MLIII C4, P9- "United"

"United" is the ninth and penultimate Part of "Miracula Luxia III" 's fourth Chapter.
It was released on 20.03.2022.
== Plot ==
As the city of Paris lies in ruin, Adam and his allies continue to hunt down the infamous demon general known as Arzen.
Even though there are many more enemies around them, their attention is focused solely on him. Now that they know that he is the mastermind behind the destruction that they were forced to witness, they know that there is only one punishment that will prevent him from hunting anyone ever again- death.
Arzen- the demon general himself- claims that his sole motive for slaying the citizens of Paris and hunting for Adam with such glee and enthusiasm is revenge. But there seems to be something else that he is trying to hide from our heroes. Even though he is a powerful creature and a master of magic and warfare, he is tecnically unable to lead such a massive attack on a major city and cause widespread devastation. It is clear that someone helped him out. And, whoever they are, they must be very powerful.
The question is: What are their motives? And, most importantly, are they related to Mordred Darkthrop and his servants of darkness?
== Story ==
As the heroes plan their next move, Adam feels a sharp pain in his right arm. He lifts his sleeve, expecting to see a minor wound. However, what he sees instead of that surprises him.
On his bicep, he sees a deep cut. Someone must have wounded him badly during their exploration. And, worst of all, it is still bleeding.
"Ugh. This is not good."- He says to himself- "Still, I have to move on. Bleeding or not, I have to keep fighting those villains... even though it may cost my life."
He notices that Jon is looking at him. He seems to be worried.
Deciding that it would be unwise to worry him even further, Adam decides to roll down his sleeve and pretend that everything is alright.
"Well, it seems like Arzen is gone. He may be a coward, but he is very smart."- He says to his allies- "However, he is not aware that he cannot go very far. Teleportation spells are complicated and it will take time for him to go farther away from here."
Melanchion nods.
"So, you are implying that the fight is not over."- He says- "That may be so. And yet, it may not be that easy to finish it."
Adam sighs.
"I am counting on it."- He responds- "Finding a worthy adversary has been my goal for years. I will not let such a rare opportunity slip away just like that."
He turns to Jon.
"I fear that our friends may be in danger."- He says to him- "If he did not manage to kill us, then I am sure that he will try to make them suffer instead."
Jon gasps.
"But why?"- He asks- "Why would he do such a horrible thing?"
Adam shakes his head.
"Nobody knows."- He says- "He is slowly losing his mind. Vengeance is the only thing that he lives for."
He stares at the gates ahead of him.
"And I fear that, should we fail this mission, he will do much more than that."
The three of them decide to return to the encampment, hoping that nothing happened during their absence.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. As soon as they get close to the small settlement, they realize that everything went wrong. A brief inspection reveals that the entire place has been attacked (and ransacked) by something massive, possibly a demon (or demons). The small tents are deserted. From the looks of it, the residents are gone, but so are the attackers.
Adam watches as the last embers from the nearby campfire try to burn away and uses them to restore some of his energy.
"There's nothing left."- Jon mutters- "It's over. We've failed them... "
Adam shakes his head.
"Nothing is over yet."- He says and points at the rest of the encampment- "See for yourself."
Jon takes another look and realizes that Adam is right. Even though a large battle happened recently, there are no human bodies. Plus, they see a lot of dark, viscous blood, indicating that the residents managed to make a counterattack and repel their enemies. There were many casualties, but not on the human side.
"Well done, my friends."- Jon says to himself- "I'm glad that you didn't give up."
He turns to Adam.
"I guess that you have a point."- He says to him- "However, this doesn't explain why the demons are gone as well."
Adam shrugs.
"My best guess is that they might have given up."- He responds- "But that just sounds too surreal."
Melanchion shakes his head.
"Or maybe they never left this place."
Before Adam can ask what he means, he senses a demon behind his back and stabs him in the chest before he can do anything.
"Phew."- He says- "That was a close one."
Jon notices something in the distance and rushes to Adam's side. Melanchion does the same.
"Watch out!"- Jon yells- "Here they come!"
