The survivors, worn out from the battle against Kana's beasts, gathered once again to face this new enemy.
Yet Yuu saw something different in him—something none of the other Governors had shown.Raxis, Garga, Kana... none of them would have hesitated to let a monster like that devour them.But Lionhart had taken it down without a second thought.
He even seemed annoyed that Kana had run her experiments in his territory. Was it... a sign that he actually cared about the people under his rule?
"Tell me," Yuu said, narrowing his eyes. "Why would a Governor save his enemies from a monster like that? Want to kill us yourself for fun?"
Lionhart responded calmly, unfazed by the provocation. "None of the above. Those creatures came from Esios's labs. They were created by Governor Kana. I simply won't allow them to rampage in my region and harm my citizens."
Once again, the Governor of Esios was interfering in the plans of the others. But Yuu still didn't understand why Lionhart would reject Kana's assistance—especially when Libertas' entire left flank had just been wiped out.
"These things are neither human nor beast," Lionhart continued. "I won't risk the lives of Astalia's people because of Kana's ambitions."
Yuu was surprised—but not entirely. He had sensed that this one was different. Maybe... maybe he hadn't fully fallen under the General's influence yet.
"You know," Yuu said, his tone softening just slightly. "You're the first Governor I've seen who actually cares forhis people."
His friends glanced at him—and in that moment, Yuu knew they'd bought enough time to recover a bit of their strength.
"Too bad you talk too much!"
He ignited his blade and charged, flames roaring as he swung toward Lionhart.The others split up, ready to surround him.
Lionhart dodged Yuu's attack with ease, smoothly shifting his stance to defend against the rest.
"I see you've recovered. Good," he said. "It's against my principles to fight anyone who can't stand on their own feet."
"Not many in the kingdom share your principles," Shinya replied, swinging his scythe down. "But they're pretty similar to ours. Maybe you should join us."
"My family has served Astalia for generations, under the Aegir and now under the General," Lionhart answered, deflecting the scythe with his own blade. "Now that I, the youngest son, have inherited this role, I'll make sure my region never suffers again—be it from Libertas or anyone else. I can't betray my name by siding with rebels. That would bring shame to my family."
"Then I guess there's no other choice." Mira sighed. "Too bad—you're kind of cute."
Lionhart hesitated, clearly flustered. A moment was all it took—Toru's vines shot forward as Keiji unleashed a blast of lightning.
But the Governor quickly recovered, and with a sudden motion, black flames burst from his blade.
"Black Fire—come to me!"
"He's a Shadow Esper! Watch out!" Hitoshi warned.
Suddenly, a peach tree erupted from the ground, and all its blossoms detached at once, turning into razor-sharp petals that shot toward Lionhart.
"We've got him!" Yuu thought. Maybe the black flames would burn some of the petals—but not all.
Instead, the Governor cloaked himself in those very flames. Not a single blossom touched him.
"I'd say warm-up's over. Shall we get serious?" Lionhart asked, raising his sword.
Yuu nodded. He didn't have much energy left, but still, he activated his Vitalis. The others followed suit.
All except Hitoshi.
"We need your help—hurry and transform!" Toru urged.
"I can't," Hitoshi replied. "I'll fight like this."
They were all at their limit after back-to-back transformations, but still—they hadn't lost the will to fight.
"What a magnificent show!"
A new voice rang out from atop a rock behind Lionhart. A young man in violet armor stood there, a beautifully crafted helmet resting on his head. he looked only slightly older than the Governor.
"Governor, there's no need for you to dirty your hands. Allow me to deal with them," the newcomer said.
"Nomurath, this is my fight. Don't interfere," Lionhart replied.
"But what's the point of being your bodyguard if I can't handle your enemies?" Nomurath said with a smirk.
He removed his helmet and casually took a seat. His face was thin and pale—almost corpse-like.
Lionhart turned back to them. "Very well. Let us continue. Out of respect for your courage, I too shall fight with all my strength. Ethereum!"
