100 Seconds Earlier.

"Dammit! I can't sense any of them!" Gabriel muttered, still running through a seemingly endless meadow of verdant grass.

Giovanna was by his side. "I thought you were good at that, Gabriel," she mumbled, trying to keep up with Gabriel as they ran. She stared off to the side, where a tall, stone brick castle stood.

And to her other side, there was another castle. Plus, there was the entire space they had been running through for the last seven minutes. And the space where the others were. The place where they were fighting a demon.

She understood Anastasia had a very limited amount of magic energy. Out of all seven Virtues, she had the least. And to create an Enclosed World of this size...

Giovanna swallowed her saliva.

"What if we're going in the opposite direction? And those Golden Dawn guys we beat up are in the right direction?"

"First, they're unconscious. Second, not we, I beat up. Kind of saddened you didn't help out at all," he joked.

"I'm not much of a fighter. You know that. ...And since when did you make jokes?"

"We're in a damn Enclosed World. It's made entirely of magic. All I can sense is a jumble of energy everywhere. I'm not as good at this as Leonard. But if I can just-" His eyes widened as a smirk formed on his lips.

"I found them. We need to hurry," he said, grabbing Giovanna by her pale green hoodie.

"Hey, let me go!" she protested.

"I said we have to hurry. That's what we're doing," he muttered, as his body became reinforced on end with magic. Gabriel slowly took in a deep breath, before dashing to the side into the stone castle at their side.

- - - - -

Alexander had plunged that steel blade into Asmodeus' chest. The gleaming silver sword slid past his armor and his torso. He pushed the blade as deep as he could, until the sword itself appeared from outside the demon's body.

'But it's not enough!' he reminded himself.

He turned his head, before shouting, "Leonard!"

"The information we had... said nothing about fire resistance!" Alexander yelled, his eyes brimming with fervor. He clenched his jaw, grit his teeth, and tried to force a smile, as if to say, Trust me.

Leonard swallowed his saliva. "Don't let this go to waste!" Flames erupted around them.

The crimson fire began to burst, explode with each fervent spark. Flames began to spin around them like a tornado, burning the oxygen itself, destroying any chance of escape.

Endure it, Alexander urged himself. Endure!

'He's a demon,' Alexander reminded himself. 'There's no way flames would be enough. I know that much. But with Ascalon... We can do this!'

Alexander swiftly retracted the blade. "Again!" he urged himself, before slamming the blade into the demon's chest once again.

"Again!"

More explosions. More flames. And another impalement.

Alexander smiled. 'We did it,' he thought, beginning to look up at the crimson monster as the flames ceased and parted away.

What Alexander saw wasn't a face tainted with fear nor anger. What he saw a smiling face, twisted with manic mirth.

Asmodeus' armor began to crumple, cracking away at the pierced wound, unveiling a gap in the demon's physical body. Instead of a normal, human-like torso, what stood there was a contorted body, shifted away, with gaps and holes in between, leaving nothing but a grotesque form.

And within one of those gaping holes was Ascalon.

"You think I didn't realize what you were doing? I'm a nine-thousand-year-old demon. A warrior of the highest caliber. Did you really think I couldn't fend off one boy with a sword?!" His chest shifted once again, before reforming the gaps it held before.

Even with the demon's distorted face, his crooked smile was clear. He grasped both of Alexander's arms. "What can you do now? Hm? Tell me. Your demonic energy isn't strong enough to-"

"You talk too much," Alexander mumbled.

The demon smiled. "I've had enough of you," he said, tightening his grip on Alexander's arms, squeezing with all the force in his bones.

snap.

Alexander let out an anguished howl as Asmodeus cackled. Alexander's bones had been broken and crushed.

And the demon continued laughing.

Asmodeus let go of his crushed arms. Droplets of blood and sweat danced in the air Alexander began to fall backward. "Alexander!" shouted Anastasia.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

He fell to his knees, shouting, and crying with pain.

Alexander clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth and swallowing his saliva. "Not yet!" he shouted, his eyes beginning to glow with zeal.

"Leonard!" Alexander cried. "Use-"

The side of Asmodeus' fist slammed into Alexander's head. Alexander crashed into another stone brick wall. Ash and dust filled the air.

"Now then," the demon muttered. "Where's the holy child? The one with that sword?"

"Right here," Gabriel uttered. A gleaming silver sword shot down, cleaving apart the air towards Asmodeus.

The demon dodged the attack with a single step to the side. "So predictable," he murmured with a sigh.

"Even so... Now that it's all seven of you... This will be far more enjoyable."

As Giovanna's feet graced the ground, she shot her arm upward. The ground rumbled, breaking apart, as a dozen spikes shot out from the ground, launching towards the demon.

Alexander slowly raised his head. Blood was dripping down into his already bloodshot eyes. The vision through his left eye was nothing more than a dense sheet of crimson.

Warm magic energy began to wrap around Alexander's broken arms. He turned to Anastasia, as she smiled at him. "I'm wrapping space around your arms like a cast," she informed him. "Now go!"

He winced, as a smile floated unto his lips. He looked up, gritting his teeth, facing the demon. "Thanks, Anastasia. Now..." He grit his teeth. "Now, I can still fight!" he shouted. Alexander flung his arm backward while Ascalon's golden hilt slipped into his hand. 'Let's finish this.'

"Let's finish this," he repeated aloud, wincing as he clenching his fist.

He charged at the demon.

Asmodeus' grin widened before he clenched both his fists. "Everyone!" he shouted. "Let's kill each other!"

