Several days had passed since our heroes had bid farewell to Caldina and Ascot. They had gone around and climbed over several mountains, trying to reach the Sky Shrine that the second Mashin was located at. Their journey had included many wonders as well as dangers.
On one day they had been able to play around with cute yellow bats with sky blue eyes. They had been friendly enough to land on their hands and shoulders, and fed upon slices of fruit from their hands. On another they had encountered a black multi-headed dragon that spat out fireballs. No matter how many of its heads they cut off, it hadn't made a difference. Fortunately, Fuu had figured out that the monster's root-like central body was underground.
Not much longer after that, a monster composed entirely out of light had swallowed up Fuu, Umi, and Hotaru. Later on, it had even gotten Mokona. With great difficulty and determination, Hikaru had figured that the monster was attracted to the scent of blood. When all hope seemed lost, Hikaru had managed to defeat the monster in a solo stand-off. Hotaru, who had known about the monster, was embarrassed to have gotten caught by it, but kept it a secret.
As time passed, the earthquakes on Cephiro became more and more frequent. The tremors would now go on for several minutes, causing large cracks in the ground. At one point, Hotaru was about to fall into one of these cracks, but Fuu had learnt a new spell called Winds of Admonishment, and used it to catch him.
The weather in Cephiro was turning even more unstable, with the sky being covered in clouds around the clock. Rain was becoming more and more frequent. Eventually, even the vegetation around Cephiro started dying off. First were the flowers, then grass, and eventually trees and bushes started to show signs of wilting.
By the time they reached the mountain they would (actually) have to climb to reach the shrine, it was fortunately a nice weather.
In the throne-room of the former royal castle, Zagato was doing something he rarely had time for; taking a break. His reign over Cephiro was at most oppressive, and he did not pay attention to how the people fared in their day to day lives. However, keeping an iron grip on the populace of Cephiro was getting more and more difficult.
As the number of his forces waned due to the actions of the Magid Knights, he was having to exert himself more and more to quell needless rebellions. Rarely did he have to leave the confines of his fortress, but working around the clock and using his magic did take a toll on him. In addition, now that Princess Emeraude had shattered the Water Mirror, he had lost his ability to quickly scour through the lands of Cephiro. He had to rely more and more often on the words of spies and word of mouth, which caused him even greater difficulty.
Noticing he had the rare opportunity to rest up a bit, Zagato had poured himself a stiff drink into a round glass-and-gold goblet. He entered the throne room, which was only lit up by two tall metal torches that burnt with blue flames. He had then sat on a teal green throne, decorated with dark purple gems and silvery horns, and had dark red leather padding. He would enjoy a glass of his favorite brandy before heading over to bed, and make a mental note of his future plans.
The number of people at my disposal who can deal with the Magic Knights is rapidly dwindling. And they keep getting stronger. The only ones left who can match them now besides me are Inouva, Lafarga, and Alcyone. Alcyone has already failed several times in defeating them, and I do not trust her to get any results. Lafarga is far more capable, but I need him to keep the people in check. Inouva is crucial for keeping this place protected and supporting my workload.
He closed his eyes and took a sip of his brandy. Its potent and fruity flavor made his body warm up, and its pungent yet fragrant scent cleared his mind. As the warmth spread throughout his body, he was reminded of a feeling he had not had the chance to experience in many years. As he thought back on it, he was reminded of his last conversation with Princess Emeraude.
She said she doesn't know, but she has never been a good liar. There's something about that young man that she isn't telling me. The armor he was bestowed by Master Clef reminds me of the paladins I used to work alongside with.
Zagato thought back on the start of his campaign. As he made his way into the chambers of Princess Emeraude, the six paladins of the clergy stood in his way. The brave warriors who had protected the land, its people, and worked loyally with him, had turned against him. While it had pained him to do so, he had destroyed them one by one. Not even a drop of blood had remained to stain the walls of this castle.
Could it be that the destruction of those six wasn't as complete as I thought? Could Hotaru be the embodiment of their collective hearts and wills, coming back to take its revenge? He has not shown much growth after coming to Cephiro, yet he has proven himself as much of a threat as the Magic Knights of legend.
Before Zagato could continue this train of thought, he sensed another presence in the throne room.
He opened his purple eyes, and spoke with a calm voice, "What is it, Inouva?"
A tall, thin, and fragile-looking man with golden eyes, silver hair, and a pale complexion appeared before him. He had long pointy ears and a hexagonal purple gem on his forehead. His clothes were mostly white and decorated with touches of gold. He wore a single grey and gold pauldron embedded with a large violet gem and an ash grey cloak over his clothes.
"I am sorry to bother you during your time of rest," Inouva apologized politely, before kneeling before his master. "The Magic Knights are about to reach the Sky Shrine where Mashin Windam sleeps."
You chose to tell this to me just before I go to bed?
As Inouva looked towards him with his large golden eyes and determined expression, Zagato couldn't stay mad at him. His most loyal companion never bothered him without a good reason.
In a respectful yet deeply determined voice, Inouva requested, "My lord, please grant me permission to defeat them."
Zagato lifted his drink and swirled it around, considering Inouva's suggestion. He was indeed his most powerful and loyal subordinate; however, this also made him a risk. If Inouva were to turn on him like Ascot and Caldina, his plans would truly be compromised. And if Inouva were to be defeated, he did not want to even think of it.
"Alcyone, Ascot, and Caldina have already been defeated. Please send me to where the Magic Knights are," Inouva pleaded, his desire to act on his master's behalf being evident.
Zagato was taken aback by this eagerness, "Inouva…"
"I will be sure to return here with news of the Magic Knights' defeat," Inouva swore, his gaze not faltering. "To grant your ultimate wish, my lord. Please, send me to where the Magic Knights are…"
The conversation ground to a halt, as Zagato put down his goblet on the armrest of his throne. While the impact wasn't loud, it was strong enough to cause the brandy to jump in the glass.
Seeing his master's reaction, Inouva bowed his head shamefully, "I am truly sorry. I have said too much."
As Zagato looked down on him, a cold shiver ran down Inouva's spine. He had overstepped his authority and tried making demands of his master. His lord knew what was for the best and that if he wanted Inouva to take care of the Magic Knights, he would order so himself. As the tall man in the dark high priests' suit of armor stood up, he towered over the throne itself. Compared to his master physically or magically, Inouva felt very small, as he prepared for his scolding.
"Are you saying you have been at my side despite knowing my true intent?" his master asked him in a surprised tone.
Still in a deep bow, Inouva uttered, "Yes."
Understanding the true depth of Inouva's loyalty, Zagato could only say one word, "Go."
Inouva's expression brightened up immediately, as he gasped in excitement, "Yes!"
In that very instance, Inouva disappeared before Zagato's eyes, turning into gusts of air. With Zagato left alone with his thoughts, he felt both reassured of the success of his goal, as well as a slight unease.
Please, come back alive, Inouva.
As Zagato sat back down on his throne, Inouva appeared at the crystal fortress's herbal garden. The garden was an indoor room with an artificial sun for light. Two fountains flowed into irrigation channels that ran across large semicircular herbal plantations. In the middle of the room, was a miniature grove that had trees, mushrooms, wild flowers, and bushes growing in it.
The gardens of the former royal castle had once been a glorious and beautiful sight, filled with immaculate flora of all kinds. But ever since Zagato took over and the war over Cephiro started, it had been converted into a garden for growing herbs, berries, and mushrooms. Whether for medicine or poisons, ingredients of all sorts could be gathered here.
Soon as Inouva teleported in, he realized he wasn't alone. Tending to one of the plantations, was a tall, beautiful woman with ankle length black hair, pale skin, indigo eyes, and red lips. Despite her hands being covered in dirt, there was not a single stain on her white cape. Her expression was focused, and seemed to switch between angry and happy.
