Upon hearing the young man's account of what happened to the "winners", it took all three of the hybrids great restrain to not have their auras lash out and destroy nearby property. To the death fights? Being locked up? Indeed, there were some demons out there who had Death's eyes on them.  Risika turned to the young man who had been talking.

       "Have you tried escaping...?" she asked, pausing to get his name.

       "Dirk, and they locked the gates and wired them to shock us if we touched them," he answered. "And if we did get out and told someone about this, they said our families will die."

       Hero stepped up, angered by Dirk's account of the treatment.

        "But that's not fair!" Hero replied.

         "That's the way it is here," Dirk replied, resigned to their system.  "We're stuck here. No one's gonna help us."

         The three looked at him with calm yet defiant eyes.

         "God will help you," Risika answered. "He won't let the ones who kidnapped you hurt you, or allow them to lay a finger on your families. Have faith."

          The group all had surprised but mixed reactions. Of all the things they expected, they had not expected a message of faith to be said. For many, they gave up, resigned themselves to this impossible situation.

          But something in her words stirred up something. A trio of players, two boys and one girl all the age of twelve had come upon her message. Her words resonated, as it recalled that in their cell where they were kept during this frightful journey, a message was carved into the wall of a cross and the message: have faith.

          The trio of twelve year olds looked to these three. Something about them drew them in.

         "And as for this fight," Okami started. "Well, we're just gonna have to fix that, won't we?"

          From behind he heard footsteps coming and shifted his red gaze.

         "Faith? That won't help you here," a man in his twenties said, coming up. He was dressed in a black top hat, buttoned jacket and black slacks. His eyes were a dark brown and cold as ice as he wore a sinister smile. Fear radiated from the players at the sight of this man. "Hello, winners. I use the term loosely, as some of you may not be winners at all."