~ Last Push

The Vatican, Territory B-2, The Year 2177

 "We need backup!" shouted one soldier from a distance.

 "Same here!"

 The battle against the demons was as harsh as ever on the battlefields of the Vatican, and Stephan's group wasn't handling the situation in the best way possible. 

 "Arrow Rain!" with one call and a shot towards the sky, Stephan managed to stop the surrounding demons and aid the ones that were previously asking for backup, but his stamina was depleting fast. This battle has been unfolding for the last 4 hours, without even a break, so it's no wonder that most soldiers were tired. On the other hand, the demons didn't feel fatigued, so they could fight at 100% at any time.

 "Mister Stephan, on your right!" shouted Claude, seeing the demon prepare swinging his giant hammer towards Stephan from a blind spot. But before he could even react, a light bullet pierced the demon's skull.

"It's alright, I've got coverage," said Stephan pointing towards a far-away building, where Fabio was situated with his sniper.

 Even though the current wave of demons didn't have a particular leader, they were still a hassle to deal with, having the numbers on their side, and as many High-Ranks, as there were human soldiers.

"As if it wasn't a pain to deal with High-Ranks before... There's too many of them," said Samira, panting heavily with her sword in hand.

"Not many soldiers can even dream to fight a High-Rank alone, so we have to take care of them ourselves," said Claude who then leapt a few metres towards an approaching demon, tearing it to shreds.

"Yes, but even our forces have been worn out considerably. After all, we have five people missing," muttered Samira. However, as she said that, the crowd of demons that were waiting up ahead started running back, seemingly retreating.

 Looking behind them in the direction of the main camp, a giant army of exorcists could be seen running towards the battlefield, their numbers not to laugh at.

 "Finally, reinforcements..." said Stephan as he laid back on the ground, his fingers bleeding from the multitude of arrows shot.

"France battalion numbers 16 and 35 here! We will take over the defence of territory B-2! I have a message for Eagle, Stephan Tryphon!" said the soldier who ran towards the exhausted group.

 From down the ground, Stephan rose a hand and said: "That would be me..."

"You and your group have been tasked with helping in Territory D-4! The threat level is of S!" 

"Understood..." said Stephan, lacking any enthusiasm.

"Hey, Fabio! Come here," said Claude through the communication device.

"Threat level: S... Doesn't that mean?" asked Dena reluctantly.

"Yeah, probably a Deadly Sin-level threat attacking. D-4 is where the main gate towards D-3 is, so the Cathedral," explained Stephan.

"How much would it take to get there from the main camp here?" asked Claude.

"Around 2 hours, and we'll definitely encounter enemy forces while heading there. It's going to be a hassle..." said Stephan.

 After thinking through the details, the group went back to the main camp at B-2, firstly to forward to Olson the details of their new mission, and secondly to get healing from Rebecca who was still at the camp at the moment.

 "Miss Asterius, you can stay here if you don't feel able to come to this mission," said Stephan attracting everyone's attention after getting his wounds treated.

 "I-I can still help! I can't let you all go without a healer... Keeping you safe is still my job!" she replied.

"I see if that's what you want..." said Stephan who then rose from the chair he was standing on and added: "Then, we are all set. Let's go." 

"Wait a bit, leader! Aren't you forgetting someone?" said the large man who entered the medical tent, full of bandages.

"Augur?! You should get yourself treated, you dumbass!" shouted Stephan upon seeing his teammate ready to join the frontlines once again.

"I would suggest you calm down for a bit Steph..." said Yona who joined the conversation after entering the tent from behind Augur. She then added: "Don't look down on Becca's healing powers!" and then, she dragged the bandages from Augur's body, revealing no wounds left whatsoever.

"I am all fine, now. This shorty too, so please, don't cast us away," said Augur, while Yona, a bit irritated by the comment he's made on her height agreed.

"I-Is that so? Alright... Glad to have you back!" he said. With this, their group was almost complete, and thus they headed towards territory D-4.

1.

 Romania, Tryphon Household, The Year 2177

 "Are you ready, master Paul?" said the hooded figure standing next to him, in the courtyard of the mansion.

"Yes, I am prepared..." he said.

"Any specific territory you'd like to get transported to?" asked the man, a question that triggered a memory inside Paul's brain. "If you truly desire revenge, you will find 'her' there..."

