Royal Complex Outskirts, Uraview
Elsewhere in the city during Kaelan and Ashira's encounter, the rest of Team Pyron had successfully advanced to their destination - the Royal Complex. Led by Alan, they quietly scanned the tightened security watching from every angle. With Kaelan's original body slung across her shoulder, Lila forced an inconvenient scoff. "Security is worse than I expected, Alan… any idea on what we should do?"
Alan's formal gaze froze. The resonating scent of air and blood within the large walls lured his Advanced Senses, forcing his fists to clench in fear. "Riley and Trey… they're in the Royal Complex as we speak." Kevin's head lifted, scanning the large complex with his glowing eyes. "Two NFEHH employees in there, huh? What's wrong with giving them a little beating like we did with Levi!?"
Dumbfounded, Gerald grabbed the collar of Kevin's shirt. "The only reason I won against Levi was because of Flameball, Kevin. Given the power they're emitting, I can tell they're way out of our league."
"Remember," Alan advised, "time is money. Getting mixed up with those two can determine whether this mission ends in success or failure, so I'll distract them with everything I've got." Their hands raise, forming a small circle. "Let's go defeat Fire Moon!" they all shout in unison.
---
Ashira scoffed, noticing the sudden shift in Kaelan's radiating power - a force of absolute strength flowing within, hosted completely by himself. Her paintbrush soars, forming three zooming snakes of paint. "Dreambrush - Wide Canvas!" her voice screamed. The reptiles merged together into a singular, large, hissing snake. Plunging his fist into the concentrated paint blob, the golden energy radiated through the air, splattering Ashira's creation into shimmering flurries. "Courage of Gold - Golden Radiance Strike!" As Ashira prepared to construct another masterpiece with her paintbrush, she noticed a shining ray of golden energy racing through the street. "Dreambrush - Mighty Painted Wall!" The paint lifted upward into the skies above, creating a large wall dividing both sides of the fight. Colliding against Ashira's divider pushed Kaelan, slamming his energy-surging fists onto the wall. "Dividing our view won't do you any good!" His fists crossed, forcing the wall of painty goop into a large, spreading puddle. Another swing of her paintbrush, and a large, roaring serpent came flying out. "Don't they teach you about diversions in the northeast-"
She lifts her eyes to notice Kaelan's unexpected absence. "Wha…"
"I learned a whole lot more than diversions," Kaelan replied from behind. His body shifts to the left, perfectly aligning his fist with Ashira's face. "I don't need to live in a rich country to learn to fight!" With a bold grin across his face, Kaelan's shimmering fist clashed with Ashira's wooden paintbrush. A crackle of power pushed outward, slowly grouping into a singular, concentrated burst rocking the street. "Elite fighting techniques or not, I'll still make sure you're detained, wanted boy!"
Kaelan's head lifted through the golden flurries with a mischievous smile. "Wanted boy? Not the best nickname I've gotten, but I'll tolerate it."
Volume 13, Chapter 67 - Storm the Royal Complex!
The Royal Complex - one of Uraview's most prosperous landmarks. Following the kidnapping of royal figure Princess Azul Celeste early last night, the property had been filled to the brim with news reporters, scrambling police officers, NFEHH officials, and soon, our heroes…
A scrawny, blonde-haired guard sat in a small folding chair beside his comrades. "Besides the power surges, everything has been going rather smoothly," he summarized. "However, this doesn't excuse the Royal Complex's current state from the growing chaos." His vision narrowed, detecting an approaching black dot from the distance. He turned his head towards the other guards, pointing to the unusual sight. "Potential enemies soaring in from twelve o'clock," he muttered. Along with his attention shifted his comrades, who, just like him, were fazed by the perplexing sight. "Wait a minute," one replied, "that's a group of people!"
The blonde-haired man leaped out his chair. "Get ready to fight, we can't let anyone infiltrate the vicinity!"
Alan's pupils shrunk, detecting the thickening security. "This is the moment, let's go!" He drew his scythe, slicing through the lift bordering the vehicular entrance.
"Hey!" a guard called, "those are the guys who infiltrated the Royal Complex last night!"
Kevin raced ahead of Gerald and Lila, focusing his gaze towards the guarded walls. "I'll deal with these guys! GRAVITATIONAL PUSHING PUNCH!" A burst of gravity emitted from his fist, penetrating the wall of armed guards. Lila, holding Kaelan across her shoulder, wore an uncontrollable smile. "That's my Kevin, always rushing in!"
