Rio was woken from his nap by the sound of someone entering the house. He quickly got up and waited in front of the door.
Rachel walked in and Loudly shut the door behind her. Her face was sullen and she seemed distracted.
"How was school today?" her mother asked.
Rachel simply shook her head and went to her room.
Her mother sighed before returning to her work.
"What's wrong with her?" Rio wondered.
"Don't worry about her boy, She gets like that from time to time." The mother reassured Rio after seeing his worried pacing.
This was the first time he had seen her so down. She was usually cheerful and upbeat.
"Maybe I should go check on her. Maybe I can cheer her up?"
He waddles over to her bedroom and kicks the door lightly.
"Hello?"
There was no answer.
Rio tries again but the room is silent.
Gathering some boxes and chairs that he found upstairs, Rio makes for the doorknob.
He tries as best as he can with his small body but the door is locked.
"You can't keep me out forever." Rio says smugly.
Rio takes a peek down the stairs to find Rachel's mother still in the kitchen and quickly resonates with Zack.
Liquefying his body, Rio slips underneath the door and into Rachel's room to find the window wide open, allowing the moon to shine into the room.
Rio searches the room to find that Rachel is nowhere to be seen.
"Did she.. Leave through the window? Why?" Rio wonders.
He walks over to the window and peers out of it.
The world is dark and quiet. There was nothing in sight.
It was almost as if it was a ghost town.
As Rio was searching for clues to her disappearance, he noticed that there were marks in her bed.
They were deep claw marks.
"What the hell?"
Rio's heart was pounding.
He didn't know what was going on but he knew that it couldn't be good. It was as if some creature had kidnapped her.
Without another thought Rio leaped through the window and out into the night.
The town was quiet, No one wanted to be caught outside in fear of the recent disappearances.
Rio looked around for any traces of the kidnapper and found none.
"Where do I even begin? Where could she be?"
Rio ran around town for an hour.
No matter where he went, he was unable to find a single trace of the girl.
Finally, after a few hours of searching, Rio found something.
Outside of a small home was a puddle of blood slowly leaking from a window. The blood had dripped onto the ground below and stained the grass red.
Rio quickly approached the home and saw that there was a large amount of fur spread across the lawn.
The Hairs had left a trail leading to a large rundown building.
A shiver ran up Rio's spine. Something about this place wasn't right. He didn't know what it was but he could sense that something evil lurked in this place.
But his curiosity won over his fears and he followed the trail.
If there was a small chance that Rachel was still alive in there, he was willing to take the risk.
Inside, Rio quickly finds the source of the blood. A large man lay dead in the center of the room. He was dressed in a set of orange pajamas and was covered in cuts. His head had been bashed in and his body was torn apart with sharp claws.
The smell would have made anyone nauseous but it only excited Rio. He had forgotten why he had come there when he saw the perfectly prepared meal in front of him.
"Oh god" Rio said as his mouth watered uncontrollably.
Rio took a step forward and picked up the man by his leg with his teeth.
Rio's hunger overpowered his common sense and he devoured the body before his mind could catch up with his stomach.
He ate his way through his meal before returning to his senses at the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
Each footstep felt like it was enough to crush stone.
Rio looked up to see who it was but all he could see was the darkness of the hallway.
He could hear the steps getting closer and closer until finally they stopped right before his eyes.
"What are you!?"
