The Great Demon System

As Abby moved, the voices of the outside world became dimmer, despite the fact that her path led her from the outskirts of the space to the light-filled, hectic center. All her focus was internal. Her thumping heart had never felt so disruptive for as long as she remembered, and her stiff body seemed to become even slower with every step, as though she was in an odd pocket of time.

It was a feeling not too dissimilar to what she had felt prior to her meeting with Regrit. She had spent so long mentally preparing herself to meet that one person, yet in the end, her feeble spirit could not bear it and she chose to divert her path elsewhere.

She knew she was weak, but her meeting with Regrit suddenly fueled her to push farther than she did before.

The odd sensation rattled her, yet, she could never claim to hate it. Indeed, for the past year, this feeling in her heart, this nervousness, had yet to manifest in her even a single time. That was why, in face of it all, there was a small glimmer of a smile seen on her face; it was proof of her humanity.

Still, despite her conviction, she could not maintain her aloofness from her surroundings for long as the bustling sound of the outside world pierced her self-contained mind and the light of the night-time city found its way into her lethargic eyes.

"What… What is this?" She muttered.

As she took a single step into the center square, it was as though she had strolled into the heart of a tornado. From all angles, she was pushed around by a vast sea of bodies. Screams filled her ears as she was mangled like a pinball.

"FIND HIM!!"

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?"

"HE CAN'T BE DEAD!"

"IT CAN'T BE TRUE! SUPREME GENERAL!!"

It was absolute pandemonium, yet despite it all, Abby kept her sharp composure, looking up at the reddened faces of the masses, her keen demon ears managing to isolate nearly every voice within the ocean of disarray.

'The supreme general?' Her cheeks twitched. 'Did something happen to him?'

She loosened her ears further, and she began to think. But, before the gears within her mind started turning, she felt a tight, unyielding hold grasp her from her right arm.

"Ah—" her mouth opened and her stomach sank.

Instinctually, she tried breaking free from the hold, but all her efforts proved futile.

"Ah—" Her mouth opened again, looking at the hand that held her.

That was when she stopped resisting. Not because she knew there was no escape, but because the sensation from that grasp felt oddly calming, like something she knew all too well.

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And in the next instant, rather than being dragged into the endless crowd, she found herself soaring high in the sky above everything but the bright light of the brilliant moon. And there, as she looked up at the face of her kidnapper, her thoughts were proven true.

"Of all places, what the hell were you doing stuck in a place like that? I've been looking all over for you!" The man laughed.

Abby's eyes twinkled brighter than the very stars above her, her hands shaking and chest thumping ever louder. She knew the man, she could never forget him in a million years, yet it was as though it was the first time they ever met.

All she could do was stare at his smiling visage and waving black hair before unconsciously uttering the very first thing that came to mind.

"Moby?"

"Hmm?" That was when Moby looked down towards her with a genuine look of surprise, but he received no answer before his face softened once more as they began their slow descent down, their feet now planted on a tall building overlooking the mayhem below.

"Abby! Didn't think you'd suddenly run off on me like that! Where were you?"

The grasp on Abby's hands suddenly removed itself, and the abrupt impact of the only other person stood on that building snapped her out of her daze as she held her tight.

"Sister…" Her mouth opened. "Were you worried?" She looked around before gradually wrapping her arms around Jayden's soft blue hair.

"Me? Worried? Not really." She chuckled. "I was just curious where you'd run off to instead of meeting Moby. You didn't really show it, but I was sure that you were even more excited than me!"

"Moby?" She spoke once more, before her eyes snapped back to the man gazing at her from afar.

And as she spoke his name, that look of perplexity once again reappeared on Moby's face.

"Say that again, what did you call me?" His tone suddenly shifted, eyes broadened, slowly pacing close to Abby who suddenly let go of Jayden, standing but centimetres away from her face.

Any normal person what have quivered in his presence, but Abby did not even shake nor stutter as she repeated herself with a single deep breath.

"Moby."

"HAHAHAHA! Are you really the same Abby? This must be the first time I've heard her call me anything that isn't 'Lord Kane' or 'My Lord,'" The tense atmosphere subsided as Moby broke out into laughter, but Abby who was ahead of him did not share in the moment and simply stared.

"It was told to me several times to cease calling you with such honorifics. So, I stopped, is that a problem?"

"No! Not at all!" He wiped his face.

"I told you she's changed! But she's still Abby. Even though she doesn't remember much before the past year." Jayden commented.

"Is that true?" Moby leaned in closer, which led Abby to nod.

