(POV: Arkaid-First)

I felt it.

It was him.

Alvis was approaching, or whatever left of him was.

Whatever thing was approaching, I couldn't deny that I sensed Alvis. I could feel that roaring anger within him. The spark of ferocity was familiar to me, possibly far too familiar. I sensed it on that night; the night Alliot revealed Alvis for who the man truly was. And now, as I saw the beast coming towards us, as we braced ourselves for the incoming storm, I saw the embodiment of Alvis's jealousy and rage-filled heart. The demonic, putrid energy that once dwelled in my precious partner's heart was now feeding into Alvis's very being. He had made it his own.

The beast landed before us while keeping its distance. The pulsating wings twitched with an unnatural muscle fluctuation. Whatever spawn this creature came from, it wasn't right. It shouldn't exist in this world. I understood that my comrades needed to remove that power from Alvis and destroy it. Even so, they all remained still. My comrades readied their weaponry and spells as I remained helpless. I could hear CJ's feeble, agitated grunts as he continued to force himself up. He barely was able to stand on his knees, let alone his legs. I wanted him to stop, but something compelled him to try and stand. The only possible idea that I could muster was that he wanted to speak to Alvis one final time.

The beast appeared to have the same idea. His eyes glared at my partner; it made my comrades and I become tense. The others held their weapons held high as they stared back at the ferocious beast. The dragon scowled back with a low, empty voice before its wings were completely spread. "… Bring me him. He must speak."

I could feel my partner shaking, but he bravely looked over to Alliot. Our comrade gasped in confusion while CJ nodded back to him. He had to oblige. Once my partner was assisted back to his feet, Alliot slowly guided him to the front of the pack. However, Alliot made sure to keep a strong grip on CJ. He seemed to be more nervous than CJ was. The way Alliot grasped onto him made him look like a small child holding desperately on their small plush doll. What was wrong with him? I couldn't know, but all I knew was that he was anxious bringing CJ face to face to Alvis. Alliot gritted his teeth before snarling at the demon. "What do ya need to say to him?"

"My mind," the demon spoke. "I wish to offer him a choice."

"You can't be serious!"

"Compared to me, you are not one to be taken seriously," the demon snarled lowly. "You're nothing more than a miniature of the real form of a dragon!"

"Who are ya calling miniature?!"

"The dragon that holds my partner like he's his."

"Partner?!"

The dragon growled with a long, exasperated sigh. He stared back at Alliot with a cold glare. "Release my partner, young fool. The way you hold him… it is like that of which I dream of; holding him close to ensure his everlasting protection."

"H-He can't stand on his own!" Alliot stuttered.

"No man needs to hold him that tightly to keep him standing. I'm certain that someone like him is much more capable." The demon extended his neck closer towards us, scanning Alliot's eyes. "Or do you wish to have him be yours like Arkaid does?"

Alliot winced back, caught off-guard by such a remark. I wasn't surprised by Alvis's possessive behaviors. It was just like before; Alvis was over-reading such an understandable situation. Alliot may be holding CJ a bit too tightly, but this was done after CJ and I were taken away from him. We were taken away. He himself has admitted to feeling guilty about being unable to do anything to stop it. There are plenty of understandable scenarios as to why Alliot is keeping a strong grasp on CJ but, instead of thinking, Alvis was quick to make such a swift judgment. I could tell that CJ caught onto this; he and I think rather similarly so I wasn't surprised. My partner took an assisted step forward as he gritted his teeth. "Even after becoming the devil, you haven't changed at all! You're still envious of the slightest things!"

"To say that would make you blind," the dragon returned. "It would not surprise me too much, for you avoided my love for you. That doesn't matter now, fortunately." The dragon smirked back. "Alvis is nothing more than a dead name. My name is under that of Zahhak, successor to the Black Sun Dragon!"

"What the hell happened to you?!"

"Your power fed into me, and it became too much to handle… and Azi…," Zahhak bared his predacious teeth. "He must have known this would happen. He made me take your energy, and he put enough of his own into me so that your power could be contained! And now… I've left like this; a hideous demon dragon from hell itself! I never wanted to become this. Azi Dahaka was a fool!" Zahhak's smile was no longer sane; it was maniacal. "I left him for dead, but that doesn't matter now! If you are willing to let yourself be with your puny lizards, CJ, then someone such as yourself would not mind me at all!"

"You're insane!" CJ gave in to his anguished heart. "You're fucking insane!"

"It doesn't matter now, CJ," Zahhak muttered. "I will complete the responsibilities assigned to me. I shall fulfill my brother's whims. I will annihilate all worlds, and have him build them back up! I shall extend my power to you, and to all others as long as they stay away from you. From this day forward, you are mine, and I will make sure that I am the only one for you."

Rikka scoffed back, glancing back to her comrades. "You're telling me that all of the worlds are in danger because CJ said no to this one guy?"

Doble snickered in anguish. "What a world. The power of love is supposed to save the day, not destroy it!"

Zahhak groaned back. His long neck swayed to the side as he looked towards Alliot and I. "Yes… that would be rather unfortunate, but I do have an ultimatum for you. I will spare your lives, but only if you sacrifice Arkaid and Alliot to me."

Merak shook his head. "Unbelievable," he stated, soon turning to Meglax. "Does he truly expect us to go with such a horrible compromise?"

"I believe that must be the point," Meglax returned with a sigh. "Regardless of any deal, we are not going to betray our comrades."

Doble smirked openly. "Alliot may be a bit of a cold sore, but he isn't someone I'd throw to the dogs! We're going to rip you apart!"

Zahhak shook his head. "How disappointing; with long lives to live, I expected you to make the right choice." Alliot took a defensive position in front of CJ. He grasped him before leaping back to my side. "However, it appears that you still hold great value in dying. Perhaps all of you have secretly wished and yearned for death after hundreds of years of living aimlessly, serving a failure that was the Fifth Omni Lord."

Mizaru glared back. "We're following Lord Tenbu to the end!" He turned his head to Alliot, getting his attention. "Alliot, take CJ and Arkaid away from here; we'll keep you covered!"

"But, Mizaru!"

"We were going to fight this demon regardless of our plans. It is unfortunate that we have to fight it so quickly." Mizaru took in a deep breath. I could sense his life force intensity around him. Golden, mystical mana began to envelop his body as Doble and Meglax stepped forward. If they were going to fight this beast, they were going to have to use every ounce of strength that was possible. Their auras flared up, leading their comrades as their power skyrocketed. "We fight, protect and serve for the sake of the Fifth Omni Lord Tenbu. As the leader of this cavalry, I shall lead the fight. Doble, Meglax, get into position! Merak, Melanie, Rikka, stay at the ready and cover us when necessary. This beast will take everything we have!"

