Chapter 72: Denzal Conners and The Hexagram Warriors
A few days have gone by since Blitz and Stolas have been admitted to the hospital, and well, let's just say that the crew hasn't been doing that wall.
In the Goetia mansion, everyone arrives to check on Mimmy, who has been lying down in her bed as she continues to hug a photo of herself and Blitz, whimpering and shedding tears down her face. Octavia is sitting next to her as she comforts her.
"I can understand why you wanted us to come over after work," Moxxie says, worried.
Even Millie sadly says, "Poor Mimmy is still heartbroken about what happened to Blitz."
"Yeah. She hasn't been saying a word since it happened. She just stays in her bed looking depressed and lonely, and hugging that photo. She's really upset about it," Octavia says, and rubs Mimmy's head.
"Aww, the poor darlin," Millie says.
"I wouldn't blame her for being upset. Her dad ended up in the hospital and hasn't woken up." Moxxie says.
"So, he hasn't regained consciousness yet?" Octavia asks.
"No. We called Stolas, and he said that Blitz hasn't woken up yet. As of now, Razor and Randall are on guard duty now, but me and Moxxie will be taking over the Night shift," Millie says.
"And judging by the doctors' examination, it's possible Blitz will need to stay in the hospital for quite a while. Same as Stolas," Moxxie says.
"I know," Octavia says and lets out a sigh, "And thanks to you all for coming over."
"It's no problem," Millie says.
Then Octavia asks, concerned, "How are the others doing?"
"We're all doing okay, and still trying to cope with what happened. As I said earlier, Randall and Razor are guarding Blitz and Stolas at the hospital right now," Moxxie says.
"Drew and Berry decide to take some time off and go to Lust to visit their cousin," Millie says.
"Considering that we haven't been able to work the past three straight days," Moxxie says and lets out a sigh.
"What do you mean?" Octavia asks.
"Because my dad is acting very weird lately," Loona's voice says.
The group turns to see Loona walking into the room.
"Oh, hi Loona, so what do you mean by weird?" Octavia replies.
"Well, my dad seems pretty stressed, startled easily, and seems to act more aggressive towards the others, even Randall," Loona says.
"Yeah. It all started with the interrogation with that nurse," Millie says.
"Yeah. Drew and Randall explained that to me, and I suspect something's up," Loona says.
Flashback: I.M.P Meeting Room
"What?" Loona asks, shocked, "My dad nearly tore the nurse's horn off with his?!"
"Yeah. He even threatened to pierce the guy with his sword. I've known Sarge since I've started working at the company, and I've never seen Sarge act this aggressively towards anyone, especially like this," Randall says.
"Berry and I only joined the company a few years after Randall and Razor joined, and even then I never expected Sarge to act like that," Drew says.
"Me neither. And I've known my dad more than anyone," Loona says, sounding concerned.
"Do you have any idea why?" Drew asks.
"I don't know… this doesn't sound like dad at all… and yet, he decided to do something like this," Loona says, sounding uneasy.
Flashback Ends:
"Sarge really did that?" Octavia asks, shocked.
"Yeah. They told me the day after both yours and Mimmy's dad were admitted to the hospital. And even after that, dad has been acting weird." Loona says.
Moxxie sighs, "Especially what he did to Randall yesterday."
"What did he do?" Octavia asks.
"Well Randall did one of his pranks on my dad, but instead of glaring at him or ignoring him, or even make some blunt remark, dad yelps in fright, grabs Randall by the arm, flips him over, and practically has him pinned to the ground," Loona says.
"Sarge did that?" Octavia asks, shocked.
"I know I've never heard Sarge yelp before. Moxxie and I don't know as much about Sarge as Loona and Randall do, but we didn't think he would act like this," Millie says.
"No doubt about it, something is very wrong with him, and we need to do something about it," Moxxie says.
But Loona says, "No, I think you should let me handle it."
"Are you sure?" Millie asks.
