The air around Akai heated up and grew increasingly hot. Trails of steam rose from his body as the draconic figure stepped forward.

Ilinore was disgusted by his sudden confidence and raised the device in his direction. The gem at its core lit up and a pillar of stone broke out from under Akai’s feet.

In a flash, Akai had leapt out of harm’s way and landed silently at the other end of the room. He moved elegantly with effortless leaps and long gaits.

The intense crackling of gravel and dirt breaking apart and falling back into place echoed through the room as Ilinore's device worked overtime. No matter how many spikes, pillars or attacks she threw at him, Akai refused to be caught.

With his feet against the wall, he burst off of it like a springboard and shot through the air. In the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance and was a breath away from Ilinore, face to face with her.

He cast out his arm and aimed it at the device but she was quite fast herself. Her thin arm rose to block his attack and protected the device. Her eyes spiralled into a panic as her guard faltered and her arm grew weaker.

Akai’s flat-handed strike shifted her arm slowly and before she could react, her guard was shattered.

The built-up power flung her through the air and landed against the wall behind her. She opened her eyes and stepped away from the wall but Akai had been on her tail from before she left the ground.

He launched an open palm strike at her stomach, the force behind it created a loud swoosh as he drove it into her gut.

The wall behind her caved in and left a crater against her backside.

The rage in his eyes hadn’t subsided yet, he wanted more. Ilinore was close to matching his rage and sent an attack of her own against him. A powerful kick to the face that cut through the air above her head.

Akai ducked his head under her kick and tucked his fist under his chest, just beside his stomach. His face pressed forward and when he was close enough to feel the warmth of her skin, he drove his fist into her.

The large crater behind her expanded to twice its size as Akai sent her crashing into it and shook the entire room.

His eyes settled into a calmer glare but he was still angry. The low grin he hung his mouth in finally opened and muttered his thoughts,

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“This isn't enough…not nearly enough for what you’ve done.”

“I knew this temporary body was rushed…but to think I’d be this weak. I might even be weaker than before,” Ilinore muttered to herself.

She picked herself up and held the device at her side. The light had grown much stronger and its pink glare had amplified into a bright gleam.

The floor under Akai liquefied once more and he lost his balance. Akai flinched once he realised that he had been caught.

His feet sunk into the ground and were lowering by the second. The next to go was his ankles, then his waist until only his shoulders remained.

Arga stepped forward but Edward's hand kept her back. He held her shoulder and looked on at the fight, shedding no words for his actions and further confusing her. She was confused but more so than that she was worried.

The look on his face convinced her and she didn’t see the need to go against him, she put her faith in both of them. Edward was focused on protecting her but Akai had to fight his own battle.

Akai had nearly been completely submerged in the ground. Ilinore walked to him and looked down at the sinking dragon with pity.

“Here I thought I might have some trouble against your group. I suppose Alice will die to the fallen one just as easily as you will to me.”

Akai closed his eyes and remained silent. One of the last movements his trapped body was capable of still performing before he was swallowed into the ground.

Arga waited nervously, just as Edward wanted. She couldn't understand why, he looked like he had completely given up. To her, both of them had.

His neck lowered into the ground and the process sped up, right before complete submersion he spoke out and broke the silence of Ilinore’s supposed victory.

“I think that’s all I need.” He muttered calmly.

The last strands of his crimson hair lowered into the ground and it lit up with a bright red glare. The ground heated up—or rather something beneath it—an intense shroud of steam and warm air rose off of the floor.

It dried up and cracked like burnt bread as the heat erupted from under the dirt. After a brisk pause, the ground shattered and broke open with a scarlet figure that climbed out.

As if he were spat out from the Tower's stomach, Akai rose from the shattered wreckage of broken stone and gravel.

Heavy layers of dust and dirt-stained his clothing. The steam that had freed him emitted from his body and cleared away all the dirt and layers from his clothes and face, leaving him looking brand new.

Ilinore’s face twitched with a burning scowl that resisted any attempts at calming down. Her grip over the device tightened as she balled her hands into two tight fists.

“You were toying with me?” She asked angrily.

“I was, and I think I got all the info that we need from you. So dragging this out doesn’t seem beneficial anymore to us. Isn't that right, brother?”

A burst of white and blue broke out from the cracks in the ground. The light spread as more of the ground split open and separated.

Zephier emerged from the broken tear in the ground unscathed and landed safely beside his older brother.

“Buhuaaaaa!! You sure took your time Aki—I had to hold my breath nearly ten minutes like that!” Zephier shouted.

“If you hadn’t gotten caught, you wouldn’t have needed to stay underground. Perhaps you shouldn’t be so careless next time.”

“Careless?! Are you forgetting that this was my plan?! You should be thanking me!” Zephier snapped back.

Arga’s nervous expression broke as the worry faded and left her with an confounded open-mouth grin.

“…so he was fine the whole time?”