One day after the events of Deathmagla's defeat, the group was watching over Mash, who had fallen unconscious on the way back. Everyone was in their quarters at the Inn, watching the sleeping Mash before he finally began to stir.

"Ah!" Elulu smiled as the young dragonkin opened his eyes. "Mash, thank goodness! I was so worried!"

"U-Uh… where am I?" Mash asked weakly.

"Seimul Inn." Mirror Match said. "You lost consciousness while we were getting you out."

"Good to see you're okay, Mash!" Ethox smiled. "Once Seiya gets back, we'll be ready to decide where to go next."

At that moment, the hero himself came into the room, holding a massive bag over his shoulder. "Well look who decided to wake up."

"Thanks. You didn't have to save me…. But I'm glad you did." Mash said.

"Dry your tears, crybaby." Seiya said hefting the back down. "We're moving out now. You get to carry my stuff."

"Uh… are you sure? I'm certain that child labor is illegal on some worlds…" Ethox pointed out.

"I would agree, but it seems they don't mind." Mirror gestured to the two dragonkin, Elulu excited while Mash was kneeling to Seiya.

"Please! Let me be your apprentice part time, as well as your bag carrier!" Mash pleaded.

"Just carry my things and don't embarrass me, or yourself." Seiya said.

"Your benevolence knows no bounds, master!" Mash said.

"Thanks so much, Seiya!" Elulu added.

"You idiot! You refer to him as master!" Mash said.

"This isn't the most conventional fantasy adventure team, huh?" Ethox asked.

"If you're done with the hero worship," Mirror spoke up, "we do need to figure out what to do next. With half of the Demon Lord's generals defeated, they'll likely step up their attempts to defeat us."

"I might know a place we can go, if you don't mind." Mash spoke up.

"Oh! Youre talking about Dragons Den, right?" Elulu asked.

"Dragons Den?" Ethox asked.

"Why would we go there?" Ristarte inquired.

"According to Nakeshi village lore, 16 years ago a dragon descended from the heavens carrying two babies, Elulu and myself." Mash said.

"Legend says we're to team up with a hero to save Gaeabrandae from a terrible evil. If we break the seal to the Dragons Den, we'll be granted a mighty weapon to aid in our quest." Elulu finished.

"A mighty weapon, you say?" Mirror Match asked. "Sounds tempting."

"I'll say! And Seiya loves a mighty weapons!" Ristarte said.

"Yeah...but I'm already packing three Enhanced Platinum Swords thanks to your premature balding issues." Seiya pointed out.

"You certainly need to find a new catalyst." Mirror deadpanned.

"Well, he did mention he wanted to try your hair…" Ethox mentioned.

"Over my corpse!" the former king opposed.

"We can discuss this later." Ristarte quickly jumped in. "Besides, just when you think you have the best things, something new comes along."

"Ristas right. I think we should go check out this Dragons Den." Ethox said. "These kids might be onto something big."

"Agreed. A weapon as powerful as it is claimed is a good opportunity to inspect." Mirror match.

"Alrighty, lets go and check this Dragons Den right now!" Ristarte said beingong to head off.

"Forget it." Seiya said, stopping her in her tracks. "We need to make a major pit stop before we go anywhere."

"A pit stop? Where?" Ethox asked.


"In hindsight, that was a dumb question." Ethox admitted as they walked through the Unified Divine Realm. "Where else could Seiya want to go?"

"Well then, I suppose you'll want to find a trainer, Seiya?" Mirror asked.

"Not yet. First, we have to find some gods to train these two." Seiya said. "Can't entrust my backs to a weakling. My equipment would be ganked for sure."

"Oh." Ethox said. "If that's the case, I think I know who can train Mash since he's a warrior."

The group headed to the Mess Hall to locate the god in question, Cerceus.

"He usually hangs around here…." Ethox said, looking around. He then heard the clacking of a whisk against a mixing bowl and looked to the kitchen. And that's when the Nobody saw the strangest thing. There was the divine blade… cooking.

