An attack

In the span of just over a month, the trio had broken through their own boundaries, scaling new heights of power.

Volts, under the meticulous guidance of Karura, undertook a spiritual journey, enduring rigorous disciplines of concentration and meditation. His training regimen was brutal, yet tailored specifically to his needs.

Kazoru, tutored by the relentless Tor, delved into the arcane. His magical training was a marathon of unending hours, pushing him to his limits and beyond. Yet, his unwavering resolve buoyed him through.

Akira, under the stern eye of Kamui, honed his physical prowess, mastering the martial arts he had previously struggled with. Kamui presented Akira with seemingly insurmountable challenges, but Akira, relentless as the tides, overcame each one with every ounce of his might.

Volts, with newfound clarity, overpowered the creature that had once been his challenging obstacle. His power had grown, his mind tranquil, his understanding of inner peace deepened.

Kazoru, his magic more potent than ever, managed to mark Tor himself. Despite Tor's invincibility, Kazoru struck him with a massive blow. His magical prowess had reached a new level, allowing him to perform feats of grandeur.

Akira stood his ground for endless hours, fending off attacks without dying, showcasing a newfound resilience and acumen in safeguarding his weaknesses.

Each of the three mentors looked upon their protégés with a newfound respect, their faces adorned with proud grins. And they had accomplished all this in a mere month and a half.

"You did well," the three masters each declared to their respective students, their voices echoing across different corners of the world.

"Not only did you withstand days of relentless attacks, but you also protected your body from serious harm. I'm more than proud," Kamui acknowledged, smiling brightly.

"Speed and magical prowess may not be your forte, but remember, survival is the key. In any situation, no matter how desperate, survival is always the priority. You are exceptional, but not all are like you," Kamui imparted a final piece of wisdom to Akira.

"Thank you, Sir Kamui. I owe you alot." Akira said, bowing in gratitude.

"Don't mention it. Now, how about participating in a tournament? There's one starting in three days' time. What do you say?" Kamui proposed.

"A tournament?" Akira's curiosity piqued.

"Yes, first place fetches 10 million Gols. The second and third prizes are halved respectively. So, the second place takes home 5 million and third place, 2.5 million. Are you up for it?"

"HELL YEAH, I AM!" Akira's eyes blazed with determination, a fiery passion simmering within.

"Good. I'll be signing you in. Don't shame my squad, now." Kamui smiled as he grabbed his phone to sign Akira in.

"I'll inform you after I'm done signing you in. Go check my number for updates. I'll go see the tournament." Kamui gave Akira his phone number.

Kamui left the scene, leaving Akira in a bored state.

Akira left the Thousand Blade's base, trying to find something caught his eyes. Akira never figured what plan awaited, he trained hard and well currently resting up his stamina and energy for the upcoming tournament in three days.

Akira's ability in being able to perform more even by coating his body with his blood magic, now Akira had the mobility of his blood magic, although he prioritized physical training.

"..." Akira pondered while resting two of his hands on the back of his head while looking at the sky. "I think I should visit the Raishoun gang." Akira made a decision.

As he then visit the house of Lilith, he rang the bell of her mansion and her butler opened the gate.

"Apologies, friend of Miss Lilith, she's occupied and not available right now. If you do wish to wait, it will take a long time for Lilith to come back due to aggressive shopping habits." The butler bowed sincerely.

"(Hmm... She's not anywhere near the mall... I'm sensing something...)" Akira used his Keen Instinct which was now 6.7 times more accurate and effective.

"She ain't here, huh. Well that's too bad. Thanks, uhh... Butler." Akira then left Lilith's mansion as her butler gave him a wave of goodbye.

Akira leaped and perched on an utility pole. He closed his eyes and started to detect something off, Lilith was supposed to be noticable on Akira's radar, but no sign of any her existence.

"Hey, jackass! Come down here." Kazuya shouted as he saw Akira who was perching on an utility pole.

"Oh, hey what's up? Are you alright?"

"Tch, of all people asking how I'm doing, it has to be you... Yeah, I'm fine." Kazuya folded his arms.

Akira felt surprised of the sudden changes of Kazuya who bothered to even answering he was fine.

"I used a skill, Perceptive Clairvoyance to check on Gakuto, apparently I don't find him anywhere to be seen." Kazuya claimed that he didn't sense Gakuto's presence no matter how hard he try.

"It also happens with Lilith, my Keen Instincts can't detect her." Akira also claimed he had the same experience.

Kazuya would then place his fingers on his chin and lift his head slightly. The two missing gang members were mysterious enough.

The two began to ponder how they disappeared on thin air, however, Yeru and Horka didn't left a trace.

[Somewhere else]

Yeru and Horka was doing ends meet together by helping an elder lady carrying her heavy bags and while also doing commissions they were tasked in the mission room.

"Yeru, sense anything strange lately?" Horka queried, a nagging intuition of unrest pricking his senses, a disturbance he couldn't quite pinpoint.

They were positioned in the western reaches of Celesta, mid-step on the cobblestones, when suddenly they stilled.

"What yis wrong?" Yeru was sincerely perplexed.

"Below us!" Horka's warning reverberated in the air as he discerned an ominous shift beneath their feet.

The earth beneath them undulated like a living thing, a monstrous, gaping maw swallowing everything in its path – objects, bystanders, even the ground beneath their feet disappeared. Horka, acting on instinct, yanked Yeru away from the imminent danger, saving them both and a handful of others. However, not all were as fortunate.

Panic ensued, a torrent of terrified people fleeing, leaving Horka and Yeru in the epicenter of chaos, staring down an enigmatic adversary.

A man emerged from the ground, his form molded from the asphalt, a bald-headed specter rising from the earth.

"Yeru, stop!" Before Yeru could unleash his space magic, Horka intervened.

Despite Horka's command, Yeru lunged forward, intent on using his spatial magic to eliminate the threat. But this wasn't like the mud man they'd previously encountered. The man of asphalt was impervious to Yeru's magic, forcing him to teleport to safety.

With a fluid grace, the asphalt man attacked Horka, his body mixing with the ground beneath them. In defense, Horka summoned his wax magic, but the man's abilities were elusive, complex. His wax was tainted by the asphalt, as though absorbed by the man's body. "Let go of your blade!" Horka yelled, panic edging his voice.

Yeru complied, just in time to witness the asphalt creeping up his blade, transforming it into a brittle stone before it shattered.

"What does yhis guy want?" Both Yeru and Horka were left pondering the motive behind the asphalt man's sudden assault.

Akira then arrived into the scene with Kazuya by his side. Akira swung his scythe at the ground, but it ricocheted as if hitting solid stone.

"Akira! Don't touch that man!" Akira's scythe began to morph, slowly turning into asphalt. Thinking quickly, Akira coated his blade with blood magic, flinging the encroaching asphalt away.

Using his Keen Instincts to detect any killing intents, he sensed none so far. The man wasn't here to kill them, but to kidnap them.

Akira unleashed numerous of Blood Slashes, demolishing the ground around them, but the man regenerated, every piece of his body coming back to life. This answered Akira's question - the man was unkillable, devoid of life force.

He was a creature of magic, summoned into existence by an unknown entity.