"Ahahaha, mommy stop".
In an old and dusty shack with barely a plank of wood to call a roof, a little boy was being tickled by a woman.
"It tickles! Stop it! hahahahah".
Scene shifts to the boy and his mother sitting on the floor with a roasted fish in front of them.
"Eat"
"But mommy...".
The boy was all skinny and weak like his mom.
"I've eaten already so don't worry about me".
He reluctantly picked up the fish knowing that she was lying, she looked pale and sick but had the warmest smile on her face warm enough to make them oblivious to the harsh downpour of rain that was pouring down on them.
With only a single plank of wood to count on as a roof, the two were drenched in the rain.
The scene changes once again.
The boy was holding the hand of the woman as she had gotten sick and was lying on the floor coughing out blood.
"Now listen to me my love, someday you'll find other people that you'll cherish just as much as they cherish you, protect them, love them, fight with them, travel with them but never abandon them".
She barely finished coughing out more blood. Her time on this mortal plane had come to an end.
"Mommy...". He was sobbing as he laid his head on her chests
"I love you, Reginald".
Back to the present...
"REGI!!!!"
Ace was holding Reginald as the bleeding kept getting worse
"At this rate, he'll die!"
Cain spoke clenching his fists in regret.
If only they didn't get themselves caught up in Rada Khan's Aura, they could have fought with him and stand a chance.
It wasn't their fault but self-guilt is a terrible feeling.
"Demon spawn... *Cough*. Hehe it seems like it's over for me"
"Don't say that!". Ace's eyes were filled with tears
"I never told you this but, for a long time, I never had a family, until you came along, you saw through this theif and saw a companion, someone you laid your trust out to *Cough*"
That was the case. Bo and Cly were merely associates that ended up betraying him for a few gold coins.
"Regi... Stop talking, you're only making it worse"
"Thank you, brother"
"I said stop!!"
His aura started leaking out.
"I am your captain! And I command you to survive".
His voice was cracking up as the tears from his eyes dropped on his face.
'Malacoda'. He was calling out to his Relic.
'Lend me your power'.
Ace could hear a dark and sinister voice in his head
"CHILD, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO, EVEN IF YOU COULD SEND HIM TO THE SHADOW REALM WHERE TIME IS ABSENT. IT WON'T HEAL HIS WOUNDS."
'I don't care! I won't let him die!! And I will make Khan Pay'.
"VERY WELL BUT THIS WILL COST YOU ANOTHER YEAR"
'Just do it!!!'
Ace was determined to save his friend regardless of the risks
Just then his aura spiked up making the regrouping Rada Khan anxious.
"I-impossible! he's not supposed to have that much power left!"
After he impaled Reginald, he withdrew back to his army's side with Ace and Vorus passing by him to reach Reginald.
Ace's appearance changed, his normal blue colored eyes were painted red with rage, his black coat got longer, and was swaying like a flame.
Yes, it was his shadow that merged with him completely.
"Shadow Apex".
He called his newly acquired mode as his now lifeless eyes were glaring at Khan.
He used his powers to send Reginald to the Shadow Dimension as he did with the army earlier.
"Vorus, take everyone and retreat"
Vorus carried the trio on his shoulders and dashed towards Kondo shouting at their soldiers, to retreat.
Those that could walk picked up the ones that were unconscious from the Aura burst attack earlier.
It was now only Ace, staring down the opposition. His gaze was enough to peel their skins off.
"What are you all waiting for!" Rada Khan exclaimed.
"Attack!"
The few dozen soldiers reluctantly charged at Ace.
He didn't even take a single step as he raised his hand and channeled the vicious aura.
"Shadow arts: Kill order!".
He shouted as his shadow took the form of the killswitch strike and multiplied mimicking the number of the soldiers.
They didn't stand a chance.
All the soldiers were knocked out by one attack. Some of them lost their limbs others were left in a critical state but none were dead even Kira was taken out.
Rada Khan was the only one left. He clenched his teeth and drew out his sword.
"You fiend! Your vi-"
Before he could finish he was sent flying by a blinding fast kick from Ace.
"Shut up"
Rada Khan was holding his stomach and crying out in severe pain. It was just a single kick but it felt like a mountain was dropped on him.
"S-stop y-you de-"
He was kicked again.
"I said... SHUT UP!!"
Ace kept kicking him like he was an empty can of soda. He stepped on his neck and continued the one-sided assault.
Khan was helplessly taking this brutality.
"P-p-please".
"Please?" The general's begging only infuriated Ace more as he was getting ready to finish him up with kill switch.
"This is for Regi... Killswitch!"
What seemed like the biggest variant of Killswitch he had ever made striked the brutally beaten General splitting the ground in the process.
"It's over"
Ace said to no one in particular as he reverted to his normal form and passed out.
Two weeks later.
Kondo was still in the process of reconstruction from the attack.
Cain who was now the District commander gave Ace and Vorus coordinates to a Village in the region of Kirivard.
"There's a renowned healer there although the journey won't be easy without an Ark"
"That reminds me"
Vorus took Ace to a hidden section of the fortress in Kondo. What was lying there was an Old Ark that had a dragon statue in the front.
"This was given to me by an old friend. It's now yours captain, let's save our clanmate together".
"Vorus..." Ace said gazing blankly at the construct.
"It's awesome!!" He exclaimed with sparkling eyes at the design of the construct that will soon become the base of their clan.
"I also know that whatever it was you did, you can't use your shadow powers until Reginald is out else he would be endangered".
It was true, the only reason that Ace was able to fight Rada Khan was that he reluctantly borrowed power from the spirit dueling inside of his relic.
He can't summon his shadow anymore because Reginald was inside.
Vorus placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you for saving my home, brother".
In the Cronoa Region's palace, three figures were kneeling in front of the King.
He had a newspaper in his hand and the headline was making him pop a vein in anger.
"Cronoa Region General, Rada Khan Defeated by a small army in Kondo led by the newly founded Aegis Clan".
He read out the details to three people in front of him.
"I knew I shouldn't have let that hot-head run out on his own"
The Invasion was supposed to be a discreet mission to deal a blow to Ernia, now they could be facing an all-out war with the kingdom if nothing is done.
They might be a Region whose standards are against relic and relic users but they're also part of the world leader's coalition founded centuries ago.
"I'm leaving it up to you three to clean up this mess". He finished as he threw the newspaper away.
"Hunt down the clan that did this and bring me their heads!"
"And do not fail me like Khan did or I will place a bounty on your families as I did with his!". He threatened.
After news of Khan's failures was spread, the King declared Khan a deserter and placed a bounty on his only family, his little brother who was still in the wind.
"Yes, my liege!" The three said in unison as they were dismissed.
They were the Generals of Cronoa.
Back in Kondo
Ace and Vorus were getting ready to set off on their journey.
The two had the Ark cleaned and repaired just enough for them to set out on their journey.
They've already said their goodbyes to Everyone.
"Ahhhhhh Commander! Hero Ace! Take care now".
Cain, Ruth, Vidal, and even the guards and citizens. Everyone was sobbing as they waved at the duo that boarded their new mobile home.
"I'm going to miss them".
Ace was waving back with tears gushing out of his eyes like a waterfall as Kondo gradually became smaller the farther they go until they couldn't see it on the horizon anymore.
"What should we call our new Base?"
"How about" Ace placed a hand on his chin trying to pick out the perfect name.
"Aha!" He snapped his fingers...
"Dragonheart".