As Rune continued driving his motorcycle along the long road with the RV following behind, Mai sits in her room with Megan, listening intently. Megan recounted everything that had happened in the sewers, while Mai took notes, this time in her journal on a digital screen.
Mai then gently placed her hand on Megan's. "You're somehow connected to this Iris girl," she said thoughtfully.
Megan raised her hand, small sparks of magic flickering from her fingertips. "Back then, when I used this spell...", but before she could finish, Mai interrupted.
"I shall name this spell of yours 'Shining Star!' Whenever you use it, you shine brightly like a star, and when you pass your magic to others, they also look like stars from afar."
Megan chuckled softly. "Back during the war, using Shining Star left me without magic for months. But now, after using it in the sewers, I haven't lost all of my magic yet. That must mean I'm stronger than before."
Mai hugged her warmly. "In Nemura City, we can all get stronger. You'll be able to return to Ribbon City and discover who you truly are."
Megan looked down at the magic still lingering in her hand. "Do you think Nemura will make me as strong as Adam?" she wondered aloud, her gaze filled with both curiosity and determination.
Mai smiled gently, squeezing Megan's hand in reassurance. "If Nemura City is still standing strong like it once did, then there's a good chance we'll get stronger too. Nemura is the strongest city in the world for a reason."
Megan, comforted by the thought, then asked, "How are Ezzy and Jean doing?"
Mai sighed softly. "They seem a bit down. Their will to fight has depleted. I think they both feel like the more they fight, the more they'll have to use their powers, and that will put everyone around them in danger." Her voice grew thoughtful. "I can tell when someone's lost the will to fight. It's just like when my father, when he lost most of his magic powers in his prime time."
With a few taps on her screen, Mai brought up a digital image of her father, Rex. His face appeared on the screen, and his eyes reflected deep sorrow and the unmistakable look of someone who had given up. "His magic faded, and with it, his spirit." She looked back at Megan. "But we won't let that happen to us, I know we're stronger! My father didn't have a group like this back then, so with us all around Ezzy and Jean, I'm sure all of our wills will influence them and spark back the fire inside them."
Megan finished Mai's thought with a soft smile. "It's because we're a family now."
She raised her fist, showing the scar on her hand, a mark of their bond. Mai looked down at her own scar, a matching symbol of their shared experiences. "Of course, we're a family," she echoed, smiling.
They fist-bumped, and for a moment, Mai remembers the time back at Robo Mall when she, Ezzy, and Megan declared themselves sisters with them showing each other their wounds on their hand as a vow back then, that they would stand together through whatever came next.
As Rune continued driving and spotted the airport in the distance, he reported it to Mai through his chest microphone. Excitement filled the RV as everyone looked out the windows, seeing the airport approaching.
Nhia bounced up and down, barely able to contain himself. "I've been waiting too long to meet my GF, Jasee we're coming for you!" he exclaimed.
Kiren, with a puffed chest, proudly declared, "Of course, we'll save her! After all, I, Star Hero, am here!"
The room erupted in laughter at Kiren's dramatic flair, unable to handle his over-the-top heroism.
"I'm serious!" Kiren snapped, but his seriousness only added to the humor.
Nhia, ever playful, joined in. "Please, Star Hero, be my savior!"
Kiren, not missing a beat, summoned his hammer and, with a deep, manly voice, said, "No worries, Star Hero is here now. With you under my care, no villain shall do you harm!"
This sent everyone into another fit of laughter, lifting the mood even further as they continued toward the airport, energized and united.
As they pass the sign of " Sky City" and gets closer to the airport, the atmosphere inside the RV shifted from light-hearted laughter to focused determination. The sprawling silhouette of the airport loomed larger with each passing moment, and the reality of the upcoming mission began to settle in.
Mai tapped her fingers on her digital journal, taking a deep breath. "Alright, everyone. We're almost there. Let's stay sharp."
Nhia, still buzzing with excitement, checked his gear. "This is it. Jasee's waiting for me!"
Kiren, ever in character, tightened his grip on his hammer. "Star Hero is ready for action!"
Rune, speaking over his chest microphone, glanced back at the RV from his motorcycle. "We've got company."
Mai activates her earpiece and speaks to Adam. "Use your heat vision. How many zombies are around the airport?"
