Nama Woods
12 th Banem, 1092
Ever since trees rose around the forest to form an impenetrable barrier, Nama Woods’ boundaries had become a natural tourist spot. Adventurers from far and wide often traveled there to test their strength against the rumored impenetrable wall. Some eager adventurers had even begun a game of seeing who could cut deepest into the trees. The trees’ freakish regenerative ability meant there would forever be opportunities for someone to give it a go.
This morning, hundreds of adventurers gathered outside Nama Woods like always. However, only a handful was examining the tree-wall. Many adventurers stared at plumes of dust that rose to the sky from beyond the wall with fear. The dust clouds were often accompanied by loud explosions and loud creaking and crashing sounds of falling trees.
These onlookers were seasoned adventurers. They instantly recognized the sounds of battle. But, if that was the case, what kind of monsters were these that were capable of damaging this cursed forest? Furthermore, the collisions sounded like sticks of dynamites concurrently going off.
The adventurers were grateful for the wall. There was a good chance those monsters would have made it to their leveling grounds if it wasn’t for this wall. They could only pray those monsters left the confines of the forest.
BOOM!
Within the forest, the beings referred to as monsters flitted chaotically amongst the treetops. At first sight, it seemed to be a case of one chasing and the other fleeing. However, closer inspection revealed that though the pursuer appeared to control the situation, none of their attacks ever actually hit the fleeing party.
The pursuing figure let out a frustrated roar and kicked hard kicked against a tree trunk. It shot out like a bullet, quickly closing in on the fleeing figure. Contrary to what one would expect, it swiped at the air before it reached its target.
Large scythe-like wind blades shot out. The fleeing figure quickly took a step back then kicked itself onto a tree behind it. The jump took it over the wind blades. The smaller figure did not care that its attack missed. It rapidly rotated in place with a loud shout. Dozens of wind blades erupted randomly, slicing up anything in their path.
The larger figure did not panic under the dense, net-like bombardment. It seemed to shake in place, and the wind blades harmlessly passed through its body. The shaking movement was actually as a result of its feet shifting rapidly within a small radius. Its movements were so quick that it left several afterimages in its path. It was these afterimages that were attacked by the blades.
The little figure did not seem shocked by the result. A silhouette of a man-sized lion’s head appeared behind it as it quickly let out a massive roar. An enormous shockwave boomed from her mouth.
The larger figure could not dodge this large-scale attack. It raised its hand in response. The epicenter of the shockwave crashed against the outstretched hand. Boom! The ensuing explosion sent rubble and dirt flying in all directions. The large figure leaked a smile as it took a step back and leaned its head backward.
Swish!
The dodge could not have come at a more perfect time. Taking advantage of the dust, the little figure had rushed underneath the larger figure. It used this opportunity to swipe upward, aiming for the exposed chin. Unfortunately, its movements were read. The little figure spun in place, her jump leaving her suspended in the air for a moment.
The world seemed to slow down as the ‘monsters’ regarded each other.
“You’ve improved,” Rider remarked with a smile as he examined the little werewolf.
Zuri, dressed in a simple T-shirt and shorts, was hardly recognizable. The little girl had completed the bloodline inheritance, and its effects were beyond anything Rider had imagined. Zuri’s unique ability [Beast Soul Possession] was even more tyrannical than Rider had estimated.
Beast Soul Possession suppressed and mutated the werewolf bloodline to suit Zuri.
In Rider’s initial calculations, the werewolf gene would overwrite all the beast souls Zuri currently had. This was normal because werewolves were cursed to be unable to use magic. But this was no significant loss. In return for the inability to use magic, werewolves had an absurd amount of natural ki. This ki, if utilized well, could achieve just as much destruction as any magic-based attack.
Take [Meteor], one of the most iconic large-scale magic attacks. In the right hands, [Meteor] was capable of wiping out an entire city in one swoop. This was the undisputed deadliness of magic. Its only downside was the long cast-time. On the other hand, a warrior with the right amount of ki could unleash a torrent of attacks at the same time on the very same city. The destruction would take a little more time, but there was no wait time between attacks. This was the terror of ki.
