"But before that, I have a few questions I would like answered." The Conqueror narrowed his eyes.

The Succubus Goddess tilted her head, a mocking smile playing about her lips. "Oh, do you now? Well, by all means, ask away."

"Judging by the citizens, I assume you were called over to this world, but by whom? And are you the culprit behind the barrier erected here?"

Malice laughed, a musical sound that grated on Gregor's ears. "Oh, you're clever, I'll give you that. But no, my dear boy, I was not summoned here. This realm was but a gift from a most generous and... appreciative suitor. As for the barrier, I must admit, I have no knowledge of it. I am merely a guest here, enjoying the sights and sounds of this lovely world."

"You're not behind the barrier?" Gregor asked, his voice hardening. "Then tell me this: what do you want?"

"To become a Catastrophe, of course," Malice purred, the darkness in her eyes flaring larger. "But that is not for you to decide. Now, I believe it's time for our little fight." With a grace that belied her true nature, she flowed into a defensive stance, her long, lithe limbs seeming to flow like liquid.

"I have heard of a Catastrophe, but what is their goal for this world?" Gregor calmly asked, his violet eyes unblinking as he studied Malice's movements. "And why does it require you to be the one to achieve it?"

Malice chuckled, the sound like the rustling of leaves in the wind. "You are a clever one. The goal of a Catastrophe is not so different from that of a God. We wish to shape this world in our image, to make it a reflection of our desires. As for why it must be me... that is a question for the one who summoned me." She shrugged elegantly. "But I suppose you could say that I am the most qualified among my kind. I have the power, the cunning, and the ruthlessness to see it through."

Gregor frowned, unconvinced. "And what of the lives you've taken, the suffering you've caused? Does that not bother you?"

"I am a very old being, mortal," Malice said, her voice cool. "I have seen empires rise and fall, civilizations come and go. Death and suffering are but the natural order of things. It is only the weak who are bothered by it. I, on the other hand, revel in it. It is what makes me strong, what makes me a god." Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "And once I have made this world into my own personal plaything, there will be no escape from my embrace. You, and everyone you hold dear, will become part of my eternal kingdom."

The Conqueror sighed, his violet eyes glowing with power. "I'm afraid I cannot allow that to happen."

"Who decided that?" Malice spat as she shot a point-blank Dominate at him. The beam smacked against his chest, but Gregor merely twitched his eyes in annoyance. The Succubus goddess opened her mouth in shock.

"Another mortal, immune to my charms? Humans have really grown to be quite interesting." Malice's tone was mocking as she advanced on Gregor, her movements fluid and deadly. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to last this long. Most of your kind would have been swayed by my charms, or brought to their knees by my power."

"Funny you should mention that," Gregor calmly replied as he extended a hand palm-down. "People often do that with me as well."

Malice screeched as an overwhelming pressure slammed her to her knees. "Wh-what?" she choked out as the power of the Conqueror's King's Will washed over her, shattering her defenses and seizing control of her. "No... this can't be happening!"

"Unfortunately, my passives makes me immune to the wills of others and allows me to impose my own. Paired with my skill, and I become a veritable juggernaut against any who would attempt to influence me." Gregor's voice was cold and harsh, his violet eyes burning with determination.

Malice's features contorted into a snarl of rage and humiliation. She struggled against the unyielding grip of the Conqueror's King's Will, but it was futile. "You... you'll pay for this, mortal!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps," Gregor replied, reaching down and grabbing Malice by the throat as he lifted her up. "But my dues will not be towards you."

Amaya, Enzo, and even Kit watched in fear and amazement as Gregor tossed the Succubus goddess in the air, cocking back his fist. With a thundering roar, the Conqueror launched his fist into Malice's stomach as she fell, immediately obliterating her into black liquid as a shockwave erupted from the impact. The resounding wave blasted forward, carving a path through the streets and buildings of the city as if they were made of nothing but paper.

With a shiver, Amaya realized that Gregor had used no mana or enhancements in that punch, relying only on his raw strength. As she watched him turn to face them, she saw that his expression had returned to its usual calm, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. It was a chilling reminder of the Conqueror's place as the 5th strongest S-rank.

"Are you... alright, Boss?" Enzo asked hesitantly.

"I am now, Enzo," Gregor sighed, glancing at Amaya. "I apologize for that, my dear. It seems that I let my temper get the best of me."

Amaya smiled weakly, her heart still racing from the sight of Gregor's display of raw power. "It's alright, Gregor. You had every right to be angry."

The Conqueror nodded. "As do you, it seems."

Amaya glanced back down at Sero, who was now starting to stir in her lap. "He's... going to be okay, right?" she asked, her voice trembling.

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"I hope so," Kit appeared beside them and knelt, a worried and angry look on her face. "If Gregor hadn't ripped apart that monster, I would've. How dare that bitch hurt my little bookworm."

"Hey, Kit," Enzo put a hand on her shoulder. "You know Sero's tougher than he looks. He's gonna be just fine." He glanced over at his brother and Elena who had been moved closer to them. Both of them seemed to be resting now, with no signs of visible injuries. "Did you figure out what happened to those guys?"

"I-it was because of the Succubus goddess..." A timid voice spoke up, causing the four to whirl their heads around. Luna stepped forward hesitantly, almost fearful as she cautiously stared at Gregor.

"Ah, my dear, do not be afraid," Gregor raised his hands in a placating gesture. "You may be related to that being, but I know you aren't like them."

