By morning, Misako had deciphered the first symbol and sent the ninja on their way. Chasing after Ronin, an old acquaintance of both Cole and Kai. Knowing that Ronin would be holding out at Stiix is a blessing, as Morro likely did not know that the scroll had been stolen. Before they left, however, Kai walked over to Wu.
"You need to start training her. The longer you wait, the more destructive and difficult to train she will be." He warns. "The Element within is bursting at it's seems. I'm honestly surprised she didn't unconsciously use her powers on me in anger when I took her away from the store."
"I know." Wu assures. "I will train her." While Kai didn't originally know that his sister had her own elemental powers, it made sense. If their father was one, why couldn't their mother be one as well. He started to notice her energies change after the whole war with the Fake Anacondrai. She was more fierce, more protective. It's when he felt her emotional Tidal Wave that he understood what she held within.
As the Ninja depart, Kai glances back at his sister, her frustration at being kept behind radiating off of her. He looks to Wu, silently telling him to take care of her, before he follows the others, on their way to Stiix.
As they laugh at the ridiculously lengthy song they sang for the last six hours, they sober slowly, each wishing for Lloyd to have been with them.
"I wonder why the tomb's so important." Cole notes.
"I don't know. Sensei says it holds unspeakable power." Jay offers.
"It's the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master. Whatever he took with him, has to be extremely dangerous." Kai warns. As they arrive at an old, abandoned train station, one built from before New Ninjago City, ghostly laughter echoes through the wind, sending shivers through the ninja.
"You hear that?" Cole asks shakily.
"Yeah. I did, but… we're in the middle of nowhere." Jay defends. Kai looks to the low hanging moon, as a green glow gives him ample time to warn the others.
"Scatter, now!" He orders, just in time as a ghostly vehicles narrowly missing running them all over. As Zane tries to throw his Shuriken, it passes right through. "I fucking hate ghosts." Kai complains. He opens his pocket dimension, pulling out a gas powered gel blaster. As he does this, the ghost and his vehicle disappear.
"Where'd he go? I can't see him." Cole asks, as the ninja go back to back.
"Stay together." Zane orders, only to have the order broken as the ghost returns, his vehicle passing them, while his chain manages to wrap around Kai's feet. As he drives, Kai is dragged along, as he holds onto the gel blaster, aiming at his quarry.
"Fuck you, Ghost Rider." He swears, opening fire. The Gels pierce through the ghostly material, leaving enough damage to free himself, as he fires of the rest of his loaded clip. With Kai away from the others, they make do with what they have. Cole manages to hook the chain onto the water tower, removing the ghost from his bike, as it returns to it's original form. As the ghost monologues, it continues to yank the chain, until it brings the water tower onto him, the water spilling and eliminating him.
"What just happened?" Cole questions in confusion.
"He went… kablooey." Zane answers, just as confused.
"But, he was just about to tell us what was in the tomb! Couldn't this have waited until after he spilled the beans?!" Jay questions in frustration.
"Either way, the ancient texts are right." Kai reveals, walking up to them. "Cursed Spirits can't touch water." He holsters the blaster on his thigh, a modification the Null had created in moments.
"And what did you just use?" Jay then asks animatedly, much to Kai's amusement.
"It's called a Gel Blaster. Each gel is normally a dehydrated speck. But let it soak in water for a while, and it's got an effect on these Spirits." Kai explains. "Gift from another world. You don't need to know about it's origins, other than I will be getting more for us." With their shelter gone, the ninja move on.
The Village of Stiix isn't one of beauty. A cobbled together place by a massive lake is all it is. They find Ronin rather easily.
"Seriously, Ronin? You trying to make an 'honest' living or something?" Kai questions with a sigh, already seeing several stolen items around the place. Ronin tries to lead them into a trap, only for it to fail in such a small area, leaving the ninja unimpressed.
"What did ya expect?" Ronin shrugs. "Got make a living somehow."
