"Dear Asahi, you look exhausted."
Who stood in front of his eyes was no other than a tall, platinum-haired woman: Sally. Her hot pink eyes stared through his, filled with worry. The smoke continued to envelop the forest. Sally sprinted through the trees, caught Asahi's hand, and charged forward with Belial, taking a deep breath as she ran.
The dense trees made Asahi feel sick. All he could see was a blur. Fog shrouded the area to his right. To his left, sunlight smothered a wooden building. Asahi rubbed his eyes and dangled over Sally. He faintly whispered as he did so.
"What's… going on? Where's Kali?"
Sally couldn't remember who the name Asahi was calling, but she knew that she had forgiven him. Unlike Phthonus, she still had a small glimmer of hope shining in her heart when thinking of Asahi. She knew how much potential was within both the wanderers.
"I'm going to take you to a safer area. I will deal with that mechanical individual if I need to. I just want you to heal from what you did."
"D…Did you try to ask Phthonus to forgive me?"
Sally remained silent. She carried Asahi and increased her pace toward the shack. Belial was unusually quiet despite the chaos. Asahi tried to speak. He pulled his hood over his head. His eyes turned green. His nails grew, sharp and unnatural.
"I forgive you, Asahi, despite what you have done to our allies. It's only at the fault of that aqua-haired girl who made us forgive you."
Asahi scratched his head and nervously smiled.
"Uh… what do you mean?"
Sally turned to Asahi, strengthened her grip, and charged through the bushes.
"Marina showed us the truth of Dreamtoe forest. It seemed she had more knowledge than what meets the eye."
Asahi's eyes widened.
"Marina?!"
Just before another word could slip through Sally's lips, she pierced her legs through the door, scattered wood over the floor, and gently placed him near a corner in that building. The forest continually trembled, with magenta lasers piercing through the dense fog.
Belial gave a thumbs up to Asahi and hurriedly charged out the door. The loud growls of a wolf echoed through the forest, accompanied by the sounds of explosions and cries from outside. As Sally turned her head and jolted toward the wooden door, Asahi lifted himself up and asked with a curious tone.
"Sally… w-what are you doing?"
Despite the serious situation, Sally still had a cheerful aura around her. Asahi couldn't think of what was in Sally's mind, but he chose to trust her and lie against a hard wooden wall.
As a silence formed, Sally quickly broke it with a whisper.
"Don't worry, it won't be long. We will try to lure Tear out of this forest as best as we can."
Asahi scratched his head, unable to believe what they were doing.
"How did you get your magic back?"
Sally's eyes widened, then she took a deep sigh and replied with an energetic tone.
"Oh, Marina taught us how to defy the magic barrier in Dreamtoe Forest! I think it was from a book. However, as soon as we finished with it, the book magically vanished."
Asahi traced Sally's words.
"Magically… vanish?"
Sally hastily shook her head; she had no more time to tread around the situation.
"It's best if I explain this later. Just get some rest! Me, Belial, and Drimi will be there shortly."
With a hint of frustration and aggravation, Asahi slowly nodded his head.
"Okay…"
Sally then charged at the door, with her hands engulfed in a crystal-like substance.
* * * * * * * *
Asahi relaxed his shoulders and arms, pressing them against the sleek wooden wall. He turned toward the ceiling. So much was happening. He couldn't process it all.
Deep in his mind, he still wondered where Aletha was. It's been only an hour, and thinking about what she did to him made him tear up lightly. As he heard the wood ceiling creak above him, Asahi faintly mumbled.
"I'm… sorry, Aletha. It wasn't me who did that. I never wanted to see you cry. I don't know what got into me. I can't stop worrying about you… sis. Please, forgive me. I'm sorry…"
From the shadows, there were rustles sounding out from the dry cobwebs. Asahi swiftly lifted his head and sprang into alert. With a confused voice, Asahi screamed.
"Who is that?!"
Then, from the right corner of the wooden shack, was a curvy silhouette resting with a long serpent-like shadow. Asahi scratched his head and slowly crawled toward it.
"Hello?"
The silhouette grew clearer. It had very long, crystal gray hair, gray eyes, and fair skin. As the sunlight peered through the holes of the tattered ceiling, Asahi slowly leaned his arm toward her and whispered.
"Is that…"
The girl hastily jumped up, twirled, and pushed the snake toward Asahi's legs. Her shriek sounded high-pitched, loud, and fearful.
