FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Brrr," Dioningo muttered as he rubbed his hands together. "It's absolutely freezing."

He had just landed on the edge of the fields and was following the cobbled path that led to the kingdom ahead. The night sky was bright and clear above him, but the air this high would chill even a Fire Elemental to the bone.

"You'd think they'd be able to spare a bit of magic for heat. I guess that just shows how bad the situation is now."

He approached the huge wooden gate that acted as the primary way into the kingdom. Seeing no bell, he knocked hard and stepped back.

A small slot opened up in the wall to reveal a set of eyes.

"A Wolf-Dragon? What do you want?"

"I'm here to help defend against the attacks. Why's the gate closed?"

"The situation's gotten worse. Adventurer's token please."

Dioningo was confused. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any token."

The guard shook his head. "No token, no entrance. You could be an enemy spy. Now get out of here."

"But I..."

He was cut off as the guard slammed the slot closed.

"Well, that didn't work. But I've got to get in to see someone as soon as possible."

The wall was not completely smooth, so Dioningo began to make an attempt to climb it before falling to the ground. He sat there for a couple of minutes feeling like an idiot before remembering something semi-important.

"Oh, right. I've got wings. Whoops."

Spreading said wings, Dioningo flapped once and flew into the night sky. He headed for the top of the walls, only able to be seen as a dark silhouette that blotted out the stars.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" an exasperated voice said into his ear.

"Oh, Zero, you're awake. I thought you were planning on charging up for a bit longer."

"I was going to," the AI said. "But then I noticed you doing something stupid as usual. So, I'll ask again. What the hell could possibly be your reasoning behind this particular action?"

Dioningo shrugged. "The guard wouldn't let me in for some reason, but I've got to get what I know to someone important. So, I'm flying over the walls."

"And why wouldn't they let you in, exactly?"

"He said I needed an Adventurer's token. Something about enemy spies."

Zero sighed. "And how does flying over the walls in the middle of the night make you look any less suspicious?"

"....Oh. Shoot."

Dioningo crossed the top of the walls and magic immediately flared up around him. A force pulled him downwards and smashed him into the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow. My head..."

He was surrounded by guards and a tiger, obviously their captain, stepped forward.

"And what might you be doing, wandering in here in the middle of the night and setting off our alarms, hm?"

Dioningo's head was ringing fairly badly from the fall, but he could definitely make out Zero muttering about how "this is what your teammates are always talking about. Think for once!"

"Sir, this Wolf-Dragon tried to get in by way of the main gates just a few minutes ago," another guard said, running up. "As per procedure, I turned him away when he was unable to present an official Adventure's token or badge."

"Is that so?" the captain looked down at Dioningo. The Wolf-Dragon cracked his neck and slowly started to get up, but the tiger put a sword tip in front of his face.

"Not so fast, buddy. Or should I say, spy?"

Dioningo found himself locked into a dungeon cell before he could protest. He sat down on the small cot in the room and sighed.

"Well, at least I got into the kingdom?"

"Sure, sure. Whatever makes you feel better," Zero answered sarcastically. "Maybe if you thought things through all the way we'd actually be helping them right now, instead of just rotting away down here!"

"Yeah... I suppose you're right," Dioningo said sheepishly. "On a different note, feel like helping me get out of here? Please?"

Zero huffed. "Honestly, I feel like every time you get into these situations it's always me bailing you out. Just wait until the day that I run out of battery right when you get yourself stuck; that'll be fun to see."

Nonetheless, the red rectangular screen of Dioningo's scope popped out in front of his left eye. Zero began to analyze the structure of the cell bars to see where best to apply copious amounts of lightning.

"Alright, I think I've got it." Several targeting circles appeared, outlining specific spots on the door. "Please try to be a bit more subtle this time. When you tried your last escape, you nearly took out the entire floor."

"That was an accident," Dioningo said as he stepped up to the door. The scales on his arms began to spark with electricity, which spiraled towards his hands. "I'm much better now, trust me."

"Uh-huh, that's what they all say."

Dioningo closed his fists and leveled them at the points Zero indicated. "Ok, blowing door in 3...2...1..."

"Really? This should be interesting."

A dry voice reached Dioningo's ears and he stopped.

"Wha? Who is that? Show yourself!"

A dragon came down the hall and sat in front of the cell door. He sighed and raised an eyebrow.

"Once again, never thinking things through. Typical Dioningo."

"Wait. White scales, four horns and wings, antennae... Wind-Wing? I haven't seen you in forever!"

The dragon stared back, not bothering to respond.

"Why the heck are you here? And why are you out there while I'm in here? Help, please?"

Wind-Wing raised a claw to stop the unrelenting torrent of sound. "I'm here to help the kingdom," he said, ticking the answers off on his claws. "I actually bothered to procure one of these before coming," he said as he held up a small carved badge. "And, why should I help you?"

"What? Why? I'm plenty useful!" Dioningo said. "I've got enough firepower to rival a space fleet!"

"You're impulsive, reckless..." Wind said, ticking the reasons off on his claws for a second time.

"Don't forget annoying," Zero said cheerfully.

"Shut it! Go back to charging!"

Wind-Wing gave him a look. "Crazy?"

"Oh, right. You haven't met Zero yet." Dioningo pointed to the left side of his head. Clipped just underneath his fluffy ear was a small piece of metal with several flashing lights.

Wind-Wing raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's not like that. A while after I met you, I got a new eye scope and through a bit of an adventure, it got its own personality. So, we called him Zero and he's with me wherever I go. See?"

Wind-Wing ticked off another reason. "Somewhat crazy."

"Oh, come on! I haven't been up here because I've been investigating the Order down on the planet. That's why I don't have one of those dumb tokens. And besides, I've discovered a couple of things about them that I think would help you guys out."

"Hm." Wind-Wing thought for a moment. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Because you want a piece of the action?"

"HEY!"

Wind-Wing sighed. "Fine, I'll help you out." He held up a ring of keys that Dioningo hadn't noticed before.

"Wait, you brought those down with you? Were you planning on freeing me regardless of what happened?"

"More or less," Wind said as he unlocked the cell. "I was fairly certain that I knew who the guards were talking about when they mentioned a Wolf-Dragon spy. So, I let them know you were harmless and they gave me the keys."

"Harmless? I'll show you harmless," Dio pouted as he stepped out into the hallway.

"Now, let's go and talk about that information you have. I know a place that's much nicer than this dungeon and I'm sure you want out of here anyways."

Luckily, the tavern they went to was warmer than the frigid air outside. A fireplace blazed away in one of the walls and gave a nice cozy feeling to the whole place.

"Where is everyone?" Dioningo asked as he looked around. The place was almost completely empty. "It's not that late at night."

"Everyone's exhausted," Wind-Wing said as he sat down, Dio following suit. "We've had to fight constantly every single day for the last week."

"Hello, sir. Oh, hello Wing-Wing," an old bartender said as he walked up. "I saw you fighting yesterday. Very well done!"

"I try. Just water, please."

"Of course. And for you?"

"Uhh, can I get a lemonade?"

"They'll be right out."

As he walked away, Wind gave Dioningo a dry look. "What, no beer for you?"

"I'm uhh...still too young to drink," Dio answer sheepishly. He quickly changed the subject. "So, can you give me a better idea of what the situation's like? On the ground, I only heard some rumors every once in a while."

"Sure. Did you see the 8 giant crystalline structures floating around the kingdom?"

He was a little confused. "I think I only saw one."

"Exactly. Those are the Sky Stabilizers that keep everything up. Every day, there's an attack that ends with another's destruction and the enemy's gotten 7 already. Everyone is on edge for the attack tomorrow because it could very well send the kingdom plummeting to the ground!"

"And you guys can't launch an attack on the Order's main citadel because you can't break its defenses, right?"

"Yes. Your point?"

"That's part of the research I was doing, although the barrier's nothing special. It's demonized magic and incredibly hard to destroy, especially without attracting attention."

"Then how do we get through?"

Dioningo smiled. "We blend in. Demon magic sucks at differentiating between friend and foe; instead, it analyzes their powers. All we have to do is disguise ourselves in sufficiently chaotic energy and pass right through!"

Wind-Wing was obviously skeptical. "And you're sure this will work?"

"Of course, I've seen it done before! Normally, it'd take a long time to figure out the exact energies we need to create, but I've got that covered as well. While I was down on the surface, I took a look at the Order's old hideout! Turns out most of their members are participating in the attack on the kingdom, so it was a cinch to take out the few guards that had. They didn't have much lying around, but I did find out stuff on their leader."

"Leader as in singular? They only have one? I was envisioning a group, like a cabal or something."

"Nope, it's just one guy. He's some sort of mage, but I couldn't find out more. What is important is that I got the combination to the barrier."

"Oh, and yet you're still here? That doesn't seem like you; I would have expected a solo attack against the Order."

"Yeah, yeah, you and Zero both making fun of me. How amusing. But the real reason is, I can't actually get inside on my own..."

The waiter walked back over and they both took their drinks.

"Oh?" Wind said.

"In order to perfectly blend in, I'd need a combination of fire, lightning, and then a hybrid mixture of air and water. I can provide the lightning, obviously, but there's no other way for me to access the other elements."

"And so you came to the kingdom, hoping to find a party that could help you take down the Order?" Wind-Wing realized. "Only, you took things a bit too quickly."

"Yeah, but I was lucky enough to find you! That means all of my problems are solved!"

Wind sighed and put down his mug. "Just because I'm an elementalist doesn't mean that I can just magic up whatever you need instantly. It takes time, and the barrier is constantly guarded."

Dioningo sat back. Silence briefly fell as they thought about it for a moment.

"What about during the attacks on the Stabilizers?" Zero suddenly put in. "If they use their entire force to attack, and are confident the barrier won't fall, then why would they leave anyone behind as a perimeter guard?"

"Good idea!" He relayed the idea to Wind-Wing, who considered it.

"Hmm, that does have merit. And with the devastation of the kingdom at hand, we don't exactly have many other options."

"Then here's what we'll do. When the attack starts tomorrow, we'll sneak into the citadel while everyone's preoccupied and take down the Order's leader. He's only a mage, so he shouldn't be too difficult to deal with. After that, we can take down the citadel from the inside and stop them for good!"

"Be warned, we won't be able to ask for any additional help."

"What, why?"

"The attacks have taken out many of our best fighters. Right now, the kingdom needs every capable body to hold off the Order's men and contain the damage. Furthermore, if the attack goes longer, we'll have more time inside the citadel."

"Understood. Where do you want to meet?"

"The citadel usually reappears closest to whatever Stabilizer they're targeting. As there's only one left, it should be easy to figure out. We'll meet outside the walls next to the closest gate."

Wind-Wing stood up to leave but then turned back. "Oh, and you should probably keep this on you at all times."

He tossed over an Adventure's badge. "I got this from the captain after explaining the situation. Don't leave that lying around."

"Thanks!"

The next day, the streets of the kingdom were filled with adventures of all types getting prepared to defend the final Stabilizer. Dioningo had found an inn to stay at and ate breakfast, then headed over to the location to meet Wind-Wing.

"I was worried you wouldn't show up in time," Wind said as Dio walked up. "The attacks start pretty early in the morning."

"I figured; everyone was getting ready. And the atmosphere wasn't exactly happy either."

They both took a moment to sit down and relax. The morning air was very peaceful and fluffy clouds soared through the sky below.

"Alright Dio, showtime."

A good distance from the kingdom, the air crackled with red energy. It revolved into a swirling portal and from it emerged several warships. The decks were full of figures in dark robes and they were accompanied by a host of flying creatures.

"Demons?!? You didn't tell me they were using demons? How the heck did they manage that?"

"I thought you knew."

Dioningo shook his head. "I didn't even consider the possibility. Demons are notoriously hard to control; they're from a different dimension entirely and only live for destruction. So why are they specifically attacking the kingdom?"

