The conservatory groaned as the very foundation of the palace began to crack under
the weight of the Seven Sins' presence. From the balcony, Jasmine watched as the
massive, ink-shrouded shadow in the sky opened its maw, a cold, violet light
beginning to swirl deep within its throat. The Realm Destruction was no longer a
threat; it was a countdown.
"The lock!" Mina screamed, her voice nearly lost in the rhythmic thrumming of the
encroaching sludge. "If we don't get out now, we die in this cage while our brothers
are slaughtered like cattle!"
Jasmine didn't use her staff to pick the lock. Fueled by a desperate, burning rage and
the memory of the "Monster" who had abandoned them, she channeled every ounce
of her water-aura into her hands. With a primal shriek, she slammed her palms against
the oak doors. The wood didn't just break; it exploded outward in a spray of indigo
splinters.
The sisters didn't hesitate. They sprinted through the crumbling hallways, leaping
over fallen masonry as the palace began to tilt toward the black, corrupted ocean.
They reached the docks just as the Elder Duke, his body now a mere vessel for the
Sins' spite, raised his sword over their fallen father.
"Touch him and I'll turn your soul into steam!" Jasmine roared, her voice carrying a
weight that made even the possessed soldiers hesitate.
But as they formed a protective circle around the wounded High Priest and their
battered brothers—Ryuki, Tidus, and Kaito—the sky above them finally ignited. The
Seven Sins let out a world-shaking cry, and the violet sun of the Realm Destruction
reached its zenith. The air turned into a vacuum, pulling the breath from their lungs.Jasmine looked at her sisters, then at the silk coat she still clutched in her hand. She
looked toward the West one last time, her eyes filling with a final, bitter hope.