While Shun held Luna firmly between his palms,
Toki rotated his right shoulder blade, making sure no injury would hinder his movement.
Tightening the sleeves of his shirt eased the bleeding in his abdomen a little.
The large plaza they stood in with Zon was overwhelmingly tense.
All the animals—especially the dogs and cats—were frozen in place, unmoving.
Their eyes, glowing faintly in the night, were filled with confusion and fear,
as if trapped inside a dream or an illusion…
their bodies stiff beneath the light of the full moon.
Seeing this scene, Toki exhaled in a steady rhythm.
"Haah… that technique she recommended… it's insanely difficult,"
Toki murmured quietly as he looked toward Zon Rizeson.
A faint sadness appeared on Zon's face as he stared at the axe in his hands.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then replied gently:
"It all depends on how well your pulse flow aligns.
To reach it… you must see it from another perspective."
They exchanged a quick glance—and dashed forward.
Toki sprinted toward the left side of the plaza while Zon took the opposite direction.
"What do you mean specifically?" Toki asked with curiosity.
Zon cleared his throat and answered optimistically:
"You'll figure it out on your own… don't rush."
They leapt powerfully, and above them small bursts of light flickered in the sky,
like miniature fireworks.
Shun's dangling arm swung loosely left and right.
In that moment, Toki wondered to himself… how far he could push forward under these conditions.
"This is good… since Shun has taken hold of Luna, I only need to either wake her… or—"
He continued inwardly:
"—stop everything around her as well.
It's risky… but I have to do it."
He launched himself through the air toward Zon, who seemed to understand his intention instantly.
Their hands clasped—
and with that contact, Zon hurled Toki toward Luna.
Toki formed a rope from his spiritual energy, a swirl of black and white,
and handed it to Zon in the same instant they gripped hands.
The rope felt like touching a thread of pure water flowing smoothly from a faucet.
Toki wrapped the rope around his arm at blinding speed,
lifting Zon higher as if shooting a living arrow into the sky.
They repeated the sequence—
Zon raising Toki with the rope,
then Toki throwing Zon upward—
using bursts of air pressure to maintain momentum.
They split apart…
the wind tugging at their white shirts and wild hair.
Toki pinpointed the perfect spot to distract Luna.
Zon threw his axe toward him,
Toki caught it with the heel of his foot,
then kicked it sharply to Luna's right side.
Even unconscious, Luna attempted to move toward the axe—
but she couldn't.
Shun's grip held her trapped between his hands.
Shun's electrical sparks glimmered like a star in the night sky,
and Luna's radiant glow began to dim…
her light fading bit by bit.
Standing directly before her,
her unfocused golden eyes locked onto Toki's green ones—
eyes filled with mystery and confusion instead of safety.
The full moon behind them cast a chilling yet strangely serene atmosphere.
He stepped closer and spoke, voice trembling with sadness:
"I… hope you sleep peacefully… Luna…"
He extended his right hand toward her,
summoning something deep from within—something he forced himself to awaken.
"Dark Dawn…
Sombre Eclipse…"
He whispered softly,
as if sensing a strange presence watching him from within the darkness.
.....
To be continued…