A red laser burst from Zero's mouth, slicing through the air with a violent ZZZRRRAAAASH as it shot straight toward Lyra.
She reacted instantly, diving aside.
BOOOOM!
The beam missed her heart by inches but tore through her arm. Blood sprayed as pain exploded through her body. Behind her, the massive tree was cleaved clean in half, crashing into pieces with a deafening CRAAASH.
Lyra staggered back, breathing hard.
Zero had completely lost control.
High above, inside Zero's giant body, Elsiya sat frozen in place. Her heart pounded.
If I stay here quietly, I might die, she thought desperately.
But I can't move either… what am I supposed to do?
Her hands trembled.
This time… I have to take the risk.
She unbuckled her belt and stood up, scanning for a way out.
Suddenly—
BAAANG!
Weston's colossal robotic hand slammed into Zero's stomach. The impact shook everything. Zero stumbled backward, and Elsiya lost her balance.
"Aah!" she cried as she was thrown to the floor, rolling hard. She barely managed to grab onto a chair to stop herself.
"Why did I ever climb inside him?" she sobbed, tears of frustration streaming down her face.
Then—
A voice echoed inside her head.
"Hey… help me. I'll help you escape his body too."
Elsiya froze.
"What…?" she whispered.
The voice came again, clearer this time.
"I'm down here. Help me."
She wiped her tears and looked around. "Where is that voice coming from?"
Her eyes landed on a trapdoor in the floor, the same strange color as the walls.
"There's a trapdoor…?"
She crawled toward it and pulled it open. A ladder descended into darkness. Carefully, she climbed down—but her foot slipped.
"Aah—!"
She fell.
Or at least, she thought she did.
Elsiya found herself suspended in midair, gently held by a glowing bubble.
"…Wow."
The bubble slowly lowered her to the floor. The room was dark and silent. Chains rattled softly.
There, bound in heavy chains, was a man.
"You called me for help?" Elsiya asked.
"Yes," he said weakly. "Please… open these chains."
She crossed her arms. "Why should I help you? We're meeting for the first time. What if I free you and you attack me?"
"My name is Michael," he replied. "I promise I won't attack you. Please."
"You say that now," Elsiya said sharply.
"If I wanted to hurt you, I already would have," Michael said. "If I die here, it'll be because you didn't stop Zero. You don't even know how to control him."
Silence filled the room.
"…Okay, okay," Elsiya sighed. "I'll free you. But I don't have the keys."
"Break them," Michael said. "With your power."
"My power…?" She blinked. "Oh—right. I totally forgot I have a power."
She raised her hand and focused.
"Maybe this will work…"
Her voice hardened.
"Water Blade."
A sharp arc of water sliced through the air—SPLAAASH!
CLAAANG!
The chains snapped apart.
"It broke!" Elsiya gasped.
She shattered the remaining chains, freeing him completely.
"You're free now," she said.
"Thank you," Michael replied.
"It's okay. Now let's go back up. Zero's moving a lot, but somehow this room stays balanced."
"This chamber is special," Michael said. "You don't feel his movements here."
"Then let's hurry before he smashes everything."
They climbed the ladder together.
Suddenly—
"Ah!" Elsiya cried as Zero moved again. She dropped to the floor. "Do something, you!"
"My name is Michael," he said calmly.
"Whatever—just do it!"
Outside—
BAAANG!
Weston struck again, his robotic fist smashing into Zero's face. Zero reeled backward.
Elsiya screamed, "Michael, stop standing there!"
Michael looked out and froze.
"…Lyra?"
He shouted with all his strength.
"LYRA"
Lyra's breath caught in her throat.
"Michael…?" Her voice trembled. "You're alive."
Michael stepped forward, boots grinding against the shattered stone. "Lyra… are you fighting Weston?"
A violent BOOM! echoed across the battlefield as Weston's energy tore through the air, cracking the ground beneath them.
"Yes," Lyra answered sharply, eyes never leaving her enemy. "But you're disrupting my fight. Go back to the castle. You know everything now—find the truth."
Michael clenched his fists. "But I want to fight Weston."
"Our goal is the same!" Lyra shouted as another blast exploded nearby — KRAAAASH! Debris rained down around them. "It doesn't matter who defeats him. Right now, you must go. It's better for all of us."
"Michael! Go!"
He hesitated—
—but Lyra cut the communication line.
"Please… just go."
Michael's jaw tightened. Slowly, he turned and adjusted the robot's control panel. With a mechanical WHIRRRR—CLICK, the machine rotated toward the castle lobby.
The scene shifted.
Elsewhere—
"Yuki!" Hiyori's voice trembled.
Yuki turned quickly. "Hiyori… what happened? Are you crying?"
Tears streamed down Hiyori's face. "I—I don't know what happened. I heard a voice. I followed it. When I opened the door—someone pushed me and then… everything went black."
Yuki's expression darkened. "You're safe now. That's what matters. Did you free the people?"
Hiyori nodded. "Yes. They ran back to the village."
"Finally…" Yuki exhaled. "Now we just need Elysia and Usami."
"Did you find the book?" Hiyori asked.
"No."
A soft voice echoed from behind them.
"Book? What kind of book are you looking for?"
They froze.
Hina stood near the mirror, her reflection flickering strangely in the dim light.
"The Book of Power," Yuki said cautiously.
Hina tilted her head. "Ah… that book. I know where it is."
Hiyori blinked. "S-Sorry… I didn't notice you."
"Don't worry," Hina replied calmly. "I'm not your enemy."
Yuki stepped forward. "You said you know where the book is?"
"Yes," Hina said. "But there's a problem. It's in the basement."
"Then let's go!" Hiyori said immediately. "What are we waiting for?"
"We don't have the keys," Hina replied.
Hiyori slowly raised her hand. A small metallic object glinted under the light.
"Are you talking about this key?"
Hina's eyes widened. "Where did you find that?"
"No time to explain. We need to hurry."
They rushed through the corridor. Their footsteps echoed — tap… tap… TAP TAP TAP.
The basement door stood before them.
Hiyori slid the key into the lock.
CLICK.
The door creaked open with a long, chilling CREEEEAAAK.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
"It's completely dark," Hiyori whispered.
"There are stairs," Hina warned. "Be careful."
They began descending.
Step after step.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
"How long do these stairs go?" Hiyori asked breathlessly.
"I… don't know."
The air grew colder. Heavier.
Finally—
They reached the bottom.
Hiyori's eyes widened, sparkling under the dim torchlight. "It's… beautiful."
Mountains of gold shimmered. Jewels glowed like fallen stars. Weapons lined the walls. The entire basement glittered with stolen treasure.
"This," Hina said bitterly, "is everything he stole from us."
Hiyori clenched her fists. "It looks like he created soldiers by force."
"Yes," Hina replied. "He took children with powers… and turned them into his personal army."
A sudden metallic glint caught her attention.
"Hiyori… look."
At the far end of the treasure hall stood a massive iron locker.
"And inside that," Hina whispered,
"is the Book of Power."
A low rumbling sound echoed from somewhere deep in the basement.
RUMMMMMBLE…
As if something… was waking up.