Painful cries echoed. Shun had lost his hand completely. His son stared at him, eyes wide with fear and worry.

Shun hunched over, gripping his forearm, expecting blood, but none flowed. The bullet had not only ripped his arm off but also cauterized the wound.

His eyes snapped toward Nori, blazing with rage and murderous intent.

"Go to sleep, you little shit!" Shun yelled.

Nori scoffed. "You damn monster."

His eardrums were ruptured. He could not hear, yet he understood the message the lord was sending. One hand fell limp as his eyes found Michika. With his other hand, he gently patted her head, lost in thought as the world around him became muffled.

"I'm okay with this," he thought. "I protected those I chose." His eyes began to close slowly.

Michika continued calling his name, but he could not hear her. She changed tactics, grabbing his clothes and pulling him toward her with all her strength. A green swirl formed beneath them, and they fell through it. Michika landed inside the infirmary and opened the portal, Nori landing on top of her.

She lifted her head and saw Chiyo, the school nurse, sitting in her chair.

"P-please… help him," she gasped before her mana drained completely, and she collapsed.

Chiyo acted quickly, summoning her healing waters. She separated them onto different beds and began treating their injuries.

"What the hell is going on?" Chiyo thought, her worry for others growing.

Ryuji looked up, seeing his father in immense pain. Concern overwhelmed him. He struggled to his knees and asked,

"A-Are you…"

Before he could finish, Shun's shouts echoed across the arena.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Shun roared at Ryuji, his eyes burning with malice.

"Your enemy is injured and distracted! Why are you hesitating?! Have you forgotten everything I taught you?!" He followed with a swift, powerful kick to Ryuji's chin, sending him flying again.

Sawano and Yuki were drawn to their king once more, calling out in worry for their friend, who had taken the most damage. The lord's warning about distraction went unheeded.

"What did I say? There are no second chances!" The words echoed from the puppets, cold and unforgiving, ringing in the ears of the two young knights.

Shocked, the knights looked at their puppeted opponent as it effortlessly parried their last blows and readied a killing strike. The puppet's claws hovered an inch from Sawano's eye. Yuki faced the same threat, the shadowy sword just as close.

"Shit! I messed up!" The thought echoed in their minds as time seemed to freeze. But before the finishing blows landed, both Yuki and Sawano tripped and fell, unharmed. They quickly realized why.

Sawano saw her puppet crushed by an aerial attack. Kimiko Torafuku leapt from the stands, landing on it with her claws, and the puppet dissipated. Yuki looked up to see a massive pillar of ice encasing his opponent. Behind it, his father strode slowly into the arena.

"I think you've had your fun, Shun," Reiko called as he stepped closer to his son.

"F-Father…" Yuki stammered.

Reiko looked at him and smiled.

"You did well, Yuki," he said gently.

Sawano lifted her gaze to see her mother towering above her.

"Well fought, Sawano. You're still not strong enough to face him," Kimiko said kindly.

"Tsk! I know that! But I wasn't going to surrender!" Sawano snapped, disappointment flashing across her face.

Sawano and Yuki rose to their feet. Kimiko and Reiko stepped toward the center, followed closely by their children. They positioned themselves in front of Ryuji, blocking the path to his father.

"You've grown quite skilled, Shun," Reiko said, staring at the lord with a cocky smile.

"Never expected you to get even stronger. How interesting," Kimiko added with a grin.

"So… shall we play next?" Reiko and Kimiko said in unison, taking their fighting stances.

Shun met their gaze sternly, his eyes fierce and his guard steady. For the first time in thirty-nine years, the three heroes of the demon war were reunited.

Shun released his right forearm and swung his left to the side. In the distance, his amputated hand began to writhe as if pulled by its own shadow. With a sudden motion, it flew back to him, and he caught it swiftly.

Shun drew a long, deep breath and uttered the word, "Mimi."

As the word faded, a young woman emerged behind him, seemingly out of nowhere. The heroes and their children froze, shocked by her sudden appearance, but quickly realized she had come from his shadow. Her long, glossy black hair shimmered as it fell around her, partially covering one ear while revealing the other.

Her right ear bore a savage tear. Flesh had been violently ripped away, leaving a raw gap where an earring might once have been. It was a cruel mark of injury, not taken lightly.

She wore a short, dark blue, sleeveless dress and moved with elegance and pride, stepping from behind Shun to stand close beside him.

Shun placed his amputated hand back on his wrist and said, "Please."

Mimi lifted her hands and directed them toward the amputated limb. Light green particles swirled, not around her palms but around the lord's severed hand. Within moments, the hand reattached itself to his wrist.

The heroes and their children stared in shock, witnessing such extraordinary healing. Questions burned in their minds.

