The forest was silent, not a bird was singing, nor did any animal dare to move as the Giant walked amongst them. To travelers passing by, it was almost as if the forest itself was empty. The Red Hood leaving behind a trail as he trudged on through the forest. He did not realize that others were following him, but that was soon to change.

On the other side of the forest, the kunoichi squad led by Yuri were following The Red Hood's tracks. None made a sound as they sped through the trees.

(-)

The Kunoichi traversed the forest as they kept their eyes on the abnormally large tracks. As they followed, Yuri could not help but think about why she was doing this mission.

Yuri had yet to see the Red Hood for herself, but that hardly mattered. Considering what they had been told, it would be obvious when they come across them. Deep down she felt a bit of bitterness towards their target, which was strange for a kunoichi. She did not hate them, but they had to pay for the horrendous crimes they had done, especially for whatever they did to Yami.

Maybe Yami would brighten up, like how she used to be upon hearing of her victory. very few outside of kunoichi clans knew how kunoichi acted towards each other in private, especially if they were siblings. But those who did know knew it was almost just as deep as one would have for their mate.

Yuri spotted something in the clearing and silently alerting her squad behind her. They entered the clearing making sure not to be potentially seen by anything. However, they soon found that the clearing was nothing but an empty monster war camp. Bodies were lain about the camp, just like at Hehoteb's tomb.

There was also not a single captured human insight, as seen by the chains strung about. Before taking this mission Yami would have thought this was an Oder attack, but now she knew who did it.

One of the kunoichis checked one of the bodies and spoke, "Seems these bodies are about a day old."

Yuri spotted something else and walked over to it, her eyes widening at what she saw. "Impossible..." Muttered Yuri, staring at the severed upper body of Dalhu. Never in her entire life did she think that Dalhu, the strongest orc mamono in history, would be slain. Were those rumours of the Red Hood merely just rumours?

A kunoichi placed their hand on her shoulder, "Yuri, we need to get moving."

Yur turned and commanded one of the kunoichis. "You, go to her highness, Druella, and report to her our findings," In an instant, the kunoichi left to go to Druella, and Yuri with her squad continued to follow the tracks.

(-)

The flames grew brighter as the bonfire began to burn. Gael placed his equipment onto the wall of the cave. With a groan he sat down next to the bonfire, staring into the flames. Even if it was not the normal bonfire he was used to, it was still a comfort to him. As if in a trance, he slowly started to drift away as his eyes closed and began thinking about the past.

A bit of him started to miss the voices in all honesty. When you are stuck with them for countless centuries you cannot help but become attached in a way.

A long time ago he had realized that no war should be fought alone, not even for his own war to unite the dark. His current situation was no different. But... Would it kill them to say anything? He could still sense them inside of him after all, which made it a bit infuriating.

Then again it was- What was that? He felt something... What was it? Then he realized it was the presence of a lot of those mamono nearby. They felt similar to that of the assassin he kidnapped a while back but in far greater numbers, one of them especially similar to them. Gael quickly got up, grabbed his equipment, and doused the fire as fast as he could.

He hurried up to the entrance but remained in the shadows as to not be seen, staring out of the cave. Gael could swear he faintly saw the glimmer of moonlight off something, but only for a moment.

Whoever they were, they were here for him and there was no denying it. Even if he could not see them, he could still sense them. And this entire thing reeked of being a trap.

But what if... he sprung it?

(-)

Yuri gestured to her kunoichi, silently commanding them to surround the entrance. Some positioned themselves above the cave, others at the side, and a few in front hiding behind the trees and other plant life.

She was expecting them to haft to stay there for a few hours, they were trained to deal with any situation, even this. After all, with the signs they have seen, this would be the best course of action.

Her expectations were diminished as she spotted something leaving the cave.

Yuri's eyes widened as she saw the figure. The Red Hooded giant, at long last, was almost directly in front of her. Another thing she was not expecting was that he just stood there in front of the cave.

The Red Hood only spoke one word, "Leave."

Leave? No, they would not leave. He had to pay for what was done to Yami. No matter what.

