Two days after Ka Dingel's destruction

The Bounty Hunter made his way through the empty corridors of the Pandemonium, closely followed by the wolf-like Guardian. The place was partly in ruins, but it was the only place left for them. The old demon headquarters, known as the Photosphere, was now at the bottom of the ocean, and Boomerang had no idea about the condition of any other demon bases.

He studied his surroundings and found the place empty. He knew there had to be more demons left, but no one was here. He hadn't been so sure about coming here himself, but it had been Luceid's suggestion, and it was the best option Boomerang had right now.

Two days earlier the tower called Ka Dingel, which connected to the orbital colony named Malduke, had exploded. Boomerang wasn't sure why; he hadn't been there, but he knew the other Quarter Knights had. He had, however, seen the results. The explosion had destroyed a large area and caused a lot of chaos. That wasn't the only result, though. Boomerang smirked at the thought. He didn't know the results of the final battle, but somehow, he was sure Zeikfried had succeeded.

It was quite obvious that the humans had failed - well, perhaps not the humans, but the Guardians' power had weakened significantly. If Luceid was correct, they had lost at least a part of their powers, and if any proof was necessary, he just had to look outside. The weather conditions of Filgaia had suddenly turned very unstable and harsh. Better yet, Luceid had told him that several human towns had been destroyed or damaged due to the events after the explosion. Maybe, he wondered, maybe now was the real chance to take Filgaia. That would mean battles, and the idea suited him just fine.

Deep in thought, Boomerang turned around the corner - only to come face to face with someone he didn't recognize.

"Stop right there. Who are you?" The stranger demanded.

Boomerang took out his weapon slowly. "I do not have to tell my name to someone like you. Besides, I could ask you the same question."

He studied the man standing in front of him. The stranger had medium-length blond hair, held in a ponytail. His eyes were dark golden and fiery, ready for battle. Boomerang smirked; he liked the last notion. The demon was dressed rather simply, in dark clothes and a dark blue bandana. Two swords hung on his back, and as the bounty hunter continued to study him, he drew his weapons.

"My name doesn't matter," the stranger replied. "I am a demon and will protect Lord Zeikfried with my life. Step back and leave, or I will kill you."

"Wait," Boomerang said, raising his hands and then putting away his weapon. "A demon? I don't remember seeing you before... But, did you say Zeikfried? Is he alive?"

The stranger hesitated but kept staring at the bounty hunter, holding his swords ready. "I ask you one last time: who are you?"

"My name is Boomerang, and I am one of the Quarter Knights. Now, tell me about Lord Zeikfried."

"Boomerang? You're....?" The man glanced at Luceid, who was sitting a few feet behind the bounty hunter. He then put his swords away. "Forgive me. I didn't realize it was you, as we've never met. You want to meet Lord Zeikfried? He's in here... Follow me."

Boomerang nodded and followed the swordsman, who led him into a big room with a bed in the middle. The room was in a bad shape, but he recognized it as Zeikfried's bedroom.

"Boom...erang..."

He turned to see who had called him, and his gaze found Zeikfried lying in the bed. The demon leader appeared to have been seriously injured.

"Zeikfried?" Boomerang asked and stepped closer. "So you're alive."

"Yes..." The demon leader sat up with some difficulty. "Mother... Mother is dead. Those three Dream Chasers gave me some trouble... But after the fight in between the dimensions... after the explosion...."

"I found him in the Photosphere and brought him here." The dark-clad swordsman explained, turning to look at Boomerang. "He was badly injured, but he should recover after enough rest. If you'll excuse me now, my lord. I'll be outside the room if you need me." With that, he left.

Boomerang watched the other demon leave the room, then turned back to Zeikfried as the door closed. "What happened after that battle?"

"We won," Zeikfried said, grinning a little. "Have you seen the weather? The Guardians have gone insane. And... Those three Dream Chasers... I don't think they'll give us much trouble anymore. Filgaia will be ours now. I need some time to recover, but then..."

"What about the other Quarter Knights?"

Zeikfried lay back down. "Alhazad is dead, and Lady Harken is gone. We're the only ones left. We need two more. Hmm. Where's Zed?"

"I heard he's been staying near Saint Centaur since the Gate Generator incident," Boomerang replied. "Why?"

"He's the best choice we have right now," Zeikfried said, appearing thoughtful. "Sure, he's incompetent sometimes, but he knows how things are done. We still need one more, though. I think Zylan could be a good choice."

"Zylan?" Boomerang folded his arms and glanced at the door. "That's his name?"

"I gave him that name, so it is now," the demon leader replied. "He can't remember his name; he told me all he knows is that he woke up in the Photosphere and found me lying there. So, he thinks that he lost his memory when Photosphere crashed and had been stuck there ever since. The rest is a bit more complicated than that, but that's not important right now."

Boomerang's gaze drifted towards the wolf-guardian. Seemed that Luceid wasn't a bit interested in what they were talking about. He shrugged and turned back towards the other demon. "Then, what is important now, Zeikfried?"

"He'll make a fine Quarter Knight," Zeikfried continued. "His skill with sword is incomparable among our remaining troops. He has a few weaknesses, but those don't matter... What matters is that now is our chance! We can make Filgaia ours."

Boomerang shrugged again. To him, it didn't really matter, as long as he could fight. What Zeikfried was referring to did mean a lot of fighting though, and for that, he was more than willing to follow the demon leader's plans. "We'll take Filgaia then," he replied with a hint of a smile on his face.

The older demon sat up. "We'll be starting tomorrow. I have the plans I made before, and the humans are even weaker than before now. Tonight though... That can wait." He smiled warmly at the bounty hunter.

Boomerang smiled a little under his mask. He glanced at Luceid, who didn't make a move to leave the room. It didn't matter. It wouldn't be the first time the Guardian had been present... He walked over to the bed and started to remove his clothing.