The World Rings, Night 12: Soul Bond

Three years ago

Sometime after the Voyage to the New World began, Sector SA scheduled a proper meeting with Chelia Blendy, a teenage dancer whom they rescued from the World Government. "So, you're really a pureblood Fanalis." Chelia said to Morgiana. "I've never met another Fanalis aside from my mother."

"So, you've never been to Fanali?"

"No. You see, my dad was a Galactic Explorer who came all the way from Earth. He landed on Secco and met my mom, who had already left her homeland to see the outside world. Dad took her on all kinds of space adventures, and they eventually fell in love! It was the most romantic story you'll ever hear!" she proclaimed with teary, heart-shaped eyes. "But they eventually returned to Earth and had me. Imagine their surprise when they found out I was a witch! I got good at magic, good at airbending, and every day, I continue to make them more proud! I've always wanted to visit our homeland, but Mom always said there wasn't enough Love. Is that true, Morgie?"

"…" Morgiana bowed her head in shame.

And so, after three years, Chelia finally ventured to Planet Secco and entered the abyss that was her homeland. She got past the Final Jump with her strong legs and softened the landing with her airbending. She soon made herself known to the Fanalis and dazzled them with her wondrous dances. She remained in Fanali for months before the chief called her up to the altar.

"Chelia Blendy, you have honored the Red Lions with your majestic dances. Never have we seen them so pleased. As Chief, I happily appoint you as our Princess. For all you have done for us, we will reward you with anything you desire."

"I'm very grateful, Your Excellency." Chelia bowed. "However… there is one thing I wanted to ask. Do you remember a girl named Morgiana?"

Present time

"Right now, the chief has gone to visit the Lion's Den in the fields." Chelia explained. "When he finds out about you, it'll be up to him if he wants to hold onto his promise. But I don't think you have to worry, Morgiana."

"I…I don't know what to say." Morg replied, completely dumbfounded at this sudden turn of events. "I mean, I'm thankful… really… I just can't believe how lucky I was to meet you."

"Maybe it wasn't lucky at all." Chelia said with a smile. "Maybe it was just Fate. Or maybe it was our Love that called us together!"

"The latter makes a lot more sense in this case." Index replied. "Chelia, let me explain what we've been doing." She proceeded to do so.

"I see… Then, you need me to come with you."

"Yeah. But the question is, who is it that you're in love with, Chelia?"

"Oh, that's easy. I love everyone."

"Hahaha! Yes, Chelia, it's nice to love everyone, but the ring wouldn't have chose you without a romantic partner. Unless you plan to marry everyone."

"I don't know what to tell you, Index." Chelia touched her heart. "I genuinely love everyone and everything. It's how my mother raised me. Because there is so much beauty in the way things look and everybody's personality. And it just warms my heart to think about it all."

"Hmm… Then maybe I was wrong."

"Really, Index?" Nagisa asked.

"I thought I knew everything about the World Rings, but this whole journey, you guys have been surprising me. Alluka won't request anything bad of Killua because she loves him, even though the White Ring compels her to otherwise. The Pleasure Ring can't bring fictional characters outside their stories, but Lotte's natural power can break that rule. Meanwhile, Eri can nullify the Purple Ring and restore Deku's Quirk. So, maybe the Love Ring doesn't require True Love."

"But anyways," Chelia said, "I'm afraid I can't really leave without the chief's blessing. He should be back in an hour or so, if you don't mind waiting that long."

"Nah, of course we don't!" Nagisa beamed. "After all, this is Morg's home! I wanna explore it! Whaddya say, can ya give me the tour, Morg?"

"Uh… y-yeah. Of course I can." Morgiana smiled.

"Hold on!" Index yelled, smiling eagerly. "I wanna see something else first. Chelia, could you do me a favor and touch Killua for me?"

"What, why me?!" the boy asked.

"Relax, I'm not trying anything mean. Just hold her hand."

"Okay…" Killua reached a hand as Chelia came to hold it. "Huh?" They were in awe as a light formed on Killua's chest. There was a soft, small burst as a yellow beam stretched out of his chest, the base of which was blue, waving like a gentle ember as it rose into the sky. Nagisa was shocked to find that another such beam connected to him from Killua's chest, and another went into Maria's hat, while tiny threads connected to the others.

"One of the Love Ring's special powers is revealing a person's Soul Bond." Index explained. "A Soul Bond is something that every being has. It links a person's soul with all the people they're close to, and the greater a bond you have, the stronger the Soul Threads will be. If you can hold the Soul Bond, you'll be able to find them anywhere in the universe."

Killua grabbed the bond. "You're right… I can see them. I can see Gon… yeah, his bond is especially thick. Biscuit is there, too, but hers is smaller. Heh, look how tiny my bond with Dad is."

"You also have a strong bond with Nagisa and Alluka." Index indicated. "But your bond with the rest of us isn't as strong."

"Wow… When I hold it like this, it kind of feels… like I'm holding their life force." Killua said. "No, like…like I'm holding both of our hearts at the same time. It sounds gross, but… it feels kind of nice."

"I wanna try it!" Lotte offered with a smile. Chelia left Killua and held her hand. Another mystical beam came out of her heart. Lotte grabbed it and said, "Yep, I can see my teammates, all right. My bond is stronger with Akko and Sucy. I see Annabel too, and Emily, and of course I see you two." Indeed, her bond was connected to Goombella and Riddler.

