"Dragon Whip!" Hiccup yelled, swinging his tail at the couple of Blurgori.
Bon Clay began pelting a few Bluegori with some hand palms.
"Valkyrie War Dance!" Astrid yelled as she began dancing around the Bluegori and striking them while the guard was down.
"From what we've gathered, the following prisoners are assisting Dragon and the War Maiden and the infiltration of Impel Down," said a jailer. "Prisoner number E8200, pirate Buggy the Clown. Prisoner number D0464, former Baroque Works Agent Gabriel, aka Mr 3. Prisoner number C9915, former Baroque Works Agent Bentham, aka Mr 2, Bon Clay. Dragon, the War Maiden and Bon Clay are now District N Level III. The Blurgori have failed in every attempt to stop them."
Hiccup, Astrid and Bon Clay were now running after they took down the Bluegori.
"So, how do we get down to the lower levels from here?" Astrid asked.
"Just a hop, skip and a jump to the other side," said Bon Clay as he skipped.
"And thanks for sacrificing your life," said Hiccup. "Though I still feel rather bad that you were rounded up here."
"Oh, come now, there is no need to thank me," said Bon Clay. "Our lives are intertwined; we were destined to see each other again."
The jailers were still monitoring the situation.
"It looks like Dragon, the War Maiden and Bon Clay are headed to the staircase on Level IV! It appears… yes, we've lost track of the other two, Buggy the Clown and Gabriel. Report in if you see either of them."
Unbeknownst to the jailers, some prisoners have gotten their hands on a black transponder snail, which allowed them to listen in their communications.
"Everyone on Level II is rioting, and Dragon is still on the loose. Don't know where this is headed, but it sure is fun. And here I thought I was going to die of boredom."
"Only a matter of time before they get caught. What a shame."
Atali was now back on the lift and headed back towards the surface. Once at the main gate, Domino released Atali from her handcuffs.
"We appreciate your understanding in this manner," said Domino.
"It's fine," said Atali.
"And with that, here you go," said Domino, handing her the cloak. "Your cloak."
Atali wrapped her cape around her shoulders. "Thank you for everything."
Domino immediately blushed. "Oh, of course."
Atali took a few steps but then looked back at her. "And one last thing…"
"Yes?" said Domino, looking nervous.
"I believe there was a report of intruders earlier. Is that correct?"
"Yes, so it would seem. But Impel Down is an iron-tight facility, so there's no escape. Now that we have Warden Magellan on the case, I can only assume the matter will be handled very soon."
"Splendid, if they were foolish enough to sneak into the depths of hell itself, it only appropriate they become a permanent resident."
Domino then stood to attention and saluted as Atali left the prison, but secretly, she was deeply concerned about the well-being of Hiccup and Astrid.
'Magellan's power is too terrifying to face,' she said, after experiencing it first hand. 'I shudder to think… I pray the book you have the wisdom to run.'
Magellan was back in his office and was immediately briefed about Hiccup and Astrid's infiltration.
"What's Saldeath doing out there?" Magellan asked for a transponder snail.
"Well, sir, since the Blurgori can't seem to beat Dragon, the War Maiden, and Bon Clay, he took them all up to Level 2 to try and break up the prisoner riot."
Saldeath and his Blurgori were currently engaging with the prisoners and were quelling the riot, but Magellan looked immensely annoyed and slammed his hand on the table.
"Why do I only find out about this now after things got so out of hand?" Magellan roared.
"There was an early report, but you were going gaga over Atali," Hannibal pointed out.
Magellan glared at him. "Accusing me of negligence, are you?"
"What else would you call it?" Hannibal asked. "You really do take responsibility for this. So yeah, it's your fault, and now things are completely out of control…"
He then suddenly realised that Magellan was exhaling his poisonous gas. "Warden! Stop sighing. You'll kill us!"
"Don't think I could do my job?" Magellan growled as everyone gave them a wide berth.
"No, sir. You can be quite effective."
Sadie then entered the room. "Oh, it seems your guests have departed."
"Ah, yes, Mistress Sadie," said Magellan, turning his attention to her.
"So, the commander! Attention!"
The jailers immediately stood to attention and saluted.
"The riot is being attended to, and my team is ready for a hunt," said Sadie. "So what do you say?"
Everyone's eyes then turned to the two massive beasts she had brought with her.
"You're the woman for the job," said Magellan. "This someone stationed on Level III now."
"Minotaurus is on the prowl," she said.
"That's a start, but there are too many places to hide on Level III; it will be difficult to corner," said Magellan. "Let's leave the riot to Saldeath and handle this on our own."
He then grabbed the transponder snail. "Excluding Saldeath, I want all forces in the prison down on Level IV now!"
"Yes, sir! Of course, sir! Right away!"
Magellan then turned everyone present. "If Minotaurus fails us and they do find the way down, once they set foot on lower floors, I will bury them with my own hands. All those who make a mockery of this institution will suffer for it."
Hannibal gulped.
Buggy and Mr 3 were still trying to find a way to the next floor, but they were exhausted.
"Yep, still hot," said Buggy.
