PART V-THE AFTERMATH
Master Zen returned to Heiwa Magi Corps, and the remaining mages surveyed the town.
Scientist X woke up, the sky was all dark.
"What..happened?!" Scientist X stood up, with his ruptured body.
"Damn it..the mages must've won." Scientist X clenched his fist.
Scientist X flew to the battlefield Akugoka and Master Zen fought with his jetpack, there he saw the body of Akugoka. He used the last of his fuel from his jetpack and carried Akugoka, returning to their realm of anomalies.
Suddenly, there was an explosion on the west side of the town.
The nearby mages that were surveying throughout the town rushed towards the explosion.
"Everyone! To the west! NOW!" Kagutsuchi, the mage with orange hair and a coat with fire patterns, commanded the remaining mages to the explosion.
The mages encountered something strange at the explosion.
They saw an anomaly that had a bloody-red body savoring corpses of fallen mages, wet and torn apart, blood dripping from its mouth filled with sharp fangs.
A mage wearing a purple coat, with a western hat on top.
"What the hell is that?!" Isoto bit his fingernails, he lowered his head and hid behind Yuhi.
"It's just an anomaly." Yuhi responded.
The anomaly turned its half-glowing red and half-glowing blue head behind, capturing the mages in its sight.
"GOD! I'm gonna have nightmares about its face.." Isoto was frightened, his hands trembled and his breath became louder.
"Doesn't matter about its appearance, there's no going back now." Kei, a muscular mage in white shirt stained with soot and blood pumped his fist.
"(It's presence...it's overwhelming, it feels like my organs are slowly dying out.)" Yuhi backed up.
"Wait...his face- have I seen it before?" Isoto gazed at the anomaly.
"You're right, wait-don't tell me he is.." Yuhi recognized the face.
"Kaito Takahashi. One of the missing kids, seems like the anomalies turned him into one of their kind." Kagutsuchi tsked.
"Stay back, alert the other mages, I'll deal with this." Kagutsuchi pushed Isoto back, while keeping his gaze at Kaito.
"I'll show you exactly why they call me the Tenacious Inferno." Kagutsuchi smirked.
Akari Kagutsuchi/Tenacious Inferno—A 4-Star Mage in Heiwa Magi Corps, he's looking forward to the promotion to 5-Star this year.
Inferno walked towards Kaito, the ground vibrating as every step he took.
"You think you're worth my time?" Kaito spoke, his voice was layered—human and monstrous, speaking in unison.
"I'll let you feel the true wrath of the Tenacious Inferno!" Inferno's body lit up with flames, his orange eyes began glowing, the heat melted the ground into molten.
"Kaito's no longer in this body, I am Muteki. Prince of the anomalies." Muteki smiled.
"Don't underestimate me, underling." The flames on Inferno grew larger and fiercer, as he crossed his arms.
"I'd say the same." Muteki replied.
Inferno punched Muteki with his blazing fist, lighting up Muteki in fire instantly.
"Pathetic, you didn't even stand a chance." Kagutsuchi laughed.
Muteki was melting in the fire, the fire tore through his flesh as his bones were revealed.
Muteki stayed silent, his body became a skeleton and his bones began to melt away.
Suddenly, the lifeless skeleton of Muteki regrew his flesh, as his eyes began glowing, both locked onto Inferno.
"Going in for another round? Impressive." Inferno turned around.
Inferno fires a beam of flame onto Kaito, the flame ripping through his flesh again.
"(Wait! He's gotten stronger than before...)" Inferno's mind wasn't fooling him.
It wasn't an illusion.
He was slightly stronger than before.
His flesh regenerated—thicker this time.
"(I see, he gets stronger the more he regenerate.)" Inferno's eyes widened.
"My body's limitless!" Muteki shouted.
With enhanced durability, he began adapting to the flame.
"Don't get your hopes too high! Kaito- Muteki!" Inferno continuously fired the beam at Muteki.
"You do realize that pain makes me stronger, don't you?" Muteki walked towards Inferno despite being burned by the beam, his body kept regenerating as the beam got stronger and hotter.
