Gara screamed, her voice trembling with rage.
"Get away, you ugly man! I won't let you hurt any of my friends!"
A sphere of green magic erupted from her palms, hurling straight at the portal man.
But with a single effortless step, he dodged.
"H–How?!" Gara gasped, her eyes wide. "That was one of my strongest throws yet…"
Still, her courage didn't waver. She summoned larger, brighter spheres and launched them all at once. The man unsheathed his sword in a flash—steel tearing through light—splitting the spheres apart mid-air. Sparks rained like dying stars.
Everyone froze.
And then, the man's voice cut through the silence.
"I am sorry, Marine… I couldn't save Silvey. It was all my mistake."
The grief in his tone made Marine's head jerk up, tears still staining her cheeks.
But Gara roared, stepping forward.
"So you are behind this! Tell us where Aunt Silvey and Brother Megum are!"
Her rage overflowed into another barrage of emerald magic, exploding around the man in a blinding storm.
This time, the blasts hit. Dust and smoke cloaked him.
But when the haze cleared… he was still standing. Unshaken. His eyes burned with fury now, no longer grief.
"You foolish children… You think you can kill me? Drop that thought. I am—" He raised his sword, lightning crackling along the blade. "—the Lightning Guardian… Kaz—"
Before he could finish, Rex's voice thundered.
"Stop pretending! You expect us to believe you? Cut the act!"
The man's aura flared, intense and terrifying, pressing down on them like a storm. His grip on his sword tightened. He stepped forward—ready to strike.
But suddenly, a voice echoed from behind.
"My lord… are you there?"
The man froze. Slowly, he turned.
Under the moonlight stood a woman's silhouette—long hair glinting silver.
"Akira?" His fierce gaze softened, fear and grief melting into recognition.
"Yes, master… it's me," she said gently. "Aunt Silvey told me you would be coming. But… what happened here?"
"Akira, don't be fooled!" Rex shouted, eyes blazing. "He's the one behind all this!"
"No," another voice cut in. Isaka, weak but steady, still holding Marine close. "He's not."
"What?!" Gara spun toward her, shocked. "How can you say that? You were the one fighting him!"
"Yes…" Isaka's voice wavered, her chest sparking faintly. "I know. But while you were fighting, I… used my systems to scan the remaining CCTV footage. And… I saw something else. Something different."
Her body trembled. She was badly damaged, yet her words were firm.
The man sheathed his sword with a sharp clink. His expression turned heavy, lined with regret.
"Tell me. What did you see? Show me everything. Maybe… I can help."
"Not here," Gara snapped. "First, let's clear this mess."
Working together, Gara lifted debris with her magic, while Rex, Akira, and even the portal man dragged rubble aside. Hiro stood like a quiet sentinel, watching over Marine and Isaka as they huddled in the corner—Marine's head buried in her sister's chest, her sobs muffled.
Finally, Gara approached. "Alright, Isaka. Show us what you found."
Isaka stood, her frame unstable, wires hidden now by a strange glow. "I couldn't recover everything… but enough to prove he isn't behind this."
"Just show it," Gara muttered, crossing her arms. "I can't tolerate this man here any longer."
Isaka raised her hand. From her fingertips, beams of light flared, weaving into a giant glowing screen in the air.
Rex's eyes went wide. "Woahhh… Isaka, you're amazing! And damn, you're hot too…" He elbowed Hiro with a mischievous grin. "Right, Hiro?"
Hiro's reply was blunt, as always. "Yeah."
"Ugh! as usual!" Rex groaned. "Why are you always so boring?!"
But the jokes faded as the footage began to play.
And what they saw… froze their blood.
The air grew cold. Spines stiffened.
None of them were prepared for the horror on that screen.
---------
As the footage played on the glowing screen, silence wrapped around them. Every eye was locked on the hologram, tension rising with each flicker of light.
But behind them… something stirred.
A presence.
A shadow.
Like a spirit watching, waiting.
No one noticed—until Hiro's sharp cry broke the stillness.
"Everyone—DUCK!" he shouted, yanking Marine and Isaka to the ground.
A split second later, a dark orb of energy screamed past, shattering the holographic screen into sparks.
The blast lit up the night—then silence again. The attacker was gone.
"Who was that?!" Gara yelled, fury in her voice. "And how did it find us here?!"
She lunged forward, ready to chase, but Rex caught her wrist.
"No, Gara. We don't know what that thing was—or how strong it is. Don't go after it."
Gara clenched her fists, trembling with rage.
"Next time, you monster… when I see you—you won't live to regret it!"
Before she could finish, the portal man's calm, firm voice cut through.
"No. You can't handle those creatures. Not with your current power."
"What do you mean, you ugly man?!" Gara snapped, eyes blazing.
"You're still naive. You couldn't even scratch me. Do you really think you could kill that thing?" His words carried the weight of truth, steady and unshaken.
Rex crossed his arms, frowning. "Fine then, Mister. At least tell us your name."
The man lowered his sword. Lightning flickered faintly around him as he spoke.
"My name… is Kazuya. The Lightning Guardian."
The name sent a ripple through the group.
Akira stepped forward, her voice steady. "Then tell us—what now? We can't just sit here. We have to find them before something happens."
Kazuya's gaze hardened.
"Listen carefully. This place is no longer safe. Especially for Marine. Whoever is behind this… they're after her."
Marine flinched but clutched Isaka's hand tighter.
"Then what should we do?" Akira pressed.
"I have a plan." His voice was sharp, commanding.
"You, Akira—and the blue-haired boy—will stay here. I'll take Marine and her sister somewhere safe."
Akira nodded. "And the others?"
Kazuya turned to Rex and Gara. "You have more important work."
Rex tilted his head. "What work?"
"You're going to find out how this event happened. The truth is hidden somewhere else."
Rex blinked. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?"
"You won't go alone." Kazuya's eyes shifted to Gara. "Yellow-haired girl—take him with you."
A shimmering portal opened before them, swirling like a living wound in the air.
"First of all, my name is Gara," she snapped, puffing her cheeks. "And second—I'm not going anywhere with this perv."
"Hey, come on, Gara! I'm not that bad." Rex grinned, poking her playfully.
"Don't poke me, you stupid red-haired donkey!" she yelled, swatting him away.
Rex chuckled, leaning closer with a teasing smile. "You know… when you're angry, you actually look really cute. Beautiful, even."
For a moment, Gara's face flushed pink. She quickly looked away, pretending to scowl—but her anger had quietly melted.
As she stepped toward the portal, Marine called out softly.
"Gara… I trust you. Please, don't let me down."
Gara gave her a small, confident smirk.
"If this isn't some trap set by this ugly man… then you can count on me."
Kazuya's tone grew stern again.
"The place you're going is Thronax . A land crawling with deadly beasts. But don't be afraid—you won't be there long. All you need to do is find a red diary. Open it, read the first spell, and it will bring you back."
Rex's eyes widened. "Wait… that's it?"
"Yes. But remember—be quick. Be quiet. And make sure no one sees you."
With that, Gara and Rex stepped into the swirling portal. Light engulfed them, and in an instant—they were gone.
The portal snapped shut behind them, leaving only silence and the faint crackle of Kazuya's lightning.
---------