Sol looked at Alex. Several thoughts were running through his mind. Some were along the lines of "If this were to happen to me, would I have to go through the same pain," and "Is part of his hair now blonde?"

It was, Sol realized, as even in the dim light of the back office he could see the difference. He got up and extended a hand towards Alex. "Come on man, let me help you up."

Alex's hand went and grabbed Sol's own, his almost dead weight making him stumble for the barest of moments before he managed to get him up.

"Thanks. I would be dead without you." He was blinking away the remaining tears before he cracked his neck and back.

Then, silence. For a long moment.

"I'm kinda tired, you know?" While his voice was light, his expression was… not. "And there's still some of the Bianco Angelo Armor. How about we take it, go to see Rodin, and see if we can take a nap?"

"That's not a bad idea, keep it and use it for your own needs. You could use it more than me." Sol said before walking back and into the Gates of Hell.

Alex remained there for a moment, looking at Sol's disappearing form. "I… actually meant that you could reinforce your own." He said to the air, before looking down at the hunk of metal. It shone in the light.

"Maybe I can get a reinforced duster or something?" He checked his leather duster, which was… well, made of leather. "You never know."

So, he grabbed the loot and took a step into the magic circle.

*****************************************************

"Mission Accomplished… I hope…" Sol said to Rodin as he entered the bar.

"I'm not really here for anything mind you. Just to make sure Alex is doing alright."

After a few moments, Alex appeared behind Sol with the armor dragging behind him. He looked.. normal. At least, Rodin didn't say anything.

At first.

"Well, you definitely went better than the first time, that's for sure." The bald man grimaced a little, before checking Alex from head to toe once more. "Yeah, you're not going to lose your liver anytime soon. Your kidneys, on the other hand…"

Silence.

"Of course. Because it couldn't be so easy, could it?" Alex wasn't shouting, but almost. He just dragged his hand on his face, moving his glasses to the side. "Do you know how many pieces I need to change before I don't risk killing myself anymore?"

Rodin hummed. "Well, you're not exactly a weapon, but I can hazard a guess."

"Dammit all, we just can't catch a break can we." Sol said bitterly, before tapping his hands against the bar and asking, "What can we do? How much of himself does he have to replace, before this stops being a life-threatening issue?"

"The easy way would still be finding another Geryon and using it. Sad to say, those are pretty rare these days." Rodin started, leaning forward on the bar counter, his hands firmly placed on the surface.

"The second option is to replace enough of your body until you can hybridize properly, instead of just grafting things together. Stay away from the brain and heart. The stomach and intestines are a good starting point. Still, you'll need the kidneys." He frowned, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.

"Your lungs could be substituted, but that's going to be very touch and go, depending on the demon you are using. Humanoid only." He got back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Once you have… Mhhh… Around half of your body is replaced, you can try and see if you can finish the Hybridization process. It's not going to be easy. Some demons aren't compatible with each other, after all."

"Well shit," Sol said briefly before pausing and giving a thoughtful look. "Hold on, the statue offers complete hybridization at 100k. Is it… doing it in partial payments? Like 25k for a liver, 25k for a pair of kidneys, etc… Could that be it?" He asked.

Rodin shook his head. "Nah, kid. The statue offered that because you had the entire corpse to use. The entire piecemeal process, from now to end, will easily run you 300-400 thousand Red Orbs."

"Then we need a complete body then… maybe we'd be lucky… Can we keep that disc you gave us? It's pretty useful all things considered."

"Won't work twice." Rodin shook his head, before explaining. "It's the magical energy inside the disk that makes the demons appear. Without it, it's only music. As for the entire body, sure, you can do that."

Then, he smiled. "On the other hand, if you can find compatible demons, you can try and maximize your gains. Don't you know what they call it now? Min Maxing?"

"Ha, yeah they do. And I've never been a fan of it personally. Too much running of the numbers for my own damn good. I get lost in the minutia… What do you think Alex?" Sol asked.

"I played a fair amount of Dungeons and Dragons, so I'm familiar with the concept. And, honestly, I would prefer it, so that we could correct any possible problem that could appear while we are doing things. If we use a single corpse, there's the chance that something will go bad and I won't have the option to correct it."

"It's your choice. Just try to remain alive, it would suck to lose two new clients." Rodin smiled at the duo, before continuing. "So, why did you come here?"

"To report on a mission accomplished, or that was the plan…" Sol snapped his fingers. "We have some armor pieces from the Bianco Angelo, maybe you could work with Alex and see what you can come up with?"

"I don't think I'm going to want armor like Sol, though. Maybe something with this?" Alex shrugged off the leather duster, letting Rodin examine it.

"Good quality. The Watcher, right?" At his affirmative nod, the bar owner rapped his knuckles on the armor, listening intently. "I can armor it a bit. It's not going to give you anywhere near enough armor to withstand more than a couple of blows, but it can be useful in a pinch."

Alex nodded, before asking the really important question. "How much?"

Rodin checked the armor and the duster once more time, before leaning back. "Five Thousand."

Alex grimaced at that. "I'll have to shelve the option, for now. I'm just at One Thousand."

Sol nodded in response, "We'll come back for those options later on sir." Sol then looked to Alex, "You want to check out the underground parking lot? Maybe find some secrets down there or another way further down?"

"No offense, but I kinda want to sleep. The whole changing your liver like it was a car part hurt like a mother and I'm kinda… mentally tired. Not that much physically, but… yeah." Alex shrugged, before looking at Rodin. "I was hoping we could crash here and nap for a couple of hours?"

"What the hell? I kinda like you two. You can take a rest here for a little while. But don't think this will be a usual thing. I already have to clean up for Enzo from time to time."

"Well" began Sol, "how much for a drink, because I honestly feel like I need one."

