Chun — Alex Wonder's Potion Shop
Shelves rattled as the counter crystal crackled with Kai's aura.
Darius leaned on the wall, flask in hand, eyes never leaving the feed. "There it is. The kid finally shows what's under the hood."
Behind the counter, Alex snorted, arms crossed. "Told you he wasn't normal. Guess my sister wasn't just telling fairy tales."
The bell jingled. Alice stepped in, herb-scent clinging to her cloak. Her gaze went straight to the crystal. When she heard Kai's name, a smile broke free before she could hide it.
"So he really made it this far..." She glanced at Alex, then back to the glow. "I knew he would."
Darius chuckled, tipping the flask. "Don't get sentimental. The boy's still in hell."
Alex's smirk sharpened. "Yeah. And it sounds like he's making hell his own."
Across Rajistan and Chun, radios hissed, hearts quickened, whispers spread. No one knew what ruled the Black Forest—only that a new name was rising.
Kai Xander.
The world had started to listen.
Chun — Imperial Capital Zhushen
The council chamber held its breath as the relay crackled. Kai's echo pulsed in the crystal.
An elder frowned. "Rajistan. Their Bodhi types burn out."
Another leaned in. "Not this one. Controlled. If he reaches the next trial, Chun will have to take him seriously."
The youngest snapped his fan shut. "Then we watch him. If he upsets the balance, we cut him down."
Janoah — Capitol Assembly
In marble halls, advisors barked over the relay.
"He's not trained in our system."
"He'll destabilize rankings."
President Johnny Joah only grinned. "Let him climb. A Rajistani monk becoming a Seeker sells worldwide. If he lives, Janoah profits first."
Germania — Flameguard Citadel
Black-armored soldiers hunched around a glowing relay.
One scoffed. "Rajistan dogs don't belong on the stage."
Their commander tightened his gloves. "Underestimate him and he'll rise over us. Next time he shows, we erase him."
Steel gauntlets hammered the table in unison.
Britannia — Sword & Sigil Academy
Squires crowded the crystal—smirks, whispers.
"Peasant from the mountains. He'll fold."
The instructor's look silenced the room. "That aura was steady. That's not luck—that's someone who knows pain and keeps moving. Don't dismiss it."
Uneasy quiet followed.
Vinlan — Alchemists' Guild
Forge-light painted runes on steel. The crystal flared yellow.
"That's flame-born resolve," a smith said.
"Or reckless heat," another snorted. "If he comes north, we temper him. Steel breaks—or sharpens."
The master nodded.
Americana — Jungle Shrine
Gold shimmered across a bowl of water.
An apprentice whispered, "It's beautiful."
The blood-shaman smirked. "Beautiful things bleed hardest. Remember."
Chanting rose to the canopy.
Rajistan — Rajir Town
On a lantern-lit balcony, Sheva listened to the signal and smiled. "Still climbing, Kai. Don't make me wait too long."
Bodhira Mountains — Kai's Temple
Elder Xander sat cross-legged at the lotus shrine, a ray glowing faintly. He listened, then smiled. "That's it, boy. Show them."
The flame flickered higher, as if in answer.
Across nations—politicians calculating, rivals sharpening blades, old friends grinning with pride—one truth spread:
The boy from the mountains wasn't just surviving. He was forcing the world to look up.
And soon, all roads would lead to Chun's Trial by Mercy.
Black Forest — The Ruined Altar
The clearing still smoldered. The altar was cracked, stone gouged deep. Trees leaned like broken ribs; trenches scored the ground from lightning, wind, and steel.
Team Urahara stepped into the silence.
Urahara adjusted his collar—calm face, sharp eyes. Light Muti flickered across his fingertips as he brushed ash from the altar. "Hm. Scroll's gone. Not a storm—this was a duel. Two forces, equally stubborn." His gaze followed scorch, carved earth, claw-rake. "Wind. Lightning. And something heavier. Aura pressure that belongs to neither. Interesting."
Sidney Sweets peeked from behind her arm, hugging herself. "I—I hate this forest. It's creepy, and now it's a battlefield. Why couldn't we get a nice ruin with flowers?" Her voice cracked, eyes watering.
"Sidney." Urahara stood. "Tears later. Whoever fought here already claimed the scroll."
"E—eh?!" Sidney squeaked, then burst into actual tears, stomping once. "We came all this way for nothing?!"