"I'm sure. He's my dad after all. Besides, I think it will be best if only one of us asks, and I need to do it alone," Loona says.
"Are you sure, Loona? Millie and I can come with you, or perhaps ask the others to accompany you," Moxxie says.
"I got this. This is my dad after all," Loona says.
"Sure. Call if you need anything," Millie says.
"Yeah. See ya around, Via. Hope Mimmy feels better soon," Loona says, and leaves the room.
Sometime later, Loona drives the van back to the apartment building where she lives. Loona walks inside her apartment room to find the place seems dark, almost untouched. Loona looks around and soon notices a dim light coming from his room. Loona approaches the room slowly and grows concerned.
Loona slowly knocks on the door and says, "Dad, are you in there?"
So far, Sarge doesn't answer or say a single word.
Loona slowly knocks more, "Dad, are you okay in there? Are you alright?"
Without another choice, Loona slowly opens the door and looks inside to see her adopted father, Sarge lying down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling.
"Dad, are you okay?" Loona asks, worried.
She then walks to the bed and sits down next to him.
Sarge sighs and turns to his daughter, "Hey… it's nothing…"
"Dad, clearly something happened," Loona says, "Ever since what happened at the hospital, you've been acting depressed. You get easily startled, aggressive, and even flipped Randall. Not to mention you've been shutting yourself into your office and in your room."
Sarge sighs, "You've noticed it huh."
"Pretty much everyone does, especially me. I've known you more than anyone. You've been acting like a zombie," Loona says.
Sarge sighs and turns to the side, away from Loona.
She then lies next to him and sighs, "Dad, are you sure you're okay? Can you tell me what's wrong? We're all very worried about you, especially me? So can you tell me what's up?"
"I guess… I do owe you an explanation, do I?" Sarge questions.
"Yeah. You sure do," Loona says.
Saerge slowly sits up, and Loona does the same. He then picks up his sword and places it on the bed. Sarge also lets out a sigh and removes his shirt. To Loona's shock, she can see Sarge's back has been covered in scars, and they seem very old, especially a really big scar on his back.
Loona is completely stunned to see the scars, "Dad…? Wha-what the fuck…? How did you get those scars?"
"These are very old scars from a long time ago. I don't like showing them to anyone, so I kept them hidden," Sarge says.
He then turns to Loona and says, "Loona, you remember when you were little, you've asked when I got this sword?"
"Yeah. I remember," Loona says with a smile, "I was like six when you first showed it to me. I thought it was cool and wanted to use it, but you said that only you can use it, and I was too young so you worry I might cut myself."
"Yes. You wanna know why I said that?" Sarge replies.
Loona nods her head.
Then Sarge says, "That sword was from my old master. And my former leader."
"Your master?" Loona questions. "I didn't know you had a master?"
"There's a lot I didn't tell you about my past. It's mainly because the life I had when I turned twenty have died long ago… including Denzal Conners," Sarge says.
"Denzal Conners? That sounds like a cool person. I'll bet he was strong," Loona says, impressed, "So who was he?"
"Well I appreciate you thinking so, because Denzal Conners was actually my birth name," Sarge says with a smirk.
Loona's mind is beyond blown, "WHAT?!"
"Yeah. I figure I will be telling you about my past someday, so I thought I would tell you my birth name," Sarge says.
He snickers and asks, "Were you surprised?"
"Damn fuckin shocked is more like it!" Loona says, shocked, "I mean. You had a cool name! Why change it? I mean, Sarge Ryders is a cool name, but your former name is really cool."
"I think so too," Sarge says. He sighs and says, "Sadly, I had no other choice at the time."
"What do you mean?" Loona asks.
"Well Loona, that is a very very long story," Sarge says.
He soon shows a sad expression on his face, and looks at his sword, feeling depressed.
"And I hate to say it, it's not a very pleasant story," Sarge says.
"Take all the time you need dad. And you don't have to explain everything if it's too hard for you," Loona says.
Sarge sighs and says, "No. It is time you knew the truth."
