Senjuro woke slowly,
blinking against the soft glow of a floating high-tech medical bed. The room
around him shimmered with a futuristic brilliance—sleek metallic walls,
holographic monitors, and the quiet hum of Resonance Flux running through the underground
complex. It was a hidden chamber beneath Celestia, powered by state-of-the-art
technology and a core flux denser than anything he had ever felt before.
Across the room, a man
worked calmly at a translucent holographic keyboard. Hearing Senjuro stir, he
turned around with a composed smile.
"You're up earlier than I
expected," he said.
Senjuro struggled to sit
up, still groggy from the recent chaos. He studied the man—tall, built like a
warrior yet refined, with silver-streaked black hair and eyes that burned with
deep, old wisdom.
"Who... who are you?"
Senjuro managed to ask.
The man stepped forward,
arms crossed loosely, and replied with calm authority, "The name's Shaeryn
Xavier. I'm Kael's father."
Senjuro's eyes widened in
disbelief. "What?! You're Kael's father?"
Shaeryn nodded. "Yes. I
was once the world's third-strongest assassin. But one fateful incident changed
everything—my career, my life, and Kael's future."
Senjuro leaned forward,
his curiosity overcoming his fatigue. "What happened?"
Shaeryn's gaze darkened
slightly as he walked toward a console and projected a 3D map of Celestia.
"First, you need to understand where you are. Celestia isn't just nation in the
sky. It's governed by two pillars: the UNC—Urban Nexus Director—and the Celestial
Mirage Co."
Senjuro furrowed his brow.
"Celestial Mirage Co? What's that?"
Shaeryn's tone turned
bitter. "It's the corporation behind everything you see in Celestia—the
infrastructure, the tech, the Flux networks. They own it all. They are the real
power, even above the so-called government. The Mirage Council, made up of the
company's highest-ranking members, decides who leads the UNC. It's an illusion
of democracy."
He flicked his hand, and
another figure appeared in the hologram—Jacob Bethelle.
"The heir of Celestial
Mirage Co was Jacob Bethelle. Greedy, power-hungry. He sold the company's
loyalty to Segrito's black-market empire. Jacob manipulated the elections,
appointed puppets to the UNC, and disguised the decay of Celestia beneath a
façade of prosperity."
Senjuro clenched his
fists. "How does this connect to you?"
Shaeryn's expression
hardened. "They tried to buy my loyalty. They wanted me to be their blade,
their enforcer. But I was warned by someone wiser than I—that loyalty is the
greatest trait a man can possess. I refused."
He paused, voice lowering.
"So, they assigned me to the Flux Wars—suicide missions to keep me
occupied and eventually get rid of me."
Senjuro listened intently,
feeling the weight of the story settle on his shoulders.
Shaeryn continued, his
voice tight with old pain. "It was the same day Kael was born. Vermon—Vorenth's
older brother—kidnapped my wife, Aira Xavier. They used her to blackmail me.
She... sacrificed herself to protect Kael's future."
Senjuro's heart dropped.
"I'm so sorry..."
Shaeryn's fists trembled
slightly, the only betrayal of emotion. "Blinded by rage, I abandoned my
mission and hunted Vermon down. I killed him with my own hands. But in the eyes
of the world, I was a deserter. Celestia pinned the blame on me. I was fired,
disgraced."
The hologram shifted, now
showing a much younger Kael training under the harsh neon lights of a secluded
room.
"But in Kael... I saw my
spirit, my hope. I gave him his core—infused with Hyper Resonance—and trained
him in secret, far from the eyes of the Mirage Council."
Shaeryn turned to face
Senjuro directly, his voice like a blade. "Now, Veronth continues what his
brother started. And I will not allow him to corrupt this world any further."
He placed a firm hand on
Senjuro's shoulder. "That's why I'll train you. You and Kyrin—you both have the
fire needed to stand against them."
Senjuro, overwhelmed yet
filled with a deep resolve, nodded firmly. "It would be my honor, Master
Shaeryn."
