You are finally here

A few minutes had already passed since the battle began. The atmosphere was caught between heat and cold. Each clash between fire and ice erupted in explosions. Although Serena and the others were shielded by protective ice, they could still see everything around them. Watching the fight, they could clearly tell—Marcus was falling behind. He was mostly dodging fire attacks, barely having time to counter. Kaji had the upper hand. As he rapidly launched fireballs, Marcus often had to create ice barriers to shield himself from the flames. Kaji's fire was no ordinary blaze; somehow, its intensity was hotter than natural fire. It was clear he was used to battles like this. What made things even harder for Marcus was Kaji's ability to stay airborne using his fire. He could fly to any spot swiftly and effortlessly, while Marcus didn't have the same advantage.

Finding an opening, Marcus hurled a massive ice spike toward Kaji. Noticing this, Kaji used his fire to shift like a rocket, landing directly behind Marcus and launching a large fireball at him. In the last second, Marcus erected an ice wall to protect himself, but as soon as the fire hit the ice, the resulting explosion hurled him back, slamming him into a wall.

Serena, who was watching Marcus closely, sensed something was off. Sure, Marcus might not have as much combat experience as Kaji, but he'd been trained by Shin. Serena had witnessed those intense training sessions, so she couldn't understand why Marcus was struggling so much. As Kaji's fireballs blazed through the building, Serena noticed something: every time Kaji's heat began to melt their protective ice, it quickly regenerated. "This ice can't be renewing itself automatically. That means Marcus is consciously maintaining it each time. Is that why he's struggling? He can't focus fully on the fight because he's still watching over us... Now what should I do? If Marcus can't focus, he'll lose. But if we step out, those men will capture us. What should I do? Why am I so powerless?"

Serena tried to think deeply for a solution. "Think… What would Shin do if he were here? Or what would he want me to do… think…"

"Hey! I told you I don't need your healing!" a 16-year-old Marcus barked at Serena after a training session with Shin, rejecting her attempt to heal him.

"Oh? Still sulking like an old man, are you? Can't believe you haven't gotten used to losing yet." Serena teased him, healing a few bruises on his arm.

"Hmm…" Marcus said nothing and walked away.

"Ahh… total brat," Serena muttered, annoyed as she watched him walk off.

Shin's calm voice interrupted her thoughts. "You know that's not why he's acting this way, Serena."

"You're so patient with him. Just give him a good beating in training; maybe that'll straighten him out."

"…I don't think that's the right way to discipline kids…"

Serena rolled her eyes in frustration, watching Marcus walk away.

"Yet, you still come to heal him after every training."

"What else can I do? My powers are only useful for this."

"You need to stop thinking one-sidedly. Your energy isn't just for healing."

"What? What else could it possibly do? Are you sure? This pink light from my hands can only heal, nothing more."

"Practice the energy exercises I taught Marcus. I'm sure, in time, you'll figure it out, even without my help."

"I've practiced every spare moment I had… but nothing happened. Shin, what did you mean by not thinking one-sidedly?"

As Serena pondered this, the fight between Marcus and Kaji raged on at full speed. Marcus was still having a hard time. Suddenly, Kaji turned and launched his next fireball—not at Marcus but at the others. If it struck, even the ice barrier wouldn't keep them safe.

"No!!!" Marcus moved to intercept the fireball and attempted to conjure a massive ice wall, but the fireball was too fast, striking him before the wall was fully formed. Though the ice shield absorbed some of the blast, a burn mark appeared on Marcus's chest.

"Marcus!!!" Serena shouted as the protective ice around them began to melt again, only to be renewed immediately. Despite his injuries, Marcus was still keeping an eye on his siblings.

"Stop thinking one-sidedly, Serena! If Marcus is still fighting, then so will I!" Serena took a deep breath and began gathering her energy into her hand. Focusing deeply, she sensed its weight and density increasing. Evelyn looked at her in surprise.

"Serena… what is that sphere in your hand?"

Serena opened her eyes and glanced down. Normally, when she used her power to heal, a faint light would appear in her hand. But now, she held a dense energy sphere, and she knew exactly what to do with it.

"Marcus! Focus entirely on the fight, you idiot!"

