A familiar feeling, a Deja Vu per se; a soft pillow with the fragrance Alexander will never forget, and when he opens his eyes, he sees Sierra smiling in front of him. Sierra expressed how worried she had been since he's been sleeping for two days, and when she sensed Alexander waking up, she took the liberty to make sure he saw her face as soon as he woke up.

"Hey, you, you're finally awake," Sierra let out, stroking Alexander's hair and continuing with a gloomy face, "You know... It's been a month... And I've been waiting for you to wake up."

Shock and confused, Alexander can't stop starring at Sierra's face like it's his first time. He immediately hugs Sierra after he comes to his senses and states, "I'm supposed to protect you while you sleep and not the other way around."

"Don't be so dramatic, Sierra, and stop playing Alexander's feeling. You've only been sleeping for two days," Bm exposes after she enters the room with Jio beside her.

"Why do you need to ruin this beautiful moment, Bm?" Jio let out and waved his hand to Sierra and Alexander, "Good morning."

"Sierra should be enjoying her remaining days before she goes back to sleep!" Bm pointed out while hitting Jio's stomach for not supporting her.

"That's the plan, right Sierra?" Jio winks at Sierra and explains it to Bm, "I would spend my remaining time with the people I care for and love."

*Didn't know you're a real cultured man, brother!* Alexander highly thought of Jio even he beat the hell out of him in the Dome for everyone to watch.

If only he could meet Mickey in the future, they would have a blast together around beautiful women.

Walking alone with Bm, Jio smiles and asks, "So... Are you going to tell me your name?"

"I told you that 'I'll think about it.' And I'm mad about you giving Eclipse's energy back to my siblings; you didn't even think about their safety." Bm looks at Jio, mad, but she looks cute in Jio's eyes.

"Well, that's a good excuse," Jio let out and immediately stopped after he sensed danger.

Bm is not happy.

"You told me that Gecko gets stronger when your kind gets pressured," Jio let out in his defense, smiling while looking at Bm's irresistible cute mad face.

"Why are you staring at me like that? And what do you think about the Monster Race?" Bm seriously looks at Jio and waiting for his response.

"Good question," Jio smiles and continues, "Monster Race? You see... My Ma taught me that if a friend or someone treats me well, nicely, or kindly regardless of race. I must repay the debt or treat that person five-folds better, and when someone tries to hurt or plans to do the people I care about and myself harm. I'll make sure I return the favor ten-fold!"

"You have a scary mother..." Bm comments and agrees with Jio's words.

"I know," Jio let out., nodding his head.

Reaching the summit of the highest mountain without the two realizing it, they talk peacefully without any worry for a change until they see a cloud of black smoke coming from the West as the raging fire spreads tree to tree like wildfire. Bm and Jio notice humans using Fire Stones to burn the forest, and they can watch their activities thanks to the keen eyesight they developed over the years.

"We need to alert everyone that the Monkey Paws Sect and other smaller Sect are trying to invade Sera Madre," Bm let out as she starts to worry about her follow monster kind.

"I don't like this... I feel strong magical power brewing somewhere far," Jio let out as he looks around, trying to figure out what's happening with the surrounding energy.

The Monkey Paws Sect was able to muster people to rally and attack the forest by a few beast attacks they caused and blamed it on the monster kind living in the forest.

Bm wants to return and report immediately to the Ancient, but Jio suggests heading to the enemies to fight. Jio explains that the Ancient might already know what is happening based on his observation.

Everyone who requires weapons and armor equips themselves while the monster kind with a natural-born weapon and armor march to the enemies.

"My people... We are family! Never forget it! God bestows all living creatures its force who needed it most, and I can show this power today since we need it to survive," The Ancient announces as he floats in the air and opens his eyes for the first time in one hundred years.

Providing the knowledge to everybody gives a toll on his body and starts to crumble like an old building but still standing and alive.

A sudden powerful force from every monster kind is released from their body and heard mumbling in their head like God narrating his will to everybody after a glowing tattoo appears on their forehead.

*Child, I want you to protect my precious Sierra with your life. I'm a dead man walking, and I don't have the courage to talk to her for the last time* The Ancient sadly expresses to Alexander using one-way telepathy.

Alexander looks at Sierra and doesn't know what to do after receiving the message from the Ancient but promises her one thing, "Sierra, today I promise to protect you forever, no matter what happens, even it causes my life."

"What did we do to humans for them to invade our home?" Sierra sadly asks Alexander.

"Because... We're worse than the Monster Race like what Jio said!" Alexander angrily answers after realizing what Jio meant during the match.

At the border, monsters that can carry a great deal of water try to fight the spreading fire while the rest fight with the invaders. Monsters who clash with humans can not believe the power flowing in their bodies and confuse why the humans are running away.

Jio can sense the Ancient's power growing and everyone in the forest, "Death's Mark!"

*The Monster Race gets this power up? I thought only beast...* Jio asks himself as he observes Bm and the glowing eye tattoo like a third eye.

"Retreat!" Jio shouts, and everyone follows his order after seeing Bm on his side.

"What's the matter? You're the one who wants to be here to fight?" Bm immediately asks Jio.

"The humans finished the spell and released it just now!" Jio answers as he points somewhere South-West.

While everyone is running, a colossal meteor-like can be seen in the sky, and everyone starts to understand Jio and how grave their situation is. The spell can destroy a quarter of the forest, and the impact will kill the remaining escaping monsters. A hundred different rank magicians created the attack, which caused a few their lives for what cause?

Before the meteor hits the ground, the Ancient teleports in front of it and tries to stop it with his bare hands. He manages to slow down the rock and punches it to pieces, but the magical energy inside explodes and takes everything to protect everyone around him.

Grasping for his life, the Ancient's life force slowly fades away, and everyone in the forest can feel him dying while his body crumbles and turns to dust.

"No! no, NO! no, no, no, no," Sierra let out, looking around the room and seeing their faces knowing what just happened.

to be continued,