On the southern side of the ruined land, Lars stands before a crumbling temple, surrounded by natives marked with glowing purple symbols. The native leader steps forward and addresses him.
"Chosen One, you've completed the training you needed. What other task must we do to ensure our safety from doom?"
Lars doesn't respond. His eyes stay fixed on the glowing magical words floating in the air before him. The message reads:
"Completed — Task 1: Move continuously for two hours.""Completed — Task 2: Produce an impact level of 2,000 pounds."
Another prompt appears beneath the others:
"Turn in task?"
Lars moves his finger toward the shimmering "Turn in completed task" button—but pauses. His voice breaks the silence.
"Father, you raised me to be strong... to be like no other. I'm sure the other Chosen Stars are doing everything they can to save the people from this doomed world. But I'm different. I'll earn my points my own way."
With that, he presses the "Reroll task" button instead. The completed tasks vanish, replaced with new ones:
"Task 1: Reach a kill count of 10,000.""Task 2: Travel at 100 miles per hour for one minute."
Lars takes a deep breath and looks around. The many natives remain on their knees, waiting anxiously for his next command.
"You all are so desperate to be saved by your Chosen One..." he says coldly, "...and that you shall receive."
Without a second, Lars drives his fist through the native leader's chest. Blood splatters across the ground and the temple walls, sending the surrounding crowd into a panic.
"This is the saving I'll be giving you all," Lars declares. "A quick death—so you don't have to suffer, or even witness the doom that's coming to this planet."
Meanwhile, in a floating village high above the clouds, Nox stands before a group of native villagers. He turns to them with a calm yet serious expression.
"After a deep analysis, I've come to a conclusion on how I can save you all," he says. "But I can't do this alone—not with the little time we have left before this planet's destruction. First, you must hide. We have an uninvited guest approaching. Go on. Once I've handled this, we'll have a lot of work to do."
The villagers quickly scatter, rushing into their homes to take cover. Nox walks toward the edge of the floating village and gazes into the distance. His eyes lock onto a figure flying through the sky toward the village.
"Hm... that's one of the Chosen. Kayle Ross," Nox mutters. "You're the first to impress me. Let me test out my new powers on you."
With a wave of his hand, brown magic pulses outward. Chunks of rock tear free from the floating village, hurling through the sky toward Kayle, who soars through the air, propelled by wind magic.
Kayle narrows her eyes at the incoming attack. "What is that? It reminds me of Oasis... but maybe it's just another event for more points."
She quicklyly dodges the flying debris with precise, fluid motion, weaving through the air like a storm dancer.
Back on the floating village, Nox grins.
"With this magic, I was able to discover many powerful ores within the planet. Now, it's time to put them to use... as a prototype."
He summons a glowing cyan ore into the palm of his hand and tosses it forward. As it arcs through the air, dirt begins to swirl and gather around it. Within moments, the dirt fuses to form a massive golem. Thrusters ignite across its body, blasting it into the sky as it charges toward Kayle.
Kayle spins mid-air, summoning a swirling tornado of wind magic around her. The violent winds repel the incoming rocks with ease. As the debris clears, she spots a massive flying golem charging a powerful beam in its cannon-like arm.
"A golem?!" she exclaims. "With the amount of power it's releasing… it's going to be big! I have to move—now!"
The golem unleashes a massive energy blast. Kayle dodges just in time, the beam tearing through the sky behind her.
Far to the south of the ruined land, Lars stands over the final fallen native, blood dripping from his hands. He turns his head toward the sky, eyes narrowing as he spots the blinding light of the energy beam in the distance.
"Hmph," he mutters, then leaps into motion, heading straight for the source.
Back in the sky battle, the golem's cannon arm begins to crumble and break apart. From the floating village, Nox observes calmly.
"Hmm… in its raw form, it can't contain such power before the structure breaks," he notes. "And its accuracy is completely off. I'll need to forge these ores into more stable forms."
Kayle focuses and summons her magic bow. As she draws the string, a radiant green arrow forms, pulsing with energy. She lets it fly—striking the golem square in the chest. A huge explosion follows, shaking the clouds and scattering pieces of the golem.
She flies closer, her gaze locking on the figure standing at the edge of the floating platform.
"It's him..." she whispers to herself. "The one who came from that mysterious portal on my home planet. All of this... it must be his doing. And since he started this fight, I'm going to end it!"
Without hesitation, she fires another powerful green arrow directly at Nox. The projectile races toward his chest—until Nox calmly raises his hand and catches it at the last moment. The sheer force pushes him back, sliding across the village streets, his boots digging into the stone.
From above, Kayle notices the native people with brown markings peeking from their homes.
