"Fucking hell," Sero cursed as he dialed Amaya’s number, racing into his penthouse. "I really need a break."

The scene in the city had left him shaken. The normally bustling streets were now lined with emergency medical vehicles and guards, the people huddled together in fear. It was a far cry from the vibrant zone he had grown used to. And the worst part was, it was only going to get worse.

Sero glanced around his penthouse, taking in the opulence that had once been a symbol of his success. Now, it all seemed empty and hollow. He wondered if he would ever be able to return to his old life. "Hello?" he said into the phone, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

Amaya's voice came through the line, sounding equally concerned. "What's going on, Sero? I heard about the portal openings from the Pentagram. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just closed two of them," Sero ran to his bedroom, finding Luna watching over a sleeping Casey. "Just checking to see if you're okay. Have you informed the others, or do they already know of the situation?"

"The Janitors are already moving to help, and the Pentagram issued an emergency alert for the 25th Zone. Thankfully, it's only here that portals are popping up so fast, but the 24th Zone is beginning to see a rise as well."

"Fuck," Sero cursed again. "All right, I'll be out to help with the outbreaks after I make sure Casey and Luna are good."

"Ok. And Sero?" Amaya's voice sounded hesitant over the phone.

"Yeah?" Sero asked, glancing at Luna and Casey before looking back at the phone.

"Please be safe."

"I will," he assured her. "Just stay safe yourself." He hung up the phone and turned to Luna. "I'm going to help with the portal outbreaks. Can you watch after Casey for a while?"

The succubus nodded, her expression grave. "Of course, Sero. You know I'll keep him safe."

He handed her a spare phone that Peter had given him, his number already entered. "Then take this. You might need it."

Outside, the streets were still teeming with activity, but now there was an undercurrent of fear and urgency. The Zone’s authorities and Ascendants were working tirelessly to contain the situation, while ordinary citizens tried their best to stay out of harm's way. Sero made his way over to where Peter, Nala, and a group of other strong Ascendants were coordinating their efforts.

"Sero!" Peter exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. "We've got another portal opening a few blocks away. We need you to help us seal it."

Sero nodded, feeling a surge of adrenaline as he followed Peter and Nala to the site of the newest breach. The air was thick with the stench of burning flesh and the screams of panicked citizens. As they approached, they could see an army of flaming giants, their skin charred and blackened, emerging from the portal. Near them, people who were unlucky enough to be caught in the heat littered the streets, their flesh burned and melted.

Quickly summoning Moss and Lime, Sero casted Ground Fortress, creating an earthen barrier that swirled around the giants and prevented the stray flames from injuring anyone else as the pups growled and drained the mana from the invaders. Sero casted a giant Water Blast to dampen the heat and flames as the monsters pushed forward, Nala and Peter coming to his aid.

The fight was brutal, but the three of them managed to hold their own against the onslaught, Sero carrying the team with his relentless Water Blast usage. As the last of the flaming giants fell, the biggest of them all, Peter collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. "I can't... keep this up," he wheezed. "I'm almost out of mana."

"Me too," Nala grimaced, bending forward to catch her breath. She glanced at Sero with an exhausted look. "How are you still able to keep going?"

"Lime's supplying me with mana, and my Queen cards top off my energy," Sero replied with a bitter grin as he summoned the Queen of Hearts and the Queen of Spades to help the other two recover. "But we can't keep sealing portals like this. Not when most of us can't keep going like I can."

He looked around, taking in the exhausted and terrified faces of the other Ascendants and regular civilians alike. The news had reported that the portals were opening at an increasing rate, and there was no sign of it slowing down. A sense of hopelessness threatened to engulf him, but he forced it back down, his Rationality in full effect.

"Champion!"

Sero had never been so relieved to hear Aphiel's voice in his thoughts.

"Aphiel! Do you know what's going on?"

"Yes, champion, the other gods are alarmed at this situation as well. Some of them have been communicating with their champions, directing them to where they predict an outbreak will occur."

Sero glanced at Nala and Peter, who were still trying to catch their breaths. "Hey, you two rest here for now. I'm going to keep pushing forward."

"But Sero, we can't leave you alone," Nala protested.

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"It's fine," he shook his head. "I'm an S-rank, remember? If things get too dicey, I'll retreat, but we can't afford to stop now."

Sero took off at a jog before the Shadereaper could protest. "Aphiel, I don't think we can keep shutting those portals down every time they pop up. We gotta find out why, how, and who is behind the outbreaks."

The streets were a chaotic mess of emergency services and Ascendants trying to contain the situation. Sero made his way through the crowds, dodging panicked civilians. His ears were attuned to the chatter on the comms frequency, trying to gather any information that might be helpful.

"I can try my best, but I do not believe it will be easy to pinpoint the reason for all of this," Aphiel warned. "The other gods are still investigating, and we may have to gather more information before we can understand what is truly happening."

Before Sero could respond, he noticed a hooded figure hidden in an alleyway off to the side, holding their hands up to the sky. Right then he knew that it was a Culling member preparing to cause an outbreak.