He then gets off of bed and walks towards the closet, "But first, let me grab a few things from the closet."
Sarge then walks into his closet and brings out a few things, a medium size whetstone, a small black box, and a small photo album. Along with some strange liquid.
He sits down next to Loona and says and explains his story, "Well, as you remember some of the details, my father abandoned me and my mother when I was still a baby, so my mother had to take care of me on her own. Of course, living in Pentagram City was very difficult to raise children. One day however, when I was ten years old, someone broke into our home. My mother was able to hide me, but my mother was killed when she fought off the person who broke into our home. By the time I came out of my hiding place, my mother was dead, and I found myself alone in the world… And of course, I had to resort to pickpocketing any loose change, money, but mainly food to survive. Until one day, I met Ivy."
"Ivy?" Loona says, confused.
"She's the one I've met and well…" Sarge says, blushing a bit. "She ended up being my first love interest, despite me being three years younger than her. Especially how she kicked my ass."
"How did you two meet?" Loona asks.
"Well, it happened three years after my mother's death and was pickpocketing or stealing to survive…" Sarge says.
Flashback:
When Sarge is thirteen years old and used to be named Denzal Conners, he is walking down the streets, dressed in clothes that have tears and looks old and dirty. Denzel is using his hat to cover his face as he notices a demon is walking down the sidewalk.
The succubus has a hot pink skin with elegant white snow hair in a high ponytail, tied by an ivy green scrunchy. She also has a yellow sclera with light pink eyes, and has a black heart beauty mark under her right eye. She has wings on her back and each has a black heart on its wings. She is wearing a black crop top with elbow length sleeves that is lower on the shoulders. She is wearing a black choker with a red rose that has green leaves and black thorns, along black mini skirt and black boots that goes up to her knees. She also has a long skinny tail, with spikes at the base and the end is shaped like an upside down heart.
Denzal approaches and is ready to bump into the succubus and plans to rob her. However, the succubus grabs Denzal by his rest and elbows him in the stomach, causing him to fall onto his knees as the female demon lets go of him. And the succubus takes her wallet from his hand.
Denzal grits his teeth and angrily says in pai, "Fuck!"
"That's what you get for trying to pickpocket me." The succubus says.
"Oh yeah, you little slut!" Denzal angrily says.
He then brings out his knife and charges to stab her. But then, the succubus grabs him and flips Denzal over her shoulder to crash him to the ground, but Denzal gains his footing and grabs her with his tail and pulls her over him. But then, the succubus kicks the young Imp in the face, causing him to fall over and is now on the ground. Denzal groans and grunts in pain.
"Ow. That fuckin hurts," Denzal says.
"Well, that's what happens when you try to take down an experienced fighter," The succubus says.
She then kneels to Denzal, "But I have to admit, you're pretty tough yourself."
"Thanks," Denzal says, still sounding bitter.
"Aw don't be so grumpy," The succubus happily says, "The name is Ivy, what's your name?"
"Denzal. Denzal Conners," Denzal says.
"Denzal huh, kind of a cool name. Makes you quite a strong boy," Ivy says.
Denzal blushes a bit and turns his head away, "Yeah."
"So why are you here alone?" Ivy asks.
"What else can I do? Take money and food. My mother died a few years ago so I was on my own," Denzal says.
Ivy sighs, "I know how that felt." And then Ivy has an idea, "Say, how about you come with me to meet the gang? I'm sure they'll love to meet you."
"Really?" Denzal asks, confused. Then gives her a suspicious look, "Why would I?"
"Well, it's not like you have anywhere else to go or anything better to do?" Ivy replies, "Besides, you strike me as a strong guy, with the right training. So you should come."
Denzal thinks for a minute and lets out a sigh, "Fine. I'll go with you. But that doesn't mean I'm accepting this."
"Great. Let's go," Ivy says, grabbing Denzal by the wrist and drags him off.
Flashback Ends:
Loona can't help but laugh a bit, "Never thought I heard this, you ended up getting beaten by a girl."
