Yukiko and Ema stood silently. Sweat sliding down their tense faces. Armageddon stood firm with his cold, stone-like expression, arms crossed as if unfazed by the battle. In front of him, Vincy... or no longer himself... was under the grip of the mysterious fiend inside him. With a twisted grin, the fiend slammed his fists together, activating {Berserk Mode}.
Armageddon asked with a cold voice:
"Won't you summon your Legendary Creature?"
"That fool already wasted it against one of your pathetic servants. It doesn't matter, as I don't need any creature to make you kneel," the fiend responded.
"Hmph. Do you even know why they call me Armageddon?" He muttered. "You'll understand soon enough."
Yukiko and Ema made a move, trying to step in. However, the fiend quickly turned, launching a fireball that exploded in front of them. The heat pushed them back.
"Take one more step and I will incinerate you both!" The fiend shouted. "Armageddon is mine!"
Vincy... what's happening to you?Ema thought, clenching her fists.
Both Armageddon and the fiend dashed at each other, fists crushed with thunderous force. The shockwave cracked the floor beneath them. The fiend shot upward, unleashing a rain of fire below, while Armageddon chased into the roof, hurling a dark blast. The fiend crossed his arms, flames surging around them as he blocked the dark blast.
"Not bad, Your Majesty" he said, grinning.
"I'm just getting started," Armageddon replied, unfazed.
Without delay, Armageddon created a circle of {Dark Clones} around the fiend, each firing dark energy. The fiend moved with speed and fury, weaving between them and destroying each one. He countered with a blazing spiral beam that forced Armageddon to ascend fast, avoiding the heat.
The fiend kept up the pressure, hurling fireball after fireball. Armageddon held out one hand and blocked them all effortlessly, the flames vanishing against his palm.
"Tch, how about this?!" The fiend shouted.
He charged a burning sphere and launched it.
Armageddon responded with a fierce dark blast that tore through the flaming sphere, causing an explosion in the air.
Below, Ema and Yukiko stood frozen.
"Ema-chan, why are we just standing here?! We should fight too!" Yukiko whispered urgently.
"We can't, Yukiko. Didn't you hear what he said?" Ema responded.
"I don't care! We must–" Yukiko began.
"Yukiko... that's not Vincy," Ema said, voice low. "He's being controlled. The real Vincy would never threaten us."
"Nani? Then who is that?!" Yukiko asked, shocked.
"I don't know... but whoever it is, they're not our ally," she answered
Back with the fiend and the dark king, the real battle raged on. Their fists blurred as they traded blows at blinding speed. The fiend leapt back and launched a wide {Blazing Beam}. Armageddon fired his {Dark Beam}, and the two massive attacks clashed midair, causing a huge shockwave that shattered some of the chamber walls.
Smoke and light covered the area, and when it cleared, the fiend had disappeared. Suddenly, he reappeared behind Armageddon, smashing his back. However, the figure vanished... as it was a clone. Armageddon had already summoned dark spikes to trap him upward.
The fiend tried evading, but another clone kicked him midair, launching him straight into the spikes. He burnt the spikes. However, Armageddon jumped and punched him on his chest, sending him crashing down.
The fiend stood on his own, wiping the blood and clenching his fists in anger.
"You and your dirty tricks!" He roared.
He rushed again, exchanging more punches. One of his fists caught fire, and he smashed it into Armageddon's chest. He slid back slightly but stood still.
That hit... not bad. I can't afford to get reckless now, Armageddon thought.
The battle resumed with another round of rapid punches. The fiend ducked under one and delivered a crushing blow to Armageddon's gut.
"Enough!" Armageddon shouted, flying back and summoning more clones.
The fiend twisted through the blasts they fired, barely dodging. He prepared to counter, but Armageddon teleported behind him and kicked his spine. Then, without pause, he teleported again and again, punching from every angle until the fiend collapsed.
Bloody and growling, the fiend pushed himself up slowly.
Tsk... he has the upper hand, but I can't lose now! He thought.
However as he stood, his wings and horns began fading.
"N-No... not now!" He shouted, clutching his stomach.
The transformation ended. Vincy returned to normal and fell to his knees. Eventually, he restored his consciousness.
"Ugh... where am I?" He asked, blinking.
He saw Ema and Yukiko. Then his eyes met Armageddon's.
"W-WHO ARE YOU?!" He yelled.
"Vincy! That's Armageddon! Be careful!" Ema called.
