This chapter along with the previous one were meant to be one but had to be split into two. If you just tuned in, read the previous chapter "Back to Angerton".

Chapter 16: Let's Just Try to Have a Nice Dinner

Several years ago…

It was night. In the barn at Farmer Will's farm, the feline Goetia known as Alex was trying to get some sleep in his makeshift bed.

"Alex…"

Alex opened his eyes, having heard a voice calling out to him.

"Alex… come out and play…"

'What the hell?' Alex thought as he got out of his makeshift bed and went to see who was calling out to him.

Stepping out of the barn, Alex froze when he saw seven armor-clad figures sitting on their motorcycles in front of him. The Knights of Hell.

"Hope you had a nice nap, sleeping beauty," Cain said with a dark chuckle.

"What are you all doing here?" Alex demanded as he got into a defensive position.

"Relax, Alex, we're not here to fight," Cain said as he stepped off his bike and removed his helmet while walking up to Alex. "I just wanted to talk to you, Alex. Maybe get to know you better, Alex. Because, believe it or not, I'm interested in you, kid. It was like… I saw something in you back there."

Alex narrowed his eyes at Cain, noting his intentional repetition of his name. "How did you know my name?" he asked.

Cain chuckled. "It wasn't exactly hard to figure out," he told Alex. "I assume it is short for something. Alexander, perhaps? I don't blame you for shortening it to Alex. Alexander has too many syllables. Compare that to my name. Cain is one syllable long, short and snappy. Honestly, even Alex has too many syllables. How about I call you Al? Would you mind that, Al?"

"How did you know my name?" Alex asked again.

Cain shrugged. "I asked around. Some of the locals were more than happy to sell you out and they told me who you were and what they knew about you… which was very little. According to them, you're not from around here and you haven't been here long." He leaned on his bike. "So where are you from, kid?"

Alex said nothing. However, Cain seemed to come to a conclusion on his own and he smiled in the darkness.

"I am going to make a guess. Tell me if youre wrong. I think… that you're a Goetia demon."

Alex said nothing, but Cain continued.

"Yeah, now that I can get a better look at you… I can see the resemblance to Alloces," Cain told Alex, who visibly cringed at being found out. "Yep, that confirms it. You're his son, aren't you?" He grinned. "Now what is a royal like you doing in a place like this?"

Before Alex could answer, Cain interrupted him.

"No, no, don't say anything yet," Cain said, silencing Alex. "Let me guess. The only reason that a Goetia demon like you would come to Wrath of all Rings, despite all of your privilege, is because you wanted to escape the duties and responsibilities of being a Goetia. Tell me, Al, am I in the ballpark?"

Alex looked down. "Y-yes," he admitted, surprised that Cain was able to figure out so easily.

Cain shrugged. "I can't say I blame you," he admitted. "A life as a Goetia demon sounds very… restricting. Too many expectations. Too many elite assholes to put up with. Too many rules." He shook his head. "No, what you want is freedom. So you came down to the Wrath Ring to chase that thrill of freedom like so many do. And even now, you still feel it, don't you? That pull. You may ask: how do I know what you're feeling? It is because I have felt that pull as well. We all have. It's what drew all of us to the Knights of Hell!"

The other Knights cheered at this while Cain began to walk around Alex.

"For you see, Al, the Knights of Hell live by our own code. We take whatever we want, do whatever we want," he explained. "We have no interest in the laws that govern Wrath or Hell; because those laws don't apply to us, and they don't have to apply to you either." He pointed at him. "Tell me… are you really satisfied with where you're at now? Is farmhand really what you want to be?"

Alex looked at Cain, frowning. He didn't give Cain an answer, but he didn't need to. Yet again, it seemed like Cain could figure him out very easily.

"It's only natural," Cain told Alex. "Don't be ashamed. Embrace it. Why don't you come with us, Alex? Come and get a taste of what true freedom tastes like. Who knows, you might end up liking your dark side. You could be even one of us… or are you afraid?" he suggested while the rest of the Knights chuckled teasingly.

For a moment, Alex thought about it. He could not deny that there was something… appealing about the lawlessness of the lifestyle that Cain and his Knights promoted. Perhaps… he could give it a try? If only just this once.

Having made up his mind, Alex looked up at Cain and raised his hand, which only made Cain grin.

"Excellent!" Cain shouted as he shook Alex's hand. "Welcome to the Knights of Hell, kid. Consider this your audition. Although, I am not letting you be seen with us without you putting on some new threads first," he said while yestering to Alex's overalls. "We've got a reputation to keep, after all. Graff!"

Cain snapped his fingers and Graff threw some new clothing to Alex, who caught it and looked down at them.

Deep down, Alex knew that he should be wary around Cain and his Knights. But at the same time, he did feel something else. An undeniable itch…

Alex now sported his new threads, having traded his overalls for an all-black outfit consisting of a button up black vest, black straps and matching gloves, leather pants, and skull-toed boots. Unlike the other Knights, he did not wear a helmet. Cain had told him that he needed to earn his helmet first.

After he finished getting dressed, he rode behind Cain on his bike as the Knights of Hell drove together, desiring to do whatever they wanted. Cain led his gang to a nearby town, where they scared the townsies as they drove through..

"Yahoo!" Cain shouted along with his men, all of them hollering at the top of their lungs. "Look out for the Knights of Hell!" he declared as he ran over some trash cans.

Later that night, the Knights were occupying one of their hangouts, having drinks and laughs. Alex was with them, looking slightly out-of-place. He honestly felt out of his element here.

"Hey, how'd you like to have some of this, Al?" Gnat asked as he handed Alex an alcoholic beverage.

"Oh, thank you," Alex said as he accepted the drink and took a sip of it. He winced slightly. "That's… that's really strong."

The other Knights hollered at this and Alex felt Brutus patting him hard on the back.

"How about you try some of these, boy?" Scorch asked while holding up a bag. Alex looked inside the bag… and was surprised to see just how many drugs were in it. He saw needles, dust, pills, lead…

"Uh…" Alex said before he spotted Cain coming over to him with two women wearing two-pieces under his arms.

"Or how about these hotties?" Cain said as he handed the succubus and the hellcat woman to Alex, both of them wrapping their arms around him.

"Are they… part of the Knights too?" Alex asked while feeling the women sitting on his lap.

"We just picked them up," Cain responded with a shrug.

Alex looked around, seeing the other Knights indulging in drinks and drugs. It was a blatantly transparent display of hedonism and yet… Alex soon found himself enjoying that very same brand of hedonism.

Later, the Knights were shown hanging from the bottom of a bridge that passed over a chasm. Below them it was hard to see the bottom of the chasm, since it was covered by a deep fog. The Knights didn't seem to mind though, instead they just hollered and laughed. Soon they heard a train that was coming and about to come pass over them.

"Alright, boys! Time to let go!" Cain declared.

"Wait, what?!" Alex asked as he saw Graff and Brutas let go and drop into the fog.

"Geronimo!" Gnat cried out as he along with Jawline, Scorch, and the seventh Knight fell into the fog.

"See you on the other side, kid!" Cain laughed before he also dropped down into the deep fog.

Alex heard their laugh from below and then looked up, feeling the train passing over the bridge above him. After a moment, Alex also shut his eyes before he dropped down into the fog.

After that, the Knights decided to visit a bar, where they got involved in a bar brawl. Alex did not know why it started… or even if there was a reason for it in the first place.

Looking around, Alex spotted Cain punching a patron while the other Knights brawled against the other patrons and even the bartender. Because of his brief distraction, Alex ended up being tackled into and pinned against the wall by a rival biker, who threatened to stab him.

"How about I carve a marking into you, boy?!" the biker threatened, but before he could stab his opponent with his knife, Alex kneed him in the stomach, managing to get himself freed. He then wrestled the biker to the ground, knocking his knife out of his hand as he began to punch the biker over and over again.

Alex didn't stop hitting the biker until he noticed that there was blood on his hands. Surprised, Alex stood up and looked at his hands. This was his first ever fight. But rather than be disgusted by the sight of the blood… Alex felt himself excited.

"Yeah," Alex said as he noticed some other bikers coming at him and smiled.

"Yeah!" Alex shouted as he swung his fists at the bikers and threw himself into the fray, fighting alongside his fellow Knights as the bar further descended into chaos…

Later, the Knights of Hell had parked their bikes and were gathered around a campfire. While the seventh Knight played the saxophone, the other Knights enjoyed themselves with food, drink, and women they picked up.

"Whoohoo!" Cain howled as he hung his arm around Alex. "To Alex! Our newest member of the Knights of Hell!"

"To Alex!" the other Knights declared.

"You know, I think I was right about you, Al," Cain told Alex as he led him over to sit down on a log by the fire. "The other boys here didn't think you'd fit in with us, but I had a good feeling about you…"

"Well, thank you for showing me a good time," Alex replied as he grabbed a drink from the nearby cooler. "I don't think I have ever felt so…"

"Free?" Cain asked him while patting Alex on the back.

"You got that right," Alex said with a smile before he looked at the campfire, a question popping in his mind. "Say, um, Cain, is that your real name? How'd you get a name like that?"

Cain smiled. "Well, Al, there's one thing you should know… Cain is not a name," he said. "It's a title, one that I wear with pride."

"Really?" Alex asked him out of curiosity.

"Tell me, Al," Cain said. "Are you familiar with the story of the Biblical Cain, the first murderer?"

Alex paused. "Somewhat," he said.

Cain nodded. "You see, Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. He was a farmer who gave his offering of his crops to God, but God favored the offering given to him by his younger brother Abel, who was a shepherd. Although what's funny is that the story never says why God favored Abel over Cain. If you ask me, God was an asshole." He chuckled. "Anyway, Cain grew angry and jealous of his brother, Abel. Out of anger and envy, Cain murdered his brother. And God punished him with a mark and a curse."

"What curse?" Alex asked.

Cain smirked at Alex before giving a shrug. "The story is also pretty vague about that," he admitted. "But you know, I've always admired Cain."

"You do?" Alex asked in surprise.

Cain nodded. "He was rebellious, like us," he told Alex before looking at him with a smile. "You know, Al, the original Cain was a lot like you, being of you both farmers and all…"

"Um, I guess," Alex said while Cain turned to look at the fire.

"Do you have a younger brother, Alex?" Cain asked him.

Alex stared at Cain when he asked that. The Goetia looked uncomfortable with the question because of the obvious implications. But despite his discomfort, he answered. "I, um, have a younger sister."

"Sister, huh? You ever get jealous of her, Alex?" Cain asked.

"N-No!" Alex denied. "Me and my sister get along fine. I still write to her every now and then."

Cain frowned at him. "Shit, you're still anchored."

"Pardon?" Alex asked.

"Look kid, as long as you have an anchor to your past, you will never be free," Cain said. "Take me for example. There was a time when I was a lot like you, except that I was just a simple imp farm boy with no rich ties and so forth. I was a nobody. I worked with dirt and I was worth dirt. You want to know the real reason why I admire the original Cain?"

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Because God didn't care about him when he was a farmer," Cain explained. "He worked in the dirt and for that he was overlooked, just like how imps like me were overlooked, especially by those in power like the Sins or the Goetia." He looked over at Alex and smiled. "This doesn't apply to you though, kid. You're great."

"Uh, thanks," Alex said.

"Anyway, if he hadn't murdered his brother, the original Cain would have been forgotten," Cain said. "But now, Cain means something. Cain is a legend. Cain is a legacy. And now just like the original Cain, I am more. When people hear about Cain and the Knights of Hell, they're afraid. Because as Cain, I have power. Maybe not as much power as someone like Satan or Lucifer or even your dad, but when we come into town, those powerful figures suddenly seem so far away, while we're right here." He paused. "Did you know that I wasn't the first leader of the Knights of Hell, Al?"

"You… weren't?" Alex asked.

"There was a Cain before me," Cain told Alex. "And a Cain before him. And so on. But do you know what happened to my predecessor?"

"What?" Alex asked.

Cain grinned. "I killed him," Cain revealed. "Everything I have now I took, Alex. I took my name. I took the Knights of Hell." He gestured around him. "Who I was before I became Cain no longer matters, since I've shredded every part of my past identity, even my former name, David." He sneered at his former name. "This way, there is nothing that can compromise me, nothing that could stop me from living the life that I wanted for myself…"

Cain then stopped and stared into the campfire. "Look into the fire, Al," Cain told him and Alex did. "You see, the fire doesn't stop to worry about what it's burning or the right or wrong of it, or the goals it might achieve. The fire just is… it lives, and it consumes, and it doesn't apologize. It is its nature and nothing else," he explained while looking into the fire, finding it hypnotic. "And that, I believe, is freedom in its purest form."

Cain then stood up, Alex and the Knights looking up at him. "And I strive to be that flame!" he declared while he looked at his Knights. "Get up, boys, I want to go find something to burn!"

The Knights cheered at their leader's suggestion, while Alex didn't know how to react…

The Knights of Hell were now once again at the farm where Alex had been staying. Alex looked confused as he and the other Knights stood in front of Farmer Will's house.

"What… why are we here?" Alex asked them.

"Well, remember when I said that I wanted to burn something, kid?" Cain asked him. "Well… I want to burn this whole farm to the ground."

Alex's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Why would you do that?!"

"Alex, Al, calm down," Cain told him while lighting a torch. "Look, consider this your chance to fully become one of us. All you have to do is cut the ties with your past and be free," he said as he offered the torch to him. "Why you could do the deed yourself if you would like…"

"Are you out of your fucked up mind?!" Alex shouted, obviously refusing. "Why in the hell would you think that I would do this to old Will?!"

Cain looked at Alex with a frown. "Because he doesn't matter," he pointed out. "Look, kid, in this world you can be a Cain or you can be an Abel. Which will it be?"

Alex didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Once again, Cain was able to read him perfectly.

"Well, fuck," Cain said with a sigh. "To think that I was starting to like you, kid."

The other Knights began to close in on Alex, who got into a defensive stance.

"I won't let you do this!" Alex shouted while glaring at Cain.

