[Other side of HQ]
The vines constricted like serpents, thorns digging into flesh. Silver gritted his teeth as blood streaked down his arm, his crystal armor cracking under the crushing pressure. Dawn struggled beside him, her rod nearly slipping from her hands as the roots coiled tighter and tighter, threatening to snap bone.
Soren tilted his head slightly, watching with a detached calm. "So fragile. I almost feel guilty wasting magic on you."
"Save your pity," Silver spat, shards of crystal bursting from his skin in defiance. "We're not done yet!"
With a guttural roar, jagged spires exploded outward from Silver's body. The vines constraining him shattered, crystal lances shooting in every direction. Caleb's wood barriers rose instantly, intercepting most of them, but a few pierced through, grazing his shoulder and drawing blood.
At the same time, Dawn slammed her rod against the ground. Water surged from beneath the fractured crystal floor, bursting upward in a tidal wave. The pressure blew apart the vines wrapped around her, hurling splinters across the hall. She spun her staff, molding the torrent into a massive serpent of water that lunged for Soren.
Soren's eyes narrowed. Cards flared into existence, forming a sharp barrier. The serpent slammed into it—BOOOOM!—the impact rattling the chamber, but his paper wall held, slicing the water apart in a storm of droplets.
But Silver was already moving. With a snap of his hand, the droplets hardened into shimmering crystal shards midair, transforming the scattered water into thousands of hovering blades.
"Crystal Rain!" he roared.
The shards descended like a storm of knives, glinting in the dim light as they fell toward both Caleb and Soren.
Caleb's eyes hardened. He raised both arms. "Sound Rupture."
The moment the shards neared him, an invisible shockwave rippled outward. CRRRRACK! Every crystal exploded midair in a chain reaction, detonating in sharp flashes of light. The resonance reverberated so violently that Silver staggered back, clutching his head, blood dripping from his ear.
"Silver!" Dawn cried out. She spun her rod, drawing the nearby water again, shaping it into a towering wall to shield him. But Soren moved faster.
"Paper Magic: Hundred Piercing Wings!"
From his back, dozens of paper constructs unfolded into blade-like wings. With a single motion, they shot forward, piercing through Dawn's water wall as though it was mist. The paper blades cut across her body, shallow but relentless, painting her skin with crimson lines.
She staggered, dropping to one knee.
Caleb stepped forward, his voice calm but merciless. "It's over. You were never equals."
The roots began to rise again, sharper, thicker, aiming to skewer them both where they stood.
But Silver, gasping, lifted his head. Blood ran into his eyes, but the glimmer of defiance burned brighter than ever. His crystal aura surged, light refracting across the chamber.
"Crystal Zone!"
Silver's voice thundered through the chamber. Instantly, the battlefield transformed. The walls, ceiling, and even the fractured floor morphed into flawless crystal, shimmering like a hall of mirrors. Every reflection glared back with silver light, dazzling and suffocating.
"Cut!"
From every wall, dozens of crystalline blades shot outward like guillotines. SCHING! SCHING! SCHING! The roots that bound them were severed in an instant, falling uselessly to the ground.
Silver's eyes burned. "Lock!"
The crystalline walls erupted again, birthing massive pillars that thrust inward, snapping shut around Caleb and Soren like the jaws of a trap.
Dawn stepped forward, her rod glowing with liquid light. "Water Magic: Razor Rain!"
The ceiling wept torrents of water—only, every drop sharpened into a slicing edge. The deluge hammered down on the trapped duo, carving into the pillars and exploding into spray. For a heartbeat, it looked as if Caleb and Soren were being shredded alive.
Soren's laughter echoed within the storm. "Amusing… but far too shallow."
BOOOM!
The pillar prison detonated outward as if blasted from within. Fragments of paper scattered everywhere—his body exploding into scraps.
Silver's eyes narrowed. A clone!?
The air grew heavier. He felt it—his crystal magic suddenly… smothered. Something was wrapping around it, binding it.
He turned, eyes widening. Outside the gleaming crystal walls, Soren hovered calmly, his hands weaving intricate sigils in the air. Sheets of paper layered over the Crystal Zone like an enclosing shell.
"Paper Enclosure," Soren whispered, lips curled into a mocking smile.
BOOOOM!
The Crystal Zone burst apart under the pressure, shards raining down as Caleb stepped free once more.
