4th Day of
As I trailed behind my clan, flying through the skies of Velonica, I couldn't help but notice how effortlessly they navigated the terrain and air around us. Below, the jagged cliffs and verdant forests blurred together, while overhead, clouds rolled by like lazy giants, unaware of our presence. My speed? A cool Mach-2. But I didn't feel it. Wind resistance was a joke thanks to the way [Spatial Control] and [Air Control] worked in harmony, creating a buffer zone that made flying feel like gliding through still air. Honestly, it was almost relaxing, a rare moment of peace in the chaos that followed us everywhere. I wasn't naive, though—there was a tension in the air, a kind of anxious excitement that only built as we neared Goblin Cave.
Out of nowhere, [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] activated [Accelerated Mind], and I felt the familiar rush of heightened awareness. My surroundings seemed to slow, and Tsukuyomi's voice echoed in my mind like a cold whisper.
"Master," he began, his tone calm yet weighty, "I've just finished analyzing the spiritual weapon turned artifact, Mikazuki."
"Wait," I thought, simultaneously contemplating midair as I processed his words. "spiritual weapon turned artifact?"
"Correct," Tsukuyomi responded, his voice filling the silence of my mind. "The former Tenka Goken is actually one-third of the [Guardian Armament: Twilight Goddess]. Mikazuki was the missing half of the [Civil Luna] summon. With its return, I can begin the Soul Binding ritual."
I blinked, strongly confused about what I just heard. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"How is it missing such a chunk of itself?" I asked, disbelief tinging my thoughts.
While the wind carried the distant cries of birds and the occasional rustle of the forest below, Tsukuyomi continued, unbothered by my outburst. "While analyzing Pawprints & Dreams, I've discovered it's laced with the same time-grain particles that the artifact, Mikazuki, was covered in. The former Guardian Armament was split and reduced to Spirit Weapons while the grimoire held their souls. Both appear to share your signature frequency—since both are saturated with your mana. Meaning, Master, that they both come from you."
I felt my brows furrow, even if no one could see it. "The hell do you mean? I broke my Guardian Armament and sent it through time. Why the fuck would I do that?"
Tsukuyomi's calm, calculated voice remained steady. "I suggest we summon and re-seal the weapon we have now... then ask her."
There was a beat of silence. The rush of wind past my ears, the steady pulse of magitons flowing through the air around us—everything felt still for a moment. "That's a good motherfuckin' idea," I admitted, knowing there was no point in arguing logic.
"Would you like to hear what else I've learned?" Tsukuyomi asked, his voice holding that same quiet precision.
"Hit me, Tsuki," I thought, bracing myself.
"With the grimoire Pawprints & Dreams and the artifact, Mikazuki, we now have a complete understanding of Spirit Weapons and Guardian Armaments. With the fragment, Civil Luna—formerly known as Mikazuki—synced with your soul again, you can summon it whenever you desire."
I glanced down at my hand, imagining the weight of the Mikazuki there. Civil Luna. "That's the name of the red voice of the Twilight Goddess," I voiced, more to myself than to Tsukuyomi.
"Correct," Tsukuyomi confirmed. "The spirit fragment Mikazuki appears to be the key to releasing the ancient anima of incredible mana, Red."
Before I could fully digest that, [Midnight Star: Belial] decided to chime in, his voice rough, carrying an edge of impatience. "That skill is the prerequisite for your Ultra Skill. You need to find the other two fragments."
I smirked, my mind cruising to catch up with all the information. Tsukuyomi's calculated, methodical explanations versus Belial's straightforward, no-nonsense attitude—it was like they balanced each other out in my head. With a real nigga like me leading the charge.
"I was getting to that," Tsukuyomi said, mildly annoyed. "Belial is correct. The completed skill [Guardian Armament: Twilight Goddess] is necessary to activate the Ultra Skill [Heaven's Kaleidoscope]."
