-The situation is becoming increasingly complex," the presenter reported urgently. Officials have already been able to apprehend six of the armed attackers, but at this moment, a mysterious young man is directly confronting the dojo killer, Gorgo Garilla, accused of multiple murders both in the United States and here in Japan.
Authorities are reportedly trying to catch up with those responsible for this mayhem, but combat conditions are... inhumane. Rapid location changes, explosions and collapses everywhere...
-Why aren't we moving yet...? -Why are we still waiting here in the hospital instead of killing the witnesses and getting out?
-Keep your voice down," Do'cientos ordered him coolly, not taking his eyes off the television. We can't act until Gorgo completes the third stage of his plan.
-Shit," the young man complained, crossing his arms. I should have gone to fight.
-That was never going to happen," Do'cientos replied, barely turning his face away. I need someone who has the will to kill.
Your brother... doesn't have that courage yet.
-True," Noeredor admitted, lowering his gaze.
-Fucking hell..." Do'cientos grumbled, craning his neck back as if the news had given him a headache.
-What's the matter? -Noeredor asked, cocking his head curiously.
-Gorgo just told me that Nordor was knocked out. I need you to go full speed ahead and get him out of the police's sight.
I'll activate plan B. Hurry back.
Of course..." Noeredor nodded matter-of-factly, standing up as his boots echoed on the white corridor floor.
-Sir... the police have asked us not to leave the building," said one of the admissions secretaries nervously.
But by the time she finished speaking, Noeredor was gone. He had disappeared in a blast of static air.
Do'cientos just sighed, took the earpiece out of his ear and blew it to dust between his fingers. The last direct connection to Gorgo, eliminated.
Then he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
-Yes?
-The package was delivered," said a voice on the other end.
Just then, six armed men burst through the main entrance, firing into the air. Shouting, chaos, and the hostage-taking began.
-Please... don't shoot..." pleaded Do'cientos, panicking as he was dragged along with the group of hostages.
As several people were led into the hospital rooms, one of the gunmen grabbed Do'cientos by the collar of his shirt and forcibly separated him from the group.
-We've been looking for you, asshole," he sneered, as he closed the door behind the other hostages.
Do'cientos calmly tucked in his shirt, shaking out the wrinkles.
-Perfect..." he muttered with a sly grin.
-That was an excellent performance, sir," the gunman commented respectfully.
Next time... I'll charge you for the suit dry cleaning," Do'cientos muttered mockingly, as he walked out of the hospital. Behind him, his agents began to work.
…
'Teacher... can we turn on the TV?' asked Neo with a hint of embarrassment.
'And listen to that modern devil box? Of course not,' replied Tao firmly.
Neo snorted in annoyance.
'You should give it up, Tao. We've been silent for over twenty minutes.' The boy is bored, ' interjected Baldur, sitting in a chair next to the bed. 'Today the Yomiuri Giants are playing the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks..."
'I'm not interested in that pathetic game of sticks and balls,' Tao replied disdainfully. If we're going to be silent, then let's be peaceful and silent, like true monks.
Suddenly, the door was kicked violently. A man dressed in military gear burst into the room and raised his rifle. Without hesitation, he aimed directly at Neo.
But Baldur was already in motion.
With a sharp blow of his forearm, he lifted the barrel upwards, causing the shot to hit the ceiling. The bang shook the room.
'Baldur!' Tao shouted in surprise as he watched his old friend punch the attacker in the jaw and, with a powerful kick, throw him out of the room.
'Don't get up,' Baldur ordered in a firm voice as he walked decisively into the hallway.
'We have to help him!' Neo shouted, trying to sit up in bed.
'Nah... relax,' Tao replied, closing his eyes with disdain. "We're with the Water Pillar. Ordinary soldiers are no match for him."
'How quickly you changed your attitude!' complained Neo, stunned by his master's sudden calm.
The man tried to raise his rifle once more, but Baldur smashed it with one blow. He then delivered a sharp blow to his neck, cutting off his breath. The attacker barely had time to look up before receiving a brutal elbow to the face.
Shots hit Baldur's back... but there was no blood. Only the metallic sound of crushed bullets falling to the ground could be heard.
'What the hell...?' stammered the shooter, paralysed with fear.