As the demons get closer, Adam and his allies prepare their defense. They manage to form a powerful magical shield that will be able to repel their attacks... at least for now. Or so they think.
Too late, the three of them realize that Arzen has returned. He casts a brief glance at the magical barrier and laughs.
"How pathetic."
Then, he points his finger at it and casts a spell.
Soon, the entire barrier is gone. Just like that, the heroes' defense has been disrupted.
"I've got to admit that he is very strong."- Jon says- "For an ancient fiend."
Melanchion nods.
"Evil like this one does not get defeated so easily."- He says- "When he plans to make his comeback, nothing would dare to stand in his way. And that is why he tried to kill everyone here."
He turns to Arzen.
"You were the one who destroyed this place!"- He yells at him- "Is that so, demon?!"
Arzen chuckles.
"That's right. Those fools were no match for me."- He says- "However, what we did to them back here will be nothing compared to the pain that all of you will suffer."
Adam shakes his head.
"I do not understand. You claim to be a righteous demon, yet you let the darkness consule your soul."- He says- "Why are you so dense? So foolish? As the general of a massive army, you are supposed to have a mind of your own, but you simply follow your master's orders. Why do you wish to condemn yourself in such a pitiful way?"
Arzen looks down.
"I never wanted it to be this way."- He says- "However, my honor demands that I must make you pay for what you've done."
He draws his greatsword.
"So, I will fight until I defeat you. Or vice versa."- He continues- "If you really think that you are a noble and righteous Knight of Order, then how about you fight me?"
Adam draws his weapon.
"Very well, creature of the dark. I accept your challenge."- He says- "Do your worst."
Arzen chuckles.
"With pleasure... you fool."
Arzen rushes forward and swings his greatsword a few times, hoping to land a few easy hits. Unfortunately for him, Adam is already prepared, so he simply stands out of the way as he swings his heavy weapon at him.
"You strike with power rather than speed... or focus."- He says to him- "That is why you will find it hard to achieve something like this."
Arzen glares at him.
"I was just warming up."- He says- "If you think that this is all that I've got, then get ready for something worse."
Having said that, he infuses his blade with the power of darkness. Then, he swings it a few times and creates a magical mist.
In a matter of seconds, the mist temporarily blinds the heroes and forces them to defend themselves.
"It's too powerful!"- Melanchion says- "I won't be able to stop it without seeing my target!"
"You claim that you're a powerful creature, yet you can't concentrate in a situation like this?"- Jon asks him- "This is not right. We must adapt."
Melanchion sighs.
"That's what I keep telling myself."
Adam is unfazed by the dark mist around him.
"Such a cowardly attack will not stop us from fighting back."- He says and prepares to cast a spell- "Hold tight, everyone! Things are about to become very bright!"
Having said that, he launches an arc of light into the air, illuminating the sky above with his spell.
The ray of hope is so powerful that it pierces the mist almost instantly. Best of all, it doesn't take long for the radiance to bring it down completely.
"Impossible!"- Arzen roars- "My plan was supposed to be flawless!"
Adam takes a step forward and smiles.
"Maybe you should head back home."- He suggests- "Sparing yourself the humiliation of defeat is still an option."
Arzen roars in anger.
"Never!"- He yells at him- "I made a promise to my liege! I said that I will destroy you! And nothing will stop me! Nothing!"
Adam sighs and shakes his head.
"Some people remain the same until the bitter end, no matter how hard we try to change them."
He points his weapon at him.
"As you wish."- He says stoically- "Then, go ahead. Show me that you are worth respecting. Or fighting."
Arzen picks up his weapon and glares at Adam.
"You and your family killed the Griffins. Disrupted our unbreakable balance."- He says- "Once I'm done with all of you, you will burn in the hottest pits of the underworld, wail in the darkest depths of the abyss. Your suffering will be legendary... and I will make sure of it!"
Adam and Arzen swing their blades at each other. The clangs of metal can be heard miles away from the campsite as the battle rages on.
