《Eternal Solitude》 I love a prologue Who are we without love? Who are you without love? This is a story about love and it''s many forms. Regardless of what happens. We all desperately cling on to the concept of love¡­. But what does that really mean? ¡­.. ¡­.. **** (Helloo~?? Dang it''s boring in here) The story begins on the ring known as Terra, in the place all children are born and grown, Xander labs, (Why am I even calling out hello for? No one can hear me anyways) The focus of our story is on a child in particular (I really should be doing physical education right now) In case you haven''t read Eternal Requiem, here in Xander labs babies are extracted from their mothers as foetuses and placed in tubes where they are artificially grown all the while being fed years of education directly into their growing brains, the process for the average child takes at least ten years for them to learn and adults lifetime of knowledge, (Maybe I can overload the system with thought and force it open¡­.?) This child however¡­. Bzzzzt! The machinery overhead a tube sparks up subsequently causing said tube to open prematurely, Splashh! A small body slips out along with the stream of red substance from inside, it flails about like a fish out of water struggling to find it''s centre of gravity, (Who knew standing would be this difficult) "Hel¨Cehhck!" The child opens it''s mouth for the first time but ends up coughing the fluid (That tastes horrible, praise the supreme leader that I was able to get out) Ughhh¡­ He wobbly walks around blinking furiously in the dimly lit room, The other tubes containing children glow back at him ¡°Free at last, I¡¯m sure you all can¡¯t relate,¡± the boy sticks his tongue at them tauntingly ¡­¡­.. ¡°Hello~ Is anyone around? I finished my education I¡¯m ready for physical training Hello?¡± (Guess like I¡¯m all alone in here) All alone he was The ambient humming of machines surrounding him within the cold lab walls No sooner than he¡¯d got out had he been wishing to be put back in¡­. ¡­... ¡­... ¡°Aghh¡­ Why are these door switches so high up?¡± the boy agitatedly jumps up slapping open another door he¡¯s been wandering around for a while now, more and more regretting his decision to leave the tube ¡°Hello! Anyone, Someone!¡± He calls desperately now ¡­.. ¡°¡­.I hear you¡± A voice suddenly echoes back making the boy almost jump out his skin, He spins around peering sternly trying to see who or what the voice comes from ¡°W.where are you, I can¡¯t see you¡± ¡°I am not near you, But heard your calls, Listen to my voice, I will guide you to me¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the voice does not respond right away .... ¡­ ¡°I am someone who needs help, Will you help me?¡± ¡°¡­.I .. Yes I will help you¡± the boy replies, feeling a tinge of familiarity from the speaker ¡°Good¡± **** Using the mysterious voice as his guide the boy manages to navigate his way up from the lower floors of the lab in which he is situated *Whick!* The boy jumps slapping the switch to slide the exit doors open ¡°Woah¡­¡± A burst of light and warm tropical breeze rushes greets the child He looks up in awe of the colorful sky ¡°I know how the sky looked, but seeing it is something else This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.It¡¯s so¡ªwahh!?¡± The boy¡¯s body jerks forward with incredible speed, he exclaims in fearful confusion, as everything around him blurs into a mess of colors the air goes ghostly still yet it still feels like he¡¯s being sucked into a ravenous black hole¡­. Though¡­ The boy only experiences this for a singular second Before he could even process what was happening, it was over, and surrounding him once more were cold steel walls, Surgical pale lights looking down on him (Am I back inside the lab?) ¡°Wah? I don¡¯t understand¡­?) ¡°It was me,¡± the mysterious voice sounds even more faint, ¡°What¨C¡± ¡°You will have to save your questions, where you are now is another lab block, it¡¯s different from the one you were in before, turn around, you see that door?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, a door,¡± replies the boy quite dazedly, ¡°I am in there.¡± ¡°..oh..¡± ¡­.. The boy does not hesitate to slap the panel that makes the door slide open, his curiosity now overtaken confusion, But as the door slowly moves aside that curiosity moves with it into horror His little legs begin to wobble at the sight, For someone who had not ever physically seen another person before¡­. This was truly a traumatic first impression, Inside the room a body hung suspended from the ceiling, wires and cords digging into it¡¯s spine, legs, arms, slowly pumping out it¡¯s body in what looks to be the most agonizing way possible, A torturous helmet covers the body head like a crown of thorns, ¡°I¡­I think I got the wrong room¡± the boy stutters ¡°Thi¡­this can¡¯t be you right¡­?¡± ¡°It is¡± the voice replies but it doesn¡¯t come from the body, ¡°I need you disable my helmet from the interface over there, Can you?¡± ¡°Why?¡± the boy replies cautiously now ¡°Who¡­.who are you? The education system has taught me to be weary of magic users..¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a threat I promise¡± ¡°I¡­..I doubt that¡­ they.. they wouldn¡¯t have you locked up like this if you were not dangerous¡­ You were trying to lure me, a supposedly innocent child to release you from your captivity, I won¡¯t be fooled¡± ¡°I am not the one that called out to you child, it was you who reached out to me, I¡¯m not a trickster trying to get free for nefarious purposes, I just don¡¯t want to be alone anymore,¡± (¡­..) It was those last words, it resonated with the boy All this time it was because of his own power had he heard this stranger, Because they¡¯d shared the same feeling ¡­¡­. ¡­¡­. Barrmm!!¡ªBarrmmm!!¡ªBarrmmmn!! Alarms blare as the boy deactivates the murderous looking helmet covering the person, ¡°In a few minutes this room will be flooded with forces,¡± the figure rips himself out of the shackles of cords, not even flinching as his blood sprays out, ¡°I can take you with me, but it¡¯s up to you, I¡¯m certain you won¡¯t be harmed even if you stayed,¡± ¡­. The boy steps back taking a good look at the figure, His lonely sapphire eyes stare back, sat into a face although pale and drained still retains a kind demeanour, If this man with his reddish blond hair was actually a trickster or criminal, then he¡¯d have been able to fool the best of them with his pure aura, (I might be na?ve but I don¡¯t care) ¡°My choices are either to go with you or to return to solitude, Let¡¯s go¡­ Take me with you.¡± Origin of Love Terrible choices and bad decisions, the education system has taught me to always critical asses and think through things no matter the situation, (But why didn¡¯t I? Why am I letting my emotions control my actions?) ¡ª ¡°You know for a child, you think to deeply¡± the man leans over his shoulder to the boy on his back ¡°The education system¨C¡± ¡°¨CEnough about the education system, What is your name boy?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been assigned one yet, you have you graduate first, I have a brother whose graduated though, his name is Alexander,¡± ¡°If you have family why did ask to come along with me?¡± ¡°The education system teaches us that reliance on family makes us weaker and that we should¡± ¡°Urrhhh¡± groans the man ¡°Please enough of that nonsense¡± (Is this man insulting my education?) ¡°Ok, if you want to mock my knowledge, What is family to you?¡± ¡°I could give you a long-sophisticated answer, but simply put, they are people whom you would die for and would die for you,¡± (¡­¡­) ¡°Who are you mister? Where is your family?¡± ¡°My name is Raguel, and I¡¯m taking you to what¡¯s left of them.¡± ¡­¡­. Raguel, from the moment I met him I knew he was mana being, an angel¡­. They way he spoke, each word had a latent earnestness about them, Although I¡¯ve learned a lot about mana beings, meeting one was different¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡°hyuhh!¡± Raguel leaps across stone isles The pair are far on the outer ends of the third ring Gaia, It is an inhumane un-liveable collection of barren rocky stone islands floating in a nightly void, The home of beasts Ksssssskkk!? The boy shivers hearing the hiss, ¡°What are your family doing in a place like this?¡± he speaks directly into Raguel¡¯s ear ¡°They are not, one of my family, is here,¡± the angel softly pushes the child¡¯s head away, ¡°I haven¡¯t actually met them yet, but they are very important to me.¡± ¡°If you haven¡¯t met them, would you die for them?¡± ¡°¡­...¡± Raguel doesn¡¯t answer instead he shifts the topic ¡°I am sure you have already guessed that I am not human, yes?¡± ¡°Well it was obvious when you used your magic to teleport us here,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t use magic, it¡¯s mana we didn¡¯t teleport, we moved, my mana is light I can move and pull things through it¡± ¡°Is that how you were able to pull me to you?¡± ¡°It was mostly due to your ability, somehow you called out my heart, all I did was respond,¡± (My ability huh¡­) ¡°So you pulled us here to find your long lost family member, then what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to die.¡± Hoooootooooooo!? An owlman¡¯s cry screeches through the night ¡°What?¡± The boy almost releases his grip, falling off Raguel¡¯s back ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he stops for the child to reposition himself ¡°I will leave you in place where you can grow happily¡± ¡°Are you suicidal? You the education system teaches us suicidal thoughts manifests because¨C¡± ¡°¨CI¡¯m not suicidal kid You know you talk a lot about what you¡¯ve learned but still it seems you don¡¯t know much,¡± ¡°I do know, I do know I learned quicker than anyone else before me,¡± ¡°Ok, well do you know what happens when angles and humans have children?¡± ¡°Yes, the human parent dies¡± ¡°I guess you do know that much, but the human parent doesn¡¯t have to die, We angels can transfer out life force into the human, essentially dying to restore the balance,¡± ¡°And you¡¯re going to that, you mated with a human?¡± ¡°After I find my youngest sibling here, yes I will and I did¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­ Love I guess¡± ¡°Love? The education system¡­..¡± the boy starts but trails off knowing he¡¯ll just get shot down by Raguel ¡°Love is something you can¡¯t teach child, you have to experience it It¡¯s because of love I was caught off guard and brought to Terra¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you say it is something to experience but that it also brought your downfall??¡± ¡°I can¡¯t explain what I mean, When I we¡¯re done here child, I will take you into mainland Gaia, to a place called Soterra my other half, she resides there you will have to ask her our story.¡± ¡°¡­. I guess there is plenty I still haven¡¯t leant¡­.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.¡°For an infant you sound wise, you have learned much but there is plenty you have yet to experience, I will forever be grateful to you for calling out me, and giving me a chance to return before the birth of my own,¡± ¡­. The boy stays silent unable to come up with a response, .. The outer regions of Gaia are a treacherous landscape, it varies from flat and barren rock isle¡¯s to floating chunks of jagged hills Grauuhh!! The sounds of the beastmen keep the darkness lively The boy hugs tightly on the back of his guardian even though the beasts have stayed clear of them so far it would only take one fell swoop from a vulture or horned owl to crush his infant body¡­ ¡­.. Hissssssssss! Sssssssssssssssssssss! Ssssssssssssssssss! The hissing gets to an all time loud as Raguel leaps onto a hilly isle ¡°Snakemen, have gathered her¡± he whispers ¡°I may have to find another path¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you just blast through them, you¡¯re an angel right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how my mana works, I can use it to create or assist not harm, and even the things I can do right are limited right now since there¡¯s barley any light to work with¡± ¡°That sounds kind of lame, I thought mana beings were a force to be reckon with?¡± ¡°We existed originally to balance each other, the angels power offset the demons it¡¯s as simple as that,¡± ¡°Ok, well aren¡¯t the beastmen by-products of the demons surely you can offset them¡± ¡°I would he immune to their attacks yes, but are you child? I have to keep you safe it¡¯s not just me¡± ¡°¡­. Just so you know, I know how to fight, but I haven¡¯t gone through the physical education system yet,¡± ¡°Imagine if you had, those beasts wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance,¡± Raguel remarks sarcastically Hksssssssss! ¡°Is there a way through this isle if we can¡¯t go over?¡± the boy ignores the remark Hksssssss! ¡°There is a cave over there but it could be a dead end¡± ¡°We should still try¡± ¡­.... ¡­¡­ Tsss? Tsss? Sounds another hiss but these hisses burn, Tsss? They flicker a spreading a mask of light around the cave walls ¡°I didn¡¯t except torches to be down here¡± comments Raguel ¡°What are those shiny things,¡± the boy climbs down from the angel¡¯s back ¡°Careful child, and those are just magic stones they¡¯re fairly common in these parts,¡± ¡°Magic stones¡± the boy walks against the walls feeling the rugged gems protruding from them ¡°Careful¡± Raguel warns again ¡°Relax sir, I am not going to do anything risky, I¡¯m a grown man¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t even a preteen shut up¡± ¡°I¨C¡± The boy goes to respond but halts as they approach the end of the short cave way It is a dead end, but something else awaits ¡°Whoa¡± the child stares enchanted at the oval object It¡¯s circumference a rough but soft looking layer of violet shell ¡°A snakeman egg?¡± he slowly approaches the object ¡°Wait,¡± cautions Raguel ¡°Don¡¯t touch, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a snakeman egg, the mana on it feels different¡± (It does feel different A familiar mana I¡¯ve encountered before) thinks Raguel ¡°aghhhh!¡± shrikes the child, disobeying him he touches the egg ¡°aghhhh! Helpp!¡± The violet shell acts like a parasite beginning to gobble the boy on contact ¡°I told you!¡± Raguel rushes to his side pulling him but the egg adamantly refused to let go ¡°eiiyyaahhgh It hurts It hurts It¡¯s eating me!¡± ¡°This is a dragon egg, Gahh they consume everything they come in contact with I thought we eradicated all the dragons, I, I can¡¯t save you¡± ¡°Aghhhhiiiii!! It hurtsss¡± the boy cries ¡°I¡­¡± now even the angel cries ¡°I can¡¯t let you die I can¡¯t let a child¡­¡± ¡°Eiiiyahhckk!¡± ¡°I can save you boy, I can transfer my life to you to neutralize the¨C¡± ¨Caghhhhhhhhhuhauha!!¡± ¡°Guess there isn¡¯t time to explain.¡± (Am I really going to give up the chance to be with my family for this child?) ¡°I need you to finish my job for me and find the body of my youngest sibling, they call it the phantom flame, Please, Thank you for rescuing me boy Take my life as gratitude, And¡­. And if you were to ever meet my son, Tell Apollo I love him¡± Love End. Loveless: Shiryus Guilt Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch! Munch! ¡°Agh, I think I just ate a regular stone.¡± a purple scaly creature grimaces, spitting out some rock fragments ¡°I guess they¡¯re all stone when you think about it,¡± he mouths a red gem munching it down, ¡­. My name is Shiryu Zadkiel I gave myself that name after merging with a dragon egg when I was a small child, It would have consumed me if not for the angel Raguel who transferred his energy to me, Instead it gave birth to the amalgamation that I am now¡­ Not entirely human, but not a beast either, I can live off eating magic stones alone, and hibernate for years if I choose to, Crunch! Shiryu bites down into one more stone before getting up, he looks across from his small sky isle to an enormous floating citadel, From the outside it looks like a place of royalty, from it¡¯s tall towers of varying heights flaunting their magnificence down at anyone looking up, to it¡¯s blueish silver aura that could make a rock stare up at it in wonder Inside however, it was a place Shiryu disliked, slaughtered human heads decorated the bare rugged walls that winded and twisted like a beehive and anthill combined, this was the main hub of the beasts a home to them (But not for me) ¡°Hyuh!¡± he leaps off his isle to another near one, (It took years alone just for me to be able to jump that strongly,) It¡¯s the only way across sky isles, Many beasts call it natural selection, If you can¡¯t make a jump you fall to your death That¡¯s the unwritten law here in the bends, I¡¯ve had to adjust to it from a child, I could barely stand when my body became this, everything hurts it feels like little stones are under my flesh ¡°Hyuh!¡± Every time I move it pains ¡°Hyuh!¡± I think it¡¯s my punishment for being a na?ve kid, I could have been living nicely serving under the supreme leader right now and not this solitude, ¡°Hyyuuh!¡± Shiryu makes one final leap landing on the sky citadel¡¯s island, ¡°Snake boyy¡± a tiger growls upon seeing him, ¡°Kitty cat¡± Shiryu waves at it tauntingly ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me your beast form?¡± it retorts mockingly Shiryu ignores it trudging past into the citadel (Most beasts don¡¯t like me) Not because of anything I did, but what I am, You see all beastmen have two forms, a humanoid form and their primal form, I don¡¯t have that since I¡¯m still human inside These beasts are just that, beasts, they¡¯re simple minded and flock towards the strongest They don¡¯t question abnormalities like me, only look down (I don¡¯t mind either way, I learned a long time ago that being alone is much more desirable) Grauuhhhhh! Hskkkkks! Cawwww! The citadel is as usual in a messy uproar, the beastmen tend to not get along with each other, The stronger ¡®new breeds¡¯ are the only ones keeping them in check, but they¡¯re hibernating right now hence the chaos, (Which is a perfect opportunity for me to¨C) Whack!! A stray tongue lashes out unexpectedly grazing Shiryu¡¯s ear, ¡°Aghh¡± he spins around in anger ¡°Your skin tastes weird¡± a toad-man grins slyly They are mortal enemies of the snakes, (And since everyone thinks I am one they are my enemies too) This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.¡°Hssskkkk¡± Shiryu hisses back it lunging forward he lashes out with his claws, that are sharp enough to cut solid stone That¡¯s how things go around here, With beasts talking, arguing, debating, it¡¯s never an option they solve everything with violence If you ever encounter a beast and start talking to you it¡¯s probably a ploy to ambush you with more of their people. Whack! A poisonous tongue lashes out again at Shiryu, He parries with his forearm, The poison won¡¯t have any affect on the hybrid young man, his skin is tough and scally poison would not be able to penetrate his violet layer of protection, ¡°Hssskkk!¡± Shiryu grabs onto the tongue pulling the toad-man to him, Uelrkk!! With one strike he guts the creature, It reverts from it¡¯s humanoid form to a large spiky toad, (Large spiky dead toad*) This is a normal day for me, a struggle to survive, I would have let myself die a long time if not for Raguel, I may not have known that man for long But he gave up his life for my survival, (And I hate that) I was just a bratty kid that was going to be a servant of the supreme leader, He could have let me die, it wouldn¡¯t have any impact But no, (He wasted his life on me) He was the one with love or whatever, A family, A child that is probably orphaned right now, (What did I have) It¡¯s been seventeen short years since I became like this, The memory still haunts me, awake or hibernating The guilt My guilt Because of my naivety¡­. ¡­.. It¡¯s why I have to complete his request no matter what (I have to find and free the god¡¯s corpse) That was his goal for being here and now it¡¯s mine ¡­¡­ ¡­... Bing? An elevator door opens invitingly (Made it past those hawks quite easily) Shiryu darts quickly into the enclosure pressing it shut, This citadel is the only place on Gaia with working technology this area, they call the Bends is exempt from the technological ban placed on the ring, even so the beastmen themselves don¡¯t use technology the entire bottom floor of the citadel is like a cave system there are no lights furniture it¡¯s like a cave system but hidden at the far back is an elevator shaft, Guarded by hawk-men no one besides the ¡®new breed¡¯ are allowed passage up, (With my magic I can sneak past¡­.) Bing? The elevator stops on the highest floor, (If the rumours are true then) ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡°I know you¡¯re there Shiryu¡± a man calls out just as his door began to turn open slowly, startling the hybrid opening it (Expecting me?) Shiryu¡¯s head bobs past the doorway, inside a bright white light shines over a gray room, at the centre is an operation table, the walls are lined with soundproof padding, at the back is a large mainframe computer where a ball headed man sits ¡°Don¡¯t be so cautious, Shiryu, I have foreseen your arrival a long time ago.¡± (He knows my name? No one knows my name, I haven¡¯t told anyone my name yet) ¡°How did do you know my name?¡± ¡°I know everything about you Shiryu Zadkiel, But let¡¯s get formalities out of the way first, shut the door behind you, Come in, I am doctor Noah Savage, Some people know be by the moniker of the Blackmagic dealer¡± I Love a Scheme It was a few years ago I when I first learned to jump across sky islands this citadel was the first place I came to, it¡¯s no secret amongst the beasts that a human resided within the grandiose sky castle. His body was bare of any hair and wore a long flowing robe like priest, his face as young as a man in his prime but he spoke with the wisdom of sage, Underneath his robs was a body tattooed with stitches, leg replacement, arms kidneys, heart, any part that could be replaced was, It is rumoured the reason he makes dealings with body parts are to replace his own constantly failing body. Although he was a prisoner of the beasts they treated him with reverence due to his knowledge, but also¨C ¡°¨CI¡­I¡¯m aware.. aware, Ehm, excuse,¡± Shiryu stammers, his first time having to speak properly to someone in years, There is something about this man, a regal aura that commands respect, ¡°I am aware of who you are, but how do you know me?¡± ¡°I have seen it¡± Sir Savage gestures the young man to come closer, One of his eyes sparkle a pale grey and the other a caramel brown ¡°You are going to ask me where the ¡®body¡¯ is not so? The phantom flame is what you beasts call it, But you¡¯re not one of them, you are a human correct?¡± (He knows plenty) Shiryu¡¯s reptilian violet eyes dart around the room nervously he spots a row of mortuary cabinets in the corner no doubt holding several dead bodies¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°I..I am, but since I don¡¯t have to explain myself, Give me the bod¨C¡± ¡°¨CYes, you can have it¡± ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°You want the body, and I want to give it to you,¡± (This is not how I planned this to go) ¡°You, see Shiryu, years ago before you were even conceptualized, I was given a piece of the body, it¡¯s eye, granting me tremendous scientific knowledge, But also an ability that allowed me to see, at the time, a few seconds in the future, I have been forcefully extending my life all this time since then growing my range of sight, And I have seen it all Shiryu, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..... ¡­ The venerated feeling back when I first met Sir Savage still has not left me I wish I could say that he taught me plenty things, but none of that would be true, From the get go the man who could see the future would do little to explain anything to me Only sending me to run errands for him, ¡®Go here, do this, do that'' I didn¡¯t protest to it Why would I? From birth we are taught to obey those of greater knowledge and power, Sir Noah Savage was clearly a man who knew plenty more than I If helping him meant I could fulfil Raguel¡¯s wish, This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.Then I would do just that¡­. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crunch! Munch! Crunch! Munch! Munch! Shiryu chomps down on magic stones once again he sits on a barren floating island overlooking the citadel a good distance away Crunch! His diet only consists of magic stones, most beastmen are self sufficient, they don¡¯t need to eat as their body converts magic into energy, although many beasts enjoy eating humans simply because they taste good. Munch! (What¡¯s taking so long¡­) thinks Shiryu, letting his mind wander back to a couple hours earlier¡­.. ¡­¡­.. ¡°Are all the bombs placed?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did it exactly as you said, And no one saw me come here either Sir Savage,¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ll go over the plan again¡­ The moment I warp you away, those bombs will go off and destroy most of the space citadel, I¡¯ll escape with the phantom flame and crash somewhere in the desert on Gaia, I will die, most certainly die but it will look convincing enough that the flame was also destroyed, All you have to do is find a way to get the team that¡¯s going to track me down, When you do find us they¡¯ll think I¡¯m dead, and for obvious reasons leave the bodies, One of those bodies will be the phantom flame, the god¡¯s corpse, Absorb a magic stone into it and it will begin to revive, After that the rest is up to you,¡± ¡°I got it, Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t make any mistakes,¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t because I¡¯ve seen it¡­ Goodbye.¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. (I¡¯ve been waiting so long now and nothing¡¯s happened) . KAAABOOOOOMMM! As the thought crosses Shiryu¡¯s mind an explosion goes off in the permanent night sky of the bends BOOOOMMM! BOOOOMM! Several explosions follow as a jet zips off the premises towards the mainland Shiryu quickly leaps across the isles to the citadel¡­ ¡°What was that what that!? What happened!?¡± he calls landing the Citadel¡¯s Island into a crowd of beasts escaping from the burning structure, ¡°Grrr the lion emperor is dead and the black magic dealer and some other accomplice made away with the flame¡± a lion growls at Shiryu, Boom! Another mini explosion (Just like Sir Savage said would happen) ¡°Well, what are we standing around for!?¡± Shiryu hisses loudly with instigating intent ¡°We have to follow that scum before he gets far, Technology does not work on Gaia remember? He can only get so far in that jet!¡± ¡°Grrr Yeah,¡± the monsters becoming gas lit by his words ¡°After that We must get revenge! He mustn¡¯t get away!¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. And thus, the pursuit was on, a chase that unknowingly would set off a chain events, which would eventually¡ª ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡ª Id Love to know your name ¡°Don¡¯t slow us down snake!¡± a lion barks back Ignoring it Shiryu trudges forward (These stupid monsters don¡¯t even have names for themselves, but always look down on me) Whunp! Leaping up off an isle Shiryu along with a group of beast land atop a cliff, instantly the sky goes from night to day indicating their arrival to Gaia¡¯s mainland Ahead the smoky outline of an aircraft nose dives out of the sky ¡°There! We¡¯ll avenge the lion emperor!¡± (Good riddance to that monster) Shiryu thinks to himself Aside from the ¡®new breeds¡¯ of beasts the lion emperor was seen as the strongest of the old breed of creatures, it¡¯s reputation was gained as the emperor due to it¡¯s undefeated status among the common beasts In reality it wasn¡¯t anything to special ultimately dying to the shockwave of an explosion set up by Shiryu (With my magic I could probably kill the ¡®new breed¡¯ as well without being caught) On the topic of magic, all beasts are a by-product of selective breeding by the now extinct demons, most dangerous animals on Gaia have all gone extinct due to this, the demons would breed themselves with the animals, kidnap humans and force them to breed with the offspring of those in a disgusting process that saw the the creation of dragons their extinction and now the emergence of a new breed¡­ All beasts posses a fraction of Yin mana, called dark energy, they use this to transform between their forms boost their physical attributes and in some cases develop unique abilities, Shiryu posses dark energy as well as mana but.. (If I use dark energy, I¡¯ll use my humanity¡­.) It was the first thing I did seventeen years ago when I first became this monster, I was in pain and traumatized, but I felt the dragonic power in me, the moment I used it my skin became hard and purple I felt my lungs swell up and heart rate accelerate It¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a monster, so I won¡¯t use that power ever¡­ ¡­. Shiryu also posses mana(yang) from Raguel, but it is that very mana that keeps his hybrid body together, it flows through his body like blood and cannot be used (The only thing I rely is my power as a human, my magic) Light magic he uses, his derivative of Raguel¡¯s mana, although he can¡¯t move within light like the aforementioned angel, Shiryu can diffract, refract and reflect the light around making him seem invisible at times among other uses (It¡¯s how I was able to meet with Sir Savage and do everything in secret) ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ Chhtt! chhhtt! chtttt! Our feet push past the rocky terrain and into an awkwardly placed desert, the jet is¨C ¡°¨CGET COVER!¡± a beast yells as the craft takes a violent nose dive Bowwwwwwwww¨Czzzzzzztttttttt¨CKABBBOOOMMM! ¡°The God will be set free!¡± a loud voice echoes out at the same time¨C ¨CThe jet impacts the sand with devastating force, blowing open a crater, ¡°Aieeerrkk!¡± a huge chunk of stone flies up like a meteor Shiryu darts back shoving one of the beasts into the others, they stumble up each other instead of moving, inevitably Brruunnnnnckkk!! Getting crushed¡­ (Sir Savage even told me to look out for falling debris, he really saw everything) Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.¡­¡­... ¡­¡­.. ******* The sun beams down upon an empty dessert, no speck of life to be found, a desert of death. The sand burns, scorching hot, hotter than usual, the normally still sand in a state of motion, Each grain slowly slipping down into a crater of purple flames, the flames and sand battle relentlessly for supremacy as three figures lay still in heap of rumble, ¡°What was that explosion?¡± One says struggling its feet ¡°Could it be the phantom flame in the throne room!?¡± ¡°Sir the rest of our men got crushed by the rubble,¡± the second beast states ¡°The only survivors are you, I and¡­ him,¡± he scowls at a quiet Shiryu (Is he onto me?) ¡°It must be those thieves we couldn¡¯t catch earlier¡± the first figure says as he wipes the dust off his face, his lion-like features begin to show (Nah, they¡¯re too simple minded for that) ¡°We should not have followed them sir¡± the second one, a lizard like fellow, laments ¡°We lost good men, for what? Revenge!?¡± Shiryu still remains silent his empty violet eyes in sullen agreement. (Hopefully my acting is top notch, If they noticed I¡¯m the one who pushed the others them I¡¯m done for) ¡­. ¡­.. The three make their way through the burnt ruins, ¡°Is that a body!?¡± The Lizard beast-man exclaims as they enter the destroyed throne room- ¡°-Or is it a corpse?¡± He continues, ¡°this must be what¡¯s left of the thieves, serves them right.¡± ¡°Seems like there was a fight here,¡± the lion beast-man adds, ¡°There¡¯re stab wounds over this body and its severely burned!¡± ¡°What the hell could¡¯ve happened here?¡± ¡°A fight among thieves,¡± the lizard man laughs ¡°At least we can leave knowing they got what they deserved¡± the lion beast-man scoffs ¡°Let¡¯s get back home we must report this to the general, what we heard earlier¡± Shiryu stand quietly watching and waiting for the ignorant creatures leave past him (Everything is according to plan) He looks at corpse, its black colored eyes still open, as it stares blankly, emotionless ¡°Huhhhhhh!¡± Shiryu lets out a huge sigh (This must be the god) ¡°You need this more than I do¡± he says taking out an azure crystal. Pressing it on, the corpse begins to absorb it¡¯s magic slowly regenerating a little, (Ahhh, it¡¯s going to get up soon, Should I go now and avoid being seen?) ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡°Urrrgghhhhhh,¡± the body groans as it opens it¡¯s eyes for the first time, They stare around room in a confused daze of thought ¡­¡­ ¡°Who are you!¡± they call, noticing Shiryu trying to sneak away ¡°¡­¡­.¡± (Shit, he noticed me, I was even using my magic too, I suppose I should off and act mysterious) ¡­.. ¡°What are you called?¡± the beastman calls out to the corpse, They stare at him for while then answers¡­ ¡°Kage.¡± (Ooh, I¡¯m soo honored right now¡­) ¡°Your wounds are not healed, if you can fight through the pain, you have enough energy to leave and get treated.¡± The beastman says out loud, Kage doesn¡¯t reply and just stares as the beast creeps away (Kage, So that is your name, I will make sure to remember it, And hopefully, We will meet again.) Loveless: The New Breed Kage, Kage, Kage, (I can¡¯t stop thinking about her now, What kind of person she will become) ~~~~~ ¡°Once you awaken the body, leave them be, Do not follow or interfere with them, they travel a path much different to you Shiryu¡± ¡°Sir Savage, you claim to be able to see the future, and I believe that, But my future, at least tell me what my future holds, am I going to live here in the Bends forever?¡± ¡°The outcome of your future depends on what you want for yourself, if you do not want anything then your future will reflect that, but even if choose to want something, you might not get it either,¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re speaking in riddles,¡± ¡°Hhhhh¡± the blackmagic dealer sighs, ¡°If you want to know what your future holds, free the god first, after return to this room, I will have left behind something for you¡­.¡± .. ¡­ ~~~~~ (I still don¡¯t know what he meant) Shiryu gazes up at the blue sky snapping out of his reminiscence The sun roars it¡¯s full heat down onto the young man hurrying his way back to the bends, This area of Gaia is known as the rocklands, they form a belt around the entire ring, humans cannot survive here as there are no food or water sources, and the only thing that does await anyone who could makes the perilous journey would just find themselves staring at a seemingly endless cliff drop ¡°Hiiyaahh!¡± Shiryu leaps off the cliff side The sky instantly transitions from day to night as the hybrid vaults through the air, To the beasts this was the area that separated the bends from the mainland Ever since the dragon extinction war the humans have marked all the beasts as ¡®kill on sight¡¯ They send groups of people called hunters to lurk near the rocklands occasionally to slaughter any monster that gets to close to civilization, farming their skin for materials, and their will as requiems, As dangerous as the bends may seem, the mainland is much more lethal, Only when the ¡®new breed¡¯ is populous, will the monsters finally strike back¡­ ¡­.. ***** Crrrckk! Awooooohhhh! ? Cawww!? Cawww!? The Citadel no longer ablaze now barely stands a rubbly mess (Sir Savage said to return to his room, I don¡¯t the if he has a room left) Thum! Thum! Digging his claws into an ashy cinder Shiryu scales the side of the structure making his way up Not even the eagles currently circling the building can spot the young half dragon due to his magic Thum! Brrkk! BRAM! A wall collapses inward on Shiryu he tumbles into the building looking around cautiously to see if it alerted anyone (I suppose no one would be suspicious since this whole place is falling apart anyhow) ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°What are the odds¡­.¡± *Flash* A brief green wave of light bathes the young man as he pushes open the door to Sir Savage¡¯s abode, The room in it¡¯s entirety is undamaged, Shiryu eyes darts around inceptively An operation table with an assortment of steel and plasma knives hung nexteto it, Many people have died on that table, that the faint scent of blood still lingers, In the rarest cases some survived and gained godlike abilities in this very room¡­ (What could he have left me?) ¡°So you are the accomplice?¡± just as the taught was crossing Shiryu¡¯s mind a growly tone melts into his ear, (Oh shit, it¡¯s ¨C) Bashh! Brrrcckkk! KABARAAMMM! A set of claws thrust into his stomach the moment he spins around to face the speaker, Shiryu¡¯s body goes rocketing into the wall like a cricket ball bursting through reinforced steel the young man topples back off the high citadel (A set up?) This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr hastily digging his claws into the walls the young dragon negates what would have been a back breaking fall ¡°It makes sense the accomplice would return to erase the evidence.¡± the murderous voice jumps out the hole created by Shiryu¡¯s body nose diving at him ¡°Shit shit shit!¡± Shiryu release his grip on wall letting himself fall Thud! He hits the ground hard startling the beasts in the vicinity (I thought the new breed were hibernating) Shiryu lurches himself up in hysteric escape Thud! The pursuer lands behind him, its murderous aura covers the area like a toxic gas Hyhuh! Shiryu leaps off the Citadel Isle And¨C Whumph! The pursuer already reaches him using the momentum Shiryu generated by his leap to crush the boy down into the landing Isle.. But before we get into that¡­. The new breed are in total three new species of Beasts, six of them currently exits a pair of each, they are the only creatures to have names Geri and Freki, two beasts of immense strength but even greater speed, there is not a single species alive capable of out running these two monsters are called werewolves. Crusher and Crusha, they posses the lowest intellect but are known as physical weapons, strength capable of levelling mountains and skin that can withstand missile fire, the ogres Lamia and Dracula, not the least physical of the species, these two are masters of their dark energy using it to bend the elements and human magic to their will, the vampires They spend most of the time in hibernation conserving strength before they start reproducing, only waking occasionally to display their strength to the others Crrrrruuuunnccchhh! Shiryu¡¯s face plants into the solid exterior of a rocky isles ¡°Plotting with humans!¡± Brrrckkk! ¡°Is banned here!¡± The werewolf Freki pummels it claws into Shiryu who still struggles about trying to run free, For him, trying to fight is not an option. (Shit, shit, that goddamn blackmagic dealer, he set me up!) Herkkuh! Shiryu kicks up rocks stumbling to his feet like a madman (I have to run, I have to get away) The murderous presence of Freki is enough make a person feel nauseated ¡°Grrrrraaaaaauuuuuuuuhhhhhh!¡± DOOOOOOFFFFFFMMMMMMM!!!!!!! The wolf dives under Shiryu¡¯s legs tripping him back down again ¡°You can¡¯t runaway from me¡± it bares it¡¯s fangs ¡°I don¡¯t usually eat snakes but maybe you will be an exception to that¡± ¡°Hksssssss!¡± Shiryu reflexively hisses swinging legs and arms wildly But werewolf digs its feet hard into his torso keeping him pinned (I can¡¯t escape, I.. I have to use it, even if I become more of a monster I don¡¯t want to die yet) ¡°HAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡± Shiryu¡¯s scales tighten become tougher and their color a deeper violet, an intense heat builds up in lungs on which he screams ¡°!!¡± Freki easily darts out the way as intense blast erupts from the young dragon¡¯s mouth ¡°You¡¯re an interesting reptile¡± Ssskccouupp! Immediately the werewolf digs his claws into Shiryu¡¯s chest, ¡°You have decent power, Hibernate right now and I will spare you¡± ¡°Eckkk!¡± Shiryu wheezes his lungs burn as he tries to hold himself from breathing in, out of fear that Freki¡¯s claws may accidentally burrow to deep killing him ¡°I.. I¡¯ll hibernate, please spare me¡± Sspirrrk! The wolf twists his claw slightly. ¡°I said right now, not on your own timing, Hibernate Right Now Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, Close your eyes reptile, No one will harm you while you¡¯re sleeping.¡± ¡°Eck. I¡± Shiryu reluctantly complies shutting his eyes and entering hibernation. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Loveless Hibernation To be forced into hibernation is the biggest shame a beast can endure that when confronted with the option death is usually chosen above hibernation, It¡¯s like being forced to strip and reveal yourself publicly, For someone to force you to hibernate publicly is the ultimate shame amongst beastmen Shiryu was already one who had no respect from the other creatures But now, no matter what he does or will ever do, will gain him respect Hibernate¡­. (Hibernation in a way is similar to how I was as a child on Terra, the difference is that on Terra I had a vas library of knowledge at my disposal, Articles and images stories, music, I had it all to enjoy, Now I have nothing but my thoughts, My sad, sad lonely thoughts, Ever since Raguel told me about love, It annoys, It annoys me badly, I can¡¯t solve it, How are you willing to die for someone you love? I can¡¯t even die for myself, I begged and pleaded I took hibernation, over death, Does that mean I love myself or hate myself Aghhh! It doesn¡¯t make sense! If I¡¯m willing to die for myself wouldn¡¯t that mean I hate myself? I begged for myself, for my life, Doesn¡¯t that mean I love myself right? Right?) No matter how hard he thinks it, Shiryu cannot figure it out, What does it mean to love oneself? Before he had fully set is mind to fulfilling Raguel¡¯s goal of freeing Kage, But with Kage free Shiryu¡¯s can¡¯t help but think about his sentiments On Terra children are taught that they should be able to solve any problem any equation that presents itself, It¡¯s integrated in Shiryu¡¯s mind Love to him is an equation He needs to solve, like an itch you can¡¯t scratch¡­ Even in hibernation his thoughts press on through the days¨Cweeks¨Cmonths¡­¡­ ....... (Does Kage know what it means, Kage is god, Surely she knows everything I wonder where she is now Would I die for Kage? Is Kage family to me? She is family to Raguel and he never met her Is Raguel family to me? He gave his life for me His mana flows through my body, Should I call Raguel my father then? Is his family my family then? Would I die for his child? Is his child my sibling then? Would they die for me?) The more he thinks the deeper he goes into the rabbit hole of confusion (Should I try to find my sibling? Should I search after Kage? She can turn me back human possibly Yes, yes, I can be a human again, I can¨C) ¡°¨CHuu¨Currrlllkkk!¡± Shiryu suddenly jerks up and vomits (What was that?) A sudden nauseous wave. The young man blinks, wiping his eyes, he looks up at the dark sky, To humans the sky to them would just be black, a dark void, But to creatures like Shiryu they can discern between the different shades of darkness¡­ Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.(It¡¯s morning) ¡°How long was I hibernating for? And that wave¡­.¡± It seems like it wasn¡¯t just Shiryu feeling that, The bends seems to in a state of unsteadiness, By the partially rebuilt Citadel a hoard of beasts is gathering (What happened here?) Shiryu leaps off to the citadel as well ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Had a nice nap?¡± rasps a lizardman seeing the boy touch down ¡°¡­ Did you feel that?¡± Shiryu ignores the attempted shaming ¡°Everyone did,¡± ¡°Hkkss a call perhaps?¡± ¡°Grrr it felt like a challenge to me¡± ¡°If feels stronger than¨C¡± ¡°¨CShhkk don¡¯t say that unless you want to die¡± The Citadel was in uproar as usual but this time not from clashes and disputes, the animals were talking amongst each other This had never occurred before (Did I wake up in a fake scenario? This can¡¯t be real¡­.) ¡°Alright everyone Hush!¡± a knifey voice cuts through the noise and sure enough everyone silences looking up at a couple floating down from the rafters above The male¡¯s face is as white as powder but his ears are pointy and black, when he speaks his red lips, curl open slyly to reveal it¡¯s dagger-light teeth, from afar it looks featureless because his eyes are as white as his face, the vampire bat Dracula¡­ At his side a female who resembles his appearance though her skin is pale blue and her body modelled like a human woman, the vampire bat Lamia The couple¡¯s commanding presence instils both fear and respect into the creatures beneath them ¡°There is a dragon among us!¡± Dracula declares making Shiryu almost jump out of his scales (Did they find out??) ¡°On the mainland of Gaia, We all felt that wave, that was it exerting it¡¯s presence it¡¯s power to us,¡± (Another dragon?) ¡°It¡¯s power eclipses all of you lower breeds and us new breeds combined,¡± ¡°Are we to submit to this new dragon then?¡± a lion stands up ¡°¡­.¡± Although they can¡¯t see his eyes, Dracula makes a disgusted face turning his back to the monsters ¡°No, the dragons time have come and gone¡± Lamia takes over ¡°The humans are weary of those types now, they will surely band together against it,¡± ¡°What does that mean for us then?¡± ¡°It means this is the perfect opportunity for us to increase our strength, For hundreds of years, we have been relegated to eating magic stones for gain, But now, with this dragonic re-emergence the ban the humans have on us will be lapse, they will be busy fighting it, And we will be busy taking the spoils, bring human flesh back into our diet, An all you can eat buffet!¡± ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­. The monsters mumble amongst each other, clearly liking the sound of Lamia¡¯s interpretation ¡°We eat then!¡± ¡°We eat!¡± ¡°We eat!¡± ¡°We eat!¡± ¡°We eat!¡± (I feel like this is all a weird fever dream) ¡°We eat!¡± ¡°We eat!¡± ¡°To the mainland!¡± A Monsters Love I always knew, no I was always aware that I was, no I am a monster, all the beastmen, but aside from killing each other in fights there was nothing monstrous about us, Animalistic yes, but monsters¡­. Grancnchh! Grancnchh! Grancnchh! ¡°I¡¯m not sharing,¡± a Crocman growls noticing Shiryu¡¯s disdainful stare The boy turns quickly looking towards the silver mountains up north, Grancnchh! Behind him the monsters feast on humans¡­ (I need to get away from this) It¡¯s only been a short while since the beasts started their mainland buffet, They move in small groups, only attacking during the day, near small villages, or pathways and riverbanks, Men, women, children, it didn¡¯t matter¡­ Day was much easier to catch humans as they felt safer then, normally a person is able to sense the presence of a beast, from far away giving them enough time to call for other people to hunt it, but now as the looming dark presence of a dragon covers near the entirety of Gaia, humans are not able to detect the beasts, giving them free reign to ambush and hunt them. ¡­.. (Maybe I should try to get back to Terra) Shiryu ponders at the mountains (I know there¡¯s a rift between rings now, Should I go home, beg the supreme leader to cure me?) ¡­.. The warm sun bathes down on a tiny forest bordering a riverbank, there used to be a tribe inhabiting the forest but now they¡¯re food Shiryu scales up a tree away from the avid chomping below gazing at beautiful landscape ahead a grassy series of plains and small bathe happily in the sun further up is a grand towering tree with gorgeous leaves and colourful flowers that beg to be admired, the outline of buildings can be faintly recognized near said tree¡­. ¡°Hauhh¡± he yawns (I wonder where Kage is now I bet she could easily destroy that dragon with one strike) Chhk~ Stolen story; please report.The leaves near Shiryu ruffle slightly immediately capturing his attention (Is that?) A small boy hides fearfully in the tree His entire body trembles the moment Shiryu glances at him ¡°shhh¡± Shiryu gestures to boy to stay quiet (He must have seen all of his people being slaughtered, if the others find him¡­) ¡­The child backs away slightly, his cheeks tear stained and nose leaking of snot ¡°Noo, noo, don¡¯t move stay put¡­¡± Shiryu mouths silently but the boy only gets more afraid seeing his teeth Crrrkk. His branch bends a little, ¡°Stop moving please¡­¡± CRRRKKBRRKMK! His warnings prove to be no avail the boy tries to jump to another tree but the branch gives away instantly (Gahhd!) Thump! Shiryu leaps forward catching the boy out of the air, and taking the brunt of the fall ¡°hmm!?¡± the other creatures look at once ¡°Looks like you finally caught yourself a human,¡± ¡°¡­..¡± (Should I make a run for it with the child? If so where could I go?) ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Go on¡± growls a wolf noticing the young mans still silence ¡°Eat it¡± ¡°¡­.¡± (Even if I run with this boy, the humans would just kill me, I can¡¯t leave the group¡­..) ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want we will gladly take it¡± the crocman edges closer ¡°¡­¡­ You all have eaten enough, maybe¡­ we We should let this human go.¡± ¡°Psssshahahahahahah! What? We¡¯re not eating to fill our stomachs, humans make us stronger, And also because we Love it Now eat it, or we will.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Shiryu looks down at the boy he holds tightly in his arms who doesn¡¯t even try to move stricken with fear ¡°I.. I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Ok, then we will¡± ¡°No, stay back! Stay away or I will¡± ¡°Grauuuhh!¡± the group of beasts all pounce at Shiryu together ripping the boy out of his clutches ¡°Or you will what? Hibernate?¡± ¡°Now stay put, and watch this very carefully, This is how to eat a human.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Aiiiieeeeeee!!¡± Grancnchh!¡ª Weak Love ¡ªI promised myself that I wouldn¡¯t use my dark energy, my power as a beast as a monster But I couldn¡¯t¡­ The screams, his scream The¡­.. I just couldn¡¯t help it¡­ I had to kill them all I had to eradicate them, those creatures, those animas, Those, those disgusting monsters Even if it meant becoming a monster myself I¡­.. Shiryu trudges one across a field of growing dense vines and thorny roses, like the flowers his claws are colored red, stained red, a bright red that slowly fades into an ugly crusted brownish red, blood The blood of his beast ¡®companions¡¯ (I have no remorse about it either) The young dragon¡¯s appearance is even more monstrous than before, his violet scales are tougher, rugged and more defined now, eyes a now in a permanent glare, (Maybe it¡¯s love again, I didn¡¯t love that human, it was nobody to me, If I loved it enough maybe I would have ran off with him instantly I wouldn¡¯t have wasted time thinking Love¡­) ¡°How will I know how to love if I haven¡¯t felt it before!¡± Shiryu shouts out into the air upsetting only the nearby plants he nears a congregation of small settlements built up around a large city that appears to be in repair, (I wonder if I can find love there) Shiryu gazes at the crumbling city walls (That¡¯s what I need, yes¡­ A person to love, maybe I¡¯ll understand then) The monster presses on, lost in his own delusions ¡­¡­.. Juuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnn? ¡°!?¡± Pulling him out of thought is the sound of a vehicle.. Shiryu looks down across and down at a path leading toward the city A magical carriage bumps along it¡¯s magic stone, ¡®wheels¡¯ pushing it forward with a deep hum (People, people are coming, Should I stop them¡­) he thinks but then freezes up completely before darting behind the nearest tree a minute after (No, no, no, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t forget how I look, I¡¯m a monster, they¡¯ll kill me if they see me) the boy cowers behind the tree trunks letting the magic vehicle drive past (I¡¯m a monster¡­ Maybe I should just go back to the bends¡­) Juuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnn? The magic carriage drives quickly past the hiding dragon, continuing on it¡¯s way, As it¡¯s hum gets fainter Shiryu comes out from his hiding to get a quick look at the craft when¡­. For a split second his eyes locks with someone else, Although partially far away their sights sync (Is that¡­ Kage?) Her eyes starry eyes a deep void that is both empty and filled with emotion¡­ The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.(That¡¯s definitely her, Kage I know those eyes) Shiryu sprints across the path attempting to catch up ¡°Ka¨C¡± *wrapp* Thud! A vine trips him over as he touches the grassbed across the path ¡°Arghh come on¡± Shiryu picks himself up defiantly *Whip* Thudd! Another vine again whips him back down, ¡°Grrr Stop it¡± he kicks up again *Whap!* *Whiahp! Thuddd! *wrap* The vine trip him for the third time pinning him down as well ¡°What is this? Let me go!¡± Shiryu rips through the brown vines ¡°Stupid vines!¡± Bwoooff!? ¡°Heh!?¡± This time a stray fire ball explodes in his face, ¡°There¡¯s the beast!¡± someone shouts as silhouette emerge coming from across the path, (How did they detect me? I thought the dragon disrupted that) *Whick!* The vines latch on to Shiryu holding for the approaching mob Bwoooff!? Another fire ball curls in at him, despite his magic resistant scales, the explosions are quite annoying to Shiryu Bwoooff!? Bwoooff!? Nevertheless, they keep coming along with the troublesome vines that latch on to the boy every time he tries to get away ¡°Come. On. Leave me alone Stupid vines!¡± he struggles, Bwoooff!? ¡°Those aren¡¯t vines,¡± an armor-clad warrior nears Shiryu cautiously, ¡°Those are the roots of the tree of life¡± he points a large hammer which he carries to the beautiful tree in the distance, ¡°It¡¯s roots protect this entire region from monsters like you, The moment you stepped foot on our soil, your fate¨C¡± ¡°¨CWait, wait, wait!¡± Shiryu interrupts ¡°I.. err. I come in peac¨C¡± WHAMM! The warrior swings his hammer into Shiryu¡¯s skull batting him across the grove, The other people gather around with their magic attacks read and even another hammer wielder (I can¡¯t fight them¡­. They¡¯ll know I¡¯m a monster for sure) ¡°Please hear me out! I have no intentions of causing harm.¡± WHAMM! ¡°errghh!¡± another hammer swing comes but Shiryu blocks it with the scales of his forearm ¡°You are covered in blood right beast, Your trickery won¡¯t work on us¡± WHAM! A hammer comes from the other side Whack! The roots yank Shiryu to his knees and¨C WHAAMMBB! Both great hammers swing from each side crushing the young man¡¯s head in between¡­ ...... ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°It¡¯s still breathing¡­¡± ¡°Should we finish it off?¡± ¡°No, catching a beast alive is a rare opportunity, Send word to Queen Zinnia of this catch.¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­. I Love to hear you scream ¡°errrrrrggg I feel like I got at least fifteen concussions from that,¡± Shiryu groggily pulls himself up, (I always forget my scales may be durable but that doesn¡¯t stop brunt force, It¡¯s times like this I appreciate my beast body, had to go into partial hibernation to recover quickly¡­) ¡°Where am I now¡± Shiryu says out loud adjusting his eyes to the dim lighting, On the three sides around him are thick brown wooden walls, and in front wooden bars (Is this a joke?) ¡°A wooden cage? Come on a child could break out of this,¡± Shiryu confidently grips a wooden bar¨C Bumbp! ¨CAnd immediately slumps to the floor (My strength¡­ It drained all, I can barely move¡­) ¡°Keep your claws to yourself next time,¡± a masculine voice speaks from somewhere outside Shiryu can¡¯t even move his head to see who or where ¡°Where am I?¡± Shiryu asks weakly ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it beast, your life will be ending very soon¡± ¡°¡­. Wait, no, please I¡¯m not actually a¨C¡± ¡°¨CIt¡¯s a waste of time and what little energy you have left trying to trick me, I¡¯ve been stationed here for nearly a month now waiting for you wake up from your nap, Now stay quiet someone will be here soon to turn into a requiem.¡± ¡­. Stomp-stomp-stomp? A short flow of footsteps reverberates Slamm! Followed by a door shutting (Damn, this is how I kick the bucket? Drained and defenceless,) ¡­.. ¡­.. Shiryu waits silent and solemnly (The next person that enters I¡¯m going to beg like never before) ¡­. ¡­. Errrkkk? The door opens, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up for this?¡± A woman¡¯s voice asks ¡°Yes, I want to do it, please leave it to me¡± a somewhat timid female voice responds ¡°Ok.. then good luck.¡± Bram! The door closes Pat-pat-pat-pat-pat? Soft footsteps approach Shiryu¡¯s cell ¡°Recovery rain¡± ¡°?¡± A small shower covers Shiryu and energy begins to flow through his body once more, ¡°Huh?