[Beast Soul Possession] took all the good parts of being a werewolf: ki, reflexes, strength, speed, ferocity, and discarded the magic penalty. As a result, a contradictory existence was born: a werewolf with the ability to cast magic. Of course, in Zuri’s case, she lacked the discipline to study magic. Hence the advantage showcased itself in her maintained ability to channel souls.
The werewolf gene did not only manifest internally. Its effects could also be seen in Zuri’s external physiology. Most noticeably was her hair, which had turned snow-white. Initially, Zuri had been very upset because of this. She was sad because she did not look like Kashi anymore. It had taken a whole day of coaxing from a weary Rider before she finally cheered up. Even then, it was only because he said that Kashi already had a black wolf by his side. This way, she could be his unique ‘white wolf.’
Zuri’s hair was not the only change. She had also grown a few inches taller, and her muscles had become more defined. Angled features boosted her natural untamed, ferocious aura, making her appear more dangerous, yet even more beautiful. There were rumors that the werewolf and vampire genes had an effect of beautifying their kind. This rumor appeared to be accurate, at least in Zuri’s case.
However, the most striking difference appeared when Zuri activated the werewolf gene and transformed. Snow-white fur sprouted on her skin, covering her arms, chest, and abdominal region. Little tufts of fur also formed around the back of her calf. Her hands and feet predictably grew a size larger, turning bony and long with claws at the end. Zuri’s facial features largely remained the same except for subtle tweaks to her bone structure that made her appear even more brutal.
It was this brutal form that Rider was currently looking at. He raised his hand as Zuri spun in place. Her surprise kick struck his palm. This did not deter Zuri, and she quickly unleashed a chaotic storm of punches and kicks. Rider easily blocked the random attacks and then grabbed her arm.
Zuri froze. Clearly, she had not planned on what she would do in the event her attack was interrupted. With a flick of his wrist, Rider slammed her onto the earth. The ground cracked beneath the force of Zuri’s back. The poor daeben struggled to gasp for air as she had the breath knocked out of her.
Rider stood over her, arms folded. “You’re still too chaotic,” Rider admonished. “Random attacks are good for confusing the enemy. But there’s no use if even you don’t know what’s coming next.” Rider watched as Zuri scrambled to her feet and pulled away from him. Aside from the initial shock, she was completely fine.
A smile tugged on the corner of Rider’s lips as he recalled another woman with a similar pose. “Someone once told me, “Order without Chaos is Stagnation. Chaos without Order is Extinction.” It is fine to be as chaotic as you want, but you must always have something you are looking to achieve with your attacks, or else you won’t know what to do when someone breaks your attack.”
Rider shook his head. “To think I would ever quote that man.” Rider looked at Zuri, suddenly awash with nostalgia. Ah, really, she was too similar. “Do you want to hear a story?”
Over a Millennium Ago,
NetherRealm.
The battles within the Netherrealm were never-ending. Countless brave warriors on both sides often made their names through spectacular battles known only to perish soon after. It was quite shocking then, when a previously unknown trio took the Netherrealm by storm. They slaughtered anything and anyone in their path with frightening ease, lending them the nickname of the ‘demon trio.’ It was telling that although the trio was officially on the side of light, none of the warriors on the side of ‘light’ ever sought them out for a team-up.
The trio’s dominance in the Netherrealm was even more puzzling when one considered a human led them. However, none in the Netherrealm dared to underestimate this human. The red-haired monster was the most feared of the trio. Not a single soul who met his blade had lived to tell the tale.
The stronger figures in the Netherrealm had begun to take note of these rising stars. The weaker combatants consoled themselves. Now that the demon trio had captured the eyes of the higher-ups, it was only a matter of time before they were eliminated. It had been the same with all the previous rising stars. Nothing would be different this time.
The demon trio, seemingly oblivious to the commotion they had caused in the Netherrealm, was lounging at the top of a mountain. The red-haired leader, the famed Razznik Y’Terlow, ‘Terror of Zytra,’ sat at the hill's highest point, on a large boulder, casually polished the edge of his sword with a dragon’s tooth.
Below Razznik, resting against the boulder with his nose buried in a book, was a similarly red-haired, handsome cerulean vampire. The man was Lucius Ludarac, the famous hybrid son of Dracula, King of Vampires, and Alice, sister to Lucian, King of the Werewolves.
