"Tell me your name Demon, or die knowing you were just a nobody to me."

  "Amusing of you to say that."

  Facing his palm downwards, Exslav raised his right hand forward, summoning a dark, red scythe that had two ruby skulls at its heel.

  "Demon Lord Exslav. The Third of the Seven Lords. Not like the number's important, I will be the first and last Demon Lord you'll encounter in this life!"

  Without warning, Exslav teleported in front of Alice, recklessly swining his scythe at her in quick succession, one after another, forcing her to defend for her life. By coating her arm with special anti-demon magic, she was able to prevent the demonic scythe from ripping into her flesh, though still feeling the full impact of each swing.

  "Fast. The power of a Demon Lord."

  Unable to faciliate any more mana to Alice, Chloe could only lay back and anxiously watch as her friend defended with all her might.

  "Is defending all you can do?"

  "I'm glad to asked! Dimension Override!"

  Upon activation, time came to a halt once again, allowing Alice to catch her breath as she lowered her guard, ready to go on the offense.

  "What..."

  Looking down on her arms, they were covered in blood as she looked back up at Exslav who had a smile across his face. His scythe had slashed across her shoulder, gouged deep within her back as the tip of the scythe penetrated through the front of her chest.

  "All Demon Lords were given a gift, for me, that gift was time. I have the power to control time. Dimension Override."

  Breaking Alice spell, time resumed as Alice feel onto her knees, struggling to keep her consciousness. Exslav firmly pressed his foot against her shoulder, pulling out the scythe before pulling her upwards by her hair.

  "This is the reincarnation of Atallia? You must be kidding me, was that time trick all you had? Come on, entertain me more. Wait, don't fade away yet. We're not done."

  "ALICE! Get your hands off of her!"

  Mustering what little strength she had left, Chloe pushed herself beyond her limits, creating a giant pillar of ice, launching it at Exslav who was caught off guard. Seizing this chance Chloe had bought for her, Alice called forth Kratos, plunging it deep into the gut of Exslav, pushing him onto the ground.

  "Cheap trick as usual..."

  Sending a huge right hand onto Alice, she didn't budge, holding firmly onto the blade that was embedded in Exslav.

  "What's this? My power? The blade! It's draining my power! Dimension Override!"

  Time had stopped once more, but the blade continued sapping away at the Demon Lord's mana and soul.

  "How? How is it still doing that?"

  "Kratos is a Demonic blade that negates everything and destroys all it comes into contact with. Time doesn't affect the blade. Know tell me before you die, who sent you? You mentioned seven Demon Lords, are they after me too? What's your endgame?"

  "My lips are sealed. But it looks promising this time around, the previous time, you couldn't even hurt me. Perhaps, this time you might just succeed. Ah fuck it, you won this duel so I shall tell you one thing. Listen closely Originator, that blade of yours managed to undo the spell those holy bastards planted into me. I have no faith or trust in you being the Atallia, but you did free my soul from their chains. The one who controls and rules all is him, the Harbinger, he controls the seven and all realms. You must not fail this time, if you do, there might not be a next time for all of us..."

  As his powers faded away, his authority over time disappeared, resuming time once again.

  "Harbinger? What? You aren't doing this out of your own will?"

  "I won't kill my kind... Do me a favour before I leave. Please take that girl in, she's half demon, half human. The Holy bastards won't take her back and they'd probably kill her for her soul once they know of our failure here... Take her in, help her... She will be of use to you..."

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  Raising his hand towards the girl, Exslav chanted a command using foreign words found in the Holy Realm. A collar around the lady snapped apart as she continued lying there unconscious.

  Suddenly from above the skies, a ray of light shot down onto the two, burning both Alice and Exslav as Alice quickly raised Kratos above them, slicing at the light beam, completely erasing it.

  "Error detected. Soul Chain not found. Proceeding with execution of Subject Three."

  Descending from above was a winged deity with red ribbons tied around his wrists and ankles. Below his feet were two golden rings of fire as he weilded a spear pointed towards the two on the roof. Oddly enough, the deity seemed completely metallic as its body was gold in collar and it's eyes with lit up as if it was a machine.

  "What is that thing?"

  "That, is a god. One of the few created by the Harbinger. Go, take your friend and the girl! I'm not dead yet, I can still fight. I'll buy you some time, you have to live Originator, if you don't the world will truly be over. Reverse Time."