¡± Shiryu leaps staring across the wooden bars to the excited brown eyes of a petite girl, her thin lips in a wide smile that shows off her deep dimples in her rosy cheeks, One of her hands is busy twirling a loose strand of pale pink hair tied in a dainty ribbon while her other hand is pointed at Shiryu as she says: ¡°Acid Rain¡± Tssssshhhh!? ¡°Ahhhkk!¡± Shiryu raises his arms to cover his head from the magic raindrops currently melting through his skin, ¡°What are doing to me?? Stop!¡± ¡°Paralysis rain¡± (Ahh not again) Shiryu once again slumps down to the floor unable to move ¡°Ha~¡± the girl breathes out a sigh of pleasure She pulls open the cage unharmed by it¡¯s weakening effects and knees down by the boy, pressing her face close to his ear ¡°You can scream if you want, I made it so that your ability to speak wouldn¡¯t be impaired.¡± The timid tone that was previously heard in her voice all but gone, This girl speaks with sadistic menace ¡°Wait, wait hear me out.¡± Shiryu pleads ¡°Ok, I¡¯m listening¡± ¡°Im¨C Owwwww!¡± She sticks a blade into his bare flesh behind the melted away scales on his thigh ¡°I¡¯m listening to your screams¡± she cackles (This woman is crazy, I¡¯m so dead??) ¡°You gave me back my strength just to paralyze me again is sick work.¡± ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take that as a compliment¡± ¡°Owwww! Owwww!¡± She twists the blade into his skin, ¡°Your skin under the scales is very tender, what kind of beastman are you?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.¡°I¡¯m a human¡­ I may not look like it but I am I got into an accident, Please believe me¡­¡± ¡°Ok, Name ten people then¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You heard me, Name Ten People¡± (What kind of unreasonable question is that? I can literally just make up random names) ¡°Ten people that I know by the way,¡± the girl adds as if reading Shiryu¡¯s mind ¡°That¡¯s not fair how will I know ten people you know?¡± ¡°My point exactly¡± the girl grins pulling out the dagger and sticking it back into his skin, ¡°nnnngghh!¡± Shiryu clenches his teeth trying to endure it, ¡°Don¡¯t fight it, scream, I love hearing you scream¡± ¡°Wait! Give me something else please!¡± ¡°hmmm.. Ok, only because I want to spend a lot of time torturing you before I kill you, Beastmen don¡¯t have names, So tell me your parents names, And I¡¯ll know if you¡¯re making them up by the way¡± (I was conceived in lab how the hell would I know who my dna donors were? That angel Raguel also donated his life to me, does he count?) ¡°well?¡± ¡°¡­.. I don¡¯t, Wait, wait, wait with the knife! I don¡¯t know my mother¡¯s name because I never met her, but my umm my father, His name was Raguel,¡± ¡°¡­.¡± OOWWWWW! Shiryu bawls out as the girls firmly wrenches the blade into his leg ¡°I told the truth I swear!¡± ¡°You beasts never tell the truth, And I don¡¯t like that name you used, Don¡¯t do it again.¡± Her sadistic tone switches to a more solemn one (Does she know someone with the same name? Or maybe¡­) ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying, Why would I make up name like Raguel?¡± ¡°Ok, you¡¯re just begging to be tortured,¡± she pulls the knife out preparing for a forceful thrust, ¡°Raguel, is my father, his son Apollo is my brother!¡± Shiryu declares, B-lingk!? The girl drops the dagger, ¡°How?¡± (Hah! Thank Kage I hit the jackpot!) ¡°Healing rain¡± the girl conjures her rain that restores Shiryu¡¯s health, ¡°You see I told you¡± Sgyguucckk! ¡°Ahhhh-ahhhh-owww!¡± She rams her dagger right back through his new healed leg the moment he stands, Shiryu drops down to his knees, and the girl grips his throat aggressively pressing the dagger near his eye ¡°Are you mind reader? You sick shit! Don¡¯t think you can fool me! Look at me! I said look at me if you want to watch my dagger then how about I shove it into your skull?¡± (This woman is definitely a psycho) ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± ¡°Chhh!¡± she spits in his face ¡°Apollo never said he an abomination for a sibling, And Raguel, he went missing, I never met him, but where I¡¯m from he was well liked,¡± ¡°Yes then we know the same person, kind eyes, reddish blond hair, angelic presence? I even know Kage, she¡¯s like family to me..¡± ¡°You mention Kage too?¡± the girl slightly lowers the knife ¡°I don¡¯t know you¡¯re truthful or a mind reader, Kage you called him her?¡± ¡°Kage is a boy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I never asked, now that I think about¡­.¡± The girl releases her chokehold on Shiryu, ¡°I¡¯m going leave you alive for now, Talk to queen first, she¡¯ll deal with you,¡± she turns to leave in a huff, ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you going to heal me again?¡± ¡°Would you like me to paralyze you to numb the pain?¡± ¡°No ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Good, now don¡¯t try to escape or we¡¯ll kill you regardless of who you claim to be,¡± ¡°One more thing, umm miss?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your name?¡± ¡°Amelia of Furlheim City.¡± Slam! The door shuts behind her. A fraction of Shiryus heart I ¡°Helooo~? It¡¯s been a few hours now, is anyone going to show up?¡± (I swear if that girl fooled me) ¡°Any day now¡­ You can take your time, I¡¯m not going anyway¡± Shiryu continues to ramble, His cage is unlocked however the boy makes no effort to touch the wooden bars in fear of being drained of his strength again (That girl was pretty cute not gonna lie¡­ But she¡¯s crazy) ¡°Hel¨C¡± Shiryu starts but then pauses hearing the door open (Finally) ¡­. ¡­. He eagerly listens at the soft taps of feet coming by ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Curious green eyes glance by the wooden cell set into the heart shaped face of a brunette woman of short stature who¡¯s stomach bulges decently behind her somewhat plain black dress, She presses her hand against the wooden bars taking a good long look at Shiryu ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡­¡± (Is this the queen, she looks pretty average,) Shiryu stares back as the woman¡¯s slightly bushy eyebrows frowns in inspection ¡°Hello¡­ umm.. miss¡­¡± Shiryu stammers nervously from the lady¡¯s quiet stares ¡°Hmm? Or yes, hello¡± she seems to be taken out of thought ¡°I am, the queen, Zinnia of Soterra, do you have a name?¡± This question makes Shiryu impulsively smile, he¡¯d never told anyone his name yet, A name he came up with by himself in hopes of one day telling someone¡­. ¡°My name is Shiryu Zadkiel¡± ¡°Hm. I¡¯ve never heard of a place called Zadkiel before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a place it¡¯s my last name¡± ¡°You have two names Why?¡± ¡°One is my first my name and the other is like a family name¡± ¡°But I heard you are claiming to be family of Apollo, he doesn¡¯t have this second name,¡± ¡°Well, err I made my name up myself¡­.¡± ¡°hmmm¡­¡­¡± her big green eyes back in judgemental stare (This woman makes me uneasy, she seems so airheaded but she¡¯s the queen here for a reason¡­) ¡°So you are a fraud then? You lied to Amelia about having relation to Apollo and even Kage,¡± ¡°No, Why would I lie about that?¡± ¡°To get free obviously, You have want to eat us, yes?¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°Why are you so ugly and purples then?¡± ¡°Excuse?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look human to me, and your name is made up,¡± ¡°I got into an accident as a child, an um magic accident,¡± ¡°Mmhmmm¡± the woman nods looking directly into Shiryu¡¯s eyes (I¡¯m so unsettled) ¡°Hold my hand Shiryu Zadkiel,¡± ¡°Wah?¡± ¡°Hold my hand¡± the queen puts her arm through the bar, ¡°¡­..¡± Shiryu uneasily grabs it gently, Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.¡°Ok, I see¡± Zinnia pulls her hand back out seconds after holding his ¡°Is purple your favorite color Shiryu Zadkiel?¡± (What are these questions man¡­..) ¡°It¡¯s just Shiryu you don¡¯t say the full name,¡± ¡°Then why have two names?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ll be remembered by it¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± (Stop ¡®hmm-ing¡¯) ¡°I don¡¯t have a favorite color by the way¡± ¡°Ok, thanks bye,¡± (Bye?) ¡°Hey-hey wait! You came here to ask me random questions and leave, at least let me know if you¡¯re letting me go soon,¡± ¡°Mmmm,¡± Zinnia rubs her chin ¡°Tell me what you are first¡± ¡°A human¡± ¡°Ok, thanks bye¡± ¡°Wait-wait, I¡¯m also part beast¡­¡± ¡°Is that right, you know, from the way you talk and act anyone else would¡¯ve easily be fooled, But me, I¡¯m not as na?ve as I look, you were caught minutes after Kage, Apollo and the others left, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯ve been stalking them since they were in Furlheim City that¡¯s why you know so much But sadly not enough to get past me,¡± the woman turns to head out, (Damnit she¡¯s much more cunning than I thought, She was gauging my responses to each of her seemingly pointless questions And I¡¯ve been playing it safe with my answers) ¡°Gray!¡± Shiryu blurts out behind the woman now walking away ¡°Gray is my favorite color because I like that it represents both the light and dark tones of colors, I named myself Shiryu Zadkiel because I wanted a name that sounded angelic and cool kind of like a rockstar¡­ When I was a child, I almost got consumed by a beast, Raguel though I barely knew him, sacrificed his life for mine and this appearance is a result of that, I am a human but I¡¯ve also become a monster¡­¡± (I have sunk to a new low of desperation) ¡°¡­.. Touch the bars¡± the woman stoically replies to his outpour ¡°To get drained of my strength again? No than¨C¡± ¡°Touch it¡± ¡°¡­.Ok,¡± Shiryu slowly edges to the wooden bars tapping his hand on it faintly ¡­.. ¡­.. Nothing happens to him¡­. ¡­. ¡°The cell has no lock you can open it yourself,¡± (She¡¯s actually letting me free??) ¡°You¡¯re actually letting me go?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m giving you a chance, a benefit of the doubt, As I said before I¡¯m not as na?ve as I may look, You¡¯re not going anywhere since we did catch you after all, the only thing your words earned was me sparing your life, But.. that life is now under my control¡± ¡°What that that entail exactly?¡± gulps Shiryu ¡°It means from now on, you will be serving me as a knight.¡± I Love Soterra ¡°Pleasant day my lady would you like to see the assortment of baby clothes I made for you?¡± ¡°Oh yes of course, wait just a minute, I¡¯ll send a guard to escort you inside,¡± Zinnia pokes her head back inside a window of city hall, The ¡®sun¡¯ burns brightly today but under the great tree everything there enjoys a cool shade it¡¯s gorgeous leaves swaying slightly from the faint midday breeze, The tree of life towers over the city of Soterra, anyone new here would think it had been growing for centuries but it¡¯s only been a few months since the mountain of a tree erected, a day in the history of Soterra where many people died but those who survived given a second chance at life both literally and figuratively The trees roots spread all throughout the city''s underground to the adjacent lands bordering the city, anyone who lives in these areas is effectively under it¡¯s protection Because of this Zinnia is undisputedly seen as the Queen of Soterra, her rule is a laid back one in reality, the people have all the power she is just the voice that broadcasts the decisions, a face that represents the nation when confronted by other nations. ¡°Eh-hem, good day, to you miss a guard fully covered in armor from head to toe, greets awkwardly arriving from around the side of the newly constructed walls of City Hall, Formerly the city hall was once a castle and then cathedral but now it is an open house to any Soterran, anyone can come and use it¡¯s spare rooms and supplies, as well as it serves as the meeting place of the citizens to vote amongst themselves, around the back side of it is the private residence of the queen. ¡°Right this way to the queen,¡± the guard gestures for the lady to follow, ¡°Hmm, full armor on this hot day?¡± she comments ¡°Its agility armor and I er don¡¯t mind the heat that much¡± awkwardly replies the guard again Unlike the thick full plated armor, agility armor consists of light steel knee and elbow pads fitted into cloth leggings and long sleeves respectively, the cloth however is interwoven with extremely tiny magic crystals containing wind and steel magic which helps to boost defence and mobility on movement on impact, the headgear hugs the wearer¡¯s face like mask, but it also is woven with magic crystals that produce to same effects as the armor ¡­.. ¡°Thank you for showing her to me¡± Zinnia smiles at the guard ushering the lady into her room, ¡°You wait outside Shiryu,¡± she closes the door leaving Shiryu alone in the small apartment behind the City hall, It¡¯s a one floor upstairs room above a garden to the back of hall, Zinnia¡¯s private garden, Shiryu taps his feet impatiently on the shiny golden brown wooden floor, the same wood most of the brand-new furniture in the room is made of, the walls are newly constructed as well with a fresh coat of peach paint, Aside from the furniture the main room has large magic crystal chandelier hanging from it¡¯s center that exudes both light and wind magic across the room ¡­.. ¡­.. Shiryu stroll across the room to a window overlooking a short distance of the city, A lot of repairs are still taking place, very few people can be seen outside, (The fact that Kage did all this doesn¡¯t surprise, her-his power must be immense) thinks Shiryu, He works for Zinnia as her personal guard, much to displeasure of her former guard a woman named Tori You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.(She was hot though, I got to make my move soon, Or maybe with that girl Amelia, Hamahhh~ I love Soterra, So many chances to find love here,) ¡°Shiryu come here!¡± Zinnia calls ¡°Yes?¡± he immediately rushes into her room, ¡°Which outfit for my baby is cuter? This? Or¡­ This?¡± ¡°Ummm, that one¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm, ok, thanks you an go now¡± ¡°Err happy to help¡± Shiryu leaves again, This has been commonplace for him as of late, the queen, Zinnia has yet to press him on his identity, and relation to Apollo and Kage, she only asks him irrelevant questions and to do chores, (I wonder if I picked wrong, she rushed me out quickly) This makes Shiryu unsettled as he believes she is always secretly testing him in ways he can¡¯t figure out yet, As dense as the queen may come across, she radiates a passive deadly aura, The wooden floor and furniture for example, they are built from the trunk of the massive tree which is said to be an extension of her magic, if she wanted sje could sap the strength of anyone in contact with wood ¡­.. ¡°Alright well I hope you are perfectly happy with the clothes Zinnia, I¡¯ll be off now¡± the merchant lady exits the room ¡°I am, If you have anything don¡¯t hesitate to come by again,¡± Zinnia sees her to the door, ¡°Should I escort her around to the front?¡± Shiryu offers, ¡°No that won¡¯t be necessary, she been here a few times before¡± (Then why did you send me to get her the first time!!??) ¡­.. ¡°What do you think of Soterra?¡± Zinnia goes over to the window, ¡°I don¡¯t know, this is my first time being in a city with humans, I guess it¡¯s a lot quieter than I expected,¡± ¡°Soterra has always been a quiet place, the loudest it ever got was when the city walls along with half the buildings got levelled, it was a bittersweet moment for us,¡± ¡°I heard there was many of deaths,¡± ¡°That¡¯s putting it lightly, there isn¡¯t a single person in this city that has not lost at least one loved one, Me, I lost the father of my child, but I can¡¯t fret, If it was not for Kage showing up, we may have been in a worse position right now¡­.¡± ¡°Kage really levelled a city... I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised given she is god,¡± ¡°The last person to say they was a god in this city put us through hell, please refrain from using that terminology¡± ¡°I am not, I mean it literally, Kage is god,¡± ¡°Have you actually met Kage? I can tell he is different just from looking into his eyes, but not that different, Kage doesn¡¯t even know who he is himself,¡± ¡°She-he doesn¡¯t?¡± (Isn¡¯t Kage supposed to be perfect?) ¡°Kage is just a normal person like me, and maybe you, because I¡¯m still unsure about you¡± ¡°Damn, I really want to meet Kage now,¡± ¡°I suppose Kage and the others will be back before they begin the raid,¡± ¡°What raid?¡± ¡°You are part beast right? So you should know¨C¡± ¡°¨CThe dragon?¡± Shiryu immediately guesses ¡°Mhm,¡± (Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re planning to attack it, wherever it is, Come to think of it, why hasn¡¯t Kage already defeated thing yet?) ¡°Umm, queen Zinnia¡± ¡°Just Zinnia please, no queen¡± ¡°Well er, how do I put this¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to go after the dragon¡± ¡°We don¡¯t really have a choice¡± ¡°Yeah but even if you win¡­¡± (Should I tell her¡­) ¡°If we win what?¡± Zinnia gives him a serious glare ¡°I know you don¡¯t know but just to be sure I¡¯ll ask, Have you ever heard of the new breed?¡± I dont understand love Bamm! A large hammer crashes down on a hard stone floor, dust rises as the ground chips away from the smash, ¡°You reckon I could break it more than you honey?¡± ¡°Alrigh- let¡¯s see you then¡± Bambash! ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Not bad, but I can top it easily watch thi¨C¡± ¡°¨COr maybe we shouldn¡¯t be destroying the very ground we stand on?¡± Shiryu interjects, He looks down at the cracked floor of the outside barracks in disdain, here is where what¡¯s left of Soterra¡¯s Knights and Warriors come to train their bodies or magic, the original building was previously destroyed beyond repair¡­ ¡°Who are you to tell us what we can or cannot destroy new guy¡± a burly hammer wielding woman named Thora presses him ¡°Where have you even come here from, Furlheim?¡± her male companion, Thors joins in, ¡°Aye, are we training or having a date?¡± Shiryu brute forces his way around the questions ¡°Alright let¡¯s have a little spar shall we, what¡¯s your magic mate?¡± Thors takes the initiative ¡°I¡¯m behind you mate¡± Shiryu pokes the man under his armor behind his neck, ¡°Heh?¡± he swings back his elbow, ¡°You were right in front of me?¡± ¡°You were seeing something similar to an after image, see I can bend and reflect the light around me, Stare at me too long and it can be your undoing,¡± ¡°Is that all you can do!?¡± Thora swings her hammer violently at him, he leaps back a great distance to avoid it ¡°No, but I rather not reveal all my cards, You two seem to be one trick pony¡¯s however¡± ¡°Yeah we are¡± Thors puffs his chest out proudly (That¡¯s something you admit man¡­) ¡°My wife and magic evolved together, when the city went ¡®kaboom!¡¯ that day We were both earth attribute summoners, But now we can summon hammers,¡± ¡°That seems¡­ I don¡¯t know-uninteresting, Like hammers, that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yeah, but¨C¡± BANNGGG? The couple slam their hammers together sending a shockwave at Shiryu who leaps away safely out of harms way again ¡°Our power multiplies when we fight together,¡± ¡°Thora and I even caught an ugly purple little beastman in the outskirts, You should of seen the thing, trying to beg for it¡¯s life when we smashed it¡¯s head in,¡± ¡°Mm, really,¡± ¡­. Thammpp! Shiryu jumps up with more force than before this time, launching himself at Thors, Whamkk! He kicks the mans steel helmet off sending him reeling ¡°Alright enough, you win¡± Thora blocks her husband (Revenge feels good) ¡°Your jumping strength is really good,¡± Thor groggily gets up, he rubs his shaved but patchy blond head, ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to jump like that? Nowhere, I¡¯ve just been doing it since I was a child, Hey, what¡¯s makes your power multiply when you attack together?¡± ¡°The educated answer would be that our magic evolved at moment when we were both fearing for each other¡¯s life making them interconnected in that way, But I think it¡¯s just because of our love,¡± Thors says taking of her helmet, her face is covered in scars and bruises, her blond eyebrows in a frown as she watches her hurting husband, (Maybe I hit him too hard) ¡­. Chsssshhhhhhhhh?? ¡°Hum?¡± The three look up as it begins tk rain despite them being covered by a wooden roof ¡°You should be fine now¡± a girls voice says softly, ¡°Oye, thanks Amelia,¡± Thors notices the girl approaching She nods quietly, before turning to Shiryu, ¡°You¡¯re always such a shy girl Amelia,¡± Thora gives her a broad smile (Shy girl??? What am I hearing,) ¡°Shy?¡± Shiryu spits out The girl immediately flashes him a terrifying glare for brief second (This girl is a definitely a societal menace ??) ¡°So anyway Shiryu, queen is calling for you back¡± Amelia¡¯s voice borders a whisper (What a total fraud) ¡°Alright I was just about done here anyway,¡± he says out loud going with the girl, ¡­.. ¡­. ¡°You are a sick woman¡± Shiryu whispers when they reach a good distance away from the couple, Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.¡°What are you talking about?¡± Amelia replies nonchalantly ¡°You know exactly wha¨C¡± ¡°¨CShiryu, before we go to the queen let¡¯s go somewhere private, behind the barracks?¡± she cuts him off ¡°W..ehemc?¡± He begins to stutter, (Is she secretly in love with me?) ¡°I..i yes let¡¯s go,¡± ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Owwww-owwww-owww!¡± yelps the young man in pain, a dagger is lunged aggressively under his melted away armor sleeves and scales into his forearm, ¡°Don¡¯t try to put me up like that in front of people again,¡± ¡°Awwww- I didn¡¯t know they say you as a shy, girl I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know,¡± ¡°Well let this one be your warning, next time I¡¯ll melt off your armor and toss you in the middle of the city for everyone to see what a disgusting creature you are, Then we¡¯ll all take turns cutting you into tiny little pieces,¡± ¡°Hey what happened to you believing that I was actually a human being and not a monster remember?¡± ¡°That was a few das ago, I slept on it and realized you saw my ¡®fun¡¯ side and still lived, I don¡¯t care if you were the son of the dead gods, I still want your head¡± (Damn she¡¯s really into me) ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°AAAAHHH-AHH-OWWWWW!¡± Amelia yanks the dagger out his arm, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick¡± she says (Did I come on to strongly) ¡°Is there someone else you love,¡± ¡°Yes, my brother now shut up and stay put so I can heal you then go vomit,¡± ¡°Your brother?? Isn¡¯t that kind of wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand what love is Shiryu, Maybe you¡¯re just a beat after all, Healing raindrops¡­.¡± (I don¡¯t understand¡­..?) ¡­. ***** Those words lingered in Shiryu¡¯s thoughts from then on, (What did she mean? I don¡¯t understand? I don¡¯t have any family I¡¯ve grown with to experience their love, The only way I can get love is from someone else What does she mean I don¡¯t understand? I know what love is) ¡°Shiryu, I¡¯m speaking to you¡± Zinnia shoves him impatiently, ¡°Sorry, um, I was thinking about something,¡± ¡°Yeah I could tell, now stand over there, an important visitor as shown up under short notice,¡± Shiryu nods taking his place near to the back of the private meeting room in city hall, Not much to say about the room, it¡¯s walls are newly constructed like everything else, painted in a plain white, the oval room is not small but not big either filled with chairs and for now empty bookshelves¡­ ... (I wonder who is the important person) ¡­ Shiryu does not have to ponder this long as the double doors push open, entering a woman of short stature, dressed in sleek black trousers and tight jacket, both filled with many pockets, of which the outline of several blades poke, Amelia enters in behind the woman not even looking Shiryu¡¯s way she goes to Zinnia¡¯s side, The woman¡¯s feet makes no sound, as she walks, taking cautious glances around the room, Her eyes rest on Shiryu for a minute, he stares back at them, her eyes are a pale shade of gray, she wears a black layer of eye shadow, her lips are full and also covered with a black layer of lipstick, her small nose twitches slightly as she meets Shiryu¡¯s gaze, Spinning her head back around her short ponytail swings a little, her jet black at the front is cut into perfectly levelled bangs that cover her forehead, the ponytail of course to the back, ¡°This is chief Aki,¡± Amelia introduces her to Zinnia, Aki bows slightly, ¡°This will be our first meeting in person chief Aki, it must be something important that you had to come here personally,¡± Zinnia gestures for the woman to sit, ¡°I think you should sit for this,¡± she shakes her head, Aki¡¯s voice coming out both sharp and hollow, ¡°I came in person out of respect for the others,¡± ¡°The others? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Aki takes a deep breath waiting for Zinnia to sit, ¡°Your¡­.. You¡¯re friends, Kage, Apollo, Lyra and Karina¡­. I¡¯m sorry, They¡¯re all dead.¡± Lonely Heart (Dead? Did I hear that correctly? She didn¡¯t say Kage is dead right?) ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­I.. I¡¯m sorry, could¡­. Could you repeat that¡­.?¡± Zinnia asks stifly her eyes already getting red ¡°They went up to the silver mountains, a few weeks ago, but never came back, I had a bad feeling so I went up myself to see what was the problem, when I got to the top, I saw nothing but carnage, the top of mountain was scorched from a huge explosion, There was one body that was burned beyond recognition, the other three have either become piles of ash or they fell off the other side¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry you must have gotten the wrong people mixed up¡­ They wouldn¡¯t just.. You¡¯re mistaken surely..¡± Zinnia fights back a cataclysmic urge to cry, in stark denial ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aki gives her an apologetic look before sighing, she reaches back taking out a small bladed hand fan ¡°This is my fan Karina borrowed from me before going to the mountains, I found it lying there close to the scene, Not only that but¨C¡± ¨C????! Giving the fan a wave, it produces a strange sound that vibrates around the room, ¡°It¡¯s imbued with Karina¡¯s sound magic now, And you know something like this could only be possible of she is already dead¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Ar you su¡­re?¡± Zinnia doesn¡¯t ask this looking for answer but rather as a way to cling on to denial lest she break down completely, ¡°Its ok, queen Zinnia, you are allowed to cry,¡± Aki says comfortingly but her voice just rips into Zinnia all the more like a freezing cold spike to her spine ¡°I.. can¡¯t ¡­I ant..¡± she covers her face with both hands, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long since I found out Pinoki died let alone Darius and¡­ now ththey¡­ Are ¡­.¡± Tears flow out from the spaces between her fingers her breaths in between sounding like desperate gasps for air, you think she was being suffocated, In a way you can say she was, suffocated by the cruel truth death knowing that she will never see Apollo Lyra Karina and Kage again, You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.The suffocation of knowing that it¡¯s just her alone now against fate ¡­. Aki stands silent and emotionless watching her cry, Amelia also silent but she can¡¯t help but shed tears herself, Shiryu in sheer confusion, (Dead? Kage can¡¯t die, she¡¯s God, there must be a misunderstanding But that other person, Karina was with Kage and is dead .. Why would Kage anyone with her die? I don¡¯t understand she¡¯s supposed to be God) ¡°Kage, can¡¯t be dead,¡± Shiryu blurts, ¡°He¡¯s god remember what I told you Zinnia? Up on the mountains you see there¡¯s more to¨C¡± ¡°¨CNot.. now Shiryu,¡± Zinnia breathes ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with you now, just go¡­. Leave me alone,¡± ¡°Hear me out..¡± ¡°GOO!¡± she screams hysterically ¡°¡­..¡± Shiryu closes his mouth and quietly exits the room, Aki cuts him a threatening gaze, as he closes the door shut behind him (I don¡¯t understand how Kage let someone with her die, but I¡¯m sure, I am certain Kage is alive, she must have left this ring Yes, I¡¯m definitely sure¡­ I wonder why? Is She going to Terra? Aghhh, I don¡¯t have enough knowledge, I¡¯m not a first-class citizen My only guess for now is¨C) ¨CWhummp! A knee rams into the young man¡¯s spine unexpectedly, knocking him down, ¡°Ahhww!¡± he looks up to see the short chief Aki, ¡°What was that¨C¡± Umffgg! She stomps down on his face ¡°I could feel your evil presence, the moment I entered that room,¡± Aki yanks off Shiryu¡¯s headgear revealing his violet scally head ¡°I knew you were a monster, How did you manage to trick your way into getting a place here?¡± ¡°I am not a¨C Urrkk!¡± Aki drills her knee into his sternum keeping it pressed ¡°Don¡¯t speak,¡± she leans her face close to his, breathing out a white smoke, ¡°W¡­ahh¡± Shiryu begins feeling lightheaded, ¡°You¡¯re coming with me monster,¡± ¡°whhejdd¡± Shiryu tries to speak but his words fumble his head feels all woozy, still he desperately tries blinking profusely to keep his eyes open, but to no avail His eyes slip back into his head and his eyelids close shut. Lonely Hearts ¡°UUUHGUULLAAHHGHHHHUGHHHLLLLGFFFPLGFLLGDHLLLU UUUHGUULLAAHHGHHHHUGHHHLLLLGFFFPLGFLLGDHLLLU UU¨CEheck! Ehhckk! Pffttt Puhtch! Let me go!¡± Shiryu spits out a mouth full of dirt, His captor pulls him along through a forest by a chain wrapped around his ankle, ¡°Would you like me to put you back to sleep then?¡± Aki growls stopping her march she gets closer to beast in order to blow the gas in his nostril, ¡°No.. wait..¡± Shiryu begins to protest before fading out of conciseness ¡­. ¡°Urrrgh¡± Aki stretches loosening her grip on the chain slightly now that the boy was back to sleep, She has been traveling for a decent while since leaving Soterra with her catch, The night buzzes of fireflies and crickets amidst the density of a bushy woodland, ¡°Hahh!¡± Shiryu suddenly springs up yanking the chain out of Aki¡¯s hand, ¡°You may have got me the first time by catching me off guard but I was prepared this time!¡± Cackles Shiryu vaulting up into a tree immediately snapping the chain with his sharp claws once there, (Now I¡¯m free I can easily out run this human woman, bu¨C) Crrrkkkk! Baadumn! A sharp spinning blade slices up vertically through the branch bringing Shiryu back down to earth, Aki pounces at him instantly, tossing two kunai at his head while diving low for a slide tackle, Thumd! Shiryu busy trying to evade the blades losing his balance from the slide tackle, of which Aki smoothly rolls up on his back pulling his leg back, Chack! She snaps another chain around his left leg, ¡°If I can¡¯t put you to sleep, then I¡¯ll have to start breaking bones,¡± Aki pulls out a small hammer and a steel pick, (How much weapons does she keep?) ¡°Aghh,¡± he struggles out loud, ¡°This is kidnapping you, know I¡¯m an official knight of Soterra, you can¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°I can if I want, and you¡¯re not a human so it doesn¡¯t matter what I do to you, Now stay quiet while I steady this¡­ Eiinghk!¡± she winces as Shiryu violently kicks his right foot into her ribs, Chacnk! ¡°I¡¯m not going through this human convincing routine for a third time,¡± he breaks the second chain, ¡°Take me back to Soterra, you can ask Zinnia yourself who I am,¡± ¡°She-ur-erggh¡± Aki leaps at Shiryu but he pushes her back easily ¡°She is in no mood right now to entertain your trickery, I have respect for the woman, but she is clearly an airhead, of course you could lie your way into her good graces, How much humans did you eat for you to learn to speak so casually? Heeh¨Cyahh¡± Aki leaps up for a jumping spin kick, ¡°Ya¨C¡± Shiryu swings claws to bat her out the air Pooff? Aki disappears in a cloud of black smoke to him, but in actuality the smoke covers Shiryu just long enough for her to flip over him, ¡°Got you!¡± she lands on his back, Taking out some pins Aki sticks them under Shiryu¡¯s scales behind his neck, ¡°What did you do?¡± The young man¡¯s body slumps down, limp and unresponsive ¡°Temporarily disabled your nerves, your valiant attempt at a fight is over monster,¡± ¡°You know you¡¯re really judgy Shiryu comments he doesn¡¯t seem bothered by his current state The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.¡°Zinnia is actual much smarter than she appears, and I¡¯m not a monster,¡± (If I use some of my dark energy then I should be able to move again¡­ But do I really want to get more monster-like?) ¡°Shut up or, I¡¯ll sew your mouth shut,¡± Aki growls, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to my nation, You will be painfully tortured and dissected until we learn every secret of the beasts, Intelligent types like you are rare to come by.¡± ¡°Here is my proposal, We skip the torture and dissection, and I tell you for free, You let me go back to Soterra, and I¡¯ll even chip in to help you guys kill the dragon,¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Aki doesn¡¯t pay heed to his words, instead gathering up some branches in a pile she prepares to start a small fire in the forest ¡°Huh miss Aki, you didn¡¯t answer, What did you think of my proposal?¡± ¡°I think that I want to take a quick nap before continuing, and keep in mind the drop of feather could wake me from sleep, so don¡¯t even try to or think about trying to escape¡± ¡°I promise you are going to regret this once you find out who I really am.¡± ¡°And who is that exactly?¡± Aki yawns uninterested in conversing with the hybrid ¡°¡­.A person just like you, and not just that, I am also Apollo¡¯s estranged brother,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect the dead like that, I may not have known Apollo at all, but do not use his death to help yourself,¡± ¡°You can ask Zinnia¨C¡± ¡°¨CI said shut up¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shiryu gives up and silences himself, there was no way around talking to brick wall that was Chief Aki, Tsszz? Tsszz? The small fire burns in a contained heap, little embers of wood going up with the smoke into dark night sky, To Shiryu the sky still alight given the dark he has been used to for so long, Even when he was at a place he fit in, with the beasts, he didn¡¯t mix well, and now with humans it¡¯s clear that he will never fit into their society either, (If the rest of my life is going to be like this, how will I ever find love?) ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Make your victims quiet to,¡± Aki suddenly breaks the silence that had gone on for a while, She sits crosses legged around the fire, arms folded and eyes closed, light slumber, ¡°What.. victims?¡± Shiryu still lays in an awkward heap ¡°You may have been able to hide it from Zinnia but not be, The moment I stepped into the room with you, I heard the lonely hollow calls from inside of you, begging to be set free, That¡¯s how I knew you were a monster,¡± (Lonely calls coming from me?) Shiryu thinks feeling a familiarity with those words (I was told this before) ¡°Well I¡¯ve never eaten humans nor do I ever plan¡± he responds outwardly ¡°I think what heard was my heart,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any such ability¡± ¡°But I do, I thought I didn¡¯t anymore because it only happened once before when I was a child, When I called out the person who answered was just like me, or at least they felt the exact same as I in that moment¡­¡± A deep hunger, not for flesh but for companionship, a black hole that repalaces your soul begging for something to fill it up ¡°I am not a monster miss Aki, because I¡¯m like you, Or maybe you¡¯re just like me, Lonely.¡± Love means nothing to me ¡°¡ªAnd that¡¯s how I ended up in Soterra.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­ ¡°Hey are you even listening to me?¡± ¡°For the record, I have three siblings and a grandfather I live with, I also have an entire nation of people I see after, I don¡¯t get lonely¡± Aki grumbles The warm morning sun is back out along with the movement of Shiryu¡¯s limbs, he no longer tries to fight or get away from this woman, following behind her towed by a chain ¡°And I did hear you, but I don¡¯t care, that story sounds made up, That new breed you mentioned, it¡¯s obvious you are one of them,¡± ¡°How are you going to call my story fake, but then pick the parts you believe is true?¡± ¡°Overly intelligent beasts are to discern from regular humans, I see no reason why that would be a lie, but everything else, is made up, The best lies are told with a little truth mixed in, I can easily pick out the truths¡± (So arrogant¡­) ¡°Then why are you running from the truth of your loneliness chief Aki?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Stop speaking to me as if we are companions, you are my captive, I ask questions not you¡± ¡°I would be quiet, if we didn¡¯t have to travel so far, Who the hell travels so far on feet, you could have easily chartered a carriage in Soterra,¡± ¡°I rather travel by myself, and once I get to a town with a warp gate I¡¯ll use it to get back home quicker, You should take this time to enjoy this fresh air,¡± ¡°If you stay to yourself like this how will ever expect to find love?¡± ¡°¡­.. That words means nothing to someone like me, I have people to lead and protect, to be the strongest possible and love only makes you weak, Makes you make illogical decisions and bad choices, I have to be think about what¡¯s best for everyone at all times not what¡¯s best for one or even myself,¡± (It does¡­.) ¡°I don¡¯t understand love myself so I can¡¯t dispute that,¡± ¡°Chh, of course you don¡¯t you¡¯re not human¡­¡± ¡°What about your siblings, don¡¯t you love them?¡± Shiryu ignores her harsh remark ¡°No, I don¡¯t have love for them neither do they for me, we were eac¨Cnever mind I don¡¯t have to tell anything¡­.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.¡°I don¡¯t think I love my siblings either, I have two brothers whom I never met, One, Apollo, might be dead other probably thinks I¡¯m dead,¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. Aki doesn¡¯t respond now getting annoyed at herself for even holding a conversation with the young man, she pulls his chain tightly, guiding him out of woodland area across the river bordering it into a wide field of vines, little purple green and red grapes glistening in the sunlight, The chief and her captive follows a dirt path to a town bordering the field a good distance up, ¡­ ¡°Soo, what exactly is the place you are chief of?¡± Shiryu breaks the peace ¡°¡­.¡± Aki ignores him ¡°You know I¡¯m from a place called Terra, but I¨C¡± ¡°Shut up, you are not from Soterra I¡¯m tired of the lies,¡± ¡°Not Soterra, Terra, the great city Pluton¡± ¡°Never heard of this great city¡± ¡°There is a lot about this earth you don¡¯t know about Chief Aki, Many types of people and technology you haven¡¯t seen before,¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡­. ¡°Alright, ignore me if you want but when Kage does return with an armada to help kill the dragon, make sure to give me my apologies¡± ¡°Even if Kage were to come back from the dead and do as you say, you would also be dead by then, Tell me, is Kage going to revive you after I kill you?¡± ¡°Bluff¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bluff, otherwise I would already be dead, you had many chances, and I¡¯ve already told you everything I know even about the new breed, you can still inspect and dissect my corpse,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try patronizing me¡± ¡°Am not, I¡¯m calling your bluff, or is there a small part of you that would feel guilty knowing you killed an innocent young man?¡± ¡°¡­..? Shhhh¡± ¡°No, not this time, you can¡¯t just shush me¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Aki rasps, but it¡¯s already too late Chkckcckch? The deep bush surrounding the two crackles, Gruh-huh-grauh-huah! Deep growling breaths of which bears, lion, and hyena beasts stalk near the pair ¡°This one feel especially powerful,¡± drools a hyena beastman ¡°Oi, snake,¡± the bear growls at Shiryu ¡°Move aside let us have this tasty woman for ourselves¡± Hearts: Smoke and Mirrors Grrrrrrrrrr! The mouths of the beast dripping with drool with growls like pots boiling over in the hot sun slapping the vine-filled field, ¡°This deep into the day?¡± Aki pushes Shiryu in front wrapping a bladed chain around his neck, ¡°Hey! No I¡¯m not on they¡¯re side, let me go we can fight them together,¡± ¡°Looks like you got yourself caught¡± the hyenaman cackles ¡°Grauuhhck!¡± The lion leaps at Aki, Thwam! She shoves Shiryu into it and then yanks him back with the chain, ¡°I can handle them myself, you just want to eat me now isn¡¯t that right? Can¡¯t take me on, on your own but now you have friends to help,¡± Grauuhhhh Brauuuhhh! Both the bear and lion rushes at her this time, Aki weightlessly leaps off the ground with Shiryu in¨C ¨CCrink? No, Shiryu uses the opportunity to snap off the chains himself, he also leaps up ¡°Er-huh!¡± She lands on the back of the bear driving a dagger into it instantly Crrkk! The beasts skin hardens breaking the blade on it Brraugh! Twammp! It swings a huge claw at the petite woman ¡°ahhk!¡± she blocks the blow using two of her kunai Krjj!! Baddump! The force from the blow still enough to sending her flying across the field, On the other side during her altercation, Shiryu who had lept up, crashes into the hyena like a human missile, ¡°Ca-ah-aha-¡± The beast opens it mouth wide and it¡¯s grows in size like sharp stalactites Garacho¨C Kjjckckkk!! It goes to chomp down on, Shiryu but he quickly runs his sharp claws through the beast¡¯s throat dispatching it. ¨CUmp! Shiryu hears Aki come down, ¡°Miss Ak¡­.¡± He was about to call in worry but she picks herself up as quickly as she¡¯d gone down, ¡°Graaahshkk¡± the lionman takes the chance to jump at Shiryu, Meanwhile Aki charges at the bear this time however she avoids it¡¯s swipe getting close to it¡¯s menacing face the young woman blows out a white smoke in it¡¯s wide nose, The creature doesn¡¯t go down but wobbles around drowsily Sttckccckkk!! Sliding along fine, and sharp needle-like blade Aki drives it all the way through the bear¡¯s eye socket into it¡¯s skull Thudumm! It crashes down in a heap¡­. ¡°Ah-hh-hhh¡± Shiryu is busy trying to fend off the lionman whose teeth are wrapped around his durable foreman ¡°Get off!¡± Shiryu flings it away The creature rolls back eyeing the now outnumbered situation, ¡°Siding with humans is a crime for us¡± growls at Shiryu then begins to change form, going from it¡¯s bipedal lionman state to a pure lion, that mane shines in tandem with the hot midday sun, The beasts eyes glows brighter and brighter it¡¯s mane radiating a baking heat, the vines around the creature withers at once Even Aki sweats as she braces for what was about to come ROAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!! An eruptive blast of heat pulses out from the beast, hitting Aki and Shiryu head on, The don¡¯t even yell or scream just quietly burning up in the fire and black smoke¡­. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Wait¡­ Quietly burring up? Shhhlingk! The smoke clears and the illusion fades¨C The only thing being burnt was the already dead bodies of the other beasts. ¨CAki slides out of the smoke under the lion slitting its throat, Thumdd! And Shiryu dashes up punting the beast away before it¡¯s hot body could fall and burn the woman under it¡­. ¡­. ¡°Hahh-hahhh-hahhh-hahhhh¡± Aki pants laying down on a bed of grass, ¡°That was easy,¡± ¡°Could have fooled me with all that heavy breathing,¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s hot, I¡¯m hot, I could have dealt with the three on my own,¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t use my light magic to reflect the light of me and you who was nearby onto the other beasts right before that lion fired you would be dead now, give me some credit Aki¡± ¡°My smoke magic would have been even without you, I would easily just used my smoke substitution to avoid the attack and finish it off, You only made it less taxing for me,¡± ¡°I was a big help admit it,¡± ¡°No, you were a small help, I can give you that at most,¡± ¡°I¨C You know what, I¡¯ll take that actually¡­¡± ¡°Weak¡± ¡°Wha?¡± ¡°Weak, you gave in so easily,¡± ¡°You wanted to me continue to argue??¡± ¡°No, but where I¡¯m from a strong man always tries to win even if he is going to lose,¡± ¡°Well where I¡¯m from the on with the higher intellect and power level always win, Also when did you start acknowledging me as a man?¡± ¡°I¨C¡± Aki goes to reply but then remembers who she was talking to not another human but a beast, ¡­. ¡°Put back on the chain,¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Put it on beast, now more than ever I can¡¯t trust you,¡± ¡°I just saved yours what you mean?? You are really going to pretend like after that I haven¡¯t proven myself?¡± ¡­. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Aki covers her eyes with her hands and stares up at the sun for a few minutes ¡°Alright, Let¡¯s say I decide to change my mind and believe that bullshit story of how you are a human but also merged with a beast, Let¡¯s say I decide to believe that now, Answer me this then, What beast are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shiryu hesitates ¡°Go on tell me what you are mixed with then, a lizard, snake, some other reptile?¡± ¡°¡­. Promise you won¡¯t tell anyone then¡± ¡°No, this is not a negotiation,¡± ¡°¡­.A dragon,¡± ¡°A dragon!?¡± Aki parrots almost screaming it out ¡°Shhhzzzz! Not so loud! If any other beast hears you I¡¯m done for,¡± ¡°I thought the beats serve the dragons,¡± ¡°Yeah, the powerful ones, If I¡¯m found out they would just eat me to divide my power,¡± ¡°You know in my culture we say being in a battle with someone short or long improves trust and understanding between them, After our short battle, I¡¯ll give you a tiny bit my trust Shiryu Zadkiel the dragon,¡± Aki extends her arm out (Is this love?) ¡­¡­. ¡­¡­ ¡­.. A far distance away in the same field a pair of pointy ears twitch ¡°Did you hear that, Geri?¡± ¡°That snake is a dragon, Freki! It was good on your instinct to spare the thing back then¡± ¡°I had a strange feeling about it, Should we tell Dracula of this?¡± I love a list ¡°How long till we get there already, I¡¯m tired¡± ¡°Only a day and a half again, and I thought you couldn¡¯t tire easily¡± ¡°Yeah physically, but mentally I¡¯m exhausted,¡± ¡°Weak mind, I walked all the way by myself to Soterra and now I¡¯m travelling back the same way,¡± ¡°What kind of chief leaves their people for days just to deliver some news you could¡¯ve done easily sent someone with?¡± ¡°My people are disciplined and able to manage without me, I went to Soterra myself out of respect for the dead, that group had potential to be some of the greatest warriors of the present, a real shame it had to be cut short,¡± ¡°I told they¡¯re probably not dead,¡± ¡°Ughh, Shiryu, one can only believe so much things before they start disbelieving it,¡± ¡°Huh? Say that again?¡± ¡°I can believe most of the outlandish stuff you tell me to a certain extent, but if you keep going with your Gods and rainbow sky citys I¡¯ll just start thinking your making it up¡± ¡°Alright, alright I won¡¯t bring it up again,¡± Shiryu sighs (I guess the existence of places like Terra would be too much to comprehend for the people here) Crack? A branch breaks under Shiryu¡¯s feet Aki looks back cautiously from the tree she¡¯s perched, since the last altercation with the beast the woman has been extra alert choosing to stay off the ground whenever possible, ¡°A little way over this hill we¡¯ll get to town Gate, we can use the warp there to get back to Soterra,¡± she informs to her captive turned travel companion, ¡°I thought we were going to your nation?¡± ¡°I am, but you are going back, isn¡¯t that what you wanted? You¡¯ve already given me information on beasts and even gained a tiny bit of trust, I don¡¯t like travelling alongside others so it is best we part ways soon¡± ¡°But then you would just be lonely again chief¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get lonely, stop trying to aggravate me.¡± ¡°Well regardless of whether that¡¯s true, I¡¯ve decided to go back with you, Your now on my list of potential love interests,¡± ¡°List of what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pretty short list for now, so far I have Kage and Amelia, I was thinking about adding Zinnia but she already has love, now you¡¯re my latest addition¡± ¡°Are you actually braindead?¡± Aki jumps down from a tree as she nears the end of the row, the two make their steady way over hill now on it¡¯s topside which overlooks more greenery and rocky terrain around ¡°You can¡¯t add people you barely to know to some arbitrary love list first of all, And secondly take me off of that,¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take off unless you find love for yourself,¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not how love works, Do think I should take out a fishing rod and go the nearest river hoping to catch it?¡± ¡°Obviously not,¡± come and indignant reply from Shiryu, ¡°Do have a fishing rod on you though?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Do have every single tool a person can carry on you right now?¡± ¡°No, what are these questions?¡± ¡°I was wondering how hold all of them, the number of knives and chains you¡¯ve pulled out, yet you jump around like you aren¡¯t carrying anything¡± ¡°I thought my magic was obvious by now¡± ¡°Yeah, you make smoke, right?¡± ¡°Gas, I can conjure a select few types of gasses, poisonous, sleep, smoke, And also use my magic internally to make myself and anything directly connected to me weightless,¡± ¡°I thought it would take a lot more persuading for you to tell me your magic, but I guess I was wrong, Maybe we are becoming closer¡± (So soon already?) ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself, I told you my what my magic is, The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.Now you have to tell me, no show me your power as a dragon,¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t, breathe fire now. Use your strength to level this hill at least¡± ¡°That would just be negligent, and I can do those things probably¡­ But if I do I become more of a monster,¡± ¡°Ok, what¡¯s the problem? You will be strong, what does your appearance matter?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find looking like a beast,¡± ¡°ughh, this again? Why are so obsessed with love?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t solve it, No matter how hard I think about I can¡¯t figure it out, It doesn¡¯t make sense, everyone has their own rules and definitions, The only way I can figure it out is by experiencing it myself,¡± ¡°huhhh~ Look Shiryu, love is not real, it¡¯s something us humans made up to justify the way we act towards each other, focusing on it will only hold you back You are better off going after more worthwhile virtues like strength,¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of searching for strength, the supreme leader is the strongest that has and ever will exist¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know this ¡®supreme leader¡¯ is but I doubt what you said about him is true¡± ¡°It is, I heard that his muscles alone can crush diamonds¡± ¡°Ok, big muscles don¡¯t make you the strongest, If battles were fought by judging muscle size and flashy magic I¡¯d lose every time, I am the strongest in Tonbo, in all of Bakufu because I know how to use myself as a weapon, My short stature my quickness my attractiveness, they are all weapons I win with¡± ¡°You just said looks shouldn¡¯t matter now you¡¯re talking about attractiveness,¡± ¡°For me, I am a woman of course I would use my appearance as a tool you are already ugly so it wouldn¡¯t matter much¡± ¡°Thanks, I really needed to hear that right now¡± Shiryu sarcastically responds He turns away from Aki gaze across the horizon, Aki leaves him be, she remains quite firm on her beliefs of strength over everything A person like her holds no love in her heart for anyone or anything (Is she right? Love, the more I try to understand it the less sense it makes, Maybe it is just made up¡­ Still, I need to know for myself) ¡°¡­..?¡± Shiryu glimpses at a black blur flashing far off (Black light? That doesn¡¯t make sense) ¡°Aki, what¡¯s that?¡± he points ¡°Hmm¡­.. That¡¯s Furlheim City, where the dragon is, it¡¯s surrounded by a black wall of flames, as we speak my people are preparing counter magic and requiems to get past it¡± (That¡¯s where the other dragon is¡­) ¡°I wonder how the dragon came to be¡± Shiryu gazes away (Haven¡¯t heard anything about it in Soterra) ¡°Greed¡± Aki replies as the two once again continue on ¡°As in hunger orr¡­¡± ¡°Human greed, You know Shiryu I am a woman that has no shame in admit when she is wrong For you I¡¯ll admit it, the fact that you deny using the dragonic power I respect you a little for, Anyone else would have been causing havoc now, So, kudos to you for wanting to be weak¡± (I¡¯m not weak though) ¡°Then that other dragon it¡¯s also human?¡± ¡°That dragon is not human even a little, The closest it will be to human is the greed of the man that brought forth it¡± (So, it is the result of a person¡­) Shiryu turns back, squinting at the blur, The evening sun drowns the sky in dim orange and the terrain below slowly being covered by the shadows of the trees and hills below, the black blur of Furlheim blends into the shadows now Deep inside the heart of the monster thumps powerfully in excitement ¡­¡­. ¡­¡­. ¡°I sense another one like me¡­. My soulmate?¡± We love a battle HACHT! SACHT! YOUGHT! SACHT! HACHT! Baddum-bumm-bamm-bamm? Bang-bang!!? Baddum-bumm-bamm-bamm? Bang-bang!!? HACHT! SACHT! YOUGHT! SACHT! HACHT! (Whoah) ¡°Welcome to Bakufu!¡± Aki shouts over the loud drums and incantations The pair had just came through the waterfall entrance to be greeted by an army of people in ritualistic training They shout the same few phrases while performing unique dances that also produces magic on movement ¡°What is all of this!?¡± asks Shiryu ¡°Training don¡¯t stare too much or they might see that you¡¯re a monster Shiryu,¡± Aki pulls the young man forward This is the Kabuto district of Bakufu usually it consists of large empty fields reserved for farming but not the nation is preparing for battle, they fill the area in large armor clad groups, Swing their swords, axes and other weapons, while some practice their magic skills through the dances, All the while powerful drums reverberates throughout the area ¡°From the looks of it, you people are eager to fight the dragon,¡± ¡°Of course we are, I won¡¯t get into right now, but we have a deep history with the dragons,¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. The pair make their way through the crowds, Shiryu revives many unpleasant stares but no one confronts him as he travels with their chief, She isn¡¯t even called out or treated greatly people merely bow noticing her presence (This is what it¡¯s like to be the strongest) ¡°If we keep going further east we¡¯ll cross into the Kuwagata district, there¡¯s a waterfall entrance similar to the one here except that entries area is guarded by trap magic and beetle golems, so I wouldn¡¯t advise going¡± ¡°Who are you defending against with all that?¡± ¡°like I said before, I won¡¯t get into the history now, South are the lost caverns, and take that name quite literally, the caves are sealed by a requiem, if you enter you will be lost forever in a maze of caves, most people who don¡¯t know how to get into Bakufu tend to bypass the waterfall and head straight into the cavern never to be seen again,¡± ¡°Good to know¡± (Never going there) ¡°So that leaves Tonbo to the north right?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Aki replies, her overalls composure seems more subdued than how it was outside of Bakufu ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°I¡¯m surprised no one has singled me out yet¡± Shiryu attempts to cook up a conversation ¡°¡­. Because you¡¯re with me, there is not a single person here that would dare question me.¡± ¡°Hey, chief Aki!¡± someone calls out on timing, a young man stomps up to the lady, in head to toe he is covered with heavy layers of armor, two swords at his sides and a great axe strapped to his back, under his shoulder he carries a steel samurai helmet The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.¡°What the hell is that?¡± young man points at Shiryu, his face strikingly familiar to the dragon (I¡¯ve seen this face before) A little more rounded the face shape, but the eyes, lips, nose even the mouth the same, His hair is black with a white streak running across however Shiryu still sees the resemblance, ¡°Are you Amelia¡¯s brother?