Chapter <ⅩⅩⅢ>

Vigorously and chaotic the waves did batter the lone boulder situated at the outer rim of many sharp protruding rocks scattered across the shallow offshores decent miles away from the tall sophisticated cannon turreted walls that guard the beach line of the established island Aurora.

On that one modestly smooth lonesome rock in the middle of the turbulent waves, did League Spokesman, Grand Disciple of one of the founders of the Illuminatus League, Kaburagi Shisei knelt, his black veiled blindfold, acting as a limiter to his subsequent energy outbursts that come out in hot laser beams out of the eyes, now ripped and torn as most of his customized League member garment swayed and were taken along by the seaside breeze to far oblivion, revealing the bloodshot cornea surrounding the four golden elaborated pupils of sheer insanity, as well as those scarred pectoral and burnt sinewy frame.

Gone with the wind the tattered scorched grabs went.

But not his dedicated soul and resilient hatred upon none other than the one that built those high walls circling threefold over the island, in which his sister, his last blood kin now situates, standing at the high balcony of the steep golden palace outlook.

Mio Al Seraphim, to him, always be Kaburagi Mio his sister, stared down from afar as did he stared back up, their dark gray pupils met in silence transposed from a million words of question, of longing, of regret; shouts and calling that may never reach, only sung by the crashing waves around him, and the howling winds of high multitudes around her.

She was still as beautiful as that day, the day he tried to prove his worth,

and the day he tainted her with his curse.

It was of the closing of summer and first shades of autumn ten years before when the festivities of their home realm Kaminosato began to take place, alongside the much-anticipated regrouping of the prominent houses of the secluded land, an annual meeting of the Clans of Kaminosato, the common residents would refer, yet it was not the meeting they were looking forward to with reaching necks of excitement.

It was, in fact, the Tournament of Prominence held after the meeting did all crave to indulge in the age-long ritual of combat amongst the young thriving juveniles of the leading clans.

Not only was this tournament a way to challenge the youth of each main house of the realm, of their unique magic abilities and grave duties as future leaders and protectors of Kaminosato the sacred, but also an occult form of a choosing of the next chief among the main houses of the realm.

Unlike the annual clan meetings, the Tournament of Prominence only occurs when the contesting younglings come to a certain age, approximately fifteen as in close margin of maturity the residents affirm, which is merely less than a week away from the time when the Young Master of House Kaburagi was leading the preparations of the yearly event.

With the tournament close at hand, the preparations of the annual festive prove to be quite a handful for the Kaburagi house as being in turn to hold the meeting and subsequent rituals of that year.

Commoners and servants of the Kaburagi house buzzed hither and thither busily as the preparations neared their completion before the cold gaze of young Kaburagi “Sukuru”, the young master of house Kaburagi, fifteen years of age with sandy brownish light yellow hair cleanly trimmed and smoothly flowed down to the top edges of his ears, as the boy stood watch overlooking the simple constructions.

A jovial holler did ring about the preparation sight as the commoners slowly lifted their sweaty robust bodies up from their hardened work to embrace the heralding of lunchtime, as the working husbands receive savory bentou meals in plastic cubicles from their trusty wives, sitting together under the proud constructions and enjoying their leisure meal.

Young master Kaburagi Sukuru let the men and women have their savory time as he headed back to the Kaburagi manor to join his family, solely composed of his wounded father due to a horrifying accident involving hunting and mobile horse riding, which was a stunt back then but a hazardous one, his sister Mio, an energetic kind and curious girl one and a half years younger than he, who harbor special abilities that bears grave fates none could predict, and lastly the clean miniature portrait of their mother, who has long since passed away ten years before of pestilence, whose photo still sits on the small family shrine overlooking them each morn and night with comforting gaze and a smile of proud satisfaction, which was the first thing young Kaburagi Sukuru saw as he entered the dining chamber.

He was the first to arrive before someone entered the chamber right after Sukuru sat down with three wholesome boxes of savory bentou piled up together in small black towers.

“ Kirika ? “

the young Kaburagi master hoisted himself straight to address the silver-haired girl who just entered his familial dining chamber, not just any girl but the daughter of the subordinate house assisting the Kaburagi clan since the starting age of the rise of the houses by the name of Shiranui, whose current daughter be now Shiranui Kirika, a young headstrong girl less a year younger than Sukuru with hair resembling bright clear moonlight dawning reflection onto a fine smithed blade, and pure pale complexions as of the first snow of mount Tron that culminates together to a proud yet enduring grace, presenting as she ascended to the Kaburagi dining low table, still in a kitchen robe and apron suited of her status.

From the daughter of house Shiranui’s slightly distraught gaze and sweating forehead and the acceleration with she entered the room, young Sukuru was expecting a report of urgency from her since Kirika of house Shiranui was appointed to be his assistant considering the affairs of the ceremonial preparations during the month, that Sukuru asked before she could even utter a word as she panted.

“ What is it? Is it something urgent ?”

Kaburagi Sukuru asked calmly as he readily stood up, to see the long silver-haired girl quickly shake her head in haste.

“ No! No…We are just helping out in the kitchen with some new recipes, nothing urgent….”

Kirika explained with a mindless chuckle, opening the bentou boxes before Sukuru for examination

“ We…Mio came up with some new herbal dishes with roast meat, and some other things that can amaze the guests. I have someone sent the meal to your father’s chambers so…What do you think ?”

Her question didn’t hide her anxiety, Sukuru thought to himself, considering what his sister’s culinary skills could achieve in the past, turning green vegetables into black mush and fresh fish into unrecognizable creatures, which Sukuru recalled as he hesitantly raised his chopstick and reached toward the normal looking roast morsel, savoring it in his mouth with multiple deep examining chews.

“.....You say, Mio came up with this…..???” Kaburagi Sukuru asked in a low whisper of disbelief, taken by surprise by how normal the meat tasted, which was already a grand compliment compared to what his sister Mio had come up all these years

“ But…it is edible ! How is this…?”

And Sukuru through Kirika his assistant of ceremonial affairs’ escaping gaze immediately realized the truth of this bentou.

“ …Thank you, Kirika, for helping the kitchen proceedings.”

Sukuru thanked the blushing Kirika sincerely as he reached for a taste of the steamed herbs

“ If this is hindering your side of duties, I’ll tell Mio to…”

“ No, not at all. It is not of any hindrance.” Shiranui Kirika quickly brushed the hardships of keeping the kitchen intact away with an assuring smile, opening her side of the meal to dine alongside her directing co-initiative of the annual duties when Sukuru then asked her in a serious tone

“ Where is Mio now ?”

Kirika’s hands stopped short, just above her set of blackwood chopsticks.

“ Is she with my father ?”

Still, Kirika gave no reply.

But gazing at the elaborating meal before her in averting silence.

“ …I see.”

Kaburagi Sukuru placed his pair of oak chopsticks in a rather audible clatter as his arm raised his well-trained frame up as he headed towards the door without sentiment,

leaving the slightly touched meal tray and the guilty quiet Kirika alone, stranded in the dining chambers under the tense grave atmosphere.

Of course, young Kaburagi Sukuru hissed under his breath as he marched up the hill southward of the Kaburagi estate, towards the neighboring fields of the prestigious house of Seraphim, whose prominent claim has rivaled house Kaburagi’s for ages long before even his father was born.

Though the Kaburagi house has stayed the leading host among the main clans of Kaminosato for generations, the maintenance of that position has become harder and harder over the years as each day each night Sukuru’s wounded father would call him into his studies to sternly admonish of the grave duties to keep the Kaburagi house as prominent as it should be, as the ancestors so established.

“ Remember, Sukuru,”

his father would preach like they were at a constant war among the neighboring houses

“ Of the five houses of Kaminosato, We the Kaburagis of the sacred birch tree that goddess Somalis Limaria carved out as her light saber’s grip, must always be the towering tip of prominence. We should only be stronger, and you, as the Son of a Kaburagi, will be its lead !”

“ Yes, father.” Sukuru would comply with a bow while kneeling to the daily hearings of the proud household preaching.

“ Beware of the other houses that crave our place, Sukuru.”

his wounded father would continue

“ But most importantly, beware of the Seraphims !”

Yes, the very Seraphims that reside a hill away from their estate.

“ Their house is the flame amongst the light blade which goddess Somalis Limaria wields, and their cunning and hot burning will to take us down ever grows stronger! Make Kaburagi strong, Sukuru. Whatever the cost !”

Yes, the very Seraphims who were as eager to rise to power over the sacred realms and take their place, which Sukuru would never allow happen as long as his eyes were open and his conscious existing.

The pride of his house is upon his shoulders, Sukuru the firstborn son which the esoteric minds, or rather the obsolete sense which the Kaburagi household still grips relentlessly believing only the firstborn son could and should inherit and achieve the household greatness, which Sukuru has since accepted this path the moment his comprehensive senses came to form, yet something, someone of this house bothers him of this belief.

Mio.

His one and only sister, who like all that was born onto the sacred lands from the descendants of Somalis Limaria, possess spiritual abilities in magic synergic form, powers that the children of the land of the rising sun all share as the Parusefors of southern Kingdeniom that harbors the Strike flow among all things life and lifeless. The children of Kaminosato bear the ancient powers of the sun bestowed upon them from where goddess Somalis Lima had risen from amnesia.

This power that they share in this sacred homeland may differ in form and talent, as well as the scale and multitude of its strength.

But it was undoubtedly the descendants of house Kaburagi that wield the highest excellence to that holy magic no other house could outshine, yet that was generations ago before even his great grandfather’s time.

Now the Kaburagi house is struggling in each and every coming tournament to maintain its prominence and this year, this month, this week, it has come to Kaburagi Sukuru to take an honorable stand to insure his house remains victorious, a grand task he must partake for he too, as the Kaburagi house so expect of him, was blessed with impressive magical powers that no other youth of his age could rival.

Except one.

Mio Kaburagi.

His younger sister, who many have either seen first hand or heard through rumors was a special existence of the Kaburagi household, showing signs of oddity since her infant years after her birth, strange unexplainable happenings even the elders of Kaminosato have little to no explanation to.

There was an aura around her ever since she was born that the blessed Kaminosato residents can feel but are unable to comprehend.

It was like a foreboding, a living amalgamation of many colorful voids that hid within the shape of an innocent baby girl, awaiting their rightful moment to burst free of all possible confinements.

“ An unseen strength to shape reality.” their mother simplified for Mio years ago when they were still too young to comprehend

“ Growing nonstop, like the universe that extends without knowing of its limits.”

“ It is very powerful,” Their father sighed in disappointment then to his worried wife

“ as it is destructive. Anyhow, it is the men who are to lead the Kaburagi house, not the maidens. She is under your care.”

This exact conversation had been playing countless times in Sukuru’s head, even now as he passed the ridge of the hill, treading down the main path of the Seraphim estate, did the voices of his parents still did whisper constantly to his ears, of the notion that Mio Kaburagi his sister bearing far remarkable powers than he.

Powers able to change reality to her own will.

It is hard not to envy his own sister for possessing such a gift and bearing little weight from the household pressure, but Sukuru had discarded those weak murmurs from his mind long ago and focused on building from his own powers a new legacy for the Kaburagi future, but what now bothers him most is not of the powers his younger sister Mio holds.

But who she sides with while carrying those reality-bending powers of grave import that brings frustration to Sukuru’s mind and plans for the household.

Somehow, without him knowing, Mio and the firstborn son of the house of Seraphim have grown close, far too close to Sukuru’s liking that during the years of Sukuru’s fierce training to be an accountable leader of the house, his sister Mio had been around the Seraphim estate spending time with none other than the son of Seraphim!

This situation contradicts all he learned and strived for Kaburagi's future of staying the most prominent of the clans of the realm.

A scheme most possibly of the Seraphim side, so Sukuru deducts, to entice his sister to their side and turn over the tide, challenging his lead over Kaminosato while pitting his own sister against him!

His sister who bears stronger and more dangerous powers than he !!

This Kaburagi Sukuru cannot allow.

Knocking three full hits onto the golden-painted wooden gates that guard the Seraphim manor, young master Kaburagi Sukuru heralded his own arrival with much angst and dismay.

“ Hearken, Seraphims !! It is I Sukuru of house Kaburagi that has come !! To reclaim my sister that your son has pettily enticed !!”

Pretty rude remarks, for a young master of the leading house of Kaminosato to herald his coming in such a way, but his anger can allow this scheme of snatching his sister away no more, and with the tournaments coming in less than a week, he had to assert dominance towards those beneath him.

The butler, also master ninja of the Seraphim house answered the door courteously despite young Sukuru’s remarks.

