Oto, Setchi, Rukyoi, and Kemonoka stood before the imposing entrance of a cavern known as Grottalanda, its vastness stretching beyond the imagination. The cave, with its sheer scale and bustling activity, held an air of mystery and excitement.
"Natural mysteries, like this cave existing, always get me excited for exploration!" Oto's enthusiasm was palpable as he gazed at the cavern's entrance, his curly taper fade catching the light.
"Of course you like giant caves—" Rukyoi began, but Oto interrupted him with a knowing grin.
"I'm allowed," he asserted confidently, his adventurous spirit undeterred.
"I'm already excited! Let's go!!!" Setchi exclaimed eagerly, his impulsive nature driving him to take the first step forward. But Oto quickly intervened, his hand halting Setchi in his tracks.
"Wait right there, Setchi. We don't want you going in there and causing chaos. Plus, we still need to watch out for enemies. We're getting dangerously close to that mutation lab, and we're on their radars right now," Oto cautioned, his voice tinged with concern.
"So we keep an eye out for them," Setchi replied, his determination unwavering.
"Right," Oto affirmed, his gaze scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
"Now that I think of it, what even is this place?" Setchi inquired, curiosity piqued by the bustling activity around them.
"Grottalanda is one of the hundred big traveling, trading, and market places in the world," Oto explained, his knowledge of the area evident. "It is highly guarded by the government on the other side of the cave, holding thousands of exits for various modes of transportation."
"Why would there be thousands of exits?" Setchi pressed for further explanation.
"They all connect to different travel centers, catering to a variety of needs," Oto clarified. "And there are multiple exits for people who just want to pass through the cave."
"Ah, let's hurry!" Setchi exclaimed, eager to explore the cavern's depths.
"Setchi!!!" Oto called out, but Setchi had already dashed into the cave, his enthusiasm driving him forward.
"And there he goes..." Oto sighed, resigned to Setchi's impulsiveness.
"We can't just stand out here all day, Oto," Rukyoi remarked, urging action.
"I know that, but there is a security gate—" Oto began, but Setchi soon emerged from the cave, interrupting him.
"Soooo, turns out there's a line," Setchi announced, a sheepish grin on his face.
"As expected," Oto responded, his expression betraying no surprise.
"Can we... skip it?" Setchi inquired, his eyes darting between Oto and Rukyoi.
"That would be a good idea. Let me just see if there are any high-ranking officers in there. I don't want anyone sensing our mana if something goes wrong," Oto explained, his demeanor serious.
After a brief reconnaissance, Oto returned with a nod of approval. "I don't see anything. I guess we could."
"So how are we going to skip that line?" Rukyoi asked, eager to expedite their journey.
"Well, I've been training my focus up, and though I might not have trained it to its maximum potential yet, I can use some of its baseline techniques," Oto revealed. "Guys, just stand around me."
As Rukyoi, Setchi, and Kemonoka gathered around him, Oto initiated his focus abilities, enveloping them in a green aura.
"Something you guys don't know is the true abilities of focus," Oto began, his voice taking on a reverent tone. "It's actually spelled P H O E K U S, and it's the opposite of distract. Focus not only has the ability to amplify my attacks, but it gives me the ability to freely create my own versions of the six great laws: life, death, time, space, reality, and fate."
"That sounded like a whole bunch of nothing to me," Rukyoi remarked skeptically.
"Observe," Oto replied, his focus intensifying as he altered the flow of time around them.
The world around them seemed to warp and distort, tinted with shades of green as everything outside of their group froze in place.
"Ah, this hurts my eyes!" Setchi exclaimed, struggling to adjust to the altered perception of time.
"Right now, I've created my own time that I can manipulate the speed of freely," Oto explained. "We are no longer moving along the same timeline as them. We are in our own timeline... for the time being."
"Nice one, Oto! Let's go!!!" Setchi cheered, his excitement undiminished by the peculiar circumstances.
With Oto's guidance, the group navigated past the line and through the security gate, entering a bustling area of the cave filled with people, carts, and fast food buildings.
"Thanks to Oto, we made it through," Rukyoi remarked with a grateful smile as Oto deactivated his abilities, returning everything to normal.
"Now, let's find our way to the next stop," Oto suggested, his sense of adventure driving them forward into the depths of Grottalanda.
Setchi gazed wide-eyed at the bustling scene before them, the vibrant energy of the crowd palpable in the air. "Wow, it's so lively here!" he exclaimed, his voice barely audible over the din of voices and footsteps.
