We are introduced for the first time to the Sacred Palace: the chambers of the Chosen One. Magnius stands in the middle of an immense, gleaming hall brimming with gold, every detail polished to perfection with an artistic touch. A place ominous in every sense of the word.
Yet, the person standing there does not feel particularly joyful. Magnius gazes out the windows.
"This rain... It feels melancholic," he thinks.
Far from the bustling cities and the noisy crowds, Magnius is lost in his thoughts until he is interrupted by a holographic screen that appears behind him. On it, his chancellor is visible, looking agitated.
"Chosen One, we have a problem!" the chancellor shouts.
"Chancellor? What's going on?" Magnius murmurs.
"There's a horde of robots heading toward Artwork! They're expected to arrive by nightfall. There are many of them," the chancellor reports.
"Understood. Alert all Crystal Warriors ranked blue or higher. Send as many as possible to Artwork. Also, investigate who's behind this. Don't do anything else until I arrive," Magnius commands, taking immediate control of the situation.
"At once!" the chancellor replies with a sharp salute.
The transmission ends.
"A horde of robots... Who unleashed this?" Magnius wonders. "There's only one person that comes to mind..." The Chosen One shakes his head.
"No, it can't be him. It must be a misunderstanding. Regardless, this is a serious threat to the nation. I can't let something like this slide. Whoever is responsible..."
He draws out his Two-Tone Crystal, shining brighter than any other, summons his sword, and prepares to leave.
"They will face the edge of my Excalibur!"
*
We return to Geal. The poor girl is shattered. The rain has stopped, but she hugs her knees, burying her face between them, leaning against a wall on the sidewalk.
The street is now empty, with only the crackling of still-uncontrolled fires and the distant sound of sirens breaking the silence. Despite the looming threat of the robots, Geal shows no intent to move from her spot.
Uruta, standing in front of her, listens intently.
"I lost Bredgy, I lost my Crystal, I lost everything..." Geal laments. "I won't be able to achieve my dream anymore. And now, I'm all alone."
She raises her gaze and opens her hand, revealing the three badges she earned from the trials. They are as shiny and beautiful as when she first received them.
"I tried so hard, and in the end, it was all for nothing. What am I supposed to do now?" Geal says, breaking down into tears again.
Her feathered friend tries to comfort her.
"Oh, Geal, I hate seeing you like this..." Uruta says. "There's nothing we can do to get Bredgy or your Crystal back. But not everything is lost! You still have me, your mom, your dad, and a home to return to."
The bird extends his wing toward Geal, his expression empathetic, as if saying, 'I'm here for you'.
"Why don't you forget about all of this and come back home to rest? I won't leave you alone. I'll help you heal, just like you helped me."
Geal wipes her nose.
"You're such an idiot, Uruta!" she exclaims.
She lowers her gaze to the ground, her eyes looking empty.
"I don't care about losing my Crystal anymore, but I can't just sit here knowing Bredgy is in the hands of that lunatic. I wish I could do something for her."
"You don't have a Crystal to fight, and Dubh has an army of robots under his command. How do you plan to do it...?" Uruta asks.
Hearing this, Geal lowers her head in resignation, knowing deep down that her friend is right.
Suddenly, mechanical footsteps echo nearby—slow but heavy, accompanied by artificial noises.
"Oh no, they're coming!"
Geal and Uruta turn toward the avenue. The horde of robots is headed their way. They are enormous, the size of small houses, with varied shapes but a shared humanoid appearance, each sporting multiple glowing LEDs in place of eyes.
"The robots are here! Geal, we need to get out of here!" Uruta orders, ready to flee.
Forcing herself, Geal manages to stand and starts running at full speed, clutching Uruta tightly (as he still can't fly). Despite their massive size, the robots pick up their pace, now running at high speed.
"They're so many and so fast!" Geal exclaims.
"Faster, Geal!"
Though her legs are short, Geal is quick, keeping some distance from the machines chasing her. But a few meters later, she stumbles. Her leg—wounded from her earlier fight with the fake Dubh—gives out, and the pain catches up with her now that her adrenaline is depleted.
