The sun was molten hot. Strong gusts waved over the sand and flowed over the black hair of the three-headed demon. It walked alone on the dunes looking at the high walls of the nameless town.

“Human, I can see it now. You better know what you are doing or I’ll wipe out this town.”

“Yes! Yes! You said there are yummy-yummy treats here!”

“Hmm, us and humans it's a disaster. Not a good idea.”

Magnum jumped out of a hammock under the demon's belly. The hammock was made out of black cloth tied to the demon's hair, “Quiet you three! Don’t worry, I’ll get my wagon and then we’ll go south.”

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

The sound of alarm rang from the town.

He looked around. There’s no one there in the sands but them.

“Oh wait!”

“What is it, human?”

“Hrmm, they saw us. We should have turned smaller.”

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Magnum started running down the dunes while waving his two hands in the air. He saw heads run along the walls. Each going to different positions. Cannonballs and ballistas moved and pointed toward them.

“No! Shit!” He started jumping frantically.

“Hmm… Prepare. They will shoot.”

“Sh-sho- shoot us? With what?”

“Human, wrong move!”

“No! No! No! You three shut up! I’ll handle this!” Magnum said as he continued to jump and wave. He exaggerated the movement of his arms but he wasn’t getting any response. The heads didn’t move. Weapons still pointed at them. He even removed his tattered cloak and waved it. He saw Garza looking at him through a lense. He was the only one whose shoulder was above the walls. Garza raised his hand and pointed at them. A lone ballista fired.

Magnum traced the giant arrow. It flew up piercing the sky aligned to his direction and then it curved and pointed down to him.

“Okay. This is too slow. I can easily dodge this.”

He waited for the big arrow to come. It went faster and faster but it flew past him and struck the spot near his demon companion.

The arrow went deep into the sand with a quick thud. It didn’t make any explosion or splash but its impact was obvious. The six eyes of the demon dog lit up in red. All three heads looked at the source of the arrow. It jumped forward and ran past Magnum heading towards the town.

“Hey! No!”

Cannons fired in a series of loud booms. Ballistas followed suit but the dog easily evaded them. Magnum went after the dog, running and jumping, evading all the projectiles coming their way.

“If anyone got hurt there! I’ll kill you myself!”

The dog was in a rage. The mercs started to get nervous as they looked at each other. They can’t hit it. It was too elusive and had an understanding of how their weapons worked. Different from the ones they shoot on a daily basis. It was getting closer now.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!” Garza shouted with force. He then jumped to the top of the wall to raise the morale of his men. Attached to his back was a red gunblade, he held it while watching the dog come up the wall. He was ready to attack but a red blur rushed to the wall and met the demon dog. The demon’s advance was stopped and the crowd cheered upon seeing the guild master and his lance forced the demon to defend. He fell down to the sand with the beast.

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The demon jumped backward while the old man landed softly. He played his lance in front of the demon trying to discourage it but it was not affected at all.

“This human! I can detect dark spirit in him!”

“Dark spirit? How do you know that?” Magnum said.

“I just know!”

“Don't fight him! Hide behind me you selfish dog!”

The guild master jumped at the demon and started thrusting and slicing. The demon evaded all of the attacks by jumping away multiple times. Cheers filled the walls as the dog moved back increasing its distance from the town.

“Heyyyy! Stop Master!”

Magnum finally caught up and stood in between the demon and the master.

“You! Bringing a demon spirit here!”

“No! I mean yes, but I can explain! He’s harmless!”

“Shoot the demon! I’ll handle the kid!” he commanded the mercs.

Ballistas rain on the demon.

“Master please listen!” Magnum knelt. “If the demon is not welcome. I’ll get my wagon and move on. Please! I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Hurt me?” The guild master prepared for an attack on a kneeling Magnum. Magnum did not move but he felt the killing intent from the Master and jumped away barely dodging a fatal slice.

He swiped the blood on his neck with the back of his hand, “He’s crazy! He really wants to kill me!”

