The night was silent… until the screams shattered it.
Sirens rang across the Bear Realm. Fires flickered in the distance. Amal shot up from her bed, heart pounding. Outside, the alarm bell tolled—heavy and fast.
She rushed toward the command post, running into Sarper and Exile on the way.
"What's happening?!" Amal asked.
Sarper's eyes were sharp. "It's him…"
Exile finished the sentence. "Si. He's here."
Amal's blood turned cold. "Already?!"
"They burned the edge of the forest," Exile said, his jaw tight. "They're not hiding anymore. The entire eastern tree line is gone. He's marching straight for us… with all 20,000 soldiers."
Amal looked toward the smoke rising in the sky. "Then he's ready for war."
Exile nodded grimly. "Our army is already moving to intercept them. Let's go—we're needed."
They ran through the waking camp. Soldiers pulled on armor. Ash-wielders gathered into formations. The sky turned grey with smoke as they passed burnt trees and torched outposts.
Ahead, the Bear Army stood at the forest's edge—calm but ready.
Then they saw them.
Si's forces.
Marching in perfect formation, blades drawn, Ash glowing violet. Si walked at the front—calm, proud, unstoppable. His long coat flowed behind him like a shadow.
He raised a hand.
All 20,000 men stopped at once.
The air was thick with the scent of smoke and war cries.
"Attack!" Sarper shouted, his voice rising above the roar of fire and steel. The Bear Army, draped in fur and courage, surged forward into the storm of 20,000 enemy soldiers.
Si raised his hand high, calm in the chaos. "Tear them apart."
In perfect, terrifying unison, the front lines of Si's army shifted—shields locked, spears forward. The sound of iron moving like machine gears echoed through the forest. The Bear Army collided with them and was immediately overwhelmed.
"They move like a machine…" Sarper whispered, eyes narrowing. He leapt into the fray, his fingers swirling with glowing ash.
A wave of five-colored ash exploded around him—crimson, silver, violet, gold, and black—spreading through the battlefield like a storm of ghosts. Enemies staggered, some blinded, some scorched, some frozen in fear.
But then—
A blur of silver and black rushed through the chaos. Si had joined the battle.
"I'll handle Si. Amal! Exile! Help the army!" Sarper barked.
Si landed in front of him, sword drawn.
"You've aged well, Sarper. But you know this ends with your death."
Sarper's lips tightened. "We'll see."
They clashed.
Steel met ash. Sparks flew. Si's blade danced like lightning, but Sarper was the wind, bending, redirecting, fading. With each swing, Sarper countered using flowing trails of ash that shifted between offense and defense.
A purple ash wave wrapped around Si's legs, slowing him. Sarper launched a strike of golden ash—pure energy—but Si spun and sliced through it with a roar.
The ground cracked.
Amal and Exile tore through the enemy lines elsewhere, moving like wildfires. Exile punched through rows of soldiers, his arms bleeding but his face calm. Amal's eyes glowed—every strike a blur, every move protecting their side.
Back with Sarper and Si—the battle reached its peak.
Sarper created a massive Dark Ash Wall, the final seal of his power.
"Ash Seal: Final Curtain!" he shouted.
The wall rose, blocking out the light—an immovable mass of shadow and fire.
Si narrowed his eyes. "Nice trick... But I'll break it."
He charged, his sword glowing with destructive energy.
BOOM!
His blade slammed against the wall. Sarper grunted, holding the ash in place, but his arms cracked. His bones bent. Blood poured from his mouth.
"Stay... back... Amal!" Sarper shouted, even as his vision blurred.
"NO!" Amal cried, sprinting toward him.
But it was too late.
CRACK!
Si shattered the wall in one powerful swing.
Time slowed.
Sarper stood between Si and Amal—bleeding, broken, but proud.
Si whispered, "Goodbye, old master."
The sword came down.
Sarper's head fell.
His body crumbled into a swirl of glowing ash, floating into the sky like fireflies.
Amal collapsed to her knees.
Exile screamed in rage.
And Si turned, his voice echoing through the battlefield:
"One down. Who's next?