Time to be killing the dragon again.

The headless beast of sparking copper crashing into the wall as it takes flight. It continues to shatter the old ruins apart, which leads to debris falling from above. If things continue, it could bring the whole place down on your army. You doubt Elok cares either. He has more than one entrance into his laboratory, and at this point, he surely only wishes for your demise.

"Entangle Bolt," you mutter as you touch your hand to the pink fiery blade of Lauo. Then you hold the tip forwards like a fencer, and stare the beast straight into its neck hole. You notice a hum of blue start to radiate from within. Quickly, you thrust you weapon forwards, and the bolt of magic impacts with its front legs. As it does, blue tendrils pull them together.

At the same time, William sprints forwards. He leaps from the wall, and drives his blade down into the creature's back. When it attempts to land, it crashes down as its front appendages refuse to properly move. Then, however, the energy releases.

You don't move. Instead, you bring your arm in front of Peony, and face the blast head-on. Just like before, a terrifying cyan breath is unleashed, though this time it's more chaotic. Lightning surges out in all directions before a concentrated beam scorches the ground in a direct path towards your potential demise. However, your magic ring leads the charge, and as soon as the attack is so close that you feel the hair on your knuckles burn, it's suddenly sucked up in it entirety into the artifact around your finger. In a matter of moments, it's as if nothing happened.

"You might want to move," you warn only once.

William dismounts.

You peer forwards at the hunk of junk. Then, with the tip of Lauo still pointed at your foe, you unleash the energy back. It erupts into a barrage of pink flames. Your brown blows back from the **** unleashed, and when the smoke clears, there's nothing left but sizzling scraps of copper.

"Yes! That's my husband~!" Peony cheers as she wraps her arms around your back.

Mela the banshee, though piloting her puppet-like body, comes hurrying out into the battlefield. However, there's little fighting left. Your party is still combating the remaining automatons, but there aren't many remaining. She yells out, "The elevator is operational!"

You turn a glance back. "Great timing."

"We should go," says William. "Before more come. Not that we can't handle it, but we're clearly being stalled."

"Let's go already!" Bek suddenly shouts as he bolts straight through one of the copper serpents as if it wasn't even there. He continues into the chamber ahead.

You nod. "Come, everyone!" you order. "To the elevator immediately! Fall back! Fight to defend as you retreat into the chamber, and we'll all go down together. Remember that things may only become more dangerous as we proceed. Don't get cocky yet, just because we took out one of the big ones!"

Alice bumps into your side, holding her still-smoking arm cannon with her other hand. "Oops. Apologies."

You pull her in tight, just for a moment. "It's fine. Are you doing okay?"

She blushes faintly. "Y-Yes. Of course."

"Then let's finish this. Whatever we face down there, just remember who you are, all right?"

Alice nods.

Your party proceeds into the room. Somehow, against all odds, you manage to stuff yourselves into the elevator tube--Lady Sulta, Bulrak, Okawa, Bek, Vivi, Shivra, Mela, Sen-nu, Alice, Stax, Cat, Taiga, Delphi, and Peony. That's the limit, however. William's party will have to go second. You feel as if you're bring firmly embraced on every inch of your body. You can't even move. Somehow, you can still breath, but you have Lady Sulta's barely clothed chest pushed tight against your face. Thankfully Peony can retreat into your armour, and Delphi takes up no room at all, but Stax is pulled up right against your groin, and much to the displeasure of Cat, her cheek is pushed up against your own.

Lady Sulta chuckles. "Well this isn't so bad, is it?" she jests as she peers down at you with a smile.

"... Not at all," you mutter.

"I don't really mind," Stax says, her mouth's movements brushing over the front of your trousers.

Delphi watches from atop your head. "Don't talk too much down there, or you might get a mouthful."

"If somebody doesn't activate this contraption soon, I will kill everybody near me," Cat whispers angrily. "How does it work?"

"Allow me," Okawa says. You aren't even certain where she is at first, but then you realize she's sitting above, over the top of everybody's head. She taps her heel up and down against your hair. "Let us proceed."

She activates the mechanism, and suddenly you find yourselves descending back from whence you once escaped.