Chapter 42: Aftermath

May 31, 2057

Another nightmare. This wasn't even a rare occurrence. Not to Elie Mograine. Ever since she turned fourteen, she had been having terrible dreams she didn't fully understand. Even now at the ripe age of eighteen, the nightmares persisted, and she was no closer to solving their intent.

She was on a battlefield, watching in horror as strange humanoid monsters began overrunning the field. Dark clouds were covering the sky, purple lightning dancing in the air. A childlike laughter from the creatures echoed everywhere, unnerving the girl.

"Not this place again," Elie said in sorrow.

While her nightmares have shown her many places she has never seen before, this field was her least favorite. She knew from the environment that this was in Eternus, but not where this battle occurred. The entire field was ravaged by fire and darkness, killing most of the plant life and creating a terrible scar within the land. Only a small band of fighters were there to fight off the strange monsters, though Elie could never get a good look at their faces.

While the smaller group were putting up a remarkable fight, they were slowly losing. They were vastly outnumbered and badly wounded. It was remarkable that most of them even had the strength to keep fighting. Three warriors in particular were quite interesting. The first was a blonde woman in a blue battledress, wielding a white and golden sword bathed in holy light. Despite her grievous wounds covering her body, she refused to fall and kept cutting down anything that dared attack her.

The second warrior was also a woman, but her hair was slightly paler and much longer. Her pearl-white armor was stained in dark blood and in desperate need for repair. Her twin swords were the same color as her armor, although would be hard to tell given how bloody they were at the moment.

Why was Elie having this dream again? What was the point? It's not like she can change the outcome, which she has seen numerous times. She was simply an observer here. No one could see her. No one could hear her.

"Raaaaa!"

And now came the white-haired girl's least favorite part of this nightmare. She turned her head towards a tall hill on her left, where she saw two people locked in a deadly duel. One was an older man with silver hair and bloodred eyes, dressed in black armor and a crimson cape while wielding a wicked black greatsword. The second person was a young man with raven-black hair and bloodred eyes. He wore a black overcoat with twin tails, as well as red and gold trimming, red gloves, and black pants and boots. He was wielding a black and gold longsword with a wing-shaped pommel pointed towards the hilt.

They were both gravely injured, dark blood pouring from their wounds and staining the ground beneath their feet. However despite the immense pain and ache they must have been feeling, neither one relented as their swords furiously clashed against each other. Each clash felt as though the entire world was shaking.

The older man said something to the younger swordsman, but Elie was too far away to hear nor could she move any closer to even try. A dark miasma surrounded the young man. Even from this distance, the white-haired girl could sense an immense power surging within the swordsman.

Anger, rage, fury, all of them were practically radiating off of the boy. He let out a terrifying howl as his hair became an unnatural white. With renewed strength, the boy pressed his attack, his sword slashes becoming increasingly erratic.

"No, that's just what he wants!" Elie cried out in warning, but as usual, no one reacted to her plea.

The older swordsman was able to block all of his opponent's strikes, but he was clearly getting worn out because of the increased power behind every swing. The toll from his wounds were also catching up with him, making his movements become sluggish.

The two swordsmen readied their final attacks, each aiming for a fatal blow to finish off the other. As their swords closed in, Elie closed her eyes and looked away in sorrow. She didn't want to see this again. Just the first time was bad enough to scar her. She simply prayed to Sinestra that this all ended soon before she started to break down.

Elie let out a gasp as she sat up in a swift motion. She took a quick look at her surroundings and saw that she was in the library of the Eastern Academy in Eternus. There were a few students and faculty within the building, but none of them so much as looked at her.

She let out a deep breath as she rubbed her golden eyes with one hand. Her outfit was a black and red school uniform consisting of a jacket, undershirt, a black skirt and shoes. Her long white hair was worn straight and decorated with a black ribbon. Hidden within her hair were her pointed ears.

"I can't believe I fell asleep here," Elie thought to herself, looking at the variety of books she had gotten to read. "I came here to study, not catch up on my sleep. Then again, it's not like I got much sleep last night thanks to all the noise Astolfo was making."

