【20 - Conclusion to the Epic Saga of Fire!】
It took two hours for the flying saucer to find the temple. Timothy told Heidi when they were in the right area, she rushed to the window band as they descended from cloud level. Tropical jungle streaked by rivers and waterfalls.
"It's beautiful," she couldn't help saying.
"So we have no plan for seeing Narciel?" It wasn't really a question, he was making sure they were clear "We step up to the entry and demand Narciel come see us?"
"Yes. And if that doesn't work, we break in."
"I told you, Heidi. Most of the temple is underground. The only way to force our way in would be through the entryways, and there'll be disciples everywhere."
"Makes it more difficult." She conceded with eyes still on the view.
"And the inside of the temple is a labyrinth, full of secret passages and dead ends. The further you go the deeper it gets, and only the most trusted and oldest members see the lowest chambers. We can't be separated, but I can still only lead us through it up to a point. I have a pretty good guess where the entry to the lower chambers are but beyond that I have no idea."
"It's gonna be tough." Heidi nodded "Especially since like you said Narciel may not even want to see us."
"Exactly."
"We could get lost down there."
"They could seal one of the passages and leave us to die in the dark underground."
"It's gonna be pretty tough." Heidi sighed and turned to her boyfriend "Do we have anything that could help us?"
Timothy shrugged "The Dawn of the Phoenix would never accept a leader who was working with criminals using Kaijudo energy for evil. It goes against the very tenets of our faith. Duel Masters and the creature dimension is sacred. But the disciples won't believe us, most of them don't even know how to use a computer. They wouldn't trust my proof. They'd deliberate and discuss, Narciel would have time to escape us. I'm sure he'd have his own escape route."
"This is dangerous. But if Narciel doesn't know yet that we know, he might have us led straight to him."
"I don't know, Heidi…"
"You want justice for your friends or not?"
She watched him harden with determination. He didn't need to answer. Heidi went back to the window just as the temple came into view. It was grey stone shaped like an Aztec pyramid, vines scaling the edges as if it were a part of nature. Heidi's deck felt warm in her pocket and she prepared herself for her toughest challenge yet: she was going to duel her own teacher. The gold saucer touched down and its ramp extended. Men and women in white robes with phoenix insignias on the back turned to watch. It'd not been a subtle approach.
Heidi and Timothy stepped out side-by-side. Heidi itched the band-aid on her face while Timothy looked self-conscious in his casual clothes.
"How many disciples would you say live here?" she barely moved her mouth as she whispered.
"On my last count… four-hundred-and-seventeen." He murmured back.
"Oh hell…"
They stopped at the base of the stairs as a man and woman came down to the dirt clearing, their sleeves joined formerly.
"Brother Timothy and the chosen fire duellist. This is a surprise." The man said.
"Hello Ericus, hello Kiena. We're here to see Narciel."
"But surely you know that our eminent leader has banished you from the order." The man was saying. Heidi leaned around them and peered up. There were maybe six others craning their heads for a look at the visitors.
"It's an emergency. We've been searching for information on the Gatekeepers of the Outer Path and found something huge. Narciel's going to want to hear it." Timothy tried.
"It's impossible. You've been forbidden from entering the grounds."
"But I've lived my whole life here! I have nowhere to go in the outside world, the DMA's been destroyed. Kiena?"
The woman just shook her head sadly.
Ericus sighed "You will have to give me the information and I'll pass it on to Narciel."
"I can't! It's top-secret between me and him!"
"You were our best duellist, Timothy. That's why he chose you to be a body-guard while he was away. But the other three are dead. Wembley, Soroban and Iwate. And he gave us strict instructions to not let you in under any circumstances. So either you tell me what the information is or you walk back up your ship, leave and tell no one."
Heidi had heard enough. She bolted around them and started running up the stairs. Timothy cursed and then raced up to follow her. There were shouts from behind. When they reached the top they ran along smooth stone to an arched entry. Standing before them were two male guards carrying spears.