¡± he asks much to the surprise of the young man ¡°How do you know my sister!?¡± He brandishes his blade ¡°Calm down Claude,¡± Aki pushes the boy out the way gesturing for Shiryu to keep walking Clearly annoyed by the scene they were causing. ¡°Shiryu has just come from Soterra with me, he says he is Apollo¡¯s brother¡± ¡°Lie! Apollo has no brother! He would have mentioned that at least once¡± (Quite the scene maker this guy is) ¡°I am related to Apollo via our father Raguel,¡± ¡°Lies again! Raguel went missing, and¨C¡± ¡°He is dead, and I don¡¯t feeling like telling my story for the hundredth time the chief believes me and Zinnia does to so that¡¯s all the convincing you should need¡± ¡°Nnngh¡± Claude grits is teeth wanting to say more but drops after catching a side eye from Aki ¡°If I ever find out that you caused harm to my sister you are dead¡± he tires his hardest to sound threatening before heaving himself off in the heavy armor that is too big for him ¡­. (What a character he is) thinks Shiryu watching the young man stumble off ¡°Claude isn¡¯t one of us, so our traditions don¡¯t apply to him, he came here with Kage and the others but stayed behind to learn our ways of strength,¡± ¡°Yeah, I could tell¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. **** The loud drums and shouts grow fainter into the background as Shiryu and Aki enter the Tonbo district, The evening sun bathes down onto the semi abandoned town, a few children can be heard here and there but for the most part the city sleeps Ting? Wind chimes ring from the dry gusts of wind knocking them around ¡­ Shiryu barely gets a chance to look around the city built with Edo-ish wooden houses shops and other structures as the chief rushes past everything so quickly ¡°Slowdown¡± he says but she ignores it leaping over huts and beautiful magic crystal lamp post now beginning to glow under the diming sky ¡°I¡¯m late¡± Aki abruptly stops in front of a large bamboo structure, Phwoo? The wind passes through the structure making a hollow sound Outside are stone pillars with the faces of serpentine dragons carved into then, ¡°The sun is already down, chief sister,¡± a man jumps down from the one of the pillar, ¡°You said exactly eight days sister,¡± another man appears ¡°Square up¡± Aki whispers to Shiryu ¡°Wait what? I¡¯m confused?¡± ¡°I said get ready for a fight!¡± ¡­. (?) Loveless: The four evils (Fight?) Crkpunch! Shiryu does not get a moment to process the situation as a fist cracks his jaw sending him sprawling across the town ¡°To think the Chief has fallen off so badly that she has to bring with her a monster to fight against us¡± a young man cracks his knuckles, his eyes are the same pale gray as Aki but his face is rougher and his head shaved Cracsh! He jumps up then smashes down elbow first onto a confused Shiryu ¡°At least explain¨C¡° ¡°¨CGranite fist!¡± Crckbifff! ¡°This a fight for your life monster, if you plan on talking it will be in the afterlife¡± (Shit) ¡­.. Feowwwwooom! A blast of fire whizzes past Aki, ¡°You going to have to try better than that brother,¡± Aki dusts her shoulder The young man across her smirks brushing his fiery orange hair back, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear no excuses when I turn you char then¨C ¨CScorpion burn!¡± ¡°Poison fog!¡± Aki blows out then claps the magic gas at him forcing the young man to cancel his attack ¡°Burning cheetah pounce!¡± The man punches speedily like a beast, his hands covered in flaming fiery claws ¡°Hyah!¡± Aki agilely slides under him as soon as he gets near, locking her legs around his neck she shifts the momentum and¨C Wharck! Slams the mans head into ground, Whump! At that same moment Shiryu¡¯s body rockets into the woman knocking her down ¡°Shiryu!¡± she pushes him off her angrily ¡°Aghh I can¡¯t just stop myself from being thrown in mid air, that guy is handing me my ass¡± ¡°Switch then¡± Aki pushes him aside going for her other brother ¡°I can¡¯t hold back with you the man grimaces¡± ¡°Diamond fists Rocket punc¨C¡± Stampp! Aki leaps up in an instant mashing her foot down on the mans face, ¡°You were always the slowest Bane¡± she says taking out a brass knuckle Braachkk! And punches it down on the man¡¯s skull ¡°Shiryu out the way!¡± Aki shouts holding the woozy man¡¯s arm over her shoulder And with one twist she¨C ¡°Erghh¡± ¨CTosses the muscular body of the young man over shoulder, Shiryu understanding her attempt jumps at the orange haired man pushing him in the way of¨C Wham! The two collide ¡°Aghh, get off Bane!¡± ¡°Had enough Natsu?¡± Aki taunts stretching her arms ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m using it¡± ¡°Go ahead, you know what happened the last time.¡± Aki retorts though she cautiously begins to conjure a cloud of smoke surroundings her Natsu takes a deep breath clenching his fists before saying the word ¡°I hear no ev¨C¡± ¡°¨CDo no evil!¡± The icy cold voice of another person interjects, The fiery young man stops moving completely becoming like a lifeless mannequin, *Punch!* Aki immediately darts up to land a quick blow on the man who falls limp ¡°You have to stop making stupid bets like¡± a woman walks out of the large bamboo structure ¡°Aghh¡± the other man gets up, ¡°Aki said she¡¯d be back in eight days, the sun just set so she didn¡¯t make it,¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t make it into the grand tent but I got here a while ago, Surely that counts¡± she argues ¡°It doesn¡¯t, and Fuyu, Natsu is going to be very angry when he wakes up¡± he turns to the other woman, The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.She looks near identical to Aki, although taller and her hair is a long, silky snow white ¡°Natsu knows how my requiem works, and he was going to use his first so I stopped it, Tell him to take it up with granddad¡± ¡°Well, I say it does anyways,¡± Aki cuts into the talk replying to her brother¡¯s previous words ¡°And I am the chief¡± ¡°Is the fighting over?¡± Shiryu speaks up still confused from the series of events ¡°Why did you bring home beast Aki?¡± Fuyu looks curiously at him ¡°Shiryu is actually a human¡­ I think, But he is also a dragon¡± ¡°Hey, I told you don¡¯t go blurting that out¡± ¡°Relax these are my weakling siblings, they will keep quiet or I¡¯ll kill them Right?¡± ¡°Mghh¡± Bane grunts something picking his unconscious brother up and carrying him into the grand tent ¡°Shiryu¡­¡± Fuyu still eyeing him ¡°What kind of dragon are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know ma¡¯am,¡± he responds feeling intimidating after that unexplainable spell she did ¡°Ma¡¯am? Are you afraid of me?¡± the woman smiles pleased ¡°Inside Shiryu.¡± Aki pushes the boy into the empty tent ¡°Fuyu likes to be feared stop being so weak around my siblings¡± ¡°My fault, I didn¡¯t anticipated to be caught up in fight against strong people without warning¡± ¡°Neither did I and I still whipped them, you should have used your dragonic power or at the very least your human magic¡± Tap-tap-tap. Tap tap-tap tap. Tap. Tap. Tap {--- .--. . -.} Aki taps her foot down on the wooden floor inside the ten, the sound echoes back as a section of the floor opens revealing a downward staircase Bane is already in front quietly carrying his brother down the stairs ¡°You will get a chance next time¡± Fuyu breathes down his neck ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to fight you guys next time,¡± ¡°Fuyu is weak, don¡¯t be fooled by her requiem,¡± Aki steps aside to let the other two go down ¡°If your want to be her don¡¯t move and she can¨C¡± ¡°¨CShut up!¡± Her sister snaps ¡°Don¡¯t go talking about people¡¯s requiems so openly¡± ¡°As the chief I can if I want to, and I already told you what Shiryu is so it¡¯s only fair¡± haughtily responds Aki ¡°Then talk about your own Requiem, honourable chief¡± Fuyu snaps again in a disrespectful tone before nudging past everyone stomping away The open floor above the staircase closes behind the group, leaving then in an underground winding corridor ¡­. ¡°Where are going¡± Shiryu asks ¡°You are pathetic,¡± the chief takes her annoyance out him ¡°Excuse? I¡¯m just asking a question¡­ We came into this tent and then into some passage underground, No need to get so emotional after fighting your siblings I would have thought you would be more composed chief Aki.¡± ¡°¨CGo back up¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Go back upstairs Shiryu, I don¡¯t feel like bringing a monster like you to my quarters,¡± ¡°But..¡± ¡°Go back up right now or I will do you worse than my siblings have done you¡± (What¡¯s gotten into her?) ¡°Ok, I¡¯m leaving, but where do I stay for the night?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± ¡°What if people mistakenly attack me¡± ¡°Then you die now go away.¡± ¡­.... ¡­... ¡­¡­ Love of Intimidation ¡°Yesterday I went outside? With my momma¡¯s mason jar? Caught a lovely butterfly? Daadaadaadaadumdumdumm¡± Alone in the empty space that is the grand tent¡¯s base floor sits Shiryu humming to himself, The night is in full swing but for him it¡¯s just a part of a long day He doesn¡¯t dare go leave the structure alone in fear of being attacked so he stays living in his thoughts to pass time (What did I say that was wrong? I can tell she hates, no she has no love for her siblings and they don¡¯t of each other, Why? Amelia¡¯s loves her brother and he the same, Why do these four not love each other? They don¡¯t even have hate either¡­ Aghh what do I know, I¡¯ve never been around people for that long, The people here are different here too, they value strength more) ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°Why bother?? It''s gonna hurt me? It''s gonna kill when you desert me? This happened to me twice before? It won''t happen to me anymore? Hmmhmmhmmhmbhmhm?¡± (I wonder what Kage is up to right now¡­) ¡°So you are the dragon?¡± A croaky old voice suddenly echoes into space startling Shiryu out of thought ¡°Where did you? I didn¡¯t see the entrance open¡± ¡°Are you the dragon?¡± the old man asks again coming closer to Shiryu His face and general appearance may look old but underneath his marital arts gi some bulky muscles poke ¡°I swear Aki should just go ahead and tell everyone what I am at this point¡± ¡°Do you not want people to know?¡± the strange old man asks, despite his voice sounding kind, his gray eyes are cold, somewhat malicious and calculating as they examine the young man thoroughly ¡°N..no¡± Shiryu already beginning to stutter nervously ¡°Who are you exactly?¡± ¡°The grandfather of Aki, Bane, Fuyu and Natsu, you may address me by my name, Shiki, Now this old man rarely leaves the house, so be honored that I came to you, especially at this time of day¡± ¡°Thank you from gracing me with your presence old man Shiki¡± ¡°You are awfully meek for a beast, tell me is this a fa?ade?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just intimidated by the people here¡± ¡°Hahaha, someone with your potential says that, Aki said you merged with a dragon egg?¡± ¡°Yes, that is true,¡± ¡°How, was it a blood requiem?¡± ¡°Blood requiem?¡± ¡°There are some requiems that are obtained via blood intake did this happen to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡± ¡°Then are you a dragon by artefact?¡± ¡°No, it is complicated to explain Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Do you believe in the existence of angels old man Shiki?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to believe in something I¡¯ve witnessed myself, Many divine beings have been to Tonbo before, The offspring they create with us also gain their divine power as well as unshakable righteous will, we revere those people here and call them Buddha Are you perhaps connected to a Buddha then?¡± (This old man is sharp) ¡°In a way yes, my body is a fusion of human and dragon, and the mana of an angel is what keeps it together,¡± ¡°hmm, I¡¯ve never heard of this before¡­¡± (Since he believes this much, should I go ahead and talk about Kage, or press him more..) ¡°Umm, sir Shiki I¡¯ve also never heard of blood requiems before, could you tell me more¡± ¡°Blood requiems are just the same as regular requiems except instead of an object you drink the blood of the person, My grandchildren for example have blood requiems of some of the strongest warriors of our nation They¡¯re called the four evils around the town you know?¡± ¡°The four evils, why?¡± ¡°Because of the people who¡¯s requiems they inherited, Mizaru the one who sees no evil, Kikazaru the one who hears no evil, Iwazaru the one who speaks no evil and Sezaru the one who does no evil, In order they are Aki, Natsu, Bane and Fuyu¡± (Why is he telling me all of this freely?) ¡°Is there something you want from me Shiki sir to tell me this?¡± ¡°I am also a user of a blood requiem, one that makes me just like you, I am a dragon, That is why I came to see you personally I wanted to know if you were really a beast or really human, and right now I can¡¯t tell completely so I gave you some information you should not have, that way if I ever have to cut you open and spill your guts along the sidewalks of Tonbo I will have good reason on the basis that you know too much.¡± the old man gives Shiryu a passive aggressive smile before turning away His words came across so calm so, matter-of-factly, yet it shook Shiryu to his core, The old man came not to befriend him or help him but simply to give himself reason should he ever have to kill him A warning not spoken as such but heard the same nonetheless¡­. Shiryu stares behind the old man in disbelief, who disappears into the darkness (A daydream?) The sheer absurdity of the meeting left him with few questions but many thoughts Fearful thoughts The old man Shiki had spoken but it was his power that would be remembered over his words ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. Fuyu loves to be feared ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! Whatever I said you don¡¯t like I take it back¡± begs Shiryu clinging on to Aki, whom he had been waiting to reappear from under the grand tent all night ¡°Get away from me Shiryu, Also, there is nothing to apologize for, I was just heated after the fight, my bad,¡± ¡°Are you serious? I have been trying to figure out what I said wrong all night¡± ¡°A real man would have spent the night training then challenged me first thing instead of begging, Anyway I have things to do today so you can train here alone,¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let me come with you¡± ¡°No, I had enough of people more specifically you, I like being alone Leave me alone I have training and an army to instruct¡± With that the chief pushes past Shiryu heading out of the tent and to her business ¡°I should take her off the list, but I don¡¯t have much options right now¡­¡± ¡­. ¡°What list?¡± ¡°Ah¨Ccan you people stop doing that¡± Shiryu pushes himself away from the suddenly appearing Fuyu ¡°What are you here for dragon boy?¡± presses Fuyu, disregarding his antics ¡°Its Shiryu, and I¡¯m here to help with the dragon¡­¡± ¡°You are lying, Come walk with me Shiryu,¡± the mysterious woman pulls the young man to her side Her face stays stoic and eyes unreadable, she pulls Shiryu along treating him like he were a pet (Finally some sun) thinks Shiryu as he steps past the curtained entrance to the grand tent into the morning of Tonbo The ten is situated at the head of the town within an ungated compound spanning the length of Tonbo Unlike the previous day Tonbo is now filled with people going in and out of the compound into the city, The warrior and magic schools are all located here, A wide-open yard to the right of ten serves as an assembly for army as well Fuyu with Shiryu in tow takes a stroll across all of the compound facilities (Should I speak? She isn¡¯t saying anything¡­.) Resisting his urge to break the ice Shiryu cautiously remains quiet behind one of the four evils of Bakufu She carries on as if she were alone despite being the one who told the boy go with her ¡°haugh!¡± ¡°haugh!¡± The sounds of men and woman in strict training seeps through wooden walls of the dojo Fuyu keeps going past it ¡­ ¡°Yes teacher!¡± Comes the obedient voices of students near the schools Fuyu takes a brief glance at the area of buildings while Shiryu speeds up, not wanting to be seen by a loud child ¡°Umm, Where are you going?¡± Shiryu finally asks ¡°Nowhere in particular, I am giving you a walk, You are Aki¡¯s new pet right?¡± ¡°Nooo, Pet? Come on I am a human being¡± ¡°Ok, there is no rule that says people can¡¯t be pets Besides isn¡¯t that why you followed her here like a dog¡± ¡°She kidnapped me firstly then I decided to go with her to help with the other dragon¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t care about the other dragon do you? I can ten when someone has the spirit of a warrior, and you do not What are you here for? If it is to kill and consume us there are far weaker humans out there that would be easier for you to go after¡± (I¡¯m never beating these beast allegations) ¡°Well I don¡¯t want to do that, what I¡¯m really after is¡­.love¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it¡°Love? Psshhhtahaahhahahahahahahaha!¡± Fuyu¡¯s stoic expression breaks down into laughter ¡°whathahahahahahaha!¡± (¡­.) ¡°You-haha-are funny Shiryu,¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking.¡± Growls Shiryu ¡°Love is a joke I can¡¯t take that to mean anything else,¡± Fuyu¡¯s pale white cheeks are now red and flushed Her full lips curled in a smile: ¡°If you want love then you came to wrong place,¡± ¡°Just because you and your family don¡¯t love each other doesn¡¯t mean you have to make it into a joke¡± Shiryu retorts irritated ¡°Mm, what do you know about my family? What do even know about being the strongest?¡± Fuyu retorts calmly though her wording confrontational ¡°The last chief was weak, laughably weak, He had things easy he had his love, and now that fool is dead, My siblings and I have to be better than that idiot so that we don¡¯t meet the same fate, So please refrain on speaking on my family again¡± ¡°¡­ I, apologize miss Fuyu¡± ¡°Just Fuyu Aki and I are the same age you know¡± ¡°You are twins?¡± ¡°No, all four of us were born at the same time we all have different mothers¡± ¡°Hmm you all similar faces I wouldn¡¯t have thought that¡± ¡°Alright Shiryu, since you aren¡¯t here to be walked like a dog, do you want to train with me?¡± the woman changes topic, not keen on chatting about her family ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be fair¡± Shiryu hesitantly answers ¡°Are you afraid that I will use my requiem on you?¡± (Yes) ¡°No, Aki already told me that I need to mo¡ª ¡­... ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡ªve. Owww!¡± Shiryu picks himself up (What just happened?) From where he was just standing Shiryu had moved a good way off from it, his back feels sore and the concrete ground beneath him cracked and upset as if he was just thrown there ¡°You can move if you want but I can stop you myself¡± Fuyu dusts her hand slowly walking to Shiryu, ¡°I won¡¯t use my requiem again, that was just a little display of strength to you¡± ¡°What did you do to me?¡± ¡°Nothing I picked up you and tossed you over there¡± ¡°When, how?¡± ¡°Since Aki has already blurted out a potential weakness of mine I suppose I should tell you my full ability, It is called Do no evil, and is pretty simple as long as you are in a semi stationary state I can freeze your existence for three seconds that¡¯s all,¡± ¡°My existence?¡± ¡°Yes, like your soul, your entire being, that¡¯s why you have no perception of time after I used it on you,¡± (I need to start working on new magic techniques the people here are insane) ¡°What about Aki does she have a similar ability?¡± ¡°The chief? Normally she would kill me if I did talk about her, but since she already told you about me, This will make us even, Her requiem is called See no evil, when she is surrounded by smoke and closes her eyes she becomes smoke entirely, making her intangible for as long as the smoke lasts and her eyes shut¡± ¡°That seems like too much of a hassle to use, if she can¡¯t see how will she win a fight?¡± ¡°Aki has never lost once, that¡¯s why she is the Chief¡± Fuyu grumbles ¡°What about ¨C¡± ¨CWHAMM!! Before Shiryu could get the words out a fist with the force of a missile suddenly smashes into his face¡­.. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ Natsu Loves a fight Oommph! Once again Shiryu finds himself hugging the concrete ground ¡°What the hell¨C Ummphffkk!¡± As he lifts his head back up to angrily exclaim, a running knee punts it right back down ¡°I didn¡¯t forget you¡± grunts his attacker Grabbing Shiryu by the neck he lifts him above him ¡°Natsu put him down,¡± Fuyu says in the most nonchalant way possible ¡°I was the one who took you out last night¡± ¡°I know but I rather pick on this thing than fight you or the chief right now,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a punching bag!¡± Shiryu yanks himself out of the orange haired man¡¯s grip Stamppkk! And immediately gets kicked down by a flaming foot ¡°Yeah, because I can kick you to¡± (This is getting tiresome, should I ¡­) ¡°Enough of this Natsu I was going to test myself on Shiryu first!¡± ¡°Then show me your resolve¡± Natsu¡¯s hair engulfs his flames along with his fists as he then dashes at his sister ¡°Ice golems¡± Fuyu conjures the animated statutes surrounding her ¡°And also, Ice¨Cno actually¡­ Never mind,¡± the woman cancels her spell, causing the golems to disappear right as Natsu had jumped at one Thud! All the momentum causes him to crash into ground ¡°I am bored of this,¡± yawns the young woman ¡°You have fun with my brother I¡¯ll see you around maybe¡± she gives him a plastic smile before trotting away ¡°No, I¡¯m coming with¨C¡± ¡°¨CYou heard the girl¡± Natsu already up, grabs Shiryu¡¯s shoulder with his flaming hand, ¡°What is your problem!?¡± he aggressively pushes him back ¡°Revenge¡± shrugs Natsu ¡°From me? I wasn¡¯t the one that knocked you out, I was getting whipped last night by you and your brother,¡± ¡°Granddad said that you are a dragon, I want to test myself against you¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of dragon,¡± ¡°You resist my fire though¡± ¡°My scales are naturally fire resistant¡± ¡°Ok, well let me test the extent of that with my fire¡± ¡°Noooo¡­ Don¡¯t you have a job or something to do here?¡± ¡°Who are you a stranger, let alone a monster to try and tell me what I should or should not be doing in my town?¡± ¡°Can I go after Fuyu now?¡± Shiryu groans those words out ¡°Stay away from that one she will turn you into one of her ice puppets if you¡¯re not careful¡± ¡°She does that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only a little of it¡± Natsu outs his flames finally cooled off (This guy seems simple enough) Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.¡°Sir Natsu, can I ask you a question about your family?¡± ¡°Eh? Go ahead¡± ¡°Why do you not love each other?¡± ¡°¡­Because that¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be, for us to be strong, Are trying to get a class or something?¡± ¡°What class?¡± ¡°I teach the way of the warrior classes,¡± Natsu points to the some of the schooling buildings near by ¡°Nah, too much people over here, I would just end up getting attacked again,¡± ¡°Then fight back, You are a dragon just like my grandfather right?¡± (Scary old man) ¡°I¡¯m not his kind of dragon either,¡± ¡°You are a queer chap Shiryu, we should have a real battle later to understand each other¡± ¡°Or talk like regular people¡­¡± ¡°Talk? That is reserved for weak people, do you know if two gods of immeasurable strength had conflict the only way it could be solved would be a good old-fashioned fist fight?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the saying, it¡¯s also true that the fight would have no winner only dead gods,¡± ¡°Hmn, that is what would¡¯ve happened if Fuyu and I fought just now¡± Natsu proclaims confidently (Not sure why) ¡°You fell easy to her requiem last night,¡± ¡°I was caught off guard, just as I was about to use my hear no evil she had to interrupt,¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± Natsu smirks in a gloating manner ¡°By shutting myself off from the sounds around I go into a berserk burst of firepower, that makes me the most powerful person here for a few minutes,¡± ¡°Yet Aki is still the chief¡± ¡°Aki uses underhanded tactics to win fights, she could not take me on fairly, neither could Fuyu¡± (Speaking of¡­) Shiryu looks off in the direction the girl had headed, she has already disappeared (Wasted too much time talking to this guy, Now I have to risk walking around here alone) ¡°I wonder why Fuyu just left like that¡± he sighs out loud ¡°We don¡¯t like being around each other much¡± Natsu replies already he begins to walk off ¡°Why?¡± Shiryu begrudgingly follows him (I gotta get Aki to formally introduce me to the people here) ¡°That¡¯s how granddad raised us, It¡¯s always a competition between the four of us, we are each other¡¯s enemies¡± ¡°Do your parents not have a say in the matter?¡± ¡°Ha! Parents? Our father was the previous chief who died foolishly And our mothers¡­ We don¡¯t talk about it but if my memory serves me correct¡­ When we still small children¡­ Grandfather slaughtered them all right in front of us.¡± Bane Loves cuisine ¡°Gothic flavor? How I miss you? If I only, once cou¨C¡° ¡°¨CYou¡¯re still here?¡± interrupting the humming Shiryu Aki trots into the empty upper interior of the grand tent ¡°I mean it¡¯s not like I could go anywhere for the night,¡± Shiryu looks from being sat in a crossed legged positon ¡°If there were still guards here like usual you would not be able to even enter this place,¡± Brushing past, him Aki signals for the trapdoor in the floor to open Tap-tap-tap. tap tap-tap tap. tap. tap. Tap {--- .--. . -.} ¡°In.¡± she gestures for Shiryu to go down ¡°Are you letting me in again?¡± ¡°Before I change my mind¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. Shiryu follows the woman down the passage and through a long series of barren dim lit corridors that twist and turn annoyingly to anyone that would be going through them for their first time, Aki however used to it easily navigates around the underground tunnels, Shiryu in an awkward silence and Aki in a quiet nonchalance¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Eventually they arrive at the double doors at the end of the tunnel, Shhhkk Aki slides them open Jingk? Some bells chime the moment they step inside a brightly lit room, the light brown birch wood shows in some area underneath the burgundy carpet On the wooden wall across from the doors is a large life-like picture of a night sky overlooking a valley of forests and gorgeous waterfall, Besides for a few cushions on the floor and this first room is quite bare. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed¡± Aki yawns heading off through a door on the left side which seems to be a corridor leading to the personal quarters of this strange underground ¡®home¡¯ ¡°Wait!¡± Shiryu calls behind her Slam! It slides shut (At least tell me what I should or should not do) Jingg? The bells above on the wood layered stone ceiling ring again, the crystal lights above look down on the stranger new to this habitat (What do I do here alone? Should I follow her down the passage? ¡­. No, what if I catch her changing or something? I¡¯d be put to death) ¡­.. Uncomfortably Shiryu stands looking around the room, he notices that is another door opposite to the one Aki went through (Should I take my chances? Nooo, Shiryu stay here You could run into that old man) Ignoring his inner thoughts Shiryu edges to the door Shhccckk Jinggg? Just as he does the entrance opens to the cold stare of the shaven head muscular young man, Bane ¡°Ahh!¡± Shiryu jumps ¡°I, I, Aki let me in¡± ¡°?¡± His gray eyes staring bullets into Shiryu ¡°The kitchen and storage rooms are there¡± he monotones ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± ¡°Nn,no I was just looking around¡± Shiryu stutters still under the eye of Bane, he can¡¯t tell from his voice or gaze what he¡¯s thinking in the slightest ¡°Hmn¡± Bane grunts closing the door behind him and heading to the other ¡°Come with me¡± he says sliding it open, Shiryu follows him into a room of similar size of the prior, Along the side walls are shelves of utensils and dishes A few large basins line the walls, of rice, flour and an assortment of peas, beans and nuts, The center of the room a moderately sized counter across from it to the north is a magic stone furnace next to a magic stone burner (stove) The south a door-less doorway that goes out to a corridor leading to the storage rooms, Click? The burner lights aflame Tsssszzzz? Bane places down a pan then pouring peanut oil into it. Opening a satchel that he had been carrying, the man takes out a sum of wet herbs, tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic Chop? chop? chop? chop? He begins to chop them on counter before¨C Tchhssszzzz! ¨Cfrying them up in the pan, Next Bane opens a barrel full of brown rice, taking out a few scoops ¡­. ¡°What do you dragons eat?¡± his question surprises Shiryu who had for a while there thought he¡¯d gone invisible ¡°Huh? What I eat?¡± ¡°Yeah besides humans of course,¡± ¡°ehhem well first of all, I don¡¯t and have never eaten people, given that would be cannibalism, And I don¡¯t eat often, I can sustain myself consuming magic stones¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.¡°How do magic stone taste?¡± Bane asks with his head down to the pot ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Like rock I guess,¡± ¡°How does rock taste?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t really have a taste, I would call it a non taste¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Bane goes quiet again for a while leaving Shiryu just standing there watching him semi uncomfortable ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Tssssshhhh!? The rice now sizzling brown in pan gets water added to it ¡°When this is done I will soft-scramble some eggs to go on top¡± Bane speaks more to himself than he is Shiryu (¡­¡­) ¡°If I used my rock magic on you dragon, could you just eat it?¡± Another random question comes ¡°My name is Shiryu and that would be a no¡­¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡­ (What do you mean ¡®ok¡¯?) ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°So did you just ask that question for no reason?¡± Shiryu unable to take the awkwardness any longer finally presses ¡°Yes.¡± comes Bane¡¯s stone-faced response ¡°I¨C¡± Stammers Shiryu unable to reply to that, And he doesn¡¯t¡­ ....... ¡­... He just watches and waits for the man to finish cook ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°Taste it.¡± Bane slides a finished plate across the counter to Shiryu who takes a spoonful semi-reluctantly (¡­.) The seasoned taste of the warm fried rice melts onto his tongue giving a rush of flavor that had not been know to Shiryu before (What is this?) He takes another scoop along with a tender fold of fired egg, The soft somewhat gelatinous texture of the egg coupled with the sharp spice of pepper and salty umami contrasts the pop of the fried rice that sparks the zest of fresh paprika, culantro, and the onions giving it what you could describe as an unsweet sweetness ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ I like it.¡± Shiryu says mouth full and eyes teary unbeknownst to himself The boy had never experienced the luxury of food before that now as he does get this moment, the sad realization of how much as human he¡¯s never had It¡­. ¡­.. ¡°Personally I think this is average to bad¡± Bane shakes his head ¡°I would give it a five out of ten, but since you reacted this I think that warrants giving it a five, point five out of ten.¡± ¡°Wait this is bad?¡± Shiryu already halfway through his serving ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter of you like it personally, I wasn¡¯t sure about you Shiryu even if the Chief said you were human, But your reaction here is not something a beast could fake, The art of cuisine is something we humans appreciate solely¡± ¡°So you were testing me?¡± ¡°No, I just like cooking and you just happened to be here so I pondered to myself whether to kill you or to feed you then kill you, But your reaction has convinced me otherwise,¡± (Thank Kage (God) I reacted the right way) ¡°I don¡¯t the Chief would have allowed you to do so¡± Shiryu now gains a bit more confidence to talk back ¡°My sister would be mad if I did yes, but she wouldn¡¯t kill me¡± ¡°Is it because of your requiem ability?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be able to kill because I¡¯m the one that cooks around here, What do you know about my requiem?¡± Shiryu gets suspicious ¡°Natsu told me about his and Aki¡¯s, and Fuyu told me hers as well, From what I¡¯ve seen/heard about it you four have requiems that counter each other in niche ways.¡± ¡°You know that much¡­.hmm¡­ My ability is called speak no evil, by silencing myself and my thoughts¨Cfocusing on only one thing I can turn my body into an invincible statue of diamond for as long as I hold my breath.¡± ¡°You all seem to have a disadvantage with your requiems,¡± ¡°Power doesn¡¯t come cheap¡± Shrugs Bane disinterested in continuing the talk of requiems ¡°I don¡¯t understand why people want it then if you ultimately lose something, Everyone in this nation seems to be obsessed with gaining strength.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it is a must for our survival¡± the young man already beginning to clean up ¡°This nation doesn¡¯t appear to be struggling from the little I¡¯ve seen so far¡± ¡°We are not struggling true, But by survival I mean against other humans We are in a situation here where if we are not strong our enemies will not hesitate to erase our nation from existence.¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Aki loves to be alone ¡°HACHT!¡± ¡°Again!¡± ¡°YACHT!¡± ¡°One more for the day and were done!¡± ¡°SOUGHT!¡± ¡°No no no! That form was half assed, do it again!¡± ¡°SOUGHT!¡± ¡°Alright that was a good enough cool down, you can go!¡± (Who cools down with damn stance training?) A diming evening sun looks over the lively Kabuto district where most of the Bakufu army train and make preparations for their soon coming raid on the dragon occupying Furlheim City ¡°I¡¯m leaving this here.¡± Shiryu tells a group fighters leaning up a spear he was practicing with by them They nod allowing him to do so, Currently Shiryu is draped in purple ninja wear, with similar effects as the agility armor he had worn that was damaged a bit while fighting and eventually traveling to Bakufu with the chief As of recent weeks the nation of Bakufu has been in close allegiance with the kingdom of Soterra, gaining access to their unconventional magic tools and armors that was previously exclusive to the kingdom ¡­.. (If my scales weren¡¯t heat resistance, all this training under the sun would cook me) Slowly walking up the path from Kabuto to Tonbo, Shiryu contemplates his current situation, (I¡¯ll try this strength thing like Aki says, I will get stronger¡­ but I just can¡¯t put gaining strength over love) Aki had let Shiryu into her forces under the deal that he would use his power and knowledge of the beasts to help fight them, For Shiryu, who from conception as a child floating around in a glass tube in Terra, Being a trained fighter a professional soldier it was mapped onto his dna, going after the dragon was of no consequence him, (Why challenge something stronger the you? The supreme leader would not approve of this stupidity) Still Shiryu will join in, because the answer to his equation has yet to be solved, More so a new variable called strength has been added to the problem¡­. ¡­. ¡°Hey don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice you wearing that!¡± a shoulder suddenly rams into Shiryu ¡°What is it?¡± he tiredly shoves the person back ¡°Oh it you, Amelia¡¯s brother¡­ What was your name again?¡± Claude now wearing much less heavy armor than before, frowns turning up nose at the young dragon ¡°It¡¯s Claude and I know it¡¯s you under that armor creature.¡± ¡°My name is Shiryu and I am a human like you, otherwise the chief would not have let me in¡± ¡°Then why do you look like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rare skin condition I was born with¡± lies Shiryu ¡°Damn¡­.¡± Claude believes in an instant ¡°Does it hurt to move like that then?¡± ¡°It used to actually when I was younger, maybe it still hurts I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve gotten accustomed to being like this¡± he says truthfully this time ¡°You must he especially valiant if you¡¯re here training to be a warrior like me Shiryu¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Yawns Shiryu wanting to go back to his thoughts but now the boy Claude walks with him on the trail to Tonbo, Like Shiryu and Claude many others trod on the wide dirt trail, on either side of it are wooden fences barring off the wide farm Fields of rice and corn crops, Besides the training warriors are farmers going to and fro across the lands with carts and carriage of supplies All the movement of people makes Shiryu a bit reluctant to speak freely, a bit introverted¡­. ¡°You said you came here from Soterra right?¡± Claude is still pressing ¡°I did.¡± ¡°.. So, about my sister Amelia, Is she doing alright?¡± Claude mumbles out quickly (He¡¯s definitely been meaning to ask this from start) ¡°Amelia is crazy and I¡¯m actually surprised you aren¡¯t as violent and threatening as her.¡± Drawls Shiryu You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.¡°She is isn¡¯t she!?¡± the young man¡¯s eyes suddenly light up, ¡°I thought it was just me, Everyone else sees her as the quiet shy girl, but she does not act like that when we¡¯re alone¡± ¡°That woman is a menace.¡± Shiryu says remembering her sick smile when torturing him ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far, Amelia is just a bit feral at times.¡± (Does he know?) ¡°How did you even manage to see this side of sister Shiryu? She doesn¡¯t normally open up to strangers,¡± ¡°Its umm, we didn¡¯t become friends or anything, She tried to execute me and I had to basically beg for my life but it¡¯s all good now, we cleared up the misunderstanding of me not being a monster.¡± (If only she would love me now) ¡°Amelia had you begging for your life?¡± ¡°Her magic is scary¡± ¡°Hmmmm¡± those words seem to rub Claude the wrong way ¡°Even Amelia¡¯s getting stronger¡­.¡± He mutters under his breath ¡°She says she loves you by the way¡± ¡°She did? When? How?¡± Claude¡¯s intrigue goes right back up ¡°I told her I loved her but she didn¡¯t accept it and said she loves her brother,¡± ¡°Wait¡­ you to¨C¡± Claude stops expecting Shiryu to stop with him but the young dragon keeps on walking leaving him behind ¡°Hey!¡± Claude jogs back up, ¡°Why would you say that to my twin sister?¡± ¡°I wanted to see how she would react maybe she¡¯d say it back.¡± ¡°Bro. Do you understand how love works?¡± ¡°Apparently not.¡± Shiryu sighs ¡°Apparently no indeed¡± Claude echoes ¡°First of all never go around my sister again, and secondly for someone to love you they have to at least like you first.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing though?¡± ¡°Its not Shiryu, See right now I am indifferent to you, but if we talk more often we can become friends then I¡¯d like you, and if that relationship builds for years then I¡¯d probably love you¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± (That does make sense¡­) ¡°I am adding you to my list Claude.¡± ¡°What list?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Hey what list?¡± he presses harder ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shiryu simply shrugs him off ¡­.. ¡­.. At this point they had been walking for some time already reaching into the Tonbo district, the setting sun now looms above and¨C ¡°¨CIt is always a pleasure when you visit Chief.¡± ¡°I enjoyed it thank you.¡± As Claude and Shiryu pass through the streets of Tonbo the hear the familiar voice of Aki as she exists a food parlour, the owner waves her off respectfully ¡­. Aki¡¯s eyes catch the pair and watches them all over before resting on Shiryu ¡°What the hell are you wearing?¡± she asks referring to his get up ¡°Th¨C¡± However, the chief doesn¡¯t wait for Shiryu to reply leaping past them up and across the roofs ¡°Who asks someone a question only to dash before they could reply??¡± frets Shiryu ¡°That¡¯s how the chief is¡± Claude says even though he himself barely knows the woman ¡°She doesn¡¯t really stop to entertain conversations; she is a genuine loner I think¡± ¡°As someone who spent the majority of their life alone, I think that¡¯s a foolish think to be, When I see her next time I am setting the chief straight.¡± ¡°Good luck with that¡± whistles Claude ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. At the time Shiryu thought he would have gotten another chance to talk to the chief before the raid on Furlheim City, she remained elusive however never stopping to talk when he did catch her To Shiryu she was a potential love interest but also another puzzle to be solved And to Aki, Shiryu was just someone good combat potential other than that he was a nobody The two never did speak again till¡­ The day came¡­. The heart wants ¡°Alright you lot stick close to each other; you see a beast attack it together!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± A squad of warriors affirm The time is noon but by the dark tone of the atmosphere you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, The sky is masked by a cloud of gray smoke covering the city of Furlheim and the environs near it, the once full grassy fields and woodlands already becoming drab and withered because of it. BOOM KSSKKSSS! Those sounds come from the group of warriors near city working fervently to fend off the congregation of beasts gathered in the area now while also trying to get past the wall of black flames surrounding Furlheim. ¡°Hyah!¡± a spear gets swung into a group of beasts Gruagh! ¡°How did this area get so infested this quickly!?¡± Claude kicks back at a swarm of toadmen ¡°This kind of atmosphere draws the beasts.¡± Shiryu thrusts his long blade (It feels like the bends all over again) ¡°Hyuaagh!¡± fervent shouts ring on as the warriors attempt to clear the area They are not even close to the large city of Furlheim yet already in heated battle The creatures anticipating human arrival stayed silently waiting to prey on them ¡°Aghh, this is so bothersome!¡± Shiryu yanks out his spear from a beasts (This is all people with strength do) ¡°You are just saying that because you don¡¯t have a viable magic attack for combat,¡± Claude slaps him on the back though he doesn¡¯t feel it in the slightest The young man is strapped with blades axes and swords one would think he was a butcher rather than a fighter ¡°I¡¯ll show how it¡¯s done Shiryu¡± Claude reaches back for an axe as he grips the weapon his hand begins to glow white, transferring the heat into the weapon, ¡°Seeyahh!¡± Claude goes swinging into the beasts the axe cutting them like melted butter, before melting away itself ¡°You waste too much weapons with that.¡± Shiryu shakes his head unimpressed ¡°Well that¡¯s how my magic evolved, I can¡¯t help it¡± ¡°Evolved into what exactly?¡± ¡°I am not sure myself it¡¯s like white fire.¡± ¡°Hmm, that doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± ¡°What are you a magic expert now?¡± ¡°Pshht, Where I am from a child could learn magic, as a matter fact our animals are the only beings still using it,¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Claude gives him a disbelieving look before going after more enemies ¡°I¡ªhuhhn!¡± Shiryu thrusts his spear up at some falcon-men swooping down ¡°Everybody group up!¡± some warriors shout ¡°Fire ball them down!¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying Claude, that you probably have not understood your magic completely since evolving, I don¡¯t thinks it¡¯s meant to be used like that,¡± ¡°It works just fine Shiryu¡± ¡°Not how I see it, Imagine if I started losing my light refection as some sort of laser beam? It wouldn¡¯t work as intended just half assed like what your doing now.¡± ¡°What is a laser beam?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the only part you heard.¡± ¡°Your fault for trying to lecture me during combat.¡± ¡°I¨Cnever mind.¡± Vwoom¨Cvwooshm¨Cvwoom!! Ksssskkk!!!! *Swipe* *Thrust* *Stab* ¡°Braaaaghhuuhh!!¡± ¡°Secure.¡± ¡°Secure.¡± ¡°Secure sir¡± ¡°Have the other squads made any headway yet?¡± ¡°Apparently not we await directions from them¡± ¡­.. ¡°I think we are done with here Shiryu,¡± Claude whispers He is now down to a few swords a daggers after using a lot lf them on the beasts, Shiryu¡¯s mind throughout all of this has been wandering so much so that there was not much of the battle I could describe Even now Shiryu stares off, underneath his mask a face just like the beasts but under his face a mind just like the humans, and inside his mind¡­.. (I just don¡¯t understand, why strength over love, I can easily overpower these monsters and it doesn¡¯t make me feel any better, what¨C) Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.¡°¨CShiryu I¡¯m going to the first squad cover for me here.¡± Claude shakes him out of it ¡°Huh? Hey, you can¡¯t change squads we were assigned to this one to secure the area from the beasts while our heavy hitters do their thing inside the city.¡± ¡°My city by the way, I didn¡¯t the train so hard to get this strong to be a watchman, I am from Furlheim and that dragon¡­. I need revenge.¡± Claude¡¯s eyes are ablaze with passion as he whispers this (Revenge? What¡¯s he talking about) ¡°I¡¯m coming with you then, I can use my magic so we can move without being seen.¡± Shiryu now curious himself to the boy¡¯s plans ¡°¡­¡­¡± Claude had opened his mouth to object but hearing his offer to use magic he shuts it Nodding, ¡°Let us go on then.¡± ¡­. ¡­. VWOOOFFFSHH! ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°No, the magic diamonds didn¡¯t work and not even my fire chief.¡± ¡°This barrier of flames is a lot more powerful than we thought.¡± ¡°Should we start preparing to tunnel in?¡± ¡°A hole big enough to fit our troops would cause considerable damage to the earth, We will try a few more methods before that¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Looks like they still trying to get in.¡± Claude notes as the pair sidles their way into the garrison Ahead the black flames barring off Furlheim burns, the chief and her three siblings along with others at helm discussing their plan of action ¡­. (This¡­.) ¡°Something about that fire feels off Claude.¡± Shiryu whispers to him ¡°Well yeah, you can tell by looking at it.¡± ¡°No, not just that¡­¡± (Extremely potent dark energy, this can¡¯t be countered with regular only mana) ¡°Just what?¡± pries Claude ¡°¡­..¡± (Maybe I should tell them) ¡­ ¡°Hey,¡± grunts a warrior as Shiryu pushes past him hurrying to the leaders upfront Duuduup! (Ack, my chest hurt for a second there) Shiryu looks back at the heavily armored man (Did I bump in a little too hard? Anyway¡­) ¡­.. ¡°Chief!¡± Shiryu calls out for the groups attention, Aki recognizes him immediately giving him a stern glance ¡°You were assigned to a different squad, if you don¡¯t have a good reason for disobeying orders right now, I will make you into an embarrassment.¡± ¡°I do¨C¡± ¨CDuudupp! ¡°Ackk!¡± Shiryu clutches his chest again (What is that?) ¡°Stop with the theatrics.¡± Aki already becoming frustrated ¡°I wasn¡¯t, I¡¯m here about the fire, it isn¡¯t made of regular magic, it¨C¡± Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!! ¡°What? An earthquake!?¡± the warriors exclaim Before Shiryu could speak the ground begins tremoring ¡°Everyone stay calm and still!¡± Bane shouts out ¡°We are open space so there is nothing had that could happen to usghhhgggkkkkk!¡± A whip-like tentacle suddenly zooms out behind the wall of fire wrapping around the man¡¯s throat it yanks him to city ¡°What just¡­?¡± For a total of two seconds everyone stands in confusion then springing up, ¡°Fight it off!¡± they roar defiantly as more of the tentacles lash out ¡°Chief I think we should we retreat.¡± Shiryu suggest only to get a look of scorn as a reaction ¡°If you are afraid then feel free yourghhhhhlkkkkkk!¡± ¡°Chiefggglllkk!¡± One by the one multiple tentacles shoot out outnumbering the warriors then snatching them up into god only knows what ¡°Claude?¡± Shiryu yells looking around but the boy is gone too Whap! A tentacle gets a grip onto Shiryu¡¯s leg, ¡°Nope, not me!¡± He pulls himself free but¨C Whap! Whipsh! One on his leg another round his throat time ¡°You won¡¯t get me~~~~¡± he starts but his voice fades out as eyes fall shut Allowing the tentacles to drag him easily into the city walled by black flames¡­ ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­. Loveless: Drain our strength ¡°Nooooo, where did you go? I was sure I had a hold of you, Now I can¡¯t tell you apart You are just like me Who are you? We could be together, I have no choice to assign you with them now, Which one are you? I will find you, Or you will find me Come find me.¡± ¡­. ¡°Auuhhh.¡± Groans Shiryu blinking his eyes open ¡°Where am I?¡± he looks up at wooden ceiling from which crystal lights shine down Picking himself up Shiryu¨C ¡°¨CChief?¡± just as he¡¯d begun to examine his surroundings his eyes catch the small frame of the woman in leant against a wall surrounded by all her blades, weapons and magic stones spread out on the floor, which she continues to offload ¡°Too much weight.¡± She mumbles ¡°What?¡± ¡°My magic isn¡¯t working, no, it¡¯s being drained,¡± (Drained) It¡¯s at this time Shiryu now gets chance to assess his location, From where he stands an exit door is a short walk away behind, in front a fireplace, there is a moderately sized couch next to him where Aki stoops down in front, Across on his left is a large window covered by light blue curtains, and to his right a door leading to other areas of the apparent house (I¡¯m in a house?) The walls are of brick and painted a soft teal, a few abstract colorful paintings line the walls, and it seems to be a one floor building ¡°Whose house?¡± Shiryu rubs his eyes The tone of the atmosphere feels so dreary, so gray and cold like a bad trip (I feel so lightheaded) ¡°Do you feel it Shiryu?¡± Aki tries to steady herself to walk ¡°I feel a little woozy, like my strength is slowly being sucked up,¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here quick.¡± Aki says though moving slowly ¡­. Vwoo~ The door swings open and a cold stench of breeze slaps the two across the cheek ¡°urkk¡± (Smells like death) Outside the door is the small front yard of the house, the grass lawn now dried up Crrkk? The ground crackles slightly as the two step on it, (Is this where that earthquake cam¨C) ¡°Back inside!¡± Aki suddenly hisses yanking Shiryu back through the door Crrackkkssskk? As she does a part of the ground they were standing on breaks off falling below. Below?? (Waitt) Going over to the window Shiryu peers out, ¡°Chief¡­.¡± His voice wobbles. Aki takes a peer out her face going from inquisitive to dismay They were suspended in the air by a great height, the land, the house, detached off the ground now hanging onto what I can only describe as a black webbing A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.Like a clothesline many other chunks of land containing homes were hung up in distance, the black cords flowing to presumably the dragon. Though they didn¡¯t know this at the moment. All the houses were stocked with enough food for the people to survive for months¨Chowever long the dragon wanted them to survive for, their strength was like nectar to the creature, during select intervals it would leave them to eat, sleep and recover their strength only to sap it away once more¡­ ¡­... ¡­.. ¡°I, I have a rope.¡± Aki doesn¡¯t hesitate to come with a plan ¡°We can use it to¡­.¡± Drupp! As the chief turns back to get moving her legs suddenly give out bringing her to a slump ¡°Aki are you ok?¡± Shiryu extends his arm out to her ¡°I¡¯m just tired, I can¡¯t function properly¡± she tries to get back up on her own but fails to do so ultimately taking Shiryu¡¯s hand (I feel weaker too but not this weak) ¡°Take it easy for now, chief¡± ¡°My warriors are presumably in w similar predicament to us, how can I just sit around?¡± ¡°Your not, sitting around, we have to take some time to assess the situation before acting.¡± ¡°ngghh¡± Aki grits her teeth understand that statement all to well ¡°Our priority is getting down from here and killing the dragon, that will most likely free everyone else from whatever this is.¡± (Whatever this is, is right) Shiryu turns around to take one look out the window again, from what he can see from here is the back lines spreading far across the open air, below a foggy blur of the city from which a gluttonous aura exudes A deep hunger that wants and will not stop until it has swallowed everything in its path. (Why?) Shiryu wonders (What could possibly make you want all that power?) ¡­... ¡­.. ¡­.. What could indeed¡­ ¡­ Down in the city of Furlheim a dragon sleeps, it¡¯s scales a dark red, so dark in fact that you would just think it was black, It¡¯s head like an alligator¡¯s and body like a lion¡¯s every inch of it covered in dark spiky scales, out it¡¯s back are things like wings that are not wings, spiky tentacle-like things protrude out spreading themselves around the city searching for humans to capture for food. Inside the dragon however, inside the beast¡¯s mind are thoughts, Not one but many a collection of thoughts. A collection of greed. A greed for power. A Love for unison. Loveless: Tell me about you ¡°Agghhhh, what is this torture! I was almost back up at full strength a minute ago!¡± Aki dizzily stumbles to a chair ¡°Same for me, my magic was coming back then, sapped again I think the dragon is doing this on purpose Aki¡± ¡°uuugjhh!¡± Aki slaps her forehead and groans loudly Only two days had passed since their entrapment, and even though it was two alone here things went about like normal, for Aki at least, she barely spoke to young man, and focused solely on small exercising only speaking up to suggest escape plans ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll get down even in this state!¡± she tries to get back up but crumples instantly ¡°There has to be a way around this¡± Shiryu helps her up ¡°How are you unaffected?¡± the young woman grumbles ¡°I¡¯m not unaffected, it does drain my strength and magic but because it¡¯s dark energy used to drain us the mana flowing through my body offsets it a little, if it were just regular human magic I would¡¯ve been just like you.¡± ¡°Then transfer me some mana¡­ do something useful¡± ¡°I can¡¯t use mana it¡¯s basically my blood,¡± ¡°Grow wings or something then and fly us out, aren¡¯t you a dragon?¡± ¡°Firstly, I don¡¯t know if I can grow wings, and secondly, I¡¯m not willing to give up my humanity¡­¡± (Am I being selfish?) ¡°Go away Shiryu¡± ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°I want to be alone and you are unhelpful.¡± ¡°Come on chief, now isn¡¯t the time to start acting exclusive, we should he working together now more than ever¡± ¡°I am not your chief and don¡¯t talk to me like we are long time pals either.¡± Aki barks ¡°Man I wish I was trapped here with Fuyu instead of you.¡± Shiryu snaps hack Aki¡¯s eyes open wide with irritancy ¡°Go then, jump off the ledge outside you¡¯ll surely find her somewhere, I should have been trapped here myself instead of having to deal with a disgustingly ugly monster masquerading as a human!¡± (Damn) ¡°¡­..¡± Shiryu doesn¡¯t reply to that instead staring sharply into the girl¡¯s eyes, she stares back and the two remain in frowning silence before Shiryu gets up and leaves the room ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. (I should, I should¡­. Aghh I don¡¯t even know how to react to this, Why didn¡¯t the education system teach this? We should¡¯ve definitely had argument theory as a class I can¡¯t deal with that woman I don¡¯t think I can spend much more time here with her, all she does is ignore you until she¡¯s ready to talk, She¡¯s never even seen me as a person, only put up with me because she is stronger, I am just another weakling to the great chief Aki.) A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.¡­. ¡­. In silent annoyance Shiryu stands by the window of a bedroom at the back of the house, the sheets are ruffled with clothes and magic items all over hinting that the room may have once belonged to a teenage child¡­ But nonetheless Shiryu gazes out the window at the bleak sight though his attention is lost in thought¡­ Thinking about irrational chief and the little he does know about her his mind flashes back to the words Natsu had said (They all had to watch their mothers get slaughtered as children, Maybe it makes sense for her to be this way, But then again, I don¡¯t think I cared about my parents as a child, Why would she?) ¡­.. Shrugging himself off Shiryu goes back out the door to the main room, Aki or course is still there laid on the chair in a fume. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Aki, did you love your parents?¡± he asks outright The woman face turns up as if you¡¯d just cracked in rotten egg in her face ¡°My father was a weak fool who died, and my mother is also dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you feel now, I¡¯m talking about as a child did you love them?¡± ¡°Why are you asking these dumbass questions?¡± ¡°I want to know, Natsu told me about how you had to watch your mothers get killed as children¡± ¡°Natsu needs to learn to speak less often.¡± ¡°So did you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know maybe, I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°If I loved someone I think I would remember.¡± ¡°¡­.. I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re trying to learn from this, but yes What kind of child wouldn¡¯t love their mother and father?¡± (Me) ¡°Then, is that why you are like this now?¡± ¡°Like what? Strong? Grandfather did what he had to do so that we wouldn¡¯t grow up soft, Stop trying to analyse me and focus on using your mind to think of ways of escaping.¡± ¡°I will when you tell me why are you like this.¡± ¡°You have no business knowing about my life.¡± ¡°That is very true but as it stands right now I am the only one capable to get us out of here.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to be a threat?¡± scoffs Aki ¡°No it is a bargain, You talk to me, and I try my best to get us down from here.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Aki nods though her eyes glisten slightly impressed by the brazenness ¡°What do you want know?¡± ¡°Why are you obsessed with strength?¡± ¡°Because as the chief I need to be strong, the strongest actually.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For safety, for security, Bakufu wasn¡¯t always an independent nation we forcefully detached from our motherland and now we spend the rest of lives fighting so that do not try to reclaim us.¡± ¡°Your motherland?¡± ¡°Have you not heard of the Wu-Tang dynasty?¡± Loveless: Escape is not easy On the decentralized ring of Gaia there was once three countries that reigned over it, The now destroyed Kingdom of Asad, The lost people¡­.. And the Wu-Tang dynasty, This country of conquerors holds claim to the majority of the land of Gaia, even the area now belonging to the kingdom of Soterra used to be a part of the Wu-Tang dynasty till they negotiated a deal to give up some land a couple hundred years, around that time however there was also another piece of land the Wu-Tangs gave up, the place now called Bakufu, a fertile land sat right near the base of the silver mountains, surrounded at the other sides by magic and waterfalls and forbidden caves, Bakufu they named it, it was a land sought out for years as some thought the god would one day pass through the area A tentative state of sorts was constructed and some people of the Wu-Tang moved to the land over the years populating the land, after a few generations the original Wu-Tang settlers were all but gone leaving only behind the people born to the land, and those were the people who rejected their so called motherland, they claimed Bakufu as their own and a short war occurred with the Bakufu people easily overpowering the Wu-Tangs despite being lesser in numbers, Ever since then there has been a stalemate between the two nations, the Bakufu people increasing their weapons, requiems, magic and even recognition as a powerhouse across the ring, while the Wu-Tang the opposite, they would sit back and stay in their lands waiting for the day the Bakufu people would collapse on itself, Occasionally they would invite the chief over to the grand palace for a ¡®friendly spar¡¯ which was their way of gauging the strength of the chiefs and by proxy the people. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ***** ¡°If I am not then the safety of our people will be in jeopardy.¡± Aki finishes (The Wu-Tang sound interesting, but¡­) ¡°I don¡¯t see why you had to watch your mothers get killed to become stronger Aki,¡± ¡°¡­.. It worked out in the end, just drop it, evolving your magic requires a drastic shift in mind state, it had to be done.¡± She mutters ¡°What about your father then?¡± ¡°He died in a spar foolishly, embarrassing us, never took any of this seriously, he was only interested in indulging himself and to be treated like a king having any woman he wanted, that¡¯s why we all have different mothers, that was what the man loved, No, he probably loved himself more than anything.¡± (He loved himself) ¡°That why I will always say love makes you weaker, Are you happy with that?¡± (She¡¯s right, I can¡¯t dent her, but¨C) ¡°¨CEven if we do get a little weaker, don¡¯t you at least want to know how it makes us feel?¡± Shiryu finishes his thought out loud, ¡°No, who cares what¡¯s the point of living for that just to end up dying quickly.¡± ¡°What is the point of being strong and living long if you no one to love?¡± ¡°Ughh, You¡¯re making me feel sick Shiryu, and I¡¯m already weak as is,¡± ¡°Should I go make something for you to eat chief?¡± ¡°Auunnnghh..¡± she groans something indiscernible ¡°I will take that as a yes¡± ¡­. ¡­. Shiryu uses this as a way to end the conversation, it was quite easy for him to understand the type of person Aki was, yet so difficult to compute why she was that way, Shiryu¡¯s brain was trained to work algorithmically and logically, the nuances of human action were not something that could be easily processed, The nuance that was love was not something that could be easily understood, in all of it¡¯s different forms. And so, a few days went by again, with the pair now deciding to not wait till they were at full strength to escape¡­. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.¡­. ¡­. ¡°aghk!¡± ¡°Careful.¡± ¡°I am being careful, you are the one in front, you be careful¡± ¡°Alright, I am.¡± Shiryu hisses up at Aki, The two steadily climb down a rope hanging off the chunk of land in the air, beneath the ravaged Furlheim city awaits, (I can barely see it from here,) ¡°I wonder how bad the damage is.¡± He ponders out loud, ¡°Stop wondering and keep your focus Shiryu, you have a bas habit of ¡®thinking too much¡¯.¡± ¡°Even if we fall, you have enough energy to use your magic to land weightlessly right chief?¡± ¡°¡­. Depends on how long the fall is, or if that dragon suddenly decides to step in and drain my strength away again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so negative, I rebuke that in the name of our god Kage.¡± ¡°ughh, stop it, don¡¯t disrespect the gods like that they¡¯re already dead,¡± ¡°I am not getting into this Kage argument with you again chief.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t address me as chief if you speak so causal to me.¡± ¡°Ego.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Eee¨Cgooo.¡± ¡°I¨C¡± ¡­.. Despite the hazardous nature of it all the two now semi comfortable with each other distract themselves in talk during a long climb down And when I say long. ¡­. ¡­. The platforms that held the houses in the air was close to lower cloud level, of course Aki and Shiryu had no knowledge of this when they began the decent, but their hands soon learned that. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Echk-eckk!¡± Aki coughs stepping down off the magic rope, the air his foggy and humid making it difficult to see properly around, ¡°Is this Furlheim?¡± Shiryu peers into the fog as hard as can making out a severely cracked landscape almost all of buildings gone, risen to the sky, leaving behind empty plots of land. ¡°Haven¡¯t been here before so I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡± Aki stumbles slightly, feeling the toll of the perilous decent ¡°We have to find somewhere to recuperate,¡± she suggests ¡°My thoughts exa¨C¡± ¡°Graaghh!¡± The sound of a voice echoes around in the foggy surroundings. ¡°What was that?¡± both Aki and Shiryu stay close ¡°Gragh!¡± ¡°What the¨C¡± A human body leaps out the fog lunging at the two, ¡°A person!?¡± Aki tries to pull out a dagger but her swollen hands can barely grip it, ¡°Hyah!¡± So, she kicks it away instead, The ¡®human¡¯ does not react to it in the slightest, pouncing back, making gargling sounds all the while ¡°This guy seems possessed!¡± Shiryu pins them down ¡°graggh!¡± ¡­!! ¡°There is more of them!¡± Yell Aki at the sight of a dozen more, ¡°Hiiyah! Hyack!¡± She tries to taking them all on, but her hands can¡¯t even function properly, and her body not to it¡¯s fully strength, ¡°Eerrahh!¡± Shiryu shoulders bashes through the group but unaffected by the force of impact they just hop back up, ¡°What are these people, zombies?¡± ¡°We¡­we can¡¯t fight them like this¡± Aki stammers spotting another two dozen ¡°We have to go back up Shiryu!¡± ¡°Can you make the climb again chief!? Errghhhk!!¡± Shiryu keeps fending off the attacks ¡°No...my hands.¡± ¡°Hop on my back then, my scales protect my hands!¡± ¡°ggrahrrllrr!!!!¡± ¡°Hurry, they¡¯re coming again!!¡± ¡­..! ¡­.!! ¡­!!! As long as it took for the pair to make it down they would spend even more time going back up. Shiryu now bearing then weight of two and task of climb vertically up, Aki in silent anguish on his back, She had never lost before, This was her first defeat, her first retreat, it was gutting to someone like her, It was at that moment she felt a deep sense of emptiness, And though it was brief, it was also the moment all her strength had returned¡­¡­¡­? Waiting for love *Click* Vwof? Tssszzhhh? ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Tsssszzzzhh? ¡°I wonder how long this food will last you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Us?¡± ¡°I can survive with magic stones alone, and even if I do get hungry I can go into hibernation to conserve energy.¡± Tszzzz? An uninteresting meal cooks on¡­ ¡°I question your claim to be human with each passing day Shiryu.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡­. ¡­. As usual for the two, talk is awkward, their initial visit to the ground below was, filled with surprises, to say the least that it¡¯s now become somewhat depressing for Aki and Shiryu, Not just that but also a tinge of hopelessness and uncertainty on the survival of themselves and their other allies who were pulled into the city with them¡­ ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the next draining.¡± Shiryu mumbles referring to when their strength would be sapped again ¡°I can tell I¡¯m almost at full strength so of course it¡¯s almost time.¡± She rolls her eyes in annoyance ¡°Sorry, I was trying to figure out what to say¡­¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t about new strategies then I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± ¡°¡­.. Maybe we can go down more prepared next time, I can do all fighting and¨C¡± ¡°¨CAnd then what? You have mana or whatever running through your body so I get that the draining doesn¡¯t affect you that much, but what are you going to do when they start using magic on you? Just before we escaped, I spotted a few charging up, by numbers alone you would be wiped away.¡± ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence chief.¡± ¡°I am not trying to hurt your confidence Shiryu, it is what it is, You need to one day accept the fact that you can¡¯t be loved the way you want and use your dragonic power to get us out of here.¡± ¡°¡­. I was thinking about using it but if I did the dragon would immediately find me, I fell like it¡¯s trying to find me. But you didn¡¯t have to an asshole about it Aki,¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t bein¨C¡± ¡°¨CYes you were, you didn¡¯t have to add that part about not being loved.¡± ¡°The truth hurts.¡± Shrugs Aki (Bitch) ¡°Maybe we should just wait until Kage returns.¡± Shiryu tries his best to ignore the harsh words of Aki, changing the topic¡­ ¡°Kage again¡­?¡± She face palms ¡°Where is he going to come back from? Beyond the grave? I know death is difficult concept to grasp for weak people, but Kage is dead. D.E.A.D¡± ¡°Do you even know what¡¯s past those mountains?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been there, it¡¯s nothing but death.¡± ¡°There is so much out there that you have no idea Aki.¡± ¡°Enlighten me then?¡± ¡°Gaia is the name of this ring we are on, past here is the second ring, Tellus and my home the first ring, Terra, the strongest most intelligent people are born there by the way.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.¡°Now I know you are making up at least some of that, if the strongest came from this ¡®Terra¡¯ you wouldn¡¯t be so weak, I¡¯m not weak, only to stronger people like you I might seem weak,¡± ¡°Ok, well if there are these others places like you said, why haven¡¯t we had more visitors?¡± ¡°Not much people know how to travel across rings, I don¡¯t know how to myself.¡± ¡°Yet you¡¯re over here?¡± Aki raises her eyebrows doubtfully. ¡°I told you the story before about the angel I freed, who brought ne here, I call that man my father.¡± ¡°Mmm, I do remember saying I would take your word for it, I do believe the existence of angles given that they have helped my people of Bakufu in the past, even my requiem is the result of a half-breed¡­¡± ¡°Can you still use it?¡± ¡°Yes, all I need is smoke around, maybe fog, but the problem is that when I¡¯m weak it won¡¯t matter because I won¡¯t be able to move around to take advantage of it.¡± ¡°I wish there was a way to counter the draining when it happens.¡± Shiryu frets ¡°Maybe even for a short while, we just need an opening.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Aki nods sharing his sentiment ¡­. ¡­. And if by his wish, for a brief wave of seconds, Aki and Shiryu¡¯s strength are restored ¡­.. ¡°Auhuhuhhuhu!¡± Aki recoils back in gasp, even Shiryu stumbles ¡°Drained again,¡± she groans, ¡°But did you feel that before chief? For a brief moment I was fully restored.¡± ¡°I¡­ I thought I was just hallucinating that,¡± she agrees ¡°I felt your, I felt an aura of despair coming from you, then my power flashed before me, getting drained away again.¡± ¡°You felt a despair from me?¡± (This is the third time this happened with me, First with Raguel, and the other two with the chief,) ¡°That only happens when I feel the absolute exact same, as someone else, Aki.¡± ¡°Well do it again, see if it gets me my strength!¡± she says so excitedly that you wouldn¡¯t have known she was just drained of all her strength ¡°I can¡¯t, it¡¯s not something I can control, it¡¯s an ability I¡¯ve had since a baby, we have to feel the same.¡± ¡°Then tell me how you¡¯re feeling and I¡¯ll feel it too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it works like that, We may just have to wait until the next time we click.¡± ¡°And when will that be?¡± ¡°Hopefully soon¡­.¡± Shiryu says with earnest, Though neither of them new how long it would be until they felt completely the same again, It wouldn¡¯t be until a few days, A few weeks A few months even¡­. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. A fraction of Shiryus heart II ¡°Scar tissue that I wish you saw? Sarcastic mister know-it-all? Close your eyes and I''ll kiss you, ''cause? With the birds I''ll share? With the birds I''ll share this lonely viewin''? With the birds I''ll share this lonely viewin''? Push me up against the wall¨C¡± ¡°¨CYou know some people would like to sleep in peace without the sound of bad singing.¡± Aki cuts off Shiryu¡¯s signing daze He gazes out the window trailing his eyes against the black cords holding this, and the many other land of houses up ¡°You know there are bedrooms in the back if you want to sleep chief?¡± he turns away from the view to the woman laying on her bag arms crossed on the couch ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping in someone else¡¯s room,¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Shiryu shrugs ¡°You don¡¯t even sleep.¡± ¡°Not often, my body conserves energy much better than yours,¡± ¡°Your body should focus on giving me back my energy instead then.¡± she yawns ¡°I told you can¡¯t do it on command.¡± ¡°Its been weeks Shiryu, I¡¯m getting irritated of this.¡± ¡°Only a few weeks but still we haven¡¯t been on same wavelength so there¡¯s nothing I can do, You¡¯re always keeping to yourself,¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived twenty-four years with three siblings whom I¡¯ve never got close with, ignoring you is easy work for me.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t you think that¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°No, if you shared my motivation for wanting to get away from here then we¡¯d have been long gone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but I can¡¯t help it, I was thought to be an active thinker from birth so my mind rarely focuses on one thing,¡± ¡°That is lie, you have been hyper focused on love¨Cblehh¨Cfor as long I¡¯ve known you, even just now you were making up another ¡®love song¡¯ to sing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t make that up, that¡¯s a real song, and isn¡¯t technically a love song,¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ve never heard it before.¡± ¡°On Terra, we have access to the entire internet when we finish our education, I finished a lot earlier than expected so I spent a lot of time listen to albums until I got bored.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t understand half of what you just said.¡± ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t, that¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be on this ring I guess, our technology and the land of Gaia is never to mix¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..hnm¡± Aki goes quiet mulling something over to herself ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡­.. ¡°Shiryu. Tell me more about yourself.¡± She speaks in a laid back tone ¡°A.aboht. myself¡­?¡± the boy stammers ¡°If we are to feel the same again, maybe I should get a better understanding of you.¡± (I could say the same) ¡°Where do I start~¡± Shiryu sighs in a pleased breath getting ready to begin a long brag Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.¡°I am a top scorer in quantum physics, mathematics and magic science, but is just the tip of the iceberg, I learned¨C¡± ¡°¨CTell me something interesting please.¡± Aki interrupts already regretting her decision ¡°That was interesting.¡± ¡°No it wasn¡¯t, Tell me why claim Apollo as your brother, yet showed no emotion, when I announced his death that day,¡± (¡­..) ¡°Because I don¡¯t love him.¡± ¡°For someone who talks a lot in favor of love you seem to be against it yourself.¡± (Damn) ¡°¡­I guess¡­ I was at first you know, maybe similar to how you are now, except you know what love is, Of all the things I was thought love wasn¡¯t one of them, When I first met Raguel he spoke highly of it, in a way which made me feel so ignorant, like I knew so much but then there was this whole complex topic that was alien to me, That¡¯s why I am desperately trying to experience it for myself, from what I¡¯ve seen so far, words cannot explain it, everyone has their own definition and reasons for love, even you have a reason not to love, Me, I¡¯m indifferent to both sides.¡± ¡°A pointless endeavour in my opinion,¡± comments Aki coldly ¡°Even if you do experience it, what¡¯s next?¡± (Haven¡¯t thought about that) ¡°I am not sure, I don¡¯t really think it is as simple as experiencing love as there are so many types, But if do manage all then¡­ I suppose I¡¯ll wait for Kage to return, and help her with whatever¡± ¡°Why are so adamant on Kage being god?¡± ¡°Because she is, Have you ever heard the legend of god¡¯s corpse?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s a folktale, an old rumor,¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t, Kage was that ¡®corpse¡¯ I helped bring her back, you said you met Kage before right?¡± ¡°I did but he never struck me as powerful or godly as you claim, I never really paid much attention to Kage, though he does have enchanting empty eyes.¡± ¡°Those eyes probably bear both the love and hatred of us all¡­¡± ¡­. With that the talk fizzles out once more, with the two unable to share the same sentiments.. ¡­.. ¡­.. Soon after Aki closes her eyes to rest, her mind in deep thought trying to figure out the young man ¡­. ¡­. ¡°huhhhhhuhhhhuhhhh!¡± she sighs out loudly coming to her own conclusion ¡­. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Shiryu who had left the room re-enters hearing her heavy breath ¡­. ¡°Shiryu.¡± she sits up motioning him near ¡°Yes?¡± he approaches confused, Aki then extends her arm out to him for a handshake saying: ¡°I¡¯ve realized that in order to utilize your ability properly we probably need to be closer to converse more often, That¡¯s why I have decided as chief of Bakufu to appoint you as my first consort.¡± (?Hah?) ¡°Your what?¡± I love a hug Nothing¡¯s changed. I thought I would feel different, I would feel better or even a sense of accomplishment Nothing has changed. Where is the love? ¡­. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± ¡­.. ¡°Ive improved plenty with my cooking, but it¡¯s not like there is much ingredients here to work with.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, we¡¯re to survive for however long, taste is irrelevant.¡± ¡°Training today as well?¡± ¡°I will try to get in something, I suspect another draining today.¡± ¡°Hnm.¡± ¡­. (Where is the love?) ¡­. Already it¡¯s been a few months now the two have spent together, Aki had previously named Shiryu as her ¡®consort'' But those words seem to have been misconstrued a little. The only thing that really changed between them was that they no longer had awkward moments as much, They talked almost everyday even about the most miniscule of things, One could say they were even becoming friends, but for Shiryu he still wondered¡­ Where is the love? (I don¡¯t feel it, I don¡¯t feel myself being loved, We are closer now, but it doesn¡¯t make me feel the love. Where is it?) ¡°Snap of it Shiryu ..¡± Aki gives him a playful shove ¡°Huh, yuh? Did you say something?¡± ¡°I was saying that even though we haven¡¯t been able to synchronize feelings again since that day, I was thinking that we should give it another try, going down there¡­¡± ¡°In our current condition? I¡¯m actually surprised since you¡¯ve been acting like the last time didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to think about, but it¡¯s been long enough, my body has adjusted to the draining enough, I know what to expect this time.¡± ¡°Well if that is your decision, I¡¯m ok to go.¡± ¡°Alright I¨C¡± ¡°But Aki, one question first¡­¡± Shiryu cuts her off ¡°Mmh?¡± ¡°How do you feel about me now?¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± Aki begins but stops to think, the question hit her like a bullet through the skull ¡°You are¡ª¡± ¡ªBefore she does answer, I feel it would best to break down the last few months¡­. The first couple of weeks spent here between Aki and Shiryu was mostly in silence with brief spurts of talk and odd arguments, At the time Aki was fixated on one thing and that was finding a way to keep her strength, Shiryu on the other hand was trying to grasp the character of the chief, Because of their small arguments and disagreements over time the ice, the barrier between them broke down and they became slightly more comfortable, even sharing stories and feats, Aki would now frequently brag to Shiryu the many people she had defeated as chief, while Shiryu would brag about how much he learned on Terra, Eventually it reached the point of casual talk then becoming a soft friendship¡­ For Aki, it was the first time she let herself be friends with someone, normally the woman would ignore and evade the people who did know her to prevent this. As someone who had forced themselves into a lonely life, convincing herself that she enjoyed the loneliness, just being around someone casually for a long enough time would fade out that sentiment almost entirely¡­. For Shiryu, it was also his first friend but also a puzzle, How do you feel the love of someone else? Are you supposed to? How do I know someone is my friend if I can¡¯t feel their love? Are they actually genuine? Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.¡­.. ¡­. ¡°¡ªYou are my first friend, but don¡¯t let that get to your head¡± Aki says ¡°Why can¡¯t I feel it then?¡± ¡°Feel what? Friendship? You don¡¯t feel comradery Shiryu,¡± ¡°Then how do you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no expert, but maybe it¡¯s the way they act-ugh I don¡¯t want to talk about this, not even hungry anymore, I¡¯m going to get a quick exercise in.¡± ¡­. With that Aki heads out of the living room to the back bedrooms where she uses as a training room, Shiryu stays in the main room mulling over to himself (This is so confusing, love is something you feel, but you can¡¯t feel it from others¡­ Aghh¡­ I swear since coming to the mainland around humans I¡¯ve never had to think so hard, If you can¡¯t feel love from others or emotions in general, how could Raguel feel my loneliness that time, or even Aki? On Terra there is an old ritual people can perform to feel each others emotions, I thought my ability was similar¡­ But, to have such specifics requirements¡­ Maybe¡­.) ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°Hahhuhuhhhh!¡± Aki pants heavily, an entire wardrobe closet on her back while she does simple push-ups ¡°Easy..¡± Shiryu lifts it off allowing her to catch her breath, ¡°I was just about done.¡± She breathes grabbing the towel Shiryu extends her, almost every inch of her is drenched in sweat, despite her wearing nothing but a wrap around her chest and short tights, Her usually covered body though petite is muscular for her size she even boasts some well defined abs¡­ ¡­. ¡°Eyes off...¡± Aki snaps away his stare ¡°Sorry, I was trying to figure out to properly ask you for something.¡± ¡°Go on with it then?¡± ¡°Have you ever¡­ no can I get a¡­ no . Have you ever been hugged before?¡± ¡°No.¡± Aki replies almost instantly ¡°Is that all? because I really need¨C¡± ¡°¨CCan I get a hug Aki?¡± ¡°For what reason?¡± the discomfort practically oozing out her voice ¡°I isn¡¯t anything weird I promise I just need to see how it feels¡­¡± ¡°¡­. ¡­ I¡¯ll trust you this once¡­ Make it quick.¡± She opens her arms very awkwardly ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°No I think it¡¯s like this¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Wrong way¡­¡± ¡­. ¡­ The two fidget around awkwardly before getting into a proper embrace. ¡­ ¡­ (Feel.) There is something about the simple things you know, maybe a compliment from a friend, a gift from a family member, or sometimes a little hug, It¡¯s the small things that show true emotion at times, and at this time for these two it couldn¡¯t be more¡­ (I feel like I could melt out of my skin,) It¡¯s so awkward yet so genuine the warmth of someone else¡¯s body against yours their breath now in flow with yours hearts pounding against each other, An alien feeling to both Aki and Shiryu who have never been embraced before, It was so random that they would do it, but also pleasantly surprising, maybe if it were any other two they might be tearing up by now, but for Aki and Shiryu the feeling they had, they shared was gratitude, ¡­. I really cannot explain this, how or why It¡¯s one of the nuances the illogical aspects of human emotion, of people in general All I can really say is that they were both grateful ¡­. In perfect sync they were, ¡­. Shiryu¡¯s ability, What exactly is it? A rush of strength began to flow through their bodies. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­. . Love our strength ¡°graughh¨C Oommph!¡± ¡°Haha! Take that!¡± ¡°Stop trying to fight then all Aki, hurry up!¡± ¡°Were in no rush and I need to get my fists warmed up.¡± Booff! The woman smashes her fist into a pale face of a mindless stranger ¡°These are real people,¡± Shiryu pull her away, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m¨C Uhh~ Stop that, give me back my strength!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take it, it¡¯s because of you acting up, We¡¯re supposed to be in sync,¡± ¡°Do it again then quick.¡± Aki who had just been widely trashing around at the zombified people now hobbles weakly Within the thick layer of fog drowning the city of Furlheim the pair dart through after discovering a way to regain their strength, .. ¡°Promise you won¡¯t be reckless then, We can¡¯t he fighting every single group we come across you know.¡± ¡°I can only promise to try and hold myself back more.¡± ¡°Hhhhnngg~¡± Shiryu sighs ¡°Fine we will compromise with that¡­¡± ¡°Sync back now.¡± ¡°Close your eyes then,¡± Shiryu slips in between her arms ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else¡­ ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Good¡­ Let¡¯s go then,¡± ¡­ It¡¯s a strange ability Shiryu has, when in perfect synchronization with the deep emotions of someone else, they both gain a surge of unknown strength. (Why do I have this?) chht-chht-chht? Their feet continuously kicking up small rocks and debris scattered around the demolished concrete city grounds Thunk! Shiryu¡¯s foot accidentally stamps into a soft rotting corpse ¡°urghh¡± he yanks his leg out, Aki hold her breath and increases her speed up, This was slowly becoming commonplace for them, because of the fog they weren¡¯t able to see to far ahead occasionally running into dead bodies from people who decided to jump off their platforms in the air And the ones that did make it to the ground would eventually succumb to the draining subsequently becoming a ¡®zombie¡¯ ¡°Grauuggg~¡± ¡­. Speaking of, Aki and spot a group of them ahead as they approach dome-lik structure not pulled into the sky like the rest ¡­. ¡°No,¡± Shiryu pulls the woman¡¯s arm back as she was just about to rush them, ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight all¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t, But look, they¡¯re trying to get at something inside that dome, Someone may be hiding from them in there.¡± ¡°Well let¡¯s see who, I¡¯ll use my magic create after images of us to get the zombies¡¯ attention, we¡¯ll make our way around them.¡± ¡°Why do you always propose such boring strategies?¡± ¡°The education system has taught me to prioritize efficiency over everything, my method is more¨C¡± ¡°¨CYou are losing me Shiryu¡­¡± ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just rush em¡± ¡°Now you get me, Smoke bomb substitution!¡± ¡­ Closing her eyes to activate her requiem, Aki conjures a ball of smoke firing it by the group Vwoof? As it explodes Ali simultaneously swaps positions, appearing out of the smoke, Wahchingg? She swings a chain whip at the legs of the zombies yanking some of them to the ground (She¡¯s enjoying this too much¡­) ¡°Shut your eyes real quick, Aki!¡± Shiryu calls bring his hands together for one resounding ¡°Blinding flash!¡± Clopp!? He claps a wave of light that distorts the pale-skinned, nutrition lacking mindless drove of humans, distorting their sights briefly ¡°huyah!¡± Shiryu performs a simple but high jump into the air (What should I do here¡­ A regular air diving tackle¡­? If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.Or should I try something magical, like refection hopping.....? No, there¡¯s not enough light here for that.. I¡¯ll just sett¨C) ¡°Whoah¡± Gudunk! Thinking over his next move for too long Shiryu flops onto the ground near the zombies with a loud thump ¡°What was that supposed to be?¡± Aki disapproves ¡°whooupp Phwoo~~¡± She breathed in and then out a strong-smelling gas ¡°You might want to step back a little,¡± Aki herself making distance, she takes out a red fire magic stone, pulsing it with magic the stone becomes ablaze as it rockets from her hand into the gas.. KABANG!! ¡­. ¡°Hey I told you not to murder them!¡± Shiryu stumbles up narrowly escaping the blast ¡°Relax it wasn¡¯t a fiery explosion you heard it, It¡¯s more of a ¡®bang¡¯ those ¡®people¡¯ aren¡¯t dead just scattered about with concussions, I¡¯ve been training my whole life you know I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°Sorry, I just don¡¯t want if or when they go back to normal more people be dead than there already are.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jumbling your words but I understand.¡± Aki shrugs, With the area clear for now the two search around the dome for an entrance... ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°What kind of building has no entrance? How do they expect you to get in?¡± Shiryu comments after they¡¯d made a lap around the structure ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve heard that Furlheim has a sort of causal battle culture to it, these domes maybe a part of that.¡± Aki remarks ¡°Smash the wall Shiryu, we don¡¯t have all day ¡°We do but I digress.¡± Cracksh! With a double palm thrust Shiryu breaks down a portion of the brick wall ¡­. ¡°Now let¡¯s see what¡¯s insi- Eckehk! Echek!¡± As the walls came down so did a foul stench (I think I¡¯m going to be sick) Inside were dozens of bodies, dead bodies some already rotted away and some covered in worms and maggots The stench enough to make you vomit your insides out ¡°bluurugh!¡± Aki already begins, ¡°Lets get far away.¡± She wheezes ¡°I can¡¯t breathe properly.¡± ¡°Its already spreading far.¡± Shiryu because of his beast body is able to manage the stench a little more though it just as horrid for him ¡°We will have to go back up for now.¡± Grabbing a hold of Aki Shiryu high jumps onto the roof of the dome. ¡°hyuhh!¡± And then another even higher jump he takes into the air¡­. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­Easily landing on one of the house platforms held up by the dragon¡¯s black webs. .. ¡°Haaah~ The air is much clearer up here.¡± He breathes out heavily, so does Aki ¡°I would have objected on going up here again, but uggh I feel sick, If we come across another dome we¡¯re leaving it alone,¡± ¡°The people must have hidden themselves there and eventually died from starvation¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Speaking of, I wonder if there¡¯s anything to eat up here,¡± Aki looks at a small house not unlike the one the spent time in ¡°I thought you were feeling sick?¡± ¡°I just threw up so now I¡¯m hungry, plus a warrior should not whine¡­¡± (Whined a lot these past months but ok) ¡°I¡¯ll check it out,¡± Shiryu edges up to the house, (Please don¡¯t have more dead bodies inside¡­) ¡­ ¡­ Cautiously he turns open the door holding his breath before peeking¨C ¡°Whah!¡± Whhick!? Shiryu pulls his head away instantly as a blade comes whizzing at it ¡­. ¡°Someone!?¡± Aki already rushing to his side ¡°You won¡¯t take me alive!!¡± A strangely familiar voice roars out Shiryu pushes through inside upon hearing, ¡°We are not enemies.¡± ¡°huh? Shiryu? Chief?¡± ¡°Claude?¡± Love Again ¡°Shiryu! Chief! I¡¯ve never been more elated to see someone in my life!¡± Claude slumps to his knees ¡°Was it just you here alone?¡± Shiryu gazes around the dimly lit room, It is bashed up and battered as if a beast had been on a rampage, the walls filled with punch holes and the furniture crushed and scattered about ¡­ (What the hell has been going on up here?) ¡°It¡¯s just me right, I was brought here with someone else but they jumped off a while ago.¡± Claude says under his breath ¡°I see you have still kept your training.¡± Aki who isn¡¯t one for pleasantries makes an observation on the young man¡¯s more toned lean body ¡°All I could do up here is train my body really hard.¡± He replies in a somehow gloating fashion ¡°Do you still have food left?¡± ¡°Since it is me alone here now there is a decent amount of supplies, hut I don¡¯t know how¨C¡± ¡°¨CWhich way is the kitchen?¡± ¡°That way.¡± Claude points his left and Aki follows suit ¡°I see the chief is still the same.¡± (Understatement) ¡°Are you Claude?¡± Shiryu eyes his bruised knuckles ¡°This place looks like crime scene,¡± ¡°That¡¯s my fault, I¡¯ve been frustrated alone up here, Every time I get close to being at full strength it gets sapped away, I can¡¯t do anything, I¡¯m weak, I¡¯m helpless,¡± ¡°The same happened with us too Claude.¡± ¡°But you managed to escape on your own Me, I couldn¡¯t even muster the courage to see what¡¯s down there¡± ¡°Well it isn¡¯t anything nice I promise¡­¡± ¡°oh thanks Shiryu I wouldn¡¯t have been able to guess that¡­¡± Claude gives him a blank faced stare (¡­) ¡°Aki and I managed to regain our strength, we¡¯ve been trying to navigate through the city to get to the dragon, after that hopefully we can get everyone out¡± ¡°hhhh¡± Claude sighs ¡°That¡¯s the thing Shiryu, You guys can think about going back home if or when this is all over, I can¡¯t, This is my home, You call it Furlheim City, I know it as Sweepstake City, my home my friends that may or may not be dead or alive right now, Even Kage and the others who were supposed to return and be here with us right now, they went off on their own and died¡± ¡°What about your sister?¡± ¡°¡­ Amelia is the reason I haven¡¯t jumped off this thing yet, I can¡¯t leave her here alone, not after everything we¡¯ve been through, I love her more than anything in this life.¡± (Love again) ¡°Claude¡­.¡± ¡­. ¡°Hey¡­?¡± ¡­ ¡°Get off, what are you trying to patronize me?¡± Claude pushes Shiryu who had suddenly embraced him, back, This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.¡°Do you feel stronger now?¡± ¡°No, what are you talking about? You can¡¯t hug strength into someone¡± ¡­ (I guess it doesn¡¯t work like that What¡¯s the difference between him and Aki then?) ¡°what do you feel right now Claude?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Annoyed, weak, vengeful¡­¡± ¡°Why vengeful?¡± ¡°Is it not obvious already? The dragon, Ginobelucci, he is responsible for all of this.¡± (Ginobelucci?) ¡°I gather that you knew the dragon before then?¡± ¡°Ginobelucci is, was just a regular guy not long ago, deep down he was probably always a monster¡­ My sister and I lost our parents young and we were taken in by Giichi, a former warrior of Tonbo, he was the master of the adventurer¡¯s guild in this city at the time, Ginobelucci was also a member, no one really knows why he changed but he just did one day and went against the master creating his own faction within the city called the hunters, officially the were hunters of beasts but behind closed doors they hunted us the adventurers¡­.¡± ¡­. Claude pauses for a while clenching his fist in a sullen rage as he rethinks the events¡­ ¡­.. ¡°The whole time they were ¡®hunting¡¯ us, killing us out, there wasn¡¯t any real purpose behind it, just a fa?ade a distraction to keep us on guard while they¨Che plotted his real motives, to isolate the unbeatable Giichi from the guild so he could steal the last remnant of all the dragons, their requiem, As you can see how things turned out, Ginobelucci succeed, Giichi is dead and so is the mayor and probably all my friends.... Now do you understand why I¡¯m vengeful Shiryu? Why I haven¡¯t jumped off¡­ I still have plenty to die for.¡± ¡°I have better context of things now, but¨C¡± ¨Cpheww? Aki¡¯s whistle interjects, she¡¯d been listening to a bit of what Claude said, ¡°I like your conviction, Claude, don¡¯t worry that dragon will definitely be slayed, That fool Ginobelucci or whatever is name is, murdered one of the strongest warriors that ever came out of Bakufu, and also my great uncle, in Giichi, his actions will surely not go unpunished, and the damage caused to this city he will suffer tenfold because of it.¡± ¡°I want that more than anything chief, but as things are with the draining, I¡¯ve tried and tried and tried an there¡¯s no way to keep my strength, we¡¯re all sitting ducks here.¡± ¡°That may be true, but there just might be other tactics for us to use.¡± Aki sends Shiryu a glance ¡°What kind of tactics?¡± Claude eyes open wide transitioning from frustration to Intrigue ¡°We have a dragon of our own to fight against with.¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. Loveless drips (It didn¡¯t work?) ¡°Move! move! move!¡± (What was different?) ¡°I don¡¯t the how you can move this fast chief!¡± (Besides love, this ability, I need to find out more it¡­) ¡°Shiryu blind those zombies!¡± (At least I finally have another goal that¨C) ¨Croack! A rocks breaks off Shiryu¡¯s head after being thrown ¡°huh?¡± he pulls out of thought ¡°Blind the zombies I said!¡± Aki barks. ¡°Oh, sorry, Blinding flash!¡± Clap!? He blinds the swarm long enough for the trio to skirt away ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how you two can use magic here so freely.¡± Claude staggers behind ¡°To be honest I barely understand it myself,¡± Shiryu slows down to drop behind the young man, Aki continues to lead on in front, Before the her and Shiryu had no idea where to go in huge city, but with Claude¡¯s directions they now press on towards the dragon or at least it¡¯s last know location according to Claude¡­ ¡­ ¡°You told me you had a skin condition but you¡¯re really a beast, so I¡¯ll have to be doubtful of you this time,¡± Claude responds to Shiryu¡¯s previous words ¡°I didn¡¯t lie though, I¡¯m not a beast these scales count as a skin condition to me.¡± ¡°How would you look if you removed them?¡± ¡°¡­. Well first of all it would hurt like crazy so I¡¯m not going to do that, and secondly my skin is extremely tender under I wouldn¡¯t be able to live like that,¡± ¡°I guess it really might be a skin condition then¡­¡± ¡°By the way, Amelia loved melting my scales off with her magic to torture me.¡± ¡°My sister? I thought she only practiced healing magic¡­¡± Claude mumbles in a displeased tone ¡°You don¡¯t want her to have combat magic?¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not that, she obviously needs to protect herself¡­ But we were supposed to be a team, she does support and I do attack¡± ¡°You sound like a glory hog,¡± Aki suddenly interjects ¡°Trying to do all the fighting yourself, fro the praise lf victory, it¡¯s no wonder she left on her own.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Claude opens his mouth to protest but decides against. If it were anyone but the chief he would have argued ¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t see why you both can¡¯t be on the offense, Although I can¡¯t deny, Amelia may he more suited for offense that you Claude, your magic¨C¡± ¡°¨CIs perfectly fine how I use it,¡± Claude cuts him off ¡°Not the way I see it.¡± ¡°Because of course you¡¯re just a magic expert.¡± ¡°I am actually, didn¡¯t we have this argument before? Magic is not as mystical aa you people think, it¡¯s just an advanced science for the unintelligent to understand, This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.If I told you to you how to gather specific types of subatomic particles together using your body¡¯s own force and the spin or move them at the perfect angle speed and frequency in order to generate a simple fireball you would not understand, But if I programmed the default calculations into your brain from birth it would be second nature to you.¡± ¡°What¡­.?¡± Claude completely lost on what Shiryu said ¡°Agh, see what I mean, never mind.¡± ¡°If magic is as you say, why haven¡¯t you mastered every single element then?¡± Aki presses ¡°Because the calculations are long and intricate and they require years of practice which I don¡¯t have time for, We don¡¯t even bother using magic ourselves on Terra, we can just program it into out tech, I swear I told you all of this before Aki, do you even listen when I talk?¡± ¡°When you start rambling my ears automatically shut.¡± (Why do I even bother) ¡­. As the conversation comes to a natural end the pace of three increases as the enter into a less ravaged section of Furlheim, many commercial buildings, stores, restaurants, etc, still, Foregoing his curiosity to investigate them¨C (Especially after what happened with the dome) Shiryu and others only give the boarded-up buildings passing glances, Claude¡¯s glance filled with a fiery disdain ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°Still can¡¯t believe this is what¡¯s come of Sweepstake.¡± Sighs Claude as they turn into an once area once more, through the fog the outlines of paths going in various directions can be made out, ¡°This would be the most bustling part of the city, we¡¯re at it¡¯s center now, from the city is divided into territories, you can go anywhere from these roads, This way...¡± Claude gestures taking the northern path ¡°We can get to the guild from here where Ginobelucci still may be¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­ Drip? A sticky drop of water falls near Shiryu, (Rain?) Drip? A dark shadow covers the area ¡°I didn¡¯t think rain could get into this city.¡± Shiryu looks up at a thick white sheet of fog ¡°Lets find a place to rest for now, the rain will only slow us down.¡± Aki suggest, Drip? ¡°grrrrrrr¡± (Hmm?) Looking back up again Shiryu squints hard into to fog Drip? A slimy pelt falls right on his face (Eugh¨Cwhat is that horrible scent?) ¡°Let me borrow a dagger Aki¡± ¡°What for?¡± she hands one over Fwhick! Shiryu throws it up into the fog Thack! It hits something and come falling back down ¡°I think there¡¯s something up¨C¡± ¡°¨CGRRRAUUUUHHHH!¡± Before he could finish those words a thorny back head the size of car dives down from above! Loveless: An undead adventurer Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Heart of an adventurer ¡°Ha!¡± Pinoki throws a dagger back at Ginobelucci ¡°You¡¯re too late fiend! We are already¨C¡± ¨CChomp! A tentacle with a sinister jaw at it¡¯s tip lashes out biting down on the little man¡¯s leg, right as he nears a spinning portal ¡°Pinoki!¡± Kage exclaims, rushing to help the man up, ¡°Come on! Come¡ª¡± Kage pulls Pinoki¡¯s arm through ¡°¨CEeyahhhghh!!¡± Pinoki cries out The portal shuts down on his arm sending it away with him ¡°No, no, no!¡± Pinoki starts scrambling about feeling for some magic crystals, as blood gushes out from his upper right arm ¡°I¡¯m dead! I¡¯m dead! I¡¯m dead!¡± He uses a healing crystal on himself to subdue the bleeding, ¡°CrrrrrgrrrrrrrraaaaAAAAAAGHHHHHHHRRRRRHHHHH!!!!!¡± The growing beast of spikes jutting out of the throne let¡¯s out a ravenous roar sending all it¡¯s tentacles at the man full force ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡± he yelps And in that moment¡ª ¡­.. ¡­.. **** ¡°¡ªIn that moment my shadow magic evolved further, I manage to slip into my own shadow and escape, Ginobelucci, he would have definitely killed me, But I the great Pinoki live to fight another day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Claude gives Pinoki a weak pat on the back After rescuing them from the monster, the little man had revealed himself to be a lost friend of Claude, to Aki and Shiryu however he was still a mysterious figure¡­ ¡­ ¡°Give me back my strength.¡± Aki whispers squeezing Shiryu¡¯s arm ¡°Wait, we¡¯re not in any immediate danger right now, and this Pinoki guy seems strong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is taking us, plus I feel like he¡¯s a tricky sort of person.¡± ¡°So, ask him them?¡± ¡°chhkknn!¡± Aki makes an unintelligible noise ¡­. ¡°Where exactly are you taking us?¡± Shiryu asks for her ¡°¡­.¡± Pinoki¡¯s eyes rest on Shiryu for a while as if trying to dissect him from sight alone ¡­. ¡°To the others, I am not the only person still roaming around down here, I¡¯ve been picking up every person I could find struggling to survive down here.¡± ¡°You seem to be surviving just fine, does the draining no affect you?¡± ¡°Not at all actually, I don¡¯t really know exactly why, but my guess is that it¡¯s because of how long I spent inside a magic diamond not too long ago.¡± (Inside a magic diamond?) ¡°Matter to magic conversion and storage is a pretty advanced science, I didn¡¯t think the people of this ring were capable of scientific advancements.¡± ¡°People of this ring? Advanced what?¡± Pinoki echoes confusedly ¡°Shiryu often talks about things strangely.¡± Claude explains ¡°Reminds me of Kage, Speaking of, If you¡¯re here Claude, Where are the others?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Claude hesitates before speaking¡­ ¡°My sister is in Soterra with your friend Zinnia, and¡­ ¡­. They died.¡± ¡°Huh? Say that again?¡± ¡°Lyra, Apollo, Kage, Karina, they went up to the silver mountains searching for who knows what and died there.¡± ¡°¡­. Waahhhhghh!¡± Pinoki halts is pace crouching down to groan loudly ¡°Deadd?? I can¡¯t¡­ I mean I knew we were all going to die sooner than later, but all of them at once? You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.How am I the one who has outlived them, For Murdoc¡¯s sake I lost an arm for them to escape, To die, Kage said we¡¯d go an adventure together¡­ And Lyra she said she would kill her brother, even Apollo had to find out about his parents¡­ Uuwaahhhhghh¨Cthank you for this terrible news, Claude, because now I have absolutely no reason for wanting to get out of here now,¡± ¡°Kage is not dead.¡± ¡°Shiryu not now with that.¡± Aki hisses ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Pinoki looks up ¡°Do you even know who Kage is? Who are you even?¡± ¡°¡­. I am¡­ Apollo and I share the same father.¡± Shiryu struggles to piece the right words ¡°Hh?¡± Pinoki gives Claude a questioning look from which the boy shrugs back, knowing just as much as him ¡­. ¡°So you are trying to tell me you are a brother of my friend¡­ Shiryu is it? What are you? Why have you chosen now of all times to appear? And where were you for the last ten years that your ¡®brother¡¯ had to suffer through?¡± Pinoki lets off a barrage of questions passive aggressively ¡°I am a human but my body as a child fuses with a dragon egg, that¡¯s why I look this way, I have been suffering with beasts for the last ten years, no not even ten, seventeen years since I was an infant, It¡¯s only because I¡¯ve finally woken Kage that I finally could leave the bends, That is why even though no one will believe me, I say, Kage is not dead, I know this for a fact.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I have a normal adventuring life.¡± Pinoki exhales ¡°Ok, humor me then, what do you think happened to Kage?¡± ¡°They crossed over to another ring.¡± ¡°Another ring meaning?¡± ¡°There is a lot more people and places out there with things you have never heard or dreamed of.¡± ¡­ ¡°There is?¡± Pinoki¡¯s eyes gleam with excitement, He picks himself up feeling less dejected ¡°I won¡¯t say I believe all of what you said Shiryu, but I am a man who loves adventure, and the thought of there being more out there excites me, I hope that it is true so my friends aren¡¯t dead¡­ Kage once asked something about an ocean? I still don¡¯t know what he meant.¡± ¡°The entire ring of Tellus is covered with more water than land that may be the ocean Kage spoke of.¡± ¡°Is that really possible?¡± his eyes open wide Before Pinoki had come across as a mysterious warrior, but now as he speaks more that image breaks away showing him as the energetic thrill seeker he truly is ¡°Yes, it¡¯s due to¨C¡± ¡°¨CCan we get moving again please?¡± Aki interjects impatiently ¡°We can be jumped any moment now, I¡¯d rather we kept move than still,¡± ¡°Yes, we shall, keep moving,¡± Nods Pinoki, ¡°I haven¡¯t been introduced to you as well, umm miss¡± ¡°Aki.¡± Is responds dryly ¡°That¡¯s the chief of Bakufu,¡± Claude takes the task of introducing the stoic woman. ¡°She is the one who can help us kill Ginobelucci,¡± ¡°The chief hmmm¡­ Incidentally, I was actually out searching for you, in this city,¡± ¡°You were, from whom did you find out about me?¡± ¡°I rescued a few warriors from zombies a while back, do you know any warriors by the names, Natsu, Bane and Fuyu?¡± ¡­. They dont teach love ¡°So, unlike this ring where seasons are yearly, on Tellus they have a tropical climate year round, and on Terra we have all four seasons plus tropical climate happening at once in five different sectors,¡± ¡°mhmhmm Interesting, very interesting¡­¡± Pinoki murmurs listening to every word Shiryu lectures with, ¡°What else do you want to know,¡± Shiryu smirks quite pleased that there was someone willing to listen to his babbles ¡°Tell me more about this ocean, How long does it span? How deep does it go? Is there treasure to be found?¡± ¡°Err, well, I¡¯ve never been myself, all I know is what I was taught.¡± ¡°You do know a great deal as is and to think there is probably so much neither of us know, Gahh! Why am I so cursed to be trapped in places, first Soterra now here, an adventure awaits that I so desperately yearn.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too passionate?¡± (There¡¯s nothing really special about general exploration) ¡°Of course not, if you loved something then it¡¯s a given that you be incredibly passionate about it.¡± (Love) ¡°How does one love an act or concept?¡± ¡°Your asking me? I would have thought that out of all the many things you know that particular subject would be one.¡± ¡°¡­. They don¡¯t teach love¡­¡± ¡°Well I can¡¯t either.¡± Pinoki shrugs becoming disinterested in the conversation now, (Great, another piece to add to large jigsaw puzzle that is love¡­.) ¡­ ¡°Are you two done?¡± grumbles Aki who is still drained and hobbling behind tiredly, along with Claude¡­ ¡°Sorry, I forgot about you.¡± Shiryu slips into her arms ¡°You know what to do by now¡­¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Is there something else I need to know about you two?¡± Pinoki side eyes the pair as they detach from embrace ¡°No,¡± Aki replies blankly ¡°It¡¯s a ritual of sorts¡­. My strength is restored anyway, how close are we to your base?¡± ¡°Close.¡± Pinoki says while casting a glance in Claude¡¯s direction ¡°Shiryu tired to do that with me as well, but it didn¡¯t work, I don¡¯t really get it either.¡± The young man answers ¡°Ok¡­..¡± the little man mumbles ¡­. And with that the talk ends, and the group pushes through the fog back to city¡¯s center and then south west This section of Furlheim although not as damaged or missing buildings like the others, is naturally bland and rugged tall ugly unpainted brick structure come into view as the foursome trudge quickly through, ¡°Your hideout is in order territory?¡± Claude familiar with the city identifies it at once ¡°Its the safest place in this city,¡± Graauugghh! Some menacing growls come from a building they pass ¡°Safe?¡± inquires Shiryu alluding to the zombofied growls If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.¡°Most of the buildings in this part of Sweepstake are prisons, regular cells and magic holdings, the order is the faction that use to be responsible for maintaining the peace here¡­¡± explains Claude ¡°We, well I tried my best to lock away as much ¡®turned¡¯ people as I could,¡± Pinoki takes over ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry about what¡¯s in those, Here we are finally¡­¡± Looming into sights through the fog are massive steel spiked gates, with tall, also spiked, iron plated walls, the stretch long and far off into a fog, At the top of the gates is a named cured into the steel itself Furlheim Asylum ¡°This is your base, an asylum?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most fortified building here that wasn¡¯t taken into the sky, Don¡¯t touch the gates, they¡¯re laden with lighting crystals that will paralyze you on contact,¡± informs Pinoki while conjuring a shadow hand to push the steel barrier open,¡± The four quickly slip into the spacious grassy compound in which at it¡¯s rear a large school-like building stands, Rays of light stream out of it¡¯s windows, basking down onto the grass below, Bongg? A bell sounds off the moment the gate closes behind them and a beam light shines down on the party ¡°What is all of this?¡± Aki who has some blades out uses them to shield her face, ¡°Relax miss Aki, these are just security measures not an ambush,¡± assures Pinoki leading them up the path and to the asylum¡­ ...... ¡­.. ¡­ ¡°Took your sweet time to get here chief.¡± A familiar voice speaks, the person exiting the building to meet the group about to enter ¡°Surprised you¡¯re not dead Natsu,¡± Aki finally puts away her weapons ¡°If I died then you would have lost your strongest warrior,¡± ¡°Are the others well?¡± Aki ignores that statement ¡°If you call this powerlessness being well, then yes, Ah, I see the beast and my student has survived also,¡± Natsu spots Shiryu and Claude ¡°Master Natsu I never skipped a day of training even under these conditions¡± Claude informs with a respectful tone ¡°Good that¡¯s the passion I want from all my me¨C¡± ¡°¨COut the way,¡± Aki shoves him, as he stood directly in front the doorway The group enters an uninviting room of bland unpainted colonial brick, walls that are chipped and cracked, white lights of magic crystals on the stone ceiling illuminate the faded dark red stains of blood, and chains hanging off the walls, There is¡ª Fwickk! An arrow comes whizzing across the room to Shiryu¡¯s skull! ¡°awa¨Cwhat the hell!?