“ Greetings, young master Kaburagi.”

the ninja butler greeted with a bow as the doors slid ajar for just a small opening cleft

“ I am Snape, at your service.”

“ Bring me Toshiumi !”

Sukuru demanded, outright claiming his adversary’s name

“ I know he’s after my sister! It ends today !”

“ Umm…all due respect, young sir, but our young master is possibly training in the south woods as we speak.”

Butler and ninja Snape replied with much patience and grace.

“ Then I’ll face him myself !”

Sukuru with rage rushed off the Seraphim territory and into the south woods behind the estate, where his heartbeat stopped short of what his eyes bore witness to as he reached the innermost part of the woods.

There, delightfully chatting on a large severed log with giggles and jovial speech,

were Mio and the firstborn Toshiumi Al Seraphim, sitting shoulder to shoulder,

as the son of Seraphim held in his hands,

a bentou box in which the contents were nearly all consumed.

It has come to this, Sukuru could but realize, a stage that his sister has rushed all the way to the enemy’s woods to bring his adversary lunch while discarding the family pride altogether.

Kaburagi Sukuru knew, something had to be done,

for the future of house Kaburagi’s everlasting prime.

Both young Mio and Toshiumi looked up at the fuming figure approaching them.

“ Onii-sama !”

Mio exclaimed in surprise at the words of fluent plain Japanese, unforgetting her polite mannerism of the way a decent maiden should address their brother of superiority, standing up to meet Sukuru,

only to receive a thundering slap over the cheek by that strong hand that came from the teenage boy who she lovingly calls brother.

The young son of Seraphim, Toshiumi, with eyes so wide and those golden pupils, contracting in grave urgency, the black hair that was still immaturely messy compared to his Awesome future looks rose like a fiery mane as the Seraphim boy rushed up immediately to hold Mio in his arms just in time to break the shocked girl’s fall.

“ What’s wrong with you, Kaburagi !”

young Toshiumi cried in anger, shielding Mio close

“ Is this how you treat Mio back in your shady estate ?!!”

“ What I do in my estate has nothing to do with you, Seraphim churl.”

Sukuru hissed menacingly like a poisonous serpent ready to pounce and sink its fangs into Toshiumi’s throat

“ And if I hear you utter my sister’s name one more time, I’ll rip your tongue out and put it on high display over the ceremony for all to watch !!!”

“ Bold words. Bold words.”

Toshiumi shook his head with such dismay and contempt as he helped Mio up to sit on the log behind him as he reached for his wooden katana of training

“ You once have my respect. But now, you are just a piece of shit in the woods. And even I resent smacking my sword on shit. Let’s go, Mio.”

And with the wooden saber in hand, Toshiumi led the dumbstruck Mio out of the scene as they walked off,

hand in hand.

“ Did I just hear you speak her name ?”

Toshiumi heard Sukuru so utter like a whoosh of a sudden gush of tempest wind, to which Toshiumi turned around, only to see Sukuru vanish from where he was present!

And Lo !!!

Like a wrathful demon, Sukuru lunged out from behind Toshiumi, wrapping his adversary’s throat with his strapping arms like vice, tearing Toshiumi’s face like ripping a melon apart !!

“ STOP !!!!!”

And before he knew it,

as the shout of his desperate sister echoed and pierced his eardrums,

Sukuru’s feet no longer felt solid ground,

his vision no longer consists of the Toshiumi in his grasp,

all he saw was the skies,

the gray clouded chaotic skies,

before his ultimate plunge back to reality.

…

………..

But he will not fall this time.

This time, after many attempts, many strife, and conflict,

Kaburagi Shisei stood tall on the lone rock that held his battered true form high over the battering waves all over him.

He may have fallen into Toshiumi’s anti-Shisei barrier trap,

but that will be the last time he falls.

For the Kaburagi name,

For the Future.

And with one wave of his high rising arm that reached the nine heavens,

The grand League disciple Kaburagi Shisei brought forth behind him spread all across the seas behind him in legions, a swarm,

the fleet of iron battleships that sail forth, bound to Aurora, bound to siege.

…

………….

Joining the samurai armies hired by the league, Darkstalker Austria Van Hillingdale the military strategist boarded the commanding vessel as the hoard sailed forth towards the golden island of Aurora.

“ That sure is a wall full of cannons, strategist.”

reported the general of the assault fleet, holding close a virtual telescopic eyeglass overlooking the island parameter

“ It might take some time for our cannons to deactivate that scale of defense.”

“ The wall is nothing of note in my winning book of strategies, General Tendou.”

Austria Van Hillingdale, the proud genius son of the renowned strategist family of Hillingdales replied cooly without concern nor hesitance

“ Focus on the main mission as soon as we embark.”

The League-hired navy generals could but shrug to themselves as their ships forced onward at full speed, raising their cannons on offense towards the coming rainshower of the golden company retaliation.

…………

“ Ready !!!!!”

Head of the Aurora defense operations general Hidaka of the Golden Company hollered courageously to all his cannoneer comrades lined across the top of the walls, loading the bombshells in place.

“ Aim !!!!”

Hidaka shouted once more as the golden cannons made one last adjustment before halting all movements, pointing at their designated targets.

And finally, with one fierce swipe down of the red commanding flag in hand, Hidaka shouted

“ FIRE !!!!!!!”

Bellowing heart-pumping explosions echoed one after another in coordinated unison as the bombshells set off across the sea in efficient arches, landing all over the coming league fleet like thunder.

The sailors of the invading fleets expanded their shields that bulged and extended into large laser film that temporarily defended the coming explosives but with deadly cost. Some unfortunate fellows were crushed by the cannonballs that exploded in golden flame that erupted one-third of the battle cruiser that quickly ignited the whole ship, swallowing into the merciless flames before sinking into the deep blue embrace of the heavy seas.

“ We lost three ships according to your winning book of tactics, sir.!”

reported the navy general by the fuming strategist’s side.

“ …Fool, that is part of a shroud to trick the enemy !”

Austria argued with his fingers clenching hard into a bulging fist.

Hidaka looked at the progress of his cannoneer squad and blew out a charming whistle victoriously

“ Swell! Ready away !!!!”

Hidaka hollered to his hearty men as they quickly reloaded their cannons.

But before the head of the defense squad could holler his colleagues to aim, a messenger quickly rushed to Hidaka’s presence in haste.

“ General Hidaka !!! Word of import from strategist Rang !!!!”

The messenger shouted and hurriedly whispered to Hidaka’s ear.

Hidaka of the golden company gasped as the message flowed in through his keen ear.

“ Blimeys !!! Brothers !!! WE MUST BOUNCE !!!!”

No wall can stop me now.

With both arms circling in quick arcane grace over the air around his swaying conjuring body, gathering the winds into tempests and waves into tsunamis at his calling,

Kaburagi Shisei conjured a massive ball of boiling dark energy culminating with the storm and waves and pushed them all out into a comet Azur-like beam of dark force and natural essence corrupting into such devastation of a sizzling laser weapon that sliced from left to right across the strong thick metal walls of gold that hindered his vengeful path, like a sword made out of the bursting stream of hot water, cutting through even the hardest rock, slicing the defending wall with but one horizontal slash, casting a myriad of endless explosions at its path, breaking the foundations and pulling out the roots of every metal pillar that used to fortify the first line of protection of Toshiumi’s island villa.

“ Sweet Mother Yuidis !!!”

gasped the league members and assisting navy samurais and all as the island outskirts lit up in a new wall of flame as Austria the military genius laughed mockingly at the wall that was no more.

“ Prepare the fire extinguishers! We don’t want to get ourselves burnt like the foolish golden bumpkins !”

Austria cackled as he reviewed his plans over his notepad one more time, proud of his own intelligence.

…

…………

As the wall-defending cannoneers retreated from the wall at Hidaka’s lead in the nick of time, they gathered to the inner walls of the tall winding palace corridors, waiting for the enemy to storm in from that one trap-like path designed for invaders to enter but never walk out alive.

Rang looked down from the main palace's first floor wide balcony, scrutinizing the whole situation with his sharp eyes.

" Strategist !! Hearken !"

cried out a herculean hoarse cry from behind the strategist, to whom Rang turned around to see a general of the Golden Company, fashioned with shining triangle plates of iron sprayed in gold and silver lodged in the general's shoulders and knees, even the helmet was shaped like a sharp-tipped pyramid that covered the wearer's eyes revealing sight only through three round emerald glass that formed also a triangle at the position of the general's eyes.

“ I, Stentor Aramis have brought down Reeve Lowangleen the spy !”

Lo, next to this tough-looking general’s feet, dragged by the muscular hand of Sir Stentor Aramis, General of martial arts and combat, the battered ravaged Reeve Lowangleen, passed out and bludgeoned out of consciousness for his confusing actions of attacking his own comrades of Gold.

“ What would strategist want us do of this Reeve spy ?!”

Sir Stentor Aramis asked in his hoarse robotic cry, speaking in growls as his southern birthplace had rotted into his nerves and in hardened crooked intonations that express his yet unfamiliar grasp of the common speech that is still foreign to his native tongue.

“ Sir Reeve is fortunately not a spy, but a victim to the enemy’s illusion attacks, General Aramis.”

Rang explained quickly with a tired wave

“ Send him to the hospital wing as the wounded, but keep him chained to the bed.”

“ Hoah !” General Stentor roared with approval as he dragged the sad knocked-out Reeve down to the infirmary, passing another hurrying general that ran past and quickly made his way to strategist Rang’s presence.

Rang didn’t even have time to think of a battle plan concerning the nearing enemy fleets.

“ Grand Strategist Rang! Miss Haru has been located and secured !”

Reported the general, to be the head chief of security, Akiyama of the Black Squad, a tall long black haired composed gentleman donned in pitch black plates, with golden glowing linings that elude the sharpness of the armor, that came to report which the Military genius finally sighed in relief, following sir Akiyama’s gaze to the Golden Company guard chief that escorted their ladyship Mio Al Seraphim back to the safe headquarters, and alongside Mio who she supports up the staircase in caring embrace, be Miula Haru our girl, safe and sound.

While her parents were sent quickly to the infirmary to tend their wounds and ill artificial Exia influences, Haru still made her way with Mio up to meet Rang to tell of her recent discovery of paramount import.

Strategist Rang was at Haru’s presence in no time as the strategist’s wife Agnes quickly checked the high schooler’s vitals

“ My apologies, Miss Haru !” Rang bowed aghast and in grave concern

“ My overlooking the enemy’s illusions nearly cost your life and endangered the grand schemata. It is all too fitting to execute me under martial law for my misjudgment !”

Rang kowtowed as he so said with such remorse and sincerity.

Haru quickly helped the strategist up to his knees

“ Sir Rang ! It’s not your fault. Quick! I have answers now! ”

Haru then explained quickly all she had experienced during her fainting trance, of the recollection of her past and the plan to safely send the Seed back to where it belongs.

“ Bring the Seed back….to your school ?! In Tron ?!?!”

Rang uttered, facing yet another new information that added to the large pile he had yet to digest in his computering head.

“ Which means…even with the Seed’s connections with the blessed Herunia, it can’t fully cure Mio from her curse ?”

Agnes exclaimed in a tone of shock and disbelief.

“ That is what the Seed, Sora told me. But I understand now is not the best time to leave the island, so I’ve heard…” Haru nodded to them, glancing at the burning crumbled wall remains at the west side of the island before turning to Mio, who was oddly silent with a frown locked in distressful curls and a gaze that reached downward, far off in time.

“ Mio, Sora told me the curse is something very different from what we were expecting. Probably as deep as those of ancient Demon roots.”

Haru came to Mio's dreaded presence as she placed her palms gently on the back of her silent Ladyship’s slightly trembling hands

“ But no matter what it is, we are still willing to help. But we need to know what your curse really is. Can you tell us, Mio ?”

With all eyes on her, Mio looked back at them all uneasily, and still with a reluctant silence, didn’t answer right away.

“ I….it’s…..complicated…”

Mio whispered as if her tone concealed a glimpse of what seemed to Haru’s ear, a sense of guilt.

That was when the silence was interrupted by a great uniformed shout of valorous cheers and wholesome chants, echoing with claps and the moral-boosting thrumming of the battle drums.

“ What ?? What Now ?!”

Haru looked around to see everyone around her cheering like fans at a rock concert, including Rang and Agnes who were both suddenly joyous holding light sticks all of a sudden that shone gold in their hands.

As Mio Al Seraphim looked down, her stressful frown uncoiled to a wide gaze, colors in her eyes shining once more.

To this sudden cheer of the whole island,

Kaburagi Shisei turned around.

