(A/N: sorry for taking so long to update, my new job has me working much more than my previous so I have little free time anymore. I still am working on each of my fics, as well as a few new ideas, and I'm doing my best to make sure each chapter is as good as can be. With that, I hope you all enjoy!)

Chapter 28

"Keep your weapon raised." Mercury said as he watched Satella spar with Makoto. "Focus on blocking her attacks."

After knocking Satella onto her back, Makoto let out a silent sigh as she glanced at Mercury.

"Should I go easy on her?" Makoto asked, her voice echoing inside Mercury's head.

"No." Mercury replied, shaking his head. "Our enemies won't go easy on her. She needs to be prepared for that."

"True." Makoto shrugged. "It's just... she doesn't seem to grasp it."

"You think I did when I first arrived?" Mercury asked her. "I didn't exactly get summoned as an expert in fighting. Hell, even now I'm still not an expert. If it weren't for my dagger's abilities, I probably would've been dead ten times over."

"I doubt that." Makoto shook her head. "Even so it's difficult to imagine anyone getting the better of you."

Mercury gave a gentle smile.

"You two having a staring contest?" Satella asked, grabbing their attention. "Kinda creeping me out."

"Sorry." Mercury spoke. "Makoto, would you kindly continue the spar."

Makoto gave a nod before taking her stance once more.

As the two women sparred, Mercury felt as though they were being watched. Glancing back, he saw a figure quickly duck behind a tree.

"Hm."

Turning back to the two women, Mercury watched them, silently critiquing Satella's skill. Seeing her block most of Makoto's attacks, Satella soon overpowered her, knocking Makoto's wooden sword from her grasp and sending it flying. Falling to the ground, Makoto stared up at Satella as she quickly pointed the tip of her sword at Makoto's neck.

Her hair instantly turned purple as Makoto stared at the woman.

"Damn." Mercury thought.

Makoto quickly looked to Mercury, locking eyes with him.

"Really?" Her voice echoed in his head.

"What? It was impressive."

Satella held her hand out to Makoto and helped her stand up.

"Nice work, Satella." Mercury praised her.

"It's all thanks to you two." Satella said, glancing from Makoto to Mercury.

"Good, because-"

Hearing a loud caw, Mercury looked up to see a crow slowly flying down towards him. Raising his left arm, the crow perched on his index finger.

Seeing a note wrapped around its right leg, Mercury took it and unwrapped it, letting the crow perch on his shoulder as he read the message.

"Hey, Merc." Mercury read. "It's been a while since we last spoke. I heard from Ren that you left Melromarc entirely. Can't say I blame ya. Wish you said something before you just up and vanished though. I overheard from Motoyasu that you are now in Siltvelt. Anyway, I look forward to seeing you when the next wave begins. It'll be nice to have my brother watching my back again. See ya soon, man.

-Naofumi"

Mercury folded the paper and pocketed it before looking to Makoto and Satella.

"What is it?" Makoto asked.

"Just a letter from Naofumi." Mercury told her before looking to Satella. "Training's over for today. Let's pack it up and head home."

As the three walked back, Christine, who was the figure hiding behind the tree, poked her head out. Looking to the spot Makoto and Satella sparred, Christine began to slowly walk over.

Once the trio got back to the mansion, Mercury immediately headed for his room. Entering it, he took off his cloak and glanced around, seeing one of his daggers, that he bought as a spare a couple days ago, was missing from its display case. Deciding to look for it later, Mercury sat down at the desk and began writing a letter for Naofumi.

"Hey, Naofumi. Sorry for just up and vanishing. I just couldn't take that fuckin' place anymore. Anyway, I have some news for ya. You remember that Dragon Hourglass? Well, apparently, there are more of 'em scattered around the world. Each one allows the heroes to register at it, and is then summoned to that specific hourglass to fight off the waves. I'm currently registered to the one here in Siltvelt, which means I won't be there with you in Melromarc for when the waves attack. I don't have any plans to return, but if something comes up, anything at all, give me a heads up and I'll drop everything and haul ass over. You know I always got your back, bro. No matter how deep in shit you are.

See ya when I see ya.

