Four members of Skull Legion has been defeated. Only Reap and Dante remain, but with how things have gone so far, those two might be the most troublesome to defeat. Maru and the others might find out soon enough. The alliance were able to beat Kage and Boomer, and now they stand at the base of the tower with hope that whatever they are looking for is right inside.

"Here we are. There must be something inside that's controlling Salus because it's the only thing that stands out." Rogue said.

"Let's tread carefully. Skull Legion isn't done with us just yet." Kagura said.

"What matters is that we stop this thing." Maru said. "We can handle whatever is thrown at us." They all agreed with what Maru is saying. Skull Legion can't have that much left, so they have to try.

"Let's go." Kagura said. She reached for the door and opened it up, but the moment she opened it was when a light began to shine right through it.

"Kagura!" Rogue called as he moved quickly. Next thing anyone knew was that a large explosion went off.

...

Aster and Celina

That explosion was so loud that Aster and Celina were able to hear it. They turned to the direction it came from and knew that it couldn't be good.

"What was that?!" Aster questioned.

"It came from the tower!" Celina said. An explosion going off is never good, and they can only hope that it was done by one of their friends. However, they have their own problems for something sinister was stalking them.

"Dante can be so selfish." A voice said with Aster and Celina a little disturbed. They turned around and saw that they were faced with Reap. It was like he appeared out of nowhere. "He kept most of them to himself and left me with you two."

"Where did he come from?" Celina questioned. It was quite creepy with how he just showed up like that.

"That's the one named Reap. Carefully, Celina. Everything about him is a complete mystery, including his abilities." Aster warned, but something tells him they'll find out what he can do soon enough.

...

The Tower

The explosion was a fierce one, but Maru and his friends were still in one piece. It did knock the wind out of them, but Maru was able to recover from it and get back up.

"Oh man... That came out of nowhere. Guys, are you okay?" Maru questioned.

"I think so..." Mary said as he and the rest of his guildmates were able to get back up. "What happened?"

"Looks like they had a trap ready for us, and we walked right into it." Gin said.

"At least we're all still in one piece." Sandy said.

"Hold on. Where are Rogue, Kagura, and that adorable Frosch?" Yukina questioned.

"Rogue! Rogue!" They all heard Frosch crying. They followed the cries and spotted a horrible sight of Kagura and Rogue still on the ground. Frosch was crying and trying to get Rogue to wake up, but he wasn't moving or doing anything.

"Oh no! Kagura! Rogue!" Gin called. "They must have gotten the worst of it!"

"Are... Are they...?" Mary questioned but hoped it wasn't true. Maru did a quick check of their pulses to be sure.

"No, thank goodness. They're still alive, but they are unconscious." Maru said.

"Kagura certainly is quick." All of them looked in the tower and saw Dante emerging out of the shadows. "She tried using her gravity magic to contain some of the explosion, but she and the dragon slayer still had a front row seat to it."

"Master Dante, right? So, you're the one who did this." Gin accused. "You're also the one steering this thing, aren't you? Which means that if we take you down, this whole thing is over." He reached for his guns and tried to make it so. He fired a couple shots, but Dante twirled his staff around and blocked each attack.

"You'll have to do better than that." Dante said. Defeating the master of Skull Legion isn't going to be easy, but they have to if they want to put an end to all of this, not to mention avenge what he just tried to do to Kagura and Rogue. "I must admit that I underestimated you. You managed to defeat four of my underlings, and made it this far. Well, if you intend to stop me, I suggest you make haste. Of course, I plan to take my sweet time." He got himself ready to fight with him grabbing his robe and tossing it right off him to help him get ready for this fight. However, it also revealed something a little off.

"Wait. What's that?" Mary said. All of them could see it clearly now. Dante had a symbol sitting right on his chest: an incomplete star pointing the other way.

"What is that? A tattoo?" Sandy questioned.

"It's a reverse star, but there's a line missing." Yukina said.

"Did he have that earlier?" Gin questioned.

"I don't think so." Maru said. Normally, something like that wouldn't be so important, but it was rather weird that the star isn't finished. What could it mean?

"I wouldn't worry about that at the moment. Especially when we're getting closer and closer to our first target." Dante claimed.

...

Celina and Aster

Meanwhile, Aster and Celina had Reap to deal with, but they could tell just by looking at him that he was dangerous. He took a couple steps closer, but Celina stood between Aster and him with her willing to fight.

"What are you doing?" Aster questioned.

"I'll handle him." Celina claimed.

"Ladies first? Please try to make this entertaining." Reap said.

"I've got this." Celina said. She held out her hand and fired a few shots at him. They appeared to be heading directly for him, but then something odd happened. All of her attacks changed direction and they didn't even hit him. It was like each shot was deflected without him making any contact with them. He didn't move or do anything and yet not a single attack connected with him. "How did that happen?"

'There's no way Celina would have missed like that.' Aster thought as he knew there was something suspicious. 'Those attacks were somehow deflected, but how did he do it?' Celina was going to try again, but then something happened that didn't make sense. Celina was lifted off the ground and straight into the air. After that, she came crashing into the ground and ended up behind Reap like he just tossed her over his shoulder.

"Well, this got boring quickly. I was expecting more out of someone like you, Celina." Reap claimed as he turned to her.

"How did he do that? He didn't move or anything, and I didn't sense any attack coming." Celina questioned as she tried to get back up. Aster could tell something was off himself, but there's only one way to know.

"I was hoping there was at least one person out of everyone here that could at least challenge me, but that doesn't appear to be the case." Reap said. "I guess I should just skip straight to the kill." That was when Aster made his move and formed his sapphire sword to attack with.

