Daniel's Dangerous Dynasty

Armageddon continues around the world. For better, or for worse, though... someone is bound to eventually win, and someone is bound to eventually lose.

And the wages of war, at this point, could go no higher for both sides... or so they thought...

From the United States to Australia, China to the Open Seas, numerous death tolls have been made, all within an hour. Bodies of man, angel, and demon, littered the streets of Diamond Peaks, and all cities and towns around the world. And yet, the battle still raged on.

Demons and Angels continued to fight with all their might, and within the field of battle, stood Mina. Her helmet has been discarded, and blood practically covered her entire body and face, while another angel, one much stronger than the others, stood opposite of her. His blonde hair and blue eyes radiated power, and his sword, his armor, and his face, was coated with Demon Blood. This angel was none other than Michael, himself... the leader of Heaven's Army.

Mina rushed towards him, while Michael rushed in kind, before their blades clashed loudly.

The lion finally reached a clearing, and stopped where he stood. The lamb followed right behind him, and together they lowered their backs, allowing Daniel and Harold to get back onto the ground.

Daniel landed on his feet when he slid off, while Harold, not used to this kind of transportation, fell flat on his face.

"Thanks, buddy... don't worry, we'll be out of here in no time, and you and your, uh... friend there can get back to life as usual." Daniel told the lion.

The lion looked at the lamb, then back at Daniel and opened his mouth.

"You can return here at any time, Lord Daniel." the lion said. This caught Daniel off-guard, and he did a double-take.

"You, uh... you can speak?!" Daniel asked. The lion nodded his head.

"Indeed... and please, just call me Aslan." he replied to the confused man.

"Aslan... wait, you mean 'Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' Aslan?!" he asked. Again, Aslan nodded his head.

"Indeed, I am."

Daniel blinked owlishly, before tilting his head in confusion. "But... what are you doing out of Narnia?"

This made Aslan frown, as he turned towards the lamb. "In truth... my kingdom has fallen."

"Oh... I'm, uh... sorry to hear that. What happened to it?" Daniel asked.

Aslan looked back at Daniel and replied, "The same thing that is happening to your world, I'm afraid... Armageddon had been called forth, and it was the battlefield between Heaven and Hell. On the day the trumpets were blown, the kingdom was no more, and Heaven had won the war. The rifts swallowed it whole, and it became one with Heaven... and I, King of Narnia, lost my rights to bear its crown... for it was no longer in my jurisdiction."

"And you just let it happen?" Daniel asked, to which Aslan shook his head.

"No. I fought for my kingdom, most certainly! We sided with Heaven, and together we drove the forces of Hell back. However... we didn't know the consequences of our alliance, and by the time it was over, the rifts of Heaven expanded, swallowing everything up."

"So basically, God betrayed you?" Daniel asked in shock. But again, Aslan shook his head.

"No... he had no control of the rifts. Armageddon is a one-way thing. By the time the rifts open up, they can not be removed... only grown by the power of the winning force. Should either Heaven or Hell win the war, your world will be swallowed by the winning side." Aslon concluded.

Daniel shook his head, frowning at the thought of it actually being the end. "Damn it... so Earth is screwed regardless! Heaven wins, and it becomes purified to where everyone loses their free will. Hell wins, and it becomes a new Circle, and everyone lives in Eternal Darkness and Damnation! I just... I just can't sit by and let that happen!"

"I'm sorry, Daniel, but... you can't undo that which has begun." Aslan said.

Daniel then thought for a moment, before raising a finger up, having an idea form in his head. "Then... if we can't undo it... can we at least stop the war from advancing any further?"

"It... has never truly been done before. However... I believe there is a way." Aslan said, before nodding his head. "Though in truth, it is only a theory."

"And what is this theory of yours?" Daniel asked.

"Well... in the day of the Apocalypse, there shall be four horsemen that lead Heaven's Army through to victory. Should one no longer be present, however... then the Army would have nobody to lead it. And... I believe you've met face-to-face with one of said Horsemen, already. I saw him carrying you within the forest, after all."

Daniel's blood ran cold, as realization dawned upon his face. "Death..."

Aslan nodded his head. "Indeed... you must find a way to defeat Death. Only then, shall the war reach a Stalemate, and the war, ended abruptly in your world's favor. However... there's a catch to it."

