Chapter Fifty-one: Broken

A smirk spread on Griffon's face. He had finally broken one.

He could not reciprocate all the pain he had undergone, but her emotional break was a considerable victory; if he could break someone as strong as Monica, he could break any of them.

He sat against his throne's back and placed a hand on his chin. They valued friendship deeply because they had never been bullied, including Gokuu, a monster with a tail. He was surrounded by friends.

Why is he the only exception?

Perhaps a personality trait had attracted others to Gokuu. His naivety? His helpfulness? His unselfishness?

His physical strength had enabled him to protect. Griffon had been unable to protect Alexandra.

He scowled and clenched his hands into fists.

You will become strong enough to kill them all. Protecting is not your priority. Vengeance is.

Right. I can't forget my true goal. His nails dug into his hands, and blood dripped from them. I will never forget.


Max was the first to meet Monica and run alongside her. Gokuu, Kuririn, and Yamcha followed suit as he opened his mouth.

"You don't have to say anything." Monica stared ahead, her eyes red. "But thanks for trying to comfort me."

Max looked at the ground.

"I'm making you guys worry an awful lot, aren't I?"

"Well, yeah," Kuririn said. "You haven't been all right since your fight against Gaspard. And what happened with the Griffon Soldiers made you even worse."

The five's footfalls provided background noise for some seconds.

"From now on," she said, "let's not kill anyone unless it's absolutely necessary. By that, I mean we kill only if we can't convince them that we're trying to restore the world and make up for our mistakes."

"I think I understand," Gokuu said. "You want us to talk instead of fight."

"Yes. And be persuasive."

"Okay, I got it."

"Me too," Max said.

"Me three," Kuririn said.

"And I make four," Yamcha said.

Monica smiled, and her eyes' redness diminished slightly. "Thanks, guys."

"Remember," Max said, "we can still save the monsters from the Red Dragons."

She frowned. The Red Dragons…

The Red Dragons, most likely, forced the monsters to fight humans, similar to the Dragons in Starlight Canyon. The Red Dragons might have seen humans pollute Heim Rada and Mount Gundor, causing them to believe that all humans destroyed nature.

Maybe we can negotiate with them, too. But we haven't even seen the Red Dragons yet. Wouldn't they be the first to know if humans came here?

"Don't you guys think it's kinda weird that we haven't seen any of the Red Dragons yet?" she said.

"Yeah, that's pretty strange," Max said. "The monsters in Starlight Canyon said that the Red Dragons visit the normal Dragons every year. They might have left already."

Monica rubbed her forehead. "I really hope not."

Max stared at Monica, his mouth ajar. Words could no longer comfort her.


Since the trio's leave, Barga and the condor had watched Starlight Canyon grow into a lively area. Different types of monsters conversed with one another daily. The Smiling Fairies invited others to their village for dinner, and the Rams shared their meat.

The Golems had placed several rules in the canyon, such as "Don't talk over another monster," "Don't put your hands on another monster unless you're sparring or training," and "Don't take the animals' food or attack them at all."

"Kind of juvenile, don't you think?" Barga had said as she and the condor flew above the canyon.

Lin, who sat on the condor, had said, "Whatever keeps the canyon running smoothly."

The monsters were unaware of Lin's identity as a human. She explored Starlight Canyon as a Ram and, aside from some monsters observing that she "smelled kinda human-y," they did not suspect she was human. Lin had told the monsters that smelled her (after mustering all the willpower in her being to prevent herself from slapping them) that she occasionally accompanied Max, Monica, and Gokuu before they had gone to Veniccio.

"Their scents must've gotten onto me somehow," she had said.

She had told Barga and the condor that her disguise was critical to become a great sage. Knowing monsters' behavior would enable her to understand them (from what she had gathered, the monsters smelled others to discover where they had been, which she thought was incredibly nosy). Understanding all living creatures would better her understanding of the world; when the time came to protect, she would be able.

However, she could not protect the monsters from this disturbance.