"Aster, wait! He's more dangerous than he looks!" Celina called, but Aster still tried to attack. However, his sword was suddenly knocked right out of his hand without anything even touching it.

'My sword flew right out of my hand!' Aster thought.

"If you're so eager to have your turn, whom am I to stop you?" Reap taunted. Aster formed his sword once again and tried once more, but it stopped before it even made contact with Reap, almost like there was something holding it back.

"How is he doing that?!" Aster questioned. Suddenly, Aster felt a force push against him and he was being pushed back.

"Aster!" Celina called. Aster slid back a few feet, but he planted his sword right in the ground and was able to stop himself. Even Reap was surprised he pulled that off.

"Now I get it. You use telekinesis, don't you?" Aster proclaimed.

"Yes, and as you can see I'm quite efficient with it." Reap claimed. "I can move anything I want with just a mere thought. Even the attacks of my opponents."

"So that's what happened." Celina said as she finally understood.

"This magic is quite powerful, and has made me one of Skull Legion's best." Reap claimed. "It's powerful for offense and defense. You won't be able to even touch me. I could end your life using nothing more than my thoughts."

"Everyone and every magic has their limits and weaknesses. You are no exception. It's just a matter of finding it." Aster claimed. "Crystal-Make: Ruby Spears!" Aster attacked with his spears, but Reap simply knocked them all away using his telekinesis. Not a single one was even able to scratch him.

"You can throw all the attacks you want and it still won't make a difference!" Reap claimed. He even had them all attack Aster, but Aster easily made his own creations disappeared. "Your own weapons can't be used against you? That's fine. I can still use your own body!" Reap used his power on Aster himself. He held out his arm and flicked his wrist back and forth. He bashed Aster back and forth against the walls like he was a pinball, and Aster couldn't defend against it. Still, Aster tried to fight back. He formed a crystal shard in his hand and threw it right at Reap, but Reap turned his body and easily avoided it. "A desperate attempt." He went straight for the finish with him throwing Aster high into the sky and then drove him straight into the ground.

"Aster!" Celina called, but it looks like Aster was down.

"Boring, but that takes care of another one." Reap complained.

"Why you..." Celina groaned.

"Spare me the complaints. I'm just trying to keep myself occupied until we reach where we're going. We're nearing our first target, and I certainly don't want to miss the fireworks." Reap said. "Of course, I can't have you people ruining it either."

"What first target?" Celina questioned.

"An important one: the last of the Nevira tribe." Reap clarified.

"What gave them that honor?" Celina questioned.

"The fact that they could be a hindrance to us." Reap claimed.

...

Maru's Team

Meanwhile, Dante was telling the others the same thing that Reap was telling Celina, and they were quite shocked to hear that it was them that was being targeted.

"The Neviras?! That's where Tony and Ginger are from!" Yukina said.

"Why them?!" Mary said. "Why would you go after them?"

"Hasn't anyone told you yet?" Dante questioned. "The Neviras were actually the ones that created Salus, as well as the ones that sealed Salus away." They were all surprised to hear that. The Neviras were the ones that asked for help, but they weren't aware that they were same people responsible for making this.

"I get it now. You want to get rid of them because they might be the only ones that know how to stop this thing." Maru claimed, and it seems like he hit the nail on the head.

...

Reap

"We want them gone so that they can't stop us from using this thing. They must have been insane to let all this incredible power be locked away." Reap claimed.

"I think you're the one that's insane because you want to use this weapon to spread mass chaos and destruction." Celina argued. "They had this thing sealed away for a reason."

"And they were foolish to do that." Reap claimed. "The Neviras were a tribe that existed many, many years ago. They created Salus for whatever reason, but it didn't seem to do them much good. They have been rendered a small tribe now, but once we reach it, we'll use their own weapon against them! Salus will completely destroy whatever is left of them, and without them, there isn't going to be anyone that can stop us! After we're done with them, we'll unleash this power across the whole country until it's nothing but a miserable wasteland!" He declared with him sounding like he's looking forward to that.

"Heartless monster! All of this for what?!" Celina questioned, and Reap was glad she asked.

"Do you know what Skull Legion was founded on?" Reap asked. "Each one of us suffered from some form of profound pain. Something that would have been considered heartbreaking or soul crushing. We want the world to feel that pain."

"You're insane." Celina said.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black. Surely, you can understand." Reap said with him beginning to probe into her. "I know about you. Your hometown was taken over by a criminal organization, and someone you saw like a mentor died because of them." He reminded with his words stabbing into her. "You eventually took revenge on the one who did it, and ended up turning against your closest friend in the process. You experienced great pain, and then you made them feel the pain that you felt. You're no different from us." His words really got to Celina with that guilty feeling coming back.

"Don't listen to him." Celina and Reap looked to see that Aster was getting back up. He hasn't kicked the bucket yet.

"Aster..." Celina said.

"Unlike them, you want to atone for your actions." Aster said with him standing tall and strong. "You're working your way out of the darkness while these people are still lost in it." When he said that, Celina was reminded of his words.

"All we need is to find the light inside the darkness."

'Aster... You are the light to guide me out of the darkness.' Celina thought since he was the one that helped her through her darkest times, and Aster is holding on to the light that guides him with him forming his sapphire sword and his cobalt rapier to keep fighting against Reap.

"Wow. I'm amazed you can even stand. It looks like I'll get a real fight after all." Reap claimed and then gave off a psychotic look on his face. "I'm going to enjoy tearing your body apart."

"I swear that I will do whatever it takes to end this madness, after I deal with you." Aster claimed. Reap was getting excited because it means that he'll have the challenge he's been looking for.