"Oh, yeah. That, too. Food, too, if you have it. We're going to pay for the nap, too, I'm not that kind of asshole." Alex piped up, smiling at Rodin, before patting his stomach. "I'm kinda hungry, gotta be honest. Kinda want pizza. But I doubt we're going to be able to order, so…" And he shrugged.

"If that's doable… If not then, I'm a simple guy. I'll take a Gin and Tonic and I will find a chair and rest. If there's clean-up duty needed just say the word and I'll help with it." Sol said while placing his helmet on a table.

"Well, you're already better than Enzo. He still owes me a pretty big debt. Anyway, go sit down and I'll see what I have. Even if it's only a few bar snacks." Rodin walked back towards the backroom and vanished from sight. Alex and Sol, in the meantime, slumped on the comfortable couch near one of the small tables.

"Well, this is going to be a long thing to do," Alex commented, his head bent backward, stretched over the curve of the couch. "Adjusting my body, I mean. Man, I sound like I'm in an RPG game…"

Sol gave Alex an odd look, before laughing. "Shit sounds like we're in the vortex world, and you were the one to have a run-in with Kid-Cipher and his nanny. All we need now is Dante asking which side of a coin toss we want to be on."

Sol sat straighter in the chair. "When you really think about it though, you're not far off. We've got a mysterious force telling us of a great mission, rivals who are turning evil at the drop of a hat, and progression elements. Maybe it's not Final Fantasy or SMT, but it's pretty close all the same. Though to be honest, I'd rather take my chances here than in FF."

"I mean, it depends on which Final Fantasy we're talking about." Alex pointed out, notably not refuting Sol's previous points. "Nine is nice, from a story and world perspective. Eight would be great if we could get our hands on the power of the Sorceress: they're basically demigoddess. Shame that only women can be one. Seven is a death world, but Materia is nice. Ten is… kinda meh, honestly. Never played Eleven, never finished Twelve, but it's nice and Thirteen is a Final Fantasy in name only. Fifteen… Not enough magic for my tastes."

"Slight difference of opinion on that. "Nine is a borderline death world thanks to Kuja and… I really do wonder if it is the same Garland as in One. That's a terrifying thought. You are absolutely on point about Seven. Eight, eh… I'd like to avoid GS amnesia, thank you very much. My friend was a super fan of Ten, though he refuses to discuss Ten-Two in any way. I wouldn't mind being in Twelve. Rabanastre seemed like a cool place to live in if you're able to disregard the occupying Arcadian forces. Again though, you're absolutely right about Thirteen. I couldn't stop making Time Bandits jokes when I first saw Caius Ballad, even though he was the best thing in that particular series. Fifteen… I want Ardyn's car. It looks nice." Sol said before looking to see if Rodin had returned.

"Oh! and Fourteen… I really only know the Nier crossover event and that's enough nightmare fuel to tell me to stay far away. I do not want to live in anything, even touching the Taro Verse." Sol said with a chuckle.

"I played a little. Not much more than a month, tho, for lack of money for the account. Still, it was pretty nice." Alex sighed. "But we are here. And we're going to make the best of what we have. So, we're going to eat something, drink something, nap, and then try to find as many secret areas as we can. We need to buy more of those orbs, both Blue and Purple."

"Too true, you especially. We need to keep you in the game as long as possible until we can even you out." Sol said, addressing the elephant in the room. "But we're far too many red orbs short and even I can feel the strain getting to me."

He paused, his eyes glassy for a moment. "It's funny, even now I still can't stop thinking that I'd never been able to do any of this before." Sol almost made to continue before Rodin came back.

"Drinks are on the bar. Food'll take a bit longer. Hope you don't mind it hot."

"I'll have anything now. But first, I'll take that drink." Sol said before taking the glass. He was just about to raise it to his lips before stopping and holding the glass forward.

"I would like to make a toast. To our futures, may they be bountiful, bright, and happy."

Alex chuckled a bit, before clinking his glass against Sol's one and adding his own two cents. "And that Murphy won't screw us more."

*******************************************

The magic circle in the Gamestop flared red and two figures appeared from it. Both looked… a bit groggy, to be honest, but more rested and apparently ready to take on whatever was going to happen now.

Well, more or less.

"So, underground parking lot. We're going from the outside or the stairs inside?" Alex stretched his arms backward, cracking his spine, before turning fully towards Sol.

"I figure inside the mall. That way we can check on the others and then find an entrance. If one doesn't exist, then we'll check the outside of the mall for an entrance there." Sol said as he carefully made his way out of the Gamestop.

"Yeah, you're right. Also, I'm… Well, I just realized that I blew up the head of someone - that businessman - in front of kids. I may be a bad influence." Alex said, a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"So, uh, don't be surprised if they don't want to see me, ok?"

"Man, I ran off with a sizzling demonic suit of armor. I highly doubt either of us are the latest and greatest with them," Sol responded.

Sol was more right about his assessment than he had realized. As the two reached the area where Alex fought the businessman, they noticed the other survivors were there, most with makeshift weapons in hand, and the teacher holding the demonic gun. The moment they heard the two approach, the other survivors turned and began to cluster together. It was a decidedly unfriendly action.

Alex stopped almost instantly, before raising his hands, aborting the motion halfway and then bringing them to his lap, left hand holding the right.

"Yeah, your reaction is valid and fair. I'm sorry for what I've shown you all." Alex looked pretty contrite.

The hand of the PE teacher tightened around the gun slightly and he looked at the two with thinly concealed anger. "That lunatic mentioned something about the two of you being part of the same group. Do you wish to explain that?"

Alex blinked, before shrugging, apparently unconcerned. "Sure. So, we got summoned all together. Big group, a bit more than a hundred people, I think. The entire group got split into three - well, four, technically - subgroups. One of those subgroups has been killed by six… demons or people, I'm not sure, with red eyes." Alex stopped for a moment to take a breath, before continuing. "That was before we met you, so I have no idea where the culprits are. Anyway, the two remaining subgroups are under a businessman and a businesswoman. We know that there are at least three big groups that have been summoned here, considering you are here and those six people are here. And we are here."