The third member, Zeno, daughter of Skyrm, danced around on the mountain, recklessly punching and kicking. Evidently, this was supposed to be some form of kata , but she did not have the patience to go through the traditional, systematic, slow method. Her mana and indiscriminately blasted all over the mountaintop. However, both Lucius and Razznik had placed a barrier around themselves, so her attacks did not disturb them.
Some moments passed, then Zeno, overcome by boredom, appeared next to Razznik. She bent over, looking at the sword in his hand. “What are you doing?”
“Sharpening my sword,” Razznik replied.
“You’ve been doing that for over an hour,” Zeno complained. “Aren’t you bored?”
“Important things always take the longest time,” Razznik stated. “This is also a form of mental training. You should try it sometime.”
“No way!” Zeno adamantly refused. “That’s too boring.”
Zeno knew all too well that talking to Razznik any further was a dead end. She jumped down and landed next to Lucius. She pushed down on the notebook so she could see Lucius’ face. “Hey, what’re you reading?”
Lucius looked up from his book. “Genesis,” he said, pointing at the golden print on the red cover.
Flames enveloped Zeno’s right hand as she glared at the smug hybrid. “I can read, shithead! I’m asking what the book’s about.”
Lucius chuckled as he shut the book and sat up. “It tells a riveting tale about a rebellious youth, who in his quest to right society’s wrongs, is forced to perform some truly despicable acts. There’s a bit of romance in there too, but I especially enjoy the poli…”
Pfft!
“I’m sorry!” Zeno rapidly apologized as she rapidly tried to stifle her laughter. Unfortunately, the harder she tried to control it, the worse her laughter got. She eventually gave up trying to control herself. She gave in to the laughter, clutching her stomach as she crouched in front of Zeno and continually patted his shoulder. “Ah, sorry, sorry! You’re just too cute.”
Dark clouds hung over Lucius’s head. “What amuses you?”
“Rebellious youth? Isn’t that the same plot of the last three books you read?” Zeno laughed. “Do you love yourself that much? Little rebel Lulu?” Zeno teased as she got to her feet. She walked away from Lucius as she let out a cheerful sigh. “You’re so predictable. It’s no wonder you’re so predictable in battle.”
“I resent that,” Lucius shouted as he shot to his feet. “I am not predictable! Certainly more so in battle.”
“Heh, you don’t even realize how predictable you are,” Zeno challenged with a shrug of her shoulder. “You fight like you’re reading a manual. I can block all your moves with my eyes closed.” Zeno looked up at Razznik. “I’m not wrong, am I?” Razznik grunted. “See, Razz agrees with me.”
“He grunted!” Lucius pointed out. “That could mean a thousand things.”
“It means ‘Lulu’s an open book,’” Zeno confidently postulated.
“I’m not going to argue with you,” Lucius stated with a snort. “I battle with order and form. I battle with a plan, something you and your chaotic nonsense will never understand. I’ve seen you fight. All your attacks depend on luck to land. Sure, you have managed to bully all the weak grunts we’ve met so far, but any decent warrior with a good form will crush you to pieces. Right, Razznik?”
Razznik grunted once again.
“Hear that?” Lucius teased with a snarky grin. “Now, that is a grunt of approval.”
“It was the exact same thing!” Zeno shouted. “I knew you would say that! Like I said, predictable. You might say I need to depend on luck, but my enemies never know where the next attack will come from. Unlike you.”
“Hmph, the world is ruled by Order,” Lucius argued. “Everything must follow the rules. Fighting included. Attempting to go against order will only create chaos.”
“Shows what you know,” Zeno retorted. “Everything began from chaos. Chaos is the natural form of the world. Trying to suppress chaos is stupid.”
“There is no need to argue so much,” Razznik interrupted. Blazing red eyes coldly regarded the arguing duo as he placed the dragon tooth back in his inventory. “You are both wrong.”
Zeno scoffed. “What gives you the right to say that?”
“I…” Razznik pointed at himself. “…am stronger than you both,” he finished, pointing at both of them.
“Those fools calling you leader must have gone to your head.” Lucius cracked his knuckles. “To think you actually believe yourself stronger than me.”