And this time, Caleb didn't wait. His body shimmered with luminous aura, his hand forging a radiant staff of pure light. He surged forward, driving it straight for Silver's chest.
"Silver!" Dawn leapt in, rod glowing with deep blue. She intercepted the strike just in time—CLANG! Sparks and sound ripped through the air as rod and light-staff clashed.
Caleb pressed harder, his eyes cold and unyielding. Dawn snarled, stomping her rod against the ground. Magic pulsed outward—
From the surge, a colossal dragon of living water burst forth, roaring as it coiled around Caleb. Its fangs snapped shut, swallowing him whole.
"Now stay down—!" Dawn shouted.
But a deafening CRACK split the air. A soundwave erupted from within the dragon, tearing it apart from the inside. The water beast exploded into a flood that slammed across the chamber, drenching the ground. Caleb stepped out of the torrent, barely scathed, the sound magic still reverberating around him.
On the other side of the hall—
Silver froze. His senses screamed danger. The air around him warped.
A shadow loomed above.
"Paper Creation Magic: Bird of Chaos!"
Soren soared on a monstrous origami bird, its wings tearing the air as it circled high.
"Paper Creation Magic: Beast of Madness!"
From the ground, a hulking figure of paper and ink emerged, shaped like a warrior with twisted limbs, wielding a titanic hammer.
The beast roared and brought the hammer down.
BOOOOOM!
The floor shattered beneath the blow, sending fissures racing outward. Silver crossed his arms, crystals bursting from his body just in time to shield him from the impact.
But the moment he raised his defense, the bird dove from above—its talons glowing with sharpened paper edges.
"Silver!" Dawn's voice rang out.
He twisted, conjuring a wall of crystal to intercept. The bird struck, the collision sending sparks and shards flying. Silver skidded back, barely standing, blood streaking his arm where the paper edge had cut through his guard.
He looked up at the sky—Soren circling above like a predator, the beast below pounding its hammer into the ground with mindless fury.
For the first time, Silver felt it: the crushing realization that he was caught between two monsters at once.
[At the centre of the HQ]
Asher stepped forward, his shadowed aura dragging across the floor like chains.
"...Now… shall I show you how it feels when hope is crushed?"
With a flick of his wrist, a black wave surged outward, tearing apart the fractured stone floor. Ari barely rolled aside as the ground where she knelt was reduced to rubble, while Gray raised a half-broken mirror blade to shield himself—only to be flung back by the sheer pressure.
He slammed into the wall, coughing blood. His aura flickered weakly, as though about to shatter entirely.
"Ari!" he shouted hoarsely.
But Asher was already in front of her. He hadn't even moved—he was simply there. His fist slammed into her gut with bone-cracking force. Ari choked, her blade dimming as she collapsed against the ground, gasping for breath.
"Pathetic," Asher sneered. "Light, mirrors, teamwork—garbage. Do you understand now? Against me, everything you believe in is worthless."
He raised his arm, power coiling like a storm, ready to crush her completely—
CLANG!
Gray appeared, one knee buckled, but his remaining blade intercepted the strike. The impact split the floor beneath them, sending shockwaves across the chamber.
His voice trembled, but his glare was unbroken.
"Worthless? Then why do you keep blocking?"
For the first time, Asher's smirk faltered.
Ari forced herself upright, blood trickling down her chin, her glowing blade reigniting. She pressed her palm to Gray's shoulder, her magic flooding into his broken aura.
Light refracted into the shards of his shattered blades. The fragments floated around him, orbiting like a swarm of glass. Each shard gleamed with radiant color—dozens of mirrored edges charged with Ari's light.
"Together," she whispered.
Gray nodded once. "Together."
They launched forward as one.
Ari surged ahead first—her speed blinding, like a streak of light tearing through the air. Before Asher could fully register her movement, she had already slipped past him, her glowing blade carving a sharp line across his left arm. Sparks of light scattered as blood dripped down his skin.
Asher's eyes narrowed, turning toward her—
Only to sense the shadow looming above.
Gray descended with a massive hammer forged of mercury, its weight amplified by mirrored layers of his magic. He brought it down like a meteor, aiming to crush Asher flat.
Asher raised his hand, catching the blow with terrifying ease. The shockwave rippled across the hall, cracks spiderwebbing beneath his feet. But even as he held it, his anti-magic pulsed—devouring the enchantments within Gray's construct, shrinking the hammer little by little, breaking it apart.
