PART XI
Preventing a Premonition, a Rescue, and a Battle
Uh...my head, Satan thought as he slowly awakened. He gingerly sat up holding his head. What in the Three Realms had happened to him? Satan remembered. Kagura had gotten abducted before he collapsed. Kagura! He closed his eyes in pain. He had failed to protect his beloved and now she's in the hands of the one who had killed remembered that after he collapsed, he had felt his soul shatter, killing him in the process. He knew of the soul shattering spell but that spell was sealed in the Grimoire that lay in the Underground Tomb so how did anyone even know of it or even cast it? Not to mention how could he still be alive. Before Satan could come up with any answers, the door to what looked like a bedroom suddenly opened and he heard a shocked gasp. Satan looked up, it was Lucifer.
"Satan! Thank the Three Realms that you've returned to us! But how are you alive?! You were dead!"
He was staring at Satan, face as pale as a ghost. Any other time, Satan would have loved to see that expression on Lucifer's face but now was not the time.
"I wish I knew but nothing is coming to my mind unless someone had cast "The Empty Resurrection Spell" on me, but that spell has been lost for centuries so I'm as shocked as you are."
"So you know that Soul Shatter was cast on you?"
"Yes and I saw who cast it."
"What?" Lucifer said sharply.
"I think you may want to get the others. I have important information on Kagura and what had happened to us in the human world."
Lucifer immediately returned to his practical and serious look then nodded, but hesitated a few minutes.
"I'll be fine Lucifer. You don't need to worry."
Lucifer was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm glad that you're back, Satan, so very glad. When you died, the others and I grieved for you. I lost Lilith and then I lost you. Please don't scare me like that ever again. You may have been born from me but you have your own personality and life. You and the others are my beloved brothers. Every one of you is as important to me as Lilith was."
Without waiting for Satan's reply, Lucifer left the room.
Satan stared at Lucifer's receding back in shock. He couldn't believe it. Lucifer had revealed his true feelings for the very first time. Satan smiled. Lucifer, you're important to me as well. He reached behind him and raised his pillow before leaning against it. Settling in, Satan waited for the others to arrive.
It wasn't long before they arrived. Everyone ran to him, relief evident on their faces as well as shock to see him alive. Asmo launched himself at Satan and hugged him tight, tears of relief streaming from his face.
"Satan! I'm so glad you're back! You don't know how worried I've been!"
Satan awkwardly patted Asmo's head, "I'm fine now. No need to worry. Do you mind getting off of me?"
Asmo didn't listen just hugged him tighter.
"Lucifer, please pull Asmo off of me. If he hugs me any tighter, I'm going to get crushed."
Lucifer immediately acted and pulled Asmo off of Satan. In a firm voice, he said, "Asmo, get a hold of yourself. Satan's all right now."
Asmo nodded, but tears were still streaming from his eyes.
Then Levi was there. He gave Satan a brief hug that had a lot of feeling in it too.
"Satan, I'm glad you've returned to us. If you've died, I don't think I'll ever recover. Not even my anime, games and manga would be able to help me recover."
Satan couldn't believe it. Who would've thought? With a smile, he returned Levi's hug and patted his head. "I'm all right now."
Then Lord Diavolo was there, his own face showing evident relief.
"Satan, welcome back. We are all relieved that you've returned to us. Every one of us here grieved when you died, but the main question at hand is how did you get resurrected? "The Empty Resurrection Spell" has been lost for centuries so how could it have been cast on you? Not to mention who could have done it. The only person who knows the spell has been dead for centuries."
"I wish I knew but all my vital functions were shut down so I couldn't sense anything. I don't know if we'll ever solve that mystery unless whoever cast the spell is revealed. However, at the moment, that is not why I called everyone here. While I was in the human world, I found Kagura…then lost her again. I'm sorry Lord Diavolo, Lucifer. I failed to keep her safe."
Lord Diavolo and Lucifer closed their eyes before Lucifer said, "It's not your fault Satan, given what had happened to you."
"Lucifer is right. You're not at fault. How did you end up getting your soul shattered?" Lord Diavolo asked.
"Before I lost Kagura, she and I came upon the train that she dreamed about. I knew that everyone on the train had been killed when I collapsed during the Meeting. It was a vision I had before I fell into a coma. What baffled me most was when I entered the train the bodies were no longer there. The only evidence that remained was the blood splatters left by the humans who were killed. Before I could figure out what happened to the bodies or return to Kagura who was waiting outside, a demon binding circle suddenly surrounded me and I was bound, my powers sealed. The next second, a shadowy figure appeared before me and I was stunned when I saw him. The figure looked like me in my demon form. Before I could process why he looked like me, Kagura entered the train. That was when the figure noticed her and spoke to her. Kagura somehow recognized the voice and confronted him about something which I didn't hear. Later, I learned that his plan was to take Kagura to his Master using me as bait. When she didn't go to him, he started to cast the Soul Shatter spell on me forcing Kagura to go to him. The next instant, I saw Kagura collapse before getting abducted. I collapsed seconds later as I felt him complete the spell, killing me."