“Belief is not necessary when fact exists.” Razznik rose to his feet, balancing the sword on his shoulder. “Both of you come. I will be generous and teach you the errors of your respective paths.”
Lucius turned to Zeno. “I do not know about you, but I have wanted to smack those eyes black and blue for quite some time.”
“For once, we agree,” Zeno said with gritted teeth. “Let’s knock some sense into him.”
Razznik stood on the boulder, glaring down at the duo beneath him. He raised his left hand. With a short wave, he commanded, “Come.”
BOOM!
The mountaintop exploded as three gargantuan aurae burst into the sky, heralding a battle like no other.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Bzzt!!!
Dark clouds gathered overhead as three oppressive aurae burst into the skies. Dense mana and ki charged the atmosphere, rendering it thick and heavy. Peals of lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the trio levitating in the air.
Razznik brandished his sword, a stern gaze leveled at the two opponents. Lucius was undoubtedly not an easy foe by any means. The hybrid took this seriously as he had adopted his werewolf form. Thick, snow-white white fur covered his back, abdomen, and sections of his arms and legs. Unlike other werewolves, however, his facial features did not alter much, preserving his calm, noble demeanor.
Zeno, on the other hand, adopted her draconian form. She grew a pair of beautiful purple wings and a deadly tail. A pair of curling horns on her forehead gave her a ferocious vibe boosted by a sardonic, toothy grin that screamed bloody murder.
Razznik did not pay any heed to their transformation. “I said co—”
“Watch me!” Zeno roared with excitement. She disappeared.
Razznik instantly shifted to the left and placed the flat of his blade on his right side. Bang! As expected, Zeno appeared at his right, a powerful right kick blocked by the blade. Zeno was not shocked by this block. Such a simple attack would never phase Razznik. As her leg bounced off the sword, her right hand, wrapped in pulsing dragon ki, smashed down.
“Block this!” The dragon laughed.
“Too easy,” Razznik snorted. He shifted the sword out of the path and caught the blow with his left. Boom! A hurricane erupted behind the swordsman, shattering mountains in its wake. Razznik’s angry red eyes blazed as he squeezed the fist.
Zeno pulled back, instantly retrieving her hand from Razznik’s grip. “How about this!?” She suddenly erupted with a thousand punches and kicks. She was too quick, often appearing above, behind, or below Razznik. She delivered hundreds of blows in the span of a few seconds, but Razznik’s sword easily kept pace with her.
The clashes evoked images of Armageddon, each blow emitting thunderous sounds that echoed for several miles. The sparks from their hits sparked a massive wildfire in the forest below, but neither of them cared.
“Too wild.” Razznik snorted. He suddenly tossed his sword to the front and punched at it. Surprisingly, Zeno appeared just in front of him, already throwing out a punch. Her fist smashed the sword’s face, but Razznik’s fist hit the other side at precisely the same time. Roiling ki traveled along the swordsman’s arm. Somehow, the ki channeled through the blade without harming it in the slightest.
BOOM!
The ki exploded upon collision with Zeno’s dragon ki. The impact sent the restless dragon flying. “Not yet!” Zeno roared and took a deep breath. Half a second later, she shot a fireball the size of a football field from her mouth with the speed of a bullet.
Razznik did not have the time to retrieve his sword. This was of no consequence. He twirled his fingers, and the blade rapidly rotated in place. The edge had his ki embedded in it at all times. The blade’s ki confronted the fireball, instantly shattering the fireball into large clusters of embers.
Razznik’s brows did not relax despite blocking the fireball. A microsecond after the fireball was dispersed, with the embers still flying out, a fur-covered hand smashed against the sword. In the next microsecond, the owner of that hand confronted Razznik directly.
Razznik cocked his head to the right. Lucius’ right hand brushed Razznik’s cheeks as it burst past. A heavy gale blew out, instantly killing the forest fire everywhere it passed. In return, however, trees and rocks were instantly uprooted and pulverized to dust.
Unlike Zeno, Lucius already had a thousand moves planned out in the event he missed. The hand that brushed past Razznik’s cheek opened up and clawed its way back. His left knee also shot up at precisely the same time.
