Monday, August 18, 3074 AE - Noon

“Blaze...”

“Blaze, where are you?!”

Scarlett and Lyria's voices echoed through the quiet woods as they searched, their tone growing more desperate with each passing minute. Blaze had been missing for an entire week, and both girls were starting to panic.

“Where do you think he could be?” Lyria asked, her voice laced with concern as she glanced at Scarlett.

“I don’t know, Lyria, but if I know him, he’s probably knocked out somewhere... probably from overtraining again,” Scarlett replied, her brow furrowed.

“Training? Why would he be training?” Lyria's confusion was clear in her tone, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of their friend.

Scarlett sighed, rolling her eyes. “Because he's always training. He’s obsessed with getting stronger. But I think I know where he might be.”

“Where—” Lyria began, only to be cut off when Scarlett suddenly sprinted off into the forest. Without hesitation, Lyria chased after her, her heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and hope.

After a few minutes of running, they arrived at a small clearing deep in the forest. There, lying sprawled out on the ground, was Blaze. He was fast asleep, his body surrounded by patches of charred earth—evidence of intense training.

“See? What did I tell you?” Scarlett smirked, crossing her arms as she stood over Blaze’s sleeping form. “Always pushing himself too hard.”

Lyria knelt down beside him, her concern easing slightly now that they’d found him. “I guess you were right, Scarlett. Let's wake him up.”

She gently pushed his shoulder, attempting to rouse him. Blaze didn’t stir, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.

“Step aside,” Scarlett said with a mischievous grin. “Let me show you how to really wake him up.”

Without warning, she leapt into the air, her knee extended, aiming straight for Blaze’s stomach. But just before she could land her strike, Blaze’s hand shot up with lightning speed. Eyes still closed, he caught her leg effortlessly and, in a fluid motion, hurled her into a nearby tree with a thud.

“Yawn... Is that any way to wake someone up?” Blaze said lazily as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

Lyria blinked in shock, her jaw slightly dropped. “What just... happened?”

Scarlett, groaning as she peeled herself off the tree, retorted, “Right back at you! Is that any way to treat your best friend? We've been worried sick! You’ve been missing for a whole week!”

Blaze shrugged, completely unfazed. “Yeah, sorry about that. I kinda lost track of time while training. So, what’s up?”

“Well,” Lyria began, relieved her brother was safe, “Sensei told us to come get you. We’ve got a mission today.”

Blaze tilted his head, intrigued. “What kind of mission?”

“That, we don’t know,” Scarlett answered, dusting herself off as she walked back over. “But it’s a joint mission with another team.”

“Hn,” Blaze grunted, getting to his feet. “Alright. This will be a good chance to see how much I’ve improved.”

With that, he started walking toward the school, Lyria and Scarlett following closely behind, all silently wondering what awaited them.

………

At the school, Blaze knocked on the principal’s door before stepping inside. The room was already occupied by their sensei and, to their surprise, two familiar faces from another team.

“Ah, I’m glad you could finally join us, Paradox,” Principal Nakamura said, his tone carrying a hint of impatience. “Now that everyone is here, I’ll go over the mission details.”

The room fell silent as Nakamura began briefing the group. “You are to travel to Kazuki Town and deal with a Kōsō that’s been killing anyone who enters the nearby forest.”

“A Kōsō?” Blaze questioned, leaning against the wall. “What class is it?”

“A Class B Kōsō,” Nakamura responded. “But don’t be deceived by its rank. Its abilities make it highly dangerous.”

One of the members of the other team scoffed, crossing his arms. “How dangerous could it really be? It’s just a Class B.”

Nakamura’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond. “I’ll let you encounter it and see for yourselves.”

With that, he dismissed them, and the group left the room.

………

The journey to Kazuki Town was quiet, tension simmering beneath the surface. Blaze, in particular, couldn’t take his eyes off one of the other team members—Kai.

“Who would’ve thought we’d be going on a mission with him,” Lyria muttered under her breath.

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“Yeah,” Scarlett agreed, shooting a glance at Blaze. “Let’s hope nothing happens... you know how he gets.”

Kai, oblivious to the tension, walked up to Blaze and extended his hand with a friendly smile. “Nice to be working with you. Let’s make this a good mission!”

“Hn.” Blaze didn’t even look at him, swatting the hand away as he picked up the pace.

Kai blinked, stunned. “Did I... say something wrong?”

“No, Kai,” Scarlett sighed. “That’s just how he is. Don’t take it personally.”

Meanwhile, Aeloria, their sensei, was in conversation with Kazuo, the leader of Kai’s team. “So, Kazuo, you’ve decided to become a team leader? What happened to working alone?”

Kazuo smirked, crossing his arms. “Let’s just say... someone showed me the value of teamwork.”

“No need to thank me,” Aeloria teased, her eyes gleaming.

Kazuo chuckled. “I never said it was you, did I?”

As they walked, Kai continued his futile attempts to bond with Blaze, much to the frustration of his teammate, Riku. “Just give up, Kai. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to be friends with you.”

Kai shook his head, determined. “I don’t think so, Riku. I think Blaze just has a hard time showing his feelings.”

