Yang Ru raced down the streets of Grushia City upon her motorcycle, the sunlight reflecting off her sunglasses while the wind carried her hair backwards in wavy motions. She turned into the street leading toward Grushia High School, arriving into their parking lot on campus.
She parked her motorcycle and got off her bike, taking off her sunglasses and exhaling softly. She began making her way toward the main building and walked inside, looking around to see Do Song Boon monitoring the halls as passing period began.
"This place is pretty large...Where is the dean of this place?" Yang Ru asked, wandering around the school to find Kaguya so she could register as a Professor of the district.
As she wandered the various halls, muffled sounds of music began playing within the halls accompanied by the sounds of chants from students. Once she grew closer, the music began to grow clearer, her curiosity getting the better of her. She peeked into the window, seeing five girls practicing their next song.
"Go Hyeon Bae, Go Oriel!" Ko Su-Mi and the other girls chanted as Hyeon Bae and Oriel played a clean beat on her new metallic drum set.
Reene and Song Jae-in danced to Hyeon Bae and Oriel's beat as Choko and Ko Su-Mi set the arps and the pads, the entire room filled with joyful energy that got the girls moving with the music. Yang Ru continued to watch, turning her gaze to see Kaguya in the room dancing along with them.
"It's...it's the Headmistress of St. Goken Institution. She's dancing with them?" Yang Ru asked with curiosity, turning her gaze back to the girls and watched as Ko Su-Mi, Reene, and Choko played their ending part together.
Kaguya nodded her head as the girls all came back together for the ending, clapping her hands and letting out a proud chuckle. "Nicely done, ladies! That was a wonderful performance that no doubt will bring people closer back to Yesha, but as if you've heard the Gethsemane Valkyrias—"
"Yeah, they have a whole other league of Worship Levels...We listen to our music and then theirs, and it just shows there are levels to this," Ko Su-Mi said with a light groan, crossing her arms and looking over at Kaguya.
"Just when we thought we've hit our peak with you managing our Valkyrian Idol business, the Gethsemane Valkyrias just show up on the spot to show there's more to it," Choko huffed lightly, running her fingers against the white keys upon her keyboard.
Kaguya hummed softly then closed her eyes, awakening her Ten Passing Shadow Gardens Stigmata, summoning Cerebral beside her. "Allow me to show you all something..~"
Cerebral yawned, her white hair flowing up and tying itself into a ponytail then she looked over at Kaguya with a risen brow. "What is it, Yuta? You ruined a perfectly good nap of mine. Is the world dying again like Hisumi's time?"
"Not at all, Miss Cerebral. I just need you to show these girls some new techniques to enhance their Worship capabilities. Y'know, just as you and I used to do when we were upcoming Valkyrias?" Kaguya asked, placing her hand upon her hip and looking over at Cerebral with a grin.
Cerebral let out a scoff and turned her head, closing her eyes and crossed her arms. She opened them just to look at the young Valkyrias in front of her with a skeptical gaze, seeing the Valkyrias of her time in them. "They are no Cherry or Berry, nor are they any Saito or Yufumi...but I can show them some of my works."
Hyeon Bae and the others grew excited as Cerebral said she'd teach them, each of them moving aside as Cerebral walked forward and set up her equipment. They watched as Kaguya helped her, the two of them setting the stage within the medium music studio.
Cerebral began to play simple notes upon the keyboard with soft luscious pads following behind then Kaguya began to work her fingers quickly upon the keys for the arps. The other keyboards began to play on their own as background melodies and leads, faint shimmers of angel wings coming to view.
"Cerebral, let's change it up," Kaguya said, glancing over at Cerebral with a grin.
Cerebral nodded and began playing upon the drums and stomping on beat with the rumbling bass, the music releasing powerful Spirit Energy that immediately filled the room. The girls could not hold back their bodies from dancing with the music, the energy even reaching toward Yang Ru's Spirit.
"What...what is this..? It's like my body can't sit still for too long.." Yang Ru said to herself, nodding her head on time with the music as the watched Kaguya and Cerebral play.
Hyeon Bae studied Cerebral closely as she played the drums, copying what she was doing and matching her rhythm. Cerebral watched as Hyeon Bae played and smirked at her, playing a complex rhythm then let Hyeon Bae follow, impressed with Hyeon Bae's ability to keep up.
"Here we go!" Cerebral called out, passing the spotlight over to Hyeon Bae.
"I got this!" Hyeon Bae said, catching the spotlight and began playing her drums while dancing in place.
Reene, Song Jae-in, Choko, and Ko Su-Mi chanted 'Hey!' as Hyeon Bae played while Cerebral continued to push Hyeon Bae by chanting 'Go!'. Hyeon Bae began playing faster, the beat catching up to Kaguya's arpeggios, her body began breaking sweats as her Holy Fire began emitting from her chest.
