Throughout the cobwebbed stairways twisting around the battlefield, chaos reigns. Golems are smashed to rubble, knights are cleaved open—skeletons spilling out from their shattered armor. Kayle looses a blazing arrow that tears through enemy lines. Nox swings his shovel in a devastating arc, cutting down a dozen knights at once. Tomi flickers out of invisibility, blades flashing as he carves into the armored swarm. Vel and the other Stars clash steel against the relentless tide.
Meanwhile, Rose lounges casually on a stairway, lying on her side as if the war below were a mere show. Her eyes flick upward. On a stairway above, Ortis is locked in a desperate duel, his blade grinding against a knight's.
"There goes one of the idiots," she mutters.
More knights surge toward Ortis, their boots hammering against the fragile stairs. Rose sighs, pushing herself upright.
"Looks like he needs my help."
She pulls out a short metal rod. With a snap, it elongates into a gleaming spear. Rose hops lightly from stairway to stairway until she reaches Ortis's side. With a single sweep, she smashes her spear into the oncoming knights, sending them tumbling into the war below. Ortis kicks his own opponent over the edge before turning toward her.
"Rose! You found me! Where's the others?"
"I'm sure Gaia and the others are trying to regroup," Rose answers, spinning her spear once before letting it rest on her shoulder. "But Yuri? No clue where he's wandered off to."
Ortis's eyes catch on her weapon. "Where did you get that beautiful spear?"
"I found it in a treasure room." She waves dismissively. "But besides that—we should only fight when we have to. Let the other powerhouses handle most of the fighting."
With that, Rose drops back onto the stairway and sits comfortably, while Ortis leans over the edge, staring down at the vast war raging below.
From deep within the massive silver castle, a crimson glow erupts—then a blazing red magical arrow shoots outward, streaking across the battlefield. It hurtles toward Nox, who snatches it from the air with one hand.
The sheer force hurls him backward, smashing him through stairway after stairway until the arrow detonates in a fiery explosion.
When the smoke clears, Nox stands with his bloodied hand, but largely unharmed. His voice remains calm, steady.
"There's a powerful one inside the castle."
Another red arrow screams through the air. Nox springs aside, landing on a higher stairway—but the arrow bends mid-flight, redirecting back toward him. He leaps from stair to stair, each impact tearing through the fragile structures. With a sharp grunt, he hurls his shovel at the pursuing arrow. The collision explodes in red light, shattering the stairways around him.
"And it's only aiming at me…" Nox mutters. His eyes narrow. "It must have decided I'm the strongest."
More red arrows burst from the castle gates, all honing in on him.
Nox presses two fingers to his temple, his voice echoing through Kayle's mind:
"Kayle, you'll have to help me out here."
Kayle glances up through the storm of stairways, watching Nox weaving between explosions. Her jaw tightens.
"If I focus, I can pinpoint the archer's location."
Knights surge toward her, blades of energy crackling. Before they can strike, Tomi bursts out of invisibility, slashing them down, while Vel charges in at her side to cover her.
Kayle's eyes sharpen as she blocks out the chaos. She channels power into her bow, drawing a radiant green arrow.
Above, red explosions thunder as Nox evades, but Kayle does not waver. She releases.
The green arrow streaks like a comet, slamming against the castle—only to vanish against a shimmering barrier of runes.
Kayle's gaze drops to a fallen knight at her feet. The runes etched into its broken armor glow faintly—the same sigils woven into the castle's barrier.
"I see… the knights are fueling the barrier. To bring it down, we'll have to destroy them all. But for that…" Her eyes lift toward Nox. "…we'll need him."
She looses a flurry of emerald arrows skyward, colliding with the incoming red volleys that hunt Nox.
Seizing the opening, Nox dives downward like a meteor, crashing into hundreds of knights. The impact shakes the stairways. Rising amidst the carnage, he grips his shovel with both hands.
"Keep the archer busy. I'll deal with the rest!"
He launches forward, carving through armored ranks with devastating swings, each strike felling multiple knights at once at a fast pace.
Above, the battlefield flares colliding with crimson detonations—while on the battlefield below, Nox continues his relentless slaughter.
Nox carved his way through the battlefield, his shovel swinging with unstoppable force. By the time the dust settled, nearly 8,500 knights had fallen to his hand, leaving only three hundred staggering opponents still standing.
Then—suddenly—the crimson arrows stopped.
Every eye turned toward the castle as thousands of red arrows erupted skyward, piercing the endless ceiling of stairways above.
Nox froze, his eyes glowing faintly. His mind shifted into ultra-thinking, running hundreds of simulations at once. He saw it clearly: the arrows would fall, wiping out everyone, leaving only Kayle and himself alive—both fatally wounded.
