“What’s with the explosion?” David asks.

  Lust stands up and beckons to an injured Hell soul who can still move. With vacant eyes, he recounts how the explosion obliterated nearly the entire Heaven army and took out almost half of Hell’s forces. Lust, airborne at the time, had been struck by the blast, which sent her crashing down as more explosions followed.

  “What’s with all the damage? Was it from the explosions? I thought Hell couldn’t be destroyed,” Wyn says, glancing around at a fallen cable car and broken station poles, as Yu and James help carry him.

  “Only an entity as strong as a moderator could do this. My guess? This is Lust’s own doing,” Violet replies, still holding onto Cateto, who has regained consciousness but is unable to speak.

  “All the toys…,” Mira murmurs.

  It appears the surviving Heaven souls have been transformed into “toys.” As far as the eye can see, there’s no sign of any robots – only empty space where they once stood.

  “Those fucking gee-oh-dee wannabes really meant it when they said they wanted to wipe us out!” Charlotte exclaims.

  “We need to find Crowd! He needs our help!” Wyn urges.

  “First, let’s gather all the essence we can. We have to get stronger if we’re going to have any chance against another one,” David replies.

  “But…Crowd needs us now!” Wyn protests.

  “We don’t even know where he is. I already contacted the nerds to help us locate his team,” David responds.

  “You can contact the nerds?” Wyn asks, surprised.

  “Yes! They can help us with all sorts of information,” David says.

  David then directs the wind users from his team to carry the group – including Fatima, Eugene, and Wyn’s team – back to Ares to collect the dropped essence, while any able-bodied souls are ordered to gather essence from the battlefield where the two armies clashed.

  “You guys…actually did it, and all without me…,” Eugene mutters, breathing heavily as he stares at his missing hands.

  “You need to recover quickly. We’re going to need you. We all have to be in top shape,” David says.

  “Any word on Crowd’s whereabouts yet, David?” Wyn presses.

  Just then, David gets a message from the nerds – Crowd’s last known location was in the middle of another nearby section. Without wasting a second, the wind users fly the group back to Lust, who readily agrees to join them, signaling the armored cats to help expand the search for Crowd’s exact location.

  “Who was the other dude? I didn’t recognize him,” Wyn asks as gusts of wind carry him along.

  “Hephaestus,” Eugene replies, wincing from his injuries.

  “Huh-face-what?” Yu mutters, prompting the poor Eugene to slowly spell it out for him.

  “Let’s just call him Hepatitis. So, we now have Aids and Hepatitis,” Mira quips.

  “Sounds like you’re a little too familiar with both.” Yu smirks.

  “Only Hepatitis B,” Mira says.

  “Thank Hell we can’t get diseases here,” James adds with a sigh of relief.

  Then an armored cat races toward the group, leading them to Hephaestus. Before they go, they decide it’s best to leave the seriously wounded – Fatima, Eugene, and Cateto – behind, while the remaining city cats join them. Upon arrival, they find only armored cats encircling the blacksmith, surrounded by pools of essence and a total of nine bands on the floor.

  “Where’s Crowd?” David shouts, his body trembling at the sight of the nine bands.

  “There’s more of you? Ares has fallen?” Hephaestus replies, his gaze flicking over the group. “And you, guardian – you’re stronger than you look.”

  “WHERE IS CROWD?” David presses.

  “You mean the fools who followed me before? Dead, all of them!”

  Despite the pain in his back, Wyn’s anger boils over, and he rushes in, only to be held back by Charlotte’s wind.

  “Don’t be so reckless! We can’t afford to lose anyone else,” she yells, her voice trembling.

  David stares at the ground, tears streaming down his face as his team and Wyn’s – except for James and Lisa – weep alongside him.

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  “I didn’t think anyone would get past Ares. That’s why I detonated the robots,” Hephaestus admits.

  “You killed your own army? Did they know you were going to do this?” Yu asks, his voice laced with fury.

  “No. Those were Heaven’s weakest souls. They stood no chance to begin with. It’s all for the glory of Heaven; I know they’d understand!”

  “You’ll pay for this,” David says calmly as he wipes away his tears.

  “I may be weaker than Ares, but haven’t you noticed why the robots were so weak?” Hephaestus taunts. “That’s because the best armor is with me!”

  Hephaestus’ features are sharp and rugged, defined by a strong jawline and deep-set eyes that glint with intensity. His tousled, dark hair contrasts starkly with the metallic sheen of the armor beginning to encase him.

  As he slams his hammer into the ground, the impact sends a tremor through the air, causing a series of intricate, golden plates to emerge from the earth, spiraling upward around him. The armor combines sleek, angular designs with brutal edges, adorned with glowing white lines that pulse ominously. The helmet adds to his menacing appearance, featuring a transparent visor and horns that protrude from the top.

  “We’ll make you pay, Hepatitis!” Wyn yells, tears streaming down his face.

  “How dare you mock my name, mortal!” Hephaestus retorts.

  With the ability to manipulate metal, Hephaestus summons hovering drones around him. The group stares, momentarily stunned by this unfamiliar skill. Seizing the opportunity, Hephaestus commands the drones to dive toward them. But in the blink of an eye, Lust’s male side counters, unleashing pillars of fire that incinerate the drones before they can reach the group.

