FIND LOVE WITHIN THE SHADOWS
Frank and Michael is still fending off numerous shadow arm attacks within the shadowy dome. Suddenly, Frank is then struck from behind, and a powerful blow from the shadow arms propels him upward, causing him to crash to the top of the shadowy dome. Before he can descend, more shadow arms surge from below, launching him through the shadowy barrier, shattering it in the process. Frank is sent soaring high into the sky, coughing up blood as he does. Yet, he quickly regains his composure, and with added magical energy emanating from the magical knife in his hand, he spins around, countering the shadow arm assaults as he descends. Each of his strikes obliterates the menacing shadow limbs.
Meanwhile, within the shadowy dome, Michael struggles to hold back the multitude of shadow arms using his lightning bolts. As fear begins to grip him, he realizes that the odds may not be in their favor in this battle. Just as hope seems on the verge of slipping away, Michael spots Frank descending from above, radiating a formidable surge of magical energy. This sight renews Michael's determination to persevere in the fight. He amplifies his efforts, channeling even more of his lightning magic, and releases a massive electrical shock throughout the shadowy dome, which reveals Aiden's position with a brilliant discharge.
Frank, witnessing this development, quickly plummets toward Aiden with the mystical knife in hand. In a swift, decisive motion, he severs Aiden's right arm. The violent act shatters the shadow dome, causing it to dissipate. Aiden falls to the ground, his severed arm bleeding profusely. Overwhelmed by the pain and the severity of the situation, Aiden begins to panic and mutters to himself. He questions why Simon would dispatched him to this battle, knowing he couldn't emerge victorious. Tears stream down his face and employs his remaining shadow magic to unleash shadow arms at Frank and Michael, who relentlessly advance toward him.
He comes to a somber realization that his cherished hopes and dreams of leading a life with his newfound friends once this ordeal concludes are destined to not happen. The weight of his thoughts deepens as he reflects on the possibility that Simon still has a grudge against him because he was the cause of their parent's death. Aiden finally reaches a disheartening conclusion: he is nothing more than a pawn in Simon's grand scheme to exhaust Frank and Michael, depleting their magical reserves and stamina, ensuring a more favorable outcome for Simon in the inevitable confrontation so he could have his life with Mai after all of this.
With newfound resolve, Aiden begins to laugh, accepting the harsh reality of his situation. He willingly expends all of his magical power and life force, unleashing a thousands of shadow arms . These tendrils compel Frank and Michael to intensify their battle against Aiden's shadow magic, further depleting their own reserves of energy.
As Frank closes in on Aiden, he abruptly realizes that Aiden has succumbed to his death, his lifeless form remaining eerily stationary. Slowly, Aiden's body begins to fade away, dispersing into nothingness through the medium of magic. Overcome with exhaustion and gasping for breath, Frank collapses to his knees, acknowledging that his body is unaccustomed to such a staggering magnitude of magical exertion. Michael concurs, expressing that he, too, has drained a significant portion of his magical reserves during this grueling encounter.
Before they have a chance to catch their breath, a commotion grabs Michael's attention nearby. With a sense of urgency, he quickly moves in the direction of the disturbance, and Frank follows at a more measured pace. Michael comes upon the scene where Vass is administering CPR to Conor. As he gazes at Conor, a striking resemblance to Adam becomes apparent to him.
Without hesitation, Michael offers his assistance, employing his lightning magic to administer a series of electric shocks to Conor's chest in an attempt to revive him. He persists in his efforts, but initially, they appear to be in vain. Frank arrives at Conor's side and places the magical knife in his hand, channeling its potent magic into his body. Michael delivers another electrical jolt to Conor's chest, and at long last, his heart stirs to life with the electric shocks and knife's magic.
In an instant, the upper part of the apartment building becomes shrouded in shadow magic, and an immense shadow creature emerges, emitting a thunderous roar. Michael's concern deepens as he wonders whether they possess enough magical power to defeat such a monstrous adversary. Vass and Nakao, carries Duke and Conor to safety while the magic around Frank's gradually dissipates at a slow pace.
Resolute in his decision, Frank says that he must employ every last trace of magic before it vanishes completely. Michael is taken aback by the formidable and terrifying nature of Mai's curse. The shadow creature lunges with a powerful punch, and Frank charges headlong into the blow, enveloped in a nimbus of magical energy. Michael observes Frank's unwavering determination as he strives to withstand the punch. Gradually, the shadow creature's massive fist begins to splinter and break apart. In a renewed surge of determination, Michael says that he's going to be the one who saves Mai, he then rushes in to assist Frank, together they muster the strength to shatter the shadow's formidable fist into a multitude of shadow shards.
