Author's Notes: I seem to have hit a sudden shortage in reviewers, hehe XD, I guess people are just busy at this particular time of year, no worries. I do hope my regulars get around to reading this though, as it's a major and climatic chapter, the longest to date and hopefully will prove highly enjoyable 8). Since it's so long I'll let it speak for itself and just say I hope it's a fun read :D.
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The spiral staircase wound downwards for time untold, mainly because no one descending it had a watch.
"What is the point of building things this deep underground anyway? You're just wasting subterranean real estate in the gaps and making it take longer to get anywhere" Zone's voice complained out of the darkness.
"Maybe the ground above was too expensive" Arson suggested, feeling his way with one hand on the wall.
"Haha, that wouldn't surprise me actually, considering they couldn't even afford some lights" Zone replied. He referred to the lack of torches or any real illuminative sources in the vertical shaft they were descending.
Reiko, who was in front, Arson behind him and Zone in the rear so as not to get stepped on, had taken the lead because he had the best night-vision. It had proven to be of no use however, but none of them felt like changing ranks on the steep, narrow stairs, nor was there any advantage to doing so, so he'd stayed in front.
Just as the vampire felt it apt to placate the rodent's irritation, though, the way ahead became fractionally lighter. "I think, we're near the bottom" he said guardedly, not wanting to count his eggs too soon. As they moved further down though, light began to creep into the twisting shaft, and finally the staircase ended.
"Someone should install an elevator" Zone opined as he hopped off the last step, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light around them after so much time in pitch-blackness. The rodent had keen night vision himself, incidentally, but like Reiko he couldn't see in total darkness. Rubbing his eyes, he joined the others in surveying their new surroundings.
The staircase came down out of a curved depression in the ceiling, in the middle of the room, looking for all the world to the hamster's eyes like a hanging bosom. By this point the rodent didn't have enough patience to endure a tedious description of the room's unimportant details, so we'll stick to the essentials.
It was a rectangle, somewhat similar to the main body of a church where the pews would be. Right where Jesus would be hanging out on his cross was a very large, central and important looking door. In the left and right walls respectively near this end of the room, were several smaller, less important looking doors.
"Thank God for conciseness" Zone remarked, walking towards the big door with a sense of purpose. Reiko followed him, while Arson lingered a moment to charitably admire the white marble and obsidian angels and demons clashing in murals across the walls, feeling sorry for them for being neglected from the room's description. Once he was done being generous to the architecture, he joined the others in front of the door.
"I can't help but suspect…" Zone said with sarcastic shrewdness, as Reiko attempted to push open the door, "That we're expected to venture through every one of these side doors and acquire keys for the sockets on this door". Examining the emblem on the sturdy portal, he counted six distinct shaped gaps.
Giving one last shove, Reiko leaned against the door, even the patient vampire giving an exasperated groan as he glanced at one set of detours. "I'm inclined to agree" he replied, knowing time was ever against them.
Arson counted the side doors, "… Five, six, aw man, we'll be at this for the whole chapter!" he whined, slumping down into a heap on the floor, even his capacity for being easily entertained having its limits.
While the hybrid scrawled complaints in the dust, and Reiko lapsed into a contemplative silence, wondering how best to overcome the obstacle, Zone took to looking around to relieve his boredom.
Walking off to the left, he strolled past each of the doors on that side, basic wooden affairs, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Probably just as repetitive inside" he criticised out loud. "I mean honestly, just the same thing over and over again, where's the fun in that" he asked rhetorically. Looking back at his companions, he saw Reiko standing in a dark, brooding posture, and Arson playing noughts and crosses against himself in the dirt, snivelling every time he lost. "Oh, screw you Irony" Zone spat at the empty air.
As he turned back to walk to the others, something caught the rodent's eye. Looking carefully at a patch of wall at ground height, he took a couple more steps. There it was again, the details of the wall weren't quite right. Getting closer, he realised that this was because there was in fact a tiny passage running into the wall, the insides having the same surface texture as the rest of it, rendering the minute opening almost invisible.
