"You may have foreseen it. But have you analyzed it."
Kyro grits his teeth as the figure said that indicating something bad is going to happen and it is coming from him.
"Let me show you my might as I destroy your infantry."
The figure ejected a shadow type sword across his arms and held it towards the air. The sword despite being a shadow emits a dark purplish light which manages to rival the sunlight creating a tense environment. He then proceeds to puncture it into the ground sending a shockwave which disrupts the infantry formation and shattered the ground and cracks the ground to create an uneven surface. The figure left the princess and charges at the infantry with all his might.
"BEHOLD!!!! MY ULTIMATE!!!"
The figure stops in front of the formation and puts his sword in his shadow sheath, but then the horror happens as he ejected the sword a bit and goes on a killing spree. In just seconds, one by one, each of them their bodies got sliced into half and their heads are beheaded, but there is no blood. The blade is so powerful that is slices things as if they are papers. Their body parts have been cauterized, but with such speed of cauterization indicates the blade is hotter than anything on earth. Kyro lacks his forces and will have to proceed to last resort in saving the princess.
"Behold, my ability. My name is Phoenix and I vow revenge towards the Dark Arts Clan with my cursed ability from the depths of the shadow. And I declare war against this city, for I shall stand firm to destroy this place to atoms."
Kyro stares at Phoenix with no directions whatsoever. He panicked a little, but he had no intention on letting the panic consume him.
"Kyro, don't engage until backup arrives. Prioritize the princess."
Raz on the other hand contacted Kyro to stand firm , but Kyro realized that sitting still won't do any good and he had to act even if it defies the order.
"You will pay for this, PHOENIX!!!!"
"Kyro, halt it!"
Kyro defies the order and ejected his sword. He dashes towards Phoenix to go one on one with him hoping to at least making him retreat from the battlefield. Soon the two clashes swords with each other, but the shadow sword proves it's superiority over the dark arts sword, which shattered the dark arts sword in a matter of seconds. This gave a huge opening for Phoenix to strike back. Kyro got into a huge disadvantage and only could eject a sword to defend the blow. Unfortunately, the sword breaks upon contact and with such huge force displaces Kyro from his position. Kyro swipes his hand from left to right to summon five large swords and punches each one of it to attack Phoenix from far, but the efforts are futile as Phoenix manage to stab Kyro on the stomach, leaving him to bleed to death.
"Dark Arts, huh! I have never expected to meet one that fast. You are strong, but you have not reached my level yet."
"What.....the hell.....you want????!!!"
"Payback for what your clan has done to us. We thought you and I will have peace, but one of you stab us in the back. In the end, you took everything from us and destroyed our home. Now it is time for me to do the same. By abusing the artifact."
Kyro grunts as he heard his motive. In other words, Phoenix plans to destroy this planet with the artifact. To make the matter even worse for Kyro, Phoenix goes over and steps on Kyro's injured stomach inflicting more pain than he could withstand.
"You won't get away with this."
"No one is getting away, pathetic being. The only one getting away is your clan. My minions and I shall create a new home on this very land. It will be the moment that you will regret your choices."
"We....have done.....nothing wrong!!! You....got the wrong...target!"
"You don't, but your people does! You are only the representative to witness your own planet destroyed."
As a matter of fact, Kyro couldn't do anything with his state of injury. Blood kept flowing non stop and at any moment, he might die. But that thought never crossed his mind and he silently created one sword on air with all his energy left. Upon finishing it, he shot it at high velocity which pierces Phoenix's right arm. Realizing what had happened, Phoenix as if he didn't feel any pain, glares at Kyro and attempted to land a punch on his head. With all thoughts of miracle and hope, a raging voice came out of nowhere along with a bunch of swords behind her, she slashes Phoenix's right arm to stop the approaching punch.
"Sorry I am late. I was just finishing something."
"Claire??"
"I will handle this."
"Kyro, backup is on it's way. Medical helicopter is on it's way. Sit tight. ETA 30 seconds."
Kyro felt a slight relieve that this will end soon. Claire on the other hand fought Phoenix with all her might. Compared to Kyro, Claire's sword managed to withstand the force of Phoenix's attack allowing her to survive longer. And that is the moment that Kyro realises that Claire is part of the Dark Arts Clan.
"So we meet again, Phoenix."
"You are supposed to be dead."
"And so are you!!!"
The clash of the swords began once again and the advantage is on Claire herself. She managed to force Phoenix to take a step back.
"Princess, get to that man. Rescue is on its way."
As instructed, the princess got out of the crash site and go towards Kyro, until at some point, Claire manages to swing the sword with all her force and slams it towards Phoenix's shadow sword pushing Phoenix away. Given an opportunity, Claire ejected a sword that is so different than others. Like a noble knight, she held her sword high with both her hands. The sword emits a blinding white light that harnesses the sun energy. As the energy collected gradually becomes unstable, she slashes her sword at full force in line with Phoenix, slicing the figure into half and left a long straight line of burnt path and the line exploded, shattering the earth at that instant. Kyro witnesses such incident in awe about the glory of the sword. Non could match such power other than the user itself. With that being said, Phoenix disappears into thin air just like that, but the look on Claire indicates that he is still somewhere. Kyro suddenly became unconscious and passed out from the loss of blood.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kyro suddenly finds himself in a cave once again. This time the cave seems to be lighted with torches and it seems rundown. But then a voice called out to him.
