PREFACE

…Just for the record, don't get used to this updating speed. I've just found myself in an unusual extended free time period before my final test of the semester, and at the time I began this fic, I was at school, with nothing to do but study for a test, write an essay, and prepare a presentation, all for the same subject, on the same day, 7 days later.

By the way, from now on, thoughts will be marked with this bracket {}, as from now on, there will be a mental link between characters. Therefore in the case there is a mental dialogue, it will be marked like this "{}"

Flashbacks and some techniques will be marked with cursive letter

NINGENKAI - Papunika Kingdom

"Te… Tenchi… Matou?" said Pop as fear filled his face. But not just his face showed that emotion. His heart wavered a little at the sight before him. In fact, everyone froze for a second, and how could they not, if five of their warriors had been unable to face that technique when Vearn wielded it. Only Pop has managed to best it, and only because of the mirror of Shahal. But without it, only a spell such as Mahokanta would have and slight chance, assuming it could withstand enough power.

"So… you know of this technique?" answered Dai to Pop's words. That alone confirmed everyone's fears. "If that is the case, then all the more reason for you all to surrender… although, that alone will only ensure a painless death for all of you, unless you tell me which one of you has put me under this curse".

The first one to answer to speak was Leona, who couldn't understand Dai's claims. "What curse are you talking about? We would never do something like that to you, Dai-k…"

"ENOUGH WITH YOUR NONSENSE AND LIES!" roared the Dragon Knight, filled with rage before the confusion his mind was immersed into. "I told you I'm not the Dragon Knight you people speak of..! That man is already dea…"

"YOU STOP YOUR NONSENSE" shouted the Pawn Warrior Hym, itching to sink his punch on his opponent's face. "It's obvious you are Hadlar-sama's rival, and yet you claim you don't know that man, or your friends, who have endured the pain of not being with you for so long…" Hym continued, as a tear began to fall down his left cheek, something which shocked everyone. "Don't you… Don't you understand that in denying your own existence, you are also denying Hadlar-sama's?" Then everyone understood what had motivated Hym to search for Dai.

"I… never met Hadlar, and mostly heard unbecoming things about him form Baran-sama… However, he must have become someone great if he was recognized by Dai-sama as his rival…" Larhalt said, trying to find the right words to comfort Hym.

"He became our friend." Pop affirmed. Hym turned his head with a surprised look towards Pop. But after a second, he smiled, thinking to himself that such a thing shouldn't have been so surprising.

"So… team leader…" began Hym, having his eyes full of resolve. "… How are we gonna proceed? We already lost to this technique once, but I'm sure we all have thought up countermeasures to it… right guys?" asked Hym to the party. Everyone smiled and nodded.

True, after their fight against Vearn, they tried to improve themselves, having said fight always in mind. And their team leader knew that, even if the details of their respective trainings were unknown to him.

"Well, just like last time, we'll endure it, and attack right after it…" said Pop, which brought everyone's dumbfounded faces directed at him.

"CAN'T YOU THINK SOMETHING BETTER" yelled everyone at him. But unlike usual, he remained calm, which made everyone understand that it was the best choice.

"Then… who will be attacking?" said Crocodine, who had learned to trust Pop ever since they fought each other in Romos.

"In order to beat him, we should use this same chance, meaning that we have to beat the Tenchi Matou, break his Dragonic Aura defense, and knock him out".

"And how do you propose we do that Pop? Each step is extremely hard by itself…"

"But we have the numbers to do it. The thing is to choose the most appropriate people to fulfill each objective. That being said, this is my plan: …"

After giving his instructions, everyone got ready, maintaining the same formation they held so far. There was one thing that everyone was wary about, because of Pop warning:

"… In the end, the steps for Tenchi Matou are always the same, but given that lightning has always been the main element of a Dragon Knight's spells, we know that he won't be using Kaiser Phoenix. Therefore, we should assume that, even if the purpose of each one is the same, the attacks are completely different than Calamity End and Phoenix Wing. Because of that, the only advice I can give you guys is… attack with everything you've got".

They all waited for the signal. For an instant, time seemed to slow down. Everyone tensed their muscles and sharpened all their senses to achieve the best reaction time possible. In the meantime, Dai's magical energy began to command heavens to unleash a storm, darkening the clouds and blocking the sun, which was beginning to set at the horizon.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW" shouted Pop, at which Larhalt leapt towards Dai, followed closely by Hyunkel. Larhalt spinned his spear, and created the Touki blade extension. He prepared his vertical slash. In the meantime, Hyunkel stopped his leap midway, preparing his most known secret move by readying a thrust with his sword, and focusing his Touki at the tip, all while preparing his arm for an inward twist.

In the meantime, the Servant of the Gods simply thrust a blow forward, while twisting his right arm forward, with his fingers joined together and filled with his Dragonic Aura, simulating the tip of a spear. The clash lasted very little. However, before the clash itself, Larhalt altered his trajectory by stepping to his right, and then forward. Dai had no other choice but to change the direction of his blow, as his left arm was already readied for Hyunkel mid-range attack.

"HAKEN DISTALL"

"Dragon… Tail…" Dai said in a low, but compelling voice.

While Larhalt's spear moved downward, it met Dai's twisting "tail", fortunately, they met at an angle in which only the Touki blade and the fingers touched each other, dispelling the former ones without resistance. However, the arm continued its path, piercing Larhalt shoulder armor, and injuring him, leaving and empty space on Larhalt's shoulder, the bone and the flesh being pulverized because of the spin.

"BLOODY SCRYED" followed Hyunkel, despite his companion's defeat and injury. Despite his resolve, he couldn't avoid being surprised at the fact that the only weapon meeting his attack was a slightly open hand, even if ti was clearly filled with Dragonic Aura. Before attacking, the knight remembered part of Pop's instructions. "Larhalt, Hynkel, make sure to force Dai to cross his arms. That will force him to use more strength than usual to force his next movement, which will deplete him even more once he is done with his magic attack. That will give the rest a slightly wider window to attack". Therefore, Hyunkel made sure to attack at Dai's left flank. Right after that, Hyunkel did his move, and both attacks clashed.

"Dragon… Roar…" said Dai, right as he made a fist for an instant, and then opened it to meet his opponents attack. Usually, his hand should have met quite the resistance, given the strength of the Bloody Scryed, but the previous closing of his hand, which was abnormally strengthened by his Dragonic Aura, created an extraordinary strong shockwave that reflected the attack, and to make things worse for Hyunkel, the palm thrust that followed released a blast of Dragonic Aura that accompanied the reflected Bloody Scryed. The whole blade got disintegrated by the Dragon Roar, leaving only the hilt and the handle. Actually, the blade provided enough resistance to dispel Dai's attack. However, Hyunkel received a disseminated blow that sent him flying, almost knocking him unconscious.

Still, Dai's attack was far from over. The worst part was that even the leftovers of his attacks were enough to beat each member of the party. Pop endured his frustration at sending his friends to their demise, and prepared himself to "receive" the next blow. Dai managed to notice the spell his opponent was going to release, as the magic energy slowly began to take form. However, it was too late to change the plan, and simply followed thorugh. Pop was the first one to unleash a spell.

"MAHOKANTA" shouted Pop, with which a translucent wall formed in an angle. Pop knew that the lightning spell would fall from the sky, and so deduced that he could redirect it at Dai. No matter how strong Dai's had gotten over the three years that have passed, it was impossible that a sole spell would break his Mahokanta by itself. However…

"Heaven's… Judgment…" said Dai, with which he commanded the Sky to conflagrate dark clouds for an instant. All the lightning bolts contained in each cloud were fired horizontally, focusing on a single point, at the center of a circle delimited by the darkest, blackest clouds in the sky. It was a spell superior even to the recently created Jigodein, which prior to this fight, was the strongest lightning spell in existence. And in fact, it was. Dai's Heaven's Judgment was nothing more than his version of the spell, just like Vearn's Kaiser Phoenixwas hisversion of Merazoma.

The gigantic lightning bolt fell and struck Pop's magical defense. However, instead of being reflected in a right angle, it kept its trajectory, trying to force its way through the translucent wall. Multiple, smaller bolts spread in all directions. Fortunately, no one was struck, but Pop wouldn't keep his defenses up for much longer, not against such a strike.

