The creatures fled into the darkness. The gold spirits that escaped from their cursed coffins floated away towards their own freedom. The flames died out. The vines and plants crept back into the cracks.

Nia let out a sigh of relief, but she didn't let her guard down. She looked back at Akai as he walked slowly in front of the portal and stood there, blocking her path. The rip in space called out in the wind. They both stared down each other. Nia couldn't see his eyes through the visor and had no way of knowing what he was thinking. They both stood several meters away.

"So, your the demon that killed my family. The Crimson Black Knight. No. Akai," she said angrily. She remembered what he did to the dragons, yet she couldn't believe that it was a dragon who killed them. And not just any dragon, but one who was close to her big sister. She held her green sword tightly and resolute.

"So, have you chased me down to kill me? Is that it?" Nia asked.

Akai looked at Nia's hard green eyes. They weren't filled with rage or hate, but with determination. He needed to think. He knew what the witch showed him. The choices that he would be able to make. And how each choice would end up destroying not just humanity or life, but the entire universe itself.

Nia held up her blade. This time, she thought to herself, this time I won't lose. I won't lose. A new life awaits her if she crosses that portal. A life where she and anybody she knew wouldn't be hunted. There was nothing in this world that she could protect, so she thought that perhaps going to another world would be better. She recalled Miura and how the mage helped her escape. How she was given a second chance because of her. And she wouldn't waste it.

Akai only stood there pondering his options. And for moment, he smiled. He let go of his red blade to the astonishment of Nia. The blade hit the floor and he kicked it away. Nia shook her head to focus. She remembered that she was overwhelmed with his strength alone. His red and black armor made of dragon scales and metal only heightened her senses. She knew that it would be tough to penetrate it, but her armor was lighter and suspected to be nearly as or even more sturdy. Nia just needed to clear her mind. She wouldn't resort going back into the destructive power of her dragon form due to her own fear of going berserk.

Akai grabbed his helmet and slowly took it off. He threw the dragon-faced helmet to the ground revealing his face. This was the first that Nia had ever seen his face. He always imagined him as some kind of monster, but as she looked at him, he looked like any other mercenary, besides the features that were dragon-like. He looked to be around 30 years old. He had short black hair. White skin with black scales. And scars. However, his irises were yellow, but they didn't envelop the entire eye.

It didn't change any opinion that Nia had. He was still a monster in her eyes. And the only way to get through that portal is through him. However, as she stared at his dead-looking yellow eyes, she couldn't help but feel some form of pity. It was for a brief moment, but it was a fleeting thought.

Akai smiled and held out his arms in an open embrace.

"Do you think running away will solve your problems?" Akai asked, "If you really want to leave this world, you'll have to get through me. I have no weapons. My face is wide open. I have nothing."

"Another attempt to get me to charge? I won't play into your hands this time, demon!," Nia shouted.

"Demon? I understand, but I believed what I thought was right."

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"Right!? You slaughtered innocent people!"

"So have you."

Nia became silent for a moment and Akai continued, "Not that it matters. I thought I was saving this world. Saving the humans I cared for, but instead I led the world... to somewhere worse."

Nia readied herself. She needed a plan. She looked around for anything that she could use. She looked at the floor. The dirt and sand.

The portal was still wide open.

Nia took one step forward and Akai stopped smiling.

"I can't let you leave this place," he said with determination. He dropped his arms down and stood still like a statue.

Nia and Akai took one long look at each other. There was silence. Blue lights in a large dark room. Droplets of sweat began to fall on the floor of both of them. Neither of them knew what the other was planning, but someone had to make the first move. Without any hesitation, Nia screamed and ran towards Akai with her blade pointing forward.

Halfway, Nia seemingly tripped and her left arm grabbed some dirt. Akai noticed, but still stood still. As Nia was close enough to throw the dirt in Akai, she motioned her hand to throw, but feigned it right as he began to move his eyes away. She threw the dirt in her hand backwards and grew out her green tail knocking up sand on the other side of Akai. Something that not even he expected. Sand went up into his eyes and for a brief moment, he was blind. Akai thought to himself that he had lost. That the world, no, universe was doomed. Nia thought to herself that this was the perfect moment to dash past him to get through the portal, but as she remembered what he did to her family. What his dragonslayers did to her family twice. She couldn't help but try to kill him. It was a split second decision, and Nia lunged her green blade's tip towards Akai's eye.

It was not even a second. The blade slightly pierced right underneath his eye. His hand grabbed the green blade. Akai's quick instincts and reflexes saved him. His hand oozed red as blood spilled onto the green blade. Nia tried to pull back the blade, but his grip was too strong. And in another split second, it was over. Akai pulled the blade back, pulling her back with it. He sidestepped and hit Nia on the neck.

"Thi-This can't be," she said with one final breath as she fell to the ground unconscious. The portal mere feet away. Akai let go of the green blade to have it fall near her side.

He knelt down and checked her pulse and breathing. She was still alive, and he was relieved. He got up and looked back at the rip in space.

He began to monologue to himself as he walked towards the portal at a slow pace.

"So, witch, it seems fate has more options. It seems I have beaten fate twice now. The dragons will not die, yet. And... I won't be in this world to be used as some kind of weapon or turned into some abomination. I wonder if they will tell stories of me. Legends to inspire others. Wouldn't that be nice... Captain Halido? You always did want me to live a life. Maybe, I finally can this time."

Akai stood in front of the towering portal. It seemed like it was calling to him. He took one breath of air feeling fulfilled.

He took one more step and as he did, his heart skipped a beat. His breathing was erratic. It was glimpse of the future. Yet, he didn't know how he could see it, but he knew it was real. It felt like all the other times. Everything about the vision was the same. A towering cradle made up of a seemingly infinite number of faces. The stars being swallowed. The dragon holding a stitched-up Nera. However, as he looked back at the towering black dragon, it changed. It's eyes went from yellow to green. It's scales charcoal to forest. It morphed in front of his eyes. Sweat poured out of him as the vision abruptly ended before the dragon could roar.

He knew now that he didn't change anything. He realized that Miura planned this. She knew what I would do after seeing those choices, he thought to himself. He felt like a mere puppet to this witch from the very beginning. He had to go turn back. He couldn't leave after seeing that. He needed to find another way, but as his foot stepped into the portal, it began to pull him inside with a force greater than any typhoon. His crimson red helmet was dragged in with him as if it was somehow a part of him.

He took one look back at the girl as he was being dragged away. The young dragon. He had a glimpse and saw the creatures hiding from the shadows. Some of those coffins and others that he has never seen before. They surrounded her and closed in. He knew what those creatures would do, but there was nothing that he could do to stop it. "I failed" was his final thought as he was tossed into a vortex of unknown worlds as the portal closed itself.