A new day arrives and the school day eventually passes. Sort of returning to a norm of theirs again, Naeth, Galivinth, and Asura travel together to Mount Heaven Splitter, though part ways upon reaching the foot of the mountain. After all, Zack is waiting for the half-cryonean in particular. An agreement to meet at the top soon occurs between the relatives and Galivinth is left to his discussion with the sandy blonde.

  “So, what did you want to show me?” Galivinth questions nearly as soon as they're alone.

  “Just some insightful details about my findings within the history and culture of Christianity. The church I attend is nearby and has all of the texts I started studying four years ago back when I was fourteen ; I’d like to take you there, if you don't mind.” Zack answers with a soft smile.

  “Oh. Yeah, no. I don't mind at all, but how far is it?” Galivinth asks.

  “Only two or three minutes away. It's just down this slant and next to the parking lot below.” Zack informs while pointing at a downward angle to the right. Curiously, Galivinth walks over to the top of the decline 20 yards away from where they're standing and finds that it is indeed overlooking a tall grassy slope that leads down to a parking lot and building of faith.

  “Huh. Haven't noticed that before for some reason.” Galivinth comments with a slight furrow of his brows.

  “Perhaps that's a sign from God. Let's head down, shall we?” Zack speaks as he passes the other male by and takes the lead in walking down the slope.

  “Oh! I don't think I asked you for your name yet, have I?” The older male questions while briefly glancing over his shoulder.

  “I don't think so, but my bad for not sharing it yesterday. It was just a lot to take in at the time. My name is Galivinth Carrenmale.” The half-cryonean answers.

  “Galivinth… Quite a unique name you have there! Sounds like something straight out of medieval literature.” Zack remarks with a tone of fascination.

  “Yeah, I can see why you'd say that. It does sound like an old ancient name passed down from over six-hundred years ago.” Galivinth concurs with a mild grin. Soon, the two youths reach the two-story tall church and enter. It's within that Galivinth sees a staircase to his far left, double doorway that leads into the church’s service hall straight ahead, a water fountain underneath the structure of the tall staircase, and two bathrooms at either side of a wide pathway that gives way to a short flight of stairs heading downward. In front of the service hall stands three adults conversing. Judging by the dark and almost casually formal clothes of one, Galivinth suspects him to be the pastor of the church. A man with a tall and rather muscular frame, as well as fair skin and sandy blonde hair similar to Zack’s, the older man's wavy hair is far, far longer than the former’s.

  It's also shortly after their arrival, the three inside are concluding their talk with warm smiles and kind words of departure. With that conclusion, the sandy blonde man turns his attention toward them by chance and approaches with a slightly wider smile.

  “Good afternoon, you two! What's my young apprentice up to today, and who is this lad accompanying you?” The man asks.

  “Good day to you, as well, father. This here is Galivinth and I’ve brought him here with me today to discuss the history of Christianity.” Zack introduces his new acquaintance while also gesturing a hand toward the half-cryonean.

  “Good afternoon, sir. Not to like, be nosy or anything, but are you his actual father? As in biological? Or is that just what everyone calls you? I ask only because of the shirt.” Galivinth questions while pointing a finger at his own throat to refer to the man's high collar. His inquiry seems to draw an expression of surprise from the older male.

  “Ah, so you CAN actually see. My apologies, your eyes led me to consider that you might've been blind… but yes, yes! Zack is indeed my biological son. One of the brightest joys in my life, too.” The man answers, then pauses briefly before speaking up again. “My name's Zacharai Masters, but members of the church typically refer to me as ‘Father Masters’. Nice to meet you, Galivinth.” He introduces himself and extends a hand toward the teen. It's a gesture that Galivinth obliges and offers a hand of his own to shake. Upon making contact, Galivinth blinks and his eyes go fairly wide at the distortion that flashes before his eyes.

  “Ah-!?” The half-cryonean’s mouth goes agape when Zacharai’s appearance shifts. The man’s blue eyes turn into a shade of steel-silver and a single angel wing protruding from his upper back, then both changes revert back with another flash. So taken aback by that bizarre visual, he reaches to rub at his eyes.

  “Man, I think I’m seeing things…” He remarks, refusing to believe what he saw was even remotely real.

  “Hm? Are you tired?” Zack questions, unaware of what the other saw.

  “Maybe… I don't feel tired, but maybe I’m in denial or something.” Galivinth answers.

  “I see. We’ll be done here before too long, so no worries. Let's get going.” Zack insists and proceeds to lead Galivinth up the stairs.

  “Apologies, dad. I’ll finish up soon.” He assures his father.

  “No problem, son. Carry on.” Zacharai encourages his son, though his stare lingers as the two head up the flight of stairs. His eyes particularly fix upon Galivinth. It's only when the two are fully out of sight that he takes his own leave.

  The two youths soon enter a room that seems like a miniature library in a box shaped room. Bookshelves line every wall except the side where the windows reside while a rectangle table with four chairs underneath it occupies the center of the room, and a dark brown carpet flooring covers every square inch beneath their feet. Galivinth quietly takes in the simple room while Zack approaches the bookshelf at the right corner of the room to retrieve a particular book. Just as Galivinth makes the decision to settle into a seat at the table, the sandy blonde joins him with the thick time he has in hand. From his position across Zack he sees that the name of the book is ‘The Christianity Codex’.

  “So! As you may recall from our short chat yesterday, I mentioned that the color of your aura is a biblical one, yes? Well, this book contains the history of various details and events under the guiding influence of God himself, including the recurrence of individuals possessing that same color throughout history.” Zack explains while flipping through pages.

  “Huh? You mean… Soul Essence has ALWAYS been a thing?” Galivinth questions with a skeptical frown.