"Worthless, you're wasting my time." Muteki approached closer, and closer to Inferno.
"(There's no hope left, my only choice..is to use brute force!)" Inferno used his full power against Muteki.
At this point, Muteki's body managed to fully adapt to flames.
"(Is this..the new singularity, of all anomalies..?!)" Inferno backed up, his flame grew weaker, his clenched fists turned into watery hands of sweat.
"(It's all hopeless..if i can't defeat him, the others will be in danger!)" Inferno thought.
"What are you gonna do now?" Muteki spoke loudly, like a cocky person.
"Blazing Dragon Style:The Holocaust!" Inferno flicked his fingers, firing a thread that pierced through Muteki's heart, the thread transformed itself into multiple strings, restraining Muteki.
"(It should happen...right NOW!)" Inferno's mind shouted, giving it all with his last hope.
The thread exploded, flames were erupting outwards, and Muteki's organs were all destroyed. The explosion cracked the ground, flames were spreading everywhere, and Muteki's body was sliced into pieces.
"Very clever of intellects like you, Inferno." The flames burned through Muteki's flesh and bones, even his adapted skin.
"And now for the final blow! Queen Of Tophet:The Calamity Of Hell." Inferno slammed both of his palms on the ground.
The earth trembled. Molten cracks spread outward.
Then—A roar shook the sky. A dragon erupted from the flames—massive, serpentine, completely formed from fire.
It coiled above them, eyes blazing, heat radiating in waves that turned the air itself to shimmer.
Flame spikes erupted everywhere.
Everything touched turned to ash instantly.
The ground melted into molten rivers.
Even in the flames, Muteki forced himself to regenerate, the flame was strong; but his adaptation was stronger.
His body became thicker, the flames were unable to tear through his skin.
"(Impossible..never in a decade, has anyone survived The Queen.)" Inferno's pupil shrinked—he was shook in fear, unable to move.
"That's all? I expected the sun, you've only given me a candle." Muteki's body became twice the size of Inferno's body—he was a tank.
Every step Muteki took, the ground shook.
Inferno's fist trembled. His ultimate technique—the one that had ended wars—was treated like nothing.
"Blade Of The Lava Prince!" Inferno created a blade out of flames, lunging forward to Kaito.
"Still not giving up? I'm proud." Muteki stopped the blade from piercing his stomach, overpowering Inferno.
Inferno pushed further, fiery explosions rocked the area, the shockwave from the explosion cracked the ground into complex shapes. Everything near was melted, as the blade pushed Muteki back, flames were erupting towards him. The maneuver's energy created a fiery beam up into the sky, bits of flame fell from the sky. A cylinder ground was left in the battleground, lava rising upwards to the both of them.
"(Keep fighting! That's what flames are for!)" Inferno used his palm and fired a fiery thread, the thread surrounded Muteki's limbs, restraining him completely.
"My turn." Inferno was enraged, his flames drastically became brighter and hotter. Inferno used his full strength, successfully piercing through Muteki's stomach. The impact detonated the cylinder, shattering it into pieces. Muteki exploded from the inside, his charred, burning flesh scattered everywhere in small pieces. As his skull dropped into the lava along with his body parts. Inferno managed to leap outwards with his last surge of energy.
"I've won..but at what cost..?" Inferno's face turned pale, as he began to feel dizzy.
Inferno collapsed. The great Tenacious Inferno was now just a man, broken on the scorched earth.
"Looks like I've burned myself out...for good." Inferno blacked out.
His voice was a dry rasp, the sound of embers crumbling to ash.
The legendary flames that once danced at his command were gone, leaving only the bitter smell of his own charred flesh and the deep, chilling cold of absolute exhaustion seeping into his bones. He had sacrificed not just his energy, but the very fire that defined him.
Inferno's eyes were closed, his breathing shallow. He didn't see the lava bubble. He didn't see the charred, skeletal hand—now next to a cooling, black rock.
