CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: THRESHOLD

Kazuo and Guy returned to the lake, racing against the clock after receiving the directional letter from William, or rather, Flynn Ezcardan.

The two men pushed forwards as far as their legs could carry them, following the letter’s instructions without hesitation.

The night was bitterly cold, the temperature having dropped below zero. Wasting no time, they plunged into the icy stream and swam north.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, they reached the opposite shore, panting, shivering, and drenched to the bone.

With trembling fingers, Kazuo pulled something from the pocket of his trousers: the folded letter, slightly damp despite his effort to keep it safe before diving into the water. Lucy’s warming spell had stopped them from freezing to death, but even that was not enough to stop the violent shivering after such a swim.

Careful not to tear the paper, Kazuo unfolded the letter and read aloud through chattering teeth.

“H-Head straight north, three o’clock, where you’ll f-find a deserted ruin.”

Guy rubbed his hands together in a futile attempt to summon some heat. “H-How long till sunrise?”

“T-Two hours. It’ll take us at least twenty minutes to reach the ruin. Let’s run for it.”

“R-Right behind you.”

The two of them charged onwards like soldiers on a mission, fast and focused, keeping their heads low and their eyes alert for any sign of old enemies lurking nearby.

As it turned out, old enemies were already waiting for them at the entrance of the deserted ruins.

“What the hell?” Kazuo summoned his sickle at once, dropping into a guarded stance.

“What the hell do you lots want now?” Guy asked coldly.

“At ease, friend.”

Zero’s cool voice echoed through the ruin.

“We came to help you. Again.”

Guy narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because time is precious. The more of it we waste bickering, the less we have to stop the Huzzar. You’re here for the portal, correct? Then let’s get on with it.”

Without waiting for an answer, Zero turned and walked inside. His female companion remained where she was, silently waiting for Kazuo and Guy to follow.

“You know, usually I’d be all over a babe like you,” Kazuo muttered, eyeing her mask, “but I’ve got a feeling you’re dangerous.”

Lisa smiled behind it. “We’ll see about that.”

The deserted ruins looked like a relic from a hundred years ago, which in itself was hardly surprising. The Kingdom of Aquarius had stood for a very long time. But for a place like this to have remained hidden until now was another matter entirely.

Rocky mountains surrounded the ruins on all sides, hemming in the structure like ancient guardians. A steep set of stone steps led up to the entrance.

Zero was already waiting there with his arms folded across his chest. When Kazuo and Guy finally reached him, he wordlessly handed them a pair of helmets.

Kazuo frowned. “What’s this?”

“For the obvious reason, friend,” Zero replied, sounding faintly amused.

Grumbling under his breath, Kazuo took the helmet and put it on before glancing back at Zero.

“Where’s yours?”

“Oh, there’s no need to worry about us. Our vision is rather superior to yours.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kazuo rolled his eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”

“After you.”

***

Inside, the ruin was in dreadful condition. It looked as though someone had once tried to blast their way in, failed, and abandoned the whole effort. Broken pillars and debris lay scattered everywhere.

With only the beam from his helmet to guide him, Kazuo scanned the darkness carefully, trying not to trip over the smaller pieces strewn across the floor.

Guy walked beside him, reading the letter again before finally speaking.

“So what exactly is your interest in finding the portal?”

The two masked figures behind them stopped.

“No particular reason,” Zero said. “Other than helping you get what you want.”

Kazuo turned, sickle in hand. “And that doesn’t sound suspicious at all. What makes you think we’re stupid enough to trust you?”

Lisa looked ready to intervene, but Zero lifted a hand, stopping her.

“So it’s come to this, has it?” He took a few steps forward. “I was hoping it wouldn’t.”

“Kazuo, no!” Guy stepped between them before the confrontation could escalate.

“Let me beat this bastard for what he did to us and to Mika!” Kazuo snarled. “I don’t give a damn what Shinji said about him. He’s been spying on us since day one! Both of them have.”

“I know that,” Guy hissed, lowering his voice. “But whether you like it or not, they’re helping us. If they wanted us dead, they could’ve done it already.”

He took a steadying breath, then released Kazuo’s shoulders and turned to face Zero and Lisa.

“Can we move on without causing any more trouble? A temporary truce?”

Zero gave a slight shrug. “Fine by me.”

“Good.” Guy glanced back at the letter in his hand. “According to this, this place used to be a shrine for the Jewel of Aquarius. The Jewel was said to be sacred, a barrier that prevented the Huzzar from entering this world.”

“Only the Huzzar?” Zero asked. “What about Spirits?”

“It doesn’t mention Spirits,” Guy said with a frown. “Strange indeed. But judging from the condition of this place, I’d say someone got here before us and tried to reach the portal.”

“You think our friend Flynn had something to do with it?” Kazuo asked dryly.

“Or your mysterious H,” Zero murmured, rubbing his chin as though piecing something together.

He fell quiet for a moment, then asked, “What are the odds an outsider is involved in this?”

Kazuo narrowed his eyes. “Why are you asking?”

“Because I may know who he is.”

Guy and Kazuo exchanged a look.

“It’s confidential,” Guy admitted. “We weren’t meant to tell outsiders, but at this point...” He sighed. “It can’t be helped.”

He went on to tell them what Lord Eden and Master Oracle Fye had revealed.

