Zander charged in with both swords in hand, flying through the air as he struck down on Vayu, who blocked it, their eyes locked in.

“All of this can end if you surrender Leon for execution,” Vayu said

“Leon won’t be killed,” Zander shot back. “Because I’ll be the one to stop you before you can lay a hand on him.”

Their battle intensified, both fighters showcasing their skill in a relentless exchange. Vayu unleashed a powerful sirocco, scattering some of Zander’s clones, but Zander pressed on, attacking with unwavering resolve.

Meanwhile, back with Leo and the woman in the white robe, their fight raged on.

“Tell me, what’s your name?” Leo demanded.

“My name is of no importance,” she replied coolly.

Leo’s attention shifted as Aster approached. “Leo,” Aster greeted him.

“Are you… that Aster person?” Leo asked, slightly surprised.

“I am,” Aster confirmed, glancing at the ongoing fight. “Your friend Zander requested that I come and assist you.”

Leo glanced at Aster. "Shouldn't you be with the Sage of Oasis? He's pretty wounded."

Aster nodded. "I'll return to him, but first, we need to handle this killer."

"All right," Leo agreed, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Then let’s slay this criminal."

Aster placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. "We need to take her in alive," he muttered firmly.

Leo raised an eyebrow, slightly frustrated but understanding. "Fine. Let’s bring her down without killing her."

“You two will not capture me,” she declared, her ruby blade igniting with a fierce glow.

Aster and Leo launched their assault. The woman in the white robe was a sight to behold, using her speed and agility to keep a step ahead of them. Though Aster and Leo couldn’t match her swiftness, they had the advantage in strength, their coordinated attacks forcing her to stay on the defensive.

Zander and Vayu clashed in a flurry of strikes, both showing no signs of slowing down. They were evenly matched, each blow countered with precise skill.

Zander thought, "If I can just break his weapon, this fight could end here."

Meanwhile, Vayu sized up his opponent, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "This boy is stronger than I expected. But if I use my Sirocco at the right moment, I’ll have the upper hand. Then I'll break him in two!"

Vayu smirked as his Sirocco hurled Zander high into the air.

Zander twisted mid-air, disoriented for a moment, as he realized his sudden predicament. "I'm... in the sky," he muttered, his eyes widening as he struggled to regain control.

As Vayu watched in confusion, the Zander he’d struck vanished into thin air—it was a clone. His eyes widened as he realized he’d been tricked.

High above, the real Zander hovered, watching Vayu's reaction with a smirk. "Not so easy, is it, monster?" he called out, raising both of his swords.

Vayu roared, "Just die!!" as he launched himself toward Zander with all his might.

But Zander met his charge head-on, shouting back, "No—you first!" With a fierce determination, he expanded both of his swords, their blades growing to massive sizes, gleaming in the sunlight as he prepared to bring them down on his foe.

The two clashed mid-air, the force of their blows sending shockwaves. Vayu gritted his teeth, pushing back against Zander with all his strength, but the strain showed as cracks began to appear along his weapon.

"I will not stop until I get Leon!" he snarled, his eyes blazing an even deeper shade of red, fueled by an uncontrollable rage.

Zander pressed down harder, watching Vayu’s resolve begin to crack. “Why not let this go? Whatever Leon did to you was a long time ago. Maybe…it’s time you learn to move on!”

With a sudden snap, Vayu’s weapon broke cleanly in two.

"Huh?" Vayu muttered, staring in disbelief at the shattered remains in his hands.

The battle between Leo, Aster, and The Woman In The White Robe raged on. Leo’s smoke devices filled the air, blinding the woman as thick clouds obscured her sight. Aster, ever alert, struck with precision whenever her focus faltered.

Despite the fatigue weighing on them, none relented. Each fighter pressed on, determined to defect each other. The clash of blades, the shuffle of feet, and labored breaths echoed in the chaos, the fight pushing all to their limit.

As the Woman in the White Robe unleashed her "Oni Red Wave," Leo quickly stepped forward, deflecting the crimson slashes with swift precision. His eyes locked on her movements, calculating her next move.

Aster, silently waiting for his moment, raised his kanabos, ready to strike. Leo's thoughts raced: She has two options.Option 1: She could block, but the force would push her back severely. Option 2: She could dodge to the right, but she wouldn’t be fast enough to block my attack.

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Leo pushed through the woman's "Oni Slice," the crimson energy barely leaving a mark on him. His body, honed by countless battles, absorbed the strike as he closed the gap between them.

With a quick and powerful motion, he unleashed his own blow. The woman, caught off guard, couldn't react in time to defend herself fully. Leo’s strike landed cleanly, knocking her off balance. With the woman off balance from Leo's strike, Aster seized the opportunity. He charged in, both kanabos glowing with intense energy, ready to bring down a final, decisive blow.

The woman in the white robe attempted to raise her blade in defense, but her disarmed state left her vulnerable. She barely managed to raise her weapon in time before Aster's kanabos came crashing down.

The force of the attack sent her sprawling, unable to defend herself any longer. She dropped her blade. The battle had reached its end.

Aster stepped forward, looming over the woman in the white robe as she lay disarmed. “Now that you’re defeated,” he said firmly, “it’s time for you to meet the ruler.”

Vayu stared at the broken remnants of his weapon, his rage simmering as he realized the battle was lost. Zander leveled his swords at him, his gaze cold and unyielding. “Go away, monster. Stay far from the city,” Zander commanded.