¡± The projectile hits it¡¯s target but has no effect on his tough scales, ¡°What are you thinking bringing that beast in here!¡° a unfamiliar voice barks ¡°Get that monster out of here right now! Are you trying to compromise the safety of everyone in here!?¡± ¡­... ¡­... No love to be found here ¡°I knew trusting someone like you would lead to this!¡± Angry beady brown eyes focus themselves on Pinoki then to Shiryu, And mature man clutches a bow tightly with another arrow ready to shoot, his face stern and sinister, makes him look middle-aged but old simultaneously, ¡°Hey I¡¯m not a¨C¡° Fwick!! The arrow fires into his skull ¡°Get out!¡± the man dressed quite elegantly for the situation is unwilling to hear anything, From head to tows he is dapper in back and white checkered suit, as he pulls behind his back against a long gray cape to his quiver of arrows his eyes stay peeled on every minuscule movement from Shiryu ¡°What is all this about!¡± Aki pushes her way ahead of Shiryu blocking the man¡¯s fire ¡°Who are you?¡± The man raises his aim over the short woman ¡°The chief of Bakufu and you had better put that weapon down before I detach your hands.¡± ¡°You are the powerful chief?¡± the disgruntled man lowers his bow slightly but not completely ¡°And you are quite a boisterous man, which leads me to believe you hold some authority here?¡± ¡°Yes, my name, Dexter the commissioner of the Order faction, I am the one responsible for keeping these people safe, And that thing jeopardizes our safety!¡± Dexter raises his bow back up at Shiryu ¡°Commissioner, Shiryu isn¡¯t a beast, he is actually one of us,¡± Claude speaks up in Shiryu¡¯s defence, being somewhat familiar with the man ¡°Human or not that thing is threat, I have already had to compromise and accept the help of a potential insane person not whatever this ¡®Shiryu¡¯ is, get it out of here.¡± ¡°Evolved magic doesn¡¯t make you insane,¡± Pinoki retorts realizing he was the one being referred to ¡°Get it out.¡± Dexter repeats ignoring the little man By this time all the commotion the man was causing drew a small crowd to the front room, On one hand it would be a pleasant relief to see that a good bit of people are surviving down here, But on the other¡­ right now for Shiryu it was an incredibly undesirable situation, Horrified glances, and disgusted gazes came his way¡­ (I wish I had full armor on¡­) ¡°What is all this noise about Dexter?¡± a buff gentleman pushes through the faces His brown forehead has a permanent wrinkle, in which his bald head does no service in hiding, Dexter a man of average height looks as short as Aki compared to this buff specimen who towers over him, ¡°I don¡¯t have to explain you see it right there Marshall.¡± ¡°A beast?¡± The man rests his dark orange eyes on Shiryu ¡°A human.¡± Protests Shiryu ¡°Shiryu is staying with us,¡± Aki adds, ¡°He is going to be a key component in helping us take care of your problem.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.¡°If that stubborn old man Giichi hadn¡¯t brought that requiem with him from your nation, we wouldn¡¯t be having this problem.¡± Dexter snaps back to annoyance of Aki, ¡°If this humanoid creature is indeed hear to assist us then perhaps we should just leave it be for now, I don¡¯t we would be strong enough to fight against it anyway.¡± The buff man Marshall leans in his opinion ¡°Who are you now?¡± demands Aki not intimidated in the slightest by the man¡¯s imposing physique and stature to hers ¡°Marshall, the boss of the construction company, my say holds just as much weight as Dexter here,¡± Marshall tugs away the bow from him as easy as snatching away a child¡¯s toy ¡°Chief of Bakufu I offer my respects, we have no problem in letting you stay here, and if you say that beast is on your side then we cannot object it¡¯s presence here, but¡­. I also agree with my colleague here, on it being a potential threat, So I think for the best, the beastman can stay but outside¡­¡± ¡°I think no¨C¡± ¡°¨CIts ok chief¡± Shiryu cuts her off ¡°For the sale of peace, I¡¯d rather stay in the yard, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡­. ¡­. From entering the building with a sense curiosity and wonder, Shiryu now exits with shame and frustration, He had always hated being a beast or at least looking like one, but this was the first time Shiryu truly despised himself as a beast Around other humans he would hide his face normally be it Soterra or Tonbo, and the people that have seen him accepted his appearance in their own way¡­. Or maybe the ones who did accept it were just insane, and regular people still saw the monster, From Zinnia to Aki, they all possessed evolved magic, their minds were clearly not that of normal people (I wish I could just peel my scales off) .... .... Shiryu steps out onto the grassy lawn, the air of course is covered with fog, but still not as foggy as Shiryu¡¯s mind felt right now, (I know people would be terrified of me, I knew this already, But why do I feel so insulted by it? Not a single spec of love to be found here¡­) ¡­ Shiryu stares off around the asylum¡¯s compound, I wish I could describe exactly what he is seeing, but in truth, there isn¡¯t much interesting, Just a gray dull loveless fog stained yard of grass and a building that wants nothing to Shiryu¡¯s existence A building that denies his presence (Maybe I¡¯m overreacting about this, It¡¯s not that hard to understand that of course regular people wouldn¡¯t want to near a monster, I have always been aware of this fact, Aghh. But I hate it. I feel like a pet like an animal, Like I will never gain the love of others ¡­ I wish I looked normal, I wish¡ª) ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Unloved ¡°Dragon boyyy, it¡¯s been so long.¡± Out in the yard of Asylum is a small storage shed which door now opens to a woman with snow white, who gives a plastic smile to Shiryu, as he sat in silent brood¡­ ¡°What is it Fuyu?¡± he looks up at her ¡°You ask that as if you¡¯re busy, we both know that you¡¯ve nothing to do out here, It must be a shame looking like a monster,¡± she says dryly ¡°If I were you, I would have broken that man¡¯s arm and asserted myself as a person not to be messed with,¡± ¡°Well I don¡¯t want to do that.¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like you will get respect any other way, even I see as a beast so does my siblings, it¡¯s only because you are weaker than me I treat the same as any other person,¡± ¡°I know that already, the supreme leader does it as well, because he is powerful compared to all humans, we all feel like equals under him.¡± ¡°Who is this supreme leader? I would like to have a spar with him.¡± ¡°He lives extremely far away from here, and would obliterate you without trying.¡± ¡°I firmly doubt that¡­ but.¡± Fuyu edges near to Shiryu staring him directly in the eyes ¡°I talked to Claude, and he said you have a way to return people¡¯s strength here¡­¡± ¡°Is that what you came here to see me for?¡± ¡°Why else would I care about you Shiryu?¡± Fuyu smiles again ¡°I think you¡¯re very interesting, in a useful sort of way, Now will you share your secret with me?¡± (At least she is honest about it¡­.) ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll try with you.¡± Sighs Shiryu getting up from his crouched position ¡°Will you allow me to hug you?¡± ¡°¡­. What does an embrace have to do with strength, isn¡¯t that counter productive?¡± ¡°It is not about the hug itself it¡¯s the way it makes you feel.¡± ¡°Well I have not done it before and I don¡¯t suppose something like that evokes any feeling.¡± Fuyu opens her arms awkwardly for the embrace ¡­. ¡­. ¡­.. (Feel the same like with Aki, it¡¯s warm, it makes me feel human) ¡°Awww, You¡¯re really like pet.¡± Exhales Fuyu not sharing his sentiment She squeezes her arms around him now, ¡°I do not feel any strength, Were you lying to me? Is that you want to be my pet?¡± ¡°What pet? Nooo.¡± Shiryu pulls away immediately ¡°I was not lying, we¡¯re supposed to feel the same for my ability to work, that¡¯s what happens when I do it Aki,¡± ¡°How does it feel?¡± Fuyu quizzes ¡°It is something I am unable to describe,¡± ¡°Now I know that one was a lie.¡± ¡°If you have want to know ask your sister, I don¡¯t want to say.¡± ¡°The chief? Ugh no, I¡¯m not talking to her.¡± ¡°Why the animosity towards your sister?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any, we just don¡¯t talk it¡¯s that simple, I don¡¯t hate her, she is just a competitor to me, that¡¯s how we four remain strong, getting too close jeopardizes strength growth.¡± ¡°So you have never spoken?¡± ¡°Not any long conversations, just a few words ever so often.¡± ¡°You do realize that it¡¯s been many months since we got dragged into this city, have you even asked her how she¡¯s been?¡± ¡°Obviously well I can see that for myself,¡± ¡°hhhhhh¡± sighs Shiryu ¡°You two are so similar yet so distant, I don¡¯t understand it,¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.¡°¡­¡­ Goodbye.¡± Fuyu abruptly leaves (????) ¡°What did I say?¡± he calls behind the closing door (Why are these siblings so weird man, I can¡¯t ever understand them¡­.) ¡­. ¡­. After sitting in bewildered thought for a moment Shiryu getss up and exits the shed back into the yard, Still as foggy as usual, you can barely tell when it¡¯s day or night ¡­.! A bright light shines from the asylum onto Shiryu (They¡¯re still monitoring me.) Ignoring it Shiryu takes a walk around the building to explore, Given the type of place this is the inner walls are as fortified as outside to prevent the ¡®insane¡¯ from escaping, though at this time no one was being held at asylum given the dire circumstances ¡­. ¡­. Shiryu goes along the edges of the brown bricked building, on the lower floors the windows are all barred and curtained¡­ ¡­. ¡°I heard that short woman who came yesterday is the one going to defeat the dragon,¡± Some chatters seeps through the walls, ¡°She doesn¡¯t look that powerful to me,¡± ¡°Pinoki doesn¡¯t either, but he is the only one of us that can use magic without having it drained like us¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­ Shiryu keeps walking leaving the talks behind¡­. The back side of the asylum hosts more yard but this one filled with crops and trees being grown, giant crystals producing light and periodically water bathe the greens, ¡­. In the middle of crops a familiar face, His normally shaved head now a blonde tuft, but everything else remains the same, ¡°Bane?¡± Shiryu calls out but he ignores still searching through the crops, The young man makes his way to him ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Bane, it¡¯s been a¨C¡± ¡°¨CShhh,¡± You¡¯re interrupting my thinking ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I am trying to decide which peppers to use for my next dish, Scotch bonnet or scorpion?¡± ¡°¡­.. Scorpion¡­?¡± ¡°No that might be too sharp.¡± ¡°The scotch?¡± ¡°Green or yellow?¡± (What are these questions?) ¡°Umm, green¡± ¡°No, that might be too mild, yellow might do it though¡­¡± Bane picks two (What¡¯s was the point of asking me then?) ¡°I see you are surviving here pretty well Bane.¡± ¡°No, I am not, I am weak, otherwise we would¡¯ve killed the dragon by now, instead of being stuck here for over half a year now.¡± ¡°Your still able to track it, even I lost count how long due to this dense atmosphere.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t Bane shakes his head,¡± walking out the crop area to the building. ¡°You can tell we have been here long from the soil, the crops, we are well into summer year now which means at least seven months, It annoys me that I¡¯ve missed most of spring until the next two-three years.¡± ¡°Well if it makes you feel any better, I have missed all the seasonal years my entire life so far,¡± ¡°It does not make me feel better,¡± Bane monotones ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Shiryu!¡± a a voice echoes before the conversation could continue ¡°It seems the chief is looking for you,¡± Bane gestures to his sister coming round the corner, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± He nods off not at all wanting to talk with his sibling (Why are they all like this?) ¡­ ¡°Over here Aki!¡± ¡°Gah! I tell you stay put, for a moment and you go off!¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. I love a new friend ¡°Do you know why my magic is what it is? To be able to bend the light around me, it wasn¡¯t that I was trying to create illusions or be invisible, I just didn¡¯t want to see my own refection ever, To be honest, I don¡¯t even know what I look like¡­ ¡­. Are you listening? ¡­. Aki?¡± ¡°Huh, no, I wasn¡¯t listening, but never mind that, I was thinking of a plan of attack. All we need for this is you, me and that fellow with the shadow magic, Pinoki.¡± (Why do I bother¡­) Shiryu sighs internally ¡°Three of us only?¡± he asks aloud ¡°I was thinking whether to bring Fuyu, since her requiem ability is useful even without her strength, but as she is now, it would make her liability I don¡¯t want to deal with.¡± ¡°Did you discuss this with the leaders of Furlheim inside already?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to,¡± Fwk? Splish? Aki kicks a stone into the water¡­ At the east area in the asylum¡¯s grounds sits a small lake barred by wooden fences, Shiryu and Aki sit at edge of the reflective body of water¡­ ¡­.. ¡°Do you not get along with them Aki?¡± ¡°No, that man Dexter is just weak, but he barks around as though he is a powerful force, In Bakufu people like that get relegated to intensive labor not positions of power, If I were you and that man were telling me to get out I would¡¯ve broken at least one of his hands, You stood looking stupid with your mouth wide open as ran down on you for being a beast,¡± ¡°¡­. You know Fuyu said something similar¡­¡± ¡°..W.who cares about her, don¡¯t try to doge around what I said, Don¡¯t you ever show such weakness in front of me again,¡± ¡°Would you rather Id have mauled him and then really be seen as a monster? I was trying to prevent conflict.¡± ¡°They would see you as monster either, plus you aren¡¯t here to make friends,¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the point in saving people who hate me?¡± ¡°Glory, As a warrior, stories of your great feat will spread, When I kill that dragon, word of strength will reach the Wu-Tang, and they will be sure not to cause conflict with us for the next two hundred years or so of my life,¡± ¡°I forgot people here have long lifespans¡± ¡°That¡¯s long for you?¡± ¡°Where I¡¯m from we live to twenty-seven.¡± ¡°Twenty-seven!?¡± Ali repeats ¡°Are you serious or was that an attempt at a joke?¡± ¡°Completely serious, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t chase strength like you, becoming powerful will only inevitably make you weaker.¡± ¡°That is complete horseshit what you said getting stronger makes us stronger, are you dumb?¡± ¡°Obviously you get stronger, but I mean it like if you get too powerful the gods will punish you making you weak,¡± ¡°The gods are dead.¡± Aki gives him a blank stare ¡°Kag¨C¡± ¡°Huwah~ I¡¯m going back inside,¡± Aki yawns over not wanting to start another ¡®Kage¡¯ debate ¡°I will find Pinoki to discuss the attack plans, don¡¯t go wandering around again.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah.¡± ¡­. ¡­. (Nah) Shiryu waits for Aki to leave his sight and immediately hops up to go roaming, By this time it would be night, for the ones inside the city it just got slightly dimmer than normal, Lights flash on and off through the barred windows of asylum, casting shadows outside as some people awaken and others now preparing for bed¡­ (Even if I go inside, who can really stop me?) Shiryu grips onto a widow bar preparing to bend it back, ¡°Hey, whatever you¡¯re thinking don¡¯t.¡± a voice snaps instantly and body jumps out of the shadows ¡°Sorry,¡± Shiryu takes his hands off the bars facing the little man Pinoki Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°I don¡¯t know what I really was attempting there.¡± ¡°Dexter told me to watch and so I have, now you¡¯re starting to make me suspicious of you as well,¡± Pinoki shakes his head disapprovingly ¡°Wait you were watching me this whole time?¡± ¡°Most of time, but you wouldn¡¯t know when,¡± ¡°Then you know Aki is looking for you right now?¡± ¡°I do but if I don¡¯t want to be found she won¡¯t find me, That plan of hers where the three of us brute force Ginobelucci, I don¡¯t like it, See I¡¯m not much of a fighter,¡± ¡°You did really well against that monster when you rescued us.¡± ¡°I am familiar with those by now, they have thick impenetrable skin so the only way to kill them is to wait till the mouths open, Look up.¡± ¡°Huh? Is there something I¡¯m supposed to be seeing?¡± Shiryu squints up trying to see through the fog ¡°What if I told you there was about a dozen more of those things hanging overhead?¡± ¡°There are? For real?¡± Shiryu looks up cautiously now half expecting a monster to fall on him ¡°Those things grow like fruits on a tree all over the city, that¡¯s where our strength is going, the dragon isn¡¯t just recovering it¡¯s building a brood, Even this ¡®fog¡¯ we are breathing is apart of that, if you succumb to hunger or are just too weak to move this fog will turn you into those brainless humans,¡± ¡°All the more reason why we should move to quickly exterminate the dragon before it is finished hibernation Pinoki.¡± ¡°I know that, but brute force is idiotic,¡± ¡°Do you have any other methods?¡± ¡°No, but I have an idea, of sorts, like maybe there is a way we could revere the draining on the dragon.¡± (Hmmmm) ¡°That could be possible if magic was responsible for the draining, but it is dark energy,¡± ¡°Dark what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a different power type that angels and demons used, yin mana and yang mana, but we call the yin dark energy, and the yang mana, To neutralize one you need the other,¡± ¡°Interesting, interesting¡­.¡± Pinoki fully indulged in the explanation ¡°If that is the case, then what about me? I am unaffected by the draining, with magic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, my hunch would be because you were in close contact with Kage for a while,¡± ¡°Kage can¡¯t use any sort of magic, although he has a weird bow.¡± ¡°Kage¡¯s body is made up of both kind of like me, expect hers is natural, and perfectly in balance, Kage can do anything she wants¡­¡± ¡°She? Kage is a woman?¡± ¡°Kage is god.¡± ¡°I really want to believe that¡± sighs Pinoki, ¡°From the time I¡¯ve spent around Kage, he has always felt so otherworldly, so inhuman, But, to say someone is God is insanity, and believe me when I say, the last person I met that was a ¡®god¡¯ caused nothing but hell for me, for my friends.¡± ¡°Well I can assure you Kage won¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Do you know Kage yourself? because not even I could figure him out.¡± ¡°I was the one who woke her up, back in desert Kage¨C¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡­. I have heard this story before.¡± Pinoki stops him. ¡°Story?¡± ¡°Yes, from Kage, it¡¯s a long story but I remember the part where he said in the desert, it was a purple beastman that saved him.¡± (Kage talks about me??? I think my life just peaked) ¡°Kage remembers that?¡± Shiryu gives a wide smile showing off his razor-sharp teeth ¡°Put those away.¡± Pinoki blocks his own hand ¡°Sorry that actually made me happy,¡± ¡°Strange thing to be happy about but ok.¡± ¡°Is it? I just felt good knowing that my help didn¡¯t go unacknowledged, it is nice to feel validated sometimes.¡± ¡°You know what Shiryu? You may not look the part, but definitely I can tell you¡¯re human.¡± Heart of the dragon ¡°¨Cas long as you don¡¯t rush in and attack, we will be alright Aki¡± ¡°That¡¯s assuming it won¡¯t attack us first.¡± ¡°If it does then I can get us away quickly.¡± Pinoki puts in ¡°This all seems counterproductive, why bother ¡®surveying¡¯ anything, we should be prioritizing slaying that dragon and calling it a day.¡± ¡°I thought you were smarter than this chief, you don¡¯t really expect us to brute force a dragon do you.¡± ¡°Obviously not,¡± Aki replies indignantly, ¡°Do I look like a woman with brute force strength? No. I fight tactical, and we should too, instead of going to look for ways to reverse the draining we should be looking to capitalize on any opening or chance given that it is hibernating.¡± ¡°If an opportunity like that makes itself know then we will take it alright?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, I¡¯m the one leading us here.¡± ¡°Well actually it is I who knows the way.¡± Interjects Pinoki again only to be ignored by Aki The trio now out of the asylum¡¯s grounds navigate through the foggy ruins of Furlheim on their way to the looming threat¡­.. ¡­. ¡°I never thought I would meet somebody more unfriendly than Lyra.¡± Sighs Pinoki ¡°I have heard that name before, I think that¡¯s one of the people with Kage right now?¡± inquires Shiryu ¡°Yeah, Lyra is one of the strongest people I know.¡± ¡°Chh, she is not.¡± Scoffs Aki ¡°I fought her before, the girl has potential magic-wise but strong? No.¡± ¡°Come on Aki you can¡¯t compare other¡¯s strength to yourself, she is probably strong compared to regular people,¡± ¡°To put it into context, why I think she is weak, I did not fight the girl alone, it was a six on one, Lyra, Kage, Apollo, Karina, Claude, Amelia, I barely had any trouble with them.¡± Aki doesn¡¯t even say this gloatingly, just as a matter of fact ¡°Well, I imagine they were going easy on you.¡± Pinoki disputes ¡°They were fighting for their lives; you can ask Claude if you want.¡± Snaps back Aki, An increasingly awkward tension grows between Aki and Pinoki they don¡¯t seem to be quite fond of the other¡­ Shiryu on the other hand, gets along with the little man as if they were childhood friends, despite only be a little over a week they¡¯ve known each other ¡°What does it matter whose weaker or stronger anyways?¡± Shiryu quickly interjects ¡°We all can grow stronger helping each other.¡± (What the hell am I talking about) ¡°Shut up Shiryu, you don¡¯t mean any of that, focus on searching for love or whatever you stupid thing you¡¯re after.¡± ¡°Chief of attitude.¡± Shiryu mumbles under his breath ¡°What was that?¡± she catches it ¡°I said, how very Chief-like of you.¡± ¡°You did not.. Matter of fact, I don¡¯t care carry on.¡± Aki drops it surprisingly, though it was only because she didn¡¯t want to desync with Shiryu¡¯s ability and lose her current strength¡­ ... ... Crrrrcckk? The broken ground crumbles slightly as the three cross over it, Bwooh?~~ The ambient sound of the still wind cutting through the fog and in and around the dilapidated buildings ring through the air like a grand bell, ¡°Shhhh, in these parts,¡± whispers Pinoki, ¡°Those monsters that hang above are alert here, make too much noise and they¡¯ll drop on our heads,¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Now firmly north into Furlheim City they area here resembles that of a warzone, not that the rest of the city didn¡¯t already, but this area to an even greater extent, the ground is charred black and from fire along with any building still on ground, a scorched wasteland in other words, Pinoki gives the area a quick forlorn glance before hurrying up behind Aki, she leads the group despite knowing nothing of the city¡¯s layout By the overwhelming lust of hunger radiating from the dragon, anyone could find it without directions¡­ ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. (So this is the¨C) Baadumt? ¡°uhng.¡± Shiryu clutches his chest, looking up at the black-red creature the length of semi truck and size of a small house it¡¯s spikes jut out murderously as if trying to cut the air itself, Vraua¨Chuhh¨Cvrauhh¨Chuhh! The entire monster¡¯s body stands with the stillness of a statute but its stead growling breaths flood the area, (My heart hurt for a second there) ¡°Now do you see what we¡¯re dealing with?¡± Pinoki taps both Aki and Shiryu who had been staring up the beast entrancedly ¡°Look how thick it¡¯s scales are, brute forcing it wouldn¡¯t work, we need to find a way to reverse the draining on the dragon.¡± ¡°mmm,¡± Aki grunts ¡°I think I could still kill it right now, All I need is a spear and some magic stones,¡± ¡°Your joking, right?¡± coughs Pinoki ¡°I¡¯ll strap a stone onto the spear and toss it into the it¡¯s nostril, conjure some explosive gas right down with it, then, ¡®boom!¡¯ it will blow open the dragon¡¯s face which I will toss a few more magic stones down and more of my magic, ¡®kaboom¡¯ it¡¯s entire insides explode, Your dragon problem over.¡± finishes Aki quite pleased with her idea ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t die?¡± Shiryu pessimistically asks ¡°I never said I was going to do that yet, that¡¯s just me explaining how I would prefer to kill it,¡± Aki rolls her eyes, ¡°Can we move?¡± shudders Pinoki looking up ¡°I don¡¯t like the thought of that waking up any moment now, .... On the bag of the monstrous being are the spiky black tentacles in exchange for wings, they of course spread long and far throughout the city, but along the back of the dragon and through it¡¯s massive tail a single cord flows out into the ruins of building behind the creature. ¡°This used to be the adventurer¡¯s guild,¡± Pinoki cautiously guides then in, his voice barely audible ¡°This is where you could say the dragon was born¨Chuh-umn!¡± he jumps down into a large hole inside the guild the other two follow¡­ ¡­ ¡°And here is the source of my nightmares,¡± Pinoki stops a good distance away from what he points, The black cord that flowed off the dragon leads all the way down here to what looks to be a seat, of thorns sticking out from every possible angle, ¡°The dragon king¡¯s requiem.¡± Aki recognizes at once, ¡°My granddad often spoke of this throne of thorns.¡± ¡°The dragon out there is still connected to it,¡± Shiryu notes Badump? His heart thumps hard again ¡°agh!¡± ¡°Is something wrong Shiryu?¡± Aki notices this one ¡°I¡­ I¨Cmy chest hurts, I don¡¯t know why¡­¡± ¡°Is it the throne?¡± ¡°Mayb¨C¡± ¨Cfurrkkllllllrrrckkk!? Before Shiryu could reply the spiky seat begins to move towards the group! Before love came to kill us ¨Cfurrkkllllllrrrckkk!? The chair drags itself chipping away the dry brownish red flakes of stale blood encrusted on the floor surrounded it, furrkkllllllrrrckkk!? Pinoki conjures a shadowy fist cautiously, Aki has put some bladed nunchaku, and Shiryu braces himself for anything, still feeling a passive sting in his chest¡­ furrkkllllllrrrckkkkkkkrrrrrrrrrcccchhhkk? The thorny throne stops and begins to collapse in on itself, a dark aura beginning to surround it ¡°Whatever is happening, doesn¡¯t seem to be good, A tactical retreat would be good right about now.¡± Suggests Pinoki, ¡°I¨C¡± Aki opens her mouth to speak but pauses upon seeing what the throne becomes¡­ ¡­ Shangh? Shanng? The dark curtain dissipates and behind a transformed throne Shanngg? A spiked boot steps forward slowly Shanngg? The other foot comes down Both shiny almost reflective black and spiky, all the way up are thick black steel spiked armored legs, even the torso a broad steel black, extending out of it broad shoulders with of course spiked fists at the end, And sat on top of it all a horned head¨Cno a horned helmet akin to Viking headgear, black and shiny like the rest of the hollow body, ¡°A golem?¡± Aki takes a few steps back swapping out her nunchaku for kunai, and magic stones for explosives ¡°Duurraaagoonnn!¡± A hollow voice echoes out of the suit slowly inching toward Shiryu, ¡°ME?¡± (It can tell I am a dragon?) ¡°It can tell you are a dragon.¡± Aki tells what he¡¯d just thought ¡°Duuuraagoon¡± ¡°Who are you!?¡± Shiryu tries to question it, ¡°Are you Ginobelucci?¡± ¡°Ginobelucci? That is the name of the human that fed himself to us so we could be revived, I am Ginobelucci but I am also many others,¡± the voice booms still slowly stepping toward Shiryu, ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Shiryu takes two-three-four-five-six-seven huge steps backwards ¡°You are duragon, you have to be consumed by us, become whole with us,¡± (What?) ¡°Years ago all the dragons were cannibalised by one, that gained all their combined strength,¡± Aki growls ¡°I think that thing wants to add you to the collection of dragons it¡¯s consumed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shiryu directs his question to the armor ¡°Because we love it,¡± (Love it?) ¡°I think this thing is like the main brain of the dragon,¡± whispers Pinoki, ¡°Maybe if we take it out the dragon will not awaken, or at least the draining will stop.¡± Shanngg? The hulking armored body comes to a halt ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can take it out¡­¡± Shiryu steps back a bit more feeling an incredulous amount of unease ¡°If it¡¯s this slow than I have a few strategies that we can¨C¡± ¨CWhammp!! As the words escape her mouth the black suit suddenly dashes up to Shiryu knocking him hard across the underground room, its hard spikes pressing into his scales, if that were a normal person then that would have been instant death, ¡­ ¡°I only moved slowly to drop your guards.¡± The suit grabs the young man up but¨C ¨CWhammp!! Pinoki¡¯s shadow hand comes through with a whack of his own that only makes the suit move a few centimetres back ¡°What? That was by hardest hit,¡± Pinoki reforms a shadow fist this time rocketing into the suit WaBlammm!! The suit tanks the hit easily, ¡°Hyuhn!¡± Aki however was on the attacks since the first move slides down near the suit with a chain she wraps around it¡¯s ¡°Come on!¡± she grabs Shiryu away while simultaneously pulling the chain from under the armor¡¯s feet Stolen story; please report.Crrcksh!? It breaks instead of flipping the thing over ¡°I anticipated that¡± grimaces Aki blowing out a stream of gas at he suit In-between the crevices of the chain some fire magic stones were set, and as the gas touches them¨C BOOM! The ground under it¡¯s feet breaks sinking the suit, ¡°Buck up Shiryu!¡± Aki shakes him ¡°Sorry,¡± he shakes himself up, ¡°That one caught me off guard. ¡°Pinoki try to hold it while it¡¯s sunk!¡± orders Aki and the little man complies at once creating shadow whips around the thorny suit, ¡°Shiryu you chip away at it I need a big enough opening to blow it from inside out!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Nods Shiryu jumping to the armor Shhhlingk!? Shhhlingk!? His claws swipe at the steel not doing anything but scratches, ¡°Uelrggh, I can¡¯t hold it back!¡± Struggles Pinoki, Brrrcckkk¨CBRAMM! The suit breaks free leaping high up creating a loud tremor on the floor as it comes down ¡°Duragon, We are in hibernation right now, This body cannot consume you, All we can do is restrain you for now¡­¡± the suit raises both it¡¯s arms up pointing them at the trio ¡°MAGIC EATER!¡± it¡¯s hollow voice rings and a dark aura begins radiating all over them ¡­. ... But to no avail¡­ None of the three seem affected by it, ¡°You have immunity to dark arts? We will restrain you then hard way¡± Fwang! Fwang! Fwang! Fwang! Then suit begins detaching spikes off itself and tossing them ¡°Still think we can defeat this?¡± Pinoki continuously slaps back the projectiles with his shadow hand ¡°I can use my requiem to turn myself into explosive gas and go inside it myself, I need you to toss a fire magic stone at it to set it off though.¡± ¡°Your what to what!?¡± Pinoki confused as to the woman¡¯s requiem ¡°I posses a requiem I don¡¯t need to say more than now¨C¡± WHHUUNKK! ¡°Aki!¡± The suit suddenly charges with incredible speed at the woman, Shiryu reflexively jumps in the way to shield the woman from what would have been instant death, Gabbummp! Both their bodies still smack into a wall behind ¡°Echhl!¡± The suit doesn¡¯t stop and rushes up again at Shiryu griping him by the throat ¡°You have to be restrained until our hibernation is over dragon, Sleep, Hibernate right now.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shiryu struggles out. ¡°Shi¡­. Shiryu, we are out of sync!¡± coughs Aki stumbling up from the knock back (Oh shit I feel weaker myself¡­) ¡°I think this calls for a retreat then¨Chhyyughh!¡± Shiryu uses his feet to push against the thing¡¯s chest leaping awa¨Cno, it immediately snatches his leg out the air WHHAMMM! It swings him down to the floor WHHAMMM! Again WHHAMMM! Again WHHAMMM! Again WHHAMMM! ¡°Stoppp!¡± Pinoki¡¯s shadow hand has been avidly pushing at the suit the whole time barely affecting it ¡°errjskldjdm¡± slurs Shiryu laid on his back sunk into the ground ¡°Escape¨C Unnghh-ahh-ahhh-awww-awwwhghgh!¡± The suit drops one massive knee on the young man¡¯s stomachs breaking all of his ribs instantly, ¡°Hibernate, until our body, the dragon King Geedorah, awakens.¡± BLAAMM! One spiked fist punch to his face cracks his scales off BLAMM! Another splits his head wide open Kcskss!? His blood sprays up like a clogged hose ¡°Ughnn I¡¯m¡­c.dmjjjgonnahfkffjfndie..¡± His words bubble (I have to hibernate or die) ¡°Idhfiff. Escape!¡± Shiryu musters one last yell as his vision goes blurry red from all his blood leaking into his eyeballs that now shut tight into hibernation ¡°Shiryu!¡± Aki¡¯s yell is the last thing he hears before it all goes blank. Heart of stone (Have I no shame? Being forced into hibernation not once but twice? If the other beast found out about this they¡¯d probably exile me because I¡¯d be too worthless to kill, Then again, I¡¯m never returning to the bends, with those monsters¡­ I¡¯m not one of them I¡¯m human, I am human I am I am) ¡­. ¡­. Chnngk? ¡°Urrrrr?¡± grunts Shiryu opening his eyes for the first time, Chnngk? A chain pulls back his arms and legs as tries to move (Where am I?) Cnngksssk? He easily breaks free adjusting his sight to the darkness of his current location, A small cold gray room in which chains hang from the wall, where he was previously strapped, A steel door bars his exit ¡°Hey!¡± Bamm! BAM! Blamm! He hammers the steel ¡°Where am I! Let me out!¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡°It has awakened¡­¡± Some voices whispers behind the door ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± ¡­. No reply, Patpatpattatatataa? The footsteps of the ones behind the door seem to be leaving the area ¡°Hey, come back!¡± (Guess I¡¯m breaking out then) SLAMM! Shiryu rams into the door SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! SLAMM! BASHAMM! The door finally flies out of the walls along with a recoiling Shiryu, ¡°Eerr.¡± He stumbles up groggily looking around a lit corridor, It seems to be an empty prisoner block¡­ Instead of cells these unlighted rooms with steel doors and chains (Where is this?) Shiryu turns open the steel door of a room next to his, Inside a pale body chained on the wall in an ¡®X¡¯ position, (Strange¡­..) Shiryu goes for a closer look, The body like an empty husk Chkkshhh? It disintegrates into dust the moment he lays a finger on it (Very strange¡­) Shiryu leaves the room trailing out along the corridor to stone steps at the end, cautiously he climbs them not knowing what to expect ¡°We should wait for Dexter to come and deal with this, I don¡¯t want to set that thing free.¡± Some voices become clear to Shiryu as he nears the door atop the steps. (¡­..) ¡­. ¡°I¡¯ve already freed myself!¡± Shiryu pushes open the door hard to startle the owner of the voice, expecting it to be armed guards, it turns out however to be regular persons, not even wielding anything there faces turn ashen white with fear seeing Shiryu and immediately scatter, ¡°Help! The monster is free!¡± (Monster?) ¡°Hey wait? I¡¯m not¡­¡± (Never mind) ¡°Yow¨CShiryu, your up?¡± a familiar voice calls coming up from behind the ones running away, ¡°Natsu? Wait I¡¯m in the asylum?¡± Shiryu recognizes the plain walls and strict lighting over an unfurnished back room on the first of said building Solitary He reads off a sign near the stairs from which he¡¯d emerged ¡°They didn¡¯t want to put your body outside so that man Dexter compromised to let you remain inside in the solitary room.¡± Explains Natsu ¡°You had better leave as to not cause an uproar,¡± ¡°Is Aki and Pinoki here? Did they get away?¡± ¡°Who else would have brought you back here, they both got banged up managed to avoid permanent scars, This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.That thing you fought sounds wickedly strong I want a go at it.¡± ¡°How long have I been down for?¡± Shiryu follows Natsu through the first floor of the asylum to the exit door, ¡°Some weeks, But your healing is remarkable, those were some near death injuries, your brain was practically leaking out your skull.¡± ¡°It is the only advantage I have as a beast honestly.¡± Shiryu steps back out on the grass, everything is just as he had last seen it ¡°Good, I was just about to come and you out myself.¡± A hand pushes his back further out, ¡°Hmm?¡± he turns to see the well dressed commissioner Dexter standing behind him, ¡°I was already out.¡± Growls Shiryu at him ¡°Now you are fully out, if you are looking for the chief of Bakufu she is somewhere on the grounds,¡± ¡°What are you hiding inside there?¡± Shiryu¡¯s mind suddenly flashes to the body that turned to dust ¡°¡­.¡± Slam! The door shuts in his face instead of a reply, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t kill or at least injure that one.¡± Shrugs Natsu ¡°You four siblings think exactly the same you know,¡± ¡°Because we are the best there is.¡± ¡°Then you injure that man for me.¡± ¡°Why would I? He does not bother me or get in my way,¡± ¡°Fair enough, I will take harming him into consideration¡­¡± ¡°Good, anyway if you are going to the chief she is probably by the lake, I prefer not to accompany you, but look for me when you get back I have more to ask you about that thing you faced.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± nods Shiryu still feeling somewhat confused about everything Seeing Natsu off he makes his way around the grounds to lake ¡­ ¡­ ¡°hahuh-hahuh-hahhhhuh!¡± Exhales become louder as Shiryu near the lakeside, ¡°Hauahuh-hhahhh!¡± huffs away a leanly muscular woman attempting pull ups off a tree whose trunk is covered with slash marks ¡°Aki?¡± Shiryu steps into her eyesight ¡°?¡± She notices him, but instead of speaking she rushes into his arms ¡­ ... ¡°I.. I¡¯ve missed.. I¡¯ve missed my strength¡­¡± Aki pushes him away after regaining her strength from the embrace ¡°Find that one armed man Pinoki, We¡¯re going back at once.¡± She says ¡°Wait, wait, let me catch up on everything first¡­ ¡°What happened after? How did you escape?¡± ¡°uhh¡± Aki groans wiping the sweat off her face in her vest, flashing her abs out in the process ¡°I grabbed you and we ran, end of story, I don¡¯t want to talk about it, You are unreliable Shiryu.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°We could have won but you keep breaking sync, And it cost us, I lost to a suit of armor, and the had to wait for you to take a good snooze for weeks!¡± Aki¡¯s eyes are alit with the passion and frustration she¡¯d been harboring for weeks, The fact that she was powerless without Shiryu annoyed her to no extent, to rely on someone else¡­ This was not the norm for someone like Aki ¡°Bu¨C¡± Shiryu opens his mouth to object ¡°¨CEnough talk we¨CI have been here for far too long, it¡¯s time to put an end to this.¡± ¡­. Those words she spoke unknowingly would soon come true in a way which none of them could have ever imagined. Fear into our hearts Crrrack!? ¡°Escape!¡± After one final punch Shiryu¡¯s head splits open he manages one final yell before falling out of consciousness ¡°Shiryu!¡± Aki scrambles to his body Fwangashk!! Her strength now drained she barely manages to dodge a spike rocketing at her, ¡°I got him!¡± Pinoki now the only capable of the three extends a shadow hand grabbing up both Aki and Shiryu¡¯s body away from the black suit ¡°Is he alive still!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t¨Cwe can¡¯t win without him, Get us out Pinoki quickly!¡± ¡°On it!¡± ¡­. ¡­. *** ¡°And that¡¯s basically what happened,¡± Pinoki finishes his recap to Shiryu, ¡°I can easily hide myself and others into my shadow, and move around, Aki seemed to be pissed we had to retreat,¡± ¡°Yeah, she doesn¡¯t like losing,¡± Skkkcksh!? Shiryu''s swings a spear through the grass cutting up a layer of dirt, currently him along with Pinoki prepare themselves for a round two with the sentient throne-armor, ¡°That ability of yours, she seems to depend it on now.¡± Claude although not going with the trio is here¡­ ¡°Have you figured out how it works, or how you can get it to work on others?¡± he asks, desperately missing being able to use magic. ¡°I¡¯ve been going over various scientific and magical theorems in my brain for the past few months trying to figure out exactly what and how my ability works but nothing adds up for me yet¡± ¡°Translate that for me again?¡± ¡°I have no clue how it works completely besides the fact that I usually have to share the same feeling or I guess sentiment, feeling is a bit vague, my ability is overly specific¡­¡± ¡°You really do remind me of Kage,¡± mulls Pinoki, ¡°He had this strange ability to see people¡¯s memories, it was weird, I really wanted to follow him on his adventure, I would have learnt so much¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just scratching the surface of what Kage can do, as a matter of fact we would be better off trying to find the things Kage can¡¯t do.¡± Shiryu says this boastfully as if talking about himself ¡°Relax with all of that,¡± Pinoki grabs up a handful of dirt chuck it into the air before catching it with his shadow hand He does all this while sitting on a patch of grass leant against a tree overlooking the lake, ¡°What I really want to know is about what Gino¨CKing Geedorah, I think it referred to itself, I want to know what you have in common with it, why did it suddenly decide to go after you Shiryu?¡± ¡°Union, I¡¯ve had this strange feeling ever since passing this city for the first time¡­ Like an invisible force trying to rip my heart out my chest, The dragon wants me to join with it permanently, I don¡¯t even want to know why¡­¡± ¡°Power maybe?¡± Claude suggests ¡°Everyone wants to get stronger.¡± ¡°That was Ginobelucci¡¯s goal but who knows if the dragon shares the same,¡± Pinoki responds to him ¡°It angers me that, Ginobelucci gets to cause all this pain and misery, but his entire existence is already swallowed by the dragon, What¡¯s the point of my revenge if I can¡¯t kill the bastard.¡± The young man laments ¡°Your guild master must have been quite the man for you to want revenge this badly,¡± ¡°No, Giichi was honorable warrior, but an irritable old man at times, I wanted revenge for all the pointless killing he caused within my guild, he was a former member himself and even journeyed alongside guild legends like Emma and Raguel, and¨C¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.¡°¨CRaguel? As in my father Raguel or someone different?¡± Shiryu cuts him off ¡°Actually those two are Apollo¡¯s parents.¡± Pinoki interjects. ¡°Emma was the last queen of Soterra¡¯s sister, we didn¡¯t even know Apollo¡¯s father¡¯s name till reaching here actually.¡± ¡°¡­.. My fault he no longer lives¡­¡± Shiryu mumbles under his breath ¡°What?¡± Pinoki catches it ¡°Elaborate on that?¡± ¡°Another time.¡± ¡°No, now, I want to know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story but you aren¡¯t ready to hear it.¡± (I don¡¯t think he would understand if I tried to explain, Terra, the education system, and angels all at once) ¡°But on the topic of things we want to know.¡± Shiryu artfully changing the subject, He turns to Claude, ¡°What kind of asylum has you chained to the wall where you eventually die that way?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± puzzles Claude ¡°When I came to I chained but, I¡¯ll let it slide since I know how people here see me, but there was another room with a whole dead body chained up, and when I touched it, it turned to dust completely, which is weird since that means it had to be there for a century or longer.¡± ¡°That is weird¡­.¡± Mutters Claude, ¡°This asylum isn¡¯t that old only constructed in recent times when the order and the merchant alliance formed a land agreement, this was previously merchant territory..¡± (How could people turn to dust that quickly, what is Dexter hiding¡­.) ¡°Is this entire city divvied up into territories?¡± Shiryu asks out loud ¡°Yes, that¡¯s basically the gist of how it was¡­ not much of anything out there now.¡± The young man slips into forlorn thought ¡­. Skkkcksh!? Shiryu swipes his spear again as a brief silence ensues ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as a spear wielder,¡± comments Pinoki, ¡°It¡¯s tactically sounds to maximize my powerful jumping, I need to be far to pull of great leaps in fights, if I go barehanded then it is more difficult for me to jump when I need to.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have other actual abilities as a dragon?¡± ¡°I do, if I used my dark energy I could boost my physical power greatly, also I could roar black flames similar to the ones surroundings this city, and probably much more but I haven¡¯t experimented.¡± ¡°Why? At least enjoy your own power?¡± Pinoki urges ¡°And become more of monster? The only reason I¡¯m like this right now is because of using my power so much as a child, I didn¡¯t understand what was happening till it happened, I rather call it quits now lest I end up with a tail or horns later.¡± ¡°And then there are some who would kill to have your power.¡± Claude suddenly says after being quiet the whole while ¡°Power is¨C¡± ¨CBrrrcckkk¨CBOOOOMM! A loud tremor of thunder interrupts the conversation ¡°Huh, a storm? I thought it was summer by now¡± Pinoki tries to peer through the fog.. ¡­. Surprisingly however the fog begins to clear, showing off bright blue sky ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± the little man hops up as the gray sheet moves away, revealing a web-like series of cords overhead from which black bulbs of those big-headed monster hang¨C ¨CNo, they begin fall BRRRGRRROOOAAAARRRR!!!! The sound reverberates throughout the entire city An alarm that sends a pan of fear into the hearts of all living beings, The dragon has awakened. We will love to eat you A vicious¨C THUDD!!! ¨Ctremors the ground all throughout Furlheim as many and multiple malformed creatures rain down from above YEOAAAARRRR!! A loud roar echoes to every reach of the city serving as a declaration of action as the black-red dragon raises it¡¯s head upright to the blue sky and vanishes¡­. It¡¯s large body now gone in an instant ¡­.. ¡­...? **** ¡°Everyone inside!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over for us!¡± ¡°Barr the place, get as much supplies inside!¡± Loud panicky cries began to erupt around the asylum¡¯s compound amidst the downpour of monsters The blurry mast of fog that once swamped the city now gone letting a quite pleasant burst of sunlight down onto the otherwise grim city GREEOWW!! Now loud growls and roars cover Furlheim, along with an invisible aura leaking out from the large beast now awakened and on a march. Badfummp! ¡°aghck!¡± (That dragon, King Geedorah, it is trying to find me,) BLAAM! GRAUHH! A creature falls near the trio of Shiryu of Pinoki and Claude ¡°Claude you need to get inside now!¡± Pinoki bats the creature away like a tennis ball ¡°Shiryu snap out of it and find Aki and get your ability thingy going!¡± ¡°Huh, yeah, let¡¯s move.¡± Shiryu shakes himself out of ponder SLAMM! BOOMMN! BANNGHH! The as the creatures fall from above so do the buildings that were held up raising a dust storm of particles in the air Grau¨Coommff! ¡°I¡¯ll keep knocking the creatures away, just hurry to safety!¡± Pinoki at fervently shields the group with his magic as they skirt across the now monster filled yard to the asylum¡¯s doors, ¡°OPEN UP!¡± Claude bangs, and it swings open instantly to the callus man Dexter ¡°Get in quickly!¡± He ushers Claude and Pinoki hastily, ¡°No, not you!¡± Dexter blocks Shiryu, ¡°What is your problem!? Now isn¡¯t the time to be acting like this!¡± Shiryu boldly pushes himself inside ¡­¡­? (What is that feeling?) ¡°I said out!¡± Dexter violently pushes him back out (Dark energy?) ¡°Agh, I can fend for myself out here anyway,¡± Shiryu shoots the man a spiteful glance, ¡°I¡¯ll stay out with you then,¡± Pinoki suggests, ¡°We will want you inside here Pinoki.¡± Dexter drawls ¡°Why, there¡¯s not much I can do from inside especially since I can still use my magic,¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Dexter gives a short regretful stare at the man before slamming the door shut, ¡°Prepare the barrier magic stones!¡± His voice comes through the door This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.¡°You don¡¯t have to¨C¡± ¡°¨CI saw it on your face Shiryu, something is off and you decided stay out.¡± Pinoki cuts the young dragon off before he barely had a few words out ¡°This may not be the Tom for that!¡± Shiryu point behind as a horde of the black dragon headed, lion bodied, tentacle creatures come on from behind, ¡°Aki may be by the lake come on!¡± The two begin a sprint SLAMM! SLAMMM!! SSLAMMM!!! The beasts begin ramming into the asylum¡¯s side foregoing the two runners, Crrr¨Cbeeyoww? Just before the walls could crack a barrier of light pushes back the creatures shielding the building ¡°Quick question Pinoki, Where does one obtain barrier magic stones?¡± ¡°Magic stones diamonds and crystals with are magic types are hard to come by you¡¯d have to get lucky in the mines.¡± ¡°Is there a mine nearby?¡± ¡°Nope, at least not to my knowledge, why are you suddenly interested in magic stones?¡± ¡°I¨C¡± ¨Cdhump! As Shiryu and Pinoki turn the corner round the building they collide with a body coming from the opposite direction, ¡°Aki!?¡± ¡°Where were you? Never mind, the outer walls have been destroyed and zombies along with those monsters ehkdddkbjdjfnc Hekdkifh¡± Badummpp!? ¡°Huh? Say that again Aki¡­¡± Shiryu spurts forward clutching his chest ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for this Shiryu!¡± she coldly yanks him up ¡°Bear with ifhdkcbdgufkld¡± Badummpp!? ¡°Ungh!¨CI can¡¯t¡± (It¡¯s close it has to be¨C) ¡°¨CWe are here!¡± THUND! A pair of black armored feet land loudly in front of Shiryu, The hollow armor from before ¡°Round to it is, you empty hunk of metal.¡± Aki takes out a needle thin sword ¡°Empty?¡± Shhhhaaaannnggggg? The figure claps its steel hands together and instantly its armor starts melting off showing a truly terrifying sight It¡¯s body a hulking the wall of deep red scales that would look like the muscular system from afar if not for the rugged spikes and bumps jutting out the humanoid creature like small waves on a beach, on it¡¯s stomach an ugly demonic face or rather just a mouth, it¡¯s teeth blares viciously but not as vicious as the teeth on it¡¯s main head, sat on it¡¯s broad neck like a block of steel it¡¯s elliptical crimson eyes staring hungrily at Shiryu Fwhip!? The thin black whips lash out from behind it¡¯s back hanging on in a way they look like deformed wings. ¡°King Geedorah in the flesh, we are, and will love to eat you now.¡± Loveless: Goodbye Blue Sky Slewp? Slurp? The mouth on the King¡¯s chest licks its sharp teeth in ravenous anticipation eyes locked set onto Shiryu The other two along with him stand firmly in cautious alert any movement BLAMM! SLAMM! GRUAAH! Even the loud rampage of monsters around them go ignored, Chht? Cngk!? Geedorah slightly edges his foot Pinoki and Shiryu both flinch by the subtle movement while Aki instinctively flings a dagger That¡¯s how tense the situation is, no room for speaking here, it is do or die¡­ ¡°Shiryu¡­¡± Aki nudges him (We still haven¡¯t synced yet¡­) ¡°Pinoki now!¡± Shouts Shiryu WAMP!! The little man fires a huge shadow fist at the figure to cover Shiryu and Aki who go to¨C ¨CWIPSKH!! The tentacles on Geedorah¡¯s back lash out yanking Shiryu to it ¡°I don¡¯t care to fight these humans,¡± Geedorah¡¯s voice fluctuate between different pitches and tones when he speaks COMP! ¡°Huh-wegh!¡± The mouth on its torso snaps at Shiryu but he pulls away Bwiff! And swings back the spear he still carries, using the momentum from being pulled The weapon wipes across the steel faced creature, shattering completely, doing as much damage as a baby lashing out at an adult BWACRRACKK!!! Geedorah answers his strike with a devastating blow of his own ¡°Owwnngh¡± Shiryu recoils horribly flopping to the ground, a couple of his teeth falls out as well (I can¡¯t contend with this¡­) ¡°Hang in there Shiryu, don¡¯t go napping on us again!¡± Pinoki darting near the King slips into his shadow while simultaneously conjuring a web of shadows pinning it Fwing!? Fwing!? ¡°I¡¯m not down yet¡­¡± Shiryu gets up at the same time Aki tosses to perfectly accurate daggers right at the eyeballs of the restrained dragon ¡°Hmm?¡± he grunts breaking away finally from Pinoki¡¯s shadow binds Vweejoww!!! Streams of fire erupt out of its crimson eyeballs incinerating the blades ¡°Shit, Shiryu, I need my¨C¡± CLLLOOPPPP!!!!!! Geedorah slams his hands together generating a force capable of blowing the woman away, Bujncngh! She lands horribly on her side GRAAUH!!! The monsters she lands by immediately changing their attention to her ¡°Aki!¡± Shiryu starts But a whip from Geedorah yanks back near it. ¡°My, other heads will consume the humans for us, We want you all to myself,¡± Grach¨C ¨CBunghk Just as the dragon had gone in for another chomp at Shiryu Pinoki rockets upward out of it¡¯s shadow with a shadowy fist that actually catches it off guard, ¡°Arrows!¡± The little man follows up with a storm of shadow projectiles ¡°Shiryu I can¡¯t, we can¡¯t win like this, it¡¯s do or die right, You have to use your dragonic power, fire with fire, I¡¯ll get Aki away from those things!¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.(It¡¯s do or die¡­) ¡°¡­..Y..yh..yeh..yes if it¡¯s come to that,¡± Shiryu stutters, and Pinoki quickly scurries away to the chief wasting no time (The education system taught me to respect those superior to you, I shouldn¡¯t be fighting this dragon, I should be on my knees begging for my life, that is the logical choice, I can¡¯t win unless I¡­..) ¡°Raahh, I don¡¯t understand anything, why you want to consume me or what even is your reason for all this.¡± He yells out clenching his fists letting his blood boil over Badum!! ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Badumm!!! ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. His heartbeat slows almost to a full halt, taking long breaks between intervals¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. Then¡­. Badump-badum-badum-badum-badumm-badump? It speeds up drastically like a high-pressure pump ¡°If I have to become a monster to kill one then, so be it.¡± Shiryu breathes out, Geedorah stands still and emotionless watching on as the young man¡¯s scales harden becoming a deeper violet color the opposite of his eyes that now glow a brighter violet ¡°Make yourself as tasty as you like.¡± Geedorah¡¯s voices echo tauntingly Slewp? It¡¯s second mouth smacks it¡¯s tongue ¡°Hyaaawwww!¡± roars Shiryu firing a blast of raw energy out his mouth Kuh¨C ¨Cchhung! Crackmsshh! Geedorah blitzes right up into his face wrapping his large land around Shiryu¡¯s head planting into the ground, ¡°You are no stronger than a baby dragon!¡± it guffaws *Yaaank!* ¡°OWAAAAAHHHHHHH!¡± Geedorah rips off one of his arms as easily as plucking a bird¡¯s feather Munch! Munch! Munch! ¡°You taste of potential, Definitely worth the time,¡± (Ahh, I can¡¯t think straight, I¡¯m dying I¡¯m dying my arm) ¡°Agghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!¡± Geedorah breaks off his lower leg and starts devouring it like a hungry wolf (Ahh-agggg-ahhh-owwww¨CI¡¯m done for even if hibernate he¡¯ll just eat me,) ¡°What the hell was the point of me surviving that day Raguel!¡± He cries out staring at the sky above him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just let me die, then!¡± (To die here?) Crunnnchhh!? Geedorah chomps away at his bones ignoring the pathetic cries, A cheerful summer noon sky basks down on Shiryu who lies waiting to be fully dismembered Such a mocking sight, for¨C Brrrrt¨CBEOWWWMM! A loud boom reverberates followed by the¨C ¡°The sky!?¡± ¡°Do you see it?¡± ¡°Is this the end!?¡± Surprised voices echoes from the nearby building ¡ªa now rainbow sky blares down above that radiates its majestic white light on everything below. ¡­.? ¡­.? ¡­.? ¡­.? ¡­.? ¡­.? Love our magic ¡°¡­? Hmn?¡± The dragon halts it¡¯s devouring of Shiryu staring up in confusing along with everyone else It was almost like time has frozen in this moment, every single being be it sticking their neck out a window, laying on their back outside or twisting their necks upwards to look up at the strange sight (Have I died? This looks like Terra) ¡­. ¡°YEEEAAAHHH!!