Heidi ran straight up to the first guy with a determination that shocked him. She jumped, held onto the staff he had in both hands, and drove her forehead into his nose. He cried out as blood burst. Smacked her down with the back of his hand. With the other he held his face, blood seeping between his fingers. He raised a foot to stomp on her gut and she rolled, hooked her legs up around his and twisted. He fell forward and his spear bounced away from him. Both were on the ground while Timothy and the other guard watched in a tense pause.
Heidi looked at them and the second guard sneered, running at Timothy with the tip of his spear raised. Heidi rolled forward and picked up the other spear, threw it to Timothy who managed to block the other one's strike in time. Heidi's opponent was on all fours and growled at her. He pounced and she rolled away, getting her feet under her. He lunged and she went back. He was standing with his arms out and a wide stance, still blocking her way in. She sighed and took a stance. The fully-grown man was still clutching his bleeding face. He'd underestimated her before but now his eyes popped with fury. He charged.
Heidi swept her arm in a circular motion, knocking his grab away from her and using his momentum to push him past her. She tried to trip him and he stumbled but didn't fall. Whipped back around. He went for a punch and she blocked it, crying out in pain as she did. He had a lot more muscle than her so she needed to go for his balance. She stepped in close before he could take another swing, fired her elbow into his chin twice. He came forward to grab her and she tried spinning him over her hip. He was too heavy and they both fell mid-way through the manoeuvre. Heidi rolled away to keep her distance, wincing in pain. Her opponent seethed.
In front of them Timothy was defending from the other guy's spear, walking back as the strikes came faster and faster.
Heidi lunged forward as her opponent got to his feet. She had one arm out, the other pulled back. She stepped into her punch, throwing her whole body-weight into it. She got his chest and he grunted but it did nothing. The man came at her with a jab as she sprang back. She swept the strike, went past him and turned, tried putting the arm behind his back and then go for a choke. Maybe dislocate something. But he was too strong, he turned and yanked himself free. The unarmed disciples watched on uncertainly.
"You're a little girl!" he seethed, face bloody "What are you, fourteen?"
Her eyes flared. Forgetting her form Heidi went in and kicked him in the balls. When he keeled over she grabbed his hair and kneed him in the face, throwing his unconscious body to the ground.
Timothy jumped when his opponent tried sweeping his legs out from under him with the spear. He poked in and then flicked, disarming his opponent. The guard raised his hands in fear as his weapon bounced along stone and rolled. Timothy swung the blunt end and it cracked into the side of his face, he slumped.
Heidi ran. Timothy threw his spear and ran with her. From behind were cries of outrage.
"This way!" Timothy fought to stay ahead of her.
They raced around bends. A few disciples saw them but jumped aside. The halls were cobblestone with green moss growing in the cracks. Torches lit the way in brackets. The sunlight was gone, the halls tilted downward and the temperature dropped. The walls became smooth and were cut with ancient hieroglyphics. Heidi recognised depictions of Duel Masters creatures. They passed a few openings.
"Are you sure you know where we're going?"
"Positive."
"It all looks the same to me."
"Trust me… Just don't stop running… By the way…" he huffed and looked over "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"He's not the first fully-grown man I've fought." Heidi huffed back, in slightly better shape. Her muscles were burning but so far it was still in a good way.
"Really?" Timothy panted.
"Back in Ikebukuro I was a bit of a… vigilante. The Phoenix was my superhero name. It was stupid."
"What? You're lucky you didn't get killed!"
"I was good at climbing… if things ever got too hot to handle…"
They skidded to a stop.
"This wall shouldn't be here." Timothy's chest was heaving.
"So you are lost?"
"No. See how the top isn't connected to the ceiling. It's been closed off. Come on, I know another way." He took a left and she ran after him.
They reached a clearing. A woman hiding around the corner took hold of Heidi's prison shirt "No you don't, sweetheart." and threw her onto a table. Heidi gasped as her breath left her, then a knife was pointed at her throat. Timothy was struggling in the arms of some big guy. The grey-haired woman looked over at him "I got this one, George."
