{Date: 10/16 - Sunday}
{Time: 8:30 PM}
Kioshi grunted as she dragged herself and Yumi toward the hideout within Verdant Grove, entering a temple and gently dropping Yumi on the cold wooden floor. She sighed as she walked toward one of the pews, sitting down and setting her axe beside her.
"My, my..~ Don't you two look so beaten and drained," A woman's voice called out, her natural sultry tone bouncing off the walls.
Kioshi growled lowly, opening her eyes to look at the woman that leaned against the podium. "We would've had them if our 'Esteemed Queen' were on the battlefield. Seriously, why send a Summoner with us if she doesn't do the one job she's here for..?"
"And get my beautiful Fell Beasts destroyed? I could never allow any of my beasts fall subject to those heroes..." The woman gasped dramatically, placing her hand against the middle of her chest. "I, Pandora Hera, will not use my precious Black Box carelessly.."
"Save the act, bitch," Yumi scoffed, getting off the ground and losing her usual kind tone. She groaned softly as she stood up, her body still aching from my attack. "I agree with Kioshi on this. Why are you even here if you aren't going to help?"
Pandora giggled coldly, meeting Yumi's furious gaze with a sly smirk. She pushed herself off the podium and summoned her Black Box, sitting upon it like a throne, one leg crossed over the other.
"You sit here questioning me, but have yet to question the man that left you to fend for yourself..~" Pandora laughed, gently patting her Black Box, the box glowing as if to be laughing as well.
Amadeus stayed silent, leaning coolly against the wall with his arms crossed. He opened his eyes, glancing at Pandora with an unamused gaze. "I was only tasked with stealing Lotus's Philosopher's Stone, and I failed and retreated. Simple. Besides, I don't take orders from any of you."
"My allegiance stands with the Tribal Leader, the wielder of the Mask of the Lascivious, as does the rest of the Masked Wielders of the Lost Syndicates," Amadeus defended, making sure he takes none of the blame for Kioshi's and Yumi's failure.
Pandora stiffled her laughter, finding amusement in the way Amadeus spoke to her. "Oh wow..~ Such a rough tone for someone who also lost to New Karma, but I'll let you slide since Ryder is pretty strong."
Amadeus rolled his eyes beneath his mask, pushing himself off the wall and began making his way out the temple. "Whatever. I'm out of here."
Pandora watched as Amadeus left the temple, enjoying the fact that she got under his skin. She turned her gaze to Kioshi and Yumi, tilting her head slightly. "So which of Shiro's children did you two lose to? Was it also the Destiny's Successor, Ryder Dawn? Or maybe the radiant Golden Star, Adrianna?"
Kioshi sucked her teeth slowly at Pandora's mocking tone, her Spirit Energy slowly beginning to manifest around her body. "It was neither of them...We didn't lose to New Karma, we lost to the Valkyrias."
Hearing Kioshi's answer, Pandora's interested was piqued. She sat up straight, ready to learn more about the combatant that Kioshi faced. "Who? Was it Ruby? Maybe Rebecca?"
"Neither...we lost to the Black Cerebral, Hisumi Nomura," Kioshi answered, her tone lowering with frustration and annoyance at the reality of her situation.
Pandora pause slightly, her eyes darkening with a sadistic delight upon knowing that her Templar's report was true. Her lips slowly curled into a devilish grin, a low giggle filling the temple. "So, it is confirmed...Hisumi and her little family are in Destiny Islands. Maybe your failure wasn't in vain after all..~"
Yumi shuddered at Pandora's malicious smirk, sensing her murderous intent and cleared her throat. "So what's the plan?"
Pandora smiled and stood up from her Black Box, walking off toward another room of the temple. "All will be revealed in due time...for now, take your rest. We have preparation to get into...and Lotus's Philosopher's Stone will be on our list..."
Kioshi and Yumi watched as Pandora disappeared into another room, glancing at each other for a moment. Their eyes spoke more words than their voices could, words of uncertainty of Pandora's plan.
{Date: 10/17 - Monday}
{Time: 9:30 AM}
The next day soon arrived, the sharehouse full of activity and excitement, everyone bustling around and getting ready for the day. Rain, Sakura, Olivia, and Autumn were getting ready for their classes while Adrianna was preparing to head out with Celene for her daily training.