When Satan finished speaking, there was a stunned silence.
Lord Diavolo broke the sudden silence and said, "Satan, Barbatos also saw the blood splatters when he entered the train to search for you so that he could bring you back to the Devildom. Like you, he also found out that the bodies were no longer there. What's shocking to me is hearing about what happened to the human passengers. If the human passengers were deliberately killed, then Barbatos' suspicions have been confirmed."
Satan's voice went tense, "What suspicions?"
Lord Diavolo looked at Satan for a moment before saying, "I'll let you know later. We need to know the rest of your story first."
Satan nodded then said, "That's all I can remember. After I was killed, I knew nothing more until I got resurrected. That's the bigger mystery now. I have no idea how I got resurrected."
Lucifer looked at Satan then said, "That's something we'll figure out eventually, but for now, how could there be someone who looks just like you? That would be impossible. He must be an imposter. He bound and sealed your powers in a demon binding circle before casting the Soul Shatter on you and then abducted Kagura to take to his Master. What did he want with Kagura? If he had cast the Soul Shatter on you then whoever he is knows of the Grimoire we have and that spell. This is a serious problem."
Satan shook his head, "I don't know Lucifer nor do I know why he wanted Kagura. He didn't reveal anything. My look-alike only mentioned that his Master had plans for not only Kagura but also "the mortals". I have no idea what he meant by "the mortals". The last I saw of him was when he disappeared into a Dark Mist with Kagura. Lord Diavolo, do you know anything?"
"I think there may be something. I told you about how Barbatos suspicions have been confirmed. He reported his suspicions to me while he was in the human world. After Barbatos found you in the train from Kagura's dreams, he sensed remnants of the Ancient Evil's powers emanating from it. You said that when you entered the train, you knew that everyone on board was killed and found the bodies gone. This confirmed a suspicion of Barbatos'. He told me that when he entered the train to get you, he also saw blood splatters and no bodies. You remember what he said about the vision he had of Kagura in a cave? It's quite possible that seven of the eight figures in that cave are the Dark Mages. They plan to use the souls of the bodies to resurrect the Ancient Evil into the eighth hooded figure who may be the vessel. Barbatos also learned that the Resurrection will take place in that cave which is in the human world. As to why they took Kagura, I'm not sure either."
Satan stilled when he heard the word cave. Something flickered in his memory. He remembered that an image of a cave was mysteriously sent to his mind while he was on the verge of waking up. A few seconds later, he felt something on his lips. With shaking fingers, Satan touched his lips and found that it was blood. Someone had fed him their blood. Another memory flickered. He remembered hearing a soft voice. The voice had sounded so familiar and had pulled at his heart. Satan immediately knew who it had been. It had been Kagura. She had been with him. She must have been the one who had brought him back to life by giving him her blood and casting "The Empty Resurrection Spell" before she disappeared. Leaving him with a final message, I love you Satan and goodbye.
Satan closed his eyes in anguish. Oh Kagura, why did you leave me again? I cannot lose you a third time. My heart cannot bear it.
Lucifer noticed that Satan had gone completely silent. Panic ate at him. He quickly looked at Satan then went pale. Satan's eyes were closed and his face was deathly pale. The pain emanating from him was so intense that it reciprocated Lucifer's own pain he had buried deep in his heart.
"Satan! Are you all right?!"
Everyone turned from Lord Diavolo and all saw what Lucifer noticed.
"Satan!" They shouted in unison.
Locking the pain away, Satan opened his eyes, but they were dead and lifeless.
Lucifer felt very uneasy as he looked at Satan's dead eyes. He became even more uneasy when he heard Satan speak. The voice that came out was cold and flat, emotionless, as if his heart had turned to ice.
"I'm fine. I suddenly remembered something when Lord Diavolo mentioned the word cave. I also figured out who brought me back to life. It was Kagura. She somehow projected her soul here and had cast the spell to resurrect me. Later, she sent an image of a cave to my mind. I have a feeling that the cave Lord Diavolo mentioned was the cave Kagura had shown me while I was on the verge of waking up. I must know what cave it is so I can go there to save Kagura. I will not lose Kagura again. If I must destroy everything in my path to save her then so be it."
