Moments passed . Then—
"I feel something," Kirschtaria said suddenly, his voice calm but focused. "It's like… a tree. Or a network, surrounding everything. But it's hollow—converted. Shaped by shadow."
Jin-Woo turned slightly, noting the faint ripple in the ground around Kirschtaria. Small stones and flecks of ash slowly began to lift into the air.
"…Good," Jin-Woo said. "One of you is already correct."
Ophelia glanced at Kirschtaria's posture, adjusted her own, then tried to mimic the calm focus.
But Jin-Woo wasn't done.
"Ophelia Phamrsolone," he said evenly, "for you to use the Force, you need to let go of your past."
Her eyes twitched, almost defensively, but he continued.
"You carry your parents' expectations like chains. Always trying to be the best, to impress ghosts who aren't even watching anymore. That's not how the Force works."
Ophelia opened her mouth—but couldn't speak. Her jaw tensed.
"You need to release it," Jin-Woo said again. "Let go. Or the Force won't answer."
Ophelia managed a dry laugh, tension breaking for a moment. "You're starting to sound like that old turtle from Kung Fu Panda, Jin-Woo."
He raised an eyebrow, unamused. "The other option is the dark side. But let's be honest… you're not unhinged enough for that."
Ophelia went quiet, then smirked faintly. "…Thanks, I guess."
Jin-Woo's gaze shifted, eyes narrowing slightly as they landed on Hinako.
Hinako posture was calm, composed—but there was a flicker of something else. The way her energy coiled in her chest, the slight tension in her jaw. She was channeling the Force well… but there was a faint bleed of darkside in it.
He didn't say anything. Just thought. Zhen Ren bloodline. Right… not my problem anyway. Probably still carrying some annoyance from Zeta Halo. I did kick her ass back there.
His eyes drifted to Peperoncino next.
Pepe, for his part, was standing in a ridiculous JoJo pose—legs wide, one hand on his hip, the other arched above his head, eyes shut in serene concentration.
Jin-Woo blinked. …I'm ignoring that. He's probably fine. Somehow.
Then he glanced back to Ophelia. A single tear had slipped down her cheek.
"I've never…" she whispered, voice trembling, "…felt this much warmth in my life."
Jin-Woo let it hang for only a second more. Then, with his usual bluntness, he spoke.
"All right. Now stop."
His tone shifted. Calm, commanding.
"It's time I see what your leader's actually capable of."
The Crypters stirred, slowly pulling themselves out of meditation. Hinako straightened, brushing her hands off. Pepe stretched dramatically like he'd just woken from a nap, still in his absurd pose. Ophelia wiped her cheek in silence. Kadoc muttered something under his breath.
Kirschtaria quietly rose and stepped forward.
With a wave of his hand, he focused on a thick root protruding from one of the shadow-twisted trees of Tython. The air shimmered—then the root tore free from the earth with a controlled snap, hovering before him in midair.
Jin-Woo gave a nod, unimpressed—but watching closely.
"Okay. Good. One of you learned something."
He raised a hand—and with the flick of a finger, a small spherical object launched into the air. It beeped rapidly as it spun—Jin-Woo's thermal bomb. Not lethal, but strong enough to knock out a Jedi.
Kirschtaria's hand snapped up. A shimmering bubble of Force wrapped around him in an instant. The bomb hit the field, pulsed once—and was absorbed with only a soft thump, the impact dispersed harmlessly.
Jin-Woo's expression didn't change, but his voice carried something rare. A trace of approval.
"Very good… leader of the Crypters."
Kirschtaria allowed a small smile to tug at the edge of his mouth.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Ophelia gave a short laugh, brushing her cloak as she stood up beside Kirschtaria.
"Finally… you've become a Jedi, Kirschtaria-sama."
Kirschtaria only shook his head, amused. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Fifteen minutes passed swiftly under Jin-Woo's guidance.
Each Crypter, save for Daybit who remained in silent meditation away from the group, had undergone the crash-course fundamentals of Force usage.
Kadoc was now able to levitate small rocks with mild focus, though his concentration would waver anytime Anastasia looked at him.
Hinako had sharpened her Force Push to a clean, efficient blast—controlled and accurate.
Ophelia moved with elegance, her Force Pull steady enough to snatch a floating leaf mid-air without breaking her posture.
Even Kirschtaria refined his control further, balancing push and pull without verbal cues.
But the loudest, as always, was Pepe.