Alliot had rushed over with both myself and CJ hung over his shoulders. Even though he was strong, he was struggling to hold both of us. He was quick in his strides, but with each heave was a sign that we were now extreme burdens to him. Fortunately, he was able to take note of a cavern-like rock formation not too far from the battlefield. Upon reaching the cavern, he glanced behind him. "Shit," he muttered angrily. I couldn't see the battle due to how I was held, and I assumed CJ couldn't either; he was looking up at Alliot the entire trek; it must have pained him to have Alliot struggle just to bring him and me to safety. For that moment, CJ felt how I did, though I wasn't happy about it; my duty as his buddy was to keep him from pain, not have him experience it.

As Alliot set both CJ and me down, I couldn't help but find it curious by how CJ was acting. My eyes were locked on him as he kept watching Alliot pant heavily from the restrained run. My winded comrade kept panting, regaining his wind as he leaned against a wall for the time being. His eyes gazed wearily at the floor while my precious partner struggled to speak out. "Alliot, thank you."

Alliot nodded back with a stern huff. "Not a problem. I'll keep an eye on you two while keeping watch."

It was perplexing the way CJ was. Whenever I thanked him for carrying me over, he would say it was alright and he would continue on with doing it. However, when it was the other way around, he felt guilty about having someone carry him. If he was in the same mindset as he was when he was carrying someone, then he would see Alliot's act as something to be thankful for, but also expected.

But then I realized that I was the same; I would happily give my life to protect someone, but I would never want someone to risk their own lives for me. It was also why I felt defeated when my comrades didn't accept the request. I sighed weakly, sadly diverting my eyes away from everything. "You are all fighting because of me."

My partner nodded back. "Because of me too; if this wasn't Alvis then-"

Our comrade didn't want any of it. He gruffly snorted at us as he peered out from the cave. "Don't give me that. We're comrades; there's no way in hell that I'd let either of you die."

CJ looked away. "Even so… why… did it have to be Alvis?"

"Can't control it, though I always knew something was up with him," Alliot scowled. "That night, I saw it in his eyes. He was every horrible thing that I thought Drum had. Back then, I thought Drum was just some selfish kid, having everything given to him and expecting more." He angrily shook his head. "This Alvis guy… or Zahhak now, he wants to carry out the wishes of The Will. For right now, he's fixated on getting rid of me and you. That's good enough for me."

"How is that good at all?"

"It's what's keeping Zahhak here," he returned with a cocky smirk. "If what the others said is true, then the only thing stopping Zahhak for going right for the available gates is the desire to have you for himself. If anything, that's an advantage for us." His smile faded as he peered further outside. With his eyes watching the horizon, he viewed the war-torn battlefield from afar. "My only duty now is to make sure you two aren't targeted…. But," he winced, flinching at the sight far before him. "This fight is going to be far from easy…."

(POV: Third)

The battle was going to be decided by the might of the Supers. The Super Cavalry Dragons led the charge, with Meglax residing in the back of the pack. Readying his strengthened bow, he materialized mystical, corporeal arrows at his fingertips. Doble and Mizaru were leading the frontal assault with their blades drawn and at the ready. Zahhak grinned at the sight of such whelps. He measured his strength compared to each one of the Super Dragons, feeling immeasurably superior. "I fought against Azi Dahaka and left the brute to die. What hope do you have?!" Zahhack began to leave his mouth agape as an ominous, purple aura began to take form in his throat. With an intense exhale, he spread the ghoulish flames outward, causing the pack to disperse. Meglax hastily leaped to the side as he looked down his sights, releasing the magical arrows at wicked speeds! Zahhak looked right at the arrows sights, soon turning his neck away. The arrows struck the target, lining the beast's neck as the yellow, mystical projectiles lunged into the pulsating scales. Zahhak groaned with pain as the arrows wedged their way into his being. Meglax smirked as he prepared another string of arrows, but then he noticed how the arrows he shot began to move. His calm demeanor faltered as he saw the mystical arrows begin to sink into the beasts moving scales. "You cannot kill me with such cheap weaponry."

Doble bared his dragonic teeth. "Then here's a taste of true power!" His passion gave birth to the flames of a phoenix. The power circulating around him went aflame, burning his soul. With his massive sword gripped with two hands, he charged at the foe with Mizaru not too far behind. The leader took note of the dragon's odd scales, but he didn't have enough to go on to make a good assessment of it. Taking in the arrows? They at least dealt pain, so Meglax should just change what he's aiming for, correct? Mizaru didn't have time to dwell on such matters. Doble rushed towards the demonic dragon, swinging his sword at the great beast's neck. Zahhack retaliated with a hasty thrash with his right claw. His arm tensed up as he pressed against Doble's incoming attack. The red dragon gritted his teeth as he saw what coated the demon's body. Those scales were not scales at all, but they were something else. "What the hell?!"

Mizaru took this chance and leaped into the air, preparing a slash towards the demon's face. Just as he was starting his slash, Rikka and Merak prepared their own secondary offensive from the side. Melanie took to that group, acting as the support with her mana materializing in front of her hands. Mizaru couldn't afford to even blink, for he could feel that something was coming for him. He wasn't surprised, but he was overtaken by the dragons quick thrash with his other claw. The nails of the demon's claws kept the weapons at bay. Mizaru readied his second blade; the magical blade of the deity! He grasped that weapon with all his strength, swinging his body to give it momentum. With an intense swing, the large sword broke through the guard, slamming the claw towards the ground. He smirked, feeling the sensation of victory before his very eyes as the claw fell apart at the hand of his magical blade.

Just as Doble parried the guard, he made his second slash at the dragon's wrist. His large broadsword tore up at the mysterious scales, ripping them apart the more the sword rode the momentum. Zahhak barely had the chance to cry out in pain, for their comrades were coming out from the side. Rikka rushed forward with her gauntlets at the ready. With a fierce jab, she rammed her fist into the dragon's stomach. Zahhak immediately brushed Rikka away, nabbing her with one of his legs. Rikka rolled across the dry, barren ground. He couldn't let her escape; not after what she may have discovered. However, just as he began to rush for her, he felt Melanie's flames brush against his ominous scales. He barely felt a thing; these smaller fighters were nothing but child's play; he believed that he should only fear the might of the Super Cavalry Dragons and nothing more. He soon felt a bitter irony of those words when Merak leaped onto the dragon's back, rushing across the beast's frame before taking a gash at the side of Zahhak's face. The demon was struggling to keep up with everyone's speed. He riled back, raising his claw towards his eye. He thrashed his tail and body about, sending quakes across the barren ground around him. He turned his entire body, rotating himself while also leading his tail with his momentum. The Cavalry barely had enough time to get out of the way. The quakes knocked each one off their footing, but the tail came surging around. The very end of it slammed towards his front, nailing Mizaru at his side. "AAAH!" His roar echoed across the battlefield as his body was tossed aside. He tumbled to the ground. His deity sword fell at his side as he wearily gazed at the enemy. "… Such strength." The others returned to his side with Doble hoisting him back up. Mizaru nodded to him before observing the demon before them. "You may be strong, but you are far too slow to get the best of each one of us!"

