Liam raises his bloody hand, ready to unleash an illusion, but Paige is unfazed. Liam's surprise flickers across his face as he stands back, just as Kangetsu and Seven lunge at her. She gracefully floats out of their reach.
Shupi throws a veil of his poison blood, and Kangetsu explodes his, shattering the container and splashing the poison-infused blood at her.
Tanaka, ever observant, comments, "They all have some kind of blood manipulation."
Asher confirms it with a sharp nod. "Each has one."
As the dust settles, Paige floats, now furious, disgusted by her siblings' blood splattered all over her.
Liam observes, "It's just as I thought. She's unaffected by our blood. It seems it doesn't work on relatives."
"Then brute force will have to do," Flint states, a serious expression hardening his face. He bites his lip, then, the second he licks the blood, he tears through the air in the blink of an eye, fist ready to strike.
Paige looks at him mid-air. "I'm done playing around." She blasts Flint back with a searing wave of light.
Paige looks down at them. "Just go, before you make me do something I might regret."
Najo mutters, "Are these the guys we're worried about?"
Asher shakes his head, his gaze intense. "I must say, the fact that she's making this look easy is terrifying in itself. Even though none of you would stand a chance, it's the ones who aren't here that are the true masterminds behind this. Even now, they are holding down Gehen by themselves while these four are here."
The siblings stand, overflowing with rage. The one their parents favored seems favored by fate as well. She never knew their hardship; she was even chosen to dwell in the heavens. Now they are at her mercy; they can't accept it, they won't.
They attack with everything they have, but only humiliation follows.
After their defeat, they slowly get up.
Seven hisses, "If Simba were here, he would have killed her already."
Paige's expression softens slightly. "You still hate me that much after all these years?" The septuplets don't respond, shame heavy over their heads. They limp away, their eyes still darkened with rage.
Paige watches them go. "Yes, go ahead and just leave like you always do," she says, a hint of regret in her voice.
Her eye catches Asher, who looks at her with silent stoicism. Next to him, Moto and Amber watch her as if they just witnessed an injustice, with judgment in their gaze. She directs her attention back to her brothers once more, then ascends back to the heavens.
Her parents call her name with glee, thanking her for protecting them. She looks at them, offers a small, tight smile, then leaves without a word.
By nightfall, the square empties. The Creed has vanished with new followers at their heels.
Asher's voice is grim. "It's no longer safe. If Simba shows up next time, it'll be too late."
Tinashe asks, "So where will we go?"
Najo suggests, "You can go to Nyika. My mother wouldn't mind the company."
"Nyika, huh?" Asher asks Moto, genuinely seeking his opinion.
Moto feels a surge of honor that his brother includes him in such an important decision. He holds Amber's hand.
"Yes, I think it's a good idea," Moto says. "The King said you could all move there anyway after I complete the Sango mission, so I'm sure he'll let them enter."
Asher, Amber, and Tinashe visibly relax, happy with the plan.
Sheu, to herself, a whisper, "So that's why he took the mission."
Moto turns, ready to move. "Speaking of Sango, we need to get going. The sooner we complete that mission, the sooner we can spend more time with Amber."
"Fine by me," Najo agrees.
Tanaka beams with excitement. "Umm, I'd like to join you guys! I've always wanted to visit Sango. I hear the site where the Hwange meteor first landed is still preserved, and there are a bunch of alien plants there they are still investigating to this day. Plus, every team needs a radiation expert!"
"Fine by me," Moto says, smiling. "Welcome to the team."
Aemon, ever reluctant, asks, "Can't you just leave me here?"
Moto, with a playful tone, winks. "Nope, we're all going."
Meanwhile, Sheu thinks about what the brothers said: how the world is filled with lies. How the truth lies within.
"I'm not going with you," Sheu states. Her words hit Moto like a physical blow.
"What?" Moto stammers.
"I'm going to Nirvana to find out what happened to my father."
Moto is worried; he and Sheu have never been separated since they met. Once again, he stands speechless.
Asher's eyes lower. "I'll go with her."
"Really?" Moto asks, surprised.
Asher explains, "I had just gotten there to look for mother when I saw the beam in the sky, so I've still got unfinished business there."
Silence. Then, slow nods. The choice is made.
The next morning, at the city gates, they part ways.
Tinashe hugs Moto, lingering. "Take care of her. And yourself."
Amber clings to her brother. "Promise you'll come back."
Sheu barely glances at Moto, words unsaid between them.
Asher gives his brother a final dap.
And then—they separate again.
Meanwhile, in Denga's throne room…
Darcy bows. "The meeting is set, my lord. We depart tomorrow morning."
Malachi nods. "Good. On our way back, we'll pass through Zen."
Page strolls in, smirking. "Darcy, I just saw someone... they had a very familiar way about them. Very focused. Reminded me a little of you, actually."
Darcy frowns. "Hmph."
Malachi's gaze lingers, sharp as a blade.
At Pasi's edge, the Creed sits in silence, shame heavy on their shoulders.
Liam mutters, "Life isn't fair. The one who got all the love… got all the power."
Kangetsu sneers. "Not so poetic now, huh?"
Despite the bitterness, when villagers timidly approach—children, parents, the broken and the lost—asking to follow them, the Creed rises again.
"Come with us," Liam says. "To Gehen. To freedom."
And so the Crimson Creed leaves, their shadows stretching long against the night.
✨ End of Pasi Arc ✨