Monday, August 18, 1:00 PM, 3074 AE
Blaze lunged forward with his scythe, the massive blade aimed directly for his opponent, but Echo Shade simply melted into the shadows surrounding them.
"Damn it! Stop running away, you annoying worm!" Blaze's voice growled with frustration, his violet eyes scanning the area, narrowing as they failed to find a trace of the elusive enemy. His grip tightened around his weapon, his body tense with impatience.
Kai, standing just behind him, placed a calming hand on Blaze’s shoulder. “Relax, there’s no need to get all worked up. There are more of us than him. Let’s work together.” His tone was steady, a sharp contrast to Blaze’s boiling rage.
Blaze roughly shrugged off Kai’s hand, refusing to be calmed. "No, I don't need help," he spat, before beginning to slash furiously at the shadows, one wild strike after another. His scythe cut through the darkness without hesitation until, suddenly, one of the shadows morphed and curled around his arm.
"W-what is this?" Blaze's eyes widened as he glanced down at the shadowy tendril, but it didn’t feel malicious—no, this wasn’t an attack.
From behind them, a calm, familiar voice echoed, "Fade into the shadows. Stay unseen until the time to strike arrives, Veil."
Both Blaze and Kai spun around, weapons ready, as a shadowy figure stepped forward, emerging from the gloom with practiced ease.
Blaze's face twisted with recognition. “It’s you! The girl from the library!” he snarled, pointing the edge of his scythe toward her.
Cassandra, or Cassie as she was known in their team, raised an eyebrow, an almost mocking smile pulling at her lips. “Still as hot-headed as ever, I see,” she said, voice smooth. “It’s been a while.”
Kai blinked, surprised. “Cassie? When did you get here? I didn’t even see you.”
Cassandra’s figure blurred momentarily as she crossed her arms, clearly unbothered. “I’m not surprised. Few notice my presence. I've been here since the mission began.” Her eyes shifted toward Blaze, amusement flickering in them.
"Then why haven’t you helped?" Kai asked, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice.
“I was observing,” Cassandra replied coolly. “Studying the enemy, gauging their abilities. And now, I know how to defeat them.”
Kai’s brows shot up. “Really? How?”
Blaze’s eyes narrowed, his annoyance flaring hotter, but he stayed silent, clearly irritated by the intrusion yet curious enough not to interrupt. Cassandra had a reputation for her stealth and strategy, even if her presence was often understated.
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Monday, August 18, 1:05 PM, 3074 AE
“Soul Reaver.”
Scarlett’s voice echoed through the battlefield, her silver-white hair flowing like a banner behind her as she conjured a dark, spectral scythe. The weapon materialized in her hand, the blade swirling with shadowy mist, a weapon born from the void itself. It pulsed with power, a darkness that could drain the life force of anyone it touched, weakening them with every slash.
Her crimson eyes locked onto Echo Prime, a predatory grin creeping onto her face. 'So... I really did meet Death herself,' she mused, tightening her grip on the scythe. 'Let’s see how this power holds up.'
Without warning, Scarlett swung her spectral weapon, the sheer force of her attack ripping through the air. The slash obliterated the abandoned house around them, shattering it into debris. The trees within a hundred meters were uprooted and felled as if they were mere twigs.
Echo Prime leapt high into the air, narrowly avoiding the devastating attack. But before he could breathe, a bolt of lightning and a searing beam of light came flying at him. He twisted, dodging the light with ease, but grabbed the bolt of lightning with his bare hand. His face twisted into a cruel smirk as he hurled it back at them, the impact of the strike sending shockwaves through the earth.
The explosion sent chunks of ground and shattered debris raining down around the battlefield.
“You think gaining new abilities makes you a threat to me?” Echo Prime’s voice boomed across the field, his figure hovering menacingly above the wreckage. “Feel the wrath of my unstoppable power!”
With a deafening screech, Echo Prime unleashed a wave of energy so fierce that the surrounding forest was torn apart, trees reduced to splinters in an instant.
Scarlett moved in a blur, her scythe a whirl of destruction as she hacked away at anything that dared come near her. Lyria raised a barrier of pure light around herself, shielding from the incoming storm of debris, while Riku created a static field, repelling anything that flew his way.
Echo Prime’s voice rang with twisted laughter, echoing louder and louder. "Time for this battle to end, kukukuhahaha!" His voice alone carried enough force to break trees and rip the earth beneath them as the battlefield descended into chaos.