Their mothers were all preparing to head out for work, Chelsey specifically offering to take Rain and the others to Matsugaya University. Orika and I sat at the dining table with Yusa, watching the events roll by.
"Alright, we're heading out!" Chelsey called out, waving at Adrianna and Celene as she began heading out of the house.
"Alright, Mama!~ I hope you have a good class today, and your four stay out of trouble," Adrianna said, lightly teasing her siblings.
"Don't worry, Anna, I'll be sure to keep these three bundles of energy out of trouble," Rain said, giving Adrianna a thumbs up.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...let's go, Rockstar before you get us late for Akira's class," Autumn said, pushing Rain out the door.
"Oh right, we gotta move!~ Auntie Akira hates it when we're late!" Sakura beamed, racing out the door to Chelsey's truck.
Adrianna chuckled as the four left, turning on her heels to walk into the kitchen with her arms crossed. She looked at me with a warm smile, letting out a soft hum. "So, Hero of Destiny Museum...What are your plans for today?"
My cheeks began to heat up, a soft rosy hue forming on my face from her subtle praise. "I can't take all the blame...besides if anyone gets praise, it's Cerebral," I said, looking down at Cerebral laying in my lap in her Hound Form.
"That's right. Praise me, your Dark Savior..." Cerebral hummed, wagging her tail slowly and chuckled darkly.
Orika shuddered lightly at Cerebral, clearing her throat lightly. "I mean she did save us from Judgement, but I feel like there could've been a more...heroic way of doing it?"
Genesis nodded in agreement with Orika's comment, sitting on her shoulder with her arms crossed. "It's shocking that she didn't blow up any buildings. I mean she killed three people and turned them into Hounds!"
"Well, you can't blame Cerebral. Although she is technically Hisumi's mind manifested, she is still a Grim Beast, the Alpha of the Cerebral Hounds. She is simply following her nature," Yusa chimed in, her gentle tone full of understanding and her usual compassion.
"Heh...see, even the Angel of Death knows. It is just my nature..~" Cerebral chuckled softly, humming with arrogance.
"But, you are also a part of Hisumi and if you want to be respected, it has to be earned. After all, she did tame you by outsmarting you. It's only fair that you try to be a little less... villainous when you swap with my daughter?" Yusa added, hoping her suggestion could soften Cerebral even just a little.
Cerebral scoffed at the suggestion, closing her eyes and laying her head back down. "Tch...being more heroic to the enemy? For what? A public image? I could care less about an image..."
"Cerebral...they don't see you when I'm out there. They see me, Hisumi Nomura, using the power of my Death Manipulation. You said it yesterday, we are the Cerebral Valkyria. You can't use the name and not uphold to its sentimental values," I said, gently petting Cerebral's black coat, my fingers gliding softly through her fur.
Cerebral groaned softly once again, letting out a soft huff, her tail swaying from side to side. "Fine, but I don't make any promises..."
Celene let out an intrigued hum, watching me bond with my own Beast and inner darkness at the same time. "I never realized that Valkyrias are this Spiritual...I am the Seer of a Goddess and this is the first I've seen someone bond with a version of Death..."
Yusa giggled softly and crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. "So you've never seen me bonding with my Valkyrie of Death? I'm sure I've shown you Nox before, no?"
Celene shook her head, turning to look at Yusa. "Never, I just know you possess Pure Death Control. Maybe you would like to show me after a little hike?~"
Yusa hummed at the suggestion, a mischievous twinkle shining in her eyes. "Alright, I'd be delighted to show you Nox..~ Maybe we could have a little spar for old times sake.."
With those simple words, an old flame reignited within Celene, her eyes shining with competition and an old rivalry. "Well, I'm never one to turn down a challenge, no matter my age..~"
"Oh snap! Grandma is gonna spar with Ms. Yukota? This is about to be great!~" Adrianna cheered, tiny golden stars flickering around her with excitement.
"A chance to see Yusa use her powers up close again...I wanna join this hike too!" Orika exclaimed, standing up from her seat with enthusiasm.
I looked up at Orika with a smile, giggling softly at her. I let Cerebral get off my lap and stood up from my seat. "I guess a little hike wouldn't hurt."
