From the flash, a figure appeared—
A young man with vibrant green hair crouched next to Tim's body, his eyes scanning Tim's unmoving form.
His presence was unlike anything Heatsun and his assistants had seen before-his aura did not resemble Solar or Lunar energy, yet it radiated immense power.
"Tch... He's barely holding on," the green-haired stranger muttered, placing a hand over Tim's chest. His fingertips pulsed with a strange, unfamiliar energy.
Heatsun and the others tensed.
"Who are you?" Heatsun demanded. "State your business!"
The young man didn't even glance at them.
"You should be thanking me instead of questioning me," he replied coolly. "If I don't intervene now, your precious warrior will be gone for good."
Marie, desperate, grabbed Heatsun's arm. "We have no other choice! Please... if there's even the slightest chance to save him-"
Heatsun hesitated, staring at the green-haired boy. Looking at his hair colour, Heatsun concluded this person was not from Soluna.
"What do you intend to do?" Heatsun asked cautiously.
The young man finally looked up, his eyes glowing faintly.
"I'll take him somewhere safe," he said simply. "But if I do this, you entrust his survival to me. No interruptions."
Henry stepped forward, voice unsteady. "Are you saying... you can actually bring him back?"
The stranger smirked. "I'm saying I might be the only one who can."
That was enough for them. There was no room for argument.
With that, he lifted Tim's body effortlessly and vanished into the distance.
_ _ _
There was a cave deep within Soluna's wilderness, far from any cities. A hidden base.
Tim's body lay still on the cave wall, his breathing faint.
The green-haired stranger sat beside him, his hands glowing with a strange pulse of energy.
Every few hours, he channeled that energy into Tim, infusing life into his broken body.
The process was exhausting as two whole days passed in this endless cycle of energy transfer.
Then, on the second night-
Tim's fingers twitched.
His eyelids fluttered open.
He inhaled sharply, then groaned, his vision blurry. The cave's dim light cast strange shadows, and the first thing he saw was the green-haired figure beside him.
His mind, still groggy, registered only one thought:
"Grim Reaper...?" Tim muttered weakly.
The stranger let out a dry chuckle.
"Seriously? I revive you from the dead and that's what you think I am?"
Tim blinked again, fully focusing on the man before him.
He wasn't dressed in black. He had vibrant green hair, an unfamiliar aura, and a cocky smirk.
Tim frowned. "Then... who are you?"
The stranger leaned back slightly.
"Jim. Age, twenty."
Tim sat up slowly, wincing from his sore body. He rubbed his head, still dazed.
Then, his eyes locked onto Jim's green hair.
His mind raced. Soluna's people are divided into two races: Solar people with yellow hair, and Lunar people with blue hair.
Yet, Jim's hair was neither.
"Wait, wait, wait," Tim narrowed his eyes, pointing at Jim's head. "Are you even from this planet?"
Jim smirked again.
"Who knows?" he said vaguely.
Tim wasn't sure if he liked that answer. But for now, one thing was clear to him-
"I am alive again."
Tim sat up slowly, his muscles still aching from the brutal battle against Rei.
The thought of being taken down - not by Rei alone, but by something mysterious gnawed at him.
His instincts told him something was off, but for now, he had another thought burning in his mind.
"I need to battle her again," Tim muttered, his voice hoarse but determined.
Jim, who leaned casually against the cave wall, arched an eyebrow.
"You're kidding, right?" Jim said, crossing his arms. "You can barely sit up straight, and you're already talking about fighting the Black Lunar Warrior again?"
Tim shot him a glare. "I don't care how bad I look. I won't just lie here while she's out there, destroying Soluna."
Jim let out a long sigh. "Look, I get it - you're the 'great Solar Warrior' or whatever, but if you go out there now, you'll just die again." His voice sharpened at the last part. "And next time? I won't be able to heal you."
Tim blinked, his frustration flickering into confusion. "Wait... you healed me?"
Jim gave a nonchalant shrug. "Obviously."
It finally clicked. The strange energy surging through him, the reason he wasn't dead - it was Jim.
Tim rubbed the back of his head. It was weird for him to be saved when he was meant to be the Saviour. Tim finally said in a hesitant tone. "Thanks, I guess."
