"It has been raining nonstop… three days straight. Typhon must be a monster," Shichiro muttered, glancing at the gray sky that never seemed to rest.
Katsu turned toward Ryosen. "Hey. How do you know so much about these Heartless? You knew Typhon's name. You even whispered it before he appeared. You knew Mikoto too, and our combo even after awakening our hearts. That's not something you can just guess."
Ryosen simply replied, "Just a hunch, I guess."
Rokuro stepped forward. "What do you mean 'just a hunch'? You can't just guess their names, man."
Ryosen shrugged. "You guys were talking about Mikoto at the temple how terrifying he was. And Typhon? He's already well-known around these parts. Comes and goes. This is like the fifth time the town's been repaired."
Kentarō crossed his arms. "But you said this town hasn't been attacked yet. You're getting suspicious, man."
"Calm down," Shichiro said firmly. "He was always our know-it-all before Katsu took that title."
"Whatever," Shichiro continued. "We just need to clean this city up and get the hell out of here before Typhon decides to kill one of us."
Kentarō frowned. "But what about the civili-"
Before he could finish, Ryosen's tone darkened. "Because I was once trapped in their hideout. The Abyssal Spire, they called it. People born with legendary hearts were captured. That's what Bellerophon wants, those hearts. I managed to escape, but the others… I don't know what happened to them."
He paused. "And yeah, I lied about the town. It was attacked. I just didn't want to-"
Shichiro cut in. "Whatever. Let's just fix this place and leave."
The group agreed. After hours of helping the survivors rebuild, the air grew heavier. Then came the sound, monstrous roars and savage cries echoing across the ruined streets.
Ryosen's eyes widened. "We need to get out. Now. That's the Minotaur. If we stay, we're done for. He's full of rage and doesn't stop like Typhon does."
Kentarō tilted his head. "So… he's stronger?"
"No," Ryosen replied. "Just less merciful. Move!"
They sprinted through the muddy streets and back toward the temple. As they caught their breath inside, Rokuro peeked out the cracked doorway. "Seriously? Why do we keep getting attacked by Elite Grades? Have we even fought a Grade 1 recently?"
Katsu smirked. "Even Kentarō would know that. Gasmin, Pevola… and that one we tested our combo on."
Kentarō glared. "Really, man? I'm not that dumb."
Katsu grinned. "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep."
Kentarō put a thumb up. "Your the smartest person I know Kentarō!"
Kentarō pointed to himself. "See?! Even he says it!"
Katsu raised an eyebrow. "Your talking to yourself.. Are you schizophrenic, or just dumb?"
"I'm Kentarō," he replied proudly.
Ryosen shouted, "We need to move! The Minotaur's illusions are closing in. He'll charge the temple any second!"
Shichiro frowned. "Really? The weather's still harsh out there."
Ryosen shook his head. "That's the trick. It's not real. The Minotaur twists what you see. Typhon's storms only last two days but notice how we never got wet?"
Katsu glanced at his hands. "Oh… wow."
The group stayed silent.Outside, the storm raged on, rain that wasn't rain, thunder that wasn't thunder.
Ryosen turned away from the door. "If the Minotaur's illusion reached this far, Typhon's anger must've stirred it. The two of them… they're connected somehow."
Shichiro looked out at the horizon, his reflection flickering in a puddle that wasn't wet. "Then we're running out of time."
A distant roar shook the air, deep, ancient, and wrong. It didn't belong to a storm.
And for the first time since Typhon's arrival…the rain stopped.
For a moment, silence ruled the world. No thunder, no wind just the faint hum of power that lingered in the air.
Ryosen looked up. "He's coming."
Typhon's voice echoed through the clouds, distant yet deafening."Run, mortals. Or drown in the storm that never ends."
Shichiro clenched his fists, heat gathering in his palms. "No… this time, we fight back."