Serena began to expand the sphere in her hand, enlarging it until it surrounded Evelyn, Lucian, and the twins, pushing back the surrounding ice to protect them further.

Marcus looked at Serena in shock, and Evelyn was equally surprised.

"Is this… a protective shield?" she asked.

"Yes… I think so," Serena replied, looking toward Marcus. Stop worrying about us and focus on your fight. I'll protect the children. Marcus seemed to understand her unspoken words, nodding before standing and shifting his full focus back to Kaji. As Kaji fired another fireball, Marcus froze the ground and used the ice to quickly change positions, deftly dodging the attacks. Then, he enclosed the entire building with large ice walls, narrowing Kaji's field of vision as much as possible. Kaji attempted to melt the ice with a massive flame, but before he could finish, he was bombarded with a flurry of small, sharp ice shards from different directions.

Kaji was visibly frustrated, glancing around with confusion as ice shards kept coming at him from all sides. They struck with relentless speed, gradually scraping and wounding him, while the towering ice formations continued to obscure his view and restrict his movements. Unable to gather his energy long enough to launch a powerful counterattack, Kaji's irritation grew. A few minutes later, his arms bore several fresh cuts, and his expression hardened as he scanned for any trace of Marcus.

Peter, watching from the exit, sighed. "Well, well, looks like little Kaji could use some help. Get ready!"

Over ten armed men stormed inside, firing in every direction. Marcus and the others were caught off guard. Half of the men aimed at Serena and the children, but her shield protected them from the bullets. The rest shot wildly, diverting Marcus's attention for a split second – just enough time for Kaji to regain his strength. Kaji unleashed a huge wave of fire that instantly melted the ice. Now, Marcus was battling not only Kaji but also the armed men.

Suddenly, Peter shouted, "The girl's shield is down!"

Serena tensed up but quickly realized it was a bluff meant to distract Marcus. "No, Marcus, he's lying!" she yelled. But it was too late – Marcus had turned back in worry, only to find Serena's shield still intact. Realizing it was a trap, he quickly resumed his stance, but Kaji had already taken advantage, launching an attack that singed several areas of Marcus's skin. Gathering himself, Marcus retaliated by freezing the atmosphere so intensely it became hard to breathe.

Serena continued deflecting the bullets with her shield and, glancing back at Marcus, noticed Peter stealthily approaching him. She stared in horror when she saw that he was holding a bomb.

"Marcus, watch out! Behind you!" she shouted.

Marcus whirled around and managed to encase Peter in a block of ice, but Kaji's attack struck him from behind, sending him crashing into the ground with a grunt.

"Marcus!" everyone cried out, watching him anxiously. It was the first time he'd taken a direct hit. Serena wanted to rush to his aid, but if she left the shield, the children would be vulnerable to the gunfire. She didn't know how to move the shield with her. Marcus struggled to stand, but the burns on his body made it difficult. Kaji fixed his gaze on Marcus and, after a brief pause, began gathering all his power, forming his largest and hottest fireball yet.

"No… if that attack hits him…" Evelyn's voice trembled, and the twins clung to each other.

"Marcus! Stand up!" Serena shouted, seeing how severe his burns were. Still, Marcus tried to get to his feet, but Kaji launched the fireball without hesitation. Like a blazing meteor, it tore through the air toward him. Marcus closed his eyes, bracing for impact, as the twins screamed in unison.

"Shin-nii, please help us!"

Unexpectedly, Marcus's shadow, illuminated by the approaching fireball, seemed to come to life, stepping in front of him as a shield.

"…What?"

"!!!"

"…?"

"Huh? What just happened?" Everyone looked around in disbelief. Kaji and his men couldn't comprehend what had just occurred, but Marcus and the others knew exactly who was behind it. All the shadows in the room suddenly started moving, gathering together until they formed a swirling portal. Everyone watched intently, waiting to see who would emerge. But Marcus already had a good idea.

"Finally, you're here, huh? I was starting to think you'd forgotten us… Shin!"

The first thing that stood out about the man who stepped out of the portal was his striking, blood-red eyes. With slightly long black hair, a dark overcoat, and a tall, imposing figure, Shin's presence filled the room. Serena stared at him.

"He has that same calm look as always, but… something's different. I… I've never seen him this angry before…"