(POV: First)

With nothing but blackness over my eyes, I was unable to see a thing. My dreary body held me down as I scuffled in what felt like dry dirt. A chill ran up my back as coldness entered my lungs; it hurt to take in some of the cold air. I was beginning to fall victim to the frigid air. My body ached, but I wasn't in pain; it was like my body had ceased for a time, only to be brought back into motion. I must have fallen unconscious, for I do not remember landing somewhere so cold and dry. It was then that my hearing returned. War cries made my ears tremble from the intense noise. A sharp cough shot out of my mouth, and soon my vision returned. I was in the middle of a battlefield.

My eyes were cursed to realize that I was not on Earth anymore. The officers, the allied monsters, and even the criminals were no longer in recognizable land. As I wearily laid in the dirt, my eyes went upward, discovering the dreary sky. At the corner of my vision, I could see officers bash away men with their riot shields. Teeth flying as the officer slammed his fist into one's jaw. Reluctant to see anymore, my eyes went to the dirt. The barren nature of it made me look around anxiously until I finally found the nerves to get up. This wasteland extended for miles, showing no signs plant life up to even the horizon line. This land was unforgiving. Everywhere I looked I saw the lifeless brown dirt, the unstable mountaintops, and the clouded sky blocking most of the sun. I had only seen footage of such a horrible place.

Darkness Dragon World.

I needed to move. From what I could fathom, too many things occurred without my knowing. I pushed myself to my feet, only to be bashed in the side by some thug. The man's power overwhelmed me as I tumbled into the dirt. I only barely managed to get a glimpse of the muscular, pale-skinned man that threw me to the ground. He towered over me, cracking his knuckles as he wielded some gauntlet across his right arm. I could see the Disaster Force feeding him a sliver of power. I had to act fast.

With my left hand, I shot out a fireball, scorching the man's face. He tumbled backward, crying out angrily as he covered his face. Something was encouraging me to go in for the kill. I quickly glanced and saw that the officers were brutalizing the criminals. Whatever thing took over me, I rushed forward, unsheathing my rapier. The man didn't even see me as I lunged the blade right into his heart. The thug gasped, struggling to breathe as he tumbled backward. I yanked the sword away, soon relieved that this scuffle had ceased. My eyes couldn't stop looking. The man's shirt was soon stained by the blood gushing from the hole in his chest. I just killed a man. Grief overtakes me momentarily as I notice the man's lifeless eyes gaze upward. My mind tries to reason with me. He tried to kill you. He was going to get you for sure. You were going to die. I instinctively turned away, but my eyes found something else. The officers were using weaponry of their own. Whatever happened in my short slumber was enough to give these men the right to use lethal force.

Quickly scanning my surroundings, I caught sight of one of my comrades. The barren wasteland stretched for miles, and each side's forces were scattered. The closest one to me was Doble, but he wasn't the same, and he certainly wasn't fighting some common criminal. Next to him was a dark-scaled dragon, incredibly large in stature. I recognized it as Fernyiges without a shred of a doubt. In that moment I feared for him, but I recognized Doble's changed form. His body was enveloped in gorgeous hellfire as his hair became one with the flames themselves. He was taller, stronger, and his movements were quick and powerful with each evasion and swing. Fernyiges roared in his face, thrashing his body uncontrollably. His tail swatted at Doble, knocking him back. He regained his footing, quickly bouncing back and swinging his sword across Fernyiges's jaw. The sword didn't cut, but it was lodged in. The black dragon cried out from the pain. "You… You… NO!" He roared furiously before taking a few steps away. Doble prepared himself as he held his sword firmly at the ready. He took a step forward but tumbled. He grunted as he fell to one knee. He had a gaping wound under a broken piece of armor. He attempted to cover it with his free hand, but that only showed how weak he was. Fernyiges grinned, soon taking a few steps forward. The quadruped's steps shook the dirt beneath him. His thin, reptilian tongue caressed his sharp teeth as Doble shook with anger. I had to do something. I raced over with my weapon in hand and a flame ready in the other.

Mystic arrows were unleashed at Fernyiges. The arrows pierced his neck, causing the dragon to reel back from the pain. I recognized them immediately. Both Doble and I looked over to see Meglax rushing over with his bow at the ready. He ran like the wind as the intense, green aura surrounding him increased the power of his next shot. He pulled back on his bow as energy materialized into an arrow. The green dragon closed his left eye, aiming to his right. With a swift release, the next shot launched forward, piercing the black dragon's cranium. The great beast weakly fell forward as his final words left his lips. "… Blind… Blind… Blind…." His body collapsed with a great thud, quaking our surroundings. An empty breath was the last thing that could be heard from this beast's mouth. His eyes became lifeless as his tail and legs went limp. The very weight of his body made him turn slightly to the side, leaving himself exposed to the world. Some of the criminals and officers looked over, watching as the Retainer of the Demonic Dragon, Fernyiges, had been slain. It must not have been an easy feat; when Meglax rushed over to our side, I heard him pant and heave from exhaustion. Even with the power of the Super Cavalry Dragons, they were struggling in their own way.

As Meglax continued to catch his breath, he took notice of me and smile. "Thank goodness. We thought we lost you."

Doble grunted, caving into the pain of his injury. "The… damned thing got me with his claw. The beast…." He looked over at me with weakened eyes. "CJ… you wouldn't know how to… hea-" he kept panting, unable to complete his sentences. I knew what he needed. I knelt down to his side and pressed my hands just above the wound. I took in a deep breath and remembered the lessons Arkaid has taught me. My hands began to glow with a soft green hue. I smiled, content with my success of the healing spell. Doble sighed with relief as Meglax turned around, readying his bow. "Thanks…." I was feeling my own energy getting sapped away, but it was the least I could do; Doble was one of the only two Super Cavalry Dragons. We needed to ensure their survival. It was taking time, but I could see the wound closing bit by bit. "You're a lifesaver."

Meglax chuckled to himself. "So much for not needing Arkaid."

"Yeah, that's my bad," Doble slowly breathed. He looked to me, reading me like a book. The red dragon saw my face contort with worry at the mere mention of her name. "She should be fine; she's with Alliot and my buddy."

That was a relief. My anxiety was quelled, but only slightly; I needed to group up with them. I could only do that if I understood the situation; I may still be needed here. "What happened?"

Meglax took the initiative just after he released an arrow. I didn't take notice of where it was, nor did I care; all I knew was that, after hearing a bellowing scream, Meglax had hit his target. "Gale used his Disaster Force to create a giant portal to this very location. We were all sucked in, and we lost our advantage immediately."

Doble scowled. "Damn kid. We should've known more. I thought they were only after you, but it turns out they already have someone sorta like you."

"We're in Darkness Dragon World now, and an area where Master Eirik looks over," Meglax continued with a somber voice. "Plenty of the retainers were already here, and then everything fell apart. The officers and monsters are doing what they can against the members of The Will, but only we can take out the Retainers effectively. So far, Fernyiges was the only one."

I was growing tired from the healing process, but Doble had not been fully restored. "And the others?"

"Everyone's been dispersed," Meglax returned. "We're not too far away from each other, fortunately."