When her gaze was away Heidi leaned forward and bit into the woman's wrist. She cried out and dropped the knife. Heidi took held of her hair and yanked, smacking her head into the table. She dropped and made woozy noises.
Timothy kicked back into his captor's shin. When the guy leaned forward he swung his head back and the guy grunted. Timothy wiggled free. Another disciple was sprinting for him but Heidi picked up the knife and threw it. There was a shriek as the third guy jumped back, then Heidi rejoined Timothy and they continued their run into the next hall.
Ahead there was a sort of sizzling noise – it was rock sliding against rock. The path was sealing. Although battling exhaustion the teens pushed themselves to their brink, running as fast as possible. Heidi whipped through a metre's space, spun on her heel and dragged Timothy out by his shirt before the rock crushed him. They panted for several seconds before pushing deeper into the labyrinth. Deeper into the bowels of the earth.
"Here." Timothy gasped after a few minutes. They passed a ten-foot tall phoenix statue "This is the deepest I've… ever been allowed to go. From here on… it's guesswork."
"Could there be booby-traps?"
"Possibly."
"Wonderful. Well your guess is probably still better than mine."
They were both dripping with sweat and twitching with adrenaline. Ahead several guards with spears rounded a corner, saw them and shouted. They ran over and Heidi knew retreating wasn't an option. In-between them was another bend. Despite their instincts screaming at them the two teens ran at their pursuers. Both parties were sprinting full blast at each other. Heidi and Timothy managed to clear the corner and race around just as a spear flew and clattered against the wall, missing them by a foot. They made a mad dash down the hall with their pursuers only three metres behind. If they tried to throw more spears they'd have to slow enough to aim. Still these were fully-grown adults and they were gaining on them. Ahead was a familiar sizzling, rock sliding on rock. The light source beyond dimmed as the exit began to seal from both sides. It looked like an enormous cavern.
The two ran like their lives depended on it. Throwing themselves forward and making it in just as another spear flew overhead. The rock closed. Heidi and Timothy were lying on their stomachs. The spear bounced and echoed in the enormous space. This was a natural underground cave. Light sloshing could be heard, a waterfall in the far corner. There were three arched exits on the other sides. The middle of the room was a tall stairwell leading to a stone dais. At its edge stood Narciel with his hands behind his back.
"Hello, Heidi. Timothy." His voice echoed. "Sorry about that, I had to shut that path so the guards wouldn't disturb us." He flashed a handheld silver remote. "They mustn't find out what I've been up to, but luckily it's just us now."
Heidi was the first to her feet, furious. Her shirt was stretched at the collar, she was covered in black cave dirt. Sweaty and stained with someone else's blood.
"You have some explaining to do." she started climbing the stairs, her dark hair plastered to her face. Timothy got up and followed her up a few paces behind.
"Ah yes, my exeunt from the capital was quite sudden-"
"You're a traitor!" Timothy called up "You're working with General Urobach!"
"Are you mad about your banishment, is that it? You did disobey a direct order." The bearded man was still the picture of ease, waiting for them to reach him.
"I dedicated my life to you! We all did! The whole time you were helping them! It was all a lie!"
"There is no loyalty in futility, only foolishness." Narciel turned then but didn't run. Heidi quickened her pace to not lose sight of him. "We cannot beat them. We can only join them. The other four chosens know this, that's why they scattered all over the world."
Heidi reached the top. It was a huge mosaic in circle patterns. Narciel stood just behind the blue shards that shaped its centre. It occurred to her that this cavern was designed for duelling, but she still wasn't sure it could fit a giant.
"Kettou da, Narciel." Heidi seethed "I will never stop fighting! I'll never give up hope!"
Narciel sighed and pulled back the sleeves of his robes "You sound just like your mother. Yoshi."
Two scarlet flames burst to life in the dim. Heidi was surprised by his comment but when their tables manifested she resolved herself and marched forward.
