The city had become a battlefield.
Smoke covered the sky.
Burning houses crackled in the distance.
Screams echoed through the streets as citizens fought one another.
Elysia finally arrived in the city.
She stopped for a moment.
Her blue eyes swept across the destruction.
Only a few hours ago, these people had been living peacefully.
Children had been laughing.
Families had been smiling.
Now they were trying to kill each other.
Something about it felt wrong.
Very wrong.
But there was no time to think.
"Raithasu... Michael... everyone..."
She immediately began running through the crowd.
---
A man suddenly lunged from the side.
His sword shot forward.
STAB!
The blade pierced straight through Elysia's stomach.
The attacker froze.
His eyes widened in horror.
"W-What?!"
The sword had passed through her body as if she were made of water.
Elysia slowly turned her head.
Her expression was completely unimpressed.
"You picked the wrong person."
BAM!
Her kick smashed into his face.
The man flew backward.
Before he could stand, several more attackers rushed toward her.
"Kill her!"
Swords swung from every direction.
Elysia sighed.
Then her body dissolved into flowing water.
The attackers' blades passed through empty air.
"What?!"
"Where did she go?!"
Panic spread among them.
A moment later—
SPLASH!
Elysia appeared behind one of them.
Her hand grabbed his neck.
The man's eyes rolled back before he collapsed.
Another attacker charged.
Elysia spun.
A wave of water struck him like a hammer.
He crashed through a wooden cart.
Within moments, the remaining attackers fled.
None dared approach her again.
---
Elysia continued running.
As she moved deeper into the city, she saw more horrors.
Children crying beside burning homes.
Families hiding behind broken walls.
Old men trying to protect their loved ones.
A house suddenly burst into flames.
People screamed.
Without hesitation, Elysia raised her hand.
Water gathered around her.
WHOOSH!
A powerful stream shot through the air.
The fire vanished instantly.
The crowd stared at her in shock.
"Magic..."
"A spirit user..."
"Who is she?"
Elysia ignored them.
She only had one goal.
Find her friends.
---
Then—
She saw him.
Standing near a café.
A familiar figure.
Black hair.
Sword in hand.
Raithasu.
For a moment, her heart filled with relief.
A smile appeared on her face.
Finally.
She found someone.
"RAITHASU!"
She ran toward him.
---
Suddenly—
CRACK!
Something hard slammed into the back of her head.
Pain exploded through her body.
Her vision blurred.
Because she had seen Raithasu, her concentration had broken.
Her water abilities had deactivated.
For the first time since entering the city...
She was vulnerable.
The world spun.
Her knees gave out.
"Wh..."
Darkness swallowed her vision.
---
Meanwhile...
Raithasu suddenly stopped.
His eyes widened.
He had heard it.
That voice.
"Elysia?"
He turned around immediately.
"Elysia!"
The street behind him was empty.
Only abandoned carts.
Smoke.
And fleeing civilians.
"Elysia!"
He shouted again.
No answer.
His heart began racing.
He knew that voice.
He was certain.
Yet there was nobody there.
Unknown to him, several figures were dragging Elysia through a narrow alleyway.
Hidden beneath cloaks.
Moving away from the battlefield.
Toward the castle.
---
Raithasu clenched his fists.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
But before he could search further, another explosion echoed from the castle.
BOOOOOOM!
He looked toward the distant walls.
More smoke was rising.
The war was getting worse.
"Michael..."
His jaw tightened.
"I have to get there."
Reluctantly, he turned away.
Then he began running toward the castle.
Unaware that Elysia had been taken only moments ago.
--
Elsewhere...
Deep beneath the castle.
Dark stone corridors stretched endlessly.
Torches flickered against the walls.
Daiki finally reached the prison area.
His breathing was heavy from running.
Hina followed close behind.
Suddenly she pulled her arm away from his grip.
Daiki stopped.
"What?"
Hina crossed her arms.
"What are you doing?"
"We need to escape from here."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Not run deeper into the most dangerous place in the castle."
Daiki looked toward the darkness ahead.
Toward the cells.
Toward where Michael was imprisoned.
A determined smile appeared on his face.
"Then we're in the right place."
The distant sound of chains echoed through the underground prison.
And somewhere ahead...
Michael waited.
Hina frowned.
"We need to find everyone and get out of here."
Daiki nodded.
"That's exactly why I'm going down there."
"Michael is imprisoned somewhere below."
Before Hina could answer, someone suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Wait!"
Hina turned around.
Her eyes widened.
"Pixie?"
The young prince stood there breathing heavily.
Relief washed across his face.
"Finally."
"I've been looking for you everywhere."
Daiki glanced between the two.
Pixie stepped closer.
"Come with me."
