《Armor Spirits》


 Chapter 1: The Fire Inside

    Chapter 1: The Fire Inside


    It was hot. The scorching sun rained down upon the seaside city of Helios, its rays pouring down as it rose over the eastern mountains. Even the cool sea breeze could not quash it completely, nor the sounds of the waves crashing if one lived near the beaches. Today was definently a hot day, beating down any energy one might have in the early morning.


    Remember, you can always call for help.


    Those words in his head caused a red haired boy to stir, rising from his messy futon bed. His bedroom was a bit small, so a regular bed would have taken up a lot of space after all. As for what he was wearing, it was so hot last night the boy did not wear anything. Judging by his height and body, he appeared small and petit, but had clearly some matured features. A short eleven or twelve year old, the latter being more likely.


    In fact, he was twelve year old Shinku Rouge, a boy with red hair and red eyes. He looked over at the alarm clock besides him, which appeared to have fallen over and broken. Judging by his sheets, he probably kicked and moved around a lot in his sleep.


    However, while his room was hot, it was not too hot to where he was getting heat stroke or such. Perhaps because he had slept in the nude, but he was not suffering from it so bad. Although, there was a strange burn mark on his left arm, fresh and recent, and also one on his lower left calf. His hair however was fine, and was long enough to cover his ears and reach down close to his shoulders.


    "What a weird dream" he said to himself, getting out of bed and heading to his dresser. He pulled out some boxers, some black shorts, and a red T shirt with a black stripe running down the middle. He carried them over to the bathroom, and before getting dressed he quickly sat down and rinsed his body before drying it with a towel. Once that was done, he proceeded to get dressed, and went to the mirror to brush his teeth.


    "Woah!" he said, for a moment reacting in shock to the mirror. For a moment, he thought he had seen animal ears on his head, or maybe a different person entirely. But it appeared to just be his sleepy behavior. Shrugging it off, he brushed his teeth, and headed towards the kitchen.


    The place he was living in was small, to say the least. Definently not set up for a large family, or even large sized people. There was a single hallway, with five doors, that led to a room that was basically a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room conected to each other. The five doors in the hallway that went from this went to his bedroom, the other bedroom, the bathroom, the closet, and a place with a desk and a computer that was clearly multi-purpose.


    No one else seemed to be around, nor did Shinku look for any. Instead, he went and made breakfast for himself, getting out a bowl, some milk, and cereal, quickly putting it all together in a bit more of an awake fashion. Rinsing himself not only freshed up his body a bit, it also helped invigorate his mind.


    He had a weird feeling he was forgetting something, but he figured it was probably his dream. He had a restless night, but he didn''t recall any of his dreams. Besides, as he checked the time, it was already seven AM. School would be starting soon, and he didn''t want to be late since they were taking a field trip.


    It was rather hot, but they place they were taking a field trip to was the Neogate Science Center, set up by the Neogate Corporation. They were making advanced in various fields, including robotics. Even security and police robots, as well as janitorial robots on the street. Even if it was the year 2046, it was all quite revolutionary and advanced.


    There was even talk of space travel becoming more common.


    Either way, he had to get going, so he got his backpack, put on some socks and shoes, and after making sure he had a lunch packed, he headed out the door, locking it behind him.


    "Yo, sleepyhead boy" a grizzled voice said to him. Shinku turned around, and saw a man standing right there, looking down at him. He was a tall man wearing a trench coat, with a grizzled face and voice and a sharp look in his eyes. That sharp look was staring at Shinku, as if it was sizing him up.


    "...are you stalking me now? Did your inner shotacon awaken?" Shinku retorted without fear to the man. "I seriously doubt a police detective like yourself has the time to be hovering outside of the door of an innocent boy. Shouldn''t you be catching criminals?"


    Although Shinku spoke to him without any politeness or reserve. the detective did not seem to mind the backtalk.


    "Actually, I am here to drive you to your field trip. The school called, everyone is meeting there".


    "...my teacher called you?"


    "Believe it or not, people actually worry about you" he said jokingly. "Anyways, they said since its a pain to go to the school, and then ride a bus there in this heat, everyone is just going to meet there in the lobby since its air conditioned".


    He began to walk to the car, and Shinku begrudgingly followed.


    "I do hope your not hostile to everyone like that by the way".


    "Its just you, Failed Detective Ivarson".


    "You know, why dont you just stay with friends more?"


    "The apartment would get dusty then".


    This sort of conversation continued as they reached the car, Ivarson getting into the drivers side and Shinku the passanger''s side. After making sure it was clear, he started to drive them there.


    "...so is there any new leads?"


    "Unfortunately, not" the detective said, and after that, the two sat in silence the rest of the way there.


    <hr>


    "Ahh! Shinku, there you are!" a boy shouted at him as Shinku walked over. He was wearing a nametag provided by Neogate to help keep track of everyone, reading as Yuuto Katori, but Shinku just called him Yuu. There was also a girl there, Emily Rose. She seemed to blush a little though, and looked around the building.


    "Hey, you know what is up with her?" Shinku asked Yuuto.


    "Erm, well..." Yuuto replied, becoming a bit flustered. Although Yuuto could get energetic at times, he was actually a bit timid and emotional. However, he was also kind, loyal, and outright stubborn, which made him a good friend to have. To be exact, the two were best friends, although Yuuto still had some sort of secret or two still.


    "You dont know?"


    "I can guess...I think she has a crush on you".


    "Eh? Really? Well, whatever. Just dont go wandering off".