He finished by opening his hands to the side, in a sort of pacifistic gesture.

The man's free hand balled into a fist. "And what makes you any different from them? Your eyes are similar after all." He said with venom.

Alex sighed. "Similar is not the same, first of all. Second, I got the eyes at the same time I got the hair. Third, you are kinda being racist. I fought to keep you all safe, we saved your life at our expense and gave you information without asking anything in exchange. You are assuming that I'm like them just because my eyes are similar? Bit too quick on the judging." Alex's expression hadn't changed from the start, but he seemed disappointed.

"Also, I didn't take the gun and left it with you all. What are you accusing me of, exactly?" Alex questioned.

"We're not accusing you of anything. We're stating simply that we don't want you here. We know damn well we can't defeat either of you, but we can't trust you to not bring more of those lunatics down on us or to lose it yourselves. So leave. Do what you need to and leave."

Alex blinked. Sol blinked.

"We… were already going to do that? Did you think that we wanted to remain here?" Alex asked, his voice holding a rather prominent note of bafflement. His expression was also unsure about what was happening, considering the situation.

"Good, we'll take care of ourselves." The PE teacher said simply.

Sol looked between the two, slowly nodding. "We'll head out now, leave you all to your business," Sol said slowly while looking at Alex.

Alex looked back at Sol, before shrugging and turning away. "Be careful with the gun, sometimes demonic weapons have a will and can take control of the users if they aren't strong enough." He tossed his last advice to the teacher while walking away.

"Now, where are the stairs…" Muttering under his breath, he tried to see if there was any map around their position.

There were directions to the stairs for the underground lot in the form of large mall maps that were placed around the mall. "Sub-level entrance, near a post office? Well, I guess a mall would be as good a place as any." Sol said while looking at the map. Shouldn't be too far from here.

"Better than having to go around the entire mall. But, now that I've thought about it…" He started checking out the various stores around. "I think I can manage using a coffee maker. Want to go and try to see if there's a bar where we can find more food? Or even just a convenience store, to stock up a bit."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," Sol said while looking at various stores. He then asked, "How you holding up?"

Alex stilled for a moment before his entire form slumped down. "I'm feeling like Build-A-Bear started a franchise of horror videogames. Scared all the time, tired, stressed, nervous, hanging by a thread." He let his forehead rest on the map in front of him. "I just… I miss home. I miss my laptop. I'm trying to not even think about my friends and family because I'm going to crack if I do."

Then, still leaning on the map, he turned towards Sol. "What about you?"

Sol let out a tired laugh in response. "I'd be lying through my teeth if I said anything different. I miss my home, I miss the mountains screwing up weather forecasts on me, I miss my family… I… If I have to replace a piece of myself with a demon, just please bear with me. I could try to justify it, but that would eat at me like nothing else. I'm sorry… I know it's a lot."

Sol looked back to where the other survivors would have been. "I'm scared for them, you know. Maybe it's selfish to say but I want them to survive for some peace of mind, a way to keep our karma as clean as possible. I don't know, I don't know." Sol sighed before heading down the nearest staircase, looking for the entrance to the Underground Parking Lot.

"Yeah, I don't know, either." Alex moved and grabbed Sol in a hug, squeezing him. "It's… I'm… Can we even return home?"

Sol practically tripped over himself as he heard the question. He didn't turn to Alex, didn't want him to see the look of horror on him, but his voice couldn't hide it.

"I… I hope so, I fucking hope so." Sol balled his fists. "If not, then… then we'll just have to make do… become demon slayers and, and…" He trailed off.

"And I guess deal with this as best we can."

"Yeah, yeah. We can… We've managed to arrive at this point. We can go forward. Devil May Cry is gotta be hiring, no? So, there's that." Alex's voice was choked off, but he continued. "And… we have a lot of time. To find a way. There's a lot of magic. And, you know, I already have Time powers. Maybe we can find something with control over space. We'll see."

Then, he fell silent for a minute, the hug still there. Finally, after that moment, he let Sol go and took a deep breath. When he spoke, his voice was way more calm.

Even if it was a simple facade.

"Ok, I'm… ok. Let's go and find someplace where we can take a lot of sugary stuff."

Sol turned around, pained relief on his face. "Dibs on anything with cookie dough in it."

Alex chuckled a bit before the duo started moving. It was another hour, another minute of which they were alive and free. It was enough.

At least, for now.

*********************************************

They had managed to find - and raid - a coffee shop, resulting in a lot of snacks and similar food. They had also demolished the pastries that were still there. And only slightly stale, for some reason.

Still, they were full since… before the nightmare horse. So, they ate and drank - they had managed to puzzle out the coffee machine and went to town, making whatever they wanted - and relaxed, the stress on their shoulders sloughing off like water on a duck.

Then, after they were rested, relaxed, and full, they moved once more.

The electronic shop was on the way to the stairs, so it too got raided. Simply entering, going in the back, and taking what they wanted. They didn't destroy the rest but didn't care about hiding their passage. Computers, cellphones, laptops, desktops… whatever they wanted. It might have been useful in the future and it wasn't like anyone was going to miss it.

The stairs towards the underground parking lot were there. Dark. The light didn't work, apparently.

"Should we risk it and see if the lights are working in the basement level?" Sol asked Alex.

"Well, I think I can see a bit through the dark… but not that much." Alex shrugged, before taking a couple of steps in the dark.

"Yep, I can see a little. What do you say, do we try to go down? It's gonna be risky as hell - pun intended - but, if I recall correctly, more danger means more reward." Alex said.