"Damn it."

"We'll try to regroup with Melanie's group, so leave when you're finished," Meglax returned. "There's a cave about a mile from here, just right around there." He directed me to a mountain range within view. From what I had to go on, I had to assume that there would be a cave at the base of it. "That's where Eirik and some others went to. Arkaid, Alliot, and Rikka went over there a while ago to capture them; you should join them."

"What about you guys?"

"We'll be fine," Meglax reassured. "We'll do what we can and meet up with Melanie and the others. We'll keep fighting whatever criminal or retainer comes our way!"

"But, Doble-"

His voice took charge. "I'm fine, now." Before my eyes, the red dragon beamed with life. I gave him my strength, and his wound was mostly healed. He felt the wound with his free hand, feeling it out. "Not as good as Arkaid's, but it will work for now." Doble turned to me with a proud nod. "We'll take it from here. Now go; your partners need you!"

Reluctantly, I turned my back to them. My legs began to carry me to the mountain range with a swift burst of speed. I was winded from restoring Doble to a finer condition, but my body urged me to press on. In front of me was another criminal, allied with a lizard beast just about the man's size. He cracked his knuckles, taking pride in his own power. The creature beside him eagerly hunched his back, ready to strike. I gritted my teeth as my left hand began to unleash a striking red aura. My rapier glistened against the small bit of light present in this world. "Get out of my way!" I jumped into the air, swinging my rapier with a strong thrash.

(POV: Third)

Three members of Tenbu's cavalry found themselves backed in. With their backs to each other, The Will of Kyoya surrounded them all. Merak tightened the grip on his spear as he got into position, observing the movements of the criminals closely. He squinted, noticing the small dynamics within the group. They weren't unified. The crooks and monsters began to move in, but not as one. This was to be expected to Merak; these criminals were prisoners at some point, each one of them having their own personal agendas and goals. There was a lack of camaraderie that he hoped to exploit in this fight.

Mizaru had his katanas at the ready, wielding one in each hand. He couldn't help but look over at Melanie, who carried her staff nervously. She was only barely able to remain stable as her legs began to shake. She wasn't supposed to be a part of something this huge; she was only supposed to observe, not partake in such a wild fight. Even so, she held onto her staff tightly as she stared at the enemy. Some of the criminals even looked at her with ghoulish smiles. Mizaru caught this and immediately moved closer to Melanie. "We'll get through this, Melly. I swear it."

"O-Okay!" Melanie exclaimed anxiously. "But what should we do?"

Merak looked to his comrades. "They're disorganized, but they have numbers. No matter what, we'll need to stay close."

Mizaru nodded. "We'll get through this, Melly," he reassured. He held up his right katana, directing it at the enemies before him. "Surrender, or fall by my blades!" He was met with people activating the Disaster Force. One by one, the criminals materialized weaponry to use at their disposal. Some prepared spells in their hands, readying themselves for ranged combat. Mizaru sighed at the fools. "So be it." He stormed forward. The dragon's right katana slashed through the nearest form. He lunged into another and pressed forward. It was out of fear that the other criminals around him flinched backward. Merak and Melanie caught on; this was their way out. Merak grabbed Melanie and rushed for the opening. Some criminals regained their footing, soon attempting a counterattack. Merak saw right through such feeble maneuvers, striking against the incoming foes with a swipe of his spear. The two of them left the circle, now on the outer side of it. They were no longer fenced in; the time to fight back was now. Mizaru flicked his katana back. With one powerful flick, the blood residing on the blade was flung off, landed in the dirt. The world itself seemed so barren and desperate for fluids that the blood appeared to be absorbed by the dry soil. He looked over at the criminals with dark eyes before raising his other katana. The foes shivered, quivering in their shoes while the monsters whimpered with fear. "One. Last. Chance," Mizaru warned. The enemies began with a few steps back, slowly inching away from the samurai dragon. Mizaru took another hard step forward, and that was enough to bring the criminals to his mercy. They fled, leaving the Cavalry Members behind as they escaped in a cloud of dust. Where were they going? Mizaru didn't know, but they seemed to be running somewhere. It spoke volumes to him; even though these criminals were in a barren, unknown world, they still believed that anywhere else was better than at the tip of Mizaru's blade.

Merak and Mizaru approached each other while Melanie hid behind her buddy's waist. She held onto the dragon tightly, making him gasp. Mizaru looked down at her, soon patting her head with his left arm. The blue dragon pondered for a moment as he continued observing the war-torn landscape around him. Merak too initiative. "We should assist the others as soon as possible. Anyone hurt?"

Mizaru shook his head. "None here, and I've been Melly's shield for this fight; no one will get by me."

"That's good…." He stopped for a moment, noticing that Mizaru has been holding something back.

"… Arkaid's scared."

"Yeah… well, we just need to find him."

"Should we start looking, then? The sooner we find CJ, the better."

"If he is dead, then it would be for nothing. We must focus on the task at hand."

"I can't get by that, Merak," he scowled. "Arkaid's worried sick. We need to-"

"We need to make sure no one else dies!" Merak exclaims. The samurai falls quiet, ashamed of his protest. Merak pulls back on his outburst, realizing that his comrade is guilty. "I'm sorry, but if he is dead, then spreading ourselves too thin would be suicide at this point. I'm sorry, but our duty is to Ten-" He feels a part of his armor getting kicked. The blue dragon turns to the source, discovering that Melanie is staring at him with contempt in her eyes. "Melanie, we have a duty."

"If it were you, I would still go!" Melanie exclaimed. "Why can't you?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but you would be a fool to look for a dead man in a situation like this." Merak sighed. "We need to regroup with who we can and assist the officers in-" He was stopped short. A new being emerged in his vision. The others were alerted by how he sternly gazed ahead. Mizaru and Melanie turned, soon seeing the humanoid dragon standing before them. The crimson-scaled creature was robed in ominous violet. Gauntlets coated his shoulders and arms. Whatever this beast was, he wasn't like Sinblade. The dragon carried a small, metallic wand in his right hand. With each flick, a thin, red line followed from the very tip of the wand. His smile made up most of his face as his small, soulless eyes looked over in jest. "Who are you?"

The crimson dragon slowly weaved his right arm along the violet robe. His wand seemed to caress the air from each precise flick of his wrist. He looked over with baiting eyes as a smirk slithered on his face. "Oh, I am terribly sorry," he began to speak. His voice was far from genuine, and it carried a snobbish air to it. "Has Sinblade never spoken about me? How dare he. The brute doesn't know my greatness. I do hope that we will enjoy our short time together." Mizaru noted the dragon's small size. He was about a foot smaller than Mizaru, but he couldn't take that into consideration; Sinblade was an equally threatening individual. He couldn't afford to underestimate any of his allies. "I am a Retainer of the Demonic Dragon. I hope you shall remember the name Arhat Narhat." The dragon slowly bowed, holding his silver wand to the side.

Mizaru gritted his teeth. "Another retainer?"

"There are plenty of us; we are rather varied in strength and size, don't you know?" Narhat mused playfully. "Most are at The Void, for they are too small and weak to use in such grand battles such as these."

"The void?"

