“Lies of Lies”

The giant eye flickered to where it looked, as it began multiply into more, the duplicates floating around the area as Nico looked around, confused on what to expect.

A few of the eyes shot lasers, which travelled to other eyes that'd redirect them, causing beams to travel around the area, Nico beginning to dodge and reflect them.

"You won't last long."

Aku mymbled, Nico lunging forth, his ring glowing yellow, as his body began to cibrate into the visibility of a blur, dashing towards Aku at insane speeds..

"What the..-"

Aku quickly clashed with Nico's attack, the eyes all looking at him as the lasers stopped. Nico kept pushing back Aku's blade with his own, Aku gritting his teeth before stomping down, a wave forming from the ground to push Nico back.

The eyes changed to making constant beams, slowly moving the beams around to form difficult patterns to avoid. Nico unsheathed his second sword, beginning to avoid the beams through the small gaps, reflecting the beams he can't avoid.

As he dodged, Nico's hand gained a yellow energy as he swung it at the ground, the ground shaking as a chunk of it collapsed down, a subway tunnel underneath.

"There's no escape now..!"

Aku ran into the hole with him, all the eyes disappearing besides one that followed Aku. Everyone else surrounding the hole, peaking down to see what was going on down there.

"I wouldn't worry too much, everyone.. Nico's plotting something."

Kiara said, everyone looking to her in confusion, not sure if to believe her as they looked back down. Nico and Aku were full on clashing, Nico's body emitting a red energy as Aku's blue, the two moving around at speeds where only the blur of their afterimages were seen.

Nico began getting more violent, firing off explosions which Aku briefly dodged, allowing Nico to gain offensive as he left him under a flurry of slashes.

Aku eventually managed to retreat out of the barrage, the two both breathing heavily as Aku raised his hand in the air.

LUNAR CYCLE

A clock-like symbol formed on the floating eye, the symbol glowing a light blue, as one hand was on the clock, moving yet quickly slowling down.

Nico was confused at first, though his eyes suddenly widened, realizing what Aku might be doing, before running at him, though his body moved slowly.

Aku grinned, time stopping arojnd him as he slowly approached Nico, his blade held high.

"That was fun, I must say. But in the end I win."

He charged his sword back before swinging forth towards Nico, though a subtle whistling sound could be heard, Aku's movement coming to an abrupt stop as he watched a flute between the two.

"This is.."

Aku recognized this flute well, the one he carried before his death, the flute that fell from the moon god, as the legend said.

Knowing the legend, Aku looked up, expecting to see this moon god, though that wasn't the case, a being blocking the sun , carrying black wings, and a devilish smile.

Aku's face came to a cold glare as he watched the being raise their hand, a menacing dark aura forming at their hand, as a ticking sound could be heard, time returning to normal.

Everyone stumbled, the sudden regain of time making them feel strange, confused on what happened.

"You…"

Aku said in a stoic tone, everyone looking up at the suddenly arrived figure, their eyes widened, with only Nico and Kiara being clueless.

Aku jumped out from the hole, as did Nico, the figure slowly reaching the surface, their wings disappearing as they did.

"…"

Everyone was silent, the figures black hair swaying through the gentle night breeze, the moon's light reflecting off their pale white skin, a red lipstick complimenting it.

"Morell…"

Reece said in a soft breath, frozen in place. It seems Morell had returned, different from before. Morell was once known as quiet and timid, though she seemed more dominant, more cold with her subtle smile.

"To think, little Ryoto survived against Malik.. quite impressive..!"

She said in a soft, almost seductive tone well approaching Nico, running her plastic up his blade. Nico didn't know how to respond, her presence made him nervous for some reason, as did everyone else.

"Oh..-! And Aku..? I thought you died.. I wonder how you haven't died, I'm not gonna question it..!"

She giggled, looking to the rest of the group. Reece was first to actually react, everyone else frozen as she ran to Morell, crying, which wasn't like her tough self, before wrapping her arms around Morell.

"WAHHH..!!! I MISSED YOU, WHY'D YOU LEAVE!!!"

Morell subtly gasped in surprise, calming Reece down in her embrace, the rest of the group smiling as they walked up to Morell as well.

"It's good to see you all again. Sorry for my.. outburst, I hadn't known what came to me."

Evan and Bennett shook their heads, gesturing that she had no need to apologize, it felt like a big reunion.

Nico and Kiara stood there awkwardly, not having any correlation with Morell, it jist felt weird standing on the side at this moment. Kafka stayed back as well, not sure of Morell fully forgived her yet.

"Don't worry, Kafka.. I forgive you, no need to be nervous..!"

Morell said, Kafka smiling as she pushed herself to them all, as they chatted together happily. Kiara slightly smiled herself, seeing their issue solved, though she noted Aku, who just stood still.

"Aku was once friends with Morell, correct? He seems in a bad spot, but, surely he wants to talk to Morell as well..?"

She glanced to Nico as she asked him, Nico looking back as he shrugged.

"I think he feels like he isn't relevant to her anymore, I mean I would too. Disappearing and coming back to see your friend happy with people besides you, you'd feel replaced."

Kiara sighed, nodding in agreement as they watched. Aku looked at the group, his head facing down as he held up his regained flute in a subtle grip, tossing it back on the ground before walking away and sheathing his sword.

Only Morell noticed Aku leave, a slight frown on her face.

"Oh..?"

Before she could go to stop him, everyone regained her attention as they continued to chat of their journeys since Morell's disappearance.

"Ah..! You truly found the ruler..? …Where is she, though..?"

Morell looked around, everyone's eyes wideneinf in surprise as they ran to where Uvie laid after being split in half, though oddly she disappeared, a note left on the ground.

"She just.. disappeared..?"

Evan questioned, picking up the note as he read it aloud.

"Wowie! It's been fun hanging out with you guys but I have a little… side quest to do! Something like that. Toodaloo!"

They all gained a blank face, getting tired of Ucie's shenanigans.

"Well I guess she's go-"

Reece stopped her sentence as they all turned back Morell, though she was gone too. The area began to fade away, as if all an illusion, they were never in the city in the first place.

Everyone looked around in confusion, within a dark ravine, Nico and Kiara grouping back close to the others as they scouted around the area. Nico swallowing his gut as he took realization.

"Ratio…"