Yang Ru watched as Hyeon Bae pushed herself, her Spirit Energy flaring around her lithe body while she played every part of her drums as if her life depended upon it. She could feel the immense emotion Hyeon Bae release, that same emotion causing the other girls to turn up in intensity as well.
"Keep going! Keep that up, Hyeon Bae!" Cerebral called out, keeping her eyes upon Hyeon Bae's Holy Fire then balled her hand into fists for the music to calm.
Hyeon Bae panted softly as she was given a moment to rest, but heard Reene playing her guitar next to her and glanced over. "Reene..."
"This Meet means more than beating other Valkyrias! This Meet will show the world that the lame, the poor, the weak, the losers the elites claim we are can rise up! So don't stop playing Hyeon Bae, we need this!" Reene said to Hyeon Bae, looking at her with a smile, her Holy Fire emitting from her chest.
Hyeon Bae, remembering what Ha-Rin said to her earlier, began to fire up once again, her Holy Fire growing larger. Cerebral hummed softly as she watched the new A Rank Valkyria, her wolf ears twitching as she began feeling a disruptive energy around the room.
The lights flickered for a moment, the power going down for a second before coming back on to Hyeon Bae and the music playing once again, her heart, mind, and soul put into the song. She had her eyes closed as she played, Ha-Rin's words replaying in her mind about how she didn't deserve anything.
Yang Ru grunted softly as she took a step back from the window as the music released a shockwave from Hyeon Bae's powerful playing. 'Her Spirit Energy just skyrocketed...who the heck is this girl..?'
Dandelga began to hum softly upon Yang Ru's back, taking a liking to Hyeon Bae yet not seeing her as a worthy wielder for him. Yang Ru's glanced back at the sword then turned her head back to Hyeon Bae, clearing her throat softly.
"Her Spirit Energy managed to disrupt the electricity of the building...she might be a better fit for Berechiah all things considered. But...this girl, something about her Spirit Energy is just unnatural for her age and rank," Yang Ru said softly, her gaze unable to leave Hyeon Bae with a mix of awe and intrigue.
Yang Ru decided to give the girls some privacy while they practiced, continuing down the various halls until she reached the Indoor Battle Zone Area, watching multiple Heroes and Valkyrias training together in intense sparring sessions. She gazed upon the many zones, her gaze catching sight of Jiahn and So-Yi in a zone.
Jiahn dashed toward So-Yi with a straight, but So-Yi phased through the attack, going for a head kick which Jiahn blocked. Seeing So-Yi's side was open, she went for a side kick that went through So-Yi's body as she phased through it and countered with an uppercut.
"Nice try!" Jiahn said with a grin, blocking So-Yi's strike with a her palm and pushed it back down, launching a right hook as a response.
So-Yi leaned back to dodge the attack then got put on the back foot as Jiahn began her onslaught of attacks. Parrying and dodging each of Jiahn's attacks, she began to notice how much stronger Jiahn has gotten since the Battle Zone 1 incident.
'This speed is incredible...keep this up Jiahn,' So-Yi thought to herself, phasing through Jiahn's kick then warped into an elbow strike.
Jiahn caught So-Yi's elbow strike, chuckling sofdly and hummed with proudness within herself. "Finally, I caught one of your many Warp Strikes. Also, how do you feel about Hyeon Bae being an A Rank now? The dynamic has changed a lot in the class."
"It was all part of Nox's plan, I'm guessing. Taking down Go-Goken will take time and doing it through Hyeon Bae was a perfect call taken her relationship with Ha-Rin," So-Yi said, taking a few steps backwards from Jiahn then crossed her arms to look around. "Seems like she's also ditching Woo-Yi for Nu So-Hee now..."
"A perfect time to bring her to our side! Ha-Rin has her mind made up even through I want to try our plan at least once. If we could convert Kim Eun, we can convert the others as well," Jiahn said with optimism, pumping her fist with determination.
So-Yi looked over at Jiahn, seeing her optimistic smile then chuckled softly to herself. "Alright, we can try our plan once, but after that...we take her down. We can not have her representing us for the Meet."
Dandelga hummed softly at Jiahn and So-Yi's performance, impressed with their combat abilities yet did not see So-Yi as his wielder. Jiahn, through her experience as a Shopkeeper, was seen as a contender to keep Dandelga in her grasp.
"Because she's a Shopkeeper? That has to be a lazy reason to separate from me, but I guess I can see why you'd choose her. A Shopkeeper for Heroes and Valkyrias keep their weapons and valuables locked away," Yang Ru said, continuing to watch the different Battle Zones.
"I can also see myself teaching here...just as Liao Ru taught combat and defense. Our Key Wielder will appear in this Battle Zone. I can feel it within my Spirit," Yang Ru said before grunting softly as a beam of fire hit her face.
