Kairo's body tensed. Despite his injuries, his instincts roared to life, and his power answered the call. The sand around him quivered, and the air grew damp — water droplets forming from nothing, swirling into an expanding wave.
The elemental sea flood, his signature move gathered behind him, ready to clash against Dune's attack.
But before either of their elemental powers could collide—
Arson and Glacius stepped forward.
Their combined force — molten flames and freezing ice — blasted out, forming a barrier between Kairo and Dune. The collision sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield, scorching the sand and freezing the air at once.
Glacius' voice was sharp. "You're not touching our Master."
Arson's eyes burned with defiance. "We've already lost to him once — but not again."
Behind them, Sylvia joined the line of defense, her vines writhing at her feet like an extension of her will. "We told you before, Dune." She glanced at Kairo. "We protect our bonds."
And then—
Peggy stepped forward too.
Dune's head snapped to her.
"You.. too...?" His voice cracked like dried stone. It was the first time, he noticed her being part of the plan too.
The Sand tribe and the Fairy tribe had long maintained an alliance just like Nature tribe did— built on a mutual respect for each other's territories.
But Peggy didn't flinch.
"I may be the Fairy princess," she said softly, "but I'm not standing here as a representative of my tribe." She smiled at Kairo. "I'm standing here for the people I choose to protect."
Dune's fury rippled like a sandstorm on the verge of breaking loose.
And then, Yuki rose to her feet.
Still unsteady, she limped behind the group, her hand never leaving Kairo's arm.
Her voice was quiet but firm.
"You were wrong, Lord Dune." She took a shaky breath. "I'm not an undesirable."
Her grip on Kairo tightened.
"I'm someone worth protecting."
The battlefield stood still — sand drifting in the wind, flames flickering in the air, and the sound of Kairo's quiet but steady breathing filling the silence.
Dune's fury, Sylvia and Arson's defiance, Glacius' loyalty, Peggy's resolve, and Yuki's newfound strength — all hung in a delicate balance.
This time, Kairo wasn't standing alone.
_ _ _
The air was thick with tension — the sand still shifting from the last clash of elemental powers, the distant echo of battles fought.
Dune stood there, his stance unbroken but his mind racing. His sharp gaze scanned the group gathered before him — the rulers of fire, ice, nature, and fairy, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Kairo, the Aqua prince who once rivaled him, and Yuki, his blind daughter whose newfound powers still crackled faintly in the air.
He realized then — despite his legendary strength, he couldn't take them all on at once.
Not with Kairo there.
Not with Yuki standing by his side.
There was no path forward for him — except one.
His voice, rough like a desert wind, finally broke the silence.
"I'll give up," Dune said. "I won't stop you from escaping with Kairo."
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap — unexpected, jarring.
Sylvia blinked, almost not believing what she heard. "What...?"
Even Kairo, still leaning on Yuki, narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You expect us to trust you... just like that?"
Dune's expression remained unreadable, a storm still simmering beneath the surface.
"But," he continued, his voice unwavering, "there's one condition."
Everyone braced themselves.
"All of you," Dune said, "launch a combined attack on me."
The group stiffened — even Arson, who had been ready to fight since the beginning, faltered for a brief moment.
"What?" Sylvia's voice cracked.
Dune's jaw tightened. "I need an excuse. If I return empty-handed, my soldiers will question why I failed. But if you leave me half-dead... I can say I faced opponents too powerful to overcome."
A grim smirk tugged at Arson's lips. "Heh. That's a hell of a plan."
Glacius, more calculating, gave a slow nod. "It makes sense. If his people think we nearly killed him, they'll believe Kairo's escape was inevitable."
Sylvia, however, stepped forward, her vines gently curling around her fingers — a physical manifestation of her concern. "Dune, that could kill you."
Dune's eyes burned like the desert sun. "It won't." His voice was steady. "I am Lord Dune — a half-hearted attack from all of you won't be enough to end me."
