2687

As the first rays of sunlight began to spill over the horizon, everyone in the hotel room felt a wave of relief wash over them. They had kept watch all night, their eyes strained from staring into the shadows, ready for an attack that never fully came. The eight of them gathered their things and made their way outside, stepping into the golden warmth of the morning sun.

The fatigue was evident on their faces, their bodies aching from the long, sleepless night. Baluka, Nur, Amber, Hanako, and Akria all slumped against the side of the building, soaking in the sunlight like a lifeline. Despite everything, they couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate the fact that they’d made it through the night alive.

Baluka squinted up at the sky, then glanced over at Rex and Leon, who seemed unnaturally alert, standing tall and scanning their surroundings as if they hadn't just pulled an all-nighter. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How the hell aren’t you tired?" she asked, her voice groggy, laced with exhaustion.

Leon, always composed, gave a small smirk but didn’t take his eyes off the horizon. “It’s all about discipline. You train your mind and body enough, and you get used to pushing through without rest.”

"Discipline, my ass," Nur grumbled, stretching his stiff muscles. "You’ve gotta have some kind of trick up your sleeve. Don’t tell me you’re running on sheer willpower alone."

Rex, standing a little to the side, let out a small chuckle. “Let’s just say... flux energy has its perks,” he said with a shrug. He rotated his shoulder, still sore from the night’s battle. “Though, it’s not like we’re not tired. We just know how to hide it better.”

Hanako, lying on her side. “Ugh, you two are freaks. I’m pretty sure I could sleep for a whole week and still be tired.”

Akria, sitting beside Hanako, licked her head lazily. “Seconded.”

Amber sighed, leaning back against the wall of the hotel. “I hate to admit it, but I'm with them. This night was hell. I still feel like Shadow’s eyes are on me.”

Leon finally turned to face the group, his sharp gaze softening slightly. “You all did well. We made it through the night—together. But don’t let your guard down just because it’s daylight.”

Rex nodded in agreement. “Shadow might be hiding for now, but we know he’s not finished with us. We need to keep moving. The sooner we get to the palace, the better.”

Baluka groaned again, rubbing her temple. "Can’t we just have, like, five minutes to bask in the sun? Maybe a nap?"

Leon chuckled this time. "Maybe when this is over, Baluka. Maybe."

Leon stood still for a moment, lost in thought. His sharp gaze seemed distant as if piecing together a puzzle no one else could see. Rex, noticing his friend's silence, furrowed his brow. "Are you okay?" Rex asked, concerned.

Leon nodded but didn't seem fully there. "Something's been bothering me since the train... and again in the woods," he finally said, his voice quieter than usual, but filled with a sense of urgency.

"What is it?" Amber asked, her curiosity piqued as she wiped the exhaustion from her face.

Leon shifted his weight, looking each of them in the eyes before speaking. "The Yeager rank four—she knew exactly where we were heading. And then, the other Yeager, Shadow, said, 'All of you will die long before you ever reach Luna.'"

Rex's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "You mean...?"

Leon nodded, his expression grim. "Exactly. That would mean one of two things. Either they don’t care that we’re coming because they believe they can overpower us without much effort, or—" He paused, the gravity of his next words hanging in the air. "—Luna is still weak right now, trying to regain her original power."

Amber furrowed her brow. "Regain her original power? What do you mean?"

Rex crossed his arms, leaning against a nearby wall as he began to explain. "During the War of Yeagers, Luna went head-to-head with the first Dark Flame user, Amelia Locke. Their fight was catastrophic—it destroyed all of Europe. The battle didn’t stop there; it reached Saturn and Jupiter, wreaking havoc on everything in its path. We don’t even know the full extent of the damage. Luna won that battle in the end, but she was left severely weakened from the fight."

The weight of his words hung in the air, and the group fell silent for a moment. Baluka, usually the most energetic, even looked concerned.

Nur, ever the pragmatist, grinned with a glint of excitement in his eyes. "So, if Luna is still trying to regain her power... that means she’s vulnerable. We could take her out and win the war!"

