With all my might I kicked Jormungand up into the sky! Then I rocketed myself up at him and rammed my fist into his face. He went flying back and I started to fall back down. I abruptly stopped falling and landed on something. When I looked down and I noticed I was standing on air. A smile tugged at my lips and I turned back toward Jormungand.

The sound of broken glass echoed beneath me as I launched myself at Jormungand. He was spinning around in the air like a rag doll, and I came in and slammed my fist into his face again. He flew and I landed on the air again, then immediately chased after him.

There wasn't any thought to it, I just left my fate in Zack's hands and kept attacking. I didn't care if he's supposed to be immortal. I didn't care if there's no way we could win! I'll make sure to break him so he can never move again!

I came around this time and snagged his arm. I squeezed it with all my strength and tried to break it. Then I spun around in the air and threw him at a building. Well, technically I threw him through the building. He blasted through the wall and came out on the other side. I went to follow up, but I stopped on the solid air when Zack popped up behind him.

A gigantic vine shot up from the ground and snatched Jormungand up, and flung him toward Zack. Who blasted himself forward and slammed his arm into Jormungand. A huge explosion went off that bathed the sky in emerald flares.

I followed Zacks lead and rocketed myself at the flying Jormungand, and rammed my fist into his back. His body flew and clipped the corner of a building, and I quickly launched myself back at him.

Zack blasted himself beside me and we both went in screaming. When we got close, an angelic ray beamed off of Jormungand. I summoned armor over my body and prepared for the worst.

The wind picked up and I lost all my momentum, and it sent me flying back like an explosion! I crashed onto a roof top and started rolling until I hit the ledge. I took a moment to breathe, and that's when the vice grip on my arms tightened. Sweat ran down my face, and my whole body burned! My insides were getting roasted!

I started panting, but I forced myself back up. This was fine, even if every part of me melts away, that's fine. I'm not gonna let this guy hurt anyone anymore.

The shining ray's slowly began to fade, and a shiver ran down my spine. My mind went to mush and I stared at Jormungand's new form, he turned into a dragon!

His golden scales glittered like a polished gem, and his body towered over me like I was an ant in the grass.

"You think I give a damn that you digivolved!?" Zack roared.

He stood up and held his hand out to him, and sent a gigantic fireball his way . Right, right! Who gives a damn how big he is!?

I activated my strength and embraced the pain, then launched myself up at him. I zoomed past the fire ball and punched Jormungand with all I had. My armor shattered on contact like I was hitting concrete. The worst part was he barely moved this time.

I dropped down as the fireball came in and landed on the air below. The green hell fire crashed into Jormungand's face and enveloped his body, but he didn't seem to move. I launched myself back up and uppercutted him. His head flew back and he staggered.

Then something snagged my ankle and flung me away. I looked down and saw Zack’s vines, the vine threw me back and I saw Jormungand's gigantic spiky tail swinging where I was. I adjusted myself in the air and eventually slid on the solid air below me.

"Stryder you cracked his scales on your first strike." Zack called out from behind.

I didn't rest this time, I kept my strength going. I knew if I stopped now I'd just collapse.

"G-gotcha, that means we're doing something then."

"Let's do Meteor shower."

"Then we should go for the belly, I remember Leo being weak there."

"Alright." Zack replied.

I grabbed Zack's arm and leaped high into the air.

I landed on the solid air and looked down at the smoke that surronded Jormungand. I jumped into the air and started spinning Zack around, and gained momentum. He sparked his flames and enveloped himself in fire. Then I threw Zack down at Jormungand!

He pierced through the smoke and crashed into Jormungand's face! His golden scales flew into the air, and Jormungand wailed like a demon.

I landed back down on the solid air and prepared myself. I focused everything into my legs, and it felt like they were going to explode. Then, I blasted myself at Jormungand. I quickly shifted all the power to my fist and when I came in at Jormungand, I aimed to punch through him. I poured every ounce of energy I had into this.

As my fist made contact, A wave of excruciating pain slammed into my arm. Then, I felt Absolutely nothing. He flew back and slammed into a building across the way.

I dropped and landed on the air. I looked over and saw Zack kneeling next to me. His right arm was burnt, contorted and steaming. I glanced down at my own, and it wasn't looking any better.

