Taking a massive step back, I felt my skin throb as she stared at me like meat……I was the cannibal! Is she stealing my thunder? You-you can't say shit like that.

  With doe eyes, Yura pouted, "Please," she cutely urged, sending a colder sensation down my spine.

  "NO!!!" I yelled, rejecting my inner simp from rising.

  WIth a betrayal glare, she twisted her head, puffing cutely. With a stomp of her feet, she walked away……

  She is crazy……Women are evil, Arsene. Remember your lesson with Nora……although those words really did do it for me. Fixing my collar, I caught up with Yura and Nora as we rushed towards the castle.

  With time not on our or at least my side, we rushed through the eerie forest ignoring anything we found. Yet, as we continued, the scent of sulfur grew deeper as the heat began to rise.

  "Nora, will you be ok?" I asked, noticing her clammy brow, oozing sweat. "If you can't……"

  "It's not the heat……can you two not feel it," She hastily said, "The closer we get, the stronger rejection I feel."

  Placing her hands on her head Yura frowned, "It's a soul attack, but I think it will vanish once we reach."

  With anxious eyes, Yura stared at the castle that was ablaze in a sea of crimson flames. Waves of heat and sulfur showered the void bending space.

  Narrowing my gaze, Dragonsbane grew ablaze as I eyed the two men standing a few kilometers away. They had not noticed me, but a powerful battle intent radiated off their bodies as they shot forward in our direction.

  Drawing her weapon Yura took her stance as a profound qi rose from her body. Within a few seconds, the two men arrived, staring at Nora and Yura with joy.

  "NORA!!! You are here. We have been looking for days. Thank God, how have you been," A man with blonde hair asked, his golden eyes shining with love.

  "Zef!!!" Nora hollered, gipping his neck. Giving kisses against his cheek, "We missed you; this place is a nightmare."

  With a playfully push, Zef wiped his cheek, "Enough, I don't need your sloppy saliva……Disgusting," he angrily pouted,

  "And who is this nice piece of ass" exclaimed Zef, eyeing me up and down a hint of desire in his gaze.

  Tilting my head, I smirked, nodding at my greatness. The greatest compliment a man can receive is not from a woman, but rather a gay man……No homo……Women's standards are all over the place, especially from what I have noticed in my past life. "Nice to meet you, Zef. My name is Arsene,"

  With widened eyes, he gasped, bowing deeply, "Ashen prince, it's an honor. I heard of your work in regards to the Nexus armor." he respectfully said, losing his earlier tone.

  Arching my brow, I shook his hand, "Blacksmith or Inscriber," I asked, eyeing the young man.

  "Enough of this!" Yura stated, "Arsene, we are on a deadline! I don't wish to be killed by Sagthillath."

  "Huh!?"

  With a cold look, she turned to the castle of Brimstone, "He said by karma……that means everyone you came into contact too. That will include Nora and me. We need to go," She thoughtlessly declared, sending me a cold realization.

  "Zel, Winfor, we will explain," Nora said as we dashed towards the castle formed with brimstone as she explained everything that happened.

  With a cold gaze Winfor, a man with jet black hair and large muscles, scowled, eyeing me, "So you got us involved?" he declared, hate overflowing from him.

  Glancing at the handsome young man with a shrug, I could see a small shallow scar running down his cheek to his neck and a profoundly set of emerald eyes that were shimmering with fury.

  "Yep"

  "You!!" he fiercely bellowed.

  "Enough, Winfor, he will be a part of Class ten soon, and his flames will be of use in this hell," Nora explained.

  Snorting, Winfor was about to open his mouth when a wave of terrifying pressure assaulted everyone. Nora, Winfor, and Zef both grew pale as they clenched their chest.

  "Push through; We are only sixteen kilometers(10 miles) away," I shouted, not really affected for some reason.

  Nora and Zed nodded with clenched teeth, determination radiating from them as they shot forward, taking the lead.

