Heroes of the Holy War

"Finally, I get the chance to meet you," says a mysterious voice. Akira, opening his eyes, sees a woman with fox ears and a fluffy tail. "Another crazy dream?" Akira mutters, holding his head.

"I'll get straight to the point. Aki… is the key. Remember that," says the woman, disappearing into flames.

Moments later, Akira wakes up in a cave.

"Oh, you're awake. Are you in pain?" asks Gamble. Kai, putting down a scroll, approaches Akira and, blushing, asks,

"Did you really want to marry my sister?"

"Hey, he just woke up. Maybe he's not thinking clearly," says Gamble, opening another scroll.

Akira stands up and, summoning his sword, asks,

"Did I ever confess love to another girl?"

Kai sighs in relief.

"Then, as the head of the Sunfire family, you have my blessing," he says, patting Akira on the shoulder.

"Wait, isn't that supposed to be your father's job?" Akira asks. Kai's expression changes, and with reluctance, he says,

"I promised myself that if he ever hurt Aki, I'd either kill him or send him to prison."

"I'm guessing you have a plan. I want to hear it," Akira says, looking at Gamble, who puts down a scroll and begins explaining.

"That angel hasn't seen the kids, so they can easily slip into the wedding, which is set for sunset today. They'll help us a bit by creating an entry point—I'll leave that part to them."

Scratching his head, Akira asks another question,

"Alright, let's assume we get in. What's next? I couldn't attack him myself."

Gamble reaches for a mysterious box and says,

"We'll use the Royal Dragon. This dragon has the power to destroy atoms, so once we keep the king and the angel occupied, the kids will tame the beast. All it needs to do is eat the cube."

Akira grabs Gamble's shoulder and says,

"You're thinking too far ahead. You've come up with a plan that's bound to fail."

Gamble pushes Akira's hand off with irritation.

"And what exactly were you doing for two days? Sleeping. I'm the one sitting here, searching for answers."

Akira rises from the stone bed.

"I'm going out for a walk to stretch. I'll be back by evening," he says, grabbing his hoodie and scarf before leaving.

As Gamble reaches for another scroll, he notices Kaen standing still, looking upward, surrounded by floating flames.

"Wait… those are the Golden Vision Orbs," says Gamble in shock.

"Excuse me, what orbs?" Kai asks.

"The orbs of the Goddess of Illusion and Fire. Kaen is the reincarnation of one of the siblings of the first half-foxes," says Gamble, running over to Kaen, who collapses to his knees.

"Why me…" Kaen mumbles.

"Are you alright?" Gamble asks, kneeling beside him. Kaen shakes his head and brushes the dirt off his knees.

"Why didn't you tell us you have such visions?" Gamble asks, astonished.

Kaen, drained of energy, collapses to his knees again.

"I didn't know it was important," he mutters with the last of his strength before falling onto Gamble's shoulder.

"Can someone explain what's going on?" Kai asks, puzzled.

"Kaen is the reincarnation of one of the three children of the Goddess of Fire and Illusion. The golden flames signify that he's the reincarnation of Hiko, the goddess's youngest daughter," Gamble says, carrying Kaen piggyback into the cave to let him rest.

"Looks like communicating with a spirit takes a lot of mana," Kai says, noticing how visibly thinner Kaen has become.

"Half-foxes lose weight when their mana is drained. I just hope he wakes up before evening," Gamble replies.

As the day passes, everyone prepares for the mission to rescue Aki, who is currently trying on wedding dresses.

Maids are helping her choose a dress while Aki's father makes the final decision. Once he finds the perfect dress, he leaves without a word, locking Aki in the room until the ceremony.

"Why is it always me…" she whispers, barely holding back tears to avoid ruining her makeup.

As the sun begins to set, the angel approaches the king and asks,

"How are the preparations, Ren?"

The king, rising from his chair, replies,

"As you can see, Vecton... slowly but surely."

Vecton, noticing the king's displeasure, begins to laugh.

"Once this virgin bears my child, I'll ensure a guaranteed place in paradise for you and your family," he says, leaving and laughing to annoy the king further.

Back with the heroes, everyone is ready to set out.

"Akira is at the gate we'll enter through. Do you all remember your posi—" Gamble begins, but Akira interrupts, shouting,

"Gamble, you're a damn genius!"