    "I-I dont wander off!"


    Shinku gave him a look of disbelief.


    "N-not that much anyways".


    "Anyways, just stay close. We are even going to be able to see the upper floors today, where they do research and development".


    As he said that, he looked around at everyone else and watched what was going on. However, that was when Yuuta accidentally tripped on his own foot and knocked into him from behind, knocking them both down.


    "...you will really need to watch where you are going, in various ways".


    "Sowwy" he said as Shinku messed with his face as punishment.


    <hr>


    Either way, the field trip proceeded as planned. The students were divided into groups of three and began to be lead by a guide around the building. Shinku and Yuuta chatted a bit, as the girl with them, Emily Rose, watched them from behind with blushed cheeks.


    After all, she had been given a group several of her classmates, female ones to be specific, would have dreamed to get. Shinku Rouge, and Yuuta Katori. To the girls of the school who had begun to gain feelings and crushes on boys around them, these two had garnered a lot of attention. Both had cute and charming looks for sure. But their personalities were also very popular.


    Shinku was known for being a hard worker, very dilligent, and also good at sports. He even learned something about metalworking, and apparently occasionally worked part time for an actual blacksmith. Furthermore, there was the tragic incident that happened to him a little over a year ago....while visiting a shrine with his mother, they had been attacked by some sort of psychotic killer. His mother was murdered protecting him, who barely escaped with injuries. Apparently he was living on his own now, since his father was never in the picture. That sad story gave him a feeling of needing hugs and support, which drove interest up. His red hair and red eyes also seemed to synergize well.


    And then there was Yuuto. The quiet, shy, awkward boy who sometimes was absentminded and wandered off to places. He was timid, but he was always there when it counted and he was very loyal. Even though he was the kind of boy whose cheeks could get red very easily, he was often able to muster up the strength to speak. His silver-white hair seemed exotic, but his red eyes seemed full of hope and passion.


    At the moment, they were on the twentieth floor, looking at some of their robotic development facilities. A lot of advancement had been made in robotics, as well as artificial intelligence, and due to that, they were already starting to dip into those fields in not just middle school, but elementry school as well. And while Emily did think it was fairly interesting, she was often lost in thoughts about her group mates.


    It was like she was on a date with both of them!


    "Emily, are you okay?" Yuuto asked. "You seem to be spacing out a lot".


    "Ah, yes! I am fine!" she quickly responded. Following behind them, they headed towards the next room, which currently showed what appeared to be a museum exhibit of ancient relics and technology.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Here is one of our inspiration rooms. We have documented various ancient technology here so that we may draw inspiration from the innovators of the past" the guide told them as the three of them walked closer to one of the displays. It seemed among them, there was even a metalworking display that attracted Shinku, featuring some finely crafted metal eggs.


    "Ah, so you noticed? These were in a vault sealed in the 800s..."


    "Wait, what?" shinku reacted with surprise. "But, judging by the metalwork, it incorporates techniques that were not thought of till much later then that".


    The guide reacted with surprise, but smiled as she looked over at the colorful eggs.


    "Indeed, you have a good eye. We dont know who made them, as the vault was unmarked, but clearly they were done by a prodigy ahead of their time. And thus, by having them here, we hope to draw inspiration from that prodigal mind. When they hear about such things, some even think they can feel a sort of power or brilliance radiating from them".


    Shinku looked back at them with amazement, rubbing his own forearm.


    ...want to live...awaken...


    That was when for a moment, he thought he heard a voice in his head, and began to get a headache. The guide, who thought he was just deeply entranced in the display, went over to him.


    "Do you have an interest in metalwork?"


    "Well, yeah. I am interested in a lot of htings right now, but I have actually been working as a blacksmith''s apprentice. Most people think that smithing is a lost art, but there are plenty of people who still do it".


    "Indeed. The tools may have changed, so a lot of it is just manufacturing and refining done in factories, but there are plenty of blacksmiths still in the world. Its where people can get specialized parts from, such as artists or inventors, after all".


    Emily couldn''t help but notice Shinku smile, and Yuuta smile as well at how happy his friend was. Shinku wasn''t so dark and lonely that he never smiled, but he sure did not do it as much since his mother passed away. However, his smile was so bright and cheerful, it could light up the night''s sky with its brilliance. Both of theirs could.


    "Anyways, I do need to finish the rest of the tour, but if we have some extra time, we could come back here" she said. Yuuto then realized something.


    "Ah, where is the bathroom by the way?"


    "Ah, there should be one up ahead" the guide told them, smiling. Yuuto started to walk ahead of the group, seemingly desperate to make it there, when suddenly an alarm blared and a security shutter came down rapidly and suddenly, cutting Yuuto off from the group and stranding the three of them inside the exhibit room.


    "What the? What is going on?"


    "I dont know...this was not part of the tour for sure" she said, taking out a tablet and checking things out. "It looks like its just for our floor grouping. For some reason, a lockdown was triggered for everything between the eighteenth and twenty fifth floors".


    "Yuuto, are you alright over there?!" Shinku asked, but he couldn''t hear a reply. Judging from the metal, it was probably too thick perhaps. At least, he hoped that was the case.


    "He was far enough away that the emergency shutters shouldn''t have hit him, although I dont think they are supposed to go down that fast normally".


    Shinku tried to make it budge, but leaving aside the strength of a child, not even a single adult would be able to make it budge. It seemed to be locked down tight.