"Do me next!" Deku requested eagerly. Chelia held his hand, one of the bonds quickly connecting to Eri. "I expected Eri-chan's to be strong! I can also see my mom, All-Might, Asui—Ochaco's bond is pink for some reason, and Kacchan's feels kind of hot."

"Well, just because you feel a bond with someone, they might feel differently about you." Index noted. "That pink bond, on the other hand, that's one of True Love."

"Oh! R-Really?!" Deku flushed.

"Yep!" Index smirked. "And the Love Bond is the strongest Soul Bond of all! If it's firm, it's nearly impossible to sever!"

My bond with Gon was pink… good thing I didn't mention that. Killua thought.

"If you need another example, try Nagisa next."

Nagisa flushed as Chelia approached him and took his hand. As they all expected, a bright pink Soul Bond linked him with Morgiana. Both partners felt their selves going red. "It's strong on both ends." Goombella said with a smile. Naturally, she and the others had smaller Bonds with Nagisa.

"It sure is." Index nodded. "Believe it or not, there's meaning behind 'The Power of Friendship.' The Soul Bond is able to strengthen one's chi when the two people in question are together. At least, that's what I would like to think. It's true with the Love Ring, however. It amplifies the Bearer's Soul Bond and raises their power to the absolute max. Or at least when they're around their True Love."

"Which I apparently don't have…" Chelia spoke sadly, releasing Nagisa.

They continued to hold their Soul Bonds for a moment, enjoying the warm feeling. They could feel all the love from their friends and family, the very bond they all shared tugging at their heartstrings.

"So, you've been seeing my girlfriend, have you?" Karma asked Nagisa, smirking.

"HUUUH?!" Nagisa went pale.

"Only joking; I ain't so into girls, anyway. Hey, since you're gonna stay awhile," Karma wrapped an arm around him, "let's go out in the field and do some sparring! I'm sure your gang must be tough to make it through the Final Jump."

"Eh heh heh… just don't kick below the belt."

Outside Fanali

Another ship took land close to the Enigma Explorer. Chase Young and Slade Wilson stepped off, staring at the vessel with suspicion. "That face… it looks like The Riddler's." Slade said.

"Wade said the operatives have teamed up with the villain." Chase replied. "This must be the ship they're using."

Slade charged a Tempest Kick and lashed it vertically at the ship, but an invisible barrier blocked the attack and reflected the force back at the assassins. "Definitely Enigma's. Well, it doesn't matter. We'll march into Fanali and tear them to pieces ourselves."

"You sure? I know that we're strong, but the Fanalis are natural born warriors."

"It won't make a difference. With my Devil Fruit power, I can render them all helpless. Then that will just leave the brats."

"Then let's hurry and get them." Kalluto Zoldyck said, walking between the two adults.

"Hey, where's your master, Kalluto?"

"A bunch of YouTube parody channels are asking him to guest star in their videos, so he had to leave."

"Sigh. My cousin is useless sometimes." Slade scoffed. "I still can't believe he's stronger than me."

Fanali

"HOOOOOFF!" Nagisa spewed out saliva after a strong kick to the stomach.

"Wow, man, you're weak." Karma snickered. "I bet Morgiana felt like the queen of the playground with you around."

"Well, she's always been a great sparring partner. But I can tell you're even stronger than she is."

"Of course I am. The men of our tribe are trained to fight while women are taught to dance, so naturally the men are stronger. Of course, even the girls can bring down a beast if they need to. Not to mention Morgiana learned fighting from Masrur when we were younger. I mean, learning self-defense isn't a crime."

"True, but my legs aren't naturally built. I'm only good with my Rokushiki."

"Alright, then let's see if Deku Sprout over there is any better. Hey, Deku, you're next!"

"Okay." Deku nodded, standing. "Well, come on, Eri-chan."

"'kay." The horned girl held his hand and entered the fighting area.

"Huh? What are you doing, bringing that girl?" Karma asked.

"I need Eri-chan to help me fight." Deku said as she climbed onto his shoulders. "So, do me a favor and try not to hit her." With that, Eri channeled her power, causing red lines of aura to appear around his body.

Karma could feel his energy increasing dramatically. "Heh, talk about a cheap way of fighting. But okay, I'll play." Karma kicked forth and tried to stamp Deku's stomach, but the hero dodged behind him in a heartbeat and swung a kick to Karma's hip. Karma endured the pain and kicked backward, Deku leaping back and blasting shockwaves at Karma with his Delaware Smash (in which he merely flicks his fingers). Karma was blown back by the first wave, but he managed to dodge the following waves as he made it back to Deku. The hero leapt 20 meters up into the air and came down like a meteor, fist-first. He spun like a tornado, prompting Karma to dodge, but a mighty gust of wind was created upon impact, sending the Fanalis flying.

Meanwhile, Lotte had been given some spare sets of armor by Masrur and Alexius, from which she called forth two muscular spirits. "I was once worn by the great Fanalis, Dodon! We crushed entire mountains and hundreds of soldiers!"

"NO you didn't!" yelled the other spirit. "Your wearers couldn't crush a boulder! You should have seen Mamungus, who performed a great cannonball into the ocean and created the hurricane!"

"WAAAH!" The group screamed when the shockwave of Deku's impact blew them over.

"Yes, like that!"

"You think that's strong?! I'll BEAT you into a pulp right now! HUAH! !" The air vibrated as the two ghosts were locked in a heated duel.