"Lemme guess... you can't just go and kill Death." Daniel guess, but Aslan shook his head.

"No... you already know that. What I'm saying is this: though the war will be ended, the rifts can not be dispelled. Armageddon is, after all, a one-time calling. I'm afraid your world will have to adapt to life around said rifts."

"That... kinda complicates things even more, now." Daniel said. "Humanity is kinda on the weaker side of things... it would probably take many generations before they come to terms with this level of change. Not to mention, it kinda stands out against everyone's beliefs."

He thought for a bit longer, before shaking his head. "Oh, well... as long as everyone ends up safe, and the war is over, that's really all we can hope for, at this point."

Aslan nodded his head. "Then I shall wish you the best of luck, Son of Abba. May you, and your family, prevail in this coming conclusion."

"Uh... thanks, I guess?" Daniel said, before looking over at Harold, who was patting the lamb on the head, much to its happiness.

"You know... you're starting to grow on me, now..." Harold told the lamb, to which it let out a pleased "Baa!" in response.

"Come on, Harold... we've got us a war to stop." Daniel said.

Harold looked over at him, and saluted. "Of course, Your Majesty!"

Then they headed over to the Tree of Knowledge, while Aslan and the lamb turned the opposite way, and returned into the forest.

Daniel and Harold both looked around the tree for any signs of corruption... but it was surrounded by grass and white roses.

"Your Majesty... where should we search, first?" Harold asked.

Daniel rubbed his chin and looked around the field. Suddenly, a particular spot near the tree caught his eye... a large circle of grass that bore no roses at all. He pointed towards it. "Right there... that's gotta be it."

Harold followed his direction, and stepped into the area. At once, his pupils shrunk into serpent-like pinpricks, and he smiled wickedly.

"Y-yes... taint of the PUREST form! I... I-I feel it, Your Majesty!" he said with glee, before raising a claw up and snapping. A spark of fire flickered, before vanishing.

Daniel smiled, and approached him. "Good... now, then... let's get out of here!"

Harold gave him a salute. "Of course, Your Majesty! But... where should we go? We don't know if Earth is still around, and Hell could be sealed off from anywhere else!"

Daniel paused there, and hummed. "Damn... good point."

He thought a bit longer, but growled. "Fuck! If only we knew where..." he then stopped and looked over at the Tree of Knowledge again.

"... Unless..." he thought out loud, before approaching said tree.

"Harold... mind getting me one of these fruits?"

"What?! But Your Majesty! No mortal must ever eat the Forbidden Fruit, or they will perish!"

Daniel nodded his head. "You're right. No Mortal can eat it... but who said I was mortal? Remember, I was immortalized, so it shouldn't work on me."

"But... it's too risky, Your Majesty! I can't just let you risk your life! The wrath Her Highness would bestow upon me shall know no bounds!"

Daniel shook his head. "Harold, you know as well as I do that there's no other way. And besides that, I'm a human. And we humans are stubborn as hell. Now, please... pass me a Forbidden Fruit, or I'll have no choice but to draw my Title Card."

Though confused about the last phrase, Harold reluctantly agreed. He hurried over to the Tree of Knowledge and, using his claws, managed to climb up to the branches, where he plucked a Forbidden Fruit from it. He then climbed back down and held it up for Daniel to take.

Daniel held the fruit for what felt like a good five minutes, though. As he stared into the fruit that looked like an apple of solid gold, he saw his reflection in its shining coat, and had a long moment of hesitation.

He was about to eat the Forbidden Fruit, after all... the same thing that cost humanity its immortality the first time. Perhaps this time will be no exception. Perhaps it will make him just a regular human, again? Perhaps it will kill him on the spot? Perhaps, because of it having been done once before, it won't even work at all?

Then he remembered, he's running short on time. And so, after taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and took a bite.

...

Nothing happened, though. He kept his eyes closed and swallowed the fruit. It was an odd flavor, to say the least... it almost felt like chewing on soft ice, with no distinguishable flavor.

Harold looked up at him and asked, "Your Majesty?"

