*November 9th, 2030*

(POV: Third)

CJ and Arkaid were gone. That was the only statement running through the minds of each cavalry member. When the dust settled in Darkness Dragon World, when the grim skies revealed the results of the barbaric battles, the unified force that came to capture Eirik not only lost two members of the Cavalry but put many officers in critical condition. It was an unprecedented loss that came about due to a horrible turn of unfortunate events. No one expected for Eirik's assistant to force a mass transportation of both sides of the battle. It left everyone in disarray. The only thing left for the officers and Hero World officials was to take account of their injured allies and go over the criminals that were killed in the massacre. The loss of Arkaid and CJ, as instructed, was to be kept in the matters of the Fifth Omni Cavalry, for the Buddy Police and DMW refused to go about another assault.

It was understandable; after such a blunder, a large amount of information had to be reconsidered and reevaluated. However, it was not taken too kindly to Arkaid and CJ's allies.

Their combined frustration and self-doubt consumed them. It gripped them as they remained in an isolated room within the Buddy Police HQ. They were left to observe the only 'prize' given to them; the retrieval of Marissa, the Axia creature who was taken away and held hostage. She was to be interviewed by Tasuku and Jackknife, for the two of them were the ones investigating CJ's behavior and past. It was important for them to get information concerning CJ's state of mind, especially considering it is because of his mind that he's able to delve into the Disaster Force. Tasuku and his buddy sat across Marissa with the latter morosely diverting her eyes. Her blonde hair drooped depressingly over her shoulders, somewhat shielding most of her face. She looked out at the one-way mirror stationed on the wall. She and the interviewers were separated from the rest, but she could feel them all just staring at her. The dragon humanoid couldn't help but sense contempt from the cavalry's hearts. It made her nervously grip at the only things CJ and Arkaid left behind; their weapons. She shook Arkaid's legendary Sand Staff, feeling the weight of the responsibility such a weapon had borne. CJ's rapier… it was a weapon she found herself intrigued at seeing. Her delicate hand tightened around the rapier's hilt. She smiled faintly at it, but her arms quivered at a horrible memory; she remembered her leaving.

Tasuku caught himself as he attempted to begin the conversation. Jackknife resided at his side, watching the dragon woman carefully. She fiddled with her fingers while keeping herself from maintaining eye contact. The officer finally managed to clear his mind, enabling him to speak. "My partner and I wish to know why you went through something so terrible," Tasuku began. Marissa finally looked over at the child Buddy Police officer, but she did so reluctantly. "If there's anything you can tell us, then we would heavily appreciate it."

The Axia dragon sighed, looking over at the one-way mirror. She tried addressing both sides, but she struggled as she spoke. Her voice cracked under such mental pressure. "They were after me for how I saw CJ," she slowly began. She breathed quickly, clearing her mind before hastily shaking her head. Her statements, as they ended, would be cut off by an occasional cough. She was struggling. "I loved him. I can only assume that Alvis knew, all this time. That's why he came after me, and that's why he used me the way he did."

"I… I see," Tasuku nervously replied.

Jackknife took over. He sounded much calmer and determined in his resolve. "Did your previous buddy ever know how you felt?"

"I don't believe so," Marissa morosely sighed. "… If he did, he never made an attempt to further understand my feelings. Based on what he told me, he had no idea, and such a thought never crossed his mind."

"Why do you believe that?"

"Because it's taboo," Marissa spoke, suddenly speaking with an odd array of confidence. "In more ways than expected, I consider myself like a human being. I'm not under them; I'm the same; I only look different." She looked at her arms, moving her scaled fingers as she observed their exotic nature. "I could never think that he would see me the same way. It would be impossible for me to confess without fearing intense disgust."

Tasuku managed to regain his composure. He cleared his throat, soon speaking with a much more positive demeanor. He smiled comfortingly. "Yet, from what you've said, you've told him the truth. You must have truly trusted him."

"Of course I did, and I can see it with Arkaid as well," Marissa smiled softly. She didn't look at anything in particular. She gazed forward, delving into her own mind. "It was only for a short moment, but the two of them… I could tell that they valued each other greatly." She looked forward with a strong smile. "I can tell that they deeply cared for each other. That's why I don't regret leaving him. If anything, because of what I was able to do, I believe CJ is better off with her."

