A few minutes before the Icon of Sin emerged and Alex and Slayer marched to face it, another battle raged outside the city. Humanity's army, fighting side by side with the Night Sentinels, clashed against a multi-million-strong horde of demons. Even though demons were dying by the hundreds and thousands every second, new waves came to take their place—more furious, more numerous.
Gunfire and explosions thundered nonstop across the battlefield, with bursts of light illuminating the darkness of war every passing moment. Giant Atlant Mechs fought against demonic titans of equal size, and every one of their blows shook the earth.
Alex's girls fought in the front lines. Even Brunhilde, who usually commanded from the war room, now stood on the front line, striking down enemies with her golden spear. Her Valkyrie armor was soaked in demonic blood, but even amid the chaos, she didn't forget to give orders and coordinate the battle.
Saeko fought alongside her father, Michikatsu Busujima. The two of them tore through the enemy lines with swift breathing techniques. Fighting beside them was Beatrix, surrounded by flame glowing white-hot from her Flame Breathing. This trio held the very center of the battle, drawing every ounce of power from their skills.
"Moon Breathing: Calamity — Immortal Proud Crescent!" Michikatsu roared, unleashing a devastating vortex that tore demons to pieces.
Chaos consumed everything around. The vortex cleared a path, and Saeko and Beatrix used the opening. Even a few seconds of relief were enough to catch their breath and dive back into the fight.
"Water Breathing: Dragon of Change," Saeko said, launching her next assault.
Clutching her katana, she moved with such speed and grace that an image of a water dragon appeared behind her. Everywhere she passed, only beheaded demons remained. She moved in a wide arc, relieving pressure on the surrounding fighters. Michikatsu watched his daughter's mastery with pride swelling in his chest. He looked to the sky, remembering his wife, Imari.
In the past, he had been blinded by vengeance and forgot the daughter he should have been there for. His pursuit of revenge had driven him to abandon his humanity—he became a demon, just like his ancestor, Michikatsu Tsugikuni. But despite it all, he was given a second chance… and it was all thanks to Alex—a man he could never fully accept as a son-in-law. Michikatsu knew who Alex truly was, but still harbored a quiet hostility toward him. His thoughts were interrupted by a thunderous stomping.
Turning his head, he saw a Baron of Hell charging toward them.
"This one's mine! Flame Breathing: Purgatory!" shouted Beatrix, and the fire around her flared with renewed power.
Her katana ignited as she dashed forward, leaving a blazing trail behind. Within a second, the Baron of Hell was cleaved in two. Every demon in her path was slashed apart and engulfed in flames.
Similar fierce battles raged across the front. Martial arts masters were in the thick of the fight: Miu, Renka, Chun-Li, Cammy, and Juri were destroying demons with strikes that shattered bones and cracked the earth.
But the deadliest damage came from Hayato and Elder Kwon. Their strikes wiped out hundreds of demons at once. Akisame from the Ryozanpaku dojo, being both a judo master and a chiropractor, crushed demon bodies by breaking bones and dislocating joints. Kensei fought alongside his wife, Madam Ju—their deadly duo left not a single enemy standing.
"Ha-ha-ha! Just like the good old days, darling! Remember how we used to fight together?" laughed Kensei, standing back-to-back with his wife.
"Less talk, dear, more fighting," Ju Ma shot back over her shoulder. "If I had known back then what a pervert you'd become, I would've locked you in the basement from the start."
Kensei gulped when he caught his wife's stern gaze. But the moment he saw a demon charging at Ju, anger flared in his eyes. He vanished from his spot and, in the blink of an eye, appeared in front of the enemy, slamming his palm straight into the demon's chest. A gaping hole tore through the creature's torso. Kensei scoffed and turned back to his wife with a loving gaze. She rolled her eyes—then, in the very next second, delivered a crushing kick just past her husband's head, decapitating a demon that had crept up behind him.
Kensei turned his head and saw the demon's body collapse to the ground. He was about to hug Ju and kiss her right there in the middle of the battlefield, but—
"Dad, stop flirting with Mom already! We're in the middle of a battle! You can do that later!" came Renka's voice, mercilessly destroying the romantic moment.
"Don't interrupt the adults…" Kensei began grumpily, turning toward his daughter.