Lord Diavolo stared at Satan in shock. He had never seen Satan like this before. His whole personality had changed. Satan was no longer the Satan he knew. He had suddenly become someone cold and brittle.
Warily, Lord Diavolo asked, "How could Kagura know of "The Empty Resurrection Spell"? Not to mention how could she know how to cast it. That spell is not only lost but the only person who can cast it is no longer in the world of the living. He was killed during our Ancient Battle."
"I do not know either but that is not important now. What is important now is to find a way to save Kagura. If you and the others are not going to help then I will do it myself."
Satan got up and brushed past everyone only to be stopped by Lucifer.
"Stop Satan, you must calm down. You cannot save Kagura by yourself."
"Are you going to interfere with me Lucifer? If you are then I will have to force your hand."
As Satan said that, a green aura surrounded him and he blasted a bolt of green energy directly at Lucifer.
"Lucifer, watch out!" Everyone shouted.
Without blinking, Lucifer blasted blue energy back at Satan's green energy knocking it away.
"Satan, what has gotten into you?! You dare attack me?!"
Satan didn't say anything. He made a gesture with his hands sending Lucifer flying away.
"I'm sorry Lucifer, but if you and the others are going to interfere then I have no choice but to force everyone's hands. I said I will destroy anything in my path to save Kagura. That includes you and everyone else that decides to interfere."
With that said Satan left the Castle and returned to the House of Lamentation. He went to his room then collapsed onto his bed, his grief unbearable. Kagura was lost to him again.
Several minutes later Satan stood up. He buried his pain, grief and loss deep inside his heart then sealed them away. Reaching for his books, he searched for anything related to the image of the cave that was sent to him. A few minutes later, Satan came upon a book that showed him the cave he saw in his memory. He read the title, The Caves of Tintagel. Settling in his chair, Satan flipped through the book before he found the cave. It was called Merlin's Cave. The cave lay under Tintagel Castle. It is said that the Great Wizard Merlin had once lived in that cave. That was how the cave got its name. Satan recognized the name. Merlin was always linked to the human legends of King Arthur and his Court as well as Tintagel Castle. Tintagel Castle was supposed to be where the legendary King Arthur once ruled at and Tintagel itself was said to be the legendary Camelot. If Merlin's Cave was where Kagura was then that would mean the Dark Mages and the half-awakened Ancient Evil was also there. However, he still did not know why they took Kagura.
Closing his book, Satan stood up. He needed to get to the human world and to that cave, but he didn't know how. Satan could not activate the portal to the human world. Only Lord Diavolo, Lucifer, and Barbatos had the authority to do that. After what he had done to Lucifer, Lord Diavolo wasn't going to forgive him. So, how was he going to get there? While thinking about the dilemma he was in, a figure suddenly materialized before him. Satan immediately went on the defensive only to find out the figure was Solomon.
"Solomon? What are you doing in my room?"
"I've come to help you. I like this new you. You will destroy anything in your path to save Kagura and I will do anything to stabilize the human world, even kill a demon. We are similar in that aspect. I will take you to the human world and to that cave I saw in my Divination. You found out the name of the cave?"
"Wait, how do you know what I said at the Castle? You were never there."
"Actually I was. When I heard that you revived, I immediately went to the Castle to check up on you and overheard what you said. I also saw what you did to Lucifer. I have to say, I'm surprised that you actually fought Lucifer and knocked him away."
Satan's eyes went cold, "He shouldn't have interfered in the first place. I had to force his hand."
Solomon gave Satan a long look before saying, "You've changed Satan. Your change is very interesting. Returning to my question, you found out the name of the cave?"
"Yes, it's Merlin's Cave. It lies underneath Tintagel Castle. Are you also familiar with those names?"
"Of course, these locations and their legends are well known to humans. I've always wanted to go there to see if the legends were true. Shall we go?"
Satan nodded.
After drawing a magic circle around Satan and himself, Solomon started to chant, "I am the magician Solomon…Heed my words! Open the way forward, and create a path where there was none! Show us the way to the human world, to Tintagel Castle!" Seconds later, both Satan and Solomon arrived and landed on the path leading from Tintagel Castle to Merlin's Cave. Following the path, they made their way to the cave only to be trapped within a Dark Void. While trapped in the Void, shadowy figures materialized one by one before completely surrounding them.
"Lucifer, are you all right?!" Lord Diavolo asked as he rushed to him.
Lucifer stood up and brushed himself off, "I'm fine Lord Diavolo. I managed to deflect most of the blast and cushioned my fall, but it was close."