"Do you think that you are the only one who seeks revenge?"- Adam asks him as he parries his attacks- "What you did here deserves the harshest punishment. And, as much as I would like to spare you and help you live a better life, you are too mad to understand the meaning of mercy. So, I am forced to battle you and end your life."
As he swings back at him, he sighs and looks back at his friends for a moment. Then, he looks back at Arzen.
"But do not think that I hate you. No matter how many villains I am forced to fight, I do not hate anyone."- He continues- "I may despise you for what you have done to my people, but rest assured that I only fight to protect them from the forces of darkness. It is your choice to fight us and protect your pathetic remnants of a kingdom... and it is your choice to die alongside your comrades."
Jon nods.
"If you want to die with them, we won't stop you."- He says- "In fact, we will grant your wish."
Arzen smirks.
"Not yet,"- He says- "I will spill your blood first."
Then, he uses some of his dark magic to bind Adam and hold him in place.
However, it turns out that he underestimated the young hero's abilities. As soon as the dark shackles touch his skin, they are disintegrated by the holy magic within.
Seeing that he has managed to survive, Arzen gasps and steps back.
"Impossible!"
Adam smiles.
"I told you, Arzen. Evil trembles whenever I take a step toward it. The shadows are the ones who are terrified of me."- He says- "The power of light flows in my veins. As long as I serve the Order, I will never back down. I will fight until the end."
Arzen smirks.
"Then fight until the end!"
Having said that, he charges and prepares to strike. A swing of fire blazes forward, striking Adam in the chest and sending him back into one of the tents, lightly injuring him in the process.
"Well? How does it feel?"- Arzen asks him as he gets up- "It seems like you're the one who needs help right now."
Adam picks up his weapon and shakes his head.
"Once again, you are deluding yourself."- He says- "Look back. You will realize what is going on soon enough."
Arzen looks back and realizes that Jonathan and Melanchion and standing behind him. As soon as he tries to defend himself, they attack him.
While Jon entangles him with his magical vines, Melanchion burns them down. The burning tissue that is left behind immediately sets the vile creature on fire and burns his skin to a crisp.
Soon, the fire dies down. It is clear that Arzen, while still alive, now has third degree burns. His face, previously gray and filled with malice, is now pitch black. His evil eyes shine in contrast to the change that has happened to his entire body.
More vengeful than he has ever been, Arzen swings his sword wildly and roars.
"Imbeciles!"- He yells at them- "I've had enough of your trickery!"
He points a clawed hand at them.
"Just because I may be down doesn't mean that you'll stop my desire for revenge!"- He yells- "You may have friends by your side, but so do I! So, prepare yourselves, because the real fight... begins now!"
He points his finger at the sky. Moments later, a dark ray pierces the clouds, alerting whoever is nearby.
Soon, a large army of demon approaches the heroes and surrounds them. Huge arrows fly toward them and trap them in a small circle, preventing them from running away.
"Even if we must be humiliated like this, we will never surrender."- Adam says- "If we must fall here and now, we shall bring you down with us."
He draws his weapon.
"Prepare yourselves."- He says to his allies- "It is time."
Melanchion kneels.
"Jump on my back, child."- He says to him- "Together, we'll be able to burn them down."
Adam tries to do so, but is soon stopped by the demon warriors.
"There are too many of them!"- Jon yells- "Their power is infinite, and so are their numbers!"
Adam casts a powerful light spell that launches a radiant explosion at the approaching enemies. Although it manages to kill them, many more demons take their place and surround our heroes.
The young hero tries again. And again. However, the result is always the same.
It is as if Arzen convinced every demon in the underworld to attack Adam and his allies at once. Or maybe someone else is helping them out...
Arzen laughs as he watches them struggle.
"Finally!"- He says- "I may not be able to kill you personally, but I can still watch as you fall to my forces of darkness."
He looks at Adam.
"Stop fighting and surrender your weapons."- He says to him- "Resistance is futile!"
Adam shakes his head.
"Nothing is futile until we fall!"- He yells- "You will never have the pleasure of watching us beg for our lives! We either live or die. There is no other way!"
Arzen smirks and shakes his head.
