Fear spread across the girl's face, her eyes trembling.
Akira gritted his teeth, thoughts colliding in his mind. If he left the girl with Yui, it would take hours to walk there… then hours to come back… No! Wait a minute… if I go back to Yui, how will I get back here?! Damn it… I never thought about that.
Seraphina asked anxiously.
— What are you thinking? W-we're not going back?
— Unfortunately, no.
— B-but why!!!
— We have to go to save your teammates!
Seraphina shouted, her voice trembling.
— D-don't be ridiculous!
Akira turned to her angrily.
— You! Are you really going to let your friends die just because you're scared?! Pathetic!
Tears streamed down the girl's face. Her voice trembled, breaking apart.
— I-I know I'm pathetic… but I can't… I'm too scared… I've been a failure since I was little…
Akira's eyes widened. The girl's unstable behavior confused him.
— Have you ever wanted to change that?..
Seraphina spoke through sobs.
— I tried… I tried so hard… but it doesn't work… I'm just a coward… Please, please, let's go back…
Akira clenched his fist.
— You don't believe in yourself. I'll make you believe.
He turned and started walking.
— Hey! Stop, don't go! Please!
— If I go… and that spirit shows up, it'll kill you. Right? But if we're together, we're at least stronger.
Seraphina ran after him, crying.
— Akira… slow down! I'm tired!
— We just started.
— If you want me to come… we need to rest…
Akira muttered to himself. This situation is terrible. Do I really have to deal with a constantly whining girl? I shouldn't have said what I did… Maybe she would've stayed. Why do I always have to try to look like a hero…?
After resting for ten minutes, Akira's eyes caught something above. Thin smoke drifted among the trees.
— Fire… someone's lit a fire.
Seraphina shivered.
— Maybe… it's just mist. Isn't it safer to stay here?
Without saying a word, Akira walked toward the smoke.
Seraphina continued running after him.
— Akira! Wait!
Akira turned to her, annoyed.
— Look, princess, we're not as close as you think. Please don't turn my name into something weird when you speak. "Akira." A-ki-ra.
— I'm sorry… Akisa.
Akira gritted his teeth in frustration and continued toward the smoke.
Seraphina was still worried.
— Akira… we're almost there, but it could be a trap.
Akira sighed. If it were Raiga, he'd say, "If it's a trap, we'll fall into it"… Then he looked at Seraphina and thought: I miss Raiga…
— Don't worry, I don't think it's a trap.
When he reached the fire, he saw two people sitting there.
— He-
The man suddenly stood up, drawing a knife from his pocket.
— Hey, you're not Seraphina!
— My name's Akira. I'm here to get you out.
— I'm Renzo.
— And I'm Gareth.
Akira asked,
— Why did you light this fire?
— So our teammate Seraphina could see us and find us… But it seems someone else found us first.
Akira smiled.
— Don't worry, your whining teammate is right behind me.
Seraphina stepped out from behind Akira.
— What did you just say, Akira?!
Renzo brightened when he saw Seraphina.
— I knew Seraphina would come find us.
Gareth added,
— And she brought someone with her.
Akira looked at Seraphina, disappointed.
— Ac-tu—
Seraphina cut him off, speaking quickly.
— Y-yes! Of course I wouldn't leave you… haha.
Akira sighed. Just as I thought…
— Anyway… where's the spirit?
— We don't know.
Gareth's hands began trembling.
— It'll be here soon. Let's move away from here.
— Okay, we'll move a little away, then use flares to find the path.
Renzo perked up.
— What?! You have flares?
— We're saved!
Akira answered.
— Yes. Now that I've found you, we can go.
The four of them ran into the forest. Akira thought: The spirit will see the smoke and come, so we need to be fast.
— You two thought you'd see the spirit's smoke, so why did you light a fire?
Renzo was still scared.
— We thought we weren't far from Seraphina. Sera took the envoy and ran to the other side, but the envoy was badly injured.
Seraphina added,
— The envoy… is dead.
— We expected that.
— But what if the spirit had come instead of Seraphina? What would you have done?
Renzo and Gareth shuddered.
Renzo stopped abruptly.
— We would've died here no matter what. At least we thought we could find Sera and all leave together.
— Sera has a good sense of direction.
Seraphina's morale fell.
— Unfortunately, I completely forgot the path now…
— Which means without Akira, we'd be waiting for death right now. Just thinking about it is scary.
— Okay, let's stop here. We've gone far enough.
Akira pulled a flare from his hand.
— The purple flare will show the way.
Just as he was about to throw it, he sensed an aura.
— Everyone, get down!!!
A blade-like strike cut through the air, leaving a deep gash on Renzo's shoulder.
— W-what's happening?!
A person appeared step by step in front of them, each step intensifying their terrifying aura.