"Might as well, I'll go first. Be bait. Anything you see that looks hostile, blast it and I'll try to follow the shot. Maybe we'll be lucky and the lights will be on further down." Sol winced after he finished speaking. "I should not have said that."

Alex gave Sol a flat look. "Yeah, you really shouldn't have said that." Still, he started walking downward.

The stairs were in good condition, barring the fact that they were empty and dark, but still easy enough to navigate until they reached the underground floor. It was dimly lit by the emergency lights, showing the number of cars around. It wasn't as packed as the lot above ground, but there was still a decent number. And, in the office where security would have been, a fairly strong blue glow.

"I think that we got a hit." Alex pointed. There was enough light to see, at least a bit.

"Cool, at least we can see somewhat, maybe we're lucky and someone left their keys in the car," Sol said as began to move past Alex and inspect one of the cars. As he did, he noticed that something reflected a hint of light in one of the cars. Upon further inspection, Sol asked aloud, "Is that a mask?"

"A mask?" Alex asked, blinking in confusion, before turning and looking at the area behind Sol. Nothing.

"There's nothing behind you. Maybe it's… a car ornament? What mask is it?"

"It's like a Venetian masquerade mask, but completely white, nothing interesting about. It's kinda creepy looking at it in this light." Sol replied.

"I can guess." Alex joined Sol in looking at the inside of the car, before noticing something.

"Sol… how can there be the reflection of a mask when there aren't any masks behind you?" His words were measured and calm. Too calm.

Sol began to respond. "Maybe b…" However, as he did, the reflection began to warp around the mask, sending Sol scrambling backward. From the area around the mask, a black mass began to push out from behind the mask, followed by a pair of arms and an oversized pair of scissors.

"Oh damn it all, isn't that the demon type Nico hates on a scientific level?" Sol asked quickly as he drew his blade.

"Yeah, yeah, the Scissor something. Death Scissors?" Alex was also scrambling back, Calcabrina already in his hands, ready to open if the demon started moving forward. "Wasn't it intangible or something?"

As if to answer the question the scissor demon seemed to float down and flow into the floor, disappearing easily as it appeared.

"Oh, that's why Nico hates them," Sol said quietly as he drew his pistol in response.

"Fuck me," Alex growled, before turning around and putting his back against Sol's. "Let's just… keep our eyes open. And try to not get ambushed, this thing seems a step up from the others."

The metal tip of his Devil Arm was tapping on the concrete of the parking lot, a nervous tap-tap-tap that echoed against the walls of the underground man-made cave.

Sol looked around the garage for the demon. The dim lights cast shadows that seemed to stretch indefinitely, which only served to make seeing the demon that much harder. He thought for a moment he saw something, like the haze of heat on a summer day there was a ripple in the concrete, just where the shadow and light connected.

"It's like Geryon. Alex, the wall!" He shouted before firing at the spot he saw.

"Oh, come on!" A volley of bullets slammed against the walls from where the Death Scissors came out, except it didn't really stop it. It only nicked the blade it had in its hand before it moved enough that Alex had to move a little to keep it in sight.

Sadly, keeping something in sight didn't mean being able to hit, considering that the light was playing against them, throwing shadows all around and making the fast-moving demon vanish easily.

"Hey Alex, how far underground do you think we are right now?" Sol asked as he watched out for another manifestation of the scissors.

"I have absolutely no idea," Alex answered with a grunt, while he had to open his umbrella to stop a sudden assault from the side, an assault that he didn't manage to counter in time before the Death Scissor vanished into another wall.

"I was thinking we could blow the roof open to get some extra li…" Sol was cut off as the scissors came out at him. He managed to block the strike before the scissors fled back. Whether it was from the impact against Calcabrina or Gevaudan, there was obvious damage along its weapon.

"New plan." Alex uttered, before charging a bullet in his hand, waiting for the moment the Death Scissors emerged from the shadows. When that happened, he shot it almost at point black, considering that it was coming straight at him with the giant scissors opened and ready to cut him in two.

One of the two blades flew away, staggering the Death Scissors for a moment.

Sol seemed to catch on and moved to strike. Extending Gevaudan to its full length, Sol lashed out at the scissors, carving deeply into the darkness that made up its body. The demon howled before fleeing back into the walls.

"Okay, so we can stun it. Same plan when it appears next then?" Sol asked.

"Hey, if it works, it works." Alex shrugged, another bullet being charged in the palm of his hand.

Several long seconds passed before the Death Scissor appeared once more, the single blade already in a descending arc, aiming straight at Sol, the mask cackling.

Sol managed to get his sword up in time and smash it directly into the half-scissor. The recoil forced him a step back before he lunged and landed another blow on the half-scissor. The Death Scissor fled back into the shadows.

"Two strikes on him this time. Think the third will be the one." Sol asked Alex.

"Let's hope. Did they have some sort of recovery ability or am I misremembering things?" Alex asked while scanning the area around them. Now that the initial hit of adrenaline had passed, he was able to analyze things more calmly.

It was that calm that allowed him to spot the demon appearing from their side, on the edge of his left eye, making him turn and open the umbrella. The blade hit the cloth and stopped cold.

"Kaboom." A charged shot slammed against the Death Scissor, sending it flying back. "Sol, now!"

"Stinger!" Sol roared, flying forward into the Death Scissor. The blow forced it back and while it was screaming, Sol initiated his other technique. The horizontal slash sliced through the mask and the shadowy phantom broke down into red orbs.

"I really… No, no I'm not going to finish that sentence. Let's just see what else we can find down here." Sol said.

"Well, there's that." Alex pointed at the blue glow coming from the inside of the guard office. "You go and get your piece of blue orb, I'm gonna go and see if there's anything else around here. You never know, maybe there's another secret challenge or something." With a shrug, he turned and started moving around, trying to see if there was anything of interest.

