Glacius and Peggy moved like a deadly storm, slicing through the Sand soldiers who tried to block their path.
Ice spikes jutted from the ground, sending guards slipping and crashing into walls, while Peggy's swift, nimble light beams disarmed anyone who got too close.
Yuki followed behind them, keeping low, her heart racing with every exchange.
She could sense the fear and fury in the air — and the determination radiating from Glacius and Peggy.
As they pushed forward, a squad of Sand soldiers barred the entrance to the prison building.
"You're not going any further," one of the guards barked, raising a spear.
Glacius's eyes gleamed with icy resolve. "Try and stop us."
Without another word, a blast of frost shot from Glacius's hands, freezing the tips of the soldiers' weapons. Peggy darted forward, using the distraction to knock them out one by one, her movements a blur of light.
A guard managed to swing his weapon at Yuki — but before it could touch her, Peggy used her light barrier to block the blow and struck him down with a light beam.
"Stay close, Yuki!" Peggy ordered, her voice fierce but protective.
They finally broke through the prison entrance. The air was damp and cold, a stark contrast to the heat of the desert outside. The dimly lit hallway stretched before them, with rows of cells on either side.
Desperate, Peggy grabbed one of the prisoners by the bars. "Where's Kairo?" she demanded.
The prisoner, a thin man with hollow eyes, coughed and pointed downward. "Fifth level," he rasped. "Deepest part of the prison... but be warned — the lower you go, the worse the guards get."
Yuki's heart sank. "Kairo..."
Glacius clenched his jaw. "We're going down."
Without wasting a second, the trio pushed forward
And in the distance, the faint sound of Arson's flames crackled like a storm waiting to break loose.
The howling wind churned with grains of sand, forming a furious storm that clouded the entrance to the fortress. The swirling mass of sand lashed against Sylvia's skin, but she stood firm, her emerald eyes locked onto Dune as he began to move through the storm, his figure a shadow of rage and authority.
"You're not going anywhere, Dune," Sylvia declared, raising a hand as thick vines erupted from the ground, slithering through the sand like serpents and wrapping tightly around Dune's ankles.
Dune halted, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. "Sylvia... still clinging to your childish ideals," he said softly, his voice slicing through the storm. "How far you've fallen — allying yourself with a destroyer."
He sneered, his words deliberately sharp. "I once thought you were a symbol of hope for your tribe. Now, you're nothing but an irresponsible fool — a puppet dancing to the strings of a conqueror. Just like Kairo."
Sylvia's heart clenched, but before she could react, a searing blast of flames roared past her, scorching the sand mere inches from Dune's feet.
"Careful with your words, Dune," Arson's voice cut through the storm, his arm still outstretched from the fiery attack. He stepped beside Sylvia, his other hand suddenly gripping her wrist, pulling her slightly behind him. "You mess with her, you mess with me."
Dune's glare hardened. "You think this is some great love story? Another Kairo, fighting for a girl who will only drag you down?"
Sylvia took a deep breath, steeling herself, and pushed past Arson's arm. "I'm not a burden. And we're not Kairo. This is our fight."
The vines tightened around Dune, cracking the stone beneath him. But Dune flexed his arms, sending a ripple through the sand, and the vines strained against his strength.
Arson smirked at Sylvia. "Guess I'm already in this battle, huh?"
Sylvia nodded. "Looks like it."
The two of them moved in sync — Sylvia commanding the earth, roots and vines shooting up from the sand, while Arson's flames scorched the air, keeping Dune on the defensive.
Dune's fury grew. "How many times must I witness this pathetic déjà vu — watching a so-called leader lose themselves over foolish attachments?"
His words echoed like a curse, but Sylvia and Arson didn't flinch — their teamwork, though rough around the edges, kept Dune occupied, each buying the other time to strike.
Meanwhile, deep inside the prison...
Glacius, Peggy, and Yuki descended to the second level — a dark, narrow corridor lined with reinforced cells.
This time, the Sand guards weren't just standard soldiers — these were the elite, handpicked by Dune himself.
"Finally," Glacius muttered, a grin spreading across his face. "Something interesting."
Peggy rolled her eyes. "We're here to save Kairo, not entertain you."
Before Glacius could reply, the first wave of guards charged — swift, their attacks precise and relentless. Sand whips lashed out, forcing Peggy to duck and roll, while Glacius countered by freezing the sand mid-air, turning it into sharp crystal shards that rained down like daggers.
Yuki clung tightly to Glacius's arm with one hand, Peggy's with the other — her blindness making the chaotic battlefield even more dangerous.
"Stay close," Peggy said softly, her voice steady despite the battle.
One of the Sand guards lunged at Yuki, but Glacius, with a flick of his wrist, created a wall of ice, blocking the attack. "Touch her, and you lose a hand," he said coldly.
The fight intensified — guards creating sandstorms within the confined space, while Glacius and Peggy countered with ice and swift light beams. It wasn't easy — the second level's security was a clear step above the first.
"We need to move faster," Peggy muttered, elbowing a soldier in the jaw.
Another Sand guard tried to cut them off, but Glacius froze his legs in place, causing the guard to collapse. "Then let's pick up the pace."
The battle raged on as they pushed forward, Yuki gripping their arms and trusting them completely, knowing every step brought them closer to Kairo and deeper into danger.
And above them, the storm of fire, nature and sand continued to rage.