Finally, Mahokanta shattered, but only a small bolt hit Pop, and it was just enough to only paralyze the Daimadoushi. Despite the weak blow, the magician's energy was depleted, his knees buckled, and he fell over his back.

{Impossible… it was enough to break it, although, I should have expected it from Dai. Besides, even the impossible becoming possible was within my plan…}

That passed through Pop's mind as he held a slight smile, while reminiscencing of their adventures together. Sorry guys thought Pop before regretfully giving his next command. "NOW… HYYYYYYYYYYMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

The only way to effectively break the Dragonic Aura would be a Touki blast strong enough to dispel the defensive barrier, and reach the user. And the best person for such a job would be a fighter with large reserves of Touki, just like…

"AURA KNUCKLE" shouted Hym, signaling his signature move, in order to attack the depleted Dai.

After focusing so much strength on each arm, which he had been force to cross, further exhausting him, then straight them up in order to direct his Heaven's Judgment, Dai should be unable to move, but such state would last for only an instant, and Hym would capitalize on that in order to break the Dragon Knight's defensive barrier made of Dragonic Aura. Then, the whole party, except for the fallen ones would attack Dai. Or at least, that was the plan. Because Dai only had to focus his Dragonic Aura in one place in order to execute one last attack, which finally removed the weakness of the Tenchi Matou.

Dai's forehead began to shine with great might, and the Dragon Crest formed on his forehead. Pop recognized the attack, and finally understood the flaw on his plan. "Hym, watch out!" he shouted. Hym listened, and instead of thinking, he reacted by forcibly stopping his leap, which made him lose balance, leaning towards is left side.

"… Monshousen" muttered Dai before a beam was released from his Dragon Crest. That same shape appeared on Hym's right fist. Actually, a whole which had that same form pierced through Hym's arm, all the way to his shoulder blade.

To make matters worse, Pop's plan stipulated that Marm should follow behind Hym in order to attack Dai, followed by Leona's Hyadaruko, and then Crocodine's Juuou Geki Retsushou. After that, anyone who could move would keep attacking until Dai collapsed. It wasn't an elegant plan, but it should have been effective, had it not been for Pop's mistake of his estimation of Dai's spell, and the unexpected fourth attack of the Tenchi Matou. As it was planned, Marm had leapt behind Hym, intending to jump above him before landing a held back Mouko Hasai-ken on Dai, in order to knock him out in one blow. That attack, if contained, should be enough to do the job against an unprotected Dragon Knight.

"… What?" Marm managed to stutter before she began to roll forward while in the air. The Monshousen pierced her foot with enough force to push the lower part of her body, creating the aforementioned effect. Leona's head was next, but Crocodine managed to get in the way, pushing her aside, and receiving the attack on his arm, piercing it easily. Nova had to push Lon Berk, Merle and Brass to the ground in order to protect them, as the beam of Dragonic Aura continued its course, breaking through everything on its path, until it left a burned mark on Papunika castle, miles away from the battle site.

However, Dai's assault was far from over. With Hym collapsed and on the ground, the next target was flying towards the Dragon Knight, who simply jumped in order to meet Marm on the air, with a Merami on his hand ready to incinerate her. As he closed in, their eyes met before the strike. Marm couldn't help but feel fear, facing the coldness on her friend's eyes.

But for some reason, nothing got burned, and Dai's fire stream hit nothing. His target had hit the ground, hard, and some energy strings were attached to her. Said strings originated from Hyunkel's fingers. He had used his Touma Kugusshou to grab her from his position, and move her away from Dai's path. This didn't affect the latter in the least, as the Ultimate Knight continued his rampage.

Next in line was Crocodine, who decided to receive Dai's hit head on. In order to do that, the former prepared a cross guard. Dai prepared his fist. A second later, it collided against Crocodine's guard. In the next instant, a shockwave broke through the Beast King, crushing his innards, which made him puke blood. Dai had infused his fist with Iogurande, which detonated at the moment of the collision.

In the next second, Dai was in front of Leona. She froze on the spot, and received his Bagimuucho, which carried all his anger and frustration, despite his calm face. The huge tornado tore Leona superficially and emotionally. She got propelled upwards almost 30 feet before she fell. Fortunately, there was some grass left on the portion of the terrain she fell on. However, before the spell was unleashed, the spellcaster twitched, and that made him hold back. Hope wasn't gone yet, but everyone was wavering and doubting

{He's gotten so strong}

{How can we face such a monster?}

{I'm so powerless}

{I screwed up}

{Should have seen that coming}

{Why can't he recognize us?}

{I wish I could help them}

{Is there anything we can do?}

Such were the thoughts that Merle could hear from her friends. She had also trained during the last three years, and she managed to master her telepathic and precognitive abilities. However, she became fearful of them because it meant that she could immerse into her friends minds at her will, and it might make them distrust her.

But now wasn't the time for such worries. She had to use her powers to help them stand up, and to help them during the fight. But before she could use her powers, someone stood up.

"BEHOMAZUN" shouted Pop in order to heal his friends. Even if all he had was an estimation of damages, he still made the right choice to heal his friends completely, especially considering Crocodine's injuries, who would have passed away had another ten seconds passed without any medical care. "Everyone, get up! It's far from over, and this shouldn't be so much of surprise!"

"Are you crazy? How can we face him when he's so strong! We couldn't break his stance, which is stronger than Vearn's!" said Marm, who still felt the pain from her injury, and had some troubles getting up.

"She is right Pop. He even solved the stiffness delay that you and Dai could hardly take advantage of when we fought Vearn, by simply adding another attack which requires no movement in order to perform it. That gives him the fraction of second necessary to regain movement of limbs, and he can continue his attack. I bet that he can even shoot his Moushousen in rapid succession if face by many enemies attacking form many directions" argued Hyunkel, trying to support Marm's plea. "I mean, look at my sword! He destroyed it with just one attack, leaving only the handle and the hilt. It's… it's useless…"

"… You should listen to them, Magic User… not that it would make any difference. As I already told you, I'm gonna kill you, because of…" said the Dragon Knight, before being interrupted.

"Will you just shut it? I'm not talking to you, so please, just stand there, and get your Tenchi Matou ready for us to break it on the next attack" replied Pop, with a face that showed a mixture of boredom and apathy. As if he was getting really tired.

"… what? Is that some sort of jo…"

"It's no joke. I'm saying that we'll break you and your stance on the next shot. I, the greatest magician in existence, say so"

Hym stood up, motivated by a boiling anger that was directed at Pop. "Are you out of your mind? He didn't just beat us. He crushed us. How do you expect us to…?"

Pop was getting tired of everyone disbelief, and simply stated the facts that would make him the target of hatred and anger. "The last assault was devised under the assumption it would fail, in order to measure his power."

No one could help but give a surprised expression, except for Lon Berk. {So, the magic user is finally blooming. Every party needs someone to make the hard choices, and it's thanks to that member that the party survives. But that also turns said person into a villain. And the fact that such a young man has to act like a monster is… simply tragic. And the worst part is that, he is fully aware of it.}

Hyunkel was the first one to react, by taking a step towards Pop, just with the idea of beating him to the ground on his mind. "You… how dare you to…"

"Who told you to leave your position?" replied Pop without even looking at his friend. "I already said I would give the orders here"

"Pop, that's enough! You can't just order us around, sending us to our deaths!" Crocodine also managed to get up, motivated by anger towards his seemingly unreasonable friend. Stil, he hadn't lost faith in his friend just yet, but he was close. His friends were the same.

The next one to rise was Larhalt, who had to use his spear as support. "I agree with them. Who are you to risk our lives with such disregard? I'm afraid that if we keep following your orders, we are all gonna…"

"I won't let anyone die. With my magic, I won't let that happen" answered Pop with total confidence.

Everyone but Leona and Merle showed a surprised expression. The one to speak was the former. "Are you talking about that spell you used on Merle when you awakened?" said the princess, waiting for the Wiseman's response. However, all she got was a momentarily eye contact, but that was enough. She could see Pop's resolve in his eyes, but she couldn't understand it. "Even if that was a Zaoriku, you can't expect me to believe you have enough magical energy to…" continued the princess, until it hit her. She had that on her pouch. Even if half of it couldn't be used against such an opponent, the other half might be what they needed. Still, she couldn't let go of her doubts. "But how do you know it actually…?"