"Yes, territory D-4," he replied.

 After thinking for a bit, the man replied: "Roger..." and then, grabbing a pocket knife, he made a tiny cut on his hand and the blood that poured down transformed into a portal towards the desired destination. This was the transporter of the Tryphon family, 'The Blood Traveler'.

 Upon arriving at D-4, Paul found himself in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by Medium and High ranked demons.

"So this is the blood transport. Judging from the scenery, I think I am where I wanted..." muttered Paul, just before getting attacked by the demons around.

 2.

 After fending off all the attackers that didn't really give them any trouble while heading towards the big fight unfolding in territory D-4, Stephan's group finally arrived at their destination after just over 3 hours. 

 "I feel like we've been running forever," commented Fabio, breathing heavily.

"Stay here then... Also, I'd like Rebecca and Claude to stay here as well," said Stephan, stopping in place. D-4 was an open area, but the place they stopped at was at a bit of a higher height than the place where the two armies were currently battling. 

 Seeing that they have reached their destination, Fabio prepared his sniper and took a position covering the battlefield. Rebecca was useless in the fights and had to stay back and heal the wounded, while Claude was tasked with defending the two of them, as the Support 2 of their team. Even though Stephan was also a Range Damage type of fighter, he was also proficient in Close-Range, so he chose to go to the battlefield together with the other 4 members.

 As if to signal their arrival, Stephan shot an Arrow Rain on the battlefield, taking out several Medium-Ranked demons, and wounding some High-Ranks. Augur and Yona have already rushed in the middle of the fight, while Samira and Dena were staying close to Stephan since he was a vulnerable fighter. If a stronger demon managed to get close to him, he might not be able to keep up.

 On the eastern side of the battlefield, one man was wreaking havoc in the enemy lines. Running his katana through the hard skin and flesh of the High-Ranked demons, at an inconceivable speed, was one of the Chouten: Dumitru Forester. His army cheered him on, and while some of them attempted to aid him in battle, most felt useless and let him do his thing.

 "Everyone! Go and aid in the centre side! Your presence is not needed here!" shouted Dumitru while many demons were launching their demonic power at him. After voicing his order, he seemed to have disappeared from the way of the attack, and then, over 10 demons that were close by lost their heads.

 "R-Roger!" shouting at once, the large group of approximately 1 thousand soldiers ran towards the centre of D-4, where the battle was thought to be the most intense. Little did they know that walking towards there would signal their end.

 The flanks of D-4 were full of soldiers from both camps, and the battles were harsh, but in the centre of D-4, only two figures stood on a mountain of corpses.

 "This is so boring~," said the alluring demon that was playing with the head of a fallen soldier.

 Next to her, stood a Special Rank, tall and looking like a middle-aged man, his hair black, with the most distinctive feature about him is the black demonic arm, typical to Special Ranks. 

"I feel like you are bored, lady Asmodeus, but worry not... I've got a message that Snowfall's teammates were heading towards this battlefield," said Anton who was reading the letter he was holding.

"Wait, really?! Snowy is coming here?!" she asked enthusiastically, but without any answer. She then looked at Anton dumbfounded, and muttered: "Well, not like you can hear me..." and then tracing her fingers through the air, she created floating text with her demonic energy. 

 Seeing this, Anton answered: "Snowfall? He was not seen with his group, so I've got no information about him."

"I see~ Well if they are coming here, he's bound to do so as well," she said, fidgeting with her long, red hair. 

 After she said that, another group of around 1 thousand soldiers arrived at the gruesome scene. They were completely horrified upon witnessing the scenery, and then, after Asmodeus rose from the mountain of corpses, the soldiers started to kneel just feeling the immense pressure she was emitting.

 "Well well, another bunch of boring humans~," she said rather disappointed, and then, with a snap of her fingers, black flames ignited from the ground, taking the lives of all the soldiers in an instant.

 3.

 The Vatican, Western Side of Territory D-4, The Year 2177

"This is not going anywhere! They just keep coming, no matter how much we eliminate!" shouted Augur, continuously punching the approaching demons.

"Someone has to be summoning them... Demons can't come from Hell when they desire!" said Yona, covering Augur's back.

