The castle trembled beneath the weight of war.
Outside, flames consumed sections of the outer walls while distant explosions echoed across the kingdom. Dark clouds churned above the battlefield, and the wind carried the scent of smoke, ash, and blood.
Inside the ruined lobby, shattered glass covered the floor.
Broken tables and torn banners lay scattered around the hall.
Pixie slowly descended the staircase.
His footsteps echoed through the silence.
At the center of the lobby stood Vesper and Zarkoon.
The captured bride remained bound nearby.
Zarkoon's grin widened.
"Your Majesty."
He placed a hand over his chest and bowed dramatically.
"It's been so long."
"What a shame. We were just discussing how much we'd miss you after your death."
His laughter echoed through the hall.
Pixie's expressions darkened.
Without warning—
SLAP!
The sound rang across the room.
Zarkoon's head snapped sideways.
For a brief moment, silence filled the lobby.
Pixie lowered his hand.
"You betrayed this kingdom."
His voice was cold.
Then his eyes shifted toward the bride.
"And what are you doing with my sister-in-law?"
Zarkoon slowly turned back.
A dangerous smile stretched across his face.
"Still as rude as ever."
Yellow-and-black energy gathered around his fingers.
BOOM!
The blast shot forward.
Pixie crossed his arms and was thrown backward across the hall.
He crashed into a broken pillar.
Dust filled the air.
Before anyone could move—
A powerful gust of wind burst through the castle entrance.
The giant doors shook violently.
The curtains whipped through the air.
Vesper narrowed his eyes.
"She's here."
Zarkoon's smile slowly disappeared.
"Our time is running short."
The massive castle doors swung open.
Standing at the entrance was Yuki.
Cold wind surrounded her.
Dark clouds swirled above.
The pressure alone made the atmosphere feel heavy.
Pixie looked toward her.
Then toward the bride.
Then back toward Yuki.
Confusion filled his face.
Two identical faces.
Two Yuki's.
"What...?"
Yuki's eyes never left him.
For a moment she saw the bride.
The helpless version of herself from a hundred years ago.
The memories.
The pain.
The betrayal.
The deaths.
Everything flooded back.
Her grip tightened around her sword.
Then she moved.
WHOOSH!
The wind exploded forward.
Pixie barely had time to react.
The force launched him across the lobby.
He smashed through a wall and disappeared outside.
Yuki stepped forward.
The storm answered her call.
Massive tornadoes began forming around the castle.
The walls trembled.
Windows shattered.
CRASH!
BOOOOM!
Zarkoon stared upward.
"Look at that!"
"She's insane!"
"Those tornadoes could tear the castle apart!"
He immediately looked at Vesper.
"Let's leave."
"For once, I don't want to stay."
Vesper didn't argue.
They grabbed the bride and began retreating through a side corridor.
But before they could escape—
The ground shook.
Everyone stopped.
A deep rumble echoed from beneath the castle.
RUMBLE...
RUMBLE...
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
The floor exploded upward.
Stone and debris flew through the air.
A giant serpent burst from beneath the lobby.
Gantara.
Standing atop the creature were Daiki and Michael.
The serpent roared.
The entire castle shook.
Yuki glanced backward for a second.
But her attention quickly returned to Pixie.
Outside the castle, the storm continued.
Yuki raised her hand.
A tornado surged forward.
Pixie was lifted high into the air.
Wind pressure wrapped around him like chains.
Yet he still refused to attack.
Instead, he looked at her.
Trying to understand.
Trying to remember.
Trying to figure out why she hated him.
Why she wanted him dead.
For the first time, Yuki hesitated.
Why wasn't he fighting back?
--
Meanwhile...
Inside the lobby.
Michael's eyes locked onto the captured bride.
His entire body froze.
His voice trembled.
"...Sister."
Then rage exploded inside him.
He vanished from sight.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted.
The next moment his hand was around Zarkoon's throat.
The joker's eyes widened.
"What—"
"You thought," Michael growled, "you could take my sister and leave?"
Zarkoon smiled nervously.
"Actually..."
"That was exactly the plan."
