Alasea's blade slackened in her grip slightly. "Y-you know about the poisoning?" The words came out of her mouth before she realized it. "That means you can cure them, right?!"

===NationStates General===

Aram nodded before looking back ahead. "So we're going in blind this time."

"Yeah, but we can go all out. They can't, they need me alive."

The soldier motioned to the field ahead. "There they are, we're here."

Hugo's gun swung towards the older man. "Who the hell are you?!"

"We have to move fast!" the man said. "Jotaro, help me take them to the truck!" He took a step foward into the room, only to leap back as Hugo shot the floor in front of him.

"Hold it!" the Mettaur shouted. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell's going on!"

The older man pointed at Alex's devastated corpse. "That man can poison people depending on what his victims drink. What did they have?"

"A-ah... some soda, and I think Matt had some of the ice cream," Alasea said, even though she kept her grip on her sword firm. Hugo was right; they didn't know these people. "Ileyna--she's the child--she had the least to drink. You're going to help them, right?"

===NationStates General===

Aram nodded, and reached behind his back to grip the King's Sword by the hilt. Its blade rasped as it was pulled from the scabbard attached to his armor, and examined the blade for a moment before bringing it and his shield up to bear.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked, not looking at X.

"Yeah."

Just as they approached, they saw Wedo, Dearg-due, and Kalari exit through some sort of dimensional tear. X yelled and attempted to run after them. Suddenly, Kyoka stretched out his arm, and X froze in place.

"My apologies, but I have been tasked with preventing you from following them. Lowering his arm, he snapped his fingers and the tear snapped closed.

"Yes, we are." The man looked at Jotaro. "Come on."

Jotaro walked over to Helena and bent down, scooping her up in his arms. Meanwhile, the older man hoisted Matt up and laid him over his shoulder.

"Alasea," Hugo said. "Get Ileyna." His gun never wavered.

It was easy enough to lift the girl in her arms, as small as she was. The beret fell towards the floor, but quick reflexes allowed Alasea to catch it and toss it up onto Ileyna's torso before it could land.

"Someone needs to grab R.D.," she said, looking back at his unconscious form for a brief moment.

===NationStates General===

Aram also ran forward as X did, charging towards the rift hanging open in midair. He kept his shield out in front of him and his blade held up at his side, and thankfully, his run was not broken by the raven-haired man's power.

He wasn't fast enough to get to it, though, not with the heavy plate mail he wore. So instead, the warrior simply altered his charge and ran straight for the man. A short leap allowed him to cross the distance and send his blade down at the man's scalp in a heavy slash.

The blade struck, cleaving through Kyoka, who dissolved. A voice rang out from behind Aram.

"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Kyoka."

X lunged at the figure and slashed through him.

"My my, no need to be so hasty."

Aram blinked and stumbled as his weapon met without resistance, and he had to quickly reorient himself so he didn't fall on his ass. "How can he do that?" he muttered, mostly to himself.

If his sword could not hurt him, perhaps fire would. Gathering magic, he uttered a quick chant while forcing his hand, sword still held in it, upwards. Immediately, flames arose in a high wall, directly in line where Kyoka stood.

The fire tore through Kyoka, again his figure melting away.

He reappeared again in front of Aram.

X hesitated. "There's something off about this guy! It's not that we're not hurting him but... it's like we're not even hitting him!"

Aram's reation was instinctive, and he brought his sword up and slashed at Kyoka, even though halfway through Aram expected the man to dissolve again.

Where had he seen this kind of tactic before? Had one of the many demons beneath the cathedral done this before, back when he hunted for Diablo?

Hugo hopped down to the floor and walked over to R.D., shooting a glance at the other men every so often. "Lift Option."

The units attached to the sides of his helmet unlocked. Extending into rectangular units, they cast a sheet of green energy between themselves. Thin arms extended from the units, grasping R.D.'s body and gently picking him up, laying him on the field. With a wave of his pickaxe, Hugo directed the Option to hover towards the door and follow the men.

"How were you attacking that guy?" Alasea asked, cradling Ileyna while Matt's pack hung off her shoulder with her purse. "I didn't see you guys do anything."

They left the ruined hotel room rather calmly, if quickly. They could see the street from here-someone had already called the police.

"Stands," Jotaro said. He titled his head toward Matt. "He should know about them."

"Stands!?" Alasea exclaimed, stopping for a brief moment before moving again. "You mean, like Star Platinum and The World?"

"Yeah."

"Come on, Jotaro," the older man said. "We need to move quickly."

They managed to avoid detection, making their way to the back parking lot. They, they found an old green truck, with a rickety cover for the bed.

The older man carefully put Matt into the back, propping him up. Hugo cast him a look as he directed his Lift Option to move up and slide R.D. into the back.

