Erold was running between the dense forest trees, shouting with effort, "Where is the exit?"
Arthur’s voice came from within: "I feel that there is something extremely terrible above, Erold."
Erold did not stop; instead, he increased his speed, sweat pouring from his forehead. "I don't care, we must get out of here."
Dante cut in with his deep voice: "I sense the presence of two people above. You must be careful." He added mockingly, "Unless you want to hand over your body to me."
Erold replied sarcastically while panting, "Haha! You’re not funny, Dante... only in your dreams will I do that!"
Dante replied calmly, "As you wish. I won't intervene if you fall like a little girl."
Suddenly, the forest cleared into a narrow cave entrance. Erold entered to find a filthy place that bore the marks of ancient engineering: a long stone staircase extending upward vertically, and at its end, a beam of brilliant light that nearly blinded the eyes. Erold wondered as he began to climb: "My God! What a task! Who carved all these stairs?"
Arthur interrupted sharply, "This is not the time to show your admiration."
Erold began climbing the stairs rapidly, saying, "You're right, Arthur."
As Erold neared the end, he glimpsed an extremely bright light. He covered his eyes until he realized the radiant source was golden sand, shining as if they were pieces of the sun. Erold muttered in daze, "It’s... exquisitely beautiful! But below it’s gray sand and here it’s golden! What is the matter with this place?"
Arthur emerged and playfully slapped Erold’s shoulder. "It’s layers, buddy! We are now on the 'Upper Floor'."
Erold looked at him sarcastically, so Arthur withdrew inside, muttering, "Damn you... you have no sense of humor!"
A short distance away, before the city that had turned to ash, Ashura stood like a great mountain. Suddenly, his movement stilled, and his pupils dilated. He felt the presence of a familiar energy. He grabbed Jasmin, placed her on his shoulder, and quickly moved away from the spot. He said to Jasmin, "Girl, stay here. There is something I must deal with and return."
Jasmin feigned sadness and said, "Are you going to leave me alone here? I’m afraid someone will attack me."
Ashura smiled and said, "What a little wretch you are! Do you think I won't understand your tricks? No living creature lives here anymore."
Jasmin wondered, "Any creature?"
Ashura said loftily, "Any creature! I have wiped out all forms of life in this range... so don't worry, no one will approach here except the 'Fool' who dares to challenge the Lord of Destruction."
Inside the Kingdom of Malakarsh, in the throne room, an atmosphere of unusual affection prevailed between the new Royal Minister and the Prince. Rigby said gratefully, "Thank you, Lawrence—or should I call you Royal Minister?"
Luce laughed lightly, "Then I shall call you His Highness Prince Rigby."
Rigby replied, laughing, "There is no need for formalities between us. Why don't we call each other by our bare names?"
Luce smiled calmly, "As you wish, Rigby... I feel more comfortable this way."
Joy appeared on Prince Rigby’s face. "Wonderful, Lawrence! The atmosphere was suffocating with the previous Minister. I feel I can finally breathe."
Luce tilted his head seriously. "Rigby, let’s get back to work. King Osmos called for an urgent meeting; do you have an idea about the topic?"
Rigby shrugged. "I don't think it’s important. Probably about the peoples asking for 'freedom'. It’s okay, I’ve prepared a strong response inspired by your words."
Luce muttered to himself: The first speech succeeded... and now it’s time for the stronger speech.
Luce said in a firm voice and the tone of the new Minister, "Rigby, since I am the new Royal Minister, I must review the records of the United Kingdoms immediately. We need files on the 'Seven High Jinn' and the 'Feathers' tribe, and files on legendary tools and their locations, such as 'The Boundary Breaker'. Can you arrange my access to the Secret Library?"
Rigby answered without hesitation, "Of course, Lawrence. I will send the guards to secure your access to anywhere you want in the palace, even the closed sections." He then wondered and added, "But there is no such thing as 'The Boundary Breaker' in the book of Legendary Tools."
Luce was shocked for a moment, but he recovered. "No matter, I will search myself."
Guards led Luce to a secret passage under the palace. He found himself inside a massive hall underground, its walls extending upward with endless shelves, loaded with thousands of ancient books and manuscripts. The smell of aged paper and leather filled the place, and dim lighting came from hanging magical lamps.
