One morning in Anita’s room, the tension was palpable as she paced back and forth, her phone pressed tightly to her ear.
“WAIT, I SAID YOU DON’T HAVE TO HURRY!” she yelled, her voice breaking with panic. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening. “WHAT?! YOU SENT LUCY AND LOGAN HERE?!”
Her free hand shot up to her mouth, and she began biting her nails furiously. “Why does that matter?! Because Melanthius is practicing with his friend out of town, that’s why!” she hissed, her frustration mounting.
She groaned and leaned against her desk, her fingers tapping against its edge. “What are they supposed to do while waiting for him, huh? Just twiddle their thumbs?” she snapped. “No, there isn’t anyone here who can take them on! Are you kidding me?! Each one of your gate members has that crazy Merlin magic you were all taught, right? And Mel—he doesn’t even have that kind of power unless he’s got his wand!”
Anita bit down harder on her nails, her mind racing as she struggled to figure out how to manage the impending chaos.
“Do they at least know to act like they don’t know me?” she asked sharply, exhaling in relief at the response. “Good. Because all I want is to live a normal life, without constantly being reminded of where I came from.”
Her voice softened for a moment, a flicker of gratitude breaking through the tension. “I’m thankful for what you did for me when I was seven. Truly, I am. But now... I don’t want to be involved anymore.”
She paused, her tone growing firm again. “I only called because he might need your help. That’s all.”
Meanwhile, in Atlantis, the towering gates of the underwater kingdom shimmered with bioluminescent light, illuminating the tense standoff. Goda and the formidable fish army stood poised, their webbed hands gripping tridents, glares sharp as spears. Across from them, Logan and Lucy appeared completely unaffected by the crushing water pressure and lack of oxygen, standing casually as if strolling through a park.
"What business do you have here?" Goda demanded, his voice echoing through the aquatic expanse. "Atlantis is a private kingdom. Outsiders aren’t welcome."
Logan chuckled, his demeanor lighthearted despite the threat in front of him. He raised a hand in a casual greeting. "Hey there! I’m Logan, and this delightful creature here is my oh-so-charming sister." He gestured toward Lucy, who scowled. "We’re just looking for King Melanthius. Know where we can find him?"
Goda’s gills flared as he sneered, rubbing his scaly hands together. "Melanthius? Haven’t seen him in a while. The king’s barely ever here." His tone carried an edge of disdain, as if the mention of Melanthius’s name was a sore point.
Lucy cracked her knuckles, her piercing gaze fixed on Goda. "Well, isn’t that inconvenient," she muttered, the menace in her voice sending a ripple of unease through the fish army.
They leaped up, landing on the dock at the outskirts of the Auroria Dominion. "Well, that was a bust. But now I can’t shake the feeling we’ve stirred up some trouble," Logan muttered as they made their way into the kingdom.
Meanwhile, deep in a forest, Clyde and Lance were engrossed in their training. Lance gripped a wooden sword tightly, while Clyde wielded his scythe with practiced ease. "How does sensei expect me to master a hundred of his hidden Cloud techniques?" Clyde said, frustration creeping into his tone. "It’s not because I’m weak—his techniques literally rely on his body. He even pulls them off without using magic!" He sighed and rubbed his head, his irritation clear.
“It’s definitely harder with a weapon,” Lance muttered, trying to swing his sword in line with the hidden techniques. The sound of a twig snapping made both him and Clyde whirl around.
“A weapon? I love weapons!” Logan said with a wide grin as he and Lucy emerged from the woods, standing across from Lance and Clyde.
“Who are you?” Clyde asked, gripping his scythe tighter.
“We’re looking for Melanthius Shadowbane. Have you seen him?” Lucy asked, biting her fingers as her eyes darted between the two. Lance and Clyde instinctively backed up, their guard up.
Meanwhile, Anita paced frantically in her room, phone pressed to her ear. “No, you NEED to get here quickly!” she urged, her voice high with panic. She struggled to find a reason to bring Melanthius back without revealing what she knew about Logan and Lucy. “Uh, Lance and Clyde need help training!” she blurted, her face hopeful.
“You’re done training with Elowen? Good! Please hurry!” she exclaimed before abruptly hanging up. Anita pressed her hands to her temples, muttering under her breath. “If Lucy and Logan see those weapons, they’re going to want to fight. It’s just in their nature!” She slipped on her shoes hastily and bolted out of her house, sprinting toward the forest.
In Vrada, Mel and Elowen soared on hoverboards, the wind rushing past them. “Why’d she tell me to rush there? Do you want to come with me to the forest?” Mel asked, casually spinning his metal staff—repurposed from the sport they played.
Elowen hopped off her board mid-glide, deactivating it and sliding it onto her back holster like a skateboard. “Alright, but only because our session’s over,” she replied.
