《The Clone Saga》 Chapter 1: The Great Escape Writer''s Note: Finals are over and it is time for a new side project. I had too many distractions during the semester so it will be easier to write now, besides my first job. Hooray.... My main story is The Snake Immortal. Thanks for reading this new side project. Certainly a new genre for me to explore and won''t conflict with my main story. Chapter 1: The Great Escape "All fifteen of you children have woken nicely, yes? Everything feels fine?" a young brunette in a lab coat smiled to fifteen seven year old children. "Yes Dr. Burka," the children answered, gathering before in in identical white shirts and cotton pants. "Good. Everyone please line up for daily inspection," Dr. Burka said, smiling warmly. A young boy with jet black hair and jade eyes stared around at the other children. He knew they were all different than the adults. All the adults had brown or blue eyes. None of them had red, purple, orange, jade, azure, grey, pink, or gold eyes. Only the children did. Every so often, the children were experimented with drugs. They ate weird meat with a strange energy within. They were taught basic education, but the animals they saw were mutated from the ones in the picture books. A part of him always questioned them, never fully trusting people who tested on him and always had a smile and warm atmosphere. Most of all, the children had powers. Supernatural powers. The boy learned to sense an energy around him, the scientists calling it the world''s spirit energy. Each of them had a unique power of their own, slowly improving or developing new powers with each experiment. "Experiment A-11, are you alright?" the woman asked as it was his turn to be personally inspected as the children lined up. "Yes Dr. Burka," the boy said, pretending to smile as he always did. "It''s alright, Experiment A-11. Soon, you children can go outside and play in the real world," the woman said, patting him on the shoulder before calling for Experiment A-4. Today, the children did not line up by number. "She told you the same thing?" A-3 asked as A-11 stepped out the room. At the end of the long hallways were armed guards. The two both knew the guards were not meant to protect them, but to detain them. "We still doing this?" A-11 asked. "Yeah. A-5, A-13, and A-8 were already tested. The others cannot be trusted. Those scientists still think we''re children when we get flashbacks of other people who look like older versions of ourselves and received higher education," A-3 sighed. "Because we are clones," A-11 concluded as two girls and another boy arrived. While A-11 had jade eyes, A-3 had orange eyes, A-13 had red eyes, and the two girls had pink eyes. A-5 led the trio as they walked over to A-11. "A-3, we came," A-5 said, smiling as she stared at him before seeing A-11. "As suspected, the guards are changing shifts while we are getting our inspections. The left hallway is the way out and there are only 8 guards with guns along the path." "Good. Let''s move," A-3 said, black fire covering his hand as he burned the electronic pad by the door. "A-13, go have fun killing. You always wanted to kill the guards for when they punished you by smacking your hands with their belts." "Oh, I am so on that," A-13 said, covering his body with wind as he propelled forward at an extremely high speed. One of the guards tried to yell, but A-13 stopped abruptly, his hand stretched toward the guard and the man beside him. Both guards held their throats as they could not breath, the air not reaching their nostrils or mouth. "You killed them," A-11 noted as A-13 used his control over wind to keep them upright as they died. "Just keep them upright," A-13 said as A-11 used his control over ice to connect the backs of the dead guards to the wall. "Only six to go. A-3, seal up the hallway behind us. A-8, you got the X-ray vision. Keep us posted on their positions," A-3 said as he caught up to the two other boys. "No going back now." "I''m done playing house. Let''s get the hell out of here," A-13 said. The five of them rushed through the hallways, A-11 opening the doors by electrifying the key pads with blue lightning. "That''s a new power. You got two elements now? They finally succeeded through you. Guess it makes sense. You are the only original A-11, the lone survivor of all Project Alpha," A-3 said. "I always had it. A part of me kept telling me to keep it hidden from everyone. The scientists said only Naturals had more than one element, though rare it is. My mind kept telling me not to reveal it or the experiments would be worse," A-11 answered. "And yes. I''ve been experimented on the most, suffered the most, and seen the most children dead. I am the first only A-11." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "I think I was B-2. I''ve been part of Project Beta and replaced the dead guys. I''ve been experimented the most, besides A-11," A-13 nodded. "Seal up this door. We make a rights four straight, and another right as we seal the front door while we make a left," A-8 said, the others rushing their speed. After a while, she spoke again. "The other experiments helped Dr. Burka break open the door. She might have convinced them to catch us." "A-11, can you drain the electricity from this place?" A-3 asked. "I can try but I did not practice much of my lightning," A-11 said, A-13 carrying him with wind as A-11 drained the electricity from the overhead lights. As A-5 sealed the hallways with earth, the lights were burned out and only pitch darkness laid behind them. "That''s it. That''s the way out!" A-8 cried as they appeared before a door with warning signs all around it. "A-8!" A-11 cried as he saw a man appear from underground, shooting her in the chest as he turned to face the others. A-11 grit his teeth and roared out, a wolf''s right arm of ice appearing as he leaped at the man. "A-8," A-5 sobbed as the only other girl was dead, her eyes staring at the roof eternally. A-13 blasted the gun away from the man with a gust of wind as A-11''s ice claws pierced the man in the chest. A-3 quickly jumped and grabbed A-11 before he could fall below. "Seal the hole and let''s go!" A-3 yelled as he shook the girl. "A-5, get a hold of yourself. She wouldn''t want us all to die." "It gets better," A-13 said as he tapped A-11 on the shoulder. "You just have to hate them to feel nothing." The remaining four quickly left out the doors, A-5 sealing the door behind them as A-3 set the building on fire as they ran out. People screamed as A-13 went wild as he rushed ahead of them. "We made it," A-3 gasped for breath as they ran three blocks away from the building and rested in an alley. "This is where we part ways," A-13 said. "If we split up, they can''t find us. I''m leaving the country. When I come back, it''s to raise this city to the ground with my own private army." "And he just left like that," A-5 said, staring at A-13''s back as he ran off. "A-13 only cared about freedom and revenge. It''s better this way. I''m going to leave the country too. Gonna live my life away from all this," A-3 said. "I''ll come with you. A-11?" A-5 asked as the duo turned to him. "I don''t know. I never thought I''d be free," he answered. "I''m going to roam around, stay at an orphanage at some city and get adopted. It''s better to live in the same country. They won''t believe I will stay here. When I grow old enough, I might learn why they cloned us in the future. This country is not hell, just the scientist organization that created us." "Good luck. When we get strong enough, we''ll come find you," A-3 said, A-5 nodding as well. "Not me. Find A-13. I''m more likely to get caught than him. You''ve suffered enough. Don''t endanger your freedom for me. Unlike me, you haven''t been