Alfie and Jackson made their way back to the room where they had left Sasaki.
DIALO quietly pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Behind that door stood another—an enormous, ancient gate, surrounded by a darkness so deep that the eye could not perceive its end.
This place could not be reached by any normal means; no one could enter it from outside, not even through the walls surrounding it.
That ancient door led to a realm known as "The Meijin."
It existed far beneath the surface of the earth, deep near the planet's core, within another dimension.
"The Meijin" was vast—half the size of Earth itself—spreading horizontally through the middle of the planet.
DIALO often came here, to the gate that had stood since the creation of Meijin, to cultivate from the natural Renshi that leaked through its surface.
The Renshi within the Meijin was a hundred times stronger than what existed on the surface, for it was created close to the very heart of the world.
Yet DIALO had never attempted to open the gate—he knew he couldn't.
Beyond that ancient door lay nothing but destruction itself.
The beings who dwelled within the Meijin were no ordinary creatures; they were far beyond human comprehension, powerful and endlessly ambitious for more strength.
The creator of this realm was said to be one of the Millennium Wizard Darkside Spirits.
Among all the Darkside spirits who had ever visited Earth, this one—Majoki, the creator of Meijin—was the most powerful and cunning.
Majoki still lived, hidden within the Meijin, avoiding the notice of other cosmic beings that resided throughout the solar system.
His ambition for Earth burned quietly, concealed beneath the planet's crust.
The very existence of "The Meijin" was known to only a few: each of the Special Darkside Knight of the Kingdom of Samira, his pro darkside knights, and Miyamoto the head of the Shinras.
No one else.
DIALO sat before the massive gate, its surface neither wood nor metal, but some ancient substance that seemed to swallow all light.
It stood like a relic from forgotten ages.
There, DIALO meditated.
The faint streams of Renshi that leaked through the door filled the chamber.
He brought Lucy here to accelerate her recovery—with the aid of the black gold oil and the energy flowing from the Meijin.
---
The night passed.
Morning came.
"Hey, hey, hey—Alfie, get up!" Jackson's voice echoed through the room.
"Hold on, Jack… it's not morning yet…" Alfie muttered, half-asleep.
"You fool! Mister Sasaki is gone! Wake up!"
Alfie's eyes snapped open. "What the hell do you mean he's—"
He didn't even finish. His gaze darted to the side of the bed.
Empty.
"What the—!?" He leaped from the bed. "Where the hell is he!?"
"I don't know! Let's go ask the Special Darkside Knight!" Jackson said, already rushing out.
The two sprinted down the corridors, heading straight to where Lucy rested.
After several minutes of running, they arrived—only to find Sasaki standing near Lucy's tomb.
He had his back to them, unaware of their presence.
Sasaki's hand rested against the glass, his gaze fixed deeply into the liquid.
"Why the hell was I asleep while all this was going on…" he murmured, voice trembling with restrained anger.
"Damn it… damn it…"
His words came again and again, frustration spilling out as tears rolled down his cheeks.
He wiped them away and turned around—freezing when he saw Alfie and Jackson standing there.
"Sorry, Mister Reaper… we couldn't interfere," Alfie said quietly.
"There's no need to blame yourself," Jackson added. "We're not hopeless. We still have hope. You're back, Alfie's here, Master will return, and we'll get Rebekah back too. So… don't take it too hard, together we got nothing to lose."
Sasaki exhaled.
"That's for sure," he replied softly.
"But don't go running off like that again. You had us worried," Alfie said with a faint smile.
"How did you know about Master?" Jackson asked.
"The Special Darkside Knight told me everything," Sasaki answered.
"Oh, that man's been a great help," Jackson said with relief. "So… what now? Any plans to move forward?"
"Of course," Alfie spoke before Sasaki could.
"I know we can't trust these people completely yet—but we can't stay here and remain weak either. We need to head to the Kingdom of Ashura and start taking jobs, nonstop. Continuous battles will make us stronger.
I know our first mission caused all this… but we can't give up now. The world isn't kind to the weak anymore."
Sasaki nodded quietly, Jackson watching him with a knowing look.
"Hmph," a familiar voice said behind them. "Sometimes I wonder if you're a kid or a full-grown man."
DIALO approached slowly, arms folded.
Alfie smirked.
"If that's what you plan to do," DIALO continued, "then you'll need all the help you can get. But first—you'll need new clothes and equipment."
"We'd appreciate that," Jackson said.
"Come on, Alfie. Let's change and hit the road," Jackson added as they followed DIALO.
Inside the castle's armory, they chose their gear.
Alfie picked a black cape with matching trousers and shoes.
Jackson chose a red cape, elegantly designed, with crimson shoes.
Sasaki took a black cape of his own—different in design, darker in tone.
After cleaning up and donning their new outfits, the three stood ready.
Their next journey was about to begin.