The Golden Tree

  The Golden Tree…

  Its branches brushed the clouds as if whispering to the gods. The light it shed pierced the night, bathing Pangea in a radiance that defied fear, hatred, and death.

  There, where everything seemed to crumble, it still blossomed.

  It was more than a tree—it was hope.

  It was life.

  Meanwhile, on the fields where chaos reigned, Luna and Jade trembled—not from the cold of the falling snow, but from the terror of what lay ahead:

  “‘Y?g?… They can fuse…’” Jade murmured, her voice barely audible.

  Luna clenched her fists. Sweat mixed with snow on her skin. Her eyes darted to Yuzuki, who was rising slowly from the crater where he had been sealed. The Dankai seal… no longer held him.

  The golden glow of the book around him began to fade.

  Silently, Yuzuki slipped it inside his robes with a speed beyond ordinary sight.

  But not beyond Luna’s.

  “‘That book…’” she said, her voice trembling.

  Her gaze met Akari’s. In that instant, they both understood.

  And in that brief second, Luna realized she had lost control of the battle.

  Zyon stepped back, moving toward Akari.

  “‘You fought well, daughter…’” he said with a weary smile.

  She returned it, as if that exchange were all that mattered.

  “‘I will heal you… But my physical form won’t hold. I’ll have to return inside you.’”

  “‘That’s okay,’” Akari replied tenderly. “‘Yuzuki is here. We’ll manage. Communicate with me, guide me. You saved me, Zyon. I owe you everything.’”

  He stroked her hair gently… and vanished.

  Akari was healed—but she still felt pain. She was tired. Spent.

  Yet she remained standing.

  Yuzuki approached beside Kaien, who now moved with unusual majesty.

  Yuzuki knelt before the dragon and stroked its head.

  “‘You were incredible… A true Guardian.’”

  “‘Now go. Take Akari away and protect her with your life.’”

  “‘I’ll handle this.’”

  Kaien low?growled. Then, almost humanly, it smiled and licked Yuzuki’s hair.

  “‘Consider it done. It is my duty, and I will fulfill it with my life!’”

  In that moment, something changed.

  Between them… a connection pulsed like electric current. A spiritual bond. A silent vow.

  Kaien looked around and roared so forcefully that nearby trees trembled. Its wings expanded, edged in black mist.

  “‘I feel stronger!’” it cried. “‘Yuzuki and I… are linked!!’”

  Yuzuki stepped back, astonished.

  “‘What is this, Kaien?!’”

  Luna and Jade froze.

  “‘He… he’s evolving…’” Jade whispered.

  The young dragon’s body expanded, becoming a sharper, more feral version of the legendary creature described in ancient Kugutsu texts.

  Luna trembled.

  “‘Akari is unprotected! Jade, now! Crystal Spear!’”

  With an elegant spin, Jade raised her arms and danced in the air. A blue portal opened above Akari. Five ice spears plummeted like meteors.

  Kaien exploded in dark energy. Its wings unfurled violently. The black mist enveloped its body. In an instant, it was gone.

  In a blink, it tore through the sky, hurtling toward Akari at overwhelming speed.

  A thunderous boom. The ground shook. A black haze blanketed the battlefield.

  Jade’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  “‘It can’t be…’”

  “‘It’s… a Tailax!’”

  Luna staggered, breathless.

  “‘My God… they have a Tailax…’”

  “‘But… what group is this?!’”

  She looked at Yuzuki, who merely… smiled. A faint, cold, determined smile.

  The haze cleared. The spears were destroyed. Akari had vanished—Kaien carrying her to safety.

  And now… only Luna, Jade, and Yuzuki remained.

  The wind blew, carrying the Golden Tree’s scent.

  And with it, the promise of a new, deadly dance.

  The battle… was about to begin.

  “Luna… you have a Tailax.”

  Yuzuki’s voice echoed—hoarse, laced with genuine surprise.

  “Damn… you really surprised me.”

  He stepped forward, tension and memory lighting his gaze.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Kissing you was… unique.”

  “A wonderful sensation.”

  In Yuzuki’s mind, the dormant bond awakened. The connections returned.

  Mao felt… Amok spoke: “ ‘Yuzuki… I’m here. Let’s finish this. Just say the word…’ ”

  But Yuzuki did not reply. He simply stared at Luna. Long and painfully.

  “Damn…” he murmured. “Why, Luna? You would have been the perfect ally.”

