Shintaro expected silence to fall over the room and drown everyone in its stillness, but that was not what happened at all. With an enraged yell, Brethren jolted beneath his brother's grip, startling the unsuspecting Ozai. The Dark Lord freed his arms and wrapped his hands around Ozai's throat, then after throwing him sideways into the floor. As Ozai let out a strangled cry that indicated he was in far more pain that he looked, Brethren shot to his feet with determined eyes. 

Seeing that Brethren was heading straight for him, Shintaro grabbed Nanami and shoved her toward Moon, who immediately opened her arms and caught the staggering girl. Moon seemed to understand what Shintaro was implying, because she turned away and hurried toward a few of the large shelves, away from Shintaro and the other Darks. 

Shintaro turned back to his father and found Brethren a few feet away from him and advancing quickly. Though his chest was still burning and the wound on his side pricked him when he moved, Shintaro swayed sideways and caught his oncoming father's foot with his own. 

Brethren went sprawling forward, tucking his arms close to his torso as he dropped into a roll. Immediately after, he jumped upward again and spun toward Shintaro, rage sparking in his red eyes. "This is not your world, Shintaro!" he yelled hatefully. "It has always been mine! Darkness always wins, it always overtakes light!" 

Though it sent pain searing through his whole body, Shintaro drew up his Light Magic and threw it at his father, willing the magic to fan out and wrap around Brethren to trap him. Maybe if Brethren was momentarily held by Light Magic, Shintaro would have the chance to get rid of him. 

However, Brethren was expecting it. He skidded to a halt several feet away from Shintaro and spread his arms in an arc. Dark Magic swept over the Light, encasing it in darkness before both magics countered each other and exploded, flinging Shintaro backward. 

Shintaro landed harshly on his back and elbows, sending jarring pain up to his shoulders. The wound in his side and the warring magics in his chest screamed at him, and he held back a pained grown. Spots were dancing in his vision, but he quickly blinked them away. 

To find his father coming toward him again, but his whole body was almost flickering unnaturally. As Shintaro watched, Brethren's form shifted completely - his whole body enlarged, his arms and legs changing shape. Large, dark wings unfurled from his back, reaching almost twenty-five feet in length. His skin turned to scales, and his face changed completely from human to something horrifically beast-like. Horns grew from the back of his head, and sharp teeth lined up in his mouth. A thick tail swung behind him as he lurched forward onto all fours, his muscles rolling with the impact. A low growl filled the room, rumbling under their feet as if the building was going to collapse.  

Terror darted through Shintaro as he stared up at his father. 

Brethren had shifted into a dragon. 

The low growl grew louder as Brethren's red eyes caught again on Shintaro. He tilted his head down, the floor below his feet cracking underneath his weight. As he stared at Shintaro, he made no move aside from the lashing of his thick tail. Many Darks jumped out of the way of the large snake-like tail, blinking in awed confusion up at their leader. 

Shintaro's breath caught as he blinked up at his father, his frozen limbs prohibiting him from moving. Every instinct in his body was yelling at him to get up and move, to protect his friends, to attack The Dark Lord while his chest was exposed. 

"Darkness will always reign, Shintaro," Brethren rumbled down at him. His cold eyes lifted away from Shintaro and traveled over all his friends, who were frozen with terror like Shintaro, though Kai looked like he had suspected this from the beginning. 

When Brethren opened his mouth, his throat turning orange with the flame boiling in his chest, Shintaro thought for sure that he was going to die, that he was going to fail, that Brethren was going to rule earth for the rest of eternity, that his friends would have to suffer from his failure, that he was going to fail. 

He slammed his eyes shut and braced for the deadly claws to slice clean through him. 

But a roar split through the huge library, echoing loudly in Shintaro's brain, and it was immediately followed by a jarring thud that rattled the floor beneath everyone's feet. Quickly, Shintaro snapped his eyes back open to find Nanami in front of him, grabbing his hands urgently.

"Get up, Taro!" she cried, tugging at him exasperatedly. "Get up! You have to move!" 

Moon appeared behind Nanami with wide eyes, the most expressive face Shintaro had ever seen her wear. She scooped Nanami up with one arm and then grabbed Shintaro by the forearm and hauled him to his feet, dragging him away from the spot he'd previously been. 

And then Shintaro saw why they'd forced him to get up. 

Brethren was battling furiously against another dragon, this one smaller and leaner but just as skilled as Shintaro's father in fighting. As Shintaro watched, the smaller dragon's tail slammed into the spot where Shintaro had been lying. Then, Brethren opened his mouth and sank his fangs into the other dragon's left shoulder, earning himself a pained roar.

For a moment Shintaro panicked, thinking that somehow Kai had figured out how to shift forms as well. But as the smaller dragon writhed in Brethren's grip, Shintaro spotted a small tear in its side that wasn't bleeding, but smoking with a grey substance. 

The dragon in Brethren's grip wasn't Kai. 

