Breath Of Fire II: War Of The Demons

by Magus523

Ages have passed since the Second Dragon War, and as the world moves towards its next great conflict, a young man named Ryu travels the roads seeking his fortune...

14. Chapter 13: The Demon Lord

Chapter 13: The Demon Lord

Power. We need your power. God needs your power. Give yourself to our God. Pray to God. Praise God. Sacrifice your bodies and souls to God. You are destined to become God's power...

Ryu woke up.

A glance at a nearby clock told him that it was almost an hour until the beginning of the banquet, which meant his timing was perfect. After a quick bath, he returned to the bedroom he'd been given and blinked; while he'd been gone, a servant had apparently come in to leave a dark green doublet and a pair of light gray leggings on his bed, in the style he'd seen the courtiers wearing. Staring at the clothes for a moment, he shrugged and tried them on, and was unsurprised to find that they fit perfectly.

A small, thin gold ring had been left there as well; after thinking it over, he decided it was probably meant to tie back his hair, and replaced the leather thong he usually wore with it. Despite the implied request for formality, however, he still wore his sword on his back as usual; there was fitting in, and then there was being stupid, after all. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he nodded, then walked out to see how the others were doing.

Sten was sitting in a chair in the hall outside the guest rooms, looking surprisingly natural in his own finery; his brown fur had been brushed, and he wore an outfit similar to Ryu's in blue and gray. Rand was there as well, though the big man looked far more uncomfortable in the dress clothes; where the servants had even found a suit that would fit at all, let alone as if it were tailored personally, was a mystery, although the dark red and white did seem to suit him.

"Look at this," Rand grumbled, plucking at the front of his doublet; like Ryu and his sword, he was still wearing his knuckle guards. "Like anybody's ever going to mistake me for somebody who belongs here, no matter what I'm wearing."

"Did you really think they were going to let us attend a fancy banquet dressed like we usually do?" Sten asked, leaning back with his eyes closed. The Highlander wasn't visibly armed, but that didn't mean much considering his choice in weaponry. "Come on, man."

"He's got a point," Ryu admitted. "That being said, we should probably start thinking about ways to sneak our gear in. We might not have a chance to throw it on when things get ugly, but then again, we might."

"Way ahead of you, chief." Sten opened one eye and smiled. "Friend of Jean's named Salvatore-some artist-is gonna be our guide tonight. Looked him up and talked to him about that, and he's going to bribe a couple servants to grab it out of our rooms once nobody's looking and smuggle it in on one of the dining carts."

"You think of everything, don't you?" Rand commented, sounding impressed.

"Preparation is half the fight, a lot of the time." Sten shrugged. "And speaking of preparation, how long are the girls going to take, huh? Women."

"I heard that," Katt said dryly as she walked out of her room, wearing a fancy gown like the Siman ladies favored, in green and gold, with wrist-length gloves and a gold-and-emerald choker. She seemed decidedly uncomfortable, and hadn't bothered applying any makeup; unsurprisingly, she was casually twirling her battlestaff, as if trying to make it look like an ornamental cane. "You're lucky I probably shouldn't hit you while wearing this thing. How the hell do they go around all day like this? My tail is killing me right now."

"Somehow, I don't think the girls around here need to worry about that," Rand told her. "Just relax. It's only for a few hours."

"Relax?" She made a rude noise. "With everything that's riding on this? Not likely. The chances of this going off without a hitch are about the same as a sudden rain of ale. I'm going to be keeping my eye on that fake the whole time." She made a face. "After all, it's not like we're going to have anything to eat."

"We should be fine, actually," Nina said as she emerged from her own room. Her gown and gloves were a deep purple-black, to match her wings, and she wore it far more naturally than Katt; to her, it was probably just another dress. She wore more jewelry as well, silver with sapphires, but not enough to be gaudy. "Jean's considerate that way. He promised he'll make sure to prepare some cuisine more suited to our tastes."

"Good for Jean." Ryu smiled for only a moment. "At least we won't be going hungry when trouble breaks out." He made a face. "Speaking of trouble, let's not get too comfortable. We should probably ship out as fast as possible, once we'redone. I don't think we're going to want to be here when that delegation from Evrai arrives and finds out there aren't going to be any negotiations after all."

"Ah, noooooooo." Katt winced.

"That's not going to be pretty, boss," Sten warned him. "The Church of St. Eva won't take this kind of 'mistake' lightly. What gets me is why the fraud wants them in here. I'd think they were the last people a demon would want hanging around."

"That's why he's doing it," Nina explained, glancing at Ryu, who nodded. "Who would ever accuse the man who converted the people of Sima to the Church of St. Eva of being a demon? It would be laughable. He'd have the perfect cover to continue his nefarious deeds."

"Exactly," Ryu grunted. "And it almost worked, too. If we'd come along after he'd concluded the deal, he'd have been invincible at court. This entire thing was way too close, which means this guy is good. He makes Augus and Joker look like amateurs."

"Well, if he's one of their top men, that only makes sense," Rand pointed out, looking grim. "I get what you're saying, though. We can't let this guy get away. No matter what happens tonight, we gotta take him down."

"Shame adding a little extra flavor to his dinner would probably be a bad idea," Sten said lightly.

"Yeah, that probably wouldn't work." Ryu shook his head. "We'll just have to take things as they come and try to keep up." He glanced at the door. "So, you said we'd have some guide coming by soon?"

"Ah, hello?" A Siman-accented voice asked from a door down the hall before pushing it open. A middle-aged courtier with a ridiculously long and curly false mustache walked in and bowed deeply to them. "My name is Salvatore, the artist, and I will be your guide tonight, as the request of the true prince of Simafort." Looking them over, he frowned thoughtfully. "Ah, the weaponry... it does not really match your dress, no?"

"My dress?" Rand muttered.

"We're aware," Ryu replied, ignoring that. "Unfortunately, it's kind of necessary. If that imposter decides he doesn't like the way the competition is going and tries settling the problem in a more... let's say, direct way... we probably can't count on the guard to take sides, which means it'll come down to us to handle the matter."

"Of course!" Salvatore brightened up. "How foolish of me not to think of that! You are specialists in such matters, of course? Artists of assault, professionals of punishment, experts of extermination!"

All five of them exchanged a glance.

"Yeah, something like that," Sten said eventually.

"I kind of like the sound of 'experts of extermination', actually," Katt commented with a small smile. "Even if I don't know what 'extermination' means."

"Well, then!" Salvatore reached into a nearby cabinet, produced a bottle and six wineglasses, and filled them with surprising speed. "A toast, to the return of the true prince of Simafort, and the humiliating fall of the imposter!"

"Think we can all drink to that," Ryu said, and the others nodded, everybody taking a glass and raising it.

"Unfortunately, as foreign guests without rank or title, our seats will not be the best," Salvatore explained as they turned and began making their way through the palace towards the dining hall. "On the plus side, however, I have examined the seating chart, and we will not be sharing our table with any supporters of the imposter."

"I was going to ask about that," Ryu murmured. "Glad to hear it. Will we have a clear view of the royal family's table, at least? I take it that's where the judging for the cooking competition is going to take place."

"Yes, and yes." Salvatore nodded. "There will be three judges. Princess Petape, King Potopo, and the head chef, Syusyu. Unfortunately, Syusyu is bought and paid for by the imposter, so his vote will be against us."

"And Petape's will balance that out," Katt muttered. "So it's really going to come down to the King. Can't say that thought fills me with confidence."

"I dunno." Rand shrugged. "He's so senile he might just go with what tastes best without actually putting any thought into it. If that's the case, we win."

"Let's hope we get that lucky, then," Ryu grumbled. "I just wish we knew what he's going to try. We know it'll be something, but what..." He shook his head.

"Sometimes we don't get that lucky, boss," Sten reminded him. "Way it goes. We'll just have to try and be prepared for anything."

"And behave," Nina added, frowning slightly. "I hope I don't have to tell anybody this, but tavern manners aren't going to cut it here."

"Might need a little help there," Katt told her, wincing. "I think I can manage what not to do, but there's going to be like... fifteen different forks or whatever, right?"

"It won't be quite that bad," Sten promised. "Me, Nina and Salvatore should be able to keep you guys from embarrassing yourselves too badly."

"Gee, thanks."

"No charge."

"Here we go," Ryu said as they approached the double doors. "No turning back now." A pair of liveried servants opened them with deep bows, and they walked into a hall almost as huge as the throne room. Dozens of tables were spaced evenly around the room, and Siman courtiers drifted around towards their seats, chattering idly. The King was present at the head of the largest table, snoring, and Petape was there as well, on his right. Catching their eyes, she smiled reassuringly, prompting a scowl from the Creeper Clansman seated across from her, an elderly green-scaled man in white and gold finery with small eyes and a narrow snout.

