In the dry open air, currently located amongst a dense forest, a group of ten had been traveling for approximately two days straight with minimal breaks taken in between by swiftly skipping from limb to limb. At the head of this snake, a medium height, square-chinned, curly-haired, portly-sized, middle-aged man with hazel eyes led the way, dressed in a plain turquoise-colored Gi. Going by his codename, Bookie, the Hidden Cave of Untold Shadows scout was posing as the sensei for those who followed closely behind in a unified order.
Zeke and the other eight kept pace, matching their supposed sensei's attire. They previously received their mission briefing, along with some key items and a change of clothing, before descending from the mountain's peak. Suddenly, Bookie stopped in his tracks on a massive tree with multiply strong branches as he signaled for everyone else to make their way near him, while remaining silent. Following orders, once they had all regrouped, Zeke instantly understood why Bookie had shown such vigilance, joining him in observing the precarious scenario happening across a substantial distance, down below.
" Protect, Lady Amber, with your lives if need be!"
The apparent commander shouted to his several comrades, equipped with personalized wands, wearing crimson cloaks as they amply guarded a prestigious-looking carriage. Deterring them from moving outside the forest boundary along the open field, a mob of blade-wielding armored assailants was chopping at the bits, ready to spill blood. Soon enough, a blacked robed, bald, short, pale elderly man stood amidst the bloodthirsty bunch as he smugly spoke to those they now impeded,
" As a fellow mage, I would hate for this to needlessly turn violent, so if you would do yourself the kind courtesy of stepping away from that carriage and surrendering. I will guarantee your lives."
With the five men backed against the wall. Even though they were greatly outnumbered 6:1, those who protected the young lady who lay inside never thought of wavering in the slightest under his absurd proposition.
" Hah, don't belittle us, even if we were foolish enough to believe your words, obviously drenched in pure deceit! We would rather die than abandon our pride and duty as proud followers of the ZealFamily!"
The commander fiercely replied as his men roared in unison. The bald mage laughed, fully displaying his decrepit teeth that resembled the beaming sun's color.
"Oh, really? I guess that same honor applies to a known reject of the Zeal family as well, huh?"
Upon being posed this loaded question, Lady Amber's guard of mages' faces turn sour for various reasons. Before the commander could protest, the carriage doors loudly slammed open as a young, fiercely beautiful woman with a blend of crimson/orange hair and eyes leaped atop the carriage.
" I just about had enough of listening to this ugly weasel of a man ramble on like he's in control! Now tell me, where exactly does a third-rate mage and his insignificant cronies get the nerve to run their foul mouths so boldly while impeding my path?"
She brashly pointed her steel red wand, engraved with yellow moths, at the swarm of attackers lying in wait, eagerly. Meanwhile, Amber guards frantically formed a new line of formation as they urged her to get back inside, where they deemed it safe. Not listening to her men's plea, the bald mage's grin widened at the sight of his entitled target,
" Excellent, if it isn't the failed bastard daughter of..."
"Ignite!"
Amber invoked, interrupting the bald mage, a large current of scorching flames magically spewed from her wand.
" Didn't I already tell you that I was finished listening to that foul mouth of yours?"
Amber said with a frown as her magic spell that continuously engulfed the barrage of men was about to dwindle. An unexpected voice eventually rose from the would-be ashes.
" I'm afraid, little lady, that you'll have no choice but to entertain my obnoxious behavior for the foreseeable future."
The bald mage cackled as the strong flames cast by Amber were no more. The surrounding area was burned to a blackened crisp. On the other hand, he, along with his weaponized crew behind him, remained unscathed. Revealing a diamond pattern of dark light. Thanks to a magical tool that resembled a violet gem glowing around his neck, he effortlessly nullified her attack.
" Who are you?"