Razznik ducked. Lucius’ right hand missed him, but he put himself directly in the path of Lucius’ knee. It was too late to dodge. Razznik’s palms crossed over his chest. Lucius’ knee crashed into his palm. The force blasted Razznik upward, where he was met with Lucius’ left arm, charged with glowing wolf ki.
Razznik managed to spin in place and once again block the blow with his palms. However, the force still sent him crashing to the ground.
BOOM! BOOM!
Razznik hit the earth at the same time as his sword. A massive crater formed around the swordsman at the epicenter. The blade cleaved the mountain in two and crashed several dozens of meters beneath the earth.
The sword’s energy obliterated everything within three miles. This set off a catastrophic chain reaction that ultimately resulted in the awakening of a dormant volcano. Unbeknownst to everyone on the surface, rivers of lava swiftly funneled their way up the path cleaved open by the sword.
On the surface, Razznik. He raised his head to meet a large, clawed hand reaching for his face. “Predictable,” Razznik admonished. He grabbed the arm with his right hand.
Bam!
Lucius did not have time to express his shock before he was slammed onto the ground. The ground caved beneath the force, and Lucius was forced to gasp for breath.
“Order Without Chaos is Stagnation.”
Lucius barely had time to process what that phrase meant before a dark sole consumed his vision. “Schcuck!” The proud vampire swore and rolled to the side. Just in time, too, as Razznik’s boot struck the earth.
Boom!
The earth shook like a megaton earthquake had hit it. Unable to withstand the strain, it split in two, forming a mile-long ravine.
Lucius was blasted away by subsequent shockwaves . This bastard is striking to kill! Lucius angrily slammed the ground and hopped to his feet. If Razznik wanted to play things seriously, he would return the favor. He charged at Razznik, only to find Zeno had already beaten him to the punch.
Razznik smirked as seven identical Zenos, each with flames wrapped around their limbs, attacked him simultaneously from all directions.
He was familiar with this technique. It was not as shallow as a simple clone technique or the afterimages Phantom Thieves used to deceive their enemies. These bodies were all the real Zeno, each containing just a little less power than the original body. The only thing equally shared among them was the initial pool of mana. But in the case of a monster like Zeno, that did not mean anything.
When one divided infinity by 7, what would they get?
Zeno took this battle seriously. Her eyes were wild with joy as she roared, “Wild enough for you!?” She did not wait for Razznik to answer before the seven bodies indiscriminately punched or kicked at the swordsman.
Looking from the outside, it was like Hell itself descended on Earth. Pillars of flames accompanied every punch and kick, some small, some large. As if alive, the fire fed into each other, growing exponentially within the blink of an eye. In less than the time it took to blink, a giant pillar of flames swallowed the eight figures.
Eight figures could barely be seen flitting about within the chaos at speeds imperceptible to the human eye.
“Adding more chaos to an already chaotic situation.” Razznik’s cold voice came from within the flames. “I do not blame you. Most people react the same way when something does not work the first time.” Within the flames, the Zenos could not hide their shock as Razznik suddenly sped up, his fists turning into a blur even they could not follow. There was no need to mention how fast those fists were if even Zeno could not follow them. “I myself lean toward Chaos when I seek solutions to my problems…”
Whooosh…
A storm formed around Razznik as his fists rapidly blocked and parried the Zenos’ attacks with unbelievable ease. The Zenos angrily increased their speed in response to Razznik’s obstinate defense. They refused to believe the seven of them could not bring down this monster.
“However, you must be careful not to lose yourself in Chaos,” Razznik continued.
“Shut up!” Zeno roared as she clawed at his head. To her shock, Razznik completely disappeared right in front of her. The seven Zenos froze in place. They had been so engrossed in their attack that for a brief moment, their brains were muddled when their target of attack suddenly disappeared.
In a battle between monsters, a brief moment was often the difference between life and death.
“There is no merit to a chaotic battle if you yourself get swept up in it.”
Zeno looked up to see Razznik’s fist stretched out several meters above them. “Damn!” Zeno shouted as a massive cyclone enveloped her. Razznik, this bastard was not the kind type. Typically, one would talk before attacking, giving their opponent a chance to at least counter. Razznik, on the other hand, had not only launched his attack but waited until it couldn’t be dodged before speaking.