Adam's eyes glowed faintly as he activated his heat vision, scanning the area. "There are thousands of L-Star zombies walking outside the airport, and a few hundred inside. But..." His voice trailed off as he focused on something deeper into the airport. Toward the back where the planes were, a massive heat source flickered brightly, like a blazing sun. "There's a huge heat source at the end of the airport—something big, stronger than anything we've faced before."
Adam immediately leaves his seat and heads down to the living room where everyone else is gathered. "We've got a serious problem. There are over 1,000 L-Star zombies outside, and about 4-6 A-Star zombies inside the airport. These A-Stars are in the B-tier class. But that's not the worst part. There's an A-Star zombie near the planes... and it's in the high A-tier class, it's even stronger than me." His voice was grave.
The room falls silent as everyone processed the news. Rune shakes his head in disbelief. "Another A-tier zombie? I thought they were rare. Lately, we've been running into too many of these things."
Mai, seeing the panic beginning to rise, quickly intervenes. "Everyone, stay calm. I've got a plan to save Jasee and get a plane to Nemura City."
Nhia, desperate but trusting, asked, "What's the plan?"
Mai smiled slightly. "Stealth. We're going in quiet."
Simbad carefully maneuvered the RV down a narrow street, parking near a stairway that led underground to sky city's old train station. It is dark and mostly abandoned, the perfect route to approach the airport unnoticed. Mai stands in front of the group, her eyes focused as she relayed her plan.
"Listen up. Everyone except Simbad, Ezzy, Jean, Nakao, and me will stay behind in the RV. This mission is too dangerous, and we need to divide our strengths wisely. The rest of you guys will take the underground route to the airport, stay as stealthy as possible, and save Jasee."
She continues, "The RV team will set up drones to monitor the outside areas of the airport. You'll help us find the best plane we can use to escape. I'll feed you intel on the outside A-Star zombies."
Kiren, still processing the plan, raised a concern. "Ezzy and Jean... are they strong enough to come along? We're up against some serious threats here."
Before Mai could answer, Ezzy stepped forward, her face set with a bit of emotions. "We've thought about that. We don't want what happened in the sewers to repeat itself. Megan can't cast her Shining Star spell right now, so if anything goes wrong... there's no one to save us." She paused, her gaze shifting to Jean, who nodded silently.
The gravity of Ezzy's words settled over the group. Jean, though quiet, was just as resolute, and it was clear that the two of them had made their decision.
Adam and his team moves down the stairway together, weapons drawn and ready. Mai's voice comes through their earpieces, reminding them, "Stay together at all times." At the bottom of the stairs, they spot dozens of zombies wandering aimlessly in the train station. Kiren looks like he's about to charge forward, but Adam places a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"We need to conserve our strength," Adam says, his eyes scanning the station. "There are many more battles ahead of them, and I got a new spell to show, since I've gotten stronger from my previous battles." With that, Adam begins casting a spell, and magic surges from his body, forming a shimmering bubble around the group. "As long as we're inside this bubble, the L-Star zombies will ignore us."
Michael, standing a little behind Adam, scratches his head, smirking. "I can already do that just by existing."
Megan rolls her eyes and slaps his wrist playfully. "Not everyone's a half-zombie, Michael."
The group presses forward, the magic bubble moving with them as they walk past the zombies unnoticed. None of the L-Star zombies seem to register their presence. They hop onto the train tracks, moving cautiously down the darkened path, passing more L-Star zombies along the way. Eventually, they reach the next station, which connects directly to the airport.
Adam leads the group up the stairs and onto the first floor of the airport. The sight is daunting: hundreds of zombies are roaming around. Sensing an imminent threat, Adam warns, "An A-Star is coming in fast!"
Without warning, Kiren is kicked by a pair of kangaroo legs, so fast that he has no chance to react. The others, except Michael and Adam, see the kangaroo zombie's powerful kick that hits Kiren's chest. He tumbles out of the magic bubble, and a swarm of zombies immediately lunges at him.
Megan and Rune spring into action, rushing to Kiren's aid. They fight off the zombies, cutting them down one by one, while Adam focuses on maintaining the magic bubble. The bubble expands to include the others, keeping them safe from the zombie horde.
Nhia, his eyes wide with concern, turns to Adam and asks, "Shouldn't you deal with this A-Star zombie quickly?"
Adam shakes his head, his focus unwavering. "I need to keep this magic bubble up. If I don't, we'll be swarmed by an army of zombies. We need to stay protected while we handle this situation as stealthy as possible."