"Take it that guy's the head chef?" Ryu asked Salvatore.

"Correct." Salvatore nodded. "Normally such a seating would be an insult to the nobility, but as judge for the cooking competition, an exception is clearly understandable."

"Right," Katt replied after a moment, eyes blank. "So where are we sitting?"

"Right here." Salvatore indicated a table with eight seats, two of which were already filled. The lady looked like your typical spoiled young noble at first glance, but there was something deeper in her eyes that didn't match her bored expression. The man seated next to her was dressed in a uniform, implying position among the guard, and looked much more nervous; something about his pale, thin appearance seemed to speak of recent hardship.

"You're the real Prince's friends, then?" He asked, glancing among them quickly. "It's good to meet you." The woman nodded slightly.

"Fiolina is one of the artistic community's most popular models," Salvatore explained. "She's stood for both myself and the true Prince numerous times. And Tata here, a promising young man in the palace guard."

"Not so promising if the imposter continues to reign," Fiolina muttered darkly, glancing away. "Perhaps we shall have to run away together, after all."

"Trouble?" Ryu asked cautiously, thinking back; he was pretty sure Tata had been one of the guardsmen they'd overheard discussing the imposter when they'd first arrived, out on the dock. "Nothing personal, but I thought the guardsmen were mostly supporting the imposter."

"You would be correct," Tata admitted. "That is what our superior officers instruct us to do, and thus..." He shrugged. "However, I was supposed to keep you from the lower levels, and was unprepared to involve myself that directly. For my failure, the imposter had me... punished." He looked down.

"No need to say more," Sten advised him as they took their seats, Salvatore sitting next to Fiolina, followed by the Highlander. Next was Rand, then Katt, Ryu and Nina on the other side of Tata. "He plays it suave and calm, but whenever something goes wrong, he loses it, big time. Not a good sign for Simafort if he comes out on top of this."

"Indeed," Fiolina sighed theatrically. "What will become of our poor country?"

"We shall simply have to ensure that it doesn't, then," Nina murmured meaningfully. "One way or another."

"I like one way or another," Katt added, examining the collection of silverware with some distaste. "Especially if it's 'another.'"

"Ah..." Tata looked slightly shocked, as did Salvatore. "Such words from such beautiful ladies. Other lands truly are different."

"We're not truly 'ladies,' in the traditional sense of the word," Nina explained. "Despite appearances, the two of us are both... professionals, just as much as the gentlemen accompanying us. We're accustomed to doing what's necessary, however unpleasant." She glanced at Ryu, who picked up on the cue.

"Remember that gang boss who thought Nina here would be an easy mark to kidnap?" He glanced around at Rand and Sten, who nodded despite not having been present. "There wasn't even enough of him left to bury."

"Really, now," Fiolina murmured, starting to look fascinated now despite her carefully cultivated pose of ennui. "What exactly led the two of you to take up such a career? It seems... interesting enough, at any rate."

"Maybe you should go first." Katt glanced at Nina. "My life story's a bit... well. Yeah." She coughed.

"Perhaps," she agreed. "I was a scholarship student at the Aurian Magic Guild for most of my childhood. I imagine that factored into it somewhat."

"A highly respectable establishment," Salvatore murmured. "Even here, on the other side of the world, we have heard of it."

The girls ended up dominating the conversation on their end, as the three Simans quickly became engrossed in their tales of life on the road. For their part, Ryu, Sten and Rand were content to let Katt and Nina take the lead there, only offering occasional commentary and details. This left them free to keep an eye on things, and Ryu noticed immediately when the waiters began bringing in carts bearing food. The last one in was being pushed by Jean, who appeared to be humming under his breath as he brought it over to the King's table.

"Hey, looks like it's starting," Ryu muttered, and everybody glanced over immediately, just as the Prince entered the room as well.

"Kuwadora, kuwadora!" He said loudly, walking over to stand on the opposite side of the table from Jean. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's dinner will now commence, along with the end of this farce. The judges shall be my noble father, my sweet sister, and of course, our respected head chef. Each will dine on three courses from both of us, and announce their opinions once the meal has concluded."

"Ah?" The King stirred; in the sudden silence that had fallen over the dining hall, even his weak voice carried. "It's dinner time? Good! What are we having?"

"An excellent question!" The Prince whipped the cloth covering the cart a chef had brought over to him off dramatically. "For an appetizer, I have prepared a platter of delicious fried cockroaches, with fish sauce to taste. The main course shall be the finest worm pasta, in butter, with roasted garlic. And for dessert, of course, fly pudding."

"Ah, it sounds delicious!" Jean complimented him. "However, it cannot compare with my own cuisine." He took the cloth off of his own cart. "The appetizer shall be a delicate cockroach and green onion salad, with bleu cheese, followed up by worm in caramel sauce. And, of course, I will also be serving fly pudding for dessert! All dishes I learned from master Syusyu many years ago!" He bowed to the head chef.

"I'm sorry," the old chef replied diffidently. "I'm afraid I've never met you before in my life, actually."

"Do you expect me to praise your choice of dishes in return?" The Prince sneered. "You are a truly pitiful man. Had you simply left well enough alone, and not continued to insist that you were the Prince, your life would have been spared."

"Non, non, non, non, non!" Jean shook his head repeatedly, still smiling foolishly. "My title and position are nothing to me, but I could not force the burden of becoming Petape's older brother upon a stranger!"

"He can't be real," Rand muttered under his breath as a strange expression began to appear on Petape's face.

"You know something?" Sten commented just as quietly. "If a guy was just a little smarter than he pretended to be, having a reputation for being a total and complete idiot would make it pretty easy to get people to underestimate you."

"Ah..." Syusyu coughed. "Your Majesty... would you say a few words?"

"Hm?" The King looked from one Prince to another, eyes distant. "Good luck to both of you, and may the true Prince of Simafort triumph."

"Huh?" Katt blinked. "Is it just me, or did he sound different just then?"

"Probably just a coincidence," Sten told her, then glanced at Ryu. "Might want to check how sentiment's going, boss."

"Right." Ryu agreed, casually fiddling with the Dragon's Tear and sweeping the room with it. Most of the courtiers were an orange-yellow mix, sprinkled with occasional red and green, which was about what he'd expected. The Head Chef was surprisingly a dull yellow; perhaps that wasn't as hopeless as it appeared. Petape, on the other hand, was a yellowish green, and the King a good-natured, muddy green, the same as Jean. Unsurprisingly, the Prince was completely black.

"Is that what that does?" Nina murmured. "I was wondering."
"What what does?" Katt blinked.

"I'll explain later," Ryu told them, and meant it; despite the fact that Bow had been the only one he'd entrusted knowledge of the jewel's function to for most of his life until Sten had figured it out, everybody else in the company deserved to know. More than that; he wanted to trust them with it. "The crowd's on the fence. It could go either way. Looks like the head chef's got more morals than we thought, though. He's not happy with what he's doing."

"Isn't that interesting?" Sten murmured.

"Very well!" The Prince said loudly as he and Jean took their seats next to Petape and Syusyu. "Let the appetizers be served!"

"Compliments of the true Prince of Simafort," a servant murmured as he placed plates of mixed shrimp, cooked in several different ways, before the five of them. Salvatore, Fiolina and Tata received the same fried cockroach dish as the Prince was serving, along with everybody else present, Ryu noted idly.

"Not particularly subtle, is this guy?" Katt muttered, trying a shrimp. "And this is coming from me. Hey, not bad. Jean knows his stuff, all right."

"I would have preferred the true Prince's choice in appetizers, myself," Fiolina sighed. "A salad is so much better than these. I'll never lose the pounds."

"Try exercise," Katt advised her. "Nothing better at keeping you slim than a couple hundred crunches a day."

"I... see," Fiolina murmured weakly.

"Ah, the cockroaches have been deep fried in their own oils," Syusyu was saying loudly. "Crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside... magneficique!" He glanced around the room, then continued. "This salad, however... a wild cockroach, rather than one farmed in our kitchens, yes? It must have been at least five years old, the best for deliciously tender meat! The combination, though... unthinkable! You should have used leeks, rather than green onions!"

"He's lying through his teeth," Salvatore commented disapprovingly. "Green onions have been preferred for centuries. Even I know that much."

"We'll take your word for it," Sten told him, carefully eating a cold shrimp with salsa. "Sorry, but that's just... not our thing."

"Pretty much," Ryu agreed, and the others nodded as well.