-Merc"

Wrapping up the message, Mercury went over to the crow coup he had outside the mansion. Taking the same crow Naofumi sent, Mercury tied his message to its leg and let it go. As it flew off, Makoto approached from behind.

"Mercury."

Mercury glanced back to meet her.

"Yeah?"

"There's less than four days before the next wave." Her voice echoed. "You're okay to fight, right?"

She nervously rubbed her hands, her hair turning a gentle purple.

"Don't worry about me, Makoto." Mercury told her. "I'll be more than ready for when the wave hits."

"But... your wounds."

"Sure, I won't be at my peak performance, but that won't stop me." Mercury gave a smile. "We'll handle the next wave."

Makoto frowned.

"C'mon." Mercury headed back inside the mansion. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Three days later

Ducking under an attack from a skeleton knight, Mercury quickly countered with a slash of his own, using his fire blade to increase his range. With it being turned to a pile of bones, Mercury looked back as Daenerys quickly turned four more to ash with a wave of fire.

"This wave never ends!" Satella shouted as she brought down a zombie.

"The last one didn't even last this long." Mercury said, blocking a skeleton's mace. Pushing it away, he took the chance to glance around. "The hell's going on?"

"There's-" Makoto's voice echoed in his mind before cutting off as she killed a skeletal samurai. "-supposed to be a wave boss or something like that, Mercury. If we kill it, then the wave should end."

"A boss?" Mercury glanced back at Makoto. Within that second, a skeleton knight went for a strike. However, before it could even reach Mercury, Satella jumped in the way, deflecting the attack before quickly defeating the foe with a single slash.

"Thanks." Mercury said softly.

Satella smiled in reply.

As his party continued to support him, Mercury began to look for this "boss", wherever it may be.

His search ended quickly when a loud explosion seemed to shake the earth itself. Turning to the source, a large cyclops, weilding a massive mace, stumbled towards the battlefield.

Mercury stared at the massive being, his eyes narrowing, ready to take on this beast.

"Daenerys."

"Y-yes?"

"When I give the signal, aim for that thing's legs." Mercury told her, quickly devising a plan to take it down. "Makoto, Ella, you're both with me."

"Got it!"

Taking a quick breath, the trio began sprinting towards the cyclops with Daenerys bringing up the rear.

"Makoto, Ella, target its legs!" Mercury ordered. "I'll work to blind it."

Makoto nodded as Satella, nervous to take on such a large foe, readied her blade.

Just as they reached it, the cyclops noticed the four of them and turned its attention from the knights to Mercury and his party.

Daenerys immediately reared back and shot a line of fire between its legs. Makoto and Satella quickly ran over and slashed their blades across its shins.

Blood splattered everywhere as the two women turned to strike once more.

The cyclops roared, causing Satella to cover her ears from the loud noise. Dazed, the cyclops went to strike her.

Mercury saw what was about to happen but was too slow to prevent it.

"Satella, move!"

Just as the cyclops' weapon approached, Makoto ran over and shoved Satella out of the way, taking the hit instead. Launched into the air, Makoto hit the earth with a hard thud, her body remaining motionless.

Daenerys was stunned, not moving. Seeing Makoto get hit caused her heart to skip a beat and her breath to get caught in her throat.

"Makoto..?"

Hearing a sharp intake of breath, Daenerys looked to see Mercury was seething with rage. His grip tightened around his dagger, threatening to break the weapon in half through force alone.

Suddenly, a black and purple flame erupted from Mercury's dagger, engulfing him entirely in less than a moment. His armor began to change before Daenerys' eyes.

His entire body was covered in a suit of highly durable armor. Spikes lined his shoulders and forearms.

Once the fire was extinguished, the blade remained engulfed.

"Mer-"

Throwing his dagger towards the cyclops' head, Mercury vanished and appeared standing atop its right shoulder. Feeling him there, the cyclops went to grab him when its hand was suddenly wrapped in a burning hot black flame.

Roaring in pain, Mercury leapt off the creature's shoulder and towards its face. Digging the spikes on his left forearm into its cheek. Using his momentum, Mercury swung skywards, plummeting down directly towards the cyclops' single eye.

Watching as this tiny man descended upon it, the cyclops could only get out a single sound before its vision was taken by Mercury's dagger.

End of chapter 28