Barga and the condor sat on their perches, watching all monsters from Starlight Canyon cower before the Red Dragons, which demanded to know the Dragons' location. The monsters remained silent, some of their eyes darting everywhere except the Red Dragons' bodies. Others appeared to be frozen, staring at the Red Dragons.

A Duke Balloon peeked at the Red Dragons from the inside of its Yo-yo Barrel. They would slaughter the monsters and humans whether or not the monsters answered.

"We will ask once more. If you do not answer this time, we will kill you."

"Won't you kill us anyway?" a Ram said. Another Ram jammed its meat into its mouth.

Out of the corner of its eyes, the Duke Balloon watched some monsters back away. Surely, they know that they cannot run away from these brutes.

"Where are our brethren?"

The Red Dragon's voice echoed throughout the canyon, and monsters cringed, including the Golems at the back of the crowd. Neither they nor the Red Dragons knew of the Ram that stood behind the Golems, hidden from all.

The Duke Balloon stood, exposing its body fully. "The humans killed them."

The Red Dragons and monsters glared at the Duke Balloon. The Duke Balloon's terror fixed its gaze upon the Red Dragons, preventing it from scowling at the monsters' ungratefulness for prayerfully saving their lives.

"Why? How? Why did you not kill them yourselves?" A Red Dragon growled and stepped forward. The Duke Balloon scrambled against the back of its barrel. Several monsters appeared to shrink.

"W-we were too weak, sir. Some of our own were killed in less than five seconds thanks to them."

"They even k-killed the Ballalas," a Heat Fairy said.

A Red Dragon's eyes narrowed. "Fine. We will find and kill them. Where are they?"

"Veniccio," a Masked Tribesman said.

Not nearly as monsters that had glared at the Duke Balloon glared at the Masked Tribesman. How despicable.

"We will train you all so that no human ever takes advantage of you again. Some of us will remain here while others return to Mount Gundor and ensure that the monsters have not started a rebellion of some sort, although I doubt they have." The Red Dragon smiled wryly. "We have trained them well."

All monsters stared at the Red Dragons, wide-eyed.

"On our way to Mount Gundor, we shall fly over Veniccio and see if the humans are there. If not, we will assume they are in Mount Gundor."

The Red Dragons nodded at one another. Half of the army flew over the canyon wall. The remainder turned so that their backs faced the monsters.

"Come."

The Red Dragons took to the air and flew toward the wall over a mile away. The monsters, save a Ram, chased them.

Barga shook her head. "What a shame."


A Stick Joe and Rifle Wolf entered the five's views. The five stopped.

"Who wants to take these guys on?" Yamcha said.

Monica lowered her Claymore. "Remember what I said earlier? We're supposed to talk instead of fight."

"Then how are we gonna make sure we're strong enough to fight the Red Dragons?" Gokuu said.

"If they're as steadfast in serving the Red Dragons as Griffon's soldiers were, then they'll want to kill us, which means we'll have to kill them. They don't deserve to die because of the Red Dragons' raci—beliefs."

"So, what should we do?" Max said. "We need to get the Geostones to restore Paznos as soon as possible."

Monica nodded. "I know. We have to save the west." She faced the boys. "Let's split up. Since we're the only ones who can ride Kintoun, Max, Gokuu, and I will head to Starlight Canyon. The Red Dragons might be beating up the monsters there for not keeping humans away."

Yamcha glared at the Stick Joe and Rifle Wolf. "Or they could've sold us out to keep their own butts safe."

Monica's shoulders slumped. "Now that you mention it, that sounds like something they would do."

"You guys really think they'd do that to us after all we've done for them?" Gokuu said.

Monica smiled faintly at him. "That's how the world works."

"What will you do against the Red Dragons?" Kuririn said.

"We'll try to negotiate with them. If that doesn't work, we'll fight them. I think we'll be able to defeat them with the monsters' help. Hopefully, they help us." Her face brightened. "And Lin'll be there. She'll definitely use her magic to help, too." Her face brightened once more. "The condors might even help us."