To see a fiery saber coming down at his face !!!!

“ TOSHIUMI ?!?!?!?!?!?”

“ It is I.”

Lo, the Lord of all, Awesome and marvel, Born of Kaminosato, has come to smite his foe !!!!

Toshiumi Al Seraphim, Brave of Zabanya and savior of Zargosia, has returned in fire and splendor, after nearly four chapters of fighting on the dread Denteimong fields, now arrived to save the day and reassert dominance over this unscrupulous felon.

“ Kaburagi !! Your time is Up !!!”

“ NO, Toshimi !! YOUR time is up !!”

The two young men, entwined in hate and vengeance that stretched across their age, shouted at each other in B-grade movie shouts of menacing speech.

Lo, with the red-flamed katana Kouzuki the awesome Lord wielded,

and the demonic energy blade the League initiative immediately conjured,

The two powers clashed, separating apart only to clash twenty more times against each other, speeding across the raging waves on top of the ocean surface, throwing at each other all they’ve got to put an end to their mortal adversary.

With each clash echoing in sharp piercing chime over the chaotic seas, like thunder pounding with each heartbeat, Mio watched intensely, unable to turn away her riveted gaze upon the two most crucial individuals of her life battling to the death.

Her trembling fingers gripping tightly onto her splendid golden silk robes,

pressing a small but solid object she kept within her robe pouch with much anxiety and panic,

as if in prayer.

Which was how her mother taught her way back before her untimely passing.

…

………..

“ Here,”

Mio remembered her mother gently tying a small ornate bracelet around her wrist nearly twenty years before now

“ Put it on, and tie it around like this. ”

The thin golden silk-like strings fixated firmly around Mio’s small wrist as the young girl of more stared with wide bright eyes, marveling at the bracelet like it was a rare treasure of old.

Seven glistening black rocks carved in the shape of dews, like spring droplets, like tears, with white carved symbols on each smooth surface of the tiny rocks.

Seven different symbols, Runes that bear secrets yet to unfold.

“ What do they mean, mother ?"

young Mio asked of her new gift the meaning of those intricate runes.

Her mother hesitated for a short second before replying softly

“ These are Runes of strength, Mio.”

Her mother touched the Runes gently, caressing her hand also

“ Whenever you are afraid, or lost, or feel like the world around you is falling apart, you hold on to this bracelet, hold tightly to these magical stones, and think of all the good things and nothing else. Can you do that ?”

Mio remembers answering her mother with an energetic nod.

That was one month before her mother's passing, and she had kept the bracelet close by ever since,

Slowly finding out what the stones in her bracelet truly meant as she grew up.

…

……...

Returning like the rising dawn to the whole Aurora isle and the Golden Host, Toshiumi Al Seraphim had surely and paramountly boosted the morale of his loyal Company, but it didn’t stop the enemy from retreating but spurred a violent rejection from the League and the hired samurai armies to push on with stronger oppress.

“ Our Lord is hero-ing and so should we !” Rang the hand of the Lord and military strategist called upon all loyal arms

“ Sir Hidaka !! Secure the inner walls with the cannon turrets! Assist the brothers’ offense !”

“ Sure thing !!”

young Hidaka leaped off to the inner gates with his cannon on his back.

Rang then turned to the giant golden machine-looking man behind him

“ Sir Stentor Aramis !! Lead the brigade and storm the League arrays under Hidaka’s cover !!”

“ HOAH !!!!” And charging away like an iron bull did this big man and his squad towards the frontline.

Rang then addressed a young twentyish aged scholarly clansman of gold with black-rimmed glasses in an analyst customed golden uniform standing at his left

“ Kamo !! Raise the Kleidoglass defense system when the enemies are within range! Our castle defenses are in your hands !”

“ Rest assured, strategist.” the young technician master Kamo bowed loyally and set off with his team backstage.

Rang fanned himself with his spare feathered fan to catch his breath, but just before his flapping fan had swung a second time, his microphone rang once more heralding grave urgency.

“ Rang !! Grave tidings !!”

shouted the muffled voice from the other side, distorted by the countless rustling and clinging noises at the back.

Rang quickly recognized the voice and replied as soon as he could

“ Mustangoo the First Aid !! What ails thee !!??”

“ ….Arashi !!!!”

Roy Mustangoo, first ally of the Lord Awesome Toshiumi and chief of all regiments of the Golden Company, viceroy of the Golden Host shouted back through the chaotic rumbles and clashes from where he spoke

“ Arashi had escaped with his explosives !! Bringing in legions of League proprietors from the underground path !!!! They are swarming in from our bases like ants on honey toast !!!”

“ Gods be Good, that Arashi escaped !!”

Rang face palmed with much regret

“ Should have shot him with my remote fan when the chance is due !”

“ It’s still under control, Strategist.”

came the calm, contained chief of the elite black guard Akiyama, placing an assuring hand on Rang’s shoulder as his squad of advanced black armored kings guards approached their lead

“ We’ll smoke Arashi out of the shadows and finish him under the light.”

Rang nodded slowly, but his frown indicated a different approach.

“ That is swell, but what if…” Rang whispered to Akiyama and his squad a few words before the Black Squadron all bowed in understanding unison before they dispersed to the shadows.

“ Rang !!”

It was Mustangoo’s voice again from Rang’s main microphone

“ The League troops are outnumbering us…Rang, I need permission to temporarily leave my post.”

Rang stopped short for his brain to calculate Mustangoo’s grave words and the situation of the invasion quickly.

“ …Are you planning to charge into the League headquarters…Mustangoo ?!”

Rang asked, daunted by such an impossible mission, but if it is to stop the whole League squadrons from swarming from below, it might be worth the try.

Being the first and closest ally to the Awesome Toshiumi, working up from a small sidekick up to the right-hand man of the Golden Company, with nothing but loyalty and daring exploits, Roy Mustangoo is the man that is willing and able to perform such a feat, even if that feat might cost his hero life, Roy will not waste the time to even hesitate.

“ May the Awesome Strike Force be with you, Mustangoo.”

Rang finally gave in and passed his judgment with a sad smile

“ Do not forget to return when the battle is done, Roy.”

Roy Mustangoo smiled back to his side of the microphone and turned to his brave squad of the best swordsmen in the Company

“ Blades of Aureliad !! Here We write our Epics, with chivalry and blood !!! That shall be sung to eons beyond !! TO ME !!!!!!!!!”

“ HOAH !!!!!!”

roared the epic swordsmen squad as they charged to Roy Mustangoo’s cry, piercing through the League ranks like an unstoppable bullet that soared all the way down the underground passage, heading straight towards the far away Illuminatus headquarters without delay.

…

………

“ Things nearly got out of hand…”

traitor of state, obscene seeker of milf, and defier of the pure, Arashi, having escaped from Rang’s strategic grasp just in time with his last remaining ammunitions and bombs now hid in the obscure shadows under the slenting palace of gold, waiting for the right time to resurface to light, to bask under the blissful warm light of generosity from lady Mio the fare.

His want and risk for such forbidden love have brought him here, a distance too far to turn back, a path too forgone to repent.

Arashi has only one way out, and that is onward, gambling his life on the thread for the grand prize.

Lurking like a serpent in the gutters, Arashi progressed with high vigilance through the island up towards the palace floors, for this whole establishment he knew all too well as the former guard of her ladyship, which seemed like nothing but a long-lost dream from now.

…

…………

Gazing still from the wide balcony, grasping the railing tightly with one hand, while the other close to her robe pouch,

Mio there stood, so intensely focused on her awesome husband and love Toshiumi and her wrathful brother and League Master Kaburagi Shisei’s unrelenting sea-parting clash to the death that Haru, standing next to her ladyship, feared that Mio might forget to breathe.

Haru has heard of the tale from Rang before, of how this Kaburagi Shisei, once prince of Kaminosato and older brother of Mio, brought scourge and malice over his sister and Toshiumi’s life.

Surely, seeing two of the most important figures of her life, aiming at each other’s throats and destroying their mutual adversaries would bring such heart wrench and disparity to Mio’s saddened mentality.

Haru thought hard for words and ways to bring comfort and ease Mio’s grave apprehension, as Mio did for her during her days on the island.

That was when Haru notice a palm-sized object being clenched firmly in Mio’s one hand, in a nearly crushing grasp.

Softly, Haru took that hand curled in anxious spasms and held it warmly in hers.

“ Lord Toshiumi will make it.”

Haru whispered firmly to Mio, who seemed to be pulled out of a deepening nightmare

“ Everything’s gonna be alright.”

To Mio’s understanding, Haru was a guest, a special person that carries the one potential gateway to the blessed Herunia who Toshiumi saved and brought onto the island. And it was Toshiumi’s plan to utilize the Seed inside this high school girl to cure her evergrowing curse.

Yet, deep down, Mio already suspected that even the Seed and its secrets of Herunia cannot resolve this curse.

For it was, a secret of its own rite.

“ …you are right, Haru.”

Mio finally spoke after a long tense period of silence

“ The Seed can’t cure my curse. It has no reason to, nor the power to govern of its origin and finality.”

And Mio looked straight into Haru’s perplexed stare and whispered with a smile that seals the deep abysmal sadness behind

“ …After all…There was never a curse, to begin with.”

…

………..

It was already there, inside of her, from the moment she was born.

The village elders have compared it to many that resembled historical documents or legendary myths, of ancient beings that harbor power that never ceases to grow and eventually, implode, ever ending in catastrophic tragedy.

The Gyouma, the elders culminated from many sources this rare ailment in one word from their wisdom.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

And Mio was so believed to be one of those kinds that possessed evergrowing energy that knows no limits.

This secret was well kept within the Kaburagi household and per the traditions of the house, of which only the male descendants are worthy of lead, Mio’s father never gave his handicapped daughter much thought and passed all his teachings and legacy down to her older brother Kaburagi Sukuru.

Mio never minded much of the downsides of their tradition, and lived her life simple, accompanying her mother on menial affairs and helping out the maids in their arduous chores.

Even the illness the village elders warned never seemed to bother her much save for some nightmares and headaches at an early age which subsided when her mother had made her a bracelet of rune stones as a birthday present a month before her mother’s passing.

It was that blessed ornament that her mother fused with her own power that somehow decelerate the growth of her condition.

But Mio didn’t find out the truth of the bracelet until some years after one day, when Mio was up in the small hills, gathering rare herbs alone.

A foreign rustling did young Mio hear as she quickly spun around, to see not a beast or sex predator, but a boy slightly older and much taller than her, robed in simple training outfits with a wooden katana in hand, scratching those messy pitch black hair with the other, coming out from the hidden path leisurely as he stared at Mio like she was the trespasser.

“ Hey, no one’s supposed to be around this part of the hill !”

the older boy bossily exclaimed, ushering Mio to leave.

“ …I am sorry…But…” Mio timidly tried to find her words

“ ….Aren’t all hills of Kaminosato free real estate… like the grown-ups said…?”

young Mio reasoned, using a term that only the grown-ups would normally use.

“ Sure, free real estate, even for the man-eating wolf that is !”

the black-haired boy mockingly replied with a sighing shrug

“ Don’t say I didn’t warn you !”

as the boy turned around and made his leave.

What ? man-eating wolves ?! In the mountains ?!

“ Wa…Wait !” Mio cried out to the boy as she quickly followed his lead down the mountain path

“ There were no wolves before…! You… can’t be serious… !”

Though Mio so accused, she still wouldn’t take the risk of staying with an imaginative beast in the woods alone until she gets a satisfying explanation.

“ A Seraphim never lies.”

the boy spoke sternly, fixing his serious gaze on Mio as they paused in the middle of the mountain path

“ I say there is a wolf, because my men saw it and were attacked by it. I am here to Kill that wolf.”

“...because he bit your people…?” Mio asked innocently, her voice lowered in volume, cowed by the sheer aura this boy so emits through his…Awesome presence.

“ Yes.” this Seraphim boy affirmed with much confidence

“ And I’ll make it bite no more.”

So Mio followed the boy down the grassy mountain path as the skies dimmed behind their backs and the stars started to glow above their heads.

They reached the main road when the skies turned into a black veil emblazoned with numerous crystals of starlight that glowed along the path to their homes.

“ …Thank you for your warning.” Mio bowed with utmost courtesy to the older boy before she headed home

“ I…I am Mio of house Kaburagi by the way. And you are…?”

“ I am Toshiumi, firstborn of Seraphim, Brave of this mount and savior of this part of town.”

Introduced our awesome boy, still young and inexperienced, yet still, he got the spirit

“ Wait, Kaburagi ??”

