Monday, August 18, 12:40, 3074 AE
"Let the hunt begin," Echo Shade's voice echoed, a whisper on the wind. Instantly, the world around them dissolved into darkness. Shadows swirled, devouring the light. And then, he vanished.
Kai's heart raced. "Where did he go?" His eyes darted around, desperately trying to sense any trace of Echo Shade, but the dark void offered no answers. He couldn't even feel the air shift. It was as if Echo Shade had disappeared from existence itself.
Blaze glanced at Kai, unbothered by his partner's panic. "No point in worrying. Just watch your back, stay on guard... and don’t drag me down." His voice was sharp, his tone a reminder that mistakes weren't an option. He clenched his fists, straining to ignite even the smallest flame to light their surroundings. But the void consumed his fire.
“What the hell is this?” Blaze grumbled, frustration edging his voice. “This isn’t normal.”
A sinister laugh echoed through the oppressive blackness. “Do you like it? My ability not only cloaks the area in total darkness—no light can pierce it. Your flames? Useless here." Echo Shade’s voice was everywhere and nowhere, his words wrapping around them like a predator stalking its prey.
Blaze's eye twitched, impatience taking over. “Useless, huh?” He swung his scythe, sending crescent blasts of fire in every direction. The burning arcs tore through the void, but none found their target. He swung again, the force of his attacks splitting the silence with the crackling sound of fire—but still, nothing.
"Hey! Watch where you’re attacking!" Kai yelled, barely dodging one of Blaze’s wild swings, his movements just fast enough to avoid the fiery crescent.
“Then don’t get hit,” Blaze replied coldly, not bothering to look at Kai as he continued unleashing attack after attack, growing more frustrated by the second.
Kai sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to keep calm. "You don’t have to be so rude about it. Seriously, what’s your deal?" But even as he spoke, his face grew serious. He needed to figure out how to locate Echo Shade. Being in the dark like this was a death sentence.
Suddenly, a gust of wind, faint but unnatural, swept past them. Before they could react, a fist materialized from the void, slamming into Blaze’s gut, followed by a bone-crushing blow to Kai’s side. Both of them were thrown backward, crashing into the unseen ground with a thud.
Blaze winced, trying to catch his breath. "What... just happened? I didn’t sense anything."
Kai was equally stunned, his hand pressed to his side where the hit landed. "I don’t know... I didn’t sense anything either. He moved so fast."
Echo Shade's voice whispered in the dark, dripping with malice. "This isn’t just darkness. It distorts your perception. Your senses... your instincts... they’re useless here."
Blaze clenched his scythe tighter, the frustration now transforming into cold fury. “This is going to be a tough fight,” he muttered. As the words left his lips, something shifted in him. His hair began to shimmer, turning a gleaming silver with streaks of violet. His eyes glowed, a deep violet hue radiating from within, burning with power. The air around him started to heat up, the temperature rising despite the suffocating darkness.
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Monday, August 18, 12:40, 3074 AE - Simultaneously
"Let the hunt begin." Echo Prime’s voice was emotionless, devoid of any humanity. He opened his mouth wide, releasing an ear-piercing screech that reverberated through the air. Scarlett, Lyria, and Riku clutched their ears, blood trickling down as they crumpled under the assault.
When the deafening sound ceased, Scarlett forced herself up on shaking legs. Pain shot through her body, but before she could fully regain her footing, a shockwave slammed into her, sending her flying across the abandoned house. She crashed hard, skidding across the dirt and leaving a trail of blood in her wake.
“SCARLETT!” Lyria’s scream ripped through the air as she saw her best friend lying motionless, blood pooling beneath her. Rage boiled inside her. Fueled by sheer determination, Lyria shattered the chains that bound her, the metal links crumbling under her strength as she charged straight at Echo Prime, fists blazing with energy.
"You fool," Echo Prime muttered, his voice devoid of emotion. "You cannot defeat me." With a simple breath, he unleashed another sonic boom, the pressure of the sound cutting through the air like a blade. But to his surprise, Lyria dodged, her reflexes sharp.
"Quite agile, aren't you?" His cold eyes watched as she closed the distance, her fist flying toward him. But he sidestepped with ease, preparing to retaliate with another screech.
Before he could unleash his attack, a bolt of lightning crackled through the air, striking Echo Prime square in the chest. The energy sent him staggering back for the first time in the fight.
"Not so fast. You’ve still got me to deal with." Riku stood tall, electricity dancing across his skin as he broke free of his restraints, his eyes filled with determination.
