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Phantom Samsara: Path of Asura
Chapter XVII: Over The Edge

Chapter XVII: Over The Edge

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They split up individually in order to unlock each keys to exit the huge aircraft, which means they have to destroy the domains and the Generals themselves. Each doors appeared as the number increases, on the other side of the place... there were Elite Commanders of different nations--but it doesn't matter. They are threats to the World Government, since they couldn't do anything about it--the Nirvana Organization had to deal with this entire mess.

Haruna entered the area that filled with nature, he could sense a Raksha-like energy around here--making him suspect that this domain belonged to the Earth Raksha. It seems like the Core already chosen the host, making him alerted.

"Good day, visitor."

The Earth Raksha; one who commands the nature and the evergreen greeted, standing in front of him with elegance--with a Brahmastra; Nature of Bhumi was held on her hand that took form of the sash. She was an Indonesian girl who was around his age, presumably eighteen years old. Wearing a Raksha's mask with the form of the fairytale-like style of the elves, adorned with similar type like them. Her eyes are shimmering with burgundy orbs and the golden hue, along the sharp black pupils like the rest of the Rakshas and has burgundy-purple eyeshadow. Wearing a traditional hairpin with black, gold and red fan ornament tied parts of her hair behind her ears by pulling them back--with golden dangles hanging and her bangs that framing her forehead went longer and pulled to the back with bangs between her face--her hair extended longer to her knees and not her waist. A pair of four-petaled white flower with fan headdress hanging on the two sides of her head with golden dangles, along the earrings on her ears.

Her clothing consists of empress-like black dress with separate sleeves, black bodysuit underneath and red sash around her waist with golden medallion attached on the front. Also wearing a jarik around her waist to her knees and black tights, with cleopatra-like platinum sandals with high platforms--her weapon was a black and gold umbrella with a black veil attached added with the embroidery of red, black and gold flowers. She has bracelets on her wrists and ankle too.

Haruna had to be careful when he observed her appearance as he blinked, before he huffed. "Well look at that, Earth Raksha. I don't know your name, but from the report in Nirvana Organization... your name is... Nadine Sastrawijaya?" he guessed, assuming his 'hypothesis' if she did become the Raksha. The Earth Raksha giggled when she waved her fan and closed it swiftly. "You're correct," she smirked. "Our plan will have to wait since I feel an unfamiliar energy source, there were more of us appearing in other groups..." she muttered to herself, her voice sounds similar. Is this her form she just received in the Earth Raksha Core? This kind of confused the man as he doesn't mind fighting one, but still be very cautious.

Haruna close his eyes before he transformed into his Celestial Raksha form, before he smirked as he began to face her.

"Alright, show me what you got, punk!" he taunted like a gangster, making Nadine facepalmed at this... he won't stop, does he? "Celestial Raksha... please," she shrugged in slight distaste, she folded her fan as she swing her Brahmastra towards him--revealing the thorny vines that launching at him. Haruna activate his catalyst-like skill through his fists, which is his gauntlet-like Brahmastra known as Nakshatra's Visionary--he made a huge blow from his fist against her attack--retaliating, but she clashed his attacks with her fist; making his eyes widened as he clenched his jaw, with two small cracks appearing on his fist.

What the fuck... this is the first time he encountered the strongest enemy, this makes Haruna slightly distracted as he grunted. Fighting alone or training with his team? This two opponents won't be much different, his experience helped him learn more about his own opponents abilities. "Okay, this is getting fun," he commented, noticing the roots crawling towards him before he grasped them--clenching all of them with his two hands as he creates a thermal heat from his hands and fire heat ball--creating a flames to burnt down the roots that made her even more surprised of his move. Her vines weren't the only things that made her shocked from his power, in fact.. the vines came out from the ground made her look like an expert against her foe.

"Why you!" she snapped, before she made an attack again with a sway of her sash--creating many plantation-like elements come from the ground. However, he's not defeated just yet! He's a skilled Celestial-type Phantom Raider who endured many troubles to avoid sudden attacks that's gonna take him down. "I may be a Phantom Raider soon... but I'm a Raksha as well," he muttered, before he jumped and made a fist against her feet-resulting her fall. "And this Raksha won't fucking down!" he shouted, making her hiss in distaste as she can't believe a newbie can easily knock her off-but...

