Chapter 65
Flashback – Five Hours Before the Speech
In the royal palace of Elder Arkadius, the cries of his young children echoed through the halls:
"Daddy! Why?! We want to go with you!"
Arkadius knelt down to their level, looking at them with a warm smile before gently patting their heads.
"My children, listen to your grandmother, alright?"
The children frowned, clear displeasure on their faces, but Arkadius kept his gentle smile as he stood up. Turning around, he found his mother standing behind him, worry etched into her anxious gaze. He walked toward her slowly, then pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and said in a calm, reassuring voice:
"I'm sorry…"
A single tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered in a trembling voice:
"My dear, you don't have to go!"
But Arkadius smiled tenderly, replying with confidence:
"No, Mother. This is my responsibility. I must warn the world. In the end… death awaits us all."
She looked at him with anxious eyes, as if searching for any chance to dissuade him from his decision. But he quietly stepped past her, heading toward the door where Marshal Chris and his daughter Katya were waiting. He opened the door and cast one last look back at his mother before declaring firmly:
"Let's go."
They exited the palace and climbed into a sleek black car, which sped off swiftly toward the Stage.
---
Inside the Car – A Short While Later
The atmosphere inside the car was heavy with silence until Arkadius broke it with a calm, yet firm voice:
"You said yesterday that you had something important to tell me before the speech. What is it?"
Marshal Chris glanced at him for a moment, then sighed and replied seriously:
"Ah… You need to understand the full extent of the danger before taking this step."
On the other side, Katya—Arkadius's seventeen-year-old daughter—sat in silence, listening. Chris locked eyes with Elder Arkadius as he continued sharply:
"You've decided to reveal the truth to the world—truth that's been buried for years, haven't you?"
Arkadius's expression shifted slightly, but he answered steadily:
"Yes. It's the only way to protect everyone."
Chris shook his head and spoke in a low, warning tone:
"Then you know that Suero possesses the Obliteration power, right?"
Arkadius nodded firmly:
"Yes. We received a report stating that Suero Rashid was not annihilated along with his people… and that he now holds that power."
Chris furrowed his brows and stared intently at Arkadius:
"And where did you get this information?"
Arkadius opened his mouth to answer but froze mid-sentence. He muttered to himself hesitantly:
"I… I don't know…"
Chris's eyes widened slightly as he pressed on with greater seriousness:
"How did you believe such a report without solid proof? It's entirely possible that Suero was destroyed along with Kaisima's history!"
Arkadius fell silent, raising his hand to stroke his beard, lost in thought. After a moment, he responded slowly:
"I don't have a definitive answer, but… I don't think the king's vision was false."
Chris closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said firmly:
"Exactly. And I don't believe it was false either. Which is why I concluded that the person who delivered the information… must be one of Suero Rashid's followers."
A tense silence settled over them before Chris continued in a low voice, filled with certainty:
"I suspect that they, the damned, will storm the Stage. And your presence there… will be the perfect bait for Suero Rashid to declare war on the world."
A cold shiver crept down Arkadius's spine. He looked at his daughter, still silently observing with uneasy eyes. Then he turned back to Chris and said in a deep voice:
"But we must warn the world about the hell that Suero Rashid is bringing!"
Chris nodded in agreement, but then gestured toward Katya with a sharp look as he added slowly:
"But she must not come with us."
Arkadius's eyes narrowed as he watched Chris, who continued firmly:
"Katya isn't just your daughter—she's Arcadia's secret weapon. Her presence there would be a risk we simply cannot afford."
Arkadius said nothing, but he drew in a long breath as the black car continued speeding down the road… toward the Stage, where war would soon be declared.
—
The information available for disclosure:
"The Five Sages, chosen by the world to determine the fate of nations, decided to announce the great threat to humanity after learning that Suero Rashid was alive and possessed the Obliteration power. They gathered the press and media to broadcast the news. During the speech, Suero stormed the stage and sent Onoko Yamato, who swallowed and killed him. Suero made Elder Arkadius the bait to declare the beginning of war on the world."
