Disaster: No End In Sight - A Future Card Buddyfight Story

by BurningCard

Kyoya Gaen's defeat, at the hands of Gao Mikado and Bal, did not mark the end of Disaster. Even after his fall, many others follow in his old footsteps. Chase Hallows, working in the field of monsters relations, is thrown into the fray as more monsters and people act in Kyoya's name. Alongside the Fifth Omni Lord and his Cavalry, they will keep fighting to end the Will of Kyoya.

13. 13 - Highs and Lows

September 18th, 2030 – Wednesday, 1:20 PM

Tasuku returned to the breakroom with Gao and Jackknife. Gao seemed alright, though I was skeptical about it, especially since I also had experience when it came to hiding my feelings. It was definitely understandable due to just how Gao lost; not only did he lose in the first game, but he lost because a representation of his old buddy turned to face him, attacking him in the process. It was something I hoped to never experience. I looked over to Arkaid, watching as she appeared to be worried for Gao's sake. She rushed over to Gao, asking if he was alright.

Gao only returned with a soft smile. His eccentric tone was diminished as he spoke back with a strained voice. "It's fine. I just wish I didn't let you guys down."

Arkaid shook her head. "Nonsense; you fought like the Gao I remember. There's no shame in that."

"Still…." Gao lowered his head before turning over to me. "Sorry, man."

"I'm not angry," I replied. "Gale Minas is on my mind now. After listening to what he said…."

Jack shook it off. "He's just trying to rile us up," he began. "Our duty is to make sure we can cover for the others if they lose. If we lose, and then they lose to Team Fujimiya, we're not going to be able to work the way we are now. Once we lose, we can't be where the players are, and being where we shouldn't is only going to make Team Redemption suspicious. Just stay focused."

His buddy agreed with him. Tasuku closed his eyes, feeling a bit disappointed about the turn of events. "Team Redemption is turning out to be a formidable opponent."

My body tensed up. I saw the matchups for the next match. When the others took notice, we were too stunned to speak. Only Arkaid seemed to remain calm when we realized who was going to fight next.

(Chase Hallows vs Hoshi Hirohito)

Tasuku and the others turned to me. Had they really lost faith in me that quickly? I didn't stay long enough to figure it out; I quickly left the room. Arkaid hastily followed me as I made my way to the arena. She huffed as she finally caught up to me; the pace I was moving out was almost too much for SD form Arkaid. "CJ, you need to stay calm."

"I am calm," I emotionlessly applied. "I'm not going to stay in there only to be talked down to."

"I'm certain that they wouldn't have done that."

"Really?" I angrily returned. "The new guy on the team facing the other team's leader? How in the hell would they not say anything about that?"

"Saying negative statements to you about the situation would only ruin your mood," Arkaid replied. Essentially, she was telling me that the others would've lied or held on to only a slight bit of hope. I didn't want to hear any of that. "If it means anything to you, if my word means anything to you, I believe we can do this."

"Why are you talking like that?"

"Like what?"

"Talking like I don't value you," I replied. The two of us stopped at the edge of the arena. We turned to each other as Arkaid modestly returned to her normal form. I found it annoying that she was down-talking herself in such a manner. "Arkaid, do you have low self-esteem or something?"

"Of course not," she returned. "The manner of which I'm speaking reflects on my relationship with you."

"Our relationship?"

"You must understand that, in situations like this, I wouldn't lie," Arkaid began. "I said what I stated to you because it is important for me to understand if you view my words as pointless and futile or not. To not value my words would mean to not value who I am. To only see me as someone who would keep talking to make others feel better, well, is downright ludicrous. I believe we can do this because I know, together, we have the power to do so."

The both of us heard steps from the other side of the arena. We turned to see Hoshi, soon noticing a small, imp-like creature beside him. The creature had platinum blonde hair. Most of his body was covered in a venta-black material with orange, glowing markings spread across his body. The imp had light-blue skin that allowed his eerie red eyes to glow. It was his Buddy Monster.

Paruko, seeing the two of us at the ready, prepared herself for the introduction. "Alrighty! Ladies and gentlemen! Monsters and Humans! Welcome to round number two of this incredible tournament. Fighting for Dragonic Trinity is Chase Hallows and his buddy, Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon, Sand Staff Arkaid!" The crowd roared in response. "Fighting for Team Redemption is Hoshi Hirohito and his buddy, Formless Jailer, Izumonokami! But let's call him Izu for short!"

As the crowd exclaimed their praise for the start of the fight, I tried to piece together what world this man was fighting for. Even though Formless Jailer, Izu was from Katana World, I recalled that monster being from another sort of deck. The name escaped me at the moment as my Core Deck Case took its familiar shield form. I watched as Izu went into his normal form; his features looking more human. At his sides were two red swords that glowed a strong and bright red color. I noticed Hoshi's deck case taking a rather odd form; by his side was a totem which resembled a small gate. The gem resided where the gate's handle would be.

By Paruko's coinflip, Hoshi would be the one going first. I took in a nervous gulp before preparing myself. He luminized the top cards of his deck. However, something odd occurred; three cards went into his gauge instead of the normal two. When I wanted some answers, I noticed that his life counter went to 8. Hoshi appeared emotionlessly stern as he stared at me from across the arena. "Guardians fighting at the gates of hell. Take up arms! Luminize! Fallen Executioners!"

The announcer appeared rather giddy. "I was wondering why his life and gauge started out a bit differently!"

I finally knew the answer too. However, I allowed the theatrics to take over as I luminized my hand and gauge cards. "To risk my life to serve a greater power! That is the role of the Fifth Omni Cavalry! To ARMS! Dragonic Omni Sacrament!"

Paruko exclaimed proudly. "Let's buddyfight!"

In unison, my opponent and I proclaimed, "Time to raise the flag."

I went first. "I fight for Dragon World."

Hoshi returned. "Searing Executioners."

Paruko interjected. "For any audience members that are confused, the Searing Executioners flag allows Hoshi to use cards with 'Executioners' in their attribute and only such cards. As a cost of getting the extra plus of starting off with three gauge, users of this flag are forced to start out with only 8 life."

Hoshi replied. "A small price to pay." He was going first. He placed a card into his gauge, bringing him to four. Because of the charge, he was able to draw a card. "I'll use my set spell." Upon activating the card, a small orb emerged next to him. Appearing on it was the image of a fiery, hellish gate. It was void of any light. "First ability; I'll put two cards from my deck to the drop zone. If there is an 'Executioners' card among them, I get to put a card from my deck into the gauge."