The dragon fighting against The Dark Lord was Thorn. 

The Shadow Spirit that had protected Shintaro was Thorn. 

Confusion and even gratitude sailed through Shintaro's whole body as Moon abruptly let go of him, sending him careening forward to catch his balance. As soon as Moon put her down, Nanami rushed toward Shintaro and examined him like a worried little sister.

"Are you okay?" she asked urgently. "Did he hurt you?" She grabbed one arm and lifted it to peer at it. 

"I'm fine, Nanami," Shintaro replied softly after catching his breath. He didn't look down at her - he couldn't look away from Thorn, who had broken free from Brethren's teeth and was now raining hits with his tail down on Brethren's head. 

"Does having both magics hurt?" Nanami asked curiously, but her voice was still laced with concern.

This drew Shintaro's attention to her, and he looked down into her green eyes with a faint smile. "Yes," he said quietly. "It does. But I'm stronger than my magic." He gently patted her head, then realized that Moon was watching them. 

Shintaro lifted his eyes again and found the rest of his friends cowering by the wall Linda had been slammed into, all crouching around her but watching the crazy fight taking place in front of them. With each step of the dragons, the floor rumbled like it was going to give way, and Abby kept glancing down at her feet. 

Brethren let out a roar that made Shintaro smirk slightly. Thorn was perched atop of The Dark Lord's back, fitting between the two lashing wings and snapping at the back of Brethren's neck. His red eyes were full of a determined hate that Shintaro had never seen in Thorn before. 

Suddenly, the shadowy flames surrounding both dragons billowed up largely, momentarily blocking everyone's view of the fighting beasts. Another jarring thud shook the building, and then as the flames dissolved slowly, a roar so full of agony that Shintaro flinched cut through the whole library. 

When the shadowy flames had receded, Shintaro was shocked to see Thorn pinned under Brethren, writhing in pain. His wings were bent under him in awkward angles, and his forearms were swiping at Brethren's chest. His tail was lashing in pain, but Shintaro hadn't yet noticed where Brethren had hurt him. 

Then Shintaro saw that The Dark Lord had his fangs buried deep into Thorn's throat, and smoking, shadowy flames were licking at Brethren's mouth. Shintaro couldn't hold back the gasp that overtook him, and he heard Nanami draw in a breath as well. Shintaro could see Kai settled near the group of his friends, and his eyes were wide with shock. 

Thorn snapped open his mouth, the roof glowing orange with the flame that were ready to erupt; but Brethren abruptly lifted his head without letting go of Thorn. The smaller dragon was pulled upward with Brethren's head, and Thorn again roared in pain. 

The Dark Lord reared backward and threw his head sideways, opening his jaw at just the right moment and sending Thorn crashing into the nearest shelves. Brethren slammed back down onto all fours, running his tongue over his fangs and turning toward Shintaro to move forward -

But he didn't move at all. 

He remained where he was, but an enraged frown suddenly took over his features, his mouth opening to reveal bared fangs. His red eyes glinted with malice and realization, and his head turned slowly toward Shintaro's group of friends. 

And landed on Kai. 

Panic shot through Shintaro as he realized that Kai was using Dark Magic to hold Brethren back. It wasn't easy to tell, but Kai's furrowed eyebrows and set jaw indicated that he was straining to keep Brethren in one place. 

"Kai, what are you doing?!" Shintaro yelled over at him, his breaths becoming erratic with fear for his friend. As soon as Brethren broke free, Kai's actions would not go unnoticed. Brethren enjoyed playing with this group for as long as he could - which meant he would draw it out as long as he wanted before he got rid of Shintaro. 

Kai's brown eyes landed on him, and they held the clear message, What does it look like I'm doing? 

Before Shintaro could use Brethren's captivity to his advantage, The Dark Lord broke free of Kai's hold. Shintaro couldn't hold back his scream of rage and worry and desperation as Brethren charged toward Kai with an infuriated roar. 

Shintaro's body would not allow him to move as Brethren raised one forearm to swipe his dangerous claws at Kai, who was frozen beneath The Dark Lord with wide eyes. 

Shintaro couldn't breathe as Brethren swiftly lowered his claws.

Shintaro couldn't think as the sharp edges sailed toward Kai's chest. 

Kai screamed and then -

Brethren's claws just missed him as The Dark Lord suddenly careened to the side with a rumbling roar. He staggered a few steps and his wings crashed to the floor at his sides, then the dragon was gone. 

In his place, Brethren was crouched forward onto the floor, assuming a human body again with both arms wrapped around his stomach. His dark hair shielded his face as he inhaled sharply and shallowly, slowly easing himself to his knees. 

Shintaro didn't even look to see what had happened. He marched toward his father, readying his Light Magic - he had no use of the Darkness in him. He slammed to a halt in front of Brethren and found that he was burning with 

every

ounce 

of the rage that he'd felt as a kid. 

