The will to fight

As the fight with Dennis and Fenrir continues, his friends were on their way to the castle grounds after the sudden shake. As for those who are already in, they have encountered someone that could cause problems if they reached Dennis in time.

"So, you must be with him as well then. I'm sorry, but I can't let you interfere with my reunion."

A gust of wind blown Dj and Claire a little from that allowed the mysterious person to reveal himself they had a plague mask on, a book and some potion flask.

"Wait, a second... I recognize this aura... it's like the same as the shadows on the island!"

Dj and Claire were ready to fight no matter what it takes.

"So, you were the ones that took out my failed project? No matter, everything will soon come to an end because I am the Lord of Shadows!"

As black flames were being ignited in his hands. A wall broke down revealing Dennis sending Fenrir outside as he throws his sword at the lord of shadows. Unfortunately, he dogged the attack.

"Hmm... you're still behind I'll come back once you're ready but for now a gift for the sake of your troubles."

Lod cast a magic circle on Fenrir that was enhancing all his attributes.

"This is going to end bad one way or another..." Dennis had his weapon prepared.

But the atmosphere was changing as Dj made eye contact with Fenrir.

"You!" They both went on each other with a charged fist that ended up being blocked.

"Um... Dennis, do you know what's going on?" Claire asked since she was trying to figure out why they are fighting.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?"

"Short please."

Dennis took a deep breath and plunged his sword on the ground.

"So long story short, the guy that just left is the main head of the shadows that are basically nightmare while this two-legged beast fighting Dj is Fenrir, and on our past I can recall that Dj fought him before for a flower that was to cure me from a deadly fever when I was younger?" Dennis said as he had a bit of a question at the very end.

"Wait, so all that stuff that we talked about was true, that means... Dennis, show me your ring!"

"Ok?"

Dennis showed his ring to Claire as she touched it with her ring. It revealed an old photo of them with 4 other people.

"Huh, we really look younger comparing to right now..."

"Yea... except that..." Dennis and Claire remembered they actually had kids.

"Can we agree on not telling this to the others...?" Claire asked Dennis with a worried face.

"Yea... I can agree on that..."

Dennis agreed to Claire's proposal, but they had to focus on helping Dj as he got pushed to them, even the ground was marked by missing pieces.

"I... I remember everything... All the things we had to go thru... all the hardships and farewells that we did but we never separated..." Dj was trying to reach out to Dennis.

"We were like brothers since the day we meet! Alone... Lost... and Confused... we swore on that day we will reunite everyone!" Dennis grabbed Dj's hand.

"Even if one of us has to risk their life to the very end."

Dennis passed some of his power to Dj so he can properly be on match point against Fenrir. "Give em hell bro!" "You got it!" Dj body was surging with power, covering his entire body with a red glow.

The pressure of power was so strong that it was creating strong winds that could send anyone flying away if they lose their balance.

"I call upon the mother of nature! Gaia!!"

Dj's gloves formed with a silver glow as his clothing was changing to the aspect of a bicker gang with the color red.

"This will end with one hit." Dj said as was preparing his fist.

"Good luck."

Dj went at Fenrir at full speed, with his first swinging it hard for Fenrir to dodge it as each swing goes, he could dodge it with ease.

"I knew this would happen... Fenrir is more of a ns than the real deal."

Dennis grabbed his sword to send it back from where they call it from.

"We should get in this fight and help him." Claire suggested.

"That's the only problem, it involves the fight with divine laws."

The divine laws in Valhalla involve that whoever started the fight must end it or switch with a different fighter in order to continue the fight.

"If he goes down, then we can both fight Fenrir, but he can swap when ever he wants with us." Dennis said.

"Ah."

Suddenly Dj punched the floor to brake Fenrir's balance to get a perfect hit to the center.

"Take this!" Dj was able to land a punch at Fenrir, he raised his fist to claim victory till Lod showed up.

"Here's a gift for your triumphal demise!"

Lod opened a portal revealing someone coming thru. "Oh crap! Dj move!" Dennis moved Dj since he was in shock and surprised that he didn't notice that he was already been attacked.

"Guntria!"

Claire quickly called her weapon and shot at the person behind Dj. Dennis quickly called his weapon and entered in guard mode.

"So... we can properly introduce each other or am I wrong Nautic?"