His voice rumbled across the battlefield:
"Tomi, Vel, the rest of you—retreat—"
But before he could finish his sentence, a sudden gale swept across the battlefield.
Kayle rose into the air, carried by her wind magic. With a flare of green energy, wings burst from her back. She spun faster and faster, her form blurring into a whirlwind until a massive green tornado ripped across the ceiling, pulling in the countless falling arrows.
Nox's lips curved into the faintest grin.
"Never mind. Finish the rest!"
With renewed strength, Nox, Tomi, Vel, and the Stars pushed forward, Ortis and Rose leaping in to join. The last knights fell beneath their combined assault.
The barrier surrounding the silver castle cracked like glass, shattering away piece by piece.
The massive gates groaned open.
From within stepped a single knight clad in crimson armor, wielding a bow of red magic. Without hesitation, it conjured dozens of spectral daggers that swirled around it like a storm—then rushed forward at blinding speed.
Tomi dashed to meet it, his blade sparking as he clashed with the knight again and again. But the foe was too fast. A dagger carved deep into his side, spilling blood.
Vel leapt in, only to be slashed down in an instant.
Tomi roared, lunging again—only for the knight's blade to cleave his body in two.
"Tomi!" Kayle screamed.
But instead of a corpse, Tomi's body dispersed into glowing shards of magic. He reappeared behind the knight, striking its back with a sudden slash.
Nox's calm voice cut through the chaos.
"Interesting. A mini Chosen power. That's rare."
The knight whirled, cutting Tomi down again—yet his body vanished, reappearing a heartbeat later at a safer distance. With a flourish, he hurled enchanted cards that exploded against the knight's armor, forcing it back.
The ground beneath it shimmered—a hidden trap sigil. The stone warped into slime, locking the knight's foot in place.
Tomi reappeared once more, this time hauling a massive enchanted flower.
"Here's a trick for you!"
The flower roared, unleashing a torrent of pressurized water. The blast ripped away half the knight's armor, revealing its true form beneath—an undead skeleton blazing with red magic.
The knight howled silently and blurred, moving even faster, weaving through every trap Tomi threw down. Its daggers fused into a colossal battle axe of magic, the weapon glowing with enough power to level the battlefield.
Rose's face drained of color.
"If that hits, we're all dead!"
Ortis shouted, panicked.
"We need to run—!"
But Nox stood firm, calm as ever.
"I could stop it easily. But why waste my energy… when others are willing to waste theirs?"
The axe descended—
And a massive spirit arm caught the blade in its palm.
Everyone turned. Boa stood at the edge of the battlefield, his magic surging, holding the giant weapon in place with sheer force.
In the same instant, a blazing figure appeared in front of the knight. Ignis grinned, clapping his hands together.
"You're getting toasted!"
A torrent of fire erupted, consuming the skeletal knight and burning it into ashes.
Rose and Ortis stood frozen in shock—until a familiar voice called out.
"Hey, Rose! Ortis! I found you guys!"
They turned, wide-eyed, as Yuri came sprinting toward them.
Ortis and Yuri rushed toward each other, embracing tightly.
Rose leaned against the railing of a broken stairway, smirking.
"There goes the other idiot."
Boa appeared next, his massive presence followed closely by Jen, Ignis, and Crank.
Nox gently laid Kayle with Tomi, then stepped forward to meet Boa. His voice was calm, steady.
"Thanks for the help. Glad to see you've become a Chosen—and that you've spread your strength among your comrades."
Boa's expression hardened. In an instant, he summoned his magic sword and swung at Nox.
Their weapons clashes, Boa's blade against Nox's shovel. The impact cracked the air, sending everyone sliding back under the sheer pressure of their clash.
Boa growled, his eyes blazing.
"Don't get it twisted. We only helped because Yuri's friends were in danger. When it comes to you—it's different!"
Nox narrowed his eyes.
"You really want to do this now?"
Boa roared, pouring more of his power into his strike.
"You may have beaten me once before—but this time will be different!"
The force hurled Nox back, slamming him into a stairway. Boa advanced, energy radiating from his body.
"I don't get you at all!" Boa shouted, his voice cracking with fury. "Your assistant Susan saved my people—but you both slaughtered my brothers in the mines with your data creatures. I won't forgive you, even if you're helping us now!"
Nox slowly stood, brushing off the rubble. With a faint smile, he adjusted the small black crown on his head.
"A king must do what is best for his kingdom.... no rather the best for the universe."
Kayle, wounded but defiant, staggered forward, summoning her bow. She raised it, arrow drawn, aimed directly at Boa.
