After defeating that insectoid—whatever his name was—Surya and I immediately headed toward the South direction.
Yash should have been fighting another Personnel there, and we planned to help him finish the battle faster.
That was the plan.
However, by the time we arrived, Yash had already defeated his opponent… and had even assisted Mala in taking down hers.
He reminded me once again that he was far too capable for his age.
I still can't believe he is only ten.
The slaves had already been gathered inside a massive mothership.
I see.
Yash had instructed Grimori to keep watch for any ship capable of carrying at least a million people, regardless of their sizes ranging from a few millimetres to several metres.
A mothership was the perfect choice.
Ironically, this was the same ship that had smuggled them here.
And now, it would become the ship of their liberation.
Yash also told Kel and Lila to prepare another ship.
The plan had changed once again.
Now our entire team would travel in the second ship, keeping watch over the mothership and protecting it until it safely reached its destination.
The ships were filled quickly.
We entered ours as well.
Now there was no turning back.
Kel and Grimori were trying to understand the controls while Yash—
WHAT THE HECK?!
HE WAS DISMANTLING PARTS OF THE SHIP?!
Pratik: What are you doing?!
[Yash]: Relax. These parts aren't from our ship.
Soon, we rose into the skies, leaving Planet Gamble behind.
Many militants, One Starred and Two Starred alike, rushed toward their ships to chase us.
But the moment they activated them, the controls failed miserably and the ships crashed.
I see...
So the dismantled parts belonged to their ships.
Many Starred fighters who could fly began chasing us directly.
We couldn't outrun them with our current speed.
[Yash]: Aha! Time to break the Heavenly Gates!
He declared proudly with a smirk.
Two gigantic gates appeared above us.
Massive.
Almost limitless from our perspective.
We entered through one gate, and the instant we passed through, it closed behind us.
The militants tried entering the second gate, believing it connected to ours.
Instead, it redirected them straight into the deep oceans of Planet Gamble.
[Yash]: Everything is going according to plan so far. Now, enjoy the view.
From our ship, we could see golden clouds stretching endlessly, along with a gigantic sun whose warmth could be felt even from afar.
A silent pathway filled with golden clouds, mythical creatures, and light.
Unicorns.
Vyal.
Garuda.
Phoenix.
And—
What even is that creature?
It looked majestic. Dominating.
Like the ruler of this entire realm.
It resembled a Griffin...
But it had three heads.
A Three-Headed Griffin.
The Heavenly Gates reopened, and we found ourselves inside a completely different dimension.
Suddenly, Yash collapsed.
I rushed toward him instantly.
[Mala]: What happened?! Are you alright?!
[Lila]: He's sweating heavily.
Everyone grew concerned.
[Yash]: Well... I managed to teleport them successfully. But it seems I can't do the same for us. The yearly fever of the Royal Gretoling Clan has started.
What?
I had never heard of something like that before.
Then again, I barely knew anything about Gretolings to begin with.
Pratik: Don't worry. Just rest. We're not in any hurry. Your well-being matters more.
Lila smirked slightly and nodded.
Grimori and Kel smiled, trying to ease Yash's worries.
Mala, however, looked genuinely saddened.
Honestly, I can never fully understand her.
Grimori lifted Yash and carried him toward the medical room.
Meanwhile, Surya noticed Nini's injuries and instantly panicked.
[Surya]: Nini! You're hurt! Who did this?! I'll kill the brat! Let's get married for—
Nini punched him into the wall again.
Honestly, I couldn't even blame her anymore.
I sighed.
Lila suddenly approached me.
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a quiet corner where nobody could hear us.
[Lila]: Before anything else... what do you think about Mala?
Pratik: Fear perhaps.
[Lila]: I'm asking seriously!
Her eyes were unusually serious.
Pratik: Well... I think of her as my friend. A great friend. The greatest ally someone could ask for. She never feared dying for me, and I'd do the same for her without hesitation. To put it simply... she's my best friend.
I answered honestly.
Because it was true.
She really was the best partner someone could have.
Sure, she could be a little brawler-minded sometimes, but honestly, that was part of what made her special.
Hearing my answer, Lila sighed in disappointment.
Why?
Was my answer wrong somehow?
[Lila]: In that case... forget this conversation ever happened.
She said that quietly before walking away.
After a day, Yash's fever worsened significantly.
According to Grimori, it would continue for at least a week.
Thankfully, our ship was moving slowly toward its destination, so there wasn't much to worry about for now.
The dimension itself had been broken long ago.
Nothing dangerous seemed nearby.
Except perhaps Lilith returning.
I should probably prepare for tha—
I suddenly glanced outside the ship.
Mala, Surya, Nini, Grimori, Kel, and Lila looked out as well.
A massive ship—almost the size of the mothership—had appeared near us.
What is this?
Suddenly, a figure leapt from the enemy ship.
Pratik: ENEMY ATTACK!!
I screamed immediately.
Everyone grabbed their weapons while the others took battle stances.
A huge section of our ship was destroyed the moment the enemy landed.
I rushed toward the impact site.
But the instant I moved—
I collapsed.
Blood burst out of my mouth.
I couldn't stop.
If I fell here, my friends wouldn't be able to stop him either.
I forced myself back onto my feet and ran again.
My teammates followed right behind me.
Within a second—
All of us were rolling across the floor.
Covered in blood.
We had been completely overwhelmed.
Before losing consciousness, I heard a single name.
Sir Haidoro.
So this is him...
The Seven Starred Personnel.
To be continued...
---
EXTRAS:-
KAE VS K-3
The winds forgot to blow over Monster Realm.
Kara, who was witnessing this legendary showdown, was sweating bullets.
He was the only spectator present for the upcoming battle.
He was tense.
He was nervous.
K-3 vs Kae.
The two stepped into a ring with a radius of five metres.
Kara widened his eyes.
Trying to hide his nervousness behind his armour.
His expressions remained concealed beneath his helmet.
Even his knight armour seemed unable to contain his mental breakdown.
And then—
It began.
THE FINGER FIGHT!
Kara opened his mouth in anticipation.
Only for Kae to lose almost instantly.
Kara collapsed on the ground from the sheer absurdity of what he had just witnessed.
K-3, wearing his completely black cloak, slowly approached Kae.
[K-3]: You are still a kid, Kae.
K-3 said while patting Kae on the right shoulder.
Meanwhile, Kae still carried his usual calm smile, though the upper half of his face looked visibly annoyed.
Kara fainted for a few moments.
The match ended with K-3's victory.
And with that—
The winds finally began blowing across Monster Realm once again.