—
In the present
Yamato's Phantom—a towering spectral entity—emerges from Suero's back, engulfing the stage in overwhelming destruction. The massive phantom obliterates everything in its path, its furious screams shaking the very air as the stage is shattered into pieces.
The colossal phantom moves with enormous hands, seizing Elder Arkadius in an iron grip and lifting him into the sky. Its gigantic mouth opens, and blood rains from above like the fall of a collapsing world—before devouring Elder Arkadius whole.
Silence swallows the stage.
Time seems to freeze. Bodies stand paralyzed, all eyes fixed on the monstrous Yamato Phantom. Her feminine body is pure white, glowing with vivid violet lines. Thunderous flashes of light ripple across her form. Her long white hair flows through the air like silk, and her radiant black eyes burn with murderous hatred. Breaths are held as Suero steps forward from the ruins, placing one hand in his pocket and walking toward the crowd. His steps are heavy, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as if he no longer belongs to this world.
Not a breath is heard.
Everyone stares—at Suero, and the Yamato Phantom looming behind him. Two damned beings, devoid of mercy… or fear.
Breaths quickened in the air, and everyone's eyes widened in shock. Suddenly, shards of debris from the Stage—shattered by Onoko Yamato—were launched into the crowd like a torrential rain, causing stones to fly with deafening crashes. People scattered in every direction, fleeing desperately from death. Amy, Samuel, and Emre stood frozen in place, their eyes filled with terror, unable to move a muscle. Before them, the phantoms of Onoko Yamato and Suero Rashid stood like incarnations of rage and destruction.
In a horrifying instant, one massive boulder surged from the wreckage and came crashing down on Emre with devastating force. Her body exploded like a bubble, and blood sprayed into the air like shrapnel. Time froze in everyone's mind—Samuel, Amy, and Leo stood motionless, unable to comprehend, unable to react. Samuel screamed, his eyes brimming with tears and panic:
"EMREEE…!"
He dashed toward the crushed remains, even as the fleeing crowd shoved him mercilessly in their attempt to escape death. By cruel fate, someone accidentally kicked Samuel, sending him tumbling to the ground, where the stampede trampled him without mercy. He lay like a corpse among the stampede, blood splattering from his face as feet crushed him relentlessly. At that moment, Amy stood motionless, her expression shattered, tears glistening in her wide eyes as she stared at Samuel and Emre's lifeless bodies—unable to do anything but watch.
Suddenly, Leo appeared beside her, lifting her into his arms. He took shelter beneath a large boulder that had fallen amid the wreckage. Amy lay on the ground, her eyes wide with terror, staring into the chaos. The screaming intensified in the distance, and blood continued to spatter all around her. The fleeing crowd remained in utter chaos, running violently, panting, desperate to avoid the same fate. And Amy—frozen in silent horror—could do nothing but watch the corpses of Samuel and Emre.
Amid this chaos, Onoko Yamato charged toward the crowd, causing tremors beneath his feet with each step. The ground cracked and quaked in ways never seen before as he kicked human beings aside like insects, shattering their bodies with every stride. Their corpses burst like bubbles as they collided with buildings.
On the opposite side, Suero watched the massacre with his hand in his pocket. His expression showed no sign of emotion or feeling. He merely muttered in a cold, emotionless voice:
"All dreams are over... Everything has ended. Now, we are in hell!"
Amy gazed at the scattered crowds, consumed by the ruthless brutality of Onoko Yamato. She was powerless to do anything except scream in bitterness and fear, her eyes wide with terror, as she felt helplessness take over her.
At the same moment, from the rubble, emerged the girl Katya. Her arms were severed from the debris, and her face was covered in blood. She swayed in panic, her eyes filled with hatred as she looked at Suero, who stood before her, groaning in exhaustion and pain. She spoke in a broken voice:
"You will pay the price for your actions, you damned man. You will... you will pay for killing my father!"
