Connor gulped as he looked at the painting and the woman in his arms. His eyes switched from the two, shivers running down his spine.

"Why are you acting like that?" Ed contorted his face in confusion. "Irus is much older than she is and you didn't flinch when you saw him."

"That's because when I first saw Irus, he was a head," Connor said. "That took the creepy factor, but this woman looked exactly like that painting. And she's an old woman."

The Amethyst Maiden's eyes suddenly opened. She scoffed and slapped Connor across his face, making the boy let her go and for her to fall to the floor with a loud thud.

"That hurts!" the Amethyst Maiden grunted. She scoffed and sweeped her leg through Connor's legs, making the man fall to the ground. "Who are you calling old woman?!"

She hopped off the floor and stood in one of the paintings. "Who are you? Where is Ren?"

"Madam," Kaminari raised both his hands. "Relax, please we come in peace."

"You sound exactly like how a person would not come in peace," the woman scoffed. "I, Junko, will not stand down in the face of intruders."

"You were trapped in a frozen stone state and didn't have a recollection of the memories from that time," Kaminari said. "You even speak our language. Madam, how are you doing this?"

Junko seemed to froze after hearing the man's words. "This language is not familiar with me, yet why am I speaking it? These letters, words.. I demand an explanation!"

"Trust us when we say we have no answer," Kaminari confessed. "But you are the Amethyst Maiden who was a giant stone statue that was Shyako's guardian and source of power. Before the attack, you had a temple built on your greatness."

"Amethyst Maiden, Shyako," Junko whispered. "Oh, my god. That night when I was talking with Ren, I felt dizzy. I became a stone. But why?"

"We also do not know, madam," Kaminari replied. "The myth that passed on to us said that you were the mother with one of the Twelve Suns, and that you became a stone when you have birth to him."

"Gave birth? To Ren?" Junko laughed loudly. "Why would I give birth to the man I was going to marry?"

"Marry?" all the boys gasped in shocked.

"Ma'am, you were the bride of the emperor?" Elliot asked.

"Was about to be," Junko pouted. "But I was frozen. I do not even know the explanation for it. It was just the night before that we had the conference for the joint wedding."

"Joint wedding?" the boys chorused again.

"Yes," Junko nodded. "The other brides and I were having a conference for the wedding, and have planned to have it all in one location. And that was under Emperor Suryon's rule."

"Emperor Suryon?" Kaminari narrowed his eyes. "Who is that? I have never heard of such figure."

"He is the father of the Twelve Suns," Juko said. "Why is that information never relayed to you? The most important figure, gone?"

"Yes," Kaminari said. "And what does Emperor Suryon capable of? I heard that the Sun was the strongest and reunited the people, giving one offspring to each of the twelve kingdoms."

"That happened, yes," Junko nodded. "But Emperor Suryon was rumored to be fighting something. It was said that he failed his battle and hid into seclusion. He only came back to the public when he planned his children's wedding."

Kaminari hummed, "It was a good thing when the Crystal Maiden woke you up. You gave us so much information. As the soon Emperor of Shyako, I will cherish this and will tell this to the future generations."

"That's great and all, but there will be no more future generations when y'all get killed," Ed pursed his lips that earned him an elbow from Connor. "What? I'm just saying."

"Yeah, obviously," Connor said. "Without thinking."

"No, he's right," Kaminari said with a confident smile. "And as the future emperor, I have to plan how to save my people. Shyako is not just this city. I need every single one of my remaining citizens taken care of."

"While you take care of that, we will head to the Diamon Emperor and defeat him," Elliot said. "That will liberate the South and you can easily contact the other kingdoms."

"Will you be alright?" Kaminari asked. "I know you're all strong, and that the Diamond Emperor will be easily beaten with your powers, but please be careful. We don't know what they have under their sleeves."

They planned their approach in the attack against the Diamond Emperor. Kaminari helped them plan out, giving them directions with a map he found in the library.

"Elliot," Kaminari called out. "You now have the Wind Master's powers. You won't meet another Master in the Diamond Emperor's arms, but you will face the Lady of the Clouds."

"Lady of the Clouds?" Elliot repeated, placing his finger on his chin. "Angin's subordinate?"

Kaminari nodded, "She can control mist that are thicker than clouds. Her damage output is not initially high, but it can deal damage over time."

"That's not a problem," Elliot grinned. "My air powers will easily blow the clouds away and I won't give her a chance to deal any damage."

"Activate the powers?" Kaminari's eyebrows met. "You mean you know what AP is?"

"Arcane Points, another form of mana currency," Elliot answered. "It's quite different from Mana Points."

"You don't cultivate arcane powers anymore?" Junko suddenly said. "How weird is the modern world that even arcane magic is forgotten."

All boys looked at her, the woman getting surprised when all the attention was focused on her, "You mean the world had forgotten to use arcane magic to earn Arcane Points?"

–

High up in the clouds was a floating island that had small cottage inside. The cottage was similar to the one in Shyako, having made of wood with sliding doors. In this cottage was an older woman who was drinking her tea.

She was sitting in the garden in front of the cottage with a pure white cup while sitting in a wooden chair that was shaped like a lotus flower.

Her island suddenly shook when she saw the purple beacon from Shyako. The woman's eyes widened in shock, making her drop her cup of tea, and for her to stand up. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists.

"There's a storm coming," the woman spoke. "That beacon meant that Junko is awoken, but it also meant that the enemies will have a vision on her. What happened to tracking that reckless brat down? I specifically told her to wait for the perfect time, but she left and started to wake the Maidens up."

Two younger women walked beside her. They massaged her arms to relax her, and it seemed to be effective when she sat back on her chair and sighed, "I have been protecting her all these years from that incapable Suryon. Oh, my lord. What will I do with my own daughter?"

"Madam Crane, please calm down," the woman on the left said. "She just woke up from her stone state, and is only looking for her lost son."

"Alright, alright," Madam Crane said. She waved her hand that made both the women stop from massaging her. "Her son came back from all these years. Finally, I can see the Heir of the Sun."