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Even though Sanju has reunited with his long-lost father, he still hasn't overcome the death of his mentor--Miss Siska has been his class' favorite lecturer in Garuda University before she got killed by Maha. Seriously, that bastard swung his finger which made her got sliced in half like he was slicing a bread. When she fell down from the impact, the blood poured in quick speed as her pupils suddenly disappeared.

Nobody could avert their eyes even Sanju, one moment she told everyone to maintain calm and the other moment she got torn in half-head-to-legs by him without any effort. His friends hasn't overcome it, more worse Haruna was unable to accept her death and he was starting to resent Sanju after he left them to join Silver Slumbering Dragon. Because of that, their close friendship has crumbled until he disappear and never been seen again with Sanju no longer wanting to get involved.

Miss Siska cared a lot for her students. And Sanju... He thought that his first encounter with the Elder Council was horrifying. After witnessing the massacre happened to her, it would take a lot of time for the students who could surpass it, knowing his nightmare will never change nor ended from within the unconscious mind. He watched his friends died by Maha's hands, making him feel inferior and unable to stop him. Tired of being weak, he decided to awaken as a Garuda Raksha--believing that could be his redemption to amend his weakness.

But now, he finally able to forgive himself after he met Haruna again after two months--he felt some sort of ease after he came to meet him despite not fully facing him. Now he realized the true meaning of strength and weaknesses, and why it doesn't worth. He was once like him before the incident, but no longer after it happened.

By the time, he has another free time.

Sanju recalled everything in the past, watching the framed photo of him with his friends back in Indonesia--where the Garuda University students gathered around for a whole class photo with Miss Siska. There he saw Haruna, Damian, Juha, Masaki, Kirana, Kanae, Akito, Raiden and lastly Sanju himself. He really missed those memories before the Phantom Eruption, he sighed as he set the picture frame on the table. He faced the window and saw the clouds in the clear blue sky, before decided to touch some grass.

He went into the lawn and walk towards the empty garden that were made of trees and bushes, he entered the garden. 'Better than anything else, these emotions... Why I feel like those in the past is better in terms of 'maturity',' he thought, walking forward where he usually look at the garden filled with flowers. Sanju shrieked when he felt someone hugging him from behind, it was Kinana! Good grief, the young teen always surprising him despite his alert and careful nature.

"Kinana, how many times have I told you not to sneak up behind me? And it always works on me..."

Sanju scolded after Kinana pulling that prank on him recently, folding his arms with a firm look and turning away from her--slightly irritated. Kinana could only respond with a giggle as she sheepishly look at him, seeing that he's pissed over it. Then, he gave her a head pat and walked forward, he need some peace.

"Althair told me that I need some training from you," Kinana spoke, making him stopped and turning around to look down at her. "Sorry?"

Sanju thought he heard that wrong, aren't Kinana suppose to be an ordinary human? Kinana continued. "I was told by Althair to be trained by you, well... I'm a pilot for my genetically engineered warrior that possesses superhuman perception," she explained, making him even more surprised that she's a pilot for something Althair assigned her. "I need your assistance, because you could've done to help," she said with a smile, putting her hand on her chest. Sanju could only sigh, however, he was relieved that she is ready and smiled. "Very well. I'm going to teach you how to be a better pilot," he responded, before he folded his arms. "What assistance do you need help with?"

"Sometimes... I can't control my emotions when I can do it, so I know that you've been experiencing a psychological breakdown after that guy causing it. I don't want to make this mistake, because I didn't want this to happen and Althair have assigned me to be your student."

Alright, how did it happen? Here's a brief flashback...

One day, Althair summoned everyone to the central hall--he was introducing his team to Sanju and his team while they also getting to know each other. Turns out, Kinana actually knows them very well but not all of them are suitable mentors for her.

Icha Tanoewijaya or Icha; the twenty-one years old Indonesian researcher and member of Garden of Destiny has arrived with a bored and composed expression, blowing her bubblegum from her mouth. She has a long black hair that has blunt bangs along long bangs fell on her cheeks and over her eyes with two-toned purple braids and purple hair, ivory complexion with slightly tan shades and violet eyes. Wearing a black formal shirt with red belt straps on her chest to her waist, red tie on her collars, black corset around her waist and dark purple short skirt with white belt and red bracelet on her left wrist. With black knee-length socks and one platform ankle boots with darker heels, she also has umbrella on her hand.