experimented as long as I have. Those who are part of Project Beta are raised as normal kids with minimal experimentation until you replace an Alpha Number. Go," A-11 said. "You have to survive. You have to," the two said as they hugged A-11 before running off into a different direction than A-13. After an hour a news report was released about the burning building. A-11 was in mismatched clothes and running shoes he found by a home he passed by. He watched the news and learned how the public saw it. "At around noon this morning, a building was set on fire and burned to reveal a secret beneath. It was discovered to be an illegal experimental facility to make artificial Shadow Hunters through a cloning process. No further details were released but it is suspected that some experiments escaped and caused the fire," a news reporter said on television. "In other news, a coven of vampires was discovered and another illegal gargoyle factory was destroyed last night. As always, those with supernatural powers are urged to formally register and attend a Shadow Hunter Academy for formal training. We need every Shadow Hunter we have to protect what is left of humanity from the terrors hiding in the dark." "Shadow hunter? Vampires? Gargoyles? What''s going on? These are not in my memories or among what I''ve been taught," A-11 said as he sneaked onto a travel bus and left toward the capital. There was no better place to hide and no better place to learn about Shadow Hunters and the world he had escaped to. Chapter 2: The New Identity Writer''s Note: Hello! A-11 is finally free and attempts to live a new life for himself. He no longer has to endure painful experiments. He is no longer a lab rat. He is free. Power levels are explained here. Oh, no cultivation. Like I said: new genre for me to write about. Supernatural, sci-fi, and fantasy wrapped into one. Enjoy. Chapter 2: The New Identity "Are you sure you have orphans with supernatural powers?" a man in a red tuxedo asked as he walked beside an old woman. "Of course. This orphanage has accepted all kinds of children, no matter how dangerous or harmless they are. If they needed a temporary home, we give it to them and assist in getting them adopted to a new family," the old woman smiled. "I am looking for a son to guard and protect my friend''s daughter. He is a man of a higher status and power than my own and has many enemies. The boy must be able to protect himself and my friend''s daughter. This son must be able to control at least two elements. Furthermore, no one else should know he controls two and must have other supernatural abilities," the man requested. "I know just the lad," the woman said and led him and his two bodyguards to the backyard. A boy of twelve seemed to be immersed in training, practicing his punches and kicks on a sand bag. "That''s him. Black hair and jade eyes. The eyes are proof he has the potential to be a Shadow Hunter, a human with supernatural powers. On the surface, he can create and manipulate ice into any shape or form. Like most other Shadow Hunter children, he has enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, and durability. What sets him apart is his enhanced regenerative power and two secrets I discovered when he first came here about five years ago." "How old is he? Is he educated?" the man asked. "Yes. He is incredibly smart, for an orphan. His deepest secrets are his partial Lycan transformation and ability to control blue lightning as he can with ice. When he transforms, his physical traits are heightened by ten times and blue fur covers the back of his arms, legs, the sides of his face, and his back. His nails turn snow white and can elongate themselves. What''s more interesting, wounds he inflicts with his claws heal at the rate of a normal human. I believe he keeps the blue lightning a secret for a different reason. He seems....intrigued and scared of his blue lightning. We call him Frost, as the kids know him for his ice element attribute," the old woman answered. "He has potential," the man nodded, satisfied. "Same age as my friend''s daughter too. If the sister was not a bro-con, I might have set him up with her. However, she is in love with her step brother. I can tell as I have been among her company than her own family." "Sounds complicated. Youngsters these days, always getting married if they get a divorce or their spouse dies. That ain''t eternal love, I say," the old woman sighed and looked at the man. "Would you like to meet him? Adopt him?" "Yes," the man nodded. "My wife and unborn child died during child birth. I will raise him as my own for I will not take another woman. I will meet with him." "Okay," the woman nodded and shouted to Frost. "Frost! Frost, there''s a man here willing to adopt you. Come. Come." "Yes, Granny Wang," the boy said and ran over to her, seeing a man in his early thirties with two body guards behind him. All three seemed to be Dark Hunters and reeked an aura of power beyond his own. "I''ll leave you four alone as I gather the papers," the old woman said as she gestured to the bench. Frost and the man sat on opposite ends of the table, the two guards standing behind the man. "Hello Frost. I learned about you from Granny Wang. That also includes your wolf transformation and your blue lightning. I, myself, also control lightning. However, my lightning is jade, like your eyes. You must have another power, am I right?" the man inquired. "...yes," A-11 said, knowing this man was beyond his capacity to fight or escape. "I call it Evil Eye. On my palm is a star-infusing rune of an eye. I create a weird white energy that releases an energy cannon that vaporizes everything in its path. I call it Evil Eye as the energy cannon only becomes more powerful and the white energy has no other use." "No way! That''s impossible. Star-infusions were deemed illegal decades ago due to its high mortality rate," the man cried but saw the white rune of an eye. "You were experimented on." "Yes," A-11 said. "My father took me away and raised me far away from my uncle. He infused me with a star fragment, hoping I would gain the power from the meteorite. It was only a year or two after I escaped to this orphanage that it formed a rune eye. My father died. I don''t remember much about him, this rune being the only reminder." "They must have been scientists," the man said, believing A-11 as the boy was seven when he arrived at the orphanage. "You''re lucky to be alive. Perhaps you also got your partial wolf transformation through your uncle''s experiments." "Dunno," A-11 shrugged. "I only remembered the pain before my body assimilated with it. My father said it was because I had a Lycan''s heart in my chest." "A heart of a Lycan? Those creatures are extremely rare and territorial. Your uncle must have been extremely powerful. No Lycan would withstand their own kind being used as experimental material. It explains the enhanced regeneration. Which element was your first?" "The lightning. It wasn''t blue until after I got my ice element attribute," A-11 said. "My lightning became more powerful and difficult to control. It was only when I turned seven that I could use it without hurting myself." "I see. Good. I like you. I am going to adopt you and you will be my son. I am a Shadow Hunter, one of the best. My friend has a step son and daughter. He is a chairman of a powerful organization and has many enemies. You are to protect his daughter. His step son is a genius and needs no protection. If the daughter flirts with her step brother, you are to ensure no one bullies her for it. I can only show you the path to be a Shadow Hunter, it is up to you to grasp it," the man said. "My name is Jinzo Hatake. You might want to pick a better name than Frost." "Zaku," A-11 said, the name recurrent among his memories. My name will be Zaku Hatake." "Good. Short and easy to remember. Take this," Jinzo said, giving Zaku a sheathed dagger with a pure black handle. He drew it to see a shining silver blade. A serpentine dragon was faintly carved on both sides of the blade. "Silver?" Zaku asked. "Mithril, like in the fantasy books. That''s true silver. Creatures of the Dark are weak against it. It is also damn near indestructible. It will both protect you and remind you that showing mercy to your enemies is to harm yourself. If you have the chance to kill your enemy, do it," Jinzo said. "Come. It''s time you left this place. Also, take this ring. It contains a pocket dimension where you can store items. The size is fifteen feet in length, width, and height. Not a bad amount of storage space, for a former orphan. These things cost a lot and are an essential tool for official Shadow Hunters. Take care not to lose it. Bind both the dagger and the ring with a drop of blood and follow me." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Thank you," Zaku said, binding the ring and dagger before putting on the ring and attacking the sheath on his belt behind his back. He paused as he got a 1911 Desert Eagle handgun from one of the bodyguards. "You''re giving me a...gun?" Zaku said as was surprised it felt heavy. "This is a Desert Eagle." ".50 caliber Desert Eagle. You''re gonna need that, Zaku," Jinzo said as the four approached a limousine, another bodyguard serving as the driver as the foster father and son entered the limousine first. "Not all dangers lurk in the dark. You have enhanced strength. I trust you can handle the recoil. We''re going for a drive." "Where to?" Zaku asked as he put the gun in his storage ring. "I reckon you''ve killed Dark creatures? The orphanage lays in the outskirts of the capital. Bound to have some damage, but the house is in one piece. Your work?" Jinzo asked. "I was well-educated," Zaku said, remembering his days in the lab as A-11. "Good," Jinzo said. "Now, allow me to tell you some background information on our world. The empire we live in is called the Red Sun Empire. Ten thousand years ago, this empire used to be someplace called Japan. World War 3 happened and most of the world was contaminated with nuclear radiation. Those that survived mutated due to the radiation." "That is how Shadow Hunters and those Dark creatures came to be," Zaku continued. "Yes and the countries ended destroying themselves and chaos reigned. Most humans developed no supernatural powers. Others, did and they could not control themselves. Some called them gods. Others, called them devils. After a few centuries, humanity assimilated as the radiation subsided and learned to control themselves. Humanity improved and started to retake the world, but we had no choice but to accept we weren''t the only bipedal species to dominate the Earth. Not anymore," Jinzo said. "Some claim the Chinese are right and that we live in the Mortal Realm. They say cultivation exists, but there is no measuring it due to such a wide variety of powers. Man can fly now, with or without wings. Some people with powers can even make magical weapons and mankind eventually made plasma weapons and Shade Golems, human-shaped robots that a soldier enters into and controls. It''s like something from a mecha sci-fi movie." "The world is crazy for damn sure," Zaku muttered. "We have arrived Mr. Hatake," a guard said as the limousine pulled up before a rusted gate surrounding an abandoned factory. "Excellent," Jinzo said and they got out of the limousine. "Our men are on standby?" "Yes Mr. Hatake," the driver said as the two body guards stood to the right and left of the two Hatake members. "What is this place?" Zaku asked. "This is where you will be tested. Inside are familiars, ordinary humans who serve the Dark creatures in the hopes of being turned. They have no future as a Shadow Hunters and you are here to kill them and the small time vampire coven they serve. The leader is rumored to be a G Rank Dark creature. I never intended for you to kill the coven too, but you are more talented than I expected. Kill them all," Jinzo said. "G Rank?" Zaku asked. "Dark Hunters classify Dark creatures and other Shadow Hunters by power levels. The order from lowest to highest is H, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S, and SS. You seem strong based on the large amount of spirit energy in your body. You have to kill the vampire coven leader. You''re not 15, the legal age to be a Shadow Hunter. However, Your alias will make you seem like one. I need a son to protect and serve my interests. You need power. You need a father. I can give you that," Jinzo said. "My enemies are many. Even fellow Shadow Hunters are jealous of me. Once you go to school, you''ll learn what rank I am and how difficult it is." "Good luck young master," the driver said, Zaku able to see tattoos on the driver''s neck. "Yakuza?" he realized, looking at Jinzo with shock. "You saw that? Figures. Well, my rank is at a level where the government tolerates me for my performance. Also, the law enforcement has not caught my Yakuza in the act, yet. Either way, I can always bail them out. Vampires are a menace, a disease. Show no mercy. Prove to me that you can fight," Jinzo replied. "Put on this mask. Your Shadow Hunter alias will be Blue Dragon." "You''re giving me a ninja uniform," Zaku commented after he put on the silver mask. He wore black ninja outfit with dark blue shin guards, dark blue arm guards below his elbow, dark blue shoulder pads, and a silver vest over his upper body made of bullet proof material. Between his vest was a blue skull of a dragon and the silver mask covered his nose and lower face, a black hood worn over it. There were straps inside the hood which attached to the ends of the mask, keeping the hood over his head. "Neat material, right? That is a multi-hundred thousand dollar uniform. Most Shadow Hunter uniforms cost only a couple dozen thousand. Nobody below the D Rank will be able to damage the uniform, but the impact is only lessened. The mask is a magical item, your ninja outfit appearing when you put it on. Easy wear and no tear. That''s high quality stuff," Jinzo nodded. "Some Shadow Hunters have powers to make magical artifacts. Nations fight over them all the time. I have a few living among my own Yakuza. Only use your blue lightning as you don your Blue Dragon alias. Don''t use any of the weapons I gave you, or your ice skills. This will be your unofficial Shadow Hunter alias. Best to not let the enemy know who you really are." "What weapon do I use?" Zaku asked. "A katana," Jinzo said, tossing him a Japanese, single-edged long sword. "The name of the katana is Void. This is a magical treasure fit for those below the D Rank. The sword will generate your blue lightning for you. You only need to manipulate it. It will appear whenever you don the mask from now on. This way, no one finds it and you don''t accidentally use it. You do know how to use a sword?" "I learned from enough kendo books back at the orphanage," Zaku answered as he strapped the katana onto his back. He drew the katana and noticed the blade was made of blackened gold. He guessed it was meteorite as gold could only come from meteors. The black manta ray leather grip felt nice and natural in his hands. "Good sword." "Indeed it is. If you die, you prove you are like all the others. After all, we left before I signed the papers. Once you return, I''ll sign the papers as you are taken to your new home," Jinzo said. "This is your chance to make something of yourself. You have my connections now. You are now the son of one of the most elite of Shadow Hunters of the Red Sun Empire. Seize this chance and