Rukyoi grimaced, his sensitive ears picking up every discordant noise. "And loud. Kemonoka does not like this. Is there a quieter place we could be?" he inquired, his tone tinged with discomfort.
Oto glanced around, his brows furrowing in thought. "Sorry, Kemonoka. There won't be any quiet places until we get far away from this place. So that means our current objective right now is getting out of here," he declared with a sense of urgency.
Setchi nodded in agreement, determination flashing in his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get moving!" he urged, taking a step forward, the group falling into step behind him.
As they navigated through the throngs of people and deeper into the cave, a figure lurked within the shadows. Clad in a white poncho, black pants, and brown boots, the mysterious individual remained hidden, their face obscured by the brim of a brown bycocket. Long black hair spilled from beneath the hood, adding to their enigmatic presence. Adorning the poncho was the acronym M.A.G.I.C., a symbol of unknown significance. With a single black glove adorning their hand, they blended seamlessly into the crowd.
"Found them," the figure murmured to themselves, their voice barely audible above the cacophony of noise. Stepping behind a lamp post, they vanished from sight, their movements swift and silent.
Meanwhile, Rukyoi's frustration mounted as they continued to navigate the labyrinthine cave. "Where is the exit in this damn cave!?" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with irritation.
Oto's gaze darted around, searching for any sign of a map or guidance. "At the end of the cave, of course... or I would assume..." he trailed off, his uncertainty evident.
"Is there some sort of map somewhere?" Rukyoi pressed, his patience wearing thin.
"I would assume," Oto replied tersely, his attention focused on their surroundings.
In the midst of their frantic search, Kemonoka's keen eyes caught sight of movement. A figure in a white poncho materialized from behind a civilian, their intent clear. With lightning-fast reflexes, Kemonoka shoved Setchi out of harm's way, taking the brunt of the attack himself. Pain blossomed in his chest as something struck him, leaving behind a gaping wound that oozed crimson.
Kemonoka collapsed, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he stared up at Oto, his gaze pleading for help. Oto met the eyes of the assailant, noting the piercing brown gaze that bore into his own with unwavering intensity.
Oto's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "We're being ambushed."
The figure moved with eerie grace, slipping behind another unsuspecting civilian before vanishing into thin air.
Reacting swiftly, Setchi scooped up Kemonoka, his heart pounding with adrenaline as he led the group into an alleyway. With gentle care, he lowered Kemonoka to the ground, while Rukyoi knelt beside him, concern etched into his features.
"Kemonoka! Are you with us!?" Setchi's voice was urgent, filled with worry.
Kemonoka nodded weakly, his breaths shallow and ragged.
"Thanks to Kemonoka's heightened sense of hearing, that attack didn't hit you," Oto remarked, his voice tinged with relief.
"Now we're down to just two fighters! This isn't good," Setchi lamented, his frustration evident.
"Kemonoka isn't down for the count yet!" Rukyoi declared, determination burning in his eyes.
As Rukyoi's left hand began to glow green, he touched Kemonoka's wound, the healing energy coursing through his body, knitting flesh and sealing the wound.
"I forgot you were a healer. Ok, now that he's back, we should use his keen sense of smell to track the foe down!!!" Setchi suggested eagerly, his mind racing with possibilities.
"Setchi, remember what I said about not making a scene? With the way you fight, finding them might be worse than not," Oto cautioned, his tone measured.
"That's absolutely lame! But I get your point," Setchi conceded reluctantly.
"We have to strategize something. Kemonoka, did you get the scent of that person's mana?" Oto inquired, his gaze shifting to Kemonoka.
Kemonoka nodded solemnly, his expression grave.
"Good. If you can just keep a signal on that person and alert us if they are near us, that would be great. So, group, our plan right now is to stay here and wait until they come out," Oto instructed, his voice steady.
"That's a slow plan. I don't like it," Setchi grumbled, his impatience bubbling to the surface.
"But it'll work, and that's all that matters. Though... another plan will come once at least an hour passes," Oto reasoned, his tone calm.
"Now the plan sounds slow and boring!" Setchi protested, his frustration mounting.
"Anything that works will be done," Oto replied firmly, his gaze unwavering.
"I want at least a LITTLE BIT OF ACTION!!! Sitting around waiting for action to happen isn't what a god does," Setchi argued, his voice rising.
"Actually, that depends on the god-" Oto began, before Setchi cut him off.
"I'm a god who takes action! I don't wait for change, I change things!" Setchi asserted, his eyes blazing with determination.
Oto smiled knowingly. "Well, yes, I know that. But how about you try out being patient for the first time?"
