Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6

Chapter 35: The War Summit

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

Dean was up and alert as he was seeing the news on t.v. in his quarters of the Kurokage. The sight of the delegation arriving on Trost was a crucial one as it was also a high moment to hear what was going on in this ongoing war. Even though he didn't want to part with Magda and the children that stayed behind on Alecrast, he had no other choice but to adhere to his duty as leader of the Hunter Corps' seventh squad. With his position weighing heavily on him, he had to shoulder the burden as he had to do the right thing in this time of crisis. When he looked at a tablet on his desk, he got a message that he never received before as it came from an unknown source in which it read the words, "your brother is in danger." He never saw something like that before as it was a time for alarm. With the Kurokage parked near Skyward City on Drakonus, he had to act as he left his quarters and went outside where the rest of his squad were at in which he noticed a Draaza man with a black and grey comb with blue eyes standing amongst the crowd due to his height, for he was put there for a reason.

"Looks like we've got a new recruit in our ranks," said Dean.

"Dean Winchester," said an Imakandi woman as she was dressed in Hunter Corps while standing in front of him. "Desna Trelundar from my squad will assist you in battle."

"Marva Nkosi… You're one of the big guns in the Hunter Corps, but how come you're pawning off one of your own subordinates?"

"Desna foretold the presence of his mother not too long ago, but she's not in her right mind at present."

"Come again?"

"My mother, Danae Trelundar, has been possessed by a demon and she was once the strongest due to her aesthetic training to resist possession," said Desna. "It's been ten years since she disappeared, but her presence now is alarming."

"Do your sisters know of this?"

"No, but they won't be happy when they see Mother decked out with eyes that are pitch black."

"If there's a demon in your mom's meatsuit, the we'll have no other choice but to get it out of her before all hell breaks loose. As for the other problem, the Executive Division still have their sights fixated on Sam and they won't stop until they make him their bitch. We're not the only ones worried, but the higher-ups who are concerned about Sam's ascension as the new god in which the Executive Division will use him just to abuse what he has."

"I've heard of the stories that my people told me about in which Sam's conception and birth had been foretold since we left for other parts unknown. The oldest entry about him being a Messiah was even painted all over some mountain cliffs on Mars at the time. Still, your brother's a lot of what he says that he think he is in response to being just a simple Man of Letters. He's become a future god that will led a golden age in the central part of the Ashizoka System in which he and his wife, who is on the verge of becoming a goddess, will rule and protect us all. I've seen the sign of angel wings on the High-Elf woman who took out Behemoth in Gale Canyon, only to gain further power than what is normally expected."

"If we're protecting the future god and goddess, then we'll do it till the bitter end. Sam and Reiko have a long way to go, but that doesn't mean that they can go without backup. We came this far just to put a damper on those asshats and we're not stopping until we back them in a corner. I've seen my fair shares of battle, but I'm not thrilled with the aspect of war. It shows no prejudice when it comes to those who have been targeted in the process. It's almost been a year since the Second Galvanic Uprising started up, but having the Executive Division go on a power trip to make the galaxy their bitch won't stop until they claim the ultimate prize altogether… and that is none other than my little brother… Listen up closely! There could be danger on the horizon and with all the lore and knowledge that we have, we have to be the shield in which there is danger looming without warning. Gather up your weapons, 'cause we're all going to Trost."

Dean was determined to protect me as he ushered the troops in his squad directly into the Kurokage. In a certain twist of fate, he couldn't let me wander away further as he was determined to put a damper on the Executive Division before further trouble ensnares us all without warning…

It was a daunting day in the summit as I was dressed up in my usual clothes, but I had my sword on my person. I was heading out after getting a shower earlier as I had Dvora trailing me towards the elevator. Getting into it, we were taking it all the way down to where the lobby was. Through the long wait, I noticed Dvora still shaken about what she saw in that news report as I sensed something wrong, for I had to know eventually before it all went sideways.

"You're awfully quiet for someone who is meant to be my bodyguard," I said.

"I can't believe that Mom would be possessed by a demon just to be the Executive Division's plaything," said Dvora as she was fidgeting with the pocketwatch in her hand. "She was better than that, I swear!"

"There's nothing you can do right now, but your mother will be saved one way or the other in this time of crisis."

"I just hope that you're right… Deej is probably there, but she doesn't know that Mom's possessed by a non-corporeal demon for a long time now. I also bet that even Drusus, Desna, Dulcetta, Daruta, Dendaru, or Dalamera know about this until I tell them about what happened to Mom."