"Then go ahead and die!"- He says and points his clawed hand at them- "Servants! Finish them off! Now!"
The demons close in, preparing to kill the three of them. However, they stop in their tracks when they hear someone approaching them.
Soon, a massive army of warriors arrives at the scene, Their arrival causes a widespread panic amongst the unsuspecting demons and a large portion of them are killed.
As the battle rages on, another huge army of humans arrives and helps them out, effectively destroying the demons and leaving a small team of them to fight back.
Arzen takes a step back, shocked and enraged.
"No! This cannot be!"- He yells- "I was supposed to kill them! And you... you ruined everything!"
A horse approaches him. He looks up and sees an aging man with long, brown hair.
It is Alexander Kaos- Adam's grandfather. And, unsurprisingly, he is glaring at him.
"This madness is over."- He says- "Now that we are here, the denizens of darkness shall see our strength."
Adam is surprised to see his grandfather after so many years. He missed him very much, so his excitement is completely understandable.
"Grandpa, thank you for answering my call."- He says to him- "It is good to see you again."
Aleks turns to his grandson and smiles.
"The pleasure is mine, my child."- He says- "Now, shall we finish them off?"
Adam nods.
"Yes. Yes, we will."- He responds- "Together, we shall finish this fight."
Aleks nods and points his weapon at Arzen.
"You expected us to be separated and divided after you destroyed our hometown, didn't you? Well, though luck. All this time, we were preparing to make you and your demons pay for this insolence, for the pain that you planted in our hearts."- He says to him- "You committed a heinous sin and you shall be punished for it."
Arzen glares at him.
"So, you came back? And you brought your friends?"- He says to him- "You are a coward, Kaos. Why don't you fight me yourself?"
Aleks sighs and shakes his head.
"When I first met you, I thought that you were just mad. Deranged and afraid. I showed mercy to you, because I wanted to give you a second chance, so you could see your mistakes and become a better creature. However, I guess that I was wrong about that."- He says to the demon general- "I should have never spared your life, Arzen. Your life was forfeit from the very start... and I simply delayed the inevitable."
He points his weapon at him.
"Very well, demon."- He continues- "If you wish to face me in battle, then so be it."
He turns back at looks at someone in the distance.
"John, tell our army to step back."- He says- "Make sure that nobody will bother us."
John nods.
"You got it sir."
He turns to the army in front of him.
"You heard Mr. Kaos, everybody."- He says- "This is his fight. And we have no place in it."
The army wants to attack and slay the demon themselves, but they know that this would be very hard. And, worst of all, they will lose many of their people. That is a cost that they are not willing to pay... yet.
Regretfully, the soldiers turn back and allow Aleks to fight his opponent.
"This is it."- Aleks says to himself- "My father told me that nothing is impossible. And I will prove it... to him." 
As Arzen swings his weapon at him, Aleks catches it and swings it back at him, piercing his shoulder and confusing him. Then, he makes his move and kicks him to the ground, jumping in the air and piercing him in the chest with his sword.
However, this does not kill the demon. Seeing that he is wounded, he simply gets up and throws him back with his dark magic.
"Foolish old man. Your demise is not far away."- He says to him- "And, once I'm done with you, I will slaughter your entire family. I will take my revenge and I will make you pay for what you did to Mr. Griffin."
Aleks takes a step back. He has a flashback of how he helped his grandson kill Lucifer Griffin, freeingthe young Akira from his malice. Then, he watches as Adam kills Gabriel Griffin personally and remembers how he feared that their warriors would come back and want revenge for what happened back there.
His assumptions were correct. However, even so, he still does not feel bad about it.
Then, he remembers how he spoke with his grandson about what he did. And he clearly hears what they said to each other.
"Grandpa, I... I am sorry for what I did."- Adam says- "I should have let you capture him. But I... I was too vengeful. And I don't think that I can ever forgive myself."
Aleks places his hand on his grandson's shoulder and smiles.