"I can't take it much longer; the air feels like it's cooking my insides every time I breathe," said Mr 3.
"I'd rather be cooked than skewered," said Buggy. "This is still the safest place to be right now. We've got to figure out how to get back up to Level I before we die of heat stroke. Easier said than done, I know."
"I'm so dried out I don't even have a lick of spit inside my mouth," said Mr 3. "Soon, I'll just be a hollow-out husk or dust in the wind."
Buggy then looked over the bridge and noticed the lack of guards. "Where did all the guards go? It's too quiet around here; they might be planning some kind of ambush."
"Maybe we're dead," said Mr 3, panting. "Maybe this is some kind of dream?"
"We can't turn back now, but I got a bad feeling."
Hiccup and his group were still running towards the stairs that would take them down to Level IV, and for once, it looked like they had an easy run. However, like everything else in Level III, it quickly evaporated when they heard something coming down the corridor.
They instantly skidded to a halt. They could hear footsteps, and it sounded like they were getting closer. Then they saw coming up from the stairs a creature that was half man and half bull and wielded a mighty bludgeon.
Bon Clay screamed. "Let me be honest; this may not end well."
Suddenly, The creature moved incredibly quickly and swung its bludgeon straight at Hiccup. Thankfully, he was able to jump away just in time before it struck, but it hit the ground with so much force that it cracked.
"What is this thing?" Astrid asked as she gripped her battleaxe. "It's a lot faster than it looks."
"Minotaurus!" Bon Clay cried.
"And that would be?" Hiccup asked.
"A cold-blooded Demon Guard, a nasty beastie with the power to toss a sound like yesterday's garbage. Those are the eyes of a killer."
"He's huge," said Astrid. "Did he a Devil Fruit or something?"
"How would I know?" Bon Clay asked.
Minotaurus then moved with incredible speed and struck Bon Clay with his bludgeon, which sent him crashing into one of the cells.
"Bon, you okay?" Astrid asked, rushing over to him.
"Where did he go?" Hiccup asked as he looked around.
Minotaurus then appeared directly behind him, swinging his bludgeon straight down on top of him, but Hiccup sensed this and managed to jump out of the way again. However, Minotaurus anticipated this and spun around, striking them with his bludgeon, sending him flying.
He then began chasing after Hiccup as he rolled across the ground until we crashed into a cell.
"Dragon Boy!" Bon Clay yelled.
"Hiccup!" Astrid cried.
The two of them then jumped into the fray, striking Minotaurus, which gave Hiccup a chance to recover. However, Minotaurus managed to grab hold of Astrid, pinning her to the ground.
"I can't breathe," Astrid choked.
"Leave her alone!" said Hiccup as he transformed into his Beta Mode. "Beta Mode! Dragon Champion Fist!"
He then moved with lightning speed, punching Minotaurus in the chest just as he was about to slam his bludgeon on top of Astrid. The blow was so powerful that he was sent flying backwards to the other side of the corridor and smashed through one of the bridges.
Hiccup turned back to normal and quickly rushed over to Astrid. "Astrid, you okay?"
"I'll live, but thanks for the save," she said.
"You are certainly strong, Dragon Boy," said Bon Clay, stunned. "I don't think he's down for the count, but you gave that beast something to think about."
"Then we best get moving," said Astrid as she stood up.
"Don't worry, your pretty little head, my dear," said Bon Clay. "It is far too easy to get down to Level IV from where we are now. You'll see."
"You serious?" Hiccup asked.
"See that?" said Bon Clay, pointing to the wall behind them. "Just climb up this wall and all the way to the top."
"Just up there?" Astrid frowned sceptically. "That seems far too easy."
"I wouldn't just barge in, though you'd need to watch your step," Bon Clay warned.
"Then let's head over there," said Hiccup as he took on his dragon form. "Hop aboard."
Astrid and Bon Clay climbed onto Hiccup's back, and he flew up towards the ledge. When he landed, he winced as the ground was red-hot; it was even hotter than the desert floor,
"The ground is red-hot even I can feel it," said Hiccup as Astrid and Bon Clay hopped off his back.
"It's like I'm standing in a frying pan," said Astrid, feeling the heat beneath her boots.
"You're not too far off," said Bon Clay. "Just come here and look at this."
Hiccup and Astrid approached the ledge and saw a massive cloud of smoke coming out of the pit.
"That is a lot of smoke," said Hiccup.
"Don't tell me we have to go down," said Astrid. "It's bad enough being up here on the ledge."
"Alas, this is the Burning Heat Hell you so desired to visit," said Bon Clay. "And double, alas, it lives up to its name quite accurately."
"Well, damn," said Hiccup. "What exactly is down there?"
"As I said, you weren't far off when you said that you landed on a frying pan, though it's more like a giant iron pot," Bon Clay explained. "Once you go down to Level IV, you'll find a boiling pool of blood in a blazing sea of fire."
"His level is worse than the next," said Astrid.
"I get the feeling this is part of the point," said Hiccup.
"We can jump down to the bottom, but if we land the wrong spot, we'll be fried in an instant," said Bon Clay.
