Chapter 188: Endless Struggle

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The storm kept brewing over at the mansion. Four terrified faces looked in awe at their opponent as he soared through the air. "That's not what I think it is, is it?", questioned Fleur, who remained clutching Aster's chest for safety. The boy pulled her in closer, his own agitation surging through his body. "This is it, we were all played. Just insignificant pawns in his enormous game...", he murmured. He made another attempt to stand tall once more, and the looming thought that he started this, that there was nothing he could've done to stop him only fuelled the fire in his heart.

"Aster, why are you trying again? You know what happened before!", called out Demitris; Aster was unconvinced. "If you want to give up, then that's fine by me, but I know that there's injustice that you want to address. Do you even care anymore?". Demitris's yellow eyes watered as he looked on, at Aster, begging him to move forward. But when he looked at Rou, the desire to sit and watch pulled at his mind. Even so, the threat was too great to consider any other options. In a rash decision, he got up and stood beside his friend.

"How curious indeed...", Vox purred. "The chains of determination, or dare I say stupidity are wrapping around you like a leash!", he remarked. The elusive creature descended, getting a closer look at the two males stares, their hands raising to attack despite being out of reach from his unfathomable being. After travelling a measurable distance, his wings swiftly accelerated. Aster had lost sight of Vox, the consigliere's body but a blur to him. However, when he turned to Demitris, he had utterly vanished.

"Aster, where are you?", the man shouted. His eyes were closed, and the feelings on his skin baffled him as to where he was. As his eyelids opened like a door of clarity, Demitris found himself surrounded by sky, green hands gripping him at his waist. They were Vox's, and he had been snatched from the safe haven of ground. "Hey! What's this hellish setup?!", Demitris objected. He raised his free hand, trying to get a grip of the godlike fae's body. Upon contact, his hand erupted in destruction. At this point, safety didn't matter, only his defeat.

Despite Demitris's painstaking efforts, Vox's wounds heal almost immediately, much to the dismay of the trio below. "He can't handle himself up there, I need to get him down...", Rou said as his heart sunk, witnessing the man he protected fit to be slaughtered whenever Vox felt like it. Fleur got up from her slump, shouting up to the male, "We're coming for you Demitris!". Tears of joy fell from the man's eyes at the sign of rescue, even if it seemed impossible.

"Rou, I can't stand this...", whimpered Demitris, every destructive effort backfiring as Vox's regenerative powers proved futile for the exhausted soldier. Aster turned to Rou and Fleur, "We need something, anything to help us get back up there...", he ordered. Within an instant, Rou's hands grew colder, feeling as his heart conjured up a storm of his own, "If anyone's going to retrieve Demitris, it has to be me, though I will need Aster to help execute my plan...", he insisted. "What about me?", asked Fleur. Rou scowled, "Find a way to lure Vox lower, and attack him when he's reachable.", he ordered, as if it were a footnote in his priorities.

With no regard for space, Rou and Aster stood close, and Rou began to create an ice wall, so tall and sprawling that it could be seen beyond the mansion walls.," Are you sure this is going to work, we'll be stuck down immediately when Vox desires to...", commented Aster. "It's the only way!", replied Rou, his words certain that he knew what was best for him, and Demitris by extension. "Here, eat it...", he muttered, passing the ice over to Aster as the boy obliged. His eyes were fixed on Vox, and he drew his sword in the fae's direction. "Ice Forme!".

The Ice from Aster's sword surrounded Vox, missing Demitris by a hair. "Rou...Rou...", the Ruby haired soldier uttered repeatedly. However, he wasn't safe just yet. "Child's play...", the voice beneath the ice remarked. Within seconds, Vox burst out of his prison, "Ice is such a fragile thing...", he announced to the pair, dangerously tempted to push them down to the ground. Rou growled, "How dare you-". Aster silenced him, "It's not our job to attack, it's our job to save.", he prefaced, eagerly pointing down to the floor.

Below the ice wall, Fleur remained focused as ever, her eyes hyper focused on waiting for Vox's descent. The sweat dripped down her hands with how tightly she held onto her sword as seconds felt like hours before Vox finally made his way down. Fleur became hungry for blood, the fae closing the distance between them. At the last possible moment, she hurled her sword at the callous manipulator. The skin on his chest ripped apart into a huge gash,which no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fully heal.

For the first time in hours, Aster smiled. For once there was progress, a chance that the impossible task was possible, but all that ended when Vox descended once more, loosening his hold on Demitris. "No, this can't be how I die, I haven't married Rou yet...", the red haired man thought as he dangled from Vox's shoulder. "Your endeavours are futile, Demitris...", he chuckled. At last, he let his adversary go, letting him free fall to his deadly fate.

"Demitris, he can't, he won't...", Rou's eyes welled up with tears and Aster tried his best to console him, but couldn't help but couldn't help but focus on his friend as he fell from a great height. Fleur frantically scrambled, approximating the place where Demitris would become a splatter of blood on the floor and holding up her shaking arms in hopes of catching him. She wanted to shout, but that would lose seconds, precious time to save his life.

The fall was rapid, and as the elf realised she was completely off course, Demitris was inches from the ground. It was hopeless, impossible even, but from the shadows at an unimaginable speed, someone emerged. His features were pale and his mind was confused, yet all he cared about was safety, because this fight was the only way to kill his demons.In a twist of fate, Edward had caught Demitris in his arms.

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