    "Ahhh!" Emily''s voice screamed from behind. Shinku and the guide turned around, just in time to see Emily collapsed on the floor unconscious, and for a woman riding or wearing some sort of strange robotic like contraption to move to them. However, it looked rather weird, and there were parts of it that were floating on their own, yet moved as if they were fixed to it. This woman immediately brushed aside the guide, knocking her into a wall while deploying a blade from her right gauntlet.


    It was like it was some sort of exo-skeleton, but several parts of it looked weird as if they were defying science and physics. And most importantly, it was coming right for Shinku with a blade. Shinku quickly rolled to the right and dodged, as he saw one of the passages from this room seemed to have been forced open. Emily was on the ground, not moving but probably alive, and the guide also appeared to be knocked unconscious hopefully.


    Is it only trying to kill me?


    Thinking this, Shinku quickly used the opening and fled. He had no idea what was going on, but he had to escape. Because right now, it looked like someone was trying to kill him.


    "Particle Cannon Charged" a monotone female voice mentioned. "Firing".


    Shinku heard that, and dodged the moment he heard charged, darting down a side hallway. It was good too, because the moment he heard firing, a powerful beam of energy blasted where he used to be, doing a lot of damage to the surrounding walls and ceiling.


    ....live....


    As he thought he heard something, or remembered something, he continued to run. His heart was beating faster, as he was running for his life. Just like before....just like the day his mother was murdered protecting him.


    He had to get away, somewhere safe, or at least isolated. He wanted to live, but more then that, he didn''t want anyone else to die for him.


    He didn''t want to run either, but...he wasn''t an idiot. How on earth could he fight that?


    "Target located" he heard from above. He looked up, and saw the woman...or maybe it was just a girl, in that thing, with a blade out, coming at him. As it slashed down though, something white seemed to fly out from behind the corner and strike her, knocking it away. An object, which appeared to be something that resembled a large fang, prevented her from landing a lethal blow and saved him. However...


    ...awaken...


    What appeared to be a floating cannon above her shoulder was pointed right at him, and was already charged with energy.


    "Firing".


    The weird drone thing moved to block the attack, but as it fired, the force of it was great. It destroyed several walls and most of what was behind him, and the pressure made from the force was also enough to blast Shinku back. Being blown through the holes made, he was not just knocked into another room, but knocked outside the building itself...twenty stories up, and began to fall to the ground with countless other objects and debris.


    Time seemed to slow down, as his short life flashed before his eyes. Unfortunately, it seemed he was not the only one caught up in the blast, as he spotted his classmate Emilia above him. Things were moving at almost a standstill as he fell...


    No wait, isn''t this way too slow?


    "Do you want to live, Shinku Rouge?"


    The moment he heard those words, this world in which time seemed to slow down had weirdly less color, but there was one thing that caught his eye. The metal red egg from the display, still had its brilliant shade of red.


    And then, on one of the falling pieces of wall, a red fox hopped down from somewhere onto it, not affected by the time dialation. Furthermore, the moment it landed, it turned into a human boy...sort of. The boy had red hair and eyes like himself, and was completely naked except for a metal collar around his neck, shackles on his wrists and ankles, and some bits of chain connected to it. He also had red fox ears on his head, and a red fox tail coming from behind.


    This boy sat cross legged on the wall, looking at Shinku.


    "There is a way you know. To live, to save Emily, to find Yuuto...as well as other things you may want to do. Call on me, summon me out, create a Compact with me".


    "...who are you....what are you..."


    "You already know my name, and as for what I am...I can explain the rest later, but the most popular term is...Armor Spirit" the boy told Shinku.


    "...I...I dont know your name...this is the first time we have met".


    "Look within yourself. Deep down, inside your spirit, your passion. The fire inside you. Dont think, but call it out with all of your spirit. Its there".


    "But..."


    Suddenly, the time dialation started to fade. Not fully, but he could feel himself falling faster.


    "Just trust me, and yourself! Bring forth all of your spirit!" the boy told him, as the woman from before was seen starting to fly out of the building, after them but also slowed by the time dialation.


    Shinku was confused. He didn''t really get what was going on...but, he didn''t have a choice either. He was starting to fall to his death, as the dialation seemed to be ending. And so, as he began to plummet...he didn''t think in that moment, and just called out on instinct.


    "Lets go, Akamaru!"


    The boy smiled, as his body turned into a red energy. The metal egg disappeared entirely, turning into flames that flew down and wrapped Shinku''s body. It was in that moment that space seemed to shatter, as a massive red sphere burst out, growing from where Shinku had been.


    Shinku meanwhile felt himself wrapped in flames, as he was floating in the center of a glowing sphere. The flames and red energy burned all of his clothes away, and a glowing red flame symbol appeared on his chest, right over where his heart would be. The flames then formed new clothes. Black shorts with red stripes, black sporty boots that looked easier to run in and strong, a red T shirt with a black flame symbol on the front and back, and a metal collar around his neck and shackles around his wrists and ankles. But even more then that, a red fox tail came out of his rear, and fox ears out of his head.


    "What the...what just happened? Did my clothes get burned off?!"


    "Oh no, dont worry, they are fine. They were just stored in a spiritual storage space while you inhabit a spiritual body" Akamaru''s voice said inside his head. Shinku quickly jumped over in the next moment, grabbing Emily out of mid air and then landing, setting her down on the sidewalk. However...


    "Where is everyone?"


    "Due to the conflict between two active spirits, along with the sheer amount of spiritual energy released from your first transformation, it appears a Spirit Zone was created. A Spirit Zone is basically a re-creation of a normal zone, although there are various exceptions and differences. Here is where most supernatural battles take place".


