Many years ago, in a castle…
"A Voltian?"
Izuru stared at the window, and the Voltian girl who was behind it started frantically speaking.
"Sir, I BADLY need your help!"
"Who are you, again?" Izuru asked.
She pointed to a golden necklace on her neck. "My name is Tsumika Izanagi. I'm a priestess of the Izanagi clan."
Izuru eyed her suspiciously. "So you're a spell-casting witch?"
She waved her hands. "No, no! I just come from one of the royal families, that's all."
Izuru continued to size her up. "Why would you ever think to come here? Don't you know this entire place hates your guts?"
She immediately blushed, looking down. "Well…I haven't done anything wrong, so…"
"Even if that's the case, your people are still evil! Everyone says they torture, kill, and enslave all they don't like!"
"But that doesn't apply to me!" Tsumika pointed out. "Can you please just hear me out?"
Izuru sighed, contemplating what to do. "She hasn't shown any malicious intent yet…"
He sighed. "Alright, fine."
She immediately relaxed. "Thanks! Can I come inside?"
"Oh, hell no. I'll meet you out there."
She stepped back, hands crossed as she waited for him. Izuru made sure Chiaki was sleeping before quietly slipping out of the room.
"Runea did say not to leave the room…but she's not some all-seeing knight, is she?" Izuru thought.
Even still, he made sure to cover his tracks and quickly sneak out of the castle, meeting Tsumika outside.
"I'm here. Now what?"
She pointed toward the city. "My mom! She came here to visit, but she got lost!"
Izuru stared at her, dumbfounded. "Why would your mom VISIT this place? Don't you know our nation is EXTREMELY dangerous to only VOLTIANS specifically?"
"Yeah, but she has friends here! Come on, I'll show you where I last saw her."
Izuru rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
They started to walk, but when they got to the gate, they found Melodar still there, strumming his guitar.
"Who is that?" Tsumika asked.
"That's a member of the Obsidian Order, I think," Izuru replied.
"Obsidian Order?"
"Powerful group. Come on, we'll have to go around."
Izuru looked around for an exit, eventually finding a small hatch nearby. "Maybe this could work?"
They walked up to it, but it had a handprint in the middle. Tsumika put her hand to it, but nothing happened.
"I think it's locked."
Izuru tried once, but it didn't work. "Huh. Guess this way won't work."
There were a few lines etched on the top, which read: "Those with power will find what they seek."
"Does that mean…?" Izuru wondered. "Perhaps if I…"
His hand began to glow yellow, and lightning started coming off of it. Tsumika gasped as he put it down, and the hatch sputtered before opening.
"You have an ELEMENT?" Tsumika blurted out.
"Shhhh!" Izuru hissed.
"Sorry!"
They climbed in the hatch, and it closed behind them. Once they were in, they landed in a tunnel, which was lit up by small purple lights.
"The direction you were pointing out should be straight ahead," Izuru stated. "Let's move."
They walked side by side down the tunnel, and after a few minutes of walking, Tsumika turned toward Izuru.
"What's your name?"
"Izuru."
"Any last name?"
"It doesn't really matter."
"Hmph, if you insist."
As they walked a few more steps, she continued on. "So, Izuru, do you have any pets? How old are you? Do you like pancakes or waffles?"
Izuru stopped. "Why are you asking so many questions? I thought we were just going to find your mom and then go our separate ways."
"I don't have many friends…" Tsumika admitted. "Is there a chance we could be?"
"Zharian culture forbids any friendship between a Voltian and a Zharian. Humans, dwarves, orcs, and even monsters, sure, but definitely not a Voltian." Izuru said. "Anything between us would be taboo."
"Aww…but no one needs to know! Come on, aren't you DYING for a new friend?"
Izuru slapped his head. "Let's keep moving."
They advanced further down the tunnel until they saw a ladder, with another hatch at the top. "There, that should be our stop."
They climbed the ladder, exiting the tunnel, but once they did, they found themselves in a shopping area, with tons of Zharian civilians walking the streets.
"Shit!"
Izuru quickly pulled Tsumika into the closest alleyway. "Are you SURE this was the last place you saw her?"