"We'll see," Cain replied in an almost bored tone. He snapped his fingers. "Stomp him."

The other Knights then rushed Alex. Though Alex tried to throw a few punches and fight back, he was very quickly ganged up on and overwhelmed. Eventually, Scorch and Graff managed to grab Alex by the arms, shoving him down to the ground. While Alex struggled, Cain marched up to Alex and punched him in the face, then in the stomach.

"I would have given you everything!" Cain shouted as he beat the restrained Alex up. "And this is what you chose? Toiling away in the dirt for an old farmer who needed you to pick up his prescription? I offered you freedom!" he declared as he continued to punch Alex. Eventually he stopped to look at Alex, noticing the feline demon glaring at him despite his bruised face. Sighing, he turned to Scorch and Graff, nodding at them.

They threw down Alex to the ground and the Knights proceeded to all kick and stomp on him. They gave Alex no chance to get up, no chance to fight back. Eventually, Alex was stomped on to the point where he was half-conscious…

"Stop," Cain ordered and the other Knights all immediately stopped. Cain stared down at Alex coldly before giving his next order. "Drag him into the barn."

Brutas and Scorch then dragged Alex into the barn, leaving him in the center of the wooden building. Once he had been left there, Cain held up a torch and threw it at a lantern. "It was nice knowing ya, kid."

As the barn was set ablaze and began to burn with Alex in it, Cain and the Knights of Hell went to the farmhouse next, burning it down as well… and then they left.

And this would have been the end of Alex if he had been any other Hellborn…

But Alex was not just any other Hellborn.

He was a Goetia.

Sometime later, Alex managed to pull himself out of the burning wreckage of the barn. He was badly bruised, badly burned, and very weak… but he was alive and still strong enough to drag himself out of the flames.

"Will! Will!" he shouted while looking at the burning farmhouse. With no consideration for his own safety, he approached the farmhouse. "Will! Please, or dear Lilith, please be okay!"

He began to rummage through the burning wreckage of the farmhouse. "Will! Please, I'm sorry!" he cried as he looked around and noticed a burned hand sticking out of some of the rubble. His eyes widened in shock. "No… nononononono!" he screamed as he went to get the body out of the debris. "Will!"

But Alex was too late. He cradled Farmer Will's now charred body. It was undeniable that Farmer Will… was dead.

"WILL!" Alex cried out in anguish as he held the corpse close to him.

And as the flames continued to burn into the night sky, the only thing that Alex could do… was cry.

But even while being consumed by grief, Alex knew that the Knights of Hell would have to pay for this…

In the present day, at Carrie's farm, Carrie and Loona were both currently outside doing chores.

"Alright, the pigs are fed, the squeaking of the barn door has been fixed," Loona said while going over the list.

"Next is cleaning the mess the Hell Sprites left behind," Carrie said as she pointed to a spot behind a haystack, which was covered with candy wrappers and soda cans. "Those varmints always make a mess of things…"

"Loona! Carrie!"

The two turned to see Kajedo roller skating towards them, much to their surprise.

"How's it going, my favorite party girls?!" she cried out before she came to a stop in front of them.

"Hey, Kajey, I haven't seen you since the haunted house incident," Loona said.

"Yeah, I finally managed to get a day off," Kajedo responded before she very quickly changed the subject. "So how have you gals been?"

"We've been doing good," Carrie responded. "Things around here have actually been pretty low-key lately."

"Yeah," Loona agreed. "The last few days have been pretty non-eventful, outside of a visit to the circus."

"Whaaaaat?!" Kajedo asked, looking slightly upset. "You all went without me?"

"Well, not me," Carrie replied. "I just stayed home working."

"Yeah, I just went with my dad, Amaroq, Douglas, and some friends who came to visit," Loona explained. "You remember Octavia, right? She came for a quick visit with her dad and Linda."

"Aw man, I wish I could've gone with you all," Kajedo said with a pout. "I had to work with my family at the farm. They have been really having me make up for lost time…"

This got Loona to look at Kajedo curiously. "You know, I don't remember if you've ever told me about your family, Kajey," she said.

"I haven't?" Kajedo asked, looking and sounding a bit surprised. "Huh, I guess I haven't…"

"I think you might have mentioned them once," Loona said to Carrie, who nodded.

"Yeah, I think I did mention them," Carrie acknowledged. "Her folks have offered to help around the farm."

"So they are farmers then?" Loona asked.

"Yep!" Kajedo cheerfully confirmed. "My family runs the best rock farm in Wrath!"

Loona looked confused when she heard that. "A… rock farm?"

"She means a quarry," Carrie corrected.

Kajedo pulled out a photo from her pocket and started pointing to each of her family members. "That's my Papa-Elmo, the head of the family. That's my mom Marilyn and those three are my sisters: Rocksie, Petra, and Opal!" she explained. "Little Opal's the comedian of the family, if you couldn't already tell."

"Uh-huh…" Loona said while looking at the photo. All of the Hellhounds in the photo had the exact same face, none of them were smiling.

"Say… would you like to meet them, Loona?" Kajedo asked with a smile.

"You mean… now?" Loona asked.

"Yeah!" Kajedo confirmed. "We could take the train! I bet they'd love to meet one of my best friends!"

"Um, well… I should probably run it by my dad and Carrie first," Loona responded while turning to Carrie.

"Eh, I don't mind if you go," Carrie responded with a shrug. "I can handle the rest of the chores by myself and I think you should go meet her folks."

"Really? What are they like?" Loona asked her.

"Well, they're not as… high-energy as Kajedo," Carrie admitted. "But they are great folks."

"You should definitely come over, Loony, especially for dinner!" Kajedo begged while holding onto Loona's arm. "Will you? Will you?"

"Alright, alright!" Loona said to her jumpy, pink-haired friend. "Just let me ask my dad if it'll be okay for me to visit."

"Okay, I'll just wait right here," Kajedo said while Loona began to walk around the house.

As Loona walked around the farm, she began to call out to her dad. "Dad? Kajedo came over and-" She paused when she saw him with Amaroq, her dad being in the middle of helping the young Hellpup on the Hellhorse.

"Alright, got you on the saddle," Blitz told Amaroq.

"So am I ready to ride?" Amaroq asked excitedly.

"Not yet," Blitz told her. "First, I don't want to fall off, so we need to adjust your posture. Avoid leaning back, leaning forward, or hunching your shoulders. Instead, let your shoulders relax, place your thighs flat against the saddle, keep your knees slightly bent, and place your heels down. Look straight ahead and maintain contact with the reins."

"Like this?" Amaroq asked while getting into position.

"Yeah, there you go!" Blitz replied proudly.

As Loona watched this, she couldn't help but be reminded of when Blitz first taught her how to ride a horse. She started to see herself in Amaroq, but she also just liked seeing Blitz and Amaroq getting along. She watched them with a nostalgic smile before Blitz and Amaroq finally noticed Loona.

"Hey Loona! Guess what? I'm learning to ride on a horse!" Amaroq shouted while waving.

"That's great!" Loona shouted as she resumed walking over to them. "Hey dad, Kajedo just stopped by and she asked me if I could go visit her place to meet her family."

"Her family's place?" Blitz asked. "Would you like to go?"

"Yeah, I think I do, since I have been curious about her family." Loona admitted. "I just wanted to run it with you first."

"Hmm… yeah, I think it should be fine as long as you're careful," Blitz replied. "How long do you think you are going to stay with them?"

"I guess just until after I have dinner with them," Loona replied.

"I wonder if Kajedo's family are just as hyperactive as her,"Amaroq wondered out loud.

"According to Carrie, they're not like that at all," Loona replied. "Which honestly makes me even more curious to meet them."

"Ooh, maybe we could come and meet them too," Amaroq suggested. "Could we? I mean, it's not like we have anything else to do right now."

"Hmm, well, I guess it would be nice to meet the folks of one of your friends, Loona," Blitz considered. "Do you think Kajey would mind?"

"Knowing her, I'm sure she wouldn't," Loona replied.

"Of course I won't mind, sillies!" Kajedo shouted as she suddenly popped up in between Loona and Blitz, startling both them and Amaroq.

"Yah!" the two yelped upon seeing the pink Hellhound pop up out of nowhere.

"What the… where did you come from, Kajey?!" Loona asked.

"Yeah, you almost scared us half to death!" Blitz shouted while trying to calm the horse down.

"That's easy, I… don't actually know where I just came from," Kajedo admitted, confusing everyone. "Sometimes I don't remember how I get from one point to another, I just… do." She paused, briefly concerned with her own apparent teleportation before she snapped out of it. "But it'd be great to have all three of you for dinner with my family!"

"Well, guess we've found our evening plans," Blitz said, which caused Amaroq to cheer.

"Alright! We get to meet Kajey's family!" Amaroq cheered with her hands up before she then lost her balance. "Gah!" she cried, falling off the horse before being caught by Loona.

"You okay, kid?" Loona asked.

"I'm just super excited," Amaroq said as she began to ramble. "Do you think they will have a lot of candy?"

Later, Kajedo, Loona, Blitz, and Amaroq were all riding a train together. While they waited for the train to reach their stop, Amaroq was pressing her face against the window, staring in awe at the landscape they were riding past.

"Ooh," Amaroq said in awe while wearing a blue wig as a disguise.

"Are you enjoying the sights?" Loona asked with a smile, noticing Amaroq's tail wagging very quickly.

"Yeah!" Amaroq confirmed. "You know, I've never ridden on a train before!"

"Exciting, isn't it?" Kajedo asked the young hellpup. "The train is one of my favorite ways to get around Wrath!"

"Wow," Amaroq said as she turned to Blitz and Loona. "Have you guys ever been on a train before?"

"Hmm, well, I didn't rob this train," Blitz replied while wearing a disguise, which consisted of a trench coat and a fedora. "Or at least I don't think I did…"

"I've never been on the train in Wrath, but I have sometimes ridden the trains in Pride," Loona admitted while wearing her blonde wig disguise. She then turned to Kajedo. "But I have to admit, your family lives a lot further away than I expected, Kajey."

"Yeah, when I was younger, I had to take the train all the time just to meet up with Carrie and my other friends," Kajedo admitted. "I would have to memorize the train schedules and eventually I had ridden the train so much that I was able to know every train employee by name."

"How did you even meet and befriend Carrie in the first place?" Loona asked, realizing that she had never been told how the two first met.

"Oh, it's a funny story," Kajedo replied. "You see, it was… well, it was my first time far away from home alone. I think I was, like, twelve."

"Wait, you were twelve?" Loona asked in concern.

Kajedo shrugged. "Ten at the youngest," she said nonchalantly.

This made Loona even more concerned. "Why out there alone…"

"Relax, Loony," Kajedo assured her. "It was a… you know, a coming-of-age rite of passage thing. Anyway, I was just looking around town when I ran into some trouble…"

"What kind of trouble?" Blitz asked her.

"Oh, you know, just some locals who were trying to tell me I 'don't belong here' or something like that," Kajedo said with a dismissive wave. However, the trio of Loona, Blitz, and Amaroq couldn't help but look alarmed by this. "I thought it was just some local custom, but when they were really about to gang up on me, suddenly… bam!"

"You got shot?" Amaroq exclaimed.

"Nope! Those locals got knocked down by Carrie," Kajedo said. "She saw me in trouble, so she came over and kicked all those guys who were ganging up on me. Turns out they were bad people who wanted to hurt me, at least, according to Carrie. Then she took me to the Snakeskin Saloon so I could get a bite to eat, she asked me some questions, and then next thing you know, I repaid her with a party thrown in her honor."

"So that's how you two met?" Amaroq asked.

"Yup! And we've been close friends ever since," Kajedo replied as one of the train attendants showed up, Kajedo turning to them with a smile. "Hiya, Darla! How ya doing?"

"Hey, Kajedo," said the hellcat woman with a black bobcut, gray fur, glasses, a red uniform with a yellow ascot, cap, with a black tie, skirt, and heels. She had a Southern-accent. "Just wonderin' if you and your friends would like to order some delicacies."

"Ooh, yeah, we'd love to!" Kajedo replied. "You know what I always order!"

"Yes, the sweets. Ice cream smoothies, sprinkled suckers, pixie sticks, fruit gushers, fruit rollers, and vanilla velvet cake," Darla listed off. "Anything for your friends?"

"Ooh! I'd like to have all the same sweets she is having!" Amaroq ordered in excitement.

"Just some apple slices for her," Loona cut in, causing Amaroq to pout. "I'll just have some chips and a grape soda."

"If you have some pretzels, that'd be a delight," Blitz ordered.

"Alright! I'll get your order to you right away!" Darla declared as she went to get their order.

"You weren't kidding when you said that you knew the names of all the attendants here, Kajey," Loona commented while turning to her friend. "They definitely know you."

"Yep! I've been on this train so much that they are like a second family to me," Kajedo admitted.

Loona smiled before she looked over to see Amaroq continuing to pout over not getting all of the sweets that she wanted. She sighed at them. "Come on, Amaroq, you know that you can't have all of those sweets this time of day. You'll spoil your dinner and we don't want you to ruin your appetite, do we?"

"Then why does Kajedo get to have all those sweets then?" the pouting Amaroq asked.

"Because Kajedo… is built different," Loona told Amaroq.

"Can I at least have one sweet?" Amaroq begged.

"Well… I bet Kajedo would be willing to share with you," Loona suggested.

"Oh yeah!" Kajedo cheerfully confirmed. "I am happy to share some of my sweets with you!"

Amaroq perked up at this, smiling.

Sometime later, the group got their snacks. Kajedo was eating all of her sweets at an alarming rate while Amaroq had to contend with her apple slices and a singular fruit rollup. Meanwhile, Loona ate from her bag of chips and drank her soda while Blitz enjoyed his pretzels.

"Gotta admit, this is nice," Blitz said while leaning back in their booth. "The refreshments, the calm, the good views," he said while looking out the window at the Wrath landscape, which could be just as beautiful as it was dangerous. "Sometimes it is nice to just slow down and… enjoy the moment while you can…"

"Yeah," Loona agreed while munching on some chips. She too was enjoying the peace and quiet on the train…

Until the door to their car was suddenly thrown open and a trio of masked robbers came in, holding up their guns.