Si Lung laughed, smacking his fists together. Dirt streaked his yellow jumpsuit; his grin didn't dim. "Don't sweat it. Somebody's carrying it. We chase, we take. Easy."
He sank into a stance, bouncing lightly, eyes scanning the treeline. "Tracks are fresh."
"Sharp eyes," Urahara said. "Stay focused. The team with that scroll survived this. That makes them dangerous."
James Vonn leaned on a busted trunk, gold chains gleaming over his trainee blacks. He dropped into a low rhythm, the beat thudding on the ground. "Daaaaamn. The place looks like somebody's mixtape exploded. If this is them? Bad news. Real bad news." He snapped; the sound echoed too loudly. He grinned. "Still—spotlight's a spotlight. Superstar's got fans waiting. Can't let no-name rookies hog the stage."
Sidney sniffled, blushing, looking up at Urahara. "S-so... what now?"
Light flashed on his glasses. "We move. Scrolls make Seekers. Whoever has it has left a trail."
"Finally," Si Lung said, hyped. "Been itching for a real fight."
James rolled his shoulders, beatboxing again; sound rippled outward like sonar, leaves rattling, birds scattering. "Northwest. Moving fast. Yeah... they got it. Show time."
Urahara turned, coat swaying. "Then let's not keep them waiting."
They vanished into green shadow.
The hunt began.
The forest was quieter here, not kinder. Every step felt watched.
Urahara led, palm brushing old bark as light runes flickered. "Tracks split. Two teams came through. One is still bleeding. The other—strong. We're closing."
Si Lung crouched, fingers in dirt, crisp movements, feral grin. "Smells like a trap. Broken branches, staggered prints. Somebody's herding stragglers."
Sidney clutched her sleeves. "D-do we have to be sneaky? What if we just—"
James snapped a beatbox pop that cracked the air. "Sid. Chill. Listen."
They stilled.
Up ahead—voices. Ugly with cruelty.
"...drop the act, girl. You're useless without your team."
"Just finish her. She can't run."
They slipped behind a massive oak. In the clearing: four rookies circling a girl on her knees, cuts lining her arms, face smeared in dirt. She clutched a broken weapon that wouldn't lift.
Urahara's voice was a whisper. "Not our target. We're here for the scroll—"
Si Lung was gone.
Yellow ripped the clearing—lightning without thunder. A rookie froze mid-raise, eyes wide.
He crumpled, ribs shattered by a single brutal body-blow.
Si Lung stood over him, fist still cocked, breath steady. "Pick on someone who hits back."
The remaining three recoiled.
The girl blinked up, dazed. "You... moved too fast to see."
He cracked his knuckles with a quick grin. "That's the point."
Urahara sighed, pushing his glasses up as he stepped into view. "So much for subtle."
James chuckled, bassline already pulsing. "Subtle's overrated. Show time."
Sidney gulped, then nodded. "O-okay. We're doing this."
Si Lung offered the girl a hand, tone sharp but warm. "You're safe now. Stay behind me."
She hesitated, then took it. "Thank you."
The three rookies formed up, fear riding their desperation.
Silence.
Then the fight resumed.
Fire climbed one boy's arms. Another raised stone beneath his boots. A third exhaled frost that iced the roots.
Si Lung walked in with calm steps—golden aura, a soft pulse, veins alive with rhythm. Shoulders loose. Eyes razor.
Flame came first—palms thrust, a rolling wave.
Si Lung cut straight through, aura sheathing skin. His fist snapped up.
Martial Muti — Dragon Fang Uppercut.
"WA-TAAAAAH!"
Jaw cracked. Fire died. The boy spun and hit dirt.
The earth user roared, stomping. Spikes burst forward in jagged ranks.
Si Lung was already weaving—slipping between pillars with surgical precision. One palm on stone, a vault—
Martial Muti — Soaring Crane Kick.
His heel cannoned into the chest. The rookie slammed into a tree, coughing blood.
Frost poured across the grass; ice climbed Si's calves and locked in place.
"Got you," the boy sneered.
Si's aura surged—muscles corded. He barked:
"HEEEYAH!"
Martial Muti — Breaking Wave Stomp.
Ice shattered outward.
He was on the boy before the shards fell. One palm to ribs, one to throat—
Martial Muti — Twin Tiger Strike.