  Noticing the wound of her body completely recover, Alice realised Exslav had turned back her time, reverting her physical state prior to their fight. Before Alice could thank him, the winged deity charged towards her only to be intercepted by Exslav. Returning the favour, Exslav swung his scythe at the machine as the two battled in the sky giving Alice the opening to help Chloe up before the two advanced towards the unconscious lady. Chloe hung the lady's odachi over her shoulder while Alice conjured some anti-magic chains around the lady, levitating her into the air following behind the two as they escaped the campus vicinity.

  Suddenly, she felt a hand grabbing onto her arm, pulling her aside.

  "Keep quiet. Follow me."

  Lisbeth appeared at the scene as she held onto Alice, opening a portal on the wall beside them, urging her to go through it with the other two.

  "Exslav...I'm sorry."

  Without turning back, Alice and Chloe hopped through the portal along with the lady before Lisbeth herself went through it, closing the portal from the side the four were on now.

  "Goodbye Atallia, my Originator."

  Seeing Alice having made her escape, Exslav dropped his scythe, taking in his final breath as the deity pierced his heart with its spear, turning Exslav's body into dust before scanning its surroundings one final time.

  "Target not found. Returning to base."

  Summoning a beam of light over it, the deity disappeared from the Human Realm, leaving no trace behind.

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  "Who are you?

  Raising her blade at Lisbeth's neck, Alice commanded as her eyes lit up red in anger.

  "Relax, I'm on your side Atallia. The detective told me about you and that spiked an interest in me. To be honest, I'm putting my own welfare at jeopardy, but this kind of opportunity don't come by so often. Please sit and make yourselves at home."

  While Lisbeth headed to the kitchen to prepare some water for Alice and Chloe, the two cautiously looked around Lisbeth's apartment.

  "Doctor of Medicinal Arts. Damn, a couple of Trinity Awards? Alice, this person is no joke."

  "What's a Trinity award?"

  "Oh those? Just fancy awards they give out to researchers with creations that benefit the ones above the most. Come now, we have much to discuss."

  Placing the cups of water down, Lisbeth sat on the couch as the two followed suit. Alice undid the chains around the lady who she helped onto the couch as well.

  "She's a friendly?"

  "Hopefully, soon to be."

  "Alright whatever. Before we begin, do you want me to address you as Alice or?"

  "Alice, please."

  Crossing her legs in a comfortable position, Lisbeth nodded her head before continuing her questions.

  "How much do you know about yourself then Alice?"

  "I know I'm the reincarnation of Atallia. The name Lucifer Morningstar seems familiar, yet... I can't remember much. But I once fought for this world and died... only to see it become this rotting mess that it is now."

  "Well, to get things out of the way first, this isn't your first reincarnation Alice. Does the name Demiurge ring a bell?"

  Upon hearing that name, the same piercing ring from before sliced across her mind as Alice let out a cry of agony, pressing hard against the sides of her head, slowly calming down as the pain began to subside.

  "Demi...urge? That's him isn't it? I remember..."

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  "Humans, why are you so intent on creating them?"

  "Then may I ask why you are so against their creation, Demiurge?"

  "It's just... why would powerful beings like us create these insignificant things? What good will they bring to us?"

  Smacking him on the back of his head, Atallia pouted in annoyance before a shadowy figure stepped in. Alice's memories were still in a haze, this figure she couldn't recall but his voice was soothing and all too familiar.

  "Guys, come on there's no need to fight over this. We discussed it and agreed to doing this. Humans will show us that even without power, immortality, authority, they can still thrive, prosper and most importantly, depend, love and care for one another through the tough times and celebrate together in the happy ones. By going through humanity will the worthy souls be reincarnated as gods to protect the realms."

  "Then what happens to all the Angels and Demons?"

  Atallia stepped in, raising her blade into the sky.

  "Those who fail to become gods will then become Angels and Demons, to help the Gods keep order and protect the realms. The world we rule in barren, empty, void of any emotions. The Angels and Demons we have are just mindless beings who just obey each of our orders. That's not a life worth living to me, I want them to have a drive, their own will, their own desires. To work hard to achieve power that they want, that is the reason why I wish to create humanity."

  "If you two are really sure about this, then I won't stop you. But believe me, I will do my best up here to keep things in check. Do not worry about me, old friends."

  Atallia and the shadowy figure interlocked hands as the two began to vanish.

  "Demiurge, we might forget you after this but...don't be lonely ok? We will prove worthy and then you can reincarnate our souls into gods once more. This isn't goodbye man!"

  "I'm not one for these cringe moments, but I guess, stay safe Demi, look after us and the humans we will create."

  With that Atallia and the figure vanished, leaving Demiurge in the heavens above as the two reincarnated into this new world as the first two humans.