Full Summary: A mage, two warriors in a war of gods, and a demon phoenix. All were mysteriously taken from their worlds for an eerily ill purpose. Rated T (slightly M-ish) for torture and language.

A/N: I haven't been writing anything outside Cross Ange-related fanfics for a long time, due to writing my own stories soon-to-be animated as indie shows and currently in uni. But I miss writing other fics and have wanted to write a Dissidia one for a long time, only to accidentally but happily make it a crossover with Fairy Tail and High School DXD (initially supposed to be just DFF & DXD as the main crossover). I may be wrong about the Fairy Tail and DXD lores but I will try my best to follow a bit of the source.

The main reason why I want to write this story now: I already thought of a sequel…. TT TT

Dissidia Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix, Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, and High School DXD belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi. OC characters belong to me.

A human wizard from a strong magic guild,

Two warriors from different sides of a war fitting for gods,

And a brutish Phoenix devil of a prestigiously powerful family in an Underworld.

Four people of different worlds will soon intertwine by the most diabolical plan…

[Kingdom of Fiore – X784]

The capital city Magnolia, known for one of the many things in their Kingdom of Fiore by the other countries even those who also have magic guilds near and far, housed its strongest guild of extraordinary wizards called Fairy Tail. Established since the beginning of their time, Fairy Tail swore to do whatever they could for their guild and kingdom with their magic through adventures and mission requests sent to them depending on rarity and strength. However, as far as the entire kingdom also knows, Fairy Tail's guild members tend to show themselves as reckless and bizarre even as far as the normal citizens also notice…but that is also the happily fascinating part about Fairy Tail.

But it seems that one of them will be taken for a wild ride, that not even the experienced members of the guild will expect…

"Ah, what a day!" Lucy sighed her bliss with her arms raised over her head and crunched her fingers into her fists as she continued her way back to her apartment, expressing her satisfaction for another day in the guild for today. Surprisingly, today came out slow and easy without a mission request even the simple ones on the board so the entire guild spent their day like how they would in the guild with Lucy spending today with Wendy, Carla, and Levy although Lucy may have tried to stop Natsu and Gray's usual antics of nearly trying to beat each other down. Still, every day with the Fairy Tail is fun no matter how wild it would be.

"Well, it's just for today. Tomorrow or any other day will be when the fun might happen!" Lucy hyped herself in confidence.

Unaware to her, had she looked up, she would've seen not the orange sky of the bright sunset slowly turning dark blue or black for the night to come…but something ominous that not even anyone in Fairy Tail had ever seen before hovering above the roofs of some of the house and seemingly following after the lone woman obliviously heading back home…

…Humming to herself, Lucy pleasantly exited her bathroom after drying and combing her hair before ready to get in bed, already dressed in her pink pyjama shirt and pants. But no soon after she closed the door, the serene happiness she had for a good night's sleep immediately shifted by what she saw…

"Hey/ Hello!"

"My bedroom!" Lucy screamed her appalment at seeing her apartment being used by, not just her, but six of her friends with some of them being the usual intruders in her room since the beginning of her life in Fairy Tail; Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, and Carla. And just by seeing the four humans and two Exceeds seated on their seats with a large table of food for dinner out of nowhere, Lucy may or may not be surprised by them inviting her to dinner.

"Aye!" Happy cheered his usual catchphrase only for him and Natsu to receive the usual punishment they always get from Lucy: a single kick in their faces. "STOP INTRUDING IN MY ROOM!"

"It can't be helped. A dinner night with your friends and loved ones is always enjoyable." Erza, being the collected but slightly odd one like the others, reassured Lucy huffing and puffing her anger with a soft frown nearly be a smile.

"We even made something for you to try," Gray noted with a brief chortle, amused to see Natsu lying his body onto the floor with a large bump on his face, one of the things he gets every time he stupidly does whatever he wants including invading Lucy's privacy with the excuse of 'visiting her'.

"Mm-mh! Carla and I got ourselves some gifts! We thought you might like to see them!" Wendy nervously admitted with Carla holding her paws against her hip, still looking proud and serious as always. "Surely, this counts as an apology gift for intruding."