"We need to leave this area immediately."
His eyes shifted toward Daiki.
"And who is he?"
Daiki instinctively tensed.
Before either of them could speak, Hina quickly stepped between them.
"It's fine."
She leaned closer to Daiki and whispered something into his ear.
Daiki listened carefully.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
Hina gave him a serious look.
"Be careful."
"You too."
Without another word, Hina left with Pixie.
Daiki watched them disappear into the corridor.
Then he turned toward the prison depths.
His expression hardened.
"Michael... hang on."
The underground prison was a maze of stone hallways and iron bars.
Torches flickered along the walls.
The distant sounds of battle echoed faintly from above.
Daiki rushed forward without hesitation.
The moment he entered the lower level, several guards spotted him.
"There!"
"Stop him!"
Gunfire erupted.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Daiki instantly moved.
He ducked beneath the bullets.
One guard rushed him.
Daiki's fist crashed into the man's jaw.
CRACK!
Another attacked from behind.
Daiki spun and drove his elbow into the soldier's chest.
The guard slammed into a wall.
More soldiers poured into the corridor.
Daiki fought them one after another.
Punches.
Kicks.
Throws.
The prison hallway became a battlefield.
Minutes passed.
His breathing grew heavier.
His muscles burned.
Yet he refused to stop.
Finally, the path ahead cleared.
Bodies of unconscious guards covered the floor.
Daiki immediately began searching every cell.
One prison.
Nothing.
Another prison.
Empty.
Another.
Still nothing.
"Where are you, Michael?"
He continued deeper underground.
Then even more guards appeared.
Daiki clenched his fists.
"Seriously?"
The soldiers charged.
Another brutal fight began.
Meanwhile...
Far below the castle.
In the deepest prison level.
Michael sat alone inside a dark cell.
Chains bound his wrists.
His head remained lowered.
Then—
Footsteps.
Fast footsteps.
Michael slowly looked up.
A familiar figure appeared.
His eyes widened.
"Daiki?"
Daiki stopped in front of the cell.
A grin spread across his face.
"There you are."
Michael immediately stood.
"How many people came with you?"
Daiki rested his hands on his knees while catching his breath.
"Me."
"Elysia."
"And the girl who was with Yuki."
Michael blinked.
"Hina?"
"Yeah."
Michael stepped closer to the bars.
"Where are they now?"
Daiki pointed upward.
"Elysia went to find Raithasu."
"He escaped into the city."
"Hina is with the Southern Prince."
Michael looked surprised.
"The prince?"
Daiki shrugged.
"He promised to help us."
"And honestly, having a prince on our side makes finding everyone easier."
Michael nodded slowly.
Then his eyes shifted toward the iron bars.
Without warning—
He grabbed them.
His muscles tightened.
CRAAAAK!
The metal bent.
Daiki's eyes widened.
"Wait."
"You could do that?"
Michael ignored him.
With one final pull—
BOOM!
The bars tore apart.
A hole large enough for a person appeared.
Daiki stared.
"...And here I was trying to find a key."
Michael stepped toward the opening.
Then stopped.
The chains around his wrists rattled.
His expression darkened.
"I can get out."
"But these restraints are still locking my powers."
"We need the key."
The two exchanged looks.
Then—
Footsteps echoed from both directions.
Daiki slowly turned.
Michael looked behind him.
Their expressions froze.
Soldiers.
Dozens of them.
They filled the corridor ahead.
And behind.
Swords.
Rifles.
Spears.
An endless wall of enemies.
One captain stepped forward.
"Surround them."
The soldiers raised their weapons.
Daiki exhaled slowly.
Michael clenched his chained fists.
It seemed the prison escape wasn't going to be easy.
Meanwhile...
The upper castle had fallen eerily silent.
Most guests had hidden themselves inside rooms, basements, and storage chambers.
Only the sounds of distant war remained.
Inside the bride's room...
The princess sat nervously on the edge of her bed.
The ancient book rested in her hands.
Her fingers traced its worn cover.
Something about it felt important.
Familiar.
Almost as if destiny itself had led her to it.
Then—
BANG!
The door exploded inward.
The princess jumped to her feet.
Two armed men rushed into the room.
Fear flashed across her face.
She stepped backward.
"W-Who are you?"
Neither answered.
One of them pointed at her.
"There she is."
The princess instinctively tightened her grip on the book.
"No..."
The men advanced.
She continued backing away.
The book slipped from her trembling fingers.
THUD.
It hit the floor.
The men grabbed her arms.
She struggled desperately.
"Let me go!"
"Help!"
But nobody came.
Outside, the war continued to consume the kingdom.
And somewhere beyond the burning battlefield...
Yuki was getting closer with every passing moment.