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Chapter 47: The Grey Warrior Returns

Within a few minutes of searching, Mike and Heidi were able to locate the throne room as if Nosferatu was welcoming them.

The door to the room creaked open.

Inside, Nosferatu sat calmly upon his throne, his crimson eyes glowing with amusement.

Nosferatu (smirking): “You’ve done well to make it this far.”

Mike and Heidi stepped forward, energy crackling around them as they transformed.

Mike: “This ends today.”

Heidi: “We’re taking you down.”

Nosferatu grinned.

After a few tense seconds, he leaned forward on his ornate black throne, a sinister yet inviting smile on his face.

Nosferatu (calmly): “Orb Warriors, why must we fight?”

His voice was smooth, hypnotic, weaving through the air like a spell.

Mike and Heidi stood their ground. 

Nosferatu: “I have been watching you both. You have grown strong… so strong that your power could rival mine. Why waste your strength fighting a losing battle?”

He rose to his feet, his red eyes glowing with intelligence and deceit.

Nosferatu: “I will grant you power beyond your imagination. The ability to rule, to create… to be free from suffering.”

Mike clenched his fists.

Mike: “You think we’d betray everything we fought for?”

Nosferatu sighed, almost disappointed.

Nosferatu: “It is not betrayal… It is evolution.”

He took a step forward.

Nosferatu: “This world has already changed. The Fairy Universe is gone—nothing remains but my dream kingdom. Join me, and you will be at the top, not struggling at the bottom.”

Heidi’s eyes narrowed.

Heidi: “We didn’t come here to make deals. We came here to end you.”

Nosferatu chuckled, shaking his head.

Nosferatu: “A shame. But I suppose I expected this.”

His aura flared, the room shaking violently as his monstrous power surged.

Nosferatu: “Then so be it.”

Meanwhile, Jim ran through the crumbling remains of the once-beautiful Fairy Universe, carrying Naomi in his arms.

The vampire bats swarmed overhead, but without Lilith’s magic, they were far weaker than before. Jim cut them down one by one with ease using the sword.

Naomi’s body trembled in Jim’s hold. Her usual personality had dimmed — the months of torment under Nosferatu's control had drained her, both physically and emotionally. But even so, there was a flicker of hope in her eyes.

Until they saw it.

The zombie apocalypse.

A city filled with the undead, where one bite meant death.

Naomi’s face paled as she saw the endless horde.

Naomi (hopelessly): “…Jim, there’s no way. I can’t make it through this."

Her words trembled with the weight of despair. Jim didn’t stop, but he felt the pain in her voice. He held her closer.

Jim (gently):
“Naomi, we’ve made it this far. I’m not letting anything stop us now.”

Naomi shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.

Naomi:
“But I’ll just slow you down. You’re strong, but I’m… I’m nothing now. Just a burden.”

Jim’s steps faltered for a moment. Her words hit him like a dagger.

But before the shadows of doubt could creep in, he remembered — his and the combined alliance of Resistance and Celestic Justice's battle against Dark Void's Chief Commander Goblin the Terrible.

The battlefield had been a twisted chaos of light and darkness. Amid the destruction, Jim stood bloodied and exhausted, facing Goblin — Dark Void’s monstrous chief commander. The monster's overwhelming strength had pushed Jim to his limits.

And then —

Edward, Naomi’s father, stood before him.

His eyes fierce with determination. Despite his wounds, Edward had thrown himself between Jim and Goblin, using the last of his strength to protect him.

He remembered Edward sacrificed himself for him.

Jim’s teeth clenched. He owed Edward his life.

And Naomi — she was Edward’s legacy.

Jim (firmly):
“You’re not a burden, Naomi. You’re the reason, I’m still here. I would never abandon you.”

Naomi’s eyes widened.

Jim:
“Your father saved me when I should have died. He gave his life so I could stand here now. There’s no way I’m abandoning you. I have already lost your father in front of me. But I am not letting you face the same faith. I will protect you even if it comes at the cost of my life.”

His voice shook with emotion.

Jim:
“If we die, we die together. But I won’t leave you behind.”

Naomi’s tears spilled over. Despite the fear that clung to her, a small flicker of warmth blossomed in her chest.

Jim held her tightly and faced the endless horde of zombies.

Jim (resolutely):
“Hold on.”

The undead lunged.

Jim dashed through the twisted streets, dodging and weaving as the decaying hands clawed at them. He struck down the zombies without hesitation, his strength fueled by sheer determination.

But no matter how many fell, more kept rising.

