???
A repeated tingle created small trembles across Tarsa's skin. His head lifted towards Azul, unconscious from the ritual's power, then onto his comrades. "There's something going on. Someone is approaching the di-"
"I feel it," Songnote responded, sinking her fingernails into her violin. "A fraction of this power is familiar - has that boy figured out a way to infiltrate our premises?"
Amir rose from the catacombs dusty concrete floors, accompanied by a lovestruck Julia. "Where are you going, my love!?" She sang. "If you're going to investigate, let me come with you!" His ominous stroll comes to an abrupt halt, and his head shifts towards Julia. "We've done enough for the Eclipse Ritual," he advised. "Azul Celeste will be bound to her entity transformation, no matter what happens." Songnote emerged from the ground, following the growing power's enticing scent. "Very well then," she responded. "We will withdraw for now; however, Tarsa, you are to stay nearest to the vessel. Understood?"
Tarsa nodded, bashing his fists together. "Don't worry your pretty little head, I'll protect her with ease!"
Songnote rolled her eyes in gentle disgust, voyaging deeper into the dark halls.
---
Lila's code filled the Royal Complex's halls, peeling off her skin and forming a large, circular portal in the hallway's center. Kevin, amazed by her performance, bolted back towards his team. "This is it!?" he asked, observing Kaelan's unconscious body. A light-red glow infested Lila's code, forcing her muscles to strain. The code formed fragments of Tarsa's portal, their union gradually drawing closer with Lila's grunts. Malicious specs of code coated her arms, forming a large sphere at her palm's tip. With a determined wheeze, her eyes bulged open. "BINARY RECONSTRUCTION!" The sphere bursted, dispersing into a large ray reuniting the portal's glowing fragments. Lila's pupils shimmered, and a smirk grew across her face. "LET'S GO!" Kevin shouted from a distance, excitedly bolting past her into the white portal. Beside the fazed girl drags Gerald, inching closer towards the fluttering gateway. "Nice job, Lila!" he grinned, playfully brushing her shoulder. Turning back towards the dancing Alan, she hesitates, stuck between emotions of sadness and courage. Disregarding her second thoughts, her arms, followed by her body, embraced the coded portal. "For the Grand Province."
Volume 13, Chapter 69 - Stronghold of Flame
The dark-green code molding Kaelan's temporary body suffered an immediate rupture. His arms pounce, rising towards his chest. Once I use Binary Reconstruction, your heart may jump a bit. A wave of paint-mixed Sunfire Stew partially broke the spectating crowd - some fleeing, some remaining. Ashira's brush spiked upward, forcing the tip to wobble. "Standard Senses are helpful but unreliable. Guess I'll just fight the old-fashioned way until our brawl concludes…" A satisfied chuckle erupted from Kaelan's chest. "I believe we've advanced into the enemy's territory," he said. "Now, time to finish this extensive brawl!"
"Consuming my paint, spitting tremendous amounts of food, and strengthening his power? This guy isn't even an entity hunter, yet he's giving me such a hard time…" Her eyes shifted beyond Kaelan, examining the waning crowd. Taking a light whiff of air, she rotated her paintbrush sideways, sliding her hands in opposite directions. Her left hand at the rear and her right at the tip's beginning, her knee struck the brush's center. Kaelan's eyes shrank, the unsettling sight falling into place. "You broke your paintbrush!?"
"This brush cannot contain the full extent of my imagination," she rambled. "I simply decide when a new one is required."Her arms rose, forming a batch of yellow paint. "A true Dreambrush is what I yearn for."
Kaelan's eyes traced the painted arc with absolute caution. "A Dreambrush… what the hell is she saying?" The gushing paint reformed, creating an enormous arc stretching above the buildings like a splattered rainbow. As the giant structure enveloped Kaelan's shadow, chatters of interest rose from the remaining citizens. "She's really going to do it!?" "Against someone from Death Desert?" "Ashira, that's too far!" Her arms shot towards the burning, exposed sun, and a solemn expression molded across her face. "I'm sure this won't kill him," she said, eliminating the crowd's fearful reactions. "Paint Style - Tsunami of Absolute Paint!" Ashira's towering arch began to melt, creating aggressive riptides of paint roaring towards Kaelan. His eyes narrowed, seeking her glowing gaze within the sloshing paint. Raising his fists and bending his knees, a large amount of golden energy builds within his legs.
