It started with bubbling on the cage, then came a violent explosion of flame that burst from its surface, illuminating the village with its glow.

"Wh-What the-!" Cliff yelled as he shielded his eyes from the blast.

"Wow! What was that? Was it Max?" Rodger asked beside him.

"If it is..... Question is how he could have gotten in."

After the explosion, the water cage began to fall apart. The invisible force that held it in place began to collapse, opening holes as the structure began to sink back into the ground.

"Myow! It's opening!" Meracle pointed out.

"You said Melvin was in there.... Right?" Rodger asked.

"Yeah, him and Bush," Cliff said, feeling an unexplainable sense of unease. That blast..... from what I've seen of the boys magic, something of that magnitude seems a little too much. He rationalized. The only other explanation was that Max was in there as well, which..... wasn't outside the realm of possibilities.

"Dora!" Freya cried as she ran towards the root bridge.

"Wh-Wait!" Van said as he charged off.

"H-Hold on. We don't know whats-" Cliff began, but stopped as Rodger and Steve ran towards the now opened central plateau. "Ahhhh," He groaned, giving in to the consensus of the group. "Mary! Stay here with the cat burglar! We'll be right back!" He said to Meracle, pointing at the prone Leone before charging off behind them.

"Myowkay," Meracle said, waving at them.

".... I have a name," Leone pouted.

****

Huddled together, the samiet youths, guarded by Bush, raised their heads following the blinding light. The monster that had suddenly appeared seemed to have vanished, as did the wave of monsters that were encroaching on them. The water cage was also beginning to disperse, finally allowing the light of the mythril lake to shine through.

"Wh-We're alive....?" Fred muttered, unsure of what to make of their new situation.

"That monster's gone.....?" Dora glanced around at the new surroundings, half relieved that they were no longer in danger, but confused as to the circumstances surrounding their salvation. "Hey grampa... what was that?"

".... I think it was a familiar," Bush said, looking just as confused as to the current predicament. He looked forwards towards Melvin, who sat on his knees. "Melvin.... was that yours?"

Melvin didn't respond, looking in shock over what had happened. Tears began to flow from his eyes as a sad realization came over him, a feeling that the old friend he cherished as a pup was gone.

"Cerberus...." He muttered. "Cerberus...."

Woof woof.

"CERBERUSSSS!!!"

HOWL!

Melvin's grief was cut short by a familiar bark. Opening his eyes, he saw none other than the small Cerberus looking up at him, letting out a small yelp. Various emotions flooded him, various questions he wanted answers. In the end, he could only do one thing. He grabbed Cerberus and held him close, squeezing him as hard as he could.

"Damn it.... Don't ever scare me like that again boy," He sobbed as Cerberus nuzzled Melvin's cheek, letting out a small whine.

The other samiets could only watch, not wanting to interrupt the tender moment between the boy and his lifelong friend.

"DORA!!"

A cry came from behind them. Looking, they saw Freya running towards them.

"Mom?"

"Freya..."

Dora got back to her feet, just as her mother threw herself at her, pulling her close to her, refusing to let go.

"M-Mom.... Can't breathe...." Dora wheezed under her mother's bear hug.

"That the goddess....." Freya sobbed. "I was so worried... That was how your grandmother..... If I lost you too....."

Dora couldn't respond. Her little hands wrapped themselves around her mother. The stress of the battle was beginning to wash away; her brave face was cracking, tears beginning to flow. "I was so scared... I.... That thing it...."

Bush didn't intervene. Instead of walking towards Van, seeing how beat up he was. He didn't need to ask, especially at that moment.

"Yo!!"

Dora glanced over her mother's shoulder, seeing Rodger and Steve waddle over towards them.

"It's Rodger and Steve!" Fred said as he jumped to his feet, waving.

"Steve..." Redwol was taken aback by his leader's rugged look. Throughout the battle, he was wondering why Steve wasn't with them. A part of him believed that he simply ran off and left them all to die at the hands of the monstrous wizard. Seeing him in such an awful state put that theory to rest.

"Looks like he did go back," Gura said just before collapsing to the ground. His body was sore all over from the powerful water cannon he took head-on, amazed that he was even still alive from what felt like something that would tear him to pieces. "I thought so.... No way he'd let Rodger show him up,"

Dora released her mother and ran towards Rodger, tears still flowing from her eyes. "Rodger!!" She cried.

"D-Dora..." Rodger stopped, unsure of how to react.

