The sky, once crystal blue with brief clouds, had become reddish and obscure with flocks of miasma floating in the air. It was as if a dark red color filter had been placed on the camera lens, filming what happened in that lush and illusory garden. The trees were all dry, and the vegetation was devastated. The path they came from was no longer the same, and Eden got tired of sniffing the ground, but it seemed convinced that this was not the path they had previously taken. Mine's heart raced with each flash that lit up the sky as if storm clouds were about to burst. Something about that place was wrong. In fact, everything about that place was wrong from the start.

Addai placed Mine on the ground and held his hand, not wanting to let go even if he had to. Mine also felt the same and reciprocated by tightening Addai's hand holding. Lydia looked like she could no longer reason anything. Abannak, on the other hand, was calm and peaceful despite the chaotic atmosphere like Zophiel and Mephistopheles. Azazel had already summoned his sword and had it ready in its sheath hanging at his waist.

Eden hissed in a direction, and a pair of sharp teeth protruded from its once toothless gums. It hissed loudly, and its tail swung from side to side.

"Eden, what's going on?" Addai asked, feeling his skin itch.

"High miasma concentration coming ahead. Careful, master and little master," Eden replied, stiffening her body as if it was ready to attack.

"What do you mean with 'high miasma concentration ahead'??" Lydia cold-sweated.

"Stay behind me, Mine," Addai said, still not releasing Mine's hand.

"Don't let him take me," Mine pleaded, looking at Addai.

"I won't," Addai kissed the back of Mine's hand.

Mine faintly smiled and gasped when he saw two bodies quickly approaching the group's direction. The collision seemed inevitable. Mine felt his body itch and burn from the inside out, remembering foreign but known spells while the back of his hands formed a diamond shape.

"Watch out!" Mine shouted.

Mine forcefully pushed Addai away. His friend tried to grab his hand once again, but Mine dodged and clapped his hands together. His hair glowed in golden, and a tall, adorned mana dome formed around the group, with Mine outside it. The two bodies collided against the glowing dome and were ricocheted. The dome flickered, but there was only a crack where the bodies collided. However, Mine was thrown a few meters away from the group.

"MINE!!" Addai shouted.

"STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! I'M OKAY!!" Mine shouted back.

Before Addai could hit the dome, a flash preceded a loud bang near the group, and the dome finally shattered. This bang reflected the clash of two bodies against the earth, forming a crater. It didn't reach the group thanks to Mine's spell from earlier. Inside the crater, a figure of medium height wore a long, white robe, which fluttered in the whistling wind. His face was covered by the hood of his cloak, and in his right hand, a spear detailed in gold and something that looked like glass was firmly held. In front of him, another slightly taller figure held a dark sword. His appearance wasn't the best, but he did his best to stay upright. They were nothing less than the Consort and Agarath face-to-face.

"Why are you meddling with my business?" Agarath growled, raising his sword.

The Consort let out a chuckle. His voice was ethereal and gentle, just like the one Mine heard when he had a weird dream about Blanche when she was held hostage. Somehow, Mine felt shivers creeping down his spine when the ethereal being, now named 'Consort,' smiled under the hood.

"Agarath… I already told you to not bite things you cannot chew," the Consort said, calm and composed. His gentle and sweet voice danced in Mine's ears as he spoke. "Also, keep it together because we have an audience," he chuckled.

Before Agarath could look at the group, the Consort made a firm and elegant thrust towards him, forcing him to react accordingly and avoid the group. With each blow the Consort gave, Agarath parried with the sword that shone with each contact with the blade. The Consort's movements were free and graceful as if he drew every step and blow with a soft-bristled brush on a canvas.

In one of the Consort's attacks, Agarath snapped his fingers and dodged a thrust from that ethereal, white figure. There were no more leaves to rustle in the wind, so it only whistled, rubbing the misty paths on the withered and twisted branches of the now-dead trees. The hissing of the wind announced the arrival of a large group of silhouettes with distorted and dizzying shapes. Some were taller than others, and some made it impossible to discern what was in that meatloaf, lint, and seams. They were nothing less than Agarath's puppets taking their last breath.

Eden hissed fervently, shaking its tail until the first puppet jumped towards the group, intercepting it. Soon, more and more puppets meant that each group member was occupied with some disfigured and poorly made puppets.

Abannak and Lydia were busy with a bunch of disfigured puppets that threw miasma needles at them. Mephistopheles and Zophiel lured the bigger mass of puppets as they attacked in unison. Azazel tried to follow Addai's fast and vicious attacks using his claws while Eden was his backup. The group was relatively close to each other. However, the crowd of puppets forced Mine to stay a little further away from them no matter how much Eden and Addai tried to pierce through the crowd to get to him. Mine dodged the puppets' pulls and bites, counter attacking with seals that he still had in some pocket, but he knew it wouldn't last long. With that in mind, Mine started to scheme an escape plan since Agarath was distracted enough by the Consort.