"We can answer that question later. The citadel's coming!"

A massive black castle appeared within the portal, supported by invisible energy fields. It continuously produced more ships and demons until the sky was completely full. From behind them, horns began to sound as the kingdom prepared to defend.

"Remember Dioningo," Wind said as they both opened their wings. "Don't fight or draw the Order's attention. We have to get inside without anyone knowing we're there."

"Got it. Ready?"

Wind-Wing clenched his jaw. "Let's go blow up a castle."

As adventures streamed out behind them, using every method imaginable to begin attacking, Dioningo and Wind-Wing took flight and swooped down immediately to avoid drawing much attention.

"Slow down!" Dio called. "You're too fast. I've got one less set of wings than you, remember?"

Wind huffed, but obliged, slowing his pace to match his friend's. Above them, the main forces of the Order's army met the adventures and explosions began to sound.

"Zero, scan for enemies. Let me know if there's anyone who could notice us."

"On top of it. By the way, your bag's about to open up."

"Whoops!" Dioningo quickly reached down and closed the clasp on his leather satchel.

"Some sort of secret weapon?" Wind asked.

"No, just a book."

Wind-Wing rolled his eyes, not getting why Dio would burden himself with something extra, but Zero chuckled quietly.

"Yeah right, just a book. Sure."

The battle began to intensify as the citadel unleashed further hordes upon the kingdom. Dioningo could see what Wind had been talking about: slowly, but surely, the adventurers were being pushed back. Magic, technology, science, those didn't amount to much in the face of a seemingly endless army.

"What's that above?"

Dioningo looked up to see a blur racing downwards, followed by a swarm of demons that had broken off from the main pack.

"I think it's someone in trouble," Dio said. "We can't go and help; we have to stick to the mission."

Before he had finished talking, Wind-Wing had already blasted upwards towards the adventurer.

"Dang dragon, stupid protective instincts," Dio muttered as he flew after him. "YOU'RE BREAKING YOUR OWN RULE! AND YOU CALL ME IMPULSIVE?"

One of the demons had just managed to snare the adventurer in a net of fire. He ripped it apart, but the short delay allowed the others to surround him, preventing him from escaping further.

"Disgusting demons, I will rip you apart!" he roared, drawing a set of daggers and rushing them.

"Well, well, another dragon," Zero noted with a snort. "What a coincidence."

"Stop talking and more action," Dio said as the scales on his arms charged with energy. His hands clenched into fists and electric yellow sigils appeared in the air. "Full Target!"

Zero's red screen flashed over Dioningo's left eye, while his right glowed a bright yellow. Reticles appeared in his vision, targeting the closest demons.

"Lock and load, buckaroo."

The demons were completely engaged in a fierce fight with the adventurer. He was like a machine, ripping demons apart left and right and not pausing for a single instant. However, there were too many enemies for him to finish off. If there were only one or two, it would be easy, but this was practically a battalion.

Suddenly, a large portion of the demons were struck by blasts of lightning, sending them wheeling across the sky.

"What's going on?" one of the others roared, only to get his head bashed in by a dragon that came out of nowhere. The demons immediately began to focus their efforts on this new foe, who obviously was Wind-Wing. The other dragon was frozen by surprise for a second, but then growled and launched himself at a new target.

While this was going on, Dioningo kept his distance and began to charge a massive bolt of lightning.

"Watch out, idiot!"

He looked up when Zero spoke to see a huge fireball coming his way. Instantly, he dispelled the lightning and clapped his hands together.

"Rolling Thunder!"

The resulting sonic wave disintegrated the fireball and sent the mage who had cast it tumbling through the air. He was riding some sort of swirling energy, but it was disrupted by the attack.

"Other mages coming in!" Zero yelled, pulling up targets.

Dioningo smiled and cracked his knuckles. "Let's see how they get out of this. Zap Field!"

A cluster of particles flew out and settled around the enemies. They hesitated, but when nothing happened, they laughed and flew forwards.

BOOM!

Bolts of lightning erupted around them and blew them out of the sky. Dio didn't waste any time, turning back to see how the main fight was going.

"These demons are annoying," Wind-Wing grumbled as he clawed one to pieces and sent another flying with his tail. "How much stamina do they have?"

The other dragon didn't respond, instead choosing to slice a demon head to toe and send him flying into his buddies. He then swooped down in front of Wind and vanished, only to be replaced by another demon a split second later. As he attacked the disoriented new arrival, Wind-Wing saw that the adventurer had somehow teleported to the back of the pack and was ripping his way through them from an unexpected direction.

"Hmm, interesting."

A bolt of lightning flew by and crashed into a demon, chaining to his nearby allies and then blowing them all to pieces.

"Mages taken care of. No one else has noticed us yet!"

"Then let's keep it that way."

Wind-Wing's scales glittered and he roared, materializing a massive storm of crystals around the remainder of the demons. It acted like a blender, beginning to slice the demons to pieces, but the quicker ones pulled up barriers of fire that nullified the attack.

"That won't do. Let's see you block this as well!" Dioningo yelled. His hands filled with lightning and he reared back. "Special Move: Cascade Striker!"

He flung his hands forward, throwing a veritable deluge of bolts that shot into the storm. The demons didn't have enough strength to stop both attacks at the same time and they vaporized almost instantly, turning to ashes. Wind-Wing dispelled the crystals and looked around.

"Where did that dragon go?"

He got his answer when a demon flew by, trying to escape, only to get nailed by a dagger straight to the face. The adventurer flew down and plucked it out before letting his dead enemy fall away to the ground far below. He flicked the blood off of his weapons and sheathed them before turning to face his helpers.

"Now that's a cool look," Dio thought as he stared at the newcomer. The dragon they had saved was quite tall, with solid black scales. His most striking feature was his eyes, which matched the glowing silver shape on the left side of his chest.

"So you're still in one piece," Wind-Wing remarked. "What's your name, dragon?"

The adventurer didn't speak for a moment, leaving them all flapping silently in the air. Finally, he growled, "Lonnez."

"Well, nice to meet you," Dio said. "I'm Dioningo and this is my friend Wind-Wing. Judging from before, I'd say you're an adventurer right?"

Lonnez just turned and gave the Wolf-Dragon a small glare. Dioningo faltered, not really sure how to respond.

"We need to go," Wind said, looking at the battle still raging overhead. "Otherwise, we might be seen."

"Well, technically that was your fault," Dioningo muttered. Even though Wind-Wing had already begun to fly away, he turned to Lonnez.

"We're going to infiltrate the citadel. Want to come along? It'd be a big help to have an extra fighter."

Lonnez was startled for a moment. "Did you not know that the castle is blocked?" he asked.

"Yep, already got a way around that. So, what do you say?"

The dragon growled as he considered his options. "Fine, I will help you since you helped me kill them."

"Neat! Hey Wind-Wing, wait up!"

He turned back and was surprised to see the new addition to their group. "He's coming along?"

"Heck yeah! He's really good at killing demons, and a bit of extra firepower wouldn't hurt."

"I suppose you're right," Wind grunted and picked up his speed. "For once, you actually had a good idea."

"HEY!"

During this exchange, Lonnez stayed silent, eyes roving as he watched the two bicker.

They made it to the citadel with no further issues, although their pace slowed as they got near to decrease the chance of detection. Finally, they were hovering directly outside one of the lower entrances. It appeared that they could just fly right in, but after looking closely the black and red shimmer of the barrier could be seen, stretching around the entire fortress.

"How do you get in?" Lonnez asked, reaching out with his hand.

"Not a good idea!" Dio said quickly. "That thing's charged with enough magic to blow you to space. But luckily, we can slip right by." He charged his hands with lightning and turned to Wind-Wing. "Alright, mix up some wind energy and water energy into a sphere."

The dragon obliged, closing his eyes and gathering his powers. Soon, a raging tempest, like a miniature storm, roiled in front of them.

"Perfect. Now, add some lightning."

Dioningo stretched out his fingers and brushed them against the bubble of storm. Jets of lighting were absorbed in and the whole concoction began to rumble.

"Getting there. Now Wind-Wing, as much fire as you can muster."

Wind sucked in a breath and exhaled a stream of fire from his mouth. It entered the storm and began to churn violently, releasing quite a bit of energy. However, the fire coming from his mouth was pretty thin and not very strong.

"That's it? Can't you give it anymore?" Dioningo said, clenching his jaw.

Wind-Wing gave a tiny shake of his head, unable to speak with flame pouring out of his mouth. Dioningo growled and started to recalculate the magic percentages in his head before remembering the new addition to their group.

"Hey, you're a dragon," he said to Lonnez. "You wouldn't be able to breathe fire now, would you?"

Lonnez gave him a stare before turning to the storm bubble and opening his mouth, exhaling a steady blaze like Wind-Wing. With the increase in magic, the bubble began to swell up rapidly.

"Alright, stop," Dioningo said. The other dragons cut off their streams and turned to look at him.

"Are you sure about this?" Wind-Wing said, looking at the bubble. "It looks like it's going to explode."

Lonnez was also staring at the sphere with an expression that wavered between fascinated and hesitant.

"Of course I'm sure. Now, so we don't get killed..."

Dioningo held out his hand and send bolts cascading over the entire party. Instead of shocking them, they settled over their scales like a second skin, crackling lightly.

"What are you doing?" Lonnez said, now looking very concerned.

"Like I said before: blending in and just flying inside," Dio said with a smile. He pointed at the storm and it expanded to surround them. Suddenly, they were in the middle of the chaos, with the storm, lightning, and fire raging around them.

"Dio?" Wind-Wing roared.

"Chill, it's perfectly safe." He held up an arm to show the lightning coating it. "We're protected. And besides, if I had told you ahead of time you would have been skeptical and not wanted to try it. I've been taught by one of the most powerful dragons in history. I know what I'm doing."

Wind-Wing backed down with a grumble, but Lonnez was still on edge. Dio, however, didn't notice, instead flying over to one side of the bubble and pushing against its side.

"Come on, help me get this thing moving."

Together, they shoved the storm into the demonic barrier. When it passed through, Lonnez discreetly held his breath, but Dioningo wasn't ruffled. He had seen this same tactic work on much more powerful shields, and the outcome was exactly as he had predicted. The protective magic didn't sense them at all, only seeing the energies that felt like its own, and so let the bubble through.

None of the Order's men took notice as the group snuck through the entrance. Inside, they found themselves inside of a hall that stretched forward and up into the fortress.

"Keep the lightning to a minimum, Dio," Wind-Wing said as they started walking. "We don't want anyone to know we're here."

"And why are you asking me?"

"Because you're the one that tends to shoot first and not think until later," he answered dryly.

"Hmph, fine."

As they snuck along, the torches hanging on the walls cast dark shadows that added an ominous air to the already sinister citadel. Eventually, the passage leveled off and opened up into a huge room.

"That must have been one of their main exits," Dioningo realized. "And this acts as a sort of prep area. Good thing they weren't launching another wave while we were walking up."

"Look at this." The low voice of Lonnez attracted their attention and they looked up to see him holding a set of dark robes.

"These were on the wall."

"We can use them to better blend in! Good thinking. Only thing is, there's two of them. We need three."

"One's very big," Wind said as he considered their options. "Here, what if Dio, you get on my back? It should fit over both of us."

They tried, but no matter how they laid it something looked off. One of their wings stuck up, or their tail poked out. Either way, it would give them away instantly.

"I have an idea," Dio said as he climbed down. "But I don't think you're going to like it."

"Hm?" Lonnez narrowed his eyes as he noticed Dioningo staring at him.

"With your black scales and spikes, you're close enough to pass as a demon, at the very least a dark mage. So Wind-Wing and I can wear the robes and you can walk between us."

"No," Lonnez growled, backing away slightly. "That will not work."

"We're running out of time and there's not many other options. Wind, back me up here."

Wind-Wind sighed. "It may be the best chance we have."

"No."