Arkaid muttered to herself. "He's whole deck is 'Executioners,' so he's already at five gauge. This leaves him open to perform many powerful attacks."

"I equip Executioner Hammer, Hell's Fender," Hoshi emotionlessly returned. The luminized card vanished, causing the creation of a hellish hammer to appear in his right hand. The hammer looked like it appeared from a courtroom in hell. The gavel piece had a blade attached at one end, burning hot like it was just molded from a blacksmith. The item had 2000 power and 2 critical. "If I have 15 or more cards in the drop zone, this card gets +2 critical."

Suddenly, he leaped forward. His emotionless eyes gazed at me as he was soon directly in front of me. I was able to get a fair look at him; he resembled someone a bit older than me. His facial features were so defined. His long, black hair tossed and turned in the air as he swung the hammer through me, causing my life to drop to 8. He returned to his position while I regained my footing. "I end my turn."

"He's kind of … robotic," I commented as I drew a card. While choosing a card to place into my gauge, Arkaid nodded in agreement. After drawing my next card I knew what the plan was going to be. I couldn't play an item right now, but I knew that I was able to do something of a counterattack. "Anyways, based on that item alone, I need to beat him quickly."

"Agreed," Arkaid nodded. "However, he'll most definitely catch on and start playing some spells to block our attacks, and you don't have an item in hand."

"That's true," I replied. "However, I can focus on using size 1s right now," I muttered back to her. "Then, once my field is getting cleared up, I can call something to wipe them all out." Arkaid looked over my hand with me. Noticing the card I was talking about, she softly smiled. "What do you think?"

"He better not catch on," Arkaid replied. "Either way, let's do it. Let's go with a full out attack."

"This will cost some hand cards," I returned. "But, it will make the game end faster."

"And, hopefully, things will fall in our favor," Arkaid returned.

I smiled before commencing my turn. "Alright, first thing's first, I'm calling Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon, Wind Bow Meglax to the center area!" One of the few monsters I could actually call to the center was brought out. I didn't have the greatest hand, especially since I lacked my main weapon, but I was fine working with what I had. What emerged was a familiar green dragon sporting the attire of a more fashionable Robin Hood. His long and brown flowing hair almost distracted me from the glowing bow he held at his side. He was a size one with 2000 power, 2 critical, and 1000 defense. "Next up, to the right, I buddy-call Arkaid!" Arkaid rushed into position, taking her place in the right monster circle. She materialized her staff as she directed it at our enemy. She was another size 1 with 2000 power, 2 critical, and 2000 defense. My life went back up to 9 due to the buddy call. "Now, I call to the left position, Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon Disciple, Hagun of Sand Cane." To my left emerged a small, light-blue dragon. The dragon leaped into position, raising a small version of Arkaid's sand staff. Hagun was a size 1 monster with 2000 power, 2 critical, and 3000 defense. "Finally, I activate 'Dragoguts.' By taking 1 point of damage, I increase my life by three. However, Hagun has another skill; whenever I take damage, Hagun increases my life and gauge by 1."

After all of that, I managed to get a full field, my life up to 12, and my gauge up to 4. Unfortunately, this left me with only three cards left in hand. I knew that I needed to be careful at this point. What was starting to throw me off was that Hoshi wasn't really responding to this sudden development. While Paruko was excitingly flying throughout the air while addressing the audience why what I did was so 'cool,' Hoshi just remained steady. "I'll attack you with Hagun!"

"I activate Shadow Crusader," Hoshi returned. "This spell card reduces the next time I would take damage this turn by 3, nullifying your attack. As a cost, I must remove three cards from the top of my deck and place them in the drop zone."

I gritted my teeth. The only thing I was able to do now was to finish my series of attacks. Fortunately, he now only had three cards in hand. He accepted the onslaught of Arkaid and Meglax's next attacks, bringing his life down to 4. A part of me was a bit angry; he was in the range of my impact card but I didn't have it in my hand. If I had it then he would've been destroyed after only one turn. He was fortunate in the long run. However, this is the risk of a deck like his, and I believe that he understood it well.

"My turn," Hoshi robotically replied in a monotone manner. He drew a card, charged one useless card from his hand to the gauge, and drew another. "First, I activate the ability of my Gate set spell. I mill the top two cards. As expected, there's 'Executioners' cards, so I charge a card from my deck to the gauge. Next, I activate Inferno Rule. By paying one gauge, I destroy a size 2 or lower monster on your side of the field. I target your Hagun. I don't want you to regain any life when you're damaged, now do I?"

In that instance, Hagun was victim to an incoming ball of hellish flames. He vanished instantly as the holographic representation of him broke apart. Hoshi was right to destroy Hagun; after I utilized Hagun's ability to gain one life and put a card into my gauge, he must've assumed—correctly—that it can be activated on the opponent's turn too. If he attacked directly, then my life would've regained off Hagun. He couldn't let that happen. Even though I didn't have any defensive cards, I was still happy that I had a monster in my center. However, I soon noticed that my opponent curled the right edge of his mouth. "I pay three gauge cards to activate my gate's other ability; I'm able to bring an 'Executioners' card from my drop zone into my hand."

Arkaid lowered her head. "Incredible. He mills his deck quickly and then utilizes the drop zone as a place for resources."

I nodded back. "And he keeps building up more gauge. At this rate, he's going to call something fierce."

Hoshi returned back to me with another smirk. "Don't take it personally. I believe that you will lose by the end of this turn."

"H-huh?"

"Can you confirm that you have 12 life points left?"

"Yes, I can," I replied back. "Are you saying you can take out all twelve?"

"Certainly," Hoshi replied. "Now, I want you to watch carefully. This is the power of the Executioner deck. I pay three more gauge to call forth my ultimate beast; Master of the Searing Executioners, Gagalgarios!" What emerged on the right monster circle was a monstrosity to the very concept of creation. The black dragon's scales were stained by soot and dried blood. Red horns protruded from its very body at multiple points. As the creature opened its mouth, the very beast appeared to unleash a frightening roar of hellfire.

Paruko watched closely as the pieces started to come together. Arkaid and I weren't sure at first, but then Paruko confirmed its power. It was a size 3 with 10,000 power, 5,000 defense, and a critical of two. Hoshi groaned contently as he looked up at his extremely large, tremendous beast. "As soon as he is called, I'm able to mill five more cards from my deck and place them into the drop zone." At that very moment, the dragon's eyes began to glow a strikingly crimson color. Hoshi's hammer became engulfed in flames. "The stage has been set. At least fifteen cards are in my drop zone. Not only does my hammer now gain two critical, my dragon gains 1 critical and Penetrate!"

