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At that time, just a bit more than half a mile in front of the group stood Cinkel. He stood facing them. His clothes were torn and burnt in places. The demon boy looked as if he had just come from a battle with his skin scarred and scorched. He looked as if he could barely stand on his own two feet, and his eyes stared off into the distance as if he were in a daydream. The color in his eyes were no longer the usual green, but pitch black; the white was gone from his eyes. Cinkel wobbly stood there, waiting.

..run...

Sheena chuckled a bit at the shy half-elf's words and smiled at her. "Like I said before, Lyra, you don't really have to oblige for a group as big as we are. We'll be fine staying at the inn."

After Regal had taken out his special Rheaird and said his farewells, Sheena, Colette, Kratos, and Azriel stopped for a bit to see him off.

Sheena cupped her hands at the sides of her mouth, calling out, "See you, Regal! Good luck!"

Carrying Oro in one arm now, she used the other to wave at him. "And take care!"

Azriel simply smiled and waved, watching with Eloysio, not having anything else to add.

After that moment, they went on to follow behind Rhone toward Sybak. Eventually, after several minutes of walking on...they caught sight of Cinkel in the distance, near the city walls. The poor condition he was in put alarmed expressions on Colette, Sheena, and Azriel.

"Oh my goodness! He...he looks like he needs help!"

The little angel and the ninja chief were about to break into a run toward him, but were stopped by Azriel's following words.

"Wait a second...you guys," she began in a hushed and serious tone, "He may be in bad shape...but remember what he tried to tell us the other night."

The two looked at her bewildered for a moment, then suddenly remembered. "Oh...that's right. Gotcha," Sheena returned with a nod. Colette also replied with one, bearing a cautious expression.

Being the one out of the loop, Eloysio asked, "...Pardon? What could be wrong with him? Er, well...besides how terrible he looks right now?"

"Master Eloysio, allow us to explain..." Chiaro called out from Azriel's mindspace, knowing that he could pick up her voice telepathically.

Eloysio looked up the side of Azriel's head and blinked. Continue... he shot back with his mind-voice. Chiaro and Oscuro went on to explain how Cinkel tried to communicate with them in a secret manner and told of an enemy of his and how he could control the demon within him. After their explanation, the sprite turned a narrow-eyed, intent stare toward the boy in the distance. "I see..." he droned, as he held his chin in thought.

((Oh, this reminds me, Cinkel. We ever gonna see Cain again?))

((Maybe you'll see Cain. Maybe not. wink ))

Cinkel reached his hand out towards the group and stumbled forward, as if he were reaching out for help. He slowly closed the distance between them. ((A nice conversation or something could happen here.)) Now only a few yards away, he stopped and fell to his knees, but was back up in a second. At that very moment, a image was flashed into Azriel's mindspace, along with Rhone's, Schwarz, and Eloysio since they were once or are now connected to her mindspace. ((Everybody is just a rapin' your mindspace Azriel.))

The image was of what was going on in Cinkel's own mindspace. Cinkel was lifted into the air in a crucified position, and Malphas was on the "ground" in a dazed state and a maniacal grin across his face.

Once "Cinkel" fully stood up, the image disappeared and he smiled. He reached out a hand towards Azriel, "Well, darn. Here I thought things would be easy. Cinkel's just way too use to me doing this. Oh, well." The charade dropped, sorcerous markings began to form on nearly every inch of his body. "Cinkel" looked towards the group with blackened eyes, strangely focusing on Azriel the longest. "I'm sure you already know my name, but I prefer a formal introduction." He took a bow, "My name is Devian. I am a demon hunter." He straightened up and smiled.

Azriel gasped, taking a few steps back, shocked by the scene she had glimpsed in Cinkel's mindspace. Eloysio's eyes widened slightly, then he narrowed them at the possessed boy. After shaking her head and regaining herself, Azriel drew her saber and dagger, scowling at Devian as well.

"...Why? Why are you doing this to Cinkel?!"

Eloysio remained silent as he drew his wand, glaring daggers at Devian as well.

Colette made an expression of discontent as she placed Oro down on the ground. Straightening back up, she pulled out her chakrams from where they hung behind her. She doesn't like it when things get violent, but if they have to, she swore to protect her friends with all her might. After hearing Rhone's remark, though, she blinked and made a bewildered expression. "...'Sodomize'? What's that?" O.o

Sheena, who had taken out her seals and joined the others in making an unfriendly face at Devian, looked uneasy for a moment as she answered Colette. "Er...you're better off not knowing." o_e;; Shaking her head and returning her glare toward Devian, she began to look serious again.

At the same remark, Azriel shot a worried look at the dark elf for a moment. "But Rhone...wouldn't hurting his body mean we're hurting Cinkel as well?"

