After the brutal clash in the Bloodmoon Kingdom Arena between Rika and Izumi versus Riku and Rajin, the wounded warriors were rushed to the Bloodmoon Kingdoms main hospital.
The air shimmered with arcane energy as paramedics worked swiftly, weaving top-tier healing magic into their battered bodies.
Within moments, their wounds vanished, vitality restored.
Paulo arrived just as Riku was swinging his legs off the bed, already upright and stretching.
"You are sure you are okay? That fight was not exactly a stroll through the woods," Paulo asked, his voice laced with concern.
Riku smirked, cracking his neck, "I am part Vampire, part Tengu, and part Cosmic Soldier now. My healing factor's off the charts. But hey, thanks for checking in."
Paulo's expression darkened, "I saw Izumi try to strike a deal with you."
Riku's smile then faltered. "Yeah, about that–"
"I know," Paulo interrupted, his tone sharp. "I saw the memory. Two and a half million years ago."
Riku's eyes widened, "You saw that?"
Paulo stepped closer, his aura flaring with a quiet fury. "So, tell me, Riku… what are you planning to do about it?"
Riku swallowed hard, sweat beading on his brow. "I, I haven't decided yet."
"Well, I have," Paulo said, voice low and cold. "And I won't be standing around while ancient schemes unfold."
Just then, Rajin stirred in the next bed, groggy but alert. "You going to check on Rika?"
Paulo turned toward the door, his silhouette framed by the glowing runes of the ward. "No. I won't," he said, his voice like ice.
And with that, he walked out, leaving behind silence, and a storm brewing in his wake.
***
Back in the overlook chamber, high above the Bloodmoon Arena, the other four remaining monarchs watched the aftermath of the battle unfold on the crystal display.
The Fight in the arena that was between Rika and Izumi versus Riku and Rajin had left echoes in the air, both magical and emotional between all the people in the stands.
Lucy, the Monarch of Life, wiped tears from her puffed up cheeks, "Why did he lose, why did Izumi lose?" she whispered, voice trembling.
Rayan, Monarch of Nature, scoffed, "Why are you crying over a vampire? I thought your heart belonged to Paulo."
Lucy turned to him, eyes red, "Rika lost his father, Rayan. That pain runs deeper than blood."
Antares, the Dragon Monarch, narrowed his eyes, "Wait… wasn't Paulo his father?"
Lucy's expression hardened, "No. He's not."
Just then, Paulo Satoshi, the fifth monarch, entered the chamber, his presence heavy with silence.
He carried his belongings, clearly intent on leaving.
But before he could step through the door, Lucy rushed forward and blocked his path.
"Paulo… don't leave me too," she pleaded, voice cracking with desperation.
Paulo's eyes flared with fury, "Why should I stay? You cost me more power than I ever thought possible."
Lucy recoiled, "When did I ever make you lose power?"
Paulo's voice dropped, cold and sharp, "Two and a half million years ago. The affair."
Lucy's breath caught, "I did not know you saw. If I had… I would have ended it."
Paulo's gaze darkened, shadows and cosmic energy swirling around him, "You did not just betray me. You broke me. I spiralled into depression so deep I ended my own existence. Do you know what that did to me? What it cost me to come back?"
Tears streamed down Lucy's face, but Paulo was unmoved.
"I'll sit in the stands where I belong," he said, turning away. "Not beside a monarch who would stoop so low as to betray those who loved her. You are not life, Lucy. You are poison."
And with that act, Paulo Satoshi vanished into the corridor, leaving behind silence, and a shattered heart of the Monarch of Life, Lucy Lightheart.
***
Paulo then sits in the stands with Riku and Rajin while waiting for the second round to being.
Just then the announcer finally announces it.
"The Second Round will finally begin," the Announcer shouted.
The crowd roared beneath the crimson sky as the second round of the Bloodmoon Queen Tournament commenced.
The arena then shimmered with the enchantments; its obsidian floor etched with glowing runes.
Four combatants stood at the cardinal points, tension crackling like static.
Kane Eguchi, Supreme General of the Ghostface group, stood motionless, his cloak billowing unnaturally in the windless air.
The ghost face badge on his chest gleamed ominously.
Sai Fukuda, one of the 50 other Captain of Ghostface, bounced on his heels, fire magic flickering around his fists.
Lewis Bando, the Angel-dragon hybrid, summoned a swirling vortex of water around him.
Mizaki Harada, part Angel, part Oni, floated slightly above the ground, her wind magic forming a protective cyclone.
Sai launched first, a blazing arc of fire aimed at Lewis.
Lewis countered with a tidal wave, steam erupting as the elements collided.
Mizaki spun into action, her wind slicing through the mist toward Sai.
But Kane had not moved.
Suddenly, everything stopped.
Time Magic Unleashed.
Kane raised a single hand. The ghost face badge pulsed once.
Time fractured.
Lewis froze mid-cast; droplets of water suspended like glass beads.
Mizaki's cyclone halted, her body locked in a mid-air twist.
Sai's flames flickered out as he too was caught in the temporal stasis.
Kane walked calmly through the frozen battlefield, his boots echoing unnaturally.
He tapped Lewis on the forehead; his water magic unravelled into harmless mist.
He turned to Mizaki and whispered a word. Her wind dispersed like dust.
With a flick of his wrist, time resumed.
Aftermath.
Lewis and Mizaki collapsed, their magic drained, their bodies unable to comprehend what had happened.
Sai stood stunned, untouched but humbled.
Kane turned to the crowd, his eyes glowing with ancient power. The arena fell silent.
The announcer's voice trembled through the air: "Victory… Kane Eguchi. With no effort."
Akagi and Sanda leaned forward, both were intrigued.
Paulo's breath caught in his throat as the fight has ended.
The arena was still humming from the residual magic, but the fight was over. Fifty seconds.
That is all it took.
His eyes widened, disbelief etched across his face.
He had seen champions clash, Kings fall, and legends rise, but never had he witnessed such a clean, effortless dismantling.
Kane Eguchi had not broken a sweat.
Time itself had bent to his will, and the others had simply… unravelled.
Paulo whispered to himself, "That was not a fight. That was a demonstration, Riku and Rajin needs to prepare to what is to come."
The crowd erupted again, but Paulo remained frozen, staring at Kane as he turned and walked away, cloak trailing like a shadow of inevitability.