"Please, Lonnez. We just saved you, there's no way we'd go and endanger you unnecessarily right after if there was another way. But there's not."

Lonnez was still reluctant, but he finally relented. Dio and Wind both donned their disguises and they all walked towards the stairs that led to the higher floors.

The robes proved useful almost immediately, as a group of demons walked past as soon as they finished climbing. Luckily, the disguises worked and the only person who got a few curious looks was Lonnez, but even then, those were brief.

Wind-Wing and Dioningo both suspected that their target was on the highest floor, so they continued to find new flights of stairs and climb higher and higher. The rooms got much bigger and were better lit as they moved into the heart of the fortress, but unfortunately it looked like there were a few more enemies present in the fortress than estimated.

"Jeez," Dioningo muttered as yet another massive platoon of devils walked by. "How did the Order get access to so many demons?"

"Explain," Wind said back quietly during a pause in the hoards.

"The demons come from a different dimension than ours. Normally, it's rare to see even a few, unless it's a full-on invasion, which this is not. However, the Order...."

He stopped as several mages brushed by and made sure the coast was clear before continuing.

"The Order seems to have an endless supply. That's enough to raise an eyebrow. And on top of that, they're ludicrously hard to control, preferring to rampage freely instead of listening to directions."

"That's not something we need to worry about right now. We can get answers when we're done."

"Wait a minute, which way do we go now?"

The party had come to several different stairs, all of them leading upwards, but heading off in different directions.

"They probably lead to the citadel's different towers. Let me think."

Unfortunately, at that moment, three demons and an accompanying mage emerged from one staircase and noticed them.

"Hey, what are you doing this far up?" the mage demanded.

All three of them hesitated before Wind-Wing stepped forward.

"We have business with the leader of the Order," he said in the darkest voice he could muster. "Stand aside."

This only escalated the situation, making the mage furious. "Who are you to speak to me like that? I am one of the Prince's most trusted leaders. Reveal yourself immediately!"

Meanwhile, the demons were taking an unhealthy interest in Dioningo, catching a slight glimpse of his blue fur underneath the hood and becoming suspicious.

Wind-Wing had no idea what to do. If they fought now, it would most likely alert the entire citadel and besides, they had no idea how strong the enemies before them were. On the other hand, he couldn't think of a good way to defuse the situation and erase the suspicions of the mage. It was inconceivably terrible luck that the one guy they were stopped by happened to be one of the top men in the Order.

While he was hesitating, the mage finally lost his patience and reached for Wind-Wing's hood with the intent of unmasking him. Wind tensed, preparing to attack, when a throaty, deep voice stopped all of the occupants in the room.

"Raken salam ikshir. Dollar as hukai sar eskento."

Wind spun around to see Lonnez stepping forward, his silver marking glowing slightly. He was the one who had spoken, using a language and tone of voice that was practically unrecognizable.

What was more shocking was the reaction of the other demons in the room. When he spoke, they immediately froze and then bent down towards him, touching their heads to the floor. Wind-Wing and Dioningo could only blink in shock but had the presence of mind to stay silent.

"Elthir raken salam. Thir danar vol." They responded in a similar language, acting in a completely subservient manner. They kept their eyes to the ground, seeing almost scared to look up, as Lonnez started to speak again in that strange tongue.

After talking back and forth for a short while longer, the demons moved back and one gestured towards one of the staircases, still bowing. Lonnez gave a look at his companions and then moved toward the stairs, the others following, but still confused at what was going on.

"Wait, you cannot allow them to leave! Did you see how they spoke to me? Stop and reveal them at once!"

"They shall pass unhindered," one of the demons finally spoke using a normal language. "He is above us; if he does not wish for us to reveal their faces, his command shall be obeyed."

"But, but..." The mage was left speechless.

The party ascended up the stairs, with Lonnez taking the rear. Before following them up, he turned and gave one final sentence, then disappeared up the stairs.

When he was sure that they weren't being followed and there were no other demons approaching, Dioningo let out a sigh of relief and dropped his robes to the floor.

"Oh dear lords, I thought we were done for sure! How exactly did you do that?"

"I'm curious about that as well," Wind-Wing said.

"That was the language of the elder demons," Lonnez said. "It is very old and demands respect, and so when I began to speak, they knew not to act against us."

"That's really cool!" Dioningo said. "Where the heck did you learn something like that?"

"Yes, where did you learn that language?" Wind-Wing muttered, his eyes starting to narrow.

Lonnez just shrugged and Dio didn't press the issue, but Wind remained suspicious and started reviewing things in his head.

The party ascended the tower quietly, well aware that they were going to be fighting very soon. The stairs seemed to spiral up endlessly, but eventually the party reached a simple wooden door.

"Are we all ready?" Wind-Wing asked, putting his thoughts aside for now.

Lonnez drew both of his daggers, nodding silently, and Zero's screen appeared in front of Dio's eye as he charged his arms with lightning.

"I don't know how far along the attack is, so we need to end this as soon as possible. Let's go."

Wind-Wing pushed open the door and they walked into a surprisingly large war room. This was the main section of the tower they had climbed, and seemed to serve as the primary command center of the Order, judging from the maps and calculations laid neatly across the tables. There were no demons to be seen. Instead, a lone man stood at the window in a fiery robe, watching the progress of the current attack. At the sound of the door opening, he turned around with a cold smile.

"It looks like my kingdom finally sent a group to try and kill me." He chuckled darkly. "A pity it won't succeed."

"Your kingdom? It is no such thing!" Wind retorted. "Do not get so overconfident."

"That has nothing to do with it," the leader spat. "It should have been mine long ago, but it was stolen from me. The mages will rue the day they banished the Prince from his rightful throne."

Lonnez suddenly spoke up as he recognized the man's identity. "You're Reyland!"

"You shall address me as the Crown Prince!" Reyland yelled, his eyes flashing with fire.

"You lost that title when you tried to murder your cousin!"

"He had it coming!" The Prince roared and shot out a fireball.

Wind-Wing reacted faster than either of them, flinging up a wall of crystal to block it. Reyland straightened up, breathing heavily, and smoothed his robes.

"Regardless," he said in a tight voice. "You will not stop my plans. They were delayed once already, when that group of blasted adventurers destroyed my dungeon, but this is where it ends! The mages will burn in fire and death and with my father already gone, I will take my rightful place as the ruler of the kingdom!"

He sneered and stamped his foot, sending fire racing across the floor. Two huge demons rose up, growling fiercely and wielding massive chains that glowed a deep orange.

A roar sounded next to Dioningo and Wind-Wind as Lonnez unsheathed his daggers and charged, practically flying across the room. Wind followed suit almost immediately after, heading for the Prince, but was cut off by a chain lashing through the air.

"Fools, these demons serve as my bodyguards. There's no way you can attack me while they're here AAAHHHGGG!!!!"

"Good morning, I'm a ranged fighter!"

The lightning left Reyland's robes slightly singed, but it didn't appear to harm him too much. He stood up in a fury and sent a wave of fire outwards, aiming for the Wolf-Dragon. Dioningo dodged by flying up and then unleashed a veritable rain of electricity.

"You think height will save you? Think again!"

Reyland rose off the ground and countered with a spiral of flames.

"Nuts, he can fly too? This is going to be annoying."

Below, Wind-Wind and Lonnez were having trouble against their foes. The fiery whips lashed out at incredible speeds and were difficult to defend against. Wind-Wing was forced back several paces, but every time Lonnez was forced back he switched places with one of the demons and engaged the other. Slowly but surely, the demons were separated, which greatly reduced their fighting ability.

A lightning bolt crashed down right next to Wind-Wing and he jumped back.

"Watch it, Dio," he yelled, looking up. "I don't need to be burned to a crisp."

"Sorry, hard to aim!"

The battle in the air was vastly more chaotic than the battle on the ground. Both mages flung spells back and forth and the air was thick with wayward magic. Dioningo continued to dodge, but cried out as the fur on his right arm was burned by an attack. He hung back and threw out several lightning balls that shot at the Prince, zapping him continuously. Taking a short breather, he cradled his arm and took a look at the battle below.

Wind-Wing had tried to imprison his demon in crystals, but he had shattered them like glass and wrapped the dragon in chains, the searing metal pressing against his scales. Meanwhile, Lonnez was still evading and striking with fluid motions.

"We've got to kill one of the demons soon!" Dio yelled. "That way we'll have the advantage."

The demon roared as Lonnez sliced open his arm before leaping nimbly backward. The black dragon glanced over to see Wind's situation and above saw Dioningo still nursing his arm.

"They regenerate too much," he growled. "How much damage can you do with one hit?"

"Quite a bit, I think. But they'd just dodge."

"They won't if they are distracted."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

Dio was cut off as he defended against a wave of fire. Lonnez gripped both of his daggers tightly and sighed.

"I hope this works."

He suddenly dashed at the demon holding Wind-Wind, trusting that it was wholly focused on maintaining its hold on the white dragon. His attack connected and the demon roared as twin daggers plunged into its back. The other demon flung out his chains to ensnare Lonnez, but Wind-Wing saw his opportunity and broke free just in time to use his tail blade to intercept the attack.

Lonnez yanked out his daggers and flipped over his opponent's head, sending an attack hurtling forward with deadly precision. A scream straight from hell ripped through the air as the demon found himself now missing an eye. He stumbled back, already starting to regenerate, but Lonnez rebounded off the floor and went in again. Wind blasted past them to engage the other demon, who had gotten tired of trying to get past the crystal defenses and decided to charge.

"Dioningo, rush the Prince! Use your attack!"

Lonnez yelled as he went forward again.

"Are you crazy!"

"Trust me!"

Dioningo flew away from yet another fireball and landed on one of the walls. He pushed off, flying straight at Reyland, and gritted his teeth.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, pulling one arm back. A white light began to build. "Special Move..."

Hearing Dio start his attack, Lonnez rushed towards his target and jumped into the air. He thrust forward with both of his daggers, but the demon snarled and swung both chains forward, clashing the attacks and sending them both reeling.

"Now block this." Lonnez grinned wickedly and switched places with Dioningo.

The Wolf-Dragon felt his perceptions shift as the space around him changed. Suddenly, he was in front of an off-balance demon.

"What the? Heh, now I see what you planned. Well, then: Sharplight BLADE!"

A bolt of pure white lightning impacted the demon's chest and his eyes went wide. Simultaneously, Lonnez appears where Dioningo was and tore forwards, slicing apart the Prince's attacks and thrusting with his daggers.

Wind-Wing turned around just in time to see the result. Reyland was sent hurtling into the ground, blood streaming from a massive gash across his chest. The demon, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. It completely vaporized before it had time to make a single sound, particles scattering onto the floor.

"Jesus!" Wind-Wind and his opponent froze before the demon retreated to check on the Prince. Wind grouped up with the rest of the party as well, inside still a little shocked at what had occurred.

The Crown Prince rose slowly from the floor, coughing blood as the wound on his chest began to close. He glared at them, but before he could speak the citadel rumbled and a massive explosion sounded outside.

Wind's expression plummeted. "The Stabilizer! We were too late!"

Outside the window, the floating kingdom faltered and began to sink, but suddenly halted.

"Why isn't it falling?" Dioningo asked. "I thought that was the last thing keeping it up."

"Those blasted mages and my cousin. They must have intervened somehow!" Reyland was spitting fire. "This has gone on long enough. I'll blow them out of the sky myself!"

He stalked over to a door on the far side of the room. The party went to go after him, but the remaining demon barred their way.

"Stop them for good. I don't care how, just do it!"

The demon bowed and the Prince disappeared through the door. The party faced their new opponent.

"This'll be a cinch," Dio said. "We've already taken down one; another shouldn't be so hard."

"Don't be so sure, brat," the demon suddenly said in a low, guttural voice. "How will you get past me if you're too busy fighting your friend?"

"What?"

The demon laughed and the scars on his body glowed a blood red. Without warning, he vanished, leaving the party looking frantically around the room.

