Ever since Cephiro's Sanctuary had been built, Master Mage Clef had not left its walls. He had remained inside to uphold the crystal castle's defenses, organized its daily activities, as well as kept it standing. Not once had he left its confines due to the fear of the castle coming under siege or collapsing without his presence. If there was an uprising from the restless citizens or another invasion of monsters, he knew he was needed to organize everyone and guide them in battle via telepathy. While he had wanted to go out and catch a breath of fresh air, he had been homebound by his duties.

This shut-in lifestyle had come to a quick and sudden end after attending a meeting with the other defenders of Cephiro. Hotaru had told him that Stella, the shadow of her former student Alcyone, had disappeared; and of his previous experiences of hunting down Alcyone. Hence the bodyguard of the Magic Knights had dragged him off with him to increase their chances of finding her. As Clef had been unable to sense Stella inside the Sanctuary, the pernicious paladin had essentially kidnapped him.

Using his strength, speed, and flight, Hotaru had grabbed Clef and flown out into the Cephiro's wastelands. Though Clef was used to flying onboard his flying fish and gryphon familiars, supersonic speeds were a new experience to him. Especially since he wasn't in control of his mount.

"Hotaru, slow down!" Clef begged him, grasping onto his armor.

"I am going slow!"

Holding his arm around the small mage, Hotaru was flying around in a spiraling and zigzagging pattern around Cephiro. To prevent their eyes from drying out, the small Master Mage had cast a barrier circle around them.

"If you do not slow down, I cannot search for Stella properly!" the boyish mage scolded the older-looking warrior.

"Fine…" Hotaru sighed, dropping his speed to commercial airline levels.

With the speed finally at manageable levels, Clef focused on his senses, trying to scan the area for any signs of Stella.

"Even with us covering a lot of ground, do you believe it will be possible for us to find her?" Clef asked Hotaru. "I was not able to sense her when you and Romeo were in the Proof of the Pillar's antechamber."

"My only hope is that she wants to be found," Hotaru answered honestly. "With her ability to hide her presence and teleport, finding her is almost impossible. That's why I am trusting more in my eyes in finding her."

"Then why did you drag me with you?" Clef clicked his tongue, while held up like a cat.

"Because I cannot afford to half ass this!" Hotaru explained, looking around Cephiro like a hawk searching for prey. "I am worried Debonair might get her hands on Stella if I don't keep an eye on her!"

"…Very well," Clef nodded, concentrating on the surroundings.

Before leaving the Sanctuary, Hotaru had explained to Clef what had happened yesterday. Romeo and Stella betraying Debonair. Romeo's plan to have him and Hotaru become Twin Pillars of Cephiro. The Proof of the Pillar accepting this plan, but Hotaru turning down the offer. Hotaru's suicide mission into Cephiro's underside to bring back Alcyone. Debonair using Alcyone as a hostage against Hotaru. If one followed the course of events, Debonair attempting to dissuade Hotaru by using Stella as a hostage, was almost certain.

While looking around for his apprentice's shadow, a sense of uncertainty crept into Clef's heart. He did not wish to doubt Hotaru's words, but he felt the need to question him.

"Hotaru, when you said the next Pillar of Cephiro wasn't ready," Clef asked with a heavy voice, "were you talking about Aston? Did you know that Emeraude's son would step up to become the next Pillar?"

Shocked by the implications of these words, Hotaru looked down at the mage. However, he could not find it in himself to blame Clef for his concerns.

"The honest answer is I had no idea of Aston's existence. They never mentioned him in any of the stories," Hotaru explained, staring at his free hand. "Honestly, it still feels unreal that I am inhabiting his body. But I have resolved myself to put it to good use."

"…Then why did you turn down the chance to become the Pillar?" Clef asked, sounding serious, but also willing to understand. "To save Alcyone, yes, but the world might be destroyed before the next Pillar is found."

Understanding Clef's worries, Hotaru chuckled, "Fu…I think the time might be to let you know."

"Huh?" Clef's eyes widened.

"The next Pillar of Cephiro is…" Hotaru started, before quickly turning around.

Looking towards the fringes of Cephiro, Hotaru was able to spot a large flame up in the sky. As it neared the Sanctuary, the form of a ginormous dark red dragon came into sight. Before either of them could point it out, their eyes were drawn to the golden glint of another giant shape.

"The Dome of Fahren…" Clef gasped.

"And Chizeta's Bravada," Hotaru smiled proudly. "…And it seems the rest of Autozam is joining us as well."

Looking to the other side, they could see the silverish form of NSX approaching the Sanctuary as well. Its many blinking lights and slow motion, signaled that they weren't here to do battle. While this could be seen as a provocation of battle, Hotaru had already allowed Eagle to contact the NSX with FTO's communicator. However, he knew that the princesses of the other countries probably hadn't received the same memo.

"We need to go back," Hotaru stated, before heading back towards the Sanctuary.

"But what about the next Pillar of Cephiro!" Clef yelled impatiently.

"I'll explain on the way back."


After freeing Ascot from Luna's curse, Umi next had the task of getting everybody back to the Sanctuary safely. At first, she thought of carrying Luna and Ascot over with Selece, but the young summoner had another idea. Summoning his maroon wyvern-like monster, Ascot had given the two blue-haired ladies a ride, atop of it, as they flew towards the Sanctuary's center tower.

Looking over the wyvern's wing while sitting on its back, Umi asked, "Hey Ascot, what ever happened to that floating rock of yours? It was a lot faster than this if I remember correctly."

"It's okay Kaiser, she didn't mean to hurt you," Ascot spoke gently as the wyvern screeched, petting its head before turning back. "It became hard to keep my balance up on it when I got too tall. I'd probably be able to go super-fast on it, but riding atop Kaiser and Frazer is more calming."

"It certainly is an impressive creature when you're not fighting it," Luna said, petting the other side of the beast. "Sorry for trying to hurt you both…"

"You should be sorry after the way you—"

"It is fine," Ascot interrupted Umi, with an upfront tone. "I saw the way you were being treated by Debonair. It reminded me of the way Zagato promised me and my friends a home in exchange for servitude. Although, you and your sisters definitely got the worst of it."