"Sounds good." Max placed a hand on his chin. "So, while we're checking up on the monsters in Starlight Canyon, Kuririn and Yamcha could stay here just in case the Red Dragons come back. We should chance an attack from them."

"Right. All of us need to be prepared to fight. Kuririn, Yamcha, you two keep the Red Dragons away from the monsters."

Kuririn stumbled back. "Y-y-y-you're gonna make us fight those guys?"

"Don't be so scared." Yamcha punched and kicked air. "If worse comes to worst, we can take these shells off, and there's always Muten Roushi."

Sweat rolled down Kuririn's forehead and his face. "Oh, man, b-b-but the way you all talked about the normal Dragons, they sounded so brutal. Th-th-the Red Dragons…"

"Don't get scared now, Kuririn." Monica smiled. "I'm sure you'll be fine. After all, you're incredibly strong. You've saved me a few times."

A grin crept on Kuririn's face, yet he continued to sweat profusely. "Y-yeah. Yeah, that's right." He chuckled.

Gokuu called Kintoun. Kintoun seemed to appear beside him. "I don't think Kamesennin'll mind if I ride Kintoun. It's an emergency, after all."

The trio hopped on, Gokuu in front, Monica in the middle, and Max behind her. Monica wrapped her arms around Gokuu's waist as she said, "Kintoun, go as fast as possible."

Kintoun launched into the air, and Max's cap flew onto Kuririn's head. The trio became a blur as Kintoun flew toward Starlight Canyon.


The Ram paced back and forth in the healing spring. Although she was glad that the Red Dragons had not discovered she was a human or noticed her not follow them, a sickening feeling in her stomach persisted. She had nearly lost her faith in the monsters, but she had to save them and the trio.

She looked at the stars twinkling in the sky. Master Crest would try to help the trio and monsters in any way possible, what she was unable to do during the Red Dragons' talk with the monsters.

I must be as reliable as my master.

She de-transformed, her fur—save the fur on her head, which purpled and pointed toward the sky—retracting into her body, her torso thinning into a hourglass figure, and her meat shaping into her broomstick.

She pointed the broomstick to the wall, saying words in an ancient language. A fireball erupted from the broom and exploded on the canyon wall. A small fire erupted.

She uttered a sentence. Water jetted from the broom and onto the flame. Within seconds, the fire extinguished.

She sighed. I have to learn better spells.

She continued to cast spells until the morning.


Kuririn and Yamcha peeked at the Stick Joe and Rifle Wolf from behind the wall.

"So we have to protect them instead of fight them," Yamcha said. "But we need to get stronger so we have a fair chance against the Red Dragons."

"We can spar against them if we gain their trust." Kuririn eyed the sky. "How will we persuade them that we'll protect them?"

Yamcha smirked. "It's what Monica wants, right?"

Kuririn blushed. "That doesn't mean anything. I mean, it does mean something because I'm her friend, but not like that."

Yamcha scoffed. "Right. I'm sure she'd be very happy if we did find a way to protect them. After all, she feels really low right now. Just imagine how happy she'd be."

Kuririn visualized Monica hugging him, smiling, thanking him. A grin mixed with his blush.

His eyes snapped open. He looked at a smirking Yamcha. "R-right, right. She's not that affectionate. She'd never do that. Nope—"

"Hey, that wolf has a Geostone."

Kuririn started. He squinted at the Rifle Wolf that held a Geostone in its right hand. "Yeah, I see."

In the crook of the Rifle Wolf's elbow was a triangle-shaped rock.

"And another rock, it looks like," Yamcha said. "It's kinda shaped like a diamond, like that rock we took to get to this floor."

"That must be the way we get to the next floor."

"Must be. You're the only one who can talk to them. Convince them that we'll protect them." He smiled. "For Monica."

"Buruma told me you used to be scared of girls."

Yamcha blushed. He looked forward. "I-I'll back you up."

Kuririn stared at Yamcha for a moment, grinning. He then ran to the Stick Joe, and Yamcha ran to the Rifle Wolf. The Stick Joe jabbed its spaghetti-like arms toward Kuririn. He crossed his arms before his face, and it lashed his forearms.