A green spark began to dance around her body, and her eyes glowed with a bright green light. The area around her exploded with blinding lights, as if everything had turned into a giant lamp pulsing with life. The ground glowed green, and Suero heard the sound of thunder in the distance. He slowly turned around to see Katya surrounded by green lightning sparks.
Suddenly, a green lightning bolt struck from the sky, piercing the heavens with ferocity, hitting Katya's body with all its might. The green light emanated from her as if she were a ghost risen from the depths of hell. She whispered in a trembling voice, muttering words:
"ONOKO ALEX! Come out NOW!"
From her back, the Phantom of Onoko Alex erupted. Suero looked at him with sharp eyes, ready for battle. With a swift movement, like an arrow flying through the air, Suero ran toward Katya. Red sparks danced around his fist, his eyes filled with determination. He reached her, his fist striking Katya's face, and he said in a sharp tone:
"SHRINE PUNCH!"
With the powerful blow, Katya's body was sent flying like an old doll. The strike was enough to prevent Onoko Alex from emerging from her body. Katya rolled on the ground, tumbling relentlessly, until she hit the dirt again and again. Her blood splattered from her mouth like a flood, and her jaw was completely shattered. In that moment, Katya knelt on her knees, bleeding profusely.
Suddenly, Suero appeared beside her, the blue sparks dancing around his body as he prepared to deliver a punch, while Onoko Yamato stood a step away from them. Katya looked at them, and Suero spoke in a harsh tone as he stared into her eyes:
"GO TO HELL!"
At the same moment, Suero punched her in the face while Onoko Yamato's giant foot rushed toward Katya, striking her with tremendous force, causing the earth beneath her to explode. Katya flew through the air again, like a lifeless doll, as a whirlwind of wind surrounded her. She then crashed into the wall of a house, falling to the ground like a lifeless corpse. As for Suero, he turned his gaze toward the city, his eyes burning with rage and fear, while the disaster continued to ravage everything around him.
—
On One of the Rooftops…
Marshal Chris was observing the battlefield, his eyes wide with astonishment as he stared at Onoko Yamato and Suero. He muttered in a low voice:
"Since when did that damned guy get Onoko's Phantom?!"
Beside him, several soldiers watched the scene in terror. One of them, unable to hide his anxiety, asked in a trembling voice:
"Marshal Chris! What should we do?!"
But Chris did not respond. He remained silent, his expression stern and his eyes fixed on Suero. The Marshal's silence heightened the soldiers' fear, and one of them whispered in despair:
"There's nothing we can do... This is definitely our end!"
However, Chris didn't share their hopelessness. Instead, he looked at them firmly and said in a commanding voice:
"No! It's his end!"
All eyes turned to him in confusion before he continued seriously:
"He's now on our land, surrounded by our forces, and he's alone… the last surviving member of Kaisima! We must kill him and eliminate the Obliteration power before he wipes out everything!"
He turned to one of his soldiers and asked:
"Where are Captains Leo, Maria, and Raizo?!"
The soldier replied with concern:
"We lost contact with them! They were watching the speech before Suero appeared and destroyed the area… It's possible they were buried under the rubble!"
But Marshal Chris shook his head, denying the possibility:
"Impossible! If that had happened, Onoko Borna would have emerged to protect Raizo!
He looked at his soldiers and gave a firm command:
"Find them immediately! We'll distract Suero while giving the daughter of Elder Arkadius a chance to summon Onoko Alex!"
One of the soldiers hesitated, then asked fearfully:
"But… who could possibly distract that damned man?!"
Suddenly, Leo appeared on the battlefield, standing bravely before Suero and Onoko Yamato. Marshal Chris smirked from above and said confidently:
"There's the one who can do it!"