"Ok, fine, I'll take your word on it," Setchi relented begrudgingly.
"What if they do show up? If we fight, we would surely destroy everything," Rukyoi interjected, his voice filled with concern.
"I'll use this time to plan for that," Oto reassured, his mind already racing with strategies.
"Fantastic!" Setchi exclaimed, settling down and crossing his legs. "I guess I'll just have to wait for the fun things to happen."
As Setchi spoke, from the ground behind him emerged a creature of nightmare, towering over him with ominous presence. It was a monstrous insect, four times his size, its body a patchwork of brown and green, with limbs like a mantis and the tail of a centipede. Its head, resembling that of a bee with fiery red eyes, loomed over Setchi, a harbinger of impending danger.
Oto's voice ripped through the chaos like a thunderclap. "Setchi!!!"
Setchi's expression shifted, a slow grin spreading across his face.
"I waited," he declared, his voice filled with exhilaration.
The monstrous bug lunged at Setchi with terrifying speed, its massive limbs swinging with deadly intent. But Setchi moved with the agility of a dancer, effortlessly evading the creature's attacks. With a graceful backflip, he soared over the insect's thrashing limbs, landing in a one-handed headstand on one of its massive arms.
"Time for some action!!!" Setchi exclaimed, his excitement palpable.
With a swift movement, Setchi split his legs apart, leveraging the momentum to flip off the bug's arm, tearing it clean from its body. As the creature reeled from the blow, Setchi dodged its retaliatory strike, countering with a devastating punch to its chest. The force of the impact tore a gaping hole through the creature's exoskeleton, sending it crashing to the ground in a heap.
"I sense your mana now~" Setchi taunted, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
But before he could savor his victory, the ground beneath him gave way, plunging him into darkness.
"Let's goooo!!!" Setchi's voice echoed from the depths below as he disappeared from view.
"Oh shit. Kemonoka and Rukyoi, run! They know where we are. I'm going to make sure Setchi doesn't blow up the entire cave," Oto shouted, his voice tinged with urgency as he leaped down the hole after Setchi.
Meanwhile, high above the chaos, atop a towering Ferris wheel in the National Grufani theme park, four figures sat in one of the spacious capsules. Among them was a muscular woman with long black hair and piercing grey eyes. She was clad in a white flannel shirt, tucked into white cargo pants, her feet adorned with black oxford boots. Black gloves covered her hands, and a small face tattoo on her left cheek bore the inscription "M.A.G.I.C."
This was Dorpai Hahz-Y-002.
"DAMMIT!!! WHY AM I NOW JUST GETTING THIS NEWS!?" Dorpai's voice rang out, frustration evident in every syllable.
The M.A.G.I.C. scientist beside her hesitated before responding. "Ms. Hahz-"
"They demoted me a few months ago!? To Y-002? WHO TOOK THE ROLE OF Y-001!?" Dorpai demanded, her anger simmering beneath the surface.
"Salvage..." the scientist replied quietly.
"Who?" Dorpai pressed, her tone laced with impatience.
The scene unfolded four months ago, in front of a towering iron door, where Dorpai and Jipami DeCharlos-Y-007 stood facing Anata. Jipami's mouth and eyes were sealed shut with actual metallic zippers, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore an oversized white kimono with sleeves that trailed behind her like ethereal veils.
Dorpai's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "What do you want, Doc?"
Anata's gaze held a hint of intrigue as he responded, "Have you ever wondered what happened to Dakamichi?"
"He's dead, isn't he? Literally five days ago, after he lost that fight against that group of Negative Point kids, he was pretty much murdered!" Dorpai replied matter-of-factly.
"Well, I want you to meet somebody," Anata declared cryptically.
At Anata's side, Salvage materialized from invisibility, causing Dorpai to recoil in surprise.
"What the hell?" Dorpai exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.
"Did I frighten you? I apologize, really; I was simply checking to see whether you were gifted with one of those skills," Salvage explained calmly.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Doc, who is this guy?" Dorpai demanded, her suspicion evident.
"This is Salvage. He healed Dakamichi. Though Salvage's healing powers do need some practice, he's pretty much brought Dakamichi back from the dead!!!" Anata revealed, his voice tinged with excitement.
"You hear that, Jipami? Your boyfriend is back alive!!!" Dorpai exclaimed, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Blood dripped from the zippers sealing Jipami's eyes, a silent testament to her suppressed emotions.
"Oh... Tears of joy!!!" Dorpai added, her words dripping with irony.