'Water Art: Low Tide Wave,' murmured Baldur.
Instantly, he stamped his foot, generating a small tide of Ki. The wave swept the enemy's legs out from under him, knocking him face down on the ground.
Suddenly, a third man abruptly broke through the wall.
A young man was waiting for him on the other side, with a look of disdain.
'You dare to kill my grandfather while he's in the hospital? What a coward...' he said angrily. 'I'm going to have to beat you up so you learn to respect the vulnerable.'
Without hesitation, he kicked him between the legs.
The young man looked at Baldur and then at the other two attackers on the ground.
Baldur noticed his distinctive clothing: beret, white shirt, red neckerchief, black country trousers, espadrilles with socks, and a cloth belt from which hung a knife with a bone handle.
'You look familiar...' the young man said thoughtfully.
'I'm a friend of your grandfather's,' Baldur replied.
'Ah... no wonder...'
The man behind Baldur tried to get up, so the young man drew his knife and threw it at him. The blade flew past Baldur's head, but the old man didn't flinch. He just listened as the knife handle hit the soldier's helmet, causing him to fall backwards this time.
'Sorry about that, sir,' said the young man.
'Don't worry about it,' replied Baldur, turning to look at the soldier.
'My name is Leonel Kawaki... just in case, you know?' he said as he bent down to pick up his knife.
As soon as the soldier made a move to get up, Leonel kicked him in the groin.
'Baldur Brauner,' replied the old man calmly. 'How are you, Kawaki?'
'I was asleep... and out of nowhere, that madman came in. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't been with my grandfather,' replied the young man, visibly upset.
'Was that shot you heard yours?'
'The shot? Yes... it happened where I was,' said Baldur, as he dragged two of the attackers down the stairs.
As soon as he reached the ground floor, Baldur encountered the three remaining soldiers who were still occupying the hospital.
'Freeze!' shouted one of the men, pointing his gun at the old man.
At that moment, Leonel rolled down the stairs and threw a boleadora with precision. The stones and rope wrapped around the soldier's legs, knocking him down with force.
The remaining two reacted too late and opened fire, forcing Baldur and the gaucho to take cover behind a column.
'I don't know why we're hiding, since we're immune to bullets...' muttered Leonel.
'Better not to be too confident,' replied Baldur, keeping his eyes fixed on the enemies.
The beret flew through the air like an unexpected decoy, diverting the shooters' attention for just a second. But it was enough.
When they tried to refocus, it was too late.
Leonel appeared between them, wielding his knife firmly. He struck one of the soldiers in the face with the back of the blade, as if it were a sharp, accurate blow. The impact left him stunned instantly.
The other had no time to react: a powerful jet of water threw him against the wall, knocking him down without mercy.
Baldur approached calmly, his eyes serene, the air around him still vibrating with energy.
'Two down,' he murmured, without losing focus.
Leonel's gaze lingered on the television, where the news anchor was struggling to focus on the street battle between Gorgo and Max.
'Hey... I know that guy,' he murmured, pointing his chin at the screen.
'Me too...' confessed Baldur, his eyes wide, his expression suddenly altered. He had no idea what was happening...
'I have to go help him,' Leonel announced, determined. 'I owe him a favour...'
He took a step towards the door, but then stopped dead in his tracks.
Looking up, he found a figure blocking the doorway: Noeredor, standing with a blank stare and his arms relaxed at his sides.
His eyes, as dull as they were dangerous, rested emotionlessly on Leonel... and then on the unconscious soldiers.
Silence. As if time had stopped.
'Move, if you don't want me to cut you open like a pig,' Leonel growled, holding the knife in front of him, its blade glinting under the fluorescent lights.
Baldur said nothing, but his stance was firm. Noeredor did not seem like an ordinary opponent.
The white-haired young man did not flinch at the threat. His voice was calm, but full of disdain:
'Who the hell are you?' he asked without even blinking. 'How did an old man and a foreigner manage to knock out six armed men?'
Leonel narrowed his eyes.
'Maybe they weren't really men.'
Noeredor smiled slightly, but without humour.
'I'll take care of this...' Baldur said to Leonel. 'At the slightest opportunity... run to help my student... I'm more worried about him than myself...'
'Don't try to play the hero, old man,' Noeredor interrupted, 'as if I would let one of them escape...'
