Megumi, surrounded by three attacking demons at once, was at a loss. Seeing Liang standing behind them as other demons flooded past him, she glared.

“What’s with this guy!? First he wants to help, and now he wants me to show my resolve???”

“Eheheheh… Didn’t you want to save that Demon… M-E-G-U-M-I?”

“M-my voice? No wait! That's-!”

Suddenly, Megumi found herself in front of her dark counterpart with her scarlet and crimson hair. She sat on a throne of skulls and other bones. She smiled knowingly at her as a red light emitted from below, painting them in a pinkish hue..

“That is your desire… Isn’t it?”

Just as Megumi was about to question her dark counterpart she was quickly returned to her current predicament.

“Why did-” She bawled her hands in frustration. “I don’t have time for this! Cider needs my help!”

“Get… Away from me!!” Megumi screamed.

A red aura erupted from her body, pushing away the demons to their shock. The others halted at once as Liang watched on, in surprise. Shortly after, Liang could help but laugh happily.

“Good! Very good!! You’ve surpassed my expectations.”

After a few seconds of hesitation the demons behind continued to dash forth at Megumi. The other demons seeing this, also raced over to Megumi as her eyes gleamed a much brighter red, Her hair swirl as though wind from above blew on them and she posed herself as if ready to fight back.

Suddenly, as if on cue, an army of reaper’s appeared, killing the demons chasing after Megumi. She could only look on, in confusion as the demons were completely wiped out with ease.

“W -where did they…?

Slowly the energy flowing through her dissipated and her demeanor returned to normal.

“They came from around the city,” Liang said, approaching her, “It looks like they sensed all that energy you were giving off.”

Megumi couldn’t understand what he was talking about nor why he was so comfortable with approaching her after what he just did. “What do you mean?”

Pointing his index finger up, he explained. “I was looking to draw in the other reapers to get rid of the demons chasing us, Although I could’ve done it fine myself I figured I let you do it when fighting back against the demons. But instead you release all your energy at once, becoming a literal beacon to everyone around.”

Liang then stroked his chin. “To be honest I’m surprised there were a lot of other reapers around us. Quite the lucky break.”

Megumi side-eyed him, not understanding his mumbo gumbo. “Riiggghhhtttt…..”

“Thanks to that little spectacle you made, I think I have a good idea of what your sin is…”

Curious, Megumi paid a little more attention. “My… Sin?”

The Reaper’s finished off the last of the demons that surrounded them. One of the reaper captains then approached them. “Who are you tw- Hold on! Your-!”

“We’d appreciate it if you could keep the demons off us. For some reason the demons are taking an interest in this woman here.” Liang placed his hand on Megumi’s shoulder. She didn’t like this and irked.

“Captain! We have another horde of demons coming from the west gate, they seem to be heading this way!”

Another reaper came forth. “Captain, some demons front the south seem to be headed in this direction.”

Liang hearing these updates from the acolytes became alarmed.

Suddenly another news of more demons converging on their positions came forth.

“Yuanfen…”

Megumi raised a brow, hearing this word for the first time.

“Yuan…fen? What does that mean?”

Liang glanced at her, his expression more serious. “This is no mere coincidence, May two hordes of demons coming this way might be a coincidence, but three or more… No… They’re obviously targeting someone.”

“With what I’ve seen so far, it seems like they’re most likely after you…” Liang clutched the hilt of his sword scabbard. “It looks like whoever is behind this attack, you pissed off greatly”

Liang chuckled amused. “You're certainly a woman who knows how to find trouble.”

“S-so? What do we do now?” Megumi asked.

“You still want to save that demon kid, Right? So just focus on that and leave the demons to the reaper’s here. So while they handle the demons, you can help that friend of yours.” Liang gazed upon the tall black tower of crystal where Dino and Cider were still locked in battle.

“I heard you're pretty fast at learning how things work here in purgatory.” Liang suddenly said,

He continued with a smile. “I’m going to help you learn how to use the power of your sin.”

Megumi couldn’t help but narrow her eye’s in disbelief.

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********

Both Dino and Cider continued to clash through the rough arena of rubble and destroyed buildings. The building’s once pristine were simply gravel beneath their feet as the arms clashed and blocked strikes

Spikes of crystal shot from Dino’s arms as Cider dodged each of them as she slid away from the man.

Reoriented, he charged back with a vengeance, scraping the ground and throwing the rock and gravel Dino’s direction.

Dino could only block particles with his arms as his vision was obscured. ”He came through. No! Above!”

Cider’s blade arm whipped down and was blocked in time with Dino’s crystalized arm.

Dino could only growl as Cider was still holding strong against him.

“I thought you’d said, he’d be easy Annabelle!”

Dino pushed away the attack and shot more spikes out, each only merely grazing Cider’s hole ridden body.

Out of nowhere, Cider spun his body like a spinning top in the air, slashing at Dino’s chest, to his shock.

Dino quickly distanced himself seeing that he was struck deep.

Cinder landed on the ground, ready to continue. All the while, Dino could only glare deathly at Cider.

Dino quickly brought his hand to the ground. “CRYSTAL WONDERLAND!!”

Spikes and shards of crystal shot up from all around Cider, recreating the landscape into a world filled with crystals. Looking back for Dino, he was gone.

Cider frantically searched around for Dino, only seeing subtle reflections of himself through each crystal.

He was struck!

He pumped away from the direction of the attack.

No one was there…

Another came, Then another and another.

Cider was being attacked from nowhere and everywhere all at once!

He couldn’t keep up as the chain of attacks kept speeding up, faster and faster until Cider jumped far into the sky to escape this trap.