Muteki pulled himself out. His charred skeleton was battered, smoking. His regeneration was sluggish. Flesh grew over his bones with sharp, wet sounds—slower than before, but still inevitable.
Then a shadow fell over him.
Captain Creative stood there, chains coiled around his arms, grin gone. His expression was serious for the first time.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that." He cracked his knuckles.
"Most things stay dead after an Overkill." Captain Creative's gaze at Muteki was ominous, his eyes began to shimmer.
Kaito pulled himself fully from the lava, flesh still regenerating.
"I am made to slaughter every mage in this very dimension." Muteki stood up.
Captain Creative's eyes narrowed.
"And I am made to slaughter every one of you." Captain Creative replied with a deep tone.
"The world will soon belong to us. You're only delaying the inevitable." Muteki fully regenerated his body, both his bloodshot eyes were locked on Captain Creative.
"Delaying the inevitable to find the solution." Captain Creative created two battleaxes, wielding both axes with both of his hands.
Muteki clenched his fist, as Captain Creative leaped towards him.
Captain Creative stabbed Muteki with his axes, the thick skin of his managed to bounce the axe back. Captain Creative backed up.
"(Saving powerful weapons for the future against him is better than pulling it out now for him to adapt. Hence, sharp weapons should work on him for now.)" Captain Creative created a large hammer with a sharp point.
Mr.Creative swung his hammer, the sharp point stabbed through Muteki's flesh.
"And now to top it off with a sweet explosion!" The hammer had grenades and bombs on the edge and detonated Muteki, sending him flying away.
Captain Creative created gauntlets made with obsidian, as he wore it and created knives around his wrists.
The impact of the explosion sent a ripple through the air. Kaito didn't just fly back; he became a human projectile, his body shearing through the remaining foundations of the suburban houses like a cannonball through paper.
Captain Creative's body surged with energy, as he leapt forward to Muteki.
"(There's no point in fighting him! I need to get back to Akugoka and the rest!)" Muteki rushed, he stood up and attempted to flee.
Captain Creative swung razor-sharp gauntlets on Kaito, battering his body with swift swings.
"Enough!" Kaito hardened his full body and punched Captain Creative.
The impact of his hardened punch sent Captain Creative flying far behind. The punch hit his head, as it began to bleed.
"(Just in the nick of time.)" Captain Creative stood up, unfazed from the punch.
The reinforcements of the mages arrived at the blazing battleground, groups of elite mages were in the team.
"(The reinforcements?! I need to get out of here quick.)" Muteki panicked.
Muteki's body shuddered. The energy he'd saved for regeneration—the last dregs of Akugoka's gift—he now forced into his legs. The bones thickened, the muscles bulged with grotesque, crystalline growths. He didn't leap; he uncoiled. The ground didn't just crater; it imploded, then erupted in a shockwave of shattered rock and dust, knocking the approaching mages off their feet. He became a dark streak against the moonlight, not fleeing, but propelled by his own violent expenditure.
"Is that the anomaly you are describing about?!" The elite mage pointed at Muteki while he was in the air fleeing.
"Yes! That's Prince Kaito!" Isoto replied.
"He's too fast!" The elite mage watched as Muteki flitted through the air.
"Prioritise the lives! We have no chance of reaching him." Yuhi suggested the elite mage.
"You both go check on Captain Creative! I'll check on Tenacious Inferno!"
Multiple teams of mages arrived with loud footsteps, everyone was scattered around in the team.
"Keep out of the way! Please!" The lead medic was rushing.
The medics rushed towards Inferno, the place was crowded with mages and medics.
"His pulse is fading! Quick!" A medic felt Inferno's pulse. The team of medics rushed and carried Inferno to the ambulance, with their wet faces full of sweat.
"Captain Creative! Are you okay?!" Isoto panicked.
"Don't worry, just a scratch." Captain Creative laughed.
Tenacious Inferno was eventually saved, but was in critical condition.
"We barely made it on time." The elite mage wipes off his sweat and sighed.
The ghost town was dead silent, fire was still burning through the houses and the streets, blood was splashed everywhere.