"Stay in the back with me," the older man said to Alasea. "Once everyone is awake, we need to talk."

Alasea nodded, saying nothing as she placed Ileyna on the bed of the truck, then picked Hugo up and placed him on it as well before climbing in herself. Once inside, she picked Ileyna back up and kept her close to her as she made her way around R.D. and Matt's unconscious bodies, and sat down with her back against the cab.

The sword struck Kyoka, who disappeared and was replaced by a rock.

X gawked. "What's going on?"

His sword began to vibrate.

Don't trust your eyes, X. Sylvontis's familiar voice echoed in his head.

X closed his eyes, and attempted to feel Kyoka instead. He suddenly opened his eyes and made contact with Aram, motioning to a tree on the left.

Aram stared at the tree curiously for a moment, and decided to go with X's instincts on the matter. A quick, quietly-spoken chant flew from his lips as fire raged up around him, and he thrust his sword forward at the tree.

A sphere of flame burst forth from the aura, speeding through the air until it struck the tree soundly, exploding violently and tearing the tree apart. Even as the burning shrapnel flew, Aram charged forward at a brisk pace, sword at the ready.

The smoke cleared, revealing nothing. X suddenly became aware of a shift in Kyoka's spiritual presence. His eyes widened in horror.

Kyoka, badly burned, stood behind him. Kyoka raised his arm, plunging it through X's body. X collapsed to the ground.

After laying Helena in the back with the others, Jotaro went to start up the truck. As the older man climbed in and closed the hatch, the engine kicked to life, and soon they were speeding down the street, watching the buildings retreat behind them.

The older man opened a pouch on his belt and produced a rusted flask. "Fortunately, we managed to put together an antidote based on past victims." He tilted Matt's head up and drained a bit of clear liquid down his throat.

"Will it work?" Alasea asked, looking anxious.

===NationStates General===

"X!"

Lightning blazed up around Aram's armored body as he chanted, and aimed his sword forward at Kyoka. Lightning exploded forward from the tip of his weapon, lancing across the air at his opponent in an instant.

"It should." After giving the same dose to Helena, the man passed the flask to Alasea. "Here, give some to the others. Not too much."

Alasea quickly accepted the flask from the older man and first used it on Ileyna. "Who are you people?" she asked while she poured some of the liquid down the girl's throat, then set her down on against the cab wall before moving to R.D..

The man leaned back against the wall of the bed cover, letting his feet spread out for comfort. "My name's Joseph Joestar," he said. "Jotaro's my grandson. We were told by the Chronomancer to meet up with you."

Kyoka barely dodged the attack, though it did succeed in singing his hair.

X slowly rose to his feet. Though he bled and clutched his chest, he was alive and in surprisingly good condition.

"I'm OK. I'm lucky he missed my vitals."

"A mistake I'll be sure to correct next time." Kyoka threw off what remained of his burned cloak. "At any rate, I see that I can't hold back at all."

He brought his hands together, forming a seal. An aura of purple energy surrounded him, he shut his eyes and began to hum. As the aura grew, lightning sparked around him. Eventually be let out a might yell as the aura dissipated and opened his eyes, which were now both glowing and purple.

"Perfect! Two of you, and two eyes." He grinned. "That's all I need." His eyes swiveled, one making contact with Aram, the other with X. "Illusory World!" he yelled, and the world went black.

~~~~

X awoke in a throne room. Opposite him stood his alternate, eX, who waved sarcastically. On the throne sat Kyoka, who smiled condescendingly.

"Welcome to your personal Hell."

"What!?" Alasea shouted, looking absolutely shocked.

===Unknown Location===

Aram slowly forced his eyes open, then suddenly lifted his hand up to ward his face as an incredible heat struck it. The dull roar of the flames assaulted his ears as he looked around, finding himself in a horrific, familiar infernal wasteland of shadow and death.

A massive bonfire burned within a glowing red pentagram set into the cracked, hot ground in front of him. At its zenith, he could see through the flames, as Kyoka sat upon a throne made up of bloodstained human skulls. He was smiling condescendingly down at the warrior, who gripped his sword in anxiousness and trepidation.

"Welcome to your personal Hell."

From within the pyre, something gigantic rose up, parting the flames and staring at Aram with accusing, terrifying golden eyes. Split mandibles extended from its face as Diablo rose up and roared furiously.

"I know it's a bit surprising." Joseph scratched his neck. "I was shocked myself, when I first heard about it. But he's been sending out groups to look for the Omega Essence."

"Groups??" Alasea exclaimed, eyes going even wider. "You mean there's more than just us looking for the Essence?!"

"I guess so," Joseph said.

"I've known the Chronomancer for a long while," Hugo said, having finally disarmed. "But he never mentioned this to me or Matt."