"Well, I prefer the salad!" Petape replied loudly. "Any amateur can fry cockroaches, but this is something only a true artist could cook! And I hate leeks!"

"Ah..." The head chef wilted, then glanced at the Prince, who was staring at him, before quickly turning to the King. "Your Majesty, if you would care to settle this matter?"

"Ah?" The King paused from his eating. "Oh, I never was one for salads much. I like cockroaches better when they're fried."

"Not good," Rand muttered as the dining room buzzed.

"Easy," Sten told him. "This is just the opening act. The real show's still on its way."

"Next, the main course!" The Prince announced, and the servants took their dishes, replacing them with more food. Again, most of the Simans had received the same dish that the imposter had "cooked." Fortunately, the five of them were given a serving of roast duck each, which bore no resemblance at all to the worm pasta.

"It's not bad," Tata said after trying it. "Not great, but not terrible."

"The cooks did all of it for him," Ryu reminded him. "Makes sense. We wouldn't know, of course."

"I'm probably gonna steer clear of pasta for a few months after this just to be on the safe side," Katt whispered to him, and he nodded slightly.

"Ah, this is excellent!" Syusyu was commenting loudly again. "The worms are delightfully chewy, and the harmony with the roasted garlic... simply marvelous! Of the perfect size, as well... mature earthworms are preferable for such a dish. This is, unfortunately, the issue with the other dish. A delicious combination in theory, but it's a bit bland... you see, worms get tough and lose their flavor if they grow too big. A shame, since the other ingredients are all good."

"Hmph!" Petape sniffed. "I might not be the chef my brother is, but I know how highly valued jumbo worm meat is. Why would it be so prized if it didn't taste good? And the worms in this pasta are overdone. I can't even tell them apart from the noodles!"

"I didn't want to say it," Rand muttered, glancing at the pasta dishes on the table. "But she's got a point."

"She has several," Salvatore said quietly. "This 'competition' is a farce, indeed, and the court is noticing."

"Hmmm..." The King murmured. "The caramel sauce is good. Can't say I'm much for garlic, though. I like this one better!"

"Sheesh," Sten muttered as the court buzzed excitedly again. "The old geezer-I mean, his Majesty-is really playing this down to the wire, isn't he?"

"It seems so," Nina murmured, watching the head table carefully.

"And now, the dessert!" The Prince proclaimed as the dishes were swapped out again. "Fly pudding from both! This will show the true difference in our talents, once and for all!"

"Oh, this is priceless!" Katt stifled a laugh suddenly. "He doesn't even know! He thinks Jean made a normal pudding just like him!"

"Well." Nina smiled coldly as they were given an assortment of berries in cream. "I'd say he's in for a surprise."

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for just one bite of that gold fly pudding," Fiolina said wistfully as she started on her own dessert, and the other two Creepers nodded.

"Is it that good?" Ryu asked politely, trying not to look at the tiny dish of maggots on the sides of their plates.

"Legendary." Salvatore sighed.

"Bluebottle flies, yes?" Syusyu was asking the Prince. "I am amazed that your Highness has used such delicacies for a competition with a man such as this! Even alone, it would be delicious, but with the maggot side dish... I can ask for nothing more!"

"Does he have to say the 'm' word?" Katt muttered.

"As for this serving..." Syusyu glanced at Jean's pudding disdainfully. "I suppose I should at least taste it, but I can tell already from a glance that... that..." He trailed off, eyes widening, and his hands began to tremble. Without another word, he took a small bite, and his entire body shook. "Oh, oh... this is..."

"Is what?" The Prince asked quietly, and the head chef froze.

"It is... ah..." He backed his chair away from the table suddenly. "Totally inadequate! You have failed to bring out the flavor of the fly completely! Such a waste... I need no more to tell that the true prince's cooking is superior in every way!"

"That's enough!" Petape shouted, slamming her fists onto the table. "The other two dishes might be a matter of personal opinion... but the fly pudding is inarguable! You know as well as I do the taste of the legendary gold fly!" She paused to let the court react in shock before continuing. "As head chef, there is no way you, of all people, cannot recognize this! If you think there's any comparison to be made at all, let alone in favor of the imposter, you shame the court by flouting your bribe!"

"I, um..." Syusyu muttered, tugging at the collar of his doublet and glancing at the Prince, who was staring silently. "That is to say..."

"Silence!" Petape pointed at Jean, who was happily eating his own pudding. "The true Prince of Simafort sits here, and none of your lies can change that fact! His gold fly pudding is so wonderful, he could have won this competition by serving sewage as the other two dishes if it wasn't for you! You, you..."

"That is quite enough, Petape!" The King said sharply, startling everybody, as he stood up. One of the puddings had been eaten completely; the other was untouched. "Behave yourself. We're done here. The winner is Prince Jean!"

"Which one?" Petape demanded in the shocked silence that followed.

"From where I stand..." The King paused a moment, then turned around theatrically as he continued. "The man on my left. And should there be any doubt, surely there are other judges who can be called in to settle the matter?"

"Other... judges?" Syusyu asked, blinking.

"Ah, of course!" The Prince slowly smiled, turning towards Ryu's table. "Our friends from outside the country. Surely, you will not make a mockery of these proceedings with anything less than honest impartiality. Come, come, a taste alone will do. The testimony of those who have never had Siman cooking before cannot be argued. In fact..." His smile widened. "You may even skip my cooking. Should you dine on my opponent's, and agree to its skill, I will concede."

"A generous offer, your highness," Ryu said, meeting his eyes as he stood up; everybody in the courtroom save the King was watching him now. "We have no choice but to accept."

"Excellent," the Prince murmured.

"Ah, wait!" Jean stood as well. "Come, come, this is not..."

"Quiet, brother!" Petape snapped, getting up and moving over to their table quickly as the other four stood as well. Once she reached them, her voice lowered to a whisper. "I'm so sorry, but please... if three of you each try a different dish, it's only one bite each..."

"Hell with it," Katt said sharply. "I'm still pretty hungry anyways, and I have to admit, that caramel stuff looked pretty good. I'll eat it!"

"You imported all the vegetables for the salad from Carmen, didn't you?" Rand said thoughtfully. "I can tell. It's my homeland. Been a long time since I've had some from there. I kind of miss them."

"Gold fly pudding?" Ryu shook his head. "Man, even back in Auria they talk about that stuff. Like I'm going to pass this chance up!" The entire court watched in silence as the three of them approached the royal family's table.

Katt went first, carving a piece of meat off a plate on one cart and popping it into her mouth, then immediately going for more. Part of the way through, her expression of bravado faltered a little, but she pressed on valiantly all the same, swallowing her mouthful and taking the next one as well. This one took much longer, but eventually she got it down as well, then turned back to the crowd and grinned, giving Jean a thumbs-up, which he returned.

"My turn, then." Rand regarded the salad for a moment, then speared a huge forkful, the meat clearly visible in there. Eating it, he chewed slowly, face taking on a strange expression, but he eventually managed to finish. After a moment, he turned to Jean. "My compliments, but... just a little heavy on the dressing."

"I shall remember that for the next time," Jean replied gravely.

"All right, then." Ryu turned to the pudding, forcing himself to remain calm. It was just a pudding, after all, even if there were strange things in it, strange things he definitely wasn't going to think about. Coolly, carefully, he sliced off a piece of the pudding and popped it into his mouth, focusing on the taste; it was actually quite good, with a vague, undefinable citrus flavor to it. Despite his fears, there was nothing he could discern about the key ingredient at all.

"Ah, monsieur Ryu?" The Prince said suddenly, holding up a small bowl. "Don't forget the side dish."

The maggots inside were writhing.

Ryu lost all control. His will wasn't even part of the equation at all. Before he could even think about his reaction, he was falling to his knees, guts rising up in protest, the taste in his mouth suddenly turning foul, the texture disgustingly crunchy. Before the stunned eyes of the court, he leaned over and puked on the floor.

"Oh, no!" Katt yelled, staring for a moment before doing the same, holding her stomach as if trying to keep the food down by sheer force of will and failing. Rand followed suit as well, behind a decorative pillar.

Petape's shriek of horror could have shattered glass.

"Well, well, well," The Prince murmured triumphantly, voice carrying throughout the hall despite its low tone. "It seems that these judges have indeed settled the matter. One bite, and all three of them vomit, nearly in unison? I'd say that speaks more than enough about the quality of the imposter's cooking!" He leaned over Ryu, and spoke even more quietly, without his accent. "Didn't I tell you you didn't have a chance?"

"Mon amis..." Jean was staring at them as well, and his voice was weaker. "I am so sorry... what kind of friend am I, to do this to you?"

