"She's not lying." Anubis said before Meta could speak up to shoot back a reply. The jackal god had always been a being of integrity, never to lie, as he was to judge all those whom had died. "Although I consider our relationship differently than 'friends', if I may say so." The god said with a slight nod in Xastra's direction. Meta said nothing, feeling indignified.

Matt woke up first, too damn early like usual. Stretching while still on his back, he sat up, taking the jacket off of his eyes.

Well, he thought he woke up first, but someone else had apparently beat him to it. The figure, standing a bit away from the camp, turned to face Matt, and he was flanked by the rising sun. "Hello, Matt."

Matt knew the figure's heavy white cloak and hooded face immediately. The Chronomancer...it's been a while, hasn't it? Matt resisted the urge to shout the guy's name, because that would probably wake everyone up, wouldn't it? "You again." Matt stood. "What is it?"

"You are very close to reaching your goal," the Chronomancer said. "Very close."

"Okay."

"But you must remain cautious." The man's eyes narrowed, and that was all Matt could really see in the shadow provided by the hood. "There is still darkness you must conquer."

"Nothing specific, eh?" Matt slid his hands in his pockets. "So is this really supposed to be cryptic or something? Is that how everyone's supposed to do it?"

"My knowledge of the future is not as clear as I would like for it to be." The man turned away, and his coat began to kick up in the brief wind. "Perhaps it is a sign that you must figure out where your path leads."

"Magical."

The Chronomancer didn't look back. "Until we meet again..."

And then he was gone.

Matt stood there before huffing a loud breath, and settling back onto his messy, open sleeping bag. He really needed psychological mind shit before breakfast.

R.D. abruptly pushed himself up onto his knees and rubbed his eyes, staring at the approaching form he knew to be Matt. He had woken up a bit earlier--partially from bad dreams, partially from hearing Matt awaken.

"So, who was that?" he asked groggily, trying to rub the sleepiness from his green eyes. He yawned once before continuing. "I couldn't really see; whoever it was put out some heavy-duty shit and fucked up my vision. Was it Ondal?"

===In Japan===

The next round is mine? You're too kind, Alasea thought sarcastically. She readied the Megami Tsurugi at her side, and stepped forward once before lunging. She had closed the distance with a single blurred moment, her sword striking out rapidly like a serpent's bite. The white-bladed sword thrust out twice at Cora's head, aiming each strike for the eyes, and followed through with a downward cut aimed at the demoness' brow. From this, she'd press forward with two slashes, crossing over one another in downward diagonal cuts, and spin around while attacking with a rising uppercut slash.

"Nobody was there," Matt lied, putting his jacket back over his eyes though he knew he wasn't goin' back to sleep today.

R.D. frowned, realizing Matt was hiding something. He didn't press it; after a night of bad sleep he just wanted to try and get some last minute rest. With that, he laid down and closed his eyes again.

After a while, R.D. opened his eyes and sighed. They really shouldn't be wasting time here; they could get attacked at any moment. He got up and roused the others before starting to gather his things to put in the car. "Come on," he said while he packed, "I don't want to be around here long enough for the next freak wanting to make trophies out of our heads."

===In Japan===

Alasea threw herself out of the way, ripping her sword free and creating a shower of sparks as the two weapons ground against each other as the weapon was pulled free. As the blade shot out to where Alasea's chest had been, Alasea spun and her sword shone brightly, its blade becoming a hundred times sharper. Just as the blade stopped its extension, Alasea slashed upwards at Cora's forearm, intending to cleave it off.

"Nobody's gonna attack us," Matt remarked. "We've got the-"

He paused as he remembered the fates of the annoying sentries.

"...never mind." He pushed his jacket aside and tapped Hugo's helmet. "Hugo."

The Mettaur quietly clicked back to active mode, and glanced at Matt. "What is it? I was sleeping."

"We're goin' now. Wake up Helena."

The group packed up their things and got ready to go. R.D. looked out towards the rising sun once, frowning. He wondered what lay out there, and what was waiting for them. The amnesiac shook the thoughts from his head and got into the car, and they were off once more.

Their trek lasted days as they traveled beneath a merciless sun. Each day they were attacked by roaming bands of monsters, whether the remnants of Electra's forces or the subtly-growing packs of monsters Ziatoch was unleashing. Each night, R.D. practiced the usage of Chaos Control, and each night he was plagued with more visions of that red-haired girl named Mesia. After a week of travel, the group made it to sea, and once they loaded the Firebird onto their boat, they crossed the Mediterranean Sea and set foot in Europe, in the lands of Donovan.

More days passed as they delved deeper into the continent. More monsters fell at their hands, and the group grew more confident in their abilities as they became more efficient at massacring their foes. Three weeks after their battle with Malvettix in the desert, the group slowly idled through a large canyon, beneath a dreary sky. R.D. had his arm hanging out the front passenger window, looking at the chilly, cracked ground as they passed through. God, how much farther can that damn portal be? he thought grouchily. This trip had been tiresome and annoying, despite their progress.