Suddenly, things were clicking into place, pieces of a puzzle I didn't even know I had. "So that's what Omnia meant when she talked about the skill I needed to master first," I thought aloud. "But what's up with all this time travel bullshit? Pieces of my soul comin' from the future or the past or whatever? This shit's gettin' weird."
Belial's voice cut through my musings like a blade. "Who cares? We'll overcome anything in our way."
I grinned, the weight of their words pressing on me but also lighting a fire inside. "Damn right."
As I continued to fly through the skies, Belial whispered within me, his voice a steady reminder of the unwavering path I'd set out on. "Nothing can stand in our way, Xiro. Anything you desire is yours for the taking. We are unbeatable."
His words always had a way of pushing doubt to the back of my mind, especially when it came to things that mattered the most. Over the last 14 years, I'd come to value Belial and Tsukuyomi more than I could've imagined. They weren't just Vessel Skills—they were extensions of myself. Without them, life would've been... different, to say the least.
With [Accelerated Mind] releasing, the world returned to a pace that allowed me to speed up. A few seconds more and I'd be where my clan had already landed, just outside the dreaded Goblin Cave.
Goblin Cave was infamous in Velonica, a place even children knew about, though for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't just a hideout for the vermin that terrorized towns and villages, but a place where people had lost their lives—rookie artists, civilians, even warriors who weren't quite ready. I remembered the job requests pinned up in Talasi and Lashun like it was yesterday: goblin extermination. Killing the little green bastards had become routine for many, but not everyone survived to tell the tale.
Then there was the personal history. This cave was where Vericka had lost her lover, who died in a battle with the Goblin King. It was a huge, dark scar carved into the side of the mountain range, gaping open like some mouth about to swallow us whole. The stench that wafted from it hit like a slap, a mixture of rot and decay so potent I almost gagged. The scent of rotting flesh clung to the air, making me want to step back, but I pushed through. Primitive markings and symbols lined the entrance like some kind of tribal warning. "Welcome home," they seemed to say. Yeah, right.
I landed softly behind the group, everyone already waiting, probably watching me breeze in like I didn't have a care in the world. My senses immediately rebelled against the foul stench around us.
"Oh shi—what the hell is that?" I grimaced, covering my nose. "Damn, they stink."
Steez didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, smell like straight ass."
Vericka's voice cut through the banter, motherly but direct. "Well, you boys will have to deal with that." She looked us over, assessing like she always did. Her gaze lingered a bit longer on me, though, that motherly concern I'd known since childhood mixing with her duty as a sensei. "Deep in the back of Goblin Cave, you'll find the dimensional door that leads to Jerrica's Labyrinth. It's the first discovered labyrinth on Arcadia—and it's where I earned my Pure Lord Seed."
Alex, ever the inquisitive one, spoke up. "Auntie Vee, what's the difference between a Pure Lord Seed and a regular Lord Seed?"
Luda chimed in before she could respond, nodding in agreement. "I remember hearing that one gives access to stronger evolutions."
Vericka gave a small nod of approval. "You're right, Prince Luda. A Pure Lord Seed doesn't just give you access to stronger evolutions—it allows you a chance to unlock a skill called [Trance], temporarily unlocking the full potential of your soul by combining it with your Vessel Skill. In essence, you tap into divine power."
Alex frowned a bit, processing. "And a normal Lord Seed can't do that?"
"No," Vericka confirmed. "A regular Lord Seed would need five hundred times the amount of absorbed souls to even come close to transforming into a Pure Lord Seed."
That was my cue. "Remember, Alex," I started, my mind recalling lessons on mana and spirit energy. "Souls are concentrated amounts of spiritons and psions, tied together with magitons. When a Lord Seed forms in a sociovore, it needs to absorb a massive amount of spiritons to strengthen its Soul Core."
Vericka picked up where I left off. "Exactly. Sociovores used to kill countless humans and sociovores just to gather the necessary souls to elevate their leaders into Demon Lords. But when labyrinths were discovered, we learned that conquering the trials of a labyrinth's floor boss would grant a Pure Lord Seed—and mastery of your Ultra Skill."