Gareth, Seraphina, and Renzo froze in fear. Akira was also slightly scared; his hand trembled but he clenched it and drew his sword.
— W-who… are you?
The spirit seemed surprised.
— You're still able to move… Interesting.
Akira swung his sword.
— Everyone, get into combat positions—
Turning around, he saw the others frozen. Even Akira's voice seemed unheard.
— W-what happened to you all?!
The spirit laughed.
— Seems I've encountered them before.
Akira thought to himself: Whatever… I can fight alone.
— Because you used a forbidden spirit technique to possess a human body, killing you is my first mission as a soldier…
The spirit appeared next to Akira; its terrifying aura increased. Akira froze while the spirit laughed.
— Can a mere human like you really kill me?
Akira swung his sword quickly and retreated.
Th-this speed… as fast as Arisawa…
— Hm, you escaped, but… at what cost?
Akira was surprised.
— At what cost?—
Blood began flowing from his leg. Akira fell to the ground in pain.
— Aghhh…
He thought: My leg… damn… No chance of winning… I have to run…
Closing his eyes, he focused on the spirit within him. When he opened them, red energy was bursting from his arm.
The spirit was slightly surprised but confident.
— I don't know what you did… but you can't defeat me!
Then it shouted proudly:
— I was personally chosen by the Chaos Brothers!
Akira shouted.
— Fool… I already know I can't defeat you.
Akira charged forward, carrying Renzo, Gareth, and Seraphina as he ran.
The spirit sighed.
— So, you're running… a wise choice.
Akira thought: Now the red flare, to distract Raiga… Aghhh! My leg… I don't think I can get far.
Akira shouted:
— Heyyy! Wake up! I can't carry you!
Renzo and Gareth woke up.
— W-what's happening? W-where's the spirit?
— Now that you're awake, get off me and start running! We're escaping the spirit!
Gareth and Renzo were shocked.
— We're running?
— But… where to?
Akira replied immediately.
— I've already planned it.
Akira threw the red flare in his hand.
Now, since Raiga was the danger, they would throw the purple flare. Once the spirit turned toward Raiga, they would head to Yui.
As they ran, Akira looked up but couldn't see the purple flare.
— W-why hasn't it gone off?
Meanwhile, Raiga continued advancing through the forest.
— I've gone pretty far… how far am I from Akira?
Looking up, he saw the flare:
— The red flare… wait… what is this? This… Help flare!
— That's right, it must be it! I need to rush to help immediately!
Raiga spurred his horse at full speed toward the flare.
— I have to help Akira! Come on, faster, faster!
Soon, he saw Akira and shouted:
— Akira!!
Akira looked at Raiga in surprise.
— Y-you… why are you here, idiot?
Raiga replied mockingly:
— Weren't you the one who threw the red flare, idiot?
Akira's face fell. All his plans were instantly ruined.
Renzo asked curiously:
— Is this your teammate?
Gareth added in shock:
— Why did he come here?
Akira thought to himself: Ugh… my plans are ruined. How are we going to escape the spirit now?
Raiga, keeping his composure, asked:
— By the way, why are you running?
Akira, out of breath and anxious, replied:
— Behind us… a ridiculously dangerous—
At that moment, Raiga's horse's leg suddenly broke. Raiga rolled to break the fall and got back on his feet.
— What happened to my horse?!
Akira shouted in frustration:
— Idiot, keep running!
Just then, the spirit appeared in front of Akira, slicing the air with a sharp strike.
Akira yelled:
— Everyone, stop!
Renzo trembled in fear.
— W-what do we do?!
Gareth panicked.
— We're going to die!
Raiga shouted back fiercely:
— What are you saying! We're going to beat this guy and get out of here!
Akira took a deep breath.
— It's not as easy as you think…
He thought to himself: I guess fighting is our last option, but…
The spirit radiated an even more terrifying aura; the surroundings darkened, the wind howled, and the ground cracked.
Akira shouted:
— As you said, we're going to beat this guy!
Raiga didn't respond. Akira turned around and froze at the sight before him. Brave and confident Raiga was trembling with fear, unable to move.
Raiga forced out a voice.
— T-this… back then…
Akira asked, surprised and concerned:
— Raiga! What's wrong with you?
Raiga almost whispered:
— Th-this… k-chaos…
The spirit laughed mockingly.
— Someone knows where my power comes from…
Akira and Raiga locked eyes. On one side, Raiga frozen in fear before an overwhelming force; on the other, the spirit grinning mercilessly… the cold breath of battle pressed down on them all.
— Raiga, get out of here! —Akira shouted, breathless, eyes shining with determination.
Raiga closed his eyes. Memories from the past flooded his mind.