"Who to pick now?" A voice echoed around the room, seemingly coming from nowhere. "Oh, this one has an interesting mind. What a treat!"

The demon's presence in the room disappeared completely. Then, Lonnez let out a roar and grabbed his head.

"What's going on?" Wind asked. "Answer me!"

The response he got wasn't a good one. Lonnez moves his hands away from his face to reveal that his eyes had turned a deep red. He opened his mouth and a chilling voice echoed from within, followed by maniacal laughter.

"Let's have some fun!"

"He's possessed! Watch out!"

Lonnez drew his daggers and charged at Dioningo, the demon inside seeing him as the bigger threat. However, he was intercepted by Wind-Wind, who bashed him back with his tail before planting himself firmly.

"Stop this! This isn't you!"

"No, you're right. It's not!"

Lonnez rushed forward and Wind-Wind braced, but found himself in a different spot entirely. The two had switched positions and now the daggers were aiming for Dioningo's chest.

"Look out!"

Not having any time to react, Dio closed his eyes and yelled out, "BOOM!"

A massive sonic shockwave blasted out and slammed into Lonnez, tossing him like a rag doll. Dio was also thrown, crashing through a table and tumbling to the ground. He quickly jumped up and created defenses.

"Zap field! Lightning Bugs!"

Now that he couldn't get to the mage as easily, Lonnez switched his attention to Wind-Wing. The white dragon flared his wings and decided to take the initiative, charging forward and blasting aside several obstacles in the process. Needing a weapon to fight against the daggers, he drew a shining crystal quarterstaff from the air and leveled it like a lance.

Crash!

Air rushed out as the weapons met in a flurry of blows. Wind aimed for a more defensive stance, choosing to block the unending stream of attacks coming from Lonnez. Dioningo, safe in his protections, looked on and hesitated.

"Why aren't you firing?" Zero asked.

"I'll hit Wind-Wing!"

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'll hit Wind-Wind!"

"Amazing," his AI muttered. "You can hit a fly at 500 miles, but can't shoot a target that's less than 50 ft. away."

"Well, what do you suggest I do? Any spells I have that I'm forgetting?"

"Hm." Zero calculated out several possibilities and outcomes. "Every spell you have that could end this fight would leave at least one of them dead. However, you do have the book with you..."

"Are you serious?!? That thing barely listens to me on the best of days. For all I know, pulling it out could either summon a bunch of daisies or blow up the planet!"

"Yeah, but it could also have something to save Lonnez. Don't forget who wrote it! At this point, I'd say it's our only option."

Dioningo growled but understood Zero's point. Reaching down, he sighed and undid the clasp on his satchel.

"Wind, get away right now!"

"What?" he yelled. Looking over, he saw that Dio was opening his book-bag. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's our only option. Get back now!!!"

Wind didn't really understand, but relented and used his wings to spring backward. The demon inside of Lonnez was confused, but soon realized that something was amiss. He went to follow Wind-Wind, but was stopped by when Dioningo pulled out a book that emitted a blinding light. It shoved him back with almost a physical force, causing his eyes to widen.

"Where does this power come from?!?"

Dioningo opened the book. "Give me something good, give me something good, give me something good...WIND-WING!!!!"

Lonnez was recklessly charging him, trying at all costs to reach the source of the light. Wind saw this and dashed in front of Dio. He slammed his tail against the ground and raised up a shining wall of pure crystal. Lonnez met the barrier and raised his fist, intending to smash straight through, but suddenly fell back, roaring and grabbing his head.

Dioningo stopped rifling through the book and glanced at Wind-Wing. "What's going on?"

"I don't know! He was going to break my crystals, but then stopped!"

Lonnez howled, "Get out of my head. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Red light started to seep out of his scales and spread out behind him.

"He's trying to free himself!"

Dio looked down at the book again, hoping for some answers, and then back up at Lonnez. As he did, his eye caught on the wall of crystal, and he saw himself staring back.

Dioningo got it in a flash. "Reflections! He saw his reflection and it reinforced who he really is! Wind, make a mirror!"

Wind-Wing reared back and put both of his hands out. In between them, a piece of crystal appeared, which then grew to resemble a full-length mirror. He grasped it and, racing up to Lonnez, practically shoved it in his face.

The reaction was instantaneous. Lonnez took one look at his reflection and howled so loudly it sounded more like a scream. He staggered back, the demon inside trying frantically to turn his head away, but by a massive force of will, the dragon kept staring. He howled louder and the silver mark on his chest began to shine brightly.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

The red light seemed to peel away from Lonnez, forming into the shape of the demon behind him. Wind-Wing, seeing this, froze the mirror in place using ice, and then struck, smashing the light to pieces. A shockwave exploded out, and all three could hear the demon's screams as it was blown to pieces.

Lonnez fell to the floor, still holding his head, his eyes wide. Meanwhile, Wind climbed to his feet and dispelled the mirror.

"Is he alright?" Dioningo asked as he put the book back in his satchel.

"I'm not sure," Wind-Wing answered, staring at Lonnez with tight eyes. "Demonic possessions can go so far as to destroy someone's mind, although that was something else entirely. I've never seen anyone free themselves like that."

"Huh?"

"Forcing the two entities apart takes a phenomenal amount of mental strength and willpower. To be honest, I don't know of a single person who could throw off a possession like that..."

He trailed off as Lonnez shakily got to his feet.

"To be honest what?" Dio asked. "You got quiet at the end."

"It doesn't matter," Wind-Wing said. "Go check on the kingdom."

Dioningo walked over to one of the windows while Lonnez looked at the white dragon with an unreadable expression. The air turned cold as Wind-Wing gazed back.

"First, you appear out of nowhere with an unknown origin," he finally said. "Then, you can be passed off as a demon without the others becoming suspicious. You know an ancient Demon Language and know how to make other demons respect you. And you can throw off a possession, something that no one should be able to do. And your eyes are still half-red."

"And?" Lonnez asked, eyes narrowing.

"You never confirmed that you were a dragon when we saved you, only just gave your name. So I'll ask the question: what are you?"

"I am a dragon."

Wind-Wing snarled and opened his mouth, ready to say something else, but he was interrupted by Dioningo.

"HEY GUYS!!!!"

The tension partially disappeared and they both looked over at the Wolf-Dragon, who had turned back with a frantic expression.

"The attack hasn't stopped! I think the Prince wants to completely annihilate the mages right now!"

"He's all alone up there and won't have any backup. What's more, he thinks we're still distracted by the demon!"

Lonnez growled. "Let's go kill that bastard."

Dioningo headed for the door, while Lonnez picked up his daggers.

"You try anything," Wind-Wing said, holding him back with his tail. "And I will kill you."

Lonnez just glared back, pushed the tail aside, and followed Dio.

The party went through the door to find yet another staircase, and Wind-Wind led the way as they climbed up to the top of the tower. There, they found an observatory of sorts. The room had a huge dome of glass that opened to the sky, with a multitude of astrological charts and diagrams. From this point, they could see the whole attack, the kingdom, and the adventurers defending it. But what really caught their attention was the massive ball of fire roiling above their heads. The Prince, who was standing directly under it, put down his hands when they walked in.

"You made it past my bodyguard? What an incompetent fool!"

"Stop this now, Reyland. You can't win!"

The Prince let out a laugh. "Stop? Don't be an idiot. The mages are expending all of their energy to keep up the kingdom. All I have to do is complete this spell, and I win. And the only thing I have to do is hold you off until that happens!"

"You're outnumbered and at a disadvantage. We won't hold back," Dioningo said in warning.

"You won't hold back?" the Prince said. "How cute, you think I'm weak."

Dark fire gathered around him. His robes twisted into demonic armor made from molten rock, and in his hands, he held a runic shield and a war hammer. A helmet formed over his face and finally, two wings of flame burst into being behind him.

"ALLOW ME TO GIVE YOU A PLEASANT SURPRISE!"

"Ok, he's a little more than just a mage," Wind-Wind muttered.

"Doesn't matter; he will die all the same!"

Lonnez rushed forward with Wind-Wing following closely behind. Dioningo took to the air and began to lay down a rain of suppressing fire.

"Feel the fires of hell!" Reyland roared as he raised his shield to block the lightning bolts.

His war hammer crashed down and the floor buckled under its weight. Wind-Wing and Lonnez were sent flying, and they had to spread their wings to avoid being thrown against the wall.

Wind swooped in again, slashing with his tail. "DIE, DEMON!

Reyland swung his shield around to block, sending sparks flying. Suddenly, he roared as lightning washed over his back, Dioningo taking the opening to blast him with several shots. During the exchange, Lonnez stayed back, watching from the edge of the room for a moment to strike.

"You think a small attack like that can stop me?!?"

The shield's bottom slammed into the ground and a wall of fire blasted forward. Wind took one look at it and braced himself, forming a protective barrier of ice. The flames washed over it and the ice began to crack.

"Lonnez, now!"

The black dragon nodded and switched places with Dioningo, who was still hovering behind the Prince. He flew down and struck at the gap between the helmet and the armor, then reversed his swing and switched places with Wing-Wing, who instantly kicked Reyland's legs out from under him and then smashed him straight up into the ceiling. Reyland twisted his body around to jump off of the dome, which surprisingly enough held, and shot back at the dragons.

"Crud."

Wind instantly formed a shield of crystal that blocked the war hammer's swing. A shockwave exploded out, hurling the rest of the party to the floor, and an explosive force continuously rippled through the room.

Dioningo saw that Wind-Wing was being pushed back, his claws skidding on the floor.

"Got to do something. Zero, give me the weakest part of his armor!"

"On it!"

A reticle appeared as the AI scanned over the Prince's defense. Meanwhile, Dioningo knelt down and reached back with his right hand. With it, he grabbed a bolt of lightning and swung it over his shoulder, the electricity molding into something that resembled a gun.

"Lonnez, once I start shooting, attack from the back. Don't let up; I'm going to weaken his armor!"

Lonnez nodded and Zero's voice sounded in Dio's ear.

"I've got it!"

"Cool. Special Move: Bolt Rifle!"

Dioningo unleashed a stream of precise shots straight into the areas that were designated to be weak. Reyland was flung off of Wind and his armor cracked under the force. Spinning around, he dropped his shield down for protection, but a knife strike came out of nowhere and sliced straight through one of the cracks. He swung his hammer, but Lonnez had already retreated and was moving quickly to the next spot to strike.

Seeing the combined attack, Wind-Wind shook off the remains of his barrier and went in, pushing the Prince off balance with his tail blade and directly attacking head-on. Dioningo dispelled his rifle and flew upwards to get a better angle, throwing down bolt after bolt to distract and disrupt further.

This strategy worked incredibly well. Although the Prince had a near-unbreakable defense and a fearsome weapon, he was weakened considerably when he wasn't dealing with a single foe. And the addition of a ranged fighter was just the icing on the cake. Little by little, his armor fell apart and even though he landed several solid blows on Wind-Wing, other attacks came before he could follow through and the white dragon just shook what he had received off before jumping back into the fray.

"Will. You. Stop. MOVING?!?" Reyland yelled as his attacks either failed to connect or were blocked. "Just burn to ashes!"

A wave of lightning extinguished the resulting fireball and the Prince jumped away from the group, grunting as his pain and exhaustion finally began to register.

"I think we've got him," Dioningo said, swooping over and landing behind Wind-Wing. "Tie him up and haul him back?"

"No," Lonnez growled as he stepped forward. "He dies."

Wind-Wing looked ready to argue, but was interrupted when the massive fireball that had been floating overhead crackled and expanded rapidly in size. Reyland began to laugh.

"It's time! IT'S TIME! The mages shall burn in the fires of hell and I shall ascend!"

Wind-Wind and Lonnez instantly dashed towards him, but a spire of pure fire erupted upwards and cut them off.

"Dio, shoot him!"

