Chapter 52 – The Final Act Begins

The cathedral bells rang out of control, summoning guards and faithful alike. Smoke from the altar still clung to the air, a curtain rising to announce the last act.

High above, standing over shattered stained glass, Ren rose to his feet, the scythe Requiem in hand and a mask concealing his face. Around him gathered Opera, each of them hiding behind Shion’s relic masks.

“Listen…” Ren’s voice echoed deep, carrying through the shadows like a decree. “This will be our final performance. There will be no encore. Each of you will play your role until the very end.”

He turned toward Latina and Luisina.

“You two—help Sakura. She may be called a Saint, but her place is not on the battlefield. I’m counting on you to protect her.”

The two exchanged a confident smile, then vanished in a blur, slipping into the cathedral through the shattered windows.

“Mirai, Maria.” Ren’s eyes locked onto them. “Your role is simple: do not let the soldiers cross the cathedral gates.”

Both women bowed lightly, ready to depart—but Ren stopped Mirai with a hand on her shoulder.

“Listen.” His voice dropped lower, colored with an unusual weight. 

“The ex-heroes may appear—the one from the Arc, Itsuka Makoto… and the one from the Codex, Haruna Mizuno." 

"They were my classmates back in Japan. For a time… they were my friends, back when I was still Takao.”

A heavy silence lingered.

“I ask only this—don’t kill them. If you can, just hold them back.”

Mirai and Maria shared a quick look before nodding.
“We’ll do as you wish, Master.”

Relieved, Ren finally turned to his last companions.

“Diana, Amira. With me. The castle of Luxaris will be our stage. If the king tries to run, that’s where he’ll hide.”

The two women smiled, tightening their masks.

Ren lowered his hand, as if signaling the start of a play.

“The curtain has already risen. Let the show begin.”

Inside the cathedral, guards closed in around Sakura Luxaris, spears raised. Suddenly, a theatrical voice reverberated through the hall, amplified by magic.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a performance unlike any other!”

A beam of light fell from above like a magical spotlight, revealing Luisina Fontain at the center of the church. Her tilted hat and radiant smile dripped with theatrical flair.

“Wh-what…?” Jenis paled. “How could a phantom enter here?”

Luisina spun gracefully, offering an exaggerated bow.

“The stage always opens for those who know how to walk between shadows.”

Jenis turned to the king, trembling with rage.

“Your Majesty, I urge you to flee. This could get dangerous.”

Dorian’s gaze hardened.

“So, my own daughter stands with the phantoms who plague nations… disgraceful.” His voice cracked like a whip of scorn.

He cast one last glance at Sakura before snapping his fingers to order the retreat. Guards an Makoto quickly escorted him toward the secret exit.

Outside, in the plaza, troops gathered in tight formation. At the front marched a woman of imposing presence: black hair tied back, glasses gleaming under torchlight, her battle robes etched with arcane runes.

“Soldiers, evacuate the king! Mage flank, with me!” she commanded firmly.

Adjusting her lenses, her eyes narrowed at two figures waiting on the cathedral steps—one resting a staff against the ground, the other calmly cracking her knuckles.

“Wait a second…” The commander squinted.

Maria rose slowly, staff pressing into the stone. Mirai stood as well, rolling her shoulders.

“No one passes.” Mirai’s voice rang out, a clear warning.

Maria tilted her head, smiling with serene lethality.

“So you are… Haruna Mizuno, the former Heroine of the Codex.” She offered a slight bow, as though greeting an actress on stage. “It is an honor to fight you.”

The air in the city vibrated with tension. While battle raged within the cathedral, Phantom leapt across rooftops, cutting through the city toward Luxaris Castle. Beside him, swift as shadows, Amira and Diana followed close behind.

They vaulted over the outer wall and sprinted through the trees until the forest gave way to a wide clearing that led straight to the castle gates. There, Ren stopped abruptly.

In a blink, the scythe vanished. A flash of light revealed Wisteria, his katana, gleaming in its place.

“Why are we stopping here?” Amira raised her sniper rifle, her voice tight with nerves. “We’re too exposed!”

“That’s exactly what I want.” Ren’s voice was ice.

“That just makes us easy targets!” Amira snapped, her jaw clenched.

Diana, however, said nothing. Her eyes swept the clearing with feline calm.

Phantom lowered his gaze to the blade of his katana, speaking with a tone tinged in nostalgia.

“When I was a child… in my world, I loved stories of samurai, of generals, of war and strategy.”

The two women watched him in silence, not fully grasping his meaning.

“One of them was a man named Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was famous for his patience… and for never leaving loose ends.”

Ren’s voice hardened, resounding like a verdict.

“History teaches us that certain patterns always repeat… and that traitors, sooner or later, are always found out.”

The edge of Wisteria rose, pointing directly at his companions.

“Or am I wrong… Diana?”

The silence became unbearable. Only the faint wind stirred the trees around the clearing.

Amira’s eyes widened, her rifle pressed tighter to her shoulder. Diana, however, didn’t flinch. Her face remained utterly still, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

Ren stepped forward, the blade shining like an unavoidable decree.

At last… the two traitors had been exposed.