Zahhak glared back, but he was not doing so out of anger. His eyes closed, emphasizing the eerie smile that slithered onto the demon's face. Zahhack chuckled softly as he slowly felt through his wounds. He felt his left claw, silently agonizing over the demolished limb. He glanced over to his right wrist, feeling the slash wound. He felt his lost eye, restricting his sight. Even after all of that, his smile remained. "Such strength must come at a price, but speed is unnecessary when I no longer fear pain!" The successor of the Black Sun Dragon inhaled deeply. The 'scales' around his body began to pulsate at an even faster rate. He grinned, slowly revealing to all his sight. The torn eye reformed in an instant. The Cavalry gasped, speechless at the sight of such restoration. The pulsating energy enveloped the beasts front claws, reforming the wrist and claw from start to finish. Zahhak felt the feeling in his claws once again, curling them while allowing his fingers to slowly wave around. It was not long before the feeling in his claws completely returned to him. Zahhak chuckled at the sight of such startled prey. "Much better…."

Doble winced, angrily scowling at the enemy. "What the hell was that?! It's like we didn't even do anything!"

Meglax stumbled on his words. "He… he completely restored it back."

Mizaru grunted angrily. "What is the meaning of this?"

The demonic dragon cackled at such an embarrassing display. He lowered his body closer to the ground, gazing at the enemy closely. "My scales… my body… it's not the same as your flesh and bone. My body is man solely from the power that resides around and within!" He snarled back with a menacing grin. "My scales pulsate like streams of energy, flowing around my very being. It is because of this that I no longer worry about my wounds. Such injuries are no longer wounds to me; you are merely separating my energy into different paths for a short while. Such a situation is not worrisome to me, regardless of how I feel. Consider you getting to me as an act of my newfound … careless nature."

"How can you care so little?"

"I never expected you to understand the situation," Zahhak mused in intrigue. "I know one of you did, but I cannot let that occur again."

"Why are you telling us this?"

"I still follow my brother's dream," Zahhak mused lowly. "… He does not wish for death; he wishes to bring about the destruction of the world, but not its people. He wishes to reform it, to bring about a new age. However, I have no qualms about ending the lives of those who get in my way, but I know that my brother would be angered knowing that I could've spared some souls."

"And the gates you'll leave open?" Mizaru roared back. "If you leave Darkness Dragon World through those gates, then the forces will storm out into Dragon World!"

"Then consider it an honor that I can spare you small lot." Zahhack extended his reformed claw. "You understand the situation now. You cannot truly harm me. One of you had their chance unwittingly, but I will not let it occur again. I bear no grudges with any of you; only towards Alliot and Arkaid. Bring me to them so I can end their lives. Only then will I leave you be."

"You truly don't understand anything about us!" Mizaru scowled back. "We don't give up on each other! We don't turn on our brethren! We serve and follow the moral code of the Fifth Omni Lord, Tenbu! We will never accept such an offer from the likes of you!"

"If you truly believe that to be the case, then I can no longer hold back." Zahhak inhaled deeply. "I admired your qualities when I was a human. I yearned for the chance to be chosen by you. I would have proudly followed your code of ethics if you had just accepted me into your group." Zahhak glared intensely at Mizaru. "I could have been buddies with any one of you! You could have given me Tenbu's power! I wouldn't have had to fear death if I was on your side! I wouldn't have to be afraid of dying while CJ and the rest of you live on!" Zahhak arched his back. The aura rampaging around him began to darken. A violet corrosion swept across the pitch-black scales of the fallen dragon. He arched his head back as a rotting color swept from the creature's void of a mouth. "For keeping me from him, you will all die!"

Mizaru looked away, horrified at such a sight. "Unfortunately, you never saw it," he began with a sigh. "For you to have reached this conclusion, for you to be this desperate for power… it shows just how undeserving you were to serve alongside us."

(POV: Arkaid-First)

The demon's words were loud enough to be heard. His voice boomed into our minds. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't shake the amount of rage fueling his murderous rampage. I should be fighting alongside them, willing to divert the fire while also healing whoever gets injured. Unfortunately, my value is equivalent to that of a fallen infant, unable to even do so much as stand. It was too cruel for me to take. As I saw how anxious Alliot became, I knew that he felt the same. He hated this feeling; to be protected by those he should be fighting alongside with. CJ struggled to stand, pressing his weight against the wall as he stared out into the cave. Sounds like that of thunder boomed as the ground quaked beneath us. It would shake CJ off balanced, throwing him back towards the wall. Alliot quickly rushed to his side, keeping him from falling to the ground. "Please, CJ, don't make this harder for me…."

"I don't want to stay here!" He yelled back. "Alvis doesn't truly want you guys dead; he just wants me away from you two."

"Ya can't be serious with that!" Alliot grappled CJ by the collar of his armor, shoving him to the wall. His teeth were bared, and I could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was not going to forgive CJ for those words. "Are you seriously suggesting that I throw away everything that I did for you for the past week?! I've been worried sick about Arkaid, but more about you! You're not supposed to give in to shit like this! You're supposed to grow into a proud warrior, fighting alongside us once you finally possess the strength to be an equal!" Alliot shoved CJ into the wall more.

This was too much. "Alliot, put him down!"

"You too! You also need to stop with this self-pity bullshit!" Alliot growled angrily. "Both of you are too afraid to say what's on your minds. Fine. Whatever, I don't care!"

"W-what are you talking about?!"

"Not the point!" Alliot shoved CJ even harder. My partner yelped from the pain. "I want you to realize that we. Are. Doing. This. For. You! We're not leaving you. Stop talking like you despise your life just because someone else is looking after you!" Alliot's eyes glared back to me, striking me with fear. "That goes for you. You said that you were useless… I immediately thought back to the day we fought, when CJ came for us! You still worry about being useless, unable to help others. Here's the thing, we all have those days, so stop wallowing in your self-pity and be a true member of the Cavalry!" The only sound that could be heard was him heaving heavily. He dropped CJ to the floor, turning his back to us as he stood at the cavern entrance. He looked out, but soon both my partner and I saw him rub his forearm against his eyes. "… I could've lost you forever, y'know?" His voice cracked. He gritted his teeth, shoving his feelings deep inside. "Many times, the thought of you two being gone forever crossed my mind. I hated myself for that, but Doble of all people had to wake me up, and that annoys me!" He turned his head back. I heard CJ gasp as he saw his buddy cry. Even so, Alliot kept an unmoving grin. "You have no idea how happy I was to know you're alive. But now… I can't sit here anymore. I need to do my final act as your buddy…."

CJ faltered. "Wait… your final act?"

I knew this was coming. "When we get out of here, you're leaving?"

Alliot nodded. "Too many Cavalry dragons are in one place. That's not good at all," Alliot chuckled to himself. "I completely forgot about it too… I should've brought it up to you when we became buddies, but the thought didn't come to my mind for some stupid reason. I'm an idiot… heh," he looked back with a smirk. "Guess I'm also an idiot too, huh?"

