In Umego, the Military Forces continued to battle the Zharians. Luca, Tomoko, and Yuri watched as Morino did his best to fend off Primar and Alterna.
"Old man, this isn't your fight!" Prismar stated.
He summoned a blade of crystal and began to counter Morino's axe swings. As Morino went for a close-range strike, he noticed Alterna coming up behind him.
"Ooh! You seem strong!" she remarked.
He jumped over her fist as she swung, and wrapped the chain of his weapon around her arm.
"FURY!"
The chain began to heat up, but Alterna merely shook it off and slammed Morino to the ground.
"OOF!"
"Sir! Are you alright?" Luca asked.
Morino got up, breathing hard. "I'm okay! But I can't handle them both at once! I'll need you kids to hold off the girl for me!"
He concentrated, holding his axes up, and they began to glow. "I'll put this guy down quick."
Prismar and Alterna just stared at him.
"Does that human really believe he stands a chance?" Prismar asked.
"I wanna see him try! At least he has more guts than those other scumbags!" Alterna replied.
She reached out to try and attack him, but he rushed past her to attack Primar, slicing off her arm in the process.
"Ow! So rude!"
Prismar jumped out of the way just as Morino brought his axes down. The energy from them seeped into the ground, causing a line of flame to head toward Prismar.
"You fight just like someone I know."
He summoned another blade. "Well, I'll try not to hurt you TOO badly, since I bear no hatred for you."
Morino gripped his axes. "Then let us battle."
As he charged at Prismar, Alterna watched for a moment, clapping. "He moves well for a human! I like it!"
Just as Luca attempted to slash her with his axes, she punched off his head without even looking.
"Terrible effort."
Yuri caught his body just as he fell to the ground. "Luca! You alright?"
Luca's head began to regenerate, forming the bottom half of his face. "Yeah, give me…a few. She's strong."
Alterna shook her head, mockingly. "Pfff. It's time for me to stop playing."
She held out her hand, and immediately it began to change shape. It grew to the size of a car, horrifying Yuri.
"What was that?" Luca asked, his head still regenerating.
"Don't think you want to find out!" Yuri answered.
She slammed the ground, sending both of them flying. As her fist began to shrink, parts of her body were hit by a plasma rifle, slightly damaging her.
"Haha! Direct hit!"
As her wounds immediately healed, she turned around and saw Tomoko with his gun pointed at her.
"Let's finish this, Rumi!"
She laughed, and when he fired again she STRETCHED her arm and punched him in the chest, making him drop to the floor and cough blood.
As she blew Tomoko another kiss, Luca punched her in the chest with his gorilla form. He shifted back and called out to Yuri.
"Yuri! Trap her!"
Yuri hesitated for a moment, but she touched the ground, and Alterna immediately sank into it up to her chest.
"Ew! What on earth IS this?"
Luca summoned another axe, preparing to go for Alterna's chest.
"Luckily for us, you don't seem as strong as Nullus!"
As he swung his axe, a maniacal laugh erupted from Alterna. Her eyes began to glow. "You'll take that back."
The axe missed its mark, and she was gone. "What?"
"Over here."
Prismar, still engaged with Morino, looked over at Alterna. "Looks like your soldiers are doomed. Not too late to back out, General."
The ground began to crack and shake. Alterna stood at the end of the street, kneeling.
"Let's see what would best fit the occasion. How about this?"
She stood up. "Combat Form. Style: Kenshi Fujii."
Yuri and Luca stared in horror as Alterna's entire body began to glow. Immediately, her skin shifted to a Voltian's, her eyes became icy blue, and her hair shifted from purple to ice.
"G…General Fujii?" Yuri stammered.
A katana of ice formed in her hands, and she gripped it. "Now, time to DECIMATE!"
Without warning, she slashed Luca across the chest, beginning to freeze it.
"Watch out! Her sword's the real deal!" Luca warned.
Tomoko laughed and began firing at Alterna, but she used her katana to deflect all the blasts.
"This is fun! I see why you admire him so much!"
Yuri took a moment to calm herself and drew her gun. "How do we beat her? She just became our strongest warrior!"
"Keep firing at her!" Luca said, shifting into his werewolf form.
"Whatever it takes, she must have some weakness," Luca thought. "I underestimated her, damn."
Luca tried to jump on her just as Yuri and Tomoko began to open fire, but she jumped into the air.
"Nuh-uh! Let's try this!"
She began spinning in the air, slashing through it.
"ICE DRAGON!"
Immediately, a huge dragon of ice emerged from her blade, and it picked Luca, Yuri, and Tomoko up in its mouth before flying and crashing into a water tank down the street, freezing them all inside of it.
"Kids!" Morino called out, as he tried to make his way to them.
"Not so fast." Prismar jumped in front of him and kicked him into a nearby lamppost.
"Alterna, you're enjoying this way too much. Just finish them off."
Alterna waved him off. "Don't rush me. Handle what you have to."
She began to walk toward the ice. Inside of it, Luca was struggling to remain conscious.
"No animals…can melt this…we're screwed…" he thought.
As the temperature of the ice began to set in, a wave of memories flashed before his eyes. His upbringing in the wilderness, his first time entering Voltiana, and how he came to partake in the Voltian Tryouts.
"I just…wanted to be normal…" Luca thought.
A few years ago, in Asmana Forest…
A younger Luca was busy swinging from tree to tree on a Tuesday afternoon, wearing nothing but a ripped pair of shorts.
"Phew….almost there!"
After another 20 minutes, he arrived at the edge of the forest, where a gray wolf lay.