When he finished, Zero went still.

“I see,” he murmured.

Though his face remained hidden, Guy caught the sudden stiffness in his posture from the corner of his eye. Lisa noticed it too. A worried crease appeared on her brow.

A moment later, Zero cleared his throat. “In any case, finding the portal is the priority. We can deal with the rest later.”

It did not take them long to reach the heart of the ruins.

There it stood.

The Baron’s Portal they had been searching for all this time rested in the centre of a large chamber, adorned with elaborate carvings and lavish decorations. Behind it sat an ancient throne.

“We found it!” Kazuo exclaimed, hurrying forward, only for Zero to grab his arm and pull him back sharply.

“Hey, what the hell?”

“Curiosity kills the cat. Have you ever heard that before, or are you always this reckless?”

Zero released him. “There may be traps around the portal. Unless you’re eager to die, by all means, keep going.”

Kazuo scoffed, though he wisely stepped back and folded his arms.

A smirk tugged beneath Zero’s mask as he moved a few steps forward and drew a small flute from his sleeve.

Kazuo stared at it. “He’s really going to play that thing? Now?”

Lisa smiled. “Watch. They don’t call him the Son of Nature for nothing.”

Zero raised the flute to his lips and began to play.

The tune was soft at first, almost delicate, but as the notes rose and fell, the air in the chamber began to stir.

Then the wind came.

It gathered around them in sudden currents, growing stronger with every note Zero played until it turned wild and violent, crashing against the invisible barriers protecting the portal. The unseen force splintered beneath the assault, breaking apart layer by layer until at last it shattered completely.

The moment it was done, Zero lowered the instrument and exhaled, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow.

Lisa walked over and patted his shoulder with an approving thumbs-up.

“Good job, Captain.”

Zero gave a small nod, then glanced at the two men who were still staring in disbelief.

“There’s your portal,” he said, jerking his thumb towards it. “What are you waiting for? Get it.”

“R-Right...” Guy snapped out of his thoughts and approached the portal with Kazuo close behind.

He examined it carefully, then drew out the Ulliya gemstones Rinda had given him and held them up.

“Here goes nothing.”

Taking a deep breath, Guy pressed the gemstones into the two small red loops at the centre of the portal.

A sharp ringing sound echoed through the ruin.

Then the portal stirred.

Light swirled across its surface in bright, shifting neon before settling into a view so astonishing that all four of them were left nearly breathless.

A vast sky of deep midnight blue.

The Spirit World.

Guy was the first to recover. He blinked hard, then brushed damp strands of hair from his forehead.

“Unbelievable,” he whispered. “So this is the Spirit World... Mika’s home.”

“The one and only,” Zero said, stepping closer.

Kazuo could barely form words. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would one day see the Spirit World with his own eyes. Even Shinji, for all his power and standing, had likely never come this close.

For a brief second, Kazuo forgot the cold, the ruin, and the danger pressing at their backs. He could only stare.

Then Zero checked his watch.

“The question now is how you intend to move the portal out of here in half an hour.”

“Half an hour?!” Kazuo and Guy shouted in unison.

“Unless...” Lisa sang sweetly.

Kazuo turned to her. “Unless what?”

“Unless you let us help you again, of course.”

Guy’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to help us so badly? What do you gain from it?”

Zero’s reply came at once.

“Simple. We cannot allow either of you to die. Not now.”

Kazuo frowned. “What do you mean, not now?”

“Do whatever you want,” Zero said evenly. “Walk into a trap. Get poisoned. Throw yourselves into a pit for all I care. But no matter what happens, we will not allow you or the Princess to die.”

“Damn you. Just answer the damn ques-”

Beep. Beep.

Both men’s communicators sounded at the same time.

Guy grabbed his first. “Hello?”

The line crackled badly. There was too much interference.

“...llo... h-here...”

“Shinji, I can’t hear you clearly!” Kazuo shouted, rushing towards the entrance in hopes of getting a better signal.

Then a few broken words finally came through.

“...need... portal... now!”

The two men exchanged a sharp look.

Guy turned back to Zero. “Deal.”

Without hesitation, Zero gave Lisa a hand signal. She nodded and sprinted outside.

Kazuo blinked after her. “Where’s she going?”

“To get things done for the portal’s transport,” Zero replied. “In the meantime, we should head outside as well. Things are about to get ugly.”

Still not entirely sure what was happening, Kazuo and Guy followed him back towards the entrance.

The moment they stepped outside, both men froze.

The Baron’s Portal was already there.

Lisa stood beside it, looking unbearably smug.

“What... how the hell?!” Kazuo stared, too shocked to do much else.

Lisa shrugged. “Piece of cake.”

“Good work, Lisa,” Zero said, walking over to her.

Guy was still staring at the portal, clearly unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

“I honestly cannot understand what just happened, or how on earth you managed to bring that thing here before we did,” he admitted. Then he lowered his head in a slight bow. “But thank you. You’ve saved us a great deal of time.”

“Not a problem, sugar.”

Guy turned to Kazuo. “Shall we bring this to Mika?”

Kazuo nodded at once.

But as they turned towards the path back, a sharp wind swept through the ruins and cut across the nape of Kazuo’s neck like a warning. They had found the portal at last, yet for reasons he could not name, victory felt too thin.