Having learnt of Alcyone's departure and the motives behind it, Hotaru knew time was of the essence. The sorceress had several hours head start on him and he had no idea in what direction Alcyone had fled in. As such, he had recruited a bit of help.

With Ascot doing preparations in order to help out Umi, most of his monsters were getting prepared for combat. However, Hoggar, Ascot's dog-like caterpillar with several sets of moth ears, wasn't used for combat. As such he had asked permission to use it to track someone down. He hadn't exactly told who it was, since he didn't want to let everyone know the details of Alcyone's message. However, Hotaru was certain Ascot could tell who he had talked about, due to his lack of tact and rush.

Since Hoggar was so large and needed to follow Alcyone's scent, Hotaru couldn't exactly carry Hoggar. As such, he rode the giant fluff worm out of the Sanctuary, positioned behind Hoggar's first pair of antennae. Once outside, Hotaru leaned over its forehead to reach its muzzle.

Holding out the note and gem Alcyone had left for him, Hotaru commanded, "Alright boy, remember the scent and let's go!"

"Borf!" Hoggar barked affirmingly, before rushing forward.

As the monster started running, Hotaru had to grip onto its hair tightly. Despite its large, fluffy, and caterpillar-like body, Hoggar was surprisingly fast, being slightly faster than an old-timey steam locomotive. Making its way forward, instead of sniffing the ground like Hotaru had thought, Hoggar sniffed the air. Alcyone apparently had made her getaway by flying, which wasn't all too surprising.

This didn't seem to fool the monster's senses, as Hoggar quickly headed towards east, holding its head up high. Despite the monster's speed, the remnants of Cephiro's wastelands were still vast and went on for hundreds of miles. With it most likely taking several hours to reach Alcyone, Hotaru held the gem in his hand and listened to the message again to pass the time.

Knowing the extent of Alcyone's past crimes better now, the words of her holographic message were far more poignant.

Alcyone, I know you don't think there is a way out for you because of your crimes, but I don't want it to end like this! I finally have a body capable of living as long as you do and I want this to last! You say you deserve death but I say we both deserve each other!

"I have hurt enough people and I don't want you to hurt because of my crimes…" The message said in a sad voice.

…As if you are the only one who has hurt people in the past! I keep acting like I am better than I really am, but I'm not! I should have told you before! You even went as far as to create someone like Stella to look after me! Even if you reject me, you still deserve to know that you aren't the only one with skeletons in their closet!

As Hotaru's tempers were running high, they were quickly cooled down as a cold breeze blew across the wasteland. Before Stella's revelation, Hotaru had been ready to turn in for the night, which meant only wearing his boxers. He had only equipped his Double Armor before storming out of his apartment. While the armor covered most of his body, the cold winds blew through its gaps without issue.

"Cold, tired, and angry. I guess it all balances itself out," Hotaru muttered to himself. "Last thing I need is to catch a cold."

To keep himself warm, Hotaru laid low against Hoggar's fluffy back, hoping to insulate himself. This seemed to work to a certain degree, though he had to stick his head up every now and then to make sure the monster was still on track. Although the search seemed to go on for hours, not once did Hoggar complain or stop its steady pace. Due to the steady and lengthy journey, Hotaru almost fell asleep on a few occasions, but the speed and chill kept him awake.

"Borf! Graauuuh!" Hoggar howled out, catching Hotaru's attention.

"What is it boy? Are we getting close?" Hotaru asked, the gaps of his armor now covered in long white hairs.

"Borf!" Hoggar nodded.

"Alright, but stay silent. We don't want to spook her," Hotaru said in a grim tone.

About a few miles further ahead, Alcyone was flying low and zigzagging between the pointy rocky remains of Cephiro's mountains. The terrain was almost impassable by foot and perfect if one didn't want to be followed. Even if she had walked, the constant winds and the dust clouds they picked up would have covered her tracks. Despite only wearing a black revealing leotard, arm length gloves, thigh high boots, and a white cape, the cold wind didn't bother her in the slightest. However, having already flown for five hours straight, Alcyone was starting to get tired.

Despite cooking a large feast alongside Stella, she hadn't eaten anything due to lack of appetite. She had been too worried about getting out of Sanctuary in time and too heartbroken from having to say goodbye to Hotaru. Even now she didn't feel like eating, but she needed to keep up her strength, as the wasteland was full of monsters.

Landing between two stone spires onto a raised nook, Alcyone looked around to make sure there were no monsters around. She then pulled out a round, purple, decorative pillow from her forehead gem, and placed it on the ground. She had taken the pillow from the couch of her and Hotaru's apartment, figuring it would work as a travel seat. After sitting down, she conjured a yellow, handball sized fruit with holes in it. This type of fruit was called a gia and was by all intents and purposes made out of cheese.

Too tired to cook anything warm, Alcyone slowly began to eat the cheese fruit, while wrapping her cape and ankle-length hair around her. Though her meal was small, she wasn't worried about her supplies running out. Before leaving, she had stored around a months' worth of supplies inside her gem. By the time they would run out, Cephiro would either have crumbled to dust or the world would be saved, at which point she could restock.

As this devil-may-care thought crossed her mind, she gazed over the dark and broken wasteland. Though she had been flying over it for hours, it was only now that she was truly reminded of its desolateness. After spending over a week mostly inside the opulent and brightly lit Sanctuary, she had almost forgotten the state of the world. Even the time she had spent in the wasteland with Hotaru felt like a distant dream.

Swallowing a chunk of the gia, Alcyone let out a sad laugh, "Fu, I guess this is as good as a villainess like myself deserves…"

Having said that out loud, Alcyone's eyes widened in shock, as a memory flashed before her eyes.


You can drop me off here… I deserve to die alone in this wasteland of my own making…

Oh no you don't! I am not letting you out of my sight ever again! …At least not until you have helped us fix this!


"That's right… The world is like this, because of me…" Alcyone thought out loud, as her stomach began to ache. "I was… I was supposed to help fix it, to make up for my misdeeds…"

As Alcyone remembered the old promises she had made to herself and Hotaru, the true scale of her crimes weighed down once more. Could the evil she had done all in the name of personal gain be forgiven, even if she saved the world? Could Hotaru truly love her, after knowing the true quantity of blood on her hands? No, she couldn't convince herself that her future would be rosy and filled with light and laughter, even if Cephiro was.

How did I dare to dream of a future with a beautiful home, when I burnt down so many? How could I hope to raise a happy and loving family, after what I did to my own? Could I even ask for a peaceful life, when all I did was cause pain, chaos, and war? Even if I were to fix this desolate world, could I forgive myself?

But the more she thought about it, the more convinced she became of one thing.

"…I shouldn't have run away. Not yet," Alcyone shut her eyes ashamed. "I should have escaped when Cephiro was whole again. I just… I just couldn't take it anymore!"

Covering her face in shame, Alcyone was clenching every muscle in her body as she cringed. She had left due to the shame she had felt for yelling at Hotaru for keeping secrets from her, while doing the same thing to him. It wasn't retribution from the people of Cephiro she feared, it was to face Hotaru and see him disappointed in her. But now, she was disappointed in herself.

What was I thinking? Running away with the tail between my legs like a small child? I should have just faced the music and let Hotaru know… To have him judge me as he saw fit. He… He did the same when I was furious enough to consider leaving him! Even if I cannot have the beautiful future I dreamt of having with him, I should try to at least be as brave as he is!

With her face still covered, Alcyone snapped out of her thoughts as she heard clattering pebbles falling down the mountainside. Afraid this might be the first signs of an earthquake starting, she quickly stood up and looked around while listening closely. She couldn't hear anything and the world seemed still, making her breathe a sigh of relief.

"…I am starting to get jumpy. I didn't remember how nerve-wracking living out here could be," she chuckled, before gazing down the wasteland once more. "Hmmm? …Wait, is that…"

Looking in the distance, she could see a white, worm-like creature crawling and down the steep mountain sides. Though she couldn't remember the monster's name, she recognized it as one of Ascot's. As she tried to figure what it was doing here, she spotted a glint of silver on top of its back. Her heart almost stopped as it both ached and jumped for joy, realizing who the passenger was.

"Hotaru…" Alcyone smiled involuntarily, the corners of her mouth trembling as tears rolled down. "…I can't believe he found me so fast. Stella must've been discovered early, but still…"

As her heart tried to decide whether she was happy or scared to see him, one thing was for sure, "…He came for me."

Good ways into the spiky mountain range, Hoggar let out a quiet growl, letting Hotaru know they were getting close. Spotting a glint of white between two rocks, Hotaru gave Hoggar the command to stop. He knew that if Alcyone didn't want to be followed, then an overly aggressive approach would just scare her away.

"Aluminum Flight," he whispered under his breath.

As quietly and quickly as possible, Hotaru took off Hoggar's back and flew towards the raised nook between the mountains. He kept his body rigid so as not to let Double Armor clang, though he knew his approach wasn't stealthy in the first place. Once he made it to the nook, he peered in, only to find it empty.

"I swear I spotted Alcyone's cape just a moment ago…" he spoke out, feeling slightly disappointed.

As he looked down, he spotted a purple decorative pillow on the ground. Recognizing it as one from their apartment, Hotaru realized Alcyone must've been here at some point. As he picked it up, he could feel that the top of the pillow was much warmer than the bottom.

"She was here just a moment ago," Hotaru gasped, before yelling, "ALCYONE! PLEASE, COME HOME! I don't hold your past sins or whatever against you!"

There was no answer, only his voice echoed in the mountains. After waiting half a minute for something to happen, Hotaru took the pillow with him and flew back to Hoggar. Despite being ordered to stay, Hoggar had slowly crept its way closer to the mountains. Handing the pillow over to the sheepdog caterpillar, it began to sniff it.

"Well, do you know what way she went?" Hotaru asked, trying to remain patient.

Hoggar started sniffing the air, moving its head in multiple directions, before eventually, shaking its head and whimpering.

Clutching the pillow in his hand, Hotaru was about to lose his temper, before he realized, "…She must have spotted us and teleported away."

Having almost forgotten about that ability of hers, Hotaru screamed into the pillow out of frustration. How was he supposed to catch someone who could teleport away whenever they spotted him? Furthermore, by teleporting, Alcyone didn't leave a scent trail for Hoggar to follow, meaning he had no idea what direction to even look in next.