Both of the blue haired passengers were taken aback by the rider's words. Luna was surprised to hear how forgiving Ascot was, even after all she had done to his close friends and monsters. Umi on the other hand was shocked to hear Ascot comparing Luna's time together with Debonair to his employment under Zagato. She knew Ascot had done unsavory deeds under Zagato's orders, but she had never realized how similar his and Luna's situations were.

For him to empathize with my shadow so easily when it took me days to understand her, makes me feel a bit embarrassed. Ascot has grown older and wiser to a point where I am surprised he would be in love with me…

Sensing the doubt in Umi's heart, Luna nudged her forward roughly, causing Umi to cling to Ascot so as not to fall. As the two of them hugged each other, the two humans blushed deep red, before looking away from one another.

"You two look so cute together~!" Luna smiled impishly before they had the chance to scold her.

Reaching the upper entrance of the Sanctuary, Kaiser landed gracefully in the entrance hall, before lowering its body to let its passengers off. While the entrance hall was big enough for more monsters, the FTO that was still parked there took up a lot of space. By creating a magic circle under Kaiser, Ascot sent his wyvern back into his room, so that it would get to rest.

With just the three of them in the entrance hall, Umi turned over to Luna, "Are we ready?"

"Umu," Luna nodded, before taking off her necklace.

Holding the red pearl necklace in her hands, Luna bowed her head to kiss the pearls one at a time. As there were close to a hundred pearls, this took a while, but one by one, the red orbs began to glow. Figuring there would be a lot of people, Umi and Ascot stepped further back, before they were released.

The glowing pearls first floated in the air, spreading out from one another, before transforming into people. Most of the people were males, with only one or two females among the crowd. Some of the people were elderly, some young children, but most of them in their late teens to early thirties. Upon being freed, most of the Cephiroan people didn't waste a moment, before running away from Luna and the others.

Watching the people rush down the stairs like their lives depended on it, Luna spoke out, "You know I cannot exactly blame them for that…"

Looking at the few remaining people who had stayed, Umi was slightly confused by people who were left. There were two men in their prime, one blond, another brunet, and a balding rotund elderly man. There was a young boy maybe a few years younger than her, as well as a woman who seemed like his mother. There was also an older man with finely made clothes and a moustache, as well as a middle-aged vagrant in a dirty cloak. Remembering Luna telling her that these people had all loved her, Umi couldn't help but feel slightly freaked out. She remembered having seen some of the people in the villages her and her friends had visited, during their previous adventure, but not talking to any of them.

Nevertheless, she bowed to them awkwardly, as politely as she could, "I… would like to apologize to you all for getting you mixed up in all this…"

While the people's expressions varied, it was the eldest of the group who spoke, "We… can forgive you for it. You and your friends have done a lot for our sake and our world, and for what we've seen; it is clear none of this was intentional."

"Still, I would believe some form of compensation would be in order…" the finely dressed man stroked his moustache, before being elbowed in the stomach by the blonde man.

"Thank you for saving our town, Onee-san!" the young boy bowed his head politely, mimicking Umi's actions.

"You're welcome," Umi smiled happily.

Stepping in front of her son, the woman looked at Umi sternly, "While I am thankful, I feel that you should have a talk with Luna about what constitutes as 'love'."

Seeing the woman glare at them rather coldly, most of the men looked away, whistling innocently.

"Hey, she has a nice pair of legs, I won't deny that," the man in a dirty cloak shrugged his shoulders.

While Ascot only quietly gritted his teeth at this comment, Luna could almost hear Umi's neck creaking as she turned towards her. The blue Magic Knight's face was redder than the siren's pearls, as she stared down at her shadow with anger, embarrassment, and bashfulness at the same time. To know her shadow was as clueless about love as she was, was somehow reassuring, but this was the worst moment for it to be revealed.

Shirking away, Luna asked innocently, "Did I do something wrong…?"

"Yes, but this does explain a lot…" Umi facepalmed, realizing how Luna had gathered so many.

With Ascot directing the people back towards the residential quarters, Umi stayed behind, explaining to Luna her mistakes. It took a moment for the siren to understand the key differences between gratitude, lust, admiration, and love. As Luna became more and more aware of her mistakes, her expression grew increasingly more sheepish and her posture humbler.

"…I'm very sorry, Umi-san…" Luna apologized respectfully.

Keeping her hands on her hips, Umi sighed deeply, "I sometimes forget you are just a newborn. Anyway, let's go find others. Terra and Nova are already in the Sanctuary."

"Right!" Luna nodded, before a cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Are you alright?" Ascot asked, seeing her pupils shrink.

"He's here…"

Before Umi and Ascot could ask what was wrong, they spotted something flying towards them. As it got closer, they recognized it as Hotaru in his recently evolved Double Armor, carrying Clef in his arms. They took a few steps back to give the two room to land, with Luna hiding behind Ascot.

"Umi! Ascot!" Clef yelled at them, happy to see the two. "I am so glad you two are safe."

"It is all thanks to Umi-chan," Ascot smiled, greeting his teacher with a polite bow.

"You managed to defeat Luna on your own?" Hotaru raised his eyebrow. "I'm impressed."

While Umi was looking quite smug, Hotaru spotted a grayish blue fishtail peeking from behind Ascot. Wondering if the summoner had grown a tail, Hotaru walked around, before noticing the tail moving away from him. With Ascot staying perfectly still, Hotaru quickly started to understand what was going on, and began to follow the tail.

Clef and Umi watched awkwardly from the side, as Luna did her best to avoid Hotaru's gaze, by spinning around Ascot. While Hotaru was amused by this little game and Ascot nervous by it, Luna clearly showed signs of fear as she tried to evade Hotaru. Eventually however, Hotaru activated Silver Speed and swapped directions, grabbing Luna by her fish tail.

Lifting her up with Steel Strength, Hotaru smiled, "So here's the last of the troublemakers!"

"Let go of me!" Luna wriggled while panicking, trying to get away from him.

"Hotaru, could you please let go of her!" Umi requested sternly. "She is more than a little scared of you already."

