Chapter 20: The Spirit of Heart
Zagan's Dungeon
Aladdin, Vulpi, and Hakuryuu see Alibaba standing in front of them encase in a Full-body Dark Djinn armor.
"What happened to him?" Hakuryuu asks.
"He was taken in by all of the dark intentions." Aladdin says and Alibaba sets his sword in front of him as Alibaba's reflection is replace by Ithnan.
"You will be too, Aladdin." Alibaba says and an eight-pointed star appear on his forehead again.
"Wisdom of Solomon!" Aladdin shouts as the eight-pointed star glows brightly at Alibaba causing him to step back. However, the ornament on Alibaba's head blast it with black rukh.
"Aladdin/-dono!" Vulpi and Hakuryuu call out.
"It's no good. The band on his forehead is blocking me!"
"Then all I need to do is destroy that, right?" A familiar voice asks and the three turn around as they see Morgiana holding her arm.
"Mor-san!"
"Morgiana-dono, why are you here?" Hakuryuu asks.
"A little of my magoi has returned." Morgiana replies.
"What about your injuries?" Vulpi asks.
"No problem." Morgiana says and stares at Alibaba. "It's not like you to be deceived by an illusion, Alibaba-san!" She then crushes the ground under her foot. "I will make you remember who you used to me, even if I have to use force!"
Morgiana leaps towards Alibaba and kicks him, but Alibaba blocks it with his arm before he swings his sword at her. She then jumps back to dodge the swings, however Morgiana trips her feet and Alibaba swings down his sword. Then Morgiana uses the chains to block the sword.
"Stop this." Alibaba says.
"I will not. I will not give us until I remind you of who you were!" Morgiana says causing Alibaba to widen his eyes. the ornament then begins to glow making Alibaba's sword into a whip before Alibaba throws Morgiana to the wall.
"Morgiana-dono!" Hakuryuu calls out as he, Aladdin and Vulpi look at where Morgiana crashed. They then hear Alibaba facing towards them and the three turn to him as Alibaba points his reformed sword at them. "Dammit!" He curses as Hakuryuu looks at his arm.
"I can't afford to be useless right now! I… I…" Hakuryuu thought and grabs his spear.
"Zagan! Lend me your power!" He shouts as he raises his spear and an eight-pointed star appears on the blade causing the real Zagan to appear behind him.
"Well, it's about time you called for me." Zagan says. "Not like that's a bad thing." Branches begins to grow under Hakuryuu as they surround him.
"Zagan-kun, why are you here?" Aladdin asks.
"He's not perfect, but I decided to bet on him, Magi." Zagan tells him as Hakuryuu now has a wooden arm.
"This is it!" Hakuryuu exclaims.
"The rest is up to you, crybaby." Zagan says and he disappears into Hakuryuu's spear.
"Aladdin, Hakuryuu-san, there's something I want to do, but it's going to take a long time for me to use it. Can I count on you two to buy me some time?" Vulpi asks.
"Of course." Hakuryuu replies.
Meanwhile, Morgiana rushes towards Alibaba again as she begins her attack at him and Vulpi begins to chant.
"I stand in the place bathed in heavenly light…"
When Alibaba grabs her leg, he throws her back but instead of hitting the ground, Hakuryuu catches Morgiana.
"Hakuryuu-san." Morgiana calls as she looks at him.
"I will stall Alibaba for Vulpi-dono." Hakuryuu tells her. "Can you do it?"
"Of course." Morgiana replies and both of them charges at Alibaba as Vulpi continues to chant.
"…Thou art where the gate to the Underworld opens, come forth, divine lightning! Morgiana! Hakuryuu-san!" Vulpi shouts and the two separate themselves from Alibaba as a large dome of energy surrounds him. "Indignation!" She then summoning a single, massive bolt of lightning inside of the dome, hitting Alibaba and stunning him.
"Morgiana/-dono!" Vulpi and Hakuryuu shout as Morgiana destroys the ornament with her kick.
"Aladdin!" Morgiana shouts signaling him to use it.
"Wisdom of Solomon!" Aladdin shouts as white light enters Alibaba's forehead.
"Alibaba-kun…" Aladdin thought before both him and Alibaba collapse as Vulpi catches Aladdin as Hakuryuu catches Alibaba.
"Are these two okay?" Hakuryuu asks.
"Yeah. Right now, Aladdin is getting Alibaba-san back." Vulpi says and turns her head. "And now it's your turn, isn't it?" She asks as something approaches behind her.
In Alibaba's mind
Aladdin is floating downward as he looks for Alibaba.
"Alibaba-kun, where are you?" Aladdin says and sees the corner of his eye spots him. When Aladdin gets a better look, Alibaba is hugging himself surrounded by a large snake skeleton. "Alibaba… kun?"
