The girl released a strangled cry as Malvettix slammed against the wall, her hand automatically going up and grabbing the creature's wrists.

She knew what she feared. She squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled against Malvettix's grip. She wasn't going to give this guy the pleasure of scaring her to death. No way in hell. She just had to get free. Gripping the Megami Tsurugi tightly, she swung it upwards at Malvettix's elbow.

===BlueBomber Blues, Kattelox Island===

"That's not a normal map, obviously," said Tomoko. "Press the edges, and you can move the map around.

===Audrey's House, Argentina, South America===

"No," Audrey said. "Just get out of my house. I'll deal with you tomorrow."

The blow struck true, and Malvettix recoiled long enough for him to release Alasea.

Taking the Megami Tsurugi up in both hands, Alasea charged, swinging out with her sword. As she did, flames erupted along the length of the white sword's blade, roaring out as she attacked.

Bryant did so watching as the landscape was slid before them. The mountains came under his finger in small bumps and the valleys as dips. He nodded, it was surreal, but he could believe it very well.

"Right, but what I mean is. When we get to the volcano will there be some tell tale signs on which way to go for the pieces? Sense you're sending us to the volcano they're obviously not on here." Bryant clarified, but still felt the sliding would be very useful.

This time Malvettix was prepared-he swung about, circumventing behind Alasea as she charged. He followed up with a hooked kick to her unprotected back.

A cabinet was crushed under Alasea's weight as Malvettix's kick smashed her into it, sending more would everywhere. Pulling herself out of the wreckage, she flung out her fingers, and bolts of lightning lanced out from them, searing the air as they approached Malvettix.

===BlueBomber Blues, Kattelox Island===

"Maybe. I don't know," Tomoko replied. "I think you'd be better off looking for Tal'Set's tomb before you go to the volcano."

When the Divinity Unit finally turned to face Seril again, it was not a human woman with strange ears that its optical sensors locked onto.

Now, within the chamber where Trigger and Juno engaged in their fateful battle years past, the Divinity Unit stood face to face with a dragon.

Roaring angrily, Seril pushed forward on her hind legs and tail and lunged, slamming one claw into the arm of the Ancient and using her strength to hold back the blade arm it wielded. Roaring again, electrical energy gathered in her mouth and erupted, lancing out in a powerful burst of ball lightning.

"That... that would be nice I suppose. Clear my head a little." Meta mumbled, moving a hand through her hair.

Seril seemed to dive as the Divinity Unit slashed at her, and as she did, her body seemed to shrink and warp, returning to her humanoid form. Her lithe body was able to narrowly avoid the blade as she rolled under it, and immediately her body shifted again, transforming back into her natural form.

Now that she knew her normal electrical breath weapon was out of the question, she changed tactics. The cloven end of her tail suddenly split open into four pieces before closing again into a slightly different shape; hard scales and bone having combined into a wicked blade. The tail end whipped out from behind her repeatedly, aimed at various parts of the Ancient's body to beat it back.

Malvettix crssed his arms and his coat burst into jagged wings that curved about him, reflecting the lightning. He flared them out and they shifted into curving spears that lanced at Alasea.

Ducking past, Alasea felt more of her skin getting sliced open as the spears tore into the wall, tearing it apart in a matter of seconds. Twisting about, she aimed the tip of her sword at Malvettix and fired her trademark concentrated flame ray repeatedly as she strafed.

The fiery blasts smashed into Malvettix over and over, tearing off liquid chunks of shadowstuff.

"I said COME HERE!" he shouted, and flung his hand at her. It expanded into a monstorous claw, tearing through the floor and ceiling, soaring at her.

With a shriek, Alasea was slammed through the wall by the claw, forced outside of the entire house. She struggled to get free, electrifying her body as she lashed out with the Pillar of Dawn's might.

"Playtime is over, little girl!" Malvettix laughed. Either the electricity didn't affect him, or he was too busy to care. Rising her higher and higher, he strode outside of the house. "And now...you're coming with me."

"What do you want with me!?" Alasea screamed at Malvettix, still struggling against his grasp.

"You know that a lot of people want their hands on your friend," Malvettix remarked. "They offered me the chance to steal you away in hopes of luring him in. You know me-I'm always looking for some fun!"

"You're a monster," Alasea breathed, her voice wavering in the ever-escalating fear she was beginning to feel. God, was this how Matt always felt dealing with Malvettix?