  "Give me a Job!" Zed suddenly exclaimed to my surprise, "You are not a blacksmith, but you hold ideas that could change Asterion." He proudly said, his brow and palms filled with sweat.

  "I wish to learn. I wish to build," he weakly voiced, as the soul pressure began growing stronger.

  A true man, in my opinion, "I don't hire those that are not masters, words are cheap……can you back it up." I asked, feeling the young man worthy of my words." What can you give me aside from words."

  As the pressure began to grow, blood soon began to pool from their heads, dripping slowly down their face. At the same time, Zel sent an intense stare, one filled with purpose and confidence. With his golden locks flowing down his handsome face, his steely blue eyes glimmered, "Destruction……For that spear that you hold was crafted by my master. His knowledge is mine,"

  Yura sent Zel an appraising stare as a grin surfaced. Tightening my grip on DragonsBane, I smiled, "Your hired, assuming we survive."

  At the fifteen-kilometer mark, Yura and I suddenly felt a powerful sensation gripping our souls as we sent a glanced at one another.

  Throwing the soul pill, I stopped using long ago towards Nora and Zel. I watched as their aura stabilized.

  "what about me?" Winfor shouted, expecting me to deliver him something.

  "I'm a petty person; I don't give to people that hold such aggression towards me." I quickly said, handing Yura the last of my pills.

  "I think you will need these more than me……My body is different." I lightly whispered,

  Hours began to pass before finally reached the ten-kilometer waypoint. Yet, a sinister feeling assaulted me as I glared daggers at the demon draped in skull-like armor.

  Amusement was very present as he chuckled, "Demonic Varient, now that's new……Yet, there is still human within you. I can see why Lord Asmodeus is so interested in you." stated Sagthillath with a fiendish tone.

  "What do you want," Yura fearlessly demanded,

  "Girl, were it not for your house siding with us, during the Fall of Night, I would have pulled that colorful soul from your body." he coldly said.

  Snorting, Yura sneered, "Hmph, Sided? We slaughter you like garbage. Was it not for Lord Asmodeus and Lord Azazel? We would have slaughtered your pathetic god.

  Time suddenly stopped as blue-colored flames showered Sagthillath. Howels of death arose from the cold grass plane as all life around us faded. Nora, Zef, and Winfor were turned to skeletons falling to the ground with a thud as Sagthillath bellowed his resentment, "We will never forget. The Celestials will pay for what happened that day."

  Yura seem to burst into laugher as she pointed towards the heavens, "Celestrial? They were only the foot soldiers. Yet, Drar'ethiul, the newly crown prince of Hell, fell to his knees and begged the other lords of hell for help. He begged everyone, including our family, for help, yet you, his great general, stands before me with pride."

  Gasping at their conversation, I could see rage materializing in a black mist, but a thunderclap of Azure lightning flickered across the midnight skies sending a shiver down Sagthillath's spine, causing him to grow silent. Yet, with a crimson hue, he bellowed in laughter, "Your clan may protect you, Yura, but not even they can stop me from rigging the life from your body, should you fail the challenge in the Castle of Brimstone.

  With a snap of his fingers, time seems to have reversed as Nora, Zef, and Winfor were both standing with pale-like faces there, breathing unevenly as they vomited their stomach contents. Tears fell from Nora's gorgeous face as she whimpered, "……I……Di……Died……Dar……Dark……Darkness……cold……"

  Zel was not different as he clenched his arms, shivering. Walking up to Yura, I could see a pale expression as a deep terror radiating out of him. "It's Ok……Yura……It's ok……We will live."

  With a hint of tears streaming down her cheeks, for reasons I didn't understand, Yura bitterly smiled before comforting Nora. The sounds of weeping could be heard, but it was soon quelled within a few minutes as the terrifying soul pressure consumed everyone.

  Not being worried about us. Winfor, who no one cared about, continued forward. His sights stained with tears and determination.