"OK, this is strange" he thought out quietly, bending down and to look into the tunnel, which was only half even his height. It was eventually swallowed up by darkness, but from the looks of it, Zone reckoned it ran into the room on the other side of the door. Zone shook his head bemusedly, trying to fathom its purpose.
To save time, we will briefly explain that the small tunnel existed as part of a ventilation system within the dungeon. While the architects couldn't care less for the luxuries of air conditioning, it was vital to prevent rooms becoming unintentionally airtight, as vacuums could cause serious problems. For example, it would be almost impossible to open a door outwards into a chamber with a vacuum in it, or inwards into one with no place for air inside to escape out of. Zone would later figure this out, but we shouldn't hold things up.
Regardless of its purpose, Zone turned on his lightsabre and used it to illuminate the tunnel better. Doing so allowed him to notice a small diverging path, which from the looks of it ran towards the door itself. Curious as a rodent would be, he ventured along, having to go on all fours, as it was a fairly cosy fit for the hamster.
Sure enough, feeling a streamlined breeze playing through his fur the whole time, his investigation revealed that the tunnel ran into the next room, although he thought best not to explore there alone. Meanwhile the side path led right to the door. The hamster scanned down the divergence, and he realised it led straight into the actual locking mechanism of the door itself, providing an escape for air as components moved around.
Turning round and heading back to the other two, having only been gone a minute, Zone began to ponder. The rodent was highly knowledgeable in technology and engineering, and with say, a precise cutting tool, it should be possible to pick the lock from the inside. Considering it was a multi-part device though, it would involve remaining inside the mechanism as it shifted from one state to the next, carrying the risk of being trapped and crushed by moving gears and other things. One would also need someone with a good ear, such as oh say, a vampire, to listen from outside and locate the parts relevant to the sockets in the correct order.
Walking to Reiko, who was stood near the door, and thinking of the tunnel, a plan formed in Zone's head.
"Hey, guys" he said, Reiko looking down and Arson looking up from his dirt doodles as the hamster spoke, "You know that part of a story, where the typically least effective though enthusiastic member of the team, who isn't as capable as his companions in things like combat, proves their worth to the group by doing something only they can do due to traits of theirs that are usually considered useless or even a handicap?".
The hybrid and vampire blinked in mild confusion, Reiko absorbing the rodent's unusual question first. "I'm generally aware of the tradition, yes, why do you ask?" He replied, curious of Zone was getting at.
Glancing sideways at the vampire as he faced the door, the rodent cracked a devilish grin. With a sudden jolt of motion, he drew his laser gun, opened it up, twirled it expertly in his paw, then took aim and fired.
With a cacophonous birth-cry, crimson energy spewed forth from the muzzle of the weapon in dissonant eruption. A solid pillar of light, hued the same colour as the Red Orbs that nourished it, collided with the sealed portal, reverberations of the conflict ravaging the room stained in the writhing of tortured shadows.
The door was no meagre construction, built to withstand the attacks of the mightiest demons. However, as the spear of channelled power persecuted it, another component was found lacking. With a rising chord of tormented stone, the walls around the besieged gateway spat cascades of dust and rubble as pleas that went unheard. Finally, with a splitting crescendo, the entire section of wall that the door was planted in gave way, jagged fractures splitting the stone from its brethren. The detached element crashed into the invaded unknown beyond, vast clouds of dust and earth rising up, only to bow their final respects to the vanquished.
"Yeah, well screw that" Zone said, finishing the earlier dialogue. With a look of supreme satisfaction, he spun his beloved laser gun around, kissed it fondly, and put it away again. Yeah right like he was going to jump into the less-than-proverbial meat grinder. Not when a more direct approach was available, even if it did cost him thousands of Red Orbs worth of energy, the tunnels through the wall having led him to wonder about their structural integrity. "You coming?" he asked the other two with delighted smugness, the rodent navigating the debris of the destroyed door, while Reiko and Arson watching him with gaping expressions.
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Once the vampire and hybrid had overcome their initial shock, the three of them climbed over the huge slab that was the door and surrounding wall, lying face down in the next room, and entered the new area warily.
