Four Minutes Remaining...
The Wren-jet landed on the outskirts of the Chalst Province. Prince Sean, Emperor Lune and Rhys disembarked, and the Wren-jet transformed back into Wren.
"Come on, we're already down by several seconds. Let's move!" Sean ordered, running through a large forest, with Rhys, Lune and Wren following. Whilst they were running, Sean tripped over a tree root and was sent flying. The impact of his fall drove the breath out of his body.
"Quickly, Prince Sean! We've only got four minutes to save the world!" Rhys shouted.
"Under four minutes." Lune corrected. Sean stood up and tested the weight on his legs. He'd sprained his left ankle, but he had no time to rest up. Time was running out. The fall had cost them valuable seconds, and in this sort of situation, every second counts.
"Got to keep going! I have to!" Sean said. But even giving himself a dose of pep talk wasn't enough to quell the pain that seared through his ankle.
The party finally made it out of the forest, but now they had rolling hills to contend with...
Three Minutes Remaining...
"Running up and down hills is not my area of expertise, but it's the only thing we can do. Wren, how long have we got?" Rhys said.
"Two minutes, fifty-six seconds. Basically three minutes." Wren replied.
"That fall already slowed us down. We can't have any more delays. Move it!" Sean ordered, sprinting up the first hill. Rhys, Lune and Wren followed, but they noticed that the hills were moving backwards!
"Dark Force has jinxed the hills! We can't stop or we'll be thrown back!" Lune panicked.
"Come on! If the hills are being influenced by Dark Force, it's definitely nearby. We must make haste!" Rhys shouted.
"Hurry up. Two minutes, twenty-seven seconds remaining!" Wren said. The party darted over the rippling hills, making sure that they didn't slow down or even think about slowing down or stopping. Sean pointed at something up ahead.
"I see a big rock! If we can get to that, we'll be safe from the hills!" the prince said. Sweat was soaking his face, and he was gasping for breath, but Sean knew he couldn't stop. Lune and Rhys were also tiring rapidly. Only Wren showed no signs of fatigue.
A high hill rose up in front of the big rock. Sean sprinted up as fast as his fatigued legs could manage, and then he took an almighty bound. He landed heavily on the rock, but at least he was past the hills. Lune made it across next, but he had landed so close to the rock's edge that Sean had to pull him away. Wren leapt across next, and he landed cleanly next to where Sean had landed.
"Come on, Rhys!" Lune shouted. Rhys leapt towards Lune, but he hadn't quite made a big enough leap. He gripped the edge of the rock and vainly tried to pull himself up. Lune grabbed hold of Rhys' arm and tried to pull him up. He couldn't manage.
"Quickly, Lune! Just go without me!" Rhys yelled, panicking. Wren dashed over to him.
"We're not about to do that, Rhys. We're not going to abandon you!" Wren said, grabbing Rhys' other arm and helping Lune pull him up. Their combined efforts managed to do it.
"That was far too close." Lune panted.
Two Minutes Remaining...
"How long have we got, Wren?" Sean asked, still regaining his breath.
"One minute, fifty-nine seconds." Wren replied. The party made their way across the rock and down the other side. There was a massive clearing in front of them.
"Ah! Something easier, for a change." Rhys said, relieved.
"Don't be too sure, Rhys. I've got a hunch." Lune hissed. Sean agreed with Lune, and then the party began to trek across the clearing. Two figures approached them from the distance.
"Who are those strange beings that dare approach us?" Rhys asked.
"It's Sanqar and Malignus, the two demons!" Wren replied, panicking slightly. The party carried on advancing, and so did Sanqar and Malignus. There was a scrape of metal against leather as the two demons drew their scimitars from their scabbards.
"Dark Force has nearly mustered the energy to destroy Samesina! Just another minute and twenty-eight seconds!" Malignus announced.
"I can't wait!" Sanqar said excitedly. But Sean, Lune, Wren and Rhys had heard what Malignus had said.
"We don't have time to deal with Sanqar and Malignus! We have to get to Dark Force!" Sean panicked.
"In that case, I will keep Sanqar and Malignus occupied whilst you, Lune and Wren go after Dark Force. That foul varmint must not be allowed to destroy Samesina!" Rhys announced. He drew his hunting knife from its sheath.
"You'll need a better weapon than that, Rhys! Here, take this!" Wren said, handing his hand-cannon to Rhys. He took it and staggered slightly.
"It's rather weighty for a weapon..." Rhys said, but Wren stopped him saying any more.
"But it blows demons sky-high. Just blast Sanqar and Malignus to pieces when they come for you." Wren said, and then he ran after Sean and Lune. Sanqar and Malignus had seen the threesome running towards Dark Force's location, but they decided not to chase them. They ran towards Rhys, scimitars bared.
"Good riddance, you foul demonic charlatans!" Rhys roared, aiming the cannon at Sanqar. He fired, but he missed.
"Ooh, fancy-pants! You missed!" Sanqar taunted.
"The first shot misses most of the time, you scoundrel! I hope you like cannon fire, because I'm about to turn you into cannon fodder, you filthy varmint!" Rhys fired the cannon again, and the shot hit Sanqar, catapulting him backwards. He hit Malignus, and they were both sent careering to the ground.
"Let us end this once and for all, you cads!" Rhys yelled, taking aim with the cannon and firing once more.
One Minute Remaining...
Meanwhile, Prince Sean, Wren and Emperor Lune had been heading towards Dark Force. They were going to beat it and save Lyle, who had been possessed by Dark Force.
"How long do we have, Wren?" Sean asked.
"Fifty-seven seconds." Wren replied.
"Less than a minute, already? Time sure flies!" Lune said, panic cutting through his voice. The threesome kept on running, and eventually they came up to Dark Lyle.
"You're too late, idiots! I've already gathered most of the power!" Dark Lyle snarled at the party.
"He's right. We only have twenty-one seconds." Wren whispered. Sean told him to stop being so pessimistic.
"Right, Dark Force! It's show time!" Sean yelled. He then muttered a few incomprehensible words under his breath and cast the Separa Technique.
"You silly idiot, what good's that gonna... what the-? I'm being torn from my vessel!" Dark Lyle screamed, before collapsing to the floor. Clouds of black smoke rose up from Lyle's body and formed a face-like shape above him. The gathering dark power dissipated almost immediately after Dark Force had completely separated from Lyle. At least the countdown to Samesina's imminent destruction had stopped... for the moment.
"You seem to have figured my weakness. In that case, I'd better make this much harder for you." Dark Force sneered, wrapping itself around Lune and Wren, trapping them on the floor. Sean now had to fight Dark Force alone.