"Alcyone, what are you doing here?" Inouva asked, in a dry and stern voice.
Alcyone jumped, startled by his sudden arrival. She stood up and turned towards Inouva, giving him a mean side-eye.
Inouva stared back at her. "You should be mopping the second-floor hallways."
"I decided to come and see how the herbal plantations are doing," Alcyone answered coldly, showing little attempt to hide her hostility. "Or have you forgotten that I was the one in charge of instructing what herbs should be planted and where?"
Unamused by the sorceress's lack of respect, Inouva narrowed his pupils, "I am fully aware of this. However, your presence here is not required, get back to your cleaning and—"
"Not required?" Alcyone yelled out, staring daggers at the elf. "You truly expect me to believe that when this place is a sham of its former self? I know herbs are low maintenance but they still need to be tended to! I have found weeds, out of control mycelium growths, wilted leaves, and diseased plants!"
"Enough!" Inouva barked at her, silencing Alcyone up. "Fine, go ahead and make sure everything is up to date. But don't get in my way. I am on an important mission under Lord Zagato's orders."
While Alcyone was shaken by Inouva's flaring magical power, she quickly composed herself, "I was already done here, so I won't get in your way. What kind of an errand are you running for Lord Zagato? Looking to bake a pie?"
"He has tasked me with the elimination of the Magic Knights before they reach the Sky Shrine," Inouva said proudly, smiling as he walked past Alcyone. "I will honor our lord by defeating the Magic Knights, and their bodyguard…"
Knowing Alcyone's prior history with the male companion of the Magic Knights, Inouva expected this remark to set the sorceress off. However, his ears twitched as he heard Alcyone start laughing behind his back.
"Fufufufu! You? Defeat Hotaru? Ahahaha!" Alcyone laughed, far too passionately to come across as mocking.
"What is so funny?" Inouva snarled.
Once she had managed to stop herself from laughing, Alcyone answered, "Simple, if I couldn't do it, neither can you. You may be more powerful than I am, but I know him. You have none of the advantages that I do—had."
Realizing the sorceress was trying to get him riled up, Inouva breathed in and said calmly, "We will see."
It was a dark and stormy evening. The skies were covered in dark clouds and only an occasional lightning strike gave off some light. Rain was pouring down on the mountainous region, causing its many crevices and valleys to flood and turn into rabid rivers. To travel in such weather would be a fool's errand.
Luckily for our heroes, they had managed to find a cave near the top of the mountain they were scaling. The shrine of the second Mashin, which was located on a large floating island with massive crystal on top of it, was only a stone's throw away from their current location. Hotaru had checked.
Despite being so close, the Magic Knights didn't know how they would cross the final hurdle to the shrine. As such they had decided to rest for the evening and wait for the storm to pass. Whatever plan they would come up with, it would be better if they were well rested and dry, rather than tired and cold.
To warm them up, Mokona had conjured a travel cooker and a large pot. The girls would have asked for a kettle to brew up some tea, but Hotaru had insisted on making cocoa, as he did not care for tea.
"This is some storm…" Hikaru said, listening to the thunder outside. "We were lucky we found this cave."
"Pupuu!" Mokona nodded.
"Let's just hope it doesn't collapse on top of us because of an earthquake," Hotaru chuckled while stirring the pot of warm milk and molten chocolate.
"Don't say such scary things! How are we supposed to get any sleep?" Umi complained, not wanting to think about it.
To change her topic, she looked outside, noticing one of her friends standing at the cave entrance, "Fuu, if you keep standing there, you'll get wet!"
"Come over here, Fuu-chan!" Hikaru beckoned her.
"Right…" Fuu muttered, staring at the Sky Shrine.
"She is probably thinking about Ferio," Hotaru said teasingly.
"No, I am not!" Fuu yelled defensively, blushing slightly. "It's the weather I am thinking about."
Hearing this, Umi and Hikaru walked over to Fuu, looking outside as well. Indeed, the weather was looking more ominous than what they had ever seen back in Cephiro.
"It is strange. It was such nice weather a moment ago," Hikaru said worriedly.
"Is this another sign of Cephiro crumbling?" Fuu shared her worry with the others.
"Will you guys stop saying stuff like that!" Umi yelled and dragged Fuu back inside.
"Yeah, it would be for the best for you to sit back and relax for the rest of the day," Hotaru suggested. "Tomorrow's going to be a big day."
"How come you are so relaxed, Hotaru?" Hikaru asked him, noticing his laidback attitude.
Hotaru thought about his answer, and how he would phrase it. If there was an episode he was familiar with, in the original Magic Knight Rayearth series, this would be it. As such, he had had days to prepare.
"I suppose I am just having a good day. Today, I feel invincible."
As they all settled around the travel cooker again, they stared as Hotaru worked. Instead of just adding milk and cocoa powder, Hotaru seemed to be putting extra effort into his hot chocolate.
He had first started with boiling cinnamon sticks in whole milk and added vanilla extra into it. Then he had added in baking cocoa powder and two bars of dark chocolate, which he had broken into small pieces. As he stirred the chocolate, he had also added in small amounts of coffee and whiskey, after receiving permission from the others.
"You sure this will boil all the alcohol off?" Fuu asked, seeing the cocoa get thicker.
"Oh, I'm sure of it. Besides, this amount of alcohol wouldn't hurt a child," Hotaru spoke confidently, as he told half-truths.
In truth the heat was nowhere near hot enough for boiling away the alcohol. But the amount was still harmless to teenagers like them, even if one of them decided to drink the whole pot.
"Alright, it should be done," Hotaru said and poured the hot chocolate into cups with a small ladle.
Hikaru was the first to take a sip, at which point she almost choked, "This…"
Fuu, Umi, and Hotaru looked at her cautiously, before the red-headed girl yelled, "...tastes amazing!"
After recovering from the tonal whiplash, Umi and Fuu sipped as well, "Delicious!"
Hotaru chuckled proudly, but also because the girls now had chocolate all over the corners of their mouths.
"Yeah, but it also stains like no other so don't wipe your mouths on your sleeves," Hotaru scolded them before sipping himself. "A drink like this really is perfect on stormy nights."
While our heroes were happily sipping hot chocolate inside the cave, another youngster was fighting for his dear life. Ferio was scaling the side of a mountain to the best of his ability, but the constant rain and wind were making it difficult. He was determined to face High Priest Zagato and rescue Princess Emeraude, and had stubbornly tried to scale the mountain to get past it. But as his footing collapsed under him midway up the mountain, he decided enough was enough.
"That was dangerous," he shivered, seeing the pieces of rock fall below the clouds underneath him. "This is no joke. I can't just die off here!"
Ferio reached out to his pocket, and pulled out a round magic item. It was an egg-shaped, pink, red, and gold orb that had several pink gems attached to it. The item could send messages to its counterpart, which he had given to Magic Knight Fuu.
He pressed one of the gems and spoke into it, "Fuu, can you hear me?"
Inside the cave, Fuu's magic item pinged, before Ferio's voice could be heard from it, "Fuu! Fuu!"
"Speak of the Devil," Hotaru chuckled.
Seeming relieved, Fuu pulled out her orb and spoke into it, "Ferio! Are you all right? Where are you right now?"
"Somewhere with a great view, but I can't say I'm alright," Ferio joked, trying to lighten up the mood. "I'm in a slight bind because the wind's so strong. Let me join up with you."
"Sure. We are taking shelter in a cave right next to the Sky Shrine," Fuu gave out directions. "Take care… I hope you will arrive here safely."
