Chapter 35: "Hold Nothing Back!"

Orko instantly righted himself and flew, trying to aid the others. He caught up with Zentarou first, and grabbed his shirt collar. Zentarou squirmed a hand into his crystal pouch, and called,

"Fleogen!" He instantly began to fly, but the other two were too far away from him to reach with his magic.

Dregan dug for crystals, bringing his staff around to point at Vivi. The mercury in the sphere swirled, becoming streaked with purple.

"Spirit Wings!" A pair of wings of white light appeared on Vivi's back. They flickered as the spell neared completion, then the light ‘shattered,’ revealing black-feathered wings. Even as Vivi gasped in surprise, they began to beat at the air. A little kick from the black mage flipped him upright, and the wings lifted him, obeying his mental direction.

Now Dregan directed the spell at himself. He held the staff close, casting as fast as he could. The ground was coming up fast, but the elf, falling on his back, couldn't see, didn't care. The white wings appeared, and flickered, struggling into reality. The other three Bretheren watched, tense, willing the spells to effect. At the last second, the light shattered, revealing amethyst dragon wings which began to beat furiously. Dregan somersaulted, but was too close to the ground. The wings were unable to do more than lessen his speed as he crashed into the ground and tumbled violently.

"Dregan!" Zentarou cried, them yelped as an arrow nearly pierced his leg. The archers below were firing at the airborne mages!

"Yikes!"

"Trolly-molly!" Natar was unable to help them, locked in combat with the demon dragon-beast. They were clawing and biting each other furiously, breath weapons exploding here inched from their target. Pieces of scaled hide and blood rained upon the armies below. And still the arrows flew.

"Take out the archers!" Zentarou shouted, aiming his spells in the general direction of the pockets of archers. Orko immediately fired off his spells to follow the cat's, but Vivi hesitated, watching Dregan. The elf had come to a stop near his friends, and he could just make out a dark-haired woman, Garnet, using her own powers to cure him. Slowly Dregan pulled himself to his kneed, waving away the staff and it's magic, and stood, drawing his sword. He looked up, saw Vivi watching him, and waved him to continue on fighting before allying with Vivi's friends on the ground, using sword and staff in fluid concert. Vivi turned his attention to the demons. There were so many, they seemed to just keep coming, without end.

Why? he thought. Why are these demons after us? What did we do? He looked at the defenders, swiftly becoming outnumbered. My friends, my sons. These demons won't stop until they've destroyed everything. They just won't stop! A feeling of desperation was beginning to arise... desperation tinged with fury. Even as he casted his spells, using the more powerful ones sparingly, he realized it wasn't going to be enough.

Not enough...

Natar was fighting for his life, arrows were arcing up at the three mages, only to miss and fall like the deadliest of hail upon friend and foe alike. No matter how many they killed, more took their place.

It wasn't going to be enough...

NO!

Vivi couldn't be sure later if he shouted his denial aloud, or not, but it didn't really matter - as he Tranced. His clothes changed to their gold and purple colors, his hat unbent. The black-feathered wings became shot through with purple and gold, shimmering with power.

"Brothers!" he shouted. "Hold nothing back! Use every power, every spell, every ability you have!" He looked at the dragon in the air. "Natar! Fight with everything you've got! Do whatever it takes to win!" Natar roared in response; freed to do as he pleased, he renewed his efforts. "Dregan! Call upon Tavanness!" Dregan backed up behind Vivi's friends, and fell into the prayer-like spell, the gold flames licking his form. "Zentarou! Orko! Show your true power. Keep nothing in reserve!" They nodded, Orko casting a powerful spell that made a dark swirl appear at the tip of his wand, and Zentarou beginning the rose petal spell. Vivi turned his power on the army furiously, his rage fueled by the thoughts of what would become of his family and friends should they fail.

"Tavanness, I invoke your power!"

"Darkness from the Bottomless Hole, engulf them!"

"This is for my mother!"

"I won't let you hurt my family! DOOMSDAY!"

The magic of the four mages, each simultaneously casting their most powerful attacks, arced into the air and swirled together. The mages, even Vivi, blinked in surprise.

Something new was happening!

The magic whirled together, fueled by the mages' power. Rather than go off as usual, it melded into a single force of gold flames, dark smoke, rose petals, and purple-red lightening. It grew and churned, pulling more magic from the mages, taking all they had to offer and more.

Then it exploded in a flash of bright white light, which swamped over the entire battlefield and the air above. Everyone shielded their eyes, unable to see. None were spared from its touch.

When it faded, not a single demon remained.