"Yep!" she answered. "Positive!"
"Well this just happens to be one of the most crowded areas in the entire nation, so we'll have to tread lightly. Maybe if we use the alleys, we can scout the place without being noticed."
He noticed Tsumika drifting into the crowd. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?"
"Mom! I saw her! Mom! Wait up!"
She started shuffling through the crowd, trying to blend in, and Izuru had no choice but to follow her. They reached from one end of the street to the other, where a giant mall was located.
"Damn it! Where has this girl gone?"
He looked all over, but she was nowhere to be found. He walked into the main plaza, but he accidentally bumped into someone. When he looked up, he found Maki, staring at him with a furious look in her eye.
"Oh crap—-!"
"Izuru!" Maki yelled. "Why in the MASTER'S name would you sneak out of the castle, when Miss Runea TOLD us to stay inside?"
"Heh, uh, you know, just getting exercise."
"THIS LATE?"
Izuru looked around, making sure no one was paying attention. "Listen, Maki. This Voltian girl, her name is Tsumika, she wanted my help to find her mother."
Maki gasped. "You saw a Voltian and didn't report her?"
"She said her mom had friends here!"
"And you BELIEVED her?"
Izuru scratched his head. "Well…sort of?"
Maki folded her arms. "Where is this girl, anyway?"
"That's the problem. I don't know."
Maki glared at him for a few more minutes, before relenting. "Fine. Let's find this girl before she causes trouble. But if anything happens, I'm pinning this on you!"
"Wait, why are you even here in the first place? Shouldn't YOU be asleep?"
"I followed you, duh," she admitted. "You're so loud when you sneak out."
"Should have known. Mother always said that. Well, let's move."
Maki continued to side-eye him as they walked through the plaza of the mall, checking store after store. An hour passed, and no progress was made. They both regrouped at a food booth nearby.
"Did you find her?" Izuru asked.
"No. Did you?"
"Nothing. With all these people here she could be ANYWHERE."
"Or caught," Maki pointed out.
As they both sat down, they heard a whisper coming from a nearby bathroom. "Pssst! Over here!"
"Did you hear that?" Izuru asked.
"This way…Izuru!"
Both Izuru and Maki turned toward the bathroom, and they saw Tsumika peeking her head out, a robe covering her face.
"Is that her?" Maki asked.
"Yeah. Let's see what she wants, before she causes a scene."
They both discreetly approached the bathroom, being careful not to attract unwanted attention.
"Oh, did you bring a friend?" Tsumika asked, looking over Maki.
"Sort of," Izuru replied. "Why are you here?"
"My mom's in here! Come! She wants to meet you!"
"Wait a second," Maki interrupted. "Why would she want to do that?"
"Because, she wants to meet the friendly boy who helped me, duh! You're welcome too!"
Maki and Izuru shared a look.
"Should we go inside?" Maki whispered.
"I don't know, but the longer she stays in view, the higher chance someone notices her. The best idea is to meet this 'mother,' and get them both out of the city as soon as possible," Ionix whispered back.
They both turned to face Tsumika.
"Okay, we're ready," Izuru announced.
"Yay! Okay, in here!"
She led them inside, and after creeping through a few doors, they made it into an empty section of the bathroom, where a robed woman was sitting on the floor, her back toward them.
"Mommy! I'm back!" Tsumika said.
The woman slowly turned her head, and from what Izuru could see of her face, she had long black hair and cold black eyes. "That's great, dear. Did you bring what I asked?"
"Yep!" Tsumika answered back. "Two new friends, who are eager to meet you!"
The woman slowly stood up, her frame tall and imposing. She turned to face the two children, looking down at them with a curious look.
"Greetings. I am Tsumika's mother and caretaker, Tsukina Izanagi."
Tsukina took a step forward. "And who might you two be?"
"My name's Izuru," Izuru announced.
"I'm Maki," Maki added.
"Izuru and Maki…yes. I can sense great power coming from you both, yes."
Izuru began to have an uneasy feeling in his stomach as the woman leaned closer to his face.
"Mommy, why did you come in here, anyway?" Tsumika innocently asked. "Could we go and get food, or shop, or—?"