"Then it's settled, we are all going on a hike! Alright, let me get everything together, it's gonna be a long road up Twilight Trails," Adrianna said, excitedly hurrying for to gather everything she needed.
The rest of us began to follow suit, preparing for an exciting hike ahead. Orika and I were particularly excited as this was a chance to see more of Yusa's combat prowess and a chance to learn more about the Mojisola Tribe.
Once we were all ready, we began to head out the house together, making our way to Celene's car. We all got inside and Celene drove off, our journey to the hiking trails underway.
{Date: 10/17 - Monday}
{Time: 10:00 AM}
We finally made it to our destination, Twilight Trails, one of Destiny Islands best hiking trails based on how Adrianna and Celene described it. Celene parked the car at the parking lot of the trails, allowing us to step out and feast our eyes upon our surroundings.
Nature surrounded each of us, the beautiful autumn trees offering a calming, lush orange environment. The birds sung their beautiful tunes, the gentle wind whispering its soft words in our ears, the environment was completely tranquil.
"Wow, it's so beautiful here... Destiny Islands truly is a beautiful place. I can already imagine the scenery at the top of the trails," Orika gasped, taking a step forward and adjusting her backpack.
I glanced around, taking in the sight at its fullest, my eyes shining with awe and wonder. "Your right...this is a beautiful place. I haven't seen a beautiful place like this in forever..."
Adrianna skipped toward me, gently bumping my hip with a giggle. "If you think this is beautiful, just wait until we actually start the hike~"
I chuckled softly, stumbling to the side and looked at Adrianna with a hint of playfulness in my eyes. "Oh I'm prepared for the views."
Celene smiled at us, making her way toward the start of the trails. "Alright, let us make our way onward! We shall clear this trail by three o'clock!~"
"Yes ma'am!" Adrianna, Orika, and I said, hurrying behind Celene with excitement and anticipation for the hike.
Yusa lingered behind, holding her arms as she followed. She felt a surge of warmth within her, happy to be spending quality time with me and Orika with a hike.
Peeking from the background, Yumi lowered her binoculars, letting out a soft sigh. "C'mon, Pandora doesn't expect us to really try to extract some of Hisumi's essence with an S Rank Valkyria and an S Rank Fighter with her..."
Kioshi leaned against a tree, watching at my group began hiking along the trail. "It is a ridiculous task... Seriously, the Commander already has a clone of Hisumi ready for deployment... why does she want this one back so badly?"
Yumi shrugged her shoulders and sunk back into the bushes, sitting down on the grass. "I mean, she has the Vow of Death and it is awakened as well. With her DNA and the clone, Judgement will have an unstoppable weapon. It feels wrong...I will never fully agree on the Project Alpha Plan nor the Artificial Ruler Project..."
Kioshi looked down at Yumi, seeing the clear disgust on her face from their own organization's plans and projects. She let out a soft exhale, gazing out into the distance. "We are just pawns in the bigger scheme of things. No matter our feelings, we are in no position to question."
"I know, but Hisumi was my best friend...It just sucks..." Yumi said, her tone full of exhaustion and exasperation.
After a bit of walking toward the start of the hiking trail, we finally made it to the start, a split path lying ahead of us. One path was a simple and beginner friendly hiking path for those who wanted a more smooth path to one of the two peaks of the mountain. The other path was much more complex, filled with trees and natural obstacles to challenge us.
"Alright, we are finally here! As you can see, we are at a fork in the road. We are taking the right path. This path is perfect for training your agility, dexterity, and overall balance." Celene said, pointing at the second, more difficult path.
Adrianna began walking forward, ready to tackle the familiar trails once more. She turned to look at me, a challenging smile curling on her lips. "Race you to the top!~"
I watched as Adrianna sprinted forward onto the trail, a surge of competition bubbling to surface. "You won't leave me behind!" I called out, sprinting after Adrianna onto the trails.
Celene chuckled softly at our small competition, glancing back to look at Yusa and Orika. "Let's get going as well. Don't want those two leaving us behind."
Yusa nodded, looking over at Orika with a maternal smile. "Stay close to me for now, these paths can get pretty complicated."
Orika nodded, returning Yusa's smile with one of her own. "Okay."
