Ragnar felt another wave of nausea coming on. As he ran along, things were getting and ethereal quality about them. He felt himself sweating although it was quite cool here. He hoped he could look better soon, or else Cloud was going to…

"You should head back, kid. You don't look good."

Ragnar rolled his eyes at that. "I can hold it until we finish this."

"Look…I don't want Aerith getting hurt, but I don't want you getting hurt either."

"I can take care of myself. Let's just get to the end of this."

Cloud didn't bother pressing anymore. He knew doing so would only leave Ragnar feeling insulted again. And so, he turned his head forward and continued to run.

So this was the layout of the "secret lair". After descending the drainage duct into the lower sub-sewers, the two men had crossed a spillway before finding a lit exit out into a new area. Now, they were running down a gradually descending series of tunnels. Each tunnel was lined on all sides by pipelines, cables, and conduits. There were valves and circuit breaker boxes occasionally as they went on, but nothing too extreme stuck out. The ground they were on was metal, forming a walkway through this area. Ragnar couldn't make much out of this place…but he guessed that if all of these lines fed throughout the city and led back to one central point, it was a way to drain a lot of energy from Midgar without attracting attention. The area was only illuminated by rather pale orange industrial lights. They filled the corridors, but they were making him dizzier…

They had already been running down this corridor for some time. Every so often, they ran into another branch off into another spillway, but they didn't take it. They focused on the main route. Ragnar hoped that Aerith didn't need any medical help when they found her. It would take a half hour already to carry a person out of here…and they never paused long enough to get their radios replaced.

Another problem soon arose for the young general, however. As the two continued, they began to notice that the path ended just up ahead, terminating against a wall of valves. The two generals continued to run forward until they reached it, and then slowed down to a stop.

Although the path did end here…either side of the corridor opened up into two new tunnels. Now, two more passages were splitting up and going either way. The two men looked to either one…and saw that both were going down. Both of them frowned as they turned their heads one way and another. Here was trouble…

"I should've known it wouldn't be this easy…" Cloud muttered.

"Let's split up." Ragnar suggested.

"No way, kid." Cloud immediately answered, turning back to him. "There's no way to call for help. You're too weakened for me to trust you to be able to handle an ambush. Back when our group was together, we stayed as a unit most of the time that branches split. After checking out one way, we went back for the other."

Ragnar turned and frowned at him. "That's a waste of time."

"It's the way we're going to go. Deal with it." Cloud answered.

The youth frowned again, but knew arguing was pointless. He sighed and looked again to either tunnel. "Fine. But which way?"

Cloud looked as well at that. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled. "Well… They both lead down…but back when we were in the Shinra HQ Building, the stairs were to the left of the science labs. So I say we try left first."

Ragnar sighed and shrugged. "Good enough reason as any, I guess." A moment later, both men turned and took off down the left hallway.

The two ran on for a bit longer. They continued to descend a few levels, but the surroundings didn't change much. The only real difference they saw was the presence of a few side chambers behind metal doors. They stopped long enough to check each one, but then kept on going. For a few minutes, they continued to make their way down, seeing these chambers but not much else.

At last, however, they were forced to come to a stop again.

Once more, the area in front of them branched.

Ragnar groaned. "This whole place could be a maze down here for all we know. We could spend forever looking for the way to Aerith."

"Hold on a moment." Cloud answered. He turned his head to either side, and looked down either corridor. In the end, he gestured to the left. "It's that way."

Ragnar turned to Cloud in puzzlement at that. "How do you know?"

"That path leads down. The other leads up." Cloud answered.

This didn't comfort him much. "Well…how do you know that going down is the right way?"

Cloud sighed himself and crossed his arms. "You must be out of it kid…to have deduced all of that stuff back there and not use logic now. Anyone coming into this place has to come from the top. From my experience, the center of any lair is always as far away from the entrance as possible. That enables the guy to put as many obstacles between you and him as possible."

Cloud turned and took off down the left path a moment later. Ragnar paused, thinking that over. He supposed it did make sense. It was better than no reason at all, at any rate. And so, he shrugged and turned as well, running down the hallway again.

