Alza rushed outside to the streets. She followed her senses, focusing on that ungodly presence that she could feel ringing through her very being. She kept running, and running, and running. The closer she moved to the source, the more her heart thrummed in her chest. Unlike the sense of malice she had felt before, this one was much more potent, and much more recognizable.

Finally, after turning a corner, Alza saw a lone man, seated on a weathered bench. His face was etched with harsh lines, tanned and weather-beaten. His eyes, however, were the most telling of all. Alza could see the glint of demonic enmity that was underneath them as clear as day. The man’s eyes held a power that was unbecoming of lesser demons, no, the power she sensed could only come from something much greater.

As she approached the man, Alza's fists involuntarily clenched. The stranger, sensing her presence, turned his gaze towards her with an inscrutable expression.

"Father is looking for you, sister." The man said.

Recognition flickered in Alza’s eyes. "Is that you, Brother Anzu? I didn’t think you were the type for disguises."

"It’s not something I usually do. But I am here to accomplish my mission, whatever it takes."

"I’m going to take a guess and assume this is about bringing me back to Pandemonia."

"You are correct," Anzu affirmed, rising from the bench with a heavy sigh. "I do not understand why Father still favors you so, but he does want you back at his side."

"And I assume that you have been ordered to bring me back at all costs?"

"Again, you are correct, sister."

Ever since she left her family behind, Alza had wished to bury her past as far away as she could. But here she was, confronted by one of her siblings. She considered her options, though negotiations were definitely out of the question. Anzu had always been one of the most obedient and loyal among the Demon Princes. Whatever the Demon Emperor commanded, Anzu would follow. Getting rid of him would not be easy, at least, not without a plan.

Alza sighed. "Fine, do you have a portal somewhere?"

Anzu’s eyes widened in shock. "Are you…actually alright with returning back to Pandemonia?"

"If it means you will stop sending your men to stalk me, fine."

"I only did what was necessary, sister."

"Whatever you say." Alza shrugged.

"Still, it is good that you agreed to join me. I’m sure Father and the rest of the family will be excited to see you again." Anzu said.

"That is good to hear. But where is the portal exactly?"

"Just follow me."

***

Anzu led Alza far outside of Menon’s walls and into a small clearing deep into the surrounding woods. The two siblings did not exchange even a single word during their whole journey. Neither side was too pleased with one another.

The air was filled with the earthy scent of the forest, and the sounds of distant birdsong mingled with the gentle rustling of leaves. It was a tranquil and unassuming place, perfect for setting up a portal into Pandemonia.

Anzu's clasped both of his hands together, the air around him crackling with an eerie energy, and a giant magical circle materialized on the forest floor. The circle was etched in intricate, sinuous patterns that seemed to writhe and pulse with unholy vigor. The air itself seemed as if it were choked by the circle, making it more difficult to breathe.

Then, Anzu produced a greenish stone in his hands. Alza recognized it well, it was a soulstone: a vessel for tormented spirits. A sense of unease wormed its way into Alza’s mind as she saw the stone. It was large, which meant that at least a few thousand souls had to go into its creation.

"All we need to do is step inside, and I can use this soul stone to return us home, sister." Anzu said, gesturing to the magic circle.

Alza's eyes narrowed as she weighed her choices. "I see. In that case…" With a forceful stomp of her right foot, the ground beneath her rumbled with a deep tremor. A colossal hand emerged from the fractured soil, its bony fingers reaching out to ensnare Anzu in its grip. The demon prince cried out as the soul stone slipped from his grasp and tumbled to the ground.

Alza wasted no time. She darted toward the stone and crushed it beneath her feet. Anzu watched on in shock, his words choked in disbelief as he saw the soulstone crumble. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It means I lied, brother."

"Then I suppose I shall have to take you by force."

The air seemed to thicken with malevolence as darkness shrouded Anzu's form. It clawed at his human disguise, ripping it apart to reveal his true, demonic form. Wicked, obsidian-hued horns erupted from his forehead, and his body contorted and expanded, until he grew to twice as large as he was in his human form. His skin was now replaced by inky black fur that seemed charged by magical energy, while a long-spiked tail now curled between his legs.

