[In the academy]
[May 4, 2010]
"I see the aircraft has already reached the land," Principal Genji said.
"I thought we would be meeting in the air, Genji," a very strict and deep voice came.
"Nothing in the world happens with our will, Katsuro," Principal Genji said.
"There is no other debate than accepting what you said is right, Genji," Katsuro said.
"Then without wasting any time, let us get to the topic right away," Principal Genji said.
"Being impatient won't get you anything, and for me, I have been patient my whole life," Principal Katsuro said.
"Patience for what?" Principal Genji asked.
"Two things. For the Bloody Hours to get over, and for Zero and Aegis to get here," Principal Katsuro said while sitting in front of Principal Genji.
"Aegis and Zero won't be coming, and have they already sent the names of the students participating in the Apex Convergence?" Saki interrupted.
"Then I will guess there is half an hour left for the Bloody Hours to end," Principal Katsuro said.
"But why should we be waiting for Bloody Hours to end? We aren't the participants," Principal Genji said.
"We aren't. But I see Vance and 'he' are not here, so I think if they will be here things will be better," Principal Katsuro said.
"I see by saying 'he', Principal, you are referring to Master, and yes, he has gone with Hina somewhere," Saki interrupted before Principal Genji could speak.
"But we don't know when they will be coming," Principal Genji said.
"Oh, no worries, Vance will be returning from the mission really fast, can't say about your Master," Principal Katsuro said with a smirk.
"But I don't remember you telling that Vance has gone to a mission," Principal Genji completed.
[Cut]
[New York, America]
THUD! THUD!
It was the heavy steps of Vance that were echoing through the whole building he was in, and he was walking towards the Godwound he had to close. As he reached there, he knew something was wrong as there were only lower-grade Tatari. They were even scared to even get in a 50m radius of Vance, just because of his mere presence and overwhelming aura.
"I don't think the assistant is good at his work," Vance said to himself while looking at the gigantic Godwound in front of his eyes.
"Because this Godwound can't even handle the entry of a Grade-3 Tatari, meaning two things could happen: either the assistant really didn't know how to measure the level of Godwound, or he is working for someone who didn't want me to be present with my team," Vance said while putting one hand in his pocket.
"Rather the case, I have to protect just one boy. E-rank, worker class, the grandson of the richest human haha... Or should I say an S-rank defect," Vance said while pulling out a shining stone from his pocket.
"But first I really need to CAUTERIZE this Godwound and check on my team, as if I feel they are in grave danger," Vance completed.
[Black screen]
[In the academy lab]
"I am so sorry, Miss June, there is no one to celebrate your biggest achievement," a voice filled with fear came.
"Don't play with me, you know," June pointed her thumb in the air. "My shikigami has been hungry for 3 days now, and you will be food for him."
"No, no, please have mercy, I was really giving good news," the assistant's voice came.
"I don't have time for this. My Arashi has gone to his first official mission; I must plan something for his return," June said without hiding her favoritism.
[Assistant's thought]
What does she mean by 'my Arashi'? And wait, is she literally referring to the GENIUS OF THE DARK? But what mission? Which mission has been assigned to him without my knowledge?
"Ma'am, may I ask something?" the assistant asked.
"No," June replied.
[Assistant's thought]
Sooooooooo straightforward.
"Say fast, what is my achievement that even I don't know about?" June asked.
"Oh, yes. Before the last 100 years, for more than 500 years, no Mythic Grade (Grade-M) had ever appeared," the assistant said.
"So?" June asked.
"This streak ended when two Grade-M appeared consecutively from the same batch, and—" the assistant took a pause.
"And? Why do I have to ask every time? What is this build-up even for? Couldn't you say it in one go?" June said with annoyance.
"I am so sorry, Ma'am. I was just saying the 3rd M-rank, or Mythic Grade, has emerged, and that is YOU," the assistant completed.
[Cut]
[Cinema hall, Dotonbori]
[May 4, 2010]
[Arashi Ushimoto - POV]
Pourrr...
