Finally, the day of the great departure arrived, bringing with it those painful moments of farewell. The air in the great portal hall felt heavier — laden with a silent solemnity that no one dared break. Aurion and Nyx had accompanied them to the portal to open it and bid them farewell before they crossed through.
They found themselves in an immense hall of majestic proportions, its walls of dark stone covered in dragon sculptures of extraordinary detail. Reliefs and engravings told, scene after scene, the thousand-year history of the dragon people — epic battles, sealed pacts, the birth of legends. The air was cool and slightly damp, carrying the scent of ancient rock. At the far end of this vast hall, a massively cracked stone wall seemed to hold back something colossal behind it. On either side, embedded in the rock as though they had been part of it since the dawn of time, two great imposing dragons stood guard, their stone eyes appearing nonetheless to follow the visitors' every move.
Aurion stepped forward toward the group, his majestic silhouette casting a soft shadow across the flagstones. His gaze moved across their five faces with a tenderness he made no effort to conceal. "The moment has finally come. It was brief — but the time I spent with you has made me happy." His deep voice carried a slight crack, as though these words cost him something.
Aria immediately contradicted him, her eyes shining but her voice firm: "These are not goodbyes! Once we've dealt with what we need to deal with, we'll come and visit from time to time." She spoke these words with absolute conviction.
Aurion smiled — a sincere smile that instantly softened his powerful features, as if reproaching himself for having thought these were final farewells. He looked at them each in turn. "I hope everything goes well on your end and that you return very soon."
He paused, letting the silence settle for a moment, before adding with solemnity: "Before you leave, I have two things to give you. Please hold out your hands."
As they held out their hands, a brilliantly white light suddenly appeared in their palms — like a flame without heat — before vanishing in a breath. Their fingers closed instinctively around this invisible gift. Aurion added: "This is the key that grants access to our world. From now on, wherever you find yourselves, all you need is a portal to connect — from anywhere in the universe — to this world."
They were all overjoyed and thanked him with genuine happiness, their faces lit up — some laughing softly, others pressing their closed fist against their palm as if to protect this invisible treasure.
"The second gift is for you, Nozomi. Before your departure, I had an object created as a symbol." He extended his paw and, opening it slowly, revealed a carefully folded cloak. He continued, his voice carrying a quiet pride: "The third by name wore a cape crafted by the dragons — so until you find your own style, you may wear this one."
Nozomi said nothing. Struck speechless, too moved to speak. His eyes shimmered with a brilliant gleam. He took the cloak between his hands with great delicacy, feeling the surprisingly light fabric slide between his fingers, before putting it on. The cloak was of an immaculate white, falling to his ankles like a cascade of pure snow, adorned with emerald green bands along its borders that caught the hall's light with every movement. Written in large letters across his back, the word "Fifth" shone in luminescent green — a symbol of his absolute status. With every step, the fabric floated majestically behind him, creating an aura of power and prestige impossible to ignore.
Nozomi said to him, his voice slightly veiled by emotion: "Thank you, Aurion — for this gift, but above all for everything you have done for me and my family." He glanced over his shoulder and saw Nyx, silent, motionless, an unmistakably sorrowful look in his great eyes.
Nozomi approached Nyx and took him in his arms. He murmured, his cheek resting against the scales: "I'm sad to leave you too. But I promise I'll come back to see you." Nyx said nothing. He gently nuzzled Nozomi with his massive head — a gesture of infinite tenderness for a creature of his size — his nostrils trembling slightly.
Aurion added proudly, his voice carrying with authority through the stone hall: "You may leave with peace of mind, Fifth by name. Draka, as you call it, was a guardian charged with protecting and watching over one of the essential crystals that maintain the safety and balance of the Drakaryon world." He paused, and a fleeting shadow crossed his gaze. "Unfortunately, due to our negligence, the tragedy came to pass. We were fortunate that you were all present."
Aurion drew closer to Nozomi and Nyx, his presence warming the surrounding air. "In gratitude, and to honor your courage and your power, I designate Nyx as the new guardian — replacing Draka, now that he is dead."
Nozomi was overcome with happiness at these words. At once, he pressed his forehead against Nyx's, the two foreheads touching in that intimate gesture that belonged only to them. He murmured, his eyes closed: "You will no longer be alone from now on. You have a family and people to protect — just like me. So let us each fulfill our duties on our own side, and cherish the moments we share when we meet again. Even when I am no longer here, you will never feel loneliness again, my great friend."
A moment of pure intimacy between the two — embodying a bond of rare depth that transcended the boundaries of worlds and the limits of the imaginable. The others watched in silence, none daring to intrude upon this sacred quiet.