Nox finally tosses the arrow skyward. It rockets into the air before exploding in a brilliant green burst.
Kayle watches in stunned silence. "I should've known… he's also one of the Chosen. But he's a lot smarter than I thought. He's protecting these people… by lifting their village into the sky. That must mean he's already predicted what's coming in the next Doom Wave. Wait… he's thought this far ahead already? Impressive."
Nox flicks his hand, a streak of blood splattering onto the ground as he walks forward. Calm, composed.
"I would like to continue this," he says, "but judging by the look on your face… you've already decided to stop fighting."
Kayle lowers her bow. "You're right. I don't intend to kill innocent people from this planet. But since I'm already here… I've got questions for you."
She floats closer, eyes fixed on his.
"You're from my home planet—Isha. But you don't seem to be a Noble, a Commoner, or even a Slummer. And when we first saw you, the portal behind you showed a beautiful, high-tech city… a city I've never seen before. Who are you?"
Nox adjusts the black crown on his head, his expression unreadable.
"That's a lot of questions," he replies. "And a lot of answers to give. And answers take time—something we both know we don't have much of. Leave, and let me continue my plan to save these people."
Kayle folds her arms and floats calmly.
"How about we work together," she says. "Once I find my people, we'll come back and help you out."
Nox thinks for a bit and says "With that thought process, it's a win-win for you. By staying by my side you'll survive to the next stage of the Star Games… and you know you'll eventually get your answers hmm."
Kayle smirks. "We've got our own plans, but you're an interesting man. I have to get to know you more."
Nox's gaze narrows ever so slightly. "You've got secrets of your own that you're hiding too. Hm… perhaps, with your help, we can reduce the forging phase of my plan. Come back when you're—"
Suddenly, he cuts himself off. His eyes shift sharply toward the horizon.
Kayle tenses. She feels it too—a familiar, overwhelming pressure.
"This power… I've felt it before," she mutters. "It's him! This time, I won't lose!"
With a rush of wind, she launches off the ground, speeding toward the edge of the floating village. Her eyes lock onto a figure skimming the sea at incredible speed—Lars.
In one earth-shaking leap, Lars rockets into the sky, tidal waves erupting below. He grins wildly.
"It's you again!" he bellows. "Would've been a shame if you died in our last battle—but it looks like you've obtain such power too! Now we can really fight!"
Kayle wastes no time—she fires an arrow. Lars counters, summoning a surge of purple magic around his fists. He punches the arrow mid-air, triggering a massive explosion.
Smoke billows out—but he bursts through it, grinning with excitement.
Before he can fully close the gap, countless rocks slam into him from every angle, quickly encasing him in a massive dirt sphere suspended in mid-air.
Nox steps forward, standing beside Kayle.
"The name is Nox," he says smoothly. "King Nox."
Kayle doesn't even look at him. "Stay out of this fight. He's all mine."
Without waiting for a reply, she dives off the floating village, plummeting toward the sphere.
As she lands atop it, she releases a burst of wind magic. Green energy explodes outward, shattering the dirt prison in a dazzling burst. Lars is thrown downward, crashing into the ocean below.
Kayle follows, raining down green arrows, each blast igniting the sea with thunderous explosions.
Lars barrels out from the water, barely dodging her relentless attacks. He bursts forward and lands a devastating punch to her chest, sending her skimming across the water's surface.
But Kayle recovers mid-slide, wind magic spiraling around her as she hovers again. She stares him down.
Lars stands atop a jagged rock rising from the sea. Their eyes lock, the storm intensifying around them. Fragments of stone continue to rain from the sky like meteors.
"Those eyes…" Lars mutters. "It's like… I know you. Just... who are you?!"
He doesn't wait for an answer. In a blur of motion, he leaps from one floating rock to the next, zigzagging across the ocean. Kayle fires more arrows, green streaks slicing through the air as he dodges.
Kayle lets out a fierce roar as her golden eyes flash a brilliant green. Her magic surges violently, whipping the air around her into a roaring tempest. Her aura flares with new life—raw, radiant, and wild.
She draws her bow in a flash. Thousands of green arrows materialize and fire in rapid succession, streaking through the sky like a meteor shower. They rain down on Lars with relentless force. He weaves through them with dazzling speed, but some still slice through—thin cuts blooming across his arms and chest.
With a primal shout, Lars slams his fist into the air. The sheer force of the punch rips through the atmosphere like a sonic boom, forming an air cannon that rockets toward Kayle. It hits her square in the stomach. She's thrown backward, skidding across the ocean's surface. Blood sprays from her mouth as she gasps.