Quickly, Noeredor dragged both Baldur and Leonel to the end of the corridor, slamming them against a wall. Without pause, he unleashed a bolt of lightning so powerful that it lit up the entire hospital.
Luckily, Baldur reacted in time and raised a dome of energy, containing the impact at the last second.
When the electricity dissipated, Leonel was already lunging forward with his knife in hand, trying to cut the sprinter. But Noeredor was not in front, but behind.
A punch charged with electrical energy struck the young gaucho in the back, throwing him face down on the ground.
Baldur tried to counterattack, but Noeredor unleashed a shower of lightning in all directions, forcing the old man to retreat back into his dome.
Unlike a ki barrier, which forms a concentrated wall or shield, the dome covers all angles of the body, although it is more fragile. However, with Baldur as the user, control of the technique is much more precise.
Turning around, Noeredor noticed that Leonel was no longer there.
'COWARD!' he roared furiously before fixing his gaze on Baldur.
The old man remained hunched inside the dome, his hands clasped together, silently gathering energy.
'Shit...' muttered the sprinter, interrupting his barrage of lightning bolts and quickly moving to the side of the corridor.
But it was too late. A cannon blast of water hit him squarely, throwing him like a rag doll against the reception desks, which creaked and broke under the impact.
'But... I saw golden energy...' stammered Noeredor, dazed and dripping with water.
'I can transmute my Ki into water...' Baldur replied calmly, walking with steady steps and stopping in front of his opponent.
'You stupid old man... you just revealed your greatest weakness,' Noeredor commented, releasing sparks all over his body with a crooked smile. 'Did they kick you out of school?'
Baldur raised his right hand, while his left hand settled behind his back, taking his familiar combat stance.
'Weakness? I don't remember what it was... Will you show me?' Baldur asked, raising his hand and bringing the other to his back, taking his iconic combat stance.
'Use that water again, and you'll be stiff as a corpse,' Noeredor thought with a crooked smile.
'Zenzo-ken...' Baldur said in a deep voice.
An explosion of air and intense blue energy surrounded his body, causing even the windows in the hallway to vibrate, staining his beard and hair a strong blue.
'Sacrificing physical strength in exchange for speed and forced ki regeneration. Those are the effects of Zenzo-ken.'
Baldur disappeared in the blink of an eye. The blow came so fast that Noeredor barely blocked it by reflex, releasing a discharge that forced the old man to retreat.
When he landed, Baldur already had energy spinning in his right palm.
'There you go!' exclaimed Noeredor, throwing a dark lightning bolt.
But the golden sphere coming towards him forced him to jump aside. He understood too late.
'I don't necessarily throw water when I accumulate energy...' said Baldur with a calm smile.
In an instant, he grabbed him by the chest and slammed him against the wall, delivering a sharp blow to the centre of his torso and a precise slap to his left cheek. As he staggered, he finished him off with a straight kick to his upper back, sending him flying into another wall of the hospital.
Looking up, Noeredor spotted a power outlet. Without wasting any time, he placed his hand against it and began to absorb the building's energy, his body crackling with renewed strength.
'Unlike my brother... I'm not so afraid to use my powers,' he murmured, his eyes glowing red.
His T-shirt caught fire, disintegrating completely. In its place, a living fabric made of black lightning bolts, with sky-blue edges glowing like circuits, covered his torso. It was as if electricity had woven its own uniform of war.
Baldur remained unperturbed. He watched calmly as she resumed her combat position.
'I don't know who your brother is... but I hope he has a better temper,' he commented sarcastically.
<< The gift of Noeredor and Nordor was christened Black Kinetics. Both could travel at over 700 km/h thanks to an internal energy reserve. In addition, when running, they generated more energy slowly and continuously. >>
'It makes me angry to see an old man thinking he's funny...' Noeredor growled, as lightning bolts shot out of his arms like uncontrolled whips, marking the walls, ceiling and floor with electrical bursts.
'Brat, what the hell is going on in there? Why do I hear so much destruction?' asked Do'cientos, in an annoyed tone, through the communicator in his ear. 'Besides, I saw a boy dressed as a gaucho escape... Explain yourself!'