The Creature roared as it stared down at Rio.Its voice was like thunder and echoed throughout the whole building.It's appearance was something of a nightmare. Its body was a pale white, with long sharp nails and a tail that stretched behind it. It had four arms, each ending in a hand, and its feet ended in black talons as well. Each of its limbs took on the form of a different animal, and it seemed to shift every few seconds. At one moment, Rio would be looking at a bird-like arm, then he would be seeing the back end of a dog, and next thing he knew, Rio would be looking at two legs that resembled a horse.Rio stood in awe at the creature before him, and tried his best to not show any signs of fear or hesitation, which proved to be difficult since he was staring directly into the creature's ever changing eyes."Emergency Mission from Alberoth: Escape!"Rio began to think about how to get away from the beast but time was not a liberty that he would be granted.With a blood curdling s
Rio Didn't want to admit it but he knew exactly what that meant."No... It can't be.." Rio said sadly."Rachel?"He couldn't believe it.The thought that Rachel was actually the monster rampaging in front of him was hard to comprehend. But there was no doubt in Rio's mind. It was her.He didn't know how she ended up like this but he couldn't help but worry.He couldn't just leave her like this.He had to save her.Jeremy had finished drawing his next chalk monster and Rio wasted no time sending it towards Rachel followed by Vector.It seemed like a waste of time but they had to try it.The chalk drawing jumped right at her while Vector leaped above her head and brought his knees down on her.Using his weight he slammed into her head while the drawing restricted her movement.But as expected, she was completely unharmed and easily knocked Vector right out of the air.She then used a snake-like arm to wrap around the drawing, squeezing tightly until it shattered.Rio's eyes widened as h
He was awoken a few hours later by the sounds of chatter around him. He opened his eyes to find A group of armored men with various tools entering the room.They hadn't noticed him underneath the rubble yet but He knew they would if he stayed for any longer than he already had.He dropped both Zack and Vectors bodies into the void to recover and wait for a chance to escape. He needed to chase after the man from earlier as fast as he could. Just knowing that Rachel was in his hands filled Rio with anger as he gained a new mission."Take out your anger on the agents"Rio had no problem accepting this mission and quickly gave up his plans to escape unnoticed.As far as Rio could tell, there were about five men inside of the building."These men must have been related to the guy that took Rachel."Rio could feel the rage burning deep within him as he considered how to dispatch this group.A head on attack was definitely a no go, and with his two fighters out of commission and no space for
"Site-bomb to HQ, I've successfully secured the target. I'll begin transferring the beast to a temporary site. until a containment chamber can be arranged.From what I saw, This beast has quite a bit of bite to it. Might need a stronger unit to hold the little bugger.""HQ to Site-Bomb, good job on the retrieval mission. You were as quick as usual.I'm sending you some more personnel to assist you in holding this beast down until we can get a proper containment unit for the subject.And make sure to be extremely cautious, The subject has already escaped once before.""Don't you worry about that. I'll make sure to keep all eyes on the prize 24/7""Understood, we expect nothing less of you. HQ out.""Now then, we wouldn't want you waking up prematurely now would we."Site-Bomb injects Rachel with a sedative as he takes her to a small white room. The room contains only a shoddy looking bed with 5 cameras hanging from the ceilings.There's a camera in each corner and another directly in t
The group drives down the highway towards Mount Konte while thinking back to his time in the facility, remembering the days when he worked there as a researcher.He was in charge of a number of abnormalities. None of them were very dangerous but if even one of them were released, it could shift the balance of the planet.He never really cared about any of the intricate workings of the Order but now that he was going to fight against them, It wouldn't hurt to borrow some of his old toys.There was one abnormality that he knew he needed for himself above all others.It was one that he had discovered only one year into his tenure as a researcher.He had been tasked alongside his fellow researchers with investigating a case involving a known group that rivalled the Order.The group in question had a reputation for making use of Monsters and Abnormalities in their quest for power. Rather than keeping the abnormalities from impacting the world, they would actively use them to manipulate the
Arriving at their destination, Rio and Vector ditch their car and begin walking into Mount Konte.The Facility that they were looking for was stationed at the base of the largest of the mountains, with the only entrance being located at the mountain's peak.Rio and Vector take a moment to catch their breath and survey the area before moving forward.Looking around at his surroundings Rio notices that Mount Konte seemed to be devoid of all plant life.As he continues to walk he is surprised by how different the land was compared to his memory. He remembers seeing green trees and plants everywhere he looked and now he was surrounded by nothing but bare rock.He stops and looks at the ground and is shocked to see a trail leading further into the mountain range."That's odd, Why would there be a trail all the way out here?" Rio ponders why that would be but decides to ignore it for now. There seemed to have been quite a time gap between now and when he was last here. He figured he might a