slay them all." Zaku''s grip tightened on the katana and said, "I will not fail you." Zaku cut open the rusted fence and pushed his way through. Blue lightning crackled along the blade as he looked on ahead. He breathed deeply before rushing forward, Jinzo and his men watching on. Zaku was the seventh child. He was more talented than the rest, but the six dead failures did not have to attack a coven too. Zaku''s trial was the hardest by far. Chapter 3: The Blue Dragon Rises Writer''s Note: A-11 has been adopted and is now Zaku Hatake. To finalize his new identity, he must slay human familiars and a small vampire coven. Once again, his hands will be stained with blood. By the way, I just say the "Independence Day: Resurgence" trailer. Gotta say, I''m very excited. I still have the VHS of the first movie. Enjoy. Chapter 3: The Blue Dragon Rises Zaku looked at the windows as he ran and noticed regular humans point guns at him. He grit his teeth and focused his spirit energy into his legs, wrapping them in blue lightning to run faster. Guns flared and some managed to hit him in the chest. Like Jinzo said, his silver vest was not damaged, but he was a Shadow Hunter. His body only ached where the bullets landed as he burst through the worn doors of the factory. "Get him! He''s here to slay the vampires!" a man cried. "Intruder! It''s a Shadow Hunter!" another shouted. "Ninja! Ninja!" a third shouted, the cries of the men drawing all the humans forth from a room at the back of the factory. Zaku could see a shaft rise above the factory. He concluded the elevator down was there. Several men took out nailed bats and several machetes. They realized guns had no effect on his armored vest and his limbs were too small a target. "Get him! We must protect the vampires!" a man cried. "Shadow Hunters can''t kill humans." "He might be a rogue," another muttered, his eyes on Void as it crackled with blue lightning. "The uniform doesn''t show up on the database. He ain''t a registered Shadow Hunter!" one man cried as a red light scanned over Zaku. "Look at his height! He''s gotta be a kid! What are you standing there for? Get him! He''ll be another blood bag for the vamps," their leader cried, tattoos all over his upper body as he carried two axes. "Immortality awaits boys! Get him!" ""Ninjas died out even before World War 3," a man mocked as he swung his machete onto Zaku. To Zaku, it was as if the man''s arms moved in slow motion. He had blue lightning coursing through his body. It was the element of speed and destruction. Zaku''s katana moved fluidly and cut off the man''s arms. The man howled for barely a second before Zaku cut his head off. "What the fuck?" a man gasped, unable to react at all as Zaku appeared before him. "NO!" "Fuck! The bastard killed Jameson. Shoot him! Fucking shoot him!" the leader cried as Zaku cut the man from the inside left shoulder down, blood spraying the air like a geyser. "Not good," Zaku said and used the man''s body as a meat shield. Blood covered Zaku as he killed familiar after familiar. What A-13 said was right: it did get easier. These people were traitors to the human race. Not only that, he barely used much of his own spirit energy because of the katana. He grabbed a gun from a dead familiar and began to shoot back. As a lab rat, he was trained to fight. He never killed until the day he escaped, but he fought with his powers everyday for their experiment testing. "It wasn''t supposed to be like this. You monster!" the leader cried, but Zaku shot his arms and forced the man to drop his axes. The man fell to the ground as bullets pierced his thighs. He looked up at Zaku as he saw the ninja silently walk toward him. "Damned ninjas. Why the hell would you kill these vamps. Sure, they''re monsters but they didn''t kill anyone. All the blood was donated, we only gave up humans who broke the law or attacked us. Why can''t we get along?" "Get along?" Zaku said and stabbed the man in the stomach with his katana. " Creatures like those are the reason I was made and tortured my whole fucking life! Their existence is what''s wrong. It''s either them or us. You picked the wrong side, you fucking traitor." "You..." the man said, coughing blood before he died as Zaku withdrew his katana. He looked around, shocked as men in tuxedos broke through the walls and entered the factory. He frowned as they numbered over forty, yet bowed their heads as they made two lines before him. "Congratulations young master. You succeeded the trial," they all said, Zaku seeing a familiar silver, serpentine dragon tattoo on their necks. "It''s not over..My...father....said I also had to kill the coven of vampires. I suspect they hide below," Zaku said. "You''re Yakuza. Take care of the bodies. We can''t let the authorities know they''re dead, even if they are familiars. Human traitors are still human." "Be careful of plasma weapons, young master. Rumors have spread that the vampires have allied with an alien race that came here over two hundred years ago. They''re all over the world and were supposed to be killed off. However, the master discovered plasma weapons decades ahead of our own plasma weapons. The master''s plasma weapons are even better than that of the Red Sun Empire," one of the men warned. "We will report your progress to the master. If he didn''t give you a higher requirement, you would have been the first we didn''t bury." "He''s right, young master," another man said. "Vampires are a nasty bunch. Humanity allied with the Lycans, but the vampires still believe they are Earth''s master race. They have the strength but only lack the numbers." "Are you all Shadow Hunters too?" Zaku asked. "Some of us. There are some things Shadow Hunters aren''t allowed to do, due to the government''s attempt to control the normal human supremacists. They call themselves Pure Blood, because they are without supernatural powers," the first man said. "Good luck young master. One more dead vampire means many dozen humans spared from its blood thirst." "Yes. It is time the Blue Dragon rose. You will serve as a beacon that human familiars are not tolerated. The familiars of other Dark creatures will also learn to fear you as well. Some Shadow Hunters might hunt you down, but us Yakuza stick together. Be sure to not unveil your identity by using powers you wish to use as Young Master Zaku Hatake," a man said, Zaku''s eyes widening as it was one of Jinzo''s two personal bodyguards. "So this is why I don the Blue Dragon alias. I understand," Zaku said, the men saluting as Zaku entered the elevator. Zaku sat down in lotus position and made the elevator stop after a while, needing a moment to rest and recover his energy. Zaku was different than natural Shadow Hunters. It was because he was a clone and made a Shadow Hunter artificially. He was human, and he wasn''t. He lost track of the countless experiments done on his body, both genetic and physical. He let the elevator continue as he recovered the little spirit energy he spent. The vampire coven''s leader was supposedly a G Rank. He had no idea what rank he was, personally, and decided to kill the leader as quick as possible. He had an ability he kept hidden from Jinzo. It was an ability that was granted to him as the scientists tore open his back for one of their more cruel experiments. They deemed it another failure, but it actually succeeded. That power was the power to control gravity. With it, he could increase the gravity around him. He could also attract and repel objects from himself. Shadow Hunters'' powers increased as they got stronger. His powers and his gravity control might also advance. What he needed was training and life-or-death combat. He calmed himself as he prepared to attack. As the elevator reached the bottom