'A fucking old man is giving me trouble!' He's not one of the witnesses, and I don't even know him!" roared Noeredor, clenching his teeth, his body tense and his back arched with rage.
<< In addition to their overwhelming speed, the brothers Noeredor and Nordor have the ability to direct electricity to specific points, detonating bolts of black energy. They can also absorb electrical energy from external sources. That's why, when Do'cientos called them "pseudo gods of lightning", it didn't seem so far-fetched. >>
'Old man?' repeated Do'cientos, frowning. 'Ask him his name.'
'Are you kidding me?'
'Of course not, you idiot! Ask him!'
Noeredor let out an angry snort, swallowing his pride as if it were poison.
'You old bastard... what's your name?' he spat through clenched teeth, his eyes filled with rage.
Baldur simply stepped back, surprised by the question. But, regaining his characteristic composure, he replied firmly:
'Baldur Brauner.'
Upon hearing that name, Do'cientos' eyes widened. The impact was such that he gasped, momentarily speechless.
'Gorgo didn't consider such an obvious possibility... nor had I noticed that latent threat...' he thought, watching the explosions in the distance with growing anxiety. The plan could fail right here... and Gorgo doesn't even know it.
'Kill him! KILL HIM!' he shouted desperately into the communicator. I don't give a damn about the destruction, the deaths, or the chaos you leave behind! I want that old man dead!
"If you manage to kill him, I'll make you filthy rich! You and your brother! KILL HIM NOW!!!
Hearing these orders, Noeredor threw himself with all his might at Baldur.
The speed he reached was enormous. Not even the Zenzo-ken was enough to allow the old man to react in time. The impact catapulted them both into the street, leaving a crater in the wall as they passed.
It was no longer a comfortable confrontation for Baldur. The calm on his face broke; now he was dominated by total seriousness. For the first time... he looked on guard.
Rapid blows began to overwhelm the old man's defence. The change of scenery only gave the sprinter more advantages: Baldur could only see a black flash crossing from one side to the other, hitting him brutally.
Raising a dome of energy and deactivating the Zenzo-ken, he began to observe his surroundings carefully. He needed to devise a counterattack. How could he defeat something so fast?
<< After thinking for one minute and three seconds, Baldur Brauner extended an arm towards the sky. He realised that, in order to defeat someone with free will of movement in an open space, he had to restrict that freedom by attacking from all possible angles. >>
Water began to form under his feet, swirling around him while he remained inside the dome.
'That... use the water... I'll stop your heart with a single shock,' whispered Noeredor, watching Baldur prepare his technique.
'The art of water,' murmured Baldur, watching the young man accumulate electricity in a single point. He had already deduced his opponent's plan, and so he did not hesitate.
'A Pillar understands the difference between the element it generates and the element it manipulates.'
'... "Great sea serpent,"' he concluded, deactivating the dome.
At that moment, a huge cannonball of water emerged, covering the entire street. The jet took the form of a colossal, living serpent, enveloped in fluid and terrifying movement.
At the same time, Noeredor, with a deranged smile, launched his black lightning directly at it.
<< The difference is clear: a manipulated element retains the natural properties of the environment. On the other hand, a generated element, even if it looks like water, is still energy in disguise. Its execution, or the behaviour of the technique, could be modified, even its physical properties. >>
'The great sea serpent, being a real body of water, was modified by Baldur to lose its electrical conductivity. Instead of being vulnerable to lightning... it resisted it.'
'What...?' stammered Noeredor, breathless. 'Impossible...'
He was violently dragged by the creature's watery body. The electricity was extinguished within the water, as was his consciousness. He fell, defeated and unconscious, onto the wet street.
<< As mentioned before, the physical properties of water can be altered, but when creating water unnaturally, it is possible that a cost will be paid for the high effort and concentration required. >>
At that moment, Baldur fell to one knee, a sharp pain piercing his skull. When he brought his hand under his nose, he noticed blood.
'You don't mess with nature...' he whispered hoarsely, breathing heavily. "This is my punishment... I thought I had everything under control... until it absorbed the energy from the building. God, I think I'm rusting...
He paused. He looked at the defeated young man in the distance.
'What an admirable boy... he really had guts,' he added, as he struggled to his feet. Despite the pain, he began to walk slowly but steadily... towards the dojo.