Chapter Five: Ecthel: Is there no end to this?

3rd person POV:

Ecthel and his friends set off to the Nelde Ruins again to finish all the demons there. Ledah is in Elendia… Still looking for Ecthel. "Are you looking for someone?" Rebecca who stays at the grove of Repose asked.Sheadded when Ledah gave her a blank expression and sort of ignored her. "You have been flying by to no end for the past few weeks. Who are you looking for?"

Ledah was a little surprised."… Me?""Yes. There isn't another angel around." "… My friend… … Ecthel…" He says still a little mixed up in his emotions to get things out right… "Ecthel, The savior to Riviera? You won't find him here. He went off to defeat the returned demons in Nelde Ruins!" Ledah flies off as quickly as he landed and headed to the place Rebecca said. Looking carefully but he missed Ecthel once again… Ecthel hadn't reached the ruins yet. Ledah was already looking there.

Ecthel arrived and started searching for demons. Most of them were defeated when they took all the legendary weapons. Ledah knows Ecthel is there but he can't find him still. He flies into a demon… Ledah slashes at it taking his anger out on it. He is just plainly annoyed, with his emotions returning, he now feels some doubt and is worried he would not find Ecthel in time.

Other then searching, Ecthel and his friends heard some screams… Demons are being killed somewhere near the apex… And it seems that it was only mere minuets another scream is heard. Confused, the group hurries up to the apex. They have still ways to go since they're only in the Tree ruins, battling their way to the top. "Did you guys hear that? Demons are being killed!" Ecthel asked.

"But we are the only group on our way to defeat demons…" Lina said "Who could be up there beating up demons? And it seems pretty easily done for whoever it is… How can they do it so easily?" Serene wondered. Rosethought a bit and tried to answer.(You don't suppose it's… well it's been two years since…) Gosh… Ledah again… Why won't she stop talking about him? Like I don't know… Each time… What is she trying to do to me? Oh… I give up… No more avoiding this subject

Ecthel was getting annoyed so he cut her off."… … Rose… Don't talk about him anymore! … Ledah is gone! When are you going to stop and leave me alone? I had enough of you talking about him to no end! He was my best friend! Now he's gone because he saved me! We have to save Riviera! We can't do that if I'm too down all the time and that is what you're doing to me! Talking about Ledah every opportunity you get… Rubbing it in… Ledah once said "We can't complete our mission dead!" but if I get too distracted I will end up dead! So quit bothering with that!"

"Ecthel, Should we go? We should find out who is it." Serene Pointed out "Arguing here won't help a thing. Let's just go." Cierra said (But who can be up there defeating demons as speedy as…) "There you go again… I don't want to hear about it!""Let's just go… We still need to check for Demons."

The group makes their way to the apex. Defeating everything they run into without using anymore fire. Then they heard the screams again… Just what is going on they wondered. In the Apex, Ledah is battling there still looking for Ecthel. But it seems demons are everywhere. One after another, he killed them in few skillful hits.

Ecthel and his group are at the wooden platforms battling. "You know, with our new weapons these things are kind of easy. But we are also running out of them… What can we do?" Ecthel questioned. "The people defeating all the demons up there are strong. Maybe they can help us. It will be easier that way." Lina stated happily "But we don't know if they are friend or enemies." Serene said and Fia agreed. "Serene is right we should be more careful."

(It seems like friend, killing demons in super speed, only…) Rose started but was cut off by Ecthel. "… … I know! … I'd wish too Rose! … Please stop!" (No! You are not listening again! Listen to me for once will ya? It is possible he's returned too! All population of Rosalina returned! So why not? And with each scream it seems truer.) Finallyable to get it outthat madeEcthel stop to think.

"… … You mean all sacrifices were… Then…! Maybe? Alright! Let's hurry and go to the Apex to find out!" Ecthel exclaimed "Slow down Ecthel; you're going too fast, Lina can't catch up!" Still complaining like usual but Serene mocked her. "Oh, hurry up Lina, or we'll leave you behind!"shesaid playfully. "Stop fighting and let's go." Ecthel exclaimed. The group hurries to the top still killing all demons they see… Until they are within colony remains. An Ogre and two skeletons attacked them.

Meanwhile in Asgard Malice reported to the Magi. "Did you finish all of them off yet?" "Not yet, the demons here are getting harder and more seems to come in every moment… I can hardly handle them. If Ledah doesn't return with Ecthel soon we may be outnumbered." "Try to hold your best against them until they return. They will come back soon I hope." "Okay. Then I'm going to go to battle more of them…" After a while, Malice defeated all of the ones closing in on Asguard. She was wounded a lot but she managed to buy them the necessary time for her to recover.

Down in Riviera, Nelde Ruins, in the apex Ledah had just killed all the demons there and he hasn't found Ecthel yet. He decided to go into the colony remains… Ecthel must be around here he thought. He walked in while Ecthel is having pretty much of a hard against the ogre.

Battle: Rosier, Volcano bow, Diana's bow and zypher.

The Battle Begins. "Fia and I will hit the Skeletons, Lina you use your volcano bow! Hit the Ogre!" The Attacks from the Rosier scored a nice amount of damage in the first round of battle. Ledah walks into the area and sees the battle. He decided to stay silent and wait until the battle is over before distracting Ecthel.

The second round was a little more intense as the group got hit by the rage attackof the skeletons. Ledah flew above so no one saw him. He was watching the battle. "He's pretty strong now. … … Why isn't he using my diviner? He has it with him…"Ledah wondered.

