Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihon-koku Shoukan, as they belong to their rightful owners.

Arc 2: A City, A Diplomacy, A Dragon

Noble City XI: The Last Hour Part 4

"As every minute went by the level of the situation had worsened. When all things are about to an end, there will always be an intense battle for the fate of one's everything."

-New World Journal

Even though the silence was prevalent for most of the part, the fear was still there.

It felt as if the whole environment were to shake at any given moment.

The thunderous roars echoed and were also heard in the chapel.

At this rate, the refugees and their families should be taking cover or finding their own spaces to hide. Yet this time, it was very different.

The people inside the chapel...They stayed and kept praying.

Mari found herself mesmerized by the scene as she couldn't do anything other than observe them at the moment.

"Please inform everyone to be prepared."

She received the orders alongside her fellow recon member.

The reports were true and unfortunately, they had to find another safe place to avoid another possible aftershock from ground zero.

She has to convince them of the dangers yet there is this strange feeling of calmness that envelopes the atmosphere.

"They don't really wanna go." Nishina had remarked, halting what he was doing.

The young woman glanced at him." What did they say?"

"What was their reason?"

The latter groaned. "Pretty much the same thing." He stated. "And they don't want to stop with their prayers." He continued, seemingly giving up for a time.

He tried his best to convince them and to an extent...just some of them.

However, even the smallest numbers just refused to do so and that left the two bewildered.

"They believed in this so much that they think those Emissaries or whatever call you them would appear to save the day," Nishina remarked again.

Mari didn't respond but she took a small nod and made a move.

There was a little girl who took notice of them as she gave her attention to the two recon members, particularly, the older woman.

She had no choice but to keep asking.

"Uhm...Little girl...If it's okay I may ask..." Mari said." How important are these Emissaries? Why do you think praying would summon them?"

Silence took over for a brief moment.

The little girl smiled.

"Because they are real.." She simply explained." Even though many consider them as a fairy tale, my great ancestors personally witnessed them and they are the ones that saved the land from the bad people."

"Do you think they will appear at this time of the hour?" Nishina asked.

The girl nodded, confidently." Yes! Prayer is the only thing that could summon them." She said, while glancing at the rest of the people in the church, before turning towards them.

"If we stop our prayers, then the Sun God won't hear our pleas."

The two remained silent as the rest of the people continued to voice out their thoughts.

"That's what our ancestors had done before."

Then Nishina stepped up again.

"If you say that they are real..then how are they going to appear?" He asked, trying to get to the bottom of this.

The little girl looked up as she smiled with hope." The heavens will open up and a grand sound of a trumpet will be heard!"

The rest of the praying crowd looked up and all agreed.

Both Mari and Nishina were placed in a position where they couldn't fully fulfill the orders given to them yet they still were able to wonder if a myth that had no concrete evidence or backing would save the day.

By then...The crowd continued with their way of solving the problem...

Faith.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The situation in the mansion was similar, yet it contained more uncertainty as the tension rose further.

There were indeed reports of the chaos and destruction that had ravaged a certain district in the city, which had begun to spread.

In what way? No one knew the exact answer for now.

Yet, everyone could sense the increasing tension in the air.

In the end, all the major decisions were to go to Sgt. Kuwahara.

The older man was in a position that he subtly disliked but had to face no matter what.

Almost as if he was taking the role of a general.

He stood there in front of a lone table surrounded by members of the recon team, and beside him was the fellow wealthy noble himself in Ernest, who had brought them in his estate out from danger.

On the table laid a small radio communications equipment, and beside it was a certain map that consisted of detailed drawings of the city streets which covered the small walled community and the outside districts.

He moved around the map, apparently finding a safer path or area that had not been marked as a danger zone. So far half of the map had been marked as not suited for a temporary settlement and the rest were still unsure.

He looked around once more and saw a couple of recon members in the form of Private Wataru and Sergeant Azuma trying their best to contact the base despite the choppy signals.

Moreover, the silent chaos surrounding him and for his part...everything was a blur at the moment, and yet the voices around were forcing him to enter his ears.

"Are you getting the signal?"

"Not yet, though, voices are coming out but not clear."

"What are we going to do at this rate?"

"If what they say is true...Some giant monsters are destroying buildings and unleashing fires then...I don't think we can get out of this place."

A small sweat fell from the old man's cheeks.

To opportunity to believe everything has arrived yet he had the choice to believe what the truth is.

He had the responsibility to protect more than a hundred lives in the form of these poor refugees and displaced immigrants. It was not an easy task to do.

So far he had two options...

Stay here or find another place to hide from the conflict.

As he was about to speak as he assumed that everyone was waiting for his final decision, he was suddenly cut off from entering the rest of a conversation which was now turning into a debate when the Nobleman himself stepped up.

"Please will you listen to me for a moment."

"If a safer hiding place is all that you're looking for then allow me to share with you a hidden passageway that leads into the depths of another humble abode."

He halted everyone from speaking and he got all of their attention.

Sgt. Kuwahara raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

The Nobleman simply but confidently smiled.

"Let's just say I built a hidden place deep under this mansion...No, This whole estate to begin with."

Everyone was going into a state of amazement but not until Sergeant Azuma raised a hand.

"You mean an underground shelter?" He remarked while the Nobleman's eyes lit up.

He nodded." Something like that...and I apologize that I didn't inform you all earlier."

The question came in.

"Can this shelter accommodate this many?"

Ernest continued to smile." Of course! I would say all of us." He then added." The hidden passage is in the library."

"But what about the rest of the people in the chapel?" Wataru wondered aloud." We have to get them all over here."

The Nobleman casually smiled again." You do not have to worry young man, for there is another hidden passage inside the chapel itself... Particularly the behind the big altar.."

Now everyone was slowly getting impressed as this man knew all the secrets here.

Sgt. Kuwahara sighed in relief, able to get passed of his worries.

The Nobleman gave a wink as he was about to encourage everyone when he was suddenly cut off by another event that had unexpectedly entered the scene.

Everyone was startled when they heard a deafening explosion followed by the ground shaking for a bit.

"What the heck was that!?"

Soon the walkies came to life and Recon members from the different designated spots around the estate spoke through.

"Sir, we might have a bit of trouble here."

"You're not gonna believe this sir but It's best you opened up the curtains."

Sergeant Kuwahara and his team were in a state of high alert as they moved swiftly towards the nearest window, their hearts beating fast with anticipation. The window was covered with dusty curtains that had not been moved for a long time. The sergeant took a deep breath and slowly pulled the curtains aside, revealing a scene that left them all stunned. What they saw outside was something completely unexpected, something that they had never seen before and could not have possibly imagined.

Through the vast open fields of the estate, A massive crater had formed, its edges jagged and rough, as if ripped apart by a force beyond my understanding. But what truly caught their eyes was the sight of a colossal ball of boulder perched at the center of the crater, its surface alight with flames that flickered and danced in a chaotic, hypnotic rhythm. It was an awe-inspiring sight, one that left them both mesmerized and terrified.

As they lifted their gaze towards the heavens, their eyes widened in horror. The once clear blue sky was now obscured by thick, ominous clouds that seemed to resemble the very gates of hell. Panic set in as they watched in disbelief as massive pieces of fiery debris began plummeting down toward the city, raining destruction upon everything in their path.

XXXXXXXXXXX

It was an event that everyone had to face.

The first sign came in to knock everybody into reality once again as a large flaming ball of debris landed and slammed onto a big shophouse, taking half of its foundation in an instant.

Not long later, another one landed on a street that was once part of a large pedestrian market, causing flames to envelop the entire area through awnings from which the fire spread.

The area in which this deadly debris had landed turned out to be just near the Western Gates.

What was thought to be a hopeful way of escaping from the destruction suddenly became a nerve-wracking and life-threatening experience.

As soon as thunderous sounds were heard and site of numerous structures on fire, the people had given in to panic once again.

"They're coming! The monsters are coming!" One shouted amongst the scattered crowds.

Many were starting to believe that it was the work of the terrifying beast that was supposedly still roaming free in the city.

From where a certain chef and his friends were currently located, the panic had spread and the people were thrown into a struggle of decisions.

The old geezer rubbed his slightly wrinkled forehead as he did not like what the situation had done to his humanitarian effort to help those who were struggling.

The children who were enjoying the meals provided by the stand began to cry while their mothers tried to comfort them as best as they could.

The staff of the Lonely Lamb were also struggling to control the people which at first formed long lines before dispersing due to the chaos.

"Please calm down, It's not good to panic."A feline staff member worriedly said as she whined." And you're making me panic too!"

"Where are the guards?" Anna, who was beside the chef, was the first to wonder.

Where were the people in charge of keeping peace and order?

Then everyone soon realized that the danger was not far away.

Gordon Ramsay took off his apron as he headed towards a particular location where he suddenly sensed the tension.