    Suddenly, the strange exo-suit wearing woman landed on the ground without any difficulty. And yet, she had to dodge as multiple lasers were fired down upon her from above, as a boy wearing a white and grey T shirt, black shorts, white boots, and also had a collar and shackles impacted the ground without any issue. The moment he landed, he and Shinku looked at each other...


    "Shinku?!"


    "Yuuto?!"


    "Ohohohoho"a strange voice echoed through all their heads."This is a pressence I have not felt in so long...Akamaru, is it?"


    "Is that you, Lumius?"


    As for Yuuto, he had no ears or tail, and looked like a normal human.


    However, they then turned to face the woman who had been trying to kill Shinku all this time.


    "We should probably talk later".


    "Yes...this situation is bad..."


    "What is that thing?"


    "It feels like some sort of artificial spirit...it certainly is not a Gobli..."


    Shinku was curious about that word, Gobli, but now was not the time.


    "Why are you trying to kill Shinku, you damned robot!" Yuuto shouted out, clearly upset. He was even crying a bit right now.


    "Unauthorized User. Question will not be answered".


    "...well, I guess it wouldn''t be that easy" Shinku muttered, as it charged at them.


    "Shinku, look deep inside yourself...use the power of my magic...the power of Flame Arts!"


    Shinku listened to Akamaru, and acted quickly.


    "Flame Arts: Flashfire!"


    Suddenly, Shinku seemed to throw out a fireball right into her face. It appeared to do some damage. Yuuto meanwhile brought all of his strange floating pod things together. They all began to spin in a circle.


    "Dragon''s breath!"


    Suddenly, some sort of energy cannon was fired right at her. Disrupted and caught off guard by the fireball, she immediately took a direct hit. She attempted to raise a barrier, but Yuuto''s attack blasted right through it. But not before she made one last attack at Shinku, launching the blade in her arm at his heart!


    "Shinku!"


    "Flame Arts: Burning Barrier!"


    And just in the nick of time, he put up a barrier which stopped the attack.


    "Ah..." he said, looking at the blade which was one inch from his chest. "That was...close..."


    But, it appeared the battle for his life was finally over. That said, it certainly did not go unnoticed.


    <hr>


    In a mountain hilltop overlooking the city, rested a large shrine temple that was bigger and more notable then others. And inside the center of the temple, in front of a stone tablet with six gemstones in it, each one a different color, two people were meditating. One of them had black hair and green eyes, a man in his late twenties or early thirties who wore glasses. And the other appeared to be a young girl of eight or nine, but quite notably she had fox ears on her head, as well as a fox tail coming from behind.


    Both of them were wearing outfits that indicated they worked at and ran the shrine.


    And suddenly, both of them shot their eyes open the moment the red gem began to glow.


    "It appears your brother, Akamaru, has awakened".


    "How did that happen? He should still be sealed away as punishment for what he did".


    "...it seems like something is going on in the city. Could you check it for me?"


    She nodded as she stood up, her bare feet taking to the wooden floor.


    "Of course, Master. I will also make sure to check that Kimaru or Kuromaru had nothing to do with this".


    And then, just like that, she disappeared into a flash of green light.


    Little did anyone know at the time, that this would only be the start of what would be a grand tale. A tale of magic, of action...and of Armor Spirits.

 Chapter 2: Team-Up

    Chapter 2: Team-Up


    Armor Spirits. Spirits created from the power and lore of the mythologies of the world, as well as the spiritual ideologies in general. Whether they were created by the gods, or their existence created the legends of the gods, is unclear. No one is sure at this point. But, it is well known that they all possess combat capabilities of some kind.


    "So...Zeus, Icarus, all of that?" Shinku asked as he and Yuuto walked down the street. On Yuuto''s shoulder was a small white dragon, while on Shinku''s was occupied by a small red fox.


    "Iv actually met the Icarus one...the battle was not exactly pleasant. But yes. However, most are animal spirits. For example, yours is Akamaru right? Isn''t that one of the six Japanese Maru Fox Spirits?"


    At these words, the red fox perked up.


    "You have met my siblings?!"


    "I have met Kimaru and Aoimaru. Midorimaru I think also lives in the area. But I have not met them all".


    "Midorimaru and Aoimaru? Those two buzzkills?"


    Shinku sighed as he heard this.


    "So in other words, there is an entire secret magical world...and you never told me this before?!"


    "Its not something you are supposed to just share with people!"


    Shinku glared at his friend, but Yuuto waved his hands around vehemontly in a panic, looking rather flustered. The two boys had already wandered far away from the building, but it was fairly chaotic so class had been dismissed outright. It wouldn''t be too odd for them to be gone anyways, since Yuuto had a tendency to disappear, and Shinku always went looking for him.


    "Wait wait...so this past year, all the times you disappeared...were you having supernatural battles?"


    "Ah...yeah. They are more common then one might think".


    "Wow....and I am always told I am a hard worker".


    "You are" Lumius mentioned. "So, have any other questions?"


    "What exactly happened back there when my clothes burned away and then that new outfit materialized?"


    "That was actually the process of storing you biological body in a safe space, while a spirit body is generated for combat. However, be careful. A spirit body can only prevent a certain amount of damage, anything past that has a risk, though not a guarentee, of affecting your real body".


    "I see...the spirit body however, it felt like..."


    "Yes, it has superhuman strength, agility, and reflexes. Oh, also the transformation sequence slows time to a near halt as it occurs, due to the spiritual transfer. Incidentally, that makes the initial transformation useful for observing a battlefield and seeing all the key players".