The rest of the conversation proved too dull for the cavalry. Doble scowled, turning away from the window before sitting himself down on an old bench. Rikka refused to look at anything; she held her eyes shut with her body hunched over. Their mood was like the others; each member felt disappointed in their own inability to do anything. However, no one felt it worse than Alliot. On his own, he stood at the corner of the room, staring at the wall. He didn't look at anyone; he turned his back to the people sharing in the shared feeling of self-doubt. Finally, Doble rushed over to Alliot, grasping his right shoulder. "You really couldn't do anything?!" The red dragon roared out. Alliot barely turned his head. "Say something! You're telling me that you just let it happen?!"

"I have nothing to say."

"Yes you do!" Doble thrashed him to the side, sending his ally straight to the wall. Alliot felt his feet give way as he tumbled towards the wall, slamming into it. Everyone shot up, but Rikka raced over and grasped her buddy's arms, restricting him. "Let go of me! He has to speak for himself!"

Rikka wrapped her arms around Doble's in some sort of mercy hold. It took all of her effort, but she managed to pull the dragon back, allowing Alliot to slowly stumble back to his feet. Despite Doble's attempts at struggling, Rikka refused to let go. "If anything, you should yell at me! I couldn't do shit either!"

"You have an excuse; he doesn't!" Doble shouted. "He's been a member of the Fifth Omni Cavalry for over a millennium, yet he couldn't find the strength to fight back! Now we lost Arkaid AND CJ! We lost our allies to the enemy, and no one knows where he is!" Mizaru dashed over. He could notice Rikka's grip on her buddy weaken with each moment. He grasped onto Doble's chest, slamming him into the floor. "Gah! Let me go!" Doble screamed.

Mizaru huffed. "Not until you cease struggling!" He pressed harder on Doble's chest, pressing him into the floor. "What do you have to prove acting out like this?"

"We shouldn't be moping to ourselves; we gotta go! And we need Alliot to talk; he and Rikka were the only ones there!"

"They have nothing to say! They don't know either!"

"Well, we can't just sit here!" He grasped onto Mizaru's arms. Doble roared with rage as he pressed his arms into Mizaru, slowly pushing him upward. He was about to do it; each member in the room could sense that he was about to transform. "I won't just sit by and know that they're gone! The Will is after CJ, and he was only there because of me!"

A cry echoed throughout the room. Melanie shot up from her chair, rushing towards Doble. "No, please stop!" Doble snapped out of it. The transformation ceased. The young magician rendered everyone to a state of complete silence. The only noise that could be heard was her boots rushing across the floor with each antsy step. She came to Mizaru, embracing her buddy with tears in her eyes. "No more fighting… Please, just stop fighting…."

The resolve of the samurai dragon faltered. Seeing his buddy in such a state left him no other choice. Reluctantly, he released his grip, but Doble no longer wished to struggle. The red dragon turned behind him, looking at his buddy's eyes with guilty. Rikka looked no better; she couldn't look at anyone directly. Alliot expressed the most guilt, but she also felt just as useless. She took pride in her strength, for she worked tirelessly for it. She trained throughout most of her life and performed admirably for the Fifth Omni Cavalry. But now, after realizing that she lost two comrades, she feared that her past would catch up to her once again. She couldn't take that, and she couldn't look at anyone in the eye knowing that she couldn't stop it.

Merak sighed, sharing the same awkward feelings as Meglax. The two of them were silent, pondering to themselves. What could they have done differently, they thought. Meglax winced, remembering the information that he gave to CJ. It wasn't Doble's fault, he thought; I was the one that filled him in. Even without Doble's permission, CJ would've left on that information alone; he would never let Arkaid go, not after everything that she's done for him. Merak couldn't see himself as worthy, remembering how swiftly he fell to Narhat. The battle was a victory, but if he had enough power himself… he began to wonder if he could've done anything. If he wasn't taken out, maybe he wouldn't have slowed him down. He didn't express his guilt openly, but the pain was surely there.

Finally, the door to the interviewing room opened. Everyone quickly stood themselves up, watching as Marissa exited the room. The Cavalry members noticed the weapons in her hands. She slowly approached the others, extending the valuable items to them. Mizaru, the de-facto leader, retrieved them, gently grasping onto them. Marissa bowed. "I wish I could do more, but I know nothing. With as much as I can give, I'm sorry." She erected herself, soon turning to Tasuku and Jackknife as they followed behind her. "Are you sure there is nothing else I can do?"

Tasuku nodded, confidently giving her a proud smile. "You've done as much as you could; there's no fault in that." He directed her to a door, soon seeing a scholarly wizard emerge. He bowed, speechlessly eying at the one who appeared to be a colleague of Marissa. The man wore all purple, sporting a grey beard. Although it was slight, Marissa was thankful to be around some familiar company. "Melerqim will help escort you back to Magic World. Please, be sure to contact the HQ upon your arrival."

