The battlefield had gone quiet.
The ocean rolled beneath the ruined island, carrying pieces of broken stone away from the shore.
Junyu lay motionless in the shallow water.
His crimson hair floated across his face.
His horns were still visible.
But his body no longer moved.
Morgan stood a short distance away.
He stared down at him.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then Morgan lowered his weapon.
Morgan's thoughts
He's unconscious.
Should I kill him now?
His eyes remained fixed on Junyu.
He is the vessel of Lacod Darmen.
If I kill him here...
I could end the return of the Devil.
Morgan's hand tightened around his weapon.
But do I really do that?
He looked at Junyu again.
There was something different about him now.
Something Morgan could see that most people couldn't.
His body is changing.
In a few weeks...
He'll be completely ready to absorb Darmen.
Morgan's expression darkened.
But Junyu...
He's a good kid.
Silence.
Morgan closed his eyes.
He thought about everything Organization X had sacrificed.
Everything they had planned.
Everything they believed.
Then he opened his eyes.
His decision was made.
Morgan's thoughts:
The New World...
What I am going to create starts here.
And this sacrifice...
will be the return of the Dark Era.
Morgan looked toward the horizon.
Morgan:
"The New World."
INSIDE JUNYU
Darkness.
Junyu opened his eyes.
He was standing in a place he had never seen before.
There was no ocean.
No island.
No sky.
Only endless darkness surrounding a strange, empty landscape.
Junyu looked around.
Junyu:
"Where am I?"
A figure stood in the distance.
His body was hidden beneath shadows.
Junyu immediately took a defensive stance.
Junyu:
"Who are you?"
The figure slowly raised his head.
Unknown Soul:
"I am you."
Junyu's expression hardened.
Junyu:
"You are not me!"
The figure stepped forward.
Unknown Soul:
"Don't you understand, Junyu?"
"You are the reason I'm inside you."
Junyu clenched his fists.
Junyu:
"You're just inside me because you are!"
The figure remained calm.
Unknown Soul:
"Junyu... calm down."
A pause.
Unknown Soul:
"I am Unknown Soul."
Junyu stared at him.
Junyu:
"Unknown Soul?"
The figure nodded.
Unknown Soul:
"I am you..."
His shadow began moving.
"...but upside down."
Junyu said nothing.
Unknown Soul:
"I am you..."
His eyes began glowing through the darkness.
"...but the one with the power to change this world."
Junyu's expression changed.
Unknown Soul:
"I am getting ready for his return."
Junyu stepped toward him.
Junyu:
"Why are you inside me?"
"Leave me alone!"
The Unknown Soul slowly smiled.
Unknown Soul:
"I can't."
"I've awakened."
"My goal is to take over you."
He paused.
"And it would be very easy."
Junyu stared at him.
Unknown Soul:
"I could do it right now."
"But I want to talk."
Junyu lowered his fists slightly.
Junyu:
"What do you want to talk about?"
The Unknown Soul looked around the strange world.
Unknown Soul:
"Junyu..."
"Listen."
"This world is different."
"But we have to forge it back into what it was."
Junyu shook his head.
Junyu:
"It can be done with your powers."
The Unknown Soul smiled.
Unknown Soul:
"It will be done."
Junyu immediately stepped forward.
Junyu:
"NO!"
His voice echoed through the darkness.
"My world is here."
He looked around.
"On this island."
"And the world I seek is outside."
"A world for me to explore."
Junyu's eyes hardened.
"There is nothing called forging."
"The world isn't yours to conquer."
His voice became stronger.
"It's yours to improve."
The Unknown Soul remained silent.
Junyu continued.
Junyu:
"I believe in a world where people can live happily."
"A world with no wars."
"Just peace."
The Unknown Soul shook his head.
Unknown Soul:
"It's fake."
"There can never be something like that."
Junyu looked directly at him.
Junyu:
"That's what people would've said to you before your idea."
He stepped closer.
"Every one of us tries to do something."
"We chase our dreams."
"Our dreams lie within us."
Junyu placed a hand against his chest.
"And we have the power to make them real."
The darkness around him began to brighten slightly.
Junyu:
"Lacod Junyu..."
The Unknown Soul's expression became serious.
"When will you understand?"
"This world isn't going to be good for you."
Junyu answered without hesitation.
Junyu:
"It will be."
The Unknown Soul began fading.
His body dissolved into the darkness.
Junyu's eyes widened.
Junyu:
"What?"
The Unknown Soul's voice echoed through the space.
Unknown Soul:
"We are one, Junyu."
The remaining shadow began flowing toward Junyu.
Unknown Soul:
"I can't control you now."