Akira grabs a blank piece of paper and a brush, quickly and chaotically explaining,

"That damn angel is—or was—the right hand of the God of Motion. His abilities are related to atoms and speed. It wasn't that I couldn't hit him back then, but that he was moving on the spot—or rather, his atoms were vibrating, making solid atoms pass through his body as if he wasn't there!"

Akira starts panting from exhaustion, and a worried Seraphina approaches him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure you've fully recovered? You might have a fever," she says.

Grinning maniacally, Akira replies,

"I've got a fever… to kill an angel." Turning to Gamble, Akira startles nearly everyone as he raises his sword and drives it into his own stomach.

A shocked Gamble rushes forward, intending to heal Akira, only to realize the sword didn't touch him—it passed cleanly through to the other side.

"You're out of your mind..." Gamble mutters, unable to believe his eyes.

"Is it just me, or is Akira's stomach… twitching?" Kazoto asks, and Kaido nods.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but if we can see it with the naked eye, it's either a weak copy or vibrating too slowly," Elarina says, sheathing the knives strapped to her back.

"It's good enough," Kaido replies with a grin, as Kazoto activates his Raigan.

"Let's go before we're too late," he adds.

"Those who chase time…" Akira mutters, his eyes shifting to a violet hue.

"…become its servants," he finishes.

As the heroes take their positions, the kids slip into the city unnoticed.

"Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic… Oh crap, I'm about to cry from stress," Kazoto thinks, weaving through the crowds of people.

Kaen notices how tense Kazoto is and considers how to lighten the mood, but before he can speak, a loud gong rings out from the castle.

"No point in pushing through the crowd; we're running along the rooftops," Hana says, leaping onto the roof of a nearby shop. The group follows her, reaching the palace in just five minutes.

"Alright, do you have the stones?" Kaen asks, rolling up the sleeve of his right arm. Hana pulls out a bag of stones, and Kaen takes one, igniting his hand with flames.

"You're going to burn a stone so the others can get inside? Wow," Kaido says, unimpressed.

"Watch and learn," Kaen replies as the flames on his hand transform into flower petals. A symbol identical to the one Kaen had earlier given Elarina appears on the stone.

"So, what's the deal with these symbols?" Elarina asks, examining the stone. Kaen stands and starts observing the window where Aki is waiting for Vecton.

"The symbol allows for positional swapping. Kaen tried to replicate Akira's Shift technique with his sword but can't switch places with others directly. He can only swap something or someone imbued with mana," Kazoto explains.

"That's provided Kaen can sense the mana within the symbol. He doesn't use his own mana for this; he draws it from the person or object. The symbol just triggers the teleportation process," Hana adds, gripping her sword.

"So, you've got a cool new trick too," Kaido smirks, tightening the gloves on her hands.

A moment later, Vecton enters the room. Suddenly, Elarina collapses to her knees as if paralyzed.

"What happened? Did he do something?" Kazoto asks.

"N-no… It's his mana. He's not hiding it," Elarina says, struggling to stand.

"So no one dares attack him," Kaen mutters, slightly bending his knees to steady himself.

"Alright, where's the dragon?" Kaido asks, noticing a massive gate beneath the castle.

"Bingo," she says, pointing at the gate.

"Looks like we're all set… Time to cause some chaos," Kazoto says, tying a bandana over his closed eye.

Vecton approaches Aki and tries to grab her hand, but she pulls it away.

"Not very polite to treat your fiancé like that," he says, trying to provoke her.

As the priest begins his speech, it signals Kaen to prepare for their move. When the priest instructs the couple to kiss, Kaen hurls the stone with the symbol straight at Vecton's face. The stone bounces upward, and Akira suddenly appears in its place.

"Long time no see," Akira says, brushing his hair back.

Vecton, resetting his jaw from the stone's impact, smirks at Akira.

"You again… Last time, you couldn't even touch me. Are you here to experience death again?"

Akira claps his hands, creating an electric wave that surges through the hall. He immediately follows up by striking Vecton under the ribs. Vecton spits blood onto Akira's shoulder and tries to retreat, but Gamble blocks his path and knees him in the head.

"Damn it, I can't focus…" Vecton thinks as Akira delivers a kick to his face, slamming him into a wall.

"You know… even an angel bleeds when caught off guard. Now, I'll tear you all to pieces," Vecton growls, summoning a spear.

"Ha! No thanks. I'm here for her," Akira says, grabbing Aki and leaping out the window.

"That cursed brat!" Vecton shouts.