¡± A loud cry breaks the sudden mass silence, ¡°I can use my magic!!!¡± ¡°yeahhhh!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I can too!¡± More voice start up ¡°Is this divine intervention!?¡± ¡°We can fight!!¡± The people of Bakufu who were swept into city with Shiryu and Aki, immediately fire up ¡°What Is This.¡± GUNNGHH! Geedorah cracks his fist inches away from Shiryu¡¯s face creating a small crater in the ground ¡°¡­ It¡¯s¡­. no¡­. me,¡± she slurs as light-headedness takes over (Could it be Kage?) ¡°Disrupting my power like this just makes it worse for you livestock.¡± The dragon king showing frustration for the first time, ¡°Grooooaaahhhh!¡± It roars the stationary monsters back up into action ¡°All of you will be eaten now, And for my main course¨C¡± ¡°¨CSmoke bomb substitution!¡± Vwoof!? A smoke bomb explodes in Geedorah¡¯s face and out of it Aki appears, kunai in both hands ¡°hyuha!¡± Crrck! She nails down the blades into his shoulders but the just shatter on it¡¯s tough shoulders ¡°See no evil!¡± Aki vanishes into smoke again as the dragon went to grab her throat ¡°Aggh!¡± ¡°Easy, I got you,¡± Pinoki slowly lifts Shiryu away, ¡°I¡¯m practically dead already.¡± Shiryu wheezes, (I¡¯ve already won anyways) ¡°Won? What are you talking about, we¡¯re fighting for our lives here Shiryu.¡± ¡­. Shinkk? Aki re-emerges from the smoke hacking a short axe at the dragon¡¯s throat but it only chips his throat ¡°Try as much as you want, No one would can kill us.¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Do have any idea what this is?¡± asks Pinoki now as he manages to make some distance from Aki and Geedorah ¡°The sky looks similar to how it is back on my home, Besides that, I feel a strange wave of both mana types, I think it may have temporarily cancelled out the effects of Geedorah¡¯s dark energy,¡± ¡°Temporarily ¡­.¡± Pinoki repeats ¡°After that I d¡­¡­.¡± Shiryu¡¯s voice trials of as his eyes catch sight of something in the sky, (Is that¡­? I¡¯m already dead, I have to be, because that¡­..) ¡­.. ¡­. BBCROOM! The ground under Geedorah¡¯s feet explodes sinking the beast down, ¡°Months, Months Months of having my strength by you, You are dead Fuyu, Natsu now!¡± ¡°Do no evil¡± ¡°Haaaaaahhhhhh!!¡± Booooooffffff!! As if being summoned, Fuyu and Natsu appear from behind the creature right on Aki¡¯s command The former uses her ability to freeze the dragon for the three seconds that ¨C Booooooffffff!! Booooooffffff!! ¨CNatsu wails down with orange fists of fire ¡°It¡¯s not even scratching it, I¡¯m going all out! Hear no evil! Huuuraaaghhhh!!¡± Natsu activates his ability and his eyeballs recede into his skull and light blue flames start puffing out his ears like a locomotive ¡°Good, I can work with this.¡± Aki steps back preparing to conjure some gases Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.THUND! Natsu lands tremoring blow just as Geedorah unfroze, He parries it but the shockwaves still reverberate nonetheless ¡°Bane, shield him!¡± Aki orders seeing the final siblings run in, ¡°Fuyu, you contain.¡± ¡­ ¡°Ice golem stampede!¡± she nods summoning her magic creations THHUMMD!! Another earth-shattering blow gets blocked, ¡°Speak no evil!¡± Bane leaps in front of his brother turning into indestructible diamond KABBOOMM!! Aki fires off a puff of combustible gas that ignites on Natsu''s powerful flames exploding Geedorah into hell, ¡°Grrrhahahah!¡± it breathes as the smoke clears ¡°You thin¨C¡± ¡°¨CDo no evil!¡± Fuyu freezes again Booooooffffff!! Booooooffffff! THHUMMD!! KABBOOMM!! The cycle repeats Again And again And again The raw power of King Geedorah was definitely more than enough to obliterate Aki, her siblings and everyone in the city, But the combination of the four evils working together no matter how durable or powerful was difficult to fight against Though the word difficult may be down playing their strength With Fuyu and her ice golems keeping the dragon circled and stationary it made it easy for her to spam her three second freeze, giving a powered up Natsu ample time to barrage with building levelling strikes and Aki to use his fire as ignition for explosions, all the while Bane blocks his brother from any retaliatory blow from Geedorah with his impenetrable diamond skin, ¡­. ¡°YEOOOAARRHHHH!!!¡± The dragon bellows out a shockwave trying to clear the attackers away ¡°YEOOOAARRHHHH!!!¡± It roars again BUFGGRRRRRRCCCKKK!!!! Stomping the ground to pieces forcing back the siblings in the process, ¡°Yeeeooorrrghhh!!¡± Natsu with a roar of his own rushes back still in his berserk state ¡°Hail of knives!¡± Fuyu switches to long distance magic ¡°Iron rock axe fist!¡± Bane leaps up over coating his hands and arms in the ore Bruckkk! And smashes down with resounding impact sinking down into the ground ¡°Do no evil!¡± Fuyu capitalizes on it¡¯s stationary position freezing it once more ¡°Bane, shield¨C¡± Kabooommmm!!! Kablaaaammmmn!!! Aki gets few explosions off, ¡°Now, Smoke bomb substitution¡ª ¡ªAcid gas¨Csee no evil!¡± Aki using a number of magic at once again to get directly in front of beast then turn herself into a ball of acidic gas, hoping to melt the tough scales ¡°Enough!¡± the creature roars out beams from it¡¯s eyes and mouth, Ggzzzzztzztt¨CBOOOMM!!! Geedorah¡¯s body spontaneously combusts, with red-black lighting sparking everywhere ¡°Uhnhn!!¡± The foursome of siblings sink to their knees gasping tiredly as a result something that looks like black holes beginning spinning under them sapping up their energy ¡°Grrrrrrrrrr,¡± a hulking dark red figure starts forming out of the embers, A large building of a body, no longer humanoid but a full dragon. STOOMMMNBBBBB!!!! It moves one foot forward causing an earthquake, The tentacle whips on his back starts flailing around as it prepares to snatch up the humans and¨C ¨CDoom!? A missiles whizzes out the sky exploding on Geedorah¡¯s massive face, Doom!!? Another shots rings, and a strange round craft hovers down into view ???? What? I¡¯m already dead aren¡¯t I? ¡­¡­¡­.?? Heartless void? Scuuuuooowww? Splooooshhh!? Scuuoolwwwp? Spliisshhhhh!? ¡°Huh?¡± Huh?? Huh?? Huh?? Huh?? Huh?? Huh?? Shiryu¡¯s voice echoes back, Scuuoolwwwp? Spliisshhhhh!? An ocean of black water¨Cno you can¡¯t even call this water, it¡¯s texture more lava, burst and splashes it¡¯s substance around, (Is thus death?) Shiryu finds himself partially submerged in this substance, ¡­scuuow? He slips out not feeling wet or hot or anything for that matter, Both his arms and legs are intact but they feel strangely different, ¡°Hello!?¡± Hello!? Hello!? Hello!? Hello!? Shiryu attempts to look around but despite his eyes being open it was th same as being shut everything was dark for him, blindingly so, the young man couldn¡¯t even see his own hand in front his face ¡°Kage, are you here?¡± Here?? Here?? Here?? ¡­. Sccouuwoopp! No reply. Aside of the pops and bursts everything remains in complete silence (Aghh, how did I get here again? My memory feels blurry, There was a ship, an aircraft flew above us¡­ And.. I flew? I¡­. I can¡¯t remember properly) ¡°Is anyone here, anyone around!?¡± Around!? Around!? Around!? Around!? Shiryu tries stepping forward but his foot starts sinking again, ¡°Uhhn,¡± He pulls out ¡°If this is some kind of torture prisoner, let it be known that I have full memory of hundreds of albums in my head, and can play them on repeat if need be!¡± Need be!? Need be!? Need be!? Need be!? (What should I start with? The dark side of the moon? That seems fitting given my situation¡­ Now how did the first track go again¡­..) ¡­.. ¡°Breathe, Breathe in the air, Shiryu is your name correct?¡± a sharp male voice speaks ¡°huh¨Cwho? Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Close your eyes to see.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Shiryu shuts his eyes and the darkness and¨C ¡°Yaa-ahhgh! What the?¡± he opens his eyes twice as fast to the darkness again ¡°Close your eyes.¡± The voice repeats ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Uhh, who are you? What is all this?¡± Scuuoolwwwp? The ¡®liquid'' Shiryu stands in becomes visible on his eyes closure Spliisshhhhh!? It swishes around, Not water but a hot slush of flesh, human flesh, animal flesh, beast flesh, all of it mixing together hot and gelatinous ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to move there is nowhere to go from here.¡± A distinguishably dressed man tips his fedora to Shiryu, The man¡¯s face a melted blurb¡­ ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°My name was Ginobelucci you may have heard of me.¡± ¡°Ginobelucci? You¡¯re the one responsible for the dragon. Where, where are we?¡± ¡°Nowhere, not dead but not alive either,¡± ¡°How does that happen?¡± ¡°The sea of flesh around us is from the ones consumed by me and you and I who are not a part of the pool are the ones that sat on the throne.¡± ¡°You mean that chair lf spikes? I didn¡¯t sit on that, I¨C¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you? How ever else would you be here?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°¡­.¡± (How did I? Why does my mind draw a blank after seeing that ship in the sky? Something else happened¡­) ¡°Did everybody die?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Ginobelucci extends his arm ¡°Are you ready to join us now?¡± Scuuoolwwwp? Spliisshhhhh!? ¡°Join you?¡± ¡°You have already sat on the throne and merged with us, the next step is to supersede me, the last person who was seated,¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing that, Wherever this is I want out.¡± ¡°You are nowhere you can¡¯t escape, time won¡¯t pass so it will feel like an eternity but also a short while simultaneously, Eventually you will forget everything you knew and become me.¡± ¡°Is that what you want? Who am I talking to exactly, Geedorah or Ginobelucci?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a difference between those names, we are the same person now, Out motive is simple, survival, We don¡¯t want to perish so we go to any extent to survive is that wrong?¡± ¡°¡­. What you¡¯re doing to people is¡­.¡± ¡°Is what? Wrong? Those humans do it all the time with creatures lesser them, they farm them and breed them for consumption, We are no different, Everyone wants to survive don¡¯t they?¡± ¡­.. ¡°That is not what you¡¯re doing, Draining people¡¯s strength and creating monsters out of it, You think I¡¯m gullible?¡± ¡°Heh, Those things are done out of love.¡± ¡°Love?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the humans would call it, Love for is what they call their survival incentives, So we do the same, Our incentive to survive is by consuming all living things, even as eggs we consume Humans¡¯ incentives are to form packs and relations, We don¡¯t have those restrictions, and you don¡¯t either Shiryu, you are also a dragon You feel it in your heart when we get near, you want to consume me, just like I would you,¡± (¡­.. That¡¯s not what love is, Is it¡­.?) ¡°¡­. This is what you wanted all along? You¡¯re still a human yourself Ginobelucci?¡± Shiryu counter presses ¡°My memories as Ginobelucci are still intact, yes, This is not what I wanted I didn¡¯t want death and monsters rampaging around my city,¡± ¡°Yet you went and caused it.¡± ¡°¡­. Yes, yes, I did, I don¡¯t know why I did that, I used to be an adventurer but my passion was discovering rare artefacts and requiems, it was my greatest passion that led me here, I had learned that there were two legendary beastman requiems somewhere in Furlheim city, and then I fell in love.¡± ¡°Huh, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recall much more after The person who told me about the requiems I fell in love with them, I can¡¯t remember if they died or is still living, All I remember is being in love for a long time.¡± (hmm, there¡¯s another requiem like the dragon in Furlheim, and what¡¯s love got to do with it all, I feel like that word is haunting me.) ¡°¡­. Are you dead Ginobelucci, Geedorah?¡± Shiryu asks out loud¡­ ¡°¡­ No, but something affected our power causing us to revert,¡± (It must have worked.) ¡°Ok,¡± Shiryu extends his arm, ¡°Merge with me.¡± ? Loves end: Metal Fingers vs King Geedorah ¡°What have you sent me into Kage!?¡± Ddddddddddddttttttddddddddtttttttt? Doom! Doom! A circular object zooms out of the sky raining a shower of bullets and missiles on the dragon, {¡°Aaa¡­ attention¡­p. people of third ring!¡±} A slightly nervous voice pulses out the craft¡¯s speaker, {¡°I come in peace!¡±} Vewwwhhh!? The ship dives down out of the way of the dragon¡¯s tentacle ¡®wings¡¯ whipping at it, Just before it lands the craft transforms into to tank, DOOOM! DOOM!!! It unloads two powerful energy shots at the creature, before then transforming the tank¡¯s canon into a drill, Churrnnn! DRAAMM!!! It full forcedly rams into the beast sp¨C ¡­. ¡­.. ¡°¨CThis isn¡¯t real, I¡¯m already dead I¡¯m dead I¡¯m definitely dead, This is just a simulation, a post mortem scenario, I¡¯m¨C¡± ¡°¨CEnough with that Shiryu, you¡¯re not dead.¡± Pinoki snaps in front the young man¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not¡­ No I am¡± he drearily stares past Pinoki to the now rainbow day sky, Aside from the unbelievable color flow, a soft shower of rain starts trickling down during the hot summer day, ¡°I¡¯m dead, I don¡¯t even feel pain anymore,¡± Shiryu rolls over on his left trying to get up despite missing a left leg and right arm now, the short spurt of rain already subsided ¡°You are alive!?¡± someone exclaims ¡°I¡¯m dea¨C¡± ¡°Yes, I somehow managed to survive¡± Pinoki replies helping Shiryu standing upright ¡°Amelia?¡± Shiryu blinks, ¡°How are you here?¡± ¡°Zinnia had some knights of Soterra stationed near the city for months, all of a sudden today the sky turned colorful and the barrier around the city dropped, we immediately marched in, Is my brother¡­.¡± Amelia meekly turns to Pinoki, ¡°Claude is safe, for now, at least, he is probably fighting those beasts with the others.¡± ¡°Where did you guys get that ship from?¡± questions Shiryu pointing over to the dragon and¨C ¨CBLAMM! Then dragon whacks the tank away with one swipe GEEWWOWWW!! Then unleashes a breath of black fire on the machine that retaliates firing out a an electric net on the creature before beginning another transformation again ¡­. ¡­. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is, We didn¡¯t summon that thing.¡± Amelia marvels at the craft now assuming the form of a.... ¡­. ¡°A steel titan!?¡± someone shouts seeing the chrome vehicle transforming into a humanoid shape though size on par with the dragon itself Bzzzztt! Steaks of green and blue lighting sparks out and through the machines skeletal steel body, it¡¯s arm limbs hang like loose chainsaw, chains sparking up electricity everywhere Stamm! It¡¯s feet thrusts up towards the dragon, Graauhhhh!! Geedorah tears through the net throwing itself at the mech GRBAMMMM!! The two collide with the dragon suddenly exploding into black fire and lightning blowing apart the mech ¡°You, who sent you!?¡± the humanoid body of Geedorah now forms at the foot of the mech, ¡­¡­ ¡­... ¡­.. ¡°Then who¨Cahh, help me up Pinoki.¡± Shiryu hops one-footedly ¡°Amelia may have healed your wounds but not your limbs don¡¯t bother trying to go near that,¡± the little man holds him back ¡°I will slip back and grab the bodies of Aki and her commanders, if they are still alive, Whatever that thing fighting the dragon is, I don¡¯t think want to get in it¡¯s way.¡± ¡°I know what that is¡­it¡¯s a type of vehicle only developed in my home.¡± (First the sky now this, I don¡¯t know if this is really real¡­) ¡°I have to¨Cahhhh!¨CI have to see for¨Cnnnnggh!¨Cmyself¡­¡± Shiryu pushes himself away from Pinoki, toppling over from the unbalance, Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.¡°ahhhhhhhhghhhggggg!¡± he lashes his arm out frantically behind as if trying to scratch an unreachable itch ¡°Achhkkkk!¡± Shiryu huffs in pain Brkk! Brkkk!! Bsshhhkkk!!! ¡°Ahhhhhghhhhggguuhhhhhh!¡± A spray of blood spurts out from behind him as two purple flesh wings burst out, ¡°Shi¨C¡± ¡°Hkkkssssshhhh!¡± Pinoki goes to touch the young man but backs off as he hisses, ¡°Ach, sorry¡± Shiryu¡¯s voice growls unintentionally, ¡°This. Hurts. Terribly.¡± Fwopp? He fans the wings whipping up a small dust, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ok to do this?¡± Pinoki asks with a fearful demeanour, Shiryu¡¯s face had now become harder, his snake like eyes in a permanent glare now his scales becoming more jagged and divided darker than ever.. ¡°No.¡± Shiryu drawls flying up for the first time¡­ ¡­.. ¡­. GAADDOOMMM! Geedorah now in it¡¯s human form grabs the foot of the mech and drops it down with an emphatic slam, {¡°Oh shii!¡±} A panicky voice pulse out of it, ¡°Is it a human Inside?¡± Geedorah jumps onto the torso of the downed ¡®steel titan¡¯ GzzzztttBOOMMM! And explodes he does once more becoming a massive dragon¨C Crrrnnnnrrrrccckk! ¨CWhose large claw now crushes the machine below it, Feeeewwwwww!! Dooom! Dooom! Dooomm! It fires up a rain of missiles, trying to force the creature off but it absorbs the shots and continues to press down Crrruunnnnn!!!? ¡°Shit! I can¡¯t transform out of this, my systems¨C¡± ¨CNnzzzzzzttttt!? The machine starts breaking down under the weight of the dragon¡¯s claws ¡°grrhhng.¡± It tilts its head over the mech open it¡¯s mouth wide for a powerful energy roar ¡°GrrrrrrrrRrrrrrrRRRRRAAACCKK¨C ¨Cackkk Aackkk Ackkk! Bleeuurghh!¡± The creatures body freezes up and it begins choking wheezing, gasping for breath {¡°Wah?¡±} The person in the mech gasps in relief but unsure of what is happening themselves, {¡°Hands of Doom!¡±} Taking advantage of the situation the mech swings it¡¯s chain like limbs together which interlock at once forming a canon Beeeeeooooowwwwwwww! BAAAAASSSSHHHHKKKK!!¨CDOOOMMM!!! The beam finds it¡¯s targeting unleashing fearsome firepower¡­. ¡­. ¡°Hey who is in there!? Are you from Terra?¡± Shiryu hover lowly over ground to the now reconfiguring mech, {¡°Another one?¡±} a canon instantly turns on him, ¡°Wowowow! I¡¯m a human, don¡¯t shoot,¡± {¡°You are huh, interesting¡­¡±} ¡°Y¨C¡± GEEEEEYAAHHHHHHH!! Geedorah¡¯s piercing raw breaks their ear drums once more aa the creature whips away the giant cloud of smoke and debris surrounding it from the exploding shots {¡°This thing won¡¯t die!¡±} ¡°Wait, it¡¯s going down watch.¡± Shiryu points his only good arm at the creature now shedding apart like aged wood (My body is bound together with mana, the only thing that neutralize the dark energy of a beast I could never win in a fight but by letting it consume a piece of me, I won.) ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m a genius,¡± Shiryu laughs out loud much to the alarm of the person in the machine, {¡°What¡¯s happening to it?¡±} Their weapon still active alternating between Shiryu and the disassembling dragon, Geedorah¡¯s body falls apart in some places while the rest shrinks back down into it¡¯s original state, A throne of thorns ¡°It¡¯s ov¨Cechkkk!¡± One last tentacle from the throne whips out in desperation yanking Shiryu throat first into Guurrshhruhhkk! In an instant Shiryu¡¯s body impacts the throne every spike penetrating his body his skull, eyes¡­ Everything¡­ ..... Everything you love ¡­. ¡­. For just a moment Just a small moment, the entirety of Furlheim city went silent, The monsters that were previously rampaging, broke down into foggy particles, The possessed people stopped cold in their tracks fainting unconscious, And the survivors stare at each other aghast ¡®What just happened?¡¯ was their thoughts ¡®Was it all over?¡¯ THHUDD! THHUDD!! BLAAMM!!! BAAMMM!!!! The silence breaks now as all the structures previously held in the sky begin their descent ¡°We are free?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°What happened to the dragon!?¡± Voices start to pipe up ¡­.. ¡°No, don¡¯t touch it, leave it like that, Find something to cover it up and we¡¯ll take it back to Tonbo with us.¡± A solemn Aki says to her brother Bane, They stand in front the dragons'' requiem looking respectfully at the impaled body of Shiryu, His blood drips down the throne¡¯s side creating a little pond, his body shrivels up slowly as it becomes one into the requiem ¡°Died like a warrior at least,¡± sighs Aki her eyes cold and dry Thudd! ¡°I never want to come back here again.¡± Fuyu speaks up also unfazed by the young man¡¯s passing, ¡°¡­..¡± Aki doesn¡¯t reply turning her eyesight to the other object of interest, It was before a large mech but now it parks still as an armored truck Czzt!? Bangg!! Czzzt!? The series of sound leak out of the machine ¡°Metal creature, I don¡¯t know what you are or why you did help us but you had better start explaining,¡± the woman captiously approaches it, knives in each hand Thud ¡±Has it moved or anything Pinoki?¡± she asks the little man who was guarding it hidden in shadow ¡°No, only those strange noises it makes.¡± ¡°Meta¨C¡± ¡°¨CSorry I have some repairs to finish.¡± A tinted front window suddenly slides open startling Aki she jumps back Thudd! ¡°A person, inside?¡± Pinoki peers getting a look at the individual''s face, A brown skinned chap with semi tall curly hair, on his eyes are plastered goggles his face is round and clean shaven he raises one of his hands out the window ¡°I come in peace, I¡¯m not an enemy,¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Aki edges back to the person ¡°I¡¯m an engineer from the second ring, my name is Daniel Grimm, but I go by the nickname MF short for metal fingers.¡± Thudd! ¡°You have two names?¡± ¡°Just like Shiryu.¡± Pinoki ads ¡°Who? Anyhow, I¡¯m sorry if I interrupted in anything here, I was flying on my way to Soterra and then I saw this big creature so the mad scientist in me got tempted to test the weapon capabilities of my ship.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.Thudd! ¡°¡­.. Huh?¡± Flying in a ship? Scientist? ¡°What do you know about Soterra?¡± Pinoki presses putting the other information to the side for now ¡°Nothing at all, I was sent here to see how things were and then return home, but I was also given two names of people to look for, Have you heard of someone called Zinnia the queen of Soterra and Aki the chief of¨C Ahhk¡± On the mention of her name Aki instantly lunges at the man¡¯s throat ¡°Who are you for real? A Wu-tang spy?¡± ¡°A what? No I swear,¡± MF pulls away sliding up the window a little Thudd! ¡°Kage told me those names I don¡¯t know about any Wu-tang.¡± ¡°Kage?¡± Repeats Pinoki in disbelief ¡°Describe Kage for me.¡± ¡°Silver hair, eyes like a night sky, a cold masculinity in his cadence but soft femininity when he speaks He used to wield a tielium glove bow, Is that description enough?¡± Thudddd! ¡°It.. it is.¡± Pinoki Stutters dumbfounded ¡°So Kage is alive? Where is he, is Lyra with him and Apollo and Karina?¡± ¡°Yeah I¡¯ve met Apollo and Lyra, never heard of any Karina , Lyra died recently though fighting her brother I thinkk¡­. And Apollo went missing with my friend so Kage went to find them, but he didn¡¯t want to leave off without making sure the people here were safe so he sent me to check if you were all dead or not.¡± ¡°gahhh I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Pinoki falls to his knees ¡°They were off having adventures this whole time, While I¡¯ve been rotting here¡­¡± ¡°So, I take it that you are friends with Kage?¡± MF removes his goggles revealing some inquisitive brown eyes ¡°No.¡± Aki hits him a deadpanned stare ¡°I am,¡± Pinoki steps in front of the confrontational woman ¡°I haven¡¯t known Kage for that long but I practically grew up with Lyra and Apollo,¡± ¡°What are the od¨C¡± ¨CTHUDD! MF trails off as the tremors suddenly get louder THUDD! ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. THUDD! ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. THUDD! ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. THUDD! The earth shakes sequentially sounding less like tremors from buildings falling and more like impacts¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Aki turns back to the throne, Shiryu¡¯s body has basically sunk fully into it, but that was not the source of the loud thuds whatsoever¡­ THUDD! ¡°Fuyu, Natsu do a quick scout of the area, Bane stay here with me in case¨C¡± Before she could get her orders out an ominous presence starts pulsing about and a black bat scurries quickly away from it¡¯s direction ¡­. ¡°Ummm.¡± Gulps Pinoki looking up, ¡°I think I found the source of the noise.¡± THUDD! A horned demonic looking figure drops out the sky making a quick beeline for the throne! New Me Old Love Bamm¨Cbamm¨Cbamm!! The large feet of the creature shakes the already ravaged ground It¡¯d sudden appearance a shock surprising everyone around that they temporarily froze watching in disbelief ¡°E.. everybody stop it!¡± Aki is the first one to catch herself ¡°Its trying to get the requiem!¡± Sure enough she was right this creature that stood at nine feet tall with a hulking mas of a body was after the Dragons¡¯ requiem it didn¡¯t even pay any mind to the ¡®insects¡¯ nearby ¡°Haaaa¨Cunghh!¡± Bane tackles it with his shoulder coated in hard rock ¡°hmm? Move human!¡± WHAMM! The beasts swings it¡¯s giant fist batting the young man away like a fly ¡­.. Then it stops¡­ ¡­.. Taking a good look at the warriors around it ¡°What kind of beast is this?¡± whispers Pinoki backing away The beast in questions was very unusual to say the least, it¡¯s body was the same proportions as humans but its skin a dark blue not scaly like Shiryu¡¯s or Geedorah however,. Just rough like dry concrete, its body from every inch was all muscle and on its head two horns like a bison, ¡°Weak, weak, weak.¡± It mumbles after glancing its hollow black eyes at the people Bamm¨Cbamm¨Cbamm!! And once again turns back towards the throne slamming down it¡¯s hoof-like feet ¡°Fuyu! You were supposed to freeze it! It stopped just now!¡± Aki barks angrily ¡°I couldn¡¯t it stopped but I think it wasn¡¯t completely still, my requiem didn¡¯t work¡± ¡°chhht, Just find Bane¡¯s body¡± the woman rushes forward at the creature ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is but I have to stop it, Pinoki stop standing there, and use your magic to either pull that thing back or if you can¡¯t , tell the man in the metal what-you-call-it, to use it to crush this thing.¡± ¡°R.rright,¡± Pinoki stammers ¡°Nats¨C¡± ¡°¨CYou don¡¯t have to tell me chief I already know.¡± Aki¡¯s brother joins her side ¡°Alright.¡± She nods in approval Bwooooooffff! Natsu pushes himself onto the beast¡¯s back with a strong blast of fire from one hand ¡°Hear no evi¨Cwaahh¡± Bummmddd! The beast yanks him off driving him into the earth, ¡°Don¡¯t bother, You can¡¯t win against me, Be grateful I¡¯m not here to¡ª¡± BANGHSHHKKK! It had gone unnoticed by the creature the thick gas that was building around it, the moment he was yanked off Natsu let out a small spurt of fire igniting the gas into a frigid explosion. ¡°You ok?¡± Aki pulls up her brother ¡°I¡¯ve been knocked worse,¡± he grimaces looking at the now frozen beast ¡°I am so tired of these creatures coming and thinking they are the most powerful blah,¡± ¡°I hate it too,¡± agrees Aki ¡°Metal man are you ready to assist us again!¡± Aki shouts back to MF now locked away in his machine, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished repairing the last damage!¡± ¡°Then finish it now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how technology works!¡± ¡°Ngghh¡± Aki grunts indiscernibly ¡°Natsu get your fire ready in case we need to refreeze this thing,¡± she already begins conjuring the cryogenic gas Crrrrcckkk? It¡¯s already starting Crrrccckkk? ¡°Natsu now¡ª¡± Braaccksshhhkk! The ice breaks and a speedy fists guns down at the pair, ¡­ They easily evade but¡­ THUDDDDMMMM! The earth tremors some terribly, creating shockwaves that push all nearby people and objects away ¡°Hey!?¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°I though it was gone!¡± ¡°The dragon¡¯s not dead!?¡± ¡°Its not over!?¡± Panic stricken voices start to light up as the warriors and people who were busy scourging through the ruins of the city now notice the demonic beast This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.¡°You made me push away the dragon.¡± The beast growls in irritation now unable to see where the throne had gone after that tremendous shockwave ¡°echk!¨Cechk!¡± Aki pushes off some debris off herself coughing from the dust ¡°I don¡¯t usually ask questions, But this once, What are you and why do you want that requiem?¡± ¡°Crusher wants the dragon, Are you going to get in Crusher¡¯s way?¡± ¡°Ye¨C Smoke substitution!¡± Aki doesn¡¯t finish her response immediately and unfearfully gearing into attack, Hyack! She reappears under the beast sliding a chain scythe around it¡¯s calf Crrck!? The blade and chain breaks instantly however making the woman stumble over as she tired to get up post slide ¡°Haha you are a resilient one.¡± Laughs the beast going by the name Crusher STUMMDD! And like the name implies he begins dropping slow but rocketing fists down at Aki STUMMD! ¡°ackunngh!¡± Even as she evades the hits the earth force of the punches upsets more and more earth ricocheting the rock debris at Aki, she can¡¯t even properly amass enough smokescreen to use her requiem as the impacts keep blowing it away ¡°Heeheeheehaa, Why are you running now all of a sudden?¡± Crusher finally catches Aki off her feet and snatches her up, ¡°uhghnn!¡± she struggles trying to get out of the grip of the beast¡¯s large hand around her thin waist ¡°I¡­. I¡¯ve heard of your kind before.¡± Aki now tries stalling for time as she discreetly conjures more gas ¡°The new breed right?¡± ¡°Huh? You humans know about us?¡± ¡°Not all but a acquaintance of mine who died told me, I didn¡¯t fully believe it, but now I see it, You are what he called an ogre, and there is another one of you right?¡± ¡°Who told you about Crusher?¡± ¡°Like I said before that person has already passed, And you will be meeting him soon, See no¨C¡° BLANGG! Before Aki could disappear into her smoke a steel force rams into the ogre knocking it off balance ¡°What took you so long metal man!?¡± Aki scrambles out the downed beast¡¯s grasp to the metal¡­ Wait¡­ That is not¡­ ¡°You¡­¡± Aki growls looking up at the spiky black steel armor, the bat from before flies around it excitedly ¡°It¡¯s¨C¡± ¨CBANGG! The suit begins to speaks but the ogre leaps up cracking it¡¯s fist on the spikes Baann¨Cslammm!!? It smashes down bouncing violently the black steel cracking away ¡°Crusher was looking for you dragon. Don¡¯t hide under this ugly metal, Show Crusher your face.¡± BAMMNGG! BAMMNG!! BANMGM!!! The ogre continues it¡¯s assault breaking away the black steel fully ¡°Aghh¨Cget off me!¡± WHAMM! A pinkish brown hand uppercuts the beast with incredible force ¡°I can¡¯t get a moment to breathe here! It¡¯s one thing after another,¡± The full body staggers out of the small crater Crusher pummelled it into Their face was unfamiliar to anyone here: large violet eyes, a smooth curved nose, pink lips, It¡¯s eyebrows and hair that stood tall and spiky was also a sharp violet, their body was slim but muscular and bare naked Curious lines like tattoos ran all across it¡¯s brown pink body also a violet color, On his back four bulbs like sleeping flowers, two lower two upper they were small and generally unnoticeable¡­ ¡°So this is the dragon under the throne¡¯s armor?¡± Grins Crusher ¡°No, Not dragon, human, I¡¯m still Shiryu, And I won¡¯t be going anywhere until I get my love.¡± Dracula would love to have a word ¡°Surprised anyone? I thought I was dead too but¨C¡± ¨CBIIFF!! Crusher immediately retaliates from Shiryu¡¯s surprising strike with one of his own ¡°Agh, come one let me talk.¡± Shiryu fans away dust created from the blow, his body stands unshaken from the hit ¡°You are much more durable with this naked body.¡± The ogre cracks it¡¯s muscles ¡°That¡¯s my magic, I¡¯m bending the light around me to form an armor but you can¡¯t see it, As a matter fact... You know what else you cannot see?¡± Shiryu suddenly disappears from the sight of the beast ¡°Crusher can still smell you!¡± CLOPP! Crusher slaps it¡¯s hands together blowing everything ahead of it away, ¡°ugnn!¡± Shiryu¡¯s body becomes visible again with it rolling across the ground ¡°You really think you can get Crusher with basic magic?¡± it laughs tauntingly ¡°I tried.¡± Shiryu gets up and shrugs The curious tattoo-like curvy lines all over his body start glowing ¡°Dragon Spear Cupid.¡± He breathes making a rugged weapon melt into formation in his palm It¡¯s tip glistens a deep black red like the scales of Geedorah, covered with mini spikes like teeth, the objects tail is rugged and glows inconspicuously like a slow ticking bomb. ¡°Come at me again Crusher.¡± Baits Shiryu holding the weapon out ¡°If you want to be crushed by Crusher then be my¨C¡± ¡°¨CNo, Crusher that¡¯s enough.¡± A commanding voice booms out of nowhere pausing the beast¡¯s movement ¡°Who else is there?¡± Shiryu throws his gaze around, besides the onlooker of Aki, her siblings and the others a black bat flies around in the warm summer day, ¡°I have seen enough,¡± the voice echoes from the creature, Puff! A dark aura spurts from it and out of it a humanoid body, One familiar to Shiryu ¡°Dracula?¡± Shiryu¡¯s hands shiver slightly holding the spear even firmer than before ¡°Put that away.¡± The vampire floats above the young man, ¡°Now you are really interesting, Very, very interesting, A snake that I was a dragon, Shiryu is it?¡± ¡°Shiryu Zadkiel, what do you want?¡± the boy keeps the weapon pointed up, ¡°I came here for the dragons¡¯ requiem, but it seems you already took care of it for me, A dragon wielding a dragon, very interesting indeed.¡± ¡°You knew what I was this whole time?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t even know you existed until recently, one of the wolves heard you, I was planning to deal with you separately from Geedorah, but there is no need, anymore.¡± Dracula flies lower to him ¡°Come back home with us Shiryu, I would like to have a word with you there.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not a beast I don¡¯t belong there.¡± ¡°Yes, true you are not a beast, that is because you are like me, one of the new breed, I won¡¯t ask again because I know you will come back regardless,¡± Dracula flies back up ¡°Crusher leave.¡± He orders the ogre ¡°Wh...why, why would I go back, what do you have?¡± Shiryu¡¯s unable to suppress his curiosity ¡°I am the orchestrator of everything that has happened here, You will return because you will want to know why, Or maybe.....¡± Pufff! Dracula doesn¡¯t finish his last sentence, transforming back into a bat he flies away, Stolen story; please report.THUDD! .... .... .... THUDD! Crusher leaps away following him, ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. (The orchestrator of everything that happened here?) Shiryu runs his hand through his hair in frustration (Hair? Have I changed much?) He looks down at his skin for the first time noticing the lack of scales ¡°Shiryu, is that really you?¡± Pinoki wearily approaches him, By this time many people had gathered weapons and magic at arms ready to attack the ogre that had left They now turn their attention to Shiryu and the ¡®metal creature¡¯ ¡°Yes it¡¯s me, I am not a monster I promise!¡± Shiryu turns to the people raising his hands above his head ¡°Is it over for real this time?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°What is that metal thing then?¡± ¡°Why did that monster just leave,¡± the people murmur not paying much attention to the young man ¡°Everyone who is a resident of this city come back to the building, and supply up, we¡¯ll handle everything here.¡± The voice of Dexter rises over the people as he and Marshall push through trying to restore order in the aftermath of everything, ¡°First of all thank you for hel¨C¡± Marshall starts ¡°¨CWhat is, what was that metal black magic you were using!?¡± but Dexter speaks over him commandingly to Aki, ¡°Watch your tone,¡± Natsu growls as he and his siblings scramble to her side, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything¡­ ¡­..Anything about that thing,¡± Aki coughs now feeling the post effects of the battles ¡°Can everybody stop referring to me and by extension my tech aa some kind of savage animal?¡± the vehicle¡¯s door slides open to MF now dressed in full protective gear steps out ¡°I¡¯m just an engineer who is was passing by and decided to help.¡± ¡°Are you from Tellus?¡± Shiryu squints at the man ¡°Tell¨Cwho?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the name of the second ring, your tech is from first ring Terra but just by observing you I know you aren¡¯t from there.¡± ¡°Terra and Tellus¡­. I didn¡¯t know they had names,¡± MF rubs his chin intrigued ¡°What do they call this one?¡± ¡°Gaia¡± ¡°Hmmm Gaia,¡± ¡°Enough of this small talk,¡± Dexter interjects ¡°You, the man in the strange garbs explain yourself and purpose, the same goes for you naked man,¡± (He doesn¡¯t recognize me as a beast again?) ¡°You can refer to me as Mr. Zadkiel,¡± Shiryu puts on an assertive tone ¡°And I just helped in saving all your asses, you don¡¯t need question me of anything else, As a matter of fact you should be giving us thanks.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Dexter flashes Shiryu a displeased scowl ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we came here for, to thank you,¡± Marshall speaks in ¡°The warriors of Bakufu and whoever you two strange individuals are, We are grateful.¡± ¡°And what of the dragon¡¯s requiem?¡± Dexter presses dismissing his companion¡¯s graciousness ¡°It is gone that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± Shiryu replies without hesitation ¡°The other one however, I know it¡¯s still around here, somewhere.¡± ¡°Other one?¡± Marshall echoes surprised while Dexter stumbles back as if being jump scared ¡°Is there another potential dragon lurking around here?¡± ¡­.. ¡­. Dont touch me, Dont love me Furlheim city, or as it is called by it¡¯s residents, Sweepstake city having endured a year of solitude from the outside now sees itself brought to life again, In light of the dragon¡¯s defeat the people who were once seen as ¡®zombies'' came back to consciousness though their bodies were drained to the point of death, many had to be attended to at once, along with the destroyed mess that was the city, Shiryu and Mf the two strangers were left aside for now¡­. ¡­.. ¡°I KNEW IT! I knew Kage wasn¡¯t dead!¡± Shiryu is exclaims loudly ¡°No need for the commotion,¡± Pinoki shushes him, Shiryu now draped in gray cloak walks alongside Pinoki and MF who rides a treaded motorcycle on the bumpy ground of the city¡­. ¡°My bad, I just, I knew it, gahh.. where is Aki I need to gloat to her so bad right now.¡± Shiryu throws his violet eyes across, they still looks like that of a snake¡¯s but unless staring at him you wouldn¡¯t notice, ¡° I still haven¡¯t picked up a reading on anything hidden or buried here,¡± MF says looking down at the screen on his bike ¡°Come on Shiryu, are you sure there is some hidden requiem here? No one has heard or knows of it.¡± Pinoki urges to stop As the city had been significantly destroyed and repairs had not ensued yet Shiryu chose to take the opportunity to look for this other requiem¡­. ¡°I guess we won¡¯t find anything¡­¡± he sighs, ¡°Plus I don¡¯t want to drag you all across the entire city,¡± ¡°Hey I don¡¯t mind,¡± Metal Fingers slows down to a halt, ¡°I¡¯m really interested in investigating many of the sites and structures of this ring, Magic stones and such, This is a new to me and very, very intriguing,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a family or people to return to?¡± ¡°Not immediately, where I¡¯m from many people don¡¯t make it out, They die from either violence or disease.¡± ¡°Is this second ring such s terrible place?¡± Pinoki raises his eyebrows in alarm ¡°Nah, not ring, just my home, I was originally from an Island called Metallica, it¡¯s basically a dump where all the old appliances and tech goes, it¡¯s only because I used to play with so many tech as a child that I started getting help from the government because I was intelligent, Everyone else there isn¡¯t as lucky.¡± ¡°Well I don¡¯t know what an island is but it sounds awful,¡± (¡­.) ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Alright seal this entire section off! There are too many decomposing bodies for us to do anything here right now!¡± Shiryu, leaving behind Mf and Pinoki wanders into a group of people busy clearing things up, A lot of people from Soterra and neighbouring villages had already started coming in to help with the reconstruction, (I wonder where Aki is) he thinks passing his eyes around¡­ The warriors of Bakufu move out and about looking for each other to regroup, Aki hadn¡¯t even let Shiryu have a word after Dracula left, she immediately set off to get her people together¡­ This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°¡­Are you really the same Shiryu?¡± a voice suddenly whispers behind his ear, ¡°agh, Amelia, don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Are you the same Shiryu?¡± she repeats ¡°Yes, obviously do I look that different?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Amelia takes a good while to visually examine the young man, ¡°¡­ No, you still look like monster to me,¡± ¡°Oww, thanks for those motivational words.¡± ¡°Now tell me Shiryu, the last time I saw before you looked like this, you were missing an arm and leg, Now you have both limbs.¡± ¡°Yeah because I got pulled into the requiem,¡± Shiryu whispers under his breath ¡°It probably regen¨C¡± ¡°¨CI don¡¯t care about that¡± Amelia cuts him off ¡°I just want to know if they always heal back, Cause then I could cut off a few myself,¡± (I forgot this woman was crazy) ¡°Did you find your brother?¡± Shiryu tries changing the subject, ¡°He died.¡± Aki replies blankly ¡°Waitt, Claude died!?¡± ¡°Huh, someone called me?¡± the young man head bends out from the group of people currently busy Amelia flashes a wide smile at Shiryu¡¯s dumbfounded face ¡°Of course he isn¡¯t dead, or I wouldn¡¯t be talking to right now.¡± ¡°You are a sick woman,¡± ¡°I feel really good actually¡­¡± Amelia trails off as her brother joins them ¡°I heard you looked different now, But are you really the same Shiryu?¡± is the first thing Claude asks ¡°A lot has happened in a short amount of time, You know you people bounce back real quick, it¡¯s been less than a day and things are already being done,¡± ¡°I feel like it¡¯s because of the sky,¡± the young man looks up at the fluctuating layer of colors above ¡°Everyone feels weirdly motivated by it, It¡¯s like we¡¯re in a dream.¡± (Why is the sky like this? Geedorah had nothing to do with it, Kage I wonder¡­.) ¡°This kind of scenery is common where I¡¯m from.¡± Shiryu says shrugging ¡°I just don¡¯t know why it¡¯s her¡­..¡± Now Shiryu is the one trailing off his words as he spots the Chief moving through leading a couple of her people, ¡°Aki, hey!¡± he abruptly leaves the twins behind to catch up to the point woman, ¡°What, did you find this other requiem you mentioned?¡± the woman answers annoyed ¡°No, not yet but I was, I¡¯ve been hoping we could talk,¡± ¡°We¡¯re speaking right now.¡± ¡°No, I mean about what¡¯s next, With Dracula, the sky, Kage, we have all¨C¡± ¡°Look Shiryu that isn¡¯t my concern I have a nation to manage,¡± Aki brushes him off, ¡°Wait, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shiryu pulls her back ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± She pulls away, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to break this to you lightly Shiryu, so I¡¯ll just say it how it is, We¡¯re not friends, we never were, I needed to use your ability to survive, I don¡¯t need to do that anymore, so I don¡¯t need you, Don¡¯t touch me again unless it¡¯s a fight, don¡¯t hug me, don¡¯t love me, sorry but that¡¯s it for us Shiryu,¡± ¡­. ¡­. A fraction of Akis heart ¡°I want us out of here as soon as possible, We, I, have spent too much time away from home than expected, the people here will deal with the aftermath themselves.¡± Aki informs to her squadron of warriors ¡°Chief!¡± They nod in affirmation and begin preparing to move out ¡°hhuhh¡± Aki sighs to herself looking up at the sky or rather the empty space above that previously was occupied by the houses hung up The months she spent up there now a blip in her memories, (What do I do with him now?) Her mind sinks into thought (I¡¯m the Chief I can¡¯t have friendships, There is no room in my heart for anything else but my people¡­ Anyone else¡­ Shiryu¡­ he hold me back, I almost lost twice because I was relying on him, Just like granddad said, getting close to people makes us weaker, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I shouldn¡¯t care¡­ Is that person even Shiryu anymore?) ¡°Sist¨Cchief,¡± Natsu¡¯s voice grabs her attention ¡°Are you concussed or something? you look like you¡¯re seeing stars,¡± ¡°No, I was just umm, thinking our next moves and what this strange sky is about.¡± Lies Aki ¡°Shiryu and that metal man knows something I bet, they went off looking for another requiem I think.¡± ¡°Yes, I already know that.¡± Aki looks away from brother at the destroyed city, She stands right at the center intersection watching out for any of her warriors that would come by, The horizon around is a dusty crumbled mess of concrete and wood, even if everything was repaired would still have hated the sight, Too many buildings crunched together, not enough space between them for wind to pass, she much prefers the quaint wooden houses of Tonbo, where the wind chimes and whistles passing through the boarded walls onto the antique bells, ¡°I wonder if Shiryu is coming back with me?¡± she suddenly blurts out loud ¡°Huh, are you thinking that a about observing his actions now that he¡¯s assimilated with the requiem?¡± Natsu inquires feeling a bit unsure why she would mention the young man suddenly ¡°Y..yyes that¡¯s exactly what I was thinking.¡± Aki stutters, ¡°We¨C¡± ¡°¨CNatsu you need to run some drills with the warriors before we set off,¡± Fuyu interrupts slipping in between her siblings ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright then I¡¯ll be off chief.¡± Natsu nods to Aki, she nods back allowing him to leave The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Fuyu immediately presses her ¡°Don¡¯t get weak on us now Aki, You are getting attached to that boy, I like him too but even our pets we can¡¯t love, Remember what gran¨C¡± ¡°¨CI know what granddad touch us, I remember best out of us, don¡¯t try to lecture me,¡± snaps Aki ¡°I am only making sure sister,¡± Fuyu locks eyes with her sister, essentially looking at refection of herself, ¡°How long have we know each other Aki?¡± ¡°Our entire lives.¡± ¡°Do you love me sister?¡± ¡­. ¡­.. ¡­. (I can¡¯t allow myself to get weak) ¡­. (I can¡¯t ever¡­) Aki now briskly strides through the ruins on her way to the outskirts, her sisters¨Cno, her grandfather¡¯s words now echoes endlessly in her mind, Shiryu also¡­ ¡°Aki, hey!¡± Speak of the devil, the young man¡¯s voice cuts into her thoughts stealing away her attention, he rushes with eagerness to her ¡°What, did you find this other requiem you mentioned?¡± the woman answers annoyed (Why is he so happy to see me?) ¡°No, not yet but I was, I¡¯ve been hoping we could talk,¡± (You are a liability to me) ¡°We¡¯re speaking right now.¡± ¡°No, I mean about what¡¯s next, With Dracula, the sky, Kage, we have all¨C¡± ¡°Look Shiryu that isn¡¯t my concern I have a nation to manage,¡± Aki brushes him off, ¡°Wait, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shiryu pulls her back (You make me weaker) ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± She pulls away, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to break this to you lightly Shiryu, so I¡¯ll just say it how it is, We¡¯re not friends, we never were, I needed to use your ability to survive, I don¡¯t need to do that anymore, so I don¡¯t need you, Don¡¯t touch me again unless it¡¯s a fight, don¡¯t hug me, don¡¯t love me, sorry but that¡¯s it for us Shiryu,¡± ¡°A¡ª¡± Shiryu opens is mouth to reply but the woman already speeds off (I relied on him too much, Even when he got battered by the dragon armor back there and was unconscious for weeks, I have was so worried, I hate that, I hate that it bothered me, I hate that I prioritized his safety when the rest of my mem wash here suffering, That¡¯s not what a good leader does, I can¡¯t care about one over all, My happiness comes from my people¡¯s happiness, My heart only as room for my country Nothing else, No one else.) Love moves on Is it how look? Do I look fake now? It has to be that right? Right? She wouldn¡¯t just¡­ She would. Why would she? Was I just being used? No. It didn¡¯t feel like that. But¡­ Do I dare look at my reflection?) Shiryu stares into a mirror overlooking a dashboard of controls, his reflection doesn¡¯t show, Or rather he still hides his refection from himself, ¡°Well what do think?¡± Mf¡¯s impatient voice snaps him out of thought ¡°About the ship¡­. Yeah I¡¯m definitely familiar with it, we call them zeppelins where I¡¯m from, I definitely believe Kage designed this, out tech does not work here no matter what, the fact that this does means he definitely was involved with this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand the correlation there?¡± ¡°Kage is g¡­ Never mind you wouldn¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Sigh Shiryu ¡°I¡¯m open to hearing anything,¡± Mf raises his goggles to peer inquisitively at Shiryu ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Kage is... more than just a regular person like us, She, he, is the living embodiment of balance on the rings, or in your terms Kage is the only administrator on our server, A god if you will.¡± ¡°You are totally serious?¡± Mf asks in sheer wonder ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to believe it.¡± ¡°Well it is hard to believe without substantial evidence.¡± ¡°Then lets go find some!¡± Pinoki suddenly barges into the craft ¡°You two are excluding Kage are some of the strangest people I have met, And wherever you go I am certain a great adventure will follow, The time for sticking is over I don¡¯t want to see this city anymore we¡¯ve done enough.¡± ¡°Adventure? No.¡± Mf waves his hands dismissively ¡°I just want to get some valuable information to help with my research between the correlation of what you call magic and out tech, I don¡¯t plan on doing anything too crazy,¡± ¡°aughg!¡± Groans Pinoki ¡°What about you Shiryu? New body new adventure am I right?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m just looking for love.¡± ¡°AUUGHH!¡± the little man groans even louder ¡°What are you on? Love? Come on, Don¡¯t you have that vampire visit, a requiem to look for, and what about this homeland of yours that always had a colorful sky? All those adventure potential and your on love???¡± ¡°Ahh, well when you put it like that,¡± Shiryu passes his hand through his hair still surprised it¡¯s there to begin with ¡°I do have a few things to see after,¡± ¡°Then what are you waiting on? We move.¡± ¡°We move,¡± Shiryu smiles, repeating Pinoki¡¯s words, His teeth still as sharp as ever (If it means I won¡¯t be alone) ¡°Why not have some adventures.¡± ¡­. ¡­. **** ¡°We cannot express our gratitude enough Mr. Zadkiel,¡± Marshall shakes Shiryu¡¯s hand firmly ¡°I didn¡¯t do as much as you to think.¡± Shiryu pulls his hand away bashfully ¡°You should thank those warriors from Bakufu who came.¡± ¡°They have already left,¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.(Aki¡¯s gone huh¡­..) ¡°The Chief is always on the move,¡± Claude speaks in, as Shiryu unintentionally slips into thought, It¡¯s been s few days since Geedorah¡¯s defeat, most of the City¡¯s population has moved from inside the damaged city to the outskirts in tents while the repair efforts ensue ¡°The stories of those warriors valour and discipline are definitely true after witnessing how they handled our situation, so calm and composed even during the worst,¡± Marshall reflects, quite impressed ¡°A shame we lost a man like Giichi after all of this, Have you and other members of the guild chosen another representative yet Claude?¡± ¡°Not yet, we haven¡¯t found everyone yet plus we are still recovering, Giichi sir was so irreplaceable, I don¡¯t know who we would pick.¡± ¡­... ¡­.. ¡°That man Ginobelucci, his motives for this still remain unclear to us, need some form of closure,¡± a woman¡¯s voice suddenly interjects, Shiryu, Claude, Amelia and Marshall turn their attentions to an old woman wobbling into the spacious tent being assisted by Dexter, ¡°That is him, sir Zadkiel whom I told you about,¡± Dexter directs the woman to Shiryu, ¡°Greetings to you good sir,¡± the lady extends a wobbly hand to him ¡°I am Ms. Pesadora one of the leaders in charge here, I came to express my thanks,¡± ¡°Umm, well there is no need,¡± come an awkward response from Shiryu ¡°I also heard that you were in search of another powerful requiem here?¡± ¡°Yes, do know something about it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any other artefact like that here anymore mr. Zadkiel,¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°As the leader of the service group I was in close allegiance to our merchant alliance, even though their leader Mr. Buck is no longer with us I know for a fact that the requiem you speak of it was discovered a long time ago and sold.¡± ¡°Do you know where?¡± ¡°I am not a merchant i wouldn¡¯t know.¡± The old lady taps Dexter¡¯s shoulder signalling him to her help away, Strangely enough the volatile man remains subdued his eyes pressed alertly on Shiryu ¡°Well this old woman has said her thanks already, I need rest desperately so I will be going.¡± Ms. Pesadora nods him off (What a bizarre interaction.) Shiryu watches in bewilderment, the old woman accompanied by Dexter wobble away¡­ ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°What did you think of that man Pesadora?¡± Dexter whispers after the two had completely left the vicinity of the others ¡°I like him he¡¯s helped contribute in saving us from the dragon crisis, But the profits we made from this alone is outrageous, a real pity Buck couldn¡¯t live to see it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like how he knew about the other requiem, Not a soul is supposed to be aware of it¡¯s existence,¡± ¡°There is probably a leak on their end.¡± ¡°Speaking of them, we haven¡¯t been in contact for so long,¡± ¡°We should work towards re-establishing our lovely relationship with them then.¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. Return to Heart Vhhhuurrrrrnnnnn? A silver roofless jeep speeds across the fields of Gaia bumping up pebbles and grass in path, scaring the many unaware creatures that now scurry away in fear ¡°Ahh, I missed this!¡± Pinoki outstretches his arm absorbing the warm summer breeze, ¡°Never ever, ever again will I let myself get confined to one place again, Once was bad enough but twice is insanity.¡± ¡°I know what you mean,¡± comes an absent minded response from Shiryu who leans his face out the window letting the wind touch his skin, A sensation quite foreign to him after being covered with resistant scales for so long¡­ ¡°When I left the Bends after being there for basically my whole life, I made up mind I would never rejoin those beasts ever.¡± ¡°Well now you don¡¯t have to worry about that since you don¡¯t look the part anymore.¡± Pinoki says in assurance ¡°¡­mmm¡± Shiryu nods, Still to this day the young man has not seen his own reflection¡­. ¡°Are you going to explain how you did end up looking like this?¡± ¡°My current body? I merged with the dragons¡¯ requiem remember?¡± ¡°Yeah and that turns you into an ugly dragon not a human.¡± ¡°For regular people yes, but my body has mana which counters the dark energy of the dragons¡¯ requiem, instead of it absorbing me I absorbed it,¡± Shiryu points the swirling series of purple lines covering his arms and torso, ¡°You see the requiem is mean to absorb a host and use their body as a conduit, But my body is like poison to it, so the opposite effect happens, I can use the dragon how I would want, whether it¡¯s by making armor for myself or using it as spear, the raw power of the requiem is now mine,¡± ¡°Damn, I still can¡¯t wrap my head around how different all these concepts over here, magical beats, mana types etcetera, I feel like a kid in college again.¡± Mf who had been steering the vehicle shares his thoughts ¡°It¡¯s not as different as you think,¡± Shiryu yawns, ¡°I told you before that I was from Terra, the first ring, right?¡± ¡°You are, for real?¡± ¡°Born a taught there, Magic is no different to a subject like rocket science, it seems jarring and complicated, but when you break down the core parts everything opens up,¡± ¡°So it¡¯s possible to generate the same magical effects with machines?¡± ¡°If you know the all the exact intricate processes the yeah,¡± ¡°Hey I think I see the tree coming into view.