The world blurred out of existence, and then reformed into a battlefield. Tall grass swayed in the wind as the sun beat down in the cloudless sky above. Mary pointed her sword at Ninten, and it glimmered in the sunlight along with the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Ninten took a step towards his great-grandmother.

An explosion rocked the earth, spraying dirt in Ninten's face. By the time that he regained his senses, he was lying on the ground. He blinked, making out the shapes of Ana and Claus.

Ninten's legs tingled as he stood up, and when he looked down he saw them wobbling.

"Incoming," Ana said, looking over at Claus. "What do we do?"

Claus thrust his hands forward, and a blue forcefield made of clear hexagons appeared around the group. Ninten heard another explosion behind him, and whipped his head around to see dirt splattering onto the forcefield. Claus grunted.

Ninten looked out through the forcefield, spotting on the surrounding hills what looked like small artillery units that each carried a rack of arrows rather than a cannon barrel. Mary stood atop one of the hills, now wearing a suit of white armor instead of her Victorian dress.

"What are those things?" Claus said.

The "things" fired more arrows out of their wooden grates dozens at a time. The arrows arced in the sky, thick enough to look like a storm of crows, and descended onto the battlefield. Many hit Claus' forcefield, and Ninten could see sweat beading up on his face.

"I think those are hwachas," Ana said.

"Is that even a real word?" Claus said.

"16th century Korean rocket launchers. Without people to reload them, each one should only fire one round."

"One round of a hundred explosive arrows," Claus said. "Joy."

Ninten looked around at the hills around the battlefield at the dozens of artillery.

"Ana," Ninten said. "Close your eyes to check your PSI. I don't have anything useful for stopping the arrows, but I should be able to heal you up if you get damaged."

Before checking to see if Ana followed his directions, Ninten looked back over at Claus. Another wave of arrows hit the forcefield, and Claus' legs started shaking.

"Claus. Can you take some of my energy?"

Claus flashed a weak smile. "Don't think so. I'll… be fine."

Ninten whirled back around and looked out at the hills. Mary held her blade in hand, looking down at the battlefield with an unreadable expression. She extended a hand out towards one of the hwatchas, and the artillery fired its round of arrows that rose up and blackened the sky.

She was really going to keep at it until the arrows broke through the forcefield.

Correct, came a voice in Ninten's mind. Leave while you still have the chance. It will be easier for both of us if you run away and save yourself.

Ninten felt his shoulders tense. He supposed that it made sense that someone like Mary who spent most of her adult life practicing PSI could read his mind and send telepathic messages, but it didn't explain why her voice sounded so distant in his mind.

I love you Ninten. Please, don't let yourself get dragged into this mess.

Ninten stared at Mary for a moment, and then narrowed his eyes.

Any grandmother would do everything she could to save her grandson. Please don't worry about me, Ninten.

"Okay," came Ana's voice. "So I have a shield thingy that I can use inside of this Magicant. Might as well try it out."

A layer of green hexagons spread out in front of Ninten, enclosing him, Ana, and Claus in a small dome. Claus sucked in a breath of air, and the layer of blue hexagons faded away. More arrows slammed into the forcefield, and Ana flinched when they detonated.

"These arrows are kind of rude," Ana muttered. "Didn't their parents ever teach them to use their words?"

"Takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?" Claus said. "Just give me a second to recover."

By now, Claus was clutching his chest and panting. Ninten took a step towards him, but Claus waved in dismissal.

"I got it," Claus said. "Just need a little time."

More arrows exploded on the forcefield. Ana bared her teeth and growled.

"Okay," she said. "This is actually starting to get a little annoying."

Ninten scanned the hills, and saw that only about a quarter of the hwatchas had been depleted of arrows. He took a minute to cycle through his PSI abilities. Quickup? Still wouldn't let them dodge arrows. 4th-D slip? No, Mary would know what he was up to and kill him when he appeared again in the future.

Ninten extended a hand in front of him and tried to form the same forcefield that Ana and Claus had put up. A few wisps of purple PSI energy unfurled in front of him, but nothing stayed in place.

Useless again. Oh boy.

