After bidding farewell to the Star Princess, Saruto skillfully traveled to the Kingdom of Light. The moment his feet touched its soil, he was enveloped in a dazzling brilliance. The sky here was not blue, neither by night nor by day, but a shimmering, golden white that enveloped everything like an eternal light. The trees sparkled as if their leaves were made of crystal, the rivers flowed a light blue that allowed one to see beneath the surface, and the palaces were adorned with luminous stones whose light never dimmed.
The princess was performing her duties at the gate when she spotted a horse bearing the emblem of the House of Darkness. Princess Eliza recognized Saruto's arrival and greeted him at the gate of her majestic and serene palace. She wore a white gown that reflected the light, and her eyes were like two small suns. She smiled and said,
"So, you have accepted my invitation, heir to darkness."
Sarruto approached with a smile, then spread his deep purple wings, which seemed to glow with a golden-violet light, reflecting the kingdom's radiance, as he bowed respectfully to the princess. He said:
Saruto: "How could I refuse a gift from you personally, my princess?"
She extended her hand to him and said, "Let's come in, Saruto. I can't keep my guest outside for long."
She led him to the guest room, and they sat on a spacious sofa. The servants brought them food, and Eliza asked him, "How was your journey? Did you encounter anything on the way?"
Saruto replied, "Everything was fine. I didn't encounter anything."
Then they began to talk about what had happened previously at the academy and reminisce about their time there. After they finished eating, Eliza suggested to Saruto that they take a walk in the city, and he readily agreed. So they went for a stroll.
As they wandered through the city, Saruto noticed a huge square. The princess noticed him looking at the Speed Arena and asked him if he was interested in what was happening there. Saruto replied, "Yes, what is happening in this huge square?" "This is the arena of speed," she replied. "We, the Light Clan, are known for our speed, and that's why competitions are held here to determine the fastest."
Saruto proposed a duel between himself and the princess to see who was faster. "It's impossible for you to beat me," the princess responded.
"Let's consider this a challenge to the honor of both families," said Saruto. "Let's prove who is faster: the Light Clan or the Dark Clan." The princess agreed to the duel, and they entered the arena.
They prepared for the speed race, and the judge announced the rules: "The first to complete five laps wins. You are allowed to use energy, but you are forbidden from striking or attacking your opponents with energy. Is that clear?" They both replied simultaneously, "Understood."
Then, using the Dark Clan's energy, Saruto transformed his legs into those of a tiger, concentrating all his power in them. The princess was surprised by the change in his legs, but then she focused on the race. The judge blew the starting whistle, and they set off at an incredible speed. Eliza was ahead of Saruto, so he decided to increase the flow of energy in his legs. This brought her level with Eliza, which surprised her. She decided to use the Light Family's Acceleration skill. Rings of light began to form before her, and as she entered each ring, her body gradually transformed, acquiring the properties of light until she was completely transformed.
She gained the speed of light and used it to overtake Saruto. She passed him by two turns, with two more to go. Saruto noticed the princess's speed and began to think about how to defeat her. He remembered what the Star Princess had told him about black holes absorbing even light. He smiled and began to create a black hole from the energy of darkness, compressing its power until it formed a small object. Then he pumped darkness into it to make it grow. The plan worked, and he identified the path the princess would come from and threw the black hole into it.
As the princess passed, her body still imbued with the properties of light, she felt something pulling her in. She turned and saw that it was a black hole. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape. Saruto seized the opportunity, forming wings and channeling all his power into them. He took off, completing two turns around the arena at breakneck speed. He and the princess were now tied, and the final lap would decide the competition.
The princess realized that Saruto would win. She shed her transformation to escape the black hole and succeeded. Before she could launch herself, Saruto passed her, and she quickly followed. Their speed seemed equal, and they were about to reach the end of the final lap. But before they crossed the finish line, Floyd seized Saruto's body, preventing him from winning. The princess emerged victorious.
"Why did you do that, Floyd?" Saruto said angrily to Floyd. "I was about to win!" Floyd replied, "Were you trying to crush her spirit yourself?" "What do you mean?" Saruto asked.
"If you had hit her, you would have shattered her self-confidence and her family's honor," Floyd continued. "She's just a girl, you know. Women are very sensitive to a young girl like that." Saruto apologized to Floyd and thanked him at the same time.
He went to the princess and congratulated her on her victory. Unbeknownst to him, she hugged him and said, "Thank you, Saruto, for my victory. But in the next duel, don't go easy on me, do you understand?" He nodded in agreement, and they both smiled.
They left the arena and began to wander. The princess said to him, "Saruto, why don't you take me for a ride and fly me on your wings? When I saw them in the arena, I was impressed by their appearance and speed." He readily agreed, picked her up, and flew with her across the kingdom until nightfall. Then they returned to the palace.
Laisa then showed him his room, and he went inside and slept. Morning came, and after breakfast, the princess stood and said with a gentle smile, "I know you are leaving, but I feel this is not the end... Come back for another duel."
Saruto replied with a faint smile, "Well, why not?"
Then, in an instant, he was gone, leaving behind three kingdoms and three princesses, each with a different memory of him... and he returned to the Luwin family palace.