Though the truth hurt, Hotaru had no choice but to accept it, "I guess she really doesn't want to come back…"

Cold, tired, and defeated, Hotaru hopped back onto Hoggar, and started his journey back to the Sanctuary.


As Alcyone's indigo eyes slowly opened, she found herself surrounded by darkness. Disoriented and scared, Alcyone quickly looked around her. As her eyes got used to the dark environment, she realized she was kneeling at the center of a large room, made out of dark purple stone.

The roof of the room was covered in dark purple curtains that reached the sides of it. In a corner, stood a giant hourglass with a frame made out of smoothly curving purple stone. Silver sand was slowly trickling down the hourglass, which was two thirds of the way full at the bottom. In another corner, was a stone pillar with a thorny root growing around it. At the back wall of the room, there were chunks of ice, and in the middle of the room, a pool of water.

"H-Hotaru! Where are you?" she yelled for him, hoping he would hear her.

Her head hurt and was spinning, barely able to remember what had happened. She remembered seeing Hotaru approaching her perch, when suddenly all had gone dark and she had passed out. She remembered no pain in the back of her head or any unusual sensations, meaning she hadn't been knocked out or drugged. Instead, it was as if the darkness of Cephiro itself had swallowed her up. As she stood up to find an exit, she almost stumbled down onto her face, as her ankles didn't move. Turning around, she pulled her cape out of the way of her ankles and was aghast at what she saw.

"W-What's this!?" she gasped.

Looking behind her, Alcyone saw something wrapped around her ankles. At first it seemed like dark smoke, but as she tried moving her legs, they felt more like tendrils of pure darkness. She reached behind her to try and pull them off, but the darkness spread into her hands, pulling her back.

Forced to arch her body backwards, Alcyone couldn't help but scream in pain, "Aaaahhh!"

Unwilling to be defeated so easily, Alcyone gritted her teeth and tried pulling herself free, but was interrupted by laughter. It was a youthful and gleeful giggle, like that of a young girl. Turning her head around, Alcyone saw a young girl with pointy ears and pink hair walking around and in front of her.

"Eh-hehehe, you shouldn't move like that," the short girl smiled down at Alcyone, towering over her bound body. "You will only get yourself hurt."

"You are…" Alcyone looked at the little brat angrily, until recognizing her face. "You are Hikaru's shadow, Nova, aren't you?"

"That's right," Nova stared at her maliciously, before raising her hand. "But only I get to use her name!"

With a wide windup, Nova slapped Alcyone across her face, causing the sorceress's head to turn forcefully. Feeling a vicious sting drag across her face, Alcyone could've sworn she was trying to claw at her skin, her black cat-suit being the only thing stopping her.

"You little…" Alcyone gritted her teeth, staring furiously into Nova's red eyes. "Wait till I get out of here; you will be begging for mercy!"

Letting out a sadistic chuckle, Nova conjured one of her yellow energy swords into her right hand, before holding it against Alcyone's neck. Feeling the heat radiate from the blade, Alcyone quickly shut her mouth. As much as she hated to admit it, she was helpless against this pint-sized copycat.

"Then maybe I should just go ahead and drain away all your blood right here and now?" Nova asked, giggling again. "I'm sure it would make Hikaru and others very sad to see you go. How delightful~!"

Before she could start cutting Alcyone's skin, a cold and powerful voice echoed throughout the structure, "Nova, put your sword down. We do not want to harm our guest just yet."

Feeling a chill run down her spine and from there to her extremities, Alcyone didn't have to guess twice as to who this voice belonged to. She had heard from Hotaru how dangerous a foe Debonair was, so it felt strange to be spared by their command. However, as a shadowy figure began to emerge in front of her eyes, any feeling of gratefulness in her heart was replaced by indescribable dread.

Standing taller than a Mashin, a regal looking figure with pale blue skin and hair stood before Alcyone and Nova. She wore a large golden headdress embedded with red and purples jewels, over a Japanese style hair, with long pieces of gold hanging down from her hair rolls. Her outfit consisted of a black and gold dress with a frilled neckline and a white cape with fur shoulder pads. Her eyes were solid blue and her lips and long nails purple. The air she exuded was different from any other being Alcyone had ever faced before.

Debonair looked down at Alcyone, her alien-like facial features curling into an amused half-smile, "So, this is the one who stood by my side in place of Stella? Hmmm… yes, I can see the potential for great hatred and cruelty in your heart, coupled with the willingness to do anything for the sake of someone else."

Feeling Debonair's gaze roam down her bound body, Alcyone tried to remain brave, "I will never join you… again…"

"That is perfectly fine," Debonair said with an unbothered smile. "For now, your purpose is to act as nothing more than insurance. Isn't that correct, Romeo?"

"That is correct, Mother."

Turning her head around to the best of her ability, Alcyone let out an audible gasp as she heard the voice. Standing right beside her was a tall figure whose presence she hadn't sensed at all, despite their white trench coat. In addition, while she had never heard their name before, Alcyone knew there was only one male shadow among the group.

The tall horned figure walked in front of her line of view, but didn't look in her direction. Instead, the shadow talked in a casual yet respectable way at the giant female monster in front him.

"With Alcyone in our grasp, Aston will not dare to resist during our invasion," Romeo smirked victoriously, walking as he spoke. "And, as long as we keep her alive, he will be docile after it as well."

Aston? Who is that? Alcyone wondered, tilting her head. And why would they care about my safety? The only one who would is… Wait, is Aston Hotaru's name? But it sounds Cephiroan…

As Alcyone was pondering, Debonair was beaming with joy, "Yes… and with him helpless to stop us, the last remnants of the Pillar will be forced to bear witness to the destruction of Cephiro! …You truly know how to make a mother proud, Romeo."

Romeo chuckled in a deep voice at the compliment, "Hmhmhmhmhm-hahahaha! At least one of them!"

"Aaaah-hah-hahahahahahahahaaaa! Aaaah-hah-hahahahahahahahaaaa!" Debonair laughed at Romeo's cruel joke. "Make sure our prisoner is secure and well kept! I want the pleasure of destroying her myself in front of that Man of Many names!

"As you wish, Mother," Romeo bowed.

Debonair's colossal form quickly faded away in front of them, before she turned into a shadow that disappeared into the depths of the tower. With Nova, Romeo, and Alcyone left by their threesome, Romeo finally turned to look Alcyone in the face.

Staring the dark-haired young man in his lime-green eyes, Alcyone was shocked to see just how much he resembled Hotaru. The only things that truly set them apart were Romeo's slightly pointy ears, half-a-foot long horns, and a more vigorous look in his eyes. While the two of them looked almost identical, Alcyone was shocked by just how much crueler Romeo was compared to Hotaru. Not just towards her, but towards everyone if he truly wanted to help a monster like Debonair.

While Alcyone was staring at the demon in shock and awe, Romeo was staring down at Alcyone with an indifferent yet inquisitive look. Bowing down and holding Alcyone's head by her chin, Romeo inspected Alcyone's body in every angle, short from literally undressing her.

"Get your hand off of me!" Alcyone yelled, fearing he might abuse her like Nova had.

"You know, despite how highly Martin thinks of you, I just cannot tell what he sees in ya," Romeo said dismissively, before pulling his hand away. "You know, aside from what he could find in a hundred other women."

Then perhaps he has a better eye for women than you do!

This is what Alcyone wanted to say in Romeo's face, but her consciousness didn't let her. She had already hurt Hotaru in a way she couldn't forgive herself for, not after all the lengths he had gone for her sake. While keeping secrets from him, she had run away from home to escape her past crimes, without explaining the situation to Hotaru. And finally, she had left him in the care of Stella, who she believed to be a better fit for him.

Maybe I really am nothing special… and yet Hotaru will… oh no! Please Hotaru! Do not sacrifice the world for my sake! I am not worth it!

Even as Alcyone began to cry right in front of him, Romeo paid no mind to her sobbing. Instead, the dark-haired demon turned over to Nova, which caused the blood thirsty elf to stand at attention.

"Keep an eye on our prisoner, do not let her bite her own tongue or anything," Romeo said in a strict tone of voice.

"W-Why me?" Nova asked, seeming miffed by the order. "Why don't you do it! I want to go play with Hikaru!"

"You will get to play with her in but a few more hours," Romeo reminded her. "As for me, I have personal business to attend to. Final preparations for our invasion."

With her ears drooping and her lips curling into a disappointed pout, Nova eventually agreed, "Oh fine… Big Brother."

"That's a good girl," Romeo smiled, ruffling Nova's pink hair.

Taking his leave, Romeo headed towards the most remote corners of the tower. As he did, he looked at his hand that had just patted Nova. His individual muscles were bulging and moving as if maggots. To say that his skin was crawling, was an understatement.

It seems Martin's heart has once again taken a step in the right direction. I cannot wait to see what my next metamorphosis will look like!


After being captured by Fahren's giant, Fuu had stayed perfectly still inside Windam, until they made their way back to Fahren's dragon. In order to not inconvenience her captors, Fuu had unsummoned Windam so she could better make it inside the giant dragon. The cartoonishly drawn giant had also disappeared soon after, fading away like the illusion it was. Though Fuu had requested to meet up with Princess Aska of Fahren upon her arrival, her request had been denied.

Instead, she had been escorted to an octagonal cell with mossy green walls and Chinese-style architecture, and wooden double doors. Knowing her mission, Fuu hadn't resisted and figured that acting as her captors wanted was the best course of action, for now. After a while of waiting patiently, she had taken the opportunity to get more familiar with Windam to pass the time. Soon after, a trio of beautiful, black-haired, female servants with large double hair-buns, wearing pink and red silk dresses, had arrived in her cell.

Instead of escorting her to the princess or serving her snacks, they had gently stripped Fuu of her weapons and armor. To all of their surprise, once Fuu's glove was removed, her outerwear had disappeared along with it. This left the Magic Knight and the servants in a rather awkward situation. While two of the servants had covered her modesty, the third had quickly fetched her a new outfit.

She was brought a luxurious silk shirt, skirt, pants, undershirt, and a pair of black shoes. The undershirt had full length sleeves, was simple in design, and mint green in color, but felt comfortable to wear. The shirt, skirt, and pants were all emerald green with yellowish-orange trims. The pants and skirt were quite short, not quite reaching her ankles and knees respectively. In turn, the shirt covered most of her torso and came with long and wide sleeves.