Steez shifted beside me, his voice lined with a teasing edge. "Xi, you gonna be good? You still ain't unlocked yours, right?"
He wasn't wrong. A part of me felt embarrassed, but I kept my composure. I'd been stressing about my Ultra Skill before we left the village, but after what [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] revealed earlier, my confidence was slowly coming back.
"I think I'll be fine," I replied, trying not to sound too nonchalant. "If Mikazuki came from this labyrinth, then I've got two other pieces to collect inside."
Vericka's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing slightly. "Did you figure something out with your spirit weapon's return?"
"Yeah." I thought back to all those stories Grandma told me growing up. "If I remember correctly, she said Jerrica's Labyrinth was the one Synga conquered, right?"
Vericka smiled faintly. "That's right. It's also the one I challenged and 'conquered' as well—though saying I conquered it might be a bit of a stretch."
Luda raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Vericka looked toward the cave entrance, the shadows swallowing the dim light outside. "Once I obtained my Pure Lord Seed, I was given the option to exit. But something about that choice never sat right with me. It always felt like staying meant uncovering something more."
Alex spoke up, a touch of concern in his voice. "But you still got your Seed, right? At least it didn't stop you from that."
Vericka sighed, her gaze softening as memories seemed to flood back. "I did. But I was exhausted. All I wanted was to return home. You boys will understand soon enough."
Artamis, quieter than usual, finally spoke. "Is it really that bad in there, Mom?"
"For geniuses like you five? Maybe not. But it'll push you to your limits, test everything you've learned. Be prepared for adversity," she said, her voice growing serious, though a hint of pride flickered in her eyes.
Steez gave a small grunt. "Ain't nothin' ever easy," he muttered with a slight annoyance as if the thought of more trials grated his nerves.
Luda, always the one to look ahead, asked, "You also earn the [Spirit Weapon] skill from labyrinths, right?"
Vericka nodded again. "Yes. Overcome your trials, and you'll be rewarded with the skill and more."
Alex brightened at that, his eyes sparkling with hope. "Mom told me that's how you and her got y'alls."
Vericka smiled, a rare but genuine smile, as Alex's words seemed to comfort her. "She couldn't stand those trials, but I hate she never blossomed her Seed."
Alex looked down for a moment, then back up with a soft smile. "She talked about how she didn't mind retiring from being an artist. Said she's been happy being a mom."
Vericka's smile deepened as if those words reassured her that her sister had truly found peace. She turned, looking at all of us, her gaze lingering on me a little longer. There was pride in her eyes—a quiet, unspoken acknowledgment of how far we'd come under her guidance. In a world where power dictated everything, where might was often the measure of a person's worth, she saw us as the potential spark of change. But before we could be that force, we had to conquer the labyrinth. And as I stared into the darkness of Goblin Cave, my nose still stinging from the foul stench, I knew this was only the beginning.
The dark, damp air of Goblin Cave clung to us like a wet blanket. Before we stepped deeper into that abyss, I decided to use [Area Detection] to scope out what we were dealing with. The unique sensation that followed when I triggered the skill—a sonic burp—always made me laugh internally. It was like standing too close to a massive speaker at full blast, except the sound was the singular note of a raindrop falling. Sometimes, just for fun, I'd pretend I actually heard the water drop. This time, the faint tickle it caused in my chest was just what I needed to shake off the unease creeping up on me from the cave's unsettling atmosphere.
The skill pinged back quickly, showing me the layout of the cave and every living creature inside. 7,327 signatures. Damn. The sheer number alone told me we were in for a small grind, but that wasn't what got my attention. In the very back of the cave, past all the goblins, was one particularly large and threatening signature—a powerful A-Class, no doubt the Goblin King. He was leagues above the rest of the scrawny green pests, like a wolf among rabbits. His presence wasn't exactly impressive to me, though. Honestly, I could have handled him without breaking a sweat. What made me pause was the question of why Mom, even at her weakest, hadn't come back here for revenge. The Goblin King had stolen her lover—her second baby daddy. With her strength, she could have wiped the floor with him years ago.