Daniel sighed, then opened his eyes. "Nothing." He glared and threw the fruit at the tree, angry.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE! WHY DIDN'T THE FUCKING FRUIT WORK?!" he shouted, before suddenly, out of nowhere, hundreds of visions rushed into his mind, forcing his eyes open widely. He gasped, and saw the battlefield in his mind.

He saw hundreds of thousands of people falling victim to the war.

He saw Mina fighting Michael.

He saw her surrounded by numerous angels, as they readied to strike her down, while she was breathing heavily, almost ready to pass out.

Then, he saw his mother answer the door, and Death was standing on the other side.

"Mom?! MOM, NO!" he shouted.

Suddenly, his vision returned to reality. He looked at Harold with worried eyes.

"Diamond Peaks, we... we have to go to Diamond Peaks!" he ordered.

Harold saluted him. "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Then they ran over to the Tainted Land, and Harold stood near the center. He closed his eyes and waved his claws, making the grass within the taint wither and die, until there was nothing but a dirt circle. He opened his eyes, and they glowed red. Finally, he plunged his claws into the dirt, and spat a large gust of fire into the center of the taint.

The fire landed on the ground, split on both sides, then rose up in a firing ring that connected at the top.

Once connected, the inside of the fire shifted and changed, until one could see James's and Elanor's house in the view. There was a lot of yard to cover, but it was there.

Daniel sighed in relief, before hurrying there. "Come on, Harold. We have to hurry!"

Harold nodded his head and stood back up. Then Daniel picked up the pace, and ran into the portal. Harold followed shortly behind him, and it closed behind them as soon as they were both on the other side.

Daniel landed on his feet upon entering the portal. Harold, like before, landed on his face, having not been that used to traveling by portal. They then rushed closer to the house, until they were finally on the asphalt, in the driveway.

They stopped in their tracks, however, and Daniel felt his heart rate spike, as he saw his mother lying in front of the open door. She was not breathing, and her skin was unusually pale.

"MOM!" he shouted, running faster than he ran before... but Harold's pointy ears flickered, and he gasped, reaching out for Daniel.

"Your Majesty! WAIT!"

But it was too late.

Suddenly, agonizing pain filled both of their heads, stopping them in their tracks, and causing them to fall to their knees, gripping onto their heads.

Daniel slowly looked up, and saw Death appear from within the house. His hand was raised, and he was smiling wickedly at them.

He stepped down the steps of the front porch, and stopped... then lowered his hand, and clapped excitedly.

"Daniel! My man! Oh, this is definitely... definitely... not expected! Not expected at all!" Death said in amusement.

Daniel growled and retorted, "You bastard... you'll pay for this!"

But Death only chuckled. "Oh, Danny boy, how do you plan on making me pay, exactly?! Not like you can kill Death, after all!"

Daniel stood back up and rushed towards him again, but he fell to the ground, once more grasping his head in pain, as Death raised his hand up again.

"Ah-ah-ah! Sorry, I'm not really much of a touchy-feely guy. Not since your best friend, y'know, kinda-sorta killed me with his bare hands!"

Daniel yelled out loud as Death raised his hand a bit higher, and continued.

"But I guess I should thank 'em as well. I mean, who'd have thought that by playing Victim, I'd be rewarded the title of Horseman, of all things?!"

When Death took another step forward, Daniel felt blood starting to rush out of his nose. He wiped his lips, but on the next step, he fell to the ground, covering his entire head and curling up in sheer agony.

"I know you're still Immortal, Danny. I can't kill you... but hey, even I know there's some fates that are far worse than Death! Allow me to show you one!" He snapped his fingers, and Daniel felt something similar to daggers stabbing into his brain.

He was on the verge of passing out, as his vision blurred. Death only laughed at the sight of this.

"Hahaha! Oh, wow! Still even conscious after that?! You really are a Miracle, ain't ya?! Just like your parents always said!"

Daniel opened his eyes and glared at Death, as he cried out blood from his eyes.

Death merely cooed. "Aww... don't cry, Danny. Once I'm bored enough, I'll stop and send you back to Eden. But this time, you'll have some company to play with!"

He took another step forward, which only intensified Daniel's pain. It felt as if the daggers started to twist around in his brain.

