Disclaimer: See the prologue.
Extraneous:Ditto
Author's notes1: For all intensive purposes, the prophecy is complete as far as this story goes. However, it will be continued in my next fan-fiction. Only a few chapters left, so let's get this thing started!
Author's notes2: A few figures from Priere's past make appearances in this chapter. They all belong in the game La Pucelle. La Pucelle is another game that is © Nippon Ichi. Thank you.
Chapter 9: Saito versus Shadow
When we last left our heroes:
Saito had just finished his tale, and the group then began to discuss strategies. It was decided that combining armies would be the best way to eliminate Baal, and so everyone returned to the Overlord's Castle. Laharl introduced the young mage to Pleinair, and allowed her to explain the basis for character creation. She then led him inside to begin his own creative process. It did not take long for Saito to create his core group, and it took him even less time to train them. After all of the training had finished, Saito made the decision to go to Earth, in order to retrieve two of the five remaining keys.
Half of the group gated directly into EDF headquarters, while Saito led the remainder through Grand Central Station. Here, he broke down, and related how the EDF had originally come into existence. Upon his arrival at the base, Saito surprised everyone by leading them directly to General Carter's deadliest weapon—the Astro Cannon. One of Saito's younger friends, a young man named Jacen, had shorted the cannon in order to allow the demons to pass through the door. However, the young man would later sacrifice himself in order to overload the circuitry when it unexpectedly came back online. Saito sent the teams to find Carter, and then he broke down, weeping over the body of one of his closer friends. Priere comforted him, and then he destroyed the Astro Cannon.
The Alternate Overlord noticed a key on the deceased's belt, and she pointed it out to the weredragon. He picked it up, and discovered that it was one of the two draconic keys. His mental celebration grew as Gordon returned, bringing the General and the key to Beauty Castle. Saito thanked the Slayer, and then removed Carter's head in payment for his crimes. The young mage then decided to take a brief trip to his own home, in order to catch-up with his mentors and family. He was greeted by the Recorder, and when everyone had gathered, he related the events that had befallen him. Everyone grieved for the death of Jacen, and then Saito was forced to leave his home once more. He had a job to finish.
Upon his return, it was decided that the EDF fleet would be utilized against Baal. When addressing the fleet, Saito was stunned to learn that several of the captains and officers were draconic. He explained the situation to his friends, and they agreed to help. The mage then proceeded to send the fleet to the Alternate Netherworld, while he returned to the Overlord's Castle with the team leaders in order to finalize the battle plans.
Meanwhile, we learn that Baal has raised an army of his own, and he has also resurrected Shadow, an old adversary of Saito's. We now join the fleet around Beauty Castle, as they are in for a nasty shock.
Beauty Castle: Alternate Netherworld
Brian looked out of the front viewports of the Absolution and sighed aloud. This is really boring. "I am going to do some scouting," he said abruptly, rising from his chair as he did so. He turned to his first mate, and then smiled. "If I do not return within ten minutes, take-off and wait for instructions from the Kaiser." The young man nodded, and Brian smiled to himself as he left the bridge.
Outside, things are not as calm as they appear to be…
Shadow grinned wickedly as he looked at all of the ships of the EDF Fleet. These poor fools have no idea what is coming. He then settled back down on the ridge, waiting for his scouts to return. However, Shadow failed to notice that someone down below had recognized him. He also had no idea that Brian was about to ruin his perfect plans.
It's quiet out here. A little TOO quiet, Brian thought to himself as he looked up at the ridge above him. He then stopped, his breath catching in his throat as he saw something that did not belong. "Wait just a minute. Those were crimson wings. The only draconic that I know who had crimson wings was…" OH SHIT! If Baal brought back Shadow, then he must have assembled some sort of army. That means that he was anticipating an attack. I MUST get this information to Saito immediately! The draconic sprinted back into his ship, and hurried to the bridge. His first mate looked at him worriedly. "Is there something wrong, sir?" The draconic's face was grim as he turned to face the young human. "Alert the rest of the fleet that they are to lift-off immediately. We are no longer safe on the ground." The order was relayed, and the remainder of the fleet lifted into the air, much to Shadow's dismay. DAMN THEM! he thought as he scrambled back to alert his master of this new development. At the same time, Brian was reaching his mind out to an old friend. Saito! I have news for you, and it is far from good.