"W-Who are you?!"
Then, as the sunlight touched Asahi and the girl's faces, she slowly backed up and formed a tear over her pale cheek. Who sat in front of him was no other than his precious sister, Aletha.
"Asahi… is that… you?"
He quickly lunged at Aletha and wrapped her arms around her as tightly as he could. Within that warm embrace was a feeling of guilt, relief, and love. There was something within that hug that made Aletha feel a sense of happiness. Asahi's arms were chained together as if he never wanted to let go, and tears soaked Aletha's back.
"Please, I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Aletha. Don't let go."
This was the true Asahi. He revealed his weak, broken side. A side where he isn't as strong and independent as he made himself out to be. It's as if he really missed Aletha, even if it hadn't been a day.
"Time is meaningless without you…"
Aletha's crystal gray eyes welled up with tears, her brother's words echoing in her ear. She doesn't want to let go of him as well.
"Asahi… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you."
As Asahi sniffled, he embraced Aletha tightly, weakly grinned, and responded with a soft tone.
"It's okay… I know how caring you are. You wanted to protect everyone, even when it meant resisting me. That's who you are. Sis, please—believe me, what happened wasn't truly me."
Aletha smiled and nodded her head.
"Of course…"
As the two continued to silently hug, the white snake, Athenia, slowly slithered up Aletha's back and wrapped around her neck. Ames transformed back into his material form, wagged his tail, and purred, feeling the warmth of the siblings as they touched against each other. While silence filled the room, Athenia whispered to them.
"Time is distorted when you two are not with each other. It's been a long time since I have seen your sweet face, Asahi…"
Asahi's face warmed up.
"H-Huh? Who said that?!"
Athenia slithered up to Asahi, peered her crystal dark gray eyes toward him, and answered.
"Well, that's me… dear. Perhaps you have forgotten me as well?"
Asahi slowly parted from Aletha and nodded.
"Maybe I did…"
Athenia crept toward the black kitten resting behind Asahi's neck and lightly tapped her tail over Ames' head. It seemed that she also had an adoration or remembrance of the celestial kitten. As Aletha and Asahi lightly smiled, Athenia stared through Ames' bright blue eyes and whispered with a soothing voice.
"I know you haven't forgotten me, haven't you dear Ames…?"
Suddenly, when Ames turned his head toward the glimmering white snake, a soft, gentle voice resounded over all their minds.
"Well, of course, Athenia. It's our duty to protect these two."
Athenia smiled and slowly slithered back toward Aletha's neck.
"I know that as well. It's been such a long time since we were out of our material forms."
"Indeed it has."
That boy-like voice belonged to no other than the beautiful celestial kitten, Ames. He always tried to refrain from speaking, but sometimes, if it was necessary and needed, he would choose to speak using telekinesis. As Asahi and Aletha peacefully relaxed against the wooden wall, they felt small tremors ruthlessly shaking the ground beneath them.
Despite the heartwarming situation, conflict still sprang up outside. From the closed window, there were stains of pink essence rubbing against the glass. The wanderers jumped up and grabbed their guardians, then, in a hurried manner, they sprinted to the door and saw Belial getting tossed into the air.
Aletha screamed.
"No! Asahi, we have to save them."
Asahi scratched his head and sighed. He doesn't know what they can do without their powers and the inability to summon their Swords of Eventide. He felt nervous about interfering with the battle. As Ames and Athenia leaped in shock, Asahi replied with a tone of confusion.
"With what powers…?"
Ames' voice echoed over Asahi's mind.
"Don't worry, Athenia, and I will take care of this. You two, just stay in the building. Don't come out until your allies are finished with the opponent."
In the blink of an eye, Ames leaped over from Asahi's shoulder and pressed his paws against the ground. His blue eyes glistened and glowed, his body was shrouded in luminance, and his tail sprang into a larger size. The mist cleared, and from the distance, Asahi and Aletha were stunned to see Ames turn into a large panther, covered in sparkles and vivid patterns.
On some portions of his skin was the symbol of an S that Asahi and Aletha had. Sally hastily turned toward Ames and jumped in shock. Even she was stunned to see a random animal appear from thin air. When she cast her crystals and struck the arms of Tear, Sally turned toward the wanderers and screamed.
"Asahi, what is that?!"
