Unlucky Encounter

…

"Dantalion… you say?" Scias spouted his surprise.

"Yeah… he's one of the five demon generals. An archdemon, ruler of the dark zone, the third strongest demon general…" Nina explained.

"Correcto! I'm quite glad you'd still put an effort to remember mine name."

"Why are you here?" Nina asked fiercely. "My, my, don't get too touchy just yet. I have no intention of exterminating you… yet. Mwahahahahahahaha!" the demon burst into laughter.

"It's quite coincidental that we could meet one's eyes after… how long was it, hm? Over a year, that's right."

"Don't start bluffing, you freak!" Aily draws her scepter. "Oh? You've grown a bit stronger, aren't you? The last time I saw you, you were nothing but a small fry. But still, you can't get your habit of holding your staff steadily, eh?" Dantalion smirked as he spoke. He applauded her achievement for getting stronger.

"Shut up! A dangerous demon like you mustn't live freely,"

"Hmph, still ferocious as usual, eh, well, I don't care about your babbling because I have no matter to take with you humans."

"Then answer us! Why are you here?"

"As you command, fufufu~" said Dantalion bowing down to Nina. The demon explains why he came here, "You see, I initially wanted to pick up my partner, whose had wreak havoc in the human kingdom to create a nest. But unfortunately, the humans managed to slay him. It was no longer in my favor to stay here after that."

"The demon that wreaked havoc in the human kingdom, he's talking about Mothrui, huh?" Scias thought in his mind.

"Sadly, however, I am most unlucky. Two dragons appeared before me and sealed my exit. Now I'm stuck here in this forest. That's all I can say," Dantalion shrugged as it ends its long explanation.

Nina feels that his explanation was rather made up. "Two dragons? Heh, funny story, demon fool, you thought we'll believe that easily—

"—This field of warm and aqueous mist… is also caused by one of them," Dantalion cut Nina's words while smirking.

The three of them were shocked when hearing that. "It is not in my matter that you humans would like to believe mine story or not. I only share what I can. Besides, I'm a generous demon, fufufu~" Dantalion flaps its large bat wings and flies onto a slab of rock in an instant, staring at the three in a suspicious manner.

"S-Sister, let's not believe him. He's a hazy unsure weirdo."

"Can't agree more… I can't believe we have to face him in this dire time."

Scias suddenly announces a shocking declaration, "I believe that demon."

"HAH? S-Scias, what are you talking about? You believe that sicko?" Aily questioned his sanity for believing a demon, a creature that only consists of all sorts of negativity. "I'm serious, Aily." Scias replied, this time he soars seriously.

"Hohoh, so you believe me? Gyahahaha! Not bad, human, a wise choice to believe me. That is if you want to survive, mwahahahaha!" Dantalion mocks from the distance.

"What on earth has gotten into you? How could you believe a demon?" Aily asked again and again. "Aily, please." Nina stopped her rambling. "But sister…"

"I don't think that demon is lying. Besides, have you two forgotten that the m-mist around here thinned and cooled out?" Scias reasoned with his logic. "That demon isn't lying. What's more important is that what about Marco and Sean? They went to the other direction!" Scias added seriously.

Dantalion claps its hands oddly. It claps harder and harder, getting the attention of the three humans in front of it. "Gahaa-hahahaha! Without any doubt, of course! The path your friends treading is absolutely leading to those two dragons. You humans better get to them, kee-hee-hee." The demon said. "Or else, they'll die. The dragon race, what are they called, erm…? Ah! Dragonians, yes, they are most dangerous. The proof? Well I am the proof! I cannot beat them to shreds, they're stronger than me. That's why I'm stuck here. If your friends go there and fight them, well… …they will surely get decimated… and die!"

Scias and the twin sisters tremble in concern for their friends who has gone to the opposite direction. However, Scias realized that the demon might be fooling them, because Sean had informed that there are 'two' big source of mana energy. If there's a dragon and a demon, then it's possible. But if there's more than those two, that might be a lie. Nina persuades Scias to go back and catch up with them, but he knew something was off and the sisters didn't realize it.

What should he do? He thought to himself silently. Should he go back and aid their friends or stay and keep an eye out for the demon's activity? Mothrui, the entomancer has caused a lot of trouble and killed possibly hundreds and even more. Scias knew if he let this demon escape, it might kill more people in this merged world.

"Nina, Aily." Scias called the two. He made a decision in that very second, "Trust them. Trust Marco and Sean, if they face one, they will win."

"Are you serious, Scias?" Nina bellowed. "You said you believe that demon! Why not go?" Aily asked.

"Get the idea, you two. Remember what Sean told us, there were only TWO sources of mana energy, not THREE. If we go now, we'll lose sight of that demon. Trust those two," Scias reasoned.

The twins finally understand. It's just a matter of seconds they change their mind, "Y-You're right, Scias… what's wrong with me?" said Aily. "I'm sorry, Scias. I… I can't think straight back there." Nina apologized.

