"I've dealt with your kind before. I don't trust you, who's to say you'll keep your word if I release you. Besides, I have another way out. Any second now." Of course, as Lineir said that the seconds dragged into minutes and as the boulders started to fall into the lava lake with frightening frequency there was still no word from the Bladelord. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn the trapped dragon roared,

"Even if you do not trust me, you have no choice! Release me or be buried with me!" It said.

Plop Plop Plop!

Huge chunks of rock were smashing down into the lava lake like so many meteors. Lineir continued to try to contact the unreliable Bladelord over and over however there was no response. As the top of the lake was sealed off in a layer of falling rock, the dragon roared desperately one last time. It shook its ginormous tail furiously rattling the surroundings and making the lava vibrate.

"I wish to soar the endless skies again. I wish to see the boundless territories beneath my feet once more. Eon after eon I have rotted here like an apple fallen from a tree. Devour me and free us both from our pitiful existences. I sense it in you. The hate and madness to clean this insane world. You, puny mortal, and I, fallen monster let us rage against Heaven, Hell, and all that stand in our way once again!" The dragon pleaded with a terribly sad majesty.

Lineir kept a constant eye on the layer of rock slowly filling the top of the lava lake. As more and more rocks from above crumbled down it slowly was pushed deeper and deeper. Eventually it would come to suppress all and there would be no leaving without interdimensional travel techniques. He watched the massive sword in the middle of the lake. It had begun to crumble as well, but it was still holding up much better than the rest of the pit. By the time it broke and the dragon was released the rock would have already buried them both. Eventually Lineir realized that if the Bladelord really wasn't coming he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Say I do release you. How can I trust you? How do I even do it? I don't want to hear any dogcrap about just releasing you. For all I know you would kill me out of spite before saving me." Lineir entertained the notion of freeing the dragon. "Crap....I hate all these unreliable seniors in my life."

The dragon roared and wriggled underneath the sword.

Hong! Hong! Hong!

"Once again, I have already told you what to do. My physical body is too weak to do anything to you even if released. Destroy the sealing sword and then devour my soul into your Second Heart. I can already sense one of those dirty firebirds hiding in your heart. I don't know what legacies you have obtained but your body has the strangest constitution I have seen in a human. Your foundation seems weak. Yet I think...even those children of the Greater Sects would not match up to you when you are grown. What are you??" The dragon suddenly hesitated for the first time. However Lineir didn't answer. He was furiously conversing with Mei and even Mizuchi.

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"Should I do what it wants? What does he mean by devour him?" Lineir asked Mei.

"I believe the sword is sealing his body and soul at the moment. If you destroy the sword and release him, he can use a forbidden technique from ancient times to enter your Second Heart. In doing so you will gain a portion of his powers and enter the dragon bloodline. However I had heard that the dragon clan forbid the usage of such techniques as they once incurred a great disaster from the other races seeking to obtain their bloodline. This is a great opportunity if you actually obtain his bloodline. Regardless, I think you have little choice. If the Bladelord will not appear that means something terrible has doubtless happened on the surface. I am afraid you must accept this bargain!"

Lineir stared hard at the ever sinking layer of rock above his head. He looked down through the golden veil of lava and stared at the almost pitiful dragon smushed by the sword.

"What the hell, you're not the first being to enter my body. Get in here before we're both trapped!" He raised Mizuchi and slashed the enormous sword which was already cracking. The enormous sword was gouged for several meters but refused to break.

"Heh, looks like I have to go all out here!"

Linear slammed Mizuchi into the giant crystal sword and caused huge spiderwebbing cracks to appear from the impact point. Then he expanded his fire Qi wings and shot straight down to the bottom of the lake dragging Mizuchi along the length of the sword as he went, shattering it!

"Yes human brat! Free me at last!" The dragon jubilantly roared as Lineir reached the base of the sword. When he did, the whole thing split in two!

KACHA!!!!!

The sword shattered into even smaller parts from the two and like that the ceiling of rock which had been supported by the sword collapsed and sank down to bury Lineir forever!

"Quick! Hide under my true body now and absorb my soul!" The dragon sent mentally and Lineir shot under its massive body which was shaking itself free from the debris of the sword. It wrapped its massive claws around Lineir so that he felt like he was inside of a giant ribcage. For a tense second he prayed he had not made a terrible mistake but the dragon simply stood up and raised its ruinous wings above to block the falling rock as if defying the collapse of Heaven and Hell!

"Come! Take me in!" It said and then a glowing red light passed through its massive chest and floated through the lava to land near Lineir. It pulsated like a heart of flame and in its depths Lineir could see many memories and things of a race older than his.

Puchi!

Lineir grasped the orb and pressed it against his chest where it entered his Second Heart!

"Free at laaaaaast....." The dragon whispered as its body collapsed unable to bear the loss of its soul and the rocks from above. As the life left its eyes it opened its mouth one last time and shot out a blast of flame hotter than magma!

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

The energy cleared a small channel through the rock all the way to the surface of the Hellhole!