Miko, Sora, and Ace stood face to face with Darius, who had a relaxed expression on his face.

“So where is Hinami? I'm surprised she's not here to take my head.”

“There’s still time before the day of the full moon. But you already knew that.”

The current time was 11:45Pm. It's been 15 minutes since Miko and others began their assault.

“Of course, I knew. I also know that you plan to have her rush here when it hits midnight. And probably do a sneak attack.”

“Oh, that's quite observant of you.”

Miko replied with a mocking smile. Darius ignored it and put on a serious expression.

“But that's still 15 minutes away. Do you think you'll live that long?”

“You wanna make a bet.”

Miko pointed his sword at Darius and grinned fearlessly.

“Sure.”

And then it began.

Miko signaled Sora and Ace with his eyes. Seeing that, they took action.

“[Character Change: Brawler]!”

A yellow light covered Ace and changed his appearance. This time he was wearing a sleeveless shirt, a pair of fingerless gloves, and track pants. He also looked a bit muscular as well.

Sora tapped his headphones 3 times.

“[5th Tempo].”

Miko closed his eyes for a few seconds and then reopened it.

His blue eyes were replaced with beastly purple ones. A violent purple aura was then released from his body.

He was using [Dragon Rage]. Since [Dragon Rage] was activated by strong emotions like hatred and anger, Miko easily mastered how to freely use it. This was because he was like the personification of these emotions.

Seeing the actions the trio took, Darius spoke with an impressed tone.

“Forcibly entering [Dragon Rage], along with dramatically boosting your physical abilities. Kids these days are scary~.”

“Don't get scared yet.”

Saying that, Miko made his move. And so did Sora and Ace.

Miko cut distance between him and Darius in an instant, and thrust his fist forward.

Darius who knew that it was dangerous because Miko was using [Dragon Rage], leaped backwards.

There Ace waited for him, and thrust his fist forward. Darius quickly turned and caught it with his left hand.

“Argh…”

The punch was stronger than he expected, so he released a low groan as pain ran through his arm.

“[Resound]!”

Sora popped up beside him and slammed his palm in his side.

*Boom!*

Darius was pushed a meter away as an explosive sound came from his side.

However, he didn't flinched.

“He blocked it?!”

Just before getting hit, Darius controlled the surrounding magic and created an invisible barrier and blocked the attack.

“You're pretty fast.”

Darius took a single step and popped in front of Sora. He then kneed him under the chin, blasting him upwards.

“Hah!”

Miko rushed towards him and repeatedly slash at him. Darius avoided by using minimal movements.

He then sensed an attack from behind, and jumped into the air.

“Tch.”

Ace clicked his tongue when his fist hit air. Sora silently landed beside him, and spit out the blood that was gathering in his mouth.

Darius landed in front of them, and showed a mocking smile.

“He's playing with us….”

Ace grind his teeth as he said that.

“Of course he is. We aren't a threat to him.”

Miko on the other was smiling. He was starting to enjoy himself.

“We just need to become a threat.”

Miko sheathed his sword and placed on the ground.

“Won't you need your sword?”

Darius asked.

“Not at the moment. I’m changing fight styles.”

Miko sprint forward and aimed a punch at Darius.

He blocked it with his elbow, returned a kick. Miko bent his back and avoided it.

He then quickly fixed his posture and sent a kick of his own. Darius blocked it as well. However-

“Guh?!”

He felt a sudden blow from behind, which created an opening.

Miko didn't missed it.

“[Flame Bazooka]!”

He slammed his palms in Darius’s chest, and fire blew Darius away.

“Ugh.”

Darius spun in the air once to decrease the momentum, and landed on his feet.

He glared at Miko.

“I see. You used your aura to attack me from behind.”

The aura around Miko formed two large fist, which floated in front him.

“Don't look so mad. It's not like it damaged you that much.”

It was just as Miko said. Even though he was able to hit Darius, it didn't do much damage.

“But this will.”

Miko's body suddenly tensed up, and underwent a change.

His skin turn blue and edgy and looked like scales, but it didn't stop there. The scales around limbs changed from blue to a lustrous black color, as if it was metal.

Seeing this greatly surprised Darius.

“You can use [Dragon Scales] and [Armored Skin]?”

Without replying, Miko rushed forward and aimed a punch at Darius stomach. He dodged the punch with a sidestep, and punch Miko in the face. However, Miko also slammed his other fist in Darius chest at the same.

“Cough?!”

“Argh.”

Both of them were blown away from each other. Darius touched his chest and Miko rubbed his face.

“You little...!”

Darius raised his voice at Miko for the first time.

“From that face, I take it that you felt that.”

Miko replied to his glare with a mocking smile.

