In another planet with thick red skies, located in a far away star system, Serena dashed In the air like a jet as she flew at ridiculous speeds while being chased by giant beasts that were black and red in colour, each one resembling a lion. They chased after her with insane killing intent and brutality, some jumping after her, trying to use their claws to tear her apart as she dodged the unrelenting violence while she flew. Serena wasn't just moving fast and dodging, she was also able to kill the monsters with her mechanical sword of electricity as they raced towards her. She backflipped, shot powerful volts of electricity that burned and bursted them apart and sliced their claws with her dangerous sword skills. Serena was moving like the pure killer she was, killing everything in the way, she thought to herself "I've been on this planet for a few days now, but I haven't found anyone, more like I've been more worried about surviving the beasts that found me as prey. Good thing i had rations with me.", she looked into the clouds of the red sky "From the looks of it, the clouds seem to be dangerous mists of poison. If I had flown in here from the start, I might have died due to my lungs melting from it.". As Serena kept moving with skills, performing summersault as each electrifying kick from her caused the beasts chasing her to explode the moment she hit them on the face with spins, she continued to think "There's also the fact that I could just run accross the entire planet while looking for people, but then again, I'd lose stamina fast.", she clicked her tongue, but not In an irritated manner "Oh well, I'll just do what I can to pass the mission.". Serena had both her hand and leg gears worn, both of them blue in colour. The last of the beasts that she hadn't killed had rushed at her, all of their fangs and claws were ready to scatter Serena apart with swift and deadly movements. Serena narrowed her eyes, gathering balls of electricity into her hands and raising them up before waving her hand down for a blast "Special Technique: Electric Star!", she called out. The beasts that were black and red in colour all got incinerated within a mere instant of Serena's attack coming into contact with them. A powerful explosion of electricity occurred, turning everything around her into ashes in seconds. The explosion finally cleared off, Serena was standing by herself with charred bones of what used to be powerful monsters. She looked around, her hands on her waist "Looks like I've gotten better at this, my output that is.", she looked up into the sky trying to see if she could sense anything. Serena sighed "Hah! What a pain. The only gear I have with me aside my limb gears are just my mechanic sword, the crazy thing is that I don't use it often unless I'm training with mom or going on solo missions or something.", she took her time to think "Oh yeah, I used it during my training with Diablo after our first mission, and I used it again during the war games too"(Future Flashback arc). Serena sighed once again "Doesn't matter.", and kept walking forward "I wonder what Kazuki and Alex are up to.", a deadpan face of sadness appeared on her face "Ah, I still can't believe Sukuna and Sōn are actually cousins and I didn't know. I hate being deprived of information.". Unknown to Serena as she walked, something was watching her. The skilled soldier who had the ability to wield electricity, obviously sensed that something was wrong. She glared backwards in hopes of catching a glimpse of what was trying to track her, but Serena didn't see anything, nor could she sense anything at all. The only thing she could feel was a spike of anxiety, as if her mind was telling her "Somethings watching, so stay on guard.", as she walked off. The thing that was watching her seemed to be a bird like reptile, it's black eyes watching Serena, capable of tracking its target for miles without them knowing. Elsewhere, things weren't good at Sōn's end. Explosion of flames and purple destructive energy spread accross the entire wastelands, a flurry of dangerous hand to hand combat enhanced with destructive energy and powerful flames was what the two brothers engaged in as they flew at reckless speeds in the air. Sōn was in his flaming armor form, the same one he had used against Sorata in the war three years ago. In terms of speed, combat brutality and overall output, the manifestation of Sorata was demolishing Sōn, constantly kicking him accross the air while dodging powerful blasts of flames from his younger brother. Sure, as they fought, flying In air and punching each other across the map with violent combat skills that belonged to elite, Sōn couldn't get the edge regardless. He had a face of struggle as Sorata punched him relentlessly across the mountains and the rest of the battlefield, explosion of his purple destructive energy destroyed the ground and even casued large constructs in the wastelands to burn with just him fighting Sōn and blasting him with destructive energy punches. Even tho Sōn was holding his own pretty well, he still wasn't able to deal with Sorata properly. Sōn thought to himself as he was able to give himself distance between him and his brother who was somehow alive in this test, by running on ground level gathering flames on his hands that took the shape of a large gun that started shooting giant balls of flames "He's casually beating me in everything. Destructive power, output, combat, speed and even reaction timing. I understand that big bro was stronger than I am even when he was alive, I mean he casually burnt himself with a grin on his face while fighting. But still....", Sōn was in utter awe as he saw his late elder brother in the manifestation of his abilities, floating in air as he let out a huge roar like a soldier sent from hell "AAAAAAAAH!". Sōn immediately jolted, a memory from his childhood flashed in his head. Saito at the time was teaching the young Sōn how to focus his flames at one point of his palm. Saito explained with his palm stretched out while he infused black destructive energy into it "When you're using your flames, you should learn how to condense it into your palms as much as possible so you can release just as much power than expected.", the young Sōn at the time was excited "AAH! SO COOL! BIG BRO, YOU'RE SO STRONG!". Saito scratched his head with a nervous smile "Thanks, Sōn", but then his smile turned into a depressed one "If only dad thought i was cool just like you.", he muttered. Currently, Sorata, in the pure manifestation of what he could have actually been if he was still alive, gathered a devastating amount of destructive energy into his entire palm, forming a ball of destruction. Even tho he was condensing it, the energy from it stroke downwards in a chaotic manner, like as if a God of lightning was in anger. Sōn immediately understood the danger that was coming his way "OH SHIT!", he exclaimed before powering up terrifying levels of fire power, as if the one's he had wasn't something that would make the sun jealous In terms of heat. Sōn called out "SPECIAL TECHNIQUE....", Sorata yelled out after gathering every ounce of power into his hands and shot out the blast of destructive energy "AAAAAAAAH!". Sōn screamed out, completing his chants for his technique "FIRE BOMB!".
END OF CHAPTER.