The Last Saga 3 (part 3 of 3)

a Original Fiction fanfiction by Kaiser

**********

PART THREE

**********

"Hmm..." Sophie peered at the blade, "So this is that great sword, 
Dewa... Du... Deu..."

Nagi sighed miserably. "...It's called 'Deuel', Sophie..."

"R-right. I knew that."

Everyone, including Roll, was surprised to both see and feel the 
strength of this sword. Deuel. Dr. Oro seemed to believe that it was the 
key to stopping Krauser. Which was why he risked his life (navigating 
the Tomb of the Sky King) to get it. Once Dr. Oro acquired the power of 
the sword, he teleported himself to the entrance of the Tomb, which was 
where Sapphire and Elder D'Kai were waiting for him. After thanking the 
elder for his assistance to their mission, Sapphire and Dr. Oro stepped 
back through the portal and returned through time and space to the 
doctor's laboratory in Green Dales, Ostantinople. Once there, they 
secured Deuel in a small glass case to keep the radiation of the magic 
from effecting anything nearby. The sheer concentration of the magics 
inside the sword was unfathomable. A sheath had to be created before it 
before it was used in battle, against Krauser and the Pyramid. Dr. Oro 
had that part handled, it wouldn't take him too long to make on with all 
his skill. Once Sapphire and Oro had settled down from the excursion to 
the Village of the Wind, they made preparations for the return of Nagi, 
Elle and Long. They had agreed with the group that a portal would be 
opened for them in La Cruz after they had searched for Roll in that 
area. Fortunately the three of them returned to the portal of La Cruz 
with two additional people. 

One of them was, obviously, Sophie Blue, the cross-dressing, 
street-dancing, martial artist with what seemed to be a rapidly growing 
crush on Long. The other was the half-Deity girl herself, Roll. The 
moment the five stepped out of that portal, with Roll taking up the 
rear, Sapphire's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Though the God 
Summoner had been one of the ones most sceptical about the possibility 
of Roll making it out of the Stone Temple alive, she was one of the ones 
most hopeful for her survival. Once they all managed to calm Sapphire 
down, the group gathered up in the main room of Dr. Oro's lab. To speak 
about what had all happened between the seven of them. Roll stood at the 
far wall with her back leaned up against the far wall. Nagi was standing 
next to her. Sapphire was sitting on one of the wooden chairs beside Dr. 
Oro's coffee table. Elle was sitting on the other one. Long sat on the 
floor with his legs crossed, while Sophie did the same, nuzzling himself 
and his lengthy locks of dirty blonde hair into the Guardian's shoulder. 
Deuel was just a short distance from the two of them. Thus Sophie had a 
bit of a look at it. And Dr. Oro stood beside his bookcase, with his 
staff in hand. They had explained the whole situation to Sophie, and 
Roll had told her tale of survival to Sapphire and Dr. Oro.

Now there was only one question left.

"So what now?" Roll asked everyone, "What do we do?"

Sophie thought about it. "We've got this Deo-thing now, haven't we? Why 
don't we just go straight to Catheriah tomorrow morning and destroy 
Krauser?"

"Yeah, that's the idea," Nagi reminded, "But it isn't that simple, is 
it? You haven't seen what that Pyramid is capable of. Its got power 
blasts like nobody's business. If the seven of us were to fly up and 
storm the bloody thing, it would pluck us out of the sky like we were 
sitting ducks. Dammit, the Divine Pyramid's defences even killed 
Sczamahchai."

Sophie blinked. "Uh... Sczamahchai...? That's that... Demon King... 
God... thingie, right?"

The uncrowned Queen of the Xian sighed and lowered her head with a huff. 
Sophie might not have been a biological female, but he certainly fit the 
numerous stereotypes of your average air-headed blonde girl. Dr. Oro 
then interjected for a moment. "Nagi is right. The defences that the 
Divine Pyramid of Pandoria possess are simply awesome. We would need 
some form of cover before we could actually attempt to get into that 
floating fortress. That is one problem."

"You mean there are others?" Long wondered.

Dr. Oro bobbed his head as a yes. "Correct. For one thing, now that 
Reidenbacht is dead, it will be unlikely that Norhia will support any 
attempts on the Pyramid. They will have far too much to deal with. More 
importantly, we need to decide who of us will actually enter the 
Pyramid."

"You can count on me, doctor. I have a duty to stop the one who abused 
the power of the Gold Crystal and brought down the vessel of the Gods." 
Long claimed, pounding his chest with his fist. 

Sophie grinned serenely at that and wrapped both of his arms around 
Long's right one again, swooning and fawning over him like a lovesick 
puppy. "And wherever Long goes, I'll go."

"Meh," Nagi ran a finger through her bangs, "Since Roll wasted 
Reidenbacht, I guess that makes Krauser my number one enemy right now. I 
wouldn't miss a chance to settle the score after battling that little 
redhead of his."

While Sapphire bobbed her own head, her gold bangles and necklaces 
jingling. "And I have to go. I have to protect the interests of the 
planet as the future elder of the Village of the Wind..."

"I wouldn't miss this fight myself," Dr. Oro said, turning to Roll, 
"What about you, my dear?"

Roll pulled a small smile. "...I'm coming, too. I have my own issues 
with Krauser, after all."

That just left Elle to think about. All eyes turned to her, but she 
looked back at them all with a sheepish frown, running her fingers 
through that platinum blonde hair of hers. "...I know that I came with 
you to the Stone Temple. But I think it would be best if... I stayed 
here on this occasion."

The others were a little confused at that, but Dr. Oro agreed with her. 
"That is a good choice, Elle. You have no real fighting prowess. You may 
be put in danger if you come with us. Plus there's the matter of your 
God Blood. Although Krauser has already become Atma God, there is no 
assurance that entering the Divine Pyramid will not warp you, either. It 
would be better for you to remain safe here. However... if we fall... 
then it will be your duty to find others who are willing to take up the 
fight against Krauser. Alright?"

"I understand." Elle said in reply.  

"So we are agreed?" Dr. Oro asked, "Tomorrow we will make an attempt at 
getting aboard the Divine Pyramid and then do battle with Atma God, 
while Elle stays here. Now. There is the matter of the weapon that will 
be used against him... Deuel."

Dr. Oro looked over at young Roll again. "With your new powers, as well 
as your brilliant swordsmanship talents, I can think of no better person 
to wield Deuel. Will you do it, Roll?"

The daughter of Enryu looked over at the glass case that held the sword 
inside it. The same weapon that the legendary hero used to kill the Four 
Wise Men, thus saving the world. The sword Deuel. "...Yeah, you've got 
it, old man. But I'd like one thing as payment."

"...What is that?"

"I need to use your Teleportation Chamber," Roll began, "To take me to a 
certain place. I just want to visit there once before I do this. Do you 
think you can arrange it?"

Dr. Oro smiled. "Of course."

Roll smiled back to him as thanks. And then she looked over to the 
coffee table. Or more specifically, the little blonde healer who was 
sitting by one side of it. "Elle. Would you like to come with me?"

Though she had no idea where it was that Roll wanted to go, as long as 
it was with Roll, she didn't mind going there. Elle pulled a smile, 
blushing. "Certainly."

**********

It took a few hours to recharge the Teleportation Chamber after its use. 
Thankfully, opening a portal to the place to which Roll wanted to go 
would not interfere with their journey to Catheriah tomorrow morning. So 
Roll and Elle descended to the basement of Dr. Oro's lab and came to the 
Teleportation Chamber for its use. As usual, Dr. Oro did the honours of 
kick starting everything (no one else really knew how to use such a 
thing) and opened a portal in the stone archway. One that led to Roll's 
chosen destination. A small place in Western Norhia which was known 
as...

...Falkirk Village.

Elle had never heard of the place before. So wondered what kind of 
significance it possessed in Roll's mindset. But when they stepped 
through the portal and came out inside of Falkirk Village, it became 
obvious what this was to her. It was her home. Elle and Roll stepped out 
of the portal. But Elle's eyes filled with desperation when she saw this 
place. It was a small stretch of land in the middle of the windy hills, 
which was covered in the ruins of a previous town. These were in fact 
the Ruins of Falkirk Village. All the wooden and stone houses that had 
probably been homes for normal people, were just charred scraps of 
material now. Old abandoned hey carts and broken pieces of village wall 
were everywhere, mixing with the uncut grass. The old half-dressed 
corpses of the villagers killed in the fire were littering the ground 
every few metres. By now all the flesh they once had had been picked off 
by the flies and vultures, while their tattered clothes swung eerily in 
the breeze.  While some of the stone structures in the village had 
maintained throughout the years with minimal damage, they were covered 
in thick moss and weeds.  It was an entire village, left in ruins by the 
actions of a sole man. Sydney Linus Krauser. 

Elle caught the breath she didn't know she was holding when Roll finally 
said something to her. "This is my hometown. Falkirk Village. This was 
the damage done to it by Krauser. So if I seem a bit bent out of shape 
about the whole issue, then, you'll know why. Still... it was really 
beautiful... back then... you would have liked it."

"...I'm sure I would have..."

Roll closed her eyes, chuckling at that, right before she walked off 
down the main road cutting through the centre of these ruins. "Come on. 
I wanna show you something."

