One thing that Ruun managed to forget during the fight was that a blade on a chain does not have to be necessarily used only for long-range attacks. When Veloc ran at him with the short sword firmly grasped in his hand, it threw him completely off guard. The dragon was oozing bloodlust, appearing much more like a monster than a simple man.

A flurry of strikes followed. One hand punched with tremendous force, while the blade could cut so deep not even the demon's hard carapace could help him. Ruun did the best he could to block as many attacks as possible, but when Veloc began randomly tossing his blade from one hand to another, the odds once again shifted against the demon. Before, it was at least possible to focus only on the dragon's right arm and withstand the less dangerous punches, but with him swapping hands, Ruun's attention had to remain on both of them. His multiple eyes were the key. With them, he could see the attacks approaching long before they would actually hit. However, knowing that they were coming didn't always make them avoidable.

In an attempt to create an opening, the demon tried to release at least a weak wave of the same ear-piercing sound as before, however, there was simply no time to charge it up properly. The results were nothing more than irritating squeaks with no real effect other than further fueling the dragon's anger.

To make matters worse, Darmok had managed to recover in the meantime and quickly resumed his strikes against the demon. Ruun lasted not even two seconds before the dragon's fire strikes started cutting much deeper than he could tolerate. Against both of them at the same time, he simply had no chance. Out of desperation, he tried to use his newly grown muscles to jump away, but as soon as he did, Veloc was on his tail, not letting him escape. Fighting against a dragon with lightning magic was proving to be troublesome. His speed was even greater than that of the demon, and yet, Ruun eventually saw an opportunity in the endless chase. While it was true that the dragon was quick, he was also reckless and most likely lacked the high reaction speed Ruun was so proud of.

During Veloc's latest dash, Ruun turned around, determined to face the dragon head-on. He raised one of his arms and aimed it directly at the dragon's chest. As he rushed forward, the demon's magic kicked in. Veloc's blade pierced Ruun's exoskeleton and pushed forth deep into his side. The demon hissed out in pain but knew that some sacrifice was necessary to win. Enchanted by Ruun's forbidden magic, his arm sunk into Veloc's chest, claws sliding against his soul, leaving behind a deep gash.

The dragon didn't know what was happening. The feeling was unlike anything he had previously experienced. All of a sudden, his whole body got weak. Arms were so powerless that they couldn't get the blade dislodged from the demon's body. When Ruun's hand clasped over the hunter's soul, it was as if his whole body seized. Everything felt cold like he had decided to spend a night in the freezer. His eyes were staring at the wall, and yet he could not focus enough to make out even the shapes of the glowing symbols on it.

Darmok saw what was happening and wasn't quite far behind. Maybe he wasn't as quick as his friend, but every once in a while, even he could use his magic for a fast movement. Leaving behind a small explosion of flames, he propelled himself forward, blade raised and ready.

Ruun briefly glanced over at the approaching dragon and closed a few of his eyes. His jaw was clenched, ready for the agony that was to come. He saw it before. When he was trying to harm Glavas' soul, Darmok aimed for Ruun's arm, rather than his head. The demon wasn't sure why that was. They could've wanted him alive, or maybe the dragon thought that by severing the hand, the demon's magic would surely disappear. Ruun knew that was false. He wished to prove to Darmok just how much of a mistake he was about to commit.

The burning blade flew through the air, cutting off Ruun's arm without even slowing down. The demon dug his claws deep into his own palm, trying to block out the pain as the sword cut through his shell, muscles, flesh, and eventually even bone. A scream of pain eventually escaped his mouth. He could no longer hold it back. Just as he had previously thought, the blade truly did sear the wound closed. Although it added even more to his pain, at least blood loss was something he didn't have to worry about for now.

As the cries of pain escaped his lips, he raised one of his other hands forward, using it almost as an amplifier. His agony became a weapon. A wave of sound magic flew out, temporarily deafening all three combatants. Darmok raised a shield of flames to block it out, but he still got thrown back due to the magic's immense force.

Since the hand that used to grasp Veloc's soul got severed from the demon's body, the grip loosened and the yellow-scaled dragon was back to his senses. He reached for his chest and tried to pull out Ruun's arm, still stuck in his chest, but even the smallest yank caused the uncomfortable feelings of numbness and cold to return. Ruun smiled. Some stiffness in his hand would remain even for a few hours after he lost it. Maybe the dragon was saved, but with something still holding his very soul, he would have a much harder time fighting back.

This revelation naturally angered Veloc. The demon was playing dirty tricks. The immense rage caused the dragon to glow with his magic again. He saw how the demon was slouching, holding the burned stump of his arm, most likely screaming in pain. The latter, Veloc couldn't tell exactly. His ears were still ringing from the magical scream. Nevertheless, Ruun was weakened now. It was time to finish him off. With a single lightning step, he crossed the distance between them and swung the sword directly at Ruun's throat.

