4-1. Against the Brute
Clash… Clash… Clash…
The Saints assaulted the massive, muscular demon with everything they had. Despite its immense size, the brute dodged or countered every attack, its focus seeming unnervingly precise. With every waning breath, however, the Saints were carving a path toward victory.
"Divine Thrust!"
Orin's spear, a blur of motion, plunged deep into the demon's muscular thigh. The beast roared, dropping heavily to one knee.
"Nice going, Orin! Now let's finish it off before it regenerates!" Lucen yelled, his eyes blazing.
In a brilliant, synchronized flash, all three landed their final blows. Lucen's Excalibur sliced cleanly across the demon's torso, Orin's spear punched through its heart, and Solen's Holy Gauntlets delivered a final, soul-jarring uppercut.
The demon dissolved into a black mist. Solen, Lucen, and Orin leaned on their weapons, panting heavily from the excessive use of their Wonders.
"Geez! That was one tough demon!" Solen gasped, rubbing his neck.
"It has a really massive endurance," Orin replied, struggling to catch his breath. "Almost seemed like its main purpose was to wear us out."
Lucen scoffed, masking his exhaustion. "Well, that should conclude the mission."
4-2. Viktor Wrathborne
Just as Lucen spoke, their instincts screamed a warning. A colossal, noxious dark mass of energy instantly flooded the room.
"WHAT'S ALL THIS NEGATIVITY?!" Solen yelled, clutching his chest.
Viktor rose from his bonds, a terrifying, maniacal laugh echoing in the lab. He approached them, his pale eyes now burning with malice.
"You guys must be kids at the job, right?" Viktor teased, the laughter grating.
"T-this guy… he's suddenly become so contaminated with Vices. How?!" Solen stammered.
"It's just a speculation, but perhaps that demon we slayed earlier was merely a materialization of his Vice," Lucen theorized, gripping his sword tighter. "After slaying it, all its dark energy instantly returned to him."
"That's logical!" Orin confirmed grimly.
Viktor smiled, the expression cold and predatory. "Well… you aren't wrong. I've been named Viktor Wrathborne by the dark forces of the underworld… and I'm a fallen star of doom! The reason I called you here is to renew my blood contract for more power. There's no greater reward than sacrificing the blood of Saints to the Kings of Hell, don't you think?"
"So… all these innocent doctors, nurses, hospital workers, and patients were simply caught up in your act?" Solen asked, his voice low with simmering rage.
"Pretty much. Human lives never really meant much anyway," Viktor replied with a dismissive shrug.
"We have to kill this guy fast," Lucen warned. "When high-class demons slay the body of those with low spiritual energy, they upset the balance of their souls and cause them to roam as evil spirits."
"You've already speculated he's high class???" Orin asked, the playfulness gone from his voice.
"Yeah. Let's prepare for the worst!" Lucen said, instantly dropping into a low battle stance.
Dash!
Lucen was a white blur. The Excalibur swung at Viktor's neck with absolute, lethal precision. Before the blade could connect, a massive dark, explosive blast erupted from the space between them, sending Lucen flying into the broken wall.
Viktor laughed, a pentagram symbol glowing briefly on his forehead. "I told you before, right? I'm the fallen star of doom. I can spawn destruction wherever I will it!"
Lucen struggled up, spitting blood. "It's his eyes! He uses them to lock onto a designated spot and spawn dark explosive energies on that spot," he warned, his voice strained.
"Tchh… that's quite troublesome," Orin replied.
The three Saints burst into full action, struggling to dodge explosions that materialized from nowhere. Viktor smiled as eyes began to grow and glow, covering almost every part of his body.
"Now let's see how you escape my range!"
Boom… Boom… Boom…
The destructive bombardment came from every direction, slamming into the worn-out Saints. They staggered, their Regalia robes torn and smoldering. The three Saints finally knelt to the ground, their hands shaky, their bodies screaming in exhaustion.
"Just accept your defeat… there's no way you're defeating me with such crude moves and techniques!" Viktor mocked, reveling in their pain.
4-3. The Lion's Trap
The Saints' heads were bowed low. Viktor watched them, ignoring the faint whispering he heard.
(Flashback: Just moments ago, while Viktor was distracted.)
Lucen spoke quickly, his breath ragged. "It all starts with you, Solen. I and Orin will pass some of our energy to you right now. Your special ability to hit his soul would come into play here."
He pulled a small, glowing Holy Seal from an inner pocket of his Regalia and gave it to Solen.
"Take this. It's a holy item that will shut off his perception and greatly reduce his destructive strength. After you land that blow, Orin and I would finish things off."
(Present.)
Stare!
The spot where the Saints knelt exploded, but they had already leaped out of the blast radius.
Solen closed the distance in a rush of brilliant white light. He bypassed Viktor's frantic defensive gestures and landed a single, devastating punch that struck the very core of his soul.
Viktor gagged, stumbling backward. "How… did he… close the distance… this punch just bypassed my physical endurance!" he screamed, releasing an immediate, all-out bombardment of explosive attacks.
The Saints were caught in the immediate blast, emerging from the smoke with torn clothes and serious scars. They stood tall, however, and laughed.
"Won't you just GO DOWN ALREADY!?" Viktor screamed, boiling with rage.
The three Saints raised their divine weapons, pointing them directly at the infuriated demon. "What do you mean?" Solen challenged. "Isn't this where it gets interesting?"
That's strange… I just attacked without having a single locked-on target, Viktor realized, stumbling again. It's as though my perceptive skills are off… that rat has done something!
Viktor sneered, his body starting to swell with uncontrolled dark energy. "Well then! If an all-out attack is what you want, you'll get that! I'll destroy this entire facility!"
"Mirael!"
Lucen's golden circle light burst through the whole area, converting the space into a holy ground. Viktor's nascent explosions instantly fizzled.
My demonic energy won't work in here! Viktor realized with horror. But still, I've seen this technique through the demons he fought earlier. It's either he uses 'Valen' or it'll dissipate eventually... except if…
In the blink of an eye, Orin appeared, thrusting his spear straight at Viktor's chest.
Damn it! I didn't see this coming… that punch must have carried a seal that slowed my reaction too! But nothing to worry about… his most powerful technique is the 'Divine Thrust'… even if it hits me, I should have no worries regenerating from it!
"Lancea Caelestis!" Orin chanted the name of his ultimate technique.
A radiant blue holy flame immediately erupted from his spear. When Orin stabbed it into Viktor, the flame began to burn him with a holy heat that reduced demons to ash. Viktor shrieked as his skin slowly peeled off.
"Damn you, Saints!! I didn't see this coming… but nonetheless, I can try using my soul energy to repair the damage!!!"
The last thing Viktor heard was the sound of a fist speeding toward him, followed by the silent chant: "Seraphine Luxora!"
Solen's technique bypassed all bodily limits and annihilated Viktor's soul in one pure, blinding flash. Viktor Wrathborne vanished into thin air.
As his soul dissolved, Solen could still hear a faint, distorted voice: "You're one troublesome kid… the Kings of Hell would hear of you!!!"
Orin and Solen collapsed from exhaustion. Lucen sat heavily on the ground, crossing his legs, staring up at the bright hospital lights now restored above them.
"At the end of the day…" Lucen said, managing a tired, proud smile. "It all went well."