Nadine gasped when he appeared above her, before her body hit the floor and she saw a face of this newbie--he gave a cocky grin of triumph and it make her expression became stunned for a moment when he aimed the edge of his palm on her chin. The Earth Raksha yelled as she summoned huge sentient roots from the trees around them and was about to smash against him until Haruna made a void portal in front of him, shooting him straight to her until he used his polearm-like gauntlet that made his way towards her.

Seriously, one ability wasn't enough to beat his ass, so she decided to unleashed her 'true' power as she made a snap of her finger and the ground was moving. "First it was earthquakes..." he muttered, before his eyes widened as she smirked and pointed him with her index finger. "... and Seconds..." she snapped as Haruna became shocked when the leaves from the trees were moving in fast velocity-like speed. "... it was whirlwinds!" she exclaimed, grabbing the giant tree with her hand with her fingers spread--and the tree was thrown towards him.

Haruna took a deep breath, concentrating on his chi as he began to bend the wind direction and used his two fingers to change the course of direction-slamming against the trunk of the tree and then his gauntlet turned into a rapier-like a weapon to pierce through the wood as the shrapnels coming out from the tree hit her--she is knocked to the wall as the wall itself broken to debris. That's it, he won?

Or so he thinks, however she stood up. There's a blood trickling down from her temple, her eyes narrowed in irritation as she spoke firmly and glared at him. "No, this is not my true power... because when I combine my abilities together with the Earth Raksha Core, I create something like this."

Her voice changed into two voices, one being rough and calm while the other sounds timid, soft and gentle. "Nadine," he called her, making the Earth Raksha flinched by her own name. What is he doing to her mind, now she's dazed as she covered her right eye. "You're a strong opponent, Nadine. How did I defeat you so easily, yet with a heavy consequences. But, your name is not Earth Raksha. You're Nadine, damn it! Don't abandon your identity just because you're a Raksha, not all Rakshas are connected with the past!" he told her, hoping he could win her favor. Her eyes softened and the winds were lowering down. It worked, but he needs one more time.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?!"

The Earth Raksha snapped, as she clenched her fists tightly with anger as her eyes glazed with fury as the nature around her began to produce chaos in their surroundings. "I read your profile from the report, you're a subject of an experiment that Maha did on you!" Haruna was beginning to step back while gathering a strength from his gauntlet once more, but... she just stare at him with vacant eyes as she was trying to remember herself, instead of a life inside SAA--is that a memory flashed from her subconscious, her eyes turned wider than before and her lips parted. "The--The Experiment..?" she muttered to herself, as Haruna muster his will not to go head-on but focused on this.

"It was terrible, you're not a slave that has no will and self-identity... you're just a girl who wants to live an ordinary life, you wanted to become a Phantom Raider but he took that future away from you--but that's changed because of the Phantom Raider project..." he told her the truth and Nadine shook her head with tears running on her cheeks, her braids swinging and a new strength entered her body as she felt the mysterious, powerful memories appeared as flashes in her mind.

Haruna walked closer to her, the void portals around him defending him from the chaotic nature and the winds created around the Earth Raksha was stopped when the Celestial Raksha held her both shoulders and closed his eyes, before she was having a vision... her body tensed.

A vision of a girl who looks like her having fun with her friends in Garuda University, studying Ecology major--there was a man who seems to be... Maha? He took her with him and all of a sudden--she got knocked out and put into experiment with the Core of Earth Asura--Bhumi. It made her wide-eyed, realizing that all of the memories in SAA are all fake and she's been living a false life. This was a good chance, yet when her name was being called by her master--it makes her tensed--she didn't know how much she can tell... but not this, not with her enemy. Not with Haruna...!

"Return to us, Nadine. Return to your friends--or you will die in here. Your humanity or Legion Raksha, you choose."

