"Alright, seeing all that do you have any guesses now?" Akagi asked Yumi as she took her hand off the crystal. It seemed that no time had passed since the start of the memory they'd been shown, a memory that provided many answers but just as many new questions.

{There's no way... Was... Was that Vikes? But... He was-} (Yumi)

"A child." Akagi said as she floated back down to the ground, ignoring the robotic voice's demands for her to leave. "Within this crystal is a fragment of his being, a small shard of his very soul." She sighed, looking up at the massive red crystal. It pulsated with power that flowed down to the base below it and out of the room before disbursing throughout what Akagi assumed were a series of conduits behind the walls. "They've been using it as a power source. I had a hunch that's what was inside when we entered the Dungeon, as the energy I was sensing was eerily similar to my own, and once we got to this final room I instantly understood what was going."

{But I thought you were the only Demon Lord that retained their sanity?!? Vikes seemed normal after awakening his power! How is that possible!} (Yumi)

"It was likely that his was a limited awakening, and recall that I never said that Demon Lords go insane immediately." Akagi replied as Butterfly slowly walked over, still confused by what the hell was going on. "What you saw there was the very beginning of his emergence as a Demon Lord. Something similar happened to me at the mall when Kana and the girls was attacked. Only a portion of my power got loose, but I was still myself. So it stands to reason that a limited release can happen during emotional moments, and seeing his older brother about to die would be more than enough to satisfy the conditions."

{But now I've got more questions. He was clearly speaking to something before awakening, something called Enūma. That's the same name as Halifax's first form and the same name he used for that blade he summoned to destroy the Wolf. Putting aside whatever connection she has to Vikes for a moment, I'm intrigued by the idea that his power could've had a personality of its own. It's not impossible per se, but highly unusual. It didn't seem to overtake him once he accepted the power... Hm.... This only further complicates things... Ugh... I hate this kind of schtick where you get one answer and a thousand more questions! It's bullshit! Part of me wants to go talk to Halifax right now about this, but the other part says to leave things be until after she brings in Labrys! Fuck knows THAT's going to be an awful conversation, and I kind of need her out there acting as a bait for him... Dammit, I don't really like it and she's probably going to be pissed but let's hold off and discussing this with her for a bit. I'll wait until either she brings him in or I wrap up here with the Dwarves. I can't risk her falling apart and ruining my best shot at finding the easiest way of ending this war on my terms.} (Akagi)

"LEAVE THIS PLACE! YOU'VE GOTTEN YOUR ANSWERS AND EVEN DESTABILIZED THE POWER SOURCE!" The robotic voice yelled as Akagi continued her internal monologue.

"Fine." Akagi sighed. "Not like I can't just come back whenever I want anyway, and while I'd really like to take this thing with me I have a feeling the fallout from doing that wouldn't be worth it." She figured that removing the Reactor would cause the entire city of Thin Ledhar to shut down due to lack of power, which would be a problem.

"Hey... You were talking about a Demon Lord there... Just who are you anyway?" Jacob asked.

"You'll find out once you're back on the surface." Akagi waived him off. "Yumi, you ready to teleport us back up?"

"Ready whenever you are." Yumi replied as she stepped out from Akagi's shadow.

"Alrighty then. Mr/Ms. Robot voice, I'll see you later." Akagi snickered as Yumi summoned her staff and channeled her teleport spell.

"NO THANK YOU! DO NOT RETURN! THERE IS NO REWARD FOR REPEAT VISITS!" The voice yelled back.

"Buh-by!" Akagi laughed as the group vanished in a flash of light, teleporting back to the surface in an instant and leaving the room empty.

"SO, A SECOND DEMON LORD HAS APPEARED IN THIS WORLD... IS SHE THE REASON OTHER FRAGMENTS HAVE STOPPED RESPONDING? IF SO, WHY NOT SEIZE THIS ONE AS WELL?" The voice asked no one before the entire room went dark as it returned to dormancy, only illuminated by the faint red glow of the crystal.

_____________________________________________________________________________

*WOOSH*

"Huh?!? Where?!? What?!?" Jacob yelped as the group appeared just outside the Guild Hall. They hadn't been consulted on the teleportation and were taken aback by the sudden scenery change.

"Teleportation shouldn't be possible within a Dungeon!" Merkel said, aghast by Yumi's magic. "There are barriers to prevent it!"

{Such a thing violates the very laws of the Dungeon!} (Merkel)

"Yumi, did you feel anything blocking your magic?" Akagi asked the Priestess as she noted a tremor that seemed to originate from somewhere on the surface as if a small earthquake had stuck in the distance.

{I don't like that...} (Akagi)

"I mean, there was a barrier but it didn't hold up very well." Yumi shrugged, disregarding the 'quake'. "I've dispelled tougher ones during our practice."

{WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE TWO?!?} ) (Butterfly)

"Well, that wraps that up." Akagi said, dusting her hands off in an overly dramatic faschion. "Though now I've got new problems to deal with... It never ends, does it..." She sighed.