"Keep things under control here."He told the rest.

It did not take long enough as he soon found himself walking through the street as many civilians were running past him and some accidentally shoved him.

The closer he got the more heat started to feel and by the time he reached his destination, he came face to face with a scene he had anticipated.

It was a market street that had now been engulfed by the flames caused by a giant ball of debris that had crashed and destroyed a shophouse.

The problem was that the flames were spreading quickly.

"Stand back!"

As the chef scanned his surroundings in a state of panic, he suddenly heard a voice calling out to him. He quickly turned his head to see several individuals dressed in distinct uniforms, who he soon realized were part of the district's small Constable division stationed in the area. In their hands, they held water runes, which they promptly activated. The runes emitted a surge of water, which collided with the flames and effectively subdued them.

It was a clash for struggle as it seemed the flames had taken a life of its own and were resisting the waters, though the men and women fought bravely.

Gordon Ramsay then turned his attention towards the rest of the streets as he was still greeted by more chaos.

What was he going to do now?

He and the rest of his crew had made a promise that they would try their best to help.

Amid that something caught his eye as in the middle of the chaotic streets a little girl found herself wandering and looking for someone.

She was indeed in tears and upon closer inspection the blonde man realized the little girl herself was lost.

Upon seeing the small scene, his mind reacted and a forgotten memory flashed before his eyes.

It took him to a familiar world...a world vastly different from this.

A certain image of himself nearly losing his life to save a little girl from an oncoming vehicle.

"Tilly!" He recalled that moment.

An act of desperation but a wise decision for a loving father.

Gordon came back to his senses as he then saw a horse-driven cart heading in the little girl's direction.

Recklessly and out of control.

The blonde man sprang up into action as he dashed his way towards the little girl, who turned just in time to see the moving cart heading straight for her. She froze in surprise as a response.

Gordon's heart raced as he sprinted towards the little girl, who was only a few feet away from a galloping horse. His muscles burned as he pushed himself to move faster, and with a burst of adrenaline, he reached her just in time. Without hesitation, he scooped her up in his arms and pulled her to safety, narrowly avoiding a tragedy.

It was faster than he had expected though it became a relief afterwards as the blonde geezer embraced the little girl.

"I'm glad you are alright, Darling." He remarked, smiling for the first time, much to the little girl's confusion as she continued to stare at him.

"Now, where are you're fucking parents." Gordon wondered aloud as he looked around his surroundings.

There was still chaos everywhere though in the midst of that...familiar wolf man had arrived at the scene.

"Chief!"

"Boris?"

The man couldn't believe it at the moment, though quickly realized that there were a couple of Demi-Human staff who went along to search for him.

"Chief, where in God's name have you been?" The wolfman worriedly asked." And what are you doing?"

Gordon slightly frowned." What does it look like?" He replied." Of course, I just saved a little girl's life, you dimwit!"

Boris and two Demi-Human staff blinked in confusion, though the wolf man himself shook his head and quickly got straight to the point.

"We need to get out of here sire." He told the man." Ms. Anna and the rest are already packing things up as we speak."

It was a news that he couldn't accept.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" He replied furiously." No! We are not leaving until we help this person and wait for Selina!"

Boris took a deep breath.

"Sir, you don't understand." He said, before adding." Something bad is about to happen.."

"I can sense it"

"Most of us can!"

He was referring to his kind, the Demi-Humans.

The old geezer was puzzled and before he could speak again, he suddenly felt the change in atmosphere.

As if everything went silent at once.

Soon he felt trembling on the ground and some people who were still fleeing halted in their tracks as they were encouraged to look toward the sky.

A giant shadow cast upon the area as most of everyone gaped in awe which quickly turned into horrified expressions.

From the skies itself was a massive ball of flaming debris heading straight to the area where the Western Gates hailed.

It took no longer than a second when someone yelled out" Run!" and the chaos continued.

Boris was the first one to snap back.

"Chief, we have to get out of here!" He told the older man.

Yet, he wasn't even reacting to his words and instead handed the lost little girl to him.

"Even if we tried to leave, we're still going to get fucked by that ball of flaming shit." He simply said as he turned his attention towards the sky.

It didn't take long enough for the wolfman to realize what he was going to do.

"Chief, you are serious about this?" He inquired, still in disbelief.

As usual, he was greeted by that signature Gordon Ramsay stare, indicating that he was serious about taking this specific action.

Boris straightened up and slightly bowed his head before saying." Yes, Chef!"

He then gently took the little girl by his side and left with the rest to find her parents.

By then disaster was approaching fast.

The intense heat could be felt around the area and the people were all terrified.

"God may have mercy on us!" A lady said aloud as she had no choice but to kneel and pray.

They were all going to be perish.

However, in the midst of that, a blonde man leaped through a rooftop of an abandoned establishment as he stood and watched the debris heading towards him.

Gordon Ramsay did not let fear take him over and instead, he raised his hand and summoned the weapon he had possessed for a long time.

"Luna, I need you on this." He muttered to himself as the giant knife-shaped blade manifested once again.

The blade itself glowed brighter indicating that it was gathering magical strength.

To be frank it was only 10 seconds before impact that a powerful golden energy radiated around Gordon Ramsay, he glanced giant flaming ball of debris as he wasted no time and leaped once again towards the target itself.

Back in the streets, the people noticed a lone figure that launched itself from a certain rooftop.

Boris and the rest of the crew watched as their boss confronted disaster by himself.

The little girl too pointed towards him.

"I see him!"

"Isn't that the Great Ramsay?"

Soon people began to notice.

At first, the wolfman felt worried though, he realized how the blonde geezer himself was a master of unpredictability.

As a Wolf Demi-Human, he could sense people's auras, particularly those who could use powerful magic, and as he looked up at the sky, he noticed the old man's golden aura gradually turning white.

Back at the main spot, Gordon Ramsay had finally summoned a kind of magic that he had not used since battling the beast from the depths of the inferno.

Soon he was engulfed by this white aura that came from the weapon itself. The human silhouette was gone replaced by just this white mass. Moments later, the white mass itself formed a hand that made a pointing gesture.

By then, a familiar voice was heard that yelled out.

"Fucking Frozen!"

The white hand-like mass then touched the ball of flaming debris with its index finger, and as a result, a portion of the fire faded away and it was replaced by ice. In less than a minute, it rapidly spread across the humongous ball until all the flames were eradicated and the giant ball of flaming debris had been transformed into a ball of ice.

As Gordon Ramsay emerged once more, he seemed to defy gravity, his body floating in the air as he readied his sword. With a swift and powerful stroke, he slashed the massive object before him, leaving a deep mark that seemed to crackle with energy. The force of the blow caused the giant ball to shudder and shake, bits and pieces falling away as it slowly disintegrated into what looked like snow. It was a breathtaking sight and one that left those watching in awe of Ramsay's power and skill.

Back on the ground, the people erupted in cheers and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Praise the Gods! They'd never abandoned us!"

One from the crowd remarked.

The cheers kept pouring in.

Boris was shaking his head though he gave a very proud smile to his boss.

Most people were unaware that it was the work of a certain fiery chef of the Orient that saved the lives of hundreds though the man himself wasn't even that surprised by the reactions he had caused.

Oh for fuck sake people...I just saved your lives and now you're all acting like nothing has happened."

In the meantime, the Western District was spared from destruction yet again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nobody had expected that this would be the course of action that she had taken.

Even the man was taken by surprise.

Yes, there was blood that stained his weapon, and the fact that he managed to strike the girl but not in his way of doing.

Thus that action invokes a memory from a long-forgotten time.

"Pina...I-" He tried to say something but as soon as he relayed his words, he felt something that pierced his chest.

His body froze as his eyes widened.

Erikus slowly looked down as he began to realize what had happened.

It turned out that the latter had the final say.

He didn't realize that the girl was able to grab him at the last moment when he was still unaware and used her blade to make her move. Specifically by piercing his chest as well.

Pina was in tears the whole time she had taken the action.

Her hand was still shaking as if all those moments that she was hesitant to do so.

"I-I'm sorry..." Pina struggled to speak and she slowly looked up to meet her former friend and mentor's eyes.

By then Erikus had let his guard down. A part of himself resurfaced once again as his dark self was struck, and realizing that what he wanted for a long time was finally given to him.

His lips curled into a small smile.

"Thank you..." He muttered.

At that moment, Mera was putting up a fierce fight against the wyvern, holding her ground with all her might. As she struggled, Pina felt the weight of exhaustion creeping up on her once more. With a great effort, she pulled her weapon out of the man's chest and tried to steady herself in mid-air. But alas, her strength gave out and she plummeted down to the ground, helpless and vulnerable.

As she descended through the clouds, tears streaking down her face, she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Though her descent was tumultuous, she knew that she had made the right choice.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Hamilton had felt it.