Just run, Ninten, Mary's voice echoed in his mind. Let Hinawa teach you how to destroy the Nowhere Islands V-game once and for all. Leave it all behind. Me, George, the Dark Dragon, everyone. Turn away and live your normal life.

"Ninten," Ana said. "Can you do anything? I don't know how many more volleys I can take before my forcefield buckles."

"No, just give me a minute," Claus said. "Really, I think I'll be able to help you once I focus again."

Claus took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His fingers trembled as he held out a hand in front of him. He thrust his palm forward, and crooked blue hexagons appeared outside of Ana's forcefield, adding on another layer. Another volley of arrows bore down, and the explosions shattered Claus' forcefield.

"Damn," Claus said, his eyes flashing open. "I guess I need a bit more time."

"You're drained," Ana said. "I can sense it."

Claus shook his head. "I promise I'm stronger than this."

"Ninten." Ana's gaze pinned him in place. "I need you to try something else with your PSI."

"Like what?"

"Like anything. Even if it sounds stupid. It's not our situation can really get worse."

And it won't get better, either, came Mary's voice. If you come back into the V-game after I shoo you out, you'll find the same line of hwachas waiting for you.

Ninten looked away from Ana's desperate gaze. All throughout the V-game, his PSI had been essentially useless. He hadn't used it to stop the cycle of suffering before, and he couldn't use it to save his friends before.

He would die, come back, and die again to the hwachas again. Nothing would ever chance.

"Ninten?" Claus said. "What do you think we should do."

Ninten blinked. That was exactly it. Nothing was going to change.

"Mary," Ninten said. "I know that you can hear me."

Silence.

"Mary. Don't play dumb with me."

Ninten, George fabricates more evidence against you with each second that passes. We don't have time for this.

"No, that's where you're wrong. I have all the time in the world."

Another round of explosions sounded, and Ana's forcefield started to flicker.

"Go ahead," Ninten said. "Kill us. We'll just come back to the V-game."

The hwachas stopped firing, leaving the battlefield in a deathly silence. Ana hesitated and then lowered her arms, the forcefield disappearing as her hands fell to her side.

"You see it, don't you?" Ninten said. "You have to work with us. If you try to force us out, we'll just renter the game again and again. Come closer, grandmother. I want to strike a deal."

The world stood still for a moment. Ninten bit his lip to distract himself from the churning of his stomach. Maybe he had made a mistake. Maybe Mary had some power over Ninten that he just couldn't understand.

Or maybe she just didn't care about watching her great-grandson die over and over again.

"Grandma?" Ninten said.

Mary materialized a few paces in front of Ninten, holding her sword at her side. Out of the corner of his eye, Ninten saw Ana raising her hands to use PSI and motioned for her to stop. Ninten took a step forward and offered a nod to his great-grandmother.

"I'm not sure who your biological parents were," Mary said, "But they must have been clever people. Too bad they didn't have the good sense to raise their own sweet child."

Ninten frowned. Was Mary trying to taunt him? Compliment him? What did she hope to gain from those words? He knew that she must have weighed every one before speaking.

"But even though I need to listen to you," Mary said, "Don't forget that I control the Nowhere Islands V-game. If I wanted to, I could teleport you all into a pit of lava and watch it melt your skin."

"But you didn't," Ninten said, "Because you need to do more than send us out of the V-game. You need to convince us to stay out."

"Pain isn't a particularly elegant way of crushing souls, but it works. If you leave me no choice, I'll sacrifice my morals again and hurt my precious baby boy until he has the good sense to erase the Nowhere Islands V-game and end his great-grandparents' miserable lives after death. I won't let George take you, Ninten, and I'll do anything it takes to stop him." Her eyes flashed with pain. "Anything."

"Even torture me until I break?"

"Yes." Mary looked Ninten in the eye. "You know that I've done terrible things in the name of the greater good. I'll just add one more stone to the bucket if it will save you from George."

Ninten shook his head. "I'm not destroying the Nowhere Islands V-game if it means erasing you as well. Even if I take out George in the process."

