A sudden pressure filled the chamber.
The air grew heavier. Darker. Colder.
Naoto stood alone, eyes narrowed. In front of him, the figure of Rei emerged—transformed, unrecognizable.
His eyes were black, like a void that consumed light. His face pale as death, smooth like porcelain, cracked with divine markings.
Rei Tensai was gone.
In his place stood the Supreme Lord—Almirah.
Naoto clenched his fists.
"What the hell... Rei... what happened to you?"
But there was no answer.
"I have no choice."
In a blink, Naoto surged forward—leaping high, spinning through the air—and slammed his knee toward the god's face.
CLANG!
Blocked—with one hand.
Naoto slid back across the floor, sparks flying under his boots.
Just then, Ash, Misaki, Tenma, and the others arrived, rushing into the chamber.
They watched—stunned—as Naoto and the god exchanged blindingly fast punches, each shockwave shattering nearby rocks. The battle was almost too fast to follow.
Naoto skidded back again—blood trailing from the corner of his mouth.
"Damn... he's fast."
"Stop!" Misaki screamed. "That's Rei! He's still there—I know it!"
Tenma's eyes were cold. "No... Rei is no more."
Naoto gritted his teeth. "...Then I'm sorry."
He summoned his blade, its edge burning with red-hot flames.
"Fire Slash—Ignition Fang!!"
The sword cleaved toward the god with explosive force—
BOOM!!
But when the smoke cleared… the god stood untouched.
Almirah laughed—a slow, eerie chuckle that grew into a roar.
"Haaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaaaa...!"
Without warning, he unsheathed a divine black blade, and in a flash, met Naoto's sword with matching speed.
Their blades clashed, metal screaming against metal. Sparks rained down like fireflies.
Naoto kept up—his eyes burning with intensity.
"He's... matching the lord's speed," Tenma whispered, astonished.
Misaki stepped forward, hand trembling.
"Naoto, please! Don't hurt him! He's still—"
Before she could finish, Almirah raised his hand, black lightning bursting forth like a storm.
"Get away from me."
The bolt struck—crackling toward her like death incarnate.
The scream echoed through the cavern as Misaki crumpled to the ground, black lightning smoke still hissing from her chest.
Ash's eyes widened in horror as he saw her motionless figure.
"Get out of the way!" Ash shouted.
He sprinted through the chaos, weaving past chunks of scorched stone and flickers of residual divine energy. Koharu was right behind him, her hands already glowing with healing energy.
They reached her side.
"She's alive—but barely," Koharu gasped, kneeling and pressing her hands to Misaki's wound. "I need to stop the bleeding first!"
Ash dropped to his knees, grabbing Misaki's hand.
Her eyes fluttered open weakly.
"Rei… Ash…?" Her voice was a whisper.
"I'm here," Ash said softly, gripping her hand tighter. "You're going to be okay. I swear."
"I… tried to stop him…" she murmured.
"I know," Ash said, pain thick in his voice. "And now we'll bring him back."
Behind them, the god—Rei's possessed form—stood still, twitching slightly, energy flickering in unstable waves.
Something was wrong.
Something inside was changing.
At the same moment outside—where thunder clashed and screams filled the cave—the supreme lord's body twitched.
The black lightning flickered… then faded.
The air went still.
Inside the mind of the possessed god, a different battle raged.
Clank… Clank… Clank…
Rei opened his eyes slowly.
His body was suspended—shackled by thick chains made of light and darkness. They pulsed with an eerie glow, holding him still in a void with no floor, no sky… only silence.
"Where… am I?" he whispered.
Suddenly, a faint echo rang out.
"Rei… Misaki is hurt…"
His head snapped up. Before him, like a cracked mirror into reality, he saw the outside world:
Naoto fighting desperately.
Misaki lying broken.
Ash screaming his name.
Blood. Fire. Rage.
"Stop…" Rei whispered, struggling against the chains.
He saw his own hands in that vision—no longer his. They were the hands of a god. Of a monster. Striking those he once loved.
His voice trembled.
"No… I never… wanted this…"
From the darkness behind, a whisper came, smooth and cold.
"You gave me control, child," Almirah's voice said. "You accepted the deal."
"I said—don't touch my friends!" Rei roared.
The chains cracked. One link broke.
Energy surged inside him.
"You lied to me!" Rei screamed. "You're not a god… You're a curse!"
Outside, Naoto paused mid-swing.
Ash's eyes widened as a low rumble shook the chamber.
And then… the supreme lord's body trembled—eyes flickering between black and their original color.
"Rei…?" Misaki whispered weakly from Koharu's arms.
Inside the void, Rei clenched his fists as the chains shattered completely.
"I'm taking back what's mine."
The moment of silence shattered—Almirah screamed from deep within as Rei's will surged.
But the god wasn't finished.
Rei's eyes turned black once more. The lord—furious at losing control—unleashed a dark scream that echoed through the cave. Black lightning sparked, and he bolted forward like death itself.
His target: everyone.
Ash stepped between the others and the possessed Rei.
"STOP!" Ash yelled. "You're not him! Let Rei go!"
But the body didn't stop. It rushed forward, blade in hand, hatred in its eyes.
"Kill me, Ash!" a voice echoed—faint, buried inside the rage.
Ash's hand trembled. "No… I'll never do that."
Then, something unbelievable happened.
The raging storm slowed.
Rei's steps halted just in front of Ash.
He raised his hand. Slowly, trembling… he gripped Ash's wrist, the one holding the sword.
And then—
Rei pushed the sword into his own chest.
Ash's eyes widened. "NO! REI!!"
The black lightning cracked around them like a beast screaming in fury. The god screeched in defiance as Rei's blood spilled.
"I told you…" Rei whispered, smiling weakly. "Don't touch… my friends."
A wave of light exploded from his body.
Everyone was thrown back by the blast—Kaien shielding Koharu, Naoto grabbing Luna, Drax pulling Misaki to safety.
The cave began to tremble.
"GO BACK!!" Ash shouted, grabbing Misaki and leaping toward the exit.
Behind them—lightning consumed the chamber.
Walls cracked.
The mountain roared.
And in the heart of it all, the Crownless Prince stood—fighting for control one last time.
"Save them, Ash…"
Rei's voice echoed as the mountain collapsed.
The cave groaned, its walls cracking like bones under pressure. Rocks rained from the ceiling. A deafening rumble echoed through every corridor.
"RUN!" Kaien shouted.
He swung Misaki onto his back without hesitation. Her body was limp, her face pale, but he didn't stop. "Stay alive… damn it, Misaki."
Naoto grabbed Ash's arm just as he froze mid-step. "Ash, move! Rei wouldn't want you to die here!"
Ash clenched his jaw, staring back at the glowing, crumbling chamber where Rei's last light still shone. His heart burned. But he nodded, and they ran.
Behind them, Luna, Koharu, and Drax followed, dodging debris and falling stones. Dust choked the air, making it hard to breathe. The only sound louder than the collapse was their footsteps—desperate and rapid.
As they reached the central chamber of the cave, a tremor shook the ground violently.
Kaien stumbled. Misaki's head bumped against his shoulder—
And her eyes fluttered open.
She gasped for air. "...Rei?"
"Misaki?" Kaien shouted in relief, but didn't stop running. "You're awake—good. Stay awake, alright? We're almost out!"
Her vision was blurry. The world was spinning.
But she saw it—
The light in the distance. The final explosion. The chains. Rei's silhouette.
She screamed.
"REI!!!"