"I'll just hire some Angels to watch you... maybe toy with you. Oh! I know! We can crucify you! Yeah, you can spend eternity on a cross, just like the last Miracle Child this world gave! Only you won't have the courtesy of dying!"

Daniel's vision began to darken, as consciousness was starting to finally fade from him.

"Yeah... and I may even pay you a visit every now and then! That way, you can remember this moment, and-"

Suddenly, a huge torrent of water splashed all over Death from behind him, causing him to lower his hand and deadpan.

The pain immediately stopped for Daniel, and he was able to see clearly again. He looked up and gasped.

Death wiped some of the water from his forehead and looked at it curiously. "Huh... Holy Water?"

"With a hint of Olive Oil, you bastard." came James's reply, as he stood on top of the staircase, with the cooking pot still in his hands. He was wearing kitchen gloves, so as to keep the liquid from touching him.

Death smirked, then turned around completely, so that he was facing James. "You know... I may be Death, but I'm technically one of the Holy Figures, right? So, uh... I guess you've skimped out on your own lessons."

There was a moment of silence. James then tossed the pot down, and removed his gloves, while Death only shrugged his shoulders and looked between he and Daniel. "Well, isn't this one Hell of a Family Reunion, huh?! The Prodigal Son, and the Fallen Preacher!"

"F-Fallen... Preacher?!" Daniel stuttered in confusion, as he slowly lifted himself back up to his knees. "What... what are you...?"

Death backed up a tiny bit, so that James and Daniel were able to see each other more clearly. "Go ahead, Old Timer! Tell 'em!"

James sighed, before nodding his head and looking at Daniel. "Daniel, I... I renounced my faith."

This caused Daniel's jaw to drop. "You... you what?!"

James only smiled at him. "Like I said, son... I would go through Hell for you. And I meant it. Your... your mother was going to tonight, so that we could live in Hell with you, should Earth be lost, but... well... this asshole got to her before she could." he pointed at Death, who playfully put his hand on his chest and muttered his thanks. "Go fuck yourself." James added to Death.

Death only smirked at the remark, then walked back between them.

"Yeah, yeah... well you know what? As touching as this reunion is, I've got a bit more vengeance in my head! And so, speaking of heads..."

He raised his hand towards Daniel again, and the sharp pain returned instantly. James quickly began to cry, hearing his son's suffering, before yelling.

"STOP! STOP HURTING MY SON!"

Death kept his hand up and feigned thinking. "Hmm... nah."

James then began to reach into his coat pocket, but before he could get his hand inside it, Death raised his other hand, and the pain began to surge through James's head as well, causing him to lean down and cry out, with blood starting to fall from his nose, as well.

"Oh, please, James... do you take me for a fool?!" Death asked. "I know you better than you realize... you and your old Holy Tricks!"

Death then continued to hold them in place, before he lowered his hands and yawned. James and Daniel fell to their knees, with James puking out a mixture of bile and blood.

Daniel looked up at him and cried a bit more. "Death... stop, please! Don't..."

Death looked over at Daniel and smiled wickedly. "Oh, fine then... I'll stop."

"You... you'll what?" Daniel asked in surprise.

Death shrugged again. "I'm bored of this. Frankly, it's clear you're too stubborn to fall unconscious, and being immortal, inflicting physical pain is just gonna make you stronger, now that I think about it."

Death straightened his posture out and stretched his arms widely. James began to slowly stand back up behind him, glaring at the horseman.

"And so... I guess I'll do you a favor, and balance things out."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Balance... things out?"

Death nodded his head again. "Yeah... I've practically broken your body, now... and I haven't even touched the spirit, yet!"

Then Death snapped his fingers, and his scythe materialized from the void. Daniel's eyes widened in realization.

"So... time to fix that!" Death cheered, before turning around and plunging his scythe into James's chest.

"ACK!" James shouted, spitting a large chunk of blood from his mouth. He lifted his hands up and gripped onto the handle of Death's Scythe, as he heard Daniel's scream rapidly go more and more silent by the second.

Then Death lifted the scythe up, forcing James's feet to rise above the ground, as he was hanging onto the handle for dear life.

Then, Death swung his scythe towards Daniel, hurling his father through the yard, until his body crashed and rolled towards his son, stopping only a couple meters away from him. A long, think line of blood trailed from the house.