"And they are-"

"The rest of my siblings that Mom and Dad created. Dendaru's the oldest, but he's in the Medical Corps just like Dalamera, Desna in the Hunter Corps like Deejatra, Dulcetta and Daruta in the Garrison Corps, and Drusus and I are the only freelanced hunters who go and save people, hunt things, and uphold the family business."

"I've never heard about the rest of your family until now."

"Dad was also in the Order, but he was chosen to marry Mom until he died in action while he was in the cusp of the patriarch stage. We never aged for a while, but some of us delayed our chosen stages just to keep up with the fight. As for me, I'm on the very cusp of the matron stage in which I keep wanting something, but put it off due to my duty as both a member of the Order and a freelanced hunter."

"There will be someone who will be worthy of having you as a chosen mate, Dvora. All you need to do is to have faith in what is put in front of you."

By the time the elevator touched down to the main floor, we stepped out of it as we noticed Kazuo coming forth with his entourage of members from the Medical Corps. With the other Elders and delegates approaching, we were all going towards the assembly hall as the time to discuss the Executive Division's dangerous activities was just the beginning of our worries. It was one huge field day as we also had to go and discuss the current situation that was going on so far. When we made our way towards the assembly hall, we were greeted by Minara as he was also on hand into being there due to his current grudge against the Executive Division for their presence on Claudius and Julilla's meddling. In a bizarre way, we all had to hear what was coming from the dignitaries and other Elders in this emergency meeting, for we all had to pull together in order to resolve what was there…

Deejatra was outside the assembly hall as she was seeing several more dignitaries and other Elders arriving on the scene. The emergency summit was about to be packed as the seasoned member of the Hunter Corps had her work cut out for her. Still, she had to watch over me as she spotted Castiel walking towards the doors to the assembly hall. He was there to do his job as he was most likely to sense the danger that he endured last night. The unnerving presence of seeing Danae here while being possessed by a demon was a warning in a nutshell as Castiel had no other choice but to tell Deejatra about what truly happened here last night, for it had to be revealed anyway due to the dangerous presence all over the galaxy.

"There's so much of us here, but we can't shirk our duties right now," she said.

"With the summit bumped up to today, we can't let our guard down," said Castiel.

"Sam's there, but he can't be left unprotected. If that ever happened, then Dean would come unglued if Julilla's forces snatched him up from under our noses."

"Deejatra…, I saw your mother last night..." Deejatra gasps in shock as she never heard such unnerving news like that. "If you end up seeing her, you won't like what she's become..."

"Are you certain about this? Is she alright?!"

"She tried to kill me last night, but you should be aware of the truth about what your mother truly became."

"What the hell's going on, Castiel? What is it that you're not telling me?"

"Your mother's been possessed by a non-corporeal demon in which she's in the distance. What she said had shed light on what the Executive Division is doing. The one who culled such evil forces wasn't the likes of Menelaus Marquand or the late General Wetzel, for it is the one who sat on the sidelines while playing the lives of innocents like pawns in a chess game. I know of him very well in which he is being pursued by Cain, who wants revenge against him."

"My mother was the strongest due to her training to resist possession of any types, but she would never submit or surrender to being possessed by a dark force. I know her a lot better than that before she disappeared ten years ago."

Without warning, Deejatra heard something in the distance as heard something clawing up the walls near the restrooms. Armed with her weapons, she rushed into the men's room as she saw blood all over the walls. She had a gut feeling that sheer terror was lurking in the distance as she saw a dead body fall out from one of the bathroom stalls with claw marks all over him. She never saw anything like it before as she had to warn me about what was truly going on until she felt something grab her and threw her against the wall. She saw it to be a shadowy presence as she knew it directly, for it was none other than a daeva that was being controlled by someone that didn't want her to do so. At that moment, she got out a flash grenade as she threw it while closing her eyes the moment she got up and fled the men's room. When she saw Castiel coming to her aid, he was concerned about what happened earler, for this won't end very well.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I just repelled a daeva not too long ago… in the men's roon," answered Deejatra.

"It killed someone, didn't it?"

"I saw a man dead in the bathroom stall in which we can't let this slide. Everyone in that assembly hall needs to know this before it's too late."

"You went up against what was in the bathroom, didn't you?"