Keeping a neutral expression as he stared down at the possessed demon boy, Kratos drew his Excalibur and readied his shield.

Lyra stood shocked at the scene, especially at what Uriel had said. Her hands began to shake nervously as she walked forward and stood behind Uriel. "Very sneaky, but I'm staying. If you wanna talk, then we'll talk after this. I'll be sure to tell everyone what they need or want to know." She whispered to the back of his head. She then stepped out from behind him slightly and sighed. She folded her hands behind her back, causing the gloves she wore to glow faintly. When Lyra had brought her hands back down to her side, two medium length daggers slid out of her sleeves blade first. When they were revealed, the daggers blades had something small written into it and the handles had carvings of emerald ivy made into it. The daggers looked very new, as if never used before. Now that she had made her elvish blood known, it would be time to reveal herself to the group.

Lyra smirked. Her change in behavior was mostly due to being called a human but she could get over that. She didn't exactly want the group to get hurt and was determined to help them in any way that she could. She blushed lightly at Uriel's comment. "I can assure you, Uriel, I'm very ready. My daggers will enjoy being used, even if they are mostly for decoration." Lyra said, now standing beside Uriel. She awaited the demon to make his move.

Colette frowned at the confirmation of Azriel's assumptions as she tensed her grip on her chakrams anbd backed away to the side. This fight was going to be tough---she didn't want to hurt Cinkel either.

Azriel, the closest target to Cinkel's body, instinctively raised her swordbreaker dagger so that she could catch the arm-blade in its teeth. "Cinkel? Kill your parents? I'm finding that hard to believe," she growled back, the last word being stressed while she struggled to parry aside the blade.

Eloysio sneered. "Controlling one's body from a distance? What a coward. Let's start off with a good defense, shall we?"

"I'll take care of that!" Colette cut in. Taking both chakrams into one hand for the moment, she used her free hand to trace out a cross symbol over her heart over and over. As she slipped into deeper concentration, she began to levitate and unfurl her angel wings. A glowing glyph also appeared beneath her. "Thy faithful servant asketh for thy blessing. Honor us with the splendor of thy song. Holy Song!" Her body glowed with a prismatic aura, which soon translated into a ring of light that spread over the field of battle. Upon touching Colette's allies, each one of them took on a faint white aura, signifying an increase in defensive and offensive power.

"Ah..." Eloysio tried to think quickly of something else to do, as he was about to go on and cast Field Barrier. "Well in that case..." He held a hand out toward Devian and made it glow with a pale yellow aura, and in turn, another one of his giant ethereal hands appeared. "HRRRRAAAAAHH!" Following Eloysio's movements, it went on to approach Devian swiftly from the side, gripping the arm and tossing him backward away from Azriel.

Sheena had already dashed off to get behind Devian since the battle started, taking a position to perform hand seals while a card was floating before her. And now Eloysio was throwing him her way---which was perfect. "Mirage Seal, Absolute!" The body Devian was controlling became caught up in a whirlwind of cards that spiraled upward, creating a shimmering white fog that lingered about him to obstruct his view.

Azriel kept her eyes trained on Devian as she kept on the move, but was at a loss for what her next actions should be. All she had were offensive spells and techniques, and she didn't want to hurt Cinkel real badly. "Aw man...what to do, what to do..."

"Azriel," Kratos spoke with a warning tone as he moved alongside her, "I know what you're thinking, but idling will do no good. We can only do what we can, and hope the situation doesn't end too badly. Is that clear?"

Azriel was looking back at him from the corner of her eye. With a frustrated sigh, she replied back, "...Understood."

The seraph nodded and picked up his pace, taking a distant position between Colette and Sheena. In a moment of concentration, he prepared a novice spell as he raised a hand out toward Cinkel. Flickering purplish bolts raced from his shoulder to his fingertips as he called out, "Lightning!" A thin bolt shot from the skies, threatening to strike the possessed demon boy.

Azriel cruised out to a spot opposite Kratos', picking up on his idea to cast novice spells so as to not hurt Cinkel too badly. After a short pause, she thrust her saber to point it at Devian, crying out "Aqua Edge!" Her body briefly flashed with a bluish aura, which translated into three discs of water spinning through the air toward her target.

"I'm on it!"
Zelos begins preparing a spell.
"Let's see how he likes... Air Thrust!"

Rhone doesn't move, instead letting Devian rush him.
"Yaknow...I killed the woman I loved..because she was being controlled by a demon.....a demon coward...And seeing you do the same to someone...When I find you....I'll rip your leg off..jam it down your throat and THROW YOU INTO THE OCEAN!"