Luce muttered to himself: If that is the case, I won't waste time.
Luce signaled the guards to depart. Once the guards left, Luce immersed himself in the search. Three days passed as if they were one night. Luce sat among the shelves, his eyes devouring the records and volumes: the history of the Seven High Jinn, the lineages of the Feathers, the Jinn races, legendary beasts, and he even found the location of the Phoenix. He read every document and analyzed every engraving.
At the end of the third day, Luce stood in the middle of the hall, surrounded by a pile of open books. Luce shook his head in frustration as despair gnawed at his heart. "Nothing... no trace of it."
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Luce muttered to himself hysterically: How can it not exist?? I should have found it here, at least a trace of it! I read it in my youth in my teacher's book... but I don't remember which book it was. I must find it! My existence depends on it. I must find it!
He shouted internally: I must find the Boundary Breaker, or I will never reach Per— he couldn't utter the word "Perfection" due to the shock. Luce began searching among the books rapidly and randomly as if desperate. He shouted angrily, "Dammit!!" He dropped all the books. In frustration, he headed to the library exit, despair covering his features and his eyes sunken from lack of sleep.
As soon as he opened the heavy wooden door, his expression changed from despair to shock! He felt a terrible fire energy. In the blink of an eye, he couldn't track the body that landed behind him. A violent blow fell on the back of his head quickly, and he collapsed.
Luce heard a girl's voice and the sounds of guards beside him. He began addressing himself in despair: "Is this the end...?"
Luce woke up to find himself kneeling, his hands shackled to a wall in a dark dungeon. He looked around to find someone walking around him. A female voice pierced the silence: " I leave the kingdom for a short while, only to return and find a wretched human serving as its minister. How pathetic!"
Her eyes narrowed as she added, "Or... as Mikola accused you, a cursed Feathers."
Luce heard the sound of a sword being planted. He raised his head to find a girl standing before him. She wore a long, dark coat draped gracefully over her body, its edges glowing with a fiery gold, as if trapping the light of the setting sun. Her shimmering sword, with a double blade ignited in red and gold, was planted in the ground before her, its faint shine reflecting on her calm face. Her eyes, the color of pure gold, watched Luce with a strange coldness and calm, and her long dark hair hung in a single braid over her shoulder. As for her forehead, it was adorned with two small black horns, protruding from her hair as a sign of her power or mysterious origin. Above her, countless golden swords floated in the light mist surrounding her, as if they were silent guards or a manifestation of her latent power.
Luce laughed, a dry laugh emerging from his blood-stained lips. "Ah, Princess Luna! It is an honor."
In a calm voice, Luna said, "I’d like to congratulate you. You are truly clever. You manipulated an entire kingdom to reach a goal. Tell me... did you reach your goal? And what are you planning?"
Luce went silent. Luna looked at him. "So you don't want to talk, Lawrence?" Then she shouted, "Guards!"
Guards came with pliers. Luna looked at Luce and said, "Will you talk now?"
Luce remained silent and looked at her calmly. She signaled the guard to step forward. He pulled out Luce’s fingernail. Luna looked at Luce, whose face did not change. He was smiling as if he felt nothing.
Luna smiled and said, "We shall see if you will continue like this for long... I will torture you until you speak."
After a while, not a single fingernail remained on Luce’s battered body.. Princess Luna laughed and said, "I underestimated you. Time to get serious."
The guard retreated. Luna drew one of the flaming swords around her to approach Luce. "This is your last warning."
Luce remained silent. She plunged the fire sword into his left hand, creating a hole in the middle of his hand. Luce’s face remained as steady as a mountain. even as his face drenched in sweat from the blistering heat.
Princess Luna did not stop there. She raised the fire sword and, instead of attacking the extremities, directed it toward Luce’s right elbow joint.
Luna flew into a rage. "The body means nothing? We shall see your will then!"
She plunged the sword into the joint, and a terrible screeching sound filled the dungeon. Luce’s body convulsed violently, but his wicked smile remained fixed, as if the smile were his last fortress.
Luna growled, "You claim that power is control! I’ll show you how you lose control of your mind!"