"Stryder, can you move?" He panted.

"Yeah, my right arms done though."

"I'm gonna go below and set a trap. Get him more to the left of that building he's dented into. You'll do the finishing blow. I’ll clear you a path for you to run at him."

"Right!"

I stood up and charged at him. It felt like every part of my arm was tearing apart. I bit down on my lip and the blood gushed down my mouth. It wasn’t helping at all. I wanted to scream, I wanted to just drop down and never move again. My whole body felt like it carrying a hundred extra pounds.

Just endure it! Just endure it! You need to win! If you cry now everyone could die! So suck it up and move!

I came up as Jormungand peeled off the building. I grabbed his face and forced my strength to keep going, it threatened to burn my body away, but who cares if I turn to ash! He’s going down first!

I held him up by his head, and then slammed it back into the building! Then grated his face against it and charged left. Every solid air step broke underneath my feet as I charged, I wasn't able to control myself anymore.

"AHHHHH!" I screamed and tried to shut out the pain.

Once we reached the end of the wall, I pulled him off and threw him to the ground. Vines shot out and wrapped around him, then dragged him down. I summoned the biggest sword I could think of and speared it down at him.

The vines slammed him down on his back, and the sword stabbed right through his stomach. I came down behind the blade and stomped down on the sword's massive guard, sending the blade even deeper in. I jumped off and spun in the air, landing next to Zack.

We looked at each other, then back to Jormungand. Whose dragon form was getting smaller and smaller. Until he was just human again, with my huge sword stabbed through his body.

"Is he dead?" Zack asked.

Just as I was about to let myself drop, Jormungand coughed up blood. My heart started to race as he sat up from the ground. He moved to his side and pulled the sword out of the ground, then ripped Zacks vines away.

It made my skin crawl watching the blood pour out from around the blade. It was like looking at a broken faucet. My sword took up his entire torso in his human form, and he moved around like it was just some inconvenience!

"You two are gonna pay for this." He grumbled.

W-what!? How is he still alive!? I thought maybe people assumed he was unkillable because of the scales! But could he seriously only be killed by a dragon!?

I took a step forward and held out my good fist. Zack stepped forward with me and held out his good one. We stood side by side and glared at him.

"Then bring it on!" We both roared.

"Ah, ah, ah my wizard. Have you forgotten the deal you made?"

A woman's voice crawled into my ear, and for some reason my body felt warm. Then, I noticed everything was suddenly brighter. I looked up, and I forgot how to breathe. The dark night was consumed by a clear blue sky.

"W-what?" I mumbled.

"Well, I guess that's it then." Zack sighed. "I knew the tank felt empty."

"What are you talking about?" I asked and looked over at him.

My whole body shuttered. I saw her eyes, the purple flames of hell. It was Zack's goddess!

"Just like Faust made a deal, and a promise he couldn't keep. So did you, my child." She wrapped her arms around Zack and pulled him into her.

"I made a deal with my goddess when you were fighting Jormungand. That if she gave me more manna, we could kill this S.O.B.." He chuckled. "Guess our best wasn't enough huh?"

"Zack what did you bet!?"

"My child bet his dear life, on you Stryder. He thought no matter what, Stryder could figure it out."

Her fingers slid across Zack's cheek, and my stomach dropped. He looked over to me and smiled,

"Hey, you got this. Take care of Annual for me, alright?" He hummed.

I stepped toward him and immediately collapsed. My lunch came up and I vomited on the ground. It was like the world was shaking.

"No, no, Take me instead! Make a deal with me! I'll go! Please!"

"Oh no young hero, he's mine. I still want to see if you can prevail. After all, Arthur believes you're special."

I forced my head up to beg some more, but my breath was taken away. For a moment everything was silent. I watched as the goddess stabbed her arm through Zack’s chest. His eyes were wide in shock, his blood splattered onto the ground and onto my hands.

"Ahhh!" I screamed.

I forced myself to sit up and crawl forward, but I immediately dropped. So I grabbed at the ground and dragged myself over to him. He didn't die like in the movies. There was no smile, no peace. His eyes were wide open, and he looked terrified. My tears rained down as I grabbed at his shirt.

"Zack, come on, come on!"

I shook his body, but he didn’t move. There was no use. He was dead.