"Yeah. Not my best moment," Sarge says, actually feeling embarrassed.
"So then, what happened after that?" Loona asks.
"After that, Ivy brought me to their Secret HQ on the outskirts of Pentagram City," Sarge says.
Flashback:
Denzal walks with Ivy to the outskirts of Pentagram City and reaches what seems like a normal one floor room.
"Here it is. Home sweet home," Ivy says.
"Seems normal," Denzal bluntly replies.
Ivy giggles, "You should see the inside.
Ivy then unlocks the door and opens the door, "After you."
Denzal then walks inside and looks inside in surprise to see that the inside of the house looks rather surprising.
"Wow!" Denzal says, astonished.
He sees the place is very unique, he sees three other demons in the room, and each of them is working on a different protection.
The first one is a dark brown bull demon with red eyes. He has two horns sticking out of both sides of his head with dark brown hair on his head. He also has the face of a bull with a silver nose ring on his horn. He is wearing a white tank top with baggy dark brown pants. He doesn't wear normal shoes but metal horseshoes on his black hooves. He also has hard thick hands with red gloves.
The bull demon is working on some machine guns with other gadgets on a table.
On the other side of the table, is a Hellhound that looks similar to an Alaskin Husky, with red sclera and white silver eyes. He is wearing a normal white short sleeve shirt with a red jacket, wearing glasses, and wears black shirts.
He's been looking at maps and diagrams of buildings, securities, and other structures and blueprints.
The last demon is a large muscular shark demon, even though there are signs that the demon is a girl. She has different shades of greenish-blue skin with large sharp teeth, along with bright green eyes with dark green circles in them. She is wearing a black t-shirt with a picture of a red bomb on it, dark blue jean shorts, and black and red sneakers. He is putting some gunpowder in the bombs.
Around the room, there are different guns, blades, and other weapons. Along with some features that seem like a normal home with a television, furniture, tables, and other features, even a kitchen.
Ivy calls out, "Gear! Specs! Crackle! I'm back from my walk, and I brought a new friend with me."
The three demons look to see the Ivy with the young Denzal.
"Hey Ivy, who's the little guy you got there?" Gear, the Bull Demon questions with a grin.
"Yeah. Ain't he a little shorty," Crackle, the Shark Demon says with a big sharp tooth smile.
Specs, the Hellhound adjusts his glasses, "Hello."
Then Ivy says, "Guys, this is Denzal. He's a little Imp who was trying to pick my pocket, but I gave him what's coming, but he actually put up a good fight."
"Really?" Crackle asks with a grin.
"Yeah," Denzal admits and mutters, "And felt humiliated for being beaten by a girl."
"Aw, don't be like that, Denzs, you have to admit, you did a pretty good job trying to fight against me," Ivy says.
"Denzs?" Denzal asks, confused.
Then Ivy introduces Denzal to the others, "Denzal, this is Gear Bull, the mechanic and weapon specialist of the group. The Hellhound is the brains and strategist of the group, Specs. And the Shark Demon is our bomb specialist and combat expert, Crackle. She's like a big sister to me."
"Thanks," Crackle says, "I may not appreciate trying to rob my sis, but I can give you some guts for trying to fight my little Ivy."
"Uh thanks," Denzal says, confused.
Then turns to Ivy, "So Ivy, what do you do for the group?"
"Well, I may be sixteen, but I'm very educated in performing chemistry and help Gear and Crackle with their weapons. I also specialize in making poison like serum, gas, and things like that," Ivy says.
She then turns to the others, "Anyway, I think he'll make a good addition to our group/
Crackle looks at Denzal, "Huh. He seems like a spunky little kid."
"What?! I'm thirteen!" Denzal says, feeling insulted.
"Don't need to get your tail in a knot," Gear says.
Specs looks at the young Imp, "Still, you seem like a good head on your shoulders. However…" and then adjusts his glasses, "You will need to talk to the boss about it."