Echo Prime's eyes narrowed slightly. “Such a nuisance. You stand no chance. Surrender now, and I’ll make this painless.” His voice remained eerily calm, unfazed by the lightning strike. He raised his hand, preparing another attack.
But Riku wasn’t backing down. Another bolt of lightning shot toward Echo Prime, but this time, the Kōsō was ready. He caught the lightning mid-air with his bare hand, twisting it effortlessly before hurling it back at Riku.
Riku barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as the ground where he once stood exploded in sparks. ‘How did he—? No one’s ever reacted to my lightning before. This guy… he’s dangerous,’ Riku thought, his mind racing as he quickly strategized. He glanced toward Lyria, who was gathering energy in her hands, preparing for her own strike.
“Photon Burst!” Lyria shouted as she unleashed a concentrated beam of light aimed directly at Echo Prime. The radiant energy surged toward him, illuminating the battlefield in a flash of brilliance.
But Echo Prime merely raised a hand, creating a vibrational barrier that deflected the beam with ease. “If that’s the best you’ve got, this fight is already over,” he said, his voice cold and final.
The ground beneath them vibrated as Echo Prime released a nauseating soundwave. It was so intense that both Lyria and Riku dropped to their knees, clutching their heads in agony.
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Monday, August 18, 12:40, 3074 AE - Simultaneously
“Let’s get this going!” Echo Fang growled as he charged forward, his twin blades vibrating with energy. Each step he took sent tremors through the ground, his every movement brimming with raw power. He swung viciously at Aeloria, his blades humming with deadly precision.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
But Aeloria merely smiled, effortlessly twirling out of the way. “Ara, ara, attacking right away? Have you no manners? Though I suppose a beast like you wouldn’t know any,” she teased, her voice soft yet mocking.
“What did you just call me, you mask-wearing bitch?! I’ll cut your head off!” Echo Fang roared, his anger flaring. With another vicious swing, he unleashed a shockwave of vibrating energy that tore through the air toward her.
Aeloria’s smile didn’t falter. “No need to get so angry. It only makes you seem weaker,” she taunted again. With a graceful leap, she evaded the shockwave, disappearing from sight. In an instant, she reappeared behind him, her back turned. “You’re far too slow,” she whispered, sweeping his legs out from under him with a single spin. As he stumbled, she followed up with a knee to his ribs and a roundhouse kick to the face, sending him crashing into the ground.
Kazuo, watching from the sidelines, chuckled. “Now, now, don’t hog all the fun, Aeloria. Leave some for me.” His tone was light, but there was an underlying tension.
Aeloria rolled her eyes. “Then stop standing around. If you don’t hurry up, I’ll finish this guy off myself.”
Kazuo’s eyes narrowed. “If we’re fighting one of these Kōsō here, then the others must be engaged in battle elsewhere…” His voice trailed off in thought.
Echo Fang, pulling himself out of the wreckage of shattered trees, spat blood and sneered. “My brothers are probably finishing them off as we speak. Kahaha!”
Kazuo’s fist crashed into Echo Fang's face, the impact sending him hurtling through the forest. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Kazuo said calmly. “Our students are stronger than you think.”
Aeloria smirked. “Yep, they’ve been working hard. I’d be shocked if they didn’t pull off something crazy after all that training.” There was a sense of pride in her voice, her love for her students clear.
Kazuo sighed. “You really act like a child sometimes. Can’t you act your age for once?”
Aeloria smiled sweetly, her eyes glinting dangerously. “Do you want to eat for the rest of the week?”
His eye twitched in irritation. “I hate you”
“Hate is such a strong word, tell me how you really feel” Aeloria laughs before looking back at Echo Fang who had pulled himself out of the tree he was implanted in.
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Monday, August 18, 12:50, 3074 AE
"That's it, show them your power," Ēteru no Eikō’s voice echoed inside Blaze's head.
Blaze clenched his scythe, flames dancing wildly along its blade, feeding off his power. The area around him lit up, breaking through the shadowy veil surrounding them.
“What? How is that possible? No light should be able to penetrate this place,” Echo Shade snarled in disbelief.
‘That’s amazing,’ Kai thought to himself, eyes wide with surprise. ‘Was he holding back when we fought?’
"You think darkness reigns supreme, but you're wrong. Light comes before darkness, and no matter where shadows hide, light will always pierce through!" Blaze spun with a powerful swing, releasing a massive crescent of fire. It cut through the air and struck Echo Shade. "Found you, you little rat."
"You insolent brat, I'll kill you for this!" Echo Shade hissed, vanishing into the shadows. He reappeared in multiple places at once, flickering in and out of sight, before lunging at Blaze from behind. “Got you.”