First calming herself from her anger, Lucy closed her eyes with a harsh sigh. Despite NOW being the headache of the day, Lucy had to admit that having friends coming into her home might not be so bad albeit not when they're intruding. "Huh…I guess you're right." Lucy tiredly smiled and slowly turned around, about to take her seat for her late dinner…

"Upirus Uruos."

Lucy unconsciously released a soft noise of surprise, alarming the others who noticed in surprise and confusion seeing their friend standing frozen stiff, her arms lightly swaying once. Even Natsu who managed to wake up saw Lucy standing weirdly still which surprised him.

"L…Lucy?" Happy nervously whispered, with Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Carla looking at Lucy's face to see what surprised them with a gasp. Unlike earlier, Lucy's brown eyes suddenly became blank like the light and life were taken from her just as everyone witnessed an unusually large magical sigil of dark grey or light emitting above her chest in a burst, alarming everyone in the room with Natsu and Happy quickly rising from the floor to run and fly towards Lucy's body now leaning and falling to her left side. "LUCY!"

'W…What…is happening…to me?' Lucy couldn't speak with her mouth but with her mind as her vision slowly blurred into hazy colours but aware that her mind and body were not functioning even when being caught by familiar strong arms hurriedly and gently laying her on the floor. Lucy couldn't understand what was happening to her: Why were her body and mind suddenly weak? Why is she sleepy? Why is her heartbeat reducing its usual sensation?

She can hear her friends' voices shouting for her, but she cannot respond nor keep her vision clear with her eyelids growing heavier to shut. The last thing she could see for a few seconds before her vision blackened was Natsu's face shouting above her.

"Lucy…. Lucy…. LUCY!"

[?]

Somewhere in unfamiliar worlds, war has broken out to decide if Harmony or Discord shall befall every world with the fate lies in the hands of powerful warriors fighting each other. Ten warriors of each side serve their god; Cosmos, Goddess of Harmony and Chaos, God of Discord. Who shall win? That is up to them once the Warriors of Cosmos fight their adversary and reclaim their Crystal to fight Chaos and return to their worlds.

But something outside the War approaches and one or a few shall be affected that is not even the gods' expectations…

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"HUEHEHEHOHOHOHO!" In a dark and barren world that was initially free from a soul in sight, the air immediately released the shrill noises of explosions, swords slashing against each other, thunder crackling, and the most annoyingly loudest voice of a man loudly cackling like an insane hyena. The wasteland-like world now serving as a soon-to-be-damaged battlefield is being taken by all six warriors of Cosmos fighting against five warriors of Chaos, from Firion, Onion Knight, Cecil, Terra, Cloud, and Tidus to Emperor, Kefka, Sephiroth, Kuja, and Jecht. They wouldn't even think of fighting each other if not for the mindless jester impatiently shooting his magic just as some of their enemies were in sight. This displeased Firion, Terra, Cloud and Tidus, mostly the former three, in dealing with their respective adversaries especially since Sephiroth was focused on fighting Cloud one-on-one while Kefka wildly shot his bizarre magic all over the place just to chase after Terra flying farther while deflecting and counterattacking his magic with hers from her sword, more so than Emperor casting his magical traps. This makes everyone see the mad clown is trying to harm both sides as always even during the previous war cycles.

"Come on! Come on! Come on! One more!" Jecht grinned and furiously swung his right arm and sword against Tidus's sword until the latter hopped away and threw a Blitzball at his opponent who blocked it with his sword. When he did, a brief flash of white was at the corner of his eyes just when he yelped from being shot and flying away and off the ground by Firion's large and glowing white arrow of light.

"Cut!" Sephiroth rapidly swung his Masamune now glowing a bright purple or white light all over the blade but failed to attack Cloud who dodged and rolled his body away in time, although Sephiroth's attack also unleashed long slashes of energy that were sprawled in different directions, one of them almost hit the Onion Knight who hurriedly jump to the side.

"Get away!" Terra conjures and fires multiple pieces of ice magic which then merge into a single, large ice and sends it towards Kefka now chasing after her in the air as she hurriedly glided to the ground after the latter dodged Terra's Blizzara spell with another maniacal laugh. But just as he was chasing after his prize…Kefka let out a clueless noise at seeing a large, purple magical crest releasing multiple orbs of lighting manifesting all over him, alarming Terra to hop away right as the entire spell detonated in a massive explosion with Kefka as an unfortunate prey.