Jim waved it off. "Don't mention it."
But Tim wasn't done yet. His mind was still spiraling with unanswered questions.
"But why would you even help me?" Tim narrowed his eyes. "I don't know who you are, or even what you are. How can I trust you?"
Jim's smirk widened. "You can't." He turned toward the cave entrance, the faint glow of the Solunar sky reflecting off his green hair. "But you don't really have a choice, do you?"
Tim gritted his teeth but said nothing.
Then, Jim added something else, his voice more serious this time.
"The two days you've been out?" he said. "The Black Lunar Warrior has taken over Dark Void's army. She's leading his troops while he's in some kind of slumber."
Tim's eyes widened overwhelmed by too much happening. "What? Two days passed and she's... the leader now? Give me a break."
Jim nodded. "And from what I've heard, she's wasting no time. This planet is in deep trouble."
Tim's heart pounded.
"How do you even know all that?" Tim asked in curiosity. "We've been in this cave, and you just conveniently know what's going on outside?"
Jim's lips curled into a mysterious smile.
"I'll tell you later," he said, already stepping outside.
"Wait-!" Tim started, but Jim raised a hand.
"Rest up, Solar Warrior," Jim said. "Because the next time you face her, you better be at full strength... or you really will end up as a corpse."
And with that, he was gone.
Tim slumped back onto the wall, his mind swirling with unanswered questions.
Jim wasn't a Solar. He wasn't a Lunar.
But whoever he was -
He had saved his life.
Meanwhile...
A city of Soluna lay in ruins, the sky darkened by smoke and the flicker of flames.
Lunar and Solar people alike scrambled for cover as a massive monster - a grotesque fusion of shadows and moonlight tore through buildings with brutal efficiency. Rei's troops cheered it on, their laughter echoing through the chaos.
"Pathetic," the monster growled, its glowing crimson eyes locking onto a lone figure standing at the city gates - Jim. "You don't even seem to belong to this planet. You really think you can stop me?"
Jim smirked, brushing his green hair back. "We'll see."
He clapped his hands together, a pulse of raw energy radiating from his core. The light around him warped - a perfect blend of golden solar flares and cold lunar glimmers - as his body transformed.
In a flash, the Grey Warrior emerged.
His armor shimmered with a perfect balance between Solar radiance and Lunar elegance. In one hand, he held a glowing Solar Saber; in the other, a pair of Lunar Crescent Hatchets.
The troops stared in stunned silence.
"Let's dance," Jim said with a grin.
He launched himself at the enemy ranks, slashing through soldiers with swift precision. The Solar Saber crackled with golden flames, each swing igniting blasts of light that scattered his foes.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, the hatchets glowed with dark blue brilliance, slicing through the air and cutting down more troops with pinpoint accuracy.
But Jim didn't stop there.
Crossing his weapons over his chest, he combined their energies - the golden heat of the sun and the silver chill of the moon.
The Solun Lance materialized in his grip, a long, gleaming weapon with a radiant core.
With a bold smirk, he spun the lance above his head.
"This is what happens when Solar and Lunar power work together."
He surged forward, using the lance to sweep through the army with sheer elegance and force.
The troops barely had time to react before they were sent flying in every direction.
The monster roared, launching a barrage of dark orbs at him, but Jim dodged with effortless style - flipping, spinning, and blocking each attack with flashy moves, all while keeping his smirk plastered on his face.
"Is that all you got?" Jim teased, finally leaping into the air and pointing the Solun Lance directly at the beast.
A pulse of combined Solar and Lunar energy erupted from the weapon, striking the monster with an explosive blast.
The creature let out a final scream before collapsing into a heap of darkness.
The city fell silent for a moment.
Then -
Cheers erupted.
Solar and Lunar people flooded the streets, rushing toward Jim.
"He's amazing!"
"Did you see that? He has both Solar and Lunar powers!"
"Hey there, green haired hero! Can I have your autograph?"
"He's so cool!"
Jim awkwardly scratched the back of his head, trying to wave them off. "Uh... yeah, great. Glad you're all safe... no autographs though."
He turned to leave - only to spot Tim, weakened but standing at the edge of the city.
Jim's eyes widened. "Are you insane?" he snapped, rushing over. "I told you to rest!"