We need to get out of here ASAP! Mine thought, dodging a puppet's bite. Running away from here is enough, so we can track Mr. Zophiel's feather location. Being here is far too risky, and-

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE!!" An acidic scream interrupted Mine's thought.

Agarath was staring at him in a sickening, fervent way as if the predator was tired of chasing its prey. His eyes, stained with blood, never left Mine's pink eyes, which froze upon making eye contact. The puppets around him make room for Agarath, who was considerably distant from the Consort. The fox predator was ready to finally catch its bunny prey.

Seeing the scene, the Consort gasped and charged an attack in Agarath's direction. However, a gigantic mass of puppets converged into a single gruesome puppet and intercepted his attack.

Zophiel heard the click of the Consort's enchantment against the puppets and turned his head to see what was going on, only to notice the dangerous approach between Mine and Agarath. The angel spread his wings and tried to fly in Mine's direction, but a puppet grabbed one of his wings, forcing him down. Zophiel fought, but the puppet plucked some feathers and twisted its bone when the angel aimed the gun at its head.

"My wings!!" Zophiel cried, almost dropping his gun and missing two shots.

Mephistopheles quickly quirked his head in Zophiel's direction, noticing the unnatural turn the angel's wing was displayed and the feathers scattered on the ground. The angel was a hurt bird caught by a ferocious cat, eager to eat the miserable bird that fought desperately. More cats surrounded the hurt bird, who chirped distressed shouts and shots as his wings were mercilessly attacked. Soon, a vicious dog jumped in the middle of the fray, scattering the wild, hissing cats. The guard dog growled viciously at the cats and smashed the first attacking cat against the cold floor. The hurt bird tried to steady his pose, but the hurt wings were troublesome. The guard dog sniffed the hurt bird and licked its wounds, only to turn his attention to the hissing cats surrounding them. Each wild cat was dilacerated by the dog's fangs and claws while the hurt bird exhaustedly chirped.

The guard dog, dirty from the wild cats' blood, approached the hurt, chirping bird on the floor and desperately kneeled beside him. The hurt bird was weak, but there was some stamina left at how attentive his dark eyes were.

"Sweetness!" Mephistopheles cried, shaking his precious, hurt bird. "Why... Why aren't your wings healing?! The puppets... the puppets... t-they-"

"Behind you!" Zophiel shouted.

BANG!

A puppet fell inert on the floor beside them. More puppets surrounded the bird and the guard dog once again.

"Focus on the puppets," Zophiel panted, loading his gun. "Later... we can take care of everything," he flapped his hurt wings, and Mephistopheles reluctantly nodded positively.

In the other piece of chaos, Agarath raised the dark and ominous sword and aimed it toward Mine, whose legs were paralyzed on the ground. With each step, it was as if he were marching to complete an arduous and painful mission he had planned to do at great cost, and that would be worth completing despite the effort expended. Every step on the dry, crunchy grass was marked by the screams in the background of each group member. It was as if time had slowed, and it was difficult for the Consort to catch up. The background sound no longer reached Mine's ears, only Agarath's maniac voice.

"After all the chasing... all the tricks, treats... I even gave you new clothes!! And that's how you pay me?!" Agarath shouted, dangerously approaching Mine in slow and steady steps.

Mine stepped back, his knees trembling so badly he nearly fell. "Let me go. I gave you what you wanted. Now, let me go."

Agarath stopped his walk and chuckled. The chuckle evolved into a burst of laughter, then into a mad laughter fit. Mine's heart was beating so fast it felt like he was going to have a heart attack, but he still had some stamina to lift a hidden sigil and toss it in Agarath's direction. The demon effortlessly ripped it using the dark sword. His laughter stopped, and he slowly lifted his head and sick face at Mine's. Agarath's eyes were dark and twisted, but his grin was the scariest.

"That's the problem, you know?" Agarath said, forcing soberness. "A creature like you... can provide me with so many things... so many emotions and materials! With you, I can be powerful!! We can be powerful! Imagine making the world bow at us!! Hahahahahaha!!!!" He laughed out loud and grabbed Mine's chin. "Together, we’d be unstoppable, my dear beauty."

"You're sick!" Mine gritted his teeth.

"Maybe you're right... I can be powerful..." Agarath ignored Mine, still grabbing his chin. "Yes... you're right, my dear beauty... I don't need you to cherish me... I need you by my side, dead or alive," Agarath raised his sword and aimed straight at Mine's chest.