"Uh… hi Cerceus." Ethox waved to the Divine Blade, who was the source of the sound.

"Oh, it's you! The kid who helped me!" Cerceus said, seeing the rest of the party. "And…" he then locked eyes with Seiya. "Oh no…"

"Care to tell us what the heck you're doing?" Seiya asked.

"Oh uh… hey Seiya. Don't know what business you'd have with me." Cerceus said.

"Uh, I think Seiya was trying to ask why is it you're baking." Ethox asked.

"Well uh… after all the stuff that happened, I took it up as a new hobby." Cerceus said. "And also because...blades are dangerous, I would bleed out if I got cut."

"(Guess he's still afraid of swords. Some trauma runs deep in memory and soul, I guess.)" Ethox thought to himself.

"So… I've been keeping busy with learning to bake. Here, I baked this one myself. Anyone wanna try? Seiya?" Cerceus asked, offering a cake.

"Nah bro. That's gross." Seiya said bluntly.

"How could you know without tasting it? I worked so hard on it!" Cerceus faded. "Wanna try some, kid?"

"Maybe later, big guy. Truth is, we didn't actually come here to eat cake. Do you still have any interest in your real job?" Ethox asked.

"What's my real job?" Cerceus asked.

"This, obviously." Seiya mentioned, pointing his sword at the god. At that, the Divine Blade shuddered, and relapsed, collapsing to the floor.

"That's not my real job, it's a nightmare!" Cerceus stuttered.

"Your guy's a little unstable…" Mash said to Ethox.

"More like a lot." Elulu said.

"Hey, take it easy, Cerceus!" Ethox said quickly. "You aren't training Seiya; it's Mash here who needs you!"

At this, Cerceus calmed down a little, standing back up. "O-Oh, so Seiya has an apprentice now. Mind if I check your abilities?" the sword god asked Mash.

"Uh, sure." Mash agreed.

Cerceus analyzed mash, intrigued by what he saw. "You're not using that pesky Fakeout skill are you?"

"Can't say I was." Mash said.

At that, Cerceus gained a big burst of Motivation. "Kid! You're in for some intense training. I'm gonna work you so hard, your muscles will have muscles!"

"(Well, glad to see he's back to normal.)" Ethox smiled.


After leaving mash with Cerceus, the group hooked up Elulu with Hestiaca, the goddess of fire, to train her in magic.

"Alright. Now it's time to find someone who can train me." Seiya said.

"Highly unlikely," Mirror Match piped in. "After what you did to Cerceus, I doubt any god will want to be so much as near you, much less train you."

"Hey, don't be so pessimistic, Match." Ethox said. "I'm sure there's one god in this place who would-"

The statement was interrupted when they heard Ristarte squeal. Turning around, they saw a woman with chains for clothes holding the healing goddess by the neck.

"Hey blondie, you need to watch where you're walking." the woman growled. "Even a scrub goddess like you should be able to manage that."

"Valkyrie!" Ristarte stuttered. "Please forgive me, it won't happen again. You have my word!"

The goddess calle Valkyrie released Ristatre. "That reminds me. You got stuck bailing out a world with an S-Class, right? And not only that…" she then looked at Ethox. "You just happened to run into the one Nobody with an entire cycle gunning for it."

"I could be wrong, but I don't believe that's any of your business." Mirror spoke up.

Valkyrie then starred at Mirror Match with a menacing smirk. "Y'wanna repeat that to my face, king of nowhere?"

"I sai-"

"No, don't!" RIstarte said. "You dont wanna talk back to Valkyrie. She's the goddess of Destruction, the most feared one in the realm."

Silence reigned in the area for a few moments, before Mirror stood back. "Very well, Rista. My apologies." he spoke to Valkyrie.

"Heh. Trying to stick up for the people you're with now? Pretty ambitious for somebody who can't put one foot in front of the other." Valkyrie teased.

"Well, you might have a point, I mean-" Ristarte said before Valkyrie came up behind her.