Elle followed after her. And the two of them walked through Roll's old, 
devastated village. It was a spooky place, in some ways. The sensation 
of death and a quiet sadness ran rampant through the air of Falkirk 
Village. Perhaps it was her God Blood maturing, but Elle could see, or 
rather feel, the despondent aura of this area. As well as the bitter 
wailings of the lost souls that died here. It frightened Elle, but even 
more than that, gave her an incite into the sadness of the people who 
once lived here. She was able to feel the same horrors that Falkirk's 
people had experienced in their last day of life. Still she kept up with 
Roll. Eventually they made it to a certain place. A graveyard that was 
located at the back of Falkirk Village, just below one of the many hills 
that delimited the small town. Thus Elle found herself standing 
alongside Roll, before the grave of Enryu, her love's heroic father. 
Most of the other gravestones were broken but this one was in tact. 
Probably because Enryu had been killed after the destruction of Falkirk 
Village. Roll crouched down and pressed her hand into the slab of stone, 
managing to pull a smile.

"This is my Father's grave," She said, "Dr. Oro and I buried him here 
after his death. When Falkirk Village was burned down, the few survivors 
moved to other villages and abandoned it. They said it would cost too 
much to rebuild what had been lost. But my Dad loved this place. So I 
decided I should bury him here. I think he would have wanted it that 
way. And it's been damn near five years since I last came here."

Roll wiped the dust of the part of the headstone that carried her 
father's name. "I've been such a bitch. I should have taken better care 
of my Dad's grave than this. But I figured that making money as a 
mercenary was better than hanging onto the past by coming here all the 
time."

"Why did you bring me here?" Asked Elle. 

"...You asked me before why I told you about my past, right?" The 
half-Deity groaned as she stood up from her crouched position, "...I 
guess it's 'cause I feel comfortable telling you these things. Nagi lost 
both her parents, like I did. But she was never very close to them. So 
it didn't have the same impact on her. And Sapphire? Well she's never 
lost anyone important to her. Both her mom and dad passed away at an 
early age, so, she never grew as attached to them as she did her 
brothers and grandfather. But you? Aside from Dr. Oro, you've lost 
everyone who has ever cared about you, Elle. I think that's why... you 
understand me so well. And I guess it's why I feel like I can tell you 
about my past. Because we understand each other. We both know what it's 
like... to feel alone in life."

Elle smiled at that. It wasn't a nice subject at all. But for the most 
part, she was pleased there was something that she could give Roll that 
no one else could. Understanding. They had both lost their families 
tragically. Thus they could share in each other's pain. 

Roll soon heaved a sigh, stretching her limbs out. "Ah. That's all I 
wanted. Just to come back here for a short while. Meh. We better get 
moving. We'll need the rest for tomorrow, right?"

"Uh huh," Expressed Elle.

The two of them then turned from Enryu's grave and walked back into the 
Ruins of Falkirk Village, towards the swirling energy that was the 
portal. Though Roll had no idea what the outcome would be when she faced 
Krauser in the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria, it felt right to come here 
and pay her respects to her father, just one last time beforehand. It 
seemed somehow relevant to do so. Roll was, after all, about to take on 
Enryu's murderer. The man that was behind the destruction of Falkirk 
Village. If Elle had gathered enough of the powers granted to her as a 
result of her God Blood, she would have been able to hear the voices of 
all the spirits. She would have heard them wishing Roll good luck.

**********

"So. Are we all ready?"

It was time to confront Atma God.

In the basement of Dr. Oro's Ostantinople Lab, was the Teleportation 
Chamber he had created and was famed for. Standing before the 
energy-charged stone archway were the six people (and one other) who 
would be using it today. Roll, Nagi of the Xian, Sapphire, Long, Sophie 
Blue and Dr. Oro. As agreed, Elle would remain here at the lab. It would 
be too dangerous to bring her with them into the Pyramid. But for the 
most part, they were all prepared. Nagi's Esdra had been fully 
sharpened, Sophie had shadow-boxed a little and brushed up on his 
skills, Long was more determined than ever, and Dr. Oro was equally as 
ready. Roll herself was ready to go too. But this time she would not be 
carrying Kusabana. She would be using the great sword Deuel. The 
broadsword with the crystalline handle was attached to her waist belt 
via a strap on its scabbard. The scabbard itself had been created by Dr. 
Oro yesterday. By infusing tough leather with resistant magic and 
chemicals, he was able to create a sheath that shielded Roll and the 
others from the magical radiation of the sword. Now the group stood in 
front of the stone arch that would lead them from Ostantinople to 
Catheriah. The site of the former White Raven/Stone Temple. That was 
where the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria would be. 

Sophie slapped his fist into his hand aggressively. "You betcha, old 
man! I haven't had a good workout in ages! This'll be a nice little test 
of my powers, I'd say!"

"I doubt it will be so easy, Sophie," Sapphire answered, "but I don't 
think we could be in a better position than we are now."

"Well then? Let's get moving." Nagi said, with the spear Esdra attached 
to her back. She tossed her waist-long black hair over her shoulder and 
walked up the steps to the portal. Nagi stepped through it. Dr. Oro 
slowly followed after her, his form disappearing into the time-space 
warp. Long then walked into the portal after him. Little Sophie (not 
willing to be separated from Long) chased him through the portal. And 
Sapphire took up Sophie's rear, saying a quick goodbye to Elle. That 
just left Roll and Elle in that small stone underground room. The two 
looked at each other silently. It seemed that they could read each 
other. Roll knew that Elle was fearful about her chances against Atma 
God/Krauser. And Elle could see (even though it wasn't all that 
comforting) that Roll was confident about her chances against their 
enemy.

Roll tugged a grin from her lips and pressed her hands into Elle's 
shoulders. "Elle. Don't worry about it. I'm gonna come back. We all are. 
Just trust us. I we would let ourselves be defeated now. There's a lot 
more riding on this than just our lives."

Elle nodded silently. There was nothing more that she could say. Roll 
gave her another warm smile, just before she turned and walked into the 
stone archway. Her body vanished into the mass of energy inside it. 
Leaving Elle alone to ponder the outcome of her friend's efforts. 

Over in North Catheriah, a portal opened on the edge of a tall hill that 
overlooked the giant crater that had once been the ruined town of White 
Raven. Nagi, Dr. Oro, Long, Sophie, Sapphire and finally, Roll, stepped 
out from that swirling magical gateway and their shoes touched upon the 
grass of the Catherian Highlands once again. The six of them came up to 
the overlooking hill and laid eyes upon the crater that was now called 
the North Catherian Fissure. The space for over two miles had been 
burned down right to the earth, carving out a circular trench that 
extended further on by the snaking path of the cracks that spiralled out 
from the epicentre of the fissure. Those cracks were probably caused by 
the shaking of the earth, the disturbance in the Unumbanga. All the 
broken-down houses and shops that had been left of White Raven were no 
more than piles of ashes blown across the fields by the wind. And there 
was no sign of the Stone Temple anymore. But even more important than 
all that was the thing they had come for. 

The Divine Pyramid of Pandoria.

It floated about 460 metres above the North Catherian Fissure, looking 
just as intimidating as had done a week ago. The dust of the sandy 
stones still fell of its edges, divinely sparkling in the sunny morning 
sky. While that large Stone Eye in the front of the Pyramid remained 
watchful of all that went on around it. 

Dr. Oro growled as he looked up at it. "There it is."

"...Whoa..." Sophie expressed, this was his first time seeing the 
ship-fortress, "...you guys told me this thing was big... but I didn't 
think it would be THAT big. How can something that huge stay up in the 
air like that?"

Nagi frowned, looking up at the Pyramid. "It doesn't matter. Krauser's 
in there. We need to concentrate on getting inside that pyramid and 
stopping him."

"Heh, heh, heh," Roll chuckled, "Something tells me that old blonde-boy 
won't be rolling out any red carpets for us. I guess I'll just have to 
blow a hole in the side of his carriage there."

While the others were going to say something to that, Nagi looked over 
her shoulder when her brilliant Xian super-hearing picked up on the 
flapping of wings. Many of them. The spear wielder turned around and 
looked over to the south-east. She couldn't really see anything at 
first. But then the image behind the sound in her ears showed itself. 
The others all looked around with her when they noticed that Nagi was 
detracted by something. And all of them were surprised to see what it 
was. Hundreds of men riding on the backs of hundreds of dragons, all 
armed with either spears, swords, axes or maces. All were armoured. Even 
the underbellies of the dragons had been fitted with armour plates. And 
on the backs of those riders flocked the flag of the Catherian Monarchy, 
the Sword and Rose. Dr. Oro estimated that there was around 250 dragon 
riders in that flock. And they flew towards the Divine Pyramid of 
Pandoria for an attack.

Dr. Oro smiled. "Ah. So it seems Queen Catherine has decided to make an 
attack of her own on the Pyramid. I should have known that the rumours 
were true."

"Well, she certainly doesn't do things halfway," Roll admitted, staring 
at that dragon rider force, "I've never seen so many Sky Dragons in one 
place."

The Dragon Army of the Catherian Military flew straight towards the 
Divine Pyramid of Pandoria, headed by its leader. Their ranks zoomed 
past the hill that Roll and the others stood on. Then made their way 
towards their target at extreme speeds. The first line of the 
grey-fleshed dragons parted their wide jaws as their neared the 
structure, their mouths reeking of sulphur and oil-like gases. Mere 
seconds afterwards, huge flaming balls of orange fire burst from their 
throats and shot out into the crisp morning air. The 50 dragons heading 
the first wave against the Pyramid unleashed unified balls of dragon 
fire that simply burned through the air and right towards the 
sandstone-like substance that made up the construction.  The dragon fire 
balls crashed against the surface of the Divine Pyramid at one 
particular section. But when each ball hit, it became nothing more then 
ashes leaving behind black smudges on the surface of the Pyramid. The 
first wave of dragon riders climbed up into the sky mid-flight, pulling 
out of the way so that the second line could resume the bombardment of 
the Pyramid. The second wave of dragon fire homed in on the same spot as 
before. Each of the dragons opened their jaws and bellowed out gusts of 
flame balls to strike the Pyramid. But all came to naught. The fire was 
hardly leaving a scratch on the Pyramid. Burning it out of the sky would 
take days, if not weeks, at this rate. Over on the hillside, Dr. Oro 
could see that very same thing. The dragon riders would not be able to 
stop the Pyramid the way things were going now. 