"They are sentries there, yes," Narhat continued. He playfully gazed at the cavalry dragons until he noticed the girl. Upon sharing eye contact, Melanie raised her staff to him. "So, you invited a young girl to your ranks? How pitiful; she will die young in this barren wasteland that many call home…. Magic World is so much more endearing."

"If you lay so much as a finger on her-!"

"I should be saying the same thing to you, but formed as a question," he smirked. "What if you lay so much as a finger on me?"

"You're that confident?"

"Of course, and why shouldn't I be?" Narhat stood with exceptional poise. His legs were placed in front of each other like a dancer preparing for a show. He tilted his head to the side, observing the young girl carefully. "That stick of yours won't do you any good against me. I almost feel bad for you. Maybe I should let you live so that you could become a good magician like me." He then frowned. "Actually, that wouldn't be possible, even if I gave you a good wand. To become something like me, no matter how many wands you use, it won't change anything. You would fall like your brutish allies, so I might as well end it here."

(POV: First)

I came in hearing the sounds of my own boots stomping along the rocky floors. The fear of being detected didn't cross my mind; the only thing that mattered to me was the possibility of regrouping with the others. The cavern was proving to be treacherous and confusing, for the paths continued to break off from each other and wind around each other. It was only a matter of time before I pondered if this was a maze of sorts. I cursed at the walls, angrily thrashing my rapier in the air before sending a fireball at the empty space around me. The flame dispersed, vanishing into the wetness of the walls. The only thing that was left was me and a room of steam. I angrily heaved. My heart was in pain from sprinting to the cave already. I wanted to rest, but I couldn't. I could only spare myself a good fifteen seconds before I was running through the cave once again.

But then I heard a noise.

I immediately stopped in my tracks. My breathing was still loud, so I covered my mouth in order to avoid the noise. It wasn't the sound of other individuals walking through a cavern; it sounded like a burst of energy. It was faint, but it became clearer as I continued on. Slowly jogging was the only way I could navigate my way through the caves without my feet drowning out the noise. Making my way through additional forks in the tunnel, I managed to get close enough to where my movement wouldn't drown the sounds of clanging metal. As soon as I made an additional right turn at a fork, I saw a light at the end. I rushed to it, hoping to finally be out of this hellhole and back with my comrades.

The light blinded me, but there was something about the floor that made me slow down. In the short second that took place before I saw the light, the floor appeared to dip. I stopped running; the dip, as well as the light, was enough to make me retreat to the wall. By the time I managed to regain my vision, I realized that I had climbed quite the distance up. Right before me was a sort of clearing resembling a large bowl. My eyes exaggerated the height, making me reel back and nearly lose my balance. I gazed down at the bowl, observing the walls around it. The incredible size of this cavern clearing reminded me of the Buddyfight arena back at Aibo academy. I felt myself become at the mercy of this seemingly unnatural formation in the cave. A lake must have been drained or dried up over the years, leaving this bowl behind. Multiple openings lined the walls as a spiral pathway made its way to the very bottom floor. Criminals were crowded with these openings, armed with swords and spears as they roared at the very lowest floor. When I finally saw the ground floor, it was then that my lungs wished to call out her name.

Arkaid was fighting criminals as they slide down the bowl's steep decline. Bodies of exhausted and killed criminals and monsters were strewn about the very bottom. Such a horrific sight didn't make the criminals stray from fighting; they continued to rush down the bowl's walls and make their way to the battlefield. They weren't taken the normal path; the bowl's walls had a specific decline to them that made it possible to slide down to each layer until reaching the bottom. The other cavern openings were like leaks, flowing inward into the clearing and flooding my comrades with more enemies. Arkaid was holding her own from a distance while Alliot and Rikka fought in the front. Together, they pressured the incoming enemy. Rikka's punches sent enemies flying, but I could tell that she was reaching her limit. Her footwork was getting sloppy, and she breathed heavily. Her posture was hunching over, almost like her legs were beginning to find it difficult to support the weight of their own body.

From behind, one criminal slide down the wall and rushed at her with a demonic axe in hand. The Disaster Force fueled his murderous desire as he rushed toward her. Rikka quickly turned her head, but had so little energy that she was only barely able to do it in time. The criminal readied for the assault until Alliot brushed him to the side, slamming his shoulder into the man's chest. The criminal cried out from the pain as he tumbled to the side. The Disaster Force appeared to fade away from the man's body, leaving him unable to continue.

With each spell Arkaid cast, I realized that she was slowing down. She saw a trio of criminals rush towards her with weapons in hand. As she raised her staff toward them, I noticed that it was taking longer for her to cast a spell. She grunted, soon releasing her bolt spell. The lightning bolt crackled in the air before making contact with the enemy. Each foe writhed in the pain as their bodies curled and twitched from the excess electricity. Arkaid brushed her right arm against her forehead, wiping away the sweat. "They just never end," she murmured weakly.

This was becoming too much; they had the disadvantage of being at the lowest level, leaving them vulnerable to people pouring in from above. For the time being, I had the high ground. These men were pouring in from some of the caves, but they were right at the entrance. Sealing the place off wouldn't work; they'd just avoid the attack and charge for me. They would overpower me without much effort.

But they forget that I have the same power as them.

Reluctantly, I pulled out the dark device from my pocket. After what happened with Arkaid, I made sure to promise myself that I would never use such a device unless it was absolutely necessary. As I gazed helplessly at my allies below, I knew that the only way I could help them was by using this power. That was the solution I came to. I tightly gripped the dark object, shaking and expecting the worst. I didn't want to become that beast again; I needed to make sure that I was still in control. I took a deep breath and saw Arkaid fighting her absolute heart out. I couldn't abandon her. She's done too much for me as it is. At that moment, this was the only thing I could do for her. "… I'm sorry..."

I braced myself as the dark device activated upon my command. The dark aura enveloped my body; I could feel the very presence of the power strengthen my senses and abilities. In no time at all, I heard the shouts of one of the criminals pointing out my location. "We got a straggler!"

The criminals came in a large group as they climbed the ramp to me. I welcomed the challenge. It wasn't just my speed and strength that I felt increased, but there was a power within me that grew as well. A strong flame burned in my left hand, soon releasing forth an intense ball of heat. I was nearly thrown back by the sheer power of the shot. It propelled itself forward, slamming into the foes before me. A few tumbled backward, rolling head over heels down the ramp. Some, however, managed to brace themselves. They were burned from the incoming attack, but they stood before me with strong determination in their eyes. In that moment, I felt like I had reached half the level of strength expected of a member of the Fifth Omni Cavalry.

That was why I felt no fear for battle. The only fear was the possibility that something would go wrong on the ground level. That was enough to propel me forward. One man tried to fight back with a blackened sword in hand, but our swords met for a moment. My rapier was too thin to block such a thicker blade. My block was more of a slight redirect as I weaved around him, kicking him down the ramp. His body tumbled hard as he made his way to the lower levels. I didn't care to look back anymore; my goal was ahead. I needed to widdle these forces as much as possible to make things easier below.