Mary took a deep breath. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe this is what I want? Maybe it doesn't feel good to see you pay for my mistakes. I barely had time to raise my children. I barely had time to raise my grandchildren. Your mother and grandfather deserved so much better from me. So I wanted everything to be different with you. I didn't want my past to weigh on you like it burdened everyone else I know."

"I remember all of the times you'd help me play with building blocks as a child," Ninten said. "I remember how you would hug me every time that George made me cry. You did make it different for me, grandma. You made my life wonderful. That's why I can't let you fade away."

"I'm so tired, Ninten." Mary flashed a sad smile. "It's my time to go. I don't expect you to understand, but there will be a time in your life when you wish for oblivion as well. So please just let me die."

"Not when we still have work to do," Ninten said. "I can see why you invaded the Nowhere Islands and searched for psychic kids to be a vessel for your spirit. But we still need to right those wrongs, and I can do it together. Claus, what do you think?"

Ninten looked back over his shoulder. Ana was studying Mary through narrowed eyes while Claus looked on with his hands raised near his chest in a defensive position.

"Claus?"

"You're really the one who caused all of our problems?" Claus said to Mary. "You were the one who told the military to take me and break me down?"

"All me," Mary said. "And if Ninten destroys the V-game, he'll wipe me out and you'll get your revenge. You and your mother will be fine. I don't know where your data files are stored, but they're not here inside of the V-game."

"But Lucas told me that my people are still suffering back on the real Nowhere Islands," Claus said. "Your death won't save them."

"And your assistance could," Ninten said. "We just need to get you out of here and you can open up to the world about everything that happened. We'll be here to help you every step of the way."

Mary raised her sword. "When someone tries to kill you, and then threatens to torture you, it's generally a good idea to run. I'm not the victim of this story, Ninten. I'm not the princess that needs saving. I'm the villain. And if you don't erase me, I will make your life miserable. Do what's best for you, Ninten."

"I think that Ninten and Claus are right," Ana said. "Maybe you've done terrible things. Hell, maybe you're even a terrible person. But from the bits and pieces that I've gathered, it sounds like we need you to bring justice to the Nowhere Islands. Killing you doesn't solve any of our problems."

"It solves one massive problem named George," Mary said.

"Grandma, please." Ninten extended a hand forward. "Together, we can end the cycle of suffering. I think I understand why you are the Dark Dragon inside the V-game. You have the raw PSI power to save the world, but I need to guide you along with my emotions. That's what it means to pass on a heart to the Dark Dragon."

Mary smiled. "I love you, Ninten, but you shouldn't put your faith in fairy tales. Especially not fake ones."

"I think Lucas already passed his heart onto you when he prayed for the Dark Dragon to protect all life back in the real Nowhere Islands. You couldn't bring yourself to hurt anyone else because of his heart. I think that together, we can do even more."

"And I'll stand with you, all the way," Claus said. "I have to hang onto the hope that we can make things better for the people back on the Nowhere Islands. I don't have anything else left."

"I'm in as well, obviously," Ana said, flashing a grin. "I'm learning PSI because I want to heal people. And I think that physical wounds aren't the only kind we can cure."

"Then you are all fools," Mary said. "Wonderful, lovely, precious fools, but fools all the same. Life isn't about lollipops and rainbows. We live lonely lives and die lonely deaths. And if I have to teach you the harsh truth to make you see that there are some problems we just can't fix, then I'll crush your innocence and throw it into the abyss with the all of the other broken dreams."

"Then do it," Ninten said. "We're out of PSI energy. Fire the hwachas and watch it rip our flesh apart."

Mary hesitated.

"You can't do it," Ninten said, "Because you know deep down that we're stronger than we look. We'll be back again and again until we can get you to help us stop the cycle of suffering for the real Nowhere Islands."

Mary's gaze narrowed.

"I want to make a deal," Ninten said. "I think you'll find my terms quite reasonable."

"Sometimes," Mary said, "I resent the fact that you're so nice and smart and perfect. But I guess perfect isn't the right word. Because staying around here will flay your soul. You know that. You're sacrificing yourself for a shred of hope that you can save someone who doesn't deserve your help."