"I've tested it twice already… once on Shishou, and the other on…" answered Pop, with only half confidence, not because he didn't believe on his skills, but because he had awakened from that nightmare many times:

After that reunion with Matoriv, he decided to take his words into mind, and made his choice. He casted Mahokanta and then jumped backwards towards, down the highest cliff he could find. When he woke up, all he could clearly remember was a bright light being reflected on the translucent mirror in front of him, right before everything went black. When he got up, he could see a big pool of his blood on the ground. He couldn't help his knees buckling. He fell on his behind, and stayed there for hours. During that prolonged "rest", flashes of his second visit of that place within the clouds tormented him. True, the place itself could only be described as peaceful, but arriving to that world implied… No, he didn't want to think about it.

No one said anything. Somehow, everyone got what Pop couldn't say

Tired of hearing them talk in such a sacrilegious way, the Dragon Knight finally snapped. "HOW DARE YOU TO SAY THAT YOU WON'T LET THEM DIE! LIFE AND DEATH IS NOT SOMETHING MERE MORTALS AS US SHOULD DWELL INTO! THAT SPELL WAS GRANTED TO THIS WORLD IN A WAY THAT ONLY A FEW ONES WITH ENOUGH ABILITY WOULD BE ABLE TO MASTER IT!" shouted the servant of the Gods, with a solemnity that didn't fit his former self. It was clear that he had changed, and this hurt his former friends deeply. "… Tell me. Where do you draw the line between helping others, and abusing life and death? Vearn himself played with many individuals in order to control death. But that was a form of abuse. The tools and skills he amassed were used in an evil way. What makes you any different than…?"

"Absolutely nothing" answered Pop confidently, with a grim from ear to ear plastered on his face. Then, he took a cocky lecturing attitude before continuing. "I might not be as ambitious as Vearn was, but I assure I'm at least as selfish as he was".

To say that everyone got shocked would fall short by a mile. However, that shock didn't last long.

"Ha… hahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Jijijijijijjijijiji!"

"buah… hahahahahahaha!"

Many different laughs got mixed up after hearing Pop's ridiculous declaration.

The one to speak was once again, the Dragon Knight: "Still, there must be something that makes you different from Vearn, or you would be as much of a madman has he was. Where do you draw the line between right and wrong?"

Before answering, Pop remembered the last time he was asked that question… how he brought Matoriv back from the land of the dead:

Right after he found Matoriv completely quiet and still, without breathing, Pop fell on his knees, and began to sob. He will almost got demolished until he remembered when was the last time he felt like this, and decided to use the spell he casted on Merle by chance, when she was injured by Zaboera. Even if it was the first time he tried to use it willingly, he decided it would be best if he trusted his feelings from back then. When Matoriv reopened his eyes, both of them were shocked beyond belief. Pop tried to, but couldn't say anything. Instead, he decided to jump on him to hug him and let the tears flow. However, the magic user met the back of hand made into a fist. After falling on his butt, he quickly raised his sight, only to find his master's furious eyes. Pop almost felt like his master was disgusted at his disciple.

"I'm sorry for hitting you" said Matoriv with a serious face, without even looking at Pop.

The young magic user himself felt dejected, despite the words from his master. He couldn't understand why his master rejected him so bluntly.

"May I ask… why you did that?" continued the old man.

That was Pop's limit. He got up, and punched Matoriv in the face. Clearly, the old man was surprised.

"OF COURSE I DID THAT BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD BE OKAY IF YOU DIED ON ME? I…" was all Pop could say before his master hugged him, surprising him.

Neither said anything. They just remained like that, hearing each other breathing. After a minute, Matoriv let Pop go, and they simply stayed in bed and remained standing respectively.

The first one to speak was Matoriv: "Pop… you need to understand something. Spells such as Zaoraru and your Zaoriku were not meant for this. You should know that my death is part of the natural course of life. Everyone dies, be it of natural cause or because of an accident". Pop listened to his masters words attentively, taking every word to heart. "… However, I would like to believe that spells intended to bring back the dead were meant to be used in circumstances such as the war against Vearn. In times were tragedy becomes almost a routine, it's clear that things such as the natural order and balance have disappeared. Still, each and every death that takes place in a war, no matter how big or small it might be is part of said natural order. Therefore, I can only conclude that such spells are reserved for those strong enough to use them to preserve the lives of other strong people… Not because the strong should stand above the weak, as Vearn would argument, but because such existences as Dai's, Baran's, and yours can change the tides of conflict, and restore the balance…"

Pop was surprised that his master viewed him in that way. He wanted to say something, but couldn't give order to his thoughts.

Matoriv continued: "… but in the end, that's just my opinion. You might be the HIGHEST MAGICIAN that I'll ever meet, which should be expected given who trained you, but you are just a brat. And as a brat, you still have a long way to. You should use that time to find your own answer to this question: Where do you draw the line between right and wrong?"

Matoriv finished his speech, expecting his disciple to take his time, give his regards, and leave pondering about that question. That was a good last assignment before passing away. Although, considering Pop's skills, and the feeling that remained after receiving the Zaoriku, only God could know when that would happen. Seriously, such a troublesome apprentice. But just like it had happened many times in the past, Pop surpassed said expectations.

"…Shishou, I think I've figured out were I'll draw the line…". Matoriv was surprised, to say the least, but got back his composure, and waited for his disciples answer…

Pop answered to the question posed to him by his master/friend: "I'll just let my friends do it for me". Everyone but the magician was in a slight state of shock. Not because of the answer, but because of the level of irreverence that backed it up.

The first one to speak was Marm: "You really are the most selfish, annoying, perverted and troublesome person in the whole wide world, aren't you?"

As Marm said that, the words almost materialized and stabbed Pop though his ears. At that time, Merle decided to put her skills to use.

"{… But that's part of the fellow disciple we all love}"passed through Marm's mind before everyone but the Dragon Knight. To say that everyone got a little scared would attenuate their reaction quite a bit. But after a second, they got rid of said uneasiness, as they remembered that this had happened before in the last fight against Vearn. They all decided to look at the one who most likely had caused this.

"{… I'm sorry for surprising you all, but… you guys are not the only ones who have been training. Even if my fighting ability is null, I'm sure we can improve our teamwork if I create a mental link between you all}".

Those were thoughts Merle transmitted to the party.

"{Did you get this power thanks to Gome-chan, three years ago}?" said Pop via the mental link that Merle had just created.

"{Yes, it was during that miracle that this power awakened, along with a strong precognitive power. Please, trust me that I've never used this to invade anyone's privacy. If you want to think something to yourself, just focus in blocking all externalities, and you'll be able to. If you want to send a thought, focus on those who you want to transmit it to. Please, use this power}" answered Merle.

Then, everyone looked at each other, and then to Merle, and nodded to her, acknowledging and accepting her. She smiled in response.

"{… Then guys, if you guys are willing to trust me again, then please, believe when I say that we can beat him in the next try"… I won't say the same words as three years ago. I don't want your lives…}"Pop said to his party. He remembered how he asked Hym and Larhalt to give their lives in order to defeat Vearn. But now, he didn't want that. He wanted to go back to those days, even if they were occasional amongst all the fights, in which they laughed with everybody. This is why he would ask something different from his teammates. "{LEND ME YOUR POWER!}"

"{YEEESSS!}",was the response he received.

"{Then this is the plan…}"

.

.

.

.

.

.

"… We are ready… are you ready?" asked Pop to the Dragon Knight.

"… Finally, you guys are done… although, I can't imagine how you could devise a plan if all you did was fight and laugh" responded the servant of the Gods.

"… May I ask why you waited for us?"