But what he saw made him gulp again—this time in fear. There stood his "sweet" Renka, holding a still-beating demon heart in her hand. The demon lay on the ground, shredded, missing an arm, its horns broken off and its chest caved in. Its body looked like minced meat. Renka was covered head to toe in its blood, and her terrifying smile only amplified the effect.
Ju Ma glanced at her daughter and gave her a thumbs-up in approval.
Meanwhile, Miu was attacked by a Baron of Hell. She swiftly leapt over him, pushed off his back, flipped mid-air, and grabbed the demon by the horns. With a sharp twist, she snapped his neck. Hayato, watching his granddaughter's moves, nodded with pride and blasted away a crowd of demons with a single strike.
Not far from them, Cammy, Chun-Li, and Juri were fighting. They didn't let up, landing devastating blows on their enemies. However, their shouting sounded more like a rivalry than battlefield coordination.
Rory fought alone. As Alex's apostle and bearer of destructive power, she wielded her scythe so fiercely that every swing turned hundreds of demons to ash. After one such blow, the ground beneath her trembled. Turning around, Rory saw a demon titan towering over her. Licking her lips, she leapt onto its leg in a single bound and sliced through it with her scythe. The titan staggered and fell with a thunderous crash, leaving behind a crater.
Running across the demon's body, Rory reached its head and sliced it off. She smirked, quickly scanning the battlefield and sensing the approach of more enemies. Spinning her scythe, she prepared to attack—until dozens of throwing knives and shurikens rained down on the demons like a storm. Shigure had entered the fight. She darted between the combatants, coming to Rory's aid. Rory gave her a nod of thanks with a smile, and Shigure, without a word, vanished again as if she had melted into the air.
Nobuna, Katsuie, and Nagahide fought alongside Brunhilde. Nobuna wielded her katana with masterful precision, cleaving enemies apart, while her comrades guarded her back with halberds, preventing any demons from getting close.
"How many of them are there?! I'm sick of slicing them up nonstop! When is Alex finally going to finish off that idiot commanding them?!" Nobuna shouted in frustration, decapitating another demon.
"Princess, your husband and his friend have only just entered the city. They still have to reach the one behind all this. For now—less talking, more fighting," Nagahide replied calmly, catching her breath.
"Yeah, right… Why doesn't he just blow everything up like usual with some superweapon?" Nobuna rolled her eyes.
"Alex doesn't want any of the enemies to escape," Katsuie said, slicing another demon in half.
Nobuna snorted, wiped blood from her face, and charged back into the fight.
Zero Two and Lucy were fighting on the front lines, giving no less than anyone else. Lucy, using the power of her vectors, turned demons into neatly sliced pieces. Around her formed a death zone—any enemy who stepped into it met an instant and brutal end. Rivers of demon blood pooled at her feet, and the bodies piled high around her.
Zero Two didn't have vectors, but her physical strength alone allowed her to tear through even giant demons with ease. After killing a Cyberdemon by ripping its head off, she casually tossed it aside. Then she looked up at the sky, where Cacodemons circled. Smirking like a predator, Zero Two leapt high, dug her claws into one of them, plunged her hand into its eye, and—with a sickening squelch—ripped it out of the socket.
While melee fighters held the front, the gunners weren't slacking either. Among them were Revy, Becca, Rika, and Shino. Becca was surrounded by a heap of various weapons, looking like a deranged gremlin, firing from anything she could get her hands on. If her gun ran out of ammo, she didn't bother reloading—she just pulled a new one from her inventory and kept firing.
When another weapon ran dry, Becca pulled out a massive grenade launcher. But instead of aiming at the demons, she fired straight into the sky. The shell shot upward, hovered, and began to spin, scattering small metallic orbs in every direction. Upon hitting demons or the ground, the orbs exploded in a variety of effects: fire, ice, poison, electricity, and even flesh-melting acid. It was one of Becca's latest insane inventions.
After that firework-style bombardment, she instantly became the number one target for the demons. Their burning eyes locked onto her, and with a deafening roar, they charged. But they never reached her—instead, a massive iron foot of an Atlant Mech came crashing down on them.
Looking up, the girls instantly knew who was piloting it: Stitch. And they were right.
