With the Rare Hunter's corpse now miles behind him, Aster stopped under a natural bridge to get shelter from the rain and answer his phone. Antilles wanted a progress report. Aster explained what happened and saw Antilles grin on the screen.

"Good work on taking care of that Rare Hunter. So the fool offed himself, eh? I have heard that Rare Hunters were spineless, but never did I think they would stoop that low and carry toxic pills if they got caught. Well, he's history and I send you your next assignment along with a hefty sum of gold for a job well done."

"What do I need to do, sir?"

"It has come to my attention that a weapon of mass destruction was on its way to the North Border Gate. What it is, I do not know, the details are rather foggy on this one. All my men have gathered was that is has the destructive capabilities to wipe out an entire army."

Aster sighed. He knew where this was going. "And you want it, right?"

"Of course I want it! If what we gathered is true, and this weapon does contain this sort of power, then I cannot allow it to be in the hands of gang members and private military thugs. You understand the consequences if we let this go, don't you?"

"I do. But if it's such a big deal, why not gather an army and overtake it."

"You forget we cannot assemble our forces that fast here in the West, Aster. And on top of that, a campaign such as this would require going at each other's throats in the Senate. That will take even more time. And they'll have their hands bound thanks to a certain pact, in which all the kingdoms have sworn never to meddle in the affairs of the place I am sending you."

"Where is the weapon now?"

"It was being shipped to the headquarters of your old friends from DracoTEK. Dr. Guarnizo has grown rather feverish in his collection of powerful artifacts and gifted youths. I don't know why, but something tells me he's up to no good. But I digress. DracoTEK talks highly of their soldiers, but their incompetence shows no bounds. Their caravan was ambushed on the road by a mercenary gang of pyromancers known as Red Comet. The weapon was taken and it vanished without a trace."

"So what now?"

Antilles smiled. "I've already taken care of that aspect. Thanks to the Secret Service of House Dragonheart, I have little birds in every corner of the continent. You are to head back to the Tropical Kingdoms and infiltrate the giant slum known as Krellsark the City of Walls."

Aster grunted in displeasure. "Oh, now I know why the kingdoms don't want to mess with it."

"Indeed. There is too much anarchy within those walls, even for the High King, so the Thirteen Kingdoms and the Empire of Light have agreed not to meddle in their affairs, provided they keep their filth and their business within that city. They gave the city thousands of acres of their own lands, and within the borders, there is no law. The citizens have to supply their own water and other services. No need to tell you that the Walled City is home to all sorts of criminal syndicates. You must be on your toes while in there, my young friend. It is a haven for the unwanted, the sick, and any other degenerate of society. I'm sure it's nothing your Destiny Heroes can't handle but in that hell hole, you never know and I'm not taking any chances. I'm sending you three operatives to help you in the mission. A highly-skilled Summoner and a young mercenary who says he knows you. They'll meet you on the other side of Waystation Cheldrith, which is a day's walk from where you are. Sadly, this mission requires that my niece tag along with you."

"Princess Alexandra!? You can't be serious."

"I am serious, boy. And I wish to hear no objections from you. She's already there."

"Is she?"

"Yes. She departed early this morning via Wayshrine. She was not hesitant in taking the job." He laughed through his nose. "I think she's grown rather fond of you. I must warn you. Alexandra can be very...hands-on if you understand my meaning. I hope this does not distract you."

Aster narrowed his eyes. "Tell her to keep her hands to herself or I'm sending her back to you in pieces. Don't think I won't, Your Majesty."

Antilles laughed at the threat. "Well, it's not often I meet a man who is resistant to my niece's charms. Well done, Aster. I respect that; even admire it."

"Just why in the hell does she need to come along, sir?"

"Because the Red Comets are currently recruiting members via a Duel Monsters Tournament. Alexandra has agreed to be the participant."

"I could have easily done that myself you know."

"I know you can, Aster. But that could jeopardize the mission. Your Destiny HERO cards are not mainstream yet outside of Eredas, and if the Red Comet mercenaries figure out that it's you, there will be trouble. Summon your HEROES only when you need to."

"I understand. So what happens if Alexandra wins?"