Amber asked in a gasp as she was perplexed by how he easily thwarted the attack of a 4th-circle mage like herself. She took pride in being the daughter of one of the most powerful families of mages in the Eastern Continent, even if they were currently estranged, and she was considered the weakest among them. Being sheltered for 20 years of her entire life after finally being allowed to leave the nest. Amber naively believed that her skill still stood leaps and bounds above most mages or people outside her family. Faced with this harsh reality, her confidence took a critical hit as she began to realize that these weren't your run-of-the-mill bandits.
" Aw, I'm glad you asked. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm known as Purple Tear, a ranking member of the Dark Arts Coalition."
Purple Tear unabashedly divulged. Inhabiting this grand land, the Dark Arts Coalition was one of the Five Powers that ruled over the Eastern Continent. These longstanding cornerstones included the Martial Alliance, the Divine Empire, the Red Tower, and the Blue Tower. Amongst them, the Dark Arts Coalition was a faction that welcomed a mixture of martial arts cultivators and mages whose extreme methods had been publicly ostracized by the other four ruling parties.
" Why do you aim to apprehend our lady, Amber? The Zeal Family is closely tied to the Red Tower. So, rest assured, you wretch, this gross injustice won't go unpunished!"
Amber's commanding guard, named Renold, questioned Purple Tear while threatening them with the deadly repercussions that would surely follow from their actions. It was no secret that the Red Tower held a deeper grudge for the Dark Arts Coalition than their other "righteous" counterparts. This raw contempt just recently stemmed from one of their most respected mages' dirtying their pristine reputation by defecting to the other side.
" Hmph, I highly doubt it since we already received the okay from both opposing sides."
" Blasphemy!"
Renold shouted in disbelief as Purple Tear continued.
" Whatever, in the end it doesn't concern me whether you choose to believe or not, since the opinion of the dead matters little to those who still live!"
He then signaled for his band of cutthroats to murder the guards while capturing Amber alive. Tens of meters away. Wasting no time, the large group of men began to give out a war cry, rapidly swarming towards their prey. Forced into battle, Renold and his members positioned themselves to answer the call.
"Tsk, fire!"
Renold ordered as his fellow 4th Circle mages hurriedly cast the spell "Flaming Volley". Soon enough, a slew of cannonball-sized fireballs launched from each of their wands, aimed directly at their stampeding attackers. Feeling the sweltering heat, about to be hit, the mob couldn't help but flinch, bracing for impact. However, whatever initial worry they had quickly faded as the rings worn, which were linked to Purple Tear's magical tool, sprouted a dark light that instantly protected them as well.
"Fools, there's no need to hesitate, while I'm nearby! Now attack!"
Purple Tear commanded as his men continued forward. Renold and three other mages decided to cast a joint spell together as an imposing "Flaming Curtain" rose between them and their ambushers, who were only several meters apart, now. Successfully, they withheld the raging mob's initial advances. Yet, they gradually started to push through the thick wave of rising flames as a collective, thanks to Purple Tear.
"Sh**!"
Seeing the writing on the wall, Renold yelled to one of his fellow guards to escape and escort Amber away from the area while they bought time by maintaining the Flame Curtain. However, Amber didn't relent as her stubborn nature took charge.
" I refuse to run with my tail tucked between my legs! Fire Arrow!"
Amber strongly declared, casting her fiercest attack, still standing tall on the stationary carriage. An abnormally large arrow, purely composed of a blazing fire, gained more force, piercing through the curtain of flames as it bolted across the frontline directly at Purple Tear.
"It's futile, you pretentious girl!"
Purple Tear mocked as the Fire arrow collided with his shield of light. Raging on, Amber's spell was indeed fierce, but against Purple Tear's gem infused with his ample mana, the results were a forgone conclusion. Witnessing her efforts faltering, the prideful woman couldn't help but feel a rare sense of despair. An emotion that her guards shared. With the arrow's momentum about to die down under his light's protection, an unexpected guest swooped in, cutting away near Purple Tear's neck. Simultaneously, Amber's spell finally broke through as the mysterious figure leaped sideways, leaving Purple Tear to take the brunt of her power. Consequently, the bald mage flew backwards in a loud burst as half his men, who already trudged against the flaming curtain, began screaming in pure agony. No longer afforded the protection of their leader. Those who made room on the outskirts lost all their vigor as they now stood frozen, watching each man burn to a crisp.