“….I heard that Dragna Clan members with azure hair were talented at manipulating magic, but I still didn't expect you to able use [Armored Skin] and much less fuse it with your [Dragon Scales].”

[Armored Skin] was a technique that allows the user to turn their skin into iron. It's a type of [Body Modification Magic], that is just as hard to master as [Skeletal Reconstruction]. In other words, you need complete control over your body and magic to use it. This was also thought by Tiamat, after Miko asked if it was possible.

“Thanks to it, I don't have to think about avoiding every hit from you. I'll still feel pain but it's tolerable.”

Miko hit his fist together, causing a cling sound.

“I'll do must of the hand to hand fighting. You two back me up and make sure I don't die. And I'll do the same with you.”

Ace and Sora nodded at Miko's instructions and stepped forward.

“Let's go!”

They rushed forward.

“Don't get cocky, Worms!”

Darius did the same.

Miko and Darius clashed midway.

They both thrust their fists at the same time.

“Tch!”

“Heh.”

Their fist hit the other’s face.

They pulled their hands back and thrust the other forward.

*Boom!*

They pulled back and thrust again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

The two stood in place and continued the punch each other without dodging.

Darius threw a kick, Miko jumped back, and rush forward, and slammed his fist in Darius chest.

Darius grabbed his arm and slammed him into the ground. He then spun around and threw a kick. His leg clashed with Ace’s punch.

Ace jumped back.

“[Leg Boost] + [Arm Boost]!”

He leaped, lift his leg, and swung down.

Darius jumped back to avoid it.

“[Resound]!”

He then jump and backflipped to avoid Sora’s palm. But was greeted with a kick to the face from Miko.

“Tch.”

He kicked Miko in the stomach and grabbed Sora arm before the palm hit him, and slammed his fist in his stomach.

“Cough?!”

All the air left his lungs.

“[White Noise]~!”

A loud shriek was then released from Sora’s mouth which caused Darius body to involuntarily freeze up.

“[Special Move: Ten Hit Combo!]”

Ace didn't let that chance slip.

With his fists glowing red, he repeatedly punch Darius.

One punch. Two punch. Three Punch. Four Punch.

Left. Right. Left. Right.

He released 10 powerful blows on Darius’s unprotected body.

“Guh?!”

Darius coughed blood for the first time, when he was finally able to move his body.

“Y-You Shits!”

With an angry scream, Darius popped up in front of the boys.

He kicked Sora under chin and robbed him a few seconds of his consciousness.

“Sor-”

He then kneed Ace in the face and broke his nose.

“Ugh!”

Darius wasn't done. He then slammed his palms in their chests-

“[Devil’s Light]!”

A blue light emitted from his palms and blew the boys away. Their bodies bounced off the ground a few times before stopping.

““Haaaaaaaah!””

They held their chest a screamed out in pain. Their clothes burnt away and their skin were scorched.

Darius walked towards them, and pointed his glowing hands at them.

“…?!”

He then quickly turned around and put them in front of him.

*Boom!*

The light from his hands, blocked two blades that was aimed at his neck.

“….I thought you changed your fighting style.”

“I changed it back.”

Seeing his surprised attack blocked, Miko jumped back and readied his swords again.

“Well, aren't you whimsical!”

“Thanks!”

Darius and Miko dashed at each other. Darius with his laser hands and Miko with his swords claded in purple aura.

And then, they clashed.

*Boom*

Miko swung the white sword at Darius neck. Darius swung his left hand and blocked.

Miko thrust the black sword at Darius chest, it clashed with Darius’s right fist.

Miko jumped back and used the purple aura to form two fists. The fists then stretched and attacked Darius.

Darius used his own fists to swat them away. He then rushed towards Miko and thrusted his right fist forward, and sent a pilar of light towards him.

He hurriedly crossed his swords in front in an attempt to block it, but was still blown away.

“Shit!”

He was sent so far that he crashed through the front gate.

“…Ugh…that hurt like hell.”

He said as he laid on top of the bent up gate.

“Hm?”

He looked up and saw some bright lights in the sky.

The lights then started falling towards him.

“Shit!”

He formed arms with the purple aura and threw himself out of the way.

*Boom*

He looked and saw light rained down on where he was and destroyed the gate, wall, and ground in all.

“[Dragon Rage] sure is convenient when mastered.”

Miko looked to his right and saw Darius walking towards him.

“It's serves as a good armor, you can use it to form extra limbs, and it boosts your overall abilities. I'm envious.”

He said with a devilish grin.

“It still can’t block your lasers completely though.”

“That's true.”

Darius uses an advance form of [Flame Magic], [Devil’s Light].