"Ehhhh…" Eri moaned dizzily after that attack.

"Maybe that was a bit over-the-top." Deku said sheepishly. "I think I'm ready to call it a draw, Karma."

"'Draw' my ass! A real man doesn't rely on little brats to give him power!"

"No, but a real man shouldn't be afraid to ask friends for help in a battle they can't win. That's why I'm glad I have Eri-chan with me!" He reached up and patted the girl's head.

"Thank you, Deku-san!"

"You know, as someone who's been reading Power Levels this whole trip," Goombella began in detest, "you start to realize how obsessed people are with strength. But, that's just coming from a little Goomba who's always looking up at giant human friends whose physical strength make her seem like a useless piece of fungi."

"Do we really make you feel that way, Goombella?" Nagisa asked.

"Well, mostly Morgiana, but you've been climbing up pretty high. It's okay, though, I mean at least you guys aren't bullies."

"I know what'll make you feel better." Lotte said with a smile.

"What?"

"Close your eyes, you'll see." Goombella did so. She could hear Lotte cast some magic. "Okay, you can open now!"

"Oh?" Goombella opened her eyes to see another pink Goomba with blonde hair and glasses. "WAH! L-Lotte?!"

"Call me Goombalotte!"

"OH GOSH, you make the cutest Goomba ever!!" Goombella cheered, nudging her side against Lotte's in a "high-five" sort of fashion.

"Thank you! Though I must say, my body feels very unbalanced. I don't even have legs, only feet! I can't take a step without turning my whole—whoa!" Lotte fell back when trying to take a step.

"Well, I'm proud of you for trying, Lotte. No human would dare sink to the level of a Goomba."

"I think it's a fun experience, putting yourself in the shoes of someone else." Lotte replied, standing back upright. "I can't hold a transformation that long, though, so don't expect it to be indefinite."

"Naturally."

"Hey, what are you kids still doing out here?!" shouted a teenage Fanalis. "You're missing the greatest speech ever from the strongest man to ever visit Fanali!" He raced back into town.

The operatives could see from afar as The Riddler was perched atop Chelia's stage, attracting the attention of many Fanalis. "King K. Rool unleashed shockwaves at a consistent pace, and my strength alone was not enough to topple this menace! Luckily, I had packed my Infi-Cube full of aerial cannons, and I climbed into said cannons and waited for K. Rool to drop his guard! He waved at one of his ignorant fans for a brief second, and I seized the chance to fire myself straight into his jaw, DOUBLING my superb strength with the momentum and knocking him onto the floor of the ring!"

"WHOOOOOOOOAAAAA!" Everyone was royally astonished by his tale.

"Of course, that was only the beginning. This fight paled in comparison to my battle with Ganondorf!"

"HE FOUGHT GANONDORF, TOO?!?"

"No one in your country's ever heard of videogames, I take it?" Killua asked.

"Uh-uh." Morg shook.

"He he he he he!" Chelia giggled. "Whether it's real or not, his passions fill him with love!"

"Man, you're gonna be a pain to have in our group." Killua said.

"Killua, I feel like all you do is make crude remarks." Goombalotte replied.

"And I feel like all you do is write fanfiction." He folded his arms. "What, is every sentence I say supposed to be deep and poetic? Screw off."

"Hey, Morgiana?" Chelia began to the younger Fanalis. "Since this is where you came from… you must know about the Red Lions, right?" They faced up at a pair of lions high in the heavens, their flaming wings lighting the stars.

"Yes. The Red Lions represent a pure Fanalis. They're who we worship and what we strive to be. To put it simply, they're the true form that we take when we are finished evolving."

"Your true form?" Deku replied. "Does that mean you're not really human?"

"No, I guess not. I would say we're like you Superbians. You look human, but your biology is different. Of course, when a Fanalis evolves into a Red Lion, they can never change back."

"What do you think that feels like, Morgie?" Chelia asked. "I mean… are we the same person inside? Or do we forget who we once were? Because, to be honest, that thought kind of scares me."

"Hm… it scares me, too."

"Hey, Chelia!" Maria spoke up. "I was gonna say, we didn't do my Soul Bond."

"Oh. Well, of course, Maria." Chelia happily took the little princess's hand. Small Soul Threads connected to Goombella, Alluka, and Hoopa, but she grabbed hold in the hopes of seeing more. "There's Sector MG… and Cheren! There's Uncle Luigi! But what about… ah, there they are! Mom and Dad…" Indeed, she was seeing her parents for the first time in years. "…Huh." She frowned. "For some reason… my bond with Mom and Dad is weaker."

"Didn't they send you away when you were three?" Index asked. "Time apart doesn't really strengthen a bond, even if it's with parents."

"…Is this how Louise feels?"

Little did anyone know that the three assassins were a mere mile away from Fanali. Kalluto had sent a paper airplane to the sky, scanning the town for his siblings. "I see Killua, but I don't see Alluka."

"It doesn't matter." Slade said. "I'll pry the information out of him by force!"

"You know he is Lucci's apprentice, right?" Chase reminded.

"According to Wade, Killua has abandoned the original mission. Lucci won't mind if I teach him some respect." They watched as Slade linked his hands and conjured a bright red beam. He launched the beam to the sky like a comet.

"Hey, what's that?" Index gasped, indicating it.

Riddler gasped. "ALL OF YOU, GET DOWN!!"

The beam exploded, raining hundreds of droplets that struck all the Fanalis in town. "AAAH!" Lotte cried, changing back to normal.