All eyes turned to the battlefield, where the decisive battle was about to begin.
---
On the Battlefield
Leo stood firmly, resolute, his eyes locked directly onto the towering phantom, Onoko Yamato. Beside him stood Suero, staring intensely at the same foe, sparks of fury dancing in his eyes.
Inside, Leo thought:
"I hope you got run, Amy…"
Then, he spoke aloud, his voice confident and unwavering:
"You're Suero Rashid, aren't you?!
Suero didn't answer. He simply continued to stare silently.
Leo went on, his voice trembling with rage:
"What have you done?! You killed innocents… children?!
Suero responded in a low, sharp tone:
"Yes. I did."
Leo's eyes widened in shock, then his expression twisted into pure hatred as he shouted:
"You admit it, murderer?! Even though I'm from Kaisima, the nation cursed by Arcadia, I hold no grudge against them… but my hatred for you knows no bounds because of what you did to those children!"
At that moment, blue sparks began to dance around Suero's arm, their glow reflecting on the ground as he said coldly:
"That's because you're a slave… I am the one Arcadia—and the entire world—hates the most. And the best way to protect and defend my friends… is to attack!"
Suddenly, deadly streams of water, faster than bullets, shot from behind Suero, heading straight for his back. Leo muttered with a cold smirk:
"Goodbye, damned one!"
But before the water could reach him, Onoko Yamato raised her palm and intercepted the attack. The stream pierced her skin slightly, but it vanished without causing any real harm.
Suero looked steadily at Leo, blue sparks still crackling around his fist.
Without warning, Leo launched forward at incredible speed, spinning in the air like a vortex, water trailing from his body. He threw a direct punch at Suero, but Suero caught it effortlessly, shattering the ground beneath them.
Without hesitation, Suero grabbed Leo's body and hurled him with tremendous force, sending him flying like a broken doll. Yet Leo skillfully planted his feet against a nearby house, using the momentum to launch himself again toward his opponent.
This time, Onoko Yamato tried to intervene. However, Leo moved nimbly, dodging her strike, then rushed directly at Suero, thinking:
"I can't defeat the Phantom Onoko… but I can take down Suero! Once he's dead, their contract will be broken—and so will she!"
He soared toward his opponent, screaming with all his might, his fist inches away from landing a deadly blow to Suero's face.
But just as his fist was about to make contact, Suero unleashed a blue spark that pierced Leo's body… yet Leo remained unfazed. His body began to melt—turning into water!
Suero's eyes widened in shock, just as Leo suddenly reformed beside him, his body reshaping from water, and delivered a violent kick to Suero's side. The impact caused a massive airburst, sending Suero flying through the air.
Leo didn't waste the opportunity. He charged again. But suddenly, Onoko Yamato appeared beside him, trying to block him—only for Leo to slip past her again, transforming into droplets that slid through her and reformed near Suero. He threw a powerful punch toward his face, screaming with hatred:
"This is your end, damned one!"
But… before his fist could land, an invisible strike came out of nowhere, hitting him hard and sending him flying through the air, coughing up blood, stunned by what had just happened:
"What… what was that?!"
He staggered in midair, regained his balance, then landed lightly on the ground. He looked ahead—and saw Suero back on his feet as well. But now, there were two new figures standing beside him.
Nicola and Hyona!
They stood at Suero's side, with transparent sparks dancing around Nicola's clenched fist.
Beside him, Hyona was holding a massive rifle, her eyes locked steadily on Leo.
Leo felt a wave of intense tension surge through him, his mind racing:
"Where have they been all this time?! I didn't sense their presence at all!"
Then, as if that wasn't enough, Leo lifted his gaze to the sky—his eyes widening in shock...
A massive fleet of airships was invading the skies of Marun City!
His mouth fell open in astonishment, while the real war... had just begun.
