"Argh." The ex-assassin had been trying to lift the dark orb inside his subconscious, but to veil, the orb would not budge."Why won't this thing budge!?" He shuts his eyes and begins to think of a way to lift the orb. "Think, Ace, Think. There must be something that I'm missing. This is my subconscious, meaning everything here is inside my head and I have a certain degree of control out here." He stares at the glowing orb. He picks it up with ease. "I can lift this one easily, guessing that's my first layer."He chuckles. "To think they'd call them cores instead of layers but... Who am I to judge?"He hardens his gaze and slaps his face. "Focus Ace. Your friends are in danger... I have to get out of here the soonest."An invisible light bulb appeared on top of his head as his face lit up. "Of course! That just might work." He tightened his grip on the glowing orb. "Here goes nothing..." Ace slammed the glowing orb onto the dark orb on the floor and a shockwave sent him flying."
OLD DOJO IN BORDER TOWNErnie was lying on the floor with his back leaned against the wall. He had just finished making a roll and was ready to take a puff. He hits a blunt and says... "Well, we've been waiting for hours bro, are you sure Dimitri is going to show up?"He hands the blunt to Enrique who was sitting beside him. "He told me he had some errands to run and would be back soon.""I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing!" Vorus exclaims. "Why did you even interrupt my training?" "Chill big man." "Don't tell me to chill... Little man." "Calm down Vorus. Ernie was just trying to help." Maggie scolds."Yeah, you didn't have to mean about it, Sir Vorus." "Sorry..." "It's okay Vo bro." "Vo bro?" The former district commander tilted his head unaware of the creaking sound of the door opening behind him. "He's here!" Ernie's face lightened. A man walked into the dojo, he was wearing a black kung-fu uniform and had a belt strapped around his waist of the same color."Ern
"It's been hours since Vorus began his training with Dimitri, don't you think we should check upon him?" Maggie, Conroy, and Ernie were currently sitting on the deck of the Dragonheart. "Nah, Dimitri isn't much of a people's person, Vo bro will just fine." The laid-back guitarist states as he gets up. "Right now, we should focus on seeing what we can do to make you two stronger." "You mean us three?" "Yeah, don't you want to train as well Bro Kaz?" "Conroy my man, I'm not a fighter, I'm a pacifist." The two Aegises tilted their heads."What are you talking about?" Maggie scoffs. "We fought Ace's brothers together!" "That's right and it was your unique aura burst technique that brought the two brothers to their knees." "That's true, but that case was different, my friend needed me and I had to step up. Most of my narly musical abilities are buffs and the aura burst doesn't really deal any fatal damage, it only forces my foes to catch some zees.""So you're not going to train?"
Inside Ace's mindscape, the ex-assassin was concentrating on conjuring a doorway that'll lead him out. "Why is nothing happening?" His desperation increases the more time passes. He had communicated with the Sloth Saint earlier and couldn't help but get the feeling that something bad was happening. Although he trusts his friends will be in good hands, he was still very much worried. "Ace...""Huh? Kisha! Is that you!?" "I... Finally... Reached... You..." "Where have you been? I can't seem to get out, what do I do?" "Not... Much... Time... To... Get... Out... Break..." He listened carefully to the voice that echoed in his head. "Break..." "Kisha? Break what!? Hey, Kisha!" "Argh!" Ace slammed his fist to the ground in a fit of rage, that was his only chance on finding out how to escape his subconscious. He grew even more restless and was too deep in his thoughts to notice a crack on the blank white floor beneath him. "Huh?" He looked down at the spot he struck earlier. "A c
"Everything is going as planned." Aria said to herself as she gazes at Edrees. "Child, do not get in my way." "Sensei..." "I told you!" She snapped. "I told you, I am not your sensei anymore, as of today, I have severed all ties from you." Edrees looked at his teacher. She was the woman who took him under her wing all those years ago, she taught him how to survive in this world, and most importantly... She gave him a family. "I refuse to believe that you will betray your family!" He points his blade at her. "Then come child, I shall clear all your doubts!"She takes a stance with her sword and bright purple light enveloped the blade. As the light dimmed down, the sword had transformed into a long sword with regal designs. "That's the true form of her sword..." Edrees concluded that his sensei does not plan on holding back in any way. "What's the matter?" She snapped him out of his train of thoughts. "If you're not going to come, I and my blade, Dyrnwyn will come at you!" Th
"Huff. Huff. Even with the second layer, he's too strong." Reginald gazes at the miasma-covered assassin. Keith was laughing maniacally as he shreds through all of the thief's clones. "Hah! To think I was worried about your relic, pathetic... I'll make your death painful in every way." He licks his lips and charges at the thief. "Tck. Arc!" Reginald swings his sword to the sides which the assassin passes through using his miasma body. Keith stood in front of Reginald with a malicious grin. "Haven't you tried that already? In this mode, I can phase through all of your attacks." "I've noticed something about that pesky miasma of yours." He tightened the grip of his blade that was swallowed by the miasma... "Pierce!" The streak of aura created a hole through the assassin's body. "Pff. Hahahaha, is that all?" Reginald smiled. "I knew it, just as I can't touch you while you're phasing, you can't touch me either." Keith's facial expression took a sharp 180. "Grr, so what if you
"Kid!" The beast saint called out to Ace. "Take Kisha and head out of there, they're after her, without her they won't be able to find the last map piece!" He explains as he blocks a punch from Tommaso.Ace nods his head as he turns toward the direction of the Sloth Saint. He sprinted to her avoiding a desperate attack from the captain of the Valhalla clan and manages to reach her. "Come on," He grabs her hand. Kisha looked over at Vex. "Vex..." The Beast Saint turned to them and grinned. "Don't worry about me, go!" She silently nods and they left the room. Ace halted and scans the hallway. There was no one there. "Where's Regi!?"He runs around the hallway with Kisha trailing from behind. "He was right here, I left him with..." "With Gou!" The large man then crashed into Reginald earlier shouted from the ceiling as he lands on the floor with a powerful stomp. He was also carrying the thief on his shoulder, Reginald was unconscious."Regi!" Ace exclaimed as he grits his
"Aria!" Harold who had a pair of purple aura wings was first to ascend to the altar leaving Jacob and Vex dashing forward. They set their gazes towards the woman who betrayed them. "Harold..." Said Edrees. He was panting heavily and looked as if he could pass out at any moment. He has taken substantial damage from the Elder Saint. "That clown went ahead and lost..." Harold's aura combusted around him. "Don't overexert yourself, Harold. Just hand over Kisha and I'll be on my way. Nobody has to get hurt anymore." "Are you listening to yourself talk right now? You're telling me to abandon my ally?" Jacob and Vex arrived on the scene and stood beside the Dark and Sword Saints. Aria chuckles. Even though Edrees was covered in cuts and bruises, she was completely unscathed. That goes to show the difference in their strengths. "You four could barely breathe normal, especially you, Vex. You were ambushed earlier and still had to fight the Valhalla clan." In truth, they all had par