The journey back to the Kokoro-Zoku clan had been long, but when Lithos, Zenith, and team Hinazuki finally returned with the rare herb, the air shifted as though the entire realm itself exhaled in relief.
Princess Kairi rushed toward them, her eyes sparkling with hope, the pale weight of sleepless nights replaced by trembling joy. Without thinking, she flung her arms around the group.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The embrace was sudden, warm, and filled with desperation. For a brief second, Zenith froze, his usual sharp tongue silenced, while Hinazuki smiled faintly at the sight. Lithos, however, turned bright red from ear to ear.
"Y-Yeah… it's… okay…" he stammered, voice cracking as he tried to mask his embarrassment.
Kairi quickly pulled back, realizing what she had done. "Ah! I–I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"
But Lithos only gave the smallest of nods. His awkward reaction made Zenith snort under his breath, though he said nothing.
With hurried steps, Kairi disappeared into her father's chambers, clutching the herb as though it were life itself. The group waited in silence, the tension between hope and dread pressing against their hearts.
Minutes later, the door creaked open. Kairi stepped out, her hands clasped together, tears brimming at the edge of her eyes.
"…He's breathing easier. His strength is returning."
Her voice trembled with relief. She bowed deeply, her forehead nearly touching the floor. "I truly appreciate your help. Without you, my father…"
Zenith cut her short with a sharp tone. "Yeah, yeah… that's great and all. But we need to get moving."
Hinazuki's eyes narrowed, his hand twitching toward his sword. "Zenith. Don't be so inconsiderate."
"I'm not," Zenith fired back. His fiery spirit blazed in his words. "I just… I have duties to fulfill. Even if we had all the time in the world, Suno-san is still out there—suffering every second we waste standing here. While we talk, he's being tortured. Every moment… every heartbeat counts."
The weight of his conviction silenced even Hinazuki. Lithos stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Zenith's shoulder.
"You're not alone in that. We all feel the same. Don't bear that burden by yourself."
Zenith's jaw clenched, but he didn't argue.
Kairi, sensing the tension, quickly retrieved something from within her robes. She pressed a set of glowing talismans into their palms. "These will help you return to the physical world when your mission is done."
Hinazuki tilted his head. "…Where exactly will they take us?"
"To the place where your portal first opened. It will anchor you back."
Oborozuka whistled. "Sheesh! That's convenient."
Zenith's eyes lit up. "What do you mean 'convenient'? That's perfect!"
The will-o-wisp, who had until then been hovering silently, suddenly spoke in a deeper, altered voice. "Do we begin the journey—po?"
Everyone turned in confusion. Lithos arched a brow. "…What's with the change of tone? And what's with the 'po' all of a sudden?"
The flame flickered once, pulsing faint amusement. "I am not the one you first met. I am his brother—the one who knows the path to the Cave of Eternity."
Zenith's eyes widened. "…Huh?"
"And within that cave," the orb said, "lies the one you seek."
Lithos rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his sharp mind already piecing together the implications. "…I see. That must be where Suno-san's fate ties in."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Oborozuka threw his arms into the air. "Let's get moving already!"
But just as they prepared to depart, Kairi halted them again.
Zenith sighed. "…What now?"
Kairi lifted her hands, revealing a pendant that shimmered with a light unlike any they had seen. "My father wanted you to have this."
It was a pendant wrought from pure spiritual crystal, etched with the Kokoro-Zoku crest. The weight of lineage, of authority, hung in the air as she pressed it into Lithos' hands. "It is a royal pendant. Use it as a pass… should you ever be questioned by an immortal."
Lithos' eyes widened in sudden realization. "Ah! I nearly forgot about them…"
Zenith scoffed. "Immortals? Like they're a big deal. Pfft."
Lithos frowned deeply, his voice sharpening. "Don't underestimate them. In the physical world, you might call them 'Ronin'—wandering swordsmen without masters. But here, in the spirit realm… they are infinitely deadlier."
The room grew tense as he continued, his words weaving lore into the air like an ancient incantation. "Immortality is not mere rumor. It is a rank attained only after ten thousand years of cultivation in this realm. And beyond that… if one cultivates for another hundred thousand years… they ascend as new gods themselves."
The weight of his words silenced the group. Even Zenith stopped mid-scoff, his fiery confidence dimming ever so slightly.
Oborozuka muttered, "…So that's why the spirits are said to be the closest to the gods."
Lithos nodded grimly. "Currently, there are seven known immortals. Each one wields power beyond imagination. They are bound to this terrain, shaping it at will. The only way to kill them is by destroying their very essence. And should one ever cross into the physical world, they could live for eternity. Many choose not to, though—some take Immortal Suppressing Pills to remain here. But even then… their powers remain untouched."
A long silence followed. Zenith, however, had already started dozing off, swaying slightly on his feet. "…Okay… you done?"
Lithos pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Good," Zenith barked. "THEN LET'S GO!"
Without warning, he shot forward, his speed forcing the rest of the group to chase after him.
"Ugh… blockhead," Lithos muttered.
---
They pressed on, their journey winding through forests that shimmered with ghostly light, across rivers that whispered secrets, and over ridges where the stars themselves seemed to bend closer to watch them. The air grew heavier, charged with a strange, divine pressure.
Finally, they reached it.
The Cave of Eternity.
Its mouth yawned open before them, and within, the darkness glittered—countless points of light scattered across the cavern walls like a billion stars condensed into a single space. The sight was so overwhelming, so holy, that every one of them felt unworthy of even standing there.
"…W-what is this place?" Zenith whispered, for once struck silent.
Then, from the shadows, footsteps echoed.
A man emerged slowly—yet his presence felt as though it had been waiting there since the dawn of time. His shadow stretched long against the glittering cave floor, and from it unfurled six wings of pure divinity. Armor glimmered faintly around his form, and in his hands rested a black book inscribed with letters too ancient to comprehend.
When he stepped into the star-glow, his true form revealed itself: long, flowing black hair, a robe as dark as midnight itself, and eyes that carried the weight of eternity.
Every nerve in Zenith, Lithos, and the others screamed danger. Their bodies moved on instinct, assuming defensive stances before their minds even caught up.
The man's gaze pierced through them—sharp, unyielding, crushing. And then… he spoke.
"…Get… out."
The cavern trembled at his voice.
And as if fate itself were watching, far away above the Warrior Citadel, two hooded figures stood atop a ridge. Their eyes pierced through the barrier Kazui had cast, staring into the citadel from above.
They said nothing. They only smiled.