It was a round chamber, save for the newly created breach, the diameter of the place fairly considerable, so that even the large chunk containing the door hadn't strayed to the centre. Speaking of which, the most defining detail of the room was the large symbol covering the floor in the middle. It resembled an arcane sort of dial with ten runes around the perimeter, each one a good metre squared, the markings a dull red.
Before they could explore any further, a faint rumbling became apparent, and began to grow. "It's not my tummy" Arson said, looking around nervously. On instinct, he drew his twin blades Dragon and Phoenix.
"What are you looking at me for?" Zone complained as he noticed the vampire staring at him suspiciously.
"Well, you did just blow a huge hole in the wall, and we are underground" Reiko retorted. Even so, the two of them drew their respective weapons and glanced around, sensing a more sentient threat than a cave in.
Moments later, their instincts were proved correct as with roars of shattering stone, several creatures burst from the ground all around them. The dust quickly settled to reveal large humanoid lizards wearing armour.
"Blades…" Reiko muttered, recognising them instantly. They were mid-level opponents in DMC1, and thus would be highly dangerous by DMC3 standards. They were in short, formidable adversaries in groups.
"Alright, a real challenge" Zone grinned, ever eager to test and prove himself, his lightsabre up and ready.
"We must fight them together, use the team skills we've developed" Reiko cautioned as the Blades circled.
"Huh, we developed team skills?" Arson asked, glancing away from the last Blade bursting into the room.
"Of course! We did it mostly off-screen in the previous chapter, remember?" Zone told the hybrid tersely.
"Oh, right, yeah" Arson muttered in a scolded manner, recalling now their unrecorded combined fighting.
"Focus you two, they won't wait" Reiko warned, counting ten Blades in total, who circled, and attacked…
The three charged to meet with the cold-blooded demons in battle. The mutated lizards were agile and lethal opponents however, not to be easily brushed aside, and the trio were swiftly tied up in fierce fighting.
Trading parries and strikes with four of the beasts, Reiko was being pushed hard to stay ahead of all of their deadly slashing claws, shoving one away and bringing the other end of his staff back to block a claw aimed at the back of his head. With a kick he forced the attacking lizard back, and spared a glance for his friends.
Arson was holding his own against four more of the creatures, proving an equal to them and actually landing a few blows where Reiko was struggling. Looking the other way, the vampire saw Zone doing his best to fend off the remaining two lizards. The rodent was in constant motion, dodging and jumping and doing everything he could to just stay ahead of the slashing claws. He was managing to land a few light slashes with his own weapon, but they were only fleeting blows and just one slip up would mean his end.
Seeing one of the Blades lunge for him, Reiko stepped back, and then jumped up, slamming the creature down and using its mass to pole vault out of the group surrounding him, going to the rodent's aid. Catching one of the lizards off-guard with a blow to the side, he gave Zone enough breathing space to jump over a thrust aimed to run him through, and cut a deep slash across the monster's hand, making it back off as well.
"Thanks" the rodent said as the two of them stood back to back (well, back to ankle). He could most likely eventually have bested the two lizards, providing he didn't make a mistake, but he appreciated the help.
"No problem" Reiko replied, the two having a brief breathing space, then the Blades were on them again. Reiko swung his staff round, striking, reversing, parrying, fending off the swarm of monsters to the best of his ability. Zone darted back and forth making attacks or preventing them where he could, jumping through the vampire's legs to slash at the underside of a beast that was attacking Reiko, the two fighting together.
"Reiko, give me a lift!" the hamster shouted suddenly, and understanding, the vampire brought one end of his staff down to besides the rodent while fending off two Blades with the rest of it. Zone grabbed on and a moment later was swept up as Reiko brought the staff round in a wide arc, hammering it down on a Blade.
The lizard caught the blow with both arms, hissing with savage rage. However, its eyes caught a blur of motion, and before it could stop him, Zone scurried along the pole, and jumped off the end onto the monster's back while its arms were still busy occupying the recoil of the strike. Whipping his lightsabre round as he fell, the rodent stabbed it into the exposed back of the creature, jamming it into his spine and using his momentum to cut a long slash right down to its tail. The creature screamed and flailed in agony, releasing Reiko's staff, which came round in a brutal reverse arc and caught it with a crack under the jaw.