Ashira's eyes bulged. "He's attempting to counterattack!"
His shining body breezed through the street, carefully embracing the vibrant tidal wave. A golden orb of light rushed through the colorful fluid, navigating the aggressive waves peaking overhead. He shot out the water, raising his fist. "Swimming, eating, fighting, punching… I won't stop building my personality!" The glowing fist pierced through gigantic waves like a hole puncher, forcing a large hole through the fluid as if it were a piece of paper. He dived into the paint yet again, climbing the circle's smooth edges. With a final push through Ashira's painted ocean, Kaelan, lifting his glowing fist towards Ashira's face, wiped the paint dripping from his chin. "Like Kevin and Gerald's, my goal shines bright! The old Kaelan only stood dependent on the entity within him! Before your eyes stands the new Kaelan, the Sunstone Trio's light!"
An orb of paint formed on Ashira's palm, its trembling edges sending droplets of paint outward. The attacks clashed for a moment, dispersing the ocean of gushing paint behind. Kaelan's fist dominated the extensive clash, forcing Ashira's painted elbow to bend. "Courage of Gold… Vibrant Union!" Rising above Kaelan awakened a glowing Sariku, his spiritual presence facilitated by his son's surging power. Together, their fists extend, slamming Ashira's palm with hyperintensive force. Her body plunged through the air, landing into a rectangular concrete building at the street's junction. In front of the fazed crowd stood Kaelan, lifting his fist in absolute victory. "You're strong, Ashira. Say, how about we do this again sometime?"
Rising from the building's debris, Ashira examined the structure's partially-fractured foundation. "Vibrant but destructive. This building racked up at least 1000 dollars in damages…" Her head lifted, detecting Kaelan's shining smile. With a bright chuckle, she emerged from the partially-destroyed structure. "I'll remember your name, Kaelan of the Sunstone Trio. However, tune your destructive qualities down just a bit…"
The green code creating Kaelan's skin begins to fade alongside his consciousness. "Noted," he replies.
Fire Moon's hideout, ???
Kevin stumbled out the glowing portal, clumsily plunging onto the dusty floor. Shaking his head, he closely examined the dark catacombs. Beside him stood Gerald, his gaze stretching into the halls beyond. "We've finally made it," his voice echoed. "Kevin, remember that we're in enemy territor-"
With a bold step, Kevin's head lifted towards the catacombs ceilings. "WE'RE BACK AND BETTER, FIRE MOON! WE'LL SAVE THE GRAND PROVINCE WITHOUT A DOUBT!"
Lila emerged from the coded portal, observing the dark halls ahead. "We've made it… Fire Moon's hideout. Since detecting our presence will be simple together, I believe splitting up will be best."
Gerald and Kevin smile. "Another match against Songnote," Gerald whispered.
"THAT MEANS ANOTHER MATCH AGAINST TARSA!" Kevin followed up.
At that exact moment, a large ember of flame ripped through the halls. "Someone's already found us!?" Gerald scoffed. Amir and Julia emerged from the roaring flames, focusing their eyes on the startled teenagers. "So you're the kids we impersonated back at the Royal Complex," Amir's voice mumbled.
"Make it known that you won't be advancing any further than this!" Julia finished, clenching her fists. Lila stepped ahead of her comrades, gently leaning Kaelan's unconscious body against the walls. Her muscles clench, awakening small particles of code from her skin. "A two versus one, huh? Leave this to me."
Kevin and Gerald nodded, scurrying through opposite crypts to the portal's right and left. Gerald rushed through the unrestingly warm halls with a determined frown across his face. "It hasn't been that long, but I'm sure I'll win in our next encounter."
Team Pyron had successfully traveled through space and time, arriving at their ultimate destination - Fire Moon's hideout.