With a dramatic cry, he leapt from a nearby boulder—soaring over 20 meters high using Force Jump, arms spread like wings.
He landed with a flourish and struck a JoJo pose mid-air before hitting the ground.
"Behold! The fabulous crypter arc ends, and the Jedi saga begins!"
Then, he blinked, tilted his head and asked genuinely, "Wait—can Jedi double jump?"
Jin-Woo pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered dryly,
"That's Mario, Pepe. Stick to reality."
Pepe just winked. "Mario's a Jedi in my heart, darling."
Then Hinako's voice cut in, sharp and straightforward.
"Jin-Woo. Where's the lightsaber?"
Jin-Woo blinked, tilting his head slightly.
"I thought Pepe would ask first. Surprised a zhenren grandma like you got there before him."
Hinako scowled, raising her chin defiantly. "Hurry up, so I can kick your shadow butt."
With a shrug, Jin-Woo turned to the side. "Offensive Bias."
A pulse of pale blue light shimmered beside him as a small slipspace opened. From it, a sleek obsidian case was slowly ejected, carried by a micro-sentinel. The case opened with a hiss, revealing five standard hilt designs—each with a kyber crystal slotted next to them. Blue , AND green.
Pepe leaned over dramatically. "Where's the red one?"
Jin-Woo didn't even turn around. "The red one's complicated. Ignore it."
No one questioned it.
Kirschtaria, Pepe, and Kadoc each stepped forward, choosing the blue crystals—steady, reliable, a symbol of guardianship.
Hinako and Ophelia, without hesitation, selected green—signs of deep insight and harmony with the Force.
Hinako was the first to activate hers.
With a snap-hiss, a vibrant green blade ignited from her hilt, humming low with power. She held it up with one hand and pointed it at Jin-Woo.
"I want a rematch."
Jin-Woo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"You don't even know a single lightsaber form," he said. "And you want to fight me?"
"Are you really mature for your supposed 2200 years of life… or are you still stagnant?"
Hinako didn't answer—she just gripped the hilt tighter.
Pepe whispered to Ophelia from the side, "Oh dear. She's definitely picking violence."
Ophelia only sighed, already rubbing her temple.
"Here we go again…"
A subtle movement from Hinako caught Jin-Woo's attention—she raised two fingers, a sharp flick of her wrist toward Prince Lanling and Xiang Yu. A signal. Don't interfere.
Both men remained silent. Respectful. Watching.
Jin-Woo exhaled, stepping forward as he ignited his own weapon.
SNAP-HISS.
The Vectivus lightsaber came to life—its black blade humming with an ominous, unstable energy. Like a void cutting into reality itself.
Hinako pointed her green blade forward.
"If I win," "you teach me how Transfer Essence works."
Jin-Woo tilted his head. "…That technique is for self-preservation. It won't bring your Xiang Yu from Proper Human History back. You know that, right?"
"I said if I win," Hinako replied, her voice steady. "Also—only swordsmanship. No Force tricks. You accept or not?"
Tch. Stubborn grandma… Jin-Woo thought with a grimace.
She turned then—without asking again—and reached toward Ophelia. "Lend me your saber."
Ophelia narrowed her eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
Hinako didn't respond. She simply snatched the hilt from her hand with the same grace she had used for centuries.
The second green blade came alive. Twin lightsabers now in her hands, she lowered herself into a fluid stance—high guard in the right, sweeping arc in the left—classic dual-blade formation, but adapted with the precision of Chinese martial arts.
She didn't need to say anything more. Her posture spoke for her: This time, I'm serious.
Hinako Akuta snapped her left wrist and hurled a blood-forged bullet behind Jin-Woo. A feint.
Jin-Woo tilted his head and stepped aside without even looking. The blood projectile sizzled as it missed, evaporating on the shadow-saturated ground.
Hinako smirked. "Not gonna scold me for using anything but lightsabers?"
Jin-Woo stared at her blankly. "If you're going to get humiliated anyway, might as well do it while using your precious Zhenren tricks."
Her grin vanished. Tch… you bastard—!
She spun forward like a jade-colored typhoon—both sabers flashing as she lunged in a spiral, her form twisting like a dragon drill aimed to break through his guard. Her footwork was elegant—deadly—unrelenting.
But Jin-Woo didn't move back. He stepped into the storm.
Ataru Form—fluid, erratic, unpredictable.
He slipped past her left saber, twisted at the waist, and dropped low—his heel sweeping under her stance. The moment she overcommitted the second blade—
Jin-Woo's foot struck the back of her ankle.
