Maria jumped off the demon's hand and floated a few inches above the water. She touched the demon. In a few seconds, its whole gigantic body disintegrated into dust, scattered by the wind. Only Maria and Wander remained.

            Outnumbered by people who considered her enemy, yet Maria's composure stood strong like a wall with no crack. She drew the stares of each and every being present, and also the points of swords, the lens of camera, the muzzles of guns. She stared back at them, yet they felt like it was something beyond them her eyes lied upon.  Even the sound from the helicopters could not win against the overwhelming grave silence she was effortlessly imposing on the atmosphere. Summoners, hunters, familiars, focused on her. Just that action seemed to sap them of all strength.

            " My mortal enemies, I am ever grateful to you." Maria said, her voice echoing." For you have returned my master to my side. My lord Samundo."

            She smiled, recognizing the horror on others' faces.

            She lift Wander's body up. The boy's clothes were tattered. His green blood filled the bubble.

            "To reward you all, I will let you gaze upon his resurrection."

            Maria took out a golden bar. She smiled as she saw the frown on Fulish's face.

            She held the bar close to her lips and whispered obscure words.

            The golden bar flared up. Its glorious and blinding light erased the very concept of darkness. Night turned day, and all stars blurred. All diverted their eyes away from the burning souce of light.

            Maria closed her eyes, took a deep breath as she felt the golden bar transforming in her hand, taking the form of a scepter.

            " And now, witness the rebirth of demon lord Samundo."

            Wander's body lighted up, and all of his wounds started to heal. Demex emitted from his body. In less than a second, all guns, staffs and swords were pointing at him.

            And his body exploded.  In front of the widened eyes of every living beings. The bubble containing him popped, pieces of flesh scattered in all directions, green blood splatter like rain. The blip blop sound of flesh and organ falling on the water made some flinch in disgust.  

            " Just kidding." Maria burst out laughing."He is not Samundo. I am."

______________________________________________________________________________

            Veritas was the first to response to the new threat.

            "Fire!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

            The hunters pulled the triggered. Hundreds of bullets flew towards Maria but could not reach her body. Instead they bounced off a shield enveloping her.

            " Can't believe you fell for that trick." The water beneath Maria's feet, the whole resevoir, quaked like a giant awakened.

            Pillars of water shot at the helicopters, and in mere seconds they turned to ice, trapping the aircraft and disabling their guns. Water whips hit the hunters and the summoners, instantly freezing anyone they touched. It was as if the resevoir had turn sentient, turning against anything and anyone hostile towards Maria with its tentacles. Amidst the chaos, Maria stood still, immune to all forces, hands behind her back, watching the reservoir claiming her assailants one by one.

            "The only idiot who has ever bragged about defeating me. And you killed him so mercilessly."

            It was like a scene extracted from a horror movie: hundreds of frozen hunters and summoners still retained the expression of fear on their faces, their hands in mid air, their bullets and their spells too. One could say a hydra were devouring the living surrounding it. Maria blocked everything thrown at her with the icebergs she created. For each one her opponents destroyed, she created two more.

            The summoners called for their familiars. The hunters tried to approach her. They went for an all-out attack. Maria blasted everything away simply by continuously releasing her energy. Faint rings of light could be seen orbiting her body, spreading across space and pushing everything back, uprooting nearby trees, turning vehicles upside down.

            Tetrax charged forward and flashed her sword flashed at Maria, but her blade suffered the same fate of the bullets. Maria squinted at Tetrax's cloak. "One of them." Her energy ring forced Tetrax to distance herself from her.

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            "More iron birds." Maria raised her eyebrows at the approaching aircraft.

            They launched missiles towards Maria.

            "Right after you saw me blast thing away. I'm not complaining."

            The missiles, one moment still going at Maria at full speed, dropped like flies killed mid-air just half a second later. They disintegrated to dust before touching the ground.

            The water in the reservoir floated to Maria. A huge sphere of liquid  formed around her, snake-like streams of water interwoven, freezing anything passing through. Maria glanced at Aria and Hiatus. The sphere slowly froze, and her voice echoed throughout the reservoir. "I enjoy the fun, thank you. But no matter what you do, I will continue to seek resurrection, till the day eternity ends."

            The sphere completely concealed Maria. Everything went silent. People waited for her to emerge, but she did not.

            "Destroy it." Veritas gave his order.

            A missile collided with the sphere and reduced it to pieces. It was only ice falling out. Maria was nowhere to be found.

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            "One legendary familiar, one Singulus Digiti, one Hunter Captain, more than 100 summoners and their familiars and nearly as much hunters against her." Alados said.

            "I am ashamed of this failure, sir."

            "What failure? The failure of returning alive after confronting her with that few people?"

            "Sir..."

            "Not a single hunter died. I don't know why  she was so merciful. You did well, Veritas."

            Veritas did not know how to reply. He could only say thank.

            "Afterwards?"

            " Tetrax vanished. Fulish vanished. The wounded hospitalized. The area investigated. Aria and Hiatus returned to New York. Everyone panicked. Silently."

            Veritas could hear Alados tapping his desk.

            " Did you collect Wander's blood?"

            " No, sir, Samundo had diluted the water with his, I mean, her spells. His flesh and organs seemed to have been reduced to dust. But that boy's blood can still be found back in New York. In small quantity."

            " Good. Deliver it to me."

            " Sir, should we make a public announcement? To inform people of Samundo?"

            " Yes. It's not like we can hide her presence any longer. With that entrance, Samundo made sure the whole world knew of her return."

            "One more thing, sir. That boy, Wander, I want him to be off the report, and off the news. He is a victim. His two friends too. I... That's my apology to them."

            Alados stopped his tapping. Veritas held his breath, a drop of sweat rolled down his cheek.

            " Sure. Keep them hidden. I was going to suggest that anyways."

            "Thank you, sir." He said, waiting for Alados to disconnect.

            After hearing the pip, Veritas put away his phone, sighing. He turned to the person sitting opposite to him.

            " That is very appreciated, Captain."

            "Unnecessary. Now, I believe you have some information to exchange for that favor, Mr. Singulus Digiti."