The morning sunlight filtered through the sky as Shoto made his way to school, yawning lazily while rubbing the back of his head. His thoughts drifted to Ryuji, who was up next to fight. "He's probably going to treat this like a joke," Shoto muttered to himself. Walking beside him was Neko, the small, ever-present cat, padding along quietly.
As they approached the school gates, a large crowd of students gathered, buzzing with chatter. At the center of it all stood Hina, clipboard in hand, meticulously marking things off. Shoto tilted his head curiously.
"Hm? Hina, why is everyone outside?"
Hina glanced up at him briefly before quickly hiding her face behind the clipboard, her cheeks turning a bright crimson. Without saying a word, she pointed toward the school roof. Shoto followed her gesture and froze, his eyes widening.
The roof was half-destroyed, the aftermath of last night's battle between Endo and Inamaru clearly visible. Neko, sitting calmly beside Shoto, stared at the damage with a blank expression.
"Oh… that's not good," Shoto muttered, sighing.
The cat leapt onto his shoulder as Shoto turned back to Hina. "So, school's canceled?"
Hina nodded, still trying to hide her face. "Y-yes, but Hikaru told me to tell you that you need to meet him in the gym."
"Got it." Shoto gave her a small smile, rubbing his messy hair. "Thanks, Hina."
As Shoto walked away, Hina peeked over her clipboard, watching him leave before crouching down and squealing quietly to herself.
When Shoto reached the gymnasium, it was eerily empty. He leaned casually against the wall by the door, waiting. The sound of footsteps echoed as Hikaru entered, carrying a large suitcase. "You're here, and on time. Good," Hikaru said, setting the suitcase down in the center of the gym. "Let's get straight to it."
Shoto stepped forward, curiosity piqued. Neko leapt off his shoulder and padded toward the suitcase. Hikaru intercepted him, lifting the cat and holding him up. "Alright, talk, cat. You're the only one who knows the truth about the sacred swords and the reincarnation of the king."
Neko sighed dramatically as Hikaru placed him gently on top of the suitcase. "Fine, fine. Listen up."
"The eight sacred swords of Myalis," Neko began, "each tied to a different element: Earth, Lightning, Wind, Water, Ice, Fire, Teleportation, and Dark—though you can call that one Velios. These swords were wielded by King Remedus and his trusted knights to protect their kingdom. I know this because I'm a cursed human trapped in this feline body."
Hikaru and Shoto exchanged a glance, momentarily stunned into silence. Neko continued, unbothered.
"The swords are also connected to traits of their wielders. Teleportation? That's obviously Endo. Lightning is Ren, thanks to his speed. Earth aligns with Ryuji's raw power. Fire is Hina, and Water belongs to you, Hikaru."
Shoto crouched down, carefully lifting the swords from the suitcase one by one. Each blade had a tag identifying its element, except for one labeled Proto. "What's this one?" Shoto asked, examining the mysterious sword.
Neko's gaze flicked to the Proto sword, then briefly to the Wind and Ice swords still in the suitcase. "That one's for Yuumo," he replied simply. "As for the Wind sword, it belongs to Tetsuya."
Shoto froze, his face paling. "T-T-TETSU—"
Hikaru interrupted with a shrug, picking Neko up to close the suitcase. "It's worth a shot when the time comes," he said, his tone dismissive.
Despite Shoto's growing panic, Neko hopped back onto his shoulder. "The swords can be used, but there's a catch," Neko said, his tone turning serious. "If you lose a fight, you have to surrender the sword to your opponent. Since Endo and Inamaru ended in a draw last night, their sword is forfeit. There has to be a winner."
Hikaru nodded, gathering six of the swords and leaving the Dark sword in front of Shoto. "We don't have much time, but Ryuji is already giving it his all to unlock the Earth sword's potential. The rest of us need to figure out how to awaken our swords, too. Don't slow us down, Shoto."
With that, Hikaru left, dragging the swords behind him. Shoto sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the Dark sword. He glanced at Neko, who smirked knowingly.
"There's still a lot you're not telling me," Shoto said quietly.
"In due time," Neko replied, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
IIt was midnight, and the stage for the confrontation had shifted to the gym. Zan-Xi's group was already there, leaning casually against the walls, their expressions exuding confidence as they awaited the arrival of Shoto and his team. The gym lights cast a cold glow on the polished floor, adding an ominous air to the impending clash.
The silence was broken as the gym door creaked open. Ryuji stepped inside, his movements deliberate and steady despite the bruises marring his body. Clutched in his hand was the Earth Sword, its faint energy pulsing in sync with his resolve. Hisappearance was striking—his toned abs visible beneath his open jacket and white cargo pants with, a fur scarf draped around his neck, Ryuji however had black cargo pants completing and a white tank top despite it being dirty from his hours of training.
Behind him, Shoto followed, with Neko perched on his shoulder. The rest of their group—Hikaru, Rem, and Yuumo—entered as well, each bearing their own injuries from prior encounters. Their eyes were sharp, unwavering, despite the wear of battle etched into their faces.
As the tension thickened, an unexpected figure emerged—a robot butler. It stepped forward, positioning itself between Ryuji and a flamboyant figure from Zan-Xi's group. The robot's voice was crisp and mechanical, breaking the stillness.
"Please state your names!"
The flamboyant man's lips curved into a confident smile. "Ryosuke," he said smoothly, his voice dripping with charm. His golden eyes glinted as he adjusted the fur scarf around his neck.
Ryuji, however, remained stoic, his gaze unwavering. "Ryuji," he replied, his tone resolute.
Acknowledging the introductions, the robot butler stepped back, clearing the center of the gym. From its speakers, the sound of a boxing ring bell echoed loudly, signaling the start of the duel.
Ryuji shifted into position, gripping the Earth Sword firmly. He raised it in front of him, the blade straight as a line, and placed his other hand on its center. A faint glow began to emanate from the weapon, intensifying with every second.
"Oh?" Ryosuke's eyes lit up with intrigue. His grin widened, his interest piqued.
From the sidelines, Zan-Xi narrowed his eyes, his gaze darting from Ryuji to the small, smug feline on Shoto's shoulder. "You didn't…" he muttered, irritation creeping into his voice.
Neko, however, simply smiled brightly, his expression brimming with mischief.
Ryuji's focus remained on Ryosuke. Slowly, he parted his lips, his voice steady and deliberate as he uttered a single word:
"Éveiller."