Kluke used Phoenix's power to teleport the group back to Zaphias. By then, Heracles was looming over the city, just outside the barrier. Guildmen had swarmed the city, clashing with the Knights.
"The Blood Alliance!" Karol exclaimed.
"Whoever their new boss is, he must be one hell of an ass just like Barbos," Yuri sighed.
"We'll need to storm the Heracles and find him, then," Flynn said. "We'll go in as we are, since they may be expecting a larger force. There should be an air vent on the side that we can get into."
"So we'll leave removing the cover to Captain Karol here," Yuri said.
"Huh? Why me?" Karol asked.
"You're the best at lockpicking," Yuri replied. "Plus, you were able to remove the vent cover at Zaude, so this should be no different."
"But will we really be okay going in without a few more people?" Estelle asked.
"We were able ta stop the Heracles while tryin' ta rescue ya," Raven replied. "Though I guess that without the Knights, Zaphias would've been blown ta bits by the cannon."
"I guess what we really need to hope for is the new boss actually being in the Heracles," Rita pointed out. "What if he's actually out here fighting?"
"If he's anything like Barbos, he'll be sitting back someplace safe watching the fighting," Yuri replied.
"Hey, you guys mentioned a war between the Empire and the Union because of a fake letter to the head of the Union," Kluke said.
"Yeah, but it was avoided thanks to Flynn getting back the real letter," Estelle said. "So what are you saying then?"
"It was because of the Blood Alliance, right? Do you think this could be an attempt to get the Empire and Union fighting again?" Kluke asked.
"You might be onto something there, Kluke," Mist said. "Tensions are bad enough as it is. It'll only take one little spark to start the war again."
"Then we have to hurry," Flynn said.
"Yeah, we have plenty of hotheads in the Knights who'll look for any excuse to start a war with the guilds," Mist added.
"What'll happen if war does break out?" Bouquet asked.
"Then the Union and the Empire could end up destroying each other," Yuri replied. "Which is why we need to stop the person behind all of this before that happens."
Guildmen guarding the outside of the Heracles were quickly dispatched as the group headed for the fortress. It took awhile, but they finally found an air vent leading right into it. Karol was able to get rid of the cover in a few seconds and they all entered. As soon as the last person was in, Repede stiffened and growled, his nose twitching.
"Heh, looks like you were right when you said they'd try getting in this way."
Everyone saw two of the Blood Alliance heading down the stairs toward them, swords at the ready.
"Hey you guys!" one called out over his shoulder. "Look what we found trying to sneak their way in!" About a dozen more showed up, sinister smiles on their faces.
"Just great..." Rita growled, pulling her scroll out. "Now everyone in the fortress knows we're here." Three more men appeared. "Now it looks like we'll have to fight every single person we run into."
"Hey, at least it's more fun this way," Judith said, taking Brionac out.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Rita replied. A couple of mages in the guild were begining to cast their spells.
"Let's just get his over with and kick their boss's ass!" Yuri shouted, charging at the nearest guildman and swinging Second Star.
"O din of this modest land... Stone Blast!" Mist and Rita both said, conjuring pieces of stone and launching them at the men going after them.
"Divine judgement for an evil soul...Sacred Penance!" Estelle said, her Mystic Arte blasting all the guildmen back while healing her allies at the same time.
"Ultra Punishing Smash!" Karol shouted, the arte knocking out a mage. Repede finished the mage off with Sonic Dog, letting out a victory howl afterwards. The warrior dog spun around, using his dagger to block the sword of a guildman.
"Stupid mutt!" he spat. Repede stared death at the guildman through his one good eye and broke the sword lock with the man and performed his Mystic Arte. He shot forward, slashing the man bafore spinning aroung, blue energy surrounding Repede. He growled, opening his left eye and shot forward again, his dagger ripping through the man. Repede glanced around for a new opponet, his left eye closed once again.
"Final Gale!" Yuri and Flynn shouted, using the arte they made at Aurnion to take out a large man giving them a bit of trouble.
"Blitz Claw!" Marumaro said. Bouquet and Hippo had merged with Saber-Tiger and now the attack was stronger and faster, sending a man through one of the steel walls.
