It's morning, a few days later. The girls are healthy and fully recovered, happy to have passed the trial together. Geal, Bredgy, and Uruta are eating at a restaurant with a lovely outdoor view, their table covered with various dishes. Our heroine devours a massive piece of meat.
"Nom-nom-nom! Thanks for treating us, Bredgy!" Geal says, swallowing. "I still don't know where you get so much money though..."
"Ahhh... It's been so long since I've eaten this well," Uruta chimes in, his belly now as round as a ball as he rolls contentedly on the table.
"That trial was exhausting. It's been three days, and I'm still tired," Bredgy admits, taking a sip of her coffee. "We need to recharge. Eat as much as you need."
"Now that we've got all three badges, we can go fight Mr. Magnius!" Geal says excitedly.
The punk girl stabs her fork into the strawberry cake in front of her, playing with the fruit as she pushes the cream aside. Resting her elbow on the table and her face on her fist, she looks serious, deep in thought.
"I know this journey is just a mission. My only job is to steal Geal's Crystal for Mr. Dubh..." Bredgy thinks, glancing down and sideways. "But... I feel so good traveling with her. Why is that?"
Without warning, Geal pokes a piece of cake into Bredgy's mouth with her fork. Bredgy tastes it and snaps back to reality.
"You've barely eaten anything, Bredgy. Eat up! We still have to go to the Sacred Palace," Geal encourages. "Being the Chosen One is your dream too, isn't it?"
Bredgy leans back slightly, then gives a faint smile, avoiding Geal's gaze and acting shy.
"Yeah... it's my dream too," Bredgy replies timidly.
"I've been thinking about something," Geal says, raising a finger with excitement. "When I become the Chosen One, I'll share the throne with you and Mathias! We'll be unstoppable together. The coolest Chosen Ones ever! What do you think?"
Seeing Geal's eyes light up as she says this, Bredgy returns her smile, feeling slightly more cheerful.
"Yeah, let's do it," the punk girl responds.
Our heroine blushes, sways her shoulders, and looks away from her friend, turning her gaze to the window. She prepares to say something heartfelt.
"You know, Bredgy, I've never had a friend like you," Geal says with a touch of nostalgia but a firm tone. "When I lived in the village, all the girls rejected me for being different. None of them wanted to play with me. I know I'm a little weird, but you asked me to travel together anyway. We haven't been together for long, but you've become very important to me."
Geal gives her a sweet smile.
"You're dear to me, Bredgy! You're my best friend!"
Completely stunned, Bredgy stares at her with a frozen expression; those words are far too heavy for her. She feels unworthy of hearing them, especially knowing the secret she's hiding.
"I... I also..."
A few seconds later, a loud explosion interrupts their conversation, shaking the ground. Drinks spill, the wooden walls creak, and people tumble from their chairs. Something big is happening outside.
Everyone rushes out of the restaurant, and chaos greets them.
"Look...!"
One of the patrons points at the temple. Smoke billows from its tallest tower, as if it has been bombed. It's a terrifying scene. Amid screams and sobs, the crowd scatters in panic, unsure where to go.
More explosions echo throughout the city, chaos spreading as people flee the smoke and fire. A series of attacks unfolds, but the perpetrator remains unclear.
"Strange... Mr. Dubh didn't tell me there would be an attack. What's going on?" Bredgy wonders, as confused as everyone else.
"It's Royal Mechanic causing trouble again!" accuses Uruta.
While everyone else flees, Geal and Bredgy draw their weapons, ready to fight. Once again, they find themselves in the line of fire, determined to stop the criminal group. Suddenly, a large, piloted robot emerges from the smoke. It's far more detailed and menacing than any they've faced before, adorned with the signature R.M. insignia.
"Geal! Where's Geal?! I'm going to crush her!" someone shouts from the cockpit. "I'm sick of my plans failing. I'll capture you myself!"
Without hesitation, Geal steps forward to confront the robot, unafraid.
"Here I am! What do you want?" she challenges.
"Geal, don't get cocky! This robot is bigger than usual," Uruta warns.
