A mix of both refugees and demons began running towards the practiced path during ‘bug-fixer.’At the front was Elipsia and Iris.

  Elipsia grumbled as she kept running forward, “Of course Yarren had to disappear on us now.”

  “I'm worried, where is he..” Iris said as she tried to keep up with the pace with Elipsia.

  She glanced back for a second to see the faint figure of The Behemoth getting faintly closer and closer.

  “I a. ..o.a!” its voice barely audible as Iris turned back around and sped up the walk, her hand shaking as she held Elipsia's hand tighter.

  “Let's go…” she mumbles as she passes Elipsia while still holding her hand.

  In front of them stood two figures, a young girl and an older guy.

  ??◇?

  The Generals helped every single person they could with the evacuation, down to the beggars to the old hero's party.

  Even Sloth helped the youngest of kids to help evacuate quicker as Wrath and Envy stopped fighting to assist in the elderly evacuation.

  Marcen and Emily were at the front of the refugee as they led the giant line of restless people.

  “So, we meet again.” Said Elipsia as she stayed close to Iris and the line, making sure they were safe.

  “We do.”

  She glared at him at his apathetic reply, suspicious of him, she answered, “And you are a General..”

  “And? It just happened like this.” before she could continue this, a figure swooped in before things could escalate.

  “Everyone, stay in line.” Lucy, who had just swung from the back, warned as he returned to where he was to continue preparing a giant rune on the ground behind the line.

  Soon, they made it to a safe distance and began returning to the capital, leaving the two members of the hero party in charge.

  “Marcy, what are we doing now?” Emily asked Marcen curiously, she could keep up with the jogging Marcen now as she ran.

  “We will use this chance to escape.” Turning a corner, he and Emily reach a dark alleyway where two other figures stood. (I swear my favorite number isnt 2)

  “You made it.” In an apathetic tone, Behime who had just finished her job of evacuating the children.

  “Let's begin now.” She indicated to Lucy as he pressed his hand against the dirt, the gigantic rune on the ground began glowing a bright yellow as the symbol of the rune finally showed, ‘$,’ as everything in the area where the rune had covered in its vicinity turned into floating coins, floating towards Lucy and turning vanishing.

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  The houses, trees, foliage, anything and everything.

  “That should be enough to buy it. Let me check on my summon to see if he did his job correctly." He took out a card that looked like a Jack of Diamonds but it had no character on it.

  □?◇?

  There stood Yarren, cloaked and with a fake identification, stealing glances at the two girls at the safe camp.

  “Iris, it's going to be okay…” Elipsia tried comforting the panicked Iris as she struggled with her breaths.

  “Why… why…why… why… why… why…” she repeated through breathless gasps for air as she continued trembling.

  Elipsia turned to the thing that made Iris this way, The Behemoth stood tall and clear, in the distance as it screamed its horrible roar.

  "!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”

  "!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”

  "!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”

  "!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”"!AizOrT Ma I”

  It was deafening, the surviving people covered their ears as it continued walking closer, and closer through the horizon.

  “...” however, Yarren could only sit and steal glances at the two, wishing to help but knowing he couldn't disobey an order.

  What was the mission? to locate the perfect bait, for even a cat needs a mouse to fall into place.

  “YAR!” He heard a pirate's voice in his head, causing him to slightly jolt up, thankfully no one noticed before he rubbed his ear painfully.

  “Yarren, have you found one yet?” The voice asked as Yarren continued looking around, not finding someone Marcen would try to help, “No.”

  “Just grab a kid.” Yarren felt a shiver run down his spine as he heard that order, it was cruel. Oh so cruel, yet the voice did not care, it was the Candidate of Diamonds after all.

  He couldn't disobey, secretly grabbing the closest one, he began running back to the four in the edge of town, where everyone had fled. Only the Generals and Demon lord stayed behind to rid the world of this corruption.

  “I'm sorry..” He whispered as he knocked the kid out, carrying them along as he reached just the two candidates.

  “Alright, set up the bait, puppet, I sent those two away for now but they won't be gone for long.”

  He gave Yarren a mask, a similar mask he saw when the Candidate of Diamonds stole his entire identity before buying the rights to his soul.

  “What do I…” before he could finish speaking, the Candidate continued, “you will put that mask on the little kid, making them look like Emily, put that kid in danger and Marcen will come to save them, in turn, dying.”

  His body was shaking as he tried to resist the order, the pressure, however, was enormous as his body still moved, still obeyed.

  “B-but… what of the child…” he fights his entire being to not put the mask on the kid, “he dies as well, he isn't needed.” The Candidate replied.

  This broke the last bit of resistance as Yarren put the mask on the kid, his face showing resignation and pain, as he felt the ground shaking.

  “Put the kid in the correct spot, they are coming.” The Candidate said, turning to the second Candidate to signal the help required. She sighed and summoned a shadow for Yarren to cross over.

  He disappears into the shadow as the two Candidates begin moving along with the plan.

  □□◇?

  A boy works in his workshop, the heat of the metal a stark contrast to the blizzard outside.

  “Boy! That is incorrect! You must hit harder!” Said the older, gruffy man behind him, watching with an intense gaze as he criticised every action the boy took.

  “The fire is hot enough, what is this? Is that what you call smithing!” Each insult added to the boy's exhaustion yet he did not stop smiling, this was his dream after all.

  The outside did show a blizzard, yes, but it also showed a steampunk esque world. This was not the world the two are in currently.

  “Teacher! Once this is done, will you finally teach me how to scribe a rune into a weapon!” He said excitedly as he finished hammering the metal bar into a long and hard metal rod.

  His skill was beyond any others yet was only an apprentice to the man, “huh!? You want to start scribing yet you can't even forge a metal rod properly?!”

  Smack!—

  The old man wacked the apprentice in the head as he sighed, “when you can forge a proper slate rod.”