"Father Khalon, why did you bring me here?"
The wolf tilted his head towards a large nation far in the distance. It had buildings and technology Luca had never seen before.
"What is that?"
Due to Luca's powers, he could hear the wolf's true words as it howled.
"It is time. You go to your home now."
"My home? But my home is in the forest!"
Khalon shook his head and began to walk on the path toward the nation. "Come."
Luca reluctantly followed, looking back at the forest. A group of wolves looked back at him, howling as he left.
Once they got closer to Voltiana, a few guards stopped them, and Luca noticed they looked just like him.
"Halt! Who are you?"
Luca nervously scratched his neck, looking at Khalon for guidance. Khalon simply howled, confusing the guards.
"Answer them. Tell them your name, Luca of the Mori clan."
Luca faced the guards. "Hi? My name is…Luca. Luca Mori."
The guards shared a look. "We don't have anyone here by that name. You from Umego? Kumatori? Or…?"
"I'm from the Forest," he replied. "Asmana Forest, and the mountains beyond it."
They immediately raised their guns. "A dwarf!"
Khalon began to growl and bark at them, and Luca summoned an axe, to their horror.
"Did he just…" the left guard said, stepping back.
"He's got an Element! Shoot him!" the right guard ordered.
Just as they were about to pull the trigger, a voice rang out.
"Hey! No need for all of that! Who's this kid?"
Luca saw a man with long icy hair and icy blue eyes. He was wearing a military uniform Luca didn't recognize, with the initials "S-1" on it.
"General Fujii!" the left guard called out. "This kid says he's from the Forest!"
Fujii began to analyze him. "Hmm, really? Who's the wolf?"
Khalon bore his fangs, and Fujii jumped back. "Okay, okay! Sorry!"
Luca withdrew his axe but kept his eyes wary. "He's not the friendliest."
"Noted," Fujii remarked. "How about you come inside? It's cold out here."
Luca looked at Khalon, who gave him a nod and howled. "Go. Your new journey will begin, and you will be great wolf. No. Great man."
"Wait, but what about you?!"
Khalon walked up and nuzzled him. "I will be waiting, my child, once you complete your journey."
Luca knelt on the ground, tears in his eyes, and patted Khalon on the head. "Okay, Father."
Fujii and the guards all looked at each other. "Is he…talking to the wolf?"
Just like that, Khalon ran back towards the forest, and Luca watched him go.
Fujii brought Luca into Shonora and tried to find him a home.
"So, you have no parents? No adult caregivers?" Fujii asked, walking alongside Luca.
"Look, my Father just ran back to my old home. I don't know a single person here."
Fujii gave a nervous laugh. "Well, maybe those foster homes can house you for now. How old are you?"
"Thirteen."
Fujii snapped his fingers. "Aha! Once you turn fifteen, you can partake in the Voltian Tryouts! If you impress, one of us Generals can give you a home!"
Luca tilted his head. "What the hell are the Voltian Tryouts?"
Fujii laughed, pointing him toward a foster care home. "Don't worry, they can tell you all about it in there."
They walked up, and Fujii opened the door for Luca, who nervously stepped in. An older Voltian lady inside was tending to some kids around Luca's age.
"Ms. Sano, can you watch this young man?" Fujii asked. "His name is Luca."
She turned around. "Oh! Of course, come over here, dear."
Fujii walked back outside, winking to Luca. "See you in a few years!"
Luca watched the kids around him stare at him with suspicion and curiosity, and he drew his axe.
"Is there an issue?"
Later that week, he was taken into Ms. Sano's office. She sat down in her chair.
"Luca. As you may know, you've engaged in behaviors that have scared the other children."
Luca was busy munching on a slab of raw meat. "Okay."
"I'm serious, Luca!" she said, in a stern tone. "You have many talents, but we need to teach you how to behave as a proper member of our society!"
Luca shrugged. "But this isn't my home. Why should I act like it is?"
Ms. Sano got up, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Because it would make your father sad if you didn't."
Luca's eyes widened.
"What was his name again? Kyone?
"Khalon…" Luca said, blankly. "The best wolf….I could ever ask for…"
Present Day…
All Luca could do was watch as Alterna walked toward him and the others, and his eyes began to glow green.
"Can't…disappoint…Khalon…"
And then, his body began to change, and the surrounding ice around him and the others broke, shattering like glass.
Yuri and Tomoko fell to the ground, coughing.
"Man, that was fun! Let's do it again!" Tomoko exclaimed.
Yuri sat up, trying to warm herself. "No! Hell no! Thanks for the save, Luca!"
She looked over at him, then she gasped. "Luca…?"
A snake-like head arose. Then another. And another. And another. A massive, green creature formed, standing at least thirty feet tall, with a long, serpentine tail attached to it.
"LUCA?!" Yuri began to stumble back. Tomoko watched in awe.
"Ooh!"
A HYDRA.
Alterna stared up at it, shocked. "Are you…? Are you kidding me?"
It stomped its feet deep into the ground, and all of its heads leaned forward, letting out a terrible sound.
"RAHHHHH!"
One of the mouths opened and shot flames out at Alterna, and she summoned another Ice Dragon to counter.
"I know what to do! ANNIHILATE!"
She stabbed her katana into the ground, forming a giant wall of ice that trapped the Hydra Luca inside of it.
"Phew, about time—-!"
Just then, she heard another roar, and a plume of flame shot out from deep inside the ice.
"WHAT?"
And it melted, revealing a Hydra that had DOUBLED in size.
And it came straight for her.
—-