"So, sister are you ready to- "

Before Anzu could finish speaking, Alza summoned another colossal skeletal hand that materialized from the ground below, its bony fingers closing around Anzu in a powerful hold.

With a motion of her right hand, as though she were hurling a spear, Alza’s skeletal hand mimicked her gesture. Anzu was sent hurtling through the air, propelled for miles into the horizon. This was only the first step, Alza wanted to confront her brother in a more secluded location, far removed from prying eyes and any potential interference.

With a deep breath, Alza manifested two bony wings which erupted from her back. Taking a big leap, she flew into the skies, her form disappearing into the clouds. She traversed through the air at rapid speeds, homing in on her brother’s presence that she could feel at the back of her mind.

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Finally, she stopped, suspended far above a sprawling crater where her brother had landed. He was still struggling to stand. It was a moment of vulnerability, one Alza planned to exploit fully. She clasped her hands together, and the world far below trembled in response.

From the ground, dozens of gigantic skeletal hands erupted with a bone-rattling cacophony. They reached hungrily toward the skies, their clamoring fingers grasping at the empty air before slamming themselves back down onto the earth with relentless force. Anzu found himself ensnared in the middle of it all, his body battered from all directions by the onslaught.

With every ounce of her being, Alza maintained her assault for what felt like hours, the ground shaking with each earth shattering crunch of her skeletal hands hitting the earth over and over. Yet, the longer she continued, a growing sense of exhaustion bore down on her. Alza's breath now came in ragged gasps. Her vision blurred, and her limbs felt heavy, she was at her limit.

It was only when her bleary eyes saw that Anzu had stopped struggling, that Alza allowed herself respite. Breathing out a deep exhale, she retracted her skeletal hands back into the ground, their bony forms vanishing underneath. The landscape had been warped due to her spell. Massive holes and craters dotted the ground below, it was as if a great war had been fought there only mere moments ago.

Her brother’s body laid still in one of the craters. Alza flew downward, landing so her feet were only inches away from Anzu’s head. She thought to banish her brother back into Pandemonia at first, but as she walked closer towards her brother, Alza realized that she made a mistake.

Lightning erupted from Anzu’s prone form, striking Alza directly at her torso and sending her hurtling backwards. Thanks to her skeletal wings, she managed to hover above the ground and prevent a fall. Though that was the least of Alza’s concerns at the moment.

Anzu was standing again. He was damaged, with both of his horns shattered, and blood dripping from all over his body, but he was still standing. With a grotesque determination, Anzu spat out a viscous, black ichor from his lips. "That last attack you did seems to have taken quite a toll on you, sister."

Unfortunately, he was right. Alza's breaths grew even more labored, each inhale she took was raspy and painful. The relentless assault had exacted a steep toll on her body, it had been far too long since she pushed herself so far. She wasn’t quite out of it yet, but she knew that she needed to deal with her brother in as little time as possible.

"Oh don’t go quiet on me now, sister, it’s been so long since either of us have seen each other."

"I…am not going with you, and I’m warning you. Don’t force my hand."

Anzu continued walking towards Alza at a gratingly slow pace. "Oh by all means, sister, show me what you can do. I’ve always wondered why father seems so invested in getting you back by his side."

A low, bitter curse slipped from Alza's lips, her voice heavy with determination as she pressed her trembling hand against the ground. Bursting from the soil were a pack of thirteen undead dire wolves, each the size of a large tiger. The beasts charged towards Anzu, their rotten insides dangling in the wind.

In response, Anzu stood his ground, his fists crackling with lightning. As the undead wolves charged at him, he slammed his empowered fists through their skulls, pulverizing them into mush.

While her brother was distracted, Alza’s hands clenched together as she drew a deep breath. The moment she exhaled, the ground fractured. From the chasm emerged a colossal skull, its hollow sockets gaping with an eerie emptiness. A pair of gigantic skeletal hands followed soon after, and a massive set of ribs arched upward, completing the upper half of her skeletal titan. The skeletal monstrosity, though only half-formed, was already taller than the loftiest castle walls.