He can't do this, even if he saved her--she was already infected by the energy. He decided to stop her from this mess, before he ended her life--taking her hands with his and she didn't expect he would do this. 'If only... if only we could save her...!' Haruna thought with regret and grim look plastered on his face as he lifted her chin, and he looked at her eyes--catching a reflection of a beautiful girl with fair tan complexion and long dark hair with two braids from her side bangs, a pair of sapphire eyes with a kind and gentle look. Until it turned into a blood-thirsty burgundy pupils, as he had to end her now.

Haruna remembered something as he had the vial that Karuna gave to him before he left Nirvana Organization, a syringe that can neutralize her and suppressing the energy of the Core. It will save her, he didn't want Sanju to suffer anymore. "Nadine, this might hurt...!" he snapped, before he injected the syringe on her arm--the green vial has entered her body that made Nadine yelled by pain as she was twitching but the Core instantly consumed the liquid and almost breaking through the Raksha mask she wore.

CRACKED, CRACKED, CRACKED...!!!

Nadine's body glowing in bright gold-green light as the wave began to surrounding her, the domain around her began to shatter into pieces and she had no choice but to fall unconscious. Haruna reverted back into his human form, slowly standing up and walking towards her in tip-toeing steps. Sweats trickling down from his cheeks, huffing as he carefully checking on her. This is his FIRST time checking a female Phantom Raider, will she be fine?

Nadine was unconscious, she was like a baby before Haruna scooped her and carrying her bridal style while the Earth Raksha was kept inside of her body, she has a stable condition. "Okay, Nadine. Since you need a break from this shit, I'm going to carry your body for a while," he said firmly, then she screamed by surprise that she's awake from her 'sleep'--making him screamed that both of them fell down.

Wait, did I ever mention that this newbie is also a gentleman? Well, now he is a comedian...

Nadine was blinking as she was sloppily sitting as Haruna laughing awkwardly, sitting up across her. "Eh heh, guess you're not staying unconscious after all... my bad," he smiled apologetically at her and making her cheeks flushed with red color, then she turned her head and away from him while mumbling: 'Why you--I was trying to sleep after you did this to me--what the fuck!' she thought, she was in a flustering mess by what he did.

At least he saved Nadine, a newly turned Phantom Raider and becoming part of his ally soon. "I-I... thank you," Nadine softly spoke, then Haruna blinked. Hold up, that's rare.

"It's no problem, Nadine. Now, come on."

He offered his hand, but when she sees his messy white hair and a playful smile that showed his newbie features--that reminded her to a close friend of hers. But, she huffed as she stand up and kicked his face--making him yelled in surprise. "WHAT'S THAT FOR? I WAS HELPING YOU!" he protested, but Nadine groaned as she scolded him as she was raising her index finger.

"DON'T ENCOURAGE ME TO GET A DATE, YOU IDIOT!"

"What...? I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU!"

Haruna yelled back, annoyed that she ended up went furious towards him for no reason. "If you want to help me, perhaps you may walk in front of me. Or if we're heading the same way... I'll follow. Not getting attention," she stated, making him frowned. 'Women...' he thought, before he stood up. "Anyways, where's the exit...?" she asked, then Haruna look back at the button as he found the key to press it.

***

Juha was entering a domain that filled with sands beneath him, he thought that Han guy just got defeated with his sand--his eyes narrowed that this sand is light brown like Sahara desert and Han's one is dark brown. The surroundings has a vintage, and mystical looking environment. This domain must be from the Sand Raksha himself, as he sensed him a bit weakened.

Here he is, the Sand Raksha; one who commands the sands and deserts of all lands; including the death itself. The tall young fellow with a brown-green mixed short hair with long bangs over his golden-colored eyes with light yellow and orange irises, pale complexion and wears a rounded spectacles with chains on it. His attire consists of formal dark brown uniform with orange batik designs similar to Orther's uniform but different color. He held a black cane with a silver head and a gold sign, which reveals to be his Brahmastra known as Antlion's Nest, which took a form of a spear.

"Regulations are meant to be enforced, regardless of any outcomes."

