The creatures of shadow surge out of the stands all at once.

Almost instantly, they are upon Dantalion like a plague, prompting him to take defensive action.

He summons another quartet of demonic swords.

Using only a flick of his fingers, he cuts down all approaching creatures before they can land claw or fang upon his form.

It is a consuming task. However, the jeopardy of allowing even one creature to get too close to him is far too great.

’His energy is tremendous... How much of his concentration is he expending to do this..?’

Dantalion was in a rather dire situation.

His magical power and reserves were great, but his spells could only be cast one at a time.

As long as he was stuck in the position where he was forced to defend, he would never get an opportunity to charge up another of his more devastating spells.

He had to put forth more pressure.

"I am not so easily defeated, boy!"

Suddenly, the swords Dantalion controls begin to grow larger.

Now with every swing, they push forth massive gusts of wind that blow away all incoming creatures, creating much more separation than the demon lord was previously afforded.

It is a relief for him, and exactly the moment he has been waiting for.

His book flips to the very last page. An ominous mist begins to spill from the pages.

However, before the spell can fully charge, a thick, viscous fluid is spattered onto the pages. A magenta flame quickly flares to life.

"NO!"

Enraged, Dantalion looks above his head.

Descending from the sky is the large talon of a great four-winged bird.

Dantalion is instantly struck and driven back down into the stadium.

The sound of snapping bones draws the nearby demons into a frenzy.

Dantalion writhes underneath Malachi’s talon, his pain and anger both evident.

Malachi brings his beak closer to the demon before letting out a horrid screech that rends the ears. His feathers begin to bristle and crackle with lightning.

Dantalion screams as his body is enveloped in fearsome thunder. It is a hell that is unlike any he has ever experienced.

The roar of the demons is deafening. Their fervor reaches such a volume that Dantalion’s voice can no longer be heard.

When the shocks cease, Dantalion looks up at the young demon suddenly standing over him, eyes filled with hate and malice. It is a sight that he doesn’t comprehend.

"...Have I done something to earn your ire..?"

Gradually, Malachi’s skin and sclera begin to turn black. His hair becomes a ghastly whitish grey, and his wings turn into four familiar serpents.

"I didn’t. Until you thought it was a good idea to show me that shitty imitation."

The serpents coiling out of Malachi’s back hissed with mirrored agitation.

They unhinge their jaws in unison, and suddenly it is Dantalion whose vision goes dark, never to see the light again.

-

When Malachi opens his eyes in the real world, it is early morning. And yet, he doesn’t feel rested.

The dim light streaming in through the curtains warms his face. It relaxes him, if only for a moment. He is nearly lulled back to sleep, but fights the urge to doze off with sheer willpower.

Blinking slowly, he looks around his bedroom and finds that everyone else is still sleeping.

Or, almost everyone.

Sei is sitting up with a book in one hand and Janelle in her lap.

Their eyes meet, and she smiles at him.

"You’ve just gotten up, but you still look tired... Want help going back to sleep?"

Malachi blinks sleepily as he stares at Sei.

"...You’d never wear a bikini, right?"

Sei is surprised at the question that seems to have come completely out of left field. "Honey, I think you know I don’t quite have the... boldness for something like that."

"Even if Anna asked?"

"You think she doesn’t already?" Sei giggles.

Their eyes naturally drift towards Annalise, who is sleeping with one of Celeste’s breasts in her hand. Drool has soaked her pillow.

Sei reaches over and runs her fingers over the top of Malachi’s head.

"Don’t do that..." He shudders as his eyes demand more rest. "I have to get up."

"It’s not even 6:30 yet. You can rest for a little bit longer. There’ll still be a world to save at eight."

Malachi shakes his head. "I gotta... do something. I can’t just sit here on my back while Morgan is... god’s know where."

"But running around in circles won’t aid you either..."

Sei gets a sudden idea and places her book down.

She reaches for the nightstand on the left side of the bed where her husband’s phone rests.

"The minute your sister or Tiamat has something to say, they’ll probably text you. I’ll wake you as soon as something comes up."

Malachi nearly concedes; however, he sits up at the last moment.

"I just need to check on Crystal and Emilia first..."

Sei places a hand on his chest and frowns at him.

"Malachi Jadou Saint, if you wake those women up at 6 in the morning, you are going to be the one who goes missing."

Mal’s eyes glimmer with affection.

"...Y’know, every time I think I can’t get any more attracted to you, you just-"

"Hush." Sei rolls her eyes with a smile as she pushes his head back onto the pillow. "Just close your eyes."

Malachi does as she asks as he curls up next to a sleeping Bianca. He wraps his wings around the two of them, further insulating them in a warm, sweet darkness.

"Babe..?" He calls.

"Yes, Malachi?"

"I’m... sorry about your neck." Malachi yawns.

Sei blinks in confusion.

She raises Malachi’s phone camera to her neck and spots a small mouth-shaped bruise.

"Ah... It’s fine. I’ll just put some makeup on it and-"

"Zzz..."

Sei smiles at the subtle snoring of her husband.

She pats his hair once again before picking up her book and continuing to read. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

However, it isn’t long before Malachi’s phone buzzes beside Janelle, stirring the kitten.

Malachi wakes up instantly. "Is that-"

"It’s just your mom." Sei sighs. "She probably doesn’t want..."

Sei’s eyes darken slightly as she reads the simple message written across the screen.

She turns to her husband with a look of subtle worry.

"She says she’s coming by soon... with Hemera."

Malachi knew his mother. She didn’t announce herself before coming; she just showed up whenever she damn well pleased.

If she had given him prior warning beforehand, it was her way of telling him that whatever needed to be discussed was of a sensitive nature.

He was out of bed and moving towards his closet before Sei could even put her book down.