"Oh shi— Damn bro, your aim is that bad?" Ahmed asked, looking up at Yang Ru then back down at Ko'rai.
"What? Brother, you deflected my attack!" Ko'rai pointed, unwilling to take the blame for striking an Infinity Council member.
Dandelga let out a deep hum, seemingly laughing at Yang Ru as she wiped the smoke from her face. Yang Ru sucked her teeth lightly, her gaze shifting down toward Ko'rai with slight annoyance. No one had ever dared to attack her, accidentally or not, until now.
Ko'rai's Alrean Blood began to spike as he saw Yang Ru's challenging gaze, his fearful expression shifting into a grin. His eyes caught notice of Dandelga on her back, causing him to let out an impressed whistle. "Now that's a sword for an Alrean! Heh, you want a challenge? Let's go, lady!"
'Lady..?' Yang Ru repeated mentally, growing even more annoyed as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Yang Ru vaulted over the railings, accepting Ko'rai's challenge and landed upon one knee before flickering forward with a body shot. Ko'rai grunted at her speed, barely blocking the blitz and rolling backwards along the ground. He recovered upon one foot, looking up to see her above him.
"She's fast..!" Ko'rai commented, barely dodging her Phoenix Crash and rolled into his feet. "What the heck is this speed..?!"
Yang Ru shifted her stance into her Tidal Stance, her flames shifting into water, the water energy encasing over Dandelga's blade to keep him clean. "You wanted a challenge, Alrean? Now you will face the power of my Ru-Dim-Qqak!"
"Ru-Dim-Qqak..? Is that a Chinese Technique? I've heard of that, Liao Ru created it! Only the Ru Clan knows of that! Are you..." Ko'rai began, his entire body heating up with excitement and fear.
"I am her descendant, Yang Ru! I am the only successor to the Ru-Dim-Qqak! This technique is stronger than any Affinity Shift or Element Control you all could ever perfect," Yang Ru said, getting into her stance and locked onto Ko'rai.
"Yeesh, this woman sounds like she hates Alreans..." Ahmed said, standing back from the battle and cleared his throat.
"Wait a minute, that's— Yang Ru! Miss Yang Ru, what are you doing here?" So-Yi asked, hurrying over to the translucent energy wall of her zone.
Yang Ru glanced back at Jiahn and So-Yi, calming down and exhaling softly. "I'm here to become a Professor here by my Exzodian Lord's orders. And I'm seeing there's a lot of work to do here."
Ko'rai grinned at Yang Ru as her back was turned, launching forward with an attack but Yang Ru evaded the attack gracefully and countered with a back kick to his stomach. She spun around into a spinning heel kick to his face, sending him flying backwards flipping.
She rushed forward with another spinning kick, catching him upon his stomach and sending him flying backwards into the energy wall. "Tch...how basic. A sneak attack like that doesn't work on me."
"I think he's had enough," Ahmed said quietly, to himself so that Yang Ru couldn't hear.
"Yeah, I think so too," Yang Ru replied, her near perfect hearing allowing her to hear Ahmed's soft whisper. She turned around to finish what she was saying to Jiahn and So-Yi. "Anyways, I overheard there's a Meet happening, so I want to make sure you all are reaching where you need to be not only in mind and soul, but your body."
"Your bodies need to be able to withstand your ever growing Spirit, you must train your body like an athlete just as you do your Spirit. That comes with more than sparring," Yang Ru said, crossing her arms and exhaling softly. "How do you think Woo-Chi grew so strong?"
Ha-Rin rose her head from her book at the name Woo-Chi, looking over to see Yang Ru in the area and sucked her teeth. "Why is she here..? No way he sent her here to watch over us..."
"Apparently, there are more of his allies here and they've become Council Members and a Science Professor here," Nu So-Hee said as she trained by herself, shadowboxing with her own afterimage.
Ha-Rin scoffed softly at the claim, looking down at Nu So-Hee from her floating platform. "Ridiculous...what is he planning anyways..?"
Yang Ru looked around the Indoor Battle Zones, her gaze landing upon Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee then tilted her head slightly with light curiosity. 'Those two girls were teamed with the ACU... How can they call themselves Valkyrias and be teamed with an organization that's nearly as bad as Judgement Order...'
"I see you over there looking at us, Phoenix! I'm smart enough to know not to face you physically, but let me pick your brain for a moment," Ha-Rin said as she got off her floating platform then exited her zone. "Why do you work so closely with that fake Messiah, Nox Winters? Constant failures, having his pawns clean up his mess, it's embarrassing."
"Failures? You only see the start of the problems, but you never see the solutions. I'm standing here with one of the Six Keys in hand," Yang Ru said, pointing Dandelga at her then gave Ha-Rin a serious expression. "You seem like the type to ask a loaded question, so allow me to ask one of my own."