His voice is cold as a sands, stoic but so intimidating as he observes Juha that was crossing his arms--he has a monotone and deadpan look that seems to be tired but uptight. Wait, what was his name again? Juha didn't read his report fully which is absolute shit. Right, he's a thirty-years old Middle-Eastern man named Hassan Akhenaten Janjua, a bioterrorist who was responsible for the attack of Phantom Beasts after he creates a Phantom Eruption in Cairo--along the Middle Eastern countries which almost becoming a ruins due to Sandstorm and this made him being the Leader of the Faction.

Hassan didn't let the intruder in his area, and he was going to destroy him. "Rakshas are not meant to exist, they are threats to the whole world. That's what Lord Maha taught us, their abilities are very dangerous that it makes the world crumble to pieces--we, the Scarlet Armband Army Faction trying to give our heartfelt support and take them down."

Juhaku transformed into his Ice Raksha form, seeing that the Sand Raksha seems to take an offense against him--as he was holding his Rimestar of Parvata; the trident-like Brahmastra that he always carries.

Hassan didn't react on his appearance and simply walked around him, examining him by the way... with those eyes that didn't give a slight change of expressions. "Well well, so you're an Ice type. Seems legit, but remember one thing... all water that has three times difference percentage made the sandstorm."

"Doesn't matter," Juha stated with a careless huff. "As long you keep mentioning the Lord Maha... I will dare you to shove up your sands into my face, sandman," he retorted, staring daggers at him. He got reminded how a soldier tried to obey the rules and his expression was turned grim--before the sands grew in quantity with it blowing towards the direction of the room and he made a stance to launch his ice towards him as he landed on a side of the walls with his fist hitting a wall and it's cracking into the glass-made material. "You want a fight, Sand Raksha? Then I'm going to bring it on."

Hassan spun his cane that turned into a polearm, it has a form similar to an hourglass with a dark and gold colors--with a little hints of sand spinning around it. Juha instantly used his powerful blizzard as he was preparing his ice projectile--aiming on his foe. But Hassan was smarter than him, forming a huge amount of sand spears in mid-air while the ice melts into a liquid; the difference percentage of the three which made it got dried up the moment before the impact.

"Die," he stated coldly, Juha clenched his jaw as he still focused his chi into his catalyst before using the ice pillars, he made a move-resulting Hassan went back to far distance from him, slashing the spear against the ice spikes--while the ice crumbled down before Juha noticed how cold he is as Hassan made a motion of his hands. 'What the... he's very strong, not even my ice can--GAAAACKKKK!!!' he flinched by surprise and he knew that his body temperature is on minus rating, frozen within the sand like a mummy and the liquid ice itself. There's no way out of this... but he had to keep holding on.

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"I told you, regulations are meant to be enforced. Your arrogance shall be pay."

Juha let out an annoyed grin, this guy is full of regulations and it's no fun to hear him speaking this without a change of expressions. "Hey... let me tell you something, sandman..." he spoke, before he continued. "What is a rule... without a rule-breaker, right? If the authorities won't stop... somebody else would do it. So think about the world, a world where rules are unbreakable and this leads to destroy the world... so, I have a question... Hassan. Do you think, the rule in this world is perfect?"

That question somehow ticked him off from the stoic demeanor, along with his calm nature. "This is a society, with a good rule is a decent society," he said in matter-of-fact, however it didn't answer his question. "You haven't answer my question, yet...!" he snapped, creating a huge ice spikes and crystals around the floor as the air around his was snowing and it became misty. Juha doesn't know, he has to play a dumb act when the enemy was distracted, it wasn't giving him a trouble at all.

Hassan was unfazed, then Juha made a move as he shot the ice barrage, trying to hit him--Hassan didn't have a chance to block, so he had to grab the polearm of his own; using the end of the sands to broke off his attack and shielding himself. But he noticed his form was disappearing, Juha disappeared, re-appeared behind the Sand Raksha's back as he was going to stab him. He thought he did it, BUT IT WAS A SAND CLONE THAT HE MADE!

