"You're alive!" exclaimed Alita, breathing a deep sigh of relief as a smile lit up her face. But at first, she had been startled by the sound of Ron's voice, and upon looking closer, she noticed something different about him.
Ron met her gaze, still disoriented. "I'm fine… I think," he said, but as he glanced down at his body, he realized he was entirely covered in a strange, dark green layer, like some kind of protective shell. The tip of the sword-like hair that had pierced him fell to the ground; apparently, it hadn't hit any vital spot thanks to that armor, which had rapidly healed his tissues.
"Ron, but how?" asked Alita, both awestruck and confused.
"I don't know," he replied, staring at his arms in amazement. "I just wanted to protect you with all my heart, and then… something covered me completely." His skin now had a hardened texture and faintly shimmered under the light, like natural armor. "I don't know what it was, but it made me remember things… things my grandfather used to tell me. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah," said Alita, picking up a shard of glass from the ground to show him. "It looks like you've got some kind of armor covering your entire body, but… it's actually your skin."
A moment later, Alita frowned. "Wait… your grandfather! Didn't he pass away years ago?"
"Yeah," confirmed Ron, thoughtfully. "But when that thing pierced me, it connected with something inside me… and it made me remember him, and everything he always used to say."
Alita looked at him with tenderness, though she tried to hide it. "That's good, Ron… but don't ever do that again, you idiot. I thought you were dead." She was slightly blushing, though she tried to conceal it. "You can get off me now."
"Sure, I can see it in your teary eyes," teased Ron, provoking her.
"I wasn't crying, you fool!" she shot back, giving him a light punch to the chest.
"Of course, whatever you say," replied Ron, finally getting up and scratching the back of his neck, also blushing.
Meanwhile, Galatea watched from a distance, astonished. "Well, boy, you've just discovered your power: the toughness of the "Strong" family," she murmured to herself as she helped control Troba's tail. "I haven't seen anything like this in years… This kid is special. I'll have to ask him about it later."
Up above on Troba, Paltio also noticed something different about Ron. "Thank goodness Ron is okay," he remarked as Toco-Toco continued climbing toward the beast's head.
"You already knew, didn't you, Golden?" asked Paltio.
"Perhaps, lad," replied Golden calmly. "But now focus. We're up against that monstrous badger."
"He seems different…" murmured Paltio, lost in thought.
"Stop thinking about it and concentrate!" ordered Golden.
"Yes," nodded Paltio, shaking his head to refocus on the mission.
From his position, Mok also sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're alive, Ron," he muttered to himself.
"That kid's either lucky… or something more," added Pax with his usual sarcasm.
"Alright, let's keep cutting these hairs," instructed Mok, returning to action and raising his sword to slice through another sharp strand.
"Allow me to do something for you, Alita," said Ron, stepping in front of her again as more sword-hairs came their way. Though he didn't fully understand how his new shell worked, he was determined to protect her.
"Use your strength, boy!" shouted Galatea from a distance, still pulling on the rope to immobilize Troba's tail.
Ron grabbed two sword-hairs that were hurtling toward them, but they spun him around and made him dance, jerking him back and forth like a puppet.
"Amateur!" yelled Galatea, exasperated, as she continued wrestling with Troba's tail. The villain laughed uproariously, unaware that Paltio was about to reach her head.
"That's far enough, kid," roared Toco-Toco before launching Paltio high into the air, directly toward the colossal badger's skull.
"But… what's happening? I felt something," muttered Troba, frowning as she glanced around suspiciously.
Toco-Toco, swift as lightning, shifted back into his feline form and darted out of the badger's line of sight before she could detect him.
"It must've been my imagination," Troba murmured, trying to convince herself.
"Paltio, this is your chance. Strike while she's distracted by your friends," said Golden within the young prince's mind.
At that moment, Paltio felt something familiar: a strange connection, similar to what he'd experienced when facing other beasts. "Golden, something's happening," he said, confused. "It's like when I faced Queen Curchacos or the Serugulas, but I don't know what it is. Also, something marked my vision… like a kind of crosshair over Troba's eyes."
"Then there must be some sort of sense guiding you where to strike," replied Golden quickly. "I suggest you trust it. Aim for where you see that mark. Remember, the power in these gloves isn't eternal."
"That's exactly what I'll do," affirmed Paltio with determination. He steadied himself, pointing one hand toward the spot indicated by the mark in his vision. With an internal roar, he charged forward and plunged his hand like a blade into the exact point.
Troba let out a deafening shriek, writhing in pain. "But—what is this agony?! Ah!" As her frenzied gaze swept the area, she finally spotted Paltio among them. "You, wretched prince! How did you climb up here without my noticing, and how dare you defile my beautiful face? You'll die!"
The gigantic badger sent her sword-hairs flying toward Paltio, intent on eliminating him.
"Hurry, Paltio! Aim for that spot again!" ordered Golden, seeing the sword-hairs racing straight towards the young man.
Quickly, Paltio used his other hand to strike the same point. Just as the sword-hairs were about to reach him, Toco-Toco reappeared with a fierce meow, brandishing weapons in his front paws. "Here I am, meow!"