"Why do you ally with the ACU, knowing they are just manipulating Heroes and Valkyrias into being criminals? They hunt a woman over something another committed, they target people for their faith, it sounds exactly like... Judgement Order," Yang Ru said, her eyes shimmering a fiery color as her gaze locked onto Ha-Rin.
Ha-Rin crossed her arms, an annoyed smirk forming upon her lips as she sucked her teeth. "Judgement Order..? That's a low pull even for someone ancient like you. Nothing can ever compare to that criminal organization!"
"Cloning Stigmata is inherently worse than cloning a human...taken you would have to kill that being for their Stigmata. You use Aetherpoint as a cover-up, acting as if you're buying their Stigmata, but you know a Raw, Living Stigmata can not be cloned," Yang Ru said, walking toward the energy wall and placed her hand upon the wall.
"They're actively killing Valkyrias and Heroes for power, and you've got your hands tied in it. There's no explaining your A Rank besides having some type of say in it," Yang Ru continued, her gaze bearing a searing glare of righteousness.
Ha-Rin smirked and let out a soft hum, shrugging her shoulders with her eyes closed. "Hmph, I'll admit, my family holds high power within St. Goken Institution as my Uncle is an Overseer and my mother is Assistant Headmistress of this school..."
"But as far as operations within Manaport, I don't have anything to do with that. I'm not like Hisumi Nomura," Ha-Rin finished with a sneer, giggling softly as she heard the outrage around her.
"You speak about Hisumi with respect! If it weren't for her, the Valkyrias would have all been erased! Do not forget it was her who defeated Terminus with Ascea in Shangqui to save the entire Earth in her End of Days," Jiahn yelled, slamming her hand into the energy wall with anger toward Ha-Rin.
"You all want to place controversial claims upon me? Let's list off the controversy with your beloved Valkyria! Firstly, she was actively killing off other Asceans and Aetherians, secondly, she was not even Aetherian nor Ascean! She was a Shintoist, a Miko, and lastly, she has too many contradictions with her story!" Ha-Rin called out, the outrage growing larger around her as she disrespected Hisumi.
"Hisumi was made a New Creation, that is biblical and no contradiction with The Biblos. Sure, Hisumi Nomura was a male, persecuting Valkyrias and other heroes of that time, but she was being used by her own Father unknowingly," So-Yi said, the area growing quiet as she began to speak.
"Yes, she still has her sins, but she was given a literal, miraculous second chance as a Valkyria to see what they went through, how they lived, and to save the people she once killed off. Yuvah used Hisumi to save the Aetherians, and you disrespect her like that?" So-Yi asked, growing highly annoyed with Ha-Rin, even her Silver Swallowtail fluttering with anger.
"If the truth angers you so much, how about you do something about it? It's not my fault that Hisumi was a fraud! So what she saved the Aetherians? It doesn't change what she has done!" Ha-Rin called out then pointed at So-Yi. "Just like how Nox trying to 'save' St. Goken doesn't change the fact that HE destroyed Exzodia!"
"You're blaming the man who echoed the Immaculate Conception, who echoes Yesha, and the one person who's actually giving a damn about our nation for the FALL of his home? Do you not hear yourself? You sound...you sound... Neo jjajeungna!" So-Yi yelled, her Holy Fire beginning to emit from her chest.
Ha-Rin smirked at So-Yi, seeing how annoyed she had become then awakened her Valkyria Form, blossoms flowing around her body. "I've been waiting for this moment we can fight...I've grown annoyed of you and I think it's time I deal with you."
"Deal with me..? You can't handle what I've become now," So-Yi said, light blue lightning crackling around her body as she looked up at Ha-Rin.
Dandelga hummed at Yang Ru, curious about if she would stop the fight or not. Yang Ru stood in place with her arms crossed, curious about how Ha-Rin would perform against So-Yi. Though she wanted to stop the fight, curiosity got the better of her senses.
So-Yi rushed out of her zone and toward Ha-Rin, warping forward with a head kick which Ha-Rin evaded with ease then launched a swiping chop at So-Yi's side. She parried her chop, responding with a shovel hood which Ha-Rin blocked with her elbow then used the same arm to launch two swift jabs.
So-Yi phased through both jabs then blocked her high kick, causing her to leave her middle open for Ha-Rin's knee strike to her core. So-Yi grunted as she stumbled backwards, unable to recover quickly enough to respond to Ha-Rin's follow up strikes and grunted softly as she was kicked backwards.
"All of that big talk and for what? You can barely hold a candle to me! So what if you've become C Rank now, what's that to a Valkyrian Princess like me?" Ha-Rin boasted, placing her hand upon her chest with a haughty laugh.
So-Yi stood back up on her feet slowly, blowing strands of her hair from her face then stormed forward with lightning crackling around her body. "I'll wipe that smirk right off your face!"