"I know. I'm planning to talk to him now," Ivy says, "Where is Zain? Is he back yet?""
Just then, the door opens to reveal the last demon of the group along with a calm deep voice, "Hello everyone, I've returned."
Denzal turns around and gasps in shock and fear to see the final demon stepping into the house. He slowly steps back, looking a bit frightened.
The demon before seems to look like a dark shadow, but is soon changed into a dark gray skin being that looks somewhat human, with black hair that flows like dark mist. He has black horns with white stripes. He has a black sclera with red eyes and white pupils. He is wearing a dark red kimono top and a black japanese pants. He also holds the sword that looks exactly like the sword Sarge has now in the scabbard. He also has long fingers with sharp black nails as well.
"Oh hi Zain, how was your meeting with the client?" Ivy asks.
"Went okay. However, there were complications with the negotiations, but we managed to find common grounds," The demon, Zain says.
He then turns to see Denzal, "And who is this young boy?"
"This is Denzal Conners. He tried to rob me, but I managed to give him the upper hand, but I see a good fighter within him," Ivy says.
"Really now?" Zain questions.
Denzal turns away and mutters, "Yeah, so what… it's not like I have anything better to do at the time."
He then notices Zain's appearance and asks, "If you mind me asking, what kind of demon are you?"
"I wouldn't blame you for asking. I'm a Daeva Demon. They're not very common, but I'm a leader of a small group of mercenaries," Zain says.
"Really?" Denzal asks.
"That's right," Zain says, and observes Denzal. He walks around the young Imp and gives him an observing eye, "Hmmm…"
"What is it?" Denzal asks.
"Hmmm… you seem like you have a certain spark within you. Of course, you seem to be good with a knife and able to have a good head on your shoulders…" Zain says.
Denzal feels complemented about it.
But then Zain says, "However, you are still young and without proper training. If you want to be a part of my group. Then you will need quite an amount of training."
Then lowers to Denzal's level, "It depends, are you willing to be a part of the group. If you are, are you willing to go through our training?"
Denzal thinks hard about it, and long.
He then nods his head, "Yes. I'm going to give it my all."
"Then let's begin your training. Before that, let's get you some new clothes and something to eat," Zain says.
Flashback Ends:
"And just like that, Zain and the others took me in, they fed me, educated me, trained me, and did what they could for me before being part of their group. Of course, the group, especially Zain, trained me tirelessly and over time, I've been able to learn how to fight, use weapons like blades and guns, and even practice my strength and agility. And overtime, we've become a group known as the Hexagram Warrior, and a well known mercenary group. We take on any temporary employment such as assassination, sabotage enemies, protect, escort, and hostage situations, and even transportation. Most of our jobs involve high class demons such as Demon Elites and Royalty. Since I was the youngest, my main work involves being a scout, informationist, and pivot." Sarge explains.
"Wow. Sounds like you and the group sound like great demons," Loona says, amazed.
"Yeah. They're all amazing, especially Zain and Ivy," Sarge says.
He then blushes, "And especially Ivy."
Loona snickers, "Sounds like Ivy is someone special to you. Same with Zain."
"Um yeah," Sarge says, embarrassed, "Zain has become my personal mentor and has trained me endlessly. Despite how tiring it is, I enjoy training under him and did all I can to make him proud. The others have been very good to me as well. However, Ivy has a special place in my heart."
"Oooh, so you like her?" Loona asks, interested.
Sarge blushes, "Yeah. And over time, Ivy and I started dating each other, and years later. I asked Ivy to marry me, and she happily accepted."
"Really? You had a fiance?" Loona asks, surprised.
"Yes, I did…" Sarge says.
Loona says, "Well, from what you've explained. I can tell that you and Ivy really cared for each other."
"We did. In fact, I loved her…" Sarge says.
Sarge then opens the small box to reveal a medallion, the chain made of silver while the medallion pendant is made of gold with a six pointed star on it. In the center of it, is a beautiful crimson red crystal.
"Haven't seen or even touched this in years," Sarge says.