Two more men raced towards me. One led the charge, swinging with a downward strike toward my had, but I evaded such a disorganized swing. Everything was happening around me at such a faster pace; the Disaster Force was feeding me with such power. I almost smirked; something about this power soon became so addicting! When I had an opening, I lunged my rapier into the man's chest, shoving him into the criminal behind him. The two collided, soon falling down the side as I raced past them.

These men were complete fools to even attempt to get by me, and they were beginning to understand just what kind of situation they were in. One criminal looked back just before he began his charge. He froze, speechless at the sight of him. There was almost no one left. Their forces were being divided between dealing with me and the others. They were spreading themselves too thin, losing the number of people above to me and my actions. I don't know what came over me, but I soon found myself chuckling at the man's horrified face. I could see his pupils shake as he became fixated on the blood of my blade. I motioned towards him, waving the rapier in front of him. "You did this to yourselves. You're working with the wrong people, and now you're realizing just how fucked you are when your Master leaves you."

The few men standing before me took off, leaving me behind. I didn't bother giving chase; it wasn't my goal to do so. I noticed more and more criminals leaving the scene, fleeing into the caverns they once resided in. Fortunately, they were beginning to catch on to the pattern; at the rate this was going, their forces would not have been enough. It made me laugh at myself, but that frightened me. I stared at the Dark Core Deck Case, deactivating it swiftly. My hand started shaking as I thought back. What did I become just there? My mind couldn't stop thinking about the words I thought, the words that I said. The dark power was affecting me. That was enough for me to hide it away deep in my pocket. I didn't want to risk anything else. The sight of the delinquents leaving was enough for me to know that this was an assured victory.

Using the tactic seen before, I hastily slid down the decline. I was met with my comrades looking at the criminals leaving the ground floor. But, as soon as I came in, a wave a death hit me across the face. It brought me to my knees. Things were much different when looking from afar; up close, I could see the blood puddles gush out from the bodies of the recently killed. I struggled to breathe. The metallic smell seemed to poison my nose as my very body trembled. It was horrible…. Now that the battle was fought and won, I fell victim to what remained; four people standing above a pile of corpses. It made me sick. The number of people that had to die… it made me want to go back. I didn't want to feel guilty about it. I didn't want to have killed so many people, even if they were criminals. It just felt… wrong. To bring about the deaths of so many people. When I kept looking around, I began to wonder just how long my comrades were fighting without me. There were too many bodies; I didn't want to count. My eyes were drawn to the floor, but even then I was able to see the crimson water inch towards me. When I looked to the side, I saw the man's face; the first man I killed upon entering this cave. The front of his face was burnt. The smell of cooked human flesh made me sick to my stomach. I gagged, hunching forward until I was almost face down to the floor. I didn't even want to look at the man anymore. Just when I wanted to leave it all, Arkaid's voice snapped me back to reality. "CJ!"

My head jerked up. Seeing her amongst this circle of death was the silver lining. She was frozen, looking at me with complete confusion on her face. Her eyes quivered as she rushed over to me. "Arkaid, I-" Before I could even finish my sentence, Arkaid was at my side with her arms wrapped around me. Her head hung over my right shoulder. She didn't say anything, and neither did I. The two of us just remained there, ignoring the hell around us. "Arkaid, I'm sorry to have worried you." I felt her shake my head over my shoulder. I didn't know if she could even bring herself to speak. She must have been so worried. Her shoulders twitched, and I could hear her heave heavily. Her voice went weak before she pulled herself back, staring me straight in the eyes.

"Where were you?" She weakly asked. "What happened?"

"I don't know," I replied morosely. "I woke up, soon told by Doble and Merak that you were here. I came as fast as I could."

"You… you used it," Arkaid lowered her head. "The Disaster Force…."

"I know, you hate it," I returned. I pulled out the dark device, showing it to her. She grasped it, caressing the ghoulish gem. She shivered upon contact, feeling the demon energy within it. "I promised I'd only use it in an emergency."

"… Well…." Arkaid sighed morosely. She handed the Dark Core Deck Case back to me. Upon receiving it, she stood herself up, grasping her staff. "Under… this situation, such a move would make sense. None of us expected to be sent here."

"Not like we should leave either," I returned. "We got involved to catch Eirik."

A gruff cough echoed from behind Arkaid. She and I both turned, seeing Alliot with his arms crossed. He raised his right brow as a slight smirk curling at the edge of his mouth. Rikka had her hands on her hips, looking incredibly impatient. When the orange dragon looked over at the pouting fist fighter, he couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "You know we're here too, CJ."

"I didn't forget," I retorted. "Let's not dwell on that. Do you guys know where Eirik went?"

"Yeah," Alliot nodded. "These chumps stayed behind. From what I overheard, their job was to stall for time, so we need to keep moving."

"To where?"

"North from where we came in," he returned. He directed his thumb to the cave opening behind him. "He was in the center of this clearing when we came in from there." He walked forward, leading Rikka past me. "We have no time to lose. Whatever these bastards are doing, it can't be good."

(POV: Third)

The smell of burning dirt became wretched scent to take in. Narhat was affecting the battlefield as he fought, confronting the Fifth Omni Cavalry with such fineness in each move. His movements flowed into the next, making him become a willing victim of the wind. He danced within it, weaving around swipe after swipe of Mizaru's katana blades. The black dragon groaned, furious at Narhat's carefree display. His robe acted as a ribbon, flowing freely as it became a part of the retainer's spectacle. In his eyes, the dragon was performing. Unlike most shows, he was enjoying it while the audience wished for it to end.

Mizaru led another assault with a huge leap forward. The leaping dash had Mizaru become a raging bull, storming through with his blades at the ready. He reeled back, yet Narhat seemed to accept his new role as the matador. Using his the dangling parts of his robe, Narhat continued to lead the furious dragon toward him. With each charge and swipe, the retainer swung himself out of the way, leading into another glorious act of his personal dance. Merak came in from behind, hastily lunging with his spear. Nehart had no choice to cancel his act, reluctantly leaping out of the way. He angrily pouted, yet stopped himself when he noticed Melanie aiming for him. Narhat snickered, watching as the young girl unleashed a series of icicles towards the landing foe. The shards shot forward at great speeds. However, with a flap of his wings, the dragon flew through the air and maneuvered himself around the attack. Mizaru's growls were met with Narhat chuckling at the display. "How disappointing. You have katanas, a spear, and a staff, and you still cannot lay a finger on me."

"You have yet to lay a finger on us either," Mizaru returned. "You can't evade us forever."

"Oh, but I can, but even I can admit that such tactics bore me," Narhat returned with a long sigh. "It's a shame… I was honestly expecting more out of that child there. For her to be fighting at such a young age, I wouldn't be surprised if you took her in as a prodigy. Unfortunately, it appears to not be the case; all three of you are not worth my time, so I'll end this quickly." The magician dragon began to soar into the skies, but Mizaru couldn't let that happen. The wingless dragon took a great leap, readying a slash. Unfortunately, the deity managed to easily fly out of the way, leaving Mizaru's tactic to be extremely fruitless. It wasn't long before the retainer was out of reach, leaving Melanie as the only one who could possibly reach him. She raised her staff as her mana enveloped it, giving off a soft blue hue. However, Merak's eyes widened as the deity directed the wand downward. Multiple balls of fire emerged around him, rippling with intense heat. Each one was about the size as he was; the balls were six feet in diameter! "This is one of my favorite spells. I call it… Meteor Shower." With a quick flick of the wand, the balls of astral flame started to pour from the skies. One by one, the balls descended hastily towards the barren wasteland below.

