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Aspax, Basin: Desolate Ash: Arclop Palace: Main Area, Time: 5:00 PM
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Don and Layla were back in the main area, and they finally spotted the aftermath of what happened.
"Woah, someone must have been busy..." Layla looked over the unconscious bodies of The Purified members and the explosion.
Don spotted someone on the ground, someone he was looking for. "Cauli!" Don quickly ran over to him.
"Heyyyy, Don..." Cauli mustered in exhaustion, needing a couple of stretches to get back up.
"You aren't hurt, are you?" Don asked as Cauli nodded; Don sighed in his mask.
"Ay, you got any healing stuff, shortstack?" Don looked over to Layla, who could only look at him with a deadpan expression.
"No, I haven't taught myself those things yet, but I've got an alternative." Layla grabbed something from her belt, a bottle with red liquid and roses floating inside.
Layla gave it to Don, who nodded. "Okay, drink up, Cauli." Don showed it to Cauli, who could only look at it in disgust.
"I am not drinking that..." Cauli stated, that he would rather die than drink some potion that would taste like his daily perfumes.
"Ok, fine then." Don decided to play along a little before he started to hold his mouth open. "Layla, quick! Make him drink it!" Don struggled to hold Cauli in his place as he flailed around.
"You guys are weird," Layla muttered before popping the cap of the bottle and making Cauli drink the potion.
Cauli finished drinking it before spitting most of it out. "Gross, I can't believe you made me drink that!" Cauli was a little angry; now his mouth tasted like roses.
"Hey, your breath smells nice now." Don teased, pinching Cauli's cheek before it was swatted away.
"Come on, I got the cargo. Let's leave..." Cauli lifted the cargo as they were about to leave; however...
"Not so fast!"
A sudden THUMP! appeared behind them. They turned to see Tumri behind them with his arms crossed.
Layla gasped, "Wait... who are you?" Layla seemed confused at the sight of him, even though she had stolen from them almost every day for a week, she had never seen him before.
"Oh, I am Tumri, head of The Purified. Does that ring any bells...?" Tumri sweated a little; they must have heard of him, right? There's no way they don't know him if they came from a rival gang.
"Nope! Doesn't ring a single one." Layla shook her head; she was just an outsider, just like Don and Cauli.
"Okay then, can you guys, like, leave us alone? We will not tell anyone about this." Tumri offered. Layla gave it a thought for a second.
"Yeah, we will. Don't go doing shady business now." Layla was about to leave before Tumri spotted that they had stolen something: the wine cargo.
"Hey, stop!"
"Wha..." Layla turned back to Tumri.
"Okay, we can charge you for something." Tumri took off his shirt, revealing his gorgeous six-pack body. His muscular build was finally shown to the world.
"You said we can leave!" Layla argued, not getting the explanation before.
"Yeah, but you stole something," Tumri stated before one of the towers of the palace fell. "And destroyed one of my towers." Tumri's chain started to glow in bluish colors.
"We don't have time for this!" Layla stated before Cauli stepped in and handed the cargo to Don.
"I got this." Cauli felt a bit energized from earlier, so he wouldn't indulge in some challenges. "Just leave it to me, you two."
"Ah, a volunteer." Tumri slowly walked toward Cauli as both of them stared each other down.
"God, am I offended that you look handsome?" Cauli stated, not liking that he would have to defeat this pretty face.
"Eh, I've heard that from a lot of girls, so you could if you want to." Tumri cracked his knuckles and prepared in his fighting stance.
"Shall we dance then? Because I will win this." Cauli pulled out his katana, ready to face Tumri in all-out combat.
Cauli dashed forward, his katana glinting in the sunlight. He swung at Tumri, who nimbly dodged the blade.
Tumri's fist glowed blue as he aimed a punch at Cauli's side. Cauli spun away, the blow just barely grazing his tunic.
"Not bad," Cauli admitted. "But I've faced faster." Clear the dust on his clothing.
"Oh yeah?" Tumri grinned. "Let's pick up the pace then."
Tumri launched into a series of rapid jabs, blue energy crackling around his hands. Cauli parried each hit with his sword, though the impacts made his arms shake.
In a swift motion, Tumri grabbed the flat of the blade and sent a pulse of energy into it. "Dragon Flames."
Cauli cried out as the hilt grew scalding hot. He dropped his smoking sword to the ground. "Hot! Hot! Hot!"
Weaponless, Cauli fell back on hand-to-hand combat. He aimed a roundhouse kick at Tumri's head. "Cobra-Style! Roundhouse kick edition!"
Tumri blocked it and countered with his spinning kick. His heel slammed into Cauli's chest, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Cauli wheezed but kept his feet under him. As Tumri closed in, Cauli hurled a handful of dirt into his face.
Tumri flinched, pawing at his eyes. Cauli tackled him to the ground, raining down blows. But suddenly the world spun as Tumri flipped their positions, pinning Cauli down.
"Had enough yet?" Tumri grinned, eyes watering but triumphant.