"Heidi…" Timothy's voice was concerned "This may be a bad time to tell you, but Narciel's skills are legendary." Heidi remembered when she first met them, she'd tried challenging Narciel then and they'd only laughed at her.
"I'll be fine. Ikuzo."
"Koi." He finished shuffling and set down his deck. Their shields projected.
"I charge fire mana! Then I tap to generate Fire Blade! Turn end!" Heidi's voice echoed, as did the sound of her cross gear rocket-skates blazing into view.
"I charge fire mana and end." Red light shone and dimmed.
Heidi drew "I add more mana and summon Mini Titan Gett!" Her childish humanoid whizzed out from her glowing tabletop, skating around in a loop before facing Narciel.
He looked confident. Much too confident, it made Heidi suspicious. She'd won most of her duels, she was far from a push-over. And yet Narciel was completely at ease, why?
"I charge light mana and summon Batias the Patroller." A gold warrior landed in a crouch, holding an ornate spear behind its back.
"A future card? I shouldn't be surprised…"
"DM-15." Narciel clarified. "That's the set you haven't accessed yet."
Heidi narrowed her eyes and drew. It still only had 1000 power. She added Astrocomet Dragon to her mana then "Mini Titan Gett ike!" She twisted the card and red light rippled out. Her humanoid skated forth, jumped and spun. Kicked a shield into pieces.
Narciel lowered his arm "You've activated Dual Shock Dragon's strike back effect."
"What?"
He revealed a bright red card from his hand "Since a fire card was added to my hand from my shields I can discard it then summon him." An 8000-power armored dragon emerged, roaring and making the cavern quake. It was covered in the spiritual design of future sets but still had its traditional shape.
"But we just started… I only have three mana…" Heidi's eyes were wide.
"I must burn one shield but it's worth it." Another shield cracked and vanished. "My turn. Dual Shock Dragon attack Mini Titan Gett, ike!" It had two giant blades extending from each arm, it brought one of them down on Heidi's poor creature "Batias break her shield, ike!" Heidi turned away as glass went past her and bounced down the stairs.
"Grr I summon Zyler's Lighter!" A weaponized red lighter rolled forth "It has 3000 power and speed attacker while my mana zone is all fire! Ike, attack Batias the Patroller!" The xenopart hurled a ball of fire that swallowed its target whole. Narciel frowned as it burnt to death, the card flew away.
He shook his head, drew and studied his hand. Added mana then "Dual Shock Dragon dispose of that pest, ike." The huge sword came down and mosaic chunks flew, plinking and scattering.
"I summon Cocco Lupia!" Her crowned fire bird sang as it appeared.
"You really are quite pathetic, aren't you Heidi?"
"What did you say!?" she snapped and he merely chuckled "And what's with your confidence! You can't be that certain you'll win! I've been in tighter spots than this and pulled through, what's with your calm?!"
"You know I never believed in you right?" he said and the words stung. "I taught you. I helped you build that very deck, remember? You have talent sure, and good cards. But you're also rash and an idiot. Sure you started to think through your moves a little, you gradually started to improve in that respect and learnt the importance of thinking and waiting. But you're still impetuous, still a child."
"Heidi…" Timothy already knew what was coming.
"Why are you taunting me!?" she yelled louder than she meant "You do realise you could be facing down Supernova Mars Disaster? Do you want me to try to kill you, is that it!?"
"Heidi he knows you better than most!" Timothy warned "He knows you're gonna lose your cool!"
"Oh please, Heidi was going to lose her cool either way. I betrayed her, remember? I was betraying you all, the whole time." He laughed and Heidi tried desperately to remain calm but it was a losing battle. Narciel slapped a card down "Solar Ray taps Cocco Lupia. I know all your strategies, I studied your duels with the prefects back at the DMA. You won't be bringing out any dragons. That's why you didn't cross it with Fire Blade to attack me right? Dual Shock Dragon ike!" There was a crash and scattering of orange feathers. A gold crown rolled to Heidi's feet before vanishing.
