<h4>Chapter 56:?</h4>


    <strong>Aquora</strong>


    <strong>Sometime in the past</strong>


    In a dark ce, a man stood looking up at a giant crystal. Inside the crystal, the visage of a beautiful woman with purple hair and eyes was disyed. Surrounding the image were men and women in robes, all pale with purple eyes. A man in royal robes, his purple eyes shining, stepped forward.


    "My Queen, I, Mizuki Aquora, shall take the next step tomorrow. I will use the power bestowed upon me from the Void to reim my birthright and show those Aura scum the power granted to us, the powerless, from your domain, the void. They shall bow before me and your greatness," dered Mizuki Aquora.


    <strong>Present time</strong>


    Mizuki Aquora sat on the throne, looking at a man in robes next to him. "Issei, have you found the relic? The Trident?"


    "No, my Lord. During the hostile takeover of Aquora, your father and brother managed to escape with it, along with the rebels," answered Issei.


    "Find them. I want that Relic! We need the Trident wielded by my ancestor if we are to free Void Queen Yami. Also, any reports on the rest of the Disciples of Darkness? Did Kuro Kage get the Excalibur?"


    "He didn''t. The ckstar Knight has stopped him," said Issei.


    "What!" Mizuki yelled, infuriated. "Then what about the Braveheart Shield? Did Akuma Yaminoya, one of the cult''s elites, get the shield?"


    "I am sorry, Your Highness, but Akuma Yaminoya failed too. The ckstar Knight has defeated him as well," replied Issei.


    "Damn it! That bastard, the ckstar Knight, is ruining our ns," Mizuki cursed. "Find those traitorous scum, my father and brother. We need the Trident, and once we obtain it, I will go to Ignarock and Aeritha myself to get those relics. For the beautiful and mighty Yami-sama," Mizuki dered.


    "For Yami-sama," Issei chanted back.


    "Yes, for Yami-sama, the Void Queen. We must get the Relics," Mizuki dered. ''She is everything to me. It was the Void that saved me from those times of loneliness and darkness when my brother and father took everything from me,'' he thought.


    "Yes, my Lord, we must get those relics," agreed Issei.


    "Good. I have a n. We must overwhelm the Aquoran Navy with pure numbers. Let''s use those like me and convert them to the cult. Let''s bring them to the Void side. I want you to find the powerless in Aquora and offer them this power, ensuring they are loyal to Void Queen Yami-sama. And this ckstar Knight, find him and get him on our side. If you cannot, we will destroy him," Mizuki ordered.


    "As you wish, my Lord," Issei bowed and left the throne room.


    Outside the pce, Issei pondered. "Now then, how should we proceed? He wants the powerless of Aquora. It should be easy. I''ve already spread the news of the ckstar Knight helping Ignarock and Aeritha. Yes, it''s time I start my work to him."


    With Sky, La, and Yumeko


    The next morning, Sky and the others met the Wind God Kaze, the Fire God Ignis, and Fire General Kai in the dining hall of Ignarock Castle.


    "Good morning," greeted the three gods.


    "Good morning," Sky, La, and Yumeko responded.


    "Well, it looks like you''re ready for your journey. Unfortunately, I will not be joining you, but Fire General Kai will, as the representative of Ignarock," Kaze said, looking at his daughter Yumeko and her team, Sky and La. "This mission is very important. Not only for keeping peace but also to ensure the world isn''t consumed by the void. I''m counting on you," Kaze said seriously.


    "We won''t fail you," Sky assured.


    "Father?" Yumeko asked shyly.


    "Yes, Yumeko?" Kaze responded.


    "Please take care of yourself, Father," Yumeko requested.


    "Don''t worry, Yumeko. I will be fine," Kaze assured his daughter.


    "Sir, may I know why you can''te with us?" La asked.


    "It''s the Excalibur; it''s gone missing. The Council of the Winds has summoned me to the Wind Temple," Kaze exined.


    "What happened to the Excalibur?" La inquired.


    "Not sure, but I will find out when I get there. Now, Sky, La, and Yumeko, you have an important mission. The fate of not just Aeritha but the world hangs on this," Kaze stated.


    "We won''t let you down, sir," Sky reassured.


    "Good," Kaze nodded. "Fire General Kai, you will apany them to help with negotiations and ensure the alliance is formed. He will go via Fire Dragon. You three shall take my Pegasus carriage. The reason being, Aquora is aggressive, unlike the water. Their Aura and kingdom''s personality mirror fire: raging, hot, and violent," Kaze exined.


    "We won''t fail," Yumeko promised.


    "Thank you," Kaze said before turning to Ignis. "Ignis, if there''s nothing else, I must return to Aeritha..."


    "Fire God Ignis, the zeheart shield, it''s gone!" an Fire soldier interrupted running into the throne room.


    "What!?" Ignis gasped.


    "Someone stole the zeheart shield," the soldier reported.


    "How?" Ignis demanded.


    "I don''t know, my lord," the soldier replied.


    "Impossible. The shield shouldn''t have been able to be touched, let alone taken from the temple. My ancestor protected the shield," Ignis said.


    "Sir, we have no idea who did this," the soldier exined.


    "Whoever did this must have been powerful. But how did they break through the temple''s defenses?" Ignis pondered, trying to figure out how the shield was stolen.


    "We don''t know, sir. There were no signs of breaches, not even a trace of Void Energy being used to forcefully hold the Braveheart Shield," the soldier said.


    "I see. Keep me informed. I will be heading to the Council of Fire," Ignis said as he turned to Kaze, Yumeko, Sky, and La. "I''m sorry to cut this meeting short, Kaze, but like you and the Wind Council, I too must go to the Fire Council."


    "Yes, we have to deal with the Excalibur going missing and now the Braveheart Shield," Kaze agreed.


    "Yes, I''m afraid our kingdoms have once again been put into danger. It''s clear the Disciples of Darkness are behind this and are now they got 2 out of the 4 relics. But why do they need the Void Queen free?" Ignis wondered.


    "No idea. Sky, La, Yumeko, you mustplete the mission urgently. The Disciples will definitely be after Aquora''s Poseidon Trident that once belonged to the hero. Now go. Fire General Kai will join you shortly," Kaze ordered.


    "We won''t fail," the group said as they headed to the stables where the Pegasus was waiting. As they walked into the carriage, Fire General Kai shouted, "I''ll join you after I escort Fire God Ignis. I will be a few minutes behind!"


    The Pegasus started to p its wings, and they began their journey to Aquora.


    "I''m worried, Sky," Yumeko said, her voice filled with anxiety.


    Sky pulled her in for a hug, trying tofort her.


    "Don''t worry, Yumeko. We''ll make it through this," Sky assured her, as she rxed in his arms.


    "Thank you, Sky," Yumeko murmured, her face turning red as she enjoyed being held by Sky.


    "You''re wee, Yumeko," Sky responded, blushing as he felt her against him.


    La watched them, a grin on her face.


    "Wow, you two are so cute together," La teased, giggling.


    Sky and Yumeko turned redder than a tomato and looked away from each other, trying to hide their embarrassment. "LAYLA!" They shouted.


    La just continued to giggle.


    "What?" La asked, still grinning.


    "Nothing, let''s just focus on the mission," Sky said, trying to change the topic.


    "Fine, fine, whatever you say," La replied, smiling.