The Anvil Headquarters.

A giant ball of fire erupted from the roof of The Anvil headquarters tower, shooting straight towards the heavens. It exploded with a deafening roar, filling the air with ash and debris which fell onto The Anvil's Courtyard.

A cloud of dust rose up into the sky, blocking out the blood-red sun above them.

The ground beneath their feet trembled violently as shockwaves rippled outwards from where the explosion occurred, rattling windows and shaking the walls surrounding them.

The sound of glass shattering filled the air as countless panes shattered against each other. The screams of terrified citizens echoed loudly in their ears.

"Get down!" Varda yelled frantically as he tackled Yueh to the ground.

An invisible force slammed into The Anvil's courtyard with an ear-splitting crash. The earth itself seemed to split apart as cracks formed in every direction.

The pavement buckled upwards as buildings crumbled under its weight. A large fissure opened in the street, swallowing up dozens of demons who couldn't escape fast enough.

Several floors caved in on themselves as they plunged to the ground below. Shards of concrete pelted down like hail upon the fleeing refugees and citizens alike.

Blood splattered across the paving stones as several people were impaled by sharp chunks of rubble falling from above.

Screams resounded everywhere as panic reigned supreme amongst the residents.

"What the hell happened?" Yueh stuttered, clutching Varda tightly in fear.

Varda gritted his teeth as he held on tight to Yueh, watching the destruction unfold before them. He stifled a chuckle as he saw a white hooded figure standing atop a nearby roof calmly observing the scene.

His eyes twinkled brightly as he stowed away his staff and leaped off the building towards them.

"It's time to finish this!" He shouted angrily.

Yueh stared wide eyed at the mysterious hooded figure, "Who's that? Is he a demon?"

Varda snorted softly, "Don't be stupid! He's just one of those humans who think they're gods or something."

The hooded man landed beside them as he took out a wooden staff from his robes. He looked up at Yueh and Varda with a fierce glare on his face.

The hooded man spoke with a voice that sounded like a low growl, "Varda… My friend! I knew you would return someday!"

Varda snorted again, "Oh shut up…"

He pushed Yueh aside before jumping into the air and landing nimbly behind the stranger. The stranger swung his staff forward with all his might.

Varda swiftly sidestepped the blow and grabbed hold of his opponent's wrist, yanking him back. The two men grappled fiercely amidst swirling clouds of dust rising up from the ground.

Their staves clashed repeatedly as they struggled for dominance over one another. They moved fluidly across each other's stances with graceful movements that reminded both combatants of their masterful fighting styles.

"You're stronger than I expected Varda." The hooded man snickered mockingly, "I thought you'd die ages ago."

Varda scoffed bitterly, "Kingruch Sefin… Why did you come here?"

Sefin ignored Varda's question and focused on attacking again, "I had hoped for a rematch with you Varda, but I suppose it's too late for that now."

Varda stifled a snarl as he gripped his staff harder. He dodged a swing aimed at his shoulder and punted Sefin hard in the stomach, sending him flying backwards.

Varda snorted triumphantly, "That's what you deserve for destroying the headquarters."

Sefin stumbled to his knees, coughing heavily, "You… You've grown even more powerful than before."

"That's right." Varda smirked, "So, did you take care of the monster? Did you kill him?"

Sefin spat blood, wiping his lips with his sleeve, "Of course not. It got away."

"You let it go?"

"I didn't have the chance to."

Varda snorted, "You should have killed it when you had the chance."

"I tried, believe me," Sefin replied, "But it was no easy feat. That thing is incredibly strong."

Varda snorted, "It's nothing compared to me."

Sefin smirked deviously, "I don't know about that."

Yueh watched the exchange between Varda and Sefin with growing concern. The battle between them appeared to be evenly matched, despite Varda having superior strength.

Yueh's eyes widened as he noticed movement outside the building, "Look! Someone's still alive in the rubble!"

The door leading to The Anvil's lobby crashed open. Several soldiers ran inside, stumbling over paving stones in their haste to flee.

One soldier managed to stop himself from falling headfirst onto the floor as he skidded to a halt, panting raggedly.

Captain Nerissa strode quickly through the entrance, "What's going on!? What happened!?"

"The demon…" The soldier gasped, pointing at a white figure. Sefin jumped out of hiding and pounced on him, pinning the man to the ground.

The hooded man pressed his stave against the soldier's throat and growled savagely, "Where!?"

The soldier panted, struggling to speak through his terror. The stave's tip dug deep into the soldier's neck, drawing a trickle of blood.

"That's you he's referring to. Idiot!" Varda sneered, "Now let him go before you kill him!"

The soldier paled, staring fearfully into Varda's red glowing eyes.

Sefin released the soldier's collar and stepped away. The stave dropped to the ground, leaving a bloody wound on the soldier's neck.

"What happened to the demon?" Captain Nerissa asked, stepping over the rubble to approach them.

Varda snorted, "It's long gone. This fella let it slip out of his grasp."

The captain turned to the hooded man, "Are you okay!? Thanks for driving it away."

"I'm fine," The hooded man replied, brushing his robe clean of dust.

He walked past them without so much as a glance. Varda frowned as he watched the hooded man leave; he seemed to know exactly who Sefin really was.

Yueh glanced at Yueh, asking quizzically, "What happened to the demon?"

"It escaped, obviously," Varda snorted, "He was supposed to be able to control it. Instead, he left it free."

"Then it must've gotten away…"

Varda snorted, "I was hoping to have some fun with it first…"

Yueh stuttered nervously, "I'm sure we'll find it again soon enough…"

Captain Nerissa approached the group, her brow furrowed deeply. She glanced around curiously, taking in the destruction surrounding them.

"What happened!?" she demanded.

Varda sighed loudly, stifling a yawn, "The giant demon that attacked us when we first arrived here has returned and destroyed The Anvil Headquarters!"

The captain stifled a gasp, "What!? We need to regroup and make sure everyone gets safely to the portal!"

Varda snorted, "There's no need. The portal will remain safe until the end of the mission. Paladin Oolgric will make sure of that."

The captain glared at Varda, "Fine. But if the demon returns, we need to regroup and defend the portal at all costs."

Varda huffed, "Don't worry, it won't be a problem."

"Now if you don't mind I need to assist the General with organizing everyone and getting them to safety. Thank you very much for your assistance today, Grand Marshal Varda."

Varda sighed and watched the captain depart. He turned to Yueh, "Now then, I believe I'm done here. You can go ahead and report to the General about what happened too."

Yueh nodded and followed as the captain marched off towards the General.