Icha is a composed and chill individual who love to play games at her free time, she believed the world she was born is 'simulation' of world and people made by an omniscient being. So, she have a slight fatalism belief about the purpose and the world itself, often kept her cool in any given situation but also had a bad habit of refusing to cooperate with others when there's nothing she's interested to do, her hobby is playing game with other players in consoles with virtual reality sets. Her abilities? Alternate Reality Verse to create a blast zone around her, she can cause explosion in the real and VR worlds.

And lastly--Aldiano Tatum or Aldiano; the Indonesian member and Arbiter of Silver Slumbering Dragon stood across them with his arms crossed, his face was entirely covered by his black and dark blue mask so no one can see his face. He has a large build and adorned from head to toe in metal-like plating, a mechanical lifeform and metal humanoid who never speaks to anyone. When he has blue shades underneath his mask while wearing a cloak which his cloak is very long as the cape is very wide as tornados appear on his shoulders, having black long bangs and long sideburns framing his head. Aldiano came from the Oxavian race due to their mecha-like kinds, since he came from the Old World after he survived the cataclysm with a certain ally.

Sanju was awkward by seeing Aldiano for the first time, as much he wanted to say hello to the mecha-humanoid but he didn't say a word--only fond to Kinana who was familiar with him. Aldiano don't really speak at all, he prefer being silent and only said few words for the others. He knows that Althair said his name when he told him who are the current members and not to mention Icha being introduced in the line too. "Uhm... hello?" he tried to speak to him, waving at him awkwardly which makes Aldiano raised his eyebrow underneath his mask but didn't say a word.

Haruse looked back at Althair who nodded to the mecha humanoid, making him turned to talk to Sanju. Raiden was in awe to see the mecha-humanoid for the first time, he was so excited that he wanted to touch his limb to look how does it works.

"Sanjaya, that is Aldiano Tatum or Aldiano, the Oxavian Sentry of Silver Slumbering Dragon--he came from the Old World," Renata spoke, telling him that he has always been part of Althair's team since the old days. "Don't ask him to remove his mask, or else he might blast a lot of missiles at your face," Haruse finished when Icha raised her eyebrows, Aldiano held the massive assault weapon with shoulder on his right shoulder which make sense of what Haruse just stated earlier.

"HUH?!"

End of Flashback...

Sanju was pale upon learning about the mentors who supposed to be guiding Kinana, turns out none of them are suitable for her to be her mentor for her missions and lessons due to their different ideals and methods. And of course, the unhandled personality is hard to handle as usual. "There's another member, his name is Rajasa Salihin or known as Salihin, but... he always absent because he was Althair's 'scriptwriter' for his future predictions. Also, he's a mysterious psychic youthful Raksha... I don't know why he always smile with his eyes closed. It reminds me of a fox and... a snake. It's not that he's cunning or something, but..." Kinana trailed off, feeling a bit unsettled due to how he's always speaking in a polite tone or his eerie and creepy smile and laughing.

Okay, nevermind. He won't ask again.

"Those are the mentors, I see... how about that Aldiano guy?" Sanju asked, curious what his reason to be with them. "Oh... he's very kind, but he was too busy with fighting Phantom Beasts so... yeah."

"At least, you can tell me who it was like, but... the Oxavian Sentry? Hm, this is my first time learning about that."

"Sorry... I need a little bit rest after..."

Kinana stated that she got overworked when she took part in a group meditation by Aldiano, making her drained after being controlled to meditate and try to awaken her power. "Yeah, it's boring. Not to mention, Icha has her own way to do everything and I--uh... can't handle."

She covered her mouth after revealed her tongue slip, she's not really in the mood of being controlled by Aldiano's stern lectures or Icha's IT-world views. Not only that, Salihin is so fucking intimidating and hard to comprehend if he explain things about her mission because she has difficulty to follow his lecture.

Sanju nodded, he knew Aldiano and Icha were somewhat 'instability and has no patience' because of their lifestyles and traditions that they cannot adapt due to their people's misunderstandings. "Well then, you want me to teach you how to control your emotions and how you can manage your anger... no matter what it is, we should better control ourselves," he said that has been teaching her more control of her powers, and hoping to pass through her final stage before moving on to her next tasks. "Come with me, my father's been waiting for you because he told me about it," he added, gesturing her to follow him.