"Certainly," Marissa bowed again. "And please… tell me when you find them." The wizard guided the dragowizard out of the somber room. She looked back, weakly looking at each of the morose members present. Even Tasuku, who had been forcing a smile, was slowly beginning to lose the will to do even that. She nodded her head to them, holding back her tears before the door closed behind her.

Jackknife spoke up. His voice rang with confidence despite the futility of the situation. "The Buddy Police may not be on board, but Tasuku and I have agreed to assist you." The others turned their attention to the proud dragon. The way he spoke shook at their core. "We have talked to Sitri before being sentenced to containment. He confessed to everything."

Doble shot up. "What sort of stuff did he confess to?"

Tasuku stepped forward, taking out a notepad. "Sitri mentioned a castle referred to as The Void. A place that is sealed off by some sort of force field emanating from it. From what he told me, it has the same properties as the Disaster Force, but it was more of a repellant of sorts."

Merak pondered. "A repellant? Please, explain."

"The way he explained it, no one is able to make a portal with the Disaster Force and go within it; it is a domain that only a certain few are allowed to know how to access." Tasuku gritted his teeth. "That must be why he was so willing to send you all to that barren wasteland. It was near that portal, and it allowed him to create a diversion so that our forces were left scattered and confused. I can't believe we're dealing with someone this caniving..."

Mizaru sighed. "Did Sitri say anything else about the matter?" He asked, snapping Tasuku out of his morose state. "Anything about why they want CJ and Arkaid? Why those two out of anyone in the world?"

"He wasn't able to tell me much more than that; according to what he told me, he was struck from private meetings between the main three. However, he only can say that there was a plan put in place to make Arkaid and CJ become closer?"

Rikka reeled back. "Closer, the hell do they mean by that? You mean just be better friends?"

"That's what Sitri believes to be the case, yes," Tasuku returned.

Meglax tilted his head, rather confused. "That is rather perplexing. CJ and Arkaid already became very close as it is, and they've grown even closer in the more recent weeks." He stood up, approaching Tasuku. "If what Sitri is saying is true, then I don't understand it at all; why specify such an easy goal?"

"I'm not sure," Tasuku returned. "But maybe we can-"

Alliot's voice spoke out. "It's about his power." Everyone turned to him, seeing the distraught dragon divert his eyes. He shook his head, nervous to speak. "I may not have witnessed CJ becoming some sort of … demon… but if timing serves right, it happened after Arkaid left because of Liam."

"Right," Tasuku returned. "CJ was furious, so he took it out on the person responsible."

"You're missing the point though," Alliot mumbled back. "… I've lived with CJ and Arkaid for only a little while, but there is a growing dynamic between the two of them," he continued with a somber sigh. "There's a reason why they took Arkaid too. They're going to try and replicate the situation."

Doble quizzically scoffed. "What are you saying?"

"They're going to take advantage of whatever bond CJ and Arkaid have now," he returned. Dread echoed in his voice. "To bring out that power, they may …." He couldn't finish, and there was no need to. No one could speak. The most they could do was look at each other, hoping that someone could argue back against Alliot's logic. No one could muster a counter. They knew where he was going. "If this is true… then I'm not sure if we're going to see them again."

Suddenly, a powerful force broke into the room. The door swung off the door hinge, breaking apart as it banged on the floor. The Cavalry turned to the opening, seeing the extended arm of a brown dragon. The humanoid led the march in, angrily scanning the members before him. "Pathetic," he muttered. He turned around, watching as his partner slowly entered the room. Ms. Fridrik followed suit, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. When Demios saw the woman enter, he sneered. "I guess you were right to tell us. These 'soldiers' have already given up."

Tasuku rushed up to Ms. Fridrik. "You told them? This is strictly a matter of the Cavalry and the Buddy Police!"

Ms. Fridrik shrugged her shoulders. "Must've slipped out, sorry," she returned. "Now the truth is out, and Liam knows a bit. I tried to stop him, but Halia is with Abigail at the moment, keeping her from checking here, so no way in hell am I going to try and fight someone with a big dragon." She woefully looked over to Liam. He hasn't said a single word upon his entrance. "So, Kieron, what do you plan on doing? You didn't come here just to have your buddy break the door down, right?"

Without hesitation, Liam raised his head. He glared at Tasuku, causing Jackknife to rush over to his buddy's side. "Because of your laws, we couldn't help, and now my friend and his buddy are gone!" He snarled furiously. The cavalry saw something in his voice. The determination of this man; it struck them hard. Now's not the time to sulk; they need to rescue their comrade. "We're fighting on Darkness Dragon World. Your laws stopping me have no meaning there!"