"Alright everyone, stay seated and place your hands where we can see them!" declared one of the robbers. "This here's a robbery, so if you would all be kind enough to let this go quickly and smoothly as possible, place your valuable goods in the bag being brought around."

"In the bag!" one robber shouted while holding the bag up.

"Ooh, is this a dinner show?" Kajedo asked before being pulled down underneath the table.

"This is a robbery, not a show!" Loona realized as she, Kajedo and Amaroq ducked down like a lot of the other people in the car… with the exception of Blitz.

"Welp, I knew this wouldn't last," Blitz said as he stood up, facing down the train robbers.

"You better sit down, punk!" one of the robbers told Blitz.

However, then one of the robbers got a good look at Blitz.

"Hey, hold up, hold up," the robber said. "Blitz? Is that… is that you?!"

"Wait, don't I know…" Blitz said as he saw them pull their masks down, revealing the faces of a redheaded imp woman, a blue haired imp man, and a short hellcat. "Oh my… Patricia, Park?" he asked, recognizing the two imps before he turned to the werecat. "Marlon? Oh man, what are the odds that we would run into each other?"

"I can't believe it, it's you, Blitzo!" Park shouted, laughing. The other train robbers were smiling and laughing as well.

"You know these guys, dad?!" Loona asked him.

"Oh yeah, I, uh, used to be part of their little gang," Blitz admitted. "We, uh… used to rob some trains together."

"Wait, is she your daughter?" Patricia asked while pointing to Loona.

"Yes, she is," Blitz replied. "That's Loona and two of her friends."

"Well uh, congrats," Patricia said.

"Yeah, you seem to be doing quite well for yourself," Park admitted.

"Yup!" Blitz replied. "I, uh, see you guys are still robbing trains."

"Well we do have to make a honest living somewhere," Marlon, the white-furred werecat, said with a shrug.

"Yeah… which is why we're still gonna rob ya," Patricia said as they held their guns back up, pointing them at Blitz.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't you guys think that's a little extreme?!" Blitz asked them. "I thought we were pals."

"Yeah, but that was before you ditched us after our last heist!" Park pointed out. "You ran with the loot and left us in trouble with the law."

"Oh yeah, I did do that…" Blitz said, remembering how he betrayed the gang. "Um… no hard feelings?"

"Nah, we're still kinda mad at you for that," Patricia told him. "So, uh, your wallets in the bag, please."

"Are you sure this isn't a show?" Kajedo asked while still keeping herself down.

In another part of Wrath, Millie had successfully driven her motorcycle all the way down to her family's farm. She parked her bike in front of the farm and took off her helmet, looking upon her family's farm for the first time in… well, a while.

It looked just as it had when she left it.

She stared at it for about a minute before she gave a sigh and stepped off of her bike, leaving her helmet on the handle.

She then walked over to the farmhouse, each step she took bringing her closer and closer to home. She only stopped herself when she was at the front door, pausing briefly as she tried to build up the courage to knock.

"Okay, you can do this," Millie said to herself, looking and feeling less confident about this than she had expected. "Yes, it has been… a while since the last time you've come here. But that doesn't mean anything is different. Nothing has changed." She paced back and forth while talking to herself. "I'm sure they'll love seeing you again and they'll welcome you back with open arms… right?"

She looked back at her bike, at her helmet hanging from the handle. She frowned, then looked back at the front door and took a deep breath.

"Let's fucking doing this," she said as she lifted her fist up and went to knock on the door…

Several years ago…

The younger Millie was in her room, packing her things into a duffle bag. This included her many, many knives. Afterwards, she walked out of her room with a determined expression, heading downstairs. But before she could get to the front door, she heard someone call out to her.

"Millie!"

Millie stopped, turning to see her mother and her brothers walking over to her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lin asked.

"I'm going out," Millie told her mom as she continued heading to the door, but then her mom grabbed her.

"With that bag of your weapons?" Lin questioned. Millie just scoffed, but Lin wasn't having it. "I know that look… you're planning to go after them Knights, aren't you?"

"Well… yeah," Millie admitted while turning to her mother. "I'm not going to just sit there and let them get away with shooting daddy."

"Millie…" Lin said before Millie continued.

"Those shitty ass Knights are going to pay for hurting daddy, especially their leader!" Millie argued. "I'm going to hunt their asses down, kill them, and then cut out the leader's ass and wear it like a hat!"

"Millie, you can't go after them! You'd walk right into a den of Hellhounds!" Lin told her as Millie averted her eyes. "Please, Millie, I just don't want you to get killed out there and neither would your father. It's too much of a risk-"

"It's better than just sitting around and waiting for those Knights to come back!" Millie retorted, pulling her arm away from her mother. "You think this will be the only time? They're just going to keep coming back, over and over again, taking whatever they want until there's nothing left to take or we're all dead! Whichever comes first!" she told her before she walked to the door. "You can't stop me."

Lin gave a shocked look while Strom and Fisk went to try to talk Millie out of her plan.

"Millie, don't go!" Strom shouted, trying to pull her away.

"We need you here more than ever!" Fisk told her, trying to pull her leg.

"Get off!" Millie shouted as she pulled herself away from her brothers and continued to walk out of the door. Their pleas fell on deaf ears, at least until she heard another voice…

"Millie!"

She paused and turned around to see her brother Salvor standing in the doorway. He was reaching out to Millie, but then stopped himself.

"Millie, I…" Salvor sighed before looking up at her. "Just… be careful out there."

Millie nodded and gave a small smile. "Thanks, Sal," she said before she turned back around and continued on her way…

After Millie knocked on the front door, she waited for an answer. After a few moments, the door opened… and saw her father, Joe.

"Millie…" Joe, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Hey, dad," Millie said, waving to him with an awkward smile. "Um, I'm home… again."

Joe smiled back and nodded, stepping aside. "Come on in," he said as he let his daughter in. "Family! Millie's back home!"

"Millie!" her brothers shouted as they ran over, letting Millie get a good look at her. In the years since the Knights of Hell first visited their farm, Strom had grown a lot bigger, while Fisk had grown a little taller and his hands had white markings, which was new to Millie.

"Strom! Fisk! Come here, both of you!" Millie shouted as she embraced her brothers, who tackled her to the ground. She briefly wrestled with her brothers on the floor before she heard someone clear her throat and she looked up to see her mother carrying an imp toddler. She quickly got up. "Hey, mama," she said before she smiled at her baby brother. "Hey, Junior."

"Millie, I'm glad you made it home again," Lin replied with a nod before she called out. "Sallie May! Your sister's here!"

"Millie's here?!"

Rushing downstairs was Sallie May, formerly known as Salvor. While her turtleneck top remains, it looked tattered on the bottom, showing her midriff. She wore jean short-shorts with black leggings that were ripped and a red scarf held her hair, which is tied to a ponytail. She rushed over and gave her sister an embrace. "Oh Millie, it's so good to see you!"

Millie smiled and she hugged her sister back. "You too, Sal, and… sorry for not visiting for y'all sooner," she told her family.

"Well, I guess that's understandable, given the lifestyle you have," Lin said, a hint of disapproval in her tone, which did not go unnoticed. However, she patted Millie's shoulder. "But we are glad that you are able to visit."

"Do you have any new stories?" Fisk asked her.

"Is it true that you were involved in the latest Death Race?" Strom asked.

"Yeah, don't leave out any details," Sallie May told her as Millie found herself under siege, her siblings all ganging up on her with questions.

"Alright, alright, leave her some breathing room," Joe told them all. "Millie can tell all about what she's been up to since her last visit when she is good and ready."

Millie beamed at this. She couldn't be any happier. And right now, there was no place in Hell she would rather be than home with her family…

After the train ride, Kajedo had brought Loon and co to her hometown…

"Welcome… to Barkersfield!" Kajedo told them as she showed them around.

As Loona, Blitz, and Amaroq looked around Kajedo's home town, they quickly noticed… just how gray and dreary the town looked and felt. The town also had a more Amish look to it, especially in the way that the nearby Hellhounds were dressed.

Blitz looked at one of the Hellhounds, who was walking past him. "What's up?"

"Get lost, frog face," the Hellhound in Amish clothing sneered while carrying a bucket.

Blitz looked put off by this and he turned to Kajedo. "What's with that guy?"

"Oh, that's Earl," Kajedo explained. "He's like that with every visitor we get."

"Um, so what is this place exactly?" Loona asked Kajedo while looking around. "I've noticed that everyone around here is a Hellhound…"

"Yeah, I think I've seen more Hellhounds in this one place than I have in the rest of Wrath," Blitz said while spotting some Hellhounds sitting on a nearby porch, looking… absolutely bored.

"Yeah, Barkersfield is an all-Hellhound community," Kajedo revealed.

"Really?" Loona asked. "I don't think I've ever been to an all-Hellhound community before…"

"We're a pretty simple farming community, although we definitely have our own unique flavors around here! Like grass-counting!"

"5,667, 5,668," one Hellhound said as he counted every blade of grass in his yard.

"That looks… tedious," Loona noted.

"Geez, do you also watch the grass grow and watch paint dry?" Blitz asked sarcastically.

"Yep!" Kajedo cheerfully replied, causing Blitz to look at her incredulously. "Us Hellhounds are used to doing all of the jobs that nobody else wants to do! Like our fertilizer farms!" she shouted as she pointed to a field that appeared to be filled with piles of mud, with some Hellhounds shoveling that mud.

"Why… why would you farm mud?" Loona asked, confused.

"Oh, that's not actually mud," Kajedo revealed.

"Then what are they…" Loona said before she stopped herself, her eyes widening. "Oh," she said. "Fertilizer farms…"

"And we also have a proud tradition of ditch-diggers!" Kajedo shouted as she pointed to some twin Hellhounds digging a ditch, albeit very slowly.

"Gonna be honest," Amaroq said after she looked around. "This place sucks."

"Ha! You just haven't seen the more exciting parts of this place yet, little Roq-star!" Kajedo shouted while rustling the hellpup's head with a smile.

Blitz leaned over to Loona. "I'm starting to think this commune is some kind of cult…" he whispered, noting how everyone was dressed similarly and performing their tasks in unison.

"I don't think we should assume that," Loona told her father before she looked over at Kajedo. "So, um, can you tell us more about Barkersfield, Kajey?"

"Well, this town came to be when a bunch of Hellhounds migrated to Wrath from the Gluttony Ring, before it became, well, unlivable due to the neglect," Kajedo explained. "A lot of Hellhounds came to Wrath because there was a huge demand for laborers. Hellhounds are a lot stronger, a lot tougher, and they can work a lot longer than other Hellborns, so there was a lot of use for them in Wrath, especially for, like I said, all of the jobs that nobody else wanted to do."

"That… sounds like exploitation," Loona told Kajedo.

"It was opportunity!" Kajedo insisted. "Of course, the Hellhounds did have to contend with poor conditions in certain parts of Wrath, like bandits, warlords, dust storms, monster attacks, tornadoes made of literal fire… eventually a lot of Hellhound families decide to come together and make their own community where they could all live together."

"Do you get a lot of visitors?" Loona asked.

"Sure, especially when someone wants to hire some Hellhound hands to help out on their farm," Kajedo explained.

"Do you grow your own crops?" Amaroq asked.

"Um, unfortunately the soil here isn't great for most crops," Kajedo admitted. "Instead, we have to make due with what we have."

"By farming… dirt, mud, and grass?" Blitz asked with a confused look.

"And rocks!" Kajedo shouted as they continued to walk.

"A few souls?" someone asked.

Kajedo turned toward the voice and she stopped, having spotted someone that caught her eye. It was a lonely Hellhound with pale-yellow fur. He had gray-orange irises over his red scleras. He was wearing ragged clothing and he walked with a limp as some flies flew around him. It looked like it had been a while since he had taken a bath or had clean clothes to wear. He was walking around, begging for souls from the other Hellhounds, who all ignored him.

"Spare souls? Can you all please spare this poor hound a few souls?" he asked. "That way, I can go buy myself some food," he begged, but the other Hellhounds just continued to walk past him, completely ignoring him. Nobody paid any attention to this lonely Hellhound…

…except for Kajedo.

"Excuse me," Kajedo said as she walked over to the poor Hellhound, who turned to her. "You said you needed souls for food?"

"Why yes," he replied to her. "I hope it isn't a bother that I ask of you for some souls so I can eat. I am so, so hungry…"

"Well, I wish I could give you souls but… unfortunately, I don't have anything I can use to buy food for you, sir," Kajedo sadly responded. "Me and my friends just got robbed by train robbers while on the way here."

"Yeah, we did." Blitz said, rubbing the back of his head while he, Loona, and Amaroq did feel bad for the homeless Hellhound.

"Oh…" the Hellhound said while looking disappointed, but then Kajedo patted his shoulder.

"But hey, maybe you can follow me home," she suggested. "I am going to be having dinner with my family tonight and I can ask them if they can give you a warm meal."

The homeless Hellhound lifted his head up.

"Really?" he asked her. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course! I can't let a hungry friend down," Kajedo declared with a smile..

"Why thank you for your kindness, miss. You're too kind," he told her. "What is your name?"

"Kajedo," she said. "What about you?"

"My name is Bob," he responded, forming a smile to Kajedo. "Nice to meet you, Kajedo."

This moment was witnessed by the trio of Loona, Amaroq, and Blitz. This moment of kindness was especially powerful for Loona, because it really highlighted the contrast between Kajedo and her hometown. Not just because of her brighter appearance and her more cheerful attitude, but also the way she treated others. Nobody else had stopped to help the homeless Hellhound. Nobody except for Kajedo.

"It's… pretty hard to imagine her coming from a place like this…" Loona whispered as she watched Bob and Kajedo. She then looked around the community, seeing Hellhounds of all different breeds living here. And none of them looked happy to be here. Despite how warm Wrath was, this place felt… cold. She just found it all so… depressing. "Huh."