"When she wins," Antilles corrected him, "the Comets will lead you to their lair. I'd tell you to infiltrate the as soon as you walk through, but the Walled City stands twenty stories high and is ten times bigger than Duelist Kingdom. And that doesn't even count the underground sectors of the city. Maximillion Pegasus once jested that you could hide his castle in there and it would take you days to find it. And he's right. My guess is that the Red Comets have their hideout in the underground districts."

"They have underground districts too? Man, for a place run by thugs, this city sure is impressive."

"So long as you have money, many things are possible, Aster. And with all those crime lords, warlords, and what have you ruling the place, the Walled City is never short on thugs. The Walled City is just a mish-mash of junk built on top of the other. They cannot go any higher, for the crime lords have deemed the topside their haven. But more and more people kept pouring in. Some seven million people live there."

"Man!"

"Historical documents confirm that they have hired numerous Dwarven mining companies to dig deep underneath the city to build another section. They can't keep build upwards or forwards since the city has reached the borders of their land. So, the only way to go is down. Who knows what you'll find down there, Aster. Give a few dwarves a shovel and a sack of gold, and they can build you a city within a few months. Do the same, but with an army of dwarves, and who knows what they could do, especially after two hundred years. I won't lie to you, boy, you're going to have your hands full with this one."

"It'll test my abilities, but I'm sure I can get it done. So, meet up with your team, infiltrate the city, find the Red Comet stronghold, grab the weapon, and go home."

"And take care of my niece," said Antilles. "I know you don't like her, but if anything happens to her, I'll have your head mounted on a pike over my office window. Good luck."

He cut the line.

Aster jumped out of the Wayshrine, placed his hands on his knees and vomited. He coughed and wiped the filth from the side of his chin with his wrist.

"I fucking hate Wayshrines," he grumbled and then picked up his backpack. He noticed he was in the countryside outside of the city walls. The air smelled of peppermint on the count of the trees know as Ruby Pine. He smiled. He remembered Francesca talking about those one time as they had a quick cup of coffee before leaving the sanctity of her hideout.

Her uncle was a woodsman who chopped down these trees for the petty kings of the Royal Rhodenian Estates. The wood could make fires burn for days without end and the sweet oils they secreted could be used for scenting candles and soap. She said that if Domino City was ever purged of crime, she would love to build a log cabin in the roots of the Royal Dalton Mountains and raise a family of little magicians.

Poor girl. Because he let her get involved with his business, she was never going to see that dream realized. She was probably dead by now, or still held in captivity like a beast. He placed a hand on his head and shook it. No. She was dead. She just had to be. The Gremlin had a thing for pretty girls, but Francesca had been a thorn on his side for years. It had been months since she was taken. Gremlin probably did what he wanted with her and killed her for revenge.

"Just have to move on," Aster said. He looked to the horizon and thought of how his Destiny Heroes would tear Gremlin apart for what he did. And Commander Ravenheart, too. After letting Dogma rip out his heart, he was definitely going to have a little chat with Miss Fontaine. What in the world was the Surgeon General of Eredas and head doctor of Duelist Academy doing working for shady top-tier PMC?

One way or another, he was going to make them all pay for the capture of his friends and whatever suffering they were put under. Just as he got off the hill where the Wayshrine was perched, he heard the bushes on either side of the road rustling. Just as he thought. Bandits. They were terribly underdressed, wearing loose trousers, steel-tipped boots, and leather straps that held seven serrated daggers. They had playing cards pinned to their leather chest pieces, all of them displayed black clubs. Their faces were painted white and their lips were bright red or black.

"Welcome to Eredas, young master," one of them said. His card displayed the ace of clubs, meaning he was the head of this group of delinquents. "I trust that your trip across the Wayshrine was comfortable?"

Aster looked around. He was outnumbered ten to one. "Were you guys expecting me?"

"No, but Lord Bastard is the owner of these lands. We're here to collect the toll that's been enforced to use this Wayshrine. Now, the price for using His Excellency's Wayshrine, you must pay ten gold coins. Ah, you're a Duelist, too. That means you must also have to fork over one of your rarest cards."

"You can't be serious." Aster's hand sparked. He attempted to summon Shining Phoenix Enforcer to help him, but he couldn't.

Fuck! He forgot that Wayshrines momentarily prevent you from casting magic; a side effect of using its own magic.

The Ace of Clubs wagged his finger and tsked. "Trying to summon something, eh? That means you intend to kill us."

