UNKNOWN LOCATION A woman wearing a brown cloak stood in front of a shabby building, sitting in the middle of a deserted village. She was attracted by the faint noise of movements from within the household. With her sword strapped around her waist, she made her way inside. What welcomed her was the unpleasant sight of two dead bodies—a man and a woman. "What are you doing in a place like this?" She said this to a boy who stood atop the bodies. "You shouldn't be holding something like that, boy." She pointed at the knife he was holding. Seeing that it was covered with blood, it didn't take much for her to realise that the boy standing in front of her had just killed those two people. "Are they your parents?" The boy shakes his head. He was hesitant to speak up at first until he saw the radiant smile on the woman's face. There was no malice on sight; he felt like he could trust her. "They kidnapped me." "I see. Well then, let's get this off of you." She crept
"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, Tyson, 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 Tyson. 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..." Tyson slammed the glowing orb onto the dark orb on the floor and a shock
Old Dojo in Born Town Ernie was lying on the floor with his back leant 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 handed the blunt to Enrique, who was sitting besides him. "He told me he had some errands to run and would be back soon." "I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing!" Vladimir exclaims. "Why did you even interrupt my training?" "Chill, big man." "Don't tell me to chill, little man." "Calm down, Vladimir. Ernie was just trying to help." Maggie scolds. "Yeah, you didn't have to mean about it, Sir Vladimir." "Sorry..." "It's okay, Vladimir, bro." "Vladimir 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 s
"It's been hours since Vladimir began his training with Dimitri; don't you think we should check on him?" Maggie, Farrow, and Ernie were currently sitting on the deck of the Mini-Cruiser. "Nah, Dimitri isn't much of a people's person; Vladimir bro will just fine." The laid-back guitarist states this 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?" "Farrow, my man; I'm not a fighter; I'm a pacifist." The two Nightshades tilted their heads. "What are you talking about?" Maggie scoffs. "We fought Tyson's brothers together!" "That's right, and it was your unique Anima 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 Anima burst doesn't really deal any fatal damage; it only forces my foes to cat
Inside Tyson's mindscape, the ex-assassin was concentrating on conjuring a doorway that'd lead him out. "Why is nothing happening?" His desperation increases as time passes. He had communicated with the Sloth Constellar 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 is still very worried. "Tyson..." "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!" Tyson slammed his fist to the ground in a fit of rage; that was his only chance to find 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 h
"Everything is going as planned." Nissa said to herself as she gazed 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 with 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 a bright purple light envelopes the blade. As the light dimmed down, the sword 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 thought. "If you're not going to come, I and my blade, Dyrnwyn, will
Lex gasped for air, his muscles burning with exertion. Despite the added layer of defence, he couldn't match the assassin's strength. Lex observed Riley, his figure obscured by the swirling miasma, as he gleefully tore through Lex's illusions. "Laughable! Worried about your trinkets, yet you're utterly feeble... Your demise will be exquisite." With a lick of his lips, Riley charged at Lex. "Tck. Arc!" Lex's blade swiped through empty air as Riley's miasmic form eluded it effortlessly. Riley stood before Lex, a wicked grin plastered across his face. "Attempted that already, have you not? In this state, I can evade all your feeble strikes." "I've discerned something about your miasma," Lex stated, tightening his grip on his blade, engulfed by the swirling mist. "Pierce!" Anima surged forth, piercing through Riley's incorporeal form. "Ha! Is that all?" Riley sneered, but Lex remained composed. "While you phase, I'm untouchable. But, likewise, you can't reach me." Riley's exp
Riley greeted his doppelganger with a grin. "Finally arrived." "Let's get to it," Tyson replied, conjuring black Anima daggers. Riley's eyes widened as he realised Tyson's advancements. "You've mastered elemental animation since our last encounter." Tyson's anima surged, revealing his strengthened astral energy. "And more." Riley marvelled at his brother's progress, understanding why Lex posed a challenge. "In less than a week, you've evolved," Riley acknowledged, facing his brother. Tyson warned, "You'll lose if we fight." Riley, drained from his earlier battle with Lex, clenched his teeth. "Orders to fulfill Don't obstruct." Tyson hinted at his allegiance to the Constellars. "We're on the losing side." "I don't want to fight you," Riley confessed, though gripping his daggers. "Yet you're armed," Tyson noted, keeping his guard up. Riley questioned Tyson's abandonment. "Why leave us behind?" Tyson's heart ached at Riley's pain, but his resolve remained firm. "