"Don't get ahead of yourself; I'm still not very good at healing," Salvage cautioned, his expression serious.
"Hm? What is that supposed to mean? Dakamichi is alive and healed, isn't he?" Dorpai questioned, confusion etched into her features.
"Well, Salvage right now only has the ability to close wounds and bring people back from the dead. He can't at all stop pain and remove scars, so Dakamichi's body was in critical condition," Anata explained, his tone grave.
"Was?" Dorpai pressed, a glimmer of curiosity sparking in her eyes.
"Instead of being a good scientist and healing Dakamichi, I instead gave him a new body," Anata revealed, his voice tinged with pride.
"Eh, he wasn't good-looking anyway. How is he now?" Dorpai inquired, her interest piqued.
"That's why I've got you here! I'm sure he'd love for his girlfriend and her best friend to see his new, AMAZING, body," Anata declared, gesturing towards the towering iron door behind him.
As the door was ripped open by two large red metal hands, a colossal figure emerged from within. Clad in red armor and towering over Anata, the figure radiated power, with glowing orange eyes and menacing black spikes adorning his back. The door closed behind him, sealing his imposing presence in the chamber.
The towering figure emerged from the depths of the chamber, radiating power and authority.
"All right!!!" the figure boomed, his voice echoing off the walls.
Dorpai's jaw dropped in awe as she beheld the colossal presence before her.
"Dakamichi!?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"I'm... ALIVE!!!" Dakamichi declared triumphantly, his voice filled with newfound vigor.
"It appears that neither you nor them are utilizing his code name. For what reason is it the case? I mistakenly believed that I was the only one without a code name," Salvage interjected, his tone curious.
Anata let out a sigh. "Sometimes, Salvage, you have to learn that every living being, no matter how small, has emotions and feelings. Everyone who is a part of M.A.G.I.C. are human, just as I am, and us humans will always need their own requirements to use their feelings, especially the good ones. Everyone matters to me."
Dakamichi turned his attention to Jipami, his massive hand reaching out to pick her up.
"Jipami, you're looking as sexy as ever!!!" Dakamichi exclaimed, his voice booming.
Jipami's eyes widened in shock, blood streaming from the zippers sealing her lips and eyes.
"You thought I was really dead, didn't you? You thought you could finally get away from me, didn't you?" Dakamichi taunted, his tone laced with amusement.
More blood cascaded from Jipami's eyes, her expression contorted with anguish.
"What's that? You want me to tell you how I was injured so horribly? I'll tell you. Me, X-020, X-019, and X-017 were hunting down these children, and all of a sudden, I was shot through the head by this beam of light, like my entire head exploded and the mountain peak I was on was completely shot off. It was this cute little girl, who was hundreds of miles away from us, and according to Damiki who was stalking us from afar, she teleported behind the other three, and quickly killed them all. Thankfully Anata told him to bring my body back," Dakamichi recounted, his voice tinged with bitterness.
"You got killed by a little girl? How pathetic and lame," Dorpai scoffed, her disdain evident.
"I'm not even mad about my entire squad being destroyed by one girl. I'm mad that Damiki did nothing to help! He's only letting the enemy grow in power by NOT KILLING THEM," Dakamichi ranted, his frustration boiling over.
As he spoke, Dakamichi's grip tightened around Jipami, the sound of her bones cracking audible in the chamber.
Dakamichi's frustration simmered as he voiced his discontent. "I even lost my cool ability!"
Anata nodded understandingly. "I couldn't quite figure out how to give a giant sentient machine a magical ability, buuuuut, I did build your suit directly off of the concept of magic intensity."
Dakamichi's brow furrowed in curiosity. "Is whatever that is better than what I had before?"
"What you had before was completely contradictory towards your fighting style. Your new ability is a lot more destructive. Magic intensity is the amount of power and force put into a magic attack or ability. Observe," Anata explained.
With a flick of his wrist, Anata conjured a small hot pink flame in his palm. "This is what happens when I simply release a spell. When there is no power put behind it, it's merely just a candle flame. But when I actually put a little bit of power behind this..."
The flame transformed, crackling with dark purple electricity and emanating a vantablack aura. The sheer force of the magic sent shockwaves rippling through the chamber, knocking everyone around him off balance, even causing Dakamichi to stumble slightly.
"The more mana you flow into spells, the more effective they become. This can help ward off weaker attacks and even nullify things that would normally nullify your weaker attacks. Wizards also use another technique called magic minimization, which strengthens the power of their attacks significantly. By compacting large masses of magic, you can push it to almost a bursting point and cause it to multiply its power output almost infinitely. So, I gave you the ability to freely fluctuate the strength of your magic and use magic minimization to its fullest by utilizing special magic shooters from your hands," Anata elaborated.