Then, the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria made its counter-strike. 

Streaks of trapezoidal, criss-crossing light covered the Pyramid from 
the tip all the way down to its bottom. The energy traced itself down to 
the underside of the Divine Pyramid, the part which cast that awfully 
big shadow over the North Catherian Fissure. The streaks of light all 
met each other in the middle of the pyramid's bottom. Forging itself 
into a large orb of pure, holy light. This orb transformed itself into 
another of those ruthlessly powerful energy beams that made the defences 
of the Divine Pyramid so deadly. The beam cut through the skies like a 
halberd and proceeded to burn through the ranks of the dragons riders. 
Both man and beast screeched agonizing death cries when burned alive by 
the savage force of the energy beam. In one shot, it had taken out at 
least twenty of them. And their charred ashes fell down to the grass 
fields of the north, blown into oblivion by this holy fortress of the 
Gods. 

While the Catherian Dragon Rider Division scrambled to do more in the 
way of damage to the Divine Pyramid, Dr. Oro turned to his cohorts. 
"...We've got to get inside the pyramid! Now!"

"What about them?" Sophie wondered. 

Dr. Oro shook his head. "They are providing the distraction needed for 
us to get inside the Pyramid! Lets not interfere with their battle! All 
of you, prepare to fly!"

The group nodded in acceptance of that, knowing how each of them would 
fly into the Divine Pyramid. Sapphire was the first to act. After 
performing the actions necessary to do her God Summoning, a lengthy, 
long-winged dragon suddenly burst into the air. One of her Wyverns. The 
very same type of dragon that allowed Roll, Elle and Nagi to escape 
Count Mehus' castle. Sapphire hopped onto the back of the grey-skinned 
dragon, as did Nagi, who would be riding with Sapphire at this point. 
Roll concentrated her spiritual powers. Which became manifest in the 
plum-coloured, smog-like energy that enveloped her body. Instantly she 
turned herself into Demi-Sczamahchai, her cute human body being replaced 
by that of the fleshly, tall, demonic-in-appearance one. Dr. Oro tipped 
his staff downwards, pointing at the grassy ground of the hill. A blue 
disc, which almost looked as though it were made of ice, materialized at 
his feet. Dr. Oro then stepped on top of it, waiting for Long and Sophie 
to get themselves ready. Well Long wasn't going to wait around forever. 
The golden-haired man focused his powers and the dazzling radiance of 
his aura emerged. It cast its glow on Sophie, who was, as usual, nearby 
to the guardian. Then suddenly the grand roar of the Gold Dragon ripped 
through the air. The mass of light that encircled Long was gone, leaving 
behind the muscular man in his dragon form. 

Sophie was flabbergasted. "Holy cow! My boyfriend can transform into a 
DRAGON!? That is so cool!"

"...Um..." Nagi, with her arms around Sapphire's waist, replied to that 
with, "...Since when was Long your boyfriend...?"

But Sophie didn't answer that. He was too focused on the Gold Dragon. It 
turned its head and looked at him, seemingly indicating that it wanted 
him to climb on its back, which he did. The blonde street danced jumped 
up and mounted the Gold Dragon's back, ready to take off with the 
others. Dr. Oro quickly checked to make sure that everyone was ready to 
roll, then signalled with, "Lets go!"

The Gold Dragon gave a fierce beat of its wings and took off. The Wyvern 
did the same and flew with Sapphire and Nagi. Dr. Oro's flying ice disc 
hovered off the ground and climbed up into the skies. While 
Demi-Sczamahchai spread open her wings and followed the lot of them, 
jumping into the air. The group flew towards the Divine Pyramid of 
Pandoria, navigating their way through the battling Sky Dragons and the 
blasts from the pyramid that incinerated them. It was a tough flight. 
The Gold Dragon had to both steer and path through the other Sky Dragons 
and keep Sophie safe at the same time. Sapphire and Nagi were in good 
hands with the Wyvern but even it found itself going to the limit to 
protect its passengers. And they all had to scatter like crazy to avoid 
those thunderous blasts from the base of the Divine Pyramid.  While 
flying through the skies, Dr. Oro yelled over at Demi-Sczamahchai, to be 
heard over all the screaming dragons and blazing energy shots. 

"Roll!" He screamed, "Blast a hole though the side for us to enter!"

Demi-Sczamahchai nodded to the old man and quickened the pace as they 
finally came within reach of the Divine Pyramid. She zoomed across 
whilst extending one of her long arms, gathering force into it. This 
force turned itself into a bolt of gold light. Similar to the ones that 
the Divine Pyramid used to gun down the Catherian Dragon Riders. The 
warhead-shaped light ball, the Divine Cannonshell magic skill, shot 
ahead and blasted the Pyramid full on. A sudden explosion rocked the 
small section of the Pyramid which opened it up for entry. When the 
blasted rocks and rising smoke faded, a diminutive hole that had been 
blown open in the side of the Pyramid was revealed. Demi-Sczamahchai 
flew straight into that hole, followed by the others at a short distance 
behind. 

The noise of the battle outside suddenly became less loud. Muffled by 
the thick stone that made up the Divine Pyramid. Demi-Sczamahchai landed 
on the ground and reverted back into Roll. The Gold Dragon flew by and 
landed its large body. Sophie jumped off its back and the dragon 
transformed into Long again. Dr. Oro's ice disc stopped over the floor 
and he stepped off it. The Wyvern was the last to land, Sapphire and 
Nagi getting off its back and onto the floor. The Wyvern then 
disappeared, regressing into its spiritual form and returning to the 
spirit world.

This was when Roll, Nagi, Sapphire, Long, Sophie and Dr. Oro took in the 
innards of the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria for the first time ever. This 
was the 'Vessel of the Gods' and its halls seemed to say as much. Though 
the same sandstone that made up the outer shell was the same material 
that made up its insides, the gaps between each stone brightened up with 
light every few seconds. Almost like a heartbeat. Every metre there was 
an orb fixed into the wall of this particular hallway/room. Those orbs 
lit up just as easily as the gaps in the stones of the walls. The 
ceilings of the halls were filled with zigzag carvings that also glowed 
with the heartbeat of the fortress. Across the floors were dozens of 
runic symbols that shined with the burning magic of this place. The 
further along they went, the more they seemed to follow a certain 
pattern, but it was impossible for any of the group to understand what 
it meant. These symbols were of a language that neither Dr. Oro nor 
Sapphire understood. Far older than even Deuel was in age. 

Dr. Oro's eyes were filled with wonder. "...Dear Gods... I've never seen 
anything like this before. This is truly the Vessel of the Gods. Yet I 
am one of few who have ever seen it."

"Save it for later," Roll suggested, walking down the pathway, "We have 
to find Krauser."

They all then kept moving. They had broken through into a hallway. So 
they followed it down a winding path, which illuminated itself while 
they all walked forwards to its end. This led them to a new, larger 
room. A chamber that was different from the rest of the Pyramid in 
design, mostly because of the lack of illumination in the gaps of the 
wall stones. In the centre of this room was a ring of symbols. Similar 
to the ones that the original Sczamahchai emerged from. Roll, Nagi, 
Sapphire, Long, Sophie and Dr. Oro stopped when they came into this part 
of the Pyramid. Looking around for some sort of path to reach 
Krauser/Atma God. Then, when they looked at the runic symbol ring in the 
middle of the floor, glittering light appeared in its centre. This light 
forged itself into somewhat of a familiar face. A young redheaded girl. 

"...Molly Ragwurm!" Nagi yelled, scowling, "How the hell did you 
survive!? Well, in any case, it looks like she wants revenge for me 
killing her little monkey friend." 

And Nagi was just about to go over there and finish off the job she 
started a week ago. But Dr. Oro swiftly put a hand in front of her to 
stop that. "No. That child... is already dead."

Nagi took better notice of her. Then it became obvious that Molly really 
was dead. The flesh which should have been brimming with the vitality of 
youth, was now pale and blue. The red of her veins showing through the 
skin. Some of that skin was now starting to rot, particularly at the 
right side of her face, her cheekbones revealed from it. Molly's 
orange-red hair, once curly and bouncing, was now messy and unkempt, as 
if drenched by water. The frills of her blue and white dress had been 
shredded and torn; and her previously sneaky eyes were simply overcast 
and lifeless now. Her body was dead. But a magical force was animating 
the corpse. Probably to maintain her as a guard.  

"...Do you desire to speak..." the dead Molly muttered, "...with 
God...?"

"...God...?" Sophie repeated absently. 

Long narrowed his eyes. "...She must be speaking of Krauser..."

"...Can you take us to him?" Asked Dr. Oro.

Molly's corpse nodded slowly, then raised its hands, pointing those 
bloody palms at the party. Her magical energy enveloped those hands and 
shone off on her body. This light, a pale blue, covered Roll and her 
group, now absorbed into the light. They vanished soon after, their 
bodies ascending to the level at which Atma God would be. Once they were 
gone, Molly lowered her hands. And her body collapsed to the ground, 
spent of the last of its power. Her purpose had only been to bring Roll 
and the others to the last battlefield. 

Now her life truly was over.

**********

Six wisps of light reappeared in a whole new location.

Those bolts of light became Roll, Nagi, Sapphire, Sophie, Long and Dr. 
Oro. The six of them reaffirmed themselves after Molly's teleportation, 
reassessing their current location. And they looked around themselves to 
see this wondrously ominous place. It was a gigantic void of space. That 
deeply resembled outer space. A void of darkness, illuminated by stars. 
It was almost as if Molly had transported them into outer space itself. 
But Dr. Oro knew better. Every time someone put their feet down, another 
runic symbol would appear beneath it. Thus preventing them from falling. 
If they could. 