Though she showed gratitude for her new outfit, the servants said that she would have to wait a while longer, before meeting with Lady Aska. Apparently, the princess was dreadfully behind on her studies and her regent had finally put his foot down on Lady Aska doing her homework. Being told that this might take a while, Fuu had decided to try and relax in her cell to the best of her ability.

Knowing Terra might come back for her revenge at any moment, Fuu didn't want to fall asleep alone in her Cell. So instead, she had invited the taciturn Windam for a game of shiritori (word chain) to pass the time. This not only allowed Fuu to put her mind on something else, but she was also able to get a better understanding of Windam's knowledge and personality.

"Mokona," Fuu said, sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall.

"Abacus," Windam continued, standing before Fuu as a ghostly figure.

"Sleep."

"Pawaste."

"Emeraude."

"Escudo."

"Obligation."

"Thou lose!" Windam pointed out victoriously.

Realizing her mistake of picking out a word ending in an N, Fuu flustered from embarrassment, before clapping her hands, "Well done Windam."

"Thou art a good teacher, Fuu," Windam complimented his friend back, before growing quieter. "Thy captors approach us once more. Be careful."

Fuu stood up and straightened her outfit, before bowing to Windam, "I hope to talk to you again soon."

In the meanwhile, almost a mile away from the cell, Lady Aska had just finished her studies for the day. She was finally allowed to continue what she had started before being interrupted. Mainly gloating.

"I did it! I really did iiiiiit!"

Watching their Lady Aska hopping and waving her hand atop the imperial throne, Sang Yung and Chang Ang were amazed by how much energy she had left. They were sure that the battle and the homework would have tired her out, but instead she kept getting more and more upbeat.

"We got someone who controls a legendary Mashin!" Aska raised her arms and smiled with her eyes closed victoriously. "Giant Sang Yung was strong! Right, Sang Yung?"

Being reminded how his likeness had been used to create a pudgier looking version of himself, Sang Yung couldn't help but tear up. He knew he couldn't go against Lady Aska's decisions, so he forced himself to face her, despite tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Y-You think so?" Sang Yung asked, trying to sound neutral.

"I do!" Aska yelled before hopping down from the throne and striding towards her childhood friend. "I couldn't win with the dancing lion, but I was able to with giant Sang Yung! Sang Yung is strong!"

As Aska struck a victory pose, Sang Yung couldn't help but cringe while his lady's eyes were closed. As she turned his way, Sang Yung quickly composed himself, before getting his mouth covered by Aska's pink fan.

Stroking his cheek with the fan lovingly, Aska whispered, "Thank you, Sang Yung."

Had Aska's eyes been open, she could've noticed Sang Yung's entire face flush bright red at her compliment. Instead, she was interrupted by a hoarse male voice.

"Lady Aska, that was the last time you will use a high-level illusion!" Chang Ang scolded her, unhappy with the way the young princess used royal treasures.

Instead of retorting or yelling back, Aska covered up her ears and faced away from the old man, "I hear nothing."

"LADY ASKA!"

Covering her ears, Aska almost missed the moment when the doors to the imperial throne room opened. Escorted in by her chamber maids, she saw a blonde, young woman with green eyes, wearing an emerald green Fahrenese outfit. At first, she wondered why such a foreign-looking woman was here at her presence, until she remembered the report she had heard from Chang Ang.

"Aaahhh!" Aska gasped in joy, pointing her fan at the older girl. "You have brought the one from Cephiro!"

Seeing the short princess run towards her, Fuu couldn't help but think of how cute she was. She remembered from Hotaru's words she would be dealing with the princess of Fahren, but never had he told her that Aska was this young.

Standing right next to the blonde girl, Aska was surprised by how tall she was. Realizing the implications of her being brought here, she slowly pointed her fan at her, in case she was dangerous.

"Y-You were the one in that Mashin?" Aska asked carefully.

Fuu's expression turned serious, as she remembered her mission here inside Fahren's dragon. She was meant to make friends with the princess and her people, while also warning them of the danger of Debonair. While this was a serious mission, she also needed to keep in mind she was dealing with a young girl. A young girl who held power far greater than her own.

"Hey, I'm asking if you were the one in the Mashin! Answer me!"

With little time to react, Fuu quickly got into the right mindset, before answering, "Yes. My name is Fuu Hououji."

Seeing the taller girl leaning towards her, Aska flinched back, until she realized she was bowing at her.

"Pleased to meet you," Fuu smiled gently.

Staring at Fuu with his beady black eyes, Sang Yung thought out loud, "She is a polite person."

"Yes," Chang Ang sighed. "If only Lady Aska could properly introduce herself like that…"

With the elder's comment striking a nerve, Aska inhaled deeply, puffing up before yelling, "Oh… SILEEEEEEEEEENCE!"

As her servants reeled back from Aska yelling, Fuu smiled at her sweetly, "Are you Ms. Aska?"

"We are," Aska said proudly, before unfurling her fan. "We are the first princess of Fahren, Aska!"

Slightly nervous about Aska talking so brazenly to the one in control of Cephiro's Mashin, Sang Young swallowed deeply before turning to Chang Ang, "W-Will it be all right?"

"Yes. We took everything she was carrying that could be a weapon," the elder answered in a reticent tone. "I don't think we need to worry, but…"

Hearing the worries of her closest aides, Aska pointed her fan aggressively towards Fuu, "Are you someone from Cephiro?"

"No. I come from another world," Fuu answered politely.

"Another world?" Chang Ang and Sang Yung gasped simultaneously.

Holding up her chin, Aska asked curiously, "Where is this 'Another World'?"

Downed by the ignorance of his protégé, Chang Ang quickly got up before yelling in tears, "Lady Aska, this is why I kept telling you to study!"

As Aska took a few steps away from Chang Ang, Fuu couldn't help but giggle at their dynamic, "Fahren is full of fun people."

"The elder complains too much," Aska clicked her tongue while pouting.

Leaning down towards the little princess again, Fuu smiled, "He is just worried about you, Ms. Aska."

Looking into Fuu's eyes for a moment, Aska was taken aback by her beauty and understanding. She felt like such a bore in front of a girl from another world, who seemed to outclass her in everything. But there was one thing she felt confident about.

Looking down at the ground, Aska asked carefully, "Since you can control such a strong and cool-looking Mashin, are you strong too?"

Umi was about to answer the question, before having to pause to think about it.

Am I strong? Certainly, I am one of Cephiro's trusted defenders and a Magic Knight, but what about compared to others? Ms. Umi and Ms. Fuu are far better suited for battle, while Mr. Hotaru and Mr. Lafarga are strong enough to change the landscape without the use of Mashins. Against Terra and Luna, or even Chizeta's djinns, I was outmatched completely. Even Ms. Alcyone and Mr. Lantis possess greater magical powers than I do. However, my magic is different. Perhaps strength is not what is needed right now…

Having reached her conclusion, Fuu shook her head with a smile, "No, I am not strong at all."

"If you're not strong, how can you control the Mashin?" Aska asked, equal parts confused and impatient.

Squatting down to Aska's level, Fuu looked the little princess straight in the eye, "The Mashin is not something one controls. The Mashin has a heart. Because I was accepted by that heart, we fight together."

Aska's eyes widened with excitement, "Then that Mashin is alive?"

"Yes."

The eyes of the young princess widened and sparkled from excitement, as she couldn't hold herself back anymore. She raised her hands into air, having learnt of her most recent acquisition. Yelling and laughing at the top of her lungs, Aska began to run around the room in excitement, before rushing over to her aides.

"I want it!" she yelled happily at Sang Yung, before rushing back to Fuu. "I want a Mashin too!"

"L-Lady Aska, p-please calm down…" Chang Ang stuttered nervously.

Composing herself, Aska cleared her throat before pointing her fan at Fuu again, "Girl! Give me the Mashin as an offering!"

"I cannot do that," Fuu declined politely.

"Why not?!"

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Fuu prepared to explain her reason for arriving, "I must protect Cephiro with the Mashin and my comrades… No, it is because I must fight for my own heart. For you see…"

As Fuu paused her answer, Aska and the others were taken aback, as Fuu knelt down in front of Aska. She then proceeded to lower her head to the ground, keeping a dignified pose while doing so. As they heard her speak, the mood in the room turned far more serious.

"Due to the circumstances brought upon by me and my friend, my comrades are no longer able to protect Cephiro by ourselves," Fuu confessed, keeping her head low. "For this reason, I humbly request for Fahren to lend a hand in saving Cephiro."

"Save Cephiro?" Sang Yung asked worriedly.

"What is threatening Cephiro to a point you must ask us for help?" Chang Ang inquired, stroking his beard while holding his staff tightly.

Folding her fan with a clap, Aska stroked her chin confidently, "I see… It only makes sense."

Everyone looked at Lady Ask in shock, believing she might have already realized what Fuu had talked about. As the princess nodded along while thinking, she eventually struck a quick pose and raised her fan into the air.

"Very well! Fahren will protect Cephiro from the creepy djinns of Chizeta!"

The floor of the imperial throne room shook as the six other people in the room all praftell at once.

Realizing she hadn't been as clear as she should have been, Fuu composed herself before looking Aska straight in the eye, "The threat that we are facing is something more serious than Chizeta. In fact, my friend has gone ahead to recruit Chizeta to join our cause as well. The enemy we are facing doesn't just threaten Cephiro, but Fahren and the other worlds as well."

Staring at Fuu intently, Aska couldn't believe her ears, "That can't be…"

"Could it be that…" Chang Ang spoke out, before stroking his beard. "That you are talking about those black Mashins that we saw?"

"That is correct," Fuu nodded respectfully.

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha!" Aska laughed pompously. "You need help with those things? The giant Sang Yung defeated them both in one shot! I didn't even get to use its stretch punch attack!"

With Aska throwing punches into the air, Fuu slowly stood up, "Yes, your illusion was certainly very impressive. However, those two you saw are but a fraction of the enemy's full might. And once their leader is done with destroying Cephiro, she will move onto the other worlds, until nothing remains."

"That can't be!" Sang Yung yelled determinedly. "Fahren will not allow such acts of evil to go unpunished!"