But now, things began to grow more complicated. More rooms started to show up, forcing the two to stop and look at more areas. But that wasn't all. There were also more branches from the main path. Cloud continued to lead the way, and followed the same rubric as before. If he didn't see the side branch going down, he continued on the same path. If he did see it going down, he took it. Ragnar wasn't too sure about this chain of reasoning, and he had a feeling that it was getting them hopelessly lost inside this maze. However, it had worked out so far. They hadn't hit any dead ends. He began to wonder how far underground they were going. They went down so many sudden slopes over the course of the next ten minutes that he thought they had to be getting close to fifty stories underground.

Ragnar was beginning to wonder if they were getting anywhere doing this…when suddenly something happened.

The lights abruptly went out.

Immediately, Cloud and Ragnar froze. The two men spun around…and as a result nearly ran into each other. However, they pulled off just as quickly, and started to look around themselves. Ragnar was surprised. He had been in darkness before…but never like this. With the lights out, the darkness was absolute. He couldn't see his hand in front of his own face. He soon began to stumble around, feeling out in front of him.

"What happened?" Ragnar asked. "Did the lights short out?"

"Not likely." Cloud darkly responded. "I think we just walked into a trap."

"You're right, buddy boys."

Immediately, Cloud and Ragnar snapped around to the source of the voice. Both of them drew their swords…although Ragnar fumbled for his for a moment. He wasn't pleased at the result when he did finally get it out. In the slightest amount of light, Ragnarok glimmered like red flame. But in this darkness…he couldn't see anything at all from it. It almost felt as if he had drawn a regular sword, and it unnerved him.

"Hee hee!" A feline-like voice called from the darkness. "You two can't see me…but I can see you! And once I've gotten a taste of your blood…I'll rip you both apart!"

Ragnar frowned, and tightened his grip on his blade. This wasn't good. He couldn't see anything here. However, his other senses were pretty sharp. And he had a bit of the ability of a warrior to detect air changes around him when something got close. Not exactly a sixth sense, but more of a heightened awareness.

However…that meant little a moment later. Abruptly, Ragnar felt something hook into his side. Out of shock and surprise at the sudden act, he yanked back…and it was a good thing too. A split second later, and claws ripped into his tunic. The sound of his fabric tearing was the first sound he heard. Shocked, he swung his sword out at the shadow.

It collided with something metal a moment later…and strong. But it was also moving. He could sense the vibrations on it. It felt like…another sword.

"Kid? Is that you?"

Ragnar quirked an eyebrow. "Cloud?"

"I just felt something try to claw me. I swung at it…"

Ragnar's eyes widened. "Me too…" He answered, and quickly pulled his sword back. He felt the other one get yanked back as well. This was far more deadly than he thought. Not only did he nearly get cut, but the thing had tricked him and Cloud into nearly attacking each other. It was a miracle that their blades connected. If they hadn't…

A wily laugh broke Ragnar's concentration. However…it wasn't from the same direction as before. Now, it was behind him. Both warriors spun around and looked to the source, naturally seeing nothing. While it was still laughing, Ragnar quickly inched over to Cloud's side and touched his. That would ensure that the creature couldn't run between them again.

"You should have seen the look on your faces!" It cried. "You never even reacted until I touched you! Hee hee!"

Ragnar felt himself begin to sweat a little. This wasn't good. This thing appeared to be feline like. Because of that, it was almost totally silent when it attacked. It was a model predator. Trained as Ragnar was, he was no match for one of nature's natural killers… The only thing he could do was brace himself, and wait for the slightest touch. Then, he had to react immediately.

Suddenly, the youth felt four pricks on the side of his face. He quickly yanked back. A hot pain flashed in front of him, but it wasn't deep enough to draw blood. It gave him a nasty scratch but didn't break the skin. He countered by swinging his blade in front of him…but again hit nothing but air. He heard a grunt from his side, and felt Cloud's body shift. Apparently, he had tried to hit it too.

Another cackle appeared from far behind them. Again, the two spun around, nearly hitting swords again in the process, and faced behind them.

"You two are pathetic!" The voice laughed in glee. "I walked right up to you, and you didn't do a thing until I touched you! Without your eyes, you two are nothing!"

More laughter soon began to come out from the creature. Ragnar grit his teeth in frustration. What was he going to do? Swing wildly in that direction and hope to hit it? That wouldn't work. It was probably what it wanted, for them to lower their guard completely and be easy to kill. Then again…Ragnar had the distinct sensation it was already toying with them…

As Ragnar tried to find a way out of this deathtrap, however, he heard a slide of metal nearby. He recognized that sound. It was Cloud…and he was separating Horizon from Event. A moment later, he heard a clash of metal as Cloud appeared to strike the two swords together. However…Ragnar didn't just hear it. Cloud's collision of metal on metal was so powerful that sparks went out…which was his intention.

