While Djeeta and Belle were deep in discussion, the others were at Port Breeze, preparing for the upcoming battle. They meticulously checked their equipment, ensuring everything was ready for what would likely be their toughest fight yet.
"This is the strongest rapier I can offer you, Katalina. If I had more time, I could find something better, but for now, this is the best I have," Sierokarte said as she handed the weapon to Katalina.
"Unfortunately, we don't have much time, so this will have to do. Thank you, Siero. I'll pay you after we get back," Katalina replied as she inspected the rapier.
"Hihihi, no need to worry about payment. Just make sure you bring Rei back," Sierokarte giggled softly.
Katalina smiled at the comment, expressing her gratitude once more before heading toward the door. But just as she reached it, Sierokarte's tone shifted.
"We're counting on you, Katalina, and everyone else. I hope you all come back safely," Sierokarte said, her voice unusually serious. Katalina had rarely heard her speak with such seriousness.
Katalina paused, looking back briefly to nod before stepping out of the store.
Fighting Rei... If someone asked if she was afraid, her answer would be no. As a knight, her duty was to protect the people, and she had vowed to protect Lyria. But if someone asked her how she truly felt, then yes, deep down, there was fear—fear of facing Rei.
After spending a year with him, she knew his strength well. She still vividly remembered the moment he revealed that he was an Astral, one of the ancient beings with the power of Creation and dominion over Primal Beasts. But Rei was not like Loki, the Astral they had faced before. Loki wielded no power of his own, relying solely on Fenrir, his Primal Beast.
But Rei... Rei was entirely different. His mastery over Primal Beasts, combined with his Supreme Primarch abilities, made him far more dangerous. This battle would be the hardest one they had ever fought. Even against Akasha, she hadn't felt the same level of fear she felt now.
But despite that...
Katalina glanced around her. Thanks to Michael's protection during the cataclysm, Port Breeze was largely spared. No lives were lost, and the city remained standing. Now, she could see the townspeople working to clear the dust and repair the cracks in the walls.
Even though they were cleaning up, they worked with joy, grateful for the lives they still had and for the hope of tomorrow.
But if we fail... if we can't bring Rei back...
Everything would be destroyed.
Katalina clenched her fist tightly, feeling the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders. With determination fueling her steps, she walked toward where the others were waiting.
-----
After that, Katalina left the city, walking along a path lined with green fields and a refreshing breeze blowing through the air. She continued toward the spot where they had agreed to meet after gathering their weapons and supplies for the upcoming battle.
It didn't take long for Katalina to reach the top of the hill at the edge of Port Breeze. There, she could see a large tree surrounded by the lush green grass.
"Eugen, Rackam," Katalina called out as she approached the two who were waiting under the tree.
"Katalina, looks like you're all set," Eugen said, eyeing the rapier now strapped to her waist.
"Yeah, I got the rapier from Sierokarte. What about you two?"
"We're ready," they replied, showing her their new rifles.
Katalina nodded approvingly at the sight of their upgraded weapons. The rifles looked far better than the ones they had before. Then, she glanced over at Io, who was meditating, with Rosetta sitting behind her, gently touching her back.
"It's really rare to see Io meditating like this. She usually says it's too annoying," Rackam chuckled softly.
"Yeah, I know..." Katalina murmured.
Right now, Io and Rosetta were working to synchronize their powers. By aligning their Mana flow, Rosetta could try to merge with Io's body, enhancing her abilities with Rosetta's Primal Beast strength.
So far, everything seemed to be going well. Even both Lyria and Lyria² had mentioned feeling Rosetta's power more prominently.
Katalina remembered that Rei also had Rosetta's power within him, so now Io was attempting something similar to what Rei had done.
"What about you two? Have you both managed to merge with Leviathan and Yggdrasil?" Katalina asked.
"Well... not exactly. We still can't use the weapon Rei uses, but..." Rackam raised his rifle and aimed it toward an empty space in the distance.
From the barrel, a green light began to glow, charged with the power of Yggdrasil. Rackam fired it, and the blast shot through the air at high speed, leaving a powerful gust in its wake.
"Now I can use Yggdrasil's power more easily, and it doesn't take as long to charge," Rackam explained.
Eugen nodded in agreement, having also found it easier to wield Leviathan's power.
"I just don't understand how Rei can summon Primal Beast weapons like that. Even when I asked Leviathan, he didn't know either," Eugen added.
The three of them continued chatting for a while, discussing their preparations and plans as they waited for Io to finish her meditation.
An hour passed.
"Looks like everyone's here," they suddenly heard Io's voice.
"Hmm, Io, are you done? Did you succeed?" Katalina asked.
Io smiled, flashing a V-sign with her fingers in their direction.