So-Yi dashed forward with a sweep kick, Ha-Rin leaping over the kick to evade but was caught off guard as So-Yi warped in the air with a roundhouse. Ha-Rin grunted as she was sent flying backwards, but landed upon her feet before launching forward with a Lightspeed Strike.
So-Yi awakened her Beshin-Keh and dodged Ha-Rin's Lightspeed Strike, surprising everyone watching as no one had avoided her attack before. So-Yi warped after Ha-Rin grabbing the back of her head and slamming her head against the energy wall with great force.
So-Yi gripped her hair tightly, pressing her face against the translucent wall. "How's this for a C Rank huh? Not feeling very confident anymore? You were feeling confident talking down on Nox and Hisumi, so talk now!"
Ha-Rin grunted as she elbowed So-Yi's stomach twice to get her off her then struck So-Yi's cheek with a backfist fueled by pure anger and hatred. She looked down at So-Yi as she fell onto the ground, stomping on her hand with her heel. So-Yi groaned loudly in pain as Ha-Rin began crushing her hand, her heel nearly piercing their her hand.
"You want to be like Yesha so badly, well I can make you resemble him! Not only will I crush your hand, but your skull as well with my same foot!" Ha-Rin yelled, lifting her foot to stomp back down, but was caught with a Destiny Flash to her jaw.
Ye-Won grunted as she began to boost her Destiny Flash with Jigoku Energy, a flash of crimson light spiralling around her fist. She let out her tribal howl as she sent Ha-Rin flying backwards, her tribal tattoos humming a crimson color.
"Ye-Won..." So-Yi said softly, grunting lightly as Ye-Won helped her on her feet then winced as her crushed hand began to sting and numb up due to destroyed nerves.
"I'm taking her to the infirmary! Her hand looks done for!" Ye-Won called out, hurrying away to the infirmary with So-Yi for her crushed hand.
"Injuring another student..? That's a new low for even Ha-Rin, she's losing it," In Mi-yong said with disdain, scoffing at Ha-Rin and crossing her arms.
"Yeah, she let all that power get to her head so when another rose up, her lies begin to crumble down," Sunmi said, shaking her head and sighing softly.
Kim Eun watched from the back, witnessing the once prestigious Valkyria she once took orders from fall apart before her eyes. "Serves her right...but this is only the beginning of her downfall..."
------------------------------
Within St. Goken Forest, Do-hari sat upon a bench and watched as I trained with Woo-Chi, preparing her for the Northern Gethsemane Meet while her children were off at school. The wind gently blew, its soft blow whispering soft hymns and promises from the Most High.
Woo-Chi dodged an energy blast headed straight for her, her feet lifting the leaves of the foliage upon the ground as she swiftly slipped through multiple trees. I watched as she launched herself around me, my eyes tracking each of her movements with careful precision.
"Listen to the winds, Woo-Chi. Genesis is trying to guide you. This is part of your Faith training," I said, lowering my energy levels to where Woo-Chi could touch me, my number of butterflies reducing from 13 to one.
Woo-Chi heard the whispering winds lead her left and she followed suit, darting to the leaf with a sweep kick but I lifted my leg to avoid being swepts. Using her hand as a rebound, she twirled her body for a Flare Kick which I blocked. The winds led her to aiming downward, yet she saw an opening upon my midsection.
'I got this. He's wide open,' Woo-Chi said mentally, rising back onto her two feet and launched a knee toward my stomach.
I parried her knee strike with my elbow then swiped her jab away with the back of my hand, countering her with an elbow to her chest then a straight aimed for her face. I stopped my fist before it connected to her face, Woo-Chi flinching from my attack and raising her guard to block.
I chuckled softly at her then playfully flicked her nose before stepping back. "Walk by Faith and not by sight. Your eyes led you into a false sense of confidence. Your flesh can be deceiving, just because you have me doesn't equate to instant victory. You must not become complacent."
Woo-Chi opened her eyes and lowered her guard with a light huff, slightly puffing her cheek. "But Genesis doesn't speak all the time to me, so it's hard to follow Her lead."
"Sure she talks all the time, you just heard her speaking. Peace, Perseverance, Faith, Patience, and Long-suffering. That's what you need to master. Being still. Yuvah gave us Genesis for a reason, just as He gave us Ragnarok. You must be still to hear Them," I replied, holding my hands behind my back then closed my eyes.
"What does She sound like? I've never really heard Genesis speak," Do-hari asked, tilting her head to the side curiously.
"If you've heard me speak, you've heard Exzodia's Sovereign Mother. Just as you've heard her Destroyer. I am an Echo of our True Savior, it follows the same principals," I answered, opening my eyes and looking forward at Woo-Chi with a smile.