The shadow creature releases a thunderous roar, causing his shadow magic to envelop the entire town within seconds, forming an expansive shadow dome. Frank swiftly instructs Michael to protect the others, and Michael dashes with remarkable speed to reach Vass and the rest of the group, arriving just moments before the dome plunges into complete darkness. He employs his lightning bolts to repel numerous shadow arms seeking to attack the group.
Meanwhile, Frank's aura radiates with intensity as he moves forward, skillfully evading the oncoming attacks from the shadow arms. Sensing his magic dwindling rapidly, he shouts out his unwavering determination to rescue Mai. In response, Frank conjures a magical shotgun and fires rounds at the shadow creature. The magic-infused bullets detonate upon impact with the creature's form, with Frank continuously dodging attacks while unleashing magical bullets. Finally, the shadow creature erupts in a massive magical explosion, leading to the shattering of the shadow dome.
As the darkness recedes, Frank falls to the ground, utterly exhausted, only to discern that traces of shadow magic still linger throughout the entire town. Frank gazes at the apartment building, observing the increasing surge of shadow magic seeping from every window. Just then, Simon emerges from the building's front doors, cradling Mai within a giant hand formed of shadow magic.
In a swift response, Frank discharges his magical shotgun in Simon's direction, but Simon swiftly employs his own shadow magic to intercept and blocks the magical bullets. Simultaneously, Michael takes flight with astonishing speed, aiming to reach Mai, only to encounter an obstruction as a shadow hand emerges and forcefully propels him aside.
Realizing the imminent threat, Frank envelops himself within a protective magical barrier, defying the ensnaring grasp of multiple shadow hands. He focuses his energy, generating an immensely potent magical blast within his shotgun and propelling it through the barrier. The powerful burst of magic surges forth, shattering the shadow hands in it's path.
However, before the magical blast can reach Simon, he confidently says that no one else in this world has greater love for Mai than him. With a mere punch, he effortlessly dispels the formidable magical blast unleashed by Frank. As the magic around Frank depletes, the encroaching shadow arms close in around him, constricting relentlessly until blood starts to seep from his mouth. Meanwhile, Michael perseveres in his sporadic assaults, discharging lightning attacks in bursts, but the relentless shadow arms gradually overwhelm him, binding him in their vice-like grip.
Amidst this dire situation, Mai demands Simon to spare their lives. However, Simon remains unmoved, pulling Frank and Michael nearer to him. He proceeds to articulate that the two individuals have shown their unwavering devotion to Mai through their tenacious struggle to reach her. Now, he is determined to see whether their love for Mai genuinely surpasses his own.
Employing his mastery over shadow magic, Simon generates creeping shadow vines that snake up Michael's body, penetrating through his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. These insidious vines then wraps around Michael's heart and Michael's mouth and eyes emit a brilliant radiance, projecting a panoramic display of his life's memories on a grand screen that materializes in the sky.
The screen projected in the sky begins to unravel Michael's perspective as he gazes is in front of his computer, engrossed in scrolling through social media. In this captivating virtual journey, he scrolls upon Mai's profile picture, and in that precise instant that he feels the stirrings of profound affection for her. His digital odyssey takes a decisive turn when he clicks on a video where Mai passionately discusses her quest to locate the missing inhabitants of Old Berry Town. At this juncture, Mikey's image shows up within the video, seizing the opportunity to log into Mikey's account and arrange a meeting with Mai, pretending to be his twin brother, Mikey.
The scene then changes the start of the apocalyptic events, Michael manages to rendezvous with Mai inside the van. However, when faced with the opportunity to speak to her, he finds himself unable to utter a word and hold himself back.
As the celestial screen continues to unspool the tapestry of Michael's life, it divulges a memory of him confined within a jail cell after being apprehended by Cameda. In the grim solitude of his incarceration, he laments about his impending demise, consumed by the regret of never having confessed his affection for Mai. The screen then transitions to a harrowing scene, depicting Michael strapped into an electric chair as it administers its searing shocks. In his final moments, Mai occupies his thoughts, a beacon of solace. Within the realm of darkness that encroaches, a glimmer of lightning and magic rekindles this cherished memory of Mai.
The screen subsequently shifts its focus to Michael, tirelessly honing his skills in the art of lightning magic. With determination burning in his eyes, he vows to grow stronger in order to protect Mai. The projection in the sky proceeds to reveal a recurring pattern in Michael's attempts to converse with Mai. Each time he endeavors to express his affections, Mai steers the conversation towards the vital importance of augmenting their strength for the impending battle against the Riders and the protection of Old Berry Town. Michael's subtle hints at his feelings for Mai but it is largely unacknowledged, as she consistently evades the topic and eventually departs.