"Yeah, of course, we succeeded! Right, Rosetta?" Io said confidently.
"Fufufu, yes, we're ready. Now all that's left is to wait for the battle," Rosetta added with a soft laugh.
-----
Another hour passed as Io and Rosetta rested, while the others continued talking. Suddenly, four lights—red, blue, green, and brown—appeared before them, manifesting Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.
"Hello, everyone," Gabriel greeted them as they emerged.
"Oh, you're here! Did that fallen angel finally talk?" Io asked eagerly.
"Yes," Michael responded. "Djeeta spoke to her, and she's already told us where Rei is."
"Now Djeeta and the others are preparing their gear. Are you all ready?" Raphael asked, looking around.
Katalina and the others exchanged glances before nodding in unison. "We're ready," Katalina said confidently.
Hearing this made the Tetra Archangels smile. They raised their hands toward Katalina and the others.
"You mortals truly exceed our expectations," they spoke in unison. "It seems we Archangels no longer need to protect and guide you."
"Now, take this blessing from us. We hope it helps you save Rei and bring him back." As they spoke, each Archangel summoned the light of their respective elements—Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth.
The elements swirled through the air, moving toward Katalina, Eugen, Rackam, and Io. As the power infused them, they felt a tremendous surge of energy, as though the very elements themselves responded more easily to their will.
"This...!" Eugen murmured, gazing at the glowing light surrounding him.
It didn't take long for their bodies to absorb the blessings, the light fading into their forms.
"This is all we can offer you," Michael said, her tone humble. "It may not seem like much, but we hope it will aid you in what's to come."
"No, no, this is more than enough!" Rackam exclaimed, looking down at his body, still feeling the residual energy coursing through him. "I can feel my power increasing so much!"
"Wait," Rosetta interjected, her voice sharp. "What do you mean by 'that's all'? Are you not coming to fight Rei with us?"
"Unfortunately, we can't join you in this battle," Raphael answered calmly.
"It's not because we're afraid or unwilling," Uriel added, "but we have a plan in place for what's to come. Don't worry."
"You'll understand soon enough," Gabriel said reassuringly. "For now, let's wait for the others to arrive."
A short time later, Djeeta and the others arrived, with Belle in tow to prevent her from escaping or warning Rei. They gathered under the large tree, standing in silence. Not a word was spoken as they waited. The tension was palpable, everyone feeling the weight of the upcoming battle. Even Djeeta could sense it—the nervousness, the fear of what was to come.
Djeeta glanced at her companions, seeing the worry in their eyes. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward.
"Everyone," she began, her voice steady but firm, "I know you're scared. I am too. This fight... it's not going to be easy. But we've faced impossible odds before, and we've always come out stronger. Rei is one of us, and we're not just fighting to defeat him. We're fighting to save him."
Her words hung in the air for a moment, the weight of her conviction spreading through the group.
"I believe in all of you," she continued. "I know we can do this."
Gran, who had been standing quietly beside her, stepped forward, clenching his fists. "Djeeta's right. Rei isn't just some enemy we have to beat. He's our friend. We've fought alongside him. This time, we need to bring him back, no matter what it takes."
He turned to face the group, his eyes blazing with determination. "We're not just going to fight. We're going to win—because we have to. For Rei, for the future, and for everything we've been through together."
The group fell silent again, but this time, the tension was replaced with a sense of resolve. They knew what was at stake, but now, they had the will to see it through.
As the wind rustled through the grass around them, they all prepared themselves for the inevitable battle, their hearts set on one goal: bringing Rei back, no matter the cost.
-----
"Sandalphon, there is something we want to discuss with you," Michael suddenly said, her voice serious as she approached Sandalphon.
"Discuss? Is now really the right time?" Sandalphon replied, her tone slightly skeptical, as she was about to leave with the others for the upcoming battle.
"Yes, this is the time," Raphael responded, her gaze unwavering.
Seeing the seriousness in their expressions, Sandalphon hesitated before finally nodding. She followed them, moving away from the group.
"Where's she going with the others?" Halluel asked, watching Sandalphon leave with curiosity.
"I'm not sure... but I have a guess," Malluel replied, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched them disappear from view.
When Sandalphon and the four Archangels were far enough away, they finally stopped. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel exchanged glances before giving each other a nod.
Without warning, three pairs of wings appeared behind each of them, glowing brightly with their elemental power. Sandalphon's eyes widened in confusion as she tried to understand what was happening.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice laced with shock and worry.
They didn't respond immediately, instead closing their eyes and concentrating. Their wings began to glow even brighter before they slowly started to disappear, the power within them condensing into something new.
As their wings vanished completely, four feathers materialized in front of each Archangel—one red, one blue, one green, and one brown—each filled with the immense power of their respective elements.