Merak and Mizaru had no choice but to disperse. The latter hastily grabbed Melanie before she could even conjure the spell. He didn't want to risk it; those meteors were coming down hard and fast. Mizaru's eyes gazed upon the falling balls of heat. As each one raced to the surface he dashed on, he stared at the descending shadows. He rushed by one of them. The ball imploded upon crashing into the barren ground. Dust and dirt flew into the air. Mizaru's vision was starting to become compromised by the clouds of dust and smoke. He couldn't tell how much more was shot down. He just kept running, leaping his way through what felt like a minefield. He felt the heat of each ball as it imploded right behind him. His intense fear made him tighten his hold on Melanie as he held her in his arms. Mizaru felt the thunderclaps grow louder and louder; each bang shook him to the core. Such power was being thrown at him from afar with such unrelenting amounts of force.

The dust settled, and the boisterous bangs finally ceased. Mizaru finally brought himself to look at the dead surroundings around him. Melanie was nestled in his arms. She tried peering over Mizaru's shoulders but soon left his arms. She felt she could walk on her own. It was quiet. They were stunned at the wounded battlefield around them. Small craters were scattered across the ground they once stood on. Mizaru quickly looked to the sky, seeing no one. "Where'd he go?" He asked to the sky. Anger drew his eyes low, but then he saw his comrade lying on the ground, struggling to get back on his feet. "Merak!"

The blue dragon weakly turned his head. He was face down in the crater. The back of his armor was shattered, revealing his light blue scales. Merak ached with each subtle movement. His limbs twitched with pain as he slowly brought himself up to his knees. The warrior couldn't stand; the weight of his body became much too heavy for him. He slumped over, soon catching himself as he pressed his arms in front of him. Merak grunted from the pain. "M-Mizaru…"

Narhat's voice was heard from behind. "Typical." Mizaru couldn't turn around in time as he was blindsided completely. A strong bolt assaulted his backside, sending surges of electricity through his body. He cried out as his eyes bulged out. Melanie screamed, watching as her warrior fell to his knees, extremely weakened. She turned, seeing Narhat just before he kicked Mizaru a few feet away. Mizaru's weak body tumbled against the dry dirt. Melanie went to her staff, but Narhat struck it out of her hands with a strong smack. That wasn't enough to stop her. In the small time she had left, she raised her hands in front of her, amassing a mixture of red and blue auras. Before she could even finish the spells, Narhat thrashed her down.

The samurai dragon could only watch as his eternal partner was tossed aside. "Melly!" He struggled to move his exhausted and weary body, but Narhat was quick to strike him once again. Mizaru cursed to himself, infuriated that he had left himself so wide open. "You… you…!" The reptilian magician smirked to himself, soon approaching the young girl with his wand at the ready. Melly looked back, watching as the deity towering above her. The beast grinned, fiddling with his wand as he carelessly looked away. In that one moment, Melly tried raising her hand to cast a spell. Narhat saw it coming immediately turned to face her with his wand two inches from her face. "Don't hurt her! Please! She's just a child!"

"Oh, we can't have that, now can we?" Narhat mused playfully. He knelt in front of Melanie, staring into her innocent eyes. "You are so young. To think that these barbarians would let such a young girl in their ranks. How old you, young lady?"

"… Six…. Sixteen," Melanie nervously returned.

"Sixteen?!" Narhat exclaimed. "Oh my goodness! No wonder! I've been alive for three millennium, serving faithfully to Azi Dahaka and those who support him, and now one of my enemies is a 16-year-old girl?" Narhat giggled to himself, soon chuckling at Mizaru's writing pain. "I actually thought she was younger; you really do appear young for your age. And to think I felt guilty for fighting the Fifth Omni Cavalry; they send a child before me!You lack so much experience; you're all barbarians, and sending a child to fight against me was the last straw of that. You should be ashamed."

"Don't hurt Mizaru!"

"Oh, young lady, you're so adorable," Narhat hummed. "You should be more worried about yourself right now. That is, of course, if you deny becoming my buddy and apprentice."

"I would never leave Mizaru!" Melanie cried back. "Why are you so horrible?!"

"I am a servant to the emissary of darkness," Narhat scowled with an eerie smile. "Now come. Let's see if you change your mind if I beat some sense into you!"

There was a point where Mizaru refused to see what would happen next. His body wouldn't move, for each time he attempted to do so he felt the intense pain of the shocks. Narhat's magical talent was unparalleled. Even to Arkaid, this man had multiple millenniums of experience. Mizaru hated this position. It felt too familiar to him. His will trembled as he closed his eyes tightly, ignoring his surroundings. Weakly, he fell to the ground, accepting his fate. The cold, dry air began to recede. A warmth came around him, but even then he refused to move. Everything felt empty around him. No sounds of footsteps, no sounds of dirt and dust scuffling against his scales. He felt… warm. But he refused to open his eyes. He couldn't, not again. He didn't want to see anymore.

He couldn't feel another soul. The emptiness of his new surroundings frightened him. Even so, he refused to open his eyes. A new presence made itself known. The stately voice called out to him. "Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon, Magical Blade Mizaru… open your eyes."

Mizaru recognized her voice. "I… I can't." He could only see the darkness he willingly yearned for. "I'm sorry, Dynamis. I cannot do so."

"You are the eldest of the Fifth Omni Cavalry," the voice calmly replied. Her voice started to grow louder, yet remained at the same tone. Mizaru felt the voice come to closer to him. "Over three thousand years old, and one of the original members of the cavalry. You are they're leader."

"Lord Tenbu's their leader," Mizaru protested, gritting his teeth. He wanted the voice to leave him; he just wanted to hide. "I'm done taking such responsibility. I can't continue; this has become far too much for me."

"… You are different from Doble, and thus must be educated a different way." The voice could be felt by the black dragon. The speaker seemed to be right in front of him, but even then, his eyes remained shielded from the space around him. "You're endeavors are to be commended. You are the only surviving member of the first Fifth Omni Cavalry. Some retired and lived to their old age. Others were not so fortunate."

"I'm sincerely sorry, Dyanmis," Mizaru weakly returned. "… I brought a child into this, a mere child. I've become too sentimental, and now she's facing that damned retainer on her own. I'm…." He felt his head press against his katana blade. He sighed, releasing the blade from his grasp. "I don't deserve this position."

CLANG!

The blade fell onto the floor. Its sharp noise echoed across this abandoned plane of existence. He lowered his head but refused to even see the ground beneath him. Dynamis's voice came closer until Mizaru could feel her breath against his. The deity's tone faltered. "That is unfortunate, but you've done more than most members can say they've done in their lifetimes." She began. "However, if you truly didn't deserve this position, then why would I even show my presence?" Mizaru froze. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, gazing at the grand dragon. The deity towered above him. Her three heads moved synonymously before lowering down to Mizaru's level. "You cannot blame yourself. Your allies, your friend, your buddy; they all chose to walk down this path. The best you can do is lead."