"P-penetrate?!"

"That's right," Hoshi returned. "So your Meglax in the center won't block the damage at all. My monster's critical would go right through it, damaging you directly! Now! To the left circle, I buddy-call Formless Jailer, Izumonokami." His buddy reached for the left monster circle. However, just as Hoshi's life went up to 5, Hoshi gave out another command. "Go into the soul of your leader!" The jailer vanished from the field. His card took on a red glow before flying into the monster. The dragon roared proudly as the area around us began to grow even tenser. "Because of that, my dragon now has soulguard, and has gained an extra critical."

"So he has four critical now?" I asked.

"Not just that," Hoshi replied. "Gagalgarios also has Double Attack."

Twelve damage. Hoshi was correct; that would bring my life total from 12 to 0 in one span of attacks. I tried going over the calculations in my head, leading me to be left in fear and awe at the capabilities of this deck. Paruko shared these feelings as she started screaming at the top of her lungs. "I can't believe what I'm seeing! After fulfilling the requirement, Hoshi has now made it so he'll be able to deal 12 damage in one turn! Penetrate being paired up with such a devastatingly powerful monster?! Just thinking about such a BEAST would scare me, and now it's right before us all! CJ needs a way to guard the attacks, otherwise, he's in trouble!"

Hoshi was right in assuming I had no shields. There was no way for me to block the incoming attacks. I watched as Hoshi commanded his dragon for the attack. The dragon slowly motioned forward, raising a fist into the air. He slammed it into the center position, destroying Meglax instantly. My life was so brought down to 8. In that moment, I quickly called out to my friend. "Arkaid! Now!"

"Right!" Arkaid rushed forward to the center position. She glared back at the dragon, showing the determination in her eyes. Her staff was directed at the hellish dragon as she took in a deep breath. "As a member of the Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragons, I will not stand by and let you defeat my eternal partner. Come at me!"

Hoshi snickered. "So, Arkaid has Move? It's hopeless!" The dragon struck down once again. The fist propelled through the air as Hoshi followed behind him. Arkaid looked back to me, giving me a soft smile. The fist smashed through her, obliterating her form until she was brought back to being a card. The card flew back to my Core Deck Case, retreating to the drop zone. I was dealt four more points of damage, bringing my life to 4.

Hoshi was coming in. He smirked as he saw me remain motionless. It was at that point he knew that I lacked any defense cards. He smirked, soon swinging his hammer through me. I took the damage. He quickly returned to his side of the field, chuckling to himself as he watched my life points drop. Finally, he turned away and started walking off the arena. However, something got him to turn around.

There was no doubt in my mind that any buddyfighter in my position would've lost. With no defense cards, one would just be left to take the attacks, bringing their life down to an insane degree. It was at that point that I realized that I was extremely lucky that Arkaid was with me. It is because of her that I managed to come here now, fighting for my team. I couldn't help but smile as Hoshi turned around to see me smiling fondly. I couldn't help but shed a tear because of how much Arkaid got me involved with others.

Many fighters would've lost there. However, thanks to my friend, Arkaid, that wasn't the case for me.

When the dust settled, and when the dragon returned to Hoshi's side of the field, I slowly got back to my feet. Hoshi stared with complete shock as he saw my life points. "How?!" Hoshi screamed. His monotone demeanor didn't show, his murderous intent was gone. All that remained was the screams of a furious man. "How are you still standing?! How do you have one life point left?!"

"Simple," I replied back with a smirk. "You were right in taking out Hagun when you did. If you just went for me, Hagun would've healed me. However, you must not know what Arkaid does."

"Why should I?" Hoshi replied angrily. "So what if she has move?! What's the big deal about that?! There's no point in just having her move to the center! Penetrate renders it useless!"

"The fact of the matter is that she doesn't have move," I replied back. Hoshi's mouth was left agape, soon transforming as he gritted his teeth. If he bit his teeth harder I would've been certain that they would've cracked. "Move triggers at the beginning of the battle phase. Arkaid's ability is this; when I get damaged, she moves to my center. She protects me. When she's destroyed, she gives me 1 life point, and one gauge."

"O-ONE MORE LIFE POINT?!"

"Because of her, my life total was technically 13. Thanks to her, I'm still in this."

Paruko screamed even louder than before as the crowd went completely nuts. "U-U-U-UNBELIEVABLE! Arkaid's ability gave CJ the one extra life point that he needed! Because Hoshi has used up almost all of his gauge, there's no way he could continue his turn after that; it is now CJ's TURN! Can he pull it back with JUST ONE LIFE POINT LEFT?!"

It was a bit unfortunate being left on one life. Because my equipment and some spell cards require me to pay a life, I am forced not play them. Any equipment I would draw would be useless in my hand. Fortunately, I kept the key cards I had in my hand since the very first turn. "So, with it being my turn, Hoshi, all I need now is a monster with 2 critical and another with 3, correct?"

"Y-you…. LITTLE…. STAIN!"

"However, for the sake of the audience, I'm going to be a bit theatrical." I drew a card. It was a defensive shield card. I placed it into the gauge and drew another card. "Your hand is essentially empty. I doubt you have anything worthwhile in it. However, I believe that I'm set even if you had a defensive spell card. First, to the right position, I pay one gauge to call, to the right, Fifth Omni Dragon Lord, Drum!" A familiar card appeared once again. Drum was no longer dressed as an officer; he was back as the Omni Lord successor. He was a size 2 with 6000 power, 3 critical, and 5000 defense. "To the left, I call Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon, Sand Staff Arkaid!" The luminized card vanished from my hand. The real Arkaid left my Core Deck Case and returned to her position on the field. She was a size 1 with 2000 power and defense with a critical of 2. The two of us smiled back at each other before Arkaid looked rather confidently at Hoshi. The man, who acted like a spoiled brat, thrashed around as he stared at the monster that kept me going.

Arkaid could only giggle, holding a hand over her mouth to try and contain herself. "The conditions have been met."

Paruko exclaimed loudly at the turn of events. "And Arkaid has returned to the field! Not only does CJ have the 5 total critical points needed to finish the game, but one of the monsters ending this is the same one that kept the game from ending in the opponent's victory in the first place! THE IRONY IS INSANE!"

