The rain fell in relentless sheets, the wind howled through storm-torn skies. Upon the island, two demons clashed, their fury echoing like a tempest of fate, their reckoning far from over. The restless waves answered, drawn toward the island's lonely shore as if summoned by the violence.
The mountains loomed in silent vigilance, ancient and unyielding—until a thunderous blast shattered their stillness, the echoes of combat rolling across their stony faces.
"Heh. I can finally keep up with him."
The demon's voice carried a dangerous pride, his aura no longer trembling beneath Ashura's presence. His wounds dripped, but his body pulsed with new, twisted vitality. He had tapped into something—no, someone.
Ashura tilted his head, the smirk on his lips widening. The Purple Haze coiled tighter around him, thickening like a living shroud.
"Hoh~ so you've found something to chew on, didn't you?"
He stepped forward once, and the storm itself seemed to stutter.
"You're starting to move like you mean it. This just got... interesting."
Lightning ripped across the heavens, flooding the battlefield in stark brilliance—one figure standing tall, grin sharpened to cruelty; the other crouched low, defiance burning beneath the rain.
~~~UWDS Africa Head Quarters~~~
In the dim light of his office, Hachi sat with one elbow pressed against the desk, fingers laced together. His gaze was steady, his tone casual but edged.
"So... what brought you here?"
"Hm?"
Franz Rinashi, sixty-four years young, stood with the poise of someone who had outlived doubt. Known for her sharp tongue and sharper instincts, she had long served as a guide and advisor to the leaders of the UWDS. Her presence never came without weight.
"I guide the leaders of this damned organization—what do you mean?"
Hachi blinked, caught off guard, his usual composure cracking for the briefest moment.
"N-No, I meant... why in my office."
A silence hung between them, her shadow long against the wall, his eyes narrowing with faint curiosity.
"Wonder what caught your attention this time..."
He thought.
[Few Moments Before]
Franz barges into Hachis office while he was not around without permission and laid in the bench.
[Current Time]
In his dark office, Hachi sat with one elbow pressed against the table, fingers laced together.
"Ah, I see. Nothing in particular. I just got bored sitting in TRTOA for so long."
Franz reasoned.
Hachi listened intently as the old woman's voice wove stories of time long past, each word carrying the weight of wisdom and memory.
"My young back aches from all the sitting and no moving." Then suddenly, she flipped her tone to playful, waving her hand dramatically.
"And ah! My head is on fire! How can the young ones manage to handle all of that bullshit?!"
"Must've been better in the past, wasn't it?"
Hachi replied.
Franz chuckled.
"Ah! Of course it was. Haha! But... there's no use thinking or reminiscing about the past. Can't return from it, cuh. Enjoy the present."
Hachi snickered.
"Nothing beats the wisdom of the old Franz."
"Don't call me old! I'm only sixty-four! Respect your elders."
Hachi chuckled again.
"Elders."
Franz's eyes fell. All she could say was:
"Bruh."
"So... why is the young Franz in my office alone in the dark?"
There was a pause. The smile faded from Franz's face. Silence filled the room like smoke.
"Hachi... you're aware of the Great Power Division Event, right?"
Hachi gave it a thought.
"That was around- six hundred.. years ago, right? When the civilizations at that time created designated places for each element."
"That's right."
"What about it?"
Hachi asked.
"The land used to be balanced. Each element scattered, yet the people were connected—by an unknown force."
"Exact opposite of today."
Hachi slipped in.
"Exactly."
"What are you trying to say?"
Hachi raised a brow.
"Every country has a capital city... One that binds all of it's people on one place."
She paused.
"Now.. Obviously there are multiple cities in a country, but the capital is usually the Origin!- Where the said country began!"
"Right."
"The first Gfited was identified nine hundred thirty years ago."
As Franz spoke, Hachi thought:
"The Origin.."
"With the Great Power division event... Most people lost their 'origin'."
She lowered her gaze.
"Also with the memories of that first Gifted."
She turned to Hachi.
"Don't you think... that person should still be remembered today? After all, he or she was the first."
"There were no records of the first Gifted."
Hachi hushed.
Franz suddenly stood, excitement burning in her eyes.
"I know, right?!"
Hachi watched her carefully, intrigued.
"She must've found something new..." he thought to himself.
"Did you ever consider the possibility that the first Gifted Flame managed to pass down their bloodline?"
"Nine hundred years ago was still the medieval age. If the first Gifted was a woman, she'd have been marked as a witch. That lessens the chance she could pass her bloodline."
