DALNO: The Beginning

CHAPTER 4: The Name's Vincent Ashite

From a distance, Naiyhto can feel the pressure from the energy that Vincent released in such a long time. Raiden does feel it too, but his paralysis prevented him from reacting, yet he is still shocked.

"Hmn, flexing too MUCH?" Naiyhto responds as he does 20 ancestral hand signs, then incants 20 Seals: Flash Step, teleporting himself to Vincent.

Naiyhto draws closer with a smirk. Coldly, Vincent goes to a stance, keeps his katana on his left shoulder, and swiftly draws it forward. It then disappeared into thousand hexagon pieces floating around him.

I thought I’ve made friends,

Instead, I’ve made the ones who will cause my own to perish.

“Sword Style, Manipulate: Rushing Barrier”

The hexagons stopped floating, and each materialized into razor-sharp slash rays connecting to a nearby hexagon and slowly forming a sphere of continuous slashes protecting Vincent within.

As Naiyhto continue his flash step, he noticed the rushing light of slashes drawing in his direction. He managed to stop his charge, but it was too late for him to back out. Naiyhto made it out but an agonizing cry follows as he felt the pain of his severed right shoulder.

The barrier dispersed abruptly as Vincent’s Arcanae energy can no longer maintain the technique.

As Vincent catches his breath, Naiyhto suddenly becomes bigger into a monster-like 50-foot creature covered with root-like objects that came from his body. Also surprised, Naiyhto’s questions get overlapped by pride and see it as luck of last resort.

Terrified, Vincent worries about the chance of him getting killed. In such a monstrosity, Vincent took a short time directing his mind to focus and proceed to rush. Using the roots as a platform, Vincent generates another katana with his right hand, jumps, and aims to slice Naiyhto’s head in midair.

Suddenly, Vincent got ambushed by rushing spike-like roots. As Vincent notices its presence, he is surrounded, it then commences a continuous barrage around him.

“Hmn, enjoying it? Ashite?... Naiyhto Makushi, with the Arcanae: Wood Flesh”

Realizing another sign of his end. Vincent cried in pain.

No

I can’t

Die Now

No

I need

To do this

FOR MY CLAAAAAN

From Vincent’s left hand, a second katana emerged and both got restructured by the hexagons into a pair of Claw Blades.

“WHAT THE FUCK, TWO?” Naiyhto responds.

Raiden also felt the doubling of Vincent’s Arcanae energy flow but, in shrunken pupils, his danger instinct enrages.

In the forests, Aston and the Ashite Squadron felt the double of the energy's power, some lost balance, and a little went unconscious.

Catching their breath with such tremendous energy shifted in an instant as lightning. They became worried and rushed even faster thinking an Ashite was on a rampage.

“My goal is set… I will make you… and everyone…ACCEPT MY CLAAAN”

As Vincent regains his balance with a cry, he incants Saber Claw, Imitate: Furious Cat, and continuously cuts the wood spikes as swift as a cat.

Vincent falls closer to Naiyhto with a stance for a perfect slash, yet Naiyhto still smirks.

“Hmn, Idiot as ever… Wood Flesh, Manipulate: Two-Phase Barrier”

Raw Hexagons were released from the wood that Naiyhto made and condensed, materializing two layers of spheres made out of wood. As the second layer of wood strengthens while enveloping Naiyhto, the first layer generates so many spikes that the second barrier is unsightly.

As it is too late to respond, Vincent clashes his katana with the barrier making a sharp noise and breaking his katana in the process. While Vincent witnessed his katana fade to hexagon pieces, he closed his eyes.

Silence covered the scene, the wind blew hard, and woods bend cricket. Raiden wonders about Vincent's absence of offense, yet Naiyhto thinks he’s dead.

As Naiyhto opens the barrier. A string of light passed through Naiyhto’s creation five times. Just feeling the pain, Naiyhto releases an agonizing sound before another string of light passes through his body from down to up.

As the light disappears, it reveals Vincent at its end in his sword, still in a drawn stance over Naiyhto’s crimson blood beneath, with still closed eyes.

Just like father said

“Signature Form, Ashite Style: Sword Tein Sixfold”

Used up all his energy, Vincent got covered by Naiyhto’s blood as he fell unconscious.

"Oh, you're finished, boy... YOU GOT LIMP AT THE WORST TIME POSSIBLE"

Naiyhto then materializes a giant root spike and aims it in Vincent's direction hoping to end the fight.

“So long, kid… Wood Fle-”

Hyu and Aston speed to the battle, cutting Naiyhto’s tongue and last resort in the process. Hyu then coldly incants Ember Sword, Imitate: Fire Whirlpool materializing a bunch of swords made out of burning flames rotating like a whirlpool, continuously burning Naiyhto.

As Naiyhto is getting tortured by the spinning ember, the rest Ashite clan arrived.

Some Ashite clan members continue to torture Naiyhto in rage for doing something wrong and hurting one of their kin. While Aston commands Ko to take Vincent home and some members bring Raiden to the hospital.

After the Incident, the Ashite clan goes home leaving Aston behind. While investigating Naiyhto’s unconscious burnt body, Aston notices a dart-like syringe behind Naiyhto’s neck. He picked it up and called a mysterious guy from his phone on the way to the leader’s office.

Tomorrow, Its graduation day, The law against the clan is gone, and Vincent is on the way to spectate the graduation without the information of the change. As he walks, the bullies are scared and back off him. It leaves Vincent in a questionable mood.

During the graduation ceremony, Raiden mentioned the graduates.

"... Lissclion, Blaze… Monoma, Keicho… Jen Reiss, Karuma… Ashite, Vincent"

In shock, Vincent’s face shows a question.

Raiden then holds the microphone and goes in front of the stage.

"In the Academy, the most important thing is having high scores and grades… But, in times of battle, all you need is a strategy and the power to help and protect… And this kid… has excelled at it."

As Vincent walks to the stage, he scratches his head in confusion, same does the crowd who’s still getting used to the new normal.

In the distance, from the village office, a white-haired man is holding a glass of brandy while watching the new graduates from a window.

The man then snapped his fingers and slightly looked to his right revealing a man in a distinctive IMA uniform.

“Gather everyone… we’ll have a meeting”