As soon as Cheng remembered his mother's words and repented for his mistakes, the dark power imprisoned within his body began to writhe. That darkness, which had been nourished by rage and vengeance, could no longer endure the light of love and repentance.
Suddenly, a black flame rose from Cheng's chest and dissolved into the air. The redness in his eyes faded completely, and they returned to the same innocent, pain-filled state they had once held. The curse bestowed by Athena had finally been broken.
"Admiral… please forgive me. In the fire of my revenge, I caused untold destruction, and because of me, countless innocent people lost their lives or were left injured. I am ashamed of what I have done." Cheng's voice trembled. "Blinded by anger, I did exactly what those people did to me. I forgot that evil can never be ended by evil. In trying to soothe my own fury, I ended up hurting my mother's very soul."
Secret Admiral (Victoria) placed her hand on Cheng's shoulder and said, "Cheng, what has happened cannot be undone—there is no use in regret now. Just make a promise to yourself that you will never walk the path of evil again. By returning to goodness, you have shown the world that no matter how powerful evil may seem, one day it is forced to kneel before goodness. Now go with Garie, complete your punishment, and return as a good human being—the way your mother wanted you to become."
The Admiral's own injury was still aching, but seeing humanity return to Cheng's eyes filled her heart with peace. Just then, the Truth Fairy—who had remained invisible until now, watching everything—came and sat on Victoria's shoulder.
"Wow! What an emotional scene. I swear, even my eyes filled with tears," the Truth Fairy whispered softly into Victoria's ear. "But Victoria, be a little careful! What if his tears ruin your costume? And anyway, washing it will be a real struggle for you… hahahaha." Saying this, the Truth Fairy burst into laughter.
The Secret Admiral shot the Truth Fairy a mild, scolding glance, but a small smile appeared on her face. Then she said to Cheng, "Take care of yourself, Cheng. Repentance is the very first step out of darkness. Garie will fully support you in this case and present every point before the law that will make it easier for you to obtain bail from the court."
After sending the police officers and the injured to the hospital, Garie came over to them. There was a look of relief on his face. Cheng slowly extended both his hands forward. "Garie… last time, I couldn't thank you for your help, so thank you for everything you have done for me so far. I trust you more than the law itself, my friend. I am ready to place myself in your custody."
With a heavy heart, Garie placed the handcuffs around Cheng's wrists. Yet there was no hatred for Cheng in his eyes—only compassion. "Cheng, I promise you will receive justice. People like Marcus belong in prison, not you. But for the harm caused to ordinary lives, you will have to go through this legal process. Still, I will stand by you at every step."
As they stepped out of the hospital, Cheng stopped and turned to look at the Secret Admiral. He and Garie bowed to the Admiral together. Then Cheng said, "Thank you, Admiral. If you had not been here today, I would have become a monster my mother could never forgive—and along with that, I would have fallen in my own eyes as well."
Victoria watched them as they left. As soon as the police vehicles began to disappear into the distance, the Truth Fairy flew over and sat on Victoria's nose. "Alright, job done! So, what's the plan now? How about going out for pizza? After all, protecting justice must have burned a lot of your calories!"
Victoria laughed and said, "I don't know about me, Truth, but I can hear the sound of your empty stomach all the way from here. Don't worry—there's a Domino's nearby. We definitely deserve a small party. Come on, we should get out of here quickly before the journalists stop me for questions."
Here on Earth, because of the Secret Admiral, darkness had once again been defeated, and a massive catastrophe had been stopped just in time. Meanwhile, amid the black clouds of 'Dark Heaven,' the throne of the Dark Goddess Athena trembled with rage. Lightning-like flames burst from Athena's eyes; she could not bear her defeat.
"Secret Admiral! Once again, you have reduced my plans to dust!" Athena's voice thundered across the entire realm. "Using the compassion and love of these insignificant humans, you dared to defeat my power? I will never forget this humiliation—and I will take my revenge on you."
Because of Athena's rage, every demon in Dark Heaven was crouched in fear, knowing that if her wrathful gaze fell upon them at that moment, their deaths would be certain. Just then, however, a member of Athena's spy network was presented before her court.
"All hail Her Majesty Athena! O Dark Goddess, I know you are troubled at this moment, and perhaps I should not have disturbed you, but I have brought news that, once heard, may make you feel a little better," the spy said, bowing his head and dropping to his knees before her.
Athena cast a glance at the spy and then spoke, "You are right—I am consumed by fury at this moment. I promise that if you bring me news that soothes my anger, I will reward you with powers and adornments. But if your news proves useless to me, I will tear you apart and throw the pieces before my four wolves."