Juhaku took a deep breath, before he began to concentrate as he was surrounded by his sand clones. He cannot attack his sand attacks because the heat of the domain he owned is very strong, he has to wait a bit and calculating how much time did the element core of the Ice will last. His concentration broke as he sensed the sand clones were ambushing him, before the torrent of water began to swarm them and he jumped--it was from Izana! She was in her Water Raksha form, before she yelled. "Juha!"

Without Izana, he wouldn't know if he can defeat the enemy. Luckily, she saved his ass--concentrating his elemental powers as he clasped his both hands, the water freezing to create an ice bridge and using the ice claws from his catalysts to freeze the ground beneath as the air surrounding him changed to freezing mist. Hassan lands down on the sandy ground, noticing another visitor (or an intruder) joining the fight. "This isn't part of the rule, but I might as well make it add," his voice sounded harsh, before he looked at Juha. "So, you two are partners, huh... never mind. So be it."

When he unleashed another sand attack towards Izana, she swung her polearm and creates a huge water riptide that washed his attacks away. It made his deadpan gaze widen a little as this is the first time a fool challenging his superiority, of course. It was kind of pissed him off as his golden eyes glazed in heated furry. Even though his expression didn't change much, Juha could sense he was very angry behind those eyes and what's worse is he needs more opponents. "You know, fighting doesn't always have to be fair or unfair..." he told him, Izana immediately used a second step as she made a circle motion--trapping him inside with huge torrent of water as the ice platform was forming itself upon.

Of course, it was difficult to fight against Hassan--he was the strongest General of SAA and what's more is his own abilities. "Of course not, only for the one with full justice. Now, Ice Raksha... you had a power to command the ice and blizzards of winter season now didn't you?" he inquired, knowing that he possess powers than other Phantom Raiders... no, making him smirk.

"Indeed, I can. But on the other hand, I know something that you don't, wanna hear it?"

Hassan's eyebrows knitted together as he didn't know what he was talking about, before he asked. "What is it?"

There was a midst silence between them, Izana was uncertain of Juha's strategy... which is pissing him off. He continued to stared at him, when he decided to answer. "Have you ever seen yourself without your specs?" he asked, but Hassan simply answered. "No."

An ice shard went past the Sand Raksha's face and made his spectacles fell to the sandy ground, making him kneel down and picking it up calmly. "You will regret this," he spoke, but when he stand up and look up at them...

Silence...

Izana was trying to endure her inner laughter, while Juha was wide-eyed on seeing him without one for the first time. Well... his eyes resembles a pair of 3's of it's own, until Izana commented on it.

"Heee~... since when you have 3-pupils eyes, Hassan? I thought you look handsome without one, but I was wrong," she joked, making Juha snorted before he created a mirror ice crystal in front of him. It made Hassan... looking at himself in the mirror, while his gaze froze as he saw his reflection with blank but furious expression with the 3-shaped pupils.

He decided to keep the black cane but placed his spectacles back and returned to his senses as the angry expression disappeared, however his voice was really intimidating to be heard...

"Be glad... you didn't hear me roaring out loud and destroying your entire structure."

However, the ice is broken when Juha was stifling a snort. 'Shit, he's angry. Time for a serious battle, shit...' he thought, before he nodded at Izana as he spoke. Izana huffed as he created a barrier to protect them, with Hassan slamming his cane to the ground and the sandstorm came around him as the dark hurricane swirling around. Fuck, he's mad as hell. Juha didn't know how to win, unless... he knows the answer behind that monotonous expression. "Come on Hassan, don't just hide in your little world inside," he taunted, after the storm was calmed down; his expression didn't change at all with his hand moving like he's stirring up a concoction. "Are you talking as yourself or the Core of Balarama within you is talking?"

"Both," he replied, before he was getting into the assault. Juha was creating his ice walls as it melts into a form of ice dagger due to the heat emitted from Hassan's sand, he had to gather his chi as he was sensing that there's more core with stronger capacity than him. This is hard, making him wondered... "Really, are you seriously that expressionless so you'll focus harder at our fight?" he guessed, making him froze.

Yes, he cannot hear a single damn from his stoic expression.