Daniel stared at his father's widened eyes and glared, before gritting his teeth and rising back up to the ground. Then he lunged towards Death, and yelling in bestial rage.

Death then raised his hand again, and once more, Daniel was on his knees, yelling in agony, while gripping onto his forehead.

"AAAAAAH! I'M... I'M GOING TO..." he began, but Death burst into laughter again, now walking even faster towards his victims.

"You'll what? Kill me? Oh, that's hysterical! As I said it before, and as I'll say it once more! You. Can. NOT. Kill. Dea-"

*CRASH!*

Before Death could finish his sentence, a black limo crashed into him at full speed, sending him flying into the field, and forcing his head off of his shoulders, and his jaw from his head.

Daniel looked up at the limo, and immediately recognized the chains on its skirt. The license plate read "D3SPA1R" on it, and at once, he knew that the Death he knew... the Death that was his friend... had finally arrived.

The limo vanished in a puff of black smoke, leaving its driver standing there, dressed in his signature black robe. The new Death looked towards Daniel and James, then ran towards them.

"HANG IN THERE, OLD TIMER! I'LL GET YOU BACK UP ON YOUR FEET!" he yelled, before an unseen force shoved him several meters back.

Death looked around confusedly, before his eyes set on the floor... where a huge line of salt formed a ring surrounding the yard, just barely away from where James landed.

"Himalayan Salt Ring... motherfucker..." Death swore, as a menacing chuckle echoed behind him. He turned around, and saw the other Death's body pick his head back up and prop it on his shoulders again. Then he snapped his jaw back on, and rubbed his chin.

"Heh... careful what you say there, big brother. After all, she was your mother, too!" he asked.

Cain glared at his brother, before gritting his teeth. "Abel... now you've just taken things way too far!"

Abel chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh? Says the least favorite grandchild!"

Cain snapped his fingers and his scythe returned to his hand. This made Abel's sly smirk to only grow even more.

"Well, guess I struck a nerve, huh? Oh, right! Those kinda peeled away while you rotted on Earth!" he taunted, before raising his hand in the sky. A portal emerged, and a large volcanic stone flew towards Cain.

Cain lifted his scythe up to his left shoulder and sliced diagonally. The stone split into two and vanished into thin air.

Abel clapped his hands proudly. "Impressive aim, brother! Now, let's kick things up a notch, shall we?!"

He pointed at Cain, and immediately, another stone lunged at him, followed by another. They were going twice as fast as the first.

Cain sliced upward then to the side, piercing through both stones with ease, as they vanished into the sky once more.

Abel then lifted his other hand up, and shoved at the air. Two massive portals emerged behind him, and two meteors emerged, crashing into each other in front of him, and merging into one. It flew towards Cain at four times the speed of the last.

Cain quickly placed his scythe at the ground and ran forward, before slicing up and leaping into an uppercut.

The meteor was sliced in two, and vanished.

Cain then landed on his feet and began running towards Abel, ready to slice at him next.

Abel shrugged his shoulders and snapped his own scythe back into his hands. "Tch. Typical Cain, always taking the Hands-On Approach! Very well, then!"

He lifted his scythe and began running towards Cain, grinning wickedly. "TIME FOR ROUND TWO!"

And then he sliced downward, while Cain sliced upward. As their scythes' blades clashed, the ground shook below them, and a sandstorm emerged within the Salt Ring.

Daniel crawled towards his dad and placed a hand on him. "Dad... Dad, answer me!" he cried. Harold crawled over on the opposite side of James, looking sadly at his king's father.

James coughed out a bit more blood, making Daniel briefly smile when he saw that James was still breathing, somehow.

"Daniel..." James mumbled.

"Dad, it's okay... it's okay, the real Death is here! He'll... he'll fix this!" Daniel said.

James moaned in pain, before lifting his hand up and placing it on Daniel's shoulder. Daniel quickly placed his hand on it, and the tears streamed from both of their eyes.

"Daniel, I... I need tell you something... something important." James weakly said, before coughing out another bit of blood.

Daniel shook his head. "Not now, Dad... it can wait. We'll talk about it when you're better!"

James shook his own head in response. "No, Daniel... I... I need to tell you now... before... before it's too late."