"Drum, attack the fighter!" The orange dragon leaped forward. He slowly pulled out an intimidating blade, slashing through Hoshi as the fighter cried out. His life dropped down to two as I looked back at Arkaid. She turned back to me. "Arkaid, would you do the honors?"

Arkaid chuckled. "Gladly."

---

Arkaid and I returned to the break room with a boost of confidence so massive that you'd have to send two hell dragons to break us down. We entered the room as Gao approached us with glowing eyes. I couldn't help but grin as I saw his face beaming with energy once again. "CJ! Arkaid! That was insane! I was at the edge of my seat at that last turn! 12 damage?! That's just insane! And you two got through it without any shields!"

Jackknife and Tasuku approached us. The green dragon let out an anxious breath of air as he continued speaking. "I'll be frank, once we realized you didn't have any shields, we panicked. Fortunately, Arkaid was there to give you that one life point when you needed it."

Tasuku followed suit. "I didn't doubt you for a second, CJ," Tasuku replied. "Yes, that dragon was strong, but since Arkaid was on the field I knew you were going to live through it."

I couldn't help but agree with him. I simply shrugged back at him with a slight chuckle. "Once you know what Arkaid's ability is, the situation kind of loses the 'do or die' aspect of it."

Arkaid sighed. "Still, we managed to get the win."

"Because of you, Arkaid," I returned. She looked back to me with modesty. "If it wasn't for you, we would've lost right then and there. You made the difference."

"It was nothing." Arkaid remained regal as she looked away for a moment. Even though she gave off a calm appearance, I noticed that the tip of her tail was thumping against the floor. I was hardly able to contain my laughter. Arkaid quickly looked back to me with confusion, acting like she didn't understand what was going on. However, her eyes went back to the television. "What in the world?"

Hoshi was throwing a massive fit. The robotic individual was now in a state of murderous rage. Guards were attempting to approach him. Hoshi's buddy was already subdued as Hoshi attempted to attack one of the guards. Finally, one of the guards was able to go for Hoshi's back, putting him in a headlock before forcing him to the ground. One by one, the guards rushed to bring the man back to his feet as they handcuffed the angry fighter. "Oh my goodness."

The man started to scream even louder. His murderous intent shook the arena as he cried bloody murder. "CJ! Arkaid! You're dead! You're both fucking dead!" The guards had no choice but to rush him out of the arena. "Wherever you are, you are dead! You will be tossed into the gates of hell to rot for an eternity! I will not rest until you are both wiped away from this world!" The screen cut to black. The five of us were reduced to silence. We looked at each other, hoping that the madness would subside.

(Liam Kieron vs Tasuku Ryuenji)

I didn't want to watch this from a screen; I needed to see Liam play firsthand and up close. Arkaid and I joined Tasuku and Jackknife as they approached their side of the arena. We watched as Liam approached with Demios by his side. The two of them made it to their side of the arena, but they looked rather somber. Liam was lost for words while Demios simply refused to speak. Tasuku and Jack took their place on the platform. Arkaid and I remained just behind them.

Tasuku, trying to get the conversation going, sighed. "… How is your teammate doing?"

"Oh, just great," Liam replied morosely. "He just yelled at Gale, got 'em to run away. Right now he's being looked at to see if he has some mental condition or something."

"I can see why," Tasuku stated back. "He went from robotic, to… and then to… I just can't bring myself to think of the faces he made."

"He was a mental case; Gale and I both knew that," Liam returned. "No point in talking about it now."

The audience grew quiet as Tasuku and Liam continued their conversation. I was beginning to feel rather uneasy. Liam's tone and demeanor had shifted; he wasn't the kind of person I remembered him to be. He was acting… colder. The way he was changed as soon as he entered the fighting arena; could it be that his mind shifts his personality depending on the situation around him? I couldn't know yet. All I knew was that, during the battle, Liam changed. Arkaid noticed my arm shaking, soon grasping onto it to keep it steady. I looked at her, watching as she sincerely looked up to me. After taking in a deep breath, I was able to watch on.

Tasuku turned to Jack for a moment before focusing on Demios. Both dragons were currently in their SD form as the waited for the battle to start. Apparently, people were keeping their eyes on Gale, who had run off after the yelling match, and Hoshi, who was sitting in the break room with guards supervising him and his buddy until the match was over. It was getting fairly clear that the crowd and Paruko wanted Team Redemption to lose. "I want to know why… how you two were able to meet. Liam, why would you partner with the Purgatory Knights?"

"Why are ye so worried?" Liam asked, feeling rather confused. "Ye make them out to be complete demons."

"The purgatory knights kill their own!" Tasuku exclaimed. "You've seen how they battle; they sacrifice each other for the sake of victory. How can you align yourself with a group of people like that?"

"That just shows how single-minded you are," Liam replied. He looked over to me, smirking. "CJ, tell them. Tell them the history of the Purgatory Knights."

Tasuku and Jack turned back to me. I could only turn away, muttering to myself about Liam throwing me under the bus. "What is he talking about?" Tasuku demanded. "What do you know that I don't?"

"Tasuku… you know how cards have abilities that reflect how the actual monster fights, right?" I began to say.

"Yes! I know that! I've used the Purgatory Knights before. That's how I know how they work."

"But that's exactly it; that's not how they work," I hastily replied. Without me really thinking, I shook my head back at him. "The Purgatory Knights cursed themselves with true immortality. They'll die, only to return. They're cursed with eternal purgatory, hence the name. Any new dragon they enlist is given the curse. They serve Demios Sword Dragon for all eternity, dying for him. But here's the thing; him sacrificing units to 'restand' himself to attack again… that's a barebones summary about the actual combat of the Purgatory Knights."

Jack murmured back to me as Tasuku remained speechless. "Tell us. What is their story then?"

"About a couple years ago, sometime before the Yamigedo incident, Darkness Dragon World was discovered. I believe I don't need to tell you who; Gaen's influence was pretty important. However, we had to understand that world properly before the rest of its residents were to be considered for warping from their world to ours, and what we got was… Horrifying, but not in the way you think."

"What happened?!" Jackknife was finally growing tense. "How do they truly fight?!"

"The Purgatory Knights fight by sending their immortal troops into raids where there is a great chance they'll all die," I returned. Jack and Tasuku were frozen, speechless by the statement I uttered. "It was hard for us to take in at first; the District for Monster Welfare found it atrocious that dragons fighting for good would go that far to fight the terrors of Darkness Dragon World. But then we found out why they did this; the soldiers… regenerated. They came back to life. However, as Demios saw his allies getting hacked down and slaughtered… it was like adrenaline flowed through him. At least, that's what I got from the account of some of the Purgatory Knights I interviewed."

