Outside, Albert had just finished his setup when he saw Eshdar managed to keep Gurlon occupied. He wasn’t sure if the rudimentary setup could stop him, or even affect him at all, given his incomplete transformation, but there was no reason to try.

“Eshdar!” Albert called.

Eshdar heard it and acknowledged it. He ran towards where he heard Albert’s voice, especially after he threw a smokescreen to mask his presence. Gurlon could see Eshdar’s silhouette and gave chase and managed to catch up with Eshdar. Eshdar prepared to dodge when he went for the kill, but instead, he missed by a wide margin. He also looked like he was punched by a non-existent fist, causing him to stagger.

“I don’t have time playing with you, woman!” exclaimed Gurlon, incensed.

“Woman? Does that mean….”

“Yeah,” said Eshdar with a nod. “Lilac is trying to take back her body. She saved me from being killed earlier.”

“I never heard someone who can resist a powerful demon like Gurlon,” said Albert, before he smiled. “I guess I underestimated her.”

“But this is perfect.” Eshdar turned to Gurlon and said, “Lilac, can you hear me?! Follow my voice!”

Inside the mindscape, Lilac could clearly hear Eshdar as she fought for control. Gurlon was surprised by Lilac’s resilience and her stubbornness, one that he did not anticipate. While it was clear that the botched summoning did not help, it wasn’t supposed to be a problem. Even worse, Lilac was a Tainted One, meaning that she was vulnerable against corruption.

Yet, she held on, and Gurlon could see that she recruited the other aspects that supported her: hope, courage, and family. It was a grave miscalculation on Gurlon’s part. He did not realize she was not entirely gone yet.

The ‘punch’ Lilac gave him came from her retrieving her frying pan, which she promptly used to swat Gurlon’s reptilian face after she dodged his attack. She felt so empowered and so positive, especially since she was backed by representatives of the ones she cared for.

She also realized that, despite of missing Ifrit, she couldn’t forever wait for him. She was aware that her life could no longer return to what it was, and she knew depending on others would not make her grow. Ifrit, who represented her hope for the future, was a testament of that. It was time for her to see to the future, and honor Ifrit by surviving.

The representation of Ifrit, knowing that Lilac found what she was looking for, stood beside her and said, “Keep those thoughts strong, Lilac.”

“Yeah,” said Lilac with a smile.

But after quite a struggle through the increasingly confusing mindscape, she started to realize that she and Gurlon were fighting to a standstill. Gurlon was fighting two fronts at once, but he was not even distracted. In fact, the Gurlon inside her mindscape could still overcome her assaults, just as she overcame hers. Someone or something needed to tip the scales to her favor, or else they would be locked in perpetual combat.

Though Lilac knew it would not be perpetual. She was a surface dweller, and he was a demon. One of the had the advantage of patience. Lilac had that, but she would eventually lose.

Tightening the grip on the pan, she lunged forward, hoping that Albert and Eshdar had a plan.

Outside, Lilac’s body was struggling against its own and Eshdar’s attempt to draw Gurlon in. Albert had started the entrapment process and would only deploy it at the same moment Gurlon and Lilac were in. He could not risk Gurlon realizing what Albert was trying to do before it was too late.

Eshdar, desperate, then realized that Gurlon would not come without any incentives, so the vulpine hellhound once again risked his life and dashed towards Lilac’s body, once again catching the demon unaware.

This time, however, he had an idea.

“Lilac, I’m sorry in advance,” said Eshdar. “But off you go!”

He never wanted to do that, especially to a lady like Lilac. However, he knew he couldn’t wait until they missed that chance. Eshdar, using the distraction caused by Lilac, pushed Lilac’s body towards the circle that Albert created. Gurlon saw this just in time, but he was unable to regain his balance and he tripped, exacerbated by Eshdar kicking the body into the circle.

Albert promptly put his hands together and exclaimed, “Seal!”

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An invisible barrier appeared around the circle, with Gurlon trying his best to get out. Albert could feel the barrier weakening as Gurlon let out a powerful roar. He knew it wouldn’t be enough.

“It won’t hold!” exclaimed Albert.

But just as he contemplated changing tactics, along with the temptation to finally end Lilac’s suffering once and for all, someone patted his back and said, in Dusdolfian, “Cavalry’s here.”

Albert, recognizing the voice, called, “Otto!”

Otto, the Lycan Demon Hunter, came with a group of his fellow Hunters, who already surrounded the area and chanted the rituals necessary to trap Gurlon. They enhanced the simple circle trap Albert made and manifested chains that bind Lilac’s body, immobilizing Gurlon. The chains burned Lilac’s body, and for the first time since they fought, Gurlon felt immense pain.

Lilac also felt the same pain since it was still her body. As she clashed with Gurlon, both felt the searing pain. Lilac, however, smiled.

