Sero watched as Dune and Apep traded blows, the force of their attacks shattering chunks of debris and sending clouds of dust billowing through the air. Enzo and Maximillian circled around the outside of the ring, looking for openings to strike. The three of them moved with a synchronicity that only came from months of fighting together.
As the battle raged on, Sero became increasingly aware of a strange energy emanating from Dune. It was subtle, almost like a second aura surrounding him. Sero couldn't quite place what it was, but it seemed to be affecting Apep. The Catastrophe's movements became more erratic, his attacks less focused.
With a start, Sero realized the second aura might be Dune's passive, as his Perfect Copy didn't pick up on any skill usage. Whatever it was, the addition of a third Janitor proved too much for Apep to handle as the three men gradually gained the upper hand. They began to coordinate their attacks, using their skills in tandem to overwhelm the monstrous being.
Dune laughed boisterously, his body beginning to glow gold as he started to take hits from Apep without showing any visible signs of hurt. Sero's body buzzed as he copied 'Debt', a skill that allowed the caster to delay and store the effect of damage as long as they had the mana to supply it. The stored damage would take effect if the caster could not dish it back out or if they ran out of mana.
Sero didn't understand why Dune promptly casted 'Interest' as well, a skill that allowed the caster to greatly enhance the potency of skills, using it on Debt. It wasn't until Apep suddenly stumbled that Sero caught onto the plan.
By training all of Apep's attacks on himself, Dune was able to distract the Catastrophe long enough for Maximillian to set up a steel trap underneath, springing up to bind Apep's movements. With his body restricted, Dune swapped positions with Maximillian, who continued to wrap metal around the Catastrophe.
Enzo moved forward, casting Fairness to balance his strength with Apep's while Dune casted a third new skill, 'Loan', which allowed the user to transfer buffs, debuffs, or resources between two parties. The Demonic Judge growled as the stored damage Dune had built up was dumped on him, but his Relentless passive kept him moving long enough for him to strike Apep with one final Revenge-clad Jury.
Combined with another Interest from Dune and Maximillian's Attract between the Jury and the metal bindings, the resulting impact from the trio's combined attack was simply incomparable to the previous spectacles. Sero had to look away and huddled over Amaya's body, conjuring a Force Field with the last of his mana.
Sero heard the world fall silent, though he suspected it was more due to the sheer volume of the explosion as he painfully lifted his head up. The green force field he casted flickered pitifully before fading away, revealing the leveled ruins of the city. Ascendants and regular civilians alike were strewn everywhere, some dead, some critically injured. All were unable to get back up.
As his hearing began to return, he noticed that the sky was also beginning to lighten up. Sero inhaled sharply, glancing behind to where the three Janitors were.
He almost couldn't believe it, but Enzo, Maximillian, and Dune were standing around a half-mutilated Apep, who was still struggling to break free from his binds. The three Janitors, perhaps save for Dune, looked exhausted, their bodies covered in wounds and dirt.
"Even with your combined strength, you Ascendants still cannot defeat me," Apep hissed, violet blood dripping from his wounds as he glared at them.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Dune chuckled merrily, gripping Apep by his steel chains and lifting him up. "It's a good day for you."
Apep struggled against the chains, but to no avail. The metal held fast, and Dune, his face twisted into a grin, began to glow with a gold aura yet again. Nearly unconscious, Sero barely registered 'Payday', a skill that allowed Dune to briefly increase a single stat based on the amount of resources he gave away or lost. Which, in this case, was an unfathomable amount.
Receiving an immense amount of damage from Apep along with a constant mana drain and then transferring that amount to Enzo? Sero involuntarily shivered from the overbearing strength that spewed forth from Dune. In fact, compared to Apep at his peak, Dune seemed to hold infinite power.
With an exuberant laugh, Dune tossed up Apep into the air, cocking his fist back. As the Catastrophe fell, the newest Janitor slammed his fist into Apep's mangled body. Even from where he was, Sero felt the impact of the punch, watching as it literally blew Apep into pieces with a thundering boom.
Enzo and Maximillian wearily slumped their bodies in relief as Dune continued chuckling, but Sero had reached his limit. The last thing he remembered was reaching out for Amaya's hand next to him.
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"Jesus, Duke," Maximillian scowled as he conjured a metal stump to rest on. "What the hell took you so long?"
The man both Enzo and Maximillian knew as Duke 'Dune' Dunham, chuckled amusedly. "It's a far run from the 7th Zone to here."
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"You... you ran all the way here?" Enzo blinked incredulously at Dune. "Even if I did that with Relentless, it'd still take me half a day!"
"Boys, has it been so long that you forget about my Investment skill?" Dune grinned as he adjusted his sunglasses, the sun beginning to pierce through the fading darkness. "I used it to convert a massive amount of mana to enhance my speed, stacking an Interest on that to make me supersonic! That's how we were able to take down that snake guy."
"Huh? That doesn't explain anything?" Maximillian retorted with a questioning frown.