“ Yes...” Mio nodded nervously, wondering why the boy was gazing at her strangely

“ …Is it something wrong that I said…?”

“ I thought the Kaburagis have only a son.” young Toshiumi answered after a short pause, for he chose not to lie about what he thought was true

“ No one’s ever mentioned a girl…”

And Toshiumi suddenly had a shocking revelation

“ Can it be…you are the son…?!?!”

“ I am a girl.” Mio snapped, however, feeling very misunderstood

“ And… perhaps that’s how my father tells everyone else in Kaminosato.”

A non-existing child.

And without a goodbye, Mio turned and headed home solemnly.

“ Mio of house Kaburagi !!!”

Mio halted her steps at Toshumi’s sudden call, echoing across the starlit fields

“ I know you now! And you’ll be the first to witness Gilga’s head on my platter, you just wait !!” young Toshiumi laughed as he had already killed the wolf.

“...what’s a Gilga ?” Mio half-shouted back at him in question.

To which Toshiumi rolled his eyes and shouted back

“ It’s the man-eating wolf! I named it !!”

“ …Sounds Weird !!” Mio shouted again from her distance.

“ You are weird !!” Toshiumi shouted, and with that, the boy with the wooden katana was off like the spring night breeze, vanishing into the dark mount.

“ He’s weird.” Mio whispered to herself.

But she didn’t dislike it one bit.

It was just before bedtime when the Kaburagi house was notified by three loud knocks at the front gates.

Mio was sent to answer the door and saw a butler in ninja attire kneeling before the Kaburagi doorstep.

“ My grave apologies to disturb at such an hour, but I must send word on behalf of my Master..!” the Ninja butler spoke in haste and distraught

“ It’s a matter of utmost import, concerning the welfare of the House of Seraphim !! Our Young Master Toshiumi has gone missing, and I beseech you to send word to your masters to assist–hello ?! Where are you going ?! Young Miss ?!?!”

The ninja butler shouted but Mio was on her way, dashing towards the mount as fast as her bare feet could take her.

The seven-stoned bracelet jingled as she took each wide step.

The Seraphim members were already flooding the small mount with torches and echoing shouts of the one name Mio knew belonged to the weird boy she just met earlier that night.

To escape the eyes of the Seraphims and also look for Toshiumi, Mio headed down the shaded path that the searchers haven’t yet reached, where there was a river bank at the very bottom of the mountain valley, and as soon as Mio reached the river, she heard a deep growl rumbled as a large shadow stomped out into the moonlight a few yards away from her, revealing its long hunched fur straightened back like spikes erected, limbs that bulged in muscular silhouette, and two red beady eyes staring straight into Mio’s light heart, petrifying her on the spot with just its looming presence.

Mio could hear the carved rune stones creaking on her wrist, even when she tensed each strain of muscle she could, the constant trembling that refused to cease.

Gilga the dire wolf made one more growl as it finally made its move, prancing faster and faster towards Mio as she quickly tried to recollect her numbed feet, raising both arms to her face, when suddenly, aside from the wolf’s growl,

Someone else was shouting, descending from above as a new shadow landed between Mio and the wolf, a loud smack of wood clashing onto hardened bone sounded across the shallow river bank.

Under the moonlight did Mio see, the fiery aura that surged over this young boy’s flaming silhouette, with a wooden katana on fire he held with both hands pointing its tip at the shocked wolf Gilga.

Toshiumi Al Seraphim, firstborn of his house has reemerged and now faces Gilga the wolf king, like two sworn enemies that have already rooted their adversary back in their past lives.

With a roar Gilga burst forth, jaws ajar while Toshiumi hacked his burning wooden blade, aiming at the rabid canine’s eye! But Gilga with its robust paw slapped the katana out of Toshiumi’s grasp and biting the boy’s robe Gilga swung Toshiumi off into the air, before slamming onto the side of the valley, bones broken and joints sprang.

Gilga laughed and jumped onto Toshiumi’s wounded body to start a feast when suddenly the wolf realized it couldn’t touch land with its paws, for Gilga was now held up by the back as if grabbed in the air by what seemed like invisible hands, threw the wolf king onto the opposite side of the riverbank.

The wolf King quickly recollected itself up to its feet and saw Mio, both hands raised, facing the wolf also like they have an uncut bond from their past life that needs to be severed once and for all.

Gilga understood through its beastly instincts and dashed forth at Mio at full speed and was upon her in but a blink of an eye !!!!

But then it so happened, as wounded Toshiumi witnessed,

of how the Kaburagi girl with just her bare hands didn’t even need to touch the dire wolf,

ripped the animal into two halves through sheer invisible might.

Toshiumi heard aside from the bursting of organs and breaking of bones, a loud chiming crash as if those of solid metal breaking apart and before he knew what it was, a hard pebble hit him right on the forehead, bouncing off and landing on his ripped robes.

Toshiumi picked up the small rock that hit him and saw on the pebble, a white rune was carved deep onto its surface.

Staggering back up, Toshiumi came to the dazed Mio who knelt amongst the blood and gory remains of Gilga wolf king at the crimson river bank and offered the girl a hand.

“ …You alright ?”

But Mio didn’t answer, but just stared beyond, her gaze focused at something afar that was not on the same reality plane as they now reside.

“ Hey…! Hello ?! Hello….. !!! Mio! MIO !!!!!!”

Toshiumi shook the tranced girl back to her senses as Mio gave a jolt, looking up at him like she had just waken from deep slumber.

“ …What have I done…?” Mio asked, terrified at the aftermath of her own unrealizing actions

“...What did I do….?!”

“ You saved my life.” Toshiumi spoke sternly, resting his wounded frame down to sit next to Mio

“ And I am forever in your debt. Mio Kaburagi, thank you for saving my life.”

Mio looked back at the firm accountable eyes of this boy, of a gaze no one in this world had ever given her with much attention, such a sincere stare that Mio thought she could gaze upon all day.

“ By the way, I think you dropped this.” Toshiumi then handed Mio a piece of one of the seven rocks sown to her bracelet,

the very bracelet from her mother.

Mio’s heart lost a beat as she stared down at her naked wrist, the golden chain now loosened and slid down, falling onto the wet grass.

That was when Mio started to cry.

For half a year Mio was grounded within the Kaburagi walls, inhibited to leave her quarters and meet with anyone save for her maid friends that were ordered to not talk to her in plain sight.

It was during this time did Mio realize the importance of her mother’s gift that helped her ease her constant headaches and strange uncontrollable happenings around her.

One time her desk broke in half when she tried to sit down and read a light novel; and the other night when she turned around in bed, her glass windows shattered.

It was unnerving incidents like these that scared the maids of the Kaburagi household, eventually leading to the rumors to eventually surface over the whole of Kaminosato.

Rumors that dug deep into Mio’s darkening self-guilt, murmurs that made her believe she is the cause of all that runs ill not just in the Kaburagi house, but also the whole Kaminosato realm.

Everything dreadful and disappointing was soon drawn equal to Mio’s existence by sharp whispers to which even Mio could hold no more doubt but believe the painful truth that it was because of her that her mother died.

It was her very existence that killed her mother.

By the time her grounding was ended, Mio could sense the whole world keeping an apparent distance away from her everywhere she goes, eventually pushing her up to the mount where everything started.

There Mio sat, watching the herbs she would pick in the past for the kitchen maids who never will receive anything from her ever again.

But why bother?

Mio thought to herself dismally,

It’s not like anyone had seen her as a living being before.

At least now they are keeping their distance themselves to save her from trouble.

Mio sighed as she lay on the warm dried leaves of autumn noon, looking at the poisonous mushroom just a grasp away.

Should I eat that mushroom and put an end to all this farce? An end to the constant headaches and pain inside her body?

Maybe if I…..

“ You aren’t going to eat that, are you ?”

Mio raised her head up slightly askew as there stood a tall shadow, this time not in white flimsy training robes, but of gold dazzling formal uniform that blinded Mio’s sight the first time she set her eyes upon.

Mio quickly rose to her feet, brushing the dried leaves off her kimono, looking once again at the golden dazzling person, and her jaws dropped.

“ Yo.”

young Toshiumi greeted her with much cool, slightly taller than the last time they met

“ How’ve you been ?”

Without even a word, Mio instantly decided to leave, turning away into a small jog in her wooden slippers.

“ Hey ! Wait up !”

Mio heard the boy shout out to her but she fastened her steps even more, for she feared,

She feared that if she stayed one more second before this boy’s presence, she might hurt someone without knowing,

like everything, everyone around her,

like how she killed Gilga the wolf. May the wolf king rest in peace.

And her mother…..!!

“ Mio !! WAIT !!”

Yet despite her strong refusal, Toshiumi still made his way and grasped Mio by the hand, holding her close for the first time.

“ Mio, listen, I have to–”

“ Let me go…Please…”

With such a cold different whisper, even Toshiumi’s young awesome flame was extinguished entirely and his hand let go.

“ I am sorry.”

Toshiumi spoke at length

“ But…before you leave, I wish you could take this with you.”

And Mio gazed down into the boy’s raised palm,

her long-lost bracelet of old, of her mother’s blessing,

reforged with the runes carved stoned sown and intact before her eyes.

Tears made their way out of Mio’s eyes before she could stop them and she let them go freely, streaming down her red-hot cheeks, as Toshiumi gently helped Mio wrap her newly reforged bracelet around her wrist,

the small pebbles once again jiggling upon her wrist.

But something differed in this new bracelet from what it was before its shattering.

Mio looked closely and soon realized,

One rock was missing.

“ …I know this is very dear to you, and I am willing to take full responsibility. “

Toshiumi spoke with a sincere but heavy heart

“ And…the last rock, I will keep on searching, nonstop from this moment onward to my last day—”

“ It’s alright.” Mio’s chuckle stopped Toshiumi mid-sentence

“ It’s lighter now. Don’t you think ?”

…

………

Indeed, it suits you, as beautifully as the first day we met,

Toshiumi would have so replied, if he wasn’t clashing for life against the one amalgamation of sheer hate and pure malice that is Kaburagi Shisei, flying around like a vengeful ghost shooting demonic death beams and laser blades at the Awesome Lord all at once.

And parrying all that came no matter how many or big a swarm, Toshiumi relentlessly deflected them all and caught just in time the defining clash that was Shisei himself swooping down like a blade-sown raven pecking down with those sharp penetrating punches like a beak that thrust twenty times a second on Toshiumi’s head, on to hit the sharp edges of Kouzuki’s fiery blade the hovered like a mirage over the golden Exian Lord’s skilled presence.

“ You are never going to win, Sukuru.”

Toshiumi spoke in his ever-unwavering tone of supremacy and judgment

“ My blade will not stop until it severs the ties between you, and Mio !!!!”

“ Then to eternity, you shall toil, Churl !!” Kaburagi Shisei cackled madly, spinning like a maximum drill that penetrates all things but Toshiumi

“ You will never slice this shadow I have cast upon her! I will forever be the shade in her eyes, the fear in her dark, the guilt of her past, present, and future !! You have nothing to protect her from! For I AM HER ABSOLUTE !!!!”

“ AND I AM YOUR VANQUISHER, KABURAGI SUKURU !!!!”

Come all you can, Toshiumi!

Kaburagi Shisei crooned under his wrathful cry as he took a blow through his shoulder that burned his bones and flesh before they regenerated under his new League blessings,

For here I am, tormenting you to the end of time,

as you did to ME !!

His strife was borderless with the thought of this Toshiumi huddling his sister any moment behind his back.

She is a Kaburagi, she has been branded with the name since birth! She can’t just leave with all that power the Kaburagi household granted to her…She should stay, with ME!

…

…….

That was what young Kaburagi Sukuru bore in mind as he paid audience to his injured sick father in his cold chambers of pale silver loomed with white velvet cloth swaying like weeping willows at two sides from where he knelt before his father’s bed.

“ Lord Father, I have an offer considering the tourney that is about to commence two days after.”

Sukuru announced with his face in shadow, peering at the cold reflecting ceramic floor.

“ Speak.” his father croaked in painful agony,

“ I beseech that you permit I bring an ally into the tournament of prominence with your formal say, lord father.”

“ Who do you want ?” his father snapped impatiently.

“...Mio. I need her.” Sukuru replied coldly at length, to which his father winced.

“ Is that girl from the Shiranui house not good enough ?” his father questioned with much doubt of Sukuru’s decision.

Kirika…Sukuru thought for a short second before putting his loyal assistant out of his way of thought

“ Kirika Shiranui will be assisting with the elder judges and tourney proceedings, lord father. She is unavailable.”