Everyone was slightly shocked by the sudden uproar of the mild mannered and quiet kid, with Aska blushing slightly. It was correct to assume that if what Fuu said was true, Aska wouldn't allow anyone like that to threaten Fahren and its people. However, could she trust her word? If she could, wouldn't this be a good opportunity for her?

"We will help Cephiro out, but!" Aska pointed her fan at Fuu again. "In exchange we request for something in return!"

"I am not sure if I can lend my Mashin over to you," Fuu admitted awkwardly. "But the people in Autozam might be able to build you something similar…"

"Not what I meant!" Aska waved her arms frustratedly. "Cephiro's Pillar! I want to become the next Pillar of Cephiro!"

Fuu's heart sank, having almost forgotten that this little princess wanted to become the next pillar. She wanted to tell Aska the truth, but would she even believe her or just shout "silence!" again? Furthermore, if she were to find out the truth about the pillar, would Aska even bother to help them out?

I wish I had asked Mr. Hotaru for more information on Ms. Aska. I cannot just say no and I certainly cannot force her to help us. Her subjects seem loyal as well so I do not see myself convincing them either… Mr. Hotaru, Ferio, I hate to use your teachings, but this one time I must make an exception.

Smacking her fist against her palm, Fuu acted like she had just had an idea, "How about this? Are you proficient in archery?"

"Nobody can beat me in archery," Aska said confidently with her eyes closed.

"Then let us have a match," Fuu suggested. "If you win, I will let you become the Pillar of Cephiro. However, if I win, I want you to help us in defeating Debonair and her shadows."

The three highest ranking people on board the Dome looked at each other unsurely. Not even Sang Yung or Chang Ang knew what to make of this deal, though the aides were slightly hesitant.

Seeing their hesitation, Fuu leaned closer to Aska, "Is that agreeable? If you are not proficient in archery, I can think of something else. I am not that good at archery myself."

"I'll do it!" Aska agreed instantly. "In any case this is a win for me!"

Exhausted by his ward's resoluteness, Chang Ang warned her, "Lady Aska, you're deciding such things so hastily."

Ignoring the elder completely, Aska turned towards her aides, "Prepare for the match!"

While Fuu smiled at the family dynamic of the Fahrenese trio, she felt a twisting sensation in her abdomen.

I hate lying… I especially hate lying to little children. But this is necessary. For the sake of everyone, even Ms. Aska and her subjects, I must win this contest! She may have much shorter arms than I have, but I cannot underestimate her. Ms. Hikaru, Ms. Umi, Mr. Hotaru, and Ferio, please forgive me for using such underhanded tactics.


While chasing down Alcyone had taken a few hours, Hotaru's and Hoggar's return had only taken a fifth of that time. Heartbroken and tired, it had taken Hotaru around fifteen minutes of riding on the sheepdog caterpillar to realize they were doing things backwards. Activating Titanium Power, Hotaru had flown back to the sanctuary while carrying Hoggar over his shoulders like a neck pillow.

After returning the dog back to its home and getting back to his apartment, Hotaru's mind was a wasp's nest of negative thoughts. He didn't know if he should be sad, angry, depressed, or getting drunk. If he were to open his mouth, he wouldn't know if he would cry, scream, yell obscenities, or verbally attack people.

The urge to get some rest and just fly around Cephiro wildly tomorrow, looking for Alcyone, was overwhelming. But at the same time, if Alcyone didn't want him around anymore, who was he to assert otherwise? After all, even before realizing his feelings towards the raven-haired sorceress, he had prioritized her happiness, not his desire for her. If this meant leaving her past behind, he couldn't just drag her back.

Furthermore…

"Welcome home, Lord Aston," Stella welcomed him quietly, as he opened the door. "How did your search go?"

…she had arranged him a replacement.

The vampiric, grey-skinned, and crimson-eyed shadow of Alcyone greeted him whilst kneeling before him with her face against the floor. Taken aback by this show of devotion, it took Hotaru a moment to get his thoughts straight, before he sighed to try and calm down. He had been rude, cold, and condemning towards Stella before leaving, which she did not deserve.

"She teleported away when I got near her…" Hotaru admitted bitterly, before noticing something. "You just called me Aston…"

"I… I thought you might prefer it," Stella answered, shivering slightly while still face down.

"I prefer Hotaru, I guess. But let me guess, you… You can stand up now," Hotaru sighed frustratedly.

Given the permission, Stella quickly stood up straight with almost unnaturally smooth movements, before smiling, "I too prefer Hotaru. …Was there something you wanted to ask?"

Getting over Stella's flexibility, Hotaru swallowed deep before getting serious, "You knew about me being Aston before Romeo arrived, didn't you?"

Stella's crimson eyes glowed for a moment, before she nodded sheepishly, "Yes… I am sorry for keeping it hidden from you. I didn't want to cause you any trouble…"

While Stella's choice of words seemed odd to him, Hotaru was too tired to care right now. He would ask her for more information tomorrow morning, maybe something that could further explain what Debonair was planning. But as these thoughts crossed his mind, so did a certain all too familiar mental image.

Wait… if I pry too much into what Stella knows, then she might… Invoke the wrath of Debonair. If she reveals too much, she might face the same fate as Alcyone did! What will happen to Alcyone's heart, if Stella is destroyed?

Clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white, Hotaru stifled his curiosity before heading towards the master bedroom. He would have all the time in the world to ask questions if and when Debonair was dead. While reaching for the door, he could barely hear Stella's quiet footsteps following him.

Turning around, he looked into the crimson eyes of the vampire, before awkwardly requesting, "If you don't mind, I would rather sleep alone tonight. I… I need time to think."

Clumsily hiding her disappointment, Stella nodded slowly, "Very well, Hotaru darling."

With Stella heading over to the guest room, Hotaru opened the bedroom door and got ready for bed. Laying down on his side of the king-sized bed, his arm instinctively reached out to the empty side. Alcyone's side was cold and wrinkled, with her pillow still having some red lipstick marks on it. Now that no one was around to judge him, he reached out and grabbed the pillow, hugging it tightly against his chest.

These past few days had been filled with emotional turmoil the likes of which he had never experienced. The debut of Romeo and his sisters. Hotaru having to reveal his true identity to all of his friends. His relationship crisis with Alcyone. The battle against Terra and Luna. Hotaru having his own identity revealed to him. And now, Alcyone leaving him due to her own secrets and Stella now living with him.

But all of that seemed insignificant to Hotaru, when compared to the empty void left by Alcyone's absence. As much as he put on a strong façade, he would have wanted nothing more than to have her back. Having clung onto hope of saving her for so long, Hotaru curled up around the pillow before starting to silently cry.

Alcyone, please be okay… Look at me, crying alone in my own bed again. I thought that after finding out this was the world of Magic Knight Rayearth, that would no longer happen. I have… so many things I always wanted now. Power, wealth, fame, status, friends, a magical world full of giant robots and monsters. But without you, it all feels pointless… At the very least, I want to know if I managed to make your life better.

Sobbing into his own pillow, Hotaru pulled the blanket over his ear, trying to find some comfort.

Looking back on his life in Cephiro, he asked himself, "After all that time trying to spare you of your fate, was this the best I could achieve? What was even the point of coming here…"

Closing his tear-filled eyes, Hotaru was quickly starting to fall asleep, when a quiet voice in the back of his mind chimed.

Please, protect…

Hotaru's eyes snapped wide open, his throat muscles seizing up. He could see a flash of bright yellow light in his mind's eye, outlined by long blonde hair. The sad look on the face of a blonde girl, wearing a white and red dress, staring at him compassionately. Right before being sent to Cephiro, her lips had moved ever so slightly.

Please, protect…

"Him!" Hotaru uttered through his cramping lips and vocal cords, his eyes bloodshot.

Still curled on his side, Hotaru pressed his hands against the sides of his head, as he screamed into Alcyone's pillow.

I am such a FOOL! Emeraude never asked me to protect Alcyone! She was telling me to protect her one and only child! She must have known… She must have known that I wasn't really her son! I don't know how I ended up in this body, but Emeraude did! And… AND… I killed her…

Violent shivers and convulsions wracked Aston's body, as Hotaru's mind fully realized the implications of all that had happened. If his fingernails had been any longer, they would have dug right into his scalp, as it felt like his head was splitting. His body felt dirty and cramped, as if it was trying to reject his very soul.

I killed Aston's father… I assisted in the murder of his mother! ...I POISONED THE FAMILY DOG! I forced Aston's hands against his family and risked the life of this body several times! All because I… Because I wanted to believe I was meant to protect Alcyone…

Thinking back on the first time he met Alcyone in this world, Hotaru let out a short laugh at his hubris.

Protect… yeah right. I just wanted to bang the first beautiful woman I came across. Sure, she was my favorite character as an adult, but I was definitely thinking with my dick.

As this relief of his self-awareness faded, Hotaru looked around the bedroom he was laying in. This bedroom, the sauna above the bathhouse, the extra towers of the Sanctuary; they were all proof of his influence. Of how things had changed. For the better, and for the worse…

I'm an i-Di-OT! Because of all the things I changed in order to save Alcyone, we are in this mess! Without Alcyone, the Magic Knights would not have learnt of Zagato's and Emeraude's relationship early! Without that, I am sure Umi and Fuu wouldn't have their shadows now! Without me, Alcyone wouldn't have her shadow! Without me… Romeo wouldn't exist… And Cephiro, wouldn't be…

"D-Doomed…" Hotaru stammered through the tears, before starting to sob out loud.

As Hotaru cried, his mind was filled with the faces of all of his friends here in Cephiro. While this should have brought him comfort, it only added to his increasing levels of guilt and loathing. Their expectations, their views on him, the titles they had given him, he had betrayed them all.

"Brother, dad, bodyguard, captain, commander, …hero!" Hotaru laughed while crying into his hands. "I am nothing… nothing but a fraud in the body of what might as well be a small child!"

As Hotaru continued crying, he didn't hear the bedroom door open, nor the quiet footsteps that followed. With his eyes closed, he didn't see the grey hands with sharp purple fingernails reach around him. He only felt a gentle embrace from behind as a tall voluptuous body spooned over him from behind. Before he had time to give his thanks, Hotaru fell asleep in the vampire's embrace.


