Apollo just barely deflected another attack from Hyakkimaru, spitting blood to the side as he calmly assessed the warrior. Both arms had gauntlets that he used to shield himself from the deadly sword but the force of it was unavoidable. One arm was numb while the other bled freely from various cuts he could not avoid.

"Such skill for a mortal."

Hyakkimaru tightened his grip on the sword, keeping his stance ready to attack as soon as he could spot an opening.

Apollo could feel the phantom blood running down his forehead, knowing his twin battled Micah and seemed to be taking her own fair share of wounds.

He wondered if he should have stayed and had Artemis go instead, feeling another phantom slash to his side.

"You would do well to side with us. Mio would be protected." He offered again, his silver gaze flickering eerily in the moonlight.

Hyakkimaru narrowed his eyes at him in response and managed to give Apollo a glancing blow to the ribs this time.

"I told you not to speak her name." He coldly replied, slashing out once more as the dark fire blazed even more brightly around the sword.

Apollo narrowly avoided his head separating from his body as he moved impossibly fast. He raised one hand, growing a silver ball of power to shoot towards Hyakkimaru when his mind touched his twin's, sensing her intentions.

Do not harm her!

But it was too late, and he could see a flash of white light in the distance.

Hyakkimaru used the opportunity to strike at Apollo. He turned the side of the blade right before it connected with him, knocking him unconscious.

Mitsuri leaped into the horde of demons, her eyes desperately seeking out a sign of Iguro. She spotted a stripped pattern in the middle of the group and wildly swung her sword around her as she tried to reach him. The devolved in the heaviest part of the group were thrown backwards from a blast of power, and Iguro stood. Her heart tightened to see that he bore wounds and closed the distance to land in front of him.

He met her gaze and he quickly scanned her body to ensure she was alright before grabbing her hand. He lay waste to the demons in no time, as Mitsuri used her sword to cut a path through. When they were close to reaching the end of the horde, there was a sound of quick attacks and the horde stilled for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

Mitsuri and Iguro kept their swords raised, the sound of their breathing heavy from the intensity of the fight.

"What happened to Enmu?" Iguro asked, still scanning the eerily quiet area and wondering who could have done such a thing.

Mitsuri shook her head as she scanned the area as well. Iguro carefully walked towards the area where they had both last seen Enmu.

Mitsuri suddenly spotted movement to her left and belatedly she heard Iguro shout her name. She was able to raise her sword in time as fangs bared close to her face. Enmu growled as he easily grabbed her sword and wrenched it from her grasp.

Iguro jumped forward, intending to slash at Enmu but rolled to the side as Mitsuri was placed before him as a human shield.

"You are a moon demon. This is cowardice." He murmured; his eyes narrowed in anger at himself as Enmu pressed a clawed finger against Mitsuri's neck.

Enmu only pressed the claw harder in response, drawing a droplet of blood against her pale skin.

Mitsuri looked pleadingly at him, her bright gaze urging him to stop the demon at all costs. Even at the expense of her life.

Iguro shook his head slightly, his mind working furiously for a way to save her.

There was a sudden movement and Mitsuri fell forward as Enmu was subdued by a cloaked stranger.

"Mitsuri!" Iguro knelt by her side but she shook her head, her hand pressed to her neck.

"I'm fine." She gasped, reassuring him. "Take care of Enmu."

Iguro nodded and looked to where the figure had already knocked out the demon. He kept his sword by his side as he warily approached the figure.

"Reveal yourself."

The figure knelt over the demon and as he came closer, he could hear a female voice murmur some sort of prayer.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, closing the distance.

Just as he was about to reach her, he felt a sword at his own neck.

"Step away." Sanemi ordered.

Micah struggled to move towards Mika and the others despite his wounds, his movements unbearably slow as he called out to her.

He could see the silver power that Artemis had released closing in on the group, growing larger as it nearly reached them.

Micah stopped and held out a hand in an attempt to divert the power's path, but Artemis attacked behind him. He barely managed to deflect the dagger that was aimed at his heart with his staff.

Artemis grinned, watching over his shoulder.

"You should have yielded when you had the chance."

In desperation, Micah removed one hand from the staff and quickly spoke an incantation before a faint blue light left his fingers and struck at her temple. Her eyes widened in surprise, before they rolled back, and she fell to the ground unconscious.

Micah turned around again to try and divert the attack but saw the moment it made contact with Mika. She had turned slightly and caught Micah's desperate gaze before there was a piercing light as she was struck.

Micah blindly stumbled forward, hoping with everything inside him that Mika and the others had somehow survived that deadly blast. When his vision finally cleared, his blood ran cold at the sight of the fallen figures on the ground.

"Mika! Mio!" He cried out, reaching Mika first. He carefully laid her head on his lap, throwing his staff to the side as he grasped her head and felt for a pulse. When she had no pulse, he carefully laid her on the ground and placed his palm over her heart. Murmuring other words, ignoring the wounds that flared painfully from the use of powers when he had barely any strength left, a blue healing light transferred from his palm to her body. When he made a move to imbue more of his power into her, a hand gently gripped his wrist.

His eyes widened in surprise as Mika gasped and coughed violently.

"Mika." He murmured, cradling her head carefully again in his lap as her coughing gradually subsided.

Mika glanced up at him, her eyes adjusting in the darkness. She raised a hand to touch the side of his face, the other still holding his wrist.

Micah froze at the touch, as she smiled weakly at him. But it was the familiar look in her eyes that he had not seen in over a millennia.

"Beloved."