Ethan turned suddenly, staring at the source of the voice that had addressed him. Two figures stood behind him. Their energy was extraordinary. He knew instantly that they were prisoners from the Abyss. He assumed a fighting stance in an instant, his black scythe forming in his hands. "Stop right there," he said.
One of the men calmly raised his hands. "Hold on… we're not here to fight you. We're here to help you."
Ethan froze for a moment, then said sarcastically, "Help me? What are you talking about?"
The first man stepped forward. "My name is Kevin, Ranked Eleven."
He pointed to his companion. "And this is Hidan… Ranked Fourteen."
"And what good would knowing your names do me?" Ethan said without lowering his weapon.
Kaven smiled faintly. "I sense a dark energy emanating from you… you're definitely one of the Lewins."
"So what?" Ethan replied coldly.
"Didn't Saruto tell you about us?" Kevin asked.
Ethan face darkened slightly. "No."
"I fought Saruto and his friend Lucien in the Abyss prison," Kevin continued steadily. "And he beat me."
Ethan eyes narrowed. "If that's true, why do you want to help me? Why aren't you on the other prisoners side?"
"Because I want to meet Saruto again," Kevin said sincerely. "I want to see how far he's gotten. I don't care what the other prisoners want."
"He does too," he added, glancing at Hidan.
Hidan spoke for the first time, his voice rough. "I fought two of Saruto mates... I've forgotten their names."
"Ryan and Kyle?" Ethan said quickly.
"Yes... them," Hidan nodded.
Ethan was silent for a moment, then lowered his fighting stance, his scythe slowly fading. "I don't believe you two yet," he said firmly. "So I'll check for myself."
"And how will you do that?" Kevin said calmly.
In an instant, Ethan vanished and appeared directly in front of them. He placed his hands over their faces. "Like this," he said.
Intricate magical circles formed above his palms, and memories began to flood back: scenes of the fight, the Abyss prison, Saruto absorbing his friends energy into his swords and launching the final attack against Kevin, the defeat of both Kevin and Hidan at the hands of Saruto and his friends. After a moment, Ethan removed his hands. "I believe you now," he said seriously.
Kavin chuckled softly. "Do you have any idea how to break through the barrier surrounding the island?" Ethan asked immediately.
"What's inside that barrier?" Kevin asked.
"Saruto and his friends… they're trapped inside, but they don't realize it yet," Ethan replied anxiously.
"And what have you tried so far?" Kevin asked.
"I haven't even started yet," Ethan replied.
The three of them launched their attack at once. A barrage of blows, devastating energies, violent clashes. But the barrier remained unmoved.
In the Ten Kingdoms, buildings lay in ruins. The sky was thick with smoke. Soldiers still fought prisoners, kings at the forefront to protect their people, each battling a Ranked One. Moments later, the King of the Sand Kingdom was pierced in the chest by Ranked Ten, Nisra, and fell dead.
In the Time Chamber within the Dark Kingdom, the scene was different. Norvan, lay bleeding. Blood flowed from his wounds, his breath ragged, his body screaming in agony. Ranked One, Niraval, stood before him, unscathed. "Is this all you've got, Your Majesty?" he said with cold sarcasm. "How were you chosen to be king when you're so weak?"
Norvan coughed up blood and collapsed to his knees, leaning on his sword. "Get up… we're not finished yet," Niraval said coldly.
Norvan raised his head, his eyes burning with determination, and tried to stand despite his exhausted body, thinking to himself, "I must buy more time until Saruto returns, or else…"
On the island, Saruto was enjoying himself, laughing, breathing in the sea air, until he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He placed his hand on his heart and said in a low voice, "What is this feeling…?"
Emilia and Star noticed the change in his expression. "What's wrong?" they asked anxiously.
Saruto smiled reassuringly. "Nothing… just a slight twinge."
He looked up at the sky and said to himself, "I hope everyone is alright."
But the worry lingered. He tried to contact Ethan telepathically, but there was no response. He decided to move immediately to his family's mansion. He disappeared and then reappeared somewhere else on the island. "Did I make a mistake?" he said in surprise.
He tried again, with the same result. Time after time, always on the island. He decided to fly over the sea at full speed. He took off, and in an instant, he was back in the same spot. "What's going on here?" he snapped.
He tried again and returned. He closed his eyes and began to think fast. He fired a powerful burst of energy toward the sea. It pierced the water and then appeared behind him. He turned instantly and deflected it. Only then did his eyes widen. "Are we... being held captive?" he whispered.