Seeing it, Loona asks, shocked, "Wait… is that…?"
"An Asmodean Crystal," Sarge replies.
Loona nods in reply
And answers, "It is. This medallion was Ivy's engagement present to me. I gave Ivy a beautiful ring with a Pink Asmodean Crystal to match her eyes when I proposed to her. Believe me, it was very difficult to find one of these without asking someone about it. We both used it to visit earth from time to time when we received it. I got to see Earth at a younger age, and Ivy and I thought it was beautiful and thought of having a special place there for all of us where no one can see us of course." And then sadly sighs, "I had wonderful demons looking out for me, Zain became a father I never had, and a beautiful, tough, and sweet fiance. However, those happy times didn't last…"
"Why? What happened?" Loona asks, concerned.
Sarge soon grows bitter, "It's because of Toxbane. He destroyed the family I have."
Loona eyes wide in shock, "What? Is that why you got upset when that nurse, Liam mentioned to you."
"Sadly yes. The friends that I've made, my fiance, and my master were destroyed because of Toxbane's betrayal, and I was the only one to survive the carnage he placed on us," Sarge says.
"What happened?" Loona asks, worried.
"It happened years ago. I was only a couple of years younger than you at the time. Almost a year after Ivy and I were engaged. That time, it was supposed to be a simple cargo transport. Of course, we had to deal with some demons who were trying to steal them. And I've noticed one of the cargoes seems to be a large block of ice, and I could have sworn I saw… something in there. I didn't know what it was at the time, but after the incident at the hospital, I have to suspect it was an Angel's corpse, probably from the Early Extermination," Sarge explains.
He sighs and says, "Anyway, we met Toxbane at the agreed location, far out of the city. However, none of us could have suspected anything, especially double crossing us…"
Flashback:
One day, Denzal is around twenty years old at the time and Ivy has grown older as well, along with the others. They are approaching a large building that is around two stories tall and is forty feet wide, and it has a sliding door at the front. Crackle and Gear pick up the large cargo from opposite ends, pick it up from the truck and carry it towards the building. Ivy, Denzal, and Specs carry some of the smaller boxes with the supplies.
"So this is the place?" Denzal asks.
"Yes. This is where we need to meet our client," Zain says.
"It's strange to see a building so far out of the city. There's not even a single building around, or any demons," Ivy says.
Crackle turns to Zain, "Zain, I'm having a strange feeling about this place."
"To be honest, so am I," Zain says.
"I have to agree. It's strange that he wanted us to meet here of all places," Specs says, adjusting his glasses.
"I have to agree," Zain says, "Let's just finish the deal and get back home."
Zain then opens the door allowing everyone to walk inside the building and closes the door. The Hexagram Warriors continue to walk inside the building and down the hall. They soon walk into a large empty room which is pretty dark inside. The only source of light is a light shining down in the room.
Zain says, "Hello Toxbane, we've arrived and have your supplies."
Just then, another spotlight turns on to reveal two muscular shark demons and two Imps. And there is one more between the four demons.
The last one seems to be a completely different demon from all the others. That being is the client, Toxbane. Toxbane seems to be a mixture of poisonous animals. His upper body is that of a Black Bellied Newt, and his lower half is that of a Arizona bark scorpion. He also has fangs similar to that of a King Cobra. His body is black and red. He also has long sharp nails, the scorpion tail is also black with small red stripes.
Toxbane smirks, "Ah, the famous Hexagram Warriors. I'm so pleased you've finally arrived with my cargo. I hope there wasn't too much trouble."
"Not much, just the usual thugs though they can steal to make a quick buck. Of course, we took care of them," Zain says.
"Good good. I'll let my men take the supplies from here," Toxbane says.
And with that, his men walk over to the Hexagram Warriors and take the cargo and supply boxes and leave the room.
"I really have to thank you for getting all of them here. It was very difficult to have them brought here without being ambushed," Toxbane says.
"Of course," Zain says.