"Yes, I only remember a few things,"

"Do you still remember me?"

"Of course. How could I ever forget! You're the man who brought me out of my depravity. I owe you very much."

"Do you remember Alex?"

As Moby asked that question, there was a momentary silence. Jayden, who stood not too far behind had a complete shift in expression, yet she could not force her mouth to speak as she listened to the sound of the breeze.

For the past year, she had not mentioned Alex to her even a single time; she did not want to bring her sister pain or make her unlock harsh memories, so even she did not know the answer to this question.

"Mostly…" She finally answered.

"Mostly?" Moby's face grew puzzled.

"Yes." She nodded. "Most of what I remember are emotions from my past… Loyalty, happiness, hardship, hate… But one of those emotions was also love. My memories are hazy; all I remember are odd pockets of memories, especially around the sources, but there was no doubt about the feelings themselves. It was Alucard, my faithful servant who finally conveyed to me these sources, these stories."

For the very first time, her face wavered, and her gaze dropped to the ground below. But that was when once again, she was held tight and forced to soar.

"I see… Your memories may be hazy, known to you by only stories. But… Your emotions and experiences still are ingrained within your very being. Hold on to them tightly and never let go. Okay?"

"Okay…" She steadily nodded, slowly wrapping her shaking hands around his broad shoulders.

"I'm sure that's what Alex would have wanted."

"..."

"Y—yes…"

Any normal woman who was looking at their man hugging another would have been furious. But, that was not what Jayden felt. In fact, she did not know what to feel. It was a sight she had not witnessed in so long. To her, it was not like the hold of two lovers, but the embrace a father would give to their daughter after a long reunion.

Still, that was not the only thing she had noticed. Her new step-sister had been lacking many emotions, and this was the most emotional she had seen her in months. In fact, she could have sworn that she had seen a small tear shed from Abby's eyes, but her disbelief made her reconsider if that was truly what she saw.

They continued hugging, but unexpectedly, it was Abby who was the one to end it, letting go and taking a few steps back with a deep breath

"Thank you." She lowered her head. "My heart feels more at ease. No wonder I yearned to meet you after so long…"

She took a small pause.

"Nevertheless, this feels wrong… Why are we having such a happy reunion when the Populus is in chaos? Something may have happened to the supreme general… Are you not at all curious or disturbed?"

"Ah! Serious and quick-witted as always," Moby sighed. "The answer is, I'm not too worried, because I know exactly what happened, and nothing I can do will change the outcomes. I'd tell you everything now, but I'd rather speak somewhere more private first."

"Understood." To the normal eye, Abby's mannerisms seemed to suggest things had not surprised her, but her genuine impression could not escape the eyes of her sister.

"Sooooo… Abby! You still didn't tell me what you were doing when you ran off on me earlier!" Jayden butted in and asked.

"Oh yes." Abby looked over towards Jayden. "I went to go see Regrit Oswald."

"You know him?" Moby raised an eyebrow.

"Not well at all... Still, oddly enough, he and his brother are in some of my most vivid memories, despite the fact that he and I had not met ever since we were children." She shook her head. "I still don't understand it much myself. I had spoken to his brother earlier, and seeing how he acted in the tournament, I felt an odd connection to him. It was almost like my body was calling me to see him."

"Ummm… That sounds weird." Jayden remarked before Moby interjected.

"Not at all! I see a lot of similarities between the two."

"Mhm… He was an interesting man. But, even I could admit that he was not the brightest. He wants revenge, but the way he does it is very odd… When I tried to tell him that, he simply screamed at me and left…"

"Yeah, sounds just like him," Moby sighed. "But, I wouldn't worry about him if I were you."

"Why?" Abby leaned in closer.

"Good question." He pondered, his hands massaging his chin. "I guess you can call it instinct. That man is so headstrong that I'm sure he can brute force his way out of anything."

"Now, that's a flattering way to call someone a dumbass." Jayden chuckled.

"You think so?" Moby looked over.

"I personally think so," Abby added. "No matter what he does, I do not see a happy ending for him…"

Moby opened his mouth about to retort, but his line of thinking was abruptly cut off, not by sound, but by sudden silence. The air was filled with the cries of panic from the square, but now, it was as though those screams were a distant memory.

And when Moby looked over to the square below, he saw just that. Everyone in complete silence gazing at the previously empty stage.

There, he saw someone enter upon the light, a man he did not know for long but nonetheless well understood.

"Greetings to you all, and thank you for your attention. My name is Adam Walker, grandson of the late supreme general, Cade Walker."