"Alright, if you see anything else, just call out," Sol said before entering the office. Grabbing the orb piece, he felt a familiar jolt.

"That's three of four," Sol said before looking through the rest of the office. There wasn't really much there on the walls. Trying the desk, he realized that it was locked. He tried it again and with a wrench, the desk drawer came loose. There wasn't much in there, but…

"A key?" Sol asked, looking at the simple key with a red plastic tag. Wasn't a car key, too small for that, still he better take it with him.

"Nothing out there. Did you find something?" Alex's head popped up from the door, looking in. He looked vaguely annoyed. "What's that key for?" His eyes soon zeroed towards the key in Sol's hands.

"Don't know, but if there isn't anything down here, then maybe this key is for something upstairs. Can't be for anything on the second floor, we've been there enough. Maybe a roof access key?" Sol questioned.

"I mean, I checked the walls, but the light is what it is. I couldn't see any other side rooms or other areas of the parking lot. Nor stairs going down, so…" Alex shrugged, taking a couple of steps inside the office and checking the key.

"There's only a R on the tag, so…. maybe? I mean, all the shops inside here were open - barring the ones that the Kids had closed - and the alarms were not active." And they knew, seeing as they had gone on a 'shopping spree' using a Five Finger Discount on… a lot of things.

"Want to take the elevator and go directly to the roof? I think there's one near the stairs. Still active, I mean."

"Yeah, we can avoid the students and the teacher. It can also probably help get a bird's eye view of everything, maybe we can see our next descent point while we're at it." Sol said, pocketing the keys.

"Yeah. I mean, we don't have a full map of the city. And maybe there will be something useful. Do you still have the pamphlet you got near the market? Maybe we can use that?" The two of them walked towards the elevator while discussing the possibilities, unsure of what to do. Their path wasn't really clear, considering that they could have an entire city to explore to find the demon that had brought them there.

*****************************************************

Standing in front of the closed door to the roof, Alex patted Sol's back. "Well, you have the key. Go on and try to open it. If it doesn't work, we can always break it."

"Here goes," Sol said before inserting the key. It went easily and turned just as well. Opening the door, Sol walked out onto the roof and stopped.

"Oh." He said weakly. Redgrave City, a once modern and thriving location, was in ruins. Massive roots rent through various buildings, structural damage and collapse were blatantly evident across the city's broad horizon, and whole areas were flooded.

"Oh… fuck." Alex pointed to the side. The flooded parts continued for a fair bit until they dried up again. Only, not back into concrete and buildings, but in some sort of fleshy landscape that soon twisted and changed in some sort of eldritch geography, Predominantly in red, gray, and black, covered in skittering things and some others. Finally, right around the trunk of the Qliphoth - it was massive. It wasn't a tree, it wasn't even a skyscraper, it was… mind-bending. It blocked the sky and the horizon with more than just its physical bulk. It was the presence of it that weighed on them - there was a castle. A medieval castle, looking a bit like a ring, around the trunk. Massive and foreboding, light gray stone and black accents.

"I guess that's where we need to go. Kinda looks like the castle from Mallet Island doesn't it?" Sol said easily enough. "It's like a collection of bad memories overlapping each other here."

"Yeah, it kinda does." Alex nodded, looking some more. It was really a disaster. However, it was the sound of an explosion coming from behind them that made them turn.

There was a tower. A high, high tower, completely white, with one side having recently exploded. Two figures, one dressed completely in black and another dressed in white, were falling from the hole, while the sun's ray shone on something gold inside it.

Then, more people dressed in white crowded around the edge of the tower and the two struggling people vanished behind the buildings.

"Well, that was… strange." Alex's eyes were wide open, a surprised look on his face.

"You think they were the Red Eyes or businessman and businesswoman finally going at it?" Sol asked, his hands moving towards his weapons.

"I honestly… Look, I don't know. I have a theory, but nothing more. It could be wrong." Alex raised his hands, taking a step back towards the center of the roof, before looking around. "Want to hear it?"

"Might as well, because I am at a complete loss otherwise." Sol responded while still looking at the white tower.

Alex took a deep breath. Then another. And another.

"We know that we aren't the only ones that have been summoned here. We know that there are at least three groups: ours, the kids, and the Red eyes." He started, walking in a circle. "We know that at least two groups have been summoned in groups of more than one hundred people. Ours and the kids were. And, if the Red Eyes are so powerful, probably they were too. And probably they have killed all of them to gain that much power."

Another deep breath.

"That." He sliced his finger towards the tower, where the people could still be seen near the top, through the giant hole. "Is definitely not something from Redgrave City. And the number of people, all in white? Looks suspicious to me. So, it may be another group."

He wasn't hyperventilating, but almost.

"There could be four groups. But there could be more. So, more than one hundred people in a group, probably more than four groups. I'm going to guess." He stopped and turned fully towards Sol, raising both his hands. Then, he raised two fingers from his left.

"Two sure groups: ours and the Kids. Both more than one hundred." Then, he raised two fingers on his right hand. "Two maybe groups: Red Eyes and White and Black. Also probably more than one hundred, considering the number of people on top of that tower."

Then, he raised another finger from both hands. "Here's my guess. Six groups. One Hundred and Eleven people per group. A total of Six Hundred and Sixty-Six people." He let his hands fall on his sides. "Narrative convention points to that. And we are dealing with demons. It could be that they are using that number to strengthen themselves. But."

And he raised two fingers on his right hand. "But. They hit a speed bump. Can you imagine which one is?"

Sol looked at Alex briefly before back to the tower. "Us, those students and the teacher." He began to pace and snap his finger. "Okay so, we're not taking the bait on that poisoned fruit. The students aren't taking the bait on that either… I hope."

He turned back to look at the tower. "But they, and the others…" He trailed off. "You mentioned narrative convention before right? What if the power aspect was a bonus… like a Ponzi scheme? If there really are six groups of 111, then it stands to reason that that sacrifice would be enough to do whatever is needed. The power aspect is really like having a big meal."