Yet before the hammer was fully undone, Ari struck again. A flash of light—another blade, another strike, slicing across Asher's other arm. His defense faltered for just a breath, and Gray roared, driving the half-dissolving hammer straight into him.
BOOM!
The ground erupted, shards of stone launching skyward as Asher was slammed into the earth. Dust and debris filled the air, and the floor beneath him split open with a violent crack.
When the smoke cleared, Asher rose slowly, both arms bleeding, his smirk replaced by a cold glint of irritation.
Ari steadied her glowing sword, her breath sharp and focused.
Gray spun what remained of his mercury, reforming it into twin blades as his aura shimmered faintly like fractured glass.
They stood ready, side by side—preparing to strike again.
Suddenly, dozens of mirrors erupted around the hall, floating in midair before snapping together into the shape of a massive octagon. Reflections warped across every surface—Ari, Gray, and Asher multiplied endlessly, their images twisting in and out of sight until it was impossible to tell which was real.
The air charged with light.
Ari blurred into motion, her speed multiplied eightfold as the mirrors refracted every flicker of her presence. To Asher, she was everywhere at once—untouchable.
Ari's voice rang sharp and fierce:
"Light Magic: Solar Fold!"
A storm of slashes erupted. Blinding arcs of light carved through the octagon, the sound of cutting steel and cracking stone echoing like a hurricane of blades. For seconds, the battlefield was nothing but radiant chaos.
And then—silence.
The mirrors shattered, falling into glittering dust. Asher staggered forward, his body marked with dozens of deep cuts, blood dripping steadily onto the fractured ground.
Ari steadied her glowing blade, pointing it directly at his chest. Her voice trembled with fury, but her eyes burned with resolve.
"It's over. Tell us your plan—now."
For a moment, Asher said nothing. His head hung low, his shoulders shaking. Then, slowly, a twisted smile crept across his face.
"Ooh… so close. But no. The plan is almost complete. Why would I waste it on you… when you'll be dead in moments?"
He lifted one bloodied arm, pointing toward the air above them. A massive, colorful crystal hovered, pulsing with light—absorbing energy from the battlefield like a living core. Its glow rippled across the room, heavy with destructive power.
"Once this crystal reaches its peak," Asher declared, his voice echoing, "I'll wield enough power to erase this world from existence… and rise as its new ruler."
Gray's grip on his mercury blades tightened. His jaw clenched in disgust.
"What foolishness. But If you really believe that… then I'll destroy it right here."
He leapt forward, mirror aura sparking, rushing straight toward the floating crystal. But Asher's mocking voice stopped him cold:
"Go ahead… and your friend dies with it."
Gray froze mid-step, his entire body stiffening.
Asher's smirk widened, cruel and deliberate.
"He's connected to the crystal—feeding it his magic. Break it now, and the half of his power already drained won't return. His body will collapse under the strain. He won't survive."
Gray's eyes darted toward Jack. Their friend lay on the ground, barely conscious, his breathing shallow, his skin pale as if the very life was being siphoned from him.
"Jack…" Gray whispered, his throat dry, his grip trembling around his blades.
________________________________________
Suddenly, the crystal stopped draining Jack's magic. His body slumped to the floor, breathing ragged but no longer fading.
Asher's lips curled into a grin—then broke into manic laughter.
"Finally…! My dream… my throne of power is complete!"
The crystal trembled, floating upward, spinning faster and faster until its radiant shell cracked apart. With a deafening shatter, it exploded into fragments—yet none of the energy was lost.
Instead, the torrent of pure magic spiraled downward, flooding into Asher's body. Veins glowed beneath his skin, his aura swelling until it seemed the very air bent around him. The ground quaked under the sheer pressure.
Ari and Gray tightened their stances, weapons raised, every nerve on edge.
Across the battlefield, chaos spread. The members of Unique's squad collapsed one by one, drained of strength. Even hardened CA commanders staggered back, confused and terrified by the unnatural wave of energy pulsing from the heart of the HQ.
—Cut to a distant cliff.
Imperial stood at its edge, eyes fixed on the looming storm of power. His hand crackled faintly with lightning as he whispered:
"It's time… let's move."
—Back to the HQ's center.
The entire chamber rattled as Asher straightened, his voice dripping with triumph.
