A month had passed.
A month in which the sky fell silent, and the earth burned.
A month in which the corpses of monsters were scattered, and humans regained their gasping breath, yet their hearts remained wary…
Because the Guardian Angel, who had saved their land, had suddenly vanished.
Yui…
Everyone said she was dead.
Others said she had fled.
But those who truly knew her… did not believe it.
On a cloudy morning, on the day the Council decided to reorganize the army, and with the gathering of the three leaders—Rio and Ren, who were appointed as leaders after the battle, and Infernus—in the Grand Plaza…
A sound echoed.
The sound of lightning… but different.
Delicate… confident… pure.
DOOM!!
The sky split open, as if the Angel itself had decided to descend.
A light, blue leaning towards white, pierced the clouds, descending upon the Council's platform.
And with the light… she appeared.
Walking calmly.
A step… preceded by awe.
A step… preceded by majesty.
Yui.
Her long hair flowed behind her; its color had turned to a dark pink that looked like red, shining like tongues of flame.
Her eyes had become a clear gray, as if she were looking at the past and the future at once.
She wore a black cloak, and "Azo" was slung across her back, pulsing with immense power.
For a moment...
Everyone went silent.
Rio felt a sting in his heart.
Not from fear… but from shock.
"Yui…?" he whispered, unable to believe it.
He ran toward her, but stopped two steps away.
She raised her gaze and looked into his eyes.
Then she smiled.
A soft, warm smile, containing a thousand words, a thousand battles, and a thousand joys.
"I have returned."
Rio looked surprised for a moment, but quickly his tears appeared, and he embraced her tightly.
"You were dead… I thought you…!"
"Even death will not separate me from my family," Yui replied calmly.
Infernus stood in silence, his eyes watching her like a leader recognizing a new hero, but he could not hide his tears.
"Welcome back, Yui."
Ren was watching from afar, his eyes full of tears, but he did not step forward; he still wanted to appear strong: "!!..."
Yui calmly asked Rio to step back a little.
She headed toward Ren and stood before him. Ren turned his back to hide his tears and sorrow.
Yui held his head and stroked it gently, saying:
"Ren, don't you miss me? That makes me sad!"
He answered with a hoarse voice:
"I missed you so much. I searched for you everywhere, in every corner. Where did you go?"
She replied:
"And now, here I am with you. I promise I will never leave you again."
Ren turned toward her and hugged her lightly and quietly.
"I will never leave you again."
Yui descended from the platform and went outside toward the streets of the capital.
From the first glance from the crowd, everyone knew it was her—Yui!
A voice exploded from among the crowds:
"It's her!"
"Yui!"
"The savior of the kingdom!"
Then the clapping began…
Then the clapping became a roar.
Then the chanting.
"Yui!!"
"The Savior!!!"
"Yui!!"
And in a majestic moment, everyone dropped to one knee and bowed their heads… even the leaders.
Then Infernus appeared from behind her, carrying a crown that shimmered with several jewels, diamonds, and many precious and expensive gems.
Infernus stood before Yui and said:
"Please, raise your heads."
Everyone raised their heads in compliance with the ruler's command.
He continued his speech:
"Today we witness our heroine standing before us again after we had lost hope of her return, but she has returned.
The savior who thought with the mind of leaders and the fierce, brave warrior. The heroine without whom the kingdom would not have survived.
Here I stand before you today and confess to you that Yui is the greatest warrior in this entire world,
And that she deserves to have a statue and a royal name alongside the brave knights who saved this kingdom."
The crowd was shocked by the King's decision, for granting someone a statue and a royal name provides her with honor and status as if you were speaking to the King himself.
It grants her the highest rank in the kingdom after the King/Queen.
Simply granting her a noble name makes everyone who looks at her compelled to bow immediately.
The audience clapped, then...
Infernus raised his hand and announced with a voice that shook the earth:
"From this day… we proclaim Yui:
One of the 3 Knights of the Great Fire Kingdom, and we thank her for her thinking, her plans, and her sacrifice that saved the kingdom from destruction!
The symbol of light in the heart of the storm!
The fire that is never extinguished!
The beating heart of the kingdom!
The symbol of courage, loyalty, and strength!"
Infernus placed the crown on her head and said:
"Congratulations to you."
Yui… said nothing.
But the feeling of shyness that flowed from her was felt by everyone.
As for Rio… he stood beside her, looking into her gray eyes.
"You've changed…"
"And so have you…" she said, looking at him with tenderness.
"Now… we are ready."
The Next Day.
On a bright morning despite the ashes of war… the three stood before the Great Gate of the Great Fire Kingdom.
Yui stood tall.
Rio, with an eye shining with the pain of parting and a faint smile hiding much.
Ren, who had become calmer, contemplated the sky as if searching for the future among the clouds.
And before them… stood Infernus, the Great Fire King, and their friend.
"The coming journey will be harder…" Infernus said, looking at them with fiery eyes.
"But the world has begun to change… thanks to you, I will ensure that you are mentioned in the history of the Great Fire Kingdom as heroes."
Yui nodded calmly, then stepped two paces toward him.
"Thank you for everything."
Infernus smiled and extended his hand toward her.
When he shook her hand, a faint spark ignited between fire and lightning… as if two great souls exchanged a silent, sacred farewell. He hugged her, and then Rio and Ren came and hugged Infernus in farewell.
Infernus (in a firm tone and a slight smile carrying sadness): "Go… and may your path burn with light."
On the Road.
The three walked across the burning plains, then crossed the borders of the Fire Kingdom, where the trees began to take on a cooler color, and the wind became gentler…
Signs of their approach to the Great Ice Kingdom.
On the first day of the journey, wild monsters attacked them: lava wolves and fiery tigers that emerged from rifts in the earth.
But…
Yui did not even move.
She raised her hand lightly, and "Azu" transformed in an instant into an arrow, which she fired toward them; it pierced them with superhuman speed.
Then… lightning.
BOOOOM!!
The ground exploded, and everything around them turned to ash.
"Is that all?" Yui said calmly, without looking back.
Ren looked at her in amazement, then laughed softly.
"You've become scary."
"It is all thanks to my master; I will never forget his favor," Yui replied.
Rio settled for watching her, wondering to himself:
"Will she be able to catch up to me…?"
The Second Day.
It passed in peace.
Snow began to appear, and the air became colder.
At the end of the day, as the third day began, a great gate carved from pure ice appeared before them, bearing the symbol of the Ice Kingdom:
The Crown of Eternal Snow.
Rio stopped before it, raised his hand, and touched the icy wall.
In an instant, the door opened with a deep sound, like the groan of thousands of frozen years.
"We have arrived…" he said quietly.
The Great Ice Kingdom.
To be continued...