"Lotte!" Goombella shouted.

"Eri-chan!" Deku saw one of the beams shooting toward his partner, so he jumped in the way. "AGH!"

"Deku-san!"

"YOW!" Maria yelped, taking a hit.

Nagisa and Killua were using Paper Art to dodge the lasers, while Chelia cast "Protego!" to shield the girls. "Lotte, Maria, I'm sorry I didn't cast this sooner!"

"It's okay! I…I don't feel any pain…"

By the time the laser shower ended, all the Fanalis realized not a single wound lay on their bodies. "Hey, what gives?" Karma asked. "It didn't hurt us one bit?"

"Look!" Killua glared, pointing as the three assassins approached them. "It's my brother. Which means those two must be…"

"That was the power of my Zap-Zap Fruit." Slade explained. "I specifically ordered it from Dr. Clown, based on a weapon I used to have. I can only use that attack once a day, but its effect lasts for an hour. That's more than enough time. Observe." He snapped his fingers.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" All the Fanalis and operatives screamed from an inescapable shocking sensation, their bodies igniting red.

"Yes! I have attached electrical nodes to the cells in your bloodstream. If I zap you enough times, you'll eventually perish from the inside."

"Guys!" Goombella yelled in fear. "Those two are CP0 agents! Slade 'Deathstroke' Wilson, whose Power Level reads at 12,942, and Chase Young, who is at 14,566!"

"Yes, but what is really the point in Power Levels?" Slade asked. "Mine is higher than Wade's, yet he could still defeat me. Still, I think we've established ourselves quite nicely. Now, Killua, give us your sister or I will destroy this entire nation."

"The HELL you will!" Morgiana cried, flying toward Slade with a furious kick, but his Iron Body was superior. Morg kicked backward, clasping her aching foot, and Slade seized the chance to bat her away with his bo staff.

Meanwhile, Chase Young used Shave to zip up to Killua, the boy defending as Chase lashed a lizard tongue and scraped his arm. "Ergh…" A strange sensation overcame the young assassin, his eyes brimming with Dark Chi. "What is this… poison?! I should be immune to poison!"

"Not poison. Darkness, created from my Bad-Bad Fruit." Chase smirked. "Anyone I hit with my tongue turns to evil, if only for a short time. Now, boy, where is your sister?"

"Sigh… fine, I'll tell you." Killua replied in a sinister tone. "She's inside that girl's hat." Maria gasped.

Index punched a Light Sphere at Killua, the boy dodging. "Run, Maria!" The princess nodded and bolted.

"Heh." Slade snapped his fingers. "AAAAH!" Maria stopped dead in her tracks, and everyone else suffered more pain.

"Oooo… I can't stand well…" Lotte panted.

"Ergh… Eri-chan…" Deku gasped, using one leg to prop himself up. "Can you use your Rewind… to fix our bodies?"

"Yes, Deku-san."

That was when Kalluto sent out stickers and latched them onto everyone. "Those stickers have chi-blocks for every element except Plant." The youngest Zoldyck clarified. "Killing you should be easy now." He released more papers and had them spiral around the group. He flew them at the girls like shurikens, and Chelia could cast no magic to defend her friends since magic blocks were also on the stickers.

"You know, I had a real bad experience with a paperbender," Chelia mentioned, "so this is bringing back some bad memories. YAH!" Kalluto zipped by and sliced her in the hip.

"There they are!" Riddler exclaimed as the Fanalis men charged for the invaders. Slade snapped his fingers again, submitting them to more pain.

"HYAH!" Morgiana swung an iron-hard Nagisa into Slade, but he electrified his body and caused them both to be zapped. "Morg, we can't touch him."

"But we can stop him from snapping his fingers!"

"Can you really?" Chase lashed his tongue, so Morgiana instinctively jumped away. Maria was trying to run from Killua, but stopped once more when Slade snapped his fingers and dealt a shock.

With a paper cyclone still surrounding the others, Kalluto was using the Rhythm Echo technique to surround the others with afterimages. "Not this knock-off trick again." Goombella said. "I can't tell which one is real."

"Huff… maybe the papers can tell us." Lotte panted. "O Paper Spirits, hear my plea: where does your master originate? O please tell me…"

Small white spirits emerged from the papers, their tails linking to a single Kalluto. "There he is!" Index yelled, putting on her Goomba Mitt. "Go, Goombella!" She chucked the Goomba at the real Kalluto, but he easily whacked her away with the back of his sword.

"So what if you found the real me?" Kalluto approached Goombella with the intent to cleave her in two. "It's only a minor setback—hey!" His sword was grabbed by the spirit of the Fanalis armor, struggling for control.

"I always wanted to arm-wrestle with a Sword Spirit!"

The spirit of Kalluto's sword, a Sheikah, fought back and replied, "Pah! You're too much brawn and little brain!"

"I want a turn when you're finished!" the other Armor Spirit yelled.

"I guess those muscleheads are good for something!" Lotte beamed.

"Dammit!" Kalluto cursed. "Whatever that girl's power is, I don't have a chi-block for—AAAH!" He was stabbed in the hip by none other than Eri's horn.

Index used her teeth to pull off the chi-block that had latched to her habit. "That thing was stickier than it looked. But I've got my chi back! Goombella, it's time for our special attack!"