and opened, Zaku stood up and had his left hand facing the opening. Guns flared, but Zaku simply repelled everything in front of him, the very air violently pushed back and screams were heard. He stepped out the elevator, noting the cracked floor, broken metal, and bodies slammed against the walls. "Wha...what are you?" a man rasped, Zaku narrowing his eyes as he saw a completely white-skinned man with crimson irises and longer canine fangs. Zaku said nothing, focusing the gravity around the fallen vampire''s head. The vampire screamed before his head was flattened by the increased gravitational force pressing down on his head. His blood sprayed the ground and his body twitched before it eternally became still. The door ahead burst open and Zaku saw ten vampires break in, each of them with swords. They looked around in shock, seeing the last of their familiars and a fellow vampire dead all over the floor and walls. The way the blood dripped from the ceiling and walls, followed by the blood from the corpses seeping into the cracks on the ground; it was as if they walked onto a gore scene from a horror movie. "Monster," one of the vampires said, his sword covered in shadows. "You have powers too?" Zaku noted as a vampire summoned orbs of the light the color of blood. "I recognize that power. The orb should be able to shoot rays of light, right? A friend of mine had that power, save the color was orange." "Warn the leader! Go!" a blonde vampire yelled, seeing Zaku as a true threat. "This Shadow Hunter seems to be of the G Rank! He''s at the power level as our leader, judging by the broken floor and walls!" "Leader!" a red-haired woman cried as she ran back out the door. "Isn''t the elevator the only entrance? That''s no good. I have to kill you all," Zaku said, gritting his teeth. "What''s happening?" one of the nine remaining vampires asked as the body and blood of the decapitated vampire became a pile of black and blue green ash. "He died. He really died," a vampire said. "Dark creatures are truly dead if we become ash. But how? His heart is undamaged. Undamaged!" "I''ve seen it before, decades ago," a woman said, staring at Zaku in shock. "But it''s impossible. Star-infusions were illegal and the process was destroyed and forgotten. How could a human possess a star-infusion?" "He can''t be allowed to live! Everybody, charge!" one of them screamed, the nine running at Zaku as one. "Can''t use it. Can''t use it," Zaku muttered as he brandished his katana. His left hand was covered in lightning as he pushed outward with an open palm. The nine vampires tried to avoid it, but failed as a large shock wave pulsed outward at them. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The damage intensified as the shock wave made contact with their weapons. Their arms became numbed and could do nothing as Zaku slashed at their necks with Void. Because of his star-infusion, a strange energy of the cosmos was mixed with his own spirit energy and he killed the vampires with ease. However, he wasn''t pleased. These vampires were only lesser vampires, not even mutations. They were more human than vampire as their body did not fully assimilate. Their eyes did not glow crimson either. These vampires were made, not born. It was no wonder his new foster father ordered him to kill the coven and only worry about the leader. His eyes narrowed as the floating light spheres were still intact. That meant one of caster was alive. "Die human!" a voice screamed as Zaku felt a force smash onto his back, pushing him forward one step. "What? Impossible! Magical armor?" Zaku turned around to see the vampire with an axe in its hand, the axe dented from hitting his back. The vampire screamed, rays of light hitting Zaku''s back as he pierced the vampire through the square of its chest. His left hand letting go of the sword, he grabbed the vampire''s face and electrified it with blue lightning crackling from his hands. The vampire, stunned by the lightning, managed to survive but collapsed and entered a violent spasm on the ground. It''s eyes only held despair as Zaku stomped on the handle of the katana in its stomach, making the hole in its chest much larger. "Ugh. The swords all dirty," Zaku said, ripping a piece of cloth from a nearby vampire and cleaned the blade as the vampire bled to death. Like the beheaded vampire, the dead vampires became black and blue green ash. Zaku noticed his storage ring actually consisted of two fifteen foot storage spaces. One was actually hidden, Zaku only sensing it as he used the storage ring to stash the weapons of the dead vampires. Thinking about it, one would be kept empty and only used when he was Blue Dragon. If people searched the ring, only he could find that second room anyway. He took out the vampires'' weapons as they were ordinary and each room only had a fifteen foot storage space in width, length, and height. "Right. The leader can''t escape!" Zaku realized and ran into the hallway, his speed augmented by the blue lightning. The vampire that had left was stunned as Zaku caught up to it before it could open two giant oak doors. It barely finished its scream as blue lightning pierced right into its throat in the form of a lightning dagger. The dagger burst, the shock wave blasting the head off and slamming the body into the doors. "Where is your leader?" Zaku screamed as he entered a dark, black throne room. His eyes narrowed as he only saw one vampire in the room. He closed his eyes and spread out his spirit energy, unable to detect any living creature in the area. "Where are my henchmen? Where are my familiars?" the vampire asked as it saw Zaku and realized the situation. "You killed them? Impossible. I made a deal with a Shadow Hunter to assume a facade that I did not break the Code of Shadows! I should be off limits to all Shadow Hunters!" "Sorry. I didn''t get the memo. I''m not registered," Zaku said. "You can call me the Blue Dragon. It''s fitting to know the name of the one who killed you. Common courtesy as I am getting something from you." "I''ll never give you anything! You will die here, human!" the vampire screamed, taking out a sword and pointed it at him with fury. The sword seemed like an ordinary sword. It had a black handle, gold cross guard, and white, double-edged blade. However, a cosmic aura emanated from the blade. It looked like the night sky: a black aura with twinkling stars swirling within. "What is that sword?" Zaku asked. "This sword was given to me by the aliens! All will fall before Star Scream!" the vampire yelled, slashing at empty air at Zaku''s direction. An eerie scream sounded as a wave of the sword aura materialized and cracked the ground as it traveled toward him. "Not good!" Zaku said, lifting his left hand and repulsing the sword wave with his gravity control. "Impossible!" the vampire screamed as Zaku pointed his palm at the vampire, the vampire feeling the gravity increase around it. "I will not fall to some lowly human!" "it bit its own left hand and waved its hand at Zaku. Three daggers made of its own blood soared toward him, crystallizing into a hard dagger as the cosmic sword wave disappeared. Zaku slashed at the daggers, his sword vaporizing the blood as the vampire leaped forth. Their swords clashed and Zaku was pushed back. "You cannot defeat me! I am genetically superior!" the vampire said, grabbing the ground with its left and hand and lifted a giant chunk of the floor into the air with pure, raw power. "Die!" "Never!" Zaku roared, slashing at the giant chunk of cement and pushed the fragments at the vampire with gravity. The vampire howled and destroyed the rock chunks only to see Zaku appear from the dust the cement created when it broke. Blue lightning congealed on the blade, making it seem