This was expected, for such a situation was called for. Until the other Omni Lords send their servants have buddies on Earth, the Cavalry Dragons are essentially the only force present. We cannot protect the entirety of Earth when all of us are condensed in one area; it would be more beneficial to spread ourselves out. Such a tactic made sense to me. I had gone my separate ways with Alliot at different times, so I wasn't particularly saddened, just surprised. I glanced over at CJ, seeing his face completely change. He wasn't faltering, but stone cold. I couldn't read him, and that worried me. He appeared angry, but he was rattled or shaking. Was he disappointed? That I couldn't tell. He drearily looked over to Alliot, finally managing to speak. "Do you really have to go?"

"It would make sense to," Alliot returned with a chuckle. "Like I said, I see what's going on between you and Arkaid. I'd just be some third in this."

"Some third?" CJ's voice was tainted with disgust.

"It's only right for you to have Arkaid as your only true buddy," Alliot returned with a smile. It felt fake to me, and CJ knew it too.

"Who says you aren't my true buddy too?"

"Because I'm not…."

"You can't think that, Alliot," CJ stormed. "If you need to leave because Lord Tenbu demands it, fine, but don't think you're without a home here." Alliot was speechless. Guilt dried out his throat. "Alliot…. Arkaid…." CJ's voice weakened. He trembled to the ground as he struggled to speak. His voice cracked with each uneasy utterance, nearly bringing me to tears. "Both of you are important. You two are the most important people in the world to me. I need to make sure that's said before I do this." He extended his hand towards Alliot, looking to his comrade. "Alliot, I need some of your mana."

"What are you doing?"

"You want to fight, but you're required to stay here to keep watch over me." He slowly brought himself back to his feet. Bangs from the battlefield nearly shook him off his feet. He caught himself, leaning against the wall just before the quake could win against his newfound might. "Allow me to take some of your mana. If I do that, then I can fight alongside you. I can't send you back out there alone."

"You're out of your mind if I'm just gonna-"

"I'm not going to have the last moment with you watching you go while I hide in some cave!" He roared back. "And most of all, I don't want the last thing you think to be some dumb idea that you're just some third. No matter what, you're my buddy. I value you dearly. That is never going to change, ever!"

"CJ…."

"It's like what happened then," he returned with a confident smirk. "When Fridrik kept getting at you, I was willing to cut off ties with her immediately. You're that important to me, Alliot; no one messes with you unless they go through me."

Alliot paused for a moment. He stared forward, looking at the human beaming with strength. He found himself completely speechless. However, a smile soon formed on the orange dragon's face. Value. He truly saw his value. The way I saw it, him bringing up that he was some third was another way of justifying the flaws he had. I remembered him telling CJ and I how he was an idiot with us; how his height would keep him from partnering with anyone. When he told us that, I thought he wore it like a badge of honor. In a way, I was jealous of him; I wanted to have that kind of inner strength so that I could face tomorrow and be comfortable with the mere possibility of not being capable for a task. Such a fear hounds me to this day, yet I remember Alliot speaking so proudly. But this kind of Alliot… the way I saw him now… he was truly happy. "Heh… you know, it was at that time when I knew you were the buddy for me."

CJ tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"The same way Arkaid knew from just one moment, I felt the same," Alliot chuckled to himself. "You didn't have to say what you did. When I was hauling your exhausted body, when we fought Sinblade, you talked to me about how I felt about my own problems. You didn't crack a joke. You were worried about how I felt when most people speak down to me about that. When we fought alongside each other, you didn't underestimate me." He proudly looked into CJ's eyes, soon holding out his hand. "I'd love to fight with ya, one last time."

CJ grinned. "That is, if it is your last time," he retorted. He grasped Alliot's hand. Alliot could feel a portion of his mana being pulled away. He grunted from the uncomfortable sensation as CJ's body was soon revived. My partner sighed proudly. He truly felt alive once again. It was like a dream to him; feeling the mana course through him as he effortlessly pushed himself back on his feet. He looked over to Alliot, seeing the rather winded armordragon. CJ hastily came to Alliot's side, but the armordragon grinned back. "You worried me there for a second."

"Just how much did you take?" Alliot huffed. "I can fight, but damn."

"Not enough to use magic freely," CJ returned. "But I'm not useless with this katana. We can work together with this."

But I didn't want it.

Not once.

Not in this entire conversation.

Did they consult me.

"No…."

Alliot and CJ turned to me. My head was morosely lowered, staring at my lap as the inevitable became even clearer to me. As soon as CJ released himself from Alliot's grip, he knelt down to my side and grasped onto my left hand. "Arkaid, I-"

"You can't go out there," I whimpered. I couldn't let this happen. After everything, after how much he has done, he was still going out of his way for others. "Damn you… why do you need to do this to me?" My words were incoherent. I couldn't get my thoughts straight. I knew what I wanted to say, but my mind and tongue wouldn't cooperate. I know the duties of the Fifth Omni Cavalry. I know that we need to fight. But CJ was too tired; he barely took any mana; I could sense it; Alliot barely has any compared to the average magician. CJ barely had enough to keep himself upright. Even so… Even so, he still wanted to go out there. "Please, stay here. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. You already did so much…."

"If Alvis wants me, then he'll keep me alive," CJ replied. He gave me a reassuring nod, but that didn't help at all. "If he even dares to lay a hand on the others, he'll need to fight through me first. I have the strength now; I can at least fight and make Alvis think twice about the moves he makes! I need to go out there!"

"FOR THE LORD'S SAKES, DON'T!" My voice pierced everything around me. "I know it's your duty, but I can sense it; you can barely stand! How can you have me remain here and accept that you're going off after doing what you did for me! You barely ate, you barely drank a thing! You gave most of the little bit we had to me. You can't honestly expect me to just sit here and accept the possibility that you might not return?!"

"… I will come back."

"Damn you," I diverted my eyes. "… I'm so useless; I can't even get you to listen to me."

"Come on, Arkaid."

"Ever since I couldn't move, I've been reduced to that of a weakling," I morosely returned. "All I can do now is talk. I can't force you out of doing something; I would need my arms and legs to get you. I can't even reason with you anymore, because you are beyond reason at this point. And now, because everything else has failed, I can only whine and cry." It was difficult for me to look at him. "I've been forced to become the very thing I feared of becoming. I'm at my lowest point. I've degraded myself to screaming at you to listen to me. If nothing else works, and this doesn't work, then I have nothing else of value; I am now completely and utterly useless."

Alliot turned to CJ. "Listen… I get it; you don't have to go."

"But I want to," he returned. "They're fighting because of me."

I shook my head. "Then it is done. My words have failed to reach you."

"No…." He got up, but only for a moment. The exhausted man sat directly in front of me, looking at me directly in the eyes. I kept mine away, but something within me forced me to look back. I was greeted with his soft, genuine smile. I wanted to get closer to him, but my body refused to move. Weakly, I tried rotating my wrists, but nothing worked. I grunted as I twitched my body, begging for it to move. Suddenly, I felt something warm wrap around my left hand. When I looked at it, I saw CJ's hand gently holding onto mine. "I was listening. And it's because I did that I can't afford to lose you." His eyes begged for me to listen to him. I couldn't look away. "Thank you for everything, Arkaid. You've protected me all this time. Please let me do the same for you." He got up from the cavern floor, releasing my hand from his kindly grasp. He turned to Alliot, nodding to him. "Whether they like it or not, they need all the help they can get."

