The tranquility of Theo's castle was abruptly shattered. While he was meeting with Paimon, an explosion rang out from the communications tower, followed by a deafening roar. The tower crumbled, and immediate chaos erupted. The guards and troops were alerted, and from the wagons around the castle, numerous demons began to pour out.
From the main entrance, Belial appeared, accompanied by her ally Mot, destroying the door with a powerful blow. The demons around her rushed into the castle, starting a fierce battle.
Belial, with a defiant grin, led the charge, attacking all who stood in his way. With a swift movement, he launched a devastating attack towards a group of guards, but a gigantic slash appeared in the air, stopping his attack. Theo stood there, determined to confront her.
"So you're the new rider," Belial said, surprised to see him.
"I am Theo, the war rider," he replied politely, his gaze fixed on her.
Both prepared for combat. Theo unsheathed his double-edged sword and launched powerful slashes, but Belial, with a gesture in his hand, summoned a symbol of a triangle inside a circle. From there, other circles emerged that caught Theo's slashes, vanishing them into the air.
Seeing Belial's power, Theo realized that he had to get her out of there to avoid massive collateral damage. Quickly, he took a letter with a seal and, using his transportation ability, they both disappeared from the castle, appearing in the garden at the entrance.
Gremory, who was in the garden, prepared to face Mot, who had arrived with the goal of helping Belial.
Meanwhile, Moloch, advancing towards the castle's teleportation area, encountered Paimon, who stood in his way.
"I won't let you pass," Paimon declared, her gaze firm and determined.
As Paimon prepared to face Moloch, he, a man with short black hair, attacked in one swift motion. Spikes of ice shot out from Paimon's hands, but they passed through as if Moloch wasn't there. Paimon stopped, confused by what had happened.
"What... what happened?" he wondered, watching as Moloch seemed to have become intangible.
Moloch, with half his body gone, advanced towards Paimon and hit him hard. The impact made Paimon stagger, feeling the power of the demon.
"Nothing can harm me," Moloch explained with a cocky smile. "My ability allows me to control air, and not only that. I can also turn any part of my body into intangible air and undo it at will. This way, I can enter any part without being touched."
Paimon, surprised by the affinity with which Moloch handled his ability, began to think of a strategy to defeat him. She knew she needed to be cunning and find a way to counter the demon's power.
Meanwhile, in the garden, Gremory and Mot began their own battle. Gremory, concentrating his energy, wrapped his fist in burning lava and launched a powerful attack towards Mot. But, with a gesture, Mot made the plants on the ground rise up, blocking the offensive.
Mot, smiling confidently, unsheathed a scythe that shone with a dark glow, and launched an attack against Gremory, who was preparing to respond to the attack with his own strength.
Gremory stood firm in the castle, his gaze fixed on Mot, who had summoned menacing roots to attack. With a burning determination, he conjured an obsidian sword made of lava, which sizzled and glowed brightly.
"I won't let you pass, Mot!" Gremory shouted, accurately cutting through the roots that tried to trap him.
However, after cutting the first roots, a new one emerged from the ground, striking him in the stomach. Gremory let out a gasp and was thrown back, but he would not be defeated so easily. He stood up nimbly and, concentrating his energy, prepared for a more devastating attack.
"Get ready!" he announced, lunging at Mot with his fists wrapped in burning magma. Heat emanated from him, lighting up the castle as if it were a volcano about to erupt.
Mot, smiling confidently, summoned trees around him to protect him. When Gremory launched its attack, Mot used the branches as shields, deflecting the lava in multiple directions.
"Is that all you got?" Mot mocked, causing his plants to grow even taller to block Gremory's attacks.
Falling to the ground, Gremory shook himself and, with a cry of fury, attacked again.
"Don't underestimate my power, Mot!" he shouted, lunging at Mot with his lava sword.
Mot prepared himself, unsheathing his scythe in one fluid motion.
"Don't fool yourself, Gremory. This castle is mine, and I will defend it with everything I have," she replied with determination.
The clash between the obsidian sword and the scythe echoed through the castle, creating a wave of energy that shook the ground. Both demons clashed, each pushing the other in a titanic struggle for supremacy.
Gremory, intensifying the temperature of his magma, said fervently:
—I won't let you take over this place, Mot!
"That will be decided in battle, my friend," Mot replied with a defiant smile, as the tree roots moved around him, ready to attack.
The two demons continued to exchange blows, the fight between nature and fire intensifying, creating a spectacle of strength, skill, and determination on the battlefield. The tension in the air was palpable, and the fate of the castle hung in the balance.
As the battle raged around him, Theo found himself face to face with Belial, the demon who had led the attack on the castle. Although the situation was tense, he wasn't interested in fighting. Instead, he was looking for a way to talk.
"Listen, Belial," Theo began in a firm but calm voice. "I have no intention of fighting you. War is not something I am interested in; it only brings destruction and suffering."
Belial looked at him with disdain, his gaze full of determination.
"There's no stopping what I'm about to do!" she replied, her tone full of defiance. "But there is something you can do: help me finish off Lucifer."
Theo frowned, curious about the demon's plea .
"Why would you want to destroy him?" he asked. "What motive do you have for seeking his destruction?"
A flash of pain crossed Belial's eyes as he recalled his past.
"Back when I was the Horseman of Famine, I worked hard to please Lucifer," he confessed. "I tried my best in the hope that one day he would recognize me, see my dedication. But despite everything, he never really looked at me."
Theo listened to her attentively, trying to understand the depth of her suffering.
—And that led you to become a ruler? —he asked.
Belial nodded, the anger in his voice growing.
—Yes. I thought that if I became his equal, I could be by his side. But then, he married Lily, and all my hopes were dashed. I tried to eliminate her, but he defeated me and locked me away for a long time. All that pain… I don't want to be with him anymore. I want to eliminate him, for all the suffering he's made me suffer.
Theo fell silent, processing Belial's words.
"But do you really think the path of vengeance is the answer?" he asked, his voice softer. "War will only bring more pain. Don't you see that it makes you lose what you truly desire?"
Belial clenched his fists, fighting back his emotions.
—I have no choice, Theo. He has ruined my life. I need justice.
"Justice can take many forms," Theo replied, trying to open her eyes. "Maybe you can find another way to deal with this, one that doesn't involve more destruction."
Belial looked at him suspiciously, but there was a spark of doubt in his eyes.
"And what do you suggest?" she asked, challenging, but with a hint of interest.
Theo took a deep breath, preparing to take a risky step.
—Let's join forces to overthrow Lucifer, but not through war. Let's use our abilities to create change, not sow more chaos.
Belial watched him, the internal struggle visible on his face.
"It's a risky proposition," he admitted, though his voice trembled with the possibility of a new path. "But if you decide to betray me…"
"I won't," Theo interrupted firmly. "I'm not here to play with you. I'm here to help end this cycle of pain."
They stared at each other, the air between them thick with tension. It was a decisive moment, a possible change in the trajectory of both demons.