Mom hadn't turned to face the cave since we arrived, and that told me everything I needed to know. This place still haunted her. I held back my question, sensing it wasn't the right time to dig up painful memories.
Vericka, ever the focused Sensei, gave us one final piece of advice.
"While I can't tell you how long it will take you to complete the labyrinth, I can tell you this—time and space move differently inside."
"Yeah, yeah, y'all already know the Realest Nigga Alive got time on lock." Steez threw in his signature thumbs-up, glancing over at me like I was supposed to confirm it.
Mom let out a soft chuckle. "Hehe, I hope so, son. You're going to need it."
Artamis, ever the joking one, wrinkled his nose and added, "I can see why Kimmi didn't want to come. She'd want to turn around and go home from the smell alone."
He wasn't wrong. The stink of goblin rot mixed with waste was still hanging thick in the air, and I was starting to feel it clawing at my senses. I wasn't about to let it show, though. Fuck nah, my nigga.
"Well, fellas," Mom said, turning to us with a rare softness in her voice, "this is where I say goodbye. When you return home, I can't wait to hear all of your stories."
Something about her words hit me in a weird way, like a punch to the gut. I wasn't sure why, but I suddenly had the urge to hug her. Maybe it was the weight of this moment, standing at the edge of something huge, or maybe it was the feeling that this goodbye felt a little too final. Either way, I did what any good son would do when he's about to take on something big. I ran up and hugged her tight.
She hugged me back, her arms firm but warm. "Aww, Moonlight. I'll miss you as well. I love you, all."
When I let go, the rest of my brothers and cousins followed suit, wrapping her in their own farewells. I could see the mix of emotions in her eyes, pride in who we'd become, and maybe a little sadness in letting us go.
Luda, the last one to say goodbye, finished up with a playful wink, and Mom smiled. She activated her skill, [Lover's Rock: By Your Side], in a smooth wave of Spatial Mana that shimmered briefly around her before she vanished, teleporting back to Talasi. Just like that, it was only the five of us left—Alex, Steez, Luda, Art, and me.
The entrance to the cave now loomed in front of us, waiting. The darkness beyond was thick and unnerving, like the mouth of a beast about to swallow us whole. But there was no turning back. The real test had begun.
The damp air felt thicker here, charged with a tension that gnawed at the edges of my mind. Even though no one said it outright, I could feel the anxiety rising in our group, collectively like a thick fog. This was it—the moment before the plunge.
Instinctively, everyone reached for the item bags Artamis and I had designed together. Thanks to analyzing my mana art, [Shadow Storage], replicating pouches that connected to a personal soul dimension had been pretty damn easy. Well, I talk a big game, but let's be real—[Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] did a lot of the heavy lifting. As usual, the skill processed the mana blueprint with a precision that any regular analysis could only dream of. Still, the result was dope as hell, allowing us to carry entire arsenals in these small, unassuming bags.
Alex was the first to pull out his weapons—shortswords with a machete design. They gleamed in the low light, each blade carved with runes I'd helped him engrave, boosting his mana flow and power. He'd been working hard on his dexterity, and it was time to see the fruits of that labor. After I blessed him with some combat arts & skills for better two-weapon fighting, Alex was easily a major threat to many. His red-tipped, white dreadlocks were pulled back into a ponytail—a sign he was serious, ready to throw down. His scarlet eyes leaked mana like a vapor stream; small tendrils of it curling and dissipating in smaller magitons around his face. He wasn't just prepared; he was howling to go.