Without hesitation,
Senjuro walked over to Kyrin, who was lying in another medical pod. He leaned
down and whispered everything Shaeryn had revealed. Kyrin's eyes snapped open,
burning with the same determination Senjuro felt.
Both of them knew: the
journey ahead would be brutal. But with Shaeryn's guidance, they might finally
have a chance—not just to save Kael, but to tear down the corruption that
poisoned Celestia itself.
And somewhere deep inside
Senjuro, a new fire ignited—one that would not be extinguished easily.
Shaeryn summoned Senjuro
and Kyrin to the projection chamber. As the lights dimmed, a massive hologram
lit up the room, revealing a glowing, custom-built Resonance Core unlike
anything they had seen before. The core pulsed with a rhythmic energy, encased
in intricate circuitry and radiating an ethereal flame-like aura.
"This," Shaeryn began, his
voice calm but filled with weight, "is the Hybrid Resonance Ascension Core—one
of the most advanced resonance cores ever developed. It's not just a power
source... it's a catalyst."
Senjuro leaned forward,
eyes narrowed. "Is it powered by Hyper Resonance Flux?"
Shaeryn shook his head
slowly. "No. This one draws from something even rarer—Hyper Spirit Flame
Flux. It's the purest, most volatile form of Hyper Resonance. Untamed, but
capable of unlocking the ultimate Hybrid state in your cores. With this, you
won't just push your limits—you'll break them."
Kyrin's eyes widened.
"You're saying this can elevate our cores beyond their current thresholds?"
Shaeryn nodded. "I'll
forge two of these cores specifically attuned to your flux signatures. Along
with them, I'll craft new weapons—designed to handle the output and synchronize
with your combat style."
Before either of them
could respond, the side door of the chamber hissed open. Two familiar figures
walked in. Senjuro and Kyrin turned, stunned.
"Blaze? Rin?" Kyrin
blinked in disbelief. "You're alive?"
Blaze and Kyrin stared at
each other, both visibly shocked, before Blaze gave a crooked grin. Rin stepped
forward, calm as ever.
"I'll take them from here,
Master," Rin said to Shaeryn.
Shaeryn nodded. "Go ahead.
They're yours to guide."
Rin and Blaze motioned for
Senjuro and Kyrin to follow, leading them into a sleek, high-tech training
arena lined with energy panels and flux regulators. The air thrummed with
power—this was clearly a space meant for elite combatants.
As they entered, Senjuro
turned to Rin. "Where have you been all this time?"
Rin's expression darkened
for a moment. "During the incident, I noticed hostile movement before the
ambush. I tried to stop them, but we were overwhelmed and lost consciousness.
When I woke up, we were here. Master Shaeryn had already treated our wounds—and
given us these."
He tapped the center of
his chest. A glowing sigil emerged; the core embedded beneath his armor pulsing
faintly.
"He upgraded our cores to
the Hybrid Resonance Ascension level," Rin continued. "Our power now... it's
beyond what even Kairen had."
Kyrin's jaw dropped.
"Wait—you're stronger than Kairen now?"
Blaze chuckled. "By a good
margin."
Senjuro raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you think you can take down Kael now."
Rin smirked. "With Kael,
it could go either way. He's unpredictable... but so are we."
Senjuro and Kyrin
exchanged a glance, equal parts disbelief and excitement. They could feel
it—this was the beginning of their true evolution.
"Train with us," Rin said.
"Once your cores are installed and adapted, you'll feel the difference
instantly. You'll realize what you were truly capable of all along."
The arena's floor shifted
as energy lines activated, preparing for combat simulations. Senjuro and Kyrin
stepped into the center.
They didn't need any more
convincing.
Their journey wasn't just
about survival anymore—it was about transcending every boundary that had ever
held them back. With Shaeryn's guidance, Blaze and Rin's support, and the
Hybrid Resonance Ascension Cores waiting to be fused—they were ready to become
legends.