The location was a room within Barbaros's castle. Jester was shouting in agony. A strong pulse of energy was being emitted from him.He was panting heavily, sweating bullets as he stopped screaming in pain. "Huff. Huff." He breaks into laughter. "Hahahahahahah! It's done. With this, my dead fingers will be revived." Jester sat on the floor with his legs crossed."Relic Awakening... This power will be useful for when I see that Aegis of a bastard that knocked me out in the elder's sanctuary!" He said in a venomous tone."Well," He got up and turned around. "Let's go check on my new playthings." ... "Ladies and gentlemen, with this conclude the last battle of round 3!"Keith stood over an unconscious woman. His miasma blades were drenched with blood.Several cut wounds were visible on her back."In two days, we shall have our Quarter Finals!" The announcer declared. The crowds cheered! "The braves who have made it thus far are... Kira, the reaper of the Kami clan. Zod, the captain
"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."
On the deck of the Dragonheart, a battle was about to take place. "Say, why does the chicken cross the road Ace?" "..." "Ernie, we have no time for one of your cheesy jokes!" A vein popped on Kaz's head as he scolded his friend. The green-haired teen pouted as Ace laughs. "Heh. Ernie is the same as always." He thought to himself with a faint smile on his face."Ehem." Keith cleared his throat to get the attention of the trio. "If you're done making out..." He disappeared leaving a trace of miasma. "Watch out guys! Not even seismic insight can sense him when he vanishes with that ability.""Hmm." Ernie rubs his chin. "He seems to have ported to a different dimension. What a troublesome ability indeed..." Kaz said as he raised his guard.Ace summoned his shadow daggers as he dashes towards Reed. "Ernie, give me a hand here! Kaz can take Keith.""Okee dokee boss." Ernie saluted as he followed Ace. "Black X!" Reed effortlessly blocked Ace's attack."Your ain has grown a littl
Similar to how Reginald's mother turned into a zombie, the fake Serena who was standing in front of a petrified Conroy started to lose all her serenity as she also transforms into a zombie-like creature."Why were you so weak Conroy?" The archer stood there not knowing what to say. He was irked by the sight of his former guardian turning into a mutated creature. He shut his eyes and shook his head. "This can't be real. It must be an illusion. Lady Serena is dead!" "Conroy, if I am dead it is only because you are the biggest coward to have ever existed." "No! I came back for you." "But you were too late. You were having a merry time with your other family. People you've been together with for not more than a year? Were they more important to you than me? Was that why you abandoned me?" "I-i didn't abandon you, Lady Serena. I would never abandon the woman that raised me." "Oh really? Then tell me, why haven't you found my relic yet? It has been 2 months since the war. You haven'
The location was the throne room of the Capital of Cronoa. Rohan was sitting idly as he checks his glowing right hand. "You guys have done it again." He says with a smile as the glow disappears. A similar incident was going on in another location. This time it was Kaz who was inside a dark room of some sort. The only light that emerged from the room came from his hand. "Hehe. These bastards are not slowing down not one bit." He noticed a similar light coming from an open room. "Hey, Ernie! Are we ready to go yet? It's almost time for the showdown." ... "Hello, brother." Reed greeted his younger brother. "Seth, Seth, Seth. Your crew keeps growing." Keith bursts into a peal of maniacal laughter as he finished.He smacked his lips and licks them as he scans the people surrounding them. "5 against 2 will do you no good brother, I'm sure you of all people know that." Ace remained silent as he looked at the worried faces of his crew. They all nodded as he nods back. He then walk
The location was inside the Capricorn zodiac crypt. The Aegis clan found themselves in a large labyrinth. "Ack!" "Dead end!" "Shit!" The cries of devastation escaped the mouths of the Aegises as they seamlessly try to get out of the maze. But to no veil. "This place goes on forever!" Reginald slams the wall that stood before him as they stumbled another dead end. "We've been at this for days!" Ace cried out. It was unusual for him to lose his cool but this was a special case. "Good thing we packed some food with us," Maggie added as she continues to study the markings on the walls. "But for how long?" Vorus intervened. "We seem to be going in circles." "It's been a week since that goat-man came here, and we haven't made any real progress." A week ago the Aegis clan had arrived at Grum forest to locate the Capricorn crypt. Conroy ended up falling into a hole and he asked the others to follow him. That was how they found the crypt. The crypt keeper, Pan revealed himself to
"Are we gonna do this?" Ace asks. "Or are going to seat here all day waiting for you three to come to a decision." It wasn't like him to be impatient, but the Elders have kept Ace and everyone else around them waiting for a verdict on what to do with the current circumstances. They've been at it for over an hour, muttering between themselves. Sometimes Ace could hear some of the things they were saying... "Trust him? I refuse to trust an assassin." Elder Bari snarls. He was the grumpiest of the elders and likes to carry out all his business head-on and straightforward. Shuntal reveres him as "The Man Who Does Not Lie." "That too, the son of a Don and head of the House of Shadows." He added. "I believe the boy has made it clear about his decision to sever any connection with his family?." Elder Ram said.If Elder Bari was straightforward, Elder Ram is careful and precise. He makes decisions after thorough contemplations. He makes sure he considers all sides and everybody's point
The location was the ark of the Aegis clan, the Dragonheart. Ernie was currently humming as he worked on the engine of the ark. "There," He dusts his hands. "With the new narly tweaks I placed, You peeps don't have to worry about this beauty breaking anytime soon." He gave Conroy a thumbs up. "That's great Bro Ernie!" "And with that, I'm done fixing the ark, it's good to go and so are we!" "About that... Where do go from here?"It has been 2 days since Ace and Reginald accompanied Kaz to see the elders. Vorus had awakened a day ago and the ark's repairs were completed. Ernie had finished the repairs ahead of time and even went an extra step to add a couple of upgrades. For starters, the Dragonheart lacked any cannons for battles against other Arks. Although these battles rarely occur in the Western Continent, Ernie warned the crew that the Eastern Continent is a place more brutal than where they came from. "That's where you met Sirs Kaz and Ace." Says Conroy as they arrived at