"You...." Dora pulled back her right fist. "JEEERRRRKKK!!!" and slammed it into Rodger's face, sending him flying backward. Everyone looked with their mouths agape by the seemingly random attack one of Rodger's longtime friend had done.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?!!" Rodger yelled.

Dora didn't respond immediately. Taking in a big sniff, he put her hands to her hips, eyes red from all the tears. "You moron! Look at you!" She said between sniffs. "You promised not to do anything stupid! A real man doesn't go back on his word, remember!"

"I-I didn't-" Rodger was about to protest, but then stopped himself when he recalled the way his battle was conducted. "Uhh.... S-Sorry."

Dora then threw herself into Rodger's arms, holding him tightly. Rodger's arms went wide as he was startled by the act, unsure what to do.

Steve had made his way over to his friends, who were both looking pleased to see him, holding out the canteen of Phoenix dust to Gura. "There's a little left. Probably won't be enough to heal you completely." He said to Gura who took the bottle. "And...... Sorry," He said, lowering his head.

"What are you apologizing for?" Gura asked, still lying on his back. "You were doing what you needed to do, right?" He drank from the bottle, his face contorting as he consumed the canteen.

"Just don't leave us without saying a word!" Redwol yelled at him. "That was the most terrifying experience of my life...."

"Not that you really did much other than be a decoy," Gura said.

"I WASN'T JUST A DECOY!!"

Steve couldn't help but chuckle at his two friends. "Thanks, guys," He said quietly. He was afraid that his departure from them would have been seen as a betrayal in their eyes, as well as the worry he felt for them given the circumstances. They had gone through their own ordeal, yet all of them could stand together once again, as friends and comrades.

Looking back, Melvin saw Rodger and all the samiets. In his shock, he'd forgotten that he wasn't alone within the dome. Seeing Rodger meant that whoever he was fighting had fallen.

"Ahh..." Melvin released his familiar, holding onto his left side. Now that the battle was over, the pain that was suppressed was now back in full. "Ha ha..... I really overdid it, huh boy."

Cerberus gave a small yelp.

"Count your lucky stars you're still alive," Cliff said, taking a seat beside him. "I may not have seen what happened," his eyes drifted to some of the strange debris; the broken shell leaking yellow fluids, the large husk of a shell and the bloodied and roasted remains of what looked like the fish monster along with many other charred bodies. "but it looked pretty bad."

".... That's putting it lightly," Melvin said, glancing down to the ground, recalling the horrific experience. "Anyway," he then looked over his shoulder, "where's Allisa and Nel? Weren't they with you?"

"I had something to take care of so they went ahead," Cliff said sheepishly. "So.... What was with that burst of flames? For a second there I thought Max made his way in."

Melvin looked startled by Cliff's question, but then looked down at Cerberus who looked up at them with his tail wagging. "I'm not really sure myself." He'd read many books within his master's private library about familiars, and no one had ever referenced one who could transform, or summon itself into the world.

There was also the declaration of familiarity the wizard seemed to have towards Cerberus. He clearly knew who it was, but Melvin was certain he'd never seen such a madman before. Just who was he talking about?

Cliff let out a sigh, glancing out towards the town ravaged by the monsters. "Seems the plan’s already gone to hell."

"Do you think Allisa and Nel will be alright on their own?" Melvin asked, following his gaze. "Just looking at you and Rodger, those guys really are no joke. And presumably, we still have Yensin, those masked girls, that bird masked and this Ellie to deal with."

"Talk about a tall order," Cliff sighed, agreeing the odds were certainly stacked against the 'hero,' even if all of them came to her aid as they were. "Well, stranger things have happened, and Allisa has proven to pull through despite the odds."

"But will it be enough this time?" Melvin said, sounding unsure.

"Frankly, at this point, anything could happen."

BOOOOMMMM!!!

As though on cue, one of the plateau's burst and crumbled apart, the rocks and fragments flying into the sky before splashing into the water.

"What the?!" Melvin startled.

"Oh, what now."

The samiets were startled as well, seeing the pieces of earth rising into the sky before smashing into the lake below. They rushed to the edge, followed by Cliff and Melvin with Cerberus in toe.

A few meters away, Faust, Shay, May and Yuki were alerted to the devastation nearby. "What in the blazes....?" Faust spoke, leaning over the edge to try and get a better look.

"Was that one of our bro's?" May asked.

"Wouldn't put it past the Pyro," Yuki said as he waddled over to the edge, using his sword to keep himself steady. He hadn't seen Max since their parting, which to his guess meant that his battle spilled into the lake below.

From the dust, a lone figure began to make itself visible, walking from the devastation.

