"Are there any people left here?" Ken asked, his eyes scanning the desolate surroundings.
"I sense no life at all," Crescent replied calmly, his voice echoing through the emptiness.
"Darkness is approaching. Rest in the Library for now," Crescent suggested. "Use this barrier spell so that our enemies cannot detect us."
Lucy cast the Divine Barrier, and the three of them stepped inside the Library.
The night passed quietly within the infinite halls.
By morning, they were ready to train.
Lucy cast a wide-scale Divine Barrier spell, ensuring that no enemy could sense the mana they were about to release.
"You must train," Crescent said, calm but authoritative, "to stop the Zodiac Fragments from carrying out their plans."
Lucy hesitated. "Wait… where exactly are the three of us in this timeline? We're probably in the future too—they might be able to help us if possible."
Crescent's voice remained calm. "I have received no reports about you here, nor do I know if you exist in this timeline. Most likely, your births are simply the result of changes in the timelines… or in history itself."
"That is why returning to the past is strictly forbidden," he added.
Ken frowned. "Is there a punishment for using forbidden powers?"
"I do not know," Crescent admitted.
"Now," Crescent commanded, "summon the weapons assigned to you."
Lucy's hands glowed as she cast the spell, and her Divine Magic Sword materialized before her.
The sword shimmered with pure radiant light. A brilliant white aura enveloped Lucy's entire body, crackling with divine energy.
Ken followed, summoning his weapon and casting his spell.
"Umbra Falx!"
The sky darkened instantly. Thunder roared across the heavens, and jagged black lightning split the clouds.
A massive scythe formed from darkness appeared, emitting black lightning. Ken's body was enveloped in a powerful, shadowy aura.
Luna and Crescent were awestruck at the overwhelming mana radiating from the two.
"Are we going to lose, Master?" Crescent asked, tension in his voice.
"Of course not," Luna replied confidently, her determination shining through.
Crescent flipped through the pages of the Grimoire, stopping at a specific spell. Luna read it aloud:
"Crescent Staff!"
A powerful wind surged, whipping around them.
Luna's transformation was immediate: her long black hair turned pure white and grew even longer.
Her robes transformed into gleaming white garments adorned with golden patterns, glowing with divine energy.
The Grimoire—Crescent himself—glimmered with golden light before her.
Suddenly, a magical staff appeared, glowing brightly. It had a crescent moon design at the top and radiated a golden light.
Lucy was stunned; it was as if their powers had reached the same level.
A presence beyond comprehension emanated from Luna, filling the area with immense power.
"Auntie… are you really one of the Zodiac Fragments?" Ken asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Yes," Luna replied. "But not just any Zodiac Fragment. My power grew even stronger when you allowed me to draw mana from you."
Before they could react further, a massive attack struck their barrier.
The source of the attack was Aquarius, one of the Zodiacs.
As they prepared to fight, they realized they were not facing just one or two, but five Zodiac warriors.
"Run for now!!" Luna shouted urgently. "I'll open a portal to our timeline—hurry!"
They removed their weapons to avoid attracting attention when returning to their timeline.
Luna summoned the portal. Light twisted and tore open the space before them, revealing the path home.
They stepped through immediately.
Once back in their true timeline, the portal sealed shut behind them.
But… someone was waiting.