"What is it, Loony?" Blitz asked her, noting her reaction.

"It's just… this is the first all-Hellhound community I've ever been to," Loona admitted. "But I guess that I always hoped that… a community made up of Hellhounds would be… better."

Kajedo and her group, now joined by Bob, made it to her home, Loona and her family noticing that it was surrounded by boulders and piles of pebbles and rocks.

"This is the place!" Kajedo shouted as she hopped towards the door, giving it a knock. "Come on, everyone! Meet my super, happy family!" she declared while opening the door were her parents, Elmo and Marilyn. "Hi mom! Hey, dad! Guess what? I've brought my friend and her family here to meet you! Along with another guest!"

"We see that," Elmo said as he and his wife came out.

"Come on out and meet them, my sisters!" Kajedo shouted as Rocksie and Opal came out as well. Kajedo then noticed Petra still lurking inside and she gestured for her to walk out, Petra doing so after a moment.

"Everyone, meet my family! Family, meet everyone! Come on and introduce yourselves!" Kajedo cheered once everyone was outside.

Loona, Blitz, Amaroq, and Bob looked over at Kajedo's family. There was a moment of awkward silence as both groups tried to get a read on each other. Eventually, Blitz decided to make the first move as he came forward.

"Well, it's not every day I get to meet the other folks of one of my daughter's friends," he said as he walked up to the parents. "Greetings! Name's Blitzø, the 'o' is silent, and these are my daughters, Loona and Amaroq."

"Well, Mr. Blitz with the silent o, I am Father Elmo, son of Albert and Clementine," Elmo introduced himself.

"And I be his wife, Marilyn," Marilyn greeted with a bow.

"May providence fair thee well, for you must have traveled far to come to thou comfort our humble homstread brings," Elmo said, Blitz looking confused by the way he spoke.

"Elmo, huh? So uh, is there a chance you know a Grover?" Blitz joked while looking around at the nearby rocks. "And being surrounded by rocks… kinda ironic."

"Thy don't follow," Elmo said in confusion.

"I'm guessing you guys don't have television here, do you?" Blitz asked and the two Hellhounds shook their heads. He then sighed. "Well, this is going to be an interesting dinner…"

Loona and Amaroq, meanwhile, greeted the sisters.

"So you three must be Kajey's sisters," Loona said as she made an effort to be friendly.

"Yeah, I'm Rocksie," Rocksie said as she narrowed her eyes at Loona, seemingly suspicious of her. "And these are my sisters, Petra and Opal. Ma and Pa may own this farm, but I keep it running." She glared at Loona and Amaroq. "So you better not cause any trouble…"

"Uh… sure, we'll keep that in mind," Loona said, slightly nervous.

"She must be the grumpy one," Amaroq whispered to Loona before turning to Opal. "So, uh, you must be Opal."

"Yes, I am Opal," Opal replied in a monotone voice.

"Kajedo mentioned you're a comedian, do you know any jokes?" Loona asked.

"Of course," Opal replied. "What is the worst thing about being a Hellhound in Wrath?"

"Um, what?" Loona asked, not sure where the joke was going.

"Having lots of fur in the heat," Opal replied. "What is the best thing about being a Hellhound in Wrath?"

"What?" Loona asked again.

"Predators prefer the smell of sweaty imp over sweaty Hellhound," Opal said in her dry, emotionless tone, which did not change at all. She then shrugged. "So it's not so bad being a Hellhound in Wrath, honestly."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Get it?!" Kajedo asked while nudging Amaroq.

"I guess…" Amaroq responded while she and Loona exchanged awkward glances.

Loona then spotted Petra and she went over to her. "And you must be Petra, how are you doing?" she asked, only for Petra to remain completely silent and avoid looking Loona in the eye. "Uh…"

"Oh don't mind my sister," Kajedo said while patting Petra's back. "She doesn't like to talk a lot and she is pretty shy around new demons, but she's just the sweetest once you get to know her, right Petra?" she asked while Petra silently nodded.

"Ah, so she's like Linda," Loona realized.

"Hey Kaj, who's this one?" Rocksie asked as she pointed at Bob, noting the flies around his head and the dirty clothes that looked like they were falling off his body. She cringed slightly. "Did he crawl out of a dumpster or what?"

"Oh, I almost forgot about Bob! He's a new friend that I just met! He's homeless and hungry, but I told him that I would ask you if he could have dinner with us!" Kajedo responded while patting Bob's back. "Say hi, Bob!"

"Um… hi Bob?" Bob asked with a nervous wave.

Elmo looked at Bob before he sighed and turned to his daughter. "We don't mind guests, Kajedo, but we aren't too pleased that you brought some folks for dinner without telling us beforehand."

"Yeah, we would have appreciated a warning, especially about this homeless guy," Rocksie said while pointing to Bob. "Tell me he doesn't have fleas…"

"No, but I can get the flies out of the way, watch!" Kajedo shouted as she waved the flies away from Bob. "But I hope it's not too much of a bother to let him and my friends have dinner with us! I've been really wanting Loona to meet you guys."

Her family looked at each other before they all turned to Elmo. After a moment, the elder Hellhound let out a sigh. "Very well, I will allow it. Your friends can have dinner with us."

"Yahoo!" Kajedo shouted with a smile, eager for her family and her friends to get to know each other.

It was going to be quite the evening indeed.

Meanwhile, back at Millie's family farm, Millie was having dinner with her folks, which gave her the opportunity to catch up with them.

"No way!" Millie exclaimed in surprise while looking at Strom. "You're dating now?!"

"Yeah, Strom's been seeing a pretty waitress girl back in town," Sallie May mentioned while patting her brother on the back. "Right now you two have been on three dates, haven't ya?"

"Uh, yeah," Strom said with a smile. "With a fourth date coming up."

"Ooh, will I hear wedding bells in the future?" Millie asked teasingly.

"Um, well, me and Jonni want to take things slow," Strom admitted. "The idea of marriage hasn't really crossed our minds yet."

"Well let me know when's the wedding goin' to be," Millie teased her brother while she ate. "Mmm, this is good, daddy. I forgot how you always made the best pork bacon casserole." She paused briefly. "So, um, how is the farm doing?"

"It has been going well," Joe told his daughter. "The work hasn't gotten any easier, but would it be work if it was?"

"And you're… doing okay with money?" Millie asked.

"Yes," Joe reassured her. "Maybe in a few years, we will be able to afford a farmhand or two."

"Of course, by then Junior will be old enough to start helping," Lin added while feeding her youngest.

Millie then noticed that Fisk's hands were white. "Hey Fisk, I noticed the white markings on yer hands. When did you get those?"

"Oh yeah, I got them while playing truth or dare with my buds," Fisk replied with a smile before he noticed Lin glaring at him, causing him to sink a little bit into his seat. "Which I promised to never do again."

"He ran through a ring of fire," Sallie May told Millie.

"WHAT?!" Millie cried out as she turned to her little brother. "Fisky, you should know better."

"Oh, says the one who ran off to take on a biker gang by herself?" Fisk asked, though he immediately regretted the words that came out of his mouth. He looked away from Millie. "Sorry, but… you're not really one to chastise anyone for being reckless, Millie."

Despite her shock at her brother calling her out like that, she couldn't deny that he was wrong and she gave a sigh. "Yeah, you're right," she admitted. "I guess I'm not really setting the best example, am I?"

After she asked this, some awkward silence fell over the table. Nobody said anything for about a minute and instead just quietly ate their food. Eventually, Fisk broke the silence.

"Well, I am definitely not entering the Pain Games during the Harvest Moon Festival," Fisk said as he turned to Millie. "You know, it is actually really good that you came home when you did. Are you going to be around for the Festival?"

"Yeah, I think I will be around for at least that long," Millie replied.

"You sure you're not too busy with the biker gang you're in?" Strom asked her.

"Nah," Millie said with a shrug. "We're kinda taking a break right now after we helped to win a huge battle."

"I think I heard about that," Sallie May replied, looking at her big sister with interest. "You helped to defend a town from a murderous army of Demon Apes, right?"

"Oh, y'all heard about that?" Millie asked in surprise.

"Word about what happened in Angerton traveled fast," Strom told his sister. "A few of our neighbors were even celebrating when they heard that Murdock was dead. Sure, Murdock was never in our area of Wrath. But we still heard the stories…"

Millie gave a smile. "I was actually the one that helped finish Murdock off," she revealed to her siblings, who reacted in awe.

"How did you kill him?" Fisk asked. "I mean, nobody can do a good, dirty kill like you, sis."

"I can't take all the credit, unfortunately," Millie admitted. "Another imp had already filled Murdock up with lead. Murdock was just trying to take this imp with him to his death, but then I stabbed his arm." She smiled. "Though I did get some pretty sweet kills before that."

"We did hear that some of the Knights of Hell died during the battle," Strom brought up. "We… we didn't know if you were one of the casualties or not."

Millie frowned. "Yeah, unfortunately some of my friends did-"

"Would all of you stop talking about the Knights while we are eating dinner, please?" Lin asked her children with a serious tone. "I don't wish to talk about those ruffians at the table."

Millie looked at her mother and saw her stern expression. "Um, well speaking of the Knights," she said, ignoring her mother's glare as she brought out a bag of souls. "Cain gave me some souls to share with y'all," she said, the faces of her siblings lighting up in excitement at this.

However, Lin quickly shut this down. "You can keep those souls to yourself, Millie. We don't want anything from him," she said, making her disapproval very clear.

"But Mama, the farm could use these souls," Millie argued.

"Well, we could really use you on the farm, Millie," Lin countered. "Or at the very least, you could do better than ride with a bunch of marauders led by a murderer. And Cain is a murderer," she pointed out. "Why else would he name himself after the first murderer?"

"Look, Ma, I owe Cain, he's the only reason I can be here now," Millie told her.

"I'm just worried about the kind of influence Cain has had on you, Millie," Lin claimed.

"He's not that bad of a guy, hell we saved a village!" Millie argued. "My friends died protecting that town!"

"Yeah, those same 'friends' almost killed your father!" Lin pointed out in anger.

Silence once again fell over the table, with no one daring to speak. Millie silently looked over at her father, guilt in her expression. Joe looked back at her, his expression more difficult to read, but before either of them could say anything to the other, Millie got up from her seat.

"I need some air," Millie said as she excused herself from the table, needing a moment away from her family…

Several years ago, the younger Millie had managed to track down one of the Knights to a saloon. With a look of pure determination, she marched into the saloon and spotted the Knight at the bar, drinking alone.

The Knight was a reptilian demon with a chopped tail. He wore a purple helmet, a black jacket, a maroon tattered cape, leather pants with spikes, and black boots. His helmet was decorated with fishing hooks.

She walked towards the bar, sitting next to the Knight.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked the Knight.

"Nope," the Knight said while not even looking at Millie.

"I heard that one of them Knights of Hell were in this part of town, all by himself," she said before turning to him. "That wouldn't happen to be you, right?"

"What makes you think that?" the Knight asked.

"Please, the helmet makes it obvious. You Knights always follow a theme," Millie pointed out.

The Knight chuckled. "I guess you got me," he said.

"Where are your buddies?" Millie asked.

The Knight still didn't look at Millie. "What?" he asked. "Can't a guy get a drink without all of his friends joining him now?" He finished his latest drink, placing his glass down. "So what do you want from me exactly?"

"Well… I'd like you to help me meet your leader," Millie said as the Knight glanced at her.

"Oh right, now I remember…" he said before pulling up his gun. "Daddy's girl… we beat him up real good…"

Millie glared at him and was about to bring out her knife, but then saw the Seventh Knight bring out his own gun, aiming it at Millie. "How about this? I'll be nice to you. I'll give you a chance to think twice about facing the Knight with no name."

"Wait, no name? Really?" Millie asked him in confusion.

"Ain't got one," he said with a shrug. "My folks were dicks…"

"You don't say," Millie said while secretly her tail grabbed the stool underneath Noname. In an instant, she pulled the chair out from underneath him, causing Noname to fall onto the group while his gun fired harmlessly into the air.

"Oof!" he cried as he fell, Millie jumping up in the air with her knife. Noname rolled over before she could stab him, her knife hitting the floor instead. Noname quickly got back to his feet and saw his gun on the floor, but Millie jumped onto him before he could get it.

The other patrons cleared a path as Millie and Noname fought through the saloon. Noname managed to throw Millie off of him, but then Millie grabbed a chair and threw it at him. Noname managed to block the chair with his arms, but the chair was still smashed. He then grabbed a bottle and shattered it so he could use the broken glass to try to stab her.

But Millie was too quick, using own knife to slash across his arm. However, he then managed to grab her arm and flip her onto a poor table, trying to stab her while she was down. But instead, her tail grabbed a pool stick, which she used to stab him in the eye.

"Gah!" Noname screamed as he let go of Millie and backed away, clutching his eye. He then spotted his gun on the floor and he dove for it while Millie lunged at him with her knife. The two ended up rolling across the floor, Noname attempting to reach for his gun while dodging Millie's attempts to stab him.

"Hold still!" Millie shouted before she saw Noname grab the gun and start to aim it at her face. But before he could fire, she used her knife to slice through his fingers, forcing him to drop the weapon as he screamed in pain.

"AAH!" Noname cried out, his pain giving Millie the chance to pin him down while holding her knife with her tail.

"Now tell me where he is?!" Millie demanded to know. "Where is Cain?!"

"I… I won't sell him out-AAAH!" he cried while feeling the knife stabbing him in the crotch.

"You willing to bet yer balls' safety on that?" Milie asked with a smile.

Noname immediately panicked. "Okay! Okay! I'll tell you!"

"Tell me everything," Millie told him.

"I… I'm supposed to meet up with them at the mines north of these parts!" he declared. "I was supposed to meet him up there!"

"Good," Millie said before she dug her knife into his throat, causing him to scream.

"YAAAAAH!" Noname screamed as blood began to come out of his mouth. "W-why?!"

"Why?!" Millie shouted in anger as she stabbed him in the throat… over and over and over again. "This is for mah daddy!" she shouted while messily stabbing him to death, getting blood all over her in the process. Afterward, Millie took a moment to catch her breath before looking around at the shocked patrons staring at her.