---
Rooftop of One of the Buildings
Marshal Chris stood staring at the sky, his eyes narrowing as he watched the airships soar over Marun City. He couldn't hide his shock as he muttered under his breath:
"What?! ...They're not dead?! Those damned ones weren't annihilated with Kaisima?!"
Around him, the soldiers were stunned, staring up at the sky in confusion and worry. One of them approached, saying:
"Marshal, sir! We've secured Miss Katya!"
But Chris didn't respond—his gaze remained fixed on the airships, his silence speaking of something far deeper than mere shock.
---
Inside One of the Airships
High in the sky, a hatch opened on one of the airships, revealing Trainer Surichi and Mr. Oda. The two were looking out over the battlefield, where destruction surrounded the area.
Surichi spoke, arms crossed:
"So... the battle has already begun?"
Oda nodded, murmuring:
"Yes, there's no turning back now..."
Hurried footsteps approached before Laura appeared behind them, speaking firmly:
"Trainer Surichi, all forces have landed on Arcadian territory."
Surichi nodded with approval, then turned to Oda and asked:
"What about Sbyam Brius and Moryo? Which airship are they in?"
Laura replied seriously:
"Sbyam Brius said he'll join us later… said he was starving. As for Moryo and Rita, they're in airship number three."
Oda didn't comment—he simply turned his gaze back to the battlefield, his eyes filled with solemnity... and silence.
---
On the Battlefield
Leo lifted his head, his eyes widening as he watched the airships begin to invade the sky, while beside him, Hyona stared in astonishment, saying:
"Everyone has arrived!"
However, Nicola was not interested in the airships. His gaze was fixed on Leo, and he spoke in a serious tone:
"Lord Suero!"
Suero didn't turn to him. His eyes remained locked on Leo, while Nicola continued firmly:
"I will handle this man... As for you, you must kill Raizo!"
Suero didn't respond, but he didn't object either. His gaze remained cold as Nicola stared at Leo with clear determination.
Suddenly...
A green flash tore through the sky, crashing to the ground with immense force, shattering the earth into shards that violently scattered, forcing Leo to raise his hand to shield his eyes from the dust and the explosive energy, as the storm filled the area.
The smoke slowly dissipated, revealing... Onoko Alex.
His massive, masculine form appeared as if crafted from dark metal, resembling a sculpture carved from the very night itself. Glowing green lines coursed through his body, pulsating as though they carried the very heartbeat of the universe. His eyes were not human but swirling vortices of radiant green light, spinning endlessly. From his back, transparent crystalline blades extended, reflecting light as though they contained twinkling stars within.
Hyona trembled and whispered in horror:
"What... What is this?!"
Meanwhile, Nicola, Suero, and Onoko Yamato stared at him with eyes filled with seriousness.
Suero muttered quietly:
"This is... another Onoko! ...But his energy is green?!"
Nicola shook his head, speaking firmly:
"Then... the heir must have come from the Raipozi Clan."
---
On top of one of the houses
Marshal Chris watched Onoko Alex in astonishment, before a soldier rushed in, panting and shouting:
"Marshal Chris!"
But the marshal didn't turn toward him. He was still trying to read the battlefield, while the soldier continued with worry:
"Lady Katya refused to retreat. She said she must avenge her father's death... and then she summoned the Phantom Onoko Alex!"
Chris didn't respond. He simply returned his gaze to the battlefield, his eyes narrowing with concern.
---
Inside Onoko Alex's body
Inside this metallic form, Katya stood, fully immersed in the essence of Onoko, while the echo of her voice emerged in Onoko's deep tone, saying:
"Any last words, you rapist... SUERO RASHID?!"
But Suero didn't reply. He continued to stare at her with sharp eyes, while Nicola, Hyona, and Onoko Yamato stood beside him. Above them, the airships hovered, and on the ground, Leo stood next to Onoko Alex.
The atmosphere was charged, everyone on edge... the coming battle would determine the fate of many.
End of chapter.