He and his men removed their daggers from their sheaths and pointed them at Aster.

"Very well, we'll just take your treasures from your corpse!"

There was a loud roar in the sky.

"What was that?" asked one of the bandits.

"Nothing!" shouted the Ace of Clubs. "Now, help me spill this fool's guts out and hang him with them."

The roar echoed once again. It was closer.

"LOOKOUT!"

"IT'S IN THE SKY!"

The tree canopies snapped as a giant beast made its way in for a landing. When it hit the ground, it caused the ground to shake so furiously, that the bandits were losing their footing; some completely lost it and fell.

"DRAGON!"

They were right. It was a dragon. But how could that be? Was Aster being saved by the famous Avi he heard so much about? He recognized the great beast as Des Volstgalph. Uh oh. That could only mean one thing. He looked at the dragon's back to see if there was a rider. Sure enough, there was. She jumped off the back of the dragon and drew two long swords with shimmering steel blades and diamond-encrusted guards resembling dragon wings.

She moved so fast she looked like a red streak, slicing and dicing her victims. She was sporting a hooded red jacket with a silver tiara sewn onto the front of the hood. The back of her short jacket was shredded and waved like flames behind her. Underneath she had a dark brown leather bodice corset, a red skirt with black ruffles, and long laced boots tipped with decorative steel.

The Ace of Clubs drew the finest dagger he had and sprinted towards the girl. Des Volstgalph was quick and used his leg as a shield to defend her. When the blade touched his armored flesh, it shattered like glass. He didn't even have time to react, for Des Volstgalph lowered his head and bit the man in half.

The red-hooded girl started wagging her finger at her dragon.

"Ah, ah, ah. Bruton, what did I say about eating junk food. Nuh-uh, don't look at me like that young man. Spit it out. Come on. Spit it!"

The dragon growled and did as he was told. The girl turned and took off her hood.

Aster frowned. "I just know I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"Hello, Mr. Phoenix," Princess Alexandra von Klaus said with a bow. She wiped her swords on the back of a fallen bandit and sheathed them on her back again with a magic charm.

She placed her hands on her hips and shook them as Aster stared at her furiously. He drummed his fingers on his biceps and said: "Hello, Princess."

She spun around. "Like my new uniform? I picked it out especially for you."

"You look like Little Red Riding Hood."

"I love that story. But I don't have to worry about big, bad, wolves hunting me down."

"I guess you don't. Look, I know you came a long way, but I don't need you."

"But Uncle Antilles said-"

"-I don't care what your uncle said. I can handle the mission alone."

"You have no choice in the matter, Mr. Phoenix. I'm tagging along whether you want me to or not. I'll have you know hurting my feelings is hazardous to your health. Make me cry, and he'll have you drawn and quartered. Why? Well, he's my uncle. And my uncle always knows what to do to make me happy."

Aster sniffed and sighed." All right. But if you're going to stick around, you better behave."

Poor choice of words. Alexandra had that twinkle in her ruby-red eye. "And what happens if I don't behave, Mr. Phoenix? Am I to be disciplined?"

Aster was sick of her bullshit. He stepped towards her and said: "Listen, Princess, how would you like me to make your life a living hell!?"

Alexandra bit her lip and giggled. "Oh my, Aster! I don't think I'm quite ready for a committed relationship."

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Aster said marching toward the road.

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Aster. I was only fooling."

Aster continued walking away. "Well, stop! Your wiles may get other people head over heels for you, but don't think that shit works on me."

"Well, it's not every day I meet a man resistant to my charms. What in earth happened to you that made you so stuck up?"

"If you mature, I'll gladly tell you all about it. But for now, we need to meet up with the other two guys."

"I've already met up with them. They're waiting for you at the inn in front of the station where we'll take the train north to the walled city."

After Des Volstgalph took off and flew away, Alexandra took him to the station and there was someone leaning against one of the supports on the porch. He was big and tall, wearing tactical gear underneath a coyote tan cloak draped over his shoulders.

Aster paused. He looked at the individual. He tried to speak but he couldn't.

"Oh, do you know him?" Alexandra asked.

Aster didn't answer. He kept moving towards the young man standing in front of him.

"Hassleberry?"

Tyranno Kenzan looked over at Aster and grinned. "Reporting for duty, Aster. Good to see ya again."