Artamis, though—he was something else. I hadn't seen him this excited in a long time. Normally, his vibe was this quiet, low-key chill, like a low-burning fire you barely notice until it's too late and you're cooked. But today? His orange and vermillion eyes blazed as he grinned from ear to ear, rubbing his hands together like he was about to cook up something wicked. He withdrew his rifle—a masterpiece he'd been upgrading, based on old schematics from my previous life. The design looked futuristic as hell, clearly out of place in Gaia's medieval-looking tech landscape. His SCAR-20 was sleek, matte black with glowing mana circuits running along the barrel. Since he'd figured out how to handle and create Nuclear Mana bullets, Artamis had been dying to test it in a live-fire scenario. I hadn't even seen it in action yet, and I was just as eager to find out what it could do.
Luda, as always, moved with calculated grace. He pulled out a scarf and wrapped it around the lower half of his face, giving him that shinobi feel. His emerald cornrows were freshly twisted, glinting under the faint light filtering through the trees. It looked like he prepped this morning as if he was about to go on a date instead of into a cave full of bloodthirsty goblins. Luda didn't need to carry any physical weapons, though—being a weapon summoner meant his arsenal was just a thought away. Since I'd taught him [Chant-less Cast], his ability to summon and cast magic without speaking had become second nature. The ability was rare even on Gaia. Most people thought it was just some old fairytale, a legend of M-Cees who could freestyle their magic without needing chants or spoken spells. But now? My clique embodied that myth. Luda's eyes stayed locked on the cave entrance, the hunger for a Lord Seed burning in his gaze. He wanted that strength, craved that power for himself and his people. Failure wasn't an option for him—it never was.
And then there was Steez, the most laid-back of the squad. His recent chill attitude was a marked shift from how he used to be, but I knew what was behind it. [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] had told me it was likely due to his [Storm Sage: Susanoo]'s subskill—[Emotional Storm]. That subskill let Steez increase all his attributes by channeling raw emotion into power, with the intensity of the feeling directly fueling the boost. But it seemed to have a side effect, leaving him less sympathetic and more detached as he spent more time managing his emotions. Now, he was often in his own head, dealing with internal storms that none of us could really see. Still, he was dangerous when he wanted to be, and that laid-back smile hid a lot of potential fury.
They all turned to look at me, then each other, checking out how we each chose to gear up.
"This shit's about to be epic!" Alex grinned, twirling one of his shortswords in a playful flourish. "How y'all nigguhs feeling?"
Steez stretched lazily, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "This 'nigguh' is feeling great."
Luda, ever the pragmatist, tightened his scarf and deadpanned, "Be sure not to die. It'd suck having to explain that to your mothers."
Alex snorted. "No doubt. But I know y'all got my back."
I couldn't help but grin. "You know I'mma keep y'all safe. It's my job as the party leader."
Artamis shouldered his rifle, his grin matching mine. "Alright, fearless leader, I think we're ready. Are you?"
As soon as he said that, I felt it—a surge of mana so immense it washed over me like a dark wave. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. [Area Detection] kicked in automatically, and my awareness shot outward in every direction for a thousand kilometers. The sensation was like standing in the eye of a hurricane while every corner of the land laid itself bare to me. But it was that single concentrated source of mana, 378 kilometers away, that hit me hard. Its darkness felt… familiar. A heavy, cold presence like the deep connection to Yin energy I experienced within my [Shadow Storage].
The signature came from the Lycanthrope town, Vivian.
I knew it immediately. Something was happening there, something big, and the energy it radiated wasn't just strong—it was sinister.
The wolven, Melech Una, had always been a familiar face around Talasi. He would often show up unannounced during our sparring sessions, standing on the sidelines, eye sharp and attentive, as if each movement we made held secrets he could store away for later use. He never said much at first, just observed. But over time, I had a few brief conversations with him.
He was a warrior through and through—his rugged presence, like that of a battle-hardened beast, always carried an undercurrent of tension. Every now and then, I caught a feeling from him, a quiet challenge, as if he wanted to fight me. Whether it was some deep-rooted murderous intent or simply a warrior's desire to test his strength against someone stronger, I could never quite tell. The feeling wasn't threatening enough for me to be concerned. Whenever Melech mentioned my name, it was never with malice; just a strange respect. Because of that, I let it slide. Still, I couldn't shake the sense that one day, we might end up crossing blades.
