Sebastian Greg's smirk widened as he flexed his fingers, causing the jagged ice barrier between Mike and Heidi to rise higher, separating them completely.
Sebastian: "Let's see how well you two fight when you're not together!"
Mike scowled, holding his Magic Wand. Frosty mist swirled around him as he activated his Ice Magic, sending a barrage of ice shards toward Sebastian.
Mike: "Try dodging this!"
Sebastian barely moved. Instead, he snapped his fingers again-instantly, illusions of himself surrounded the battlefield.
Sebastian: "Which one is real? Take a wild guess."
Mike's ice shards hit nothing but air.
Heidi: "Oh, come on! This cheap trick?!"
With a battle cry, Heidi charged forward, wielding her Meat Hammer. She swung it toward one of the Sebastians, only for it to pass right through.
Heidi: "Fake!"
Sebastian: "Let's see how strong your so-called 'bond' really is!"
Without warning, Sebastian dashed toward Heidi, his speed unnatural. His claws extended, striking like daggers.
Mike (shouting): "Heidi, behind you!"
She barely ducked in time, swinging her hammer wildly-only for Sebastian to vanish in an instant.
Heidi: "What the-?"
Sebastian reappeared behind Mike, slashing at his shoulder. Mike gritted his teeth, summoning an Ice Wall to block the next attack.
Sebastian warped through the ice, appearing in front of Heidi again.
Sebastian (mocking): "Oh, come on! Surely, the great 'Orb Warriors' can do better than this?"
Sebastian's tactics became more ruthless. He used illusions to create multiple copies of himself, warping from shadow to shadow, forcing Mike and Heidi to fight blindly.
Every time Mike launched an Ice Spear, it hit a fake. Every time Heidi swung her Meat Hammer, the target disappeared before impact.
Heidi (panting): "This guy's worse than a cockroach!"
Sebastian's voice echoed from all directions.
Sebastian: "Oh? You're tired already? I expected more!"
Suddenly, the snow beneath them turned into quicksand-like sludge, pulling them down.
Mike and Heidi struggled as Sebastian rained down dark energy spikes, cutting into them little by little.
Mike (gritting teeth): "We have to do something!"
Their auras flared as their hearts connected in desperation of losing each other. It was there Love Form.
But the moment they charged-
Sebastian (laughing): "Pathetic."
With a snap of his fingers, black tendrils surged from the ground, ensnaring them mid-air.
Their power faded instantly.
Mike and Heidi fell to the ground, gasping for air.
Mike: "Why... why isn't it working?!"
Sebastian smirked.
Sebastian: "Love Form only works against beings like Alucard, who thrive on darkness. But me? I don't care about your love. I only care about destruction!"
He kicked Mike aside and grabbed Heidi by the throat, lifting her off the ground.
Sebastian: "Where's all that confidence now, little warrior?"
Mike clenched his fists, summoning an Ice Lance via his wand and hurling it at Sebastian-
But it passed right through him.
Sebastian laughed, tightening his grip on Heidi.
Mike (thinking fast): "Heidi... he's using illusions again! I need to trust you... but how?"
Heidi gasped for air as she struggled against Sebastian's grasp.
Her vision blurred-until she suddenly felt something in her heart.
She wasn't afraid.
Because she knew-Mike would never let her fall.
Heidi (smiling faintly): "Mike... don't panic. I trust you."
The words hit him like a wave.
For a brief moment, everything around them slowed.
Mike's heart steadied. He closed his eyes-trusting his instincts.
He ignored the illusions. Ignored the shadows.
And then-
He struck.
His ice magic froze the real Sebastian, causing his grip on Heidi to weaken.
Heidi twisted her body and swung her Meat Hammer directly into Sebastian's gut, sending him crashing into a pile of ice.
As their hands met-
A golden glow engulfed them.
Their armor shifted to there Trust form , their aura pulsing with unshakable resolve.
They had activated Trust Form yet again.
Sebastian's eyes widened as the energy radiated from them.
Sebastian (growling): "Impossible! This can't happen again?!"
Mike: "This is our Trust. Something you'll never be able to reason."
Heidi: "And with trust, we won't fall for your tricks anymore!"
Sebastian lunged forward, but this time-Mike and Heidi moved in perfect sync.
Mike's Ice Barrage froze his illusions before they could form.
Heidi's Lightning-Infused Meat Hammer shattered his defenses.
Sebastian howled as he tried to teleport-
But Mike anticipated it, striking him with a piercing ice spear mid-teleport.