"But, Dynamis, I- my leadership has only lead to despair!" Mizaru cried out. His anger shook him. The self-hatred made him despise his very life. "Melanie shouldn't have come here. I brought her here, and she wasn't ready!"

"She made her choice."

"But I should've stopped her!"

"You are not her responsibility."

"We all are!" Mizaru screamed. "I'm her responsibility!"

"Then why give up?" Dynamis's last words traversed all over this empty realm. Mizaru spoke, but his words were soundless. His mind blanked. He felt those words stab him, twisting him until he could feel the pain make his heart tremble. "You speak now as if he's her responsibility, yet you gave up. Why fight me when you should be fighting the one out there?" Dyanmis asked again. Mizaru looked up at the grand deity. He got on one knee, staying at her mercy. "If you truly want to give up, then she'll die. Then, it will be all over. The fears you've been keeping within you will continue once again. Then you will truly not deserve your position… but you don't want that."

"… No…."

"You only feel weak, but you don't truly want to give up, right?"

"… No…."

"Do you wish to let your precious partner die?"

"… No…," Mizaru could feel his resolve burning within him. "I'd never let that happen to her!"

"You can't fight him when unable to see," Dynamis returned. "Who are you?"

"A member of the Fifth Omni Cavalry!"

"Your duty?"

"To protect and serve!"

"Until what?"

"Until my death!"

Mizaru's last words empowered his very soul. He could feel it; the power of the Armordeity. The will of the Fifth Omni. His hopes and desires! The deity standing before him smiled, speaking proudly as she saw her disciple transform. "Armordragon, it is time for you to truly embrace the will of the sword. Continue to serve, and protect your buddy till the ends of time. I gift you the power of the armordragons, and the sword of the deity! Go forth! Fifth Omni Super Cavalry Dragon, Magical Deity Blade Mizaru!"

With his resolve burning within, his eyes truly opened.

The known reality returned to him, seeing Narhat approaching a weakened magician. The two turned, sensing a newfound power. Mizaru stood emotionlessly and still, staring ahead of him as a large blade rested in his right hand. The golden blade was even bigger than him! Any normal dragon would barely be able to wield such a grandiose weapon. The dark grip was held tightly by Mizaru's hand. His eyes burned. Narhat's calm demeanor left him, soon faltering as he scanned the new dragon standing before him. He didn't recognize the dark-blue robes and red, scaled armor sported around the cavalry dragon's legs. "W-What the, where'd you-" He stopped himself. The retainer immediately turned to Melanie, taking his chance. "She's still at my mercy. Don't do anything-"

"Die." Mizaru's muscles tensed up. His right arm pulled up the gigantic, golden blade. He rushed forward with one incredible leap. The retainer recognized this strength. He could feel the new power within him. Narhat knew that he had to retreat, otherwise he'd be dead! He took flight, soaring into the air as he pelted spell after spell at the land below. His bolts and fireballs were frantic. The deity's eyes darted at his surroundings as he tried to make contact with the foe over and over. Mizaru grabbed Melanie, holding her in his left arm. The grand dragon leaped into the air, shooting up with precision and speed. With his magical deity blade, he slashed through whatever spell came his way. The flames dissipated as the cavalry dragon sliced through the very essence of the spell. In mere seconds, Mizaru was right in front of the fleeing dragon. With one quick rotation, he swung the sword. Narhat barely had the time to speak before he was exterminated.

He landed on the ground, soon rushing to Merak's side. He knelt down to the light-blue dragon, hoisting him up over his shoulders. Mizaru felt his form leave him, but that was alright. He knew he had a long time to master that form and make it his own. The large, magical blade dissipated from sight as Merak wearily looked over to his comrade. Mizaru struggled to stand; it was difficult after feeling such intense power leave him so quickly. He breathed intensely, but it was with a smile. His comrade nodded to him as Mizaru turned his focus to his buddy. Before he could even utter a single word, Melanie embraced him, refusing to say anymore as she openly wept in his arms.

(POV: First)

We were nearing the end of the final tunnel. The light at the end of it showed all four of us the way. But this light was different; the otherworldly, green glow was what led us to our final destination. Despite the oddity, none of us gave it a second thought; we rushed towards the only place left for us to go. The sounds of our feet pounding against the rocky floor definitely alerted the people ahead. However, it didn't matter; for all we knew, there were only a few people we had to worry about. Even then, it still didn't matter; we needed to capture Eirik and end this once and for all.

The otherworldly glow dimmed ever so slightly, darkening the tunnel as we got closer and closer. We looked at each other, soon keeping our main hands on our weapons. We had to be prepared for a fight. As we got to the end, we saw them, standing in front of what appeared to be some sort of portal. It wasn't like anything I had seen before; the Disaster Force didn't create something like this. Eirik turned himself to the four of us, darkened with the portal's light shining on his back. To me, I was staring at a silhouette, but I knew it was him; the green light gave me some of the details. Gale and Sinblade were approaching his side, walking closer to the green gate. Wherever this thing went to, it was special. One would wonder why Eirik wouldn't just warp wherever this gate led to. That is if it were possible to use the Disaster Force for such a thing. "This isn't some normal portal, isn't it?"

Eirik nodded. "Precisely," he returned. Sinblade stood directly at Eirik's right with his sword at the ready. Even with all four of us here, the black knight dragon was going to be one hell of a beast to slay. It kept us on the defensive for now as Eirik continued to speak, gazing at the portal before him. "There's something special about this place. Try as we might, I cannot make portals within here. It is like this place has a secret barrier protecting it." Eirik turned back to me, gazing into my furious eyes. "Your buddy… mentioned Alvis earlier."

Arkaid's grip on her staff tightened. It was so quiet that I could hear her scaly fingers grind against each other. I could only imagine the rage boiling within her. "Alvis has betrayed us. We are no longer blinded by his horrible façade; we know he's with you!"

"So, you know that much," Eirik returned with a low chuckle. "That's good, then I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised to know why we are so tightly-knit. Well, simply put, we are brothers after all."

I gritted my teeth. "Never heard of you; he never talked about you!"

"I doubt he had any reason to; I was busy formulating my own plans, even before I heard of Kyoya."

"So I guess it was just coincidence you came across the Disaster Force."

"One of the best moments of my life," Eirik continued. "I heard of Kyoya's endeavors, studies his actions religiously, and soon managed to obtain a few Dark Core Deck Cases of my own. Everything just started to grow from there." Eirik raised his arms at his sides, looking to me with his head held high. "Because of the sacrifices my allies and I have made, we were able to amass an army, but even that wasn't enough." Eirik lowered his head. "What good is an army when they're a bunch of thugs? I always feared the day I'd be overthrown, but I found Gale; someone loyal to me in ways that I wished I found in you, CJ."

Alliot roared back. "Quit yapping, ya bastard! You think he would ever join you?"

"Certainly," Eirik returned softly. "Maybe, once all of this is over, he will forgive me. He will forgive Gale and my brother. He'll wake up one morning and realize that, maybe, all of this was for the better. It's not like he is going to lose anything; I made sure of that."

