The carriage arrives to the gates of a large stronghold, the gates are the opened and the carriage passes through the city, greeted by thousands of soldiers. Helena stares at them in slight fear.

  "So... Many..." She murmurs quietly, to which Astaroth chuckles, "of course, what did you think, stupid? Archos is probably one of the most powerful nations with the strongest military forces, we need as much as we can get."

  "You say that, and yet i'm sure our father here would be able to destroy half their forces with his gaze alone..." She points to Azazel.

  "Not to say he couldn't, but we can't win that easily, especially with what Lord Lucifer has planned, for you especially."

  "That being...?"

  "You'll see when he greets us at the palace, don't be rash or you won't like how your meeting ends."

  "Kinda like when you tortured me?" She says with a spiteful look.

  "Oh come on, sis! It wasn't like that! I knew you could regenerate! Plus, i wasn't going to kill you, after all, Lucifer would've me if i had!" He laughs.

  She sighs, angry but deciding not to argue. The carriage eventually reaches the palace gates and Helena along with the two Principles leaves the carriage and begins to enter through the large gates.

  Helena looks around the large stronghold, the walls all bland and undecorated, smelling of a familiar flowery scent, a scent she is quite familiar with, the scent of Astaroth's power of creation. A mixed scent of blood and flowers, specifically a nymphae flower native to the lands of archos.

  They walk for some time until Helena and the Principles continue down a corridor into a basement-like place. Upon opening the already rusted steel door they enter a large room with three large tubes filled with a pitch black substance and some water along with a bright light floating inside a tube in the middle, seemingly with no light source whatsoever.

  In front of the tube stands Lucifer, writing down in a book with a pen while thinking about something. After a moment of silence, he walks to a nearby wooden table, setting the book and pen down and looking over to Helena who is still unable to process what she has witnessed.

  "What the hell is this...?" She mutters breathily while looking over to Lucifer.

  "I'm a scientist first and foremost, Helena. I study, learn and observe. Although, often times, my envolvement in matters is necessary if i wish to carry out my plans." Lucifer smiles, gently, walking closer to her while his gaze is downcast to her pearl blue eyes.

  "What do you want from me?" She glares at him with hateful eyes.

  "Oh, still as feisty as ever, i see... Well, my plans have reached a type of... Standstill, per se. And i need you to help me."

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  Meanwhile, Fa Jin had already left the village, going on a mountain trail in the general direction of the Capital until a green light, almost like a comet of sorts, rips through the sky above him. Fa Jin looks up slowly, letting out an exhausted sigh, "i had hoped you had already arrived to the Capital, Xuan Lei."

  "Had nobody told you to refer to a high elder with respect? Using my first name is simply rude..." Xuan Lei says, standing upon a branch on a tall tree, his jet black hair tied back in a high ponytail, flowing back against the calming cold breeze.

  "Respect? As if i have any for you." Fa Jin rolls his eyes as Xuan Lei jumps to the ground, landing perfectly on his feet. "And after waiting for you for five hours here you still treat me so coldly, you truly are apathetic, Fa Jin..." He shakes his head at Fa Jin who starts to walk again on the forest trail before being interupted once more by Yue's clone who arrives from the bushes and steps in front of Fa Jin.

  "Lady Yue brought a message for Lord Fa." Fa Jin nods and the clone continues, "Helena has been taken away by the Principles but Yue, Qiang and Ezra had met a person who introduced themselves as an "Immortal" and they had arrived to the capital city gates by now so i request that you get there as fast as possible."

  Fa Jin nods and waves his hand, the clone dissipating into glowing red mist. Xuan Lei smiles at the message and chuckles, "i suppose you'll need someone to escort you to the city, right? And i happen to have the fastest traveling method..." Fa Jin sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose before finally agreeing. "Fine, i will need to arrive quickly, also, i will need someone to take me to the dungeons, i wish to check up on the prisoner..."

  Xuan Lei looks confused for a moment and then remembers, "Ah! The dragon prince, right? Consider it done, then."

  In the palace walls where Helena is kept, Lucifer begins to speak again in a low tone and slow tempo; "The temples of the trinity."

  Helena stares at Lucifer in bewilderment as he continues, "i need to take the three swords from the temple and form the holy sword again, i will then proceed to destroy it... But i need your help with that."

  She once again looks confused, "why would i help you?"

  "Because i will send you to the void otherwise." After those words, her demeanor changes completely and her expression becomes grim, "fine... I'll do it... What do i need to help you with?"

  Lucifer lets out a chuckle, his voice turning softer and more gentle, "you will use your annihilation powers to absorb the swords and then take them with us to the palace, then i'll destroy them."

  She looks down in defeat, before sighing, after all, the legendary holy sword which couldn't even be lifted by anyone except god's chosen couldn't be so easily destroyed, she hoped.

  One day later

  Ezra had been walking with Yue for a full day, Qiang still on her back as she carried the tall muscular man through the town and forest, autumn leaves crunching below their feet as they tread along a trail towards the city. Ezra had begun to tire already, walking throughout the entire day and night only to seemingly still get nowhere.

  "Are we there yet..?" He asks tiredly, Yue chuckles, looking over to him, "yes, only twenty or so kilometers away now." Ezra lets out a long sigh, "are there any cities nearby we can get to...? Like... Preferably with an Inn?"

  "No, sadly, there is fortress "Ling su" and the Ling Su estate close nearby, owned by the current lord Ling Su Xuan Lei, but i don't think we will be greeted with hospitality there..."

  Ezra sighs once again, continuing to walk with Yue for three more hours, plagued by muscle aches and weariness. They finally manage to get to a road with a stone pavement, before arriving in front of golden gates, decorated with large lion heads and towering city walls, almost fifty meters upwards.

  The gates slowly open and a tall middle aged man walks out, accompanied by two guards, and a smirk plastered on his bearded face, "We've been expecting you, Yue..."

  TO BE CONTINUED...