The lizard was sent flying into a facedown crumbled heap from which it did not rise by the blow, already as good as dead after having its spine severed vertically. Zone grinned at having scored a kill as he stood atop the body, then watched in fascination as a floating, glowing sphere of light detached itself from the carcass.
Temporarily separated from the action and Reiko, the hamster watched the light drift over the room, and then float to the floor, where it seemed to dissipate into one of the runes on the central dial. As it did, the previously dull red character began to glow brightly. "So that's how we get further" Zone said to himself.
Meanwhile, the remaining nine Blades were still doing their best to rend Reiko and Arson into pieces. The hybrid found himself with five enemies, and was beginning to become overwhelmed. Catching the clawed attacks of three of the monsters with both his swords, he used all of his strength to throw them off. Seeing a fourth one rushing at him, he jumped up and kicked off of its armoured head, trying to get into some space. However a fifth one tackled him midair, Arson sent tumbling even though he managed to throw his attacker off. Spinning out of control, he saw the blur of his first three attackers jumping after him to finish him off.
"Arson!" Reiko called. Having seen his friend's plight, the vampire had taken drastic measures. Allowing one Blade to dig its claws into his chest, the vampire had brought his staff round with such brutal force that the blow had broken the creature's neck, its head lolling sickeningly. Wounded but alive (or undead), the vampire had been able to get away from his reduced crowd of foes, and into the path of the troubled Arson.
Seeing the vampire beneath him, Arson did what little he could to bring his spinning body under control. Timing the swing precisely, Reiko brought his staff round in a wide swing, the long pole connecting with the sole's of Arson's feet. The weapon and hybrid were frozen in equipoise of inertia for a moment. Then Arson found his balance and kicked off of it, launching right back at the Blades that were almost upon him.
Phoenix and Dragon blazed with light as they burned through the air, and plunged right through the torsos of two of the outstretched lizards, impaling them and reversing their trajectory as Arson tore up into them. Using the blades for leverage, Arson raised his legs and wrapped them around the head of the last lizard, jerking it out of its attack. "Do you like barbeques?" Arson asked the writhing demons, who gave him a half-crazed, half-confused look. A moment later they were immolated as Arson channelled dual infernos through his swords. With nothing left to hold them, he plunged both into the head of the remaining enemy.
Using the body of the slain Blade to cushion his landing, Arson rolled to his feet as he landed. Reiko was at his side a moment later and Zone as well, the hybrid having landed near him. As the three stood ready side by side, the Blades swiftly regrouped, only half of the demons still alive. Sensing their reduced chances, the lizards charged in a tight formation, trying to overwhelm their targets and perhaps isolate one from the rest.
Seeing the threat of the suicide rush, Arson, running high on the adrenaline of battle, calculated rapidly. "Hey Zone, batter up?" he said to the hamster, who looked at him curiously for a moment, then understood the hybrid's meaning. Jumping towards Arson, he held his lightsabre under him as Arson lifted Phoenix up. The two edges collided, and lifted Zone to head-height, where Arson brought Dragon round and smacked it into the rodent's lightsabre, Zone bracing against the blow, which sent him flying right towards the Blades.
Zone was somewhat disorientated by the impacts, but he'd endure some hardship to achieve their goals, and angling himself, the rodent flew straight into the throat of one of the charging Blades. His weapon sunk in to the hilt, piercing its neck, and as the creature stumbled and twitched, he dragged it up and split the creature's throat, swinging round onto its shoulder then back to avoid the flow of rancid blood gushing out.
The other four creatures continued on regardless, but their chances were far too depleted by now. Arson smashed right through their middle, engaging two while Reiko took the others. The hybrid savagely smacked the two demons around, eventually dicing one lizard into steaming chunks, the victim falling apart where it stood where it stood. The other creature backed away cautiously, only to be lifted off the ground as Reiko drove his staff into its spine from behind, breaking it, having beaten his own to adversaries to death.