She threw a single shuriken at the giant, signaling to the others to attack. All the other kunoichi leapt out of their hiding space and charged at the giant.

"Even if he's strong to kill a Pharoah, there's no way he can defend a kunoichi squad ambu-" Instantly the Red Hood thrusted his sword down into the ground, blocking the shuriken and killing one of the kunoichis. The other kunoichis managed to inflict blows with their demonic steel blades.

All of them stepped back, expecting him to fall. But instead, he swung his sword straight through another kunoichi and at her. Yuri was able to react fast enough to duck under the blade, a bit of her dark hair falling onto the ground.

How? So many blades hitting all at once could make even a high-ranking hero go limp. The Red Hood did not give her any time to think as he thrusted his blade forward. Yuri leapt upward onto the blade and ran forward, delivering a cut to his neck.

Yuri leapt off and looked behind her. Once again it did nothing but seemingly enraged the monster.

Two kunoichis charged at the Red Hood. When they got close, he fired a single white disc of some kind at one of them. The kunoichi did not have time to react as she was severed in half. Before the other one had to time react as well, the giant leapt forward and slammed his wretched blade on a kunoichi. At the same time, the other kunoichi who tried to flank him was slain by the same white disc as it made a curved turn back to the giant.

It was down to her and another kunoichi. Both looked at each other before making one last attempt to put down the giant. They couldn't quit now, he had to be close to his breaking point.

Once more the giant swung his blade towards them. Yuri lept into the air and onto the blade, hoping to deliver another blow. She could swear that she saw something red seeping out from the blade though. The other kunoichi slid underneath the blade and prepared to lung forward with her katana.

The Red Hood was expecting this, however. In two fluids motions, the giant dropped his blade and grabbed Yuri by her neck with the same hand. Then quickly squashed the other kunoichi with his boot, leaving nothing but a puddle of red where her head was.

Yuri struggled, and even bit his hand, but it did nothing to undo the giant's iron grip.

"Hmmm... you are familiar." The Red Hood started studying her like a predator studying its prey "But no... you... are not her. Probably her...sister?"

Yuri did not reply, "Pity... If only you had found me sooner... you might have been spared...because now I am out of mercy."

She tried to scream as she felt her head cave in, pain surging throughout her skull. With a sickening crunch, the pain was gone as her body from the neck down fell onto the ground. Her soul then entering his body.

Gael staired at Yuri's body before grabbing his old blade. slowly he crawled back into the cave, before looking back for a moment. A bit of Gael was now regretting what he had just done.

Then came a familiar yet hushed voice in his mind, "What is this? Is the slave for once feeling guilty?"

"Why shouldn't I, I didn't want them to die but they made their choice."

More voices began to join in, all of them in a hushed tone as well "You are telling us, that you feel guilt over killing a creature you do not know?"

"I've ruined the lives of their families, and even furthered ruined the life of the one I spared... even if it I-"

"Ruined? Did you feel anything as you slaughtered us, our spouses, our children, EVERYONE?" The voices started to grow louder as Gael's vision started getting blurry, "WE MERELY WERE LIVING OUR LIVES, WITH OUR OWN FREE WILL, UNTIL YOU STARTED YOUR 'CRUSADE'!"

"...Why are you telling me this now?" asked Gael, his body starting to shake on its own.

The voices now were all yelling at him, "YOU DID NOT FEEL EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF GUILT!"

"...That's-" Gael could feel a wave of power trying to force control over his body. Red energy starting to seep out of him

The massive wave of voices in his mind turned from yelling to an ear-piercing roar. "YOU ARE NO HUMAN GAEL, NEITHER ARE YOU AN UNDEAD OR A HOLLOW FOR THAT MATTER!"

"That's...enough" Muttered Gael Weakley as he fell onto his knees, desperately trying to keep control

"NO, YOU ARE A MONSTER, JUST... LIKE... US!"

With all the might he could muster in himself, he yelled at them, "THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Instantly as if on commanded, the voices ceased, and all was silent for Gael's wheezing. Slowly he rose back up and leaned on his sword for support. Gael had to hurry now; he could not afford to rest. The Dark's patience was now hanging by a thread.