"Fine, I just wanted to get one good look at her without her Mashin," Hotaru chuckled, before gently putting Luna down. "Sorry for spooking you."

"It's fine…" Luna sniffed, trying not to cry out in fear.

"Hotaru, we don't have time to play games!" Clef said sternly.

"Right," Hotaru nodded before turning towards Umi and Ascot. "Bravada and Dome are headed this way along with NSX. We need to gather everyone together and get ready. The final battle is drawing close."

As Umi and Ascot nodded, Clef summoned his large staff before speaking out, "Hikaru and Terra are still at the prison cells talking with Nova. I will teleport you over there and send Fuu over later."

"Understood," Umi, Ascot, and Luna said unanimously, before being teleported away.

With the two of them left alone again, Hotaru could hear heavy sounds echoing from outside. Turning to look through the gigantic oval entrance, he could see the three battleships getting closer. The screeches of the Dome, the hum of NSX's engines, and the rustling of Bravada's leaves were all audible at the entrance.

"I never thought I would live to see a day like this," Clef squeezed his staff nervously.

"You ain't seen nothing yet."


Having been teleported to the prisons, Umi, Ascot, and Luna could immediately hear the sound of crying. Thinking that the voice sounded familiar, they all rushed towards the sound, which echoed from upstairs. Reaching the cell at the top of the prison, they found the door open, with three figures inside. Standing next to a large see-through sphere were Terra and Hikaru, who held their hands against the glowing ball. Inside the floating prison, they could see Nova, curled up on the bottom of it, crying out loudly.

"Hikaru!" Umi yelled, rushing over to her friend.

"Nova!" Luna followed.

Turning around, Hikaru yelled happily, "Umi-chan! Ascot!"

"Luna!" Terra shouted, happy to see her sister.

Using her water magic to create waves to rush past Umi, Luna swam over to Terra, "What's wrong? What is with little sister Nova?"

Listening to their baby sister crying out, Terra's smile waned as she looked down, "Little sister Nova is… still getting over the fact that Debonair has abandoned us."

"Naruhodo…" Luna turned to look at Nova worriedly. "She always was the one to cling to her the most. Her and Romeo."

Placing her hand against the sphere, Luna began to sing without a warning. Familiar with her song, Umi and Ascot covered their ears, thinking Luna was trying to force Nova to calm down. But upon seeing Hikaru and Terra listening to the song without issue, they realized this wasn't the case. Uncovering their ears, they could hear a beautifully sad melody, which caused the hairs on the backs of their necks to stand up. But as they listened closely, they could tell the song was different, having sort of a calming effect on them.

Slowly but surely, they all heard Nova stop crying, before slowly lifting her face from her fetal position. She looked like a pink furry hedgehog, carefully peeking from underneath her quills. Upon seeing Luna, Terra, and Hikaru all holding their hands against the sphere and listening to the song, she felt calmer and at ease. Seeing her sisters caring for her like this, was an alien feeling, but reminded her of what Hikaru had said.

To love someone means you are willing to take care of and protect them, even if you gain nothing in return other than their love

Understanding the meaning behind those words now, Nova teared up again, but this time, she couldn't stop herself from smiling. While the feeling of Debonair abandoning her and Romeo using her still ached her young heart, she knew there were still people who loved her. As she looked past her sisters, she saw more and more people who all accepted her.

She saw Umi and the tall summoner boy, who both smiled back at her. She saw Fuu and her green-haired boyfriend entering her cell behind them, equally as happy to see everyone together. As she was about to lower her guard, Nova's long hair puffed up, as she bristled at a tall dark figure approaching.

Seeing Nova almost start to hiss at something, Hikaru turned around skittishly, noticing Lantis having entered the room. The tall dark magic swordsman walked past the others calmly, approaching her and Nova. Although Nova seemed threatened by Lantis, Hikaru couldn't hold her heart back from beating faster.

"L-Lantis, what are you doing h-here?" Hikaru stuttered as she got in his way, blushing slightly.

"Master Clef has ordered me to release Nova from her prison," Lantis answered softly. "It is time."

As Lantis said those three words, the Magic Knights all knew what he meant. They turned to look at their shadows, smiling at them gently, at which point they looked back at them slightly confused. But as moments passed, their shadows slowly understood what was going to happen, at which point they looked at them bittersweetly.

With Hikaru stepping out of the way, Lantis pointed his magic sword at the spherical prison. Crouching on her hands and feet like a wild animal, Nova was ready to spring up as the sphere of light around her disappeared. Landing gracefully onto her feet, Nova stood up before looking up at Lantis sternly. Watching her shadow and Lantis stare each other down, Hikaru couldn't help but worry that the two of them were to start fighting.

Staring deeply into Lantis's blue eyes and not seeing him flinch in the slightest, Nova eventually loosened her frown, "…Make sure to take good care of Hikaru."

Slightly surprised by Nova's words, Lantis nodded solemnly, "Very well."

With Lantis and Nova at an understanding, the Magic Knights walked over to their shadows. When first explaining about their shadows, Hotaru had told them how Nova had returned to Hikaru's heart at the end of the original story. Whether this had actually mattered or not, their bodyguard wasn't too sure. However, as they looked at each other, there was something that drew them all together.

"Are you all ready?" Fuu asked the shadows, her voice slightly wistful.

"Yes, this is how it is meant to be," Terra nodded gracefully. "I am glad I got to meet you, Ms. Fuu. Thank you for taking your time to teach me about the world."

"We only just got to know each other," Umi said to Luna. "I kinda want to spend more time together…"

"I would too," Luna confessed, "but after all I have done to the people of Cephiro, I will feel safer inside your heart again. I will make sure to sing to you again when you sleep~."

"We're going to miss you…" Hikaru said as she hugged Nova.

"…I would miss you even more, when you go back home," Nova smiled, while hugging Hikaru like an older sister. "You and my sisters, if I stayed behind. Besides, we will always be with you…"

As the three of them watched from the side while the women said their goodbyes, Ascot and Lantis were surprised to hear Ferio sobbing quietly. The green-haired prince of Cephiro was keeping a stiff upper lip, but his taller accomplices could see tears trailing down his cheek.