"Daevas are strong like demons, but they are wielded by those who have them under their control. The only weakness that they have is bright light that repels them, but not for long. We have to warn them or else it will be too late."

Without warning, Castiel saw another daeva clawing the walls as he got out his sword to fight it. He was in over his head as he wasn't afraid to put his life on the line. When he saw the daeva getting closer, he felt his right arm glowing brightly as it resonated with his angelic power in which he repelled it before it had a chance to attack. It wasn't long until he saw another daeva approaching until he saw a flash grenade be thrown in which he noticed Balthazar rushing to the scene, for he had to fight this battle outside the assembly hall so far.

"Those things are pretty nasty there," he said.

"Danae's here and the demon in her body is in the distance," said Castiel.

"She's not alone in which she'll do more damage if we don't find her in time."

"If my mother's involved in this, then I have no other choice but to arrest her while bringing her to trial at the behest of Central 46," said Deejatra. "As for the demon who is housing her body, it will be exorcized before it's too late."

The truth was crystal clear as everyone was about to be under siege as the presence of other evils coming with a vengeance. With the danger looming in the distance, Deejatra saw Danae standing in the distance as she had a talisman in her hand until she fled before more dangers lurked in the shadows. She had to know more than what she was once told as the time to evacuate the everyone out of the Crystal Pavilion was the top priority right now…

I was in the assembly hall as I was hearing the grievances from the Order as I was most likely to be there with the backup sitting next to me. I saw Dvora fiddling with the pocketwatch in her hands as she was concerned about the turn of events that we just had right now. When it was time for me to speak, I got up from my seat as I went towards the podium in order to tell of my own reasons to stand firm in those who had mortalities all around.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Order," I said. "As we know, the Executive Division has been on the warpath and has now acquired something that should've been buried for centuries. The Ketch robots are back and are under the orders of Julilla and her forces."

"That's impossible!" yelled a Degran delegate. "The Ketch Cybernetic Initiative has been dead since the shutdown of the Old Guard fifteen hundred years ago!"

"A few weeks ago, a group of Ketch robots were sent in by the Eichenberg twins in which they nearly did away with a pair of werewolves who were busy taking out some assassins from the Black Dragon Guild. After that, those machines tried to kill us while we were on a mission to destroy the factory in Andarias on Drakonus, only to have Crowley and Reina dead from their heroic efforts. We can't ignore this turn of news after all that was seen. Still, I have heard of what the Executive Division are doing in which they'll stop at nothing to get what they want and that is what I have within me."

"You're a humanoid being, Sam Winchester, not a sacrificial lamb to those who would stop at nothing to abuse the raw power that you have," said a Britannican delegate.

"Even though I'm a humanoid being, I'm aware of those who abused my reasons once, only to see the leader of the Executive Division dead on the Sol-1 almost a year ago. I also heard the incriminating evidence in which Danae Trelundar has been seen here since last night, but her actions aren't her own right now. According to one of our operatives, she has been possessed by a non-corporeal demon in which she is both armed and dangerous due to what the demon's motive is."

"Danae Trelundar would never allow herself to be possessed by a non-corporeal demon," said a Stohessian delegate. "She was one of the strongest member of the Order in which she fought tooth and nail to keep herself from unworldly possession."

"Well, we heard proof when Danae almost killed Castiel last night," said Zaphra. "The Executive Division's not only going after Sam just to make him their bitch, but they're after us in both the Order and those who were once in the Old Guard. There is proof in which we can't just sit on our asses all day in which our enemies won't be lenient to kill us on sight."

"If the Executive Division goes after us, then let them come," said Minara. "They've forged alliances with the Tollers and the Black Dragon Guild, but the Ketch machines from the Old Guard are a force to be reckoned with."

"Well, they already busted up a bullet train and killed some of the passengers on it," said Dvora.

"I'm aware of that, but we keep going for a reason and that scares the Executive Division. We've been put through the ringer because we're the only force that can't be controlled by other means than to do the right thing. Still, we have an obligation to fulfill and-"

Without warning, we noticed a flickering of lights as I sensed something wrong indeed. The delegation was shaken as they were worried about what was about to happen next. In that troubling moment, we saw an invisible force clawing up the walls as we had to leave before anything bad occurred on the horizon. I spotted a shadowy force on the walls as I saw it to be none other than a daeva that was there causing widespread panic by attacking some of the delegates that were fleeing the chaos. There was danger all over as used my raw power to subdue the shadowy force the moment I saw it disintegrate before it attacked much worse.

