The night was deep, and silver moonlight cascaded down, illuminating an inverted waterfall that stretched into the sky.
It was the Emerald City Falls. Once a ceaseless torrent, the waterfall had undergone a transformation upon the collapse of the mechanical jellyfish—its rushing waters had solidified mid-air, forming a resplendent staircase of crystalline gears that spiraled toward the heavens.
Leo and Luna stood at the foot of the staircase, gazing up at the dreamlike path.
Luna activated her mechanical eye, her pupils slightly contracting as she observed the energy coursing through the crystalline steps.
"...This energy is the same as the seal on your collarbone."
Leo placed a hand on his collarbone, where the five-pointed star scar faintly glowed with a subtle warmth. He remained silent for a moment before stepping onto the staircase of gears.
Each step was like a transparent gemstone, slowly rotating beneath their feet, producing a deep, resonant hum—as if the entire Mechanical Court was responding to their arrival.
When they reached the summit, the sight before them was breathtaking—
A colossal citadel of gears floated in the night sky, constructed from a vast network of interwoven metal conduits and nerve-like pipelines. The architecture was ancient yet precise, with every inch of its walls engraved with intricate magical inscriptions, seemingly remnants of a lost civilization.
They passed through an archway entwined with pulsating nerve conduits, their surfaces flowing with a luminous blue liquid like veins coursing through a living being.
Leo's fingers brushed against one of the conduits—
In an instant, a surge of scorching memories flooded his mind!
—Over a decade ago, the Emerald City had not yet fallen. The sky was clear, and the streets were bustling with life.
A young figure stood at the heart of the city, raising an energy crystal high above the crowd, showcasing his invention.
"This tree will become the new heart of Emerald City."
The voice was Leo's, yet younger, more resolute, filled with unwavering confidence.
He gazed at the newly sprouted Purification Tree, his face brimming with pride.
"It will absorb all the city's tainted memories, granting the people of Emerald City a fresh start."
But the vision abruptly shifted—
In the shadows, someone tampered with the tree, replacing its true heart with a mechanical core. The corrupted system gradually spiraled out of control, ultimately leading to the catastrophe of today.
The real heart had been hidden away—within the Mechanical Court!
Leo's eyes snapped open, his forehead slick with cold sweat.
"...So that's the truth."
Luna steadied him, her tone grave. "So you once created the Purification Tree for Emerald City… but someone altered it, causing today's disaster?"
Leo nodded, his expression complex.
"And the true heart… lies ahead."
They pressed forward through the archways, finally arriving at the central control chamber of the Mechanical Court.
Suspended in the air at the chamber's center was a verdant heart, pulsating with a soft green glow. Encircling it were countless gears and magical circuits, as if the entire Court drew its power from this very source.
As they approached, the air itself seemed to shift.
—A translucent figure materialized.
It was another Leo.
Identical in every way, yet devoid of life. A mere projection. He lifted his head, his gaze cold, gripping a spectral longsword that barred their path.
"…Trial candidates, prove your worth."
With those words, the phantom lunged, sword flashing.
Without hesitation, Leo raised his broken blade to meet the strike. Their weapons clashed in a burst of sparks, illuminating the chamber.
The phantom's swordsmanship was swift and precise—sharper, even, than Leo's own. Every strike was aimed directly at his weak points.
The battle reached a deadlock.
Luna, analyzing the fight with her mechanical eye, noticed a pattern in the phantom's movements. Quietly, she began setting a magnetic trap beneath the floor.
"Leo, step left!"
Leo obeyed, sidestepping just as the phantom's blade wavered—its movements momentarily slowed by the magnetic field.
Seizing the opportunity, Leo swung his broken sword—
Slash!
The phantom shattered, dissolving into motes of stardust.
"…Trial passed."
The voice echoed as it faded.
Leo and Luna stood before the suspended heart, exchanging a glance before reaching out without hesitation—
Boom!
A surge of green light erupted, shaking the entire Mechanical Court.
The true heart of the Purification Tree had returned to its rightful place.
Far below in Emerald City, the once-withered tree stirred. Its branches burst forth with new life, shattering layers of ruin as radiant light spilled into the city.
Meanwhile, the structure of the Mechanical Court began to collapse. Countless gears crumbled, disintegrating into stardust that drifted into the night.
The crystallized citizens returned to flesh and blood.
Slowly, they opened their eyes—as if awakening from a long nightmare.
As for the exiles of the underground, they transformed into beams of starlight, merging with the roots of the tree, becoming the eternal watchlights of the subterranean world.
Ancient texts long lost to time reemerged, illuminated beneath their glow.
Leo and Luna stood amid the ruins of the Mechanical Court, watching the scattered fragments of gears vanish into the night sky.
Turning back toward Emerald City, they saw the resurrected tree standing tall—a beacon of a new beginning.
Luna murmured, "This… this is what you once created. And now, it has finally found its way home."
Leo said nothing, simply gazing down at his palm—where traces of the phantom's fading light lingered.
The wind stirred, carrying the remnants of the Mechanical Court into the cosmos, scattering them across the heavens like a celestial river.
—Thus, the Mechanical Court came to an end.