Olorun groaned, pushing himself up off the ground. Pain throbbed through his ribs like someone had shoved hot iron into his side.
"Damn… okay, okay—SHIT! My ribs—god DAMN it hurts!" He wheezed, clutching his side.
CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.
A line of Ascendants stomped forward, laser blasters raised and aimed directly at him.
"FREEZE, CRIMINAL! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"
Olorun grimaced. "Crap."
He straightened up, rolling his shoulders despite the pain, then grinned.
"Heh… looks like I got no choice."
His eyes flashed.
"AFTERIMAGE STEP!"
His body vanished in a blur.
BOOM!
Dozens of Oloruns materialized everywhere.
One leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking smug. Another was doing squats, nodding like he was about to drop workout tips. One spun in circles for no reason. Another lay on the floor reading a newspaper.
The Ascendants froze.
"Uhhhhh…"
One gulped. "Crap… he's using one of the Shichishini abilities!"
"WHO CARES?! JUST SHOOT!"
BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!
Lasers lit up the hallway, blasting apart the afterimages left and right—only for them to vanish into thin air.
"WAIT, HE'S IN THE ELEVATOR!"
They all spun around.
Olorun stood inside the open elevator, grinning and waving.
One of the Ascendants' eyes widened. "STOP HIM!"
BLAM BLAM BLAM—
DING!
The elevator doors shut.
Silence.
The Ascendants stood there, weapons still raised.
One wiped sweat from his forehead. "...Did we get him?"
Another sighed. "Man, I hope so."
DING!
The elevator doors slid open again.
Olorun was still inside, standing in the exact same spot.
He blinked.
They blinked.
A beat of silence.
"DAMN IT, WRONG FLOOR!" Olorun frantically mashed the button.
BLAM BLAM BLAM—
DING!
The doors slammed shut just in time.
Inside the elevator, Olorun collapsed against the wall, panting hard.
"Man… I hope Eleo and Tony made it to the top by now…" He muttered, sliding down to the floor, completely done with everything.
Meanwhile, back with Eleo and the others.
The dinosaur roared, saliva flying from its massive jaws as it charged.
"Oh-ho, no you don't!" Tony cackled, rearing back his skeletal palm before SLAMMING it across the dinosaur's snout.
BAM!
The dinosaur's head snapped to the side—but instead of reeling back, it froze.
"…Uh," Tony muttered.
The dinosaur's head slowly swiveled back, its beady eyes now burning with pure, unfiltered rage.
"…Uh-oh."
Before it could chomp him in half, Eleo leaped into the fray, rushing past the dinosaur toward the Ascendants behind it.
"INK BARRAGE!" His fists blurred as he pummeled them with rapid-fire punches.
"GAH—OW—STOP—IT'S LIKE GETTING BEAT UP BY A CRAZY TODDLER!" one screeched.
Meanwhile, Kenji charged toward the elevator, slashing through guards like a storm of steel.
Tony was still wrestling the dinosaur.
"Uh, my beautiful friends?" Tony called out, barely dodging gnashing teeth. "A little help, maybe?"
Eleo grinned. "Don't worry, Tony! I'll help!"
Kenji dusted off his sword and sighed. "As the newbie, I guess I'll help too."
Together, they rushed at the dinosaur—
THUD!
The dinosaur suddenly leaped into the air.
Eleo and Kenji's eyes widened.
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT—"
BUMP!
They crashed into each other.
"ACK—WATCH IT!" Kenji snapped.
"WHY'D YOU STOP?!" Eleo yelled back.
BOOM!
The dinosaur came CRASHING DOWN on top of them both.
A beat of silence.
Tony burst into laughter.
"Ohhh, you guys got tricked!" He cackled, clapping his bony hands. "I give the dinosaur an 8/10! Excellent execution, perfect baiting, great use of body weight!"
A muffled voice from under the dinosaur: "YOU JERK!"
Tony wiped a nonexistent tear from his eye socket. "Ahh, just beautiful. Truly a tactical genius of a beast."
The dinosaur turned its attention to Tony, clawed foot THUDDING forward.
Tony's grin faltered.
"Oho. Ohoho. Wait."
The dinosaur slashed at him, but Tony weaved left, right—then jabbed its eye.
"Boop."
"RAAAAAAGH!"
The dinosaur staggered back, screeching in pain.
Kenji peeled himself off the ground, snarling. "That's it."
With one fluid motion, he slashed its tail.
Bad idea.
The dinosaur's eyes bulged. Its tail snapped forward like a whip—
WHACK!
Kenji went flying across the room.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH—"
CRASH!
He landed head-first into a pile of crates.
Eleo groaned, pushing himself up. "Okay, that's it!"
He clapped his hands together, ink swirling violently around them. His fingers morphed—twisting and reforming into a massive cannon barrel.
"INK—"
Tony's eye sockets widened. "WAIT, WAIT, HOLD ON—"
"—CANNON!"
BOOM!
A giant ink blast fired straight at the dinosaur—blasting Tony along with it.
Smoke filled the corridor.
Silence.
As the smoke cleared, the dinosaur stood there, completely unharmed. Its scales shimmered, repelling the ink like water off armor.
Tony, however, was covered head to toe in black ink, looking like a rejected art project.
From the floor, he slowly raised a shaky thumbs-up.
"I'm... okay."