  “Yes, that's the theory! It says it's been a thing since Abraham proving his unyielding faith and dedication of servitude to God. When confronted by angels who stopped him from plunging a blade into his son, it's believed that the angel who grabbed his wrist not only told him that he passed God’s test of faith, but also bestowed upon him an unusual power. Nothing that rivals that of Jesus' works of miracles, of course, but it's something that grants gifts that others could not comprehend.” Zack explains.

  “That's… kind of weird. God's test of faith? God ASKED him to kill his son to prove his faith?” Galivinth tosses another question at the sandy blonde

  “DEMANDED, actually. And yes, that was his trial for Abraham.” Zack explains.

  “Talk about taking a leap of faith… It's hard to imagine anyone doing that.” The half-cryonean remarks.

  “I agree. Truth be told, Abraham loved his son dearly and was dreading the task given to him, but his faith in God was just that much more stronger.” Zack informs with a nod.

  “By the way, what was this power the angel gave Abraham?” Galivinth touches on a different point.

  “A number of them. One was the ability to see through deception. Another was a potent awareness of Angels and Demons, including the likes of Lucifer. Another was the ability to talk to God himself on a whim.” Zack answers. The list of abilities almost immediately makes Galivinth think back to the prior day where he was the only one amongst his friends who could sense the demon’s presence, and then back to just minutes ago when Zacharai's appearance altered slightly into that of a one-winged angel. That aside, he doesn't ever recall ever holding a conversation with God at any point of his life.

  “I see… But if my aura is so special, why were you able to detect the demon yesterday, as well?” Galivinth prods.

  “Oh, that's because Jesus gave the world a blessing of his own and allowed Moses to be the first to possess it. Throughout history, it has, arguably, indiscriminately passed on from person to person after the passing of each of its hosts’ lives. I think I may have been the one to inherit it this time, because the aura of the owner is said to be a vibrant mesh of white & yellow. Mine fits that description.” Zack answers and gives a brief display of proof by bringing forth his soul essence at an output of 150%, an aura that dances gently like campfire and seems to seamlessly blend snowy white & sunny gold together. After a moment, Zack dismisses his aura

  “Huh. That's pretty cool.” Galivinth comments.

  “I think so, too. We're like brothers under the light of God, you know? I believe we were fated to meet. And to touch on one last thing, I want to test something with you.” Zack announces just before rising out of his seat and moving to stand in front of a window in the room. Curiously, Galivinth follows along and stands beside him.

  “Outside of the window, can you see anything that resembles a tower? Or perhaps anything that appears translucent?” Zack inquires. The half-cryonean squints and examines the outside view through the frame before, but to no avail does he see either of such things.

  “No, I can't say I see anything of the sort.” Galivinth answers. And with that response given, Zack takes a moment to retrieve something out of his pocket. A simple necklace made up a thin black rope with a black wooden cross hanging from it.

  “Here, put this on and see if it helps at all. I had it blessed, prayed over, and doused in holy water.” Zack explains while holding the apparent holy accessory out to the younger male. Galivinth stares at it for a moment with silent doubt, but he does eventually entertain the suggestion. He takes the necklace from Zack and puts it on around his own neck.

  “If you think it'll help…” He softly comments, then takes another look out the window. This time, a translucent structure IS visible before his eyes. It seems to be a glass see-through tower far off miles away on the other side of town and standing tall enough for its peak to disappear into the blue sky above.

  “Oh. I see it!” Galivinth perks up at the sight.

  “That's good! Then that must mean your faith alone is insufficient to see it without help. I’d advise taking this moment as a sign to embrace and accept God into your life, my friend.” Zack suggests.

  “Truly… I guess if there was ever going to be a crystal clear sign that challenges my doubts, no pun intended, then it's definitely this. This is pretty convincing for sure.” The half-cryonean concurs.

  “A very open-minded and mature way to approach it.” Zack praises and places a hand atop of Galivinth’s shoulder.

  “You should attend bible studies or services, even if only once in a while. If you don't already have a church, you're very much welcomed to this one. We’d be glad to have you.” The sandy blonde shares with a warm smile.

  [ An Hour And A Half Later At The Blue Currents Temple ]

  Every student gathers in the largest room at the far back at the request of the head monk of the dojo, thus the remaining members stand waiting for what is likely an update after the events that lead to the loss of many students on the mountain. Some by falling victim to attacks from the demon lurking around and others due to the fear of such unpredictable danger.

  “Jeeze… I remember when this room had a lot more people in it. This is all that's left?” Galivinth questions as he scans his eyes across the room.

  “I think I have slightly more people in my first period class.” He adds.

  “Yes, our dojo's numbers have dwindled quite significantly. Though, that's of no consequence to either you or I. There's simply just far less potential competition.” Naeth comments.

  “Still, I feel awful. People were killed and it feels… a little disturbing to carry on like normal as we do. Like, their moment in life and time here was just a forgetful breeze in the wind.” Galivinth shares with a sense of sadness.

  “We’ve no obligation to any student here. What would you like to be done? That we forfeit our efforts and return home?” Naeth questions.

  “No, of course not. I still wanna be here.” Galivinth assures.

  “Then let it go. The ambitions of everyone else does not suddenly cease because of the death of one or some. There's always more work to be done.” Naeth informs his relative.

  “That’s such a distant way to look at things…” Galivinth remarks with an uncomfortable furrow of his brows.

  “Are you aware of all of the victim's names?” Naeth questions.

  “No, not at all.” Galivinth answers honestly.

  “Then you were a distant individual to them. There's no social closeness to speak of, no real significance lost to dwell upon. With due time, you will forget all about them and feel better.” Naeth assures in his own aloof way as he crosses his arms. Galivinth shoots him a wary look, but their discussion comes to an end when the three main Martial Arts instructors of the school enter the room. Heihachi, Jeoy, and Sae all head across the room to stand with their backs to the wide wall of the room and before the remaining students of the Blue Currents school. All eyes fall onto the three men.