    "I see...what was the robot that was trying to kill me?"


    Yuuto tilted his head with confusion.


    "...not sure...it definently wasn''t a Gobli".


    "What is a Gobli?"


    "Ah, well aside from likely being the source of the word Goblin, maybe, its a creature that spawns from the world sometime. Its a spiritual creature, born of greed, jealousy, and sometimes malice. It especially dislikes Armor Spirit users, or perhaps they covet our connections and stability. Since Armor Spirits rarely if ever can manifest on their own, they need a human partner to operate and be in the world after all" Lumios explained, sounding very wise and intellectual. "It should also be noted that as Spirits, we are very whimsical and very different from what you people might consider ''normal'', although such a silly concept was a purely human and rediculous thing in the first place".


    "...right" Shinku said. "By the way, iv been meaning to ask but..."


    "Only those with enough magical or spiritual energy can see us" Lumius mentioned. "ANd if you are wondering about me, my legend is based off of a very old myth, the Dragon of Light....although in truth, I think most people were just confused with lightning bolts in the sky and thought that was the Dragon of Light. Unfortunately, for a short time after our creation, we don''t really have any memories...I guess the same way human newborns dont, so most Armor Spirit origins are terribly unclear. We also dont have infinite memories either".


    As they kept walking, Yuuto looked down a bit. Shinku raised his eyes a bit, curious and a bit concerned as Yuuto seemed a bit down.


    "...you know, its not exactly easy right?"


    "What isn''t?"


    "Being in this world...people will attack you a lot".


    "Well, I was kind of falling from several stories up, so it couldn''t be helped. Besides, if you can manage it, I definently can".


    "Hey...although thats probably true".


    The two friends smiled at each other, and then they looked around.


    "So what should we do? I am hungry".


    "Ah yeah...Spirit form and battles take a lot of energy, a rediculous amount really. We should get something to eat".


    "...before that though...we should get cleaned up. We are a mess" Yuuto pointed out, refering to their dusty clothes and the dirt and soot on them from the whole crisis. He then had an idea and smiled. "Oh I know, lets go there!"


    "Th-there?! Hold on, Yuuto...thats kinda..."


    "Come on, its fun and the soap and shampoo there is great for the skin! We always feel so refreshed!"


    "Buuut...."


    "Come on!" Yuuto pleaded with his eyes.


    "Uhg...fine..."


    <hr>


    "Two spiritual trails confirmed" the green haired girl, Midorimaru, mentioned as she examined the scene. She then saw the spiritual footprints left by the two heading off to the west. She then looked back at what appeared to be a perfectly normal sidewalk in the real world, but in the spirit world, was some wreckage. "And an artificial spirit of unknown origins. Strange. I will have to investigate further".


    Midorimaru saw there was some police pressence, as things had gotten chaotic in the real world. It seemed a number of people, and things, had been displaced weirdly. However, she could tell there was something further about this.


    "So its the Maru Fox of the Earth Element, is it?" a voice said. She perked up to look over, and saw two police officers, with two children in tow behind them. Or at least, they looked like children, but one had a bow slung across their back, and the other had two daggers. And they were eminating a spirutal aura.


    "Officer Rio Dale and Detective Torren Cello. I see you are handling the investigation here" Midorimaru said, bowing and speaking politely.


    "Its not every day we have the guardian of the temple here. You know something about the case?" Cello asked, smiling nicely but with sharp eyes.


    "An unknown signature was detected, so I was dispatched to investigate. As I can instantly recall to my master''s side, it is easy for me to do this while not leaving the temple undefended. And how are you doing, Jakios Blade and Icari Mythos?"


    "You dont have to be so formal, Mimi. Just call me Jack" the boy with the daggers mentioned.


    "Just dont say his full name, Jack the Rippe....ahh! Sowwy!"


    "Icarus, you just love flying right where you are not supposed to, don''t you!"


    "I swaid swowwy!"


    "Jack, dont tease Icarus too much" Cello mentioned, and Jack stopped.


    "Fine fine....so, Mimi, howsit going?"


    "Everything is fine. Though it seems less peaceful lately".


    "Ooooh....maybe we should spare then" Jack said, both of his daggers already out.


    "...do you think you can beat me?" Midorimaru replied, as several pieces of earth levitated out of the ground and circled her.


    "Guys! Stop fighting!" Icarus complained.


    "Yes, please stop! We have work to do!"


    "Fine...but, since we are the police, Midorimaru, you do have to tell us what you know".


    Midorimaru sighed, and looked over at the group.


    "Akamaru seems to have awakened".


    "Seriously? Wasn''t he sealed away for a few bad pranks?" Jack asked.


    "...you call setting the city on fire and having gotten so drunk he didn''t remember it all a bad prank?" Icarus questioned, looking concerned.


    "In any case, it appears he may have already bonded with a human, which is even more problematic. He should have also been sealed at a shrine, but it appears his container was taken here".


    Detective Torren Cello looked down at Midorimaru.


    "If he has a human partner though, wont his power be properly under control".


    "...still, this is Akamaru. I cant just leave him be".


    "Cause you are his sister?" Rio asked.


    "Exactly. So I will need to find him".


    "Do you have any leads where he went though?"


    "He is a recently awakened Armor Spirit....I will just follow the violence, as well as the trail they left upon the earth".