Lord Diavolo sighed in relief, but his voice carried a hard edge, "What has gotten into Satan? He has never acted like that before. What he did to you is unforgivable. Do I have to imprison him too? What Satan did was close to treason."
Lucifer went pale and quickly lowered himself to one knee before Lord Diavolo and bowed his head, "Please don't Lord Diavolo. I apologize for my brother's actions. If you want to punish him then punish me in his stead. I don't blame him for what he did. I think I understand why he acted that way."
When Lucifer's other brothers heard Lord Diavolo's condemnation, they also went pale then went down on one knee bowing to Lord Diavolo.
Levi spoke up, "Please Lord Diavolo. Forgive Satan. We also want to apologize for his actions. We will take his punishment too."
Lord Diavolo stared at the Brothers in amazement before closing his eyes then opening them again. Then in a stern voice said, "I cannot punish all of you for something you didn't do. For now I won't do anything. However, if Satan does something else unforgivable, I will imprison him."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," said the brothers in unison.
Sighing, Lord Diavolo said, "You may get up."
As Lucifer and the brothers stood up, Barbatos arrived looking grim.
"My Lords, I have grave news. Lord Satan and Solomon are in the human world and they are in extreme danger."
Lord Diavolo looked at Barbatos, "Satan's there because of Kagura. Is Solomon there to stop the Resurrection?"
Barbatos shook his head, "No, My Lord. The Resurrection hasn't happened yet but I sense that it will happen soon. I had another vision. It showed Lord Satan and Solomon trapped in a Dark Void. There was another remnant of the Ancient Evil's powers within it. Lord Satan and Solomon were then surrounded by shadowy figures. That was when the vision ended."
Lucifer frowned, "Then we must go to them. I still do not trust Solomon but he needs our help. Satan also needs our help. Barbatos, can you send my brothers and me to where Satan and Solomon are?"
"Yes, Lord Lucifer."
Lucifer then turned to Lord Diavolo, "May we take our leave Lord Diavolo?"
Lord Diavolo nodded.
Barbatos brought Lucifer and his brothers to his room and sent them out through one of his doors. Seconds later, Lucifer and his brothers arrived at the location and were soon trapped in another Dark Void. Separated from Satan and Solomon, they too were soon surrounded.
Meanwhile, back at the Cave, the dark figure smiled as He looked in his Mirror. They were all trapped in his Dark Void and would soon be eliminated by his Dark Creations. Now there was no one to interfere with His Resurrection. Leaving his dais, he walked toward the girl lying on the altar with a Pentagram etched on it. The figure imprisoned her in a Sphere of Darkness. Calling on his Seven Dark Servants, they appeared one by one as they stood around the altar.
"Master, we are ready."
The dark figure smiled and said, "Let the Dark Ritual begin."
He and his seven Dark Servants raised their arms then started to chant, the ancient words bouncing from one end of the Cave to another. As the chant continued, a silvery white glow slowly appeared before solidifying into an ancient Grimoire. It floated above the girl then flickered and disappeared, reappearing in the dark figure's hands. Taking the Grimoire, he placed it on one of the three stands near the altar where a Summoning Circle was linked. As the Grimoire rested on its stand, a part of the Summoning Circle filled with an unearthly red.
Returning to the altar, the dark figure pulled out a dagger and made a small cut on the girl's left wrist. The blood trickled from her wrist to land on the runes of the Summoning Circle. As the girl's blood landed on the runes, a Dark Mist slowly seeped from the center of the circle to enter the dark figure's body. Dark Power soon flowed into him and he soon had all his powers back. However, it was not enough to resurrect his main body. He needed the two other keys before he can fully resurrect. One of his spies had already infiltrated the Place where the second key was. It would soon be in His hands. As for the third key, He will get it himself. Once He got the second key, it would be so easy to steal the third key from under Michael's nose. His vessel was the key to that plan.
"We are done here. The girl is trapped in Darkness. It would soon consume her soul. Once consumed, she would no longer pose a threat to us or my plans. She is indeed a wonderful sacrifice. Wrath, return to your slumber until I call on you again. Your Dark Brothers will take care of those Six."
"As thou hast commandest, my Master."
He flickered once then disappeared.
Turning to his remaining Dark Servants, he said, "Your task is to eliminate those Six. Do not fail me."
"As our Master commandest," they replied in unison.