There was silence. No one moved.
Finally, Arson cracked his knuckles. "I'm in."
Glacius' breath frosted the air. "Same."
But Sylvia still hesitated, and even Peggy looked uncertain. Kairo, who remained silent, kept his eyes locked on Dune — reading him, calculating whether this was a trap.
Dune, growing impatient, growled, "If you don't do this, I'll have no choice but to keep fighting."
Kairo exhaled sharply. "We don't have a choice."
Sylvia, still reluctant, looked at Kairo. "Are you sure?"
Kairo, his voice quiet but firm, said, "We have to."
And so, they prepared themselves.
Sylvia's vines coiled like serpents, Arson's flames roared to life, Glacius summoned a swirling storm of ice, and Peggy's fairy light sparkled like a thousand burning stars. Kairo, weak but resolute, called upon the last of his strength — water pooling at his feet, ready to surge.
Yuki, standing behind them, didn't summon her sandstorm — but her hand remained pressed against Kairo's arm, offering silent support.
"Now!" Dune barked.
In unison, the group unleashed their combined elemental powers —
Arson's flames igniting the sand, turning it to glass,
Glacius' ice freezing the shards mid-air,
Sylvia's vines lashing forward like whips,
Peggy's light bursting like a miniature star,
and Kairo's water flooding the ground, clashing with Dune's sand in a chaotic eruption.
The blast struck Dune with a force that rippled through the desert — a violent collision of elements.
The air cleared — revealing Dune, kneeling, half-buried in sand, his body scorched, frozen, and lashed. Blood trickled down his mouth, but his lips curled into a faint smile.
"Not bad..." Dune rasped.
His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to stay upright.
"You held back," Dune muttered, spitting out sand. His gaze fell on Sylvia and Peggy. "I can tell."
The two women exchanged a brief, uneasy glance.
Dune's smirk widened despite the pain. "I said... don't hold back."
Kairo, still catching his breath, clenched his jaw. "Enough of this, Dune. Just stop."
But Dune shook his head. "Again."
The hesitation didn't last this time.
The group gathered their strength — and this time, even Kairo gave it his all.
The second combined attack struck Dune like a tidal wave of raw elemental power — flames, ice, water, light, and vines, all crashing into him with unrelenting force.
When the dust settled —
Dune lay there, half-dead.
Bloodied. Beaten. But alive.
And still — smiling.
"Now..." he croaked, "I have an excuse."
Yuki, tears slipping from her sightless eyes, knelt beside him. She reached out a trembling hand and touched his shoulder, her voice breaking.
"Farewell... Father."
Dune didn't look at her — his gaze was fixed on the sky. But his hand, ever so slightly, gave the smallest twitch beneath hers — a silent acknowledgment.
His voice, hoarse but firm, called out to Kairo.
"Run."
Kairo's head snapped toward him.
"Run as far as you can... and take my daughter with you."
A moment passed. Then Dune added, his voice softer,
"Don't come back to Sand territory again."
Kairo, swallowing the lump in his throat, gave a slow nod. "I won't."
Dune's gaze flickered to Sylvia and Arson.
"You two..." he muttered. "The Restorer and the Destroyer... I never thought I'd see you working together."
Sylvia, steady now, responded softly, "I'm still restoring what's lost."
Arson smirked. "And I'm still burning down what's in my way."
Glacius added with a slight grin, "We're almost doing the same thing."
Peggy nodded. "We just choose who we do it for."
Dune chuckled weakly.
As the group gathered around Kairo, preparing to escape, Dune gave Yuki one last glance.
"Take care of yourself... and him."
Yuki wiped her tears, holding Kairo's hand. "I will."
With that — they left.
The wind howled through the desert.
Dune, still bleeding, watched them disappear into the horizon. The pain in his body was nothing compared to the ache in his heart — but this... was the only way.
He could still be loyal to his tribe.
And Yuki... could finally be free.