Sanju managed to convince his father Radithya to helped him in training her to be capable pilot, believing that she has good skills to pilot due to her persistence, drive, willpower and perseverance with potential and compassion. At first, Radithya love to learn new things--but he tends to be careful after that tragic encounter which led him to seek for the Core of the Samsara after knowing about the consequences in finding the Legendary Core of Samsara.

Radithya wasn't taking new member before, but seeing Sanju looking much more better and gaining some energy rather than grieving in mental pain was progressively making him regain his faith with Silver Slumbering Dragon. As much as he doesn't want his son to not be involved in the external affairs outside the organization, he shouldn't be selfish when Sanju already made up his mind about being the member of said organization.

"Alright, where should we start?" Radithya asked, looking at Kinana and Sanju as he placed his hands on the table. "Perhaps to the basics of her roles and seeing what should she do to bring balance and make sure there's no Phantom Beasts attacking the bystanders, how would you think, father?"

"Ah, this should be it."

Radithya was thinking, he doesn't how else to go about it. For Kinana's current main job from the upper, she has the mission of collecting the Cores of the Samsara that scattered around the world. The purpose is, according to Althair, is to discover about the Phantom Samsara through collecting them and preventing the world from this 'cancerous object' or so the Elders called them. When they succeeded, he, Haruse and Sanju were promoted (unbeknownst to Sanju that he had been promoted without him knowing) and received the same status as the inner team of Silver Slumbering Dragon which they could participate in critical missions or war only (depends on their roles that Althair assigned them, or missions required them to accept or refuse).

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Thus, Kinana must control her emotions while Sanju always making sure she take a care when dealing with the situations regarding the missions from Althair. "After this, you can learn more things from my friends in my team," Sanju added, he can rely on Akito, Raiden, Kanae, Senja and Karina to teach Kinana on the ways that can provide useful information. Kinana nodded, determined that she didn't want her abilities to be harmful to someone. "Alright! Which members should I talk to first?" Kinana asked curiously, she seems ready to meet them now and will not waste any time in learning.

"Hm... perhaps you can start from Akito, but don't get baited by his womanizing attitude and be sure he won't speak bad things about any girls. Then, Kanae for her calm exterior and have manner that needs time to be able to socialize and get along with a person since she was rather shut off from the outside except her teammates," the young Adinata explained, then he added. "Then, Senja and Karina are helpful as well... not sure about Senja though (because he's hard to be persuade), but Karina can be a bit nicer if you offer her homemade food and gifts."

He was hesitating if he should recommending Senja since his teammates have the impression that Senja would change himself into a delinquent in front of her at times (not the delinquent with full of bravado), thus making them confused or not knowing how to deal with him when it comes to Kinana.

The first member is Akito, he was flirting with ladies in the road (although PDA is prohibited in Egypt) of Cairo until Kinana encountered him--she had to get his attention by... well, acting childish to keep the girls away from him.

"Akito, how could you! I thought you wanted to train me so I can become stronger!"

Akito froze when he heard the little girl's voice, making the girls becoming surprised and looking back at them, wondering what's going on. "W-Whaaa--"

"I thought you were here to help me to train... did you forget about it? Because that's not like the real Akito I knew."

WHAT THE FUCK--Akito had to smack his forehead and look at her with the 'what the hell are you doing?!' expression on his face. Then, it gets worse.

"You're a meanie, Aki!"

Kinana was starting to bawl her eyes out and calling Akito a liar, one of the girls who he was starting to flirt with starting to slap his face in a row and left him. The Insect Raksha was growling a little, but he can't scold the fifteen years old because Kinana is too naive. "Ouch... Tsk, fine. Let's go, I knew that you'll have a test-run sooner than expected."

Ah shit... Akito cursed a little to himself when he heard the rumors about him until Sanju was watching them from the sidelines and shaking his head. It seems it goes pretty well when it came to Kinana and his stupidity, but... better not let Kanae involved at all costs.

"So that's why Kinana had to catch his attention or making him regret on not helping her?"

