Sally felt herself lightly dozing in the room the Elders had provided for the three of them. They were reluctant to provide Dulcy with anything but Sally had insisted that Dulcy be given the same treatment they were giving her. Her stubbornness had paid off when Terloviir intervened and used his authority as an Elder to make it happen. In the process many of the Elders had approached her about renewing their pact with the Mobians though most of them wanted to meet Antoine. Apparently they could judge the strength of a nation by meeting its leader or at least that's they had told her. But since it was late in the day they wanted to wait until tomorrow which just left her waiting for Sonic.

It was almost midnight by the time he returned and she snapped awake when she heard him collapse on the other bed the Dragons had readied. "So what was this special meeting of yours?" Sally asked with a light yawn.

"A gigantic waste of time," he admitted sighing. "I get one sentence into my plan and it gets shot down. Not even a chance to go into the details. Was your luck any better than mine?" Sally nodded happily and explained to him what had happened after he had left with the white dragon. "Well, I guess it's good that the entire trip wasn't a waste."

"You sure there's no way to convince him, Sonic?" Dulcy asked from the open balcony. The guest room overlooked the desert but lacked a wall so that dragons could land on the balcony if need be. "If you really believe that you can stop this Gilgamesh guy then you should pursue it."

"To tell the truth, Dulce, I'm just tired," Sonic said catching both of the women off-guard. "I'm tired of people second guessing me or my motives. I'm tired of offering to help people and them to blow me off. I'm just sick of all the crap I put up with just because I want to do the right thing. So you know what? To hell with him. I say we get at least some of the Dragons on board with helping New Mobotropolis and let them deal with Gilgamesh on their own."

Both Sally and Dulcy stared at him in disbelief. "You...don't really mean that, right?" Sally asked cautiously and Sonic sighed again.

"No, I don't," he said. "But at the same time I do. Like I said, I'm just tired. After going through all that training and then being told my plan is insane-"

"You should be used to that last bit, Sonic," Dulcy interrupted him with a chuckle. "Still, crazy does tends to work in your favor."

"That is what I am going to count on," a feminine voice said from the doorway. The three of them looked up to see the white dragon approaching the room.

"Almacca," Dulcy said as she bowed her head. "What brings you here, milady?"

"Despite what our Lord thinks I believe that Sonic represents our best chance to defeat this Gilgamesh," Almacca explained. "So I want you to tell me what you told him, Sonic. Then I will speak with him and convince him to accept your help. Will you take this offer or 'let us deal with him on our own'?"

The hedgehog gave an exasperated sigh as he sat up. "Far be it from me to turn down an offer to risk my life in a crazy plan," he said as he turned to Almacca. "But how could you change his mind? I mean, he's the freaking God of Dragons."

"Then that would make her the Goddess," Sally told him. "I have no idea who this 'Lord' is but Almacca basically runs everything here. If anyone can change this other dragon's mind it would be her." Sonic looked at the dragon and she nodded.

"The first thing you need to know is that Gilgamesh will come after Excalibur even after the seal is restored on the island," he explained. "If you stop him from reaching the sword now he'll try to find another way."

"That is impossible. The seal cannot be broken by any other means." The Guardian shook his head.

"It won't matter. He'll do everything in his power to bring the island back so he can get the sword. He has to be beaten when he's at his best."

Almacca narrowed her eyes at him as what he said began to sink in. "You mean to give him Excalibur and then defeat him," she said and Sonic nodded. "I understand why our Lord told you no. You are asking us to break one of our oldest and most sacred vows just to prove a point." Her talons clicked on the ground as she thought it over. "I have one last request before I take this to our Lord: Show me the power that you would use to defeat Gilgamesh."

Sonic's answer was an immediate "no". When Almacca questioned him he explained. "In my entire arsenal of tricks I only have two that I don't show off and that's one of them. So if you have some other way of seeing it knock yourself out."

"Then brace yourself, Sonic." Almacca placed her hand on his head and closed her eyes. Before Sonic could ask what she was doing he felt his more recent memories bubbling to the surface of his mind.