"Are you okay, Ferio?" Fuu asked worriedly.

"D-Don't mind me," Ferio's voice shook slightly, as he smiled. "I'm just bad at goodbyes…"

Giving Ferio an appreciative smile, Fuu and the other Magic Knights embraced their shadows, as they embraced them back. Silently like ghosts, the elf, the siren, and the peri phased through their bodies, as the shadows finally returned to the light that originally cast them. As Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu wrapped their arms around themselves, they simultaneously imagined themselves parting and reuniting with their hearts.

But despite the farewells now being over, the Magic Knights knew they were far from being done. While they still had no idea who had summoned them to this world, they still remembered the promise they had made for themselves.

Clenching her left fist and staring at the gem on it, Hikaru declared, "Let's go and save Cephiro!"


Having received a message from his commander, Zazu Torque had followed orders to bring the NSX over to the Sanctuary. Having asked Eagle Vision if the invasion had been successful, Zazu had been disappointed to hear that they had failed, though also slightly relieved. After hearing about the deal Eagle and Geo had struck with Cephiro's commander, Zazu had been over the moon with excitement. As such he had given the order to the pilots to bring NSX in as calmly as possible.

Unfortunately for him, before getting close enough to the Sanctuary to dock with the giant castle, two other battleships had arrived. Recognizing these as Bravada and Dome, Zazu had been close to being overwhelmed and panicking. While the giant red robotic dragon was awesome to see up-close, he did not have the rank to afford an interplanetary incident that could lead to war. In order to avoid a titanic traffic jam, Zazu had ordered the NSX to remain slightly further away, to allow space for the other ships.

This however left him with a slight problem, as how to get to the giant castle. Due to the vast distance, Zazu had to give up on the dream of a grand entrance via the docking mechanism. As he didn't own a giant robot like his higher commanders or the fighters on board the NSX, he only had one option.

"All these giant royal vessels and I need to arrive at the party on a hoverbike," Zazu sighed, as he flew towards the crystal towers. "I feel like a delivery driver…"

While his green hoverbike was quite fast for getting around the NSX, the sheer scale of everything around him made it feel slow. He was used to people overlooking him or not noticing him because of his height, but now he truly knew how a fruit fly felt. Looking over to the Bravada to admire its free growing forests, his eyes were drawn to the spout of the oil-lamp-like structure, as it started glowing yellow.

Two large figures shot out of the tip of the ship, twirling in the air like currents of blue and red clay. Before Zazu could try to steer away from their path, the figures twisted around each other, forming a long purple mass. This mass stretched out between the Sanctuary's middle tower's entrance and the front door of the golden castle situated atop the Bravada. Zazu's jaw dropped as he watched the purple bubblegum-like material solidify and turn into a huge, royal, red carpet.

"Why does royalty always have to make everyone else feel like peasants?" Zazu sighed again, dropping his head.

Opening his eyes, Zazu was forced to make an emergency turn in the air, so as not to crash into the crystal tower. Making a full 360 in the air, Zazu managed to slow himself down enough to land into the entrance hall, while sliding sideways. As he finally managed to shut down the engine and was catching his breath, a tall figure rushed over to him.

"Are you alright? That seemed like it hurt…"

Looking up, Zazu blushed slightly as a tall blonde woman with a long ponytail leaned over him. She wore an orange and cream-colored dress and a golden headband, both decorated with round gems. Though Zazu had seen beautiful women before, none of them had ever looked at him with such concern and warmth.

"Ah… Y-Yes, I-I am fine," Zazu stuttered, getting off the bike before offering his hand. "My name is Zazu Torque, who might you be?"

"My name is Sierra," the woman smiled, shaking his gloved hand. "I take it you are from Autozam? Your friends already talked about you, chief engineer."

"Oh, did they now?" Zazu rubbed the back of his hat while smiling goofily. "I heard Cephiroan women are beautiful but I didn't expect them to be just as smart!"

"…Pardon?" Sierra raised her eyebrow.

"Oh, no! I mean… Ah!" Zazu fumbled to get his head together, as he had moved too quickly on the topic. "What I meant to say; is that Eagle told me about you and your sister! I guess we will be working together in the future?"

"…I guess we will," Sierra smiled awkwardly.

Gosh! She is so pret-ty~! But I doubt she would think much of me after meeting with Geo and Ealge… and my first impression made me look like a total fool! Had she been younger and shorter than me, I would have been completely devastated… Better luck next time!

Getting over his embarrassment, Zazu finally had time to look around the entrance hall. He noticed the FTO parked little ways away from him, with minimal damage done to it. After making sure his commander's mech was okay, he noticed two more people waiting for the arriving guests. One of them was a tall man close to Geo in height and build, but blonde and wearing a suit of blue armor. While he had always thought knights in armor were cool, his eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the lady next to him.

Pink hair, darker skin, blue eyes, and a super nice tall body. She would have been an absolute dream, however her overly revealing golden outfit made Zazu admit his limits. To have someone so confident in their body, smelled of trouble for Zazu. In order to not stare, he turned around, gazing down the red carpet, spotting two figures on the opposite end of it.

"Heh, they lay down such a long carpet, yet they have no quick way of getting across," Zazu chuckled, sitting on the seat of his bike sideways.

"Maybe they like to take things slow," Sierra pointed out, before noticing something strange. "…Is it just me, or are they approaching surprisingly quickly?"

Leaning forward, Zazu noticed that Sierra was right. Instead of the two women walking fast, it was as if something was pushing them forward. It took a moment, but eventually Zazu noticed that the red carpet was actually moving them forward, like a conveyor belt. Just as he was about to grumble something about fancy Chizetan genie magic, he could finally fully see the two princesses.

Once more, they were tall, tan, lightly dressed beauties with red hair that slightly reminded Kazu of Hikaru. Compared to the pink-haired dancer, the princesses were moderately dressed, however he couldn't help but get an odd feeling from them both. The younger of the two already looked like trouble with her serious expression and furrowed brow. The older one straight up gave him a sense of danger, despite her gentle smile. However, he took comfort in knowing that unlike the people of Cephiro, these two were at least the age they seemed to be.