A mile and a half down the length of the canyon, two pyres of black flame burned into existence at the canyon edge. Two demonic forms stepped out of the flames, and looked down the canyon to the approaching vehicle.

"That's them, huh?" the smaller of the two said, crouching down and watching them with a smirk on his canine face. He was covered in black and dark gray armor, with spikes running down the length of his bracers and shinguards. His claws and talons cut into the ground as he watched with yellow eyes. "They don't seem like much, Xazax."

The second demon, Xazax, smirked. His frame lean, but incredibly muscular, covered in blood-red scales. He wore no armor, but his frame suggested he didn't need any armor. His face was hard and angular, and two long, black horns jutted from the back of his skull out a foot. Glowing black eyes stared out at the car as well. In his right hand, he gripped a massive black warhammer, the face of the hammer having spikes along its edge, and another massive spike behind it. The weapon rested upside down, and he held the haft of the weapon as if it were a cane. "I wouldn't say that, Terranox," the demon replied in a gravelly voice, "The two boys of that group took down the mighty Lord of Terror. They look young and weak, but these two are... quite special."

Terranox snorted. "If they took down Diablo, what're we doing here?" he growled, "We're not quite as strong as he was."

"That's why we're here together," Xazax said patiently, "And we have brought an army with us. We will take the boys alive, kill the girl, and crush the robot. We will take the boys to Ziatoch, and receive our just rewards."

The canine demon chuckled. "Good," he said, "I've been bored. This should be fun."

As he drove, Matt unscrewed a bottle of Coke with one hand, and drank it from the side of his mouth. Despite the depressing sky, he actually kinda enjoyed the drive, what with the brisk wind blowing that seemed to happen just before a storm.

Still, he was a paranoid man. 'Twas his nature. In these strange lands, letting down his guard was, of course, stupid.

Eh. Maybe he could let down his guard ever so slightly and enjoy things for once.

R.D. wasn't quite sure how Matt did it, but somehow, the Core Host managed to make the radio play stations in other dimensions. At this particular moment, the station was rather alien--he didn't have a damn clue what they were saying, but he found the tune rather catchy.

"So how far is that portal now?" he asked, "It didn't move again, did it?"

Matt glanced at the rearview window-always checking to make sure everyone was where they're supposed to be. Helena sleeping, check. Hugo looking bored, check. "Nah, we're definitely getting closer. Way closer. But it's still a way off."

"Blah," R.D. said, "I just want to get to the next world and get on with our adventure. This world is way too dangerous for us to stick around."

The amnesiac teen's fingers drummed along the door of the car in boredom as he looked around. "If it's not the Core they're after, it's Lumiya they want. And vice-versa," he muttered, "And we've managed to piss off just about every monster in power here."

Atop the canyon, Xazax and Terranox watched as the car grew ever closer. "Do you remember the plan?" Xazax said to his companion, who snorted and licked his lips. His flattened canine face drew back into a toothy sneer.

"Yeah, I know the plan," he muttered, "Let's just get this over with. I'm bored and I'm hungry."

"Then let's go."

The two of them disappeared in black pyres, appearing on the canyon floor only a hundred yards from the Firebird. The two demons grinned as they saw the inhabitants in the car. "Showtime," Terranox growled to himself.

Doo doo doo, nothin' really goin' on...hello. What's this? Matt leaned a bit closer as he saw something in the distance as they drove on. "What's that up there?"

R.D. looked up ahead at what Matt was staring at. And swore.

"More demons," he said, "Here we go again."

"Demons?" Hugo raised his pickaxe. "Damn it, it never ends."

"Hmmm?" Helena stretched as best as she could in the confined seat. "What's going on?"

Leaning back, Matt rested his arm on the top of the car door. "Time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I don't normally chew gum. Especially that fruity gum because I always swallow it."

The chamber on Hugo's pickaxe slid home and back. "Let's rock," he said.

Xazax stepped forward as the group vacated the car. "Greetings, Matt Willard, Rising Dragon," he said, bowing politely. "We have been expecting you."

"No shit," R.D. snapped, "The shitstorm sweepstakes never ends with you freaks on the loose."

Xazax ignored R.D.'s biting comment, standing upright and hoisting the black warhammer over his shoulder. "Our master has sent us with an offer for the two of you."

Matt folded his arms. He didn't trust a damn thing either of them wanted, and right now, he was ready to pump 'em full of lead along with Hugo.

But diplomacy first. "What is it?"

"Come with us," Terranox said, "Come with us, and we will leave your friends in peace. We will extract your artifacts, and you'll be free to leave. We will send you to an untouched world, where you won't have to worry about conflict and pain."

"You will be free," Xazax said, "The binds that hold you will be cut loose, and you will be set free."

R.D. remained silent for this, his eyes slowly narrowing. He looked over at Matt. "You want to give them our answer, or should I?"

Matt smirked. "I think I got it." He took a small step foward, eyeing the two dog-like demons. "Now..." He held up his right hand. "See this?"

He reached into the folds of his denim jacket. "This-"

From nowhere, he produced a 12-gauge, double barrelled shotgun, with a sawed off barrel, and leveled it right at their opponents. "-is my BOOMSTICK!"