"Sorry for the mess," she told them as she recomposed herself and walked out of the saloon, leaving the dead Knight behind…

Meanwhile, at the home of Kajedo's family, it was dinner time. Blitz, Loona, Amaroq, and Bob sat at a table across from Kajedo's family.

"Hope that tis thee liking of our dinner here," Elmo told as he gestured to the food spread on the table, which included a roast pork.

"Wow, this is quite the meal," Loona said in shock while noticing Amaroq drooling at the sight of that roasted pork.

"I didn't know you had pork," Amaroq said with her tongue out.

"What did you think we were going to serve?" Rocksie asked in a dry tone. "Rock soup?"

"Ha! Good one, sis!" Kajedo laughed as her father began cutting slices of pork and putting them on everyone's plates along with a side of vegetables.

"What do you think of this, dad?" Loona asked Blitz, having noticed him staring in silence at the roasted hell pig.

"I think… that I really need to step up in the kitchen back home," Blitz admitted, thinking about how back at their apartment he would usually just heat up a frozen pizza or make some mac and cheese. He never thought about it twice… at least until now.

As the food was served, everyone heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it!" Kajedo volunteered as she leapt up and hopped toward the front door. She opened it with a smile, but then she saw who was at the front porch… and she suddenly frowned. "Oh… hello Sticks."

"Good evening, Kajedo," said a young, gray furred Hellhound boy that had a brown bowl-cut haircut. He also had olive-colored irises over his red-sclera eyes, a brown sweater, and gray pants. He sported a stoic expression and was about Opal's age. "I hope that I am not late to join your family for dinner."

"Wait, what?" Kajedo asked as Opal walked up.

"Hey Sticks," Opal said, her tone still monotone. "Glad you could make it. I saved you a seat next to mine."

"Thank you, Opal," Sticks replied before he turned to Kajedo. "Might I come in?"

"Oh um, well if it's okay with dad…" Kajedo said before her father spoke up.

"Sticks, come in," Elmo said, permitting Sticks to come in. "You got here just in time. Opal told us you'd be coming."

"Wait, he's invited?!" Kajedo asked her father in shock.

"Opal told us ahead of time to expect him over for dinner, Kajedo," Elmo pointed out.

Kajedo let out a groan. "Alright, I get it. I should've called ahead," she said as she went back to join the others at the table while Sticks took his seat next to Opal.

"Kajedo," Opal said to her older sister. "Would you like to introduce my boyfriend to your friends?"

"Of course, baby sis," Kajedo replied as she turned to Loona's side of the table. "Loony and everyone, this is Sticks. He's, um, dating my sister. Sticks, these are my friends Loona and Amaroq, Loona's father Blitz, and Bob."

"I'm Bob," the homeless Hellhound said with a wave.

"It's nice to meet you, kid," Blitz greeted. "What can you tell us about yourself?"

"Technically, it's 'what would I like to tell', rather than 'what can you tell'," Sticks corrected. "If it was 'what can you tell' about myself, then we could be here for hours with me just telling you everything that I can tell about myself. Using 'what would I like to tell' means that I don't have to tell you everything I possibly could and can instead just tell you what I prioritize."

"Right…" Blitz replied while looking weirded out by the kid.

"He is always like this…" Kajedo muttered to herself, attempting to hide her annoyance toward Sticks.

"So… what would you like to tell us about yourself?" Loona asked him.

"Well, I am Sticks," Sticks responded. "I live across the street. I am dating Opal. In my free time, I collect sticks."

"So, like, for firewood?" Loona asked him.

"No, just to look at them," he said.

"Just… sticks?" Amaroq asked.

"Precisely," Sticks said with a nod.

"Isn't he great?" Opal asked in her monotone voice.

"Well… he is a keeper," Loona said while turning to Kajedo. "Guess you're not the only one with a boyfriend, huh Kajey?"

"Yeah…" Kajedo responded.

"So do your other sisters have boyfriends as well?" Amaroq asked while looking over at Rocksie and Petra, who both had startled reactions.

"We… don't," Rocksie admitted while Petra lowered her head.

An awkward silence settled over the table, a silence that was fortunately broken when Marilyn cleared her throat.

"So what, in pray tell, do you do for a living, Mr. Blitz?" Marilyn asked.

"Well, I do have this job up at Pride, working for this big cargo enterprise," Blitz explained. "I do a number of tasks for this enterprise. I help with deliveries, do some body-guarding, and occasionally I travel to different Rings for a specific task."

"So you're some kind of delivery boy?" Rocksie asked him.

"Well, I do more than that, sister," Blitz responded. "But I'm working my way up to having my own business. I am going to be the CEO of my own company."

"Yeah, sure," Rocksie said with a small snort, making Blitz narrow her eyes at her.

Loona and Kajedo both noticed this, but before anything could escalate further, Kajedo quickly spoke up.

"Ooh! Tell them about your job, Loony!" Kajedo suggested. "Like, she works at the most exquisite hotel up in Pride!"

"Really? What kind of hotel do you work for, Ms. Loona?" Elmo asked.

"I, um, work at the Triton Resort," Loona answered. "It is this aquatic-themed hotel. Very beautiful, very fancy. I work as an associate; my manager gives me all kinds of tasks. Cleaning, waiting tables, carrying luggage, chaperoning… pretty much whatever they need me to do that particular day."

Loona then paused as she realized that it was possible she wouldn't even have a job when she eventually went back up to Pride… especially since she had no idea when she would be able to return to Pride. It was not something she thought a lot about, but saving Amaroq had really made their lives so much more complicated.

"You should mention all of the celebrities you know and have met up there," Kajedo also suggested. "Like, she was once hugged by the Princess of Hell!"

This surprised Kajedo's entire family.

"You were?" Elmo asked.

"It… it was a misunderstanding, actually," Loona admitted, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I mean, she thought I was someone she knew…"

Truthfully, Loona did wonder who exactly she resembled so closely that the Princess of Hell mistook her for this other demon. Who did Princess Charlie know that apparently looked like her? And why did they look like her? It was something Loona didn't think about much at the time, but had thought about more since that night…

Then again, that circus ringmaster, Mr. Light, had also briefly thought Loona was someone else, specifically someone that he knew. Twice now someone had mistaken her for a different demon, which Loona did have to admit was quite strange.

"But don't you also personally know a lot of celebrities like Fizzarolli, Prince Stolas, and even Verosika Mayday," Kajedo said before she realized something else. "Wait, isn't Prince Gaap in charge of the Triton Resort, so you probably also know his supermodel daughter…"

"You know Prince Stolas?" Opal asked Loona. "How do you know a Goetia royal?"

"That is a long story," Loona admitted. "But basically, I am friends with his daughter, Octavia."

"No wonder you're friends with my sister," Rocksie commented. "You both have the same taste in company."

"Wait, what does that mean?" Loona asked in confusion.

"It means that you are both friendly with royalty," Rocksie said, her tone sounding sarcastic. "One of the benefits of living up in the city, I imagine…"

"Now Rocksie, be polite," Marilyn told her eldest daughter while eating. "After all, it's not every day Kajedo brings her friends over for dinner, especially friends from a highly sophisticated ring."

"Highly sophisticated…?" Blitz asked, feeling a little put off by the comment.

"Uh, so, how long has this family been in the rock farming… thing you have going on?" Loona asked, trying to change the subject.

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'business'," Sticks pointed out, making Loona look at him with a deadpan expression.

"Our family has been in the business since our ancestors settled here in this town," Elmo explained. "And our quarry proves a useful service to all of Wrath."

"Really, how so?" Blitz asked.

"You got here by train, didn't you?" Opal asked.

Loona, Blitz, and Amaroq nodded.

"The crushed rock that we excavate from our quarry is called aggregate," Opal explained. "Aggregate has many uses, including as ballast to create a stable base for railroad tracks. This ballast supports the weight of the tracks, holds the tracks in place, and prevents vegetation from growing, since that could weaken the ground around the tracks. Quarries like ours are the reason you were able to ride that train in the first place."

"I… didn't know that," Loona admitted.

Opal shrugged. "Very few do or take the time to learn about it," she admitted.

Kajedo beamed at my sister. "Isn't my sister so smart?" she asked.

In contrast to Kajedo, Opal kept her face stoic and her tone monotone. "I just know a lot of rocks," she said. She then looked over at Amaroq. "So what about you, Amaroq?"

Amaroq looked up from her plate, having been in the middle of eating. "Huh?"

"What would you like to tell us about yourself?" Opal asked.

"Oh, well…" Amaroq paused, since she wasn't sure what to say. She looked over at Loona and Blitz, trying to figure out what to say. "I'm… sort of the baby sister, I guess?"

"She's… a rescue," Loona explained. "Yeah, we, uh, rescued her and since then she's been staying with us."

"Rescued?" Rocksie asked. "From what, exactly?"

"That's probably best not talked about at the dinner table," Blitz quickly explained, not wanting to upset Amaroq or Loona by discussing the fur farm… and you-know-who.

"Well, we're mighty sorry for your troubles, dear," Marilyn told Amaroq, nodding her head down.

"You do have our condolences, young Amaroq," Elmo said as he and the rest of the family nodded their heads down. "It is a blessing that Mr. Blitz was able to take in you girls."

"Yeah," Loona said as she nodded in agreement while turning to her dad "It really is…"

"So now we have to ask… what the heck's this guy's deal?" Rocksie asked as she pointed to Bob.

Everyone turned to Bob, who was scarfing up his servings. He was eating like this was the first time he had ever eaten anything.

"You must've not had a warm meal for a while, huh Bob?" Blitz asked him.

Bob paused when he realized that everyone was staring at him. "Um… pardon my table manners," he apologized. "What was the question again?"

"Well, we were wondering about you, Bob," Kajedo brought up. "Like, what can you-"

"'Would like to,'" Sticks corrected.

Kajedo's eye twitch but she continued. "Would you like to tell us about yourself, Bob?"

Bob swallowed a piece of roast hell pig before he gave his answer. "Well… there's nothing much that I can say about myself, honestly," he admitted. "You could say that I'm a drifter, a wanderer. For a long time now, I've been… aimless. Lacking direction. I have been doing the same things over and over again, but try as I might, I just can't break the cycle."

"What about family? Do you have any family?" Elmo asked.

"Well… I had a son," Bob admitted.

Everyone fell silent at this, the implications of what Bob said quickly sinking in.

"Oh… we're so sorry to hear that, Bob," Loona responded.

"You do have our condolences, sir," Elmo declared. "And our sympathies."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Bob responded. "Along with your family's hospitality. Your daughter, Kajedo, is very kind."

"Yes, she is," Elmo said. "You are not the first stranger that Kajedo has brought over for dinner. She has brought many of her friends over, including the ones not limited to this ring."

"That's only when she's home though," Rocksie added with a hint of annoyance. "And when she isn't introducing us to her new friends, she is going on and on about the other Rings she's been to. On and on about how fun Pride is and how entertaining the Lust Ring is, and she is always trying to get us to go visit there…"

"Wait, you guys don't have, like, family vacations?" Amaroq asked.

"None of us have time for vacations as long as there are rocks to farm, little one," Marilyn said.

"Unless you're my sister," Rocksie clarified. "Then you have the time to go around fooling with your boyfriend and to brag about how great her travels are."

"Oh, come on, Rocksie, I was just trying to keep you up to date on what I've been up to since I decided to go off on my own," Kajedo tried to defend herself as the others felt the tension rising. "Although I will admit that it wouldn't hurt if you guys decided to join me…"

"We have a job here, Kajedo!" Rocksie told her off. "You may have a life outside of this family, but we don't have the luxury to slack off!"

"Work, work, don't you guys realize what you're missing out beyond this village?" Kajedo asked. "I mean, if you guys make more friends-"

"Well, none of us could afford friends like you!" someone shouted.

Kajedo and Rocksie's eyes widened as they, along with nearly everyone else in the room, turned to the source of the voice that had spoken up… it was Petra, who had finally spoken.

"Wait, she talks?!" Bliz exclaimed in surprise.

"Petra," Rocksie said to her usually quiet sister. She looked terrified. "Are you-?"

"I can speak for myself, thank you very much!" Petra shouted while turning to Kajedo with a glare. "Because we're all thinking it, right? That she brought her friends over just to rub it in our faces with how much of a better life she has since she left!" she declared, much to everyone's shock. "Someone had to say it…"

"Petra," Kajedo said as she looked at Petra with a concerned expression."It… it's isn't like that at all…"

"Oh really? Then why are you back?" Petra asked her with a scowl. "Why would you ever come back here when you obviously hate the Wrath Ring?!"

"Enough, Petra!" Elmo called his daughter out. "That is in no way to act in front of our guests!"

"It is unruly behavior, young lady," Marilyn added.

Loona looked just as shocked as Blitz, Amaroq, and Bob. She then heard a noise and she turned to see Kajedo, who had just stood up from the table.

"Pardon me," Kajedo said as she excused herself from the table and quietly fled to her room.

"Kajey…" Loona said in concern while watching Kajedo leave.

Outside, sitting on the rooftop of her family's home, Millie was looking up at the darkening sky. She was mostly just in her own head until her train of thought was interrupted when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Hey, Millie?" Sallie May asked as she stuck her head out the window. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sal," Millie responded with a sigh.

Sallie May climbed out the window and went to sit beside her sister. "You know… that dinner was a shit show," she commented. "I saw more drama there then I did while watchin' one of them reality shows where folks are killin' each other for prizes."

"It's… my fault," Millie told her while keeping her head low.

"Mil… don't let what Ma said get to you," Sallie May tried to assure her. "You know she still loves you."

"But it's true," Millie admitted. "I mean, what was I expecting when I came here?"

"Hey, none of us hate ya for your decision to join those Knights of Hell, sis," Sallie May pointed out to her. "Personally, I don't even have a problem with it, especially since ya helped to save a village. I mean, that's somethin' you should be proud of."