He stared at the tower, before asking aloud. "Who the hell are you, group 4?"

"Well, technically only us. The rest is the butterfly effect, but yeah. Point remains. Now, I COULD try and speculate some more about the rest of the scheme, but I really don't know anything else." Alex ran his hand between his hair, dislodging the hair tie. He grabbed it before it could reach the ground and started retying his hair.

"Really, the lack of information is what is hurting us. So, assuming that the six groups - assuming there ARE six groups. Or, well, were six groups - have been summoned in six different parts of the city, where would it be?" The question hung in the air, while Alex looked down at the tower, before checking the place immediately around.

"It could form a circle around the city. Like a Star of David. It could be randomized. It could be… I don't even know. It could be anything. But… The tower. Can you see any other landmarks around?"

"Well, we have the Tower, The Castle, here possibly…Sol trailed off before looking around the horizon. His eyes manage to spot several things in the distance. The first was a structure on a large hill. The hill itself showed signs of heavy damage or possibly sheer erosion, but there was a building on it. He couldn't make out many of the details, but he was sure it was a mansion. The second almost blended into the city if not for the difference in construction. It was a skyscraper, emphasis on was as the building was broken into several massive pieces. What made it stand out was just how different it looked.

The ruined skyscraper was almost black against the other buildings. It was a striking contrast. There was something not quite right about it though and the more Sol looked at it, the more his eyes began to strain before he was forced to look in another direction.

Clearing his eyes, he noticed the last thing. It was almost perfectly hidden in the destruction of the city. The flooded waters may have pooled and destroyed many of the smaller buildings but they were flowing. It was slow at first, but as they went the waters became faster, churning more, until whitecaps formed and they were all heading down somewhere they couldn't see.

"Like the waters of life… If we're location 1 of 6 then those other locations must be either entrance points or descent points. It's just a matter of getting to them safely." Sol as he turned to Alex.

"Yeah. If we are correct, anyway. My theory could be a total wash and I could send us on a lark. Anyway." He refocused his eyes toward the tower. "Think we should try the tower first? I mean, it looks like it's populated, so… Also, I wonder what caused such an explosion."

He turned towards Sol. "You? Want to start anywhere else?"

"No, not really. That old manor seems too far away, I'd rather not risk those if we don't have to, and that broken skyscraper… that some bad vibes right there." Sol said before making it to the door. He stopped and groaned.

"Hey Alex, I think I found our next secret challenge room. On the back of the roof access door were similar markings denoting a secret.

"You up for this?" Sol asked.

"More Red Orbs. Yeah, I'm up for this, I need a lot to buy more techniques. Activate it." Alex smiled, his grin bloodthirsty.

The symbol on the wall started to shine, before the two of them vanished, finding themselves in a circular room, with several columns rising from the sides, twelve of them. In front of them, was a red, pulsating portal that started bubbling upwards the moment they appeared.

A Hell Caina slowly manifested from the red bubble, soon followed by another. It didn't look like it was going to stop.

"Oh boy. Arena fights. Survive, ok?" Alex smiled, although he was feeling a bit sick in his stomach at the scene.

"Yeah. Best of luck." Sol said before drawing his sword and gun and throwing himself into the horde with a Stinger. The attack separated the horde in two and it was quickly followed by a Rush Cut, creating further distance between themselves and the demons.

"I've got these four!" Sol shouted as he dodged a swipe from a scythe.

"I'll get the other four, I guess." Alex shrugged, seeing Sol so excitable calmed him down, and he unsheathed his blade. Then, he started shooting.

*********************************************

When the two of them returned to the room, they were covered in blood - some theirs, most from the demon - and were panting. Sol more than Alex.

"I admit…" Alex said as he leaned on the wall, eyes closed. "I didn't expect the giant lizard at the end. That was dangerous.".

"Ha, ha… That was, guess we just encountered the older nastier cousins of the Pride demons from 3 huh?" Sol asked with a pained smile. There was a nasty cut along the inside of his left arm. The wound was bleeding, enough to be painful, but not debilitating.

"Yeah. Yeah, we did." Alex grunted and then something in his back popped with a loud crack. "I think I had something in my back when I landed on the ground before. You still have the First Aid Kit?" He turned towards Sol, his eyes worried and looking at the wound.

"You still have that Vitality Star I gave you right?" Sol asked instead while nursing his arm.

"I'm fine. You're not. Now, do you still have the First Aid Kit or not?" Alex didn't relent, turning towards him and holding his arm, trying to see better the wound. Yes, he still had the Star and he seemed to think about using it on Sol as soon as possible.

"Remember I threw it away in a rage a while ago. I'll buy another one when we next get the…" Sol was cut off, as something leapt into the room. It was vaguely humanoid but very blatantly reptilian.

"That's not a blade or an assault… that's one of the new demons from 5 right?" Sol asked as he got ready.

"Can't remember." Alex growled his weapon already in his hand, the blade gleaming in the sun. "Anyway, it doesn't really matter." He aimed the tip of the umbrella at it while it was jumping towards them and started shooting. The first bullet made it stumble. The subsequent ones kept it in the air.

"He's dead either way." After keeping it in the air for a few moments, he slashed with his sword one, two, three times, and the head of the demon fell to the ground.

"I'm pretty sure that there is a pharmacy in the mall. We're going there and disinfecting that cut. And some bandages. No discussion." His tone broke no arguments.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe. Well we have compensation. So silver linings." Sol said before a mass of red orbs fell from the sky.

"Better than nothing. On the other hand, we did get a few Orbs from the room, so… Eh." Alex shrugged, before opening the door back towards the inside of the mall. "Now, you have a choice. We can either find a pharmacy, we go to the statute or I use the Star on you. Which is going to be? To be clear: the statue is for you to get another blue orb, you should have more than enough." Again, his tone was steely, and very worried.