"No, Adam. You shouldn't be sorry about slaying a merciless villain like him."- He says- "You say that you're sorry and I'm sure that you are. However, I think that you're just afraid of what the rest of the demons could do to you. And, when I look back at my previous experiences with them, I think that it's completely understandable."
He smiles.
"But don't think that you're alone in this. You're not... and you will never be."- He continues- "As long as the light within your tiny soul shines bright, we'll always be together. Our bond will never be broken. And, whenever we need each other the most, we'll fight for what is sacred to us. That's the way of the Kaos family."
Adam nods and smiles.
"Thank you, grandpa."- He says- "From now on, I will listen to your advice. No mercy, no regret. Only then, we will be able to free the world from the darkness."
Once the flashback is done, Aleks stands up and shakes his head.
"We will never apologize for what we did. We are not ashamed of it... and we will never be."- He says- "Your leader was a foolish man. He tricked poor, defenseless Akira into marrying him. And then, he treated her and her young daughter like trash- the same way he treats everyone else. Such a man was a disgrace to our noble society and deserved a worse fate than what we did to him. Now that he is gone, Akira is free from his influence. And she will never be corrupted by your petty tricks."
As Arzen prepares to defend himself again, Aleks smiles.
"But I won't be the one who will end your life."- He adds- "He will."
Arzen looks back and, too late, notices Adam, who manages to stab him in the back of the head.
Although the strike does not kill him, it leaves him gravely wounded. 
Unable to defend himself anymore, he watches as his dark magic is slowly drained away by Adam's weapon. Then, he pulls it out, sits on the ground and sighs.
"So, this is how it has to be."- He says and looks down- "I have been defeated. By the ones who killed my liege. And now, I sit here, cold and confused, as I ponder where it all went wrong."
Adam shakes his head.
"It did not have to end like this."- He says- "However, you brought this upon yourself. You foolishly charged into our hometown, hoping that you would avenge Lucifer Griffin. And yet, here you are, accepting your defeat. Times change and so does everyone in this world."
Arzen sighs.
"Maybe he wasn't fit for the role. He was too bloodthirsty, too hasty in making his decisions. Even though some of the matters that we faced were very important, he never took them seriously."- He mutters- "Perhaps it wasn't worth wasting my entire life for this tyrant."
Aleks shakes his head.
"I can see that you've changed. That's a good thing."- He says- "Maybe you don't deserve to die anymore. Perhaps we can heal you and help you rebuild our city? You can be a valuable ally to us and, in a time like this one, every single is valuable, no matter who they are or what they've done in the past."
Arzen shakes his head.
"No. I don't want another chance."- He says- "I made my decision. I fought for that man. I failed. I may go to the underworld, but I will accept it with dignity."
Adam sighs.
"Before you go, tell us more about yourself."- He says to him- "Who are you? Why did you arrive on our planet? And, if your loyalty was split in two, who else are you helping out?"
Arzen looks at him.
"As I said before, my name is Arzen. Until now, I claim to be a demon general, but I am actually what you humans might call a "fallen angel". An outcast from the heavens who was sent on this planet to wonder what he did wrong and repent for his sins."- He says- "And, well, you can see that I didn't. I never answered for my crimes and I never forgave myself. I thirsted for blood, because it was the only way to forget what happened back there. I am a man with high morals, yet I was forced to transform into one of those... creatures. I met Lucifer Griffin while I was still young and befriended him. Yes, I knew that it was dangerous for an angel like myself to befriend a demon like him, yet my honor forced me to lend him a hand. At first, I thought that he was a good man, but I was mistaken. When I saw what he did, I was ignorant of it. I blindly followed his lead, because I knew that his kingdom was my only home. And I felt indebted. I wanted to repay him for his... well... kindness. I looked after his son, treated him like my own. I led his forces to destroy those who would be foolish enough to face us in battle. And yet, I still felt the guilt within my heart. Part of me wanted to run away... but I remained loyal until the end. After he and Gabriel died, I was infuriated. I wanted to make you pay, because they were like my family. My friends. However, I secretly did this because of Gabriel, because he was much more important to me. I never forgot what happened back there. I came here, with the sole desire to finish what they started. And yet, I failed them, just like I failed everyone else. Now, I may die as I speak, but I'll die with my honor intact. I fought for what I loved and I ask you to stop Mordred Darkthrop. Just like Mr. Griffin, he wants to conquer the entire world and use the power of the ancients for his own, selfish desires. I ask you to destroy him and his army. If you can't do it for me, then do it for this world. Heroes like you are a few in a million and you're revered by everyone else. I know that I'll never be like you, so I'll simply accept my fate. Farewell, Kaos family."