"A dead one," the Prince said coldly. "Guards! Take all six of them to the dungeons at once, and schedule appointments with the headsman immediately. They have flaunted the dignity of Simafort for long enough. Their time is up!"

"No..." Petape whispered, then screamed again. "No! I won't let our country be conquered like this! If it's all over, then we're as good as dead anyways!" She whirled on the Prince. "Here's something only the true Prince of Simafort would know, villain! This castle has a self-destruct switch hidden in the basement! If you want the castle so badly, then you can have it! Take it with you to Infinity, when I blow it sky high!" Before anybody could stop her, she dashed for the rear of the hall.

"What?" The Prince shouted without his accent, staring after her, before turning to Syusyu. "Is this true, worm?"

"Your highness..." The head chef stammered as panic began spreading through the dining hall. "It is, and yet..."

"Silence!" The Prince bellowed, veins standing out in his neck. "After all this effort I've put into gaining control of Sima, even calling upon that bastard Aruhameral to cloud the old fool's mind, you're telling me that little bitch is going to ruin everything that easily? I'll rip her head from her shoulders and stick it on a pike before I let that happen!" He turned to follow Petape, only for a guardsman to step out in front of him.

"Stand down, imposter!" The guardsman snarled. "Enough is enough! We will not allow you to harm the Princess!"

Without a word, the Prince drew his rapier, and tore the guardsman in half at the waist with a single swipe.

"What the hell?" Sten yelped. "How the hell do you do that with a freakin' rapier?"

"Anybody else?" The Prince roared at the terrified Simans, then darted from the room after Petape, blade trailing blood.

"No!" Jean shouted after him, whipping his own rapier from his belt. "You will not harm my sister! Monsieur Ryu, follow me!" Without waiting for them, he dashed through the same doorway.

"Ryu?" Nina asked, leaning down over him. "Are you all right?"

"I'll live," he grunted, standing up again. Katt and Rand were doing the same, both looking ill but fighting it, while Sten leaned against a pillar, watching and waiting. "Salvatore. Our gear?"

"Here!" The artist whipped a cloth off of a cart, revealing their armor.

"Thanks." Ryu began passing it out, the others lining up to take it without a word; none were necessary. Rand and Sten simply began putting their chain mail and helmets on over their clothing, as did Ryu once it was all handed out. Katt and Nina stepped behind some large potted plants, and there were sounds of fabric tearing and ripping before they came back around, clad in their altered robes and headgear. "Shame about ruining these threads, but we don't have time to change the right way. You, chef." He regarded Syusyu, who flinched. "Where are they going?"

"The bathroom behind this hall, to the left, holds a secret staircase," Syusyu explained, trembling. "The switch to reveal it is behind the toilet." He buried his head in his hands. "Please, forgive me... I have a wife, and children... grandchildren, soon... the things the imposter said he would do to them..."

"I think I know what you mean," Ryu said grimly, surveying the room; everybody had gone quiet again, and all eyes were on the five of them. Sometime during the debacle, the King had apparently vanished. "At least you have an excuse, unlike a lot of people here. I suggest you learn from this, all of you. Because you were playing silly games instead of doing your duty to your country, your princess' life is in the hands of a psychotic madman who came this close to taking over this castle, and everything it represents. You know how people always say there's a point where they draw the line? They do that for a reason. Maybe you should have."

"This, coming from mercenaries?" A particularly drunk and stupid young courtier blustered. "You're just doing this because you're getting paid!"

"Are we?" Ryu glanced back at the other four, and they all shook their heads in unison. "I didn't think so. Maybe that's why we got into this mess in the first place, but this has gone beyond that now. It's not about money any more. Let's go, people. It's time we settled this."

Their pace was quick, but steady; though they walked rather than ran, they crossed the dining hall quickly. The courtiers and guards all melted out of their path as they walked forward, a wide range of emotions visible on their faces; anger, regret, awe, fear, hope, shame, despair, respect. As they passed by the slaughtered guardsman, Ryu took a moment to close his eyes before they walked out of the back of the hall, after the royal family.

The rest of the palace was deserted, save for more dismembered guards, a trail of them that led the same way as Syusyu's instructions. Following, they entered a bathroom, and Ryu quickly found the switch, which caused a wall to drop and reveal stairs leading down. A magical light provided by Nina lit their path as they descended further and further, into the depths of the castle, even deeper than the level where they'd gone bug hunting earlier that day.

A dark hallway awaited them at the bottom of the stairs, twisting and turning. Following it, they soon found Jean, slumped against a wall facing a closed iron door. He had several light rapier wounds, but the only truly dangerous one was a huge burn mark covering his chest; it looked strange, unlike normal fire scarring, and had torn through both his doublet and a chain mail vest he'd been wearing underneath. Despite his injuries, his rapier was still in his hand, and covered with much more blood than was on his body; yet more blood led to the door in a trail.

"The imposter..." He murmured weakly, trying to rise. "Fought him, but... some strange power... and his blood, as cold as ice... what is he? Petape..." His eyes locked on Ryu's. "Please, mon amis..."

"Easy," Rand told him, casting a healing spell. "Just relax."

"You did good," Ryu agreed. "We'll take this from here." Turning, he kicked the door open and walked inside, the other four flanking him.

The first thing they saw was the imposter's arm, still holding the rapier, lying severed on the floor before the door, in a pool of blood. The trail led on, towards the back of the room, where strange lights were giving illumination; they seemed to be some kind of glass shapes, attached to incredibly advanced technology that covered the other three walls of the room, metal devices whose function defied comprehension. A square column stood in the center of the room, one side featuring a brightly glowing glass panel above rows of tiny metal squares with letters and numbers on them.

"Kuwadora, Kuwadora..." The imposter murmured, standing before the column and staring down at the fallen body of Petape, who lay unconscious but breathing on the floor. Despite the bleeding stump of his left arm, he seemed unconcerned, speaking entirely without any trace of his accent now. "Welcome to the heart of Simafort. What irony; I spend week after week searching for it in vain, and this little fool leads me to it in her final attempt to ruin my plans. Truly, God has a twisted sense of humor. I rather enjoy it, to be honest."

"Honesty?" Ryu scoffed. "From you? That's a good one." He kept his tone light, casual, almost sympathetic. "It's all gone to hell on you, hasn't it? After that outburst of yours, even the most corrupt courtier will never back you again. No matter which way you turn, the jig's up. Even if you could make it out of here alive, Simafort's lost to you."

"Not quite." The Prince turned towards them, smiling oddly. "You fail to grasp the power within this room. The silly girl only knew of the self-destruct function, but to one such as I, who recognizes this technology, and knows how to use it... from this room, all of Simafort is at my command. Such is the price of building your castle from the fallen ruins of one far greater... the flying fortress of Obelisk, airborne throne of the fallen Goddess Myria. Be honored that you now stand in a shattered fragment of its beauty and grandeur."

"Obelisk?" Nina repeated, eyes narrowing. "Lost technology... this is why you came to Sima?"

"Of course not." The Prince laughed, and it was just as chillingly wrong as it had been before. "As I said, I know this technology all too well. We have it ourselves, in the depths of Infinity. No, I came here for the simplest of reasons. To gain absolute dominion over all of Sima, in the name of he who is both King and God. A goal which still stands within my reach, despite all of these setbacks you've thrown in my path."

"I don't think so, buddy," Katt shot back, giving him a thumbs-down. "So you're a demon. Big whoop. We kicked Augus's ass, and Joker's too, and you know it. You'll just be number three."

"Augus and Joker were fools," he replied, eyes burning with a dreadful intensity as he regarded them. "Pawns and sacrifices, who traded their souls to me for far too little. The Words of Changing, and petty material gain. Bah! View me in the same light as them, and you will regret it, even more than you already shall."

"So you're a real demon, then?" Rand asked skeptically. "What's the difference?"

"The difference, Farm Clansman, is that it has been more than two millennia since I forfeited my mortality," the Prince continued. "I have seen empires rise, and empires fall. I have watched heroes slay villains, and villains murder heroes. Before my eyes, war, plague, and famine have all performed on the great stage of death, before audiences of thousands, over and over and over again. I have seen the surface of the world itself shake and change and move a dozen, dozen times." He drew himself to his full height, and the blood dripping from his wound stopped abruptly. "I am Kuwadora, Demon Lord of Slaughter, and the lives of mortals are but a momentary amusement to me."

"We supposed to be impressed by that, chuck?" Sten raised an eyebrow, testing the point of one dagger on his fingertip. "Because we ain't. Sorry to disappoint you."