"Oh for fucks sake." Kai swears, opening his pocket dimension. "How much for the scroll, Ronin?"
"800." He answers without hesitation, a smile on his face. Kai groans, closing his portal.
"I don't have that much." He admits with a sigh, before noticing some kind of weapon. "What are those?"
"That's an Aero-Blade." Ronin answers, noticing where his attention is drawn to. "Forged with Deep-Stone, an aquatic material mined from the bottom of the ocean. More expensive than the scroll, so you know." He smirks.
"What about raw Deep-Stone? Got any of that?" Kai asks. Ronin dashes over to a crate behind the shelves, dragging one out.
"Plenty." He admits. "But none of you are blacksmiths to my knowledge, so it won't exactly be of any use."
"We can figure that out later. How much?" Kai smiles.
"600." Ronin answers. A bag of coin is thrown at his face, as the crate is sent to Kai's pocket dimension.
"Pleasure doing business." Kai states with hidden distaste, as he drags the other Ninja outside. Once out of earshot, Kai frowns openly, looking back to Ronin's shop. "We need an alternative to learning Airjutzu." He notes, before returning his gaze to the others. "Head back home. See if you can find another way. I'll keep watch over Ronin. Meet me back here when you figure something out."
As night falls, Kai continues to watch over Ronin's store, feeling the flow of energy as the village packs up for the night. When something changes at Ronin's store, Kai moves in. In silence, he passes into the store through a gateway, coming face to face with Morro, who had Ronin pinned against a wall, a ghost standing watch.
"Pick on your own kind, Morro." Kai snarks, as the Spirit turns to face him, an evil glint in his eyes.
"Ah, the Cursed one. I see you're still around." Morro smirks, before slamming Ronin against the wall repeatedly, until Kai stops him. While he lets Ronin go, the armour glows, as several ghosts are unleashed, each moving to attack Kai. The whistle of stone is all Kai gets in warning, as he dodges an Aero-Blade that slices through two of his opponents, before returning to Ronin's hand.
"Now this is personal." Her declares, eyeing the ghost that was originally with Morro, rage building in his eye. The ghost in question pulls back the bowstring, releasing an arrow that screams, following Ronin until he uses something to block it. Kai takes out his Gel Pistol, firing it at the recently summoned ghosts, peppering them with clip after clip of hydrated gels, until they began to disappear from the quantities of water hitting them over time.
Ronin's whistle takes Kai from the battle, as the building shakes, a ship/mech bursting from beneath. Scroll in his hand, he attempts to make a break for it, only for Morro to knock him down with his powers, taking the dropped scroll.
While Kai chases him, he doesn't manage to catch up, and without powers, he can't make the final jump, as the world around him hisses in response, denying his curse any grasp at Morro, who laughs knowingly.
"Even Curses have their limits." He mocks. "While it may not be removed, you've been relying on it's power too much. You're spent." Morro opens and reads the scroll, performing a series of actions, before the vortex of Airjutzu takes him into the air, away from Kai, who's left on his knees. He doesn't expect Ronin to help him up, and into his ship R.E.X.
"You owe me for this." Ronin warns.
"I figured." Kai sighs, before he works a deal. Ronin drops Kai off at the dock of Stiix, before departing once more, leaving Kai alone, left to wait as his energy is restored with time.
It's two days before the ninja return, meeting back with Kai, who eyes them in hope.
"Well, we have a possible way, but it's not gonna be easy." Cole explains.
"I never expected it to be so." Kai retorts.
"Right, well, we've got to go to Yang's Haunted Temple. We found Ronin back home and he advised us about it." Jay explains, earning a twitch from Kai.
"Oh, that bastard is not gonna enjoy the next time I see him." Kai grumbles. "We better get going then." He stands up, the others following, as they make their way to their destination.
Listening in on the tour proved unhelpful, beyond the old tales that may or may not be true. All that was left, was for the Ninja to enter by nightfall, so that they could find a way to learn Airjutzu from inside.