Before opening the portal and letting the group depart, Aurion, standing before the scene, shared with all of them an ancient legend. A dragon is bound to a living being, wherever they may be in the universe. If, through the threads of fate, these two beings are united, they feel a connection of immeasurable power. Becoming one single whole, a supreme energy floods through them, representing the bond that unites them — this is what the dragons call synergy. "Everything suggests that you and Nyx are these beings bound to one another. So no matter what world separates you and how long you spend apart, this bond will never weaken."
Nozomi and Nyx were reassured — though in truth, they already held the conviction that nothing could ever diminish the bond they had built together throughout all the time they had spent side by side.
After Aurion's speech, he opened the portal. The cracks in the wall began to illuminate with a vibrant blue light, pulsing like a heartbeat, before the wall crumbled with a low rumble — revealing behind it a gigantic portal whose edges crackled with silent lightning. Beyond this portal, another battle awaited them — one even more brutal than anything they could have imagined — and yet they were calm and ready to face it. Something in each of them had changed.
They all said their goodbyes before crossing through the portal, smiles on their lips despite a slight melancholy in their eyes. Kael was the first, stepping through with a confident stride, and the others followed one by one. Nozomi was the last to remain on this side. Just as he was about to cross the threshold, he stopped.
Without turning around, in a calm and measured voice, he spoke: "You know, when I arrived here several months ago, I was completely lost — not knowing what to do. I told myself I had come to this world to grow stronger. But the truth is, I found in this world a means of escaping my own and my responsibilities."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the luminous interior of the portal, his shoulders slightly lowered. "Meeting you, Nyx, allowed me to find myself. You saved me. I understood what truly mattered, and it cleared my head. Today, standing before this portal, I am no longer afraid. I no longer feel anguish, despite what awaits me."
He smiled and raised his hand in farewell. As he crossed through the portal, his voice carried one last time through the hall: "I'm glad I came to this world and that I met you. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Until next time, my great friend."
He crossed through the portal, leaving behind only the vision of his majestic cloak bearing the luminous word "Fifth" on his back — disappearing in a dance of green and white sparks before the portal closed in an almost painful silence. Once he opened his eyes again, Nozomi caught sight of his brothers and sister. They had come out of a portal — but they were not on Earth. An unknown planet stretched out around them, bathed in the cold, distant light of unfamiliar stars.
Kael addressed Nozomi, one eyebrow slightly raised: "What took you so long?"
Nozomi answered him with a quiet smile: "It's nothing — no need to worry. But more importantly, where do we find ourselves?"
The next second, their bracelets began chiming simultaneously, breaking the silence of this foreign planet with a familiar, comforting beep. Shinrei explained: "It's the bracelets Elyra gave us. They were completely deactivated in the Drakaryon world."
They answered and heard, for the first time in months, the voice of Elyra — warm and trembling with barely contained relief: "Children, it's you. How happy I am that you've all come back alive."
Harris cried out with joy: "Elyra! It's been so long! We've missed your voice since we left."
"I've missed you too, Harris. You were in my thoughts every day and I was so worried about you. I've located you — since you took a fixed portal, you could only emerge from another fixed portal somewhere in the universe. I'm sending a ship right away to collect you and take you to Earth."
Aria thanked Elyra and asked her, a slight tension in her voice: "On Reimu's side — how are things? Will we make it back to Earth in time before he attacks?"
A heavy silence rang through the communication. Elyra took her time before deciding to speak, and when she did, her voice was gentle but laden with regret. "Children... Reimu attacked Earth a week ago. He has taken control of France and issued an ultimatum to the entire planet. He gave them seven days — if the group did not present itself before the deadline expired, he would destroy everything. I'm sorry... there was nothing I could do during your absence."
Kael asked her, his jaw slightly set but his voice controlled: "How much time do we have left before he carries out his ultimatum? And how long will it take for us to reach Earth?"
"Twenty-four hours remain. And only ten hours for the return journey. So with travel time, it will take twenty hours in total."
They thanked her and cut the communication. After that, they each rested in their own corner, gathering themselves in silence while they waited for the ship to arrive. Ten hours later, just as Elyra had predicted, the ship appeared in the sky of that unknown planet — gliding silently through the atmosphere before stabilizing before them. They boarded one by one, in silence, each carrying the weight of what awaited them. And the ship immediately set course for Earth.
Once on board, a hologram formed at the center of the cabin and Elyra appeared before them — her face translucent but her eyes very real, shining with an emotion she was trying to master. "Children... I'm truly sorry for not having..."
Aria stopped her with a wave of her hand, her voice gentle but unequivocal: "You don't need to apologize. You've done nothing wrong."