Gerald scoffed. "Kevin shouldn't be your priority at the moment - it should be opening Fire Moon's portal!" The infiltration group advanced deeper into the complex's courtyard towards the building for permanent residents. Alan's eyes strained, noticing another group of charging guards. His head turned, measuring the distance between him and Team Pyron. "I'm going to be in so much trouble for this…" His legs push off the scythe's handle, thudding onto the concrete trail. Securing the slender weapon in his grasp, he drove the sharp blade into the soldiers' metal swords.
---
"Dreambrush - Vibrant Seal of Color!"
The blueish-orange paint rose from the ground, engulfing Kaelan's golden body. The large, sphere-like blob covered Kaelan in a dark shadow, shifting his attention overhead. "Eternal Canvas Binding!" Enclosed in the shrinking sphere stood Kaelan, racing towards the crackling paint. His golden fist clashed against the hardened paint to no avail - instead, Ashira's advantage continued to grow. "Nobody's ever broken through that seal!" her muffled voice entered from outside. "Now tell me, why do you hold Lila's power!?"
"What makes you think I'll disclose that!?" His fists slammed against the rocky paint. "Courage of Gold - Absolute Exertion!" A loud whir filled the air, and a burst of golden energy escaped the dense sphere. Without a second to lose, Kaelan's head bashed against Ashira's paintbrush. "Golden Palm!" His hand slammed onto the brush's wooden handle, sliding Ashira through the street. As her body dragged away from Kaelan, her paintbrush pointed towards the large sphere with a swift wave. "Sudden Splatter!" Without any hesitation, the hardened paint liquidated, rising from the street and confronting Kaelan with an immediate pounce. "Why can't I move!?"
"I've got you now!" Ashira shouted. The bubbling paint expanded, covering his glowing skin. After a few moments, his grunts silenced completely. "A well-fought battle, but a rather ironic ending for you."
That exact moment, the puddle of paint engulfing Kaelan shrunk - the sound of his continuous slurping mixed with the popping paint until nothing remained. Ashira clenched her paintbrush in utter shock. "You consumed the paint… what the hell do you think you're doing!?"
Brushing the small liquid specs off his skin, a wide grin stretched across Kaelan's face. "Just doing what I do best," he replied. "Courage of Gold - Consummation!"
---
With his eyes glued onto the complex's permanent residences, Alan danced through the angry herd of armed guards. The air filled with the sound of clinging metal, resonating perfectly with the soldiers' prideful shouts. "Scythe of Darkness - Extended Range!" A growing orb of darkness overshadowed Alan, blowing the surrounding enemies to the ground. His head tilted, and a smile bloomed across his face. "About time."
"GRAVITATIONAL AXE!" Kevin screamed, breaking through the line of defense like a bowling ball. Beside him stood Lila and Gerald, who, unlike him, held more formal looks on their faces. "We're running out of time!" Gerald shouted. "Any more commotion, and we're going to be discovered by Riley and Trey!"
"Don't worry!" a smiling Kevin exclaimed, clenching his fists. He turned towards the building's entrance, lifting his fist towards the raging soldiers. "Mind giving me a hand, Gerald?"
A gasp of shock escaped Gerald's chest. "Kevin, you know that power's unsafe to use! Wait until we encounter Py-"
"Do you want to save the Grand Province!?"
With an annoyed sigh, Gerald and Kevin's hands joined together. Alan's Advanced Senses flicker, observing the unusual buildup within their bodies. "Something about their technique looks familiar… what is it?"
"With every bit of progress," Kevin began, "our dreams continue to grow closer!"
"Here in the Grand Province," Gerald continued, "we can get a glimpse of these dreams and get a better understanding of ourselves!"
Their auras, Kevin's purple and Gerald's blue, mixed together in their hands.
---
Kaelan blasted through the street, feeling a repeated twitch across his skin. "Gerald really went through with it!?"
---
Alan's chest expanded in relief. "They may be destructive and have a long way to go, but their bond is absolute. That's what I admire about them."
"GRAVITATIONAL FLAMING PUNCH!" the boys shout. A vertical whirlwind raced through the army of royal guards, carving a jagged hole through the wooden doors. "That's it!" Lila exclaimed. The infiltration team raced into the building, observing the long hallways beyond.
Kevin's fists slammed against the entrance's red fabric. "No time to waste, let's get moving!"