Dakamichi's eyes gleamed with excitement as he seized the opportunity for destruction. With a dismissive toss, he hurled Jipami into a nearby wall.
"That sounds a lot more fun than what I had before!!!" Dakamichi declared, stomping past the others. "I'm going to take a swing at destroying some things, cya, doctor!!!" With that, he strode away, his footsteps echoing through the chamber.
Meanwhile, Dorpai's frustration reached its peak. "I wish I had another ability!!!" she exclaimed, her face flushing red with anger.
With a primal roar of frustration, Dorpai unleashed a powerful punch at the giant iron door, her fist slamming through it with enough force to create a massive hole. Satisfied with her display of strength, she turned and walked away, her steps echoing in the chamber as she followed Dakamichi's departure.
Salvage's curiosity piqued as he sought clarification. "That was the prior Y-001?"
Anata nodded solemnly. "Yes, there's a big gap in power between you two."
"I am among the strongest people for a reason. I will only be surpassed by that dreadful Z-001. My physical strength and genetic makeup are such that no regular person could ever outdo me unless they possessed superhuman physical prowess. The only thing that can stop me is Z-001 since he is just untouchable and the ideal of what a person should aspire to be," Salvage declared, his voice tinged with a mixture of respect and apprehension.
Anata's gaze held a hint of intrigue. "I never expected you to ever talk highly of anyone."
"Because he is remarkable, powerful, quick, fearless, tough, and eager to go above and beyond to complete a task. He really is the ideal human being," Salvage admitted, his tone reverent.
"You know, I find your thinking pattern interesting. You share the same traits as someone your age," Anata remarked, his tone tinged with amusement.
"What does that imply, exactly?" Salvage inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"You're three years old, and you idolize people like a toddler would. You're a hyperintelligent infant," Anata explained, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Yes, I do talk about Z-001 as though he were my boyhood hero, but that isn't the message I want to convey. What I want to convey is that Z-001's strength is at such an admirable peak that other people should strive to achieve it physically, just as he has," Salvage clarified, his voice resonating with conviction.
"And why are you saying that?" Anata probed, his curiosity evident.
"I hated him so much at first, but after spending months training with him, sitting with him, and having conversations with him, I've come to realize that he's not powerful because he's Z-001; rather, he's Z-001 because he's THE strongest. He's the role model that no one asked for, and he's what I and everyone else here should want to be. He's not someone I look up to; rather, I regard him as my formal first hurdle," Salvage explained, his tone reflective.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Salvage, but Z-001 is no longer human," Anata revealed, his words hanging heavily in the air.
Salvage sighed deeply. "I figured."
Dorpai seethed with anger as she processed the revelation. "So that BUM was the one who replaced me?!"
The M.A.G.I.C. Scientist attempted to intervene, but before he could speak another word, Dorpai's rage erupted. With a swift motion, she seized the scientist's skull in her hand and crushed it, ending his life instantly. His lifeless body slumped to the floor as Dorpai's eyes burned with fury.
"I'll kill that bastard when I get back!!!" she declared vehemently, her voice dripping with venom.
Just then, the person in the white poncho materialized in the capsule, accompanied by another figure. Nuqta Edray, identified as Y-004, stood alongside a blonde woman named Cornelia Smith, designated as Y-005.
"Hey, girl! You came at the wrong time," Cornelia remarked, her tone casual despite the tense atmosphere.
Dorpai's frustration boiled over as she unleashed her anger, delivering a powerful punch that sent Jipami hurtling out of the capsule.
"Dammit, I'm so mad!!!" Dorpai exclaimed, her voice echoing with rage.
Nuqta's expression remained impassive as she delivered the crucial information. "They're here."
All eyes turned to Nuqta, awaiting her next words.
"Khaya managed to get two of them under the cave," Nuqta explained calmly, her voice steady.
"Okay, yeah. I'm getting OUT. OF. HERE. I'll go kill the ones who didn't go!" Cornelia declared, leaping out of the Ferris wheel without hesitation.
"Darn that! I paid for this ride!!! I'm not LEAVING until this ride stops!!!" Dorpai protested stubbornly, her determination unwavering.
"Isn't this an hour-long ride?" Nuqta remarked, her tone laced with irony as the capsule continued its slow rotation, seemingly oblivious to the chaos unfolding within.