She like the rest of the students at the Eastern Academy stayed at the school dormitories that were on campus. And unfortunately for the white-haired girl, her room was right next to the craziest person in the whole academy, if not the entire Sutherland province. To make matters worse, she was in the same class as him, so she was forced to deal with his antics on a daily basis.

Why in the Goddess's name did her foster father think it wise to send her here in the territory of Viceroy Cornelia vi Britannia? She could have easily attended one of the academies within the Stromgarde province or stayed safe within the walls of her father's castle. There are barely any demons in the northern territory who tolerated her existence, sending her here was practically feeding her to the wolves. But no, apparently she spends too much time indoors and needed to get out to see the world, so her father registered Elie for the Eastern Academy and sent her off despite her protests.

Apparently, he also spoke with Cornelia to ensure her safety, but it sure didn't feel that way with how much she gets picked on by the other students. Both they, and the faculty, simply saw her as a freak. But in a way, she was a freak. After all, she was a rare being born with both fairy and demon heritage. A twili.

Given the rocky history between the fairies and demons, it was practically unheard of for the two races to have children together. It was considered a serious taboo and the penalties for breaking it were very severe. However, there were the rare instances where a fairy and a demon would fall in love and give birth to a child. Unfortunately, while it may be considered romantic how two beings on opposite spectrums could even fall in love with each other, they almost never got a happy ending.

The penalty for breaking the taboo was one thing, the parents would be executed and the child forced into exile, though there were horror stories of the children getting the death penalty too. Such was the fate of Elie's parents when she was six years old. The family was living in a remote corner in Eternus and were perfectly happy. Unfortunately that happiness ended when a battalion of demons suddenly attacked their home and burned it to the ground. Her father stayed behind to hold them off while she and her mother fled to safety in the woods.

That very battalion soon began catching up to the duo, prompting her mother to hide Elie in a bush and try to lead the enemy away from her daughter. The young girl had pleaded with the older fairy to not go, but her mother gave her one last smile and told Elie that she loved her before running off. The young twili soon heard her mother scream in pain as her life was taken, prompting her to run in the opposite direction.

In both her haste and her vision clouded by tears, Elie ended up stumbling into a nearby river and was washed miles away from her old home. As though the gods took pity on her, she was later rescued by Viceroy Darion Mograine, who was on one of his many searches to find the reincarnated prince and princess of Eternus, and brought to his castle. Understandably, it took weeks for Elie to open up to her new caregiver as she slowly began recovering from the traumatic experience.

Darion was one of the few demons who didn't hold any prejudice towards the twilis. When Elie asked why he didn't, her new father said that his prince wouldn't approve of such behavior. It was honestly admirable that the northern viceroy still possessed a firm loyalty for the Umbris royal family despite their long absence. It kind of made Elie want to meet this supposed reincarnated prince to see why.

"As if that'll ever happen," she passed off. "There's no way a prince would want to meet me, a freak. Besides, there's still no proof that he even reincarnated to begin with."

Elie had the temptation to give her father a call but, in the end, chose not to disturb him. He was aware of her terrible nightmares, but even he had no explanation for them. The best he could offer was that it must be the will of Goddess Sinestra to show her what happened to Zane during the War of Light and Shadow. It wasn't the greatest explanation as there was still the question of why she was chosen, but it was better than nothing.

"Besides, Father is probably busy managing Stromgarde. I'd rather not add more to his plate."

"Hey, Elie!" a familiar voice called out. "So this is where you were."

She perked up and spun her head to the left where she saw a young man with messy black and white hair and blue eyes. He was around eighteen, just like the twili girl. He was wearing a school uniform as well but he obviously wore black pants instead of a skirt.

"Hey, Charlie," Elie said with a light smile. "Were you looking for me?"

Charlemagne Riegen, otherwise known as simply as "Charlie", was one of her classmates and one of the only demons she would call a friend. Like her father, Charlie held no ill will towards the twili, saying that he found it "not awesome" to hate on someone for something that they couldn't control.

"Yeah," Charlemagne answered with a simple shake of his head. "Noctis and Astolfo fell asleep in class again, so they need a refresher on the topics we studied today. Think you can help me out with the tutoring?"