"Ghhh—! Dubh injured my leg during our fight! I can't get up!" Geal thinks.
It's over. A robot leaps toward Geal, its massive fist poised to strike. It's too large; a hit from that thing would be undeniably fatal. She and Uruta close their eyes, accepting their fate.
There's nothing more they can do.
Recalling their adventures together, the two friends embrace, resigning themselves to their fate...
But then the robot is struck down: a whip lashes against the machine, its crack deafening, reducing it to dust. Geal and Uruta look on in disbelief. Someone has come to save them.
"I'm glad I made it in time."
Mathias arrives at the scene! He is focused and determined, standing fearlessly against the vast number of robots facing him. His Crystal glows with an intense black hue.
"I-It's Mathias! His Crystal has grown even stronger!" Geal thinks.
The young man swings his whip back and forth, creating epic cracks that intimidate his enemies. With every movement of his weapon, he strikes the robots, instantly destroying them. He literally reduces them to ashes; his whip has acquired an indescribable power. He manages to defeat them all.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Mathias asks.
"M-Mathias, it's you!" Geal exhales, relieved.
"You just saved our necks," Uruta says gratefully.
Concerned about her condition, Mathias helps Geal to her feet, extending his hand. She stands and repays him with a hug. The boy blushes slightly.
"You saved our lives. Thank you so much, Mathias!" Geal says, crying again, but this time out of relief.
"The Chosen One ordered the Crystal Warriors to protect the city. I didn't expect to find you here. I'm glad nothing happened to you," Mathias replies, stroking his friend's hair to calm her.
After the hug, Mathias looks around, sensing something is missing.
"Hey, where's Bredgy?" he asks.
Though unintentional, his words sting a little, and Geal looks down, distressed once more.
"Uh... Did something happen?" Mathias asks.
"Well…"
Geal takes the chance to pour out her heart, explaining everything to Mathias. After sitting together on the sidewalk for a while, the story becomes clear.
"I see. Bredgy has been with Royal Mechanic all this time. I can't imagine how much she's suffered..." Mathias says, sharing his friend's pain.
"Mr. Dubh is behind all this. I want to make him pay for everything he's done! But I don't even have my Crystal now," Geal laments.
Seeing this as an opportunity, Mathias stands and smiles at his friend.
"Maybe you can't do it alone," he says, cracking his whip. "But you have me to help you!"
It's decided! Mathias offers to help Geal, and she regains some of her spirit after hearing her friend's proposal.
"If rescuing Bredgy will cheer you up, then I'll do it. I don't care how risky it is—I'll give it everything I've got."
Mathias takes several steps forward, making it clear he's serious.
"After all, if you're happy, I'm happy too."
Geal blushes at his words, unsure if Mathias's back suddenly looks broader or if it's just her imagination.
"All right, all right! Enough with the youthful romance. Now, how the heck are we going to pull this off?" Uruta asks, cutting the conversation short.
"Dubh is the general manager of Curie Industries, isn't he? We'll head there and crush them!" Mathias declares.
"Huh? Just like that? Without a plan?"
The melancholy fades, and Geal regains her composure. She stands and smiles, back to her usual self.
"You're right. I wouldn't stand a chance if I were alone. But with you two, we can defeat him!" our heroine says, more determined than ever.
"W-W-Wait a second! We're going up against the leader of an entire criminal organization! We need a proper plan..." Uruta insists.
"Ha! You know planning isn't my style," Geal says, clashing her fists together. "Let's give that Dubh a good dose of spicy cockroach dust!"
"Fine, then we head to the capital," Mathias orders.
And so, with newfound determination burning in their hearts, Geal and Mathias race down the sidewalk, heading toward an unprecedented battle. Two kids and a bird might change the future of the Land of the Gem.
Who will prevail? The sinister ambitions of Royal Mechanic and its demonic leader, or the fighting spirit of three young souls?
A decisive battle approaches!