"… You guys got me curious. The outcome has already been decided, but it might be interesting to see what you'll be trying next… Actually, I have seen that there's no evil in neither of you. You don't want to harm others, nor want to impede my mission. But you keep clinging to an illusion. I ask you, please wake up from that dream of me being your lost friend, and just let me continue". For the first time, the Dragon Knight showed a sad face

"… You've really changed Dai-kun… You seem more mature, and you are no longer the cute little Hero from the old days, but on the other hand you look more handsome. Still, I have no intention of leaving you here…" answered Leona, showing some sorrow in her eyes. Still, an unwavering resolve lied deeper in them. "I'm taking you back, Dai-kun".

Despite his growing frustration, the Dragon Knight decided to remain composed. "I'm saying this for your own good, I'm not your friend, and there's nothing you can do about…"

Leona quickly cut her former friend with a phrase that held a lot of power over him: "Naaahhhhh! When I say I'll do it, I'll do it…!"

Right after hearing that, something inside the former Hero's mind clicked, and some sort of automated response initiated, almost forcing him to give a reply, which was accompanied by a smiling face, similar to the one he usually made in the old days: "…That's how Leona has always been…Wa-wait, what?"

{Just as planned} went through everyone's minds. Actually, Pop had commented via the mental link about some of his findings regarding the fight so far:

{This might not mean much, but I think his memories are still asleep within his mind, just like it happened when we fought Baran. The thing is that we need to trigger them with small suggestions of our adventure three years ago. This will stimulate his anger, but we should do it anyway, and take advantage of it.}

Before the Dragon Knight could let his fury be ignited, his enemies started their attack.

Just like last time, the first one to attack was Larhalt, who was thinking what he had to do in order to support the group. {This time I can't hold back… this time, I have to think not of fighting Dino-sama, but stopping his Dragon Tail with everything I've got}. Pop words still lingered in his mind:

{Remember guys. Against an opponent who is infinitely stronger than use, our chances of winning are less than 1%. However, the moment said enemy lets his arrogance and anger take the best of him, that number no longer holds any meaning, which means that we can either lose, or beat the enemy… So, don't hold back}

As he had been instructed, he attacked Dai's right flank without changing directions, and before executing his signature move, he took another leap forward. {Surpass the limit. I can't rely only on my speed. I have to create a blunt blade that can withstand his attack, and achieve an impossible synergy between all the joints of my body and the spear. But more than anything…}.

The Dragon rider began to execute what he had been developing in the last few years, and what he had done during a fraction of a second against his "little brother", something very different than his soft, mirage creating speed. He had to use something more brute…

{Faster than wind itself… FASTER THAN LIGHT!}

Right after that thought went through Larhalt's mind, he planted his foot on the ground, and began his attack.

Then both techniques were executed and collided. However, right before the clash, Larhalt's body and spear accelerated before his limit, leaving a sonic boom. He had performed something which could only be compared to a lightning.

"Dragon Tail"

"LIGHTNIIIIIIIIING… DISTAAAAAAALL!"

The strength of Larhalt's arms wasn't very impressive. But despite the burden of such a leap, he achieved a godlike synergy between the lance, his body, and the speed he reached. It was so fast and strong that it ruined the timing of the Dragon Tail, reducing its strength by a huge margin.

"HUUUUUAAAAAAHHHHHH" roared Larhalt as he tried to push forward, but the sole fact he stood his ground was impressive by itself. Dai got extremely surprised. In fact, his face showed a slightly struggling expression. At least, the struggle someone would have when facing a small resistance when trying to force open the cap of jar.

Then Hyunkel followed, by staying 5 meters away from Dai, and readying his blade before attacking his opponents left flank. However, this time it was a Touki Blade what extended from the four pronged hilt of his sword. {Nova's sword is designed to give shape to Touki withouth help from the user, so this much shouldn't be a problem, but I have still do my part in order to create the sharpest sword it has ever existed… one that can pierce even his Draonic Aura}. Hyunkel got in position for his Avan Cross Scryed. Despite the earlier failure of the technique, he would try it again. Lon Berk motivated to do so through Merle mental link:

"{Your new move failed only because you let your Touki detonate ahead of time, and that happened only because you were nervous. Dai only felt a shockwave of the technique. I imagine that doing three things at the same time must be pretty hard, but in the end, they are all the same; 'focus your energy, concentrate on the target with nano-metrical detail, and fire'. This time, it's no different. Get rid of every distraction, stop thinking, and fire that neddle}"

In the end, Lon Berk was probably the strongest swordsman in all the worlds. He managed to figure out the idea behind the technique. The reason a technique such as Juuou Geki Retsushou was so effective was because the strength of the "gust" became concentrated and compacted. In other words, constant mass and less volume equals to higher density. The idea behind the Bloody Scryed was compatible. In order to compensate the lack of the Kuuretsuzan that was needed to complete the Avan Strash, Hyunkel spun his arm, which would add strength to the thrust, working as a drill. That spin concentrated his Touki, making it denser. Then, why could he not apply that same principle to his Grand Cross? Not only that, he could incorporate Avan's technique in order to make an attack that, instead of cut anything, it would pierce and crush everything. The strongest Touki attack a human could do, in the size of a needle. Such an attack would not disperse, even against the strongest defense.

Hyunkel mimicked the movements he used when he first attacked Dai, at the beginning of this fight, but before that, he checked the corrections he had to do: {Focus the power of the Grand Cross in your arm, to create the strongest and fastest spin you can muster… Then let it be released, following a spiral path, at the same speed as the spin of the sword. Make them meet at the center of the hilt… use your inner eye to visualize the nucleus of the shockwave and his Touki blast…}.

Then, it hit him. He forgot the last part of Lon Berk's advice: "{Get rid of every distraction, stop thinking, and fire that neddle}".

Hyunkel finally dispersed all thoughts from his mind, and the he could see it, even before it was there… The weak point Dai's Dragon Roar. Then, he simply said inside of his mind: {JUST DO IT!}.

"AVAN…CROSS…SCRYEEEEEEEEEED!" shouted Hyunkel, emptying his lungs in the process. And just as it was intended, a needle was released from the tip of the immaterial sword. However, said needle was so bright its light made it look like a huge burst of light. The greatest Touki blast, concentrated in the smallest stream possible, directed to the most vulnerable point of a defense that was yet to come.

"Dragon Roar" said the Dragon Knight with a dry voice. But then it seemed like he was holding a huge weight with his hands, as he struggled with two attacks that couldn't push him, but neither could he push pack. Fortunately, an instant later his Dragon Tail shoved Larhalt. However, there was no major injury on him, nor important damage on the spear, as if the attack was intended to only hold his Dragon Tail without major risks. Still, Dragon Tail had not been completely expended, and the Dragon Knight could redirect it if he wanted to. On the other hand, Larhalt did surpass his limit, and couldn't move; he had overexerted his body.

{… Doesn't matter. The magic user is next…}. Then, the Dragon Knight focused his thoughts on the clouds in the sky, where the same circle of clouds from before remained. All the lightning bolts contained in those black clouds were fired to the center of said circle. Simultaneously, Pop leapt forward.

{His pride won't let him fire it at someone else. This means there's a 100% chance of me receiving it},thought the Daimadoushi before focusing his magic energy on his Chaos Rod. {I've also got the timing… Just like against Vearn…}

"Heaven's Judgment!" exclaimed the former Hero, before executing the spell without using his hands. He had learned to that spell without using his hands.

As the gigantic bolt fell on Pop, something that lasted only a fraction of a second took place. An extremely concentrated spike of magic energy rose from the Chaos Rod. Said spike could not compare to the lightning bolt it met in terms of raw power, but Pop had already had the chance to actually examine the later when he blocked it with his Mahokanta. Then with all the information available, he did what he did to defeat Vearn's Kaiser Phoenix. He hit the weak point of the lightning, and separated it in many bolts. Such a feat was impossible, plain simply. However, knowing the timing, the point of impact, and Pop's natural abilities, it became possible to tear a lighning.

