Loran released a burning grey arrow that streaked across the battlefield, aiming to disrupt the ship. It erupted in a violent explosion against Sowsan's mist barrier, but the barrier held.

  Azalor, perceiving the buildup of mana on Ethra’s ship, widened his eyes. "They intend to intercept it? No!"

  Before he could cast a spell to stop them, Qaws launched himself skyward. He didn't jump; he exploded upward on a geyser of green wind, grabbing Velins by the ankle and dragging the heavy brawler into the air with him.

  Nawal shouted from the beach, "I don't know what you're planning, you insane assassin—but fine, take this!" She blasted a jet of water under them, boosting their height even further.

  Velins flailed as he was pulled higher into the freezing clouds. "Qaws! What are you doing?!"

  Qaws grinned, blood spilling from his mouth and flying back in the slipstream. "I never thought flying would be this fun!"

  At that exact moment, Ethra fired her weapon again. KRA-KOOM. An immense beam of blue and crimson power roared from the ship, aiming for the meteor.

  Qaws spun in mid-air. With a final burst of strength, he hurled Velins directly into the path of the beam. "EAT IT!"

  Nawal screamed, covering her mouth. "Wait—what are you doing?! Are you insane?!"

  Velins soared toward Ethra's attack, helpless to stop his trajectory. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened his arms. Qaws fell backward, plummeting toward the sea below, still smiling like a lunatic.

  The Whale and the Void

  Azalor saw the opening. He raised a finger, firing a dark Violet Thunderbolt toward the exposed Velins to vaporize him before the beam connected.

  RRRUUUUUM. The sea exploded. Valina—the colossal whale—rose from the depths like a living mountain. She didn't bite; she simply put her massive body between Azalor and Velins. The thunderbolt struck her thick hide, carving a black burn, but she didn't flinch. She roared, her enormous jaws snapping toward Azalor.

  Azalor hissed, forced to abort his attack. He raised both hands, conjuring a dome of darkness to block the physical impact of the Titan. The collision forced him backward, sliding fifty feet through the mud.

  The Lavender Star

  High above, Velins made contact. From her ship, Ethra gasped, lowering the smoking weapon. "Wait... where did the beam go? Did I miss?"

  Aseel shouted, pointing up. "Look! It's the strange boy! He ate it!"

  Velins hovered in the sky, suspended by the sheer pressure of the energy he was holding. He had absorbed the entirety of Ethra's attack. His veins bulged, glowing bright blue, then shifting to his signature Violent Lavender. His skin smoked. His armor cracked.

  He laughed breathlessly, the sound vibrating with power. "You madman, Qaws... I never imagined the people of Eurasia were this reckless."

  The lavender aura ignited around him, turning him into a second sun. He drew back his left fist. The energy screamed to be released. "HAAAAAA!"

  The Rain of Fire

  Falcon looked up at the sky, blood running down his face into his beard. Reiz, seeing the threat, vanished, attempting to fly up and intercept Velins.

  "Oh no you don't." Falcon swung his sword at empty air. A massive Blue Wave of aura tore through the space where Reiz was about to appear. Reiz was forced to materialize early and leap aside, his cloak shredded by the ocean pressure.

  Reiz stared, furious. "You—!"

  Falcon smirked, leaning on his sword. "What's wrong? Did you forget I'm still here?" He glanced at the glowing lavender star in the sky. "How comforting... The new generation is just as insane as the old one."

  He looked at the horizon where is Majd on the green comet ship comet, who struggled weakly under the mind control. Falcon. "Stay there... I'll heal you soon."

  Above them, Velins punched. A massive beam of concentrated lavender energy—magnified ten times over—shot upward. It struck the falling meteor dead center.

  CRACK. The sound shattered windows on the ships. The meteor didn't just break; it detonated. The massive rock was pulverized into thousands of smaller, flaming fragments.

  Falcon roared, his voice overcoming the thunder. "MEN! FIRE! AIM FOR THE FRAGMENTS!"

  Pirates and Sailors screamed in unison. Cannons, rifles, and magic spells erupted from the ground and sea, creating a curtain of fire to incinerate the falling debris before it could crush them.

  The Broken Knight

  Lainas stared ahead, his sword trembling in his grip. The face inside the shattered helm was rot and bone, but the stance... the stance was unmistakable. "Suhail...?" Lainas whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs. "Is that you?"

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  Suhail stepped forward. His emerald armor was shattered, his sword cracked down the middle. Darkness pulsed through the gaps in his plate like living veins. He didn't speak. He didn't breathe. He simply attacked.

  CLANG. The blow was heavy, devoid of restraint. Lainas blocked desperately, his boots sliding backward in the mud. "Suhail?! It's me! Stop!"

  SLASH. Suhail twisted his blade, carving a shallow gash into Lainas's shoulder. Blood sprayed. The Knight raised his sword again, his hollow eyes fixed on nothing.

  One of the Luminous Tree warriors shouted, "Commander?! Watch out!"

  Falcon, still holding Majd and keeping Reiz at bay, called out over the din of battle. "Boy! Do you need help? I thought you came to assist us, not ask for assistance!"

