ᴛʜɪʀᴅ.

She saw nothing but darkness. Feeling on how cold the floor was, the only thing Fuyu could do was to hug her naked and abused body. Her silent sobs echoed inside the cell and the two guards were outside to watch her. She tried to get up but she barely moved her legs. She was feeling thirsty when she saw that the place was lightened up with the lanterns.

One of the guards opened her cell and Sho went inside, squatting in front of her before holding her chin. Tears fell from her eyes when she reached for him. She was cold and all she wanted that time was warmth. He settled her in his arms and soothed her body with his warmth. He placed a kiss on her forehead and carried her in his arms. A servant was waiting outside and she immediately covered the princess with the silk blankets she prepared for her.

"Bathe her and then, prepare food to ease her hunger. She will sleep in my chamber tonight." He said. The servant responded as they went back to the kingdom's hall.

Yuuki just finished his dinner and was already on his way to his chamber when he saw his father talking to the guards. He heard him ordering them to gather more soldiers to keep the whole kingdom ready for a war. The prophet told them that there will be a war soon and it will be as destructive as the war happened a hundred thousand years ago. They said that the history will repeat itself. He already studied the whole history of the underworld but he felt it was incomplete. When his father had already finished talking to the guards, he approached him.

"Otou-san, the war will happen soon?" He asked and Sho nodded. He gestured to his son to follow him.

His grandfather told him not to go to the last room from the left of the right wing. The doors creaked when Sho opened it. Yuuki's eyes wandered at the portraits hanging on the wall. He saw his grandmother and mother's portraits and stared at it. Sho smiled faintly while staring at his wife's portrait. He was the one who painted it.

"Your ancestors got human blood. All of them. If you're wondering why the king has pure demon blood, it is because your great-grandfather extracted his human blood and replaced it with demon blood." Sho explained and he walked towards Gia's portrait to take the book placed under it.

He flipped the pages and saw the sketches of Riku's sufferings for the hundred years he went through under his father's hands. They used Riku's human blood as the ink for it. He took a deep breath before closing the book. He might be against this tradition but he knows that Riku will still continue it and this time, it will be Fuyu's turn. She will be the first woman to experience it.

"Okaa-san.. will also suffer under Ojii-san's hands, desho? And then, me." Yuuki asked and Sho nodded.

"You can't break the tradition, Yuuki. Always remember that." He said and it is Yuuki's turn to nod his head.

"When you turn thirty, you need to look for a human who can be the carrier of your heir. Me and your mother can't make any more children." He was about to leave the room already when Yuuki suddenly asked another question.

"What about Obaa-san? I heard she had a child with an angel aside from Okaa-san." He stopped from his tracks and he looked at him over his shoulder.

"Your grandmother had an affair just like your mother." He said and left his son alone there. Yuuki turned his head to look at his grandmother's portrait.

On the other side, Makoto heaved a sigh while sitting on his throne. It is decided that the war ground will be the human world. They are so sure that there will be lots of casualties. Everyone knows that the demons will sacrifice the humans for this war. It is inevitable. They are fighting for two women.

"Deity, it will be tomorrow." Itsuki reminded him and he nodded. He looked at Gia who is currently unconscious on the bed.

"We need to keep her safe." Makoto said and the older one stared at his beloved. Hokuto arrived and he quickly whispered something to Makoto.

"They are so impatient." Makoto gritted his teeth as he stood up. The three men went out of the hall and a dozen guards and servants went in to keep an eye on Gia.

The trio quickly descended back to the human world and when they arrived there, most of the cities were already destroyed. Makoto's eyes turned blue and he scanned the whole place. There are still some humans alive. Earthquakes and aftershocks kept on occurring. So as tidal waves, hail and sandstorms and wildfires. Humans think that it is divine punishment because of what they are doing to nature.

"They are already here." He said and their white wings flapped when they saw Riku with his right-hand man and heir.

"So, you're my mother's affair." Yuuki said when he saw Hokuto. The elder squinted his eyes at Sho.

"Stop feeding your son with lies." He lifted his hand and a huge light ball formed on his palm. Sho grinned widely and gave him a mocking smile.

"Isn't that the truth? She is married to me and we had a son. Basically, you're her affair." Sho taunted. Hokuto's teeth were almost bleeding because of anger.

"She never loved you. You raped her not just once but many times. She will never have a love child with you." Sho's smile faded and he threw his hands to his sides to materialize twin katanas.

"It's been a while." Riku said while smiling at Itsuki. The younger one held his chin high as he knows that Gia will never love him.

"Perhaps, you don't want any more casualties. There will be more alive humans if you will hand my queen to me." He continued and Itsuki smirked.

"You think she will love you once you get her back? I'm sure she will never do that." Itsuki said and Riku's eyes turned black.

The human souls turned into tiny light fragments, being absorbed by the demons. Riku can feel himself getting more powerful while humans keep on dying. Everyone will suffer in the underworld if the demons will win this war and the angels will make sure that it will not happen. Aside from saving and keeping the two women safe, it is also their duty to regain the human souls and bring it back to heaven.