Meanwhile, Bredgy's pupils shrink in shock.
"Oh no... It's him...!"
The battle begins! The robot throws a punch at Geal, but she blocks it with her shield and steps back. It delivers multiple strikes, but the girl dodges them all. She has become much more agile since their first encounter with one of these machines.
The ground cracks under the force of each blow, but this doesn't faze our heroine. She throws her shield at the robot, aiming to damage it against all odds.
"Geal, don't fight him!" Bredgy yells, her voice trembling.
"What? Why?"
"He's not like the others! We have to run...!"
Relentlessly, the robot continues its barrage of punches. This time, Geal and Uruta comply, running alongside Bredgy and dodging every attack thrown their way.
"Bredgy? What's going on?" Geal asks, alarmed.
"There's no time to explain, but if we fight him, we don't stand a chance. We need to hide," Bredgy insists as they run.
The punk girl is consumed by nerves. She doesn't even understand what she's feeling but knows there's no turning back.
"What am I doing? Why am I helping Geal? I should hand her over...! But... why am I protecting her?!" Bredgy thinks.
Pushing through the panicked crowd, Geal and the group slip into an alley. Bredgy spots a door at the far end, away from the robot.
"He's lost sight of us. Let's go in there," Bredgy says, pointing to the door.
Without hesitation, the group runs toward it. Bredgy kicks the door open, and they enter. The place appears to be an abandoned building, covered in graffiti and cracked walls, with no lighting inside.
Without time to worry about niceties, they race upstairs, climbing floor after floor. They reach the highest room, where they believe they'll be safe.
"Bredgy? Care to explain something?" Geal asks, still catching her breath.
"L-Listen, guys... stay here. The one who attacked us is..." Bredgy turns her face away, terrified. "The leader of Royal Mechanic. There's nothing we can do against him."
"The leader of Royal Mechanic?!" Geal exclaims.
Suddenly, a powerful crash blasts through the wall of the room where the girls are hiding. The robot's fist punches through the concrete, sending up a thick plume of smoke and fragments of brick. The shockwave knocks the girls to the ground.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Bredgy. I thought you'd play your role to the very end," says the voice coming from the robot.
"What the hell are you talking about? Bredgy doesn't belong to your gang anymore—leave her alone!" Geal snaps, readying herself to fight again.
The battle resumes! The hole in the wall allows the robot's cockpit and arms to enter the room. It attempts to crush Geal with its fists. She blocks with her shield, but it's no use—it's not sturdy enough, and the impacts reverberate through her.
Summoning some courage, Bredgy draws her scythe to deflect a few blows.
"Your Crystal is more special than you think, Geal," the robot declares. "It has the power to create a new world. It's wasted in the hands of a brat like you!"
As it finishes speaking, the robot lands a mechanical right hook that sends Geal tumbling several meters. Cuts and scrapes begin to form on her skin.
"Give it to me! You and your pathetic dreams are obstacles to the world I want to create! I'll take it from you, even if I have to kill you," the robot threatens.
"Not a chance!" Geal shouts, getting back on her feet despite her shattered shield.
Fed up with the chaos, Uruta enlarges himself and rockets toward the cockpit at full speed, aiming for a critical hit.
"I've had enough of you! I'm sick of your speeches! LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!!!"
Uruta crashes into the robot's main cockpit with full force, breaking it apart. Sparks fly, and small explosions erupt from within the machine. It looks like he's done serious damage—could he have succeeded?
Losing balance and flailing its arms violently, the robot finally explodes. But before it does, the pilot manages to eject, tumbling a few meters into the wreckage of the destroyed room.
Soon, the figure rises. Through the curtain of smoke emerges a shadowy figure, dusting themselves off as they stand. Blood trickles from their forehead, but they seem unfazed, walking calmly toward the group.
"Congratulations, Uruta. You've destroyed another one of my robots. You've forced me to show myself."
The man steps out of the smoke, revealing himself. It's Dubh! He has finally come face-to-face with his targets.
Geal and her feathered friend recognize him immediately, their shock evident.
"That's...!"
"Mr. Dubh!"