The mission was finally over.
Back at Headquarters...
Leo was lying across the sofa like a completely defeated human being.
One arm was hanging over the edge.
One leg was resting on the table.
His eyes were half-closed.
Leo:
"Finally…"
"No more missions."
"No more temples."
"No more mysterious keys."
"No more screaming Wind Guardians."
He sighed happily.
Leo:
"Peace."
Chen Wei was sitting nearby, eating snacks.
Chen Wei:
"Don't get too comfortable."
Leo opened one eye.
Leo:
"Why?"
Chen Wei:
"We still don't know what happened to the Weapon Master Guardian."
Leo immediately closed his eye again.
Leo:
"That's true."
"But we'll find out when my big brother arrives."
Chen Wei:
"The one who's ridiculously obsessed with money?"
Leo:
"Exactly."
"He'll probably find their entire headquarters just because someone promised him money."
Chen Wei nodded.
Chen Wei:
"Honestly, that's terrifyingly believable."
And somehow...
Nobody looked particularly worried.
Not even the four Guardians.
Sahara was eating.
Raika was playing a game on her phone.
Mizuna was quietly sitting in the corner.
And Airi...
Airi was sleeping loudly.
Airi:
"Zzzzzzz…"
Leo looked around.
Leo:
"Are we seriously this relaxed after everything that happened?"
Chen Wei:
"That's how our story works."
Leo:
"Fair enough."
---
A few minutes later...
Chen Wei's mother walked toward Leo.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"Leo."
Leo looked up.
Leo:
"Yes?"
She held something behind her back.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"I have a gift for you."
Leo immediately sat up.
Leo:
"A gift?"
She brought it forward.
A familiar weapon appeared in her hand.
A khukuri.
But it wasn't the same one Leo had used before.
Its entire design had been rebuilt.
The blade had a much more refined structure.
Its handle contained strange mechanical components, while faint energy lines ran across the metal.
Leo's eyes widened.
Leo:
"Wait…"
"My khukuri?"
Chen Wei's Mother:
"Not exactly."
She smiled.
"You sent me the damaged remains."
"So I rebuilt it."
Leo carefully took it.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"I also went to your home in Nepal."
"I found an old family khukuri belonging to your father."
Leo became silent.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"I used that as the foundation for the new weapon."
Leo stared at it.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"This one is considerably stronger."
"And there's something else."
Leo:
"What?"
Chen Wei's Mother:
"It appears to have its own consciousness."
Leo:
"…Seriously?"
She nodded.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"You'll need to give it a small amount of your blood first so it can recognize you as its user."
Leo's eyes practically sparkled.
Leo:
"This is AWESOME!"
Chen Wei:
"Of course you're excited."
Leo:
"Look at it!"
He held the khukuri up.
Leo:
"My family weapon just became a super weapon!"
---
Then Leo suddenly remembered something.
Leo:
"Wait."
He reached toward the sword at his waist.
Leo:
"You should check this one too."
Chen Wei's mother looked at it.
Leo:
"I don't understand what happened."
"When we entered the Wind Temple, this sword somehow appeared with me."
"I don't even remember taking it."
He paused.
"And during the battle with the Weapon Master Guardian…"
Leo looked at his own hand.
"My body moved on its own."
"I've never properly learned swordsmanship."
"I've mastered hand-to-hand combat."
"My dagger style is based on the khukuri."
"But sword style?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know it."
Chen Wei's mother examined the weapon carefully.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"Yet you suddenly copied sword movements?"
Leo nodded.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"That is…"
She looked at the sword.
"…very mysterious."
Leo:
"Exactly."
For a brief moment, nobody spoke.
The sword remained completely silent.
But somehow...
It felt as though it was listening.
---
Chen Wei's mother suddenly turned serious.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"There's something else all of you need to do."
Everyone looked toward her.
Chen Wei's Mother:
"You've been using your Spirit Beast energy continuously."
"You should check on them."
Leo's expression immediately changed.
Leo:
"…No."
Chen Wei:
"Absolutely not."
Chen Wei's Mother:
"You should communicate with your Spirit Beasts and let them rest."
Leo:
"No."
Chen Wei:
"No."
Lily:
"Why are you two suddenly scared?"