"Good thing your bouncy plumpers make up for your faults. And you've got some big faults." Valkyrie teased, fondling Rista's chest.

"Please stop… I'm not a piece of fruit, y'know!" Rista said.

"Alright, I guess I'll let ya off the hook." Valkyrie replied, slapping the healing goddesses back. "But be more careful from now on." she laughed as she headed off.

"Rista, you okay?" Ethox asked as he and Mirror Match helped the goddess to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm okay…" Ristarte said.

"You get picked on a lot in this world." Seiya said.

"I do not! Valkyrie just treats everyone that way!" the goddess replied.

"I gotta say though… I'm getting a lot of power from that exhibitionist." Seiya said.

"Don't even think about it." Ristarte said. "There's no way Valkyrie will train you. For a human, even talking to her is enough to risk instant annihilation."

"Yeah Seiya, it's probably better to just-" Ethox looked up, only to see nothing. "Uh...where'd he go?"

"Hey, chainkini. Train me." they heard Seiya say.

"Harmony curse that fool." Mirror muttered as the three saw Valkyrie grabbing Seiya's collar, and she did not look happy.

"I know you're not talkin' to me in that tone." the destruction goddess seethed. "The fact that you're a hero won't stop me from tearing you apart!"

"Yeah? I wish you'd try." Seiya replied with no fear.

"Whoa whoa, hey! Easy!" Ethox said as the three tried to break them apart. "Let's not cause a scene here!"

"I'll make more than a scene with this idiot!" Valkyrie growled.

"(Damn, we don't stand a chance against her if it comes down to combat.)" Mirror noted. "(We need help.)"

"Oh, pardon me!" a familiar voice called out. It was Ariadoa, just in the nick of time.

"Aria!" Ristarte called.

"Valkyrie, I bid that you stand down and refrain from fighting." Ariadoa pleaded.

"As if I would! This level of insolence deserves a punishment equal to a thousand deaths!" Valkyrie yelled.

"The mortal you're threatening is not only the hero summoned to save an S-Class World…" Ariadoa said. "He has also been revealed by Violet as one of the 10 Isekai heroes. Please set your anger aside and let this man be."

"Tch. He's one of the 10, huh….?" Valkyrie noted before she let go of Seiya's jacket. "If he's that important, fine. He'll probably get what he deserves anyway."

With that, Valkyrie walked off, letting the group breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"Many thanks for the assist, Aria." Mirror Match bowed. "I fear we may have lost him if it wasn't for you."

"It was my pleasure. But that was a new level of senseless, even for Seiya." Ariadoa replied. 'He really is something else."

"Do you talk smack to everyone, or am I Special?" Seiya asked.

Aria gasped. "I meant no offense."

"Hey, while you're here Aria…" Ethox piped in. "You're pretty plugged in around here. Do you know any gods or goddesses stronger than Cerceus that could train Seiya?"

"Oh yes. I know someone who might just be the right fit." Aria smiled.


Aria led the group to a small, dark room where a young-looking, disheveled goddess was sharpening a sword.

"Meet Adenela, the Goddess of War." Aria introduced. "In terms of combat, she's a little higher than Cerceus."

"She kinda gives me the creeps…" Ethox whispered. "But, if she can help, then it's appreciated."

"Adenela, if you're not too busy, would you mind training this hero?" Ariadoa asked, motioning to Seiya.

The eerie goddess stopped her sharpening motion. "T-train?" She lightly cackled. "You want me to...train...a human? You're kidding." she laughed again.

"(I'm gonna need to see some Goddess ID, because this girl is…)" Rista thought.

"Disgusting. Disgusting as hell." Seiya said aloud.

"(You're not supposed to say it even if were all thinking it!)" Rista thought in shock.

"Hey, y'know? I...actually find some small joy in training. Sure. I'll train the human." Adenela said, having a change of mind and suddenly warping behind the group, Seiya and former kings following her. She laughed. "I see you three were able to follow my movements just now. I… wonder if your minds are as sharp as your sight?"