"You have any ideas?"

"… A few," CJ returned with a slight smirk. "If Arkaid was able, it would be perfect, but you would work too."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find out if we really need to do it," he returned. "It's something personal to him, but we'll need every advantage we can get."

"If that's the case, then I'm all for it. Let's go."

Without another word, the two of them rushed out of the cavern, leaving me behind. Alone. If only Alliot had more mana to spare, maybe I could at least stand up on my own. Knowing that my comrades and my precious partner were going to be fighting without me… it was too much for me. My mind was set up on another thought; what did CJ mean by that? What did he mean that he had to go because of what he heard? If he truly listened to me, then he would've stayed behind. I tried thinking back into my mind, processing whatever I could think of. I needed to remember what I said that could have possibly made him say such a thing. If my words truly meant the world to you, CJ, then why did you have to go? Why do you have to go so far out of your way to make sure I'm alright? I'm your shield; I'm supposed to be hurt for you. It is my responsibility. "Why… why would you do this for me? What did I say?"

…

My mind froze. I remembered; those three words. When the world was crumbling around us, when Gale had his murderous hand hovering above me, I stated those three words...

(POV: Third)

Re-discovering the weak spot was the new priority. As the de-facto leader of the Cavalry, Mizaru took it upon himself to enact his plan of attack. He remained alongside his allies, staring down the demonic dragon. Zahhak braced himself, arching his back while remaining low to the ground. Mizaru pondered angrily to himself; he needed to get a read on what the dragon planned on doing. However, before he could muster a plan, Zahhak leaped forward with a humongous stride. His wings became outstretched as the beast pounced towards the Cavalry. Mizaru gritted his teeth. "Scatter!" The Cavalry was just barely able to avoid the incoming attack. The crust of where they once stood became nothing but a pond of pebbles and destroyed stone. Zahhak's impact shook the world. He was far from done. He noticed just how close the others still were. With a hasty twist, he swung his tail towards the ones on the left.

Melanie, Mizaru, Merak were in the tail's path. Merak and Mizaru managed to evade just in time, for the two of them leaped far while dodging the initial pounce. Melanie was still rushing for her comrades when the tail was nearing her. She glanced back at it, quickly tucking herself in. She felt scales brush against the very ends of her long hair. The tail had just barely missed her. She rolled across the ground, quickly to Mizaru's side with her staff at the ready. Mizaru was frantic but relieved to see that his partner made it out just fine. "Melly, you alright?!" She firmly nodded back as a chilling aura enveloped her hands. Her staff beamed with color as she saw the dragon rushing towards the others. A fit of anger warped her face. Her mana took the form of a sharper, colder hue of blue as she the freezing texture of her magic froze the air around them.

She shot out the spell. A series of icicles no larger than Melanie raced through the air. Just as the dragon glanced over at the others, the icicles sprayed across the dragon's torso. The dragon tensed up for a moment, feeling an uncomfortable sensation near an unwelcoming area. To him, however, the pain was just that; something uncomfortable. In terms of damage, the attack barely did anything at all. Zahhak's cold eyes glared back, but was soon distracted; Doble was rushing towards him with his broadsword in hand. The flames coursed around him as he thrashed at the dragon before him. Zahhak had nothing but his claws to defend himself against such a relentless and speedy series of attacks. He would have to do something he reluctantly wanted to do; take to the air.

He didn't want someone like Meglax to take advantage of such a situation.

But even so, he reasoned with himself. There was no other choice at this rate; his fear of having his true weakness exposed proved meaningless at this rate in battle. The Super Cavalry Dragons were becoming a threat to him. With an intense flap of his wings, he took to the air just before Doble could manage the first slash. The red dragon didn't want that to be the end of it. He leaped into the air, roaring furiously with his sword at the ready. "You coward!" Doble eyed the closest thing to him; Zahhak's stomach. He readied a powerful slice, but was thwacked at the last second by Zahhak's massive tail.

Doble was shot back down, slamming into the ghastly soil. "GAAAH!" He cried out. The impact was swift and strong. A normal human would have certainly died if falling from that height at such speeds. Doble was incredibly fortunate for being a dragon, albeit humanoid. Rikka and Meglax rushed to his side while the latter prepared his bow towards the beast. It was then that he noticed something peculiarly odd to him; the dragon appeared to flinch the moment Meglax took aim. Rikka aided her buddy up. "Doble, that was pathetic!"

"Heh, sorry," Doble grunted back with a smirk. "Meglax, knock that thing out of the sky!"

Meglax nodded back as large, mystical arrows materialized in his bow. He pulled back on them, aiming at his target. The dragon began to do something like that of a roll, hiding his underbelly from view. Meglax sighed in disappointment, but still fired back. The arrows raced through the air, drilling into the demon dragon's back. Zahhak felt the arrows pierce him. The arrows burned, but they soon sank into the demon's pulsating scales. Meglax pondered for a moment, watching as the dragon finally completed his roll in the air. "He appears to be protecting his stomach."

"His stomach?" Doble barked back. "Why that of all places?"

"I recall Rikka striking that area before," Meglax pondered openly. The dragon observed quietly from above. Zahhak appeared to effortlessly glide through the air as he watched the Cavalry from below. He remained to himself, watching the group stare back at him with disgust. Meglax came to a conclusion. "Something about his stomach is sacred. As far as I see it, I'm the biggest threat to him."

"Yeah; your arrows back a punch."

"Ever since my Super Form, my arrows were longer and carried much more power to them," Meglax stately replied. He calmly looked at his bow. "I didn't want to do this; this takes enough of my power as it is, and there's a chance this fight may carry on longer than I can manage… but I need more power if I want to get through that odd hide of his." He turned to Doble. "Doble, I need someone to draw him closer to us. With this much power at stake, I can't afford to miss or even be slightly off target."

"What can any of us do?" Doble asked angrily. "He's too far up now! None of us can even jump that high!"

"Then do what you can to ensure my safety, brother," Meglax returned. "If I'm threatening to him, there's no doubt that I'll be the first to fall!"

Rikka gritted her teeth. "Here he comes!"

The beast angled himself downward, soon picking up speed as he dropped from the sky. His wings were outstretched, suddenly giving Meglax a posited idea. "Go for his wings." Doble concurred as he rushed off for Meglax. At this rate, they could only rely on the Super Cavalry Dragons for this particular stunt. He called out to Mizaru. "Let's clip this asshole!" Mizaru got the idea. Zahhak closed in, rushing at faster speeds as a corroding breath foamed from his mouth. The breath came out like rotting drool as compounding energy could be seen within the depths of his mouth. Meglax eyed the dragon down; he knew it was coming right for him. Just when the demonic dragon reached maximum speed, he arched his body back. He flew just above the ground. His underbody just barely appeared to skid across the dirt beneath him. The behemoth of a dragon roared, unleashing a series of violet, rotting flames around him. The other Cavalry members scattered, unable to stay anywhere near the rotting beast. The flames made getting close too difficult, especially for the likes of Melanie and Rikka. Unfortunately, this left the Super Dragons to pick up the slack. They could only rely on themselves for such a task. Doble took the left. Mizaru took the right. Meglax prepared to evade, but readied his bow. He took his sights as energy began to materialize within his bow. He breathed deeply, pulling back on what would be the bowstring. He felt a good portion of his energy leave him. The aura surrounded the majestic bow as he pulled back more and more. The arrow was something else; it was larger, more defined, and compact! Energy kept leaving Meglax's body as it fed into the arrow. It was up to Doble and Meglax now to truly bring this beast down.