"Wow..." Sophie expressed with awe, "...are we really in space...?"

Dr. Oro shook his head. "No. This is another level of the Divine 
Pyramid. I suspect that while we are in here, time and space are warped 
to facilitate this level. But this is a permanent kind of manipulation. 
Unlike the Teleportation Chamber of my lab, which produces momentary 
fluctuations in the continuum, the fabric of reality is constantly 
'bent' here."

Roll looked around. "...Who cares about all that? Where's Krauser...?"

Speak a person's name and he shall appear. The whole group turned to the 
front when they heard the sound of magical energy materializing. A veil 
of golden light appeared like an archway, and the mastermind behind the 
resurrection of the Divine Pyramid walked through it himself. Roll, 
Nagi, Sapphire, Long, Sophie and Dr. Oro were on full alert as they saw 
the man again. After a whole week. Sydney Linus Krauser. Still in the 
same robes as before, the gold, white and purple cloak; his blonde hair 
still shining perfectly. But there were things that were different about 
him now. His skin colour was of a mix between its normal white-beige, 
and a sallow grey. His eyes, once blue, were now blood red. The thin 
purple veins of his body were showing through his cheeks and forehead. 

Krauser smiled at the group, his voice now echoing and ethereal. "...So 
you have arrived. I had been expecting you all since I first entered 
this place. Though the one who shares my blood is not here with you this 
time. It makes sense. She would have been killed in the battle that now 
wages outside."

At one side of the space void, a circular mirror suddenly came into 
view. And showed what was going on outside the Divine Pyramid. The Sky 
Dragons of the Catherian Army were fighting what looked to be a losing 
battle. The Divine Pyramid's defences gunned down the dragon riders with 
each of those blasts from its base. Krauser looked over at it for a 
brief second, as did the others. "...Fools. Unaware that Queen Catherine 
has only sent them to their deaths. If she thoroughly believed that such 
a minute force could stand against this ancient place then she is sadly 
mistaken. Yet the ironic thing is... if she had done this when I first 
arrived at the Stone Temple... she might have been able to stop me. Just 
another case of a Monarch leaving things far too late. Just the failing 
that caused the Norhian Monarchy to die. Had they seen the embers of 
revolution before they were lit, they might have been able to resist the 
revolt of Reidenbacht's father. Now Catherine repeats that same 
mistake."

Roll stepped forwards. "...You. I've come a long way to settle things 
with you..."

"Heh," Krauser shut his eyes with a smile, "...I know that you have 
killed Reidenbacht. You did what I sorely wished to do myself. I commend 
you."

"...Thanks. But I didn't come here for that." Roll snapped back.

"Then what did you come here for?" Krauser asked, "Revenge? Honour? 
Money? Power? Or maybe something more noble, albeit preposterous. Did 
you come here to... save the world?"

The former Soul Stealer smirked, shrugging. "Yeah. Something like that."

"Heh, heh, heh. It seems that, no matter how much you question your 
destiny, you are fated to walk the steps of your father. It is so 
ridiculously paradoxical. And yet so very fitting. I am glad that you 
are the last true defence of this world. And it is particularly apt that 
you wield not only the power of Sczamahchai, but the sword of legend, 
Deuel, to be this. But rest assured. It is a hollow world that you have 
chosen to defend."

Sapphire frowned at him, raising her voice. "...Is that why you did all 
this? Is that why you brought a Vessel of the Gods down from heaven and 
caused the Spirit of the World to writhe in agony? Is that why you defy 
the will of the Gods?"

"...Will of the Gods...?" Krauser chuckled to himself, "...Heh, heh, 
heh. Child, your life with the Cloud Dancer people has made you witless. 
If you could see things for what they were, you would know that the 
truth of the matter is far different."

"What are you getting at?" Nagi prodded. 

Krauser pulled up his hand from beyond his cloak. "You people are 
deluded. But it is not by your own making that this is so. For you see, 
history has been deeply fabricated. Your 'Gods' for example. They do not 
exist."

"You lie!" Sapphire yelled. 

"I have no need to lie to you," Krauser responded, "because I have all 
the answers I have ever asked for. You worship the 'Gods', Onreld, 
Aeraph,  Ishu, Divinity, Serene, Zaiki, Nai and Necros, do you not? You 
believe that they were the ones to shape the world and the ones who made 
this Pyramid, is that not so? Well you are mistaken. There are no Gods 
in this world. At least not until now. Being inside this  place has 
given me insight into many things. I have more knowledge about the world 
and life than you can imagine. So let me explain something to you. This 
world was not shaped by heavenly Gods. The Earth was wrought by the 
hands of an omnipotent and itinerant race of alien beings that traversed 
the stars. They had a very deep knowledge of the most powerful magics of 
all. But their once beautiful home world was destroyed by an abnormal 
change in climate that eradicated many of their people. Leaving them in 
extremely small numbers and forcing them to seek a home elsewhere. This 
Pyramid was the means by which they reached our planet. When they 
arrived... it was nothing more than a barren tract. Not unlike the 
Micaea Wastelands. However. Those alien organisms breathed life into the 
planet with the power of magic. Creating what that God Summoner over 
there would call the Spirit of the Earth. And in their great grace, they 
created a race of people to dominate this new world. While they oversaw 
it from the Pyramid. They evolved the monkeys and apes of nature, by use 
of their magic, thus creating human beings. The people soon grew to 
understand magic and gained culture, arts, profit and fortune. These 
were all because of our connections to the alien beings. But with each 
utopia there is always one group of people who would sooner rule 
themselves. These humans sparked a sense of revolt in their fellow man. 
They cultivated their own magics, those that fed off the power of nature 
and the elements of it. And thus began a century of war against the 
alien race. It was a costly war that ravaged the planet. And left only 
four countries standing. The countries that would one day become known 
as Norhia, Catheriah, Ostantinople and Micaea. Eventually the tide 
turned against the humans. And in a last ditch effort to win dominion 
over the planet, humans pooled together their most sacred powers and 
unleashed creatures that transcended even the alien race in strength. 
These were the Celestial Deities. Beasts that were infused with not only 
the ancient magics of the alien race, but the ability to control all 
magics throughout their bodies. This meant that they could use ALL their 
might, unlike human beings, who can only manipulate a small portion of 
their brains. In the end, over 70% of the human population was killed 
during the war. But though the higher beings had the edge in magic and 
discovery, the sheer numbers of the humans and the arrival of the 
Celestial Deities led to the downfall of the alien race. The last member 
of their people, an entity by the name of Atma, brought the last of his 
power to the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria and installed it inside. Then 
Atma took the Pyramid beyond the stars to protect it from human beings. 
Until the hallowed day that someone of precious blood summoned it and 
learned the truth. Meanwhile on Earth, humankind, the so-called 'slaves' 
of the alien race, began to make their own 'slavery' of the Celestial 
Deities. Using them first as tools of war, then as tools for economical 
progress and financial profit. Until the point came when four awesomely 
powerful ones were called on. These were the creatures you know as the 
Four Demon God Kings. In counter to the abuse of their kind; 
Sczamahchai, Ixram, Anaxagoras and Thanatos waged their own personal war 
against the human population. They were more powerful than anything the 
humans had ever before seen. So... they used the only strategy they 
could to stop the Four Demon God Kings. They once again pooled their 
magics together. And installed that raw force into a sword. That sword 
was Deuel."

All eyes turned to Roll, the girl who now held it, while Krauser 
continued. "...I imagine that at this point, you cannot Soul Steal 
anymore. Do you know what the true purpose of the Soul Stealers was? The 
Soul Stealers were human beings created by the alien race specifically 
to absorb and seal the powers of the Celestial Deities. This is why you 
lost that ability after you absorbed Sczamahchai's powers. You might 
think of yourself as a 'jar'. Once you absorb something of true worth, 
like a Deity, you become 'full'. The human race emulated this idea when 
they forged the great sword Deuel. A weapon that could contain limitless 
amounts of human magics. It was used by my ancestor to stop the Four 
Demon God Kings. They were far too powerful to kill however. So the 
sages of that time sealed them up in certain locations over the planet. 
One in Norhia (Kiriya Tower - Thanatos), one in Ostantinople (Freeda 
Abbey - Ixram), one in Micaea (River Castle - Anaxagoras), and one in 
Catheriah (Stone Temple - Sczamahchai). From then on, humans turned 
their backs on the dangerous Celestial Deities. And relied on magic to 
see them through. Over time, the humans have rewritten the story, 
claiming that the world was shaped by almighty Gods rather than 
benevolent organisms that they mindlessly waged war against. And humans 
also created the story of the Four Wise Men to hide the fact that the 
destruction caused by the Four Demon God Kings was a result of their own 
greed and abuse. You see? Our entire history is a fabrication. Human 
beings are engines of betrayal and worthlessness. Consuming all that is 
good and proper from one land, then moving onto others to maintain their 
lives. The actions of this selfish race has caused much loss and 
despondency. Simply using the Pyramid to kill them one by one is futile. 
They will still survive somehow. The only way to stop humankind once and 
for all, is to collapse all of reality into one form. One sole 
existence. Then, with the power of the Pyramid, I can start anew. I can 
restore the old alien race. Put them on their rightful place as rulers 
of all life. And I will be there as the one true God. Willing my new 
people through the darkness to the restoration of their utopia, one that 
shall be reforged with my own two hands."