"Focus, Woo-Chi. Being still doesn't mean only not moving your body. While you fight, allow your mind and Spirit to be still. Have Faith and Patience in not only our protectors, but ultimately in Yesha. That is how you find Peace and Perseverance," I continued, taking a deep breath then exhaled as I got into my stance with Sephora opening her eyes.
Woo-Chi got into her stance as well, Special Air activating and generating powerful winds around her being. "And Long-suffering?"
I smirked at her then generated six more Sovereign Butterflies to amount to seven in total. "The ability to bear difficulties and-or injustices without becoming angry or giving up. Now, it isn't saying to never express how you feel, but do it in a holy way."
"Even I get angry at times, but what you do with it matters. Long-suffering is a major Fruit that rarely anyone talks about, and it's something that needs to be learned," I finished, warping forward with a cross toward Woo-Chi's face.
Woo-Chi gasped, barely avoiding my Warp Strike then blocked my side kick, using her shelled position to roll around my hand spear. She went on the offensive, launching a series of strikes that met the air before barely getting back in the defensive to block my knee strike that sent her sliding backwards.
Woo-Chi heard the whispering winds guiding her once again, giving her cues on when to dodge and redirect my attacks. Launching a butterfly toward her, it landed upon her instead of warping me forward. She looked at her shoulder as the butterfly rested, looking toward me as I taunted her with a smile.
'What does he have planned..? I can't hear Her voice anymore either...' Woo-Chi thought to herself, hesitating slightly yet shuffling forward inch by inch.
Once she was close enough, started with a chop which I blocked. Throwing a one two combo, I phased through each one then warped her behind me and striking her back with an elbow. She grunted as she stumbled forward, the sound of Do-hari's giggle causing her cheeks to grow flushed.
Launching in once again, I continued to redirect her with warps each time a strike came close to landing. I phased through her roundhouse kick then caught her fist upon her next attempt, chuckling softly at her before warping her behind me.
"Use your Battlesuit, if you want a shot at touching me, Woo-Chi!" I called out, leaping backwards before running off.
Do-hari stood up on her feet as she watched me rush down the forest, gasping as she noticed me clearing distance before running off behind me. "Come on, Woo-Chi! We don't want him to leave us in the dust!"
"We? Us? He's training me here!" Woo-Chi called out, generating her wings and propelled forward down the forest.
I looked behind me as I flew ahead using my aura, noticing Do-hari chasing after me as well, noticing the playful shine in her eyes. I grunted softly as I began to reverse in time, Do-hari using Marvelous Reverse to help Woo-Chi catch up to me.
Woo-Chi flew toward me with a double axe handle, but I warped above her with a spinning tornado kick. Woo-Chi phased through my attack and boosted forward toward me, but I blocked her charge strike and grunted as I flew backwards with a smirk behind my guard.
She learns quickly...
Even without hearing my voice...
I hummed in agreement to Genesis's statement then caught a tree branch and swung onto the branch, watching as Do-hari and Woo-Chi approached. "I agree, she nearly landed an attack. How about we shake things up a bit..?"
I placed my hand upon the tree I stood upon, its branches launching toward Woo-Chi and Do-hari at high speeds, yet Do-hari reversed its movements and allowed Woo-Chi to launch herself toward me. I watched as she neared me then warped her behind me and phased through her pivoting roundhouse kick.
'He saw that..?!' Woo-Chi exclaimed mentally, grunted heavily as an invisible strike spike her to the ground, her finally sight before hitting the ground behind my afterimage vanishing.
"I see you right there!" Do-hari called out, leaping forward with a karate chop only to strike another afterimage and skip forward, nearly losing her balance. "What, but he was right there!"
"This is a Gemini Technique, Mirroring. They try to imitate Yuvah's omnipresence, yet failed due to wanting to obtain true presence on their own. However, under my Authority, it becomes Astral Split," I said, leaning against a tree while looking up at the sky being covered by the various trees.
"Ugh, I'm starting to understand where Moon-li is coming from...it's just endless speeches and parables with this guy," Woo-Chi scoffed softly, standing up on her feet and dusting herself off.
"Well, it's that reason why my family and I love him. You should hear the stories he tells, Ae-Ri and Minsu," Do-hari giggled, holding her hands in front of her with a happy expression.
"I don't have to, he tells them while we're training. 'Oh, this reminds me of the parable of the Wanderers in Nova Cave', like... seriously," Woo-Chi sighed, lowering her head with an exasperated sigh.
"You're over exaggerating," I said with a soft laugh, rolling my eyes as she imitated my voice.
"Well, well. I knew I sensed familiar aura around here," A familiar voice said as he approached, the leaves crunching under his feet with each step.
I looked over to see Claudio with one of his lovers, Regina, then hummed at them. "If it isn't my Rival, and his Ambitious lover. What is Mojisola's Chosen and his Elven wife doing upon my grounds in Old St. Goken."