He closes his eyes, awaiting his final fate. 
However, he soon realizes that he is still alive. He touches the wound on the back of his head- it is healed.
"Wait."- He says- "What... happened to me? Why am I still here?"
Aleks smiles.
"They say that your wounds can heal when you're honest with others."- He says- "It seems like, by pouring your heart out, you allowed your inner angel to shine again."
Adam is surprised by this as well.
"So, you are a good person."- He says- "Maybe you did not deserve to die, after all."
Jared approaches them, arriving just in time to witness Arzen's defeat.
"I heard what happened back here and arrived as soon as possible."- He says- "Stand up, Arzen. Today, you revealed your story to us and showed us that you are not the true monster in Griffin's army. You deserve a second chance, so let me hear this from you."
He leans closer.
"Will you join us in exterminating your former allies?"
Arzen stares at the demons ahead. He shakes his head and throwshis old clothes away, revealing the armor of an angelic warrior.
At the same time, his skin changes color. From light gray, it turns white, cleansing all of the impurities that used to be on his previous skin.
"What happened back there remains as it is. I cannot change it."- He says and stands up- "However, I have been given the chance to make a difference. I have been reborn. And, now that I can breathe again, I will make my former allies pay for what they did back there."
He glares at the demons in the city.
"And I will never call fiends like those my friends or my allies."- He adds- "They lost all my respect for them. And they will never regain it."
Adam and his family stare at each other and smile. The battle is over and they succeeded in making Arzen see the light.
"So, this is it."- Adam says and sighs- "Despite what happened back there, we have a new ally."
Jared nods and turns to Arzen.
"I hope that you keep your promise, fallen angel."- He says to him- "Because, if you turn against us, I will make sure that you pay for your previous crimes."
Arzen nods.
"The old Arzen is long gone. I assure you of that."- He says- "Now that my soul has been cleansed, I can finally feel the light. I can see what I lost back then, what I wanted to fight for. And I'm ready to correct my mistakes."
To prove his point, he approaches some of the demons that the human army captured. They glare at him and try to attack, but are killed when the demon casts a purifying spell on them.
As they lie dead on the ground, Arzen turns back to Jared and smiles. Jared himself is impressed.
"For someone whose soul was tainted by the darkness for so long, you truly have good intentions."- He says to him- "Very well. You may stay with us. But my warning remains either way. So, be careful."
Arzen bows his head.
"As you wish."
He turns to the demons who walk in the city.
"Now, it's time to send them back into the underworld where they belong."
Aleks nods.
"Well said, old one."- He says- "Those fiends have caused chaos for way too long. It's time to drive them out for good."
As the heroes prepare to enter the city, a scout runs away from it and approaches Jared.
"What is going on, my friend?"- He asks him- "Did you find them?"
The scout shakes his head.
"No. There are too many of... of them."- He says and points at the city- "But I stumbled upon something much worse!"
The heroes look at the city and gasp. A massive army of demons is setting everything on fire, killing every living creature on sight and destroying every building.
"Curses!"- Arzen says- "When I said that the demons are getting weaker, I didn't anticipate that there would be that many of them!"
Jared takes a step forward and draws his weapon.
"It does not matter."- He says- "Our friends and family are in there. We must not stand here and watch as they suffer."
He turns to Adam.
"Son, I fear that there is one last challenge left for us to complete."- He says to him- "Are you ready?"
Adam nods and smiles.
"Bring it on, you fiends!"
Satisfied with his son's answer, Jared leads his allies into the city, ready to free it from the darkness once and for all.