"Gotcha. You're a lifesaver. See ya."
As the call ended, Fuu sighed, holding the orb against her chest plate. Knowing that Ferio was alright after not hearing about him in over a week, was a relief. Also the fact she was about to see him again soon, made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, in a way Hotaru's cocoa could only simulate.
"Hey, you look so happy!" Umi nudged Fuu with her elbow teasingly, causing Fuu to blush.
"…I hope he was climbing up the right mountain," Hotaru thought out loud before taking another sip.
Making his way up the mountain slowly, Ferio finally managed to find a ledge large enough for him to take a break. Due to the rain, he would not be able to stay for long, as he would be risking hypothermia. But as she laid his eyes on the ledge, he was caught by surprise.
"A woman?"
A young woman wearing the simple clothes of a peasant was lying unconscious on the ledge. She had pale skin, long blue hair tied in a ponytail, and her body was lithe. In her hand she held a pink flower and next to her laid a woven basket with more plants in it. She was unmoving and unresponsive, and by the looks of her soaked clothes, she had laid there a long time.
Ferio hurried to get fully onto the platform, "Hey, are you alright?"
Once fully atop the ledge, he pulled the woman into his arms. She was cold and light, barely breathing, and seemed to have a fever.
"Hang on… Just hang on," Hotaru tried to comfort the lady.
The woman slowly opened up her pink lips, and uttered weakly, "The medicinal herbs…"
"Medicinal herbs?" Ferio repeated, before noticing the flowers she was grasping.
It took about twenty minutes until Ferio arrived at the cave the Magic Knights and Hotaru were waiting at. During that time, Hotaru had prepared some extra hot chocolate, adding a bit more coffee and whiskey this time. They were slightly startled as they heard wet and heavy footsteps at the cave entrance.
"Ferio!" Hikaru greeted him happily.
Fuu, who had kept an eye on Hotaru's cooking, looked up happily, only to be shocked by what she saw. As a lightning strike lit up the cave, she saw Ferio hold another woman in his arms.
Ah, our honored guest has arrived, Hotaru thought as he grinned inwards.
It took some explaining but soon the group was caught up with what had happened. With Mokona's help, they had hung her clothes to dry on a piece of rope and placed her inside a sleeping bag. With that done, the group kept an eye on the woman's condition, while waiting for her to regain consciousness. Hikaru and Umi were sitting next to the woman, while Fuu was sitting in a corner. Ferio was pacing back and forth the cave, while Hotaru sat with his legs crossed over the pot. Mokona was sleeping in a corner peacefully.
Hikaru placed her hand on the woman's forehead gently, "Her fever's gone down quite a bit. She'll be alright now."
"Who is this?" Umi asked Ferio.
"I don't know," Ferio shrugged. "I found her collapsed."
"And you, why did you come chasing after us?" Umi continued interrogating Ferio.
"To see my lovely Fuu of course…" Ferio winked light-heartedly at his girlfriend.
Fuu however, did not react to this, and instead stayed quiet, staring at the fire.
"Ladies don't take it too kindly if ya bring home strange women," Hotaru wisecracked, mimicking Caldina's accent, and poured Ferio a cup of hot chocolate. "Here ya go."
"Thanks?" Ferio said, looking at the odd brown drink. "Well, I had something that I wanted to tell you. You see…"
Before Ferio could continue, the woman in the sleeping bag was starting to stir and open her golden eyes.
"She's coming to!" Hikaru announced to everyone.
The woman slowly got up into a sitting position, finding herself now wearing a white frilly pajama. She seemed out of it and stared forward for a while.
"Where am I… The medicinal herbs…" she muttered, before looking around sporadically. "Where are the Medicinal herbs?"
"Don't worry. I gathered them all up and brought them here," Ferio said, before pointing at the cave wall where the basket of herbs sat next to his sword.
Once the woman had calmed down, she sat down on her knees on top of the sleeping bag. It had taken a while for her to get used to being surrounded by so many strange people. According to Hotaru, they did look like a group of bandits, hiding inside a cave in the mountains like this.
"My name is Sera," the woman introduced herself. "I live in the town at the foot of these mountains. My brother got a sudden fever, so I came to collect medicinal herbs. And then with this sudden rain… I couldn't go back…"
The woman took a break, looking down worriedly, before continuing, "What would've happened if you weren't here? Thank you all for saving me."
"N-Not at all," Ferio blushed slightly.
"Here, have this to warm you up," Hotaru said, offering the woman a large cup of hot chocolate.
"T-Thank you," the woman thanked him before looking at the drink. "What is this?"
"It's called cocoa, also known as hot chocolate," Hotaru informed, before taking a large sip himself.
"Chocolate?" Ferio asked. "What is that?"
"It is a type of candy from our world. It is made out of the seeds of a fruit called cacao," Fuu explained, trying to sound polite, but came off as distant. "It is a complicated process but the end result is very delicious."
Both Ferio and Sera looked at their cups for a moment, before both taking a large sip. Having gotten a taste of it, Sera's eyes sparkled and Ferio chugged the mug empty.
"This is delicious, boss!" Ferio said, before wiping his lips on his sleeve. "Can I have another?"
"Sure, just don't… never mind," he sighed before topping off everyone.
"Let's all wait here until the storm passes," Umi smiled, now that everyone seemed to be in a slightly better mood.
Both Sera and Ferio stared at Umi, before the woman asked, "The "storm"?"
"What's that?" Ferio inquired as well.
This time, it was the Magic Knights and Hotaru who looked confused, as they exchanged glances.
"You know, a storm. Like today…" Umi tried her best to explain it. "There's lots of wind and thunder, an eye in the center, and clouds surround it and roar."
As Umi continued explaining, the two natives of Cephiro looked more and more confused.
Eventually Ferio looked at them seriously and asked, "Such an incredible monster exists?"
"No!" Umi roared, frustrated by the misunderstandings.
"It's a weather," Hotaru explained in a calmer voice. "You know, like sunny, cloudy, rainy, stormy."
"There aren't any storms in Cephiro?" Hikaru asked, surprised by this news.
"Nope," Ferio said before standing up and facing the storm. "I've never seen the skies thrash about like this before. Have you heard from Clef lately?"
Seeing the others shaking their heads, Ferio started explaining the reason he had come, "Cephiro has had monsters in its times of peace. But weather…"
Before continuing, he turned towards the others and spoke in a grim tone, "Cephiro has started to rapidly crumble the past couple of days. And at an alarming rate."
A nearby lightning strike lit up the cave, as if punctuating the seriousness of Ferio's message.
"Please hurry. Cephiro doesn't have much time left!" Ferio asked them desperately. "I came here to tell you guys that."
Hotaru sighed deeply, before taking another sip to calm his nerves.
Darn it, I had hoped we were ahead of schedule because of my past knowledge. I guess my influence slowed us down at some points too.
"Well, the sun's about to set. You all should rest till the storm passes," Ferio suggested.
"What about you, Ferio?" Umi asked.
"I'll stay awake and watch what goes on outside," he said confidently. "I want to observe this rare "storm" thing closely."
"I swear, you people would lose it if you saw a hurricane," Hotaru joked, before Sera quickly stood up.
The blue-haired woman was holding her mouth and quickly ran over to the ledge in front of the cave. She bent over the edge and started hurling and gagging over it, her body convulsing violently. At first, they thought it was a case of a simple upset stomach, until she started puking and groaning in pain.
"What's going on?" Hikaru asked, concerned over Sera's wellbeing.
"Oh no!" Hotaru gasped. "I forgot some people can be allergic to chocolate!"
And alcohol, and caffeine…
Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru all hurried around Sera, making sure she wouldn't fall off the cliff and that she could breathe. As the Magic Knights did their best to help Sera out, the woman was holding back a deep seeded hatred.
