All of their eyes widen. The flames got larger and larger until one of the pink sphere from Mystique appeared and vanished. From the flames, Connor came out with his morphed form.

His skin was thick and looked like it was a bright red coat of lava, his horns grew from his temple down to the back of his head, and his weapons were burning with bright and powerful flames.

Connor snapped his fingers and made the pink sphere that was about to consume Midnight disappeared into nothingness. A pale red flame replaced the sphere and it too vanished into thin air.

He then turned to Mystique's direction to find the shock in Mystique's eyes, but Connor failed to find them. This made Connor tilt his head to the side. "Why are you not surprised?"

A maniacal laugh escaped from Mystique's lips as a response. He was clutching his stomach as he watched Connor stood right in front of him, the boy flaming with intensity and exuding a terrifying amount of aura.

"Abyssal Ruler?" Mystique continued laughing. "You can barely par the powers of a mere spawn of the Forsaken, and you want to call yourself the Abyssal Ruler?"

Connor was silent as he let Mystique continued to ridicule him, "You know, the truly powerful Forsaken– even the Almighty doesn't need long titles or casts. They show their true power through combat."

Mystique was about to speak more when Connor suddenly appeared beside him. The boy's sword in his hand and the staff below the sole of his burning boots burst in flames as he slashed his weapon across Mystique's body.

The flame from Connor's sword was engulfing the Sin, trying to swallow it whole when he heard a sucking sound. Connor spun and saw that Mystique was consuming his flames, sucking on the air along the fire particles.

"Not bad, not bad," Mystique clapped his hands as he finished the last of the red burning magic. "You certainly did caught me by surprise, and you could've finished me off with a stronger strike, but you didn't. Now, why is that? Perhaps, have you gotten any weaker?"

Connor clenched his jaw. Mystiqu was trying to egg him on, but he clearly knew what the Sin's intention was. And he was not going to fall for it.

"That was a really good attack too, but it felt raw," Mystique smirked. "You can't burn more flames, can't you? How pathetic would it be that it seemed like your luck has ran out.

In a flash, Connor dashed right in front of Mystique and swung his sword once again. This time, he was giving all he could in his strike. It will only be a matter of time before Mystique catches his speed, he must defeat him now.

"Without any more fuel, you can't burn!" Mystique yelled and slammed his hand right in front of him. On the far end, Midnight and Geneva gasped after seeing the scene that unfolded right before their eyes.

Mystique was caught Connor's sword, pinning it down as Connor was lying on the ground, holding the sword. Connor's lava-like skin and his flames had died down, making him revert back to his original form.

"A fire from the chimney dies when you run out of wood," Mystique said. "And the flames of a mortal dies when they run out of mana. How pathetic you mortals are."

Mystique raised his right hand over his head. His eyes were locked with Geneva's as the claws from his hands grew longer and sharper. "This is the end. I'll put out this fire."

The Sin was laughing maniacally once more. He glared at Geneva before he slashed his arm down, a sound of flesh ripping, and the sight of blood met their gazes.

"What–" Mystique wasn't able to finish when the blood blasted from his wound. He looked to the side and gasped after seeing that he was missing his arm. "What in the Abyss is happening?!"

"Looking for this?" Midnight called out from behind him.

Mystique turned around and saw Midnight in a new form while holding his hand. The latter's legs were nos split apart while he gained another pair of wings. His armor were still black and he had now a tail that looked like it belonged to a crocodile.

His pitch black hair was being lifted in the air while a black halo contained it. His arms were covered with a crystal-like gloves that had sharp claws in them.

"Give me back my arm!" Mystique demanded. He growled and used his remaining arm to conjure his pink spheres around him. "I said, give… them… back!"

One by one, the spheres shot from Mystique and into Midnight. The spheres were spinning faster and their speed was increased by almost threefold. The Sin expected Midnight to die instantly, but he was dodging the spheres with ease.

Midnight's movements were swift and calculated. He used another form so he could have more mobility rather than power. The spheres started to surround him in all directions. Midnight narrowed his eyes as he watched the pink spinning orbs approach him.

With one flap of all six of his wings, black feathers swallowed the spheres before it vanished into thin air. Mystique gasped in shock after seeing Midnight's spike in power.

"B-But you looked so helpless," Mystique stuttered. With a grunt, Mystique let his aura covet the area again. It was the same unsettling aura that Midnight felt a few moments ago, the one that made him utterly powerless. "Ha! Try to beat me again."

Midnight chuckled and shrugged, "I just remembered something from my past that you can't imagine. The horrors from that time could never be overpowered by any good feeling, even pleasure."

Connor was flinching in the ground. His face was red and his eyes started to roll on the back of his head. He started rolling on the ground and a series of moans escaped his lips.

"Oh," Midnight formed an O with his mouth. "I forgot he was there."

Mystique laughed an kneeled beside Connor. He used his leg to pin Connor on the ground while he raised his right hand in front of him to let his claws grow. "Now I'm expecting you, you can't do anything about it."

With a swift dash and a turn that for Mystique, was a movement of a very fast shadow, his left arm was cut off. The Sin yelled in pain as his other arm opened up a wound, this time the cut was rougher and it felt slower.

"I wanted you to savor every fleeting moment you had with your remaining hand," Midnight said from behind Mystique. "You said you're a mere spawn? I guess that is right. You are no match for me–"

"No, wait!" Mystique yelled and kneeled. He turned around and looked at Midnight in the eyes. "Don't kill me. I will provide you some information you will need if you want to win this war."

Midnight narrowed his eyes but nodded. He lifted Connor off the ground and let him lay behind him, his wings opening widely to cover the now unconscious boy.

"Let's start by the Arch Mage," Midnight said. "I heard from Poslchk that only the life of the Arch Mage could open the Chamber of the Keys, but then it was our friend who died that made the room to the keys open. Why was that?"

"Perhaps, it's because your friend is not who he seems to be," Mystique replied. Midnight kept a stoic and intimidating face that urged the Sin to continue. "Perhaps its because the seal to the Chamber of Keys didn't need the Arch Mage to unlock. It needed the Soul of the Bane."

Midnight quirked his brow up and crossed his arms, "Soul of the Bane?"

"Yes, yes," Mystique nodded. "The Soul of the Bane, the one who created the seal. He transfered his sould into an object before he died, passing the information into texts that would go on for the generations to come."

"And why would you know all of that?" Midnight glared at Mystique. He was exuding a terrifying aura, making the Sin shake in fear.

"It's because I was in love with the owner of the Soul!" Mystique yelled. "The Soul bearer told me all the plan and what would happen next. In the thousands of years that we would be sealed, a woman with the ability to harness the power of the past would let us reunite."

"The power of the past?" Midnight tilted his head in confusion. It took him a moment to think about it before he gasped in shock. "An antique magic user!"