The entire day that followed after Lass's recovery, once again, he followed his strict training regiment, this time under Yuno's supervision. Once night had fallen, despite his amateurship on the newly learned skills, he had managed to make sufficient process, making them both a little more confident as to the extent that his abilities would be able to help overcome their task. Now standing at the same position they first hid when encountering the giant prison camp, they looked around to find a possible entry point that was mostly devoid of Shadowers.

"As expected, they have relaxed guarding duties during times when the full moon is up. Regardless of our camouflage with your aura, w should try and avoid them as much as possible. I don't know how long the same signature façade will hold up before we're found out if we get too close."

"So, what about the plan then? I can kick their ass easily, but I have no clue what they might do to the hostages down below if we do a head-on assault, and considering what you said, these things are smarter than normal monsters. My fear right now is them being smart enough to actually use the prisoners as leverage. I'm strongly in favor of freeing everyone first, to get that scene out of the way. But since we've done zero research on the actual enemies themselves, I'm open to any ideas.", Lass whispered.

"Uh, yeah...ideas. We haven't even scouted the place. I don't know what's where. Then again, it's a giant hole in the ground, so I don't think there's much scouting to be done.", Yuno whispered.

"You did say these bastards turn people into some "shadow creatures" with the power of the moon or whatever mystical stuff, so the place where the ritual happens should be higher and exposed, right? I mean it's only logical. Now for the prison cells...I'm thinking down. Way down."

Yuno nodded in agreement, "Lucky guess is that these guys have shoved the prisoner cells somewhere at the bottom. I have an idea. Shadowers don't see normally but detect Obsulyte of both them and living creatures. If I get to merge your body, we'll probably be able to just sneak in there no problem, without me giving off a different Obsulyte signature. But we need to keep our distance regardless."

"That sounds incredibly stupid, dangerous and risky for both us and the prisoners. Can't we think of anything else? May I remind you, we're not fully trained undercover specialists? We slip up once, who the hell knows what's next."

"I think you're overplaying these things, they're smart, not geniuses or even human-level smart. And you got any better ideas? The night of the full moon is about to fall, Ikarisa is one of the prisoners who's about to receive the ritual and these things become twice as strong and erratic during it! The more we waste thinking about this, the worse things will get. Let's just go!", Yuno started to merge with Lass.

"Alright. Let's hurry."

With that Lass and Yuno became one and started walking to the entrance. The guards were just standing there, not moving a muscle as they just walked in, both of them keeping silent and Lass also making as little movements as he could as he started to walk towards them. Lass then started looking around. Barracks camber they found everything but the prison cells they were looking for while descending further into the abyss. It looked like each spiral that the hole gradually levelled down to was indeed infused by some form of basic ingenuity, hasty but there nonetheless, giving them more insight to the full extent of what they were dealing with the more they descended down bellow.

"Damn, still nothing. How far in are we anyways?", Yuno looked around.

"I don't even know. See anything yet?"

"No, nothing going down...wait! What the hell is that?!"

A loud yelp was heard across the nearly empty halls in one of the spirals, as a Shadower was crudely and forcefully dragging a small, female Hyruse across the floor, the poor creature leaving behind her a trail of blood from the injuries inflicted on her.

"No! Let me go! Please I swear I don't know anything!", she pleaded and begged through a river of tears.

"No...no, no, no! Lilith?!", Yuno shouted inside Lass, "Dammit! This won't end well, I've got to get her out of there!", Yuno began dragging Lass's body.

"That place he's dragging her into...it looks like a...torture chamber?!", Lass said with fright, peeking inside the room and barely catching a glimpse of what tools lay inside.

"We have to help! But...what if we alert...", Yuno worryingly said, pausing as his logic kicked in.

"What? Are you kidding me?! This ain't time for planning, it's time for acting!", Lass said moving forward.

"Think of our current situation dumbass! Assault that guard and it might spark up this entire place! Do you have any plans on subduing it before we get caught along with Lilith?! Don't do anything stupid god dammit!", Yuno yelled inside Lass.