"One moment, my child," Tsukina ordered, putting a hand on Izuru's shoulder. "You possess the Element of Electricity, yes?"
She looked toward Maki. "And I sense the Element of Poison coming off your body. Am I correct?"
"How could you know that?" Maki questioned, starting to get nervous.
A wicked smile crossed Tsukina's face. "You must know us Voltians all possess magic, right? Can you guess what mine is?"
She held up her hand, and a white glow surrounded it. "It's Theft Magic. Meaning whatever power I choose, Magical or Elemental, I can steal from others."
Maki and Izuru both backed away, as the woman lifted her hand to their faces. "And I do believe your Elements will serve me well. I am the S-2 General, after all. Increasing my strength is only mandatory for this position."
"YOU'RE A GENERAL?" Izuru exclaimed. "Tsumika, you led us into a trap?"
"No, no!" Tsumika stammered. "My mother only wanted to talk, that's all! She promised me!"
"I knew this was a bad idea, Izuru!" Maki said, angry. "I'm not giving this evil woman anything!"
She lifted her hands out, and poisonous gas emerged from them, but Tsukina summoned a wall of ice to block it.
"Your powers are new, you have no control over them as yet. As for me, I've stored more powers than you could ever imagine."
She stomped the ground, and ice traveled through it, freezing Izuru and Maki from the waist down.
"There is little use in resisting," Tsukina remarked. "It won't kill you, and after all, as a General, my power vastly surpasses yours."
"Mommy, stop!" Tsumika pleaded.
"Step aside, child," Tsukina demanded.
"They're just like I thought!" Izuru yelled. "Evil, heartless traitorous TYRANTS!"
"Is that how you feel?" Tsukina wondered. "Well then, let's quell those thoughts."
A bunch of chains wrapped around them, squeezing them tightly. "I do need you alive to take your power, but alive does not mean 'unharmed.'"
While Tsumika continued to plead with her mother, Izuru began to feel a hot rage in his body, and he unleashed a powerful explosion of electricity, sending everyone flying and bursting a hole in the wall, allowing the entire mall to witness what was going on. Zharians stopped what they were doing, and stared in shock.
"Is that…"
"Are those two…"
"Voltians! We've been infiltrated! Guards!"
Tsukina got up, eyes blazing. "Naughty child. Now you've gone and forced my hand."
As Zharian guards stormed toward the scene, Tsukina unleashed a large ice dragon, which crashed into them and froze them solid. Instead of stopping there, she formed a powerful energy blast in her hands and fired it, which instantly killed a group of young Zharians trying to flee.
"No!" Izuru screamed.
He tried to punch Tsukina, but she effortlessly batted him away. Maki fired more poison gas at her, but Tsukina made a forcefield of energy to protect herself.
"I think I'll clear this mall out before I go about taking your powers," Tsukina said. "Maybe it'll teach you both a lesson on which species actually runs things."
"Mommy, you're going too far! Stop!" Tsumika insisted.
Tsukina ignored her, using her abilities to wreak havoc on the mall. As she harmed and killed more and more civilians, Izuru ran to stop her.
"This is my fault!" he thought. "I'm so gullible! I've gotta stop this, NOW!"
Tsukina grabbed a chair, and as soon as she did, it started beeping. Before she could throw it, Izuru hit her with a powerful lightning blast, making her drop the chair, and it exploded in her face.
"Grrr…you little rat!"
She fired a beam of ice at him, but he managed to avoid it. She fired bolts of energy his way, and he ducked behind a table to hide from them.
"Where should I hit her? She'll be guarded on attacks to her face…maybe her torso?"
He fired a beam of lightning at her, and sure enough it hit her in the chest, making her stumble.
"You have some NERVE!"
More guards came into the fray, but she froze them all with ease. Maki tried to jump in as well, but she simply got frozen all the way up to her neck.
"Izuru…please…stop her…!" Maki pleaded.
Izuru rushed from behind cover, attempting to punch Tsukina, but she wasn't there anymore. He felt her presence behind her, and as he heard the charging of an energy blast…
…Tsumika jumped in front of it, taking the attack herself.