The Blade was lifted up into the air, body bent over the pole. It was then annihilated in a crossfire, caught between a stream of Arson's fire and Zone's laser, which he had partially recharged on the demons' blood.
As the destructive energies cleared, nothing remained of the crucified creature, save for the glowing wisp the others had released discretely on their deaths. The orb of energy slowly drifted down onto the final unlighted rune, causing it to glow. A moment later, all ten symbols blazed, and in a flash of light a huge pillar of light burst forth from them. The column hit the ceiling, then stabilised into an incandescent portal.
"Ooh… Pretty" Arson remarked in admiration, speaking between pants, still recovering from the battle.
"See, now why couldn't they have one of these instead of an endless staircase?" Zone pointed out cheekily.
Ignoring the rodent's playful criticism, seeing he was smiling in enjoyment of a battle well fought, Reiko walked up to the pillar-like portal. "This is new, so perhaps we're almost at the end of this ordeal" he said hopefully. They took a minute to recover their breath; Reiko's wound healing partially, and then entered…
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"Wow, the chapter isn't over yet?" Arson said as the blinding light cleared, leaving them in a new location.
"Sweet! If it's not finished by now, that must mean this is a climatic battle" Zone replied with an eager grin.
Despite their unorthodox observations and reasoning, Reiko had to concede there was some validity to their claims. The while glow of the portal had blinded them temporarily, but now their eyes were adjusting to the new location. Suddenly the vampire's sharp vision detected something, "I think you're right, Zone" he said.
It took the other two a little longer to see what he saw, and then it was suddenly incredibly hard to ignore.
"A dragon, hmmm, cliché yet classical" Zone remarked thoughtfully, trying to decide what he thought of it.
The room they were in was again circular in shape, although unlike the last there were ten pillars around the perimeter halfway between the centre and wall. They were spaced like numbers on a clock, with two gaps at the 6 and 12 o'clock points. In one of these spaces stood the trio, and in the other stood the dragon.
The creature was gargantuan, at least 50 feet horned head to pointed tail. It's body was lean yet muscular, its clawed limbs and torso streamlined to be aerodynamic, but still solidly built, the whole of it covered in crimson scales that seemed to shine as it spat a huge gout of flame from it's mouth. Spreading the gigantic wings that were folded on its back, it stretched them and gave a single, mighty beat, sending a powerful gust through the room as it roared deafeningly.
The trio had to brace against the blast of wind, Zone only managing to resist thanks to being low to the ground. "Alright, I'm impressed already!" he shouted, spending several moments brushing his windswept fur back into place once the gust had passed.
"Man, that thing is huge!" Arson stated, his own messy hair none the worse for the wind. Suddenly a curious thought struck him, "I wonder what it eats".
Giving another deafening roar, the dragon spat a gout of flame that rolled across the ceiling, and came stomping towards them. "You just had to ask" Reiko said to the hybrid with a roll of the eyes.
"That's not what I meant…" Arson muttered in a hurt voice, but the time for banter was at an end, as the dragon hurtled across the room with maddening inertia, drawing a breath to incinerate them in an instant.
"Well I'm not on the menu" Zone said to the other two, glancing at them before splitting to the side to take cover behind a pillar. He was headstrong but there was a difference between taking risks and being suicidal.
Agreeing wholeheartedly with the rodent's sentiments, the other two made to move as well. Reiko rushed to the other side, using his excellent speed to close in on the nearest pillar, while Arson rushed forwards.
An instant later the dragon spat a solid column of fire straight forwards, hammering through the air like a solid thing, a runaway train of heat. Reiko just made it into cover, while Zone, not as quick as the vampire despite his head start, saw he wasn't going to make it. Paws moving in a blur, he drew his laser, deactivated the recoil suppressor, and fired a controlled burst behind him, sending him flying forwards and into cover.
Arson meanwhile charged straight towards the inferno, leaping upwards at the last second, sailing over the blaze. The hybrid was unaffected by rising heat that would make most faint, and landed on the dragon's head. Struggling to keep his balance, he lashed out with Dragon and Phoenix. The blades tarnished the scales, but were turned aside without penetrating the armoured hide. Thrashing in pain and fury, the dragon threw its head back, launching Arson down its long neck onto its back, where the teenager kept attacking it, until he was eventually smacked off by the lashing tail, sending him flying straight into one of the pillars.