Suddenly, someone pushes Aladdin towards Alibaba as he turns around and sees a figure with dreadlocks before he disappears. Aladdin smiles at the spot where the figure was before he turns his head to front of him. When Aladdin gets near the skeleton, he sits on it behind Alibaba.
"Let's go back, Alibaba-kun." Aladdin tells him. "Everyone's waiting for you."
"Hey." Alibaba calls. "Why are we alive? If everything's already fated, why do we have to chase that fate? I've made so many mistakes. If making those mistakes was my fate, I…"
"Is that how your heart really feel?" A voice questions causing Aladdin to looks up and sees a ball of light floating downward behind Alibaba. When it gets near the ground, the light transforms into an older version of Corrine but her eyes are opened and the tails are unfurled.
"Who are you?" Aladdin asks.
"I am the Summon Spirit of Heart, Verius. The Vulpe clansman, Vulpi, has summoned me to aid you, Magi."
"Vulpi-nee did?"
"Yes. Now I will ask you again, is that how your heart really feel, Alibaba Saluja." She questions. "Fate is not something that is set in stone."
"That's right, Alibaba-kun." Aladdin says and jumps down next to Verius. "It is something that moves you, and the whole world, forwards when you reach and surpass it. After I met you, we surpassed many fates. We had our hard times and saw our share of sad things. But you always got back up You never stopped trying to move forward. That's right. You're a courageous person. I can tell."
Alibaba jerks his head upwards hearing those words.
"Did you notice?" Aladdin asks. "The people you encouraged with your strong faith and conviction… They are all standing up, looking forward, and facing their futures. Your courage has become a power to move the world forward. You're struggle guides the rukh. In other words, your fate!"
Alibaba slowly turns his head behind him to see Aladdin.
"If you made a mistake, just search for an even better answer. I'm sure there's one out there. And I'm sure you're the one who can find it. After all, you're my favorite person, Alibaba-kun!" Aladdin says and outstretch his hand at him.
"Aladdin…" Alibaba calls and grabs his hand causing the black mark to disappear on his body and their surrounding changed.
Outside
Vulpi, Morgiana, and Hakuryuu see both Aladdin's and Alibaba's bodies are glowing and the black rukh disappears from Alibaba's body as his red earrings on his left ear glow.
"Alibaba-san!" Morgiana exclaims.
"Thank goodness." Vulpi says as she sighs in relief.
In Alibaba's mind
Alibaba stands up and both of them smile at each other. Then Verius notices strange in front of them as both Aladdin and Alibaba notice this too and they look at the cave in front of them.
"Over there, I can sense darkness emitting over there." Verius says.
"Yeah. Let's go, Alibaba-kun!" Aladdin says as he turns to him.
"Right!" Alibaba replies and they enter the cave with Verius behind them.
As they run through the cave, cracks appear around their surroundings and the area around them changes into a destroyed, desolate city before them. Then they sense something behind them as Aladdin and Alibaba turns around with Alibaba draws out his dagger and Verius turns her head.
"Hey, it's you, isn't it?" Aladdin asks as they see Ithnan sitting in the corner with his scythe in his hand.
"Yeah." Ithnan replies.
"Can you get out of Alibaba?"
"If that's what you wish, then all Alibaba needs to stab ne with that sword." Ithnan informs them as Alibaba gets tense of because of what happened earlier. "It's different now. My real body was just destroyed by Sinbad. I'm simply the nucleus of the curse now." Ithnan then lifts his head and sighs letting the smoke comes out. "Do it."
As Alibaba gets unnerved, white rukh appears around Aladdin.
"Before that, I ask you." Aladdin says and Ithnan looks at him. "Why have you made this world your enemy?" He asks as he activates Wisdom of Solomon and sends the white rukh towards Ithnan making him to stand up.
"I knew it. You represent Solomon." Ithnan says.
"When the group of you act, war and poverty are born. I, myself and no one else, want to know why."
"In order to create darkness on this world. And in order to set everything free, from the prison that binds this world. In other words, from fate." Ithnan explains. "From an already determined ending, from an imposed path that cannot be changed. The only way to escape from that and live freely, is by falling into depravity."
"You are misunderstanding fate. If you deny fate, then the world loses the power to move forwards and will have no choice but to perish. Like Alma Toran did."
"Like Alma Toran huh?" Ithnan repeats and shows them a glimpse of what happened to Alma Toran.
"Presenting out great King Solomon and his household, the three Magi!"
"Paimon, Zagan, we must be more diligent for the sake of our king!" Amon says.
"Be quiet, old man." Zagan retorts.
"My king."
"My king."
"Out chosen one, the great king."
