Phantom began to regain consciousness. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Well that was a close one. I wonder how long I... was... out for.". Phantom looked around and realised he was sitting in a pitch-black void with blue shapes floating out from the water looking floor and ascending into the endless expanse that was the sky. The ground appeared to be the surface of water that rippled whenever the blue shapes passed through the water surface.

"Oh, I'm back here.". Phantom looked at his right hand, which had a white sun tattoo on it. He placed his hand on the ground and flexed his palm. The tattoos on his hands, including the black sun tattoo on his left hand, started to glow and two glowing rings shot out from the ground, which was white and black. The black ring stopped and the white one split into multiple white circles that spread out evenly within the black ring, with the exception of one remaining where Phantom's hand was. White cylinders started to rise from the white circles followed by multiple Azure Crystals floating out from the watery floor and floating above the white cylinders. Phantom quickly counted all the crystals and confirmed how many he now had.

"Fifte- no sixteen, not too shabby, almost forgot about Marok's crystal and speaking of his crystal.". Phantom gleefully strolled over to Marok's Azure crystal, creating ripples in the water as he walked. Phantom was about to reach out to the crystal but he heard a familiar voice right in his ear.

"Welcome back Zalr-". Phantom abruptly dashed a few centimetres in the opposite direction of the voice causing them to abruptly stop talking. Phantom relaxed when he got a good look at the floating individual. The individual had the appearance of a twelve to a thirteen-year-old girl with royal blue and golden yellow hair. Her eyes were also the same colour as her hair but the blue in her left eye moved around like water while the yellow flowed around in her right eye.

"Oh, it's just you Nola.". Nola angrily waved her arms around.

"I told you my name is Nolazir, We aren't on a nickname basis yet!". Phantom rubbed his head and asked what she was up to. Nola proudly posed and presented her new pharaoh outfit.

"What do you think? I got it when you obtained that Egyptian ant guy's Azure Crystal, pretty cool right?". Phantom examined her outfit. It looked pretty similar to most pharaoh outfits aside from it having a blue and cyan colour scheme and Nola having her signature scarf that split at the ends into blue shapes, similar to the blue shapes that appear from the ground.

"It's certainly better than the last one. It's the only reason I didn't visit in so long.". Nola tilted her head with a slightly annoyed expression.

"And what was wrong with the Sucubass outfit?". Phantom was perplexed by Nola's response because he thought she put it on to try and annoy him. However, he realised she must have put it on because it was just new.

"Well there wouldn't be a problem if you took on a more mature- Wait no that's not the point. You're my sister so you shouldn't be wearing that kinda thing in front of me.".

"Why?" Nola asked with a confused expression. Phantom was fed up with Nola's antics and said he was going to watch the memories stored in Marok's Azure Crystal. However, Nola floated inbetween Phantom and the crystal.

"I know you like watching the memories in the Azura Crystal to help increase your mastery of the powers you got from it but I wouldn't recommend that right now.".

"And why's that?"

"Well, you were in pretty bad shape when you were knocked out so it'd be best if you woke up," Phantom told her he'd be fine and tried to walk around her but she followed him and extended her hand in front of his face. She put her thumb and index finger together.

"This is for your own good.". Nola proceeded to flick Phantom's nose and his vision suddenly went black, along with all his senses going blank.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Reaper landed on the ground with a small female child, who was wearing a similar outfit to her aside from having a green cloak, on her back. Reaper looked over the expanse of trees and down to the river.

"Where's Pa- Pantom?" the green-haired kid asked. Reaper looked around one more time before looking at the kid.

"I'm not sure Spectr-". Reaper abruptly paused when she sensed Phantom's aura suddenly off in the distance. Spectre got excited when she saw Reaper's expression change. Reaper pulled her leg back and prepared herself to jump.

Reaper simultaneously cast a Leaping and a Quickness spell, signified by the quick faint cyan flash that appeared over her body. Reaper told Spectre to braise herself before Reaper dashed to the edge of the cliff and jumped off it.

Phantom started to regain consciousness and started to hear mumbling around him. He slowly opened his eyes and spotted the two who were talking next to him. The two children turned and looked Phantom in the eyes. The one on the left was a green female kijin child with silver hair and eyes; the one on the right was a faint purple female kijin child with maroon/cerise hair and silver eyes.

The two blinked a few times before looking at each other. The two energetically ran out of the stone hut, which didn't have a door, and playfully called for their mom. Phantom sat up on the bed and felt a sharp pain in his side. He pulled the bedsheet off himself and realised his body was covered in bandages, all over his waist and right hand.