Still in a state of suspended animation, Kagura didn't know what had happened to her or to Satan but her consciousness sensed a deep foreboding. She had to wake up but it was so hard. Kagura didn't have the strength to pull herself out of the Darkness she was in because she used up almost all her life energy to resurrect Satan. She felt the Darkness pulling her down to the depths of Death and she didn't have the strength to resist. Memories flickered of her parents, her uncle, and Satan. She didn't want to leave them. If she died, not only will Satan never recover, her parents and uncle wouldn't either. That was something she didn't want to happen. As the Darkness slowly took her, Kagura suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. Something like this had happened before. Kagura thought hard before it came to her. It happened a time long ago. She had felt herself dying exactly like this when a strange female voice brought her back, a voice she knew. Suddenly she remembered. The voice that brought her back was named Lilith. In their conversation, Lilith had told Kagura to save her brothers because she could no longer do it. All that was left of Lilith was her soul.
Lilith had also revealed the names of two of her brothers, Lucifer and Belphie and had told Kagura she had other brothers as well. Lucifer and Belphie…wait, isn't Belphie short for Belphegor? Weren't they the names of two of the seven demons in the D.D.D? Kagura figured it out immediately. The seven demons listed in the phone book were Lilith's brothers. She had asked Kagura to save them because as a soul, she could only watch over them, her powers long since waned. As Kagura's memories of Lilith returned, power started to resonate within her, flowing through her, giving her strength. Seconds later, Kagura freed herself from the Darkness then shattered the Dark prison she was in.
Sitting up, she noticed that she was lying on an altar with a Pentagram etched in it. Before she could process what she was doing on such an ominous thing, she felt pain coming from her left wrist. Looking at her wrist, she saw a shallow cut. How did I get cut? Kagura didn't know. She'll figure it out eventually. Right now, Kagura had something more important to do. Lilith's brothers were in trouble and it was up to her to save them. Kagura raised her wrist to her lips then breathed on it before saying, "Heal." The cut healed immediately. She looked around her but didn't see anyone else. Sighing with relief, she got up and searched for the exit. Before she could go any further, a hooded figure suddenly materialized before her.
"This is as far as you go. I do not know how you broke my Dark Prison nor do I know how you are still alive. You have now become a thorn in my side. I must eliminate you. This time permanently."
Kagura froze. She sensed a vast amount of Dark Power emanating from the figure. There was something old, ancient, and evil about him as well. Who on earth was he? Is he the leader of the Dark Mages? Before Kagura could process these questions, she saw the figure let loose a bolt of Dark energy directly at her. Without thinking, Kagura raised her own hands and shouted "Purification!" The bolt stopped in midair before dissipating into nothingness. She saw the figure freeze in shock. Before he could do anything else, Kagura shouted out, "I call upon the Powers of Light that I command! Heed my call and Bind this Evil!" Seconds later, a ring of Light surrounded the figure and bound him before he could cast a counter spell. Once he was bound, Kagura made her escape, her mind whirling with shock. How was she able to cast those spells? She didn't know. Kagura had to find out and find out fast. She had a feeling that something astronomical was going to happen. Time was also running out. She must find Satan and Lilith's other brothers before it's too late.
As Kagura escaped the cave, she sensed two masses of Dark energy in the vicinity. One was not too far from where she stood while the other felt as if it was coming from above her. What was above her was Tintagel Castle. Following the trail of Dark energy that was closer, Kagura came upon an area that looked like a massive Black Hole. Massive quantities of Dark energy was emanating from it. She saw two figures silhouetted within it. Kagura immediately knew that one of the figures was Satan. She didn't recognize the other one. The silhouette of the other figure looked to be of a man, but she couldn't make out his features. Both were fighting what looked to be a number of shadowy figures. Satan and the other man seem to hold their own, but something about the shadowy figures didn't feel right. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her powers before tapping into it, pulling on threads of magical energy. Kagura then sent the magical energy to touch the minds of all the shadowy figures within that Black Hole and gasped in horror. They were all humans, dead humans with no souls. They were only moving through the dark and demonic energy within them. A horrible thought came to Kagura, could they be the dead passengers and staff from the train she fell from? As much as she wished it wouldn't be true, she had a feeling that it was.
Letting go of her magic, Kagura's eyes returned to the fight. Seconds later, she saw Satan and the other man collapse to one knee. Satan! Without thinking, she shouted, "Arrows of purification come to me. Now, purify this Darkness!" A bow and arrow engulfed in pale blue energy immediately appeared in Kagura's hands. She shot the arrow directly at the Black Hole. The arrow flew straight and true. As it flew, the pale blue energy around it started to expand and increase until it looked like a bolt of pale blue light. As the bolt made contact, a sphere of pale blue light suddenly engulfed the Darkness dissolving and dissipating it into nothingness. As the Black Hole disappeared, the army of soulless humans collapsed and turned to dust.