 "So this is the situation, that's why this fight's threat level is that of S," said Stephan who then added: "If someone doesn't stop the Deadly Sin that keeps summoning these guys, we are bound to lose."

"Are you hearing yourself, Stephan?! Nobody can defeat those guys! Heaven better make sure to send help soon!" said Augur, keeping the demons from advancing towards D-3.

"Heaven doesn't care about this kind of problem. After all, their forces are even smaller than ours... They can't just send the defending forces of Heaven on Earth," explained Dena.

"God couldn't create new angels for thousands of years, and there are very few left in Heaven now, while it is also incredibly hard for them to come to Earth," explained Stephan.

"But what about the Heavenly Transporter under the Cathedral of Vatican? Don't the demons need that to get to Heaven? Can't they just send someone strong to help us here?" asked Fabio.

"Apparently, it is just a one-way ride... There is no transporter to Earth in Heaven. It got destroyed by Lucifer hundreds of years ago in a war when both sides had the ability to travel freely," explained Stephan.

 Hearing the conversation unfold, Claude stood silent, thinking about what he saw in his previous battle when he was still at the Academy. His group was slaughtered in cold blood by a powerful High-Ranked, and he was left the sole survivor. The blinding light that saved him, and the beautiful golden wings that he's seen. If that wasn't an angel, what else could it be? While lost in these thoughts, he didn't even realize that one demon snuck next to him, prepared to strike.

 "Claude! Left!" shouted Rebecca, creating a barrier with her Holy Medium.

"What are you doing, Claude?" muttered Fabio who aimed at the demon next to them. Rebecca released the barrier, letting Fabio's bullet pierce the demon.

 "I am sorry, I was just, lost in thoughts..." apologised Claude, who then took back his position. "I have no time to think about such things... We are at war and my role right now... Is to stop the same thing from happening again!" he thought.

 4.

 Fighting continuously for hours, all tattered and worn, Stephan received a notice that the Deadly Sin of Lust was wreaking havoc in the centre of D-4. 

 "So this is her doing" muttered Stephan, who then heard the soldier giving intel to the one in charge of the area next to them.

 "One Bronze-ranked soldier was identified on the battlefield!" said the soldier.

"What? I thought that only Silvers and above were allowed to participate in this war," said the leader upon hearing the details. "Did he identify himself?" he added.

"Yes, Romanian Academy student, Bronze-Ranked B-Tier, Paul Tryphon!" said the soldier.

"What?!" shouted Stephan, attracting the attention of both his teammates, but also the leader that received this information.

 "What's wrong, Eagle?" asked the leader.

"Did you just say that Paul Tryphon is here?!" he asked, with a worried expression on his face.

 "Y-Yes, now that I think of it... You two have the same family name," said the leader.

"Of course we do, sir! He's my cousin! Where was he last spotted?" he asked, facing the soldier that forwarded the information.

"We wanted to stop him, but he ran off after defeating a large group of demons. He was heading towards... The centre," he said.

"Tsk, that idiot!" shouted Stephan. He then turned on his communication device and told everyone: "I am going towards the centre, you take care of the situation here!" and then he ran off, avoiding numerous enemy attacks.

"He is doing what?!" shouted Augur. "Did he go nuts?!" he added.

"He seems to have gotten some new information just now, but..." muttered Rebecca who then got interrupted by Augur's angered shout: "That suicidal idiot! I am going with him! It's not like I am bound to fight here."

"Agreed..." said Yona who started running off on her own, towards the centre, just before Augur could.

"I guess we are doing it too then. We are a team for now, anyway," said Fabio, facing Claude and Rebecca. The two of them nodded, and then, after meeting up with Dena and Samira, they followed after Augur and Yona, trying to catch up to Stephan.

 After running just a bit less than 20 minutes, Stephan arrived at the scene... Asmodeus, more bored than ever was standing there, next to her aide Anton, on a mountain of corpses. The pronounced smell of blood filled Stephan's nostrils, and the strong pressure of the deadly sin could be heard from afar. 

 Following right after him, his group arrived, their eyes wide open upon seeing the scenery. 

 "Oh, look~! It's Snowy's friends! There's even more than last time~!" shouted Asmodeus. Anton rose his hand as if he was saluting the group, and then after analyzing them for a bit, Asmodeus asked: "Soo, say~ Where's Snowy?" 

