"Kumo!" Gi's shout was lost in the panic of the surrounding demons who were pushing to get as far away from the Demon Emperor as they could. Kumo had just been sent ragdolling across the open space, her body flopping against the ground.

Please, don't let her be dead...

Before he could rush over there, the Demon Emperor had returned to Samba who was just getting off of his feet. He casually slapped away an attack from Veritas and started to pummel Samba again.

Samba's [Fighting Style] had completely broken down. He could barely stay on his feet, let alone lock the Emperor down. If it hadn't been for his Domain and Constitution boosting Skills, he'd already be dead. Even Gi couldn't have taken a beating like that.

"Pet!" Veritas shouted, addressing him for the first time since the battle had started. It appeared he'd decided that he was a trained hound of King Rellington's. "We have to give it our all or we'll be dead!"

Gi hadn't stopped firing off [Divine Commandments] since the battle had started. It becoming his Subdomain had been a boon he hadn't expected to need. Going into this fight, he knew going in that he'd be outclassed but he'd grossly underestimated by how much.

Veritas's Aether spiked and Gi realized there was one thing he hadn't tried yet. It would at least pull him off Samba.

Light ignited in his paw. Using his Awakened Soul, he called forth his Aether from every aspect of his body and forced it into his Subdomain. Having already managed it once after the blockade fight, bringing his Skill back to the precipice was much easier.

"YES, PET! THAT'S THE POWER WE NEED TO SAVE VERIDIA! TO SAVE MY PEOPLE!" Veritas's ravings only served as backdrops for the sounds of monsters, humans, and elves dying by the droves. A humongous spike of Earth Aether had appeared over Veritas's own head as he cackled wildly.

Gi had no idea if the man had fully lost himself or if he always gave into the madness of war, but the two of them built their attacks, neither a true Ultimate Skill, but their expertise meant they didn't need one.

"Stop!" Samba's voice drew Gi's attention back to his fight. His Elite was on his knees, hand extended helplessly towards the retreating Demon Emperor.

No, not retreating.

Charging.

Veritas's war cry was drowned out by an inhuman bellow from the Demon Emperor. The giant spike of Earth was flung downwards, but it was far too slow.

The Emperor had made a blade with his hand and shoved it right through Veritas's chest. An explosion of gore shot out of his back as all the organs, bones, and skin was ejected from the man's body.

Veritas's earthen spike collided with the ground and then puffed out in a ring of power that disrupted the Wild Aether all across the entire battlefield. Without direction, all it had the force to do was stumble those around them.

Veritas hacked out a cough and then fell limp, hands that had been gripping the Demon Emperor's arms now slack.

Gi's Aether wavered at the sudden death of Veritas. The light in his palm shivered alongside him as Gi felt his plans being strangled like an infant in their bed.

I can't lose here... The gods need me. Danna needs me.

The Emperor tossed the corpse aside, his dead foe forgotten, and his eyes fell on Gi. "Know your place. I go to join the ranks of gods as is my right." He took a step towards Gi and was quickly gathering steam. "I bested all the races and clans in the monster world. Only a waterfall from the sky stopped me from bringing my armies to Igna and now you do this."

Panicking at the Emperor's approach, Gi fired off his half-empowered [Divine Commandment] and it bit into the Emperor's shoulder, finally doing some concrete damage, but it wasn't enough to slow him. Two fists flew towards Gi like twin mountains that had fallen from the heavens.

He rolled, trying to dodge to the best of his ability, but the Emperor was just too fast. And then... Samba was there.

"I'm... not... done with... you yet." Samba's bravado didn't match his state as he looked to barely standing. Even through his fur, his skin was completely mottled with bruises and blood wept openly from dozens of wounds.

Gi had just jumped back to his feet and let loose another [Divine Commandment] when another sharp, beam of light passed from behind Gi and hit the Emperor on one of his biceps. A hole sizzled from the impact and the demon growled in pain.

Gi's gaze followed the trajectory and he could just make out a diminutive otter far away on the remnants of the southern wall. The rest of their allies that far away were shooting arrows towards the much closer demons, but for Wane, the distance was nothing at all.

Maybe he'd taken out the fourth heir already? Gi hadn't had to dodge their bullets in awhile.

Whatever the case, Wane was already overcharging another [Piercing Light] and Gi had to make the most of the opportunity.

Gi took a step to close the distance and then released [Endless Torrent]. Water shot from his mouth with the force of a waterfall, right into the Demon Emperor's legs. In the barest instant before it hit, sand crawled up his calves and tightened, keeping the Emperor from even moving.

Another [Piercing Light] fired from Wane and the Emperor yanked Samba into the way. He cried out as the light hit his back, adding to the dizzying array of wounds that he already possessed, but he refused to let go of his foe.

The Emperor growled in annoyance and flung Samba towards Gi. He rolled to dodge, but the Emperor was already sprinting on the air, sand rising up to provide a footing for him, as he made straight for Wane.