"You really don't have to attack us."

The Stick Joe thrust its arms. Kuririn grabbed them. It pulled in an attempt to escape Kuririn's grip.

"I must defeat you, or the Red Dragons will kill us."

"I know. We're here to save you all from them."

The Stick Joe pulled, and its arms stretched. "The Red Dragons are too strong."

"We defeated the normal Dragons in Starlight Canyon."

"That is not a feat. The Red Dragons are much, much stronger than the regular Dragons."

Kuririn gulped. Oh, man. He forced a smile onto his face. "W-w-well, you have anything you wanna do before the Red Dragons kill you? They're not here right now, are they?"

"They are not here." The Stick Joe withdrew its arms and gazed at the cloudy sky. "I would like to see a moon while it rains. They say it is impossible, but I am sure that it would amplify my power tenfold."

"The moon amplifies your power?"

"Yes. Seeing any moon does. However, the moons are barely visible because of the humans—they're not visible at all in Mount Gundor—and the Red Dragons prohibit anyone from leaving."

Kuririn smiled genuinely. "If you amplify your power enough, you should be able to defeat the Red Dragons. And we'll help you. Just gather the rest of the moon…monsters, team up with us, and we'll kill them." He grinned. That doesn't sound like a half-bad plan.

The Stick Joe stared at Kuririn.

Kuririn slammed a fist into his palm. "Yes, a rebellion. That's what we need. Team up on the Red Dragons and rebel. Why haven't you done that, anyway?"

"We are too weak. The Red Dragons continuously train so they can kill all of us if we try to rebel. We outnumber the Red Dragons, but they can still kill us."

"Have you ever tried?"

The Stick Joe shook its crescent-shaped head.

"So, you don't know whether that's true or not. Let's at least try, okay? You're gonna die anyway for keeping us humans here. Trust me, you're not as strong as us. Why not go out with a bang?"

"I would rather not go out at all." It looked at its arms. "However, based on your grip on my arms earlier, I can tell that you're stronger than me. You can kill me." The Stick Joe's head lit up. "Does it rain in Heim Rada?"

I have no idea. "Y-yes. Yes."

Its head brightened. "I will help you. Let us go to Heim Rada so I can see that moon."


Kintoun neared Starlight Canyon's ground, and the trio looked around. Silence pervaded the canyon, which was devoid of monsters.

Monica bit her lip. "I really hope they aren't all gone."

"We haven't seen the entire canyon yet." Max looked down at Kintoun. "Kintoun, take us around Starlight Canyon slowly."

"And keep us hidden as best you can."

Kintoun flew above the canyon, remaining in shadows it encountered, for an hour. The trio did not see monsters.

"I hope they just took a field trip or something," Monica said.

"What's a field trip?" Gokuu said.

"Never mind."

"Maybe we still haven't seen the whole canyon yet," Max said. "Besides, if the Red Dragons had killed the monsters, we'd see their remains, right?"

"That's a good point," Monica said. "Maybe we can still do something."

"Max, Monica, Gokuu!"

The trio looked over each other's shoulders. Barga and the condor, Lin on the condor's back, flew to them.

The trio grinned. "Lin!"

"And it looks like Mrs. Condor and Barga are okay, too," Max said. "How is everything?"

"Quite a few things happened," Lin said. "But, Monica, how did you get back? It looks like Griffon didn't do anything to you at all."

Monica explained what had happened in Griffon's palace.

Lin blinked. "Wow. I'm glad you made it out in one piece." She placed a hand on her chin. "That energy in Griffon's palace must be incredibly powerful if it was able to charge the Atlamillia up enough to send you to this time."

"I'm sure that if we got our hands on it, Griffon wouldn't be able to win."

Lin narrowed her eyes. "Unless Griffon himself uses the energy."

Monica cringed. "Hopefully, he underestimates us and doesn't use it. Besides, at this point, I think we can talk Griffon out of destroying the world or whatever he wants to do. Even though I've never been through what he's been through, I feel his pain."