Just as she was about to see Ames, Tear was hastily pummeled to the ground by the best, and had slight chips of his armor torn and scattered into the air. Belial's eyes widened in shock. He was unable to believe what he saw.
"Asahi, explain what this beast is…"
As Ames slammed and swung Tear into the air, Asahi crossed his arms, smiled with a sliver of confidence on his face, and rejoiced.
"That's my guardian, Ames."
* * * * * * * *
"Just what does this pest think it's doing, tearing me apart?!"
Tear roughly yelled as he ruthlessly kicked Ames into the air. His visor glowed brightly, one of his arms transformed into a weapon, and his cape flew out from his back.
"Dare to interfere with the one who will save this world? Absolute foolishness. You must be punished, just like the others!"
He clenched his metal gloves, slowly stepped closer to the whimpering panther, and stomped on its leg. Asahi's eyes widened in shock.
"Ames!"
He sprinted down the hill, bit his lip, and tried to swing his fist straight through Tear's back. However, as soon as Asahi was about to get tossed, a massive white serpent pushed the mechanical individual back and swung its tail straight at Tear's face.
Aletha jolted to Asahi, with her heart pounding, and adrenaline rushing through her veins. She turned toward the massive snake and saw that it was covered in dark S marks. She smiled, knowing who it was.
"Thank you, Athenia."
The serpent turned back to Aletha and smiled.
"Escort your brother out of this place. It is unsafe here."
Asahi and Aletha nodded their heads, grabbed their hands, and sprinted toward the cluster of bushes. As they knelt down and watched as both Ames and Athenia fight Tear, both the wanderers felt a touch on their backs.
Though it stunned them, Asahi and Aletha hastily turned around and saw a beautiful dark-haired woman covered in a mask, patting their backs and smiling.
"Drimi?"
She slowly nodded her head and gave a thumbs-up. Even she was relieved to see the wanderers back together.
"I know what made you act like that, Asahi. I told Phthonus about it. He's protecting the village from monsters, but he still has a deep grudge against you. Just stay distant from him for now… okay?"
Asahi nodded his head.
"Alright…"
Aletha peered her head through the bushes and saw Drimi leap up, roll down the hill, and cartwheeled her way toward Tear. It seemed that all of them struggled to leave a single mark on Tear.
With a fearsome face, Ames persisted in continuing with an injured leg. He was determined to protect Asahi. Drimi knew who the beasts belonged to, so she lightly pushed them away from Tear and yelled with a stern tone.
"Go back to your owners! I will handle this…"
She hastily pulled out a long magenta blade straight from her back and swiftly swung it in rapid directions. Tear grabbed his blade and deflected most of the speedy attacks, then kicked Drimi toward the bottom of the hill.
As Drimi pushed herself up, Tear taunted her by piercing his blade through a tree.
"Aren't you the Supreme Maiden of Darkness? You have no business being here in a repugnant, pitiful nation such as Pladtioa."
Drimi gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her identity was revealed right in front of everyone. The Supreme Maiden of Darkness.
She took the insult personally, and with a strong sense of wrath, she struck Tear straight at his chest. She then reaped, swung her fist, and pushed her feet against Tear's mask.
"Never speak of such accusations towards a nation such as this…
Then, the entire area around her got shrouded in a purple mist. The air lingered and smothered with a corrupted, dusty scent. As Sally sprinted toward the wanderers, she dropped her crystals, knelt down, and faintly whispered to Asahi and Aletha.
"This area, it reeks of the corrupted atmosphere of Wraileza. Asahi, Aletha, hold your breath."
Their cheeks fumed with red, the dark essence accumulated upon each fraction of the forest. Tear jumped in shock and screamed.
"Darkness, you have a similarity to that of the Queen of Wraileza. Blinded and engulfed in pure black. Fine, with a power so strong, I can't match it. You don't know what it's like to lose to your own creation."
He then swung and pierced his sword down to the ground, close to Ames's head. Asahi and Aletha gasped.
"No!"
Then, in a grieving, loud, confident voice, Tear clenched his fist, stood tall, and screamed with all his might.
"All of you will feel the wrath of HIS redemption!"
Before Drimi's darkness consumed him, Tear sprinted down the forest and vanished into a blue portal.
Drimi closed her eyes and whispered as the wanderers, Sally, and Belial jolted to her.
"Darkness… isn't what is hurting us."