For a brief moment, light was thrown around the chamber. And for that moment, a glow filled the corridor in front of the two…and momentarily illuminated some sort of furry humanoid before dying again.

Once that had happened, and the lights failed, Ragnar heard Cloud take off and run forward as fast as he could. Ragnar knew what he was doing. He was running to that spot and attempting to slash the creature while he still could. It was good thinking on Cloud's part. Ragnar had to remember that although he may have been trained, Cloud was still experienced. Still, he hoped this effort worked. He was pretty useless in this fight himself…

However, his hopes were dashed when he heard a mocking voice…right next to his ear.

"Missed me. Missed me. Now you gotta kiss me."

Ragnar spun to the voice and brought his sword up…but it was too late. Suddenly, he felt a hot flash across his shoulder, as at last the thing's claws struck true. A searing sensation went across his arm, and moments later felt something hot running down his skin. It had spilled his blood.

"Ooo…yes! YES!" He heard hissed behind him. He turned to the source, futile as it was. "Yesss…that's the stuff… Making me woozy just tasting it… Yummy… I want more…"

Ragnar swallowed. The thing was through playing around. It was going to go for his throat next. And he'd never see it coming. He had to do something. He had to make a move against it while he still could, before the bloodlust seized it. But he didn't have two blades like Cloud, and he couldn't create a spark. Running forward wasn't much of a good idea either. He needed light now…but how could he get it?

In the end, Ragnar could only think of one way...and it was a longshot.

Abruptly, the youth dropped his guard and his panic. He closed his eyes instead, and tried to focus. Two months ago, he had somehow generated flame from his sword back at the Corel Prison. He had to try and do so now. He thought about it hard…trying to visualize flame coming from Ragnarok. He tried to do the same thing that Aerith did, wondering if the techniques were somehow related. However, it didn't work. Nothing came out. He didn't feel any power moving through him, or any sort of energy being gathered like before. Nothing came to mind to say. He struggled onward none the less. He had to keep trying. He had to do it…

Come on…flame up…

"Meat! Fresh juicy bloody meat! I want it! I WANT IT NOW!"

Ragnar detected the vocal change on that last phrase. It wasn't just from the thing's increase in volume. It was from it suddenly coming forward. It was lunging at him. He panicked. It was attacking now. And the flame wasn't coming up. He began to break off his concentration...think back to the battle at hand. He shouldn't have tried this. He left himself open. He was going to die…

Then, at last, seeming to finally respond to his distress, it happened.

The moment he began to break and feel terror…the words went rushing into his mind, and then traveled down to his lips. The energy began to fill him, and he felt his flesh prickle and tingle. It went throughout his body and into his sword as he spoke. And then, abruptly…the sword in front of him suddenly ignited…turning once more into a sword of flame. Only now it was no image...but a true, burning fire.

As red light filled the chamber, and a sound of burning went through the air…Ragnar was just in time to see the creature right in front of him, moments from digging its claws into him. But now, as the sword turned into fire, it screeched and backed up. Its eyes had been adjusted to the darkness. The sudden glow of light blinded it, for it was far more sensitive to light than Ragnar and Cloud were. Ragnar saw its features for a brief moment. It had claws…velvet paws…fur covering it…long ears…and thin eyes. It was like a cat…a cat woman.

However, that was all he saw. Acting on instinct, he lunged forward, and swiped his blade down against the creature. A scream that sounded like a variation on a tiger's roar bellowed in its wake, and as his fire slashed through the creature, his sword dimmed again and once more turned into the blade it had been before. The thing in front of him went from a scream to a dying moan...and then collapsed.

Ragnar, still holding his sword before him, panted a moment, trying to catch his breath from that incident. The creature before him was dead, and he could see it now. The edges of where Ragnar had sliced were still smoldering, producing a faint glow in the dark chamber. And when the glow hit Ragnarok, the blade itself lit up dimly, like a dying fire. He had done it. At the moment of greatest need…it had come out. He didn't know how, but it proved itself to not be a fluke by coming forth again. And it had just saved him. Still…he couldn't help but feel anxious about his victory. This thing may have been about to kill him…but he remembered that these creatures were once humans from back in Junon. He felt some regret that he had to kill them…

A hand suddenly clamped on Ragnar's shoulder. The youth spun around wildly, raising his sword to strike again. The owner's hand was yanked off, and realized what Ragnar was doing as the faintly glowing sword pulled back in the air.