"Hmph, you forget that Destiny Island's Forest of Beginnings connects to Utalia, Exzodia, and Esoria. I can enter my home and yours as I please, God willing of course," Claudio said and shrugged his shoulders, his lips curling into a light smirk.
"I've been thinking since the last few hours since we ran into The Supervisor and Merin. Those two have to be taken down as they are more dangerous than the Overseers, but I'm not sure if you're ready," Claudio said, his tone filled with a challenge.
I rose my eyebrow at his tempt and challenge, my lips forming into a knowing smirk. "I'll entertain this as I'm curious about what you mean."
"In my tradition as the Last Mojisola, we choose Peace over War of course, due to our Shiuji Blood. However, we also believe in stopping senseless violence at all costs," Claudio said, his tribal tattoos humming with Destiny Energy.
I hummed and stroked my chin gently as I listened to him and nodded, closing my eyes. "Oh don't get me wrong, I do too...but there's a difference in stopping a cycle just for another 20 year cycle to begin and ceasing it entirely."
"You're right, I'm not ready to kill Merin yet because it isn't his time yet. There's a clear line between Divine Timing, and Human Impatience," I added, slipping my hands into my jacket pockets.
Claudio chuckled softly at my response, his eye twitching with light annoyance from my statement. He looked behind him from where he came, exhaling softly. "If you're that sure of yourself, come to my turf and let us have our rematch and you can bring your student. We'll see if she's ready for the Overseers and the ACU."
I looked over at Woo-Chi and rose my eyebrow. "Well? I'm not taking the deal unless you do. This is your call."
Woo-Chi looked over at me then at Claudio and Regina, sensing their energy levels and feeling her entire body shiver. She took a step backwards and gulped lightly and looked at me once again. "Are you serious..?"
"I will not leave you nor forsake you, Woo-Chi. Besides, you haven't seen anything he can do that I haven't done already. If you remember our training, beating him and Regina is easy," I said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Woo-Chi smiled back at me, feeling reassured and her fear being replaced with Faith. She nodded then looked over at Claudio and Regina. "Alright...we accept!"
Claudio chuckled softly at her acceptance then snapped his fingers, his Destiny Aura shifting the forest to appear in the Forest of Beginnings within Destiny Island, specifically Heavenly Bay. "I love that confidence from an aspiring Valkyria, but this ain't a stroll in the park...this is preparation for War."
My jacket became a silver longcoat with a split tail, an Angel Pauldron resting upon my right shoulder. My butterflies crafted a single gauntlet, one with intricate patterns and angel wings. Wrapped around it was Sephora's shrunken figure as a bronze serpent. "My student won't fail, and I can promise that."
"Oh, and you won't either? The Garden of Exzodia had Nagini, the Good Serpent to ward off Terminus, and yet history still repeats itself! Now, the Garden of Exzodia is infiltrated and lost her Keys. Do you realize where this final battle will take place?" Claudio asked, summoning the Monarch Index into his hand.
"All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun," I recited from memory, slipping my gauntlet upon my right hand.
"The first major Battle for the Garden happened in 30 AD when Terminus allowed Luca to believe Yesha's power was false. Luca then turned to deceive Eva via Terminus. Just as before, Addis was separated from Eva," I continued then looked up at Claudio with amber eyes.
"This final battle for the Garden...it won't be anything new. Why? Because once I destroy Terminus, Angels will guard Exzodia's Garden. There were no Angels before... because the two Angels that were made went astray. Luca, leading in rebellion, while Henosis was sent to stop him. Now both angels are gone," I finished, activating my gauntlet.
Claudio swiped under his nose with a smirk then flash stepped forward with an overhead kick, but his attack was blocked with my aura alone. He shifted into a powerful Destiny Flash, his attack breaking through my defenses and striking my chest. I grunted softly as I slid backwards, Sephora's body pulsing and instantly healing me.
He noticed I had healed immediately then chuckled, charging forward once again with a high chop that was parried down then he followed with a neck chop that was caught by my other hand. I warped in place with a shoulder strike then warped forward with another shoulder strike into a double palm, a pulse of angelic energy sending him into a tree.
Woo-Chi gasped in awe at my display, taken aback slightly by a glimpse of my true power. Suddenly, her attention snapped back into place from an energy blast that landed in front of her. She watched as Regina walked in front of her with a smirk.
"I hear from Fortune that you're quick on your feet. While my master plays with yours, how about we play a little game of our own?" Regina asked, placing a hand upon her hip and pointing a finger at Woo-Chi.
Woo-Chi grunted with uncertainty as she watched a white laser of energy fly toward her, her eyes reflecting the beam as it neared her. Acting quickly, she grunted heavily as she barely managed to deflect the laser, her Regina left her no room for recovery as she appeared in front of her with a kick.