The arm retracted, pulling Alasea back down to Malvettix's level. "And I was eager for another chance to look inside the female mind, of course." His other hand hovered over Alasea's face. "They handle fear differently than males, you know. I've been trying to find out how."

Despite the grin, he sounded all serious. His hand clamped over her cheek. "First to see your memories..."

Alasea stared at Malvettix's free hand as if it held a poisonous viper. Apt, seeing how serpents seemed to be Malvettix's familiar of choice. Her eyes squeezed shut, almost brimming with tears, just before he touched her. Instantly, she felt the disgusting, oily feeling that seemed to be associated with Malvettix.

She whimpered as her memories flashed in her mind, completely ignoring her attempts to block it out. She was reliving that day where everything in her life was upended and torn apart. How the Dark Dragon had ripped through the neighborhood, tearing the roof of the house. Her mother's screams as it set fire to the kitchen. Her father desperately throwing her out of the house as the monster continued its assault. The deafening roar that chased her down the street as she ran, the roar that had haunted her for many, many nights after the chaos had come to an end.

Her mind pleaded. No...

"Ohhhh," Malvettix remarked, amid the onslaught of memories. "That one's fairly strong...what else is in here?"

The wind played against Riul's hair as she soared through the air, mounted on the back of a large falcon, made of shimmering golden light. Her hair was gathered mostly into a braid, ending in a large golden stone that bumped lightly into her back as the bird moved up and down with the pumping of its wings.

Her cloak sheltered her body from the wind, the roman styled toga and tunic beneath it, and she gazed over the waters beneath her, the cliffside still near. Alasea's house was near, and she had to be quick now. The bird descended, the wingspan becoming rigid as it moved into a swoop, taking her closer to the ground with ever second.

Even from a distance the damage to the cabin could be seen, and the bird sped up even more even as Riul's thoughts became more urgent. Light began forming in her fist as the bird reached the altitude it desired, still moving at quite the speed, Riul cancelled the summon she had created, allowing her to free-fall toward the cabin.

Her aim was direct, and a moment later she shot through the hole created by Malvettix at a speed of over fifty miles an hour, a ball of light ensconcing her form, protecting her as she plummeted into the floorboards of the cabin. The dust around her dissapated in a wave, revealing Riul in her crouched form, the ball of light she had been forming behind her.

"Let her go!" Riul cried, pivoting on one foot and hurling the ball of light toward Malvettix like a shot put ball.

The ball of light carved clear through Malvettix's shoulders-straight down the line. He didn't cry out in pain, but as his black blood rained on the dirt, his grip flailed until breaking completely, tossing Alasea to the earth.

Alasea's eyes opened in shock as Riul's voice cut through the air, her mastery of light coming into play as Awai's apprentice caused Malvettix to lose his grip on her. She struck the ground hard, eliciting another cry from her when she hit, and the Daughter of Dawn quickly pushed herself back, away from Malvettix and the fight.

Riul grimaced at the sight of the blood that now was covering the dirt but did not halt her attacks, keeping the momentum of her spin she gathered more light, this time in both hands, and let two bursts of light come out in beams, headed straight toward Malvettix once more. "Be gone, demon!" she bellowed at the invader.

Edited by Ribitta on April 4, 2009 at 19:11:00.

The twin beams crashed into Malvettix and he flew back, far past the house itself, tumbling.

Riul breathed heavily now, locking her legs firmly into the ground and preparing one final attack. All the light in the house formed around her head and into one point. Bending her knees, Riul opened her mouth letting a collossal beam of light issue from it, heading straight for Malvettix even as he was still tumbling.

Malvettix corrected himself long enough to see the beam streaking toward him. He dived into the ground, melting into a shadow as the beam arced overhead. Soon he was completely gone-no trace remained, not even the blood he had shed.

Walking back into the hotel they were staying at, Ileyna looked up at Matt after finishing the bite out of her candy bar. "Thanks for the candy bar, Matt," she said sweetly.

===Pillar of Dawn, Japan===

Using her feet, Alasea pushed herself up into a sitting position against the wall, holding the arm she had landed on when Riul's attack loosened Malvettix's grip on her. Groaning slightly, she tried to move the arm a bit to get the ache out of it.

Why? she wondered. Why did he come after me? Because of Matt and R.D.? He said my friends... so why...?

Soon, another thought came to her. "Maya."

Slowly, the girl tried to stand up, so she could go retrieve the girl.