"Everyone, listen up!" I yelled. "We've been ambushed in which the enemy has resorted to further means by unleashing a daeva to do their dirty work! Therefore, we have to evacuate the building before more show up!"

I saw the panic in the delegation's eyes as they were worried about the situation that had already reached us without warning. I had to get everyone out of there as this was getting out of hand in one fell swoop. With several of the delegates running out the door, they feared the worse as they were being escorted in the nick of time by the Garrison Corps. The brutal assault on the delegation was a final nail to the coffin as we all had to deal what was going on outside the assembly hall. By the time we all got out into the lobby, we saw a group of daevas emerging on the walls as we saw some of the people being thrown around while slashing them to bits. I never saw such toil before as I had to remain calm in this dire situation until I heard Danae's voice over the intercom.

"You pitiful fools," I heard her say on speaker. "You think that you can rush to further judgment against the Executive Division?! I have complete control over the daevas and I will kill or maim even more if you don't surrender on both sides. You have Sam Winchester and his raw power, only to see him bow down to us."

"Mom, that's enough! This isn't you to begin with!" yelled Dvora.

"Dvora, stop!" I yelled.

I saw her sprinting out of the lobby as she had a gut feeling that her mother would be there in one of the upper levels from above. She was wanting to pursue her mother as she also wanted her to stop her nonsense in which she had to confront her anyway…, but not without some ghostly interference the moment a huge cold spot chilled the entire building. When I saw her go after her mother, I noticed several members of the Order rushing towards the door as they noticed that it was locked tight in which they were worried about the further onset of the daevas that were popping out of nowhere through shadowy forms.

"We're trapped!" said one delegate.

"How are we gonna get out of here?!" yelled another.

"Calm down, all of you!" yelled Zaphra as she was concerned about the further situation at hand. "We can't just go flying off the handle in which we have our enemies taking advantage of our fears in this crisis! The enemy knows this because it's exactly what it wants."

"Let's hope that help arrives in time," said Minara as he had his medical kit in his hands. "The Executive Division has really done it this time."

"Yeah, and I saw Danae last night! She's in here while a demon possessing her body, but we should be careful. She's got specific orders to trap us just to get the ultimate prize imaginable and that's Sam in a nutshell."

I was put in the spotlight once again as I feared the worst when it came to having the danger looming all over. As for the situation with Danae, it had to be resolved as time was running out when it came to flushing her out on the sly...

The Kurokage arrived on Trost as it stopped near the Crystal Pavilion the moment Dean and his subordinates stepped out into the open. They saw an ominous glow all over the resort as they noticed the presence of shadows all over the place in which they noticed a tourist being flung to his death from the malevolent force inside. Dean was concerned to the extreme as he feared for my safety in which he noticed a trail of flickering lights from up the levels. He never saw anything like it before as he was ready to move in until he turned around and saw a group of Ketch robots arriving the moment they were on the prowl to destroy him and his subordinates. He once heard about the Ketch machines before as he wasn't about to go down without a fight until he saw Lorne standing from behind them.

"Well, well; if it isn't Dean Winchester," he said as he held a bullhorn in his hand. "You and your subordinates in the Hunter Corps won't be able to go in there because I have specific orders to kill you while Ailnoth's puppet continues to use daevas to slaughter members of the Order's delegation, including your baby brother, whom my sister and I truly despise!"

"You're high and mighty for a tinhorn idiot," said Dean.

"I want you to do the right thing by standing down and let the daevas take their course into reveling in the massive slaughter of not only the Order's delegation, but the innocent tourists who come and flock here seeking adventure in their lives."

"Your handlers have the gall to corner our people from the Order, but putting innocent civilians under the bus?! You've got some nerve into doing this 'cause you and your pantywaist handlers only have the gall to profit from the war you started!"

"No matter how many times we profit from war, it never leaves us."

Without warning, the Ketch robots got out their guns and began to fire at Dean's squad the moment they took cover behind a wall near the main fence. Dean never saw anything like it before as he noticed one of the robots rush in and seized him by the throat the moment he was losing air due to its firm grip. Just as he was about to be finished, an invisible presence sliced the robot's arms as he was free to breathe once again, but from where? When the armless robot was about to attack again, it was shot in the head as Desna was armed with a rifle of his own. He was aware of the stories about the Ketch machines and the Old Guard that his mother told him as he noticed them advancing towards the squad with a menacing gaze.

