!”

“Right!” Yushia sprinted to the other side of the wall and locked eyes with the demon. He winded Suzaku’s blade back and lashed with her flames again.

Merew cast a puddle of dark liquid beneath himself. He sunk like a rock, grimacing as the flame whip grazed and slightly charred his face. He slithered along the lit floor and past the Vermillion Bird and the Cerulean. Losing to mere children! How could I!?

Seer’s Light made the demon’s shadow visible. Upon realizing where the demon was headed, Yushia sprinted after it with all his strength. Toward Lei-Lei.

Lei-Lei gulped. This was inevitable. Every beat in her racing heart drove her mad with panic. She could hardly fight up close, nor could she defeat the demon in its current state. Her heart raced as she tried aiming her staff at the demon, but his erratic movements made it difficult to secure a sure hit.

Merew couldn’t see the hidden ethercaster either, but he knew her general location. He left his shadow and sprung his arms out like wings, summoning hundreds of small spheres of black liquid. “Show yourself, ethercaster!”

“Get out of there, Lei-Lei!” Yushia yelled, lashing his flame whip.

Merew leaned his body back and watched as the Vermillion Bird’s flames narrowly flew above his face. The hundreds of spheres left Merew’s hand and flurried through the air, speeding, swallowing any branches, trees, or little insects.

Lei-Lei couldn’t sense it, but she could hear the dozens of orbs rushing toward her. She quickly stood and balanced herself on the branch. As the orbs reached her, her body danced, dodging the flying projectiles one by one. The little space on the branch to move made it awkward for her feet, nearly making her fall.

Another speeding orb passed Lei-Lei beside her feet, making her lose balance. A part of the branch had been swallowed, separating itself from the tree. Desperate, she reached her hand for another nearby branch but her fingers slid along the rough bark. Her heart stopped when her feet were no longer anchored.

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The orbs of black liquid dissipated into the air, allowing Merew to retreat into his shadow. The Cerulean stabbed the ground, but the demon quickly slithered away, escaping death once more.

Lei-Lei held back a scream. Before she could use her ether to stop her fall, her body smashed and dented the forest floor. She could hardly feel her legs now as warm blood trickled across her body. Was there a branch stuck in her too? Her adrenaline pushed her to rise, however, she yelped at the unbearable pain and fell back to the floor. Her body began to ache. She held her tongue between her teeth, suppressing her moans. Both her legs had broken, and her right arm was shattered.

Tears squeezed through her forced-shut eyes. It hurts...

Merew heard the ethercaster’s quiet screech and slithered in its direction. He could hear the Cerulean behind him, who must’ve heard it as well.

Dirt filled Lei-Lei's nails as her left hand clawed into the ground, channeling ether down her arm and into her palm. She could sense the incoming danger. Her painful cries mixed with her loud, desperate yell as she prepared a spell she’d rarely used. “Voice of Ice: Glaciation!”

Glaciation, Suzaku thought, remembering the spell from back in the Erkling cave. Her eyes gaped as she left her Ghost Mansion, wrapping herself around her wielder as she tackled him to the ground. Her Well Mansion activated and unleashed a frenzy of flames from every pore in her body, shrouding her greatness’ wielder in an incredible heat.

Yushia struggled against Suzaku. “What are you—”

An explosion of frost rushed out of Lei-Lei's hand, freezing the air as it turned everything surrounding her into ice.

The air filled with ether so cold that despite being covered in Suzaku’s flames, breathing proved difficult. Suzaku’s arms blocked her wielder’s face, but he could still partially see the demon through a small nook. He watched its pitch-black skin wrinkle like out-of-season fruit as he struggled to move.

“Was this your ace?” the demon said. Black liquid left his palm, wrapping himself like a cocoon. “It was a nice try. I’m sure your ether would have thrived in the Northern Land of Lyrock.”

Merew suddenly disappeared from Yushia’s line of sight. The frigid wind vanished.

“Get off me!” Yushia shouted. As Suzaku rolled off him, she stood and clutched his hand, pulling him back up to his feet before reentering her Ghost mansion.

The demon had moved, and his beast stood behind it. He held Lei-Lei in the air by her collar with one hand, letting her limbs dangle like a dead man’s. The tears on her face had frozen, a layer of frost layered atop her green bobbed hair.

“Let go of her,” Yushia said. He could hear Lei-Lei's quiet whimpers. Her body, terribly bruised and bleeding, was difficult to even look at. His mind went blank as he took a cautious step forward. Never had he thirsted to thrust Suzaku’s blade with such eagerness.

“You’re all here, aren’t you?” the demon said. “The Vermillion Bird, a Cerulean, and a strangely adept ethercaster. Despite our differences, you must wonder why I am here in particular.”