As they enter, the doors close behind them, the locks clicking shut. As they continue to search through the temple, the come across Yang's study, the fireplace lit with green fire, casting the room in it's light. While Cole complains and frets over the curse, the others continue to search with Zane handing a book to Jay.
"It says here, though many believed Sensei Yang's unusually strict teachings drove his pupils away, others admit to never seeing any of them leave the temple grounds, suggesting a more sinister plot." Jay smiles in excitement. "How awesome is that?"
"Not awesome. Not even a little." Cole argues, his voice a higher pitch due to his fright.
"Yang was hard on his pupils for a reason. For in his words, as Iron sharpens Iron, Sensei sharpens Student." Jay reads on. The clock begins to shake, making Cole jump, before the others push him to open it, as Zane's falcon flies out, onto Zane's arm, as he plays the ghostly voice. Jay and Zane burst out laughing, as Cole frowns at them.
"A prank? Really guys?" He asks in irritation.
"It was just to get you to relax a little." Jay defends in between his laughter. The thump of heavy steps above have them sober up instantly. "Another one? Come on guys, isn't one enough?" Cole leaves the room, heading to where the noise originated from, much to the others concern. This wasn't them. By the time they catch up to Cole, he's already opened the door to the room where the footsteps came from, revealing an empty training room.
"Well, that was anticlimactic." Kai notes with a huff, as they move further into the room. The room begins to shake.
"Uh, right, so if it wasn't you guys behind the rattling of the door, then who was it?" Cole asks.
"Probably Yang's ghost." Kai shrugs with nonchalance, much to the others horror.
"As iron sharpens iron, Sensei sharpens Student." Yang's voice echoes with laughter, as the four Sword of Fire replicas float in the air, before chasing after the ninja who run, much to Kai's amusement, as he simply follows behind them, not a care in the world about the blades he easily dodges.
As they return downstairs, in an attempt to leave through the front door, the swords await them, as they hastily retreat from the dumbwaiter, after witnessing Yang's ghost. Kai continues to stroll around without care, following the ninja with a smile on his face. As the door opens, however, the smile disappears, as the swirl of the void is revealed behind the doors.
"IT SEEMS WE'RE TRAPPED IN SOME KIND OF INTERDIMENSIONAL ETHEREAL REALM!" Zane warns, his voice unable to lower its volume. As the trio are kept from falling into the void, they woefully return to yang's study, where Kai notices the portrait of yang continuing to watch them, much to his amusement at the spirit attempting to remain somewhat hidden after he had already revealed himself.
"Are paintings supposed to move?" Jay asks, knocking against a moving ocean, which begins to spill and flood the room.
"Why did you have to touch the haunted painting?" Cole asks in frustration.
"I didn't know it would do that!" Jay defends, as the water continues to rise.
"Don't bother trying the door. It's locked." Kai informs easily. As the water rises, he finally goes to it, waiting for the right moment. There, as the door unlocks, Kai opens it, allowing the water to rush out, taking the Ninja with it through the temple. "I have to admit, I used to be afraid of water. But that was from before Vex did something similar. Had me frightened for months the bloody bastard." Kai laughs. "He's trying to make us face our fears. Cole is afraid of ghosts, I used to be afraid of water beyond belief."
"As Iron sharpens Iron, Sensei sharpens Student." Jay affirms with a gasp of understanding. He goes to grab something, only for kai to stop him.
"No. If we try to make ourselves inseparable, he will find a way to split us apart. Cole and I technically faced our fears, alone. Cole lead us through a haunted event. I survived in water long enough to free us. The most we can do, is be a support for you. The main part, is that you face your fear." Kai releases his grip.
"UH, I THINK I KNOW OUR NEXT TEST!" Zane warns, gesturing to the figure of Morro, standing menacingly in wait.
"We all fear Morro." Jay adds.
