The storm that had ravaged the Moka Royal Palace slowly began to recede, leaving behind a silence that was both heavy and hopeful. Doka, the once-feared Code 80 officer of the Black Tiger King, lay bound in enchanted anti-Atara ropes, his breathing ragged. We stood over him, our weapons still drawn.
"Who sent you, Doka?" I demanded, my voice cold. "Who in the BTK gave the order to hollow out this kingdom?"
Doka looked up at me, a bloody smirk stretching across his scarred face. "You think... I'm the end of the chain? You have no idea what's coming for this world. I won't tell you a single—"
Suddenly, his voice cut off. From the darkest corner of the ruined ballroom, a chilling, distorted voice echoed through the air. "Weak. Useless. A tiger that cannot bite is nothing but skin."
Before we could react, the 'Code 80' tattoo on Doka's chest began to glow with a sickly, purple light. His eyes widened in pure terror as his body began to swell. "No! Wait! I can still—!"
BOOM!
A localized explosion erupted from within Doka's chest. He was killed instantly, his body disintegrated by a remote-detonated curse embedded in his own brand. The blast knocked us back, leaving only a charred mark on the floor where he had stood.
"The King of Shadows... he doesn't leave loose ends," I whispered, shivering despite the heat of the fire. "He truly is a monster."
But the terror was soon overshadowed by the cheers from below. The rebel forces, seeing the lightning aura of Doka vanish, let out a roar that shook the city. "The Blue Sky has won! The Tiger is dead!"
The Feast of Rebirth
The following morning, the sun rose over a different Mario Kingdom. The upper floors of the palace were still being cleared of rubble, but the grand banquet hall on the ground floor had been transformed into a place of celebration.
It was a feast the likes of which I had never seen. The long oak tables were laden with the riches of the land. There were bottles of Vanti Wine, aged to a deep crimson; platters of Zyran-dusted cakes made from the snowy white Ziyko fruit; and tall glass carafes filled with Akhoro Milk. This blue, creamy nectar came from the Akhoro plant, which looked like a natural cup with its blue skin and sweet, milky interior.
There were also Chun-yimm Fruits—long, five-inch brown pods that tasted remarkably like the watermelons of my old world. For tea, the servants poured Banli, a refreshing brew made from specially dried seaweed that tasted of the ocean and honey. And at the center of it all was the Futo Meat—the white, four-horned buffalo whose flesh was as tender as the finest chicken, seasoned with rare mountain spices.
I sat at the table, eating with the refined manners of a gentleman, though my stomach was screaming for more. Across from me, Prince Auther sat, looking at his hands with a mixture of guilt and disbelief. "I... I signed those death warrants. I allowed them to starve my people," he whispered.
Mason and Moya were by his side instantly. "Brother, it wasn't you," Mason said, her voice soft but firm. "You were a prisoner of the 'Hector' drug. You are not a traitor; you are a survivor."
After much deliberation, Auther stood before the people and accepted his crown. But the biggest surprise came when Mason turned to us.
"Kaelo, Luke, Rim... I'm staying," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. "My brother needs me to help rebuild this kingdom. I can't leave him alone again."
The air felt thin as we looked at her. We had fought through hell together, but we knew she was right. "If that is your decision, we respect it," I said, my own voice wavering. We hugged her one last time, promising that the Blue Sky would always have a place for her.
The Long Road Home
The journey back to Boro City was quiet. The group felt incomplete without Mason's steady presence. When we reached the Slayer Guild, we were greeted as heroes. For taking down an S-Class Bounty like Code 80, we were awarded a staggering 20 million Riya. Furthermore, the Guild promoted our party rank to SR3.
But victory came with a bittersweet realization. The battle at Mario had changed all of us.
"I've spent my life fighting," Luke said as we stood at the city gates. "I want to understand the world, not just kill what's in it. I'm going to travel alone for a while, researching the other species of Aster."
Rim nodded, her staff gripped tight. "And I... I've seen the shadows the BTK leaves behind. I want to go to the other border cities and protect those who can't protect themselves. I need to find my own path."
And just like that, the Blue Sky party dispersed like clouds in the wind.
Return to Glann Village
I decided to return to my roots. As I walked into Glann Village, the familiar scent of Ziyko trees filled my lungs. I saw my house, and for a moment, I forgot I was an SR3 Slayer.
"Kaelo! You're back!" My mother, Jeset, came running from the porch, her blue hair flowing behind her. She wrapped me in a hug that smelled of home and Vanti berries. My father, Asgard, stood behind her, his red hair messy and his face beaming with pride.
In this world, I was an orphan from a past life, reborn into a family I never thought I'd have. I cherished them more than any bounty or rank.
That evening, as I sat with my father, I looked at the jagged scar on his abdomen. It reminded me of a day when I was only eight years old. We had been out in the deep forest, harvesting fruits, when a Great Shadow Wolf—a beast five meters tall—had ambushed us.
I had been paralyzed with fear, but my father had stepped in front of me without hesitation. "Don't be afraid, son," he had said, his voice a steady anchor. "I don't have my sword, but I have these hands to protect you."
He had channeled his Circulation and his Fire Affinity into a raw, unarmed strike, punching the wolf with the force of a falling meteor. The wolf had retaliated, its massive claws tearing a deep gash into my father's stomach. Even as he bled, even as he began to lose consciousness from the pain, he had formed his hand into a "Flame-Blade" and stabbed it into the beast's heart.
I had carried him home on my back, crying the whole way. My mother had saved him, but the scar remained.
"This scar?" my father laughed, seeing me staring at it. "It's not a mark of pain, Kaelo. It's the symbol of a father's love. I'd take a thousand more to keep you safe."
I looked at him with newfound respect. I realized then that my strength didn't just come from my Atara or my training; it came from the lineage of a man who would fight a monster with his bare hands for his son.
The Blue Sky had parted, but under the roof of my parents' home, I realized my journey was only just beginning.