After walking for nearly half an hour, the path began to become rocky and uneven. Rio had remained vigilant all the while but he was starting to get worried, and his unease was growing with each step.His senses were telling him to turn back but had no choice but to press on. He was going to get into that facility no matter what.After another half hour, he was about halfway up the mountain when he finally came across something.Hanging off to the side of the mountain was a large collection of leaves, branches, and stones.It was large enough to fit an adult male inside of it. As soon as Rio spots this, he feels his heart skip a beat as he can hear the sound of something flying above him. Turning his body, He stares into the sky to see what had passed him.Hovering in the air was a human figure with a pair of wings protruding from her arms.She looked to be a young girl with blue hair and a white dress.She was flying in a circle above the ground and seemed to be analyzing Rio.As sh
[???]"Master, I have received a report from our forces at Mount Konte. They have located a strange trio scaling the mountain towards that old abandoned base.They were too strong for our scouts to handle. Soon they will reach the summit. Will you permit me to go and take care of them?""No need. I require your services here. I will send someone else to handle our curious intruders. Now hurry back.""Understood master."***[mountain peak]Rio arrives at the peak of the mountain top where he finds a series of small carvings along the wall. Each carving is accompanied by an indent in the wall.These carvings were created for the purpose of allowing the Orders operatives a pathway into the facility.Rio instructs Zack on how to open the path.Walking up to the wall, Zack places his palm into each indent in an almost rhythmic pattern.Once he had removed his hand from the final indent, rumbling could be felt within the earth beneath them.The ground shook as the dust began clearing from
Hiro focuses his mana and summons a barrier around himself while Rio rains down fire on the crowd of Larissa clones. Rio's orbs tear through the clones like paper. Each one falling to the ground after receiving a direct hit from Rio's barrage. The sound of impact echoes across the area as dozens more clones fall to the ground dead or dying. Seeing the destruction that the wolf was able to cause in such a small amount of time, Larissa gasps in amazement. "This is what it means to have real power. I'll definitely make you mine." Larissa whispers softly. Her eyes glow brightly with excitement as she approaches Rio. "Come on now, come to mama." She charges forward at him, avoiding the fire coming from above Rio. As she gets closer, He readies himself. Stabbing her dagger towards RIo, Hiro swiftly moves in to block the strike with his sword and slashes downward towards her. Larissa dodges the slash effortlessly but her eyes widen in shock when Hiro grabs her arm with his free hand.
Turning her attention back to Hiro, Larissa places a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I think I'll take my sweet time getting rid of you first. Then I can take my time with your companion," With that Larissa teleports behind Hiro and wraps her arms around his neck. Hiro struggles against her grasp but finds it difficult as he can feel his power fading as she takes hold on him. Hiro continues to struggle against her, until Fye sends Larissa crashing to the floor. Hiro quickly distances himself from Larissa to catch his breath and as he does so Larissa steps out from the crater left from her landing. "I'm going to ask that you don't interrupt me when I'm working, young lady. I will get to you when it is your turn. In the meantime, How about you play with these guys." Larissa snaps her fingers causing the ground to shake. From within the earth rise several zombies which crawl out from the soil. Each zombie stands tall and menacing with rotting flesh covering their bodies. "Now t
6 months fly by as Hiro continues his training under Gaius. With every passing day, Hiro becomes more comfortable with using his magic. Rio was worried when their training had begun taking longer than he had hoped but, his worries faded when he looked at how much time he had left. Despite being in the trial for 6 months It seemed to have only been around 6 days outside. And with all this time Rio was able to reap the benefits of Gaius's training as Hiro was becoming more and more powerful. Hiro was now at a state where even Gaius was beginning to have trouble handling him, and Gaius knew that Zack would be ready to head out into the world. Gaining permission from the king, Gaius gave Hiro a set of armor and weapons. Hiro wore the outfit proudly as he headed out to the castle's entrance. There he met Zack who was waiting for him. Once they arrived, Hiro was given a map with a destination marked on it. Zack told him that this was a place known as the city of the dead. According to