  “Afternoon. I sincerely loathe wasting time with pleasantries when there's a less than pleasant issue to address… As you all likely know, there's been a series of murders on Mount Heaven Splitter, and such has led to others refraining from returning here. Understandably so, of course. After all, you only have one life and you should always do your best to live it with certainty. Which brings us to the topic of those of you who remain here as students. Because there's only eleven of you now, we will no longer be dividing classes. This room is where we shall gather from now on. Not only that, but we’ve decided that there will only be one training session a day and that they'll all begin at 4:30pm on the dot and end by 6:30pm.” Heihachi delivers the dojo's announcement with his usual uptight diction.

  “So! Just to form a sense of solidarity and to acknowledge those of you still remain - man, that sounds slightly tactless - here with us! I know it's not an easy thing to do, but at least the source of the tragedies has been taken care of. I'm proud of you all for being brave enough to keep pushing through!” Joey adds while trying to maintain his usual enthusiasm in such a dark time.

  “As am I. Let's all introduce ourselves, shall we? We’ll go in order from right to left.” Sae Lee picks up from his peer’s dropping off point, presently pointing a finger at the half-cryonean.

  “Oh, Uhm!... My name's Galivinth!” The pupil of Heihachi announces for all to hear. Then, introductions continue down a horizontal line.

  “My name is Naeth.” The full-blooded cryonean gives his name nonchalantly.

  “Asura! Pleased to make everyone's acquaintances!” The swordsman and friend of the former two announces with a bow that briefly bends his posture in half.

  “Rachael…” A girl with brownish olive skin, a very likely Native American descendant, shares almost reluctantly. She stands at the height of 5’5 and is wearing tribal garbs consisting of a black leather headband with red stripes running around the top & bottom rim of it while a feather stands tall at the left temple region of the headdress, a two piece dark blue dress with a sleeveless top and a matching knee-length skirt that has no sides, underneath of which she wears a black thick turtleneck sweater with its sleeves rolled up just above her biceps and black denim shorts with white fluffy edges around the bottom of the short legs. On her lower arms are brown leather wristbands, though her right wrist has the addition of a black bead bracelet on it. Further down are tall heelless & toeless black socks that stop just below her knees and lead down into a pair of black toeless sandal-boots that cover a little over half of her socks. Her rather sour expression seems more unwelcoming than it appears thanks to her gold owl-like eyes and the red eyeliner running along her lower eyelids. Lastly, there's her long jet-black hair that has its rear length hanging within a single thick braid that hangs down at her lower back and with a red bowtie around the tip of it, while a part at the front lays neat jaw-length bangs from the corners of her hairline.

  “Connor.” A male a few feet away from the girl speaks up next. Another likely descendant of a Native American tribe. He stands at 6’2, has an identical skin tone to Rachael. On his lean figure, he wears a red t-shirt over a black wool turtleneck sweater that has its sleeves rolled up just enough to expose his forearms, a tiger tooth necklace around his neck, white tape wrapping around his right wrist, rings of red tape on his left hand fingers, dark blue jeans on his lower body, and red high-top running shoes on his feet. His hair is also jet-black, but only half the length of the girl’s, and instead drapes freely. Finally, his eyes are of different colors. His left pupil is a simple and normal brown, while his right pupil is owl-like and gold just like Rachael's pair.

  “I’m Vance and there's no way I can quit now!” Naeth's Tai Kwon Do peer exclaims with a look of determination on his face and a posture of slamming his right fist into his left palm.

  “Hello, hello! He’s Adam–”

  “And she's Eve!”

  “It's nice to meet you all!” A fair skin pair introduces one another and concludes their introduction in unity. A young woman with long and light dull brown hair. Her height of 5’6, figure petite, and also wearing the dojo brand gi formally on her body. Her eyes are of a vibrant, yet pale shade of pink. The young man beside has a head of shaggy icy-blonde hair, a height of 5’10, a slender frame underneath his gi, and eyes of a brilliant pale-ish purple color.

  “...Kyle Stanley.” The next student, a young man with fair skin and a lean physique, speaks up. Shaggy sandy-brown curly hair obscures one of his brown eyes while an outfit of a brown & white letterman jacket over a black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, white hand wraps, and white sneakers clothes his body.

  “Ishi Me (Is-she May).” The oldest of the students speaks up next. A Japanese man in his mid-twenties who stands at 6’3 and with a muscular physique adorned by a gray t-shirt, the top half of his teal gi hanging behind his lower body while holding in place by the tied black sash around his waist, his baggy gi pants have the ankles of their legs neatly tucking away inside a pair of white socks, black martial arts shoes on his feet, and white tape wraps that cover his wrists and half of his forearms each. His hair is jet-black and long enough for the rear of it to be within a long braid that nearly reaches the center of his back, while the front is like a nest that cradles most of his masculine face. A strong jawline and a dimple on his chin adds to the intense permanent scowl his thin brows are always maintaining, while his eyes are of a dull gray color.

  “Salutations to you all. My name is Arthur King and it is an honor to stand beside brave warriors such as yourselves!” A young boy, who looks to be about 10-years-old, is the final in line to speak his name. He stands at 4’2 in height, his skin vibrantly fair, his hair short & gold-blonde, and eyes of a brilliant shade of baby-blue. On his short stature, he wears the dojo's standard gi with a white snug turtleneck shirt underneath the top half and tape wrap around his ankles & half of his feet.

  “Nice! Now that we got that out of the way, what do you guys say we get our training session going? Cardio and form are still the foundations of martial arts, so don't go expecting things to change too much!” Joey speaks up with his usual upbeat tone and beaming smile, then the new group carries out their training classes together. Much to the surprise of any skeptical mind there, the instructors are able to maintain lessons of the student’s respective chosen martial art style in that room without any real hindrance. All goes smoothly for the entirety of those two hours.