[Six Hours after Hotaru's return to the Sanctuary]

After challenging Princess Aska to an archery match, Fuu had been escorted across the giant, red, robotic dragon. Although she knew it to be several kilometers in length, she had still been amazed by just the sheer size of it. In addition to the mechanical areas used to make the dragon move, the Dome had kitchens, communal baths, servants' quarters, armories, and more. All the facilities were Chinese in style and design, and placed along a wide path that ran the entire dragon's length.

After walking for what felt like half a kilometer, the group made a turn before arriving at a large empty room. The room had an olive green floor, white walls with red borders, and a lit-up ceiling. While the room was large, it didn't seem large enough to Fuu to count as an archery range. But as soon as the doors behind her closed, the entire room seemed to fade away in front of her eyes.

Instead of a room or anything one could expect to find inside a giant robotic dragon, she was standing in the middle of a grassy field. It was almost identical to the grasslands Fuu had seen on Cephiro, with a gentle breeze blowing across it and small patches of forest dotting the horizon. The grass swayed in the wind in waves, only broken up by small rocks here and there. About a half a dozen red banner flags appeared around her and the others, marking the shooting line.

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha!" Aska laughed amusedly at Fuu's surprised expression. "And now the rules of the match!"

Raising her hand in the air, two small figures rose up from the grass. A blue and a red long eared sprites with facial hair floated in the air while giggling smugly. While their appearance was cartoony, Fuu could easily tell they were supposed to be Chizeta's guardian djinns.

"Whoever shoots down more wins!"

"It's Chizeta's…"

"Correct. Those disgusting guardian spirits," Aska shirked away from them.

"They couldn't be alive, could they?" Fuu asked worriedly.

Almost insulted by this, Aska corrected her, "They are created by illusions! Fahren has no living things like that!"

Looking at the laughing miniature djinns, Fuu couldn't resist smiling out of hypothetical schadenfreude, "If Ms. Umi saw this, I am sure she would lose all will to fight."

Putting her foot down and pointing at her aides, Aska commanded, "Bring the bows!"

In a dignified and extravagant fashion, the chamber maids dressed in pink handed bows and quivers over to Chang Ang and Sang Yung. The bows were simple and wooden, with one of them having a purple handle and the other pink. The quivers matched the bows in color, and the arrows were sharp and jagged, designed to be difficult to remove. After receiving the weapons, the princess's aides brought them over to Aska and Fuu.

Bowing before Aska, Chang Ang whispered under his breath, "Lady Aska, because you excel at everything other than your studies, I am sure you will not lose, but…"

"We are invincible!" Aska growled under her breath like a chihuahua.

"…Is giving her a weapon a good idea?" the elder asked worriedly.

"It's alright. I've already taken care of it," she assured, before chuckling impishly.

On the other end of the archery range, Sang Yung was carefully handing the purple handled bow and quiver over to Fuu, "Here…"

Bowing down to accept the weapons from the short boy, Fuu smiled happily, "Thank you very much."

With Fuu smiling at him, Sang Yung smiled back with a slight blush until being called over, "Sang Yung!"

Hearing Aska's angry tone, Sang Yung quickly rushed over to her, "Y-Yes! W-What is it?"

Turning around with her hands on her hips, Aska yelled, "Nothing!"

Left incredibly confused by this, Sang Yung looked back and forth between Aska and Chang Ang, trying to get some clue as to what he had done. But before he could receive an answer, Aska declared the start of the archery contest.

"Let's begin!"

With both archers in places, they knocked back arrows and waited for their targets to show up. Fully concentrating, Fuu was ready to let loose the moment the chibi-djinns appeared from the grass en masse. As soon as her arrow hit, Fuu pulled out another one from her hip quiver and selected another target. Without missing a beat, the former archer of the Magic Knights downed the illusionary genies one after another. Each one of them going down with a high-pitched whimper, before turning into a wriggling black and white drawing.

On the other hand, Aska found it difficult to even look at her targets.

"Those things are disgusting!" she cringed through gritted teeth.

"You were the one who chose them as targets, Lady Aska!" Chang Ang reminded her.

As the archery contest went on, both ladies did their best, with the number of chibi-djinns going down quickly. Dropping to the ground, the gray-scaled djinns eventually teleported into baskets provided to the participants for keeping score. Not too bothered by the appearance of her targets and experienced in fighting with bow and arrow in combat, Fuu managed to keep her head clear and focused. Whereas Aska continued getting more and more frustrated, as she knew she was falling behind on the score.

By the time all the targets had been shot down and the match was declared over, Aska had fired almost three times as many arrows as Fuu. The little princess was out of breath and panting heavily, as it felt like her arms were on fire. Fuu couldn't help but be impressed by the tenacity of the little lady, for she had seen their contest to the end despite the setbacks.

Remembering she had to be diplomatic, Fuu bowed down gently towards her, before pointing out politely, "It seems I got a few more than you."

Glaring angrily behind her, Aska wasn't exactly surprised by the final score. Fuu's basket, which was tall and cylindrical, was almost overflowing with the grayed-out djinns. Whereas her bowl-shaped basket, which was supposed to show off her final score better, barely had a dozen. Although her servants remained respectfully quiet about her defeat, the little djinns kept shrieking and laughing like broken toys, almost as if taunting her.

"Aaaaarrrghh-eeeeeeh!" Aska screamed through her teeth before flailing her arms in frustration. "It was a mistake to make those things the targets after all!"

Once Aska had tired herself out with her tantrum, Fuu walked in front of her, before looking into her big indigo eyes.

"So, Ms. Aska, will you now promise to help Cephiro in defeating our common enemy?" Fuu asked as politely and diplomatically as she could. "I promise the people of Cephiro will be forever grateful to you."

Aska's pouting mouth slowly started loosening up, before weighing her options. Helping people in need was something she had always been taught to do by the geezer and what Sang Yung expected of her. In addition, she had agreed to the terms of and conditions set by Fuu, meaning her pride as the First Princess of Fahren was at stake. And yet, she couldn't simply accept this defeat.

"We are not done yet!" Aska insisted. "I only lost because I made those weird things the targets! Also, you lied when you said you weren't good at archery!"

Fuu felt a painful twinge in her heart as Aska called her out on her deception, however she couldn't let this get her down. So instead, she placed her hand on her heart, while standing before Aska, willing to come out open.

"Lady Aska," Chang Ang spoke out, interrupting Fuu, "as a ruler, you cannot just call foul when someone manages to trick you."

"Huh?" both Aska and Fuu looked at the elder confused.

"Whatcha mean, elder?" Aska tilted her head. "Shouldn't liars be punished?"

Walking towards the two ladies with his staff, Chang Ang spoke in a wise and dreary tone, "Maybe, but a ruler must also have enough insight and foresight to tell when they are being lied to. The fact that she suggested archery without a moment's hesitation, should already have made you reconsider a different option."

Finding that Chang Ang had known about Fuu's deception from the start, Aska gritted her teeth together and glared at him angrily. Just as Aska was about to have guards called out for both Fuu and Chang Ang, the blonde girl stepped closer to her. Before anyone could react, Fuu knelt down to one knee in a knightly fashion, before bowing her head.

"Lady Aska, I am truly sorry that I had to lie to you, but Cephiro, its people, and my friends, all need your help. I know asking you to trust me is a lot, but please, consider it."

Taken aback by Fuu's sincerity, Aska was confused as to what she should do next. She tried finding any faults as Fuu's behavior that would give away her deception, but couldn't spot any. Trying to figure whether this was due to her being honest or her actually being bad at something else than studying, was making her head hurt. Eventually, after rubbing her horn-like hair buns to help her think, she turned towards her most trusted advisor.

"Sang Yung!" she addressed her childhood friend, causing him to stand at attention. "What do you think? Can we trust her?"

Blinking confused about actually being relied on, Sang Yung thought about it carefully before answering, "…I think we should trust her. This could be a way for her to try and gain more time for her allies to hold back our invasion. However, her insistence on us hurrying is contrary to that."

"Sang Yung…" Aska blinked, surprised by his insight.

"That is certainly something to consider," Chang Ang agreed, stroking his beard. "If she was trying to buy time, she would most certainly agree to a rematch."

With Chang Ang beginning to think about the situation further, Aska and Sang Yung followed suit, all staring up at the illusionary sky. As all three of them hummed together pensively at different frequencies, Fuu could only imagine they would make a good vocal quartet. With Aska as soprano, Sang Yung as Alto, and Chang Ang as baritone, all they needed was someone like Lafarga or Lantis as a bass.

This harmony was broken though, as Aska threw herself to the ground with a frustrated yell. She started kicking, screaming, and rolling around on her back in the grass, apparently fed up with keeping appearances.

"But I still want to be the Pillar! I wanna! I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!" she yelled before getting up and asking Fuu directly with tears in her eyes. "Can I at least ask the people of Cephiro if they let me be the next Pillar as a reward for helping them out?"

Although Aska's behavior was beyond childish and made Chang Ang lower his face in shame, Fuu smiled with a chuckle. She found it endearing that Aska would consider asking the people of Cephiro if they would be okay with her as the Pillar. Yet this child-like eagerness also tugged at her heartstrings, as she remembered what Hotaru had told her about her ignorance.

"Tell me, Ms. Aska, why do you wish to become the Pillar?" Fuu asked with sincere sympathy.

Though it was kind of selfish to admit, Aska decided to stick to her guns, "B-Because I can do whatever I want if I become the Pillar of Cephiro!"

Fuu's expression turned sadder as she realized how right her comrade had been.

"The princess of Cephiro was said to be a beautiful princess with blonde hair and blue eyes," Aska continued before holding onto the hem of Fuu's skirt. "If I become the princess of Cephiro, I can be really, really beautiful too!"

With Aska's desires out in the open, Fuu couldn't control her sisterly side.

"You are pretty enough just as you are," Fuu smiled warmly, stroking Aska's hair.

Gasping with a deep red blush, Aska lowered her head and voice, "I-I want to be prettier…"

"For whom?" Fuu asked, reminding herself of her sister Kuu.

Following Aska's careful gaze, Fuu saw her staring sheepishly at Sang Yung, who looked at her worriedly. Understanding Aska's desire, Fuu sighed with a smile.

I guess even the princess of Fahren is just like any other little girl. It is always hard to try and confess to someone, when you think you aren't good enough for them. Even though I never had that problem with Ferio, I'm sure I would have been completely unable to confess if I knew he was a prince from the get go. For Aska to have that problem with Sang Yung, she must really love him dearly. But that only makes her dreams more tragic…

Looking down at Aska, Fuu spoke sadly and directly, "But if you become the Pillar, you will not be allowed to fall in love with anyone."

