The island was cloaked in eerie silence, its surface scarred by the aftermath of battle. The Ascendant ships had surrounded the shores, and their soldiers spread through the terrain like a tide of order and precision.
In the northern snowfields, a squad of soldiers halted before a massive figure buried beneath a drift—only the yeti's head stuck out, groaning weakly, its breath frosting the air.
One soldier approached cautiously. "It's still alive."
Shinsei arrived in a crimson blur of teleportation, standing behind them without a sound. His gleaming red hair caught the light of the rising sun like fire.
He gazed down at the half-buried beast.
"A rare specimen," Shinsei said, arms folded. "Take it with us. Gently—no chains. He deserves dignity even in defeat."
"Yes, Supreme Councilman Shinsei!" they echoed, immediately setting to work.
Shinsei closed his eyes for a moment, sensing something distant. He vanished once more in a swirl of air and light.
He reappeared in a shadowed part of the island's forest, where ancient roots twisted through dead trees. There, crawling desperately through the leaves and snow, was the old vampire—his cloak torn, one leg shattered, and blood leaking from his side.
Shinsei stepped forward, not in haste, but with calm authority.
"Good morning, dear vampire," he said, voice warm yet commanding. "Your journey ends here. I require your assistance. Kindly come with me, and we'll talk in peace."
The vampire stopped crawling and looked back, his red eyes filled with hatred.
"You'll get nothing from me!" he snarled, and thrust his hand forward—five blood swords shot from his palm like spears, shrieking through the air.
But the moment they reached Shinsei—
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Each sword bounced away, repelled by an invisible force around him, shimmering faintly with gold.
"Please," Shinsei said softly, not moving. "Such efforts are beneath you. You know you cannot defeat a…"
The vampire's face twisted. "Supreme Council…"
Shinsei gave a small, respectful nod. "At least you recognize our station. That is a promising start."
The vampire's pride flared. He forced himself to stand, shaking but furious.
"I ain't saying a damn word. I'd rather die than snitch on my master."
He lunged forward with a wild snarl.
The air around Shinsei shifted.
In an instant, the vampire appeared before him, fangs bared—his claws slashing downward with a red aura crackling around them. Shinsei tilted his head, narrowly sidestepping as the claw cut a deep gash in the earth.
The vampire spun mid-air and launched a flurry of blood-drenched strikes—his arms moved like a blender of claws, blood blades, and jagged crimson tendrils. Each strike exploded with force, but Shinsei dodged effortlessly—his posture straight, his movement minimal.
One twist of the foot. A slight lean back. A flick of the wrist.
Not a single blow touched him.
"You're emotional," Shinsei said gently, still dodging. "But emotion, while powerful, clouds one's technique."
The vampire screamed, "SHUT UP!" and charged again, this time using his blood to form a jagged scythe mid-sprint.
Shinsei drew his sword with a slow, deliberate motion.
The blade hummed as if alive, catching the sunlight in a radiant glow. Gold and silver runes ran along its edge. With one hand placed behind his back, Shinsei took a deep breath, then lifted the blade.
"Holy Slash."
With a single swing, a wave of golden energy erupted forward, tearing through the air like a divine blade of judgment. The slash didn't just cut—it purified. Trees behind the vampire were cleaved in half. The ground split.
The vampire was flung backward with unstoppable force, crashing through tree after tree, bouncing and flipping through the woods before finally embedding into a frozen boulder, his body twitching.
Shinsei teleported again—appearing above the vampire in mid-air.
CRACK!
He landed lightly, boot pressing the vampire's chest down, keeping him still.
"You fought bravely," Shinsei said calmly. "You may despise me, but I will not let you die."
With care, he hoisted the unconscious vampire over his shoulder like a burden he honored rather than a prisoner.
He returned in a flash of red light to the Ascendants.
The soldiers gathered as he dropped the old vampire at their feet.
"Ensure his wounds are treated. Keep him alive. I will question him myself."
"Yes, Supreme Councilman Shinsei!"
As they carried the vampire away, Shinsei stood tall, folding his hands behind his back. His eyes scanned the horizon thoughtfully.
"Eleo… That was the name, wasn't it?" he thought.
A curious name. A curious energy. I do wonder… what kind of child could have stirred this much attention?
He smiled faintly.
"I hope we meet soon, Bunny Kid."