"It appears that the Old Guard's skeletons in the closet had finally emerged to be puppets for the Executive Division to play with," he said.

"Whatever those things are, they're cramping our turf!" yelled Dean as his right arm turned into diamond form. "Okay, asshats, it's time to go and dish out the hard candy!"

Dean unleashed a wave of diamond-hard projectiles at the Ketch robots as they were slowly moving, but taking minimal damage. With everyone firing their weapons to slow down the Ketch machines, they were slowly advancing as they weren't stopped by their choice of weaponry. The robots themselves were tough as they kept going until everyone saw a hail of gunfire raining down to destroy them in the process. The stroke of luck was at everyone's advantage as Dean spotted the Miyazaki touching down in which the hangar doors opened up to reveal a familiar face dressed in samurai armor the moment she stepped out.

"This may be worse than zombies in a video game, but robots that almost look like Cybermen?"

It was Charlie as she was staring at the Ketch machines that were destroyed in which Dean and the others were thankful that help in which Lorne was left packing the moment he fled after his failure to do away with us from inside of the Crystal Pavilion. Even though victory was bittersweet, all of us weren't out of the woods yet as the worst was yet to come in this time of crisis, for it was getting much worse on the inside.

"Totsuka told me of how those things ransacked a train and even killed some of the passengers on board," said Charlie.

"We're lucky that you showed up or else we sould've been Swiss cheese by now," said Dean.

"I got word that Danae Trelundar's been out and about, but the demon possessing her is yet another lackey for Ailnoth in this ongoing war."

"What the hell are you talking about? All we've been fighting lately is Julilla and her forces on a daily basis. Hell, Cass lost an arm and a leg at the hands of that brute in Chugoku's capital of Chekiang last year while he got some prosthetics to replace them with. Recently, I just had to deal with the asshat who brought those Cybermen wannabes here so they can distract us from carrying out our mission to save Sam and the rest of the Order's delegation."

"Ailnoth is out there, but he's running from Cain in which they will do battle somewhere. It's bizarre to hear, but Julilla isn't the real puppet wrangler here in the Executive Division. It's hard to swallow, but I had to tell you the truth anyway."

"If Julilla and her group of cronies aren't running the Executive Division, then who is?"

"It's Ailnoth like I told you before, but there are those in the Order who were taken in by the Old Guard in which some of them had close leanings to their former masters. And do you know that obstetrician who got killed last year? He was a descendant of the Old Guard in which he was forced to keep tabs on your brother and his family, even when he consented to be the mole of the Executive Division in order to plant those robotical Bubo birdbrains to spy on them with the SIM-Tron chips in them."

"That's impossible! Dr. Ichinose would never turn traitor like that! He got killed 'cause those soulless Ken and Barbie dolls did away with him for talking about my brother when he was away on Shiganshina."

"You may not stomach the truth, but you can't hide from it. I even had to go to the Universal Library on Essos to look into the literature that was stacked up in which I read on those Supernatural books. When I looked into the ones written by Nathan Hofstra, I saw them to be accurate in which I noticed the sets that took place after my death in the Elder Days. And what is the Old Guard, per se? It's been known as the British Men of Letters in which they had much more ruthless means so badly that they even resorted into killing some of the hunters on American soil before their operation was thwarted at the last minute. Those aristocratic snobs even resorted into borrowing a hellhound to do their dirty work in killing those hunters, but with the Order that we have today, they have a much more humane approach when it came to dealing with monsters or doing the right thing."

It wasn't long until a platoon ship arrived as it landed next to the Miyazaki the moment a group of soldiers emerged out of it. Dean and Charlie noticed them to be Trostians in which they were all decked out in battle armor in which they were equipped with their weapons in tow. One of them was of high rank as she removed her helmet in which she was part of the Trostian Royal Family due to her markings on her forehead, for she was on the prowl to getting the civilians out as soon as possible.

"I take it that you're the one in charge of your Amazon troops," said Dean.

"We received a distress call coming from the Crystal Pavilion not too long ago," said the Trostian.

"My brother's inside and he's in that group of high-ranking officials in which there's danger inside."

"My name is Faramira Tolzenis and my family is part of Empress Togree's royal court. I'm no stranger to dealing with monsters, for I could never forget that incident when the entire Mirchaias Clan were slaughtered at the hands of that demon with red hair. We knew of her to be a threat in which she fears those who forged weapons or have the necessary means to kill those who harm the innocent. I never forgot how your ship entered into Trostian space to destroy that factory that Darbus Toller built on the Mirchaias Clan's homestead, but the scars on the island that they lived in are still there."