Hearing this, Aska took some distance from Fuu to better listen to the older girl's words, "What do you mean? Why couldn't I do that?"

"The Pillar of Cephiro support's this country's peace and order all by herself. She is only permitted to love the country itself," Fuu explained, holding back her tears to try and sound professional. "She is unable to make herself happy, or even spend time with her family…"

"That's…!" Aska winced, having far greater difficulty hiding her tears. "That's so pitiable…"

Getting down to Aska's level again, Fuu gently grabbed hold of her hands, "You know what state Cephiro is in right now, correct? If you become the Pillar but have doubt in your heart, Cephiro will easily crumble. Just like that."

Sniffing slightly, Aska felt a crushing weight of disappointment in her heart. All her dreams, all her wishes, all her desires, the reasons for her to bring Dome and the people on it all the way here; had it all been for naught? The more she thought of it, the more she realized how much she would lose if she were to go through with the invasion.

Before Aska could give her answer, a sudden explosion interrupted her. The doors of the illusionary room were blown open in an instant, with two darkly dressed individuals flying through them. As the dust settled, the illusion cast on the room faded, causing the verdant landscape to return back to its regular boxy shape.

"What is going on!?" Chang Ang yelled aggressively.

Looking towards the door, Fuu tried to grasp what she was looking at, "Ninjas…? Ferio? Grenades?!"

Behind the two ninjas lying on the ground, stood Ferio in the red light of the corridor outside. The prince of Cephiro wore a yellow bandana around his green hair and dark green face paint below his yellow eyes. Around the waist of his white, royal looking armor, he carried three pouches and two daggers. A bandoleer of round, differently colored, magical looking spheres ran around his chest plate. The young-looking man stared at everyone in the room with a smug determination, while wielding his large, curved, two-handed sword.

Why is he dressed up like the Cephiroan Rambo?

Seeing the trail of defeated guards behind him, Chang Ang yelled, "Intruder!"

With that one word, the room began to fill up with more of Dome's guards, all dressed up like ninjas. Their movements were almost too fast for the eye to see and they quickly pulled out a variety of weapons, as they faced down the swordsman.

"Fuu! Let's go!" Ferio yelled.

"No! WAIT!" Fuu yelled out loudly, stopping everyone in their tracks. "There has been a misunderstanding!"

"Lower your weapons!" Aska yelled angrily.

As the ninjas reluctantly followed the princess's orders, Fuu sighed before explaining, "We were just having an archery match to decide whether they would help us out with Debonair and the shadows."

Looking around more carefully, Ferio lowered his sword before clearing his throat, "…Yeah, I was wondering why you were surrounded by women, children, and the elderly. Boss told me to get ready for a fight… But why didn't you answer my calls?"

Hearing this, Fuu blushed and instinctively reached out for the magical orb Ferio had given her, until remembering it was in the pocket of her school uniform.

"Apologies for worrying you," Fuu smiled awkwardly. "It was taken away with the rest of my weapons and armor. …Could I have them back, Mr. Chang Ang?"

With a single nod from the elder, one of the chamber maids brought Fuu's magical glove to her on a small tray. As she put it back on, her Fahrenese outfit quickly transitioned into her regular clothing and armor. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the magic orb, which showed it had a new message on it. Seeing Ferio's blushing expression, she teasingly hovered her finger over the playback button, causing the green-haired man to panic.

"N-No need to share with everyone what I said!" Ferio waved his hands, before awkwardly turning towards the guards. "Sorry about all that!"

Seeing their foe bow down, the already defeated ninjas stared at him awkwardly, before being glared at angrily by Chang Ang.

"How did you all let him get this far in without sounding the alarm!?" the elder scolded the ninjas.

As Chang Ang was giving one of his lectures to someone else for a change, Aska walked over to Fuu and Ferio, "We are the first princess, Aska of Fahren, who are you?"

"Aah… My name is Ferio of Cephiro," Ferio introduced himself awkwardly, meeting royalty other than his sister for the first time. "I am a swordsman, a bard, Fuu's boyfriend, and… the younger brother of Princess Emeraude, and I guess the prince of Cephiro."

Hearing this, Aska's eyes sparkled in excitement as she stared at Ferio, while gasping long and loudly. Eliciting such a strong reaction from the Fahren's princess, Sang Yung, Ferio, and Fuu looked at Aska worriedly, each for their own reasons. Before they could ask if she was alright, Aska began to yell loudly and run around them like a kid at Christmas.

"Hurray! Fuu has a boyfriend! Fuu has a boyfriend!" Aska shouted ecstatically and before grabbing Sang Yung's arms and bouncing happily.

Not sure what to make of her reaction, Sang Yung just smiled awkwardly, "Yes I am happy for her as well."

"That's what she latched onto?" Fuu and Ferio said in unison.

Finished with his lecture to the guards, Chang Ang turned around as he heard Aska shouting. At first, he was going to tell her to mind her manners, until he saw just how happy she was. Smiling proudly behind his beard, the warm feeling in his heart quickly went away as the Dome's alarms started ringing.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Enemy is approaching! Enemy is approaching!"

"I a BIT late for that now!" Chang Ang shook his staff angrily, before the ground beneath them shook.

As the sudden tremor caused the elder to fall over, Fuu and Ferio as well as Aska and Sang Yung held onto each other tightly. At first, they thought only the floor beneath them was shaking. But as the tremors continued, they slowly realized that all of Dome was shaking.

"Wait… is it possible to have earthquakes this high up?" Ferio asked worriedly, earning him the glares of everyone not from Cephiro.

Ignoring Ferio's question, Aska yelled out, "Someone tell me what is going on!"

As quick as a flash, a ninja wearing a red outfit with what looked like a yellow safety vest appeared before Aska. Removing their mask, they spoke in a hurried yet respectful tone.

"Oh gracious Lady Aska! For some reason the Dome seems to have come under an immense strain! It's like we are carrying immense amounts of extra weight on us!"

"Some reason?" Ferio asked, confused. "Something big and heavy enough to weigh this dragon down should be easy enough to spot, right?"

Before Fuu could hear the rest of the hectic conversation, a deep voice in her ears drowned out all the others, (Fuu.)

Windam? Do you know what is going on? Is it… Is it Terra?

(Correct. Her and Wingroad art flying around the ship as of right now. They art calling for thee to cometh out.)


"Emerald Typhoon!" an anger filled voice echoed outside the Dome of Fahren.

A dark grey and green, harpy-looking Mashin with an owl head and giant talons was flying circles around the enemy base. Green gusts of wind peppered the red giant dragon, smashing against its metal hull. Despite the damage of the assault being minimal, the several kilometer long dragon seemed to be creaking and groaning under it.

"Come out and fight, Fuu!" The Mashin screeched in a high-pitched voice.

With great speed, Terra charged towards the Dome before sinking the Mashin's large, sharp, silver talons into its red hull. Squeezing its feet with all its force while flying backwards, Wingroad tore large chunks of metal from the dragon. With the initial hole made, Terra struck Wingroad's bladed wings into it, stabbing them deep in.

"If you don't come out and face the music willingly, I will drag you out by myself!" the furious peri yelled out.

"Winds of Admonishment!" a yell came from behind her.

Emerald green winds wrapped around Wingroad, halting the Mashin's sabotage on the Dome. While the spell made Wingroad let go of the dragon, it quickly broke out of it by spreading its wings. As Terra turned around in her mech, she could see Windam flying behind her, just below the Dome's chin. Next to the emerald green mech, flew a large, four-winged bird.

The bird looked like an all-white crossbreed between an eagle and a vulture. It had a long body with large wings protruding from its shoulders and hips, and large, plumed tail feathers from rear. It had a large yellow beak with small forward protruding horns, solid red eyes, and long feathers swooping backwards from the top of its head. The longest of its feathers were deep blue at their tips. On the back of it, rode a green haired swordsman armed to the teeth.

Ferio had explained to Fuu how it was one of the beasts taking refuge inside the Sanctuary, which he had asked for help to get to the Dome. While Fuu didn't like the idea of using animals in this fight, they weren't spoiled for options. She just had to make sure to protect both Ferio and the bird from Terra's wrath.

"I am right here Terra!" Fuu yelled out. "Please stop attacking the people of Fahren!"

"Fuu…" Terra hissed as she saw Windam. "Tonight, you will not escape! You will pay for your crimes and face execution!"

As the two women in mechs were talking, Ferio spoke quietly into his magic orb, "We have drawn her attention, any change to the dragon's status?"

"No!" Aska's voice screamed from the gem. "The whole place is still trembling like Sang Yung in a stage play!"

"Aska-sama!" a young whimpering voice could be heard in the background.

Ferio sighed in frustration, regretting Fuu's idea to give her communicator to Aska. He knew they needed a way to communicate with the people on the inside if they wished to save Dome. But the little princess was worse at controlling her voice on the communicator than Hikaru.

Before Fuu could ask Terra to stop whatever was going on with the Dome, Wingroad quickly charged towards Windam. With a single flap of its enormous wings, Wingroad closed the distance before raising its arm up high, looking to bring them down like a praying mantis. Had this been Fuu's first time seeing this attack, she would surely have been sliced to pieces. But now, she was prepared.

"Winds of Protection!" Fuu yelled as soon as Wingroad started charging in.

A see-through barrier of wind appeared in front of Windam, intercepting the bladed wings of its evil counterpart. However, instead of the barrier blocking and countering the blades, the wings had come down from too high of an angle. The emerald barrier was caught between the sharp feathers that squeezed it like several pairs of nut-crackers. As Wingroad's wings clamped tightly, Fuu's barrier began to show green glowing cracks along the points of pressure.

Unable to hold her spell up for much longer, Fuu summoned her zweihänder in Windam's hand, before quickly flying backwards. As the barrier shattered and Wingroad's wings clamped shut, Fuu swung her sword at Wingroad's head. But despite her mech's most dangerous weapons being folded away, Terra wasn't caught off guard.

Pointing her palms towards Fuu, Terra yelled, "Winds of Admonishment!"

Green twister wrapped around Windam, holding Fuu tightly in place. Fuu's zweihänder stopped only inches away from Wingroad's owl-like helmet, before her arms were bound to her sides. Unlike Wingroad, Windam didn't have the strength necessary to simply break free of the binding spell. Her struggles only grew more panicked and the color drained from her face, as Wingroad opened its wings once more.

