The ruined laboratory fell silent.
Raithasu stood in the center of the room.
Across from him, the five Eclipse Units watched him.
Darev cracked his enormous knuckles.
KRRRKK...
A grin spread across his face.
«"I'll handle him."»
Auren glanced at him.
«"Don't underestimate him."»
Darev laughed.
«"He's one man."»
Nyx's strange, liquid-like fingers stretched and reshaped.
«"And you're planning to destroy the entire laboratory again?"»
Darev shrugged.
«"Who cares?"»
Sera remained several steps behind them.
She didn't raise her hands.
She didn't attack.
Her artificial eye simply focused on Raithasu.
BEEP.
Data appeared across her vision.
Heart rate.
Muscle movement.
Energy output.
Reaction speed.
Sera's expression slowly became serious.
«"Wait..."»
Darev ignored her.
He charged.
BOOM!
At the same instant—
Auren raised one hand.
WHOOOOM!
Several massive metal containers suddenly ripped free from the floor.
They flew toward Raithasu from different directions.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Raithasu ducked beneath the first.
The second flew over his head.
The third came from behind.
He jumped.
CLANG!
It smashed against the wall.
Auren moved his fingers.
The metal container suddenly changed direction.
It came back.
Raithasu twisted in midair.
WHOOOSH!
The container missed him by inches.
Darev was already there.
BOOM!
His fist came toward Raithasu's stomach.
Raithasu stepped aside.
Darev's punch missed.
CRAAAAASH!
His fist smashed through a laboratory console.
Sparks exploded everywhere.
ZZZZT!
Darev turned.
Raithasu was already behind him.
Darev swung backward.
Raithasu ducked.
Then—
THUD!
Raithasu punched Darev in the ribs.
Darev slid several feet across the floor.
He looked down.
Then laughed.
«"That's all?"»
Kairon suddenly disappeared.
WHOOSH!
Raithasu's eyes shifted.
Kairon appeared directly in front of him.
BAM!
Raithasu blocked the punch.
But Kairon was already gone.
WHOOSH!
He appeared on Raithasu's left.
BAM!
Another punch.
Raithasu blocked.
Kairon vanished again.
WHOOSH!
Behind him.
BAM!
Raithasu turned just in time.
He grabbed Kairon's arm.
But Kairon's arm suddenly separated from his body.
CLICK.
Raithasu's hand closed around an empty sleeve.
Kairon had already moved away.
His detached arm hit the floor.
CLANG.
Then—
KRRRKK.
It moved.
The arm crawled across the floor and reattached itself to Kairon's body.
Raithasu stared
Kairon smiled.
«"Surprised?"»
Nyx attacked next.
Her body suddenly melted.
SPLASH.
Her arm stretched across the room like liquid rubber.
It wrapped around Raithasu's ankle.
GRAB!
Nyx pulled.
Raithasu's body jerked forward.
Darev charged.
«"NOW!"»
His enormous flaming fist came toward Raithasu.
FWOOSH!
Raithasu twisted his body.
Darev's fist passed beside his face.
Raithasu grabbed Nyx's slime-like arm.
He pulled.
Nyx's body stretched several meters.
Her eyes widened.
«"What—?"»
Raithasu released her.
WHOOOSH!
Nyx flew sideways and crashed through a table.
CRASH!
Auren immediately lifted several metal chairs.
Then pipes.
Then pieces of broken machinery.
Everything floated around him.
His eyes narrowed.
«"Darev, don't destroy the laboratory."»
Darev ignored him.
«"Keep watching."»
He slammed both fists together.
BOOOOM!
Fire exploded from his body.
«"I'll finish him."»
Sera watched.
Her artificial eye continued scanning.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Her expression became increasingly disturbed.
Raithasu wasn't moving randomly.
Every time Kairon attacked...
Raithasu was already turning toward him.
Every time Auren moved an object...
Raithasu stepped into the only safe space.
Every time Nyx changed the shape of her body...
Raithasu reacted before the attack was complete.
Sera whispered:
«"He's reading them..."»
Auren heard her.