"I'll be the first one to talk about how you might deserve to rot in hell for an eternity," Claus said, "But I've learned that revenge doesn't help anyone. I just want what's best for my people, and we all know that you have the power and knowledge to help spread the word about the Nowhere Islands. It's as simple as that."

"Right," Ana said. "You get redemption, we get a chance to make a difference, and the people of the Nowhere Islands get a happy ending. I don't see why we shouldn't just work together. Optimism isn't as naïve as you make it out to be."

"See, grandma?" Ninten said. "Sometimes it's not about judgment. It's about what the world needs. And I'm not even asking you to help us. Not yet."

Mary offered a slight nod. "State your terms."

"You'll face me on the battlefield," Ninten said. "Not hiding behind hwachas. If you want to kill me, use your blade. Look into my eyes as you see the life drain out of them. That is my request."

Mary hesitated, lowering her blade further. Her armor danced in the sunlight as her arm moved through the air.

"And in return," Ninten said, "I'll face you alone."

"Ninten?" Claus said. "I thought that we were all in this together."

Ninten turned around, forcing a smile as he met Claus' wide eyes.

"You're with me, Claus," Ninten said. "Always. Do you trust me to get through to my grandmother on my own?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then I won't let you down. It's as simple as that."

Ana looked over and nodded. "I've been learning, Claus, that despite how much Ninten looks and acts like a wimp we can't do everything for him."

"Ann," Ninten said. "Really? Right now?"

Ana shrugged. "Hey, I mean it in the best possible way. You might be a wimp, but you're fighting through your fears and doing awesome stunts in this V-game anyway. I think that's what matters."

"Unfortunately, none of it matters," Mary said, "Because I'm not accepting that deal."

Ninten turned back around to see his great-grandmother taking a step back and shaking her head.

"I'm not counting on my ability to scare you out of this V-game even when you're alone," Mary said. "Please, Ninten. You just need to leave."

"What else do you want?" Ninten said. "I don't want you to kill us over and over again with explosive arrows from hundreds of feet away. If you have to force us out of the Nowhere Islands, at least thrust the blade into our chests yourself."

"Unfortunately, you're not in a position to make demands," Mary said. "I know you're plotting something, Ninten. You're too clever not to be. The way I win this game is by not playing it."

Mary turned around.

"Grandma."

Mary started walking away. She raised an arm, and one of the hwachas fired a round of arrows.

"If you kill me in a fair duel, I won't come back," Ninten said.

Arrows streaked through the air, a storm of grey on the blue sky. Mary whirled around.

"What did you say?"

"Stop the arrows."

Mary grunted, and then thrust a hand forward. A yellow pattern of hexagons appeared around Ninten, Claus, and Ana. The arrows arced and fell down on the forcefield like chunks of ice in a hailstorm. Each one exploded, clouding Ninten's vision of Mary. After the explosions ended and the arrows lay scattered around the forcefield, Mary lowered her arm and the yellow hexagons around Ninten and his friends vanished.

"If you want to face me alone," Ninten said, "And you kill me, then I'll never enter the Nowhere Islands V-game again. I'll erase the V-game and forget that the Nowhere Islands ever existed."

And then the real Nowhere Islands would remain a black hole of information. People would scream across the Pacific and nobody would be there on the other side to listen. The cycle of suffering would continue. Ninten took a deep breath.

"Are you sure about this?" Claus said. "If you never go back into the Nowhere Islands V-game, then…"

"We can still meet in Lucas' Magicant," Ninten said. "I'll never leave you, Claus."

"Besides, it doesn't matter," Ana said, "Because I'm sure that you'll find some crazy way to wring a happy ending out of this whole mess."

"Oh, I wouldn't count on it," Mary said, slowly raising her sword as it glimmered in the sunlight. "Besides, I don't have any reason to trust that you'll keep your word."

"What do you have to lose?" Ninten said. "If you kill me and I come back, you can just revert to your original plan of beating me into submission."

Mary winced. "It makes me so sad that you say that phrase, Ninten. I love you so much and I hope you know that hurting my precious baby boy is the last thing that I would ever want to do."