Zeno cursed as she rapidly reformed into one body and raised a mana shield. The cyclone smacked the shield with extreme prejudice! Zeno could not stave off the force. The cyclone pushed the shield until she crashed into the earth.
WHOOSH!
The cyclone exploded outward upon impact with the earth. The flame pillars were instantly extinguished as the gale swept up everything in its path. What little trees remained within several miles were uprooted by the cyclone and blown away. Within moments all that was left was barren land for miles, with deep gashes in the earth telling the tale of the terror wrought.
“Chaos Without Order is Extinction,” Razznik unhurriedly finished his lecture as he dropped to the earth.
Lucius appeared next to Zeno and helped her to her feet while casting a wary glance at Razznik. Damn, did this guy not know the concept of going easy? He was certain Zeno would have been in serious trouble if she didn’t block that cyclone in time. That the felt the need to accumulate her strength in one body was proof enough of just how dangerous that move was. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Zeno replied with a grateful nod. She, too, cast a wary glance Razznik’s way. Only now did she truly understand what Razznik meant by Order within Chaos. During their short exchange, they had both relied on chaos to attack and counter. However, while she got lost in her attack, Razznik began to accumulate energy while attacking, planning his next attack. She did not doubt in her mind that even if his move failed for any reason, he had a backup in mind.
So, this was what was meant by Order in Chaos?
Lucius, on the other hand, was quite sharp. Immediately Razznik caught his arm and admonished him with ‘Predictable,’ he understood what Razznik was getting at. As a noble son of Dracula, he was trained in a particular set of techniques. These techniques carried the philosophy of ‘Absolute Order’ preached by the vampires. Till now, he had yet to face anyone who was his match in battle, so his predictability was never exposed. After all, what was the use of predicting his attacks if he could still punch through whatever shield they put up?
This sort of brute strength to overpower predictability was acceptable in Earth’s realm.
However, they were now in the Netherrealm!
You could throw a stone here and hit any number of powerful enemies. If he carried that mentality into future battles, he would one day get found out! At that time, it would be too late to wonder how and why he died.
Ah, no wonder Razznik used so much force! He wanted them to realize the danger their lives were in. Lucius could not help but look at Razznik in a brand new light. This human might be anti-social, mean-spirited, battle-hungry, mad… uh.
Lucius realized there were too many bad adjectives attached to Razznik, so he skipped to the praise. Despite all these considerably enormous bad qualities, Razznik was a man who looked out for his companions.
Lucius respected that about him.
“Supposing you two are not absolute idiots, you should have figured it out by now.”
‘Fuck this fucker! Give me back my goodwill!’ Lucius was absolutely furious, but he forced himself to remember Razznik had just essentially saved his life, so he calmed himself.
Razznik pointed at Lucius with his left hand. “Chaos in Order,” then pointed at Zeno with his right. “…and Order in Chaos.” He then clasped his palms together. “Only when you understand how to mesh Order and Chaos effectively will you truly be strong.”
Zeno and Lucius revealed ponderous looks. They digested Razznik’s words, intending on slowly ruminating on their meaning over time. Indeed, this was not a concept they could completely assimilate in one moment. Even if their heads understood, it would take time for the body to follow.
Luckily, this was the Netherrealm. There was no shortage of people to ‘practice’ on.
“Tutorial’s over.” Razznik’s cold voice dragged the duo back to reality. They stared incredulously as Razznik raised his hand. The earth began to tremble beneath their feet, accompanied by a loud rumbling sound.
BOOM!
Zeno and Lucius’s cringed as a black sword burst out of the earth. Its arrival was celebrated by a massive lava stream shooting out of the earth as if launched by a geyser. The lava stream reached as high as thirty meters high before spreading out over miles.
Rocks, small and large, flaming and bare, were indiscriminately launched across the plains. Craters formed where they smashed the earth, and soon, the world was once again engulfed in flames.
The man responsible for this chaotic scene, Razznik, remained unfazed by the destruction. His gaze remained even as the black sword flew over and nestled its hilt in his grip. Razznik’s aura skyrocketed, causing the air around him to distort and shift. He pointed the blade at Zeno and Lucius. “I shall not hold back this time. Come!”