"S-Someone's down there!" Fred pointed out.

"Think it's Max?" Rodger asked. "Did he win whoever he was fighting?"

"Destroying everything certainly is his specialty, so I guess he won," Melvin added.

Cliff put his hand to shade his eyes, trying to get a good look at who was down in the lake. As the figure walked further and further from the rubble his features began to become clearer and clearer.

".....Oh no," Cliff ended up muttering. "Oh that's not good."

Striding knee-deep in the lake's glowing water, alabaster skin and platinum hair, beaten and scorched in several locations, no cloak adorning his back, the Ersken Faust emerged.

"Farewell boy." He said, glancing over his shoulder to a second figure, which was now visible as the dust, began to settle. Laying on his back amidst the rubble, an X shaped scar on his chest, blood covering his body, mouth opened while his eyes had rolled back into his skull.

"You may have been cursed a monster," Fark turned his back, striving away from the defeated demi-human, "but take solace that you died a man."

Max vs. Fark

(8 minutes earlier)

Max skidded across the surface of the lake, puffing out his cheeks before sending out a fire roar towards his opponent. With one hand outstretched, Fark stood in defiance of the pillar of flames, the cross in his right hand shining. Once again, before even reaching its target, the flames burst apart.

"You...." Max charged forwards, sticking his hands into the lake until he grabbed a hold of one of the ruined pillars, his fingers digging into the ancient stone works. With a heave, he pulled the entire pillar free from the watery embrace, "BASTARD!!!!"

Spinning clockwise, he threw the pillar towards Fark, who pulled back his right hand while kicking his fingers while the object hurled at him spun. When it got close, Fark threw out his right hand, emitting a spark of light that hit the side of the pillar, shattering the center apart while the two passed by him harmlessly.

Meanwhile, Max had rocketed himself towards Fark as he threw the pillar, flaring up his fists. As the pillar shattered, Max leaped up in the sky, holding his hands overhead as the flames grew in intensity, throwing them forwards towards his opponent like long wins.

Fark shot out his left hand towards the flames, which dispersed before hitting. Max spun in the air towards Fark with a flaming axe kick. Fark raised his right arm to block the blow. The impact blew away some of the water from the lake with the backlash from Max's kick, yet Fark remained just as indomitable as ever.

Damn this guy....

Max backflipped to the ground, sending out a flurry of flaming punches, which Fark sidestepped and parried four blows before sending a palm thrust out. Max dropped when he saw it coming, and with his right arm held out sent a concentrated burst of flames that propelled him to spin around counterclockwise. Stretching out his left leg, he landed a blow in Farks right side, boosting it with flames to propel the foot forwards into his opponent's flank.

Fark staggered from the unexpected blow, turning to see Max recovering from his flip, pulling back a large flaming fist before lunging it at Fark. The man raised his arms to block the blow, but the burst sent him skidding back several feet across the water.

"Looks like I can land a hit you bastard!" Max lunged into the air, both fists flared up, trying to get Fark while his defense was down. "Got it all worked out! Long as I can dodge that thingamajig ability you ain't got nothing but that strength of yours!"

Looking up, seeing the half-dragon hybrid coming towards him, Fark quickly grabbed his cloak and threw it towards Max.

"Sh-Shit!" Max staggered as the garment hit him. Swiping it off him to the left, he saw the ground was closer, and his opponent was no longer in his sight. Wh-where is he?!

To his left, within the new blindside, Fark positioned himself between his opponent and his cloak, holding out his left hand towards the fabric. "Crash."

A flash of light burst from his palms, sending Max flying away, skidding across the water before slamming into the base of the plateau, creating a small dent within the rockwork.

"D-Damn....." Max grunted as he flopped forwards. He could feel a sharp pain radiating from his right side, and could feel the blood flowing from the strange new wound. His shirt was torn on his left side.

Fark turned slowly towards Max, glancing at the hand he used to blast the boy away. His cloak lay in pieces within the lake, torn to shreds by his own ability. Clenching his fist, he glared at Max. "Boy," he said.

"H-Huh....?" Max glanced up, clutching his bleeding right side. "Finally decided to talk now?" He said with a satisfied grin.

Fark ignored his taunt and continued. "That power you have, how much did it cost you?"

Max grimaced at the unexpected question.

"I see..." Fark said, knowing all he needed to know. "Then why do you use it so willingly?"

".... What the hell you getting at?" Max said as he struggled forwards.