"Sky Terror!" Jiro shouter. Minotaur's horns glowed in a blue light and he shot forward, spinning, into a mage that had cast Splash at Kluke, who protected herself with Feather Protect, and made the mage face the same fate Marumaro had imposed on the man.
"Flame Dragon!" Mist shouted, casting a circle of fire in front of her. A dragon of flames shot out of it, englulfing a few of the Blood Alliance in flames.
"Moonlight Drop!" Judith said, killing yet another guildman. Blue Dragon finished the last one with Blue Explosion.
The Shadows vanished and the group headed through the fortress, coming into conflict with a few more men. Brave Vesperia was leading the way, since they had already been through Heracles. Some of the security had been reactivated, so the spider-like robots were added to the list of enemies.
An ambush caught them off guard at one point, but the group won with only a few injuries that Estelle healed before they continued onward. By now, the Blood Alliance was coming at them from everywhere as they got closer and closer to the control room, but the group was still able to win.
At last, they barged into the control room, seeing a long blonde-haired man with a scar over his face and wearing a black jacket, surrounded by more of the Blood Alliance. He took out a familiar sword.
"The False Dein Nomos!" Rita shouted in surprise. "I thought we destroyed it!"
"Alexei was using Ghasfarost to develop enough of these to arm his loyal Knights in the Royal Guard," the man explained. "We found a prototype in the basement of the tower and installed a blastia in it. Now I possess a weapon powerful enough to kill all of you where you stand."
"Hold on, Sky," one of the men said to the leader. "What are we supposed to do, then?"
"Die!" Yuri shouted, leaping over the platform, followed by Flynn.
"Wait for me, sir!" Mist exclaimed, leaping after Flynn. Everyone else rushed down the stairs, but the guildmen intercepted them, leaving Yuri, Flynn, and Mist to fight Sky.
"Even if you do manage to kill me, the Union is coming to Zaphias," Sky said.
"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Yuri demanded.
"We have a few of Alexei's former followers on our side," Sky replied. "Wearing the Knight's uniform, they attacked Dahngrest, declaring it to be war on the Union."
"Son of a bitch!" Mist growled, her grip on Last Fencer tightening. "And now you're attacking the Empire to make it seem like Harry Whitehorse declared war on us!"
"I respected Barbos's ambitions," Sky said. "I am simply picking us where he left off." He turned to Flynn. "It's because of you that the war didn't happen in the first place." Then he glared at Yuri. "And you are the one that killed Barbos. I have every reason to end both of your lives right now."
"I'd like to see you try," Yuri growled.
"I won't allow you to kill Yuri or the Commandant!" Mist shouted.
"It's time to put you down," Flynn said. The three charged, swords at the ready. Sky lifted up the False Dein Nomos, releasing a burst of energy that threw the three back. Getting back up, they went at him again. This time, Sky sidestepped, swinging his sword at Yuri. Yuri tried to block, but the sword sank into his side. He staggered back, Flynn catching him and Mist standing in front of the two while Flynn healed the wound.
"Dragon Claw!" Mist shouted, swinging her sword and releasing the red energy wave. However, Sky held the sword up again, releasing another burst of energy that cancelled out Dragon Claw. Yuri and Flynn got up and charged at Sky, bringing their swords down. Sky parried and pushed back, making the two stumble back. He unleashed one more energy blast, sending the two flying through the glass above the control panel.
Mist reacted quickly, leaping back and grabbing Flynn's hand and used the other to grab the edge of the fortress. Flynn, meanwhile, had caught Yuri. Mist cursed under her breath as the total weight of the two strained at her arm.
"I swear when this is over, you two had better lose the bricks you're carrying," Mist hissed. "Because you two are heavier than hell!"
"Well, excuse me!" Yuri retorted. "It's not my fault you don't have any muscle whatsoever!"
"Say that again, and I'll ask Flynn to drop you!" Mist shouted back. Then a shadow fell over her and she looked up. "Oh hell..."
Sky was standing over her, sword raised. "Now you die!" Before the sword made contact, Mist's fingers slipped and the three went falling from Heracles.