{I guess I really am a genius…} thought the young magic user, before continuing his attack. {Now, [you] take form… an inverted umbrella} passed through his mind, and the spike of magical energy took said form. That way, the smaller bolts were dispersed even more. {Now, Chaos Rod, time to use your real power…}

"MAHOKANTAAAAAAA!" screamed the Daimadoushi. However, no wall of light appeared in front of him. No, something else happened. Pop had actually requested the Chaos Rod with one particular specification some time ago:

"… So, you want me to forge such a crazy weapon for you?" asked Nova, Lon Berk's young apprentice, as he tried to figure out how to fulfilll such a request. "It's not that I can't do it, but let's face it… You are probably the strongest magician on earth, surpassed only by Vearn himself, so I can't imagine why you would want something like that. You should also consider that these are peaceful times…

"Perhaps, but you should be aware that we are going to Makai in order to find Dai…" answered Pop to his friend. "… The thing is, I'll be able to reach Vearn's proficiency in magic. And he had his Staff of Demonic Light… If want to at least get a little closer to him, I need something unique to me. Something that lets me use my magical energy in a more efficient and versatile way…"

"Just do as he asked, and forge his damn Rod…" said Lon Berk, as he was getting tired of all the talking that was spoiling the taste of his liquour.

"…fine, you win… I just hope you are sure that such a feature is what you want…"

And it was certainly the best choice he had made. The chaos Rod not only changed its own shape and materialized a stream of pure magical energy that changed its shape to Pop's will. It could also take Pop's spells and create a resonance effect within itself on order to raise its level to the maximum, just like Dai's scabbard did when he created a magic sword. This helped with the efficiency usage of his magical energy. Also, the spells could be channeled into the stream of magical energy, meaning that Pop could create something similar to the magic sword, and said weapon could take any form he wanted. In this case, Pop created an inverted umbrella with a Mahokanta embedded in it. And so, all the lightning bolts focused on said umbrella. As the original bolt had already been weakened by the first clash with the Chaos Rod, the new one was as powerful, but it could be reflected. And so it happened.

{He… he reflected it!} thought the servant of the gods as the lightning bolt came back at him. In this situation, his right arm would be useless despite the fact he could still follow up and complete his Dragon Tail, as such a technique was intended to do physical damage. Such a thing would be useless against the redirected Heaven's Judgment. Neither could he finish his this technique middle way andexecute another Dragon Roar. Then, a chance appeared.

According to Pop's plan, Hyunkel would have to jump forward again. In order to pierce the "wall" created by the shockwave and the Dragonic Aura' blast that made up the Dragon Roar, he would need more power. On the other hand, the Pawn Warrio Hym was already preparing his own blow, as he flew over Pop before taking a leap towards his target. Everything that ensued next seemed to occur in slow motion.

{It might not be enough to reflect it, but at least with its speed and the remaining Dragonic Aura, even if can't create another shockwave, I should be able to use my left hand to block the lightning bolt. That swordsman attack should have already been depleted only with the shockwave and the little contact it had with my Dragonic Aura. Then I'll use the remaining strength of my Dragon Tail to crush him…}, thought the Dragon Knight. Then, he devised the next move. {I've measured that Orichalcum Warrior's attack after just glancing at it from the previous clash and my Monshousen will at least send him flying, and if misses the timing, he'll be destroyed. Then, all that will be left are the magic user, the fighter girl, that female sage, and that giant lizard…}.After planning this, he couldn't help but smile a little.

And so, he moved his left arm towards Pop, effectively relieving Hyunkel from the opposition from the stream of Dragonic Aura that flowed form that hand. Then, as he expected, when said hand got in position, it rejected the lightning bolt to the side. Simultaneously, Hyunkel took another leap as planned, and in just a moment the Dragon Knight would meet Hyunkel's thrust with his right hand, which still retained the form of the tip of a spear. Then, he began to focus his Dragonic Aura on his forehad to fire his Monshousen, however, this was also part of Pop's plan, after he discussed it with the three vanguards of the formation:

"{I'm not asking you three to beat his techniques… just to hold them. I'm sure that with my intervention, he'll have to redirect his left arm in order to block the lightning. His right arm might be a problem, but with Ossan's Juuo…}", said Pop before being cut by Hym, Hyunkel and Larhalt, via the mental link.

"{SHUT UP!}" thought the three of them at the same time.

The one to speak was Hyunkel, as Pop knew him the most: "{I know these two because I've faced them in the past, so I'm sure I'm speaking for the three of us; We've still got more to show him, and I'm telling you, we'll beat his two Touki attacks, so you get rid of his spell, understood}". The magic user didn't answer, and just nodded, before continuing with the instructions.

{… Now I'll show that which I've been practicing ever since I got to Delmurin… Hadlar-sama's spirit…} thought the Pawn Warrior before his metallic body began to emit Touki. Following that, he readied his right fist, and took a hold of it with his left hand. His Touki began to take extend from his right fist, while a second type was stored inside his arm.

Now, the Dragon Knight could see that his opponent wasn't attacking him with a fist, but with a Touki Blade that extended from the external part of his wrist.

{… So be it, your blade won't cut my Monshousen}.

Hyunkel still hand't reached his target, and his attack still hadn't collided with the follow up of Dai's Dragon Tail. The Dragon Roar had already been dissipated. Enough Dragonic Aura had been stored in Dai's forehead. It was time.

"Monshousen…" said the Dragon Knight as a stream of light, even brighter and stronger than the last one was fired towards the Pawn Warrior. However, the servant of the Gods would soon regret not having taken his time to think up a better course of action, as the Orichalcum warrior released an attack different from the one used last time, because a huge flame like Touki began to flow out of the Touki blade… It was Maenki. Hym learned how to emit Maenki, just like Hadlar.

"CHOUMA BAKUENHAAAAAAA!" roared Hym as he took another leap with the intent of not only beating the Monshousen, but to reach his opponents flesh.

Both techniques clashed. Hym additional leap was the only thing that prevented his body form being tossed backwards, and therefore, he couldn't reach Dai. However, the Monshousen bounced back towards the Dragon Knight with twice the speed. Still, the latter's reflexes allowed him to lean his head to the side in time to avoid the deadly beam, but there was no way no avoid the next blow.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH", roared Hyunkel as his Touki blade shoved Dai's Dragon Tail to the side.

{Impossible… even if it's not at full power, he shouldn't be able to beat my Dragon Tail… unless… he achieved a stronger attack by joining his Touki "needle" with his Touki blade, achieving a god-like synergy between both? Then that means that neither the shockwave nor the blast of Dragonic Aura could disperse the needle. But then, how did he sincronyze a simple thrust with a spin…?} thought the Dragon Knight before noticing that Hyunkel's arm had been twisted counterclockwise, instead of the usual clockwise.

No, in fact, he did twist his arm clockwise for the first attack, as he had paid attention to that little detail, but now, on closer look, he was repeating that movement

{Don't tell me that after the initial clash against my Dragon Roar, he dared to let go of his sword, got his arm back in its initial position, regained his grip on his weapon, and after he leapt, he repeated the twist?}

Hyunkel couldn't help but remember that during the first months of his recovery, despite the fact that he was in condition to travel, he wasn't in a state in which he could train. However, he still wanted to improve himself, and decided that in order to do that, he had to at least stop depending on his Grand Cross. He came up with the idea of being able to fire multiple Bloody Scryeds, which required him to at least reset the initial stance of his arm, and be able to achieve the required power with arm strength alone. And he actually did it. It was later, after he finally began to show signs of a definite recovery that he came up the Avan Cross Scryed. However, the most impressive part was…

{I still can't believe I came up with this idea just now…}. Yes, Hyunkel came up with the idea of synchronizing his first shot with a second thrust on the spot. {I always thought that only Dai could merge two Strashes, but to think I would be able to do the same with my technique… although, I only could do it because I knew beforehand where and when I would meet the first shot, and that was thanks to my first failure… I guess I ought to thank you, Dai… Thanks to you, I've achieved the TRUE Avan Cross Strash}.

Dai's left hand was facing forward with its palm opened, while his right hand was completely extended to the right, thanks to Hyunkel's god-like blow. It was then that the flow of the fight changed completely.

Dai's body was overexerted from the previous events; his Dragonic Aura had been focused on his hands and forehead, and so the barrier that protected him wasn't at fullpower. The last remains of the stream of Dragonic Aura from his Dragon Roar protected him form the worst part, but he still received a considerable blow on his chest from the Chouma Bakuenha, and as his body had no more protection than a thin barrier of Dragonic Aura, said barrier was easily broken, and his body felt the impact of the blow.