Dantalion appeared to be irritated by the humans in front of it. It is true, that the demon is up to something. "You humans are the worst… leaving your friends behind like that? Heh, if you don't want to save them, then I'll devour them myself, eh-kee-hehehe!"

"No. We'll devour you first." Scias declared hostility while drawing his blade out followed by Nina and Aily preparing to fight.

"We will not let you!"

"We will defeat you!"

Dantalion claps its hands ferociously, which now sounds like a terrific drum banging. It laughs enormously and felt that the humans are underestimating a demon lord. "As you wish, I'll devour you first hand! And then I'll turn you into my 'dolls' to destroy that dragon which caused all this troublesome mist!"

…

…

Meanwhile, Marco and Sean in the far distance have reached what it seems to be the center of the mist. The area is getting too hot for them to walk further in. The mist is incredibly visible, even in the dark night. Their vision could not even see the nearest tree due to the thickness of the mist.

"Uhuk! Geez, these mists are getting out of hand, man…" said Marco while sweating intensely. Sean is no different to him. "We should've brought one of those sisters. They're wind elementalists, right?"

"Yeah, that's true, but… they cannot be separated. No matter what the circumstances, they must stay together, or else the young one will scream crazily."

"Good god, are they magnets?" said Sean. "Having wind elementalist will be a good thing if we want to deal with these hot air. Since they're not with us, I suppose I should… do this!" Sean clenched his fists and crushed the ground. The impact broke the soil, followed by many lights of holy energy flashing all the way forth in front of them. Seconds later, the flashing lights exploded outwards and caused a big shine, revealing a silhouette in the distance of what should be the creature that excretes all of those mist in the forest.

A loud deafening sound shocked the two. The silhouette that they saw took the shape of a winged big dragon.

*GRRROOAAARRR*

Now it stands up and opens its eyes, which glimmers in the color of bright green. Sean's interruption with his holy magic caused the mists in the region to slowly fade.

"The mist… it's disappearing!" said Marco in surprise. "Could it be? That dragon is the one that caused all of this mist?" he added.

"Yeah, I can't believe it… without any doubt, that dragon must be the one that caused all of this mist!" Sean stated for sure.

The dragon gazes to the two humans in front of it, unveiling its dissatisfactory of getting disturbed by them. The dragon's gaze was not simply staring just like that. It has the capability to intimidate and scare off anyone that has the weak of heart and determination. But the two didn't run away, even when the dragon's closing in on them. Marco might be trembling, but his remembrance of his past with dragons soon climbed into his mind and made up stood still. Sean was far experienced in fighting powerful monsters, until the dragon's gaze couldn't change his resolve.

Soon… the dragon speaks.

"Thou humans dare to disturb mine demesne of cloud veil?" the dragon said menacingly. "Thy humans hadst no manner of actions to disrupt me… in addition zat zee used holy elements against me, vat is it zat ye intent?"

Marco and Sean could hardly decipher what the dragon was trying to say. The dragon speaks again, "Dost zee not understand mine words?" the dragon then lets out a long breath.

Marco then gathers his bravery to speak to the dragon, "A-Are you the one who caused all of this mist?" he said slightly trembling. The dragon lowers its head close to Marco and Sean. "If zat's ze truth, zen vhat are zee going to do?" the dragon asked as if it was threatening him.

"Then we want y-you to stop the mist!" said Marco.

"What didst you say?" said the dragon disbelieving. "Ze mist I hath spread so far, now zee wants me to put it to rest, ja?" the dragon spoke even less understandable. "Whatever you're up to, I only want this mist to be gone." Marco stated clearly.

"Huh! Presumptuous humans! Dost zee truly think I shalt decimate what I hath created?"

Marco tries to hold his anger from within. He realizes he wants to scream inside and behead the dragon, but in the same time he also realizes that he might be nowhere near the dragon's power level.

"Thou art—

"Don't make a fuss, you silly dragon. Our friends cannot proceed because of you." Sean thwarted the dragon's arrogant speech. "Set this mist away and we're off. Don't force us to play it hard, you winged lizard."

The dragon groans. Sean successfully made the dragon indignant. "Thou dare'th to speakest like zat. Very well, zen. I shalt unleash the mist as you have ordered." The dragon then widely opens its mouth.

*Zuwoooooooooooooooooooooooooshhhhh!*

The hot mist around them suddenly gets sucked into the dragon's mouth intensely. Sean suddenly felt a thump in his heart, he remembered something from this situation, where smokes and fogs getting absorbed years ago.

Sean's eyes shuddered, now he realizes the dragon in front of him. Although shrouded by the mist and the dark theme of the night, Sean can still remember it well.

He then points his finger to the dragon and hoarsely speaks.

"Y-You're… you're the dragon that absorbed the smoke from Starlynx Kingdom… aren't you…?!"

The dragon halts its absorbing to answer the young human's question, "That's correct! I am exactly zat very being!

I am Zeugen, the Steam Dragon!"