The Guild Of Shadows

The Dragon Heart

"Ahahaha, mommy, stop.".

In an old and dusty shack with barely a plank of wood to call a roof, a little boy was being tickled by a woman.

.''''It tickles! Stop it! hahahahah".

The scene shifts to the boy and his mother sitting on the floor with a roasted fish in front of them. 

"Eat" 

"But mommy...". 

The boy was all skinny and weak, like his mom.

"I've eaten already, so don't worry about me.".

He reluctantly picked up the fish, knowing that she was lying. She looked pale and sick but had the warmest smile on her face, warm enough to make them oblivious to the harsh downpour of rain that was pouring down on them. 

With only a single plank of wood to count on as a roof, the two were drenched in the rain.

The scene changes once again.

The boy was holding the hand of the woman, as she had gotten sick and was lying on the floor coughing out blood.

"Now listen to me, my love; someday you'll find other people that you'll cherish just as much as they cherish you; protect them, love them, fight with them, travel with them, but never abandon them.". 

She barely finished coughing out more blood. Her time on this mortal plane had come to an end. 

"Mommy...". He was sobbing as he laid his head on her chest.

"I love you, Grover.". 

Back to the present... 

"Grover!!!!" 

Krystal was holding Grover as the bleeding kept getting worse.

"At this rate, he'll die!" 

Cain spoke, clenching his fists in regret. 

If only they hadn't gotten themselves caught up in Yusaku Ona's aura, they could have fought with him and stood a chance. 

It wasn't their fault, but self-guilt is a terrible feeling. 

""Demon spawn... *cough*. Hehe, it seems like it's over for me."" 

"Don't say that!". Krystal's eyes were filled with tears.

""I never told you this, but, for a long time, I never had a family. Until you came along, you saw through this theif and saw a companion, someone you laid your trust in."

That was the case. Bo and Cly were merely associates who ended up betraying him for a few gold coins.

"Grover... Stop talking; you're only making it worse.""

"Thank you, brother."

"I said stop!!"

His aura started leaking out. 

""I am your captain! And I command you to survive."".

His voice was cracking up as the tears from his eyes dropped on his face. 

'Malacoda'. He was calling out for his artifact. 

'Lend me your power'. 

Krystal could hear a dark and sinister voice in his head.

"Child, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO, EVEN IF YOU COULD SEND HIM TO THE SHADOW REALM WHERE TIME IS ABSENT. It won't heal his wounds."

'I don't care! I won't let him die!! And I will make Ona Pay,''. 

"VERY WELL, BUT THIS WILL COST YOU ANOTHER YEAR."

'Just do it!!!'

Krystal was determined to save his friend, regardless of the risks.

Just then, his aura spiked up, making the regrouping Yusaku Ona anxious. 

"I-impossible! He's not supposed to have that much power left!" 

After he impaled Grover, he withdrew back to his army's side, with Krystal and Vladmir passing by him to reach Grover.

Krystal's appearance changed; his normal blue eyes were painted red with rage; his black coat got longer; and he was swaying like a flame. 

Yes, it was his shadow that merged with him completely.

"Shadow Apex". 

He called his newly acquired mode as his now lifeless eyes were glaring at Ona. 

He uses his powers to send Grover to the Shadow Dimension, as he did with the army earlier.

"Vladmir, take everyone and retreat."

Vladmir carried the trio on his shoulders and dashed towards Hondah, shouting at their soldiers to retreat.

Those that could walk picked up the ones that were unconscious from the aura burst attack earlier.

It was now only Krystal, staring down at the opposition. His gaze was enough to peel their skins off.

"What are you all waiting for?" Yusaku Ona exclaimed. 

"Attack!"

A few dozen soldiers reluctantly charged at Krystal.

He didn't even take a single step as he raised his hand and channeled the vicious aura.

"Shadow arts: Kill order!".

He shouted as his shadow took the form of a killswitch strike and multiplied, mimicking the number of soldiers.

They didn't stand a chance.

