The magma man took a slow drag from the ice block cigar, the frozen surface hissing and cracking as it met the heat radiating from his molten body. He wore a necklace composed of jagged molten rocks, skulls—presumably from those he had slain—and various trinkets, souvenirs collected from far-off places. Each piece glowed with a dull red heat, telling stories of conquests and battles of the past. "So he's got us handling one final contract before we're granted our paradise. Fine by me, it won't be a problem." Surrounding him were a number of other magma entities, each with their own distinct appearances. "What do you all think of this one? I must admit... I am a big fan of bats. They're... so cute."

One of them wore a scarf that wrapped around his neck, its end fluttering in the wind, along with a pair of sleek goggles secured over his glowing magma eyes. He replied, "Whether or not they're cute doesn't matter. In fact, I'd say the only relevant aspect of that would be concern, as when one holds a level of fondness for a creature it leads to hesitation. Don't let yourself fall into that same trap, Sizzcrest."

"Heh, what the hell do you mean? Since when have I let my own emotions get in the way of things? I'll still kidnap the cutie using any force necessary. So get your fuckin' balls out of your mouth already."

"Mm.. what a vulgar analogy. I simply need to be certain we go into this with the best chances of success. No matter how insignificant the distraction may seem. While this last contract is for the sake of our entire species, I have my own personal reasons for completing it as well."

"Yeah, I get it, Scanasear. We've all been left broken by that kingdom in one way or another..." Sizzcrest trailed off, his voice heavy with the weight of shared pain, letting a moment of silence settle between them. He then shifted his gaze toward a distinctly feminine magma entity, with a graceful figure and icy earrings dangling from her ears. "How about you, Rincela? You a fan of bats?"

She glanced over. "Um... yeah! I do like them... under normal circumstances. But this one isn't the same as regular bats. Not at all. It's big as hell for one, and secondly it's a killer. Plus it's all decked out in that __outfit it wears, and is covered with scars. It sounds like more of a cool bat than a cute one."

"A cool bat, huh? Ha ha, to me it doesn't matter how many people they've killed, how big they are, or what scars they've been left with. In the end it's still a big fuzzy cutie. Even if it's a dangerous one." Sizzcrest exhaled a cool mist from his ice block cigar, his molten body casting a fiery glow on the ground around him. "Are we just going to beat the hell out of it and drag the fluffy fuck back here then?"

Scanasear adjusted his goggles, replying. "That'll depend on its strength. It's been able to defeat and kill a number of somewhat prominent individuals in several of the underwater cities it's infiltrated. So it has power. However, it never did face off against a truly powerful foe. So we can't be certain of the extent of its capabilities. The only way to find that out, will be to face it head on ourselves." He paused briefly, tugging at the edge of his scarf before continuing, "That doesn't mean though that we're going to stroll on in there, completely betting on our chances of defeating it and dragging it here with our bare hands. That'd be ridiculous. We'll have a backup method of capture to fall back on if necessary. One that can be discussed once Belfume's back."

Rincela folded her arms, her icy earrings swaying slightly as she spoke. "So exactly what we've been doing then, huh? Well I like the sound of that. Every time we've gone with it so far, it's worked after all. If we can't accomplish it by force, switch to an actual plan." She glanced around. "Uh... in any case, what's Belfume doing right now? Drinking some more ice? Damn he's been downing that shit."

Scanasear nodded, his tone calm and analytical. "Yes. His power has continued to exponentially increase since contract 90 sparked this animalistic growth. So he needs to drink even more than what he's already known for, in addition to wearing his block. Otherwise his presence alone is going to destroy everything around him."

"Oh, wow.. hm.. contract 90. That was the volcano cult we had to study, right?" Rincela tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Damn, yeah, that place was absolutely crazy."

Sizzcrest's eyes flickered with annoyance. "No doubt it was. But I don't give a shit about it anymore, they gave our buddy crazy power and that's all the matters. What matters to me right now though, is doing fucking nothing in this shitty little swamp." His fiery gaze narrowed with irritation. "Where's our supposed leader? He's been gone forever too. I'm about to go and capture that motherfuckin' bat myself."

An overwhelming aura suddenly rippled through the air, its sheer power impossible to ignore. All heads turned in unison as the source of the energy began to emerge from the distance.

A colossal magma entity gradually came into view, far larger than any of the others. His lone arm gripped a massive magma blade, its surface glowing with molten cracks as streams of lava oozed from its jagged sides, dripping like blood onto the scorched ground. Grandiose wings stretched wide from his back, their fiery glow illuminating the area with an almost celestial brilliance.

As he stepped closer, his face was gradually revealed through the swamps heat waves. A meticulously sculpted mustache and beard of glistening ice adorned his molten features, their frosty surface seemingly untouched by the intense heat radiating from his body. Atop his head sat a bold, wide-brimmed hat with intricate, frost-like patterns etched along its edges, a striking contrast to the fiery chaos surrounding him.

Upon fully arriving and coming to a halt, the massive Magma-Man stood still, his grand wings folding behind him. Without so much as a glance at the others, he spoke in a deep, commanding tone. "It's time. Let's go."