“ But your sister…is a dastardly charm, Sukuru…” His father warned crucially

“ She may move mountains, only to drop the dirt and crush those around her. She has brought too much shame and damage to the Kaburagi name–”

“ I have strategies that will certainly win, father !”

Sukuru cried out in vehement announcement at once

“ I shall bring glory and permanent victory to this house…If father could entrust his decisions to me, I shall win, not lose !!!”

Lord Kaburagi hummed in thought and grunted soon after with a distasteful wave

“ Do, then talk.”

His father ordered, and between his words, he has given permission for Sukuru to unravel his plans, to use Mio, to smite Toshiumi Al Seraphim in power, and mentality.

…

……..

Like how he envisioned to do on this island, this love nest Toshiumi has foolishly built only for him to tear down with ferocious might.

Soon, Kaburagi Shisei the League Master planned as he tossed two razor beam blades at Toshiumi’s flight across the uneven tides

The League armies shall swarm your dingy villa and cheap thrills, and burn down everything you accomplish here!

“ Land ho !!”

The League fleet crashed onto shore as the armies alighted and pressed on accordingly in numbers and might up the island in hot pursuit.

“ There are two ways up the palace mount !”

Austria Van Hillingdale hollered to the League arrays ready under his commanding pedestal

“ South and West gateways !! Push forth with the mobile walkers at the lead! Bomb the walls and stall their men As long as you can !”

As the League mobile walking giants began to charge, the cannon turrets above the Seraphim gates emerged and began to fire, scattering fire over the enemies yet the mobile walkers proved to be fireproof !!

“ Ha, fiery fools. Thinking the whole world is afraid of their flame.” Austria taunted as his leading regiments pushed closer and closer to the inner gates with vigorous advance

“ Rigid minds! Pompous games! Let me show you how Real strategists do their job !!”

And as the League mobile walkers approached the gates, they huddled together into one huge united mobile armor with one combined cannon launched onto their backs, and with four times the power that blasted the gates open !! With that one amalgamated boom !!

“ CHARGE !!” Austria laughed at his successful mobile designs as his armies charge in the inner passageways that lead up to the outer castle grounds, to a steep wide boulevard that led slightly upward straight up to what Austria saw through his virtual telescope,

were huge round boulders twice the size of his mobile walkers rolling down at them like bursting mad bulls made of stone !!

“ SHIELDS !!!” Austria shouted as the boulders and mobile walkers crashed into one ball of smoke and flame, throwing the League armies back by their own backfired scheme!

Rang nodded calmly far away at his wide balcony, seeing the smoke of the explosion erupt in the shape of a black mushroom.

The boulevards behind the inner gates were straight and sloped upward in slight but apparent angles. cutting to 90-degree turns every fifty meters, where each different assault could be placed at the corners that the enemy can't discern, accompanied with the cannon turrets that rain down hot beam bullets on both sides of the tall metal curtain walls, forming a thin zigzagging bailey of death to those that dare intrude.

“ Onward !!” Austria commanded without reprieve

“ Our vessels outnumber their cheeky tactics! Raise the shields and pressure them !”

The League arrays raised their energy emitting shields like glass of vibrating films of sizzling miasma as the intruders marched forth, guarding the offense legion in the middle that shot back at the golden cannons that rained bullets continuously above.

“ Report ! The League has entered the second bailey !” the golden herald announced.

“ Their advance in technologies may as well be their lack in strategy.” Rang surmised the situation and raised his feathered fan to the East

“ They may have mecha and guns, but we too have the wind and nature as our finest weapons! Send my order to sir Hidaka! The time is nigh !”

Hurriedly the herald rushed to Golden officer Hidaka’s regiments behind the gateway walls and whispered Rang’s orders in urgent haste.

With a nod and a wave to his men, Hidaka ordered his team to load ash bombs into their cannons and send them flying onto the League mechas, covering the whole bailey in dark dusty smog! Hindering the League armies’ vision entirely

“ What is this ?? Activate heat vision !” Austria ordered from his iron chariot pulled by two machine battle giraffes, putting on his mask and waving off the dust with his black feathered fan indignantly.

Austria looked around the castle clearing his armies now situated wondering how this dust smog have been lingering longer than usual and saw that his troops have stopped marching but were stuck in their tracks bewildered.

“ What’s the holdup?! Can’t your heat vision see ?!” Austria barked impatiently to the lead general who struggled to find the words to reply.

“ But Strategist…” the general whispered in shaking stammer

“ There is no way out…!”

Austria snatched the general’s telescopic gear and looked far at the front, to see beyond the dust and smoke, were but walls sealing all sides!

Austria turned his back, to see more walls blocking his previous path from whence he came !!

Quickly like vice Austria tear off his face mask and inhaled the smoky air, and recognized too late what the hovering substance all around them was.

Gun powder.

And the only reason for the powdered smog to linger for so long, is the east wind, which blows into their clearing through the unique constructs but prevents the air from getting out !!!

Austria nearly fainted off his chariot at his epical misjudgment and could but hiss in coarse distraught

“ Re...Retreat….!!! RETREAT TO THE SKIES, NOW !!!!!”

But before the mobile walkers could ascend and escape to the skies,

Rang, with a great bow in one hand, and an arrow with its tip on fire in the other, aimed at the second bailey where the League armies were stranded and let go of his bowstring, sending the flaming arrow straight at Austria’s iron giraffe chariot !!

And from where Rang stood, one can clearly see another black mushroom smoke rise up under the pool of flame that engulfed the second bailey of the Aurora castle, enveloping half of the League armies that failed to react before the disaster.

“ Does Toshiumi know you are bombing his castle like this ?” Agnes his wife asked cautiously to make sure.

“ He’ll allow it, as long as I keep the League out of his palace.” Rang replied sheepishly with the quick fanning of his feathered fan.

“ Fair point.” Agnes nodded in confirmation.

“ Report !!!!!!”

Rang and Agnes both turned to the golden herald that arrived right after the second explosion

“ Air fleets !! Airships in hundreds !!! Coming from the west !! Arriving in half an hour’s distance !!!”

Haru and Mio both gasped at the news from their side of the balcony, but Rang nodded still as composed as before the battle started as he had already anticipated another army to suddenly appear in the skies.

“ It would be wise to attack in three dimensions, from the surface, from under, and from the skies.”

Rang surmised the situation in his computing genius brain

“ This Austria has sent troops into the castle grounds; Arashi the traitor has opened a hole underground, so obviously, the airships coming are from……”

Akahanon Zabi !!!!

Flying through interstate travel with the League three hundred airship fleet, dashing from capitol Tron without rest and delay all the way to Aurora island in the north to answer his nerd and strategist Austria’s call of assistance.

“ You Savior !!! Is Here !!!” Akahanon Zabi announced his fleet’s commencing arrival through the loudspeaker to Austria, who made out alive fortunately on a mecha giraffe’s back.

“ Do not be fooled by his shady tactics, Zabi !!”

Austria warned through his microphone to Akahanon Zabi as he returned to his camp, covered in bandages and lying on a stretcher

“ Do not engage in close combat! Fire missiles and laser beams from afar to break the palace! I’ll find another way to invade the palace with my remaining men !”

“ Yeah, yeah ! I’ll know how to command !”

Akahanon Zabi waved his strategist off the call as he pointed onward, sailing through with all the airship combined into an iron veil horizontally stretched across the sky, rather too close to the island than what Austria warned.

But Akahanon Zabi is not the only newcomer that is flying straight at Aurora with a thick sense of vengeance.

Lo !! King Varche of the Red Exia Rune, breaking free from his two loyal clansmen’s chains and Prince Edmund Keiken and Tricia’s spell, now flew in his Terminas Iron Giant mecha tech combined ultra Oochu Goten top hierarchy monarch machine Maxima Ultimatum Buster Kaboomer Smash Trash Bash Cash Almighty Sky high Alternator Slayer Lord of bazinga Exian Rune King Emperor Varche Scrirocco Za Revenjaja form !!!

Zooming in hyper jet speed across the nine heavens, ready to snatch the Seed from Toshiumi once and for all

…

…………

Toshiumi heard aside from the raging waves and the tempest that battered his ears, the roaring engines of hundreds of airships hovering high above him, heading straight at the main Aurora palace.

Kaburagi Shisei heard them too, like the chorus of his victory, the thrumming of the drums as in heralding of the commencing Tournament of Prominence.

The one defining moment of his life,

of Young Kaburagi Sukuru’s rise to Kaminosato Prime hood, as his fate so writes among the stars.

His promise to his father, to his stalwart ancestors that look upon him with reverent pride, of a brave legacy of Kaburagi, a proud future that surpasses time.

It should have been so,

With Mio by his side.

Mio….

Had she not betrayed……!!!

" You are aware of Father's decree, are you not ?" young master Kaburagi Sukuru, donned in sleek crystalline pale armor of the Kaminosato battling rituals, spoke coldly to his sister, who stood hesitantly behind him in his preparing tent before the tourney.

“ Why haven't you donned your armor ?"

"......I forfeit. Lord Brother…..”

Mio so replied, in stammer yet firm did her eyes stare upon this shocked young master of the house.

“ You… Dare ?!?!??"

Sukuru breathed with nothing but malice in his hissing whisper.

Yet to more of his surprise, His sister wasn't finished yet.

…

………….

“ See this fleet, Toshiumi ?" Kaburagi Shisei asked, his eyes on the hundred iron blades pointing at the Aurora palace

“ The flags… the banners... It reminds me… of the tournament…”

Toshiumi's cool diminished as the air around the golden lord started to sizzle in heat and steam,

all because of that word,

that memory.

…

…………..

“t...That is not why I am here…. Lord Brother....!!"

“ Then Why are you here ?!?!"

Sukuru barked at Mio’s face. Watching his sister wince under his dominating holler, always brings his heart a soaring sensation, double beating with a surge of excitement.

Terrified still, Mio’s unrelenting spirit urged her forth to speak the cause of her coming.

“ …...I have decided… to marry…. Lord Brother……to the Seraphim house, after the tournament…..tomorrow.”

…………Tomorrow !!

Sukuru has not heard of such bullshit from his sister before in his entire life.

…

……….

“ So innocent… so pure of heart when she came to my tent. Right before the tournament started…"

" Silence !!" Toshiumi demanded with a light-speed slash, only to clash against Shisei’s demonic air blade.

“ She didn't come to join me. She didn't ask for forgiveness for her insolence….”

“ Sukuru….!!!!" Toshiumi warned but the League Master crooned still.

“ She came to me...Asking for my consent… My Blessings !!!!"

…

………..

“ I…ask not much, Lord Brother…” Mio begged with her hands clasped together, sweating profusely

“ Please…. only for your consent…. and… and…..”

And before she could finish her requests,

Young master Sukuru forced his body forth, with both hands slamming Mio down to the rough carpet floor.

You are Mine.

Was all Sukuru requests.

…

………..

“ Surely someone of her intelligence would know the proper attitude to ask for consent ！！“

Kaburagi Shisei laughed in insane reasoning at Toshumi’s fuming face

“ She asked something from me… And I fairly asked for Mine ！！！！“

“ SILENCE ！！！！！！“

“ NO TOSHIUMI !!!!!! MIO IS MINE !!!!!!!”

Mine !

…

………..

“ ...Mio…？“

She heard not Haru’s call.

She heard not the explosions, nor the gunshots at the castle gates.

Only her brother's forgone cry,

echoing like ten sharp bells clinging with no uniform whatsoever maliciously in her ear.

Haru knew something was wrong before it happened, rushing her arms just in time to Mio’s sides, supporting her ladyship from sudden collapse, for Haru could clearly hear Mio’s miserable gasps for air, almost as clear as the high winds howling.

" No……"

Haru could hear Mio's stressful gasp, but no matter how hard Haru shouted and tried, Mio was consumed in the abysmal depth, falling,

…

……..

falling, back to the lands she called home,

back to Kaminosato, where the festivities have begun, the meeting adjourned,

and the tournament of prominence commencing any moment.

She was back, within the contestant tent of side Kaburagi, from the sigil of a silver birch tree hanging on the ceiling that she now faces, her back on the rough carpeted floor.

No…..

Mio refused, like how she forced herself all these years, to drown this moment, this very moment, with random thoughts, anything, anything she could come up to her head only to stop the memories of this very day from flooding in.

But the more she pushed them away, the more violent they burst in like a mighty stream, forcing her eyes back onto the dim flickering lights, the vague sigils sown on the outer surface of the tent cloth, and the looming shadow that slowly, firmly pressed her down under the hopeless crushing weight.

The sweat dripping down from above,

from her brother's deranged obscene face that loomed over her,

the hot dews like acid burned her every sense that succumbed under the inescapable dread.

