In the temple hall, a ring of floating stones slowly revolved near the ceiling.
The red light came from the ring. The natural magic power between heaven and earth gathered into visible blue points of light and clung to the stones.
The points of light that touched the ring gradually merged into its red glow.
Zed sat cross-legged on the floor of the hall.
Sensing something, he vanished from where he sat in a swirl of shadow.
It was Xayah.
She pushed aside the withered vines hanging over the temple entrance and slipped inside.
The stone ring immediately caught her eye.
There was no need to ask. It was the reason the island's Spirit Energy had run dry.
As Xayah looked up to study the ring, a shadow silently appeared behind her.
Then a fist came crashing toward her!
Xayah heard the rush of air, twisted at the waist, and stepped aside. The punch struck the floor, sending fragments of stone flying.
But she couldn't dodge the attacker's follow-up side kick. She crossed her arms and took the blow head-on.
Bang!
Though the kick sent Xayah flying, she pushed off the wall with a nimble kick.
She flipped through the air, dodging the attack that came right after.
The attacker was Zed, dressed in the same black bodysuit and hood.
But a more intense crimson glow shone through the eyeholes of his metal mask.
Three feather blades formed between Xayah's fingers, while blades extended from Zed's Gauntlet...
The battle was about to begin.
Xayah launched the feather blades in her hands. Zed turned into a cloud of black smoke and dodged the attack, then charged at her.
As she dodged, Xayah kept firing feather blades.
But Zed either dodged them or slashed them apart.
Her attacks couldn't threaten him.
Clang!
A feather blade was knocked away and happened to lodge in the stone ring glowing red.
Zed looked up and let out a low growl.
He had poured countless hours of effort into making it.
His attacks grew fiercer and more ruthless, forcing Xayah to dart back and forth.
When she jumped away from a pillar in the hall, flying fragments of stone from Zed's attack still struck her.
Xayah hit the ground and rolled—she was no match for Zed.
Zed seized the chance to try to kill her in one blow.
He leaped into the air, Shadow Magic swirling around him like smoke, and formed two Shadow Clones.
"Hmm~ ha~ ha~" (The sound effect when Zed casts Deathsworn Stride; you can listen closely, folks.)
As the eerie laughter echoed through the hall, Zed and his two Shadow Clones kicked off three separate pillars and pounced on Xayah from above.
At this critical moment, Xayah beat her wings and swung her Feather Robe.
Wings of the Dawn!
Hundreds upon hundreds of purple-glowing feather blades burst from Xayah's Feather Robe.
Zed had no choice but to abandon his attack and dodge.
Thwip, thwip, thwip!
Feather blades lodged in nearly every part of the ceiling.
Crack!
The withered vines at the entrance suddenly burst apart. Rakan had charged inside.
As soon as he entered, he saw Xayah landing after unleashing Storm of Blades, and a Ninja attacking her.
Without stopping to think, Rakan moved faster than he ever had in his life and raced toward Xayah.
He couldn't let his beloved get hurt right before his eyes.
Xayah was on one knee. Seeing Rakan and Zed pounce toward her at the same time, she didn't flinch. Purple light gathered in her hands.
Glaive Rush!
The feather blades stuck in the ceiling fell like a rainstorm, striking the stone ring one after another.
The ring collapsed in an instant, and the shockwave brought down the ceiling.
Fortunately, Rakan made it in time.
Before the falling stones—and before Zed.
He held Xayah tightly as golden feathers enveloped them both, and golden light formed a spherical Lightshield.
The rumbling of the brick walls collapsing gradually faded.
At last, the dust settled, and everything fell quiet again.
Zed was nowhere to be seen.
Rakan helped Xayah to her feet. She gently touched the scrape on his cheek.
Rakan smiled faintly, took her hand away, and rested her head against his shoulder.
The couple had made it through another ordeal together.
Jia Ruo and Neeko saw the temple collapse and hurried over.
They hadn't expected the dust to clear from the ruins and reveal Xayah and Rakan being all lovey-dovey.
They seemed to be all right, so Jia Ruo let out the breath he'd been holding.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew outward in every direction, with the ruins at its center.
The stone ring had collapsed, releasing the natural Magic Power it had bound and returning it to the land.
As this breeze of revival spread, countless points of light formed from the natural Magic Power flowed into the lives withered on this land.
The earth burst back to life, its color and vitality restored.
"Was there a really powerful Ninja inside?" Jia Ruo asked.
"Mm."
Xayah nodded, and Rakan pulled her closer.
"That Ninja's name is Zed. He's the Sect Leader of an organization called the Shadow Order. Those underling Ninjas also came from the same order," Jia Ruo explained.
"Where's Zed?" he asked.
"He disappeared," Rakan said.
Jia Ruo looked around. The other Ninjas had disappeared too.
Even the bodies that had covered the ground were gone.
Those underlings hadn't been much good in a fight, but they sure were strange.
The four gathered together and shared what they had learned.
Neeko recounted the Ninja's memories, while Xayah described the strange stone ring that had glowed red in the temple hall.
Jia Ruo thought that, either way, they had finally made a major breakthrough in Neeko's case. What had happened to the Wu Wei Clan was exactly like what had happened here. Even if the Shadow Order wasn't responsible, they were surely connected somehow.
Unfortunately, the memories Neeko had read belonged to a low-ranking member named Shuoma.
They'd only provided a little surface-level information, nothing about the deeper secrets.
So how could they follow the trail to find the mastermind?
Jia Ruo had a bold theory. This might be some kind of Ionia Secret Arts capable of siphoning Magic Power from the land.
And it could put that power to use in other ways.
Perhaps Zed was the only one who knew this Secret Arts. Or perhaps it was shared by a secret underground alliance.
This was giving him a headache. So many people were involved, and he was still just a nobody.
He couldn't take on Zed alone.
Jia Ruo analyzed Zed's strength.
From Xayah's description, he probably wouldn't last five rounds against Zed.
He wasn't strong enough. He'd even confidently promised Neeko that he'd help her get revenge.
What was he supposed to do now?
Forget it. Even if he found a way to track Zed down, he couldn't beat him. And there might be even more powerful people and schemes lurking behind all this. He'd better go ask his Master.
Jia Ruo consoled himself.
"Ah, let's go. That uncle's still waiting for me. If we're late, we won't be able to head back until tomorrow."
Jia Ruo sighed, gave Neeko's little head a quick rub, and led the way back.
But as the four of them reached the docks, Jia Ruo noticed something was off.
Why was there an extra boat here?
Before you continue