“I do not,” Yushia snarled. He and Suzaku had already grown tired of the demon, and now it held Lei-Lei like a small animal further igniting their hatred.

The demon chuckled. “Children your age are the same no matter the realm, it would seem.”

Yushia was reminded by Suzaku to act calm and vigilant. If he let his anger out now, Lei-Lei's life could be taken.

The demon brought its hand over Lei-Lei's face. “I am here for you, Cerulean. Could it have been Inanis that brought us together, or was it sheer chance? It doesn’t matter now. I harvested the souls of those children who missed their mothers dearly and fed them to you, because I knew you wouldn’t understand if you were sober. Pipi dug through your memories and told me everything, too. You miss your mother, don’t you? You clung very close to her, so why not join her again?”

Suzaku could feel Yushia’s heart beating out of his chest. “Calm yourself, for this demon deceives you. It cannot give you love like your true mother can.”

Yushia pointed Suzaku at the demon. “My mother is dead!”

“Don’t you understand, you insolent child?” the demon yelled. “I can be your new mother and I can take care of you for as long as you would like! The Vermillion Bird holds you back from your true powers, and I would never allow that!” He took a deep breath before restarting. “The powers you possess... Are you that oblivious to it all!? The way your blood glows like blue bulbous flowers is too erotic, much like how you gain strength and struggle in that form of yours. You’d wet yourself each time I tore you apart finger by finger, limb by limb. Your body healed each time you neared death, and that too was exceptionally erotic.”

Lei-Lei's weak hand repeatedly slapped the demon’s arm holding her collar. She cried. “Please don’t kill me...”

The demon threw Lei-Lei on the ground and hovered his hand over her. “In the end, I still took care of you, because that is what a mother does! Despite your troubles, I was there to comfort you! I longed for such a blessing, a blessing like you! A Cerulean!”

Lei-Lei couldn’t hold it anymore as she felt the wind get knocked out of her. The pain shocked her so much that her mouth hung open, letting out a quiet scream. The sight of a crippled Lei-Lei lying on the ground made Yushia take another furious step. How could he leave her in such a state?

“ANOTHER STEP AND SHE DIES!” the demon shouted. “DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND MY WORDS?”

Yushia stopped, but he was hesitant to do so. His feet itched. He couldn’t take much more.

The demon continued. “Not in my realm nor in this realm have I seen a creature as magnificent as you. I took you away, not just because I wanted to take care of you as your mother, but because you were the reason for what it is I am now and the beast birthed behind me. You’re not from this world, are you!?”

Yushia was met by the demon’s extended hand. It wasn’t an attack, but a welcoming offer.

“Let me be your mother, and I will help you find Shiashia, too,” the demon said quietly. “Isn’t that what you want? In exchange, this girl will live. It’s a win for all of us.”

A promise like this was too good to be true. Yushia dropped Suzaku on the ground, undoing her Ghost Mansion. She fell on the ice and watched in disbelief as her wielder strayed from her side.

“You would not dare!” Suzaku yelled. “After everything you have been through, you heed to the evil that will corrupt you!?”

The demon kept his word and kicked Lei-Lei in her side, sliding her across the icy floor and toward the Vermillion Bird. Finally, it’s here again.

Suzaku caught the blind and now crippled young Jiuli. Hurriedly, she mustered threads of ether and cast healing flames that shrouded her entire body.

The demon hovered its hand over the Cerulean’s head. “I hope you don’t mind staying inside my shadows—”

Suddenly, Yushia wrapped his hands around the demon’s wrist and gripped it with profound strength. “My mother is dead... I don’t know what you mean when you say you can be my mother.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t want you helping me find Shiashia, because I will find her myself.” He took a deep breath and spoke in a single breath. “Right now, I really want to kill you...”

Piercing through the demon’s skin, Yushia’s fingers burrowed themselves inside the evil. He strengthened his grip and forcefully pulled away, tearing the demon’s forearm from its body.

The demon shrieked and fumbled backward.“TRUFAGETOU!” His proxy granted him more ether that traveled to his uninjured arm. A sphere of black liquid grew in his palm.

Yushia threw aside the severed arm and ducked under the attack. He gripped the demon’s other arm and pierced his fingers through them again, tearing it off. The demon, unable to use its black liquid, screamed and dropped into its shadow before retreating deep into the forest.

Suzaku was left in awe. She felt her will invigorate when she saw her wielder throw down the demon’s arms—the key to its dangerous black liquid. But then her wielder chased after it. “Wait, not yet!”

With the demon’s arms missing, it didn’t make sense to Yushia if he didn’t chase after it. Victory was on the horizon, and he wouldn’t let anyone or anything get in the way of it. Not even Suzaku.