---
Chapter Eight: The First Mission
The morning fog clung to the valleys of Greed like a silent sentinel. Rezil and his newly formed team moved through the winding paths, their steps careful, eyes alert. Each breath they drew felt heavier, weighed down by the anticipation of the trials ahead.
Rezil glanced at his companions, the faces lit by the pale sunlight piercing through the mist. "Remember," he said quietly, "Nagitsuna is not just power—it's understanding. Each of you has a path, and each path will test you. Do not underestimate the smallest spark; even a whisper can change fate."
Their destination was an abandoned fortress, a place where reports spoke of energy anomalies and twisted spirits that had survived the first awakening of Nalou. As they approached, the ground trembled, and strange luminescent cracks appeared in the stone, echoing faint murmurs of those long gone.
Kael's shadow coiled around him instinctively. "This place… it feels alive," he whispered. Mira raised her hand, wind circling around her fingers, teasing the fog. "And it's not friendly," she added.
As they entered the fortress, the air grew heavier, charged with the essence of Nagitsuna. Symbols glowed faintly on walls, similar to those Rezil had seen in the tunnels. Each step forward seemed to echo in the minds of the team, memories of fear, loss, and ambition intertwined.
Suddenly, a distorted figure emerged from the shadows. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, its form shifting between shapes familiar and grotesque. "You dare enter my domain?" it hissed. The team recognized it immediately—an early servant of Nalou, one of the corrupted humans turned into a twisted Nagitsuna vessel.
The battle erupted instantly. Kael's shadows lashed out, wrapping around the creature's limbs, but it tore through them with unnatural strength. Mira's winds roared, scattering debris, but the figure adapted, anticipating their movements as if it had been waiting for them.
Rezil stepped forward, drawing on his own Nagitsuna path. He could sense the threads of energy connecting the fortress, the corrupted vessel, and the lingering essence of the spirit apples. "Focus!" he shouted. "This is not just about strength. Predict, adapt, understand!"
One by one, the team synchronized, moving as a single entity. Each power complemented the other, weaving attacks, defenses, and strategic feints. Slowly, the corrupted vessel began to falter, its form unraveling under the precise combination of skills.
But just as victory seemed near, a ripple of energy surged from the fortress's core. The walls themselves trembled, and for a moment, reality seemed to fracture. From the ground rose a glowing apple, pulsating with a strange energy, as if containing every lost soul ever consumed by Nalou.
Rezil understood instantly. "The Spirit Apple… it's the key to controlling or destroying him," he murmured, his mind racing with implications. The team redirected their focus, guarding the apple while fending off the final waves of the corrupted vessel.
With a coordinated strike, the creature fell, leaving behind only shadowed remnants of its form. The apple floated silently, glowing, almost beckoning. Mira reached out, and the wind stilled as if holding its breath.
Rezil's heart pounded. "This is only the beginning. Nalou knows we are gathering. He knows we understand more than he anticipated. Every step we take will be watched… every choice counted."
The team exited the fortress, battered but alive, their minds buzzing with the reality of their mission. The world had changed, and they had only just begun to grasp the weight of what they were facing.
As night fell, Rezil looked up at the stars, their light flickering through the clouds. "The war is starting," he whispered. "And the truth… the truth is far greater than any of us imagined."
---