  Lust’s stance makes it clear he’s determined to face Hephaestus alone. Although the group respects his wish to take on the master of crafting solo, they’re unable to advance to the next level until Hephaestus is defeated. Resolving to aid Lust from a distance, they take on more passive roles.

  “We should make Hepatitis call Lust ‘they’ or ‘them’. That’ll trigger Lust’s bowel-destroying wrath, and I want front-row seats!” Mira says as the group, along with the demons, scramble to find a safe distance.

  Hephaestus flips the scales on the back of his armor, propelling himself toward Lust with his hammer aimed directly at Lust's head. Unfazed, Lust catches the hammer's tip effortlessly, stopping the attack cold. Flames begin to engulf the hammer, spreading quickly toward Hephaestus, who swiftly desummons it and, without missing a beat, thrusts a fist-shaped metal projectile straight into Lust’s stomach. Lust reels back slightly, still hovering. As Hephaestus charges for another punch, Lust drops below him, only to shoot upward, delivering a calculated fiery blow to Hephaestus’ groin area – though the deity lacks anything there to injure.

  Taking advantage of the hit, Hephaestus bends forward, grasping Lust’s hands, and starts spinning to throw him. Yet as he tries, an unexpected set of hands – this time from Lust’s female side – clamps down on Hephaestus’ arms. Frost spreads over Hephaestus’ armor, its chilling grip slowing his movements. Then, with a nimble bend, Lust’s female side uses her legs to latch onto Hephaestus’ neck, holding him tight. Lust flips midair, rotating just enough for the male side to gain momentum, landing a powerful strike on Hephaestus' helmet. The impact shatters the helmet with a single, forceful blow.

  “That is the power of a level moderator versus a mere ultra champion,” Catutu remarks as the group watches the fight unfold.

  “Then this should be a quick win, right?” James says excitedly, exchanging a high-five with Yu.

  Just as Lust readies a strike to Hephaestus' head, the blacksmith spins backward, diving headfirst to slam Lust into the floor. Staying inverted, Hephaestus activates his jets, dragging Lust along the ground in a desperate attempt to shake him off. Lust quickly summons an ice pillar ahead, causing Hephaestus to crash into it and halt. Seizing the moment, Lust summons another pillar from below. As the new pillar reaches height, she shatters the first one. With her legs still wrapped around Hephaestus’ neck and her arms firmly gripping his, she swings him down, slamming his body against the ice and shattering it. This maneuver has once again granted Lust’s male side a clear view of Hephaestus’ exposed head.

  In a twisted surprise, Lust intensifies her ice abilities, enveloping Hephaestus’ armor once more. The male side bends low, gripping Hephaestus’ body tightly, while the female side exerts all her strength to rip off his arms in a swift motion. Hephaestus screams in agony as Lust delivers a powerful kick, sending him crashing hard to the ground. As Hephaestus squirms beneath her, Lust dives down feet first, thrusting her legs deep through the stomach armor, all four feet firmly planted on the ground. Not satisfied, Lust uses her foot fingers to sink them into the large circular wound.

  “How dare an abomination like you mock me like this! Kill me now!” Hephaestus screams.

  Still standing inside the open wound, Lust’s female side bends over and lifts Hephaestus’ legs. The force drags his body in the direction of his legs, causing Lust’s feet to slice through his chest. Then, with a fiery stomp, the male side slams down on Hephaestus’ neck, severing his head from his body. Even without a body, Hephaestus remains conscious, screaming in agony as Lust lifts what’s left of him.

  Fires engulf Lust’s hands as he slowly crushes Hephaestus’ head. Just like that, the battle is decisively over. Lust calls upon the souls to collect the essence.

  “What about Fatima and Eugene?” Wyn asks.

  “Don’t worry about them. They won’t be able to fight for a while,” David replies.

  “But they’ll be lagging behind the rest of your team,” Yu remarks.

  “Then we will protect them and make sure they catch up later,” David assures.

  Mira looks up at Lust and embraces both sides, tears streaming down her face as what was once her favorite level in Hell is now filled with essence from deities and souls alike. The city cats gather around Lust, jumping on her and starting to lick her. Once they finish, they move on to lick David's and Wyn's teams before turning to lick each other.

  “Back pain can be healed with your licks?” Wyn asks, lifting his shirt so Catutu can lick his back.

  “Not as effective on internal wounds, but they still help nonetheless,” she replies.

  David, barely able to lead the group back to where the pool of Crowd’s team’s essence lies, slowly collects all the bands before collapsing to his knees in tears. His team joins him, while Wyn’s stands nearby, offering silent support as they console each other. Suddenly, David’s band vibrates. After he responds to the message from the nerds, a portal opens, summoning a group of them, all in tears.

  “I hate to tell you that your task isn’t over yet. You need to ascend to the second level now; they need your help. I promise we’ll keep these bands and your injured friends safe,” one of the nerds says, sobbing alongside the others.

  David instructs his team and Wyn's to gather the essence of their fallen friends. Once they finish, the nerds open a portal for the group and the three city cats to venture into the gaming zone of the second level. With each member now having collected over one hundred essence, Wyn feels ready to face the next challenge that awaits his team.