  When the sun begins setting and the amalgamation of a class ends, most of the students are preparing to leave for the evening. However, before any of them can exit the room, Vance suddenly cuts off the exit by standing in front of the large double doors with his arms extending outward at his sides. The display earning questioning looks from the others quite quickly.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Hey, wait! Before we all head out of here, I think we should talk!” He announces with enough volume behind his voice for every ear to pick up on his words.

  “Talk? About what?” Galivinth questions curiously.

  “I have nothing to discuss with anyone here… I’m not interested in any trivial subject about your life or anyone else's.” Ishi declares before approaching the teen with the intent of pushing one of his arms down and exiting the room.

  “Just hang on a sec, okay? It's not really about my life or anyone else's! At least, not entirely. Just hear me out for 30 seconds, alright?” Vance insists. Ishin cocks a sharp brow, but it seems the youth does get him to stop in his tracks and listen for a moment. By that point, everyone else gathers around to hear what he has to say.

  “I know everything has been weird and crazy with people dying and all, but I feel like we should work together to finish the flag game. Going off what Naeth, Asura, and Galivinth told us, the problem is taken care of now. I think… I think we should… ya know… honor…” Vance trails off, hanging his head as he begins losing nerve. He feels as though he's presenting a childish and perhaps selfish notion. Though, all it takes is a short pause for him to ask himself a question within the confines of his mind to push his will to speak his thoughts to its peak.

  “I think we should win the flag game together to honor our classmates!” He finally blurts out while lifting his head with a solemn frown. With those words spoken, silence overtakes the room for what feels like an hour barging into seconds of quietness.

  “The flag game…?” Ishin questions after giving it some thought.

  “I'm not here to participate in childish and meaningless activities, I am here to further hone my skills and to test my ever expanding knowledge in the many forms of martial arts against those with the convention to take their training as seriously as I do.” He informs while crossing his arms over his chest and shooting a look of scrutiny at the teen.

  “Well, who's to say you won't find what you're looking for by helping us!? The Red Turtle Dragon dojo has some pretty strong fighters. One of them even beat five of us by himself! Heck, Naeth, the strongest guy I know here, practically has a rivalry with a crazy strong guy from the Cloudy Lightning dojo, too!” Vance informs, leading Ishin to briefly turn his head toward the nonchalant cryonean who's observing a few feet away.

  “If there's anything I can promise you, it's that you're definitely in for a tough fight. Some of these guys will definitely give you a run for your money, pal!” Vance swears confidently.

  “My interest is piqued enough.” Ishin concedes after a short pause.

  “Guess it’ll HAVE to be tonight. I think it ends pretty soon.” Galivinth informs the group.

  “Good enough reason for me to participate.” Naeth remarks.

  “Ehh… What the hell? Might as well see just how much all of this training can help in a real fight.” Kyle shrugs his shoulders and announces he’s also throwing his hat in.

  “We’re truly assembling to carry out a conquest of asserting our dominance? Then thou can count I to be among your ranks of those who will fight beside you!” Arthur speaks up next with his fists at his hips and chest puffing out.

  “I’ll lend a hand, too. There's not a lot of us left, so I feel it's the right thing to do.” Adam gives his answer.

  “I’ll help, if he helps. It's not something I usually lean into, but I feel this is a special occasion!” Eve also agrees to aid the group’s effort.

  “Nice!” Vance exclaims as he enthusiastically pumps a fist. His eyes then turn toward the last two of the group who have yet to speak.

  “What about you two? We could use all of the help that we can.” He asks.

  “Us? I guess you /did/ specify that you want the entire class to partake…” Rachael remarks while averting her eyes in thought.

  “I can respect your sense of camaraderie, but is this really worthwhile to you?” Connor chimes in.

  “Yeah, it definitely is! I gave it some thought and I’m sure of it. I can't do a lot for them, so this is the one thing I want to do to pay my respects.” Vance affirms to him with nothing short of conviction behind his words.

  “I’ll help too, then. We share a dojo, so maybe a little bit of that burden is mine to carry, too.” Connor volunteers with a nod of his head.

  “If my brother is helping, then I guess there's less of an excuse for me not to help out… Whatever, I’ll help you avenge your fallen friends, too.” Rachael obliges while crossing her arms and turning her head away.

  “A-avenge? Hey, hey… This is just about winning a game for the lost dojo members, not revenge!” Vance corrects her.

  “Same thing to me.” She promptly responds.

  “Man… Well, hey, I still appreciate that you're joining in.” Vance expresses his gratitude while rubbing at the back of his neck with an air of skepticism.

  “Alright, now that that's settled, how about we devise a plan and carry it tonight?” He proposes.

  “We don't need anything complex or too clever. I say we split into groups of three and one odd team of two, then enter their dojo from various points. I'm not sure how many students are still there, but the goal is to simply capture the flag. Perhaps one team will be lucky enough to make use of the chaos and make off with it.” Naeth suggests.

  “I see. And how would you advise that we split our members?” Ishin questions.

  “Galivinth and I will be the odd two-man team and the ones to take the most direct approach through the main entrance. The rest of you should pair up based on your preference of infiltration. Be it going discreetly or loudly, and the entree point you want to take. The building is a ‘U’ shape, so there's plenty of options.” Naeth answers.

  “I’d be lying if I said I wanted to avoid fighting at all, so I’ll tag along with anyone who's not afraid to get into a little bit of trouble.” Kyle informs the group.

  “Covert, but ready to fight at any time? I’ll go with you, too.” Rachael concurs with the former's sentiment.

  “I’ll join you two, as well!” Asura solidifies himself as their third member.

  “In that case, I think I’d like to take up the role of being covert and looking for the flag.” Eve volunteers.

  “And I think it's best to lend her a hand.” Adam speaks up next.

  “We’ll find it together!” The two conclude in unity as they join hands with lacing fingers.