Rikka scoffed. "No way in hell. He'd never stick with you." She held up her right fist, tightening her fist as if she was snatching her resolve. "We've been a family, and we will stay united as one."

"For right now, I agree," Eirik returned. "CJ may need some reasoning with in order to stick with us afterward." His words left me cold. He looked at me with such carefree eyes, but I couldn't help but see them as mocking me. "CJ, the path ahead is going to be painful, I can't deny that. However, once everything is all over, I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me as well as my brother." He directed his hand to the right. From the shadows emerged two figures, one taller than the other. As the two beings approached the green light, their features were illuminated to me. They didn't step too close; half of their bodies remained cloaked with shadow. I could only see half of their bodies, but that was enough. I didn't want to see their faces. Sitri and Alvis… just blankly looked over at me. Sitri finally turned away, hiding his face in shame. Alvis's eyes did not leave mine. Under the green blow, his once handsome features were dulled and polluted. He was a monster now. In his left hand was a small blade. I couldn't possibly think of what it was for. "Now," Eirik began. "I would first like to ask you all to drop your weapons."

"Why would we ever?!" Rikka yelled. "We can take you on ourselves!"

"Yes, that may be the case," Eirik began. His eyes gazed back at the shadows. "However… I don't think you want to act so hasty in a hostage situation."

Gale snickered. "You're doing well so far."

The four of us looked at each other, all sharing the same contempt for The Will. We looked back, watching as Alvis walked back into the shadows, soon emerging with a new figure. I couldn't recognize the being initially. However, as Sitri quivered even fiercer than before, I couldn't help but fear what the meaning behind this was. Alvis dragged the figure closer to the glowing gate. The dragon humanoid was about Alvis's height, causing even more trouble for the main to hoist the figure into view. Arkaid muttered disdainfully, furious that these individuals would stoop so low. However, they didn't even seem to acknowledge it. During this entire process, Eirik kept his eyes on me and only me. I didn't get it. Why was he focusing on me so much? I kept looking at the figure as Alvis removed the wrapping cloth from around the dragon's head. Nothing was making-…

My heart stopped. The dragon's horn was one that struck me. I froze. I recognized the long, wild hair. Even with the green color of the portal, my eyes could detect the dragon's blue scales. Her blonde hair. Her black robe, no, a scholarly attire. I knew her. That was why Eirik was eying me down. He knew. My arms shook. My eyes went wild with anger. My comrades were still fuming, but no, they didn't get it! But that's when I realized; Arkaid was just as frightened as I was. She must have known her too! Of course! She's a mage too! A wizard! Why wouldn't she know this dragon! But this wasn't just any dragowizard. Her voice! I knew her voice! I could recognize her from under the towel wrapped around her mouth. Her eyes met mine, and I knew, almost immediately, that it was her. Alvis looked back to me so nonchalantly, so casually, that the sudden urge to multilate him came over me. I wasn't going to be satisfied until his fucking guts were beneath my nails! How dare he?! "HOW DARE YOU?!"

Eirik sighed with relief. "So, you do know her."

"Alvis! You absolute mother fu- I want you in hell!"

Instinctively, I reached for my rapier. Within moments it was unsheathed, twitching with my hand. I was about to run forward and fight whoever stood in my way. But… as soon as I took my first step forward, Alvis took his knife and placed it by the Axia's neck. A behemoth possessed me, but I had to hold it back; it was going to blindly strike forward and get her killed. I couldn't let that happen. Alvis, you absolute traitor! "Why… why did you involve Marissa in all this?!"

Arkaid took a step forward. Her anger rivaled mine, but she was stopped at the sight of the knife. She wasn't rattled like I was; she was cold, dead cold. She was staring at another being who took Liam's role. She wanted the man dead where he stood. She wanted to protect that hostage. But the way she looked at her… she knew her too. Both of us were forced to stop, and I hated it. I despised it! And Gale's snickering only made me want to kill them all! Marissa looked unharmed, thank god, she was scared. Her eyes were watering, and her voice was weak and whining. Arkaid's voice went low as she spoke as if her speech had daggers. If she had the chance, she would snatch her words from the air and annihilate Alvis where he stood. "You putrid, horrid excuse of a human being. For involving her in all this, you truly have no semblance of honor and pride left, do you? You will never be forgiven for this, Alvis!"

Alvis merely shrugged his shoulders, filling me with contempt. "You said the same thing to Liam. Guess I'm with him."

"Compared to you, Liam is God himself." Arkaid scowled angrily. "You're lower than the devil. You're his shit!"

"I assume that you also have a history with her," Alvis mused, observing the four of us carefully. Even though Alliot and Rikka were furious, Arkaid and I were leagues ahead. Our rage could not be calculated by man. "This makes things easier for us."

Both Arkaid and I looked to Marissa. She was weakened, demoralized and dehumanized before us. The woman I remembered… the hyper, caring, and innocent woman that I greatly appreciated the company of was beaten senselessly and discarded, leaving a shell of her former self behind. She wearily looked to us, sniffling. "I'm so sorry…." She weakly gave in. "Ms. Arkaid… CJ… I'm so sorry…."

I yelled back. "We'll get you out of this!"

Eirik spoke back. "I'm afraid that the only way you're going to do so is if you comply with our demands. Now, I recall one of them being where I asked you to drop your weapons." His voice became stern. He wasn't carefree now. The man that was so joyous to see me was long gone, but I didn't care; killing him would get rid of both kinds anyways. I kept seeing death. Death. Death. Kill! This wasn't the Disaster Force talking, and I knew because Arkaid felt the same. We wanted blood, their blood. But… we were hopeless. Reluctantly, I shoved my rapier back into its sheath, giving in to the demands. I heard the others drop their weapons to the ground with a loud series of rattles and bangs. It shook me. We gave up. I struggled to grasp my sword's sheath. My fingers just wouldn't wrap around it. I had to force my other hand to rip the sheath of off my waist. It rested in my hand, hanging weakly in my right hand. Angrily, I threw it to the ground. "There. Now, was that so hard?"

Alliot lowly roared. "You bastard."

"Now for our second and final demand," Eirik returned. "We ask-" Marissa quickly shouted out. Her words were muffled, but Eirik stopped speaking at the sound of the dragon's muffled voice. "Oh, it seems like she really wants to speak. Well then." Within moments, Eirik removed the towel from the dragon's snout, returning her right to speak. "Is there anything you would like to say to CJ? Or perhaps you would want to reiterate to Arkaid about a few things?"

"Arkaid, CJ, don't do it," she forced out. "I'm just a scholar; don't throw yourselves to them just to-" She ceased speaking. Alvis moved the knife's blade closer to Marissa's face. Her breaths started picking up, frightened at the blade that was only two inches away from her right eye. "Please… don't…. don't do it, please," she stammered.

Seeing Alvis this way… it didn't make any sense to me. "Alvis, let her go! You don't have to do this!"

"I actually have to," Alvis returned sternly. "She's really important to you still, isn't she?"

"Even if she left me out of nowhere, I don't hate her!" I yelled back. "She was my buddy! Of course care I about her!"