{One way or another, Halifax is gonna be a problem... How the hell do I go about this? I don't think there's ANY WAY to be delicate about this whole mess and Elariel is liable to get a face pounding once the Sword finds out... Okay, that might be worth it in and of itself.}

(Akagi)

"H-Hey..." Jacob said to Akagi who was just about to start walking away. "Tell me... Who exactly are you? Your power, and the way you were talking with that strange voice... Are you really an Arch Demon? Or perhaps a God?" He figured that whatever Akagi was she had to be a higher being since it was clear she wasn't a mortal.

"Hah!" Akagi laughed. "My name is Akagi Dumetor. You five have been out of the loop for the past few months so just go ask around for a bit and I'm sure you'll figure out who I am." She said as she and Yumi began to walk away. "Have fun and happy hunting!" The Demon said as she and Yumi vanished into the crowd.

"Okay... Welp... Anyone else want to go drinking and put off thinking about all this till later?" Jacob said as he turned to his party who all nodded vigorously in agreement. "Good, because I'm going to need a massive tab after whatever the fuck that whole thing just was...

_____________________________________________________________________________

"Was it really a good idea to just leave them like that?" Yumi asked the Demon as the two traveled through the dense crowd. "They heard quite a bit of sensitive information. Wouldn't it have been better to dispose of them?"

"Damn, Yumi. Chill it with the blood lust." Akagi snickered as she pat the Priestess on the head. "Bad girl! Down! No bumping people off just because their inconvenient!"

"Shut up..." Yumi sighed as she swatted Akagi's hand away. “As if you don't do just that.”

"Yeah, and in all seriousness, it's a valid question." Akagi replied. "I chose to let them live since I judged that nothing they learned was really of any actual consequence, and also because I doubt they even understand anything that just happened. As far as they know a powerful being had some fun looking at an ancient relic and that's about it."

"Fair, they all looked like a bunch of fish out of water with their funny reactions." Yumi nodded. "I suppose the real issue is what comes next. And by next I mean Halifax."

"Before I handle my sharp Squishy friend, I will return to base and interrogate- I mean calmly speak with Elariel about some new questions I have." Akagi said with a 'happy' smile.

"Won't she just threaten to kill herself again?" Yumi asked, figuring the Goddess would refuse to talk.

"She won't." Akagi said, completely certain that the Goddess would comply. "Elariel knows better than to tempt fate again. She got away with that nonsense once but she knows that doing it again will see me call that bluff and then destroy this world."

{As much of an idiot as she is, Elariel isn't one to try and bluff me twice using the same trick. The last thing she wants is for this world to be erased by me, and despite how much she protests my actions the Goddess has done squat to actually get in my way. At the end of the day, she still sees me as the best way to preserve this world and its people, and she's not going to put that at risk a second time.} (Akagi)

"Will you really destroy Enoris if she uses that same threat again?" Yumi asked, wondering if the Demon really had it in her to obliterate an entire world.

"I would." Akagi said, the coldness in her voice sending a brief chill down the Priestess' spine. "I'd evacuate everyone I want out and then I'd use the Black Sunrise to tear this reality asunder. There would be nothing left. No souls, no Gods, nothing. I will not have a God challenge my resolve like that again. My feelings toward Halifax are one thing, but I will not permit them to restrain me."

"I see." Yumi nodded. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come down to that. I'd rather the people of this world not be obliterated if we can help it."

"Me too, I'd like to continue on the current path if all possible." Akagi shook her head. "Nuking this world from a distance and shutting it down is a last resort. I'd much rather take it over and use its people, not to mention that blowing it up will rob me of things that I want."

"And it may well lose you Halifax." Yumi commented.

"Oh? Are you jealous of her?" Akagi said, nudging the Priestess. “Think she's going to steal me away?”

"Jealous? Of her? No." Yumi shook her head. "I know where your heart lies, so I'd never be genuinely worried about such a thing. I just don't want you to lose a friend that you care for greatly. I may have my misgivings about the thief, but that does not mean I want her gone. I feel it best for her to stick around since she... Well, she seems to be a positive influence on you if nothing else."

{But she still steals too much of my kitty time! The thief must be stopped! Only Miji should take that much time away from me, and even then I don't like it!} (Yumi)

"Positive?" Akagi laughed at that assertion. "I don't think so! If anything Halifax is a bad influence on me! She's-" The Demon paused as she was interrupted by Yumi's magic radio going off.

"A call from base?" Yumi said as she pulled the radio out of her pocket and pushed the connect button. "Is there something wrong, Nima?"

"Well, not wrong per se..." Zephiria's voice came through the radio, surprising Akagi and Yumi. "So... While you two were away... We kinda sorta... Got attacked... Also, Kana killed a giant worm! So yeah! That was a thing!" She said, laughing nervously.

{I knew that boom was a bad sign...} (Akagi)