"Phew...It must be my imagination...but it feels like it's hotter inside than it is outside." Mermista said.
"What'd you expect from a dungeon in the Flame universe?" Vargas asked.
"This dungeon must go down to the planet's core or at least close to it." Moltar said as they continued downward before entering the first room.
"Hmm...I sense a powerful monster here." Sheer said as they saw a large flaming serpent wrapped around a stalagmite.
"Snake? Snake? SNAKE!" Nuna cried.
"A Boitata." Hera said. "A flaming serpent monster."
"Like the ones in Brazillian Mytho?" Spade asked.
"There were some rumored to live in the Jungle Lands..but I never thought they actually existed." Hera said.
The snake looked at them as it hissed with its flaming tongue before pouncing on the group.
"Watch out!" Flamberge said as everyone got out of the way of the Boitatas charge as it struck the ground.
"Dang you're an ugly thing. Guess we're fighting fire with fire. Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu said, striking at the serpent. "Huh...whoa...that felt way stronger than normal."
"Hmm...Ha!" Flamberge said, trying to launch a small fireball only for it to be large as it hit the serpent. "Whoa...I guess fire abilities get a big boost in the Flame Universe."
"Wait… if that's the case, then…" Moltar trailed off before he punched the ground. "Erupt…?"
Then, the ground in front of the group practically exploded, shooting a great wave of magma upwards, bathing the Boitatas in boiling hot lava.
"Holy…!" Moltar gasped in shock. "Uh… I did not expect that much to happen!"
The Boitata hissed as it slithered away and retreated into a small little cavern. As soon as it did, the doors leading to the next area opened right up.
"Huh, that was a little too easy." Kampan said.
"You say that now, but trust me. The enemies will get even harder." Nesma said.
"She's right...this is only the first floor." Dan said as they continued downward. Entering the next floor, they saw it was a large nest with a huge bird sitting in it.
"First a Boitata, now it's a Phoenix." Hera said.
"The Immortal Bird." Spade said.
"Jeez, I feel really weird about this one." Hope said.
"Is this because of Suzaku?" Sakura asked.
"Yeah, pretty much." Hope said.
"Uh, who's Suzaku?" Kazuma asked.
"A phoenix beastman that Hope 'thought' he absolutely needed." Aria said.
"Yeah, I mean… To be honest, he didn't even pay attention to her at all, so I don't even know what was the point of it." Genis said.
"I'm not gonna ask what happened." Harpuia said.
"Better you don't. I've chosen to move on from that. At that time, I was just going through a phase." Hope said. "Suzaku left the nest, and I'm okay with that."
"Yeah...cause it looks like that one is about to leave the nest too!" Catra said as the Phoenix took notice of them as its feathers lit on fire.
"Alright teams, let's ash this bird!" Eddy said, charging up. "Kamehameha!"
The boy launched the attack, hitting the Phoenix's left wing. In response, the mythical bird unleashed a mighty caw and flung flaming feathers from its other wing at the group.
"Impressive flames. However...can you handle this?" Benimaru asked as a sphere surrounded the bird as flames burned the bird inside it. "Hell Flame."
"Whoa!" Ethox said. "You're hot stuff, Benimaru!"
"He is the Samurai General. The leader of Tempest's military has to be pretty strong." Cobalt said.
"I'm just glad he's on our side." Legolia said. "We actually encountered an Ogre, which he evolved from, earlier before we joined Ethox."
"Yeah, I remember that guy. Man, was he freaky?" Sachiko asked.
"But that was just an ordinary ogre...I am a Kijin." Benimaru said as the ashes of the Phoenix started to move.
"Get ready...it's about to be reborn." Hera said.
They watched in anticipation before a small phoenix chick emerged as it cawed at them.
"Aw, how cute." Mayumi said.
"Huh...completely slipped my mind that they have to start their life cycle over after their rebirth." Hera said.
"The same thing happened with Suzaku." Hope said.
"I think we've heard enough about Suzaku." Ranma said.
The Phoenix chick cawed as it ran back into the nest as the next door opened up.
"Let's see what's behind door number 3." Marino said.
They continued down the path. As they entered the next room, they saw a number of bones. But off in the corner was a small orange fox with six tails.
"Isn't that the Alolan Vulpix's companion?" Simon asked.
"Hmm...looks like it just fainted." Riolu said. "Hey...are you okay?"
"You...must leave." the Vulpix said. "The dragon is still here."
"Wait...what?" Nami said as they heard a loud crash behind them as a large red dragon towered over them.
"Of course, if there were fire related beasts in this dungeon, there had to be a dragon." Flamberge said.
*Godzilla Roar*
"Now this...brings back a lot of memories." Al said.
"I can take this guy. Dragon on Dragon." Kokoro said.
"Hold up, Kokoro. I'll help you out here." Himeno said.
"As will I, this one is clearly no ordinary dragon." Kurochi said.
The dragon simply snorted as it breathed in before breathing fire at them.
"Big deal. You think your fire is hot?" Kokoro said as she unleashed her own fire breath.
"I've got your back, Kokoro." Kurochi said as he sent flaming fox spirits at the dragon.
"Don't leave me out of the fun." Himeno said as she summoned a flaming dragon of her own, which lunged at it.
The dragon battled against these flame attacks with its own claws and tail, only to suffer a few burns in the process as it roared at the three as it took to the sky only to see that its wings had been burned as it came crashing back down.
"Yikes, you three really went to town on him." Nesma said.
"Yes...I think it's fair to say that our scaly friend here has been bested." Subaru said.
"Indeed...it would appear so." the dragon spoke.
"A talking dragon? Well, then again, it's not really all that unusual." Kurochi said.
"Forgive us, sir. We did not mean to trespass. We were simply here to investigate when we heard that Vulpix was down here." Kokoro said.
"Ah...yes. I know that fox. She came rushing in but didn't have the power to face me. But you all...you have cleared the trial of the three flames. You have proven yourselves worthy of the element of fire. Perhaps you are the opponents he has waited for." the dragon said as the door behind him opened.
"He? You mean… The guardian of this place?" Kokoro asked.
"The final boss as he would call himself." the dragon said as it vanished in a pillar of flame.
"Well….should we?" Totodile asked.
"We managed to come this far. It would be a shame to leave without challenging him." Naofumi said.
They continued downward where they saw a single circular room with lava surrounding a large platform with 8 pillars and a throne in the middle of it. In that throne sat a figure.
"Pray tell...the day has finally come. A band of adventurers have come into my castle." the figure said. "You must be pretty skilled to best the serpent, bird and dragon just to reach me."
"So… are you the Burning Warrior this dungeon was named after?" Hope said.
"Is that the name the villagers have chosen to give my castle? Huh. While it does make sense in some points...there are some things I would like to correct." he said getting up. "For one, I am not of the warrior class but of the knight class. No...I guess knight king is better. Yes…" he said removing his hood to show himself as a young boy with blond hair tied in a ponytail. "Yes...I am the Knight King!"
"Knight King?" Tanya asked.
"I've heard of this title." Darkness said. "It is said that among all the main classes of the Adventure Universe, there stand Kings who are the strongest of the classes."
"Adventure Universe...so such a place exists." he said. "Unfortunately...I'm but a remnant of a world that was burned away." he said as he drew a piece of metal. "Now...come at me, knaves!" he said as plasma erupted from the end.