"It's an honor to meet a member of the Trostian Royal Court," said Desna. "Still, formalities can wait because my sisters are in trapped in that building. Sam Winchester is also trapped in there in which he has his hands full right now."

"Are you telling me that the savior of the galaxy in in there?" Desna nods. "Then we'll find him and get him out of there. I sense that a possessed Matriarch of the Draaza is in there, but I fear the worst if things get out of hand."

"Then let's take the fight to the asshats who are keeping everyone pinned," said Dean.

"You should be careful in there because there are daevas running around all over," said Charlie cautiously. "Does anyone have flash grenades? If so, they are our best bet when it comes to defeating those things, alright? If anyone here know about daevas, then you should be briefed about them. I know this because I read in some of the Supernatural books. The daevas themselves are nasty, but they can also kill you if you're not careful, so let's go and get them."

And so, Dean and Charlie led the charge as the platoon with the Trostian Army came along with the rest of the Hunter Corps. With the unknown prospects of victory weighing heavily, everyone had to be on their guard as they all went towards the front of the Crystal Pavilion, for there was danger brewing so far…

Dvora was running all over the sets of stairs as she sensed her mother's presence here. She was aware of what she could do next as she reached the later levels due to the elevator shutting down the moment the daevas took over. By the time she reached up to the thirty-fifth floor due to the Crystal Pavilion being close to having forty-two floors, including the honeymoon suite I had, she saw Danae standing in front of her as she remained emotionless, but stern due to the possession by the demon that refused to leave her. With her twin knives unsheathed, Dvora was most likely to confront her mother in a very ugly way as this wasn't the time to do so.

"It's been ten years since you left, Mom," she said.

"I see that you've grown up a little, but you're still the same reckless girl who left behind her little sister to wander free," said the demon who possessed Danae "Funny, I never expected you to be quite a tease when you were eager to find me on the spot, but the daevas I brought with me are making short work of those who got in the way." Danae's eyes flash black as she was lifted Dvora up with her telekinesis and threw her against the wall. "Well, aren't you glad to see me, my dear daughter?"

"You're not my mom! All you are doing is possessing her body to do the Executive Division's dirty work! For the record, Mom was the strongest to resist people like you just to wear her like a prom dress!"

"How dare you talk back to me, daughter?! Children should always do what they're told by their parents, only to rebel and curse them in the end. And in the past ten years, this corpse was trying hard to resist being possessed the moment she was captured by General Wetzel, only to summon me to take over her body due to her knowledge of monsters that she fought during her days in the Hunter Corps. She was strong, but the only thing that broke her entirely in order to have my way with her is that the mad general and his troops were threatening to go after her children after her husband fell in battle."

"General Wetzel kept you hidden the whole time?! Well, he's dead when Sam killed him on the Sol-1 last year."

It wasn't long until Dvora was being swung around the walls as she was feeling the pinch of the demon's powers fusing to Danae in such an unholy way. She knew that the demon possessing her mother was abusing her body as she wanted to help her break free of being possessed once and for all. Getting up, with her body wracked from pain, Dvora was standing firm against Danae as she wasn't about to let her put further harm towards more innocent bystanders, for this was a troubling thing indeed. Just as she was about to attack her mother, she felt claw marks tearing at the tunic she wore as she noticed a daeva present. Even though the shadow monster was too much for her, she noticed a Zoroastrian medallion around Danae's neck as the demon was in control, for it was ready to get rid of Dvora entirely in this confrontation.

"It's a shame that I can't kiss your scrapes and make it better, my child, but you overstepped the line by crossing me," said the demon who was possessing Danae. "And in all my years of motherhood, you were the worst by emulating your ancestor whose seed was put with us during his only year to live in the Elder Days before he was brought back. You prefer such rebellion over your aesthetic training like your little sister who acts more mature than you do."

"Yeah, Deej says that she's older, but she acts more maturely for a reason," said Dvora as she felt her body aching in pain. "It's a shame that you wear Mom's meatsuit all this time, but she always loved her family, even the more rebellious ones."

"You don't have the chance here, for you will suffer in the shadow's wake. In the end of it all, I bid you goodbye…, my soon-to-be departed daughter..."

