God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Gilead's face turned sour,

"You want to break the dome."

Cain nodded calmly.

Gilead let out a sigh.

Abigail's eyes widened. Edward and July seemed shocked as well.

Abigail frowned then spoke, her words measured,

"Wait. What exactly do you mean by that, Cain? You want to break the dome?"

Cain smiled at her,

"Yes. It is doing nothing but burning out resources. However, we still need to get a few things in order before we will be able to pull it off."

Edward shook his head, "Madness. This is madness, I tell you."

Abigail turned to Gilead,

"And what do you have to say about this?"

Gilead was silent for a moment.

Then he answered,

"Frankly, I can see and understand his reasons, although I don't necessarily agree with them."

He turned to Cain. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the wooden table and sighed,

"Let's cut to the chase. Right now, there is no way we can keep the barrier up without the support of you and the Golden Asura, even with the contributions from the Iron Beetle."

Gilead continued after a brief pause,

"Although I can already guess what you want to say, I still would like to hear it."

Cain calmly thought about it for a moment.

"If you know what I am about to say, you shouldn't disagree with me."

His eyes narrowed as he placed his hand on the table. A small metallic orb appeared. He placed it down as he continued,

"If we want even half a chance at beating those Devils, getting rid of these domes is the first step."

"The domes exist as protection. Protection against those very same Devils. If we get rid of them, we will be overrun in a day at most." Edward said with a grimace.

Cain shook his head,

"Our odds are greater than you think. Plus, we aren't in this alone."

He turned to Abigail,

"If the Devils are banging on our doorsteps, then there is a chance the other two dome enclosures are also experiencing the same. Am I right?"

Abigail huffed,

"Maybe. I can't be so sure. However, what does that matter? If they are being attacked as well, doesn't their fate bode just as terrible as ours?"

Cain chuckled as he shook his head,

"That's where you are wrong."

He turned back to Gilead,

"This is prime opportunity to begin getting humanity back in order."

Gilead raised a brow,

"You mean..."

Cain nodded, "We become united when facing a common enemy. While I know the worshipers of the Blood Moon Goddess aren't your biggest fans, I believe the conflict stems from the link with the Celestials. Since Balangol is gone, there shouldn't be any problems in cooperating."

Gilead huffed, then leaned back,

"I get what you are saying, but that doesn't mean it's going to work. Even if we want to, chances are the other enclosures won't be looking for it."

Cain shook his head confidently,

"I refuse to believe that. Anyone in their right minds can see it easily. The only way to get out of this is joining hands. The more the merrier too."

He sent a pulse of mana into the {Demon's Eye} he had placed on the table. The eye-shaped magic item lit up.

Then it projected a series of holographic images into the air.

Gilead's brows furrowed even more.

Looking at the terrifying scenes, most would be tempted to tear their eyes away and retch in disgust.

Several scenes of Devils tearing the City apart, implanting strange devices into the ground, causing vile cesspools filled with a black, unknown liquid to spurt out.

From these liquids, many smaller Devils were born, tearing whatever was left of the city apart in the process.

This was just one of the many terrifying things.

"We stay in here, we become sitting ducks. If we open the dome, desperation sets in."

Cain's eyes widened,

"And from that desperation, there will be salvation. Because we will have no other choice available. Survive or die trying."

Silence...

The atmosphere in the room became heavy and dark.

After all, what Cain had suggested was preposterous.

'The moment the dome is opened, an entire swarm of Devils will enter. With the Celestial protection gone, the very land itself will be corrupted with Devil Essence. At that point, it will be a race against time.' Gilead thought to himself.

He sighed internally,

'Honestly, what is this guy thinking? Even if we have an entire army of Second Tiers, it still won't be enough. Guerilla tactics? That crap won't work here. If so...'

His eyes narrowed as he stared at Cain.

He frowned,

'He doesn't even look a bit bothered, almost as if there truly is nothing to it.'

He decided to ask Cain a question,

"Are you hiding any trump cards?"

Cain shrugged,

"What do you mean? My entire existence is a trump card!"