Nautic revealed her face and her crimson hair that was a sign of fate.

"You messed everything up, you know? You and your friends could have gotten off easy, but as things are now, there's no turning back."

She turned around and created her own portal.

"Ill come by in a few days so behave!"

She left and closed her portal on the other side while X showed with his guns in arms.

"Hey X! Its been awhile since things like this happen..."

"Do you have any idea what could have happened if we didn't show up...? U and your friends could have been trap here forever!"

"Forever!?!" Dj and Claire overreacted.

"You do know that I'm the only one that knows the exit, right?"

"Huh?"

Dennis showed X a map of Valhalla that showed a portal to exit the realm and head back to their reality.

"Ok... ill contact F.D to lead everyone here..."

X tried to contact F.D but he dint respond.

"That's odd..."

He tried contacting Eve, Dark and Kuo, but they didn't respond.

"Is there something the wrong?" Dj asked X since he was overloading.

"No one is responding... Something bad happened."

Dennis took his glasses off and kept his eyes closed as he walked out of the castle.

"Come on, we can't let our commander go alone."

Claire giggled as she stood by Dennis side.

"Guess we have to remember our past later."

Dj shrugged as he walked along with them with his left hand on the back of his head.

"Just what in the world have they become now."

X stayed behind to concentrate for the last preparations. Meanwhile... F.D, Wulf and Neko D were on the run from danger.

"You can't catch us!"

"Neow neow!"

Wulf pulled out his tongue at the people that there being chased from. As they went in the forest to lose them, they stumbled upon a secret entrance to a temple.

"Hmm... this is definitely the place that I was looking for..."

F.D put his weapon down and touched the wall to open a secret door.

"Will this lead us to Dennis?" Wulf asked.

"Yes... in away... but will wait for him there."

As they went thru the secret path, the others were in danger as a shadow was looking for them.

"That's it! I'm bored and I want to fight!!"

Owen was eager to fight someone that his eyes glowed purple and pulled out dual pistols.

"Wait, you can't just leave!"

Kuo tried to stop Owen, but it was too late as soon as he went out from their hiding spot he attacked some shadows that recently showed up. As soon as the coast was clear, Dennis showed up along with Dj and Claire.

"Dude, what happened here?"

They noticed the pistols on Owen's hands, and they didn't bother to ask, Dwight in the other hand has his weapon out but couldn't hold it.

"Ok... I did not expect for you guys to call out your weapons so early, but that kills sometime to teach you two how to use it."

Dennis clapped two times to send back their weapons.

"Have you seen X?"

Kuo asked while Claire pointed at the castle.

"You should go there quickly before we get into a bigger problem."

Kuo nodded and took Owen and Dwight to X.

"So who else we missing?" Kuo asked to X.

"Eve, Nidializ and Heartless... this will be complicated" X said.

Dennis opened his right eye and spotted an enemy.

"We have tidal wave coming right at us!"

Dj, Claire and Dennis called out their weapons quickly to fight the wave of shadows. As Dennis did a frontal Slash, Dj followed it up with an Axe drop to make a path, Claire used Dennis as jump lift to pull a 360-nose scope to take out the remaining wave.

"All in one shot, not bad guys."

As they head forward to find the others, they noticed Eve was carrying Nidializ while Dark was carrying Heartless.

"Hey! Over here!"

Dj and Claire waved while Dennis tried calling them. As they landed, Dennis noticed that Heartless hair had a bit of red.

"Care to explain why you dye your hair with blood...?"

"Hey, im already looking like my old self, I need to be in high-quality definition."

Claire moved Dennis to see Heartless from top to bottom.

"B***h? You look like I gave you birth yesterday."

Heartless laughed since he hasn't heard those exact words in a long time.

"Language!"

Dark said as they saw Eve blocking Nidializ ears and Dark is closing Eve's ears.

"You should start heading to that building."

Dj pointed at the castle that had a blue light emerging.

"Yea, we need to hurry to were we heading, take care!" Dennis's team set off in the beach's direction.

Dj wondered what they are going to do.

"So, why we heading to the beach?"

"We are taking the secondary exit out of here, in the same process we have eternal access to this place if we beat the gatekeeper."

