Kairo and his group were stuck near the exit of the cathedral, all around the lava had encircled them sealing them in a some sort of dark-red Molten body, making it impossible to go either backward or forward. They were trapped in between. Kairo glanced at the hole in the cathedral. The lava tears were falling toward them.
"We can't die here. This can't be over," Celia said in frustration. Still, there was nothing they could do.
Leli's face was pale—not from the heat, but from looking at Mirelle in the lava. "She is in danger, Kairo," she kept repeating.
Kairo himself, like the rest, was surprised, staring at Mirelle in the lava.
'This woman is incredible', Kairo thought. He guessed it was thanks to her that the lava tears had not yet melted them. She was risking her life not only for them, but for everyone living around this place.
"It's not over. We still have one last card to play. If we think creatively, we might find a solution and get out of this place. The exit is just a hundred meters from here," Kairo said.
The exit was just a few meters away—if they sprinted, they could get out of range of the sky tears. But for that, they would have to run on lava. And given how it could melt everything with a single touch, no one wanted to take the risk. The exit was so close, yet Kairo and his group couldn't take it.
"Leli's sword could transport us?" Jeder proposed. Once more, everyone turned to Leli. However, her expression was somber and a little scared.
"Sorry, but I can't hold you all at the same time. One person at most, and for that, I'd need maximum concentration and not move. I'm sorry… I'm useless once more." Leli's eyes turned teary.
"No, of course not. You aren't useless. We'll find a solution. It's not over," Nyx, by her side, tried to calm her down.
"Stop crying like a baby. This isn't the Leli who fought with us against the wolf. That one was more impressive and confident—nothing like what I see right now. I don't know about you, but I'm not dying here. What about the pocket hourglass, Nyx?" Jeder said.
His words, although harsh, made Leli take one last glance at him. Though her expression said little about what she thought.
While everyone was busy trying to find a solution, Kairo was on the side observing Mirelle.' Does everything really end here for me?' He had a mocking smile on his lips.
He had joined the card mage police in hopes of deciphering the mysteries of card magic. To keep those who could use this magic safe from it double edges.
Yet at the moment Kairo fell silent. Unable to figure a way out of this. The kava was getting dangerously close.
His skin was turning red while sweat continuously seemed out of their pores. Every sentence they pronounce was accompanied by a white gas from their mouth.
Throat turning dry and soar from their debates.
'Think . think..Kairo....Heroes Always find a way to fly out of danger in films why can't you '
As if answering to his despair, the cathedral cracked even more. The lava jumping like happy fire towards them.
Kairo Stepper Back adding some distance between him and the lava.
'fly. That's it '
As he listened to the group trying to find a solution, a daring plan was born in his mind.
Nyx dragged him backward, forcing Kairo out of his thoughts as a lava tear fell inches away from him.
"Stay focused, Kairo," she said.
"I have a plan, but you'll have to trust me with your lives," Kairo said. The group fell silent for an instant. The lava was getting closer with each passing second. At this point, it was so hot that Kairo felt every pore of his body burning. Their skin was turning red and slowly developing bruise marks, even though the lava was still at a distance.
"Trust you? After what you did to Jed?" Jeder asked.
"I know it's a lot, but please—you have to trust me. If I'm wrong, you'll get your answer: whether the pocket hourglass can protect us from the lava," Kairo said. The more time they wasted talking, the faster the lava approached.
At this point, Kairo felt like he was already walking on fire. His wounds were worsening from the heat. ' At this rate, I'll lose consciousness at any moment,' he thought.
"There's no certainty his plan will work, but we don't have a choice. Let's give it a try. At least we shouldn't give up without trying something," Nyx said with a grimace.
Confused, Kairo took a closer look—only to notice her hiding her hand behind her back.
Kairo pulled her arm out. Quite forcefully. "Oh my god… the heat." Kairo's face twitched. Nyx's entire left arm was turning ember-red, like she had placed it in fire.
'She'll lose her arm at this rate.'
The pressure kept mounting with every second they spent talking.
"Okay, we're all ears. What's the plan?" Jeder finally said.
"Fly!"
...…..
Outside of the cathedral, Mirelle had completed the summoning of the last stand. In the sky, two massive flowery hands had formed a sort of basin, holding the lava in between.
