This, however, was not that night. He had grown older and more powerful since then. His wisdom had grown beyond what most people gained in their entire life time. And now the time had come to prove it.

He was on duty with a man in red armor that called himself Dart and a soldier of the first knighthood of Basil. They were sharing their adventures as watchmen usually did, always ever alert to any oncoming danger. If they had met under different conditions he might have called them comrades.

Dart had started to tell tales of his chase for the Black Monster. He had just returned to his home of Seles and was attacked by a dragon. A warrior in purple armor saved his life. Before Enji could ask any questions the knight cut in.

He introduced himself as Lavitz. The name rang a bell. As Enji thought back, memories of friendship returned to him. Those memories were immediately replaced by the pain of loss. Lavitz went on to tell of his friendship with King Albert. His friendship with Albert reminded him of Servi and his friendship.

But Enji was too busy planning his escape to worry about these kinds of emotions. He was starting to plot how to leave the two unconscious until morning. Just transform and knock them out. His mind screamed

What if they see? It would draw too much attention to me. It's that kind of attention we've been trying to avoid. He argued. It would be counter productive. She would find us real quick and I'd have to change my name and go into hiding yet again.

They won't see. You can transform and hit them before they even have a chance to turn around. Even if they did no one would believe them. They would probably write it off as a trick of the eye.

No, we'll wait till dawn, if we aren't attacked sooner. He knew that they wouldn't be so prepared if they weren't sure there was going to be an attack and besides he had all the time in the world.

That's when he realized it. He stone in his pocket began to let off energy. She was near by. It had to be her; she was the only one who has possession of those powers for centuries.

His age old superstition came back to haunt him. The way he sees it, the more your past comes back to you, the more likely something bad will happen. The more extreme the memories the worse the final outcome. And at this rate, it might mean death.

He had now started to run very low on time. He had to think up some way out of there. While he was thinking yet again of escape, he told them the story he had practiced for years, one befitting of his twenty two year old appearance.

The sporting red hair he had pinned him with failure and yet, in his tale, it had bought him instant popularity among his peers. He had no direction to go he turned to thievery. He had run into a lot of trouble over the years but the one thing that never failed him was his scythe.

This tale brought one or both of the following things; pity and respect. People feel sorry for him and his tough life. People also respect that through all of that he still stands tall.

Enji said that he was going to patrol outside the gate. When no one tried to stop him he made his way out the front gate that had once stood in his way and was now his means of escape; how ironic.

As he left he looked at Dart and Lavitz, the fools who had allowed his escape. He was glad that they were so gullible. By the time they realized that he wasn't coming back he could be half way to Lohan. He chuckled at his own cunning.

Suddenly he noticed movement through the bushes. When he stuck his head into the clearing he saw them. The army that Hoax was expecting was larger than Enji had anticipated. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers marching in a neat and orderly manner kept in line by a Giganto.

Enji thought those things were destroyed a long time ago. He hoped that the Giganto didn't know battle tactics. I have to do something. I'm the only one with the means to stop him.

But Rose is back there. Do you really want to have to face her and a Giganto? Think logically for once, if she sees you you're toast but you could just keep running to Lohan and never have to see her or those two guys Dart and Lavitz.

But I have to go back be cause of them anyway. I promised I wouldn't let that happen again.

You still want to keep that dumb promise? Face it if you kept it now you would be hurting yourself as well as them.

I have a promise to keep and the power they'll need to fight off such a massive invasion. With new found determination, Enji ran back to Hoax faster than any army could hope to move, a tool that was useful in the last war he fought in.

By the time he returned he was surprised to see the Giganto had thought ahead and had sent an advance party. Enji didn't think that it had thought this far ahead. Obviously he had under estimated it and the time had come to prove his worth.

He charged in as he brandished his scythe with skill. As the scythe's blade glinted in the fire light, he recalled his old scythe. The battles it had endured could be forgotten so easily if it had been misplaced. His old friends better have taken good care of it.

He used his blade to knock the spear out of an enemy soldier's hand he tossed it to an injured ally on the ground. He used this moment of shock to use the blunt end of his scythe to knock the wind out of the poor man and struck him subtlety with a water spell which broke a few of his ribs.

It was at that exact moment that Enji remembered the Giganto well on its way to destroy them. He made his way to the front gate to greet it. As he made his way to the entrance he noticed Dart and Lavitz struggling with what he could only assume was one of the enemy's best.

Before he could even think about helping them an enormous hand knocked him clean off his feet. It just about knocked the wind out of him. When he looked up, he saw the Giganto looming over him.

"Get up and fight Kongol with honor," The massive being bellowed.

So, what Enji had heard about Gigantos caring more about honor than winning was true. Enji started to smirk. This might be the most fun I've had in a long time. Enji collected himself and answered "I'm Enji and I accept your challenge."

It was right about that moment when Dart and Lavitz had to cut in. Dart dropped down from the steps above and asked "What are you doing back here?" He seemed genuinely surprised at Enji's return.

"We thought you had left," Lavitz shouted down the stairs as he joined them. "Why did you come back?"

It was that moment that possessed Enji to quote, with a smile, the all too familiar promise he had made all those years ago. "I will not stand by and let my comrades suffer and die because I don't have the courage to do what needs to be done."

"Well then, let's do this together." At this, though he hid it well, Enji rolled his eyes. Did this guy really have to be that corny? They were all men about to go into combat and he's being sappy.

Enji charged in using his typical speed and grace. Most people would have been overwhelmed and intimidated by the sheer speed of his attack, but Kongol just held up his enormous hand and stopped the attack with ease. As if to drive home this point, Kongol then took the scythe, a mere twig to him, and snapped it clean in two.

Needless to say Enji was shocked by this turn of events. He could always transform and beat the tar out of Kongol, but that would draw way too much attention and would bring Rose in faster than you can say "Crud!" Then again, he could run, but then he would be leaving his allies to die.

It was at this moment he realized that the army had gotten much smaller since the last time he saw it. They might actually be able to fend off this attack. With that thought in mind, he decided it would be best for everyone if he retreated.

In the end, he was glad he did. No sooner had he got behind cover, clutching the two halves of his scythe, had Rose appeared. She was floating in the sky using her dragon wings, flaunting her power to everyone, and awakened the Red Eyed Dragoon in Dart.

Enji was surprised to see someone as inexperienced as that wielding Zieg's dragoon power. With memories of the past burning in the back of his mind, Enji made his way out of town and into the sunrise, the dawn of a new day.

To be continued…