  Lainas gritted his teeth, parrying another lethal strike from his dead friend. "No..." Lainas shouted back, shoving Suhail away with a burst of wind magic. "I know I'm in bad shape! But we came to help... and to ask for help as well!"

  Falcon blinked, surprised by the honesty. "Oh?"

  Lainas didn't let up. He raised his voice, letting it carry over the thunder of cannons and the screams of the dying. "THE MAINLAND NEEDS THE STRENGTH OF THE PIRATES!"

  The battlefield seemed to pause. Even the Black Order soldiers hesitated at the volume of his voice. "The old glory of Leonithra is gone!" Lainas roared. "But you are not alone! There are others resisting! Look at your crew—they are recovering from the invaders' control because we brought the cure!"

  Falcon glanced at his men. The madness was fading from their eyes. They were standing up, looking at the "invaders" with clear, angry vision. Then he looked at Reiz, who glared back with murderous intent.

  Lainas shouted with all his remaining strength, pointing his sword at the sky where the meteor dust was still falling. "I am Lainas, Leader of the Luminous Tree Tribe! I ask for your aid, Pirates of Thera! Help us drive these invaders back to the Void they came from! Fight with us, and we will reclaim the cure for everyone you love!"

  When Heroes Bleed

  Lainas charged at the Broken Knight with fierce determination, their blades clashing in a rapid exchange of sparks. Suhail swung his corrupted sword, releasing a wave of necrotic shadow. Lainas didn't dodge. He slammed his wooden blade into the mud. CRACK. Thick roots burst upward, weaving into a wall that absorbed the shadow attack. The vines hissed, releasing a cloud of paralyzing pollen that drifted toward Suhail and the surrounding Black Order soldiers.

  Across the battlefield, Falcon stood like a lighthouse amidst the storm. Pirates shouted and fired at the falling meteor fragments, but the Captain’s focus was solely on the monster before him. Reiz clashed with him in brutal, heavy blows. With a snarl, Reiz swung his jeweled blade, unleashing a burning streak of grey fire. Falcon raised his sword. A deep blue aura—the color of the deep abyss—erupted from it. "HAAAA!" Reiz spat back, "You stubborn old man! Just DIE!"

  Their attacks collided. The impact released a massive vertical beam of light that tore through the clouds—a beacon visible to everyone across the sea.

  On the ship, Ethra looked toward the horizon, eyes widening as she saw the shockwave and the towering waves pushing outward from the island. Aseel stared at the water. "Wait... Falcon... what is he doing?!" "What do you mean?" Ethra demanded, gripping the railing. "Look at the drift," Aseel shouted. "He's changing the water currents... He's pushing us away from the island!"

  Ethra froze. Her blood ran cold. Aseel grabbed her arm. "We need to move! The current is too strong, it will capsize us if we fight it!"

  But Ethra seized his shoulder, her fingernails digging into his uniform. Her voice trembled. "Wait... If we leave now, it means we didn't understand what he's trying to tell us. He's pushing us away because he knows what's coming." Aseel stared at her, stunned. "Are you out of your mind?! He's sacrificing himself!" He saw the tears streaming down her soot-stained face and fell silent.

  Back on the island, the dust settled near the shattered huts. A small figure stepped into the battlefield. Wasim. His eyes were empty, glowing with a faint, possessed violet light. A black aura leaked from his small body like smoke. In his hand, he clutched a Clear Crystal—empty, waiting to be filled.

  Falcon turned just in time to avoid a strike from Reiz. He spotted the boy. "Wasim?!" Falcon roared. "What are you doing here?!"

  Reiz clapped mockingly, floating above the mud. "Excellent. So the boy found the vessel after all." He lunged.

  Falcon, bleeding from his chest, blocked the strike and hurled himself toward Wasim to shield the child. Azalor appeared suddenly from the mist, smiling coldly. He pointed his staff at the boy. "Target acquired." A violet bolt shot toward Wasim.

  Reiz leapt upward, his blade igniting. "Lucifer's Wrath!!"

  Falcon didn't think. He pulled Wasim into his chest with his left arm, holding His sword with his right. He turned his back to Reiz to shield the boy.

  But in the violent motion, Wasim’s hand jerked. The boy wasn't in control. The spirits guided his muscle. SHKKT.

  Falcon froze. He looked down. Wasim’s dagger was buried to the hilt in Falcon’s stomach, just below the ribs.

  Mehran, fighting nearby, screamed. "FALCON!!"

  Then, the shadows lengthened. Valon appeared behind Falcon. The Reaper didn't strike physically. He swept his scythe through the air, passing through Falcon’s back. "Hmm..." Valon murmured, his voice like grinding stones. "You lost focus." He drew out a silvery wisp of Falcon’s soul.

  Falcon gagged, his knees buckling. Mehran collapsed as if he had been hit himself, the psychic link shattering.

  Reiz descended. He drove his grey-fire blade deep into Falcon’s exposed back. CRUNCH.

  Falcon didn't fall. He stood there, impaled from behind, stabbed from the front, his soul harvested... but he was still holding the two boys tight, shielding them from the blast.

  Velins saw it from afar. He sprinted, screaming. "OLD MAN!" Lainas turned, his face pale. "No..."

  Pirates dropped their weapons, their voices breaking in a collective cry of horror. "FALCON!!!"

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