Inside the mech's cockpit, Stitch laughed maniacally while steering the massive war machine. In its hands, the Atlant Mech wielded a gigantic minigun that fired a literal storm of bullets, shredding demon titans into Swiss cheese. When the gun ran out, Stitch didn't waste a second—he tossed it aside, letting it crash down on the unfortunate demons below. Then he reached over his shoulder, grabbed a massive mace, and immediately smashed it down, turning a demon's skull into pulp like a watermelon.
The girls watched Stitch, and there was no need to guess—he was absolutely thrilled to be piloting such a monster. The Atlant Mech, like a berserk golem, swung its mace, crushing demons and titans alike in its path. Stitch's unstoppable, infectious laughter echoed from the cockpit.
"Go, Stitch! Show those bastards where they belong!" Becca shouted, throwing up her hand.
Hearing her voice, the Atlant Mech gave a thumbs-up. Right at that moment, it got punched in the face by a titan. Inside the cockpit, Stitch was momentarily stunned—and then his eyes flared with irritation. He started cursing at the titan with the same ferocity as Becca, unleashing every imaginable insult, including remarks about the titan's family, ancestors, and, of course, its parents.
Stitch's profanity-laced rant echoed across the open comm channel, leaving other Atlant Mech pilots utterly baffled. None of the Night Sentinels could figure out who—or what—was piloting that mech, nor what language he was even swearing in. But one thing was clear: that voice was definitely not apologizing.
In a fit of rage, Stitch made his mech flip the Titan off — then immediately jammed the massive metal finger into the creature's eye socket. A follow-up kick to the chest sent the Titan staggering backward, crashing into another demon. Both collapsed to the ground with a deafening crash.
Stitch didn't waste a second. Moving the Atlant Mech forward, he brought the mace down on their bodies again and again, until nothing remained but a bloody pulp inside a massive crater.
Despite their victories, time on the battlefield dragged on painfully slow. The human forces still suffered losses — even with the help of the Night Sentinels, the demons' numbers remained overwhelming.
But suddenly, everything changed.
Every single demon lifted its head to the sky and roared so loudly that the humans had to cover their ears. At the same time, the ground trembled violently, and all eyes turned toward the city, where Alex and the Slayer were fighting.
What they saw made many freeze in place.
Towering above the city stood a colossal, horned creature clad in armor. Its mere presence struck terror into the hearts of humans and Night Sentinels alike.
"So... they unleashed it early," Brunhilde muttered, staring at the Icon of Sin.
"Shit… I really hope Cupcake finishes that thing off fast. I don't like the way it looks at all," Becca said, standing beside Brunhilde.
"You're not the only one," Rika added, watching the beast with concern. "That thing's bigger than any Titan we've seen. Its arm alone is the size of a whole damn Titan."
The Icon's appearance struck fear into the hearts of many, but the way the demons howled in reverence gave humanity a brief opportunity — in that moment, they managed to push the enemy forces closer to the city's edge.
Then the ground shook again, and everyone looked up.
A crack split the air near the Icon's head, and beside it, barely visible, was a tiny figure — Alex had landed the first blow. Another followed as the Slayer struck the creature square in the chest. Everyone who could, watched.
But the Icon's arrival seemed to awaken a primal frenzy in the demons. With doubled fury, they surged toward the humans. The ground quaked from the constant impact of Alex and the Slayer clashing with the monstrosity.
And then — a brilliant flash of light illuminated the city.
The demons sensed that the Icon had been wounded — and they turned back, rushing toward it.
"Don't let them return to the city!" Brunhilde commanded, her voice cutting through the chaos.
A storm of rockets rained from the sky. Humanity launched an even more ferocious assault to prevent the demons from breaking through.
Just then, storm clouds began to gather above the battlefield. Lightning flashed with unnatural frequency, thunder rumbled without pause — and suddenly, from the heavens, Alex's voice rang out like a divine decree:
"Answer my call… Gungnir!"
At that moment, everyone felt it — a crushing weight, as if the world itself grew heavier. Demons racing back toward the city began to explode one after another.
All eyes turned to the sky, where Alex hovered among the clouds, holding a long golden spear. Its tip resembled a stylized leaf, the shaft spiraled elegantly, tapering toward the grip, and at the base it shimmered with a warm reddish-bronze glow.
"What the hell is that weapon?" Revy asked, standing near Brunhilde.
"That's Gungnir. Alex received it after saving my world," Brunhilde replied, her gaze never leaving the skies.
"I totally forgot about that thing... I've been wondering when he'd finally use it," Becca said, crossing her arms.