Harris continued, shrugging with an ease that was almost contagious: "We'll go and face him and take back the Earth. If we beat him, it'll be as if nothing ever happened. There's no point falling apart over the past — we can't change it."
Kael finished, his gaze already turned toward the imagined horizon of their next battle: "Better to think about how to change the future. Let's make the most of the time we have left to put a plan in place."
Elyra was left speechless, visibly surprised by their reaction. "I thought you would be depressed and at your lowest when you heard the news." They looked at her with a small smile. A look of understanding slowly spread across Elyra's face, like an obvious truth making itself known. "You have grown enormously. You are no longer who you were a few months ago."
With a serious gaze, Elyra explained the situation to them in detail. Reimu had invaded Earth with around a hundred fighters. His portal had opened above Paris and, for now, he had only conquered France — but in record time. The other nations, faced with the demonstration of their power, had not yet attacked, preferring to wait and see what would happen after the ultimatum. Thanks to Elyra's very rapid intervention during the invasion, the populations of France had been able to flee and leave the country — except for those in Paris. These people were now prisoners, held in an unknown location somewhere within the city.
Nozomi took the floor, his eyes slightly narrowed, already analyzing: "The prisoners — can you locate them?"
"Once on Earth, I'll be able to find them — but it will take an indeterminate amount of time."
Nozomi reflected, one hand resting on his face, his gaze distant. A look of intense concentration, almost palpable, formed across his features. After several minutes of absolute silence, he turned to the others and said with calm assurance: "Alright. Here is the plan for the mission."
Calmly, with an air of deep focus and confidence, after careful reflection on their strengths, their abilities, and the adversary they were about to face, Nozomi had prepared the plan that seemed to him the safest and the one most likely to succeed. He explained it to the others with a clarity and precision that left no room for doubt.
After that, they trusted him without a single objection, ready to follow wherever he led them. Nozomi then asked of them: "Rest well, so that we're as prepared as possible before we arrive."
However, Elyra stopped them with a mysterious smile. "Before that... during your absence, I was not sitting idle." A door opened, revealing behind it five hero outfits that Elyra had prepared in secret throughout their absence — each tailored with a precision and attention to detail that spoke of the care she had for them.
They were all surprised and touched by Elyra's thoughtfulness. Without hesitation, they each put on their freshly prepared outfit.
Nozomi wore a classic dark green and black suit, traced with luminous green lines that descended all the way down, following the contours of his body with an almost surgical precision. Matching gloves covered his hands, while his flowing cloak rested elegantly on his shoulders, emanating an aura of calm, resolute authority.
Aria embodied the perfect balance between femininity and combat readiness in her armor of harmoniously blended violet, pink, and white. Her delicate low heels completed her outfit without ever impeding her movements, and her hair tied back in a small ponytail stayed perfectly in place. A silk train fell behind her, dancing freely without obstructing her.
Kael displayed a clean, martial style with his dark blue sleeveless top, adorned with silver chains on his trousers and hands. His imposing black cape, streaked with blue effects woven into the fabric, billowed behind him with each step — creating an intimidating and powerful presence that preceded his gaze.
Harris radiated wisdom in his classic grey and white kimono, light as a summer breeze, drawn in at the waist by an elegant belt. A long staff hung at his side, and a flowing scarf fell low across his chest, floating softly like a symbol of his timeless calm.
Shinrei embodied pure speed in his sleek aerodynamic suit, every detail optimized for movement, completed by combat gloves and boots whose soles seemed designed never to leave a trace. His jacket over the top and his hood covering his face reflected his nature as an ultra-fast warrior, always ready to strike at lightning speed.
After ten hours of flight, the ship finally arrived on Earth. Soaring above Paris from on high, the sight that met their eyes was that of a wounded city. Columns of black smoke rose like pillars toward an orange sky, debris littered the streets below, and even from this altitude, menacing silhouettes could be made out sowing chaos through the alleyways and deserted boulevards. Even from such a distance, the heroes felt the crushing and terrifying aura of Reimu before they even saw him. He stood beneath the Eiffel Tower, waiting for them.
Elyra addressed them one final time, her voice gentle but filled with sincere conviction: "Children... I have complete faith in you. The most important thing is to support one another and never abandon each other. Never forget that I will always be behind you, supporting you as best I can."
They said nothing — but they were reassured by Elyra's words. A glance exchanged between them was worth a thousand speeches. With four hours remaining until the ultimatum, they arrived at the front, ready to leap into the void.
The door of the ship opened, revealing the five silhouettes of our heroes, framed against the reddish glow of a burning Paris sky. The starlit sky mingled with towers of smoke stretching all the way to the clouds, creating a striking tableau of beauty and destruction intertwined. And the next second, the five leapt into the void — ready to confront their destiny.