Immediately afterwards, he was hit right below his left ribs, with nothing to protect him, by Hyunkel's technique. The Dragon Knight was quite fortunate that Hynkel's attack had been weakened by both the Dragon Roar and the Dragon Tail, but the blow still sent him backwards and slightly to his right by thirty feet; his feet never separated from the ground, and they left two noticeable ditches. The Dragon Knight suddenly gasped while facing downwards, or so he thought, as something else came along the expelled air.

When the Dragon Knight's vision adjusted after the blow, he saw a red stain on the ground. {I'm bleeding… I've seen my blood before… The training required me to learn how to deal with pain and injuries, and of course, that includes how to recognize when I'm harmed, but… I'm bleeding… because of them? They've broken… my Tenchi Matou…? … Interesting}

{IT'S WORKING!}. All the team finally felt a sentiment of accomplishment after the first successful blow. But it was far from over

The Dragon Knight saw how the ground darkened, and as a shadow suddenly covered him, he quickly faced upwards to see what was blocking the sunlight. He would not be able to gather Dragonic Aura in time, so he got ready to intercept and counter the blow that the female fighter was trying to execute, but he somehow found himself unable to move with enough freedom. He then noticed some threads made of Touki were attached to him, just like the ones he saw on the same female fighter. He switched his sight towards the source of said threads, and saw how the swordsman that injured him was using the spell Touma Kugusshou. This was also included in Pop's plan:

"{… Hyunkel, I won't rebuke you for using the Touma Kugusshou with Marm… Dai is right about spells and weapons being neutral. In the end, it is us who use them, and so it is us who label them as good or bad… If you think the Dark Touki you stole from Mystvearn three years ago can be used for the good, then use it… surpass the limit of light and darkness, and stand above it!}", communicated Pop to his friend

"{… I think… I think Pop is right about this, Hyunkel…}" said Marm as a sign of support to her fellow disciple of Avan.

This surprised Hyunkel, who still remembered how he almost fell to the darkness again when Papunika was attacked by Kiganjou, Vearns castle, and a second time when he faked to accept Mystvearns offer of salvation in exchange of betraying his friends. How he almost let his Dark Touki beat him. But now he understood that Touki is a tool in the end. How to use that weapon is what decides who is good and who is evil. As long as he didn't let his anger and fury dominate him, it didn't matter which type of Touki he used. Then, he simply answered: "{… thanks…}"

Hyunkel's actions left Dai with few options. {Still… do you think this is enough to beat me!}, thought the Dragon Knight before he released himself from Hyunkel's technique. He managed this by exerting his body beyond his limits, and gathering Dragonic Aura by the sheer power of his will. {Strange… this feeling… making an effort after another… it's certainly difficult, but… it feels so familiar… almost… nostalgic…}. Then, a storm of images, sounds, and emotions swarmed him. {… enough… experiencing this floods of images is getting boring and tiring. I'll just ignore them. They'll soon be gone… BECAUSE I'M GONNA EXTERMINATE THESE COCKROACHES!}. Unfortunately, he exhausted almost all the Dragonic Aura he managed to gather, and did not have time to gather more. So, in face of the incoming attack, he focused what little remained in his arms, which he crossed in front of his chest in order to defend from it. Then, he received it.

"MOUKO… HASAI-KEEEEEEEN!" shouted Marm at the top of her lungs as she punched Dai on his arms, which were protecting his chest. {… It was necessary… I'm sorry Dai, but this was my best… Don't worry, with Pop's Zaoriku, and Leona's and my healing, you'll be okay.}. After delivering the strike, Marm quickly went next to Hyunkel, who had received the most damage, in order to heal him: "Behoimi", she casted on him.

The Dragon Knight only took three steps backwards in slow motion. Then, he puked blood and expelled it upwards. {Huh… it's raining crimson… so weird…Well, I guess those two back there are next…} thought the former Hero, referring to Crocodine and Leona. His body seemed wobbly, but he could still gather his strength to make swift and precise movements. He was ready to jump at the next targets. It was strange, actually. He could have easily chosen his other enemies, but at some point, a part of him stirred him to face the ones he had not faced, motivated by a single thought: WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO TO BEAT ME. All those who had attacked him had shown him exactly that. His curiosity was getting the best out of him. He was ready to jump at Leona and Crocodine, but someone would not let him. {So, you won't let me move with freedom… It doesn't matter…}.

"BETAAAAN!" shouted the magic user before casting the spell that multiplied the gravity around a target. Said target managed to identify the spell, and defended himself with his Dragonic Aura, but still could not move. {Huh, so you won't budge? No matter, this attack is not over}. Pop began to gather his magic energy in his Chaos Rod, before releasing at the speed of an arrow, a spear that concentrated the power of the strongest Gira-type spell available. He pointed his Chaos Rod, imagined the form he wanted, and began to shout the name of the spell: "BE…"

"Monshousen". A beam of light was fired from Dai's forehead towards the remaining two members of the opposing party. {Even if I can't move, I can still attack. Now, how do you two intend to respond…?}

{Just as planned…}. Leona got in front of Crocodine, and prepared her defensive measure. {… No matter how much I try to put a front, fighting Dai-kun like this is… unbearable… To think he really wants me dead… But just like it happened with Crocodine, Hyunkel, Larhalt, Hym, and even Baran… sometimes you have to knock some sense on people… by force. Still, I never thought I would say this, but… No one takes my Dai-kun…!}. She readied her Whip, and started her attack. "… GO TO HELL, YOU DAMN GODS…! …KUURETSUZAN!". The Monshousen was dispelled almost instantly. It was an impressive feat for Leona to target a Touki blast of such a reduced size. Just like trying to pass the thread through the eye of a needle… by throwing the thread from a distance of thirty feet. Still, Leona's job wasn't done, according to Pop's prediction:

"{Right after he receives Marm's blow, I'll hit him with two spells almost at the same time. However, I'm sure he'll use his Monshousen to attack whoever is in front of him. I promise you that I won't let him shift his attention from you two, Princess, Ossan. Princess, you stop his Monshousen, and you Ossan…}"

Crocodine decided that he would change the battle plan, and so he would suggest something: "Pop, I know you are the one giving directions, but please, let me decide how to proceed… I know I'm probably the weakest in the team. All of you have been growing at a pace I can't keep up any longer, and of course, you are all young, while I'm…" Crocodine said.

These words surprised Pop and the rest. Sadly, Crocodine's words were true. Even Leona, who during the war had almost nothing to contribute, except for her participation in Minakatoru, she had suddenly developed her own fighting style, modeled after Queen Flora's, and even trained the Whip application of the Avan-Ryuu, along with the spells included in the Sea Chapter of Avan's Book. Adding that to her talent as a Sage, it was obvious she would become strong in the future. But her high pace surprised Crocodine beyond belief.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I've given up… so let me do it my way, and I assure you I'll make our window even wider after I'm done. All I ask is that when my attack ends, I'll need…"

And so, the party decided to trust him.

{So, she managed to block it… interesting… let's see what's next}. The Dragon Knight became expectant of the next attack.

Pop continued with his attack, and finished his impending spell: "…GIRAGOOOON". Right after saying the chant, he released the strongest heat beam possible for him.

The former Hero didn't flinch in front of the attack, and simply gathered his unique aura, and made it explode from his arm in order to dispel the spell launched by the magic user. Nonetheless, an explosion occurred, and the dust that rose from the ground blocked the vision of the Dragon Knight. Usually, such a thing wouldn't matter, as sight contributed to his perception by only a fraction. But Crocodine had trained a lot during the three years that took place between the war, and this encounter. He decided to train in order to "erase his existence". He learned how to make his Touki disappear, which enabled him to appear in front of Dai without being detected. Of course, Crocodine knew he wasn't fit to use the Mutoujin, which involved lowering all defenses and Touki in order to receive all the power of the opponent's technique, leaving the latter open for a counterattack. No, Crocodine decided that he simply didn't have the sheer ability to do that, at least not Avan's version. Instead, he would create his own Mutoujin, which would be put to test in just a second. Right at that moment, the Dragon Knight noticed his opponents presence right in front of him.

