"Wait, so you guys called me here to help you take out someone who's helping my cause?" Mark asked, his voice a little skeptical.
The room fell silent for a moment, before Old Man Ginger spoke up:
"He's killing anyone he thinks is a threat. And guess what? You're a threat, Mark."
Mark stood up, about to leave, when Emily intervened. "Mark, I'm a threat, Zico's a threat... Aknaili killed everyone in the east level three village."
Mark's expression turned cold. "Okay, call me when he gets here." With that, he walked out, leaving Zico, Emily, and the two village Chiefs to discuss the matter further.
Outside, Mark met up with Asami.
"How are you?" he asked, faking a smile.
Asami smiled back:
"I'm fine, thanks. And you?"
Mark's fake smile faltered for a moment before he replied:
"I'm great."
He continued walking, and Asami hurried to catch up with him. When she finally did, she asked:
"Do you mind if I come along?"
Mark stopped and turned to her. "No, I don't mind."
Asami nodded and began talking, filling Mark in on her thoughts. Mark listened intently, adding his own insights and ideas to the conversation.
'Where has Mark gone?' Emily wondered, standing in his empty room. She walked out of the village gate and searched the surrounding area, knowing the Sword Rain wasn't due for another hour. She had enough time to return to the village for safety.
Just then, Zico jumped down from a massive tree, landing gracefully beside her:
"What are you doing here?" he asked, as his eyes scanned the horizon.
"I'm looking for Mark," Emily replied, worry etched on her face.
"I've been searching for hours, but I can't find him anywhere."
Zico's expression turned serious:
"I don't think he's anywhere near here. And it's time you headed back to the village, the Sword Rain will begin soon."
Emily nodded, but then she sensed five massive energies:
"Wait, do you feel those five massive energies?" she asked, her senses on high alert.
Zico's eyes widened. "One of them feels like Remon," he said, his voice urgent.
Emily's face paled. Zico stared at at her and said:
"If that's true, go back and find Mark, it might be Aknaili" he explained, in a calm voice.
Without hesitation, Zico dashed off towards the west at an incredible speed, leaving Emily to hurry back to the village alone.
When Zico got close enough, he stopped, not wanting to jump in without a plan. He observed the scene before him, noting that Remon was the only one still standing. Aknaili, his face a black void, sneered:
"I'm not here to play around. Use your Armorment transformations!"
The three fencers behind Aknaili struggled to their feet, still trembling but refusing to give up. Remon, his face twisted in a mix of anger and excitement, charged at Aknaili, but Aknaili latter sidestepped his attack with ease. Aknaili retaliated with a kick to Remon's back neck, sending Remon crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
The three fencers watched in horror, finally deciding to use their transformations. Remon sprang up.
"Armorment" one of the three fencers decided to activate his Armorment, he transformed into a demonic humanoid dragon. The creature had black horns, scales, and wings, with a red midsection and a glowing red gem in the center.
Two pistols appeared in Aknaili's hands, immediately after there appearance he fired four bullets, killing two of the men, but failing to find Remon. The dragon dodged the quick bullet, now fully transformed, let out a deafening roar, ready to take on Aknaili.
Aknaili looked behind him, Remon emerged behind Aknaili, a faint red light dissipated to reveal his new form. His body was now encased in a dark red, full body armor that seemed to mold to his skin like a second layer. The armor pulsed with dark red energy, radiating an intense power. In his hands, Remon grasped two dragon daggers, their blades shaped like serpent like dragons and gleaming with a red and black sheen. He walked slowly towards Aknaili, his movements menacing.
The humanoid dragon, its black scales glistening in the fading light, moved in tandem with Remon, its eyes fixated on Aknaili with fierce intensity.
Zico was about to retreat, sensing the escalating danger, but a stray bullet forced him to reconsider. The bullet barely missed him, creating a gash in the ground and a powerful gust of wind that made him hesitate:
'Shit, I'm also in this fight,' he thought, realizing his predicament.
Meanwhile, Remon shouted, "I'm your opponent!" as he charged towards the battlefield. However, instead of targeting Aknaili, he attacked the humanoid dragon, fueled by anger of Aknaili not fighting him.
Aknaili took advantage of the distraction and vanished from the scene, thinking: 'Done'
The battle between Aknaili and the humanoid dragon intensified, with Aknaili wielding his daggers. However, the dragon kept pace with him, its movements swift and agile, refusing to back down.
Remon swung his dagger at the humanoid dragon, but it dodged the attack with ease and countered by piercing his right shoulder with its claws, straight through the armor to the back.
"Haaaaahahah!" Remon laughed in pain, his face contorted in a mix of agony and excitement.
The humanoid dragon punched him away, and Remon's face armor faded, revealing his pained expression with a smile. Just as the dragon was about to strike again, Zico intervened in his Armorment transformation by punching the humanoid dragon with his armed arms.
"Sorry I jumped in," he said to Remon:
"but we need to work together to take this creature down!"
Remon got up, his anger and determination evident on his face:
"I'll kill you!" he growled
"but first, we need to take care of this beast!" Zico said to Remon
The humanoid dragon let out a deafening roar:
"Hahahahahahahaha! Without that kid with the bullets, you're dead! He was also dead, that's why he decided to run!"
A mask appeared on Zico's fave completing his transformation, His hands with razor sharp claws, and his muscles bulged with strength. His skin a deep, fiery red, and black armor plating, covering his arms and torso. The black mask was glowing red lines that pulsed with energy.
Standing beside Remon, Zico's intense gaze locked onto the humanoid dragon.