Gilead sighed,

'So he doesn't have a trump card. Then how does he think we can win? Isn't that too optimistic?'

Gilead was confused.

He had tried downplaying it, but he had really seen hell in his trial.

The weight of defending an entire city from a horde of abyssal nightmares had been crushing.

His body had been torn apart, and his soul had nearly been ground to dust.

Bug he had made it through, with pure grit and overwhelming might.

However, those were not the only thing he had needed.

Normally, a single person defending an entire city wall should have been impossible. Using a few trump cards he had kept hidden, he was able to overcome his trials.

In an impossible situation, a stroke of divine grace was much needed.

Their current situation seemed rather impossible.

"How much longer do we keep it up?" Gilead finally asked.

"You aren't seriously considering this, are you?!" Abigail couldn't help but ask.

Gilead shrugged, "What do you want me to do? He's the one with all the mana cores."

Cain chuckled wryly,

"If you say it like that, it sounds like I'm bullying you or something."

Gilead raised a brow,

"What does it matter?"

Cain sighed. Then his expression turned serious,

"We need time to get things in order. A month should do. I believe the Devils will be making major moves in that time, so we have to be cautious."

He turned to Hunter,

"Thanks to my rather handy informant right here, I have a lot of useful information about the behavioral patterns of these Devils and what they have been up to recently. Quite frankly, things aren't looking good, but it isn't hopeless yet."

Gilead nodded, "Alright. So how do you plan to fight the Devils once the dome is gone?"

Cain's lighthearted expression turned a bit dark.

"Well, there is no plan. Once the dome goes down, be prepared for a full on squabble. There are no tactics when it comes to fighting Devils. Our only option is to completely overwhelm them."

Gilead leaned back on his chair and covered his face with both palms,

"You are a crazy person."

Abigail sighed,

"You of all people should know how powerful the Devils should be right now. They growth is exponential. We humans can't even begin to compare."

"They are also rather insidious and conniving bastards. They strike when you least expect it, with as much brutality as they can muster.." Edward added.

Cain nodded, "I know all that. Which is why it is important we get to the other enclosures as soon as possible. And if they refuse, then we will just have to do it on our own."

"Your confidence is rather enigmatic, Cain. It almost makes me doubt myself." Gilead said.

Then he chuckled,

"Then again, with how crazy things always are, I will not be surprised if things somehow work out."

Cain cleared his throat,

"It isn't crazy, I promise."

Gilead shook his head then sighed,

"We will have to draw out more concrete plans though. I cannot allow so many to throw their lives away for something that isn't even defined."

Cain nodded, his expression turning more serious,

"Sure, we can iron those out at a later date. For now though, we will be on our way." Cain said as he rose to his feet.

Gilead nodded, "Sky Ward, see them out."

Just before he was about to leave, Cain stopped at the door.

"If anyone from the other enclosures pay us a visit, please inform me."

Gilead paused in surprise,

"And how are you certain that will happen?"

Cain shrugged, "I'm not. It's just a feeling."

With that, he walked out of Gilead's office room.

***

Cain felt a pair of eyes burning holes into him.

His lips curled up,

"Come on, say what you want to say. Don't be shy."

Edward who was walking a few meters in front of him shivered lightly.

Seeing this, Cain couldn't help but find it more comedic.

"If you are wondering why Gilead agreed, it's rather simple, really."

Hunter suddenly spoke, his voice gruff,

"He realized it can't be sustained without Balangol. The Mana cores will eventually be depleted, perhaps much sooner than you think. He weighed his options and chose the one that didn't end in certain damnation."

Edward threw him a surprised glance,

"You too?!"

Hunter shrugged,

"Don't get me wrong. I still believe it is absolutely insane, but there are no better choices available."

Cain smiled,

"That is the case."

He turned to Edward.

Under the glow of the Evernight moon, Cain stood out.

Like a lone mountain in the plains.

But unlike a mountain, there was a sharp feeling about him. The presence of one who could see what others could not.

"If our fates are sealed, it might as well be done with our own hands."