even bigger and mightier as it crashed down on the vampire. "NO! My sword was supposed to be invincible!" it screamed as it was bisected from the head down. The sword dropped onto the ground and the aura dissipated Its two halves burst into ash and Zaku picked up the sword, stashing it into his public storage space. It was a good sword and he wanted to use it. His star-infusion carved on his left hand seemed to create the same energy for the doom blast as the sword aura, but on a purer, vastly superior level. To his dismay, the star-infusion absorbed the sword''s magical energy as he took it out of the storage ring to practice using it. The sword became ordinary, unable to emanate the cosmic energy. It was still magical though. "There should be some treasures in here," Zaku said, but paused and looked back as he felt a surge of immensely powerful spirit energy behind him. "Oh, you sensed me. It should have been impossible for you, at your power level. It seems the Lycan heart made you sensitive to spirit energy, like a real Lycan," Jinzo said as he leaned against the wall a little back down the hallway, his men standing behind him. Spirit energy was in each of them, meaning they were all henchmen who were Shadow Hunters. "Get anything good?" "Just a sword. It had its own aura. The vampire said the aliens gave it to him, calling it Star Scream," Zaku answered. "However, my star-infusion drained the aura. It''s nothing but a normal magical sword. I can hear a faint scream with every swing, but no trace of the cosmic energy." "It must be a sword not made on Earth, seeing that the sword did not turn to ash. Not bad. Looks like you didn''t need to kill one to get it. Damned things were supposed to be annihilated worldwide. Many Shadow Hunters died as we learned we were wrong. The sword should be its most valuable object. This is not a true coven. The men will clean the mess. You did good work. No hesitation at all. Not your first time killing a human? Thought the familiars would give you more trouble," Jinzo asked. "I killed a human before," Zaku said. "I felt nothing for the vampires." "Good. The only good one is a dead one," Jinzo smiled with approval. "I had the papers signed when I got the report saying the familiars above were dead. Do you perhaps have the ability to control gravity? Quite a nasty piece of work by that elevator." "Yes. It''s my fifth ability," Zaku said. "Five abilities, only two to be used in public," Jinzo sighed, Zaku confused. "Two? You mean the partial Lycan transformation?" Zaku asked. "Three then. I looked it up and several Shadow Hunters, even those note registered, also have partial transformation powers. The ice, transformation, and the Evil Eye will suffice," Jinzo said. "Course, you said you can''t control it but people see that star-infusion on your left hand. I will register you to be allowed to wear a glove, but the faculty will know you have a star-infusion. Those horrible carvings always grant a power. You don''t necessarily have to use it. You accidentally using it won''t bring that much of a shock." "I see. So only the blue lightning and gravity must be kept secret. I can live with that," Zaku nodded as the two proceeded up the elevator and entered the limousine. "So, what rank is Blue Dragon and what rank is Zaku Hatake?" "With the sword and mask, Blue Dragon is an F Rank Shadow Hunter. Zaku Hatake is a G Rank Shadow Hunter," Jinzo said as Zaku stored Void and the magical silver mask in the hidden room of his storage ring. "My son, Zaku, needs to have a different fighting style than the Blue Dragon. How about another sword?" "Better a short sword. My true fighting style is a sword and short sword combination. Before, I augmented my short sword with ice as I defended with it and wrapped my sword with blue lightning as I attacked. One sword for defense and the other for attack. I trained this style in secret at the backyard of the orphanage.," Zaku said. "The short sword should be sharper, heavier, and more durable than the sword. Besides defense, it should also be used to break the enemy''s weapon. Pretty rare for others to use different sized swords It''s a dual-sword style, not a twin sword style," Jinzo noted. "Twin sword styles are too difficult to learn and one must first have massive reflex ability as the style has no defensive capabilities. I do not desire such risky fighting styles and I do have the ice element. Reinforcing the short sword with ice is much easier than making a shield of ice and the ice element is not suitable for speed. It is an element of control and defense," Zaku said. "It does work well with ice. I''ll give you my own father''s short sword. It''s just me left in the clan and it''s been gathering dust in one of my bank boxes somewhere," Jinzo said. "As my foster son and heir, it''s only right you should have it. Oh and we''ll see what my Shadow Hunter smiths can do with that Star Scream of yours. It can still be enchanted. Such a sword should not be easily discarded . Rest for now. Tomorrow, you start your first day at school. Well, the better part of the day will be the qualification test to be officially accepted." Chapter 4: The Qualification Tests Writer''s Note: Yo! Been busy due to really horrible work hours. Zaku has completed his trial and will now enter one of the illustrious academies for Shadow Hunters. His results will determine which organization will recruit him when he reaches of age, 15, when he graduates. First, he must pass the qualification tests and become a student. Enjoy. Chapter 4: The Qualification Tests "Now, Zaku. Be sure not to use your sword''s power until the combat trial. Just use your ice powers and partial transformation to get classes for Shadow Hunters with those particular powers. That way, your combat prowess with Blue Dragon will be more effective if you require using your transformation," Jinzo said as he and Zaku appeared before a giant golden gate the next day. "So much happened yesterday and now this," Zaku sighed. He had gotten a short sword, three barrels full of ammo for the Desert Eagle, Star Scream was upgraded and enchanted, and he got three additional magical items. One was a black ring he wore on the opposite index finger than the storage ring. The black ring had a black dragon on it, a red diamond encrusted as a tiny eye for the serpent-bodied dragon. Jinzo said it had mysterious abilities, taken from an alien general he killed. The dragon definitely looked like none of the dragons he ever saw in picture books. The second item were his black steel war boots. Metal covered the leather of the boots and the image of a red bear was on the sides of the boots. It had a simple magical ability of allowing Zaku to store spirit energy into it. Zaku did this sparingly as it was always good to have spirit energy and he could tap into the store spirit energy to replenish his own. The last item was a silver, finger-less glove to wear over his left hand. It was enchanted to seal the star-infusion energy of the carving. The drawback was that his spirit energy would not be augmented by the carving''s energy. This meant he could not kill creatures as easily as he did back at the vampire coven. He would have to kill creatures the same way as everyone else. Besides those, he received emergency supply kits, extra clothes, and food. This was to prepare for the event Zaku was to participate in during the qualification tests. He also received two books. One was a survival guide Jinzo personally wrote for each of his Yakuza Shadow Hunters. It told them how to light a fire, set up tents, and other important survival knowledge. The second book was an encyclopedia of Dark creatures, listing their physical makeup, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. It also