"On the contrary." Kuwadora's smile widened. "I would be highly disappointed if the children of prophecy were so easily cowed. We have awaited your coming ever since the death of Myria, and now, finally, the time has come for our rise." He fixed his gaze on Ryu. "I took great pains to avoid killing you, you know. Lord Barubary commanded it. He has plans for you all, oh, such plans, and I would have loved to see them realized myself."

"You too?" Ryu replied with forced weariness. "Augus dropped that name, too. Barubary or barbecue, I don't know what or who you're rambling about, and I don't care."

"You are a skilled liar, boy, but I know better," Kuwadora told him. "And you know all too well of what, and whom, I speak. I bring you salutations from the voice in the dark you hear every time you sleep, and from the depths of Infinity that you shall all one day walk into on your last, final journey of your own free will... at least, that was the plan. Unfortunately, if the choice is between you and Sima... well, Barubary will simply have to come up with another plan. Your destiny would only accelerate the inevitable. With you or without you, God's time is at hand... but none of you will live to see it."

"So we're finally down to the good part, then?" Katt asked a little too quickly, glancing at Ryu once as he stood there, scowling, before turning her eyes back to Kuwadora. "About time. This was starting to get boring. Hope you're not afraid of dying, buddy boy, because it looks like after all those mille-whatever, today's the big day."

"Such unwarranted, ignorant optimism." Kuwadora's smile suddenly exploded into a grotesque expanse of sharp fangs twice as wide as the rest of his head, and from the stump of his arm, a new limb burst out. Rippling with gigantic muscle and purple scales, it ended in a massive, clawed fist with a bizarre patch of bright pink fur on the back and froglike webbing between the fingers. "I love it. By all means, keep it up as long as you can. It's been far, far too long since I had a chance to drown my rage in blood and carnage. Don't disappoint me by dying quickly. I'm going to enjoy this."

"Hooooooooo boy," Sten murmured as Kuwadora continued to transform into a terrifying hulk that dwarfed even Augus and Joker; by the time he finished expanding upward, he was almost as tall as the Terrapin's vertical height had reached. He was hunched over like some great ape, whose body structure he resembled, though the rest of his form was more akin to a terrifying predatory lizard, especially in the shape of the head.

A wild, bright pink mane bristled back from his head, covering his back almost like a cape, crowned by two backwards-sweeping horns as long as spears. Spikes protruded from his shoulders, and tusks from the mass of fangs that filled his maw. Five whiplike tails ending in bone rattles thrashed behind him in a restless mess, as he stared them down with huge, round, glowing red eyes like windows into eternal flames.

He was roughly the size of a wagon, and even a blind man on the moon would have been able to tell that he was very, very angry.

"Oh, this is gonna suck," Katt muttered, echoing Ryu's thoughts.

Kuwadora's response was non-verbal, but his jaws opened wide regardless, and a glow of bright light appeared between them before forming into a blast of energy that flew out towards the group. They scattered, some of them more gracefully than others, and the magic scored a deep trench in the floor before sputtering out.

"Right!" Ryu yelled, calling up the now-familiar power inside him and directing it to take shape, to rise in flames. "I'd better slow him down right off!" Taking the form of the flame whelp, he belched fire over Kuwadora, who simply sat back and took the blast head-on, unconcerned. His energy spent, he reverted to his humanoid form and fell to one knee, then stared up in disbelief as the demon lord advanced, the flames covering his body flickering and fading.

"I'm sorry," Kuwadora said sardonically. "Was that supposed to slow me down?" One tree-trunk arm was raised, and then it came down, crushing Ryu to the floor as the wicked claws stabbed into his back, piercing chain mail and snapping ribs. As Jean had said, there was no trace of body heat in him at all; he was as cold to the touch as a frozen corpse.

"Ryu!" Katt yelled, coming in from overhead with her staff swinging, only for Kuwadora to casually backhand her into a wall.

"Not good enough!" He roared, turning to the others. Nina's magic called up a blade of vacuum that clashed on his scales, only drawing a faint trace of blood, and the demon lord replied with another energy blast, blowing her into a wall. Turning as Sten came in low, knives flashing, he kicked him into the air like a ball, spun, and slapped him bodily into Rand as the big man prepared to cast a spell of his own, then followed it up with a blast. Leaning back on his knuckles, Kuwadora grinned. "Come on, get back up. This isn't nearly enough. I know you can do better! I want you to break before I kill you!"

"Break this," Ryu growled, rising suddenly and plunging his sword into the back of Kuwadora's hand. It was like his scales were steel mail themselves; it took all of his strength to pierce them.

"Gladly." Kuwadora looked down at the sword and the blood for a moment, then snapped at Ryu, bear-trap jaws latching onto his shoulder. Shaking him like a dog, he threw him away into a wall, and Ryu felt more bones breaking, both from the bite and with his landing. Through a red haze of pain, he looked up and saw the demon lord doing as he'd said; with a snap, he broke Ryu's sword off at the hilt and contemptuously threw the two halves across the floor to him.

"Get up!" Kuwadora growled, advancing towards them, his footsteps like thunderclaps. "This this is all that the children of destiny can do? Laughable! Come, show me your true strength! Fight back! Bleed and scream and curse me as you die!" He opened his mouth to cast another energy bolt, but as it glowed, a knife flew threw the air and down his throat, and he closed his jaws with an involuntary gasp, gagging.

"You talk too much," Sten told him, still sprawled on the floor; he'd thrown the blade without even looking. "Rand, the boss is hurt worst, Katt after him, then Nina. We both got off light."

"Then why do I still feel like I've been run over by a cart?" Rand grumbled as he cast healing magic over them.

"Thanks," Katt muttered, using her staff to lever herself back to her feet as the magic took effect. "All right, now I'm going to-"

"To do what, exactly?" Kuwadora asked, hacking before spitting the knife back out onto the floor, twisted and useless. "I hope you didn't think that would kill me. Not bad, not bad at all, but you'll still have to do much better if you want to stand even a ghost of a chance!"

"Perhaps this will suit you more, then," Nina said coldly, rising back into the air. Raising a hand, she called down six huge lances of lightning, plunging straight down out of the ceiling as if they'd been thrown, straight into Kuwadora's back. That finally drew a reaction from the demon lord; he reared back, howling in pain.

Katt took advantage of the opening to dart forward, faster than ever, and drive the bladed butt of her staff into the wound on his hand. Before he could react, she swept it up towards him while it was still lodged in the hand, ripping the wound back into his wrist, then darted back away from the swipe of his other hand.

"When'd you learn that spell?" Ryu asked Nina as he got back up, his bones knitting as Rand poured more healing magic onto him. "You sure didn't know that one when we first met you."

"I've been studying when I get the chance." She flashed him a quick smile. "I'll need to pull my weight if I'm going to do this professionally, after all."

"Good, good!" Kuwadora growled, unconcerned by his bleeding hand. "That's more like it! It's about time we all got going! Enough of the warm-up, then!" He opened his jaws again, and this time the blast built up longer, the first shape shifting into a ring around a second before both launched out, slamming into Rand's chest and hurling him into the wall behind him hard enough to shake the room. Closing his jaws again, Kuwadora grinned. "Wheeeeeeeeeeee."

"Shit," Sten muttered, tossing a knife to Ryu. "Here, boss, but don't lose it-I've only got two more. Figures he was taking it easy on us before."

"I know, right?" Ryu scowled, mind racing. A plan was beginning to take shape, but it wouldn't work unless Kuwadora was softened up some more first. "Katt, let's take him again, together! Sten, Nina, nail him when he comes after us!"

"Trying to predict my actions now?" Kuwadora laughed. "Futile!" As Ryu and Katt approached, he reared back, spread his hands, and brought both arms around on them in a crushing double slap. Before he could grasp them, however, Katt brought her staff up horizontally, so that his hands came together on either end. The demon lord's strength crushed the wooden weapon a moment later, its entire length exploding into wooden fragments, but by then Ryu had made it forward to slash at Kuwadora's chest; his mane made going for the neck unlikely to succeed.

"Good work!" He said, then groaned as Kuwadora lunged for him with his jaws again. Before he could bite, Katt darted under Ryu's arm, flipped onto her hands, and came off the floor with a rising, double-footed kick that slammed Kuwadora's jaw up into his snout. Taking advantage of the opportunity provided, Ryu slashed at him again, making the chest wound x-shaped. Eyes blazing, the demon lord growled and viciously headbutted them both like a battering ram, slamming them away across the floor before opening his maw once more.

"Oh, no you don't!" Nina shouted, summoning chunks of ice and hurling them down the demon lord's throat.