Whenever he visited Talasi, he spoke of his daughter, mentioning her often in the same breath as his village, Vivian. His stories were always colored with the warmth of a father's pride, and every time he left Talasi, it was to return to that village. He'd told enough tales about her adventures that I eventually got curious and decided to track him using my [Area Detection] to see just how far Vivian was. I could feel his mana signature moving across the land and with it, a few others—two in particular stood out.
One of them was stronger, exuding a sense of duty, but it felt wrong. There was something slimy and eldritch about the energy that clung to it, like a dark and twisted form of femininity. The other signature was weaker but more beastly, and after Melech told us his daughter had left the village to seek her own adventures, I realized this third, smaller signature must have been her. The timelines matched up, and I didn't think much of it after that.
But today, there was something new. The signature I sensed now was much more powerful. It wasn't the one I had tracked before. No, this was something completely different—wild, raw, and unfocused, like a tempest swirling with too much energy to control. The killing intent radiating from it was intense, even from this distance. It caused a ripple in the air, and a faint thrill shot down my spine. But all that sensation did was stir [Midnight Star: Belial], who huffed in amusement, unimpressed by the notion of any real threat.
The others weren't tuned into this like I was. My [Area Detection] skill had a range of a thousand kilometers, something only possible because of my absurd mana pool. I could hold that kind of distance easily, but the rest of my clique? They'd dialed their senses back to a more manageable three hundred kilometers. Meaning, whatever I was picking up was completely off their radar.
Luda's voice broke through my focus. "Yo, Xi, you good?"
I shook my head slightly, pushing aside the disturbance. "Yeah, I'm straight. Just felt something strange."
"A problem?" His eyes narrowed, always keyed into danger.
"Not ours."
Luda shrugged. "Then fuck 'em."
Artamis grinned, leaning against his rifle with casual arrogance. "So y'all niggahs ready?"
"Yeah, my nigguhs!" Alex jumped in, his energy buzzing as usual.
Steez chuckled from the side, leaning back with his usual laid-back posture. "You be puttin' too much -ugh at the end. Try -gah, ga, ga when you say it. Nig-gah. Nigga."
Alex scratched his head and grinned. "Aight, I'll practice."
I rolled my eyes at their antics, but then something clicked in my mind, reminding me of the task I needed to handle before we headed into the cave. "Anyways," I cut in, "before we go in, let me try something real quick. My Spirit Weapon skill won't be fully unlocked until I finish putting these pieces together."
Artamis looked puzzled. "I thought Mom gave you the Mikazuki sword? Ain't that your spiritual weapon? Which don't make any sense."
I nodded. "Yeah. But it's broken right now."
Artamis' brows furrowed in confusion. "Xi, how the hell could your spirit end up here in life before you?"
I chuckled. "Probably some time-traveling shit, but I don't know yet. And with Steez's existence, I can believe some time-traveling shit."
Steez's expression didn't change. "But did you time-travel with it?"
"Nah, probably not. I would've felt myself or sensed my presence, even with the masking barrier I got around Talasi. If you know what you're looking for, strong signatures aren't that hard to find."
Luda crossed his arms. "So now that you have it, what's next? You gotta fix it?"
I nodded, a sense of anticipation settling into my bones. "My V-Skills are telling me to cast a binding ritual. Once I do, it should start the process of completing the sword."
Luda raised a brow. "I forgot you said you be hearing your V-Skill talk to you. If I didn't know you personally, I'd think you were crazy."
I shrugged. "Why? Y'all said you hear a voice when you gain new skills. Hell, we all heard the same voice when Luda and I fought back then."
Artamis chimed in, a grin playing on his lips. "Well, that was Gaia's voice. Everyone hears The Creator's daughter when she speaks. But it's rare and weird to hear your own V-Skill talkin' to you. I think Grandma mentioned she could hear hers, but y'know how her stories go."