The group was stunned at Krauser's tale, but the blonde warlock 
continued unabated, looking over at Roll. "...Now do you see how fitting 
this all is? You, humanity's greatest hope, a Soul Stealer, using the 
power of one of the Four Demon God Kings and the furthermost weapon of 
human creation; Deuel. And me, the avatar of the alien race, doing all I 
can to stop the evils of man. This is truly where it will all end. And 
where it will all begin."

"Enough!" Roll yelled at him, "I'm tired of listening to you! You make 
it seem like all of mankind is evil, greedy and heartless! And that's a 
load of bull!"

Sapphire nodded in agreement. "My people are peaceful! We don't want 
this!"

"Most people simply seek a simple, peaceable life. What right do you 
have to take that away from them?" Nagi questioned loudly.

Roll narrowed her eyes at him. "You see? The human beings in the age of 
the alien race might have been nothing more than power-hungry bastards. 
But we aren't like that anymore! You can't kill everyone and everything 
just because of the mistakes that dead guys have made!"

Krauser chortled again. "Heh, heh, heh. Spoken like true humans. The 
very fact that people such as Reidenbacht exist is proof that mankind is 
just as twisted as it ever was. And that was why you killed him, was it 
not? All humans are capable of evil. It's just a matter of having the 
right incentive. Now the time has come to do away with it all. Do you 
still seek to stop me?"

"With every last breath..." Sapphire answered, seething. 

"...Fine then," The blonde magician opened his cloak and smiled, "...you 
all have done well up to this point. You struck me as intelligent 
people. But you have chosen death. So be it." 

Krauser's hand reached around and gripped his cloak, ripping it off his 
body. He then tossed it away from him, and it came to rest one of the 
translucent symbols on the invisible 'floor' of the ground. He then 
closed his eyes and spread open his arms, bellowing out a loud, echoing 
cry that reverberated in this compact distortion of space. The party 
held firm whilst Krauser screamed out at the top of his lungs. Bolts of 
electricity rained down from above, striking his body. But not as an 
attack. But as part of what seemed to be a transformation. His whole 
body shook vividly. The streaks of lightning rammed into him repeatedly 
and caused a deep gold illumination to encase his body. Krauser leaned 
back whilst standing. His muscles tensed by each second past, all the 
while his golden energy increasing in both power and size. Soon it was 
impossible to see Krauser with all the electricity and golden light. And 
the others had to cover their eyes to prevent themselves from being 
blinded by it. The size of the light force rose up in height whilst 
expanding as well. Then the sound of shattering glass followed it. 
Leaving behind the newest form of Sydney Linus Krauser. But, in that 
form, he was no longer 'Sydney Linus Krauser' He became a whole other 
entity. The flesh that was once grey was now a very pale white. Veins of 
gold throbbed over the chest and arms that reached down to the knees. 
The 'head' (if you could call it that) of the being had an elongated 
cranium. One solid horn extended from the middle left side of that head, 
reaching back around the skull with a curved edge. The other side of the 
head had an ear that hung down like a looped earring of flesh. Its teeth 
rattled against each other like leaves. Its shoulders were framed with 
sharp spikes of bone. And it possessed two layers of flesh at its back. 
One extended from its right shoulder blade into a wing, over two metres 
in length. The other hung off the side of left shoulder blade like half 
of a cape. Though this twelve-foot tall beast was terrifying in its 
appearance, it had a divine, messianic air about it, with a wide halo of 
light based around its feet, and a glittering gold energy sparkling over 
its arms, legs and chest. 

This was Atma God.

With the intense red eyes gleaming from the sockets of its skull, Atma 
God spoke out to the ones that would be its victims. "AND NOW, YE HEROES 
SUMMONED AT THE BEHEST OF THY DESTINY, COME HITHER, AND UNASHAMEDLY 
EMBRACE THY DEATH. FOR THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THEE WHO WILL BE 
VICTORIOUS."

This would be it, then.

Everyone narrowed their eyes and focused themselves. Roll parted her 
feet, leaned over, turning her shoulder to the imposing Atma God and 
reached to her waist, for the grip of her new blade, the Deuel sword. 
The sword that had been used to banish the Celestial Deities. Nagi 
reached behind and withdrew Esdra from the catches of her back. The long 
shaft came into her two-handed hold, before her body. Long scowled at 
the divine creature known as the Atma God, taking on a pose. Just as it 
always did before a Dragon Transformation, Long's gold coloured aura 
awoke around his body, arms and legs. The beautiful but focused Sapphire 
brought up one of her hands, her costume jewellery jingling when doing 
so. And she chanted. The sweet chants that would summon one of her own 
allies into the battle. Dr. Oro sneered at his one time peer, taking on 
a fighting pose and brandishing that wooden staff of his for some of his 
Sage magical attacks. Sophie grinned at Atma God, spreading his feet and 
fixing his fists into a defence stance. Of all of the party, Sophie was 
the one who least understood the strength of their enemy. Which perhaps 
makes it easier to understand why he was the first to attack Atma God. 
The frighteningly seductive street dancer growled in his feminine voice 
and made a dash for the imposing God of the Pyramid. Sophie sprinted 
across the space-star background, runic symbols appearing every time he 
set his foot down. Then he leapt into the air with as much force as a 
martial artist could make. Atma God's head did not look up to follow 
this. But knew, implicitly, what Sophie's intent was. The golden-haired 
youth drew back his hand and clutched it into a fist. Once his momentum 
faded and Sophie started to descend, powerful Chi force suddenly sprang 
to life around his poised fist. It took on the form of a thick swirling 
wind, which encircled his whole arm. Sophie extended his arm by 
thrusting his fist downwards at the mythic Atma God, screaming,

"Fancy one of these?! Whirlwind Fist!"

Atma God made some kind of echoing half-battle cry and half scream, and 
pushed his hand outwards. The Whirlwind Fist crashed into an invisible 
force of protective energy before it could land the blow on the mortal 
body of God. Sophie strained against it, the knuckles of his fist 
pressing into the shield, but it was all in vain. Atma God yelled out 
another of those ethereal cries, and the shield repelled Sophie's 
attack. The wind energy around his arm was suddenly quashed and the 
street dancer's torso was thrown back. Sophie squealed roughly. His back 
skidded across the runic symbols that appeared on that which could be 
considered 'ground level'. 

"...Miss Sophie!" Long scowled, redirecting his fury at Atma God, 
"Fiend!"

The Guardian of the Gold Crystal lowered his hands and screamed out into 
the vastness of this alternate dimension inside the Pyramid. The gold 
aura expended while this scream continued. When that golden illumination 
finally died down, the final result was revealed. Gold Dragon. The 
golden-skinned beast snorted hot, smoky steam from the large nostrils of 
its long snout, and stomped its thrashing feet into the symbols below. 
Soon its mighty wings began a rapid beat that took it up into the air. 
The Gold Dragon roared aloud and then flew straight over the distance 
between itself and Atma God. The dragon opened its massive jaws 
mid-flight and breathed out one of those enormous pillars of flame. Atma 
God, in mere seconds, raised one of his arms and opened its hand. It 
began sparkling with a precious blue energy. One that represented water. 
The energy then became actual water. Moving in small droplets towards 
the hand of the Atma God. The water particles forged themselves into a 
long, thin shape, in the vein of a weapon. Which was apparently a 
sword-shape. This was the legendary water-based magic known as the Aqua 
Sword. Atma God clasped the 'handle' of the sword which shimmered at his 
touch. Then brought the sword around at the massive ball of fire that 
was coming his way. A large residual wave of water droplets followed 
after the movement of the Aqua Sword spell, and Atma God thrust the 
attack straight into the swirling vortex of the Gold Dragon's fire. The 
long shaft of water cut straight through the waves of fire, dousing it 
inch by inch. The Aqua Sword dissolved the flames like they were nothing 
at all. Then it was ejected from Atma God's hand. The Aqua Sword was 
thrown forwards at the Gold Dragon. A strike that was far too quick to 
be avoided. The watery weapon struck the guardian at one point, which 
was its stomach; but it felt more like being hit all over. The Gold 
Dragon screamed out with that animalistic bellow it possessed. And it 
was tossed away like so much trash. The great form of the golden dragon 
fell to one of the runic symbols just as the downed Sophie had done. 
Though Gold Dragon had managed to retain its form, blood now dripped 
down from the many gashes across its flesh. Those sustained from the 
savage, tearing power of the Aqua Sword. 

Atma God raised its hand to strike the Gold Dragon down with another 
magical blow, one that would a killing blow. But was halted when a 
sphere of icy blue force was sent down his way from above. An orb of ice 
magic forged into one form, the Ice Shell technique. Atma God rumbled it 
its unopened mouth and smacked his hand into the descending magic 
attack. His fist smashed the orb into nothing but scraps of ice and 
water, and looked up above him. Nagi was descending from there, she had 
had been the one to cast that skill. The uncrowned queen of the Xian 
swung Esdra downwards, mid-fall, yelling,

"Krauser!"

Atma God repelled the strike effortlessly, waving his arm once to create 
another protective shield of magical force. Nagi's spear bounced off it. 
She was tossed backwards from the God himself, but Nagi regained her 
poise before falling. She somersaulted in the air repeatedly and came 
back down on two feet. "...Damn you!"