Heidi followed up with a devastating Meat-Hammer Smash crackling with electricity emitted from her raw strength, sending him flying through the air.
Sebastian crashed into the ground, coughing up blood. His illusions faded, leaving him vulnerable.
Sebastian (weakly): "No... I won't... I can't lose to you!"
Mike and Heidi stood over him, their auras burning bright.
Mike: "You already lost. You lost the moment you relied on deception instead of trust."
With a final combined Trust Strike, they unleashed a wave of green energy, obliterating Sebastian's dark magic.
Sebastian let out a final, agonized scream before vanishing into the snow.
Mike and Heidi stood in silence, their breaths heavy.
The snow around them stopped falling.
A soft, warm light descended from the sky-
And standing within it was the Little Match Girl.
She smiled at them, her spirit free from suffering.
Little Match Girl: "Thank you... for trusting each other."
As the light consumed her, she disappeared into the stars.
Mike and Heidi watched her go, their hands still clasped together.
For the first time, they didn't need to say anything.
They just knew-
They trusted each other completely.
_ _ _
Inside the spaceship, Jim leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on the endless sea of stars through the ship's window.
Naomi sat across from him, her curiosity growing as Jim recounted his experiences.
Jim: "Your father... Edward... he was one of the finest warriors I ever fought alongside. Over the Past years, we fought countless battles against Dark Void's generals who conquered planets trying to liberate them. But no matter how tough the enemy was, Edward never backed down."
Naomi smiled softly, a flicker of pride in her eyes.
Naomi: "That sounds just like him. He always had that unbreakable spirit."
Jim nodded, the memories washing over him.
Jim: "I remember one battle on the Duskfang planet. We were completely outnumbered. The general's creatures surrounded us, and our ship was down. I thought it was over. But Edward-he rallied us. He fought like he had nothing to lose. Even with a wounded arm, he led the charge."
Naomi listened intently, picturing the scenes through Jim's vivid storytelling.
Naomi: "I never knew... he never really talked about those battles with me. He always said it wasn't something a child needed to hear."
Jim gave a small chuckle.
Jim: "He probably wanted to protect you. According to my guess, he may have loved you more than anything. "
Naomi's smile grew warmer, her heart swelling with both joy and longing.
Naomi: "I believe he did. I always thought... I was a disappointment for not following in his footsteps."
Jim blinked in surprise.
Jim: "A disappointment? I don't believe he would have seen you like that. Because as long as I know Edward, according to him, fighting isn't the only way to make a difference. He did respect every member of Celestic Justice be they in whatever department, whatever ranks"
Naomi bit her lip, processing Jim's words.
Naomi: "I guess... I wanted to prove that I could help people in my own way. Doing research to find newer technologies to make there lives easier."
Jim gave her a nod of approval.
Jim: "And you've done just that. The things you're doing now? They're just as important as what we did on the battlefield."
For a moment, Naomi felt a strange sense of comfort. She never expected Jim to understand her feelings so clearly.
Naomi: "Thank you, Jim. That... means a lot."
Hours passed as they continued their conversation, sharing stories from both their worlds.
Naomi laughed at Jim's tales of Edward's stubbornness and bravery, while Jim listened with fascination to Naomi's discoveries in research.
The bond between them grew stronger through understanding.
Just then, the door to the ship slid open. Mike and Heidi stepped inside, their expressions unusually heavy.
Heidi: "We're back."
Jim noticed their silence. Usually, they would be making jokes or complaining about the latest challenge.
This time, however, there was no trace of their usual energy.
Jim: "What happened?"
Mike sighed, his voice low.
Mike: "We experienced the story of the Little Match Girl... every moment of it. It was..."
He didn't finish. The words seemed caught in his throat.
Heidi clutched her arms, the memory visibly lingering.
Heidi: "It wasn't just a story. It was like we were right there with her. Every spark of the match... every dream she had before she..."
Naomi's face softened with concern.
Naomi: "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Mike nodded solemnly.
Mike: "It reminded us how cruel the universe can be sometimes. But it also reminded us why we're fighting-to prevent stories like hers from happening again."
Jim placed a hand on Mike's shoulder.
Jim: "That's what makes you both strong. Even after facing that, you're still standing. That's courage."
Heidi gave a small smile, though it was tinged with sadness.
Heidi: "Thanks, Jim."
Without another word, Mike approached the control panel, setting coordinates for their next destination.
Mike: "Let's keep moving. The next planet awaits."
The engines roared to life, and the spaceship soared through the stars once more.
Wherever their journey led, Mike, Heidi, Jim, and Naomi knew they would face it - together.