  “Ah. I don't care too much how I contribute, so I’ll just tag along with Adam and Eve.” Connor informs.

  “Guess that makes me, you, and Arthur the final group, eh?” Vance remarks with an almost cheeky grin toward Ishin.

  “Hmph.” Ishin huffs with mild scrutiny on his features.

  “Huzzah! I too look forward to hard-fought battles, so don't feel inclined to be discreet for my sake, companions!” Arthur enthuses with another vibrant smile.

  Minutes later, the remaining Blue Currents dojo students arrive at the Red Turtle Dragon dojo and immediately prepare to carry out their attack. Mindfully, the only two of the group to take the direct path leading to the grounds are Galivinth and Naeth. Everyone else takes paths off the dirt road to close in on the building.

  “Are you prepared for confrontation, cousin?” Naeth questions as he and the half-cryonean in question circle around the large fanciful dragon-themed water fountain on the path forward from opposite sides.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty much all set to get things going.” Galivinth answers as he places his left hand upon his right-side collar bone and rotates his right shoulder to loosen it.

  “Good enough. I don't expect any worthwhile resistance inside, so even I cannot expect to use much effort.” The cryonean remarks as they rejoin to walk side by side again and approach the red double doors at the main entrance. Once they come to a halt and stand before them, the two take a very short moment to go over their intent.

  “Full output. We want them to see it coming and direct their attention here.” Naeth advises.

  “Right.” Galivinth affirms. In the very next second, the two bring their fists beside their own hips, elbows bent, and palms facing skyward as they unleash their soul essence. Fiery red and watery white flow beside each other at their max capacity,brazenly giving away their position to everyone inside and outside.

  “Now then…” Naeth trails off from his thought to take a moment to deliver a swift spinning lancing-kick that busts the doors wide open with an explosive ‘DHOOOOM!’. Inside, he reveals the students in red who have been waiting in anticipation and gathering in a mass crowd to confront them.

  “How about a proper introduction!? Come and discover the mountain of a gap you will NEVER overcome.” Naeth taunts just before taking up a Muay Thai stance - fists up and facing forward like paws, forearms vertical in his line of sight, and the knee of his dominant leg slightly bent to allow the ball of its respective foot to lightly rest upon solid ground while also leading in front of the other. Simultaneously, Galivinth takes up his Tiger-style Kung-fu stance. His left foot leading in front of the other by three feet, both knees bent just enough to lower his posture into a slight crouch, his left arm extending out in front of him while his right hand finds its place five inches away from the side of his face, and his fingers all curling to mimic claws. His thumbs, point finger, and middle fingers particularly pointing their nails forward while his ring & pinky fingers bend into the palms of his hands.

  “If you're looking for a fight, then you’ve found it, you smug faggot!” A Red Turtle Dragon student exclaims. In the very next instant a myriad of auras emerge forth and clash with one another, then the two opposing sides at the front entrance close the distance mutually to engage in combat.

  [Elsewhere At The Red Turtle Dragon Dojo]

  “Hmm. So it begins… “ Ishin remarks, then takes a moment to prepare himself. He takes in a slow and deep inhale of oxygen while drawing his fists up to his hips & bending his elbows.

  “Indeed! Let us prepare to help deviate further attention from our other allies.” Arthur suggests while posturing; a fist of righteous determination smacking right into a resilient palm of firm justice.

  “Guess I’m ready, too.” Vance speaks up while sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck, not too sure what to expect from the two with him.

  “Haaaaaah….” Ishin exhales that bountiful breath of air while uncurling his fists and slowly lifts his hands until they're at the same level as his pectoral region.

  “TUUAAAHHH!!!” KROOOOOM! In a swift motion, he instantaneously blows a hole in the wall that's three times the size of his body with a right center-mass jab and a spontaneous amplification of coating solely his fist in all 300% capacity of his soul essence. As quickly as it came, Ishin’s dingy-gray aura disappears from around his fist as he proceeds to walk inside.

  “An impressive display, my strong companion! I wonder just how destructive your might can be against much more resilient material!” Arthur remarks as he and Vance follow the former inside through that giant man-made entrance.

  “So YOU'RE the bunch flaunting the gull to attack our dojo out of the blue?” A female’s voice questions, drawing the attention of the three immediately. Upon looking over, the three Blue Currents student come to notice that they're standing within the building’s Messhall and that there's eight Red Turtle Dragon students present, one of them being a female, who seems partially of Chinese descent, with long raven hair and gold pupilless eyes that resemble a twin pair of flameless suns in oceans of dull silver. While her peers rise from the redwood lunch tables, ready to confront the intruders, she remains in her seat with a teacup in hand and a small clay plate in front of her on the table she's sitting at. As if bearing naught a pinch of concern, she turns her mystical-like gaze away from the three and shuts her eyes while resuming to enjoy her tea. Though, she does spare another thought before taking a sip.

  “Seven against three weaklings should more than suffice, no? Make them regret coming here without showing proper respect.” She orders the seven others.

  “Come!” Ishin provokes as he takes up the combative stance of Tiger-style Kung-fu with an unfaltering solemn glare.

  “Let us see if such a gap truly exists between us…” He adds calmly.

  “Man, I hope sticking to the taekwondo training pays off here…” Vance murmurs before finding a rhythm of putting his body in motion by bouncing on the balls of his feet in place.

  “Fret not, Vance! With my Jeet Kune Do, your Taekwondo, and Ishin's Tiger-style Kung-fu, we’ll easily overcome any odds that come our way!” Arthur assures with a lingering grin as he extends his right foot forward, holds his left fist inches away from his jaw, and extends his right hand out in a loose fashion & his arm within an ‘L’ shape that lets him posture his fingers lazily pointing to the floor.

  [MEANWHILE…]

  From a different point of the building, Kyle, Asura, and Rachael prepare to enter the temple next.