(POV: First)

We were bound, blinded, and hidden away in the corner of a location that I couldn't recognize. In all my time working for the DMW, I had never received a document discussion such an eerie location. My work delving into the matters of Darkness Dragon World was brief, mostly focused on the areas devoted to the Purgatory Knights. Because of that, I was unable to recognize the castle-like structure that Arkaid and I were shoved into. The structure was falling apart, with many holes and crushed piles of stone skewed about. As Arkaid and I were brought lower and lower into the castle, the more we realized that breaking out was not an option. The sight of our new living space, a dungeon cell, only further confirmed that.

That was the previous day. My arms and legs remained bound, forbidding an even simple aspect of human movement without any sort of assistance. Arkaid was in no better state, for she was left without her staff. My sword and her means of more-effectively casting spells were left behind. I couldn't even embrace myself to keep my body heat; the frigid conditions in this world soon left me shaking. It was becoming more and more unbearable with each passing moment. Weakly, I curled myself into a ball, receding into the fetal position. That was the best I could do, and I hated it; I was left only to curl up and pray that I could get some form of body heat.

I was struggling so much on my own that I was completely ignoring Arkaid's actions. With each of my futile attempts at finding warmth, small sounds of scuffling cloth were beginning to reach my ears. I stopped, trying to get a better sense of the noise. When I noticed that it was continuing, I uncurled myself, soon seeing my comrade as she attempted to pull herself across the cold, stone floor. Curious at her intention, I watched as she inched closer to me. She brought herself right beside me, setting herself up so that her back was to the wall. I, figuring that she was doing something right, decided to follow suit. As she sat up, she pulled her hands close to her face, soon exhaling on them. "It would do us both good to stay close," she spoke up. "Your body heat must be dropping drastically. My robes should help you." I pulled myself up, inching myself closer to her until we were side by side against the wall. It felt dreadful to feel the hard rock against my back, but the cold was harsher to bear. The two of us leaned on each other, and I soon felt the comforting sensation of the cloth worn around her leather armor. It was the closest thing I could get to a blanket, and it felt nice despite everything else falling apart. I felt her head turn towards me due to how close we were. "Any better?"

"Yeah, thank you," I returned wearily, soon pulling my legs and arms close. Huddling myself up was the second best thing to retain my warmth. My armor didn't do too much for keeping my body heat. "Must have gotten cold overnight. How are you holding up?"

"Holding up as well as one may think," Arkaid returned with a low sigh. "Although I'm cold-blooded, these robes are rather effective. I'd give you my outermost layer if my arms weren't bound."

"You're helping me enough already," I replied with a sigh. "… What do you think they're going to do to us?"

"Unfortunately, we can only wait for that time to come," she softly began. She looked over at me, seeing my body weakly hunched over. She seemed to know what I was thinking before I could even utter a world. "CJ, it's not your fault." I shook my head, trying to ignore the remark. "Whatever this thing of yours is, I'm sure they'll be able to take it without doing anything drastic. Alvis was a good guy."

"… I should have listened to you," I somberly spoke. My partner leaned over, getting closer to me. "You told me not to use the Disaster Force… if I didn't freak out, if I just didn't have it, then…."

"No, you can't blame yourself for that," she returned. "I have a feeling they've known about this for a while, long before you first touched a Dark Core Deck Case." She leaned back, staring at the cracked ceiling above. She could, just barely, see a bit of the filthy sky. "I remember it clearly. Liam, when under the influence of Disaster, said that he was sent to battle us. That means that they had known about you and your state of mind-" she stopped herself, immediately starting again. "And before you say anything!" My mouth was open, prepared to speak when she hastily exclaimed that last remark. "… There's nothing wrong with you."

"Arkaid…."

"You may make the Disaster Force tick, but you're not some mindless thug; you're strong, and I've seen your acts of bravery."

"I just wish I wasn't like this."

"That means you'd be hoping you weren't you," Arkaid snapped back. "Never say that again; you're too important to me."

Suddenly, the sound of wooden doors fills the dungeon. The doors creak, slowly receding back as four figures walk towards us. They stare at us from behind the cell bars. The mere sight of Alvis was enough to make my blood boil. I didn't care for Sinblade, Eirik, or even Gale; Alvis's betrayal struck a very specific chord with me. I couldn't get the image of my weeping friend out of my head. Marissa didn't deserve to be treated like someone's trash. The fact that Alvis seemed to torture her so effortlessly made me see him less as a human being. "No wonder Sitri left you," I returned with a scowl. "He's seen the real you."