"Sure it does. Anyone would've guessed that I used Debt to store the fatigue and then Loan to transfer it to the Catastrophe. Do I even have to explain my secondary passive?"
Maximillian opened his mouth, then closed it, extremely irritated. Dune was, of course, talking about his Destitution passive, which continuously stole energy from those around him. The Iron Tyrant shared a look with Enzo.
"Out of the two of you, I can't tell who's more hard-headed," Maximillian grimaced. "The mutt and his lust for battle or you and your insane gambles."
"I'd say that's a compliment, big guy," Dune chuckled. "Anyway, I didn't pass by the big man or the others on the way down, but I did notice the outbreaks being contained. Won't be long till all of us get back together."
"All of us? Besides Gregor, I don't think any of us have had any contact with Madison in a while." Maximillian replied, getting up and telepathically moving metal around to either clear debris or safely transport the fallen to safety. Enzo began to head towards Sero and Amaya, hauling rubble out of the way.
"Oh? Were you two unaware? Madison came to me for a loan to open up her own practice," Dune grinned, walking with Enzo and Maximillian as they helped move the survivors. "I managed to get permanent contact with her. She should be coming to the 25th Zone soon."
"Damn, so all of us might actually be in one place? How long has it been since then?" Enzo muttered, picking up a demolished car with one hand and tossing it away.
"It was only three months or so. Not that long." Dune said, shrugging nonchalantly. "She wanted to open up a clinic to help people with their mental health, but she didn't have the money. I offered her a loan, but only if she agreed to work for me. I'm setting her up here in the 25th, managing the local casinos and brothels. She'll be making good money, and I'll be getting a cut. It's a win-win."
"Merchant King? More like Merchant Demon," Enzo bared his teeth and shook his head amusedly. "Even if it's for a friend, money is always your top priority, huh?"
"What? You think I'd let someone I care about work for free?" Dune shrugged. "Look, you know how it is. People need money to survive, and she's got bills to pay just like the rest of us. I'm not forcing her to work, and I'm not charging her any interest. It's a fair deal, all things considered."
"Just... how many properties do you own?" Maximillian interjected, feeling a slight relief as he noticed other Ascendants coming to their aid in the distance. "You seem to be everywhere, checking up on your assets. Besides Madison, we hardly ever hear from you. Gwyndolyn I can understand, but at least we can check social media for any news of her."
"Heh. I'm the third richest entity in the world, with properties in every Zone of the western hemisphere. Only the Fortune’s Favored guild and the strongest S-rank have more than I do." Dune shrugged. "For now, anyway. I’m planning to expand my empire to the eastern hemisphere. I do that, and I have a chance to be the richest man in the world."
"So then, on top of this, you're making Madison work for you by managing... casinos and brothels here? Is that legal?" The Iron Tyrant was almost finished with moving both the debris and fallen victims as the Ascendants who weren't in the fight against Apep came to relieve the three Janitors.
"Hey, when's the last time our group operated under legality?" Dune chuckled, following after Enzo as they reached Sero and Amaya. Nearby, Dante and Meredith were stirring, sitting up painfully.
"You're the Merchant King, Dune," Maximillian reminded him. "You're the one who knows how to make money without breaking the law."
"Ah, but I was also convicted of tax fraud and evasion, money-laundering, scamming, illegal reprinting–"
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Maximillian scowled. "You start talking about your past crimes and Enzo will join in nonstop."
"What... what happened?" Dante croaked out, seeing the utter destruction that had befallen the city. "Is... the Catastrophe gone?"
"Yup," Enzo extended a hand towards the Sin Reaper, who took it gratefully. "It took three Janitors to put him down. Speaking of which..."
The Demonic Judge slightly tightened his grip on Dante's hand, who slightly flinched, but held fast, calmly meeting his gaze.
"Considering that all it took was three Janitors to take down someone the combined Ascendant forces couldn't do, that just shows our strength in comparison to the alliance, doesn't it?" Enzo whispered quietly.
"If you're implying that I still have negative reservations toward Sero, then this war was a clear indication of his character. As long as he continues to aim that power towards our enemies, there won't be a threat of war between us," Dante said, looking at Sero and Amaya. "Though I'm certain you share my worries on if he loses everything dear to him again."
Enzo wordlessly let go, nodding slightly. "He's my student after all, so I'll watch over him."
"Hi, I'm Duke Dunham, but you can call me Dune!" Dune strolled up to the two men, oblivious to the tension. "I've heard you're more or less the leader figure of the top five guild alliance?"
Momentarily taken aback by both the appearance of Dune and the sudden change of mood, Dante awkwardly shook his hand. "Er, nice to meet you. I assume by your attire that you're part of the Janitors as well?"
"Rightly so, my boy," Dune boomed, dragging Dante away. "Perhaps not as infamous as the other members, I am still the third richest man in the world. Speaking of which, how would you like to make some extra gold?"
As the Merchant King pressured Dante off to the side, Enzo knelt down next to Sero and Amaya, whose hands were tightly intertwined with each other's. The Demonic Judge smiled wryly, lifting the both of them up over his shoulders.