Mel reached into his pocket and pulled out a button Lance had gifted him for his birthday. Pressing it, the device unfolded and transformed into a sleek, futuristic car that hovered just above the ground.
“Welcome, Melanthius,” the car’s AI greeted as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Elowen slid into the passenger side, securing her hoverboard.
“I don’t want to be late for practice,” she remarked as Mel input the forest’s coordinates into the car’s system. The vehicle gave a low hum before lifting slightly and gliding along the terrain toward their destination.
Back on the outskirts, Lance shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Clyde, his jaw tightening as he stepped forward. “Why are you looking for my sensei?” he demanded, his voice laced with anger he couldn’t quite explain.
Logan leaned casually against a tree, picking his teeth with a dagger. “We wanna see if he’s strong. If he is, that makes the plan successful. If he isn’t…” Logan’s grin widened cruelly. “Then we kill him. Simple.”
Lance’s eyes widened in horror before narrowing into a fiery glare. “T-then why don’t you fight me? Test me instead, huh?” he growled, spinning his wooden sword in a tight, practiced arc.
Logan tilted his head, studying Lance with mock curiosity. “You look pretty bulky, but I don’t like how mean you are,” he said with a goofy smile, completely unfazed.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Lucy sat cross-legged on the ground, calmly smoking a cigarette as the tension rose. Clyde stepped up, glaring down at her. “You and I should fight! Or are you scared your friend might get hurt?” he taunted, trying to provoke her.
Lucy exhaled a cloud of smoke, her tone cool and disinterested. “I only want to fight Melanthius,” she said sternly, brushing off Clyde’s challenge. Her sharp response made him falter and take a step back.
“This idiot,” Lucy muttered, watching Logan square off with Lance. “All he wants to do is mess around all day.”
Logan grinned as he cracked his knuckles, his posture loose and relaxed. “Hey, for you, I won’t even use a weapon. Alright?” he offered.
Before Logan could blink, Lance surged forward and landed a powerful uppercut with a Hidden Cloud technique. Logan’s eyes widened in surprise as the blow sent him staggering backward, his gaze shooting skyward.
Lance followed up immediately, delivering a lightning-fast right hook that slammed into Logan, sending him rolling to the ground. “Such dangerous gravitas,” Logan chuckled, wiping dirt off his face as he stood, clearly amused.
Lance didn’t give him a chance to recover, launching into a spinning tornado kick, concealed by a Hidden Cloud maneuver that Logan couldn’t predict.
“Is this what Melanthius taught you?” Logan said, his voice still light but with a hint of respect. He caught Lance’s leg mid-kick and slammed his elbow into Lance’s thigh, disrupting his rhythm.
Lance gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with determination as he lunged forward, attempting to drive his fingernails into Logan's throat. In a swift motion, Logan spun and unleashed a whip kick that slammed into Lance’s chin, knocking him back. “You’re fun,” Logan taunted, his grin widening. He then leaped, planting his foot squarely into Lance’s face. Lance staggered, crashing to the ground before rolling away to regain his footing.
He grabbed the wooden sword, his knuckles white as he gripped it tightly. His mind raced. ”He’s too dangerous, too insane. A sadist who toys with his victims before the kill. I’ve faced the Jester alone, but I’m stronger now. If he’s anything like the Jester…” He clenched his jaw. “Then I have no choice but to use everything I have.” With a battle cry, Lance charged at Logan, sword raised to strike.
“GET OUT OF MY KING—”
But before Lance could land his blow, he felt a sharp pressure at his throat. His eyes widened in horror as he clutched his neck, unable to breathe. He could’ve sworn Logan had sliced it—but all he saw was Logan’s malevolent grin, cold and unyielding.
“Why’d you stop? Did you get cut?” Logan asked, his voice dripping with amusement. Lance’s breathing became erratic, the weight of the situation sinking in as Logan’s stare pierced through him.
“Did he really have to use that magic on him?” Lucy asked with a dry chuckle, watching the scene unfold with an unsettling calm. She casually stubbed her cigarette into her own arm, a satisfied moan escaping her lips as she did so.
Lance steadied himself, a sharp cough escaping his throat as he wiped away the lingering taste of blood. “What did you do?” he demanded, his voice raw with frustration.
Logan smirked, side-kicking Lance's chest with ease, sending him stumbling backward. “Don’t worry about it,” Logan drawled, his tone nonchalant. “It’s an old trick. I’m sure even that lost girl knows a thing or two about it.”
Furious, Lance lunged, sword raised to strike, but Logan yawned lazily and, in a fluid motion, snatched the wooden sword from his hands. “This is getting boring.” He flicked the sword, landing several quick, brutal strikes on Lance. Lance gasped, feeling the sting as the wooden blade sliced through his skin, leaving a trail of shallow cuts.
