After Ren, Leon, and Jack lost track of Valencia—who had been swallowed by the monster—they found themselves in a dire situation. Swarms of Abyssium monsters were hot on their heels, forcing them to sprint out of the grasslands immediately.
"Just a little further...!!"
"Don't stop, everyone!!!"
Leon laid down suppressive fire with his dual weapons; plasma rounds vaporized monsters in single shots.
"We're almost there! 500 meters to the wilderness zone!"
"I can't hold them off much longer!!"
Jack was reaching his limit, his hands bleeding as his shield began to fracture under the relentless assault.
One by one, the soldiers fell—snatched away, dragged underground, or swarmed by smaller creeps. Eventually, only ten people remained, including Ren, Leon, and Jack.
Meanwhile, Valencia—having just carved her way out of the monster's gut—stared at the pulsing giant core. Her body was covered in minor burns, her clothes were in tatters, her armor was gone, and her only weapon was her plasma sword.
"Damn it all!!"
"Moo... my clothes are practically gone! I hope they haven't arrived to see me like this."
Grimacing through the pain, Valencia glared at the giant monster core. Her plasma sword began to emit a strange, fiery energy.
"This again?!!"
"What exactly is this power? Could it be... linked to that dream I had?!"
Valencia's chest burned with heat, even though her surroundings were hauntingly cold and shrouded in darkness.
Aboard the Corinth, Vorta worked frantically with Heliostra to re-establish the link. Seth and Siegfried were ready to dive in, but Kryos held them back.
"Sieg, Seth. Wait for my command!"
"Let her face this alone for now."
Kryos watched Seth and Siegfried through his screen back at The Haast.
"Got it!"
"Ren Kurosawa's signal has been localized!"
Heliostra successfully locked onto the signal, her fingers dancing across the console.
"Ren Kurosawa!"
"Can you hear me?!"
Vorta's voice was strained with hope as he patched through to Ren. Ren's comms chirped, and he answered immediately despite the chaos.
"Captain Ren Kurosawa reporting, General Vorta!!"
"We're being hunted! Only ten of us are left! Captain Valencia was swallowed and carried off by a medium-sized monster!!"
As Ren spoke, Leon was still busy firing, and Jack—his shield half-shattered—began using his bare hands to deflect blows.
"What...!"
"Impossible!!"
"What is your current position?!"
Vorta's breath hitched as he barked the question.
"We're almost... at the edge of the wilderness!"
"Our numbers are dropping—it's just the three of us now, General!"
Ren, Leon, and Jack scrambled over massive tree roots. Their visibility was paper-thin due to the dense fog of the forest. Suddenly, they saw a glow in the distance. Valencia heard the gunfire and approaching footsteps; she realized they were coming.
"Moo, why are you guys so fast!!"
"What do I do?!"
In her panic, a fiery aura suddenly enveloped Valencia's body, forming a radiant magical armor.
"What is this?!"
"My body... it's coated in...!"
Ren, Leon, and Jack burst into the clearing. Valencia didn't realize they were there until Ren shouted.
"Valencia!!"
"Finally! You're alive!"
Valencia screamed, and without even turning around, she hurled her plasma sword toward the three of them.
"Kyahhh!!!"
"CLOSE YOUR EYES! D-DON'T LOOK AT ME, YOU IDIOTS!!!"
Ren dove to the side, and Leon ducked. Jack, however, took the hilt of the plasma sword right to the head—luckily, the blade had deactivated mid-flight. Jack collapsed instantly, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"H-hey, what's wrong with you?!"
"Throwing a sword out of nowhere? You almost killed us!!"
Leon stood up, staring at Valencia who was shrouded in fire armor. Valencia, however, assumed they could see right through it.
"Wow, your body...."
Before Ren could finish, Valencia cut him off.
"Don't look, you pervert!!"
Ren and Leon, bewildered, tried to explain the situation to the frantic Valencia, who was covering her chest with her hands.
"Hey, what do you mean!!"
"You think we're like that?! You're still wearing clothes, you know!"
Leon was annoyed, but Ren quickly calmed them down.
"Both of you, the mission is right in front of us. Focus!"
"Jack is out, the rest of the squad is dead. It's just the four of us now!!"
Ren walked over, picked up the plasma sword near Jack, and tossed it back to Valencia. He nudged the unconscious Jack while Valencia caught her blade.
Vorta, listening through the comms, immediately asked about Valencia, who had reappeared on the radar.
"How is your condition?!!"
"Is it safe!"
Vorta's breathing stabilized. Valencia answered, still flustered.
"Y-yes, General. I'm safe."
"B-but all my gear is destroyed. Only the plasma sword remains!"
