Xzavier stood in the heart of Akira City, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The heavy weight of the battle he'd just fought still hung over him. The distant echoes of Hageshi's last words resonated in his mind—"I'll crush you, Xzavier." No matter how many times he tried to shake them, those words echoed, a reminder of the brother he had once fought beside, now lost to a dark force.
The streets of Akira City were unusually quiet. The usual hustle and bustle of everyday life seemed muted, as if the city itself had sensed the impending doom. The sunset painted the sky with shades of orange and red, but even that warm light felt cold on Xzavier's skin.
Xzavier walked slowly, the Thunder Blade still clenched in his hand, his eyes unfocused. Behind him, his companions from Akira followed, their faces heavy with concern. At the head of the group was Raijin, his face etched with the kind of sorrow that could only come from losing a brother to darkness. The rest of the group, Akira's warriors and close friends, moved in a solemn silence.
Xzavier had told them the basics of what had transpired. But now, standing in front of Akira City's central square, he felt a heavy knot form in his throat. How could he explain it? How could he put into words the heartbreaking truth?
"Xzavier…" Raijin spoke up softly, his voice breaking the silence. "You're telling us that Hageshi is really gone… That he's joined the Dawn's Awakening?"
Xzavier nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Yes. He's been corrupted by Gimori Aku no's power… He's not the same Hageshi anymore."
Raijin's expression grew darker, and he turned away, his eyes glowing with suppressed rage. "Damn it. I should've been there… I should've stopped him." His voice was filled with regret, but there was little time to dwell on the past.
As the crowd of Akira's citizens gathered in the square, they all heard the words. Hageshi, their former ally, their warrior, had turned his back on everything they had fought for.
The murmurs spread quickly through the crowd. Disbelief was palpable. Sadness quickly turned into anger, and the streets became tense as the reality of Hageshi's fall hit everyone.
Among the crowd, Yagumi's younger brother, Renzo, stood in shock, his face a mixture of anger and sorrow. "No… Hageshi can't…" he muttered, his voice barely audible. Renzo had looked up to Hageshi like a mentor, and now to hear that he had fallen to Gimori's influence, that the man he had admired had chosen the path of destruction, was almost too much to bear.
Maya, the healer and Xzavier's close friend, stepped forward, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "You did everything you could, Xzavier. You tried to save him." Her voice was steady, though the pain in her eyes was clear.
But then, the silence was broken by Akira, the city's leader and one of the founding warriors, as he spoke to the crowd. His voice was strong but heavy with sorrow. "We will not let Hageshi's fall break us." His words were meant to reassure, to rally the people, but even he couldn't hide the heaviness in his voice.
Xzavier stood quietly, feeling the sting of those words. Hageshi's fall wasn't just a loss for him—it was a loss for all of Akira. The Dawn's Awakening was growing stronger, and now they had one of Akira's greatest warriors on their side.
"I couldn't save him," Xzavier whispered to himself.
The moment Xzavier felt the chill in the air, he knew something was wrong. The feeling was so familiar, it sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn't the kind of chill that came with nightfall or the cold winds of winter. No, this was different. This was the coldness of a force far darker than anything he had ever faced before.
As he turned around, Xzavier's heart skipped a beat. Standing in the middle of the crowd, bathed in a dark aura that swallowed the light, was none other than the one and only Gimori Aku no.
His eyes—those terrifying, maleficent eyes—met Xzavier's gaze, a mocking smile stretching across his features. The devil's son. The demon who had consumed countless lives and left nothing but destruction in his wake. And now, he was standing in Akira, in Xzavier's city.
"So this is Akira?" Gimori's voice was smooth, venomous, like the whisper of a serpent. "It's not much, is it?"
Before Xzavier could react, Mizuki—who had been standing nearby—suddenly froze. Her eyes became vacant, her body stiff. She staggered backward, her hands twitching as though caught in an invisible grasp.
"Mizuki!" Xzavier shouted, rushing toward her, but he was too late.
The Aku no eye, a power that could manipulate and control minds, had already taken hold of her. She stood motionless, staring blankly, as if her soul had been shackled.
"How pathetic, Xzavier," Gimori sneered, a devilish glint in his eye. "Your friends are weak, just like you."
Xzavier's anger flared. He gritted his teeth, his hands tightly gripping the Thunder Blade at his side.
"Stop this!" Xzavier yelled, his voice trembling with fury. "Release them!"
Gimori chuckled darkly. "Why should I? They are my puppets now. Just like you are."
Xzavier unsheathed his blade and charged at Gimori but In an instant, Mizuki collapsed onto her knees in front of Xzavier, his blade passed right through her. Gimori had used his Aku no eye to switch places with Mizuki. Xzavier panicked as Mizuki bled out. This shattered Yagumi who was yards away. Tears fell from Yagumi's eyes as a silent hatred towards Xzavier developed.
