Unlike their previous formations, the souls are far from energetic. Some are lost in thought, others are visibly trembling, and a few are still crying. Among them, David’s team does their best to console the grief-stricken Violet, with Charlotte holding onto her tightly the entire time. Even Wei seems more distant than usual, needing occasional nudges from Steve to stay focused as they announce what’s next.

  “What did the nerds say? And what about Big D?” David asks, standing beside the two leaders.

  “No word from Big D yet, but the nerds congratulated us and shared their condolences for our losses,” Steve replies. “As for the next level…”

  Uncertain of where the portal to the next level is, Wei sends a message to the nerds, hoping they can help locate it.

  “Why do you look upset?” Wyn whispers.

  “I told you I didn’t wanna sleep alone, yet you left,” Yu teases with a half-serious, half-playful smile.

  “I’m so sorry, honey. Next time, you can have me all day and night,” Wyn responds, matching the playful tone.

  In the meantime, Wei receives a reply from the nerds, who inform him that the army must return to the same place they emerged from. However, in the vast, featureless expanse where everything looks identical, searching is inevitable. Letting out an uncharacteristic sigh at the response, Wei orders the army to move together and begin the search for the portal.

  “I’m sure Gluttony ate some of us,” a soul whispers to another, the comment drifting into Wyn’s hearing range.

  Wyn presses his fingers against his temples, trying to focus on the mission without letting his rage take over.

  After what feels like days, the army finally locates the portal.

  “Before we proceed, I have something to say,” Steve announces, his voice trembling. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” With that, he bursts into tears, the weight of everything finally breaking through his composure.

  Wei doesn’t respond, simply staring at Steve in silence. David, at first, moves to console him but hesitates, stepping back.

  “We can’t promise that everyone will make it out alive – not even us three,” David says, his tone heavy with resignation. “Take this moment to look at those around you. Remember them. Collect their bands to honor them if they fall.” He pulls three bands from his pocket, gripping them tightly. “I wish I had brought Vivian’s and Ruben’s to Heaven with me.”

  Taking a deep breath, Steve, Wei, and David lead the army through the portal. This time, the moment they step out, they fall, piling on top of each other. In front of them stand a shiba and a corgi, their mouths agape in shock at the chaotic arrival. As more Hell souls emerge from the portal, the startled dogs scamper away on all fours.

  “Sand?” David mutters, brushing himself off.

  Once the army regains order, they take in their surroundings. Behind them lies a large, sparkling oasis, while ahead stretches an endless sea of sand, barren and desolate. Quick on his feet, James suggests that they follow the dogs’ tracks before the wind wipes them away.

  Serving as an overseer, Charlotte volunteers to stay aloft, scanning for the fleeing dogs and guiding the army in their direction. She entrusts Violet to Jesús and Eugene, ensuring she’s well cared for. Despite the shifting sand and occasional gusts of wind, the temperature is surprisingly pleasant, allowing the army to march forward without much difficulty.

  Eventually, structures begin to appear on the horizon.

  “We’re not hallucinating, are we?” Wyn asks, squinting at the distant shapes.

  From atop a sand dune, the army takes in the sight: pyramids rising from the desert, surrounded by souls. Some walk around or chat casually, others kneel in worship before massive statues, and a group toils under the sun, laboring to build pyramids and statues.

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  “That’s a real sun?” Yu wonders, shielding his eyes and staring at the blinding light above the statue.

  “According to the info, this is where Damien and his army fell,” Steve reads from the virtual screen. “It was the third level back then, but it seems to have been reshuffled to the second for us.”

  David leans over to read the next line, his throat tightening. “Let’s see…Ra is likely the only guardian and is very strong. Do not underestimate him. The rest of the gods are like ultra champions,” he says, gulping.

  “So, we’re fucked,” a soul mutters, prompting murmurs of agreement from the others.

  Wei, still looking drained and detached, cuts through the noise. “Keep moving. This onry ends when either we arl die or they die.”