“I think your time’s up, demon,” said Lilac.

“No,” said Gurlon, who also chuckled. “It’s our time. This is still your body.”

Lilac was aware of this, but then weakly chuckled as both fell to their knees.

“I don’t care. So long as you get the bloody out,” she said courageously.

“I won’t,” said Gurlon defiantly. “When your body expires, I win. There is no point of a conscience to a dead body.”

Outside, Albert, who saw what happened, along with Gurlon roaring in pain, confronted Otto and said, “Wait! She’s not completely possessed yet! The binding chains won’t work!”

“Not possessed? But how?”

“She is still fighting against the demon! You’re going to kill her, Otto!”

“I thought she’s a Tainted.”

“A Tainted who refuses to accept that fate! Exorcise the demon out of her, right now!”

“It’s not that simple! Being a Tainted also made her vulnerable to exorcism!”

“I know the risks, Otto. There is another thing I can try, so do it!”

Otto was still reluctant. However, Albert’s determined eyes made him realize that the human was serious. Reluctantly, he commanded his team to start the exorcism ritual. The others were also reluctant, as exorcising a Tainted was too risky and could lead to certain death. However, they had no alternatives, so they started the incantations.

Lilac kept fighting Gurlon within her mind, but soon realized something was wrong. She felt great pain, one that clearly did not come from Gurlon. The demon let out a shriek that sent chills down her spine, just as they were both engulfed by light. Gurlon started walking towards Lilac, with her trying to defend herself before realizing she, too, started to become overwhelmed by the pain, causing Gurlon to grab her conscience.

“What will you do now?” said Gurlon. “They have decided to kill you to banish me. Those fools can’t even kill a demon properly!”

“I don’t care!” exclaimed Lilac, grabbing Gurlon back. “If they have to sacrifice me, then so be it!”

“So, even you are blinded by the promise of glory Well, can’t say I—”

Gurlon felt his conscience being torn out of Lilac’s mind as Lilac gasped. Her vision quickly returned to the real world. She noticed that she was being surrounded by a group of Demon Hunters, alongside Gurlon, who, in his true reptilian form, was forced to kneel by chains made out of light. He looked bewildered.

“What?! What the fuck happened?!” he asked, struggling to get out of the chains.

“Impressive,” said Otto genuinely surprised. “You do deserve your title, commander Schafner.”

“It’s just a title,” said Albert. He walked towards Lilac and stroked her lupine ears. “You okay?”

“Yes,” said Lilac. “That demon…wasn’t he just…”

“He possessed you. But that will no longer be a problem.”

Albert stood up and pulled out his automatic gun, cocking the and aiming it at Gurlon, who realized that he lost.

“I bet you never heard of a Demon Hunter shooting a demon in the head,” said Albert. “Well, it’s about time you know, Gurlon.”

Gurlon could only chuckle as he found the whole situation amusing, though at the expense of himself. That, however, changed as he glared at Albert and said, “I may be gone, but do you really think you can fight against the legion of hell? The surface world will kneel to us, and I’ll be there, doing what I am doing now.”

“Then, let me tell you this.” He then leaned into the demon. “Do you fear death?”

“Eh?”

“Do you fear the void of nothingness?” Albert then resumed aiming at Gurlon. “Because this bullet…this won’t return you to your domain. It destroys you, dispersing you into tiny particles, never to reconstitute, never to become a being. You will just be a dust in the wind.”

“W-what?”

“And you might be thinking ‘the human’s bluffing’. Well, why don’t we test it?”

Albert’s unwavering and menacing tone made Gurlon scared. He knew Demon Hunters could not kill demons and could only banish them, but Albert’s tone, and the fact that he used a gun instead of the tedious rituals, made the reptilian demon scared. For the first time in his life, he was forced to face the end, and this time, he would not be able to go back if it was true.

Gurlon started to panic as Albert said, “See, demon, there is a reason why humans and Therians are the ruler of the world. We are simply…the cruelest being of them all. We dominate, and we vanquish. If there is one less demon to worry about, we’ll be glad to take it. Right now…you are one of those nuisances.”

Albert stood up, then said, “Auf wiedersehen.” He then pulled the trigger.

It was instant, and there wasn’t any suffering. Gurlon’s head exploded into dust when the bullet contacted his head, followed by the rest of his body. Before long, his body turned to dust, with the wind dispersing it. Albert looked on, along with the rest of the astonished Hunters, before he turned to Lilac and offered his hand.

“I never doubted you, Lilac,” said Albert, smiling. “Never.”

Lilac sheepishly smiled as she accepted Albert’s hand. They both walked towards Eshdar, who was supported by a Lycan Demon Hunter, who smiled back.

They completed their mission, and they were glad they could get away from the nightmares.