Overlord's Castle: True Netherworld
The Overlord let out a low whistle as he walked up and down the ranks of the army that Saito had managed to raise. "I have to say that I am quite impressed with what you have done here. Excellent work." Saito smiled and nodded, but then he was contacted by Brian. Saito! I have news for you, and it is far from good. What is it, Brian? asked Saito as he raised a hand for silence. The Overlord shut his mouth and waited for the mental conversation to conclude. Saito's eyes were still open, but they were unfocused, as if they were seeing his old friend.
I hate to be the bearer of ill news, but it appears that Baal was able to raise an army. I'm not really surprised, because I told him that I would be returning to take him out. It gets worse, Saito. Baal raised Shadow from the dead and made him the overall commander. WHAT? You must be JOKING, right? I'm afraid not, old friend. Laharl was watching the mage's eyes carefully, and he rushed off to find the rest of the team leaders as soon as the weredragon's eyes began to darken. Saito didn't notice, as he was wrapped up in his conversation. Does he have any flying units? Yes, but he appears to be holding them back for the time being. I count at least six separate units. Thank you, Brian. That is all the information that I need for now. Defend yourselves until we arrive, and wait for my signal before you begin to pound on Baal's Tower. Yes sir.
Saito's eyes came back into focus in order to find that he was surrounded by the rest of the team leaders. His eyes had darkened to navy blue, and the leader's knew better than to bother him with questions. Saito looked at each of the leaders, and then he began to issue his orders. "Gather all of the armies together. Baal has managed to raise an army of his own, and we will have to eliminate it in order to get to him. However, he has done something that I will make him suffer for: he dared to raise Shadow from the dead in order to cause me more pain and suffering." Everyone scrambled away, with the lone exception of Priere. "What are you going to do about Shadow?" "I am going to rip out his soul, and then personally feed it to Gargo." The Alternate Overlord shook her head and gently smiled. "You are a ruthless bastard sometime, you know that?" The mage turned to her, grinning. "Of course I know that already, Alternate Overlord. Now get moving." Priere smiled, bowed, and then left to gather her forces.
Dark Assembly: Overlord's Castle
It took nearly two hours, but soon all demons were gathered in the Dark Assembly.
Nicholai Krichevskoy pounded on the podium in a futile attempt to restore a sense of order. He then looked over at Saito and shrugged. "Do you want to give this a try?" The young mage shrugged, and then smiled. "Sure. What do I have to lose?" The former Overlord stepped away from the podium, and waited for the Kaiser to take his place. However, Saito had a different idea. He stepped to the front of the platform, took a deep breath, and then roared one word at the top of his lungs. "QUIET!" The assembly hall immediately fell silent, and all eyes turned to the young man standing on the stage.
Saito smiled out over the audience, and then he began to speak. "You were all gathered here for one reason, and one reason alone: Baal has returned to threaten us all." There were exclamations and curses from the crowd, but they quickly faded when the mage raised his right hand and curled it into a fist. "I know how all of you feel about this news, but allow me to say this: if we sit here and do nothing, then we will easily fall prey to his army. That's correct, ladies and gentlemen: Baal has an army. If he is not stopped here and now, then all worlds will be overthrown." Everyone stared at him, waiting for their orders. The mage looked back at Laharl, and then he shrugged. "I don't know about all of you, but I am going to fight Baal with everything that I am. What about you?" There was silence for a moment longer, and then every demon in the room stood as one and roared out that they were ready to face the threat.
Laharl was forced to step to the microphone in order to restore order. Saito returned to his seat, and he was about to sit down when he noticed a lone head of silvery-white hair resting near one of the larger entrances. He smiled, and then called out over all of the noise. "What took you so long, Michael? I was starting to wonder if you had just fled while you had the chance." The Seraph laughed aloud and then he smiled at the young mage. "As long as you are fighting to restore the balance, then I might as well help you out in any way that I possibly can."
Most of the demons were quick to notice the entrance of the Seraph. More precisely, they were quick to notice that the Seraph had arrived with a large force of angels. There was an angry muttering in the crowd, but it disappeared when Saito looked directly at each of the dissenters. His eyes were visibly darker, a sure sign that he would tolerate no mistakes. He then rose to address the dissenters. "For those of you who think that bringing angels here will bring us to ruin, you better listen, and listen carefully. I absolutely REFUSE to tolerate any sort of grievances that you may have against them." His eyes then narrowed to mere slits, and his voice took on a lethal tone. "If ANY of you harm one single feather on an angel who is fighting alongside us, then I will personally hunt you down and rip out your soul. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes sir." "I can't HEAR you." "YES SIR!" "Good. I'm glad that I got that little bit out of the way." He allowed his gaze to wander the assembly, and then he smiled. "MOVE OUT!"
