Three weeks had passed since the harrowing vampire incident, yet the scars it left on Paulo's soul remained fresh.
He wandered through the vast expanse of the universe now finally figured out to be the Terra Universe, drifting near the cosmic base that once felt like home.
His steps were heavy, his heart burdened by grief.
The memory of Yuki's sacrifice haunted him relentlessly, and the loss of others during their perilous journey carved deep hollows into his spirit.
A gnawing sense of dread clung to Paulo, an intuition that death was drawing near once again.
He knew he could not afford to wait. Something was coming, and he had to act before it was too late.
***
Back at the base, Riku then strolled alongside Maki through the metallic corridors, their conversation light but tinged with tension.
"I wonder how the rankings have shifted now that Tetsuya's power has waned," Riku mused, glancing at the data panel on the wall.
Maki scoffed, arms crossed. "We do not have access to the rankings, you idiot. Stop speculating like you are some strategists."
Riku sighed, his tone softening. "Anyway… Maki, do you know where Yuki is? We have not seen her since Paulo's fight with Izumi."
Before Maki could respond, the base doors slid open with a hiss. Paulo stepped inside, his presence casting a shadow over the room.
His face was pale, eyes hollow, and his aura, once vibrant, now felt like a void.
Riku and Maki froze, sensing the weight of the battle etched into Paulo's every movement.
Riku's voice trembled with frustration and concern. "Where's Yuki? She went out looking for you when you were struggling against Izumi."
Paulo turned his gaze toward Riku, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "She is gone. Yuki died protecting the one she loved… me."
The words struck Riku like a blade.
His expression twisted into one of shock and devastation. Silence fell over the room, thick and suffocating.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Paulo murmured, his voice cracking. "Everyone I've ever cared about… they've all died in conflict."
Just then, Hiro entered the room, sensing the shift in energy.
He paused, staring at Paulo, who now radiated a strange fusion of sorrow and raw power.
Something inside him had changed, something dark and unrelenting.
"Paulo," Hiro said cautiously, "what happened between you and Izumi?"
Paulo's eyes darkened further, his voice low and grim. "I fought him. Yuki saved me. But I cannot bring back souls that are pure… good. Yuki's soul is beyond my reach. She has gone forever."
A heavy silence followed his words. Then, Paulo's head snapped toward the entrance. His senses flared.
"There's something outside," he said, his tone shifting. "An evil… unstoppable. But all I see are people."
Riku frowned. "Are you sure?"
Paulo nodded slowly, then turned and walked toward the exit. The others followed, unsure of what awaited them.
Outside the base, three figures stood against the horizon.
Amy Mori, the fierce tengu warrior, her brother Raijin Mori, and a new presence, Jack Mori, their father, and the formidable leader of the tengu clan. Their arrival sent ripples through the air.
Amy stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Riku. With a mischievous smirk, she wrapped her arms around him in a sudden embrace.
"Still obsessed with your human bond, I see," Raijin muttered, shaking his head in mild exasperation.
Paulo watched them, his heart sinking.
The sight of camaraderie and affection only reminded him of what he had lost.
Yuki's laughter, her warmth, her unwavering loyalty, it was all gone. The universe felt colder now.
Without a word, Paulo turned away. His body surged with energy as he leapt into the air, soaring over mountains, leaving the others stunned in his wake
His grief had become a storm, and somewhere beyond the horizon, he hoped to find either redemption… or an end.
***
The Temple hovered in the heavens, suspended in a cradle of clouds, its alabaster spires gleaming with divine luminescence.
Each marble column pulsed with an inner radiance, as if the very bones of the structure were alive with celestial energy.
The wind that swept through its open halls carried whispers, echoes of forgotten gods and ancient destinies, stirring the silken banners that hung like starlight from the vaulted arches.
At the heart of this sanctum, beneath the Skyfire Dome where constellations danced in eternal motion across a living ceiling of stars, four monarchs convened in solemn council.
Lucy Lightheart, Sovereign of Life and Queen of the Boundless Sky, paced the polished floor with restless grace.
Her robes shimmered like the aurora, trailing motes of stardust that vanished into the air.
In her delicate hands she cradled a crystal orb, glowing with the essence of Paulo Satoshi, the one destined to bear the mantle of the Cosmic King.
Her eyes, bright with longing and burdened hope, never left the orb's pulsing light.
With a wistful sigh, she spoke, her voice barely more than a breath. "He has already given so much… He died once to awaken the first seal. He commands an army with a power of 250 million. And yet… my heart aches. The final seal remains untouched, and he feels so distant, as if the stars themselves conspire to keep him from me."
With a wistful sigh, she spoke, her voice barely more than a breath. "He has already given so much… He died once to awaken the first seal. He commands an army with a power of 250 million. And yet… my heart aches. The final seal remains untouched, and he feels so distant, as if the stars themselves conspire to keep him from me."