Millie looked up at her sister and smiled before she let out a sigh. "Honestly, the Knights of Hell aren't always that noble. Hell, we're rarely that noble," she admitted. "Usually we just plunder and steal, but there's also still more to us than just being a band of petty marauders. And there is especially more to Cain than what a lot of demons think of him."

"How so?" Sallie May asked.

"He… he is a good leader," Millie told her sister. "He keeps us in line, but… he was also the one who decided we could do some good in Wrath. And he does care for me. He treats me like I'm more than just a Wrathian imp, more than just a lackey or a hired muscle," Millie told Salle May while showing a look of fondness for Cain. "He treats me… like a friend and he is inspiring as well. He made us, made me believe that I could actually mean something. That we could be legends. And for the first time in my life, I thought that I could be more than just a farmgirl." She then frowned. "At least, I thought that for a while," she admitted. "I'm… not really sure if there is going to be a Knights of Hell anymore, if I'm being honest."

"Why is that?" Sallie May asked.

"There are only three of us left," Millie confessed. "The Battle of Angerton… it took a toll on us. We lost Grill, Graff, Chop, and Chik." Her tone became saddened. "And now that some time has passed, it does feel… like it might be over."

"So what are you going to do?" Sallie May asked.

Millie shrugged. "I'll probably stick with Cain," she admitted. "Wherever he goes, I'll follow."

"Sounds like you're head over heels over heels for him," Sallie May pointed out.

"It… isn't like that," Millie tried to deny. "Sure, we do have sex, but we keep it casual. Honestly, Sal, I… I owe him."

Several years ago…

In the abandoned mine that served as the hangout for the Knights of Hell, Cain sat by his bike as he saw Jawline and Scorch walking toward him, dragging Millie between them.

"We got her, sir," Jawline said as they tossed Millie onto the ground in front of Cain.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," Cain said as he looked down at Millie. "So you must be the one who killed our seventh Knight… um, what was his name again?"

"He had no name, sir," Gnat reminded him.

"Really?" Cain asked in confusion before shrugging. "Huh." He looked down at Millie. "Anyway, you got some real spunk by killing Noname, little imp. Are you here to take Noname's place then?"

"No." Millie told him as she looked up at Cain with hate in her eyes. "I'm here to kill you."

"Kill me? For what reason?" Cain asked, sounding amused.

"Uh, for shootin' my daddy and killing our pigs!" Millie spat at him. "You're going to pay for what you did!"

"Oh yeah, now I remember," Cain replied. "Yeah, we did beat up your daddy for some bacon. Good bacon, regretted not taking the wife though…"

"I am going to maul your ass up!" Millie shouted as she lunged forward, only to be restrained by Jawline and Scorch.

Cain looked amused by Millie's resilience, but only slightly. "You know, if this was any other day, I could get a kick out of this. Maybe have some fun. But you're not really worth my time and effort." He turned to Brutas. "Brutas, why don't you kill her for me?"

Brutas nodded as he marched up to Millie, who saw the larger imp raising his fist and sending it at her. Millie, however, quickly spun herself up, using her tail to swat both Jawline and Scorch in the faces. Scorch let go of her and Jawline let go of her as well after she clawed at him with her nails. After she was let go, Millie jumped over Brutas' fist and delivered a kick to his face, managing to knock the larger imp back.

As Millie landed on the ground, Brutas wiped his mouth, tasting a bit of blood. The two glared at each other.

"I've taken on monsters bigger than you," she boasted.

Brutas glanced at Cain, who saw the other Knights looking at him while gripping their weapons, waiting for Cain's permission.

"Don't bother," Cain told them, getting the other Knights to stand on. "Brutas should be able to take care of her on his own."

Brutas unleashed a yell as he charged towards Millie, sending his fist down towards her. Millie rolled out of the way and quickly attempted to land several punches to his chest, but none of them affected him. Brutas landed his next hit, which sent Millie flying. Brutas went after Millie to try to finish her off, but instead Millie rolled between his legs and climbed up his back, her tail wrapping around his throat while he clawed at his face and eyes. Brutas briefly struggled with her before the larger imp grabbed her by the jacket and threw her across the ground. However, Millie immediately got back up, crawling on all fours and snarling like a wolverine.

"Yawr!" Millie shouted as she rushed over to him, jumped down onto him, and bit him in the arm, Brutas screaming in pain as he attempted to pull her off, though not before Millie managed to bite and scratch his arm up. After he did manage to get her off him, he looked at his slightly mangled arm and saw it bleeding black blood.

Brutas decided that enough was enough. When Millie tried to leap on him again, he grabbed her tail and swung her down hard against the ground. Millie was then pulled up by her tail, swung into the ground again, then flung toward a boulder, which she hit hard.

"Gah!" she screamed as she fell down. She saw Brutas coming toward her and she flung some dust in his eyes, temporarily blinding him. She snarled and then tried to bite him on the leg like a wild animal, but he quickly managed to kick her off.

He then grabbed her by the collar, lifted her up, and punched her in the face, knocking a tooth out. He punched her a second time, then raised her up, and slammed her against the ground. While she attempted to get up, she heard the other Knights cheering for Brutas and she ended up coughing out blood.

Cain leaned back, enjoying the fight. He then nodded at Brutas. "Finish her."

Brutas nodded back at Cain and looked down at Millie, who was still struggling to get up. He raised both of his fists up, prepared to deliver the killing blow…

BANG!

One of Brutas' horns was shot off from his head, the impact causing him to fall onto the ground. "What the fuck?!" Brutas cried out before he felt another shot, this time a bullet going into his leg. "Shit!" he cried. "My leg!"

The Knights and Millie were shocked to see Brutus shot and they quickly turned to see who was holding the gun…

It was Alex.

"Cain!" Alex shouted in anger.

"Al, you survived," Cain replied in a casual tone as he stood up. "Not that surprising though… how's the old farmer?"

Alex glared at Cain as he aimed his gun at him. "You're going to pay for what you've done!" he shouted, but before he could shoot, another gunshot was heard, causing him to duck down. He turned to see Gnat, who held up his own guns.

"Let's shoot them varmints til their oozing black!" Gnat declared as he shot at Millie and Cain.

Alex ducked down as he rushed over, grabbed Millie, and carried her behind a boulder. While Millie reacted in surprise that someone had saved her, Alex shot back at the Knights, forcing them to take cover as bullets went flying. Brutas was seen crawling away from the fight.

"Who are you?" Millie asked as they took cover.

"I'm here for the same reasons you're here, right?" Alex asked as he kept shooting at the Knights.

"Hey, if anyone's here to take Cain's head, it outta be me!" Millie declared.

"Did he kill someone close to you?" he asked her, causing Millie to look down.

"No, but… he hurt my daddy, threatened my family, and took my folks' pigs," Millie said. "I… I just couldn't allow them to get away with that," she said while tightening her fists. "Are you going to say that your revenge is more just than mine or somethin'?"

Alex looked at Millie, realizing that she was after Cain just like he was.

"No," Cain responded. "What good will it do to compare our desires for vengeance? We're after the same thing no matter what, right?"

"If yer suggestin' a team up, I'm not sure about it since, well, I don't know you," Millie told him. "At all." She paused. "But then again, you did save me…"

Millie poked out from their cover to see Gnat still shooting at them all while the other Knights were still taking cover. Brutas was being treated by Jawline.

"Alright, why not?" Millie agreed. "After all, ya did save my hide."

Alex gave her a nod. "We need to take care of the trigger happy gun nut first."

"Cover for me," Millie told him.

Alex nodded and he went back up to shoot at Gnat and then at the other Knights. Gnat hid behind his boulder as Alex made his shots, all the while Millie snuck out and started to flank, heading for Gnat.

"You ready to give up, you carbon copy of Yosemite Sam?" Alex shouted.

"Who are you callin' a copy, you rassin, frassin feline?!" Gnat demanded to know.

"I mean, the way you talk, the way you look, and the guns," Alex called out to him. "To be honest, I'm surprised nobody has called you out on that, Gnat!"

"Why I outta get you fer that, boy!" Gnat shouted as he began shooting at Alex, unknown that Millie was behind him…

SLAM!

Millie slammed Gnat's face against the boulder, making Gnat drop his guns. She then slammed his face against the hard rock several more times, just to make sure. By the time she was done, his mustache was blood red as he sunk to the ground.

The other Knights looked up from their cover, realizing that Millie had knocked Gnat out.

"She knocked out Gnat!" Scorch shouted.

Alex attempted to shoot at the other Knights, but then realized that he was out of bullets. "Shit," he said, which did not go unnoticed by Cain.

"Scorch, you and Jawline take on Al," Cain ordered. "Me and Graff will handle the farmer's daughter."

Jawline and Scorch nodded before charging towards Alex, who saw them coming at him.

Scorch lunged at Alex, who dodged the imp's knives before smacking him in the face with his empty gun, sending Scorch to the ground. He then saw Jawline coming at him with his jaws open and Alex threw his gun into the shark demon's mouth, causing Jawline to stop his attack and start coughing as the gun got stuck in his throat.

However, Alex didn't get a chance to take advantage of this, since he had to jump away to avoid having his feet stabbed by Scorch.

"I'm going to make ribbons out of you!" Scorch declared as he got up from the ground.

"Bring it, Scorch," Alex said as he got in a fighting stance.

Meanwhile, Millie faced off against Cain, glaring at him. Cain beckoned to her and Millie charged at him… only for Graff to get it in front of her. He held up his weapon, which sprayed his paint towards her, while a flame ignited the paint, creating a colorful flame. Millie dodged the flames as she rolled out of the way.

"Shit!" Millie shouted as she dodged the rainbow flames, which scorched the ground she had been standing on just seconds before.

"Colorful, ain't I?" Graff asked.

Back with Alex, he took on a fighting stance, holding up his arms in a defensive position. Scorch launched himself at Alex, swinging his knives at him. Alex either dodged or blocked his attacks, at one point grabbing both of Scorch's arms. Scorch attempted to head-butt Alex while they were up close, laughing as he did so… but much to his surprise Alex looked unfazed and he head-butted him back, only header, sending Scorch back to the ground.

Alex then turned and saw Jawline coming at him. Having dislodged the gun from his throat, Jawline attempted once again to bite down on Alex, but Alex managed to catch his jaws with his hands, sliding back in the process. Alex grunted and strained while holding back Jawline, eventually letting go of Jawline and stepping aside, letting Jawline's momentum take the shark demon past him. While Jawline turned around, Alex picked up a rock and used it to add some extra power to his punch, hitting Jawline across the face with the rock and knocking out some of his teeth.

"Fuck!" Jawline cried out as some of his bloody teeth fell on the ground.

While Jawline was nursing his bloody mouth, Alex was tackled by Scorch, both of them rolling across the floor. As they struggled, Scorch lost one of his knives, but he managed to stab Alex a few times. Unfortunately for Scorch, stabbing a Goetia demon with a regular knife was a lot less effective than if he had stabbed anyone else, so Alex managed to kick Scorch off him before spotting the discarded knife on the ground near them. He quickly rolled over to grab the knife on the ground, then got up and spun towards Scorch, holding his knife.

Scorch scoffed. "You think you're good with a knife, boy?" he asked. "Knives are my thing! And how many fights have you been in anyway?"

Alex looked at the knife in his hand before shrugging. "I'm a fast learner," he said before Scorch lunged at him.

The feline Goetia held up his knife to block Scorch's attack. For a while, the two had a knife fight. They stabbed, blocked, and dodged, each of them trying to make the blow that would definitively end the fight. While Alex started out pretty rough, he quickly got the hang of it and managed to get a good hit at Scorch, slashing at his eye.

"Yeowch!" Scorch cried out as he felt his eye get slashed.

Back with Millie, she was dodging the flames from Graff's weapon, which continued to burn and scorch the ground. Millie tried to get close to him, but his flames kept her at bay.

Alex saw Millie struggling and he looked down at the knife in his hand. He made a call.

"Catch!" Alex shouted as he threw the knife to Millie, who saw the knife and managed to catch it between dodging flames from the graffiti artist knight.

Graff glared at her in anger while blowing rainbow flames towards her. While running, she threw her knife at him… and it sliced through his flamethrower, causing it to backfire and explode right in his face.

"Gah!" Graff cried out as he was launched back by the impact, Cain seeing his knight knocked out as he casually watched the battle.

"Impressive," Cain complimented before he saw Millie launch herself at him while equipped with a pickaxe.

"YAAAAAH!" Millie shouted as she swung the pickaxe at Cain.

The leader casually dodged the attack while bringing out his own weapon: the large jaw bone of a donkey with edges, formed into a blade. He blocked her attack and then kicked Millie away from him. He then began to advance on her while swinging his blade around, making Millie back away and duck.

"You know, you would have made a fine member of the Knights of Hell with your talents and skills," Cain complimented while Millie glared at him. "You'd probably be one of our greatest members!"

"I would never join you!" Millie shouted at him.

"Hmm, yeah, you're right," Cain realized. He sighed. "What a shame. Instead, I promise that once I'm done with you, I'll be visiting your little family again… killing them one by one…"

Millie glared at Cain with a look of pure hate before lunging at him again. "YOU'RE DEAD!"

Back with Alex, he was fighting both Scorch and Jawline at the same time, dodging both of their attacks, which meant that he could not stay in one place for more than a few seconds. Despite having tossed Millie his knife, he did still have a weapon… one of Jawline's teeth that he had knocked out earlier, which he now used as a makeshift knife.

"An eye for an eye!" Scorch shouted as he lunged at Alex… only for Alex to grab his arm, causing the imp to suddenly realize that the Goetia demon was much stronger than he was.

"Ahh!" Scorch cried out as he was thrown into one of the nearby motorcycles, landing next to Brutas. "I hate cats…" he muttered.

With Scorch down, Alex turned to face Jawline. The shark demon tried to take a bite out at Alex, but Alex ducked down before he could snap his jaws and moved behind the shark demon, grabbing Jawline from the back

"What?" Jawline asked in confusion as Alex bent backwards to bring the larger shark up in the air, hitting his head against the ground and giving him a German suplex. With the knock on his head, Jawline was rendered unconscious.

