Now That’s a Ten Out of Ten Entrance!

“I have an idea,” I said, massaging my wrists. “It’s dangerous and hella crazy, but it’s an idea.”

“Oh? What is it?” asked Dahlian, raising a brow.

Sloane also mimicked him.

Looking at the two dead in the eye, I swiftly drew my sword out of my head. “Let’s just say… it involves us flying back there.” With a light swing, I went into a defensive stance. “Do you get me now?”

Dahlian blinked at me, quiet for a moment, and widened his eyes. His blank expression gradually shifted into a wide, mischievous smile. “Ooooooohhh… Ohohoho! I know what you’re thinking, and I like it. Hahaha! Hell yeah, man! Count me in!”

Sloane tilted his head before realization hit him next. “Oh. Ohh.”

I narrowed my eyes and nodded. “Are you in, Sloane?”

The elf scratched his head. “But do you have a plan for yourself, though?”

“Oh, huh, I didn’t think of that. Uhh, I’m not sure.”

Sloane snorted and shook his head. “Then I might know a way, but that depends on whether you trust me.”

I smirked. “If you trust me, then I trust you.”

“Mm, fair enough. Alright, let’s do it.”

I nodded. “Ready when you are.”

“Hell yeah! Let’s do this!” Dahlian took a few steps back, leaned forward, and bolted toward me. With a battle cry, he leapt and dived right at my shield, and made a brilliant, glitchy shockwave, launching himself high into the air.

Sloane promptly charged next, and right before he hit my shield, he sprouted a vine from his sleeve and snatched my arm, yanking me with him as he catapulted himself next.

And so, the three of us soared high into the sky, screaming our lungs off as we shot through the clouds.

⮽⮽⮽

Fire and smoke invaded the sky, dimming the world in a darker shade of amber. The responsible individual who engulfed the world in flames remained suspended in the air, her light blue eyes sneering down at the challengers approaching her.

Wymond zoomed toward her at lightning speed, retracting his fiery axe and swinging it through the air, hurling a flaming crescent at her.

The goddess shot back a blinding, golden beam of light and cleaved the crescent in half. She extended a hand and sprouted a purple flower from her palm before crushing it with a single grip, scattering its petals through the air.

A deck of cards swooped into the fray, each one trapping a petal and delivering it back to the goddess in a comedic firework display. Florathea fanned away the confetti and squinted at the jester demon.

“It seems like you’ve learned from the war,” said the goddess.

“But of course.” Entrophys, sitting on a giant balloon, shuffled his cards. “We’re not as dumb as you’d think. We remembered those petals would poison anyone they touched. It’s a trick right up my alley, I’d say!”

“Hmph, you were always the annoying one.”

“Why, thank you! Did you know Mallie promoted me after I—gyah!”

Florathea shot out a thorn and popped the giant balloon, only to unleash more colorful, miniature versions. Entrophys flailed around while he fell before snatching a balloon and lifting himself back up.

“You’re so rude! I haven't finished talking yet!” said Entrophys.

“I believe you’ve mistaken the battlefield for a theater, clown.”

“Why not make it one?” Entrophys’s mask twisted into a laughing expression. “Don’t you know? The job of a jester is to distract people.”

Florathea widened her eyes and spun around, now face-to-face with the maw of a dragon. Sugar Plum roared and spewed a massive ball of fire, engulfing her at point-blank range.

“Boom! A direct hit!” said Silvestine, guffawing. “I’ve always wanted to see a divine being burn to a crisp… Hehehehe…”

“Stay on your guard!” the queen commanded, standing on the dragon’s mount beside her. “It’ll take much more than that to take her down.”

“Your Highness, please!” said Ashrenne, clinging tightly to her waist. “If you’re planning to fight, at least sit down while you’re on a dragon!”

“If you die because of us, Lord Malistraeus is going to kill us!” said Morienelle, gripping the queen’s gown.

“That’s your reason?!” Ashrenne asked.