Lightning descended from the sky, ripping through the air. Whirls of wind and crimson flames exploded around the demon, forming an infernal tornado, enveloping Asmodeus.

And from behind, from the demon's blindspot, Alexander appeared, silver sword in hand.

Asmodeus' eyes widened.

But behind that grotesque facade, the demon was smiling.

Alexander knew the demon could shift his body in time. He knew that the look of fear on the demon's face was fake. All an act.

And so...

As Alexander pulled his arm back, as he readied his attack, he smiled.

"I'm gonna want this back," Alexander said, tossing Ascalon to the side.

And to his side was none other than Gabriel Archibald.

'I'm gonna make that fear turn real!' he thought, smiling as Leonard clapped his hands.

The flames began to die down, leaving nothing more than a vast screen of smoke surrounding Asmodeus.

Alexander's energy manipulation had improved since his fight against Belphegor. He kept it suppressed to the point where Asmodeus shouldn't be able to sense him. Such a drastic difference could make him almost invisible by energy-sensing alone.

And now... Alexander burst through the veil of black smoke, past all the raging flames, driving his energy-dense fist into Asmodeus' face.

Black blood dripped from his broken nose. Alexander swallowed his saliva. Belphegor's blood was purple, wasn't it?

Alexander simply stopped caring. He grabbed the demon by its hair, slamming his knee into the monster's face.

Gabriel smiled as soon as he saw that sight. He drove Ascalon through the demon's leg.

Asmodeus let out a shrieking howl.

'We can...'

They can win together.

Just like the fight against Belphegor.

'But I won't get knocked out again!' Gabriel told himself, stabbing Asmodeus' other leg with Excalibur.

"Here!" Gabriel shouted, tossing Ascalon into the sky.

"No!" the demon shouted.

Alexander slid under Asmodeus' legs. With the right timing, he could catch the blade before it hit the ground.

"Go," Gabriel muttered, smiling as his emerald eyes gleamed.

Alexander's hand barely managed to wrap around Excalibur's hilt as he shot upward. This was perfect. If he got his movements rights, he could impale Asmodeus.

Even if Asmodeus contorted his body, Gabriel could cut off his head. And even if that didn't work, Liam was still lying in wait. Right now... This could work.

This will work.

Asmodeus' eyes glowed with crimson light. "Humans... They're predictable." He clenched his fist. His hand and forearm expanded, swelling up as he focused all his strength into his fist.

Asmodeus' fist slammed into Alexander's face.

"In every era. Even in the Age of Gods," the demon continued.

Alexander was once more flung to the side. He crashed into another stone wall.

"Goddamit," Lumiel muttered.

Dust from crushed stone-filled Alexander's lungs with each breath. He coughed as he struggled to sit upright.

Alexander swallowed his dry saliva as he bit his lip. He was bleeding from his nose and forehead. His vision was getting hazier by the minute. And his arms weren't feeling great either. But...

'All I have to do is grasp the sword. All I have to do... is get back up.'

And that's exactly what he did.

He barely managed to shut his hand to grip his sword. With Ascalon dug into the ground to support him, Alexander pushed himself up.

The wind blew against him from behind as sweat droplets fell from his face to the ground. He slowly inhaled. 'Concentrate. Concentrate. Concentrate. Forget the pain. And just move!'

Alexander stared at the others and Asmodeus. The demon stood still. His arms and legs seemed to be brunt and charred. Blood still dripped from the side of his chest, and from his nose and his mouth.

All these attacks were wearing him down. He was standing still for a reason. Alexander knew that much.

Asmodeus was afraid. He swallowed his dry saliva. These humans... The Virtues...

They kept on fighting. No matter what, it seemed.

They wouldn't stop even after having their bones broken. They wouldn't stop even if they were losing blood. They wouldn't stop if their bodies burned with energy exhaustion.

They continued to surpass their limits. They continued to adapt. All for victory.

Now... Asmodeus was on the defensive. Now... Alexander understood what to do.

The idea he had mentioned to Anastasia earlier... That was the key to victory.

"Now! Anastasia!" he shouted, pulling the sword from the stone ground and dashing at the demon.

Anastasia swallowed his saliva. What's he thinking, she thought. Her eyes widened as she took in a sharp breath, the chilling wind almost burning her lungs.

She clasped her hands together.

A Connection opened up in front of Alexander, and another in front of Gabriel. And another for Liam. And just as Anastasia snapped her fingers...

Just as the three of them dashed through the portals...

Three more opened up around Asmodeus. And from them, emerged his opponents.

Gabriel from above, Alexander from below, and Liam from behind, the three emerged. Three opponents with three holy swords coming in from three directions.

The Connections pushed their carriers through, impaling their target.

All three swords had pierced the demon.

"You..." Asmodeus flailed his arms, attempting to attack any of the three. "No! This wasn't-"

Alexander pushed himself and his blade even further, deeper, as Asmodeus let out another anguished cry. "This wasn't... supposed to happen!" he cried as his skin began to turn ashen. He was hyperventilating, his breaths labored and ragged, before crying out once more, "Not like this! It's not supposed to end like this!"

Asmodeus screeched, his body shifting and fading, turning into ash and dust, scattering like sand in the wind.

"We... won..." Gabriel muttered, his feet gently touching the ground.

Alexander let out a sigh of relief, as he slowly brought down his arms. He dropped his sword to the ground, his broken arms swaying. He smiled. "Anastasia..." he said. "Get us out of here, please."