One of the Magi opens his eyes and releases black rukh and the next thing they saw was the city in flames, dragon fires fireballs, and black djinns marching.
"Even back in those days, we had this same argument over and over again. In the end, we all met out ends. Together." Ithnan says and when the giant blob touches the ground, an explosion occurred. "Even in this world, there is no way for the two of us to understand each other." Aladdin and Alibaba turn back to Ithnan as Verius looks at him. "Come, get rid of me. If you don't, I'll drag the two of you down with me in death!" Ithnan charges them, specifically at Aladdin, but Alibaba guards Aladdin by blocking Ithnan's scythe.
"If Alibaba uses that sword, he can banish you for eternity." Aladdin says.
"Then do it. If you are not prepared to deal with what lies ahead, your road ahead will continue to be filled with suffering. That man will not win."
Alibaba separates Ithnan and leaps back as Ithnan rushes towards him. Immediately after Ithnan swings his scythe, Alibaba activates Djinn Equip and knocks his scythe away.
"Why did you not kill me?" Ithnan questions.
"I don't want to hate anymore." Alibaba says as he dissolves his Djinn Equip and Ithnan's mask cracked. "I don't know if I can do it! But if there's something that only I can do, if I can fight battles to guide my fate, then this is the best answer I can give right now!"
Ithnan's mask falls off his face and smiles before he looks up the sky as light breaks into the clouds. Alibaba continues to look at Ithnan and Aladdin smiles.
"Alibaba-kun." Aladdin calls.
"If it is you, Alibaba Saluja, you can achieve your goals." Verius says and she turns to Aladdin which he nods at her before he activates Wisdom of Solomon bathing Ithnan with white rukh.
"How humiliating. I'm being sent back to Solomon with such a peaceful feeling in my heart." Ithnan says as parts of his body turns into white rukh. "I thought I would never be able to face him again." When Ithnan closes his eyes, the rukh burst upward.
Outside
The rukh comes out from Aladdin's and Alibaba's hands as Vulpi, Morgiana, and Hakuryuu are awestruck. Then some of the rukh flies towards Dunya letting her to reunite with Isaac's spirit.
"Isaac." Dunya calls as tears fall from her face. "Isaac!"
The three watch them reunite with each other as Aladdin stands up and Verius appears beside Vulpi.
"I'm so glad. Everything's okay now." Aladdin says and Isaac looks at him before he bows, thanking him to see Dunya one more time and he leaves with the rukh. Aladdin then looks at Alibaba's side and sees Cassim standing beside him. "You made up a little part of Alibaba. You held back the curse for him, didn't you? Thank you."
Soon after Aladdin said that, Cassim disappears as the red earrings stops glowing and Alibaba wakes up.
"Alibaba-san!" Morgiana and Vulpi call.
"Alibaba-dono." Hakuryuu calls.
Alibaba slowly sits up and looks at them.
"You guys…" Alibaba trails off.
"Welcome back, Alibaba-kun." Aladdin says.
"Sorry for worrying you all. But I'm 100% back now!" Alibaba says and everyone sighs in relief.
"So you're okay now?" Morgiana asks.
"Yeah."
"I'm so glad…" She trails off and falls into Alibaba's arms.
"Morgiana." Alibaba calls.
"Morgiana-dono." Hakuryuu calls and Aladdin approaches her.
"It's okay. I think she's just sleeping." Aladdin says as Morgiana sleeps with a smile on her face. "You were fantastic, Mor-san."
"Thanks." Alibaba mutters to her and looks up to Hakuryuu. "Thanks to you too, Hakuryuu. You were able to conquer Zagan. Nicely done!"
"Thank you." Hakuryuu says.
"Let's go back!" Aladdin exclaims.
"Yeah."
Inside the pillar
The group along with the people of Toran are sitting with each other as they are being carried back.
"Hey, Aladdin." Alibaba calls as he rubs his nose. "How so I say this… Stuff kinda went overboard and got a little weird, but… Thanks for everything, okay?"
"Thanks to you too!" Aladdin replies causing Alibaba to be surprised. "I'm so happy to have met you and become friends with you."
"We've come a long way since Qishan, haven't we?"
"Yeah."
"I wonder how long the two of us can keep this up?"
"Forever." Aladdin answers and stands up before taking a few steps. "I'm sure out adventures will continue forever, and take us to places far, far away."
"Yeah!"
"…On that journey, the backwards flow of fate will always target you and block your way." Aladdin says. "But you will surpass it and one say become king. You will become a leader who will guide this world forward." He continues and Alibaba stands up. "I'm a Magi. I've come to lead you to that path."
Aladdin outstretches his hand to Alibaba and Alibaba takes his hand before shaking it.