    <hr>


    Yuuto looked in amazement while Shinku had a beat red face. The two of them stood completely naked, in what appeared to be the cross between a bathhouse and a small water park, with a whole lot of bubbles. It was a place known as the Bubble Bath House. It was a mixed bath where everyone entered naked, but it was full of bubbles and helpful support, and had a lot of healthy and theraputic elements.


    Yuuto started to run out ahead, only to slip, dropping his towel as he fell down, catching himself with his hands. However, he struggled to stay on his hands and knees a bit as it was quite slippery where they were, by one of the baths.


    A few of the female attendents sighed, probably because of the water and soap that they had already somehow gotten on their bodies just from entering making their skin look extra shiny. He just looked way too cute and innocent there, a few people were overloaded with moe.


    "Sigh, please dont attract weird attention" Shinku said, reaching down to help him up when suddenly he stepped in a soapy puddle and fell down himself, falling on his rear into the puddle. One would think it would hurt more, but the material the floors were made with was softer then one would expect. Even if it looked tiled, it didn''t hurt all that much. "This is why I hated this place".


    Yuuto also tried to get up, but accidentally fell again, managing to place an arm right next to Shinku''s head before he fell right on top of him and caught himself once more.


    "Yuuto....why are you such a klutz?"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Yuuto then rubbed some soap on him, as they got out of that awkward position and slowly slid themselves into the bath.


    "But it feels so good!"


    "...I will give you that. This does feel great".


    "Raise arm please!"


    Shinku looked at him, getting more red.


    "Yuuto, we are not first graders anymore. I can wash myself".


    "Come on...let me do it please?"


    Yuuto looked at him with his big, open eyes.


    "Uhg...fine" Shinku said, raising his arm as Yuuto soaped up and washed Shinku''s body. Once he was done with one arm, Yuuto did the same and looked at Shinku expectently. Shinku gave up, and proceeded to wash him, and the two went through the motions of bathing each other.


    Once they were done though, and they were just relaxedly sitting in the water, Shinku looked over at him.


    "So, what is bothering you? What is eating away at you so much that you insisted on coming to such a public place, and having us embarrass ourselves like this just to get to this state of bliss?"


    Yuuto looked down at the water.


    "I guess I was kinda obvious huh?"


    "You have been obvious since we were little. Also, even you wont go so far as to wash down around the sensitive areas normally, let alone asking me to get yours....seriously, dont do that...at least, if you want to confirm how close our friendship really is, can we do that in a private bath at home?"


    "Sorry..."


    "We are not first graders anymore. Its immature to play around like that".


    "...we are still elementry schoolers though, nearly middle schoolers I guess, but I would say you are trying to mature too quickly" Yuuto said with a half smile. "In any case...the thing is...since you are a part of the world now...I was wondering if you would join my team".


    "Team? What do you mean?"


    "Well, there isn''t just the battles with Goblis and...whatever that was. That was new, and new somtimes happens, but there are also regularly fights held between Armor Spirit users...honestly it can get quite competitive. And they dont always give you the option of saying No. Especially for the individual battles but....also, winning the tournament has rewards. And those rewards could really help us out. You can get supplies, resources, money..."


    Shinku put his hand on Yuuto''s shoulder, coming in front of him and looking right into his eyes.


    "...you can get money?"


    "Yeah..."


    "Okay, I am in".


    "Wait wait, you are doing this for friendship and not money right?"


    "Eem...both?"


    Yuuto pouted quite a bit.


    "I double promise it''s because we are friends".


    "Yay!" Yuuto replied, jumping onto Shinku with a major hug.  Shinku once again got very embarrassed.


    <hr>


    Once they were done, the next step was to get something to eat. And so naturally they went to a nearby diner, for some burgers, fries, and milkshakes.


    "As expected, good food is good food" Shinku mentioned a bit teasingly.


    "Muuu, you will never let me forget that moment, will you?"


    "Nope, never!"


    As they continued to eat, Akamaru store a few fries for himself in his fox form.


    "So, can you go over this a bit more about teams and tournaments and cash prizes?"


    "Right, well, the people who perform the best are given the best resources, since its deemed they would be able to use them the most effectively to fight the threats to humanity".


    "Threats to humanity...feels like a really big deal".


    "....yeah, you would think so, but its gotten so commonplace its more like pest extermination, except when lives are at stake. Honestly, hiding my own mindset was a really big pain...I think one''s mindset gets twisted around getting involved in all this".


    "Right. So?"


    "So anyways, the more resources one has, the easier things can be for you, even for normal life. There are both small and big tournaments, but what is especially annoying is the fight over people. The winners want to poach potential newbies, and the losers want to get stronger people to win. Very few people can handle staying solo...but the tournaments themselves also have an allure. Money for one things, but also other things. Sometimes relics that increase power, seals to help keep an area under control, information. Even increased magical power is sometimes a reward. All of it is valuable".


    "So basically, win the tournaments, and its easier for you".


    "In essence. You can also get favors from important people. Favors that will be upheld, no matter what, few exceptions or restrictions".


    "I see...so then, do we need a team name?"


    "Naturally, I have one already!"


    "...is it a good one?"


    "What do you mean!?"


    "Its not Akashiro right?"


    Yuuto immediately looked away.


    "it is! it totally is! No, we are not naming ourselves that!"


    As they argued this, the two of them suddenly felt a tremor vibrate through them.


    "What was..."


    "A spiritual zone has started to form" Yuuto said, quickly standing up. Shinku also stood up, as he noticed the people blending into the background, until they were all gone. The lighting also seemed different, and the various noises of nearby people sudden died out.