Leon shot him a sharp glance, his voice firm but calm. "Don’t be so hasty. Yes, if she’s still weakened, it gives us an opening, but we’re talking about Luna—she’s not an easy target. Even if she’s not at full strength, underestimating her could cost us everything."

Amber crossed her arms, her face thoughtful. "If she’s trying to get her power back, that means we have a small window of opportunity. But if the Yeagers are aware of this... they’re not going to just sit back and watch us take her down. We’ll have to fight through all of them to even get to her."

Rex, still leaning against the wall, nodded in agreement. "Leon’s right. We need to be careful. Every step we take closer to Luna, the more resistance we’re going to face. They won’t let us waltz in and kill their queen."

Nur huffed, still confident. "Doesn’t matter. If we play this right, we can end this war before Luna ever regains her full strength. We just have to hit her fast and hard."

Leon turned back to the group, his face determined. "We’ll need to plan carefully. We can’t afford any mistakes. If we’re going after Luna, we need to be prepared for whatever comes next. There’s no turning back from here."

Baluka, still recovering from the ordeal, stood up and stretched. "Well, looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us then. I just hope we can handle whatever’s waiting for us between here and Luna."

The sun now fully risen, casting a warm glow over the group, Leon gave a final nod. "We’ve made it this far. We just have to stay smart and stick together."

The group, reinvigorated with a new sense of purpose, knew the hardest part of their journey was still ahead. But now, they had a goal in sight: Luna.

Leon paced back and forth, deep in thought, clearly strategizing their next move. “but We need to get there as soon as possible,” he muttered before turning sharply to Hanako and Akria. "What are the conditions for your teleportation?"

Hanako, lounging on the ground, lazily flicked her ears and grinned mischievously. “Teleportation’s not as easy as it sounds, Leon. We can only manage short distances right now, maybe a few kilometers tops. Anything more, and we’ll be completely drained.”

Akria, standing beside her with a more serious demeanor, nodded in agreement. “The further we go, the more precise we have to be. If we lose focus, we might end up somewhere we don’t want to be—or worse, inside a solid object. That’s not a risk we can afford to take.”

Leon frowned, absorbing the limitations. “So, teleporting straight to Luna’s palace is off the table. Understood. How many people can you take with you at once?”

Hanako twirled a strand of her hair as she considered. “One of us can teleport a single person, and only if it's a short distance. If Akria and I combine our energy, we might be able to move the entire group, but only for shorter hops. That would drain us both, though.”

Akria crossed his arms. “And we can’t teleport to a place we don’t know. If we haven’t seen the location or sensed its energy, it’s too risky. Especially if it’s heavily guarded.”

Leon nodded slowly. “Alright. But what if you could see the destination beforehand, even in a picture? And what if we used our flux energy to stabilize the jump?”

Akria’s brow arched, and he glanced at Hanako. “That could work, but it would still need to be within Japan. We can’t teleport across continents, not yet.”

Leon quickly used his cybernetics a pulled up a picture. “How about here? Oma, the northernmost point of Japan. It’s closer to Luna, and outside of the immediate Yeager threat.”

Hanako flicked her tail as she studied the photo. “It’s within range, and it doesn’t look too complicated terrain-wise. We could make it.”

Akria nodded again, thoughtfully. “We can give it a try, but we’ll need rest afterward. It’ll take everything we have.”

Leon’s lips curled into a slight smile. “It’s a risk, but it’s better than taking the long, dangerous route. Let’s do it.”

Amber stepped forward. “Then let’s make it happen.”

The group gathered around Hanako and Akria, placing their hands on the foxes as they channeled their flux energy into them. “Yeager ability: Flux-portation,” Hanako and Akria thought in unison.

In an instant, the world around them shifted, and they found themselves standing together on a dock in Oma. The salty sea breeze hit them immediately, and the sun’s early rays bathed the horizon in light. Hanako and Akria collapsed to the ground, their small fox bodies completely drained.