Izana immediately blasting a huge tidal waves of water from behind him and drenching Hassan all over, which made him unable to move but annoyed, as the sand beneath him froze and shattered before he can melt them. Making him yelped, Juha saw this once more, this can make him think..

His eyes reflected of a young man having a fun expression as a smile plastered on his face in the past, all of the memories in his head went back to him as he got distracted. Izana blasted another torrent of water towards him and Juha blasted an ice blast towards him, making him froze that the three of them froze at the same time near him. Izana blow an air towards Juha so that he can swim inside the ice berg towards frozen Hassan, before he swam behind Hassan who was disarmed and forming an ice chains around him.

"Without a rule-breaker, rules could not be defied and would become meaningless."

The ice break has been melted around them, Hassan coughed as he was completely drenched that the sand beneath him drenched by Izana's water and frozen by Juha's ice. "Alright, where's the key to exit or can you dissolve it now?" Izana asked, then he stated firmly. "There's no such key or such thing that could I broke that easy. It was made by my abilities, therefore I cannot break it myself. This is truly impossible to dissolve," he remarked, but Juha stood up as he approached him. "Tell us, please... this isn't about the rule... it's about preserving the future... I must do this if I don't want the fate of mine takes the toll of my decision," he added as his tone raised.

The Sand Raksha stared up at him tiredly, he was weak after he was drenched by the water. "I will either have my body turn or dissolve into sands if you keep forcing me..." Hassan muttered, unable to form words until Izana suggested to him. "Or, you can leave your faction and join us, how about that?" Juha was wide-eyed by her suggestion, making him frowned. "Izana, are you serious about this? He's an enemy, what if he going to backstab us?" he asked.

"Look, he might look like an annoying guy and his goal isn't good, even his reason isn't. But I'm sure he has human in him, Juha--even if you don't like this."

Hassan closed his eyes, without realizing the glint appeared in his eyes. "My name... isn't Hassan Akhenaten Janjua..." he muttered, looking down at the ground with his still deadpan expression. "I'm not even Middle-Eastern... not even born from there... who am I?" he's asking himself, making Izana and Juha widened their eyes. What the--the whole time, his real identity was...? "I do not remember my own self or my own roots... just an existence of sands..."

Juha was stunned to know, his arms dropped like a jellyfish that held by Hassan and he immediately released him from his ice handcuff as he picked his cane up. Despite his drenched state, he muttered. "I'm... I remember that I'm... an Indonesian, but... I forgot my name, why am I... abiding to rules?" he muttered to himself, making Juha stared at Izana; then at the Sand Raksha. The two exchanged worried glances when they knew how harsh Maha affected him, he must've brainwashed him severely until he forgot his true name or reasons from begin with.

'Oh shit...' Juha swore internally, because he knew that if SAA found this out, he might be done for... and the fact he got beaten by them is also bad.

"Heya!"

The two screamed when Haruna greeted with a smile on his lips, while standing beside Nadine who broke free from Maha's brainwashing--she still an Earth Raksha the whole time. "Yah, you fucking scared us..." Juha coughed, then Haruna laughed--slapping his knees, followed with a wide grin as the Indonesian asked. "Oh yeah, are you guys done yet? Well, we have to catch up on Masaki and... woah, who is this guy? Is he... a Sand Raksha or something?" he stated before staring at Hassan with his wide-opened brown eyes. "Is he... Hassan or..."

"His actual name isn't Hassan, you know."

Nadine stated, folding her arms as she explained. "From what I know, his name is Marthen Halim. He was a former Phantom Raider of Nirvana Organization, he got kidnapped during the Phantom Eruption in Cairo. He was doing an official duty before a Scorpion-type Phantom Beast appeared and its tail sprayed the poison that almost killed him--until some members in our Faction took him and brought him to Nirvana Headquarters, Lord Maha accepted him--but during that incident... he was brainwashed," she look at Marthen who finally got up and approached them, holding a cane on his hand. "A Scorpion-type Phantom Beast cursed him to obey whoever commands the sands, and that was Maha. Now he has taken him in his faction and molding him into a follower," she spoke with anger. "Lord Maha twisted his very being so that he won't go out, except he does what Maha said--that Phantom Beast also indirectly given him the Core of Asura and made him a Sand Raksha."