A wave of emotion overwhelmed her as she finally reached her destination.

She halted her horse's tracks as she surveyed her surroundings.

"Please be alright... Please be alright."

Her lips were trembling as she prayed for her friend's well-being.

The path had gotten treacherous.

It was only ruins that she could see and continuous destruction that came upon.

The wind grew stronger as if it was going to form into a whirling tornado.

Pieces rocks and dust were in the air, and dark smoke enveloped the area as it tried to cloud her vision. Her strong sense remained and she could feel her friend's presence near.

She looked up towards the skies as she tried to locate her.

Something bad had happened and she didn't know the exact cause.

By then, she could hear the cry of an eagle, followed by the silhouette of a redhead.

Hamilton braced herself as in a few moments, her friend would land in the same spot which she was currently at.

It became quicker than she had expected as in the blink of an eye, Pina's unconscious body emerged from the blurry skies, she raised her hands thinking that she could withstand the weight, and she tried not to close her eyes this time around.

Although much to her surprise Mera was able to arrive in time and with one single claw the griffin was able to catch Pina before she could collide with the brown haired young lady.

"Your Highness!" Hamilton exclaimed, startled that she hadn't fully landed on her.

"Mera!" She called out to her friend's companion as the latter landed the girl safely on the ground.

The griffin was exhausted as she landed on the ground, not wanting to fly anymore.

Hamilton rushed towards them and gave the griffin a small hug before attending to the redhead.

"Oh by the Gods! You are alright." Hamilton was in tears of joy to know they were safe.

She then turned towards the griffin and asked.

"What has happened up there? Was that a dragon?"

The griffin could only make a small noise as she beckoned the girl to look up and observe.

By then... thunderous roars could be heard across the skies itself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was at the same time that multiple tornadoes had formed in the battleground.

The once peaceful skies now posed a significant threat, mirroring the dangers of the treacherous ground below.

The nearer they got to the source, the more obstacles they had to face.

"Look out!" Yuji yelled out, pointing toward a flying piece of debris that was headed in their direction.

Parna commanded Little Foot in a nick of time as they barely even evaded it.

A quick sigh of relief for the writer, who had not experienced this kind of situation before. However, he had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last.

They were going upwards as the white crystal was glowing at full brightness as if it was being triggered by a force.

Both of them didn't fully know of the artifact's true capabilities but for the writer himself, he was confident that light could defeat the darkness.

"Anything from the back?" Parna had asked, referring to potential enemies pursuing them.

Yuji's neck had been hurting from the turning many times but he had to act as the eyes on their back. Even on both their sides he had to observe.

That's how dangerous the situation that they were in.

In a very surprising turn of events...Everything was going smoothly so far.

There were no enemies to face at the moment.

Then made a certain someone to clear her doubts for the short time being.

"So what made you think of the idea that this crystal can destroy the monster?" Parna had asked.

Yuji, a bit surprised by her question thought about it for a moment.

"Well, it may sound ridiculous but I think this crystal keeps reacting whenever there is negative energy or magic like you guys call it." He explained."

Parna blinked." You mean by that this thing eliminates any bad energy which crossed its path?" She replied.

Yuji slowly nodded. "Something like that," he replied, looking at the artifact. "And I know that this one represents Light itself." He then continued, "And whatever black crystal is attached to that monster's chest...it is still considered a part of darkness."

Then slowly, the young bunny woman was able to understand.

"I see...so you're going to destroy and make both Crystal's clash to the point they are both destroyed." Parna had guessed.

A brief moment of silence went by.

A small forced smile came out from the man." It sounds ridiculous...I know...and it's the only wildest logical thing I could think of...knowing that this is another world."

Parna smirked." Sounds good!" She simply said." Let's do it.."

"Really?"

She nodded." Let's just say destroying these crystals would make everyone's life easier." She explained her side." All this conflict between Good and Evil...It's just a waste of time."

Yuji couldn't believe that she would say something like that. From what he had learned her background was pretty much obvious.

"I served two masters who don't even bother on making things better for everyone." She further added, letting out a sign of shame for herself.

"It would be better if there were no more conflicts such as this."

When she first saw the man and his entourage, she had second thoughts about whether they were from this world. The fact that one of the Great Apostles is by their side confirms her suspicions that in some way, the so-called prophecy was taking place.

And that made her wonder even more.

"Maybe the situation in their world is better."

No legendary artifacts that determined the fate of a place.

No persecution.

And a hope for everyone.

Yuji understood what the young woman was trying to say as he was well aware that this world was vastly different than his.

As he was about to speak, a sudden burst of shock wave came from above as it attempted to put them out of balance.

"Hang on tight!" Parna exclaimed, and while Little Foot knew what to do he used his agility and speed to avoid the abnormal waves.

The higher they get...the more tougher it is for them to reach the source.

Then from a distance, the young writer had spotted a wide yellowish glowing light.

"I see something!" He replied, pointing in that certain direction." That may be it." He added.

It would soon finally take shape.

They entered this passage made of clouds as if they were inside a huge tunnel and at was the light.

The light had gotten bigger than what they had expected as they got closer. In addition, they could smell what was described as the burning flesh of a creature.

Then there it was...The light itself which died down a black crystal in the middle of an open wound could be seen sticking out.

As they approached their main target, the chest of the dragon loomed before them like a treacherous landscape. The air was thick with black ooze and hot smoke, obscuring their vision and making it difficult to breathe. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, they forged ahead, heartened by the knowledge that they were drawing closer to their goal.

"So how are we going to destroy it?" Parna had inquired.

Yuji gave a confident smile as he drew out the white crystal, which was now glowing brightly.

"If you still have those explosive runes from before then we can combine it with this and throw it there at the same time." The writer explained.

Parna, in turn, drew out not runes but a couple of red materia." I ran out of them...though I still got these...They can explode but with flames." She smirked.

"Good idea." Yuji smiled back.

As the two prepared and were about to throw all the items on the source, something happened that prevented them from doing their objective.

As the creature's hide split open, a sinewy, shadowy form slithered out, resembling a serpent with the head of a ferocious dragon.

"Shit, Parna you gotta move!" Yuji yelled out.

The bunny warrior woman was startled, yet was able to act quickly and maneuvered Little Foot to escape in a nick of time before the new monster could swallow them whole.

Though, it was not over yet as the serpentine monster began to chase them around, as a means to prevent them from fulfilling their goal.

"Damn!" Parna subtly swore as she often hated these kinds of moments.

They were almost there...finally ending this madness yet for some reason it was a message to them that the battle was not going to be over yet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The battle kept raging on.

In a surprising twist of reveals that the flame dragon was even gaining more advantage...enough to subtly incapacitate the enemy beast's movements.

Trapped within a fiery circle, the creature had no chance of escaping to the neighboring districts. The red dragon, sensing an opportunity, swiftly seized the beast by its neck and summoned magical flames to hold it down. The flames were so intense that they seemed to merge with the very earth beneath them. Despite its best efforts, the creature could not break free from the dragon's grasp or the burning ring that held it captive.

This was her greatest opportunity.

Both her arms had locked the latter's head and she further unleashed more strength to crush every single flesh and bone.

The dark dragon struggled for control, as its claws tried to reach its enemy, but remained still throughout.

It seemed as if her foe was losing the advantage when It appeared that most of its body had put down its guard.

However, as she was close to finishing her move, something emerged from the belly of the dark dragon in the form of a certain serpentine creature that was attached to the skin.

It moved smoothly and bit the flame dragon's neck which caused her to roar in pain.

Subsequently, more serpentine-like heads started emerging from the skin of the beast. This time in little sizes to bite the rest of the flame dragon's body.

The dark dragon began to laugh as a result it began to take more power away from the latter.

Soon it grabbed the red dragon by the head and smashed her to the ground this time ultimately causing another shockwave.

The tables have turned once again.

In the blink of an eye, it was now the dark dragon that had the upper hand.

It laughed again as this time, the beast would not waste any time and went direct to finally eliminate its enemy. Its arm and claws morphed once again to form a blade and soon it was just seconds away from stabbing the red dragon's neck...

Until the unexpected happened once again.

A powerful burst of energy suddenly came from behind and bright light which then gradually manifested into a humongous triangle-shaped-like essence.

As if out of nowhere, a mysterious figure materialized, and the dark dragon's unwavering focus was broken. Without warning, a pitch-black void opened up in the very heart of the essence, unleashing a powerful spell that left the dragon reeling in confusion.

Powerful winds would soon engulf the entire area and the said wind began to forcibly pull the the dark dragon towards it.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

In an act of courage, it was a spell that was considered forbidden to use as just how many deemed it to be life-risking.

Many had tried and many had perished as a result.

For a certain blue-haired teen, it was going to be a sacrifice or everyone would have the chance to meet death today.

It was in an abandoned open plaza where the magic had originated from.

Against all odds, she managed to arrange the required scrolls with precision and care, creating a mystical atmosphere with several flickering candles placed strategically around a large, circular symbol that had been carefully drawn onto the floor with chalk. It was a breathtaking sight and one that seemed to hint at something extraordinary and otherworldly taking place.

Despite the chaos which was happening around...she was able to remain undetected throughout.

She stood there being the commander-in-chief of the powerful magic which she had cast.

"Kuroana" as the old archmages called it.

As I gazed upon her, it appeared as though she was enveloped by the very essence of the divine planes. However, I knew all too well that this was no ordinary feat, as it required immense strength and mastery of the powers only a few renowned individuals could wield.

"She is indeed a prodigy." The Duke had remarked as he observed from his carriage.

Both of her hands were raised to keep the magic from going, and if she would ever place both down, then the magic would fade away.

She had to stay still no matter what.

For this, she believed this spell would finally bring an end to the destruction.

She observed the scenario as the giant magical triangular was trying to suck the enemy dragon inside to whatever dark void it possessed. She noticed how the skin of the beast was starting to peel and being sucked into the void, especially in the chest where the weak point was finally exposed.

However, in a subtle sign, she heard a faint distorted deep voice that whispered into her ear.

"You will never succeed." The voice had said.

By then, from the rooftops of empty shophouses in front of her emerged a dark shadow dragon that leaped from it and headed towards her.

It was a heart-pounding moment as she stood frozen, staring at the menacing creature inching closer to her. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, an explosion shattered the air and she watched in amazement as the enemy was obliterated into countless pieces.

It was the familiar firepower of the Men in Green as they displayed their way of dealing with the enemies.

Besides, the small forcefield that surrounded her spot, there was more to that certain defense.

As more of the dark shadow dragons emerged as a last-ditch effort to prevent the spell, the teenage mage's friends and allies continued to defend her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hopefully, this would be part of the final stage."

It was Kurata's remarks echoed through the battlefield as somehow it reminded everyone that they have to stay on guard from now on.

There was indeed a formation that they took before the commencement of the plan.

With Lelei taking more of the spotlight that attracted potential enemies, the rest of the recon team which consisted of Team Shino and Team Hitoshi acted as a hidden offense where they could have the freedom to attack the enemy without getting close to it.

The second group of Hitoshi and Tomita, have fully established their positions in the same LAV that saved their lives during the Coda Village incident, with the same M2 Browning brought to life once more. While Selina stayed mostly on the grounds near them, armed with small blades, she fought the dark shadow dragons that approached their area.

"This is freaking enjoyable!" Selina exclaimed, having a great time slaying dark beasts who wanted to rip them apart, much to the cringe reactions from the two recon members.

Shino, Kurata, and Higashi, in the first line of defense, were one of the main offensive forces that took out creatures via their rifles.

Finally, at the rear end of the procession and strategically placed in the most secure location was the cart driven by the majestic Chocobo, where the remaining children were accommodated. The Duke's carriage as well as a powerful spell shielded the cart, ensuring the utmost safety and protection for the young passengers.

It was that a certain recovered female knight was tasked to guard them all, being provided with the weapons she had needed, specifically a crossbow.

Ine had the best position as for now, she could only do was to observe the ongoing situation, and much to her amazement that this group acted as if they had faced many battles for a very long time.

A kind of battle that no knight or soldier could have possibly faced.

Meanwhile, as the battle continued to rage on. The enemy showed no signs of stopping their onslaught, especially without a care of trying to reach their target despite the firepower that had been shooting them down.

Tuka was in a similar situation as her friend.

She was beside her, protecting her from the dark creatures that attempted to take her down.

Over time, she had developed an unwavering sense of loyalty towards her friend without even realizing it.

The elf girl was armed with her bow and the large supply of arrows that the humble merchant had provided for her.

For the first time, she was able to go all out on her firing range, blasting arrows encrusted with magical charms and enchantments that helped her defeat and take down as many enemy-corrupted dragons as possible.

Each of the dragons she had fired an arrow with, had their heads explode into bits.

When she found herself in the possibility of getting overwhelmed, the recon team would go the extra mile and assist her with the firepower.

Though everyone was giving their full effort, the enemy was able to match it up, despite the growing body count.

"Don't worry guys! This is the final stage! We can make it!"

Kurata shouted once more sharing trivia that only the man could have known, much to Shino's annoyance.

"Kurata just fucking focus on the firing will ya!?" The young woman exclaimed.

The latter chuckled in response.

"I can't help myself! I could just feel it!"

"The experience, Shino-san!"

Indeed, his excitement was getting the best of him. Amongst all of them, he had a more positive mindset. Like an Otaku, he was living the dream of fighting dragons in a fantasy world.

Shino could only groan as a response.

It was all the fun until the dragons themselves were replaced by even bigger and stronger ones.

"Guys! Big one on the left!"

Higashi exclaimed as most attention shifted toward the left area of the plaza.

Amidst the swarm of dark shadow dragons, a gargantuan-sized dragon with humanoid characteristics had surfaced, towering over the others with its immense size and distinct features.

It stood there as if it was superior to all of them.

When the Otaku soldier noticed it, he widened his eyes in shock.

"Please don't tell me this is another boss battle within a boss battle!"

The humanoid hulk-like dragon roared throughout the area catching the rest of their attention.

With effortless agility, it traversed the city's rooftops in a blur of motion, closing the distance between itself and the plaza below. As it touched down upon the ground, the impact was so forceful that several dark dragons unfortunate enough to be in its path were crushed under its weight.

It let out a smirk as it confidently charged towards Lelei, aware of its main objective to elimate her.

It charged like a bull as the smaller dragons were tossed away like fodder and eventually reached the barrier.

It gave the barrier a strike which caused immediate cracks on it.

Lelei widened her eyes as her other hand cast a temporary spell. However, the beast was much faster and finally broke a portion of the barrier.

As the intense battle raged on, Tomita made a daring move and aimed his weapon towards the towering shadow beast. The Men in Green followed his lead, unleashing a barrage of bullets that rained down on the beast. Despite the onslaught, the creature emerged from the shower of gunfire seemingly unfazed, as if it was invincible. It was a thrilling and heart-pumping moment that left everyone on the edge.

"Dammit, this thing is tougher than I thought!" The man exclaimed.

Alas, an important part of the defense has been broken down.

Despite the energy drain that she was starting to feel, Lelei ignored the urge to call for assistance as it was also too late to do so. As fast as she could, she proceeded to utter phrases to cast a spell just as the humanoid dragon-like beast was about to reach her.

However, in the nick of time, The elf girl quickly came to her aid.

Tuka, with her bow in hand, carefully aimed and fired an arrow towards the beast. The arrow hit the beast right on the forehead, producing a sudden burst of lightning magic that illuminated the surroundings. The beast roared in pain and frustration, but Tuka was quick to react. She leaped forward and landed on the beast's back, her feet firmly planted on its thick skin. The beast tried to shake her off, but Tuka held on tight, determined to take it down.

She drew out two arrows and fired them at the same time, piercing the enemy on the skull which caused it to go wildly and direct its attention towards her.

Meanwhile, as the beast pursued the elf girl, Tomita realized that he had to switch gears.

"Dammit, we're gonna need more firepower to take this bastard out." He remarked loud enough for one of his fellow members to hear.

"That thing does have a big health span." Kurata then shared his knowledge once again." I mean...with that kind of appearance, it's gonna be harder to kill!"

The man sighed as he moved his around." I can't waste time." He told himself." I have to find a way." He added.

Then in that very moment, he finally realized something as he turned his attention towards a certain long metallic box at the back of the LAV.

His widened in realization.

"Where the heck are you going?" Hitoshi had asked.

Tomita turned towards his recon partner with a smirk.

"I am about to show this asshole what Panzerfaust means."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ground shook every time the creature would attempt to smash the elf girl, who turned out to be an annoying pest to its eyes.

The grounds of the plaza were already filled with multiple craters as a result.

For Tuka, it was a fast-paced fight as she didn't even get to have a proper time to recuperate.

"Get back here!"

She could hear the curses of the beast, its frustration, indicating that she was quite successful in getting its attention away from attacking her blue-haired friend.

The only problem to which she had to find a way or an opening to strike back.

Tuka had moved her eyes during this moment, looking for an opportunity, which she eventually did.

Her vision stopped at a certain spot, where Tomita of the Men in Green was bringing up something.

Her eyes widened when she saw that certain weapon, rumored to possess powerful damaging capabilities that not even the strongest beast could survive, yet despite small doubts, she needed to put her trust in this.

Then her small walkie which was provided to her by them, came to life and certain words emerged from the speaker.

"Tuka, listen...I need you to trust me on this." The voice of Tomita relayed the information.

The elf girl heeded his advice and waited.

"When I give you the signal, now is the time to do it."

The huge claws of the beast would be her challenge as it did not just stay in one form but it morphed into something more serpentine as it slithered its way to pursue her.

"You won't be able to lay a finger on me."

The beast had remarked using its strength to ruin the girl's surroundings and speed to capture her.

The monster thought it was successful in taking away any advantages from her, yet it didn't realize sooner that it was being led into something better.

The fact that it began to blind by his arrogance.

In a surprising twist, Tuka stopped her current actions letting her guard down and allowing herself to be grabbed by the beast by the leg and she found herself hanging mid-air.

"You've finally given up! I told you won't escape my grasp." The beast taunted." Even if you watch your guard up."

As for Tuka, she could only let out a smile as caught a glimpse of a red small dot that appeared on the monster's forehead.

"I think you should watch your guard up."

The creature felt a sense of bewilderment initially, but it soon became aware of a small, crimson-colored dot that remained fixed on its forehead. Its focus then shifted towards the source of the dot, where it spotted a figure dressed in green, holding a peculiar and bulky object.

With bated breath, I watched as the man's fingers tightened around the gun's trigger. Suddenly, the creature's eyes widened in realization, but before it could react, the man fired. A single attack erupted from the barrel, leaving behind thick trails of smoke. It was a heart-stopping moment that the abomination will never forget.

Developed more than 30 years ago and simply known as Tank Fist 3, the weapon had finally made its debut as the warhead directly hit its head which instantly caused a strong explosion in that very spot.

Tuka was able to escape in a nick of time when she was automatically released by the claws of the enemy.

When the smoke cleared, half of the beast's body was gone, and the bottom half had collapsed to the ground.

Tuka recovered quickly and took a glance at the man, who gave her a thumbs up.

She smiled as her mind went back directly to aid her blue-haired teen, who much to her relief was still there fighting.

However, as for Lelei, she could feel the weakening of her magic. Her legs were trembling ever since and it was only sheer determination that she was still standing.

"I must never give up!" she exclaimed, gritting her teeth as she drew more mana and energy to prolong the ritual.

"The consequence could be disastrous."

She recalled the Merchant's words when they discussed the requirements of the spell.

To her right now, she would rather have her limbs or hands cut off just to finish this and vanquish the dark dragon.

As of this point, she has entered her moment of struggle.

Yet, in the midst of that, she felt a comforting presence and caught a glimpse of an ethereal presence as she closed her eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was somewhat of a rallying cry.

At least for him, it was eventually working.

"We can't let that monster destroy the place!"

Albrecht traversed throughout the districts, running through the empty streets as his spirit radiated amongst the others.

"We can't let them win this battle!"

"We can't let them destroy our home!"

As the boy called out, a mysterious and otherworldly energy began to stir from the very earth beneath his feet. This energy, known as the Lifestream, rose in response to his plea, its ethereal essence shimmering and pulsing with an ancient power that few mortals could comprehend. It was as if the very life force of the world had been awoken by the boy's call, responding to his every word with a grace and majesty that was both awe-inspiring and humbling.

It wasn't just Lifestream itself but the long-forgotten spirits of the past.

The People who risk their lives to protect the world.

The People that had good values and a common goal.

People who wanted to stop this madness.

They all gathered in this magnificent display of force as they headed towards the main battlefield.

From every corner of the Noble City, every district, every street they all emerged heading towards this one specific location.

The young woman couldn't believe what was happening around her. In a way...She was moved to tears.

"This boy..." She muttered to herself.

From that, her hope was renewed and a smile crept upon her lips.

She began to make her move, by raising her hand thereby providing more strength and power as she commanded them to help the Flame Dragon on beating the monster.

It was a sight she had never witnessed before. In this scenario, everyone from all walks of life was coming together, and working towards a common goal. It was as if they were united against a greater, common enemy, determined to overcome it no matter the cost. This sense of solidarity had been absent since the last great war, and it was heartening to see it rekindled after so many years.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amidst the colossal clash of the Red Dragon and the Dark Dragon, numerous pieces of land were left suspended in mid-air, as if defying the laws of gravity. These floating land masses, scattered haphazardly in the vicinity, bore witness to the intense battle that had just taken place.

At this point, Giselle found herself at a slight loss.

Accompanied by more adrenaline and a fast-paced situation her still being pursued by the dark humanoid entity which had no problem flying in the air.

"Get back here!" It called out to the Draconian Apostle, having the desire to pull her in for another battle to the death.

The young woman was indeed frustrated because she was left with no choice but to be the mouse this time. As much as she wanted to go toe to toe against the enemy, which was eventually a bad decision.

"Trust me on this..."

The voice of her once former rival echoed through her mind.

She had to let her guard down this time and have faith in whatever plan this was.

The only issue she had right now was to locate that particular area where the enemy would have no choice but to remain there.

Her eyes moved around as she flew towards the unrecognizable environment hell hole she was in. Avoiding balls of flaming debris that would randomly pop out of the clouds. Slicing and dicing dark wyvern riders who were roaming the area.

It was complete anarchy.

"Where is it..." Giselle had remarked to herself.

She would have spent a short time here if she were able to locate that certain sign.

As then to her luck or to a miracle that she spotted it from a distance.

It was a circular golden light from the west.

Giselle immediately felt it...as she wasted no time swooping fast towards the area while the enemy was still in toe.

It didn't take long enough to reach her destination as when she got passed the thick clouds she finally saw it.

A floating land once again though there were differences.

She caught a glimpse of a certain Rory Mercury standing on that land waiting for her.

At first, Giselle was confused but later she heard the familiar voice.

"Attack me..."

She widened her eyes in surprise.

"Are you kidding me? That's your plan?"

Rory continued to smile.

"Just do it and you will see..."

Again, this left her without a choice as the draconian apostle summoned her weapon once again and took charge of the latter.

As expected Rory would do the same thing and put her guard up against her rival. Though, she was grinning all the way.

"What's the meaning of this!?" Giselle demanded an explanation.

"Just treat me as if I killed a loved one of yours." She replied, intending to provoke her.

As Giselle's irritation intensified, she became more determined to take action against the Apostle of Emroy. She launched a series of powerful strikes, hoping to defeat her opponent. Despite her confidence, however, Giselle couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something even more dangerous than the Apostle was lurking nearby. This fear only added to her frustration and anxiety as she fought on, hoping to emerge victorious.

"Don't worry, this will be all over in just seconds." Rory let out another remark as all she did was evade her attacks and play along.

And true to her word that enemy would fall into that certain crossroads.

It saw the two young women fighting each other and because of that, it laughed in Triumph.

"Perhaps, the dark powers have influenced their Egos." It wondered.

This was an opportunity to strike the two down. Without their full attention, they would be greeted with surprise in no time.

The dark entity was confident and as he was about to charge towards them, something appeared behind it, and in less than a second it felt something pierced its chest from behind.

"W-What!?"

It looked down and saw a familiar long blade that had pierced him.

As it turned out, that individual was Luscious himself.

Rory smiled back knowing that the plan had been commenced.

"You can stop now, Giselle." She told the latter, much to her surprise.

Giselle blinked in confusion, and her instincts encouraged her to take a glance behind.

"Do you remember the cleansing process?" Rory asked, reminding her of a very crucial ritual that only an Apostle would know of.

She slowly nodded." What does it have to do with..." Then trailed off.

The black-haired woman smiled." Simple, whenever there is some idiot with an intent to ruin a place of the Gods, then it's our job to purify it." She explained, giving the latter a wink.

The more realized this, the more she grinned, and finally, she was a full percent involved in this process.

"What are you waiting for? Let's finish this!"

Both girls then turned to face the main target as they prepared the ritual.

Luscious, on the other end, just smirked as he was able to incapacitate the enemy and now he had full control of releasing him, though before that he shared some of his words.

"For an entity that is supposed to represent the essence of the Demon Lord, I didn't think you'd be dumb enough to fall for a simple trick."

The dark entity's eyes widened in shock, and before he knew it, the man released it by giving a powerful kick that sent him straight toward the two girls.

As the ancient ritual began, Rory and Giselle lifted their weapons towards the heavens and spoke a powerful prayer. Suddenly, a brilliant golden essence burst into existence before their very eyes. It took the form of a massive circular symbol, complete with a triangle in the center and a piercing eye that seemed to gaze upon the entirety of creation. It was a symbol of the divine, a representation of the God of all Gods.

"In the name of the Sun God, let this be your end!" Both girls said as they took charge bringing that symbol to clash with the dark entity.

As soon as the dark entity laid its eyes upon the symbol, it knew it had to act fast to avoid its impending doom. It made one last desperate attempt to escape and fight back, but the outcome was already inevitable. In a matter of seconds, the entity collided with the symbol, and the two forces collided, causing a powerful explosion that engulfed everything in its path.

In an instant, a brilliant burst of luminosity illuminated the surroundings, banishing the murky darkness and purifying everything in its path.

An inhuman scream echoed throughout the area followed by a strong shockwave that burst from the source.

The three immortal individuals stood there as they watched the ritual finally reach its completion.

The light died down and revealed the dark entity with half of its body already fading away from existence.

Though before that, it was able to say its final words.

"Even if you win this day...I will still be here...I will never become a memory."

"I shall return!"

Then it fully faded never to be seen again, as the silence returned.

Their enemy had been vanquished back to where it belonged.

Rory gave a cute yawn, indicating that she didn't have to exert that much effort into literally engaging the dark entity in combat.

"Rory?" Luscious raised an eyebrow, before receiving a wink from his childhood friend.

As for Giselle felt this tiredness for the first time, though she knew the battle was not over yet.

From a distance, the Dark Dragon was still fighting for succession.

She then turned towards Rory and Luscious.

"Rory, please help the others...I will take care of this bastard once and for all."

Her friend raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure about that?"

The Draconian Apostle simply nodded, giving her a smirk.

"You know me..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Why does this always happen!?"

Yuji was the one to exclaim this time.

Holding his gun as he tried to find a good way to aim at the serpentine creature that emerged.

The task of shooting the beast was proving to be quite difficult. The bunny woman was expertly maneuvering the creature to avoid its sharp teeth, causing it to move in various directions. As a result, the person attempting to shoot the wyvern was facing a significant challenge.

"It often happens," Parna replied as if she had been to this kind of situation before.

Yuji and Little Foot both groaned in response as they wanted this to be over with.

"We just have to beat it." She added as she further commanded the maneuver to increase its speed.

As a result, the situation had now turned into a cat-and-mouse game once more. But this time, they were not going to just run.

Parna had made a daring decision to outmaneuver the serpentine monster by continuously moving in circles, taking unpredictable turns, and leading the creature into a whirlwind of chaos and excitement.

To its eyes, it thought it wanted to play games.

For Yuji's part, he remained as the lookout guy for the remainder of the so-called game. He didn't use his small weapon to fire this time around.

For he knew that there was a real agenda here.

So he trusted her and the process.

He waited until a hint came out.

"Mr. Yuji, please take this." Parna had spoken, drawing out what appeared to be a coloured materia

"What's this for?" The man asked.

The bunny woman smirked." It's our ticket to get out of here." She simply said, before adding." Now, all you have to do is raise that materia and say the word "Illude".

Yuji blinked a couple of times. He felt dumbfounded yet he realized how serious the woman was regarding this.

So he directed his focus towards the serpentine creature which was still pursuing them.

He took a deep breath and raised the materia and yelled out the words...

"Illude!"

As soon as he clasped the materia in his palm, a burst of bright light emanated from it, illuminating his surroundings. And just as suddenly as it appeared, the radiance dissipated, leaving him with an eerie calmness. The spell had worked its magic, rendering a profound impact on his state of being.

For a brief moment, a dazzling light enveloped them before it dissipated, leaving behind a radiant beam that materialized beside them. In a matter of seconds, the beam began to take the shape of their exact physical features, and before they knew it, an uncanny illusion was formed, causing Yuji to see his reflection as if he were staring into a mirror.

Little Foot felt even more enchanted to see his reflection beside him.

From Yuji's perspective, there seemed to be a fine line between seeing a reflection of oneself and witnessing a close replica of oneself. However, he noted that the distinction lay in the fact that the latter did not imitate his every move, but rather rode alongside him in stillness.

"Parna-san, I think it worked." He told her.

The latter smiled." Good, now brace yourself." She said as commanded the wyvern into a new direction accelerating at full speed, this time back towards the main source.

When they did that, the results were as just expected as the serpentine creature, did not follow them but rather still pursued what it believed it was them.

"Fascinating," Yuji muttered to himself while heading towards the source.

He hoped that whatever illusion magic was cast would have more time to remain, long enough for them to finish their task.

"Yuji!" Parna called out to relay the message.

The writer nodded as he prepared to weapon and crystal once again.

As they gazed ahead, their eyes fixated on the colossal crystal that lay exposed through the gaping wound. The gusts of wind grew stronger as if urging them to move forward with haste. Without wasting a single moment, both of them sprung into action.

Parna pulled out an explosion materia while Yuji took out the white crystal.

"Ready?" Yuji had asked, while the latter nodded.

As they prepared to throw both items on the source, they immediately heard a roar.

From the skins of the dark dragon, another serpentine creature emerged from it ready to kill them both.

"Shit!" Yuji yelled out in frustration.

Their time to finish the task had been suddenly cut short.

Just as the monstrous creature was closing in on them, its gaping mouth wide open and ready to attack, a sudden movement caught their attention. They felt a powerful presence in the air, and before they knew it, an unknown person appeared out of nowhere and swiftly pierced the beast's head, putting an end to its menacing advance.

The serpentine monster's wide mouth suddenly halted from swallowing them by a few inches.

It turned out to be a man, donning an imperial wyvern army armor as he rode his wyvern. He looked distorted as his arm looked like a blade but his eyes tell that his intent was of pure heart.

With a smile on his face, he bravely held his shaking hand out in front of him, desperately struggling to keep the monstrous creature at bay.

"Do what you have to do."

Yuji was initially caught off guard and felt a sense of confusion as he struggled to process the situation. However, he quickly regained his composure as he shifted his attention towards the source of the disturbance. Acting swiftly, Yuji and Parna both threw the white crystal and explosion materia simultaneously and as the two items converged together, the crystal and the materia glowed brighter together as they finally clashed with the source.

A bright flash of light then appeared.

By this time, Parna encouraged Little Foot to make his move quickly again to escape the area as fast as possible.

Yet, not long after, bright light was now accompanied by an explosion and a powerful shockwave that followed, unleashing more chaos in that area.

Yuji took a glance from behind as they escaped, though he wondered about the identity of the person who saved their lives from the second serpentine monster.

Although for now, he hoped that their actions might have an impact on the battle as they finally completed their task.

For Little Foot, his mind went towards something else, something more important to him.

He gave a growl which caught their attention.

"You want what?" Yuji wondered, a bit dumbfounded this time.

Parna took a deep breath, knowing that this would be a risky move for the little dragon himself, so she turned to glance at Yuji and simply said.

"I guess he wants to protect his mother."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"They are not giving up!"

Shino had exclaimed.

The more the dark dragon got close to the void, the more enemies were unleashed.

They grew in numbers.

They grew in strength.

More humanoid mutations had arrived similar to the last one.

"I wish Ms. Rory was here!" It also caused Kurata to exclaim a certain person he had not seen since back at the Grand Palace.

The enemy was giving it all out to them.

Whether they finally ran out of ammo, magic, and even the manpower to do it.

As moments passed things had gotten a lot intense and tougher.

"Selina, Tuka, Lelei! Get out of there!" Higashi also yelled out towards the three girls to retreat.

Yet, their task, especially the mage's was not even finished.

All three began to struggle, to the point that someone had to go there and protect them.

"This can't be happening..." Terra, at first couldn't believe the turn of events.

For sure they were already winning the battle, and that is why the enemy had decided to match up and counter the intensity that they were producing.

At this point, Lelei's strength was waning.

He observed that the ritual was ongoing and the triangular void was still trying to pull the massive dark dragon in.

The whole time he was with the Duke, The female Knight protecting the children, and yes there were dark dragons that had attacked but very few arrived.

He was confident that Rory would arrive as he telepathically received a certain call from her.

Yet, he couldn't even wait any longer.

He had to step up and help them.

To which he did.

As soon as the menacing shadow dragons approached, the Chirithy sprang into action. With a swift incantation, it strengthened the magical barriers to fortify the defense. In the next moment, it swiftly moved to the aid of its ally and unleashed a powerful magic wave that sent the shadow dragons soaring into the sky, vanquished and defeated.

"Lelei! Can you keep it up?" He inquired.

The teenage mage slowly nodded and gave a weak but confident smile." Just a little bit more...The beast will be gone." She replied, standing for her promise and objective.

Terra gave her a look of sympathy, and he knew the girl didn't deserve to be in this situation, though he was amazed at her resilience.

"Don't give up guys! We can do this!" Kurata yelled out a battle cry, to which the others surprisingly reacted to it and all of them went alongside the cry.

A certain moment revealed how strong the bond and teamwork that this person had.

They don't let the fear get to them.

Suddenly, the Chirithy's attention was diverted as he felt the ground beneath him tremble. He quickly turned towards his left and was greeted by the sight of several hulking dragon-like creatures charging towards them. Each of these creatures was humanoid in shape but varied greatly in size and appearance, making them a fearsome and daunting sight to behold.

Terra gritted his teeth in annoyance.

For sure they already had been crossing the line many times.

He saw Tuka, having just killed a smaller dark dragon, wearily prepared her bow and arrow next.

"Please stand back," Terra informed the elf girl as he had enough.

He may not be a fighter but he sure will be a step if things get out of hand.

At this point, the firepower from the Recon Team had taken a step back due to the awareness of their ammo dwindling as time passed by.

Moreover, things had gotten more even difficult with the appearance of the humanoid dark dragons that kept being summoned by the powers of the dark dragon.

As he tried to gather more strength, the enemies were closing in.

However, something subtly happened while he was not looking behind.

Something that he had not expected to happen soon.

Lelei's knees gave out as she collapsed on the ground, yet she was able to hold on with the help of her staff.

"Lelei!" Tuka exclaimed as she hastily went towards her.

Hearing the voice, Terra slightly felt nervous.

By then, they had easily broken the first barrier, then the second, and by the time they reached the third magical barrier, Terra was about to cast his only attack.

"Please give me time...Please give me time!" He kept repeating his words as the enemy approached.

The image of them charging in swarms looked terrifying.

As he stood there, everything around him seemed to come to a crawl, and in that surreal moment, he saw two ominous figures materializing out of nowhere, just in the nick of time.

The area where most of the enemies were located immediately exploded.

Amid the chaos of the battle, the towering, dragon-like creatures with humanoid features were met with a barrage of attacks. Blades sliced through their thick scales, while sharp weapons diced their flesh into pieces. Some of the dragons attempted to take flight, fleeing from the opposing side of the street in a desperate attempt to survive the onslaught but all of them were eventually brought down by the specters.

The two specters moved smoothly and fast as they took care of the remaining enemies who were still fighting the Men in Green.

The tides had turned as it became a massacre rather than a battle.

The bodies of the humanoid hulking dragons lay on the ground as if they were all the victims instead.

The Recon Team of Shino and Tomita were in awe upon seeing how their enemies were annihilated. They all halted their shooting but kept their guards up in case these mysterious specters were a threat.

"Who or what could those be?" Higashi had wondered.

Shino was still vigilant as more surprises just kept on coming.

And as the dust tideed down, the tension had faded away in awhile.

All eyes were on the specters, who finally revealed their true identities.

"Rory-san!" Kurata was the first to exclaim in excitement.

It was a divine intervention that they didn't know was coming.

Terra sighed in relief but was stunned to see the man himself beside his master.

That's when Rory glanced at him and smiled.

Something had happened in between and he was interested to know why He was helping her and them.

Then Rory spoke again.

"We don't have much time but please listen..." She said." There's nothing much we can do to fully beat that monster."

The magical triangular void was fading away as a result of Lelei's magic which had weakened throughout the battle.

Lelei's body was exhausted but thankfully still intact. Her friend came to her aid, supporting her as she recovered from the ground. Though she remained silent, her eyes carefully watched the ongoing battle and she realized the impact her efforts were having on the outcome of the fight.

"So you mean we just let that bastard destroy this place!?" Shino stepped up and asked.

Luscious looked away but smirked.

As for Rory, she smiled at them again as if she was giving them hope.

"Don't worry about it Ms. Shino, It's not that we can beat the dragon or not."

"It's a matter of how much time we have to escape before the Eagles of the Sun God's arrival and the punishment they would bring..."

As she finished conveying those words, a wave of perplexed expressions swept across the faces of her listeners. Amidst the confusion, it was Tomita who was the first to grasp the significance of her message.

"Oh no..."

Because of that he caught all of their attention and received glances.

"She's right...We better get out of here as fast as we can."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mowto, Towato!"

Giselle exclaimed as she found herself in the skies once more.

She had taken no rest as she was determine to catch up and know the current state of

Amidst the chaos of the fierce battle between the two colossal dragons, the destruction caused was the most remarkable sight to behold. Despite the devastation, there were no clear indications as to which dragon would emerge victorious in the end.

The skies too were a mess.

In less than a minute, her two companions would appear from separate directions as they were all covered in blood, bruised, tired but still intact. It appeared that they too had slain a lot of dark wyvern riders along the way.

The draconian apostle patted the two on the head and gave a small hug.

"I am glad you two are alright." She said, only to receive weary growls from both creatures.

Their attention mostly turned towards the major battle and as for now, they could only observe it.

"What should we do next?" Giselle had wondered, feeling this cluelessness for the first time.

In some way, she had to help the Flame Dragon.

And there was only one way that she knew.

"Keep the bastard busy."

So she wasted no time and took command once more as the lead, preparing her weapon as she aimed at charging towards the dark dragon itself.

She may not have the full strength to do this but she will give all her power to help the red dragon vanquish the enemy.

As she neared her destination, completely immersed in the chaos of the battlefield, she felt a sudden surge of energy coursing through her body. Her heart pounding with anticipation, she instinctively turned towards a particular spot, her gaze fixated on a vague yet unmistakable shape that had materialized out of thin air. The presence seemed to be ethereal, almost otherworldly as if it was not bound by the laws of the physical world. Yet, there was a palpable sense of power emanating from it, and she couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and trepidation in its presence.

"The Lifestream.." She whispered.

Moreover, she recognized a certain energy.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she couldn't believe where the energy came from...or perhaps someone's spirit.

"Albrecht?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had finally come to this.

The Flame Dragon persevered until she could get towards the void.

She kept her claws and arms to the dark dragon's neck, gripping it tightly and forcing herself to drag the beast to the void.

Amidst the chaos, the ominous dark dragon relentlessly fought back while the slithering serpentine creatures appeared out of nowhere like vultures, sinking their sharp teeth into the red dragon's flesh.

She could feel the pain all over as the wounds started to open up.

She continued to take big steps onward to the void.

Her mind contemplates even fully taking the risk by sacrificing to throw herself and the dragon towards it as no one could ultimately put it there but her.

However, along the way, she would sense the first sign of evil's last attempt to survive.

It started with a crack of laughter.

As it was enough to get her attention.

The laughter grew louder from the beast and the red dragon saw this as a means to taunt and prevent her.

"You think this is over?" It spoke again.

Then moments later, a huge booming sound was heard from the skies.

The Flame Dragon lifted its head, scanning the horizon for any signs of danger. Its fiery eyes caught sight of something alarming - a colossal crack that cut through the mystical shield surrounding the city. This barrier was the only thing keeping the Wyvern armies at bay, and the Dragon knew that if it collapsed, full chaos would ensue.

As it turned out the magic had finally weakened.

Thus when that crack shattered, a huge open hole replaced it and not long after, the swarms of dark wyvern riders were finally given the freedom to enter.

The dark dragon's laughter still echoed.

The flame dragon became worried as she directed her focus towards the triangular void which was now on its way of fading away.

She needed to hurry as fast as possible.

So this time, she summoned whatever strength still in her body as her wings came to life.

It was one of her last acts of desperation as her time was running out.

Although, as she was about to do it, the dark dragon had already made its move.

The creature's legs transformed, morphing into a sharp blade that plunged into the earth to anchor itself and prevent being dragged along. Unfortunately, this sudden change caused the journey to come to a standstill, rendering any progress impossible.

As the flame dragon pushed through the rough terrain, her powerful wings struggled to gain momentum. But she didn't give up. With one mighty leap, she soared through the air, cutting the journey in half and extending a bit of her time.

With a fierce determination, the dragoness pushed herself to reach the speed she had been striving for. Her muscles tensed as she lunged forward, her sharp claws digging into the neck of her enemy. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she drew near the edge of the void, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and exhilaration. It was a moment of reckoning, a split-second decision that could mean the difference between life and death. But she was not one to back down from a challenge, and with a fierce determined roar, she plunged forward into the unknown.

She reached unto it with the decision that she would bring herself to the void as well.

"Almost there." Her mind had thought.

All the struggles that she had faced, the challenges, the tribulations, it would all be finally over.

Though, she finally reached her destination, the magical triangular void which was summoned by a certain blue-haired teen, had faded away.

The Flame Dragon crashed into the ground instead, letting go of the enemy dragon as a result.

Disbelief and denial soon followed as she thought she was going to make it in time.

"All your efforts are for nothing!"

"You will fail!"

The dark dragon taunted as his claws morphed into a blade while slowly heading towards the red dragon.

"I am truly destined to survive!" The beast laughed once more as he raised the arm blade to relay his final strike.

But in the last second, a dark mass swooped in and bit the dark dragon's neck.

It roared in pain as it tried to take out the mystery presence that had entered the scene.

The flame dragon's eyes widened as she recognized the silhouette.

It turned out to be Little Foot, who was able to arrive in time just to prevent the beast from making its move. The little dragon immediately used all his might to overpower the bigger one and save his mother.

However, the corrupted creature was able to grab the little dragon thus throwing him towards a distance, and crash into an abandoned building.

As a result, this enraged the Flame Dragon as she instantly recovered and charged at the enemy. However, the latter was faster this time around as it was able to grab her by the neck

"I may have taken a lot of damage and even exposed my heart but I will never lose to a useless creature like you!" It spoke as it laughed once more.

"Nor to any that tried to resist!"

At this point, the beast was going to perform its final act.

As the beast was on the verge of going for the kill, the sudden arrival of a draconian apostle disrupted his plan. Giselle wielded her scythe which grew in size, allowing her to slice the arm of the beast with ease. Shortly after, two more attacks in the form of Mowto and Towato emerged from the lower grounds and joined the fight. They attacked the beast's legs by unleashing multiple slashes, causing it to stumble and lose balance. The battle raged on as they fought bravely against the beast's formidable strength.

"I will never be defeated!" The beast roared even more as it opened its mouth and unleashed flames in an attempt to eliminate the young Draconian woman and her companions.

As the battle intensified, the dark dragon's dominance over the swarm of dark wyverns became more apparent. Its towering figure raised its hands, and with a single gesture, the dark wyverns flocked to its command. The swarm, heavy and massive, began to circle the dragon, creating a formidable barrier that seemed impenetrable. The intensity of the situation was palpable, as the dragon's power and control over the wyverns created an ominous and terrifying atmosphere.

Giselle and the two smaller dragons were greeted by the large army of wyverns that now engaged them in a fight, taking their focus away from dealing with the dark dragon.

"Get out of my way!" Giselle exclaimed, upon slashing her way through the waves of wyvern riders charging at her all at once, but she couldn't get a proper opening to even escape.

The ominous dark dragon bore a wicked grin on its face as it carried on with its nefarious task. However, amid its machinations, it was suddenly struck by a sharp pain in its chest. The agony radiated from the exposed dark crystal that was embedded in its chest. The dark dragon's focus shifted abruptly towards the red dragon, as it struggled to endure the throbbing discomfort.

Not knowing that something or someone had tampered with the dark crystal from within.

It widened its eyes again when it saw the Flame Dragon, who took another charge to tackle it towards the ground.

Thus one more scuffle ensued.

A struggle for power as the flame dragon held the dark dragon with all her might, her claws which turned into a fist and flames radiated once more.

The last thing on her mind was to directly destroy the source on its chest.

However, the dark dragon's other arm immediately regenerated and morphed into a blade once again as it then proceeded to pierce the flame dragon on the shoulder which caused her to exclaim in pain.

As the enemy rose to its feet once again, the object it was holding slipped from its grip and fell to the ground with a thud. The creature was about to launch another attack, but suddenly a vibrant blue ethereal essence rose from the earth and enveloped its arms, rendering the enemy temporarily motionless. This unexpected turn of events left the enemy momentarily stunned and vulnerable.

"What!?" The beast wondered in shock.

More of it came from all sides as they tried to subdue the beast from moving forward.

Despite the intense pain inflicted upon her by the enemy, the flame dragon summoned all her strength to crawl toward the dark dragon, determined to stop it from causing any more harm. She finally managed to grasp onto the dark dragon's legs, her grip firm and unyielding, preventing it from carrying out any further destructive acts.

Everything had gone into a chaotic mess as the barrier that protected the city had been breached thus letting the invasion continue, with most of the large armies heading towards ground zero.

As the defenders continued to fight and resist the encroaching evil, their once-optimistic outlook began to fade away. From their vantage point, it seemed as though hope was slipping through their grasp with each passing moment.

As hope dwindled and the odds of triumphing over the nefarious dark dragon and its armies diminished, the dreaded scenario that had been feared by all began to unfold.

"No one will ever stop me!" The beast roared once again, claiming his supposed victory as trying to fight off the various entities holding him from moving.

"I will reign upon this land!" It proudly declared.

As the negative energy in the surroundings grew stronger, so did his power. It was almost palpable, like a thick fog that hung heavily in the air. It seemed as though every passing moment brought him closer to the brink of unleashing his destructive flames upon the unsuspecting city. Only time would tell when this volatile situation would come to a head, and whether anyone could stop him before it was too late.

However, amid the darkest depths of despair, a glimmer of hope appeared.

Without the creature's knowledge, a tiny aerial device had been keeping an eye on the beast throughout, using its small bright circular red light to track and monitor its movements.

"Target marked!" From the Gardens of the Guest House, a certain American Ranger and a Japanese Lieutenant exclaimed in unison.

The countdown had begun.

As the chaos of the city continued, the heavy grayish clouds that had lingered in the sky for what felt like an eternity finally began to part. The first rays of sunshine broke through the clouds, illuminating the city with a warm glow. In the midst of this, a distinct sound could be heard, echoing through the streets and alleyways.

The wind began to grow stronger and the sound which started as a faint whistle had grown louder.

Something was approaching.

In a particular district, there was a chapel where a group of refugees had taken shelter. Among them was a little girl who would pray with her family and other refugees who had decided to stay back in the chapel.

All of them began to utter a small prayer.

"In the name of the Sun God, that we may ask for your help to summon them."

As the clouds opened, the dark dragon was first to catch a glimpse of it.

"In the name of the Sun God, we pray for them to vanquish the evil that has plagued this land."

The menacing beast and its massive army of wyverns were charging towards their targets, unleashing their fury upon everything in their path. Suddenly, their attention was diverted towards a group of iron eagles that appeared out of nowhere. The iron eagles seemed to have descended from the heavens themselves, with their metallic bodies glinting in the sunlight. Their mere presence and striking appearance reminded the powers of the legendary warriors who had brought an end to the reign of the Demon Lord thousands of years ago.

As the countdown to the final hour had ended, There was a sudden shift in the tide. The Iron Eagles, known for their unmatched prowess in the skies, unleashed a barrage of star-shaped irons that glowed with intense flames. The projectiles moved with incredible speed, leaving a grand trail of smoke.

In the name of the Sun God, we call out to you in these times of trouble to summon the presence and power of..."

A blinding, colossal burst of luminosity swept over the entire vicinity, submerging the dark dragon and the formidable army of dark imperial wyvern riders in an iridescent glow. As the light engulfed them, the beast's vision slowly faded, and the last thing it saw was two symbols engraved on the iron eagles themselves - a vivid red circle and a gold star that was believed to exist only in ancient myths and legends.

And mostly exhumed the long-forgotten memories of them.

As the people in the chapel completed the prayer, the last word was finally finished by the little girl herself...

"Your Emissaries."

At that moment, a magnificent spectacle of light illuminated the entire battlefield, drawing the attention of every soul present.

Liberation and freedom have finally arrived.

CHAPTER END

AN: Hey there fellas, Belated Happy Holidays! Apologize that this chapter took quite a long time to complete. I was halfway through the chapter when things got busy for me in real life, so I had no choice but to put aside the chapter for a while and focus on other matters. I only got to continue writing scenes after the Holidays and so far, I was able to get free time to write the climax of the Arc.

Anyways, regarding the chapter, most of the perspectives here actually follow up from the previous chapters, which means the second group would have the spotlight this time.

They had to make what they had to face the final challenges ahead of them.

Examples of scenes such as Michelin Star chef Turned Isekai Hero Gordon Ramsay, doing his thing and in the climax pulling out a Sasuke or Kepanchi-esque move to destroy a meteor-like object in the skies, with a frozen twist.

Tomita uses the launcher that was originally used in the OG Gate anime/manga to battle the OG Flame Dragon.

Tuka doing Legolas-esque moves in the final battle while the others go berserk with their rifles.

Lelei, doing the brave move by taking on the Dark Dragon from behind the scenes.

Yuji and Parna work together to sabotage the heart of the dark dragon which is the dark crystal.

Rory, Giselle, and Luscious outsmart the dark entity with a simple trick.

For Pina, I kinda didn't know what she was going to do rather than let go of it all since she mostly finished her task. For now, it is up to Hamilton to take care of her for the meantime.

So kinda Everyone is working together at the same time.

The climactic scene where the arrival of the fighter jets began with a subtle scene of the small drone being piloted by Carl and Itami showing the red marker and marking it for the target. (Something like in the Avengers Endgame scene where Steve Rogers received a simple message and the rest is history)

Which is also coincides with the people in the chapel back in the first scene, particularly the little girl who finished the prayer.

With the arrival of the fighter jets, I would like to thank DFMRCV (Author of Fight We Choose and Freedom's Ring) once again for sharing the idea of "The Eagles are coming entrance." Thank you once again for your words of encouragement on finishing the chapter.

With that said, thank you very much for reading the chapter! Please forgive me for the occasional grammar mistakes, since English is not my main language.

I appreciate your time to give the story a chance :)