"Good evenin'!" Caldina greeted the princesses of her motherland by waving her pink fan. "My name is Caldina, welcome your highnesses!"

Taken aback by this overly cheerful greeting, Tarta stammered, "T-That accent and skin color… Are ya perhaps from Chizeta as well?"

"Tarta, mind your language," Tatra scolded her sister gently. "Also, remember to introduce yourself. My name is Princess Tatra of Chizeta, nice to meet you."

Seeing the elder princess of her nation bowing to her, Caldina rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, "No need to be so polite for little o' me. We're all allies here, so our home is your home."

"Uh… thank you very much," Tarta nodded, not sure which of the two to listen to.

Sitting back and listening to the almost sisterly discussion between the three beautiful Chizetans, Zazu's moment of relaxation came to an abrupt end.

"We are the Aska of Fahren!" the dragon announced loudly, startling everyone else. "We have not come to fight you!"

Having fallen off of his hover bike, Zazu slowly got up as his ears rang, "I work with heavy machinery and even they don't make as much noise…"

As the large mechanical dragon brought its head close, it almost looked like it was going to try and breath fire on them all. But as it opened its mouth, they could only see a small shining light flying towards them. As it got closer, those at the entrance saw that it was a large, soap-bubble-like vessel, with three people inside it. Two young children, one girl and one boy, and an elderly man older than anyone Zazu had met face to face.

As the bubble landed, it burst open, leaving behind not even a drop of moisture. There was a moment of awkward silence, as the one that had introduced themselves looked at everyone. Seeing the short little princess, the Chizetan trio quickly got closer before bowing down. Seeing them getting close so quickly, Sang Yung instinctively stepped in front of Aska protectively.

"Oh my, I never knew Fahren's princess was such a cutie," Caldina laughed and smiled, examining the two kids closely.

"Right? A real cutie patootie, just like her little bodyguard!" Tatra smiled warmly. "I am Princess Tatra, nice to meet you."

"Princess?" Aska tilted her head suspiciously. "You look more like those women Chang Ang never lets me talk to when we inspect the capital's—"

"That is enough, Lady Aska!" Chang Ang covered her mouth quickly, before swiftly bowing her head. "Please forget my young ward, she is quite sheltered."

"No worries, Tarta was quite similar at her age," Tatra smiled as she stood up.

"Big sister!"

Before the princesses could continue their 'cultural exchange', the last member of the welcoming committee stepped forth. Commanding everyone's attention with his presence, Lafarga walked in front of the delegates from different countries. While he was the highest-ranking member of Cephiro present at the moment, he wasn't exactly used to talking to people of such high status. As such it took a moment for him to come up with what to say, causing the shorter foreigners to stare at him nervously.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary," Lafarga spoke in an almost mechanical tone. "My name is Captain Lafarga. I have been instructed to escort you to the main ballroom for a strategy meeting. Please, follow me."

As the least intimidated of the group, Tatra nodded, "Very well. Come along Tarta."

Seeing the first princess of Chizeta being bold enough to take the lead, Aska felt the need to assert dominance, "You there! Mr. Knight!"

"Hmmm? What is it?" Lafarga asked, looking down at the knee-high princess.

Pointing her fan at him, Aska demanded, "I want you to carry me to where Fuu is!"

"N-Nani?" Lafarga grunted, trying to keep his poker face.

As everyone turned to look at Aska perturbed, Lafarga turned over to Caldina for advice on whether he should do this or not. After thinking about it for a moment, Caldina started shaking her head and crossing her arms, signaling to not to do it. This came to Lafarga as a great relief, as he wasn't used to dealing with children.

"L-Lady Aska, it is not appropriate to request military officers of foreign nations to carry you," Chang Ang corrected her with a stiff voice, trying not to cause a scene.

Disappointed in not getting a piggyback ride from someone so tall, Aska then turned towards the sole Autozamian, "Then we wish to ride that vehicle!"

Realizing she was referring to his hoverbike, Zazu quickly crossed his arms, "No way! This is my personal vehicle and I am not gonna wreck it riding indoors!"

"You dare refuse to give Fahren's princess a ride!" Aska shook her arms violently.

As her personal aides tried to hold the princess back so she wouldn't summon her floating sword, Zazu sighed deeply while face palming.

That's it, I've completely lost all interest in younger girls.


Crimson red lightning flashed across the cloud-crusted skies of Cephiro's underside. Colossal shadows loomed over the obsidian tower that mirrored Cephiro's Sanctuary, waiting patiently for orders. Inside the obsidian tower's main room, three titanic figures had been crucified on its purple walls by black crystals. These figures were the three evil Mashins, Regalia, Saquada, and Wingroad, that had been sealed away from their pilots.

A dark and regal figure stood in the middle of the room, her shadow towering over the Mashins despite having compressed her size to something more manageable. Next to the pale-blue-skinned monstrous woman, stood a grey-skinned vampiric woman dressed in white. While the woman with red striped black hair stood quietly and stared at her mistress, Debonair kept looking upwards.

Observing the situation developing up above, Debonair kept a serious expression. Turning around, she glanced at the ginormous stone hourglass at the corner of the room, narrowing her eyes vexedly. While four fifths of the silver sand had already drained from the top container, it wasn't enough. Cephiro still had almost a full day left before the final collapse, and her foes had already gathered.

Turning towards her daughter, Debonair declared, "The time is nigh, my beautiful Stella. Are you certain of what you must do?"

"Yes, Mother," Stella nodded politely, holding onto her scythe-like staff.

Smiling confidently, Debonair stroked Stella's head gently, "My other daughters may have failed in killing their proveniences, but I believe in you Stella. You will fulfill your purpose."

Lifting her arms up in the air, Debonair formed a large, violently sparking ball of darkness between her hands. Several blood red bolts of lightning shot out of the sphere, carving ominous looking markings into the floor, that encircled the entire room. Using her supernatural reflexes, Stella avoided the bursts of energy, as they formed a bloody looking magic circle made out of twisted shapes. The magic circle glowed deep red, before the floor beneath it cracked open.

