Glyn sits on the deck of the ship as everyone sits exhausted. Mila lies on Glyn as he looks over the others, tired from yesterday’s events and the battle on the beach. He smiles, running his hand through her hair as she sleeps peacefully.

“Glyn.” She whispers in her sleep, squirming about.

“What’re you dreaming about?”

Miller eyes Glyn. “Glyn, what’re we going to do?”

“About what?”

“The enemy. They're an incredibly powerful group. At this rate, we’re doomed if we face them head-on.”

Glyn nods. “Right. Her forces are well-coordinated and cultishly loyal. Not to mention their access to an old war Airship and this Great One they speak of so fondly.”

“The odds are against us once again,” Sam says.

“We’re boned. And even if we jump ship to side with the crazy witch, I’m sure she’ll have us all killed.” Otso says.

“Hey come on now. Have some faith in me.”

“So, you have a plan?” Xia Bai asks.

“Yeah. We’re going to report her.”

“What!?” Everyone asks.

“Remember what I said. Their group is cultishly loyal.”

“What do you mean by that?” Miller asks.

Sam’s eyes widen. “You think there’s more to them than just the War Game, don’t you?”

“Right. I think we’re looking at a Demonist Cult.”

“Demonist?”

He leans back. “As foolish as it is. Some say the Demons deserve to exist and that maybe having them in charge would be a good thing. They form their little groups and perform rituals to revive Demons and do all kinds of other crazy stuff.”

“Who would want to revive Demons?” Otso asks.

“You guys remember that Demonoid that spawned from the Dungeon when it was going nuts, right?”

“How could we forget,” Sam says.

Glyn nods. “That was a larva compared to the power of an actual Demon. A real Demon is a mass of Malice and Mana that seeks only destruction and devastation.”

“And they're strong,” Miller says.

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“Incredibly. That’s why the old king went to such lengths to practically wipe them from existence. But every so often, you can find a small one forming and attempting to grow in power. They have to be squashed before they can fully grow and awaken to their true power.”

“What happens if they do?”

“We’re looking at a war the likes of which haven’t been seen for over a hundred years. When one powerful Demon spawns, hundreds if not thousands of lesser Demons come into existence, leeching off their power until they can take their shape and terrorize.”

“Where do these things come from?” Otso asks.

Xia Bai scoffs. “Foolish islanders. Do none of you know of humanity’s great Sin?”

“What?” Everyone asks.

“It’s a theory for the origin of Demons.” Glyn opens his book. “But it’s not one I particularly believe in.”

“Well, listen up.” Xia Bai gathers the group's attention. “Once upon a time, the land was filled with Gods and Spirits. These beings granted certain people intelligence and the ability to use magic in all its forms. These people would then train others in various skills, thus spreading magic across the land. However, some used their magic in impure ways, creating curses that angered the Gods and weakened the Spirits. These people were smitten and cursed, turning into the first Demons and acting as representatives of humanity’s sins. They spread their curses and their sins, infecting others and birthing more Demons. The Gods would then abandon the world, watching as humanity gave into sin as Spirits grew weaker until barely anyone could hear their voices. They say until the last Demon is irradiated and humanity can overcome its sin, the Gods won’t return and Demons will continue to spawn across the land.”

“Such a dumb story,” Glyn says.

“Rude.”

“Sorry. But the Gods made the mess by turning sinners into Demons and making them powerful foes. If they wanted humanity to win their fight, then they would’ve made them weaker or something.”

“Well, what do you believe?” Sam asks.

“There’s a current research theory that Demons are born from corrupt Mana. As magic and Mana spread, more areas become corrupted because of overuse or curses. So, these factors slowly form into a mass that becomes a Demon.” Glyn flips through his book. “If you look at the record of Demon appearances, then you can tell this theory has some merit. And after the old king took the crown, Demons slowly stopped appearing and their appearances became rarer. And what, pray tell, made this change?”

“What?” Miller asks.

“The new king himself. With a king uniting the peoples, the spread of curses nearly ceased and, with that, so did the malice of centuries of war and bloodshed. Without this negative power, a Demon would not be born. A figurehead to unit humanity is needed to prevent the rise of Demons. That is the purpose of the King.”

“If what you say is true, then what are we fighting against here?”

“An old Demon. One that was likely sealed away from its power.” Glyn smiles. “That takes me way back to my original statement. I’m going to report her group to the Shadows.”

“Why though? Aren’t they just supposed to mediate the tournament?” Sam asks.

“Yes. But there is a special clause. Should a Demon emerge, the contest will stop until said force can be eradicated and all King Candidates must join forces to defeat the monstrosity.”

“So, the Shadows will unite everyone to fight this monster, and then she’ll be kicked out of the game,” Glyn smirks. “And all we have to do is just tell on her.”

“Makes it sound like we’re school children,” Miller says.

“Wouldn’t we need proof?” Otso asks.

As they sail along, an explosion goes off near the ship as everyone leaps up. “And it looks like our proof is on the way,” Glyn says.

“We’re under attack!” Miller yells.

“Everyone, get ready for battle. We’ve got to capture one or more of them as our proof.”

“You make it sound easy.” Xia Bai says.

“It’s not. But it can be, depending on who we’re righting.” Glyn steps forward and smiles.

Mila wakes up. “What happened?”

“We’re in another fight,” Sam says.

Mila leaps up. “Okay!”

“Now everyone, let’s get to it!”