Daniel exhaled deeply. Deep down, he knew that there was no talking back to his dad this time. "O-okay, Dad... w-what... what is it?"

James reached into his pocket with his other hand.

"Son... you... you know how your mother and I always called you our... our little Miracle?" he said with a smirk.

"Y-yes, sir... you... you said it's because when Mom gave birth to me, she couldn't give birth to anyone else. I was her first, and last, child."

James shook his head and sighed. "That... th-that was all... just a... fabrication, son."

A look of confusion adorned Daniel's face. "What? W-what do you mean? W-was I adopted?"

James shook his head, and smiled. "No, son... you weren't adopted."

He then coughed a bit more, before continuing.

"Your mother was sterile before we even married, Son. We were happy to be together, though, just the two of us... but over time, we grew lonely without a child to call our own... and so... a-and so one night, we said a prayer."

Daniel listened intently at this. It was huge news to him... neither his father, nor his mother, ever explained this to him this way.

"Th-then... the next morning... y-you showed up at our doorstep, wrapped in a basket, with a... w-with a beautiful blue cloth around you."

Daniel recalled seeing that cloth in their house... it was his childhood favorite, that made him feel a deep sense of comfort and warmth every night... like it held a special connection to him.

"But... th-there's more to it than that, Son."

Daniel looked back at his dad and nodded his head. "W-what is it?"

James smiled at him. "We... w-we took you to a lab the next morning... got your blood tested for any... any tracks of who your real parents were..."

He shook his head.

"B-but... but they couldn't find anyone. They checked the records from across the world, but... n-nobody could match your blood. It... i-it was almost like you..."

Daniel nodded his head in understanding.

"Like I just showed up out of thin air..." he said for his father.

James nodded his head. "Daniel, I... I'm so sorry... I... I couldn't ever tell you this, because... w-well... we wanted you to still be our son... t-to be our-"

"Dad." Daniel said, brushing his father's hair with his hand gently. "Blood doesn't make a difference. You and Mom took me in. Raised me like I was your flesh and blood. You treated me the best you could... you... you helped me when I needed it. You shielded me from danger when I was close to it."

James let out another tear as his lip quivered.

"You are... and always will be... my Dad."

James then cried weakly, before pulling his son in for a hug.

Daniel returned the hug, being mindful of the wound.

Then, he felt Jame's other hand press on his chest. Daniel looked down, and noticed that something was in James's hand.

He held his hand below James's, and felt the strange object fall into his palm. James pulled his own hand back, then, and Daniel saw the object clearly, now... a tiny blue bottle with a wooden cork made of Acadia.

"Dad... what... what is this?" he asked.

James smiled slyly at his son. "Spirit... Jar..."

Daniel looked confusedly at him, before turning towards Harold. "Harold, what... what's a Spirit Jar?"

Harold wiped a tear from his eyes and replied, "A... a Spirit Jar, Your Majesty, is a tool for capturing spirits. To capture one, you must anoint its body with oil, then open the jar near its presence."

Daniel's eyes widened in realization. He weakly smiled, then looked back at his dad. "Dad, I... t-thank you..."

James nodded his head and looked towards the sandstorm.

"You're welcome, Son... n-now... I believe you... you've got a war to end... and a world to save."

Daniel nodded his head determinedly. "Yes, sir."

He stood back up and pointed at Harold. "Harold... watch over him, please. Try to... idunno... do something. Just keep your eyes on 'em."

"Y-yes, Your Majesty." he replied.

Daniel then turned around and hurried towards the Sandstorm.

James watched his son vanish into the storm, and looked up at the sky. Deep down, despite renouncing his faith, he was thankful to God for granting him his Miracle Child. He held his hand up and balled his fist.

"The... the torch has been passed, now... I've... I've done my part..."

Harold looked towards him in confusion, but he continued regardless.

He then slowly closed his eyes, muttering one last phrase.

"It... is... finished..."

His fist uncurled... then his hand fell to the ground. His eyes glossed over, and he let out one slow, drawn-out breath.

James Richard Banks... was no more.

Howard bowed his head and sighed, not knowing how he would break the news to his king. Looking towards James's body, he reached his hand up and closed his eyes for him.

