Umbra

The battle itself did not take long, and it was scarcely five minutes before Kezda knelt on the ground, panting.

"You know what?" the general asked. "Screw this! I'm using the Devourer now!" The figure of the mouse faded, literally swallowed by the might of the Devourer. "We are one now! Tremble and quake before Southswarder wrath!"

"This is it, guys. It's the final clash!" Sebias whooped in excitement.

"Es ist jetzt oder nie!"

"We'll win! I know we will!" Fret cackled gleefully.

"Here's the way to the next expansion!" Jared cheered.

Casting Protect, Fret watched as Seb charged right into the Suneater, parrying an Auto-Attack and swiftly using Fast Blade, followed up by Riot Blade and Goring Blade. The ferret had never imagined the day when the Paladin could remember his rotation, but he didn't seem that bad now. Not for an otter. Smiling, Fret casted Stone II, flinging shattered earth at his foe.

On the other side of the battlefield, Jared flung Fire I after Fire I at the Suneater, hoping to cripple its health and defences. Kio slammed his spear into the Suneater with True Thrust, then wheeled back, preparing to use Jump - but hesitated when a faint green circle underneath the boss.

"Yield to the storm!" rang Kezda's voice. Seb was barely able to wheel away before the Suneater activated Aerial Blast right before Kio's Swanfire Dive landed right on it. The pale spectre of Furor floated away. "Furor's essence… torn from the Devourer?"

Seb's hopes rose. If all three Elementals were wrenched from the Devourer, it would be nothing more but a metal husk! "Succumb to the flood!" Kezda shouted as a Tether suddenly aligned itself with the Paladin.

"Guys? What do I do now?"

"Get to the other side of the arena!" shouted Jared.

"Alright, I'll do that!"

Seconds later, a row of water launched Seb up into the air along a line, tossing the Tank into the air. Seb groaned as he landed. "I think I broke something!"

"Not to worry," said Fret as he casted Medica, healing the both of them. He smiled as Jared's Blizzard III collided with the Suneater, and the serpentine figure of Inundation struggled free from its grasp.

"Inundation's as well? Impossible!"

"Ich glaube nicht, dass Sie wissen, was "unmöglich" bedeutet!" snarled Kio as his Chaos Thrust struck true.

Red circles instantly formed beneath the centre of the arena, and to the side one by one. "Kneel to the might below!" Kezda's voice rang loud and clear.

The Pikebeast's tail twitched as he gestured to Jared. "Weißt du was als nächstes kommt?"

"Stay away from mid! Watch the circles!" the squirrel replied, casting Thunder III. Surely enough, the centre of the arena shook as the force of an earthquake tore through it, and the circles spread through the arena. "Head to the intercardinals!"

"The what?" asked Fret as Seb took his paw and ran towards where Kio and Jared were waiting, and the ground behind the circles was torn apart as well. As the arena cleared, Seb quickly used a Shield Lob to draw the Devourer's attraction - just in time for Fret's Sanctus to blast the shadowy foe apart.

"No! No!" Kezda snarled as the Devourer released its hold over Sepulture. "How can this happen? The Devourer is all-powerful! Why do my enemies still stand?"

"It is Martin's blessing that confounds you, General." said Famfrit as she emerged from the shadows. "The Crystals provided to the Taggerungs. But no shield is invincible." She lifted up a paw. "The hour is at paw! Behold the true might of the Suneater!"

Within an instant, the hall they were in was shrouded in the brightest of lights, and an explosion rang through the Taggerungs' ears. Seb looked around and gasped. The already-destroyed Abbey had all been reduced to mere fire and rubble. As smoke drifted off above them and disappeared into the sky, the otter could see the Suneater still there, undaunted by the ash and smoke. "Such devastation…" said Kezda. "It was not my intention!"

"You're honestly the sort of beast to be surprised that a weapon of mass destruction performs acts of mass destruction," replied Famfrit, as a spike of ice impaled the Southswarder through the heart. The surroundings swiftly darkened as the Suneater swiftly swallowed up the Umbrage, and it spoke.

A/N: Happy birthday Abe! Thanks for reading my fics throughout the last few years. I hope I don't have to drag you back in kicking and screaming! ^.^