At the same time, in the Kingdom of Samira—
Lucy slowly regained consciousness, her eyes fluttering open. She found herself lying on a soft bed inside a well-furnished room, sunlight filtering in through the large window beside her.
For a moment, her mind was blank. Then, as her thoughts returned—
Her eyes widened.
Memories of the pit of flames flashed before her eyes.
"Ah—!" she gasped, jumping up from the bed. Her breathing quickened.
Without wasting time, she changed her clothes, replacing them with a dark cape from her storage ring.
I need to get to Alfie and the rest… I made a big mistake sending Alfie there. I didn't have time to think… Damn it!
Clenching her fists, Lucy muttered in frustration as she rushed to the door. She swung it open—
Two Shinra guards stood before her, surprised to see her up so early.
Without saying a word, Lucy moved past them, heading straight for the exit.
"S-Sorry, ma'am, but please—we can't let you go for now," one of the guards said, stepping forward nervously. "The Special Darkside Knight and his Pro Darkside Knights haven't given permission yet."
Lucy stopped briefly, turned to look at him—
Then continued walking, silent.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of her—
A man in gray well designed cape, with an emblem glowing faintly across his chest.
"You should calm down now, miss," Dialo the special darkside knight of SAMIRA said softly. "We need to talk about this. We can help, one way or another. And, precisely—you're welcome, anyways."
Lucy lowered her gaze, her voice heavy with guilt.
"I did something dangerous to my student because I was careless… because I couldn't think fast. I sent him to the same place that started all this. I'm sorry for my behavior. I'm… not myself. Still, thank you for your help. I need to thank the others as well."
She followed Dialo quietly to the meeting room, where the Pro Darkside Knights and the Special Darkside Knight of Wand were already seated.
"Oh, you're up already! Thank goodness," one of the Pro Darkside Knights said with relief.
"Yeah… thanks to all of you," Lucy replied, taking a breath. "I just wanted to show my gratitude. But… helping me any further is something I can't accept."
She looked at each of them with firm eyes.
"Because the one who started all of this— I now know who it is. I didn't notice at first. Not until I saw Fedora… and realized it was Susa all along, disguised as a normal human. You guys aren't up for what's coming."
"Hey," Dialo interjected, frowning slightly, "I know you're very powerful, but don't say we're not up for this yet. That girl you're talking about—she's a toy created by Fedora himself. He named her his sister after creating her and blessing her with powerful abilities."
He continued, voice calm but serious.
"She's not just a toy Fedora made. She's one of the most precious ones. After my long years of research, I discovered that she can create toys herself. She was once known as Susa, alongside Susanna. They were two sister-toys Fedora merged together—just to form Susa—because she was the most powerful and intelligent one of the two he made as sisters."
Dialo crossed his arms. "If we run straight to her, we're in big trouble. We need to strategize."
Lucy's hand trembled. Then—
With a sharp crack, she slammed her fist against the table, smashing it into pieces.
"Damn it!" she shouted in anger. "I couldn't think faster… I endangered my student all over again after trying to save one!"
She stood up, breathing heavily. "I need to head there now, and there's no stopping me. I'm grateful for your help—you've done more than enough."
With a swift motion, Lucy summoned Damascus, its blade wrapped in dark Renshi, and placed it inside a newly formed Renshical scabbard.
"This is not the best plan, Miss," said Rohan, one of the Pro Darkside Knights, trying to calm her down. "You should take a moment to think twice before making another careless move."
Lucy closed her eyes, placing two fingers on her forehead. Her mind reached out, gathering fragments of memory—images of the small kingdom where Lizzy (Susa) lived.
She then thrust her hand forward, sending those memories directly into Rohan's mind.
"If you guys want to help," she said firmly, "do well to come."
With that, she created a teleportation circle, its runes glowing beneath her feet—
And in a flash of light, she disappeared.
---
Meanwhile, in the pit of flames—
Two figures appeared amidst the devastation.
Suzuki and Watanabe, sent to trace down Lucy, who had fought Fedora.
"This place is a mess," Suzuki muttered, scanning the scorched battlefield. "The unknown person must be very powerful… to fight Fedora head-on."
"Yeah, I can see that," Watanabe replied. "But what do you think happened to the person after such an intense battle? Do you think he or she is alive… or dead by now?"
"I don't know for sure," Suzuki said, narrowing his eyes. "But the probability of the person being a she is zero to a hundred."
He jumped down from a fifty-foot rock overlooking the battleground.
"Don't underestimate women, Suzuki. Nothing is impossible," Watanabe said, landing beside him.
"Whatever," Suzuki replied flatly. "Let's check the battlefield out."
He raised his right hand, touching his forehead with two fingers. Spiritual energy gathered around him as his voice grew solemn.
"The first connection of the Sun, Moon, and Star…
Art of Mojito — Reverse System!"
A blinding glow erupted—
Suzuki activated the skill, creating a vast spiritual energy field over the ruined landscape.