Without thinking, Shintaro grabbed his father's head and slammed his knee into Brethren's jaw, forcing a satisfying cry from Brethren. As he let go of his father's head, his instincts, his rights were telling him to torture Brethren, just as The Dark Lord had done to him for most of his life. 

But...

"I'm not like you," Shintaro spat, letting his arms drop back to his sides. "I'm nothing like you, Brethren. That is the only reason I am showing you mercy." 

He would have loved to hit his father until Brethren begged for him to stop, but Shintaro vowed that he would never, ever be like his father. He would never torture anyone - even guilty people - as his father had done. Never, not even to Brethren. 

Shintaro couldn't stop the nervousness and anxiety that piled up in his stomach as he gathered every bit of Light Magic he had left in him. 

This was probably the most dangerous thing Shintaro had ever done.

Since he didn't have the gem to use, there was a good chance that this would kill him. 

But it would free the world from Brethren.

"WHAT?!" Linda's voice suddenly screeched from behind him, and he heard his friends quickly urge to her get back down. But of course, she didn't listen to them, because in mere moments, she was in front of Shintaro with the most panicked expression Shintaro had ever seen her wear. 

Shintaro realized that his head must have been unguarded in his panic and anger, meaning she must have heard his thoughts.

"No, Shintaro, you can't do that," Linda said hurriedly, shaking her head. Her good eye was full of panic, and she didn't look the slightest bit angry with him. She normally would have been angry, but now she looked more desperate and panicked than furious. 

"I won't let you do that," she stammered, shaking her head over and over again. Tears suddenly brimmed in her blue eye, and she grabbed his hands tightly. "You can't do that, Shintaro. Please." 

Shintaro sighed slowly, feeling his anger leave him. He couldn't be angry at her because she was trying to protect him. He couldn't be angry at her for not wanting to lose him. 

"What else is there to do?" Shintaro asked softly, squeezing her hands gently. He shook his head once, taking a deep breath and peering into her blue eye. "I have to, Linda. I only know of this way to get rid of him. I'm sorry." 

"No," Linda said harshly, but her voice was shaking. "You can't. You can't, you can't. Please don't." Her shoulders trembled and she dropped her gaze away from him, shaking her head once more. 

"Linda," Shintaro whispered. "This is my choice." 

And then without thinking, Shintaro leaned down, closed his eyes, and kissed her. 

Because his eyes were closed, he couldn't see her reaction; but after a few moments, Linda melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, probably afraid to let go. Shintaro gently cupped her cheeks, careful not to touch the wound over her eye. 

Although he never wanted the moment to end, Shintaro knew he had a duty to fulfill. He gently pulled away and breathed deeply through his nose, opening his eyes but not letting go of Linda's face.

She was looking up at him, her blue eye swimming with tears and her body trembling. But she wasn't arguing with him anymore, and she didn't look like she was going to. She slowly unwound her arms from his neck and let them drop at her sides, a single tear running down her cheek. 

Shintaro slowly stepped around her and faced his father, once more gathering every bit of his Light Magic. As he gazed down at Brethren, who stared defiantly right back, he felt his chest swirl with magic and took a deep breath. 

And then his hand was grabbed, and he turned his head to find Linda clutching his hand. She wasn't looking at him - she was facing Brethren as well, her face drawn in a determined frown. And then Gabriel was there, on Linda's other side, taking her hand as well. Shintaro's other hand was clutched tightly by small fingers, and he found Nanami holding his hand as well. Suddenly, everyone but Thorn was there - even Moon. Everyone's hands were linked as they surrounded Brethren, and Shintaro felt his breathing hitch. Kai was opposite Shintaro as the formed a circle around The Dark Lord, but Kai wasn't looking down at Brethren. He was looking straight at Shintaro, his gaze terrified and sad but accepting. 

Shintaro didn't hold back his smile.

He couldn't. 

Taking another deep breath, Shintaro lowered his gaze back to Brethren. His father's arms had fallen to his sides, revealing a gash that was dark with shadowy blood. Shintaro could feel the Light Magic radiating off of it and knew immediately that Nanami had done the damage to protect Kai. 

But he didn't focus on that. Slowly, Shintaro surrounded himself in Light Magic, ready to thrust it at his father - ready to encase Darkness itself in Light Magic, ready to open the Abyss and use the Light Magic to shove Brethren back in. 

Ready to free the world of his wretched father. 

With all his strength, Shintaro shoved the Light Magic at his father -

And Nanami did the same. 

~

I'm really sorry this hasn't been updated in a long time.

I found out that my sister is my writing support...

Because she was gone all week last week, and that was the week I struggled with this book.

And then when she got back, this idea popped into my head. 

So yeah, my sis helps me a lot XD. 

Well, thank you for reading!!

What's going to happen?!??!??!?!?!?

Because this IS NOT!

IS NOT the end of the book!!

Keep reading to find ouuuuuuuut-

P3ac3!!!~~~~