Tasuku couldn't think of anything to say; he was still unsure of what to think. "I still don't get it."

"Translate what I told you to his card effect," I replied back, soon crossing my arms. "He sends his soldiers to die during any military advances. That's the sacrifice portion of his card. Once that happens, the fury he feels from the deaths of his soldiers fuels him with power. That's the restanding portion." Tasuku and Jack finally seemed to understand. "People get a different idea because, in this cardgame format, Demios destroys his ally units to get the bonuses, but that's all that it is; a summary of who he is translated into a cardgame format. Either way, he's 'killing' his units for the sake of victory, albeit indirectly."

"But I still don't get why Liam would work with him!" Tasuku exclaimed. "I understand what you're saying, CJ, but now you're telling me that Liam is working with someone who would send his troops to die!"

Demios shook his head. "They return anyways."

"But to feel the pain of death each time?!" Tasuku screamed. "How could someone be willing to do such things?"

It was then that I heard Liam's voice. "Sacrifices have to be made for the sake of victory." Tasuku looked back, watching as Liam watched Tasuku with steady eyes. "When ye worked with Demios, your only sacrifice was you tossing away your childhood. You call that sacrifice?"

"W-…What? How do you know that?"

"That's why I'm here now, Tasuku," Liam returned. He let his arms go outstretched. He took in a deep breath before staring down the opponent. He locked eyes, soon letting his arms fall to his sides. "You simply wanting to 'grow up' quickly, sacrificing your childhood. I sacrificed much more than you could possibly think. Unlike any other human standing here today, I've seen the end." Liam whipped out his Core Deck Case. It took form, resembling that of a dark-colored sword. The item gleamed with a purple, malefic light as the gem at the base of the hilt remained blue. "I'm done talking. Demios wanted this day to come, and I'm going to give it to him. I will defeat you."

"Liam… I won't let that happen," Tasuku returned. His core deck case took the form of a white circular oval. The gem began to glow as both fighters' monsters took on their real forms. "As a friend of CJ's, you must know what he must feel to see you like this."

"Oh, he knows the Purgatory Knights inside and out," he returned. "He's not a gullible gobshite. Unlike me, he actually knows things. Everything that I was able to tell ye was from him. I mean, we are the Ying and Yang."

"So you really were there," Tasuku returned. "So the Purgatory Knights… you wanted to make them back then?"

"Once CJ told me their background after his time at work, I knew for a fact that they were the deck I wanted to play," Liam replied. "Let's do this. It's time for our buddyfight."

Tasuku nodded back. Paruko wasn't ready, but Tasuku and Liam took initiative. The prodigious buddy officer took initiative as he flung two luminized cards into his gauge, followed by drawing six cards. "Shine forth! Future dragons clad in stars! Fight alongside me as one! Luminize, Cross Dragoner!"

Liam did the same. His core deck case swung around as the base of the gem remained close to Liam's hands. "Loyal Brothers who always rise again, fight alongside me between Life and Death! I Call Forth! Eternal Purgatory!"

"Time to raise the flag!"

Paruko still wasn't ready. For some reason, the initial discussion left her frozen. She only hovered as she watched the fight take place. Something about the tension between these two… it was affecting her. She looked confused, lost while the fight continued before her. During it, she would take looks at Liam. She would wince, almost crumble as he saw the fighter commence forward despite everything Team Redemption has gone through thus far. Tasuku took the initiative, for he was going first. "We fight for Star Dragon World!"

Liam returned. "We fight for Darkness Dragon World!"

"I'll take the first move!" Tasuku charged a luminized card into his gauge, allowing him to draw a new card. Before taking the first move, Jack looked over to him. "Jack?"

"Call me to the center, Tasuku," Jackknife stated worriedly. "If he has Demios in his hand, you know I need to protect you."

"Seeing how he is now, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes too aggressive," Tasuku returned. "I pay one gauge to buddy-call, Star Dragoner, Jackknife to the center position!" Jackknife leaped forward, releasing a powerful roar. The buddy call gave Tasuku an extra point of life, bringing him to 11. He was a size 2 with 5000 power and defense with 3 critical. "Jackknife's ability; I check the top 3 cards of my deck and put one of them into his soul, and the rest into the dropzone." Tasuku waved his hand across his deck case's gem, causing three cards to be shown. He gasped. "This is exactly what we needed!"

Jackknife nodded. "Do it, Tasuku."

"I send Jackarms J Thruster to the soul, allowing for it to activate another ability!" Tasuku sent one of his hand cards to the drop zone. "By discarding a card, I'm able to send another copy of Jackarms J Thruster from my deck into his soul."

Arkaid pondered to herself. "So now Jackknife needs to be destroyed three times in order to be completely removed from the field. He's become Tasuku's wall."

I nodded in return. "Still, that only means so much; he still needs to be careful about Liam's plays, and now Tasuku only has four cards in hand. It's put him in a bind." Before I knew it, Gao was walking towards us. I noticed his presence before going back to watching the fight. I could only assume he hated residing in the break room alone like that.

Tasuku sternly continued his turn. "Now I activate Star Jack Boost! I'm able to charge a card into my gauge and draw a new card! Jackknife, time to attack the fighter!"

Jackknife leaped away from the center position. He flew over to Liam's side of the field before thrashing his tail through him. Liam's life was knocked down by three, soon marking the end of Tasuku's turn and bringing him to 7 life. Liam took initiative as he drew a luminized card, tossed a worthless one into the gauge, allowing him to draw a new one. "That wall of yours isn't going to stop me," Liam returned. "Don't be so thick in thinking that would be enough. I pay one gauge to equip, Purgatory Knights Leader Sword, Demios Sword." A card vanished from Liam's hand, soon materializing into the shape of Demios's own claymore. It had 3000 power and a critical of 2. "Now, to my right, I call Purgatory Knights, Gairahm Lance Dragon." From Liam's hand came a white dragon clad in black and gold armor. The dragon's two black horns reached far above him as his blue sword appeared to illuminate nothing but an eternal abyss. He was a size 2 monster with 6000 power, 2000 defense, and 2 critical. "His size is reduced since my buddy is a Purgatory Knight; now he's a size 1."

"So now you're calling Demios?" Tasuku asked.