Elie let out an exhausted sigh. She should have figured that was the case. Those two classmates of hers never seem to take anything seriously. It was a miracle they haven't been expelled for their lack of involvement in their studies.

"Hang on, let me gather my things."

She quickly put some of her personal books in her bag and left library books on the table. Normally she would put them back herself, but she'll need all the time she can get to teach Astolfo and Noctic anything. They never seem to pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds.

Once she was done, Elie and Charlie began to head out, though not without drawing the attention of some of the students.

"Oh look, it's the half breed," a male student said cynically.

"I can't believe they let someone like her attend this academy," a female student jeered. "I feel ill just breathing the same air as her."

"Can you believe that scum like her is the daughter of a Viceroy?" another female student added in a deliberately loud voice. "I think her father just keeps her around as a pet. Why else would he take a half breed like her in?"

Elie didn't say anything. She kept a passive expression as she marched through the library. If she reacted in any way, that would just fuel her oppressors' egos and invite further torment. She had to be strong. She was a Mograine. But that didn't make their words any less painful. Is this really what the Shadow Goddess wanted?

They exited with no issue, but Charlemagne looked ready to punch someone.

"I swear those jerks are getting on my last nerves," he said bitterly. "They've got no right to call you such cruel things, especially after everything you've been through."

The white-haired girl gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Let it go, Charlie. Their words do sting, but I can grin and bear it if I have you and the others by my side. You all are able to accept me for who I am."

That seemed to do the trick as Charlemagne's face relaxed a little. "Okay, but I really hope your dad is able to find the prince and princess soon. It'll take an Umbris to make sure the twili are treated equally here in Eternus."

Elie would be lying if she said that she didn't have the same hope that her friend had. She had heard stories from her father about the Umbris family and their roles during the War of Light and Shadow. The one she was most interested in was Zane Umbris, the firstborn son of Altena. Maybe it had to do with those dreams she had been having, maybe she was sympathetic towards the half-demon because of the struggles he faced.

As the duo began heading for the dormitory where Astolfo and Noctis were waiting, the white-haired twili found herself looking up at the clear blue sky.

"Prince Zane, if you truly have been reincarnated, Eternus needs you," she thought as a silent prayer. "Whether it's people are willing to admit it or not. Where could you be?"

Marth was sitting at the end of a large table in Dicey Café, the rest of the Black Legion, as well as Scathach and Rias, occupying the remaining chairs. The half-demon found himself looking out the clear glass window, his gaze raised to the sky above.

"Something wrong, Marth?" Kuroba asked suddenly, wondering why he suddenly zoned out. She was sitting in a chair by his right, parallel to C.C.

Ever since his defeat at the hands of Lucius, the Dark Swordsman began the transition to distance himself from his mask as Frank Furuta-Storm and fully embrace his Marth persona. While it was a bit too early for that since his demon blood hasn't fully awakened, he felt that it was a necessary change. If he was to become strong enough to defeat a demon lord like Lucius, then he can't keep hiding behind a mask.

Marth had not yet chosen a last name for him to use for his new identity, however there was one that he had in mind. He just wished there was a way to speed the awakening up. He was running out of time as his deterioration was getting worse by the day. It was getting harder and harder to hide it from the other Black Legion members, what with his pain surges becoming more frequent. It won't be long before Asuna and the others start to catch on, in fact the Lightning Flash was already starting to get suspicious.

"No," Marth said finally. "Just lost in thought. I wonder how things are in Eternus."

"I'm surprised you're interested in what's happening there," Sinon commented. "Then again, you are technically its crown prince."

Rias let out a light chuckle in amusement. "Once Meg awakens her demon blood, we'll have to begin planning to retrieve her divine weapon, the Star Blade Mercurius," she spoke up. "I have already narrowed down a few possible locations, but I still need a bit more time before I find the right location."

"I'm guessing Lucia didn't leave any clues on where she left her sword, did she?" C.C. commented in her usual blunt tone. "If she did, I doubt you'd be having trouble locating it."

"Unfortunately, you're correct," Scathach agreed. "Even I have only heard rumors on places where she could have stored it, none of them being easy to reach. Let us hope that Mercurius is not in Necronis Castle."