Curse you, Hotaru! What was it that you made me drink! I never saw you put any poison into my cup! How are the rest of you fine after drinking such a vile concoction! Was this just dumb luck on your part?
Sera continued ranting and screaming internally, while making her internals external, until she saw Hotaru coming over as well. She was worried he was coming to finish the job, until she noticed the worried expression on the warrior's face.
He was holding her basket in his hand and spoke in a hurried tone of voice, "Sera! Quick! Tell us which of these medicinal herbs can help you out?"
"No! Those are for *hurgh*—"
It had taken thirty minutes for Sera's "allergic reaction" to pass and the Magic Knights had done their best to help Sera out with her situation. Hotaru had lost his grip on the basket of medicinal herbs and almost dropped them off the cliff, but Umi had managed to grab the basket in time. While her fever seemed to have gone down, Sera had such terrible cramps she had to lay down in the sleeping bag. For the rest of the evening, Sera seemed to be wary of Hotaru.
While not all of Hotaru's attempts had been successful, he had succeeded in something. Fuu's silent treatment with Ferio was over and the two seemed to get along much better. Having tended to Sera and seen her in such a compromising position, she had become less self-conscious about the woman.
As he laid down in his sleeping bag, Hotaru noticed how Fuu was already fast asleep. He remembered her being awake at this point, thinking restless thoughts in bed. But in return, it was Hotaru's turn to stay awake. One thing he hadn't accounted for, was that it was surprisingly difficult to sleep when knowing there was an enemy in their camp. Especially when they were pissed at him directly.
I wonder if it would be possible to sleep with Tungsten Defense on?
As he laid on his side, he heard Ferio speak, "Sera. What's wrong? You can't sleep?"
"Yes…" the woman said in a hoarse voice. "My insides still ache…"
You act like a bitch I will treat you as such, Hotaru grinned nastily.
"…Also, I am scared. Is it true that Cephiro is about to crumble?"
"Yeah. But it'll be alright," Ferio said confidently. "You'll feel better after you have some soup."
As Ferio hadn't yet had anything to eat for the day, he had started making a simple soup over the travel cooker. Hotaru had hoped he wouldn't have been able to use the pot since it was covered in chocolate, but Mokona had conjured another, smaller one. While it was simple, it smelled good, and Hotaru had hoped to have a taste himself. Just one issue.
"Then use the herbs I picked along with the medicinal herbs," Sera suggested helpfully.
"Let's see…"
Hotaru had hoped that since Sera refused to use her own herbs, Ferio would consider twice about them himself. But this time, Inouva had won their game of deception.
"Along"!? How can one word ruin a plan… Damn you Umi and your quick reflexes!
Once the soup was done, Ferio drank it from a cup, slurping it up, "It's great!"
"I'm glad," Sera smiled warmly. "Does this serve well as thanks?"
"It is well enough," Ferio thanked, before offering. "You want some yourself? You lost a lot of liquids back there; it would be for the best if you ate something."
Nice one Ferio! Hotaru smiled devilishly.
"Sure, thank you very much," Sera accepted the offer, getting herself a cup before drinking some soup.
The hairs on Hotaru's neck stood on end as he heard Sera drinking the soup down. In addition, he felt a murderous gaze in the back of his head. He had expected Inouva to refuse outright.
I see, you also chose poisons that do not affect your own kind. Touché.
Back at Zagato's crystal fortress, things were surprisingly peaceful. Without Ascot around, monsters did not roam around its corridors. With Caldina missing, no one was around to make bets or insisting on small talk. With Inouva gone, no one was patrolling the halls of the fortress. Lafarga was out doing his own rounds, and Zagato had finally retreated into his private quarters to sleep. Because of this, Alcyone had the place all to herself.
While she should have been mopping up the crystal floors of the inner sanctum's corridors, she couldn't pass up on an opportunity like this. She first ransacked the royal library for some reading materials. Then she used the kitchens to bake herself a fresh batch of sugar cookies and brewed herself a pot of herbal tea. Once that was done, she entered the throne room and took the best seat in the fortress.
"Fufufufu, it has been a while since I last did something this naughty," Alcyone chuckled, placing her tea and cookies on the wide armrests of the throne. "I feel like a kid again, stealing forbidden books and sitting in my father's study, eating snacks. Though this time I need to make sure not to leave any crumbs behind…"
As she read the book of her choice, Forbidden Spells from Abarth to Zotye, she listened to her heart. A book such as this was not an educational one, but rather a record of all the most powerful spells ever witnessed on Cephiro. To learn a spell from the book, it would need to resonate with her heart for it to imprint into her being. As she kept reading, she imagined all the new ways she could defeat the Magic Knights and Hotaru. But as she continued reading, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever get the chance.
"I was so sure Inouva would fail the same as I, but what if he succeeds? I would never be able to settle the score with those kids," she muttered to herself. "Maybe I should check up on his progress…"
She pulled out the purple, flat, and round magic gem out of its hiding place and gazed into it, scrying on the Magic Knights and Inouva. Despite not hearing what they said, it was clear to her what was going on. A blue-haired woman she had never seen before was carrying a basket of very familiar herbs.
Honestly Inouva, I would have expected more flair from you. Poison, disguises, lowering yourself into a damsel in distress, I never knew you were so underhanded.
She continued following Inouva's progress with bated breath. The Magic Knights and their two male companions seemed to have no idea what was going on. Inouva even managed to convince Hotaru to share some strange looking brew with him, which made Alcyone feel slightly jealous. It was only as Inouva's disguised-self ran out of the cave that this feeling went away.
"Ahahahaha! Serves you right, you novice!" Alcyone laughed, seeing Inouva puking his guts out down the side of the mountain.
Alcyone continued laughing at the scenes of slapstick that followed, while finishing her cookies and tea, after which she got off the throne. Her next plan was to take a bath in what had used to be Princess Emeraude's private bath house. However, as she was about to leave the throne room, she heard armored footsteps.
Those footsteps… too soft and elegant to belong to Lafarga. Which means it is Lord Zagato! I need to hide the evidence!
Alcyone hid the book she had borrowed inside her magic gem and quickly got out of the throne room. She then held the dirty dishes in her hands and started walking eastwards. As planned, she was soon stopped by a deep and dangerous voice that sent chills down her spine.
"Alcyone, what are you doing laughing so loudly at this hour?" Zagato asked her, sounding tired.
"Oh, I am deeply sorry if I have disturbed you," Alcyone apologized, curtsying before her beloved lord.
Zagato looked down upon her, his voice becoming sterner, "Why are you carrying those?"
Alcyone looked at the cup and plate in her hand, before answering with a nervous voice, "I-I was clearing out Caldina's former quarters. Apparently, she has a tendency to leave dirty dishes in her r-room."
"Then why were you laughing? Was there something amusing there?"
To make herself seem more mature and to sabotage her competition, Alcyone answered, "One of our spies reported on Inouva's progress. Apparently, he is having some… well, I probably shouldn't have laughed at his misfortune."
Zagato's expression was unamused and Alcyone was starting to regret her choice of words. In the end however, her showing self-reflection seemed to save her from further trouble.
"You are dismissed," Zagato said harshly.
Alcyone quickly walked towards the kitchens to return the dishes. As she walked away, Zagato stared after her for a moment, while thinking about what she had told him.
Is Inouva having trouble already? Things might be more severe than I imagined…
"Hey, look! The storm's passed!" Hikaru yelled out happily.
The next morning, the skies were still covered by clouds, but the wind, rain, and lightning had stalled. Everyone seemed well rested and full of energy, although some of them were a bit sore from sleeping in a cave. Only Ferio was still dozing off against the cave wall.