It was like her last reflexes fighting to free themselves from the irresistible confinements of agony through vehement spasms, only for the rest of her sinking conscious to drag herself down to a self-accepting demise, under the unexpected ultimate torment in the unrecognizable demon form

of her brother.

Mio wished she were dead.

Then suddenly, a sharp piercing scream tore the darkness that shrouded Mio’s sight.

It was a maid, entering the tent to announce the tournament proceedings, only to witness the appalling scene unacceptable to mankind, letting out a mortified scream that unknowingly saved Mio's life.

At that moment, light dawned down once more upon Mio's half-naked self, the atmosphere like solidifying cement shattered to soaring gales that pushed her up to an intuitive flight as Mio without hesitance, rushed towards the niche of light between the flowing tent cloth, gripping her torn garbs as she ran,

and ran,

and ran,

never turning back, just running, to wherever her trembling numb feet could take her.

It was until she yielded to gravity did she find herself collapsed into Toshiumi's securing embrace, under the soothing golden lamplights while surrounded by medics and servants, tending her physical wounds and assuring her with soft comforting voices of care to calm her senses.

Only at that moment, did the tears start to fall.

…

………

Haru gently wiped them tears off Mio’s cheek with her handkerchief.

Of all that has haunted her ladyship of the golden company so, Haru elt them too. In a split second, seeing them in flashes through an interconnected vision of the powers’ astro origins that travel multidimensionally, sharing with Haru the jarring memories via this flashback attack.

But the terror soon transposed into an erupting pain, for Mio’s eyes shut tightly, giving out a toneless excruciating cry as all the others atop that wide palace balcony witnessed a glimpse of the true colors that has been sealed inside Mio’s body ever since the day she was born.

Transparent formless energy like liquid glass, engulfing dust of a million dark corrupting sparkles small and large, like a shapeless cosmos of blackholes that swirled around Mio’s fainting frail frame, pushing Haru and everyone back in myriads of brutal energy surges.

“ Haru, stay back !!” Rang the strategist and his wife Agnes quickly sprang to action as Akiyama and his black elite legion spread out their arrays surrounding Mio, shielding Haru and the strategist couple away from the unseen horror creeping out of her ladyship’s wake.

“ It is the curse…” Rang uttered in marvel and horror

“ …The Gyouma of Kaminosato is rising !”

Haru wished she could help even with a fraction of her Seed powers, but this primeval force with just its seamless aura validated even the Seed or Exia Rune’s influences as inferior.

It is something far sinister…close to Demon kind….

The Seed, Sora’s warnings echoed in Haru’s head, as she noticed something falling out of Mio’s robe pouch, rattling with solid light clanking as it bounced twice on the tiles balcony floor,

what seemed like a golden bracelet with six black stones sown across the chain.

…

………

“ Mio….!!!”

Arashi can no longer hide his apprehension towards his former lord’s lady and uttered overtly right under the balcony he hid, clinging with devices utilized in his times under Toshiumi’s secret service, now used against the golden Exian lord for sinful lusty greed.

With his keen eyes, he scanned the situation. thoroughly. The right of the balcony was empty, for all the elite guards were now shielding the Seed girl and the strategist from Mio’s outburst.

The best moment for his assault on secrecy is nearing, Arashi surmised confidently. He need just wait a little longer…

“ Mio...I am bringing you out of this misery !"

…

……….

Kaburagi Shisei sensed it far from the out shores and laughed gleefully, seeing his overpowering presence and radiating corrupting charm has awakened Mio’s ancient powers of Gyouma, for his use.

It hears me,

Kaburagi Shisei sneered at the growing transparent cosmos bursting wider and greater in the golden palace tiers.

It senses me,

It knows I am its bane.

Through the trauma and obscene crimes he inflicted upon Mio, Kaburagi Shisei sought to control this Gyouma force which he was very close to succeeding in such a feat.

A solid proof of the failures in his past being worthy each and every bit.

Now all I need….

Shisei’s head made a sudden left tilt askew, just before the piercing edge of flaming Kouzuki drove past, slicing his cheek, and leaving a streak of red across his pallid cheek.

…is Toshiumi dead !!!!!

With a lightning-speed twist of his waist, the League disciple swung a palm beam backward at Toshiumi’s drawn posture, striking his death beam onto the Golden Lord’s chest whole !!!!

Under rash actions and judgment, Tsohiumi had carelessly exposed his chest to the enemy !!!! And the consequences he shall immediately bear !!!!!

“ I Gatcha !!!!!" Kaburagi can’t believe his own luck. Clashing and brawling through superpowers for hours, for once he had struck a defining blow onto Toshiumi this cheeky bastard, and a killing blow in that regard.

“ This is my dark hand !! My Virtuoso Demon Palm !! And you have fallen victim under its justified malice !! Feel this grief, savor this defeat! Toshiumiiiiiiii !!!! For Now, Thou art Toast !!!!!!!”

And without wasting a second, Kaburagi Shisei blasted Toshiumi into the depth of the sea, calling upon all the hovering airships above with his League supremacy, and forced the airships all to rain down bombarding showers of missiles laser beams whatever artillery they can muster and toss them all down onto that one sinking spot where Toshiumi had fallen.

Down,

Down you go, Toshiumi, to where you deserve.

Looking up to me.

And waiting until Toshiumi’s sunlike presence had diminished entirely under the depth of the deep blue sea did Kaburagi Shisei focused on one strong leap towards the one last barrier, the Anti-Shisei shield that separated him from his sister, which Shisei began to tear the barriers with his bear hands and immense magical force, inching closer and closer to his glorious purpose.

…

……….

The golden bracelet.

Haru had seen that bracelet through the flashback attacks just seconds before and a gut instinct revealed a quick assumption of what that bracelet might mean.

“ Haru ?! Come back !!” Rang cried but evading through the small gaps between the elite guards, diving down under the thrashing Gyouma force like a tormented being in pain, writhing its indiscernible arms wildly over Haru’s quick determined glide towards the fallen bracelet on the floor, her hand reaching out!

Her fingers just an inch away!

Only for a greater more violent force to sweep them all away, tumbling Haru multiple yards away from the bracelet and throwing the black elite warriors off guard as Rang saw with unexpecting eyes, the Anti-Shisei barriers overlaying the island like a dome began to pulverize and evaporate from one specific point,

where League Master Kaburagi Shisei stood in the middle of the air,

hovering above all with crimson blood dripping down both hands.

Mio collapsed onto the balcony tiles, as the transparent energy heads of the Gyouma reared up ominously at Shisei’s arrival.

Finally….

Kaburagi Shisei smiled with utmost satisfaction

There in his bag of victory, with both the Seed and his overpowering sister, both prizes presented to him by Fate’s generous hands.

…Glory to Kaburagi, and its everlasting prosper….!!!!

…

……………

The missiles plunging into the sea,

The torpedoes erupting into balls of air and transient flame,

all around all awesome sinking Lord, wounded but not defeated,

listening to the explosion of all the efforts of the world that goes against his Awesomeness,

…

……..

Like the drums beating to the Grand opening of the Tournament of Prominence, with each pump the spectators follow in cheer and oration.

The flags and their sigils swaying high over their heads under the noon sun.

Six flags erected at the main pedestal behind where the elders sat, waiting for the contestants of the High Houses to be announced by the courier.

The Contestants too were waiting to show.

But Toshiumi wasn't waiting for the tournament to start.

He was waiting to be rid of The Kaburagi fiend once and for all,

For what he did,

to Mio.

He was about to slay Kaburagi Sukuru five minutes before the drums started to beat, right after he learned from Mio what he had done to her, marching towards the Kaburagi tent with his Katana unsheathed, disregarding everything his subjects and butler tried to reason him out of his impulse, to no avail.

It was until someone of a different house intervened that Toshiumi stopped in his murderous tracks.

“ Out of the way, Kagami.”

Toshiumi threatened the girl standing in his way just a fence away from the Kaburagi tents.

This girl, five and ten years of age as Toshiumi currently is, short trimmed reflecting black hair reaching to the back of her ears, black leather, and thin grayish red-hued armor that contrasted her pallid skin, tightly wrapping around her thin slender frame with a belt running obliquely down her unemphasized chest armor that traced up to an ornate bow as white as snow behind her back.

The Sigil of a crow soaring down to burning snow emblazoned on her shoulders, chest side, and belt.

Kagami, of house Yukimura, there stood, gazing morbidly at this young fuming boy on his path to commit vengeful genocide with her lazily maintained eyelids that slightly exposed the bleak red pupils that glistened like blood drops on the snow.

“ Your quest for instant vengeance is untimely placed, Toshiumi. ”

The Yukimura girl spoke in a quick faint whisper to the angered boy's ear

“ Have you forgotten why you are here? Merely five minutes away from actual bloodshed and now you draw your sword ?”

“ Do you have No Idea what he did to Mio ?!"

Toshiumi roared like a provoked lion.

“ That's more the reason you have to wait for the tourney to commence. Remember, Toshiumi. Whatever happens in the Tournament, stays in the tournament. Only the victor gets the final say.”

With words like sharp glaciers, extinguished the overgrown flame that clouded young Toshiumi’s judgment.

“ If so then I need your help. ”

Toshiumi sincerely asked for the rightful heir of the house Yukimura, house of the flaming snow's assistance.

For it is commonly known within Kaminosato that the Yukimuras inherited intelligence directly from the ancients, being the scholars of the realm instead of the combatants, and spectators of the happenings instead of the writers of history themselves.

“ Kagami, please.”

Yukimura Kagami eyed Toshiumi with slim portions of surprise added with filaments of amusement, considering his request with a thin lazy sneer.

“ …My crows will watch your back. ”

The girl sighed like the misty breeze of winter as a crow swooped above her and Toshiumi’s heads, when the drums of commencing began to play.

Toshiumi strapped his arm belts tighter one last time before the Elders call upon his name.

“ Contestant of house Seraphim, the Dawn! Step forward !” The courier hollered as Toshiumi revealed himself to the roaring cheers of the whole Kaminosato folk, confetti and gold sparks fluttering down as he entered the clearing. But his eyes see them not and came to the elders’ presence.

The courier continued

“ Contestant of house Yuusei, the Comet! Step forward!”

A relaxing chill dude of gray spikes hair as old as Toshiumi walked forth to the elders, stopping at Toshiumi’s left while embracing the wooing and roses from the young girls around them.

“ Contestant of house Yukimura, the Snowflame ! Step forward!”

Yukimura Kagami stepped out of her tent, her crow circling far above her away from the elder’s scrutiny. She eyes Toshiumi with a thin side gaze, to see the boy of gold was looking straight, eyes in grave shadow.

“ Contestant of house Kariya, the Blood fields! Step forward !”

A thin straggled figure, seemingly younger than Toshiumi, of green long pony-tailed haired like a long tail, approached the pedestal with a slightly crooked arched back that carried a huge vehicle-sized ornate lance, eyes wide and mad staring in both directions with each of his eyes, his long watery tongue licking his putrid lips like a bloodthirsty beast of a man. The girls of Kaminosato winced and groaned miserably at the monstrous contender’s appearances while the bros that knew him of his courage and berserk valiance cheered wholeheartedly.

And finally,

“ Contestant of house Kaburagi, The Royal Birch Tree! Step Foward !”

The whole stadium turned silent as the one Kaburagi Sukuru, donned in pale sleek armor under the prolonged white scarf that spiraled over his chest on both sides, his saber to his waist, and an odd auric atmosphere emanating out of his unnatural presence, even the elders sat up straight from their seats in wonder but cannot point out the evident problem of his altered existence.

No one said a word, even the courier was dumbstruck, either by the awkwardness of the recent travesty that had spread all over Kaminosato, appalling many and disgusting more, or the foreboding pressure the eyes of the Kaburagi contestant emits to all that beheld witness.

But the silence broke abruptly as a thin courageous cry shouted out the words

“ Glory To House Kaburagi !!!!!!!!"

All eyes turned to the one that gave out the encouraging cry, who was none other than the daughter of the subordinate house of Kaburagi, Shiranui Kirika, her face now crimson red yet determined and accountable to all the rippling murmurs around her.

Kaburagi Shisei didn't even glance in Kirika’s direction but still fixed his daunting gaze at the yonder void unseen to any.

Hastily, the courier continued his annonces

“ …So, before we start, let us give thanks to our first honorable sponsor of this grand tournament of prominence, current Director of the Illuminatus League and Head of the Royal Keiken Research team, sir ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ! ”

An affable figure in white long splendid robes waved to all amiably as the stadium was refilled with claps and exciting atmosphere.