Kagura made a gesture and the bow and arrow disappeared before bowing her head to mourn the fallen passengers and staff before she ran to Satan and the other person. They were on their knees, shaking and breathing hard. Worried about Satan, Kagura said, "Satan! Are you all right?!"
Satan, who had now returned to his human form, froze when he heard the voice behind him. It couldn't be her, it couldn't. Kagura was okay? His beloved was okay? He staggered to his feet and whirled. Standing before him was indeed Kagura. He pulled her into his arms and held her. Satan trembled in relief, tears streamed down his face as he held her, cheeks against her dark hair. Kagura leaned against him for a while before remembering they weren't alone.
"I'm all right Satan. As much as I enjoy our reunion, we aren't alone."
Blushing, Satan let her go. Kagura smiled gently. She took out a handkerchief and wiped away Satan's tears before she brushed away a lock of his messy blonde hair. Kagura then looked at the other person. He had also staggered to his feet then turned around. The man had bleached white hair tipped in gray highlights and blue eyes. Wait a minute, why did his face look familiar? Kagura closed her eyes for a few seconds than remembered. His face was one of the photo album icons she saw when she had tapped on the Instagram-like app on the D.D.D in her possession.
"Excuse me sir, your face looks familiar but I don't know who you are."
Solomon went still and stared at Kagura in stunned shock. Kagura didn't know who he was? How was that possible?
"You don't remember me? I'm a classmate of yours. You and I are the two human exchange students at RAD. My name is Solomon."
Kagura looked at him. Satan had told her the same thing. He had said that there was another human exchange student at RAD besides her. The other student's name was Solomon. This was Solomon? No memories surfaced as she looked at him.
"I'm sorry sir. I don't recognize you, but your name is familiar to me. Are you known as King Solomon the Wise? I read about him in a history book."
Solomon gave Kagura a long look before replying, "I'm known as him among other things but that isn't really an accurate identification."
Kagura sighed. "Satan told me the same thing. I'm sorry for not remembering you but that is not the concern right now. You and Satan look drained from the battle you were in. I'll heal both of you."
Kagura closed her eyes then focused her energy on healing the people in the area then said, "Area Heal!" A circle of golden light appeared around Kagura then surrounded Satan and Solomon, healing, reenergizing and returning strength to them. She opened her eyes and smiled. They looked much better.
Satan and Solomon stared at Kagura in stunned amazement before Solomon spoke to her quietly, "When did you learn such a strong form of Healing Magic, Kagura? That Healing Magic is an area wide Healing spell that is advanced and complex. It takes years to master. The spell is also ranked as Arcane Stage magic."
Kagura looked at Solomon then said, "I wish I could tell you but the knowledge of that spell just came to me. I learned that I have healing powers. The best explanation I can come up with is that my healing powers somehow evolved."
Solomon gave Kagura a long thoughtful look but didn't say anything.
Kagura then remembered the other mass of Dark energy by Tintagel Castle.
"There's another mass of Dark energy by Tintagel Castle. We must go there at once."
Satan and Solomon looked at Kagura in surprise but nodded.
"Let's go," said Satan.
When Satan, Solomon and Kagura arrived at the location, Kagura froze in shock. It was the same Black Hole that Satan and Solomon had been in earlier. Massive amounts of Dark energy were also emanating from it. Within that Darkness, Kagura, Satan and Solomon saw six silhouettes fighting the same shadowy figures.
Kagura then spoke, "Satan, there's something about those shadowy figures that you need to know about. I should have told you earlier but forgot."
"It's okay Kagura. What can you tell me about them?"
Kagura took a deep breath before saying, "Do you remember the time when you were bound by the demon binding circle and came face to face with that shadowy figure?"
Satan stilled then nodded. That was something he would never forget. He had lost Kagura a second time during that incident. Satan still remembered the pain he felt after losing her.
Kagura continued, "When I came after you, the figure spoke to me. I recognized his voice. He was one of the four shadowy figures outside my compartment before I fell from the train."
In a stunned voice, Satan asked, "You remembered what happened to you on the train?"
Kagura nodded. "Yes. They were the ones who initiated the massacre of everyone on board. I saw the whole thing. It started when my train was forced to a stop. I heard screaming and when I looked out the window of my compartment's sliding door, I saw many shadowy figures materializing before the people on board. Their eyes were a demonic red. I still shudder at that memory. Those figures shot and killed everyone on board while the four figures who had spoken watched from the Darkness. Later, after everyone was killed, they spoke about taking souls and bringing them to their Master. I also overheard one of them saying that I was to become a sacrifice for their Master. Their Master wanted me for some reason. I don't know their reason, but what they said sent chills down my back. I knew that if I didn't escape, I would be in their hands so I unlocked the emergency exit of my compartment then jumped off the train. As I rolled down the hill, my head hit a large rock and I knew no more. When I regained consciousness, I couldn't remember anything. Later, I found out that I have amnesia.