"Hack!" He coughed and stepped back, shaking his head, then smiled wider. "That may have worked on Joker, little girl, but as I said... he was nothing!" Casually swiping Sten out of the air as the Highlander leapt for his back, he fired another double-blast at Nina, and she fell to the ground, unmoving. "Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Now we're having fun! Care for some more, Highlander?" With a flick of one finger, he snapped one of Sten's knives off its hilt.

"Gotcha," Sten grunted in response, and Kuwadora blinked, then turned, too late. He'd been looking towards the right side of the room, and Rand had been on the left. While the others had distracted him, the big man had ran up, and now his huge hands grasped Kuwadora by one elbow and knee. Roaring, his titanic muscles straining, Rand lifted the demon lord off of the ground and hurled him across the room onto his back.

"Get Nina back up!" Ryu told him as he ran past, towards Kuwadora. "Then Katt, after her!" As Kuwadora rolled over, he plunged Sten's knife into the demon lord's unwounded wrist, only for him to flip back to his feet and kick Ryu into the air. Growling, Kuwadora swept his fist up as Ryu descended, smacking him upward once more, then hit him again and again, each deathly-cold hit breaking bones. Only when more spears of lightning blasted down did he stop, allowing Katt to catch Ryu as he fell. As darkness filled his eyes, he could only think about how nice it actually felt in her arms, and how ordinarily, he would have enjoyed it.

Before he could hear the voice in his dreams, or anything else, however, his eyes snapped open as white magic rushed through his body. He immediately noticed that his wounds hadn't healed much; despite the pain, he sat up on the floor from where Katt had apparently set him down. She and Rand were both closing in with Kuwadora at the moment; Sten was lying flat on the floor under the demon lord's head, and Nina hanging back, muttering as she waved her right hand frantically, which was smoking.

"Something wrong?" Ryu asked her, standing up and clutching his chest; by the feel of it, several more ribs had been fractured again.

"Aside from the obvious?" She laughed, short and unamused, as Kuwadora smashed Katt into the ground. "He destroyed my focusing ring. I wasn't going to be using it here, but it's still irritating."

"Seems to be a thing of his," Ryu growled, watching Kuwadora close his gigantic hands around Rand's fists, crushing them. The Farm clansman howled in pain, blood spurting from his knuckles, but despite that, he still healed Katt even as he struggled to break free. Rising from his feigned unconsciousness, Sten ripped the lesser of the wounded wrists open back to the hand, and it released Rand's hand involuntarily. Watching them, Ryu felt a sense of pride in their work entirely at odds with how the fight was going, as Katt struggled back to her feet. "I need some more of that wise fruit."

"Do you have a plan?" Nina asked, casting more ice shots onto the demon's other hand, freeing Rand from that one as well.

"Sort of," Ryu admitted as Katt punched Kuwadora in the face and he stumbled back a step. "It's the best we're going to get."

"That'll have to do, then," she said, tossing him a dried berry. "I've been taking these to replenish my magic stores already, and so has Rand. We're almost out, and everybody's wearing down, but he isn't. If we don't do something, we're dead."

"Enough is enough!" Kuwadora roared, as if to prove her point, and knocked the three of them back with a spinning of limbs before opening his maw again. This time, his entire body vibrated strangely as the energy built, and as it flew out, it divided into five blasts that flew towards all of the group. It burned into Ryu's chest like a flaming rock the size of his head had been hurled into it, and he fell back, gasping and clutching the wound. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Sten and Katt had managed to dodge theirs, but Rand and Nina hadn't been so lucky; the black mage had been grazed, and she was still conscious, though only barely.

"That does it!" Ryu yelled, running towards Kuwadora. "All right, people, one chance left! Coordinated assaults! Team strikes! Once I knock him down, keep him that way! Don't let up even for a moment! If he gets anything more off, we're done for, so don't let him! Give it everything you've got!" As he drew near, he reached within himself for the power of the dragon once more, channeling his anger into cold, frozen fury.

"As if you could!" Kuwadora sneered, round red eyes gleaming. "Give me your best shot, then-what?" He blinked as Ryu transformed, and the ice whelp roared its wrath, ice magic coating the demon's body, seeping into his bleeding wounds. Despite his obvious fury, Kuwadora hesitated as Ryu transformed back, stumbling with exhaustion but remaining standing through sheer willpower alone. "Damn you!"

"Monsieur Ryu!" A voice called from the back of the room. "Catch, mon ami!" Looking over his shoulder, Ryu threw Sten's knife back to him and caught Jean's rapier out of the air as it soared past him.

"Go!" Ryu bellowed, and the others moved into action. Before Kuwadora could attack, Katt and Sten had launched themselves into the air, both coming down in dropkicks aimed at his shoulder joints past the spikes, driving his upper body and head down into the ground. As they leaped back, Nina and Rand raised their hands, the weaker lightning whip from the Farm Clansman weaving in between Nina's falling lances, filling the Demon Lord's body with enough electricity to illuminate his skin, showing his skeleton within.

Running forward despite his screaming exhaustion, Ryu joined Katt, and they moved in together. Ryu swept one arm out from under Kuwadora with a swipe at the heavily wounded wrist before Katt flipped back, kicking the limb further upward and ruining his balance. Sten and Nina both saw, and combined air blades with air bomb, ripping the hand off entirely. As the demon lord roared his fury, Ryu realized that it was the same limb Jean had taken off, and felt a sudden surge of hope.

Rushing forward again behind Rand, he ran up the big Farmlander's back and launched himself into the air, then brought his borrowed rapier down onto the demon's head. Though Kuwadora pulled his skull back at the last moment, he still drove it through his snout, and the roof of his mouth, even as Rand laid a mighty uppercut on his jaw, slamming it up further onto the blade. Releasing it, Ryu stepped back as Katt fell from above like the wrath of St. Eva, legs kicking straight down at a frenzied pace along with the ice shots Nina sent to pummel the demon lord around her.

A strange but deadly sight followed next; Rand had grabbed Sten and curled up, shell on his back transforming him into a living cannonball, before launching himself bodily at Kuwadora. Unable to dodge, the demon lord could only stare as Rand rammed into him headlong, and continued over him as he knocked him onto his back. Soaring past, the big man threw Sten down, and the Highlander slammed into Kuwadora's stomach, knives flashing out with deadly intent.

Catching Nina's eye, Ryu grabbed the hilt from his broken sword and ran at Kuwadora, holding it aloft. As he closed in, Nina set a fireball onto the broken blade, heating the metal until it began to melt, before Ryu rammed it into the x-shaped wound in the demon lord's chest with all his might. Grabbing the hilt of Jean's rapier in passing, he pulled it back out as he stepped away, out of Katt's path. Rand had moved back in from the other side, and together the two of them reared back before rattling Kuwadora's skull with a punch from either side, both Farm Clansman and Woren girl putting their entire bodies into the blows.

Sten had made a u-turn after darting away from Kuwadora's legs, and now he and Ryu moved in together once more, both seeing Kuwadora's jaws gaping again. The Highlander threw one knife towards the back of the enemy's throat, even as he and Ryu both swiped at the underside of the demon lord's jaw, but his aim was off, and the thrown dagger sunk into the roof of his mouth instead. Snarling but undeterred, Kuwadora released the wide-spray energy blast even as their blades swiped past, and everybody flew back.

They all fell but Ryu, who somehow managed to stay on his feet and meet Kuwadora's eyes as he loomed over him.

"So close," Kuwadora hissed, obviously in hideous pain. "And so it ends. Farewell, child of... oh, you must be kidding me!" Disgust flickered in his eyes. "Just what do you think you're going to do with-"

Before he could finish the sentence, bomb of air and blade of wind took his other hand off like they had the first, and he screamed, rearing back. Rand and Katt lunged forward, both looking like walking corpses, but still managing to grab a maimed arm each and hold it further back, baring his chest to Ryu and the man behind him. The man who he somehow knew, without even looking, had found the false Prince's rapier.

He didn't think. He simply acted on instinct, running forward, Jean at his side. They both struck at the x-shaped wound on the demon lord's chest together, rapiers flashing out with such force that both snapped off, as the two man ran past in different directions. As they stopped behind Kuwadora, the room was absolutely motionless for just one second, a moment frozen in time.

And then Rand and Katt released him, as Kuwadora's entire body exploded into jet-black flames.

"How?" The demon lord roared as he burned. "I am Kuwadora! Even with the power granted me by our God, I still fall to your hand, before you even come into a fragment of your destiny?" Whirling around, he charged towards the column in the center of the room. "If I must perish this day, than so shall you all! I will not fail my god! Sima will fall!"

"Somebody stop him!" Ryu tried to turn, but paused as Jean grasped his shoulder.

"Non, non, non, it is all fine," he assured him. "All is well. Can you not see that we have triumphed?"

