Numerous thrusters activated as KishouDoragon began maneuvering around the boulders of ice as they fell down, and R.D. frowned within the chamber. Lines of light raced up his body as he contemplated his next action, and he looked up, causing lines of light to race out from the Crystalis Server's eyes as he initiated a System Change.

"Draken Wing!"

Blue light glowed between the many plates of armor on SkyDraken's wings, and they suddenly spread out, increasing KishouDoragon's wingspan to a length of 62.7 meters. Dozens of thrusters activated within the wings, and using the new mobility, the Drake of Braves skillfully flew out through the hailstorm, deftly avoiding boulder after boulder. Turning in a barrel roll so that his back faced the ground, SkyDraken's wing thrusters activated and propelled KishouDoragon up over the beam of Tenma-Aisu.

Completing the roll, KishouDoragon stabilized its flight and thrust both arms forward, and the optic sensors of Tamaran, GaiaDraken, and AquaDraken flashed brightly. "Infernal Gaze!"

Azure rays of Crystalis-imbued energy lanced out from the three pairs of eyes, six lasers streaking through the air at Sheena's massive neck and torso, chewing through hail as they went.

KishouDoragon reared back, bringing its right hand back, clenched into a fist. The golden head casing of GaiaDraken burned brightly, glowing an extremely hot red, sizzling the air. "Genocide... Blazer!"

Punching forward, the burning head casing jutted forward on KishouDoragon's forearm, opening up as if roaring, and suddenly exploded off of the arm, rocketing forward through the air, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Rings of heat expanded off of the trail, melting hail as they struck them. The Genocide Blazer smashed into the sphere of Tenma-Aisu, instantly burning a hole through it. The ring it left behind expanded rapidly, incinerating it in an instant, and the projectile suddenly blazed blue with the Crystalis as it streaked at Sheena's face at speeds exceeding Mach 2.

"Sanctum Roar!"

Once more, KishouDoragon thrust out his left arm, firing the soundwave barrier at the sphere of dark ice and halting it as it smashed into the shield. The Infernal Gaze fired again from Tamaran's optic sensors, and twin rays of Crystalis energy lanced through the air at Sheena before KishouDoragon flew up using the thrusters in the Draken Wing, and back down forward at its frozen Genocide Blazer, swinging its right fist at it to break the ice and reacquire its projectile.

Edited by RisingDragon on September 30, 2008 at 23:23:44.

"Richtig," Siegfried muttered absentmindedly. With a deft motion he opened the door that the man had indicated and immediately set off back the way in which he had come to retrieve Lance's corpse. Trotting down the stairs he had come from, Siegfried quickly knelt by Lance. The knight slid a worn leather glove from his hand and placed a calloused finger over his comrade's wrist, feeling a pulse, weak but steady.

Exhaling quietly in a relieved manner, Siegfried slid two hands under Lance, one gauntleted, one bare. A slight wince of surprise lit up the German's face for less than a second as he felt a jolt of electricity touch his fingernails on his naked hand as the leftover energy from the attack found an outlet out. Paying little to know attention to any new shocks, Siegfried took a quick but smooth speed to the room, quickly spotting the opened door. Shouldering it open the rest of the way, he moved inward and placed Lance on a small bed.

After seven minutes, there was a knock on the door to Siegfried's room, quickly followed by the door being opened and a dark-skinned man in a white coat entered. Beyond the threshold of the door were the two men Siegfried had met earlier.

"This is my patient?" the doctor said, approaching the bed that Lance was resting in. He set down a small case and opened it up, taking out a stethoscope and putting it around his neck.

The icicles sped across the air at KishouDoragon, and the Super Mechanoid halted its advance, raising up its arms in front of its dragon-headed torso. The icicles smashed hard into its white and cobalt armor, only for them to shatter upon impact as an aura of blue light issued out all around KishouDoragon's frame.

Thank the lord for Crystalis Armor, R.D. thought, looking at the readouts on the interface windows as he continued to advance. With the help of the extra soul inhabiting his body, the soul of Bahamut helping him to to work the finer points of the machine he served as the Crystalis Server to. Calculations were screaming down the numerous holographic panels in the chamber of light, his mind racing to comprehend it all. The pulses of light traveling up his body and into his eyes moved faster and faster as the calculations continued.

Okay, it can work, he thought as the calculations were completed. He narrowed his eyes. I just need to get the Genocide Blazer back. Damn wyrm must of severed her divine connections to the blasted ice.

KishouDoragon plummeted, its large metal talons smashing into the snow and ice below. The ground shook from the impact of over six hundred tons of Bound D-Armament impacting the ground. Standing to his full height, KishouDoragon looked back up into the skies where Sheena hovered.

