WOOOONGGGG!

JEGLAAARRR!

I'm coming, Aeera! I'm coming!

Slap!

Where is this? Kenan saw something different; he looked in all directions. And, he saw only destruction. Nothing but devastation and exploding earth everywhere. However, there were some remnants of a kingdom.

Kenan tried to comprehend what had happened. The stench of death was everywhere, and the place was burned to the ground by a powerful explosion. And... Kenan was shaking, because he felt that the place was very familiar: it was the kingdom of Saranjana. The kingdom he had left three hours ago.

No way!

Bam!

Kenan sat down, weak and unable to think clearly.

Where was everyone? Was he too late? No way!

Kenan gathered his energy, even though he was no longer Aeera's summoner. However, Kenan was confident he could fly.

SHUTTTTT!

Indeed, Kenan floated in the air, rising higher and higher, seeing a vast radius of destruction that extended in all directions. His eyes scanned every direction, and there was only rubble. In this world, Kenan sensed energy and was able to harness it into power. What Kenan thought was his manipulation of the energy in this world.

However... there was nothing to be seen; everything was destroyed.

"AEERAAAA! AEERAAAA! I'm coming!"

"AEERRAAA!"

Kenan screamed, his body trembling. If he were too late, everything would be destroyed.

No way!

"Please, God, don't let this world be destroyed!"

"AEEERAAA!"

Kenan's scream echoed.

"Don't make any noise!"

That sound? A voice rang out from deep within the earth, and powerful energy erupted from it. A sword of energy erupted from the ground and hovered in the air right in front of Kenan. It was the Thunder Sword.

"Master Sword! I'm here, I'm on time, and it's not even three hours yet! But why is all this happening? Please tell me this is all a lie...!"

"Make no noise!"

Kenan stopped speaking, the floating sword energy looming over him, conjuring a hologram of a man. The man hovered in front of the sword and looked at Kenan.

"Honestly, I tell you! I've waited too long for you. And the conclusion is, you're too late!"

"What! What do you mean, Master Sword? I'm too late! I..."

"Shut up!" The man interrupted Kenan's explanation again.

Kenan remained silent, seemingly wanting to explain something.

"I know you've made every effort to get here, and in reality, you're too late. Everything is ruined! From the start, I knew I could only wait for you for three hours, which means it's been over a month here. I knew this after fusion with you and seeing your memories. Time here is different, and three hours means it's been over forty days here."

"So... what's the meaning of this, Master Sword? If I came only to be late and witness the destruction, what did I come for?"

"Listen, Kenan! I told you to wait three hours because I can recover my strength here. I waited for you at the risk of not choosing freedom and returning to my own life! I wanted to see if you could truly return within three hours to your world. If you arrive later than three hours, I will leave this world and choose my freedom."

Kenan digested the Lightning Sword's explanation.

"I didn't expect you to make it here. I don't know how you got here. It was impossible, but you managed to come."

"Master Sword... even if I come, what if it's too late! Where are Aeera and the rest of the kingdom?" Kenan asked.

The man, the hologram emitted by the Lightning Sword, let out a long sigh.

HHHHHHHH!

"I didn't tell you that if you came, it wouldn't be too late. I only waited three hours for you to arrive. And, everything in this city was destroyed by the power of the demon king and the monster king when the destruction occurred. I disappeared into the depths of the earth, hiding my whereabouts when that destruction occurred."

Sob! Kenan wiped away his tears; he was truly too late.

"If it's like this, there's no point in me coming..." Kenan was trembling now, a feeling of helplessness and weakness washing over him again.

"Kenan... didn't I tell you? I'm willing to wait for you, and that doesn't mean just listening to your complaints about your failure to save Aeera. There's still one last resort."

Kenan was shocked. "A last resort?"

"Kenan, I will use the power of time distortion and reverse time with the energy I have stored. I have been gathering energy for over forty days, if I can reverse time. Then, I can only trust in you to fight one more time and save that magical girl."

"Master... Master Sword, please do it."

"I will do it, Kenan. However, I don't know my limits. I only believe in fate because it is fate that led you here. I want to repay your words, that if a mother smiles, then the world is well. I have realized my past mistakes. So, I will repay you now."

The hologram clasped its hands, and the energy from the Lightning Sword behind it formed nine energy wheels. The wheels spun, channeling energy into the hologram of the man who was the Lightning Sword manifestation.

WOOOSHH!

Energy overflowed, and an explosion of energy occurred. Kenan witnessed it all, and at that moment, time stopped completely. Kenan saw the wind reverse its direction, the flying dust return, and the fallen leaves rise upward.

"Get ready, Kenan! I'm about to begin!"

SHUUUUTTT!

The world spun around, and Kenan witnessed everything unfold. The sun suddenly returned, rotating with the moon, and so on, night and day alternating. This happened several times, and Kenan couldn't believe it. He saw a replay of the previous events.

Until the sun and moon had rotated back and forth more than forty times. That's when the energy from the energy wheel began to dwindle. The hologram man began to struggle, its energy draining tremendously.

"Just a little more! Just a little more! I can definitely restore the situation before that incident!"

The hologram man shouted.

"One more day, Kenan. This is one day after the destruction. However, my energy is already depleted. I don't know if I can still reach the time before the destruction."

Kenan knew the Sword Master was struggling. Kenan closed his eyes. He rotated his hands counterclockwise, spinning and generating energy from both hands. Kenan channeled that energy to the Sword Master.

The Sword Master was surprised, feeling his energy increase. He could still turn back time. The man smiled.

"Kenan... this might be my last moment. If I reach my limit, my soul might be destroyed. If that happens, you'll have to fight alone against the demon king and the monster king. I believe in you."

"No, Sword Master can definitely survive! We'll fight to the end together!"

"You don't know, Kenan. Our strength is limited; if I can't return, my soul is destroyed. Fight well, never be a coward, and run away from problems. Rise above your current slump; I've seen your past. Remember to always make your mother smile. If I can't do it for her, you can do it for her."

"Sword Master...!"

"It's time to save that magical girl!"

Wooshhhh!

The hologram's energy flared up again, rewinding time once more. Kenan watched the moon return and time rewind. At that moment, he saw the destruction of the Saranjana kingdom, which exploded violently. The explosion returned, the plume shrinking. Kenan watched the battle return, and all his comrades searching for the Lightning Sword were killed by the demon king and monster king. Time continued to rewind, and Kenan witnessed Aeera's death at the hands of Helios. Time rewinded and rewinded even more slowly.

Aeera came back to life, and it was as if Kenan was watching the entire event replay itself before him. And... Kenan's tears fell just as time stopped, when Aeera had just broken the magic beads left behind by her mother. That moment was when Kenan had just been thrown back to his world when Aeera severed the connection between the wizard and his summoned creature.

"Kenan..."The Sword Master's voice faded, and the hologram faded and nearly disappeared.

Time distorted, and everything around Kenan remained motionless.

"I have exhausted all my energy. My soul is fading, and now I surrender completely to you."

“Master Sword... No!”

BRUSH! The man's hologram faded, replaced by sparks of energy, until it vanished into the wind, and with it everything around Kenan moved.

Now, Kenan must fight alone. The Master Sword has entrusted this final battle to him.

I am Kenan Kalandra! This time, I will save Aeera!