Seven-year-old Raiga lay by the forest lake, watching the water. The sound of the water filled him with peace; he loved it. Then a voice called from behind:
— Hey! Raiga, come here!
Raiga sprang up. It was his father's voice.
— Sir, father!
— Come here right now!
Raiga ran to his father.
— What is it, father?
His father wiped the sweat from his forehead, chopping wood.
— Raiga, can you take these logs to the village?
Raiga grumbled.
— But I was about to eat…
— The villagers are waiting for the logs.
Raiga carried the logs and headed toward the village. They lived in a small but peaceful village. Unlike Eldravon, trade wasn't good, but with so few people, it was enough.
Raiga ran to the house in the village center and knocked. An elderly woman opened the door.
— Welcome, Raiga.
Raiga smiled and entered.
— Thank you, grandmother.
He put down the logs and hugged her.
— Grandmother, let's play the fire game.
The grandmother threw the logs into the fireplace.
— Not today, Raiga. Tonight we have a celebration. We have a lot to do, you know.
Raiga perked up.
— Yes! We're celebrating my sister's birth!
His grandmother looked at him.
— Have you decided on a name?
— I have a nice one in mind.
— What is it?
Raiga spread his arms.
— Nagisa!
His grandmother was slightly surprised.
— And what does it mean?
— Coast… the meeting point of land and water.
His grandmother smiled.
— That's a beautiful meaning.
Raiga headed to help with preparations, then planned to return home.
— I'll help with the preparations and then come back home, grandmother.
— Okay, see you at the celebration.
As Raiga checked the preparations, he saw two people hanging a large banner above a house in the village center. He ran to help.
— Hello! Do you need help?
A man smiled at the boy.
— A little help would be great, little Draven.
Raiga quickly climbed the ladder and helped hang the banner. It read: "Welcome to our village."
Every time a baby was born, the village celebrated this way: tables were set, banners hung, lights added, and most importantly, a stage was set for dances.
Seeing most things prepared, Raiga headed home for dinner. The sun had already set.
He knocked on the door; his mother opened it holding the baby.
— Welcome, Raiga! Come to the table, we've been waiting.
Raiga rushed inside and sat at the table. He was so hungry he immediately dug in. His parents watched him eat.
His mother asked:
— How are the preparations going?
Raiga swallowed a bite.
— Most things are ready.
His father smiled.
— Good, then we'll be leaving soon.
His mother touched the baby's nose.
— What should we name her?
His father looked at Raiga.
— We found a name together with Raiga.
His mother asked curiously.
— What is it?
— Nagisa. It means coast. Peaceful and beautiful.
His mother thought for a moment, then smiled.
— It's a beautiful name.
Raiga bounced in excitement.
— That's it!
His parents laughed too.
After everyone left the table, Raiga held the baby and waited for his family to get ready. Playing with the baby, he said:
— Na-gi-sa… that's your name. You'll be my peaceful source like a lake.
His parents opened the door, already prepared, and called Raiga.
— Raiga!
Raiga walked out with the baby, heading to the village center with his family. Evening had fallen, but the village lights shone beautifully.
Arriving at the village center, they were surprised. Everything was ready for the celebration, but no one was there. The place was silent.
— Where is everyone?
— Raiga, is this some kind of surprise?
Raiga replied:
— No, no one told me anything.
They wandered a bit to find everyone. Eventually, they saw smoke coming from a house at the edge of the village. They ran toward it, but villagers were rushing toward the center. They didn't understand what was happening. One of the running men stopped.
— Run! Everyone run! A monster!
Raiga's father was shocked.
— A monster?
His mother and Raiga looked at him curiously.
— What should we do?
His father turned around.
— We don't know what's happening. Let's head back to Eldravon.
His mother nodded.
— Okay, then let's quickly gather our things.
His father picked up the baby and carried Raiga on his back, running with his wife. When they reached their home, they saw it completely burned. They froze.
As Raiga's father headed to the horses, a man appeared behind them.
His father set Raiga down and handed the baby to his mother.
— Go from here! I'll handle what's behind!
Raiga protested:
— But father…
His father drew his sword, glaring at the man.
— Go now!
Tears streamed down his mother's face. She grabbed Raiga's hand and ran. His father charged forward with his sword:
— Die!
The man, with hands emerging from the ground, caught the sword and flung it aside, laughing.
— The Draven family, huh? Haha, what are nobles like you doing in a village like this?
The man advanced swiftly. Raiga's mother fell, blood streaming from her legs. Raiga immediately knelt beside her. The man stabbed the baby with his sword. Raiga and his mother froze. Raiga couldn't move from fear. Then he saw the horrific scene: the house in flames… his family screaming in blood.
— R-Raiga, get out of here! —screams echoed.