Away from the cellars of pain, Erold was stepping over the golden sands heading toward the ruined city. He asked Arthur, "Arthur, what do you think we will find?"
Arthur replied cautiously, "My senses tell me a monster dwells in this place."
Dante laughed mockingly, "A monster indeed."
With a smile, Erold said, "That’s reassuring."
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a deep voice, familiar to the point of giving chills, saying behind him, "We meet again... human Erold."
Erold turned quickly to find Ashura standing with a wide smile, his eyes gleaming with a frantic desire for combat. "Have you come to finish your fight?"
Erold was unable to speak. Ashura approached him with slow steps, circling him like a hunter inspecting his prey. Then, he sniffed Erold’s scent and said, "Something has changed in you, boy... the scent of thousands of souls emanates from you. You have become much stronger than you were in our last fight."
Ashura moved a few steps away from Erold and began rapid warm-up movements, his muscles stretching with terrifying power and the sound of his bones cracking filling the place. Erold asked in daze, "What are you doing?"
Ashura replied, his eyes glowing with a purple radiance, "What am I doing? I’m preparing myself... for the most honorable fight I’ve fought in a while. You were just a toy to me in the past, but this energy you carry now... promises a real match. Don't you see? You have finally become worthy of the Lord of Destruction's attention!"
Erold placed his hand on his sword with a firm tone: "I didn't come to fight, Ashura. I came to talk about Ion... and about Lori."
The smile froze on Ashura’s face, replaced by a killer's coldness, and the joy vanished from his eyes. Ashura shouted in a voice dripping with threat, "Stop.... those are names you do not know. Do not dare to utter them."
Erold stood his ground. "I know everything about the betrayal that turned Ion into Ashura. Lori..."
Ashura muttered quietly, "Ion is dead! His soul was killed because of many betrayals long ago! And now... I will kill you, to bury all these memories forever!"
Ashura vanished in a flash and appeared behind Erold, directing a fiery punch toward his head. Erold ducked quickly, pushing his body to the side at the last second. Ashura’s fiery punch passed by his ear, but the shockwave alone knocked him to the ground.
Arthur shouted from within: "Damn! You were very close to death!"
Ashura turned slowly, his eyes flashing. "Survived? Your speed has truly improved."
Ashura delivered rapid punches toward Erold, who tried to escape him. At that moment, the phantom of Lori materialized between them; a pale face carrying a silent plea. Ashura stopped, his features changing slightly, muttering in an unconscious whisper, "Lori?"
But the expression vanished quickly. Ashura returned to say with a harsh coldness, "Ion is dead!"
He delivered a lightning-fast and powerful punch to Erold’s face, knocking him to the ground with blood covering his face. Erold tried to stand, but Ashura showered him with several rapid and harsh punches while he was on the ground, saying in a faint voice, "Ion died! So that the glory of Ashura could be born!"
Ashura raised his hand to deliver the execution blow, so Erold laughed bitterly as he drew his final breaths: "Unfortunately Arthur... Dante... we won't reach the Kingdom of Yursha."
Ashura stopped suddenly, and his flaming hand lowered. He asked in a strange tone, "What is your name, boy?"
Erold replied with a bloody cough, "My name is... Erold."
Ashura growled, "Erold... what?"
At that moment, Erold did not answer. Arthur materialized, crying and shouting, "Tell him your real name, you fool!"
Ashura looked at Arthur and muttered to himself: A soul emerging from the body, how strange. Arthur shouted, "Tell him that your name is Dante... Dante Yursha!"
Ashura was shocked, his pupils dilating with an unprecedented daze. He looked at Erold fallen on the ground, bleeding. Arthur shouted before Ashura in despair, "Please tell me you see me!" Then the phantom faded, leaving behind a deadly silence.
Erold fainted, so Ashura took Erold to a rocky cliff near the Kingdom of Malakarsh. Ashura looked at Erold’s blood-stained face and then threw him toward the abyss. He looked at the falling Erold, muttering: "I won't kill you, but if you are not strong, they will kill you."
Ashura returned to Jasmin, who was poking at a wooden stick in boredom. She asked him, "You took a long time. What were you doing, Ashura?"
Ashura replied coldly, "Just a troublesome insect I crushed. Let's move, little one." Ashura placed her on his shoulders and walked on.