From underneath the floor, a gigantic black shape emerged, its many spikes piercing the ground before its bulky body shoved the rubble aside. It resembled an armored dragon with a front heavy body, its forelimbs being larger than its hind legs. Its wings resembled a pair of massive hands with long, sharp, bladed claws, with its arms having spiky knuckled fists. Its hind legs and neck were long and slender, with both its feet and head being long, sharp, and knife-like. On the sides of its knife-like snout, the dragon had six slanted eyes that together resembled claw marks, all of them different colored. From left to right, back to front to back again, the order was blue, green, red, yellow, white, and purple. On the dragon's chest, was a vertical and much larger, orange eye, and on its back, ran two rows of scythe-blade-like spikes.

Even as the dragon's movements caused the tower around it to start collapsing, its body did not budge from the falling rubble. The two monstrous women next to it simply blocked the falling pieces of debris with their barriers.

"His name is Diablo," Debonair introduced Stella's new pet. "He will help you in your endeavor and make sure you and your beloved will be forever happy."

"Thank you, Mother," Stella smiled, before levitating onto Diablo's back.

As the dragon took off, its wings kicked up hurricane level winds, as it quickly soared to the skies. Once the dragon was up with the rest of her armada, Debonair raised her arm.

"Onwards!" Debonair roared at her armies. "Go and spread as much terror and destruction as you can! Let this day be Cephiro's last!"


Following Lafarga deeper down into the Sanctuary, the guests were guided to a large, open, brightly lit hall. The ten-sided room had beige crystal floors, white marble walls, and golden pillars that hovered off the ground. Large ornate golden chandeliers and wall ornaments with blue orbs and spheres of light, that together looked like fruit bearing vines, lit up the room. The sides of the room had several round tables covered with white table cloths, atop of which snacks, warm food, and refreshments were served. There was a wide, white, slightly raised platform that was reserved for a group of bards to play live music. On the walls opposite to the entrances, there were three balconies that overlooked the ball room.

There were already people waiting in the ballroom as Lafarga's group arrived. The Magic Knights were hanging around one of the tables, with Umi and Fuu making sure Hikaru was eating properly. Presea and Ferio were talking next to eating Ascot, exchanging information on the deal with Autozam, while making sure the summoner was caught up with the latest events. Lantis, Eagle, and Geo were drinking tea from delicate porcelain cups, while laughing and smiling as they made up for lost time. Primera was sitting on Lantis's shoulder, seemingly trying to understand what the men were talking about.

"There's Fuu!" Aska pointed out happily.

Before she could run off, Chang Ang grabbed her shoulder, "Lady Aska, mind your manners and don't run indoors."

"Eagle! Geo! Lantis!" Zazu yelled, running off to greet his friends, causing his elders to sigh.

Sighing with a smile, Caldina placed her hands on her hips, "Kids are always so impatient to see their friends."

"That is true," Tatra nodded, smiling happily, "but it is good that they have friends. Oh look, Tarta! That nice boy that came to save Umi is back."

As Tarta tried to remember his name, she almost went deaf as Caldina yelled out, "ASCOT!?"

Seeing Caldina at the doors, Ascot quickly swallowed his food and stood up to wave, "Caldina! …AHH—!"

Before he, Ferio or Presea had time to dodge out of the way, Caldina had leaped across the ballroom. Like a panther catching its prey, Caldina pounced on Ascot, tackling him to the ground. This great feat of athleticism was immediately forgotten, as they saw the Chizetan dancer hugging the summoner tightly on the floor.

"Oh I waz so wowwied I would newah get to see my lil' Ascot again!" Caldina rubbed cheeks while crying in joy and slurring her words.

"I missed you too, but please... let go of me, Caldina!" Ascot struggled to get out of her grip while blushing. "Everyone is watching!"

Despite Ascot's worries, only a small number of people were smiling at him and Caldina, as most of them were busy greeting old acquaintances.

"It is good to see you again, Ms. Aska," Fuu greeted Fahren's little princess.

"I ummm…" Aska blushed slightly, trying to act courteously. "I have considered helping you and the people of Cephiro. I've come to hear out and see what you are fighting for."

Smiling at Aska's use of polite voice, Fuu offered, "Would you like to have some tea with us?"

"Yes please!" Aska nodded. "Come along, Sang Yung!"

"Y-Yes!" her short aide followed along.

"The young ones are always so quick to make friends and so quick to grow up," Chang Ang said nostalgically with a wide smile under his beard.

"Sometimes I wonder what it is like to be a parent. I've only ever looked after kids," Ferio admitted, staring at Fuu playing with Aska and Sang Yung. "Raising them must be a whole another ordeal."

"It is a lot of work," Chang Ang sighed, before poking at Ferio's chest plate with his wooden staff, "but I'm sure that a young man like you can learn how to do it quickly."

"…I'm 412," Ferio smiled awkwardly.

Raising his bushy eyebrows, Chang Ang grunted, "Good for you, I'm eighty-nine!"

On the other side of the room, the chief engineer of NSX was getting briefed on what had happened during his commander's jail time.

"So let me get this straight. You were dying, trying to become the Pillar as a last-ditch effort to save your life, and then they healed you?" Zazu held out his fingers before taking a swig of punch. "The enemy commander offers you a concept for a world-shatteringly groundbreaking invention, as well as plans on how to coax more people to act as human batteries. And all he requested in return was stuff that I have in my bunk on NSX?"

"He also requested that we fight alongside them to save their world," Geo pointed out, before taking a bite out of a pastry. "If he feels the need to have us and the other two nations helping out, he might be short changing us."

"Not to mention he said I would owe him a favor," Eagle sighed.

"Knowing Hotaru that might be the heftiest part of the deal…" Presea smiled awkwardly.

"We cannot thank you enough for being willing to help us in saving Cephiro," Sierra thanked them all.

"It is in our best benefit too," Eagle admitted. "Though personally I'd rather go take a nap now that I don't have to worry about my health…"

While Eagle's friends were shoving some coffee into his hands, Umi and Ascot were catching up with Tatra and Tarta. After shaking Caldina off of him, Ascot had properly introduced himself to the princesses, before exchanging some pleasantries.

"So, you managed to save him then?" Tarta asked Umi. "How did you manage to do that?"

