Allen reached the northern outskirts, where grasslands stretched out beneath the black sky and scattered flowers swayed faintly in the wind.
His expression remained stern, but for a brief moment, the corner of his lips almost lifted.
"I remember this place…"
The darkness overhead made it impossible to see the field in full splendor—
but Allen knew how to fix that.
He pulled out a gray stone containing a swirling red liquid.
Clenching it in his palm, he summoned several orbs of flame high above.
Warm light spilled across the field, restoring color to plants that had long since dried out.
Then he drew another gray stone—the one filled with blue liquid—and squeezed.
Water burst from his hand, falling gently over the grass and flowers.
"Good… but they could use some fresh air and earth as well."
He pocketed the ruby and withdrew a pale, rose-colored stone filled with dark green liquid.
In the other hand, he held half of the shattered topaz.
A soft breeze swept across the meadow as he invoked the emerald's power, the area stirring with fresh vitality.
And when he used the topaz fragment, the soil beneath him shifted and rejuvenated, darkening with renewed life.
"I can't do much more for you…"
Allen knelt, running his fingers across the dew-covered grass born from the sapphire's ability.
"Although… maybe I can do a little more."
Smiling faintly, he walked a few minutes away until he found a suitable spot.
He dug into the soil, placed the half-topaz into the earth, and covered it.
"I can't help you much, but through this fragment you'll grow stronger.
I have no use for it anymore."
He stood and let out a small laugh.
"Aegis said it was the crystallization of the earth element itself… I don't even know why I called it the Topaz of Will. Guess the name just stuck.
But because it's one of the primal elemental crystals, the whole area will benefit."
With that, Allen turned to leave—but he had only taken a few steps when a bright white glow erupted from the spot where he had buried the fragment.
A massive tree erupted from the earth, its trunk several meters wide, something metallic glinting within.
Allen approached.
The tree's leaves were a vibrant, living green, its branches a deep earthen brown.
But what drew his attention was the silver hilt embedded in the trunk.
As he took hold of it, the stones flew from his pockets, orbiting him in a slow circle.
The silver radiance from the hilt washed over them—restoring their original colors.
Even the broken half of the topaz regenerated, glowing once more with its natural yellow.
When Allen pulled the weapon free, he found a slender, silver rapier—
save for a golden crest near the guard with five empty slots, reminiscent of the pommel of his old staff before it shattered.
"Radiant… Light Rapier…"
Allen exhaled softly, a real smile breaking through.
The anger, hatred, and grief that had plagued him seemed to melt away.
He glanced at the Onyx stone floating nearby.
"I didn't expect the Onyx of Hatred to contain a remnant of the Umbralux's consciousness… it almost devoured me."
He grasped the onyx gently in his free hand, but now his expression was peaceful.
"But hatred and sorrow are still emotions. A true knight must carry them as well… because they prove he's human."
A sheath of pure light formed at his waist, materializing from the same particles that radiated from the tree.
"One problem at a time. Thomas, Nick, and Zack have appeared here… I accidentally moved the entire City F into the Negative World… and Aegis is openly coming after me if he's sent multiple Perfection Project members without hesitation.
But Aegis can wait—the citizens of City F and the creatures of this world come first."
Allen glanced once more at the tree and the now-thriving garden—its grass and flowers vibrant with renewed color.
"This is where I arrived when I escaped with Seira…
Feels like yesterday that she helped me flee the Heroic Federation and we made it here.
Shame Calibur tracked us down… and implanted the Onyx's Aura of Hatred into Seira, turning her…"
He smiled wistfully, lost in memory—
until the ground beneath him trembled.
Allen's expression hardened as he turned his gaze toward City F.
"First priority: protect everyone—from the monsters and from Aegis's people."
Sheathing the rapier, Allen seized the emerald, his body dissolving into a current of wind before vanishing.
---
Arriving in the city, Allen was greeted by the sight of a massive blob of viscous blue fluid.
Around it, Shinobi and Crimson Shadow hurled kunai and shuriken, while Titan, towering like a multi-story building, tried crushing the creature under colossal fists.
"Zack… but he shouldn't be alone."
Scanning the surroundings, Allen spotted an elderly man on a rooftop alongside a blonde woman.
He frowned.
"Elisse and Archibald… things will get messy if they interfere."
He retrieved the prism from his pocket—
and smiled.
A brilliant white light enveloped him, drawing the attention of everyone nearby, though none of them recognized who he was.