"What the—?" Ionix blurted out.
"Daughter!" Tsukina immediately dropped her guard, and once she did, Ionix took his chance and put all his energy into firing a powerful beam of electricity, tearing through her chest. She immediately dropped to the ground, breathing hard.
"You…you little bug! I'll crush you for this, I swear!"
She tried to walk toward her fallen child, but she dropped to her knees, and she disappeared in a flash of light. Izuru approached Tsumika, who weakly coughed.
"I'm…I'm sorry about her…" Tsumika managed to spit out. "Please, don't be mad…"
"Mad? Did you SEE what she just DID? How could you trick me like that?"
Guards immediately swarmed her, weapons pointed. "Hands up, now!"
As they stood her up, a tear fell from her eye. "I…I didn't mean to, I…thought you were a friend! My only friend!"
Izuru looked away, conflicted. "It doesn't matter anymore. The crimes your mother did this day, now it's on your hands!"
She dropped her head as the guards escorted her away. "Izuru! Please, please don't leave me! Please come find me, no matter how long it takes!"
He watched her be taken away, and Maki walked up to him. "Well, I hope YOU'RE happy. At least you saved the day from that murderous bastard of a woman."
"That girl…" Izuru whispered. "Do you think she's actually different from the rest?"
"Are you kidding me? She tricked you for fun!"
"Yeah, but she did just save my life. Her people are the scum of the earth, but maybe she's one of a kind…"
He noticed a broken necklace left behind from Tsumika, and he walked over and picked it up. "Just maybe…"
Later that day, both Maki and Izuru were taken back to the castle, where the Master and Runea were waiting. The other children were lined up against the wall, anxiously waiting.
"I told you kids not to leave," Runea stated.
"These children…they've battled a powerful Voltian General and managed to overcome her…" the Master acknowledged.
"That is true, Master," Runea agreed. "What should we do with them?"
"The Order…could use more assistance. From here on out…I shall add ten more positions to our ranks…come, children. Come and receive your new identities."
Otoko was called first.
"You…have the power of bones. You shall be Ossix, ranked 20th."
Then Nobukazu.
"Your power is the ability to nullify any element you come in contact with. I grant you the Rank 19 spot, Nullus."
Then Ryusei.
"Your light can blind any you touch. A special power indeed. You will take Rank 18, and your name will be Raylon."
Then Amika.
"Your form is yours to change as you wish. The ability to wear any face cannot be underestimated. Join your peers as Rank 17, Alterna."
Then Haruhisa.
"Crystals are your strength. Forge them into a deadly blade, or a sturdy defense. Prismar is a fitting moniker, for the 16th-ranked member."
Then Chiaki.
"Hmm…smoke. It can be suffocating, it can shroud your movements, or it can simply burn the skin off your enemies. How does Vapron sound, Rank 15?"
Then Fusako.
"The power to control plants and nature…what a beautiful thing. Fenryx, your spot will be 14th."
Then Kan.
"Kan…you possess the ability to form and use the same properties of a magnet. Repel your enemies, Polarix, the 13th rank."
Then Maki.
"You've shown great strength in your battle with Tsukina, Maki. Your poison isn't a curse, but a gift…use it to liberate your people from the clutches of our enemies. Rank 12 is your spot. Well earned…Venire."
And finally, Izuru was brought forth.
"When one makes a mistake, it takes a certain fortitude and accountability to rectify said mistake. Izuru, you've done much more than rectify your mistake, you've saved countless lives by fending off that woman. Use that strength and lead your peers. The 11th rank, only one below my trusted subordinate, Runea, is your rank. You are no longer merely Izuru, your name shall be feared all across the land…Ionix."
Izuru bowed. "Yes…Master."
The Master stood up. "From this point on, each of you belongs to the Obsidian Order. You all share a grand goal, a noble goal. Without fail, we will find the power known as Deity, and we will exterminate every one of our enemies."
Ionix caught one last glimpse of Tsumika as she was being led into the dungeons, but she gave him a smile. He watched her for a moment…
…and then he turned back to his Master, his eyes glowing yellow.
—-