Hot! The flames of the personification of drought are no joke!...They almost completely bypass my own resistance, Sun Wukong thought.

Hopping away from the gathering spiral of midnight flames, Sun Wukong watched with his curious, celestial gaze the growing spectacle.

Vritra's tattoos extended themselves across his body as did his scales; his tail lengthening as his yells grew deeper and higher in intensity. A gnawing pressure exuded itself upon the lifeless soil, crushing and cratering it as the roars continued to unleash.

"What is he doing…?!"

"I don't know, but I can't even feel my cheeks anymore!"

Barely able to get his words out as the ferocious winds pelted against his cheeks, Manfred responded as he wrapped his arms around the trunk of a tree as an anchor.

"Shouldn't we try to find Avdima?...We have to tell him what happened to Navigator…!"

"You think he didn't notice the ship getting destroyed in the air?! We have to stay put or we're toast!"

Manfred's words made sense to Leon, but he could hardly find it in his heart to stay still amidst the battle--even knowing the powers present before him.

I know I'm just an ant present among warriors that rival deities, but I can't just be a sitting duck…! I have to fight! Leon thought.

That thought was sent to the back of his mind as both he and his friend witnessed the breathtaking spectacle birthed from Vritra's gathering flames.

Every inch of the divine spirit of drought's body was sealed in an armor of his somber, blue scales, mimicking that of a knight's armor twisted into a form sitting between the threshold of divine and demonic.

No, that's not quite right. It's not that his scales have extended completely over his body like armor...That's his new skin! Sun Wukong deciphered.

Upon looking upon Vritra's new form with his knowledgeable eyes, it was confirmed for him. The body of Vritra had shifted, his arms growing longer with his fingers ending in claws, while his body followed the same pattern; his bulkiness settling into a more conditioned, refined mass fit for combat.

Without being able to see Vritra's face sitting behind his scales, it was an unsettling, but exciting development for the Monkey King.

Looking upon the form of Vritra, Sun Wukong watched as the figure disappeared from the holds of the sky within an instant--feeling the presence now distinctly and directly behind him.

"Extend!"

Without any time to turn around, his call caused the pole he held behind him to grow in width, shielding him from the incoming attack that thrust itself violently against the rod. The force alone knocked the Monkey King into the depths of the forest, who watched and heard as Vritra insisted on following the momentum.

Grabbing the pole and piercing its form into the ground beneath, he halted himself, just in time to witness the divinity shrouded in scales stampeding through rows of trees as his feet sent tremors through the boundaries of disturbed nature.

"If you're so inclined to go all-out, I might just have to follow that same resolve!"

Smiling ear-to-ear, Sun Wukong elegantly evaded the incoming flurry of blows from the gargantuan foe of his, each missed fist sending its force through the vacant air before the wind pressure cut through the evergreen.

"Raaah!"

A completely unexpected development came to Sun Wukong's eyes as he witnessed what looked like a helmet wrapped around Vritra's head, part its maw to reveal rows of sharp teeth as plentiful as grass in a plain. Birthing itself from this almighty maw, the midnight flames belonging to Vritra poured out directly towards the Monkey King, who kicked himself off the ground to avoid the initial brunt of the fiery assault.

Beneath the direct presence of both Vritra and his flames, the forest withered rapidly; once more the soil left its healthy brown to a decrepit gray, the bark of trees peeling as they slumped over, and the insects and forest dwellers falling over dead as the moisture in their body was dried out.

Witnessing the destruction that followed Vritra's step; the domain of once bountiful evergreen now being reduced to nothingness before the rapidly spreading flames of the drought divinity, Wukong's playfulness halted as he landed on the decaying surface of the forest once more.

I think it's about time I return the favor to that boy. This indifferent, yet all-encompassing destruction is something I can't let happen any longer, he thought.

Turning his trusty pole into a size no larger than that of a needle, he tucked it behind his ear before placing his hands in prayer, slowly closing his eyes as he listened to the rampage of Vritra draw closer; the divine spirit having lost all of his self-control as he let loose destruction upon the surrounding territory.

"Warding Palms of the Great Divine!"

Pressing one palm forward, Sun Wukong's roaring incantation unleashed what looked like a dozen, enormous palms formed of a golden radiance, rapidly thrusted against Vritra's form as the entity was knocked back through the trees.

Letting out a hoarse cough after releasing the mysticism, Wukong caressed his throat as he huffed, fixing his crooked expression with his usual, confident smile.

Even if his attacks don't land, just being near him is enough to do some real damage to me. All the moisture in my body is compromised by the absolute drought that is placed by his very existence. The environment itself is a pain to fight in! Wukong thought.

The air was thin and hot as moisture was vaporized the moment it attempted to exist in the vicinity of Vritra.

Until this point, I fought only for myself and for my own desire; that is not the noble path. You taught me as much, Sanzang, my friend. Now, I'd like to inherit what was and is mine; the teachings I've learned and the path I inherited! Sun Wukong thought.