"My name is... Marthen Halim, what kind of name is that...?"

Marthen asked, making the four of them stood there like a potato because they didn't answer him as it hit them like a baseball--he does look like a newbie. "How old are you?" Juha asked, still dazed comically at him. "Eighteen," Marthen answered calmly.

'EIGHTEEN!? HE LOOKS SO MUCH MORE OLDER THAN WHAT THE FILES SHOWED ABOUT HIS INFORMATION!' Haruna was yelling inside his head, before Nadine yelled. "What the fuck?! You're eighteen, why are you sound older?" she asked, making him flinch. 'Oh yeah, she sounded younger than him--'

Haruna had the inner anime sweat dripping on his cheek, he was puzzled--what the fuck is this now...!? Izana blinked and stated dumbly with dumbfounded expression. "Wow, we thought you were in twenties already... seriously, eighteen?" she rubbed her temple, was stunned by this revelation. "I was the youngest Phantom Raider that time, fifteen-years old before I became this..." Marthen explained from the memories that has been retrived into him, as he shook his head tiredly while Haruna snickered.

"Better believe it, you don't look at the papers because of your ability--which means your perception is fucked up by it..." he joked, before he stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, Marthen. I'm Haruna Sinuraya, here are my friends. Jeon Juha, Izana Amane, and Nadine Sastrawijaya. We came here to get out of here, can you help us find the key?" he asked, Marthen blinked--before he glanced at the button across them. "Over there."

***

Lastly, Masaki has arrived in the casino-like domain. The archer hated gamblings, not because he don't like it--but the fact that nobody stopped playing--damn, what's with these freaks? If it were gamblings, he would straight smash their faces for an easy ticket from there and left it. They must have been enjoying this too much, after he have passed through the golden statues with dices rolling and cheering from the 'crowds' from them.

"Welcome to the show, my guest."

The young fellow with messy blonde short hair with long bangs and sunglasses greeted him, bowing like a butler welcoming their guests and presenting him the coins. His attire consists of formal black uniform with red and dark blue batik designs and golden cuffs and silver batik, he wore a neck-length cape and he sports a pair of long gloves with matching dark blue trousers with golden buttons, and a black high heel ankle boots. On his head was a black top hat with a huge red batik in the middle, like a flame... similar to the masks.

This young man is Leonhardt Tobing or simply just Leon, he's one of the Elite Commanders but not part of the Legion Raksha. He love to gamble, he doesn't mind gambling in any kind of situation--even life or death. Of course, he took up a battle inside a gamble because that's fun for him and a game. As for his age, perhaps he's just like Haruna and the rest...? Anyways, Masaki had to be on alert.

"I am Leonhardt Tobing, but people call me Leon. Just call me that," he introduced, as the young-looking man offers his handshake to him. Masaki took it, but when he caught his body tensed when Leon gave him a smile with a warning. "You may gamble your life or win it all, but this isn't easy. You're an archer, yes?" he asked. Masaki nods, although he didn't want to admit. "Then, you must gain a lot of points by shooting your targets if you don't want to end up like 'that'. After you show me your moves, I'll take down your opponent... or whatever it takes to gain a point," Leon placed a silver handgun on his holster that has a burning skull ornament on it, making Masaki reminded of someone...

Oh fuck, he looks like Akito... almost.

Masaki's stoic and cold expression doesn't change, but he always wanted to shoot his arrow to this man's ass so bad--BECAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE AKITO, GODDAMN IT! "S-Sure, what can I do to have 'em?" he asks, while Leon chuckled as he was rolling the dices as he told him. "You can shot these dice pieces in order, each worth of those has a number value based from the level and we'll check them in the end," he explained, before taking an arrow and placing it into the archer's hands. "Alright... what you want to see first?" he inquired, he smirked as he look up at the board; he know this archer will be ready... soon, his mind was saying things he would not understand or able to say.