"It seems that you are lost. Lost in search of something."
The voice startles Kyro which prompted him to summon a sword, but was unable to.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Unfortunately, you are alive. So I can't really talk to you like this."
"Who the hell are you?!"
Suddenly the torches in the cave lost its flame and all that remains is pure darkness. Kyro turns behind to run away, but is scared by a head that resembles Rilles which suddenly whispers to him in the face.
"You will find out soon, once you are dead."
Kyro screams, but he opens his eyes and found out he is on the hospital bed. The heart monitor suddenly spikes and beeps at a fast rate. Kyro felt scared, but he manages to calm down knowing that everything is fine and he is still alive, but he wonders who that is in the dream. Mr Grey who happens to be outside rushed inside hearing the monitor beeping rapidly.
"Kyro, are you okay?? Your heart rate-"
"I'm fine. Just a little nightmare."
"Thank God! The doctors nearly failed the surgery. You lost too much blood, so you have to stay here for awhile."
"Rather than that, where is Claire??Also, how did you know I ended up in hospital?"
Mr Grey did not think that Kyro would be curious as to how he knows that Kyro is in hospital. Thus, Kyro is curious about the relationship with Claire and Mr Grey, although she had told Mr Grey about the cult.
"She went back to the shelter. But that's not important. At least you are alive. I thought if I lost another one again, I-"
Mr Grey's voice became sad all of the sudden
"Another one again??"
"Nevermind that. I'll go get the doctor. Stay put."
Mr Grey went out to get the doctor. Kyro felt confused about what Mr Gray had just said as if there is a coincidence behind it. The real question is what makes Kyro the main concern of Mr Grey when they are unrelated. Without much thought, he abandoned that thought assuming it is just a coincidence or someone actually resembles Kyro. Mr Grey finally arrived with the doctor and took a step outside to look through the window.
"You will understand it soon, Kyro. You were sent to die because they assume you conspire with us. He did so to protect Base Zero. But it is too early for you to know about it."
Mr Grey talks to himself as he look at Kyro through the window. Mr Grey then leaves Kyro be to prevent being interrogated, but what he saw next makes him slightly uncomfortable. The man mentioned passed him by and did not recognise Mr Grey. It felt somewhat weird to Mr Grey as the aura that man passed by is different than the last time he remembered, as if there is no soul on that man. Mr Grey is suspicious of him, but ignored it unless it possesses any negative trait.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"How is my super agent? Feeling well?"
"Better, but the pain can still be felt. I think I might have to suspend myself for awhile until I am ready to work again."
The mentioned man is no other than Raz who had just entered Kyro's room to check on him. Upon hearing what Kyro had said, he sighs a little.
"Take as much rest as you want. But you need to be back on duty by next week. Call me when you are ready."
Kyro is about to take a rest, but Raz stopped him from doing so by asking him a question.
"By the way, Kyro. Are you hiding something?"
Kyro realized that he is hiding the fact he had contact with Claire. For privacy reasons, Claire had asked Kyro to keep her identity a secret.
"Why would I hide something? Anything important I will resort to you."
"Then may I know the source of your information regarding the Sky Guardian Cult who is said to have target us."
Kyro remains silent for a second and he needs to divert Raz's attention.
"I don't think I understand what you mean. Like I said before, I have a contact."
"Rather than that, where is the princess? Is she safe? Is the artifact safe?"
"You are supposed to know that. Why do you ask someone who is in the hospital??"
Raz, feeling annoyed, draws out a gun from his pocket and aims at Kyro, looking at him dead in the eyes expecting an answer from him.
"Say who it is. Who the contact is? Otherwise, I would presume that you are conspiring with a villain outside of Base Zero. My rule is simple. I will do anything to get rid of traitors within the organisation."
Kyro grabs and hold the gun firmly on Raz's hand and slowly put it onto his head in an attempt to reverse the tables on him.
"I would rather you to shoot me. How about this? You shoot me and if the Sky Guardian Cult held this city hostage, what will happen to your Base Zero? Rather, what will happen to you?"
Raz felt slightly agitated by Kyro's action, but Raz won't let that statement reverse his psychology.
"Then tell me who did you get the information from?"
There is no other way for Kyro to do so but to lie to Raz about his contact.
"I secretly made contact with the princess."
Raz felt guilty of doing so. He withdrew the gun from Kyro's head and put it away.
"I'm sorry. That won't happen again. Unless I said so. Get well soon. Hope to see you again."
Raz left the room after all that commotion. Kyro let out a huge sigh.
"Damn it. The general is on my tail. More importantly, what the hell does he mean by traitor?"
Indeed he felt curious about what Raz said, but then he remembers one thing. The Rilles incident. For now he is unsure what had happened at that time, but he firmly believes, Rilles is assassinated and the event was made as such there is no perpetrator and Arcadia is to be blamed. He partially believes Raz is the mastermind of this tragedy, but what is the motive?