Slowly sealing it until the origin of the sky tears was completely devoured. Single handedly she had managed to hold the sky tears. The officer on the side were staring in awe at the second in charge.
Covered in sweat, Mirelle glanced worriedly at the cathedral.
"The lava will stop falling, but the one in the cathedral is still present," she said worriedly.
"Mirelle, it's too late. You can't rush into the cathedral now. Even with my speed, it's useless," Danzan said, as if he could read what she had in mind.
"They aren't…." Although not showing it, Mirelle's heart wavered for a second. Despite Danzan's warning, she was getting ready to move, determined not to sit and wait. Mirelle prepared to move when she heard a scream.
"In the sky!"
Lifting her head upward, Mirelle noticed them
....
Kairo floated on the Miracle Sword, evading the falling debris of the cathedral. Despite barely being able to stand on his two legs, Kairo forced his way through the ocean of heat, diving up and down to evade the falling debris. Kairo held his breath. He had to be fast.
"Kairo!" The officers all stared in frustration, unable to take their eyes off him.
As he got close to the exit, the massive entrance crumbled completely, causing meteor-like stones to fall his way.
Kairo dashed out, jumping on the debris and running through them, evading the massive stones by inches as they smashed into the ground.
Kairo Ran AS fast as he could. He needed to catch the miracle sword before it vanished out of the debris.
Kairo pushed forward, he slid down the massive rocks and caught back the Miracle Sword on the other side. Thanks to Nyx's Pocket Hourglass, he wasn't feeling his wounds anymore and kept pushing his body forward.
Kairo took a deep breath and jumped through the void, shooting into the sky above the ocean of lava underneath.
"Now," he murmured. And just before the cathedral crumbled completely, a wolf popped out from his shadow, about to tear Kairo mid-air, dragging with it all the others attached by Sifa.
The landing was forceful. The whole group smashed violently onto the officers' camp. His plan had worked, Kairo thought.
"Kairo, you did it. Using the wolf shadow technique to escape was brilliant. I didn't expect less from Magnus's son," Fabian said from the side.
Kairo managed to sit up. First, he checked if all his friends were alive. Although in a very sorry state, they were all here. He could finally breathe in relief.
"You must have had so much fun, and to think I wasn't even part of it," Danzan commented from the side.
"Yeah, me too. I'm happy to see you all," Kairo smiled, walking to the edges of the cathedral. The fighting was over, and the sky tears had disappeared.
The wolf had been restrained by the officers before he could harm anyone.
In the middle of the now solidified lava, Mirelle stood. Her uniform had been affected, but she looked alive and even more dazzling.
The cathedral was in pieces. All over, as far as Kairo could see, were massive debris of rocks piled on each other like a dustbin. The solidified lava had formed a lake around it. Standing on it, Kairo felt it was strange. 'Something so dangerous moments ago had turned so beautiful in moments,' Kairo thought as he glanced at the feature in the sky.
The Last Stand had formed two hands that looked like they were collecting water from the sky. The lava had solidified in between them, hanging just above the broken cathedral. "Breathtaking," he said.
"I agree, Kairo. It is amazing. Finally, something good after this stressful day," Nyx said from the side.
"They told me what you did. Thank you," Kairo said. Without her decisive action, Mirelle and the others would not have been in a hurry to come save him. Whether it was the clue with the hand shadow or the others, she had been amazing.
Due to all the fighting and chaos, her hair now hung on the side of her face, slightly shielding her expression.
Nyx arranged her hair behind her ears and took her eyes away from Kairo. "Still waiting for an invitation?" she asked with a smile.
Kairo smiled in embarrassment, feigning being oblivious to what she said. 'Too many people looking at me right now', he thought.
Kairo was still the star of the show, with all the officers from most of the department just behind them—all eagerly waiting like they were watching a movie. Adding to the strange expression of Mirelle, he wasn't ready to face the restless gaze.
"No matter what this all means, this is far from over. Selis, Rellion, and the Underground Card Master have just shown us what they are willing to do for their cause. In the future, the confrontation will be even more intense. When the time comes, we won't hold back. We won't hesitate… You said it yourself, Rellion—you have chosen your own path. And now, I have chosen mine," Kairo said to the cathedral as speaking not to the choas but to his now lost friend. then turned his back to leave with Nyx.
The race for the surgeon was finally over.