    And then, the glass shattered near them as half the building got crushed.


    "Well now, lookie here....two brats!" a man wearing a leather jacket mentioned as he revved up the motorcycle he was riding. It had a weird pumpkin sticker on the side, as well as various spikes.


    Shinku and Yuuto meanwhile had somehow managed to dodge out of the way.


    "Shinku!"


    "Right!".


    Shinku then looked towards Akamaru.


    "Lets go, Akamaru!"


    "Roar, Lumios!"


    Suddenly, the two were both enveloped in bubbles of light, floating into the air a bit as Akamaru and Lumios turned into energy and merged with them.


    Their clothes once again seemed to dematerialize, but in truth them and their physical bodies were stored away as spiritual bodies were generated. Except this time, Shinku had a better idea and understanding of what was going on. As such, not only did the clothes from before materialize, but a weapon also materialized in his hand. It appeared like a handled blade, like a sword, but instead was bent and curved, reaching his elbow as he held the hand in his right hand. The blade also extended a bit outward, creating a sort of hand guard.


    And Yuuto had his Dragon''s Fangs, those strange pod things that seemed to float and fire energy beams.


    "Is that...Atyan and Pumpkos Chariot?"


    "Pumpkos Chariot?"


    "Yes. Most armor spirits are based off of legends, myths, and stories, as well as animals and famous individuals. Pumpkos Chariot is based off of Cinderella...its quite litterally the chariot she uses, only rather then becoming a chariot, for this guy it became a bike".


    "You know this jerk?"


    "Of course he should! I am the ruler of the streets in this city! And its my job to put down naughty boys who wont listen to reason".


    "So Mary hired you then? Great..."


    Shinku looked concerned.


    "Who is Mary?"


    "An absolute pervert and a shotacon...a boy lover. She keeps demanding I join her team, but I always say no. I want a team sure, but she would do things to me I would rather not say out loud...".


    "....someone who can even make Yuuta embarrassed. Must be a hardcore pervert".


    "...she once told me she wanted to strip me naked, put a collar on me, and walk me around the park...so yeah, avoid her at all costs".


    "...I should kill her".


    As much as seeing Yuuto embarrassed would be funny for him, that seemed way too weird. And if that was what she was willing to say in public, it would only get worse in private.


    "So...what is with this guy?"


    "Basically just some thug for hire. You can beat him up as much as you want while he is in that spirit body".


    "Wow, Spirit Form and battles really does change you. I am a bit impressed you kept this hidden from me, but I am also mad and will be punishing you later for this".


    "...understood".


    "Hey, dont ignore me you brats!" he shouted as his bike charged at them at high speeds, easily surpassing normal acceleration of a motocycle. The two dodged again, rolling in different directions and then quickly getting back on their feet. "Just get destroyed by me properly!"


    "Flame Arts: Burning Circle!"


    "Light Arts: Fallen Swords!"


    Suddenly, a circle of flames appeared underneath him, as several swords of light appeared from above to obliterate him.


    "Rider Arts: Rev Boom!"


    But he suddenly revved up his motorcycle and blew all of the attacks away from him, and then drove at such a speed in a large circle around them, creating an afterimage of himself as he drove faster.


    "Rider Arts: Rider Possy!"


    And in addition, he multiplied, with the afterimages becoming real. There were now four of them. Both Shinku and Yuuto then suddenly found themselves cut off as they circled around them both, isolating them.


    "Was he always this strong?"


    "No, looks like he got stronger...probably the work of Mary".


    Shinku jumped up, and caused explosive fire to errupted from his feet as he did, allowing him to jump repeatedly while in the air.


    And Yuuto focused his own eyes.


    "Dragon Arts: Revolving Dragon Fang!"


    Suddenly, the Dragon''s Fangs began spinning around Yuuto and firing off energy beams, decimating anything in their path. Because Shinku had ran up already, he was out of the line of fire, but Atyan meanwhile had more difficulties. However, his main body had jumped his cycle onto the wall of a nearby building, and was driving up it as he took out a shotgun and fired at Shinku. Shinku''s Spiritual Barrier held against it, but it did enough damage to cause him pain.


    "Ha! A fire user like you should join my group! We can be destructive together and win for sure!"


    "What the hell did you say?" Shinku replied, annoyed. Suddenly, one of his feet became engulfed in flame completely.


    "Flame Arts: Burning Roundhouse!"


    And then, while in mid air, delivered a kick right at the man''s direction. Of course, he dodged, and drove right into the air while spinning around, smashing his rear tire right into Shinku and sending him spiraling into the ground. However, Yuuto cushoned his fall through a light barrier that acted as a soft, rubbery surface.


    "Yes! Feel the destructive power of my bike!"


    "That''s it!" Shinku yelled as he jumped back onto his feet. "I am sick and tired of you saying "Destruction this" or "Destruction that" or just outright destroying things. I will show you my flame now!"


    Suddenly, a massive aura of red emerged from Shinku, overwhelming everything and everyone around.


    "Flame Forge Arts..."


    "...Forge?!"


    A massive array of metal rings, revolving around some sort of molten core, appeared above Shinku. As it did, swords of all types began to appear around him and prepare for an attack. Even Atyan was shocked and worried by this.


    "...Hundred Blade Assault!"


    And all of those blades came right after him and Pumpkos Chariot.


    "You have got to be kidding me, you damned brats! Rider Arts: Rev B..."


    "Light Arts: Sealing Chain!"


