The golden rays of morning filtered gently through the windows of the Academy Hospital, caressing the face of the sleeping Saruto. He seemed calm after a long night of pain and tangled thoughts. He opened his eyes slowly, the weariness in his body lessening, though its effects lingered in his soul.
He had barely sat up when the door opened, and Lucien entered with quick steps and a relieved smile. "You're finally awake."
Saruto smiled faintly and said in a hoarse voice, "I think I am… How long has it been?"
"You slept for nine hours," Lucien replied, sitting down in the chair beside him. "But you looked like you were carrying a mountain of exhaustion on your shoulders."
Saruto chuckled softly, then his expression turned serious as Lucien said with concern, "Saruto… yesterday you said that you and Void couldn't get along again. Why?"
Saroto lowered his gaze and paused for a moment before saying, his voice filled with bewilderment, "It seems one of us doesn't want to merge. That's what's holding the process back."
Lucian raised his eyebrows in surprise. "One of you? Who is it?"
Saroto shook his head slowly. "I don't know… I've tried thinking about it many times, but I haven't come to any conclusion."
Lucian remained silent for a moment, then said with a seriousness that Saroto wasn't used to from him, "Perhaps it's not just one of you who doesn't want to merge, perhaps… neither of you wants to."
Saroto's expression froze, his eyes widening in sheer astonishment. His words pierced him like an arrow. "Neither of you wants to merge…"
He repeated them in his mind several times, then suddenly stood up, exclaiming, "I've got it!"
Lucian was taken aback by his sudden movement. "Huh? What have you found?"
But before he could finish his sentence, Saruto had vanished completely, leaving behind a swirl of purple sparks that accompanied his instantaneous teleportation. Lucien sighed, looking at the spot where his friend had disappeared from, and said with a smile that was half surprised, half proud, "That idiot… he always finds a solution in a crazy way."
In the Time Chamber, Saruto reappeared amidst a swirling energy field, panting from the teleportation. He immediately spotted Void training, his gigantic body twisting in rapid motions, its purple energy flashing in every direction. Void stopped as soon as he sensed Saruto's energy and turned to face him with a powerful smile. "I was training for our next fight… I didn't think you'd come so soon."
Saruto approached him with steady steps and said in an unusually sincere and deeply calm tone, "Void, there's something I need to tell you."
Void raised his head slightly, his deep voice filling the room. "What is it?"
Saruto breathed deeply, as if releasing a heavy burden from his chest, and said, "It seems that I… was the one who was holding us back."
Foyed's eyes widened in surprise. "You? How so?"
Saruto lowered his gaze and said in a hoarse voice, tinged with the bitterness of confession, "When Adrian separated us… when he held you so tightly, I felt fear, not for myself, but for you. I was convinced that I would lose you because of my weakness… and I began to blame myself for not being able to protect you. And from that moment on, perhaps a part of me rejected the idea of fusion… for fear that something bad would happen to you again."
There was a moment of silence. Then Foyed exhaled a long breath, his deep voice now filled with an unusual warmth. "Strange… because I was thinking the same thing. When Adrian separated us, I felt helpless… and I hated myself for not being able to protect my partner. I thought I was the cause of your pain… so, when we tried to fuse, I hesitated too."
The two looked at each other for a moment, then smiled gently and laughed together for a long time. Saruto extended his fist and said confidently, "If we're going to die, let's die together this time… my partner, no, brother."
Void raised his massive fist and replied with a confident smile, "Together, until the end, brother."
Their fists clashed, and at that moment, the room erupted with incredible energy. A purple vortex engulfed the space, and their bodies began to glow with a brilliant black light. The air itself trembled, and time in the room seemed to stand still. The two energies—human and dragon—merged until there was no longer any separation between them. "Common consciousness…!" they both cried out in unison.
Energy exploded from their bodies, illuminating every corner of the room, and then silence fell… Saruto emerged, his body radiating pure energy, his eyes glowing with a purple brilliance. Deep down, he heard Void's voice chuckle softly: "I missed this feeling, partner."
Saruto smiled. "Me too. Welcome back, Void."
Void's voice, filled with strength and nostalgia, replied from deep within: "Welcome back, brother."
Saruto looked up at the ceiling and said firmly, defiantly, "It's time to push our boundaries."
He reached for the room's system screen and adjusted the gravity to 200 times. The entire room shook, and the ground beneath his feet began to crack under the immense pressure. He exhaled softly, a defiant smile playing on his lips. "Let's see... can we withstand this level, Void?"
Void chuckled inwardly. "If we can't, we'll rise again to push our boundaries!"
With that, Saruto began to move amidst the crushing gravity, each step echoing through the room. Saruto and Void are back… stronger, and closer than ever.