Valencia turned her face away from Ren, who sighed at his friend's shock. Ren then spoke into his comms, addressing the High Sentinels.
"Generals, this might be a bad time to ask, but have you been watching us since we landed?!"
"Also... Captain Valencia is emitting a strange power, General. It's like a firebird aura!"
Vorta understood instantly, as did Heliostra, Siegfried, Fang, and Seth on the Corinth, and Kryos, Foxana, Haedeus, and Raiden back at headquarters.
"Heh, looks like your animal instincts are sharp, Fox-lady!"
"Hahaha!!"
Seth's laugh grated on Foxana's ears.
"Shut it, you Desert Dog!!"
Seth just gave a small smirk toward the screen, making Foxana slam her desk. However, their attention was pulled back to the giant core, which was pulsing with increasing intensity—as if responding to Valencia's awakening power.
"So... we finally found it. Heh, fascinating."
Kryos closed his eyes and smiled, while Foxana urged the team to finish the mission.
"Destroy it and return to base immediately. We can't afford any more casualties!!"
"On my screen, multiple red dots are converging on your location!!"
Raiden pointed to the largest dot on the map.
"Hmm, a giant worm monster has surfaced. 11 o'clock. Prepare yourselves."
Raiden's calm voice provided a sense of security, but the fact that they were being surrounded forced Ren and the others to ready their weapons.
Suddenly, Valencia's body erupted with a brilliant light, blinding everyone and illuminating the entire forest. The radiance was so powerful it was visible even to those aboard the Corinth.
"Hmm... from that distance, the power is incredible for a beginner."
Siegfried gave a brief glance before closing his eyes again.
"Heh, so this is it. The power of the ruler of fire in this world! Interesting!!"
"Even if she isn't the true ruler of light... the darkness in my body seems to be responding!!"
Seth approached the ship's window. As a demon, the dark power within him reacted violently to the light.
"My body....!!"
"What is this!!!"
Valencia was suddenly pulled into a void—the same strange dimension from her dream. She looked around to find nothingness.
"Where am I??"
"This dimension... it's exactly like the dream!!"
Suddenly, she saw a giant firebird soaring toward her. This time, it landed gently instead of diving. Its form was clear: a bird wreathed in roaring flames with golden wings.
"You are the chosen one. The destiny of fire is bound to you. You shall be the one to bring embers to this world. You shall shine brighter than your predecessors."
A majestic voice echoed in Valencia's ears.
"You are the fifth to receive the Primordial power. My other siblings are still waiting... for their champions to emerge."
A light descended, approaching the motionless Valencia.
"Go forth, chosen one. Bring the warmth of the Primordial to this new era."
A blinding light consumed Valencia's vision. She snapped back to reality on Planet Morgulon, standing right next to the giant core. To Ren and Leon, only a second had passed.
"Va-valen... what is that in your hand?!"
Ren's eyes sparkled. Valencia held a fiery bow carved with the image of a firebird and a sun symbol. Her body was clad in magnificent, divine armor that radiated a power far beyond any mortal creature.
"This is... the 'Bow of The Sun'!"
"I... I am the 'Formam of Fire'!!"
Valencia was stunned by her own transformation, but she quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Jack slowly blinked his eyes open, woken by the sheer brilliance of Valencia's light.
"No... impossible!!"
"You... the wielder of the 'Blazing Sun'... the Primordial Phoenix!!!"
Ren stood speechless, clutching his head at the revelation that his friend was the vessel of a god. Leon was still temporarily blinded, while Jack struggled to stand, rubbing a growing lump on his head.
In the distance, trees crashed and the earth trembled as the enemy approached. Ren realized they were surrounded. But Valencia did something that left Ren, Leon, and Jack in total awe.
"Piercing Fire!!"
With a single pull of the string, a flaming arrow streaked through the dark woods. The arrow split into dozens of projectiles mid-air, striking the worm monsters 200 meters away.
A powerful shriek tore through the air as the "sun" pierced the monsters' hearts. She fired again toward 3 o'clock, and another scream ripped through the night.
"Oh Sun... illuminate and cast out this darkness. Let the warmth of the sun pierce the veins of the dark. For those who have suffered the corrosion."
Valencia fired a brilliant arrow into the sky. As it pierced the night clouds, a radiant light burst forth, freezing the Abyssium monsters in their tracks and bathing the entire forest in glow.
Then, Valencia drew her bow again, three arrows manifesting simultaneously. She aimed directly at the uncontrollably pulsing core.
"Eternal Sun... your warmth shall restore this place. Just as you always return. Rise from the surrounding darkness."
She released the string. The three arrows shot forward, wreathed in golden fire, tearing through the forest's atmosphere. Ren, Leon, and Jack were blinded by the flash, as were Vorta and those aboard the Corinth.