Even though the mages lost to the anomalies, they still managed to save the town while dealing with the anomalies. Most of the citizens were saved without being injured. At the cost of that, multiple sacrifices have to be made.
-The Mountain Top-
The place was foggy, crickets were chirping everywhere. We eventually arrived at the mountain top, after an hour-long train ride. I couldn't move much during the train ride, it was shaky and trippy, I had to stop at a seat for the rest of the ride. After we got off the train, the mages ordered us to split into groups of families. I've lost my family, so I approached Hayato.
"Hayato. Are you willing to..group up together..?" I stuttered.
"What do you think?" Hayato took a step closer to me.
"Akira and the others are probably with their families. Looks like it's going to be just us two." I looked around the crowd.
"Yeah." Hayato replied.
After a few hours of mages arranging temporary stay for everyone, Hayato and I got ourselves a house at the edge of the mountain top. It has 2 stories though.
"Ah..what a day." I sighed, and sat on the comfy couch.
"I'll have my own room." Hayato went upstairs and got himself a room.
The room had everything we needed, plenty of supplies of food, shirts and pants that had every size available and Wi-Fi, the core member.
Hayato's door slammed shut, the entire house was filled with silence, I lied at my bed, glancing at the ceiling fan.
I closed my eyes, it felt like I was lying on a pile of snow on a snowy day. After all that trauma, I finally felt some relief. Until..when I accidentally fell asleep.
-The Void-
"Where am I?! What is this place?!"
My eyes snapped open, I was in a place full of umbra. I couldn't feel anything. There was absolutely no sound in here. It's just an...empty void.
"Hello Yozora, I'm glad to meet you once again." An unknown voice reached me.
The voice was familiar, it spoke to me in an ominous tone. A chill shivered down to my spine.
As I turned around, my life was presented in front of my eyes, from the beginning where I stumbled across the relic.
I saw it, the exact mysterious silhouette who appeared not only in my house, but also in a flashback.
"Who are you?! Why do you keep appearing?! What is your goal?!" I shouted at the empty void.
"That's not important for now, we're in a "memory". Every second matters." The voice responded.
"What do you possibly want from me?!" My heart sank, as I reached my breaking point.
"My goal is simple. I want you to work with me." The voice remained nonchalant.
"Work...with you?" I was confused, am I even still alive?
"Yes, your power..it's extraordinary, it's profoundly imperative for the future I've foreseen." The voice circled around me.
"You think I'm a fool? Working with strangers that I've never even seen before." I responded.
"You've lost enough, think about it. Don't you want power? To stop the anomalies?" The voice became louder.
My life flashed before my eyes, my body began fading away, as my vision was getting blurry.
"Touch my hand, and we shall go together."
The mysterious silhouette from before appeared, and he leaned out his hand.
"I'm giving you a great offer, Yozora Kurosaki. You're making a big mistake."
His voice changed into a deep, layered voice.
"Very well. If you're not accepting the offer, the world will end. Soon." The mysterious figure faded away, it was just me in the "memory" left.
"Wait what do you mean-" I tried to ask the figure, but he faded away as soon as I spoke.
Light began to penetrate through the barriers of the "memory".
-Reality-
My eyes snapped open, I was awoken by the ceiling light in the room. Was it all just a dream?
"Was that...a message?" I sat up.
I was sweating, the lights were on as it was midnight. The curtains blocked the moonlight, and my bed felt warmer than usual. I was staggered, my pants were wet, soggy and cold. I realized I had pissed on the bed.
(What did he want from me?)
(Who is he?)
I gasped for air, my pillow was wet. I glanced at my palm, it was bleeding. The blood stained the bed and I felt extremely dizzy.
(Help me.)
Two words. "Help me" repeated in my head, and my vision became dark. I blacked out.
(Hello guys, this is the author here, Jerry. Sorry for the long wait, I've took a long break but I've finished rewriting Volume 1! Volume 2 will be coming soon. Thank you for reading!)
End Of Chapter #1:Arrival Of The Gigiant