had some details of their social behavior and tendencies. These two books were more important than the magical items, to Zaku. Reading these books would definitely increase his likelihood to survive and his health status and battle strategies. "Welcome, Master Hatake and Young Master Hatake!" faculty of the Shadow Hunter Academy greeted, many people turning their heads. None of them received such a welcome, not even those from the great Shadow Hunter clans. They turned to see a man in a simple black tuxedo with the top button of his white polo unbuttoned. He radiated power and majesty. Then they saw the boy beside him. Save for the steel boots, this boy wore a simple black V-neck shirt and black formal pants. They first stared at the glove over his left hand before seeing his jade eyes. They seemed iridescent and slightly glowed. Some more powerful Shadow Hunters sensed the boy had quite a lot of spirit energy in his body, but paled as they could not sense the man''s power. "Jinzo ''the Slaughter Throne ''Hatake. One of the top ten Shadow Hunters in the Red Sun Empire. Did some child finally pass his trial and became his foster child?" an elder of one of the four Great Clans muttered, his entourage silent and observing. "Name and purpose?" a man in a white tuxedo asked as he saw Jinzo and Zaku. He had a laptop atop a desk and was responsible to track the visitors who would apply their children for the qualification test. Those who were already students merely showed their school I.D. before walking inside. "My name is Jinzo Hatake, B Rank Shadow Hunter," Jinzo said, showing his badge to the man who paled upon seeing it. "This is my son, Zaku Hatake. His strength should equate that of a Rank G Shadow Hunter. He will apply for school here." "B...B Rank Shadow Hunter?" the man stuttered as he carefully returned the badge after scanning it with a scanner and seeing the Jinzo''s face and profile appear on a computer. "Please. I cannot compare with those who live on the mainland with A Rank profiles or higher," Jinzo shrugged. "I''m not that strong, yet. Are we allowed access now?" "Of course. Please head on inside. It is an honor to have you both here," the man burst as he stood up and gestured into the academy with the utmost respect and awe for the man. Those with an C Rank or above were the reason the Red Sun Empire could not be invaded and the reason the strongest of Dark creatures were slain. When the Dark creatures came, they all started at the lowest rank. That was the H Rank. What used to be Japan, the island nation had quickly retaliated and killed most of the Dark Creatures as their nation was not that big compared to some of the larger nations. Thus, the island nation had an easier time protecting themselves with most of the Dark creatures dead. It can be said, based on the Red Sun Empire''s true origins, that the reason B Rank Shadow Hunters were considered the elite was simply because there were no real threats within most of the land. All over the world, the same could be said that Dark creatures of the A, S, and SS Rank might be the eldest Dark creatures in existence. That, or they are one of the more powerful species humanity was incapable of annihilating in the past. "You are strong," Zaku noted as they walked in. In the Red Sun Empire, the top ten were all B Rank Shadow Hunters. Even though it was simply the B Rank, the differences in Ranks were like heaven and earth beginning from the D Rank. Most people spend countless years categorized at the E Rank, only gaining power equivalent to the lesser D Rank shadow Hunters due to magical items and artifacts. "Why do you think I can still possess my own gang?" Jinzo laughed. "I expect you to succeed. Protect my friend''s daughter. His stepson, don''t bother with him. He''s stronger than you are. Well, as strong as the Blue Dragon. Remember, keep the blue lightning and gravity sealed. Do not use them." After half an hour later, one thousand applicants had arrived. However, less than half would be accepted. Jinzo and the other guardians and family members were not allowed further inside the academy and watched as the applicants ventured into the main auditorium. Inside were two stalls. One stall was for girls. The other stall was for boys. At each stall, the applicants were required to do weigh ins and measurements. Then, they had to place their hands on crystal balls to gauge their spirit energy levels. "Please put your hand on the crystal ball for spirit energy testing," a man said after Zaku had his weigh ins and measurements done. "Alright," Zaku said and placed his hand on the crystal ball. Inside, two spheres of light shined within the crystal ball. "Two stars. Proof of Zaku Hatake reaching the status of G Rank Shadow Hunter," the mn said as he wrote down Zaku''s information onto a laptop. "Now, please display some of your power, or powers. You may also state what they are if you wish to keep the information private." "Do I have to show them all?" Zaku asked. "No. We received information from Lord Jinzo Hatake regarding the status of your left hand prior to your adoption. Please keep the glove on unless you desire to reveal the star-infusion carving," the man said in a low tone, pity in his eyes as he knew the painful procedures to acquire one. "Your transformation ability is recorded, but please display your ice ability. Please create ice and then manipulate its form." "Will this suffice?" Zaku asked, covering his hand in ice. Then, it changed into an ice dagger before vanishing. "Yes. Ice creation and manipulation is confirmed. You have passed the inspection. Please enter the door to your right. It will lead you outside. Follow the sidewalk to the training fields. Further tests will be held there. The first is a basic combat test. Please make any preparations for the coming test," the man said. As Zaku did as instructed, he learned the basic combat test was simply defeating a buff, man who had no spirit power whatsoever. Zaku easily defeated the man by tapping him on the chest and encasing the man in ice from the neck down. With no spirit power, the man could not resist or break the ice. After a short while, only five hundred remained and they learned there were two combat tests left. "Hello everyone. My name is Maximus Crawford. I am the proctor of the second combat test. I am also the Shadow Hunter Academy''s beast master. As is tradition, you will all select a Dark war beast as your opponent. Should you emerge victorious, you will receive a younger version of the same species as your own personal war beast. Mankind can only tame war beasts, not demon beasts. However, war beasts with demon blood are an exception. Do note that your life will be at stake and no one will save you unless you surrender. You can face three different war beasts, assuming you survive. That is three chances. Should you be defeated thrice, surrender, or die: you fail. Only one victory is permitted. Choose wisely and do not assume arrogance," a man in a bright red armor warned as he appeared before them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The applicants cried out as the ground shook, stadium walls and stands emerging from the ground. The applicants were shocked to learn they were standing in the middle of an arena. The only difference was that the sands of the arena had a two mile, oval-shaped race track for field training. Ahead of them, behind Maximus, was a giant steel cage. Murmurs buzzed around as they saw their families and guardians fill the new stands, even those who failed joining the crowd of spectators looking down at them. "Those at the H Rank will fight war beasts in one of four platforms situated around the racing track. Those at the G Rank will fight war beasts in the central platform. When