As the heavy drops of rainwater fell outside the hall, even inside the hall, inside screen no. 4, the sound of rainwater falling on the roof and ground was clear and steady.
Shing!
Arashi's speed was extremely fast, fast enough no human eye could trace it. Even before the Tatari could realize Arashi drew his katana, he had already cut its head in a clean swing of his katana. But
Then—
A faint rotation. Behind him, something reassembled itself.
Bones first -> Then ash -> Then armor.
The hollow chest ignited, a rotating ember core.
Kaijun no Ō (King of Ashen Cycle)
had already died once.
"Why was your slash so silent, boy?" Kaijun asked.
"Does telling your enemy about your attack benefit you? Ask this to yourself, and that is my answer to your question," Arashi said.
"Don't you wanna know about mine? Let's do a deal; I will tell you about my technique and you tell me about yours." A smirk crossed Kaijun's face while saying this.
"No," Arashi said without any expression.
"What? You really..." Kaijun took a pause.
"Hahaha! You are the first human that impressed me so much after being born, rather the fact that I was born just a few hours ago." A smirk crossed his skeletal face.
"And how many times are you gonna tell me that I am going to kill a newborn Tatari?" Arashi said.
"Are you feeling guilt, little boy?" Kaijun asked, his smile even bigger.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
A layer of consecutive slashes delivered from Arashi's katana on different parts of the whole body of Kaijun, but they were different from before.
"You aren't returning to anywhere, you damn bastard! As you are simply going to die here," Arashi shouted.
[Kaijun's thought]
What... what is this? I didn't tell him anything about my technique, then how did he—
"You know it, you know it, Arashi Ushimoto, damn you!" Kaijun shouted louder than Arashi.
"How do you know my name? Are you working for someone?" Arashi's question echoed in the silence while Kaijun prepared to reassemble himself again.
[Arashi's thought]
Wait, as of now I have felt him, I have killed him twice, then why the hell is he still alive?
This time, with a fast rotation, Kaijun assembled himself back from ashes.
Wait, no change in process, more defined armor, tougher bones, and biggest of all, skin appeared on the skeletal face.
"Can I now get an answer to my question, or should I ask a new question, 'What happened to you'?" Arashi shouted.
THUD. THUD.
The ground trembled beneath Kaijun's steps.
"Calling your death by the way," Kaijun said, and lunged towards Arashi.
Thud! Thud! Bam!
Kaijun's hands moved faster to kill Arashi in one blow, but—
SHHK! Slash!
There was something faster than his hands. Arashi's hand paired with his sword.
Bam! Thud! SHHK!
The fight, where bare hands were against hard steel, became so fast that Arashi's visible, safe eye was just enough to keep the attacks from hitting him, not actually damaging Kaijun.
Poof.
The smoke rose as they both were separated by the small blow.
Shing!
Arashi lifted his katana, cutting the air.
"Fukō, keep the count for you—" Arashi was interrupted.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Kaijun covered the distance between him and Arashi in a split second. His fists didn't stop as soon as they hit Arashi the first time.
"I remember it, Sir Shigarō," Kaijun said. "It was Ash Ring," Kaijun said to himself in a very low voice.
The moment the words escaped Kaijun's mouth, a circular blast that compressed nothing but ash and heat expanded outward, burning everything in range.
"Shigarō? So you are under him—" before Arashi could complete his sentence, the flames of Kaijun's attack had already reached him.
What? How is this so fast? The moment these flames will touch me, I will die. But why? I needed to take Fukō's revenge, then why now? No, no, no, no, I won't die here until—
"Damn you," Arashi shouted, gritting his teeth.
BOOOOOM!!!
"Huh, weren't you gonna ask me a question?" Kaijun said, and just when he was about to laugh...
"I will... why? Shouldn't I?" From behind the smoke, Arashi's voice came.
At the very moment when the flames touched Arashi, he used his Flux to coat his whole body.
But as his flux coats the body from the gut, being in stage 1, his flux couldn't reach his hands on time.