All the soldiers were knocked out by one attack. Some of them lost their limbs, others were left in a critical state, but none were dead; even Kira was taken out. 

Yusaku Ona was the only one left. He clenched his teeth and drew out his sword.

"You fiend! Your vi-"

Before he could finish, he was sent flying by a blinding, fast kick from Krystal.

"Shut up"

Yusaku Ona was holding his stomach and crying out in severe pain. It was just a single kick, but it felt like a mountain had been dropped on him.

"S-stop y-you de-"

He was kicked again. 

"I said... SHUT UP!!"

Krystal kept kicking him like he was an empty can of soda. He stepped on his neck and continued the one-sided assault. 

Yusaku was helplessly accepting this brutality.

"P-p-please".

"Please?" The general's begging only infuriated Krystal more as he was getting ready to finish him up with the kill switch.

""This is for Grover. Killswitch!"

What seemed like the biggest variant of Killswitch he had ever made struck the brutally beaten General, splitting the ground in the process.

"It's over" 

Krystal said this to no one in particular, as he reverted to his normal form and passed out. 

Two weeks later.

Honda was still in the process of recovering from the attack. 

Cain, who was now the district commander, gave Krystal and Vladmir coordinates to a village in the region of Kirivard. 

"There's a renowned healer there, although the journey won't be easy without an Ark." 

"That reminds me." 

Vladmir took Krystal to a hidden section of the fortress in Hondah. What was lying there was an old ark that had a dragon statue in the front.

""This was given to me by an old friend. It's now yours, captain; let's save our clanmate together."". 

"Vladmir," Krystal said, gazing blankly at the construct. 

"It's awesome!!" he exclaimed with sparkling eyes at the design of the construct that will soon become the base of their guild. 

"I also know that whatever it was you did, you can't use your shadow powers until Grover is out; otherwise, he will be endangered.". 

It was true that the only reason that Krystal was able to fight Yusaku Ona was that he reluctantly borrowed power from the spirit dueling inside his artifact. 

He can't summon his shadow anymore because Grover is inside. 

Vladmir placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Thank you for saving my home, brother.". 

In the Harijoh Region's palace, three figures were kneeling in front of the King. 

He had a newspaper in his hand, and the headline was making him pop a vein in anger. 

"Harijoh Region General, Yusaku Ona, was defeated by a small army in Hondah led by the newly founded Shadows Guild.". 

He read out the details to the three people in front of him.

"I knew I shouldn't have let that hothead run out on his own." 

The invasion was supposed to be a discreet mission to deal a blow to Ernia; now they could be facing an all-out war with the kingdom if nothing was done. 

They might be a region whose standards are against artifacts and artifact users, but they're also part of the world leader's coalition, founded centuries ago. 

"I'm leaving it up to you three to clean up this mess." He finished as soon as he threw the newspaper away. 

"Hunt down the guild that did this and take me from their heads!" 

"And do not fail me like Ona did, or I will place a bounty on your families as I did with his!". He threatened. 

After news of Ona's failure spread, the King declared Ona a deserter and placed a bounty on his only family, his little brother, who was still in the wind. 

"Yes, my liege!" The three said it in unison as they were dismissed. 

They were the generals of Harijoh. 

Back in Honda

Krystal and Vladmir were getting ready to set off on their journey. 

The two had the Ark cleaned and repaired just enough for them to set out on their journey. 

They've already said goodbye to everyone. 

"Ahhhhhh Commander! Hero Krystal! Take care now."". 

Cain, Ruth, Vidal, and even the guards and citizens. Everyone was sobbing as they waved at the duo that boarded their new mobile home. 

"I'm going to miss them.". 

Krystal was waving back with tears gushing out of his eyes like a waterfall as Honda gradually became smaller the farther they went, until they couldn't see it on the horizon anymore. 

"What should we call our new base?"

"How about?" Krystal placed a hand on his chin, trying to pick out the perfect name. 

"Aha!" He snapped his fingers. 

"Dragonheart".