 "Th-that's what we should ask you!" shouted Fabio.

 "Huh, quite bold~ But I am afraid that I don't understand what you mean..." she said.

"Don't play dumb, deadly sin... Your friend took Snowfall to Hell days ago!" said Augur.

 The look on Asmodeus's face turned grim at once... She rose from her place on the corpses and with a dark aura enveloping her, she asked with a dark tone: "Where did you say he is...?" 

"Paul's not here... And this situation looks bad," thought Stephan who then said: "As we said, A Deadly Sin took him away! The Deadly Sin of Sloth: Belphegor!" Stephan's aim here was to buy time, or maybe even convince her to spare them.

"B-Belphegor... That annoying brat. How dare he?!" she shouted, her power rising. The corpses underneath her evaporated, and she took a step forward.

"When did it happen...?" she asked.

"T-Two days ago!" said Stephan.

Hearing this, Asmodeus subsided her energy and said: "Then, it's fine... He couldn't achieve his goal in such a short period, so I can find them easily. How dare he go ahead and do how he pleases?" she said, turning around and facing Anton. Understanding the situation, Anton started opening a portal back to Hell, while Asmodeus slowly walked towards it.

"Is it over...?" muttered Stephan. But this peace and quiet were about to be shattered into tiny pieces, by an unexpected call for blood: "Lust, Asmodeus! I've come..." said Paul, appearing out of nowhere, as if he's teleported. 

 Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance, which made Asmodeus stop in her tracks.

"P-Paul?" muttered Rebecca.

"Wait, how did you get here? And where were you?!" shouted Fabio.

"Did you call my name, human?" said Asmodeus, turning around to face him.

"I would apologize for being too late... But I also don't feel the need to apologize to your kind," said Paul, invoking his Soul Type.

"P-Paul...? Too late for what...? Stop it," Stephan was filled with fear for what was about to happen, and for what was currently going through his cousin's head.

"Too late to take her head..." said Paul in a low, lifeless tone.

"Aren't you a little cheeky-?" but she stopped mid-sentence, to block the sword that was just about to graze her neck. Paul's dashed right next to her in a matter of seconds and was already in close quarters with her. 

 Seeing the scene, Anton tried grabbing Paul's hand, but his speed was not enough. Dodging him, Paul took a step back and then attacked the Sin once more. 

"You little-!" she started attacking him back, but Paul was parrying all of the attacks with his tremendous speed and reaction time. He seemed to be on equal footing with her at the moment, but his disadvantage was that there were two opponents. Anton caught Paul's foot and slammed him into the ground, making him spurt a lot of blood, but without even a second of delay, he rose up once more and dodged the incoming black-fire attack coming from Asmodeus.

 "What are we watching...?" asked Augur, completely astonished.

"An idiot at work, that's what!" said Stephan, launching countless light arrows towards Anton as he answered Augur.

 "So we are playing this game, huh? Alright then... If we die, it's all on Paul!" said Fabio, taking a few steps back, and preparing his sniper. 

 Yona and Augur understood the situation and hurried next to Paul who didn't even look at them for once. They faced Anton, who seemed to be weaker than Hamon in terms of raw power, and tried separating him from Asmodeus. Rebecca and Dena fell back, to support the backlines, knowing that they couldn't approach Asmodeus carelessly. 

 "Lion... Full Body!" Claude called at his Soul Type, turning his entire body into that of a lion, bigger than a regular one, and went towards Stephan. Understanding the meaning of this action, Stephan mounted on him, and Claude started running around while having his rider shoot arrows from everywhere. 

 Samira rushed to Paul's side, trying to help him, but Asmodeus's pressure was too much for her to handle.

 "Get back, insect!" said the demon, firing black fire towards her. 

"I can't dodge it!" she thought, but then, slashing her once with his katana, and then kicking her from the side, Paul launched Samira tens of metres away from the radius of the spell.

 "You are fighting me, demon," he said, assaulting Asmodeus with a flurry of attacks.

 "Something's wrong with Paul..." muttered Rebecca, catching Fabio's attention who was aiming specifically for an opening in Asmodeus's defences.

 "You can tell too, right?" he said.

 "What do you mean?" asked Dena.