Marth turned his towards his mentor, his eyes looking confused by the statement. "Why's that?" he questioned.

"Necronis is the name of the royal palace located in Obsidia, Eternus's capital city," the Witch of Dun Scaith explained. "Obsidia was one of the first locations Zeta attacked and barely any of the good demons living there managed to escape. The city is now nothing more than a den for shadow beasts. Even after all these years, none of the ruling viceroys made any attempt to reclaim the capital."

Rias looked saddened by the news, her gaze falling towards the wooden table. "That's a shame, but understandable," the demoness replied. "Without the demon lords and the Umbris family, reclaiming the capital would be suicide."

"Well then that dream is impossible then," Kazuto spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "I mean, Rias is the only good demon lord left. Arcanos and Lucius are our enemies while Zarc is…"

Suddenly Marth slammed his fist into the table, cracking it a little. The sudden action made all of Nega Nebulus jump. "Even if that bastard's alive, I will never accept his help," he said bitterly. "He killed Altena, tried to sacrifice me to free Zeta's shadow, and nearly destroyed Tokyo thirty years ago. I'll never forgive him, no matter what."

"Marth," Kuroba said in sorrow, giving the half-demon's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Rias and Scathach shared a look of worry. They should have expected that the Dark Swordsman to hold resentment towards the False Demon King. They still haven't told him that Zarc was still alive. They were afraid of what his reaction would be. Those fears even intensified after today's incident.

Suddenly Asuna let out a slight cough to get everyone's attention. "Anyway, I think we should get back to why we're here. So Chrome Disaster has returned yet again. But how can that be? There shouldn't be any trace of its armor left."

"Well it looks like we weren't thorough enough," Shino replied, holding her chin with her right hand. "Somehow a piece of the armor must have survived and taken over another Burst Linker. Not to mention that it now has a vendetta against Marth."

"I don't think Chrome Disaster has taken over another Burst Linker," the Blade Eater spoke up. "Its whole presence felt…hollow…almost like there was nothing else inside of it. Not to mention that it somehow managed to force us into the Unlimited Neutral Field while we were in the real world. That shouldn't have been possible."

Kuroba nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, it shouldn't be possible. That kind of power is way too broken for a Burst Linker to acquire. That means that Chrome Disaster might be able to use a similar magic that allowed Rias and Scathach into the Accelerated World."

That made sense to the Dark Swordsman. If the incident was looked at through a scientific lens, then understanding how it happened would be impossible. If magic was added though, things started to make a whole lot more sense. Magic also must have been what had brought Chrome Disaster back to life, though that still raised the question on who was responsible for it.

Marth's first instinct was Arcanos. The demon lord didn't strike as someone who cared that much about who his allies were just so long as they were useful. He cast Seiji aside simply because the Burst Linker was too reckless and exposed himself to the entire Nega Nebulus, effectively making him a weak link. However, Chrome Disaster felt like the perfect kind of minion the demon lord wanted. A raging beast that devours anything it meets, sowing chaos across the entire Accelerated World. It would be a hard thing to pass up to have such a powerful creature on his side.

"Whatever it was, that still doesn't explain what happened to you, Marth," Kuroba brought up. "I've never seen your anger overtake you that much. Was that the dark side of the Incarnate System you were using?"

"No it wasn't," Kazuto said grimly. "I've seen that side of him before, a few times even."

The others looked confused, but Asuna, Klein, and Shino caught on, as well as Meg to an extent. To Kazuto's memory, there was only two times where he had seen his partner in that state. The first incident was in Aincrad right when PoH murdered Issei right in front of the Darkness Duo. Marth practically exploded in anger, a dark aura surrounding his body, and recklessly attacked anything that moved, including Kirito. Then there was the incident on Temporal Island, where not only were Klein, Asuna, Sinon, Yuuki and Thorrnn present, but the original members of the Origo Mercenaries.