"It is useless, boy. See your hands, they are gone," Kaijun shouted.
"Are they??" Arashi asked. "What do you think now, are they fine or not?"
In that very moment, Arashi used a technique that can regenerate even limbs and body parts, yet is impossible to master.
"Are they ok now??" Arashi asked.
"Impossible, sir said this technique can't even be performed by him," Kaijun's face lost its color.
"No. In the dark, everything is possible. And by any means, by saying 'he', are you talking about him?" Arashi completed.
[Black screen]
[Streets of Dotonbori]
Rat-a-tat-tat
The rain drummed on the road, completely soaking the two mad beings in water.
SHNK!
Zeverin drew his katana from the back, but it was completely broken and looked incomplete.
"Is this a joke, or do you really want to fight me with this broken katana?" the Tatari asked.
"Isn't it strange?" Zeverin said really slowly.
"What?" the Tatari asked.
"Just a moment before, I was the one being impatient, but now," Zeverin stopped. "But I won't let you wait."
KRAKOOOM!
The moment Zeverin stopped speaking, thunder split the night sky and directly hit the edge of the broken part of his katana.
"Beautiful, what is this power? I can feel the sudden surge of flux in your gut," the Tatari said.
"Even being born just a few hours ago, you have a very good knowledge of this world and flux," Zeverin taunted the Tatari.
"I am not the only one who is cursed with knowledge," the Tatari suddenly lowered its stance and said.
"Then who?" Zeverin asked.
"Genius... the genius of the dark," the Tatari completed and took a more dangerous stance than before.
The moment the thunder hit the edge, it started forming the sword completely, not by metal but straight up lightning.
The word 'beautiful' was said by the Tatari because, after the broken part of the katana, there was no metal completing a sword, rather the lightning itself.
"There is nothing beautiful in it, 'cause you don't know why it is like that," Zeverin said in a very low voice.
BOOOM!
Before Zeverin could get ready or actually take a stance, the Tatari closed the distance between them.
Shing! Swing!
Zeverin was only fast enough to cut his hand, but the Tatari could heal any part of the body—even bones, limbs, and organs—faster than the technique Arashi could use.
THUD! THUD! THUP! - BOOM!
The Tatari regenerated his hand and landed 4 hits on his vital organs, launching him directly into the air.
Krrr... shatter!
Zeverin was directly thrown towards the glass building, and breaking every glass with his own body made him drastically injured.
GRRMMH...
Before Zeverin could even stand properly, the Tatari suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Silent Sever," the Tatari shouted.
BAM!
With a sudden shock, Zeverin's collarbone opened wide.
THUD!
The fist of the Tatari struck Zeverin's head like a hammer, and he was ultimately pinned down. His whole body was broken, blood was flowing like water, and there was no hope.
"Piece of dirt, calling everyone a fool and weak won't make you strong," the Tatari mocked Zeverin.
WHACK!
The Tatari hit the head of Zeverin.
"Why are you even alive? Does your mom—"
The Tatari stopped suddenly.
KRAK!
He ran towards the nearest window and looked at the sky.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Suddenly, the building started falling like dominoes; every glass broke into pieces. Everything in Dotonbori turned into ashes.
CRACK! STAB! BOOM!
Zeverin found the best moment, pierced the heart of the Tatari, and threw him to the ground.
"How dare you say something about my mom." Zeverin took a pause to stabilize himself. "Isn't it funny now?" Zeverin mocked the Tatari.
Sob... sob...
"Who and what are you people? You killed him. My brother... you killed Kaijun," the Tatari shouted and sobbed violently.
[Cut]
[In the academy]
"What?" It was the scared voice of Principal Katsuro.
"Saki, check the reports immediately! What happened!" Principal Genji said to Saki.
"Yes, sir," Saki said.
"Sir," Saki's voice shook.
"No, no, it can't be. The third GRADE-M has emerged," Principal Genji said.
"But what was this pressure?" Principal Katsuro asked.