As the celestial screen gradually dissipates, Michael's features return to their normal state. At this juncture, Simon declares that Michael's love for Mai pales in comparison to his own. He proceeds to offer Frank and Michael a glimpse of his own memories, illuminating everything he's done for Mai's sake.
In response, Michael lets out a wry laugh and suggests that, in their own ways, he and Simon are in the same. However, the moment takes a sinister turn as Simon wields the shadowy vines within Michael's heart, exerting crushing pressure until his heart ruptures. Subsequently, the shadow arms release Michael's lifeless body to the ground next to Frank.
Mai's anguished cries reverberate through the air as she sees Michael not responding. In response to her emotional state, Simon is surprised and questions to why she grieves for a man she has never loved. To this query, Frank answers for her and explains that her sorrow isn't merely due to romantic affection but a family bond and that Michael was a part of the Old Berry Town family, losing him is as equivalent to losing a brother.
In an attempt to silence him, Simon employs his shadow magic, directing shadow vines into Frank's body, and soon Frank's eyes and mouth emanate a brilliant light, projecting his own recollections. These memories offer his point of view perspective of the moment Frank first laid eyes on Mai in the store, instantly falling for her. The display proceeds to depict Frank wrestling with a Card zombie, a valiant effort to buy time for Mai and the others as they escape in a van. As the van speeds away, he gazes at Mai through the window, resolutely declaring that this day won't be her last, as he also desires to live longer and have cherish moments with her.
The scenes go on to reveal Frank repeatedly seeking employment from Mai, always eager to take on the most challenging tasks, which he always accomplishes. An affectionate moment is captured when Frank holds Mai in his arms and plants a gentle kiss on her forehead, her feelings of love for him are evident. The screen in the sky then quickly fades as Simon reacts with frustration, unable to comprehend how Mai's affection could have shifted so profoundly in favor of Frank.
Simon harnesses his shadow magic to infiltrate Mai's body, embedding her with shadowy vines that subsequently cast her memories across the sky. These memories offer a glimpse into Mai's perspective as she reviews body camera footage recorded by Frank, all from the confines of her room.
As she immerses herself in the recordings, Mai's curiosity is piqued by Frank's dedication and unwavering work ethic. Her focus then shifts to a moment when Frank engages in a tense battle with a Frog zombie, deftly maneuvering the situation to ultimately killing the creature. The footage continues to reveal Frank's heroic endeavors, rescuing numerous survivors and leading them back to Old Berry Town.
A turning point occurs when Mai watches Frank overhear Xai's worrisome announcement about the dwindling food supplies and the looming threat of starvation. Fueled by resolve, Frank embarks on a mission to secure as much sustenance as possible. His successful retrieval of a truckload of food for the town deeply impresses Mai, inspiring a newfound affection for him. She admires his selflessness and resourcefulness, acknowledging that he accomplishes remarkable feats without relying on magic.
The screen transitions to show Mai and Frank diligently collaborating on her mission to locate the missing individuals in Old Berry Town, marking off locations on a map. Amidst the challenges and stress, Frank extends a reassuring hand, reminding Mai that no one is more suited for the task than her. A shared smile captures a moment charged with affection, hinting at the budding love between them. The display ultimately portrays Mai in Frank's embrace, where she openly confesses her love for him, telling him that she fell in love with him because of the person he is and that even though he's weak and not as strong as the others, he's always willing to risk his life for all others around him.
The expansive screen in the sky gradually fades away, and Simon finds himself grappling with a sense of loss hope. He's realized that the affection between Mai and Frank is reciprocated, but this realization doesn't deter him. Simon acknowledges the mutual love but remains steadfast in his belief that Frank's love is not as profound as his. He contends that Frank lacks the willingness to make all-encompassing sacrifices for Mai, including relinquishing his humanity, sacrificing his family, and even laying down his life.
With a cruel resolve, Simon employs his shadow magic to constrict Frank's heart with shadowy vines until it violently detonates. The lifeless body of Frank is then released, tumbling to the ground next to Michael. Mai is consumed by anguish at the sight of Frank's demise, and she is compelled to act in her despair. However, the pervasive shadow magic restrains her, preventing her from inflicting harm upon herself. Simon shifts his attention toward Mai and asserts his determination to force her into loving him in their new life ahead of them.