"Well, I guess I'd like for her to tell you why she left then," Alvis mused. She grasped Marissa by her collar, hoisting her up as she put the blade by her neck. Sitri remained silent, allowing the events to unfold without any sign of protest. It was hard to stay still; I was on the edge of rushing forward and striking the man down. But he had Marissa. I felt so helpless! Alvis shoved her around until she would stand without much assistance. He angrily looked into her eyes, avoiding eye contact with me. "Strange the kind of things she told me and not you. I guess she finally had to tell someone sometime, right?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"She was going to be just a regular hostage; an old friend, nabbed from Magic World and held for ransom," Alvis continued. "But, she recognized me instantly. I didn't express my intent at that point. She had so many things to say about you, CJ. So many things! She wanted me to give you a message, but I think it would be great to hear it from her mouth instead." He grasped her jaw, pointing her head over to me. "Go ahead and tell him, Marissa. Tell him why you left. Confess the feelings you've been holding from him all this time."

"She doesn't have to; I get your point!" The room fell silent. Alvis looked at me with his insane eyes. Marissa weakly diverted her eyes. She didn't have to say it. Not when Alvis is forcing it on her. I get it. It made sense to me. "… That's why you've been so angry with me recently, Alvis," I coldly returned, angrily looking at him. It wasn't just Marissa and what Alvis said, but what had already been done. Alvis's questions. He was really that jealous, and to think, that it made him go this low. "Nothing happened. Nothing. Ever. Happened. Marissa never said anything to me. I never knew. But that isn't good enough for you; it never was, Alvis!" He gritted his teeth, slowly tightening the grip on his knife. "But you're the type to get jealous of the slightest possibility of something happening. You're horrid. Alliot was right to say everything he said. I hate the fact that I pitied you!"

Eirik spoke out, stepping in forward. "Alright, now that we're getting off-topic-"

Alvis lowly spoke. "No." His voice had gone cold. He tossed the knife to the side. The man grabbed Marissa by her shoulders, shoving her to the floor. Her hands and legs were tied, bound and unable to move. Arkaid and I called for her as Alvis discarded her like trash. "Don't talk to me like you're righteous, CJ. I've done all of this for you! This is my only chance of being with you now! As you and Arkaid exist into eternity, I'm going to be left behind! Unless I do this!" He pulled Marissa up by the collar, bringing her close as he pulled back a fist.

"Alvis, I think that's-"

"No; he doesn't have power over me!"

Sitri's eyes glew. He changed into his original form, quickly rushing to Marissa's side. He pressed his hand against Alvis's chest, pushing him away. "Alvis, you never said you'd do this. This was never part of the plan!"

"Fuck the plan!" Alvis exclaimed. "And fuck you if you get in my way again!" Sitri couldn't speak. His demeanor weakened. The confident flair that the panther always kept was completely gone. No trace of his old self was present. He couldn't face his buddy in the eye. He turned away, slowly faltering into the shadows. I couldn't see him; he didn't want to be seen. He didn't want anyone to even acknowledge his presence. He betrayed us for his buddy, and now Alvis is so gone that even Sitri can't recognize him anymore. "You know what, fine! Here's the second demand, alright?!" He moved her away from him, pushing her towards Eirik. "You want her back? Both CJ and Arkaid will have to come with us!"

Alliot cried out. "What?! One for two?!"

So… this was where it was going, I thought to myself. A lost air emanated from my lips. Whatever chance of victory we once had was completely gone, tarnished from our very being. Arkaid and I looked to each other, nodding in unison. I was happy; she and I were at least in agreement. I gulped, looking over at Sinblade as he approached with Marissa at his side. He stopped at least twenty feet away. "Come here." He demanded.

I looked back, watching Rikka and Alliot's faces of defeat. "Look after her, will ya?" Alliot looked at me, seeing my forced smile. Arkaid and I made our short trek forward. We left our weapons behind, leaving our last chance of making an escape. We met with Sinblade in the middle. It was weird… seeing Marissa like this, finally face to face again after a long time apart. Because of the reunion, I almost wanted to smile. My contempt for Eirik and his followers kept me from doing so. Despite the rage clouding my vision, I was able to see Marissa clearly. The Axia dragon looked to me, nervously diverting her eyes from my partner and I. "… I'm sorry; it's all my fault."

Marissa interjected. "It's not; don't say such things."

"They want this power I have," I returned weakly. "… And… and now Arkaid is being dragged down with me, too…."

"Hey," she muttered back. "Don't say such things. I'm sure this will all be fine." I looked back to her, seeing her smile. If it was forced, I certainly couldn't tell. She was so genuine. She leaned close, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes looked deep into mine. "I'm actually really happy that you two met. In all honesty, I think you two are perfect for each other."

"Speaking of that, I never knew that you two met," I returned with a soft chuckle. "It's strange."

Arkaid laughed quietly. "She was the reason why I met you." I spun to her, befuddled by this sudden truth. They started giggling to themselves. I felt completely out of the loop, but I appreciated it; in this hell, it felt nice to find a small plateau of peace. "She was very secretive about why she left, and her guilt made her wish for me to at least consider you as a buddy." She turned to me with a soft, tired smile. "I wasn't lying when I said I made my decision after the first time I met you, though; I took her word as a recommendation. I came because of her, but I stayed for you."

I didn't know why, but I found myself feeling a bit too warm. "Still, Marissa, do you really feel that way?" Marissa diverted her eyes. "All this time, that thought never occurred to me. I only put the two together because Alvis has been making his jealousy known."

The Axia chuckled weakly to herself. "It was something I felt only after a few months of knowing you," she began, smiling sweetly. "I tried being subtle and, well, my hints weren't exactly being picked up, but I couldn't exactly say it outright either. And…," she weakly turned away. "It got to a point where I was too afraid to even talk to you. How could I even be around you without feeling the way I did?"

"I just wish you said goodbye," my voice cracked. "Sorry, it's just that… you were the third to leave, and I… I-"

"I know…," Marissa whimpered. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't find the courage to talk to you. I hope you can forgive me."

I didn't even get the chance to reply. Sinblade shoved Marissa away, hastily grasping me and Arkaid. He cautiously brought the two of us close to the green portal. I could feel the odd heat radiating from the surface of it. A part of me wanted to struggle, but I knew that I had to do this. Arkaid believed the same. We were turned around. Gale began to cuff us. Arkaid and I looked back, seeing Marissa grasp the Sand Staff as well as my rapier. She held them tightly in her hands. Alliot and Rikka looked away, ashamed of their inability to act. It wasn't their fault; someone was at death's door; we couldn't let that happen. Arkaid and I turned to each other, knowing what was happening next. But then, another oddity occurred. Alvis was walking toward the portal, but he looked back. Sitri didn't follow. He remained in the shadows, looking away from his partner. I expected Alvis to apologize, but the man didn't do anything; he just walked over, blocking my vision of my comrades. Sinblade hoisted Arkaid and me up. We didn't struggle. We didn't want any more complications. As I looked back, I saw Alliot slam his right fist into the ground. That was the last thing I saw before we were dragged into the portal before closing behind us.