"Ash Phantom: The Legend Reborn"

. Auren locked eyes with Bachan, his own eyes displaying an instant, harsh brightness. "Then we opt for the madness that saves," he declared in a low but resolute tone, a quiet echo of his recent rage in the cafe. "We go for the Scholar's Plateau in search of answers. Answers that could save more than ourselves."

Bachan merely smiled, a keen glint in his eye. "Ah. And then your madness is for a purpose and not folly. A rare breed indeed."

He relaxed back in his chair, a new, almost serious quality about him. "The path is open, young ones. But the Whispering Whirlpool proves more than mere bravery."

He leaned in, his tone dropping to that of conspiracy. "Children, if your intention is really to go into the Scholar's Plateau, then I can provide proper details regarding it.

The Scholar's Plateau has mountains covering it. There are only two ways to enter it." He showed two fingers. "First is to enter the whirlpool. Second is to take an airplane."

Bachan stopped, waving a hand. "But for you, the whirlpool is the sole means.

The plane is attached to the Dojo, and it flies only twice a day—at daybreak and dusk. Masters every day go there and return to this island."

Rose furrowed her brow. "Wait, why can't they just live there then?

Bachan nodded. "Correct question, lass. Scholars are significant in this world. They acquire knowledge, control, and instruct people endowed with magical power. The Scholar's Plateau is an old place, and it's a center of mystery."

"That's why, I suppose," Auren spoke softly, having finally comprehended the special quality of the Plateau.

"Yes," Bachan confirmed. "The Scholar's Plateau is the safest place in Ryuki City. And if anyone were to go there to ruin its treasure, we have two elite mages watching over it to defend the location."

He dipped into a pouch and produced a small, highly decorated compass. "Take this compass." Rose stretched out and took it carefully. That compass looks beautiful...

"Walk directly 30 degrees southeast."

Bachan commanded, gesturing vaguely in that direction. "You will get to see mountains, and at one mountain, there will be a huge shower falling. This shower forms a whirlpool when it hits the pond.

All you need to do is leap into the whirlpool, and then the whirlpool will bring you inside the Scholar's Plateau lake."

Auren, his forehead creased in thought, recalled something. "Who mentioned two top-level mages watching over it? Can you tell us their names?"

Bachan's eyes sparkled. "The first is Mekamaru. He possesses the magical power of a giant body and can get very angry during battle.

The name of his weapon is Sukai, an axe capable of causing huge cracks in the ground. The second is Sakura. She possesses the magical power to control water and air, and she also possesses a lot of healing power, such as Elite Mage Sia from the mainland."

Sunny, his eyes opening wide with a sudden, intense interest, leaned forward. "What is Sakura's full name?" he whispered, hardly above a whisper.

Bachan smiled, seeing Sunny's enthusiasm. "Curious, huh. Alright then, I will tell you. Her full name is Sakura Vincent."

When Sunny heard that name, his mouth went wide open. He clutched his head with both of his hands, his body shaking. "What?! I don't believe she's alive!" he strangled out, tears suddenly flooding his eyes and streaming down his face. "Thank God, thank God she's alive!" Thhhaaanakkk yoooouuu goooddddd. He burst out.

Auren was taken aback at Sunny's sudden crying fit and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What happened, Sunny?"

"Rose blinked, clearly just as confused and worried as Auren, simply asked,

"Are you okay, Sunny?"

Sunny's tears continued flowing, but a happy, relieved sob burst out of him. "I'm so happy! My sister is alive! I can't believe I still have my family alive!"

He rubbed wildly at his eyes, a desperate optimism flickering in his tears. "I need to see my sister. For years, I thought they all died! But my sister is fine; that means my mom, my dad, and my brother—they're all fine! At last, it lifts my heart. I thought they all died because of me."

Auren, still placing a reassuring hand on Sunny's shoulder, used his soft voice. "If you're all right, can you tell me what actually happened? What is going on?"

Sunny nodded, drawing a shaky breath. His voice, while still husky with emotion, started steadying as he spoke of his past. "Since childhood, a dream kept haunting me. As if somebody kept saying, 'Do you remember me?' These dreams did not often come, but they did sometimes.

Two years back, I shared this with my family."

He stopped, a faraway look in his eyes. "They took me to an orb ritual. The soul mage stated that this dream is in relation to my past life, and there's someone who was in my past life and is still alive and related to me in some manner.

I asked them, 'Who is that?' The soul mage said that I had to try to find out but that I was the reincarnation of my ancestor. Perhaps I could find them in my family tree history. But one thing he told me to remember: this orb indicated that I'm a reincarnation of someone from the Grand Era."

Bachan, who was listening in tremendously, gasped, eyes wide in astonishment. "What?!

He stands up quick...

The Grand Era?! What in the world is happening today?!

Auren- Are you aware of something regarding the grand era, and what is it??

Bachan—there once was a time when war for power and peace took place, and during that time the great Ryuki lived.