Sero shivered as he faced the blue-skinned woman alone. He still couldn't believe that both Elena and Liam were out of commission so easily, after he himself struggled to fight them in the tournament. His Rationality activated, steadying his nerves as his dragon pups growled at the woman.

"Sero..." He heard Luna come up behind him. "She's... it's her..."

The blue-skinned woman turned her head slowly, her swirling shadowy eyes focusing on Luna. There was a moment of recognition in the darkness, but it was quickly replaced by a cruel smile. "I see my children have forgotten their purpose for this world," she purred. "Perhaps I need to re-educate them."

"Children?" Sero briefly shot Luna a confused look. The succubus was absolutely terrified, her gaze frozen on the woman in front of them.

"Yes," the blue-skinned woman continued, her voice dripping with venom. "I created them all, but to see them lose their way is quite enraging." She laughed, the sound mocking and cruel. "But fear not, little one. For I shall show you the true path."

Sero began to realize what Luna and the woman were talking about. "So you're..."

"Malice. The Succubus Goddess..." Luna whispered fearfully behind him.

Sero felt another shiver run down his spine. "Goddess...?"

"Oh, more so the primogenitor of all succubi," Malice purred sinisterly. "Soon to be a fully-fledged Catastrophe."

Luna gasped softly behind him. "Catastrophe...?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What does that mean for us?"

Malice gave them a cruel smile. "Oh, it means that your world is about to change, little ones. And you'll all be changed along with it." She stepped forward, her clawed toes piercing the earth. "Sero, I believe it was? Why don't you come closer?"

Sero crouched defensively, brandishing his blade as he pushed Luna back. "As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid that's a hard pass." His dragon pups moved in front of him, growling as they prepared to attack. He tried to contact Aphiel, but felt as though something was blocking his connection with her. Sero assumed that Malice was probably behind the interference.

Malice laughed, a cruel and mocking sound. "Oh, how cute. You think you can stop me with those little pets of yours?" She sneered, looking down at the dragons. "They are nothing compared to what I am."

Sero narrowed his eyes, not liking where this was going. "Luna, get back!" He shouted, trying to keep his focus on Malice as he sent the dragons in to distract her. The two beasts lunged at the goddess, their claws and teeth bared.

In the blink of an eye, Malice dodged the dragons' attack, her movements unnatural and fluid. Her shadowy claws slashed at the pair, ripping through their flesh. The dragons yelped in pain as their claws connected with nothing but air, their bodies thrown off balance as they dispersed into green dust. The goddess advanced on them, her swirling black eyes fixed on her prey. "You foolish children," she hissed. "You think you can best me with such pathetic tricks?"

Sero activated his entire rotation of efficiencies, Iron Skin, Inspiration, and Undying Spirit, preparing to cast Fairness on Malice. The goddess's swirling shadowy eyes locked onto him, a dangerous glint in her pupils. "You dare to challenge me?" she hissed. "Foolish boy."

The Succubus goddess fired a Dominate beam at him, the black beam screeching through the air. Sero couldn't even react as it hit him directly in the chest.

"Now, Sero," Malice purred, her voice sinister. "You will submit to me, and relinquish your life so that I may ascend to a Catastrophe."

Sero felt his limbs grow heavy, his mind foggy. He wanted to resist, but he couldn't seem to find the strength. He looked over at Luna, who was staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. He struggled against the goddess's control, but it was no use.

However, as quickly as the effects of Dominate overtook him, his Rationality blazed forth full-swing, clearing the mind control.

"No!" he shouted, shaking his head violently. "I won't be submissive!" He brandished his sword, ignoring the pain in his chest from the previous attack. He lunged forward, his blade swinging wildly as he tried to land a blow on the goddess. But Malice was faster, her shadowy claws slicing through the air with inhuman speed, easily deflecting his attack.

Luna screamed, throwing beams of purple magic at the goddess. Malice barely registered the attacks, batting them away with casual disdain. The goddess advanced on Sero, her eyes burning with anger. "You foolish mortal," she hissed. "You think you can defeat me?"

"Not really, no," Sero admitted, casting Fairness on the Succubus goddess and emulating Relentless. He grunted in pain as the overwhelming power surged through him, but he gritted his teeth and summoned Sting to help shoulder the excess strength. "But, there's nothing else I can do now, is there?"

Malice hissed as she felt her power forcibly match Sero's, but otherwise seemed unimpressed. "Very well," she snarled. "Then you shall die knowing that you have failed!" The goddess lunged forward, her shadowy claws extending into long, deadly blades of darkness. Sero tried to dodge, but the goddess's speed was uncanny. He barely managed to deflect her first attack as Sting helped bat Malice away.

"Why aren't my charms working?" Malice screeched, the darkness in her eyes flaring bigger. "It can't be that you're immune to them!?" She lunged forward again, her shadow claws glowing brighter as she attempted to overpower Sero's defense. Sting and Sero struggled to keep up, their combined power just barely managing to deflect each attack.

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Luna watched helplessly from the sidelines, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't bring herself to watch as Sero fought against the goddess, knowing that every attack she threw was nothing more than a feeble attempt to distract the powerful being. "Please, Sero," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "You have to find a way to defeat her."

Despite the even playing field, Sero quickly realized that Malice was much more experienced than him in battle, gaining her strength back as his remained stable. The goddess was relentless, her attacks growing more and more ferocious with each passing moment. He could barely use any of his other skills as Malice was unyielding in her onslaught, fighting with a speed that demanded all of his focus. Sero could feel his body beginning to ache from the strain of maintaining his defenses, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he made a mistake that would cost him his life.