“If I perish tonight, so be it! I will not sit idly by this time!” the queen hollered, raising an intricate golden staff with a glowing ruby shard at the tip. “I’ve been waiting for this day for far too long!”

“She’s totally lost it!”

Florathea blew away the smoke with a fan of her wings and dusted her arms, pretty much unscathed. She turned around and stared at the three. “Queen Verisette, you certainly have become more bold than the last time I’d seen you. I wonder… did the loss of your entire family strip away your fear? Or did it simply leave you hollow?”

“Don’t you dare speak of them!” the queen hollered with fury. “You vile, foul, detestable witch!”

Silvestine and Morienelle ducked and covered their heads when the queen waved her staff and shot a crimson laser at Florathea.

“Your Majesty, calm down!” Ashrenne yelled, shaking her shoulder. “She’s trying to provoke you!”

Still blinded by fury, the queen relentlessly cast a shower of crimson projectiles, but the goddess casually blocked them all with a simple wave of her hand. With her other hand, she fired back luminescent pellets of her own, soaring at a faster speed.

Silvestine shoved the queen aside and raised a force field. The pellets crashed and left ripples on its surface like rain on a puddle.

While the two exchanged fire, Wymond caught up and swung his axe again, carving a crescent flame massive enough to overshadow the moon.

The goddess clicked her tongue and switched her attention again, blocking the strike this time with a shield of her own, but she widened her eyes when the impact left her shield shattering in half.

The attack hit her dead on, knocking off her balance and descending closer to the ground. Wymond used this opportunity to swing his axe straight downward like a meteor strike, blazing even brighter than the sunset.

The sky rippled as a sonic wave boomed through the scene, stretching far out toward the horizon. With that, Wymond successfully sent the goddess back down to the earth with a thundering crash.

The Infernal Sentinel, still floating in the sky, drew deep breaths and practically exhaled smoke out of his lungs.

“Show off,” said Entrophys, floating beside him.

“I’ll consider that as a compliment,” said Wymond.

Sugar Plum hovered beside him with the others.

“You didn’t actually kill Lora, did you?!” Ashrenne distraughtly asked.

“No, I didn’t go all out,” said Wymond. “That amount should at most weaken her significantly.”

Ashrenne dropped her jaw in astonishment but nodded in silent respect.

Everyone slowly descended after Florathea, cautiously staring at the cloud of dust lingering on the crash site, and to their disappointment, the goddess fanned away the clouds with another flap of her wings.

“And that still wasn’t enough to take her down?!” Entrophys leaned backward and slipped off his balloon. He backflipped and landed on the ground with a soft thud.

Morienelle guided the queen back down to the ground while Silvestine summoned her staff, carved with black stone and decorated with glowing, purple crystals. She gave Sugar Plum a few head pats and caught up to the rest of the group.

“Do you think the seven of us can actually beat her?” whispered the succubus. “We only managed to win the war thanks to Lord Malistraeus, but he’s way too far to come help!”

Ashrenne frowned and stared at the city borders. “And we’ve lost three of our guys from the initial explosion… I don’t know if we’re enough.”

Morienelle glanced at what was left of the sunset, moments before nightfall completely arrived, and cursed under her breath. “We just have to wear her down before the full moon.”

“And before we get worn down too!” said Entrophys, his mask switching to a sad face. “I’m already getting tired of this!”

“That’s too damn bad.” The Doll Maker summoned her giant scissors and pointed toward the goddess. “We’ll do with just the sev…”

Before she could finish saying the number, a distant scream echoed over the horizon.

Everyone, even the goddess, turned toward the skies as three familiar individuals flailed around, flying fast toward the battle scene.

Yep, those three were us.

Dahlian swiftly hooked his arms with Sloane and me and restored our balance. Seeing the perfect opportunity, the three of us dived as one, crashing right in between the goddess and our other allies.

And this time, after the dust settled, all three of us stood tall, each striking a confident pose.

“...Wow.”

Each person on the scene repeated that one word.

Entrophys even whipped out a sign that read a perfect ten.

Morienelle smirked. “Ten. Make that the ten of us.”