Just as the demon was about to do away with Dvora, who was injured, she felt an invisible presence appear as it yanked the Zoroastrian medallion off and destroyed it. Anger filled the demon as she was seeint the lights flickering with a side order of cold spots lurking. Dvora noticed the invisible presence attacking the demon as it was throwing it around the walls the moment she noticed something tear at the black dress that her mother wore. The invisible presence wasn't messing around as it attacked with such a strong degree that the daevas that the demon controlled turned on their mistress entirely. Dvora saw her mother being carried away by the daevas as she swiftly got free from their grip until it set its sights on her on the spot.

"Where are you?!" the demon shrieked. "I know that you're here, spirit! I demand you to come out and face me!"

At that moment, Dvora saw the invisible force throw Danae towards the window in which it shattered while she fell below. Going towards the window, she saw her mother falling further as she was nowhere to be found right now. Staggering to a different angle, she was hurting, but she saw the daevas attacking her again the moment they clawed her up everywhere while shredding her clothes in the process. She was done for until she saw a glimpse of raw power emanating in which the daevas were finished off for good this time. Injured and alive, she saw me coming to her aid as I was thankful that she wasn't killed in the process, for I didn't want her to run away from her responsibilities right now.

"You shouldn't be reckless or else Dean will not be happy with you for neglecting your charge as a bodyguard," I said.

"I saw her, Sam," said Dvora as she was breathing raggedly. "I saw… my mom…, but that demon had her in its grip..."

"Don't try to talk. I got here before the troops stormed in here to evacuate the civilians. It's a miracle that I tracked you down or else you would've been dead by now."

"Before that demon tried to kill me on the spot, I felt cold in which someone cranked the swamper up to full blast while I noticed some lights flickering."

"Are you certain about this?"

"I'm sure 'cause there's a ghost looming in the distance that came in and tossed Mom out the window just now."

I looked at the pocketwatch that Dvora had as I examined it carefully. It was the same one that Reina had as it had the Kratedes seal etched into it in which it was mainly a wedding gift at the time. When I looked in the distance, I saw the spirit of Reina standing near the window as she vanished for another day. Still, even though her body was cremated at her funeral in Kripke Shrine, I sensed that the pocketwatch had her spirit attached to it as it was also a godsend that she came to save Dvora from certain death this time.

"Reina…," I said. "Thank you… for saving Dvora..."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"That pocketwatch that you have belonged to Reina before she was killed. What you also saw was that her spirit remains in what you picked up during our mission on Drakonus."

"I heard from Mom that spirits are attached to certain objects, even after their remains are salted and burned, but Reina saved me this time and I'm great that I'm still alive and kicking."

At that moment, Dvora and I saw some soldiers from both the Hunter Corps and the Trostian Army coming up the stairs as they saw us battle-worn and exhausted. We were safe for now as we were being escorted from the scene after all that has happened. By the time we were ready to leave, we saw Dean rushing is as he was thankful that we were safe, for we were all tired from all that toil.

"It's about time that I caught up to you," he said.

"Dvora had it worse, for she's in need of medical attention," I said.

"Hey, I've had worse, but I'll live," she said.

"As soon as we get out of here, the better… Julilla and her forces picked the wrong time to send a demon to do her dirty work, but her actions crossed the line."

"Julilla isn't the true puppet wrangler of the Executive Division, but Ailnoth's the one calling the shots along with members of the Order who had ties to the Old Guard before their academy fell centuries ago. And do you know what Dr. Ichinose was doing while you were out and about? He got the greenlight to issue those mechanical birds to spy on you in which he had been the Executive Division's personal bitch this whole time before he was killed."

"Dr. Ichinose… was a traitor?"

"You better face the facts, Sammy, 'cause if there are people in our ranks who still cling to the Old Guard and their methods, then we're in one huge mess right now. As soon as we get our bearings straight, we'll get word from the higher-ups about the current situation so far."

"Let's do that, for we aren't alone on this…"

And so, we left the thirty-fifth floor where the battle took place as we were ready to leave after all that has happened earlier. Even though I stopped the daeva attacks on Dvora earlier, I had a long way to go as I had to stay strong in choppy water. Leaving the Crystal palace, we were ready to go home after all that has happened as something emerged in the distance. It was the demon who still had a hold over Danae's body as she was watching in the distance. She was aware of my presence as she was eager to report back to her handlers soon enough, for they were waiting to get their chance to claim me if I wasn't careful…

To be continued...