It was far different than its typical form, where it usually would have destroyed mountains, the ki that Mika possessed was so small that he could only summon a fraction of its strength. A small beam of light, no larger than a needle, flashed through the wolf’s skull, piercing the heavens above, breaking apart the clouds and the sky, purple waves rippling across the sky.

‘Ah,’ Mika thought as he was flung backwards towards a tree from the force of the technique. He felt the coolness which revealed he had accidentally used his life ki, and had pressed him towards death. ‘I could have used Fireball.’ He slammed into the tree, breaking many of his bones, before he dropped unconscious.

The evil energies covered the sky, causing many figures to dart out of the town. Yet the first to arrive at the scene was no native of the town, a woman adorned in a cloak of burnt amber, wearing a set of gauntlets. Her eyes scanned the scene, noting the half dying children around, as well as the wolf, which was seemingly dead.

‘What happened here?’

“Hey!” Amon shouted, appearing onto the scene. His eyes took in the sight for a moment, but his hands turns black as he readied for battle. “What happened here, stranger?”

The woman glanced back his way, before ignoring him, reaching in to her cloak. She slipped to the side, narrowly dodging Amon’s strike, before the pair engaged in close quarter combat, palm against fist. There was a flurry of black palms which met the lionish fists, though Amon soon found himself pressed back. He, the right hand of the Black Hand family, was losing to some random woman?

The rage within his mind had clouded his judgement, and as he clashed with the woman, she found a gap within his technique, and with her greater speed, she aimed her fist to crush the man’s face. Amon could see the blurring shadow of a fist, before a black hand caught the fist.

“Excuse me,” Rogue said, still holding the woman’s fist. “It appears that my right hand has bothered you, captain.”

The woman pulled her fist away cautiously, her eyes glued to Rogue’s, whose own eyes quickly fell away to the children. ‘How can there be a townsman so young who is as strong as me?’

‘It’s a good thing they didn’t use their abilities,’ Rogue thought. ‘A brawl can be easily hand waved away.’

The woman quickly gained her awareness, placing her palm over her fist. “Thank you for your assistance, head.” She was certain he was Rogue of the Black Hand family, for there was only one person who was so young and yet so powerful in the towns nearby.

Amon let out a soft exhale, the rage within him quickly slipping away, before he quickly dashed to his daughter, whose wounds were far more egregious than the others. He slipped a pill into her mouth, which slowly began to heal the young girl.

“Would you please place a pill within the boys’ mouths?” Rogue asked, revealing two pills to the captain, who bowed her head in response. Rogue then knelt down beside Mika, as others approached the scene.

“What is the meaning of this?” the town lord, Jarad Wyrm Silver, stated.

The town had arrived with the other patriarchs, and matriarch, of the families, who were still tense from feeling such evil ki which had emerged. At their sides were also their trusted warriors, who were ready to fight.

The Storm Fist and Moon Moth ladies took their place beside their children, who were unconscious, but relatively unharmed.

“The children came across a dangerous beast, one empowered by a spirit gem,” Rogue said. “The guards were slain, and the beast attacked them, but…” Rogue motioned his head to the captain, before checking on Mika, whose body was cold to the touch. ‘His inner ki is nearly empty?’

As the captain was about to explain, she, as well as the others who had appeared, stood shocked as Rogue channelled his ki into the young boy, doing his best not to overload the crippled young man. Amon wanted to ask what was happening, but seeing as there were outsiders, he decided against showing any form of internal issues to them.

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Rogue continued to channel his ki into Mika, most of it going to waste, but there was a slight trickle which a cripple could handle. However, he found that his ki was being sucked away further into a void within the young boy. ‘What is this?’

Mika, who was moments away from dying, leeched the ki of the head of his family, sucking away far more than the head expected. For the entirety of the ki the head was channelling into him, Mika was taking just a fraction of a fraction, not wanting any impure ki to enter him in the slightest.

