Three days had passed since the battle that shook the ocean ruins of Altissa.
In those three days, the group had done little but rest, their bodies still recovering from the brutal fight. However, there were two exceptions.
Yuni and Jae.
While the others recuperated, they trained relentlessly.
Beyond the palace, the city was undergoing rapid repairs. The restoration process had been accelerated by Volhcard's magic and Idol's towering height, the two working together to rebuild what had been lost.
Inside the throne room of the ocean ruins, Kadell sat upon the throne, his expression serene, eyes closed as he reminisced.
"What a wonderful memory."
He let out a soft chuckle, opening his eyes. His gaze fell upon Yuni.
Standing beneath the sunlight filtering through the crumbling palace ceiling, she moved with lethal precision.
Sweat glistened across her toned abs as she gripped two shortswords tightly, each strike cutting through the air like a blade through tall grass.
Kadell watched, his gentle smile lingering.
"How nostalgic."
Her movements reminded him of Leviathas.
"Your form is fluid and fast, Yuni." his voice carried through the hall as he rose from his throne. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Yuni paused mid-strike, panting slightly as she turned toward him, raising an eyebrow. Then, a slow smirk stretched across her face.
"Catching feelings, prince?" she teased, letting out a short laugh.
And in the next instant—
Kadell was suddenly in front of her.
Before she could even react, he leaned in, his face mere inches from hers.
"Maybe." his voice low, playful.
"Maybe, just maybe... I am."
Caught off guard, Yuni blinked. Instead, she leaned in closer, matching his gaze with an amused glint in her eyes.
"Well, if you really wanna know... then I guess I can answer."
"The one who had trained me was one of Kroma's Nine Stars—the Indomitable Weapon King." Yuni said, sheathing both shortswords at her hips.
Her movements were smooth, practiced almost second nature.
"Swift like wind. Cold as winter. Hot as fire. Calm like the ocean..."
Her voice softened slightly, repeating the words as if they were sacred.
"To be a true master of any weapon, Yuni, you must embody all four."
She exhaled, a small, almost wistful smile forming on her lips.
"Those words were ingrained into my heart. Even if I have no talent with the bow, I still try."
Kadell watched her, the amusement in his expression fading into something more thoughtful.
Yuni's gaze met his, sharp yet unreadable.
"My story isn't all that interesting, prince."
She paused, tilting her head slightly.
"But it is filled with loss. More loss than I can care to count. And enough knowledge to make me a walking encyclopedia of weapon arts... and deaths."
Her tone was light, but there was weight behind her words.
Before Kadell could respond, Yuni stepped forward and patted his right shoulder.
"Anyway. That's enough reminiscing."
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Kadell standing there—lost in thought.
"Then, my lady, may I ask one simple question upon your return from your journey?" Kadell smiled, his gaze soft, yet filled with something deeper—something unmistakable.
Yuni, already what he was about to say, let out a small chuckle.
"Go ahead, prince."
Kadell took a step closer, his voice steady yet filled with quiet emotion.
"May I ask for your hand in marriage?"
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then, without hesitation, Yuni simply nodded before turning away, stepping into the waiting submarine.
As the vessel ascended toward the surface, Kadell remained where he stood, watching until she was out of sight.
Never in his entire life had he imagined himself asking for anyone's hand in marriage.
And—yet here he was. Waiting for her return.
"So, where to next?" Yuni asked, fastening the straps of her scratched metal armor before throwing a tattered brown cloak over her shoulders.
With a tired sigh, Theo unfolded their map and pointed at a familiar spot.
None other than Vyolmir.
Yuni raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
Theo simply nodded toward the submarine hatch, "Well, look outside."
Curious, Yuni stepped out onto the deck, and the moment she did, a salty sea breeze brushed past her. But that wasn't what caught her attention.
Her breath hitched as her grip on the railings tightened. A massive shadow loomed over Altissa.
Vyolmir itself—levitating. Suspended in the sky by a force beyond comprehension.
Sewage water, which once poured into the sea below, now cascaded in eerie streams down into Altissa, as if being redirected by an unseen hand. The city's dwarves, halflings, and other residents had gathered in the capital of Altissa, murmuring in confusion and fear.