your name is called, report to your respective arenas. The one among the H Rank who defeats the most powerful war beast will be given a drop of phoenix blood of his or her choice. The one among the G Rank who defeats the strongest war beast will be given a drop of wyvern blood for himself and his war beast, also of choice. Those two people will also get to wear a white leather jacket with golden zippers and buttons to wear as part of their uniform instead of the usual black and silver," Maximus said and began calling out names. Of all the remaining participants, only twenty seven were at the G Rank. Of the twenty seven, twenty four were members of noble or powerful clans and organizations. Many stared at the people of the H Rank with pity or disdain. The competition was bigger among the H Rank, but those at the G Rank had tougher competition. It was because a single drop of wyvern blood was a huge reward. The body of the Shadow Hunter would be reborn on a higher existence and there was a chance of a blood essence inheritance. Their academy was also the most prestigious. It was because the principal and owner of the Shadow Hunter Academy was the most powerful Shadow Hunter in the entire Red Sun Empire and was the only A Rank Shadow Hunter. Not even the emperor, whose palace was also in the capital, dared to anger the supreme expert. With such a powerful expert backing the academy, it was no small wonder a drop of phoenix and wyvern blood was offered. Wyverns were also of the dragon race, but had wings attached to their forearms. Other nations considered them dragons though because it was a small difference. "With this as the second-to-the-last trial, the final qualification test must be extremely dangerous. That must be the reason we are provoked to defeat the strongest war beast and gain its kin," Zaku muttered as an electric notebook was given to each of the G Rank. Within contained data of nine different war beasts. On the data, it also stated that the race you defeat does not matter if someone else defeated a war beast of the F Rank. Zaku did not care as the other twenty six began fighting their respective war beasts as he deliberated which one would benefit him the most. There were nine creatures in total. They were a tiger, snake, fox, eagle, wolf, panther, rhino, phoenix, and wyvern. It was absolutely shocking and most of the spectators who never had a relative apply to the academy were also shocked as they saw people challenge and die to the phoenixes and wyvern. "Oh my god! Someone defeated a G Rank Wyvern! Who is he?" a man cried out, a boy coughing blood as he did a fist pump on the stage. "With this, the Oda Clan has a prestigious youth of the next generation," another man nodded. "YEAH!" the boy screamed as he shook his spear in the air as his free hand held onto his left side. "Crap. That means he is the top," one of the G Rank applicants cursed with despair and resignation. "Unless someone beats a war beast at the F Rank, but that''s suicide. Not only is the species a higher rank, the war beast is also rare and more exotic. The difference is just as great as comparing most of them to the wyvern. Each of them would be as great to own as the wyvern, the F Rank wyvern being the top prize offered. As no one dared to fight an F Rank war beast, the rest of the G Rank applicants fought, lost, or died until it was just Zaku left to challenge. "G Rank applicant number 27: Zaku Hatake. Please come onto the platform and declare your challenge," Maximus said, all eyes on Zaku. Most of the spectators were inwardly disappointed as no one dared to fight an F Rank war beast or see much carnage and blood. "I choose to fight the F Rank war beast of the tiger race," Zaku said, stunning everyone. Even the nearby H Rank applicants gave pause, drawing more attention until the word spread all over. The only person not stunned was Jinzo Hatake, a huge grin on his face. "Doesn''t disappoint in the slightest. Also the most ideal choice as you get a drop of wyvern blood anyway and he has that partial Lycan transformation. A tiger is the best option as they are a war beast with the most potential. While the weakest as a cub, they gain a new power as they grow. The end result would rival a wyvern anyway. It is no small wonder why people compare tigers to dragons anyway," Jinzo laughed. Those among the top clans had heard Jinzo and realized Zaku was his rumored foster child. If he was adopted by one of the elite ten B Rank Shadow Hunters, than Zaku was most certainly a boy with huge potential. "Very well. The war beast you have selected to fight is the Rank F war beast: Amethyst Tiger King. Bring up the war beast!" Maxmimus roared, ten men bringing a rather angry, giant tiger from the steel cage door at the far end of the arena. The tiger had black ash fur, golden stripes, an amethyst crystal embedded on the center of its forehead, and radiated a menacing aura from its body. It glared down at Zaku and Maximus as an invisible barrier formed around the center platform as it was taken atop the platform by the ten staff members. "This is the final challenger among the G Rank applicants. The war beast is a Rank F Amethyst Tiger King. A particularly rare breed of war beast found in the underground mountain area of Mt. Fuji, this tiger''s main attributes are earth and lightning. Unfortunately, the challenger is one with ice powers. Ice is a well-known defensive and control attribute and is difficult to fight with offensively. With a weaker rank, Zaku Hatake will have a difficult time slaying this beast. However, he may keep the beast core and amethyst crystal within the tiger should he prove victorious," Maximus said. "Challenger, are you ready?" "My ice won''t work alone. Then I can only go berserk," Zaku growled and a dark energy swirled within his body. A black sphere of light emerged from his heart, encompassing his body. It slowly dissipated to show a changed Zaku. He had blue fur on the back of his arms, razor-sharp claws, blue fur on his cheeks, wolf ears, and even his jet black hair turned into blue fur. He outstretched his arms as he howled at the sky, spirit energy bursting forth from his body. The glove on his hand remained, changing shape so as to avoid being damaged during the transformation. "A transformation ability?" one of the applicants gasped and saw ice form over Zaku''s body. "Even elemental powers!" "He smells like a Lycan, but he was human. What is this? How is this possible?" another person commented. This person was a half breed but Zaku smelled completely human before. It was too strange and no one could have guessed the true reason for Zaku''s transformation. "His skeletal structure also shifted. Most of his spirit energy comes from his heart. The light also seemed to originate from that area," one woman observed, one of her powers being X-ray vision. Unlike a man''s fantasy, most X-ray powers really did see only bones and metals. "Since the tiger is one captured, its strength should be lowered. Still, Zaku will have a difficult time as he cannot use his blue lightning or gravity control. If he can''t use lightning, he has to endure the pain instead of absorbing the lightning. Earth is also the best defensive attribute. My guess is that it has to do with the amethyst crystal on its head," Jinzo muttered as he saw the tiger glare at his foster son. "My friend''s step son, Shiro Oda, tamed a G Rank wyvern and his daughter, Suna, tamed a G Rank eagle as she lost to a G Rank phoenix. This fight will test if he can indeed be worthy to protect her." "To surrender or die is to fail. Zaku Hatake vs. Rank F Amethyst Tiger King. Man against a war beast akin to a king. BEGIN!" Maximus roared and the crowd watched as both enemies lunged at each other from the start.