"Foolish child," Urugas said in a voice that resonated like distorted thunder, "Who would have thought that you were the one preventing my arrival. Now you will serve a purpose. Do not resist; you cannot escape those threads."
Paltio was immobilized, trapped in a lethal web of lightning that held him motionless before the horror unfolding before him. With supernatural speed, Tejod drew an enormous sword from his cloak—a weapon that seemed to have been concealed in some magical space, similar to Paltio's bag or Mok's combat coat. Without hesitation, he drove the blade directly into the boy's heart.
"Die," Tejod hissed with a cruel smile, twisting the sword before pulling it out.
Paltio felt his entire world fade, his hopes vanishing like smoke in the wind. In that instant, images of his life flashed rapidly through his mind: happy moments with his friends, laughter shared with his family, adventures lived alongside those he loved. Everything seemed to crumble as he fell to his knees, unable to hold himself up any longer.
Finally, he closed his eyes and collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
"Paltio!" everyone on the battlefield cried out, their voices filled with anguish and despair.
Mok was hit the hardest, trying desperately to push forward. Tears streamed down his face as memories of Paltio's life flooded his mind—from the day he had seen him born to all the years he had spent by his side, caring for him as if he were his own son or an older brother to the prince. Rodelos, overwhelmed by grief, tried to make his way toward where his grandson lay, but enemies blocked his path mercilessly.
Alita and Ron also wept for their loss, clinging to each other as they struggled to contain their despair. Lukeandria, though holding back her tears, felt a lump in her throat as she recalled the moments she had shared with him during their journey. And Rykaru… Rykaru couldn't bear it.
"No, Daddy!" the little boy screamed with all his might as he watched Paltio collapse into a pool of his own blood. He wanted to run to him, to do something—anything—to save him, but the enemies held him back. His small body trembled with rage and sorrow as he watched his world crumble before his eyes.
At that moment, the sky, which had briefly been freed from darkness thanks to the professor's robots, began to be consumed once again by shadows. The darkness returned with greater force than before, turning the heavens a deep crimson, as if they were a river of living blood.
From the portal in the moon emerged gigantic hands, followed by an imposing figure that fully emerged from the dark dimension. The creature struck a dull blow on the place where the sea had once been, evaporating all the water in an instant. What remained was a vast, arid plain—an endless desert radiating pure malevolent energy that froze the blood.
Everyone present stood paralyzed, unable to process what they had just witnessed. The death of Paltio still echoed in their hearts, but now they faced something far more terrifying: a primordial entity of absolute evil that had obliterated an entire sea with a single movement.
The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant echo of Urugas's laughter as he finally arrived to claim his dominion.
"Is that truly you, my lord?" Tejod asked reverently, bowing deeply before the figure that was beginning to take shape in front of him.
"Yes, it is I," replied a sinister voice that seemed to resonate from the depths of an abyss.
The being that emerged before Tejod was an imposing creature, half-human and half-gray boar. Its tusks jutted out from the sides of its mouth, sharp as daggers, and its eyes were solid black—bottomless pits that seemed to devour any hope in their path. Long, dark hair cascaded over his shoulders, while elbow and knee guards made of boar skin covered his muscular limbs. At the center of his chest rested the head of a boar, a macabre symbol of his power, connected to a belt that resembled the animal's tail. Black mesh armor covered his skin, completing an appearance that radiated pure malevolence.
"I am your master and ruler. I am Urugas, the King of Shadows."
As he spoke his name, the entire atmosphere shifted. A wave of vengeance and destruction swept through the area, as if the air itself had been tainted by his presence. Urugas towered over Tejod, his chiseled muscles a testament to his overwhelming strength.
"At last, I am in this world… Free at last!" Urugas declared, gazing with satisfaction at the body he had assumed. He surveyed everything around him, reveling in the devastation he had already wrought. "Now begins the era of chaos and destruction, thanks to the fragment of power my father, RULER, bestowed upon me. From that essence, I was born."
The seven Supreme Councilors and Tejod immediately knelt before him, displaying their absolute devotion.
"My lord, what do you wish us to do? We live for you," they said in unison, their voices brimming with submission.
The rest of the Shadow troops also rose after the initial shock and stepped away from Paltio's allied army, kneeling before their creator.