The Atma God wordlessly extended his left arm and opened its hand. In 
the same way that water had been summoned to his hand previously, this 
time it was fire that was called on. The flames that gathered took on 
the combined form of a sword-like force. This was the Ignis Sword magic 
attack. Much like the Aqua Sword. But the shape of the Ignis Sword was 
more alike to a broadsword, whereas the Aqua Sword had a sabre-like 
shape to it. Nagi scowled at the higher being and rushed forward to 
attack it. She lowed Esdra in her run and pushed out her arm to lead in. 
Icy magics, a trademark of the Xian, soon came into view at Nagi's hand. 
The girl then came to a stop, almost as a surprise, and forced her open 
hand down to point beneath. A slithering wave of ice awoke on in the 
middle of the space field and travelled from 
Nagi to Atma God. It was the Ice Blast. The same skill that Nagi has 
used right before she killed the pet monkey of deceased Molly Ragwurm, 
the little chimp formerly known as 'Coconut'. Atma God let off what 
seemed to be a sneering snort, and swung the Ignis Sword around till it 
pointed downwards. As the Ice Blast came, the hot flames of suddenly 
burned a little brighter than before. A barrier formed around the 
'blade' of the magic skill. The Ignis Sword Barrier. Once the ice of 
Nagi's spell came within half a metre of the Ignis Sword, the heat from 
the barrier simply melted the ice all away. It dissolved into the water 
from which it had been created. Nagi was shocked at this. The Ignis 
Sword had eroded her spell. Yet the Ice Magics of the Xian tribe were 
said to be unstoppable. 

While Nagi pondered on how much her magics were outclassed here, Atma 
God's attentions peaked when he heard the sound of a wolf's howl. He 
looked over to his right and saw a very peculiar apparition. It was a 
dog, made entirely of light, galloping in his direction with its 'teeth' 
bared to attack. Atma God swung the Ignis Sword around swiftly as the 
light dog jumped up to attack him. The flaming sword smashed though the 
pure light energy of that magical being, returning it to nothingness. 
Standing a short ways behind that collision was Dr. Oro, his teeth 
gritting down. Atma God lowered the Ignis Sword and let it dissolve into 
cinders. That magic was the Luminescent Fang skill, a Sage Magic. Only 
the most powerful Sages like Dr. Oro could use magic of THAT kind. 

"Monster!" Dr. Oro yelled, "...We will destroy you!"

Now it seemed that teamwork was about to play a part in this. Dr. Oro 
curled his right hand into a fist and his left hand held up his Oak 
staff. The deft old magician closed his eyes and concentrated his 
magical powers for a follow up to his Luminescent Fang magical attack. 
Nagi caught onto this and did the same. With Esdra lowered she raised 
her hand and pointed at Atma God. Ice power arrived once again. A 
conjoined effort. Dr. Oro opened his eyes once more and thrust out both 
his fist and his staff. Wind energy was shot from his hands. A ball of 
gusts that zoomed towards Atma God in the willowy shape of a tiger's 
head. Nagi growled with all the zeal you'd expect from a warrior queen 
of the Xian, and fired a second ice sphere. The two attacks, the Tiger 
Wind and the Ice Shell, came straight for Atma God from either side of 
his body. The titanic being pushed out both of his arms. One to the 
right, one to the left. And a swirling black mass of energy came from 
both of them. Nagi and Dr. Oro assumed that this was some kind of 
shield. But as it turns out, it was much more than that. The Tiger Wind 
technique was swallowed up by the right shield. Which was more of a 
portal. And the same thing happened to the Ice Shell skill of Nagi's. 
the two magical attacks were absorbed into the swirling black darkness 
of Atma God's portals. And then something a little different happened. 
The Tiger Wind that had gone through the right portal reappeared. But it 
came out from the left portal. Not the right one. Which put it on a 
direct course for Nagi. Dr. Oro would have noticed this too, except for 
the fact that Nagi's blast was now coming through the right portal and 
heading his way. Nagi attempted to defend herself by covering up with 
Esdra in one hand. It was not enough to stop the wrath of Dr. Oro's 
Tiger Wind magic. She cried out, out as the spell rammed into her. The 
uncrowned queen was blown back, blood and spittle knocked from her lips 
by the strength of the attack. Dr. Oro also tried to stave off the 
magical strike from his friend. But the reversal was too frank for the 
old sage to adjust. The Ice Shell battered the face of the wizard in a 
single strike. The old man groaned sharply and fell to the ground/runes. 

"Nagi! Doctor!" Sapphire's eyes went wide with alarm. But she wouldn't 
wait too long to act. The God Summoner focused herself again and 
directed his fury towards Atma God, "...this will be my biggest 
summoning ever... but if it means curing the Unumbanga of its pain then 
I have no choice!"

Beads of sweat dropped from the forehead as Sapphire started the chant 
for the calling of her most powerful spirit creature. "...By the power 
of the almighty father of the Cloud Dancers, hear my call! Bestow upon 
me your power and I shall give you all my heart! For the sake of the 
future and the Spirit of the Earth, I summon you to the realm of the 
living! Awaken now, great blade of destruction, Hengal!"

There was a loud echoing bang. Like a crack of thunder. One so loud that 
it carried on through the vastness of the Pyramid's alternative 
dimension. Atma God watched as Sapphire took on the enormous strain of  
summoning an ancient spirit to aid her. He knew as well as she did that 
calling the higher and older spirits was extremely taxing. And Hengal 
was one of the spirits that held the grand powers and wisdoms that come 
hand in hand with thousands upon thousands of years in fighting 
experience. Before Sapphire, a tear was ripped into the fabric of time 
and space. One that was cleaved open by means of a sword (Baj'yatos). 
White light oozed from the gash in reality. A pure light that genuinely 
had Atma God curious. It was almost as if heaven was bleeding. Then a 
figure stepped out of that scar, brandishing the long golden-hilt 
broadsword Baj'yatos. Clad in pearly white armour, covering every inch 
of his body from the toes to the cranium. The only piece of the spirit's 
physical body in sight were the glowing eyes peering through the small 
slit of a visor that had been cut into the white metal of the helmet. 
The Angelic Knight's body glistened with almighty power, as if blessed 
with the powers of the heaven itself. 

But rather than pay attention to the summoned spirit, Hengal, Atma God 
focused on the woman behind him. Sapphire. She breathed and out very 
heavily, while the sweat glistened off her smooth cinnamon-brown skin. 
Atma God could see that summoning such a spirit took a great toll on the 
young woman. Maybe even threatening her life. "...A HUMAN WITH THE POWER 
TO CALL ON A SPIRIT OF SUCH CALIBRE... STARTLING EVENTS THESE ARE 
INDEED..."

Sapphire did not need to speak the words, to signify what she wanted 
done. Hengal could pick up on her will without fail. The armoured higher 
spirit roared in a humanoid manner and gripped Baj'yatos in a two-handed 
hold. Ethereal powers enfolded the length of the blade from then on. A 
golden light to accompany great strength. Hengal's soul powers instilled 
themselves into the very core of the sword. Which somehow magnified its 
overall power. It was something that Sapphire could only dream of. A 
skill that Atma God himself was VERY aware of. Even though he had no 
real use for it. 

Magi-Fusion.

Hengal lifted his elongated, brimming-with-force broadsword into the 
air, above his head, and cried out once more. Right before smashing the 
blade straight back down again. There was a furious explosion of 
momentum, followed by one in power. Hengal's blade projected a huge wave 
of burning spiritual white light that carved a path of burnt air as it 
veered in towards the Atma God. The Master of the Pyramid pushed one of 
his arms out to his side, flapping the fleshy wing of his shoulder blade 
open. Then moved the other hand in time with this attack of Hengal's, 
known as the Cherubim Cut. With a flick of the wrist, Atma God diverted 
the force of the Cherubim Cut away from his body, turning it to the 
right. The blast flew off into the vastness of 'space', never to be seen 
again. Despite the failure of his skill, it was not the limit of 
Hengal's power. 

...But it was the limit of Sapphire. 

The beautiful and exhausted God Summoner of the Cloud Dancer Tribe 
struggled to maintain consciousness. Calling on spirits of Hengal's 
strength was taxing in itself. But maintaining the presence of the 
spirit was almost twice as draining. And Sapphire could not keep it up 
for any elongated amount of time. Not now, at least. The sound of her 
breathless sigh and the jiggle of her jewellery rung when Sapphire 
collapsed to her knees, then to the surface of the runic symbol she was 
standing on. Unconscious. And without her mind feeding energy into the 
temporarily reincarnated body of Hengal, there was no way for him to 
remain here. The Angelic Knight shattered into the fragments of light it 
had been spawned from. Unable to remain on this plane. 

With Sapphire, Dr. Oro, Nagi, Gold Dragon and Sophie down, that just 
left Roll. She was truly the last defence for mankind. The young 
swordswoman stood relaxed with the great blade Deuel in her hand and a 
powerful smile on her face. Atma God lowered his head. If he were 
capable of pulling a smile to counter that of Roll, he would have done 
at that point. 

"WHY DOST THOU WATCH AS I DEMOLISH THY FRIENDS?" Atma God spoke, "HAST 
THOU LOST THY FAITH IN THOSE WHO WOULD LOVE THEE?"

Roll shut her eyes, still smiling. "Don't be ridiculous. They ALL risked 
their lives to get this far. They ALL deserved to take their shot at 
you. But this fight has always been mine. I'm gonna finish my Dad's 
work. I'm gonna kill you. Then, I'm gonna leave with all my friends, and 
we're gonna have a smash-up party in La Cruz. Sun kissed beaches, 
sparkling water, ice cold fruit vodka, beautiful waitresses, heh, we'll 
be living large."

Atma God watched her curiously. "THINE WISHES ARE PALTRY. WHY DOST THOU 
CLUTCH TO THOSE EARTHLY DESIRES WHEN SUCH REMARKABLE CAPACITIES BLAZE 
INSIDE OF THEE?"

"...'Cause I'm human," Roll replied, "and I'd trade this power I have a 
thousand times over for just one thing."

"OH? AND WHAT IS THAT?" Asked Atma God. 

"Happiness."