  “Sounds like the front entrance isn't the only side popping off right now. I think I might be getting goosebumps.” Kyle half jokingly remarks, grinning as he approaches a window that's been left slightly open to let cool air inside and lifts it as high as he needs to in order to comfortably climb through it.

  “Alright then, let's get it.” He leads the other two onward through the opening with a catchphrase and an anticipating grin. The three members find themselves inside of a large kitchen that has its light off. Carefully as they can, the three navigate their way across the room. However, Asura’s arm winds up brushing up against the handle of a skillet and causes it to fall to the floor with a loud clattering. Not only that, but Rachael's foot collides with a bucket that's been left on the floor, accidentally sending it thrashing against a cabinet nearby.

  “Hey, that came from the kitchen!”

  “Come on, we better check it out!” Voices from outside inform the three that their position is now given away.

  “Well, so much for sneaking up on unsuspecting opps.” Kyle remarks nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “Sorry, it's just kind of dark in here.” Asura apologizes.

  “No kidding… I can't really see a thing in here.” Rachael concurs with the former's assessment.

  “It's all good. Like I said before, I’m not exactly looking to avoid confrontation by any means necessary.” Kyle responds as he reaches for the knob of the exit and turns it, pushing against the door to open and revealing the handful of Red Turtle Dragon students who’re just arriving on the scene.

  “Hey, I don't know any of you! Whaddya think you're doing sneaking around in our kitchen, huh!?” A student of the dojo questions.

  “Nothing really, but hey. Since I have your attention, could ya tell me where your flags are?” Kyle asks while putting on a pretense of harmlessness, even lifting a hand to rub at the back of his head as if bearing a sense of embarrassment.

  “A FUNNY guy, huh!?” The Red Turtle Dragon student attempts to send a thrusting kick into Kyle’s abdomen, but the sandy-brown hair male takes a big striding step to the side while leaning his entire body off center and into a brief crouch. The kick misses completely and just as the attacker retracts his leg, Kyle promptly adopts a peek-a-boo boxing stance and lunges at the opposing student by kicking off from the spot his striding step landed, and delivers a fierce left-hand uppercut that sends his adversary stumbling back toward his classmates in red.

  “You're done!” Kyle asserts as he quickly follows up just as his target recoils forward from the many hands trying to prevent their classmate from falling onto his back after taking such a disorienting blow. A moment of which Kyle exploits by taking two half striding steps forward and throwing most of his weight behind a left javelin-straight that he throws out in sync with his second step. A hit that lands square center on the opposing student’s face with enough force to knock over three of them total. In that split second, the abnormal amount of power to do such a thing reveals itself in the form of his yellow-ish green soul essence coming forth at max capacity. Instead of engulfing his entire body, his aura dances around only his fists and feet. Just by observing, one can deposit a guess that he's sacrificing all defense to amplify his attacks and footwork. Instead of his strength simply being at 3x, it's instead at 4.5x. He gives a demonstration of his adjustment when another Red Turtle Dragon student draws out their own soul essence to max capacity and tries to rush him down. Before the student realizes what's happening, Kyle, even with his late reaction, is the first to cut off the distance between them and connect with a right hook that sends the opposing male flipping twice in mid-air from his own momentum before collapsing face down on the floor.

  “W-what the hell just happened?”

  “You blind or something? Suia was goofing around and let that guy hit him in the face!” Two Red Turtle Dragon students commentate on the moment.

  “Oh, I think he’s just THAT good!” Asura praises just before joining the fray with a running into leaping flying roundhouse dragon-kick that his target attempts to raise their arms to block, but the impact still sends the male in red soaring and his back roughly bouncing off the wall nearby before he hits the ground next. With no further banter or surprise attacks, a brawl breaks out right there in the hallway.

  The violent commotion throughout the temple resumes for several minutes, but eventually it begins simmering. The front area is the first to settle down and concludes with Galivinth landing a palm strike to the chin of a student from the bunch who came to confront their intrusion, dropping the male onto the floor with both a grunt and thud. With Galivinth and Naeth now being the last two standing, the duo take a moment to collect themselves. The former rubs at the fairly sore corner of his mouth while the latter dusts his attire off. It's also by this point that the final team enters the building to scout for the location of the flag.

  “That's all of them all…” Naeth remarks upon looking around, noting that their opposition is either unconscious or writhing on the floor.

  “Yeah, looks like it.” Galivinth responds before turning to face his relative. With no one obscuring their way forward now, the pair head further inside. Naturally, they come upon a split. A path to the left leading to double doors, though also has a stairwell off to the side along the stretch of space. The right leads toward a door down its side of the hallway and another two-way split.

  “Perhaps this is where we should split to cover more ground. Do you have a preference for which way you’ll go?” Naeth proposes and follows up with a question.

  “I’ll go left. It's no big deal to me.” Galivinth answers.

  “Very well. We’ll meet back here once one of us has the flag.” Naeth informs him.

  “Sounds good to me.” Galivinth concurs, and with that, the two go their separate ways. The half-cryonean heads left and walks forward at his own leisure, making use of his slowness to give himself to make a choice between the shut double doors or the stairs heading down. Eventually, he decides the latter seems far more compelling and approaches the descent.

  “Huh?” When he reaches the stairs, he immediately sees Connor, Adam, and Eve crouching at the bottom. He begins descending down the steps and inevitably draws the attention of the three on his way down.

  “Hey, we found the flag!” Eve whispers once the half-cryonean is close enough.

  “Oh? Where?” Galivinth inquires, making sure to match her volume.

  “Over there. But it's guarded by three students. We were discussing our next move.” Connor informs, gesturing with a tilt of his head toward the light down the narrow corridor at the bottom of the smaller flight of steps to the left.

  “We weren't sure how strong they were, so we thought maybe we should help the others out and return with more numbers.” Eve adds.

