Smoked rolled off into the high sky, the mushroom cloud plume of smoke and fire now faded. Rows and rows of trees lay scattered, scorched black and in piles both atop the cliff and at the bottom. Below, where mine and warehouse had stood, there now was a massive crater going a multitude of meters below the surface. Plenty of smoke still rolled clear off and out of the crater left behind by the blast.

Bodies lay visible, some atop and some buried. Among those on the edge of the crater were the likes of Domino Squadron and soldiers kept round them. Plenty of dead lay around however, strung about and half emerged from the entire ordeal. Not far ahead though a fair pace down, Holly and Wesley both stood with a barrier of light gradually in fade around them both.

Both looked down and then around, Holly stepping out from Wesley first. Wesley himself looked left to right, then turned and looked up, seeing Tony stationary.

“What in the hell is this…” Wesley murmured.

“Krrrz- can you hear me?” came the voice of Jarrajod over com.

“Yeah, I read you. What the hell just happened Jarrajod?” Wesley growled.

“An explosion from underground is the best we can tell of. We are not sure of the cause but considering the size of the blast, it would be suffice to guess that a pocket of methane was detonated from below the ground. There’s no trace of the enemy left whatsoever.”

“Well that isn’t exactly true… look down there,” Holly called, pointing out the center of the crater.

Far below in the center, a bubble of darkness had begun to erode, revealing three occupants within. Holly’s gaze narrowed fiercely as she scanned the area.

At the epicenter, Leon stood now back in his base state with little battle damage signs. Around him stood Chromwell and Xander, Xander to the front. Sparkling glitter-like substance blew from Xander, drifting around the two.

“Heh. Good work, Xander,” Leon called, the seal left on him by Vulper now gone.

“Of course boss, that was troublesome,” Xander replied, his single eye looking from his master to up above, “Looks like that cleared the entire place out.”

“Leave it to the girl to come up with something so unique, and then leave it to Vulper to coordinate that with her,” Chromwell replied.

“Admittedly that would’ve been enough to destroy this body, and that would’ve hurt like hell. Quite intriguing I must say.”

“In what regard?”

“Vulper being a Pure Blood and capable of such power. And then that girl being able to turn all of that fire into energy, and to then compress it into a bomb. No- it wasn’t just that now was it. That Star Blade of hers, she managed to manifest it.”

“Rather ridiculous. You have the power to annihilate armies yet one little girl and some washed up warrior were enough to nearly kill you,” Xander chuckled.

“Hold your tongue Xander,” Chromwell replied, “The odds are that even our best warrior would have been dealt a fatal blow by all of that.”

“Ah please,” Leon chuckled, “You both underestimate Cortez’s abilities far too much if you think something like that would’ve stopped him. Now the whole mine detonating like it did, that could certainly do some damage.”

“Well forgive me boss but it looked like you were in some shit there had that actually hit you,” Xander replied.

“As I said, it would have been enough to destroy this body and it would’ve hurt like hell. But as it so happens, that didn’t happen because you chose to step in. Rest assured, I had my means of dealing with that, heh heh.”

“Leave it to you to have a backup plan. Alright now if we’re done with that, shall we be on our way before more of those assholes come down here and-”

“-Hold it,” Chromwell murmured.

“What?” Leon growled.

“Look to your left, up there.”

Leon and Xander both cast their gaze ahead, both growing shock eyed. Laying on the ground was Elise, her sword right beside her, while a distance away leaning against a wall was none other than Vulper completely intact.

“How are they even alive, let alone unharmed?!” Xander choked.

“This whole situation is strange,” Chromwell murmured.

Leon glanced over, looking at his side, “How do you mean?”

“There are too many variables that simply do not add up. Vulper, even as a Pure Drachen, should not be so capable. Then for her Star Blade to manifest and to help her form that blast, when she certainly shouldn’t be that far along with training. And finally, both of them still being alive with no clear signs as to how or why. Doesn’t that just seem odd?”

“I quite agree,” Leon replied, “At any rate, we should-”

Air exploded where Vulper had been position and forth he shot at Leon again. Another wave of air soon followed as hand and fist connected yet again. Leon had turned full on towards Vulper, runes and symbols having spread across his body once more. A scowl was returned by the Drachen Warrior who now looked down upon the Dark Warrior.

“KRAAAA!”

A blast of fire flew point blank straight into Leon while his two guards immediately launched to either the left or right in evasion. Xander skidded way, looking back on Vulper, “How is he even still moving!?”