Toda had completely surrendered his humanity; all that remained of his blackened, scaly vessel was feral brutality and insatiable greed. The volatile power accumulated within his body burned so hot it threatened to burst his flesh at the seams.

Toda surged forward, the sharp edges of his bat-like wings bristling with jagged bone spurs. Below him, Yomura launched into the air, channeling the full force of his refined aura into his blade. The two forces collided mid-air, internal aura grinding against corrupt dark magic. Toda sneered through his monstrous visage, exposing rows of razor-sharp fangs.

The violent impact hurled both combatants backward. Re-establishing their footing in the air, they lunged at each other once more. The Sky Squad members watching from the ground could feel the terrifying shockwaves radiating across the courtyard as the duel reached its climax. Both brothers held nothing back, unleashing the absolute limits of their respective powers.

Toda’s jagged wings lashed out in rapid succession, targeting Yomura from every conceivable angle. Yomura parried every lethal strike with a blade that felt like an extension of his own soul. His movements were fluid and precise, meeting Toda's onslaught stroke for stroke.

As their blades clashed, Yomura felt his physical vessel grow lighter, his internal energy flowing with unprecedented harmony. As Toda’s right wing slashed toward his flank, Yomura pivoted mid-air, gliding past the bone-spurred limb. Toda thrust his pitch-black sword forward to intercept his brother's trajectory.

SLASH!

Before the black sword could complete its arc, Yomura flashed past him, executing a clean sweep that severed Toda’s right wing at the joint.

Toda unleashed a deafening, monstrous roar of agony that shook the compound. Repelling off the air currents above, Yomura inverted his descent, charging straight back toward his mutated brother. Toda whirled around to meet him, their trajectories locking together once more.

This was the end.

"Farewell, my brother..."

As Toda raised his weapon to block the incoming strike, a blinding, incandescent radiance erupted from Yomura's blade. Channeling the entirety of his refined aura into a single, ultimate slash, Yomura brought his sword down.

The crescent of celestial light expanded instantly, engulfing Toda's monstrous form. The dark magic shrouding his vessel shattered like brittle glass.

BLAAAAARRRRR!

Toda’s body did not merely split—it dissolved under the sheer kinetic weight of Yomura's strike, atomizing into a shower of faint, shimmering specks of light.

In his final microsecond of existence, a fleeting, peaceful smile touched Toda’s face before his physical form vanished into the wind.

"Rest now, Brother."

Yomura hovered for a moment, watching until the last glimmers of light dissipated completely into the morning sky. A gentle breeze swept across the courtyard, caressing the King's face as the last traces of dark magic vanished.

Yomura landed softly on the ground, a heavy realization setting in: the world was changing rapidly, and a global war was drawing near. The dark army's tentacles had already infiltrated the highest echelons of power across the realm.

The Golden Crane Academy had been compromised, and even his own brother Toda had fallen to their temptation. The dark forces were no longer making the same tactical errors they had committed twenty years ago.

They had learned from their past defeat, operating from the shadows and utilizing human weakness—specifically greed and the lust for absolute power—to turn leaders into willing puppets.

"Are you unharmed, Nagada?" Yomura asked, approaching his son.

Nagada offered a warm smile. "I am completely fine, Father. It is over now. We can leave the cleanup to the royal guards."

Moments later, contingents of royal guards arrived at the scene, accompanied by the three remaining loyalist advisors of Hanusan. These three elder statesmen had remained steadfast in their loyalty to King Yomura and Nagada, consistently refusing the lavish bribes and political favors offered by Toda's faction.

In contrast, the dark army had used its vast financial reserves to buy off corrupt officials, promising them wealth, absolute authority, and total safety under the Demon Lord's future reign once the realm was conquered.

Driven by these empty promises, the Mondu sleeper cells had multiplied—born out of resentment, greed, and a desire to dismantle the existing order.

The three loyalist advisors bowed low before their restored King, renewing their oaths of fealty to Yomura and the people of Hanusan. For two years, they had endured severe political isolation and economic boycotts imposed by Toda's regime, barred from participating in royal governance while watching the kingdom fall into ruin under tyrannical taxation and forced labor.

King Yomura felt a deep pang of sorrow for his people's suffering, but also immense gratitude toward the officials who had held the line. Leaving the destruction at his private residence to the military engineers, Yomura, accompanied by Nagada, Sanjo, Yara, and the loyalist advisors, made his way toward the royal palace to reclaim the throne and restore order.

Before Nagada's eventual return to the Sky Squad headquarters in Prisma City, Yomura wished to consult deeply with his son regarding the continental situation.

Upon reaching the palace, the administration immediately initiated a thorough purge, auditing every official department for lingering Mondu influence. King Yomura summoned the royal scribes to draft an official decree to be broadcast across all provinces.

He planned to address his subjects directly in due time, but an immediate royal proclamation was necessary to announce his awakening and signal the complete restoration of stability, peace, and prosperity across the Hanusan Kingdom.

All oppressive decrees enacted during Toda's regency were officially repealed—including inflated tax rates and forced labor mandates that exploited the populace.

Guided by detailed briefings from the three loyalist advisors regarding the damage inflicted during his two-year coma, King Yomura personally dictated the structural reforms to be included in the decree. Once finalized, royal messengers were dispatched to distribute copies to every city, town, and public notice board across the kingdom.

Later that afternoon, Nagada and his squadmates gathered with the King and his council in the grand reception hall. The Sky Squad members briefed the assembly on the Demon Lord Shura's overarching strategy to conquer the realm, outlining the Sky Squad's mandate to coordinate with continental defense forces, sovereign monarchies, and orthodox martial sects to neutralize the threat.

Looking at his son, King Yomura felt an overwhelming sense of pride. During his two years of forced slumber, Nagada had grown into a mature, formidable warrior and a true leader.

Yomura knew without a doubt that when the time came, Nagada would be more than worthy to carry the mantle of King.