"The smoke is too thick for me to see through, so flying is out," Hiccup added.
"You'll be risking your life with each step you take from now on," Bon Clay warned.
Hiccup looked at Bon Clay curiously. "Bon… you said that there was someone you wanted to see too, right? So, who is down there you'd risk your life for?"
Bon Clay smiled. "I've heard that she is called the Miracle Worker. She is a true hero who deserves to be free, and her friends call her Mala. She is the queen of Defender of the Wing Island and defends those who have been shunned by society just because they don't fit it."
"I think I've heard of her," said Hiccup. "She takes in those who don't feel right about themselves."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Astrid frowned.
"I wish to meet her face-to-face, even if it's only for a moment, but maybe we can set her free," said Bon Clay excitedly.
They then heard footsteps and saw something heading straight towards them. They heard familiar screams and saw Buggy and Mr 3 running for their lives with Minotaurus chasing them.
"Are you crazy?!" Bon Clay yelled. "We just got rid of that thing. Why did you lead him back to us?"
Soon, everyone was running for their lives.
"And what are you two doing here?" Bon Clay asked, looking at them. "I thought you said you were going to break out."
"Not you two again?" Buggy groaned, looking at Hiccup and Astrid.
"For someone who wants to escape, you seem to have a habit of doing the opposite," said Hiccup.
"I don't get it either!" Buggy yelled. "We were just trying to hide when that monster came crashing into us. Now, we can't shake it."
"Ah, so that's when he landed," said Hiccup.
"Then you're responsible for this? Of course, you are!"
"By don't want to run any more," Mr 3 cried. "I should just let myself get caught so I can lie down."
"Damn, stupid monster," Buggy mumbled. "I better run straight to my grave if I can't get rid of this thing. If it comes to this, there's only one thing to do." He then smiled broadly at Hiccup and Astrid. "Now, you two listen up; you remember the Buggy Ball? The powerful and flashy weapon I used back when we first met. The one that I used to blow half the town in scared the hell out of you and your friends?"
"No," said Hiccup.
"Nope," said Astrid.
Buggy looked at them crestfallen. "You what? You're joking, right? Oh, come on, I'm sure you guys remember the Buggy Ball. You saw me unleash massive destruction with a single shot. You got to remember the kaboom? Well, maybe put you in a state of shock, and it's too dramatic for you to remember, but it's all coming back now? Something like that?"
"Afraid not," said Hiccup.
"When you've been shot with who knows how many explosively also the blur together," Astrid shrugged.
Buggy was so crestfallen that it looked as if he was going to stop at any moment. "Ah, I see. Well… the, uh Buggy Ball is a big and powerful cannonball. I guess you can say it's kinda like my special weapon. You know the Buggy Ball, named after me."
"All right, so nobody knows anything about it, but the point is you must have a lot of confidence in it to put your name on it," Mr 3 argued.
"Okay, yes, and it's just as powerful as ever," said Buggy confidently. "Only now I've made it tiny. In fact, I happen to have one with me. Now take this!"
Buggy jumped into the air and extended his foot towards Minotaurus. "Buggy Ball!"
He then fired a small ball out of his shoe, and when it made contact with Minotaurus, it unleashed a massive explosion.
"How in the world could he pack so much power into something so small?" Hiccup stared.
"Maybe he's smarter than he looks," said Astrid.
"It was a nice shot," said Bon Clay.
Buggy smiled broadly. "It was a piece of cake for the Buggy Ball. Does it bring back any memories, Dragon? You won't be forgetting this one."
Unfortunately, Minotaurus survived and continued to advance despite his fur on fire.
"Holy crap!" Buggy yelled. "What is that thing made of?"
"Our turn," said Bon Clay.
"Right behind you," said Astrid.
The two of them then jumped at Minotaurus.
Hiccup looked at Mr. 3. "Mr. 3, are you sure you can't use your wax-wax powers down here?"
"In this heat, it would melt in three seconds," he said.
"That's more than enough time," said Hiccup.
Bon Clay was spinning through the air. "Memoirs of a Summer Sky!"
"Valkyrie Impact!" Astrid yelled, thrusting her hand forwards.
The two of them struck Minotaurus at the same time, breaking the ground beneath his feet and trapping him in place.
"Hiccup, it's your turn!" Astrid yelled as she jumped back.
"Candle Lock!" Mr 3 yelled.
Mr 3 then covered Hiccup's fist, who had transformed into his dragon form, and he charged straight at him. Minotaurus recovered and grabbed his bludgeon as Hiccup flew straight at him.
"Dragon Bullet Punch!" Hiccup yelled.
Minotaurus had no time to counter-attack, and Hiccup struck him in the face with all his might. Everyone looked with bated breath as Minotaurus fell to the ground, and he wasn't getting back up this time.
Everyone cheered.
"Yeah, we did it! We really did it!" they cried. "We beat the monster cow thing from hell!"
"All right, let's keep up the momentum and get to the bottom of Level IV," said Hiccup.
Ace just sat in his cell, devastated by the news that Hiccup was trying to rescue him, knowing it was next to impossible.
"Hiccup, just stay away," Ace pleaded.