  Luna smiled—a sad, almost melancholic smile.

  “You really liked my kiss…”

  She didn’t notice—but Yuzuki was no longer where he’d been.

  Jade’s eyes widened.

  “‘He’s faster than you, Luna…’”

  In an instant, Yuzuki stood before her. In the next, he embraced her.

  Luna froze, eyes locked with his. Her body responded—but her mind… was lost in that touch.

  Jade, panicked, appeared behind Yuzuki with an ice dagger aimed at his heart. But she halted—unable to comprehend what she saw.

  Yuzuki held Luna’s hand and gently lifted her. They began to spin in an age?old, almost mythical dance. The snow whirled around them. The wind circled them. Flakes fell softly as if nature itself bowed to the moment.

  Above, the bright moon bore witness. The battle hushed. The war fell silent.

  And in that moment… Luna looked at Yuzuki—and kissed him. He returned it. Their lips met not in lust, but in history. Lineage. Pain. Feeling.

  Luna’s impenetrable mask blushed. For the first time, she felt—not power or fear—but peace.

  Far away, across millions of miles, the Golden Tree shone brighter, as if smiling. Luna gazed at its light and, for a moment, understood everything.

  “‘This is it…’” she whispered.

  Yuzuki kissed her forehead tenderly. His eyes locked on hers—steady, deep.

  “‘Enough of this, Luna. Just go.’”

  “‘And I want to see you again.’”

  Jade, who had hesitated, saw her final chance. Eyes blazing, she aimed at Yuzuki’s heart and lunged.

  But Luna extended her hand.

  “‘No.’”—the single word rang like a decree. Jade stopped, looked at Luna, and understood. Her friend had found peace. Even if only for an instant, she had been happy.

  And in that moment… war was suspended by a kiss. Hatred silenced before the snow. The moon gleamed. Luna felt warmth in Yuzuki’s arms. For the first time since she remembered herself as a warrior, she felt safe. Alive.

  But as every dance must end, the embrace broke. Yuzuki released her as gently as he had held her. Without looking back, he turned and walked into the mist where Kaien and Akari waited as distant silhouettes. With a simple upward wave, he said,

  “‘See you around.’”

  Luna stood motionless, feeling the lingering warmth of his arms, her heart racing, the sudden void where that touch had been. She brought her hand to her lips, breathless—knowing everything had changed.

  Luna let out a muffled laugh, which quickly turned into sobs.

  "Buaaaaaahhh!!"

  Jade, who had been watching her since the end of the dance, burst into an involuntary laugh.

  "Kaaaaaaaath... that caught me off guard!"

  "You, crying because of a kiss?"

  Luna wiped her eyes, smiling through the tears.

  Then she took a deep breath and spoke calmly, as if she was no longer afraid to admit what she felt:

  "Luna... I'll always be with you," Jade said, sincerely.

  "If this is the path you want... I'll be by your side."

  Luna turned to her, firm.

  "You know that betraying King Lepra will have serious consequences."

  Jade shrugged.

  "Everyone betrays someone in this world, Luna."

  "But... you're not betraying anyone. You're just... choosing yourself."

  Luna took a step forward, looking up at the sky covered by the mist.

  Then, with a serene smile, she added:

  "This time, Jade... I'm being selfish."

  "I just want to be happy. Even if it's considered betrayal."

  "My goals are still with me..."

  "But at the right moment."

  "Now... now I just want to feel that kiss again."

  Jade smiled, pulling the hood over her head.

  "Poetic and dangerous. You've always been that way, huh?"

  The two began to walk.

  Slowly disappearing into the mist.

  The city of Chagas, once merely decaying, was now unrecognizable.

  Destroyed houses.

  Deep craters carved into the ground like scars left by titans.

  Shattered ice, frozen blades stuck in the earth like spears forgotten by ancient gods.

  A dense mist shrouded the wreckage, swallowing memories and pain.

  A mystical chill swept through the ruins.

  But amidst the chaos, something new had emerged.

  A bond.

  Between two hearts that found each other where there was only supposed to be war.

  And even with their paths diverging, fate had already sealed a silent pact between them.

  ?? 1. Luna’s Perspective Version

  The snow fell slowly, as if time had learned to breathe calmly. The battlefield, once icy and cruel, was now the stage for something new — something Luna had never felt before. And there, in the heart of this sudden silence, were Yuzuki’s arms.