"Well, the fact that he's not tired at all, but also, he was our support two, not a frontline fighter as it may seem now. If I remember, he had both the Soul Factor of Tiredness and the Soul Factor of Sickness, so he's always tried not to put in much effort because he would always get tired and fall ill easily," explained Rebecca.

"But now, he seems like a totally different person..." muttered Fabio.

 Holding his black blade in one hand, Paul brought out his Holy Medium, creating yet another sword. He's realized that he won't be able to easily damage Asmodeus with just his Soul Type, so he chose to take on an extra-aggressive approach. After a few strikes, he managed to wound Asmodeus's arms bit by bit.

 "So you are not good at dealing with holy power... Noted!" he said as he continued his attacks.

 "You brat..." she muttered, just before releasing more of her power. The shockwave provoked by her knocked him back a few metres, and after looking back at his target, he saw a sudden change. She released her demon form for the first time in this fight, and then, with tremendous speed, she charged towards Paul, who barely managed to block the attack.

 He kept his feet firmly on the ground, while the shape of the terrain behind him got changed by just the pressure emitted by that last attack.

 "Back off-" he muttered, pointing his black katana towards her, and upon doing so, she was now the one knocked back. But it didn't happen because Paul used any force, but it was like a natural phenomenon. She felt like falling back, or more like, she was being dragged behind.

 "So that sword has some tricks, after all," she said.

 "Glad you noticed," he said as he charged back at her, aiming for her neck.

 "My arrows can't even get near her... How is he still fighting?" thought Stephan, who then shifted his attention to Anton, who was easily avoiding Yona's and Augur's attack, while keeping an eye on the situation regarding his master.

 Seeing him look cornered, Stephan started targeting Anton, from behind, cutting one of his escape routes. However, the Special Rank didn't even seem to care about the multiple attackers focused on him, and he continued to dodge their attacks while analyzing the situation.

 "Master Asmodeus is using 20% of her power already... That human is truly interesting," he muttered. Hearing this, Yona stopped for a bit, eyes-widened and said: "Only 20%...?" 

 Letting her guard down, she received a kick in her abdomen from Anton who grasped the opportunity in front of him. He then put demonic power into his arm, and with one quick jab, he instantly knocked Augur out. 

 "Yona, Augur!" shouted Stephan, who was now the next target. But between him and the hybrid, was Samira who has just received medical aid from Rebecca. 

 "Show me what you've got," she said, as she attacked him with her created rapier. Her skill with weapons was truly beautiful and refined. Even though she didn't have any amazing Soul Type, she made up for it with hard work and craftiness. 

 "Magnificent skill, very entertaining," said Anton, as he exchanged blows with his enemy. Then, seemingly out of respect for his opponent, he invoked his own rapier. "This is my Soul Type... A long time has passed since I've had a normal duel with someone," he said quietly. His rapier started glowing red, and every hit that seemed to have been blocked by Samira still managed to create tiny cuts on her body.

 "This is... I can't block it!" she said, taking one step back, just before swiftly going for a pierce attack. Anton easily dodged the incoming strike and intended to cut her arm, but she let go of her sword, and created another with her left hand, attacking Anton from the side, forcing him to dodge.

 "Truly wonderful, I might even want to fight you seriously, young lady," he said.

"Tch, he isn't even fighting at his best now... His blade seems to be able to cut me even without making contact. I suppose its size isn't the physical blade, but it has an extension, like an unseen blade. So the true size of his Soul Type might be like a greatsword, more than a rapier," she thought.

 "Arrow rain!" shouted Stephan, then urging Samira to fall back.

"My, my... You are intruding on our duel, young man," said Anton after witnessing the falling rain of light arrows approaching him, but then, with speed almost unseeable to the naked eye, he rushed to Stephan, and stabbed his abdomen with his sword. "Learn politeness in the afterlife..." he added, just before turning towards Samira once more.

 "Grh! You dirty-" Claude shouted upon attacking Anton from behind, but Anton's rapier was already ready to take his life from the moment he jumped towards him. "Tch, he's going to stab me..." realized Claude, turning his lion transformation off, so he could dodge to incoming hit. The attempt was successful, but he didn't manage to dodge the kick following after the blade, which threw him away, breaking a few of his ribs in the process.

 "Claude! Stephan!" shouted Samira.