"One of many," Liam returned with a smirk. "To the left, I buddy-call Purgatory Knights Leader, Demios Sword Dragon!" Liam's life was brought back up to 8 as Demios left his side. The dragon took hold of his claymore as he leaped over to the left monster circle. "I'll leave you with a small taste."

"Even with all that power, you still won't get through!" Tasuku exclaimed.

"Don't underestimate my power," Liam returned confidently. "I'll attack with him first. Gairahm, go for Jackknife Dragon!"

"I won't let you get to him! I cast!" A circular right of light-blue light began to envelop Jackknife. The dragon roared proudly as the machinery in his armor began to light up, growing stronger by the second. "Speculight Ring! Jack gains an additional 3000 power and defense and gains counterattack."

"Crap," Liam muttered. "Guess you're safe against the combo for now." Liam watched as Jackknife counterattacked back, destroying Gairahm. The dragon vanished in an array of holographic shards. "I still have this; my item activates. On my turn, when a Purgatory Knights monster gets destroyed, I can draw a card, then give any card on the field with Purgatory Knights in its name an extra 3000 power."

Gao gritted his teeth. "So after all that, Liam is still getting bonuses for losing a monster?"

Arkaid shook her head. "This is going to be a struggle for Tasuku."

Liam continued on. "Now my sword has 6000 power. Demios, go for Jack!" Demios leaped forward, pulling back on his blade. Jack roared back angrily as Demios swung through Jack's body. The green dragon vanished but soon returned. However, in the process, he lost one of his soul cards. "Now for me!" Liam jumped and rushed forward. He unleashed a battle cry as he thrust the sword into Jack, destroying the green dragon once again. As Liam returned to his side of the field, Jack returned. Both of the soul cards were now removed, leaving Jack unable to survive another attack. "Don't think ye can survive on him forever. You're down to three cards now."

Tasuku nodded back. "You're right. I can't utilize Jack like this for our entire game. Instead, I need to push forward!" Tasuku drew a luminized card from his deck. Knowing he was in a situation where he had to utilize Jack as a wall, he sent his item card into the gauge, allowing him to draw a new card. "Great! Now, to the right, I call Jackarms J Igniter!" A blue and white ship seemingly flew out of Tasuku's card, causing it to vanish. The ship arrived at the right circle, but not for long. "I activate its ability. Crossnize!"

I looked rather confused. "Crossnize?"

Gao looked back to me. "It's what he's been doing, but a bit different," he began. "He's putting Igniter into Jack's soul from the field, powering him up. That's crossnize."

The buddy officer continued on as he gave Jackknife a new card for his soul. Jack roared back as he felt the new power course through him. Two blaster canons emerged at his side. "Now I have four critical!"

His buddy nodded. "But I'm not done yet. To the right, I call V Gradaton, Quantum Ruler!" A grey, robotic and dragon-like beast revealed itself. It wore a red chest plate as the back parts of its contained a green, crystal substance. This creature had 4000 power, 1000 defense, and a critical of 1. "Now, Quantum Ruler, destroy Demios Sword Dragon!" The grey dragon took an offensive stance. Demios Sword braced itself as the alien dragon suddenly propelled itself forward. He unleashed a lunge into Demios's stomach with a solid punch. Demios was destroyed, retreating back into his card form to return to Liam's Core Deck Case. Liam gritted his teeth. "Now, Jackknife, attack the fighter!" Jack charged, unleashing a tremendously strong attack. Two blasters launched towards Liam. The blasts exploded around him, causing Liam to lose four life, bringing him down to 4. As the dust settled, Liam composed himself. Tasuku's turn was now over, allowing Liam to make a strong attack back. He knew that Jack only had one soul now, so he needed to think about how to approach this tactic. Even though Tasuku had a smaller hand size than him, Liam was down to four life while Tasuku was still protecting his 11 rather well.

It was Liam's turn now. He drew a card from his deck, sending one to the gauge before drawing another. "I believe it's time to show you one of the other boss monster's of my deck." Liam threw out one of his cards, sending it to the right monster circle. "Come forth! Purgatory Knights, Death Sickle "Calvary"!" A white dragon wielding a giant sickle revealed itself. The dragon kneeled, slowly looking forwards as Jackknife glared back at it. This beast was a size 3 with 9000 power, 4000 defense, and 2 critical. "Now attack, my dragon!" Liam ordered. Calvary marched forward until it stood before Jackknife. The dragon too its sickle and swung through Jackknife, completely obliterating him. The green dragon returned, only to see that Calvary still remained still. "Calvary has Double Attack. Destroy him, finally!" The great white dragon swung at Jack once more. Jack braced himself as he finally left the field. Tasuku called out to him as Jack returned to Tasuku's Core Deck Case.

Liam was still not done. He rushed forward with his sword in hand. Tasuku watched as Liam swung his sword with an unheard sense of ferocity. The sword fazed through Tasuku, but the force of the attack made Tasuku reel back. The damage from the attack reduced Tasuku's life down to 9. It was the end of Liam's turn, bringing the power back into Tasuku's hands. The buddy officer winced for a moment before regaining his footing. "Liam, you certainly have a grasp on how to play the deck. Trust me when I say that I know you haven't given it your all yet."

"I'm waiting for the perfect time," Liam returned. He raised his sword, staring at Tasuku as the blade continued to give off an eerie glow. "As my monsters get destroyed, this sword gives me the cards I need. I'm not going to unleash my final string of attacks until I know the time is right."

"But how can you truly know?" Tasuku asked. Liam tilted his head, finding the question to be odd. "In buddyfight, anything can happen. Once I draw my card, I could have the very answer to the threat just before me."

"Then you have it," Liam replied. "I'm not going to waste my resources at the wrong time. If I do, and the turn fails, then I'm left with nothing. Those sacrifices would've been for nothing."

"I believe I understand," Tasuku replied. "But… I won't give you that perfect moment! Draw!" Tasuku drew a luminized card from his deck. After doing so, he placed a card from his hand into the gauge, allowing him to draw another. "To the left, I call Sphere Cemetery, Star Remnant!" From Tasuku's hand came a disjointed dragon. Its limbs were attached to its main body through channels of energy. The dragonic creature was a size 0 with 3000 power and defense while having a critical of 1. "His ability allows me to reduce the call cost for Neodragons by one gauge. This allows me to call Star Dragoner, Jackknife to the center for free!"

"So, you have a full squadron," Liam returned with a smirk.