"You lost your family, your friends, and cursed to live this life." Fark said, taking a step forward. "I've met many demi-humans on this road. There are those who embrace their power no matter the sacrifice in order to obtain it. Then there are those who seek to hide their power, even their own lives to be rid of its curse." The man's eyes narrowed. "You fall into the former."

Max's eyes snapped open with fury.

"You would use that power, embrace what makes you dangerous, without any regard for consequence, as though those sacrifices mean nothing to you."

Max rocketed towards Fark, pulling back his right fist, which fared up into a large ball of flames. With eyes a blaze he lunged it forwards towards the Ersken, who raised his right hand in wake of the flames converging on his location.

"Crash!"

The flames dissipated amidst the light that shone from the cross embedded in the man's palm. Max could be seen still converging on his location. Fark sidestepped just as Max threw out a left hook with his right arm raised. At the right moment, Fark brought his elbow down on the nape of Max's neck, sending him into the water below.

Fark turned, raising his left hand with his palm out flat. Seeing this, Max rolled out of the way as Fark splashed his hand into the water getting back to his feet. Fark withdrew his hand, standing at a stance.

"You talk a lot like you know everything about me," Max said as he charged forwards, flaring up his fists. "But you don't know a damn thing about what it's like!!"

Max's fist collided into Fark's open palm, which he held tightly, ignoring the burning flames. "It's true I don't," He then threw aside Max's fist while delivering a body blow into Max's gut, causing him to lurch. "But I know the pain of a victim."

Still within his opponent's grasp, Max threw his other fist out at his opponent, who ducked while releasing Max's fist allowing him to partially lose his balance. With his opponent's guard dropped, He then uppercuts the boy, pivoted while ramming his left foot into Max's open belly. Max ended up being launched back, coughing up blood from the surprising force behind the kick. He skidded across the water, trying to keep his footing, trapped under one of the submerged ruins and stumbled across the ground until he regained his footing.

Ok.... That guy really hits hard. Max thought as he clutched his stomach. His dragon enhanced strength made him far stronger than most humans, even with mana enhancing abilities. As far as he could tell, his opponent was using his natural strength.

"Wh-What do you mean... victim...?" Max wheezed.

Fark strode forwards to close the distance, "'To kill a monster, one must become a monster,'" He quoted as he came to a halt. "Those who hail from the Ersk know this saying. We hone our bodies until they become weapons capable of felling the foulest of beasts with nothing but our bare hands.

"Yet amongst certain tribes, there are shamans who brew concoctions, granting warriors the strength of the beasts we hunt. Only in times of need, a warrior would be chosen to ingest the concoction, and would fight in exile against the beast scourge, forever cursed into an eternal battle."

Fark raised his hands, seeing the cross-embedded within the palm. "... My sister was killed by a vicious monster. His betrothal, my best friend, he drank of that concoction without the shamans. After felling the beast, he made me swear to keep the secret.

"For two days, many warriors began to be killed one by one by a beast that staked the night. We cornered it....." Fark's eyes closed, "And to my shock, it was him....." and clenched his fists, "After slaying so many warriors.... I.... I slew him.... With these hands."

Max's eyes widened with shock. "Y-You killed your own friend?" He said in disbelief.

Fark lowered his arm, eyes filled with sorrow. "I was banished from my tribe, forced to wander the world with no purpose. I then saw others, humans who were cursed by monsters, some of whom lost control and slaughtered innocent lives." His eyebrows flurried. "Regardless of whether you chose to be a demi-human or not, it is irrelevant. Humans were never to meddle with the natural order of the all-mother. The beast within them will break free, and unleash its fury upon those they hold dear."

He then raised his left hand towards Max, opening the palm to show off the cross-embedded within. "Therefore, I made it my purpose, for the sake of the cursed against their will, those whom hold the creatures dear, and to punish those who would embrace their curse regardless of the consequences, I would become their reaper."

Clenching his teeth, Max once again threw caution to the wind, burst flames from his feet as he charged towards Fark. When he was close, he let out a burst of flames from his left foot as Fark used his ability, sending a burst of light at the boy. Spinning counter clockwise with his foot aflame, Max brought his outstretched foot down vertically on Fark who brought up one of his arms, blocking the blow. The backlash from the kick sent ripples through the water below.

Max fell backward, pivoting his body while flaring his right foot, kicking it into Fark's gut. Fark lurched as he was forced backward while his guard lowered. With another burst, Max spun his body clockwise, and with an outstretched left foot, made contact with Fark's cheek, staggering him.

Max landed in the lake below, combusting both his fists, ready to force them into the man's chest while his defense was down. However, just as he attacked, Fark regained his footing and held out his two hands. Before Max realized, his fists slammed into Fark's outstretched palms.