"We can get going now!" Hikaru announced.
"I guess breakfast can wait till after the Sky Shrine," Hotaru mused, while doing morning stretches.
Eventually, even Ferio woke up to the commotions, "Whoops. Guess I fell asleep…"
As Ferio slowly got up, his face blushed red, and he quickly faltered and fell forward.
"Ferio!" Fuu yelled out and reached out for him.
"Hold on!" Sera yelled, grabbing hold of Ferio, holding him up.
Fuu quickly joined her, holding onto Ferio's other arm, at which point he turned towards Fuu, "Thank you. I'm alright though…"
As Ferio collapsed once more, Sera placed her hand onto his forehead, "Oh no! You have a fever. It must be from last night's rain."
"And sleeping without any protection," Fuu scolded Ferio motherly.
This is such a bizarre sight… Hotaru thought as he watched the two girls taking care of Ferio together.
"Leave Ferio to me," Sera insisted. "You all have a mission that must be accomplished quickly."
"Very well, take good care of him," Fuu nodded. "And Ferio, you take care too."
"You always worry so much about me, Fuu," Ferio smiled, trying to appear strong despite his fever.
Seeing everything was in order, Hikaru announced confidently, "Then we'll be going."
"Let's go, Hotaru," Umi hurried him along.
"Yeah, yeah," Hotaru groused, sounding slightly annoyed.
As they were leaving, Ferio grabbed hold of Fuu's arm, stopping her in her tracks, "Huh?"
"Fuu, I just wanted to tell you, that I know you can save Cephiro," Ferio spoke from the heart. "Please, save my home. I believe in you."
I believe in you. These words resounded in Fuu's heart, as she was bewildered by Ferio's faith in her. She turned around, looking into Ferio's golden eyes, and smiling widely.
"I understand. I will make sure to return with the Mashin," Fuu promised, before rushing over to the others. "Well, let us be on our way!"
"Yeah…" Umi and Hikaru nodded.
"On the double," Hotaru commanded before marching ahead on the mountain path.
As the Magic Knights left, Ferio was planning on crawling inside one of their sleeping bags. He would sleep off this fever and hopefully be healthy by the time Fuu and the others returned. But as he entered the cave, his body started cramping up badly. He stumbled forward and knocked over the pot with the leftover soup in it. As the pain got worse, he was forced down onto his hands and knees on the cave floor.
"What the hell has happened to me?" Ferio asked, feeling his fingers going numb. "M-My body is refusing to do as I say…"
As the green-haired young man was struggling on the floor, Sera chuckled, "There is a strong bond between you and Fuu, Ferio."
Ferio was breathing heavily, and the woman's words didn't register with him at first, until she walked closer, "W-What are you saying?"
"How will you feel as your Fuu dies in front of your eyes?" Sera asked with an openly cruel expression.
"W-What?" Ferio grunted, before forcing himself to stand. "You're…"
"Did you like the taste…" Sera spoke out, before removing her outfit, "of my special herb?"
In but a blink of an eye, the blue-haired peasant girl had turned into a pale, silver-haired man with pointy ears. His clothes were of the highest standard and he appeared to be some form of nobility. Before Ferio had time to react, this man pointed his hand towards him and fired off a spell that created viscous substance. Ferio was pushed back by the spell, which then trapped him in a web of rubber cement-like goop, at the back of the cave.
As the man laughed at his helplessness, Ferio gritted his teeth and struggled to break free, "You! You're one of Zagato's minions?"
"Thanks to you, I know the weakness of one of the Magic Knights," Inouva gloated, before charging up a ball of light in his hand.
Ferio thought that this spell was meant to finish him off, but to his surprise, it floated upwards. As it struck the ceiling, it spread out and created a large image of the entrance of the Sky Shrine.
The entrance was surrounded by four massive crystals on the side of the floating island. Between them, there was a massive carving made out of turquoise that resembled a banner. The banner mostly depicted carvings of feathers, air currents, and clouds. Among these tiny details was a large face of a bird with a gem on its forehead. Above it, was a winged magic circle with a hexagram in the middle of it, and a winged symbol in its center.
Below the banner-like carving was a tall curving entrance made out of crystal. The insides of it were dark, but one could see crystal stalactites and pillars inside.
"Since you're stuck here, you can only kick yourself as you watch as the Magic Knights perish," Inouva continued gloating, before turning his back on his hostage. "And, as that girl named Fuu dies, calling the name of the man she loves."
Before Ferio could try to trick, reason, or retort the man, he disappeared in a gust of wind right before his eyes. Ferio could only weakly pull back on his bindings, while placing his hope on the Magic Knights.
"Please Boss… protect Fuu."
Having made their way to as high up the mountain as they could, the Magic Knights were still left with the problem of getting over to the shrine. The gap between the Sky Shrine's entrance and ledge they stood on, was almost a full kilometer. Not even Hikaru or Hotaru felt like trying to jump across it.
As they were about to try and propel themselves over with the power of their spells, Mokona conjured up a familiar flying saucer. The silver saucer with a round bottom and five blue orbs around its underside, floated in the air at a slight angle. With a little bit of encouragement, the Magic Knights and Hotaru sat inside it, holding tightly onto its sides.
As they floated towards the entrance precariously, Umi couldn't help but ask, "If you still had this ride, why didn't you give it to us earlier?"
"Tululu pupuu!" Mokona chirped casually.
As the saucer tilted from side to side, Hikaru pointed out, "This isn't very stable after that attack by Zagato…"
"Yeah… I don't think even I can survive a fall from this height," Hotaru admitted, his legs feeling like jelly as he looked down.
As if on cue, the winged saucer stopped floating. They all let out a collective scream as their hearts jumped into their throats. Just as they saw their lives flashing before their eyes, the saucer crash landed at the very edge of the entrance. Umi, Hikaru, and Hotaru had all been thrown out of the tipped over saucer, with Mokona shivering from the near-death experience.
"I'm starting to see a pattern emerging…" Hotaru groaned, stroking his lower back, and looked up. "Speaking of which…"
As the three of them looked upwards, they could see Fuu hovering in the air. She was being held up by green air currents, which slowly lowered her down onto the crystal floor.
"Fuu…" Umi stared with her eyes wide.
"Fuu-chan."
"It is calling me," Fuu spoke in a trance-like state. "The Mashin is calling me…"
As they all stared down the dark, crystal filled corridor, the green winds began to encircle Fuu once more. As the others tried to get her attention, she vanished before their very eyes.
"S-She disappeared…" Umi stuttered.
"It's alright," Hikaru said casually. "You were spaced out too when you found the Mashin Selece."
"You also phased through a pair of doors," Hotaru remembered. "That was weird…"
"I'm sure the Mashin that's here is calling Fuu," Hikaru tried to reassure Umi.
"R-Right…"
"We should go in too," Hikaru said, before running off down the corridor.
"Wait, Hikaru!"
"Last one in cooks today's victory feast!" Hotaru quipped before taking off.
"No fair, I did that last time!" Umi yelled, running after them both.
The dark crystal corridor was longer than they had expected and seemed to spiral around the entire island. As they ran around a corner, they were surprised by a sudden vortex of wind. Before their very eyes, a man dressed in a white and gold fancy outfit appeared before them.
"That is where you stop, Magic Knights!" the elf-like man halted them.
"And what about us who aren't Magic Knights?" Hotaru asked coyly, trying to sound philosophical.
With a nerve twitching on his forehead, Inouva reluctantly added, "You too, Hotaru!"
Hearing that the man knew Hotaru's name, Umi and Hikaru summoned their swords, "It looks like you are not here to greet us!"