Other girls started to gather around them, all looking up, mesmerized by the glowing figure of Alex. From Brunhilde and Becca, they learned that the spear was not just a weapon, but a true relic.
"But why did the demons start bursting like soap bubbles the moment he summoned it?" Nobuna asked in surprise.
"In my world, Gungnir belonged to Odin. It was the weapon of the King of the Gods, possessing power comparable to Zeus's lightning. But now it's in Alex's hands. And he received this spear from his father, so the effect matches," Brunhilde answered calmly.
The girls nodded and stared at the sky again. The lightning flashed more fiercely. The Icon of Sin roared, and the very air trembled with its cry. The appearance of Gungnir shattered the ranks of the demon army — most were destroyed, and the rest were on the brink of death.
Alex's figure, wrapped in golden light, looked divine. He began slowly raising the spear above his head.
"Everyone, hold on!" Brunhilde shouted toward the allied troops.
Those who knew what was about to happen immediately reacted — instinctively grabbing onto anything that could hold them. The others felt the same threat and followed suit. Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed upward. Alex started lowering Gungnir.
And then, the spear's tip touched the space…
At that very moment, the sky cracked open. Through the fissures, distant stars became visible. Following that, a seismic wave swept across the entire planet, so powerful that every demon left on Earth — even those near Raccoon City — evaporated, vanishing without a trace.
"Mother of God… Damn, even the sky cracked…" Lehm whispered, staring upward in shock.
"I always knew Alex was no ordinary guy... But this is over the top," muttered R, standing nearby.
Everyone had their own thoughts as they looked at the sky covered with cracks. Through these rifts shimmered distant stars, like glimpses of other worlds.
Meanwhile, Alex, hovering in the air, watched the power of Gungnir with interest and mild admiration. He knew that the reward for saving Brunhilde's world wouldn't be simple, but he hadn't expected the spear to be this powerful.
And he even liked it. Though he understood — with such power, one had to be careful. One careless move, and the entire world could be destroyed.
His gaze dropped down to the Icon of Sin, who, consumed by rage, let out a roar that could shake the earth. Alex gripped the shaft of Gungnir and abruptly lunged downward, aiming at the monster.
Reaching the Icon's head, he struck a crushing blow with the blunt side of the spear. The armor on the demon's skull shattered in pieces, and one of its horns snapped off with a crack. The Icon of Sin fell to its knees, releasing a pained howl. Alex hovered nearby, watching its reaction.
"Slayer, how long are you going to lie there? Or do you want me to do all the work alone?!" he shouted toward the ruins where the Slayer lay.
As soon as his voice faded, the ruins trembled, and chunks of stone flew out with a crash. From the dust and debris, Slayer rose, gripping the Crucible in his hand. His eyes blazed with a fury that grew stronger by the second. Wasting no time, he charged toward the Icon of Sin.
With a powerful leap, he reached the monster's head and clenched his fist, delivering a crushing blow. The shockwave spread in all directions, and the flesh on the Icon's head exploded, exposing the bone. Alex didn't stay aside — he appeared on the other side and with one mighty swing of Gungnir, cut off the Icon's remaining hand. With a dull thud, it fell to the ground.
Realizing it was the perfect moment to strike, Alex and Slayer attacked the Icon of Sin from both sides. Each of their blows tore flesh and armor, turning the beast into a bloody pile of metal and meat. After another strike, Alex noticed the third eye on the Icon's forehead begin to glow with an ominous black light.
He immediately understood: the Icon of Sin was about to open a black hole.
"Not a chance!" Alex whispered, gripping the spear tightly.
With a powerful thrust, he drove Gungnir into the Icon's chest. The impact left a gaping hole in the monster's body, its insides torn apart, and the light in its eyes started to fade.
"Slayer, chop off its head!" Alex shouted.
Slayer nodded, jumped up, and with one precise swing of the Crucible, severed the demon's head. With a heavy crash, it fell to the ground, and the massive body collapsed backward, raising clouds of dust. Alex landed next to Slayer. Both stood watching as life finally left the body of the Icon of Sin.
"Great job, buddy," Alex said, extending his fist.
"Hmm," Slayer rasped, bumping his fist against Alex's.