After another exhausting day of training Sonic collapsed onto the floor of the room he and Mina were sharing. The mongoose wasn't in any better shape than he was. Masamune was pushing both of them to their absolute limit but was getting nowhere fast. Despite the one glimmer of hope at the beginning Sonic had yet to tap into Kaiyō Mujō's strength again.

"I'm starting to think this old man is nuts," Mina told him as she yawned loudly.

"We're two weeks into this and you're just now getting that?" he responded. "I've been training with Kai for Maker-knows how long and I still have no idea what the hell he's talking about. Once, once, I've tapped into her strength and he expects me to just keep doing it."

"Yeah, well at least you're used to this kind of thing. The last time I worked out this hard was to get ready for a tour and that was only because Ash insisted." Mina sighed at the mention of her brother. "Imagine what he would think of me learning how to fight. So much for being a pacifist." She waited for a response from Sonic but the hedgehog was already fast asleep and snoring loudly. The mongoose chuckled lightly before picking him up and setting him on one of the bedrolls. She laid down next to him and was out within seconds.

After several hours Sonic's eyes fluttered open just in time to see the door to the room slide shut. His body protested as he got up but knew he didn't have time to waste on sleeping in. He looked around for Kaiyō Mujō but the blade was nowhere to be found. Odd, he thought as he made another pass of the room. Mina knows not to keep the two of us far apart and the old man didn't do it. The only other person who knows what she's capable of is...! Panic hit him as he threw the door open and ran into the courtyard just as a brilliant wave of aqua shot into the night sky. It traveled for a hundred feet or so before dissipating, raining down on the dojo. Holding the sword was a naked woman with sapphire hair. It took a moment for Sonic to comprehend who he was looking at but once he imagined mist wrapped around her the similarity was unmistakable.

"I like what you've done with your hair," he said and Kaiyō Mujō turned to face him. Sonic blushed as he realized that it was a bit cold out and cleared his throat. "You, uh, want a coat or something?"

"You have already perfected my fuzen, Sonic. What more can you want from me now?" she asked ignoring his question.

"I need to stop Gilgamesh," he explained for what felt like the hundredth time. "Fuzen isn't enough and you know that. My hoshoku-sha powers are still too difficult to control meaning they're also unreliable. I'm tired of losing to this bastard and so are you. There has to be something else, Kai."

The sword spirit looked to the night sky as the rain she'd created stopped falling. "There is," she said after several moments, "but you are not ready for it. The old man warned that if you weren't strong enough that I would kill you and he is correct. You will be pushing yourself far beyond your limitations."

"Then that's what I need to do." The sword spirit stared at Sonic questioningly. His will was easily a match for hers and despite her protests she was curious to see exactly what he was capable of.

"I suppose it is your way," she admitted with a chuckle as a copy of the blade appeared in her free hand. "Very well then. Let's see what you can do, boy." She hurled the blade at him which he caught with ease but barely managed to avoid her follow-up. She was much faster than Sonic had anticipated and the sheer momentum of her attack threw him back. He caught himself only to block another barrage from the sword spirit.

Looks like she's really serious about this, Sonic thought as they came to a stop, their blades struggling against one another. Waves of sapphire energy wrapped around Kaiyō Mujō's blade causing Sonic to pull away from her. He gathered aquamarine energy in front of him just a dragon-shaped ryūkai came screaming from her blade. He hardened the mist in front of him and her attack slammed into it, sending a spray of mist across his body. In that same instant he felt the searing pain of her onikiba bite into his flesh as each drop of water turned into a blade. Gritting his teeth he charged her but the sword spirit parried his every attack with minimal effort.

"What is this, Sonic? Are you not taking me seriously?" she asked as she parried another blow, using the momentum to throw him behind her. "If you want my full power then you'll have to fight against me like you did Kinos." Sonic pulled himself up and turned to face her, droplets of blood running down his skin like sweat.