"(She used a flash-step technique? No… its something else)." Mirror Match thought.

"S-So, hero… will you be able to learn what I have to teach, and master the divine speed skill Eternal Sword? Or… will your body give out and leave you sobbing like a spanked baby?" Adenela laughed.

"(I did not sign up for this nightmare fuel. Maybe we should look at other options…)" Ristarte thought.

"Let's give it a shot." Seiya said.

"Oh, can I be part of this too?" Ethox asked.

"(Be part of what?! How's this the one thing he's not cautious about? And why's Ethox getting into this?!)" the goddess wondered in panic.

"O-Oh, so the third force wants to learn as well?" Adenela said before she laughed. "T-That's interesting...why do you wanna join in?"

"It's so i can sharpen my skills. Gotta make sure I'm not falling behind Theo or Ehto in the slightest. Plus, this Eternal Sword technique will work really well with a duelist style like me." Ethox explained. "(Not only that, but after what happened with Cerceus, I gotta make sure other trainers don't get trauma from the experience.)" he added on in his own head.

Adenela laughed in joy. "S-Sure, you can join in. This will be fun… to be able to t-train the one who tipped the balance of light and darkness? Hehehehehehe… that would be a-amusing."

"Blah blach, let's get started already." Seiya said.

"I-I like your style…" Adenela quipped as they headed off to begin training.

Ristarte breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Aria, I'm in your debt again."

"It's fine. I'm glad I could be of some help." Ariadoa said.


As the training went through its paces on the first day, Cerceus and Mash really began to gell as they practiced swordplay.

"...and they're getting along even better than I expected!" Ristarte talked to Mirror as the two walked towards Adenela's home. "And we don't have to worry about Elulu since she's with Hestiaca, which means we can really focus on Seiya and Ethox's training."

"That's good to hear." Mirror said. "Not to be crass, but that goddess seemed a little…"

"Cracked? Yeah, I thought so too." Ristarte admitted. "But, this is Seiya we're talking about. If anyone can see trouble, it's him."

"And Ethox isn't clueless when it comes to trust, so I suppose they'll be alright. Speaking of which…" Mirror said as the two saw Adenela and Ethox training in the front entrance.

It was the Nobody who noticed them first, giving them a smile. "Hey Rista, Match! Good to see you!"

"Great to see you working hard, Ethox." Ristarte said. "But I didn't think you'd be training with Adenela right now. Ain't Seiya also on the tutor?"

"I'm… taking turns with both of them. It's Ethox's turn now. Seiya's… practicing on his own though."

"How are he and Ethox handling all that Eternal Sword stuff?" Ristarte asked.

"E-Ethox still needs some work… but Seiya's truly amazing." Adenela praised. "He's unlike any hero I've ever encountered before. And… I think that…"

"You think what?" Ristarte asked before being met with a creepy giggle. "Yipes."

"I… just remembered something that happened in training. Seiya… he really amused me." the war goddess smiled.

"Hey, Grunge bucket." Seiya called outside the door to Adenela's house. "Time to switch, you're with me now."

"Right, I'm on my way…" Adenela replied running to Seiya to go inside with him.

"I can't really read that girl…" Ethox said.

"Yeah, she's a bit creepy…." Ristarte said. "Ack! I forgot to give Seiya his food!"


The next day, Mirror Match was walking through the mess hall when he saw Seiya and Mash sitting together.

"It's awfully rare to see you two conversing." Mirror Match piped up.

"Shroomy here wanted some bro time." Seiya said.

"I figured the least we could do is share a meal together." Mash added. "He's been teaching me all about the kind of mindset he has in a fight."

"Hm. I wonder what that could be?" Mirror Match asked. "Care to explain the methods to your madness, Cautious Hero?"

"Not now. Dark n' Dingy's watin' on me." Seiya said getting up to leave.

"Were heading back to Gaeabrande tomorrow, do not forget." Mirror Match said as Seiya left, taking his seat. "So, what did Seiya tell about his mindset in battle?"