Tim, clearly exhausted, just grinned. He weakly patted Jim on the back.
"Well, now I know you're not up to anything bad," Tim said, still catching his breath. "After seeing that battle, I'm convinced. From now on... we're allies."
Jim narrowed his eyes. "Allies? Not even close. You're gonna get yourself killed if you keep pushing yourself."
But Tim shook his head.
"Nope. You're not just my ally..." he said, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "You're a friend because I can rely on you to take my place."
Jim blinked. "...What?"
"You healed me," Tim said simply. "And you're fighting to protect Soluna... So yeah, you're like my friend now. That's my definition of friendship."
For a moment, Jim didn't know how to respond.
No one had ever addressed him like that before.
"...You're weird," Jim finally muttered, but his voice was softer now.
Tim smirked. "I can say the same to you, green haired Grim Reaper."
Jim turned away, his face unreadable. "Whatever. Just... leave Soluna in my hands for now. Get some rest, friend or whatever."
Tim chuckled, limping back toward the hidden cave. "Don't mess it up, Grimmy."
Jim didn't respond but somehow he couldn't help but stare at him with curiosity.
His mind raced. Soluna's people are divided into two races: Solar people with yellow hair, and Lunar people with blue hair.
Yet, Jim's hair was neither.
"Wait, wait, wait," Tim narrowed his eyes, pointing at Jim's head. "Are you even from this planet?"
Jim smirked again.
"Who knows?" he said vaguely.
Tim wasn't sure if he liked that answer. But for now, one thing was clear to him-
"I am alive again."
Tim sat up slowly, his muscles still aching from the brutal battle against Rei.
The thought of being taken down - not by Rei alone, but by something mysterious gnawed at him.
His instincts told him something was off, but for now, he had another thought burning in his mind.
"I need to battle her again," Tim muttered, his voice hoarse but determined.
Jim, who leaned casually against the cave wall, arched an eyebrow.
"You're kidding, right?" Jim said, crossing his arms. "You can barely sit up straight, and you're already talking about fighting the Black Lunar Warrior again?"
Tim shot him a glare. "I don't care how bad I look. I won't just lie here while she's out there, destroying Soluna."
Jim let out a long sigh. "Look, I get it - you're the 'great Solar Warrior' or whatever, but if you go out there now, you'll just die again." His voice sharpened at the last part. "And next time? I won't be able to heal you."
Tim blinked, his frustration flickering into confusion. "Wait... you healed me?"
Jim gave a nonchalant shrug. "Obviously."
It finally clicked. The strange energy surging through him, the reason he wasn't dead - it was Jim.
Tim rubbed the back of his head. It was weird for him to be saved when he was meant to be the Saviour. Tim finally said in a hesitant tone. "Thanks, I guess."
Jim waved it off. "Don't mention it."
But Tim wasn't done yet. His mind was still spiraling with unanswered questions.
"But why would you even help me?" Tim narrowed his eyes. "I don't know who you are, or even what you are. How can I trust you?"
Jim's smirk widened. "You can't." He turned toward the cave entrance, the faint glow of the Solunar sky reflecting off his green hair. "But you don't really have a choice, do you?"
Tim gritted his teeth but said nothing.
Then, Jim added something else, his voice more serious this time.
"The two days you've been out?" he said. "The Black Lunar Warrior has taken over Dark Void's army. She's leading his troops while he's in some kind of slumber."
Tim's eyes widened overwhelmed by too much happening. "What? Two days passed and she's... the leader now? Give me a break."
Jim nodded. "And from what I've heard, she's wasting no time. This planet is in deep trouble."
Tim's heart pounded.
"How do you even know all that?" Tim asked in curiosity. "We've been in this cave, and you just conveniently know what's going on outside?"
Jim's lips curled into a mysterious smile.
"I'll tell you later," he said, already stepping outside.
"Wait-!" Tim started, but Jim raised a hand.
"Rest up, Solar Warrior," Jim said. "Because the next time you face her, you better be at full strength... or you really will end up as a corpse."
And with that, he was gone.
Tim slumped back onto the wall, his mind swirling with unanswered questions.
Jim wasn't a Solar. He wasn't a Lunar.
But whoever he was -
He had saved his life.