Little Raiga cried and begged:
— M-mom! Don't leave me, please, let's run together!
His mother, eyes full of tears, gave him one last hope, closing her eyes. When Raiga opened his, his father's lifeless body lay on the ground.
— F-father… w-why is this happening? W-why?
His mother struggled to stand and touched little Raiga's cheeks:
— Raiga… I love you. Please… fulfill my last wish…
Raiga cried, looking at his mother:
— M-mom…
— R-Raiga! Run as fast as you can! Never look back!
A man rose from the ground, aura terrifying, walking toward Raiga's mother. Both mother and Raiga were terrified.
— Raiga… go from here… quickly!
Remembering his mother's last gaze, Raiga began running. His mother weakly smiled and shouted:
— Raiga… I love yo—
The ground stabbed into his mother's stomach, blood spraying everywhere.
— M-mom! —Raiga screamed.
— K-keep running! —his mother called with her last strength.
Raiga ran without looking back. The man grabbed his mother by the neck, lifting her and squeezing. She weakly tried to call for help, but it was too late.
The man shouted:
— The power of Chaos… hah! I haven't used this in a long time, feels amazing! —
Raiga opened his eyes. Akira was fighting… wielding his red energy against the spirit.
Panicking, Raiga shouted:
— A-Akira! Stop! W-we can't win!
But Akira didn't listen. He swung his sword with red energy, barely deflecting the spirit's attacks.
Akira thought: Damn… this is bad… If Yui were here, maybe we could win…
He launched a quick strike at the spirit, but the spirit merely raised its hand and said, "Die." Akira was thrown back.
He got up, gathered red energy in his hands, and slammed it into the ground. Amid the shaking earth, he appeared from behind the trees and attacked the spirit. He thought his sword had passed through it:
— Won—
But the spirit opened a hole where Akira's kidneys were.
— Aghhhhh! —Akira screamed, yet drew his sword and kept attacking.
He muttered to himself:
— Remember the training with Arisawa… I need to use the red energy at its best…
The spirit formed a sword from the air and engaged Akira in close combat.
The spirit whispered menacingly:
— You use Chaos… potential, yes, but weak…
— W-what… I'm using Chaos?! —Akira thought, shocked: This Chaos… is it part of Valtherion if I'm using it?
— Hahaha, you don't even know what Chaos is… I'm a spirit blessed by Sora Volgrath.
— Volgrath? I've heard that name before, but where… —Akira was confused, battle raging around him.
Sera, Gareth, Renzo, and Raiga still couldn't act. Akira struck rapidly at the spirit but was repelled every time.
The spirit's face grew serious.
— Give up… you can't defeat me…
Akira sensed the danger but didn't step back. The spirit attacked his shoulder, and Akira was thrown back.
Raiga shouted:
— Akira!
Akira, covered in blood, shoulder injured, got up. He thought: I have to protect them… I can't die here.
Raiga shouted:
— Akira, stop! You can't beat him!
Akira barely responded:
— I-I can beat him! I can protect you!
Raiga shouted:
— I don't want you protecting me, idiot!
Akira shouted back:
— Then you saved me before… this time, I'll save you! Pull yourself together and run without looking back!
Raiga again saw fragments of past memories.
— Sorry Akira… I'm a complete disappointment.
— What?! You're the disappointment?! When I first saw you, I thought this idiot must be insanely strong… pull yourself together, Raiga!
Raiga shouted:
— Because all this time I was just pretending… trying to grow stronger every day… but the truth is, even last time I was trembling with fear… What do you even know about me?!
Akira fixed his gaze on Raiga.
— Yes… I know nothing about you… but even though you were scared last time, it didn't stop you, right?! You saved me!
Akira's hands trembled, eyes bloody but determined.
— Look at my hands, Raiga!
He admitted:
— I'm scared too! Right now, I want to run away!
— Th-then why are you still fighting?!
Akira smiled.
— Because I have a dream… and two people I promised…
Raiga took a deep breath. Pieces of his past played in his mind like a film reel.
— Since the day my family was killed… I've always worked… worked so hard… I had no courage but pretended to… I struggled for revenge… I got stronger, but every day since that day, I lived in fear. Afraid of Chaos, afraid of death. I thought that changed… but now I'm just pathetic, in a terrible situation. The people I care about will die again, and this time because of me! I have to do something! But I'm scared…
Raiga clenched his fists, imagining his family's death. Hatred blazed in his eyes.
— No, no! Forget this! I'll kill him! I'll kill them… I'll make them pay! I'll kill them all!
He forced his body, muscles tense, shouting:
— Damn it! Move! Move, move!! MOVE!!
At that moment, Akira, bloodied, rushed for one final strike. The spirit appeared above him; a massive spear formed in the air and shot toward Akira.