"Mister Stephan!" shouted Dena, rushing towards them from the backlines.

"Stop it, miss Dena!" shouted Rebecca.

 Seeing the scene, Anton, rushed at Dena who was now out of position and was one step away from dealing a fatal blow to her.

"I am too far! I can't intervene-" thought Samira as she ran towards Dena.

 Then, the sound of metal hitting followed... Blocking the sword that was about to hit Dena, Dumitru appeared out of nowhere, facing Anton.

 "We meet again, Anton the Fallen," said Dumitru.

 "Oh, if it isn't my eternal rival, Dumitru Forester... I am sorry, but I've already found myself a playing partner."

 "That's quite nice... But I hope you realize the situation you are in," said Dumitru, who then added: "Nevermind, you can't hear me anyway."

 Rushing towards Dumitru who was now shielding Dena, Anton attacked fiercely with his rapier. Dumitru knew that trying to block Anton's Soul Type was a mistake in itself, so he was only left with dodging. However, he could not dodge aimlessly, since there was one defenceless person behind him.

 "Tch, I have to act..." said Dumitru, and then, he used the Soul Type that granted him the rank of Chouten. He took Dena and instantly took her back to her original position. Nobody but one person on the battlefield understood what was happening. Anton also seemed to have teleported with Dumitru, and now his ability shone once again... He and Anton reappeared a few metres away, Dumitru holding Stephan's fainted body. And then, he instantly took him to Rebecca.

 To anyone watching this, it seemed like he was teleporting, but Anton also managed to follow up with him every time.

 "Even though I am immune to it, your ability is still annoying to deal with... If you didn't have it, these kids would've been dead by now, and we would have been able to fight without any restraints," said Anton.

"I won't even try to reply with words... I am sorry for making you wait. Now... let's go!" said Dumitru, who was already clashing blades with Anton after making his comment.

 "I don't understand anything... How is he teleporting, and how is that demon guy following him everywhere?" asked Fabio astonished at the high-level duel the two men were taking part in.

"The Chouten... Individuals with Soul Types so strong, that they can rival even the likes of the Archangels and Deadly Sins. Powers deemed so dangerous, that they are often sealed or destroyed for the greater good..." said Samira, who arrived next to Fabio, Rebecca and Dena, panting heavily.

"I have heard of that, but that doesn't answer my question..." muttered Fabio who then added: "What does mister Dumitru's Soul Type actually do?"

"Wait, you don't know, yet you've been under his care for more than a year?" muttered Stephan who just regained his conscience.

"S-Stephan!" shouted Dena, who hugged him with tears in her eyes.

"Dummy, we are on a battlefield, pay attention..." muttered Stephan who then faced Fabio and said: "Mister Forester's Soul Type is called the Super Sonic. It is a regulator type that allows him to stop the time of anyone that hears him..."

"Wait, time stop?!" shouted Fabio

"Well, it's not unbeatable... He can't move in stopped time forever, as you saw, he has a limit. That's why he appears and then reappears, but technically, it's still stopping the time for others..." explained Stephan.

"I understand now... Anton is deaf. Meaning that he can also move in mister Dumitru's stopped time," said Samira upon realizing the motive why Anton's been able to keep up with Dumitru.

 From their point of view, they were just disappearing and reappearing in different spots every few seconds, but instead, they were having a long, regular sword fight that those around could not even witness.

 "I didn't think that I'd ever say this... But mister Dumitru is amazing when he's not talking about music 24/7!" said Fabio enthusiastically.

 Meanwhile, on the other front, Paul was still pushing Asmodeus to the limits of her demonic transformation. His dual-wielding technique was good for both offence and defence, and the holy attribute of his medium gave him enough power to cut a Deadly Sin. And on top of that-

"I've got you, human-" said Asmodeus who managed to brush off Paul's last attack, and was now in a position that allowed her to counter-attack. Or so it seemed...

"Back off..." once more, holding his Soul Type tightly, he knocked Asmodeus back a few metres without even touching her.

"That sword's power! It is so annoying... Well then, let's go even further! Next Release!" she shouted, transforming her body once more. All the remaining human parts put on a sort of demonic armour, and black fire ignited from the ground at her every step.

"Oh, will your student be fine? She wants to finish him off right now..." muttered Anton while exchanging blows.