The Wolf-Dragon rifled through his list of spells. "Nothing I've got for indoor use would be able to get past that pillar. It's made of solid magic! And if I use my larger spells, it won't matter, cause we'll all be fried to a crisp!"

"Lonnez, can you switch with him?"

"No, the flames are in my way! Can you use the crystals?"

"I'll try."

Wind-Wind sent a wave of crystals forward, but they disintegrated before they reached the pillar.

"The magic's expanding. His spell's almost finished!"

Amid the chaos, Zero sighed.

"Dio, I know you don't want to, but use the frickin' book."

"Are you serious? I didn't have to use it the last time!"

"That's because there was a convenient alternative. Right now, we're out of time. Use the book or we die."

Dioningo growled. "Lonnez, Wind-Wing, cover me. I'm about to do something stupid."

They glanced back. "What?"

"Just protect me for, like, 30 seconds!"

The two dragons looked at each other and gave confused nods.

Dioningo muttered to Zero, "You better give me a clear target," undid the clasp on his satchel, and pulled out the book once again. The same blinding light filled the room and Reyland stopped laughing and screeched.

"WHAT! IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE! HOW IS HIS MAGIC HERE?!? HOW?!?" His voice became deep and his armor ignited. "THIS WILL NOT STAND! YOU WILL DIE!!!"

He charged out of the pillar with the force of an exploding cannon, flying at Dioningo. Wind-Wind and Lonnez were shocked at the change in attitude, but moved to intercept him immediately. Behind them, Dio opened the book and began flipping through its pages.

"Come on, come on. Give me something useful for once, you idiot dragon. I know there's something you have that I can use."

As he reached a specific part, the pages flashed gold.

"The Roquell Invasion? Are you serious?!? How is this supposed to help?"

The book stayed silent and Dioningo groaned. "Give me a clue, PLEASE!"

The book glowed again and highlighted a passage.

"Joy, so it's somewhere in there. Yippee."

"Dio, hurry up!" Wind-Wing yelled over his shoulder as he was pushed back by Reyland's shield. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Light reading, what else?" Dioningo snapped back. He finally found the lines he was looking for and glanced back up. "Alright, here's hoping this works!"

"Wait, you aren't sure?!?" Wind asked frantically, but Dio had already started to read aloud.

"'What makes you qualified to come into this universe and rampage?' Eternius asked as he and the other Primes stood against the demon hordes.

'We are the destruction," Rath roared back. 'We are the darkness that seeks to end all life in all existences!'

'Yeah? Well, go and end it somewhere else!'"

Dio's eyes glowed and he snapped the book shut.

"Chronicler's Art: By the Power of the Written Word!"

Light exploded from around him and rushed to encircle Reyland. In an instant, he was snared and his fire faded drastically.

"HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?!? WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?!?"

"The power of the hopes and dreams of everyone in existence, or so I've been told. Now guys!"

Seeing their opportunity, Wind-Wind and Lonnez both dashed forward. Twin daggers from below and a tail strike from above hit the Prince.

"NO!!!"

BOOM!

Reyland went crashing to the ground and his armor shattered, his powers stripped away by the light. Above, the fireball burst into a thousand embers that softly rained down and the tremendous power in the room vanished. Following that, Dioningo's eyes returned to normal and he stashed the book back in his satchel, locking the clasp tight.

"I wonder if Wind-Wing will still think it's just a stupid book," Zero chuckled to himself.

The aforementioned dragon rushed over to Dioningo.

"What was that?" Wind asked.

"A super fickle thing and also a one-use move. Kind of drains most of my energy to use too..."

Right on cue, Dio's eyes closed and he slumped to the ground. Wind-Wing rolled his eyes and laid him out in a more comfortable position as Lonnez went to go look at the Prince.

"Is he dead?" Wind-Wing asked over his shoulder, his voice still icy.

"No, but he will not move for a while."

"We'll give him to the kingdom, then. After all, he's their enemy."

Lonnez looked at Wind, then at the Prince, then at his daggers. "Fine," he sighed.

As they stood there, lightly resting before the journey back, Wind-Wing frowned.

"What?" Lonnez asked.

"How he was at the end, with the armor, voice, and magic, he acted a lot like you did when you were freeing yourself from that demon."

"Are you saying that he was possessed?"

"Maybe, but it didn't look like that when he was talking normally, just when he was fighting and desperate."

"We won. Stop worrying."

"I know. Something just isn't sitting right with me. It feels... off."

Suddenly, the air in the room froze and the embers that had been gently settling down stopped moving.

"Is this your magic?" Lonnez asked, looked at Wind-Wing.

"No, this isn't me," Wind-Wing answered, his eyes narrowing. "This is something else."

The embers blew past as if they were pulled by a black hole, spiraling into the center of the room and forming an orange and red sphere. Its surface seemed to flow like lava, and the floor underneath it cracked. The air began to move again, whipping around in a tempest.

"WITH YOUR POWER GONE, I RISE AGAIN! HOW FOOLISH TO THINK THAT YOU, A MORTAL, COULD CONTAIN ME? I AM A DEMON! I AM DESTRUCTION INCARNATE! I AM THE FIRES THAT RAGE THROUGH THE UNIVERSE, WIPING OUT EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN, IS, OR EVER SHALL BE! I...AM A GOD!"

The voice seemingly came from everywhere at once, echoing through the room and causing the floor to buckle. The lava sphere crackled and expanded, swelling with power.

"Ok, time to go!"

Wind-Wing swooped down and grabbed Dio before flying up to the glass dome above. He smashed it with his tail, but it flashed with orange sigils and didn't even crack.

"The roof's reinforced!"

"Out the door, now!"

Magma flowed out of the sphere and rushed across the floor, melting everything in its path. The dragons raced out the door, practically flying, with heat directly on their heels. Behind them, the sphere exploded into a shower of flame, igniting even the stone walls and causing the entire citadel to shake.

"THIS MARKS MY RETURN AND THE ANNIHILATION OF YOUR WORLD! BURN TO ASHES, ALL THINGS IN CREATION!"

The walls crumbled to dust beneath the fire that roared out of the tower. As Wind-Wing and Lonnez frantically dashed back down to their original entrance, the rest of the Order fled as well. Those that were caught burned alive instantly. Not even the demons were spared.

The floor suddenly exploded as a massive hand made of volcanic rock lifted upwards. Wind-Wing wrapped his arms around Dioningo and took to the air, swerving to avoid falling rocks. Below, the rest of the citadel was collapsing as it melted from the fire and heat. Rivers of lava gushed beneath their feet and poured from the walls and ceiling. It was as if the place had become hell.

The wall at the far end of the room, directly behind them, shattered and Lonnez risked a look back. What he saw made his stomach drop and he faltered in his flying.

"What... what the hell?!?"

A glowing diamond inlaid into molten rock shone through the haze of heat. It shone a brilliant and dark orange and seemed to exert its own force, like some sort of gravity. The lava and fire falling through the air actually changed course and flew towards it, getting absorbed and only increasing the glow's intensity. Rocks and lava soared up to form giant plates that flowed down around the diamond, seeming to become metal in the process. The hand appeared again, smashing through the walls to their left, and decimating a pack of flying demons.

"Look there!"

Wind-Wing flew up to see a patch of sky shining through the haze. The hand had completely knocked over one of the citadel walls, exposing it to the sun.

"Let's go! Hurry!"

The dragons climbed higher, flying above the lava and rising through the heat, dodging falling rocks and blazing ash.

"Wind-Wing, watch out!"

A pillar smashed into the white dragon, causing him to roar in pain. He flapped frantically to steady himself, but another rock hit him and his arms weakened, causing him to lose his grip on the Wolf-Dragon. Dioningo dropped like a rock, Zero screaming in his ear to wake up.

Lonnez took off, shooting down like a falling star The silver glow of his marking cut through the haze and smoke, shining brightly as he flew.

"You're not going to make it!" Wind-Wing cried.

Lonnez looked around and spotted a demon near the lava, racing up to avoid being burned. He growled and switched places with it, causing it to shriek and spiral down to its death. Not wasting time, Lonnez landed on one of the last places of solid ground. He gritted his teeth, lunged forward, and caught Dioningo just before he was swallowed by the rivers of fire a few feet below. Establishing a firm hold, he pulled him to solid ground, breathing heavily.

"Lonnez..." Wind-Wing said quietly.

The dragon looked up to see his white companion and closed his eyes. His black wings spread to their fullest and he gathered his strength as the lava surged higher and pillars of fire erupted around his tiny spot of safety. The air blazed with heat and the dragon growled.

"Fire and lava? Ha! With what I have been through, Hell itself no longer affects me!"

He surged up, flashing through the air as the lava finally claimed the spot where he had been. Evading fountains of magma, and weaving in between massive rocks, he climbed higher and higher.

BOOM!

The hand crashed down again, destroying everything in its path. Lonnez roared and swooped low, missing it by a hair. His scales sizzled from the immense heat it was putting off, and when it hit the ground, a terrifying wave of lava swelled to swallow every remaining thing in the room.

Wind-Wing yelled and a wall of shining crystal locked together to save Lonnez and his cargo. It buckled under the pressure and the dragon screamed, putting more power into his shield. It strained and held for a moment longer before falling, but by that time Lonnez had reached Wind-Wing's position.

"Hurry!"

They soared up towards the light that represented safety, the wave tearing after them. The citadel shook as fire reigned supreme and everything became blistered and charred.

The dragons burst out into the sky, flying as fast as they could to get away from the fortress. Landing on an adventurer's skyship, Lonnez laid Dioningo on the ground, breathing heavily.

The captain, a white lioness dressed in a white overcoat and high, black leather boots, approached them with a serious look on her face. She flipped a long, orange scarf back over her shoulder and folded her arms across her chest.

"And where did you guys come from? Are you from the Order?"

"What, no! We just took care of their leader and then had to escape. The entire citadel is falling to pieces!" Wind-Wing said.

"Hey, my name is Diana, not sucker!" she snapped. "How the heck do you expect me to believe something like that?"

She got her answer in a very obvious way. Behind the dragons, the citadel imploded and a vast form rose, obscured in lava and sending out waves of heat so intense that they rocked the ship. The sky filled with smoke, turning the world dark, and lightning rampaged through the heavens.

"Oh. My. God."

Every adventurer was mimicking Diana's and the dragons' expressions, gazing up in complete disbelief at the monster now towering over everything.

"PATHETIC DEMONS! YOU COULD NOT EVEN ACCOMPLISH ONE SIMPLE TASK? FOR YOUR PUNISHMENT, BE CONSUMED TO FUEL MY INFERNO!"

A wave of fire blasted out and every demon in the vicinity screamed as they turned to ash. Their remains were sucked into a giant glowing diamond that emerged from the lava, sending waves of energy flowing forth. The lava surrounding the form fell off as it straightened to its full height, and the dragons finally got a good look at what had caused the devastation and destruction. A massive giant stood above them, eyes and armor glowing with fires that annihilated worlds. His face was shrouded in a helmet of twisted metal and his skin constructed of pure volcanic rock that looked like it had come straight from hell itself. The final touches came in the forms of the horns that adorned his head, and the glowing diamonds that burned at the center of his chest and in the middle of his hands.

A groan came from the direction of the floor.

"Well, I'm glad that's over. And we got out safely, too. Yippee!"

"Dioningo, can you take a look at this? Right now?"

"Sure, but why the tone of voice?" The Wolf-Dragon sat up, took one good look around, and instantly had his back pressed up against the railing on the far side of the ship, his eyes huge, face pale, and whole body trembling.

"Wha...how....por qué?!?"

"You recognize that giant?"

"Of course I do! This explains why there were so many demons! Hells, hells, LITERAL FLIPPING HELLS!!!"

Dioningo didn't move from his spot and didn't seem to be able to string together a straight sentence either.

Wind-Wing leaped over and shook him violently, knocking him out of his shock. "Give me a clear answer. Who is that guy?"