¡± Pinoki interrupts totally uninterested in the duo¡¯s conversation ¡°Can this thing move any faster?¡± ¡°Of course it can,¡± Mf turns his attention fully back to maneuvering the vehicle Vhhhhhhuuuuuuurrrrrnnnnnnnn!!!? It zips on towards the city Soterra, the farmers and warriors in the fields outside the city break their necks in bewilderment trying to make out what manner of beasts move past them ¡°How do you people even get on travelling around without navigation?¡± Mf mumbles watching the building shapes focus in ¡°The navigation on this ship, the Jukebox, doesn¡¯t work at all here, I was flying around for a while before I saw that dragon in that city,¡± ¡°Maps obviously.¡± The little man squints at the looming town ¡°I¡¯ll show you one when we get to Soterra¡­..¡± The talk from here dies down with Shiryu already slipped into thoughts, Pinoki gazing at his homeland and Metal Fingers busy at the head¡­. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.¡­. ¡­. ¡°Halt!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°What is that!?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± As the vehicle zips into the city, so comes the alarmed shouts of it¡¯s inhabitants unable to perceive what exactly it is ¡°It¡¯s heading towards the city hall!¡± ¡°Kill it quickly!¡± ¡°It moves so fast!¡± ¡­ ¡°Maybe I should stop so we could explain¡± Mf begins to slow down the craft ¡°No, keep going,¡± Pinoki nudges him on ¡°We¡¯ll stop when we get to city hall, when Zinnia sees me she will clear everything up, I¡¯m not interested in wasting time in this cursed place.¡± ¡°Seems like a nice place to me.¡± Comments Shiryu, ¡°Well it wasn¡¯t always a nice place,¡± Pinoki gazes at the magnificent tree shedding it¡¯s leaves that joyously flutter in wind, The image of the giant castle that once stood in place of the tree sill remains visible in his mind, The memories of those times regrettably unforgettable¡­. Bump! The jukebox comes to an abrupt halt in front of the city hall at the base of the tree, almost knocking Shiryu and Pinoki out of it ¡°Couldn¡¯t you be a little softer with that?¡± grumbles Shiryu who¡¯s torso is out stuck out the window ¡°I mean there are seatbelt for a reason¨C¡± ¨CWHAMM! ¡°Hey!¡± Now it¡¯s Mf¡¯s turn to exclaim as a giant hammer slams into the vehicle¡¯s side ¡°This is as far as you go metal beast!¡± an armored warrior twists the hammer back again, Other similar armored people start to emerge from the hall, ready for a deadly fight ¡°We¡¯re not a beast, everyone calm down!¡± Pinoki hops out at once raising his one arm up trying to direct the attention to him ¡°Look this way, is this not a familiar face to you? A person of legend in the flesh, Pinoki of Soterra!¡± ¡°Who?¡± the hammer wielding warrior does not let down his guard ¡°Don¡¯t act silly with me, I am one of the people that helped kill Murdoc, surely there are songs and legends made for me by now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone by¨C¡± ¡°¨CEveryone stand down, it¡¯s alright!¡± A slim seductively dressed woman swings down on a rope from atop the tree behind the hall, Her voice rings loud and sharp as she lands right between the trio of Shiryu, Mf, Pinoki and the Soterran warriors ¡°I heard you died Pinoki.¡± The woman retracts her ¡®rope¡¯ which shrinks in size into a shiny black whip ¡°You can¡¯t kill a concept.¡± Pinoki assumes a pretentious tone ¡°What is that thing, and who are those two.¡± The auburn haired woman disregards it, fastening the whip to her exposed thigh she struts over to the Jukebox, ¡­ Mf stays inside while Shiryu exits¡­ ¡°I have never met these two before,¡± her pale brown eyes scanning them ¡°Actually we¡¯ve met before Tori, I¡¯m Shiryu remember?¡± ¡°Shiryuu¡­.¡± Tori repeats to herself, eyes still haven¡¯t moved off him ¡°You were that pet Zinnia was keeping if I remember right?¡± ¡°I was one of her knights not pet¡­ Is the queen there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tori doesn¡¯t answer at once still suspiciously eyeing the trio, making up her mind on how to react ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡°Zinnia is in an important meeting right now, that¡¯s why this place is heavily guarded.¡± She finally speaks ¡°Well I¡¯m sure meeting her old friend will be more important than meeting whoever she with.¡± Scoffs Pinoki ¡°Hardly,¡± Tori runs her finger along the silver surface of the jukebox ¡°The people she speaks with currently are from the Wu Tang.¡± Loveless: A glimpse of the Wu Tang ¡°I hope we can reach an agreement soon queen Zinnia, but for now I bid you adieu.¡± A man and his two comrades bow graciously before leaving the woman be¡­ ¡­ ¡°I heard a commotion outside,¡± One of the three speaks, a woman with a soft whispery voice ¡°I heard it too, I don¡¯t think it should be anything alarming.¡± The first man replies, The group quickly strut out of Soterra¡¯s city hall, not a single sound coming from their footsteps¡­ ¡­. Fwoo~ ¡°¨Care from the Wu Tang.¡± The buildings door swings open just as then words leave Tori¡¯s mouth, ¡°Is someone trying to find out about us?¡± The man¡¯s sharp ears pick up on it He peers analytically at the foreign group, (Are these people from the Wu Tang?) Shiryu stares back, The three all share identical looks, their straight matted hair evenly trimmed into bowl cuts, around their eyes are dusted dark, ears wide and alert, The only woman of the three wear a sleek full body garb similar to Aki but hers, red and gold, on her back are two machetes strapped in an ¡®X¡¯ position, along the edges of the blades are magic gems encrusted. The second man wears a baggy white and gold martial arts gi, he the bulkiest of the three carries no weapons aside from the taped around his fists, on each of his fingers are magic gem rings¡­ The first one to speak is man who wears a long flowing robe-like fit of burgundy and gold colors, his entire body barring head, is covered by the long sleeved garment and on his back is a what appears to be kite, made from the skin and feathers of beasts ¡°What manner of carriage is that?¡± he looks past Shiryu at the jukebox, ¡°I¨C¡± Shiryu opens his mouth ¡°¨CActually never mind, we are on a tight schedule,¡± the man cuts him off taking hold of his kite, Vwooooo? A strong breeze kicks up almost immediately as the man tosses the kite into the air grabbing hold of his other two companion, Whooshhh!!? It yanks them up and the breeze gushes them away in surreal fashion¡­ ¡­.. ¡­. ¡°That was the Wu Tang.¡± Tori lets out a deflated sighs ¡°They really have you all this tense?¡± Shiryu himself feeling his nerves calm ¡°This area where Soterra is used to be their territory before our founders negotiated ownership, They have not bothered us for centuries so of course we would be tense when they visit all of a sudden.¡± ¡°ZINNIA ARE YOU HOME!¡± Pinoki promptly yells up the building, ¡°Hello? You can¡¯t just shout for someone like that, What happened to being courteous and respe¨C¡± Zinnia¡¯s head pokes from an above window displeased at first but her expression changes upon seeing the little man, Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.¡°PINOKI IS THAT YOU?¡± Her elation can practically be felt from down below ¡°I¡¯ve returned from the afterlife with news from Darius!¡± He jokes in response, ¡°You did? You have!?¡± ¡°heheh,¡± Pinok makes a face before entering the hall, Shiryu and Mf follow behind leaving Tori alone with the Jukebox, ¡°Are you ok with just leaving that there?¡± Shiryu whispers to engineer ¡°Yeah I have it secured pretty well.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± ¡­.. ¡­. ¡°Pinoki!¡± Zinnia is already at the bottom floor to hug the man ¡°Agh, enough, Are you really trying to send me to my death?¡± Pinoki pulls away finding himself being crushed by the embrace ¡°I am making sure you were really alive, I thought you were for so long.¡± ¡°Well I wasn¡¯t, I¡¯m Pinoki, I always survive,¡± ¡°And you came with some friends?¡± she finally acknowledges the other two young men ¡°That¡¯s Shiryu, and Daniel or Metal Fingers, a friend of Kage.¡± ¡°Shiryu? You mean the same Shiryu that the chief of Tonbo stole away?¡± Zinnia eyes Shiryu ¡°I told you I was actually human,¡± Shiryu attempt to slick back his hair but it sticks straight back up ¡°I¡¯m glad you were.¡± Zinnia gives him a soft hug. (Uhh my heart, I think it just melted) ¡°And you are Daniel?¡± she turns to Mf ¡°Yy¡­yes¡± he stutters thinking he is actually facing royalty ¡°Kage sent me to see if everything here was fine, he specifically told me to sought you out.¡± ¡°Kage....? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be dead?¡± Zinnia¡¯s eyebrows raise confusedly ¡°Thaats a long story in and of itself,¡± interjects Pinoki ¡°And we will discuss that just now, but first I want to see it, The little devil where is it?¡± ¡°He is sleeping.¡± Beams Zinnia pleased that her son was mentioned ¡°Do you want to meet him now?¡± ¡­. ¡­ **** Gwaaaaaaasssshhhhkkkkk!? A heavy outburst of water pushes through a large waterfall that only grows in volume A large assembly of people gather around the water ¡°What is going on here? Why is everyone outside?¡± Chief Aki and her group of returnees approach the people ¡°Chief!¡± ¡°You have returned to us Chief!¡± they exclaim joyously ¡°What is all of this?¡± Aki disregards the greetings much more pressed on the overflowing rivers and raging waterfall in front her ¡°The sky turned colorful, and suddenly the silver mountains broke open, sending a endless currents of water to flood our nation.¡± ¡°The entire nation??¡± ¡°Apparently so chief.¡± ¡°Where is the former chief what has he done?¡± Aki remains calm despite wanting to scream out in sheer distraught right now ¡°That¡¯s another problem chief You see, the Wu Tang also attacked during this moment of lapse Shiki the dragon has been abducted.¡± What love creates ¡°Sage? This is your uncle Pinoki.¡± Zinnia caringly lifts the child in between her arms The baby boy passes an interested glance at Pinoki through his emerald green eyes, before turning his focus to his mother¡¯s chest ¡°He just woke up so he¡¯s probably hungry.¡± Zinnia slips her finger into the baby¡¯s small hand twirling it around, ¡°Looks like a mini Darius,¡± Pinoki waves his hand above trying to capture its attention to no avail ¡°Doesn¡¯t have either of your eyes though.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a special boy that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Or he¡¯s born with magic poisoning,¡± Shiryu negativity inputs and receives a rare scornful look from Zinnia ¡°Sorry, I I¡¯m just saying, he might have been predisposed to high levels of mana or magic before birth, It¡¯s not dangerous or anything, I didn¡¯t mean to sound negative.¡± The young man starts profusely apologizing ¡°Well I never heard of such a condition.¡± ¡°It¡¯s extremely uncommon and isn¡¯t deadly or dangerous so when it does occur most wouldn¡¯t think any of it.¡± ¡°griill.¡± Sage mumbles indiscernibly to Shiryu¡¯s words as if he understood ¡°This is your long lost uncle Shiryu,¡± Zinnia lifts his tiny little arm to Shiryu for him to shake The baby¡¯s eyes sparkle elegantly at him when he shakes it with his fingertips (I wonder if Kage is the reason for your condition little one¡­) ¡°Uncle¡­ I like the sound of that.¡± says out loud ¡°Are any of you actually related?¡± Mf interjects feeling quite out of place himself ¡°Zinnia and I have been through enough to be considered siblings, and Shiryu claims to be a brother of Apollo.¡± Explains Pinoki ¡°Wait you are actually related to Apollo? It¡¯s weird how things end up.¡± ¡°I am, but we have never met yet regrettably¡­¡± ¡°When Kage finds him I¡¯m sure you two will meet then.¡± Mf says reassuringly ¡°You may even get to meet my best friend Himari, she actually a complicated relationship with Apollo I think¡­¡± ¡°Who? Who is this Himari?¡± Both Zinnia and Pinoki perk up with curiosity ¡°You, mr. Daniel Metal Fingers was it?¡± ¡°Just call me Mf.¡± ¡°Mf, can you tell me what Apollo and the others have been up to, where even are they, or are you from?¡± ¡°To put it in simpler terms I am from a faraway and a little over a year and half ago in my time, Apollo and Lyra was picked up by my former employers, the government, Apollo was fine for the most part but Lyra was severely injured, I ended getting called in to help creating a cybernetic spine and back plate for her,¡± ¡°A what? I don¡¯t know what those things are.¡± Zinnia puzzles ¡°He¡¯ll explain those things after, you will just get more confused if we start going the rabbit hole of tech.¡± says Shiryu wanting Mf to continue on his story ¡°Well anyway that is basically how I got aquatinted with Lyra, she came for routine maintenance from me and that was it, around the time my friend Himari was assigned to monitor Apollo, it took almost a year before they actually became friends, And it was around that time a year later Kage showed up, he was brought in for piracy but he was released the quickly due to having some connecting to the government lead, Kage and I became friends quick, he shared the same curiosity I do, we hit it off, The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.There¡¯s some other stuff that happened between then and now, but I honestly couldn¡¯t tell you, I¡¯ve been in the dark about most things.¡± ¡°What about this woman, Himari? How close is she with Apollo?¡± Presses Zinnia ¡°I don¡¯t think I should talk her personal business with strangers¡­¡± mutters Mf hesitantly ¡°Hey, if it¡¯s about Apollo then it is our business.¡± Pinoki pressures ¡°¡­.. Ok¡­ Well about half a year ago, the last time I ever talked to Himari was the day before she and Apollo disappeared and my mother¡¯s passing¡­. She was panicky, and if you knew Himari you¡¯d know she was the calmest most nonchalant person, but she was actually panicking, I thought something was wrong an¨C¡± ¡°¨CWas it?¡± interrupts Pinoki ¡°No. It was not.¡± Mf answers irritated that he¡¯d been cut off ¡° She was stressed because apparently she was pregnant, which was the most surprising thing to me since she has so much discipline she wouldn¡¯t even go on dates let alone¡­¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Apollo¡¯s!?¡± now Zinnia interrupts excitedly ¡°Yeah she said it was but that¡¯s the last I heard from her, Lyra died the day after, Kage went missing, Apollo and Himari disappeared, and I became a fugitive because I tried accessing information I wasn¡¯t allowed, One of my neighbours from childhood was a pirate so I sought them out for refuge, Half a year later, Kage suddenly turned up again out of the blue, he was a lot meaner and driven than before, said he¡¯d been at the bottom of the ocean for months... To simplify things as much as possible I¡¯ll say, he gave me that ship I travelled here in, told me look for queen Zinnia, and he¡¯ll get Apollo and Himari, And now here we are.¡± Exhales Mf getting exhausted from speaking ¡°You hear that Sage, you¡¯re going to have a little friend.¡± Zinnia who¡¯s ears had shut off after hearing about another child now speaks to hers eagerly ¡°Gahh, this makes me more excited to get going right now!¡± Emotes Pinoki ¡°Kage is on a crazy adventure right, and I¡¯m missing out,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to leave already after just returning Pinoki?¡± ¡°Of courseee not Zinnia We¡¯re going to rest first then leave.¡± ¡°You are missing an arm are you sure you will be safe?¡± ¡°If I knew it wouldn¡¯t be an adventure, it would be a safe trip.¡± Drawls Pinoki ¡°Well then maybe you should abandon this love of adventure.¡± Zinnia challenges ¡°hahah that is a funny joke¡­¡± Pinoki begins to argue ¡­ .... ¡°What do you mean disappeared? Who are you fighting against on Tellus that would be causing Kage and Apollo trouble¡±?¡± ignoring the other two Shiryu continues to question Mf ¡°You said you¡¯re from the first ring originally right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s who we are fighting against, it supposed to be a war.¡± ¡°War?¡± Zinnia and Shiryu gasp out simultaneously ¡°Is this about the Wu Tang?¡± the queen who upon hearing the word ¡®war¡¯ assumes an uptight seriousness ¡°No, we were talking about something else,¡± answers Shiryu ¡°But on the topic of the Wu Tang, those people we saw leaving they were here for war?¡± ¡°¡­ No, well not with us, They want our alliance for one, apparently we are on the verge of a great war.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ .... *** I dont love it here Vwoooooooooooossshhhhhhhmmmm!? ¡°Try to keep a low altitude Mf, the aurora the stream is disruptive.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Jwoooohhh? The jukebox now in the form of a circular spaceship zooms over the land of Gaia to it¡¯s next destination ¡°I¡¯ve really never seen a map like this before,¡± Mf looks down on the control dashboard at a vaguely detailed image of the area ¡°This functions like tech, but you say it¡¯s a requiem.¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah that¡¯s the requiem map,¡± yawns Pinoki who had been distracting himself with the aerial scenery replies ¡°Kage and I wanted it not too long ago, I thought he took it with him, but Amelia told me back in Furlheim that she took and left it with Zinnia, You¡¯re welcome for that by the way,¡± ¡°Seems like you didn¡¯t want to stay in Soterra for long at all.¡± Comments Shiryu ¡°A day was enough for me, I saw some familiar faces, let everyone know I¡¯m not dead, that¡¯s all that needed to be done, I¡¯ll probably go back in a years time again, that¡¯s if I survive this next adventure.¡± Pinoki¡¯s eyes gleam of excitement ¡°You know for someone who is afraid of danger you seem eager to throw yourself into those situations,¡± ¡°I am not afraid of danger, I live for it, I only try to escape and run because I don¡¯t want to die, come on Shiryu that should be given.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to die then don¡¯t put yourself in the position to be killed,¡± ¡°Blehh,¡± Pinoki makes a face ¡°What¡¯s the fun in that? I rather escape any day than confront or fight powerful people or creatures, I put myself in the position to pull off legendary escapes and survivals, Trust me it is infinitely more fun to run away than to stand like a like a hero and fight,¡± ¡°Nope they are both anxiety inducing if you ask me.¡± Mf gives his two cents ¡°On Terra the education system teaches us to always surrender to those stronger than you, so that¡¯s what I would do,¡± says Shiryu ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bow to Geedorah then?¡± inquiries Pinoki ¡°Strength isn¡¯t just raw power when we say strength we mean power and intelligence, I was weaker in power but superior intellect,¡± ¡°Damn the first ring sounds so advanced, I mean I always knew it was but hearing it from an actual native puts it in perspective,¡± Mf murmurs ¡°We are the pinnacle of all human beings,¡± Shiryu puffs boastfully subsequently receiving no response from the other two as the scenery abrupt halt shifts from colorful day to black night ¡°Whooah.¡± Mf ¡°That was so seamless how it just changed times.¡± ¡°This is what you call the bends?¡± Pinoki asks equally as awed ¡°Yeah.¡± Come a dry response from Shiryu, ¡°And it didn¡¯t change time it¡¯s still day, your human eyes just can¡¯t discern the different levels of darkness,¡± ¡°There is a spectrum of darkness?¡± Mf an Pinoki now peer out at the dark sky as if the would see it themselves ¡°You won¡¯t see it, even if I described it you wouldn¡¯t be able to perceive it, the actual color is something unsaleable to humans so your brain¡¯s default to calling it black, It¡¯s still really dark here though¡± ¡°You¡¯re a treasure trove of information Shiryu,¡± compliments Mf, ¡°I love you,¡± comes a sudden response ¡°Huh? Pardon bro?¡± ¡°Are we friends now Mf?¡± ¡°Ummm, sure¡­ You¡¯re weird as shit Shiryu, but I guess we can friends.¡± ¡°Yoww is that the place?¡± points Pinoki who hadn¡¯t been paying heed to the others, Ahead the silhouette of the sky citadel comes into view ¡°That is the place, You can fly around the sides to the hangers,¡± ¡°There are hangers in that old castle?¡± ¡°Mhm, most don¡¯t know this but the beastmen actually access to advanced technology, they have or had a good collection of ships, But the problem is they don¡¯t work on the mainland, the moment a jet flies into the mainland all the systems fail at instantaneously.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ... ¡­ ¡­. ¡­Crcsshk? Shiryu jumps down out of the hovering jukebox into the open ship bay atop the citadel, his feet causes an echo throughout the large empty enclosure You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.¡°Where are all the ships you said?¡± Pinoki jumps out after him ¡°I blew them up,¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a whole other story, I¡¯ll tell you later¡­ Mf you keep mobile, fly circling the citadel, and if we don¡¯t come back after a while start shooting.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for this, but ok.¡± Mf calls from inside the ufo-like aircraft, before slipping back out the bay beginning it¡¯s first lap (Home sweet home) ¡°Come on let¡¯s get on with this quickly, Pinoki¡± The two make the way to the back of the dark spacious hanger into the a waiting elevator Pingk? ¡°Yoww~¡± marvels Pinoki as a shaft begins moving For him a bizarre but intriguing experience, for Shiryu a tense, unsettling situation (No way they don¡¯t know we¡¯re here already) he thinks (Surely they noticed is flying in) ¡°I am surprised we have not been spotted yet.¡± Pinoki says as if hearing Shiryu¡¯s thoughts ¡°Most of the beasts moved to the mainland when the dragon first appeared, but still there should be a few here to spot us.¡± Mumbles Shiryu Pingk? The elevator stops (This far isn¡¯t the floor I wanted) ¡°Maybe they¡­¡­¡± Pinoki who had started speaking immediately trials off as the door opens to an unfamiliar figure A figure almost identical to a human woman, her body perfectly proportioned and curved her skin ashen white like a corpse¡¯s behind her two black silky bat-like wings, being the only indicator that this person is indeed not human ¡°We were expecting you,¡± she flashes a perfect smile that almost hypnotizes Pinoki if not for Shiryu snapping his fingers between his eyes ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m here to know something,¡± stutters the young man ¡°From Dracula I mean¡­¡± ¡°You are here because this is your home,¡± the beast woman smiles again turning around betokening them to follow ¡°Who is, what is that?¡± whispers Pinoki ¡°She can still hear you, That is Lamia the other half of the two vampires, Her and Dracula are the most intelligent of the beasts so the act as delegates,¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± Lamia looks over her shoulder smiling seductively again ¡°Look away,¡± warns Shiryu ¡°I heard she draws in humans easily like that.¡± ¡°Rest easy, I¡¯m not going to eat your friend,¡± the vampire turns back around, ¡°Just making sure he was human.¡± ¡°That felt weird,¡± blinks Pinoki like he hadn¡¯t heard anything just spoken ¡°Where is she even taking us to?¡± Stepping out of the elevator took the two into a dim corridor where they met Lamia, who leads them further down the hall which gradually gets darker and darker the deeper they get Soon the walls becoming practically invisible in the darkness, Pinoki and Shiryu stick close together in silence on their upmost guard, should anything befall them, ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Everybody is waiting,¡± Lmaia abruptly stops at the end of the corridor, Shiryu squints in the dark to make out where she has stopped seeing nothing but a stone wall, (A dead end?) ¡­ As the thoughts pass his mind Lamia suddenly steps into the wall ¡°Come on don¡¯t be afraid,¡± she calls, (What are we getting into) Vwoop! A hard breeze slaps across the faces of Pinoki and Shiryu the moment they walk into the wall, completely phasing past it into a room? ¡°Are we outside?¡± Pinoki blinks in finally being able to see anything that isn¡¯t darkness again They step into a strange enclosure¡­. A small forest covering the width of the room set directly in front of a tall mountain to the back of the room ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Pinoki peers up at the roof, ¡°How is there a mountain, yet the roof¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think on it too much you¡¯ll just confuse yourself,¡± Shiryu says while peering around in confusion himself, ¡­ ¡°Hey, where did that woman go? She was right in front of us¨C¡± Shiryu began to point out when ¨Cgraahghh!¡± A large carnivorous beast lunges itself into his chest! Loveless: Den of the new breed Graauhnngghh! A giant wolf roars pouncing Shiryu to the ground, ¡°agh¡± he yelps feeling it¡¯s claws beginning to pierce his skin ¡°Shiryu!¡± Pinoki yells out on alarm instantly lashing out a shadow hand at the creature pulling it back ¡°Thanks,¡± gasps Shiryu scrambling away ¡°grrrrr¡± the beast breaks away from Pinoki¡¯s magic running up on Shiryu again ¡°Stay off!¡± hisses Shiryu the violet ¡®tattoos¡¯ on his body glowing now *Slasshh!* The wolf takes a swipe at him but this time his skin remains unscathed ¡­. ¡°Grrr, I give up.¡± The beast abruptly stops much to the surprise of Shiryu and Pinoki who were right about preparing some powerful attacks The animal the size of a car, stands up on it¡¯s hind legs shrinking it¡¯s body¨Cno transforming it into a hairy bipedal form, the body of a human but features of a wolf ¡°Freki?¡± Shiryu identifies the figure, calling it out in a respectful tone ¡°grrr, you are the same snake I spared isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­.." Shiryu doesn¡¯t reply ¡°You went from a weak underling to one of the new breed, Or perhaps you always were? I knew I kept you alive for a reason.¡± ¡°Why did you attack me?¡± Shiryu still keeps his distance unsure of the werewolf ¡°Just playing around.¡± Freki bares his teeth in a sadistic smile ¡°I told you they wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± another beast leaps out of a nearby tree, Almost Identical to the first this second werewolf is Freki¡¯s counterpart Geri Her sharp eyes move swiftly from Pinoki to Shiryu ¡°You are the newest, new breed?¡± ¡°Where are we and what happened to the vampire Lamia?¡± ¡°Grrr, here is our own personal chamber, we are still inside the citadel, you can call this a hyperbolic reality chamber, This forest and mountain are both fiction and reality, We the werewolves live in the forest, the ogres on the mountain and vampires in the mountain.¡± ¡°Which way do I have to go to find Dracula?¡± ¡°Any direction.¡± Geri and Freki suddenly leap back into trees ¡°I don¡¯t know about this.¡± Whispers Pinoki ¡°But it makes me excited¡± ¡°¡­..¡±hhahaahh?¡± Shiryu exhales casting a glance at the surrounding area The mountain range spreads endlessly as does the forest, a dim red light casts down off the non-existent roof blanketing the room ¡°All directions look exactly the same,¡± Pinoki points out cautiously stepping forward, Aside from the direction they entered, all sides of the room are warped so that any way you turn you¡¯d always be facing the trees ¡°Well don¡¯t just stand around there, Dracula is waiting.¡± A growling voice echoes out the trees ¡°¡­.¡± Shiryu and Pinoki give each other telling glances before moving in¡­ ... Crrnch? A fallen branch breaks under the weight of Shiryu¡¯s foot, the sound reverberates throughout the deafeningly silent forest, The trees don¡¯t sway, the wind a motionless vacuum, everything feels so lifeless¡­ Though they had a lot of comments and observations on the forest, strangely enough the dead silence compelled the two to march on quietly ¡­ The sea of trees itself was not that long or large of an area it would not belong till the pair would find themselves on the opposite end of the warped woods. Thud! Budd! THUDD! BAMM! Juxtaposed to the ear bleeding silence, a loud series of thumps break into audibility as the two come face to face with the base of the mountain THUDD! ¡°I can¡¯t wait to crush things again!¡± a gravely voice bellows down from above BAAMM! ¡°At least you got a chance to go and fight those humans!¡± a second voice booms ¡°That must be the ogre¡¯s.¡± Shiryu says feeling strange speaking after what felt like an eternity of silence ¡°This place is incredibly strange,¡± Pinoki speaks under his breath cautious of being heard ¡°Yeah, and those wolves have not kept their eyes off us, You can¡¯t see them if you look but I can feel their gaze, I want to hurry and get out of here.¡± ¡°Well you are the one who brought us here in the first place,¡± ¡°It was a spur of the moment suggestion,¡± (We could be anywhere else right now¡­) ¡­ ¡°There is where the vampire is.¡± Pinoki points to a pitch black cavern in the side of the mountain, Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.¡°You wait out here Pinoki, I can see in the dark you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t die or vanish on me.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Shiryu steps into the cave alone the darkness swallowing him at once ¡­ ¡°You took your time I see,¡± Lamia¡¯s voice whispers in his ear ¡°You?¡± Shiryu spins around to see the shadowy outline of Lamia hanging upside down from the cave¡¯s ceiling ¡°Behind you.¡± She says making the young man spin back the other direction to the now appearing figure¨CDracula ¡°Here to see me?¡± Dracula creates a small flame in his palm creating a tiny bit of light in the dark cave ¡°There are a few things I need to know from you,¡± ¡°Like the dragon?¡± Dracula outs the flame then relights it playfully a sly grin across his face ¡°What did you mean when you said you were responsible, and¡­.¡± ¡°That was just a little pet project of mind.¡± Dracula doesn¡¯t let Shiryu finish, flashing the flame on and off in the darkness he replies ¡°I knew the dragon requiem was in the human¡¯s possession, I wanted to see what would happen if it had a chance to revive, Lamia tell him.¡± The light goes off again accompanied by the soft wrap of Lamia¡¯s arms going around Shiryu¡¯s neck from behind ¡°Heyy,¡± Shiryu tries resisting but instantly feels weaker ¡°It was me?¡± the vampire whispers soothingly ¡°I can manipulate any human I think want you know, by any means, That¡¯s how I used that man Ginobelucci, he thought he found love, He found me,¡± ¡°L, love? You can make people feel love?¡± ¡°Do you want to feel it?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Nn. No,¡± Shiryu manages to pull away ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for, You said it was you who influenced the man to get the dragon, What are you after all this wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± the fire comes on again to Dracula now hanging from the roof ¡°You aren¡¯t on our side, And you¡¯re not with the humans, You have your own agenda, love is it?¡± ¡°I hate not knowing things, love isn¡¯t my only goal, I¡¯m after it because I don¡¯t understand it, Just like this business about the dragon and you new breed, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re after, so I want to know That¡¯s all.¡± Shiryu replies sharply ¡°A primal urge to know everything,¡± Dracula floats down standing upright again the orange flame flickering violently in his palm ¡°That¡¯s what makes you one of us, the new breed, we are complex organisms but our goals are simple and primal, You see the ogres just like to toss about and cause carnage wherever they go, The werewolves love nothing more than a hunt, the dragon¡¯s loved to consume, And Lamia and I love nothing more than being in control of beasts or humans, doesn¡¯t matter, I control through fear and her, desire.¡± ¡°What does reviving a dragon have to do with you getting control of anything?¡± ¡°The blackmagic dealer told us that the dragons¡¯ requiem needed to be activated in order for me to achieve a future where my kind would be preserved and my other half and I would keep our control forever.¡± ¡°You mean sir Savage?¡± (I have so many unanswered questions from that man, what futures has he seen¡­) ¡°It¡¯s pronounced Savi?, that man had the power of the phantom flame, If I¡¯m not wrong you were the one who helped him get away from our protection, right?¡± (Are all these things that took place secretly a part of that man¡¯s plan?) ¡°It¡¯s all according to his plan,¡± Dracula says affirming Shiryu¡¯s thoughts ¡°The fact that you the sixth and final member of the new breed stands before me right now means whatever he saw is coming true.¡± ¡°Sixth member? There are other beast?¡± Shiryu questions half expecting a creature he¡¯d never seen before to appear out of the darkness ¡°Sixth, the first new breed was the dragons, then the ogres, werewolves, and us vampires, You are the last living new breed the dragons are of course extinct and the other was like you one of a kind.¡± ¡°What happened to it?¡± ¡°She went into the human world and got killed and made into a powerful requiem.¡± (The second requiem?) ¡°That¡¯s the next thing I want my hands on.¡± Dracula outs the fire leaping back up to the roof ¡°The requiem that can turn anything into a magic stone, Medusa¡¯s Requiem.¡± To love for I haven¡¯t been myself lately, I know I¡¯m still me but since getting this new appearance I haven¡¯t felt comfortably me, Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯d gotten used to the scales, used to the painful aches everytime I moved anything, Used to just being seen as a beast¡­ ¡­.. ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything, Requiems and dragons and vampires, I don¡¯t think my brain can process all of this.¡± Comments MF who manuevers the jukebox through the colored skies It hasn¡¯t been long since they flew out of the bends after a somewhat interesting encounter with the new breed ¡­.. ¡°Be like me, Don¡¯t try to understand it too much just enjoy the mystery of it all,¡± Pinoki replies to MF ¡°As a scientist that¡¯s impossible, my field requires me to have a strong sense of curiosity and a hunger for information,¡± ¡°Just enjoy the adventure, you¡¯ll find yourself having more fun,¡± ¡°I have fun engineering not risking my life,¡± ¡°Suit yourself¨CShiryu come on stop daydreaming and tell us more of what you and Dracula spoke.¡± ¡°Hmm? Sorry I¡¯ve been trying to piece things together, Sir Savi? was a human who came from the Tellus just like you Mf, he obtained the power of knowledge from Kage¡¯s body, normally when a human takes a piece of Kage they either die or go insane, But Savi? managed to stay alive for centuries by coming to this ring and selling Kage¡¯s power for body parts which he used on himself to extend his life, all the while accumulating more and more knowledge, He was a sort of pseudo prisoner of the beasts meaning they let him stay and act freely but he couldn¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Why even go to the beasts then?¡± asks Pinoki ¡°Anywhere else on the mainland and my people from Terra would have come to take Kage back.¡± ¡°Does Kage belong to your ring then?¡± now asks Mf ¡°¡­. I can¡¯t speak on that, the supreme leader decides all.¡± ¡°Huh? For someone who says they haven¡¯t been on their homeland since early childhood, you seem pretty loyal to it.¡± Whistles Pinoki ¡°I am loyal to the supreme leader.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I was taught so.¡± ¡°What if he tell you to kill your loved ones?¡± ¡°The supreme one is my most treasured person, I¡¯d kill you two if he told me to.¡± ¡­ ¡­ The atmosphere gets awkwardly quiet as Mf and Pinoki exchange alarmed looks (Did I say something wrong?) ¡°You don¡¯t think that maybe you were brainwashed Shiryu?¡± Mf glides the craft down in between a sea of trees on which it transforms into a ground vehicle accordingly The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.¡°If I were brainwashed then I wouldn¡¯t be able to make independent choices and decisions,¡± Shiryu says indignantly as the roof fold back opening up the vehicle to warm breeze and sunshine ¡°My world doesn¡¯t revolve around the supreme leader you know, I just have an understanding that he is the peak of all mankind and will never go against him,¡± ¡°Can we go back to talking about requiems and other things?¡± moans Pinoki greatly disliking the direction the conversation was heading ¡°Dracula wants the Medusa requiem back he doesn¡¯t need it for anything but the blackmagic dealer, Sir Savi? told him finding it will be the catalyst for what happens next.¡± Shiryu switches back the subject Fwwaaasshhhh? The jukebox drives alongside an overflowing river amidst the wet woodlands ¡°Where do you think the requiem is?¡± Pinoki presses ¡°It was either in Furlheim with the dragon or where we are heading next, the Wu Tang dynasty.¡± Fwwaashhh!? ¡°To get there we just have to go through Bakufu¡­¡± (I wonder if Aki¡­ Nah never mind¡­) FWWAASHHH!? The flowing water gets much louder as the vehicle cuts out of the trees, it¡¯s treads sinking down onto the water the craft partially transforms to be amphibious ¡°It wasn¡¯t this wet the last time I passed here,¡± Shiryu comments The ahead the tall sheet of water barring the entrance to Bakufu pushes out water with violent force (Something is off here.) ¡°Mf, take us back up to the skies.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Nods the engineer and the jukebox starts undergoing an aerial transformation, A roof peels over the groups head and from it helicopter blades extending spinning the craft up off the water and over the great wall of water ¡°Yo what the hell,¡± Mf is the first one to react to the sight below, The entire landscape which Bakufu covered now submerged in a heavy flowing water that comes all the way down from the sliver mountains north (The entire nation¡­) ¡°Where is all water coming from?¡± Pinoki squints up at the mountains ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this when I flew by before,¡± Mf replies ¡°I think¡­ I think I know what¡¯s going on¡± mumbles Shiryu speaking to himself more than he is to the others ¡°This water is sea water, This sky is the same as on Terra,¡± ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Mf asks beginning to come to same conclusion as the young man ¡°All the rings, Terra, Tellus and Gaia, I think they¡¯ve combined.¡± A change I dont love Change. Change is something often unwelcomed by most, or even ran from, the fear of having your status quo shifted ever so slightly, the reluctance to accept something new, It could be a small change like listening to a new genre of music, or something as significant as moving countries entirely, With it brings the anxiety of the future, What does it hold? What awaits me, good or bad? **** ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be possible¡­ I thought nothing when the sky became colors, but this constant flow¡­¡± Splash!? Shiryu sweeps his hand though the strong currents washing the salty water over his face ¡°Yo I have to get back home to see what this is about!¡± Mf yells down over the loud crashing of it water, Shiryu and Pinoki now stand on the outskirts of the Kuwagata waterfall on the other side of Bakufu, Overhead the jukebox hovers getting ready to zip off ¡°Shiryu and I will look for the Bakufu people and get to the Wu Tang from here¡± Pinoki shouts back ¡°Just make sure to return, we have many more adventures to pursue,¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Mf makes an ¡®ok¡¯ hand sign Grtrttrtrtrtfttggrtt!! And the ship subsequently zooms off ahead to the mountains where the large stream of water gushes from ¡°Come on Pinoki we have to find Aki.¡± Shiryu already on the move The river from the waterfall flows out along the gravely terrain, Gishhh! Hot geysers of steam water blast out of the rocky surface into the air the rocks get sharper and harsher the further north leading to a dead end of the flat unclimbable wall that is the mountain, But that isn¡¯t where Shiryu and Pinoki head, Avoiding the geysers the two take the south path into another swampy area¡­ ¡°You see those footmarks are coming visible now¡± Shiryu points out steeping into some soft mud, ¡°Why are you so invested in finding the Bakufu people?¡± Frets Pinoki ¡°I¡¯m sure they survived they¡¯re warriors, Look over there.¡± He gestures to the east where the silhouette of buildings can be identified from a distance ¡°That is probably Wu Tang city, We should be heading there right now.¡± ¡°¡­ I know but I just want to make sure Aki¡­.¡± (¡­.) Shiryu doesn¡¯t finish ¡°I guess you¡¯re right maybe we should ¨C¡± ¨CFwhikk! An arrow grazes across his nose ¡°Who goes!?¡± a voice comes with it ¡°agh¡± Shiryu stumbles back covering his face ¡°We¡¯re peaceful!¡± Pinoki puts his hands up defencelessly ¡°Hey, you could have taken off my nose!¡± growls Shiryu aggressively Fwihk¨C Chingk! Another arrow comes at him but he anticipates it batting it away ¡°You¡¯re decent the voice compliments from somewhere in the sea of trees,¡± Bzzzzzz? A mosquito buzzes last Shiryu¡¯s bloody nose as dusk begins to settle into the swamp ¡°Are you Tonbo?¡± calls Shiryu ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°I just passed Bakufu, the entire nation was flooded, I need to find the chief.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.¡°Hmm¡± grass leaves flutter A masked ninja dressed in deadly mossy green garb leaps down near the two ¡°What do want with our chief?¡± they ask. (So the people are here) ¡°I just want to see of Aki is ok, she¡¯s been trying to get back to her people for a while and now entire place is flooded.¡± ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re quite familiar with our chief.¡± ¡°I am¨Cwas¡­¡± ¡°Well I still don¡¯t trust you, Most of our people survive and we¡¯re camping in this swamp, if that¡¯s what you want to know, The chief and her strongest warriors headed off to the Wu Tang to settle business,¡± ¡°What kind of business?¡± ¡°What part of I don¡¯t trust you, do you not understand.¡± The ninja stares challengingly at Shiryu ¡°Well thanks for talking to us anyway.¡± Pinoki pushes a space in between the two ¡°We¡¯ll leave you warriors to yourself, come on Shiryu.¡± The little man pulls him away out of fear of an altercation starting Chsschkk? A few other leaves around rattle presumably being the other warriors who were in hiding ¡­ ¡­ *** ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to fight them you know.¡± Grunts Shiryu aa the two retrace their path out and head towards the Wu Tang ¡°I didn¡¯t want to take the chance you¡¯re unpredictable Shiryu.¡± ¡°I am unpredictable?? I¡¯m literally the least rash person on this ring.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s true but you have been slightly different since changing appearances And that is coming from someone who barley knew you before.¡± (Have I changed a little?) ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a bit more agitated¡± Shiryu says dismissively ¡°But only because I¡¯m dissatisfied and confused¡± ¡°About the requiem, or the whole being a beast thing?¡± ¡°About¡­. About, Aki,¡± he mutters under his breath ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t catch that?¡± Pinoki edges him to repeat ¡°Aki, I thought we were friends with the potential of love on the horizon, We were good all the while we¡¯re stuck in Furlheim, but after everything happened, After I got this appearance it¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t see me as worthy of her friendship, She told me she was just using me but I know that¡¯s a lie, She just wanted me to be angry with her or resent her, I don¡¯t why, I don¡¯t know what it is about that changed that she just doesn¡¯t want us to be friends anymore¡­¡± ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t think I am the right person to talk about this with.¡± Comes an unhelpful response from Pinoki ¡°You look normal to me, in fact it¡¯s much easier to be friendly with you like this than when you were beasty, I felt like you could eat me at any moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m even worse than how I was a beast,¡± sighs Shiryu ¡°Back then even though people saw me as monster that¡¯s all they saw me as, Now I feel judged every time an eye gets cast in my direction.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to tell you Shiryu.¡± ¡°Its ok I know talking about mundane things isn¡¯t your forte Pinoki We¡¯ll leave it as that, I shouldn¡¯t have overshared.¡± ¡­. ¡­. **** You would love some brutality ¡°Do not play games with me, release Shiki at once or I will run a rampage throughout your city!¡± ¡°Lower your tone when you stand in the imperial castle woman, Be grateful we even let you get his far in.¡± ¡°Grateful!?¡± fumes Aki clenching a needle thin blade firmly She stands across from gowned gentleman who is known by the name Rae-kwon a senator of the Wu Tang dynasty ¡°My nation is flooded and one of my most powerful allies abducted by you, Don¡¯t try patronizing me or I¡¯ll make these red walls even redder with your blood.¡± ¡°Chhcht.¡± Rae-kwon¡¯s curved nose turns up as he snorts in disgust ¡°You branch people remain to be savages,¡± ¡°We are not a branch of anything, Bakufu is it¡¯s own nation now.¡± ¡°Who decided that? You uncivilized lot? We let you squat there relax yourself.¡± ¡°How I about I give you something to¨C¡± ¡°¨CChief maybe we should show more decorum,¡± Fuyu pulls on her sisters arm before she tries doing anything risky Bane and Natsu also nod accordingly agreeing with their sister¡¯s sentiment Right now the four are stood in court room of the Wu Tang¡¯s imperial castle, the walls are colored a royal red with gold engravings of lion heads A row of seats line on an elevated section ahead of the room where the ¡®Clan'' a collection of the most important people of the Wu Tang sit to pass laws and judgement, Aki and siblings wait on the lower end of the court awaiting the arrival of the other Clan members¡­ ¡­ ¡°Listen to your warriors,¡± Rae-kwon overhears with his pointy ears ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid for your people¡¯s sake.¡± Ching? A soft bell tingles along with the wooden door to the court sliding opening, to another gowned individual, his hairline receded though he still wears a ponytail that flows down to his back His thin hard face turns to Aki and her siblings, and gray eyes examine them the left one covered by a monocle, ¡°Who are these?¡± his asks agitatedly ¡°Are they here about the magic stone dealings wi¨C¡± ¡°No, no MM, that¡¯s another matter we will attend to soon,¡± Rae-kwon cuts him off ¡°These are the Bakufu people.¡± ¡°Hmm, or yes, I¡¯m awfully forgetful, We have to deal with them, I¡¯ll introduce myself¡­ I am Method Man, or MM for short you are our underlings, correct?¡± ¡°Underlings?¡± Aki fumes up again but quickly calms herself ¡°I am chief of the independent nation of Bakufu, we shouldn¡¯t even be speaking, I just want my warrior back and for you to undo the flooding, who do I have to fight?¡± ¡°Flooding?¡± MM looks to Rae for an explanation, ¡°That¡¯s a whole other matter¡­¡± the man sighs in response Chingg? ¡°That we have nothing to do with.¡± A female voice adds signalling the entrance of another member Her face powdered paper white with a hint of red on her cheeks and lips, she cast a condescending gaze from her small brown eyes across the Bakufu visitors, flaunting her flowing slim red dress behind her, on her head a rapier sticks though her huge gold embroidered bun keeping the thing together Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.¡°Cappadonna, of the Wu Tang, she doesn¡¯t even give Aki a glance when introducing herself, ¡°I don¡¯t believe a word any of you say,¡± growls Aki, ¡°I don¡¯t expect savages to understand regular speech,¡± the woman spits back ¡°The flooding of Bakufu was not our doing we just happened to be there to pick up the drowning body of the former chief Shiki out of the currents and bring him here.¡± ¡°¡­. If that¡¯s true release him.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t release someone with the power of dragon especially when they¡¯re against us.¡± ¡°If I have to ask again it will result in brutality.¡± Aki says warningly Chingg? ¡°You would love that won¡¯t you?¡± the door opens again this time to a trio, Although not known to Aki, Fuyu, Bane and Natsu, this was the same trio that met with Zinnia in Soterra, The woman wielding the machetes known as Suzafung or Sza, the barefooted gi wearing Gazafang or Gza, and the leader of the three the kite wearing Rezafeng, Rza ¡°If brutality is what you desperately want then you will receive it soon,¡± Rza says in monotone ¡°You severely underestimate us,¡± Natsu speaks up getting tired of the haughty people ¡°No, I am well aware of how strong you people are, in fact you for could probably defeat us six in this room right now, But that will get you nothing, you won¡¯t make it out the imperial castle alive, Our Emperor alone deal with you and your savages,¡± ¡°Ha, don¡¯t get confident because our last chief got killed,¡± scoffs Aki ¡°History will not be repeated, Bring your emperor here, Let¡¯s get things settled right away, I promise you it will not end how you think.¡± ¡°Be careful what you wish for,¡± Rae-kwon whistles ¡°Do you know what our Emperor¡¯s nickname is? Humanfaced slaughterer, Can you guess why that is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not intimated,¡± Aki rolls her eyes ¡°You will be once you see him.¡± ¡°I doubt th¨C¡± BAHHHHHSSHSSHSHHSSLKKKK!!!! As the words leaves Aki¡¯s mouth the roof crashes down with devastating impact ¡°Chief, chief!¡± Bane calls shoving off the heavy stone slabs, ¡°ehceck! I¡¯m ok¡± the woman coughs picking herself up ¡°Fuyu, Natsu?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine, What the hell was that?¡± Fuyu fans away the thick cloud of dust and debris, A dark night¡¯s sky glares down into the courtroom now ¡°Agh, Are you done now?¡± A voice familiar to her coughs ¡°Is that?¡± Fuyu turns to Aki to see if she hears the same, Vwoooshhh! A strong breeze blows away the cloudy dust ¡°What is the meaning of this!?¡± demands an angry Rza the other Wu Tang members all scrambling up ¡°You!?¡± Rza¡¯s eyes open wide seeing the appearance of two new person¡¯s in the center of the impact One crashed down into the floor and the other standing atop his body ¡°How?¡± Blinks Aki ¡°What are doing here Shiryu?¡± Loveless: Cash rules everything around me ¡°agh!¡± ¡°shhhh!¡± ¡°Aghh¨Cyou¡¯ll squeeze my wrist off like this Shiryu.¡± ¡°Keep quiet it¡¯s not easy scaling an enormous wall with one arm and holding you up with the other,¡± hisses down Shiryu to Pinoki hung from his grip, The bright colored sky now settled into a nightly black, sends little rays of white light onto the sleeping earth below Not many bats exist in these parts, owl or any nocturnal animals for that matter, it¡¯s just a smooth and silent night on the outskirts of the Great Wu Tang city An impenetrable fortress of a city surrounding by tall burgundy walls thick and dense as steel it¡¯s surface is carved with imagery of dragons and winged beings from which spiky magic crystal penetrate burning or zapping anyone daring to climb the walls¡­. ¡°It just had to be us¡± grumbles Shiryu burying his hand into the gems slowly inching himself and Pinoki upward ¡°I get this is difficult Shiryu but you don¡¯t have to take your frustration out on my wrist, I only have one arm left, and this was your idea by the way,¡± ¡°I swear it didn¡¯t look this tall from below,¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost at the tip anyways,¡± exhales Pinoki as if he was the one doing the heavy lifting The north, south, east and west gates are heavy guarded and unwelcoming Shiryu and Pinoki were instantly turned away the moment they approached ¡°Ahh finalllyyy¡± Shiryu pulls himself and company to the top of the wall finally ¡°If we ever get put in a situation like this again I¡¯m choosing to brute force my way in.¡± ¡°Cant say I disagree.¡± Pinoki rubs his wrist gingerly The two take a breather looking over the city A large red building, the imperial castle looms over everything else hogging all the attention in the large chunk of yard and space it claims the regular city is quite congested but in a neat orderly way, the buildings are olden and rustic like of Tonbo expect these are built of stone rather than wood Despite being night the streets are alit and lively ¡°I wonder what¡¯s the commotion?¡± Ponders Shiryu leaning his entire body over ¡°Easy,¡± Pinoki pulls him back ¡°You don¡¯t want to die in a stupid way like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯d probably survive the fall¡± ¡°We can¡¯t even see the ground from here.¡± Monotones Pinoki ¡°I can see just fine¡± ¡°You are an exception Shiryu.¡± ¡°Look can you see the water fountain over there?¡± ¡°I think I can see the water, yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s close to us, you can see our reflections from here.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with any¨C¡± ¨CSplashhh!? ¡°uwagh!?¡± gasps Pinoki in shock as cold water knifes into his skin without warning. ¡°Look we¡¯re down on the ground now,¡± Shiryu rolls out of water nonchalantly ¡°Wait, How??¡± the little man rubs his eyes in confusion ¡°Could you always do that?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thinking that I was using teleportation or space displacement magic then no, That¡¯s not what I did, I moved through reflections,¡± ¡°Could you always do that?¡± Pinoki asks again ¡°Yes and no, it wasn¡¯t to this extent I could hide reflections now I can leap from them,¡± ¡°What else is about you is new Shiryu?¡± ¡°Mmmnmnmn¡± he shrugs as a response ¡°Lets get moving, before people spot us.¡± ¡­. **** ¡°Hey stay in your place don¡¯t try anything foolish!¡± ¡°Or what? We don¡¯t fear you people in the slightest!¡± ¡°Wait till the emperor decides what he wants to do with you.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.¡°Wait till our chief orders us to decimate you.¡± ¡°Lively night tonight?¡± whistles Pinoki as he and Shiryu slip into a crowd in which a conflict brews between two opposing groups, ¡°These are Bakufu warriors,¡± whispers Shiryu ¡°Aki is definitely here.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we here for something else?¡± Pinoki tiredly yawns ¡°Yeah, yeah the requiem ¡°Yeah, yeah the requiem, but it¡¯s not like we have any hints where it is in this large city, we might as well gather information,¡± ¡°And does gathering information involve chasing after the chief?¡± ¡°Look, I just need to know if she¡¯s ok, The requiem isn¡¯t going anywhere,¡± ¡°As long it¡¯s an adventure,¡± sighs Pinoki unmotivated,,, (So who do we ask¡­.) ¡°Your chief is nothing compared to our emperor don¡¯t kid yourself!¡± Then two parties continue arguing ¡°Our chief could most certainly¨C¡± ¡°¨CExcuse, excuse,¡± Shiryu taps one of the armor clad warriors ¡°Do you know where Aki is in this city?¡± ¡°Who are you to call our chief by name!?¡± The man barks back ¡°Shh,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t silence me! Are you trying to insult us? You Wu Tang scum, Calling our chief by name, I can do you the same, Cash, Emperor Cash will lose to our chief.¡± ¡°Hey, watch your mouth!¡± Threatens the Wu Tang guards ¡°You people started it calling our chief so casually like that!¡± ¡°First off all, we won¡¯t say it again don¡¯t ever speak his name the emperor, Cash rules everything around us next time you speak it without it respect your head will be on a pike and secondly those two men do not look like one of¨C Hey? Where did they go?¡± ¡­. ¡­ ¡°Nice plan Shiryu, go around and start calling names,¡± drawls Pinoki as the two scurry away into the night ¡°I forgot how prideful people could get over their leaders names, Even I won¡¯t dare utter the name of my supreme leader,¡± Shiryu says as the pair duck into an alley ¡°Let¡¯s just do what regular people would do Shiryu, Sneak around eavesdropping around guards until we hear what we need.¡± Suggest Pinoki (Regular people?) ¡°Lets ease drop around the imperial castle then.¡± ¡°No way, and risk getting beheaded if caught¡­ Actually,¡± Pinoki thinks it over ¡°That sounds pretty risky, Let¡¯s do th¨C¡± ¡°¨CYou two aren¡¯t from around here.¡± A cold voice suddenly breathes through the night ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°How long have you been following us?¡± Shiryu swiftly turns to the speaker ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°No, but I can¡¯t hear your footsteps, smell you or feel your presence, That means you¡¯ve been following us.¡± ¡°I have.¡± The voice breathes and a unidentifiable person steps out of the shadows And by unidentifiable I mean that literally, their face is blank, completely no eyes, nose mouth, just a plank surface, Their body like a lanky mannequin but covered in metal piercings and punctures Voice chillingly calm ¡°If you¡¯re following us then you already know we¡¯re not from here.¡± Shiryu tenses himself ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t ask.¡± The person steps closer, ¡°One of you isn¡¯t a human,¡± their face turns to Shiryu ¡°A wolf in sheep¡¯s skin? Or a beast in human¡¯s?