"Oh, no you don't," Sero growled under his breath, racing towards the figure and casting Shadow Bind.

The Culling member cried out in pain as the dark tendrils wrapped around their limbs, immobilizing them. Before they could react further, Sero placed a hand on their shoulder, projecting a soothing calmness with a Dominate beam.

"Now, you're going to tell me everything you know about the outbreaks, got it?" he demanded, his voice steady and confident. The male Culling member, still panting in pain, nodded weakly, his eyes unfocused as he submitted to his will. "Good. Start talking."

Sero waited patiently as the man began to speak, revealing that they had been working under the orders of a mysterious figure known only as the 'Savior'. This figure was rumored to be the leader of the Culling, and they had been orchestrating the outbreaks in order to weaken the other gods and acquire sacrifices so that they could invoke a Catastrophe.

"Anything else?" Sero asked, his voice cold and unforgiving. The Culling member tried to speak, but then his eyes cleared up, breaking free from Sero's control.

"You can't stop us, Ascendant!" he spat, struggling against the Shadow Bind. "The Savior will succeed, and the world will be cleansed!"

"What the fuck, how did you break free?" Sero murmured to himself. "Whatever, I'll just probe your memories..." He tried casting Mind Search, surprised to find out that the man's mind was being protected.

"Ha! You think you're so clever, Ascendant! But you'll never find out the truth!" the Culling member laughed, his voice manic. "The Savior will crush you and your pathetic gods! You'll all burn in the Catastrophe!"

Irritation began to bubble within Sero as he grasped the man by the neck. "You're going to tell me what I want to know," he growled, "or I'm going to snap your neck right now."

The Culling member simply grinned, his eyes glowing with darkness. "Those to be culled, have failed to-"

Before Sero realized it, he casted a full-powered Lightning Bolt, vaporizing the Culling member in his hands before he could finish the incantation. Shocked at himself, Sero felt his Rationality quickly calming his nerves as he gazed at the smoking remains of the cultist.

"Champion? What did you do...?" Aphiel whispered in his thoughts, her voice trembling with concern.

"I...I lost control," Sero responded, his voice strangely even. "I didn't mean to."

He took a deep breath, doubling down on his resolve. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, we know that Culling has a hand in causing these outbreaks, so we just have to find them before they-" Sero's phone rang, causing him to jump. He answered the call, trying to sound calm and collected.

"Hello?"

"Sero!" Luna's hushed voice came from the other side, sounding fearful. "I think there's someone trying to break in!" The succubus gave a muffled shriek as Sero heard a dull thud through the speaker.

"Luna? Luna, are you okay?" Sero shouted, panic rising in his voice. The call dropped, causing Sero to yell out in frustration.

Gathering his senses, he emulated Lawbreak, immediately teleporting back to his penthouse. When his world stabilized, he found his door hanging off its hinges, revealing complete disarray inside. The room was splattered with blood and strewn with the bodies of several cultists, all of them radiating with traces of wicked energy attributed to Culling. Ahead, the windows had been shattered, letting in a fierce breeze that carried the scent of death.

Sero dashed into his bedroom, where he found Luna lying unconscious on the floor, her succubus form exposed as she struggled to breathe. Sero knelt beside her, his heart racing as he casted Recovery.

"Luna, hey, talk to me," Sero murmured, his hand shaking as he brushed a lock of her hair from her face. Her orange eyes fluttered open, her gaze flickering back and forth between him and the carnage around them. She coughed weakly, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "Are you hurt?" Sero asked, his voice tight with worry.

"A little bit, but I'm fine," Luna sat up, dispersing her wings. Her eyes suddenly widened as she registered Sero there. "Wait, they took him!"

Sero looked at her, confused. "Took who?"

"Casey!" Luna cried, tears streaming down her face. "I tried fighting them off for as long as possible, but there were so many!"

A cold chill ran down Sero's spine as he registered Luna's words. "Casey?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. "What do you mean they took him?"

The succubus looked at him with pleading eyes. "When I fought them off, they...they grabbed him and took him! I just remember one of them was a man wearing glasses!" she sobbed, her voice cracking.

A mixture of fear and despair washed over Sero, overshadowed by a blinding rage. He let out a primal scream, the sound echoing through the penthouse.

He panted, gazing around at the littered bodies in his living room as Luna continued to quietly sob. His phone rang again, and despite his best efforts to ignore it, he had to answer.

"Sero?" Amaya's voice came from the other side.

"I'm here," Sero replied, his voice tight with rage. "What's up?"

"I'm... I'm not sure," the Spellblade's voice was shaking. "But I just got word that the outbreaks have suddenly stopped spawning."

Sero frowned, his anger momentarily forgotten. "What do you mean they've stopped?"

There was a brief pause before Amaya continued. "I don't know how to explain it, but it looks like the outbreaks have been... stopped, just like that. It's like they've been cut off at the source."

Sero glanced at Luna, slowly realizing that Casey's kidnapping and all of the outbreaks may be connected. "Gather everyone at the Ascendants Association," he told Amaya. "I think... I know what just happened."