Dioningo stared up at the volcanic figure, his eyes wide. "Guy?" That's one of the nine Demon Lords of the frickin' Infernal Pit! Also known as HELL! He's Demon Lord Saian, the master of fire and ash, who rules over the Region of Coals!"

"Saian? I remember him. This is bad," Lonnez muttered, sounding extremely pissed off.

Wind-Wind gave him a look, but Dioningo was too frantic to pick it up.

"YOU THINK? He's on the level of a GOD! Even my master, Dragon General Strike, couldn't take him on alone. And now, we have to fight him!"

"So what? We'll kill him too, then," Wind-Wing said as he stepped up to the edge of the ship. "We can't stop now when we're so close to winning."

"Don't you know anything? Demon Lords can't die until all of their generals are killed first. Saian has nine, and none of them are here right now! He's completely immune to death!"

"You say we can't kill him?" Diana walked up to the helm of the ship. "Cool."

She reached down and unclipped a radio from next to the ship's wheel.

"All adventurers, come in." Her voice projected from a speaker and down the line of defenders. "We've got one final challenge in our way. Consider this the final boss. All gunners and mages, full power. Let him have everything you've got. Apparently, he's completely unkillable and there's nothing we can do about that. So instead, let's make him wish he was dead!"

A roar echoed back as every single remaining fighter shook themselves off and drew their weapons. The skyships swung out into a formation and began to encircle Saian, while the cannons and ballistae located on the walls of the kingdom took aim.

"You guys are crazy," Dioningo said faintly. "Almost every army I know of would be running away with an actual fire hot on their heels, and yet you're wanting to FIGHT?"

Saian roared when he saw the adventurers' actions. "MORTALS, YOUR FATE IS SEALED! YOU HAVE CHOSEN DEATH, AND AS A REWARD, SHALL BE SPARED THE FATE OF WATCHING YOUR UNIVERSE BURN!"

"Where's that optimism from earlier, Dio?" Wind-Wing said. "Come on, we need your help."

"There is no other option," Lonnez said, walking up next to him. "We cannot back down or that bastard will destroy everything."

"And besides, a god-like being wouldn't personally come to this world for nothing," Zero put in. "He wants something, and I'm willing to bet it's inside the kingdom, for whatever reason."

"You're right, you're right," Dioningo griped as he climbed to his feet. "I can't use the book again today, but I guess I can still fight." He grinned shakily. "Let's see what people think when I come back and write down this story!"

"And also, Strike would kill you if you came back and told him you left a Demon Lord to go on a rampage," Zero chuckled.

"Not helping!"

"Then it's settled." Wind-Wing nodded at the rest of the party, and then Diana. "We're in this together, and we're taking this monster down."

"Let's go!" Diana cried. "ATTACK!"

The adventurers gave a cheer and rushed forward an awe-inspiring display. Demon Lord Saian roared, the sound blasting to the far reaches of the world.

"DIE!"

He swiped down with a hand, very nearly taking out several of the ships.

"Artillery, OPEN FIRE!"

Thousands of projectiles shot overhead, energy shots, arrows, bullets, rockets. They smashed into the Demon Lord and he growled, drawing back slightly. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the skyships moved in to get their melee fighters into range.

"GODS FALL BEFORE ME! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT?"

Saian spread his arms and a wave of fire blew back the bolts. Explosions ripped through the air as one of the ships caught fire and headed for the ground, its crew fleeing for their lives. He then held up a hand, and it became wreathed in heat.

"FEEL THE FIRES OF THE PIT!"

As the sky turned to fire, Diana yelled on her radio, "Adventurers, shields up!"

Fireballs rained down on the ship and barriers of every kind appeared, many overlapping to form a solid front. Wind-Wing helped, creating a giant wall of pure crystal that shimmered in the fire's light. The attack hit with a massive force, cracking most of the defenses, but they didn't break.

"I'm heading out!" Dioningo said once the fire had cleared. "Time to send him some lightning!"

"Wait for me," Lonnez said and pulled out his daggers.

"And you'll need someone to stop you from getting killed," Wind-Wing growled.

The party stepped up to the railing and spread their wings.

"Hey guys," Diana said, walking up. "I just met you, so don't die on me, ok?"

"Not planning on it," Dio said with a smirk.

The party took flight. Lonnez and Wind-Wing began to circle around Saian, staying tight to the formation of the skyships, while Dioningo flew up to get a clear visual.

"Holy hells. He's even larger than we thought. Hm, let's see how he likes this. Zero, give me a target!"

"Your enthusiasm is going to be the death of you one day."

"Yep! But until that happens, I'm not stopping! Now, target!"

The Demon Lord roared as the barrage started again, chipping pieces off of his chest and arms. He reached out with a hand and casually tore several ships out of the sky. The nearby ones had to immediately shield themselves against the immense heat his skin was putting out, or else they would have been burned to a crisp.

"Alright, the biggest target in the universe in my sights. Lock and load, buckaroo."

"Flash Fire!"

Lightning encircled Dioningo as his wings stopped flapping. Instead of falling, he stayed suspended in the air, defying all laws of physics. His fists glowed with a blinding yellow light and his right eye crackled with energy. Then, he began to punch the air, moving at incredible speeds, and each one sent out a bolt of energy.

With a crash, a continuous stream of energy slammed into Saian. He faltered, scorch marks appearing across his armor and pieces of rock falling to the ground far below. The Demon Lord struck out with his hand, sending a wave of fire racing toward his attacker, but Wind-Wind blocked it with his crystals.

Seeing an opportunity, Lonnez and a multitude of other melee fighters leaped off the skyships and plummeted down, drawing their blades. Their strikes connected with the monster, not having much effect alone, but chewing off a massive piece of one shoulder and arm. Several mages and flyers rushed down to catch the ones without wings, and they circled back up and around for another go, tossing the blades that had melted back to the skips in exchange for fresh ones.

The driving attacks from the gunners and mages continued. Dioningo himself didn't look like he was going to run out of magic any time soon, and the kingdom had plenty of ammunition to spare for the adventurers. As a result, miraculously, Saian's fire began to dim.

"Keep it up!" Diana shouted to the rest of the adventurers. "We've got him!"

Suddenly, the Demon Lord snarled and raised his hand. Fire surrounded it and began to circle in the air, but didn't fall this time. Malevolent energy began to leak into the sky.

"What's he doing?" Wind-Wind asked.

A massive rune etched itself into the air, glowing darkly. Dioningo's eyes went wide.

"Stop him right now!"

The adventurers attacked, but Saian ignored them and poured more power into his spell. The rune began to swirl in the air and the area around it became uncomfortably hot.

"A PITIFUL DISPLAY THUS FAR! BUT NOW, YOUR TIME IS UP!"

With a tortured noise, Reality tore apart and a pathway to the Infernal Pit was formed.

"COME MY SERVANTS! OBEY YOUR LORD'S WILL AND DESTROY EVERYTHING! SHOW THEM THE MIGHT OF HELL'S FIRE!"

Countless demons made of volcanic rock, metal, and lava, each much bigger than the ones the Order had been using, swarmed through the portal. Along with them came a rush of energy that flowed into Saian's chest, causing the diamond deepened in color and his wounds healed. A shield of hellfire blazed around his entire body, blocking all of the attacks easily.

Seeing this, Dioningo and the adventurers increased their firepower, hoping to punch through the shield before it fully was established. However, Saian just laughed and waved his hand. Wind-Wing went to block, but there was no visible attack.

"What?"

BOOM!

Explosions erupted out of thin air, ripping many of the ships to pieces. Dioningo was directly struck, sending him tumbling down. He crashed into one of the remaining chunks of the Order's citadel, still floating listlessly in the air, and didn't get up.

"Dioningo!"

Wind-Wing went to help but was attacked by a demon. They grappled in the air, flying wildly around, and eventually Wind pushed off and smacked him with his tail. The demon snarled and blasted him with fire, knocking him back and forcing him away from his friend.

Meanwhile, the Wolf-Dragon was lying on the ground silently. A voice echoed repeatedly in his ear.

"Dio? Dioningo? Please get up. You have to get up! WAKE UP, IDIOT!"

"Ugh," Dio groaned and moved. "Everything hurts."

"Oh, thank the gods! You scared me! Never do that again!"

"Heh, I'll try." Dioningo pulled himself painfully to his feet and looked around. Demons were flooding into the sky and the adventurers were all doing their best to fight back.

"This doesn't look good. At this rate, there's no way we can beat Saian. He's just too powerful."

"Of course. He's a Demon Lord."

A weak voice came from behind one of the fallen pillars and Dio spun around. Seeing no motion, he cautiously crept around to see who had spoken and was shocked at what he found.

"The Crown Prince!"

Reyland was buried beneath a large pile of rubble with only his upper body visible. He coughed and smiled weakly.

"You're that dragon adventure, the one who helped to defeat me. Dioningo."

"Yeah, so?" he held out a hand filled with lightning. "I should just kill you right now for all the things you've done!"

Reyland chuckled and shook his head. "So impulsive; you remind me of Strike. Is he your Dragon General?"

"What? How do you know that? Answer me!"

"I was visited by Strike and a man by the name of Master Dioul when I was still the Prince of the kingdom. That's how I met him."

Dioningo stumbled back. "The God of Magic personally came to see you? Along with the Dragon General of Lightning? Why? You tried to kill your cousin! You succeeded in killing your father! And now you're responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people! How can I trust you?"

"You're a mage, correct? Then do you recognize this sigil?" The Prince held up a glowing shape that materialized on his palm. "Dioul said that I could use this to ask for help from any mage in the universe!"

"THE SIGN OF THE PRIMES!!!" Dioningo's mouth hit the floor. Even Zero let out a gasp. "That's the mark that represents the will of the Gods! They only give that out when it's absolutely necessary which means... you're telling the truth!"

"Yes. Back when they visited, I was still a mage training at the Royal Academy. Dioul told me of an evil demon up in the north and that I was the only one that could stop it. My magic was perfect for sealing it away, and so I went and defeated the demon. Only, it turns out that he was actually Saian in disguise, hiding most of his power to escape notice. He wanted something from the kingdom, and so he personally came to retrieve it!"

"But then why didn't you tell anyone? Why does everyone know only of the evil things you've done?"

"No one knows the full story. The seal wasn't absolute, which for a normal demon would have been fine, but for a Demon Lord was completely overwhelming. He twisted my thoughts and planted darkness in my heart, and it was only with all of my remaining focus that I could keep him contained. He forced me to keep it a secret and never contact Dioul for help. I purposefully made an attempt on my cousin's life to get exiled from the kingdom and prevent Saian from getting what he wanted. Unfortunately, that only made him stronger, and he eventually assumed greater control over me and plotted my return."

"So it was under his influence that the events with the dungeon and the Order happened?"

"Yes. The only thing I could do was hang on with my last scrap of will. But now, Saian is free and able to rampage across the world until he finds what he desires. And all because I failed in my mission."

Reyland's smile disappeared and he hung his head, his face grim.

"Master Dioul and Strike came to you because they thought you could help. There must be something we can do!"

The Prince shook his head. "There is nothing. Saian is simply too powerful. Even when we battled the first time in his weakened form, the only thing that worked was my sealing magic..."

His eyes widened and he looked up at Dioningo. "Never mind, there might be a way. If you can get me to Saian, I can seal him back inside of me with what little power I have left."

"But then he'll just control you again and break free!"

Reyland smiled. "Not if I die. Then his connection to this realm will be shattered and he can be forced back to the Infernal Pit!"

"No, no! I know I said I wanted to kill you earlier, but that was before I found out all of the good things you did."

"Dioningo, don't misunderstand me." Reyland coughed once more, but this time it was bloody and ragged. "I'm finished already; it's only a matter of time before my body collapses from my injuries. As the Prince, the least I can do to pay for my failures is to take that monster down with me!"

With that declaration, his face became filled with determination. Dioningo noted that his eyes, which had been filled with fire and rage before, were now revealed to be a soft blue, and were watering slightly.

