Hagin red at the old man. "I said Bannon''s not going to betray me. He was once my pupil, just like amu."


    "What? You?" The old man was in shock, but Hagin''s expression turned murderous. "You killed amu, and so you must pay for your actions!"


    "But we''re here by way of the agreement Senior Fremont made with your emperor, Ramos! You can''t hurt us!"


    "Hahaha! I''m not hurting you. ording to the agreement, you must pass through nine checkpoints to leave with the eighth dragon cauldron. This is your first checkpoint. It''s just a shame you''re never passing it! You''re going to stay here forever!"


    Haginughed loudly, and the old man said, "It seems like we''ve underestimated what the merfolk are like."


    Wilbur turned to the old man. "What do we do now, sir?"


    The old man was about to speak when the gigantic Bannon turned to Hagin furiously as well. "Hagin, I''m killing these two bastard humans today, and I''m killing you as well!"


    "What?" The smile on Hagin''s face froze as he looked up at Bannon. "You''re trying to kill me? Have you forgotten who gave you the powers you have now?"


    "It''s all your fault, Hagin! Do you know why amu and I hate you so much? You never gave us anything we wanted! You only gave us hope, and nothing actually worthwhile. Since you aren''t giving it to me, I''ll take it back from you myself. I''ll kill you first, then I''ll challenge the merfolk emperor. Once I kill him, this underwater city will be mine!"


    Hagin was red in the face with fury. "Do you know how seditious your actions are right now, you reckless bastard? We''re nothing in front of the merfolk emperor, and you know that. I''m willing to pretend nothing happened if you turn back now. This is yourst chance."


    "F*ck your chances! You''re going to die!"


    Bannon''s eyes were bloodshot as he waved the scepter, pointing it at Hagin.


    "Be careful!"


    The old man called out at the veryst second, soaring forward as he emitted a brilliant white glow.


    A white stripe of lightning struck the old man''s body. The next second, the old man''s glow turned blinding as he let out a cry of pain.


    "Arghhh!"


    "Sir!"


    Wilbur soared over to block the pole of purple light with his hands. It struck the Light Gloves he was wearing instead and was converted into the power of light that was stored in the dragon head mark on Wilbur''s back.


    Bannon roared, "I''d like to see how much longer you can keep this up! I''m going to st you to smithereens!"


    Wilbur held on for dear life as a clone flew out of him, hovering in mid-air as dragon aura gushed out and took the form of a dragon. Wilbur''s clone controlled the dragon, making it charge in Bannon''s direction.


    "What?"


    Bannon put the scepter away, turning to attack Wilbur''s clone. The purple ray of lightning reduced the clone to dust upon collision.