Zahhak was so fixated on Meglax that he only got a glimpse of Mizaru at the corner of his eyes. Wielding his large, magical blade, the black dragon swung down with all of his might. Doble's flames incinerated the air around him, feeding into the power of his sword. Both blades struck the frame of the horrible beast. Mizaru's blade crushed what he felt to be bone. Doble's sword emanated so much heat that he almost incinerated his way through the clean cut. Zahhak groaned furiously. His body arched back as he felt the void of where his wings once were. Now was his chance; Meglax needed to take the shot. The arrow took a lot out of him. Removing the pressure of his fingers, the mystical arrow shot out at lightning speeds. A sharp whistle could be heard as the arrow rocketed towards its target. However, with a quick twist of his body, the dragon managed to tumble towards the right. The arrow pierced the horrible dragon, but it wasn't enough. Meglax grunted angrily; the beast narrowly made it so the arrow couldn't hit the intended spot. Regardless, the dragon yelped in agony. The large arrow had shot clean through the beast, disappearing as it fled into the distance.

Zahhak took grip of the ground beneath him. Because of his speed, he slid across it. His body arched to the side as he felt his claws tearing at the earth beneath him. His teeth were bared. The pain of such attacks was not to be underestimated. He felt the gaping hole, and his frame helplessly yearned for his wings once again. He wheezed heavily as he felt a great amount of power leave his very body. "Stay back, you fools!" As he regained his composure, the unthinkable happened; the detached wings began to fade away. Small wisps of deathly aura began to weave their way from the defiled limbs. Doble was crushed. He stared angrily forward as the aura traveled back to the corroding dragon. The hole began to close. Stumps where the wings once remained began to increase in size. "Just like before! You lost your chance! Whatever you plan to do to me, it means nothing! This body of mine is power itself!"

Rikka cursed the demon. "We can't even get ready for when we ground him." She was going to say more, but she stopped herself; Meglax was breathing with a tensed body. He wasn't heaving, but he was on the verge of it. "… Meglax?"

"Like I said… that amplified arrow took a lot out of me," Meglax returned with a huff. "But they're the only ones I can truly use; anything else would just phase through. But I don't think I can do much more; I need a clean shot!"

"Then we'll do what we can until then…." Rikka raised her fist, soon lowering herself to the ground. Her comrades came to her side. "Just get ready to take it."

"This is my last chance," Meglax muttered weakly. "If I miss this, then there's a chance I-"

"You will make it," Rikka stormed back. Meglax stammered, speechless before Rikka's unmoving resolve. "No ifs or butts. I'm not risking my life just so you can second-guess yourself!" Her eyes burned. Her long, pink-haired flowed in the unforgiving wind. Despite everything, she stood firmly against the sights of the dragon staring back at them. "I'm not leaving another member of my family die. I refuse to submit to any demon. I've killed demons far worse than that!"

Meglax could barely speak. He turned to the red-scaled brother of his, seeing Doble's confident smirk. He shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Unbelievable. Now you're looking after me." Determination gleamed in his green eyes. He readied his bow, arching his left arm out as he prepared to pluck the string. His aura flared up. His cloth armor flowed around him as the power of the Fifth Omni Lord Tenbu took up like the wind. A strong gust stormed behind him as he slowly pulled his arm back. A glimmer of energy began to creep up. "I trust that you'll give me this opportunity."

The ominous beast bared its unholy teeth. The demon steadied his arms as his wings remained tucked behind him. He readied himself for a fierce pounce, tucking his legs as he lowered his body towards the ground. Violet energy foamed from his mouth; it was almost tantalizingly immaculate the way he saw this; the Cavalry, standing before him, almost ready to give in to such a feeble attempt to weaken him. The last try failed. Zahhak saw no chance of a possible direct hit. He lowered his neck, but the devil's head crept forward. His eyes were illuminated with murderous delight.

A voice called out from behind. "Hey! Hey, Alvis!" The familiar voice halted the great demon's movements. The Cavalry members looked beyond their enemy, seeing two figures standing far behind him. "You know what? You were totally right to be jealous of Alliot. He's so much hotter than you!"

Zahhak froze. The words of his the man he loved aimed for the kill. A sharp pain thrashed in his mind as he slowly turned around. The demon exhaled slowly as his murderous eyes were like daggers, striking towards the one who dared to say such a thing. His pulsating scales began to become like that of a roaring river; unstable and wild. He felt every ounce of energy around him become intense and out of control as his eyes saw CJ. However, it was the next sight that truly infuriated the beast; Alliot was standing right beside him. "You. Little. Worm."

CJ tilted his head, smirking at the livid monster before him. Zahhak wanted nothing more than his eyes to incinerate Alliot alive. His eyes were widened to the largest point. He was staring into nowhere. His sharp pupils trembled within his eye sockets as he saw Alliot with his man. Nothing got to him more than CJ's calming tone. He was mocking the deity, staring back with a smirk that only one experiencing true comfort would possess. "Oh, whatever do you mean, Alvis? I just felt like revealing the truth to you. It actually feels really nice; letting everything out."

"You. Wretched. Worm!"

The orange dragon had a smile that expressed utmost cockiness. His sharp teeth were bared, but it was from an extremely wide grin. "Does that bother ya, Alvis?" The orange dragon gruffly replied. "It'd bother me."

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!"

Zahhak's eyes were frantically shaking. The more he looked at the two of them, the more his desires were crushed. CJ merely crossed his arms at the frantic dragon; he himself had nothing to fear. He was doing this for Arkaid and Alliot's sake, as well as the well being of the others. Because of such stakes, he knew he had to look at the tremendously large dragon without fear. "To be honest, Alliot isn't just hotter than you; I mean, look at his long, flowing hair."

"I WILL DEVOUR YOU WHOLE IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!"

CJ wasn't fazed by the deep, frightened voice. "Oh, Alliot can devour me any day with those muscles of his."