After finishing those two, Alex took a moment to catch his breath before he turned to see Millie and Cain fighting. He picked up Scorch's discarded knife and ran over to help Millie, Cain spotting him.

"Hey, Al, you decided to join in on this?" Cain asked mockingly before Alex tried to cut him with the knife, making him dodge. "Whoa there, watch where you swing that knife!"

"Fuck you, motherfucker!" Alex shouted as he and both faced Cain.

"Two against one, huh?" Cain said with a gleeful look behind his helmet. "I'm going to enjoy this!" he declared as he held up his weapon.

The two then charged forward, trying to take down Cain. Alex swung his knife while Cain ducked down. Millie went to try to get behind him, but Cain kicked her away from him. Cain then flipped back while he took off his cape and threw it at Alex. Covering the feline Goetia, Cain went up to deliver kicks towards the blinded Alex.

"Oof!" Alex cried out as he was hit back.

"If this is the best you can do, then the Goetia have a serious problem on their hands," Cain mocked as Millie jumped on his back. Cain managed to throw her off of him, but lost his helmet in the process. "Whoa there, little lady, that's just bad manners!"

Cain then saw Alex, who had pulled the cape off, charging at him. He swung his fist at Cain, who blocked it, but then Alex kicked him in the side, bringing Cain to his knees. Cain swiped at Alex with his blade, forcing him back, but then Millie came back, biting his knife-arm.

"AAAH!" Cain cried as he ended up dropping his blade on the ground. He tried to shake Millie off of him, but the imp girl wrapped her tail around his neck to choke him with, making him struggle. Millie held up a knife that Alex had dropped.

"This is for my daddy!" Millie shouted as she tried to stab him with her knife, Cain catching her arm and trying to hold it back. Cain stumbled around with Millie on his chest and her tail around his neck. The two struggled, Millie both trying to choke Cain and stab him, bringing Cain to his knees in the process. Although Cain tried to push her knife back, she was slowly winning over him, her knife getting closer and closer to his face, which started to show hints of fear…

STAB!

Cain's eyes widened and he looked down to see that he had been stabbed. But not by Millie… but by Alex.

Alex had managed to grab Cain's bone-blade and had used it to stab it in the back, the blade coming through the front of Cain's chest. Alex twisted the blade with a yell, black blood spreading on the ground around them. Millie let go of Cain and jumped back, Alex pulling the blade out as Cain fell to the ground, bleeding more heavily.

"You're done, Cain," Alex said as Cain looked up at him in shock.

Cain realized what Alex had done, but after the realization sank in, all he could do… was laugh, much to the confusion of Alex and Millie.

"It's funny…" Cain said with a chuckle. "I offered you freedom, but now you're the one giving me release…"

And with that, Cain fell limp, his life leaving his eyes as he laid there, dead.

For a moment, both Alex and Millie stood there, processing Cain's final words.

"The hell did he mean by that?" Alex asked in confusion, until… he started to scream. "AAAAH!"

Millie jumped out of fright and she turned to see Alex falling back onto the ground while screaming. She quickly rushed over to him. "Hey! Are you alright? What's happenin' to you?!" she asked in concern while Alex was rolling in pain.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Alex continued to cry out in agony as he grabbed his own shirt and ripped it open, staring at his chest in horror.

Millie also watched in horror as his chest started to glow. A glow that looked like it was burning something into his chest…

The Mark of Cain.

"What in the Hell…?" Millie asked as Alex stared at the mark.

"What… what is this?!" Alex asked.

"The Mark of Cain."

The two turned and saw Brutas limping over to them, having seen what happened. The other Knights of Hell were also getting up. They saw that their leader was dead but more importantly… they saw Alex's mark on his chest.

Millie prepared for another fight, but much to their surprise, the Knights all knelt down before Alex, their heads low.

"The old Cain has fallen," Jawline declared. "Long live the new Cain…"

"To the new Cain!" they all declared.

A shocked Alex and Millie looked back down at Alex's chest, at the mark that had been painfully burned into it… and they both began to realize just what it meant.

"Millie?"

Millie and Sallie May looked down to see their father, Joe, standing in front of the house and looking up at them.

Sallie May looked at her sister, then to her father, and then got up. "Well, I'll leave you two alone," she said as she started to climb back through the window. "See you inside."

After Sallie May left, Joe looked up at Millie, who looked down at him. Millie then began to climb down from the rooftop, wondering what her father wanted to say. Wondering if he didn't approve of the lifestyle she was in just like her mother didn't approve of it. Wondering… if he thought any less of her because she rode with the same bikers who shot him, even if they were led by a different leader back then.

"Yes, dad?" Millie asked, fearing the worst as she faced her dad.

"So um… I never got the chance to hear about what you've been up to since your last visit," Joe mentioned as he went to sit down on the porch. "Mind telling me about those demon apes you killed?"

Millie looked at her father and after a moment… she smiled. Though it had gone unsaid, she knew then that her father thought no less of her for her decision. He still loved her, still accepted her, and was still glad that he was home. And sometimes these things did not need to be said in order to be made clear.

It was just… the kind of relationship that they had.

"Sure, daddy," she said as she went to sit beside her father on the porch.

And so Millie began to tell him her story. But it was more than just a story. It was a moment shared between a father and a daughter.

Meanwhile, in the house of Kajedo's family, Loona had decided to check up on her friend. She stood in front of the door to Kajedo's bedroom and knocked on it. "Kajey?"

"Loona?" asked Kajedo's voice from the other side of the door.

Loona was taken aback by just how… sad Kajedo's voice sounded, especially since she was so used to Kajedo's upbeat voice. This seriously concerned Loona, who knew that whatever had upset Kajedo had to be serious. "Can I come in? I just want to check up on you."

After a moment, the door opened and when Loona saw Kajedo, she was even more taken aback. Kajedo's usually puffy cotton candy hair had seemingly deflated, falling straight down her back. Loona also saw the dried tears around her blood-shot eyes, all of this only making Loona even more concerned for her friend.

"Come in," Kajedo invited Loona, stepping aside as Loona stepped into her room.

Loona looked around at Kajedo's room as she went inside. "Um, your room is nice," she said while Kajedo closed the door behind her.

"Thanks," Kajedo replied as she walked over to sit on her bed, her eyes staring at the floor.

"Mind if I sit beside you?" Loona asked and Kajedo silently nodded, eyes still on the floor. Loona went to sit beside her. "So… how are you feeling right now, Kajey?"

"I'm…" Kajedo sighed. "I'm not fine…"

Loona began to try to reassure her friend. "Look, Kajedo, your sister was totally out of-"

"Petra's right," Kajedo cut Loona off, surprising her.

"Right about what?" Loona asked her.

"About me hating it down here," Kajedo admitted, her head lowered even further as she explained. "I… hate the Wrath Ring."

This surprised Loona, who blinked several times. "I had no idea…"

Kajedo let out a sigh as she laid back in her bed, her blood-shot eyes now staring at the ceiling. "Your sister said it best," she said to Loona, continuing before Kajedo could correct her. "Barkerfield sucks. But it's not just Barkersfield I hate. I hate the entire Wrath Ring!" She sat up when she declared this, her temper temporarily raised before she quickly calmed himself down." Don't get me wrong, there are things about the Wrath Ring that I love. I love Carrie. And I love my family very dearly… but I don't feel like they get me. And that only made growing up in Wrath even harder than it already was." She hugged herself. "And Satan knows that growing up as a Hellhound in Wrath is hard enough as it is…"

Loona looked at Kajedo, concerned. She was suddenly reminded of how Kajedo reacted to the hecklers a while back, how she claimed those imps had just been joking and that they shouldn't make a big deal out of it. "So you are-"

"Aware about how other demons treat Hellhounds here? Yeah, I am," Kajedo admitted while looking at Loona. "I'm not… I'm not as oblivious as I sometimes act, Loona. I know that as bad as Hellhounds have it in some of the other rings, here we have it even worse. The slurs that I have been called, the ways that I have been demeaned and treated like I am just an animal. And you saw how we are left doing the type of jobs nobody else wants to do. We have to shovel shit just to make ends meet!"

Loona was once taken aback by the sudden rise in anger from Kajedo and once again Kajedo had to try to calm herself down while breathing hard.

"And the Hellhounds here… they just have to live with it," Kajedo admitted with a dead-looking stare. "Even my own family just lives with it. But that isn't the only thing that I hate about the Wrath Ring…"

Loona started to ask. "What else-"

"Oh, I don't know, Loona," Kajedo interrupted her. "How about the warlords and the raiders? How about the dust storms and the freak weather? How about the gun violence? Or how about the fact that every one of my friends here have lost family members in Wrath? Wrath has taken somebody from every single one of them. In poor Carrie's case, she lost her entire family to the Wrath Ring!"

Loona looked down. "She… she told me about that…"

Kajedo nodded and tears began to run down her face again. "Poor Carrie…" she said before looking down at the floor again. "I just… never felt like I really belonged down here. Instead, I had this feeling like I was meant to be elsewhere."

"How long have you had that feeling?" Loona asked her.

Kajedo glanced at Loona, guilt in her eyes. "Well, I wasn't completely honest with you about how I met Carrie. Truth was that… I met her after I ran away from home. I hated Barkersfield so much that I jumped onto a train, hoping it would take me to someplace better. But then I ended up facing off these folks who did not like Hellhounds at all and tried to cause trouble… I don't want to think what would have happened if Carrie didn't step in," she admitted. "I did eventually manage to get to leave Wrath, because I just needed to leave. After all, the best that most Hellhounds can hope for down here is to be hired for physical labor. I didn't want to be stuck down here for the rest of my life, miserably working away on my family's or somebody else's farm…"

Loona was quiet for a moment, since this was… a lot to take in. But there was one thing that she still didn't get. "So… why did you return to Wrath if you hated this place so much?" she asked while Kajedo looked at her.

"I did it for you, Loona," Kajedo admitted, surprising Loona.

"Me?" Loona asked.

"I wanted to help make your time in Wrath better, to help paint the Wrath Ring in the best light possible so that you aren't completely miserable, since I know more than anyone else how much this Ring can suck," Kajedo explained.

"Oh Kajey," Loona said as she patted Kajedo's hand. "You don't have to do that for me."

"But that's what I always do," Kajedo pointed out, raising her arms before lowering them down. "I always act like nothing ever bothers me, because it cheers other demons up when I'm always the one with a carefree smile and a cheerful attitude."

Kajedo then lowered her head. "Honestly… I am worried that if I am not always cheerful and happy, if I am not always the carefree party-thrower that everybody loves… then demons won't want to spend time with me anymore," she admitted. "After all, I met Tex when I was hosting one of my parties and making sure that everyone was having a good time." She then looked at Loona. "And it was thanks to my parties that you and I became friends, Loona." She gave a brief, weak smile before she saw her reflection in the mirror and froze. She seemed horrified by the miserable-looking Kajedo looking back at her. "You see, Loona, everyone wants to be friends with the party hound of Pride… but would they still want to be my friend if they ever saw me as a sad lonely farm girl from Wrath?"

"I would," Loona immediately responded. "Kajedo… you shouldn't hide how you feel just because it isn't what other demons expect from you," she pointed out. "I don't have a problem with this and I don't think Tex would either."

Kajedo nodded. "I am… my happiest when I am with him," she admitted. "Or when I am with you or one of my other friends." She paused. "Do you really think Tex wouldn't mind if he saw me like-" She gestured to her bloodshot eyes. "-this?"

As Loona looked at Kajedo, she was reminded of her talk with Tex at the Triton Resort. How he saw himself as the 'reliable' one, while she saw herself as the 'happy, carefree' one who never let anything bother her.

"I think you should talk to Tex about this, I'm sure he'll understand," Loona suggested.

"I… I don't know…" Kajedo said with an unsure tone, looking away.

"You don't have to hide this from everyone, Kajey," Loona assured her. "After all, it isn't just your job to make sure that all of your friends are happy. It's also my job as well, and Tex's job, and the job of all of your other friends to make sure that you're happy. To make sure that we are here for you, not just when you are at your best, but when you are at your worst as well."

"R-Really?" Kajedo asked her.

"Of course," Loona said with a nod. "And Kajey… I really do appreciate everything that you have done for me," she admitted. "From helping me at the party, to recommending me to Carrie when I told you we were coming down to Wrath, to coming down to Wrath, a place you hated, yourself just to make sure that me, my dad, and Amaroq are doing well." She paused. "You are… a really good friend, Kajedo. And I am so lucky to have you."

Kajedo was silent for a moment. Then she looked up at Loona as she brushed her own hair away from her side of her eye. "Do… do you want to know why I have done all of this for you, Loona?" she asked her. "What made me decide to be your friend at the party?"

"What?" Loona asked.

Kajedo took a deep breath. "It was because… because I did recognize myself in you, Loony," she admitted, surprising Loona. "The loneliness, the not being sure of where I belong in Hell… when I looked at you at the party, I saw myself."

Loona was shocked by this revelation. "Kajedo, I-"

But then Kajedo continued, unable to keep her mouth shut. "Plus, I thought that you were hot."

Realizing what she was saying far too late to stop herself, Kajedo's eyes widened with a blush, as did Loona's. The two were quiet for a moment, sharing a look. Kajedo seemed very embarrassed and while neither of them knew how to immediately respond, ultimately they both did one thing together…

They laughed.

"Pfft-ahahahahah/Hehehehehehe!" Loona and Kajedo laughed, Loona patting Kajedo's shoulder while Kajedo patted Loona's knee. And as they laughed together, Kajedo's hair poofed up again.

"Feeling better?" Loona asked after their laugh.

Kajedo smiled. "Yeah, thank you, Loona," she said.

"Come on, let's go back to rejoin the others," Loona suggested as she and Kajedo both got up and went to leave the room.

Back at the farm of Millie's family, Millie was entering her old bedroom. She looked around and saw how it was left unchanged since her last visit. Her posters of bands, Satan, and her favorite assassins were still on the walls, her bed still had the skull and crossbones bed sheet covers, and she could still find her old weapons like a mace, sword… and the ax underneath the bed.