Cauli glared up at him defiantly. This fight was just getting started.
Here's a continuation with Layla and Don discussing the fight:
Layla paced as the battle raged on. "This isn't good. Cauli might be in over his head here."
Don watched the fight intently, arms crossed. "Give him some credit. Cauli's holding his own pretty well."
Cauli launched a barrage of strikes, forcing Tumri back. Layla breathed a small sigh of relief.
"See, he's got this," Don said.
But a moment later, Tumri landed a vicious counterblow that left Cauli dazed. Layla grabbed Don's arm.
"Okay, maybe you should step in," she urged. "Before this pretty boy smashes Cauli's face in."
"What? No way," Don scoffed. "Cauli would never live that down. Getting rescued by me?" He shook his head. "He's got his ambition and needs to act cool."
They looked back just as Tumri pinned a struggling Cauli.
Layla groaned loudly. "That ambition is going to get him killed! We have to help him."
"Just hang on," Don argued. "Cauli's got a few tricks left. He'll get out of this, I know he will."
But Layla could see Cauli tiring. She gave Don a stern look, one that said she wasn't asking anymore.
Don sighed, "Listen to me; you don't know much about both of us." Don stated, causing Layla to look at him weirdly. "This is the first time Cauli is facing an enemy that isn't his trainer or me. He would not let this down."
"So, I will eventually step in once Cauli calls for it." Don clutched his arm; he wanted to save Cauli from this fight, but he needed to learn the hard way.
Cauli knocked to the ground and lay in front of Don and Layla; he was bruised a little. The chain seemed to leave some burn marks on his face and arms.
"Do you want to use it now, Cauli?" Don asked, willing to give the thing Cauli could use.
"Not yet, I still can fight without it for now..." Cauli struggled a little to get up, but he eventually managed to.
"I am surprised that you are hardcore enough to still fight me." Tumri was concerned as well; this was the first time a person who was still bruised stood up against him.
"As long as I can still stand, I will make sure you are defeated!" Cauli smirked; that felt good for him to say at last.
"Dragonic Chain." Tumri unleashed his chain as it sailed through the air and caught Cauli. Tumri started to swing Cauli around like a doll; his body was hitting the palace.
Cauli's body slammed against the palace wall again and again as Tumri swung him wildly by the glowing chain. Face bloodied, Cauli clawed at the links digging into his skin, but couldn't break free.
"Cauli!" Layla cried out in alarm. She whirled on Don. "Do something! He's going to get killed!"
Don's jaw clenched, conflict raging in his eyes as Cauli's pained grunts echoed across the courtyard.
Finally, the decision was made, Don yelled out, "Cauli! Use it!"
Cauli finally took action as he grabbed his katana and stabbed Tumri in the guts, finally letting him go.
Don tossed something to Cauli's hand, and he caught it perfectly. "Thanks, Don..." Cauli weakly smiled before looking at Tumri.
He was holding a red and white Custodiae, which seemed to have a sheath hole in the side. The base of Custodiae seemed to be a bunch of chemical tubes connected to transparent glass with a hammer on the right side of the base.
In the middle of the base seems to be a chemical flask ready to drop a sample into it.
"This is my first time using this on someone; I hope you're ready." Cauli smiled at Tumri, who only returned a smirk to him.
"Don't be cocky when you transform now," Tumri stated, his chain glowing in a bluish flare again.
Cauli put the Custodiae on his hip, activating a belt around it and letting out a voice, "Chemical Reactors."
"I think I know a perfect solution." Cauli snapped his fingers before putting his katana into Custodiae.
Cauli pulled out a Schlenkk flask, which contained a white and red mixture of liquid inside with a cute kitsune label on it. Cauli popped the cap open, releasing a satisfying fizz sound.
Layla let out a satisfying sigh, "Ah~ That sounds amazing!"
Cauli poured it down on the Custodiae flask, filling it up completely. The Custodiae read it, "Kitsune!"
A magical Torii appeared above him with a stone pathway appearing behind him. A small white kitsune with red stripes appeared, hopping to the sides in playful manners before landing in front of Cauli.
Cauli cranked his katana once, letting out an engine noise. He cranked it twice before cranking it three times, letting his Custodiae loose. "Chemical Rise!"
"Henshin," Cauli muttered and prepared himself to transform. As he let the Custodiae and kitsune speak for themselves.
"Overflow! Magical inferno samurai!" The Custodiae let out.
"Awoo!" The small fox roared out.
Around Cauli, everything seemed to burst into flame. The flames seemed to be more magical than ever.
"Kitsune Blade!" The Custodiae continued.
"Awoo!" The Kitsune turned into a bright light before going inside Cauli.
His body was trapped in a fiery vortex before bursting into white light.
His montsuki became red and white colors with details depicting flames, and his hair started to be highlighted in white. His belt became red.
The Torii and flames disappeared to display Cauli in his glory. The Custodiae forgot something as it let out a final word.
"Ready? Fight!"
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