Orano shared his knowledge and experiences with Miko and Bachi. "For a long time, my friend and I have been investigating Rifts," he explained. "We've conducted extensive research and finally discovered one."

He continued, "After finding the Rift, I encountered Caitrin on my journey. Together, we've observed various characteristics of Rifts. However, despite our discoveries, they remain largely enigmatic. The most intriguing aspect is that both your paths and ours have converged, suggesting a specific underlying mechanism."

Miko pondered his words. "Could it be that the Rift is trying to guide us to a specific place?" she asked.

"It's a possibility," Orano replied. "We'll need to investigate further and try to understand its workings. But first, we must plan our route for a more efficient search."

"But Tatsumi," Caitrin interjected, "what if our routes change? We've seen different Rifts before, and there's no guarantee that won't happen again."

Lydia agreed. "Caitrin is right. Since we don't fully understand Rifts, we can't just blindly search."

Orano nodded. "We'll use the same tactic as before," he said. He tapped his ear three times, summoning his Zon Device. "We need to link our Zon Devices to stay connected. If we can't use those, we'll communicate through letters. It's the best option for now."

Orano extended his device towards them, waiting for them to follow suit. "I know we've just met," he said, "but we have no choice but to trust each other."

Miko smiled. "It's no problem, Tatsumi," she replied. "After all, our goal is the same, and we're on the same path, aren't we?"

Miko raised her device and pointed it towards Orano's.

Bachi slapped his forehead. "Ah, right!" he exclaimed. "I completely forgot about these little things." He pulled out his device and pointed it towards Orano.

Orano turned to Lydia and Caitrin. "You both need to link with them too," he said. "If something happens, we need to be able to communicate."

Caitrin nodded, a look of realization crossing her face. "You're right! I didn't link my device with Lydia before. I won't be able to communicate with her if I don't."

Lydia agreed. "We can't let that happen," she said.

As they all held their devices, pointing them towards each other, the devices began to link, forming a network of connection.

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The spell that had bound them together finally dissipated, leaving them feeling refreshed and connected.

Bachi, his face alight with excitement, exclaimed, "That was so cool! I want to do that again!"

Miko examined her device, her curiosity piqued. "So this is how it works," she said.

As they marveled at the technology, Orano began to speak. "Does anyone have a map of the kingdoms?" he asked.

Lydia quickly produced a map. Orano spread it out on the ground and began to strategize. "We started in Ravaryn, then went to Aetas and Faye," he explained. "The Rifts led us to the Sixth Kingdom, Emperal. And from there, we found ourselves in Vurudora.

"Eliminating those locations, we have Theorandia, Besia, Vurudora, and Idrisud remaining. We normally have four destinations, but since my friend is in Idrisud, we'll eliminate that for now."

Miko added, "Theorandia is quite dangerous and not a place we can go right now."

"Exactly," Orano agreed. "That leaves us with Besia and Vurudora. We've already been to Vurudora, so we'll focus on finding the Rift in Besia. If we don't find it there, we'll return to Vurudora."

Miko pointed to a location on the map. "We lived in Faye and found the Rift there," she said. "We went to Idrisud and then Ravaryn. After leaving Emperal, we met you. That leaves us with Aetas, Vurudora, Besia, and Theorandia. Since we found the Rift in Vurudora, we can travel there together and then part ways. If anything happens, we can regroup in Besia or Idrisud."

Orano nodded. "That's the plan," he said. "Over time, the number of places we need to visit will decrease, bringing us closer to our goal."

Caitrin raised a concern. "I know we have a plan, but what if Nuzuki Serumu attacks us? Or what if the soldiers from Emperal come after us?"

Orano met their gazes. "We'll fight them," he said firmly. "We all know this. Even if we pretend they won't find us, they eventually will. When that happens, we'll stand together and face them."

Their preparations were complete. They knew where to go, how to move, and what to watch out for. Now, all they could do was wait and see where fate would lead them.

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The night passed peacefully, undisturbed by any threats or changes to their plans. Their journey was uneventful, and after two days of travel, they arrived in Reus, the bustling city of Vurudora.

Renowned for its endless arena battles, diverse potions, and combat equipment, Reus was a city of relentless competition and merciless inhabitants. Despite the outward appearance of peace and law-abiding citizens, those who came to fight in the arena were driven solely by their ambition and held little regard for others.

Crime ran rampant in Reus, and the kingdom was ruled by a ruthless queen named Reina Calligenia. While a king nominally held the throne, Reina wielded the true power, organizing brutal tournaments in the arena to increase her wealth.

She showed no mercy to the people of her kingdom, exploiting them for her own gain. Any contestant who caught her eye was taken under her command, forced to serve her personal interests.

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After their journey, Orano and his companions arrived at a port situated near the Arena and the castle. While the Arena was located at ground level like other shops, the castle stood majestically atop a hill, overlooking the arena. This vantage point allowed the Queen to comfortably observe the tournaments.

After disembarking, Orano and his friends calmly and unobtrusively made their way to their next destination.