"WHAAAAAAT!?" Kefka cried in agony and rage as he was sent rocketing crudely from the ground to miles away, alarming not just Terra but some of the other warriors initially stopping their fights to watch Kefka flying over and even farther from them for seconds before they quickly resumed their fight.

'That was close…' Although she managed to get away from Kefka's body when the magic trap exploded she knows belonged to Firion's enemy, Terra felt uneasy about almost receiving that attack as she hurriedly deflected and started fighting Kuja who swiftly flew towards her after avoiding Cecil's attacks for almost minutes before a swift shot of fire magic attracted Kuja to switch opponents from Terra to the Onion Knight. Not soon after she could release a sigh of relief, about to heal an attack given by Kefka with her Cure magic…Terra immediately sensed something strong and painful in her head and heart, releasing a brief gasp at the slowly agonising sensation a glimpse of dark light brimming on her chest attracted her to look down….

'Tch…at least it is the worthless jester…' The Emperor initially scoffed his cruel displeasure shifting into satisfaction from watching one of his spells successfully catapult the vile clown even if he was pursuing his beautifully sane opponent. Well, perhaps if he can make Kefka's upcoming death an accident, all know but willingly allow it rather than letting him live, his ongoing plans will be more than a success….

"…Hmm?" The Emperor was about to ready his staff and unleash another bomb magic towards Firion and Jecht's son currently fighting the latter when he sensed something odd in his heart and looked down to see, what confused him, a glowing dark grey magical sigil glowing above his heart….just as his mind, body, and spirit immediately electrocuted with a brief burst of light coming from the sigil.

A suddenly heart-breaking scream of both a man and woman filled the air. It automatically ceased everyone fighting each other, including Cloud and Sephiroth, in panic or confusion when they turned and saw Terra staggering side to side with her body strangely oozing thin black smoke of darkness slowly shrouding her body and legs, almost falling onto the ground while clutching her hands against her head as she continues to cry her pain.

"Terra!" Terra's friends called in dread.

On the air, and recognizing the ongoing male screams and grunts, Kuja, Firion, and Jecht also looked up and saw Emperor also affected the same as Terra with his staff missing or possibly dismissed it out of existence when his slowly shrouding form sways tempting to fall from a massive height in each second both Terra and Emperor are tortured in odd pain by how their chests have a matching black crest of magic as the potential source.

"What's happening to them?" Cloud demanded aloud, even glaring at Sephiroth for answers although the latter glared back with stoic confusion like some of everyone else as all are curious about why the two of them are affected by foreign torture. Suddenly, Terra and Emperor's screams decreased until silence with everyone on the ground noticing the former's violet-purple eyes were now a dull blank and half-opened just as her growing darkness-shrouded body leaned forward and about to fall to the ground.

"Terra!" The Onion Knight dashed, ready to catch her before she could land.

"Majesty!" Being the first to spot The Emperor's now unconscious body about to fall to his death, Jecht recklessly sprinted away from Tidus and Firion towards the falling body, ignoring his son calling him in surprise. "Dad!"

But when everyone watches Onion Knight and Jecht raise their arms at where they can catch their comrades, despite their darkness growing towards their heads and feet…what they caught was a burst of black smoke exploding and dispersed into nothingness with no sight and sensation of Terra and The Emperor when they immediately disappeared without a trace, further dismaying most of everyone. For unknown reasons, it is like the strange darkness has taken Terra and The Emperor away from them and out of this world or elsewhere.

"W-Where…/ where did they go?" Was all everyone was thinking, with Cosmos's warriors visibly showing dread for their comrade's disappearance.

[Phenex Household – April 13th 2XXX]

"Lords and Ladies Phenex." The almost complete members of the Phenex family heard their butler notify them, accompanied by an unusually pleasant-looking and formally dressed mage. "Mister…Emon?" The butler's initial confusion was answered by a brief nod, pleasing one of the elderly Devil butlers. "Ah, thank you. Mister Emon of the Thunder family, in charge of protecting Underworld Devils from the Hunters, is here for your audience."

"Thank you. Please wait until we call for assistance." Lord Phenex acknowledged with a nod, all watch the butler leaving with a satisfied bow before they glance at the visitor before them. A human mage, by how he presents but a possibly powerful one, although his odd scent and appearance may have caught their attention, they paid no mind. "Welcome to the Phenex household, Sir Thunder. We are pleased for your time in visiting our home." Lord Phenex greeted the visitor.