Gamble summons a shield, duplicates it, and pins Vecton to the wall. But Vecton breaks through the wall behind him to free himself. Attacking Gamble, he kills several people in the room in the process.

"Vecton! Dispose of those traitors!" Aki's father shouts from the doorway.

"Old man, you're clearly on the wrong side," Gamble says, transforming his shield into a staff.

"I'm on the side of the winners… Join us," Vecton says, attempting to manipulate Gamble.

"Sorry. I've got a brain," Gamble replies firmly.

He leaps behind Vecton, but Vecton grabs him by the neck and slams them both to the ground, crashing through several floors. Holding Gamble by the hair, Vecton laughs in his face.

Gamble, spitting blood into Vecton's eyes, shoves his shield into Vecton's eye socket. Activating a light boost, Gamble blinds Vecton even further and escapes.

Gamble, stumbling out of the palace into the rain, witnesses the evacuation but collapses onto the ground moments later.

"Damn it… He broke my spine… I can barely move… I can't keep my bones aligned anymore… Why the hell…? I trained five years, every single day, only to be humiliated like this," Gamble shouts, slamming his fist into the wet ground. "If only I had a curse like Akira… If only I had that kind of strength…" Tears begin to fill his eyes as he notices the reflection of a younger version of himself in the puddle.

"Am I losing it? Am I dying?" he whispers, touching his face in disbelief.

"Power… Is that what you desire?" a distorted voice echoes around him. Suddenly, in the reflection, a white mask with a blue star begins to form over Gamble's face. His hair starts to turn black as he panics, striking the puddle in fear.

"No… It's just a hallucination… It's not real," he mutters to himself, clutching his head.

"Are you sure?" says a man wearing the same mask, crouching in front of the fallen Gamble. With a sinister grin, he extends a hand marked by a star-shaped hole.

"Come… Cast aside your pain and take the power you crave…"

Gamble, trembling, grabs the man's hand. A white cloak begins to wrap around his arm, enveloping him in an ominous glow.

Meanwhile, Akira stands face-to-face with Vecton, who blocks his escape.

"So, this is where you are," Vecton sneers.

"You know there's a lady in distress, and it's raining. Give me a moment," Akira retorts, setting Aki down.

"Run to the old port and tell Seraphina 'Huhankaru' or '102'" Akira instructs her. Without hesitation, Aki tears part of her gown for better mobility and sprints toward the designated location.

"You know I'm just going to kill you now, right? Why make things harder for me?" Vecton asks, his voice laced with amusement.

Akira draws his sword, his gaze darkening.

"Because you don't just give up someone you love without a fight."

Vecton laughs, mockingly.

"Fine, then. DIE!" he roars, hurling his spear.

Akira parries the attack and throws his sword in return. Vecton dodges, but Akira shouts, "CHANGE!" and swaps places with the sword mid-air, landing a kick to Vecton's ribs. Grabbing his arm, Akira shoves him onto the blade, which pierces through Vecton's abdomen.

Vecton leaps backward, slamming into a wall and firing a bolt of lightning at Akira. Akira deflects the attack with his sword, redirecting it skyward.

"Let the flames of heaven scorch your soul! Lotus Dance!" Akira yells, shrouding himself in flames and launching a fiery assault on Vecton.

Vecton narrowly avoids the attack, stomping three times on the ground to summon massive hands of earth that seize Akira by his legs and arms.

"May you rot in hell," Vecton snarls, aiming his spear at Akira.

"Too bad," Vecton adds with a grin,

"I can't go all out in my current state."

Akira, smiling faintly, doesn't respond. Vecton tightens his grip on the spear and fires an energy blast from its tip. The explosion sends a shockwave through the battlefield, scattering debris everywhere.

As the dust settles, a human figure emerges, nearly split in half. However, the scene is far from ordinary—particles of light swirl around the figure, gradually knitting the body back together.

"Oh, ho… I was hoping to make a grand entrance, but this is quite the surprise," says a man with a cheeky tone.

Standing in the midst of the chaos is Gamble, now clad in a radiant white cloak. His mask, adorned with a blue star, covers only his right eye. His black hair and the eerie glow of the mask exude an aura of dread. Despite missing half his torso, his body continues to regenerate, the particles of light working tirelessly to restore him.

"Shall we dance once more?" Gamble taunts, smirking. As he speaks, the mask completes its transformation, fully covering his face. The tension in the air grows heavier, a forewarning to Vecton that the real battle has only just begun.