"Father!" Nagada’s eyes sparkled with tears as he knelt beside his father's bed.

Having purged the thick pool of black blood, King Yomura slowly regained full consciousness, his internal energy channels stabilizing. Nagada’s earlier influx of aura had been absorbed by his father's core, leaving Nagada temporarily drained of stamina.

"How long have I been asleep, my son?" Yomura asked faintly, his voice raspy as his physical strength remained far from fully restored. Nagada gently assisted his father, helping him transfer from the bed to a wooden armchair nearby.

"For almost two full years, Father," Nagada explained softly.

"Who broke the seal and cured me?" Yomura inquired.

Nagada explained that he had persönlich channeled his own internal aura into his father's back to purge the poison. As an experienced warrior, Yomura knew that external energy could be introduced to drive out toxic blockages, but the underlying curse required something far more specific.

Hearing his father speak of poison, Nagada’s curiosity flared. So Father knew all along that he had been poisoned? He had been rendered completely comatose, reduced to a living corpse trapped in endless slumber.

Attempting to stand, Yomura steadied his footing as his strength gradually returned. He looked intently at his son, a profound warmth washing over him as he gazed upon Nagada after so many years.

"Tell me... did someone provide you with Soul Purifying Water?" Yomura asked, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

Yomura knew that the toxic corruption gnawing at his frame stemmed from high-tier dark sorcery. Such a dark seal could only be unraveled by administering Soul Purifying Water. This rare antidote—capable of neutralizing the most volatile dark toxins—could only be brewed by a master who had unlocked full resonance with natural elemental energy.

To possess or synthesize Soul Purifying Water required an alchemical grandmaster of the highest order—a master whose expertise equaled that of Saint Yonan or the legendary Three Legends.

That was the absolute truth Yomura understood.

"I received the vial from a comrade in the Sky Squad," Nagada explained, his own confusion mounting. "He instructed me to give the water to you, Father, and told me that I had to carry out the rest of the internal healing myself."

Nagada laid bare the details, still baffled by the revelation. Soul Purifying Water? He was hearing the term for the very first time from his father's lips.

Until today, Nagada had not known the precise details behind his father's sudden collapse. When Aji had privately handed him the small glass vial before his departure, Nagada had assumed it was merely a specialized medicinal charm—a helpful aid, should it work.

He had never imagined that the clear liquid was the legendary Soul Purifying Water—the sole substance capable of breaking the dark seal consuming his father's core.

"What truly happened to you back then, Father?" Nagada asked, eager to understand. "How were you poisoned, and who was responsible?"

Sanjo and Yara sat nearby, listening intently as King Yomura prepared to recount his ordeal. Nagada formally introduced his two companions, explaining that all three of them were inducted members of the Sky Squad. King Yomura nodded; he had heard reports prior to his illness regarding the formation of this elite vanguard.

A surge of pride filled Yomura's heart knowing his son served in the Sky Squad—a force commissioned specifically to dismantle the operations of the Demon Lord.

Fixing his gaze on the ceiling, Yomura began his tale. Two years ago, an official delegation from the Golden Crane Academy had arrived at the Hanusan royal palace. As the second most prestigious sect on the continent after Dasatama's association, the Golden Crane Academy commanded immense political and martial clout.

Naturally, Yomura had received them with high honors, hosting a formal banquet that evening. It was during dinner that Drakos—the Grandmaster of the Golden Crane Academy—had approached him with a covert proposition.

Yomura recalled the exact conversation that had altered his fate, recounting Drakos's words to Nagada:

"We want you to join our cause, Yomura. The grand war is imminent, and our victory is absolute. Align your kingdom with us, and we will guarantee your sovereignty and grant you unimaginable power."

Drakos had explicitly invited Yomura to swear fealty to the Demon Lord Shura. Even if Hanusan did not deploy troops to the frontlines directly, merely acting as a covert supporting faction would ensure the kingdom's absolute protection under the Demon Lord's reign.

Yomura had been appalled by the offer. Having fought alongside Drakos in their youth, he had never suspected that his former ally had become a high-ranking puppet for the dark army.

Without hesitation, Yomura had rejected the proposal outright: "Forgive me, Drakos, but I cannot join the Demon Lord. My soul belongs to justice, and my duty is to protect the defenseless."

Drakos had anticipated the refusal.

"You choose to stand alongside the righteous sects?" Drakos had sneered. "A coalition ruled by greedy, self-serving hypocrites? Every regional leader who amasses wealth and authority crowns themselves a petty god, no different from the dark lords. They exploit the poor under the guise of righteousness—is that truly any different?"

Yomura had stood firm in his conviction. He voiced his belief that a new generation of selfless warriors would eventually rise—true guardians who sought neither wealth nor power, but only peace and the protection of the innocent. These young guardians would replace the corrupt leaders of the past. But if humanity surrendered to the dark army, only absolute tyranny and eternal despair would remain.

"If this war breaks out, Yomura, we will face each other as mortal enemies," Drakos had warned, issuing a grim ultimatum.

"Then that is the path we must walk, Drakos," Yomura had replied calmly. "We fight for what we believe to be right. That is the core purpose of a warrior's existence—to uphold one's convictions, regardless of the consequences."

Sensing that further persuasion was useless, Drakos had offered a deceptive smile.

"Very well, if that is your final decision. The war has not yet begun—let us share one last drink together as old friends. Let it serve as a final memory before we meet as foes on the battlefield."

"So be it," Yomura had agreed, raising his cup. "To our past friendship."

They dined together one last time. Yet, under the cover of night, Drakos slipped a rare, dark toxin into Yomura's wine. As the potent poison took effect and Yomura's senses began to fade, Drakos leaned in close.

"I have no desire to kill an old friend on the battlefield, Yomura," Drakos had whispered coldly as Yomura lost consciousness. "So sleep, my friend... and allow my operatives to assume control of the Hanusan Kingdom in your stead!"

At that moment, Toda—Yomura's younger brother—had stepped out from the shadows, exchanging a knowing smile with Drakos.

Toda had secretly aligned himself with Drakos, serving as a high-ranking Mondu operative embedded within the Hanusan royal court. As the poison spread through Yomura's circulatory system, his core was sealed, plunging him into a two-year coma.

Following Yomura's incapacitation, Toda had attempted to claim the crown immediately. However, several loyalist advisors on the eight-man royal council blocked his ascension, proposing a two-year regency to allow Nagada time to come of age.

Faced with political gridlock, Nagada had enlisted in the Sky Squad, seeking to hone his strength and serve the broader continent while waiting for his moment.

Now, with King Yomura restored, the full scope of the conspiracy stood revealed. Listening to the King's account, Sanjo and Yara realized with growing dread that the dark army's tentacles had penetrated every layer of continental governance—corrupting regional administrations, royal courts, and martial academies alike.

The coming war was no longer an distant threat; it was an inevitable clash that would consume the entire world.