"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off. "Let me do this ritual real quick."
I wasn't entirely sure how to begin, but as I stood there, a sense of clarity washed over me. [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] began to guide me, his voice calm and precise in my mind.
"Master," he spoke, "would you like to summon your weapon, Luna?"
I nodded, thinking, "Yeah, thanks, Tsuki."
In that instant, Tsukuyomi took control of my body. It was a strange sensation, like watching myself in the third person, detached yet still connected. I knelt, my hands moving instinctively as I began to trace the symbols of the binding ritual onto the ground. Mana flared to life around me, swirling with a dark, moonlit glow as I pulled from the well of power inside me. My left arm extended, palm facing down, and I could feel the Bio Mana within me shift, bending space as it surged out, creating something physical from the energy of my soul. My mana fluctuated, swirling in a concentrated storm, and then, from that torrent, a blade began to materialize.
The 36-inch ōdachi blade—black as the void—formed itself into my grip, spiritons magnetizing to my palm. The weapon felt alive in my hand, like an extension of myself. I couldn't drop it even if I tried.
Alex's voice broke the silence. "Oh, that's lit."
Luda's eyes gleamed with excitement. "That's a lot of mana, Xiro. You're gonna need to be careful where you swing that."
I glanced at my crew, seeing their expressions. The sword was a work of art, and while we had different tastes in many things, weapons were where we connected the most. Civil Luna pulsed with mana, a steady heartbeat I could feel through the hilt. Just then, a voice purred in my thoughts.
"Do it. Call me forth and make me whole," Luna whispered, crimson mana glowing faintly along the blade's edge.
Artamis' eyes widened. "I ain't ever seen Mom do that."
Steez nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she always used Mikazuki instead of actually calling hers. I've never even seen Billie Holiday."
Alex, still awestruck, turned to Steez. "Is that her weapon's name?"
Steez nodded. "Yeah, she used to tell me stories about it when I was a baby."
"Must be nice," I teased, "bein' able to rewind back to any memory you got."
Steez smirked. "Says the nigga who never forgets anything."
Luda's curiosity broke through. "So that's all you had to do, Xi?"
I shook my head. "Nope. That's just step one."
Closing my eyes, I let [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] take the lead again, my body filling with a wave of emotion as I prepared for the next part. I started gathering spirit energy, the pressure building around me like a storm about to break.
Luda's voice was barely audible over the rising magical force. "Wow, this is a tremendous amount of magical pressure."
"What's he doing now?" Alex asked, his voice laced with excitement. "Showin' off?"
"Nah," Artamis cut in, pointing to the glowing circle forming on the ground. "This is a summon. You see the magic circle over there in the grass?"
"Oh, okay. Bet that," Alex replied.
Steez, his tone more thoughtful, spoke up. "What's he calling, is the question."
With my sword in my left hand, I raised my free arm and channeled the skill [Civil Luna]. The sensation of my Bio Mana being yanked out was immediate and intense; like someone had opened a valve inside me and let the entire pool drain. Sure, my Bio Mana production was limitless, but feeling it vanish so suddenly was a bit of a shock. I didn't have long to bitch about it, though. Three seconds later, [Mana Generator] kicked in, and I felt the missing mana replenishing itself. It was like chugging ice-cold juice on a scorching day—an instant refresh. I had to admit, that ability was clutch as fuck.
The red mana I had summoned spun into the air, creating a vortex of spirit energy that whipped around like a water tornado. As it collapsed inward, the mana began taking shape, coalescing into the form of a woman. The sheer volume of energy she exuded was damn near overwhelming. Slowly, the mana dissolved, revealing her physical body.