As they reached the beach, a path made of light that was aiming for the sun emerged. They could all see that someone was waiting in a golden armor.

"Who's going first?" Dj asked as Dennis stepped forward.

"Dude, we need to fight him at the same time since we are fighting a living legend... Icarus, the Eternal gate keeper."

As Dennis said his name, they heard a bell of serenity as it gave the water life. As Dennis put on his glasses and opened his left eye to release his power to give out a warning to Icarus to not underestimate them.

"Gaia..."

"Guntria..."

"Obliviona..."

They raised their right hand as if they are holding their weapons.

"To keep fighting without holding back... I accept your challenge, young ones!!"

Icarus pulled out his sword and aimed it at Dennis.

"Earth..."

"Wind..."

"Destruction..."

"Huh?"

Dennis used an upper slash to send an explosive wave at Icarus, but he deflected as he accepted the challenge.

"Well, then... no holding back guys."

Claire took aim and started firing at Icarus, leaving an opening for Dennis and Dj to get close enough.

"I got this!"

Dj was about to land a punch but he got blocked by Icarus sword.

"Duck!" Dj quickly ducked down for Dennis to swing his sword at Icarus but he still kept blocking it.

Dennis kept swinging his sword at Icarus to build some distance for Dj to get up as Claire was rushing in for a close combat.

"Dennis, move!!"

Dennis got out of the way for Claire to attack, she first shot at Icarus but it got blocked again but it was distraction. She got close enough to hit him with her sniper.

"That didn't hurt a bit!"

"What!?"

Icarus punched Claire, sending her back to Dennis. He quickly catches her assuring if she was alright.

"You ok?" Dennis asked.

"Yea... I can try shooting him from close range but from here should do it..."

She pulled the loader and recharged the shots.

"Hmm... hold on, let me try something."

Dennis helped Claire stand up and grabbed his sword with three fingers.

"Menace sword style... slingers..."

Dennis sling his sword at Icarus and he dodged it, but then another sword showed up.

"Catalyst."

8 more swords showed behind Dennis as he was holding the original in his left hand.

"Guys, grab a sword! There is only one way to do this and its by dual wielding!"

Dennis grabbed one of the other swords with his right hand and went on to Icarus with immense speed.

"Alright..." Dj grabbed a sword, and it fused with his fists.

"Spiked gloves? Not bad, this actually matches my clothing." Dj said.

Claire grabbed two of the swords, one turned into a combat knife and the other turned into a bayonet.

"Now that's more like it!"

Claire charged in, taking the high ground with a leading drop shot. Icarus grabbed his shield and placed it above himself to block the shot and Claire's attack.

"Dj!" Claire screamed.

Dj was building enough power to finish it with one hit, Dennis and Claire had Icarus pinned down.

"Time to end this!"

Dj's fists we're covered in raging flames. He started walking a few steps until he switched into top gear. Dennis and Claire got out of the way for Dj to land the last hit. But they felt something wrong after such a direct hit. No one could have handled such power.

"Play time is over..."

Icarus punched Dj in the face, leaving him unconscious.

"Dennis!"

"I'm on it!"

Dennis grabbed another sword to activate it for a while, sending it to the air.

"8 swords rage!"

Dennis charged at Icarus, making him block with his sword, then he grabbed one sword with his legs, leaving a good opening for another quick attack by another sword. As Dennis backed up to grab another sword, Claire was keeping Icarus occupied with a series of devastating attacks by her sniper, using it as a staff and shooting when the barrel was facing its target.

"Dennis... use my right glove..."

Dj woke up and was begging Dennis to take his glove.

"Don't worry... Ill finish this fight for your sake."

Dennis took Dj's glove.

"Thank you..."

Dj passed out to keep recovering While Dennis had everything that he needed to end this fight.

"Icarus!!"

Claire and Icarus stopped fighting. They were both in a critical condition, but Icarus still had the upper hand.

"One on one! Come on! It's the most honorable way to end this fight!"

Icarus noticed the hidden potential in Dennis's body.

"Wait... could it be that you are the chosen one from the legends...?!"

"No sane person can't enter Valhalla if they don't meet the correct conditions in this time line... but we? We broke those conditions and entered anyway so I want to finish it how it should be...."

Dennis grabbed two swords, the original on his left, and copy on his right.