"Crash."

A burst of light followed, resulting in horrible cuts carving up Max's arms while the flames dissipated. "D-Damn..." Max gritted his teeth, feeling the horrible pain racketing his body from his ruined arms. Fark released his bloodied hands, pulled back a fist and slammed it into Max's belly, followed by an uppercut to the chin, then a roundhouse kick, slamming into Max's already bleeding left side.

Blood squirted from the open wound as Max was sent hurtling away, crashing into one of the ruined pillars with enough force to break the ancient stonework. "Ahhh...." Max groaned as he struggled to his feet. Both hands up to his elbows were wet with blood, with a lot of his skin ripped and carved, particularly around his hands.

Panting, he glared towards Faust while panting, trying to bear the pain. "S-So I'm.... I'm gonna lose control and kill my friends, is that it?" He snarled. "You don't give a rats ass about what's going on, I can tell that.... But why would you care about what happens to something that won't happen?"

"How can you be so sure it won't," Fark took a step forward, keeping his glare on Max. "When that girl was cut down, can you honestly tell me you were in control?"

Max instinctively glanced down towards his scar. He remembered the moment he saw Allisa getting cut, the feeling of something burning up within him, threatening to burst out if not for Nel losing control first. "I-I...."

"I've seen it enough to recognize the signs," Fark pressed. "Your body plays host to the most dangerous monsters who ever lived. Do you think a child such as yourself can fully contain it?"

"I-I.... I can-"

"If you're so willing to use that power, then sooner or later it will consume you. That girl you care for, all your companions, you will kill them with your own hands."

Flames began to blurt from Max's mouth as eye widened with rage. "Shut....." He took in a deep breath, "UUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!" and let out a heartfelt roar, scourging flames spewing forth towards Fark.

"Crash!"

Fark stood in defiance of the incoming attack, raising his right hand, releasing a burst of light that dissipated the flames.

"You don't know," Max meanwhile had grabbed a hold of the pillar, freeing it from the lake before leaping into the sky. "A DAMN THING ABOUT ME!!!" He cried as he threw the pillar towards Fark.

Fark withdrew his right hand as the pillar approached, and then punched it with his left, shattering it. Above still, Max created a massive fireball with his flames, throwing it at Fark who stood in place. The ball hit the water, letting out a tremendous explosion sending splashes of the water of the lake shooting upwards.

As Max landed on the ground a few feet away, he looked towards the impact as the water washed over him. Before he could blink, a fist slammed into his face. Taking a step beside him was a scorched Fark, who had taken the blast head-on, directing Max into the ground with his drive, causing him to bounce upwards from the attack. Fark turned sharply, driving his foot into Max's back, launching him into the sky before throwing out his left hand towards Max. A light pulse sent Max hurtling again, splashing through the water like a skipping stone before crashing into the base of the plateau. The rockwork shattered as Max's back made an impact. He lurched forwards and would have fallen forwards when Fark charged in, slamming his right palm into his chest, crushing him against the plateau wall.

Max coughed blood as he felt the sharp strike hit him, pinning him against the wall. The previous strike had caught his right side, leaving a matching wound to his left. His body racked with pain as blood continued to leak from his multiple wounds. Yet despite that, he clawed at his opponent's arm's, refusing to accept defeat.

"Why do you still fight?" Fark said, watching Max continue to struggle.

"Cause... I have to..." Max grunted, pushing against Fark as he applied more pressure. "So I.... I can stay as me...." Tears began to bubble up in his eyes, "So I can.... Stay by her side...." Beginning to roll down his cheeks, "So I... I can prove that I'm not a monster...."

Fark let out a deep sigh, "You know that is not possible," he said, his hate-filled voice replaced with one of pity and sorrow. "No matter how much they mean to you, your existence will put them at risk."

Fark increased the pressure of his hand, "There is nothing anyone can do to change that fate. So allow me to grant you this mercy."

Max's breathing grew rasp, eyes damp with tears still showed the fire they had before. He refused to give in, to accept defeat even in the face of such insurmountable odds.

It was not enough to prevent what was to come.

"Crash."

The base of the plateau burst apart as fissures made there way upwards, eventually causing the rock structure to crumble and fall to dust, crashing into the shallow lake below.

Fark strode out from the rubble, bushing away from the debris. He glanced back at what was left of his opponent, still with pity in his eyes. "Farewell boy." He said as he departed. "You may have been cursed a monster, but take solace that you died a man."