The titan of the alien race chuckled. "HEH, HEH, HEH. THOU ART A TYPICAL 
HUMAN. EVEN WITH THE POWER OF A GOD, THOU THINKS WITH THE BRAIN OF A 
MAGGOT. SO BE IT. IT IS TIME TO SEE IF HUMANITY STILL HAS THE STRENGTH 
TO ENDURE... THROUGH THINE BLADE. PREPARE THYSELF!"

The magical aura of Deuel brightened when Roll got herself into a 
fighting stance and made herself ready. Atma God brought his two hands 
close to one and other and summoned more of his Godly magic towards 
them. Vaporous sparkles of power came to those hands, inch by inch, 
turning into another orb of light. One that brightened this seemingly 
dark dimension of space. This Aurora Radiance Orb grew in size until 
Atma God grunted, throwing the blast straight at Roll. The young 
swordswoman grit her teeth and pushed the blade to a horizontal 
position. An emerald shield of magic force was produced by this. The 
Aurora Radiance Orb crashed into the shield created by Deuel. There was 
an explosion of sound waves as the magic blast drilled itself into the 
magic shield. Sparks of the electrical charges created between the two 
forces appeared at the point of their collision. Sweat danced down 
Roll's face while she held off the Aurora Radiance Orb. But the magic of 
Deuel was a force all of its own and as soon as Roll began to feel the 
weight of that, the Aurora Radiance Orb's form began to erode. Under the 
strength of Deuel's Force Shield Magi-Fusion art, the light blast was 
unable to reach its target. Nor could it maintain its shape. With one 
shove of the sword, Roll pushed the shield Deuel had created into what 
was left of the Aurora Radiance Orb. The whole thing then shattered into 
tiny, glowing sparkles of magic energy. Roll lowered Deuel and smirked 
at Atma God.

While Atma God himself was impressed. "...MAGI-FUSION, EH? THY SKILLS 
WITH THINE BLADE, DEUEL, ARE EXCEPTIONALLY IMPRESSIVE.  BUT CANST THEE 
STRIKE ME DOWN WITH THIS FORCE? CAN THEE BEST GOD HIMSELF!?"

"...I'll have a ball trying!" Roll gripped the Deuel again, running 
forwards with it trailing along behind her. Roll rushed over towards 
Atma God and allowed those same demons of magical force boiling within 
the sword to take it over. Swirling magical aura snaked up the shaft of 
the blade in a clinging embrace. Roll leapt from the long trail of runic 
symbols that followed along after her feet. Vaulting up into the air, 
she rotated her body and pulled Deuel over her head to strike down Atma 
God from above. Roll swung the sword back down and dove straight down at 
the avatar of the alien race. The aura about the sword burst open into a 
fiery, gyratory gust that enveloped Roll's arms as well as her hands, 
"Aura Blade!"

Atma God jerked his head at the sight of the green-flamed Aura Blade 
Magi-Fusion art. In a split second decision, he summoned another of his 
blade arts into his hand. The force of pure air savagely dragged 
together into a solid, physical form. This air-force shaped itself into 
a sword-form. The Aero Sword magic skill. With the Aero Sword in hand, 
Atma God swung his arm upwards to meet with the incoming blow from Roll. 
The Aero Sword clashed vibrantly with the now flaming Deuel, with an 
echo so loud that the pulsations caused both the human and the god to 
jerk backwards a little. The flames around Deuel disappeared. Roll leapt 
away from Atma God. But his Aero Sword met a similar end. It evaporated, 
its force nullified by the strength of Deuel's flames. Roll skidded to a 
stop on another of those symbols that acted at a stand point. Then 
thrust herself at Atma God once again. The almighty being that was once 
Krauser produced something of a growl and pushed out his right hand. His 
bony fingers gathered up magic force into one moment and shot for Roll. 
The swordswoman dashed to one side of that blast. Then another came. 
Roll did the same, darting away from the blast until she was in striking 
range of Atma God once again. Roll attempted to slash at the titanic 
form of the Atma God. In one powerful cut, she swung Deuel around in 
horizontal arc motion and hacked into the pasty flash of God's lower 
abdomen. Light green blood (which was his newly mutated God Blood) 
splattered outwards. While the monster screamed with what seemed to be 
pain. Roll grinned and pulled up Deuel for a second slash. But Atma God 
was already one step ahead of her. It thrust its fist straight at her. 
Roll blinked and drew back the sword to protect herself. Atma God's 
punch knocked her back all the same, tossing her into another of those 
runes. 

Nevertheless, when Roll got back up onto her feet, there was a smile on 
her face. Green blood dripped from the tip of Deuel. Dr. Oro had been 
right all along. He was not invulnerable. Atma God growled again, then 
pushed out his fingertip. What he was feeling now was most definitely 
anger. A pin-point beam of light; a spurious, javelin-shaped beam was 
fired from that sallow-skinned fingertip. The sharp beam cut furiously 
through the air at Roll. The girl caught onto the dangers of this shot 
all too late. The thin blast burned straight through her shoulder joint 
and right through her shoulder blade. Roll's red blood made its own 
arrival along with her blood-curdling scream. Nagi, Gold Dragon, Sophie 
and Dr. Oro all saw this and cringed. Roll lowered herself, whimpering, 
to one knee and dropped Deuel, to hold her injured shoulder. 

"Dammit..." Roll seethed, "...I was careless..."

Nagi, from where she was lying, frowned. "Gods, she's hurt. We have to 
help her!"

"No!" Dr. Oro yelled, holding the unconscious Sapphire in his arms, "I 
admit this is hard to watch but it is obvious now that only Roll has the 
power to stand against Krauser. We have no chance in defeating him 
ourselves. We must trust in Roll and her power. Otherwise the world is 
finished."

Though Nagi didn't like to stand back when there was a fight going on, 
she knew in her heart that Dr. Oro was right. So she remained as she 
was. And trusted herself to believe in her friend. To believe that Roll 
could win. The brown-haired swordswoman sighed, taking her now 
blood-covered hand to clasp the grip of Deuel once more. Atma God saw 
this. His own wound dripping its green blood. "THOU WOULD YET DARE TO 
ARISE? HAST THEE NOT SEEN THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR STRENGTHS? EVEN THINE 
GREAT BLADE DEUEL, SATURATED WITH MAGIC AND ITS DIVINE POTENCY, CANNOT 
STAND AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. SUBMIT THYSELF NOW AND KNOW 
THINE FOLLY!"

Roll coughed up blood. "...I'll... never give up..."

"WHY IS THAT, HUMAN?" Atma God asked curiously, "WHY DOST THOU CONTINUE 
TO RESIST MY POWER AND MY NEW ORDER? WHY DO YOU SEEK TO PREVENT THE 
FINAL JUDGEMENT?"

"...Because..." Roll finally managed to get herself back onto her feet, 
with her shoulder blade still oozing out blood from the circular wound 
in it, "...I have the one thing... you don't..."

"WHAT IS THAT?"

Roll smirked at him, shutting one of her green eyes. "...Someone I want 
to protect."

Atma God grunted out again. "...YOU FOOL! GAAAH!"

The emissary of the alien race pushed forwards both of his hands and 
fired a huge blast of golden power that simply engulfed anything that 
had come before it. The gigantic blast, the Celestial Equinox caused Dr. 
Oro and all the others to cover their faces and shut their eyes to stop 
themselves from being blinded. Roll stood virtually in the vortex of 
that enormous blast of divine power. She softly pulled up the Deuel 
sword and stood her ground. The shield that she could create from it 
protected her. The light of the Celestial Equinox magic burned against 
the shield but did not pierce it. And whilst under the protection of the 
shield, Roll closed her eyes and concentrated on what needed to be done. 
Her form suddenly altered into that of Demi-Sczamahchai, with Deuel 
still locked in her talons. Demi-Sczamahchai spread out all four of her 
wings and screeched bestially. It was time to choose. Would she save the 
world and live? Or forsake the world and die? 

It all came down to this.

With the Force Shield of Deuel still surrounding her, Demi-Sczamahchai 
flapped upwards and flew straight into the vortex of the Celestial 
Equinox. The fiery golden power bounced off the shield while 
Demi-Sczamahchai advanced on Atma God, the conjuror of the attack. Now 
all of Roll's power was focused into the sword. And all the power of 
Deuel coalesced with her own. This fusion of force gave the sword a 
whole new glow. One that was faint in size but brimming with force to 
those who had the magical wits to feel it. The strength of the mystic 
sword and that of a Celestial Deity, joined as one. This aura then 
exploded to life and opened outwardly, encircling the tip of the sword 
like an heavenly umbrella. Demi-Sczamahchai surged through the glorious 
light until she was within range of Atma God. Then, the blow came. The 
final Magi-Fusion art that Demi-Sczamahchai could muster. The Banish 
Blade. The gold light that enfolded Demi-Sczamahchai became itself 
engulfed by the bluish light of the Banish Blade. Demi-Sczamahchai 
buried it right through the chest and into the core of Atma God. The 
higher being screeched. Feeling the power of Deuel now burning inside 
his body. Like an acid. Demi-Sczamahchai flapped her wings and flew 
backwards, ripping the blade out of Atma God's torso. Green blood 
spurted out from the deep hole in the chest. And the brightness of the 
blue light ebbed away. The monstrous form that Atma God has assumed now 
started to dissolve. Bit by bit, that omnipotent body vanished into the 
emptiness of its origin. Leaving behind the normal, dishevelled, human 
form of Sydney Linus Krauser. The blonde magician collapsed to his knees 
and then face down to the runic symbol beneath him, dropping lifelessly.

Demi-Sczamahchai landed to a rune. Her body also revered to its normal 
form, becoming Roll. She lowered Deuel and its glow also faded. The 
battle was over. Krauser moaned on the floor, now spurting up blood from 
his lips. "...So it seems... that the future... is still... in the 
hands... of humanity..."