Alliot snickered back. "By the way, Alvis, does this bother ya?" The orange dragon grasped CJ by the right shoulder. The mere act of such touching the man hastened the demon's breath. "How about this? Does this get ya?" Alliot's arms draped over CJ's shoulders from behind. He nestled his neck over his buddy's right shoulder, letting his light-purple hair fall over to the side. Some of it waved over the human's head, but he didn't care. The reaction of the deity dragon was all that he wanted to wait for. But he didn't get it. Zahhak's nostrils flared as he opened his void of a mouth. However, he couldn't say anything, what appeared to be a beam of light shot through the dragon's lower torso. He gasped. There was a sudden draft. The dragon lowered his head. His eyes fell on the sudden fit of weakness. The dragon didn't move, even with such a gaping hole within him. Alliot and CJ separated as they stared into the gaping hole. At the very end, there was nothing. They were both able to see through the entirety of the wound. CJ saw him; CJ saw Alvis. He winced from seeing such a lonely, dark figure residing within the wicked beast. Alvis's head peered out from within the wound as the energy pulsated even more wildly.

This is what he came for; he couldn't afford to let this chance slide now. He heard the cries of battle in the distance, yet he and Alliot needed to take out Zahhak out quickly! Alliot's spear began to spin its drills with a sharp, ferocious scowl. He leaped up as the spear drove him towards his target; Alvis. However, the dragon's head thrashed him to the side. CJ looked over to his fallen comrade as he tumbled across the dirt, but he couldn't stop; he couldn't afford to lose this chance. He grasped onto the hole. He could feel it shrink and constrict around his fingertips. With the katana in hand, he thrashed it towards the wound. It struck through the pulsating scales, but he was flung off; the head of the dragon had just barely grasped CJ by his torso. Alliot had to act fast; he couldn't leave CJ in the grasp of such a creature; if he did, CJ would be chewed to bits!

CJ hung helplessly within the constriction of the dragon's teeth. He could feel the teeth constricting the armor around his torso. He thrashed his katana around, slicing at the dark void enveloping him. With each scrap, the dragon winced from the startling sensation. The dragon groaned, releasing the man from his grasp. However, just as CJ broke free, Alliot flung himself towards the demon's mouth, striking against the demon's teeth with his spear. The drill dug into the void. Alliot watched as the dark aura sputtered outward from the intensity of his drills. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the worst. He glanced to the left, seeing that a claw was going straight for him. He had to get out of there. With a quick evasive leap, he landed beside CJ. The claw brushed against the dragon's mouth as he turned to the sounds of war; the sounds of battle came near. The Fifth Omni Cavalry was preparing their next assault. Alvis peered his eyes at him from the hole. Voicelessly, he retracted himself from the wound, beginning the process of sealing it up as the Cavalry stormed forth! Alliot and CJ hastily evaded another claw strike. They watched as the strike dug into the ground, raising up rocks and dirt. The impact sent debris towards them. As CJ and Alliot braced themselves, rocks and dirt struck their arms and armor. Alliot snarled back. "CJ, let's get back; his eyes are on us now!" CJ understood immediately; we needed to draw the dragon's sight away from everyone!

Mizaru and Doble led the physical assault. The demon's eyes were still on Alliot and CJ, singling them out from the rest. He couldn't let them get away. He had to get them after what they did. The demon rushed towards them, but the dragon could feel Doble's blade gashing deeply into his back leg. He wailed painfully, stopping in his tracks before swiping his tail at the red dragon. Doble managed to roll out of the way, and Mizaru was soon coming right for the Black Sun successor! Mizaru swung his body, giving the magical blade momentum as he swung it right at the beast's behind. They needed to cease the beast's movement. He glanced at the wound, but he couldn't get a good look at it due to his angle. Just then, another series of attackers came on the demon's left. Merak and Rikka were rushing towards the dragon's side. They saw the wound just as it was sealed. They saw it; they saw Alvis's head. "Alvis is in there. We just missed him!"

Merak huffed. "In that case, we must destroy him; that will bring this beast down for good!"

Meglax grimaced, panting heavily after such drastic use of his amplified shots. He could sense that the power of the Super Form was weakening within him. He couldn't afford to use such shots too freely. He remained at Melanie's side, drawing the dragon's attention away from Rikka and Merak with shots from afar. Melanie's heart bathed in her electricity as she shot bolts at the ferocious beast.

The demon wailed, retreating within himself as the ranged attacks continued to barrage against his outer body. His insides burned. The stunt that they pulled… of all people, CJ appeared to lead it. He couldn't accept that. He wouldn't accept such a terrible thing. He rammed his body to the side, storming towards the puny intruders that dared to assault him. Merak weaved away, leaving Rikka behind. Zahhak slammed his claw towards her, but Rikka rolled under it just in time. She was getting close. She was reaching the sealed wound. She knew just where to go for it too! She just had it within her reach! She reeled back, ready to slam her fist into the foe with everything she had!

Zahhak cried out. "ENOUGH!" He hastily turned his body. Rikka had been playing it too close. She was blindsided by the dragon's leg. It rammed her into her side, making her tumble beneath the beast. Merak was caught off guard. He couldn't let Rikka get trampled! He rushed in, grabbing her in the nick of time. Just as he grabbed her, he felt something scrape into his back. His body arched pain. He was blinded by the pain of such an assault. In that short moment, his eyes weakly looked back and saw his blood stained the Zahhak's fingers. The demon saw Merak's body tumble lifelessly to the side with Rikka held tightly in his arms. "You get a hint of victory, and you get careless! You had your chance to survive! And now you will all perish!"

Doble saw his fallen comrade. Merak was gashed terribly. His armor was cut clean through from Zahhak's merciless claws. Rikka froze, staring at the man who saved her life. She couldn't move. Before her eyes was someone motionless, lifeless, devoid of life. Merak's eyes were closed, unresponsive to her cries to him. "Merak! Merak!" A dark shadow covered them both. She angrily stared at the source above her. A large claw of the demonic dragon remained outstretched, sealing their fate.

A sudden miracle shot out from across the sky. A mystical arrow shot into the claw, making the being wince just long enough for Rikka to pull Merak out. The dragon located the source; Meglax had his bow raised. He looked incredibly weary, but he remained firm as he stared the demonic dragon. Zahhak coldly sneered. "You all sealed your fates! I give in; now I truly have given up on all of you!"

Mizaru winced. "What's he doing?" The demon dragon began to pull his limbs towards himself, curling his very figure. His pulsating scales began to finally evaporate from the beast, surrounding his very body. It became like that of a sphere. Whatever the demonic dragon was doing, he wasn't on the attack. Mizaru still didn't feel comfortable about it. He looked to his comrades, watching as they hastily came to Rikka and Merak's aid. He couldn't bring himself to go with them; he needed to at least try something. He approached the sphere, seeing the violet energy surround Zahhak's very being. He grasped his magical blade tightly, swinging it right at the mist. It was then that he felt something just before him. He swung his sword with tremendous strength, but his blade was parried by this odd force. His eyes widened. "What trickery is this?" He gasped before letting the tip of his blade fall to the ground. "… What is this barrier for? What is he doing?"

(POV: First)

Alliot and I came to Merak's side. The others surrounded the fallen warrior as Melanie presented her healing hands. The calming, green aura enveloped them as she pressed against Merak's severely wounded back. Three large claws had dug into Merak's back, bypassing his scales and carving out his skin by two inches. By the time I had finally seen the wounds for himself, they had begun to scab over. Melanie was using most of her magic just to seal the wounds before it was too late. Rikka knelt beside Merak's head, stroking her hand against his head. "Damn it…." Rikka muttered. "Why did I get so cocky?..."