"Right!" Goombella leapt in the Goomba Mitt as Index's body became light. She spun around on one foot at the speed of light, and after a few seconds, she hurled Goombella directly at Kalluto's head, the force causing the Zoldyck to fly into a house and be knocked out. "Well, that was the confidence boost I needed today." Goombella panted, dizzy from the speed and impact.

The group proceeded to tear off their chi-blocks. To their dismay, Nagisa and Morgiana were still suffering shocks from Slade's body. Chase tried to attack them, but the stronger assassin was held off by Karma and Masrur, who had fought the pain from Slade's power. Killua was able to take a weakened Maria's hat, but- "SURPRISE!" Hoopa conjured a portal and buried the brainwashed boy under a pile of pillows. "I found a bunch of pillows that were filled with sodas! Boy, wasn't that surprising?!"

"MY turn to help!" Chelia declared. "Sky God's ROOOAAAR!" She unleashed a cyclone of Haki-imbued wind at the assassins, but they both used Paper Art to float in with the wind.

"Foolish girl!" Slade then flew above the cyclone's range with a Moon Walk, and he fired a long-range Finger Pistol to pierce Chelia in the forehead.

"Chelia!" Index yelled, catching the dancer before she fell. Lotte fed her a healing potion to repair the wound.

Slade snapped his fingers, injuring all his victims again. "Dammit, stop doing that!" Nagisa shouted.

"Come and make me, boy!" Slade retorted, his body sparking.

"Nngh… Index, isn't there something we can do?" Chelia asked weakly. "Can my World Ring do something?"

"I have one idea. But it's going to be tricky." Index calmly approached the battle. Chase was able to whip Karma and Masrur with his tongue and turn them to evil, so now their sights were set on Nagisa and Morgiana. "HEY! STOP FIGHTING FOR A SECOND!" Both groups ceased and looked at her confusedly. "Listen, Slade… don't even think about killing the Fanalis just yet! There was something Morgiana wanted to tell them."

"Huh?" Morg was surprised, wondering what she was planning.

"Well, Morg… everyone is listening. You should use this chance before it's too late."

Morgiana faced all the tribesmen, still weakened by Slade's attacks. They were curious over what was so important for the battle to cease. It was then that Morg's gaze fell onto a recovering Chelia. "I understand. Nagisa, will you join me?"

"Hm? Okay, sure…" They locked hands and calmly approached the Fanalis.

"People of Fanali… like you, I was raised to honor the Red Lions in the hopes that I may become one. However, I failed my ritualistic dance because I loved something else. I ran away from my punishment because I was afraid of losing my legs. My legs, as the symbol of a Fanalis's pride, were the only things I cared about. That was before… I met Nagisa." She held his hand firmly. "A boy whom I would have gladly sacrificed my legs, and my life to protect him. And do you know why?"

"It's because…" Nagisa was hesitant to say it at first. He glanced at Chelia for a moment, and could instantly tell what Index was planning. He faced the Fanalis with pride and said, "It's because I love her."

"And I love him. That's why I swore I would protect him. But later… I abandoned that promise." Morg closed her eyes. "Because we made a new promise. It was before we entered the First Dimension. Before our war with the Thirteen Darknesses. Do you remember, Nagisa?" They held both of each other's hands and looked each other in the eye. "I will not die for you."

Nagisa smiled. "And I will not die for you. We either die together, or we survive together. Because the two of us grew together. No matter how much we trained or how strong we were individually, the two of us would only succeed together."

"Huuuurrrr…!" Nagisa was grunting while doing push-ups, for Morgiana was planted firmly on his back.

"HYAH!" Morg cried, throwing a powerful kick to Nagisa's stomach. Despite his newly mastered Iron Body, her foot still penetrated and forced saliva out of his mouth. Nagisa kept trying to stay firm against her kicks, and eventually, saliva stopped coming out, he would stop falling over, and at Morgiana's strongest, he would only step back a few feet.

Later, Morg was throwing a flurry of kicks his way, but each and every one missed due to Nagisa's Paper Art. She swung horizontally, but he shifted and floated up, she tried a downward kick, but he swerved around her leg, and when she simply tried to grab him, Nagisa slipped behind and grabbed her in turn. "Gotcha!" He hardened with Iron Body to make Morg lose her balance, then he lightened and forced himself rightward to make her fall, finishing the combo with an elbow to Morg's jaw. She spat out some blood and teeth, sharing a smirk with her partner.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Nagisa laughed, having flown above the treehouse using Moon Walks. "Hey, Morgie, I just beat your jumping record!"

"Grrrrr!" Morgiana ignited her Red-Foot Fury and used Rocket Jumps to catch up to him. Nagisa jumped up higher, Morgiana kicked higher, and both of them were determined to rise higher than the other. Eventually, both their legs got tired and they plummeted straight into a sandy dune. "Huff, huff, huff…" They were terribly sweaty and dirty, their clothes ragged, and the bottoms of Morg's soles were burnt crisp.

"When I first began working under Nagisa," Morg continued, "I didn't know what this feeling was. I thought I was still a slave, serving under a better, kinder master. I thought I was a teacher, drawn to a developing student. But I don't think even Love can describe what I feel for him."

"Because it doesn't matter how strong one of us is. It doesn't matter if we bruise each other or walk away from each other. Because our bond is something that can never be broken." As both partners gazed into each other's eyes, the Soul Bond made itself known, shining with the power of their feelings.

"There it is, Chelia." Index whispered. "Go up and touch it. Your World Ring should awaken their full powers."

