"Malifira . . . you know that it's forbidden to interrupt two demons in a duel," Hubrion said, his anger surfacing as his face contorted. He pointed his giant axe at Malifira and roared, "Your punishment is DEATH!"

Malifira covered her lips with her hand as if she didn't know. "Is that so? I wasn't aware."

With a sudden and swift movement, Malifira unleashed a cascade of large quantities of potions in Hubrion's direction.

The vials exploded upon impact, causing a chaotic eruption of acid burns, stunning effects, and poisonous fumes.

However, Hubrion's swift reflexes allowed him to evade the majority of the onslaught, displaying a nimbleness unexpected from a creature of his size.

"Lord Azazel!" Desira and the others shouted, and wanted to blink in his direction to shield Azazel from the spilled droplets of Malifira's concoction.

However, Lorelai sprang into action with remarkable agility. She swiftly moved to shield Azazel, preventing him from being melted by the corrosive effects of Malifira's attacks.

"Looks like the duel is over," Lorelai commented with a wry smile as Malifira and Hubrion engaged in their own intense confrontation.

"Lorelai!" Azazel exclaimed in glee at the sight of the half-angel who saved him with her shield. "Just as I thought, you like me—Gargh!"

"Shut up, you're in the way!" Lorelai shouted and kicked Azazel out of the arena. He soared at astonishing speed, crashing against the wall and spewing blood from his mouth.

"Y-you're . . . you're still so violent, as ever," Azazel muttered with a wry smile. He gave a shaky thumbs up before he lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, the audience in the coliseum screamed and scattered, desperately trying to distance themselves from the chaos.

Fearful of being implicated in the fight, they hurriedly got away from the battle, leaving the arena in a frenzy of panic and chaos.

"What are we going to do?" Vivi asked, panicking.

"Let's go and save Lord Azazel, idiot!" Desira said, blinking to where Azazel was.

"R-right!" Vivi said.

"Hey, what about Lethargia?" Avaris asked urgently, but before he could finish his sentence, he felt that he was being carried together with Lethargia's body.

"Don't worry, I got you," Iraelyn said, grinning with a sparkle in her canine teeth.

Avaris was thankful, and his eyes melted. "Iraelyn!"

At the same time, Ren and the others descended to the stage.

Ren was relieved that Azazel was alive and that Lorelai had managed to save him at the last minute.

However, the story wasn't over yet. Malifira and Hubrion were still locked in battle, and honestly, he didn't know whose side to take because they were both enemies.

Should they attack them both? Or would he have to choose at this point?

It was challenging, especially considering that he was going blind in this story. If he chose wrong, it might spell trouble.

Ren could only hope that the developers would be lenient and allow some margin for error in this game.

And then suddenly, Ren and the others stood in bewilderment, their eyes wide with shock. They were at a loss as to what had just transpired, but the scene before them was nothing short of astounding.

Somehow, Malifira had managed to paralyze Hubrion, and in the blink of an eye, she seized the corruption from him.

"H-how?" Hubrion asked, a look of confusion etched across his face as he lay unconscious on the ground. "How can you be so powerful?"

Malifira only laughed, a sinister gleam in her eyes. "Oh, my dear Hubrion. The reason why you're number one is because I just don't like to show my real powers."

Hubrion lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious, while his corruption rested securely in Malifira's grasp. She then turned her attention to the still unconscious Azazel and beamed.

"I guess everything is in order now. Only your corruption is needed, Lord Azazel."

"We won't let you!" Desira and the others exclaimed.

However, at that very moment, they found themselves unable to move. Even Lorelai and Elena were frozen in place.

"W-what's going on?" Elena asked in confusion.

Ren and the others were equally clueless. Everything seemed to be playing out before their eyes like a story book, even though they weren't taking any actions themselves.

Suddenly they found themselves enveloped by a thick white fog. They felt like they were in a state of static like they couldn't move nor used their abilities.

"T-this is . . . this is [Fate's Hold]!" Vivi exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization.

"There's only one who could pull this move," Desira muttered, and everyone's gaze shifted towards Lethargia.

The surprise registered on their faces as Lethargia, who had been slumbering moments ago, was now standing tall and had already beside Malifira.

Her eyes glowed with an intense white light, and an otherworldly aura surrounded her. The others found themselves frozen, unable to move, as if time itself had come to a standstill.

"It's no use," Lethargia uttered, her voice carrying an ethereal quality. "I have stopped the future for you, so you can't escape my hold."

The scene turned for the worst. They hadn't anticipated this move at all and they were all caught off guard. With Lethargia in a stance of absolute control, everyone was caught in the stillness, unable to break free from the force that held them captive.

"Lethargia! Why are you doing this?" Vivi cried out, her voice echoing with a mix of confusion and desperation.

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as the events continued to play.

"I'm sorry, everyone. But this is the only answer," Lethargia said.

"Answer to what?" Iraelyn asked, her anger causing her to shift from humanoid to dragon.

However, Lethargia's hold tightened, preventing her from fully transforming.

Lethargia closed her eyes for a moment.

"I thought you were on our side! You've been with Malifira all along?! How could you do this to us?!" Avaris shouted. "And to think that I have been guarding your body while you were asleep!"

"You did no such thing," Evie muttered from the side.

Lethargia opened her eye and answered, "This is the only way to save Lord Azazel. Out of all the possibilities, we only have this one chance."