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The Vanguard of Dawn walked cautiously through the village that sprawled before them, its humble houses and cobbled streets oddly quiet. Kai ‘The Phantom Fist’ Raiden was the first to speak, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.
“It’s weird, isn’t it? A planet of this stature having so many villages. You’d think if such an operation was happening here, there wouldn’t be anyone around. What did that monk say again—Project X?”
Captain Zarius Blacktide glanced around, his Tempest Blade hanging loosely at his side. “I didn’t think much of it before, but it does seem odd that there’s a population here at all.”
Ryuzen Takeda cut through their musings, his tone sharp and agitated. “You’d realize we’re being watched if you two weren’t yapping all the time.”
Sir Cedric Lionheart chimed in from his position at the back of the group. “Fair point, Ryuzen. I’ve felt eyes on us since we entered the village. But what about the first village?”
Ryuzen responded swiftly, his gaze scanning the shadows of nearby buildings. “I felt the same there. But I didn’t look too much into it then—this time, it’s different.”
As their conversation carried on, a familiar figure stepped out of an alleyway. The monk they had encountered at the first village—the one who had directed them to the White Castle—now stood before them. Dressed in the same patchwork robes, his crooked smile and strange demeanor immediately set the Vanguard on edge.
“Oi! I didn’t realize I’d stumble upon you all again here!” the monk said, his voice carrying an unsettling chuckle. “Did you find it—the White Castle?”
Captain Blacktide’s eyes narrowed at the monk as he stepped forward. “Yes, but contrary to what you told us, we found people there.”
Blacktide’s tone was sharp, demanding, but the monk didn’t flinch. Instead, he chuckled again, his thin shoulders shaking with mirth. “Oh, I apologize,” he said slyly. “Didn’t realize there’d be people there. So… what brings you here? And aren’t you missing two members of your group?”
Blacktide stepped closer to the monk, the spark of suspicion clear in his storm-gray eyes. His grip tightened slightly on his Tempest Blade. “You’re asking too many questions. What are you up to?”
The monk raised his hands defensively, his stained robes fluttering slightly. “Who, me? Oh, I was just wondering. No other reason, I promise!”
Blacktide was now standing face-to-face with the monk. His eyes shifted, scanning the area around them without turning his head. Slowly, his gaze moved back to the monk, his voice calm but menacing. “Why is everyone in this village staring at us? I’ll give you one more chance—what are you up to?”
The monk’s crooked smile twisted slightly, but before he could respond, he lunged forward, a dagger appearing in his hand. The blade was etched with a strange, shifting symbol—alien and unreadable. Blacktide’s reflexes flared, his hand snapping out to grab the monk’s arm before the dagger could touch him. Sparks of lightning began to crackle at the points of contact, the faint rumble of thunder rolling across the sky.
The monk barely had time to react before a Superbolt descended from the heavens, striking him directly in a brilliant explosion of power. The ground trembled as arcs of electricity danced across the village square, illuminating the area in flashes of blue light.
When the dust and smoke cleared, Captain Blacktide stood at the center of the storm, his body wreathed in a menacing lightning aura. His eyes glowed a fierce electric blue, crackling with raw energy as he stared down at the figure in front of him.
But to the Vanguard’s surprise, the monk was still alive. Though scorched and clearly injured, he pushed himself up, his crooked smile now twisted into something far more sinister.
“Well, well…” the monk said, his voice carrying a dark undertone. “You’ve got quite the punch.”
As the Vanguard looked on in cautious silence, the monk’s true identity was revealed.
Xian Vatra36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BLN4Cz06D
Title: The Laughing Monk36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OdWKPVL1q
Magic: Esoteric Trickery & Mystic Daggercraft36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmE0GbVCGbl
Generation: First Generation Sentient
Xian Vatra was a master of deception, confusion, and mischief. His dagger was no ordinary weapon; the ancient, shifting symbol etched into its surface was alive, whispering secrets in an unknown tongue. Xian’s style of combat was fluid and unpredictable, toying with his enemies both physically and mentally, leading them to destroy themselves through carefully crafted chaos.
As Xian rose fully to his feet, the villagers around them began to move. Their expressions deadened, their movements eerily synchronized, their forms distorted. It was only then that the Vanguard realized the truth—every single person in the village was a Sentient.
“How many are there?” Blacktide asked, his voice calm but edged with tension.
Ryuzen closed his eyes briefly, his senses extending outward. “I count around 100,” he said grimly, opening his eyes to meet Blacktide’s gaze. “All similar to the monk ahead. What’s the plan?”
Before Blacktide could respond, a fierce, oppressive aura swept across the village, instantly silencing every sound except the pounding of their hearts. The villagers—the Sentients—moved to the sides, splitting apart as a single figure made their way through the crowd.