Antares, Monarch of Flame and Warden of the Infernal Crucible, stood with arms crossed, his form radiating heat like a forge.
His voice rumbled like thunder rolling across a scorched plain.
"Because he is still weak," he said, unflinching. "Eleven thousand evil souls slain. That is a spark, not a blaze. He must ignite a cataclysm, one hundred million must fall before the path opens. This is not a tale of love, Lucy. This is war. And war demands fire."
Rayan Andre, Monarch of Earth and the King of Nature, stepped forward with calm authority.
His presence was grounding, like ancient roots anchoring a storm-tossed tree. "Antares, your fire burns too harshly," he said gently. "Paulo's journey is not solely one of destruction. His energy awakens what lies dormant, he is a catalyst for rebirth as much as ruin. But yes… even with 120 million powers, he is still at the beginning. To reach 2.5 trillion… that is to become a star unto himself."
Leaning against a pillar of blackened iron, Izuki Remioka, Monarch of Steel and King of Iron, spoke with a voice like tempered metal, cool, unyielding. "He has shattered two of the five Limitations. That alone would break lesser souls. But the third and fourth are mountains carved from the bones of gods. And the fifth…"
Her eyes narrowed. "To die again, after all is done. That is the cruellest fate of all. To rise, only to fall once more."
Lucy's grip on the orb tightened, her knuckles pale against the radiant crystal.
Her voice trembled, but her resolve did not. "He is the Vessel of the Cosmic King. His soul was forged in the heart of a dying star. I feel it in every breath of wind, in every shimmer of light across the sky. he will rise. He must. And if the heavens themselves stand in his way, I will tear them apart to clear his path."
Antares let out a low snort, embers dancing from his nostrils. "Then let him prove it,"
He growled. "Let him wade through oceans of darkness, let him burn the rot from the world, let him face death again and again. Until then, he is nothing more than a flicker in the storm."
Rayan stepped closer to Lucy, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder.
His touch was warm, grounding. "Hope is your greatest gift, Lucy. But even the brightest light can cast shadows. We must not let our faith blind us. If Paulo falters… if he fails… the balance of the monarchs will collapse. The world will fracture."
Izuki nodded, her gaze fixed on the orb. "We will watch. We will guide. But we must not forget, this is only the beginning. The true trials have yet to come."
And so, beneath the ever-turning stars of the Skyfire Dome, the monarchs stood in silence, each bearing the weight of prophecy, of power, and of the fragile hope that one soul, Paulo Satoshi, might yet rise to become more than legend.
***
Paulo's boots pounded against the rocky terrain as he sprinted through the jagged mountain pass, his breath ragged, his heart heavy.
The guilt of Yuki Fujimoto's death clung to him like a shadow, unshakable, suffocating.
Though he had avenged her by slaying Izumi, the vampire king and leader of the vampire organization, Izumi's presence still haunted his mind.
His voice, his cruelty, his decisive moments, they echoed in Paulo's thoughts like a curse.
Suddenly, Paulo skidded to a halt at the edge of a cliff. Below, in the valley, a skirmish was unfolding.
The clash of steel rang out, mingled with shouts and cries.
He narrowed his eyes, sensing the dark, familiar aura of the combatants.
Vampires. A hunting party. And their prey, winged figures darting through the trees, desperate to escape.
"Don't let the Tengu escape!" barked a vampire commander, his voice slicing through the chaos. "Surround them! Take them alive if you can!"
Paulo's jaw clenched. He recognized the energy of the Tengu, beings of wind and shadow, elusive and proud.
He had heard whispers of Jack Mori, a rebel leader among them.
But these Tengu were cornered, terrified.
Without hesitation, Paulo leapt from the giant cliffside, crashing into the battlefield like a meteor from space.
Dust and debris exploded around him as he landed, his cloak billowing, his eyes cold and sunken with grief.
The Tengu recoiled, startled by his sudden arrival.
One of them, a younger warrior with trembling hands, stepped forward. "W-Who are you?" he asked, voice quivering.
Paulo stared at them, his gaze hollow yet piercing.
"I should be asking you that," he said, his voice low and tired. "But I already know. You serve Jack Mori, don't you?"
The Tengu nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes… we are his men. We are Tengu."
Paulo turned his head slowly toward the vampires, his expression shifting from sorrow to fury.
His eyes burned with a murderous gleam.
"Izumi," he growled, "your king… your monster. I killed him. And I will kill every last one of you who still follows his path."
One of the vampires sneered, stepping forward with his blade drawn. "You think you are a hero, Paulo? You are just a broken man clinging to vengeance."
Paulo did not flinch. He slid into his fighting stance, his fingers curling into fists, his aura flaring like a storm. "I'm not a hero," he said. "I'm your reckoning."
The wind howled through the valley as the vampires closed in, and the Tengu watched in stunned silence.
The battle was about to begin, and Paulo was ready to unleash the storm within.