"Ragnar! Relax! It's me!"

The youth felt a ripple of anxiety travel through him, and a bead of cold sweat ran down his brow. In the end, he lowered his sword, but groaned.

"Don't do that."

"Sorry." Cloud answered. "But there it was again. You summoned fire from your sword."

Ragnar paused on hearing this, but then nodded. "Yeah."

"Did you do it intentionally this time?"

"I tried. But it was no good. It sprung out just as the thing was about to hit me. It was like a reflex."

"Hmm." Cloud responded, but said no more.

Ragnar raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"…No." He answered after a pause. "We're done here. Let's move on. My bet is that the lights turn on farther ahead, and that we're on the right track."

Ragnar gave a shrug. "Alright…but which way is onward?"

"Behind me." Cloud answered. "…Losing track of your surroundings too? I hope your luck holds out…"

---

Heh…normally, I'm sure getting through here would be a daunting task. But luckily for me it's no problem. And heck…this place is a nice change of pace in terms of cleanliness…

Zola thought this as he continued to sweep his tongue along the corridors of this new area. The scent of Aerith was getting fresher and fresher, and he knew that meant he was closing in on her. It wouldn't be long now. No matter how complex the maze, he could find his way using his sense of taste/smell. Of course…this wasn't going to help the MPs that were on their way. Zola had managed to give them the directions of the entrance, but that was about all he could give them. The rest they'd have to try and find on their own.

Zola was pleased that he tasted Cloud and Ragnar along the way during most of the branches. That meant they were headed in the right direction. But eventually, as he continued to follow the taste…he eventually found himself breaking off. That meant they were going the wrong way. This had given the basilisk pause. Should he try and track them down first and join up with them? Or should he keep going after Aerith? In the end, he decided that Cloud and Ragnar could take care of themselves, but that Aerith might be in danger of suffering the same fate as those things Zola had been fighting the longer she stayed here. Besides, he felt the generals would be happier if they knew that Aerith was alright. And so, he stayed on the current trail.

Zola worked his way downward a few more floors, continuing to follow the taste as he did so. He began to detect other, older tastes as he went on. He knew he was entering the area that was more populated at that. The creatures had to move through here more routinely. This was another good sign to him. And yet, the path continued to branch as he moved on, so he kept his head to the ground and kept tasting, using that to direct him onward.

At last…Zola came to a stop. As he continued to lick the ground and advance, he eventually ran into something blocking his path. This made him retract his tongue and look up. What he saw was a metal door. It looked somewhat like the metal doors that were periodically installed along this route, only this one was in the corridor. What more, it also had a more high tech security device put in next to it, obviously put in by someone who hadn't initially designed the place. He had a feeling that the guy responsible for the creatures did it, and that he was finally entering the inner sanctum.

With that in mind, Zola looked over the control panel for a moment. There was a number pad there that obviously entered the password that unlocked the door. He could already smell the scent of oils on it, from fingers that had pressed it multiple times. He looked over it for a moment, musing about what was the best way to deal with this.

At last, he gave himself a shrug, and decided to be simple.

He drew his tri-blade, stabbed it forward into the space between the door and the frame, and then used his super strength to push in. The door twisted and warped and was pushed aside like a pry bar deforms a nail while pulling it out. Soon, he had it pushed free of the lock, and the door became about as effective in keeping one out as a swinging insect guard for your porch. He pulled his blade out, but kept it at the ready. As for the door, he simply pulled it open and strolled in.

Zola didn't immediately see what he expected. All there was ahead was another branching set of corridors. Frowning, he walked in a bit further, and cast his eyes around the area. He tried to listen for any noise, but heard nothing. He continued to walk forward afterward, moving all the way to the first branch. He looked down in either direction, and saw nothing but more corridors with more branches. This made him frown again. He sighed. It looked like he would have to use his tongue again in order to find Aerith.

But before the basilisk could bend down or open his mouth again…a tremendous crash sounded from behind him. The entire corridor shook and rattled as debris tore from the ceiling and began to pelt the man from behind. Zola spun around in total shock…and saw that the wall of pipes and conduits was being torn through. Some massive force was punching it inward, ripping it to pieces. Sparks, steam, and water was everywhere. But most of all…the cause of the damage literally tearing through loose cables and pipes to come out.