A dark cloud engulfed the young Governor. When it cleared, his body had grown visibly more muscular, his skin had turned a shade of grey, and his once icy eyes now glowed red. Finally, a pair of black horns had appeared on his head.
"Why do all the handsome ones end up like this?" Mira lamented. "At least you're still somewhat nice to look at."
This time, Lionhart didn't let himself be distracted. He launched himself straight into the group.
He struck Keiji with a powerful kick that sent him flying into the air, only to follow up with a second blow that slammed him against a rock wall. The boy collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
As soon as Lionhart turned, he had to meet Shinya's scythe head-on. The tip of the blade stopped just a few centimeters from his face.
"Don't mess up that pretty face!" Mira quipped, even in the middle of the fight.
Lionhart roared and knocked Shinya back. "Don't distract me, Mira!"
Meanwhile, Toru had sent roots burrowing underground—they suddenly burst out and coiled around the Governor's ankles.
"Yuu, now!" Hitoshi shouted, sending his flowers flying toward the enemy's right side.
Yuu's sword burst into flames as he lunged forward to strike the trapped opponent but Lionhart blocked the blow with his sword and burned the incoming flowers with his black fire.
Yuu had to leap back to avoid being gored by the Governor's horns—and in that moment, Lionhart broke free from the roots.
"Well done, Governor. You're holding your own against all these rejects," Nomurath laughed from above.
Lionhart didn't respond, turning instead toward Hitoshi. As one of the Thirteen, he was clearly a more important target than the others—though those same "others" had already taken down two Governors.
Hitoshi was clearly worn down from the earlier battle with the monster; he hadn't fully recovered and was barely managing to defend against the Governor's relentless attacks.
Yuu looked toward Keiji. He had taken a direct kick to the chest and still couldn't get up.
"I'll handle him. Go to Hitoshi," Toru said.
When Yuu turned back, he saw Hitoshi collapsed on the ground, while Shinya and Mira continued to fight Lionhart.
He rushed to help them.
With a single, powerful slash, Lionhart disarmed both girls. Mira attempted to strike back using blades of air, but the Governor's crimson sword deflected each one with ease.
"Not only handsome, but a skilled swordsman too," she remarked.
Yuu ignited his fist again and this time managed to land a hit while Lionhart was distracted. The flames went out immediately, but it was enough to push the Governor away from the others.
"Nomurath, I told you not to interfere!" Lionhart shouted.
Yuu didn't understand.
The pale guard burst into laughter.
"My apologies, Governor. I simply couldn't resist. He looked so miserable that I thought I'd ease his passing—with a little poison."
Only then did Yuu notice Hitoshi struggling to breathe. He hadn't even realized the Captain had been poisoned.
"Give him an antidote—now," the Governor ordered.
"What does it matter? He'll die one way or another. Better to let him go without risking our own skins, right?" Nomurath sneered.
"I care!" Lionhart shouted. "My family's honor must remain untarnished. No one will say I struck a man who was weakened—and poisoned, on top of that!"
Nomurath rose to his feet. "Governor, do you forget that the General's orders outweigh your honor?" he demanded, a hint of anger in his voice. "He's one of the Thirteen. He and his companions have been wanted for years. I will not heal him."
Lionhart trembled with rage, but he had to obey the General—he could not argue.
Roaring his fury, he drove his sword into the hard ground and formed an energy field with himself at the center. "Gravitational Inversion!"
They were all lifted against their will into the air—even Hitoshi. Beneath them a fire flared; these flames were darker than before.
"Damn it, we have nowhere to run. I can't move in midair!" Mira cried.
"Goodbye," Lionhart said in a low, almost regretful tone. He inverted gravity again, slamming them back down to the earth.
Yuu had braced for the relentless heat of the flames—the same scorching he'd felt when his house burned—but instead he hit the hard rock.