The Vanguard watched as the source of the aura revealed himself—King Arion Azraelis.
King Arion Azraelis stood at the center of the village, his presence consuming the very air with authority and menace. His hair shimmered faintly against the red glow of his cape, and his piercing eyes scanned the Vanguard of Dawn with an expression of amusement.
He smiled coldly, his voice calm but dripping with mockery. “The looks on your faces… It’s as if you didn’t expect me to come."
Captain Zarius Blacktide was the first to respond. His lips curled into a grin that quickly turned into a deep, booming laugh. Lightning began crackling around him, the air growing heavy with electricity. “Finally!” he roared, his voice filled with exhilaration. “The man I’ve been waiting for.”
The sky darkened in an instant as storm clouds gathered overhead, responding to Blacktide’s growing power. With his Tempest Blade in hand, Blacktide jumped high into the air, lightning trailing behind him. His aura surged as he unleashed the full force of Storm’s Fury, hurling himself toward Arion like a living lightning bolt.
“FEEL THE STORM'S WRATH!”
King Arion looked up, his expression unchanged. With a calm motion, he raised his palm, and a burst of energy erupted from it. The blast struck Blacktide mid-air, sending him hurtling backward through the village. His body crashed through several buildings, leaving a trail of debris in his wake before disappearing into the distance.
The remaining members of the Vanguard stared in shock at the sheer power and ease of Arion’s counter.
Sir Cedric Lionheart stepped forward, his Blade of Valor glowing with divine energy as he pointed it at Arion. “Ryuzen...” Cedric’s voice was calm but resolute, signaling their next move.
Ryuzen Takeda nodded, disappearing into the shadows with Eihō in a blur of motion. He reappeared directly behind Arion, his head tilted slightly as the blade of his kunai reflected the faint light of the storm.
“Mikazuki no Yaiba,” Ryuzen whispered as he struck, a crescent slash aimed precisely at Arion’s back.
At the exact same moment, Sir Cedric lunged forward, his Blade of Valor arcing in from the front with a powerful slash. The two attacks converged on Arion simultaneously, their precision and synchronization flawless.
But Arion didn’t move.
Both attacks landed, the blades striking his body with devastating force. Yet there was no reaction, no sign of impact—just a moment of eerie silence. And then, the unthinkable happened.
BANG!
The combined damage of both attacks wasn’t dealt to Arion. Instead, it rebounded onto Cedric and Ryuzen, each of them thrown back by their own immense power. Cedric crashed into the ground, his armor cracked and smoking, while Ryuzen tumbled through the air before landing painfully in the dirt.
Kai ‘The Phantom Fist’ Raiden immediately leaped into action, his fists glowing with energy as he launched Phantom Fist at Arion. His blazing strikes created afterimages, the rapid succession of blows aimed to overwhelm and confuse.
But Arion dodged each strike effortlessly, weaving through Kai’s assault with inhuman precision. He retaliated with a casual swipe of his hand, but Kai twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the slap.
Kai took the opportunity, grabbing Arion’s extended arm and wrenching it into a lock. With a roar, he unleashed Tempest Kick, a spinning blow that struck Arion square in the chest and sent him skidding back slightly.
Kai pressed his advantage, following up with Dragon’s Wrath Elbow, his elbow crashing into Arion’s chest with a force powerful enough to shatter armor.
For a moment, it seemed as though the attack had landed cleanly. But then…
Kai staggered.
The damage from his own attack was reflected back onto him, sending him reeling backward, clutching at his chest in pain.
King Arion stood unscathed, brushing the dust from his clothes with a smirk. “How shameful. I only came here to talk.” His mocking tone was laced with cruelty as he turned away from the Vanguard, gesturing dismissively. “Xian, gather them up and bring them to me. We'll turn them into Second Generations.”
The ground beneath them began to tremble as Xian Vatra stepped forward, his dagger glowing ominously. The other First Generation Sentients moved in unison, their synchronized movements creating an eerie wave of hostility.
Suddenly, the trembling intensified. A surge of power shot through the atmosphere, and a voice boomed from above, filled with raw, untamed energy.
“You thought I could be defeated so easily?”
Everyone turned their eyes skyward.
Descending from the storm clouds was Captain Zarius Blacktide, his body wreathed in superbolts of lightning. The energy around him crackled violently, distorting the air as he raised both hands toward the sky.
Above him, lightning gathered, forming a massive bolt nearly 100 times the size of anything the Vanguard had ever seen. The sheer intensity of the energy turned the night into day, illuminating the entire village with its electric glow.
Blacktide’s eyes glowed an unearthly stormy blue, his voice echoing across the battlefield. “YOU SHALL FEEL THE FURY OF THE STORM!”
With a roar, he unleashed the devastating lightning bolt, sending it hurtling down toward King Arion in a final, cataclysmic strike.
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