"I told you Finn was faster. Do you believe me now?" Rowan's voice carried a hint of triumph as he looked at Liyana.
Liyana, still catching her breath, nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I do. But I wish it hadn't been proven with my life."
Rowan turned to Captain Finn, who stood casually at the edge of the clearing, his presence almost unnerving. "Captain Finn, how did you get here so fast?"
Finn's lips curled into a smirk. "I killed all the monsters. Thought I'd check out the new recruits. I heard one of you has a black aura."
Rowan nodded. "Yes, there's one here. His name is Takumi."
Finn's gaze sharpened. "Takumi, right?"
Takumi stood straighter, his posture tense. "Yes, sir."
Finn raised an eyebrow, his voice cold. "I wasn't talking to you."
Takumi's shoulders slumped, and he muttered, "Right, sir."
With a swift motion, Finn drew Vera, his weapon, and the blade formed from thin air. "You can talk out of turn, but let's see if you're strong enough."
Finn moved with blinding speed, his Vera-enhanced strikes raining down on Takumi. Each punch and kick landed with precision, leaving Takumi helpless on the ground. Zanele, watching her brother struggle, felt her blood boil. Her mind went blank as a surge of power overtook her. Channeling her Vera, she accelerated to the speed of sound, catching Finn off guard.
Finn, impressed but composed, dodged Zanele's attacks with ease. "You're quick," he muttered, sidestepping her strikes like they were nothing more than a warm-up.
Takumi, spurred on by his sister's effort, let out a roar as his Vera flared. Using his ability, he launched a powerful kick that forced Finn to step back. Rowan, observing from the sidelines, finally intervened.
"Stand down, Finn! What's the point of this?" Rowan demanded.
Finn straightened, his expression unreadable. "Rare abilities are a warning sign. They always bring chaos."
Zanele stepped forward, her fists clenched. "Why did you attack us? What do you mean by 'rare'?"
Finn's gaze darkened. "Your father was rare. An SS-class warrior by the time he was a child. That kind of power doesn't just happen. Do you know what followed?"
Rowan interjected. "The Xalvathar attacks. The first recorded 'rare' phenomenon in centuries. It almost destroyed our world."
Finn nodded grimly. "Your ancestor broke the limits of Vera, unleashing a force so powerful it birthed Xalvathar."
As if summoned by the mention of its name, a dark voice boomed across the battlefield. "Do not speak of me like I'm some weak old man's creation."
The air grew heavy, and a figure emerged from the shadows. Xalvathar's presence was suffocating. "I have no creator. I simply exist. And I am your end."
Finn stepped forward, his Vera flaring like a storm. "Then stop hiding and fight me."
Xalvathar chuckled darkly. "You want a fight? Very well." With a flick of its hand, Xalvathar summoned a horde of monstrous creatures. "Let's see if you can survive this."
The monsters charged. Takumi, without hesitation, faced one head-on. Using his Vera, he created a massive blast that obliterated its head, leaving a smoldering crater.
Zanele rallied Liyana and Amandla. "Form an energy blast!" she commanded.
The three combined their powers, and Zanele amplified it further by creating atomic-scale enhancements. The resulting explosion wiped out nearly all the monsters, leaving only five standing.
Finn stepped into action, dispatching the remaining creatures with deadly precision. Turning to Zanele, he asked, "How did you do that?"
Zanele smirked, catching her breath. "Vera can create anything, right? Enhance, increase, manipulate—if you know how to use it properly."
Finn's lips curled into a rare smile. "Impressive."
Liyana stared in awe. "You used Vera to create atoms and... blew everything up?"
Rowan, still watching from the side, gave an approving nod. "I'm starting to like this team."
Rowan clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Great job surviving that. Now, it's time to head to the base in the east."
He grinned mischievously. "First recruit to reach the base will eat like a king tonight!"
Liyana gasped and pointed ahead dramatically. "Wow, is that a monster?"
Zanele immediately turned, alarmed. "Where?"
Liyana laughed and took off running. "See you at the base!"
Haruto smirked and dashed past her. "Ha, you'll be eating scraps!"
Liyana glared and pushed herself faster. "Don't forget who's faster, Haruto!"
Zanele, catching the playful competition, shot forward, overtaking them both. "You mean me!"
Not to be outdone, Takumi smirked as he picked up speed. "Sorry, he meant me."
The group's laughter and shouts echoed as they raced through the forest, a moment of light-hearted rivalry amidst the chaos.
Xalvathar was a being forged from the darkest of magics, yet paradoxically sculpted by a love so profound it defied understanding—perhaps the very love of the universe's creator. His existence was not one of mere chance, but of design: a creation woven from the threads of both darkness and light. He was an embodiment of balance—destruction intertwined with creation, a living contradiction. His form, a vessel of unimaginable power, pulsed with the forces of life and death, each breath he took echoing across the realms he was destined to shape.
But within Xalvathar, there was more than just the promise of ruin. There was a haunting awareness, a gnawing question that tore at the fabric of his soul—was he merely the harbinger of destruction, or was his existence the catalyst for something greater, something yet to be understood? The power he wielded, capable of severing souls and reshaping the very essence of life, felt like both a gift and a curse. His every action carried weight, as though each thread of fate he touched unraveled the universe itself.
The creator of the universe loved Xalvathar, but Xalvathar was born of darkness. He was unaware of his true nature, oblivious to the fact that he was a being of immense power—one destined to bring both creation and destruction. His very existence was tied to the end of worlds. He sought to destroy Earth, but the humans, defying all odds, grew stronger and pushed him to his limits. In the struggle, Xalvathar's power backfired, and in the chaos of battle, he lost his memory, a fragment of his identity slipping away forever.