Still wary of the Conqueror, Luna shuffled closer to Kit and Amaya. "Anyway... her name is- well was, Malice, the primogenitor of all succubi. I've only heard stories of her back in my world, but never thought she truly existed until now."

"So, what the hell happened?" Enzo repeated, frowning as he tried to make sense of everything.

"I-I'm not sure," Luna scooted behind Kit and Amaya. "I just remember some of the people looking possessed as they channeled energy they shouldn't be able to up to the sky. A portal opened and Malice came out, and those two tried to fight her, but fell to her mental attacks. Then Sero stepped up and now he's-" she trailed off, biting her lip as she stared at the still form of her friend.

"Take as much time as you need, my dear," Gregor assured Luna. "Do you know if those people were channeling into the portal, or the sky in general?"

"The portal, but..." Luna trailed off, confusion written on her face. "I'm not sure what they were doing. It just seemed random, like they were all trying to outdo each other."

The Conqueror's face hardened as if he realized something. "The possessed at the hospital had similar energies I sensed here. It might be a far-fetched guess, but with Culling's definite hand in controlling those people, it appears that they were attempting to force two monster outbreaks. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the one here succeeded."

"But why would they do that?" Kit asked, frowning. "What would be the point?"

"Catastrophe..." Luna whispered, her face paling. "Malice said she was going to be a Catastrophe using the lives she planned to take."

Gregor nodded grimly. "That would explain why the possessed had the same energy signatures. They were all being channeled into her."

Amaya gasped. "But that means... if they succeeded here, then what about the other outbreak?"

"Uh-uh, I cleared all of the members at the hospital and didn't sense anything else," Kit shook her head. "There's no way they'd have been able to cause another outbreak."

The Conqueror considered her words before nodding in agreement. "It seems so. However, we cannot be too hasty. It would be best to investigate further and make sure of that. I'll inform the others at the hospital to double their watch. Enzo, come with me and bring your brother and Elena; we'll see if there are any medics we can place them in the care of. Kit and Luna, please help the remaining citizens here." Gregor paused, glancing at Amaya who continued to cradle Sero's head in her lap.

"Amaya," he began gently, "I understand this must be difficult for you. You mustn't forget that you are not alone. There are people here who care about you and will support you through this." He offered a reassuring smile before turning to go. "We'll take care of everything here. You focus on your friend."

Kit gave the pair a long look, as if she wanted to be the one holding Sero, but decided to leave him in Amaya's care instead. As the others dispersed to tend to the aftermath, Amaya remained cradling Sero's head in her lap. The tears continued to fall unchecked down her cheeks, but she refused to let them stain his face. She brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead, her fingers trembling slightly.

"I'm sorry, Sero," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I tried so hard to protect you. I didn't want this to happen. I don't know what I'll do without you."

The Scholar's breathing steadied as Kit's healing spell slowly took effect. Amaya's shoulders slumped in relief, but she refused to let go of Sero's head. Tears continued to stream down her face, but she wiped them away before they could fall on him. She couldn't bear the thought of him seeing her like this, so weak and helpless.

"You're going to be okay, Sero," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You're so strong. You've faced so much already, and you've always come out on top." Amaya swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears. "You idiot, why do you always have to put yourself in danger?"

She didn't know how long she sat there, cradling his head in her lap. Time seemed to stand still as she waited for him to wake up. She was vaguely aware of people moving around her, of Kit and the others taking care of the aftermath. But all she could focus on was Sero, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest as his injuries slowly recovered.

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After the situations at both the front of the stadium and the hospital had been resolved and the survivors were taken care of, the remaining members of the group reconvened at the Ascendants Association, where the three S-ranks were promptly shuttled to the infirmary.

Or, as it turns out, just Sero and Elena, since as soon as Enzo picked up his brother to move to the infirmary, Liam awoke, angrily wrestling free from his grasp. The Demonic Judge simply shrugged it off, but appeared relieved that his younger brother was fine.

Elena awoke soon after, but complied with the medics and remained in the infirmary to rest for a little while before leaving. Soon, it was only Sero and Amaya in a private corner of the association infirmary.

Amaya sat beside Sero's bed, gazing at his sleeping face. It had become a familiar situation, her waiting for him to wake up from exhausting himself, but this time was different, as Sero had been heavily injured. She couldn't help but worry, despite the reassurance from the medics and the others that he would be fine. Her fingers traced gently over the bandages covering his stomach, feeling the rise and fall of his breath beneath them.

"My little bookworm still asleep?" came a familiar voice from behind. Amaya didn't have to turn to know it was Kit. "I thought he would have woken up by now."

She sighed, shaking her head. "He's been hurt before, but never like this." Amaya glanced at the bedside clock, noting that it had been over an hour since the fight had ended. "I just wish I knew how long it's going to take for him to-"

Her words trailed off as Sero's eyelids fluttered open. He blinked a few times, seeming disoriented before focusing on Amaya. "A-Amaya?" he croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Hey," Amaya said, relief flooding through her. She reached out and gently smoothed his hair away from his forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit," the Scholar replied, noticing the Paradox behind her. "Oh, hey Kit."

Kit smiled and waved at Sero before taking her leave. Amaya was surprised that she didn't stay longer or dote over Sero. She wasn’t sure, but Amaya thought Kit gave her a knowing smile as she left the two alone.