"Another intruder! How did that ugly creature get here?" screamed Troba, livid. Without wasting a moment, she unleashed more sword-hairs at them, along with her massive hands, attempting to crush them like insects.
Meanwhile, Ron was still struggling with the sword-hairs that whipped him back and forth. But when he saw his friend Paltio in danger, something inside him ignited. With superhuman—or rather, super-avocado—strength, he grabbed two strands with all his might and stomped hard, causing a small crack to form on the ground. Then, pulling with every ounce of strength, he yanked the strands fiercely. The motion caused Troba to stumble momentarily, diverting her massive hands away from Paltio and slamming them into the earth instead.
"Quickly, lad, meow!" exclaimed Toco-Toco, who swiftly caught Paltio just as he lost his balance from the sudden movement.
"Yes," responded Paltio, regaining his footing.
"You can do it, Paltio! Finish off this monstrous badger!" shouted Ron from below, cheering him on with everything he had.
Determined, Paltio used his glove once more, driving it into the same spot. Troba writhed in agony, and this time, Paltio noticed something different: a small fissure began to form where he'd struck. As he pried open the gap with both hands, he discovered a shimmering black orb within.
"That must be the source of her power. If I destroy it, it'll all be over," murmured Paltio, though a flicker of doubt crossed his face.
"Here goes nothing," he said to himself. With a powerful shout, he delivered a devastating blow to the black orb, which shattered into a thousand pieces.
Troba let out a blood-curdling scream, a sound that echoed across the realm. Her colossal body began to shrink rapidly until she was reduced to the figure of a decrepit old woman. With hatred burning in her eyes, she muttered, "I curse you, wretches," before crumbling into dust and vanishing completely into thin air.
"We did it!" exclaimed Paltio as he slowly descended, supported by Golden's telekinesis.
"Yes, we did it!" the others responded in unison, their voices brimming with relief and jubilation.
"Good job, lad," said Galatea, giving Paltio a hearty slap on the back that nearly knocked him off balance.
"You've done it, Master Paltio," added Mok with a respectful bow.
"Not just me; all of you helped," replied Paltio humbly.
"Yes, we all did," affirmed Ron, smiling proudly. Then, noticing the armor still covering his friend's body, Paltio joked, "Wow, that armor suits you well. It makes you look tougher and stronger."
"Right?" responded Ron with a grin. However, moments later, the shell protecting him began to fade, revealing his torn clothes and a moderate scar on his back—a remnant of Troba's sword-hair attack.
"Well, it was good while it lasted," commented Ron with a chuckle, prompting laughter from the others. Alita, however, remained silent, quietly frustrated with herself for not contributing as much as the rest.
"Boy, what was that?" asked Galatea, eyeing Ron curiously. "I haven't seen a suit like that in ages. If memory serves, the knights of Fuertelia used to wear something similar. Are you perhaps a descendant of one of them?"
"Well… I don't know," Ron replied, but before he could finish his sentence, his strength gave out, and he collapsed forward. Alita and Pax caught him just in time.
"Wow, I guess he's still a novice," Galatea remarked with a half-smile. "He'll need a mentor to teach him how to control that power."
Once the battle was over, the remnants of the Yellow Shadows were rounded up, stripped of their armor, and sent to prison. Though they seemed disoriented—perhaps influenced by Troba—they were dismissed as minor threats and locked away without further inquiry.
Galatea approached Alita and reminded her of her promise: she would take her to see the priestess. Alita felt a flicker of relief but couldn't shake the pang of jealousy she felt knowing her friends had special abilities while she did not. In an effort to feel useful, she asked, "Hey, do you think that the priestess might know something about the whereabouts of the piece?"
"Perhaps," Galatea replied. "It's possible."
"But won't there be repercussions from Tejod for defeating the legion of the Yellow Shadows?" Mok asked, concerned.
"No, I doubt it," Pax interjected. "Tejod never cared much for this legion, and he especially disliked the idea of a woman leading the troops. Besides, he saw potential in her and let her do as she pleased. But if any trouble arises, I'll take responsibility." He glanced briefly at Alita. "After all, I owe her one."
"I expect nothing less," said Galatea, giving both Pax and Nomak a stern look.
The merchant, Jorl, approached Paltio with an exaggerated bow. "Young prince, you've saved us once again. You no longer owe us anything for the egg I sold you."
"It's fine," Paltio responded calmly, though his tone shifted as he added, "But make sure no one speaks or says anything about what happened here, understood?" He raised an eyebrow, fixing the merchant with a piercing gaze.
"Understood, my lips will be sealed like a tomb, young prince," Jorl replied quickly. "If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave to the next realm." With a final bow, he and his tribe departed.
Once Ron regained consciousness, Paltio and his friends gathered with Galatea, who awaited them outside a nearby house. They were ready to set off in search of the priestess, as Paltio didn't want to perform the ritual to locate the piece just yet.
"Alright, we're ready. Let's go," Galatea instructed. Everyone climbed into the carriage and set off, following Galatea and her daughters on their quest to find the priestess. Twenty-three days remained until the Sea Soul awakening and the end of the contract term with Tejod.