Xazax's eyes narrowed and burned. "I'll take that as a no," he said coldly.

"Yeah," R.D. confirmed, drawing a Phase Blade and activating it. "These two seem intelligent this time around. The last batch didn't get it until they died."

"Told ya they wouldn't go for it," Terranox said, crouching down and readying his claws. "Let's just get the fun started already and shred them."

"Let's," Xazax said, raising his left claw into the air. R.D. narrowed his eyes. "Now, children, I will tell you something. During your time on this planet, your main pursuers have been Gouki and Donovan. As you very well know, each of them sent a limited amount of monsters to bring you in. That was a mistake."

"Yeah, so?" R.D. said, readying his sword.

"We will not make that mistake."

The demon snapped his fingers, and the sky darkened as stormy clouds rolled in. A bolt of lightning flared, followed by thunder. And on either side of the canyon, shadows spread. Behind the demons and behind the car, monsters began to appear, arriving from bursts of flame or rising up from the spreading shadows. Winged nightmares escaped the clouds and multiplied. They kept coming, and coming, and coming. Soon, on either side of the group, was just a seething mass of hellspawn as far as the eye could see.

"You've beaten three hundred monsters in a single run, children," Terranox snarled. "Let's see how well you do against a million of them."

"She allowed me to do my job." Anubis stated plainly. It was quite the truth: after Meta had torn down the Tartarus Gates, Anubis had become enabled to seize full control of those who had been locked up in there. He had had trouble with many of the realm's inhabitants since a while, but after Meta's entrance he had forced his will upon those, and they had either submitted themselves to him to become underlings, or had offered their allegiance, the latter group primarily doing that to save face, though in essence they also succumbed to the jackal god's rule. "Forgive my rudeness for asking a personal question," Anubis then continued, "but may I inquire as to who I am exactly talking to?"

Blazen stood and walked forward a bit and looked around from his position. His head turned from side to side and then slid down the side of the plateau, leaning against the rocky side. He stopped at the bottom of the bowl, some rocks falling near him.

Blazen then took a few steps forward and continued his scan. He shook his head when seeing nothing.

"No!" He called up to Kalmar.

Helena drew closer to Matt, her eyes widening as she took in all that the fates had sent to oppose them. "What are we going to do?" she whispered, panicked.

Matt just kept staring at the demons, his shotgun still poised. "Is that it?" he asked.

"What the fuck are you saying?!" Hugo snapped. "Are you fucking BLIND?!"

"Sure, I guess I gotta give you credit for actually trying to summon enough cannon fodder to stop me," Matt continued, without skipping a beat. "But you still don't understand. You can't stop me. You never could, and never will."

"We shall see, Willard," Xazax said coldly, "We shall see."

The gigantic demon raised its fingers and snapped them. A terrible screech rent the air as the monsters were driven into a frenzy, and they surged forward. Xazax and Terranox disappeared within black flames as the seething demonic mass approached.

R.D. wasn't taking any chances. As he drew the second Phase Blade and combined it into the Phase Lance, the Dragon King Armor materialized around him, its visor sliding down as the four cannons appeared on his back and hips. "I'll get the back," he said to Matt, "Have fun with the front."

===In Japan===

"I haven't underestimated a damn thing!" Alasea exclaimed as she released her grip on the sword and thrust both hands forward at Cora. The Megami Tsurugi disappeared in a flash of light, materializing in its scabbard on Alasea's waist, and a flicker of power sparked from Alasea's hands before she unleashed a torrent of DivineLightning at Cora's midsection at point blank range.

"Will do." Matt lowered his arm, preparing to fling his weapon into the air. "Stay close," he said to Hugo and Helena.

Throwing the weapon up, he grabbed the pieces of armor that had inexplicably covered his chest, and peeled them apart, revealing large, dull blue gems that suddenly charged with power. "Mega Smasher!"

Twin beams of destructive blue energy exploded from the gems, immolating the forces immediately in front of him. Matt directed the beams left and right, tearing through the demonic creatures.

"Get back, you BASTARDS!" Hugo snapped, firing potshots at any enemy he could find, while Helena gripped tighter to Matt's arm.

R.D. swung around and shot forward at the back end, zipping past the Firebird. As the monsters surged into attack, he flared his body out and readied his arm cannon, firing all weapons at once. The five beams cut a bloody path through the demons, creating a corridor of gore and fire. He began locking onto the monsters directly in front of the legion, and unleashed a massive barrage from all of his cannons. A wall of explosions blanketed the front line, keeping them at bay.

As the armored teen shot forward through the blaze, screams overhead alerted the group to the flying beasts shooting down from the skies at Matt and Helena. As the imps shot in, larger, brutish monsters plowed through the front lines, swinging massive fists to crush everything in their way.

"Ah," Anubis let out and his head dropped a little as if it were a sign of showing respect to someone newly met. "Greetings, young sir Xastra." He said to the small figure that stood before him. He was careful not to missspeak himself and call the person claiming to be known by many names 'miss' or any other title that would indicate femininity, considering how Meta had called Xastra 'father'.