"And you should know me better than that," he retorted with a smirk. His sword began to glow before wrapping around his right forearm and extending to its full size. "I just needed some time to figure out how you fight." With that he was gone. Kaiyō Mujō spun around the block his attack but was instead hit from above. She fired a quick ryūkai tsume at him but he still managed to flash step away with ease. When he landed he immediately went into a short spin, using the momentum to lash out at Kaiyō Mujō. The sword spirit blocked the first blow but was immediately thrown back by the speed he had built up.

When Sonic stopped he could see a blade identical to his wrapped around her left arm. He'd expected they each had half of the fuzen and was glad he'd been right for once. His smirk faded when he felt the air pulse around him and Kaiyō Mujō began to glow.

Almacca removed her hand from Sonic's head as the hedgehog dropped to a knee. Sally was about to ask if they were alright when she saw the look in Almacca's eyes. It was somewhere between awe and terror and even though the dragon quickly composed herself Sally couldn't help but wonder exactly what she had seen.

"So there is a grain of truth in the stories of your strength," Almacca said as Sally helped Sonic to his feet. "We thought perhaps that they were exaggerated to make you seem more...imposing. Though after seeing all of that I must say the rumors don't do you justice, Guardian." She bowed her head to Sonic, catching the former Freedom Fighters off-guard. "I will speak with our Lord and inform him that you are capable of carrying out your plan. You will have an answer before the solstice."

"Are you okay, Sonic? What did she see?" Dulcy asked, stealing the words from Sally as Almacca left.

"I'll say yes to the first bit, just for a change of pace," Sonic replied as he shook the cobwebs loose. "I don't know exactly what she saw but if the flashback I had is any clue then she definitely found what she was looking for."

"Was it...your hoshoku-sha form?" Sally asked cautiously but Sonic shook his head. "Then what?"

"It's been a long day. You think we can put this off until tomorrow?" Sonic asked, partially avoiding answering but exhausted at the same time. The women nodded as they all bedded down, the light in the room fading to a dim glow as they fell asleep.

At the other end of Dragon's Cradle Almacca opened the door to the Grand Elder's chamber where the dragon was still deep in thought after hearing Sonic's story. "Milord," she addressed him and a puff of steam bid her to approach. "I have spoken with the Guardian as you requested."

What did you see, daughter? he asked her.

"No doubt the same thing you saw, Father," she continued. "It would seem, whether or not he knows it, that he understands the nature of Excalibur."

And if we were to go along with his plan could he defeat Gilgamesh? His daughter's answer was an immediate "Yes". You seem unusually certain of this boy. What exactly did you see in him?

"He is like the Kurōkami of old," she explained. "After witnessing what his blade, Kaiyō Mujō, can do I have no doubt that he can crush this human no matter how strong he may become. The second reason is...well..."

The hunger.

Almacca nodded at her father's words. "He told me that there are two techniques he does not show off. I have already seen the first and if the emptiness you felt on his arrival is any indication of its power then that would be the second. While I find his control over this dark power unsettling it is undeniably powerful."

The boy did not tell me his master's name, the Grand Elder noted. By chance were you able to obtain it?

Almacca nodded. "Masamune." The grand dragon let out a low growl at the name as he closed his eyes.

Thank you, my child. I will think on what you have discovered and then give the Guardian my answer when the time is right. Until then I would prefer that he stay close. Give the two of them full access to our Cradle.

"And what of the exile?" The Grand Elder let out a pensive growl.

Dulcinea... Her fate will be determined later. The courage that it took to bring the Guardian and the princess here reflects the time she spent with the Freedom Fighters. To see such determination in one so young bodes well for our future. He contemplated for a moment before closing his eyes. Take her to see Sabinayya in the Protector's Den for the time being to continue her education on her duties. Almacca gave him a small bow before shutting the doors behind her. The Grand Elder let a small jet of flame out his nostril and it formed into a small ring. The flames pushed outward as the image of a man with short jet-black hair and a full beard formed in the middle.

Is it possible that he survives to this day, training members of the Kurōkami? the Grand Elder thought as he stared at the image. But that would make him almost as old as me. There is something wrong here but if what Almacca has seen is true then I suppose a small detail like that will not matter.