Alex smiled faintly, glancing at his comrade. At that moment, he heard quick footsteps behind them. Both turned and saw GIR and MIMI. Their armor was in terrible shape: GIR was missing part of his helmet, one pauldron was dented, and the other completely torn off. His beloved chain sword had been reduced to a broken hilt.
MIMI's armor, the Battle Sister, looked battered too — cracks, dents, a half-collapsed shield, and a broken power mace. Despite the damage, they stood proudly before Alex.
"What happened to you two? You look awful," Alex asked in surprise.
"Hmm," Slayer rasped again, nodding toward them.
"That beast threw us aside, then we held back demons trying to break into the city," GIR answered, saluting.
"That bastard broke my shield! With its foot!" MIMI complained plaintively, showing the half-intact shield.
"Well, now you've got a new feat," Alex said, trying to cheer them up. "I won't forget to record it and attach it to your armor."
Hearing this, GIR and MIMI brightened. After every battle, Alex really did record their feats and decorated their armor accordingly — as proper Ultramarine warriors.
Alex shifted his gaze to the Citadel in the center of the city — the only building that had survived the massive battle. Slayer looked at it too and clenched his fist.
At that moment, a voice came through Alex's earpiece — it was Brunhilde.
"Alex, what's the situation over there?"
"The Icon of Sin is destroyed. We're heading to the Citadel. Stay alert," Alex replied calmly.
"Understood. I'll inform the others. They'll stay on guard," Brunhilde said with relief in her voice.
"I'm sending GIR and MIMI to you. They're pretty battered," Alex added, glancing at his loyal companions.
After finishing the call, Alex gave GIR and MIMI a brief nod, clearly signaling that they shouldn't proceed further — this was no longer their fight. Without asking questions, they saluted and quickly left. Alex and Slayer exchanged a glance and headed toward the Citadel.
On the way, Alex smirked, took out a black cube from his inventory, opened a spatial rift, and tossed it inside. Slayer gave it a quick look, but Alex simply put a finger to his lips, hinting it was a secret.
With weapons ready, they approached the massive doors. Alex gestured for Slayer to go first, and without hesitation, Slayer kicked the doors with force. They crashed inward with a roar, clearing the way.
Inside, the Citadel was empty. In the silence broken only by their footsteps, they made their way to a spacious hall where an elevator stood in the center.
"How nice. They even called the elevator for us. Now that's what I call service," Alex smirked, stepping closer.
"Hmm," Slayer rasped, pounding his fist on the call panel.
The elevator shuddered and began to rise. Alex and Slayer watched silently as the cabin slowly slid up the shaft, approaching the top where Alex sensed the only presence in this place.
Reaching the top floor, they once again stood before massive gates. Without waiting for a command, Slayer kicked them down just like the others. Beyond the doors stretched a vast hall, more like a throne room. At its center stood the last priest of the Underworld — Deag Grav.
Slayer didn't waste time: with heavy steps, he approached the priest, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him off the ground. Alex calmly stepped closer, looked into Grav's eyes — and saw no fear. Only a haughty smirk.
"The False Savior and Doom Slayer have joined forces..." Grav hissed. "To fight my lord and his ally? A pathetic alliance, a miserable sight."
"Where is Davot, priest? Believe me, I can torture you for hours until you tell me where he's hiding," Alex said coldly.
"Ha-ha-ha! You think I'll tell you?!" Deag Grav laughed with a touch of madness.
But Slayer wasn't one for questions. Without a word, he tore the priest's body in two. Alex watched silently, then glanced at Slayer, who returned the gaze serenely.
Alex was about to resurrect Grav to interrogate him another way when he noticed something strange. Blood began to flow from the priest's body, forming intricate patterns. The longer he looked, the clearer it became: this was a trap.
"Looks like we've been lured in," Alex muttered, lighting a cigarette.
"Hmm," Slayer responded briefly, noticing the same thing.
The blood spread, forming a magic circle — a summoning symbol clearly intended for teleportation. Alex, still smoking, watched as the pattern completed. At that moment, the blood flared with bright light, and he felt the space around them compressing. Something — or someone — was beginning to pull them inside.
Alex smirked, flicked the cigarette butt away, and looked at Slayer.
"Convenient. We won't have to search for them — the Minister of Monoliths and Davot decided to show us where they're hiding."
"Hmm," Slayer confirmed with a nod.
The light grew ever brighter. The world began to collapse... and vanish.
To be continued…
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