On the other side, Amber and her guard of mages looked on in utter confusion, not sure what exactly had just transpired to turn the tide so heavily in their favor. Meanwhile, Purple Tear rose to his feet as his robe was in disarray, wiping the blackened ash off that smeared his face.
" How? Where is it?"
He questioned himself in a crazed daze as he furiously searched his body. In an instant, A bronze boy, crudely masked with a black, torn cloth wrapped around his golden eyes, wearing a plain turquoise Gi, reappeared at the spot Purple Tear once occupied, dangling a gemmed necklace,
" Looking for this?"
Zeke provokingly asked with a mischievous grin as he chose for some opportune reason to adorn this makeshift disguise and act. Intervening on a matter that he could have easily ignored. Moments ago, Bookie decided to avoid this hassle that didn't concern them by altering their group route slightly. However, Zeke saw this as a chance to develop a trump card for the near future and possibly beyond. Facing some initial pushback from Bookie, Kenshin, and Liz, he eventually got his way, separating from the pack until they reconvened at the Martial Alliance headquarters.
"You meddling little imbecile! Do you have any idea who you're messing with!"
Purple Tear yelled in a frenzy while Zeke coyly replied,
" Beats me, however, from my point of view, you and your crew look like mere thugs bothering this lovely, dismal, in distress, and her men."
Listening to the two, bewildered, Amber couldn't help but blush at being referred to as "Lovely." Meanwhile, Purple Tear was still incensed, screaming out an indescribable number of incoherent vulgarities. His loud rant was only matched by the yells of panic from the surviving men rushing behind Zeke away from the killer flames.
" Watch out!"
Amber quickly warned Zeke. However, this wasn't necessary, as Purple Tear henchmen made it out of the frying pan only to eventually end up thrown into a different fire entirely.
" Out of our way, you pipsqueak!"
"By all means..."
Zeke smirked as he vanished into a chain of lightning, instantly streaking through the 10 oblivious souls, appearing rear-side in the blink of an eye.
" What just..."
Before they could finish their shared thoughts, the remaining mob all collapsed with a thud as each heart had just been torn to shreds effortlessly. Ushering in a deadly silence to this once rumbustious environment, the masked boy's swift action surprised everybody who witnessed it even further, as Purple Tear snapped back to his senses.
'Damnit, this kid is no joke! I must retreat for the meantime!'
He thought in frustration.
" Rest assured, you brat, playing dress up! Amber will be ours, and you will soon reap what you so foolishly sowed! So, hold on tightly to my gem until then!"
Purple Tear gave his final heated threat from a distance as he disappeared shortly after in a ghastly puff of smog.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?"
Zeke shouted as he began to bolt outside the forest, onto the vast pathed field that was now empty.
" Wait a minute!"
Amber called out as Zeke halted. Gaining his attention, she wasn't sure where to begin, as her mind was in a state of disarray. Seeing that she was at a loss for words, Zeke decided to take the initiative as he tossed a golden orb towards her,
" Here, take this. If you ever find yourself in need again, don't be afraid to use that orb to call upon me. Now, I hate to leave a job half-baked, but I must go. I'm running late as is."
" Hold on.... what should I address you by going forward?"
Amber uttered as she flipped her long locks over her ear.
" The Masked Panther!"
Zeke affectionately smiled as Amber's heart skipped a beat from this sight. He accordingly faded off into the bright horizon without a trace thereafter, while her accompanying mages waved farewell in gratitude and pure relief.
" The Masked Panther..."
Amber muttered to herself atop the carriage as she fiddled around with her newly received gift...