«"What?"»
Sera didn't answer.
Darev attacked again.
BOOOOOM!
His fist smashed down.
Raithasu jumped.
Darev swung upward.
Raithasu moved his head.
The fist missed.
WHOOSH!
Darev kicked.
Raithasu stepped backward.
The kick destroyed another machine.
CRAAAAASH!
Darev roared.
«"STOP RUNNING!"»
Raithasu looked at him calmly.
«"You're the one missing."»
Darev's face twisted with anger.
He grabbed a huge metal table and threw it.
WHOOOOOSH!
Raithasu ducked.
Auren redirected the table.
WHOOM!
It came back from behind.
Raithasu jumped over it.
Kairon appeared above him.
BAM!
Raithasu blocked the punch.
Nyx's slime stretched around his other arm.
GRAB!
Darev charged through the middle.
Sera's eyes widened.
«"Darev, stop!"»
Too late.
Darev's fist was already coming down.
Raithasu pulled his trapped arm free.
SNAP!
Nyx's slime stretched.
Raithasu ducked.
Darev's fist struck the floor.
KRAAAAAACK!
A massive crack spread across the laboratory.
Everyone stopped.
Auren looked down.
«"Darev."»
Darev looked at the crack.
Then laughed.
«"So?"»
Auren's expression hardened.
«"The foundation is damaged."»
Nyx looked around.
«"If you keep using that much force, we'll bring the whole place down."»
Darev clenched his fists.
Flames erupted around his body.
«"Then we'll bring it down."»
Sera stared at Raithasu.
Her scanner suddenly produced a warning.
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Her eyes widened.
«"His reaction time..."»
She looked at Raithasu.
«"It isn't normal."»
Raithasu raised his eyes toward her.
For a brief moment...
Their eyes met.
Sera froze.
Raithasu's expression was completely calm.
As if he already knew she was studying him.
Sera immediately looked away.
Darev screamed.
«"RAITHASU!"»
His entire body erupted in fire.
FWWWWOOOOSH!
He charged with everything he had.
Raithasu stood still.
Darev raised both fists.
«"DIE!"»
He brought them down.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Raithasu moved inside the attack.
He caught Darev's face with one hand.
Darev's eyes widened.
«"What—"»
Raithasu twisted.
WHOOOOOOOOOSH!
And slammed Darev into the floor.
KRAAAAAAAAAAASH!
The floor shattered.
Cracks raced across the entire laboratory
Auren looked down.
His expression finally changed.
«"Everyone—MOVE!"»
CRACK.
The floor collapsed.
The five Eclipse Units and Raithasu dropped into darkness.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Metal.
Glass.
Machines.
Stone.
Everything fell with them.
Sera disappeared into the darkness with the others.
The laboratory above began collapsing behind them.
And far below...
Something ancient waited beneath Vesper's laboratory.
THUD.
Zarkoon's shoes scraped backward across the marble floor.
He stopped himself just before reaching the castle wall.
Across the lobby, Daiki was already charging.
«"ZARKOON!"»
WHOOSH
Daiki's fist came straight toward his face.
BAM!
The punch connected.
Zarkoon's head snapped sideways.
For a moment, his body remained completely still.
Then he smiled.
He caught Daiki's wrist.
GRAB.
With a smooth movement, Zarkoon twisted his arm into a circular motion.
WHIRL!
Daiki's entire body followed the movement.
His feet scraped violently across the marble.
«"What—?!"»
CRASH!
Daiki was thrown sideways and slammed into a massive board near the wall.
Behind him hung an enormous decorative plant, its leaves spreading across the wall like giant blades.
Daiki pushed himself up.
He glanced backward.
Then turned toward Zarkoon.
Too late.
SHHHHHK!
The enormous leaves suddenly moved.
One after another, they fell toward him.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Daiki barely escaped the first.
The second struck the floor beside him.
The third nearly caught his shoulder.
In the center of the chaos stood Zarkoon.
Perfectly still.
Surrounded by floating cards.
A slow, creepy smile spread across his face.
He raised one card between two fingers.