Tomi appeared beside her, ready to back her up.
Crank stepped next to Boa, his arm twisting and morphing into shifting animal forms. Jen slid into position at Boa's side, daggers gleaming.
Kayle's voice shook with pain but not hesitation.
"I can't let you kill him. He's the only reason I've come this far. He's too important for what comes next!"
Rose and Yuri comes in between them all with their arms out.
"We're all Stars just trying to survive!" Rose snapped. "This is only the first stage of the Star Games. It's too early for powerhouses like you guys to take each other out. Besides—they're the ones who saved me."
Yuri's voice rang with raw conviction.
"I don't understand everything you sky people are arguing about. But this fight won't save my planet! There are four Chosens here—four destined to save my world. Why must we fight against each other?!"
Boa froze, sword trembling in his hand. Slowly, he lowered it.
"…If this is Yuri's wish, then so be it." His voice softened but carried weight. "Without him, we'd never have found a silver key."
Kayle collapsed to her knees, Tomi catching her before she fell.
Nearby, Ignis knelt beside Vel, fire magic dancing in his hands as he closed her wounds and heals her body.
Crank's eyes widened.
"You're helping them too?!"
Ignis scratched his head awkwardly.
"Huh? Well… this lady asked me so nicely. Hard to say no."
Vel smirked faintly. "Save my friends too, please."
Obediently, Ignis turned to Nox and Kayle, but Crank blocked him.
"Stop! Can't you see? She's charming you with her words!"
Boa raised a hand.
"Let him. Just know this—we're equals now. You saved my people. Now we've saved yours. But I'll never forgive what you've done."
As Ignis healed him, Nox gave a small, knowing smile.
"I have my reasons. Everything I've done is for the greater good. You'll understand in the later stages."
Boa's grip tightened on his sword.
"Then consider this a postponement. I have another goal—and wasting my energy fighting you here won't serve it."
Nox says with confidence.
"Funny. We share the same goal. We're also searching for the Lady of the Planet."
The words struck like lightning. Boa, Jen, and Crank all froze, shock painted across their faces.
"How do you know?!" Boa demanded.
Nox's eyes gleamed.
"I can see it. Her magic lingers in you—and in your fellow Chosen. Just as it flows in my companion here."
He nodded toward Kayle, faint wisps of planetary energy flickering in her aura.
Boa studied her silently, then nodded grimly.
"…I see it. We both seek the planet's aid to reach our goals." He tightened his grip, then released it. "Fine. We'll head into the castle together—but we split paths once inside. I won't work alongside someone like you."
Nox smirked faintly.
"That's for the best. We'll cover more ground that way."
Moments later, the group entered the massive castle, its interior a dazzling vision of silver and crystal. Polished marble reflected the light of floating chandeliers, and the walls gleamed with carvings of ancient legends.
Nox's towering golems followed in behind them, their heavy footsteps echoing through the grand hall.
Boa turned left with his companions, his blade still resting on his side
"We'll take this path."
Nox gestured, sending a pair of golems lumbering after them.
"I'll make some of my golems follow you. That way, if anything happens, we'll stay in contact."
Boa gave him a sharp look but said nothing, leading Jen, Crank, and Ignis deeper into the castle.
Nox then guided the rest of his forces toward the right. With Kayle, Tomi, Vel, and several Stars by his side, he turned his eyes to the grand staircase leading upward into the higher levels.
Rose's voice then rings out.
"Well, thanks for all you've done. But we'll stay here until our team catches up."
Nox gave her a nod and moved on. Tomi and Vel both waved goodbye before following him.
At the base of the castle gates, Rose remained behind with Ortis and Yuri. Two of the golems stationed themselves near the entrance, standing silent guard.
Yuri leans in and says
"Those guys took a liking to me after our battle in that abandoned skeleton village. I was the only one who managed to find a silver key there."
Ortis chuckled.
"I found a silver key too, but it took a few of Nox's golems to help me solve the puzzle."
Rose tilted her head proudly.
"Well, I also found one in a treasure room. Seems like none of us are useless after all." She smirked, then lowered her voice. "The only difference is… I also found a golden key."
Yuri and Ortis stiffened, eyes widening.
"A golden key?!" they said in unison, almost jealous.
Rose shrugged casually.
"Yeah. Tomi and the others helped me to get it…."
She glanced at the golems, then tugged Yuri and Ortis into a shadowed corner, far out of earshot. From her pocket, she revealed the golden key, its radiant glow reflecting in their eyes.
"Tomi had it." Her grin widened. "But I was able to steal it from him."
The three of them broke into quiet laughter, high-fiving each other in celebration.