Placing the bladed feathers around Windam's neck like five pairs of scissors, Terra said in a serious tone, "Your time is up Fuu! This is the final blow! Hi-yaaaaAAAHHH!"

Before Wingroad could bring its blades down on Fuu's neck, something grabbed its waist from behind. As Fuu watched her shadow being pulled away from her, she could see a huge smiling head peek out from underneath the clouds. A giant larger than either of the Mashins slowly rose up from underneath the cloud cover, while holding onto the evil Mashin.

"What the Hell is that creepy thing?!" Ferio yelled out, gripping the magic orb in his hand.

"It is not creepy!" Aska's voice yelled from the orb. "It is my giant Sang Yung!"

While Ferio was apologizing to Aska to stop her from screaming at him, Fuu sighed in relief, as Terra's spell dissipated. Seeing her foe in the distance, Fuu was on her way to try and assist the giant Sang Yung, when suddenly, the giant began to warp. The giant's head started turning into a sideways oval and its body compressed thicker and shorter, as if a giant boulder was pressing down on it.

"I can't… hold on… much longer!" Aska's voice echoed from the magic orb. "Wuuuaaah!"

As Aska's scream faded, so did the giant Sang Yung. The giant's grip on Wingroad loosened up, before it fell backwards into the clouds. Eventually the illusionary giant disappeared completely.

"What's happening!?" Ferio yelled into the orb, but there was no answer. "Aska? Aska! ASKAAA!"

"…My deepest apologies," Chang Ang's voice piped up from the orb. "It seems like Lady Aska has used the rest of her energy for the day and has conked out."

"Conked out?" Ferio repeated in confusion.

"She is always full of energy and has the tendency to never show tiredness, until all of a sudden she passes out," Chang Ang explained. "Once she does, nothing can wake her up."

Hearing this, Ferio sighed, "Like all small kids…"

"The good news is the tremors on the Dome have stopped."

"Yeah, I think we saw whatever it was that caused it," Ferio said in a sterner tone.

With Aska out of the game, Fuu and Ferio were on high alert as Terra slowly turned towards them. Although they couldn't see her face, the dark green aura flaring around Wingroad was enough to let them know that she was angry. As the harpy mech spread its wings, they both prepared for its next charge, until Fuu almost collapsed onto her knees.

"Auh!" Fuu gasped, her entire body aching.

Windam's movements mirror Fuu's, causing the emerald mech to bend at the knees and hips, while trying to support itself on something mid-air. The Wind God's wings shook like leaves in the wind, as it struggled to fly.

"What's wrong? Fuu!" Ferio yelled in a panic.

"G…G-Gravity!" Fuu forced herself to yell. "She is amplifying gravity!"

As Fuu tried her best to talk, it felt like her diaphragm was about to be crushed into her abdomen. Her arms and feet felt like they were made out of lead and she was unable to straighten her legs. Despite all the weight, her head felt light, as her blood flow was being slowed down.

"Now hold still!" Terra shrieked, before charging towards Fuu once more.

Unable to move, Fuu's life flashed before her eyes as the sharp feathers and claws of Wingroad approached her. She couldn't lift her arms to try and block Terra's assault, meaning her wings would chop her to pieces unobstructed. Her heart felt like it was about to freeze up, as the talons on the mech's feet seemed to aim directly at her chest and abdomen. Closing her eyes, her final thoughts were of her family.

Kuu… I'm sorry, I can't bring you those chick pastries…

"Fuu!" Ferio yelled

"My eyes!" Terra yelled.

Prepared to have her body sliced up, she was shocked to hear a loud boom instead. Opening her eyes, she was barely able to see the last remnants of a blindingly bright, yellow ball of light. With Terra reeling back while covering the eyes of her Mashin, Fuu turned towards Ferio. Her boyfriend was still standing atop the bird, which seemed disorientated, while Ferio was covering his eyes with his cape. However, it seemed Ferio had managed to cover his eyes faster than Terra, as he quickly looked in her direction.

"Fuu! Are you alright?"

"S-Somewhat…" Fuu stuttered, still under the effects of amplified gravity. "What happened?"

"I threw one of the bombs I brought," Ferio said, trying to calm down his bird. "The yellow one seems to have caused a blinding explosion."

"Seems to?" Fuu asked worriedly. "Y-You mean you don't know what each of them does?!"

"I have some guesses," Ferio said confidently, pulling a red sphere off of his bandoleer. "This one, for example, is obviously a fire bomb!"

As Terra was still trying to recover from being flash banged, she could see through her hazy eyes a red sphere coming her way. Before she could react, the sphere exploded in an ocean of fiery reddish-orange, which swallowed Wingroad. Preparing herself for immense heat, Terra was caught by surprise as she felt something cold, wet, and sticky. Getting over the shock, Terra saw how the glass sphere with a dark green frame, from which she piloted Wingroad, was covered in pureed fruit of some kind.

"To-Tomato sauce?!" Fuu blinked in confusion, before turning to her boyfriend. "Ferio, where did you get those bombs?"

Equally as confused, Ferio's jaw dropped as she stuttered, "I-I got them from Mokona…"

"Sir Mokona?!"

"I thought back on when we first met in the Forest of Silence! I figured if it could produce food, it could produce weapons too!"

Screaming out in frustration, Terra used wind magic on herself in order to blow away the tomato sauce. Though it didn't clean her mech completely, it got rid of enough of it for her to see her foes. Despite still being half covered in reddish paste, the evil Mashin still looked incredibly unnerving.

"Stay out of this Ferio!" Terra yelled commandingly. "This does not concern you!"

Does not concern? Fuu repeated those wordsin her head, before whispering "What does she mean…"

Before Fuu had time to think about it further, Wingroad brought its arms together, creating a grayish black sphere between the bladed wings. Once it was ready, Terra spread her arms and fired a gray vacuum beam at Fuu. With Fuu still weighed down by increased gravity, she was unable to avoid the beam.

Though the beam struck Fuu directly, its effects on her were minimal. She could feel the suction of the vacuum on her skin, but thanks to being inside Windam, she wasn't being suffocated. In fact, the heightened gravity seemed to still affect her far more than the vacuum.

"Why isn't this working!?" Terra yelled in annoyance, remembering how well it had worked on Hotaru yesterday.

Unable to hear her shadow inside the vacuum, Fuu thought out loud, "I guess Mashins are space worthy…"

Unable to tell if Fuu was doing okay or not, Ferio quickly selected another sphere off of his bandoleer. Having been disappointed by the red sphere, he grabbed a black one this time, hoping it would be explosive or something. Instead of throwing it directly at Wingroad, Ferio aimed for the attack that sucked air towards the evil Mashin.

Brought point blank by the air current, the black sphere exploded but not in a fireball or a blast wave, but as an inky black mass. Like before, Terra's sphere-like cockpit and mech were covered in the black substance. In her frustration, Terra tried to wipe the gunk off of Wingroad, only to find her hands and wings getting stuck and jammed. As her frustration grew, Terra lost concentration on the vacuum she held on Fuu.

"What is this stuff!?" Terra roared out, as her efforts only managed to spread the black goop further.

With air around her again, Fuu was able to hear others and took a closer look, "Is that… tar?"

"Then would that mean…" Ferio's eyes widened, before he grabbed a white sphere, "this is feathers!"

Throwing the white magical grenade as hard as he could, it quickly blew up midflight. Instead of feathers, a forward-facing blast of fine white powder burst towards Terra, mixing with the tar. At first Ferio was disappointed that the white sphere only contained flour (perhaps good for a smoke screen) until Wingroad's surface began to smolder. Yellow sparks emitted from the powder until it all quickly caught on fire, causing the tar to also be lit and burn at high temperatures.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Terra screamed in pain from within Wingroad.

"What is that stuff!?" Ferio yelled, feeling terrible for what he had done.

"W-Was that white phosphorus?" Fuu stuttered in horror, as the gravite returned normal for her. "Sir Mokona, why do you have that…"

As the tar kept burning, Terra kept on screaming and trying to get it off, until finally using her wind magic to try and blow it away like the tomato sauce. This only fed the flames and increased the temperature, intensifying Terra's pain and screams.

"Get out of there!" Ferio yelled, trying to help his accidental victim.

Unable to handle the pain anymore, Terra could only take Ferio's advice and abandoned Wingroad. The large purple gem on the harpy mech's chest glowed brightly, before expelling the peri. With no ground around, Terra was ejected onto the large bird that Ferio stood on.

Seeing Terra in person for the first time, Fuu and Ferio were surprised to see a stylishly dressed winged woman. She had tan skin, green eyes, and multi-colored feathered wings growing from her back. Her long minty green hair was braided into a ponytail, a hair knot, and two curls that hung down her front. Her green, gold, and white wings cascaded gracefully down her entire body length. She wore green Persian silk robes with golden embroideries and red gems sewn on its lapels and shoulders. She had taloned hands and feet that were covered in yellowish green scutes.

What caught them off guard even more, was Terra's expression. Having only ever heard her screaming or yelling in anger, they were both taken aback to see the peri crying. She was rubbing her teary eyes with her burnt hands while hugging her wings close to her body. Terra's clothes and skin had several burn marks on them, which from the sounds of her sobs were quite painful.

"Why Ferio…" Terra sniffed, looking at him with her big green eyes. "Why are you hurting me like this? I am only trying to help you…"

"What?" Fuu gasped while still inside Windam.

"I-I am fighting you since you are trying to hurt Fuu!" Ferio defended himself while confused by her words. "What do you mean you are trying to help me?"

"Because, Fuu hurt you!" Terra yelled out, still crying. "She hurt so many people when she killed Emeraude! But most of all she hurt you!"

"N-Nani?" Ferio blinked, unable to believe his ears.

"She promised to bring your sister back safely! She promised to come see you again after she was safe!" Terra listed off, spreading her wings for emphasis. "But instead, she killed Princess Emeraude and plunged Cephiro into this dark nightmare, before abandoning you! Everyone will die because of her! She needs to be punished!"

As Fuu listened to Terra's rant, she wanted to refute her, but at the same time she felt her heart ache. The points Terra made were all feelings she had felt when she had returned home from Cephiro, and even before her battle against Emeraude. Her repeated failures to keep her promises to the people of Cephiro and to Ferio in particular, had weighed on her mind every day.

