Sigvard grabbed Mikage by the collar and with a surge of inhuman strength, hurled him straight into the spinning Ice Vortex. The collision triggered a violent reaction, encasing Mikage in a swirling tornado of frost and shards.
With a heavy thud, Sigvard rested his sword on his shoulder and began walking toward Yukiko.
> "It's a shame," he said, voice calm and almost reverent. "You children have potential. I would've loved to see how far you'd grow."
Yukiko clicked her tongue, summoning dual ice katanas in a flash of frost. A cold mist began pouring from her mouth as the temperature around her dropped sharply.
Behind Sigvard, the vortex began to crackle.
A scorched hand burst free, grabbing Sigvard's shoulder. It was Mikage.
> "What a strong spirit," Sigvard muttered, almost impressed.
Mikage's palm glowed bright red-then erupted in a fiery blast, forcing Sigvard to stumble back. Smoke curled from his shoulder.
> "That fire... it's stronger than before," Sigvard observed, eyeing the burn marks on his armor.
Mikage tore his way out of the ice prison, gasping as cold air poured off his body. His flame-etched scales were gashed and bleeding.
> "Thank goodness she's low on mana," he muttered, then glanced at Yukiko. "How're you holding up?"
> "Cold," she replied flatly.
A beat passed. Then Yukiko smirked.
> "Let's gamble."
> "What are you suggesting?" Mikage asked cautiously.
> "He's not trying to kill us. He's had plenty of chances. He's testing us."
Mikage narrowed his eyes. "You're right..."
> "So," she continued, "I know you're holding back your family's technique because of the heat risk... but what if I could reduce the danger?"
> "Explain."
> "You go 50%. I go full throttle with my ice. We'll balance each other out."
Mikage looked alarmed.
> "Are you referring to the technique your grandfather uses.?It's been known to stop people's hearts."
> "I'm aware."
Her eyes burned with conviction. Mikage exhaled through a grin.
> "If you die, I'd rather fall here than face your grandfather's wrath."
> "I'm going first."
Yukiko released her mana. Ice crept over her body, freezing the very air around them. Frost spread across the ground, the walls, and even touched Sigvard's boots. Her body trembled as the cold began to seize her heart.
> "That's my cue," Mikage muttered.
His mana surged like a wildfire. Flames roared around him as his hair ignited and his eyes burned gold.
> "Sun State-50%!"
A fiery gust exploded from his body, ripping toward Sigvard. Still, the knight didn't flinch.
> "How's your heart holding up?" Mikage asked, glancing at her.
Yukiko's breath was shallow, but she nodded, revealing her body encased in a shimmering ice exoskeleton-her face and hair left untouched.
> "It worked."
Sigvard finally shifted, planting his feet in a battle stance.
> "If you're done stalling," he growled, "entertain me."
Yukiko dashed forward, trailing mist and ice. Sigvard brought his blade down in a sweeping arc, but she intercepted it with her arm-the exoskeleton deflecting the blow like iron. She spun, conjured an ice blade, and slashed across his chest. The cut barely left a mark.
Before he could counter, Mikage emerged from the mist like a streak of flame, slammed his hand onto Sigvard's chest, and whispered-
> "Hotspot."
A glowing red glyph ignited under his palm. Then-boom!
An explosion ripped through Sigvard's armor, sending him flying into the stone wall.
He landed on one knee, blade stabbed into the ground for balance. Smoke curled from his chest as he lifted his head... and laughed.
> "You kids..." he said between chuckles. "You're incredible. Come on-entertain me more."
Sigvard vanished in a blur.
Before Yukiko could even blink, his shadow loomed behind her-fist clenched, ready to strike. But instead of hitting her, his punch slammed into a block of ice.
She had already vanished.
Yukiko reappeared beside him and sliced at his side. This time, where her blade struck, ice began to creep across his armor, spreading rapidly.
Before Sigvard could react, a wave of fire engulfed him, forcing him to retreat. He tossed his sword aside and shifted stances-abandoning power for speed.
> "I have to stay on constant alert," Yukiko thought, her breath fogging the air.
Mikage then lunged forward, flames surging around his fists. Sigvard prepared to counter, but Mikage twisted mid-air, dodging the blow and landing an uppercut to Sigvard's jaw, sending out a shockwave that rippled through the chamber.
