After passing the Spiral Watchtower's test, the team stepped into a new land.
The sky was no longer clear.
Dark red clouds spun slowly, like something was stirring above. The air felt heavy, and every step forward made the ground hum.
Ahead of them, on the horizon, stood the Broken City.
Tall buildings leaned sideways, some floating in the air, others upside-down. Roads twisted into spirals. Trees grew from rooftops. Shadows moved across the windows—even though no one should be alive here.
Ren looked at the map. "This city isn't on any record."
Kael scanned the skyline. "Or maybe it was removed."
Rei nodded. "Because it wasn't safe."
Aki stepped forward. His cursed spirit was quiet—but not gone.
He stared at the citygcvccc. C c with serious eyes. "Something lives here. But not in the normal way."
Yumi held her sketch page tightly. "Let's move. Stay together."
---
Inside the City
As they entered the Broken City, they noticed something strange.
The city wasn't falling apart.
> It was changing.
A building that looked old and broken suddenly shifted. Its walls healed themselves. Glass windows returned. Lights flickered on. It looked new.
But then a second later—it shattered again.
Rei flinched. "Did you see that?"
Kael whispered, "This city… it keeps rebuilding and breaking. Like it's stuck in a loop."
Ren touched a wall. "It's cursed memory. Someone—or something—is forcing this place to relive its own destruction."
Suddenly, a sharp noise echoed through the streets.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
A figure appeared in the distance.
Its body was made of red-black stone. Its arms were long and sharp like swords. And where its face should be, there was only a spinning symbol.
> A cursed memory guardian.
It turned toward them and screamed.
---
The Fight Begins
The guardian moved fast.
Too fast.
It jumped from wall to wall, blades dragging sparks. The sound of stone grinding filled the air.
Rei moved first, slashing with her fracture blade.
But the guardian vanished.
Behind her.
Kael shouted, "Behind you!"
She turned just in time—but the blow sent her flying through a wall.
Aki's cursed energy flared. Black markings spread from his arms.
He dashed forward and punched the ground.
Spikes of cursed energy rose beneath the guardian.
It dodged—but not fully. One spike sliced its leg.
Yumi sketched quickly—a shield symbol.
A glowing wall formed in front of Ren.
The guardian's blade slammed into it—and cracked.
Ren raised his Spiral pen and drew a binding chain.
The chain wrapped around the guardian—but it struggled, screaming.
Aki shouted, "It's not enough!"
The cursed spirit inside him pushed to the surface.
> "Let me out. I'll destroy it in one second, piglet."
Aki growled. "No. Not yet."
The guardian broke free and charged.
Kael vanished in a blink and appeared behind it.
> "Chrono Blink!"
He slammed his blade into its back.
The guardian screeched—and exploded into dust.
---
After the Fight
Everyone stood quiet, breathing heavily.
Rei walked out of the building she was thrown into. "That thing was strong."
Yumi helped her. "It wasn't just power. It moved like it remembered how to fight each of us."
Ren nodded. "Because it's made of cursed memory."
Kael added, "Which means… the more we fight here, the more this city learns."
Suddenly, the buildings around them shifted again.
A voice echoed from the sky.
> "You entered the Forbidden Zone." "Now your memories belong to the city."
Shadows stretched from the buildings—thin, tall figures with blank faces.
Aki stepped forward. "They're not real. Just echoes."
Yumi frowned. "But they can hurt us."
Ren looked up. "We need to find the center of this city. Whatever is controlling this place—it's there."
Kael pointed down a twisted road. "There. That giant building."
It was a tower, taller than the others. A light glowed at the top—pale blue and flickering.
Rei asked, "Is it another Watchtower?"
Aki shook his head. "No. That's where the city's heart is. Where the curse began."
---
The Memory Loop
As they moved deeper into the city, each of them started seeing strange things.
Ren saw his old home.
But it was wrong. The door kept opening and closing. Inside, his parents smiled without blinking.
Kael saw his old war camp—but everyone stood frozen.
Rei saw her sister—standing in the middle of the road, crying.
Yumi saw her younger self drawing—but the sketch moved on its own.
Aki saw nothing.
Only darkness.
He stopped walking.
Ren turned. "You okay?"
Aki's voice was soft. "This city… doesn't want me to remember."
Suddenly, black fog rose from the ground and grabbed his legs.
Rei shouted, "It's pulling him in!"
Ren ran and drew a circle.
Yumi tossed a barrier scroll.
The fog vanished.
Aki breathed heavily. "Thanks."
Kael said, "We need to move fast. This place is eating us."
---
End of the Episode
Finally, they reached the base of the tower.
There was no door.
Only a staircase going down.
Ren touched the wall. "The city's heart is underground."
Yumi nodded. "Let's end this."
Rei drew her blade.
Kael cracked his neck.
Aki clenched his fists. His cursed spirit chuckled inside.
> "The real fun starts now, little mortals."
They all took a deep breath—and stepped into the tower's depths.