"Right! Time to see what I can… wh…what?…" To her confusion, a light appeared on her own chest. Chelia gasped when the World Ring flew out and headed for Nagisa and Morgiana.

Both partners clasped the ring firmly in their hands, equally surprised at this turn of events. "The ring!" exclaimed Index. "It… abandoned its Bearer?!"

The ring transformed into light and was absorbed into Nagisa and Morgiana's bodies. The Soul Bond shined brighter than ever, eventually swallowing the two in the light. The others could feel incredible power rising from that spot.

When Nagisa could see again, he learned that his hair had grown longer, and by simply waving his hand, afterimages appeared as if he were moving through dimensions. He couldn't see, but a black shadow had fallen over his eyes, making them gleam blue and soulless, and a deathly aura of black and red encased his body. "Morg… for some reason, I have a strong thirst for blood, and my body feels so nimble. How do you feel—GYAH!" When he turned, Morgiana was gone, and in her place was a large, feminine Red Lion, much smaller compared to the ones in the sky.

"Don't be afraid, Nagisa… it's still me."

"M…Morg? But, wait, if you're a Red Lion now… you can't change back, right?"

"Even if I can never change back… do you still love me?"

"Y…Yes." Nagisa shook off his surprise. "I'll always love you. And we'll always be partners. But I hope you still love me if I go a bit crazy."

"Of course I will, Nagisa. And besides, Eri could probably change me back. Now… shall we fight them together?"

"I think one-on-one will be fine. Otherwise, it won't make it fair to them."

"Well, Goombella, what are their odds?" Index asked.

"Nagisa and Morg doubled their Power Levels. I'd say the odds are smaller than they were before."

"So, Slade…" Nagisa began with a devilish grin, "Shall we dance?" (Play "The Encounter" from Kingdom Hearts II!)

Boss fight: Chase Young and Slade Wilson

Nagisa Shaved behind Slade, the assassin drawing a sword in defense, only to realize the Nagisa was an afterimage as the real one kicked the back of his head. "So, my Electro Body doesn't hurt you, anymore!" Slade hardened his blade with Haki and tried to cut Nagisa, only to sever another afterimage, and now multiple illusions surrounded him on the ground and sky. "Okay, boy, let's see where you've gone." Slade closed his eye and searched for him with Observation. "THERE YOU ARE!" He stabbed to his left when Nagisa lunged at him. "NOT SO FAST!" He sensed Nagisa going to jump over, so he stabbed upward. "Huh?!" Sadly, there was no one on his sword.

"Doodle-oodle-dooooo…" Slade could hear the echo of a singing bird. "Wait a minute! Is that the Humming Bird technique?!"

"If you mean the technique that incites fear into your heart and deceives the senses…" Slade gasped as Nagisa zipped past Slade, his nails extended and a crescent grin on his face. "Then yeah."

"AUUUGH!" Blood spewed out of Slade's left hip.

"My love for Morgiana has sharpened my assassination skills, it seems. I think I'll call this form… Bloodlust Fury."

"Then I'll just have to go all-out on you!" Slade began to twirl his blade, using Rhythm Echo as he stepped side-to-side, his illusions surrounding Nagisa. "Please." remarked Nagisa, merely sniffing Slade's blood and leaping in the direction the scent came from. However, Nagisa cut down a fake Slade, leaving the real one to stab him in the back. "HNNNGH—got ya!" Nagisa's own hair extended and grabbed the adult's arms.

"What?! You know the Life Return technique?!"

"I guess I do!" Nagisa further wrapped Slade up in his hair and used Iron Body to make the strands inescapable. Still maintaining Iron Body, Nagisa whirled Slade in the air with his hair and slammed him back and forth against the ground. "HURAAAAAAHHHH!" Slade summoned every ounce of energy to grab the hair and yanked it off Nagisa's head. Slade quickly used Paper Art when Nagisa began rapidly jabbing his fingers and shooting Finger Pistols from afar. Nagisa's hair grew again, shooting its own Finger Pistols with every strand. Nagisa was able to fly above Slade with Moon Walk, completely encasing the paper-light assassin in a rounded wall of Chi Bullets, making the area smaller and smaller until Slade had no choice but to float directly up to Nagisa.

Despite Slade's hopes that he would slip through a gap, Nagisa ended up snagging the paper man in his teeth, using Iron Body to drag them both to the ground with a smash. Nagisa kept his teeth lodged in Slade's neck, the assassin furiously punching the boy's head, yet Nagisa refused to let go. "The Spider Bite technique!" Slade grabbed him by the arms and desperately, forcefully tore him off, tearing a rift in his neck. "There's no way you can learn the Advanced Series with just a simple power-up! Huh?!" Once again, Slade was surrounded by Nagisa clones, forming many layers of a circle as they rotated around him.

"Korosensei used to do this with me! It's kind of fun! Hey, do I look like him?!" they said in monotone. Slade slashed his sword at the ones that tried to get him, and they made remarks like, "I'm the one! Look again~! Hi, Mr. Slade! Gum-Gum PUNCH!" The last one socked him in the jaw.

"We'll see how cocky you are after I eliminate the hostages!" Slade snapped his fingers, lighting the town with the bodies of screaming Fanalis. "Wait a minute." He noticed that some of them weren't lighting. He used Moon Walk to fly up, watching as Eri went around and touched all the Fanalis she came across.

"Eri-chan, I think it's working!" Deku shouted happily. "Those people didn't get hurt!"