“They gave it everything,” Leon muttered, kneeling beside Hanako as Rex gently scooped up Akria.

They had made it, but the cost was clear

Rex gently picked up Hanako and Akria, placing Hanako on his head and Akria at the back of his neck, making sure they were comfortable. "So, where are we headed now?" Amber asked, glancing at the vast sea stretching ahead.

"Are we taking the boat to Hakodate?" Baluka chimed in.

"No, that would take too long," Leon replied, his voice steady. "We’ll use our flux energy to get there faster."

"Understood," the group responded in unison. Without hesitation, they leaped off the dock and began walking across the water, their flux energy keeping them afloat.

Leon looked ahead, the wind in his hair, and called out, "Let’s pick up the pace."

Everyone understood the signal. The five of them took off at full speed, sprinting across the surface of the water, their steps leaving faint ripples behind. The sea rushed past beneath their feet, the cool spray from the ocean misting their faces as they pushed forward.

After about five minutes, they had covered a great distance and were halfway across the sea. But suddenly, a figure appeared ahead of them—Natalia, standing in their path, her whip coiled in her hand, a dangerous smirk on her face.

The group immediately stopped, sliding into defensive stances. Rex stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. Natalia’s presence was no coincidence, and they all knew it.

"I'll handle this," Rex said firmly, his voice leaving no room for debate. "Everyone else, keep going. I’ll catch up once I’ve dealt with her."

The others hesitated for a moment, concern flickering in their eyes, but they trusted Rex’s judgment. Baluka, Amber, Leon, and Nur exchanged quick glances before nodding.

"Stay safe," Amber muttered, her eyes locking with Rex’s for a second before she turned to follow the rest of the group.

Rex squared off with Natalia, his posture relaxed but ready. "So, you were waiting for us," he said, his voice low and steady.

Natalia’s grin widened. "You didn’t think I’d let you pass so easily, did you? This ends here."

Rex's hands clenched, the air around him crackling with energy. "You can try," he replied, his tone calm but resolute.

Natalia’s grin widened as her sword clashed with Rex’s. Sparks flew from their blades, and she reveled in the intensity of the fight. Rex, calm and focused, stood his ground, but his eyes flickered with realization as her flames grew in power.

"Yeager ability, Flames of Life," Natalia thought, summoning white and gold flames that danced along her sword. With a swift, full-powered swing, she sent a blast of flame toward Rex. He blocked the strike with his sword, but one of the smaller flames grazed him. He staggered back slightly.

In that brief moment of contact, Rex felt something drain from him. "Five seconds of my life were drained...," he thought, his eyes narrowing. "If I take a direct hit from one of those giant flames, I could lose ten years or more."

Natalia smirked, noticing his hesitation. “You’ve figured it out, haven’t you? My flames burn brighter than yours and even Griffin’s. They don’t just hurt—they devour time itself.”

With a sudden charge, Natalia’s flames intensified. "Yeager ability, Pure Flames," she thought. Her sword ignited even more brilliantly, radiating an intense golden light. She swung it at Rex with a flurry of flames trailing from her blade, scorching the air.

Rex met her assault head-on. "Dark Flame Style, Dark Sickle Cell," he thought. His sword began to hum and vibrate with dark energy. In an instant, he vanished, moving so quickly that the water beneath him split in half from the sheer force of his speed. Natalia's eyes widened in shock—she couldn’t track his movements.

In the blink of an eye, Rex reappeared behind her. A split second later, her upper body was sliced clean in half, but before her body hit the water, it regenerated. Natalia spun around midair, her lower half reforming seamlessly. With a swift kick, she struck Rex in the head, sending him skidding back across the water.

“Yeager ability, Flames of Laughter,” Natalia thought, her body twisting unnaturally as she floated upside down, laughing maniacally. As her laughter echoed across the sea, flames erupted from her body, spreading in all directions like wildfire.

