The platform was quiet when Kael and Corrin returned.
Their submarine surfaced with a hiss of air and water, the hatch opening to reveal two figures who looked like they had been through hell. Kael's pistols were holstered, but his hands were still twitching, ready to draw. Corrin was clutching his notes like a lifeline, his eyes wide with exhaustion and excitement.
Aurelion was waiting for them at the edge of the deck.
"Report," he said.
Corrin practically burst with words. "We found more chambers. Deeper ones. The city extends further down than we thought—way further. There's a whole network of tunnels beneath the pyramid. And the symbols—the spiral—it's everywhere. It's like the entire city was built around it."
"And the Demon King?"
Corrin's enthusiasm dimmed. "He was there. We found tracks. Fresh ones. He's been moving through the lower levels, taking something from each chamber."
Kael spoke, his voice flat. "He left messages too."
"What kind of messages?"
"Warnings. Written in demon script. 'Too late.' 'You are not the first.' 'The gate opens for all who seek it.'" Kael paused. "He knows we're coming. He's been waiting for us."
Aurelion absorbed this. "Anything else?"
Corrin nodded slowly. "There's another chamber. Deeper than the rest. The symbols are different there—older, more worn. I think it might be the heart of the city. The place where everything started."
"And the Demon King?"
"He's been there too. The tracks lead in and out. But there's something else." Corrin hesitated. "There were signs of a struggle. Blood. Fresh. Not demon blood."
Aurelion's blood went cold. "Human?"
"Possibly. Or something else. I couldn't identify it."
The debriefing took an hour.
Aurelion listened to every detail, his mind cataloging, analyzing, planning. The city was deeper than they thought. The Demon King was still active. And there was something else down there—something that had left blood behind.
Ami stood beside him, her arm still in a sling, her eyes sharp.
"We need to go back down," she said.
"We will."
"Your leg—"
"Healed. You already saw." He glanced at her. "On the observation deck. I told you."
She nodded slowly. "Right. I remember. I just… still getting used to the idea."
Corrin blinked. "Wait, your leg healed? Fully?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Aurelion touched Gatekeeper's hilt. The shards on his back pulsed faintly. "The power. It's accelerating my recovery. I'm stronger than I was."
The revelation hung in the air.
Corrin and Kael exchanged glances. Ami's jaw tightened. But no one spoke.
Aurelion looked at them—at the people who had followed him through Lancet, the valley, the tournament, the Stain, Zarveth's throne room, the underwater city. They had bled beside him. They had almost died beside him.
And now, he needed to show them.
"I want to test something," he said.
"What?"
"A duel. The four of us. You three against me."
Ami stared at him. "You want to fight us?"
"I want to see how far I've come. And I want you to see it too."
Corrin frowned. "That's insane."
"Probably."
Kael's hand moved toward his pistols. "When?"
"Now."
The training deck was cleared.
Aurelion stood at the center, his fists bare, his body relaxed. The shards on his back hummed softly, their light casting faint shadows across the deck.
Ami, Corrin, and Kael formed a loose triangle around him, their weapons drawn, their expressions wary.
"You're not using Gatekeeper?" Corrin asked.
"Not yet."
"You're going to fight us bare-handed?"
"Yes."
Ami shook her head. "This is insane."
"Probably."
She sighed. "Fine. Don't say we didn't warn you."
They attacked.
Corrin came first, his spear thrusting toward Aurelion's chest. It was a testing strike—fast, but not committed. Aurelion saw the hesitation and sidestepped, his hand catching the shaft just behind the head. He redirected the momentum, sending Corrin stumbling past him.
"Too predictable," Aurelion said.
Corrin recovered, spinning to face him. "Then try this."
He came again, this time with more force. His spear blurred through the air, a series of rapid thrusts aimed at Aurelion's torso, his legs, his throat. Aurelion moved through them like water, deflecting each strike with open palms, never retreating, never losing ground.
But Corrin was learning. He was adapting. His attacks grew sharper, more precise.
Aurelion saw an opening. He stepped forward, his fist driving toward Corrin's chest.
Corrin raised his shield.
The impact was tremendous. The shield absorbed the blow, but the force behind it was too much—Corrin was launched backward, his boots skidding across the deck. He hit the railing with a clang, his shield arm numb, his breath forced from his lungs.
"Still standing?" Aurelion asked.
Corrin grinned through the pain. "Still standing."
Kael fired.
Two shots, aimed at Aurelion's legs. Aurelion dropped, rolled, came up behind Kael, and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Too slow," he said.
Kael spun, firing again. Aurelion was already gone.
But Kael was learning too. He adjusted his aim, anticipating Aurelion's movements. His shots came faster, more precise, forcing Aurelion to dodge rather than counter.
Ami joined the attack, her blade slashing toward his side. Aurelion caught her wrist, twisted, and disarmed her. Her sword clattered to the deck.
"Better," he said. "But still too slow."
"Not slow enough."
She struck with her free hand—an upper cut aimed at his chin. He leaned back, avoiding it, but the distraction was enough. Kael fired again, and Aurelion had to roll to avoid the shot.
Ami retrieved her blade, her eyes fixed on him. "You've changed."
"I've grown."
"We'll keep up."
The duel lasted ten minutes.
It was not a battle—it was a demonstration. Aurelion moved through their attacks like water through rocks, dodging, deflecting, countering. But they were faster now, more coordinated. Ami and Kael worked together, their attacks overlapping, forcing him to divide his attention. Corrin had recovered and rejoined the fight, his spear finding new angles, new openings.
They couldn't touch him—not yet. But they were pressuring him.
This is what I needed, Aurelion thought. To see if I could hold them off.
To see if I could trust them to keep up.
He stepped back, raising his hand. "Enough."
They stopped, breathing hard, their weapons still raised.
"You held your own," Aurelion said. "All of you."
Corrin grinned. "We had to. You're terrifying."
"Good."
They sat on the deck afterward, catching their breath.
Corrin was the first to speak. "So. What does it mean? That you're stronger now?"
"It means I can protect you," Aurelion said. "And that I can trust you to protect me."
Kael nodded slowly. "So you're ready to go back down?"
"I'm ready."
"Then we go together."
Aurelion looked at them—at the people who had followed him through hell and back.
"Yes," he said. "Together."