"HEEEH?! WE'RE ALREADY FIGHTING HIM?!" Vincy shouted, completely shocked.
Turning around, he saw Taro fall.
"T-Taro?! No way... ARMAGEDDON! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" Vincy shouted, activating {Berserk Mode} again.
"Wait up. Let's do this together!" Ema said.
"I'm in! I'll burn him to ash!" Vincy roared.
"Hmph. Let's see what you insects can do," Armageddon replied, smirking.
Ema fired a bright {Light Beam}, and Vincy hurled blazing fireballs. Armageddon dodged both. Yukiko rushed in, swinging her katanas, but he evaded every slash with calm ease.
He summoned more spikes, and Yukiko dodged. Ema rained light arrows, but Armageddon flew between them. Vincy prepared a deadly strike. He blasted the floor with a fire beam, launching himself upward, then came down with a powerful smash.
It hit him, however the figure vanished, as it was a clone.
"A clone?!" Vincy gasped. "Even Armageddon can summon clones?!"
Above them, the real Armageddon formed a massive blast.
Yukiko grabbed Vincy with her {Sakura Rope} and pulling him away.
"Thanks, Yukiko! I owe you one!" Vincy said.
Then more clones appeared, surrounding them in a circle.
"Not this again," Vincy muttered.
"Don't wait! Hit them now!" Ema ordered.
Vincy used his flames, Yukiko slashed, and Ema fired arrows. They erased the ring of clones just in time.
However suddenly, dark creatures came crawling from the entrance.
"Huh?! More of these monsters?! We beat them already!" Vincy yelled.
"There must be a spawner somewhere in the castle," Ema said.
"Do we go find it?" Yukiko asked.
"No time. Armageddon won't let us escape the chamber," Ema replied.
"Ugh, then all we can do is clear that wave!" Vincy shouted, frustrated.
"Use your flaming beam, Vincy!" Ema ordered.
Back-to-back, Vincy and Ema spun in circles, firing their beams, wiping out the monsters.
"Weaklings dealt with. Now for the real deal!" Vincy shouted, pointing toward Armageddon.
They charged Armageddon again. Vincy dashed, Yukiko slashed, and Ema aimed for his wings. Armageddon blocked and dodged everything. With a quick move, he slammed Vincy backward. Then he teleported behind Yukiko and kicked her hard into the wall.
Ema tried to cast her strongest light beam, but a clone struck her from behind, making her miss and collapse. Vincy stood, holding his chest.
This isn't working. We're no match for him... at least without our creatures, he thought.
"Still standing? Impressive," Armageddon sneered. "However, if you had saved your creatures... maybe your friend wouldn't be dead."
Ema and Yukiko stood beside Vincy again.
"Too bad. Regret won't save you now," Armageddon added.
He raised his arm toward them, forming a powerful blast.
"Now... PERISH!" He shouted.
Just before the beam could hit, a blue shield formed in front of them.
"What?!" Armageddon gasped.
He turned and saw Taro standing, arm raised.
"You... you're still alive?!" Armageddon asked, pissed.
Taro remained silent. Then, he opened his tunic. On his chest, a broken {Azure Shield} was there.
"Tch... so that's how you blocked my spikes! Why didn't you help them before?!" Armageddon continued asking.
Taro looked at his friends, and said while smiling:
"Thanks for keeping him busy. Will you lend me your strength?"
"It's all yours, Abodo!" Ema responded.
"Show him who's the boss, pal!" Vincy cheered.
Armageddon stepped back, turning toward them.
"You insects planned this!" He replied.
He prepared more spikes toward them, but Taro dashed forward and stabbed him on the chest, pushing him backwards.
Taro pointed his sword toward him, and said:
"Armageddon... your tricks end here. You'll fight me now."
He looked at his friends, then continued:
"No... you'll fight all of us."
He raised his sword, and the Azure Dragon symbol appeared behind him.
"You awakened it after all... Malice wasn't lying," Armageddon replied, completely irritated.
"True," Taro said. "However, that's not everything."
He raised his hand toward the others, and declared:
"Azure Dragon, we may not be enough for this. Let's unite our strength with the others!"
Yukiko's katana, Ema's necklace, and Vincy's ring glowed brightly. Their lights flew toward Taro's blade. At this moment, the Azure Dragon, the Blazing Phoenix, the Sakura Kitsune, and the Moonlight Falcon were behind him...
...standing united against the dark king himself!