"This is truly our lord," Tertrol muttered, though reluctantly, visibly uncomfortable under Urugas's oppressive aura.
"Hail, our lord Urugas! We live to serve you!" they all exclaimed, though Tertrol's words sounded forced, as if he were struggling against his own will.
Tertrol fixed his gaze on Paltio's lifeless body, still lying on the ground. "Damn you, Tejod, you robbed me of the pleasure of killing the brat," he spat disdainfully, though his tone betrayed a mix of satisfaction and contempt.
Urugas reveled in his newfound freedom, slowly pacing as he observed his surroundings with a blend of curiosity and arrogance. The councilors repeatedly asked what he desired them to do, but he seemed to ignore them, lost in thought. Eventually, their persistence drew his attention back.
"Very well, listen," he finally said, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "I will explore this world and fill it with chaos until no living being remains untouched by darkness. Of course, except for you, my loyal followers, since you are inherently darkness, born from me."
Urugas gestured toward the group that had come to support Paltio. "Perhaps you can begin with those insolent ones over there. Give me entertainment worthy of my time."
"My lord, if that is your wish, we shall give you an appetizer by finishing off these rebels before us," one of the councilors responded with an exaggerated bow.
"Very well, do it. Eliminate all these individuals. Show them no mercy. I expect it to be entertaining and provide me with some amusement. I have other plans to make," Urugas declared indifferently, casually conjuring a throne of bones with a flick of his hand. He seated himself upon it, closing one eye and leaving the other open to observe the massacre unfold.
"Listen up! Finish off all those worthless fools!" the seven councilors shouted in unison, their voices commanding and cruel.
The troops obeyed instantly, and the battle resumed with renewed ferocity between the ranks of the Shadows and the army led by the five realms. None of Paltio's friends could reach his lifeless body; to retrieve him, they would have to cut through Tejod's entire army—a nearly impossible feat amidst the bloodbath.
"For Avocios!" Rodelos cried out in desperation, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. "And for my grandson, Paltio!"
"For Paltio!" everyone echoed in unison, gripping their weapons with determination.
In stark contrast, the enemy side roared with cruelty: "For our master, Urugas!"
As the fight raged on, Toco-Toco sprinted toward the professor, carrying Tejod's amulet with him. Without wasting a moment, the inventor began examining the artifact, trying to decipher how it worked in order to free all the statues trapped inside his Rose.
"Wow! That bag Paltio had was amazing!" the professor exclaimed, marveling at how the device had brought all the statues from the realm which now stood before him.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the air, so powerful that even Ciertarias—the professor's gigantic companion—wobbled slightly.
"I don't know, meow, but here are two more statues. I think they're Paltio's parents. They almost fell over with that loud boom from earlier," Toco-Toco said, pointing to the figures the Lukeandria duplicates had handed over before departing.
"Alright, Professor, I leave them in your hands. I'm heading back to support the others. I can't miss a great battle, meow," the feline announced before dashing back into the fray.
The professor gazed thoughtfully at the statues surrounding him. "So this thing turns anyone into red jade, huh? I need to figure out how to reverse it as soon as possible. The kids will need help, and there's plenty of work for me here," he muttered to himself.
No one in that place, not even Toco-Toco, knew that Paltio had died or that Urugas was already free in this world.
In another location, atop Meliradal's floating cloud, something was amiss.
"My guardians…" Avocios said weakly, still exhausted from the strain of his recent battles.
"What is it, my lord?" Golden asked, looking at him anxiously as he adjusted the mattress where Avocios rested, carefully crafted by Kilibur.
"Something isn't right. What do you mean, my lord?" Silver inquired, leaning closer.
Avocios slowly moved his finger, pointing toward the sky. Everyone looked up and saw it turning a deep, blood-red hue, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for the loss of something vital.
"What is that?" Meliradal and Krasper said simultaneously, their voices filled with awe and dread.
"Not even one of my illusions could be this strong. This is magic on an entirely different level," Kilibur reflected, furrowing his brow as he tried to comprehend the phenomenon.
"I sense that something terrible is happening to Paltio. We must hurry," Avocios declared with urgency. Though none of them knew it, Avocios and Paltio were connected in some deep, inexplicable way.
Golden, ever the optimist, reassured himself mentally. "Hang on just a little longer, Paltio. We'll come to support you soon."