It was Nimrod.

The rags and coat were gone. Now, his full fury was shown forth. He was a rippling tower of muscle. In truth…he looked a lot like the old earth espers Sacred and Minotaur, without the armor of course. He was some sort of humanoid with the head and legs of a bull. His hulking body showed the magnitude of his strength, and his cow-like face was twisted into incredible rage.

Zola would have spun around and tried to attack a moment later…but that was a moment too long. Suddenly, the hulk leapt on him and wrapped his arms around him, pinning his own limbs to his side. He yanked him off the ground a moment later, and then began to crush. Zola grit his teeth in pain as the huge thing squeezed the life out of him.

"You've just made me day, asshole!" Nimrod bellowed. "You don't know how much I was hoping that the intruder was you! I'm going to enjoy killing you almost as much as becoming human again!"

Zola grunted and struggled, but even his strength was inferior to Nimrod's. However, something new had been exposed when Nimrod removed his clothes, and it was something that was even more distinctive now that he was part bull. With that in mind, Zola raised one leg, stuck his heel out, and then swung back into the space between Nimrod's legs.

A blast of hot air blew down on Zola's head, and with a gag the creature doubled over and released Zola. The basilisk in human form landed on the ground, and then spun around and prepared to strike. However, the creature, though aching, was far from immobilized. It gave a grunt, focusing its pain into rage, and then charged forward with horns out and shoulders leveled. Zola gaped, but was only able to move out of the way of the horns before Nimrod collided. Swinging his head up, he batted Zola up and into the air, smashing his head against the ceiling. The pipes around it dented in as he smashed against it, before he collapsed back to the ground and sprawled out on his back.

Zola winced, and began to pick himself up again. A bloody gash on the back of his head dribbled some blood down his neck before it sealed up again. Luckily, he had time to recover. Nimrod was prancing around and moaning in pain. Unfortunately, in the time it took Zola to get up and ready his sword again, Nimrod was recovered as well. As Zola brought his tri-blade back, the thing abruptly snapped around and lashed out with the back of his fist. It smashed into Zola's fingers and hit his sword, making the weapon fly from his grasp and hit the nearby wall before clattering to the ground. Moments later, the hulk shot his hand out and seized Zola by the throat. He began to crush inward, closing Zola's windpipe and throttling him as he raised his body off of the ground.

Zola panicked slightly. This guy was strong enough to pop his head off of his neck, and he wasn't sure if he could regenerate from that. He felt him almost crushing the cartilage in his trachea. Damn mammals and their unguarded windpipes… However, Nimrod had still made a serious mistake. Zola lost his sword, but he still had blades of his own.

As Nimrod continued to choke him, Zola held his hands up in front of him. He focused…and suddenly, the nails ripped off to make room for much longer, sharper, and deadlier claws from his reptile body. The creature was stunned at this, but not nearly as stunned as when Zola reached out and sliced through the ligiments and tendons that enabled Nimrod to close his fingers.

The thing howled in pain as its fist lost the ability to close, and Zola was released once again. He fell to the ground and grasped his sore neck, but also ran over to his fallen blade. On reaching it, he immediately snatched it up and turned around to fight again. But again, Nimrod was moving first. He still had one good hand left, and he used this to give Zola a punch in the stomach. The basilisk was ripped off his feet and thrown down the corridor a good thirty feet before smacking down on the ground again.

Zola groaned, feeling a little sore, as he began to push up again. However, as he raised his head, Nimrod appeared over him. Blaring in rage, the monster lifted a hoof above him…and then smashed it down onto Zola's stomach. The man's eyes bugged and he gagged as blood exploded from his mouth. He abruptly went limp again, and began to writhe against the ground. Using this moment, Nimrod got off of him, but only in order to reach down and seize him by the neck. Pulling him up once more, he began to do what he had done two months ago. He started to smash Zola's head into the pipes and conduits, embedding it in partially each time. Again and again he struck, bursting steam and electricity around him as he did so.

Yet, despite the bludgeoning wounds that Nimrod was inflicting, and the blood that began to pour from them over the face of Zola, somehow the basilisk stayed aware, and got his bearings back. As Nimrod yanked him out to drive him forward again, Zola suddenly came to life. Giving a cry, he brought his sword up and shoved it forward, driving it into Nimrod's chest. He tried to aim for the heart, but his balance was wavering, and he only managed to get it inside the shoulder. At any rate, he plunged the blade in deep, pushing it all the way through. Blood soon began to to pour out.