===

There was a flapping of wings outside of the cavern MegaMan Juno had taken refuge in, revealing the snow-coated pink-furred form of Relayia. Settling down on all fours, the Queen of Dragons shook her body rapidly, flinging the snow and ice off of herself.

Settling down on her haunches, the Queen of Dragons looked at Juno and spoke immediately. "Good to see that you've been freed, MegaMan Juno. Your timing is fortuitous. We need your help, and KishouDoragon needs your help."

===Xobelisk===

The Throne of Souls was dark, even more so than usual. In the great, circular platform before the actual throne, a mist-edged portal was opened up in its center, covering most of the dark metal platform's floor and highlighting everything present in the room with an eerie blue glow. A dark gathering had come about around it, as Ziatoch's most trusted generals stood along the edges of the platform in the expansive room. Ratayu, clad in black armor and devoid of weaponry, stood next to a beautiful, blond-haired woman wearing a skimpy black dress with a plunging neckline and gaps in the skirt, leaving her legs bare, showing skin covered in numerous white, purple, and green markings. Across from them, standing between a humanoid figure made up of black flame surrounded by a skeletal structure and another tall humanoid clad in glowing blue armor was Damian. Standing in front of the steps leading up onto the platform was the armored figure of Eon, who stared impassively into the scrying pool. Closer to the steps leading up to the dark throne was Re-Tuul, black-marked arms crossed over his white chest, his eel-like face strangely devoid of his creepy joker's grin.

Standing next to the throne was the imposing, black-armored figure of Daemonus, overlooking all of those gathered. Seated on His throne was their master, the Eternal Destroyer of Worlds, in His dark-skinned humanoid form. All of them stared into the scrying pool, even Ziatoch. Leaning slightly to the side with His legs crossed and His face propped up by the arm on the armrest. His face held an expression of annoyance and disgust.

The scrying pool displayed the great battle between the Dark Goddess of the Ice Dragons and the newly born Drake of Braves. The construct itself held little interest to those watching--it was the strange energy that it wielded that held them all with such morbid fascination.

"This... thing," Ratayu said, as if something distasteful was in his mouth, "What in the world is it using? How can it affect Sheena's powers so easily?"

Edited by RisingDragon on October 2, 2008 at 0:40:18.

"And you are capable of creating SaintFlame, Juno," Relayia said, "And you have faced worst odds in the past. All we require is one thing. If you can strike the frozen projectile that KishouDoragon fired with SaintFlame, you'll return your friend access to victory. One shot is all you will need."

===

One icicle in particular came speeding right at KishouDoragon's dragon-headed torso, and R.D. frowned in annoyance. Clawed hands reached out and snatched the icicle out of the sky, halting it in its tracks as the Crystalis Armor activated from the impact and shielding its frame from the harmful ice. KishouDoragon crushed the icicle between its hands, and then activated the Draken Wing system and shot forward across the snows. He could see six bronze-scaled creatures in the distance, eyes glowing as they stared at him.

A transmission suddenly came in, and after a brief moment of dialogue, R.D. smiled with confidence. Streaking past the six Bronze Dragons while avoiding the icicles, KishouDoragon held out its right hand, and the dragon's spell took hold, manifesting a large spear made of magical fire. He closed the distance between him and Sheena, and the Drake of Braves turned and aimed its newfound weapon at Sheena's underside. With a mighty swing, he flung the weapon up at Sheena.

Edited by RisingDragon on October 2, 2008 at 14:05:26.

In Argentina:

"Yes, sir," Siegfried stammered in Spanish to the doctor who had come in. He watched in silence, anxiety filling his eyes as the doctor proceeded to do routine checks and methods. During this time, Siegfried looked in perspective how quickly he had come to care about this kid. He was annoying and acted too big for his own shoes, but there was something that was compelling about him. They'd escaped death and danger and brought it down on one another, but they still travelled together. Day after day, month after month, this couldn't end now.

Finally after several minutes had passed, Siegfried asked cautiously, "Do you know if he'll be all right?"

Xobelisk:

Damian watched the battle take place on epic proportions; his face twisted into mild annoyance. This could pose a large problem, without a doubt. The special energy that was emitted from the newly-formed machine was having a significant effect on Sheena, a being of the dark. Damian spoke in response to Ratayu, not bothering to mask his voice with the child cover, his voice rumbled in a demonic growl, "Perhaps, this energy only affects divinely dark beings of the sort. Perhaps, divine things in general it will affect, but that part is irrelevant for us at this point. Perhaps, the real question is how does this affect us. Perhaps, just as both we and Sheena carry extreme dark powers, so also will we be affected in the same way. Perhaps, we should seek the destruction of this infernal machine at once."

"He should be fine with a few days of rest," the doctor said, completing his examinations. "No strenuous activity, mind you."

The doctor made some notes on a clipboard for a few moments, then looked up at Siegfried. "What is the boy's name?" he asked, his pen poised over the sheet on the clipboard.