With a mental command, Alza directed the skeletal titan upon her unsuspecting brother. Its massive form barreled down on Anzu, its hardened fists slamming against his already battered body. Each bone-shattering impact left wide dents on the ravaged terrain.

As she watched the assault unfold, Alza's face twisted in anguish. She winced, her fingers clutching at the tattered sleeves of her robes, revealing the veins on her hands, now an eerie, unnatural shade of deep black. It was a visible price of overexerting her necromancy, etched on her own flesh.

Gradually, the searing pain that coursed through Alza began to overwhelm her. She knew she could not maintain her skeletal titan much longer, and with a heavy heart, she commanded it to cease its attack.

Alza's fingers made a deliberate motion, as if plucking an unseen object from the ground, and her colossal creation obeyed her unspoken command. Its half-formed body lurched forward, its hands still clutching at Anzu's battered form in its grip. With painstaking effort, Alza manipulated the skeletal titan's massive hand until it hovered just a few feet in front of her.

"This is your last warning…brother. Leave, and never return." Alza spat, staring directly at her brother’s eyes.

Despite the fact that Anzu was trapped in the clutches of her skeletal titan, and the fact that he was battered and bleeding. He still managed to let out a confident smile. "I will concede to you…this time, but now I have seen your limit."

Alza wanted to offer a retort. But she felt a lump build up in her throat. Soon after, she was on her knees, coughing up onyx black blood.

Anzu let out an ominous laugh. "Good to see that you bleed the same as the rest of us, sister, I wonder what the mortals you seem so intent on protecting would think of you if they knew the truth."

"Be quiet," Alza scoffed. She clenched her right hand into a tight fist. Her actions translated into a tightening grip from her titan's skeletal hand.

Anzu, despite the agony etched across his features, remained frustratingly undaunted. "You win... for now."

A flock of dozens of ravens manifested from the air, enveloping Anzu whole. But before Alza could even react, a raven flew in front of her and detonated in an explosion of dark energy, its force so overwhelming that it sent Alza sprawling onto her back.

For moments, the world around her was shrouded in a thick haze of dirt and debris, obscuring her vision. When the dust settled and Alza opened her eyes: Anzu had vanished.

Now that she was safe, Alza collapsed. Her skeletal titan disintegrated and vanished into the air, its bony form turning to dust, carried away by the wind. She felt a stinging pain all across her body, as more of her veins turned black. Alza shuddered and winced as she coughed up blood over and over again. Her consciousness soon fled away from her.

***

When she awoke, Alza saw a blindfolded elf woman stand nearby. Elysia had come for her, and she did not seem pleased.

"I figured something like this was going to happen sooner or later." Elysia said.

Alza struggled to push her body to stand. "Can’t you…be smug after healing me?"

"I healed you as best as I could, but the wounds you inflicted on yourself are belligerent indeed."

"I…noticed."

Elysia sighed. "Just try to sit down first."

Alza eventually managed to gather enough strength to sit herself down. "So, did you see everything?"

"No, but it’s not like you were being subtle in your fight." Elysia said as she sat herself down in front of Alza.

"I didn’t have much of a choice, Anzu was far more powerful than I remembered."

"How much stronger was he compared to the last time you saw him?"

"I wouldn't have even broken a sweat before, but when I faced him just now, I was pushed to the limit."

Elysia nodded. "I am not surprised; the demons have had much time to prepare and strengthen themselves."

Alza sighed. "I need to become stronger, fast. I can’t rely on just my necromancy anymore."

"That I agree. You were a mess when I found you." Elysia said. "Necromancy is powerful, but even you cannot avoid its drawbacks. Perhaps learning some elemental magic could help, I am aware of how difficult it is for you to use magic outside of necromancy, so perhaps something more basic could help."

"That sounds like a plan, when can we start?" Alza asked.

"I was planning on doing it a few days from now, but I think it’s best if we do it as soon as possible. How about tomorrow afternoon?" Elysia asked.

"That works for me." Alza said.