Rex’s eyes narrowed as he saw the flames coming toward him, threatening to consume everything. “Dark Flame Style, Dark Flame Wall,” he thought. A massive wall of black fire rose in front of him, blocking the advancing golden flames. The two opposing forces collided violently, creating an explosion of light and shadow that lit up the sky.

Rex stood firm behind his flame barrier, eyes locked on Natalia. "These flames...they aren’t just ordinary. They're feeding off her madness," Rex thought. "I have to end this fast, or her power will spiral out of control."

Natalia, upside down, laughed louder as her flames grew stronger, feeding off her chaotic energy. “Let’s see how long you can last, Rex!” she shouted, her voice filled with crazed glee.

A sudden, sharp pain shot through Rex’s foot as a sickle burst from the water beneath him, stabbing deep into his flesh. "Damn it!" Rex cursed under his breath. He glanced upward, noticing dark clouds gathering ominously in the sky, signaling more danger. Without hesitation, he slashed his foot off to free himself and leaped away, regenerating the limb in a matter of seconds.

"Took you long enough, weakling," Natalia sneered, her eyes gleaming with sadistic glee as she readied herself for another strike.

Before Rex could respond, a figure emerged silently from a nearby shadow—Shadow himself, stepping into the light with cold disdain. "Be quiet, Natalia. You're just as much of a nuisance as always," Shadow said with a chilling voice, his eyes fixed on Rex.

"Damn... I can't handle both of them at once like this," Rex thought, calculating his options quickly. He glanced over at Hanako and Akira, still unconscious and draped across his shoulders. He couldn’t risk their safety any longer.

In a desperate move, Rex tossed Hanako and Akira far into the distance, launching them with pinpoint precision toward the others. As the small foxes soared through the air, Shadow raised an eyebrow. "He can throw pretty far," he remarked, his tone mildly impressed.

"Enough of that," Natalia said impatiently. “Let’s finish this.”

Without hesitation, both Natalia and Shadow charged at Rex in perfect unison. Their blades glinted in the dim light as they swung at him with lethal intent. Rex met their attack head-on, blocking their strikes, but the force behind their blows sent shockwaves across the water, making it tremble beneath them.

Rex gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "This isn’t just a fight anymore; they’re trying to overwhelm me."

Rex’s eyes gleamed with a brilliant yellow light, a sharp contrast to the chaos surrounding him. With this sudden burst of energy, he was able to effortlessly block every swing from both Natalia and Shadow. Each of their strikes clashed against his blade, but none could penetrate his defenses.

Shadow’s eyes narrowed, his suspicions confirmed. "I knew it," he thought, watching Rex closely. "Ace’s memories revealed that Rex could predict movements—those yellow eyes must mean he can see into the future."

Rex, though still holding his ground, could feel the toll on his body. "I can’t keep this up for long. Seeing into the future drains too much flux energy." His muscles tensed, and with a quick decision, he realized he had only one option left. "I have no choice."

“Dark Flame Style, Dark Burst!” Rex thought, channeling all his remaining flux energy into his sword. The flames condensed into the blade, humming with volatile power. Without wasting a second, Rex charged at Natalia, his sword burning with the intensity of his attack.

Natalia swung her blade to meet him head-on, but when Rex’s blade collided with hers, a massive explosion of force erupted from the impact. The burst sent Rex flying backward, launched far into the air by the sheer pressure of his own flux energy.

Natalia stood in the aftermath, stunned by the sudden change in the fight. "He used the energy not to attack me, but to escape...," she realized, her anger bubbling over as Rex vanished into the distance. She clenched her fists in frustration, knowing she had let him slip away.

Meanwhile, Rex flew through the air, his body finally succumbing to exhaustion. His vision blurred, and before he knew it, he crash-landed on solid ground with a heavy thud. The impact knocked him out cold.

Not far from where he landed, a girl was sitting by the water, fishing. She blinked in surprise as she saw Rex’s dramatic arrival. “Well… that’s one hell of a way to end a chapter,” she said with a bemused smile, pulling in her fishing line.