493,

In the twisted world enveloped by darkness, General Cyclone found himself in another strange space.

As his vision cleared, General Cyclone beheld a dark jungle stretching out before him.

Teleported to this new place, there was not a city in sight, only a black forest lay in front of him.

Taking a deep breath, General Cyclone ventured forward.

But with each heavy step he took, the weight of the forest forced his head down.

He realized it was not just a jungle, but a swampy one at that.

Each step he took was met with ripples in the murky water that engulfed his feet.

Strange scents wafted through the forest — some unsettling, some enticing.

Yet what truly shocked General Cyclone was the sight in the distance.

His most potent Dragon Ascension Cannon was being controlled by the main forces of the Phantom Queen.

What's more, there was someone being held hostage.

"General, General!!!"

"Hmm~"

Ignoring General Cyclone's shouts, the old Turtle Strategist was led away by the Phantom Queen's minions.

Then, the Queen spoke softly.

"If you wish to have your man back, then one must emerge from this forest alone~"

With that, the water beneath the Queen's feet began to rise, transforming into two monstrous forms resembling liquid.

In a frenzy, the monsters dashed towards General Cyclone.

But wielding his Royal Sword, General Cyclone showed no fear.

With a swift slash to the left and a strike to the right, he promptly repelled the approaching monsters.

"Release my strategist at once!!!"

"Hmm~ You knew his true identity, yet you said nothing?"

"Silence!!!"

With a fierce strike, a sword wave generated a colossal wave.

Facing the wave, the Queen merely smiled.

"I said~ Pass this test first~♡"

And with that wave, the Queen vanished.

In her place emerged an immense venomous serpent that soared out from the water.

Swift as lightning, it closed in on General Cyclone.

One moment the surface was calm.

The next, countless waves surged forth in a tempestuous assault.

Using a deadly snake technique, the serpent's tail swiftly ensnared the Royal Sword in General Cyclone's hand.

Sealing the sword's power with its moist skin, the serpent chuckled.

"Haha! This is the sword that once conquered the Witch? Pathetic!!"

"Do not underestimate me!!!"

Struggling, General Cyclone managed to break free from the serpent's grasp and thrust the sword into the serpent’s poisonous maw.

"Oh~"

However, the strike did not harm the serpent but instead, the serpent drew in the Royal Sword.

In an instant, the sword was sucked deep into the serpent's jaws, draining General Cyclone of his strength.

As he grappled with this predicament, mysterious waves surfaced on both sides.

To his left and right, General Cyclone found himself trapped in the middle.

The two watery monsters from before had softened structures that not only absorbed the impact of the Royal Sword but also squeezed General Cyclone tightly in between.

"I will not... surrender!!!"

General Cyclone fought desperately, striving to break free from this triple onslaught.

"My... my little brother..."

"Surrender~♡♡♡ Let's see how long you can hold out~♡♡"

Facing the sneer of the giant snake, General Cyclone's eyes flared with fire.

"My little brother... is the most important to me!!!!"

Power erupted from the sword, instantly blasting the water monster and the giant snake ten meters away.

"Listen carefully, the sword is here! I am here! This general will not stop here for the night of seven cities... for my poor little brother!!!!"

Suddenly, General Cyclone turned around and reached out his left hand towards the twisted jungle.

"What... what do you want~♡♡"

"I have seen through this illusion!"

General Cyclone stretched his left hand into a big tree in the jungle.

In the tree hole, only his middle and ring fingers could reach.

"It's so deep~ But even if I can only touch a bit!!!!"

Ignoring the enemy's attacks, General Cyclone concentrated all his strength on the two fingers inserted into the tree hole.

"Oh, little brother~ Big brother is coming to save you now!!!"

The two fingers exerted force, twisting the already distorted world once again.

Everything in sight shattered like glass, something broken.

The barrier called "virtue" was gone, and General Cyclone returned to the battlefield.

"Hehe~♡ Let me conquer this city first~♡ But what about afterwards~♡♡"

General Cyclone smirked slightly, looking at the city ahead and caressing Yuna's lips.

"Afterwards, it's all your time~"

The final battle was about to begin.