Michael and Raithasu stepped into the ancient room.
The air felt unnaturally still.
Not a single layer of dust covered the furniture. The walls remained untouched by time, as if the room itself had rejected decay for decades.
Raithasu narrowed his eyes.
"How is this room still clean? There isn't even a scratch…"
Michael slowly walked forward, his fingers brushing across an old wooden table.
"This room has its own power."
Raithasu looked around cautiously.
"But what are we even searching for?"
Michael's expression darkened.
"I don't know… but every clue leads back to her room."
Raithasu sighed in frustration.
"If you don't know what we're looking for, then how are we supposed to find it?"
Michael stopped.
"We need to open a portal."
Raithasu frowned.
"What kind of portal?"
Michael turned toward him, his eyes cold and serious.
"A portal to the past… twenty years ago."
Raithasu's eyes widened.
"The past…?"
—
Meanwhile…
Hiyori suddenly froze.
A sharp pain struck her head.
"Ah—!"
Her vision blurred. For a single second, her power completely vanished.
Her body collapsed onto the ground.
Vesper immediately rushed forward and grabbed the glowing eyes lying beside her.
Hiyori weakly reached toward him.
"Please… give them back… I can't break her trust…"
Vesper stared at her with a twisted smile.
"Trust?"
He laughed softly.
"First, I'll take this power… then I'll kill every last one of you."
"No… you can't…"
Ignoring her cries, Vesper slowly placed the mysterious eyes into his own.
The moment they connected—
BOOOOM!!
A terrifying surge of energy exploded through his body.
Veins darkened. His muscles trembled violently.
For one horrifying second, Vesper felt a pressure so monstrous it nearly tore his body apart from the inside.
"GRAAAAHHH!!"
But somehow…
He controlled it.
The storm of power settled around him like black flames.
Vesper slowly lifted his head.
His appearance had completely changed.
Dark energy flowed from his body. His eyes glowed like burning stars.
He smiled.
"Now…"
STEP.
"It's time…"
STEP.
"For all of you…"
STEP.
"To say goodbye."
He walked toward Lyra.
She lay unconscious and defenseless on the ground.
Hiyori's eyes widened in horror.
"No… PLEASE!"
Vesper glanced at her.
"How pathetic."
He reached Lyra, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her into the air.
Lyra's body hung lifelessly in his grip.
His fingers slowly tightened.
CRACK…
"She's dying…" Hiyori whispered.
"No—!"
Using the last of her strength, Hiyori lunged forward and shoved Vesper aside.
Caught off balance, he stumbled backward, releasing Lyra.
Hiyori barely managed to stand.
Her legs shook violently.
Blood dripped from her mouth.
Vesper's expression twisted with rage.
"Then I'll kill you first."
He rushed toward her.
FAST.
Too fast.
Hiyori tried to dodge—
THUD!!
His fist slammed into her stomach.
Before she could recover—
SHINK!!
Vesper transformed his hand into a sharp black blade and stabbed straight through her abdomen.
"AAGHHHHHH!!"
Hiyori collapsed onto the floor screaming.
Blood spread beneath her.
Her vision faded.
And suddenly—
A memory appeared.
A small wooden house.
Warm sunlight.
An old man sat beside her, smiling gently.
"If one day you face someone you cannot defeat…"
He placed a hand on her head.
"…call him."
Hiyori looked up.
"Will he come?"
The old man smiled.
"He will never leave you… until your final breath."
—
Back in the present—
Hiyori screamed.
Not a normal scream.
It was something deeper.
Something ancient.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
The entire battlefield trembled.
BOOOOM!!
The sky darkened instantly.
Winds exploded outward in every direction.
Everyone froze.
A terrifying black-and-pink energy erupted from Hiyori's body like a living storm.
Her hair floated violently in the air.
Her nails extended into monstrous claws.
Vesper stepped back in shock.
"What… is this?"
In a blur—
SLASH!!
Hiyori struck him across the face.
Vesper was launched hundreds of feet away, crashing through stone and debris.
"UGH—!"
He stood up, breathing heavily.
"How did she become this strong?!"
Enraged, Vesper raised his hand.
"FIRE CANNON!!"
A massive inferno blasted toward her.
But Hiyori walked through the flames as if they were nothing.
Vesper's confidence shattered.
He activated his eye ability to search for her weakness.
His vision pierced through her body—
And he froze.
Nothing.
No organs.
No heartbeat.
No weakness.
Her body looked completely empty.
"Impossible…"
Vesper unleashed attack after attack.
Explosions.
Fire.
Energy blasts.
Nothing affected her.
Hiyori slowly approached him.
Step.
Step.
Step.
For the first time—
Vesper felt fear.
In panic, he activated his ultimate protection barrier.
A glowing shield surrounded his body.
"She can't break this…"
Hiyori placed her hand on the barrier.
CRACK.
Vesper's eyes widened.
CRAAACK!!
The shield shattered instantly.
Before he could react—
Hiyori grabbed him by the face, lifted him into the air, and hurled him across the battlefield.
Vesper crashed hard against the ground.
Coughing blood, he immediately turned and ran.
But it was too late.
Dark energy spread from Hiyori like a curse and surrounded him completely.
Vesper screamed.
"WAIT—!"
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The entire area exploded in black-and-pink light.
Silence followed.
Vesper was gone.
Dead.
Hiyori slowly walked toward the remains.
She picked up the glowing eyes from the ashes.
Then she returned to Lyra.
Kneeling beside her, Hiyori gently placed the eyes back where they belonged.
The dark energy surrounding Hiyori disappeared instantly.
Her hair slowly fell back down.
Her body trembled weakly.
And then—
She collapsed unconscious beside Lyra.
—
Meanwhile…
Michael and Raithasu searched the room desperately.
"We checked every corner," Raithasu said angrily. "There's still no clue!"
Michael remained silent.
Then suddenly—
"We only need a mirror."
Raithasu blinked.
"A mirror? Why didn't you say that earlier?!"
Michael frowned.
"Did you see one anywhere?"
Raithasu looked around.
"No…"
Michael's eyes narrowed.
"That's strange."
Raithasu took a step backward—
THUD!!
A painting suddenly fell from the wall behind him.
Both of them froze.
Raithasu stared at the fallen painting.
"What was that…?"
Michael slowly smiled.
"We found it."
"Found what?"
Michael pointed toward the wall.
"Look behind you."
Raithasu slowly turned around.
And instantly—
A blinding light exploded from the wall.
WHOOOOOOOSH!!
The room shook violently.
Before either of them could react—
Both Michael and Raithasu vanished without a trace.