Still mid-air, she raises a trembling hand, now glowing with vibrant green light. All of the arrows embedded in the sea begin to rise, spiraling upward in unison. They form a massive vortex—twisting with wind and magic—that captures Lars and pulls him into its spinning chaos.
Back on the floating village, Nox observes in silence. His voice is calm but knowing.
"Lars Platinumgrey… he's winning. He hasn't even used his weapon yet. And still, Kayle Ross, you're not afraid of death."
He watches closely—his eyes locked on Kayle's expression. Despite the blood, despite the pain, her eyes burn with a fierce resolve. She refuses to back down.
Inside the vortex, a sudden glow of purple light flashes. It erupts in a violent explosion as Lars bursts free—his hands now encased in massive, glowing purple gauntlets. The vortex shatters apart like glass.
Kayle's breath catches. Her eyes widen in both shock and memory.
The past claws at her mind. To all of those haunt moments in her life.
Roaring again, she draws her bow back, summoning a single brilliant arrow. It grows larger with every heartbeat, the wind around her coiling into a raging storm. The arrow blazes forward—screaming through the air toward Lars.
Lars plants his feet and roars to the heavens. Purple steam erupts from his gauntlets as his aura surges.
"I won't disappoint my father—or let down my pride! It's too early for that!"
The purple energy around him intensifies. As the green arrow slams into his gauntlets, the impact pushes him backward across the ocean's surface. But he holds firm, digging in, gritting his teeth, holding onto the powerful arrow.
"With such great power… only I deserve to have it!"
Spinning at incredible speed, he begins to move the arrow around. Spinning 100s of time the green slowly fades away from the arrow that he's carrying and it becomes tainted, overwhelmed by Lars's energy, turning it into a purple arrow.
Kayle's eyes tremble.
"Brother… You've always needed to prove that you're stronger… But this... Is this what you wanted to become?"
Without hesitation, Lars unleashes the newly corrupted arrow. It rockets back toward her, pulsating with dangerous energy.
Kayle blasts forward, spinning in mid-air. Her wind magic whips into a furious storm, forming a swirling barrier as she charges directly into the oncoming arrow.
The two forces collide.
A violent shockwave tears through the sea. Water rips away in all directions. The sky trembles.
In the eye of the storm, Kayle continues spinning—fighting against the corrupted arrow's might. In a single motion, she draws again. Another powerful green arrow forms. She fires it at close range—straight into the corrupted arrow
The new arrow tears through the corrupted purple blast, slowly overpowering it—
Until Lars roars and dives in, his gauntlets glowing fiercely.
He punches at the back of the corrupted arrow, causing the collision to even grow bigger and more intense than before.
The sea rises.
The sky cracks.
Magic and raw power ripple outward in a blinding flash of green and purple lights.
Nox's eyes widen as he senses the unstable surge of magic building below. The violent clash between Kayle and Lars is no longer just a battle—it's becoming something catastrophic.
"At this rate…" Nox mutters, "with all of this power—it could destroy this entire region!"
Without wasting another second, he leaps from the edge of the floating village, diving headfirst into the chaos below. The wind howls past him as he plummets at breakneck speed. With a snap of his fingers, a magic shimmer glows in his palm.
His enchanted shovel appears in his hand.
He points it downward, aiming straight for the core of the magical collision.
The moment the shovel makes contact
The clashing forces between Kayle and Lars suddenly begin to solidify—trapped in a rapidly expanding crystal sphere. Wild energy pulses within the translucent orb as green and purple light swirl like a galaxy of destruction.
Nox grits his teeth. The weight of the sphere presses against him like a mountain.
"Hrrraaaagh!"
With a mighty roar, he spins in mid-air and hurls the crystal sphere upward. It blasts past the floating village, blazing through the sky like a comet—piercing the upper atmosphere until it reaches space.
Seconds later
A tremendous explosion lights up the stars. The burst of magical energy ripples across the sky—so massive, so bright—that everyone on the planet can see it.
Two streaks of light shoot out from the explosion—one green, one purple—splitting apart as they fall like shooting stars.
Nox lands gracefully back on the floating village, brushing dust off his coat.
"That was a close one," he says calmly, though his eyes remain fixed upward.
The streams of light begin to descend—fast and brilliant.
The purple stream veers toward the Eastern Islands, where two figures watch in awe.
Boa adjusts his bone necklace. "What the hell was that?"
Crank whistles. "Something heavy just dropped from the stars…"
The green stream races toward Taeo City, slicing through the sky like a blade of emerald fire.
Among the rooftops, Tomi spots it. His eyes lock onto the center of the glow—his breath catches.
"…Kayle?!"
Without hesitation, he bolts towards it!