It's true… When I first came back, all I wanted was to be punished for my actions. To be scolded. To be yelled at for hurting Ferio. And when I returned to Cephiro, I felt so bad for the people who had lost everything! But even then, all of this is…!

"You're wrong! Fuu is innocent!" Ferio yelled, holding onto Terra's shoulders gently. "My sister wanted Fuu to end her life so that Cephiro would survive in her stead!"

"W-What do you mean…" Terra asked, her pupils narrowing

"Fuu didn't want to kill Emeraude, but she was thrusted in a situation where it was the only choice! She needed to kill her in order to save everyone else!" Ferio continued defending. "When she did it, I was able to hear my sister's voice and know that she was happy! To finally be with the man who she loved more than the entire world!"

"T-That… that's absurd!" Terra yelled, pulling away from Ferio, while holding onto her head. "But she still lied to you!"

"If given the choice, I know she would have come back to me afterwards," Ferio spoke, holding his hand on his heart. "But due to the Magic Knight summoning ritual, as soon as the Pillar died, they were all sent back to their world! And even if she couldn't come right away, she still returned! She has already apologized to me!"

"No… No!" Terra shook her head, her feathers ruffling. "Then why… Why does she still feel so guilty! Even a moment ago she lied to a little girl in order to trick her! She deserves to be put to death!"

"Lying does not mean you deserve to die! Also, Fuu knows that I have already forgiven her. So she doesn't need to feel guilty."

Seeing Ferio turn and smile towards her, Fuu couldn't help but blush slightly while inside Windam. This caused the winged emerald mech to strike a rather maiden-like pose, which seemed a bit awkward to Ferio.

"You… You forgive her?" Terra asked, seeming to calm down a bit finally.

"That's right," Ferio nodded.

Trying to weigh Ferio's words and the feelings of Fuu's heart, a sudden chill ran right through Terra. Ferio and Fuu felt the same cold strike them to their very cores, as they sensed something inhuman approaching. A grandiloquent and cruel laughter echoed from all directions, before a massive ghostly figure appeared before them.

Though neither Fuu nor Ferio had ever seen it before, they could instantly recognize this figure as Debonair. Standing as tall as the Dome itself, the alien royalty looking monster laughed in an amused tone, before looking down on Terra.

"Mo-Mother?" Terra shivered slightly.

"My cherished naïve Terra, do not let their words fool you so easily," Debonair smiled confidently.

Realizing what Debonair was trying to do, Ferio quickly piped up, "We are not trying to do anything to her! I don't know what you have told her but it is utter lies!"

"Be silent, spare prince," Debonair said in a cold and harsh tone. "Terra, do not let these wrongdoers talk you over. Just because they do not feel they are guilty, does not make it so!"

"Terra, don't listen to her!" Fuu yelled out from within Windam.

"Daughter!" Debonair addressed her with authority. "The Pillar, that boy, and that Magic Knight, all collaborated to bring forth the current ghastly condition of Cephiro! They all deserve the same fate! Reap their souls and do what you were born to do! Bring justice!"

With her mother's words resonating within her, Terra nodded slowly, "Yes, Mother!"

"Terra! No!" Ferio yelled, trying to grab her, before Terra was absorbed back inside Wingroad.

Although the harpy-like Mashin was still smoldering from the tar and white phosphorus, Terra didn't let out a single sound. Instead, she quickly created a vacuum around her, extinguishing the flames, before using Winds of Healing to heal her and fix Wingroad. With their foe back at full strength, Fuu and Ferio heard Debonair laugh once more.

"Mmmmuhah-hahahahahaha! Aah-hah-hahahahaha! That's it Terra, keep them busy! Make sure they will not interfere with the rest of us!" Debonair ordered before fading away slowly.

"Nani?" Fuu gasped, a cold shiver running down her spine. "Interfere with what?"

"Yes, Mother," Terra said in a cold tone, spreading her bladed wings once more.


After hearing Hotaru's sobbing, Stella had snuck into the master bedroom and laid down behind him, before embracing her beloved. This had calmed him down enough for him to stop crying and soon, the man she had been made for, had fallen asleep in her arms. Though she had only come for the sake of comforting him, the warmth of Hotaru's body had soothed the longing in her heart as well. As such, she had unintentionally fallen asleep as well, nuzzled against the back of his head.

Around six hours later, Stella stirred in her sleep, before shaking herself awake. The vampiric woman knew she had things to do, so she couldn't allow herself to sleep in. But as she opened her crimson eyes, she noticed something that made her body tense up. The brunette head she had nuzzled against was gone, and the bed felt emptier than when she had laid down. There was only a large, thick, bundled-up blanket next to her.

Oh no! Did he wake up before I did?! I need to bring him back before…! Huh?

As she tried pushing against the bundled-up blanket to get up, Stella felt something solid underneath it. Pulling the blanket aside carefully, her heart simultaneously skipped a beat and sunk. Curled up underneath the covers, slept a young brunette boy of no more than eight years old, wearing oversized underwear. Although he was asleep and looked cute in Stella's opinion, the child had an anxious and anguished expression.

"Hotaru…" Stella gasped quietly in shock and dread. "How could this have happened?"

Due to the boy's expression, she wanted to comfort and take care of him, but she had bigger things to worry about. She needed to keep Hotaru safe and secure, before...

(Stella…)

"Huh… Lady Debonair?" Stella snapped out of thought.

(Stella, it is time. You know what to do.)

Stella quickly glanced at the still sleeping Hotaru, before nodding, "Yes, Lady Debonair…"

Steeling her nerves, Stella walked out of the bedroom and into the apartment's central room. Knowing her "mother" would not accept delays, she summoned her silver, scythe-like staff in her right hand. Holding the tip of her scythe above her left hand, Stella began to silently chant, before a dark red orb appeared above it.

As she continued chanting, the orb slowly hovered upwards and turned darker in the center, eventually becoming pitch black. Dark lightning crackled out of the orb as it quickly grew larger and larger, while exuding a powerful magical field. The hem of Stella's gray ballroom gown fluttered in the currents of wind caused by the portal, as she fed more and more of her magic into it. Eventually the dark sphere filled up half of the central room, at which point large brown insectoid appendages and wings started sprouting from it.

As brown, one-eyed, insect- and crab-like monsters started pouring out of the orb, they quickly filled the room. To make more space, they smashed their way through the crystal walls into the corridor outside. As more and more monsters poured out, a small figure walked out of the portal among them.

"Big sister Stella! Long time no see," Nova smiled at her sister, her pink hair swaying in the wind.

"Nice to see you too, Nova," Stella answered coldly, before looking around. "Where are the others?"

"Big sisters Luna and Terra are outside keeping their Magic Knights busy," Nova smiled, before hugging her big sister. "Mother said she would be joining soon. She needed to have a word with Terra first."

Giving a slight nod, Stella looked down at Nova before raising an eyebrow, "Then what about…"

Before Stella could finish her question, another figure stepped through the portal. The dark figure stood head and shoulders taller than the six-foot-tall Stella. While she recognized them as her older brother, they reminded her of someone else…

He was eerily handsome, mature, and intimidating. His sleek black hair reached all the way to his calves and covered the top of his face with dark bangs. Sharp, dark purple eyes peered from behind the bangs, that glared down at the sisters as he smiled smugly. A pair of over a foot-long, skin-tone horns emerged from underneath his hair from his forehead. The horns were an inch thick at the base and curved all the way back before tapering into sharp points. The demon wore a long, black, leather coat that reached all the way to his shins. Underneath the coat he had a black doublet with golden embroideries running down the chest and lapels, and golden buttons. His black pants were decorated with golden hexagons on the sides and fish-bone patterns at the front. On his feet he wore heavy, black, armored boots with gold trims that reached his knees.

"R-Romeo is that you?" Stella asked, stuttering slightly while shivering in fear. "You look j-just like…"

Romeo grinned widely while chuckling, breaking the illusion slightly, "Yes, I bear quite the resemblance to my father."

Before Stella could ask what happened, Nova squeezed her tighter before whispering, "He molted again…"

The demonic mirror image of Alcyone's former love interest walked towards Stella, closing the gap between them with but two steps. He reached over Nova's head to Stella, before caressing her chin from underneath, earning a nervous glare from the vampire.

"What do you say the two of us get intimate once this is all over?" Romeo suggested in a charismatic voice. "I will let you sink your teeth into me."

Letting go of Nova, Stella took a confident step back and turned around, before glaring at Romeo angrily, "You are not Hotaru."

Rolling his eyes in a tired manner, Romeo muttered frustratedly, "Are any of us? How is our prince doing anyway?"

Stella's confident demeanor froze all of a sudden, before she slowly turned towards the door of the bedroom. Seeing this subtle gesture, Romeo pushed Nova away from the two of them, before waltzing to the door. Opening it slightly, the over two-meter-tall demon peered into the room, before pulling back and closing it.

Leaning his back against the door, Romeo inhaled deeply, "That is… unexpected."

Getting closer to Romeo, Stella asked in a subdued but concerned tone, "Are you sure this will bring him true happiness?"

"Positive," Romeo answered dryly, before clapping his hands together. "Now, who wants to go and kill some Magic Knights?"

With Nova smiling eagerly, she rushed over to her older brother, before pulling him by his arm through the crushed wall. The sounds of screams and battles being fought could already be heard echoing from the downstairs.


Author's Afterword: Apologies with the delay on this chapter. This one came out a lot longer than I anticipated. With this chapter, the final pieces of our villains' master plan have been set in place. The Magic Knights are split off, enemy forces have access inside the Sanctuary, and their strongest warrior is incapacitated. Things are going to get worse before they get better…

Now, what surprised me the most when writing this was Fuu's characterization during episodes 16 and 17. Our strait-laced and honest green knight who could not bear liars in episode 3 of season 1, now outright tells Aska she isn't strong or good at archery. I felt the need to try and justify these actions a little, but it is a nice bit of character growth regardless.

Now while this chapter came out long, the next chapter will most likely be even longer and split into two parts. For this reason, I request for you all to be patient, as there will be a lot of things happening and I will be posting both parts at once.

As always, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. My thanks go to our recurring anonymous Guest and Antoinette Veronica for your reviews on the last chapter!