[The Hospital: Three Days After the Fall]
The air in the hospital ward was sterile and cold, a sharp contrast to the burning heat of the battlefield Ato remembered. He blinked, his vision slowly sharpening. He saw Kojo Ren slumped in a chair beside his bed, the "Demon" of the bridge reduced to a snoring, bandaged mess. Kojo was safe.
Ato turned his head toward the window, where Prince Lemon stood. The golden-haired royal looked smaller than usual, his regal cape replaced by a simple hospital robe.
"Where is Faramis, Lemon?" Ato's voice was a dry rasp. "Did we... did we save the kingdom?"
The silence that followed was suffocating. Outside, the wind howled through the skeletal remains of the palace. There were no more walls to stop the gale, no more gold-trimmed towers to break the breeze.The Jewel of the Sea, had become a graveyard of stone.
"As for Faramis..." Lemon's voice broke, a jagged sound that made Ato's heart stop.
"Don't tell me..." Ato gripped the white sheets, his knuckles turning white. "Don't tell me Faramis is..."
"No! No, don't worry," Lemon said quickly, though he wouldn't turn around. "Faramis... he's alright. He's in the emergency wing."
Ato let out a long, shuddering breath, his body slumping back into the pillows. "Then say so earlier, you royal idiot. You nearly gave me a heart attack before the blood loss could."
But the relief didn't last. Lemon finally turned, and his face was a mask of pure agony. Tears were carving tracks through the dust and dried blood on his cheeks. "But everything else is gone, Ato."
The Prince collapsed against the wall, sobbing into his hands. "Everything's... gone! Everything the kings of the past and my father built... it's all ash! All the people... they didn't stand a chance. The shadows... they consumed everyone while we were fighting. The market, the schools, the homes... it's just rubble and ghosts now."
Ato looked at his scarred palms. He had pushed himself to the "Limit Breaker" to save a dream, only to find the dream had turned into a nightmare. He felt a deep, cold weight in his stomach—the weight of a promise that had failed.
"Oi, Lemon," Ato said, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "Look at me."
Lemon wiped his eyes, his breath hitching.
"We are still here," Ato said, his eyes glowing with a faint, primal embers of his power. "And I'm not done yet. I want to ask you something. Will you join my crew?"
The question was like a lightning strike in the quiet room. Lemon froze. "Join your crew? You're a pirate, Ato. I'm a Prince of a ruined throne. If I go with you... will I be able to revive my kingdom? Can I get strong enough to bring the gold back to these streets?"
"Of course," Ato said with a weak, toothy grin. "My crew is going to the top of this world. If you stay here, you're just a memory. If you come with me, you're the future King of a new Faramis."
Lemon looked at Kojo's sleeping form, then back at Ato. "I won't be like Kojo, though. I won't be a loyal dog who follows every order. I have my own pride."
"Don't care," Ato grunted. "I don't need a dog. I need a Prince who can fight."
"Then..." Lemon stood tall, wiping away the last of his tears. "Then I'm in."
[The Room of Supremes: EDEN Government Headquarters]
Five thousand miles away, in the heart of a fortress carved from obsidian and steel, four shadows sat around a circular table. This was the Room of Supremes, the hidden brain of the world.
"Supreme Four," Supreme Three spoke, his voice sounding like grinding gears. "The reports from the East are catastrophic. The Island of Gold—Kogane No Tori—our primary resource for tribute and rare minerals, has been silenced. The money has stopped flowing."
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"May I come in, Supremes?"
"Come in," Supreme One commanded.
The heavy doors swung open to reveal General Ryoto, the highest-ranking officer in the EDEN military. He carried a leather folder, his expression hard and unyielding. "Sirs... the Island of Gold is in ruins. The kingdom has been obliterated."
"We know that," Supreme Two replied coldly. "We want to know who we are blaming."
Ryoto spread three photos onto the stone table. The first showed Ato and Zyrrex in the ruined throne room, a clash of gold and black. The second showed Kojo Ren, a violet blur of swords against Gale and Vlad.
"The last photo," Ryoto said, his voice dropping, "may shock you."
He slid the final image forward. It was Prince Lemon, his hair glowing like a sun, crushing Vlad's armor.
"The Prince is alive," Ryoto explained. "And he was fighting alongside these pirates. We believe he is the key. However, to keep the 'Void Creatures' a secret from the public—as per your standing orders to prevent global panic—we will tell the citizens that these pirates were the ones who razed the island. We will brand them as the 'Butchers of Kogane No Tori.'"
"Excellent," Supreme One muttered. "A convenient truth."
"But," Supreme Two added, leaning into the light. "Don't you think these pirates are becoming a nuisance? First Reno, and now this 'Beast' boy?"
"I have a solution," Supreme One said. "If they want to be outlaws, let us put a price on their souls. A bounty so high it turns the whole world against them."
"A bounty?" Ryoto asked.
"Yes. Put a price on every pirate who threat to the government. I leave the numbers to you, General Ryoto. You are the most trusted hand in EDEN. Make sure their faces are on every wall in every city."
"I will see it done," Ryoto saluted.
"Wait," Supreme Four interrupted. "The Pirate School... it is still producing monsters. It was the school of Reno, the current King of the Pirates. They are getting stronger, General."
Ryoto's eyes flashed with a cold, military fire. "If I have to go to the battlefield myself to erase Reno's legacy, I will. I will give my life to ensure EDEN remains supreme."
"Good. You are dismissed."
Ryoto turned and marched out, the heavy doors thudding shut behind him. He had a world to prepare for war.
[The Hospital: Faramis]
Back in the room, the tension had finally broken. Lemon stood tall, his grief replaced by a new, fierce purpose.
"Then... I will be joining you. Captain Ato," Lemon said, bowing slightly—a habit of royalty he hadn't yet broken.
Ato threw his head back and laughed, a loud, booming sound that made the heart monitor beep frantically. "Yohoooo! That's what I like to hear! We've got a swordsman, we've got a prince... now we just need a ship!"
Ato looked out at the sunrise. The gold of Faramis was gone, but a new light was rising