Then the barrage:
"WA-CHA! WA-CHA! WATAAAAH!"
Martial Muti — Hundred Lotus Blows.
Aura-driven fists hammered breath from lungs. The frost user folded. Si finished with a whipping spin—
Martial Muti — Comet Tail Kick.
Heel cracked the jaw. Lights out.
Silence. Three bodies groaned in the dirt.
Si Lung stood easy, aura settling. He looked at the girl. "You're safe. They won't touch you again."
She stared, hollow with relief. "I... couldn't even follow—"
Si shook his wrists, exhaling. "Elements burn bright. Fists don't lie."
"You... saved me," she whispered.
He grinned. "Nah. I just threw some hands."
Urahara stepped out, sleeves tucked, eyes reading the field. "Fire, earth, frost. You shut them down before they could sync. Calculation, not luck."
Vonn's rhythm strutted in. "Pa-pa-CH! Pa-pa-pa-CH! Man turned a trio into a drumline solo. Superstar approves."
Sidney sobbed, then snapped into calm. "He could've died. They had elements." Another blink and her gentleness returned. "But he didn't. Because martial Muti— in his hands— is lethal."
Si winked. "Relax. Didn't even go all out." To the girl: "Where's your team?"
"They... didn't leave me," she said, voice cracking. "A beast with too many legs. It ate them. I ran. Then those guys found me and—" She touched a bruise. "Called me dead weight."
Silence pressed down.
"Damn," Vonn muttered, rhythm dropping like a funeral drum.
Sidney hugged the girl tight. "You're with us now."
Si Lung cracked his neck. "Teams that abandon their own don't leave places like this. Simple."
The girl's awe pushed through fear. "You're amazing."
"I'm just fast," he said, already moving.
Urahara turned to the path. "Fast isn't enough if we stand still. The scroll moves. We move."
Si's aura flickered. "Good. I'm warmed up."
They pressed deeper. The girl kept pace—shaking less now. With Urahara's calm, Sidney's strange warmth, Vonn's rhythm, and Si Lung's terrifying hands, she didn't feel alone.
Somewhere ahead, a scroll pulsed faintly in someone else's grip.
The air was thick with mist and churned loam. Kai carried Minerva across his back, her breathing thin but steady. They moved more slowly now. Rin was pale, motions tight and economical. Lila steadied Aria as strength crept back.
Aria's voice was rough but level. "Enough dodging. You and Rin disappeared. What happened?"
Kai glanced at Rin. Rin said nothing—hand loose on Tetsuba's hilt, eyes on the trees. Kai shifted Minerva's weight. "It was a fight. One I'll—"
A yellow blur cut the mist.
The scroll vanished from Kai's side.
Everyone froze.
A voice rang, confident and sharp. "Not bad carrying it this far—shame you held it like a tourist."
Si Lung stepped from the shadows, sash loose, hair tied back, stance relaxed, energy coiled. He flicked the scroll once, then let it dangle between two fingers. "If you can't protect it, you don't deserve it."
Kai slid Minerva into Lila's arms in one fluid motion. "Watch her." His feet set, shoulders dropped, hands raised—veins lighting as his umtra flowed.
Si tucked the scroll at his waist and grinned. "Good. Show me you're worth chasing."
They lunged.
Kai flashed forward—Hanuman Step—palms driving for the ribs. Si twisted, forearm parry, side-kick cut the air. Kai rolled the block off his shoulder, spun a staff feint—without drawing Sun—striking bare-handed on purpose.
"WA-TAAAAAH!" Si's kiai split the green as his combination blurred—fists and elbows like hail. Kai's arms flowed—redirect, slip, answer—precision counters finding breath and bone. The floor cracked under their footwork; leaves and dust spiraled out from under pressure.
From the trees, Urahara watched, eyes narrowing. "The monk boy isn't ordinary."
Sidney hugged herself. "Si's strong... he's enjoying this too much."
Vonn's beat thumped low. "Heh. Crowd back home's gonna eat this up."
Kai's aura brightened—each palm leaving faint gold trails as he pressed Si back a step at a time. Si laughed between kiai, blocking, slipping, answering with surgical ferocity.
Two prodigies of martial Muti, colliding in the forest's heart.
The scroll glinted at Si's hip. His grin tilted. "Too slow."