The user basically compresses fire to the point it turns into a beam of light. It's hard to control, but if you can control it, it becomes a dangerous weapon. It's even more more dangerous when a creative lunatic like Darius uses it.

“I wonder how much can it block?”

Darius lifted his hand and point it at Miko who was still on the ground.

“Don't know and I don't care.”

Miko quickly stood up and lodged his sword into the ground.

“Changing fighting styles again?”

“Yeah. And a little heads up.”

Miko placed his hands on his hips and with a relax expression said-

“This one is designed to kill in the most unpredictable ways.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

Darius shot a giant blue beam from his hand.

Seeing that, Miko took a single action.

He jumped ran on top of it.

“What?!”

Miko had concentrated most of his aura at his feet. Combine that with his dragon scales and [Armored Skin], he was able to pull it off.

Using the beam as a foothold, Miko rushed towards Darius.

“Let's have some fun, Darius!”

Miko jumped off the beam and swung his fist at Darius.

“Fine by me!”

Darius matched him and also swung his fist.

Their fists clashed and blinding light spread through the area.

When it faded, Darius and Miko were in the center exchanging blows with each other.

Darius kicked Miko in the stomach. Miko created an arm out of aura and punched Darius in the face.

Darius uppercut Miko under the chin, Miko who was forcibly elevated, delivered a spinning kick to the side of Darius’s head.

Darius stepped back and covered his feet with laser. He aimed a kick at Miko's head, Miko bent backwards and dodged it.

When he did, an arc of light passed over his head and destroyed the wall behind him. Darius was able to fire lasers with his feet as well.

Seeing that, Miko used the momentum from him bending backwards, and did a backflip to distance himself.

He focused most of his aura around his hands and rushed forward again.

Darius stood in place and fired beams with his right hand.

‘There's was too many to dodge.’

Thinking that, Miko continued to move forward.

He used his fist and punched the beams away without slowing down.

*Boom*

The beams Miko punched away, landed all over the yard and destroyed random things they landed on. That included some of Darius remaining underlings.

“Haaaa!”

“Boss, stop!”

Darius ignored them and continued firing light from his palms.

Miko did same and desperately knock them away.

“Then how about this.”

A blue orb of light suddenly appeared behind Darius. When that happened he stopped firing from his palm.

Seeing the orb, made Miko felt a bad omen.

And then-

“[Devil’s Light:Devourer].”

A giant beam was shot from the orb.

*Roar*

The beam was so large and powerful it caused a roaring sound when it cut through air.

“Shit!”

Miko didn't have time to dodge it, so he concentrated the purple aura tightly around his body and prepared himself.

“That won't be able to block, Third.”

The light mercilessly devoured Miko's figure, and burned away everything that was behind him.

Wall, trees, buildings, people. It devoured everything as if it was a snake.

When it finally faded, smoke spread through the yard; accompanied by the smell of burning flesh.

“….Oh?”

When Darius looked in front of him, the ground had a trail craved in it. And standing in that trail, was Miko standing with his arms crossed in front of him.

“You actually survived. But I don't think you can move that wrecked body of yours anymore.”

He may have blocked it, but Miko was heavily damaged.

Most of his clothes were burnt away, leaving only a part of his pants, the right side of his base layer, and his gloves. Smoke was coming from the numerous burns on his body. The scales were nowhere to be seen, and his iron like limbs had large cracks in them, and blood flowed heavily from. He was trembling all over excessively.

In short, he was wrecked.

It was hard for even Darius to tell if he was still conscious or not.

“I guess I'll put you out of your misery.”

Darius started walking towards Miko, while checking if he was going to move at all. He continued to stay vigilant until he stood right in front of him.

“……”

Since he saw no obvious movements, he placed his palm on top of Miko's head.

“Goodbye, Third.”

His hand started to glow, and then-

“[7th Tempo].”

“?!”

He suddenly heard a voice coming behind. He quickly turn around but saw no one.

“To my front!”

He turn back around and saw that Miko was gone. He then sense a presence behind him again. But before he could fully turn around, he felt palms on his side. And then-

“[Sonic Cannon]!”

Darius’s world turned white. He was no longer capable of telling where he was, and what happened to him. This lasted for a few seconds.

When his senses came back to him, he was already cutting through the air. His body hurt all over. Blood was escaping through his nose and mouth. When he looked down at his feet he could see a big chunk of the ground following him.

He was blown away along the ground he stood on.

Just as he was planning to stop himself from flying, a voice reached his ears.

“[Special Move..].”

When he turned his head towards the source, he saw Ace pulling his arm back while waiting for him to come in his range. Ace arm looked more muscular than before, and there was red sparks emitting from it.

Seeing that, Darius tried to move his body, but it wouldn't listen to him.