Abel flew back several meters, as Cain kicked him in the stomach. Before Cain could strike him again, though, Abel threw a pile of dirt at his brother, which emitted a heavy gust of wind as a result.

Cain flew back in kind, but used his Scythe to stop him from going more than just a few meters.

Abel chuckled. "You know, brother, we can duke it out for Eternity if we wanted to!"

Cain grit his teeth and stood back up. "Yeah, well... as much as I appreciate the opportunity to beat you senselessly for Eternity, I've got other plans! Like, say, ending your madness! Right here, and right now!"

Abel shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, well, face it Cain. You've been gone too long! You failed to find the truth in time, and now... we get to watch this world burn together!"

Cain's grip on his scythe tightened.

Abel smiled even more. "Oh, right... burning would be if Hell won. It would be purified once Heaven's won! Face it! Whether you win or not, there's no victory to be gained here! In the end, you're just wasting your time, brother!"

Cain growled before lunging at his brother again. This time, his scythe punctured Abel's stomach, but Abel was unfazed by it.

He smiled, as he gripped onto the handle of the scythe, keeping it locked in place. Cain lifted his fist and punched at Abel's head, but he caught it with his other hand.

"Speaking of winning... how do you even plan to win this fight, anyways? I mean... need I remind you? You can't kill Death!" he taunted.

"Then maybe you should listen to your own words, buddy!" Daniel called out from behind Abel.

Abel turned around and his smile soon faltered, as he saw Daniel holding a Spirit Jar in his hand, which was only a few meters away from him.

Cain released his scythe and quickly grabbed Abel's wrists, while avoiding touching the oil that still covered his brother's body.

The gears immediately clicked in Abel's mind.

"Need I remind you... that there are some fates far worse than death?!" Daniel quoted, as his thumb pressed on the cork of the bottle.

"N-no... NO!" Abel lashed out, but could do nothing with his brother holding him in place.

"Here... allow me to show you one!" Daniel said, before popping the cork off.

Suddenly, a huge wind tunnel emerged, sucking in the sandstorm. Cain moved to the side and kicked Abel several meters back.

Abel fell to his knees and lifted an arm up, studying it carefully.

The oil on his fingers began to glow a golden color, and melted his hand down, with the golden liquid flying into the jar. He reached his other hand up to pull his scythe from the Void, but before he could, his other hand melted as well. The glowing oil engulfed his arms, and he fell to the ground, screaming.

The oil engulfed his chest, and separated his waist from his stomach, as he was literally melting before Daniel's eyes.

His legs were finally gone. As he was still a skull, he continued to scream, while the glow began digging at the back of his head, and tearing through him rapidly.

Finally, his entire skull was melted, and the pieces flew into the air, caught inside the torrent. As it did, Daniel could somehow still hear his screaming, as the last of the oil flew into the jar. Then his screaming grew more silent, as if he were falling down an endless tunnel.

The sandstorm was completely gone now, and the salt was the last to be lifted up. It circled through the torrent, and flew into the jar, before the cork shook wildly, then flew up on its own, sealing itself back onto the jar.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, the torrent ended. Once it was done, a huge pulse of air flew from around the jar's edges, stirring the dirt around them up for a brief moment, and the dirt rose into the air.

Miles away, a group of thinly built Demon Scouts clad in black and red leather armor, rushed through the city streets, searching far and wide for something... or someone.

Then, they heard a deep-pitched boom, and turned to face the dirt rising from the mountain beside them. The leader of the group nodded his head and pointed forward.

The others tapped their chests twice, before they all leaped into the air, and bounced from building to building at blurring speeds.

Upon reaching the top of the trees that covered the entrance to James's and Elanor's wooden house, they squinted their eyes to get a better look through the dirt in the air. Then they covered their eyes in goggles, and stared briefly at the carnage, before a look of realization dawned upon them.

The group looked at the leader for orders.

The leader signaled a few blurry signs with his right hand, and they saluted again, before vanishing into the trees, unseen.

The leader, however, rushed backwards, and hurried back towards the city.

Mina gripped the back of her cleaver and blocked another strike from Michael's sword, while Michael pulled back and glared at her. They were both breathing heavily, having grown exhausted by the others' unusual power.

Mina's ear twitched, as more angels approached her with their weapons drawn. Michael smiled slyly at her.