{So… we meet again. You've really been a disappointment during this whole fight. You've hardly contributed… I'm just gonna erase you}

{I know that look… you are underestimating me. And with good reason, but you are still young, and inexperienced. And old man like me can still teach you a few things. And I'll have you learn that arrogance is your worst enemy. Come… BRING IT ON!}

The Dragon Knight prepared himself to inflict the same attack as last time. A simple punch filled with Dragonic Aura, ready to punch the opponent while simultaneously releasing a Iogurande, with the intent of detonating it inside the opponent, causing massive internal damage. The difference was that this time, the magic user should be completely depleted of magical energy, after using two Behomazun, along with other offensive spells.

"Pop-kun, receive it!" shouted Leona before she threw a Silver Feather towards the magic user.

During the war three years ago, Avan developed the Golden Feather and the Silver Feather from the Kiseiseki stone, obtaining an offensive feather used to strengthen the Anti-Evil properties of any spell, and a healing feather that cured and recharged magical energy. And Pop's plan envisioned that Leona would heal Pop right before Crocodine attacked, but not before he became the closes target for Dai.

"Thanks Princess!" said Pop has he let the feather stab his arm, getting him back in good condition. Even if his magical energy wasn't at its top, he was in a much better condition.

{So, they have those too… it probably healed him… doesn't matter, I'll simply kill you in one shot, lizard-man}. The Dragon Knight adopted his pose, and threw a basic, but perfect right punch, directed at his opponent's belly. "Iogurande" was uttered from his mouth with a soft, but compelling voice. His opponent had no defense whatsoever. He probably screwed up when he tried to sneak in order to get to the Dragon Knight. {… Nice try, but not good enough.}

{I'VE GOT YOU!}, thought Crocodine before using his version of Mutounji. {I might be just an insignificant insect next to you, but I've still got my pride, and my experience. And I'm sure, that my everything can defeat that single punch of yours… as long as I use it like this…}. Then, Crocodine gathered all his Touki at the point of impact, before the collision even took place, and released it at that point, with all his strength, with highest density possible. Then it happened.

The sound of a cushioned explosion was heard, followed by two dull cracking sounds. The first one was from Crocodine's armor. However, Crocodine was fine. He became exhausted all of a sudden, but unharmed. His opponent, on the other hand, had a surprised face, as he examined his right arm, which was getting dyed with a mixture of black and purple.

{… It hurts… my arm… is it… broken!}. The Dragon Knight was more than perplexed. He was used to pain. His training was devised with that as one of its purposes. But he couldn't understand how the weakest member of that party could harm him. He suddenly entered some sort of catatonic state, leaving him at the mercy of his enemies, with only his instincts to protect him.

"…Don't get distracted. Learn how it feels… RELEASE… EXPLOSION!" shouted Crocodine as an explosion was released from his King's Axe. Said explosion sent the Dragon Knight upwards. Instinctively, the body of the former Hero gathered Dragonic Aura in order to create a barrier that covered his whole body. Still, the servant of the Gods didn't come unscathed.

"NOW IS OUR CHANCE! EVERYONE, KEEP GOING!" shouted Pop, and everyone obeyed.

Leona quickly launched more silver feather to Larhalt, Hym and Crocodine. Hyunkel had already recovered thanks to Marm, meaning that he would be the first one to attack. He suddenly remembered another remark made by Pop during the planning of their attack:

"{I'm sure that his Genetic Battle Memory will act, so we have to attack with everything we've got}"

"Bloody Scryed!" roared Hyunkel to signal his most known technique, which he executed with magisterial precision, sending his former friend to even greater heights. However, just before the impact, Dai emitted a burst of Dragonic Aura

"{Ossan, Marm, when he hits the ground, attack him with a Mera-spell and the Doryuu Shou Haken}". Of course, Pop was referring to the technique the God of Martial Arts, Brokeena, used against Mystvearn, although unsuccessfully, when the later used Vearn's original body three years ago. They didn't question Pop's orders. Now, it was Pop's turn to attack: "Betan!" shouted the magic user to pummel Dai's body to the earth. Then, right before he hit the ground, Crocodine reached the point of arrival, while Marm stayed were she was, and both attacked.

"Release! Burning Fire!"

"Bushin-ryuu… Doryuu Shou Haken!" shouted Marm as she jumped, flipped her body to face downward, and double punched the ground, generating a seismic shockwave.

Then, when Dai hit the ground, like a volcano, his body received a shockwave that would have sent him upwards, had it not been for Crocodines King's Axe, which also brought a gigantic flare. Once again, there was a sudden release of Dragonic Aura, which cushioned the impact of the three techniques.

"{It almost over. Please, endure it guys}". As unbelievable as it could sound, Pop was suffering as badly as his friends, but he had taken too seriously the job of making the hard choices. "{Princess, you are next!}".

"{Alright, Pop-kun… Dai-kun, I'm sorry}". Then, Leona took out her Papunika Knife of the wind that she received from Dai just before the two of them faced Demon Lord Vearn. She couldn't help but remember that with a bittersweet feeling. Then, she attacked in order to make sure that at least her second attack would reach: "Kuuretsuzan!" she shouted. Her thrust sent a Touki blast that managed to create an opening in Dai's protective barrier, which would at least ensure a minimal effectiveness for her next attack. She quickly gathered her magical energy, and executed one of her favorite spells. She exclaimed "Hyadaruko!" before releasing a reduced blizzard against her loved one.

Dai should have suffered a great deal of damage, but when his barrier was broken, at the moment of impact, a great burst of Dragonic Aura exploded from within his body, protecting him from being frozen internally.

{…Still, as expected of a Dragon Knight. I'm sure that Dai hasn't received much damage, but he won't be standing once this sequence is over. Everyone is gonna hate me for my attack, but I think it's the best decision. But at least that way, the fight will be over… I'm sure of it!}, thought the magic user before giving his next indication.

During the whole fight, Merle had to perceive the internal turmoil that ensued inside each of her friends' hearts, but she understood that what she felt was nothing in comparison.

"Is it really necessary to punish him so much? They can't possibly think that this is reasonable!" finally exclaimed Brass, who had to see how his "son" was being pummeled by the party. He couldn't help the tears that had flowed from his eyes since the battle began.

"That's because you can't even begin to grasp the size of Dai's true power… Actually, I'm afraid that not even this might be enough?" answered Lon Berk.

"That can't be true, Master. I mean, I know Dai is strong, but the idea of him turning this around is…" countered Nova, but before finishing, he saw his master eyes, and understood that his Masters fears were rightfully funded.

"… Pop-san… Pop-san thinks that this is necessary… I trust him, so I'll believe the same, and pray that this is over soon" finally said Merle, who, in respect for all her friends, including Dai, she maintained her eyes fixed on the ensuing battle.

"{Larhalt, Hym, NOW!}"

Before executing his move, Larhalt remembered another key point of Pop's plan:

"{Even though I told you all to give it your best, once we are done breaking his Tenchi Matou, and with the first sequence of attacks, we have to switch to a speed strategy. Don't use your maximum attacks. Instead, use techniques that require less preparation time, and that are easier to synchronize. So, during the first sequence, deal all the punishment you can muster}"

{I'll listen to you… Let's finish this!}, thought the Land Warrior before attacking. "Haken Distall!" said the Dragon Raider as he slashed his "little brother" with a superhuman speed and accuracy. Once again, Dai was protected by his Dragonic Aura, and still remained in his catatonic state. Then, Hym appeared in front of the former Hero, focused his Touki, and prepared his move.

"{Hym, make sure he is left standing!}", shouted Pop through the Mental Link to the Pawn Warrior.

"… With this, victory will be ours... Aura Knuckle!" shouted the former Pawn of the Shinei Kidan as he released his technique. In order to do as instructed, he made sure to hit Dai beneath his center of gravity, or his navel, in an upward direction. Having noticed that Dai's Dragonic Aura had been acting automatically during the last blows, he decided that using all his strength would do the job. And in fact, Dai was left standing; the punch lifted him a little and propelled him backwards. When he touched the ground, his feet drifted, and given his slouching pose, once he stopped, he stayed like that. However, this time, his Dragonic Aura was less impressive.

