[Planet Gaia.]
[One Week later.]
The morning on Planet Gaia was shrouded in a peculiar stillness, the air thick with unspoken tension despite the bright sunshine. Sunny and Josephine stood with their inner circle—Ellen, Jinx, Star, Nicolas, Blood Eye, Nioh, and Eve—their faces etched with worry beneath the official composure. The six-month mission to the Upper World was necessary, but the gravity of their departure weighed heavily.
"You don't have to worry about us, Ellen," Sunny said, forcing a cheerful lightness into his voice as he gently ruffled Ellen's hair. He felt a sharp pang of guilt, knowing the burden he was leaving on her small shoulders.
"I want to come with you," Ellen whispered, looking up at him, battling back tears. The recent duels had revealed her immense power, yet she was still a child deeply attached to her parents. She instinctively sensed the terrifying difference between an arena battle and whatever threat lay in the Upper World.
