Curtain Call (Four)

Time turned back a little, to Pangaea Castle.

"If only that throne really were empty..."

A long sigh echoed through the solemn hall. With Imu gone, no one should have been there, yet an uninvited guest had appeared.

His naturally curly hair looked greasy, as though it hadn't been washed in days. He wore a white lab coat over a patterned sweater and carried a black case. Dust and mud covered his coat, suggesting he'd had a rough journey here. Already plain in looks and dress, he appeared even more disheveled.

But appearances were deceiving. His name was Vegapunk, the researcher the world believed could do anything. Tap, tap. Tap, tap!

Vegapunk climbed the steps that even the Five Elders dared not tread. Stopping before the throne, he looked at the weapons arranged around it, then fixed his gaze on the center. Nineteen weapons of different designs stood there. Unlike the others, which had retained their shapes, these had decayed so badly that a touch seemed enough to turn them to dust.

"Without decay, there can be no new life... Yes, you're right."

Muttering to himself, Vegapunk passed the throne and walked to the steps on the far left. He slowly drew a longsword with a Lightning Magatama engraved on its hilt. "Reg is a strange man. His way of thinking is at odds with this world, yet he holds fast to his principles..."

"You're right. His heart truly has never lost its way... Is it here?"

Vegapunk seemed to be speaking with someone as he slipped the sword into the black case. Ripples spread across its surface, and the case swallowed the blade. He returned to the throne and pressed his palm against the golden lion's-head armrest. A passage opened without a sound.

Vegapunk glanced around instinctively before entering,