This emissary of the League, looked closely at the contestants of the tournament, especially at Sukuru with great interest.

But Toshimi couldn’t care less about any sponsor right now.

The one thing he yearns most right now, is for the tournament to start,

for his slaying of Kaburagi Sukuru to commence.

It has been an age-long tradition for the Tournament of prominence to take place in the supernatural ancestral woods south of Kaminosato away from the sacred realm’s magical protection. Within these woods, all children of Akatsuki stand even before the same disadvantages of the obscure fog that loomed permanently through the seasons, and make their own advantages through the wits and cunning they utilize in this foreign forest.

And indeed, no matter what happens within these woods during the tournament, no action will be judged and those that reemerge from the shadowy sea of trees either surrender in terms of forfeit, or return as the sole victor.

Those that don’t return, however, are treated the same as common casualties, left behind to be one with nature and return to the cycle of blessed Herunia.

It is the elders’ job to lead the following candidates for the new prominence of Kaminosato to partake in this ritual battle of honor or death, to different parts of the misty woods in blindfolds, and then leave them to fate’s command.

As soon as the courier blew the sounding horn of combat,

Toshiumi ripped off his blindfold and dashed full speed, zigzagging across the woods searching one Kaburagi Sukuru with his furious senses, picking up all the information the woods could provide him of his mortal enemy’s location, from the rustling of the trees, to the murmurs of the low winds, to the moans of the far elk, all senses to the max for one purpose only.

Slay Kaburagi Sukuru.

As much as Toshiumi yearns to slay him, Kaburagi Sukuru himself craved the same. He too had sensed his own change in levels of power and extent of arts he himself could not imagine. Something had changed him after what he did to his traitor sister Mio, and he was glad he did it. He is partially formidable now, Sukuru believed, and with the rage of the Seraphim scoundrel which Sukuru could already smell ten miles away, he confidently affirmed that his victory is close at hand.

He needs to do it with style, and delight.

……..

Like now, floating at the balcony of Toshiumi’s love den, with his sister’s Gyouma powers now revealed to him, Kaburagi Shisei has obtained half of the victory of his wild campaign.

Shisei drew out his demonic sword and infused the devilish mystic force of the League onto his blade, ready to take the Seed and Mio with him.

……..

Cornering Toshium from behind, whose vision was blinded by rage, like a wolf after a hart, Sukuru infused his altered dastardly powers onto his blade and crouched for a sudden strike from behind, like a wolf after a hart, which is now !!

Now !!!

Sukuru zoomed !!!! The tip of the blade piercing towards Toshiumi’s throat !!!

…….

Now !!!!

Kaburagi Shisei dashed down to snatch Mio away before Rang or any of Akiyama’s elite black guards could stop him !!!!!

……

As Toshiumi’s frame enlarged faster and faster in his sight !!!!!

Something !!!

Suddenly !!!

An Arrow of white !!!! Out of nowhere !!!

like a shaft of thin light drawing past the rim of his eyes, brushing just inches away from his cornea, forcing Sukuru to halt to save himself !!!!!

……

But before his gripping fingers of vice could snatch Mio by the garb around her nape,

A Blue Light !!!!

All of a sudden !!!!!

Erupted right before Kaburagi Shisei’s presence, burning his exposed ravaged flesh with the cleansing powers of none other than the Seed !!!!!

Haru has risen at the last moment, forcing her Seed explosion right at Shisei’s face !!!!!

…….

Breaking his own zoom, Sukuru looked up in haste,

only to see the instant flash,

from the tip of the coming fiery blade !!!!!!

………

Dodging from the Seed force,

Shielding himself with his devilish infused blade, Shisei backend, only to hear one loud clear crispy

Snap.

Kaburagi Shisei was sure it was a snap of the fingers, but before he could discern what the snap meant, his ears were very soon occupied by sustaining explosions, one after another, thumping eruption echoing altogether in reverbing unease as Shisei looked around, to see his League airships,

blowing up in golden flames by themselves one by one !!!

Without any sound reason !!!!!!

And there his keen eyes see, on the shores of Aurora isle down below,

one hand raised in a position of a finished finger snapping,

Of one Toshiumi Al Seraphim, Exian Lord of Gold !!!!!!!

……..

Towards Sukuru’s face, the fiery blade dived,

held forth by none other than Toshiumi Al Seraphim, future prominence of Kaminosato !!!!!!!

………

Without caring to explain how he blew up the how Illuminatus League fleets with a single snap of his fingers,

Toshiumi the Lord of all that is golden burst up in golden sun-rising sparks,

speeding forth with Kouzuki raised !!!!!

piercing forth the tip of his trusty blade,

like how he did nearly ten years before !!!!!!!

And with one sound-breaking clash, Toshiumi sent this Shisei fiend up with all his dashing might, crashing together violently into the top section of the Aurora palace, the golden Tenshu, the highest prestigious tier of a Japanese-styled castle, as the two adversaries of the ages smashed across the tatami floor of the wide walless room,

to a stage fitting for a final showdown.

……

Risking his left arm Sukuru raised, letting Toshiumi’s blade run through even his pale armor, Kaburagi Sukuru evaded certain death as he in excruciating agony pulled back his punctured left arm to leap ten feet away to regain his posture for a second round !!

Toshiumi stanced himself, facing his enemy with his side, arms crossed before his face as his blade held close, the arched line of his shimmering blade aligned to his flaring stare of sheer hatred.

Kaburagi Sukuru smirked,

and with a lung-bursting shout, Sukuru tore down all the trees that stood around him and his foe, slicing them oaks in pieces that were in his way with but one violent wave of both arms, sending a jolt across the earth that even the moon shuddered at his woe.

Now, this dilapidated forest,

is a fitting stage for their showdown.

………..

And with cries that contained hate and animosity throughout the ages both men clashed within the elegant Tenshu with the skies swirling around them,

Like how they did when they were boys, in the pulverized woodlands where the midst died to the heat of their aggression.

ripping at each other’s flesh with their weapons and magic,

like poetry, rhyming itself.

………….

Austria Van Hillingdale still cannot believe how his deck of wonderful cards has brought to him such tremendous failure no Hillingdale has ever experienced.

His squad remaining less than half its might, the fleets of Akahanon Zabi like burning kites descending to the merciless sea.

“ Report !!” a League herald rushed to Austria’s presence

“ Our headquarters is under attack, By the Golden Company, led by their second in command Roy Mustangoo! He has reached through the underground tunnels…..”

Austria raised a hand to stop the herald’s speaking, for there is no need of knowing any further.

“ …leave the headquarters, and retreat to Tron. Send the word ! To regroup in Tron !”

turning away from the tall intact castle of gold he with his schemes and intellect proved under-leveled to conquer, Austria accepted defeat as the horns of the retreat began to moan over the ravaged coast camp.

“ And send some ships to search for our proprietor sir Zabi. He might still be clinging on a plank at sea.”

Austria added as he alighted the stairs to his ship and sailed back, leaving the Aurora beaches behind him, making an oath to never return.

…

………….

Rang sighed in relief as he crawled up to the balcony fence after the Seed explosion on the League devilman, watching the enemy ships sail away from the island shores.

Hearty young men of the golden company cheered victoriously and high-fived each other, congratulating a jolly good show of flawless teamwork.

Just as Rang was about to get up on his feet, a loud overt gasp did he hear from behind him, along with the rustling of armor in unison, all focusing on one corner of the balcony.

Rang looked up.

“ It’s over Rang !!!!”

shouted the young voice filled with malice and melancholy

“ I have your wife !!!”

And sure enough !!! Arashi the dastardly milk seeker, the obscene traitor of state, has seized Agnes in his ferocious grip, with his blade at the mildly surprised but verily disgusted strategist’s wife’s throat !!

Rang facepalmed himself in regret that he hadn’t finished Arashi sooner.

“ Sheath your swords.” Rang called with a sigh to the vigilant black elites surrounding Arashi.

“ But strategist…” Akiyama quickly whispered to their strategist

“ We have snipers ready. Should we just…?”

“ Save the ammo.” Rang replied, stepping forward to Arashi and Agnes calmly.

“ Words are enough to settle this confused juvenile delinquent.”

“ I will do it !!!!” Arashi threatened everyone on the balcony.

“ Rang !! You’ll suffer if you don’t comply !”

“ No. You.” Rang volleyed back with annoyed brevity.

“ Arashi, you have upon you the wrath of the Golden Company for your betrayal on Helltron, and earned all disrespect the moment you charged in on your former lord with your sword raised. In the name of seizing her ladyship from your Lord’s hands !!

You are adding nothing inspirational on your resume if you dare hurt a hair on my wife !”

Strategist Rang scolded like a teacher to a foregone youngster.

But even being confronted by the whole elite squad and snipers aiming at his head, Arashi will not back down.

“ Mio loves your Lord Toshiumi deeply, Arashi.” Agnes reasoned, even being held hostage, she calmly tried to talk some sense into this confused young man’s deranged mind

“ Nothing you do, nothing anyone does, can simply change that fact.”

“ I can !!!” Arashi barked with his morbid confidence unwavering

“ Because I know the way to cure Mio! The League has ways, that Toshiumi is too boastful to accept and heed audience! Toshiumi is the reason why Mio has been suffering for so long! If Toshiumi had listened….!!!”

But Arashi stopped mid-sentence for his eyes caught the attention of someone rising to her feet, staggering up to face him.

Arashi gasped with blatant glee at Mio’s awakening

“ My Lady !!” Arashi cried comforted greatly by just seeing her ladyship once more

“ I have come to save you from this Golden prison! The League has cures !! Come ! Follow me to–”

“ Toshiumi…..is not the reason…….” Mio panted weakly after the Gyouma force outburst.

Her ladyship’s steps were yet steady and Mio nearly tripped by her long robe, to which Arashi was about to dash to break Mio’s fall, but Haru was already there and supported Mio before Arashi even had the chance.

“ Lady Mio, Toshiumi has searched for years with zero progress! I know, because I was there! With you !! But the answer is so close in the League–”

“ You don’t know what you are talking about !” Rang cut Arashi short impatiently

“ The League deceives you so you can bring her ladyship to them acting as a pawn to their ambition !”

“ I am in the League, not You !!” Arashi argued with adamant fervor, enemies all around him

“ They have shown me what they are capable of! See ?! See not how the League revived Kaburagi Shisei and turned him into a god ?! That is only an example of their limitless achievements !!! Lady Mio, if you don’t believe in the League, Believe in ME !!!!

Toshiumi is not the cure, I—”

“ YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, ARASHI !!!!”

Lo! Never had Arashi, nor anyone on this balcony, perceived her ladyship Mio’s anger in full display. Her hair rising on its own, the winds stopped abruptly, only to blow the other way all of a sudden at Arashi’s wake like a hurricane has intruded. The sea roared with tides as high as mountains and the earth seemed to spin at the opposite course.

Only then did Arashi realize, from her ladyship’s countenance that was now so horrible to behold, beyond those of rage and disappointment and utter disgust, that he had screwed up.

“ Be gone……!”

Mio forcefully replied to all of Arashi’s wanton doubts, with a voice that resonates the chilling far cry from the deepest void of the universe

“ Be gone….All of You! ! !”

Surging all out at once, the hate and anger,

like a mighty stream that materialized from restrained emotions of utmost negativity, evolving into a power that is the formidable Gyouma force that devours all, bursting tremendously onto one delusional Arashi traitor man,

evaporating the young delinquent out of existence bit by bit !!

No…Not like this….!!

Haru, standing behind the furious Mio thought quickly.

Killing Arashi will only strengthen Mio’s curse-like powers, through the guilt of taking someone’s life !!

Haru understands the gravity of the guilt after each Seed explosion in her limited past with the Seed, and it will only spiral down into a cycle of desperation!

Lo, Mio’s eyes diminished in color, turning gray and dim, in a cold glance of sheer indifference, staring down at Arashi like he was a roach.

The roach in question, who was coincidentally named Arashi, however, was feeling his lower stomach eaten up by the unseen void, without pain disrupting his heart of joy and contentment. With his eyes on Mio, always gazing at this beautiful moon that lit up his dismal life, Arashi felt no more anger, no more sadness,

But everlasting satisfaction,

without realizing he was slowly reducing into atoms !!!

Haru hope she wasn’t too late.

…

………….

“ Yes…..!!!”

Kaburagi Shisei crooned as he staggered back up to a straight stance of pride over the tatami-floored Tenshu without walls, like a towering statue of deranged manhood within a tempest firmly stood.

