[Steve’s PoV]
I drained the last of my cold coffee and pushed myself back to my feet. I had only been taking a short break after wrapping up one of my training sessions.
Hazel had left earlier when the Emperor called for her.
I drew my sword from its sheath and started practicing the new skill I was working on. Hazel’s swordsmanship was on another level, and I wanted to master the same techniques she used.
I pulled my sword up, steadying my breath. My body blurred as I pushed the new movement technique, flashing forward, twisting, and changing direction mid-step. Each shift left after-images of me flickering in the air. The challenge was keeping the sword locked in position, sharp and unwavering, while my feet carved wild angles across the ground.
Sweat lined my brow. The ground cracked beneath my bursts of speed, but I kept going, the sword balanced against the chaos of motion.
That was when I felt it, an aura pressing down from above.
Hazel came from the sky, dropping like a hawk. She wore tight, gleaming armor that clung to her form, her sword drawn and humming with quiet menace at her side. She landed with a bang right next to me, the air rippling under her presence. Her eyes locked on mine.
"Let’s go," she said flatly.
I blinked, lowering my sword. "Where?"
She stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. Her grip was iron and firm.
"Peanu. Your friend has called for you."
Her eyes lit up with something wild, a fire that bordered on madness. "We are going to war, Steve. War." Her lips curled into a grin. "I’m going to kill them all."
I swallowed hard. Her aura was so intense it almost burned to stand near her. Knowing the history she had with Peanu, I dared not argue. My words caught in my throat, and I stayed silent.
In the next instant she flashed forward, pulling me with her. The world bent and folded, and a heartbeat later I stood in a vast hall. A huge glowing teleportation circle pulsed in the center, filling the chamber with violet light.
I looked around quickly. North stood with her grandfather, Arkas with lightning sparking faintly across his frame, Edgar sharp and cold, the Emperor looming with power. Around them, a dozen other grandmasters waited. The air was heavy, humming with raw force.
The Emperor stepped forward, his voice deep and steady.
"Commander Billion has provided us with an opportunity. He has weakened the space of Peanu and opened a direct path. We will use this to move straight to our mid-stations, and from there, we will strike at Peanu."
His eyes swept the room. "Any questions?"
North stepped forward. "Your Majesty... is Billion still there?"
The Emperor gave a single nod. "Yes."
Then he raised his hand. "Get ready."
I tightened my grip on my sword. The circle flared beneath us, light rising until it swallowed the whole hall. The world vanished.
For a moment, there was nothing but utter darkness. Then a blinding flash snapped across my vision, and I stumbled onto cracked stone. I looked up, finding myself in a massive dome-shaped structure. Its walls were lined with faint runes, broken in places, leaking dull light.
Two masters in black masks stood at attention before us. They saluted the Emperor without a word.
"Get ready," the Emperor said. The circle flared again under my feet.
My stomach lurched as space twisted. Hazel’s hand pressed firm on my shoulder, steadying me.
The light swallowed us again. Then again. Then again.
We jumped six times in all. By the last one, my body felt like it had melted into liquid. Each step left me more dazed, my balance stolen. Hazel kept me steady, her grip never breaking.
Finally, we landed in a dark cave.
In the corner, seated casually in a chair, was an old man. His clothes were ragged but clean, his posture relaxed, his smile crooked in a way that seemed both warm and strange. I knew at once who he was. Dante.
The Emperor stepped forward without hesitation. He drew out a small vial of black liquid, its surface gleaming like oil. He handed it over.
Dante’s smile widened. "Thank you." He raised the vial and drank it all in one go. The liquid slid down, and a deep, strange glow flickered in his veins.
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. "Do you think you can do it?"
Dante stood, his body steadier than before, his presence sharp. He nodded once. "Yes. I want to be there."
With that, he stepped onto the glowing circle with us.
Another sharp hum built under our feet.
And then, with a final whooom, the cave fell away, and we were gone.
We landed in the forest, the light of the circle fading beneath our feet.
Dante crouched, running his hand over the ground. "How did he weaken the boundary..." he muttered.
The Emperor’s voice cut in. "Do you think he..."
Dante coughed. "There’s a fifty percent chance he did. But he might have done something else as well."
Damian stepped closer. "So where should we go next?"
"No need to move," Dante replied. "Our people should be arriving here soon. Only then do we advance. For now, everyone can take rest."
The group eased into silence. I stepped away from Hazel, her aura was still sharp, almost dangerous and walked toward North. She stood with her brows furrowed, looking a little lost among all the older faces.
"Hey," I said, stopping near her. "How have you been?"
She looked at me, blinking once before letting out a small laugh. "How do you think? One moment I’m training, the next I’m here in some forest with all these grandmasters."
I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah... feels like we’re being dragged into something bigger every day."
"Dragged?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You think you can blame it on that? We chose to stand here."
"Maybe," I said, shrugging. "But it doesn’t make it any easier."
She tilted her head, studying me. "You’re worried, aren’t you?"
"Of course I am. Billion’s still there, isn’t he?"
Her smile faded a little. "That’s what scares me too." She folded her arms, looking past the trees. "He always takes things too far. I just hope..." She trailed off.
I nudged her shoulder lightly. "Hope he’s still the same idiot when we see him again?"
Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Yeah. That."
Hazel’s voice broke in from behind us. "You two done with your little talk? This isn’t a picnic."
I glanced back. "Relax, Hazel. Dante said we’re resting."