Usami sliced the white snake cleanly into two parts. Its body collapsed lifelessly at his feet. He sat down on it casually, exhaling in annoyance.
"What a waste of time," he muttered. "I thought this place was heaven… but it only looks okay."
He stood up and stretched his arms and neck. Suddenly, more animals emerged from the shadows, slowly surrounding him. A grin appeared on his face.
"Let's warm up."
The animals attacked at once. Usami charged forward and punched a monkey straight in the chest—but his expression instantly changed.
"…Iron?"
He punched another animal. The same feeling. Hard. Metallic.
"This feels different from that snake," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Why does it feel like steel?"
Suddenly, realization struck him.
"…Robots?"
His eyes widened. "So I'm trapped in a robot country."
At first, Usami dominated the fight with raw strength, overpowering them one by one. But then the animals revealed their true power. Their movements sharpened, and some of them drew swords from nowhere.
A sword-wielding robot slashed toward him.
"Oh—ah!" Usami jumped back. "Great. I can't even use a sword properly."
He backflipped to gain distance and spotted thick vines hanging above. He grabbed them tightly and swung through the air—but a massive robotic monkey leaped up and sliced the vines cleanly.
Usami fell hard onto the ground.
CLANG.
The sound echoed like steel hitting steel. Usami froze. He knocked his knuckles against the ground again.
Steel.
He slowly turned toward a nearby cave and struck its wall.
Steel again.
"…Everything here is made of steel?"
His eyes widened in horror. "Then the apple I ate…"
Suddenly, sharp pain twisted his stomach.
"…My stomach—!"
Before he could react, a monkey lunged at him and stabbed him. Blood splashed onto the ground as Usami screamed in pain.
Scene shift: Elsiya
Elsiya lay unconscious, blood still pouring from the wound on her head. Her blood seeped into the system beneath her, and suddenly, alarms screamed.
Zero began to malfunction.
Sparks exploded from his body as he went completely out of control, smashing through shelves, walls, and machinery. Chemicals mixed violently—
BOOM!
A massive explosion tore through the laboratory
The sound was so loud that Elsiya's eyes fluttered open. Her vision blurred, but she could feel something familiar—
"…Everyone…" she whispered weakly. "…Help me…"
She tried to stand, forcing herself up, but her trembling hand accidentally struck a lever.
The system that restrained Zero shut down.
"No…" she breathed.
Zero moved instantly. The violent motion knocked Elsiya off balance. She collapsed again, hitting the floor hard and losing consciousness once more.
The chemical reaction intensified. Another explosion erupted, tearing through the entire room. The roof shattered and collapsed.
Daiki, Lyra, Yuki, and the enemy all saw the massive blast.
"No—we don't have time!" Daiki shouted, rushing toward the castle interior.
But the twin brother stopped him. Massive ropes of mud burst from the ground, wrapping around Daiki's body. Water followed instantly, hardening the mud into something like a living prison.
They moved with terrifying speed. The earth split open beneath Daiki, forming a deep pond. One of them locked heavy cuffs around his hands and feet and threw him into the water.
Daiki struggled, but with his limbs bound, he couldn't swim. His breath slipped away as darkness closed in.
Lyra watched in horror. "The children are still inside…"
"I hope they're alive," she whispered.
Weston laughed coldly. "Worried about them? Forget it. They're never coming back."
Chains shot toward Lyra. She couldn't dodge in time. One wrapped tightly around her neck, lifting her off the ground.
"Stop it—!" Lyra gasped, struggling to breathe.
Suddenly, she forced out, "Do you know… where your daughter is?"
Weston froze. He turned slowly.
"You know?"
"Of course," Lyra said weakly. "But I won't tell you."
"You liar," Weston snapped. "You lied to me all this time. Then you betrayed me. You think I'd believe you?"
"I never betrayed you," Lyra shouted back. "You forced me! I always saw you as my leader—but look at what you became. You kill people. You enslave children. You even murdered your own friends for revenge!"
"What did revenge give you?"
Weston's eyes burned. "People hated me from the day I was born. They called me cursed. A monster. I tried to be good. I endured it. But they killed my entire family."
His voice shook with rage.
"How do you forgive that? They deserve worse than death."
"You're doing the same thing they did," Lyra cried. "What's the difference between you and them?"
"I don't need your words," Weston snarled. "Revenge is the truth."
He yanked the chain and dragged Lyra violently toward the castle lobby. Soldiers clashed there—swords, fists, barrels flying through the air.
Weston tied Lyra to the top of the pillar where they once stood together, wrapping chains tightly around her body. He placed a device at the base.
A massive explosion shook the pillar as Weston walked away.
Scene shift: Hiyori
Hiyori unlocked another prison cell when the walls suddenly trembled.
BOOM!
A loud explosion echoed through the castle.
"What happened up there…?" the prisoners whispered in fear.
Hiyori clenched her teeth. "Two more floors," she said firmly. "We're freeing everyone."
She moved faster, unlocking cell after cell.
Scene shift: Yuki
"What is happening in this castle…?" Yuki muttered.
The girl before her stepped closer.
"I'm not here to talk," the girl said coldly. "I was ordered to finish you."
She grabbed Yuki by the neck.
"What are you doing?!" Yuki gasped.
The girl smirked. "My name is Hina. I'm your enemy. I was ordered to kill—and I obey."
"It won't be that easy," Yuki snapped.
She twisted free and shoved Hina off the pillar, jumping after her.
Hina attacked mid-air with an electric wave. Yuki dodged, landing hard.
Yuki spread her arms in a T-pose. The air roared. The sky darkened.
A violent storm formed instantly. Massive tornadoes spiraled around them.
Hina surrounded herself with electricity, firing sharp particles toward Yuki.
Yuki redirected them with her wind, changing their path mid-air.
They clashed in hand-to-hand combat—punches, kicks, collisions—but neither fell.
Yuki landed a powerful kick, sending Hina flying back.
"Impressive," Hina said, standing again.
Yuki launched razor-sharp wind blades. Hina merged electricity into the wind, sending it back. The shock tore through Yuki's body—but she stayed standing.
At that moment—
CRACK.
The chains restraining Zero snapped.
The giant robot began to rise.