Coincidentally as the princess finally made it to her destination...
It would appear Noctis had as well following his departure from Beyond Starlight to the edge of Dreamworld, where a thin membrane stood before him and his chance at freedom.
"Argh! Damn you, Morpheus!" Noctis shouted to the sky as he punched and kicked the barrier to vent some of his frustration, 'Just what idiot would place an entire realm on lockdown, based on the probability they may have found a clue to a problem they don't understand?'
"What's the issue, Master?" Charlie asked as if he was unaware of the pickle they were in.
"Charlie, surely you can't be serious?" Noctis asked as he gazed at his disciple as if he was stupid.
"But Master, isn't it just a barrier, and aren't you a Peaked Ranked Empyrean, so if 1+1=2 doesn't that mean you can destroy the barrier quite easily?" He said after giving it some thought.
"Charlie while I love you to death… please, I beg you don't piss me off right now! So, to ensure that doesn't happen make yourself useful and help me find a few weak points."
"Sigh, I'll try Master, but honestly couldn't you just corrupt the barrier and create a crack larger enough for us to squeeze through, rather than finding a few weak key points and temporarily weakening an area of the barrier and shattering it?" Charlie asked curiously before swiftly ducking and dashing away with Shadow to begin his assignment promptly.
"ASK ME ANOTHER FUCKING QUESTION, CHARLIE AND WATCH HOW I CRIPPLE YOU!" Noctis shouted like an enraged beast as he unleashed a roundhouse kick that missed its target and collided with the barrier, causing it to shudder and produce a dong sound.
That could be heard throughout Dreamworld as a visible wave-like ripple that transversed the entirety of the barrier and resulted in the barrier shining with a viridescent glow. That lasted a few seconds and disappeared shortly afterward, following the absorption and manipulation of the damage inflicted to repair and strengthen the area Noctis attacked.
"Gulp, um... Master, don't you think that was a bit excessive?" Charlie asked calmly even though he was panicking on the inside, 'Surely, he wasn't planning on actually killing me right, Shadow?'
'Maybe but then again probably not, as you are the only disciple he has, Charlie. But just to be safe, I would stay away from him for some time until he cools off, lest you die before we can find you a wife.' Shadow replied with a purr as she sighed and gazed briefly at the stilling sleeping Rin a few feet away from them.
"And that's *pant* why it would be pointless *pant* to destroy the barrier," Noctis said as he tried to catch his breath, "So get to work and stop diddle-daddling as we have much to do, before that Queen of whatever arrives and tries to kill me."
***
15 minutes later...
"Hmm, what's going on?" I wondered with a yawn before frowning as I sat up and noticed I was not in Beyond Starlight anymore but somewhere that resembled a room you would find in a tavern.
However, while strange I did not feel uncomfortable but on the contrary, quite relaxed as if a burden had been lifted off my shoulders.
"Oi, the kid woke up!" A figure cloaked in all black shouted as they appeared from the wall beside me, "Welp, it seems it's time for me to go, so good luck and do try and comply kid."
"Um, do you know what's going on?" I inquired before they could twist the knob and leave.
"Sorry, but I'm just a lowly servant of the princess tasked with supervising you, while the Highness took care of your friends," They replied before quickly leaving and closing the door behind them, 'Sigh, just what sin did this kid's ancestors commit to get wrapped up with the royal family's treasure jewel?'
Thud. Click.
"... just what the fuck happened while I was asleep," I wondered before remembering Artemis might have a clue, even though I was unsure if he would satisfy my curiosity, 'Artemis, do you know what occurred while I was sleeping.'
[Sadly, yes... but I don't think you would want to hear it, considering an old acquaintance is quickly making their way toward us, Master Rin.]
'Wait, huh? What do you mean by "an old acquaintance," Artemis?'
[You will see shortly, Master Rin... even though, it is uncertain whether you will still remember her.]
"At long last, I've finally found you, Rin Jasper Kurama or should I say, Ezekiel," A woman in an all-white dress wearing a mask with a man dressed as a butler standing behind her said.
"Do I know you?" I asked since I had no recollection of anyone who resembled the person before me, no matter how I racked my brain.
"Haha! While funny, in time you surely will once again, my love… even though, it hurts to know the man I once sacrificed everything for, suddenly has amnesia on the day we reunite. Yet I bet if that whore @#$%^& was here you would still remember her, even though in the end, she was the one to backstab you, Ezekiel to gain Immortality! But no, when all I wanted was your attention and love, you instead disregarded and chased after a bitch who only used you and never loved you."
She shouted with heartache as a burst of dark purple energy exploded from her body, coating the entire room and trapping them in a box. So that whatever occurred here would never leave this space.