Senja stared at his friend as if he was a moron, holding a sign which said 'Seriously?' and he wasn't asking because he was staring at him with disapproving look before Raiden snorted. Kanae was sleeping on the couch while Karina was solving her Rubik's cube that has a complex pattern due to she figured that she need some pass time before taking a good rest. Yukito was in charge of monitoring Sanju's team (because he was eighteen like the rest of them) and ensuring their safety, but shit happens when his younger twin Akito keep pestering him about how he isn't that 'cheeky' with girls because he prefer to show them respect and not being rude.

Sanju watched Kinana slowly getting along with his friends in his team, he was busy learning how to bake cookies--not only he was an owner of a four to five-stars resort (while his father is a chef and restauranteur of his restaurant in his resort) but he's also a youth with a mind of businessman--he's very cruel when it comes to someone opposing him in competing. His father is also ruthless when it comes to business, having his resort has been renovated since Sanju own it--he managed his resort that has been the most popular attraction until today.

That's why he's aware on what should be the most responsible choices despite there's a possibility that he might lose his sanity after Maha ruined his life, experimenting him, and killed his mentor and his other friends. Screw this bastard, he never forgive him for what he has done and kill his late-mentor.

"Sanjaya, what are you making?"

Renata asked, sitting on the kitchen counter that made him flinched by her presence, but he remained calm and collected when he responded. "Is there something you need, Renata?" he asked, although she sneaked up to him when he was secretly baking cookies (that somehow was Akito's request so he won't pester him) for himself. "Is that for Kinana? I think she wants cookies since she told Althair about her favorite cookies and she seem depressed when she woke up yesterday," she spoke in a gentle tone, smiling which relieved the young teen who think she's going to flirt with him and seduce him into her embrace. "Is that so? Ah, Althair is too soft for her... tell her that I'm making my cookies for her."

Sanju replied, after mixing the chocolate chips and the brown dough while making the NYC-based cookies. Renata decided to watch over him baking the cookies, he sighed to himself while Kinana already got the favor from him. She put the tray on the table while baking the rest, so far she almost overdone it when she accidentally mixed the ingredient. 'I wonder why she has to make a lot of...' he thought when Renata chuckled, thinking that Sanju is an adorable person (again). "Can you tell her to come here? I'm busy with this at the moment," Sanju said, managing the table with Renata--seeing how it is organized.

Soon, Kanae and Kinana came here after knowing about the request for fresh cookies made by Sanju himself. Raiden was so excited as he was about to barge inside, until Akito smack his head (again, because he should respect the guests) which made the latter growled at him. After baking the cookies, Kanae was looking at the fresh cookies while Raiden was drooling all over the counter--it made Senja and Akito prepared their fist before smacking his head. "Sorry, he got a weird habit. It's normal with his idiocy when it comes to food but since it's his first time, I apologize," he rubbed the back of his head, scolding him.

"Raiden, please behave."

"Sorry..." Raiden muttered, he had a large bump on his head now. Kinana actually liked the way Sanju bake them, the sweet scent of the cookie and the appearance is not only tasty--but aesthetic.

After all, Kinana was a cute person. They can't deny that she's adorably cute. Sanju had the sweet treats for her and Kanae to enjoy while the twin brothers were eating the cookies which resulted in Akito slap the shit out of Raiden for messing with him and eating his cookies--they ended up fought until Yukito scolded them that they shouldn't mess around Althair's kitchen (it's his mansion after all) with Ayana (Althair's mother) entering and stopping them. It took a while for them to manage, including when Akito had to apologize to Sanju and thanks him for making him cookies. "Wait, Althair has a mom?"

Oh right, they didn't know that--Ayana is also a mother of Althair and an Indonesian like him. They never met her in person, because she always busy with her job in her lab that create supernatural weaponry and technology under the organization. "Oooh!" Raiden nodded, he seemed to approve of the fact which it's somewhat make sense and Sanju frowned a little before looking at Akito with stern look.

"Kinana... I hope you remember what I've told you from what my late-mentor told me. She always tell us about how the Samsara is always balance, by good and evil energy within you. Sometimes, we need to make sure that we will create a healthy dose of peace and find a solution," he told Kinana, before he explained. "Remember, Rakshas are closely related to the gods--well demigods I mean. Not all of them are bad, because sometimes... it always depends on you whether you want to succumb to your nature or being someone greater by having control and learn."

"All throughout this time, I have been nothing but a... weak person to be admitted in this organization. That's why I need to rise above being weak and protecting people with utmost patience and strength, having to protect my friends--all the way from two months ago."