At this point Ecthel started to give another set of instruction. "Lina now! Then reserve the next over attack for me!" "I never miss! Lava Rush!" That did some nice damage to the demons but the bow broke. "Darn! No! Not my bow! No! Now we don't have any more fire attacks!" Lina cried.

Fia attacked and then she asked "What should we do now Ecthel-kun?" Ecthel attacked then he answered thinking fast. "We have to finish with Cadenza Stardust and Mimic Ray then! It'll be tough, be careful!"

Ledah was watching glad to see Ecthel good with battle skills now. But he was a little surprised. "Lava Rush? I see… The kid sprite has a new fire attack. But her bow broke… Why did she say they have no more fire attacks? What about Ecthel's fire attack from my Lorelei?"

The group continue to battle and was hit hard by the Maxed out Rage attack. Ledah was confused. He had taught Ecthel about when to restore did he not? "Two more hits andthey'd be dead! Why aren't they healing?" He wondered but did nothing and kept watching.

Ecthel gasped and instructed. "Try to build up energyfor Mimic Ray!" "Alright! But Lina want to use Stardust too!" Lina complainedFia attacked and Maxed the Overdrive. "There! Enough energy! Go Ecthel-kun!" "This should end it! Mimic Ray!" It only scored three hits out of it's nine. Which meant the restoring wasn't enough... "Such power…"

Ledah smiled "I see. Mimic Ray heals them… Good strategy. But it does not heal enough! They got to heal more or they'll be killed soon." Ledah looked for where Ecthel putthe Lorelei. Once he noticed where it was he got ready then waited.

Ecthel sighed "Darn! That thing's guard is too strong! Mimic Ray only scored three hits, Or we would have gotten more out of it!" Ecthel exclaimed. "Isn't there something we can do?" Lina complained. And Fia answered. "The only way is to build up enough energy as fast as we can so Ecthel-kun can try to use his Mimic Ray again. We have no flags…" "Okay! But after that it'll be for Stardust!" she said not pleased at all then she attacked.

The round ends with the overdrive only gotten over levelone. They endured the attack and tried to build up more energy but it failed again. "Darn! Just one more hit would have done it!" Fia said."… We have failed… Serene, Cierra… Take over for us when… we fall…" Ecthel said.

:Fierce Clash switches to Grim Angel:

Then just as the ogre is going to finish Ecthel off Ledah flew down and landed perfectly in front of Ecthel blocking him completely and taking the blow for him once again… "Don't you dare touch them!" He grabbed Lorelei and used divide "…I… I-I'm not seeing things a-am I? … L-Ledah…?" Ecthel was shocked."I'll take over from here! Ecthel, get out ofhere and treat those wounds! You'll die if you don't!" Ledah exclaimed calmly.

"… Ledah! … You're really here! … I missed you!" Ecthel cried and reached out to Ledah only to be pushed aside. "Ecthel, stay back, away from the battlefields now!" Ledah kills the Skeleton then he starts glowing as the energy in the overdrive maxes out... Ecthel smiled and watched happily as Ledah uses his devastating fiery execution level over attack. "Thy sins shall be purged… Lost Seraph!"

Battle ends.

Once the battle was done with, Ledah went over to the group. (Alright! You're finally here! Two years, I've been waiting for this day!) Rose Exclaimed "You already knew… Why didn't you tell me until now?" Ecthel asked angryly.(You wouldn't let me to even start talking about him!) Rose yelled. "I see! You have been talking about Ledah to no end ever since we received the wonderful news about Rosalina's population has returned. So you thought he could be back too right?" Serene asked.

"No fair! You should have told me Rose!" Ecthel complained. Ledah giggled and said "I see you two are still just like before. Malice and I wanted to come find you but there was demons near Asgard too so we had to defeat them. They were all as tough as the ones here if not tougher. I decided to come get you when the other Magi told us that we need to defeat all demons within a year or Riviera will be doomed. Only you can save it. The ones who stopped the Retribution. I was sent to collect you since we figure you wouldn't trust Malice. Ecthel, Are you alright? You have some potions right?" Ledah commented.

"No… We ran out. Do you Ledah?" Ecthel asked. "Here, elixir. Where were you all this time? I was looking for you at Elendia, Rosalina and Yggdrasil until I heard you came here." "Thanks. Here Lina, Fia." They drank their share and finished the bottle. "I settled in Elendia until demons attacked again. We were battling at Rosalina or here orresting athome. And, Ledah, You seem different now… What's up?" Ecthel asked.

Ledah was at a loss for words at first. "… … Nothing's up… … I'm just glad I made it in time." Ledah said seriously. "… You just seem to act different… Ledah, what is it?" Ecthel wondered (Ecthel, It's just his emotions! He's got em back you know.) Rose answered "Oh yeah! You're right. Ledah, will you help us battle now?" Ecthel asked. "Yeah. Of course! That's what I was sent here for." Ledah said looking at Ecthel with a smirk. "Yay! Mr. Ledah was the one up there in the apex!" Lina Exclaimed. "Were you the one who killed those demons in minuets?" Serene asked admirably. "You did, didn't you? You flew here so you must have." Ecthel concluded.

"… I got fed up with them trying to ambush me. I had a mission to find Ecthel in time and help him defeat the demons so I killed them." Ledah answered. "So did you defeat all the demons up there?" Cierra asked "I suppose they're all gone, we should check just in case." Ledah said and so the group head up into the apex once again.