Meanwhile
The deck of the ship was alive with noise and energy as Eleo sprang up, throwing his arms in the air. "Chiyo, that was amazing!" he cheered, bounding over with a bright grin.
Chiyo laughed nervously, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I was scared... I thought he was going to recognize me. But he didn't."
Timmy clutched his tiny hands together. "Man, I do hope they don't come after us…"
Tony chimed in with his usual deadpan flair. "Or we're all getting captured."
Kenji narrowed his eyes. "Alright, enough. We need to get ready for Agharna. That's the real threat."
Olorun crossed his arms and smiled wide. "If we all work together, we could have a chance."
"Yeah, Kenji," Eleo nodded, pumping his fist. "Let's beat him up!"
Kenji exhaled. "Fine. So what do we do while we wait?"
Olorun slammed his fist into his palm. "FIGHT."
Without warning, he lunged forward, fist swinging toward Kenji's face. Kenji's eyes widened, barely raising his arm in time to block the blow with a thundering clang. "Olorun, you bastard!" he growled. "I wasn't ready! And I'm still wounded!"
Olorun smirked. "I don't care if you're wounded—I'd still fight you even if you were my own grandma!"
The clash intensified, their fists and legs colliding with bone-shaking force. Olorun ducked a knee strike, countered with a spinning backhand. Kenji blocked with one arm and tried to sweep Olorun's leg, but Olorun hopped over it, grinning.
Meanwhile, Timmy peeked over his tiny shoulder. "Hey, Chiyo, Eleo, Tony… wanna play Truth or Dare while those two idiots break the deck?"
Eleo perked up. "Okay!"
Tony cracked his knuckles. "Sure, as long as I don't have to fight a yeti this time."
Chiyo shrugged. "Why not?"
They sat in a circle near the edge of the deck as splinters flew from Kenji and Olorun's battle behind them. Eleo clapped his hands. "Okay, I wanna go first! Timmy, pick someone!"
Timmy pointed. "You pick."
"Alright then! I pick… Tony!"
Tony gave a smug grin. "Truth."
Eleo tapped his chin, thinking hard. "Okay… have you ever… uhhh… eaten carrots?"
Tony paused. His grin faded. "Okay, Eleo… you have to promise not to get mad."
Eleo tilted his head. "I promise."
Tony looked dead serious. "I don't like carrots."
"HUUUUHHHH?!?!" Eleo's jaw dropped. He sprang to his feet, eyes wide with horror. "YOU WHAT?!"
Before Tony could blink, Eleo launched into the air with a spinning kick that sent Tony crashing into the railing, nearly falling off.
"Hey!" Tony shouted. "You said you wouldn't get mad!"
"HOW COULD YOU NOT LIKE CARROTS, YOU JERK!" Eleo screamed, charging again.
Tony dodged, flipping over a barrel. "They're overrated! Don't carrot-shame me!"
Chiyo burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! This is too good!"
Timmy wiped a tear from his eye. "Okay, your turn, Chiyo."
Chiyo grinned devilishly. "Alright, I pick you, Timmy. Truth or dare?"
Timmy looked around nervously. "Uhhh… dare?"
Chiyo leaned in, smirking. "I dare you to go up to Eleo and say you hate carrots."
Timmy's eyes widened. "What? No… no way…"
"C'mon," Chiyo said, nudging him. "You gotta do it."
Timmy gulped, trembling as he approached Eleo, who was mid-wrestle with Tony. "Uh… Eleo?"
Eleo turned, face twisted in rage. "WHAT?!"
Timmy squeaked, "I-I-I… I hate carrots too."
The moment froze. Eleo's pupils shrank.
"You WHAT?!"
Timmy screamed and bolted. "KENJI!!!"
He dove behind Kenji, who was still mid-fight with Olorun. "Timmy, what are you—?"
SMASH! Olorun punched Kenji in the face, followed immediately by a flying kick from Eleo. Kenji staggered back, dazed.
Kenji exploded. "YOU BASTARDS!"
In seconds, the fight became a chaotic brawl: Kenji trading furious blows with Olorun and Eleo, Tony joining the madness with his usual chaotic flair. Timmy ran in circles, dodging limbs and shouting.
Chiyo collapsed to the floor, laughing uncontrollably. "Man… I'm so glad I joined this group."