    Suddenly, the magic he was about to cast was interrupted by Yuuto''s Sealing Chain. The chain glowed bright and absorbed the spiritual and magical energy of the magic, rendering it inert as the swords came and pierced through him and his bike.


    And Yuuto, who had watched Shinku''s battle earlier, had decided to use those chains for something else. He couldn''t create explosions at his feet with light magic, and while he could probably opt for some level of Dragon Class Magic, it would be inefficient. So instead, he was using Sealing chain not only to seal the biker, but also as a grappling hook, allowing Yuuto to fling himself high into the air above the biker.


    "Dragon Fangs...Dragon Breath!"


    And then, all of the Dragon Fangs came together to create a cannon, and fired a powerful blast right at the enemy. Atyan who had been sealed, trapped, and dealt heavy damage, was met with such a force and his spiritual barrier broke, as he shot down into the ground and recieved heavy damage.


    With all that said and done, his Spiritual Form broke right then and there, leaving him in a state of agony and pain.


    "...will he be okay?"


    "Its his own fault...and great, two fights in one day. I am starving. Our lunch got interrupted too...Lumios?"


    "Right, got it" the dragon said, as he snapped his fingers.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Spending a bit of the spiritual power I have left to repair the area and set our real bodies back into their original spots in the real world".


    As he said that though, the two boys heard something, and turned around to see a bunch of vehicles driving up and surrounding them, with a lot more grunts and guards. They had swords, guns, and other weapons.


    "Now now, Cute Boy-chan. Dont you think any more fighting at this point is useless?"


    "Tsk...so he was just mean to drain my energy...they must have realized I was in the fight from before" Yuuto realized, reflecting on his inability to realize the enemy''s plan. He was so caught up with helping Shinku and explaining things to him, he hadn''t noticed at all.


    "And look, two cute boys for the price of one...our master will be pleased".


    "Even you cant possibly think you can do something so public and get away with it" Yuuto pointed out, still on guard.


    "The police are still quite distracted with the incident earlier. They wont come until we are safely inside our own territory for sure".


    One of the women in charge took a step forward, licking her lips.


    "Perhaps I should train some obedience into you four first".


    She then took another step forward, taking out a whip, when suddenly her arm got twisted around and her body forced against the road. Everyone was surprised, as a girl wearing a priestess outfit and who had green fox ears on her head and a green fox tail appeared. Her bare feet were used to sweep the women''s legs, and forcing her on the ground completely.


    One of the nearby grunts reacted quickly and tried to attack her, but a stone spike came out of the ground and broke his spiritual barrier and spiritual form, causing him to land backwards unconscious.


    "Midorimaru?!" Akamaru shouted in shock, materializing.


    "Let me tell you scum one thing" she said, a cold anger coming from her voice. "Only a Maru Fox or their partner is allowed to teach and train another Maru Fox like that".


    "Ah...she is still as scary as ever" Akamaru lamented, shivering.


    "Its just one girl! Her partner is not even here, we can take her!"


    A few more attacked, but the woman who was pinned realized the truth.


    "No don''t do it! Its Midorimaru!"


    However, her words of warning came too late. She moved fast, faster then one could expect, as the green haired girl moved to the side of one and kicked him into the other grunts. Stone spikes errupted from the ground and knocked a few others away. And from the ground, a few stone golems appeared, knocking away anyone who tried to get away.


    It was a one sided massacre.


    "...so this is the power of the Guardian of the Shrine" Yuuto muttered, watching the scene before him unfold.


    "The Guardian of the Shrine?"


    "Midorimaru is the Earth Element Maru Fox, and seems to have a special connection out of all Maru foxes to the land of this island. She and her partner, whoever that is, have always been guardians of the land, dealing with people who threaten it or do dishonorable things to it or in it. They are not omnipotent, but its a force in the spirit side of the world that deters quite a bit of crime and harm".


    "That sounds like my sister for sure. SHe was always considered the responsible one out of the six of us, and also the scary one...but she was also really loving and warm when it counted".


    As he said that, Midorimaru had finished dispatching the thugs. There was a couple dozen, but not a single one had been able to put a scratch on her. That was the power Midorimaru possessed.


    "Midori...Midori!" Akamaru shouted, the transformation on Shinku getting undone as he took a human form. His human form was completely naked though, but that didn''t matter to spirits as much it seemed as Midorimaru caught him in a hug. "I was alone for so long, and now the world has changed, and things are scary! Did everyone forget about me?!"


    "...it actually hasn''t been as long as you think. The world has just been changing a lot faster in the past two hundred years...also, you need some clothes it seems. I suppose since you already awakened today, you haven''t had the chance to get any".


    "Hold on...as a spirit who can change form, can he make his own form have some?" Shinku questioned.


    "No, because as spirits, clothes are not really a part of us".


    "Hold on...why do I need clothes? They seem so silly and foolish..." Akamaru questioned.


    "Yes yes, but it might be distracting to humans, and if you want to materialize to do things, you will need clothes to wear for your human form".


    "Ehhh...but they feel so restrictive and silly...what is wrong with just being in one''s own skin?"


    "Humans are just foolish creatures like that. You will get used to it".


    "Fiiinnneeee".


    Midorimaru then looked at the three of them. Shinku, Yuuto, and Lumios.


    "In any case, lets get back to the real world. We have a lot to talk about".


    "Thats fine, but...do you mind if we eat while we talk? We are still hungry and our lunch got interrupted".


    "Yes, that seems fair".


    And so, the group returned to the real world to eat and talk, after fixing up the damage done once more.