"How futile," Inouva chuckled, extending his arm forward.
A dark orb with a purple outline appeared in his hand, from which several black figures appeared. At first they looked like wind currents similar to Fuu's magic, but they then morphed into howling wolf heads. The pack flew towards the Magic Knights, but Hotaru just calmly walked forth.
"Tungsten Defense!"
As the ethereal wolf heads struck him, he felt a crushing force being applied to his entire body. Instead of exploding, it was as if the magical projectiles were imploding. Despite their great force, Hotaru stood tall. Some of the heads tried going past him, but after summoning his spear and shield, blocking them wasn't a big deal.
"How futile~," Hotaru mimicked Inouva mockingly. "I may only know two spells but man are they good ones!"
"Why you insolent—!" Inouva growled, but was forced to quickly dodge.
"Fire Arrow!"
"Water Dragon!"
The red and blue Magic Knights fired their spells from behind Hotaru, interrupting Inouva's assault. While Inouva was able to evade the fireball and the water geyser, he couldn't deny their power.
With the Magic Knights' firepower and Hotaru defense, taking them on is nearly impossible. I could teleport behind them, but even without the Magic Knights, Hotaru would still be a tough opponent. As such, I must remove Hotaru out of the equation.
Confident of their victory due to their teamwork, Hotaru was smiling widely. While he would have wanted to take a few jabs at Inouva himself, it would be difficult to get him into a melee fight. As such it seemed for the best for him to focus on defense, but then Inouva did something unexpected. He ran towards him.
As Inouva charged at him, Hotaru raised his spear, "Did you lose your mind from frustration?"
As he brought down his spear, Inouva quickly dodged out of the way like the wind itself. Faster than Hotaru could smack him with his shield, Inouva wrapped his arms around Hotaru.
"Huh?" The two Magic Knights looked confused, seeing their enemy hugging Hotaru.
Before Hotaru could comprehend what was going on, he was blinded by a bright light. As his eyes got used to it, he noticed he was outside, with Inouva. Apparently, Zagato's right hand man had teleported them outside.
"What are you do—" Hotaru grunted, until a sinking feeling took over him.
There was nothing underneath him. His feet weren't touching the ground and as he looked down, he saw the gap between the Sky Shrine and the mountain below him. Even with the clouds below masking how long the fall was, all color drained from Hotaru's face.
"Why you bastard!" he yelled, trying to grab Inouva as they started falling.
But before he could grab hold of his pointy eared foe, Inouva let go of him and kickflipped off of his chest plate. As the force of the kick sent him spiraling downwards, Hotaru watched as Inouva teleported once more.
Hotaru yelled in horror as he started falling. Since he had climbed the mountain, he knew there was nothing to break his fall. No ledges to grab hold of, no bushes or trees to crash through, and no water to aim for. Even with Tungsten Defense on, a drop with terminal velocity would surely be his demise.
Back at the cave, Ferio could see Hotaru plummeting to the ground past the view Inouva had left him with.
"Boss! No!" he yelled weakly.
Falling through the cloud cover that surrounded the mountains, Hotaru yelled, "Inouva! If I am reborn again, rest assured I will find and kill you!"
As he kept on falling, his life flashed before his eyes. Hotaru could remember his previous life, his mother, his friends, his exes, his dreams. A bright flash of light later, he began to relive his early days in his new body back in Tokyo. As these memories flew by, Hotaru started to wonder, why was he so scared?
I've already died once; it isn't that bad. Hell, I finally got to go on a proper fantasy isekai adventure. I guess this is just how far I was able to survive. Wonder what body I will wake up in tomorrow, or who knows, maybe I will get to see what Cephiro's afterlife is like. I will get to slap Inouva across the face when he gets there.
But as he tried to look at the silver lining of his situation, there was a lump in his throat. Something that despite all of his past experiences, he could not let go of. Before he even noticed it himself, he was spreading out his arms and legs, and holding out his shield and spear. Anything and everything in order to slow down his descent. As time seemed to slow down, the tears in his eyes started to burn. It wasn't that he didn't want to die.
"I refuse!" Hotaru yelled out. "I refuse to die like this!"
He had now reached the memories of the past few months. These short months, these ten weeks that he had traveled, fought, and risked his life for, they meant more to him than anything else. Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Ferio, Clef, Presea, Caldina, Ascot, all of these people he had met, all friends he had made, he could not let them grieve for him. And maybe even more importantly, he couldn't go with unresolved business.
Alcyone, I will not give up until I see you smile. I will not let you die in vain again! And I refuse to die, until I have told you—!
"Alcyone, I love you!" Hotaru shouted; his eyes squeezed shut.
As Hotaru's voice echoed throughout the mountains, the dark, cloud-covered sky was soon lit up. From the perspective of an onlooker from below, it was like a shooting star was falling through the clouds. Hotaru's Double Armor shone bright silver, as it grew out and expanded, and covered up more of his body.
However, Hotaru did not give heed to any of this, as something far more important had caught his attention. Something he had not felt since the day he arrived in Cephiro. A new sensation from deep within him. New words echoed from his very heart.
"I have new spells… I have new spells!" He opened his eyes. "Aluminum Fl—!"
He hit the ground.
Soon after disappearing, Fuu had appeared in a large room at the center of the Sky Shrine. The room was entirely made out of emerald green crystal. The walls were formed by jagged crystal clusters and the floor was a perfectly smooth sheet of crystal. She was surrounded by massive crystals the size of trees that hovered stationary in the air, as well as crystals that acted as pillars. From the ceiling grew the largest crystal cluster in the room that sparkled brightly enough to function as the room's sole source of light.
Despite all of this, Fuu did not pay attention to any of it. Her mind was completely blank and she only knew that she was supposed to be in here. She only came to when she heard a deep, mechanical, yet gentle voice speak out.
"Legendary Magic Knight."
As Fuu snapped from her trance, she could feel a gentle breeze caress her cheek, before the current rose up to the ceiling.
"One that doth come to this shrine to don me," the voice echoed throughout the inner sanctum.
As the current reached the crystal cluster in the ceiling, it glowed bright green, before transforming into a giant green bird. The bird looked like a cross between a swan, an eagle, and a peacock. Its body was covered in long yet thin feathers, which made its chest look like fluffy grass. It had four massive wings with feathers the size of canoes. Its neck was long and elegant and curved in a majestic arch. Its head was relatively small for its body and was covered in plumes that looked like tufts of fur. Its beak was golden, curved, and sharp, and its slanted eyes were solid orange. It had golden winglike protrusions behind its eye that swooped backwards and a green gem on its forehead. It's tailfeathers were long and plumed out like ceremonial ribbons.
"You are…" Fuu gasped.
"My name is Windam," the bird introduced itself, before speaking slowly. "I am the Mashin that sleeps here, waiting for the one that will become a Magic Knight."
"This is the Mashin? This enormous bird?" Fuu uttered in disbelief.
"One that has come here to don me. Show me the strength of thine heart," Windam requested. "Show before me proof that thy power makes thee worthy of donning me."
The wind around the room and especially around Windam was starting to pick up. It swirled around it more violently as the Mashin's voice grew louder too.
"The strength of thine heart worthy of becoming a legendary Magic Knight," the bird spoke with gusto, before disappearing.
As the bird vanished before her eyes, Fuu was left alone with her thoughts, "The strength of my heart…"
Now I know how confusing this must have been for Ms. Umi.
"How in the world do I…" Fuu despaired, before the sound of a dropping sword interrupted her.
As she turned around, she could see Umi and Hikaru standing behind her, with their backs turned towards her. Hikaru was holding her sword up against the dark corridor before her, while Umi's sword laid on the ground. Not long after, Umi collapsed down onto her hands and knees, without saying a word.