  The pyramid city is walled off, its towering walls guarded by strange creatures standing as tall as the very barrier they protect. Their alien forms are pitch black, creating a stark contrast against the sandy structure. Their heads, unique and elongated, curve inward toward the middle, armored and without eyes or mouth. At the base of their heads, a short, backrest-like structure emerges, covered in deep folds. Their bodies stand on two sturdy legs, with two arms ending in blunt claws.

  As part of the wall slides down, creating an entrance for the dogs, the army prepares to enter through the same opening. However, as the dogs pass, the wall slides back up. The army slides down the dune, preparing to face the creatures and charge inside. But before they can reach the creatures, a massive swarm of locusts appears, flying out from the massive flying saucer hovering above the largest pyramid situated in the middle of the city.

  “Hans, get ze flammenwerfer!” David calls out.

  “David, Han’s gone…,” a member from CU-NT responds.

  “My bad, sorry.”

  The swarm proves no match for the army’s strength, quickly turning to ash under the onslaught of red elemental users. Then, the guarding creatures begin to move, though their speed is unimpressive. Uncertain of what to expect, the three leaders hold their ground while the rest of the army stays behind.

  One of the creatures halts in front of Wei, then suddenly bends down and slams its armored head toward him. The folds beneath its head, which serve as the foundation for its structure, act like a spring, propelling the creature’s armored head forward with surprising speed. Wei stays put, fighting the force of the slam with his sword.

  At this point, more creatures approach the army. David times the next slam, commanding Jesús to hook his weapon to the creature’s head, preventing it from returning after the strike. This reveals its weak spot – a pulsing, human-like brain but free of folds, held in place by a bowl-like structure behind the armored head.

  With perfect timing, the souls strike the exposed brains, and just like that, the creatures are wiped out. Now that the creatures on their side of the wall are gone, parts of the wall slide down, revealing entrances. The souls step inside carefully.

  The city is filled with Heaven souls dressed in light, flowing gowns, their fabric decorated with intricate patterns of gold, though some of the men are shirtless. Homes are simple pyramids, much smaller than the one at the center of the city. While the city souls flee, fearing for their lives, a group of dogs wearing the same outfit as the souls approaches the army. Unable to speak, they raise their hands, and the one in front, a bulldog, signals the Hell souls to follow it.

  “Should we trust it?” Wyn questions.

  “Hey, you there! Come here,” Wei barks at a teenage soul, around Yu’s age, hiding behind a shop.

  When the white-skinned boy refuses to move from his hiding spot, the dogs grab him and bring him to Wei. It’s then that they learn the gods sometimes stroll the city, demanding praises from the souls. They also visit the statues, spending time admiring them. Souls take turns doing labor, building structures – new pyramid-shaped shelters for new arrivals, and statues that are often built, destroyed, and then rebuilt, each time with different postures of the gods. The number of remaining gods matches the number of statues around the central pyramid, which is also where the gods live. Souls that enter the pyramid are rarely ever seen again. And those who do return are too traumatized to speak.

  As for the purpose of the wall, it’s simply to keep the large sand creatures out, as they were placed on this level to prevent Hell souls from reaching the city.

  “But we didn’t see any of them,” David says.

  “I don’t have a clue about that, sir,” the boy replies.

  “So, you just live your life like you did on Earth, except you’re under these gods’ rules?” Steve asks.

  “Seems like it, sir,” the boy answers. “Between you and me, some souls have gone missing and have never been found again. If you come across a dark-skinned, skinny boy with droopy eyes around my age, please bring him back,” he whispers.

  Letting the boy go, the army marches on, everyone on high alert, scanning all directions for potential ambushes or traps. Upon reaching the pyramid, Wyn attempts to count the statues, but the sheer size of the pyramid makes it difficult to see what’s on the other three sides. Suddenly, the dogs howl, and the center of the pyramid wall slides down, revealing a path. The dogs gesture for the souls to go inside. Before they comply, Steve, Wei, and David exchange looks, nodding in agreement – they’re summoning a moderator early this time, and it’s none other than Lust.