 Taking a look at Paul's opponent, Dumitru was filled with horror. He knew what that demonic armour meant, and that could only signal the destruction of the entire country. 

 "Tch, I am sorry Anton, but I have to beat you faster now..." he thought, relentlessly attacking his opponent with his Holy Medium.

But just then, he realized something... Asmodeus now defied the logic of Soul Types themselves. She could move through Dumitru's stopped time unconsciously, but Paul couldn't.

 "I can't use it anymore then..." he muttered.

 Asmodeus rushed at Paul with incredible speed, and now, she was the one looking like she was teleporting. But it wasn't time control and just raw speed. Even now, he didn't flinch, but he also wasn't able to attack aimlessly anymore. Asmodeus was faster than Paul at this point, but his eyes could still perceive her movements, and his reaction time was on par with her speed.

 "Heh, even now, your master seems to struggle to end my student..." said Dumitru, and then, after a long duel, he managed to knock Anton's rapier away and said: "Not like you can hear me, anyway..."

"Tch, it's always you, Forester!" he shouted, kneeling in front of him.

"A-Amazing, mister Dumitru!" shouted Fabio.

"Why did it come down to this, Anton?" thought Dumitru, looking at the now defeated half-demon, and seeing an image of a past friend.

"This is my end, I guess... Demonic Energy: Instant Transportation," muttered Anton, launching what seemed to be a small particle of black energy towards Asmodeus who was still searching for an opening in Paul's defence.

"I am sorry, master, but if you couldn't finish him at your full power, you won't defeat them all. This is for the better..." thought Anton.

 Upon hitting the Deadly Sin, the black particle expanded and encased the demon, transporting it away.

 "Huh? Where did she go?" muttered Paul, looking at the now empty space where his opponent stood before.

"Anton, you bastard!" shouted Dumitru as he let his sword fall onto his enemy. Blood spilt, and the detached limb fell to the ground and then it disappeared.

"Argh! Forester!" screamed Anton in pain. Dumitru chopped off his demonized arm, which was the root of a Special Rank's demonic abilities.

"We couldn't have kept you imprisoned if I hadn't done that... Transportation was your demonic power after all," muttered Dumitru with a saddened expression on his face.

 Turning his Soul Type into a chain, he tied Anton up and took him away.

"Good work, kids... I have several questions to ask some of you, but we'll let that for later," said Dumitru, as he headed towards D-3.

"Rebecca, heal the other ones too, I am fine..." muttered Stephan.

"It's alright, leader... We didn't get cut open as you did, so we will be alright," said Augur who came at them, carrying Yona in his arms. He then looked at her and said: "She'll be alright, she just needs to rest. That guy probably went easy on her..." 

"If you say so, but Claude-" Stephan commented, but Claude also stood up by himself and came at them, holding the side of his torso with one hand.

"It's alright, after all, Morphin-Types heal faster than regular humans, I will get treatment later. Worry about yourself first..." said Claude.

"I-I see... Well then, don't you have to say anything?! Paul!" shouted Stephan, urging Paul to come closer to where they were standing.

"Yes?" he asked after facing Stephan.

"That's all? Don't you realize how worried these guys have been for you? Also, you have a lot of explanations to do!" Stephan was scolding him, but Paul was just looking at him, with a melancholic expression. After realizing that the feelings he's tried to convey would not reach him, Stephan stopped and looked at him.

 "Everyone, I want to say that I am really sorry for disappearing... But I just can't say it. Because... Would you want someone that's lost his feelings to tell you he is sorry when he doesn't even understand the feeling of guilt anymore?" said Paul, his stare cold and empty as he looked around at everyone present.

"W-What do you mean, idiot?" asked Fabio. Upon hearing Paul, Stephan's look went grim, and he started trembling. He slowly rose up from the ground and embraced Paul with care.

 Not even a reaction... Just a blank look on his face, his eyes staring into nothingness.

"I am sorry, Paul... Why did you do that? Why would you go so far?!" shouted Stephan, shedding numerous sour tears on Paul's shoulder.

"I had to... I remember how it felt to have feelings. I knew what I was giving up on when I did that, but I had to do it. For revenge... That was the deal," explained Paul.

"It's enough! Just don't say anything more... Idiot."