Heidi drew a card. She was shaking with rage and couldn't help it. The faces of the disciples flashed in her mind: Wembley begging for his life, Soroban rupturing all over her, and she didn't even remember her last words with Iwate.
She set mana and played her last card "Bolzard Dragon!" A portal of lava swirled and out came a smaller silver dragon on 5000 power.
"I lose a mana card when it attacks. But it cost all six of your mana so you can't attack now." Narciel stated boredly "Destroying mana, attacking untapped creatures. Your dragons and evolution phoenixes. These were the strategies we built into your deck. If you were smart you would've made a new strategy I didn't help you make."
"Shut up!"
"Heidi…" Timothy called worriedly.
Narciel looked at the dragonoid in his hand. Now wasn't the time to summon it, she might destroy it. It needed to be used as bait. Narciel added mana and went straight to attacking "Dual Shock Dragon double-break her shields!"
The blade crashed and Heidi screamed. The weapon dragged through another shield and it broke apart. Timothy almost slipped on the stairs but hunkered down.
"Is that all?" Narciel laughed.
"I summon Pippie Kuppie! I vortex evolution it with Bolzard to summon Eternal Phoenix, Phoenix of the Dragon Flame!" The DM-13 Phoenix expanded from the two creatures, six flaming wings and giant swords gleaming. Her glorious 11,000 creature. "Destroy Dual Shock Dragon! Ike!" The giants parried with their huge blades, soon the smaller beast was cut down and dissolved with a pained roar. Narciel's field was empty.
"Tch. I summon Fire Sweeper Burning Helion and Snip Striker Bullraiser!" Two dragonoids appeared, leering with long tongues. Heidi never saw the appeal of that race – she'd always preferred her cool humanoids and cute fire birds.
"I summon Explosive Dude Joe and cross him with Fire Blade!" Her yoyo-spinning fighter was equipped with the skates in a flash. "You're no Tsukumo. His lockdowns made me have to stop and think. And he didn't even own future cards. Eternal Phoenix, double-break!" It was her opponent's turn to cower from the glittering cyan barrage. "Explosive-"
"You may want to reconsider that…" A yellow card reformed in Narciel's hand "Shield Trigger X."
"A shield trigger cross gear!" Heidi remembered from her duel with Penelope.
"You're aware of these? I generate and cross Burning Helion with Quick Defense." Gold armour encased the dragonoid and an electric yellow field sprang forth "He's now a blocker."
Heidi begrudgingly removed her fingers from her other creature and ended her turn.
"Alright let's do a quick shield count… I have one and you have two… but that changes now." He was already holding one card in his hand before reaching to draw another. He hadn't added mana last turn but he was doing it now. "I vortex evolution my two dragonoids into Infinity Phoenix, Phoenix of the Dragon Flame!" The cavern walls were throbbing with the excess Kaijudo energy, now they started to shudder. An even bigger phoenix emerged, this one also had six orange wings but they were etched with symbols. It had muscular limbs and wielded glowing barbed rods. Its bird-cry was an unimaginable shriek.
"You…?"
"Have a fire civilization phoenix too? Yes. It may not be sentient like the chosen cards, but it's superior to Mars in every way. A 13,000 triple-breaker, all my dragons and phoenixes can attack untapped creatures, and if it leaves play I replenish my hand with every fire creature in my graveyard. And don't forget, thanks to my cross gear it's also a blocker." He took a moment to smile "Infinity Phoenix attack Eternal Phoenix, ike!" The bird-screeching was terrible. The air vibrated with heat as they clashed and ascended as they fought. Heidi's phoenix was slain and only Narciel's descended back to the dais.
Flames became embers then cinders then nothing. Heidi almost lurched back and realised her foot was half-off the first step down. She stumbled forward. If Narciel were thrown back he'd slide across the surface but Heidi would tumble down all those stairs. Is that why he chose to stand in the centre? She still had another phoenix in her deck, granted it was equal in strength but harder to summon than Narciel's. But she had equip spells so the possibility gave her the confidence to shake out of her stupor and continue.
