Max Plunged the Chaos Breaker in the base of Dark Dragon's center head and with the blade breaching its flesh down to the cross guard came a halt to the beast's second coming. As Max remained stationed atop the corpse the others' chants of victory were cut off by the island quaking furiously.
"Quickly! We must leave before the castle sinks back into the sea!" Nova was the first to take the reins and ordered everyone back out of the entrance, Max had not moved. "Max, we have to go now!" Mae cried out as Max tried with all his might to ungrip the sword, its hold on him unrelenting.
"I- I can't let go of it!" He cried out as he tried to release his hands from the hilt. Nova at first felt too shocked by the sudden return of Max's voice to offer any counsel.
"Nova what's going on with the Chaos Breaker!?" The voice of Diane quickly brought him back to focus. "I'm not sure, there was no mention of this in any of the texts or legends, I'm afraid I don't have a solution to this…"
"So then I'm stuck here… Well I won't let the rest of you share my fate, I'm begging all of you to go now!" Max pleaded with everyone as rubble continued to grace the flooring around them but no one turned away, in fact they only came closer to their leader, Diane, Zylo, Amon, and Balbaroy coming to his level in effort to pry him from the sword's shackles.
"Everyone, that's enough! It won't budge… All of you are without a doubt some of the greatest people I've ever met, thank you all for being so kind to me, I'm sorry I wont be there to celebrate with you a-" Springing forward, Diane planted her lips onto his, wrapping her arms securely around his shoulders as if her life depended on it. Max as well as many others were shocked at first, soon he followed suit and returned every feeling held within behind her lips, neither wanting it to end but fate would never allow it. Quickly Max took hold of the situation and broke off from Diane, gently butting his forehead against hers while she cupped his face in her palms.
"It's… It's alright Diane, don't worry about me." Diane could only clutch onto him harder as a blue aura enveloped everyone "EGRESS! EGRESS!" He shouted before anyone could stop him. In an instant they were all transported back to the castle gates.
"Whew, that was a close call." Lowe was first to acknowledge how precarious things had gotten just moments ago, picking himself up like the others who suffered a rougher transition.
"Wait, if Max used Egress to save us, then where is Max? That spell is meant to transport everyone in one bound." Anri questioned, causing everyone to quickly double take, everyone aside from Max and Adam had made it out.
Domingo chittered in distress before Tao comforted the creature, Nova joining in by patting Domingo on the top of it's head "...I hope with all my heart I'm wrong about this but, perhaps Dark Dragon… used the last of his power to seal Max away with him into the void…"
"I won't believe it! It can't be true, not after all we've done! Somebody tell me if Max is still alive!" Mae quickly took a hold of everyone's attention, her distress being in complete contrast to her usual self, only calming down as Lowe placed a hand upon her upper leg; No tears were shed but the aching in her heart was clear.
"Quickly everyone look the castle is sinking!" Everyone turned to see that Mawlock had been right, the ocean water ruthlessly beat against the structure, storming into every port of entry and even tearing new passages into the once strong walls, quickly devouring the entirety of the relic. "I'm afraid I can't see anything, it's gone." Zuika spoke, breaking the silence as well as the truth to everyone, placing a hand upon Narsha's shoulder in consolation.
Khris awkwardly fumbled around with her staff, tempted to keep quiet but still managing to proceed "Don't worry everyone, we all know how determined Max can be, there's no way he didn't make it somehow! I just know he did!"
Finally, Diane had chosen to get up from the grass, making her way to the small mound at the cliff's edge. They had all escaped the island before it sank, they had thwarted Darksol's plans, and prevented the return of Dark Dragon so why? Why were their heads so low? They had worked so hard only for fate to spit in their faces, some would continue holding back their tears for a time but Diane had chosen to embrace that grief slumping to her knees. Tightly, she clutched the white ring Max had given her, arms belonging to her sister had embraced her and Mae knelt down to grasp her shoulder, a look she was sure reflected her own face looking back at her. Max had taught her a great lesson, the greatest lesson of her life, and she would never forget the great warrior who won both her heart and loyalty; Watery eyes flooding her cheeks as she cried out the name of that great warrior into the vast ocean.
"Max!!!"