"But you have to make sacrifices to do what you think is best for me," Ninten said. "I understand. Do you accept the deal or not?"

"You'll really just leave the Nowhere Islands behind if I kill you once?"

Not like he had much of a choice, really. If he couldn't get through to Mary now, he would probably break before she did.

"I will."

Mary smiled, and looked down at her sword. "In that case, I accept."

Ninten nodded, and looked back at his friends. "I think I have it from here."

"I'll be cheering you on from the outside," Ana said with a grin, and then vanished.

Claus looked down at his feet. "Ana trusts you to do this. I guess I should too."

Maybe not. Ninten didn't know how he would be able to pull off a miracle to get Mary out of the V-game. Was it even possible?

"It's just that the last time someone asked me to trust them," Claus said, "It was the American military asking me to believe that they wouldn't hurt me. We both know where that one ended."

Claus squeezed his eyes shut. Ninten wondered if Claus heard a gunshot in his mind, if he were reliving how the cool metal of the gun barrel felt as it slid through his lips and into his mouth.

"Look at what I did to your friend, Ninten," Mary said. "If you stay around me long enough, I'll do the same to you. It's inevitable."

"But then again," Claus said, "You were always a stronger person than I was. I'm counting on you to keep your mind together. Don't let your story end as mine."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Claus," Ninten said.

"Hmm?"

"You're one of the strongest people I know. It amazes me that after everything that's happened, you can still open up your heart and trust me. True strength means putting yourself out in the world even when it might hurt you."

"Thanks." Claus nodded, his eyes still closed. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

"And Claus?" Ninten said. "One more thing. Thanks for being my friend."

Claus' eyes flashed open, and a grin spread onto his face. For that moment, Ninten was back on Mt. Oriander, watching the way that ten year-old Claus' eyes twinkled as he begged for Ninten to join him in play-fighting with the Dragos.

"Of course," Claus said. "Friends forever."

Claus placed a hand over his chest, nodded at Ninten, and then took one last look up at the sky. He closed his eyes and exhaled, and moments later he vanished from sight.

"Touching," Mary said. "If you want to stay that way, then you should turn back now."

Ninten turned around to see his great-grandmother taking slow steps towards him with her sword raised. Her white armor radiated sunlight.

"You said that you wanted a fair fight," Mary said. "Choose your weapon."

"A quarterstaff."

Mary hesitated. "I don't want you to come back into the V-game saying the fight wasn't fair. Pick a real weapon."

Ninten shook his head. "I don't want to hurt you, grandma. I just need a staff that won't break when I use it to block your blade."

Mary's eyes narrowed. She extended a hand to her side, and a gnarled branch of wood appeared in her hand. She set her sword on the ground and snapped the branch over her armored kneepad.

Snapped, that was, except that the branch didn't break.

Mary held up the stick of wood for Ninten to inspect. No bends, no breaks. She tossed the quarterstaff to him, and he fumbled for it in the air. By the time that he caught the branch and held it in his hands, Mary had picked up her sword and was now pointing it at him.

"Tell me when you want to start," Mary said. "I won't let you make the excuse that I caught you by surprise. But once you say go, I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth to make sure that you leave this hellscape once and for all."

Ninten took a deep breath. Without his friends, Mary would have been able to manipulate his emotions and get him to leave the V-game on his own accord.

While controlling Lucas in the Cave of the Dark Dragon, she would have convinced Ninten that he was only hurting the people that he was trying to protect.

Here in her own Magicant, she would have enraged Ninten and pushed him to leaving in a huff.

Ana and Claus had stepped in to set Ninten back on track. He would have to remember to thank them again for standing by him all this time. But the real fight here was between Ninten and Mary.

She was his great-grandmother.

She had planned to use him as a vessel.

She had loved him and looked into his eyes with a smile since birth.

Ninten looked up into Mary's eyes. Beneath the fire in her onyx-black irises, Ninten detected a moment's hesitation, a twinge of sorrow.

A single tear welled up in her eye and rolled down her cheek.

This was what Ninten would have to face alone.

"I'm ready," Ninten said. "Let's go."

Mary nodded, and then raised her sword to the sky.