===Xobelisk===

"Negative. Odds of eradication of designated target are low," Eon said in a cold monotone. Lifting up her hands, a holographic interface appeared, and the armored woman typed in a few commands. "Structure of the construct appears to be made of an unknown alloy. Size of the construct is superior to our own. Analysis of the power source indicates a potentially infinite supply of energy harmful to your own divine connections to Ziatoch. Frontal assault is ill advised."

Re-Tuul looked up over at the reactivated being. "I'll agree with that one. Not only is this machine beyond anything we suspected from the dragons, its being piloted by that brat. And that one has a knack for overcoming the odds."

"He's just a boy," Ratayu said, looking at the demon. "Just how powerful can he be?"

"That 'boy'," Re-Tuul said with a sneer, "Destroyed Terranox, Xazax, and an army of one million and survived. And that was without a giant robot on his side. He's gotten stronger since then, and has this new toy."

In Argentina:

"It's Lance," Siegfried said, and then with a tone of regret, "It's the only name he's given me, so I suppose that's what it is. Thank you for you time, sir. I, and I'm sure Lance too, appreciate it greatly. If anyone has any questions about what happened out there, just direct them to us."

Xobelisk:

"Perhaps the odds are against us," Damian growled, slightly annoyed, "but it should not be enough to stop us. Time is what we need, but we cannot let this thing control us. Even if he has the luck to overcome odds, we can still outnumber him, or get in and hit him from the inside, figuratively speaking. Obviously, it would be a foolish attempt to storm it head-on, but the fact still remains that it needs to be destroyed one way or another."

Edited by Ribitta on October 2, 2008 at 16:23:00.

"Its no problem." The doctor wrote it down on the clipboard, then flipped the paper over before handing the clipboard and the pen over to Siegfried. "Sign on the bottom line, please," he requested. "As for information, you'll have to speak to the village council and the mayor. They're supposed to be convening at the moment, so I imagine someone will be here to escort you there."

===Xobelisk===

"I say we neutralize the pilot," the scantily-clad woman, Kara Llewelyn, said with a smirk, kneeling down to touch the scrying pool. The pool rippled like water, the scene shifting to a closer view of KishouDoragon's white-armored form. "And then we take that machine for ourselves. It shouldn't be too hard to find a suitable pawn not connected to Lord Ziatoch to pilot it. It'd be an invaluable tool against these blasted Seven Beasts."

Re-Tuul would've raised his eyebrows if he had them. Daemonus, standing beside the Throne of Souls, looked down at her through the red visor in his black helmet. His chilling, ominous voice sounded. "That may prove difficult, Llewelyn. The Rising Dragon has made a number of allies, and not all of them are accounted for since his return to Genesis."

"If you're wondering if the Core holder survived...he did."

From the shadows, Malvettix faded into existence, starting with his ever-present grin. "It's certainly bad enough that the Rising Dragon is an ever-evolving thorn in your side, but once he reuinites with the Core holder, you will definitely have your work cut out for you."

KishouDoragon lifted his right arm up as the Genocide Blazer docked with his arm and cooled down. "Great work, Juno!" he said, flying upwards. Green optical units stared down at Sheena's form as KishouDoragon flew up higher than ever before. "Let's end this, Sheena!" he roared, readying himself for battle.

One single transmission of data from KishouDoragon's systems later, and the Dragon Tribes roared as they cast a spell, creating numerous ice-like mirrors in the air at seemingly random positions throughout the battlefield. KishouDoragon aimed its arms at four of the mirrors, his dragon-headed chest aimed at another two. "Infernal Gaze!"

Six rays of azure energy lanced out from the eyes of Tamaran, GaiaDraken, and AquaDraken, lancing out at the mirrors simultaneously. They struck and fragmented, launched dozens of beams in all sorts of directions. Each beam struck another mirror and bounced off, hitting other mirrors. The skies were filled with a brilliant show of power, and the beams were quickly redirected at one point--now, hundreds of Crystalis-powered beams of energy were streaking down at Sheena from all angles.

===Xobelisk===

"Has he, now?" Ziatoch finally said, sitting up on the Throne of Souls. His expression was quickly growing sour. Re-Tuul looked at Ziatoch once, then turned his gaze back to Malvettix. "It'd be wise if they did not meet, then."

Ziatoch quickly opened up a psychic link to Tsul. I'm afraid that will not be possible. The Rising Dragon has already engaged Xastra in single combat and one. At this time, his power exceeds yours, and it would be a waste to have your talents removed so soon. There will quite a different roll for you, Tsul.

Daemonus motioned down to the scrying pool with a black-armored hand. "Come, Malvettix. Take a good look at what the Rising Dragon has achieved this time."

