The moment Leo stepped closer…
The crystal above the coffin suddenly began to shine.
A deep golden light filled the entire chamber.
"…Something's wrong," Yuna whispered.
Before anyone could react—
The coffin burst open.
The girl's eyes snapped open.
And in the very next second—
She disappeared.
"LEO—!" Lily shouted.
Too late.
The girl appeared right in front of Leo and launched a punch straight at him.
Leo's eyes widened, but he reacted instantly. He opened his bag and pulled out a pair of metallic gloves.
"Good thing I made these…"
He quickly wore them—
And blocked.
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion echoed through the chamber.
The impact sent shockwaves across the walls.
Leo was blown back violently, crashing into the ground.
"ARGH—!!"
Cracks spread across his gloves… but his hands weren't safe.
His bones shattered under the pressure. Blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
"…That… hurt…"
Before the girl could attack again—
A figure stepped in front of him.
Lily.
"Go back and rest," she said coldly. "We didn't train this hard for nothing."
Her aura flared up.
The girl dashed forward again, attacking at insane speed.
But this time—
Lily matched her.
Their fists collided again and again in rapid close combat. Each strike created sharp shockwaves. Lily moved perfectly, blocking, countering, stepping in and out like a trained fighter.
Within seconds—
She grabbed the girl's arm, twisted her movement, and slammed her to the ground, pinning her down.
"Stop!" Lily said firmly. "We are not your enemies. We came to save you."
The girl froze.
Silence filled the room.
"…Save me?" she whispered.
Her aggressive aura slowly faded.
"Oh…" she looked confused, then slightly embarrassed, "…I thought you were enemies."
Lily loosened her grip. "Are you done attacking now?"
"…Yeah."
Lily stepped back.
The girl stood up, dusting herself, then smiled lightly.
"My name is Sahara."
She looked at them curiously. "Do you know where my sisters are?"
Leo slowly got up from behind, still holding his broken hands. "…If they're like you… they're probably sleeping inside their own temples."
Sahara nodded.
"We came to wake you first," Yuna added. "There's an organization chasing all of you."
Sahara's expression changed. "Who sent you?"
Leo casually replied, "Code 550."
For a second, Sahara blinked…
Then suddenly—
"AUNTY SENT YOU?!"
Her entire personality flipped.
She rushed toward them like an excited child. "Where is she? I want to meet her right now!"
Chen Wei sighed. "She's not here…"
Sahara pouted like a kid. "…Oh."
Then suddenly, she grabbed the floating crystal and handed it to Leo.
"Take this."
Everyone was surprised.
"This is the Earth Core," she explained. "I'm connected to it. If it gets destroyed… I'll die too."
Leo carefully took it.
Sahara continued, "We sisters maintain balance in this world… especially the elements. But now…"
Her eyes turned serious.
"…everything is about to change."
She walked toward a wall and pointed at the map Leo had.
"Do you still have the map you used to get here?"
Leo nodded and handed it over.
Sahara placed it against the wall.
Suddenly—
A glowing line appeared on the map.
It started moving…
From this temple… straight toward another location.
"There," Sahara said. "That's the next temple."
Chen Wei looked closely. "Lightning Temple."
Yuna nodded. "So that's our next target."
Sahara added, "The temple with the weapon symbol… that's where our eldest sister sleeps. That one… we should leave for last."
Everyone understood.
Leo let out a long breath, sitting down.
"If I didn't make these gloves…" he looked at his broken hands and laughed weakly, "…I'd be dead right now."
Sahara looked at him apologetically. "Sorry… I thought you were enemies."
"…It's fine."
But suddenly—
Lily stepped in between them.
Her expression… slightly annoyed.
"…You're getting way too friendly."
Sahara tilted her head. "Huh?"
Leo quickly looked away. "…Anyway, let's move—"
Before he could finish—
BOOOOM!!!
The wall behind them exploded.
Dust filled the air.
Two figures slowly walked in.
The Poison Girl… and the Martial Artist Killer.
"Well well…" the Poison Girl smiled. "You did all the hard work for us."
The killer cracked his neck. "Now hand over the core."
Sahara stepped back. "Enemies…"
Lily immediately got into stance. "Get ready."
The fight started instantly.
The killer dashed forward at insane speed, targeting Leo directly.
But Chen Wei intercepted him mid-way, blocking his attack with a powerful water-infused strike.
"Your opponent is me."
Meanwhile, the Poison Girl released a purple mist that spread across the room.
"Don't breathe it!" Yuna warned, creating a barrier to block the poison.
Lily charged straight toward her, ignoring the danger.
"You think tricks like this will stop me?"
Their clash shook the chamber.
Sahara tried to help, but Leo stopped her.
"Don't."
"What?"
Leo's eyes turned serious.
"This was part of the plan."
Chen Wei shouted while fighting, "We don't win here—we escape!"
Sahara froze.
"…Oh."
Yuna reinforced the barrier one last time. "Go! We'll cover you!"
Lily pushed the Poison Girl back with a powerful strike and jumped back.
"Move now!"
Without wasting a second, Leo grabbed Sahara's hand.
"Run!"
They dashed toward the exit, dodging collapsing debris and leftover traps.
Behind them, explosions and clashes continued.
The enemies were strong… but the team had no intention of fighting to win.
Not yet.
Their goal was clear—
Rescue all the guardians first.
Then…
They would fight. 🔥