Lucius let out a wry laugh. ‘ That was you not holding back?’ Despite his chuckle, he tapped his chest. A katana’s hilt slowly protruded from a small vortex that appeared in his chest. He grasped the hilt and drew out a slim but long blood-red katana. He casually waved the blade to his right.
BOOM!
A truck-sized portion of the earth was instantly uprooted. The rock fell back to the earth, sliding back into place like it had never left. Such was the unbelievable sharpness of the strike.
To Lucius’ left, Zeno’s entire body burst into blue flames. The earth beneath her feet turned to glass from the sheer searing heat. However, this was not as simple as a fire body. She had truly turned into an elemental. With this body, physical attacks were rendered utterly meaningless.
The duo’s transformation did not faze Razznik. The smallest of smiles tugged at the corner of his lips. “I’ve been waiting.”
Lucius and Zeno shared a look then nodded, swiftly coming to an agreement. Their auras also charged to the sky as they charged at the swordsman. “We’re coming!”
Present Day
Nama Woods.
“Well, well, who won!?” Zuri questioned, jumping up and down in frustration. Rider had chosen to end the story at the climax! What kind of monster would do that!?
“The winner isn’t important.” Rider laughed and patted Zuri’s head. “More importantly, did you learn anything from the story?”
“Yes! Yes!” Zuri exclaimed. Clenching her fists, she said, “Uh… um, punching and kicking is good. But, um, um… Zuri should not just punch and kick… um, um, Zuri should… plan?” Her initial confidence waned the further she spoke. By the end, it was more of a question than a statement.
“Correct! Zuri is indeed the smartest.” Rider praised. He had come to admire this simple girl. Praises like these were the best motivators for pure-hearted people like her. “You are the chaotic type. There’s no need to change that. But you should also plan. It will reduce the chances of being sneak attacked by your opponent. Remember, Chaos within Order, and Order within Chaos.”
“Order in Chaos…” Zuri muttered under her breath. She said something more, but Rider could not catch it.
“What was that?”
“Uh…” Zuri muttered something under her breath again.
Curious about what this young girl could be pondering so seriously about, Rider crouched so he could hear. He had just drawn level with her when a fist suddenly struck him square in the nose.
Pow!
“Yay! Plan! My plan worked!” Zuri excitedly celebrated. “Hehe, Zuri is indeed the smartest!” She patted Rider’s shoulder, her nose drawn up with a childishly smug grin. “Don’t feel bad, Grey Ojii-san, Zuri is a genius!”
Rider stared in shock at the young girl whose sparkling eyes were searching his for approval. Her broad, innocent, almost naïve laugh unlocked a part of the hybrid he had forgotten for the longest time.
Rider threw back his head and laughed hard. He bellowed until tears began to stream down his eyes. No one knew if these were tears of joy or tears of sorrow. A thousand years of buried emotions erupted in one moment. Every barrier he had put up in the past millennium was smashed to pieces by this little girl. No, it should be said, she simply bypassed the barriers. This was the scary ability of innocence.
Zuri could not know all of this. All she knew was that she punched the grey ojii-san, and he started crying. She panicked. “Zuri’s sorry! Sorry, Ojii-san. Don’t cry, please. Zuri won’t do it again. Please stop crying…” Soon, she too began to cry. She wrapped her hands around Rider’s neck. “Stop crying. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Zuri promises.”
The warm tears on Rider’s cheek woke him from his stupor. He quickly composed himself and began patting Zuri’s back. He consoled her, promising her he was fine now. He continually thanked her, but she only let go after he had promised about a hundred times that he was okay. Even then, it wasn’t until he started laughing that she finally believed him and released him.
Zuri released her hold and sized up Rider, skepticism in her eyes. “Zuri did not know Grey Ojii-san is so weak. Zuri will try to control Zuri’s strength next time.”
Rider nearly spat blood. Weak? Him? If he was weak, was there anyone alive who dared to call themselves strong? The hybrid did not know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, he chuckled and patted Zuri’s head. “Do you want to go on a trip? We can train as we travel.”
Zuri’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Where are we going?”
Rider’s gaze turned to the west. “I need to see an old friend…”