Saito asked the leaders to stay behind for the final briefing. He looked around at his companions, and then he smiled. "This is it, people. I know that it will take some time, but we will win this fight." He turned to the Overlord, and then nodded. "Laharl, I want you and your father to lead the main ground attack. Use the portal from Priere Castle. I will be going in through Beauty Castle with my core group, in order to disrupt communications." The Overlord nodded, and then the mage turned to Priere. "Priere, I want you to lead the aerial attack. Divide your entire force into two groups, and send the second group after Shadow's reserves when I give the signal. I will be directing the fight from the front steps of Beauty Castle. When you see me, take-off." "Be careful, Saito. I want to make sure that you survive this fight, after everything else you have been through." The mage nodded to the worried Alternate Overlord. "You just worry about doing your job. However, I have one last request for all of you: leave Shadow to me. This time, I will make sure that he will never come back." The leaders nodded, and then each went their separate ways.
Corridors of Beauty Castle: Alternate Netherworld
Ten minutes after the arrival of the main force, Saito and his core group entered the halls of Beauty Castle.
Saito looked around at the nine other people who formed his core group. He then looked down the corridor. Seeing nobody at the other end, he sent Jigen and Senrael forward to see if there was anyone waiting in ambush. Both soon returned, and Jigen shook his head. "There's no one inside. I think they are all out there, facing Laharl and the army." Saito nodded, and then he turned to his cleric. Maria checked her quiver to make sure that she had enough arrows. She then made sure that her short sword was secure at the back of her waist.
Saito had been very thorough when he trained his core group. He made sure that they all knew how to use their fists, at least one projectile weapon, and at least one close-combat weapon. He smiled as he watched Maria adjust her sword, and then he gathered the group around him. "This is it, ladies and gentlemen. If any of you want to back out, then now is the time." He heard a nervous cough come from his left, and the mage turned to his surveyor. "Yes Curley?" The red-haired young man drew his blade and offered it to the mage. "By my own life and by this creed…" He had begun the intonation, and the rest of the core group were quick to follow his example. "My blade be forever used to defend those weaker than myself, my arrows used to fell those who oppress the masses. I live to defend, and would rather die than betray my beliefs. I shall defend you to the last, and shall not waver, even if those around me should fall. My life ever before yours."
Saito bowed his head, and the members of his team were surprised to see tears in the mage's eyes. "I thank you for your honesty, and I humbly accept your oaths of fealty." The blades were sheathed, never to be drawn against the diralec again. He rose and stretched, and then he motioned to his team. "It's time that we show this idiot how a real draconic fights." He turned and strode towards the front door, his team surrounding him at all times. He paused before the doors, and then he smiled wickedly. Shadow was already in trouble, and Saito immediately knew it.
Outside of Beauty Castle:
"Hold the line, troops!" Shadow roared as he attempted to maintain some semblance of order. The arrival of the angels had sent a nasty shock up and down his spine, but what was even worse was the fact that he could not sense his rival in the masses before him. He continued to search the massive force before him, even as he was forced to call on his reserves. This was when he received another nasty shock.
One of the fighters that he had been holding in reserve stumbled around the side of the castle. He was favoring a badly injured leg, and Shadow knew that he brought bad news. "Sir, we are being attacked by something, and it's making mincemeat out of our reserve units." "I can tell that much," the draconic-turned-demon snarled. "Can you describe exactly what it is that's attacking you?" "Yes I can sir, and I think you will be very disturbed by this. It appears to be a single violet-haired, violet-eyed woman wielding a lance. That is all that I could see before that bitch smashed my right leg."
Saito grinned wickedly as he pushed the doors open and stepped onto the main staircase descending from the keep. He then began to call out mental orders immediately. Nicholai, Laharl: I need you two to fall back for the time being. Take two units and drop back for a bit, then circle around the keep. I need you to aid a young woman who is currently occupying the attention of Shadow's reserve units. What in the heck do you mean by "occupying their attention"? Sorry. Maybe I should rephrase that. She is beating the crap out of these guys, but I would really HATE it if she turned against us. How in the hell will she know how to trust us? Call her by her birth name, I hate to ask, but I have no clue what it is… The mage merely smiled, and then he sent his final reply to the two of them. Her name is Éclair.