"Ms. Umi!" Fuu gasped before rushing over to her. "Are you all right? Please hold on!"
As she picked up Umi, she could hear Hikaru speaking weakly, "Fuu-chan, I'm sorry…"
Hikaru turned to face her friend, and with her last strength uttered, "I couldn't protect you all till the end…"
With those words, Hikaru quickly succumbed to her injuries. She dropped her sword and fell face first onto the floor.
"Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu screamed.
Before she could get up and heal her friends, Fuu heard an evil laughter echoing from the direction her friends had come from. It was too dark for her to see who was laughing, but she could see their silhouette.
"They were too weak after all. Not even worth mentioning," the figure mocked her fallen comrades.
"Who are you?" Fuu demanded to know.
"My name is Inouva," he introduced himself, walking out of the shadows. "I stand here with an order from Lord Zagato to kill the Magic Knights."
Fuu stood and drew her blade, staring at the elf-looking man angrily, "You did this to Ms. Hikaru and Ms. Umi? …And where is Mr. Hotaru?"
Inouva let out an ominous chuckle and smirked, "By now, he should be at the bottom of the mountain."
Realizing what the fancily dressed gentleman meant, Fuu's anger flared and she charged at Inouva. She swung her sword down, aiming straight for his gem encrusted forehead.
"It's useless," Inouva chuckled.
Just before the moment of impact, a forcefield appeared around Inouva. Purple wind and lightning erupted from the point where Fuu's sword had struck, which shocked and pushed her back. Fuu let out a short scream as she reeled from the pain.
She held her weapon out, her body shaking, "M-My sword does not work?"
As the protective barrier around Inouva burst open, he chuckled once more, "I told you that it was useless."
Inouva pointed his arm forward and summoned another pack of black ethereal wolves. Though their movements were nearly impossible to see in the dim room, Fuu knew she couldn't stay put. She ran away as fast as she could, as the ground behind her was crushed up. A line of craters and ominous howling followed her, as she ran for her life.
As the explosions stopped and she had managed to gain some distance, Fuu turned to face her enemy once more. Panting heavily, she held her sword out firmly, preparing for her opponent's next move.
What can I do… He already defeated Ms. Hikaru, Ms. Umi, and Mr. Hotaru, who are all far better fighters than I am. Maybe if I could get around him, I could heal Ms. Hikaru and Ms. Umi. I can use my spells to block his projectiles, and maybe hold him in place too…
Watching his opponent struggle, Inouva smiled, "If I had known it would be this easy, I wouldn't have taken a hostage."
"Hostage?" Fuu asked, feeling a chill run down her spine.
"I mean that stupid little boy," Inouva smiled before looking at the floor.
Before Fuu's eyes, a large, purple, glowing circle appeared between her and Inouva. As its glow faded, it showed a clear image of Ferio, being caught like a fly in a spider's web. He looked pale and weak, yet was still struggling against his bindings.
"Ferio!" Fuu yelled horrified.
"I knew it," Inouva chuckled, standing atop Ferio's image. "You do have special feelings toward him."
"You knew? How did you know about Ferio?" Fuu asked Inouva, before noticing the herbs on the floor of the cave. "You are… Ms. Sera?"
Inouva smiled wickedly, seeing the Magic Knight shaking before him, "Fuu… If you kneel before me now and swear not to become a Magic Knight, I will spare this boy's life."
Let's see if she takes the bait. People often are willing to do anything during times of desperation. I would keep my word, but I did promise Lord Zagato I would kill them all.
"Ferio…" Fuu trembled.
Inouva grinded his heel against Ferio's image, while the young man screamed out in pain. It was hard to tell if this was just a coincidence, or if Inouva really could harm Ferio through the image.
"Is it not painful to see him like this?" Inouva asked her, showing off his abilities. "If I wish to do so, I can rip his body apart as well."
Seeing Ferio in pain, Fuu closed her eyes, unable to bear witness to the man she loved getting tortured. The thought of losing Ferio, Hikaru, and Umi, in addition to having already lost Hotaru, was devastating.
"Say it. That you will not become a Magic Knight. Say it!" Inouva raised his voice commandingly.
Fuu thought about her options for a moment, still keeping her eyes shut, "He… Even if I agree to you, and he was spared, he is not the type who would be pleased by it."
The image of Ferio smiling at her while placing all his thrust into her, set a flame in her heart.
"Besides…" Fuu opened her eyes. "Ms. Hikaru, Ms. Umi, and Mr. Hotaru have all done their best and traveled with me. They guarded me with their lives as I was conversing with the Mashin. I cannot desert them and agree to an unfair dealing by myself!"
"Then what will you do, miss Magic Knight?" Inouva asked, bored by her speech.
"I will defeat you, avenge Mr. Hotaru," Fuu swore and brandished her sword, "and I will rescue Ferio!"
Oh, how happy I am that she chose that answer.
Smiling victoriously, Inouva pointed his hand towards Fuu, "Then you shall die!"
"Legendary Magic Knight."
"Nani!?" Inouva gasped as emerald light blinded him.
The wind picked up in the crystal filled room, as Windam reappeared. The giant bird spread out its giant wings and its eyes glowed bright orange. Inouva could feel how the magical power its presence exuded eclipsed even his, and maybe even Zagato's.
"I have seen proof of the strength of thine heart," Windam spoke in a mechanical voice, the gem on its forehead glowing bright green.
"The Mashin…" Fuu gasped, her eyes wide.
Inouva stared at the Mashin with his jaw agape. For the first time in his life, he was feeling fear. The image he was projecting from the cave with his hostage was cut off, as he had to conserve his magic. But as the Mashin closed its wings around itself and began to exude even greater power, he knew it was pointless.
"T-This can't be…" Inouva stuttered, feeling the magical pressure blow past him like the wind. "Impossible…"
After cocooning itself in its glowing green wings, Windam declared, "And now I will wake from my slumber and show thee my true self!"
As the coon burst, it revealed a massive green and gold robot, covered in silver feathers. Its metallic body was mostly emerald in color, with its design resembling an armored warrior with a bird motif. Its knees, feet, topsides of its forearms, wrists, chest, tops of its shoulders, and crotch had decorative golden armor pieces. It had three silver taloned toes on each foot, two in front and one at the back. Its five fingered hands had sharp talons, and its massive wings were formed out of silver feathers attached to a green frame. It had a helmet that resembled the head of a phoenix, with two golden horn-like plumes and a green protrusion pointing straight up above its head. Its face was silver in color, and it had orange eyes. It had robust pauldrons and tassets, with silver feathers hanging down from their edges. The giant mech had green orbs on its: knee pads, crotch plate, tassets, collar, chest, and head crest.
As Windam unleashed its power, the typhoon it created shattered the floating crystals surrounding it. The wind was followed by a blinding light, as energy burst out of Windam in all directions.
"This is the Mashin?" Inouva stared in awe. "This power is…"
Zagato's right hand man screamed out in pain as the light enveloped him. The green light shone brightly throughout the floating island, lightning up the giant crystals that made up the Sky Shrine. Eventually the light coalesced into the central crystal and created a beacon of light that pierced the clouds above, lighting the entire region emerald green.
Feeling a gentle and warm breeze surrounding her, Umi slowly opened up her eyes. Bright lights caused everything around her to shine. At first, she thought she had died and gone to heaven, but then her eyes adjusted to the light, and she realized she herself was glowing.
"The armor…" Umi gasped and stood up. "The armor has evolved!"