"Then we face him. How else can we save Lloyd." Cole declares. They chase after the figure as he runs, managing to stutter step their way along, before becoming more organized and in tune. As the follow, Morro leads them into an attic, Jay visibly shaking, revealing one of his fears. As they reach the figure, it disperses, revealing the ghostly form of Sensei Yang.
"As iron sharpens iron, Sensei sharpens Student. You have passed the test." Yang reveals.
"So you'll teach us Airjutzu?" Jay asks excitedly.
"Only those who see things through, will reap the benefit of the reward." Yang advises, handing the scroll to Cole, before cackling, as the sun begins to rise. "Now, you will join my students."
"He's not just their teacher, he's their captor." Cole realizes.
"The new dawn is upon us. Leave before the clock strikes, if you can." Yang laughs again, chasing down the Ninja as they make their escape. As they pass through the door, they notice Cole is not among them.
"Don't worry guys! I got the scroll!" He assures, at last passing through the doorway, to their shock. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asks.
"Cole, you didn't make it out in time." Kai reveals. "You're a ghost." Cole looks down, eyeing his now formless body, falling to his knees, the scroll still in hand.
Back on the Bounty, the Deep-Stone that Kai had obtained was put to use. Primarily, it went into their new armour and outfits, preventing them from being possessed. Next, it was embedded into their weapons, and finally, Kai created Deep-Stone bullets, for an actual pistol that Vex was able to send him.
As Misako gathers those on deck, Kai goes below, finding Nya as she attempts to assure Cole.
"Hey." He calls softly. "Misako is about to debrief us on the next clue." He informs.
"We'll be there shortly." Nya assures.
"Alright. And sis, that outfit looks great." He winks, leaving the two alone. Once everyone meets with Misako, she begins the debrief.
"Now that both sides have Airjutzu, it's time we focus on the second clue." She reveals the symbol. "The sword in the clouds."
"Me senses tell me, it could be many a swords." Zane notes, his voice carrying his pirate speak well, much to everyone's confusion. "Thar be the Fire Sword, the Sword of Destiny, The Golden Cutlass."
"The fuck did you do to Zane?" Kai asks. "You said you fixed his voice."
"I did." Jay snickers, his grin bigger than his face. "And then I made it better."
"The Sword of invisibility, the Sword of Invincibility. Thar Blade of Ruin." Zane finishes.
"Aye, Zane. And to add to your list, as Morro stealing Nya's mech finally gave me thought. The Sword of Sanctuary. Protected in the Cloud Kingdom." Misako reveals.
"Cloud Kingdom?" Ronin scoffs. "I know every square inch of Ninjago. There ain't no Cloud Kingdom." Everyone turns to face the thief.
"You're right." Wu admits. "It isn't in Ninjago. It's in a parallel realm that can only be reached, through the Blind Man's Eye."
"The Blind Man's Eye? You mean the massive storm cyclone above the clouds?" Nya questions. "But it's altitude is far too high for the Bounty to reach."
"Unless we ascend the tallest mountain in Ninjago." Misako corrects, changing the image to said mountain. "The Wailing Alps."
"Yes. The Wailing Alps. When the Blind Man's Eye passes its peak, you four ninja will jump into the eye of the storm, using Airjutzu to cross over into Cloud Kingdom, to take possession of the Sword of Sanctuary." Wu affirms.
"This sword. What makes it so special?" Cole asks.
"It's special because reflected in it's blade, you can foresee your opponent's next move." Wu explains.
"And whoever gets it, will obtain a huge advantage." Misako adds, turning off the projector and turning the lights back on.
"Then let's gear up." Kai orders. "We've got some climbing to do."
As they reach the peak, the Eye hovers overhead. With one final push, they activate their Airjutzu, passing through the eye, passing into the Cloud Kingdom. In front of their eyes, a city of seemingly harmony stands forth, the gates opening as a man comes out to greet them.