A sublime aura of a celestial radiance emanated from him as he kept his eyes shut, unleashing a gentle, but forceful tremor only affected the rampaging asura, sending Vritra stumbling back before he could assault the Monkey King.

Vritra, you were a warrior, through and through. I shall cherish the memory of our battle forevermore, but our fight was then and this is now. I relinquish my desires and take only one upon my shoulders; vanquish the evil before me, he thought.

All at once, every one of the monkey's golden, pristine hairs that ran across his body flowed not by the wind's pull, but by his own merit.

I'll borrow this form, I believe you'll understand, Honored One. With all eighty-two thousand hairs on my body, I will become you! Sun Wukong thought.

As his eyelids parted to reveal his golden irises, taking the shape of a wheel now, his tens of thousands of needles of hair radiated with a blinding glow. The celestial glow filled the decaying portion of the forest, blinding even the divine, maddened sight of Vritra as a hum released unto the land.

With the light diminishing, the destruction craving spirit of drought looked forward to see that there was no golden-furred monkey before him. Looking to the left and to the right, then behind himself--Sun Wukong was unseen.

It was only once recognizing the catastrophically seraphic aura hanging far above his head that he finally looked up, feeling dread fill the pits of his stomach as he finally saw it.

The form looked down upon him didn't seem to inhabit the world, instead looking down directly at him from above the clouds, hanging above the stratosphere itself with a body that rivaled the world itself in size.

"The Great Buddha…!"

It was an impossible sight, even for a deity. A body that resembled that of a statue, a head with an indifferent expression and low-hanging ears that despite holding closed eyelids, clearly set its sights on him.

Slowly, but with immeasurable power, the form of Buddha taken by Sun Wukong raised his palm, descending upon the world as it first parted the clouds, overshadowing the entirety of the great valley.

"What the…?"

In the process of healing his bruises accumulated in the fight against the maniacal argonaut with layers of ice, Donatien looked up to see the impossibly large hand descend through the clouds.

Avdima and Fai found themselves too engulfed in an exchange of blows to realize even the grandiose conclusion coalescing behind them.

"Run! Run! Run…!"

Sprinting side-by-side, Leo and Manfred could feel the air they breathed in growing heated by the distant, yet everpresent palm descending.

"But, Vritra…!"

"If you haven't been paying attention, there isn't a damn thing we can do now but run! So run--!"

Keeping Leon focused on their grand retreat, Manfred tugged on his friend's arm as they ran with everything they had.

"Monkey King…!"

Roaring out with a voice twisted and distorted by unrefined rage, Vritra planted his feet against the ground and raised his arms in preparation to defy the gigantic hand.

I can't hold a form like this for very long. This size, the presence, the weight--I'm using my own spirit as fuel! You wanted everything, right, Vritra?! The Monkey King thought.

The area encompassed by the hand of the transformed Monkey King set ablaze from the friction of air, unleashing a pressure that caved in the land which Vritra stood as even his scales birthed in heat and dryness were tested by the energy of the almighty hand. Gaia trembled beneath the encroaching palm, the world itself feeling the incomprehensible weight of the divine judgment descending upon Vritra as rumbles reverberated throughout the forest.

"I won't let you…!"

Attempting to thwart the descent of the almighty hand, Vritra parted his maw as a sea of black flames drove into the sky. Just before they could reach the stone skin of the pristine statue's hand, the fire dispersed itself as if an unseen barrier protected the palm.

"...Ngh?!"

Putting all four of his hands up to contest the landing of the palm, Vritra found his strength quickly thwarted as his body began to fold beneath the unbearable strength. Still, there was no animosity or regret present in such power that would surely be deemed unfair.

He couldn't help but grin with his shaking, trembling lips as his arms experienced the same shakiness beneath such boundless strength, barely able to look up as the exuded force beared down on his neck.

A battle of divinities is what I asked for, and you came through, Victorious Buddha. You truly lived up to your name...I admit it while I still stand tall and draw breath--

"You're the victor, Sun Wukong!"

It was a fact that even the prideful divinity could recognize; the status of being a celestial didn't make the two equal. Even if both happened to share a spot amongst the heavens, there was a world of difference between the two--such was the simple, immutable truth.

Yelling it out as his lungs were compromised by the otherworldly pressure and heat, Vritra's words found their path to the Monkey King's ears.

With that, the battle was decided as the almighty palm of the Victorious Buddha descended on the surface of the forest, flattening the chunk of land which the battle between divine spirits took place, marking its place in the world's history.

A battle such as this could only transpire in the vast, mystical forest within Grandeuve; a land of trees as high as the clouds and as sturdy as the most bulwark of walls--in its vastness, such devastation still held its ill, long-lasting consequences, however.