The next mental contact he felt was the Alternate Overlord. Saito? I can't see you anywhere. Look up, Priere. I'm just sitting here at the front door. The former human looked up at the base of the keep and, sure enough, she saw the distinct auburn hair of the Kaiser. She grinned, and then motioned to her troops. I need half of you to stay and fly interference for the weredragon. As for the rest of you: you will be joining me in reinforcing King Krichevskoy and his son, the Overlord Laharl. Are there any questions? No one spoke. Good. I'm glad to see that we understand one another. As she took-off, she called out to Saito once again. I heard rumors that Nicholai went of to back-up a friend of mine. Is that true? Well, that depends on whether you counted Éclair's dark side as an ally or an enemy. There was dead silence on the other side of the connection. Then: ÉCLAIR? You're kidding me, right? No, young lady. I am being quite serious. You also might want to watch out for Homard. I think he might be a LITTLE pissed if his bride got injured. If those two are here, then where are the other members of La Pucelle? She heard his mental chuckle, and then was stunned by his answer. Look around you. Homard followed you and Éclair through the portal that my mentor created. The three of you were separated, and each of you took a different path. Éclair ended up as a Dark Paladin, Homard became a Shadow Guard, and you became the Alternate Overlord. Croix was devastated that you had gone, and your little brother was too. They both served the church until the end of their lives, and they were guided up to Celestia by the Seraph himself. That is all I can tell you, Priere. The rest is up to you.
The Alternate Overlord gently smiled at the young man. Thank you, Saito. She then proceeded to lead her squadron over Beauty Castle, in order to find that the battle was already in full-swing.
Éclair was sweating heavily as she dodged another thrust from the Jack in front of her. She sidestepped to the left, grabbed the demon's arm, and then threw it into the wall behind her. The demon's skull cracked, and it slumped down, lifeless. However, the young Dark Paladin had delayed too long, and she was quickly overwhelmed by several Flambergs. The leader took one look at her, and then snarled wickedly. "It appears that even YOU were no match for us. Well, this is the end of y…" His statement was cut-off when he was cut in half by two sabers. The rest of the Flambergs looked up, and then they backed-off, snarling at the young man who had appeared out of nowhere.
Shoulder-length blonde hair was hanging down his back. He wore a dark-grey mail-shirt and a pair of navy blue slacks. The man's brilliant blue eyes were narrowed, and his lips were pulled back in a feral grin as he eyed the monsters before him. "If any of you idiots want to get to my wife, then you will have to go through me first." The Flambergs were snarling furiously, but Homard sensed that they were looking beyond him, rather than at him. He spun both sabers casually, and then he turned around, in order to see another unit of mixed monsters and humans stretching before him. He grinned wickedly, and then called out to the advancing troops. "State your name and purpose, unless you want me to slaughter all of you."
Laharl looked at his old man, and then he grinned. Saito, is it alright if we show him rather than tell him? Well, there is an old saying that actions speak louder than words. Permission granted. Both of the vampires began to charge energy in their fists, and then they both called out one phrase simultaneously. "Dual shadow overdrive: Overlord's Inferno!" The energies left the fists of father and son, and the energy orbs merged and grew in number and strength. The orbs then began to circle. Faster and faster they spiraled inwards, creating a raging vortex that was centered on the monsters immediately to the left of Éclair. The orbs merged just before impact, and the ensuing blast ripped the two dozen monsters to shreds. "Does that answer your question?" called a voice from the back door of the castle. Homard and Éclair both looked at the door, and then the Dark Paladin's jaw dropped.
I've never seen anyone like this before! she thought as she looked the young man up and down. Dressed in black from head to foot, the mage had a slender, well-muscled frame. His auburn hair was standing on end, and his brilliant blue eyes were glittering merrily as he looked at the two of them. I'm glad that you two managed to find one another after all of these years. Both Éclair and Homard looked at the mage, and then they both asked him the same question. "How in the hell did you know how long we have been searching?" The mage grinned before he explained. "My combat instructor was the draconic who opened the gate and allowed you both to follow Priere. As a matter-of-fact, she should be here any minute now…"
There was a loud thwack from above, and the mage looked up, smiling. The Incubus which had been about to Hell Pepper the entire group dropped to the ground, its spine broken. Éclair bent over to inspect it, and then she noticed a very distinct bruise on the demon's back. She recognized the weapon mark immediately, and then she turned to her husband. "I recognize this kind of weapon: it's a baton." "There is only one person that I know who uses a baton, and that's…"
"Hello you two! I hope I'm not breaking up anything important." Both of them looked up in order to see that the Alternate Overlord had landed next to Laharl. Éclair blinked back tears as she rushed over to her one-time companion. Priere was smiling gently, and then the two embraced. "PRIERE! I thought that you had died after you vanished. We searched all over, but we couldn't find you." The red-haired young woman wiped happy tears from her eyes as she looked at the Dark Paladin. "I'm so glad that you could make it here, Éclair. I was starting to wonder if you had gone and died, but then our young friend over there informed me that you were both alive and well." "Umm… Big sister? Is that really you?" The Alternate Overlord stopped dead, and then she spun around. Her eyes quickly crowded over with tears at the sight of three familiar figures.