Finally catching a glimpse of Dino in the terrain, Cider readied for his counter attack. Cider brought his blade arms together and charged down like a comet, all the while Dino simply looked at him.

Right before Cider could touch Dino.

He disappeared, shocking him.

Cider slammed his attack to the crystal terrain sending thousands of shards of crystal flying in the air.

“Thanks dumbass…” Dino said.

Cider could now see reflections of Dino in every shard of crystal in sight.

“Now I can kill you faster.”

Shards of crystal suddenly shot from every crystal in the air, piercing through Cider’s body.

Dino reappeared before Cider, aiming his hand at him.

“I hope you don't mind him being in pieces…”

“That's fine… As long as he’s back with me, You’ll get your reward.” Annabelle echoed.

“You better keep your end of the deal.”

The spike shot out. But to Dino’s shock, Cider miraculously caught it in his mouth! He clenched hard and stopped it in its tracks with his teeth.

The collar around his neck tightened, his strength drained even further. He quickly calmed himself with the thought of Megumi. He then spat out the crystal.

“Not yet…” he said.

“He’s still kicking?” Annabelle echoed.

Cider’s breathing was becoming much more shallow as he thought about his short, yet fun time he had with Megumi.

“I won’t let you take me away this time…. This time… I want to stay.”

“Hmph!” Annabelle echoed to both Cider and Dino. “The only person that's allowed to be your friend is me! You're my precious little apple, Cider. Don’t tell me you're going to abandon me like my sister.”

Cider’s eyes widened. “N-... N-no… I just… I just want to find more people to be friends with!” His eyes soften a little. “People that accept me like both of you.”

“Spare me the sobbing” Dino interjected. He ready another crystal spike in the palm of his hand to shoot out.

“I’m doing what’s best for you. So listen to your friend.”

Cider glared up. “No, I'm done listening to you!”

Using all his strength Cider lifted himself up off the ground. Even as Dino shot his crystal spike, Cider stopped it with his hand, letting it pierce through.

The crystals within his body pushed out from his body as his hollowed body began repairing itself.

“You're just full of surprises, aren’t you. But…. This is the end”

Just before Dino could shoot anything out, he was suddenly punched in the face hard!

He was sent flying back into the wall of his own creation.

********

Anabelle who witnessed this stood up from the sheer shuck and rudeness of this attack. The demon beside her raised a brow.

“What happened?” he asked in his gravelly tone.

Annabelle cringed. “Impossible! How is…”

********

“How is she back there!?”

Megumi was now on her knees shaking the hand she used to punch Dino. “Ow, ow, ow!”

Cider could only look astonished by what just occurred.

“Looks like I got the right person this time. “She joked, sharing a rye smile with Cider.

Dino stumbled back to his feet, a little disoriented. He wiped his lips, as thought they were bloodied. “How the hell did you get back in here?”

Megumi, hearing him, answered. “I had a little help getting up.”

“Heh. I’m surprised those demons hadn’t killed you already.”

********

Annabelle slammed her fists at the table where she watched everything from an orb. “Where the hell are those demons Dragerd!? I thought more of them were coming her way!!”

“Weren't you paying attention? Those reapers set a perimeter around that hunter's crystal tower.” The demon Dragerd brought his head down, disappointed by Annabelle's shortsightedness. “Right now my subordinates are getting slaughtered as we speak. So if you want that woman dead it looks like it's up to the hunter to do that…”

Annabelle glared at the orb in complete rage. “That woman…” She snaked from her mouth.

“DINO!!” she shouted.

********

Dino raised a brow hearing Annabelle’s voice.

“KILL THAT WOMAN!!”

“She wasn’t part of the original deal.” He retorted.

Suddenly a shock was sent throughout his collar!

Dino was brought to his knees, suffering the excruciating pain. Megumi took note of this, seeing that it was somewhat similar to Cider’s collar.

“Unless you want to become a demon like that master of yours, You’ll do as I say!”

“Grr! You bitch!” An even more powerful shock was sent coursing through Dino after his retort.

“What was that!?”

Dino mumbled something indistinctive.

“I can’t hear you!”

“F-fine!” He shouted.

“That's what I like to hear. Now kill her.” she ordered.

Unaware of their conversation, Megumi demanded Dino to stop, not wanting to fight him. She quickly realized it was no use. Just as she thought he was aiming his crystal spike at Cider, she was saved as cider pushed her out the way!

The crystal spike whizzed past her face.

“Tch! Damn demon!” he muttered.

He aimed his palm straight at Megumi again, making it clear that he was after her life too now.

Megumi narrowed her eyes as she thought back to a conversation she had with Liang, moments prior to climbing over the large black crystal wall.

********

“No. He actually saved my life. Honestly, it seemed that he was only after Cider”

“Hmmm… Is that so…… Perhaps someone else is behind this. It is no coincidence that this guy showed up at the same time as all these demons. This is just a hypothesis but I think whoever is behind these demons are also the ones pulling that man's strings.”

“So your saying-”

“Yes… Right now that man that's fighting your friend is merely a puppet on the strings, and forced to conform to their master.”

Megumi didn’t know what to think, hearing the Liang hypothesis. “How would I know if he is the mastermind or not?”

“To be honest I don’t think it matters either way. Most likely, you’ll have to fight him and when that happens, use what I taught you.”

********

Back to the present, Megumi breathed in and out. Slowly she released the energy within her, letting it flow just and Liang said. His eyes gleamed a brighter red.

“Oh. Is that supposed to scare me?” Dino said.

His eyes began to shine a bright blue in complete contrast to Megumi.

Determined, Megumi readied herself for a tough fight ahead.