She drew "That was a mistake, Narciel. You do realise that when Eternal Phoenix goes I also get to replenish my hand with the creatures in my graveyard? So now I summon Cocco Lupia and Zyler's Lighter! I recross Fire Blade from Explosive Dude Joe to my fire bird. That means I have three creatures that can attack and you only have one shield!"
She saw him wince and reach into his pocket reflexively.
Heidi twisted her humanoid "Ike!" The spinning bladed yoyo blazed and whipped through his last shield. When Narciel saw it was a trigger he sighed with relief and took his hand back out from his pocket. He was still quite calm.
"Holy Awe taps your creatures." A spherical device fired a beam of light that made her other creatures go slack. Their cards turned before her.
"Heidi…" Timothy was scared "If he attacks you with that thing there's no way you'll survive…"
"I can handle this!" she barked back. It was obvious Timothy was freaking out but she needed to focus.
Narciel drew, the only card in his hand. Again he was lucky, she could tell by his smile "I activate Hell's Scrapper. Hmm… I'll take out Cocco Lupia and Zyler's Lighter." The grinder rose forth, chains snaked out and dragged the creatures to be pulverised. The sounds of squealing and thuds made her cringe "Now Infinity Phoenix break her last shields!" Those barbed rods were swished elegantly and lethally before stabbing down and sending a flurry of sparks washing over her tabletop. Neither had any shields anymore. Heidi slowly raised her head, she had a suspicious gaze and it made Narciel arch an eyebrow.
Her whole body ignited with her red Kaijudo flame "Narciel… why did you destroy those creatures?"
"Because your xenopart attacks by encasing its enemy completely in fire. I prefer a scar to being deformed. Although…" he unclasped his robe, sweeping it open to reveal the black full-body suit he was wearing underneath "This outfit I always wear has metal fibre woven into it. My body can't be slashed, the torso part is bullet-proof and the whole thing's flame retardant. Why did you think I always wore my robes everywhere?"
"You…" Timothy was almost speechless "This whole time we were all risking our lives… You had that safety suit the entire time."
"It's practical."
"But the traditions!"
"Hoo-ha." He waved a dismissive hand and to Timothy it was like a literal slap to the face. Now he really couldn't speak.
"When you were about to lose you reached into your pocket." Heidi stated neutrally, still encased in red energy "What is it, detonators?"
"Don't be so dramatic." Narciel pulled out his silver remote and pressed it. The blue circle in the mosaic tiles slid open and revealed a man-hole. "I was never in any danger. The moment you were to declare your final attack I needed only to jump in, slide down a long tube to another hidden chamber and seal the exit, make my escape."
"So I could've died or been seriously injured…"
"While I was going to be fine either way. Yes, Heidi." He smiled. "I was never one to put myself in danger, even when the fate of the world is concerned. That's why I left with body-guards and stayed undercover. That's why I have this suit and my escape routes. That's why I retreated back to the temple when things got a little too serious for my liking. I enjoy cheating."
"Well Narciel…" Heidi just shook her head and his smile fell "You made a big mistake." Heidi's cards untapped. She added her ninth mana card "I summon Mini Titan Gett and Choya the Unheeding. I vortex evolution my three humanoids."
"No!" Narciel went pale.
"Supernova Mars Disaster!" Heidi raised her arm and the entire cavern was swathed in red. Like the inside of an oven the air rippled with heat. Fire surged upward, condensed and exploded. Her ultimate phoenix released its songbird cry, two celestial spheres in hand and arrowing its smoking eyes at the phoenix opposite. Infinity Phoenix snapped its beak, crossing its glowing rods. They were both equal on 13,000 but Heidi had a different target in mind. That being the shieldless opponent quivering before her "This divine creature will incinerate you, protective suit and all. If you try escaping down that tunnel its fire will chase after you. Its attack will probably bring down this entire cave system. Tunnels and all."
"You'd doom us all… Heidi…"
"What?"
"Heidi…"
"What!?" she snapped.