¡± ¡°I am human, are you?¡± ¡°I am, they call me the humanfaced slaughterer,¡± ¡°The what..??¡± spurts out Pinoki ¡°That is just my nickname, I also go by the name Cash, as in Cash who rules everything around you, The emperor of the Wu Tang.¡± Heartless Emperor ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­ The emperor?¡± ¡°Is it because of my appearance?¡± Cash¡¯s voice distorts and his featureless face melts into the appearance of an old woman ¡°Do I look human now?¡± the crooky voice asks ¡­ ¡­ ¡°How about now?¡± His face turns into a broad chiselled one with a booming voice ¡°I don¡¯t like this one.¡± Pinoki steps back slowly tugging Shiryu to follow ¡°Is that a requiem ability?¡± Shiryu stands his ground ¡°Educated assumption,¡± Cash stands as still as a statue his face once again featureless ¡°Ghostface, I can take on the physical attributes of the people I killed, And having killed many humans, I know you are not one, Are you a dog of Bakufu? Or perhaps. One of the new breed?¡± (He knows¡­) ¡°I have been following you since first started climbing the wall, I could have shot you down right there But here you are Answer me then I¡¯ll turn one of you into a requiem and the other into a new face,¡± threatens Cash in the most stoic of tones (I can¡¯t make heads or tails of this man Is he telling the truth? Really is he the emperor? So cold and emotionless I thought Aki was but¡­) ¡°Unnnghh!¡± Booowwwwwffff! Unexpectedly the emperor leaps forward clocking Shiryu right in the temple sending him crashing out of the alley into a lit up but empty street ¡°Took to long to answer, death it is.¡± He unveils a small dagger that opposed to attacking Pinoki or Shiryu with the emperor sinks the blade into both of his palms creating an outpour of blood ¡°Blood magic blades.¡± sharp crimson machetes form out of the blood ¡°Hold on,¡± Shiryu gets up gingerly ¡°Hold on before we fightuuhhggnn?¡± Fwhishhkk! ¡°Watch it!¡± Pinoki¡¯s shadow hand yanks Shiryu out the way One blade just grazing across his throat and the other pressed at his heart ¡°Wohh!¡± gasps Shiryu ¡°Thanks he¡¯s fast and isn¡¯t trying to fight, going straight for the kill.¡± ¡°Hey! I thought you wanted to interrogate us?¡± Pinoki braces back next to Shiryu expecting another sudden charge ¡°I¡¯m impatient, so die. Hyyuhhgh!¡± The emperor darts again thrusting a blade each into the chests of the pair ? The bodies shimmer away now showing a wall where the blades stick ¡°An illusion?¡± Whampp! As words escape is mouth so does one of his teeth from an unexpected uppercut rocketing out of his own shadow ¡°That¡¯s for punching me.¡± Shiryu taunts emerging from the shadow ¡°heh¡± Cash smiles spitting his blood near Shiryu who immediately dodges away from it, not taking any chances ¡°One with shadow magic, the other with illusion magic, I won¡¯t slaughter you completely, Your magics will be useful,¡± he takes back up his dagger pinning it on his wrist *Slice* Skhhtchtzz! A spray of blood erupts from his wrist off raining down on the pair ¡°Pinoki back into your shadow!¡± hisses Shiryu, ¡°His blood it¡¯s¨C¡± ¡°Blood nails.¡± ¡°Owghh!¡± the droplets begin penetrating their skin ¡°Shadow knives!¡± Pinoki fires back but the emperor doesn¡¯t try evading, letting the blades impale him producing even more blood Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°What the hell is this guy!?¡± ¡°Let me show you how it¡¯s done. Bloody darts.¡± ¡°agh Pinoki I said get down already!¡± barks Shiryu ¡°What about y¨C¡± ¡°¨CDown I said!¡± Shwwickk! Cash¡¯s blood projectiles all fire into Shiryu as Pinoki slips down into his shadow ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this,¡± the violet patterns on his body start glowing ¡°Cupid spear¡­ Nah I don¡¯t need the spear for this, Dragon boost,¡± Shiryu gets down on knee taking a deep breath is purple hair flaring up ¡°Dragon you said?¡± the emperor had also been undergoing pseudo transformation of his own, changing his slimmer body to that of a broad hulking man, Red spikes of blood origin line his knuckles eagerly awaiting the skin they would puncture¡­ ¡°Yes, and no,¡± Shiryu stands back up now nothing about him having changed besides his hair still glowing and pointing upward ¡°I said dragon yes, but if you think I am no,¡± ¡°Then wh¨C¡± WHOOOMMM! This time it¡¯s Shiryu who rushes the man knocking him high into the air he leaps up after him THWWAMMMM! His second blow creates a booming sound wave rupturing all Cash¡¯s internal organs at once and sending him crashing out the air faster than he go whacked up THUMMDD! He impacts into Wu-tang central, a park in the center of the city, ¡°Hey what¡¯s that commotion?¡± guards are residents still active during the night raise alarm immediately WHUMM! But that is of no concern to Shiryu who lands atop the emperor¡¯s body, ¡°Kskkhh,¡± he drools blood still conscious, ¡°You are monster¡­ I will¡­..definitely turn you into a requiem¡­. Blood bom¨C ¨Cgunhnnkk!¡± Not giving him the chance to conjure another spell Shiryu drops an atomic fist into his gut before yanking him up into the air again, (Why am I so angry?) ¡°Jyuhh!¡± BWAAPPP! Shiryu bats the emperor out of the air again sending him into the imperial castle (I don¡¯t need to be this violent do I?) BAHHHHHSSHSSHSHHSSLKKKK!!!! Cash meteors into the castle with Shiryu on top him raising up a thick cloud of dust from the destroyed roof debris Vwoooshhh! ¡°What is the meaning of this!?¡± a man fumes as the dust blows away ¡°You!?¡± (The Wu Tang guy who was in Soterra, Am I going have to fight him too? I just want to find Ak¨C) ¡°Shiryu?¡± the woman¡¯s voice snaps him out of thought ¡°..A¡­ Aki?¡± he wipes the dust off his face She frowns at him thankfully ¡°How did you get here, who is that?¡± Natsu presses instantly spotting the emperor¡¯s pummelled body ¡°You!? Kill them all at once! They¡¯re in league together!¡± Cappadona exclaims ¡°Look at our emperor!¡± ¡°You did that to him Shiryu?¡± Fuyu tugs on the young man¡¯s hair ¡°What are doing here getting into my business!?¡± Aki pushes in front her sister ¡°36 chambers!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t.. I¡¯m here for something else¡± ¡°What kind of some¡ª¡± ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°Aki?¡± Without warning Aki and everything around Shiryu disappears ¡°Aki!?¡± (What the hell) ¡°Where did everything go?¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. 36 chambers, no love Thwump! Shiryu slumps down unconscious seconds after being called out by Aki ¡°Back!¡± Rza conjures a strong gale pushing back the four siblings while Gza And Sza dart up yanking Shiryu¡¯s body to their side Method Man and Rae-kwon then come to help the brutalized body of their emperor up ¡°What did you do to Shiryu?¡± Aki rushes back up Gjjtzzzz! Cappadona discharges a blot of lighting from her palm ¡°Stay back, this does not concern you, We have all already come to the decision to release your former chief Shiki back to you,¡± ¡°When was that decision made? I didn¡¯t see any discussing happening just now, Matter fact you were screaming about killing Shiryu a minute ago, Now¡­¡± ¡°Guards escort these people to their man!¡± Cappadona shouts and at once the dishevelled room swarms with guardian warriors of the Wu Tang ¡°ngghh!¡± Aki grits her teeth but holds back allowing the guards to escort her out, she gives Shiryu¡¯s sleeping body a passing glance ¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know what just happened.¡± Natsu mumbles Neither of three siblings reply They follow the escorts silently with magic and weapons rearing to be set off on the tiniest drop of water Why was Kage here? Why did he just faint randomly and so with it the Wu Tang members attitude instantly changed? These thoughts were enough to make their minds explode in curiosity Their discipline as warriors the only thing keeping them at bay ¡­.. ¡­.. **** ¡°Granddad, Granddad Shiki are you alright?¡± Bane rushes to the side of the old man chained to a plain bed ¡°Unlock his chains right now and then get out!¡± Aki barks threateningly at the guards who oblige leaving the group in small little bedroom on the lower floors of the castle They had expected Shiki to be in the cells but surprisingly he was left on a bed albeit chained¡­ ¡°Flood, the town was flooded.¡± Shiki opens his eyes ¡°Where were you four? Took a year to defeat a dragon did you? Shameful Shameful¡­ Aki you disappoint me and every chief before you excluding your useless father¡± ¡°My apologies granddad, I¨C¡± ¡°¨CDon¡¯t call me your granddad.¡± ¡°¡­ My apologies old man Shiki, I hadn¡¯t properly trained myself for the dragon, It will never happen again.¡± Aki lowers her head ¡°Good, Now what of our people are they safe?¡± ¡°Yes but we don¡¯t know the cause of the flooding, The Wu Tang are playing dumb, I expect we¡¯ll have to go into a full war with them.¡± ¡°If that is what you decide as chief this old man has nothing to say, But why did you exchange myself for your pet dragon?¡± ¡°Pardon? You mean Shiryu?¡± ¡°I saw him just now before I woke up,¡± ¡°Before you woke up granddad?¡± Fuyu cuts in with intrigue ¡°I was in the thirty six Chambers.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you about that? It is an old Wu Tang combination magic spell, With at least six members they can use the technique on only one person at a time, It seals their mind somewhere else¨Cthe thirty six Chambers, the Wu Tang members can also communicate with each other through the chambers, time does not pass so they can get months of planning done in an instant, It¡¯s what makes them so powerful,¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. **** ¡­. ¡°Aki!? Aki!? Where did everything go?¡± Surrounding Shiryu is nothing but solid sheets of white The moment Aki spoke to him it was all gone¡­ ¡°Where am I in the requiem again? Geedorah! The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Geedorah is this you!?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Definitely not the requiem, it¡¯s just me alone her¡­ Is that a person?¡± Shiryu spots a person sat in a meditative position amongst the great white Rushing over to him ¡°Hey, hey! Excuse me¨Cold man Shiki?¡± ¡°hm?¡± the old man looks up ¡°It¡¯s me Shiryu, the¨Cold man? Old man?¡± Shiki suddenly vanishes ¡°What the hell is going on!? Is this illusion magic? No¡­ Mind magic¡­..? Hello!! Wu Tang!!¡± No matter how hard Shiryu yells no one comes Just himself, alone in the mind space that is the 36 chambers for the Wu Tang they use this as a space to train themselves through one of the many chambers that can be manifested here, For anyone else it is an inescapable prison that detaches one¡¯s mind from their body. ¡­ ¡­ **** ¡°He was much stronger than me, Exponentially so, I couldn¡¯t tell at first, but he could have levelled our entire city,¡± Emperor cash sits up, his true face now being shown to be that of middle-aged oriental man with a sharp thin moustache above sly thins lips, a small curved nose bellow yellowish brown bloodshot eyes, that frown creating wrinkles on his dotted forehead and bald head Shiryu¡¯s limp body hangs above from chains in front of a sparkling jewelled throne, ¡°What do we do with him emperor, kill it?¡± Rae-kwon at his side asks ¡°No, if we kill him like this we won¡¯t obtain a requiem, he needs to be conscious, I wonder other new breed of beasts exists out there¡­. Since we killed that Medusa I¡¯ve had a feeling more of these rare breeds would show up¡­ This one could be exactly what we need to combat with our new enemies¡± ¡°We are still making preparations for that,¡± Rza also stood by the throne speaks up, ¡°I talked to the Queen of Soterra, she seems sceptical but I know she will join us,¡± ¡°What about those Bakufu savages?¡± Cappadona talks now ¡°We were supposed to force them into working under us by using their old man as leverage, Now we just gave him back freely in order to save your ass from that monster,¡± ¡°Watch your mouth Dona, that thing would¡¯ve done the same if not worse to all of you! We will still use the Bakufu people, didn¡¯t you see their chief is clearly familiar with the beast we still have leverage, on them Now MM, on the topic of beasts Furlheim has recently rid their problem, Is our business back up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting there sir,¡± Method Man adjusts his monocle ¡°The past year our economy has stagnated a bit from the lack of new rare magic stones, we would¡¯ve had to reoccupy the Soterra areas if it started slumping, Now that Furlheim is free we will begin dealings once more, I am sure they are desperately in need of new supplies,¡± ¡°Does the warp ring work again now?¡± ¡°I have it here but I haven¡¯t used it yet,¡± MM takes out a gem encrusted good box, He opens it revealing a singular sparkling black gem magic ring ¡°We still haven¡¯t picked who is going to us¡ª¡± *Twhick!* A shadowy string suddenly flicks the ring our of the box pulling it away ¡°Ay! Get that ring it¡¯s one of a kind!¡± MM and the other clan members immediately rush at the objects whizzing away into the shadows ¡°It¡¯s the human who was with the beast,¡± Cash warns ¡°He can hide in shadows!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the ring gone!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Find it! Find him!¡± ¡­ ¡°Heheh¡± Pinoki grins to himself sliding out of a window through the shadows, ¡°Sorry Shiryu, I¡¯ll come back for you, But right now, This smells like an adventure for me.¡± In the heart of a plot ¡°Now what¡¯s so interesting about this ring¡­.¡± Hidden away under the dark shadows cast out by the imperial castle¡¯s roof Pinoki fidgets about with his stolen jewel ¡°Surely it¡¯s another warp gem, But to where? Ooh this so excited,¡± Pinoki finally manages to slip it on his only hand The black gem instantly resonates with his latent shadow magic ¡°It¡¯s also shado-yoowww!¡± The little man suddenly gets yanked down into his shadow ¡­ ¡­ ? ¡°aiiiieeeeeeee!!!¡± ¡°You are only making it worse for yourself, Stay still.¡± ¡°eeeeyaaah! Someone help me please!¡± Boofff! ¡°I said shut up! Don¡¯t make this worse than it needs to be!¡± ¡­ Shwwoo? ¡­.?? (I got warped somewhere¡­ Where?) Pinoki pops up out of a lamp dimly lighting up a barren stone box I say box because there¡¯s no visible door or window, just cold gray walls Still somehow bloodcurdling screams pierce through the stone from elsewhere (Don¡¯t tell me this was a trap?) Pinoki immediately become frantic seeing no visible exit He grabs up the singular lantern casting it¡¯s light around to see if he maybe missed a door (Nothing¡­ Could I really have been made a fool of? No don¡¯t panic Pinoki, you still have the ring it can send you back¡­ But¡­ Wherever I end up, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be someone waiting for me.. It is a trap, An inescapable one.. Ahhh I¡¯m anxious right now This is exhilarating!) ¡°aaaiiiieeeeee!!!!¡± Another shriek passes through the walls again ¡°hmmm?¡± Pinoki edges towards the wall where the sound came through Tapp? Tapp? (Hollow. There is more room behind here¡­ Break the wall and risk alerting whomever is behind there? Or can I¡­.) Pinoki pauses playing a few potential scenarios that could happen in his mind ¡°Shadow fist!¡± Tuttt!? He summons the large fist giving a soft first hit on the wall *Click* One of bricks sinks back activating a magic mechanism that slides a small opening in the wall (Yeeeeeee! Luck is on my sideeee!) The little man quickly scurries through into broader roo¨C ¡°¨CWait a minute¡± Pinoki gasps out (This is... I¡¯m in the cells below the asylum in Furlheim¡­) ¡°eeeyya~¡± A final spurt of a yelp wafts out from one of the jail rooms, Pinoki immediately slips into his shadow sneaking up to peer inside¡­ ¡­. A body hangs now motionless on the wall their skin quickly hardening into stone from the head down In front another person with a head of snakes stands patiently waiting for the process to complete Bling? A small magic stone falls out the body¡¯s chest ok completion, ¡°Took longer than I would have liked,¡± the snake headed person picks it up, then pulls off the mask of snakes (¡­.!? D..Dexter!?) ¡°hmm?¡± the order boss glances around the room suspiciously as if hearing Pinoki¡¯s mental gasp Seeing nothing he briskly strides out of the cell, footsteps making no sound¡­ ¡­ ¡­ (This has been going on all this time? How could I have not noticed?) Pinoki slithers out of the shadows to inspect the body, it¡¯s skin hard and grey, ready to crumble to dust on the slightest touch It looks unnatural but natural in a sense, if you hadn¡¯t seen what transpired, anyone would assume this was an old mummified or even fossilized corpse (So this is how they deal with persons with evolved magic¡­. I¨C) ¡°¨CWhat are doing down here!?¡± Dexter¡¯s voice hisses down Pinoki¡¯s spine ¡°Aghahah.¡± He jumps stumbling into the corpse, Jshhk? It immediately crumbles ¡°Pinoki?¡± The man identifies him ¡°I thought you left here, How did you get in here? (Let the chase begin) ¡°I know you have it, the Medusa requiem, You turn people to stone and extract their magic,¡± ¡°That¡¯s an insane statement to make¡­¡± Dexter replies somewhat stoically ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised since you have evolved magic as well, Is anyone else with you?¡± (He gauging the situation.. Trying to see if I¡¯m with others before trying anything) A sly smile cracks across his thin lips ¡°I am alone, is that what you want to hear? Or do you want everyone else to hear about your underhanded dealings with the Wu Ta¨C¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.Shingsshkk! ¨Cang¡ªwhoah!¡± Pinoki ducks away avoiding an unsolicited scythe blade swinging at his throat (Now the fun begins!) ¡°Thank you for all you have done for my city Pinoki, but you need to go now.¡± ¡°I am already gone thank you!¡± the little man crackles slipping into shadow once more ¡°Ultralight!¡± Dexter flicks out a magic stone which explodes out blindingly bright light for three seconds that swallows up all shadows and pulling Pinoki out his, ¡°Shit didn¡¯t know that was possible, but I¡¯m still gone!¡± the little man who had already made it to the cell door shuts it behind him Whamm! He races up out the dungeon, whilst Dexter wastes time pushing open the one sided jail door Padnt! Padnt! Padnt! Padnt! Padnt! Padnt! His scurrying steps echo through the now abandoned halls of the asylum¡¯s ground floor, All the people long since moved out since the dragon¡¯s downfall ¡°There is no use trying to run away!¡± Dexter already closing the gap between them shouts ¡°Sorry but I¡¯m not the fighting type, Catch me if you can!¡± the little man eyes gleam of thrill as he shouts back BOOFF! His shadowy fist yeets away the buildings front door as he leaps out into the open, The night still up and in the unlit interior of Furlheim city it¡¯s even darker than ever Phuuooow~~ The cold night wind slaps across the cheek of¡ª PHHWOO!!! ¡°uhngh!¡± Pinoki gets yanked into the cold wind the moment he exists and pinned down on his stomach ¡°That¡¯s enough running from you,¡± a familiar old woman steps down on his spine ¡°owwahhh!¡± ¡°He must have used his shadows to sneak past you Pesadora,¡± Dexter sprints up ¡°Nevertheless we caught him before things got out of¡­¡± (Two on one? Ok more interesting) Pinoki sinks down into the lady¡¯s shadow jeering up ¡°Who said you caught me!?¡± ¡°He is tricky¡± Dexter tosses out another ultralight magic stone illuminating the entire area briefly once more drawing Pinoki out ¡°Vacuum wind!¡± The old women yanks him back towards her with her magic ¡°Kill him or harvest his magic?¡± she pins Pinoki down once more ¡°You know if we keep-urgh doing this, I¡¯ll eventually get away, Magic stones are limi¨Caghhhhhhii!!¡± Dexter rams down a blade into his leg, ¡°Try running again,¡± his face remains stoic ¡°nngh!¡± Pinoki grits his teeth, (I was getting too into the moment shit!) ¡°Ok, ok, let¡¯s talk things out.¡± Pinoki verbally submitting ¡°There is nothing to talk about,¡± the old woman steps off ¡°You are getting into our business which is something I don¡¯t like, My city just recovered from devastation, we have no room or need for insane people with their advantageous magic making a wreck of things again,¡± ¡°How we deal with them to keep order is none of your concern.¡± Dexter adds ¡°Well you can¡¯t harm me,¡± Pinoki suddenly drops his cowardly tone going for a more bravado speech ¡°The entire Kingdom of Soterra¡¯s will be after you, and we both know you won¡¯t survive another wave of devastation.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± Pesadora snorts ¡°A kingdom full of insane people, ran by a queen who herself is insane, We have ties to more powerful people, Soterra does not bother us,¡± ¡°If you mean the Wu Tang then they are already dealt with,¡± Pinoki bluffs ¡°No chance of that being true.¡± Dexter shakes his head disproving his statement ¡°The Wu Tang is dynasty so big it would take years to conquer or ¡®deal¡¯ with them.¡± ¡°How do you think I go here?¡± Pinoki not letting the lie go just yet ¡°Look at my finger, does that ring looks familiar to you,¡± ¡°Ring?¡± The pair of adults spot the black gem for the first time ¡°How did you get th¨C¡± ¨CBoom! A rock come whizzing out of nowhere exploding in Dexter¡¯s face though he reflexively guards himself with his chain scythes getting knocked away from the recoil (Huh? I didn¡¯t plan that) Pinoki rolls in the direction of the projectile (Is someone else¡­) ¡°What the hell is going on here!¡± a young man charges up with an armful of rocks behind him sister (Luck is on my side!!) ¡°Over here!¡± The little man yells ¡°Claude, Amelia, help!¡± If you love me you would crush her throat Boom! ¡°Enough,¡± Boom! ¡°Enough Claude.¡± Boom! ¡°Claude I said enough!¡± scolds Amelia ¡°You just wasted all those weapons,¡± ¡°I am training it can¡¯t be helped,¡± ¡°Exploding everything you use your magic isn¡¯t training,¡± ¡°Yes, Yes it is, just don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Or maybe you still don¡¯t understand your magic, I learned a lot about it while I was in Soterra you know, Maybe you¡¯re using it wrong.¡± ¡°You sound like Shiryu, I¡¯m not using it wrong, I know exactly what I¡¯m doing,¡± Claude gives an indignant response ¡°Which is charging up weapons till they explode?¡± ¡°Amplifying the power of weapons with my white fire.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we try combining our magics together?¡± Amelia rolls her eyes at her twin ¡°Fire and water doesn¡¯t mix,¡± ¡°You barely are fire don¡¯t fool yourself.¡± ¡°I¨C¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Did you see that?¡± Claude goes to reply but is interrupted by a grand flash of light illuminating the area ¡°Over there on the asylum grounds,¡± Amelia nods, ¡°Should we go see?¡± ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. **** ¡°Claude, Amelia help!¡± Pinoki¡¯s voice rings out into the night spotting the twins sprinting up in the distance ¡°Is that!?¡± ¡°Yeah it¡¯s Pinoki, I thought he left already, what¡¯s he doing here? And who are those people attacking hi¡­..¡± Amelia trails off as her question answers itself the moment the other individuals become distinct ¡°¡­Com.. Commissioner Dexter? Miss¡­miss Pesadora?¡± stammers Claude, ¡°What¡¯s this? Why are you two fighting Pinoki?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Pesadora stays quiet throwing a look at her companion, who returns with one of his own being facing the twins ¡°What are you doing in the city at this time?¡± Dexter breathes out calmly ¡°We¨C¡± ¡°¨CWatch out!¡± warns Pinoki Fhwwipp!? As Claude¡¯s mouth opens a scythe swings for his head only missing because of Amelia who yanks back her brother ¡°Those two are involved in underhanded dealings with the Wu Tang,¡± Pinoki blurts with instigating lust His legs pains awfully and face staring to go pale from blood loss but the little man has never felt more thrilled, To him this is where things start heating up¡­ ¡­ ¡°Dealings? I don¡¯t understand,¡± Claude still lost on everything squeezes a rock in his palm which he superheats with magic now on guard for another swing, ¡°Hhhh,¡± Pesadora sighs ¡°This is so troublesome, I am too old for this, Kill Claude keep his twin alive, her magic us useful and can be traded for a lot along with that short one with the shadows,¡± ¡°Recovery rain, ¡­. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either, but if it¡¯s our lives you want, Your lives will be the ones I take.¡± Amelia growls after casting her magic to heal Pinoki¡¯s wounds ¡°Let me handle this Amelia, You assist me.¡± Claude steps in front of her ¡°No way, What are you going to after wasting all those weapons out, You have rocks Claude.¡± ¡°What can you do with rain?¡± the boy retorts, ¡°Heal and assist me if I get hurt, I do the fighting you do the assisting that¡¯s the dynamic¡± ¡°Shearing cyclone!¡± Fwhhiippwhiplfwhhipllfwhhipll!! ¡°Ajh shit! Recovery showers!¡± Whilst the twins argue Pesadora conjures a vile vortex of wind that rips through their flesh like motor blades, Amelia hurriedly casts a continuous downpour of her healing rain to keep them alive Pinoki now disappeared into the shadows is nowhere to be seen, ¡°Nghh Shit shit shit! You! That hurt!¡± screams the girl ¡°See why I should¨C¡± ¡°Shut up and fight!¡± Amelia cuts Claude off Vooom! Vooffm! Vooffm! Vooom! Vooffm! Vooffm! Claude tosses all his exploding rocks at the pair before rushing in himself THHUMMD! His shoulder impales the chest of Dexter instead of helping the middle-aged man retaliates immediately leashing his chain around the boy¡¯s throat Squeezing it with thunderous strength ¡°Ehchjjjj¡± Claude starts choking foaming out the mouth, This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.¡°Paralysis rain!¡± Amelia casts ¡°Wind stream!¡± Pesadora deflects her rain BUUOWWFF! A shadowy fist uppercuts Dexter out of nowhere making him release his choke grip, ¡°I got you Claude!¡± Pinoki reappears ¡°Airless vacuum!¡± the old woman begins draining up all the breathable air ¡°Paralysis showers!¡± Amelia tries again this time conjuring a powerful shower of the old woman who goes numb ¡°ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!¡± she laugh scandalously before directing her showers over Dexter as well ¡°See how easy that was for me brother? Recovery rain See? Go on apologize, Your throat isn¡¯t damaged anymore, You stupid brainless oaf, physical and magical strength doesn¡¯t mean anything, This is why I had to leave you and learn magic in Soterra by myself, Even Pinoki gets it, You just have to rush into everything!¡± ¡°Alright, I get it¡± grunts Claude ¡°phew??¡± whistles Pinoki quite pleased, more so entertained by the everything he¡¯d just went through ¡°How long do they stay paralysed for Amelia?¡± he asks ¡°They can still hear so I won¡¯t say.¡± She smiles widely which weirds out the little man (She¡¯s acting a lot more extroverted than I remember) ¡°Ok, Pinoki tell me what¡¯s all this about, Why are you here, fighting these two city leaders?¡± presses Claude ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s quite a long story actually now that I think about it, But what you need to know now is that those two are in possession of a beasts requiem that allows you to turn anyone to stone and extract their magic, The reason why Sweepstake city rarely sees people with evolved magic, and why they are labelled as being ¡®insane¡¯ is because of Dexter, Pesadora and maybe even Marshall, They turn all people with evolved magic to stone, to trade off their rare magic for who knows what,¡± ¡°We are the reason this city was as successful as it was.¡± Pesadora groans, able to speak under paralysis, ¡°The Wu Tang has been supplying this city for years, Years! That lazy Mayor barely did anything, Let the people run themselves he said, This place would have become a shit storm, A ghetto, a giant slum of not for me Buck and Dexter, The merchants, service and order are the three factions keeping this place up, And now more than ever this city needs us, They need us to be happy, to live they way they have before, You evolved magic users cause so many mass murders and massacres, we are better without you, As far as I am concerned we are doing nothing wrong and if there were any regular people around right now they would agree!¡± Pesadora huffs out after saying all she could ¡°¡­. Were you really doing what¡¯s best for the city?¡± murmurs Claude who feels conflicted by it all ¡°Perhaps, they are right,¡± Amelia knees down gently by the silent Dexter, ¡°gyuhhnk!¡± She sinks a dagger into his throat, ¡°Amelia!¡± ¡°We are crazy people, Claude, We¡¯re crazy because life has taken everything from us, And still wants more, I don¡¯t mind being called insane if it means I can keep my peace, Unlike you Claude I understand my magic, Since our parents died I always felt like there was this rain cloud following me everywhere casting gloom wherever I went, Now I control that rain cloud,¡± ¡°He¡¯s already down you can¡¯t just kill him like that Amelia!¡± ¡°I can and I did, That man almost killed you just now, my blood, my only blood I have left, He can die, and if that makes me insane then so be it,¡± ¡­. ¡°I have no issue with this by the way.¡± Pinoki raises his arm awkwardly ¡°Kill the other one Claude,¡± Amelia ignoring Pinoki points to the old lady sprawled down lifelessly ¡°I can¡¯t like this, the fight is over and she is defenseless,¡± ¡°The fight is never over, Kill her Claude, Step on her throat,¡± ¡°Are you cra¨C¡± ¡°¨CYes, Yes I am, And if you love me brother, You would crush her throat right now.¡± ¡­. I would love a taste of you emperor ¡°Once you return to the swamp camp get everyone prepared if they¡¯re not already, I may or may not call for a ¡®big move¡¯ Depending on how things go for me.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me with you chief.¡± ¡°Not this time Natsu, They¡¯ll think it¡¯s easier dealing with myself alone,¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t make any decisions that will shame us more than you have already.¡± ¡°Yes, elder Shiki¡­¡± And with that the small army of warriors from Bakufu leave the great city of Wu Tang barring their chief Aki, who stays behind, A dim streak of colors breaks into the horizon as the morning rebirths itself out the night Aki pays the beautiful sight no mind as she turns back into the imperial castle, ¡°Brave of you to stay here alone.¡± Sza who has been following closely behind the woman, says, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid or intimidated by any of you, Not in the slightest,¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard, Tonbo has a foolishly cocky leader,¡± ¡°Is your emperor ready to speak or is he still in hiding?¡± Aki replies uninterested in carrying any conversation with the woman ¡°The emperor will see you when he is ready,¡± ¡°Nah, I am not a guest or his underling, he will see me now,¡± ¡°You will wait or be tossed out.¡± Sza cracks her knuckles ¡°I promise you will get humiliated in your own castle if you think I can be bullied.¡± Aki steps right into the woman¡¯s face ¡°Get out of my¨C¡± ¡°¨CThe emperor will see you now.¡± Rae-kwon suddenly steps between the two women ¡°Lucky.¡± Grunts Aki brushing her shoulder across Sza¡¯s hard before stomping off into the castle¡­. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°How sure are you he¡¯ll even use the ring again MM?¡± ¡°He has to eventually, just keep a close eye on the lantern just in case, Rza and Gza are getting ready to head to Furlheim city¡­.¡± ¡°Take him down right now!¡± the chiefs voice booms throughout the spacious throne room not a few seconds after she enters it ¡°Now!¡± Hanging directly over the throne like a trophy is Shiryu¡¯s lifeless body On the seat sits the Humanfaced slaughterer, or by his birth name, Cash Aside him stands clan member Method Man or MM, who stares unpleasantly at the loud woman ¡°Are those really the first words you say to your emperor.¡± MM jeers ¡°My emperor? Don¡¯t, just don¡¯t , My nation is independent I, we answer to no one besides ourselves,¡± Aki fiercely spats ¡°It¡¯s fine she doesn¡¯t have to address me as her emperor,¡± Cash stands pacing slowly up to the chief ¡°If this is supposed to intimidate me save your energy, I saw your ass get dropped through the roof of his very castle in beaten pulp,¡± Aki pushes herself up into the emperor¡¯s face undauntedly ¡°Let Shiryu down or I might give you an even worse beating,¡± ¡°You look very much like your father Aki¡± Cash breathes on her eyes making the girl step slightly back ¡°His face is a part of my collection, Do you want to see¨C Nnghh¨CI see I hit an emotion.¡± The emperor clutches his now bleeding shoulder Aki had swiped a dagger new his neck the moment he uttered words of her father ¡°Hey! Get this woman¨C¡± ¡°Its alright MM, I saw the slash coming and could easily have dodged, You know I don¡¯t mind shedding a little of my own blood.¡± ¡°Do what I say or I will do more than shed it.¡± Threatens Aki ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being ungrateful now? You came here to get your old man, and we graciously obliged, now you have the audacity to demand me my prey?¡± presses the emperor haughtily as he goes back to his throne which he sits ¡°You didn¡¯t give me back Shiki out of graciousness first of all you abducted him, And secondly, I know how your thirty six chambers works, You can only hold one person, you swapped out the old man for Shiryu.¡± ¡°Shall I repeat my question¡± Cash exhales grabbing a black lantern hanging by the throne the emperor caresses the light producing object and asks: ¡°Why? The old man is one of yours, but that thing isn¡¯t What exactly does this beast mean to you?¡± ¡°That thing is a very powerful creature, one that could create an even more powerful requiem when it dies,¡± Aki¡¯s fierceness simmers down now as she speaks in monotone ¡°Shiryu, doesn¡¯t mean anything to me, but his power is something I would never let be left alone in the hands of the Wu Tang, You think I¡¯m foolish enough to leave his kind of power with my greatest enemies?¡± ¡°You state that so confidently, while standing before my throne In my castle In my city In my nation Under my rule¡± Cash warns with a lustful murderous tone If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.¡°Like I keep saying, save the intimidation tactics for someone else, You and I are going to settle this with an official duel, Same rules as always to the death, Only this time I want Shiryu when I win,¡± ¡°Huh Ha Hahah Hahhah¡± the emperor chuckles ¡°Duel she says, Ok, We¡¯ll do this the official wa¨C¡± ¨Cbuuuvvvvshhhhhkll!!! ¡°Shit! I told you there was gonna be an ambush!¡± Out of nowhere a black bursts out of the lantern held by the emperor And in it three very familiar individuals, ¡°Look, Shiryu is right there!¡± Claude scrambles up ¡°Oh thank Murdoc my luck, Aki is here.¡± Rejoices Pinoki spotting the woman, ¡°Paralysis showers!¡± Amelia immediately casts her rain upon the entire room barring Aki and her companions All bodies slump down except the emperor who stands up unaffected surprisingly still stoic in demeanour ¡°Rain magic huh.¡± His face becoming featureless ¡°Pinoki, Claude?¡± Aki starts to say but¡­ GYYUHNK! Amelia ragdolls across the throne room, her head collides against a wall with a violent bump ¡°Rain magic would be tiresome to deal with,¡± drawls the slaughterer shedding his gown, body now transforming it¡¯s state from it¡¯s usual imposing size, The killers chest sinks in flat, shoulders become slimmer and less muscular while his legs muscle up to perfection bulging of veins and ¡°Amelia!¡± Claude rushes to his sister while Pinoki snatches up Shiryu¡¯s body with his shadows ¡°I will have to explain later chief Aki!¡± he says ¡°Come and get Amelia Pinoki!¡± cries Claude, ¡°Her head is bleeding bad,¡± ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t think this would happ¨Cwhoah!¡± Pinoki ducks into his shadow just narrowly missing an axe-like leg swing for his head ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have that duel now then!¡± Aki rushes at the man without a face Gushhhkk! His hands burst open of blood becoming spikes he thrusts at his opponent ¡°hyuh!¡± Aki slides under attempting cut his massive legs ¡°Mmph!¡± The man leaps up avoiding ¡°blood rain needles!¡± He sends a downpour of projectiles at the woman who¨C ¡°Aghn!¡± ¨Cdoesn¡¯t manage to avoid most of the spikes ¡°I¡¯ve already figured you out Aki, This battle won¡¯t go on for long, You biggest strength is your agility, how fast you move and how light you are on and off your feet, That¡¯s why I configured my body in the best way to out speed you, For the rest of you, Entering my throne room un prohibited is a crime warranting death.¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhh! You will pay for hurting my sister!¡± charges Claude ¡°Your are so very intense.¡± GYUNCHK!! Cash leaps into Claude thrusting his foot on the boy¡¯s face burying his skull on the floor Jeeshkk! ¡°Don¡¯t ever turn from me in a fight!¡± Aki seizes the opportunity and runs a short sword down the back of the man his blood sprays out like a clogged hose Shhuhkkk! ¡°When will you learn?¡± The blood out his back instantly form into spikes impaling the girl in the gut¨C ¨CNo Poof! The woman disperses into a cloud of gas, Toxic gas that sinks into the open back of the slaughterer ¡°You are strong, I will not lie¡± he grimaces as his skin turns purple and organs rapidly failing *sllashhh!?* Cash cuts his own head off before the poisonous gas could reach his brain, Immediately more flesh begins bulging out his throat forming a brand new body ¡°We are perfect opponents, you and I, Me, a requiem that augment my body parts, and my magic to control my own blood You a requiem that turns your body into gas and magic that can produce just that, Rock vs paper, It¡¯s very clear which of us is which¡­¡± ¡°You are not human.¡± Aki¡¯s body reforms out the gas, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m better, I am¨C¡± DUNNCKKSHH! A sudden fist rockets into the man¡¯s face pile driving it straight through the floor ¡°How many times do we have to teach you a lesson old man!¡± the hand digs back down yanking Cash¡¯s face out of the crushed stone ¡°You¡­ Who, how did you get in here?¡± his stoic tone cracks into shock ¡°I¡¯ve been here this entire time,¡± a smooth voice coos out ¡°You were talking about rock vs paper, yet you forgot that it¡¯s scissors that beats paper correct emperor?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Cash grits his teeth, his ability does not allow him to feel physical pain so the attack didn¡¯t hurt him but.. His eyes lock with the black bloodthirsty pupils of his attacker who grins sharp-toothed smile ¡°Blood magic you have, I like it, You see I¡¯m a vampire, Dracula is the name and I¡¯d love a taste of you emperor Cash¡± Loveless: Only in dreams ??? ??? ¡°Only in dreams? Well see what it means? Reach out our hand¨Chold on to hers? But when we wake!? It¡¯s all been erased? And so it seems? Only in dreams?¡± ??? ??? ¡°Ten seconds or ten years, it¡¯s all the same in here.¡± Sighs Shiryu after signing out a few lyrics ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m in a perpetual dream, I don¡¯t mind it It feels like being in education system back home, My memories are easy and clear here, I can recall every conversation I¡¯ve had song I¡¯ve listened to, lesson I¡¯ve learned It¡¯s so clear but¡­ I can¡¯t stay here not while leaving Pinoki in the city, and Aki¡­ She was right there¡­.¡± ¡­ ??? ¡°You can¡¯t avoid her? She¡¯s in the air? In between molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide?¡± Shiryu once again humming a tune I remember when I was child, I heard this song only once, I liked the instruments but I hated the lyrics, Why are signing about someone who isn¡¯t real? Why do they only exist in your dreams? I thought it was dumb, still think it is, But now I understand in my own interpretation Maybe the idea I had of her was just that and idea, an ideal, a dream in my mind, in reality that person wasn¡¯t real ¡°Why I am discussing this with myself? Insanity is coming for me no??¡± ¡°Surprised you haven¡¯t already gone insane.¡± A feminine voice wafts into his hearing ¡°Who, Who said that,. Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Your in my arms right now Shiryu, why don¡¯t you wake up and see.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m trapped here.¡± ¡°You can now, Open your eyes my love.¡± ¡°My¡­ Love¡­?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°uh?¡± Shiryu blinks awake His head is sunk into a woman¡¯s lap, her arms around his neck ¡°Whe¨C¡± he begins ¡°¨CSee I brought him out now, we¡¯ll let him decide,¡± the woman who holds him speaks¡­ A very familiar voice ¡°Agh, Lam¨ªa?¡± Shiryu pulls himself away from the vampire, stumbling into the post scenes of fight The female vampire smiles at him playfully sitting on a throne, the emperor Cash¡¯s throne, speaking of said emperor he lays a pale blue heap on the ground, if not for the faint breaths one would have assumed him to be dead, Standing over him the vampire Dracula who¡¯s fingers drip of flesh blood (Dracula and Lamia here¡­) ¡°Shiryu.¡± Pinoki calls standing across from Dracula alongside Aki, they both have weapons brandished ¡°What¡¯s going on here? What did I miss?¡± ¡°Pick a side my love.¡± Lamia tugs his arm back ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± he fidgets away, ¡°You manipulate people with your mana, don¡¯t call me ¡®love¡¯ I won¡¯t the fooled,¡± ¡°Very well, I won¡¯t try to reel you in.¡± She smiles some more ¡°But you can at least thank me for pulling you out of that minds-space.¡± ¡°Aki, Pinoki, what happened here? Why are the new breed here?¡± Shiryu turns away ignoring the vampire ¡°We have been following you ever since you left the Bends Shiryu,¡± Dracula answers ¡°You are indeed a very interesting being Shiryu, If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.But it appears the humans see you as tool, Be it the Wu Tang, or those two over there.¡± He points a bloody claw at Pinoki and Aki ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to choose a side Shiryu, But just be weary of these humans you call friends, If everything goes up in flames you will be the one they throw in first.¡± ¡°Wha¨C¡± Poooff? Dracula and Lamia transform into bats ¡°Thank me another time empress Aki.¡± Lamia cackles before they fly out of the room ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Everything goes silent now as Shiryu stares across at Aki and Pinoki The former still keeping her guard up while Pinoki drops hiss walking up to Shiryu ¡°Snap out of it Shiryu,¡± he says ¡°A lot happened in so little time, you wouldn¡¯t believe what I just went through, And look over there is Claude and Amelia¡­ Shit, they should probably get some medical attention right now.¡± ¡°This city is now mine,¡± Aki spurts out suddenly ¡°Their emperor is defeated, and I am left standing, I¡¯m claiming Wu Tang city for myself.¡± ¡°Can both of you slowdown, and tell me what happened?¡± ¡°You blasted through the roof out of nowhere a night ago, so the Clan members put you under their mind magic,¡± Aki finally drops her guard turning her back to Shiryu she goes to bodies of the twins taking out some healing magic stones ¡°The Wu Tang wanted to use you to create a requiem, Obviously I couldn¡¯t let them have you, so I came to challenge for you, What that vampire was saying about how we see is a tool isn¡¯t true.¡± She mumbles that last part under her breath ¡°That vampire, Dracula suddenly appeared during the fight and sucked the emperor dry of his blood,¡± Pinoki takes up the explanation ¡°Then that other Vampire Lamia appeared, she¡¯s put a soundproof barrier around this chamber, and tortured that guy,¡± Pinoki points to a body Shiryu hadn¡¯t noticed before ¡­ Method man now hanging above the throne where they held Shiryu, ¡°She tortured him until he released his seal on the thirty six chambers, only one needs to be undone to get a person out,¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°No, I also got the Medusa requiem by myself but Dracula took it, That¡¯s a whole other story, I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± (Was it really just a day I missed because I swear everything happened) ¡°Aki what about you, The old man?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What about Bakufu, it¡¯s flooded?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking this city, my people will come here until I sort out that issue,¡± ¡­ ¡°Aki¡­ We, We need to tal¨C¡± ¡­. As the words escape Shiryu¡¯s mouth the throne room¡¯s door slides open strongly and behind it the muscular warrior Sza (More fighting¡­) ¡°Guards!¡± she calls for backup and immediately the troops flood in, ¡°I am taking this¨C¡± Aki starts ¡°¨CClean this place up!¡± comes a surprising order from Sza (Clean?) ¡°Clean?¡± Aki voices what Shiryu just thought ¡°The sparing is over isn¡¯t empress Aki?¡± bows Sza adding to the confusion ¡°Empress?¡± Dont love me, Use me The Wu Tang dynasty great city is often called the Stone City by it¡¯s inhabitants, because of the heavy presence of magic stone usage within the nation, To them the gems are like currency, with the more common ones being worth little in comparison to the stones containing much rarer magic, The people here are anything but giving, if you ask for something expect to be demanded a few magic stones in exchange, This has been the norm here for centuries an economic system partially unique to the Wu Tang, I say partially because in recent times their influence has started spreading to other smaller towns, Many seeking infrastructural aid would come to Wu Tang only to be demanded stones, of these many towns the biggest one that stands out is Furlheim city, On the surface it¡¯s ran by it is ran by its people independently of any other country, but behind all that Furlheim was being assisted by the Wu Tang throughout the latter half of it¡¯s entire lifespan, that it was able to grow so quickly from a small town to a big city, Everything from it¡¯s weapons to concrete was provided by the Wu Tang, in exchange they would trade magic stones of course, but the ones they traded weren¡¯t ones naturally developed in the earth over the course of centuries The ones they traded were created from fresh bodies drained of all their magic, turned to stone A feat only possible with the use of the object that can break all natural laws, the requiem. Furlheim city, often called Sweepstake city was perhaps a Sweepstake of magical gems for the people of the Wu Tang Dynasty. ¡­. ¡­ **** ¡°Three wind? I only have a fire and two earth.¡± ¡°Well I need some wind stones right now so I can¡¯t help you sir.¡± ¡°Come I¡¯m sure we can compromise something.¡± ¡°No can do.¡± ¡°burrrppp!¡± Claude belches loudly ¡°At this point, I don¡¯t even trust the ground itself anymore.¡± He says ¡°I feel like recently everything I¡¯ve know has been a lie or has more layers to it that I¡¯d known.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the excitement of life my friend,¡± replies Pinoki ¡°More secrets to uncover means more adventures await,¡± ¡°Wait till Mf returns.¡± Shiryu speaks in standing up, Him along with Pinoki and the twins sit around a table in a caf¨¦ in the Stone City, A few days has gone by since taking over the nation, (Well not actually taking it over) The vampire Lamia, one of her abilities lets her manipulate the minds and memories of humans, and for some reason she decided to make so that the governing body of the Wu Tang, the clan, they now remember themselves voting Aki as the new empress and priority leader of the country, Emperor Cash still lives and is revered by the regular citizens who have not been manipulated, but to the entire household of the imperial castle Aki is now the leader. ¡­ ¡­ **** ¡°Our stone trading industry has taking significant losses without the Medusa requiem and the people from Furlheim city using it, empress.¡± ¡°I heard the last two spearheads of that operation we¡¯re killed in the dead of the night, I take that as a sign that we should end that system, the Vampires have already taken the requiem, Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.Give Furlheim the aid they need, the people of this city could survive without magic stones, they¡¯re aren¡¯t anything besides a symbol of value here anyway,¡± states the former chief now empress Aki, Strolling along the concrete roads of the stone city she discusses with Rae-kwon the matters of the city, ¡°What I really need to get dealt with is that flood in Bakufu,¡± She stops in front of a commercial building about the size of a small house it¡¯s exterior painted a soft peach with colorful paper streaks hanging from it¡¯s open entrance, blowing peacefully in the breeze of the stone city, ¡°Go get my siblings and tell them to meet me here, Rae,¡± ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll do just that.¡± The man bows politely trotting back up the street to the picturesque castle looming in the distance Aki turns into the¨C ¡°Aki?¡± Shiryu says exiting the caf¨¦ with his three companions ¡°I was just coming to see if you¡¯re still here,¡± she turns back away no longer intent on entering the caf¨¦ ¡°Walk with me, I have some things to discuss.¡± ¡°..O.. ok¡­¡± Shiryu awkwardly stutters following behind the woman Pinoki and the twins wait a while for the two to get going before also following but from a distance ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Those vampire friends of yours, I need you to get that Medusa requiem or whatever it¡¯s called, The ability to turn people to stone is to dangerous to let loose especially with the beasts.¡± Aki briskly informs not letting Shiryu attempt to start up a regular conversation ¡°Dracula, Lamia, I don¡¯t think you have to worry about them, See they may seem highly intelligent and sophisticated but like all beastmen they are driven by primal wants,¡± ¡°Oh now I definitely feel much better about them holding on to q dangerous artifact.¡± Comes a sarcastic response ¡°Let me finish, The vampires want nothing but control, incontestable control, that¡¯s why they don¡¯t or haven¡¯t been out attacking humans or taking over cities, They want control but hate the spotlight, Dracula wants to control by fear and Lamia by manipulation, they both want to do this from the shadows, see where I¡¯m getting at Aki? If Dracula wanted he could have been massacred this entire city, but chose to let you have it, Lamia could manipulate your mind the same she did with the clan, they only came because they wanted the requiem, they¡¯re not a threat as of now.¡± ¡°If you say so Shiryu, but then again you could just be under her spell to say this,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, but Aki can we talk about us?¡± ¡°Us? Be serious Shiryu, I have a lot to deal with, our friendship was temporary and served it¡¯s purpose, What I¡¯m focused on now is dealing with the threat that will come from the flood,¡± ¡°¡­.Bu¡­¡± Shiryu hesitates on what to say ¡­. ¡°¡­We don¡¯t even know if anything is even going to come of it,¡± he answers decidedly steering away from the topic he brought up ¡°Everyone is saying war, before any of this happened the Wu Tang were already making preparations, There are other people out there, ones that none of us know anything about, except you Shiryu, That¡¯s why I still need you,¡± (Use me) ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to help¡± Shiryu mutters under his breath (To make you love me) ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Connected through love {¡°Scientists say that these colorful skies are likely a bi product of rapid climate change and possibly the deterioration of our ozone, The sea currents have also drastically shifted and temperatures cooler, many believe it could be something else entirely in the works, but as of now nothing has been confirmed More on the news tonight¡­.¡±} ¡°Turn that off I¡¯m trying to focus.¡± ¡°On what mate? Ya just got back and rushed to me computers like a madman, It¡¯s like ya were over there for a long time, been missing getting a good ol¡¯ wank eh?¡± ¡°What? Shut up Harry, I¡¯m trying to hack back in to the governments internal communication service to see what they know about what¡¯s going on, computer science isn¡¯t really my forte so it¡¯s a bit stressful..¡± Metal Fingers softly shoves the woman from near him, eyes glued to a screen ¡°Aye if ya were anyone else I¡¯d have ya hand,¡± The pirate replies in a playful tone ¡°yeah whatever¡­. ¡­ Yes. I¡¯m in!¡± Mf sifts his eyes through a sea of numbers (All end to end encrypted though) ¡°I can¡¯t do anything with this¡­ I wonder if Himari¡¯s account still has access¡­¡± he mumbles ¡­ ¡­ ..! ¡°Yo, I gotta go, Gotta warn Shiryu and the others¡± Mf pulls away from the screen moments after gaining access to the information ¡°Sorry Harry, I¡¯ll be back and I¡¯ll tell you everything I swear,¡± ¡°Nah mate tell me somethin¡¯ now, Kage left all mysteriously and now you¡¯re doing the same, Fess up, what did you see over on the third ring,¡± ¡°A lot, but listen you know the first pirate, Sir Savi?, he went to the Gaia¡± ¡°And what? What he do there, is there treasure for me?¡± ¡°Yeah you met the treasure, his name was Kage¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­ *** Guusssshhhh!!? ¡°So¡­. How do you feel about all this? Like your entire home is now beneath the waters and¡­.¡± Shiryu trails off seeing an angry glint in Aki¡¯s eyes, They stare off at the flowing currents of salt water pushing out down the Kuwagata waterfall and trickling into little streams and rivers on the across the terrain .... Aki takes a few minutes in silence before speaking¡­ ... ¡°Bakufu, our history was originally as a tentative nation for the Wu Tang, this area was-is a significant spot of interest and that¡¯s why strong warriors were sent to stay here, They didn¡¯t know why or what for, only that this was an important place, I had always thought it was because Bakufu was the only spot that could access the only trail up the mountains¡­¡± ¡°Little did you know the mountains themselves were the real point of interest.¡± Shiryu finishes for her ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like this can be undone though¡­.¡± Pinoki speaks in Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.¡°I am not trying to undo it, just find the cause of it, and stop anything else that may come of it.¡± ¡°So are you content with how things are in the Wu Tang?¡± Shiryu probes ¡°No, I feel like a cosplayer, a pretend ruler, If I rule my enemies it should be after I crush them followed by surrender and acknowledgement, That vampire and her manipulation, I don¡¯t trust it at all¡­¡± ¡°Me either,¡± agrees Pinoki ¡°I had a totally bizarre dream the other night, Kage and I¨C¡± ¨Cjjuuzzzzzzzzzz? As Pinoki had begun to tell his story a sail plane comes whizzing ¡°That¡¯s Mf.¡± Shiryu tosses up magic stone that immediately flashes a bright red light, commanding the ship''s attention .. It doesn¡¯t take long for it to swoop down beside the group ¡°Shii, I was just wondering to myself how the hell ima supposed to find you, but I guess it¡¯s a good thing you decided to wait to find me first.¡± Mf steps out once again on the land of Gaia ¡°What¡¯s the word Mf, any news on what¡¯s going on with the water?¡± Shiryu questions almost instantly ¡°That, our scientist are just as baffled as you are over here, but listen to this, The void sea is gone.¡± ¡­? ¡­? Mf receives some confused stares in response ¡°Oh yeah you don¡¯t know what that is¡­ Basically our entire is majorly made up of water, different oceans and seas connected as one, The void sea is the only disconnected sea, it¡¯s cold and lifeless, unable to navigate and unresponsive to tech, like a vacuum of space, When I first got here I had to travel through the void sea, now it¡¯s gone, There¡¯s literally a massive crack in the mountains up there where some of our ocean is flowing to here, basically anyone could grab a boat and get here,¡± Mf voice cracks with excitement ¡°Its really all connected now¡­¡± Shiryu mumbles to himself (This has Kage written all over it) ¡°Is that all?¡± he asks ¡°No, I was just getting to that, The time dilation is also go¡­¡± Mf begins but gets more confused looks from Pinoki and Aki ¡°So yeah, time used to work different between rings, A year here would be two where I¡¯m from, but now I think our times have also synced, We¡¯re all connected now.¡± ¡°Ooohh, this gets me energetic!¡± Pinoki grins from ear to ear ¡°You¡¯re telling me a land fresh my exploration is only a bow ride away? I simply cannot wait.¡± ¡°Welllll¡­. You¡¯re gonna have to wait a while longer.¡± Mf¡¯s tone drops ¡°You see I got something information from my government, they know about what happened, maybe even anticipated You see¡­ It¡¯s best if you get prepared for it, Not long from now my government is planning on launching a full scale invasion onto this ring.¡±