For every monster that crumbled to dust, three more emerged from the shadows.

Jim’s breathing grew labored. His arms ached. And then —

A sudden weight crushed him to the ground. He gritted his teeth as the undead clawed at his back. Naomi was ripped from his grasp.

Naomi (screaming):
“JIM!”

Her cries echoed through the air.

Jim's heart pounded wildly. Every instinct screamed to fight — to get to her.

He was also feeling something deep inside his heart like his heart getting ripped. He couldn't understand why but it definitely had nothing to do with his will to protect her just because she was Edward's daughter.

It was related to just her, something personal which pushed him even more.

But the zombies pinned him down.

Naomi struggled, but the undead surrounded her, dragging her closer to the endless dark. The look of sheer terror on her face burned into Jim’s soul.

Jim:
“…No… No!”

Something within him shattered.

A surge of pure, unrelenting energy roared through his veins.

The energy erupted, glowing like a silver flame.

Jim's eyes snapped open.

In an instant, he crossed his arms in a familiar pose.

A radiant light consumed him. The zombies were blasted away by the sheer force.

When the light faded, Jim stood in his full Grey Warrior form. His armor gleamed, a reflection of his unyielding resolve.

Naomi's trembling gaze locked with his.

Naomi (whispering):
“Who… are you?”

Jim smirked, his eyes glowing with fierce determination.

Jim:
“It’s still me, Naomi.”

He clenched his fists, feeling the overwhelming strength course through his body.

Jim (amazed):
"It’s back… my power."

He glanced down, the weight of his armor familiar yet distant.

It was as though the spirit of his father, Heatsun, and mother, Moonsalt, lingered within him.

But Naomi’s voice quickly snapped him out of his thoughts.

Naomi (confused and startled):
"What… what is this?! You’ve been this powerful all along?!"

Jim turned toward her, his eyes glowing faintly beneath his silver visor.

Jim:
"I thought I lost this power when I entered the Fairy Universe. I didn't know it was sealed. But now that the universe is corrupted, my strength has returned."

Naomi stared at him, a mix of awe and frustration.

Naomi(weakly but relieved):
"And you only figured that out now? After six months of captivity?!"

Jim chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his helmet.

Jim(shaking his head in disappointment):
"Uh… yeah. Guess I’m a bit late to realize that."

Naomi sighed, then furrowed her brows. But as she looked closer, her expression shifted. The armor, the sheer energy radiating from him — it stirred a memory.

Naomi (whispering, eyes widening):
"Wait a second… that suit… I recognize it."

Jim blinked.

Jim:
"You do?"

Naomi nodded slowly, recalling the stories passed down from her father.

Naomi:
"My father told me about a warrior who fought alongside him during his missions and I also heard from some Celestic Justice members that the warrior also defeated Goblin but unfortunately my father never lived to tell the tale. My father called him the 'Grey Celestic Warrior' — a warrior who held both the power of the Sun and the Moon."

Jim’s heart raced.

Jim:
"That’s… actually....me."

Naomi:
"So... it was you all along."

Without another word, a flash of silver light ignited around his hand, materializing into a mighty weapon — the Solun Lance.

The weapon gleamed with a dual glow, one side radiating with the warmth of solar energy, while the other pulsed with the cool essence of lunar power. The lance symbolized the harmony of both celestial forces, a true testament to Jim’s lineage.

Naomi (in awe):
"The Solun Lance… the weapon of legend."

Jim gripped the lance tightly, his resolve solidified.

Jim:
"I’ll protect you, Naomi. This time, I won’t fail."

The zombie horde, though relentless, stood no chance.

With a swift motion, Jim lunged forward, spinning the Solun Lance in a dazzling arc.

A wave of grey energy erupted from the weapon, slicing through the undead.

Zombies crumbled to dust, getting hit by Solun Finish.

Naomi shielded her eyes as the radiant power surged through the battlefield.

Jim:
"Solun Beam!"

A brilliant beam of Sun and Moon energy burst from the lance, wiping out the remaining undead in a flash of silver brilliance.

The atmosphere fell silent, leaving nothing but the eerie remnants of the battlefield.

Naomi lowered her arms, disbelief still lingering in her eyes.

Naomi:
"You… you did it."

Jim smiled beneath his helmet.

Jim:
"We're not done yet."

He offered his hand to Naomi.

Jim:
"Come on. We have to escape fast. And this time, I’ll make sure we both make it out alive."

Naomi hesitated for a moment before grasping his hand. Despite everything, a newfound sense of hope flickered within her.

Together, they pushed forward.