With a snap of her fingers, Malice blasted Sero and Sting away with a wave of darkness, the latter unable to handle the attack and bursting into green dust. Sero cursed as he felt his Relentless fade away, the Fairness skill also leaving his body. He quickly emulated Harmony, casting Provoke as he tried to get his bearings.

"Oh, that's enough from you."

Malice appeared in front of him, a wicked smile playing across her lips as the darkness in her eyes burned larger. Sero's body buzzed as he copied 'Dreamwalk', realizing that the skill brought out the target's deepest desire.

"You may be resistant to my charms, but even if it's for a few seconds, this much is enough for me to drain that delicious strength from you." Malice purred as the effects of Dreamwalk settled into Sero's mind.

Sero felt a strange sensation as the goddess's words sank in, as if something inside him was unraveling. His world shifted, morphing into a familiar room. With a startle, he realized he was in his old childhood room, staring at his parents.

"What do you mean, you're not going to college?" his father asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Honey, please understand how he feels," Sero's mother interjected, trying to calm the situation. "It's not easy for him. He's been so focused on graduation, and now he's not sure what he wants to do with his life." She smiled warmly at him. "How do you feel after graduating high school?"

Sero felt a lump in his throat as he looked at them. He wanted nothing more than to tell them that he loved them, that he was proud of them, that they were the reason he kept going. But the words wouldn't come out. Instead, he felt a surge of emotion, a mix of love, regret, and fear. It was as if all of his feelings were concentrated into a single, overwhelming sensation.

"This isn't real," Sero whispered to himself. "It's just a trick. Focus on the fight." He tried to shake off the effects of the Dreamwalk, but it was no use. He felt as if he were being pulled deeper into the illusion, unable to break free from the grip of Malice's magic.

Before he could react, his dream world shattered, bringing him back to reality. However, it wasn't his Rationality passive that shook him out of his stupor, but rather Malice kissing him.

"There we go," the goddess purred as she broke the kiss, licking her lips. "That's better." Sero felt a strange sensation course through his body, as if the kiss had drained his strength. He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled beneath him. Malice smirked.

A few seconds later, Sero felt a searing pain in his stomach as the Succubus Goddess impaled her shadowy claws deep inside. She ripped them out with a sickening tear, leaving him gasping for air.

As he fell to his knees, he could hear screaming from afar, but it didn't sound like Luna. In fact, it sounded like Amaya's voice, but that couldn't be right. She was at the hospital with the rest of them.

"This is easily... the worst injury... I've ever had..." Sero gasped, clutching at the gaping wounds in his abdomen. He could feel his life's energy draining away, his body growing weaker by the second. Warm blood gushed out like a waterfall, staining the ground beneath him red. As he looked up at Malice, hatred and despair warring in his eyes, he felt a strange detachment from the situation. It was almost as if he was watching everything unfold from a distance.

"Oh, don't look so glum," the goddess mocked, twirling her claws idly. "At least you got to experience a taste of pleasure before you died." She leaned in closer, her breath hot against his cheek. "And trust me, it could have been so much worse."

"H-how...?" Sero managed to gasp out before his world turned dark.

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Amaya hadn't realized she was running towards Sero until Enzo grabbed her wrist to prevent her from getting any closer to Malice.

"No, Amaya!" he yelled, his face twisted with desperation. "You can't!"

But it was too late. With a savage cry, she wrenched her arm free from his grip and sprinted towards Sero. Malice laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that filled the air, as if she knew what was coming. Enzo's expression turned grim as he realized there was nothing he could do to stop her.

"Kit, quickly attend to Sero. Stop his bleeding and do whatever it takes to keep him alive, then check on Liam and Elena. Enzo, go protect Amaya. I will deal with the creature." Gregor's command was sharp and to the point, and all three of them moved into action without hesitation.

Kit and Enzo rushed after Amaya, trying to distract Malice from targeting her. The Succubus Goddess continued to laugh, her voice both entrancing and eerie. Gregor, on the other hand, calmly walked towards her, an unreadable expression on his face.

As the three reached Sero's side, Amaya dropped to her knees, cradling his head in her lap. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and blood trickled from his mouth as the color rapidly drained away from his skin. She looked up at Kit with pleading eyes, silently begging her to do something.

Without a word, the Paradox knelt and closed her eyes, holding her hands over the giant puncture marks in Sero's stomach.

"Amaya, you know that I've always had a healing skill, right?"

The Spellblade nodded, understanding the scopes of Kit's Cat Paradox. Though she knew Kit didn't really have one, seeing Sero on the verge of death made her truly believe that the Paradox could heal him.

Kit let out a small sigh of relief as a white aura bloomed over Sero's body, quickly beginning to heal him. She stood up, nodding to Enzo and dashed off to help Liam and Elena.

As she left, Amaya continued to watch as Sero's gaping wounds slowly closed, the color trickling back into his face. Tears streamed down her face, and she leaned over him, her forehead resting against his. She felt a strange mix of emotions: relief that he was going to be okay, guilt for not being able to protect him, and anger at Malice for what she had done.

Enzo had turned his back towards them, watching as Gregor approached Malice.

"Hmm, you seem to be the strongest out of everyone here," Malice purred, her eyes glinting with amusement as she watched Gregor approach. "But even you won't be able to stop me from having a little fun." She gestured casually towards the fallen members of the group, a cruel smile playing about her lips. "I've been so bored, stuck in my little realm for so long. It's been ages since I've had a proper fight."

"Your fun ends here," Gregor rumbled, his tone even but his eyes blazing with fury. "As the leader of the Janitors, I will clean up this mess."