As everyone gathered in the dining hall, the room was filled with the sounds of clinking utensils and idle chatter. The atmosphere was warm, a rare moment of peace among warriors.
Soon, Uno entered, catching everyone's attention. Leviathan was the first to speak, his voice carrying a mix of warmth and amusement.
"Nice to see you here, Uno. We've missed you, my great friend."
Uno, brushing off the sentiment, simply nodded. "Yeah, nice to see you too." Then, without wasting time, he turned to address the group.
"Azire, Maya, Suna, Belial, Hollie—The Beast Kingdom called."
At the mention of the Beast Kingdom, Hollie immediately perked up, eyes wide with anticipation.
"What did they say?" she asked eagerly.
Uno continued, his tone serious. "They want us to come there. They have information about an organization they believe is linked to Rubak operating within their kingdom. They don't want to alert the public, but since we're already aware, they want to hire us to eliminate them."
Azire leaned forward, arms crossed. "How much are they paying?"
Uno smirked. "Five million."
Hearing this, Azire immediately jumped up, his expression shifting to pure excitement. "Let's leave now!"
Leviathan chuckled at Azire's reaction, shaking his head. "It's been fun, Sir Demon King. I hope you return in the future."
Azire gave him a respectful nod. "Thank you, Leviathan. I appreciate your hospitality."
Leviathan then turned his gaze toward Maya and Belial, his expression softening. "You two, stay back for a moment. I have a gift for you both."
The others departed, leaving Maya and Belial standing before Leviathan.
With a deep breath, Leviathan looked at them fondly. "I will miss you, my children. But before you go, here is my parting gift."
He extended his hand to Belial, presenting a glowing, swirling core of light and darkness. The moment Belial touched it, it sank into his arm, causing black and golden energy to pulse through his veins.
"This is the Eclipse Gauntlet," Leviathan explained. "It fuses light and dark magic, using both divine and abyssal energy. As a fallen angel, this enhances your Fallen Counter, now called Eclipse Counter. However, the risk is greater—while it reflects twice the damage back at your opponent, the backlash is also twice as severe if overused."
Belial clenched his fist as the gauntlet materialized on his arm, shifting between golden and abyssal hues.
Leviathan continued. "Your signature move, Eclipse Rupture, allows you to absorb all available energy—both from attacks and your own reserves—before unleashing a massive explosion of twilight energy that erases everything in its radius. But be warned, using this attack leaves you extremely vulnerable afterward."
Belial's black wings shimmered, turning golden at the edges.
"This is Dawn Form—a transformation that enhances your flight and speed. And finally, Abyssal Mode allows the gauntlet to spread across your body, giving you control over shadows at the cost of being consumed by them."
Then, Leviathan's voice grew more solemn. "The Eclipse Gauntlet is inhabited by two spirits: Solis, the Dawn Seraph—a proud, strategic entity that urges honor and control—and Nyx, the Abyssal Phantom—a chaotic force that tempts you toward destruction. They will constantly argue within you, influencing your choices. If you lean too far toward one, you may lose yourself to their will."
Belial exhaled sharply, feeling the conflicting energies within him, but he nodded in understanding.
Leviathan then turned to Maya, pulling out two crescent-shaped earrings—one deep blue, the other violet.
"These are the Crescent Echo Earrings," he said, handing them to her. "The blue one houses Luna, a wise, motherly spirit who values patience and strategy. The violet one contains Nyx, a mischievous and aggressive spirit who urges you to be ruthless in battle."
Maya examined the earrings before slipping them on. Immediately, she felt two distinct voices whisper into her mind.
"You must balance both voices, Maya. Luna will guide you with caution, while Nyx will push you toward strength. Let one overpower the other, and you risk losing control."
Maya and Belial exchanged glances before turning back to Leviathan. Without hesitation, they wrapped their arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Thank you, Leviathan," Maya whispered.
"We won't forget this," Belial added.
Leviathan smiled warmly before stepping back. "Now, go. Your journey continues."
With that, Maya and Belial reunited with the group as they departed the Leviathan Kingdom.
The entrance to the Beast Kingdom was massive, guarded by two towering wolfmen nearly the size of titans. Their piercing golden eyes studied the group before one of them spoke.
"We will be your escorts."
The group climbed onto the backs of the enormous wolfmen, who began sprinting toward the heart of the Beast Kingdom. The wind roared past them as the vast landscape stretched before their eyes.
As they rode, Cocobeal suddenly appeared on Azire's shoulder, his expression smug.
"I know I may be late, but… I can also transform into your sword."
Azire's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?! Why didn't you say anything earlier?! I could've been training with it this whole time!"
Cocobeal simply shrugged. "I dunno… figured you'd find out eventually."
Before Azire could yell at him, his mindscape shifted, and in his vision, a massive black-bladed sword appeared before him. A detailed scroll of descriptions unfolded, revealing its true nature.
The blade was obsidian, its surface etched with pulsating crimson runes. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, and the crossguard took the shape of twisted demonic wings. A faint red mist seeped from the blade, whispering in an ancient, forgotten language.
Azire read through its abilities in awe.
"Damn… this is badass."
Cocobeal smirked. "Glad you think so. Just be careful when using me… our bond isn't just physical—it's spiritual. The more you rely on me, the deeper I'll sink into your soul."
Azire clenched his fists, determination flashing in his eyes.
As the group finally arrived at the Beast Kingdom, Uno led them to a grand hotel where they would spend the night.
"Get some rest," Uno instructed. "We have a long day ahead of us."
Exhausted from their journey, everyone quickly fell asleep, preparing for whatever awaited them in the Beast Kingdom.