Her bulky cream-colored armor had become sleeker and more protective. It now covered her entire chest, abdomen, and even came with tassets. Her pauldrons were smaller but pointed out further to the sides. Her glove, boots, and armguard still looked the same, but she also now had a matching sash with a blue gem on it. The number of gems on her armor had gone down, with there only being one on her chest piece, and none on her pauldrons.
By far the largest change was that her armor pieces were colored blue instead of just cream. Hikaru's and Fuu's armors had gone through a similar transformation, but were red and green respectively.
As Hikaru stood up with Fuu's help, she held out her sword, "The swords too."
The cross guard on Hikaru's broadsword expanded, with its flower-like guards stretching and expanding. Eventually the two longest lowered down around the handle of the sword, while the upper four pointed upwards like spikes. Two extra pink gems appeared on the sides of the cross guard and a golden strut extended out from it against the fuller.
The baby dragon on Fuu's rapier's guard grew larger, with one of its wings pointing downward, protecting her fingers.
Fuu's sword only changed in its length, but was now the length of a longsword.
"All three of us have matching outfits!" Fuu smiled happily.
As the three of them were celebrating their new weapon and armor evolutions, they were interrupted as Windam spoke out. They turned around, and saw the giant robot kneeling before them.
"Legendary Magic Knight. Thine heart is not yet ready to don me. Until the promised day comes, I will change my appearance, become part of thee, and patiently wait."
Much like with Umi back in the Water Shrine, Windam's body turned into a mass of energy, before being absorbed into the gem on Fuu's chest armor. Despite being absorbed into Fuu's armor, Windam's voice still echoed in the shrine.
"Until the promised day comes…"
Once Windam's voice and light faded, the Magic Knights made their way back to the entrance of the Sky Shrine. Mokona was there waiting for them, seemingly having done some repairs to the winged saucer. The journey back was short, but despite their success, the mood was somber. That was until the saucer once again crash-landed, this time in front of the cave.
As they entered the cave, the Magic Knights helped cut Ferio down from the sticky goo left behind by Inouva. His fever was mostly gone and he was now able to move on his own, but despite this, Fuu wouldn't let go of him.
"Are you really all right now?" Fuu asked, walking Ferio to the cave entrance.
"Yeah," Ferio answered, before walking away. "I'll be fine. I must be going now."
"But… wouldn't you want to travel with us?" Fuu asked, blushing slightly at her own request.
Ferio stopped, sighing deeply, "Fuu, now that boss is gone, I would love to stick around with you girls. But I am not Hotaru."
Fuu shook her head, "I know that, it doesn't matter to me! I just want to be with you, Ferio."
Ferio turned around, walked over to Fuu, and placed his hand on her shoulder with a smile, "That's not what I meant. Hotaru was one of the strongest warriors that I knew. And you three, you have grown to be so much more powerful since we first met."
As Ferio praised them all, the Magic Knights felt proud, but also understood the melancholy behind those words.
Ferio pulled his hand back, and looked down at his feet, "But me, I am still just the same silly swordsman as back at the Forest of Silence. I also want to be with you Fuu. And I hope to one day see you again. But right now, I feel like I would only get in the way."
"But I'm sure we can protect you!" Hikaru said confidently.
Ferio shook his head, "That's the point. You protecting me will keep you distracted from your mission to save Cephiro. With Zagato's minions only getting stronger, you cannot afford distractions. Because of that I cannot—"
Before Ferio could continue, Fuu had wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him close. Surprised by this, Ferio hugged Fuu back, holding her close, feeling the blonde Magic Knight's tears on his shirt.
"Please, take care," Fuu sniffed, before looking Ferio in the eye, "I promise you, we will save Cephiro. But please, let's stay in contact, yes?"
Seeing his beloved tilting her head with a smile while still crying, Ferio couldn't refuse, "Sure, I will call you every night."
With that, Ferio and the Magic Knights said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. As the Magic Knights were left alone, Hikaru picked up Mokona. Holding the little rabbit fay in her arms, she tried finding comfort as she looked down the mountain.
"I can't believe he is gone…" Hikaru whimpered sheepishly.
"Should we try to go and find his body?" Fuu suggested.
"To do what, recover his belongings?" Umi asked, biting her lip. "Not like he had any family."
"He had us," Hikaru sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye.
"At least he'll now be able to stay in Cephiro, forever," Fuu quipped, mimicking Hotaru.
Umi's lip trembled, as she thought back on all the times they had spent together. While he had been crude, reckless, and sometimes infuriating, he had always been there for them. It was hard to imagine their journey ahead without Hotaru around.
"We have a world to save, we can grieve later!" Umi yelled out, raising his fist into the air. "That's what he would say, if he was around."
Hikaru and Fuu nodded, knowing they couldn't just stick around.
As Hotaru opened his eyes, everything around him was dark. He felt weightless and his mind was a blur. As the memories of his fall down from the Sky Shrine returned, so did the feeling in his body. Everything was aching.
"O-Ow…" he whimpered, before pushing against the ground around him.
To his surprise, he was grasping at gravel. As he pushed himself up fully, he noticed he was laying inside a deep crater. The ground around him was mostly broken stone and some bits of dirt. As he moved around, he could tell that while his body was aching, there were no broken bones. Taking a few steps, his feet sank into the crushed stone under him.
Looking at his arms, he could tell by the glowing orbs on his bracers that Tungsten Defense was still active. However, this didn't matter to him as much as the changes to his armor.
Design wise, his armor was still the same. Dark silver in color, layered, and jagged, ornamented with curving golden decorations, trims, and lime green orbs. However, there were now new pieces. His armored bracers had become full-on gauntlets, covering his hands completely. His armored boots now reached up to his knees, and had ornate knee guards. His chest armor had extended further downwards and he now had lengthy armored tassets.
While previously his armor had four lime-green orbs, it now had four new ones. One on each tasset and knee guard, for a grand total of eight.
"Seems my spells have gotten stronger once again," Hotaru realized why he was still alive, before raising his arms, "Fuck you gravity, I win!"
As he raised his fists into the air, a strong case of vertigo struck him, and he had to catch himself. With his head still a mess from being unconscious for who knows how long, Hotaru walked over to the edge of the crater. As he tried scaling it, the curved ground underneath him continued breaking apart.
"I suppose increased weight comes with the territory," Hotaru sighed before deactivating his spell.
Finally managing to climb out of the crater, he looked around. He was still underneath the Sky Shrine, which was floating above as per normal. Around him the ground seemed dead, however there were still some trees around with leaves in them. He was surrounded by tall mountains from all directions.
"Good thing I can fly now," Hotaru thought to himself, remembering his new spells.
But before he could take off and rejoin the Magic Knights, he felt a powerful presence behind him. As he turned around quickly, he spotted a dark, cloaked and armored figure behind him. With his long dark hair and height reaching well over two meters, there was no doubt about who it was.
"Zagato…"
Author's Afterword: This chapter was a joy to write. The story is finally getting to the chapters that I have been planning out the most. Ergo, now we're getting into the good stuff!
For this chapter, I wanted to bring the villains more into the foreground. Zagato, Inouva, and Alcyone were all given some extra scenes, as villainous slice-of-life moments have always been my favorites in any series. In addition, I filled in some scenes to make the events transition smoother from one point to another.
The meat and potatoes of the chapter was Hotaru's and Inouva's little race to outsmart one another. It was fun working around Inouva's skillset, since I knew I needed Hotaru to lose. Though as a consolation prize, he did manage to develop Ferio's and Fuu's relationship further than it otherwise would have been.
Next time, we are going to have the first of many. A wholly original chapter. After being easily defeated by Inouva, let's see how Hotaru's new tricks and evolved armor match up against Zagato.
As always, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you to merendinoemiliano and TheMotivatedOne for your reviews on the last chapter!