"What?"

Monica shook her hands before her face. "Nothing. Anyway, let's focus on what we came here for. Have you seen Red Dragons?"

Lin gestured toward Barga and the condor. "Yes. That's what we came to talk to you about. You guys are still in Veniccio, right?"

"No, we're in Mount Gundor."

Lin's eyes widened. "The monsters here told the Red Dragons that you guys were in Veniccio. They'll tear it inside-out looking for you."

"Pau and the others are there," Max said. "And the Red Dragons might kill the monsters there for not keeping us away."

"Even if I told the Red Dragons that you all are in Mount Gundor, it wouldn't make a difference. Half of the Red Dragons are already heading to Veniccio."

"The monsters in Ocean's Roar Cave are smart enough to lie," Monica said. "I'm sure they'll think of something. I know they will."

"You know them better than I do. They might say that you all were too strong for them, like the monsters here did. Then, they'll only be trained instead of killed."

Gokuu's eyebrows slanted downward. "The Red Dragons are trainin' the monsters here now?"

"That's right. They said that the monsters needed to be prepared to kill any human that walks into Starlight Canyon. If I'm still here when they get back, I'll be one of their first victims."

"I don't think they'll stop at humans." Barga looked toward her nest in her valley.

"Then hurry and find a place to hide until everything blows over," Monica said. "The Red Dragons probably don't know Starlight Canyon as well as Mount Gundor."

"There really aren't any good places to hide here."

Max, who had placed his hand in his chin, looked up. "Try Palm Brinks. It's a bit crowded, but it should do until this whole thing blows over. It's east from here." He described Palm Brinks' appearance.

"All right." She looked at the condor. "We'll go there."

"Lin, you should head with them."

"But what if they destroy the Moon Crystal?"

"Why would they?" Gokuu said.

"The Moon Crystal is man-made, and the monsters might not want anything that reminds them of humans in this canyon. They might even destroy the whole lighthouse."

The trio exchanged looks.

"You might be looking into it too much, Lin," Max said.

Lin's breathing slowed. "I hope I am. But, just in case, I'll head to the lighthouse and put a shield around it."

"Th-the same shield you said that, if it got hit, you'd get hit, too?"

Lin nodded. "It's my only chance."

Monica patted Kintoun. "Climb on, Lin. We'll take you to the lighthouse. Barga, um, Mrs. Condor, go to Palm Brinks. Make sure you tell everyone what's going on so they don't think you'll attack them or anything. After you finish with that shield, Lin, we'll take you to Palm Brinks."

"It might be better if we hang around the lighthouse and protect it ourselves," Max said.

"But half of the Red Dragons are going to Veniccio and then to Mount Gundor," Lin said. "Will you be able to fight them all?"

Monica averted her gaze to the ground. "Kuririn, Yamcha, and Kamesennin might not be able to take on all those Red Dragons by themselves, and we might not be able to take on all those Red Dragons by ourselves, either." She narrowed her eyes. "I can only hope that the Red Dragons and the monsters don't target the Moon Crystal, much less the lighthouse."

"So, letting Lin put a shield around the Moon Crystal," Max said, "taking her to Palm Brinks, and heading back to Veniccio is our best bet."

"Right. We should check on everyone in Veniccio before we head back."Hopefully, the monsters keep to themselves after the Red Dragons' training."

Barga nodded toward the condor. "We'll leave as soon as we can."

"Once we defeat the Red Dragons, we'll go to Palm Brinks and tell you so you can head back to your natural habitat."

"Okay. Thank you for all your help."

"It's nothing."

Lin climbed onto Kintoun behind Max. They watched Barga and the condor fly into the distance.

Monica looked forward. I hope they're not training where the lighthouse is.


After telling the Rifle Wolf of their plan and gaining its approval, Kuririn and Yamcha led six Stick Joes and six Rifle Wolves to Heim Rada. Kuririn wondered how they would protect the monsters from the Red Dragons. Perhaps Muten Roushi would be unable to defeat the Red Dragons.