"Shut it," Alvis returned sharply. "Then again, actually, keep your mouth nice and open. I can't wait to hear what you have to say when we're done with you."

Arkaid hunched over, angrily struggling against the cuffs that bound her. "I still cannot fathom why you were betray your friend!"

"If this goes well, this may become water under the bridge for me and him," he replied with a cocky smirk. Eirik and Gale paid no heed, unlocking the door before sending themselves in. Sinblade and Gale took hold of Arkaid's arms and feet, hoisting her up. As she was pulled away from me, I reached out to them, soon feeling a swift kick to the stomach. I grunted, tumbling to the side as the air was struck out of me. Before I could even move any further, Alvis took a tight hold of my feet. I could feel Eirik grasp me from behind. "It's time to hold an audience for the one that will end my mortality. As my dreams demand, I shall live alongside you!"

The four of them took us back up, but soon I noticed that we had gone along a different hallway. It carried a completely different atmosphere, one that I hadn't felt in what seemed to be an incredibly long time. There was a long, cruel hallway, led by a path marked in red. Seeing such a carpet only reminded me of the first time I met the white-haired kid that started this all. I dreaded seeing such a familiar face again. Yet, as we approached the end, I noticed Arkaid twitch. Her eyes widened as a strong shiver scurried across her body. "I can sense it," she fearfully discovered. "This power…. Can only be given to the one deity of the Black Sun…."

We were at the deity's mercy. As we were carried into the massive hall, even I could sense the exuberating power that emerged from the very center. Up upon a pedestal, such power overflowed; the sheer excess of it left me in a state of dread. Arkaid's voice lowly scowled. She recognized such a horrific face despite how little we saw of him. In the center remained three floating heads, each one protruding outward from a small portal behind them. For once, I wasn't just afraid; I was mortified. Reports of such a creature this powerful were rare, and I only heard of this entity once; a monster that Kyoya Gaen once merged with to become that of a god! With what I knew about the demon dragon before us, one thing I especially remembered was this beast's thirst for power and his merciless soul.

His eyes were unmoved. He was only barely within this realm, peering in. His diabolical desires came with an emotionless stare. As Arkaid and I were sat down, I could feel a sudden aura suppress me. His very presence was enough to render me motionless. The four men responsible for every sick and twisted event walked in front of us, kneeling before the deity. "… Rise." The voice of the devil boomed. Upon his command, the four rose, stepping aside. Arkaid stared into the eyes of this hellspawn of a creature, adamantly defying the beast's presence. "I see… you are one who serves the Fifth Omni Lord. You and I have never once truly met eye to eye."

"I appreciated that truth," Arkaid spoke out. "I had only seen and heard of your tyranny. Never in my life would I have wished to converse with a demon."

The devilish dragon's heads turned to face me. My teeth were bared, infuriated at being left in such a horrible state. This deity was before me, and both Arkaid and I were bound. I was completely useless, unable to help my eternal partner when it mattered the most. The beast breathed deeply as his eyes scanned me. "You are a new face," he spoke slowly. "Though I have heard of that power within you… yes…." The three heads slowly drifted closer. My body trembled, losing control to the fear gripping my being. The heads stopped as soon as they reached me. The power I felt… it was too much! "Yes… I can sense your ruined mind. I am the Black Sky Sun Dragon, Azi Dahaka "Daeva" … Long have I waited for this moment, far too long! Your weakness will surely bring about the power of the Disaster Force."

"W-Why do you need me?"

"Eirik," the dragon demanded. The leader of The Will immediately took heed to his master's demands. "Speak for me. I must prepare for this extraction."

"Yes, Lord Dahaka." Eirik bowed. The three heads drifted away, returning to the very center of the room. I heard Arkaid's breathing pick up. She was sensing something I wasn't. I wanted to call out to her, but Eirik got in my face as Gale began to approach us. Just as Eirik spoke to me, I saw Gale firmly grasp my buddy's arm. "The Disaster Force runs on negative emotions. Such a concept is something that you should be able to comprehend."

I shook myself away from him. Gale grasped Arkaid's other arm. I tried leaping for him, only to be slammed back onto the floor. I was forced to watch as Alvis and Gale dragged Arkaid away from me. She tried yelling out, but Alvis fiercely gripped her snout. I could only plea, begging them to cease this madness. "What are you doing to her?!"

Eirik ignored me, continuing to speak as he prattled on. "But you and Gale… you two are special!"

"Answer me!"

"Both you and Gale have broken minds, for trauma shaped my ally."

"Arkaid! Arkaid!" I cried out to her. She attempted to struggle, thrashing her body about. Her muffled screams broke me, leaving me left to only keep calling her name.