"When the hell did this happen?" Yuni demanded, turning back toward Theo and the others.
Volhcard stepped forward, his usually calm voice tinged with barely restrained fury.
"During your battle with that horrific serpent, the world trembled beneath its presence. The very foundations of Vyolmir cracked... and then, it began to rise. We don't know how, but there's more. A pale-masked figure was seen atop the kingdom—forcing its people to leave."
Yuni's jaws clenched, a deep unease settled in her gut. Something far worse was on the horizon.
"Arise... Morduun!" Volhcard raised his staff, invoking the ancient spell.
A golden glow surrounded the group as they began levitating, drifting toward Vyolmir's suspended sewers.
The moment they set foot inside, Volhcard staggered, barely catching himself against Idol. His breathing was ragged, his body trembling from the sheer mana he had expended—most of which had gone to stabilizing Idol while maintaining the float spell.
The air was damp, thick with the stench of decay and rot.
They pressed forward, navigating the dim tunnels in search of an exit—only to be met with a horde of undead, their soulless eyes gleaming in the darkness, as if they had been waiting.
"Get out of my way, boneheads!" Jae roared, her body morphing in an instant.
Bones cracked, muscles expanded, and within moments, a massive bear stood in her place. She tore through the horde like a force of nature, sending brittle skulls and rotting limbs flying in all directions.
The rest of the group followed in a brutal charge, cutting a path through the undead until they reached the manhole. Climbing through it, they emerged into Vyolmir's streets—only to be greeted by an unsettling, deafening silence.
Not a single soul remained.
But then—
Rooooooaaaaarrr!
A horrific, bone-rattling bellow shattered the silence, reverberating across the abandoned kingdom.
Yuni's breath hitched as her gaze snapped toward the source.
There, wrapped around Vyolmir's capital, was a massive, humanoid green lizard. Its enormous form coiled around the grand palace like a grotesque guardian.
A chilling realization settled in her gut.
"Didn't I kill that thing?" she muttered in shock.
Because she recognized it to be the same lizard from the stronghold. The same one rested on Aldir's shoulders and the same one that tried to kill Volhcard.
"It's just staring at us... Why?" Jae muttered, cautiously stepping closer to Idol's side.
The lizard's eyes remained locked onto them—two unblinking, bloodshot orbs, brimming with something unsettling. Its presence exuded an eerie stillness, a grotesque yet hypnotic intensity that made their skin crawl.
For the first time in a long while, the group felt something foreign—disgust and fear intertwined.
"It's so... ugly, yet magnificent," Aralia remarked, her gaze fixed on the creature with morbid fascination.
Yuni groaned, rolling her eyes, "Nothing about that is magnificent—well, maybe if you consider trash to be magnificent."
"Well, we need to push through."
Volhcard stepped forward, his posture firm as if declaring himself the leader of the group.
"You mean you want us to head straight into the capital? Where that thing is clearly waiting for us?"
Theo asked, his voice edged with skepticism. However, his doubt quickly faded the moment he met Volhcard's gaze.
Cold. Unyielding. Unshaken.
Theo let out a small chuckle, then nodded.
"You know what? Let's do it."
Yuni tilted her head, confused by Theo's sudden change in attitude—until she too caught a glimpse of Volhcard's expression. The entire group fell silent, realization drawing on them.
In all their weeks of traveling together, they had never seen him like this.
Not once had the dwarf looked so angry.
Not once had he seemed so cold.
With unwavering resolve, Volhcard turned toward the path ahead, "I will not let anyone harm the kingdom." he vowed silently before marching forward.
The massive lizard, still coiled around the capital, let out a slow, menacing hiss as it watched them enter the grand building.
The moment the last of them disappeared inside, its mouth slowly opened.
From within the beast's gaping maw, a lone figure emerged—Aldir.
His piercing gaze followed the group's movements, a calm yet sinister smile curling his lips as he idly flipped a coin between his fingers.
"Show me..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
"How you'll save this kingdom."