  She felt the warmth — not the kind that burns, but the kind that embraces, like an ancient whisper that perhaps, she was still alive inside.

  Yuzuki held her with a gentle firmness. It was strength, but not imposition. It was presence, but not dominance. His eyes, dark and intense, met hers, and for a moment, Luna found herself stripped of everything — the title, the obligations, the guilt.

  She wanted to fight. She wanted to push him away. She wanted to remember the king, the mission, the war.

  But she couldn’t.

  Yuzuki’s arms spun her softly, as if each step were choreographed by nature itself. The snow swirled with them. The world spun with them. And Luna… she floated.

  When his lips touched hers, Luna felt everything crumble — but strangely, without pain. It was a kiss unlike any she had ever given. It wasn’t fleeting desire or untamed passion. It was history, destiny, and freedom compressed into a single gesture.

  Her heart screamed, but her body surrendered. She felt happy, sheltered, as if that moment were the only thing that truly mattered. The kiss tasted bittersweet. A taste of “what if,” of “maybe,” of “what if I weren’t who I am?”

  When Yuzuki kissed her forehead and stepped away, Luna felt the cold return. But now… she understood it. She was no longer alone in it.

  "We’ll see each other around," he said before disappearing like the wind.

  And Luna smiled. She wasn’t crying from sadness, but from relief.

  ?? 2. Luna’s Secret Diary – After the Kiss

  ?? Excerpt from Luna’s Diary

  I don’t exactly know why I’m writing this. Maybe because if I don’t put it into words, I’ll think that kiss was just a strange dream in the middle of a battle.

  Yuzuki.

  How can someone turn another person’s world upside down with a simple touch?

  For years, I followed orders. For years, I was strong, precise, lethal. I never had time to feel. Never wanted to. I thought love was something for the weak, for the distracted.

  But there, when he held me as if I were made of something precious… I understood.

  It wasn’t about weakness.

  It was about allowing yourself to live.

  When our bodies spun and the snow fell around us, it was like we were dancing in a place of our own, outside of time.

  And that kiss…

  I can’t explain it.

  Yes, there was pain. But there was also hope.

  There was desire, but also respect.

  There was everything I never thought I deserved.

  Jade looked at me differently afterward. She understood. She knows my choice will come at a cost. Betraying King Lepra won’t be easy. But for the first time in my life… I choose to be selfish.

  I just want to be happy.

  And, maybe, if fate isn’t so cruel,

  I want to feel that kiss again.

  — Luna ??

  Luna remained there, immersed in silence, with Yuzuki’s words still echoing in her mind. The kiss, the softness of his touch, were now part of her, like an eternal memory but also a painful one. Something in her chest tightened, a mixture of longing and uncertainty. The sound of the wind cutting through the snow and the light of the moon now seemed to be part of her very being.

  Jade, watching everything, swallowed hard. That scene wasn’t just a dance between enemies. It was something deeper, something that couldn’t be ignored. She knew that, as much as she tried, she couldn’t fully understand what Luna felt at that moment, but she could feel it. Feel the change.

  "Luna..." Jade whispered, almost unintentionally. "What are you going to do now?"

  Luna didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon, where the mist seemed to swallow everything, leaving only shadows and echoes. She took a deep breath, as if she were gathering the strength to make a decision. But she knew the answer wouldn’t be easy.

  "What am I going to do..." she murmured, more to herself. "I don’t know. But I know what I don’t want anymore. I don’t want to be King Lepra’s puppet. I don’t want to follow orders and fight soullessly anymore."

  Jade remained silent, feeling the weight of those words. She knew Luna was at a crossroads. And maybe, as difficult as it was, that kiss had been the key that finally freed Luna from her own torment.

  The mist thickened even more around them, and Luna turned to Jade, her eyes now more determined, more clear.

  "I’ve chosen. I’m not going back. I will follow my own path, even if it’s a lonely one. I won’t let fear guide me anymore."

  Jade nodded, a soft smile forming on her lips. She knew she could no longer control Luna’s choices. And maybe she didn’t want to.

  "If that’s the path you’ve chosen, Luna, I will be by your side. No matter what happens."

  Luna looked at the sky, where the stars were covered by the mist. But, somehow, she felt a different kind of peace there, a peace she had never known before.

  "Let’s go. The future awaits."

  Together, the two walked into the darkness, leaving behind the battlefield, where the echoes of war began to fade, like the last breath of a lost era.