"SEE TO KUMO!" Gi yelled. "I'll help Wane!"

Samba groaned in reply and he took that to be acceptance. Gi flew off after the Emperor. Even though he was a little faster in the air, the demon already had a head start on him.

"WANE RUN!"

***

"SEE TO KUMO!" Those words from Gi cut through the heavy fog in his mind and Samba rolled to his feet, wiping blood from his eyes. The Emperor had already left and the army of demons hesitantly started to pour in.

His blurry gaze searched the ground and he finally found Kumo. With how detached he felt from his bruised and beaten body, his sprint felt more like throwing one leg in front of the other than actually running, but he made it to where Kumo lay before the mob of demons could get to her.

Her body looked horrible. Cracks ran through her entire form that were somehow not bleeding, like old wounds on a giant doll. The stench and yellow pus that leaked from those cracks made him think at first that she was already dead, but her eyes flickered open at his approach.

"Hey, big guy..."

Samba felt all of his bruises ache as he leaned down and scooped her up. A glare at the nearest demon had them step back, questioning whether they actually wanted to fight the bigger monster that had just gone claw-to-claw with the Emperor and lived.

"I've got you," Samba said, as gently as he could over the chaos of the battlefield. "I'll get you back to the healers and they'll have you healed up right as rain."

"It's... too late."

"Don't talk like that. We can fix it." Samba wobbled on his feet, taking a step backwards. Whatever hesitancy the demons had was starting to wane. They drew their swords and were stepping closer.

"Not... this time. I took the tonic. Same one that Gi used... If I hadn't been close to death after the first... maybe..." Her voice drifted away and she was suddenly far too quiet.

"Hey, hey no. Stay with me. Stay with me. We can make it. I can get you there. I promise. Just... just hold on."

He needed a way out. The demons had closed any gap in their lines from the Emperor's exit so that only the corpse of Veritas remained in it with him. A veritable sea of demons stood between him and the front line. He could push through even as battered as he was, but would Kumo survive if he did?

"You were right..." Her voice brought his attention back to her. "We should have stuck together after... after Gi..." Her head lolled about on her neck and he thought she'd passed on, but some deep rooted need forced her to raise her head back up and bore her eyes into his.

"But you can't give up on the clan now. Not like I did. I know you're mad at me. That's fine, but don't take it out on them."

That strange clarity in her eyes was too much. It should have given him hope, but he knew it for what it was. His throat felt tight and thick. "I'm not mad at you. Not really. I was mad at the choices we had to make. At the world we'd been born into. I took it out on you and Gi because you both seemed to thrive in it while I floundered. I'm so sorry."

Her head fell against his arm as the tension that had kept her upright crumbled away. She snorted. "Then don't be like... us... be better..."

She didn't move again after that.

Samba had cried out all his tears earlier after realizing how he didn't want to lose his family again. It seemed unfair that he had no more to weep for his sister who'd given her life for them to have a chance.

He rose to his feet, Kumo still in his arms. He had to swallow a few times before the knot in his throat let him speak, but when he did, it was husky and raw.

"I'm taking my sister back to my clan," he said to the still approaching demons. "Stay out of my way."

He walked straight towards the front line. Only one demon approached him and Samba's front kick exploded the demon's hip. His blood spattered across those behind him as he fell to the ground screaming.

The rest of his enemies gave him space after that. Even those that hadn't seen the display were pulled out of the way by others. None of them wanted to be the next one to cross the bloody otter with a stony face.

He whispered to Kumo as he walked, hoping that she'd hear him as she crossed the Veil to join their goddess. "I'm sorry. I should have realized how you felt. I should have listened better. Everything has been... so hard."

His feet felt leaden, the knowledge of his mistakes oppressive, and the pain that he hadn't been the best brother. He'd thought her annoying, a burden to be endured and not a person trying their best for the clan.

He remembered the pain on her face when she'd left after Gi's death. It wasn't a difference of opinion that made her leave. It wasn't even the pain of Gi's death.

It was him. It had always been his fault.

He continued to apologize until he made it to the very front of the battle, stepping over the collapsed walls and the bodies of the dead. Tala and Alice were there, clothes torn and blood splashed across their forms. They looked confused that the demons had simply parted to let him through.

Then they saw who he carried.

"Can you take her? I still need... I need to help Gi."

Tala took Kumo gently from his arms. Alice took a second to call over some of the few troops they had in reserve as well as a healer.

"I'll see to her. The priests will help..."

It was a blur of activity, people fighting and dying all around them as one of the priests ran up. His bruises lightened and his cuts closed at her touch. Only his [Regeneration] allowed for him to be healed again so quickly and he'd need every bit of strength to fight the Emperor.

As his wounds cleared up, so did his mind amd the weight of the dead became heavy on his Soul.

He prayed.

Danna, please, spare as many of us as you can and shelter those who've already made it to you. Let them find the peace that we couldn't give them.