Even the town lord was stunned, unable to speak as Rogue channelled way too much ki into the boy, who should have burst open at this point. As another moments passed, Rogue’s ki was cut off by Mika, who didn’t want to take any more in case the others became suspicious of him. It had already been too much, but if he continue to take more, many may have connected him to what had happened just moments ago.

“May I ask the captain what had happened here?” Rogue asked, politely, trying to take away the attention away from Mika.

“Excuse me,” the captain said, greeting the others. “Chala, captain of the black lion Squad.”

The town lord straightened slightly, understanding that the captain held a great position within the nearby city. The surrounding area was surrounded by some of the best warriors from his town, and there were only three who were within the steel rank, Himself, Rogue, and the captain.

“I arrived to find the wolf dead, and the children wounded,” she said, not mentioning how she was attacked by the right hand man of the Black Hand family. “I did not find the source of the demonic ki.”

“Could it have been a wandering demonic cultivator?” Rogue asked.

“Would they have left the children be?” Jarad asked.

Rogue looked up. “If they were a greater rank than steel, perhaps. It would make sense if he had no need for an iron rank spirit gem.”

Jarad didn’t want to think about anyone who possessed such a rank. No, if there was someone who could have used such a great technique to cause even the sky to change, then the figure would have been able to swat away steel ranks like them like flies.

“I would like to thank the captain of the black lion squad for their assistance,” Rogue said, placing his palm over his fist, bowing his head slightly.

“It was my pleasure,” the captain replied.

“Your presence no doubt kept greater creatures away,” Rogue began, realising the unresolved matter. “If it would please you, I would like to offer you the spirit gem of the wolf, since you were the first to arrive to defend our children. I hope it would please the other patriarchs and matriarch of the families here.”

“It is only right,” the town lord said, letting go of the iron rank spirit gem so that he did not displease the captain.

“I will accept it as your gratitude,” the captain replied, pulling the gem out of the wolf, pocketing it.

“Thank you again for your assistance in helping my daughter and son,” Amon said, bowing his head, palm on fist.

‘So that is why he was the first to arrive,’ the captain thought. “I will accept your gratitude.” With that, the captain dismissed herself, disappearing out of sight as she returned to her own squad.

“You took too long, captain,” the vice leader said, a man who held the wild grin of a hyena, rather than that of a lion.

“I met with the families of the town.”

“Did you meet the Head of the Black Hand family?”

“I did,” the captain replied.

“Well?”

She nodded, but left the matter there, but the others could see just how annoyed she was at not being able to fight him. However, there was something else the squad could see, an excitement which the captain only revealed when wishing to face an opponent stronger than her.

“Third young lady, I have returned with a iron rank spirit gem.” The captain held the gem out towards the young girl.

The third young lady of the Lion Fist family had her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out. She had chosen to ignore the captain, who had left her behind as she went to go have fun by herself, but seeing the spirit gem, her eyes shone with delight.

“I will forgive you this one time, but only this one time, captain,” she said, accepting the gem from her captain.

“I am always grateful for your benevolence, third young lady,” the captain said with a smile.

Meanwhile, the families which had met some ways away, were still facing off against one another. Three groups had formed, the Wyrm Silver and the Lunar Butterflies, the Ox Fist and Ram Horn families, and the Storm Fist, Moon Moth, and Black Hand families.

“The demonic cultivator may still be around,” Rogue said, trying to ease the situation. “It may be best we return to the town.”

“We are still uncertain if it is a demonic cultivator,” Jarad said. “We should speak with the children.”

“Once the children are safe within the walls, we will coordinate a time which will best suit yourself, town lord,” Rogue stated, showing the town lord proper respect, both by calling him his title, but also to bring the children of their families to him.

“Very well,” the town lord said, satisfied that Rogue was giving him face. “Let us return back to town! The demonic cultivator may be aiming to make their way there whilst we are out.”

For once, the families had chosen to send their greatest warriors out of the town, united against whatever terrifying foe they could have come across. It was perhaps the only time they would have allowed for such a thing, even taking hordings into consideration.