"Let's check the pharmacy. The med kit wasn't all that great, we can take much more and at a much cheaper price." Sol said.

"Yeah, ok, fine. We're still stopping at the statue before going, I want to get a few more skills. I don't have anything for Calcabrina yet and I want another spell I saw." Alex muttered, before moving forward and taking the spot in front of Sol.

Luckily, nothing happened on the way down and, thanks to this being a mall, the directions to the pharmacy were clearly labeled. So, it took five minutes to reach it. Once there, however, he stopped.

"I don't actually know where the first aid kits are held?"

"I got this." Sol said as he perused through several isles and reached for a small box made of opaque plastic.

"I've seen enough of these in various general stores and ranger stations when I'd go for long trips. I like… I guess I liked, until further notice, to get away from big cities for a week or two, so I kinda have an idea." Sol said as he opened the small first aid case and pulled out disinfectant before hissing at its effects. Wrapping the bandage, Sol looked around further.

"You think we should raid anything other than some of the medical kits?" He asked.

Alex looked tempted for a moment, before sighing. "While I would like to say yes, I'm… well, there are the Kids here. I would feel bad if we took something that could help them with their survival. I know." He raised his hand towards Sol to forestall any possible comeback. "I know that we have more or less robbed a few stores. But those were luxuries. Even if I have what amounts to half a jewelry in my inventory, those are still luxuries. Not things that could save a life."

"You're right. We'll take an additional kit each, let them know the place is here, statue, and leave. We should be able to leave through the parking lot we fought the Bianco Angelo in." Sol said while nodding in agreement.

"Sure, that works." Alex nodded, starting to look around to see if they had one of the bigger ones. Even with him not finding anything, it didn't take much time and, soon, they were back in the Mall, moving towards the Gamestop. Alex stopped all of a sudden.

"You know, maybe it's better if you go alone to talk with the Kids. I mean, they didn't really… like me the last time we talked. You would be received better." Alex was blushing slightly before he turned. "I'm gonna stay near, like… behind the wall."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Sol said before making his way over to the other group. Raising both hands above his head, he called out. "Hey, guy you're not the biggest fan of approaching."

Several noises alerted Sol as the people began to gather, the PE teacher front and center.

"We told you to leave." He stated simply.

"Yep, and we are. Alex is taking care of some business at the statue. I'm here to let you all know four things. One," Sol begins raising an Index finger. "There was a pretty powerful demon in the basement underground complex. You can spot them easily if you catch sight of a white, blank carnival mask. They can phase through walls and floors, so you know, rather. dangerous."

He raises another finger. "Two, there was a trap, sorta, on the door of the roof access. We took care of that too, so you can all get up there without worrying about triggering it. It's not a pretty sight, up on the roof. Three, the pharmacy isn't too far away, and we took two med packs for ourselves. However, everything else in there is yours."

He raised his last finger. "We saw a fight a ways away from here at a white tower. We're heading to investigate that as soon as Alex finishes up. Then. we'll be out of your hair."

"Thanks." The teacher in a very insincere tone, before brandishing his pistol. "Time for you to leave."

Sol grimaced under his helmet but kept things civil. "Well, thank you for your hospitality, and stay safe," Sol said before leaving the other group. As he made his way past where Alex was, he muttered. "Goddamn, I forgot how much I hated high school teachers and high school bullshit."

"Eh, yeah." Alex didn't say anything else, he just turned and walked towards the statue. It wasn't, again, a long walk and, soon, they both were near it.

"You go first, I always take a long time choosing. Yeah, the statue alters time, but I need to… process something I realized. I'll tell you once I can put it in words." Alex's hand went, without his conscious notice, to his right side. Around where the liver was, more or less.

Sol's eyes seemed to catch the motion though he didn't say anything, just nodding and touching the statue.

When having his one-on-one with the statue, he looked at his wallet "9,850 huh… Okay Statue, item menu."

The menu opened and Sol scrolled down until he reached the Blue Orb. It was now at 6,000. Making the purchase, Sol felt the pain in his arm lessen to nothing and watched his counter drop to 3,850. He popped into weapon abilities and picked up Sinker for 1,000, dropping his count to 2,850.

"I'm going to save up the rest. There are a bunch of skills I want to get going forward. Thank you again." He said to the statue before reality snapped back.

"Okay, Alex, it's all yours."

"Thanks…" In a rather subdued manner, Alex tapped the statue, finding himself in the white-gold space. Only then did he take a deep breath, well aware that no one could see him while here.

"What the fuck." His utterance was low enough that only he could hear it - not that it mattered, as there was no one else - and he had to stand there and breathe for a minute before he could steel himself and get up once more. "Ok."

"Can I see what I can get for Calcabrina? Oh, and the spells."

A window opened in front of him.

Spells:
Enochian Magic Level 1 – Basic: Bought
Enochian Magic Level 2 – Intermediate: 2,500 Red Orbs
Enochian Magic Level 3 – Advanced: 5,000 Red Orbs
Enochian Magic Level 4 – Master: 10,000 Red Orbs
Magic Knowledge Level 1 – Basic: Bought
Magic Knowledge Level 2 – Intermediate: 5,000 Red Orbs
Magic Knowledge Level 3 – Advanced: 10,000 Red Orbs
Magic Knowledge Level 4 – Master: 20,000 Red Orbs
Bullet Spell: Bought

