Arthur vomited a mouthful of bile as he fell to his knees. The words from Javic shook his soul, and he didn't know why. Why would someone's name cause him to tremble so much? To nearly lose consciousness and fall apart? Arthur forced himself to remain calm as he stared at the pile of bile and then at the lifeless bodies that fell onto the ground.

What mattered at the moment wasn't how he felt or the state he was in. Claire and Raphael were still unconscious on the altar, and Arthur couldn't help but hate himself for putting them in danger. Unlike him, who had no one waiting for him, the siblings had a family that was searching for them. He wanted to reunite them with all of his heart. He wanted them to experience a life without hardship.

Even though there was the faintest bit of hope that Arthur had someone like that who missed him and was desperately looking for him, it became clear from his memories that he was nothing more than an orphan bastard. No child should have to go through the misfortunes he experienced.

I will save them.

Arthur wiped the bile with the back of his hand and rose to his feet. He glanced at the other guard who stood in front of him. While he was disoriented after the exchange with Javic, they quickly surrounded Arthur and pointed their weapons toward the enemies.

Paul glanced at Arthur and said, "We need an opening."

"Leave it to me," Arthur replied.

"Good." Paul nodded as Arthur tapped the end of his spear on the ground, his body shrouded in aura.

All four of them were side by side as Tucker and Welt provided support from the scaffolding above. The cultists took a step back, looking at them with startled eyes, while the cloaked demon turned around and stared at them.

"I see what you mean now." Paul's eyes narrowed upon inspecting the cloaked demon.

Several black threads barely held it together, and the giant flesh cocoon in the center of the magic circle was a pure mass of chaotic energy. Paul opened and closed his hand multiple times, feeling the bundle of divinity swell within his muscles. He glanced at one of the cultists' bodies and drove his fist into its corpse, expelling the demonic energy within it.

Paul grinned and said, "It seems like everything is back to normal."

"I'll be damned." Cain softly whistled. "I guess that demon really did get banished."

"Yeah, but we shouldn't be wasting our energy," Mark criticized.

"It's alright. We've already dealt with the most challenging adversary. Besides, I can pray at the church and ask the Lord for his grace if I need more," Paul calmly replied.

"Will your God even lend you more divinity?" Arthur asked.

"It'll be a dark day if he doesn't." Cain jokingly replied.

Mark sighed at their lax attitude and said, "Whatever, let's deal with these fuckers and call it a day."

With each step the guards took, the cultists withdrew further to the ritual area. Their leader had been murdered by the very demon that they summoned, and all the other higher-ups were slaughtered in a similar fashion.

The cloaked demon released a fierce battle cry and charged toward the guards with heavy steps that left craters in the stone tiles. Its body reeked of burnt flesh, but after all the carnage and corpses Arthur had been exposed to, it no longer bothered him. Arthur's grip tightened on his spear, and with both hands, he drew a crescent circle through the air and brought the blade down upon the cloaked demon's head. A thunderous sound filled the room as his spear collided with the bone-blade limbs. The sparks that erupted from the exchange filled the room with a bright light of conflicting auras.

Taking advantage of the opening, three spears cut through the empty space and pierced the demon's chest. Mark's spear dug deeply into the demon's flesh, and bright red flames incinerated the blood that leaked out. As the fire mixed with the wind that followed Cain's attack, the demon's entire body was quickly engulfed in a fiery inferno that sought to devour its very soul. Before it could move a single muscle, a golden aura surged like a violent tide and blew the demon's body back several meters. A furious scream echoed throughout the entire chamber as the demon's body crashed into the flesh cocoon, setting the entire structure into flames.

Its limbs spasmed erratically, flailing frantically in the inferno vortex that scorched the tiles beneath it. The blistering heat from the cocoon made approaching difficult, as the other guards focused on the demon within the cocoon.

The sound of flesh tearing and reconstructing itself resonated throughout the entire chamber as the screaming died down. Arthur, Paul, and Mark stayed close together and observed the demon within the cocoon. Its silhouette danced within the flames as its shadow grew. Cain waved at Welt, who was nearly passed out on top of the scaffolding, and in response, Welt held out a thumbs up.

Seeing how the situation was about to end, Tucker held two fingers to his temple and then gave a simple salute to the other guards, who waved at him. He then leaped into the tunnel Javic emerged from and disappeared into the shadows, pursuing the cultists who escaped.

Arthur moved frantically toward Raphael and Claire. His mind raced as he saw their still bodies resting on the grey stone tiles, nearly tripping on his own two feet. His eyes were watery as he stumbled and fell onto the ground, dropping his spear and tightly holding their bodies.

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No matter how much he shook their shoulders, they remained motionless before him. Arthur gently lowered Claire while holding Raphael. He raised his hand and slapped Raphael across the face. Biting his lips, his shoulders quivered at the sight of the motionless body. Not wanting to accept the truth, Arthur shook Raphael's body once more, begging him to open his eyes.

"You haven't reunited with your mother yet..." Arthur's voice was trembling with emotion. "This isn't how it's supposed to be."

He stared at the other guards, who shook their heads. They silently stood to the side and didn't utter a single word, giving Arthur the space he needed. Their grim expressions made Arthur slowly accept the truth.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't save them.

Arthur took a deep breath as tears trailed down his cheek.

I failed, not only myself but Raphael and Claire as well.