Jackknife returned to the field, activating its ability upon entering. Jack roared proudly as three cards were revealed from the top of Tasuku's deck. He smirked upon seeing one of the revealed cards. Jack felt a new power flowing through him as the selected card was placed into his soul "Dragonarms, Elgar Cannon!" Jack happily took hold of the new blasters given to him. "I now gain 2000 power and 1 critical!"

"You have three strong monsters with you, but that won't be enough to stop me," Liam returned.

"Jack and I have a power of our own. Do not underestimate us!"

"Demios! Come!" Liam quickly released a card from his hand. He discarded one of his gauge cards, allowing a creature to come to Liam's center. Tasuku was stunned to see the younger version of Demios enter the battlefield. "His ability is a counter. I can use it on your turn too. Unfortunately…." Liam looked over at Calvary. The dragon immediately vanished. "I happened to go over the size limit."

"Why'd you do that?"

"There was no way you were going to attack him, so his presence wasn't needed." Liam looked at the young Demios before him. "You were surprised when you saw Purgatory Knights, Demios Sword Early last time, weren't you?"

Tasuku nodded. "Yeah. I've never seen that card before. To think it could be used for defense too… but it doesn't matter!" Tasuku directed Cemetery towards Liam's center. "Now! Attack the center!" Sphere Cemetery attack Demios Sword Early, destroying it. "Quantum Ruler, attack the fighter!"

"I nullify with Black Dragon Shield!" Liam returned. After nullifying his attack, his life went up by one, bringing him to five life points.

"Jackknife!"

"You got it!" His comrade flew forward, preparing to strike down the foe standing before him. Because of Jackknife's power, a clean hit would bring Liam to one life. The extra critical from Elgar cannon threatened to bring Liam's life to a dangerous level. Liam knew he had no choice but to let it through. Liam's life dropped down to 1 as the green dragon unleashed multiple lasers towards him. Liam cried out as they exploded around him. Although merely representations, the force behind them was enough to send him to his knees.

The smoke started to settle. Liam watched as his surroundings started to become much clearer. He was panting; the position he was in was looking rather bad. With only one life left, he had to completely destroy Tasuku's line of defense. He panted back; the force of the attacks was catching up to him. "It… It's my turn!"

"No," Tasuku replied sternly. Liam winced back, feeling the tension rise. "We aren't finished yet!" Three gauge from Tasuku's side of the field was used up. "Final Phase!" Standing before Liam was an enraged Jackknife. The dragon's power rocketed as his body became enveloped in an intense light. Liam gritted his teeth as he watched Tasuku throw a card to the center circle of his field, placing it on top of Jackknife. "Impact Call!" As the light finally left, Liam was left, stunned as he watched the dragon he once blocked before stand before him with magnificent power. "Jackknife, "Galactical Punisher!""

I couldn't help but tremble before the dragon's incredible power. "That's the same card that Tasuku beat me with!"

Tasuku wasn't done. He watched as Liam scanned the dragon, hoping to find a chance of evading this beast's attack. The monster was a size 2 monster with 10,000 power, 5000 defense, and 3 critical. However, because of his current soul of Elgar cannon, Jack had a critical of 4 and 12,000 power. With two cards in the impact monster's soul, including Star Dragoner, Jackknife, even if Liam were to survive this, defeating such a creature would not be easy. "Finally, I activate his ability; upon being called, I go into my drop zone and choose a card to put into Jack's soul!" Tasuku looked into the drop zone. He seemed to know exactly what to put in. "Good. I put this into my gauge the previous turn after I drew it." He revealed the card, showing another Jackarms, Elgar Canon. "I put this into Jack's soul, giving him 2000 more attack power and another critical!"

Liam almost lost his footing. My jaw nearly fell to the floor upon hearing that. That didn't matter in Liam's case. I watched as he hastily looked over the cards in his hand one more time. His eyes kept scrolling around until his eyes locked onto one card. He still had it; the card that was going to save him.

Tasuku noticed the fear in Liam's eyes. "I told you; sometimes, you need to create the perfect moment, and seize it!" Tasuku directed Jack for one last attack. "Now, Jackknife, "Galactical Punisher!" End this-"

"No, not yet!" Liam exclaimed. Finally, he raised the chosen card. "Now, I activate 'We Traverse the Blood-soaked Demonic Path!'"

"You had another defense spell?"

"After drawing as much as I did, I better have it," Liam returned with a slight laugh. However, it was soon followed by a long sigh. The impact monster before him returned back to position. "I nullify the attack and put the top card of my deck into my gauge." Liam fell backward. Tasuku noticed as Liam appeared to be worn out. His head looked to the ceiling as the crowd went completely nuts. Paruko was still speechless, but for a different reason now; Liam had stopped such a massively powerful impact monster. "That… was effing amazing, Tasuku."

"O-oh, you really think so?" Tasuku was rather confused, but I wasn't. When I used to play cardgames against Liam, via the computer, long and intense games got him tired out. Liam called me his rival for that. He once told me that only I was able to give him games where he had to play his absolute hardest. However, as I watched Liam returning back to Tasuku with a good smile, panting as he slowly brought himself back to his feet, I saw the old him again, and the others respected him for that.

"Of course, dude," Liam exclaimed. "Jeeez. I swear, I thought you had me."

Tasuku shrugged his shoulders. "I must admit something; I'm angry at myself for not getting the Jackarms I needed."

"Which one was that?"

"To put it bluntly, it makes it so Jackknife cannot have his attack nullified when attacking alone."

"JEEESUS!" Liam yelled out. "Fair play, man. Fair effing play."

"If I had it in my drop zone, then I would've attached it to Jackknife from Galactical Punisher's ability."

"That sucks, man," Liam returned, shaking his head. "But we can't always get what we want. If I did, I would've destroyed you last turn, just like I'm going to do now." Tasuku and Jackknife braced themselves. I was amazed that Liam still believed that was a chance to turn this around. I couldn't see anything, even if Tasuku was almost out of hand cards. Regardless, Liam needed to get through three soul cards, then destroy Jackknife, and then destroy the remaining bits of Tasuku's life points.

Gao laughed to himself. "No offense, CJ, but Liam will have to be a complete wizard if he hopes in turning this around."