And before he knew it, he was in Ace’s reach.

“[Mountain Crusher]!”

Ace mercilessly slammed his fist in Darius’s face. First there was nothing but pure silence, and then-

*BOOM!*

Darius was blown away with such force that the earth shook.

The ground broke. Dust scattered. And a strong gust followed and blew away corpses like they were paper.

*Boom*

Darius easily flew through the wall and flew out his residence.

His body bounced off the roads of the High Class District, and he crashed into a store.

*Glass Breaking*

All the windows in the store instantly shattered, and pieces of glass flew on to the streets.

“Hah~. Hah~. Hah~.”

Ace breathed heavily as he looked at the destruction he caused.

“Good work.”

Sora walked beside him, while carrying Miko over his shoulder.

“…Is Gamiko okay?”

“Can't say. He's currently out cold, but he’ll wake up soon. Whether he likes or not.”

“Yeah….He's on the move again.”

The boys looked at the store that Darius crashed into.

There they saw the door blown off by a laser. Darius stepped out the store in an angry fashion.

“….Those little shits!”

He growled.

His tuxedo was destroyed beyond repair. His body was covered in his blood. And his face was red with anger.

He looked up the hill and straight at his property.

“I'm gonna slowly melt off their skins, and boil their flesh, and feed it to the kids in the slumps!”

“Wow. I never saw you so anger before, Uncle Darius. It's really scary.”

He heard a familiar voice behind him, and turn around.

“Hina-”

Before he could full call her name, Hinami pointed a Trident at Darius’s chest.

She pulled the trigger and said-

“Yo, it's midnight.”

Darius was devoured by a yellow light, and was sent flying again.

The blast blew him back straight up the hill and up in the sky, before crashing into his mansion and destroying a part of it.

Ace and Sora who saw that, spoke to each while staring at the mansion.

“Do you think that did it?”

“Don't be stupid. There's no way the final boss would be that easy.”

“Sigh. Figures.”

“Mikky’s plan still isn’t done yet. So, hang in there, Sora.”

Hina who just flew over with white wings, landed between them and joined the conversation.

“That's easy for you to say. You weren't shot in the chest with a laser.”

“More importantly, he's coming.”

Ace redirected the two’s attention back to the mansion.

And then it happened.

*Flash* *BOOM!*

The mansion lit up and exploded.

The gust and shaking caused by the explosion was so strong, that Hina and the others tumbled over.

Fire erupted into the night sky and lit up the whole area. It was like a volcano erupted.

Burning debris landed all over the yard and spread the flames.

“Wow, he's pissed.”

Said Ace with a bitter smile.

As he said that, a figure emerged from the flames.

With only his pants remaining. With a face that would make a demon flinch. Darius stood in front of them, as imitating as Cerberus who guarded the gates of hell. And then, spoke.

“YOU FUCKING WORMS! I’M GOING TO CUT YOUR LIMBS OFF AND FEED IT TO EACH OF YOU!”

His roar was enough to make the ground shake.

Two orbs appeared behind Darius, and accelerated him forward.

Darius hands glowed an ominous red, as he sped forward.

“Fucking Die!”

He thrusted his forward to blast Hina and the others away.

“?!”

But stopped moving and floated little off the ground with the orbs that were behind him.

The reason he stopped was simple.

There was an ominous feeling coming from the boy who laid on the ground.

“……”

Miko's body rose in a sluggish and creepy manner. As if a puppet being pull by strings.

When he finally got to his feet, his back was bent backwards and his arms swung lifelessly behind him.

Darius watched as his body recovered the purple aura it had before.

No, this time it was different. The aura seemed more violent and demonic.

Purple arms were formed from the aura, which then positioned Miko to stand up right. However, Miko's head still hanged down.

Darius watched as one of the hands made of aura, lifted his head and forcibly opened his eye lids.

Immediately afterwards, markings that looked like tribal tattoos appeared on his face. The markings glowed a burning red, and then Miko's eyes that were rolled to back of his head, returned to its correct position.

His iris was purple, but his cornea was red.

“Da…Ri…Us…”

A weak voice escaped his mouth. That weak voice suddenly became louder.

“DARIUS!”

Fangs and claws were suddenly released.

His skin returned to its previous scaly metallic look.

And the blood stopped flowing.

“You fucking bastard, that hurt like hell!”

He angrily stepped forward and started walking.

“That's my line, you little shit! Do you know how many times I was blown all over the place?!”

Darius used the orbs to move him forward.

“Like I give a damn!”

“I feel the same way!”

It didn't take long before the two stood in front of each other.

The glare at each other and then-

““Die, you bastard!””

The two slammed their fists in each other’s face, and signaled the 3rd round of their fight.