He tightly held onto Raphael and didn't want to let go but knew that he had no right. Someone like him wasn't good enough; no matter how much he tried, he couldn't prove the world wrong. He couldn't overcome the difficulties that came his way, and he couldn't be better than those who abandoned him.

Yet, from the side, he heard a soft yawn that made him quickly glance over. He watched as Claire stretched her arms with widened eyes.

"Morning!" Claire excitedly hugged Arthur and stared at Raphael. "Oh? Is brother still sleeping?"

Arthur did his best to remain strong. The innocent look in her eyes made it more difficult as he felt his heartache.

"Arthur? Why are you crying?" Claire glared at the guards standing to the side. "Did they bully you!"

"No, I just thought I lost you."

"It's okay! Even if you lose me, I'm sure you'll find me, so no need to cry!" Claire gently patted Arthur on the back. "Now let me wake Raphie up, or else he might sleep for the rest of the day."

Arthur bitterly smiled, struggling to find the right words to tell Claire that her brother wasn't going to wake up. Upon seeing the bright expression on her face, he looked at her and forced the words out of his throat. "Claire...I'm afraid Raphael isn't sleeping."

Clare's eyes focused on Raphael. "Nuh-uh, Raphie is sleeping."

Before Arthur could utter another word, Claire tightly clenched her fist and bashed Raphael on the back of the head. The guards all blankly stared at her, who realized that the first hit wasn't enough and followed with a second.

"What the hell!" Raphael's eyes furiously darted around to find the culprit who disturbed his sleep, but seeing Arthur's teary gaze and the dark chamber he was in made him quickly fall silent.

"See? Sleeping." Claire revealed a triumphant smile but was soon met with Arthur's sudden warm embrace.

Arthur tightly held onto Raphael and Claire, catching both of them by surprise. They worriedly looked at each other and wrapped their arms around Arthur.

"Arthur?" Raphael patted Arthur on the back and helplessly watched as tears fell down his cheeks.

"There, there, no need to be sad." Claire glared at the three guards and puffed her cheeks, causing them to shake their heads. "I'll yell at them for bullying you."

His shoulders trembled uncontrollably as Claire and Raphael tried to calm him down. Yet from the side, Paul, Mark, and Cain were happily smiling.

"Oh my god, he's actually an idiot," Mark grumbled once he saw Raphael wake up. "It really makes you wonder who he gets this from."

"I mean, to be fair, Raphael should have woken up after all that shaking. I don't think this one is on Arthur," Cain said while holding back his laughter. "Besides, I saw you from the side. You were about to cry as well, don't you even try to lie."

"Yeah, because I thought they were dead! Arthur made it seem like they were gone!"

"Oh who cares! What matters is that everyone is safe." Paul wrapped his arms around both of their necks and said, "Now we just need Welt to guide us out."

Mark glanced over at Welt, who had passed out on the scaffolding. His blue robes were spread out on the surface, and the wooden staff he used had fallen to the ground. "Yeah, I don't think he's going to be able to help us with that one."

"Mana withdrawal?" Cain asked.

"Mana withdrawal," Mark replied, unamused at the result.

All three of them let out a tired sigh. They watched as Arthur covered Claire's eyes and nose with a cloth, and Raphael's face paled as he scanned their surroundings. Their embrace had ended, and instead were seated while facing each other. The guards were drenched in sweat from their battles, and their iron armor was dull and covered in dirt, with scratch marks scattered throughout its surface.

The fleshlike cocoon was still set ablaze as the flames roared beside the children. Seeing the smiles on their faces was a relief, and even though their time together was short, it was memorable and enjoyable. As Mark glanced at the cocoon, he roughly guessed that in a few more minutes, his aura would completely reduce the cocoon to ashes. Traces of a sinister aura lingered within the cocoon, but it was smaller and much more compact compared to before. It was as if a heart was beating within the flames.

Yet Mark's eyes slowly widened in shock as the blackened aura grew stronger, and fiercer. Devouring his aura as a tide of darkness swept through the flames. Paul and Cain quickly noticed the change in energies within the cocoon and rushed forth with desperation.

With a sudden clap, the flames that engulfed its body dispersed, leaving a horrific demon that towered over its previous form with four arms growing out of its shoulder. Two of their hands tightly held onto a pair of blackened blades while the other clenched into fists. Horns grew from its skull as the embers floated in the air. Its eyes were nearly completely black except for the crimson irises.

Mark groaned as he felt the backlash of his aura strike his body. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and spat it on the ground, glaring at the demon before them. However a look of panic quickly revealed itself on his face, watching as the demon swung its gigantic fist towards the children sitting on the ground.

"Get away from there!" Mark desperately cried out.

But his warning was too late; in a matter of seconds, the fist would collide with the children, and Paul and Cain wouldn't make it in time. As Arthur stared at the fist approaching from behind Claire and Raphael, he reached forward with both of his hands and grasped onto the fabric of their shirts. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Paul and Cain desperately yelling while running over, and with all his might, Arthur threw Raphael and Claire toward them.

A mixture of fear and shock was written on Raphael's face as he watched Arthur smile at him. His bright and resolved smile caused Raphael to reach out to him with one hand, but as the demon's fist drew closer to Arthur, it collided with his body, sending crimson blood and powerful shockwaves through the air.