"Yuri!" Karol shouted when Sky had blasted Yuri and Flynn outside Heracles, Mist catching them just in time.
"If only these guys would die already!" Rita spat. They were surrounded as more of the Blood Alliance arrived. Her head snapped over to where Sky was standing over the edge, a scream sounding as he stabbed his sword downward.
"Oh no!" Estelle gasped. "Yuri! Flynn! Mist!"
"We'll have ta rescue them later," Raven said. "For now, we need ta worry 'bout ourselves."
"But- -" Estelle began to protest, but Judith stopped her.
"It'll be fine," Judith replied. "They're too stubborn to die that easily."
"Hey!" Shu exclaimed. "Sky just jumped!"
"He's probably going to make sure the three are dead," Jiro said, cutting down another guildman.
"We're gonna need ta hurry, then," Raven said.
"Right!" the others replied.
"...Mist...Mist...! ...Wake up!"
Mist opened her eyes to see Yuri standing over her. His clothing was torn up from the fall and he was bleeding from a few areas. "You okay?"
"Besides the migrane I'm gonna have later, yeah," Mist replied.
"Good, now can you get off of Flynn?"
Mist's eyes widened when she realized an arm was wrapped around her waist. She quickly got up, her cheeks flushing.
"Wh-wha..." she gasped.
"Don't you remember?" Yuri asked. Mist shook her head.
"No. I kinda blacked out during the fall," she replied.
"Yeah, well you were above him during the fall, so he grabbed you to shield you from the fall. He's probably gonna be out for awhile," Yuri said and sighed. "Why the hell is he always doing things like that?" Then Yuri gasped. "Oh no! Sky's coming!"
Mist turned around and saw that Sky was coming at them, sword poised to strike. Mist tried to get up, but a throbbing headache made her sit down again. Yuri readied his sword.
"I'll hold him off," Yuri said. "Take Flynn and get outta here!"
"Are you insane?!" Mist exclaimed. "You'll get yourself killed!"
"Not to sound rude or anything, but I fight better when I'm not trying to defend someone at the same time," Yuri replied. "I'll regroup with the others and find you guys. Now go already!"
Mist hesitated then nodded. She leaned down, wrapping one of Flynn's arms around her neck and tried to hoist him up. The headache returned, making her lose her balance for a second, but she carried Flynn away. She grittted her teeth in annoyance when a few of the Blood Alliance noticed them, Sky barking out an order to kill them and then it being silenced by the clash of Yuri's sword against his.
Mist moved faster in the direction of Deidon Hold. She saw a few monsters attack the guildmen, Mist sighing in relief. Eventually, she looked back to see that Zaphias and the Heracles were a ways away. However, she needed to get Flynn to Deidon Hold quickly. His fall had left an injury on his head, the blood dripping on her shoulder and the ground. Plus, the monsters were definitely not going to just ignore them. The way to the Hold was almost free of trees, so finding shelter would be impossible.
Finally, she couldn't take anymore and collapsed to her knees, letting go of Flynn's arm so he now rested on the ground. Panting, Mist looked back. They were far from Zaphias now, the barrier rings the only thing she could make out in the darkening sky. She knew she couldn't afford to waste time now, especially with Flynn out cold. Without Ba'ul, finding the two would prove difficult if they stayed in the plains. Deidon Hold was the only chance they had. But she knew it wouldn't do any good to strain herself.
She built a fire and prepared a meal after killing a squirrel monster. By now it was completely dark, the calls of a few nighttime monsters sounding. She had found a spot against a drop off above them, resting Flynn up against it. He was still unconscious, though he was a bit paler despite the bleeding having almost stopped. Mist sat down next to him, feeling herself become tired. Luckily, she had created a basic barrier to ward off monsters, so it was safe to sleep for now.
Glancing over in the direction of Zaphias, she could see flashes of orange light, signifying the fighting was still going on. Eventually, she couldn't stay awake any longer and rested her head on Flynn's shoulder, falling asleep.
Back at Zaphias, Sky had escaped when the others showed up to help Yuri. It was dark now and they were finishing off the last of the Blood Alliance.