Standing before us was an incredibly curvy woman, no more than 5'2" with defined, muscular legs and a chest that defied gravity. Two sleek, cat-like tails swayed behind her, and feline ears sat perched atop her head, twitching. The first thing that caught my eye, though, was her heterochromatic gaze—one eye a piercing cerulean blue, the other a mesmerizing jade green. Her honey and almond-colored skin glowed faintly, kissed by mana, while crimson-red dreadlocks cascaded down her shoulders, looking more like a wild feline's mane than hair. Indigo markings swirled down her sides and hips, like tribal tattoos, and a crescent moon glowed on her forehead. Her nose was pierced in a way that reminded me of Alex's own piercing.
The moment her form fully materialized, I could feel it in my soul. This was no ordinary spirit—this was Red, the anima who had lent power to the Mikazuki clan for generations. But now, she stood before me, a missing piece of my sword come to life. Luna's presence pulsed through the air, and my sword, once alive in my hand, felt distant. I could sense her heart, now in the being 10 meters away, beating in time with my own.
She was barely clothed, her body wrapped in a thin layer of mana, like a glowing bikini cover-up that barely left anything to the imagination. The magical energy around her shimmered and moved, almost like water, forming knee-high boots and a top that clung to her voluptuous figure. She treated the mana like a bath towel, casually draped over her, but the sheer force she emitted was enough to knock a weaker sociovore flat. My crew even had to shield their faces from the force of it.
And damn, I could feel something stir deep inside me. The power, the dominance she radiated—yeah, that was definitely waking up a beast in me. [Midnight Star: Belial] growled, more eager than ever.
"Who in the world is that?" Alex broke the silence, his wide eyes glued to the nekomata.
"Yeah, Xi, who dis?" Luda added, his face a mixture of awe and disbelief.
I smirked, never breaking my focus from Luna. "A missing piece to my sword. Her name is Luna. She's the other half I needed to fuse with the sword, Mikazuki."
Artamis stood off to the side, absorbing the incredible amount of mana pouring off Luna. I could see the realization dawn on him like a light bulb flipping on in a dark room.
"Wait, Xi, you're not trying to fix a broken Spirit Weapon... You're fixing a broken Guardian Armament!" Artamis' voice was filled with a sudden understanding.
"Jackpot," I said with a nod, knowing he'd finally pieced it together.
"I would ask if you know what you're doing, but you're Xiro. You've got this."
I snorted. "What the hell does that mean?"
Luda crossed his arms. "If I can remember how this ritual goes, doesn't he have to fight her and make her submit?"
"Jackpot, again," I replied, my grin widening.
"And here I thought it was going to be easy," Alex muttered.
Steez chimed in, shaking his head. "It ain't never easy."
I turned back to Luna, feeling that anticipation building. This wasn't just some ordinary battle. This was about to be something deeper, something binding. Her mismatched eyes gleamed with excitement, and I could tell she was sizing me up, wondering if I was truly worthy of becoming her master.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, love," I said with a casual bow. "I would introduce myself, but I'm sure you already know that much about me."
Luna giggled, her voice soft yet dripping with warmth carried by the immense mana she wielded. "It's okay, Daddy. I'm just glad to have your full attention, finally."
That purring tone sent a shiver up my spine, and I couldn't help the smirk that tugged at my lips. "So, my magical wildcat, are you ready to get collared?" I asked with a teasing bow.
Her fangs flashed in a wicked grin as she purred back, "Only if you show me why you deserve to be my master."
Her mana flared up again, the energy dancing across her body in a lewd display as she shifted into a battle stance, muscles flexing with the effort. The wind swirled violently around her, and the trees in the distance creaked and bent under the pressure of her aura alone.
I could feel my pulse quicken as I stepped toward her, feeling the energy radiating from both her and my Spirit Weapon. This sexy, powerful nekomata was about to become mine—my partner, my weapon, and my guardian. There was no denying the excitement that coursed through me.
"Come to Daddy," I thought to myself, eyes locking on hers.
I was about to claim my prize, and Luna—well, she was about to find out just how good of a master I could be. I could already tell from the gleam in her eyes that she was just as excited to find out.
I was about to bag me a bad bitch.
[End of Chapter]