Crumbling Castle

Lisa stood on the roof on all fours; acidic breeze beneath her. "I got it." she whispered.

"A plan?" the shadow asked. Lisa nodded.

"It's half baked though." she said sighing.

"Tell me it anyway." the shadow replied.

I have to force her to use that crossbow. I think she forms into human form while using it." Lisa said.

"Ahh...she can only use it then; I observed this as well. So if we manage to force her into her bas form then we can take her out. I'll immobilize her at that moment and then you deal the blow." the shadow remarked. Lisa nodded.

"Let's do this." she said as she threw herself down as the room became cleared of the acidic substance.

Lisa was landing and Melly began spitting balls of acid at her. Lisa flipped around them all and when she was about to punch Melly a large hand stretched back and pulled her from the back woman to then slingshot her back. Lisa phased away as Melly spat an area of acid and Lisa then slid behind the woman and spat a gust of wind which pelted Melly away. She splattered onto the wall and slithered up onto another bridge where she reformed. She melted the bridge onto Lisa who dove off the one she was. Melly spat acid at Lisa who blew it away with ease to then grin. Melly frowned and turned human while summoning the crossbow.

"You brat!" she yelled. The shadows in the room suddenly wrapped around her.

"Shadow Bind!" Sid's shadow hissed as it emerged from the roof and landed on Lisa's back.

"W-what is this?" Melly stammered. Lisa summoned her bow and aimed an arrow.

"The end." she whispered.

Lana sat down; the shadow on her back. "So it's kinda easy to get out of this illusion because it's two of us buttttt...."the shadow said.

"We immediately get pulled back in if we do. It's annoying." Lana added.

"Exactly. For some reason though I doubt that Eithan we were seeing is even the real one." the shadow stated.

"So where's the original?" Lana asked.

"He has to be somewhere close enough; pouring elemental energy into that fake him to make any type of decent farce." the shadow explained. Lana held her face.

"So this is an illusion being casted by someone being manipulated in another illusion." she remarked; holding her chin.

"So any ideas on how to get to the real him?" the shadow queried. Lana nodded and the two woke up in the hallway. Lana fell to the ground and Eithan eyed her. The ground shook.

"Huh?" he asked. Water rose all around Lana and she rose slowly. A feeble man suddenly got washed up from the walls and Lana eyed him.

"Bingo." Lana whispered.

Ane paced at Alice and flashed to the roof. He entered Dragon Hunt and smirked before coming down; elemental energy surging from him. "Dragon Ground Pound!" he yelled. Alice pelted his sword through a wall and teleported to it. Ane smashed open the floor with his attack and smoke poured from his mouth. The building shook and Boom's body crashed into it. Ane phased out of the way and landed next to Lana, Lisa and Sid; all of them eying the broken down building. 

"Boom is useless without his mace." Sid remarked; pelting the weapon away as Boom began shrinking.

"That Melly needs to become vulnerable to use her elemental weapon." Lisa added.

"My opponent is feeble in close range." Lana stated.

"Mines still here." Ane said; eying Alice who appeared atop the rubble; sighing. He eyed the team.

"He just be strong then." Lana said; frowning.

"My my...the entire castle wen down!" Alice yelled; whistling.

"That's too bad huh." Ane said dryly as he summoned his blades.

"So far...all I know is that he transports himself to his sword instantaneously and he can manipulate his blood into weapons." the shadow explained as it's many shards formed into one and wrapped around Ane as a chestplate.

"I'll handle him." Ane said; shoving his hands in his pockets and hopping down.

"What about us?" Lisa asked.

"Sit tight!" Ane called back and he landed calmly and eyed Alice who smiled.

Ane and Alice charged at another and Alice slashed forward with his sword which Ane ducked to then jump aside to avoid a kick. Ane jumped up and fired a kick at Alice who dodged. Ane turned and slashed and Alice shielded himself with his blade which Ane then kicked in the air and came forward; slashing with both his swords. Alice vanished to his sword in midair and Ane pelted a clone at him which got sliced away easily. Ane sent one dragon claw which Alice casually hit away and Ane then dashed up with his other dragon claw faced forward. Alice sent his sword at Ane's and teleported to the handle as soon as the blade's clashed; sending And flying into the ground. Alice came down slicing but Ane stood all across the rubble already. "How about we get serious...shadow!?" Ane growled; grinning and panting.

"Oh? So we're going all out?" Alice inquired; biting his lip. The shadow's armor stretched across Ane's body and Alice sliced at his; blood forming inscriptions. His eyes went full red and elemental energy surged from him.

"Do you think exposing Ane to so much dark energy will expose him?" Lana inquired.

"Let's hope not." Sid replied; biting his nails.

Ane activated his dragon mode which infused with the armor and he then smirked; mist pouring from his mouth as he charged at Alice whose arms formed gauntlets of blood. Alice punched at Ane who held the blows; the force shaking the entire ground for miles. Mountains cracked and lava spat from the ground. "So...amazing." Sid thought; gulping. Ane and Alice fired a barrage of punches at each other; causing elemental energy and air to blast across the area. The two jumped back and launched back at one another in midair. Ane fired a kick to Alice's stomach as Alice punched him in the face. The two launched away; far from each other and the debris of the castle.

"Such brute force." Lana remarked. Ane slowly walked from his end with a daunting grin; armor reforming around him. His large "Dragon Blade" formed in his hand and he dragged it behind him. Alice stumbled from his end with an armor of hardened blood and large axes of blood being carried by hands of said blood which stuck from his armor. He licked his sword and pelted it at Ane who ducked and launched at Alice who then phased to where his sword was to see Ane above him; sword raised.

"Counter!" Ane yelled as he sliced at Alice. The weapons and armor vanished around Alice and blood pressure gushed from his mouth as his eyes dilated. Ane fired a punch to Alice's stomach and palmed the demon to the face. Ane then kicked Alice away and let out some most from his jaw as an insane smirk became visible as the shadow retracted from him. Ane fell to one knee and held his face; groaning softly.

"You okay!?" Lana yelled as she and the others flew to Ane.

"Somewhat." he replied. Slow clapping echoed though the debris and the teens turned to see Lance coming down on a pillar of magma with Ene besides him; hands folded. Ene had a black t-shirt, black jeans, gold chains, black gloves and a dark cloak with purple insides which covered his attire as he and his father landed. Ene eyed the teens.

"E-Ene." Ane said stepping forward. Fire blasted at him and he barely dodged in time. "Watch it Ene! It's me!" Ane yelled. Lance laughed.

"It's you? Do you think such trivial things such as 'bonds' matter to a demon king? Ruling the underworld and maintaining balance is all that matters." he hissed with a grim and a shrug. Ane looked pissed.

"This is YOUR doing!" he yelled. Lance rose an eyebrow.

"Is that a fact?" he taunted; chuckling. Ane's dragon aura spat from him as he looked deadly; dragon eyes glowing with malicious intent.

"I'll kill you." he growled.