I know I should have faith in him, but the monsters make them sound so strong.

Muten Roushi was the only one in Heim Rada who could protect the monsters from the Red Dragons while the Stick Joes amplified their power every night. If the Red Dragons did not return for a long period of time, the Stick Joes could become strong enough to be one of their best assets against the Red Dragons.

The Rifle Wolves' bullets could distract the Red Dragons, giving the five and Muten Roushi more opportunities to attack. They needed to kill the Red Dragons as quickly as possible, lest the Red Dragons kill all the monsters in Mount Gundor.

Kuririn shook his head. That's the worst case scenario. But they shouldn't do that. If they do, they won't have anyone to succeed them. That sounds pretty stupid.

When Kuririn, Yamcha, and the group of monsters arrived in Heim Rada, Buruma ran beside Muten Roushi, who loosened his grip on his cane. Oolong nearly fell off the pot on which he sat. Puar darted behind Muten Roushi. Kuririn grinned at them, yet they remained tense.

Puar peeked from behind Muten Roushi's shoulder. "They don't look like they're attacking Yamcha-sama and Kuririn. I wonder why."

"New allies maybe?" Buruma said.

"There has to be a good reason, though."

Muten Roushi thought about Monica seeming as though she were in deep thought while they were in Luna Lab. I think I know why.

A Stick Joe outstretched its arms. "It is raining embers."

"Yep." Kuririn grinned. "You might see that special moon you talked about."

"I believe raining embers are not natural. If that is the case, then we will not see that moon."

Kuririn scratched his chin using one finger. "Oh. Well, that doesn't mean that you still won't be powered-up." He looked at the sky and pointed to the hazy moon behind the clouds. "See? The moon's out. It's dim, but it's out."

A Stick Joe smiled. "Yes. I can feel its power already."

"As long as you guys bask in the moonlight every night, you should be pretty strong by the time the Red Dragons come back. They might not come back for a while." He looked at each of the monsters. "You guys should go hide, though, and I'll get someone to protect you guys while we gather more monsters to help."

"The Red Dragons know both Heim Rada and Mount Gundor inside and out," a Rifle Wolf said. "They consider Heim Rada their territory, too, even though they never come here. Even if we hide, they'll definitely find us."

"Don't worry. Muten Roushi-sama!"

Muten Roushi ran to the group. "What is it?"

"Can you do us a favor, please?"

"Yes, of course."

"Can you protect these monsters from the Red Dragons and warn them if they're coming?"

"I can."

A Rifle Wolf snorted. "I'm sure that this old human can't protect us from a whole army of Red Dragons."

Muten Roushi adjusted his sunglasses. "Appearances can be deceiving."

"You need more than strength to beat them, though. You need to be cunning, too."

Kuririn placed his hands on his hips and smiled. "One of the many traits that Muten Roushi-sama possesses."

"And you shouldn't be willing to fight fairly. The Red Dragons like to gang up on monsters."

"If they need to do that," Muten Roushi said, "they must not be very strong at all."

"Oh, trust me, they're strong."

"But this is our only chance," a Stick Joe said. "If we win…" Its head brightened. "We will no longer be under their reign."

"The Red Dragons will probably head for Mount Gundor first," Kuririn said. "When they do, we'll come back here, and you can help us defeat them."

"What about us?" Buruma said.

"Maybe you should go back to Palm Brinks. There's no telling what'll happen while we fight here."

"Good idea. I know I don't wanna stick around."

"Thank you very much for your concern," a Stick Joe said. "I cannot understand why you would want to help us."

"We don't wanna kill any monsters that we don't need to," Kuririn said.

A Rifle Wolf slung its rifle over its shoulder. "Thank you."


The trio watched Lin, who stood on one of the prongs that extended from the Moon Crystal, her arms spread. They had not seen any monsters as they flew to the lighthouse.

Where are they? Max had thought.

Lin uttered words in an ancient language. A transparent dome surrounded the Moon Crystal. She lowered her arms and opened her eyes.