"Who is that woman?" The thought lingered as they watched her incredible ability.

The lord clenched and relaxed his fist. Pain flickered across his face, but the hand was fully restored and ready. The agony of its loss remained.

"Thanks as always, Mimi," Shun said, raising his healed hand to her head and patting it gently.

Mimi giggled.

"No problem. You know I'm not a kid anymore," she said cheerfully.

"What are you talking about? You'll always be a kid to me," Shun replied with a gentle smile.

"Now then…" she said, stepping forward toward Ryuji.

Shun noticed her movement and stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

Mimi looked back at him, confused.

"Are you going to heal Ryuji? Don't… just go back," he said calmly.

"But…" Mimi murmured, glancing at Ryuji, still lying on the floor, badly wounded.

"Just trust me and go back," Shun commanded sternly.

Mimi nodded, glanced at Ryuji one last time, bowed, and returned to the lord.

Sawano noticed Shun's brief distraction and seized the opportunity. With explosive speed, she lunged forward, claws aimed for a devastating strike. Mid-flight, a blur dashed between her and the lord. The mysterious young girl, swift and fearless, made Sawano hesitate for a fraction of a second.

That split second was all Mimi needed. She deflected Sawano's claw with precision and, using the tigress's own momentum, twisted her arm and slammed her into the ground. Sawano thrashed and twisted, fighting desperately to break free from Mimi's iron grip.

She swung her leg in a sharp, sweeping arc, aiming to trip her opponent. Mimi slipped just out of reach and retaliated with a brutal, lightning-fast kick. The strike landed squarely, sending Sawano sliding across the dirt until she came to a harsh stop near the rest of the group.

"Who the hell is that girl?!" Sawano exclaimed, eyes wide as Mimi assumed a fighting stance in front of Shun.

Shun lightly tapped the back of her head with a karate chop.

"Who told you to interfere?" he asked, his tone sharp with annoyance.

"Ow… But Father…" she murmured softly, holding her head.

"Just return, kiddo," Shun said, irritation clear at his misbehaving children.

"Okay…" Mimi replied in a sad tone. She walked behind her father and seemed to sink into his shadow.

Shun turned to see the shocked faces of his friends and their children.

"Who was that?!" Kimiko demanded, still trying to process what had happened.

"That was Mimi Sato, my eldest daughter," Shun said, his expression stern.

"Now then…" he added, taking a deep breath as he began to walk toward the group.

Reiko and Kimiko stood proud and ready, though they sensed no hostility from Shun. They kept their guard up nonetheless.

Shun walked slowly toward them. Soon, he was face-to-face with his old friends. Kimiko and Reiko remained unsure of his intentions, but they were ready to counter.

Shun swung both arms wide and enveloped them in a tight embrace. A large smile spread across his face.

"I missed you guys!" he said with a gentle laugh.

Kimiko and Reiko froze, shocked. Kimiko's cheeks flushed a bright red, and Reiko's face turned a pale blue as he fought to keep his lunch down.

Kimiko shoved him away, and Reiko summoned a pillar of ice, encasing him before quickly turning away to calm their emotions.

Moments later, Shun broke free, his body shivering from the cold.

"Y-You b-b-bastards! Is that how you say hello?!" he shouted, patting himself in a futile attempt to warm up.

"Y-You're the one to blame! What do you think you're doing all of a sudden?!" Kimiko yelled, stuttering in embarrassment.

"I… I don't feel well," Reiko added, gagging slightly as he struggled.

The children watched with blank expressions, witnessing their parents behave in such childish and embarrassing ways.

In a brief moment of respite, the three heroes regained their senses and faced each other. Reiko turned to Shun. Behind his smile and playful demeanor, worry lingered.

"What brought you here after all this time?" Reiko asked gently.

Shun met his old friend's gaze, his smile fading.

"I would love to explain, but I can't. There isn't much time," he said.

"If you two will excuse me, my son and I need to return to the tower promptly." His eyes shifted between them, betraying his concern.

"I really do miss you both… But please, trust me on this," he added, his voice carrying clear worry.

Kimiko and Reiko exchanged glances. Though they did not fully understand, they trusted their old comrade and stepped aside, clearing the path.

"Thank you… truly," Shun whispered as he passed his old friends and moved toward his son.

He continued forward but was stopped by Sawano and Yuki. They placed their hands against him, pushing him back.

Shun stepped back, sighed, and approached them again. He did not force his way through. Instead, he rested his hands on their shoulders and leaned close to their ears.

"Aren't you two misunderstanding something?" he asked with a cocky smile, his eyes fixed on Ryuji, who had finally gathered enough strength to sit on his knees.

Yuki and Sawano remained silent, watching and readying themselves for his next move.