He tossed a small black capsule.
POOF!
A cloud of strange smoke exploded around Michael and Daiki.
The two immediately began scratching their arms.
Their necks.
Their faces.
Daiki frowned.
"That's annoying."
Michael growled.
"Very annoying."
Zarkoon pointed proudly.
"Itching smoke."
"My greatest invention."
Daiki kicked him in the face.
BAM!
Zarkoon staggered backward.
But instantly grabbed Daiki's leg.
He spun him through the air.
WHOOSH!
"WOAH!"
Daiki shouted as the world rotated around him.
Zarkoon slammed him toward the floor.
But Daiki twisted midair and countered with another kick.
CRACK!
The joker stumbled again.
His smile slowly disappeared.
"You children are becoming troublesome."
Cards appeared between his fingers.
Golden energy flowed across their edges.
With a flick of his wrist—
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The cards flew like blades.
Daiki barely dodged.
One sliced through his sleeve.
Another embedded itself deep into a stone pillar.
For the first time, he realized Zarkoon wasn't weak at all.
He had simply never taken them seriously.
---
Far above the kingdom...
Elysia and Zoe raced toward the castle atop the Water Dragon.
The storm grew stronger with every passing second.
Then—
SHHHK!
An arrow shot through the clouds.
Elysia instantly sensed it.
She tilted sideways.
The arrow barely missed her face.
A second arrow followed.
Then a third.
Elysia looked upward.
A girl sat atop a giant falcon.
A floating chair carried her through the sky.
Belni.
The girl smiled.
"Lord Zarkoon told me you would come."
"And now his prediction has come true."
Elysia immediately launched a stream of water.
Belni flipped backward.
The attack missed.
Suddenly—
Zoe vanished.
A flash of light appeared beside the falcon.
The next moment Zoe grabbed Belni by the neck.
"Get off."
She threw her from the sky.
Belni crashed through trees before skidding across the ground.
Mud covered her clothes.
Her eyes burned with anger.
She immediately fired another arrow.
This one struck the Water Dragon.
The creature dissolved into water.
Elysia and Zoe fell.
They landed on the ground moments later.
Belni dismissed her falcon and landed opposite them.
The forest fell silent.
Elysia froze the ground.
A path of ice shot toward Belni.
Belni backflipped.
A floating arrow streaked downward.
BOOM!
The ice melted instantly.
Elysia answered with a massive wave.
A wall of water crashed toward Belni.
She disappeared beneath it.
Then—
BAM!
Zoe appeared from the side and kicked her directly in the face.
Belni rolled across the ground.
The battle had begun.
Elysia looked toward the distant castle.
It was still far away.
Far too far.
A single thought crossed her mind.
Will we reach them in time?
---
Elsewhere...
Raithasu raced across the countryside on horseback.
The castle was now visible in the distance.
But suddenly—
His blue eyes began glowing.
He immediately pulled the reins.
The horse stopped.
A strange sensation guided him toward a nearby mountain range.
Raithasu narrowed his eyes.
The glow intensified.
Something was there.
Something hidden.
He followed the signal until he reached a massive cliff.
Nothing appeared unusual.
Just sone.
Just mountains.
Yet his instincts screamed otherwise.
Raithasu activated his ability again.
For a split second, he saw it.
A hidden laboratory.
Buried inside the mountain.
Then it vanished.
He searched for an entrance.
Nothing.
No doors.
No tunnels.
No cracks.
Frustrated, he kicked a nearby boulder.
The stone shattered.
But beneath the sound of breaking rock—
CLANG.
Metal.
Raithasu froze.
Slowly, he touched the cliffside.
CLANG.
Again.
His eyes widened.
A hidden door.
Covered by stone and earth.
A grin appeared on his face.
He stepped backward.
Raised his leg.
Then delivered a powerful kick.
BOOOOM!
The dirt exploded away.
A giant circular metal door was revealed beneath the mountain.
Ancient.
Massive.
Sealed for years.
Raithasu stared at it.
Then slowly placed his hand on the handle.
Whatever secrets Vesper had hidden...
They were waiting on the other side.