He looked at her "Could you really kill me, Heidi?"
"I already killed Kaido Felgrass for what he did to Wembley."
"But I never killed anyone… Heidi…" his voice was soft. He searched her face, noticed her unwavering resolve "Heidi… Heidi…" and then when he realised there was nothing he could do his fearful pleading became an ugly and twisted rage "You stupid girl!" he shrieked "You dumb, impetuous, ridiculous, stupid brat! You whiny, insolent, worthless, meddling child!"
She gave no reaction, only watched him emotionlessly. He was trapped, for the first time in his life he had no protection or escape. He just got pinker in the face and flecked spit into his beard, eyes bulging.
"I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna wrap my hands around your neck and strangle the life out of you! I'm gonna watch the light leave your eyes!" But though he raged he knew the moment he took one step would be the moment his life was cut short.
When Heidi had enough of his adult tantrum she turned her card "Todomeda."
A column of fire streaked downward. The two phoenixes burst into waves of red light and started a cave-in. Without the Kaijudo energy protecting the duel space the whole structure was buckling. Heidi looked up as stalactites the size of buses fell and shattered against the ground. Even though Narciel was cremated Heidi still remembered that old warning of his: never play a Kaijudo duel indoors. They'd both released more power than anticipated. Heidi quickly gathered her deck, then picked up any cards that'd been ejected from her table. Timothy raced over and yanked her sleeve, pulling her over to one of the exits. There was an explosion from the waterfall in the far corner – a flood spilling inside. They made their way to the tunnel, ran its shuddering length and turned corners. Other disciples were screaming and running. No matter how far they ran it was only becoming more clear – the entirety of the temple passages were crumbling. They'd started an earthquake.
Chunks of ceiling fell. Someone running beside them was crushed. Another corridor caved in completely, ejecting dust and blood spray. Urgency and hysteria were fuelling the scramble. When daylight hit Heidi's face it felt like hope. The mass of people escaped the temple and scrambled down the stairs, some people tripping and tumbling. When they were far enough away they all watched the Dawn of the Phoenix headquarters sink into ruin, spitting a cloud of dust.
The crowd was still. Some were bleeding. A baby could be heard crying. Heidi and Timothy were coated in white, she looked at their gold ship and nudged his shoulder. Timothy tore his eyes away and saw her jerking her head to their spaceship. They backed away, sneaking between the stationary bystanders. Once clear they ran for the ship and got up the ramp.
A single guard turned and shouted "Hey!" but in no time the ramp was up, the saucer was rising and they took off – out of there.
No words were spoken for a long time. Once they were above the clouds and on a safe course, Timothy joined Heidi on the couch and they just sat there. Covered head to foot in dust. Heidi tried to wet her dry mouth, cleared her throat.
"Sorry about your home."
"…It's okay."
"…I guess… this ship is our home now?"
"Until it runs out of fuel…"
"We need to find the other chosens. Timothy," she turned to him and caught his stare "I meant what I said to Narciel. I don't care how hopeless it is. I haven't given up. We need to track down the other chosens. Are you with me?"
He cleared his throat "Yeah. I'm with you."
Heidi reached out and squeezed his hand. To adventure, the spaceship carried them on.
『AN: Oh My God. I did it, I actually did it. I can't believe- *cough* ahem. Yes, of course I did it. Of course I finished the first arc. Who said I wouldn't? Was it you? Anyway, I'm so glad that I got to end this and I hope you guys enjoyed what I did with this arc. All in all, I'm very happy with it. There is loads of stuff I can get to in the future as well. e.g. The other chosens and the ten remaining lieutenants. So which arc will be next? Actually... I'm still undecided between two options. I'm pretty sure I know which one I want next... but either way I will be making a plot plan for that entire arc and maybe also write out all the duels ahead of time. It's so time-consuming to do it for each chapter and also disheartening when I make a mistake. Pre-writing all the duels is what Acumashindorballomu (and probably the others in the fandom) do. See ya next time!』
。