"It's over, Satan... we have you worn down, and surrounded!" Michael stated.

Mina gripped her handle with both hands and smiled back at him in return. "Oh, yeah? Well, come at me, then!"

"Know that you will not enjoy this pain, Devil." Michael spat, now growing more annoyed by her.

"Enjoy it?! Why, Mikey!" She giggled, before her eyes glowed even brighter. "I'll savor it~!"

The angels crouched down in an attempt to lunge forward... when suddenly, the sound of a massive horn filled the air.

This made all eyes look up and around the area, as this sound literally came from nowhere. Even Mina was caught by surprise at this unexpected sound.

Michael closed his eyes. "Yes, My Lord?"

...

"What?! But... but we're very close to... to..."

...

"I... I..."

He then slammed his sword's blade into the ground, and gripped his chest in a salute.

"I understand, My Lord. Thy will be done!"

Mina looked around at the angels confusedly, before Michael opened his eyes and glared. "Know that this is no victory to you, worm! We shall find a way! Our Master foresees it!"

With that, Michael spreaded his wings out and took to the air. From around the world, the rest of Heaven's Army followed suit, and they flew back into the rifts towards Heaven.

Mina looked around, even more confused, until she saw white orbs falling from the sky slowly. She knew their scent from miles away.

"Spirits?" she mumbled.

The spirits fell into some of the humans' bodies, and their wounds were sealed shut. Though not all bodies returned, and those who were brought back were in for a shock, at the death that surrounded them.

But Mina paid them no mind, and sheathed her weapon back into the Void.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" came a loud voice from behind her. She turned around and saw the Scout Leader blurring towards her from the mountain.

"Your Highness, we... w-we..." he panted, then knelt before her. "We've found him, Your Highness!"

Mina's eyes widened, and she turned her full attention to him. For once, her face was full of hope.

"Where?!" she asked.

"Midway atop the mountain behind me, near a secluded wooden homestead." he replied.

She nodded her head and said no more. She quickly hurried towards the mountain, with the scout leading the way for her.

Daniel breathed heavily as the jar came to a close. He stared at it in shock, as somehow, through some miracle... it worked!

"We did it..." he whispered, as Death stood back up on his feet and approached him... though despite Daniel's mouth forming a smile, he, however, was not.

"We did it!" he repeated, laughing. He looked at Death and smiled. "Death, we've won! We-"

But then, when he saw Death not smiling, he frowned. "Wait... what's wrong?"

Death looked down and shook his head, before pointing out in the distance. Daniel followed his finger, and immediately, his attention fell towards his dad's lifeless body.

"Oh, no... no, no, no, Dad!" He quickly ran to his dad's body and placed a hand on his forehead. It was cold.

"Dad, NO!" he called out, as once more, tears fell down his face. "Come on, Dad! Don't... don't do this to me, please!"

Death knelt down behind Daniel and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Daniel... I... I wasn't fast enough..."

Daniel shook his head. "No... no, it's fine. It's alright, Death! You... you can fix this, right?! You can call his spirit back to his body, right?!"

Death closed his eye sockets, and shook his head. "Daniel... he was killed by a Reaper's Scythe. There's... there's no way a spirit can return to a body with that kind of damage done to it."

"Bullshit! That's BULLSHIT!" Daniel snapped... but Death only pulled him into a hug.

"I wish it was, Daniel... I... I really wish it was..." he stuttered.

Daniel breathed heavily, but calmed his anger down. He then returned the hug, and cried on Death's shoulder.

From the distance, unbeknownst to them, Mina stood behind a tree, with the scout a short way behind her.

"Orders, Your Highness?" the scout asked.

Mina placed a hand on her heart, and looked down. She closed her eyes, and let knowing tears fall from her eyes.

"... Regroup with the others, and... give him his space. He... he needs this moment to himself."

The scout saluted and rushed back towards the city. Mina then opened her eyes and looked towards her crying husband.

She wanted so much to hurry there... to give him a hug, and comfort him, but... she felt she might get in the way if she did.

And so, she turned around and left. She had a lot of cleaning up to do.

In a way, this war ended in a victory... and yet, it still came at a hefty cost.

To Be Concluded...