"Welcome to Cloud Kingdom. We've been expecting you." The man states.
"Uh, how are we…? Jay trails off in his question.
"Standing on a cloud?" The man finishes knowingly. "Easy. In other Realms, there are other rules. I'm Fenwick. I've been asked to show you around." He bows.
"Nice to meet you. I'm-" Kai goes to introduce himself, but the man cuts him off.
"Kai. Yes, we all know who you four are. You're quite popular with the monks. Up here, we see all that goes on in Ninjago. You've travelled far for the Sword of Sanctuary. A powerful weapon that can foresee the opponents next attack. It's also the second clue to finding the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master." Fenwick finishes.
"There's more to it." Kai states.
"You are right. Up here, we can see what is yet to come." Fenwick smiles. "Come, I know that Morro isn't far behind." He leads them on. "Cloud Kingdom is just one of the 16 Realms parallel to Ninjago. In this specific Realm, we all strive for greater understanding, and let go of distractions. There is no technology to pass the time with. Here, our words are what matters. We are the writers of Destiny."
"So you created the prophecy of the Green Ninja." Kai notes.
"Indeed. But we are not meant to choose sides." Fenwick then lowers his voice. "We had intended for Morro to stay in the Cursed Realm. All the events that have so far happened, are not what they were meant to be." The worry, and pain, he portrays is genuine.
"Then you have a defector." Kai explains. "No one can simply defy destiny. He had help. You need to give us the sword."
"I would be ecstatic to give it to you, but, the Master Writer has requested to see you first." He sighs in defeat, before leading them further. "What I can tell you for now, however, is that inside the tomb, is the Realm Crystal. It's the doorway to the 16 Realms. But the First Spinjitzu Master, once he created it, knew that if in the wrong hands, it could bring about the ruin of all Realms, even those beyond the parallel 16. So, with his final breath, he took it to his tomb, ridden with impossible traps to ensure it is never retrieved."
"But I thought Morro just wanted to be The Green Ninja. What does he want with the Crystal?" Cole asks.
"It is not Morro who sees the power to ruin, but his Master. The Pre-eminent." Fenwick reveals. "The Primordial being that resides, and guards, the Cursed Realm."
"Again, what is it with Ninjago and Primordial beings?" Kai asks, but gains no answer, just a smile, before Fenwick frowns again.
"While she can't leave her Realm by any other means, she is powerful enough to Curse all the realms, her hate, her vengeance, running deep enough to draw power from darkness." As the boat docks, Fenwick leads them into a domed building, before closing the door on them.
"I don't like him. Something's wrong." Kai admits, before the room shakes, as heavy footfalls close in, revealing a creature of nightmares. "I hate being right." Rather than fight, however, Kai slashes through the locked door, letting both themselves, and the creature, free. Outside, a young boy rushes to them, both frightened, and relieved.
"You're alive! Thank the clouds!" He slumps slightly. "Fenwick is convinced that there is no way to stop the Queen of the Cursed, so he's agreed to help Morro only to help himself. But, he doesn't know you've escaped." The boy then smiles gently. "You can still try to get the sword first." Kai kneels down to the boy's height.
"What's your name?" He asks.
"Curtis. My name is Curtis." The boy answers softly. Kai smiles, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"How far are you willing to go to help us?" He asks.
"As far as I need to. Everything is at stake if she is freed from her Realm, her Prison." Curtis straightens up.
"If worse comes to worse, and she is freed, can you give us some support? A blessing, or something of the like?" Kai asks. Curtis smiles as his mind begins to run through scenarios.
"I have a few tricks I could send." He assures.
"Thank you." Kai stands up, bowing to the boy, before looking towards the building that Fenwick had brought Morro and his escorts to.