Liam drew a card from his deck, charged a card into his gauge, and drew another card. "Finally… the stage isn't just set… it is perfect." Liam returned to his previous state as he menacingly looked to Jackknife. "I call to the left position, Purgatory Knights, Necropalm Dragon!" The serpentine dragon crawled from the card. It was a size 1 with 4000 power, 1 critical, and 2000 defense. "To the right position, I call my buddy, Purgatory Knights Leader, Demios Sword Dragon!" Liam's buddy returned once more! The dragon left Liam's core deck case and landed onto the battlefield. He was a size 2 monster with 6000 power, 3000 defense, and 2 critical.

The dragon pulled out his sword. He stared at the incredible dragon before him. "Such great power. If only you knew the power that rested within me. You'd be more prepared!" Demios unleashed another powerful roar before turning back to phase his buddy. "Is it prepared? Did you get what we need?"

"That, and more, my brother," Liam replied. "Before anything else, I call Purgatory Knights, Crossbow dragon to the center!" A rather small, white-scaled dragon appeared in front of Liam. I was rather confused at what Liam's strategy was, for now, he stopped himself from being able to attack with his sword. The dragon prepared his crossbow as he aimed it at Jack. The creature was a size 0 with 2000 power, 1 critical, and 2000 defense. However, Liam was not planning on using these creatures to attack. "… Tasuku, it's time I showed you the power of Demios reborn! Final Phase!"

The room fell quiet as a luminized card began to burn with a burning purple flame. Liam tossed the card where Demios Sword Dragon once stood. Demios, probably due to the effect of the impact, returned back to Liam's hand. Liam had to pay two gauge in order to unleash a new behemoth. The dragon was Demios, but his rusty-brown scales were no longer present. His scales shook, removing the brown and leaving behind a ghoulish white color. Demios stood proudly once again as his claymore began to catch fire. His very body began to unleash intense flames as he roared proudly into the air. The power must have been coursing through his body with such passion that he could hardly contain himself. Finally, Liam told us the name. "Purgatory Knights Leader, Demios Sword "Chaos Execution"!"

Everyone gazed at the creature in complete awe. The leader of the Purgatory Knights had achieved a new level of strength. It was an impact monster, a size 2 with 8000 power, 2 critical, and 4000 defense. Liam grinned menacingly as he looked into Tasuku's shaking eyes. "This Demios has his old ability; he can still restand if I destroy my own monster. However, that's not what makes this impact monster so powerful. Tasuku! Never underestimate our power!"

Demios rushed forward. He cleaved through Jackknife, reducing the dragon to nothing but a pile of holographic shards. Tasuku quickly replied back. "Jack comes back thanks to soulguard!" After removing one card from Jackknife's soul, the green dragon returned to the field, ready to protect Tasuku. However, both of them watched as Demios prepared himself for another slash. "W-What's going on? You didn't sacrifice another monster yet!"

"This is Demios's other ability," Liam sneered. "Whenever Demios "Chaos Execution!" destroys a monster, he stands and attacks again. Every. Single. Time."

"B-But that means-"

"That he'll keep attacking Jackknife until he's completely destroyed!" Liam exclaimed. Tasuku watched as Jackknife was destroyed, again and again, in front of his eyes. The relentlessness of such attack frightened me to the core. Gao could only watch with complete horror until Jack couldn't come back. After destroying Jackknife another three times, Tasuku's buddy was finally off the field. Tasuku could only watch as Demios stood back up, ready to attack him. His center was open. Tasuku didn't have any defense cards. There was nothing he could do. "It's unfortunate that only "Chaos Execution" Demios is the only one that can attack during the final phase. If my other monsters could attack you now, I'd completely wreck you, but this is why I prepared my field the way I did. I prepared my hand, waiting for the perfect moment; the moment of your defeat."

Liam was right. All Tasuku could do was watch as Demios unleashed his next attack. The dragon swung his claymore through Tasuku, bringing him down to 7. However, he was far from done. Like other impact monsters, they're able to attack during the final phase. Even though Liam's other monsters couldn't attack, he knew what to do with them. Liam offered crossbow dragon, allowing Demios to restand once more. The crossbow-wielding dragon vanished from the field, allowing his leader to rise up and continue the fight. Even though Demios's first effect was over, the other still allowed him to attack once again.

The dragon continued to attack. Nothing was stopping the dragon fueled with such incredible power. Tasuku was down to 5. Liam still had more sacrifices for his mighty dragon. It was then that Liam offered Necropalm dragon, restanding Demios once again. However, as soon as that occurred, Necropalm's ability activated, allowing Liam to summon back Purgatory Knights, Crossbow Dragon. No matter what we hoped for, Tasuku was alone; purely alone. His resolved wavered as he watched Demios rise, rise, and rise again. The rage surging through this dragon's body had not vanished yet.

Demios attacked, bringing Tasuku down to 3. Liam sacrificed the revived Crossbow Dragon, restanding Demios Sword Dragon. Tasuku sighed, relieved with the belief that Demios no longer had any sacrifices. However, Liam paid one gauge. One card from his hand began to glow as he unleashed Demios's past self. Liam tossed the card onto the field to superior call Purgatory Knights, Demios Sword Early from his hand. The monster had 5000 power, 2 critical, and 1000 defense. The statistics of the beast didn't matter though; it couldn't attack, but "Chaos Execution" could. Chaos Execution Demios attacked, bringing Tasuku down to 1. Finally, with a swift gesture, Liam sacrificed Demios Early, restanding "Chaos Execution."

Tasuku's confidence was completely destroyed. He could only stop and watch as the dragon he turned away became stronger during his absence. Finally, Demios "Chaos Execution" raised his sword, delivering the finishing blow.

The crowd was stuck in complete silence. Such a turnaround, such a turn… it was too unbelievable. The holograms vanished from the field as each fighters' buddy monster returned to their side. Liam looked across but winced. He saw me, downright horrified. When he reached for me, without thinking, I took a step back. He lowered his head, solemnly turning to his buddy. I had no control over myself, yet something made me flinch away from him; flinch from my own friend.

My mind commonly overanalyzes speech, but I recalled Liam mentioning, just before the fight, that he said that he has seen the end, something that no other person standing before him could say. I couldn't help but think the worst. My mind continued to go to through every scenario possible, but then it hit me; I remembered Arkaid stating that she sensed the same thing power from Demios on Liam. I connected the dots, yet I didn't want to. However, when I looked over to Arkaid, her concerned look told me that she was thinking the exact same thing. I couldn't deny it any longer; Liam had died ... but was brought back due to the Purgatory Curse. He wasn't just another fighter; he was a member of the undying, haunted military known as the Purgatory Knights.

And that thought horrified me to my very core.