Croix's hair had remained unchanged, even though he was now dressed in white, and he also bore great ash-gray wings upon his back. He smiled easily at the young Alternate Overlord as he sheathed his broadsword. Though he loved to use his shotgun, he had quickly learned that it was not always the best weapon for close-quarters combat. He didn't even turn to look at Culotte as he whacked the young man on the back of the head. "OUCH! Croix, what was that for?" Priere's only sibling asked, rubbing the throbbing injury on the back of his skull. Priere could not help but laugh at her brother. "I think that was because you surprised me, Culotte."
Her little brother had grown-up quite a bit since she had last seen him. He was nearly her height, and he had allowed his hair to grow out a little bit. The young man also bore his own short sword, and he had learned how to use it fairly quickly. In addition to his wearing of white, and the addition of pure white wings, he was also wearing a sling and a pouch of stones. His older sister smiled upon seeing this, and Culotte shrugged. All was as it should be.
However, Priere's eyes quickly sought out one particular face. Alouette had not changed one bit. The blonde still used her prayer book in order to cast spells, but she had also learned how to use a bow, at the insistence of the Seraph. She smiled gently at Priere, and then she wrapped an arm around Croix's waist as they walked over to their old friend. Priere promptly rushed over to the pair of them and embraced both. It was at this time that she noticed the diamond ring resting on Alouette's right hand. The Alternate Overlord wiped the tears from her eyes, but she couldn't hide the hurt feeling that her first love was now engaged to one of her close friends. Croix saw it immediately and reached over to give his original crush a hug. "Don't worry, Priere. The Seraph told both of us that you had already found someone else who was destined to be with you."
Priere's eyes widened as she shot a glance back at the young Kaiser. She then spun back to Croix, blushing furiously. "How did he know?" she whispered to her old companion. Saito was standing on the steps, smiling lightly. Maybe it is because we feel the same way about one another, Alternate Overlord. The young woman closed her eyes and finally allowed her tears to flow. I never knew that you actually thought of our relationship as being serious. I guess that I was wrong about you… Don't worry about it, Priere. Oh, and I think you might want to warn Croix about that Surt… Priere's eyes snapped open as she drew her baton once more. However, it proved to be a useless gesture, as someone had already thought one step ahead.
Laharl noticed the Surt immediately, and he rushed over to it. He had already been charging energy in his right fist, and now was the perfect opportunity to unload a devastating blow. "Blazing Knuckle!" he roared as he landed a nasty right cross to the side of the monster's head. It immediately shot away from Croix, and ended up slamming into the nearby ridge. It left a decently sized crater, and Croix turned around to find that the Prince was looking worriedly to the south. The Overlord then mentally called to the mage. Hey, Saito. It appears that Baal just sent half of his Surts in our direction. What do you think we should do? The Kaiser thought for a moment, and then he grinned wickedly. Allow the La Pucelle team to take care of those idiots. I'm sure that they could use the practice. As for the rest of you: be careful when treading through the halls. I want you to hit Shadow's rear hard and fast. Do what you must, but leave him to ME. It shall be done, old friend, Krichevskoy responded before motioning to his troops. They followed their commander through the halls, and straight back into the main fight.
Shadow was panicking now, because the battle had turned against him in a matter of minutes. Now that those damn archers have found their range, we can't hit them, while they just pound away at us. Well, it certainly sucks to be you, man. Don't worry, Shadow. I'll make sure that your death is slow and agonizing. Then, I will end it by ripping out your soul and feeding it to one of Krichevskoy's vassals. Capice?
Shadow spun on his heels in order to face the entrance of Beauty Castle. His eyes widened at the figure that he saw standing at the top of the steps. My GOD! I never knew that you would fill out like that. If I had known, then I would have wiped you out earlier! The dark weredragon spread his wings and sprang into the air. Saito followed, and then the entire battlefield fell silent. Both sides knew that this battle would decide their fate. They knew that this was the moment they had all been waiting for.