"Uh… it more or less boiled down to 'Doubt everyone and everything at all times. Even your close friends and family members may be trying to kill you.'." Mash recapped.

Mirror said nothing, only sighing and thinking to himself:

"(Dear Harmony, Seiya's become a contagion.)"

"Oh! He also said one other thing." Mash said, then imitating Seiya himself ."'Remember Mushroom, I suspect you, his broodiness and scarface just as much as everyone else.' Man, how cool is that?"

"Of course he would say that." Mirror groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "Mash, a word of advice: get new role models."


Meanwhile, Ristarte headed to Adenela's house and saw the war goddess herself and Ethox sparring. Ethox did a backflip over Adenela's blade and rolled to the ground as they parried each other's blades.

"I see you two are at it again. Is it Ethox's turn already today?" RIstarte asked.

"Actually… I'm training Ethox full time now." Adenela spoke up, with a bit more positivity in her voice. "Seiya's already mastered the Eternal Sword."

"Wait, really?!" Ristarte asked in shock.

"Yeah, she's right. Seiya is a beast, I'm telling you." Ethox said. "Getting the hang of this Eternal Sword thing in under a day? That guys something else."

"He truly has a gift… the size of which is truly something to behold and acknowledge. And best of all…" she giggled. "He can… keep up with me…!"

"O-Okay, but we're on a bit of a time crunch. How's Ethox doing with his training?" Ristarte asked.

"Quite well… now that I have more time with him, he's really starting to take to it. He should have it mastered by tomorrow." Adenela said.

"Great!" Ristarte said. "(Then we can get out of here! She's even freakier now for some reason…)"

Meanwhile, Ethox had much different thoughts…

"(Great! Only one day left, and Adenela hasn't been affected by Seiya at all! If all goes well, then there'll be absolutely nothing to worry about!)"


The day finally came to venture off to Dragons Den. Ristarte and Mirror Match took the time to gather up everyone.

"Thanks for everything." Mash thanked, shaking hands with Cerceus.

"No, I should be thanking you. I'm now finally able to put all that berserker nonsense behind me." the Divine Blade replied.

Mash had shot up to LV 16 in a dramatic rise thanks to training with Cerceus. It even made Rista wonder if he was actually decent in his work.

Elulu on the other hand...wasn't so fortunate. She hasn't made any progress at all since the start.

"I apologize but, there is nothing I can do for her. She simply does not have the affinity to learn fire magic." Hestiaca replied.

"I see." Mirror Match hummed. "Were you able to find out what kind of magic she does have affinity for?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Hestiaca said sadly. "Magic depends largely on the talent you're born with. Combat based magic, sadly, isn't her talent."

In the square, the group then met up with Seiya and Ethox.

"Hey, you two!" Ristarte said as they approached.

"Hey guys!" Ethox waved, clearly excited. "Guess who's mastered the Eternal Sword! This guy!"

Ristarte took a quick look at Ethox's stats and was amazed.

"(Wow! Look at that progress, his level's been doubled! He's got way more combat and traversal skills under his belt too!)" she thought.

"Training with Adenela really paid off. The Eternal Sword technique works wonders with a Keyblade. Not to mention, I got a new Discipline out of it!" Ethox described.

"Discipline?" Mirror Match asked.

"Oh, it's what I'm calling the power ups I get when I speak a phrase. Apparently they're like Command Styles, or at least that's what Violet called them." the Nobody explained.

"Sounds amazing. So, are we ready to head out?" Ristarte asked.

"Yeah, but were waiting on Adenela for some reason." Ethox mentioned.

"The Creep Queen said she had something to give me." Seiya added.

A voice was heard panting in a run. "Seiya~!" a cute voice called out.

"Wah!" Rista gawked, upon seeing who it was. It was Adenela, and she had undergone a major overhaul! No longer creepy and dysfunctional, she was now feminiene, almost completely unrecognizable. The war goddess embraced the hero, causing the rest of the group, sans Ethox, to scream in shock. The boy in question simply looked confused.