Franz chuckled.
"She's basically cooked."
"Her words..."
Hachi thought to himself.
Franz extended her hand. A weak flame flickered softly from her palm—delicate yet steady, glowing with a quiet, enchanting allure.
"Even those idiot Skulls don't know about this."
"So... the first Gifted was a man?"
Hachi concluded.
Franz bonked him on the head.
"Fool!"
"Ow—ow ow!"
A giant lump swelled on his head.
"Yes, it was said he was a man. An entertainer, actually. But you're missing the point!"
"No, I think I get it... he did manage to pass down his bloodline, right?"
"Exactly!"
Franz shouted.
"Does that mean that every Flame user does incest?"
Hachi once again concluded.
Franz blushed and slapped her forehead in frustration.
"Sheesh. The young ones really are something else. How do you think we managed to stay the apex species for hundreds of years, cuh? Anyway... at some point in time, other people awakened powers too—people who weren't from the Jester's bloodline."
"The impure ones?"
Franz hummed.
"I wouldn't say 'impure.' More like... a branch."
"So... is that all you came here for?"
Hachi asked politely.
"No. I was actually here for the squad."
Hachi's face flattened.
"Then Why all the historical trivia?"
He thought.
"The squad I handle? Six-six-three?"
Hachi asked.
She nodded.
"That's right."
"What an honor. Even the great Franz Rinashi herself has her eyes on my squad."
Franz giggled, pressing her arms to her chest and swaying playfully.
"Hey... don't make me blush. I'm flustered... Anyway."
She paused.
"Itoshi..."
She smiled.
"He's amazing isn't he?... And his sister is hella cute!"
Hachi's eyes widened. The weight of her words settled in his chest.
Then he smiled.
"Didn't know the legend herself are fond of the young one's"
~~~Kaba Island~~~
It was a sudden blast on the mountains of Kaba Island. Intense! Intense! The island radiated an aura of untamed fury, a tempest of raw energy that gripped the very air with its unrelenting force.
"You bask in the pride of your strength, don't you?"
Ashura's voice cut through the storm, sharp and mocking.
"Heh, I'm a demon after all."
The creature sneered, its eyes glowing with wicked satisfaction.
[Few Moments Before]
The Demon was still regenerating from the damage Ashura had inflicted, his body sprawled across the shattered rooftop.
"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day... or night? Gbleh. Oi, should I use night or day?"
Ashura tilted his head, his tone playful, almost sing-song.
"Hah?!"
The Demon growled, veins bulging.
Ashura's grin widened. His voice lowered, soft and teasing.
"Come on, no need to be hostile. I'm just asking."
"I'm wasting too much time on this guy,"
The Demon thought, eyes darting.
"I need to absorb him before he gets me... I need energy."
Then he spotted it—something obvious, right in front of him.
"Will that work? It's not much of a life source... but I can gather more as I recover."
"You finally found your source?"
Ashura's voice sliced through his thoughts.
"Shut up!"
The Demon snarled, forcing energy into his legs. Flesh knit back together in seconds, and with one explosive leap, he shot into the forested mountain.
He landed hard on a thick branch, sinking his fangs deep into the bark. The tree withered instantly, collapsing into ash as its life drained away.
Back on the rooftop, Ashura watched, head tilted like a curious child.
"Draining the life force of a tree for power, huh? That won't do much... I guess you're desperate."
He stomped once. The rooftop cracked open, tiles and debris erupting upward. With a flick of his hand, the shards hurtled through the air like razors. The Demon barely slipped away, darting from tree to tree, his form a blur.
"Tsk. I guess being stuck in Ryujin's mind took a toll on my aim."
Ashura muttered.
"It's not my fault I didn't want to let you out."
Ryujin's voice echoed faintly within.
"Alright, alright. I'll finish this."
Ashura cracked his neck.
In an instant, his figure vanished. A shockwave followed—he reappeared within the forest, plunging straight into the tree the Demon clung to. His strike tore through bark and stone, missing the Demon by a hair's breadth.
The mountain behind them detonated, a wall of dust and shattered rock flooding the forest.
From the cloud, Ashura emerged, casually brushing dirt off his armored shoulder.
"Tsk. I missed."
Above him, the Demon crouched on a branch, eyes glowing, posture steady.
"That's some confidence."
Ashura smirked, his voice dripping with amusement.
~~~To be Continued~~~