Leon and Masaki stood upon a board across the huge room, a lot of gambling tables were covered with a table cover--shaped like the dice of 1,2,3,4, and Masaki's hands were itching in wanting to do an archery so bad, holding a Bow & Arrows; the Brahmastra he trusted most. "Do your aim, dear guest. One-hundred and twenty meters, the nearest dice that can be reach," he ordered, Masaki followed his instructions as he took a deep breath. He didn't want to miss a target--or he will lose a point.

He was one of the top-archers in his high school in Japan, he scored the highest mark at the archery club. He must not fail this. The auburn-haired fellow sighed as he readied the bow and putting the first arrow, he need to make his mind at peace if he wanted this to get over... he took a deep breath as he release the string after aiming at a direction. As he did, he didn't knew that the dice of 1 fell and shattered into pieces.

"Impressive," Leon complimented, but Masaki only huffed. "What? That was just a first step, I still have to go. Get ready, I'm coming at you next, game boy," he warned, before he take out three arrows that surprised Leon--how many arrows did he have? Masaki looked calm and silent, he knew that. But once he pulls a trigger and had enough thoughts, he will unleash... oh lord, what had he done.

"3, 6, 10, 4... all out!"

He made a shot, releasing one by one without him blinking even once as the five dice was scattered on the ground from those he had shot--taking a deep breath, before turning to him. Masaki saw the hardest target boards, he have to execute thousands of them--by I mean thousands, the arrow and dice pieces on the wooden board across them with a blackboard to decide the score.

The dice has a slight shape of a pyramid, or a die which had these patterns like the hexagonal-cog-looking patterns and there's also rectangular dice with blue cuboid pattern, red-with-crimson-edges equilateral triangular pattern with the faces having numbers that written in Arabic numeral written neatly, and lastly the one that got shattered completely by him was the black pyramid, it has a pattern of black-white stripes and an eye symbol; those pieces that he shattered due to an impact of the arrow. How come, Masaki's mind can't find an answer and still wanted to clear the target so he can escape this thing!

"Can you aim all arrows at the same time? Surely you did."

Leon didn't knew if that was just an unintentional or he didn't want to get distracted, he would be really pissed off. "How's that possible, idiot?" he whispered, before Masaki let out a soft sigh. "My friend once told me, what can't be done... can be done," he said, Leon grew suspicions.

What is this Harvest Raksha thinking?

Masaki decided to use his talent, even though he didn't want to use his 'Perfect Aim' yet--as he had six arrows within one strand and he simply aimed up against the targets with full force in his full speed--until finally, it took thirty minutes--resulting the hard target was cleared by the hundreds. Taking a deep breath, he knew the perfect score might not be enough... wait, why is he doing this? That game guy better turn himself back at him right now and answer him! "Will you shoot me or not? Or it was all just a bluff?" he asked, while Leon merely rolled his eyes as he waved his index finger as he signaled 'no'. "Uh uh, you're wrong, Harvest Raksha," he stated, making him narrowed his eyes at him. "Because your own opponent was waiting for you there. Yes, you can shoot me if you didn't miss... because the moment I finish my line..."

As he turn around, Masaki didn't know that HE IS THE FUCKING TARGET HIMSELF!

In a reflex, Masaki raised his arrow while the dice above are making his gaze distracted as he released a few arrows at him, but the game master smiled so menacingly as he merely spun like a cartwheeling and moving past on the arrows, it hit the wall and exploded! What kind of game is this...? What's the purpose? Was he playing with his mind?!

Masaki gritted his teeth, but he choose not to lose his composure--until this man spoke. "Masaki Shihō'in... that's your name, right?" he guessed, how did he--the fact is he's completely still behind the dice and yet--!? "Is there something within you that hurts?...That scars your heart, your life... your everything... so that it ate your soul and consumed your humanity, made you unable to believe any people that came into your life as they will betray you?... Including those, who died in front of your very eyes and yet... you can't kill your sinful emotions of doubt..."

Those cold gaze, that was piercing through him as Masaki--he was frozen on the spot.

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