"The honour is mine, to meet every one of the proud Phenex family." Sir Emon Thunder humbly bowed, already showing himself as sophisticated. However, his kind greeting prompted the family's warm smiles to slightly twitch and furrow in sadness.

"Thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately, not all the Phenex family is present before you." Lady Phenex noted, startling the human mage.

"Oh?"

"As most are not aware, there was an…incident regarding the youngest son and third child Riser and the Red Dragon Emperor. Because of this, he is currently respiting in his quarters until he shall get well." The second Phenex son, Rhys, confessed and hid his embarrassment for his younger brother now damaged just from his arrogance and broken pride.

"Ah, my apologies to Lord Riser Phenex. I hope he shall get better."

"Thank you." The eldest son and heir of the Phenex clan, Ruval, nodded. "Forgive me for being abrupt, but what is the purpose of your visit?"

"Ah, yes. I've come here to warn every Devil family of the slowly increasing crimes of kidnapping a member for ill purposes, regardless of age, affiliation, and power." Sir Thunder elucidated. "According to the information given to me by my spies, all these kidnappings were orchestrated by the Hunters." The mention of the human terroristic organization only directed towards Devils, Angels, and other things that are not human alarmed the Phenex family in horror with Lady Phenex and the youngest daughter Ravel gasping their fright.

"Are you sure those human predators are responsible?" Lady Phenex enquired.

"It is a possibility." Sir Thunder explained. "For years, we've been fighting the Hunters and what we noticed was that their methods in taking a Devil or non-human keep changing from advanced teleportation to spirit or soul collecting, and even straight murder to collect their bodies. All of this, the reason and purpose are unknown but a possibility in waging war against the Devils by using their ongoing body count."

Despite being powerful phoenix devils, the family remain apprehensive about the new information regarding this cruel human organization hellbent on trying to wage war with the Devils after the war resulting in the extinction of some of the 72 Pillars clans. Nonetheless, with Sir Thunder and his men's assistance, perhaps there is a chance to deal with the Hunters and ensure every Devil and non-human is safe from their evil clutches. And so, it shall be it when everyone sees the elder Phenex's determined expression.

"…I see. Thank you again, Sir Thunder." Lord Phenex acknowledged. "If it's not too much trouble, may you please inform me more of what you might find about the Hunters' activities? I shall notify the other Devil clans so that they are well-prepared for their safety."

"Understand, Lord Phenex." Emon Thunder accepted with another bow. "I shall leave and see anything of what I and my men will find to assist everyone. I hope the family will have a fine day."

"Thank you again for your visit, Sir Thunder." Lord Phenex nodded, waving one of the maids in for her chore. "Please escort Sir Thunder to the entrance."

…

"Argh! We're so bored!" In the massive living quarters made for fourteen or all fifteen members of Riser's peerage, closer to their King's sleeping quarters, one pair of the two twin Devils serving as Riser's Pawns complained with one of them waving her prized chainsaw above her head, almost hitting some of the other members closer to them on the couch. "When is the time we can do some fun, beating other people up in Rating Games?!" Ile complained loudly with Nel furiously kicking her legs over them from her position of sitting upside down.

"Now, now, you two." One of the maid Devils, Burent, bolstered with a faintly calm smile hiding her concern for her master. "It is understandable, but it can't be helped when our King is still…recovering."

"You mean, he got so wrecked that he can't leave his room and only calls us for his company but not in bed?" Xuelan complained in anger that some of the other girls slowly expressed their agreement.

"If not for Gremory's perverted Pawn, Riser wouldn't even end up like he is now!" One of Riser's knights, Karlamine recalled in vehemence and disgust.

"When we see them again, myaw will rip that Red Dragon Emperor from the head to the nuts for what he did!" One of the twin nekomata sisters and Pawns Ni growled with her hair and tail fizzing up for remembering that brunette jerk, catching her sister Li's acknowledgement. "Myaw, yeah!"