Leo slowly looked away.
Leo:
"I don't want to go back into my consciousness."
Chen Wei:
"Same."
Leo:
"That giant beast is going to destroy me."
Chen Wei:
"And my Water Dragon is probably going to yell at me."
Leo:
"I've been using his energy nonstop."
Chen Wei:
"I've been doing the same thing!"
The two looked at each other.
Leo:
"We're staying here."
Chen Wei:
"Agreed."
Lily sighed.
Yuna simply smiled.
Lily and Yuna walked to a quiet area.
Both sat down.
They closed their eyes.
Their consciousness slowly descended inward.
Meanwhile...
Leo and Chen Wei remained on the sofa.
Leo:
"See?"
"We made the correct decision."
Chen Wei:
"Absolutely."
---
Somewhere in China...
A forest.
Deep within it...
There was once a secret enemy headquarters.
But now?
It was completely destroyed.
Renge Akihana slowly walked through the ruins.
His expression was calm.
But his eyes were serious.
Renge:
"…What happened here?"
The entire base looked as though a massive force had swept through it.
Walls had collapsed.
Machines were destroyed.
The ground was covered with debris.
Renge looked around.
Renge:
"This doesn't look like a normal battle."
He slowly walked deeper into the ruins.
Renge:
"Did someone destroy the entire base?"
He noticed several damaged containment rooms.
Renge immediately became concerned.
Renge:
"The people they kidnapped…"
"Where are they?"
---
He descended into the underground section.
The deeper he went...
The quieter everything became.
Then—
He found them.
The Martial Artist Killer was unconscious.
Nearby was his young daughter, also unconscious.
Renge quickly checked that they were alive.
Renge:
"Good…"
"They're still alive."
He looked around.
Nobody else was there.
Then—
A faint sound came from deeper inside.
A voice.
Barely audible.
"Who…"
Renge froze.
The voice continued.
"I don't understand…"
"Who am I?"
Renge's expression changed.
Something about that voice...
Felt familiar.
He immediately ran toward it.
Renge:
"Who's there?!"
He reached the laboratory.
Near the entrance...
The scientist was lying motionless.
Renge stepped around him.
Then he entered.
And stopped.
Completely frozen.
Inside the ruined laboratory...
Someone was sitting on the floor.
Her condition was extremely weak.
Her mechanical limbs were damaged beyond use.
Her breathing was faint.
Her mask had shifted downward, though it remained attached to her face.
Her eyes were empty.
No anger.
No confidence.
No recognition.
Nothing.
Renge's voice trembled.
Renge:
"…No."
He took one step forward.
Renge:
"Please…"
The girl slowly raised her head.
Her voice was barely audible.
Girl:
"Is someone there?"
Renge couldn't move.
Girl:
"Who…"
She paused.
"I don't remember…"
Her voice trembled.
"I don't understand who I am anymore."
Renge's eyes widened.
Then he recognized her.
Renge:
"…Shion?"
The girl slowly looked toward him.
Shion:
"Shion…?"
She repeated the name as though it belonged to someone else.
Shion:
"Is that…"
"…my name?"
Renge's eyes filled with tears.
Renge:
"Yes."
"It's your name."
"You're…"
His voice broke.
"You're Shion Kisaragi."
Shion stared at him blankly.
Shion:
"Shion…"
She repeated it quietly.
But there was no recognition in her eyes.
Renge rushed forward and carefully lifted her into his arms.
Renge:
"What happened to you…?"
His voice shook.
Renge:
"Who did this?"
Shion didn't answer.
She was barely conscious.
Her eyes slowly closed.
Renge held her carefully.
Tears rolled down his face.
Renge:
"Please…"
"Stay with me."
He looked around the destroyed laboratory.
His expression slowly changed from sorrow...
To anger.
Renge:
"Whoever did this…"
He tightened his grip.
Renge:
"I'll find you."
He looked upward toward the ruined ceiling.
Renge:
"Shion…"
His voice cracked.
"I'm sorry."
The laboratory became silent.
Only the sound of Renge's breathing remained.
And somewhere far away...
The organization responsible for this tragedy was still moving.
The final arc of Volume 2...
Had begun.
TO BE CONTINUED...