He stared at the Governor, who now had one arm frozen in place. "What the—?" he began, when an unfamiliar boy landed in front of him and struck Yuu square in the chest, hurling him against the mountainside.
The boy reached about Yuu's neck in height. White hair fell in a rebellious tuft over his right eye. His armor was black, adorned with white dragons.
"Who are you?" Yuu wheezed.
"My name is Ryou. Former Tenth of Aegir, current leader of Libertas in Astalia," the boy replied, barely taking his eyes off the Governor.
So this was Kyorano's plan—that explained his confidence. In an instant, countless Espers poured down the ridge and surrounded Lionhart. "Nomurath!"
The pale guard looked at him with contempt. "I was told not to intervene, correct? I will not be the one to stain your honor." With a mocking bow that seemed meant to humiliate the Governor, Nomurath fled.
Lionhart did not yield. Planting his feet, he gripped his sword and rose to face them. "Come then—face me all at once, to the death!"
"Wait!" Yuu shouted. The Astalian Espers kept their weapons leveled at the Governor.
"What do you want, kid?" growled a muscular boy in the front line before Lionhart.
"He's not like the other Governors. He's loyal—and he cares for the people of Astalia, not just himself," Yuu said.
"He just took office—he hasn't had time to do as he pleases. And we certainly won't let him," the Astalia Esper countered.
Ryou took a moment to assess the situation, then spoke calmly. "Governor Lionhart, if you surrender now, you'll be taken as our prisoner—but no harm will come to you."
"If I surrendered, I'd disgrace my family."
"If you surrender," came a new voice from behind the crowd, "you can continue to govern Astalia."
It was Kyorano, appearing suddenly, as if he'd been there the whole time.
"We've already entered Astalia and taken most of your forces prisoner," he added.
Lionhart lowered his sword slightly, but still held it tightly in his hand. "To surrender like this… I wouldn't be worthy of being called a Governor."
"So dramatic, kid," Kyorano scoffed. "There are far worse people than you sitting on those seats—and they've been there long before you."
"Rein!"
The voice came from within the crowd—a woman's voice. The young Governor turned, searching until a blonde girl in a light white dress stepped into the front row.
"Lisa!? What are you doing here?" He was visibly shocked—and a little embarrassed.
She wore white pearl bracelets on her wrists, a precious gemstone necklace, and a hairclip shaped like two golden fangs nestled in her long hair.
"Why don't you listen to your big sister for once?" Kyorano teased.
Lionhart turned even redder. "What are you doing here?" he asked again.
Yuu noticed that they had the same icy-colored eyes.
"I came to bring you back where you belong," Lisa said with a smile.
"But… I don't understand," the Governor muttered.
"Your sister and I made an agreement," Kyorano explained.
"What kind of agreement?"
Meanwhile, Mercure arrived to deal with the poison still affecting Hitoshi, who was unconscious on the ground.
"Rein, you may be the Governor of Astalia, but there's still so much you don't know," Lisa said, still smiling. "So I took the liberty of making the right choice for your future."
"You know these people are mocking our family's honor, right?" Lionhart growled, clearly furious.
"We're the last two members of our family still alive," she said calmly. "And I'm the older sister."
"And I'm the Governor!"
"But the Governor doesn't want everyone here to see how his big sister drags him back to the palace and give him a good spank… does he?"
Lionhart's face darkened. He sighed and slowly sheathed his sword. Even his Ethereum transformation dissipated.
The entire crowd burst into laughter—even Yuu couldn't help but chuckle.
"We… Should we ally with them?" Lionhart muttered. "The General's retaliation would crush us. We don't have the strength to defend ourselves…"
"No," Lisa replied firmly. "Astalia will remain neutral in this war."
"It's always a pleasure doing business with you, Lady Lisa," Kyorano said with a grin. "And let's be honest—none of us, including me, would want to face you as an enemy."
"Your offer was too good to refuse," Lisa replied, laughing again.
"Kyorano…" Yuu said, worried. "What did you offer her?"