Gaelion's transformation wasn't complete.

He'd changed drastically despite that.

The Dragon's wingspan was twice as large as before. His colouring had taken a reddish hue instead of the near pitch-black he'd been before. His mana had gotten a great deal stronger. Jessica had noted his level exceeding 100. And his control over Dragon Veins was rising as the Core drew power from them.

His Soul had yet to synchronize with the Core. She hoped that his personality didn't change completely. As long as he cared for his daughter all would be well.

If Nellisen dominated from the fragment somehow or his priorities changed, then she'd have a Protective Beast to fight off on top of the Wave.

It was a battle she'd lose.

It didn't seem likely, but being careless wasn't wise.

"Malty," said the dragon with his deep rumbling voice as landed. Only a flicker of mana from her stopped the ground from shaking. The Knights gathered around her flinched anyway. "We have to speak."

The urgency caught her off guard.

The Wave was to start in minutes. She'd only agreed to a flight because he was a part of Itsuki's party anyway. The distance was almost irrelevant.

She flooded the Cane with her mana. The air shifted. Malty set up an air barrier and a minor illusion so no one could read her lips.

"What is it?" she asked, noting that she only had five minutes for the Wave to start.

"I've received memories about the true purpose of the Dragon Emperor's," he said. His Soul was a writhing mass of fear and anger and worry that was changing from moment to moment.

Jessica very carefully did not prepare to kill him. He wouldn't announce his desire to exterminate them all to use as World Barrier fuel. Also, Wyndia was in the capital. They were right next to it. There was no way he'd start his rampage here and now.

"I see," she said, "What can you tell me?"

"I and the other Guardians Shield the World. We create a massive barrier around the dimension. Souls of those we kill fuels the barrier," he admitted. "My instincts are demanding that I kill the Entity you fought. If we fail to destroy it soon I suspect that the core will drive me to slaughter until I have enough Souls."

This was a disaster.

Not only because Gaelion was a dangerous enemy to fight, but because the others might be rising as well.

"How much control do you have over this instinct?"

His silence was telling. The Dragon didn't have human body language, but her Soul sight was up to the task.

Damn it.

"Princess Malty of Melromarc," he said formally. She wondered why he was bothering to. The Dragon rarely called her anything other than human or Malty. "I request that you remove the Core from my being should I start the consumption phase. Protect my daughter."

"I'll see what I can do," she said. "My Soul Magic might help you out, but it will likely need some experimentation to ensure that you remain in control."

Gaelion's gratitude was easy to see. Strange, but the fool didn't see her for what she was. He was happy to have support.

The Dragon nodded. "I have some knowledge of the ritual to surpass the level 100 barrier," he said. "Once I have everything we must raise the limits your warriors can achieve."

Jessica nodded.

The timer struck zero.

The Hourglass shifted them to the battlefield with the rifts opening high above them. The sky transformed from pale blue to a blood-red configuration.

Gaelion roared and lunged into the air.

Jessica turned to her soldiers, Itsuki and the Filolials. She could still feel her capital nearby. She hummed as she saw the surprisingly small number of monsters pouring out of the rift.

"Itsuki, hold back," she said, "Squad A and B..."

The Hero nodded with a grim mask. The others darted off to their posts.

Jessica rose into the air. She created a series of barriers to detect and kill monsters around a safe zone where her troops were deploying from.

Her level was rising. Gaelion's attacks were razing the sky. Fires spread for miles. Thousands of monsters were incinerated before they hit the ground.

It was overkill.

Jessica held back. She switched her focus to her troops. Healed them, buffed them and ensured their survival. The monsters were pathetic. They fell to her soldiers without fanfare.

And this was without Itsuki participating.

Every passing moment built tension.

Something was going to go wrong.

Glass, the Entity, Siltvelt, Naofumi or Takt or something.

The Boss had yet to emerge.

She kept up her vigil.

One minute. Two. Fifteen. Then an hour passed.