As Kagura told her story, Solomon couldn't believe it. No wonder Kagura didn't recognize him, she had amnesia. Satan looked grim, "Are you saying that the shadowy figures in that Darkness are the dead passengers and staff that were on your train?"
Kagura nodded. "I found out after using my powers when I watched your battle with them. I don't know how to explain what I did nor how I did it."
Solomon then spoke, "What can you tell us?"
"While I was watching you and Satan's battle with those shadowy figures, I unconsciously tapped into my powers and touched their minds. As I touched their minds, images came to me. They showed me that those figures were dead humans with no souls."
Satan went still as he looked at Kagura. "Wait, Kagura. Did you say they were dead humans with no souls?"
Kagura nodded feeling uneasy. Satan knew something she didn't. "Satan, you know something. What is it?"
"I should have told you this earlier, but you were trying to get your memories back when we went to the train you jumped out from. I didn't tell you because I was afraid your mind wouldn't be able to handle it. When you went missing, I followed your trail to the train you were on. When I entered the train to do some investigating, I found the dead bodies of everyone on board, but their souls were forcefully ripped from their bodies. All that was left of the humans was a husk of a body."
Kagura had gone deathly pale when Satan told her what had happened to the passengers and staff after they were killed. She swayed and would have collapsed if Satan hadn't caught her.
"Kagura, don't you dare pass out on me!"
Closing her eyes, she steadied herself.
Kagura looked up at Satan's panicked face then smiled reassuringly. "I'll be okay, Satan. Thank you for telling me. I think I know what I can do to save whoever is in that Darkness. Let's go."
Meanwhile in the second Dark Void, Lucifer and his brothers, all in their demon forms, were at their limit as they fought with the shadowy figures. The more they destroy, the more appear, draining them. Lucifer, from the corner of his eyes saw that his brothers were not doing well. Their faces were strained and all of them had gone pale. One by one they collapsed to one knee. A few minutes later, Lucifer felt himself collapsing as well. Suddenly, six additional figures appeared. When the shadowy figures saw them, they stopped their attacks and stepped back.
One of the new figures spoke, "Thou hast done well Soldiers of Darkness. Our Master is pleased. Now, return to thy slumber. We shalt handle the rest."
The shadowy figures that had been attacking them bowed before they disappeared one by one.
The one who had spoken smiled cruelly as he faced Lucifer. "Hello Lucifer. You don't look so good. Where is that strength and power I've heard so much about?"
"Who are you and how do you know me?"
"Oh, I've known you for a while now. You could even say we're brothers."
Lucifer glared at him. "How dare you! You are no brother of mine."
"Is that so? Maybe this can help."
The figure suddenly surrounded himself in a Dark Mist before revealing his other form.
Lucifer stared in shock. Standing before him was his exact twin but with glowing red eyes, a black peacock pendant around his neck.
"Impossible! How can you look like me?"
"My Master created me with his powers. I am your dark twin with the same powers as you. Under my Master's order, you and your brothers are to be eliminated. In your weakened state, eliminating you would be so easy. However, I want to see you suffer before I eliminate you."
Turning toward the five other figures, Lucifer's dark twin said, "I want you to go to the others then attack on my command. Make sure you eliminate them. Do not fail our Master."
With a flicker they disappeared only to reappear in their demon forms in front of Lucifer's brothers. Every one of them was an exact copy of his brothers.
Furious, Lucifer turned to his dark twin. "If you touch any of my brothers, I will kill you!"
Lucifer forced himself up only to find that he was suddenly bound.
Looking down, he found that he had been trapped in a demon binding circle. Satan had also been trapped in one before he was killed. Lucifer could not move. His demon powers had also been sealed.
Smiling cruelly, Lucifer's dark twin stepped back and motioned for his Dark Brothers to attack…
Satan, Solomon and Kagura rushed to the Black Hole only to find that every one of the shadowy figures had disappeared. In their place stood six dark figures, Kagura recognized three of them. Satan's eyes went wide as he stared at something. Following Satan's line of sight, Kagura also saw what he saw and froze in shock. Surrounding the six silhouettes were demon binding circles.
"They're all trapped in demon binding circles!"