In this time Reiko and Zone had split up, moving around to make attacks of their own. With its attention distracted by Arson, Reiko was able to leap up and slam his staff hard into the underside of its neck. The dragon growled slightly in pain and a great deal more in fury, turning and swatting at the vampire with his claws. Reiko managed to avoid one swipe and used the other lashing claw to jump higher, bringing down his staff in a hammering blow right on the dragon's snout, forcing it to bow slightly under the blow. Reiko didn't have any time to celebrate though, as the behemoth lunged forwards and head-butted him in midair.
Reiko was sent flying back now, tumbling in a dazed heap from the very one-sided collision of skulls. The dragon drew a breath to immolate the vampire, but was interrupted as a blast of crimson light spat out and struck the side of its mouth, jerking its head to one side, narrowly diverting the gout of fire. Zone lowered his laser, having to carefully ration his energy reserves, and combined it with his lightsabre to hold them both in his paws. The creature's tail lashed out at him, and he ducked the sweep and slashed a graze across its underside, then swiftly ran behind a pillar as the return blow shattered the stone ground just behind him.
By now Reiko had regained his senses, and he took cover, shouting "Arson, Zone, are you two alright?".
"Just dizzy, and sore" Arson called back, having moved behind another pillar after being thrown into it.
"I'm alive, but I don't think we're going to defeat this thing uncoordinated!" Zone called from his position.
Reiko was about to answer, when suddenly a clawed hand lashed round his pillar, the vampire barely backing out of its reach in time. The head followed shortly after and he was forced to dive out into the open as a wave of fire washed out nearly a third of the circumference of the room. Seeing Reiko in trouble, Arson rushed out, leaping at the creature's side and stabbing at its wings. He was swiftly thrown off, but by then Zone had mounted the tail and was stabbing it repeatedly, his energy blade making multiple tiny but definite penetrations before he was finally thrown off. The hamster went flying towards the hard stonewall, going fast enough to survive only as a furry smear, but before he hit it Reiko intercepted and caught him.
"I was about to say, I think you're right" the vampire said, landing nimbly with the rodent safe in his hands.
"That was a good start to cooperation, you saved my fur" Zone said, shaking off the dizziness and smiling up at Reiko from his palms thankfully. The vampire nodded back and set the hamster down on the floor.
Arson crashed into the pillar besides them a moment later, cracks spreading over the stone behind him, but as he slid down to the ground his legs caught him, and with a determined grunt he stood upright. "So guys, we gonna do this together?" he asked the other two, his normally playful face set hard with determination.
"Yeah" Reiko and Zone replied in perfect sync, glancing at each other briefly as the dragon turned to them. Spinning their weapons readily, Arson stood by the others, Zone gave a taunt, and Reiko led the charge…
The battle wore on long and hard, the trio fighting as a combined force, and proving to be an even match for the dragon. They managed to slowly deal damage, while constantly saved each other from destruction.
The dragon smacked Arson back, stunning him, and made to swallow him hole, only for Reiko to tackle him out of the way of the powerful jaws. It launched a huge gout of fire at Zone, but Arson jumped in the way and used Phoenix and Dragon to block the blast, the fire-attuned hybrid enduring the fire. A massive claw came round to crush Reiko, grinding him into dust against a pillar he'd been smacked into, and Zone to deflected the limb from its course with a precise laser blast. And so they continued to dance with death…
"Hey, how're you holding up?" Reiko asked, his breath ragged from exertion, a panting Arson besides him.
"Still in the fight, yourself?" the hybrid replied, getting a silent nod from Reiko to indicate he was alright.
"I'm still, alive too, if anyone, cares to know" Zone cracked, moving out from behind a scorched pillar, his wit still intact, although his laboured breathing stuttered his delivery. He held his lightsabre in paw wearily, the vampire wielding his staff and hybrid his twin swords with similar fatigue; the battle was taking its toll.