Again, Zola found himself dropped as the monster roared in agony. The basilisk was stunned and dizzy now, and for a moment he only sprawled out against the ground, trying to get his bearings. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be quite fast enough. Nimrod, despite his grevious injuries, had a high threshold for pain and damage. He recovered more quickly first, and roared at the blade in his chest. He reached up and grabbed it, trying to pull it out again. But of course, that only drove him into further agony. In the end, he turned and glared down at Zola instead. Enraged, he once more lifted his hoof up. But this time, he didn't aim at his stomach or even head. He brought it down on one of Zola's hands instead…and the force and weight immediately broke every bone in it. The basilisk cried out in agony, and did so again when Nimrod went to Zola's other hand and did the same.

The man writhed against the ground for a moment, mind filling with numbing pain. These injuries were so bad that it would take time to regenerate… However, Nimrod didn't look ready to give him time. Again, he seized him by the neck and yanked him off the ground, slamming him into the corridor wall on doing so. Face tight with rage and pain, Nimrod glared at him murderously. He was practically foaming at the mouth. Hot breaths blasted against Zola's face.

"You got nothing left now, runt."

Zola grunted from where he was, still being throttled by the creature. However, as he hung there, he was already working again. The ends of his boots began to bulge…and something started to poke its way out from behind him.

Actually… Zola thought. I do.

Bahamut…I never thought I'd be taking a tip from you.

Nimrod prepared to close his fist and finish Zola off…when suddenly his anger abated, and he gaped in shock instead. As his body went rigid, blood slowly began to drip from his mouth. Astonished, the creature turned and looked down to its chest.

Zola had brought his tail out…and had run Nimrod through with the end of it.

The creature staggered…and dropped its grip again. However, even a wound like that could be recovered from…and Zola wasn't going to let him. When Nimrod released, Zola stayed where he was, using his tail to anchor him in his place. He flipped his body up and around this time, and brought his feet up to Nimrod's neck. When he did…the ends of his boots finally shredded, revealing another set of deadly claws. With one quick cross slash…he sliced through Nimrod's throat.

The creature gagged…and blood began to pour down its neck. It wavered a bit longer on its feet…but then fell backward and collapsed to the ground. Zola yanked his tail out as it fell, and quickly sprung back onto his feet again. He stood straight and tall afterward, looking down over the fallen Nimrod as he settled. Blood continued to flow from him. He panted a few times and swallowed, feeling the pain in his neck from doing so. However, he also used the time to pop his bones back into place in his hands and rejoin them. Soon, he was ready to go again.

Zola looked to Nimrod's face. It was frozen, eyes widened in that last moment of shock, and mouth hung open and dribbling blood. The basilisk stared at him for a moment. But then, he exhaled slowly, and walked up to Nimrod's side. His sword was still there, and after that scuffle he hadn't the strength to make another. He reached over and took the hilt of it, and after bracing himself began to pull…

"One…last request…"

Zola froze on hearing that, and snapped down to the source. To his surprise, Nimrod yet lived. So much blood was flowing out of him…but with a man of his size, Zola supposed that he had a lot to spare. He was already dead though. He was bleeding in too many spots. Nevertheless, he was able to croak somehow even with his slashed throat. As blood ran from his lips, he finished.

"Make…Hoeng…change the others…back…"

Nimrod's last breath was spent saying the last word. After that, his body slumped further, and moved no more.

The basilisk hesitated over his body. Looking at it...he began to feel uncomfortable, especially regarding what he had just done. In the end…he supposed he couldn't really hate Nimrod. After all, he was just doing what he felt he had to. He was trying to get turned back into a human again. And he was trying to avenge his friends. It was the same that Zola would have done. It was rather sad to the creature. Perhaps in the great scheme of things, Nimrod had been the true one in the right all along, and he had been the one who had acted wrongly.

But if so, that was in a different scheme from Zola's. And in the end, what he decided was the only thing that mattered to him. He only hoped that the miserable creature was at peace now…

Exhaling one more time, Zola turned back to the sword and pulled again. This time, he ripped it out. After replacing it behind him, he extended his tongue to begin his search anew.

---

To be continued...

Next Chapter: The secrets of the manimals, Azure, Krystea, Hoeng...and his nightmarish experiment are finally revealed...