"But the self-destruct..." Katt groaned as Kuwadora dragged the burning stump of one arm across the tiny squares of letters and numbers in some sort of pattern, and the room began to shake.

"Hahahaha!" Kuwadora gloated, turning back to them. "Nothing can stop us now! Sima is doomed, as is all of the world! God's time is at hand!" He looked as if he was going to say something more, but then he fell forward with a sigh and spoke no more, collapsing into a heap of burning bones and scattered ashes.

"Damn!" Sten hissed. "Isn't there any way to cancel it?"

"There is no need, mon amis," Jean explained, as the back wall of the room slid up, revealing a pedestal with an ancient sword lying atop it. "I do not understand it myself, but our ancestors set up this device so that in order to access Sima's greatest treasure, one would have to activate the self-destruct function. In truth, there is no self-destruct at all. That is simply a story the royal family tells, to keep thieves from stealing the sword. In fact, one such girl did so only recently. She made it all the way to this room before being captured."

"You don't say," Ryu murmured weakly from the floor. "Then why'd Petape come down here? Didn't she know, or..." He trailed off.

"Ah..." Jean shuffled his feet awkwardly. "My dear sister is so serious, she always believed it, and... well, father always seemed to think it funny, as did I..."

"I really need a freaking drink," Rand said loudly. "And a medic. Maybe five medics. And five drinks."

"Yes, I don't think any of us are going to be able to move any time soon except you, Jean," Nina told him. "Could you get somebody down here?"

"Ha!" Sten held up his last knife triumphantly. "I win! I've still got one weapon left that that jerk didn't wreck!" A moment later, the blade snapped off. "Hey! What the hell!"

"Sister?" Jean had walked over to Petape, and was prodding her with one foot. "Dear sister, you are not dead, are you?" His eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, my poor sister! I will sing a song in your memory! Aaaaah, my strong and adorable sister-"

"All right, that's enough!" Petape sat up quickly, shaking her head groggily. "Even if I was dead, your singing could bring me out of a grave!" She blinked. "Wait, what happened? Where's the imposter?"

Raising a hand, Ryu gravely pointed at the humongous, blackened skeleton.

"That was the imposter?" Petape stared at it. "You've got to be kidding me! I think we would have noticed if he looked like that!"

"It's a long story, and we're all kind of lying here bleeding," Katt told her shortly. "Some of us are bleeding a lot, actually. If you don't mind getting some people down here?"

"Oh, my!" Petape put a hand to her mouth. "Come on, Jean! We need to get some help for them! Don't just stand there, move! Oh, never mind, I'll do it myself!" She ran out of the room, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Help! Medics! Doctors! Healers! Anybody, get down here! Now!"

As he sat down on the floor, Jean gave Ryu a sly wink, and the warrior silently reflected that it really wasn't hard at all to be smarter than the prince usually acted.

Doctors came, both professional white mages and those who were skilled in the more mundane healing arts, although nobody was still conscious by the time they arrived. When they woke up the next day, however, only minor aches and pains remained, and the doctors assured them those would only last a few weeks at most. Amazingly, none of them connected the skeleton with the false prince, or at least if they did, they kept their mouths shut. Word spread that Ryu and his group had handled the matter permanently, regardless, and when they left their rooms the entire castle treated them with the utmost respect, and in some cases awe.

Several days after Kuwadora's death, they met with the royal family, in a private audience. Alone with the three of them in the throne room, they related the tale of their adventures, explaining how they'd come together, why they'd come so far searching for the thief, and their previous encounters with demons. The only things they left out was any mention of Ryu's Dragon Clan heritage, and any mention of the "destiny bullshit," both for obvious reasons. If Jean had seen and heard of either during the fight with Kuwadora, he chose to remain silent on the matter.

"I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen that skeleton myself," Petape murmured once they were done. "We owe you all an even greater debt than I thought. Don't you agree, father?" She glanced at the King, who didn't respond. "Father?"

"Eh?" The King stirred, then glanced at her. "Ah, yes. Ryu, I am-"

"Father, Ryu is over there!" Petape pointed at him.

"Oh, forgive me," the old man murmured, turning to Jean. "My eyesight has grown worse lately... well, never mind that. Ryu, I am grateful to you and your friends for all that you have done for Sima. Name your reward, and it is yours."

"Father, that's Jean!" Petape snapped as her brother whistled, looking upward. "This is... rrrr." Making an effort to control herself, she turned to Ryu herself. "Ryu... thank you, on behalf of all of Sima. You've done so much for us. I agree with my father; ask for anything."

"We'd appreciate the services of your armory, if that's all right," Ryu explained, speaking for them all. "We're down a lot of weaponry and armor after that fight, and Simafort's smiths are known for their skill. That aside, the deal we made originally with your highness will be fine. Payment, and custody of that thief, so we can take her back to Auria and clear our friend's name."

"5,000 zenny?" Petape blinked. "That's all? You've earned twice that, at least! Ten times that!"

"My friends are humble as well as brave!" Jean cried, apparently not noticing the way Sten's eye had twitched. "Will you be leaving so soon, then? Can you not stay for more celebration?"

"I wish we could," Ryu said, and meant it; he'd actually started to like wine. "But we've kept Bow waiting long enough. That reminds me; if you have any mages who could Warp us back home?"

"Unfortunately, I don't think any of ours have ever been to Auria, but I know some have traveled to Coursair before," Petape explained. "Would that do?"

"As long as we get out fast," Rand muttered. "We're still probably 'wanted for questioning.'"

"My friends are so loyal," Jean murmured quietly, looking strange. For the first time since they'd met him, he seemed as if he was hesitating. "Well then, it seems it is time... you see, I have something I must request of you as well, mon amis."

"Jean?" Petape asked, blinking.

"Hush, Petape," the King told her. "I thought this might happen. It will be good for him."

"Monsieur Ryu..." Jean continued awkwardly. "Thanks to you, my kingdom is saved, my enemy slain, and best of all..." He glanced at Petape and smiled. "It seems my dear sister is growing up, faster than I thought. But ah, is that not always the way? I no longer have to fear for her, nor for Sima, with her guiding my father. Which is why... that is to say, I would... perhaps, if you don't mind..."

All five of them shared a glance, then a smirk.

"Come on, Jean," Katt said finally, interrupting him. "You're embarrassing yourself. Of course you're hired, as long as you're ready to go tomorrow with the rest of us."

"He's... what?" Petape blinked. "Jean?"

"Then it is settled!" Jean recovered quickly. "As a token of my appreciation, I will accompany you! Long have I dreamed of comrades who would join me on my adventures! You may rejoice!"

"You're going off on another reckless adventure?" Petape started to yell. "The problem with you is..." She trailed off, conscious of everybody watching her. "No... this isn't right. I'm not going to nag you any more. I was always screaming because I wanted you to grow up, and be more responsible... but maybe I was the one who was being childish. Seeing that fake... that's not the kind of brother I want. You're perfect the way you are. Happy and carefree." She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Petape..." Jean murmured.

"And all of you." She turned towards Ryu and his friends. "I should apologize to you as well. I thought I had to be strong, and forceful, and responsible enough for both of us... and I ended up just turning into a rude, pushy girl. Now that I know my brother is fine just the way he is, though... I feel so much calmer already. I'll change, somehow. I promise."

"Speaking as one princess to another, I think you're making a good start already," Nina told her.

"Indeed, mademoiselle Nina," Jean agreed. "That's why I feel safe in going out on another adventure. I know that Sima will be in good hands!"

"And by that, you mean that you're just going to leave all the responsibility to me, and go off on your merry way, right?" Petape asked dryly. "You've always been such a smooth talker."

"Uh-oh." Jean raised his hands. "Are you going to get angry again, sister? Please try not to..." He paused, then lowered his hands again. "Actually... you're not, are you? That's very good."
"You're both growing up, my children," the King murmured. "And I'm only growing old. Nobody even noticed when the imposter's magic scrambled my wits... as if I could mistake an imposter for my own son!" He winked at Ryu. "Isn't that right, Jean?"

"Of course, father," Jean murmured, exchanging a glance with Petape. "That's exactly what happened."

"Exactly!" The King nodded sharply. "I'd appreciate it if you told everybody that. It was the imposter's magic, that's all. I'm not senile yet, not by a long shot! Definitely not!"
"We'll make sure everybody knows, your majesty," Ryu promised, inwardly reflecting that perhaps Jean's eventual ascension to the throne would go much smoother than Petape had worried about, if he took after his father. "We'll try and send messages here if we find out anything more on this demon problem. I'd like to think this is the end of it, but it's too early to be sure."