Just as Pop had planned, at some point of the fight, if they continued to attack Dai before he could react, his own body would take care of defense, by emitting bursts of Dragonic Aura, effectively draining it. This was only possible thanks to Merle's Mental Link, with which the coordination time between them had been reduced to just a fraction, allowing more swift sequences. In fact, that mental link even allowed them to share mental images, making things even easier. However, that would be discovered in the next few seconds.

{Now… it's my turn…}, thought the magic user before letting go of his Chaos Rod. However, with his magical energy, he made it float between his hands. {Take form… become a Bow!}, was the idea that went through his mind, and as ordered, the Rod took the form of a dark, mesmerizing Bow, with just one arrow, although there was arrowhead in it. "{Sorry guys… but no matter what, I need you to trust me}". Then, the magic user casted two spells, one in each hand: Merazoma and Mahyado.

These two equally strong spells would be merged, in order to attain a spark of pure energy, by acquiring the energy that must be infused into to make atoms vibrate so that matter burns, and the energy that is subtracted in order stop the atoms so as to freeze matter. When such a pure energy is channeled, the Spell of Total Annihilation Medoroa is casted.

"{STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!}".

Before his friends could reject the idea and stop him, he focused completely on the way he visualized what he intended to do. "{I hope this works}", thought Pop, before giving the final push. A vivid image of his intentions was created, and said image was seen by everybody. And then, they decided to leave it to him.

As Dai was left standing, still paralyzed, not of fear, but because of utter and pure confusion, Pop created an arrowhead by infusing the arrow with the pure energy of the Medoroa. Now, the arrow hardly resembled one. It looked more like the blade of a giant harpoon, like the ones used when hunting whales. Then, he increased the length and the "sharpness" of the energy blade, and decreased its width and thickness. {This way, I increase the strength of the spell, while decreasing its area of impact. With this, I'll pierce his barrier, no matter how thick it becomes}. This was apogee of what he wanted to achieve with the Chaos Rod he requested. {I even trained in the application for arrows of the Avan-ryuu. Certainly, I can't use Touki, so it's impossible for me to learn how any of the three slashes, much less the Avan Strash. But I can at least train half of the concept behind the Kuuretsuzan, and learn how to find the core of a Touki concentration, such as a spirit… or the weak points of a Touki barrier… Dai… You are going down!}

Dai's body began to feel the danger, and started to gather the last ounces of the Dragonic Aura available in his current state. On the other hand, Pop already readied his shot. All he had to do was to release the Medoroa arrow. A second passed.

As he was about to release the arrow, its arrowhead fluctuated, twisted around its own "body", becoming even thinner, shorter, and denser. "MEDOROAAAAAAAA!" shouted Pop has he let go of the arrow. Its shaft and flexing disappeared, and only the harpoon remained. Simultaneously, Dai seemed to react to the impending danger.

The Dragon Crest sparkled as never before, releasing the last ounce of Dragonic Aura which was concentrated on his left hand, which he could still move, unlike his broken right arm. Because of the arrow's elevation, he would have to block it using the back of his hand.

"!"shouted the dragon boy. The clash took place, and it ended as fast as it began. Days later, reports of an arrow of light flying through the capital of Papunika and other neighboring villages and cities would be heard. Luckily, no one was harmed, but many goods and buildings had been damaged in the process, each one having a hole bigger than the previous one. The arrow finally stopped after it hit and pierced a mountain. After that, it couldn't maintain its stability, and simply exploded. That mountain was located on the other side of the world.

Dai's hand had been pierced, along with his abdomen. Luckily, no vital organ blood vessel had been pierced or damaged; Pop's latest studies included anatomy of many species, as he had gotten tired of killing during the last war.

The Dragon Knight puked a big pool of blood, both was still standing.

"… It's over. You can't expect me to believe that you want to continue. If you go on, you'll die of blood loss. Then, who will complete your mission? Just stop, and come with us. Please Da… Please, Dragon Knight" said Pop with a tired but resolute face.

"Let's stop this nonsense Dai-ku… no, Dragon Knight. I'm sure we can talk this. If you want to, we can discuss the details of your mission, and maybe we can lend you the sword. So please, just… stop…" continued Leona, who couldn't keep going with her strong front, and fell to her knees, letting her tears wet the ground. "… Let's stop hurting each other, I beg you…"

No one had the will to say anything else. No matter how extraordinary the fight was, or the progress and growth they all experienced, in the end, this particular fight, had no meaning whatsoever. It was a complete waste. Nothing was gained. At least that would be the case if the fight didn't stop now.

Finally, Dai spoke. "You… you are right. I can't keep going like this. It's ridiculous to fight in this condition". He was facing downwards, and didn't move at all. He could barely breathe.

His friends began to show relieved expressions. Even Leona face began to recover its color and glow. Pop was starting to smile.

"Had I taken things more seriously… had I not let my anger, arrogance and curiosity take the best of me… had I not wondered 'what are they gonna do now?' during the whole fight… I would have won just like this. But that no longer is an option, isn't it?"

Leona began to get up, and Pop decided to take a step forward. However, he stopped when he saw that Dai's Dragon Crest began to glow. However, this glow was different. I wasn't a bright blue glow. This crest was emitting a golden light. Its color resembled the sun that had been over them during the whole fight, despite the blocking clouds. Soon, the sun would set at the horizon. Dai's new glow began to cover his whole body. His bleeding stopped, and the wounds left by Medoroa began to heal. Even his broken bones merged and healed.

"You… you can't blame me for taking things this far, right…? …Masters?" said the herald of the Gods, before unleashing the roar of his inner dragon: "!"

Then, his golden Dragonic Aura got denser, and for an instant took the form of wings. However, unlike a Dragon's, these wings were feathered, like and Angel's. He lifted his head, showing that his crest separated from his head, and the six horns of the dragon silhouette extended over his now even more spiky hair. His eyes resembled those of an animal that was calculating how to kill his prey, yet his facial expression showed a strange solemnity.

"And you definitely can't blame me for reaching this stage, insects. During this whole fight, you've used your powers to stop me. And yet, I can feel no malice from you… I think I've finally figured you out. To all of you, power is justice, isn't it? Well, you've reaped what you sowed. If you think power as justice..." said the Dragon Knight. Despite the calmness in his voice, one could perceive with all five senses his boiling rage. "… THEN LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN WITHSTAND IT!"

After that roar, a gust of wind was released in reaction to his power. Despite the flashes that invaded his mind, the herald of the Gods simply focused his mind in shattering those images. Even the tears that he shed, just as he did the last time he said those sad words, were ignored.

"RyRyuumajin?" was all Pop could manage to say after seeing Dai's state. There was no major change in Dai's physiology, but the transformation of his eyes and crest reminded Pop of said form.

"You know that form? Then you should all understand what it means. To sacrifice your reason in exchange for winning, but remember, none of you can claim innocence of such act. You all attacked me without any remorse or shed of compassion. You would probably get rid of your souls. The idea behind this act is quite simple: 'Even if I can never return to normal, one word makes it all worth it…" said the awakened Dragon. His former friends were listening attentively, despite the fear they and been instilled with. "… VICTORY!"

Then, everyone shed tears, as their friend seemed to have lost his humanity. However, they had not lost hope, as they saw the tears his friends shed before. It seemed that even he began to trigger his own memories himself, without even trying. They all thought the same:

{THERE IS STILL HOPE LEFT}

However, the challenge now would be to survive the rampage of the strongest being in the world, going at full power, with no remorse or compassion.

"… However, I would appreciate it if you called this form by its true name… The Ryuumajin is a primitive and obsolete form, that loses its ability to reason, but that failure has been corrected in me. I've been created as someone above any other Dragon Knight. My masters have called me the The Ultimate Knight, The Angel Sent By Heavens, The Herald Of The Gods, and even… …HEAVENLY DRAGON GOD. Which is why, I would like you to call this form… TENRYUUJIN"

… To be continued

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Author Notes:

Hope you liked it. I admit I enjoyed writing it, but I also got tired. Still, there's more to come. Hopefully the battle will be over by next chapter, but don't forget the mission he has been sent for. If you have suggestions, please tell me.

I wanted to name Dai's form different to Baran's. So I came up with that. Hope you all find it good enough

By the way, can anyone come up with good names for dragons?