Max's eyes widened. "Whoa."

Lin's eyes had become blue. When Lin smiled, they returned to their green color.

"I didn't know Lin's eyes could change color," Gokuu said.

"That happens when sages get so caught up in their divinations that they don't know what's going on around them," Monica said, "or when they're performing a really challenging spell or divination. It must've been Lin's first time doing this."

Lin panted and fell, facedown, onto the prong. Kintoun flew to her.

"Lin, are you all right?" Max said.

Lin turned her head so that her cheek lay on the prong. "Yes. It just took a lot out of me, that's all. I should recover soon."

Monica looked around. "I don't see any signs of the monsters here, either. Where could they be?"

"They must be trainin' someplace real far off."

Max grabbed Lin's hands and pulled her onto Kintoun. "I wonder why they'd want to train so far away from the same place they want to protect from humans."

Monica shrugged. "Beats me. We can't worry about that now, though. Let's hurry and get Lin to Palm Brinks."


The trio left Lin in Palm Brinks, in which the condors arrived at the same time, and explained the situation to Morton, Patrolmen Addis and Puno, and other citizens who had seen the trio and condors.

"We'll gather all the citizens and hold a town meeting." Patrolman Addis looked at the condors. "You two should get settled in the park."

"I'll take you all there," Patrolman Puno said.

The trio said their goodbyes to Morton and the patrolmen and flew to Veniccio. They told Pau, Claire, Mayor Need, and Donny of the problem.

"Hide in Ocean's Roar Cave," Monica said. "We're about to tell the monsters there what's happening, too."

"If they destroy the buildings here," Max said, "call me on the Help Receiver, and we'll send Buruma to fix everything."

Pau and the others said they understood and entered Ocean's Roar Cave, the trio behind them. The trio repeated their explanation to a Geron, Fintol, and Corsair.

"The monsters in Starlight Canyon said that they were too weak to defeat the humans," Monica said. "If you say the same thing, the Red Dragons should only train you, not kill you." She gestured toward Pau and the others. "They need to hide until the Red Dragons are done training you."

The Geron nodded. "We'll spread the word."

"Good. We're going back to Mount Gundor. Stay on your toes." She looked at the sky. "We definitely will."


Kintoun flew over the wall and lowered near Mount Gundor's entrance. The trio hopped off. Max and Gokuu waved as Kintoun flew into the distance.

Kuririn shot out from the hole in the geyser, flailing, and stumbled upon his landing. Yamcha landed beside him.

"Looks like your landing's gotten much better," Monica said.

Kuririn bowed. "Thank you, thank you."

"Did you two go back to Heim Rada?"

"Yeah. We wall-jumped down." Yamcha raised his hands. "See? No injuries."

"That won't work when we get near the mouth. Just letting you all know now so nobody's hands burst into flame."

Yamcha's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"We don't need to worry about that right now." She explained what had happened in Starlight Canyon.

Kuririn gave Max his cap. "I told Buruma and the others that they should go back to Palm Brinks, too. The Red Dragons might destroy everything in Heim Rada after Buruma restores it, anyway." He explained what had happened in Mount Gundor and Heim Rada.

A grin spread on Max's face, and Monica's face lit up.

"That's great," Monica said. "Let's go back into Mount Gundor and gather more monsters. After we get a few more, we should spar with them so we're strong enough to defeat the Red Dragons. The monsters made them sound even tougher."

"We just need to be stronger than them." Gokuu pointed to the shell on his back. "We're always trainin'. Speaking of trainin', Kamesennin said he'd give us an upgrade soon. We should go back to Heim Rada and ask for that upgrade since we're used to these shells."

Monica looked at each of the boys. "Hopefully, we'll be able to handle that extra weight, with the thin air up here and all."

Kuririn pounded a hand on his chest. "Of course we will. Muten Roushi-sama's taught us that the human body can do anything."

Gokuu peered down the hole. "All right. Let's get back to Heim Rada." He jumped down the hole.