"As much as we can agree with that notion, there should be a positive side to the incident." Yubelluna, being the collected as the leader and Queen of Riser's peerage, calmly admitted to the startled women looking at the smiling woman. "For example, if not for the Red Dragon Emperor; all of Riser's love would've gone to Rias Gremory instead of us." That prompted the other girls to flinch their surprise and embarrassment with Ni and Li's tails shakily swaying side to side with nervous blushes.

"Y…Yes, you're right, Lady Yubelluna." The youngest of the peerage and Pawns, Mira, nervously agreed. "If he married his former fiancé, then he wouldn't have time for us."

"T-That's a good thing to us." Another pawn, Shuriya, exclaimed.

"Exactly. So as always, we can do whatever we can to help our Lord recover, our way." Yubelluna instructed the other girls, not only shifting her seductively soothing voice and unwavering smile to show her confidence in their cooperation for their King and master. The thought of Riser being defeated by Gremory may have wounded their pride, but thinking of the scenario in mind holds their tongues. Still, with Yubelluna's self-assurance even if the odds are against them, the others will do anything in their power for their potential success in reclaiming their King's honour and dignity, making all eagerly express their excitement in their smiles and blushing cheeks.

"Yes. / Hai! / Meow!" Just when they cheered for their agreement, all fourteen girls heard their quarters' doors opening and scowled their confusion at seeing an unfamiliar figure nonchalantly pushing it open, revealing themselves.

"Who are you?" One of the rooks, Isabela, demanded the mysterious trespasser…

…

A massive bedroom where no one must disturb unless permitted by the owner currently sleeping, the silent air briefly broke by muffled groans and whimpers of fear and sadness alongside the occasional twist and turns on the bed until the sleeper woke up with an almost loud and harsh gasp on fright. Riser Phenex. Third and youngest son of the Phenex family, initially believed to be the strongest until his humiliating defeat that cost him his broken engagement. But anger was not the reaction he was feeling from his loss. '…I can't sleep. Every night is the same nightmare…' Riser sadly thought with a sniffle from his almost blocked nose, receiving a coarse cough. Every night, all Riser can dream of against his will is the same fight that broke him; that damned Red Dragon Emperor's and Rias's pawn bested or almost killed him using his Sacred Gear and Holy Water just to break his and Rias's important marriage.

He would've come back. He would've waited for his wounds and strength to come back to life and get revenge. He could've gone straight to the human world, tracked down to kill Rias's peerage members before forcing Rias to be his wife whether she would like it or not. And yet…he couldn't…he's afraid. He is afraid that, as he withers away in his quarters to cower in fear, the Red Dragon Emperor will grow stronger and SHALL kill him if he thinks Riser will seek revenge, automatically making him petrified of Dragons.

Now…he's lost…

"…I'm so thirsty." Riser groaned, feeling his throat parched from sleeping all day just like one of the other days before this, and sluggishly climbed to sit on the bed with a hand raised to conjure a Phenex's communication spell. Tiredly, Riser watches a weak burst of hellfire flames materializing and forming a blazing circle with the family's crest flickering into a red light at the centre and releasing a few quiet screeches of a bird's caw. But instead of an immediate voice replacing the bird's caw for the mansion's staff, Riser's curiosity grew into suspicion that no one came to his call.

'What the hell? Why is no one answering my calls?' Riser wondered, staring at his communication spell continuously cawing for a few moments, still nothing, before he lazily waved his hand in front to dismiss the spell crest out of existence. What is happening? No one of the Phenex's household staff would ignore their masters' callings for their work. He did suspect that perhaps it was nighttime right now and everyone might be sleeping, but he remembered the night shift butlers and maids. Another thing that caught his confusion was that not even his peerage girls were responding to his call, which made him more apprehensive than normal.

Riser nervously glanced at the doors in front of him leading him outside to the hallways. Due to his loss and new phobia, Riser never leaves his room and does not even see his family and acquaintances unless he invites them for brief chats and games of chess. However, this growing suspicion and need to drink water slowly overpowered and went against his wishes to stay inside and wait for someone…

"Riser can't believe I'm doing this…" Riser begrudgingly relented in sorrow, sluggishly climbing off the bed and walking to the doors.

Slowly and silently, Riser crept through the empty hallway from his room to the kitchen while looking around for anyone, with his arms tightly hugging himself and his pink pyjama shirt. But as he notices how dark it is without the lights to know that it is nighttime, Riser's suspicions continuously grow from noticing how not a single staff or maybe his parents and sibling greeted him, the silence making him warier or perhaps believing that he is going crazy.