Logan chuckled darkly, stepping back. “Fuck Melanthius. Why bother with him when we can start our own gang?” He flashed a mischievous grin, his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and malice. “We’ll call it...” He delivered a final, sharp strike that sent Lance reeling. “The Little Lucys,” he sneered, mocking his sister’s name with a twisted sense of pride.
Lance ran a hand through his silver hair, his other hand casually picking at his teeth with the edge of the wooden sword. His voice dropped into a menacing tone as he said, “I’m getting really, really bored. If Melanthius doesn’t show up soon, I’ll just kill both of you.” His dark glare locked onto Clyde.
Clyde flinched, instinctively readying himself to fight, but Lucy’s hand shot out, gripping his leg firmly. “No,” she said coldly, her voice carrying an ominous weight. “You really don’t want to see what happens when he’s bored for real.”
Lucy rose to her feet, her scarred arm catching the light as she fixed Clyde with a piercing stare. “Where is Melanthius?” she demanded. “I-I don’t know!” Clyde stammered, his trembling voice betraying his fear. Lucy’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and she began to lift her arm, a sinister intent clear in her movements. “Wrong answer.”
Before she could act, a low, mechanical roar echoed from the woods, breaking the tension. Logan’s head snapped toward the sound. “The hell is that?” he muttered, his brows furrowing. Lucy squinted in the same direction, her expression shifting slightly. “...A car?” Relief washed over Clyde’s face, and he couldn’t help but smile. “That’s Sensei’s car!”
Mel’s knuckles whitened as his grip tightened on the wheel, his expression unreadable to Elowen beside him. The car sped through the forest at reckless speeds, the trees blurring into streaks of green. Without warning, Mel swerved sharply, making a beeline for the group in the clearing. As the car screeched to an abrupt halt, he threw an arm protectively in front of Elowen, ensuring she was unharmed.
His voice was calm, but the tension in his body betrayed him. “Let’s go,” he said, forcing a tight smile as a vein pulsed on his forehead. Mel stepped out of the car, leaning casually against the hood while his eyes scanned the scene. “Who are you?” he asked, his gaze moving from Lance sprawled on the ground to Logan standing confidently over him.
“Elowen, stay in the car,” he instructed firmly, glancing back over his shoulder. “These two… they practically radiate danger.” Reluctantly, Elowen nodded and stayed seated, watching the encounter unfold.
Logan grinned, his posture relaxed but his presence unnerving. “Ah, so you’re Melanthius Shadowbane. I’m Logan, and this is my sister Lucy. We’ve come to accept you as our leader,” he said with an exaggerated chuckle, extending a hand in mock camaraderie.
Mel raised an eyebrow, his suspicion growing. Before he could respond, Lucy blurred into motion, appearing inches in front of him. Her energy was suffocating, her smirk laced with excitement. “I can tell how strong you are,” she said, her voice low and charged. “I’ve been waiting a whole month to meet you. You don’t even know who we are, huh? Forget it. I’ll wait for Mom to fill you in.”
Without warning, she pulled off her shirt, revealing a body marked with countless scars. Each one told a story of battles fought and survived, her war-torn appearance a testament to her resilience.
Mel’s jaw tightened, his voice steady but laced with frustration. “I’m so tired of fighting,” he said through gritted teeth.
Lucy ignored his words, stepping closer until her presence was almost overwhelming. She grabbed his tie and wrapped it around her hand, pulling him even closer. “What’s the matter, scared to lose?” she whispered, her voice teasing, almost seductive, as her lips hovered near his neck.
Mel’s hand shot up, gripping her arm firmly but not harshly. “Sorry, I’m not ready for a relationship,” he retorted, his tone cool despite the tension crackling in the air.
Lucy smirked at his response, but her grip tightened. With a swift motion, she hoisted him into the air as if he weighed nothing. Mel’s eyes widened in shock as she twisted his arm with a technique he didn’t recognize, the crack of bone echoing through the clearing. “Too bad,” she mocked, her voice dripping with amusement. “You’re kind of cute.”
Mel gritted his teeth, his mind racing. “This strength… it’s like fighting all three of the Slesan Knights at once!” he thought as she hurled him into the air with effortless power.
Recovering quickly, Mel flipped midair and landed gracefully, his feet barely making a sound as they touched the ground. Lucy watched him with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “I love strong people,” she purred, slipping on a pair of wooden brass knuckles.
Mel’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re wearing those in a fight?!” he exclaimed, his voice tinged with both irritation and understanding.
Lucy grinned wickedly. “What can I say? I like strong people.”
Mel’s expression shifted, his determination now blazing. “Well, I like to fight strong people.” he declared, spinning his staff with practiced ease, its movements a blur of graceful precision.