Phantom looked around the room and noticed it was pretty baron aside from the bed he was on and a table with his slightly burnt mask on it, he also spotted Charlottle's sword. The only sources of light the hut had were from the door way and hole in the wall that was meant to be a window. Phantom reached over and grabbed his mask. He looked over the mask and checked it for any other damage.

"It's nice to see you're already awake, I guess you're alot tougher than you look.". Phantom looked up and saw an adult female green kijin with cerise hair and maroon eyes. Phantom assumed she must have been the mother the kids called for eairler, since they had returned aswell. The mother bowed to Phantom.

"I would like to both apologise and thank you.". Phantom was confused at the mother's statement.

"Thank you for protecting me last night.". Phantom realised that the mother must have been the person he protected from the stray fire blade.

"Oh that was you? Don't sweat it but what do you need to apologise for?". The mother explained that he wouldn't have been injured if she hadn't been there. She also mentioned that she couldn't save his clothes, since they were too burnt. Phantom just waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it. I mean you did save me in return, so we're even.". The mother let out a sigh of relief and thanked Phantom for being so forgiving. The purple kijin child jumped onto the bed and looked Phantom in the face.

"Hello, I'm Scarlett what's your name?". Scarlett gleefully awaited an answer. Phantom chuckled and asked if she could get off his foot. Scarlett looked down and noticed she was standing on one of Phantom's ankles. Scarlett's mother picked her up and placed her next to her sister.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you.". Scarlett twiddled her index fingers together.

"Don't worry you didn't actually hurt me and to answer your question I'm Zalroth.". Scarlett was relieved that he wasn't mad at her.

"Your name sounds weird, hehe,".

"Oh...". Scarlett's mother told her not to be rude.

"This is my little sister Snow and this is my mom, but everyone calls her Akari.".

"Right...". Zalroth noticed Snow was staring at his mask.

"You wanna hold it?". Snow nodded her head and he handed the mask to her. The two sisters inspected the mask and Snow even put the mask on.

"Wow you look so cool.". Scarlett's comment made Snow smile a little. Scarlett grabbed onto Snow's hand and said they should go show the others before the two exited the hut again. Akari looked a little worried as the two ran off.

"I um... don't worry about your mask I'll get it back for you later.". Zalroth told her not to worry about it as he lead back on the bed.

"That thing probably won't be able to take another beating anyway so she can just keep it.". Akari was about to ask Zalroth something but was interupted by the sound of someone calling her name.

"Please excuse me, I'll be back in just a bit.". Akari hurried out of the hut. Zalroth closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. However, he sensed someone was trying to contact him with telepathy magic.

"Hello?" Zalroth asked telepathically. He heard a huff in response.

"We'll I'm glad you were worried about me Phi-phi.".

"You wish, just tell me if you're confined or not.".

"Not sure let me check.". Zalroth stood up and noticed the only thing he was wearing, aside from the bandages all over his body, was his scorched trousers and bandages wrapped around his feet to act as shoes. He slightly hobbled over to the door hole and exited the hut. His vision became obsured as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the outside.

When his vision finished adjusting, he looked around the area and saw that there were similar stone huts slightly scattered around in a roughtly circular arangment. He also noticed that there was a huge variety of monster/non monster races, which included elves, a multitude of different beastmen, orcs, dwarfs, a few demons, kijins, goblins/hobgoblins and even three angels.

Zalroth remembered why he went outside in the first place.

"It doesn't seem like this place is a prison or anything.".

"Ok. Anything else of note?".

"Well there's alot of different races around the area so I think this place isn't under the athority of the Zelko Empire.".

"Got it.". Zalroth also mentioned it be best if she and Lola change into their casual clothes before they get to him. She told him that was a good idea before cutting communications.

"You ok Zalroth? you seem kind of out of it." Akari asked with a worriied expression. He told heh he was fine and that he was just chatting to someone telepathically. Akari made an understanding oh sound and commented on how convient telepathy magic is.

"It has it's perks.". Akari agreed and asked how he was feeling. He told her he was fine.

"So where am I exactly, this place doesn't look like a village.". Akari shook her head. She explained that the village they all came from was attacked and they had to flee, she also mentioned that only about thirty persent on them managed to escape.

Zalroth asked Akari if she knew who exactly attacked their village but she informed him she didn't.

"But enough of that for a minute, seeing as you're awake you should get some food.". Zalroth didn't really feel like doing anything until the others arrived.

"I'm not really that hungr-". Akari grabbed his hand and told him it wasn't an option.

"But I-".

"You've lost a lot of blood so you need to eat food to recover it.". Zalroth sighed and let Akari lead him to where she wanted to take him.