The dinosaur snorted, smoke billowing from its nostrils. It dug its claws into the floor, eyes locked onto them like prey.
Eleo stared at it in disbelief, still catching his breath.
"How the heck is this thing so strong?!"
Kenji casually dusted himself off from the side.
"I have a better idea."
Eleo's eyes lit up. He spun toward Kenji, grinning.
"Oh, oh! Please tell me!"
Kenji grinned back.
He was already standing in the elevator.
"Running away."
Eleo's face dropped.
"DON'T LEAVE US!"
ROOOOAAAR!
The dinosaur charged.
Eleo hopped over it, grabbed Tony by the collar, and bolted for the elevator.
"HURRY!"
Kenji slammed the button. The doors began closing just as the dinosaur lunged—
DING!
They were gone.
Eleo and Kenji both let out a long sigh of relief.
Then Eleo's face suddenly froze.
"Ah, crap."
Kenji raised a brow. "What?"
Eleo slowly turned to Tony, who was still dripping ink.
"We forgot about Olorun."
Kenji blinked. "…Who?"
Tony waved dismissively, flicking ink off his bones. "Ahh, I'm sure he's fine."
Kenji frowned. "Olorun?"
Eleo scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, he's a uhhh…"
Tony chimed in, "Part of the Assassins. The Scorpions."
Kenji froze.
His pupils shrank.
"…The Scorpions?"
Silence hung heavy in the elevator.
Suddenly—Kenji grabbed Eleo by the collar, his entire demeanor shifting.
"THOSE were the same guys who attacked Swordsman Island!"
Eleo blinked. "Swordsman Island?"
Tony sighed, cracking his neck bones. "It's a place where all swordsmen are either born or sent to train their entire lives."
Kenji's jaw tightened. His expression grew serious.
"Yeah. It's a beautiful place."
His voice darkened.
"Until the Scorpions attacked."
The air in the elevator grew heavy. Eleo and Tony exchanged glances, noticing the shift in Kenji's tone.
His mind drifted back.
Swordsman Island.
A land untouched by time. A place where warriors trained from childhood to master the blade.
The island had no kings, no nobles, no corruption—only swordsmen.
At the heart of the island stood The Grand Dojo, where the most skilled warriors gathered. The Grandmaster of the Blade oversaw the island's traditions, ensuring every swordsman upheld their honor.
It was said that every legendary swordsman in history had set foot on the island at least once.
But that peace was shattered when the Scorpions came.
Kenji was eight years old.
The ocean breeze carried the scent of freshly cut bamboo as he stood in the courtyard, gripping a wooden practice sword.
Across from him stood his older brother Marshall—a young man in his late teens with long blue hair that swayed in the wind.
Marshall smirked. "Come on, Kenji. You can't get stronger just by standing there."
Kenji huffed, gripping his sword tighter. "I wasn't ready!"
Marshall laughed. "A swordsman is always ready. Try again."
Kenji charged, swinging with all his might—
CLACK!
Marshall effortlessly blocked.
Kenji stumbled forward, but before he could fall, Marshall caught him by the back of his shirt.
"Whoa there. Too much force, not enough control."
Kenji pouted. "Tch. You're just too strong."
Marshall grinned. "Then get stronger. One day, you'll surpass me."
Kenji looked up at him, eyes filled with admiration.
"You really think so?"
Marshall's grin softened into something gentler.
"I know so."
The bells of the Grand Dojo rang.
A sound that only echoed across the island when a swordsman had fallen.
Kenji, confused, followed the crowd toward the center of the island.
He saw everyone gathered—warriors, teachers, students—all dressed in ceremonial white robes.
At the center was a casket.
Kenji's breath hitched.
He searched the crowd frantically.
Then he saw it—Marshall's sword, placed atop the casket.
His heart stopped.
The Grandmaster stepped forward, his weathered eyes filled with sorrow.
"Marshall was a true swordsman." His voice was calm yet heavy. "He gave his life to protect this island from assassins who sought to defile it. He was struck down… by the Scorpions."
Kenji's body trembled.
"...No."
His hands clenched into fists.
"No… no, he can't be dead."
He turned, looking around desperately at the faces in the crowd.
"Marshall's strong! He wouldn't lose to anyone!"
The Grandmaster stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Kenji's shoulder.
Kenji looked up, his vision blurred with tears.
The Grandmaster's voice was gentle but unyielding.
"Strength alone does not determine victory. A swordsman's fate is decided by the battle he chooses to fight."
Kenji shook his head, tears spilling down his face.
"…He promised… he promised I'd surpass him."
The Grandmaster sighed deeply.
"Then surpass him. Take his sword, and forge your own path."
Kenji stared at the blade resting on the casket.
Slowly, he reached forward, his hands shaking.
As his fingers wrapped around the hilt of Marshall's sword, something in him changed.
A fire ignited in his chest.
His heart was heavy with grief, but his soul burned with resolve.
He would become stronger.
He would surpass Marshall.
And one day, he would find the Scorpion who killed his brother… and cut him down himself.
Kenji's fists clenched in the present.
Eleo and Tony watched him carefully.
"…You okay, dude?" Eleo asked softly.
Kenji exhaled slowly, relaxing his grip.
He looked at Eleo, his voice low and steady.
"I hope you're right about Olorun."
His piercing blue eyes glowed under the elevator lights.
"Because if he's still loyal to the Scorpions…"
A pause.
"I'll cut him down myself."