Nhia turns to Michael and says, "It's your job to keep the A-Stars off us. You're the second strongest here."
Michael, visibly nervous, shakes his head. "This zombie is faster than me. I'm not sure I can handle it."
Suddenly, the kangaroo zombie launches its powerful kicks, sending Megan, Kiren, and Rune crashing to the floor. Michael's eyes narrow as he watches the kangaroo zombie's rapid movements, a speed only he can perceive. Determined, he slaps himself twice and says, "Today, I'm not going to be a coward."
The kangaroo zombie charges again, kicking fiercely. Michael channels his lightning magic, meeting the kangaroo's kick with his own. The clash creates shockwaves that knock down nearby zombies. Despite the power of his counterattack, the kangaroo zombie kicks Michael out of the magic bubble. They then engage in a high-speed exchange of kicks, their movements creating a blur.
Adam, maintaining focus on the magic bubble, turns to Nhia. "Give me directions."
Nhia scans the area and replies, "Based on my conversation with Jasee, we need to get to the middle of the airport to reach the elevator to the top floor." Nhia points towards the direction.
With the elevator in sight, the group slowly moves towards the center of the airport, navigating through the chaos to reach their objective.
Adam warns the group, "There's another A-Star zombie incoming!"
As they spot the new threat, they see a zombie charging towards them, showering the area with falling money. The money zombie bursts with magical energy, moving even faster. Rune steps forward to clash with it, but the zombie's strength overpowers him, sending both Rune and the money zombie flying out of the magic bubble.
They crash into a throng of zombies. Rune quickly regains his footing, trying to defend himself. Suddenly, money starts swirling around in the air, slicing through the zombies around Rune. Despite his efforts, the flying money also cuts Rune, leaving him injured.
Rune wraps himself in a protective magical aura and surveys the chaotic scene. He finds himself caught in a swirling vortex of money. The money zombie closes in on him, taunting, "Your sword looks pretty. Let me cash it out for tons of money!"
Rune and the money zombie engage in a fierce battle. As they clash, Kiren is about to leap out of the magic bubble to assist Rune. Megan grabs his arm, stopping him. "Rune can handle himself. We need to help Nhia and Adam reach the elevator safely."
Adam warns the group again, "Another A-Star zombie is right in front of us!"
The team sees a Janitor zombie, who groans, "Our new guests are making a mess. I need to clean up right now!" He kicks over his mop bucket, spilling a flood of water and soap across the floor, creating a slippery hazard.
Megan reacts quickly, using her wind magic to lift herself off the ground. Nhia leaps onto Adam's back, while Kiren loses his balance and slips onto his back, sliding out of the magic bubble. Megan calls out, "Kiren, use your magic aura to balance your feet!"
Kiren struggles, "It's not that easy!" as he keeps slipping further.
Adam, too, begins sliding backward on the slick floor, pushing the team away from the elevator. Megan charges forward, propelled by her wind magic, and kicks the mop bucket away. The Janitor zombie swings his mop at her, clashing with Megan.
"You can't stop me from cleaning!" the Janitor zombie yells.
As the soap and water are cleared from Adam's feet, he seizes the moment, pushing toward the elevator doors. Nhia quickly presses the button to call the elevator down as the group regains focus.
Adam then senses another A-Star zombie, as they see a massive rolling ball barreling toward them, crushing everything in its path. The rolling mass halts in front of them, revealing a giant, fat zombie. "Y'all look so yummy," the zombie says, its enormous mouth expanding to an impossible size.
Without warning, the fat zombie devours the magic bubble, swallowing Adam and several nearby zombies. Just before being pulled in, Adam shoves Nhia out of the bubble's reach, saving him from being eaten. The fat zombie giggles with delight, rolling around as it gloats, "That was the best meal I've had in years!"
Nhia, terrified, finds himself alone by the elevator door, barely unnoticed by the surrounding zombies. Suddenly, the elevator arrives with a loud ding, and the doors slide open. Nhia stumbles inside but the noise draws the attention of the zombies. Their heads snap toward him as a horde begins charging toward the elevator.
Panicked, Nhia scrambles for the button to close the doors as the zombies rush in, their growls growing louder. His fingers shake, but he manages to press the button just as the zombies get closer. The doors begin to close slowly, the gap narrowing as Nhia holds his breath, waiting to see if he will escape in time.