"Take our power, Sandalphon," they said in unison, their voices calm but commanding. "With all of our combined strength, you'll have a chance to fight him."
The four feathers floated forward, stopping just in front of Sandalphon, who stared at them with wide eyes. For a moment, she was speechless, processing the gravity of what they were offering her.
Then, with a serious expression and newfound determination, she reached out toward the feathers.
The moment her fingers touched them, the feathers were absorbed into her body effortlessly. Her entire form began to glow, each element—Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth—radiating from her as her power surged to new heights. She could feel the strength coursing through her, her wings itching to manifest from her back, but she held them back, not wanting to waste any of the energy she had just gained.
She took a deep breath, centering herself, and suppressed the overwhelming power, forcing the glow to recede until it finally disappeared completely. Sandalphon glanced down at her hands, then back at the Archangels.
"Thank you, everyone," she said, her voice filled with gratitude. "I'll make sure to use your power properly."
After that, they returned to the others.
"Is everyone ready?" Gran asked them all.
"Yes!" they replied in unison.
"We're going to stay here and make sure this fallen angel doesn't do anything to interfere with your fight," Raphael said, staring at Belle, who was bound.
"My, my, you don't need to be like that. I've already agreed with irregular Djeeta, I'm not going to interfere," Belle said with a mischievous tone.
"Alright, if everyone's ready, I'm going to open the portal to Rei's location," Djeeta said, then pulled out her large sword.
The sword, part of the outfit she received after connecting with her other self from a different timeline, began to glow.
"Reginleiv: Azimuth!" Her greatsword was immediately infused with the power of the Boundary and surrounded by a blue aura.
"Haaaah!" Djeeta slashed in front of her.
After the slash, something strange happened, as if she had cut through reality itself. A blue portal appeared from her slash, widening as it grew.
"Nice, nice! You can actually do it!" Belle clapped her hands, impressed by Djeeta's actions.
"Is that a gateway? Where does it lead?" Vyrn asked Djeeta.
"This will take us to the Point Zero dimension... It's a dimension created by Lucillus, and that's where we'll face him," Djeeta said as she dismissed her weapon.
"Point Zero dimension? So he's in another dimension right now?" Lyria² asked.
"Yes, I can't infiltrate his dimension for too long, so we need to hurry," Djeeta explained.
"Once we enter, we can't leave until we finish the battle, so this is your choice—enter or stay here."
Naturally, none of them wanted to stay behind. They all wanted to help.
"Alright, I'll go in first," Djeeta said before slowly stepping into the gateway.
The others followed her, one by one, entering the dimension until only Sandalphon remained.
"We're counting on you and everyone else, Sandalphon," the others said to her.
"Just leave him to us," she replied before stepping through the portal.
After they entered the portal, they emerged into a barren landscape, devoid of anything except for clouds and massive blue squares floating around the area.
[IMAGE]
"What kind of place is this? There's basically nothing here!" Io exclaimed as she looked around.
"What are those blue squares, Djeeta?" Orchid asked, gazing at the strange shapes.
But Djeeta didn't answer. She kept her eyes locked forward with a serious expression.
"He's here," Djeeta suddenly said, causing everyone to tense up and look ahead.
"I see... It seems Belial betrayed me," Lucillus slowly descended from the sky, his twelve dark wings spread wide.
"Not really a betrayal—she just chose the better version of you!" Djeeta smirked as she watched Lucillus appear.
Lucillus remained silent for a moment, scanning the group as if assessing their strength.
Suddenly, he raised his hand forward, summoning black and silver lightning that crackled and formed the Sword of Repudiation, followed by two additional strikes on his left and right, creating the Swords of Renunciation.
"His weapons are different!" Rackam shouted, noticing the drastic change in Lucillus' armaments.
The Sword of Repudiation, which was usually gold, now appeared gray, more ominous than ever. Meanwhile, the Swords of Renunciation were blood-red and looked larger, more menacing.
[IMAGE]
"Djeeta, Singularity Gran... it's time for the final battle. The apocalypse shall soon be realized..." Lucillus gripped the Sword of Repudiation, while the Swords of Renunciation pointed towards them, ready for battle.
"Yes, it's time to end this, Lucillus!" Djeeta shouted, unleashing her Boundary Power, turning her hair blue and surrounding her entire body with a powerful blue aura.
Everyone else readied their weapons, preparing for the fight ahead.
Halluel and Malluel unfolded their wings, while Sandalphon began focusing, trying to channel all of her newfound strength.
But then, without warning—
"Now, I will bring everything to ruin... PARADISE LOST!" Lucillus suddenly soared high into the sky, preparing his ultimate attack and unleashing it directly toward them.