"I convinced Luna that freeing Ascot was wiser than following her twisted 'mother' and she undid the curse on him," Umi said smugly, holding her nose up high.

"Oh my! You defeated her all by yourself, after we struggled so much fighting together?" Tatra gawked at Umi in shock.

"Umu," Ascot nodded, smiling widely, "she was incredible with the way she moved and channeled her magic. And the words that she said were…"

Before Ascot could continue, Umi quickly covered his mouth, blushing embarrassedly, "Hehe, no need to get into too much detail…"

"So, you finally confessed then?" Tarta enquired casually, before taking a sip of fruit juice and asking. "What happened to that fish lady afterwards?"

"Well… the truth is that," Umi hesitated, before steeling her heart and bowing her head. "I am sorry! The truth is that Luna was a shadow created by my heart! I know she deserves to be punished by you, but I have already accepted her back into my heart! From now on, I take full responsibility for all the harm brought to your people and damage done to your vessel!"

It took a while for Tatra and Tarta to fully register what Umi's words meant without context, after which the sisters looked at each other. Their expressions shifted back and forth for a while, as they tried to decide how to respond to this. They wanted justice for their fallen guards and their families, but at the same time their culprit had already been dealt with. While they could punish Umi, it would feel like a waste after she dealt with Luna alone.

"Uhh… I guess it's okay since you also put an end to it?" Tarta rolled her eyes back in confusion.

"But she also caused it…" Tatra crossed her arms, staring at the floor.

For almost a minute, Umi was kept in suspense as the two princesses pondered about, until Tatra struck her fist against her palm.

"We will figure this out on a later date!" Tatra smiled, causing her sister and Umi to pratfall.

While the two of them were still recovering, Ascot placed his hands together and pleaded, "Please go easy on her. She did none of it on purpose."

Further away from one of the groups, under the middlemost balcony, Hikaru, Lantis, Caldina, and Lafarga were following the others.

"It is a nice change of pace seeing them all get along with each other," Caldina stated, leaning against Lafarga's arm.

"After all the fighting and chaos that has been plaguing our lives for the past week, I am surprised they still have so much energy," Lafarga stated, feeling a bit proud.

Noticing Hikaru standing next to him, almost underneath his cape, Lantis was reminded of their time together in the wasteland. She had seemed like a lost child, who was trying to work through her emotions after Hotaru's revelations about their world. Since then, he and Hikaru had spent time together talking and getting to know one another. They had fought side by side, shared their worries and dreams, and developed a close bond. Time after time, Hikaru would face any danger in her way fearlessly, proving a fighter as competent as he was. Although Lantis had at first seen her as just a poor victim of unfortunate circumstances, he had seen Hikaru grow and become a powerful warrior.

While he hadn't been sure of Hikaru's feelings towards him, his encounter with Nova today had all but confirmed it. The look in the elf's eyes as she had requested him to look after Hikaru, instead of anyone else in the room. Nova had previously said that she hated everyone who Hikaru loved, so maybe she loved him the least. But the disdainful look in Nova's eyes spoke otherwise. While the age gap between them was immense, Lantis had come to greatly respect Hikaru.

"Hikaru," Lantis spoke out, gaining the red-headed Magic Knight's attention, "there is something I need to…"

"AAAAAH! Stop following me!" Primera yelled, flying past Lantis's face.

"Pu-puu!" Mokona jumped after the fairy, bouncing off of Lantis's left pauldron.

As Primera was flying around the ballroom, Mokona chased after her via the different tables, as if playing floor is lava. Although the rivalry of the two fays had been a daily occurrence in the Sanctuary, this was quite the performance for today's guests. Eventually Mokona was caught by Presea, who managed to snag the bunny blob by the ears. As Presea started threatening Mokona in her usual manner and everyone laughed, Hikaru turned over to Lantis.

"What was it that you wanted to say?" Hikaru asked, bright-eyed.

"…I'll tell you later," Lantis smiled.

Up above the two, the last guests of the party had finally managed to reach the centermost balcony. With Clef in front and Hotaru and Alcyone standing behind him, they prepared to address the crowd. Getting up on a foot stool to look over the railing, Clef knocked the butt of his staff against the balcony.

"Attention everyone!" Clef yelled, but his words fell on deaf ears among the jovialities. "Attention everyone!"

With nobody responding, Hotaru patted the short Master Mage on the shoulder, "Cover your ears."

With nary a warning, the conversations in the ballroom were cut short, as a thunderous explosion echoed throughout the room. Those sitting closest to the balcony had to cover their ears to stop them from ringing, while those further away turned towards it. Standing behind the balcony railing, they saw Hotaru with his hands pressed together, with heat shimmers rising from his gauntlets. Alcyone and Clef were standing behind him, covering their ears, in a slight shock from Hotaru's "clap".

Although everyone was at first a bit miffed about the shock, they quickly gave their full attention to the trio above them. Staring down at the crowd sternly with his piercing blue eyes, Clef exuded and aura of concern and strictness. With her ankle-length black hair and broad white cape framing her black and gold outfit, Alcyone displayed her grace as a former noble. Wearing his Escudo armor, with his face mostly covered by his silver and gold helmet, Hotaru's presence demanded attention by just standing there.

"Is that the king of Cephiro?" Aska asked, referring to the man between the staff wielding mages.

"No but he sure acts that way sometimes," Ferio quipped.

"Look at the outfit that woman is wearing," Tarta whispered to her sister.

"I know, it is gorgeous," Tatra said, her eyes locked in.

Giving a slight whistle, Geo turned to Sierra, "The tall woman with black hair, she wouldn't happen to be single?"

"I am afraid she is together with Hotaru," Sierra answered awkwardly.

"Awww, man," Geo sighed defeatedly. "Some people have all the luck."

"Who's that kid next to Commander Hotaru?" Zazu asked Presea.

"The person in charge," Presea answered proudly.

Unable to hear Presea's words from up where he was standing, Clef sighed, "I guess introductions aren't needed… Go ahead, Hotaru."