"Let me tell you this pall... Never." Dennis right hand was being covered with flames.

"Ever..." His left hand was overexerting itself.

"Underestimate us!" Dennis left eye glowed as he was preparing his last attack. Icarus did not respond; he went charging at Dennis with all his remaining strength.

As the gap of power was closing, Dennis activated his last move.

"Sword blitz..."

As Icarus and Dennis crossed each other, they stood still as it covered their weapons in blood. Dennis was the first to drop his weapons and almost fall to the ground while losing his breath, while Icarus was the one to not stand up again.

"Dear lord..." Claire quickly went to Dennis's aid.

"Dennis! Speak to me! Say something!"

Dennis turned around as Claire placed his head on her lap.

"Is he still alive...? They looked at Icarus as slowly rolled to see the sky.

"I lost... you fought well kid, I can guarantee that you soon will be a great asset to the world."

Icarus stood and used something on Dj.

"Hey what do you think you're doing...?"

As Icarus moved out of the way, Dj stood up full of energy.

"Wait, what just happened...?" Dj shock his head and noticed Dennis been down and Icarus standing up.

"Why you!"

Icarus grabbed his shield and defended.

"Calm down. I admit my defeat your friend fought well even if he almost pushed himself to death."

Dennis pulled his middle finger at Icarus.

"Can you treat his wounds...?" Claire asked.

"I can, but his left hand is beyond a certain point of recovery."

Icarus tried to heal Dennis injuries but as he said, only his left hand wasn't healed completely.

"Guess... I over did it... my weapon needed a bit of my life force in order to execute that move..."

Dennis was trying to get up to recover.

"That was a foolish move, but it was a magnificent effort. You three have earned the rights to be in Valhalla."

They were all amazed, but they felt something was missing.

"Also, take in mind that once you leave this place, it will take some time to be able to return and your enemy's will come after you." Icarus said.

"By that you don't mean...?"

Meanwhile, in the Nightmare tower...

"Everything will go according to plan..."

Someone was about to activate Farion with a timer for the 11th of July.

"Well, looks who decided to show up...."

M entered his office and noticed Lod was setting a timer.

"I encountered that brat and his friends. Try buying me as much time possible till he is ready to wake up..."

"As you wish." Lod disappeared, leaving no traces behind.

"Soon I will destroy everything that this world offers..."

At X house... everyone returned safe and sound at the middle of the night. They all don't remember nothing about what happened moments ago. As for the ones that haven't returned.

"Ugh!!"

Claire kicked a trashcan to relieve some stress.

"How does the past keep coming to us?!" Claire asked.

Dj was tired from the current situation, but he was more worried about Dennis.

"Hey so what are we going to do now?" Dj asked.

"Well... we need to take care of everyone when we return, but what I'm worried is that when will it happen..."

Dennis left eye was acting up again, Claire got close to him to calm him down.

"You know, your eyes are more beautiful when they started shining." Claire bugged Dennis's side, and he got flustered.

"What am I going to do with you two lovebirds?"

Dennis turned around to auto correct him since there were a few people missing.

"Easy for you to say since I can recall you two where married as well."

Dennis pulled out one picture that they grabbed from the household. It showed Dj, Claire and Dennis alongside four kids and another woman.

"That person right there is your wife, and we have as well children that we need to find them as soon as possible or when the coast is clear."

Dennis went to get a few drinks since they were in a tourist attraction.

"I wonder who is your wife, like we found my best friend from my hometown, who else are we going to find along the way?" After Claire asked that. They heard a commotion from the direction that Dennis was heading.

They quickly went to search for Dennis and noticed a shadow appeared.

"You got to be kidding..."

Dj's body was trembling. He still hasn't recovered from the fight against Icarus. As the shadow kept causing chaos on his path, Dennis quickly showed up and punched the shadow and it vanished.

"That was for the piña colada!" Dennis screamed.

"Dennis!"

Claire and Dj went to Dennis in relief that he is fine. They noticed Dennis left arm is trembling.

"Are you ok...?" Claire asked after Dennis tried to get a hold of himself.

"Yea... just trying to get used to it..."

"Come on, let's go home."

Dj was holding Dennis closer to him so he can relax while they walk home. Claire was holding on to the right side of Dennis to make sure he doesn't get lost.