The moment that Morro obtained the Sword, the Ninja were outmatched. With every move being foreseen before they even make it, Morro had no issues with getting away, his Ghost friends collecting him, but it's Lloyd who saves the day. As the Ninja chase him down, Kai is once more faced against Morro. As Lloyd fights back, Kai is able to take the Sword of Sanctuary, before returning to his friends, who had been picked up by Wu in the Bounty.
All that was left, was finding, and raiding, the tomb. As they built up Ghost based defenses at the Tea Shop, Wu and Misako work on deciphering the last symbol, until Kai offers another possibility.
"There was a map on the back of the scroll of Airjutzu. If we use the reflection of the sword, it should, theoretically, show us where the tomb is located." Kai explains. As he speaks, he notices, with a smile, as Ronin leaves.
"So we'll have to get our hands on the scroll if we are to find it's location." Cole notes.
"Indeed." Kai affirms. It's Nya's shout of warning, that has the Ninja, bar Kai, dashing outside. While they go to confront Ronin, Kai opens his pocket dimension, grabbing a tracker, before turning it to particles, that reform onto Ronin.
With the sword, Ronin manages to escape, the ability giving him the upper edge. As Wu summons his Dragon, the ninja take the Bounty, with Kai staying back, following the tracker down to the stream, where Ronin was being chased by Nya.
Deciding to step back and watch, Kai gets to see his little sister hold Ronin in place, suing her powers to reverse the flow of the Water, until he angles his sail to let him continue on, the ripples and change within the currents at his movement forcing Nya to let go, as Ronin sails away. As she takes her frustration out on the sand, Kai places a hand on her shoulder, a proud smile on his face.
"You'll get there. Sooner than we ever did anyway." Kai assures, looking out to where Ronin sails off, a smile on his face, as he shows his sister the signal the tracker emits. "We'll find him again. But honestly, I don't even think we will need to hunt." As they return to base, the group up with the others, before Zane's Falcon activates a hologram, revealing Ronin.
"I can't talk loud. But I wanted to let you know, Nya, that you were right. Morro didn't hold up his end of the bargain. And Kai, you were right too. The scroll and Sword did reveal the location of the tomb. I know where it's located. I know you don't have the sword, but I know you can beat them to the tomb." He explains, before looking behind him. "They're coming."
"Where is it, Ronin?" Kai asks calmly.
"The Caves of Despair. The tomb is-" The transmission fizzles and dies, as the connection is forcibly cut. Kai looks to Wu, an eyebrow raised.
"The same place you hid the Scythe? Talk about full circle." He comments.
"I never saw a tomb within there." Wu admits. "But familiar ground should give us a further advantage."
"But why should we trust him? It could be a trap!" Nya argues.
"I'd rather us go and fall into a trap, rather than not go and give up the Crystal without a fight." Kai admits.
As Ronin's ship rescues the ninja from the trap, Ronin's message plays.
"As much as you lot may want to clobber me and kill me, you should know it wasn't me who sent that message. Morro possessed me momentarily and sent it. As a peace offering, and an apology, this ship, R.E.X. is yours. It's got the coordinates of where the tomb is actually located. It'll get you there. This will probably be the last time you see or hear from me, unless I manage a miracle." As the image begins to change to static, Ronin says one last thing. "And tell Nya, the reason I did all this, was because I DO actually care." The image, and sound fades, before a map appears, a mark showing the tomb's location.
"That's why we never found it. We were searching on Ninjago, not beyond." Zane exclaims.
"Well then. Seems we have some catching up to do." Kai notes, as the ship rises.
With the Realm Crystal in Morro's hands, the Ninja are forced to head back and restock, with Cyrus giving the Ninja some new toys, bar Kai and Lloyd.
"It will take time for the Pre-eminent to be able to cross through." He notes.
"Which is why we need Lloyd to use his powers to destroy the Realm Crystal before that happens." Wu explains. "If Ninjago is cursed, the other Realms are sure to follow."
"But they'll be expecting us." Nya complains. "And Morro still has the Sword of Sanctuary. Even with all these fancy new vehicles, how are we supposed to get close?" She asks.