Malvettix took a studied glance into the scrying pool, watched KishouDoragon battle against the dragon Sheena until he released a burst of laughter. "Very interesting."

"With this latest development, Lumiya's wielder has become too strong for us to risk a full-scale assault," Daemonus said, folding his arms in front of his armored chestplate. "Because of your history with him and the Core host, and because of your lack of a divine link to Lord Ziatoch, you are the ideal candidate to deal with him. What would you suggest for us to neutralize the threat he now represents?"

Ziatoch suppressed Tsul's growing anger through the blood link the two shared. Control yourself, Sin, He ordered through the psychic link. Strength and power is relative. Do not fret about who is greater than you and who is not. You shall serve a greater purpose than that of dealing with Lumiya's wielder.

Ziatoch relaxed into the Throne of Souls while infusing the suppression stone, repairing the damage done to it. I believe you are acquainted with a woman named Meta.

"Break him, of course," Malvettix answered. "Destroy the opponent's will, and you destroy the opponent."

Winding up and thrusting its left arm forward, KishouDoragon unleashed another Sanctum Roar, and the beams of Tenma-Aisu smashed against the soundwave barrier, unleashing a counter-wave of Crystalis-empowered sound energy at Sheena's form. Rocketing backwards, KishouDoragon angled his body out of the way of Sheena's rush, and within the chamber of light, R.D. grit his teeth as he resisted the forces put on the Super Mechanoid by the speed of Sheena's passing.

Opening up another interface window, R.D. quickly ran through his list of options. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve, and two of them looked particularly interesting. Another window readout appeared, alerting him to a "contamination" discovered in the Genocide Blazer.

Its absorbed some of the SaintFlame Juno fired at it? he wondered, perplexed. His smile grew devious. Oh, Christmas has come early, hasn't it? He quickly shut off the flow of Crystalis into the Genocide Blazer, absorbing it back into the rest of KishouDoragon's systems while reconfiguring it to use up the contamination instead. The Super Mechanoid chambered its fist back, and GaiaDraken's head casing heated up, growing bright white as the SaintFlame infused in it was channeled into it.

"Genocide Blazer!" KishouDoragon roared as he thrust his fist out, firing the head casing off of his wrist. A silver trail scorched the air as the Genocide Blazer homed in on Sheena's tail, ready to burn through.

===Xobelisk===

You may not have heard, but Meta has been chosen to be the next Keeper of the Dark in the Nightmare Realm, Ziatoch communicated to Tsul, sending off a visual image of Meta to him. As such, prior to our meeting, you have been bound to Meta, as have your brethren. My interest is two-fold: she is the chosen descendant of Xastra, and she has acquired one of the Seven Perfect Weapons.

"Break his will?" Re-Tuul said, starting to grin. The Khaglessi Patriarch knelt down next to the scrying pool. "Oh, that is a nasty thing to do, isn't it?"

Dipping his hand into the scrying pool, he stirred it about as he infused a memory into it. The scene gradually changed, showing a sequence from the recent past--a young, teenage girl clad in black and red clothing was wielding a pair of short swords as she fought Gouki's second in command, the fire demon Cora.

"Oh, she's a cute one," Kara said, leaning back on one bare leg while brushing a strand of long blond hair out of her face. "Who is this girl?"

Standing up, Re-Tuul looked across the pool at Malvettix. "I'd say she'd be an excellent angle to break his will, wouldn't you say?"

"It's a start. But I'd like more information." Malvettix caged his fingers, like he was holding something life-giving in his hands. "If we were to unlock his past completely, I'm certain we could find more links to exploit. It is important to find all we can to take advantage of."

"Shit!" KishouDoragon cried, looking back over its wing as Sheena reappeared behind him, causing him to rocket forward on the Draken Wing to increase the distance between him and the Dark Goddess of the Ice Dragons. The blade on the end of SkyDraken's tail suddenly split into three sections, two blades on each section. The sections began spinning, the tip and base in a clockwise motion, and the middle in a counter clockwise direction. As they spun, energy generated in the middle, quickly forming a drill.

"Lightning Drill!"

The Lightning Drill shot forward at the ice sculpture that pursued him, striking against the false Sheena's face to hold it back. Turning to face the sculpture, KishouDoragon lifted its arm up as the Genocide Blazer docked with GaiaDraken, the head casing still blazing hot. Shifting it back over his fist, KishouDoragon smashed its SaintFlame-empowered fist into the ice sculpture and shattering it.

===Xobelisk===

"I could tell you about some of it," Re-Tuul said, grinning his creepy smile. "But I'm afraid the one link I could have provided you with has already been broken by me."

"Nevertheless," Daemonus said, looking imperiously at the gathering, "We shall go ahead with Malvettix's plan concerning the Rising Dragon. Malvettix, do whatever you need to break his will. We will deal with his mecha dragon afterwards."