The divine quiet of the Life Arcon's garden was broken by Techyon's desperate voice.
"If you truly know everything," Techyon said, his eyes searching the Arcon's emerald gaze, "then you know what I've been searching for. Where is my sister? And what happened to my father?"
The Arcon of Life placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Your father... I have only one word for him. He was a Legend. To say more now would break the balance. As for your sister, she is currently in Netland."
"Netland?" Techyon's energy flared. "Then that's where I'm going."
"I'm coming with you!" Alya added quickly, stepping to his side.
Neweland shook his head, his Hydro-aura calming the air. "No, Alya. You've worked too hard today. You need to head home."
"Netland is near Hydro City," Techyon noted, looking at Alya with a softer expression. "I'll drop her off on the way." Alya looked at Techyon and beamed, a bright smile lighting up her face.
Suddenly, a digital chime echoed. A Status Window flickered in front of Lapis. An urgent incoming call.
"Big bro!" his sister's voice screamed through the link, sounding panicked. "Come to my school, fast! It's urgent... please!"
"What? What happened? Are you okay?" Lapis demanded, his magenta mana already swirling. But the line went dead. "Techyon, take care of yourself. I have to go—my sister is in trouble!"
With a snap of his fingers, Lapis used Space Warping. The garden vanished, replaced instantly by the sterile hallway of a high school. He kicked the classroom door open, his eyes glowing with combat ready power.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" he roared.
The room went silent for a heartbeat before exploding into high-pitched screams.
"WOAHHH! It's really him! It's Lapis!"
"He's even dreamier in person!"
"Lapis, be my boyfriend!"
"Will you marry me?!"
Lapis stood frozen, his battle-ready stance looking ridiculous in a room full of giggling students. He looked at his sister, who was hiding a mischievous smirk behind her desk.
"Can you tell me what is going on?" Lapis hissed. "I thought you were being attacked!"
"I lost a bet," she whispered with a shrug. "They said if I lost, I had to introduce you to them. Sorry, big bro!"
Lapis face-palmed, his "High Complex Multiversal" dignity crumbling. Before he could escape, the teacher stepped forward, smoothing her hair. She reached into her desk, scribbled something in a notebook, tore out the page, and pressed it into Lapis's hand.
"Here is my address," she said with a wink. "If you want to 'discuss' your sister's grades, come by my home tonight."
"THAT'S UNFAIR!" the entire class screamed in unison.
Deep in the Northern Abyss, the silence was broken by the sound of crumbling bone. The "Eclipsed Vanguard," the proud S-rank party, were no longer heroes. They were hollowed-out husks, their skin clinging to their skeletons like wet parchment.
The monster stood over them, its form still shifting and unstable, like black smoke held together by malice.
"I think..." the monster rasped, its voice sounding like grinding stones. "In this area... some humans still have a bit of mana. If I can reach my Perfect Form again, I will hunt every Arcon until reality is empty. But first... I must consume."
It glided out of the dungeon mouth. Any adventurer nearby didn't even have time to scream. As the monster passed, their mana was ripped from their pores, leaving nothing but brittle bone and dust behind.
Suddenly, the monster stopped. It tilted its head, its empty sockets staring into the distance. It slowly looked behind itself.
"What is this mana level?" it hissed, a jagged grin forming in the smoke. "Something strong is coming. A high-quality soul... perfect for my breakfast."
A few miles away, the air was much warmer. Techyon and Alya walked down the forest path toward the outskirts of Netland. The high-speed adrenaline of the battle with Barkan was fading, replaced by a strange, quiet tension between them.
Alya looked down at her boots, then up at Techyon. Her heart was beating faster than it did during the fight.
"Techyon..." she murmured, reaching out tentatively. "Can we... can we hold each other's hand?"
Techyon stopped. He looked at her, then at her hand. To him, Alya had always been a comrade, but in the soft light of the setting sun, everything felt different.
"Okay," Techyon replied calmly. "I don't think there's any problem with that."
As their fingers interlaced, Alya felt a jolt of electricity that had nothing to do with Yoru's power. Her face turned a deep crimson. 'His hand is so strong...' she thought, feeling a sense of absolute safety. 'It's like holding onto the center of the world.'
Techyon kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was racing. 'Her hand is so soft,' he thought, surprised by how delicate she felt compared to the heavy blades and energy blasts he was used to. 'I have to protect this.'
They continued walking, hand in hand, completely unaware that the S+ Calamity was already tasting their mana on the wind.