Before her kick landed, Regina found herself reversing in time then grunted as Do-hari landed a powerful knee strike upon her stomach to send her rolling backwards. Regina rebounded off one hand then locked onto Do-hari, slamming her hand upon the ground.
"Get behind me, Woo-Chi!" Do-hari called out, standing her ground and awakened her Battlesuit.
Woo-Chi dove for cover behind Do-hari, hiding behind her as she watched a wave of roots rush toward them at high speeds. Do-hari let out a bellow as she struck the center of the root wave with a spear hand, piercing through the wave to split it in two.
"Go now!" Do-hari orchestrated, looking back at Woo-Chi who was on the ground.
Woo-Chi looked up at Do-hari then ahead at Regina, scrambling onto her feet and charged forward with a flap of her wind wings. Initiating combat, she began with a flurry of spinning kicks, each one begin evaded and blocked by Regina. She followed with a rib shot, but Regina tucked in and countered with a sweep kick.
Woo-Chi leaned into the kick, allowing herself to be knocked off balance to counter with an axe kick at Regina's side. The attack landed and spiked Regina onto the ground, Do-hari reversing their time to allow Woo-Chi a second, follow up.
"You want to see Valkyrian power, well here you go!" Woo-Chi called out, swinging her body counterclockwise to land a back shover kick against Regina's rib and stagger her back onto her feet.
Each critical knock back Woo-Chi landed, Do-hari reversed time to drag Regina into the next, the two working synergetically to deal massive damage upon Regina in a short time. Regina let out a roar, parrying Woo-Chi's next attack and countering with a launching uppercut.
Regina launched herself in the air and struck Woo-Chi's jaw with a powerful hook punch then followed her to the ground with a knee strike to her chest before she hit the ground. Woo-Chi grunted as she began crashing through multiple trees, feeling the weight of Regina's Ambitious Burst.
'What the heck was that surge of power..? For a moment...I felt my body tremble...' Do-hari thought to herself, placing a hand upon her chest to control her breathing.
I warped behind Woo-Chi, catching her and setting her down on the ground safely then set a butterfly upon her shoulder. I held my hand out toward Do-hari, signalling for her to standby and gave her an assuring smile. Do-hari nodded at me and hurried off to safety.
Claudio rushed toward me with a Sanctuary Combo, each of his Flare Kicks missing as I evaded each kick. Pushing himself up, he launched two kicks at my face which I phased through both then blocked his overhead chop. I placed a butterfly upon his chest, warping him to my left and using him block Regina's strike.
"Nngh..! You little..." Claudio grunted in slightly pain, arching his back with his hand placed upon where Regina struck.
"M-Master! I didn't mean to!" Regina gasped, covering her mouth in shock and recoiled backwards.
I gently judged Woo-Chi backwards, placing my unarmed hand behind my back while keeping my right hand forward. "Am I still not ready, or do you need to see more? Like I've said before, it's not when I say it's time, but when Yuvah says it is."
Claudio scoffed softly at me and looked forward at me, rolling his shoulders. "Maybe Yuvah is a bit scared of losing this fight. After all, the Keys are missing and they hold divine power! You saw what it did to Yang Ru!"
"You give more power to the creation than you do the Creator. Yuvah is All Powerful and all Good, but you all seem to skip over that part. His Plan is Final Restoration, not immediate abolishment of all wrongdoing. That is why He requires Faith from us," I replied, keeping a close eye upon Claudio and exhaled softly through my nose.
"While I do thank Him for what He has given me... I have faith that I can finish this war immediately and efficiently!" Claudio declared, launching himself forward to initiate combat once more.
I swayed around his first strike then parried his cross with a downward swipe, opening up an opportunity for a counter but did not bite. He quickly launched an electrifying uppercut, but I leaned back from his attack then took a step back to avoid his stomp.
Staying on the defensive, I began to phase through a flurry of his strikes then parried his roundhouse to reverse his momentum then caught him with a sweep kick. I knocked him back on his feet with a back kick then warped Woo-Chi in front of me, landing a powerful Cyclone Kick to send him flying.
Regina grunted softly as she used branches from the trees to catch Claudio, looking over at me to see pure silver aura flowing around my body. 'He's not even using his Messiah Form, what form is that..? Nevermind that, that flow seemed much better than Autonomous Reflexes and Tengoku Form...'
"What you just witnessed, was complete Faith in my Father. None of my actions came of my own fruition, I only listened to the One who had sent me and He made my paths straight," I said, resetting back into my stance and exhaled softly through my nose once more.
'He read my mind...yet he only answered my last question. What is that form he's using...it doesn't feel like his usual energy, yet it feels...Kingly,' Regina thought to herself, getting into her stance and began to strategize how to deal with me and my unknown power.