The demon knew what was approaching. After all, with his countless eyes and fast reflexes, he could see it coming from miles away. Ruun ducked under the blade and swiftly reached into his tunic, pulling out a trump card he'd been saving all this time. Veloc didn't hear the click of the weapon, nor the sound of gunfire. His eyes slid down and at the last moment, he managed to notice Glavas' lost firearm in the demon's hand. Then, there was only pain. Fireball flew through the room, breaking against the wall behind the dragon, splashing his blood onto the floor and leaving a gaping hole in his chest, right where Ruun's hand used to be. The demon sighed. It was over. Maybe dragon scales were tough, but a portal leading directly to one's soul would render them ineffective. Right then, Ruun was truly happy one of his allies had managed to pick up the gun and give it to him before the confrontation. Without it, who knows how the battle would turn out.

Darmok nearly dropped his blade as he saw the body of his friend hit the floor. A tiny, glowing flame rose up from it - his soul. Ruun instinctively reached out for it but stopped halfway through. There were so many things he could do with a soul. He could have turned it into a spell so powerful it would blast Darmok away without a problem. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it. The dragon went through enough. Denying him whatever afterlife awaited would simply be too cruel.

Ruun watched as the soul rose up to the sky, phasing through whatever solid matter stood in its way. He was so accustomed to seeing souls now. At the time of the beginning of his plan, the sight of one's true essence almost brought him to tears. Now, all he felt was indifference. For a moment, he wondered if he had perhaps gone too far. If all the souls he plucked from their mortal coils were slowly turning him into the kind of heartless demon that was often portrayed in literature.

Ruun's almost nostalgic staring was, however, quickly interrupted by an explosion of fire coming from the far end of the room. He slowly turned his head, ready to face Darmok and finally end the fight.

The gate guard had seemingly lost what remained of his common sense. His pupils narrowed, resembling those of a beast. His sword shore yellow from the intense heat of the magical flames, before the dragon finally tossed it aside. Darmok crouched, reaching for the ground and going on all fours. His flames wrapped around his body, completely concealing his red scales and making him seem significantly bigger. The rest of the magic ran rampant across the room, searing the walls and turning the floor around him into a complete hellscape.

"So, there it is. Dragon's rage," Ruun sighed. He looked at Glavas, who was still lying unconscious not too far away from him. "Do you even remember your friend? Will you even try to avoid him?" A response to the demon's question was only a loud roar. He sighed. "I'm such a fucking idiot." He crouched down slightly, ready for the final act of his life. "Sorry, but I made a promise. I'm afraid I can't just let you go crazy with rage. Not with the hunter in the way." His thoughts returned to what he told Glavas and what he instructed his comrades to tell Alma. Their family would still be there when all is done. It was a promise he made to the man he hated, and yet, something inside him was pushing him to keep it.

Forcing through the limits of his new body, Ruun, dashed over to Glavas. With all his strength, he picked him up and tossed him up onto the walkway one floor above. There was no way to tell if that would be enough to protect him, or if he wouldn't injure him even more with such a manoeuvre, but it was the best the demon could do. When raging Darmok saw him make a move, he shot forward like an unguided missile. The flames behind him were scorching the floor black. Ruun turned around, facing the furious dragon head-on.

"So, this is it then? I have to kill you, you know that, right? The fury of a dragon is dangerous. You would set fire to the whole hive. They don't have to die. Not for my cause, and certainly not for yours. Heh, what an idiot I am. I thought I would be executed in court. But I guess nobody chooses their death." His thoughts flew through his mind as one final breath entered and subsequently left his lungs before the impact. Ruun raised his arms and as the furious dragon collided with him, he grabbed him by the shoulders. "I'm taking you with me!" he yelled out at the last moment before the fire magic exploded, filling the entire bottom floor.

"He's late!" Miora complained and she nervously pranced across the room.

"He'll be here," Marion tried to calm her down.

"And if not? What if the hunter will come instead?"

"You need to have faith in master Ruun," their friend, still disguised as a dragon, reassured them.

It took another couple of minutes before someone began gently tapping on the stone door. The three criminals backed away, readying their weapons just in case their master would not return. As the door slid open and the demon's body fell inside, not one of them could catch their breath. There was so much blood splashing from him that it almost instantly covered the floor.

"Master Ruun!" they all shouted almost in unison and they rushed over to the demon's side.

As they rolled him over, their stomach's turned. Only one of his four arms remained, bent and crooked. All of his clothes were practically burned away, revealing a charred exoskeleton that had long lost its dark-green colour. His face was largely scarred by the flames, with half of it missing as if someone tore it off, revealing the skull beneath.

"Holy shit..." Marion could not bring himself to say anything else.

"Finch! Open the fucking portal, he needs help!" Miora shouted and practically dragged the dragon-disguised ally away so that he may create an exit.

"Master..." the dwarves whispered.

"It's... okay. You knew I was going to die one day. I... am glad... you're with me."

"We can still save you!"

"Doesn't... matter. The book. My book."

"What? What's with it?"

"Add... names to it. Darmok and... Veloc. Of Skinscale."

"What does it matter now?!"

"It does. Don't forget them. Never... forget them. Open the path. Finish... what we started. Teach the demons... about the lives... that gave them... freedom."

A wave of cold air flew through the room, soon followed by Finch's voice. "The portal is up! Let's go!"