"W…What the hell?" Riser muttered after exiting the hallway to the massive stairway leading to another wing on the other side, the ballroom doors at his left and the foyer downstairs where the other living rooms and lounges, dining rooms, and kitchen are. But when he was about to head downstairs after the first steps, Riser slowly looked up from moping his fear and sadness and saw what stunned him with a terrified gasp.

Red. Nothing but the large puddles of red coming from the countless bodies of different ages littering the once glistening foyer floor, their eyes and mouths ajar in frozen horror and agony and their lifeless bodies and now tattered clothes were adorned with weapons that perhaps kill them, despite being Devils.

'W-W-What happened to them!? W-Who could attack them!?' Riser mentally cried in horror, releasing petrified pants and gasps at the sight of the workers' gruesome deaths, would've calmed down and thought of using Phoenix's tears to revive them, when he almost fell backwards from taking a misstep behind him. With another look and feeling and hearing his heart viciously beating against his chest, afraid that something would happen to him just like them, Riser hurriedly turned and ran up the steps heading back to the same hallway. "S-Someone! Anyone!?" Riser yelled as loud as he could with his parched throat, running to the one place closer to his room that he could get into.

"Yubelluna! Mihae! Karlamine! Siris! Isabela! Xuelan! Ile, Nel! Ni, Li! Marion! Burent! Shuriya! Mira!" Riser called once he managed to sprint to his peerage's quarters and violently throw the doors back open, not caring if he could break it out of its hinges and frames. But when he got inside, Riser froze again after seeing his girls, not awake and ready to combat against whoever could be responsible for the massacre, but also laid on the floor or couches stained in their blood from the large holes given to their bodies by the weapons they received. 'N…No…' Riser choked a whisper in dread, staring at each of his women in fear before his last was his Queen Yubelluna and her rare, horrified expression as the last thing he sees…

"Got you, Cowardly Fried Chicken." A voice whispered with such a cruel tone, Riser shuddered in dread but was too late when he gasped with a vomit of blood out of his throat from receiving a swiftly harsh thrust through and out of his back and stomach by something long and water-textured from the speaker behind him….just for Riser to immediately scream and howl his agony of the mercilessly excruciating pain inside his body from whatever is inflicting this burning pain. Although unable to escape nor grab whatever is impaling him, he continues to scream from the ongoing pain that rendered him useless to pull himself out of the strange water-made appendage.

'It hurts! So hot!" Riser openly cried as the pain went on for another few seconds before he was roughly thrown off his feet, his now bleeding hole on his body and back losing the thing that was both burning and initially jabbing him before he landed roughly on the floor and some of his girls' corpses with a gasp. Despite this, he is still feeling the burning pain violating his system and mind.

'W-Why am I feeling burning pain!? I-I-I'm a Phenex! I have the power of the Phoenix, b-but why is this heat hurting me!?' Riser wheezes as he screams, hastily raising his arms and noticing how his arms, hands, and even his legs are also starting to bleed from out of nowhere as his pyjamas just became soaked by the water tentacle that grabbed and tortured him earlier.

'N-No…it can't be!' Riser realized in horror, hurriedly whirling and looking at this mysterious attacker possibly, being too dark without light to not see a glimpse of his appearance, but the sensation of the burning water on him could confirm what hurt him for he is no stranger to the reason. 'This intruder…. Has holy water!?'

"Alright, you're coming with me!" Riser grimaced at the voice coldly threatening him just as he howled from the Holy Water-imbued tentacle coiling around his body, inflicting more pain like earlier, and felt his suddenly weak body lifted from the floor and his peerages' bodies, feeling that he was being pulled back and onto the air.

"N-No! P-P-Please let Riser go! PLEASE!" Riser begged, his sore throat trying to cry as loud as he could muster through the pain. 'F-FATHER! MOTHER! RUVAL! RHYS! RAVEL! ANYONE!?'

And then, as he continuously struggled to escape from his surprisingly strong kidnapper but knowingly failed by the holy water trap, Riser's vision was immediately shrouded to darkness before his mind followed suit…

A/N: I'll explain the gist of this fanfiction in the next chapter.