Sigvard stumbled back, stunned.
> "I felt that," he thought, before raising both fists for a devastating follow-up.
But he stopped mid-swing.
Glancing down, he saw strands of glowing silk wrapping around his limbs. He looked up. Trixie hovered above him, grinning.
Yukiko dashed in next, unleashing a flurry of ice-coated slashes that left trails of frost with every strike, freezing his armor inch by inch.
Then came Mikage again-his hand slamming onto Sigvard's shoulder.
> "Hotspot."
A fiery explosion detonated point-blank, launching Sigvard across the arena. He smashed into the wall, coughing ash and smoke.
As he tried to rise, shadows coiled around his body, pinning him in place.
A final shot rang out.
Boom!
A shadow bullet struck his head, and as the smoke cleared, Edward stepped forward, cradling his bruised jaw.
> "That's for the punch earlier," he muttered coldly, holding his smoking shadow gun.
"You finally join us," Mikage muttered, wiping soot from his face.
Edward replied with a sarcastic smirk, "Sorry. Took a quick nap before the real fight."
"Sheesh, I was joking," Mikage chuckled weakly.
"Please," Yukiko groaned, clutching her side, "Let's just get out of here. I'm running on empty."
"Same," Mikage nodded, flames flickering out from his arms.
Edward added, "And where exactly are we going? If we head back, it's just a de-"
Crack!
Sigvard appeared in a blink, his massive hand slamming into Edward's face, knocking him out cold before he could finish.
Before the others could react, he vanished again.
Boom!
Yukiko was next. A brutal kick to her abdomen launched her into the wall, where she slumped unconscious.
"Tch-!" Trixie hurled a kunai.
Without even glancing, Sigvard caught it mid-air, yanked the silk attached to it, and slammed her into the ground like a ragdoll.
She didn't get up.
Mikage, breath ragged, began charging a desperate fire blast. "You psycho!" he roared.
But in a flash, Sigvard was in front of him-grabbing Mikage's wrist and redirecting the blast to the side. Before Mikage could react, Sigvard drove a fist into his gut, cutting off the flames and snapping him out of Sun State.
Mikage's eyes rolled back as he collapsed.
Sigvard walked over, picked up his blade, and slung it over his shoulder.
> "It was fun playing with you kids... but I have a job to finish."
In the blink of an eye-
He was behind Akira, mid-swing.
His blade screamed through the air, aiming straight for Akira's neck.
Akira, unaware, was just inches away from the Grimoire.
In that instant, Akira used Shadow Step, vanishing just as Sigvard's blade sliced through the air where his neck had been. He reappeared beside the Grimoire, slamming his hand onto it.
Sigvard turned, blade already lunging toward Akira's chest.
Akira, desperate, opened the book and shouted,
> "Take your stupid book back and leave us alone!"
Sigvard froze. The blade halted mid-thrust-its tip mere inches from Akira's eye.
Suddenly, glowing glyphs and shifting words appeared across the Grimoire's pages.
Sigvard's eyes widened.
> "Master... You once told me the words would only reveal themselves in your possession. Why do they now reveal themselves... to this boy?"
Nearby, Mikage struggled to his feet, clutching his bruised abdomen. Fire sputtered uselessly from his fingertips.
"Soldiers, halt!" Sigvard commanded.
All around, armored soldiers who had once been fighting froze like statues.
"Everyone, bow!" he continued.
> "Malakar has finally returned."
Sigvard knelt, driving his blade into the ground. The soldiers followed, lowering themselves in reverent silence.
Mikage and Akira blinked in disbelief.
> "Huh?!!"
Behind them, groans echoed. Trixie, Yukiko, and Edward stirred and slowly got up.
"How are we still alive?" Trixie mumbled, looking around-then frowned at Mikage. "And why are you just standing there?"
Mikage didn't look at her.
> "It seems... our friend here is Malakar."
"What?!!" the group yelled.
Yukiko's eyes narrowed. "That's impossible!"
Edward scoffed. "He didn't even know who Malakar was when I told him about him!"
Trixie muttered, "Wasn't Malakar so powerful that just being near him caused people to suffocate?"
"I'm just as surprised and confused as you all are," Mikage admitted.