Riku rolled his eyes. “Whatever, man. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Riku’s appearance stood out—his short, spiky yellow hair with electric blue streaks, vivid blue eyes, and tanned skin marked by scars. His outfit was just as striking: a high-tech, dark blue jacket with glowing lines, a light blue shirt, and black combat pants. His sneakers, enhanced with energy boosters, were designed for speed, and his utility belt held an array of gadgets, including a holographic wristband.

“If you’re so focused on making friends, then you’d better watch your back,” Riku said as they approached the forest. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

Kazuo, up ahead, signaled for the group to stop. “I sense three entities around us.”

“Three?” Riku asked, confused. “I thought there was only one Kōsō.”

Kazuo’s face hardened. “Seems like we were tricked. This enemy is smarter than we thought. Stay on your guard.”

“Numbers don’t matter,” Blaze said, drawing his scythe. “Whether it’s one or ten, we just have to kill them.”

Before anyone could respond, a thick fog rolled in, swallowing the group whole. By the time it cleared, they were scattered.

………

Blaze found himself standing with Kai and Kai’s third teammate, the rest of their companions nowhere to be seen. The air was tense, the silence oppressive.

Meanwhile, Scarlett, Lyria, and Riku had been captured, bound tightly in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. Aeloria and Kazuo, too, had been separated, though their locations remained unknown.

But one thing was clear—this was no ordinary fight. The battle ahead would test them all in ways they hadn’t anticipated.

And none of them were prepared for the enemy waiting in the shadows.

………

Scarlett, Lyria, and Riku found themselves ensnared in chains within the dilapidated confines of an abandoned house. The air was heavy with an eerie silence, broken only by the ghostly whispers of the wind. Before them stood a Kōsō, its presence chilling and ominous.

The Kōsō towered at 6'4", its lean, athletic frame almost spectral. Its skin had a pale, glass-like sheen, refracting the sparse light in unsettling ways. Its eyes were pure white, devoid of pupils but glowing with an unsettling light. Flowing down to its mid-back was long, sleek silver hair, shimmering as if caught in an eternal breeze.

The entity wore a form-fitting bodysuit crafted from an ethereal, shimmering fabric. It shifted between shades of gray and silver, its intricate geometric patterns pulsing faintly with otherworldly energy. A semi-transparent cape billowed behind it, moving with an eerie autonomy, adding to its ghostly appearance.

“Welcome to our enchanted wonderland,” the Kōsō intoned, its voice a chilling echo in the deserted space. “Where all your dreams will find their inevitable end. I am your executioner, Echo Prime. It would be my greatest pleasure to end your lives and add you to my collection.”

Echo Prime bowed gracefully, its cape billowing and enhancing its spectral visage.

“Let the Hunt Begin.”

………

Aeloria and Kazou faced their own ghostly adversary in the depths of a shadowed forest. This Kōsō stood at 6'2", its stocky, muscular build contrasting starkly with Echo Prime’s lean form. Its skin, slightly darker than Echo Prime's, had a faint purple undertone. Glowing red eyes with slit pupils pierced the dimness, while short, spiked black hair was streaked with silver.

It wore a rugged, armored variant of Echo Prime’s suit. Jagged black and silver plates formed a menacing exoskeleton over its body. Two large, curved blades were strapped to its back, humming with a menacing energy.

“Welcome to our enchanted wonderland,” the Kōsō’s voice reverberated with a sinister timbre. “Where all your dreams will meet their inevitable end. I am your executioner, Echo Fang. It would be my greatest pleasure to end your lives and add you to my collection.”

Echo Fang bowed, its silver-streaked hair fluttering in the wind, accentuating its ghostly presence.

“Let the Hunt Begin.”

………

In another part of the forest, Blaze, Kai, and Kai’s third teammate stood face-to-face with their own spectral foe. The Kōsō was 6'1" with a lithe and agile build, its pale skin tinged with a ghostly blue hue. Its eyes were a glowing light blue, devoid of pupils, while long, wispy black hair faded into nothingness at the ends.

It wore a sleek, almost translucent version of Echo Prime’s suit. Its attire was darker, shrouded in shadowy, swirling mist-like patterns. The fabric seemed to oscillate between solid and ethereal states with each movement.

“Welcome to our enchanted wonderland,” the Kōsō's voice dripped with malevolence. “Where all your dreams will inevitably lead to death. I am your executioner, Echo Shade. It would be my greatest pleasure to end your lives and add you to my collection.”

Echo Shade bowed with a sinister grin stretching across its face, its presence suffused with a chilling aura.

“Let the Hunt Begin.”

………

“Ohhh, this is getting good,” Nyra, the goddess of Destiny and Creator of Everything, purred with anticipation. Having just emerged from her punishment, she relished her freedom to meddle once more. “Let’s see what my favorite person in the whole universe can do. Will he triumph? Will he falter? Or will something entirely unexpected occur?”

Seraphina, her stern angelic counterpart, glared at Nyra with a penetrating gaze. “I better not see you messing with the mortals' lives. If I do, your punishment will be a hundred times worse.”

Nyra feigned innocence, placing a hand over her heart while crossing the other behind her back. “Hai, yes ma’am. I’ll just sit and watch. I promise I won’t do anything bad. Trust me.”

Despite her words, Nyra's mind buzzed with schemes to subtly interfere with Blaze’s fate, carefully avoiding Seraphina's watchful eyes.

‘Now, Blaze, show me why I chose you for my plans. Make sure you live up to them,’ she mused to herself, her eyes glinting with mischief.