"Hey, why're you guys yelling? It's just a hug between friends." Ethox asked.

"Seiya… I've been doing some thinking. I want to join your party." Adenela spoke out.

"You'd better be talking birthdays over there, this party's goddess spot is already filled!" Ristarte mentioned.

"Well, if I can't be a teammate, then perhaps an escort?" Adenela asked. "I just want to be by your side."

"(Huh?)" Ethox's brain wondered…

...until it flipped from 'No Clue' to 'Gets It'.

"(Oh, Adenela has a crush on Seiya.)"

"(ADENELA HAS A CRUSH ON SEIYA?!)"

Adenela pulled out a cake. "Here, this took me 5 hours to make. I…. used my heart as the main ingredient. Please, eat every bite." she offered.

"(Well, it's nothing if not sweet of her…)" Mirror Match thought.

"(Wait a second… Seiya hates cake!)" Ristarte realized.

"(Uh oh, I think I know what might be about to happen…)" Ethox realized as the shock wore off. "Seiya, don't say-!"

"Grossness. Cake sucks." Seiya bluntly spoke.

"(He said it!)" All three of them cried internally in unison, to varying degrees of emotion.

"Look, you're great at training, but you knew what this was." Seiya said as Adenela stared in disbelief. "It's not me, it's you. And all cake can go straight to hell. Period. Sorry 'bout you." seiya said walking off.

"He really… doesn't want it?" Adenela asked, hanging her head low.

The others followed him as they walked away from the square.

"Hey, Match… I've got a bad feeling that Seiya dumping Adenela like that was a REALLY bad idea." Ethox said.

"You'll get no argument from me there." Match admitted. "The heart is a fragile thing, even for a goddess. This is something we'll have to deal with as soon as we can."

"Yeah, good ide-" Ethox started before a scream cut them off. The two turned around and paled when they took in the sight.

"It's fine… everythings fine. You just don't want anything to do with me…" Adenela mumbled before raising her head and revealed she was crying blood tears. "Just like you don't want anything to do with CAKE!" she yelled before slashing everything and everyone within reach.

"...Scratch that: after we get back." Mirror Match corrected himself.

"Yep. Dragons Den first, heartbroken goddess later." Ethox agreed as the two bolted to the portal Ristarte had created.

"I'm perfectly-" Seiya started.

"NO TIME FOR A CATCHPHRASE!" Mirror yelled as he tackled Seiya into the portal, everyone following close behind.


A while later, the group was walking along the open road on their way to the Dragons Den.

"So, Mash, how long until we get to the Dragons Den?" Ethox asked.

"Being a dragonkin lets me sense when we're getting close. Were not that far." Mash said as they heard Elulu struggling to make a spark of fire with her wand.

"Is everything alright?" Mirror Match asked.

"I'm just practicing. If a monster appears, I wanna help Seiya and you guys fight it." Elulu replied.

"I don't need your help. You and Mashed potato are baggage carriers, and as far as i'm concerned, his broodiness and scarface are just too clingy." Seiya said.

"I know you're blunt, but you're ruthless in stating the truth." Ethox mentioned.

"Yeah, ever heard of kid gloves?" Ristarte asked.

Mash then spotted a monster coming. "An Orc! Time to put all my training to good use!"

However, Mash's heroics were put to a half when a giant, flaming bird came out of nowhere and killed the monster.

"What the-?!" Mash asked.

"A Phoenix?" Mirror Match asked. "Seiya, is this your doing?"

"Yep. It's my Automatic Phoenix." Seiya answered. "It detects any monsters in a fifty meter radius and attacks them."

"Wow… that's some stellar Remote Fire Magic." Ristarte commented.

"Leave it to you, master…" Mash said in shock.

More monsters appeared, but the Automatic Phoenix instantly killed them in one shot, denying the two young dragonkin any action.

"Anything level 30 or lower is killed instantly. We can win without fighting; no better strategy than that." Seiya said.