Ari's face twisted with dread. Her light flickered around her blade as she whispered:
"This magic… it's even stronger than the one we fought in the Water Village. It feels… three, maybe four times greater."
Gray's knuckles whitened around his blades. Even breathing was hard, the air thick like tar.
Asher spread his arms wide. The stolen energy swirled around him like a living storm.
"Now… witness my ascension. Reanimation Magic!"
Both Ari and Gray stiffened.
"Re…animation?"
The words felt wrong—unnatural. The magic surging through the HQ wasn't just heavy, it was suffocating. Even animals outside the base collapsed, unable to withstand the oppressive wave. Every fighter in range—ally and enemy alike—could sense it, their instincts screaming in fear.
Then Asher slammed his hand into the ground. His voice thundered like a god's decree:
"Summon!"
Emperor Lucian Alden.
Emperor Darius Veyron.
Emperor Caelan Thorne.
Empress Elara Vaelora.
Emperor Septimus Draven.
As the names were spoken, Ari and the others suddenly felt it—
two monstrous waves of magic pressure descending from above.
BOOOOM!
The impact was so overwhelming that the roof and walls of the HQ shattered, collapsing into dust and rubble. Everyone looked up, hearts pounding.
Above them floated two figures, a man and a woman, cloaked in radiant yet terrifying energy. For a brief moment, Ari and Gray thought they were the same pair they had seen in the Water Village… but no—their faces were different. Still, their power was unmistakable, equal to or greater than those two.
Asher's eyes widened in horror.
"But… where are the other three?"
Before anyone could respond, his body convulsed under the crushing pressure. Blood surged in his veins, his limbs went numb, and with a gasp he collapsed onto the ground.
The woman hovered gracefully, her eyes glimmering with an unnatural glow.
"How surprising… In this generation, there exists a mage capable of reanimation magic."
The man beside her cracked his neck with a grimace.
"But why were we reanimated? What is the purpose?"
His gaze swept toward Ari, Gray, and the others.
The woman's expression hardened.
"My instincts whisper… first, kill these ones. Then, slay the current Emperor. That must be the command of the one who reanimated us in this timeline."
The man snarled, fists clenching.
"Tch. I despise following orders… but this body does not move by my will."
With a roar, he lifted his hand.
From the air above, a massive boulder-like monolith materialized, blotting out the light. Its surface shimmered darkly, its reflection casting the HQ into deep shadow. The sheer size of it was enough to crush everything beneath.
"Move!" Ari cried, tightening her grip on her blade.
"Ethereal Blade!"
She flashed forward, her sword glowing with pure light. With a resounding ching!, her strike split the colossal stone in two, the halves crashing down left and right like falling mountains.
The fragments threatened to bury them all. But the others moved instantly—
Vince unleashed a powerful gale, diverting one side.
Dawn summoned torrents of water to cushion the impact.
Tracey roared, Ashenfang's beast form tearing through debris.
Mirae's chains lashed out, pulling chunks away.
Ezren raised walls of stone to hold back the rubble.
Silver's crystals hardened into barriers, deflecting shards.
Gray's mercury shimmered into reflective shields, redirecting falling pieces.
Together, straining with every ounce of strength, they barely managed to hold back the avalanche. Dust filled the air, and the ground trembled beneath them.
For a moment, silence. Then all eyes rose again toward the two floating emperors—
an ancient nightmare reborn into their era.
Ezren's eyes widened as he stared at the woman. His voice trembled.
"This… this can't be possible…!"
Tracey noticed the fear in his tone.
"Ezren, what's wrong? Do you… know them?"
Ezren's throat tightened, but he forced the words out.
"The woman there… that's the former Empress of the Pyronis Empire. I don't know how many centuries ago, but I'm certain—that is her. Empress Elara Vaelora… the most powerful ruler in Pyronis history. She was once hailed as the fifth strongest emperor of all time."
The group went silent, the weight of his words sinking in.
Then Mirae's chains rattled faintly as her gaze shifted to the man beside her. Her expression darkened.
"And the one standing next to her… I recognize him as well. He is the former Emperor of the Aetheris Empire. In the records, he is remembered as one of the greatest rulers the world has ever seen. The third strongest emperor in all of history."
The revelation crashed over them like thunder. These weren't just enemies—
they were legends reborn, brought back through forbidden magic.