"Heh, watch me.", Lass snuck up behind the guard.

With that, Lass went inside the chamber where the Shadower had chained the small female Hyrusa to the table. He went up to the monster and placed his hand directly on its back as he manifested a sword, effectively piercing through its chest and killing it instantly, black mucus splattering everywhere, as if it was the blood of a living being.

"These abilities are, indeed, awesome.", Lass finally acknowledged.

"You got the hang of that thing way too fast. Even for someone who holds previous knowledge of this, that's impressive. Now for Lilith.", Yuno worryingly said, happy that Lass's plan at least worked.

"I did somewhat better. Now before we get her out, what about this guy?", Lass looked at the dead body of the monster.

"Shadowers don't physically own a body, that's why they are after hosts for them. He should evaporate in a bit, so we're good as long as you don't start piling bodies everywhere."

The young female Hyrusa heard the two, and although blindfolded and bruised, she was quick to be motivated by the presence of someone other than her tormentors.

"What's going on back there?! Hello?!", she yelped.

"Relax, we're here to help.", Lass reassured her.

"Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you so much!", she burst into tears again.

"Hey Lili...you okay?", Yuno approached her, trying to remove the blindfold while averting his eyes from the wounds and blood on her body.

"Yuno?! Oh my gosh, I'd recognize that voice anywhere!"

Yuno hugged Lilith, "I'd recognize you anywhere, voice or not. But please, don't start with that again.", he covered her up quickly, not looking at her gruesome wounds. "Please...let this last. Come on.", he whispered.

"No-no, you got it wrong! I know what happened to the sword! It wasn't your fault...the day the sword disappeared, I saw someone carrying it away. It was probably the deliverer chosen to bring it to the One as the stories and legends said! We should've honestly expected this day to come soon, and not just solely rely on the barrier, aimlessly trying to put the blame on someone for it..."

"Well, I sure am glad to have some support in this. Especially if it's yours, Lili. For now, however, let's focus on the task at hand. You're coming with us, there's no way you can just fly out of here...especially in your condition. Do you know where the prisoner cells are in this place?"

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"They just dragged me out of there...just one level below here!", Lilith started to fly to show them the way. "Ah-hah!"

Not before long after she tried to show that she was ok, Lilith dropped to the ground, her body leaking blood from wherever they looked, her tail and one of her arms looking completely broken and out of shape. Yuno swiftly went after her and lifted her in his arms, calming her down.

"It's ok. I've got you this time. Please Lili...this is serious. Your wounds are nothing to shake off. We're gonna need help.", Yuno averted his eyes once again, from the blood on the cloth and her body.

Lilith giggled, "Of course you do!", she snuggled in his arms, almost forgetting her pain.

"Tsk. And you wanted to think of a plan.", Lass whispered.

Yuno overheard Lass, and for the first time took a serious look on his face.

"I didn't know what to do, ok? I never got into anything like this before and I wanted to ensure primarily Lilith's safety over everyone else's...I know it's a selfish thing to say, but instead of beating around it, that's how I felt at that moment. Now don't push it, we will have this conversation another time. Let's move."

Following instructions from Lilith to the bone, they were easily able to make their way to the prison cells the Shadowers had hidden away at the lower levels of the spiralling abyss.

"A-And finally...around...here...", Lilith gave off the last pieces of instruction, before fainting away.

"Lili? Lili!", Yuno called out to her.

Before he could cry and yell more, a few loud voices were heard echoing from the nearby chambers. And Lass wasted no time focusing on them, running to their location.

"Lass!", Anya and Ikarisa both yelled.

Lass exhaled with relief. "God...finally. I'm glad to see you're both okay."

"Well, not thanks to you! Obviously, I had to take the lead and fearlessly defended against these guys!", Anya proudly buffed her chest.

"Sorry, I couldn't hear you very well behind those prison bars. Could you repeat yourself?", Lass folded his arms.