Instead of heading into the cave, he immediately continued going in the direction of the city.

Gael could only hope that one day, he could atone for his crimes. But until then, he would keep going till his quest was finished.

(-)

At Pandemonium with its full populace in constant bliss of depravity, the Fallen God sat upon her throne, peering down into the mortal realm. Her face was one of clear frustration.

For the past few days, she was unable to intercept Sasha's prayers, or anyone else's of the Order for that matter. Since those days she tried, again and again, to intercept the prayers again but to no avail. The Fallen God even tried to discover what was causing it. However, in every attempt, it felt as though something was clouding her mind.

There was nothing that should be able to stop her, at least as far as she knew. The only way something could stop her is if a being with more raw power than her intercept the prayer. That was impossible considering the current Chief God's current state.

The Fallen God looked down at the dark crystal hanging around her neck. She could remember when it was given to her by the original Chief God, as a gift. When the world was first formed, he had given every single one of the original gods a gift. Before she was known as the Fallen God.

Other gods were given gifts as well. The old god of life and death had the web of fate, which was inherited by Hel. Through it, she knew the time of death of every mortal and allowed the demon lord and the other gods on her side to influence fate to their liking.

Poseidon was given her trident, allowing her to control the sea and eventually seal those abominations of the deep.

Hephaestus with his hammer, allowing him to create weapons worthy of the gods and even recreate the gifts of the gods. Of course, only the gifts of the gods seemed to be the only things of the material needed to make them. No matter how much they pleaded with the original Chief God, the origin or name of the material was never revealed.

Ares with their sword of Duellum, the sharpest and most powerful blade known to exist. It was also used in the age before the current demon lord to inflame the battle spirits of mortals, filling them with rage and evaporating any form of cowardice.

Eros and Bacchus with their bow and chalice. Both allowing them to influence an individual's thoughts.

Basset with her divine bell, which was similar to her own necklace, but not exactly like hers. Allowing her to maintain her realm and communicate with all cat mamono.

And finally, those two minor gods she always forgot about. All she could really remember was that one of them was given tools allowing them to create things beyond even the god's wildest imagination. Like a painting of a golden city with walls upon walls surrounding it, or a deep fiery pit filled with strange monsters never seen in the real world. She also remembered rumors about them even creating pocket dimensions within those paintings, but those were only rumours.

Each and every one of the gods was given gifts of power, and they all had a bit of the same material in them. And such gifts gave them increased dominion over the world with its strange energy, even after the old Chief God left them.

Her gift was, in her opinion, the most useful, keeping Pandemonium in its own world and separated from the normal flow of time. If it weren't for it, Pandemonium's people would have long since died and became nothing but dust. She could do it herself, but it would have been significantly weaker, having to constantly keep it in the spiritual realm and outside time's current, while also preventing it from falling in on itself. The other gods did not have such a luxury.

If it weren't for that luxury, she wouldn't have become as powerful as she was amongst the pantheon of gods.

There was one other use for it she discovered, however. By focusing its power, it made intercepting the prayers of The Order and block the new Chief God from hearing them far easier.

However, no matter how much she tried in recent times, the crystal was providing no help. In fact, recently it felt as though it was giving the opposite effect. It was as if it had a mind of its own and was refusing her.

"As if a crystal would be sentient without demonic energy or by the will of a god." muttered the Fallen God to herself.

A dark valkyrie flew over and kneeled, "The goddess Hel is still requesting your presence. Should I still tell her you are busy with other matters?"

The Fallen Goddess turned to the valkyrie, "Hmm... no. I suppose I shall meet with her. Tell my chief priest, Meretrix, to keep everything under control while I am gone."

"As you command." The valkyrie went to give the word to her servant.

"Time to see what was so important that you desired my attention." The Fallen God opened a portal to the realm of Hel and went through.

(-)

At the same time beneath the palace of Lescatie Within a chamber. The last remaining rune that held the locust back began to flicker...