Hinako stumbled. Hard.
Both sabers flickered as her stance collapsed, her knee hitting the dirt, a grunt slipping from her lips.
Jin-Woo calmly raised his blade—not to strike, but to point.
"Like I said, You should've added another hundred thousand years of waiting."
Hinako's head dipped slightly, shoulders trembling—not from exhaustion, but from the weight of her pride. Her voice, low and cracked, slipped past her lips.
"Why… why is the distance between us this far?" she muttered, eyes fixed on the dirt. "I know you're far younger than I am… but…"
Jin-Woo didn't move his blade. He only lowered it, gently letting the hum fade as he deactivated the saber.
"That answer," he said quietly, "you'll have to find yourself."
"I found it the hard way. Through decisions that cost me more than I ever expected. You want satisfaction? You'll need to lose something first."
Hinako's hands gripped the twin hilts—tighter for a moment—then with a long, steady breath, she rose to her feet and turned to Ophelia.
Silently, she extended the green saber. Ophelia accepted it with a nod, her expression unreadable.
Hinako then looked back at Jin-Woo, her gaze sharp. "You better not break your promise," she said, voice steady once more. "You promised me… you would bring back the soul of my Xiang Yu from Proper Human History."
Jin-Woo met her eyes. "Yeah. And I will. Just be ready to steel yourself. Your role in my plan… begins today."
Jin-Woo crossed his arms as Daybit approached, a flicker of expectation hiding behind his impassive gaze.
"Daybit. Let's go. Your turn."
The Crypter's eyes opened slowly—serene, steady. He stepped forward, igniting a lightsaber in each hand. The right hummed with a deep, crackling purple. The left flickered with the steady glow of green.
Hinako blinked, incredulous. "Wait, how the hell does he already have lightsabers?!"
Jin-Woo didn't even look at her as he replied dryly, "He and Tezcatlipoca heisted a Jedi Temple. What did you expect, a souvenir mug?"
All eyes turned to Daybit, who now sat cross-legged again, but this time with intent. The green lightsaber floated into the air, its casing and components detaching smoothly under the guidance of his telekinesis. The kyber crystal hovered at the center—calm, pulsing with potential.
Then… it began to shift. A sliver of red crept along the core of the crystal like a drop of blood spreading in clear water. It twisted unnaturally, reacting to the presence of intent, not rage—an emotionless, cold directive.
Jin-Woo's eyes narrowed slightly.
He's really doing it…He's starting the bleeding process.
The air around Daybit grew tense— the Force itself was holding its darkside .
Shit, Jin-Woo thought, watching in silence, this guy… he actually researched everything. Jedi. Sith. Techniques. He's going straight for a self-bleed? With no emotion?
Daybit's voice cut through the tension with perfect clarity.
"Maybe this is one of the rare moments I surprise you, Jin-Woo."
He didn't turn his head, didn't gloat—he simply stared ahead, calm and controlled.
"And you're right. I didn't use emotion like hate or pain . I used memory. My past. The unfairness. Why must people be enslaved to their purpose? Why must their paths be carved by something beyond their will?"
He slowly extended his arms outward—left hand still slightly trembling, skin bruised from the strain of bleeding the kyber crystal.
"That's why I'll change it. And this day… there will be a second Revan."
Then—FWOOOOOOM.
A wave of red burst out from the crystal—dark, heavy, immense—but it didn't harm anyone. Instead, it washed through the atmosphere like a heartbeat in silence. Controlled. Directed.
The lightsaber in his left hand clicked into place—crimson now, its hum deep and deliberate. The right still flared with purple, its tone cold and clean.
Jin-Woo lowered his arms and exhaled slowly.
"…Balance," he muttered. "But still determined to blow off the world."
All the Crypters stood still, finally understanding the weight of what they had seen.
The red lightsaber wasn't just a color. It was a choice. The scar. A reflection of hate, pain, or overwhelming loss.
And Daybit? Daybit had bled his kyber crystal without anger. Without screaming and breaking. He was... different .
Kirschtaria took a single step forward, hands behind his back.. "Jin-Woo, I need you to step aside. I need to talk to Daybit."
Jin-Woo's eyes flicked to him, then to Daybit.
"That talk's gonna turn into a duel any minute now," he said flatly.
Ophelia stepped up immediately. "Kirschtaria-sama, let me help."
Kirschtaria turned his head just slightly, and when his eyes met hers, there was no hesitation. Just resolve. He gave a short nod.