"No, both of you be quiet in here!", Ikarisa stopped them, "Lass, I'm so glad to see you again, but you have to listen to me! I can save everyone...I know a way to blast this place apart!"

"What do you mea-", Lass's words were stopped, as he turned around to face a crying Yuno.

"I can't hear her...breathing. Lass. I can't hear her breathing.", Yuno began to tear up, "Why isn't she breathing.", he simply froze in place.

For the first time in his life and the first time after he rescued her, Yuno looked at Lilith's body. As the cloth was removed, he could only widen his eyes, not cry, but sink deeper into his frozen fear. Anya and especially Ikarisa gazed upon the bloody body of Lilith, stuttering and pausing from the brutal scene. Her tiny body was filled with deep cuts, her sides pried open till bone was visible and her tail smashed, torn, slit and penetrated by large pieces of metal. Blood started to drool from her tiny, smiling mouth as the last bit of adrenaline that kept her going was expelled at the grace of her friends' arms. She had held on for much too long, acting to keep his spirits intact. But alas, she gave in to her mortal wounds.

"She isn't breathing. She isn't breathing...she isn't breathing!"

Yuno kept yelling and yelling, over and over, uttering the same phrase over and over again. 'She isn't breathing. Why isn't she breathing?'. He may have trained his body but upon his first contact with the malevolent entities and the results they brought forth, he was simply, mentally defenceless.

Ikarisa snapped out of it. "Lass! Bring her to me, now!"

Lass, snapping out of the gruesome scene by Ikarisa's voice, quickly acted by grabbing Lilith off Yuno's arms carefully, so as to not scare her body further.

Yuno snapped. "What are you doing?! Give her back! Give her back!", he summoned his sword.

"Yuno, what the hell?!", Lass gave Lilith to Ikarisa, "You were supposedly the logical one! Think you, moron! Calm down, we're just trying to-Heya!", he blocked an oncoming hit from Yuno.

"Give her back!", Yuno teared up, "Give me Lilith back!"

"Risa, he won't calm down, you have to act quickly!", Anya said.

"She's in such a horrifying state...", Ikarisa gazed upon Lilith, "No matter. I can...no. I will do it."

An immense ray of light started to appear from Ikarisa's hand, as she rapidly began healing Lilith with everything she could.

"Heya!", Yuno followed with a downward slash.

Lass barely blocked the hit. "Damn!"

The sheer sound of the clash was enough to send dust floating everywhere, as nearby lights shattered in an instant, with Yuno revealing the true extent of his strength.

"Risa, hurry!", Anya yelled.

"Yuno, just calm down! We're on your side!", Lass tried his best not to hurt Yuno.

"Bullshit! I'm not gonna sit around and let an emotionless bastard, who couldn't even feel dread for his parent's disappearance, take her away from me! Burn in hell! Hrea!", Yuno hurdled his sword at Lass as if it were a spear, summoning two more swords in his hands and going after it.

"Tsk!", Lass blocked the oncoming sword with a near-perfect angle, sending it softly up, as he grabbed it and prepared to face Yuno's assault. "You seriously need to calm down!"

"Screw-", Yuno broke through Lass's first sword guard. "You!", he broke through his second sword guard.

Lass stuttered. "This insane strength-"

As Yuno left Lass wide open for a finishing blow, a bunch of Shadowers appeared from the side, alerted by the cries of battle. A few lodged straight at them and one took to the side, trying to reach a button.

"Just piss off! Just die and leave us all alone!", Yuno yelled.

Yuno summoned a bunch of weapons from above, killing every single one of the charging monsters by pinning them and piercing them into the ground. "And you.", Yuno menacingly looked at the last Shadower.

Inches before the monster could reach for the button, Yuno summoned a chain with a sword edge from his hand, throwing it directly at the monster. The blade crushed its soft skull completely and pinned itself to the wall. Eyes still full of fur, Yuno pulled the chain back along with the monster, grabbing it and smashing it into the ground. He then got on top of it while summoning another sword, and maniacally began slashing it over and over again.

