The scene opens with an intense training fight between Aqua and Goldie on the training grounds. Aqua fires lightning arrows, each one crackling through the air. Goldie, using his enhanced speed, dodges the arrows with precision and closes the gap between them, his sword glowing with the force of a wind slash aimed at Aqua's neck.
Aqua deflects the strike with his lightning rod, but the power behind Goldie's attack is too much. Aqua is thrown backward, skidding across the ground.
Goldie (smirking): "You still need more training if you want to go toe-to-toe with me."
Breathing heavily, Aqua gets back on his feet. "I guess it's time to stop holding back." His body surges with lightning energy as he prepares to unleash his full power. A storm of lightning blades rains down from the sky, aimed at Goldie.
Goldie looks up, prepared to dodge, but in that moment, Aqua appears beside him, landing a powerful punch that sends Goldie flying.
Now both fighters are serious. Goldie uses his speed to rush toward Aqua, and Aqua matches his speed with lightning. The two are about to clash in a powerful explosion of force when, suddenly, Peter appears between them. He grabs Aqua's arm with his left hand and Goldie's with his right, throwing them apart.
Peter (scolding): "Have you two lost your minds?"
Aqua (grinning at Goldie): "You're lucky Peter showed up, or you'd be dead by now, shorty."
Goldie (teasing back): "Shorty? I could cut your legs off before you even finish that sentence…"
Peter cuts in before they can continue. "Enough! You were fighting without me?" He grins, and both Aqua and Goldie smile back.
Together, all three shout: "Let's go all out!"
:
---
Ethan sat in the lab, staring at the body scan results of Zimbraya-sensei. His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw something that shook him to his core—a growth of the dark element, hidden within Zimbraya's EPS. Just as he was about to process the gravity of the situation, the dark element vanished from the scan. Confusion set in; this was the final test on Zimbraya-sensei, and nothing like this had appeared before.
Ethan turned toward Zimbraya, his voice uncertain yet probing.
Ethan: "Are you... connected to the dark element?"
Zimbraya, calm yet thoughtful, replied.
Zimbraya: "I have mastered every element, but the dark element was always elusive to me. I never encountered it. Perhaps it has something to do with my final battle with Goldex... He slashed me across the chest during our fight to the death. Maybe, just maybe, that battle left its mark in ways I hadn't realized."
Ethan's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. The information clicked into place, and the pieces of the puzzle began forming a troubling picture. His decision weighed heavy, but he knew what he had to do.
Ethan: "I... I can't release you."
Zimbraya-sensei's eyes narrowed in shock, a mix of disbelief and confusion washing over him.
Zimbraya: "What? Why? This doesn't make any sense!"
Ethan stood firm, his voice filled with determination.
Ethan: "It will make sense... I need to speak to Peter about this first."
At that moment, Alyssa came rushing into the room, her face pale with distress.
Alyssa: "Ethan! Sir... Sir! Reynolds... he's gone missing!"
---
The scene shifts to an eerie, unknown location a dimension draped entirely in darkness. The air feels heavy, almost suffocating, as everything around is swallowed by shadow. The trees stand unnaturally tall, twisted, and black as pitch, with no leaves to speak of. Their branches stretch out like claws, as if they were reaching for something or someone. Even the ground seems lifeless, with cracks running across it, glowing faintly with a sinister energy. In this unnerving place, there is only stillness, save for the faint sound of something unseen, lurking in the shadows.
Reynold, bound tightly to one of the blackened trees by ropes that seemed to pulse with dark energy, remains unconscious. His breathing is shallow, and his body hangs limp against the tree's cold bark.
Next to him, the unknown person stands, his presence radiating malevolence, casting a dim aura of dark power that blends with the ominous surroundings. His gaze is locked onto Reynold, fury burning in his eyes.
With a voice that echoes unnaturally, as though it were layered with several sinister tones, he mutters, "This fool... he was so close... but now, it's too late. His arrival will seal the fate of you all. When he comes, not a single one of you will stand a chance."
The unknown person lets out a chilling laugh, the sound reverberating through the dead air like a haunting melody, filling the empty dimension with an even deeper sense of dread.
Peter, Ethan, Scarlet, Fiery, Goldie, Aqua, and Alyssa arriving at the lab where both Reynold and the unknown figure had mysteriously disappeared. Soldiers approached Peter, their faces stern.
"Sir," one of the soldiers reported, "the glass containment was shattered. It appears to have been an attack, but there's nothing on the CCTV footage."
Suddenly, Aqua grabbed Peter's collar in a fit of rage. His face was twisted with frustration.
"I told you, you damn fool!" Aqua shouted, his voice echoing in the tense air. "Kindness was never the option! You never understood me, and now Reynold has to pay the price for your weakness!"
Peter remained silent, the weight of Aqua's words sinking into his chest. He knew it was his fault, and the guilt weighed heavily on him.
Aqua's anger only grew. "Do you know what? Zimbraya-sensei, the real ruler of Shinobu, is back. There's no need for you on the throne of Shinobu anymore."
Scarlet quickly intervened, her voice calm but firm. "Aqua, stop. This isn't the way."
"Shut up!" Aqua snapped back at her. "You always interrupt to defend him. You're just as guilty! You agreed to save that unknown person!"
Turning back to Peter, Aqua's voice was venomous. "I'll make sure you're no longer the ruler of Shinobu."
Peter's heart sank at Aqua's words, his mind reeling from the shock that now gripped the room. He fought back tears, the weight of leadership crushing him. He didn't know how to respond, didn't know what to do. Aqua's words cut deep.
Aqua spat his final blow: "You will never be like Zimbraya-sensei!"
Peter stood there, his mind swirling with doubt. He couldn't contain the thoughts racing in his head.
"I just want to go away… this burden is too much. I don't know what to do… I feel like leaving everything behind. I want to live in a peaceful country, have a family, children… a normal life."
A sudden flashback took Peter back to his childhood. He remembered running to Kakao, tears streaming down his young face. Kakao had been the voice of reason then, just as Peter needed someone now.
Flashback:
"Kakao!" Young Peter cried as he ran to his mentor, his tiny hands gripping Kakao's clothes tightly. "I'm sorry! I borrowed Lyra's notes, the ones with all the elemental knowledge you taught us. But... but a goat ate them when I wasn't looking!"
Kakao chuckled softly, his warm voice soothing Peter. "Ah, Lyra. She is a brilliant student, always keeping perfect notes. But it amazes me that she trusted you with them."
Peter, still sobbing, blurted out, "She never trusts anyone with her notes! I've broken her trust... I don't know how I can face her again."
Kakao knelt down, his hand gently resting on Peter's shoulder. "Trust is a fragile thing, Peter. But it's not unbreakable. If Lyra trusted you, then you must go to her, face her, and ask for forgiveness. You'll never know if you can make things right unless you face it."
Young Peter nodded, sniffling. Kakao's words had stuck with him.
End of Flashback.
Peter blinked back to the present. He looked at everyone in the room, the weight of the flashback giving him a newfound strength. "You're right, Aqua. I will never be Zimbraya-sensei. I am not him."
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently, interrupting the moment. An earthquake rumbled through the lab, and from the ground burst huge, monstrous tentacles. They crashed through the walls and ceiling, causing chaos and destruction all around.
The lab collapsed in an instant.
End of Chapter 5.