Sanju began to tell her more about the things that their lecturer told them, making Kinana grew curious but understand what he meant--he had to become the 'next replacement' for their late-mentor even though he's just a class monitor. Soon, Salihin also arrived and seeing Sanju mentoring Kinana in many different matters, it amused him.

"Salihin, you're absent again."

Renata teased the closed-eyed psychic, approaching him with her folded arms and mysterious smile.

Rajasa Salihin or Salihin; the 'scriptwriter' for Althair and an Indonesian member of Silver Slumbering Dragon, he was in charge of minutes and ensuring that everything goes well with the 'script' that he translated from Althair. He has a short scruffy white hair with messy bangs and light ashen shades underneath-with the longer part of his hair pulled into ponytail on his back with black ribbon, his uneven bangs fell upon his closed eyes and cheeks-and he has a porcelain complexion.

He wears a white sleeveless jacket that is unbuttoned at the collarbone area, black choker on his white formal shirt's collar, a black sleeveless blazer that is attached to a black high waisted shorts with a black belt, along a red fabric that is hanging off his right shoulder over his ankles with black knee-high boots with heel as he wears a bracelets and light blue bead around his right ankle--a slings of two gun holsters on each of his thighs. He has four purple jade stone rings and golden triangular pendant necklace, along a medallion as earring on his right earlobe--which is adorned with the four jade rings. He wears a black gloves, accompanied with a dark purple shades as accessories.

He is a mysterious psychic Raksha, simply acted as Althair's 'scriptwriter' because of his ability to foresee future possibilities. He always kept his eyes close and smiling most of the time that make him mysterious, he was ordered by Althair to remain away from the public and doing an observation for the situation in Cairo. He could communicate them without being with them since his predictions will always come true after all.

He was the one who was warning the danger in the city, because of the Core mustn't be released or seen.

"Althair has a mission for all of you, we're going to Luxor Temple tonight. There was a crystallized lotus inside the temple that has the Core of the Samsara within, be sure to keep this mission covert--that was the message of the vision," he informed, informing everyone that it was Althair's suggestion and orders to them--mostly, the mission should be done covert because it must be done discreetly. "We'll 'distract' the Nirvana Organization's Egyptian Branch, we don't want them to intervene at all cost in this mission. We got a message from the Upper," Yukito spoke, informing everyone else.

"You mean they're hiding something from there?"

Kanae asked before Haruse spoke. "Perhaps, but it seems to me that the elders must be preparing something that we must prevent in any cost before this can go to the worst. Let's do what we have to do, the best we could do is this..."

They watched as Althair pulled a map of the city and pinned with the dot of red for the pyramid as their destination when he pointed.

"The Core is still inside the temple and crystallized, and I've got a call from with one of Nirvana Organization's member of Egyptian Branch--one of them, his name is Arsyad Hassan. He's working together with the Interpol and Indonesian authorities which means all of them were here because the victims of the attack are Indonesian tourists, you know how difficult this is... right?"

"What is his rank?"

Renata asked, she leaned over and watched her comrades surrounded the table with the map. "He was the Director that represents Egyptian Branch, from what I've told, he's a young man and capable to control the situation. He reported there was three people who triggered that core and got exposed, for example once they made contact with the raw Phantom Energy reaction, they will become Phantom Beast to the point of no control."

Althair responded, Haruse nodded when he stared at the map. "The Samsara Core might appear too, considering some archaeological team had been fooled so many times. Perhaps they might be an organized team of an archaeologists that is affiliated with that core, in search for a suitable bearer."

Sanju then nodded to that explanation as he folded his arms, while Ryoma flipped the page through the files the information provided. "So, it looks like we need to visit Luxor Temple too?"

Raiden asked curiously, before Yukito read the information from the screen while he's typing in the system. "From what I've observed the information given by the Director, it seems this is a warning given by the locals which written ' warning for the unintended adventurers' here."

Yukito responded to them. He brought the image of the warning at the side, showing the ancient hieroglyph of the word that said _'warning to the adventurers'_. Akito snorted, his sharp dark brown eyes went wide and look away when he saw the hieroglyph. Althair nodded, he announced. "So, I'll give you guys 'yes' for the trip. But, DON'T let your cover blown," he warned them with seriousness, it made Senja felt little intimidated by him while he stood across them.

"Yes, sir!"

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