"But your mind is broken. It's so weak, and unstable."

"Don't hurt her! Please!"

"You've seen what kind of power that brought!"

"STOP! JUST STOP!"

"Now, we must bring it out! More powerful than before!" With a hard shove, he sent me back to the floor. Weakly, on the cusp of embracing defeat, I fell to my side. Eirik towered over me, slowly placing the forbidden black object next to me. The deck case's crimson eye of a jewel gave off a horrendous glow. The eye looked back at me, almost mocking me. All of this. Every single last bit of this. This all happened because of the Disaster Force; this horrendous and awful power that even I fell victim to using. "Don't drop it." He finished, placing it firmly in my right hand.

Eirik nonchalantly walked up the short flight of stairs, meeting the deity's heads on the pedestal. "Lord Dahaka, if I may, I believe I know the best way of bringing about this operation."

"I understand that you wish to put this in the hands of our puppet master."

"Precisely," Eirik returned. "I hope that you find Gale's method to be particularly… interesting. Watching this process, I can only refer to this young man as a master of the mind."

Alvis finally released Arkaid, dropping her to the ground. I called out to her, watching helplessly as she struggled back to her knees. She angrily turned to Gale, watching as the young man stared devilishly back down to her. She gritted her teeth. "Whatever you fools hope to do, I must inform you that you are serving a demon beyond comprehension. He is a creature that must be stopped!"

Gale chuckled. "I'll be getting to that, actually."

"Have you no soul?"

"Of course not," Gale returned casually. "My buddy took that when she left. To me, I'm merely a puppet controlling other puppets; a true puppet master!" He materialized his dark rod, Sterben. The demon child played with the wand in his hand, flicking it and maneuvering it between his fingers. "Don't speak, kobold."

"And if I do?"

"Oh, you'll see," Gale returned. A wide grin slithered on his face as he slowly strolled down the stairs, watching my darting eyes closely. I couldn't understand how Arkaid could maintain her strong demeanor. Even in such a dire state, she looked back at the demon dragon with strong, determined eyes. As Gale drew closer, he directed his wand under my chin. With a quick flick, he directed my head up, forcing me to look at him. "I bet you are wondering why you are in such a predicament," he mused playfully. "The dragon you see before you, the deity of the Black Sun, was dormant, resting, until my Master, Eirik, brought the attention of the deity's retainers." Gale looked back, glaring at the one named Sinblade. "Sinblade turned to our cause. As our leader mobilized a force of Disaster Force users, it's needless to say that we caught the deity's attention. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that this didn't occur sooner."

I furiously went forward. "Now listen here-"

"Don't talk, you fool!" Gale shouted. "You think anyone is going to rescue you?" With a smirk, he slowly shook his head, squinting his mocking eyes. "No… we are in The Void now. Dahaka's original kingdom. This deity before you was once a mere man before being consumed to his lust for power, a king by the name of Zahhak! His place is of legend now, and this castle is tucked to the far reaches of Darkness Dragon World. No one comes here. No one will know where you are. No one will ever find you unless you comply."

"W-what do you want?!" I cried out. "Please, just don't hurt Arkaid! She isn't involved in this!"

"Oh, I believe you," Gale returned.

"You do?!"

"Of course we do," he returned with a chuckle. "It's just that we need her to help… motivate you to truly want to bring out that power of yours." He came close to me, kneeling down until he was on my level. "The best part about this," he slowly whispered. "Is this; this process is very simple. We need to take that power of yours, and then you'll be done."

The magnitude of that statement hit me. "All you need to do…."

"No, all you need to do is bring out that power," he returned with a casual grin. "Our job is to suck that power out of you once it's surface, and then you're done. Forever." Gale stood up, smiling back to me. This was sounding too good to be true. "Once this power is taken from you, we will be done with you. We won't have to continue this charade. We don't have to do anything to either you or Arkaid. Just give us what we want and we won't do a single thing to you. We'll just bring you home, and none will be the wiser."

My legs became weak. A sudden urgency to perform the deed came over me. I had to do it; if I do it, then we'd be released. However, a giant wave of doubt hit me, sending my mind into a spiraling abyss. I can't get myself to do it. Nervously, I looked past Arkaid and looked worriedly in her eyes. She knew it too. She knew I couldn't. I lowered my head, soon shaking the doubt away. "I'll… I'll try!"

"Good!" Gale returned with a smirk. "Now give it a go."