Toxbane then brings out an envelope, "Here is your payment."
"Thank you," Zaine says, and takes the envelope full of cash.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you," Toxbane says. He then walks away and says, "I do hope you all get home safely. Have a pleasant day."
And soon enough, Toxbane leaves the room where his men leave without saying another word. The group looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions, and they soon decided to take their leave. They walk out of the building and head towards the truck.
"Seems that assignment was easy," Gear says.
"Yes…" Zain says, and narrows his eyes, "Perhaps a little too easy."
"Still, I wonder what cargo they have. They didn't give us too many details about it," Denzal says.
"I have to agree. Something is up with these guys, especially their boss," Ivy says.
"I say we don't care about that. I mean, we did get paid for it," Gear says.
He then approaches the truck, "Now let's head back to our place and celebrate another job well…"
Before he can finish, something blasts at the truck, destroying it and causing an explosion, blowing everyone back and falling to the ground. The Warriors look in shock to see the truck has been destroyed. And before long, the Hexagram Warriors find themselves surrounded by multiple men and a distance away are even more men with tanks. Another tank fires a missile which destroys the building.
And with that, the many men begin to attack them. Zain, Denzal, and the others fight back against them, using their skills and weapons to blow them up or kill them with their sharp weapons and firearms. Sadly however, one by one, each of the team members end up being slaughtered by one of Toxbane's men. First Crackle from a gunshot to the heart. Then Specs when the mean stabs him and decapitates him. And Gear receives multiple stab wounds and the last blow is on the head. And much to Denzal's dismay, Ivy ends up getting stabbed in the stomach when she tries to protect him.
"Ivy!" Denzal cries out.
Ivy collapses on the floor. Denzal is so furious that he brings out his gun and fires at the enemy. His eyes glow red and begin to slaughter the many demons in his way. Just then, one of the goons uses a baseball bat and strikes Denzal on the head, causing him to bleed and fall to the ground. Denzal struggles to get up to see an Imp is ready to finish him off, but a sword slices his head off to reveal Zain.
"Zain…" Denzal says, and struggles to stand, but still able to get on his feet.
Zain lowers his head and says, "Denzal, you must go."
"What… but Zain?!" Denzal says, dismayed.
"I know, but you must go. You must survive. You need to get away. I'll try to stall them as fast as I can," Zain says in a serious tone.
"But…" Denzal tries to reason.
But Zain says, "GO!"
And with tears running down his face, Denzal is forced to run away to make his escape while Zain continues to fight them off using his sword and the powers he possesses. Denzal continues to run away from the fight as fast as he can, knowing Zain will be able to defeat them, but still in tears that the ones he cares about, especially the one he loves are gone forever. Denzal turns his head as he runs to see Zain is still fighting.
Just then, a big and powerful missile is fired from one of the tanks and hits Zain, causing a massive explosion and sending many within range flying. Denzal is soon sent flying because he's still within the range of the blast. Denzal rolls on the ground until he skids to a stop. Soon enough, Denzal loses consciousness.
Flashback Ends:
"By the time I regained consciousness, I was all alone and was badly injured. My ribs were broken, and yet, thanks to the adrenaline ability I've gained, I was able to escape without having any further damages. However, everyone was killed. And the only thing left was Zain's sword, which I now," Sarge says.
He then notices Loona having a sad look on her face.
"That must have been so awful," Loona says.
"It was. After what Toxbane did, I knew that I couldn't stay at the house the others and I were living in because I knew it would be dangerous. Toxbane would have found me and tried to dispose of every last one of us. I had to destroy the hideout the Hexagram Warriors had, and destroy any evidence of my existence. I even had to fake my death, change my identity, and even resort to changing my name so Toxbane wouldn't find me. I've taken the lessons Zain, Ivy, and the others did to heart and create a new start for me. I've become Sarge Ryder, a solo assassin," Sarge says. "At first, I thought I didn't have anything else to live except eliminating Toxbane for what he has done. I've been trying to find him for years looking for any details about Toxbane, so far, nothing. I really thought I'll have to be alone and simply live my life for revenge." He then smiles and says, "However I ended up with something else to live for. Something that became more precious to me more than anything."