Rapid Fire 1: Bought

Rapid Fire 2: 4.000 Red Orbs

Bullet Storm: 8.000 Red Orbs

Double Bullet: 500 Red Orbs

Charged Bullet 1: 600 Red Orbs

Charged Bullet 2: 2.700 Red Orbs

Bomb Bullet: 9.000 Red Orbs

Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs

Barrier Spell: Bought

Full Barrier: 2.500 Red Orbs

Strengthened Barrier 1: 2.000 Red Orbs

Strengthened Barrier: 2: 8.000 Red Orbs

Castle of Stone: 16.000 Red Orbs

Beam Spell: 500 Red Orbs

Empowered Beam 1: 2.000 Red Orbs

Empowered Beam 2: 6.000 Red Orbs

Laser Beam: 12.000 Red Orbs

Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs

Calcabrina (Combined Form)

Float (Keeping the umbrella open will slow down any fall to a gentle float) - 2.500 Red Orbs

Levitate (As long as the Umbrella is open, the weight of the user is reduced to almost nothing. Higher jump, can walk on fragile and liquid surfaces) - Require Float,5.000 Red Orbs

Fly (Glide/flight for short distance with directional momentum chosen at the start of the movement) - Require Levitate, 10.000 Red Orbs

Defying Gravity (Unlimited flight, cost Magical Energy) - Require Fly, 300.000 Red Orbs

Tar Beam (Only combined form, charged.) (Charge the entire surface of the Umbrella and shoot a giant beam.) - Require Beam Spell to be bought, 25.000 Red Orbs

Improved Tar Beam (Can charge the beam for longer. Damage is increased) - Require Tar Beam, 50.000 Red Orbs

Calca (Sheath)

Rainproof (Require Barrier) (Strengthen the Barrier and extend it beyond the Umbrella's edge) - 5.000 Red Orbs

Waterproof (Require Rainproof) (Barrier is strengthened and extended more) - 15.000 Red Orbs

Impervious (Require Waterproof, Require Funeral March for a Marionette) (Extend the shield further, the barrier is strong enough to block any attack once. Cool down after this use) - 50.000 Red Orbs

Puppet Waltz (Require Beam Spell) (Lasers come out of the tassels hanging from the spokes of the umbrella, can be kept active during movement) - 15.000 Red Orbs

Funeral March for a Marionette (Require Puppet Waltz) (Calca gets thrown up in the air, lasers come down from the tassels and it starts turning on itself, the lasers hitting all around in a casual pattern) - 35.000 Red Orbs

Brina (Sword)

Running Stitch (The tip of the sword is charged with magical energy and, on hit, releases a thin beam of energy in the enemy) - 8.000 Red Orbs

Cross Stitch (Require Running Stitch, Require Beam Spell) (The tip of the sword can now leave behind up to two trails of energy that will shoot forward. Charged) - 20.000 Red Orbs

Cross Stitch (Require Cross Stitch) (The number of trails of energy that can be used is now unlimited, but need to be continuously chained) - 40.000 Red Orbs

Back Stitch (Require Barrier Spell, Require Beam Spell) (Enlarge the size of the sword by overlaying cutting barriers on it. The size can change from slightly bigger than normal to great sword size. Weight is unchanged) - 25.000 Red Orbs

Blanket Stitch (Require Back Stitch) (Can now enlarge the sword to bus size. Weight is unchanged) - 50.000 Red Orbs

"Lots of options." Alex hummed, before glancing at how many Red Orbs he had in his wallet.

9,800 Red Orbs

"Well, it's a bit low, but I'll… get what I can. So. Let's see…" He started browsing the options, taking his sweet time, until he decided.

But, before he could choose anything, another window opened in front of him. However, this one made his expression turn icy.

Geryon Hybrid Powers

Blink (Move from one place to another without any time in between. Limited to five seconds of movements, only places that are physically accessible): 7.500 Red Orbs

Blink 2 (Time of movement is extended to ten seconds): 20.000 Red Orbs

Blink 3 (Time of movement is limitless, depending on magical energy consumed): 75.000 Red Orbs

Time Bubble (Create a bubble of slowed time in front of you that lasts for three seconds): 15.000 Red Orbs

Haste (Speed your personal time up, moving faster and doing more things in less time): 35.000 Red Orbs

Slow (Slow down a target's personal time, making them move like they are in slow motion)(Consume Magical Energy): 50.000 Red Orbs

"Of course." His head dipped slightly before he stopped.

"Doesn't matter. I don't have enough Red Orbs. So, remaining with the original options it is." He removed the Hybrid Powers section and returned to the one before.

By now, ignoring the default options that still relied on the lent power was automatic.

"I'm gonna take the Magical Knowledge Level 2 and the Beam spell. That will leave me with 1.800 Red Orbs that I'm going to keep and not use, for now, as I want more. We're going to need to go hunting." He muttered, before finalizing his purchases , the Divinity Statue returning to a normal statue and leaving Alex with a rather big headache and Sol at his side.

"You okay," Sol asked while gesturing to Alex's head.

"Second level of general magic knowledge. Headache is painful, but it's already going away, don't worry." He smiled, although it was clear that he wasn't feeling completely well, for now.

"So, Tower? Considering…" He waved his hand towards the direction where the Kids were.

"Yeah, I have no idea if that group will be friends or foes, but it's better to head them off now if they're like the Red Eyes," Sol said before making his way out of the back room.

"Yeah, definitely." Alex nodded.

The two, walking together, moved out of the Mall, leaving behind a distrustful high school teacher, a group of traumatized high school kids, a rather upset and possibly dangerous - for himself - goth boy named Kurt, and an opening towards Rodin.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Who are the figures Alex and Sol saw on the rooftop? What other horrors and demons will they encounter during their time in Hell? How good are Rodin's deal and prices really? Find out next time!

In all seriousness, the next chapter kicks off the beginning of the next major arc which runs about... five or so chapters. Some major events are incoming. Also, we get to see some of Alex's purchasable skills! These will become more visible as the story progresses so as to not spoil things ahead of time. As this chapter is being posted on , I will eventually a post a separate chapter later on fully detailing the purchase option for Alex and Sol.