"That damn girl is healing all the Fanalis! TEMPEST KICK!" Slade swung his foot with the malicious intent to murder the child, until it was blocked by Nagisa's own leg.

"Sorry, Slade, but slicing this country in half won't stop me!" Both opponents clashed legs against the other's, the sky vibrating with power as they cancelled out each other's Tempest Kicks. BAM! Slade heard a gunshot from his right and reacted to grab the bullet—nothing was there. This was followed by sequential gunshots as Nagisa was rapidly snapping fingers in Slade's ears, but Slade couldn't cut him no matter how much he swung around. "What's wrong, Slade? You getting cold feet?"

"AAH!" Slade's heels were sliced by Nagisa's nails, and then the boy proceeded to push him to the ground with Iron Body weight.

Meanwhile, Morgiana faced off against Chase Young, the lion growling at the little prey. "So, you can transform too, huh? Well, let's see if the Lion can beat the Lizard!" Before her eyes, Chase transformed into a dragon-like lizard, his slit yellow eyes full of malice and sharp blades along his back. He began by Shaving above Morgiana's back and slashing his claws, but her superior skin was unharmed as Morg did a flip and sent Chase flying with a kick.

Chase crashed in the town, and seeing the Fanalis spectators, he whipped his tongue at all of them and turned them to evil. "That's more like it. You people worship the Red Lions, right?! Well, it's time for you to break that tradition!"

"I don't think so!" Index declared, punching Light Spheres at the victims and ridding them of their Dark Chi. "Either fight Morg by yourself or don't fight at all!"

Morgiana began to run circles around Chase, surrounding him in flames. The flames took the form of lions and lunged at him, but in a flash, Chase disappeared. "Up here!" Morg whipped up, seeing the assassin slash a Tempest Kick, but she kicked her hind leg up to block it. He spun his hands and conjured a cyclone, which Morg easily jumped through with the intent to bite him, but that's when Chase set the wind aflame and burned her. Morg fell, shaking the fire off, then she was stabbed in the stomach by large icicles conjured by Chase.

"He can bend more than two elements?!" Deku exclaimed. "For that, he would have to be an Avatar!"

"No, it's not bending!" Goombella observed. "It's magic! Apparently, Chase is a Wandless Mage!"

"Just like Romeo." Maria recalled.

"Then I guess that lizard form is his Animagus." Lotte followed.

"Correct." Chase replied. "Forced to rely on your body, using wandless magic takes dedication and willpower. But it has helped me grow stronger for 1500 years!" Using Levitation Magic, he grabbed the Fanalis citizens and hurled them at Morgie, who only dodged them as she ran for Chase. The mage used a Protego shield, Morg sinking her fangs into the bubble, pouring more pressure until she was able to bite through. Chase's Iron Body was still active as Morg grabbed him in her teeth and leapt sky high, doing a swift flip and pinning him under her feet as she plummeted to the ground and crushed him into a crater.

Still pinned under her paw, Chase disapparated and reappeared on a building, using Puppet Magic to make stone soldiers rise from the ground, their eyes glowing orange. Morgiana kicked them into submission, biting the head off the last one and throwing it at Chase, only to go through an afterimage. Illusions of Chase appeared on all the rooftops with some on the ground; with Apparation, making apparitions is easy. However, like Nagisa, Morg put her feline senses to good use and proceeded to leap to the next spot Chase would spawn, swinging a kick and striking him a millisecond after he appeared.

"Instead of sniffing my location, you snuffed out the spot I would appear! I shouldn't have underestimated your instincts." He leapt at Morgiana, who mimicked the tactic, but Chase faced his back to her and used Life Return to extend his blades, effectively piercing her along the front. Chase retracted the blades and used Life Return on his tongue, wrapping it around her entire body and slamming her into the ground. Chase hardened his tongue with Iron Body and squeezed her tighter.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRR!" Morgiana's cry placed fear into the hearts of everyone, with Nagisa as the only exception. Her voice was heard across the country as Chase unraveled his tongue, becoming immobile and falling. Morgiana leapt away and bellowed another roar, her chi taking the form of flaming lions as they each took turns gnashing the lizard in their fangs. Chase tried to escape the flurry with Paper Art, but this gave Morg the chance to roar again and blow him away. Chase hardened himself and remained airborne, but Morg flew to him like a rocket. Chase combined Ventus and Glacius to create a freezing cyclone, but Morgiana fought the cold as she spun in the whirlwind, building up her momentum as she sent Chase flying with a tremendous kick.

Chase crashed along the ground, blowing through some homes before slamming into Slade. Both assassins recovered to see Nagisa and Morgiana beside one-another. "I think it's time to wrap this up, Morg."

"I'm ready when you are."

Nagisa flipped up and landed on Morg's back, their Soul Bond appearing like a rein to control a wild beast. Nagisa gripped his end of the Bond and channeled chi to it, while Morgiana gripped hers in her teeth and sucked air in through her nose. Gaining ever more power from their unbreakable bond, Morgiana bellowed another roar, rendering Slade and Chase immobile. "Siiiix Kiiiiing CANNOOOOOON!" Nagisa unleashed a beam composed of every fragment of his chi. It landed a direct hit against the assassins, their bodies represented by black silhouettes within the energy. As the power died away, the adults were left as charred and bloody masses. (End song.)