"And we'll send word to the Ranger's Guild in Auria if we find anything more ourselves," Petape promised.

"We'd appreciate that." Ryu nodded, then glanced back at the others. "Well then, shall we stop by the armory?"

"One more person we have to see today first, remember, boss?" Sten reminded him.

"Oh, yeah." Ryu snapped his fingers, smiling. "We should probably go see how cooperative she's feeling. By your leave, your majesty, your highness?"

"Of course," Petape replied as the King began to snore again. "Tell the smiths that the throne will cover the costs; if you won't accept more zenny, that's the least we can do. I'll have that for you at dinner tonight, as well. We'll see you there, right?" She winked. "No bugs for you, I promise."

"Sounds like a plan." Ryu forced a chuckle. "Until then, then. Coming, Jean?"

"Of course, mon ami!" Jean practically leaped off of his throne. "To the kitchens!" Leaving the hall, they proceeded downstairs. Passing the cooks, who were all just as respectful as everybody else in the castle, they returned to the cockroach pit, and stood around it. The thief was still there, huddled in a corner with her face in her hands, shaking.

"Hi there again," Ryu called down. "How're you feeling?"

"Bleah!" She called back up.

"Now that's just rude," Katt commented. "And here we were going to offer you the chance to take a little trip tomorrow. But if you'd rather stay down there..."

"No, wait!" The thief leaped to her feet and stared up at them. "I'll do anything, just help me! I can't stand these cockroaches any more! Yuck!"
"Will you be a good girl and let us take you back to Auria in peace?" Ryu raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, sure!" She agreed eagerly. "I don't even care if you take me back to Trout's, just get me out of here!"

"Very well, miss..." Nina started to say, then paused. "You know, I don't think we ever got your name, did we?"

"Patty," the thief told them. "Patty Smith."

"First thing tomorrow, then, Patty," Sten said as they all started to walk away. "See you then!"

"Wait!" She howled after them. "No, don't leave me here!"

"You are more fortunate than me, mademoiselle!" Jean called back to her. "I was being kept in the cells, you see. At least you have snacks, yes?"

"Think we can trust her word?" Rand asked over the sounds of Patty's retching.

"No chance in hell." Ryu shook his head. "I'm thinking chains, and lots of them, all the way back. Double shifts on watch at night, too. One guy watching for monsters, the other keeping their eye on her. We've got enough people now for it."

"Sounds like a plan." Katt grinned. "Man, I can hardly believe we finally did it after all this time. Wait until we get back to Bow!"

"You know, if Petape really is offering us the run of the armory, perhaps we should bring him some more presents as well," Nina suggested.

"Good thing I know his sizes." Ryu nodded. "All right then, let's go see what they've got."

The armory, as it turned out, more than met expectations. In addition to new helmets, the armorers offered suits of both plate and chain mail; after some deliberation, Ryu and Jean went with the former, while Rand and Katt took the latter, Nina demurring for obvious reasons. The weapons department was covered as well; to Katt's delight, they had a bronze battlestaff for her, along with a new magic focusing ring for Nina, cast iron knuckle guards for Rand, and a full set of silver knives for Sten, enchanted with fire magic.

When asked for a heavier sword than usual by Ryu, the armorers deliberated before presenting him with a saber, which he accepted as the best he was likely to get. Jean, on the other hand, had taken the legendary sword from the depths of the castle and claimed intent to do it honor; Ryu thought it looked too old to be particularly impressive, but there was something about it, so he refrained from commenting. A crossbow, helmet and suit of chain mail for Bow completed their "purchases," and they retired to the dining hall after that, intent on enjoying their last night in Sima.

The night was a good one. As promised, the food was all to their liking; it seemed Jean had shared his recipes from other lands with the cooks, and curiosity among the court had led to a sudden interest in foreign cuisine. The wine flowed freely, and with the trouble cleared up, everybody was free to enjoy it. The six of them were the heroes of the day once more, and they reveled in it, glad to be able to relax and forget their troubles for just a little while.

It was sometime around midnight that Ryu excused himself, desiring some air. Climbing to the top of Simafort, he walked out onto the roof and sat there for a while, among the windmills that pumped water through the castle. Sprawled on the rooftop, looking up at the moon and stars, he almost didn't notice it when somebody else walked out some time later.

"Hey," Katt said, walking over. "Mind some company?"

"Like I ever would?" Ryu glanced up at her, smiling slightly. "Come on, you know better."

"Thanks." She sat down next to him, and they watched the night sky in silence for a while before she spoke again. "Hard to believe we finally did it, huh? Seems like we've been chasing this girl since forever."

"I know, right?" Ryu agreed. "A lot's changed since then."

"You're telling me?" She smiled briefly. "It's like a completely different life, before and after that mess in Coursair. I kind of like it more this way, though. It's nice, having everybody around like this." She glanced at him. "You got a plan as to what we're going to do after we get this cleared up?"

"I'll probably have to hand in my Ranger's license, if we're going independent," Ryu said, sighing. "Bow, too. Shame; they made things easier. At least Elder Allen should take it pretty well. After that..." He shrugged. "Get the word out, and either wait for people to hire us, or go looking for jobs ourselves."

"And this demon thing?" She asked, sounding slightly hesitant.

"Take it as it comes, I guess," he replied after a long moment. "Not much else we can do." Glancing down at the Dragon's Tear, he saw that it was a shade of blue he'd never actually seen in it before, and made up his mind. "Look, Katt. I... haven't been completely honest about something. That guy who smashed me and Bow, when we were kids... Barubary..." He took a deep breath, conscious of her eyes on him, silently listening. "Ever since then, every time I go to sleep... I hear his voice. In my dreams, or through them. Talking about God, and worshiping God, and giving God power... it's like a nightmare that comes every night. I think... that's what Kuwadora was talking about."

"I was afraid of that," she said quietly. "Well, not that that. I'm not psychic. But I thought there was something you weren't telling me. I just didn't want to ask. I thought you'd tell us, when you were ready." Slowly, as if putting her hand into a fire, she reached out to hold his hand, and he grasped hers tightly. "All this destiny bullshit... I hate it, Ryu. I hate it so much it's not even funny. Why can't we just be normal people trying to make a living on the road?"

"I wish I knew." He shook his head. "I hate it too. Maybe that's why I just want to take it as it comes. So I don't have to think about it any more than I have to."

"Guess that makes enough sense," Katt agreed. "Have you tried grilling Ladon?" She made a face, then. "Oh, jeez. Ladon. How are we going to explain that one to Jean?"

"I'm trying real hard not to think about that, too," Ryu admitted. "Yeah, I did. He said if he tells me anything, it'll just be more prophecy, and make things even worse. I think he wants to let us figure it out ourselves without interfering, or trying to control us."

"Yeah, okay," she said after a moment. "Guess that makes enough sense."

"I said the same thing." Now it was his turn to smile, just for a moment. "We really do have a lot in common, don't we?"

"We do," she agreed, tone still somber. "That's what I really wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh." He held her hand tighter. "That's... complicated."

"You think?" Katt asked wryly. "Up until Nina joined up, I thought... well, let's just say I was doing some thinking. When she did, though..." She made a face. "Crap, I'm garbling this."

"No, I know what you're saying," Ryu assured her. "I was doing some thinking, too. But then, like you said... Nina." He sighed heavily. "Believe me, I wish this wasn't so complicated. The problem is, I really do like both of you. As in, like like."

"It doesn't work that way," she murmured, meeting his eyes.

"I know it doesn't," he replied. "That's why I haven't tried... well, doing anything about it. With either of you. I shouldn't, until I make up my damn mind. I'm not that kind of guy."

"I wouldn't like like you back if you were," she said, tilting her head as if contemplating something. "Well, if you're not going to do anything about it, I guess it's up to me to get a head start on Nina. All's fair in war and that other thing, after all."

Before Ryu could respond, she'd wrapped her arms around him, and then she was kissing him, pressing her lips to his with the same energy she put into everything she did. Strangely, the only thing he could think was that she tasted like ginger; nothing else entered his brain at all as they sat there, although he was dimly aware that he was kissing her back, reacting on instinct. Heat rushed through his body, a blaze that had nothing to do with his dragon blood, and he wanted more, more contact, more energy, more passion.

"There," she said after they finally drew apart. "That's a start. You're right, though. We should probably hold it right there until we've got things figured out between the three of us." Standing, she turned away, winking at him over her shoulder as she walked off. "Not bad, by the way. You don't taste like lizard at all. See you tomorrow." Without another word, she went back down the stairs.

It was a long time before Ryu stopped staring at the night sky and went back to their rooms.

THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE