The wind howled about, punctuated with the occasional cackling scream of an imp or aggressive howl of an arch demon, but the three travelers, their white cloaks blending in against the snow, traveled without fear. Ahead of them, a black monolith stood out above the snow, like a mar on the pure white landscape, a towering, ominous structure that seemed to stare from its empty windows. "That must be the castle," Nikado said quietly, pulling his hood down. "Our final destination."
"Don't sound so serious," Ameko said from beside him. "You're not that type of guy. Say something funny."
"Your face is funny," he grumbled.
"Both of your faces are funny in this cold," Alex said, moving ahead of them.
Nikado watched the man as he pushed his way through the snow, one hand on the Sword of Loto at his side. The man seemed calmer since before they had entered Rhone, more confident and self-assured. The Sword of Loto really did suit him, Nikado thought. Actually, the difference between the strong, confident man before him now and the cool, distant scholar he had been when they first met was a wide one. He wasn't the only one, the Lorasian prince added to himself. Ameko had regained her sense of compassion, her ability to look forward to the future. Although nothing could replace her missing father, she had managed to center herself in a new family.
Family. It was a strange thing to think of, particularly in a desolate place like this. But the prince and princess had become his family, his lovers and friends, and now there was no turning back from that thought, no leaving them. Nikado could feel the change even in himself, in his disconnect from Lorasia and his welcome into this new, strange little threesome. There was no going back, and he didn't want to.
"Nikado," Ameko called to him. "Hurry up, or we'll leave you behind. Don't think we won't!"
He smiled, brushing at some snow on his cheek, and gave her a smile. "I'm coming."
The doors to the castle were slightly ajar, and Alex frowned as he noticed. "It could be a trap," he said to the other two.
"That's true, but do you see another way in?" Ameko asked. "Should we break a window?"
"No good," he said with a shake of his head. "They're spelled. I can tell."
"Let's try the door," Nikado said, looking up at the massive door that towered far above his head, the wood black as if scorched, carved with patterns that barely made visual sense. It wasn't like the other ruins they had seen embedded with the ancient language, but something more chaotic, more violent. "We'll give it a try. Just stay close, both of you."
Alex gave the door a pull, Nikado pushing from the other side, and it creaked open enough for the three to enter, Nikado leading the way and the other two following. Inside the castle was pitch black for a moment, and then without warning, a bright light came from somewhere, blinding them with its brilliance. Nikado took a step back, Ameko reaching for the door, which had closed behind her.
The light then dimmed, and the three watched in surprise at the view that unfolded before them. While they had been expecting the interior of a castle, what was actually in front of them was a town, a town that was familiar. "What is this?" Ameko asked in surprise.
"It's my home," Nikado replied, sounding puzzled. "Let's move forward."
Alex was silent as he followed, looking around as he frowned, brows furrowing. Walking up to the Lorasia castle doors, Nikado paused as they opened before him, revealing the main hall of the castle. "Nikado!" greeted a friendly voice from inside. "Welcome home."
"Welcome home...?" he echoed as he looked in.
The king of Lorasia was standing before the door smiling as he held out his arms. "Welcome back, my son. I'm glad you've returned. You don't know how much I've missed you. Yes," he continued, looking to the side thoughtfully. "You never really understand what you've lost until it's gone. I did that with your mother. I'm just glad I didn't make the same mistake with you."
"You did very well, Nikado," Morita spoke up from beside the king. "You have every reason to be proud. There isn't a person in this castle who doesn't love you for your bravery and sacrifice."
The king smiled at Nikado with a gentle expression. "I'm sorry for what's happened before, Nikado. Welcome home." He spread his arms again, this time in an unspoken invitation for a hug.
"Ameko!" came a shout, and she turned, taking a step back and bumping against Nikado as she saw the person who was calling, recognized the voice. Her own father was coming down the stairs at a hurried pace. "Ameko, you're all right. You're back to normal, you're alive. You don't know how worried I was."
"Father!" she exclaimed, taking a shaky step forward. "Father...you're alive?"
He smiled, and reached for her. She moved forward, only to be stopped by a hand on her arm. "Stop," Alex said softly, grabbing onto Nikado's arm as well. "This isn't right."
"What do you mean?" Nikado asked. "This is more right than it's ever been."
"That's my father!" Ameko cried out. "Let me go!"
"No, it's not," he said quietly. "There's nothing there."
Both paused at his words, relaxing in his grip. Alex closed his eyes, and then opened them again. Nothing had changed: the dark, poorly lit halls were still there, the shabby tapestries covering the walls, and before them, pits of blue flame. "It's an illusion. Nikado, open up the bottle that Rubiss gave you."
"But Alex," he began, his expression falling. "That's my father. He's welcoming me. I don't want...to disappoint him."
"I know, Nikado. Please trust me," Alex said softly. "You've trusted me before. Will you do it again?"
Nikado watched him for a long moment, then stepped back, pulling the bottle out from under his armor and popping off the cap. Warm orange and red flames gushed from the bottle with a sudden wind, swirling around the three of them before richocheting out, darting down the halls of the castle as it burned away the illusion. Alex shut his eyes as he heard a screeching cry, like the sound of claws on a wall, tearing at his ears as it was burned into nothingness by the elemental's piece of power. And then the flames and illusion were gone, revealing only what he had seen before: the dim walls and pits of flame.
Nikado looked around, trembling a bit. "So it was a trap," he murmured, looking at the pits in front of them. "If we'd gone, we'd have burned to death."
"Nikado. Ameko," Alex said, pulling both to him and hugging them. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not sorry," Nikado replied, letting himself be hugged. "I'm pissed off. That's the wrong way to try and jerk me around. Now I'm mad."
"Me too," Ameko agreed. "Now I really want a piece of him. Let's find out where this jerk is and pop him in the face."
Alex smiled slightly, but held onto them for a moment longer, keeping the two next to him. "All right. Let's try straight back. Castles like this often have something in the throne room. Charlock did."
The other two nodded, and Alex moved forward between the two pits, stepping to the door beyond. "How come you weren't fooled, Alex?" Ameko asked him as he tugged open a door.
"I couldn't see it," he replied. "It must be the effect of the Mirror of Ra that Yukita embedded into this armor." He ran a hand over the breastplate, which was thinner than it had been as the Gaia Armor. Yukita had given it a similar molded quality as the Armor of Loto, allowing it to fit more precisely without being heavy, and she had added that in as well. To be honest, he hadn't been sure of exactly what the armor had been spelled with before when Lithrik had made it, and now that Yukita had a hand in its recreation, he was even less sure. I wonder how she knew how to perform the work of a magic blacksmith, he wondered to himself. Was she just born with the knowledge because she's an elemental? She seemed more human than Rubiss did, that's for sure.
Nikado peered inside, a hand on the Thunder Sword he wore. "There aren't any monsters here," he noted, stepping into the empty throne room. "Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
"They may have been expecting us to fall into the trap of that illusion. Let's get off this floor before they find out and come down to attack," Alex said with a nod." The room was littered in blades of ice, glistening with sharp edges that threatened those who would step on them, but they crunched harmlessly under their feet, even Ameko's enchanted shoes able to hand them with ease. "There's a blank spot in the center," the Cannock prince observed, pointing ahead of them. Hopping off of the ice, he stood in the blank spot on the floor, studying the black tile before looking ahead. "There's more of it over here."
"It's in the shape of a cross," Ameko observed, puzzled. "Why, do you think?"
"I don't know, but look," Nikado said, pointing to the area where the four branches met. In the tile was an indentation. "Remind you of something?"
Alex looked, then pulled out the Eye of Malroth, holding onto it before dropping it into the indentation. Before their eyes, the eye opened, and a rush of air came from under their feet, lifting them upwards. "I guess that explains it," Ameko said, looking up at the identical hole in the ceiling.
"Grab onto each other!" Nikado said, turning in midair and reaching for the other two. Alex strained, but couldn't catch his hand, and then they were lifted into the darkness.
"Welcome," came a hissing, low voice. "To the second floor."
Alex landed softly on his feet, frowning as he looked around in the pitch blackness. Calling some fire to his hand, he stood, taking in his surroundings. All around him, the image of himself, holding the ball of flame, was reflected, almost making it appear as if he had been cloned many times over, each looking around in an identical fashion off in other directions. Mirrors? he wondered to himself, trying to see Ameko or Nikado in the darkness.
Abruptly, the room lit up, revealing the mirrors placed everywhere, wrapped around pillars and placed in an even structure along the walls and across the room. The sheer number of them made it no easier to determine where he was, the images of himself even more numerous in appearance. "Nikado! Ameko!" he called out, letting the fire die out and drawing his sword instead.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a new image, that of Nikado, looking around in a similar fashion to himself. "Nikado!" he called again, and the figure looked around, trying to determine where the voice was coming from. He moved, and the image vanished, appearing behind him, close to him. "Nikado!" he shouted again, running after the image.
"Alex!" came Nikado's voice, and he stopped as the voice appeared to come from behind him, despite the figure in front of him. And as he looked, he could see. The image turned toward him, and brought down its sword, aiming to cleave him in two. Alex reacted swiftly, drawing his own sword and blocking the blow in a swift movement, sword held high as the imposter's sword went sailing through the air, vanishing through a mirror.
"Nikado, where are you?" Alex called. "Can you hear me? Ameko, where are you? Both of you, keep talking!"
"I'm here, I can hear you," came the voice from nearby, or was it? The echoes made it impossible to determine. "I don't know where Ameko is. Where are you?"
"Damn it," Alex muttered, bringing the sword down on a mirror. As it smashed he caught a glimpse of a fiendish imp's face, and he took a step back, readying his sword. "You're Pazuzu, aren't you?"
"Yes, that would be me," he agreed with a grin that exposed all of his sharp teeth. "Welcome to my domain, little prince. If you think you can escape here, you're wrong. I'll just kill you again."
He could feel the scar on his back throb in response. "I won't let you do such a thing," Alex replied calmly, raising his sword. "You can't fool me a second time."
"Oh? I already have," the simian imp chuckled, wings flapping. "You're separated from your companions and they have no chance of finding you in this labyrinth of mirrors. Listen!" he commanded, falling silent for a moment, and the echoes of Nikado's voice everywhere could be heard. "You won't find him, and he won't find you, unless I let him find your dead body."
"Stop talking," Alex replied, taking a ready stance. "You won't defeat me again, Pazuzu. That was your mistake, to let me escape the first time. And the second time, as well."
"I doubt that," the imp chuckled, and flexed his claws. "Humans are weaklings. It doesn't matter when or how I finish you. This is just the most entertaining to me."
Alex readied himself as the imp brought its claws down, and the Sword of Loto came up, the sharp, brilliant blade slicing though Pazuzu's claws, rendering that hand harmless. "That sword," he hissed in surprise, flexing his hand as new claws came out. "Where did you get it?"
"It's the Sword of Loto," Alex replied calmly. "It's the sword which has struck down a far greater evil than you. I think it can handle the likes of you."
"Just an ancient relic," the imp general snorted. "It is nothing before my power." He raised his hands and began to chant.
The warrior scholar was not inclined to let him finish. Charging forth, he began pressing a strong series of attacks against the general, pushing him back as the echoes continued around them. "What do you think of this?" Alex shouted, pressing the sword down on the creature's claws. "This is no mere trifle. This is the sword of Loto, my ancestor. Like him, I will carry this sword's will and destroy the evil that threatens to destroy this world! You have no idea that Hargon's ideals will result in your death."
"You're all talk," the imp snorted as the sound of smashed mirrors echoed around them. "You can't threaten anyone with that sword, boy. You're nothing but a bookkeeper."
"Oh?" Alex pressed forward, and the imp backed up, then shrieked as he backed into something sharp that penetrated his back. "You doubt the qualifications of a scholar to be in this party? On what basis do you make that assumption?" He didn't wait for Pazuzu to move, bringing the sword of Loto around in a flash of white, striking the creature's head clean from its shoulders. There was a shrieking, hissing sound as ichor bled from the body, rising in steam. "Old stories are just fiction." He nodded to Nikado. "How'd you find me?"
"You wouldn't shut up," Ameko chuckled, holding up the Echo Flute. "You never removed the sound amplifier off it, remember?"
Alex grinned at that. "Sometimes, I'm too smart for myself. Did you find some stairs while you were looking? We're probably going to find Hargon upwards, on the top floor."
"Would you like breakfast in bed with that?" she snorted at him. "They're over this way."
"Well, if you've got it handy," Alex said with a shrug. "I was the one doing all the work."
"I helped!" Nikado protested, holding up his own sword. "I avenged your death, Alex."
"So did I." Alex put a hand on the other man's back, nodding to Ameko. "Let's go up to the next floor."
The stairs leading out of the mirror room, now with a number of the mirrors broken and scattered on the floor, was a wide, fancy set with carpeting running down the center. The floor above was similarly decorated; while spartan in design, it was more well-lit than the floors above, giving it a clearer feel. It was almost like being on the top of a mountain, Alex thought to himself.
The floor largely seemed to consist of a long hall, pillars lining the central walkway. At the end of the walkway, a monster rested, hands on his knees, almost as if he was cut from the same stone as the walls themselves. "I've been waiting for you," the monster said in a quiet tone as they got close, weapons at the ready. "I knew you would defeat Pazuzu."
"If you knew, why didn't you help him?" Nikado asked with a frown.
"That's not my fight. My place of battle is here," the monster stated simply, rising to its feet. The creature towered over them, and they could see it was similar in build to the cyclops that had been in Osterfair, but much taller and orange-skinned. The monster hefted its massive club, nodding to them. "My name is Atlas, the first general of Lord Hargon and I will be your opponent for this floor. You will have to destroy me before you get to Lord Hargon. What are your names?"
"I'm Nikado, of Lorasia," Nikado stated.
"Alex, of Cannock."
"Ameko of Moonbrook," the princess added. "Why do you want to know?"
"One should properly introduce themselves before engaging in a serious battle," the monster said. "Are you prepared for battle, or do you have any last words you wish to utter?"
Alex looked him over. "You've studied the monster's way of chivalry, have you not?" he questioned slowly.
"I have. It is mostly a dead art, but I shall practice it nonetheless. If you are knowledgeable in the ways of chivalry, you will understand that I will not move from this place. You will have to kill me."
"Then I just have one question," Alex said with a nod. "Why Hargon? He isn't honorable in the least. He doesn't understand chivalry. He enslaves other monsters, massacres humans, and is going to end up destroying everything if we don't stop him."
"I am not affiliated with Lord Hargon for these reasons," the monster replied. "His goals are not a concern of mine."
Alex let out a sigh. "Were you not sworn to him, we may have ended up allies."
"I understand. Let us now do battle," Atlas stated.
It didn't seem fair, Alex reflected as the monster charged at them, swinging the club. This monster seemed like a decent sort, and wasn't trying to destroy the world like Hargon was. His only crime was holding onto a decent moral system and sticking to it. Alex shook his head as Ameko released a fireball at the monster's head, Atlas shaking it off as he charged toward her.
And yet, it was hard not to admire the monster, the last stand he was making to stop his master's enemies, the power and pride of his movements, as he drove them back, injuring them even through the armor, so powerful were his blows. The creature had no magic, no benefit of tricks in the walls or traps, nothing but the power behind his arms, and even with that, he was holding his own. It was because of Hargon that this had happened, that so many humans and monsters alike had lost their lives in such senseless fights. Hargon. He was the one that should suffer, and was going to, once they reached the next floor. Alex launched his own attack, bringing his sword down on the creature's club hand, striking a deep blow and causing the monster to lose its grip. Before it could pick it up again, the three of them were on Atlas as one, each striking with force. And with a groundshaking slam, the monster dropped to the ground, and died.
"It really is a shame," Alex murmured as Nikado yanked his sword out of the creature's chest.
"It can't be helped," Ameko said. "Let's move on."
Nikado looked up at the stairway before them, cleared and visible with the death of the monster standing in front of it. "Hargon," the man whispered. "We're coming for you."
The stairs spiraled endlessly in front of them, leading upwards to the tallest tower, where Hargon would be waiting. Nothing was said as they ran as a single group, moving forward. There wasn't anything left that needed to be said, and they all understood that. Before them, the stairs finally opened up and became the throne room, ringed with the blades of ice like the ones that had been on the first floor. And in front of them, kneeling in front of an altar, a monster was praying, muttering in a low tone. "Hargon!" Nikado shouted, blade gripped tightly in one hand.
The monster did not respond, but finished his prayer before turning to them. In appearance, Hargon was not unlike that of a human, dressed in wide robes that concealed most of his form. His skin was shining, almost like polished metal, and pale in appearance, his fingers long and bony. "I've been expecting you, heroes."
"This ends today, Hargon," Alex spoke quietly, holding up the sword of Loto.
"Yes, it does," the monster agreed, walking toward them at a slow, unhurried pace. Nikado planted his feet as the creature approached, then pushed off, aiming for a quick first strike. The blade slid right inbetwen the creature's ribs, and he grinned, Nikado's eyes widening in surprise at the ease of the kill. "Congratulations, boy," Hargon hissed, smiling up at the man with a gleeful expression in his eyes. "You've murdered me. How does it feel?"
"Nikado, get back!" Alex shouted in alarm, moving for the other man. Hargon's eyes closed, and then his body dissolved into a black mist that swirled around in front of them, taking on a physical form. That physical form shot out a hand, and it entered Nikado's chest, something glittering between its fingers as it drew it back.
"Nikado!!" Ameko cried in alarm, kneeling next to his body as he fell back, eyes closed, with no visible wound on his body. "Nikado, wake up!!"
Alex looked up at the black monster forming, several arms sprouting from its back, massive legs rooting onto the ground. "At last," a rumbling voice hissed out, looking at the thing between its fingers. Another crest? Alex realized in growing alarm as he caught a glimpse of it. "Now, the seals shall all be broken." And it crushed the object between its fingers, letting the dust fall to the ground.
"No!" Ameko screamed as the monster waved a hand.
There was the sound of smashing windows around them, and the other five seals flew into the room, hovering in the air inbetween himself and Alex. "Now," the voice hissed, eyes taking on form and blinking, "let the awakening begin."
Alex stared in horror as the seals began to shatter before him, and without thinking, he leapt for the nearest one, catching it in his hand. As he did, he felt the pressure of the monster before them, and he bit his lip to stop a cry as the pressure was brought down on his hand, crushing the flesh and bone under the gloves. Ignoring the agony and the blood streaming out from his glove, Alex stumbled back, clutching the seal somehow in his ruined hand. "Who are you? What are you doing?!" he demanded. "What have you done to Nikado?" He glanced back at the man. Although he didn't appear to be injured, he was unmoving, barely breathing, and Alex realized that something was dreadfully wrong. What had that creature removed?
"I've long searched for the descendant of Loto that carried on his burden," the creature chuckled. "Didn't Rubiss tell you about the sixth seal? The Soul Seal?"
"Shut up," Alex snapped, feeling panic starting to set in as he forced healing power into his injured fingers, straightening the bones and putting them back together, splinter by splinter. The pain of healing the terrible wound was almost as great as the wound itself, making his head spin. Even so, part of his mind realized that the more people that knew about the seal, the worse it would be and the closer the monster would be to awakening the creator god. "You're a fool. You're going to destroy everything."
"This world is but a dream, a figment of the imagination," the creature replied. "I am Sidoh, I am not restricted to such a pitiful, banal existance. I will break free of this world and become a god in my own right. You will not stop me. All will come undone when I take care of you and that last seal."
Alex felt sweat trickle down his back as the creature moved toward him, and then it jerked to a stop, a twitch running down the loosely skinned muscles, the movement in itself a disgusting, terrifying thing. "Alex," it growled out. "Alex...strike him now. With the sword...."
Alex's eyes widened. There was a familiarity in the inhuman voice, and he recognized it right away. "Nikado?!"
"Hurry," Nikado said in the monster's voice, the breath coming out in a wheeze. "Don't know...how long I can hold him."
Alex looked up at him, then down at the last seal in his hand. "All right, creator god, help me out here," he murmured to himself as he walked up to the monster, pressing the Life Seal against its skin. "You owe me!"
He could feel his power emerge, circling around the creature, and then it let out a squeal, knocking him back with an overmuscled hand. Alex skidded across the floor, getting to his feet quickly. "Surround!" he could hear Ameko's voice shout, and felt the magic streaming by him, wrapping the monster with illusions of them everywhere, masking their true location.
Ameko had pulled Nikado back behind a pillar, and Alex joined them breathlessly, slicing open his hand on the Sword of Loto and covering the seal in his blood. "Your hand," he said breathlessly, and she held it out immediately, letting him open her palm and cover the seal with her blood as well.
"Will this work?" she asked, trying to mask the fear in her voice.
"I don't know," he replied honestly, murmuring what words he could think to use in the ancient language. The seal slipped out from under his fingers, melting into the armor, and a moment later, Nikado's body gave a jerk, breath coming back more strongly than before.
"Nikado? Nikado, wake up," she whispered, pulling his head into her lap and smoothing back his hair. "Damn it, Nikado, please wake up."
His dark blue eyes slid open, and he looked at her blankly before he glanced to Alex. "Why didn't...."
"You idiot," Alex said, slapping him in the forehead. "That's not how it works."
Nikado winced at the blow, managing a tired smile. "What are we supposed to do now? How do we defeat that thing?"
They could hear a roar behind them as Sidoh moved about, smashing a nearby pillar. Alex winced as a fleck of stone bounced off his cheek. "Okay. First, we have to keep him from getting at this last seal. I think we've managed to do that by placing it inside Nikado. We win or we die."
Ameko nodded firmly, helping Nikado sit up. "Next, we have to figure out a way to destroy that thing's body," Alex continued, glancing around the pillar at the monster. "For that, I'm open to ideas."
"There's..." Ameko began, and then stopped.
"Ameko?" Nikado questioned.
She drew in a breath, and spoke. "There's a lot of power hanging in the air right now. From where the seals were broken. I don't think he's noticed yet. If we could turn it against him, we might...."
Alex looked over at the clearing, then at her. "Could you absorb it?"
She looked at it, and chewed her lip. "I don't know. That's much more power than what we did at Moonbrook." The princess looked over again, and then straightened her back. "I can do it. I will. Can you make a spell circle to support me?"
"That I can do. But it'll take time."
"Then I know what I have to do," Nikado said. "Can I borrow your sword, Alex?"
The other prince tossed it over to him, Nikado catching it one-handed. "I'll give you all the time you need," he promised, getting to his feet.
"Nikado," Ameko began as he turned toward the monster. "Alex. Both of you be careful."
"You have the hard part," Alex told her. "You be careful, too."
"I will. I promise," she said sincerely, her eyes alight with a fierce light. "You can count on it."
"Then go," Alex said, reopening a wound on his finger and drawing along the stone tile, brushing dust from the destroyed pillars out of his way as he moved. It was tricky, a corner of his mind noted. He would need to pick out exactly the right words, that would maximize the power of his blood, his own magical life force, and yet still cover the ground without passing out from too much blood loss. Wincing as he creased the wound on his palm, he drew his finger along the ground in quick strokes, not frantic or rushed, but calm and confident. He knew what he was doing. He knew this magic, understood it. There was nothing he needed to fear from this circle. Right now, it was just him against the circle itself, the limitations of his power and his own body, his mind working against the rules laid out to come up with just the right combination to allow Ameko to take control of the powers of the seals, that of the creator god, a piece of his very being.
As the illusion of the surround cleared, Nikado emerged from the dust scattered around, the sword of Loto held low in one hand as he approached the multi-armed creature, its fangs dripping with drool in the unnatural light of the castle walls. "You yet live," the creature growled, its mouth turning up, opening wide in a terrifying, nightmarish grin. "I will make you pay for your insolence against me."
"No, you won't," Nikado replied calmly. "I've figured out the way to beat you. It has to be me, the one holding that seal you destroyed, and with this sword." He held the weapon up, staring at the monster from down the brilliant blade's edge. "Let's go, monster, and may the best man win."
Sidoh laughed at that, flexing its multiple arms, waving them around. "Then we shall go, insect, and you will regret the foolishness of your existance. Loto should have given up when he had a chance. It may have given him a more comfortable life. Did you know, boy? He and I met, and when he sealed some of my power, it cost him his life. He was only revived through the power of the elementals, and do you know what sort of life he lived?"
"What sort?" Nikado asked, a part of him curious, another part recognizing that letting the beast talk would buy Alex and Ameko more time.
"He only had a few months to live, after he was brought back, and even then it was not so he could live, but so he could pass on the seal through his blood, his flesh. He lost the power of magic, and his body was too destroyed to even allow him to walk. You see, boy? He had a pitiful, miserable existance." The monster chuckled, as if enjoying the memory of the hero's anguish. "And in the end, it didn't matter. I have risen again to fulfill my destiny."
Nikado was quiet for a moment. "But even so, he did it so that one day, I would be here. I who would meet with my valuable companions, who would travel this great, beautiful world, and meet all of its people. And that's a wonderful thing to be thankful for. I think...if it had been me, if I had been the one in that situation, knowing what was coming...I would have done it anyway. What's the point of living comfortably if the world's going to be ruined? How would that allow for a peaceful, comfortable life? It wouldn't. That's why I'm going to stop you, for myself and for the generations that will follow. Your tales don't frighten me, monster. I will protect this world from you, right here and now. And then when you try and rise again, my children will stop you. And their children. Why don't you just give up? It's impossible for you to ever defeat us. Even when we die, our will goes on. Just like Loto's does."
"Such an irritating little human," Sidoh growled, eyes narrowing in annoyance. "I think the time for talking has ended. It is difficult to tell you the error of your ways when my mouth shall be full of your flesh rended from your bones."
Nikado raised the sword, and the monster charged at him, swiping with a few hands. Ducking under two blows, he blocked the low one with the blade held vertically, skidding across the floor. He recognized the need to keep the monster inside the little clearing, letting Alex work undetected behind the pillars, drawing the circle up. At least, he hoped it was undetected. Well, the best way to make sure of that was to keep all of Sidoh's focus on him, and so Nikado charged, slashing at an arm. The blade bit through the black flesh, a hand dropping to the ground with a sizzle of black steam, but the monster didn't seem bothered in the least, striking him with the stump of the hand, knocking him to the ground. Then he could only focus on the maze of arms that enveloped him, stinging, punching, clawing, all of them moving in every direction, trying to strike at him.
Ameko watched from her position behind the pillar, seeing Alex moving around behind the pair. Hurry, Alex, she thought to herself as she chewed on her lip, watching and unable to help her friend, her lover. But this was Nikado's role, and she knew she needed every ounce of her strength left in her to bring the wild power in the air under her control long enough to loose it at Sidoh. Time. It was all about how much time Alex needed, how much Nikado could give them. If the monster caught on to what Alex was doing and disrupted the circle, or defeated Nikado and charged after them before it was done, there would be no hope. Hope, she thought to herself, folding her hands over her heart. There are a lot of people that are hoping for the best for us. Alena and the slimes. Teslian, although he is a bit of a pain in the ass. Kiel and his parents. Talira, Anko, Rehanin, and all the people of the new Moonbrook. Hanata and Fiducius, Domani and Jun. Aeun and Lithrik. The gremlins and Adelaide. Austin and Ephemeris. Anne and Shichiya. And Alex's family, and even Nikado's father and his teacher. They're all hoping for us. We've met a lot of people that will be able to give us strength. Now it's time to repay that trust and bring about a power to reach through the darnkess of this evil, even if that requires a miracle. She chuckled to herself. Listen to me, I sound like a bard myself.
Then, in front of her, Nikado fell under a blow, and Sidoh laughed, pounding him with all the fists he could bring about to pummel down on the man, smashing against him until he was unable to move. Ameko put a hand over her mouth, trying not to cry out in horror. Sidoh laughed again, rising up on his hind legs and standing tall, towering over the man. "Fool," he laughed, running the fingers of one hand through the blood on the floor. "I hope you died most painfully." The eyes then swiveled around, peering at Ameko. She stared back, forcing herself not to look to see where Alex was, praying he was close. "Shall you be next, then?"
She felt a little sweat trickle down her neck, keeping her ground as she tried to think of something, anything. Nikado, she needed to try and help him. Maybe he wasn't dead, she tried to tell herself, but the body in front of her just couldn't convince her of that fact. "Nikado!" she shouted as Sidoh approached her, shaking the floor with each step. "Nikado, get up!"
And then he did, bringing his sword up through the creature's arms, several of them falling off to the ground. Nikado got to his feet, the Sword of Loto in one hand as he advanced again, slicing through more of the clawed, spiked limbs. "How?" Sidoh gasped in surprise, turning to look at him. "You are dead. I have killed you!"
"Next time, kill me a bit more thoroughly," Nikado said, spitting out something. Ameko looked down at it, and started. It was the stem from the leaf of the World Tree, the spare that he had gotten with Teslian. "Don't you know anything about old wives' tales?"
"Fool!" Sidoh bellowed, turning toward him again. "Then this time, I will tear your body apart!"
The prince's face was grim and determined as he backed away from Sidoh's pounce, the monster trying to leap on him and crush him under his feet. Stumbling a bit as he moved around, trying to get a shot at its under-armed side, Nikado tried for another blow.
"Ameko," came a breathless voice at her side, and Alex was there, painting the last of the runes in his own blood. The Cannock prince looked pale, but his eyes were set as he brought the ends of the circle to touch. "Stand here, and tell me when you're ready."
She watched as he put the final lines in place, and took a deep breath. "Do it," she said, pulling through the air around her, drawing the power to herself. It came swiftly, rushing over her like a great wind, a waterfall, and she could feel the pressure of Alex's circle, trying to hold it back enough for her to turn, to funnel into one point. Sidoh, sensing the power gathering in the air, turned toward her, but Nikado drew his attention back by removing three more arms. The creature was now hurting, having lost a significant number of limbs, and turned toward the annoyance. This time, Nikado dove past, darting through the creature's legs, taking out one of its feet with a pass of the sword. Sidoh let out a screech, the sound rattling the windows, causing glass to drop from the broken ones as it fell with a ground-shaking thud, the arms trying to push it back upright.
"Nikado!" Alex shouted at him. "Get out of the circle! Jump over it!"
He did so without hesitation, jumping over the closest point in the circle before running along the outside, joining the pair of them. "You okay?" Alex asked, his attention on the circle, on holding it together past the power that rushed against it.
"Had better days. You?"
"If I throw up," he gritted out, "make sure I don't do it on the circle." His hands ground against the stone, the blood of the circle glowing. Ameko, too, had taken on a glow of her own, her body lighting up from within with the power absorbed from the five destroyed seals. And then, she could feel it, a restless presence, a power greater than her, stirring...awakening.
"No!" she shouted, and released the power she had gathered, driving it toward Sidoh with every bit of deadly force she could muster, the white light illuminating the entire tower. The structure unable to hold it, the force was directed upwards by the magic circle, shooting into the sky in a pillar of light, visible from nearly every point in the world. And those who had gathered, who had hoped for the best, who had fought and struggled, saw their hopes and toil paid off with a single glowing light.
Ameko collapsed to the floor as the light died down, feeling as if she'd pulled every muscle in her body. Behind her, she could see Alex, laying on the floor behind her, and she wasn't sure if he was still conscious or not. In the center of the circle, most of the dark mists had been banished away, leaving only the head and one shoulder of the monster Sidoh, mouth open and straining as he tried to draw power back to him. Nikado took a step forward, then another, dragging himself over to the monster, the sword of Loto in his hands. "I cannot die," he wheezed. "I will never die."
"Today, you will," Nikado stated as he brought the sword down, the white orb embedded in it taking on a bright glow. And then the last of the mist vanished, and Nikado fell back on his rear, landing near Ameko. "Ameko, Alex. You two all right?"
She reached over, giving his hand a squeeze. "Good job, Nikado. Are you okay?"
"Much better, now. And you did all the work."
Alex pulled himself over as white light fell through the ravaged tower from the open sky above, almost as if the light was snow itself. Above them, they could see, for perhaps the first time in a long time, the sun breaking through the clouds over Rhone, shining down on the snow and lighting it with a blinding glow. The three of them sat there for a moment, no one moving or speaking, all too tired and injured to do much else.
The light that fell from the sky began to form into shapes, and slowly, four small objects appeared on the floor, that of the four seals that had been destroyed. As they watched, where the remainder of Sidoh had been dispatched, another one began to form, and with this one, they could see the shape of a person form within the light, a man looking down at the seal repairing itself in his hand.
"You're...Loto," Alex said in surprise, knowing without a doubt that he was right.
The man looked at them, and smiled gently. "Thank you," they could hear a voice, soft and inaudible, almost like the wind itself. "Thank you for protecting me."
"Thank you," Nikado got out, tears coming to his eyes. "Thank you for everything you did to make sure we would be able to do this. Thank you...for allowing us to be born."
He gave them a soft smile, then nodded, closing his eyes. "Then it was worth it." Walking over to Nikado, he touched the reformed seal to the man's chest, past the damaged armor, and it disappeared through the metal, the Life Seal emerging a moment later and falling to the ground. As the seal vanished back into his chest, the image of the man disappeared, fading into the specks of light that fell on the ruined pillars and torn tile.
Alex finally managed to get to his feet. "Can you stand? All of that power, all the damage done to this castle is probably going to cause this tower to fall apart. We need to leave."
"Can you cast a spell to get us outside?" Ameko asked him. "I'm tapped out."
He shook his head. "I doubt it. I have no strength left."
"Then I guess we're running for it," Nikado said, standing with a chuckle as he handed the sword of Loto back to Alex. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."
"Thanks for using it." Alex and Nikado pulled Ameko to her feet, the woman leaning on the Lorasian prince. "Let's go. Back to the places where people are waiting for us."
"Don't forget the baths!" Ameko insisted. "You promised."
Even as the sounds of the tower crumbling echoed around Rhone, the symbol of Hargon's power collapsing under its own weight and dissolving into nothingness, the sound of laughter could be heard on the wind.