Saito had already drawn his blade, and he launched himself at his rival. His eyes had gone to pure flat black, and his temper was at its nastiest. The two of them met in midair, and they almost immediately started to hack away at each other. They fought with two very distinct styles, and everyone on the ground noticed the difference. Shadow was hacking away furiously, trying to land a blow through brute strength. Saito, on the other hand, was carefully timing his blows so that they would actually land on Shadow, and force him to play a little more defensive.
They continued to hack away at one another, until Shadow decided that it was time to use his own draconic abilities. Summoning a ball of lightning into his hand, he hurled it at Saito, hoping to catch the mage with his guard down. However, he was sorely disappointed when the mage split the blast in half, allowing the energy to dissipate. He then called out to one particular spectator. I think it is time that we taught this fool a lesson in combined techniques. Wouldn't you say so, Marjoly? The witch grinned wickedly before responding. Of course it would be the perfect time. I'm ready when you are, Saito. The mage reared back, allowing his blade to lift over his head. He then roared out one particular phrase at the top of his lungs, and he was joined by the witch of Beauty Castle. "Kaiser and dark witch overdrive: Sword of the Dark Destruction!"
Marjoly had readied her spell as soon as Saito had contacted her. When the mage reached the top of his arc, she released her Dark Conjuration directly at him. The spell immediately wrapped around his sword, turning the blade black and increasing its power by an insane amount. Saito smiled wickedly at his rival before he spoke the very last words that Shadow would hear. "Essence Splitter!" The blade bisected shadow, splitting him straight between his eyes. Then, the two halves slowly drifted apart, and slowly fell back to earth. The draconic's soul remained aloft, trapped by the strength of Saito's final blow. Damn you, Onago. I should have killed you on the wedding day. Saito's grin turned into a sneer in a single instant, and he raised his blade once more. On second thought, I don't think I will be feeding you to Gargo. Instead, I will absorb your soul, and your strength, MYSELF! The mage then brought his blade downward, and the sword sucked in the soul of his hated rival. Shadow was now gone for good, and almost all of the remaining forces bowed to the young man of such incredible strength.
Saito lowered his blade, and then he issued a single order to the fleet of hovering ships. "Fire at will." Every single cruiser immediately opened fire on Baal's Tower, inflicting heavy damage to both the roof and the Lord of Terror. Saito turned to look at his army, and then he smiled. It is time that we finish this fool once and for all. Leaders, bring along your core groups and follow me. It's time that we pay the Lord of Terror a visit.
Meanwhile, we join a conversation already in progress.
Baal's Tower: Alternate Netherworld
"Why you sorry little…" "Insult me all you want, Baal. I REFUSE to help you, because of what you did to my master." The slender Oracle of the Netherworld planted her hands firmly on her hips as she stared through Krichevskoy's seal. "I will NEVER forgive you for ruining Master Zetta's life by writing that final passage in the Sacred Tome, and causing him to sacrifice his own body." The Lord of Terror grinned wickedly as he stared at the white-haired young woman. "What are you going to do about the problem that I have here, Pram?" The red-eyed oracle shrugged, and then she smiled wickedly. "I think that I'll just leave you here to suffer, much in the same way that Zetta did. Good luck facing your own destruction!" she called as a white Dimensional Gate swirled into existence. "I will make sure that you end up in Hell, never to be resurrected again." Pram then stepped through the Gate, returning to her own time period.
Outside of Baal's Tower:
Saito raised his right hand, and everyone behind him stopped. "What's wrong with your friend, Priere?" Alouette asked in a whisper. However, she received an answer that surprised her. I just sensed someone using a Time Gate. Wherever they came from, they have returned to now. My guess is that Baal did something extremely stupid. By the way, Alouette, I DO have a name. Whoops! Sorry about that, my young friend. There is no need to apologize. Please, just call me Saito from here on out, okay? That's fine with me. "Okay people. It's time that we show Baal what happens when he manages to piss me off. Let's go." With that, Saito led his forces into the tower. The battle of Baal was about to commence, and Saito knew that it would be far from easy.
Author's notes3: I added that little piece about Pram because she will be one of the major players in my third fan-fic of this series. She is a part of Makai Kingdom, another excellent game by Nippon Ichi. Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome is © Nippon Ichi.
Author's notes4: I am incredibly sorry that this chapter took so long to write. However, I did give you a brief preview of developing events. Stay tuned for my next episode: Chapter 10: The Battle of Baal. See you all next time! Also, please remember to read and review. Thank you.