The Palace of Kali – The Final Heaven:
A messenger angel entered the chamber of Kali, the Holy God.
Kali was lying on a white bed lined with golden patterns, beneath a grapevine tree beside a stream of wine. Four angels, dressed in elegant white two-piece garments with small ceremonial capes, were feeding him grapes.
The holy messenger knelt and struck his right hand against his chest.
"My Lord!"
Kali calmly said, "What is it? Have you brought new information?"
The messenger replied, "The spy inside the Shamrock Empire has sent us a message… one that may not please you."
Kali's expression darkened slightly with anger and curiosity.
"What is the message?"
The messenger delivered the message in an unknown language.
The moment Kali heard it, rage exploded from him. He released his power violently. The angels around him were thrown back by the pressure. The grand and magnificent palace trembled under his unleashed aura.
"Damn you!!… If I face you again this time, I swear I will wipe you from this world entirely!!!!!"
The palace began collapsing until the Archangels rushed into the chamber and restrained him.
Kali grabbed the arm of one of the Archangels and said desperately,
"Please… don't let me face him again!"
The Archangel smiled and embraced Kali—but Kali fainted from rage and emotional strain.
"Take His Divinity to his chambers!"
The messenger angel asked curiously, "Then where are you going, Oraxiel?"
When Kali lost consciousness, the angel dressed in red garments turned halfway through the massive gates that were slowly closing. His face was dark with fury.
Calmly and seriously, he said:
"To hunt a monster."
Kali's palace floated in the sky like a small island suspended in midair, surrounded by waterfalls of golden water cascading endlessly downward.
As the golden streams poured around the palace, Oraxiel stood at the edge of a cliff within the palace grounds, staring proudly into the distance.
Then, spreading his arms like a hawk diving for its prey, he leapt off the edge.
Like a small meteor descending to burn away all of Kali's enemies, he declared:
"Kali, I promise to protect you. Even if my breathing stops, I will never stop fighting to protect you!!"
He passed through the white clouds… and disappeared.
Dark eyes slowly opened.
A fire was burning nearby, and someone was sitting beside it, crushing something green on a stone.
"Where am I?… Ahh! My body hurts so much!"
"Don't move too much, or your wounds will reopen."
"Who are you?!"
"Who I am isn't that important right now. Here—eat this."
"Are you sure that's edible?!"
"If you don't want to heal, give it back. I'll give it to the other one."
"The other one?!… Ah—where's Rex?!"
Mikey and Rex had been found and rescued by a woman named Liana, who gathered wild herbs and turned them into medicine.
"Your other friend seemed to be in a hurry. He left without taking my herbal treatment."
Mikey angrily replied, "He's not my friend!… He's my enemy!"
Liana laughed softly.
"If he's not your friend, why did he hold back his final strike against you?"
Mikey's eyes widened.
"You were there?!"
Calmly pouring tea into a wooden cup, Liana said,
"Yes. I saw the entire fight. Both of you are very strong. Now drink this tea—it'll warm your body."
Mikey took the tea and asked,
"Who are you? What are you doing alone in this desert? Where's your family?"
Liana smiled faintly.
"My family was killed years ago… by a ruthless man."
Mikey paused while drinking.
"You know what?… My family was killed too."
Liana said softly, "Then we share the same pain. We understand each other… Do you know the killer?"
Mikey stopped, anger flashing in his eyes.
"The killer is the same one you healed… and sent away."
Liana spoke gently,
"So that fight… you were taking revenge for your family?"
Mikey nodded.
But Liana continued, calm and serious:
"Do you understand why your family was killed?"
Mikey shouted angrily,
"What difference does it make?! If I understand, will my family come back?!"
Liana replied,
"I understand—they were your family. But… first understand the reason. The one who dies isn't always the one who was right. No one is killed without a cause. They must have done something."
Enraged, Mikey threw the tea aside. Shaking with pain, he stood up.
"Crystalline phoenix Wings!"
Fiery wings burst from his back. As he lifted into the air, he shouted:
"I will take my revenge! I'm not a coward like you who sits and does nothing!"
With his back turned to her, he added quietly,
"Thanks… for saving me."
With a powerful surge, he soared into the sky.
Liana took a deep breath and sat down sadly on the stone.
"Revenge?… Against whom?"
Ikan – Kingdom of Shamrock:
Zeno opened his eyes.
He found himself in a dark place where nothing and no one could be seen. Saddened, he hugged his knees and sat down.
Suddenly, his eyes filled with hope and joy.
"Kurenai?!"
He saw a girl who looked like Kurenai. She glanced at him and stretched out her hand.
"Zeno… come with me."
Tears filled Zeno's eyes. He quickly stood and ran toward her.
But no matter how much he ran, he couldn't reach her.
"Kurenai!… Kurenai?!…"
He kept calling her name without stopping.
Slowly, she pulled her hand back in disappointment.
"You never loved me, Zeno."
With tears streaming down his face, he screamed,
"No! That's not true! Kurenai, please don't leave me—come back!!!"
With that final word, Zeno jolted awake and sat up.
He was back in the same room in Ikan.
He placed his hand on his head, lowered it, tears falling freely.
And he said only one sentence:
"Forgive me… Kurenai."