The two groups had joined forces to escape the frozen island but soon learned that they weren't alone there. There was a terrible darkness slumbering there and was close to breaking from its prison. To stop this, they all ascended the Eclipse Tower located in the ruined capital of Arcadia. Together, they fought off the hordes of monsters that tried to stop their advance, but they broke through all the time. That is…until they were near the top where they fought a powerful dark beast, the dragon named Gungnir.

Just thinking about that dragon sent a chill down Kazuto's spine. He had never encountered a monster that powerful before, even in the original Aincrad. Its thick hide pretty much deflected everything they threw at it. Only Mythra, Kos-Mos, Marth's Lunara and Solaris, and Kirito's Excalibur were able to pierce through it to inflict any damage. They were slowly wearing it down until Marth got slammed into the ground by Gungnir's tail. The dragon then attempted to finish off the downed Spriggan with its claws, only for Thorrnn to shield her brother with her own body.

Even now, the sight of the green-haired Sylph falling limply to the ground, her armor in tatters while blood gushed from her severe wounds, haunted Kazuto. He felt completely helpless as he watched the sister of his best friend seemingly die before him. But that horror paled before what then happened to Marth. Anger and torment completely consumed him, causing that same dark aura to surround him, but unlike in Aincrad or Brain Burst, Marth's hair turned from black to a pale white.

In a bloodthirsty rage, Marth attacked Gungnir with an unnatural strength, his swords cutting deeper than ever. Eventually with Kirito, Kos-Mos and Mythra's help, he was able to kill Gungnir, but his rage refused to subside. He then began attacking his friends, despite Kirito's pleas to stop, but his best friend was too consumed to hear him. Then a miracle happened. Nia was somehow able to heal Thorrnn's seemingly fatal wounds with her Healing Arts. The revitalized Sylph then managed calm her brother down with her words. However, like the other incidents, Marth had no memory of what had happened and was horrified to learn what he did.

"Okay, do demons have some sort of anger enhancement thing that makes them stronger?" Klein questioned nervously. "Because that kinda thing isn't normal for humans."

"No, we don't," Rias gravely. "We demons may have a dangerous anger, but never to that extent. I don't think I've ever heard of a situation like that before. I probably wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes."

No, that was a lie. The Crimson Sorceress had seen an incident like that before, and it was someone she knew very well. The Twilight Swordsman, Zane Umbris. He too had unusual bursts of anger that augmented his strength, but even he didn't know the cause of it. However, Rias always found that strange power to feel…familiar but she could never place why.

"Anyway," Yuna interjected. "What are we going to do about Chrome Disaster? We can't let it keep rampaging around the Accelerated World."

"No, we can't," Marth agreed, his arms folded across his chest. "It doesn't help that Chrome Disaster is much more powerful now. I'm not sure if we can take him on our own this time. We may need to get more help."

Kuroba lowered her head and fell strangely silent. She looked hesitant about something. Unfortunately for her, her boyfriend noticed this.

"What is it?" he asked in concern. "Do you have an idea on where we can get additional support?"

The Black King bit her lip nervously. She shouldn't be feeling this way. She was the Greatest Traitor in the Accelerated World. But for some reason, standing before them together again felt strangely intimidating.

"I…do," she said hesitantly. "We should request the aid of the other Kings of Pure Color."

Everyone was surprised by the suggestion, especially with it coming from Kuroba of all people. She saw the other kings, with Yuniko being a slight exception, as her enemies. For her to suggest asking them for help seemed impossible, especially since she killed the previous Red King, Red Rider, right in front of them and through trickery and deceit no less.

Unfortunately, Marth really couldn't argue with her idea. While other Kings, minus Yuniko, have a rocky relationship with his guardian, they were also some of the most powerful Burst Linkers in the entire Accelerated World. If Nega Nebulus is to handle this new threat, the other Kings will be necessary to achieve victory.

"Um, would they even listen to you, Kuroba?" Ayano questioned nervously. "You didn't exactly leave on good terms when you executed Red Rider. They might even just attack you on sight."

Kuroba let out a hesitant grunt as she clenched her fists on the table. She was clearly swallowing a lot of her pride to be willing to do this. It was practically tearing her apart. "We don't have much choice," she answered firmly. "Chrome Disaster threatens all of the Accelerated World, not just the Black Legion. I'm sure they'll be willing to hear us out." She turned her gaze to the female half-demon. "Meg, send a message to Yuniko. Tell her that Chrome Disaster has returned and that I wish to have an audience with the other Kings."