"Think again!" Blaze had anticipated the attack. He spun his scythe behind him, intercepting Echo Shade’s strike. "Got you, little rat." The temperature spiked as Blaze channeled more power into the scythe, releasing a massive ball of flame that struck Echo Shade directly, burning his body severely.
"What… what is this power?" Echo Shade gasped, writhing in pain. His vision blurred, and for a brief moment, he saw an image—a stunningly beautiful woman, otherworldly in her presence. Long, silver hair shimmering with hues of blue and violet cascaded down her back like a waterfall of starlight. Her deep violet eyes gleamed with ancient wisdom and cosmic power. "It can't be... not her... how is she here, inside this boy?" Fear spread across Echo Shade's face as the image lingered in his mind.
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Monday, August 18, 12:45, 3074 AE
“This sound... it's unbearable!” Riku gritted his teeth, his ears bleeding once again from the agonizing noise echoing through the abandoned house.
Lyria, unfazed, had created an energy barrier around her ears. “Much better,” she sighed in relief. Standing up, she faced Echo Prime. “Now, where were we?”
“You used your energy to block the sound. Smart. You’re the most impressive one here, I must admit," Echo Prime said, his voice dripping with mock sincerity.
“I don’t need your praise. This fight is over!” Lyria fired multiple beams of light, but Echo Prime dodged with ease.
“Fast, aren’t we?”
“You'll find I’m the fastest of my clones,” Echo Prime said confidently. "Your attacks won't touch me."
“Clones? What do you mean?” Lyria’s eyes narrowed.
"My two clones are hunting down the rest of your group. They’re likely all dead by now."
‘Sensei should be fine,’ Lyria thought. ‘But Blaze… knowing him, he might be reckless. I need to finish this fast.’
She smacked her cheeks, steeling herself. "Let's end this."
“Spoken like a true warrior. Let’s finish it,” came a sudden voice. Scarlett stepped forward, but something was different—her hair had turned a spectral silver-white, shimmering with a strange energy.
“Scarlett? You’re okay?” Lyria breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”
“Of course I am! Losing a little blood isn’t enough to kill me. Besides, now I’m itching for a fight!” Scarlett grinned, her eyes glinting with excitement.
“You lost so much blood… you should be dead. How did you survive?”
Scarlett shrugged nonchalantly. “I dunno, don’t care. I met someone—forgot their name—but they gave me some power. That’s all I know.”
“Great. Now that she’s back, we’ve got this,” Riku said, standing up, his ears slowly healing thanks to his regenerative abilities.
“Yeah, let's take him down, Lyria and Lightning Boy!” Scarlett exclaimed.
“Don’t call me that,” Riku glared.
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Monday, August 18, 12:53, 3074 AE
“Damn, you hit hard for a blindfolded woman. But enough playing around. Now I’m pissed,” Echo Fang growled as his body started resonating with vibrational energy.
“Oh no, I’m so scared. Fang Beast’s gonna get me,” Aeloria mocked, lounging casually on a branch. “Sike. Who cares if you’re mad? You’re still weak. Kazuo will handle you.”
“Why, you—!” Echo Fang leaped into the air to strike her, but before he could land a blow, Kazuo sent him crashing into the ground with explosive force, creating a massive crater.
“Don’t take your eyes off me,” Kazuo said, clearly annoyed.
“Fine. I’ll deal with you first!” Echo Fang charged with incredible speed, shattering the sound barrier and uprooting trees as he swung his sword, covered in vibrating energy, at Kazuo.
Kazuo met the attack head-on, striking the sword with his fist and detonating the energy. The impact caused the ground to upheave violently, sending debris flying everywhere. Both fighters pressed for dominance.
“Interesting,” Kazuo said with a grin. “Kinetic energy versus explosive power. Let’s see who wins.” He stomped the ground, creating an explosion, forcing Echo Fang to leap away before quickly charging back in.
They clashed again and again, each impact causing more explosions, slowly reducing the surrounding forest to rubble.
Celestial Realm
“Oh, this is getting good! I wonder how this fight will end—will Blaze and his team win, or will the Echo of Triad triumph?” Nyra cackles, her grin stretching wickedly as she peers into her orb, watching the battle unfold in the mortal plane. The orb shimmers with a soft, eerie glow, reflecting the chaos of the battlefield below.
‘Hmm... maybe I should do something to make this fight more interesting, give our heroes a real challenge,’ she muses with a sly glint in her eyes, fingers tapping rhythmically against the orb’s surface.
Seraphina is nowhere to be found, having left earlier to attend to some errands, leaving Nyra unsupervised in her mischievous thoughts.