Millie felt a sense of nostalgia as she stood in her old room. She went to sit on her bed while picking up a framed picture that was next to it. The picture showed a younger Millie with her dad. The two were sitting on a large beast that looked like a buffed up deer that they had killed together. Millie smiled fondly at the picture, remembering the good times she had on that hunting trip with her dad.

"Millie?"

Millie looked up to see her mother coming into the room. "Mama? Oh um… hey," Millie said as she quickly put the picture away.

Lin looked at Millie and then glanced at the photo. "Looking at old mementos? I still remember how excited you were when your daddy took you on that hunting trip."

Millie smiled. "Yeah, nothing better than eating something that you've killed with your own hands. And you always remember your first kills."

Lin smiled back. However, there was still some awkward tension between mother and daughter, the memory of their recent argument still fresh in their minds. Millie ended up shifting her eyes away from her mother while Lin just stood there in silence for a moment. However, after that moment had passed, Lin walked up to Millie, joining her on the bed.

"Listen, Millie," Lin started to say as she looked at her daughter while sitting beside her in bed. "It really is good to have you back home again. I'm… really glad that you're back and I don't want you to think otherwise, cause I did miss you."

Millie looked at her mom and she nodded. "Yeah, I did miss all of y'all too," she admitted. "I did notice that Junior has grown bigger since the last time I saw him."

"Yep, he's growing up fast," Lin acknowledged. She sighed. "All of my children are growing up so fast. And that means… they should be free to make their own decisions, even if I disagree with them."

"Mama, I-" Millie tried to say, but her mother interrupted her.

"You know, I'm thinking of takin' the family to watch the Pain Games during the Harvest Moon Festival," Lin said with a smile. "You are free to join with us since you'll be stayin' here for the time being."

"The Pain Games? Wow, yeah…" Millie said as she thought about it, the memory of the Pain Games bringing a smile to her face. "I've always loved the Pain Games! The violence, the bloodshed, the sharks…"

"Well, maybe you and Salley Mae could participate this year," Lin suggested. "You two could do this family proud."

"Yeah, I'd like that!" Millie nodded before she gave her mom a hug. "Um, thanks, ma! For letting me stay."

Lin smiled and hugged her daughter back. "No problem, Millie…"

"Welp, I'm stuffed!" Blitz declared

In the home of Kajedo's family, the trio of Blitz, Loona, and Amaroq were preparing to leave for the night by saying their goodbyes to Kajedo's family.

"Gotta say, you made a fine pork dinner, El," Blitz told Elmo. "Mind if I call you Mo instead?"

"I do declare it has been a privilege to meet you and your family, Mr. Blitz," Elmo said.

"Here are some leftovers to take with you," Marilyn said as she handed Blitz some leftovers.

"Sweet, thanks Mary," Blitz responded, nodding.

"Thank you all for having us over for dinner," Loona politely told them.

"Yeah, it was nice getting to know you guys," Amaroq said.

"It's no problem and it would be nice to see you all again in the future," Opal said in a tone that was still monotone but also… sincere.

"Maybe next time when you're in town, we could socialize more, Amaroq," Sticks said while standing next to Opal.

"I guess we could…" Amaroq said while not exactly looking eager.

"Maybe next time that you come by, I could show you the largest boulder I've ever mined out," Rocksie suggested.

"Largest boulder?" Loona asked.

"Rocksie's pride and joy! But like the old saloon gal rules, we only look but not touch," Kajedo mentioned.

"Kajedo?" someone asked.

Kajedo turned to see Petra, who was looking down while rubbing her arm. She managed to look up at her sister, guilt and shame evident in her expression. "I just… wanna say-"

"Hey, there's no need to say anything, Petry," Kajedo said as she went over to give her a hug. "I already forgive you,"

Petra looked surprised by this, but then she smiled and hugged her sister back. Despite everything, they were still sisters who loved each other.

"And as for you, Bob," Elmo said to Bob, who looked at him and Marilyn. "Do you have a place to stay for the night?"

"Um… not really," Bob admitted.

"Then perhaps you could stay here for the night," Marilyn suggested. "We talked about it and if you agree to help us with our work in the morning, you would be good to sleep in one of our sheds outside."

Bob was surprised by this, but he quickly gave a nod. "Y-Yeah! I will help you," he agreed immediately. "Thank you for your kindness."

"It's no problem, son," Elmo declared. "Wrath is a harsh place… but that doesn't mean we have to be harsh either."

This did not go unnoticed by Loona, who looked between Kajedo and her parents. Kajedo seemed so different from the rest of her family and yet… perhaps they were not as different as she initially assumed.

"We should head out before it gets dark," Blitz said as Elmo offered his hand, which Blitz shook. "Once again, thanks for having us for dinner,"

"You are most welcome, Mr. Blitz," Elmo said. "I hope we have been good hosts to you all."

"You have, and good luck with your rock farming business," Blitz told him as he, Loona, and Amaroq prepared to go out the door.

"Loona," Kajedo said to Loona, stopping her. "I just wanted to… thank you for being here tonight." She smiled. "I'm glad I got to introduce you to my family and I… appreciate the talk we had earlier."

Loona smiled back. "Yeah, me too," she replied as the two came together to share a hug. "I'll see you later, Kajey. Okay?"

"Yeah. See you later, Loony," Kajedo replied as they let go of their embrace. "Perhaps the next time we'll see each other will be at the Harvest Moon festival."

"Yeah," Loona replied. "I probably will see you there."

As the two looked at each other, their eyes locked. But before either of them could speak another word-

"Good night, Kajedo!" Amaroq shouted as she came over to give Kajedo a hug.

"Hehe, good night to you too, Roq-Star," Kajedo replied as she patted Amaroq's head.

And so after they finished saying their goodbyes, the trio of Blitz, Loona, and Amaroq finally left, wanting to catch the train and head back to Carrie's before it got too dark.

"So… today was something, wasn't it?" Loona asked as the three of them walked together.

"Yeah, Kajedo's folks aren't like what I thought they'd be," Blitz admitted. "But still, they're pretty good folks."

"Yeah, but I think I'm starting to like Opal," Amaroq admitted. "Not sure about her boyfriend though…"

"Yeah, it was nice to meet Kajedo's sisters," Loona agreed. She thought back to how she saw Kajedo and Petra make up… and then she was reminded of herself and her brother. "I'm… glad that Kajey gets along with her sisters. That they still love each other even after they have a spat."

"Yeah, that is nice," Blitz agreed, his own thoughts going to his sister as he remembered how things were still not good between them.

If only their relationships with their siblings were more like Kajedo's.

"Sooo what were you and Kajey talking about in her room?" Amaroq asked Loona.

"Yeah, not answering that," Loona quickly responded. "I want our convos to be kept to just the two of us."

"Ooh, you two made out, did you?" Amaroq asked with a grin, making Loona blush.

"N-No! We did not!" Loona declared.

"Oh don't worry, Loony, there's no shame in making out with a girl who's your friend," Blitz assured her, though his tone was just as teasing as Amaroq's. "I mean, you're probably doing better than I did when I was your age."

"Dad!" Loona complained while the two continued to tase her.

"Don't worry, we'll give you some privacy when she visits next time~!" Amaroq sing-sang.

"Though I might show her all the cute childhood pictures of you!" Blitz said as he and Amaroq chuckled around Loona, much to the teenage Hellhound's annoyance.

And so the three continued to make their way back to Carrie's, ready to call it a night.

In another part of the Wrath Ring, specifically in the backroom of a store, several Chernabog cultists were meeting with someone.

"You've got quite the resume, which is why you're good for the job we have for you," one of the cult members said while sitting across from someone whose face remained obscured by the shadows. "Do you know about the Harvest Moon Festival?"

"Who doesn't?" asked the demon in the shadows.

"Every year, Prince Stolas comes down here to oversee the festival and use his grimoire to show the Wrathians the full harvest moon," the cult member pointed out. "And we want you to take out Prince Stolas."

This got the full attention of the hitman. "You want to put a hit on a Goetia demon?"

"And we want it public," said one of the other cultists. "A public assassination of a Goetian prince would be a huge blow against both Satan and Lucifer. Stolas's death would show them and their Goetian followers to not be as strong and untouchable as they like to present themselves as in spite of their arrogance. Not to mention, a Goetia prince being killed in this ring would not be a good look for Satan."

"And it would send a message not just across the Wrath Ring, but across all of Hell as well!" declared another cultist.

"Hmm, now that would be something," the hitman admitted. "But while I hate the blue-blooded elite of Hell just as much as any Wrathian… I don't see a way to kill them. We have the moment, sure, but we don't have the means."

"Oh but we do… with these," the first cult member said as they brought out a box, placed it on the table, and slid it over to the hitman. The hitman opened the box and their eyes widened in shock… when they saw golden bullets.

"My stars and garters… are these…?"

"Holy bullets," the cult member said with a smile. "So much blood was spilled in order to acquire them. But they should be able to do the trick."

"But the question is… can you do it?" the other cultist asked.

The hitman just smiled in the shadows. "I can do it. Hell, I would be willing to do it for free… but I'm happy to be paid for it as well…"

Meanwhile, in the tunnels that were used as the headquarters of the Chernabog cult, said tunnels were mostly empty… except for the spirit of F.K. Menace, who was still possessing the body of the Hellhound Pax and was setting up a ritual while in front of the statue of Chernabog. He drew a circle connecting five other circles into a pentagram. Each circle had a candle lit in it. He then placed some runes and sage in front of him and chanted a spell to activate these runes as he knelt down before the statue.

"I am here… Master," Menace said as his eyes glowed while he was chanting. "Me contactum Chernabog…"

Suddenly, the tunnel around him started to change. Gone were the cavern walls as they shifted and changed so that Menace was no longer in the Wrath Ring… but a realm of darkness instead. But Menace was not alone in this realm of darkness, since he could see that he was surrounded by pairs of yellow glowing eyes.

These eyes belonged to the Heartless, who silently watched Menace. However, Menace ignored the Heartless and instead focused on another figure that he saw hovering above him. This figure was dressed in a hood that hid most of his face, with Menace only being able to make out his mouth and chin. Despite this, Menace knew that this figure deserved his respect and he bent down on one knee as the figure landed in front of him.

"Chernabog grows impatient, imp," the hooded figure said. "I seem to remember that you made huge promises to our Lord. It would be a shame if you could not deliver on those promises… wouldn't it?"

"Do not fret, for you patience will be rewarded," Menace responded. He no longer appeared as Pax, but as himself. "I have already sent events into motion and the pay off will be-"

"Pay off?" the hooded figure questioned with a sneer.

"I only recently found a new body," Menace tried to explain. "I haven't gotten the chance to enact my plan yet."

"Ah yes, your new body," the hooded figure said. "I hope you have not forgotten who you have to thank for even being able to have a new body."

"I know-"

"May I remind you that it was He who reached out to you when you were at the brink of death, that it was He who saved your spirit and allowed you to continue to exist," they point out. "The Master expects results from his… investments. Results, not excuses. Else He could take away what was just as easily given."

"Then allow me to tell you about my progress," Menace said..

The hooded figure looked at Menace for a moment before nodding. "Proceed."

"Well for one, I've managed to place the cult under my sway, and now they will do as I command," Menace explained. "And I do have a plan in motion that will both weaken Lucifer's hold over Hell, and strengthen the Master's."

"Mere acts of devotion aren't nearly enough," the hooded figure said in a dismissive tone. "Those alone will never free Chernabog. No, to free Chernabog, you will need to recover the seven locks and their seven keys."

Menace nodded. "You have to understand-"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The sudden screams in the distance startled Menace, who looked up at the hooded figure."What the fuck was that sound?!"

The hooded figure chuckled at Menace's startled reaction. "Why that music you heard is the cost of failure…"

As Menace looked around, he noticed what he initially thought was the statue of Chernabog from the cultist lair… except that it wasn't a statue at all.

Through the dark, a pair of yellow eyes fell upon Menace.

Realizing that he was in the presence of Him, Menace trembled and fell to his knees out of fear and out of reverence.

And Chernabog smiled.

Alright, looks like we're caught up.

Initially, our goal here for both this chapter and the chapter before is that we're trying to do some stuff that we fell like we had to do before the Harvest Moon Festival, since that is the climax of the Wrath Ring arc. One of these things we knew we needed to do was give Loona and Kajedo a heart-to-heart similar to Loona and Tex's heart-to-heart in the first arc. We initially thought about having this heart-to-heart moment take place during the Harvest Moon Festival, but decided that it had to happen before that because of everything else that was going to happen during that event. So we moved the heart-to-heart here. As for Millie, we knew that we wanted to give her at least one day in the limelight before the Harvest Moon Festival as well.

For OCs, we have Sticks, the Hellhound boyfriend of Opal, is an obvious parody/variant to Mudbriar from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

And yeah, the train robbers, Patricia, Park and Marlon, are basically obviously based off of Team Rocket, with the werecat being a stand-in to Meowth.

There's also Noname, the Seventh Knight of Hell who was deceased, is a reference to Clint Eastwood's character "The Man With No Name" from the spaghetti western Dollars Trilogy, cause hey, it's something that I have to throw in for the Wrath Arc.

When Millie says that she owes Cain, it's not just because Alex saved her life, no, it's because Alex was the one who killed the previous Cain when she was trying to kill him herself, because if Millie had been the one to kill the previous Cain, she would have inherited the Mark and become the new Cain. While the exact effects of the Curse of Cain hasn't been revealed yet… they're bad, like, really bad…

Review section:

Crash X Fusion: You'll see those three again soon.

Matteso585: 2) Well this is an AU, and that it's perfectly normal for Moxxie and Millie to he in other relationships.

Cooki15xd: Um, not sure what you meant. I mean, we've already learned a lot about Hell's culture.

Ultimate-drax: We'll see about his origins soon, and yeah I do remember you've mentioned Chase being good at carpeting.

Shuffollower: Obviously.