Chapter Seven: "Mountains of Illusions" and Confronting (Psychological) "Memories"
Now that the capital was cleansed, Ryoma decided to head to the "Mountains of Illusion" to eliminate the Demon King (Valzar) in his stronghold before he could send out his fleet. Seiya and Mira insisted on accompanying him. The mountains were cursed. The System warned that S+ rank Illusion Mana permeated the area, causing one to confront their worst nightmares and memories. They entered the misty forest. Suddenly, everyone vanished. Ryoma found himself standing in the Tokyo arena. Kenji and Sato stood before him, poisoned knives gleaming in their hands. Kenji (his voice a mixture of fear and hatred): "Ryoma... did you really think you would survive? You are dead, both on Earth and in Idena. The System is manipulating you, and Seiya and Mira will betray you just as we did." Sato (laughing bitterly): "Regret... do you feel it, Ryoma? Regret for being so naive? Regret for trusting us?" Ryoma looked at them with cold, gray eyes. Old regret surged within him, and the poisoned knife began to pierce his heart once more. Ryoma (to himself): "No... this is an illusion. Kenji and Sato are dead in my original world. And Seiya and Mira... I saw fear and loyalty in their eyes." Activation (Supreme of Absolute Void: Level 10 - Soul Level). Ryoma didn't strike the illusion; instead, he faced it with a dead heart. Ryoma (coldly, his voice hoarse with weariness and menacing menace): "Kenji... Sato... I don't fight for the system. Nor to become stronger. I fight for the scream I heard in Seiya's eyes when she lost her world. Fear... is what made me fail once, System... don't let it control you." With a single strike of the broken Void blade, Ryoma shattered the illusion. He returned to the "Mountains of Illusions," to find Seiya and Mira trembling in their own illusion.