Given the responsibility of convincing everyone to fight for Cephiro, Hotaru felt more nervous than during any of his sales pitches in his previous life. He knew Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu had already done the leg work in getting the three nations to this room in good relations. However, getting them to fully understand the gravity of the situation and to get their help, this is where many diplomatic negotiations broke down.

Placing his hands on the balcony railing, Hotaru addressed the crowd in a deep and solemn voice, "Royalties and officers alike, I thank you for attending this meeting, that may very well decide the fate of our worlds. We are faced with a foe that was born from the collective fears of all the people of Cephiro upon the death of the previous Pillar."

"Was that monster really born from the people's fears?" Sang Yung asked Fuu.

Nodding slowly, Fuu answered grimly, "That is correct."

"So Umi was speaking the truth…" Tarta stroked her chin.

"You were still doubting me!?" Umi yelled in a hushed tone.

"I thought it was a hyperbole!"

As the people finally quieted down, Hotaru continued, "This monster is one that none of us can take on our own, and who only grows stronger from our fears. For this reason, I urge you to keep up the morale of your people, for it is the hearts of the people who will eventually win this battle!"

"Knowing this is Cephiro, that cannot be taken too literally," Chang Ang pointed out, holding onto his staff tightly.

"The soldiers of Autozam feel no fear," Geo said confidently, putting down his tea-cup.

"We'll make sure to keep the people's morale up," Caldina smiled, referring to her kinsmen.

"The people of Cephiro will not be defeated by their own fears," Lafarga promised.

Seeing everyone getting Hooked on Hotaru's words, Alcyone encouraged him, "Go on, you are doing great!"

Despite Alcyone's reassurance, Hotaru wasn't too sure about that himself. Seeing the bright-eyed expressions of the audience, he knew he hadn't gotten across how dire the situation was. The difference between courage and recklessness was down to lack of understanding, and determined whether one would live or die. However, in this scenario, death and defeat were all too likely to worry about playing it safe.

Ready to bring down the hammer, Hotaru breathed in deeply, "While I am proud to see you all taking this in stride, do not underestimate our foe! While I would love to have an evacuation plan ready in case things get sour, our enemy is too powerful for that! The only thing that is holding Debonair back from consuming all of our worlds, is the continued existence of Cephiro. If this world were to fall, Debonair will have full access to the rest of the universe!"

"It's all or nothing, then," Eagle said before raising his right arm. "The crew of NSX shall fight to the last man standing!"

The elder princess of Chizeta followed suit, "Bravada's women and spirits will not be broken!"

"Fahren's Dome and Princess will not know defeat!" Aska declared loudly with her arms crossed, standing on a table.

"We will all fight for the future of Cephiro, and protect the land Princess Emeraude loved so dearly!" Hikaru clenched her fist, with Umi and Fuu nodding approvingly.

A cacophony of battle cries and cheers erupted in the ballroom, as everyone raised their fists. With the audience's spirits remaining unbroken even after his best efforts, Hotaru finally felt confident in their chances of winning.

"Now listen up!" he raised his voice eagerly. "I know you all want to take your time talking strategy, but Cephiro doesn't have much time left! As such I will brief you on our way to fight Debonair! I'd be lying if I said I had a master plan, for all we got is—!"

"Hotaru!" Alcyone interrupted him.

"They are coming!" Clef announced.

Having tasked the Sanctuary's two most powerful magic users to act as an early warning system, Hotaru knew they had no time to waste.

"Right," Hotaru nodded, before pointing forward. "Everyone to your vehicles! The enemy is approaching us! Ascot, Ferio, Caldina, Lafarga, Primera, Presea, and Sierra! Stay here and make sure to encourage the people inside the Sanctuary!"

"But what about—!" Ascot objected, before being stopped by Umi.

"We need you here, Ascot," Umi said sternly. "If enemy gets inside the castle again, we need your monsters to hold them back."

Though reluctant to stay behind, Ascot eventually nodded, "…Stay safe."

As everyone started rushing towards the exits, Lantis quickly grabbed hold of Hikaru's wrist, "Hikaru!"

"Lantis!" Hikaru yelled, slightly startled. "What is it?"

Though Lantis knew he was being heavy handed, and he wanted to take his time to talk to her properly, he knew he had no time to waste. Reaching underneath his armor, Lantis pulled out a golden necklace. From its sizable chain, hung a golden pendant decorated with rubies, with a smooth silver disc in the center of it. Holding Hikaru's arm in place, he placed the pendant in her hand.

"This is something my mother entrusted to me," Lantis said, looking into her eyes.

"I-I can't accept something so important!" Hikaru gasped, until noticing Lantis wasn't taking a no for an answer. "…Why?"

Knowing Debonair might have been listening, Lantis said, "It will help me protect you. Wear it during the battle."

Seeing how serious Lantis was, Hikaru nodded slowly, "Very well."


Author's Afterword: Finally, a shorter chapter! …Probably because I cut a 33 pager in half! I kind of feel bad for promising the penultimate chapter last time, but I felt like this was the right choice. I will be posting the other half tomorrow after finishing the proof reading. So you won't have to wait long if you are reading this as it comes out.

I was really hoping to be able to contain all the events in a single chapter, for the maximum emotional impact. However, on the other hand I feel this gives us more time to take a breather, and have a look back. This chapter ended up becoming one with mostly conversations, which will balance things nicely with the up-and-coming chapters.

But enough about the future, let's talk now! During my writing process I was debating if I should have Nova, Luna, and Terra remerge with the Magic Knights or stay as separate characters. It isn't exactly best explained what benefit there was for Hikaru and Nova to merge together in the original show, so keeping them around could have been fun. But as I look at my plans for the future, I am already struggling with an ever-increasing cast of characters. Furthermore, I feel like the shadows would have an innate desire to return to their knights. As such, with each of the shadows having taught their knights a valuable lesson, I saw it fit to let them go home.

What really got me going when writing these parts were all the interactions I could do with the three nations! While Bravada's and Chizeta's arrival created some interesting character dynamics, I felt like there was room for so much more.

As always, reviews, questions, and critiques are welcome! Let me know what you thought of the chapter! I would like to thank merendinoemiliano for their last week's review! Remember, even if you leave a review on an older chapter, I will always be grateful and make sure to mention you!