Aside from Death, the other two were unaware of our presence.

I clicked my tongue at the sight of Moralta's gloating. It was time to steady the turned table and fix this mess. I unsheathed my guns and shot a round at the floor near the hiruda's feet. Feeling renewed strength in my hands.

Moralta threw his head back with laughter. He faced me with a triumphant expression.

"Thank goodness you're back. I can't handle this demon making a creep out of me any longer. A few times my poor body almost lost a limb. And I saw how huge my backside is. Their fight has been horrible to watch!" Death sighed with relief.

"Freend back!" Small Cap greeted me excitedly. So much so the gold coins that they hid behind tinkled.

I shot some bullets to the ground again to cover up the noise they had made. Moralta seemed none the wiser.

"Tell me what I missed. Quickly!" I thought as I kept a constant fix on the demon. A recap of what had happened topside sped through my mind.

The platform had been an arena for magical attacks, which had violated countless magism codes. Brystagg had been struck by an ice attack right before the bridge had warped out of time. He received further damage when Moralta's longsword had slashed across his leg as soon as the bridge warped back in. Moralta's damages were minimal. It made me wonder if Brystagg had been holding back since the body belonged to Death. I admired him for it.

"You're like a c.o.c.kroach sucking the living joy out of everything." Moralta's expression sobered as he walked towards me. "I was having so much fun."

His sword disappeared. He called upon wind magic to throw us across the platform. We tumbled next to Brystagg.

"It's a shame my Aidoneus won't see home. Well. Home will be with him soon. You had your chance my fair knights. You failed. It's Zyon's time," said Moralta. He wasn't boasting.

He said a spell that made a blue book appear. It hovered in the air before him.

The book looked familiar. It was the juxtapositioner demon's blue book! No way! It couldn't be. I shot that d.a.m.n thing into implosion! Was it possible that the demon didn't implode back at that time. Instead, it had warped?

I stood to make a run for the book and close it.

A wave of blue light knocked me back down. Hard light links bound my arms. A ring of light went around my neck. I yelped at the cuts I felt to my skin from the ring's edges.

"I call upon the powers of the Dark Grimoire. Sol Tsazcuth is in motion. Come forth! Infinite Denbora! Ekarri zion Zyon!" Moralta's voice echoed around the platform and inside my head.

His body danced around the book to stir bluish white light into the air. The light made the gray clouds churn and swirl with images of lands.

As the images drew focus, my heart raced at the outlines of an impending invasion from a countless number of demons and horrid creatures eager to wreak havoc on Sol.

I closed my eyes. I was doing my best not to panic. "Death. What do we do?!"

"I don't know Famine. I don't know." Death's voice trembled in my head.

The demons and their black and red-green inverted landscape were further encroaching on our s.p.a.ce.

Moralta's form and power was boosted with Zyon's dark power, which crept across the platform. Transforming the floor's white color to black.

"I'm scared Death." I closed my eyes, sensing my failure before I could even locate Pesti.

_"Famine. The pink angels are smiling down on us from the sky. Looks like an eventful day awaits us."_ Shuso's voice warmed my thoughts. _"Yah cannot fight the Vapor Trail once it cuts through the sky to bring down the rain."_

_"Mus.h.i.+n, Zans.h.i.+n, Satori; it's what we learn right? "_ Memory of my conversation with Pesti granted me a push for determination.

_"Now I teach yah some ways to Mus.h.i.+n."_ Bulldog's wise voice answered my fears.

"Mus.h.i.+n." I slowly exhaled.

I opened my eyes to the sight of demonic chaos circling about the platform. Holding to my determination for Sol. I pushed past my pain and rose to my feet.