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Monday, August 18, 1:02 PM, 3074 AE
Kazuo’s fists clashed with Echo Fang’s twin swords, the sound of metal meeting flesh ringing through the air. Each strike sent shockwaves through the earth beneath them, the ground trembling with every exchange.
Kazuo's muscles coiled as he wound up another punch, slamming it into Echo Fang’s crossed blades. The force of the blow sent the enemy skidding back, his feet carving trenches into the earth. But Kazuo was relentless, his fists exploding with raw energy as he surged forward.
“You... human scum,” Echo Fang spat, clutching his bleeding arm. “To think a mortal could injure me like this...”
Before he could finish, Kazuo’s fist collided with his face. The explosive force of the punch sent Echo Fang flying, crashing through a nearby tree with a deafening crack.
"Is yapping all you do?" Kazuo sneered, eyes gleaming with fierce intensity. "How about you shut your mouth and let your weapons do the talking?"
From a nearby tree, Aeloria watched with a wicked grin, her voice dripping with amusement. "Ooooh, so tough. Kazuo, you're such a badass!" She mocked, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Kazuo shot her a glare. “Shut up, or you’re next,” he snapped, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Ohhh, I would love that,” Aeloria purred, her laughter soft but dangerous. “How about we see how good you really are, hmm?”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Echo Fang struggled to his feet, bleeding and limping, but before anyone could make another move, a violent force rippled through the area, uprooting every tree in a wide radius. The sheer power sent Echo Fang flying once again, while Aeloria was knocked from her perch, landing on the ground with a loud thud.
“Owww...” Aeloria groaned, rubbing her backside as she stood up. “Who the hell did that?”
Kazuo crossed his arms, a slight frown on his face. “Must’ve been one of the other fights. Whoever they’re fighting must be pretty strong.”
“That would be none other than the main body, Echo Prime,” Echo Fang muttered, wincing as he tried to steady himself. “If he’s using this much power... then he’s in trouble. We were only supposed to kidnap a few people, torture them. How did it end up like this?”
Kazuo smirked. “I’ll tell you how. Today was just your unlucky day. You ran into us.” He cracked his knuckles, his grin widening. “Most others wouldn’t have lasted five minutes inside this forest.”
Aeloria walked up beside him, her eyes glinting with dangerous excitement. “Now, let’s finish this,” she said, raising her hand as ethereal energy began to gather at her fingertips.
But before she could fire, Echo Fang turned tail and ran, his fear overtaking him.
Kazuo glanced at her, eyebrow raised. “You’re just gonna let him go?”
Aeloria waved it off. “It’ll be fine. Once they all gather, that’s when we’ll kill them.”
"You just want your students to face a strong opponent," Kazuo muttered, eyeing her suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you know what’s going to happen.”
Aeloria flashed him a grin. “Always do. I can see the future, after all. Now, let’s get going.”
The two of them started heading toward where Echo Prime’s fight was raging.
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Monday, August 18, 1:05 PM, 3074 AE
“In order to defeat him, we have to get rid of all the surrounding shadows. That is the source of his powers,” Cassandra declared, her voice steady and authoritative.
“Yeah, oh smart one, how do you suppose we do that? As you saw, I could not get rid of them,” Blaze retorted, crossing his arms with a frustrated scowl.
“Yet you failed. So why not listen to me and have a chance to defeat our opponent?” Cassandra replied, shaking her head, causing Blaze to click his tongue in irritation.
Before she could elaborate on her plan, a powerful shockwave hit them, sending them flying back. They all instinctively dug their feet into the ground, shielding their eyes from the blinding light.
As the brilliance faded and they opened their eyes, they saw it: the darkness surrounding them had been shattered, revealing their enemy, who was poised to attack from behind.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Blaze shouted, launching himself forward like a bolt of lightning, ready to cleave the Kōsō in two. But just as he charged, a shadowy tendril wrapped around his arm and body, halting his advance. “What? How—”
To his relief, a staff whirled through the air, shattering the tendrils that ensnared him. Kai stood there, grinning widely, his reflexes sharp as ever.
“Got you, buddy!” Kai exclaimed.
“I didn’t need your help, but thanks,” Blaze muttered, surprising Kai with his unexpected gratitude.
Meanwhile, Cassandra conjured a giant shadow hand that enveloped Echo Shade, pinning him down, ensuring he couldn't escape no matter how hard he struggled.
“This isn’t over!” Echo Shade hissed, his voice a haunting whisper as he melted into the ground, disappearing within his own shadow.
“Where did he go?” Blaze asked, confusion etched on his face just as a notification pinged on his phone. It was Aeloria, instructing him to meet her where Scarlett and the others were.