"I'll help, then," Dioningo said. He bent down and tried to lift the rubble off of Reyland, but it didn't budge.

"I'm not strong enough," he said, shaking his head. "And if I use my lightning, I'd blow you up in the process. Wait here; I'm going to get a friend."

He ran to the edge of the floating chunk and looked up into the sky.

"Where are you, where are you, you dingo? I need you right now!"

Spotting his white friend finished off the demon he was battling, Dioningo cupped his hands around his mouth.

"WIND-WING!!! OVER HERE!!!"

Wind spun around to see Dio frantically waving his arms. He flew over and landed on the chunk.

"Are you ok? I saw you fall, and you weren't moving!"

"I'm fine. But I think we have a way to beat Saian!"

"What?"

"Follow me, and don't react. Promise?"

Wind-Wing frowned. "What?"

"Just promise me you won't negatively react to what I show you."

"Alright," Wind-Wing said. "Now hurry, there isn't time to waste."

The minute Wind recognized Reyland, he bared his fangs. "The Prince? What is he doing here?"

"We don't have time for the full story, but it turns out that he was sort of possessed by Saian. Now he' free again, but he's dying. However, he wants to take the Demon Lord down with him and allow us to banish him back to the Pit!"

Reyland coughed, staring up at Wind-Wing with a determined look, and the dragon wheeled around to look at Dioningo.

"Are you serious? There is no way that's happening! There's no way we can be sure he's telling the truth!"

"Look at his eyes. They used to be filled with fire and darkness, but now they're a clear blue. He's already shown me evidence that he's on our side, and right now, knowing what I know, I'd say this is our only and best option."

Dioningo looked into Wind-Wing's eyes. "I trust him with absolute certainty. We've known each other for a fair bit of time. Now, I'm asking you to trust me."

Wind-Wing swallowed and looked at the Prince. Finally, he gritted his teeth and nodded his head.

"I will. What do you need me to do?"

"The pillar he's trapped under is too heavy. I need you to get him free, and then get him to Demon Lord Saian. Once there, he'll do the rest."

Wind-Wing nodded again. "Understood. But you forgot about one thing: Saian now has a shield!"

"Leave that to me," Dioningo said as he spread his wings.

"But that's a demonized barrier, even stronger than the one around the Order's citadel. Last night, you said that it was impossible to destroy! That's why we snuck in!"

Dio smirked and shook his head. "I said it was incredibly hard to destroy, especially if we didn't want to attract attention. I never used the word 'impossible'."

He flapped his wings, flying back up into the sky. "Don't worry, I'll give it everything I've got. Just be ready for a light show!"

"Good luck, Dioningo," Wind-Wing said as his friend soared away. He turned back to the Prince, considering the rubble. "He really does trust you, and therefore, so do I."

Reyland closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Thank you, noble dragon."

Wind smiled slightly. "Let's get you freed. Knowing Dioningo, he won't wait around."

Above, back in the main fight, the adventurers were getting beaten badly. Many ships had already fallen, their crew fleeing to the kingdom, and those that had not been destroyed were under siege by the demons. With each passing minute, fewer and fewer attacks hit the Demon Lord's shield, allowing him to grow in strength even more. Pillars of lava erupted constantly across the battlefield, and explosions of fire ripped through the air as Saian conducted his grand symphony of destruction.

"WITNESS THE POWER I WIELD, MORTALS, AND UNDERSTAND YOUR WORTHLESSNESS! DEVASTATION SHALL BE YOUR END, AND THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED!"

Waves of heat blasted through the sky, heading for the kingdom's main cannons. They sliced into the floating island, shaking the ground and killing entire platoons of guards. The mages rallied their power and managed to keep the kingdom afloat, but at a huge cost. A massive chunk of the city was now missing, turned to dust by the Demon Lord.

"FALL BEFORE ME!"

Through all this, Dioningo rose higher, flying past the remaining skyships and trying to avoid the attention of the demons. One, however, saw him, and charged, roaring. Zero locked on, and he prepared to unleash a storm of lightning, but the demon suddenly burst apart in a shower of rock and lava.

"Lonnez!"

The adventurer in question shook the fire droplets off of his daggers and flew next to Dioningo.

"I saw you fall. I am glad to see that you have recovered."

"You too! Good news, we've got a way to take down the Demon Lord. Turns out the Crown Prince was possessed by him all along and is now very pissed off!"

"The Prince is alive?" Lonnez asked, shocked.

"Yep, but he won't stay that way for long. The injuries from our battle were bad, and he knows he's dying. He just wants to take Saian out with him. Wind-Wing's digging him out of some rubble right now and will be flying him over soon."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I'll be taking out the shield in a moment. If you could rally some adventurers to keep the demons off of me, that'd be a big help."`

"The shield? Will you use the book? I thought it stopped working when you used it earlier."

"Yeah, one-time use only unfortunately," Dioningo said with a slightly maniacal grin. "But now, it's time for some of that outdoor magic I mentioned."

He began to fly even higher, but stopped and turned back. "Oh, and if you could tell every fighter to get back at least 50 meters when the spell begins, that would be for the best." He rubbed his head a bit sheepishly. "Otherwise, I don't know if they'd survive."

"Right," Lonnez answered, not really knowing what else to say. He watched as the Wolf-Dragon rose up into the air, before spinning around and looking for Diana's ship. Spotting in the distance, he flew over, sliced apart some attacking demons, and landed on the deck.

"Oh, you're still alive!" Diana said from the helm. "What do you need?"

"See that Wolf-Dragon over there?" Lonnez pointed at Dio. "He is going to use magic to destroy the shield. Everyone needs to keep him safe until he is finished."

Diana's eyes lit up. "He's going to destroy that thing by himself? This, I have got to see!"

Reaching the apex of his flight, Dioningo stopped, almost looking down at the giant. The Demon Lord hadn't noticed him yet, but that was about to change.

"Ready, Zero?" he asked lightly.

"I'm really hoping that I'm wrong about what spell you're planning to use," came the response.

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Because if I remember correctly, last time Strike specifically ordered you to never use it again."

"Trust me, I think this situation qualifies. Furthermore, it's the only thing in my arsenal that is strong enough."

"That doesn't mean you should jump to cast it!"

Dioningo sighed. "I've already thought about everything else and there's not enough time. Now are you with me, or not?"

There was silence for a moment, then Zero grumbled into his ear. "Well, if I didn't help then you'd probably just mess everything up."

Dio grinned. "Cool! Draw up every single weak point that barrier has, and let's blow it to pieces!"

From the highest point on the battlefield, he looked down, chuckled, and spread his arms out. Lightning began to gather on his scales and his horns lit up with an electric crackle. Zero's scope slid out over his left eye, while his right iris glowed yellow and became slitted, like a dragon's. A massive sigil appeared behind him and several more wrapped around his right arm. Absorbing the surrounding lightning, they glowed brightly and the smell and taste of ozone filled the air.

Saian looked up and roared. "SUCH POWERFUL MAGIC! STOP HIM!"

Demons filled the sky and flew up at their Lord's command. However, a host of adventurers, led by Lonnez, intercepted them and began to ruthlessly cut them down. Slicing down demons left and right, his silver mark shining through the fire and smoke, he relentlessly continued fighting, not even stopping when an attack viciously bashed his arm.

"Do not stop!" he roared as he cut a demon to pieces. "Kill them all! We must give him more time!"

A resounding cheer echoed back as the adventurers had their spirit renewed. They formed a protective barrier below Dioningo, blocking any attempt to reach him.

"INSOLENT PESTS, I WILL CUT YOU DOWN MYSELF!"

A burst of fiery bullets exploded from behind Saian and flew upwards. Seeing this, the mages still on the skyships planted their feet and shouted at the sky. Magic of all kinds erupted to shield the Wolf-Dragon, the power of every remaining mage focused on protecting him. With their spirit and will, Saian's attack was rebuffed.

"HOW DARE YOU OPPOSE ME! I AM FIRE! I AM DESTRUCTION!"

"You know what's really destructive, Saian?" Dioningo said from where he was floating. His sigils were glowing a blinding white and were giving off enormous amounts of force. "Lightning. Pure, unbound lightning. It's one of the coolest things in the universe if you ask me. It can strike from any angle with amazing amounts of power. But from the beginning, it's always been the strongest when it shoots straight down, in its natural form. It's always been the strongest..."

At that moment, the lightning formed a corona around him and exploded outwards. Multiple reticles appeared on Zero's scope as he finished analyzing the shield.

"Everyone, get away now!" Lonnez roared.

"When it comes, FROM THE HEAVENS THEMSELVES!"

A bolt of lightning shot down to strike the shield. Everyone waited, but nothing happened for several seconds.

"Did it not work?" Lonnez silently wondered.

"FOOLISH MORTAL! YOU THINK THAT IS ENOUGH TO STOP ME?" Saian laughed.

"No." Dioningo grinned. "But luckily, I'm just getting started!"

Another bolt struck, and then another, and then another, each hitting faster and faster. They fell with absolute precision, hitting each point Zero had indicated, and not caring about anything in their way. Soon, a rain of lightning was falling from the sky and the air for miles around became electric.

"This is one of his 'outdoor spells'?" Wind-Wing said in shock from where he was flying, the Prince now carried in his arms. "No wonder he couldn't use it in the citadel."

Demon Lord Saian snarled at the massive amount of power continuously pounding into the shield and sent a wave of fire outwards. Just like when he had emerged, all of the demons were burned to ashes and absorbed to increase his strength. After that, the barrier glowed even brighter and refused to shatter.

"THIS IS FUTILE! YOUR ACTIONS WILL ONLY RESULT IN YOUR DEATH!"

"Really? Then let's see how he likes this!"

Dioningo clenched his fists and the sigil behind him flashed gold. The falling lightning rain exploded in intensity as the strikes increased their power by almost 10 times!

"That's that magic he used to kill the demon: Sharplight Blade," Lonnez said in shock, his eyes growing wide. "Now, there are thousands of them instead of one!"

Under the increased pressure, the shield shook violently and cracks ran across its surface. It buckled, and the orange light began to dim.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Saian roared. "IMPOSSIBLE! HOW CAN A MORTAL LIKE YOU POSSESS ENOUGH POWER TO HARM MY INFERNAL AEGIS?"

"Oh, I'm not going to just harm it," Dioningo yelled. "Like I said before, I'm going to destroy it entirely!"

He raised his right fist into the air and the sigil behind him collapsed around it, causing it to shine. He erupted into the air, flying higher than ever, ascending into the heavens like a beacon of pure light. Demon Lord Saian looked up at the Wolf-Dragon, and for the first time in millennia, felt the sensation of fear.

"Feel the power of real destruction! Feel the wrath of the sky unleashed upon you with all the force it can muster! Let's go!" Dioningo raised his glowing fist behind him and a tremendous pressure and energy built directly above Saian. The Demon Lord's eyes glowed in his helmet, and he gathered all of his power to reinforce the top of his shield.

"You said you were a god. Let's see if you live up to that statement. Block this: ULTIMATE MOVE: STORM GOD'S HAMMER!"

With a yell, he threw his fist down towards the Demon Lord. A massive blast of power erupted from the sky and crashed down, annihilating all of the rubble in its way, as well as the wreckage of the skyships. It smashed into the shield and engulfed the battlefield in pure light.

Saian screamed, his voice tearing across the sky. Inside the blast, the adventurers could see his shadow raising its arms to try and block the attack, but falter and fall away instead. Above him, the portal collapsed with a bang, cutting off the connection with the Region of Coals. Coils of electricity raced around, destroying everything they touched, but Lonnez had warned them ahead of time and they were well out of range. Even so, the shockwave created blew them back several feet and almost knocked the skyships over.

"Oh my god," Diana said, practically speechless. "And that's how you pull off an incredible spell."