Kai adjusted Sun across his back, gaze steady. "Give it back."
"Come take it."
Time stretched—then snapped.
Kai exploded forward, gold rippling from his feet. Hanuman Step—the ground cracked—palm spearing for Si's chest.
Si slid a foot and turned his hips. His fist snapped with a sharp kiai.
Hōkōken (Roaring Tiger Fist) met Bodhi Palm mid-air, a yellow-gold shockwave bursting the underbrush.
They recoiled—then launched.
Kai swept low—Monkey Sweep—to scissor the legs.
Si vaulted, body coiling mid-air, heel scything down.
"WA-TAAAAAH!"
Raigeki Geri (Thunder Strike Kick).
Kai caught it on a braced forearm, spun, bumped Si off-line, and slammed a palm into the ribs—
Bodhi Palm — Rising Bloom.
Gold burst, driving Si back two steps.
Si's lips curled. He inhaled, blurred forward—knees and kicks chaining too fast to follow—
Shinkyaku Rendan (Divine Leg Combo).
Thunder fell on Kai's guard in a precise cascade.
Kai absorbed and answered—veins burning gold—
Hanuman Step — Triple Flow: left palm, right elbow, spinning kick.
Their clash lit the clearing—gold against yellow—every blow a thunderclap.
Urahara's gaze sharpened. "Not brawling—reading. Mastery."
Vonn's rhythm synced with their hands. "They're punching in tempo. Put this on stage."
Sidney peeked through her fingers. "They're too fast..."
Aria folded her arms, eyes locked. "He's smiling."
She was right. Both were now eager, alive.
Kai slid under a hook, sweat flicking. "A real fight. I won't hold back."
Si's aura spiked. "Good. Neither will I."
Their voices overlapped:
"Spirit Bloom."
Light detonated.
Kai burned gold—veins a molten map—pressure making dust lift at his feet.
Si ignited yellow—sparks snapping like a live wire—roar echoing like a lion.
Two blooms. Two auras. Two martial titans.
They locked eyes.
Kai: "Let's finish this."
Si: "Try and keep up."
They launched—gold into yellow—hand to hand, the forest shuddering around them.
They met again—fist to fist—shockwave blasting leaves and branches skyward. Both slid back, boots digging trenches. They paused, chests heaving—a storm on the cusp.
That breath let the lines shift.
Urahara's hand drifted to his charms. "It's not just them anymore."
Sidney bit her lip, aura flickering, fracture tugging under her skin. "U-Urahara... do we fight?"
Vonn cracked his neck, bass vibrating the ground. "Was enjoying the show, but hey—encore."
On Kai's side, Rin's Viatra lit—crimson rings circling his irises. Tetsuba slid free with a phantom hum. "Lila—protect Minerva. Do not leave her."
"What about you?" Lila asked, water staff tight in her hands.
"Aria and I handle them."
Aria rolled her shoulders; sparks snapped. "Finally."
The air drew taut—a string on a bow.
Kai and Si still grinned, blooms flaring, fists ready to fly.
Around them, two squads settled into stances.
The forest was about to erupt.
Dust still drifted—and no one missed what flared behind Rin's eyes.
The scarlet rings of the Viatra burned faintly, a brand cut into fate.
Sidney froze mid-step. "N-no way... those are—"
Urahara's calm thinned, voice like a solved equation. "Viatra eyes. Chun's cursed line."
Vonn's whistle cut his beat. "So it's true. A Black Clan heir in the rookie batch. Damn."
Even Si, grin locked with Kai's, flicked a glance, acknowledging the weight. "Hnh. Not the only one with fire in his veins."
Tension spiked.
Rin didn't blink. He raised Tetsuba; the crimson glow painted steel. His voice was quiet, razor-clear. "Anyone who threatens my squad dies. That's the only warning."
Aria stepped to his shoulder, static popping. "Took the words."
Lila knelt by Minerva, water aura ready.
Then the forest moved.
Vonn stomped—bass drop, shaking dirt.
Urahara slid a charm free—ink flashing quicksilver.
Sidney's eyes watered; her aura trembled dangerously at the edges.
Si snapped his fists together, grin widening at Kai.
Kai mirrored—Sun to his shoulder—hands clenched, eyes bright.
Rin's Viatra burned like a blood-red mirror.
Both squads lunged.
And the Black Forest shuddered as the clash finally began.