"And what's that?" Loona asks, curious.
"You of course. Three years after what happened, I found you and you had made my life even more special than before. Of course, I still tried to find details about Toxbane, but that ambition faded away when I became a father, and I was focusing on my work and trying to give you the love and attention the best I can," Sarge says.
Loona smiles and says, "That is a very sad and yet, really amazing story. And I guess in a way, you finding me and raising me, ended up turning your life around."
"It sure was. Deciding to raise you as my daughter was one of the best decisions I've made, and never went back on it," Sarge says.
Loona then hugs Sarge, "Thanks dad. You really mean a lot to me."
"You're welcome, Loona," Sarge says.
"But, what will we do now? After what happened, you might have to face Toxbane sooner or later," Loona asks, concerned.
"I know, it's especially proven that those cargo must be ingredients he used for his crazy experiments. It's no wonder he ordered a disposal of us, he didn't want us alive to know what he's been doing. And now it's serious because Blitz's immunity and powers are a result of Toxbane's illegal experiments," Sarge says. "We must do what we can to protect Blitz at all costs. If Toxbane captures Blitz and performs his experiments on him, he might find a way to perfect his experiment and use it on other Hellborns. And I hate to think what he might do to Blitz when he gets the chance."
Loona nods her head and agrees that Blitz needs to be protected, no matter what, and can't allow Toxbane to get his hands on him.
Then says, "Still, I think you should tell the others. I'm sure they have a right to know about him, and the danger Blitz is in, and possibly all of us."
"I have to agree. They have the right to know after everything that happened," Sarge says.
Then holds his sword, "Especially about a special secret about Zain's sword."
"Secret?" Loona asks, curious.
"Well Loona, let's just say it's a good thing that Toxbane didn't get his hands on it," Sarge says.
He then places the liquid from the bottom on a cloth and rubs it against the blade of the sword. Loona is curious, she knows this is an old Tachi Sword, but wonders what makes it special. Loona's eyes wide open in shock that she sees an angelic glow from it with the markings of a dragon on it.
"Shit, so your sword is really…" Loona asks, shocked.
"Yeah. A genuine Blessed Tachi Sword. Zain received it from his master a long time ago. It was forced by special materials to create this angelic blade, and has a dragon engraved on it because its first owner was a Dragon Demon," Sarge says.
"That's amazing. I mean, you have gotten amazing stuff, an Asmodean Crystal, an Angelic Sword, and you were part of an amazing mercenary group," Loona says, amazed.
She sadly says, "But after what happened with Toxbane. I can understand why you've decided to keep a low profile about your former self and those special items."
"That's right. The polish I used helps reveal its true colors, while another helps camouflage the angelic glow, especially from the sound it makes," Sarge says, and scrape the blade against the whetstone.
Loona listens to part of the sound of the blade when it touches the angelic part against the hidden area.
"You're right. It didn't make a sound," Loona says.
"These Polishers are very rare that's it's very difficult to obtain. So far, I'm the only one who has them. If this gets out, it can put my identity at risk," Sarge says.
"That makes sense," Loona says.
She then smiles, "But still, I'm glad that I get to know you a lot better. Even though your life had turned into a mess thanks to Toxbane. And if you want, I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Thanks Loona," Sarge says. "You have no idea how happy I am to have you as a daughter."
With that, Sarge and Ivy give each other a hug.
Sarge then lets out a yawn, "For now, it has been a long day. I'm going to turn in for the night."
"Yeah," Loona says. He then asks, "Uh, you don't mind if I sleep with you tonight. You know, I always sleep with you when I am stressed, scared, or uneasy."
"Thanks Loona. I really appreciate it," Sarge says with a smile.
Soon enough, Sarge and Loona change into their pajamas and sleep on Sarge's bed for the night.