The three began tackling the trail as well, following behind me and Adrianna, the two of us currently racing to the top of the mountain. I watched as Adrianna hopped from branch to branch, her dexterity and agility impressive from her ability to run along the trees.
I smirked at her, running ahead and leaping into the air, grabbing a tree branch and swinging myself atop of it. Lunging forward, I began leaping from branch to branch, catching up to Adrianna quickly.
Adrianna looked back, noticing me gaining upon her and chuckled eagerly. "Impressive! You can keep up with me so easily, but the trail is only just beginning!"
"Yeah, I know and I will be the one at the top of the mountain first!~ Nos vemos luego~" I playfully bantered, using my Quick Attack to boost myself forward as near invisible speeds.
Adrianna grunted softly as I bolted ahead like a stream of lightning, her competitive spirit beginning to burn hotter within her. Her lips curled into a determined grin, her golden aura surrounding her body.
"I won't let you leave me in the dust!" Adrianna called out, launching herself forward like a shooting star.
"At this rate, they might reach the top before we do," Orika panted, jogging ahead along the trail beside Yusa.
"The power of rivalry..~ You give each other a goal and try to beat the other at it. Adrianna is great at creating natural rivals who respect her, so it's not surprising Hisumi exerting herself to beat Adrianna," Celene hummed, leading Yusa and Orika along the trail at a brisk pace.
Adrianna and I continued racing against one another, leaping over logs that rested within our path and using the trees cross the beautiful lakes and ponds of the trails. The two of us were neck and neck in our race, neither one of us letting the other get too far ahead.
"Let's make this hike a bit more fun shall we?~" Cerebral chuckled mischievously, running along side me, matching my pace.
I glanced at Cerebral, knowing what she was suggesting then turned my gaze toward Adrianna. I chuckled softly, a playful gleam shining in my eyes. "Alright, let's do this!"
I drifted along the ground, leaping toward a tree and planting my feet along the trunk, steadying myself and locking onto Adrianna. With a powerful push, I launched myself toward Adrianna with a kick like a speeding bullet.
Adrianna sensed my attack, turning toward me and blocking my kick, the force of my strike causing her to slide backwards. She looked up, a smirk playing on her face. "So you wanna go toe to toe with me huh?~"
I landed on the ground, taunting her playfully with a gesture. "Come ride the lightning..~ The Honorary One challenges you to a spar! We've made it half way through the trail, and this is a good spot to take a break.."
Adrianna stood up straight, dropping her travel bag on the ground and smiled at me. "Alright...and I can't lie, I've been wanting to test your strength since I've heard about you. So let's do this!"
{Spread Your Wings and Fly!}
{Opponent: Adrianna La Rosa - B Rank Level}
{Battlefield: Twilight City - Twilight Trails}
Celene, Yusa, and Orika caught up to us, all three noticing digital walls shimmering to life around me and Adrianna, creating an arena for us to battle in. Celene and Yusa glanced at each other, a knowing smile playing on their lips.
"Seems like they couldn't help it, and it was bound to happen..~ This is a part of the training after all," Celene said, walking toward a nearby bench to sit down and spectate the sparring match.
Yusa held Orika's hand, leading her to the bench as well and sat down with her. "Alright, Orika. I want you to watch them closely, study how they use their abilities and their energies."
Orika nodded, keeping a close watch on my match against Adrianna with Genesis hovering beside her to keep tabs on my status during the battle. She focused her gaze on me, anticipating the moment I awaken my Valkyrie during the battle.
Within the bushes, Yumi and Kioshi lingered close by, keeping tabs on me and watching the battle take place. Yumi used her binoculars to get a closer look, her gaze focused solely on me with a somber expression.
"She's getting ready to train with Adrianna...If we can't get any of her essence, we can record data and call it a day for now," Yumi said, adjusting the lens of her binoculars to record the match.
Kioshi leaned against a tree, her arms crossed as she watched in silence. 'Hisumi, you have gotten stronger than I would like to admit. Now I get to see the Valkyria you've been molded into...'
The stage was set for the battle, everyone watching with excitement and anticipation. The sun began to smile upon us through the cracks of the lush trees, creating a natural spotlight for me and Adrianna. The two of us got into our stances, ready to test each other head to head.