Olorun groaned, pushing himself up off the ground. His body ached all over, pain throbbing through his ribs like someone had shoved a hot iron into his side.
"Damn… okay, okay—SHIT! My ribs—god DAMN it hurts!" he wheezed, clutching his side.
Then—
CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.
A line of Ascendants stomped forward, Each one raised their laser blasters and aimed directly at him.
"FREEZE, CRIMINAL! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"
Olorun grimaced. "Crap."
He straightened up, rolling his shoulders despite the pain.
"Heh… looks like I got no choice."
His eyes flashed, and suddenly—
"AFTERIMAGE STEP!"
His body vanished in a blur.
Then—
BOOM!
Suddenly—there were dozens of Oloruns everywhere.
One leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking smug.
Another was doing squats, nodding like he was about to drop workout tips.
One was spinning in circles for no reason.
One was laying 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 Oloruns left and right—only for them to vanish into thin air.
Then—
"WAIT, HE'S IN THE ELEVATOR!"
They all spun around.
Olorun stood inside the open elevator, grinning.
One of the Ascendants' eyes widened. "STOP HIM!"
BLAM BLAM BLAM—
DING!
The elevator doors shut.
Silence.
The Ascendants just stood there.
One wiped sweat from his forehead. "...Did we get him?"
Another sighed. "Man, I hope so.
DING!
The elevator door slid open again.
Olorun was still inside, standing in the exact same spot.
He blinked.
They blinked.
A beat of silence.
Then—
"DAMN IT, WRONG FLOOR!" Olorun mashed the button frantically.
BLAM BLAM BLAM—
DING!
The doors slammed shut just in time.
Inside the elevator, Olorun collapsed against the wall, panting.
"Man… I hope Eleo and Tony made it to the top by now…" he muttered.
Then he slid down onto the floor, just completely done with everything.
Meanwhile back to 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 had already leaped into the fray, rushing behind the dinosaur and the Ascendants.
"INK BARRAGE!" he yelled, his fists blurring as he pummeled the Ascendants with rapid-fire punches.
"GAH—OW—STOP—IT'S LIKE GETTING BEAT UP BY A CRAZY TODDLER!" one of them screeched.
Meanwhile, Kenji charged toward the elevator, slashing through the guards like a storm of steel.
Tony, meanwhile, was still wrestling a dinosaur.
"Uh, my beautiful friends?" Tony called out, barely dodging a set of gnashing teeth. "A little help, maybe?"
Eleo grinned. "Don't worry, Tony! I'll help!"
Kenji, dusting off his sword, 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.
Before they could react—
BOOM!
The dinosaur came CRASHING DOWN on top of them.
A beat of silence.
Then—
Tony burst into laughter.
"Ohhh, you guys got tricked!" he cackled, clapping. "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 tear from his eye. "Ahh, just beautiful. Truly a tactical genius of a beast."
The dinosaur turned its attention to Tony, its clawed foot THUDDING forward.
Tony's grin faltered.
"Oho. Ohoho. Wait."
With a wild swipe, the dinosaur slashed at him, but Tony weaved left, right—then poked its eye.
"Boop."
"RAAAAAAGH!"
The dinosaur staggered back, screeching in pain.
Kenji, finally peeling himself off the ground, snarled, "That's it."
With one fluid motion, he slashed its tail.
BAD IDEA.
The dinosaur's eyes bulged.
Its tail snapped forward—
WHACK!
Kenji went flying across the room.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH—"
CRASH!
He landed head-first into a pile of crates.
Eleo groaned, getting up. "Okay, that's it!"
He clapped his hands together, ink swirling around them. His fingers morphed—twisting and reforming into a massive cannon.
"INK—"
Tony's eyes widened. "WAIT, WAIT, HOLD ON—"
"CANNON!"
BOOM!
A giant ink blast fired straight at the dinosaur—and blasted Tony with it.
SMOKE.
Silence.
As the smoke cleared, the dinosaur stood there, completely fine.
Meanwhile, Tony was covered head to toe in 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 locking onto them like prey.
Eleo, still catching his breath, stared at it in disbelief.
"How the heck is this thing so strong?!"
Kenji, still standing off to the side, casually dusted himself off.
"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 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 immediately bolted for the elevator.
"HURRY!"
Kenji slammed the button, and the doors closed just as the dinosaur lunged—
DING!
They were gone.
Eleo and Kenji both let out a long sigh.
Then Eleo's face suddenly froze.
"Ah, crap."
Kenji raised a brow. "What?"
Eleo slowly turned to Tony.
"We forgot about Olorun."
Kenji blinked. "…Who?"
Tony waved dismissively. "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?"
A long beat of silence.
Then, 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 bones as he got up. "It's a place where all swordsmen are either born or sent to train their entire lives."
Kenji nodded. His expression was serious.
"Yeah. It's a beautiful place."
Then his voice darkened.
"Until the Scorpions attacked."
The air in the elevator grew heavy. EleoThe dinosaur snorted, smoke billowing from its nostrils. It dug its claws into the floor, eyes locking onto them like prey.
Eleo, still catching his breath, stared at it in disbelief.
"How the heck is this thing so strong?!"
Kenji, still standing off to the side, casually dusted himself off.
"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 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 immediately bolted for the elevator.
"HURRY!"
Kenji slammed the button, and the doors closed just as the dinosaur lunged—
DING!
They were gone.
Eleo and Kenji both let out a long sigh.
Then Eleo's face suddenly froze.
"Ah, crap."
Kenji raised a brow. "What?"
Eleo slowly turned to Tony.
"We forgot about Olorun."
Kenji blinked. "…Who?"
Tony waved dismissively. "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?"
A long beat of silence.
Then, 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 bones as he got up. "It's a place where all swordsmen are either born or sent to train their entire lives."
Kenji nodded. His expression was serious.
"Yeah. It's a beautiful place."
Then his voice darkened.
"Until the Scorpions attacked."
The air in the elevator grew heavy. Eleo and Tony noticed the shift in Kenji's tone.
Kenji's mind drifted back to a memory. and Tony noticed the shift in Kenji's tone.
Kenji's mind drifted back to a memory.
Swordsman Island was 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 sword.
Across from him, his older brother Marshall—a young man in his late teens—stood tall, his long blue hair swaying 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.
"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, walked toward the center of the island.
He saw everyone gathered. Warriors, teachers, students… all dressed in white robes.
At the center was a casket.
Kenji's breath hitched.
He searched the crowd.
Then he saw him—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 the 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.
"Marshall's strong! He wouldn't lose to anyone!"
The Grandmaster stepped forward and placed a hand on Kenji's shoulder.
Kenji looked up, his vision blurred with tears.
The Grandmaster's voice was gentle but firm.
"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.
"Then surpass him. Take his sword, and forge your own path."
Kenji stared at the blade.
Slowly, he reached forward, his hands shaking.
As his fingers wrapped around the hilt of Marshall's sword, something in him changed.
A fire lit 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.
Eleo and Tony watched him carefully.
"…You okay, dude?" Eleo asked.
Kenji exhaled, relaxing his grip.
He looked at Eleo, his voice low.
"I hope you're right about Olorun."
"Because if he's still loyal to the Scorpions…"
Kenji's piercing blue eyes glowed under the elevator lights.
"I'll cut him down myself."