  “I see. That's not a bad idea at all, actually. Naeth and I took down ten of them together, so maybe now’s the time to overwhelm the remaining with numbers. Just to make sure there's no surprises. You three should go find the others and help them. Tell them where the flag is and work together to move safely.” Galivinth advises.

  “Oh. But what about you?” Adam questions.

  “I'm going to see if I can get the flag from them myself.” Galivinth answers while forming a fist he lifts to hold in front of his heart.

  “You sure that's wise?” Connor questions with furrowing brows.

  “No, but it's fine. Maybe it's over confidence brought on by my cousin always reassuring me, but I’m willing to bet that I can take them alone. Now, you guys should get going. Every second counts.” Galivinth insists. Obliging without further questioning, the three head back up stairs as Galivinth steps aside to grant them room to ascend freely. Once they're beyond him, he heads on down to venture through the corridor and confront those waiting at the end of it.

  Meanwhile, Naeth winds up making a left at the end of his path back on the main floor and enters through a sliding door he opens to explore what lies behind it. He discovers it to be a fairly spacious dojo room once he's further inside, and not at all vacant. A male within is sitting upon a sofa against one of the walls while brushing his thumb over the screen of his phone. Though the thumps of Naeth's feet give away that someone is approaching, the young man of a stranger takes his time nonchalantly looking up from his cellular device and at the Blue Currents student. A sight that makes the male in red arch a brow.

  “Huh?” Little does Naeth know, this is the same individual who took their first flag on the day the competition began.

  [ Elsewhere In The Temple… ]

  “Yea-toh!” Ishin Me lashes out with a forward stomp of his dominant foot and a thrusting claw-like jab that aims for the throat of the girl who finally partakes in fending him and his classmates off after seeing most of her own peers fall in defeat. The girl, far more capable than the average student of the dojo, twirls with a single 360° spin aside to both maneuver out of the way and promptly counter-attack with a swift swiping high kick that lands firmly across the side of her attacker's face. The blow briefly disrupts Ishin's posture, but it's nothing that disorientates or hinders him from retaliating with a spinning roundhouse kick of his own barely a couple of seconds after taking a blow. Though unlike him, the girl manages to defensively raise her in an ‘L’ shape, fist pointing upward, to block his incoming attack - though the impact is great enough to draw a mild grimace from her and send her feet sliding four feet away. Quick to persist in his aggression, Ishin rather effortlessly leaps at her with no momentum beforehand to throw out a flying dragon-swipe kick for her head, which she easily makes into a vain attempt by ducking underneath his leg. Though, he doesn't relinquish offense just yet and seamlessly follows up with another spin when he lands, but this time crouching to swipe at the lower region of her legs. That too she evades with ease, doing so by casually hopping with bending knees. The relentless male goes for one more spin, this time while rising and throwing a fair amount of momentum into an elbow strike that manages to land at the girl's stomach. Knocking a bit of wind out of her lungs and sending her stumbling back another six feet.

  “No more games… If you're so determined, then let's see just how far that /will/ takes you.” The female teen challenges while drawing out her fiery-orange soul essence to its maximum output, as well as releasing a spiritual presence - a transparent spirit of a dragon that emerges from the ground at her feet and slithers in a spiraling fashion to gently hug around her body from her left shin and up to her right shoulder. The mystic beast not only makes itself audible with a threatening growl, but also raises the temperature within the room to 100° degrees. Something that Ishin visibly grimaces at upon feeling, though nonetheless, he too brings forth his faded-maroon and slightly larger soul essence. Doing so brings complete relief from the heat of the girl's aura. However, his classmates aren't exactly in the same boat.

  “Hey, did it suddenly get hot in here?” Vance comments from his place resting on the floor against the floor, and reaches to tug at the collar of his t-shirt.

  “Aye. It's akin to standing in front of an oven, except the heat feels as if it's breathing down all around me.” Arthur affirms Vance’s observation.

  “Coat yourselves in your soul essence and remain quiet.” Ishin instructs as he engages in a standoff with his opponent at hand. The last of the bunch still standing in their way.

  The two younger males oblige and draw out their soul essence one after the other. Immediately, they both feel a preferable difference, though not to the extent of Ishin. The sizes of their auras being smaller than hers only decreases the heat they feel against their skin, not neutralize it.

  “Hmm!” Arthur smiles at the decrease in temperature.

  “Hey, that IS better!” Vance remarks with a big smile of his own.

  “Silence!” Ishin demands, startling the taekwondo practitioner sitting on the floor. The two fighters stand ready to re-engage within seconds that easily feel like minutes. No rhyme or reason, nor even a hinting clue, indicates it, but the two suddenly take powerful steps forward simultaneously. Both of their leading feet contribute to creating a meter wide crater onto the wooden flooring as they lunge attacks at one another, their fists meeting with a faint ‘kroom’. With Ishin possessing superior strength, the impact repels the raven-haired girl’s hand and disrupts her balance. Something the male exploits by stepping forward once more and swiftly using the heel of his leading foot as a hook of sorts to swirl around her leading leg, yanking her limb up several feet off the ground, and then quickly using that same foot of his to kick at the thigh of her opposite leg.

  “Guh!?” She collapses into a sitting position. The next time she looks toward him, she sees a foot just reaching the climax of height her adversary’s limber leg can reach and then its descent to attack. Quick to react, the girl rocks back with her spine curving against the floor, hands planting flat onto the surface underneath her, and both of her feet lifting in unity to catch that incoming foot together with their soles. Making use of her knees bending under the pressure of his attack, she extends her legs like springs to launch him away and onto his back with a thud. One after the other, the two combatants kick back up onto their feet and resume their bout, though this time with the young lady taking the lead. She leaps at him 13-feet into the air, knees bending up to her torso, and dishes out a stomping drop-kick aiming for his head. An attempt Ishin raises his arms horizontally together to block, which also serves as a sturdy means for the girl to push herself into a retreating backflip that concludes with her smoothly landing on her feet.