Doble gently sat beside his buddy. He held her close; he could feel the guilt eating at her for making such a bold move in the middle of combat. I could understand her; she was given the chance to end it all, the same way I decided to take the chance to distract Alvis, or what was left of him. Even with the healed wounds, I was growing worried. They were deep, and the amount of blood pouring out from the remaining wound … could he die? My thoughts frantically scattered about. He was healed. He should be fine. But blood loss… I could tell that the blood loss was bad. He needed help in order to survive at this rate. I knelt next to Melanie, looking at her. "How is he doing?"

"I-I don't know," Melanie weakly returned. Her eyes looked over her partner's body. "Please… Merak, don't go …." Merak's weary, tired eyes looked up to the young girl. Her heart raced as she saw life remaining in the wounded dragon's eyes. "Merak! Please, stick with me!"

Merak smiled faintly. "I'm content… with performing my duty."

Rikka anguished over her weakness. "Merak, I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot!"

"Don't worry, Rikka," Merak mumbled back softly. "The fight is still ongoing. Fight in my stead."

Suddenly, Meglax fell to his knees. He breathed intensely. Alliot rushed to his side as the majestic green auras left his comrade's body. The Super Form was fading away. Meglax fell limp, trembling within Alliot's arms. "Why now? Why now of all times?!" He grunted weakly as Alliot set him down, placing him next to Merak. "I should have known; I'm still not used to this Super form at all."

Doble shook his head. "You did more than enough, brother."

The sound of Mizaru's footsteps began to draw near. "Indeed; neither you or I could afford to use our abilities without knowing his weakness, Doble." He glanced back at the defending sphere, watching it with cold eyes. "I can't even breach that sphere of his. He appears to have enclosed himself in some sort of barrier. I tried to break through it, but even my magical sword of the deity cannot pierce it." His caring eyes found Rikka, looking to her with forgiveness. He could see how destroyed she was. She already knew how much she messed up. "Rikka, you informed us where his weakness was. You got close enough to tell. You performed well, considering your position."

Rikka looked away, angrily scoffing at her own mistake. "Only because those two froze him."

"Yes… about that." Mizaru sighed coldly, piercing Alliot and I with darkened eyes. "I told you two to say out of this."

Alliot scoffed. "You really think I'm just gonna sit back and let you fight for me?" He shook, angrily crossing his arms as his pride swelled. "Not a chance. CJ and I both wanted to help you guys in any way we could. We saw how little our fellow Non-Supers could do, so I had to act out."

Mizaru looked over to me. He definitely wanted to make me put in my two cents. "I… had him give me some mana. I'm not in a prime condition to fight, I can't even cast magic, but Zahhak wasn't going to touch me anyways, not until we did what we did." I glared over at the cold, void of a sphere. "His jealousy got the best of him, just as Alliot and I knew it would, so we played along, and now we know how to beat him. We need to…." Suddenly, I felt my voice weakened. The final thought left me shaken. "… We have to kill Alvis."

The leader nodded to me. "You alright?"

"… I don't know," I morosely muttered. "… I hate him. I hate him for what he did you guys. I hate him for standing by and letting Arkaid fall before my eyes. Yet, after everything… the thought of him dying …."

"You must have known him for a long time."

"I did, yeah…." I sighed, looking at the void before me. "But he's gone now. What's left is that horrible thing taking hold of him."

Alliot grasped my right shoulder. I looked to my left, seeing his stern eyes. There was no need for words. He gave me a confident smirk, making me smile in return. I had his support, and I was fighting for his and Arkaid's well-being. I couldn't afford to give in and surrender; I needed to keep going and finally end this madness.

A cold voice boomed. "You will all die." It shook us. We all turned to face the corroding sphere. "CJ… you manipulated me. CJ… you manipulated my love for you…."

A wave of anger swept through me. "You did the same; you made me think Arkaid died!"

"You are completely ignorant to the truth," he muttered. His anger was palpable; I could feel it holding me captive. My mind felt the pure power of his rage grasp my throat, restricting my breathing as I felt the anger in each breath. "We could have killed her, but Gale let her live. I let her live. I let her live for my brother's wishes; he dreamed of having you work with us."

"What do you mean?!"

"But none of that matters now." The energy coursing within the barrier began to run rampant. A storm rampaged within the protective barrier.

The barrier started to crack.

The energy forced itself out of the cracks as two, red eyes illumated through the fog. "You want to see me? Fine, you shall see me in my prime. You turned your back on me; I have nothing left now. I will truly embrace the gift that Azi Dahaka has bestowed upon me!"

(POV: Arkaid-First)

Those three words kept echoing within the depths of my mind. Weakly, I stared out of the cavern, hearing nothing but total silence. Have we emerged victoriously? I couldn't know. All I knew was that I had nothing but the sound of dripping water to quench my thirst for noise. I wanted something, anything, so that I could tell that my comrades were safe. I yearned to speak with CJ once more. I wanted to truly talk to him about those words. Those words; I needed to see him again.

My mind stopped. A sudden shockwave stretched across the horizon. A large rock formation continued to restrict my view. However, I saw it; a funnel of ominous vapors stretching upward. It shot upwards at intense speeds, and then I heard a terrible roar. It shattered my ears, but I could tell it was him; it was Zahhak. I could feel his power even from here, within the confines of this very cave. My heart raced. The shockwave of immense power sent a gust of wind into the cave. I winced, shielding my eyes as I was sent back into the cavern. I lost sight of the light. My body rolled helplessly to the side of the cavern.

I grunted from the pain. The hardness of the walls dug into my sides as I was thrown against them. My limp body finally fell to the ground. Weakly, I tried to force myself to move. My muscles twitched and ached with each futile attempt. My body refused to cooperate with my desires. "Please… I need to know! I need to know that they're okay!" What replied was the same frightening roar. The sheer power of it called gusts rivaling that of typhoons. Sand and dirt brushed into the cave. I closed my eyes. It wasn't from the debris; whatever thing my comrades were fighting, it was stronger than what I sensed before.

"… CJ, Alliot?!" I called out to them. My voice boomed from within the cavern. I could hear my own voice, strained with fear and guilt. I couldn't get a response. "Doble! Mizaru! Melly!" I cried out. "Meglax! Rikka! Anyone!" I heaved. My voice became strained, weakened from the dryness of my throat. My throat was dry, yet I felt my pain fall from my eyes. "No… they can't be…. They can't be!"

There was silence.

I couldn't even see their fates.

I was alone, left helpless in a cave.

I couldn't help.

I couldn't go after them.

I couldn't even move.

I sensed the demon's great power, but nothing else.

"No…." I retreated within myself, refusing to accept the world. "My comrades…. CJ… I've failed all of you…."

My weary soul secluded itself from everything, only to be greeted by a harsh, white light.