Fueled by anger yet recognizing his weakened state, Vayu knew he couldn’t win this fight. In a swift move, he transformed into a swirling dust devil, forcing Zander back with a gust of sand and debris.

“I will return!” Vayu’s voice echoed as he retreated. “And when I do, I won’t stop at slaughtering just Leon—I’ll make sure every soul in that city is dead!”

As Vayu retreated, Zander's words echoed in his mind: "It's time you learn to move on... Why not let this go."

Vayu’s anger simmered. How can I let go, he thought bitterly. How can I forgive when he acted without mercy, when he destroyed the only family I had left?

Zander watched as the dust devil was far away. Aster and Leo returned with the woman in white robe captured.

Oh, you captured her!” Zander said, nodding in approval.

“Yes, and now we’ll escort her to the ruler,” Aster replied.

Zander glanced at Leo, relieved. “You’re okay too, Leo.”

Leo shrugged. “I am, but I still wonder if we should just slay this woman now.”

“No!” Zander and Aster said in unison.

The woman in the white robe smirked defiantly. “I won’t be held for long. My liege will come for me.”

“Well, maybe you can tell us more about this ‘liege’ when we’re with the ruler,” Aster said, his gaze steely.

They returned to the palace, walking through grand halls lined with statues, past a massive banquet hall, and up two sweeping staircases that led to the throne of Havasu, the ruler. Havasu was seated, engrossed in a letter, but looked up as they entered.

"My ruler, we’ve captured the killer," Aster announced.

Havasu straightened on his throne, a gleam of interest in his eyes. “Is that so?” He motioned to Aster. “Let go of her.”

“So, you’re the white-robed woman who killed Commander Hasbo of the Oasis Squad,” Havasu said, eyeing her sharply. She remained silent.

"Oh, not going to talk? Maybe I’ll just remove this basket on your head, then." He reached over and lifted it, only for his face—and everyone else's—to drop in shock.

She had no head.

They all recoiled, voices overlapping in surprise. "She has no head!" they exclaimed in unison.

With a sigh, the woman’s voice echoed from nowhere, calm and almost amused. “Honestly, must you make such a big deal?”

“How are you talking?!” Zander demanded, eyes wide.

“She must be a demon. No human can speak without a head,” Havasu said, narrowing his gaze.

“If she’s a demon,” Leo muttered, raising his massive sword, “then there’s no reason to let her live.”

“Stop!” Aster interrupted, stepping between them. “We need answers, not another corpse.”

The woman laughed, her voice somehow filling the room without a source. “You’re a cautious one. But you’ll find that getting answers from me won’t be so simple.”

Aster thought to himself, "She has no head, yet speaks as if nothing’s missing. She must possess some form of immortality—or a powerful curse keeping her alive."

He studied her closely, his eyes narrowing as he searched for any hint, any crack in her façade that might reveal her true nature. "If she’s immortal, that would explain her fearlessness," he mused, his voice low. "But how do we break her? Is there anything she fears, even with all her power?"

Aster inquired, "You spoke of a liege. Who are they?"

"I have nothing to say," she responded, her voice as cold as ice.

Havasu's lips curled into a sneer. "Speak now, or face execution. Your body will hang for all to see."

She didn't waver. "Your threats are as empty as the hollow echo that fades into nothing. I will never bend the knee to you."

Havasu stepped back, eyes narrowing as he exchanged a look with Aster. "There's no breaking her. She's... untouchable in her resolve."

Aster muttered, "There has to be a way."

Zander stepped forward, closing the distance between him and the woman. His presence was commanding.

She glared at him, unflinching. "What do you want? I’m not answering anything."

Zander began pulling silly faces, his actions growing increasingly goofy, as if trying to irritate the woman.

Aster raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you doing, Zander?"

Leo walked up, a knowing smirk on his face. "The act of annoyance."

"Huh?" both Aster and Zander said in unison, clearly confused.

Zander grinned mischievously and cloned himself, each replica immediately starting to make loud noises, pull funny faces, crack jokes, and toss out puns. The chaotic scene quickly became unbearable, even managing to annoy the ruler himself including Aster.

Aster gritted his teeth, his frustration bubbling over. “This is really damn annoying!” he snapped, glaring at the chaos around them. “Leo, how are you not affected by it?”

Leo, unfazed by the turmoil, simply shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me much," he replied coolly. "Because Zander is bringing himself.”

Well, his antics are getting downright irritating," Havasu muttered. "But how do we even know if it's working? She has no head, so we can't tell what she's feeling."

Suddenly, the woman with no head shouted, her voice ringing with frustration, "OK, I WILL TELL YOU!"

"Oh, it worked," Zander said with a grin.

The woman with no head shot him a glare. "I told you, stop with all those crappy puns and jokes. You really are annoying, aren't you?"

Zander chuckled, "Oh, is that a cool trait to have?"

"No, it’s not!" she snapped, her tone sharp.

Aster crossed his arms. "Alright, tell us about this 'liege.'"

The woman sighed, exasperated. "Fine, just... don’t make him act goofy again." She paused, then continued, "The liege is a being of great fortune. He’s the liege of wishes, capable of granting anyone anything they desire. I am one of his disciples."

"The liege of wishes?" Havasu said, clearly confused.

Meanwhile, in a distant desert land, a familiar face appeared. "I found it! I found it... I found it!!" the figure shouted triumphantly to the heavens above.