"It's great that he's got something to deal with random encounters." Ethox commented, before seeing how dejected Mash and Elulu were. "Still… it doesn't feel right to deprive party members of action. You can't always do everything yourself."

"I doubt he would agree with you. Seiya seems determined to bulldoze Gaeabrandae by himself." Mirror said.

"Yeah, that is something he would do." Ethox agreed. "Well, guess we'll just have to wait for an opportunity to show our stuff."

"NAAAAAAAAAAH!" they heard Ristarte scream as she rolled on the ground. "That hurt!"

"You okay, Rista?!" Ethox asked.

"I was trying to get a good look at Seiya's level currently, but his security got me right in the eyes!" Ristarte replied in pain.

"Guess that means he's been improving the Fakeout skill." Ethox said. "Still, that was mean Seiya!"

"I'm not really one to bro and tell so easily." Seiya said. "I'll destroy Rista's head if she pulls something like that again."

Mirror Match could only sigh at this conversation. "(The savior of Gaeabrandae, everypony.")


The group continued traveling on foot until they arrived at the next town, Izaliae. They stop by a shop to hook up with supplies, surprised to find it run by a family of Dwarves.

"C'mon in!" the young dwarf courtsied.

"We welcome you to Izailae Village." the mother welcomed.

Seiya gripped his sword before Ethox stopped him.

"Whoa, easy man! Dwarves are a peaceful race of monsters around these parts." Ethox said, getting the hero to ease up. "We understand that the entrance to Dragons Den is in this area. Do you know the location?"

"Why yes. It's in the rocks out east. But the only thing you're gonna find is a dead end." the shop owner said.

"That's it! The entrance is sealed, but Elulu and I can fix that." Mash said.

"The seal is likely in a cave inside the rocks." Mirror Match pondered. "To navigate dark passage ways like that, we will need a light source."

"Exactly why we came to this shop. It sells torches. Perfect for navigating caves." Ethox said.

"Hey, I've got a pop quiz. How many torches will we need?" Seiya asked.

"Hmm…" Mash hummed. "50 of 'em!" he answered.

"(Good gracious, he's already far in his corruption.)" Mirror groaned internally.

"Wrong," Seiya replied. "We'll need 500, minimum."

"He meant to say five!" Ristarte corrected.


And so, the group traveled into the rocky terrain of the east, Seiya grumbling about risk management before Elulu noticed something on the back of her hand.

"Hey! Rissy!" Elulu called, showing something to the goddess. "Look!

"Mine too!" Mash called out, showing a glowing symbol to Ethox and Mirror Match. "We must be close." he looked around before spying a gap in the rocks. "There!"

The group headed inside the cave entrance, going through a short and straight path before arriving at a large door.

"That's it? Good thing we didn't buy 495 more torches." Ristarte quipped.

"Forget that, check this." Seiya said, shining the torch on two handprints.

"Let's do it, Elulu." Mash said.

"Yeah!" Eulu said.

"Finally, something the kids can help out with-" Ethox said before Seiya tossed the torch aside and drew his sword. "He's gonna smash the seal open, isn't he?"

"Why did I expect a different outcome?" Mirror questioned as Seiya performed the Eternal Sword skill and smashed the seal down. "I swear, it's always the same with him."

The group stepped through the crumbled door and found themselves in a room with a magic circle in the center of it.

"Well, we're here." Ethox stated. "Although, I don't see a mystical weapon anywhere…"

"Hmm...if I know my stuff, that circle is likely for teleportation. If we stand in it, it should take us to where the weapon is." Mirror said.

"That is correct." a voice spoke out as the circle lit up. "You've done well to make it this far. Welcome, fellow descendants of the dragons. Brave heroes, step onto the circle to be transported to dragon village, where you will receive the sword Igzasion."

"Wow, you were spot on, Match! This is a warp gate for sure!" Ethox said.

"Alright, now let's go and get ourselves this sword!" Ristarte said before Seiya blocked her. The hero then picked up a nearby lizard and placed it on the portal.