"What a kid," Wind-Wing said from where he was flying. "He acts all impulsive and childish, and then he does something like this."

The blast finally ended, and the light faded from the battlefield. It had cleared away all of the smoke and fire, giving everyone a clear look, and the result left them even more flabbergasted.

The barrier was gone, disintegrated completely. The Demon Lord had an entire half of his body missing, the diamond on his chest now severely diminished. Nonetheless, he straightened himself and his eyes glowed with a terrible light. Pieces of rock began to flow together to rebuild his chest and arm, and he screamed.

"YOU MORTAL! FOR THAT, YOU SHALL DIE!!!"

Dioningo fell out of the sky, his power completely spent. He spiraled towards the ground, having no energy to even spread his wings to fly. His eye was back to its normal hazel and his scales no longer glowed with power, but he chuckled softly anyway.

"What did I tell you, Zero? It'd be fine in the end."

He closed his eyes, but opened them again when he crashed into a chest. Two arms held him tight and he looked up to see a stern face glaring back.

"Oh, hi Lonnez. Thanks for the help."

"Idiot! What were you planning to do? Fall to your death?"

Dioningo smiled. "Maybe. I don't think I've got anything left. I've created an opening; the rest is up to you and Wind-Wing now."

He closed his eyes again and fell asleep, exhausted. Lonnez snorted and flew him back up where he laid him gently on Diana's skyship.

"Good job, Dioningo. We will not waste it."

He stood up and unsheathed his daggers. Spreading his wings, he looked at Diana and growled, "Keep him safe," before leaping over the railing of the ship and heading back into battle.

The white lioness rolled her eyes in response and shook her head. "Of course I will. Honestly, what else would I do?"

Lonnez didn't hear as he flew towards the Demon Lord. Saian's body was almost completely restored and his flames raced through the sky again, their power slightly diminished, but still capable of destroying anything they touched.

"Adventurers, the Demon Lord is now vulnerable!" he shouted. "We must all strike to kill!"

The fighters roared and charged, spending every ounce of energy they had remaining.

"Now is your chance, Wind-Wing. Use it well."

The white dragon was currently flying behind one of the skyships to stay out of sight. Once Saian roared and began to attack the adventurers, he slipped out and headed straight towards the remains of the citadel.

"Once there, all you have to do is touch him, right?"

"Yes," Reyland answered. "And then, he can be defeated."

Wind-Wing nodded and took off, flying as fast as he could. Streaks of fire raced by as Saian focused all of his attention on his attackers. Wind dodged, gripping the Prince tightly as he spun and weaved, not daring to use his crystals for fear of discovery. Reyland coughed harder, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Hurry! I don't have much time!"

"WHAT IS THIS? WHAT IS THIS?!? YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO STOP ME AGAIN, CROWN PRINCE! YOU WILL DIE THIS TIME, AND I WILL BURN YOUR WORLD IN FIRE!"

"He spotted us!" Wind-Wing said as he felt Saian's burning gaze focus down on them.

"There must still be a fraction of the link remaining! He can sense me!"

The adventurers were startled and confused when the Demon Lord stopped attacking them and turned away, but Lonnez saw the small shape flying quickly far below. He growled and raised his voice.

"That white dragon must reach Saian! He must not be stopped or we will all die!"

The adventurers immediately jumped back into the fight, using every tool at their disposal to distract the Demon Lord. Saian roared, but didn't change his focus, instead sending off waves of fire and unleashing strikes of fire to blast Wind-Wing to pieces.

The mages managed to stop some of the attacks, but Wind-Wing was forced to use extreme evasive maneuvers and summon up crystals for additional protection. Letting out a triumphant cry, the Demon Lord raised his hand and built up a huge fireball.

Lonnez growled and shot forward past the leading force of adventurers. He crashed into the volcanic rock of the hand, ignoring the searing heat, and plunged his daggers repeatedly into the diamond at the center of the palm.

Saian smacked Lonnez away, sending him flying up into the sky. However, it was too late, as Wind-Wing took advantage of the moment to cover the last bit of distance between him and the Demon Lord. Crashlanding on the remains of the citadel, he picked himself up and ran the few meters to where Saian's body disappeared into the ground. Reyland reached up and pressed his hands against rocky skin.

"Thank you for this chance to right my mistakes," the Prince said as he began to shimmer. "Thank you for trusting me. It is nice to know that someone still can, even after all that has happened."

His form started to break apart, and dust began to fall off of his body.

"Maybe I have done right by my kingdom. Not much, but enough. Enough to perhaps, see my father once more as I breathe my final breath. And to tell him, that for all my failings, I have, in the end, done what I could to make him proud."

Reyland smiled and dissolved completely in Wind-Wing's arms, finally losing his hold on life. A soft wind picked up and gently blew his ashes away, off into the empty sky.

Saian screamed, the glow on his chest beginning flickering and rocks falling off of his body. Parts of his helmet collapsed, and one of his arms turned to dust.

"YOU CANNOT SEAL ME! YOU CANNOT STOP ME! I AM A DEMON LORD! I AM A FORCE OF INFINITY, CREATED TO DESTROY ALL THINGS IN ALL WORLDS!"

Before anyone could react, he let out a shockwave of heat that sent all of the adventurers, and Wind-Wing, flying back. As they regained their senses, they saw fire crackling around his body as he tried to reassemble his form.

"Someone hit him! We need one more attack to finish this for good!"

Mages fired off their spells, and the fighters drew their swords and charged, but repeated waves blew everything away. Saian yelled as his arm began to reform.

"THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN DESTROY ME! YOU ARE MORTALS, WEAK BEINGS FROM THIS PLANE, WHILE I AM AN EXISTENCE FAR BEYOND ANYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE!"

"You think that I cannot imagine Hell?!? Let me show you what it means to be a real demon!"

A streak shot down from the sky, aimed straight at Saian. It tore through the waves of fire the Demon Lord sent out with ease, and blasted towards him at lightning speeds. Saian roared and sent out storms of fire and lava. Lonnez snarled, beginning to get blown back by the stronger attacks.

"It looks like I was wrong about you," Wind-Wing said, looking up. He raised his head up and roared. "Go, Lonnez! Finish him!"

Crystal plates appeared to help block the storms.

"These shields. Wind-Wing..."

With their help, Lonnez tore through and continued on. Saian snarled and raised his remaining hand to smack him out of the sky. The adventures all sucked in a breath, and Wind-Wing clenched his jaw. There was no way for Lonnez to dodge with his current speed; their last hope would be blown away.

On one of the skyships, a tired Wolf-Dragon managed to crack open his eyes. "Heh," he smiled, seeing Lonnez's situation. "Looks like you need a little bit of help."

He lifted a hand and it sparkled with a tiny bit of lightning before flopping back to the deck. "You've got this, mate. Strike him down."

He collapsed back onto the floor, this time closing his eyes and falling unconscious, finally fully spent.

Up in the sky, Lonnez was roaring as he raced towards the gigantic hand, when he felt a surge of power run through his weapons. Looking down, he saw that they were beginning to crackle with the faint vestiges of lightning.

"Dioningo..."

He turned back to Saian and growled.

"This is the end!!!"

Wings squared, he shot forward. With a sound that echoed across the sky, Lonnez blasted straight through the Demon Lord's hand, causing it to explode in fiery rock and lava. The Demon Lord cried out frantically.

"NO! I AM THE LORD OF FIRE AND ASHES! I AM THE LORD OF COALS! I AM A DEMON LORD! I AM..."

"Finished!"

Saian screamed as Lonnez slammed the daggers into his chest. His form shuddered and seemed to blur before shattering into a thousand shards. These were sucked into the orange diamond, which then disappeared back to the Infernal Pit with a final scream.

Lonnez dropped to the remains of the citadel and looked up into the sky, smiling with a savage joy. Behind him, the adventurers cheered. The threat was gone. They had done it. The kingdom was finally safe.

The next day, the kingdom began repairs, with most of the adventurers pitching in. Wind-Wing, Lonnez, and Dioningo all met up in the main castle. Most of their wounds were healed, and Dio was fine after a simple rest. But now, they had something important to take care of.

"So, this is what Saian was after?" Wind-Wing asked dubiously, glancing down at the item in Dioningo's hand. "It looks like a ring."

"That's because it is a ring."

"And..?"

"This is classified magic," Dio answered, holding it up to the light and inspecting the sides. "I'm no Weird or Alchemist, but from what I can tell from these sigils it was designed to make a portal from our universe straight to the Infernal Pit. Anywhere, anytime, no magic or extra steps required."

"Why is that impressive?" Lonnez asked. "Saian could already do that."

"Yeah, but he was a Demon Lord. And, he could only make one to his unique plane, the Region of Coals. With this thing in their possession, any old demon could open up a portal to anywhere. And, it would be bigger. MUCH bigger. Using this, maybe even one of the Four Demon Kings could come through! And just that possibility alone means that it's dangerous, let alone the other stuff."

"So, what will you do with it?"

"I've already gotten the royal mages to let me take it back to the Dragon Realms for protection. There, it'll be safe. Speaking of which, Zero, open up a return portal please. I'd like this thing out of my possession as soon as possible." He put the ring away in his satchel and looked up at his two companions. "For what it's worth, thanks for working with me. I couldn't have done it without you guys."

Wind-Wing sighed. "Well, now you're making me sad. And that's a bit annoying." He smiled. "But the same to you."

Lonnez nodded in agreement. "Thank you."

Dioningo smiled back, then frowned and began muttering to Zero. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Super sappy, ugh, ugh. Look, I'll make sure to charge you up to full and maybe give you a few upgrades. How does that sound? No? Well, put yourself in sleep mode then!"

Lonnez lifted an eyebrow, but Wind-Wing just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"So, will we see you sometime in the near future?"

"I'm not sure," Dioningo said as he thought about it. "I'm working on my own project right now, and this issue will take up a massive amount of time anyway."

A bright circle formed beneath his feet as the portal formed. He didn't notice and kept contemplating.

"Knowing Strike, he'll freak out and command me to find out who made the ring in the first place and how it got here. But then, the reaction might be a lot bigger than that. Heck, Cyrosis himself might even get involved!"

Wind-Wing raised an eyebrow. "I know who Strike is, but who's Cyrosis?"

Dioningo looked shocked. "Really, you don't know? Well, he's..."

The portal activated and he vanished before he could finish his sentence. Wind-Wing rolled his eyes again.

"Typical Dioningo. Well, it can't be that important. I'm sure he'll have plenty to tell us the next time we see him."

He turned back to see Lonnez staring at him with a conflicted expression. They stood apart silently for a few moments, the room empty, before Wind-Wing sighed.

"This is hard for me to admit, but I... I was wrong about you. And I'm sorry."

Lonnez couldn't believe he had heard correctly. "What?"

"All that stuff before, it didn't matter then, and it still doesn't now. You had multiple opportunities to betray us, and yet you still kept fighting and even landed the final blow on the Demon Lord. I was suspicious for nothing, which was rude to you and almost hurt the mission. And for that, I'm sorry."

The being stood there for a few more moments, his silver marking glowing softly, before grunting.

"It's fine."

"Thank you. By the way, did you know that your eyes are back to normal?"

"My eyes?"

"Yes, they were half-silver after you were possessed, but now they're back to normal."

Lonnez just stared in confusion and shrugged.

Wind-Wing gave a chuckle. "I guess it's another mystery that doesn't really matter. So, that's it then. Maybe I'll see you again in the future?"

"Maybe."

Lonnez watched Wind-Wing begin to walk away. However, the white dragon suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"You know, I was thinking about stopping by a tavern before I left. Care to join me? I know a place that serves some great meals."

Lonnez blinked his eyes. "I... don't drink."

"Neither do I. And turns out, neither does Dio. He's too young." Wind-Wing grinned. "With his attitude, who would have guessed? So, what do you say?"

Lonnez blinked once more, considering. Then, he relaxed and smiled.

"Sure, why not."