For a moment, the spy trembled at her words, then gathered himself and said, "Lady Athena, I have learned that in the far reaches of space, in another galaxy, there was a planet called 'Platimona.' The inhabitants of this world were entirely different. The environment there is no longer fit for them to survive. Platimona's General, 'Samuel,' and his vast army are now wandering through space in search of a new planet where they can establish their empire."
A sly smile crept across Athena's face. She immediately instructed the spy to summon one of her most loyal commanders, "Rhinosorus," and then dismissed the spy after bestowing upon him immense dark powers and ornaments.
The moment Athena's summons was issued, within mere seconds Rhinosorus presented himself before her. His body was as hard as iron, and a massive horn rose from his head—capable of shattering even the strongest shield.
"Dark Goddess Athena, your commander stands in your service. Command me—what is your will?" Rhinosorus said, bowing his head before her.
"Rhinosorus!" Athena commanded. "Go and meet General Samuel of the planet Platimona. Tell him about Earth. Tell him that Earth possesses everything he seeks—water, oxygen, and above all, an abundant supply of 'plastic,' which is the primary food of his people. I am sending you as my envoy, but three commanders from my army will accompany you, who will aid Samuel's forces in attacking Earth. These three possess the destructive powers of the cosmic elements, which will help Samuel wage war against the inhabitants of Earth."
As she spoke, Athena waved her hand through the air, and in the very next moment, three terrifying demons materialized within the court.
Continuing, Athena said, "This one is Ignis, the lord of fire. The second is Aqua-Mortis, the master of poisonous waters. And finally, Terra-Crush, who can control anything formed of stone. Introduce these three to Samuel and then return. The rest of the work Samuel will handle himself. What my dark power could not accomplish until now will be done by aliens from another planet." With these words, Athena let out a demonic laugh.
The moment Athena's command was given, Rhinosorus tore through the depths of space along with the three commanders and reached General Samuel's massive spaceship, the 'Shadow Hunter,' where he encountered General Samuel. General Samuel was a tall, terrifying warrior clad in metallic armor.
"I am an envoy of Dark Heaven's ruler, the Dark Goddess Athena, and I have come to aid you in your search. The kind of planet you are seeking exists within our galaxy—its name is Earth," Rhinosorus said, introducing himself before Samuel.
Samuel had heard the name Dark Heaven many times, but he had never met Athena, nor had he ever been to Dark Heaven. Hearing Rhinosorus's words, he turned toward him and said, "Speak, envoy. What message have you brought from the Dark Goddess for me?"
When Rhinosorus revealed the map of Earth to General Samuel, a spark of hope lit up Samuel's eyes. His planet had been completely devastated, and he was desperately searching for a world where water, oxygen, and an abundant supply of plastic for food could be found.
"Earth… I have heard of that planet as well. In our galaxy, it is known not as Earth, but as Terra," Samuel said in his deep, heavy voice. "Its blue waters, its fresh air—and the plastic waste spread by humans, which is like nectar to us. I would be eternally delighted to make that planet my own. But I do not have sufficient fuel to reach it."
"Please do not worry about that, General," Rhinosorus replied, displaying the heaps of diamonds he had brought with him. "The Dark Goddess Athena has sent many diamonds for your Shadow Hunter ship. Your people use them as fuel, and there are so many that you will easily be able to reach Earth."
"Hahahaha… convey our gratitude to your Dark Goddess Athena. Still, I must first consult with my advisors. Until then, rest in our guest quarters," General Samuel said. With that, he ordered his men to escort Rhinosorus and the three accompanying commanders to the guest room.
After that, Samuel convened a secret council with his advisors. "Listen carefully! We will attack Earth. We have no interest in humans themselves. We only want their water, their oxygen, and their plastic. If they stand in our way, we will erase the human race without a trace. I have called this council to hear all of your opinions on this matter."
But the moment the advisors learned about the abundance of water, oxygen, and plastic present on Earth, they unanimously agreed to the invasion—and with that, General Samuel's lips curved into a smile.
To announce this decision, General Samuel summoned Rhinosorus and the three commanders. They all burst into laughter at the news, while the three commanders sent by Athena stood behind Samuel, displaying their powers. A great crisis began to loom over Earth, and this time the threat was not merely magical, but an invasion by an external civilization—beings whom Earth's people called aliens, often celebrating them through movies.
Unaware of the terrifying_toggle threat approaching, the inhabitants of Earth remained busy with their daily routines, completely unprepared for what lay ahead, while Athena had once again set her scheme into motion.