«"Daiki..."»
His voice was almost playful.
«"You just entered the game of cards."»
The cards around him began rotating.
FSSSSSHHH...
Zarkoon's smile widened.
«"And guess what?"»
His eyes gleamed.
«"We just arrived too."»
He laughed.
«"HAHAHAHAHA!"»
The card in his hand flashed.
SHIIIIING!
A concentrated burst of energy exploded from it.
BOOOOOOM!
The attack struck Daiki directly.
His body was lifted from the floor.
«"ARGH!"»
He flew backward through the air.
At the same moment—
Michael stared at the cards.
His eyes widened.
He wasn't looking at Zarkoon.
He was looking at the cards themselves.
Their patterns.
Their energy.
The strange symbols moving across their surfaces.
Vesper noticed.
«"What happened?"»
Michael didn't answer.
Vesper frowned.
«"Scared?"»
Michael finally looked at him.
His expression was cold.
«"Not of them."»
He pointed toward Vesper.
«"You should be the one who's scared."»
Vesper's smile disappeared.
Michael continued:
«"That's why you locked me inside that Zero's body for all those years."»
His eyes narrowed.
«"You were afraid I'd remember."»
Vesper's expression changed.
Michael took one step forward.
«"You wanted to make sure I would never find out."»
Vesper laughed.
«"We'll see who makes who remember."»
His hand moved.
ZZZZZT!
Electricity gathered around his fingers.
A bolt shot toward Michael.
KRAK!
Michael twisted aside.
The lightning struck the floor.
BOOM!
Michael immediately countered.
He thrust his palm forward.
FWOOSH!
A blazing fire strike tore through the lobby.
Vesper moved aside.
BOOM!
The attack smashed into the wall behind him.
Stone exploded outward.
A large hole appeared in the castle wall.
Michael stared at Vesper.
«"Don't talk like you know me."»
Across the lobby—
Pixie had Yuki restrained.
A strange slime-like rope wrapped around Yuki's body.
SPLURP.
Pixie pulled the rope tighter.
«"Yuki."»
Yuki remained silent.
«"Tell me the truth."»
Nothing.
Pixie stared at her.
«"Why did you do it?"»
Yuki's eyes remained fixed forward.
She didn't answer.
Pixie tightened the slime.
«"Yuki!"»
Still nothing.
Then—
FWOOSH!
A fire strike from Michael tore across the lobby.
It struck Pixie's slime rope.
SIZZLE!
The slime began melting.
DRIP...
The connection broke.
Yuki dropped.
THUD.
For a moment, she remained kneeling.
Then she slowly stood.
Pixie looked at her.
«"Yuki..."»
Yuki raised her head.
Her eyes were filled with pure anger.
She whispered:
«"Wind."»
The air changed.
WHOOOOOOOOOSH!
The marble floor trembled.
Dust rose from the ground.
Pixie's eyes widened.
Behind him—
One tornado appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Until five enormous tornadoes formed behind Yuki.
FWWWWWWWWOOOOOSH!
The castle lobby was suddenly filled with violent wind.
Zarkoon's floating cards began shaking uncontrollably.
FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!
His smile vanished.
«"What...?"»
The tornadoes grew larger.
Curtains ripped from the walls.
Broken glass flew through the air.
KRAAASH!
Michael struggled to remain standing.
Vesper grabbed a pillar.
«"What is happening?!"»
The wind became even stronger.
Both Michael and Vesper were lifted from the floor.
«"Damn it!"»
They were thrown into the air.
Pixie shielded his face.
His slime body struggled against the wind.
He looked toward Yuki.
She stood completely still in the center of the storm.
Her hair whipped violently around her face.
But her expression...
Wasn't the Yuki he knew.
Pixie slowly lowered his hand.
His eyes widened.
A thought passed through his mind.
«This isn't Yuki.»
The five tornadoes roared behind her.
FWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOSH!
Pixie stared at her.
His heart tightened.
«It can't be.»
Yuki slowly lifted her eyes.
They were filled with nothing but rage.
Pixie whispered:
«"...Who are you?"»