Satan nodded grimly. Solomon also looked grim and said, "That means they are your brothers. What are they doing in the Human World?"
Satan said quietly, "They came after me."
Kagura said, "They're Lilith's other brothers."
Satan stared at Kagura, "You remembered Lilith?"
Kagura nodded. "I remembered her while I lay trapped in that Cave. After I escaped, I came upon you two."
Satan was about to say something before Kagura raised her hand to stop him. "I'll tell you what happened to me later. Now is not the time. Your brothers are in extreme danger."
Satan said softly, "I know. It's my fault. If I hadn't acted so recklessly, they wouldn't have followed me to the human world nor would they have been sealed in those circles. We must save them, but how?"
Kagura looked at Satan, "This is not your fault Satan. You came because of me. If I hadn't gotten myself captured, none of this would have happened. I'm sorry Satan. I put both you and your brothers in danger."
Satan shook his head, "There's no need to apologize Kagura. You were forced to go to him. I should have known that it was a trap when you sensed something in that train. I had also sensed something but didn't think much of it. As a result, I got sealed and you got captured. I'm glad that you've managed to escape and relieved that you're safe. What we need to focus on now is how we can save my brothers."
Kagura nodded. "You're right Satan."
Turning to Solomon, she asked, "Is there any way for you to destroy that thing with your powers?"
Solomon shook his head, "I'm sorry Kagura. I may be a powerful sorcerer but I have no Purification Magic. The only way that could be destroyed is if it gets purified."
Kagura nodded. "Then I'll take care of it. I've somehow gained Purification Magic as well."
Before Solomon or Satan could say anything, Kagura used the same spell with some slight modifications in the chant that had dissolved the Black Hole where Satan and Solomon had been trapped in.
"Arrows of purification come to me. Now, purify the Darkness before us!" A bow and arrow engulfed in pale blue energy appeared in Kagura's hands again as she shot the arrow directly at the Black Hole that trapped Satan's brothers. Just like before, the pale blue energy around the arrow started to expand and increase before turning into a bolt of pale blue light that hit the Black Hole. Seconds later, a sphere of pale blue light engulfed the Black Hole before dissolving and dissipating it into nothingness.
Lucifer's dark twin froze in shock as well as Lucifer. The Dark Void they were in suddenly dissolved and disappeared. Curses! Who dissolved the Void? His Master will not be pleased. All is not lost though; his Dark Brothers could still kill Lucifer's brothers.
"My Dark Brothers, the time have come to eliminate Lucifer's brothers. Destroy them now!"
In unison, all five immediately shot dark bolts of energy toward Mammon, Levi, Asmo, Beelzebub and Belphie. Before the bolts hit, a sudden voice shouted out an incantation, "I, Kagura, invoke all the four elements, Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth by my side, all that wishes harm shall not pass so mote it be! Area Shield!"
A brilliant silvery white light surrounded Kagura to flow toward the five brothers encircling them. As the dark bolts of energy made contact with the light, all got deflected and destroyed.
Sighing with relief, Kagura turned to the leader and looked at him coldly, "So we meet again, but this time, I will not run. I'm going to make sure you pay for what you did to the passengers and staff on that train. You have destroyed their lives and I will not stand for it. I may have failed to protect the ones you killed, but I will not fail these Brothers. As long as I still have breath in my body, I will do whatever I can to protect them."
A stunned silence fell as Solomon and the Demon Brothers stared at Kagura in shock after hearing her vow.
"Curse you woman! You have interfered long enough. My Dark Brothers and I should have taken you while you were still on that train. You protect them? Don't make me laugh. You're just a mere mortal. If you want to protect the Brothers, let's see how you protect him!"
With that said, he shot a bolt of Dark energy directly toward the dark-haired demon trapped in the binding circle.
"Satan!" Kagura commanded touching the green gem on her bracelet. Save your brother now!"
Satan flickered into his demon form then teleported in front of Lucifer before shooting a bolt of green energy to deflect the Dark energy. Before Lucifer's dark twin could do anything else, Kagura suddenly started to chant, "Hear me, denizens of the darkness, thou who art born of shadow and thou who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! Awaken and lend thy powers to the one contracted to me. Satan, Avatar of Wrath!"
The power Kagura was giving off began to swirl around a stunned Satan. He shuddered at the mass of power flowing within him. Seconds later, Satan was surrounded by a massive ring of green flame. Drawing on the massive power swirling within him, Satan blasted the green flames right at Lucifer's dark twin. As the flames engulfed him, he gave a shriek of pain before disappearing. When the flames died down, all that was left of Lucifer's dark twin was his black peacock pendant which had turned to ash.