"How does this feel?!", Yuno kept swinging his sword, "Can you even feel it?!", he kept slashing, "You piece of shit!", he kept slashing, "Can you?! Haah-ha!"

Yuno slammed his sword so hard into the ground, that the earth itself gave in, crumbling under sheer force. The body of the monster was completely mangled, as what resembled organs were thrown left and right from the force of the impact. He dropped his summoned sword and dissolved it. Along with his sword, the bodies of the Shadowers dissolved with it, removing their foul existence from this word. All that was left was Yuno with a shattered mind, downed to the ground. A multitude of red sparks discharged from his body as his frenzy came to an end. He exhaled deeply, not even trying to hold back the tears in his eyes. However, Ikarisa wasn't at all ready to let go.

"Anya, pull that chunk of metal out of her tail!"

"I-I uh...damn it, ok!", Anya pressed Lilith's tail down as she grabbed the metal piece, looking away while pulling, "I-I think I...it's out isn't it?", Anya didn't dare to look at the hunk of metal.

"Thanks!"

"Thank god it's over with. I ain't no doctor!", Anya threw away the hunk of bloody metal.

In realizing what was happening, the rest of the imprisoned Hyrusa gathered at the front of their cell's door, trying to peak at the dire situation.

"Wait, isn't that Yuno? He took out all of them?! That was actually so cool!", a young Hyrusa said.

"Why should he be accounted as a hero, he caused this in the first place!", an elderly Hyrusa said.

"Yeah, this should only speak of how dangerous he can really become!", an adult Hyrusa said.

"What did you expect of a Hyrusa that's overloaded with Obsulyte? He isn't like Lilith either, I'd be sleeping much more soundly knowing she guarded the sword instead!", another adult Hyrusa said.

"Hah, her? That weakling couldn't even use the powers granted to her, even if she tried!", a young male Hyrusa yelled.

Their mumbling and disrespectful words echoed throughout the prison, as they kept weighing down an already grounded Yuno. Their criticism just kept gushing out indiscriminately as if it was the natural flow of water at a waterfall. With each passing comment, the weight on Yuno's back just kept increasing along with his tears.

"So that's why...I see now.", Lass whispered.

Lass then firmly went ahead in front of Yuno and stood before him.

"Shut up.", Lass wasn't heard throughout the mumbling. "Shut up!", nothing changed.

In a fit of his own range, Lass punctured the ground with his massive sword, letting out a powerful, silencing shockwave throughout the prison.

"Shut up!", Lass yelled once again, "You all think you are better in any way?! You simply stood there and took the hit while Yuno took the blame! Just because you put your full weight of expectations on him, just to justify the fact that you're as useless as it gets when it comes to fending off for yourselves! Not only did he drag his ass into this abyss to save you, he constantly tried to find a way out of this mess since the beginning, only for you to backfire for nothing but his kindness! A mistake? Probably, that's what led to this. But if you were all deliberately trying to strawman how big an asshole each and every one of you could get, congratulations, you did it. Because I doubt to hell and back any of you shitheads took even so as a minute to at least see what the other side had to say before opening your goddamn mouths! So if you can't admit it, shut it!"

The mumbling came to a sudden halt as ears were lowered and looks were exchanged. Yuno's bitter crying also came to a pause, as he looked up at Lass and the bravery with which he stood up, both in admiration and envy of what he wished he could have achieved on his own.

"Lass...", Yuno whispered.

Ikarisa yelled out loud. "She's ok!"

"What...", Yuno slowly turned around.

"Lilith is fine! She's breathing again!"

"Lilith? Where...", Yuno looked towards them in a daze.

Anya moved out of the way, allowing Yuno to see Lilith. "She seems to still be unconscious, but there's no doubt. Risa, you once again, worked your miracle!", Anya gave a thumbs up to Ikarisa.

Looking at Lilith's body, this time intact, all wounds, cuts and bruises are gone as if they never happened, Yuno almost immediately got off the ground and made a beamline for her.