Facing off against them stood a fierce but drained opponent. The dragon was still winged, still breathing fire and still as good as armoured. However it was also tarnished with a wide assortment of small gashes, scorch marks and broken scales. The trio's attacks weren't very effective singularly, but over the course of the battle the continuous barrage of blistering sword blows, bludgeoning staff impacts and scathing laser strikes were taking their toll. The dragon was tough, but like most bosses could be worn down over time.
"We need to finish this now" Reiko said, aware of both their own exhaustion and a bigger clock ticking.
"Yeah, it's lights out time" added Arson, who acted like a certain relative of his when fighting this hard.
"Hey, that's my line" Zone chuckled, using the laughter to loosen himself up and stay limber for the fight.
On a silent cue, the three rushed forwards as one. The dragon charged to meet them, and they split, offering it multiple targets. Lashing out at the nearest one, it attempted to crush Reiko in its claws, only for a laser blast to lance out and intercept it. Turning its head on the puny rodent, the dragon roared in fury and unleashed a mighty torrent of flames. As the inferno bore down on Zone, Arson rushed to him and lifted him high into the air over the fires with one sword, using the other to block the flames as best he could. Moving behind Arson, sweating from the intense heat of the barely diverted fire, Reiko offered the hybrid his staff, which Arson stepped onto, and with a grunt of effort he launched him upwards through the blaze.
Rising through the roaring inferno, Arson thanked that he always wore fireproof clothing, the hybrid's own resistance to heat allowing him to survive, although the constant exposure was causing even him ever-increasing pain. Shooting up to the beast's maw, he lodged Phoenix and Dragon between its jaws, holding them apart. The dragon was infuriated to find it couldn't close its mouth, but continued to bathe Arson in constant fire anyway. Unbeknownst to it, however, Zone was directly over its head, having been hurled their by Arson. As the rodent descended he took aim and fired a powerful laser blast, which hammered directly into the dragon's head between its horns. The force of the blow forced the beast's head down, and allowed Reiko to jump up and onto its neck, where he wrapped his staff under the throat, and pulled hard.
The dragon suddenly found itself unable to breathe fire as the vampire choked its airways, the creature writhing and clawing furiously. As it flailed around, Arson leaned back, and Zone dropped neatly onto his shoulder, catching the neck of his clothing. Scurrying down the hybrid's arm, he ventured out between the two swords Arson was holding apart with all his strength, where it was now safe for the rodent thanks to Reiko choking off the fire. Raising his laser weapon, the rodent said "Here's food for thought", and fired.
The powerful bolt of energy shot into the roof of the creature's mouth, puncturing the comparatively softer skin there. The dragon began to thrash madly as Zone emptied his energy reserves. Crimson light started to glow from behind the creature's eyes and it lost all coherent control, flailing insanely and at random rather than trying to attack them. Sensing the opportunity, Reiko yanked back on his staff as hard as he could, muscles straining, and a sickening crunching sound was heard as the dragon's head snapped back unnaturally. As Zone safely retreated into one of his coat pockets, Arson launched himself right down the dragon's throat, throwing himself into its maw and beyond. Thrusting his swords out to either side, he leapt forwards and spun, the blades slashing through the vulnerable insides of the throat, and completing the circle, severed the dragon's head from the inside out. As the decapitated head dropped away, Arson leapt up and caught Reiko's offered hand, and the three of them retreated down the dragon's long neck and body.
Behind them, the severed head tumbled through the air, neck broken and cut, and finally the energy Zone had fed directly into its brain overloaded and with an ear-shattering explosion it exploded in a nova of fire.
As the trio ran down the tail of the body, it too went up in flames, and they leapt clear just before the dragon's remains cremated themselves, burning up in an intense pyre of contracting fire, light and heat.
When the fireworks finally ended, all that was left was a floating sapphire stone, rested upon a halo of fire that acted as a pedestal. The three unsteadily got to their feet, or paws respectively, and walked over to it.
"Is this what we came for?" Arson asked curiously, peering at the stone and seeing his reflection look back.
"One way to find out" said Reiko, and reaching out, he touched it, and the world went white for them all…