  “You’ll need to do better than that!” Ishin exclaims just a mere second before they rush forward to meet halfway again. Like before, they throw out attacks simultaneously at each other, but this time the girl aims for his throat with her fingers extending straight like a short blade, while the male aims for the square center of her face with a tiger-claw fist. Both evade being hit by leaning their heads off center, both manage to graze nothing but thin air. When their respective hands retract after missing utterly, a flurry of snappy quick attacks fly between the two of them. The girl leans her upper body out the way of a jab aiming for her face, the male then finds himself swatting at her forearm to deflect a hook going for his jaw, and then the female teen stops a thrusting knee zeroing in on her stomach by blocking it with her own lifting knee. Ishin, applying further pressure in that instance, follows up by retracting his leg to plant its foot down again as he throws out an uppercut for her chin. An attempt the girl sways with a step to her left to avoid before retaliating with a backhand fist going for the older male’s jaw. Though Ishin simply manages to use his opposite hand to catch her fist by the wrist, then uses his grip to fling her toward one of the tables in the room.

  “KOH!!” He exclaims. The involuntary momentum leads to her lower back colliding into the side of it, stunning her long enough for him to launch a fierce spinning thrust-kick that sends her splitting the table in half and roughly smashing through the wall behind her.

  “Jeeze, he’s good… I feel kind of bad that he's beating up on a girl, though.” Vance remarks with a slight furrow of his brows.

  “Aye-aye. I would wish no maiden to be sent to any battlefield. I can only commend her for lasting as long as she is.” Arthur comments with a solemn expression and his arms crossing over his torso. Meanwhile, Ishin peers through the second large hole in the wall from where he stands with keen eyes. His already uptight expression wrinkles further into a scowl as he sees his adversary rising back up onto her feet with no real struggle.

  “So it continues.” Ishin utters to himself. He bends his knees while extending a foot forward to spread his legs, and also holds out his left hand in a posture of requesting while his right fist finds its place beside his hip. He beckons the girl to him with waving fingers.

  “This time, however, I’ll break you and make sure you accept your place on the ground.” He declares coldly. Needing no further provoking, the girl rushes forward and through that hole in the wall at a notable speed. Making use of her quickness, such quickness that Ishin’s eyes can barely keep track of now, she twirls on the ball of her right foot while simultaneously planting her hands upon the ground, and takes a mighty spinning hook-kick for his temple with the heel of her left foot. A blow Ishin raises his flexing right arm to block while his left hand applies pressure to its bicep to fortify his defense. Even then, the impact jerks his upper body into turning slightly while he involuntarily shuffles several steps sideways, grimacing as he does. By the time he sets his gray eyes upon her again, the girl is upright and closing in to take a jab at him with dual fingers from her right hand. He reacts by blocking with his right arm again. However, that's the exact limb she's purposely going for. What follows next is a series of pokes jabbing all over his arm. The lack of hindering pain emboldens to power through with a counter-attack in the form of a roundhouse kick swiping through the air to reach the side of her neck. An attempt that ends in vain when she leaps back and out of range of it. Just as he takes a step forward to give chase, a puzzling sensation grabs his attention.

  “What–?” He whispers under his breath while his eyes shoot toward his right arm. A sense of numbness has a hold of his limb and it's making it awfully difficult to move it again. It trembles severely during his persistence to bend his arm.

  “Heh. Did you suddenly lose function of your arm? You look awfully perplexed…” The girl taunts as her lips curve into a wicked grin and her hands raise with the intent of going on offense again.

  “You think yourself clever, girl?” Ishin questions with malice dripping from his words.

  “Amused that you thought you stood a chance against me alone.” The girl rebuttals. Then, she puts an end to their brief banter and charges him down again. With willpower within him still burning fiercely, Ishin throws caution to the wind when he sees her move from where she stands, and throws out a preemptive gut-punch hook. A punch the girl is more than quick enough to catch within the palm of her hand to stop it from hitting its mark. However, the difference in strength is still a factor between them. The male throws all of his weight into pushing against her hand, sending her sliding 7 feet away. Even so, it inflicts no damage, but instead delays what's to come. The teen quickly rushes to close off the distance between them in a matter of 1.5 seconds, though instead of attacking again, she invades his personal space while those sun-like eyes of hers nonchalantly stare him down. Ishin's eyes perk up as he instinctively takes a jab at her face with another tiger-claw fist. This one, she weaves aside with a striding step and exploits the opening to deliver two poking jabs to his left leg.

  “Ach!” Ishin immediately feels the effects of her bizarre technique when his knee nearly buckles completely from those two simple pokes and it startles him. In his slipping balance, the girl promptly grips him by the shirt to drag him into swapping places with her so that HIS back is now facing the second hole in the wall instead. With barely a second of delay, she delivers an uppercutting elbow-blow to his chin. The blow ailing him with a daze and a backwards stumbling of steps. Another moment she makes good use of to deliver a dual set of body blows simultaneously with both fists, blows she throws everything she has behind, and sends him flying outside under the moonlight. Shortly after landing on his back, Ishin's aura disperses from sight. At the very least, it's what reduces the damage enough to keep him from suffering a fatal injury. Noting this, it's why the girl pursues him again. In fact, she's already close enough to walk a few steps and kneel beside him.

  “Not a completely awful performance…” She comments. Ishin's grimacing eyes open to see her softly smiling down at him smugly.

  “But still not good enough.” She adds just before backhanding him across the temple with a smack, rendering him unconscious with the amp of her still active soul essence. With one down now, the girl rises up to stand at her full height again and turns around. There, standing at the hole in the wall, she sees the other two.

  “No way… she really did beat him!” Vance exclaims in disbelief.

  “Indeed… That maiden is no ordinary woman…” Arthur remarks.

  Favorite Character So Far?