"You got it. I'll send after we wrap this meeting up. I may not know much about the other Kings of Pure Color, but I bet that Yuniko would be willing to help us. She's kinda latched onto me and Marth like we're her older siblings."

"Don't remind me," Kuroba groaned. "It's already bad enough that I have to ask for her help. I don't need you making it worse."

Marth chuckled in amusement. It was rare to see the Black King in this state so he had to enjoy it while he could. However, the mention of Red Rider caused him to remember something else. The Burst Linker who wishes vengeance against Black Lotus for the banishment of his friend and Legion Master. The level 8 Burst Linker, Dark Cerberus.

Supposedly he was just as powerful as the Seven Kings of Pure Color, but from what Marth had witnessed from his two encounters with the guy, those rumors were definitely justified. Cerberus's power was incredible, fitting for an avatar named after the three-headed dog that guards the Underworld. But there was something about him that was deeply concerning, and that was his rage. Vengeance seemed to be slowly overtaking him, similar to what happened to the Dark Swordsman during Disaster's surprise attack.

Marth didn't blame the guy for feeling that way. After all, Kuroba did kill Red Rider in a very cowardly move. By all accounts, it should be the black-haired fairy that should confront the Burst Linker, but Marth won't let him anywhere near her. He won't let anyone take someone he held dear away from him again. Never again.

"Dark Cerberus, you better start watching your back," he silently promised. "As soon as Chrome Disaster is destroyed, I'm coming for you next."

Later

Kuroba decided to spend the night at the Hagino apartment yet again. With Chrome Disaster lurking about with the ability to force acceleration onto Burst Linkers, she felt concerned about staying by herself. Well, that and Disaster's fixation on her boyfriend. The Cursed Armament was willing to attack him even in the presence of a demon lord and an immortal witch. It clearly didn't care about its own survival just as long as it got its revenge against the one who defeated it. She was too afraid to leave his side. She was extremely lucky to have reached him in time back in Okinawa when Marth was nearly killed by the monster, Gandora. Such luck would not be repeated again.

Thankfully Rias was more than understanding and even teleported her to her apartment to gather her things so she could stay over. Magic really made things more convenient. It made the Black King wish that the demoness revealed herself sooner. The Crimson Sorceress even teased that Kuroba should stay full-time due to how often she was there, which caused the younger girl to blush in embarrassment.

She was currently in Marth's room, unpacking her spare clothes. The Black Wolf player had a few empty drawers that he never uses so he gave her the option to use them to store her clothes, which Kuroba was very grateful for. She should technically be staying in Meg's room due to them being the same gender, but the fairy wanted to stay by her beloved's side, protecting him just like when he protected her. Besides, he was pretty much used to sharing a room with a girl because of how often C.C. stayed in it. Not gonna lie, the mere thought of her boyfriend sharing a bed with another girl more than raised a few eyebrows with Kuroba.

"You alright?"

Kuroba jumped slightly from the sudden voice. She briskly turned on her heels and saw Marth standing by the door. He looked relatively calm despite their situation.

"Yeah," she said slowly, her energy practically non-existent. "Did Yuniko get back to us at all?"

"Yeah, she just messaged Meg back. She managed to convince the other Kings to meet with you. The meeting is in the Chiyoda Ward at 5 o'clock."

"I see. I'm glad that they're willing to meet with me, but a part of me worries that this may be a trap to remove me from the Accelerated World. If I lose to a level 9 Burst Linker even once, then I'll meet the same fate of Red Rider and lose Brain Burst forever. I may even forget you and the others. There's no way I can take that kind of loss."

"It'll be fine," Marth assured as he entered the bedroom. "I'll be going with you, plus Rias will act as backup in case things go south. There's no way we'd let you go alone."

Kuroba couldn't help but smile in relief. She did regret what she did to Red Rider and still needed to make up for it, but she didn't want her precious memories of Marth and her friends to be the price. She'll find a way to make amends for Red Rider's death, but in her own way and on her terms.