Morgiana gasped for air after putting her vocals to such a workout, and Nagisa's aura had shrunk back to normal, having had his fill of bloodlust. …?! Slade and Chase were slowly repairing their wounds with their own Life Return. "Well, Chase… it seems that boy is a true assassin in the making. And I'm sure that girl would make a fine beast to add to your collection."

"Indeed… but I'm afraid we've got bigger problems."

The sky was filled with Red Lions, many of whom seemed insignificant compared to the tremendous lion in the center. "Oh good, the chief's back!" Chelia beamed.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!"

Chase and Slade weakly recovered from their shock caused by the roar. "I think it's time to go." Chase decided. "Come, Kalluto!"

"Yes, Master Young!" The young Zoldyck quickly Shaved over to his superiors.

"You have earned my recognition, Nagisa Shiota." Slade smirked. "I know we will meet again." And with that, Chase Disapparated them.

"So, that's how people fight on the outside." Karma thought aloud. "Hmph… I think I'm gonna leave this place myself."

Once all the Fanalis were cured of Slade's curse, everyone watched as Morgiana approached the massive lion that was the chief. Index approached The Riddler and asked, "Riddler, I have to know, why did the World Ring abandon Chelia?"

"A very good question." The genius stroked his chin. "You see, Love is a very complex emotion, Index. It can come in all shapes and forms. Not even the World Ring of Love understood what True Love is. The second it felt a stronger burst of love, it was quick to become a part of it."

"Wow… Rings sure are complex fellas."

Morgiana stood before the altar, where Chief Pocanto looked down on her and her friends. "Morgiana… it must have taken great courage to return here. After the way you disgraced the Red Lions, you must have known we would show no more mercy. However, taking Chelia's teachings into consideration, I was willing to pardon you. But it would seem that is no longer necessary. Now that you have become one of us, it is clear that you have grown from the sins of your past. I am honored… to welcome you back into our family."

"Thank you, Chief. But you're mistaken. I'm not part of your family, anymore." Morgiana turned and faced down at Eri, who hid behind Deku in fright. "Eri-chan… could you please restore me to my true form?"

"Go ahead, Eri. It's alright." Deku assured her. The girl carefully walked up to Morgiana and touched her leg. She activated her Quirk, and in a flash, Morgiana shrunk back into a human form. The Fanalis gasped, horrified at this.

"Im…possible!" exclaimed the chief.

"That girl is seriously overpowered." Killua remarked.

"I have no intention to join the Red Lions or spend another moment in this country. I will walk beside my friends on my own human feet, and I will stay by Nagisa's side. Sector SA is my family now, and I will continue to grow and evolve with them. And besides… since I have a World Ring now, staying here will only endanger the universe. So, buh-bye." And with that, Morgiana had her sights set on the exit.

"Oh, and if you even think of cutting her legs off," Goombella smirked, "know that we have a billion operatives on standby to demolish your race if you do. Hey, the Four Emperors aren't the only ruthless thugs around here."

"Eh hehe. She doesn't mean it." Nagisa blushed. "But we'd best be going, anyway. Bye, Karma! It was nice meeting you."

"Same to you!" Karma called. "You better treat her nicely, ya hear me? I'll be comin' to check up on you!"

"Farewell, my faithful followers!" Riddler announced.

"Will we ever see you again, Master Nigma?!" one of the men asked, the Fanalis becoming teary-eyed over their strong visitor's departure.

"Of course you will! As soon as you buy some phones and look up the social media profiles I told you about!"

It wasn't how I planned to confess my love to Morgiana, but it felt terrific all the same. For the longest time, I thought she was better than me. I learned Rokushiki to have even a remote chance of keeping up with her strength. She inspired me to grow, and I inspired her. It wasn't just about trying to beat the other, it was about growing with each other and facing the same obstacles together. And now, this World Ring was a true symbol of our love and union.

"I'm not ready for sex, though."

"GHHH!" Nagisa's face reddened. "W-Well of course not, we're still underage!" And that would be another obstacle long down the line.

Outside the Rift

Relieved to see that their ship was okay, Riddler disabled the barrier. "Hey, guuuuyyys!" They looked back to see Chelia racing over.

"Aw, don't tell me you're joining our party, anyway!" Killua complained.

"No, silly! I decided to leave Fanali. It's clear there's a lot that I still don't understand about Love… so I'm going to keep exploring the cosmos and learning all that I can!"

"You're still coming to my Princess Slumber Party, right?" Maria grinned.

"Haha, of course, Maria!"

"Oh yeah, I guess it's time to look for Louise now." Goombella figured. "Have you figured out a plan, Maria?"

"Oh, sure. I was thinking we shrink her down with a potion and I carry her back to Mushroom by the scruff of her hood." Maria replied casually, picking her ear. "I already tried talking, didn't I?"

"Sounds immoral, but I'll take it." Index shrugged.

"Hey, Morg! Why don't we use the Soul Bond to track her down this time?"

"Hm hm, sounds like a plan." Morg smiled and held Maria's hand, watching as the Soul Bond appeared. Maria clutched the thread that belonged to Louise, and could feel how hot the other end was. …However, when her sister appeared in her vision, she appeared to be shaking on the ground with a horrified expression. "L…Louise? H-Hey, guys, I think something's happened to Louise!"

"Is she injured?!" Index asked.

"I can't tell! But she feels like she's in a lot of pain. And I think…I think she's on Planet Mobius."

"Then let's go, team!" Nagisa declared. "To Planet Mobius!"