All at once, I activated the Disaster Force. The dark energy swelled within me. My body felt cold, but the power I began to feel made up with it. I slowly looked over my body, observing for any oddities. Despite my desires, I didn't see any sign of my hidden power. My face contorted with fright. I anxiously glanced back at Gale, only seeing his disappointed eyes. He grimly shook his head. He turned his back to me. I tried giving it my all! I tensed up, trying to squeeze whatever energy I could muster.

"That's just unfortunate," Gale returned, ignoring my futile attempts. "Like I said, this is what Arkaid is for."

"W-What!"

Arkaid weakly spoke up. "CJ, it's fine…."

"No, no!"

Gale shrugged his shoulders. "What got you to go all out the first time was when she left; you must really find her important to you, huh?" Gale returned. Frantically, I pressured my body to find some way to access the hidden power. There was nothing I could go on. Wherever it was, I just couldn't find it! I needed to! I needed to find it! My mind raced as I came to the worst possible scenario. Before I knew it, my eyes began to water. "Actually, I believe that to be only a portion of your power. What would you do if someone took Arkaid from you? Probably would get a bit more."

Arkaid roared back at the puppeteer. "You mongrel! Don't put this on him!"

"I have to," Gale lowered his head, mocking my fears. "For you see, he is the only one able to save you now. We could have just kidnapped you and you alone. That may be able to have him access a bit more of his power. But we're not looking for a 'bit' more; we are asking for all of it." Suddenly, Gale's right hand became cloaked in a corroding aura. The dark energy gave off the stench of death. Even though I was trying to bring my power out, the sight of that hand drifting closer to Arkaid froze me. I struggled to breathe. I couldn't accept this. I just couldn't! "So that's why we are here. Instead of seeing what happened if you were taken, let's see what would happen if you were gone."

Using all of my might, I forced myself to my knees. I pushed myself forward, pleading with him. "Please! I'm begging you!"

"I won't kill her if you bring out that power of yours." Gale lowered his hand, bringing it closer to Arkaid's head. "Look at me; using most of my power and I can kill any person by touch alone. Now, do you see why we want your power? If I could muster this, then what could we do if we sap that power of yours?"

"CJ, it's fine…."

"I can't do it!" I cried. "It won't come out!"

Gale shrugged his shoulders, looking right into Arkaid's eyes. "Looks like he can't do it."

She scowled. "No matter what, my buddy is blameless! You know he can't get it out! This was plan from the beginning! To make him feel hopeless!"

"Smart woman," Gale returned. "It's too bad you have to die. It would've been cool to have your smarts on our side."

My eternal partner turned to me. "CJ, no matter what, its fine!"

"Arkaid! Wait, I can keep trying! Just give me another chance!"

"CJ…." I ignored her plea, trying desperately in this one final attempt. I chewed on my lips. If pain was enough to bring it out, any pain, then I should inflict it on myself. My upper teeth bit my lower lip. I could feel the blood drip as my teeth tore into me. "CJ! No! Please!" I ignored her. I had to do this. I pulled in my hands, gnawing at my fingers. I hated my mental barrier; something within me was making me too afraid to bite at my own skin. I hated it! Why! Just let it hurt! Let it fucking hurt! If they want me to feel the pain, then fine! Give it to me! Just don't hurt Arkaid! "Stop that! Stop that right now!"

Gale comment shook the floor. "I think that's enough." His words made my futile actions come to an end. My eyes went to where it hurt, and soon I felt my hands twitching. A bloody mess came from where I bit into my hands. With each twitch, I could feel my pulse within my fingers and wrist. The metallic-tasting liquid bled into my mouth. Arkaid's last scream went through my mind, making me face her. I hadn't looked at her during my futile struggle, but now that I looked at her… she was wrecked. Her strength was gone, leaving behind a weeping woman. Her head hung low, but she smiled weakly. She was just happy to see that I stopped hurting myself. Even so, I couldn't look at her without crying. "Sorry, but it seems like you can't bring it out yourself."

"P-please…." I weakly begged. "D-don't…."

"Well, while we're at it," Gale casually began. He observed Arkaid's weakening resolve. His hand drew closer. The magician's eyes glanced at it. She could feel the deathly aura coming from it…. She didn't shake. She didn't tremble. There was a hidden strength that I couldn't understand. She exhaled, soon eying me from afar. Her smile looked brighter as her tears fell from her chin. "Any last words? I'm intrigued by what remark you have for me, Arkaid."