"So it is," Roll answered, "but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. 
It's never too late for us to change things. And no one person has the 
right to do that for us. We'll find our own way through life. No matter 
what the cost to ourselves."

Krauser chuckled in between bloody coughs. "...You truly are the 
daughter of Enryu... I can feel... that he would be... proud of you..."

And so, Sydney Linus Krauser, breathed his last. Sophie, Nagi, Long (who 
had just turned back from Gold Dragon) and Dr. Oro smiled at the 
victorious Roll. Roll turned around and smiled back, until she saw the 
sleeping Sapphire in Dr. Oro's surprisingly strong arms. 

"Is she alright?" The brown-haired girl asked.

Dr. Oro bobbed his head. "Yes. She fainted after summoning the spirit 
Hengal. All she needs is a bit more rest. But what about you? How is 
your injury?"

"...I'll live," Roll claimed, sheathing Deuel, "...I just need to get 
it-"

Roll then cut herself off as she heard the sound of energy gathering 
into one point. The whole group, Roll, Nagi, Sophie, Long and Dr. Oro 
looked over at the sight behind the energy gathering. Just behind the 
fallen corpse of Krauser was a spectre. A willowy ghost that looked a 
lot like the form of Atma God. But a little more humane and far less 
dangerous. Nagi reached for Esdra, Sophie took on a fighting stance, 
Long prepared to turn into Gold Dragon again, Dr. Oro brought up his 
staff to conjure more magic, and Roll leaned over to clasp at the grip 
of Deuel. But the spirit behind Krauser's body just smiled at them.

"Lower your weapons," He said, "Your battle is over."

Roll narrowed her eyes. "Who... or what... are you?"

"My name is Atma," He spoke, "I am the spirit of the last man of my 
people. Those you regard as the 'alien race'. The ones who forged this 
world and created humanity. The creators of this Pyramid you now stand 
in."

Dr. Oro addressed him. "So you are Atma? Does that mean what Krauser 
said was true?"

"Yes. All of it. I was fated to be bound to this place forever when my 
people were killed by humanity and the Celestial Deities during the war. 
We wanted the last of our powers to be given to a champion who would 
recreate our race and start anew. However, Krauser proved himself 
unworthy when he used these powers for evil ends. Our way is of peace. 
And I can see that you people are truly the symbols of our ethic. I 
think it is certain that the Earth is safe as long as it has brave, 
noble people like you to guard it from harm. However. My time on this 
planet is over. I might be nothing more than a wraith now. But my power, 
and that of the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria, will always be a threat to 
this world if another man like Krauser should arise to seize it."

"Then what will we do about it?" Asked Sophie.

"Nothing. This is my burden. I will use all my force to return the 
Pyramid to a place where it cannot be found. Into the deepest pits of 
darkness that the universe has ever known. The power of my ancient race, 
however created on benevolent whims, is too much of a temptation for 
evil. I shall return you to the Catherian hills before I do this. You 
will be safe."

Roll nodded to the ghost. "Thank you, Atma."

Atma nodded back, then pressed its non-corporeal hands together. The six 
victorious heroes were transported from the innards of the 
space-dimension section of the Pyramid by Atma's magic. Atma then stood 
alone there, before the corpse of Krauser. "I have planted the seeds of 
the future. And entrusted the beautiful Earth to the humanity we 
created, o forgotten spirits of the ancient. I believe I have made the 
right choice. Maybe the sins of our creations can be redeemed after all. 
Thus absolving our own sins."

Outside the Pyramid, the six warriors landed on the same hillock that 
they had gotten to Catheriah from. The six of then landed of the soft 
green grass and took note of their new location. Even the portal to get 
them home was still open. Dr. Oro carefully passed the still unconscious 
Sapphire into the arms of Long, and the group then looked up into the 
skies to see what was going on. The Dragon Riders that Queen Catherine 
XXIII had sent were no longer buzzing around hopelessly. There was only 
around twenty of them left and they had ceased their attack. Because the 
Pyramid itself was no longer attacking them. The remaining dragons had 
been confused by this, Dr. Oro surmised. 

"Many of the dragons have been taken down," Nagi claimed, "...but the 
battle is over."

Sophie nodded, pointing to the Pyramid. "Tell me about it. Look!"

The group (minus Sapphire) looked up at the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria 
again. There was an energy reaction taking place once more. But not as a 
form of attack. That energy became a translucent ring of runic symbols 
that encircled the base of the Pyramid at a distance of around 38 
metres. The dragon riders got a little suspicious again when they saw 
this. But it soon became obvious that this really was not an offensive 
action. Because the Pyramid started to sink into that ring. It was a 
portal. Roll, Nagi, Long, Sophie, Dr. Oro and all the dragon riders 
watched the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria ease downwards into that hoop of 
symbols and light. Eventually the entire structure was gone. And when it 
was, the runic ring vanished from sight. Leaving behind the now bright 
morning skies of Catheriah to shine down. 

The remaining dragon riders all burst into cheer, while the party on the 
hill breathed sighs of relief. Long was the first to speak. "...We did 
it. We stopped Krauser and the Pyramid..."

"Ya mean we actually saved the world?" Sophie asked absently.

Nagi crossed her arms and sniggered. "I guess so. I never really 
pictured myself as a saviour of anything, let alone the world, but 
whatever."

"We've done a good thing today," Dr. Oro acknowledged, "No matter how 
reluctant any of us may have been about it. Our destinies have been 
fulfilled, with the defeat of Krauser. And Atma will keep the powers of 
the Pyramid save in a place no human can reach. The threat to the world 
is finally over."

Long nodded his head. "Yes. The only question left now is... where do we 
go from here?"

"Well, I dunno about you guys," Roll smirked, holding her injured 
shoulder and turning to the portal, "but there's a blonde girl in 
Ostantinople who's waiting for me. Wanna head back and check on Elle?"

The party all smiled and followed her. Their struggle against Krauser 
and Norhia was finally over. The forsaken power that had been brought 
down from the heavens by human hands, was once again sealed away. Now it 
was time for human hands to shape a better future for the world that had 
been entrusted to them. 

**********

And that was the end of my saga.

At that point it became obvious that our victory would be in vain if 
Norhia were allowed to persist in their attempts to bring revolution to 
Catheriah. But through the many events with Krauser, the Pyramid and the 
death of Reidenbacht junior, it became obvious to the Norhian Parliament 
that the only way forward was to change their ways. The whole affair had 
shown them that the Catherian people were not so foolish as to blow 
something out of proportion. But rather they gathered their forces and 
acted for the right reasons. To defend their beautiful country from 
harm. And with that taken care of, our fight was at last concluded. 

We actually did have the party we wanted. All of us went straight over 
to Sophie's house by the town of La Cruz and had a night the likes of 
which we'd never forget. It was fitting, 'cause we split apart the 
following day.

Nagi, the arrogant-yet-somehow-lovable uncrowned queen of the Xian, 
returned to her old home in Norhia. It was impossible for her to 
resurrect her people now. But with the death of Reidenbacht, revenge had 
been achieved. And so she made a point of teaching her rare warrior-mage 
skills to anyone willing to learn. I hear that she has about 15 students 
now. Mostly guys. But with an overly hot teacher like Nagi, I'd just 
love to know how much they're REALLY learning...

Sapphire, the gentle God-Summoner who sacrificed over two years of her 
life to curing the heartache of the planet, returned to her home in the 
Village of the Wind. Taking the sword Deuel with her. It has once again 
been buried in the Tomb of the Sky King. I hear that Sapphire now spends 
most of her time training for her role as the future leader of the Cloud 
Dancer Tribe. She'll be a great leader. As long as her brothers don't 
drive her crazy beforehand.

Sophie, that cross dressing, street dancing, martial artist, and Long, 
former guardian of the Gold Crystal; didn't follow the same path as the 
rest of us. They ended up living together in La Cruz. Sophie still seems 
to have that weird, unashamed crush on the guy. Something that Long 
somehow isn't aware of yet. I dunno how long that's gonna last now that 
they're living together as 'friends'. But I can't wait to be there when 
he actually does figure it out, heh, heh, heh... 

Dr. Oro, master sage and knowledgeable old wizard, went back to his life 
of magical research in his little lab in Green Dales, Ostantinople. He 
said that he has a fragment of Deuel in his possession and so he's going 
to make a whole study on it. I'll never understand why people like him 
love to research this stuff so much. But we couldn't have done it 
without you, old man. However, the next time you have a job that 
requires a world saviour, don't you come looking in my direction!

Elle Stuart, the girl of God Blood, the girl whose love forced me to 
take a stand against Krauser and the Divine Pyramid, is now touring 
throughout the world. I never really did tell her how I felt. But I was 
never very sure about it, myself. But I wish her all the best in the 
future. If I ever see you again, Elle, I know our meeting will be a 
happy one. 

And me? Roll? I came all the way back to Falkirk Village to see you, 
Dad. I came to your gravesite today to make sure you knew everything 
that had happened to us since we took down Krauser. I'm doing well for 
myself, I think. I've decided to quit the mercenary business. It was 
never about money. It was about me running away from my 
responsibilities. Well I'm not gonna do that anymore. From now on I'm 
going to live for the reasons that are both right and are right for me 
as a person. First on the list is the restoration of Falkirk Village. We 
both loved this place, didn't we, Dad? That's why I'm going to find a 
way to rebuild it. It'll take some time, that's for sure. But I've got 
all the time in the world and all the power necessary to carry this out. 
And if someone like Krauser ever show up, well, I'll be there.

To protect the world that you adored.

And to protect the woman that loves me.

**********

END OF THE LAST SAGA 3

**********

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