"Meteor Storm!" Rita shouted, the spell lighting the sky up with each impact. This managed to make the rest of the guildmen lose their nerve and flee, some Knights in pursuit.
"I wonder where Mist took Flynn," Karol said.
"She was heading in the direction of Deidon Hold," Yuri replied. "She's probably going their to seek medical help."
"Without Ba'ul, we'll have to head there on foot," Judith said.
"That's right," Kluke added. "It's hard for Phoenix to teleport somewhere she hasn't been to."
"Oh yeah," Raven said. "We teleported right past it."
"But aren't they in danger?" Shu asked.
"That's right," Estelle replied. "There are monsters all over the plains."
"It shouldn't be a problem if Mist can make a basic barrier," Rita pointed out. "I've seen her experimenting on making one before."
"Well, let's hope she can," Yuri said. "Otherwise, they could end up a monster's dinner."
"Yuri, don't go sayin' that otherwise they will," Raven replied.
"Gimme a break, old man," Yuri sighed. "You seriously don't believe I'm cursed, do you?"
"Trust me, Yuri," Rita said with half-opened eyes. "You were born under a really unlucky star."
"Oh, and you weren't?"
"Hey!"
"Stop it, you two!" Estelle exclaimed. "We need to go out and find Flynn and Mist before they really do end up in danger!"
"Yeah, I know," Yuri replied. "But we need to head out in the morning. It's too dark for us to see anything."
"It's okay, Estelle," Kluke said, walking over to the princess. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
"And don't even think about heading out on your own to look for them," Yuri added. "The last thing we need is to go searching for some tomboy princess as well."
"You're mean," Estelle pouted.
"C'mon, let's all get some rest fer tomorrow," Raven said.
Flynn woke with a groan. It felt like all nine Giganto Monsters were having a party in his head. Looking around, he saw that they were in the plains. Deidon Hold was just up ahead; Flynn could see the towering walls protecting the town from the Giganto Monster, Brutal.
He noticed Mist was resting against him, fast asleep. Flynn put a hand on her shoulder.
"Mist. Mist, wake up," he said. Mist blinked open her eyes and looked up.
"I'm glad you're awake sir. I'll have a doctor see to you in Deidon Hold," Mist replied, lifting her head.
"Why Deidon Hold?" Flynn asked. Mist lowered her gaze.
"The battle was still going on at Zaphias and Lady Estellise was in the Heracles. Sky had come out and was trying to kill all three of us, but Yuri held him back, telling me to take you someplace safe until they can reach us. I figured Deidon Hold would be best, since we can find a healer there." She lifted her gaze to Flynn's. "I-I also heard from Yuri that...that you shielded me from the fall."
"I just didn't want you to be hurt as badly," Flynn replied.
When Mist opened her mouth to reply, all she said was, "Can you walk on your own?"
"I think so," Flynn replied. However, when he got to his feet he cried out in pain and fell forward, Mist catching him. "I think something might be broken."
"We can take care of that once we get to the Hold," Mist said. "I'll help you."
When she and Flynn reached Deidon Hold, Knights were rushing forward to help the Commandant, one bringing a few mages who knew healing artes.
After a couple hours, both had their wounds treated. Flynn had a few ribs and his right leg broken in the fall, but the healers managed to repair the bones enough to where it would only be sore in those areas, but not incredibly painful.
Going to a Knight, Flynn said, "I want an extended watch on the entrance of the Hold. According to the new leader of the Blood Alliance, some of Alexei's former followers attacked Dahngrest to get them to start a war with the Empire."
"Understood, sir!" the Knight replied, saluting, and returned to his post.
"The Gerios Blastia, the Balaur, Duke, and now this," Flynn mumbled as Mist walked over to him. "Looks like we won't be having a break anytime soon."
"But if we did, all you'd have is paperwork," Mist giggled. "You'd be complaining day and night about not being able to get out of the castle."
"Heh, guess you're right on that one," Flynn replied. "But for now, we need to put all our effort into solving these. Then we'll be able to relax."
Mist smiled at him. "I'm looking forward to that, sir."