"Malty," yelled Itsuki.

"I apologize Itsuki," she whispered into his ears using the wind. "We must prepare for someone ambushing us and as you can see our people are doing well."

Itsuki looked conflicted before smiling icily. "Understood," he said with incredible seriousness, "I'll be ready."

She smiled at him, his eyes would let her see it despite the distance, and returned her focus to the battlefield.

Pride filled her. They were doing so well despite the losses yesterday.

This is what they had prepared for.

The Carriage emerged without warning. No flare of mana. Nothing except vision.

She had emerged above the capital.

There was no oppressive mana or anything like that, but her Soul Sight wasn't deceived.

The being within it was a Filolial. That much was easy. It was also a Hero. That was obvious.

What was staggering was the sheer depth of its power.

That thing was right above her city.

One attack and Fitoria would wipe out the barriers Jessica and her mages had managed to raise. Her people would be annihilated.

It took everything she had not to flinch when the carriage vanished. The Filolial in her human form drifted towards Itsuki.

Jessica's body was shaking. Her heart raced. There was no fighting this. Diplomacy was of questionable use when one side could make demands without restraint. Malty had shunned the Shield Hero. The Spear Hero had died on Jessica's watch. She had a Dragon Emperor on her side and she'd been the one to release the Entity.

Fitoria had plenty of reason to kill them all and the ability to do it within a second.

"Itsuki," she said with the wind as she flew towards him, "Be careful. She is far, far beyond us in a combat sense."

He nodded but was sceptical.

She cursed his limited insight into souls. Damn Fitoria's terrifying levels of control over mana. The Dragon Emperor hadn't even noticed her. Gaelion was still slaughtering the Wave. He'd finally gotten his hands on the boss.

The poor Chimaera was being ripped to shreds.

Jessica landed next to Itsuki a moment before Fitoria reached him. She shared a look with Itsuki, glanced at her soldiers and made sure they were safe before letting her fear reach her mind.

A deep breath stopped the shakes.

She shut off her Soul Sight and almost collapsed in relief. The pressure had been oppressive, but invisible. She shook her head and reminded herself that this wasn't over. Not even close.

At least the Wave was harmless.

"Bow Hero," said the Filolial, "What happened here?"

Itsuki frowned and looked to Jessica. "May I presume that you are Fitoria?" asked Jessica.

The words took the Filolial aback for a moment. "Yes," she said giving them a polite courtesy, "I am Fitoria, Queen of All Filolials. Something happened here that drained the Hourglasses."

Investigation on The Entity's appearance. That was almost a relief.

"Could we wait until we deal with the Wave?" asked Jessica, "We'll be sure to tell you the whole story then."

The Filolial Queen frowned, but at Itsuki's nod, she shrugged and agreed. "Okay," she said before changing to her Filolial form and then expanding.

Jessica flew backwards as her size multiplied. She went from looking like a ten-year-old with massive wings to something taller than her city walls in a second.

"What." was Itsuki's flat comment. "How?"

Jessica had no answer.

A moment later she couldn't answer.

Fitoria flared her mana. Jessica's heart stopped. She created an immense tornado with sharp wind blades around the rifts. She ignored the monsters that had already entered the world. Dozens of rifts had been reduced to shredders.

Monsters emerged into her world.

The wind barrier Fitoria had set up tore them apart in seconds.

Everyone on the battlefield stared.

Fitoria shrunk and landed near Jessica and Itsuki. She was back in her human form a minute later. The wind barriers that were tearing the monsters apart were still working at full power.

The battlefield fell silent once the remnants of the Wave were dealt with.

A roar of celebration went up.

Jessica couldn't bring herself to take part. That power was impossible. It was also something she could do a million times before getting tired.

Fitoria was very different from the Entity, but they had one thing in common.

They surpassed her. Opposing this Filolial meant death.

"Tell me," she demanded.

Jessica obeyed.