Gaius walks out into the field and tosses his spear at Hiro. He fumbles with the weapon for a bit until it finally slips from his grasp and bangs against the ground. "Don't break it now. I only have one of those" Gaius chuckles as he watches Hiro pick the spear up from the ground. As soon as Hiro picks up the spear, Gaius plants his feet and stares down the boy. "Come on now, don't make me wait too long. Just come and give me your best shot. Hiro swallows nervously and clenches his fists tightly as he stares at Gaius. He had spent the previous night practicing how to use his power defensively but had failed to learn how to use it offensively. Knowing that his best choice would be to just try his best, Hiro runs at him with the spear in hand. He wields the weapon clumsily as he rushes at Gaius. Before he can make contact, however, Gaius blocks Hiro's path by raising his arms to block the attack. Gaius grips him by the neck and throws his body back to where he started. "I know y
The next morning, Rio and Hiro hurry to the training grounds as per Zack's request. Hiro's eyes were red and swollen from lack of sleep. His hair looked messy as if he hadn't washed it recently either. Despite these signs, his face remained full of determination as he faced off against his mentor. Gaius was already waiting for them when they arrived. He stood tall and proud with his spear held by his side. "By the look of you, I'm guessing that you didn't get much sleep." Gaius states bluntly as he looks over Hiro. Hiro shakes his head in response. "I might not have gotten much sleep, But you will see the impact of all of my efforts soon." Hiro explains confidently. Gaius narrows his eyes slightly before responding. "Cockiness is not an attractive trait, But I will allow you a bit of pride if what you say is true. Now then, How about you prove to me how strong you are today?" Gaius says as he steps forward with his spear raised high above his head. Without hesitation, Hiro readi
"Again!...Again!...AGAIN!!!" Gaius shouts as he continuously slams his spear and fist into Hiro. Hiro groans as he pushes himself up to his feet yet again. Not giving up, Hiro takes the beating while attempting to draw on the power from before. But no matter how many times he tries it, Hiro remains unable to protect himself. Gaius smacks Hiro upside the head with his free hand, sending him flying through the air and crashing into a training dummy. Hiro hits the wooden structure with such force that it cracks beneath his weight before collapsing entirely. "Damnit!" Gaius curses as he runs over to Hiro and picks him up off the floor. "Maybe we should take a quick break. If we continue at this pace, you won't live long enough to even see real combat." Gaius sighs while dusting Hiro off. "We'll come back tomorrow when your wounds have healed. Until then, I want you to keep practicing on manifesting your power." Hiro nods in agreement with his exhausted body. As Gaius walks away from
Jack then begins to lead Hiro away from the fountain. As they begins to walk away, Rio notices that the light that had engulfed Hiro's body begins to slowly seep into his body, Causing his stats to increase with every passing moment.Rio couldn't suppress his grin as he watches his servants power increasing, which in turn allowed his own power to reach new heights.After a few minutes pass, the three of them arrive at an outdoor training ground with equipment and weapons stationed around it. Jack then gestures towards a nearby man wielding a spear."This will be your instructor, Gaius. He is one of our kingdoms greatest warriors." Jack explains as he leads Hiro over to him. "Gaius, this is the Hero that we mentioned before. He will be joining us in the near future. And we have much work ahead of us before then."Gaius bows his head respectfully and nods his head in greeting. He then turns his attention back to Hiro as he extends his hand. "I am honored by your presence and welcome yo
The rest of the day passes by smoothly with Rio and Fye focusing on their given tasks while Hiro rests in the bed. Then next morning, Rio is awakened to the sound of a knock coming from outside the room. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light as he sits up in his bed and orders Hiro to open the door. As soon as Hiro opens the door, Rio spots a man dressed in a black robe and holding a book in his hand. He seems familiar to Rio as he stands there in front of the door. "He must have been one of the men accompanying the king earlier." Rio figured as he stretched out his body. "Good morning hero." The man says to Hiro while giving a slight bow. "I hope that your night was well." The robed man adds after seeing Fye sitting in the corner of the room. "Yeah it was pretty good. I was able to get some sleep. Hiro tells the man in response as he invites him inside. "Rio had given Hiro the ability to answer independently for the time being. Although he wanted full control o
The two of them are led to a bedroom with large windows that overlook the city. The city is bustling and filled with people and traffic. As Rio and the young boy enter the room and close the door, the young boy begins to take a seat upon the bed. As Rio and the boy sit on the edge of the bed and face each other, the king begins to speak. "This will be where you will be staying during your time with us in the grand kingdom of Chania. I will allow you some time to rest for the day as you will be busy tomorrow as we help you gain control of your new powers. Have a good night, Hero." The king leaves the room and closes the door, leaving Rio and the young boy alone to take in their surroundings. As soon as they are alone, Rio activates his domination to gain control over the boy. With full control of his powers returned to him, Rio figures that it's in his best interest to take the reins personally in this trial. Especially if the boy's powers turn out to be of use to him. He was sti