She calmly turned to him, ignoring the impending doom before her. She took in a deep breath, and soon her mind was cleared. There was something serene about her when she peered back to me. Her eyes didn't show any fear or anger. In that moment, there was only that of sadness, but she still smiled. Despite her bravery, I could only tremble at the mere sight of Gale's hand alone. I was nothing like her. She was better than me than every way. Yet, she looked at me like she only wished to see me. She didn't move her eyes away to look at anyone else. She didn't glance to Gale again as the hand drew even closer. She only looked at me. Just me, with her smile. "I love you."

Each person in the room froze. Gale smirked. "That's the ticket."

His hand pressed onto Arkaid's hand with one swift motion. Her body fell limp, tumbling forward, rolling lifelessly down the stairs.

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(POV: Third)

Azi Dahaka slowly shook his heads. "I believe you may have pushed him too far," the old dragon sighed. "It appears you've broken him." Eirik and Alvis were left speechless. Gale morosely looked over at CJ, looking at his blank eyes. He wasn't moving. His body was weakly hunched forward as his mouth remained agape. The shell of a man barely looked alive. His eyes looked at nowhere. He wasn't even looking at Arkaid's body as it remained lifeless, face down at the bottom of the stairs.

Gale smirked. "Trust me, I could've done much worse," he continued. "All I did was follow Eirik's orders. Give it time; this will kick in." He gazed at Arkaid's lifeless body, soon chuckling before looking over to Alvis. "Guess you were right to feel jealous. Honestly, didn't expect that confession. Really good timing, I must say."

"Fuck you," Alvis scowled.

"I figured that would've triggered it for sure," Gale returned with a disappointed sigh. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. "Hold on a moment." He walked down the stairs, drawing closer to Arkaid's limp body. It's back was turned to Gale, face down to the floor. He laughed to himself as he picked up Arkaid from the waist. Her body limply leaned forward. Its arms hung weakly in front of it. "This'll get him."

Eirik rushed towards him. "What are you doing! Don't get close to him! He might-"

"Oh be quiet," Gale ordered. "He hasn't done anything yet. He will after this." Gale dragged the body closer to the weak shell of a man that remained. Gale's grin widened as he came closer. The puppeteer carefully grasped Arkaid's right arm, manipulating it with each pull and tug. Finally, he put the body right in front of the defeated warrior, sitting it up as Gale plopped himself behind it. Finally, he heightened the pitch of his voice just before tilting the man's head slightly up. Gale, finally making setting the stage, spoke for Arkaid. "You let me die!" He mocked, fiddling with Arkaid's arms. The body was now nothing more than a mere puppet to the eyes of the puppet master. "How dare you, you weak boy!" Gale, pushing on Arkaid's limp arm, slapped CJ's left cheek. Still nothing; CJ didn't move.

Eirik couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wanted this to stop; this had gone too far. He tried calling out, hoping to end this putrid stunt. "Gale, stop! This has gone too far. What if sh-"

Dahaka interjected. "No."

"N-No?" Eirik gasped. "What do you mean no?!"

He didn't answer. He had no need to. He knew what was coming.

Gale continued to play around with the body, slapping CJ's blank face with the lifeless arms. Not getting anywhere, Gale grasped the lower part of Arkaid's jaw, pulling it down to imitate speech. "I can't believe you let me die, CJ. I am your protector. I loved you, and you let me down. You are a horrible person!"

Eirik looked away, shaking his head. "This isn't right. This isn't right."

"How about smooches!" Gale exclaimed. With his left hand, he grasped the back side of the blank man's head. Manipulating Arkaid's head, he started to pull the two together. However, after looking at the two closely, he found himself confused by a sudden trait that he didn't notice previously. "Huh, she doesn't have lips," he stated, soon grumbling to himself. He tilted his head in order to get the view from another angle, hoping to understand it better. However, even from the new angle, he couldn't get a grasp on it. He sighed, annoyed that his train of thought was interrupted by such an odd detail. "Hey, Alvis, you're into that lovey-dovey shit," he began. He turned his head to him. "How do a kobold and a human k-"

CRACKcrackCRACKcrack

A wave of pain swept across Gale in an instant. He was drowning in it, unable to even squeal because of how intense the pain was. Gale dropped Arkaid's body, but his left arm was stuck. It was being crushed. From the very middle of his arm, he could feel the bones trembling from an intense grip. Eirik and Alvis screamed, watching as CJ's mind left him. Sinblade was at the ready, rushing towards the puppeteer who now stood at the mercy of the demon he summoned. Gale writhed in pain as he gazed helplessly towards CJ, seeing a new face. Darkness overcame the shell. Eyes pale, white and lifeless. The rancid aura emanated from the silent soul. It squeezed harder, crushing the arm of the fool who dared to delve too far. Dahaka was pleased. There it was, standing before him, a true devil.