She suddenly tackled her boyfriend into a hug, burying her face in his chest. She honestly didn't deserve to have someone like Marth in her life. She lied, manipulated people, even beheaded an innocent Burst Linker out of her own selfishness, her obsession to reach level 10 and meet the creators of Brain Burst. Even now, she still wanted to know why Brain Burst was created. What was it's purpose? Were the creators simply trying to make a hardcore game, or was there something more to it? There was something she was missing, something rather important, but she couldn't figure out what it could be.

Right now though, her desire to learn the truth about Brain Burst was in the backburner. Her main priority was stopping Chrome Disaster once more and protecting the boy she loved so dearly.

"Marth, whatever happens, I'm going to protect you," she promised. "You've protected me when I needed it. Now it's time for me to return the favor. We may be partners now, but I will always be your guardian. It's my duty to protect you."

The demon let out a chuckle before returning the hug, wrapping his arms around the fairy's back. "Okay, just try not to get into another coma. I don't think I can handle that a second time."

Kuroba simply giggled as she stroked the boy's back. "I'll do my best not to."

"I guess I can help out too," a familiar voice spoke up.

The couple snapped out of their reverie and noticed that they were not alone anymore. Sitting on the bed wearing nothing but a plain white button-down shirt was the android, C.C., though it did little to hide her cleavage. Her light green hair was somewhat damp, meaning she must have just taken a shower. Her golden eyes looked positively bored.

"I swear, C.C., don't you know anything about privacy?" Marth asked in annoyance. "It's bad enough that you just barge into my room whenever you feel like it. Do you really have to ruin moments like this?"

The greenette innocently shrugged in response. "Well your door was wide open so I just let myself inside." C.C. then cracked a mischievous grin. "Besides, don't act like you haven't caught me in rather indecent situations as well."

"Marth, what is she talking about?" Kuroba said coldly, her bangs covering her eyes.

The Dark Swordsman let out a groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You did that on purpose. Thanks a lot, C.C."

"My pleasure," the AI responded, her grin not wavering. "I'm sure that the three of us will get along swimmingly since we're all sharing the same room. Besides, most guys would kill to be share a bed with two beautiful girls."

Under other circumstances, Kuroba might have taken issue with that statement, but right now she wanted an explanation on why her boyfriend had caught the android in rather indecent situations, even though they were most likely accidental. The poor guy wouldn't be getting it easy until the meeting with the other Kings of Pure Color.

"In an inferno of power and might, a blazing new beast is now forged!" Hajime Nakamura chanted as he was in the Unlimited Neutral Field, his body surrounded by a crimson aura of power. Four green rings hovered above him as four white orbs of light lined in the center of them. "Witness as great power is fortified into a single vessel, as might becomes mightier!" A pillar of crimson light shot through the rings, consuming the white orbs inside. "Appear now. Red Dragon Archfiend!"

A black and red bipedal dragon emerged from the light. On its head was a crown of horns, the claws on its hands and feet looked easily capable of rending through flesh and armor alike. The dragon flapped its leathery red wings a single time before letting out a mighty roar.

"So I really can summon you here," Hajime said with interest. "I honestly didn't think that would work."

As expected though, you performed my summoning flawlessly, Archfiend replied as he gazed down at his master. From this day forth, my enemies are your enemies. Together, we shall show the Black King and her pawns the consequences for their actions.

The black and red dragon took the words right out of Cerberus's mouth. They truly were the ideal pair. With this newfound power of his, he will show that traitor the power of a real king. Revenge was finally within reach.

"I hope you're ready, Lotus," Hajime said coldly. "When I'm done with you, you won't have the right to call yourself a king. I'll put you in your place and avenge Red Rider, once and for all."

To be continued

Yeah, another cliffhanger but I can't really help it at this point. I debated whether or not to include that Temporal Island detail in this chapter as I have not reached that point in the actual arc within Connections, but that's kind of unavoidable given that Black Wolf takes place after Connections, especially since it involves Marth. Anyway, it looks like things are starting to heat up again. I wonder how Marth and the others will handle this. I'll see you guys next time!