"But I will return."
"Not in years."
"Not in months."
"In days."
The darkness entered Junyu's body.
Unknown Soul:
"Because I am forever inside you."
"You and I are one soul."
"We are Lacod Junyu."
The final trace of the Unknown Soul disappeared.
Unknown Soul:
"We are the Ones."
Silence.
Junyu stood alone.
For now...
the internal conflict was over.
But only temporarily.
THE FINAL MINUTE
Junyu's eyes suddenly opened.
GASP!
Water rushed away from his body as he stood.
He looked forward.
Morgan was already there.
A sword rested in his hands.
Energy surrounded the blade.
The air itself seemed to bend around it.
Morgan had gathered enough power into the sword to create a slash capable of cutting through the sea itself.
Morgan raised the weapon.
Morgan:
"Lacod Junyu."
The blade came down.
SHHHHKKK!
Junyu moved.
His leg shot upward.
CRACK!
He kicked the sword away before the slash could reach him.
Morgan's eyes widened.
Morgan:
"What?"
Junyu rose completely from the water.
His breathing was heavy.
His eyes were focused.
Junyu:
"Morgan."
He stepped forward.
"It's time to end this."
Morgan stared at him.
Junyu's aura flickered around his body.
Junyu:
"I can see it now."
"The world you seek..."
He clenched his fist.
"And the world I seek..."
His eyes met Morgan's.
"...are completely opposite."
A pause.
"Only one of those worlds can live."
Morgan picked up his sword.
His answer was immediate.
Morgan:
"Mine."
The atmosphere changed.
The wind stopped.
Even the ocean seemed to become still.
Then Junyu noticed something.
A faint countdown.
His energy.
His body.
Everything was running out.
One minute.
Junyu's eyes widened.
Only a minute...
Morgan raised his sword.
Morgan:
"Stop us if you can."
Junyu disappeared.
WHOOSH!
He appeared directly in front of Morgan.
His fist shot forward.
Morgan tilted his head aside.
The punch missed.
Junyu immediately followed with another.
Morgan stepped back.
Junyu swept his leg toward him.
Morgan jumped over it.
Junyu turned and attacked again.
Punch.
Kick.
Elbow.
Morgan avoided each one by the smallest possible distance.
Junyu realized what was happening.
Morgan wasn't trying to defeat him.
He was running out the clock.
Junyu:
"Why are you running?"
Morgan dodged another strike.
Morgan:
"Whatever is right for this mission."
Junyu's eyes narrowed.
He chased him across the battlefield.
Morgan continued retreating.
Every second disappeared.
KATSA
Far away, Katsa watched.
Her white wings were still behind her.
But she wasn't looking at Lucia anymore.
She was looking at Junyu.
Her captain.
The person who had fought beside all of them.
The person who had always believed they could reach the world beyond the island.
Katsa's expression trembled.
Maybe...
This is the last time we'll see Junyu as Junyu.
Lucia stood nearby.
She watched Katsa carefully.
Lucia:
"You have to do it."
Katsa didn't respond.
Lucia:
"All of you."
"Together."
Katsa slowly sat down.
She looked away.
Trying to block Lucia's words from her mind.
THE FINAL MOMENTS
Junyu charged again.
His foot slipped against the muddy ground.
Junyu:
"!"
Morgan instantly took the opportunity.
THUD!
His fist struck Junyu across the face.
Junyu stumbled.
His vision blurred.
Morgan stepped forward.
Morgan:
"Lacod Junyu..."
Junyu tried to stand.
His energy was fading.
The crimson aura around him flickered.
His horns began shrinking.
His transformation was disappearing.
Morgan stood over him.
Morgan:
"It's done."
Junyu's knees gave way.
He fell.
Morgan placed one foot against Junyu's back.
The battlefield became completely silent.
Morgan:
"Lacod Junyu..."
He looked down at him.
"The son of Darmen..."
His voice was cold.
"...beneath my feet."
Junyu's eyes slowly closed.
His remaining energy disappeared.
All the hope he had carried—
for his crew,
for his island,
for the world he dreamed of seeing—
seemed to disappear with it.
Junyu lay motionless beneath the dark sky.
And inside his fading consciousness...
he saw something.
The end of the world.
Cities disappearing.
The sky changing.
The old world collapsing into darkness.
And then—
beyond the ruins—
he saw something else.
A new world.
The beginning of something completely different.
The world Morgan wanted.
The world he had fought against.
Junyu watched it emerge before his eyes.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't speak.
He could only watch.
The old world was ending.
And the New World was beginning.
THE END OF JUNYU VS MORGAN.