"Get out of my way, Xzavier." Gimori's voice turned cold and commanding, as if every word was an order that could not be refused. "Give me the Shadow Blade."
Xzavier clenched his jaw. His Shadow Blade had been a symbol of his resolve, the weapon he had fought for, bled for, and forged a bond with over the years. It was more than just a blade; it was a part of who he was.
"I'll never give it to you, you monster." Xzavier spat, his voice thick with defiance.
A deep, unsettling laugh escaped Gimori's throat. "You've never understood, have you, Xzavier? You could never match the strength of the Aku no."
The words cut through the air like a knife. Xzavier could feel the weight of the demon's words settling into his bones. This wasn't just a fight for the blade anymore. This was a fight for everything.
With a single motion, Gimori snapped his fingers. Immediately, the wardens—the very people who had once fought by Xzavier's side—charged at him. Their eyes were vacant, lost to the power of the Aku no eye. They moved in unison, like mindless drones, intent on taking the Shadow Blade from him.
Xzavier barely had time to react as Renzo, the once gentle soul who had followed him through thick and thin, lunged forward. His fist connected with Xzavier's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Before Xzavier could regain his footing, Maya—his friend, his ally—swung a powerful kick, sending him crashing to the ground.
He could barely block their attacks. The distrust in their eyes was all too clear now.
"I'm sorry, Xzavier, but it's not up to you anymore." Maya's voice was devoid of any warmth.
With reluctance, but an overwhelming sense of duty, they took the Shadow Blade from his hands.
Xzavier lay on the cold stone ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He could barely lift his head, but he saw them, his friends, standing over him like a mockery of everything they had once been.
"Take the blade to Gimori," one of the wardens said, their voice lifeless, as if they were nothing more than puppets.
As the Shadow Blade was pulled from Xzavier's grasp, Gimori's sinister laughter echoed through the air. He stepped forward, his eyes glowing with a sickening light. "Perfect." He took the blade into his hands, admiring it like a child with a new toy. ""Such power... And it's mine now."
But as the blade touched his fingers, the world seemed to shift. The crowd of Akira citizens, under the influence of Gimori's Aku no eye, began to move as one. The air grew thick with malice, and the very earth beneath them trembled.
Xzavier's pulse quickened, and with everything in him, he forced himself to his feet. He couldn't let this happen. He wouldn't.
But before he could move, Gimori rose into the air, his voice booming across the city.
"Listen to me, Akira!" Gimori's voice reverberated through the streets. "This city is now under the rule of the Dawn's Awakening. You are nothing but tools, slaves to the will of the Aku no!"
With a flourish, he activated his most terrifying power: the Super Aku no Eye (Blue). The intensity of the eye's glow was almost blinding, and a sickening pulse of energy washed over the crowd.
In an instant, everyone in Akira—the citizens, the warriors, even those who had been unaffected by the Aku no's influence before—fell under the power of the eye. It wasn't just Akira that was affected.
The entire continent of Eidolon fell silent, as if the very soul of the world had been subdued. Xzavier could feel the weight of it. His body felt heavy, his mind blurred. He couldn't move, couldn't resist.
"Join me, Xzavier," Gimori's voice filled his mind. "You are already mine."
Xzavier's heart raced in defiance. He forced himself to fight the hypnotic influence, but it was no use.
The crowd swarmed around him, pushing him toward the water's edge, forcing him to the small raft waiting by the shore.
"Get away from me!" Xzavier shouted, barely able to breathe as the mob closed in.
There was no choice. Xzavier had no way of defending himself. He was powerless against the masses. The Thunder Blade was the last weapon he had, but with the Aku no eye controlling everything, it didn't matter.
With nothing left but desperation, Xzavier leaped onto the raft, his hands trembling as he gripped the oars. The crowd shouted as they tried to pull him back, but with a final push, Xzavier set out into the open sea.
For a month, Xzavier drifted on the small raft, the waves of the sea the only constant. There was nothing to sustain him—no food, no shelter, only the salty taste of the sea water that kept him alive. But in that time, he began to wonder if he would ever see his friends again.
Would he ever return to Akira City?
When the raft finally washed up on the shores of a strange land, Xzavier could barely stand. His legs trembled as he staggered off the raft, the bright sun blinding him. This new land was unlike anything he had ever seen—lush, wild jungles stretched before him, the trees towering high above, their leaves rustling with an almost unnatural energy.
The scent of fresh air and exotic flowers filled his senses, but it didn't comfort him. He had no idea where he was, but he knew one thing: he couldn't stop now. Gimori's influence had only just begun.