"Okay, we're in the circle now." Seiya called out.

"Excellent. Dragon Village awaits." the voice said as the lizard disappeared in a flash of light. A few moments passed before the voice spoke up again. "Uh...there seems to be some sort of mistake. We seemed to have received only a lizard."

"Cool, nothing abnormal to make note of. I am confident this is not a trap." Seiya said.


The safety check completed, the group warped using the magic circle for real and arrived in a new location.

"Welcome to Dragon Village," the voice spoke, everyone viewing the source and making Rista a bit shocked. "Your shocked response is only natural. We Dragonewts have a slightly different appearance than that of the human race. I am known as Lagos. If you would be so kind, I shall take you to our leader, Leviae."

Lagos then escorted them through the village, the group seeing all kinds of Dragonewts around.

"The village you see before you is a continent far across the western sea. Magic Circles are the only means of transportation Humans have of coming here." Lagos explained.

"Hey, I've got a question Lagos." Ethox piped in.

"Yes, what is it?" Lagos asked.

"Well, this has been on my mind for awhile, but I've got something to ask about your appearances." Ethox said. "I notice a lot of these guys are fully reptilian. But when I was watching coverage of the Olympic Games, I saw a particular Dragonewt who looked completely human."

"That's actually an interesting point." Mash added. "Elulu and I are human too but we have Dragon blood in our veins too. So why do we look so different from everyone else?"

"We Dragonewts came into existence as children of both dragons and humans. However the more reptilian-seeming among us have more dragon blood in their veins." lagos explained.

"So these guys and that girl from the games look human because they got the weaker end of the DNA strand." Seiya bluntly said.

"I'd like to believe that girl would knock you around for saying that, but I know better." Mirror said.

"No, Mash and Elulu shoulder a tremendous destiny." Lagos said. "They are choice individuals of our race."

The group soon arrived at the location of the dragonewt leader, Leviae.

"I'm pleased the both of you have returned safely." the ruler said. "Your companions are also welcome. I am Leviae, the reigning monarch and mother of Dragon Village."

"I am honored you would treat us as equal guests, leviae." Mirror match said.

"As am I to welcome you. Now, listen well," Leviae replied. "The Demon Lord's conquest continues as we speak. Although the threat is imminent, you needn't worry. You dragonkin have chosen the correct place to prepare. Step forward, young Mash."

"Me?" Mash asked as he came to Leviae's side.

"I will show you how to transform into a dragon." Leviae said, focusing her magic on Mash. In slight pain, Mash underwent a transformation that increased his physical form and turned his skin green and developing scales. After the transformation was complete, Leviae Laughed. "There. By becoming a Dragonewt, your abilities have improved considerably."

"You look cool, Mash." Elulu said.

"Amazing! Your ability rating went up tenfold." Ristarte analyzed.

"Now that's a powerup if I ever saw one!" Ethox said. "Good for you, Mash!"

"Thanks, Ethox!" Mash grinned back at the Nobody.

"Just keep your distance; I can't guarantee I won't attack you because you look like a monster." Seiya said.

"That's so messed up!" Mash complained.

"On the bright side, now you can carry more of my equipment."

Mash just groaned as he detransformed.

"Um, your majesty?" Elulu piped in. " could you maybe show me how to transform too?"

"But why? It's serves you no purpose." leviae said. "But worry not. Your role is even greater than that of Mash."

"Wow, really?!" Elulu asked.

"Yes, my dear. You are fated to become Igzasion the most powerful of weapons. You will complete this destiny by offering up your life."

"Wait, WHAT?!" Ethox and Mirror practically shouted in unison.

"You mean… like a sacrifice?" Mash asked, dread in his voice.

"That's not okay!" Ristarte exclaimed.

And so, the group was thrown into chaotic exclamations, except Seiya. But while they were all registering this, Leviae kept her eyes trained not on Elulu… but on Ethox.

"(Ethox…)" The Dragon Mother thought darkly. "(So it's him...the Balance-Breaker)."