Returning to his natural, comfortable form, the Monkey King gently glided down as light as a feather upon the top of one of the last surviving trees of the forest's quadrant, seating himself as he let out a huff. Across his body, cracks formed, seeping out from within him his seraphic, golden essence as droplets of blood poured from both his nose and ears.

Taking the form of Buddha wasn't just an illusion; I manifested it into reality. Such is why...I find myself in this miserable state. Heh...If it wasn't for that divinity-killing fire of yours, Vritra, I may have walked away from this battle, he thought.

Still, he remembered the words he clearly heard even as he stood above the clouds--the boundaries of the world itself. The proclamation was delivered to his soul by the final words of the divine drought himself.

"...That's not quite right, Vritra. You're selling yourself short, you foolish serpent. I am the victor only because I am drawing breath but a minute longer than yourself...soon, I too shall return to those clouds as a memory."

Looking up at the valley of stars hanging in the midnight sky, Sun Wukong smiled as his skin continued to form cracks like an eroding stone, his body peeling as more of his spiritual essence seeped out as golden dust, carried by the winds.

"I've done my part. The rest is up to you, Fai Meng."

With those utterances parting from the Monkey King's lips, he finally relieved himself to his awaiting fate.

EPILOGUE:

Smoke rose to the sky as azure flames razed the pastures, turning that which was already dead to ash as the stench of the already decrepit bodies ascended. Adjusting his pristine, white gloves, the man looked down at the scenery of the sea of blue fire as it ate away at the valley abandoned by life.

"Looks like we're left with clean up now."

Muttering to himself, his hazel eyes stared blankly at the burnt away fields as the unnatural flames devoured the husks below the precipice he stood over.

"That's a good thing! None of the credit will be shared with that stupid guilt!"

Speaking cheerfully despite brutally parting a husk's head from its shoulders with a circular-curved blade, the slender, snow-haired boy held a wide smile. On the back of his cape which matched the umber, professional uniforms they all wore, he shared as well the sigil of the stoic lion.

"Charles is right, for once, Boss. The Hollow council is probably shaking in their boots to have this whole mess cleaned up, they'll be happy to compensate us well."

A tall, broad man with a thick, bristly beard of a fiery orange spoke with his gruff, carefree voice, standing over a half dozen husk corpses as he scratched his head of shoulder-length locks set into braids.

"Less talking, more moving; I want to be out of this pit of miasma as soon as possible. You got that, Charles, Gerard?"

Sending undiscerning flames towards a group of approaching husks as he gave his stoic order, the young, fair-faced man reduced the putrid entities to charred bodies. Setting themselves straight and focusing, the two men accompanying him nodded their heads in unison.

"Right, Leader!"

With his boots planted on the precipice of the short hill which he stood in the smoke-filled, deathly forest that surrounded Lemasdale, Liam watched as his guild-mates cleanly dealt with the lumbering husks.

Sitting beside him, implanted into the moss-covered rock of the hill, was a pale, silver stone embedded into a gilded container. It released a far-reaching wave that seemed to sink into the farthest reaches of the evergreen domain.

Looks like the reports were right. These things are drawn to mana like moths to a flame. Bringing this mana-psuner to lure them in was a good idea, Liam thought.

The plan he had in mind worked perfectly; the efforts of his two guild-mates drew in a plethora of husks, all attracted to the luscious quantity of mana vibrantly filling the air of the desolate quadrant of the forest.

"Looks like our part is done, come on, Charles."

"Get 'em, Boss!"

Giving a thumbs-up to the unmoving stoic leader, Charles was promptly pulled away by Gerard as a bountiful stream of mana emanated from the guild leader; his umber cape accented with crimson details fluttering behind the building energy.

Droves of the mindless, flesh-eating husks crawled in from the boundaries of the forest, some crawling from their lost limbs while some broke out in a light sprint.

"Amaterasu: Plain of High Heaven."

With the wave of his snow-white glove, the miasmic, smokey atmosphere was replaced by a deep blue, filling the surrounding area with a growing heat as the winds hummed with a bubbling intensity. Raising his hand to the air, a snap of his fingers unleashed the spell's true nature unto the land; the air itself was ignited, burning away anything that came into range of the devouring, azure flames.

The moment the divine fire met with the form of a husk, they were reduced to ash, then even the minute sediment left of their form was whisked away into nothingness.

By the spell's end, the entirety of the surrounding territory was left simply as nothing but barren land, devoid of any life besides the caster and his comrades.

"Well, that's that…"

Returning to the side of Liam, the ginger-haired, burly man coughed from the suffocating, smokey airs now heavily present in the domain.

"Holy smokes, you wiped them all out! Did you see that Gerry?! It was like--FWOOM!"

"Yeah, yeah, kid."

Playfully knocking his knuckles against the top of Charle's head, Gerard watched as their stoic, fair-faced leader watched the desecrated field before moving down slowly, adjusting his gloves as his cape fluttered behind his step.

"We're heading back to the Order. I have questions that need answers."

"Sure thing, Boss!"