The guild Master attacked again but this time Magnum dodged all of his attacks.

“You are being controlled by the demon! So I must terminate you. It’s not personal.”

“Not personal? You’ve been trying to kill me since I met you! But no! No! Master! Just ask Tanna! She knew the dog is harmless, if it's not angry!” He continued to evade as the Master put pressure on him. The mercs watching couldn’t keep their eyes off the match as the Master displayed martial arts prowess but there’s one big issue.

“This massive improvement in your ability just proved my point. The demon possessed you.“

“The demon doesn't possess me! I am in control!”

“For now you are!”

The Master’s attack continued but it was clear that Magnum’s improvement was too good as he wasn’t able to hit him again.

“You said I should be willing to give up anything! Then here I am! I won’t let this demon control me!”

“Stupid Kid! I didn’t mean it that way! Shoot the demon!” he said again to the mercs and then continued to attack Magnum.

“No! That’s what you said!”

“Do you have a brain?” the Master said.

“Of course! I made a deal so I can kill the Grand Demon!”

“You’re still thinking about that?”

“All the time!”

The Master stopped attacking and jumped backward, “Then let me demonstrate to you. The power of demons”. The old man took out his pipe and inhaled its contents. He closed his eyes as he filled his lungs with a thick smoke. Upon opening his eyes, it turned red. Magnum felt something sinister surrounding the guild master.

“I know this feeling!”

The guild master was gone and appeared above Magnum with his lance almost piercing his head. He blocked it with his gunblade but if not for his quick reflexes, it would have been his death.

“Hey! You fucking serious?” Magnum shouted at the guild Master’s face.

The old man pushed Magnum and released a barrage of thrust.

“Armor!” Magnum shouted and a black and rough-looking metal armor appeared covering his body. He parried all the attacks by the old man and started to take the offensive.

The demon dog started to gain distance again and now was a few hops away from the wall. The mercs started to worry again and just as the demon came close a loud screeching sound echoed from above. A huge eagle flew and then dove down catching the demon dog before it almost touched the walls. The mercs celebrated.

“Human! I got caught! You never told me there was a spirit beast here!”

“I’m busy!” Magnum said.

Magnum was fighting toe to toe with the guild Master. Everyone watched. Even Don Cid, who was standing above the giant eagle who caught the demon dog.

A woman came down to the desert from the walls. “Stop!” she said.

“Tanna?”

She jumped in between the two prompting them to separate.

“Don’t fight!”

She looked at Guild Master, “Master! Please this black knight is my friend!”

“I’m not a knight!”

Magnum’s helmet disappeared showing a face that looked more mature than she last saw.

She looked at Magnum, “Still hate them? But you kind of look like a knight.”

“It's the dog, he knows some magic.”

“Oh Cerbie! He created that?” she looked above and waved at the giant eagle carrying the demon.

“What happened to him? Why is he so big now? And what happened to you?”

“What do you think I've been doing the past several days? I wasn't just lying around! We were training for the fight of my life!” he said behind the backdrop of the dark clouds on the horizon hiding the grand demon.

“Stop this! The demon is inside him now.” The master said.

“No Master! I think we should take him to the tribes! Just like what you did!” she said.

“Tribes? No, I don't have time for that! Just let me my wagon and I’ll be on my way. I don't even need to enter the city.”

“B-but you-you said there are yummy treats there!”

“Change of plans Bunta!”

“Wait!” Magnum said. He looked around and ended up looking at Tanna and the Guild Master, “Do you feel that?”

The two looked at each other in disbelief. The ground trembled. Sand rose through the air with every stomp. A rhythm of a marching horde they never felt before.

“This is big!” The guild master said signalling someone on the wall.

“Ding ding ding ding ding!”

Bells alarmed from the city.

“Holy crown! Dragons incoming!” a merc shouted from the walls as a black army of the infected slowly approached from the desert.

“Focus on the dragons!” the guild master said jumping in front of Magnum and Tanna.

“Good job old man! Let's fucking go!”