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Monday, August 18, 1:12 PM, 3074 AE
Lyria unleashed multiple beams of light, each one ricocheting off the powerful shockwave emanating from their foe. Riku’s lightning bolts met a similar fate, scattering harmlessly into the void.
“What is this guy? How can he have this much power?” Riku exclaimed, disbelief clear in his voice.
“I don’t know, but what I do know is we have to defeat him before something terrible happens!” Scatless declared, propelling herself into the air, targeting Echo Prime. As she slashed at the shockwave with her Soul Reaver, to her astonishment, she redirected it into a gentle gust of wind that caught Echo Prime off guard.
“What? How did you do that? That should be impossible!” Echo Prime gasped, momentarily distracted, which allowed Scarlett to strike him with her scythe, absorbing a portion of his life force.
“Why you insolent human!” Echo Prime growled, seizing her arm and throwing her into the ground with immense force, creating a massive crater.
Just then, Echo Fang and Echo Shade materialized beside him, hovering in the air.
“Ah, good! You two must have defeated your opponents. That’s good news,” Echo Prime said, a gleeful grin spreading across his face.
“Um, actually, we ran away. Our opponents were stronger than we expected,” both Echo Fang and Shade admitted in unison, their voices laced with embarrassment.
“Stronger? Just how much stronger were they for the two of you to run away?” Echo Prime's question was cut short when a flaming scythe sliced through the air, severing his arm from behind.
“Far stronger,” Blaze answered coolly before launching a powerful ball of fire that sent Echo Prime hurtling to the ground. “This is why you always stay on guard!”
“Brother, you’re alright! That’s a relief,” Lyria said, her worry fading as she rushed to his side.
“You worry too much. You make it seem as if I get into danger all the time,” Blaze replied, landing gracefully in front of her.
“Which you always do,” Scarlett chimed in, her expression teasing yet concerned.
“Is it me, or did your hair change colors?” Blaze tilted his head, noticing the vibrant hues cascading from her scalp.
“Long story short, I got a new power,” she replied cryptically, leaving it at that. Just then, Aeloria and Kazuo strolled up, moving with an air of casual confidence.
“Well, looks like the team is here. Good! Now, Echo Prime, why don’t you get your ass up and show us what you can do?” Aeloria challenged, her tone teasing yet serious.
“What do you mean, Sensei?” they all asked in unison, confusion written across their faces.
“It seems our friend here has another form, and Aeloria wants to see it. To be more exact, she wants you all to fight it,” Kazuo explained, a smirk creeping onto his face.
At that moment, a surge of energy erupted, shaking the very foundation of Valoria. The ground trembled beneath them, and as the energy dissipated, Echo Prime stood transformed, his new form a breathtaking sight.
He stood at an imposing height of 6'4", with a lean yet athletic build. His pale skin shimmered with a silvery tint, reflecting faint light like glass. His eyes glowed pure white, spiraling patterns swirling in their depths. Long, sleek silver hair flowed down to his mid-back, with streaks of black and purple that faded into shimmering ends.
The outfit he donned was a striking ensemble that combined sleekness, power, and ethereality. A form-fitting bodysuit made from an otherworldly fabric shifted in color from deep gray to shimmering silver, with intricate geometric patterns pulsing softly with energy. The suit resembled both smooth metal and soft fabric, reflecting light in a mesmerizing way.
Over the bodysuit, a rugged yet elegant armored vest was integrated, adorned with jagged black and silver plates that provided both protection and a fierce aesthetic. The armor was strategically placed to enhance mobility while offering robust defense, with glowing accents that matched the suit's energy patterns.
Flowing from his shoulders was a dramatic cape made of a semi-transparent material that blended shadows and light, swirling with mist-like designs. The cape appeared alive, shifting and billowing as if caught in an unseen wind, adding an air of mystery to his overall look.
Echo Prime raised his hand, accessories like sleek gauntlets featuring sharp edges hummed faintly with energy, and his boots, rising just below the knee, were crafted from the same shimmering material as the bodysuit, complete with rugged tread for stability.
“Ah, it feels so good to be in this form again!” Echo Prime exclaimed, tapping his finger against the ground, which immediately caused a localized earthquake. “Now let’s see how you fare against me now!”
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In the Celestial Realm, Nyra continued to observe the battles with keen interest, her eagerness palpable.
“Yes, show me just how strong you are, Blaze. Defeat this opponent; it will bring you one step closer to what I need you to become,” she whispered, her eyes glinting with anticipation.