"Yeah, we're supposed to take on an army of ghosts."
"Leave the Sword to me. I have a weapon that can destroy it and give us an upper hand." Kai assures, saber hilt in hand.
"I could lure him out. He did always want to be the Green Ninja." Lloyd offers.
"No. He will not leave the Realm Crystal unguarded until his Master is freed." Wu denies.
"Again, he will know all our moves, even without the Sword of Sanctuary. He will expect our actions." Cole admits. Kai then puts a hand on his sister.
"That's where Nya will come in. She is a wild card, and our ace." Kai notes.
"But… I've only just begun my training! I haven't even reached my true potential." She sighs in defeat.
"Hey, you've progressed along faster than any of us. It's not a matter of training, it's just unlocking the door." Kai assures.
"As iron sharpens iron, sibling, sharpens sibling." Zane adds.
"We'll have your back, Nya." Jay smiles.
"Good. Cause I have a plan." Nya smirks.
With Nya captured, disguised as Lloyd, the ghosts surround her, leaving themselves open. As Morro flips the headgear off, and Nya is revealed, she immediately takes out the surrounding Ghosts. As Morro backs up in shock, Kai leaps at him, his saber slicing through the Sword of Sanctuary. As brother and sister fight together, Morro and his ghost backup is pushed back. They hold them off until Lloyd joins up with them, firing his concentrated energy, vaporizing the ghosts.
Before he can get inside the building, Morro pulls the building apart, as every piece, whether a larger connection, or small, like the interior details,begins to either levitate with the main structure, or rotate around it, forming a barrier. As Lloyd climbs, and is continuously pushed back, Ronin arrives in his airship, as he dumps his coins, all heavy, onto the floating building, weighing it down, and also causing Morro to lose focus.
Lloyd finds the crystal, with the ninja able to watch from barred windows, but it's too late. By the time Lloyd goes to shatter it with his power, a large tentacle grasps him, and drags him into the portal, sending him to the cursed realm. With that done, the Queen of the Cursed emerges, her massive form seemingly nothing as she slashes away at buildings and structures, her tentacles her deadliest weapon.
As the ninja work on protecting the people, only Nya's powers manage to effect the Primordial monstrosity. Her compressed water jets cutting through tentacles, only for them to regrow with every soul taken, every life that the ninja fail to save.
With each plan only angering her, the ninja are left without a way to fight, not even the Null having an effect against this one.
"Her own curse is more powerful than the Null." Kai mumbles in shock, before using his pistol to shoot a Deep-Stone bullet at a ghost, taking it out, only for the Pre-eminent to spit him back out, good as new. As the Ninja get the boat to depart, Lloyd returns, the Sword of Sanctuary reformed in his hands, the once destroyed blade whole once more. With the orders given, Kai focuses on the stilts, summoning Null gateways, with their roots of darkness wrapping around the stilts, eroding them to nothing, forcing the city down, as it slowly sinks into the water.
As this happens, the ghosts begin to take the buildings and structures, covering their Queen within it, making it a suit of armour. Nya's assistance proves invaluable, as her powers of water pierce through the ghosts.
As the barge of refugees gets further away, the Pre-eminent becomes more daring, wading through the ocean, as the number of ghosts are high enough, and able to be spat out fast enough, that she can give chase. With no real effect being dealt, the ninja return to the barge, intent on protecting the people.
With a house claw, the Pre-eminent detaches the barge's engine, leaving it sitting in the water with no power. With nothing left to lose, Nya finally conquers herself, unlocking her True Potential, as she calls a tidal wave to bear upon the being, submerging it, and bringing it down. The water, acting like an acid, turns the Pre-eminent to nothing, as she returns her minions to herself, dragging her down with them.
Today, the battle is won, and another finds their truth in power. A student is redeemed, at the very end, before he fades away, returning to death as he is meant to.