A month had passed.
A month where the skies fell silent, and the earth burned.
A month where beast corpses littered the fields, and mankind finally caught its breath—
but hearts remained cautious...
Because the Guardian Angel who saved the Western Front… had vanished.
Yui.
Everyone said she died.
Others claimed she ran away.
But those who truly knew her… didn't believe it.
---
A Cloudy Morning.
On the very day the Council gathered to reorganize the army, and the three commanders—Ryo, Rin, and Infernus—stood in the Grand Square…
A sound echoed.
Not just thunder—
but something else.
Soft. Confident. Pure.
> DOOOOM!!
The sky split apart,
as if a god had decided to descend.
A pinkish-red light tore through the clouds, falling straight onto the council platform.
And within the light… she appeared.
She walked forward calmly.
Each step… carried weight.
Each step… carried awe.
Yui.
Her long hair flowed behind her, now dark pink, glowing like tongues of flame.
Her eyes had turned to a soft ash-gray, as if they could see both the past and the future at once.
She wore no armor—
but a cloak of lightning.
And Azo was on her back, pulsing with overwhelming power.
---
The Moment
Silence.
Ryo felt a sting in his chest.
Not from fear… but from shock.
> "Yui…?" he whispered, unable to believe.
He ran toward her—
but stopped two steps away.
She looked up, met his eyes.
And smiled.
A soft, warm smile—
filled with a thousand words,
a thousand battles,
a thousand goodbyes.
> "I'm back."
Ryo froze for a moment… then tears fell.
He embraced her tightly.
> "You were dead… I thought you were—!"
> "I'm stronger than death now," Yui replied quietly.
Infernus stood silently, eyes fixed on her like a general honoring a new hero.
He couldn't hide the tears.
> "Welcome back, Yui."
Rin, watching from afar, eyes full of tears, ran straight toward her and hugged her tight:
> "YUI!!…"
---
The Coronation
A voice burst out from among the crowd:
> "It's her!"
"Yui!"
"The savior of the kingdom!"
Then came the applause…
Then the cheers became a roar.
> "YUI!!"
"THE GUARDIAN ANGEL!!"
"YUI!!"
In a majestic moment—
the soldiers knelt.
Even the commanders.
Infernus raised his hand and declared with a voice that shook the earth:
> "From this day forward, we name Yui:
The Guardian Angel of the Grand Flame Kingdom!"
"We thank her for her wisdom, her strategies, and her sacrifice—
which saved this kingdom from annihilation!"
"The beacon of light in the heart of the storm!
The fire that will never die!"
---
Yui said nothing.
But a gentle spark of lightning pulsed from her body.
The winds rose around her, as if the very world… bowed to her.
Ryo stood beside her, eyes locked with her ash-gray ones.
> "You've changed…"
> "So have you," she said, her gaze falling on his glowing eye—Hazuki.
> "Now… we're ready."
---
The Next Day .
On a bright morning—despite the ashes of war—
the three stood at the Great Gate of the Grand Flame Kingdom.
Yui, with her crimson-pink hair and gray eyes, stood tall.
Ryo, his golden eye glowing, wore a soft smile hiding deep thoughts.
Rin, calmer than before, gazed at the skies as if searching for the future in the clouds.
Before them stood Infernus, the Great Flame King… and their friend.
> "The road ahead will be harder," said Infernus, eyes burning with fire.
"But the world is changing… and because of you,
I will make sure your names are carved into the history of this kingdom… as heroes."
Yui stepped forward, two steps, and bowed her head.
> "Thank you… for everything."
Infernus smiled, and reached out his hand.
As their palms touched—
a soft spark lit between fire and lightning.
A silent farewell between two great spirits.
Then Ryo and Rin came forward, and embraced him as well—
their final goodbye.
Infernus (his voice firm, yet with a soft smile holding sorrow):
> "Go… and let your path burn bright with light."
---
On the Road
The three walked through scorched plains.
Then crossed the borders of the Flame Kingdom,
where the trees began to turn cool blue,
and the winds grew gentler…
Signs they were approaching the Grand Ice Kingdom.
On the first day of travel, they were ambushed by wild beasts:
Molten wolves.
Flame tigers that erupted from the earth's cracks.
But…
Yui didn't even move.
She raised her hand lightly.
Azo transformed into a glowing arrow.
She fired—
And it pierced through the beasts faster than sound.
Then…
> BOOOOOOOM!!
The ground exploded.
Everything turned to ash.
> "That's all?" Yui said quietly, not even glancing back.
Rin looked at her in shock—then chuckled.
> "You've become terrifying."
> "All thanks to my master. I'll never forget his guidance," Yui replied,
her voice crackling with unbreakable lightning.
Ryo watched her silently.
He wondered to himself:
> "Will she be able… to catch up to me?"
---
Day Two
Peaceful.
Snow began to fall.
The air turned cold.
But nothing stopped them.
At the end of the day, a grand gate appeared before them—
carved from pure ice,
bearing the symbol of the Ice Kingdom:
The Eternal Frost Crown.
Ryo stepped forward,
raised his hand,
and touched the frozen wall.
In that moment—
the gate creaked open,
echoing like the groan of ten thousand frozen years.
> "We've arrived…" he whispered.
The Grand Ice Kingdom.
To be continued...