At Syafi's House...
It had been a full week since Dzeth and his comrades disappeared into the portal. Syafi sat at the window, staring into the now-orange sky, his heart filled with worry. Usually, Dzeth would send a message or at least give some kind of signal that he was still alive. But this time… nothing.
With quick steps and a pounding heart, Syafi left his house. He began asking vendors, city guards, even random civilians.
"Have you seen Dzeth Takahashi?" he asked an old merchant.
The man shook his head. "Haven't seen him for a week…"
Syafi clenched his fists, eyes shimmering. "Dzeth… are you alright…"
---
Portal Level 6...
Silence filled the area. No sounds, no cries or bursts of magic. Only a single stage portal stood before Dzeth, Hwang, Akanza, and Syiro.
Akanza gripped his East Dragon Hunter Technique, sensing a strange aura inside.
"This one… might be even more dangerous," he said calmly, though his eyes glowed with caution.
Dzeth stepped forward and opened the portal. Once opened, they were not met with thousands of curses… but an empty throne room.
On the throne, a letter was neatly placed, written with golden ink:
> "To the intruders of this Paladin Realm. We have vacated this domain and await your arrival in the other Paladin Realm. There… tens of millions of my soldiers stand ready.
Consider yourselves lucky we are not here.
- Writer Paladin"
Dzeth gripped the letter, his eyes burning with resolve.
"We need to find the Paladin Realm they mentioned," he said, though his voice was calm, there was a hidden weight in his heart uncertainty, perhaps even exhaustion.
But as Dzeth turned toward Syiro, he saw the girl smiling softly.
"Dzeth… can we go home for now? I miss my parents," she said gently, her cheeks slightly red.
Dzeth paused. He turned to Hwang and Akanza. Both of them nodded with a small smile.
"Yeah… I think we all need a break," Akanza said.
Dzeth raised his hand and summoned the formation, "Dimensional Warp!"
---
The Return...
The Dimensional Warp brought them back to the human world. The evening sun greeted them warmly, a breeze brushing gently over the open fields.
The sky glowed orange. The grass swayed softly. And the world… felt calm.
Hwang and Akanza headed toward the market, greeting familiar faces and looking for food. Dzeth and Syiro walked side by side, heading toward their homes.
"It's… really peaceful today," Syiro said quietly.
"Yeah… but I feel like it won't last long," Dzeth replied. "Those curses… they're planning something."
Syiro nodded, but then giggled softly.
"You're always so serious."
Dzeth glanced at her and smiled. "I promised I'd protect everyone… that includes you."
Syiro's cheeks turned red, and she looked away, unable to answer.
Suddenly, they saw someone standing in front of the house Syafi.
Syafi's eyes widened when he saw Dzeth, and he immediately ran up to him.
"Dzeth!" Syafi yelled.
Dzeth chuckled. "Syafi… you good?"
"WHERE DID YOU GO?! IT'S BEEN A WEEK!" Syafi scolded, punching Dzeth's chest.
Dzeth laughed. "Went curse hunting…"
"A whole week just to hunt?!" Syafi replied sharply, though it was clear he missed his friend.
Syiro giggled softly at their playful banter. "Haha… they're like brothers."
After a few more jokes and laughter, they walked home, sharing stories and experiences from the portal. Dzeth spoke of the battle against the Void Paladin, and Syafi looked stunned.
"You fought a Void Paladin?!"
"We all fought," Dzeth said. "I nearly died too."
But… that peace didn't last long.
-
City Outskirts...
The sun had nearly set. The wind picked up.
The three Dzeth, Syafi, and Syiro arrived at the city outskirts. Everything was calm, until…
BOOM!!
A massive explosion shook the earth. Black smoke shot into the sky. The ground trembled violently.
Dzeth instantly pushed Syafi and Syiro behind him, protecting them.
"Get ready!" he shouted.
From the smoke and fire, emerged massive, dark silhouettes armored curses, gleaming in the shadows.
Dzeth's eyes changed into Heavenly Eyes. "They came earlier than expected…"
Syiro activated her fire technique. "Do we fight now?"
Dzeth gave a faint smirk. "We fight… and we protect everyone."
To Be Continued...