“ Petty are your failing promises to cease the Gyouma, Churl Toshi !! Your mercy had only given rise to Me and Mio’s bond !!!! Only through me can Mio be most splendor! And I too through her! Today shall mark the completion of my crusade, since the day of the tournament !!!! Of the breaking of the third wheel, You, Toshiumi !!! Shall Die !!!”

“ Mio has no bonds with anyone! She owns herself with fitting pride !!” Toshiumi bravely accepted the duel, facing Shisei with his side with his arms arched and Kouzuki pointing forward in alignment with his determined eyes

“ Come what may, you with your lust and grievance, I shall put an end to the past !”

“ Bold words, TOSHI !!!!!”

like a ghost Kaburagi Shisei of the Illuminatus League, powered with demonry and the cursed link of the trauma he planted within Mio’s Gyouma force, flew into Toshiumi’s multi-slash attack, only to burst out like an ink-squirting octopus spraying toxic miasma all over the field which Toshiumi set the tatami floor ablaze, extinguishing any possible ailments and curses with a snap of his igniting sage fingers.

Dark arts against eternal flame, clashing in shocking resemblance,

…….

to the tournament ten years before.

Young Toshiumi as always in past and future bursts with aggression as young master Sukuru scattered his wrath of alien aura across the sea of dilapidated trees, blowing the natural habitat of many wood life out of existence with powers no elder of Kaminosato has ever witnessed.

“ That is no orthodox match !” A commentating elder uttered in terror as he watched through his all-seeing eyes the combat in the failing woods

“ The son of Kaburagi is wielding the cursed arts of the Gyouma !!!”

“ He must be stopped before he plunges Kaminosato into eternal darkness !” The Elders all nodded in apprehension.

“ But all due respects, grand elders.” an affable person in abstruse robes suggested amiably to the grave elders.

“ Isn’t it doctrine in the rules of Kaminosato that what happens in the tournament, stays in the tournament? Surely, to come up victorious in these trying times one has to master both the orthodox and the unorthodox ways to understand the true flow of the ancients fully, don’t you say ?”

The elders looked at each other in baffled hesitance towards the words of the admirable sponsor from the Illuminatus League.

The tournament went on, and on it went drastically spiraling into madness as the woods blew up and the trees all unrooted out of the soil, the earth flipped twenty and one times before crashing into a landslide sweeping the stadium and the audience who all started to scatter in panic.

Among all the chaos, there Kaburagi Sukuru floated in the center, commanding all natural forces to swirl and descend into chaos, raising the stakes and bringing the whole fight back to Kaminosato realm !!!

Like a bloody hurricane, the insane boy swept the town without mercy, driving into the town and houses, tearing the frameworks apart into his firing arsenal, and slaying all the innocent in his wake !!! It is a dark moment in Kaminosato history. A massacre so appalling none of the survivors dare recall.

But surely it did happen, and it was all Kaburagi Sukuru’s malevolent act of wrath and bloodshed.

The brave contestants, heir of house Yuusei of the comet and the heir of the Bloodfield house tried to fend this crazed Kaburagi off to no avail, tossed away like rag dolls and permanently injured.

Kagami of house Yukimura the snowflame let go a myriad of arrow showers over Kaburagi, but with waves like a dance, Sukuru gathered all the arrows to his bidding and shot them all back, flying full speed and rebounding madly all over Kaminosato, killing millions and even struck Kagami at the back of her waist, penetrating her spine and probably dimming her paralyzed to the rest of her life.

Toshiumi quickly dashed out to break Kagami’s fall and escort the wounded girl to safety.

“ I am sorry, Kagami.” Toshiumi apologized with great regret and anger

“ I shouldn’t have dragged you into this…!”

“ Shut up and kill that bastard, Toshiumi.” Kagami muttered, her voice strained in withstanding of her excruciating pain.

With one determined promising nod, Toshiumi was off.

“ SUKURU !!!!!” Toshiumi shouted valorously at the top of his lungs across the vanquished Kaminosato village

“ FACE ME !!!!!!!”

“ WITH PLEASURE !!!!! TOSHI !!!!!”

Swooping down like a winged devil Kaburagi Sukru clashed against Toshiumi’s brave standoff.

With just a sword and his valiant skills, Toshiumi faces this corrupted boy that has fallen to the dark demonic path.

……..

Till now, with a better blade Kouzuki, unrivaled skills under Tenka, and the powers of the Golden Exian Rune, Toshiumi Al Seraphim awesomely faces, this corrupted forgone man that has fallen deep into the League’s enticing devilish ways of world domination that is Kaburagi Shisei.

From Sukuru, a name that stands for saving grace in his mother tongue,

To Shisei, the killer of Star, feared by all,

disgusted by Toshi,

League disciple Kaburagi seeks to break his nemesis, and conquer his sister, and the world.

…

………….

And truly, drowned in the rage of Gyouma, enticed by both Arashi and her dastardly brother, Mio could hardly hold them back any longer, as the cosmos of dark oozed out of her and became devouring the golden palace like a starving creature, whose hunger was carried away by Kaburagi Shisei’s sinister spells !!!

Haru again sprang up to action!

“ Mio, Wait !!!!" Haru raced forth across many attacking Gyouma tentacles that shot out from Mio’s tranced wake, dodging all the way just an arm’s distance away from Mio !!!

Only to be slammed down violently by a transparent hand that harbors the dark cores of the universe in its grotesque robust arm, pressing Haru like a truckload of hate immovable and adamant, slowly dissolving Haru’s outfit and flesh like acid.

Haru screamed in pain as her Seed activated to her call of agony, glowing as if a shield of light formed around her, and within just a second or two, Haru saw she was clad in tight light blue ceramic-like armor of sleek design of elegance, golden ancient runes emblazoned and written on their own continuously around her armor plates.

The Gyouma’s devouring hand posed no urgent threat under this armor Haru now possesses.

“ Hurry…!” Sora’s stressful voice echoed in Haru’s ears

“ Get the bracelet to Mio……I can’t stand this power much longer……!”

“ On it !!” Haru answered aloud as she sped forth with a kick backward, escaping the huge Gyouma arm, and flew up with thrusters of ancient technologies of the Starbreaking secrets, scooping the bracelet, safely forming its own barrier among the Gyouma-filled ground up to his hands and collided into Mio’s arms, embracing the tranced lady with the golden bracelet Haru held close, clasping in Mio’s hands.

Mio’s eyes lit up, and the world, the Gyouma force all froze.

Surging all out at once into her eyes like quickened flashback attacks, the memories that Mio kept dear of the Kaminosato days,

of their first meet in the mountains,

of young Toshiumi leading her down the mount,

of the night of their encounter of Gilga the wolf king,

of their reunion at the mount that started it all, where he returned with her bracelet reforged,

and of the moment she stood by his side, against her brother Sukuru’s wrath over the whole of Kaminosato,

It reminded her of the greatest truth of all.

“ Toshiumi ……!”

Mio sobbed in tears, hot streams of joy and recollection of her past as she held Haru close in gratitude

“ Toshiumi….Is My Cure ! ! !”

And putting Haru down gently onto the balcony, Mio with a confident nod, sped up full speed towards the top of the Aurora palace !!!!!

…………..

Like how she raced towards the one last clearing over the devastated Kaminosato, running with all her strength and speed,

to stand in her brother’s way, to protect her love Toshumi,

…………

As she does now, no matter what time or age she belong,

She will always stand by Toshiumi.

And Toshiumi too, always by her side.

Pushing Kaburagi Shisei away with dimension-breaking force, sending the League Master flying to the other side of the Tenshu.

…………

Slapping her brother Sukuru the way he slapped her many times before,

sending her insane murderous brother twenty feet away from Toshiumi, the one she is willing to marry.

….

Both

Kaburagi Sukuru,

Kaburagi Shisei,

looked up with mad wide eyes at his sister’s actions of utter betrayal,

rising up once more, mustering the rage of the universe in this one strike, breaking the Tenshu into a thousand pieces !!!!

But in astounding succession, faster than the power of his destructions, Mio flew in, fixing the tiles and tatami of the Tenshu Shisei’s had torn and sent an invisible force that harm no one, but brought peace to chaos, broken into mending, bending Kaburagi Shisei physically and mentally in gory manner, a power that only a deranged man as self damaged as he would feel such agony to its correcting force.

Toshiumi raced forth, pushed by the winds that Mio raised for him, and tripled in speed and velocity, sending each cut down that could cleave the Tenka clean in half a million times, dicing Kaburagi’s limbs like quick blades to a leaf!

But each severed part of Shisei grew fully into a menacing League Master of his own and struck Toshiumi from all sides, as the awesome Lord parried nonstop, with his lady extending her wishes and also summoned twenty thousand Toshiumis from the vast multiverse, all of them Awesome and affably competent, performing the maximum earth cutting slash altogether combined into an ultimate universal slashing Festa, dicing any Kaburagi Shisei that existed in this realm.

A flawless pair, like a sacred cloth without a single tiniest breach, successfully defended the Aurora isle with their valiance

and love.

………

With one concentrated last blow, a final confrontation of powers,

sending Sukuru out into the unknown.

Presumably won, the two young children collapsed into each other’s arms.

Mio crying freely in Toshiumi’s exhausted embrace,

among the ruins of their old home.

……….

Home,

Was the first thing that came to Kaburagi Shisei’s mind as he knelt at the far end of the scorched tatami floor with one knee, coughing blood out of his crooked jaw.

All this, to be the prominent leader of Kaminosato, a village that was no more under his massacre.

To be the irrefutable leader of the New World shaped from the recoding of Herunia,

The master to rewrite reality through the blessed heavenly realm !!

He still stands a chance.

“ Epic……” Kaburagi Shisei chuckled with nothing but sinister intonations in his croaking voice

“ Epic fight….won’t it be heartbreaking to know that after all that you two have done, you’ve just solidified my victory….!!!!”

“ Say what, you bastard ?!” Toshiumi spat awesomely, placing his sharp fiery blade at Kaburagi Shisei’s throat.

And with cackling that sends shivers down children’s spines,

Kaburagi Shisei the Star killer reached for his ravaged remaining pouch behind his tattered robes,

and raised up something on his pallid palm.

Something that sent a ripple of astonished gasps across not just Mio and Toshiumi, but also Haru, Rang, Agnes, Akiyama, Hidaka, Stentor Aramis, Kamo, and the whole golden company.

The thing be,

The seventh lost rock on Mio’s bracelet.

“ Toshiumi was never your cure, Mio my sweet sister…..”

Kaburagi Shisei crooned sadistically

“ It was I….keeping you in one piece, an inch away from destroying the world……yes.

I Am Your Cure.

And as the Peace and bliss, I can giveth……….

So can I taketh from thee !!!!!!!!!!”

And with his smiting force of sheer pettiness,

Kaburagi crushed the last piece of the limiter to the Gyouma that threatens the whole of Tenka!

Mio gave out a shriek of agony !!!!

Toshiumi forced his blade toward Shisei’s throat !!!!!!!

But all that was of the Tenshu,

now but an erupting blast of the transparent starry substance of unstoppable chaos, raging down over the Aurora palace from the top, crawling down as it devoured everything, every one in its ruthless path.

Rang grabbed Agnes and Haru in his arms as he made them three jump off the balcony with the retreating Golden Clansmen, soaring down the steep mountain castle as the strategist stood on his gliding feathered fan now transformed into a robotic bird, swooping down to the shores in safe retreat.

Haru looked back, as one gigantic crimson mecha hovered above the Gyouma-Tenshu and shot out claws that reached deep, only to pull back Mio, unconscious within the cruel metal pincers as the red machine titan,

which is, to Haru and Rang’s utter shock, none other than The Terminas Iron Giant mecha tech combined ultra Oochu Goten top hierarchy monarch machine Maxima Ultimatum Buster Kaboomer Smash Trash Bash Cash Almighty Sky high Alternator Slayer Lord of bazinga Exian Rune King Emperor Varche Scrirocco Za Revenjaja !!!!!

Capturing Mio and swerving a 180-degree turn of massive epicness before Varche Scrirocco the indomitable Revenjaja mecha king sped off towards the Kingdeniom capital: Tron,

With the dastardly Kaburagi Shisei of the Illuminatus League, following in the air right behind the Red Exian machine lord,

cackling all the way in devilish laughter.

The pulverized rubble of the Aurora castle was immediately all blown away as there Toshiumi Al Seraphim the Golden Exia Lord stood, petrified by petty schemes,

at the foot of his crumbled island villa,

his fuming rage resembling his young self,

eyes burning with the inextinguishable flame of Awesome Wrath,

And with a shout that reached across time and space, echoing through the ages,

reverberating that one name to all’s ears

“ MIO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

[...........To be continued]