Sigvard stood. "Master... why didn't you reveal yourself sooner?"
Akira threw up his hands.
> "Relax! I think you've got the wrong guy!"
Sigvard shook his head slowly.
> "I'm certain. The Grimoire only reveals its words to Malakar."
Akira looked down at the glowing script.
> "Yeah, well... I can't understand a single word of it."
"Then allow me to show you something," Sigvard said, turning toward the sunlight orb on the far side of the room. "Follow me."
They approached a large platform beneath the orb. A pillar rose from the ground, waist-high, with a book-shaped slot on one side and a glowing handprint on the other.
"What am I supposed to do?" Akira asked.
"Place the Grimoire and your palm there," Sigvard replied.
Akira did as told. "Now what?"
Sigvard stepped back. "That... was the last thing you told me to do."
Suddenly, the Grimoire began to disintegrate, glowing crimson. The orb above flickered and shifted from gold to blood-red.
"That's... new," Sigvard muttered.
A beam of crimson light blasted from the orb and slammed down on Akira. He screamed in agony as his flesh burned away, stripping him to bone.
"Akira!!" the others screamed and moved to run toward him-
-but Sigvard flashed in front of them, blocking their path.
> "I will not let you interfere, Master must complete the rite!"
Akira's bones glowed crimson as his body slowly regenerated-nerves, muscles, flesh returning. Trixie gasped, "Akira...?"
Akira turned toward her-but his eyes were no longer the same.
His sclera was black, and his retinas were formed from crimson runes.
But from Akira's POV, he didn't see the Trixie he knew.
He saw an older version of her, face hollow and grief-stricken, holding a little girl. Her eyes looked as if they had cried all their tears and could cry no more.
As the beam faded, Akira's eyes slowly returned to normal. A crimson and black ancient robe formed over his body. He stumbled-but Yukiko caught him.
Around them, the armored soldiers bowed one last time before dissolving into streams of dark mist, each one slipping into Akira's shadow. Only Sigvard remained.
"How do you feel, Master?" Sigvard asked.
Akira swayed.
> "A little dizzy. And how do I even know how to... make more of you?"
"I'm not sure. But the knowledge seems to be within you," Sigvard said. "You'll learn to summon us. And the more you fight, the more powerful enemies will fall into your army. But I recommend keeping your return... secret, until your full power awakens. Enemies are already moving."
With that, Sigvard bowed once more-and sank into Akira's shadow.
Moments later, a stone wall rumbled open.
Cyrus and Goro stood in the entry.
"We found them!" Goro announced proudly. "Thanks to my expert tracking skills-"
"Oh, shut up," Cyrus cut in.
The group, battered and overwhelmed, finally collapsed in exhaustion.
Cyrus rushed over, eyes wide as he took in their bruised and battered forms.
"Who did this to you guys?" he demanded.
The group remained silent, glancing at each other—Sigvard's warning still fresh in their minds.
After a pause, Edward broke the tension with a shaky grin.
"We… were forced to fight replicas of ourselves. But we won."
Cyrus blinked.
"No wonder the labyrinth's been shaking all this while…"
He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small bottle filled with glowing green liquid.
"Pass this around. It's a healing herb—won't fix everything, but it'll speed things up a bit."
He turned to Goro. "Don't you have one? Give the kids yours, you moron."
Goro shrugged lazily.
"Why would I carry one when I know I wouldn't need it?"
The bottle made its way through the group, the herb easing their injuries. Muscles relaxed, cuts closed, and color returned to their faces.
"Can you walk now?" Cyrus asked.
They all gave a weak but determined nod.
"Good. We found a way out of the labyrinth, but you'll need that strength to get there."
One by one, they passed by Goro. But as Akira stepped past him, Goro froze. His body tensed. His hand shot to his blade.
A sudden wave of fear overtook him—pure instinct.
"What's wrong with you?" Cyrus asked sharply.
Goro's eyes didn't leave Akira.
"That kid... he's dangerous. I don't know what it is—but the moment he got close, I felt something. Something ancient… and blood-soaked."
Cyrus scoffed.
"Well, I didn't feel a thing."
Goro grit his teeth.
"I did. There's more than one battle aura clinging to him. It's like he's carrying the will of a hundred warriors… no—thousands. One of them… it dwarfs even my village chief."