The High Priest stepped closer, his weathered hand lifting the edge of his robe as he knelt beside Lira. His fingertips brushed the scorched floor where the remnants of power still clung like the dying embers of a once-roaring fire.
"The air still carries his essence," he murmured, eyes narrowing. "I can work with this."
Elara stood guard by the doorway, her daggers already drawn though nothing stirred. The instinct gnawed at her — every fiber of her being screamed this wasn't over. Lumi knelt beside Lira, giving her a quick once-over.
"Can you move?" Lumi asked quietly.
Lira swallowed hard and nodded, though her face was pale and her limbs visibly shaking. "I—I can."
Without hesitation, Lumi offered her a hand, helping her to her feet. She didn't ask any more questions. Not now. Time was slipping through their fingers.
The High Priest retrieved a small, worn talisman from within his robes — a disc of polished stone etched with ancient runes that pulsed faintly in the dim light. He pressed it flat against the ground, his other hand hovering just above it as he began to chant in a language that sounded older than the stones around them.
A faint, silvery glow spread out from the talisman, tracing a path like a living thread. It writhed along the floor, weaving through broken masonry and burned debris.
Elara moved beside Lumi, watching it closely.
"How far does this reach?" she asked under her breath.
"If his aura still lingers within these ruins, this will lead us," the High Priest answered, his voice hoarse with strain. "But the further he moves, the fainter the thread becomes. We must follow it now."
Without another word, the four of them pressed on, following the glowing thread through the remains of the citadel.
The ruins were deathly quiet, save for the faint hum of the magic trail and their own footsteps. Shadows clung to every archway and corner, making each glance over the shoulder a reflex none of them could resist.
As they moved, Lumi couldn't stop herself from whispering, "He wouldn't leave us, would he? Tsukasa…"
Elara didn't answer. She wasn't sure she knew anymore. The man — or whatever he truly was — had always been a mystery, powerful in ways none of them could fully comprehend. And now, after that battle, it felt like the line between him and something otherworldly had been crossed.
The thread of light turned sharply down a crumbled hallway, descending deeper into the earth. The air grew colder, and an oppressive weight settled over them, as if the stones themselves mourned what lay ahead.
They descended a narrow stairwell, the walls slick with moisture. The thread led them to a chamber long forgotten by time — a place of ancient carvings and shattered relics.
And there, in the center of the room, standing alone with his back to them, was Tsukasa.
His magenta coat was tattered at the edges, his hair slightly disheveled. But it wasn't his appearance that made them halt in place.
It was the aura.
A deep, crushing presence hung around him like a shroud. The air hummed, charged with unnatural power. Even the stone beneath his feet had cracked in a perfect circle, as though the sheer force of his presence had sundered it.
"Tsukasa…" Lumi's voice cracked as she called out.
He didn't turn.
"You shouldn't have come."
His voice was calm. Too calm.
Elara's grip tightened on her daggers.
"You vanished. We're not leaving you to whatever the hell this is."
Finally, Tsukasa turned to face them.
And for a moment, none of them could speak.
His magenta eyes glowed faintly in the gloom, colder, sharper than before. The air itself seemed to ripple around him — not with heat or wind, but with sheer, undiluted pressure.
Lira took a step back instinctively.
"It's… it's like he's a different person."
The High Priest straightened.
"You've crossed a threshold, haven't you?"
Tsukasa's gaze met his, something ancient and unreadable in those eyes.
"I had to. The enemy isn't playing fair. Neither can I."
A tense silence hung between them.
"You need to control it," Elara said carefully. "Before it consumes you."
A faint smile touched Tsukasa's lips, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm not sure it's something that can be controlled."
The High Priest stepped forward, holding the talisman.
"Then let us help you, or you'll lose yourself before the true battle even begins."
For a long moment, Tsukasa was silent.
Then — with a deep breath — he nodded.
"Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you."
The oppressive aura began to ease, just slightly, though the air still carried the scent of ash and storm.
"Good," Elara murmured. "Because we've got more than just you to worry about. The Upper Demons… and someone else. Someone worse."
Tsukasa's eyes narrowed.
"Then let's not waste any more time."
And with that, they turned and left the chamber behind — the night outside waiting, and with it, the promise of war.