Chapter 9: Preparing for another raid

Marcus, Yaxoc, Luna, and Moonlight sat in a circle at Yaxoc's house, their faces tense as they examined the glowing fragment and the strand of white hair.

"This doesn't make any sense," Moonlight muttered, breaking the silence. She picked up the hair again, staring at it. "It's impossible. The DNA scan says it's yours, Yaxoc, but there's no way it actually is."

Yaxoc groaned, throwing his arms up in frustration. "How many times do I have to say it? It's not mine! And if you don't believe me, explain the fragment!"

Luna leaned forward, her gaze fixed on the shard. "The fragment's energy is definitely different from the ones we've seen before. Maybe... maybe this has something to do with a long-lost sibling?"

Yaxoc almost jumped out of his seat. "What sibling?! I don't have siblings! Never did!"

The room fell silent as everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

"Well," Marcus finally said, breaking the tension, "if it's not you and there's no sibling, then who the hell does this belong to?"

Nobody answered. The weight of the question hung heavily in the air.

"Alright, let's not overthink this right now," Marcus added, standing up and picking up the hair and fragment. "We'll keep these safe for later. We can investigate more when we know what we're dealing with."

He walked over to a box on Yaxoc's shelf and placed the items inside.

"Hey, why my box?" Yaxoc complained, crossing his arms.

Marcus smirked. "Because it's the safest spot. No one would think to look here—not even you."

Before Yaxoc could argue, Marcus gestured to the others. "Let's head out. We're not going to figure this out by sitting around."

Reluctantly, Luna and Moonlight stood and followed Marcus toward the door.

Yaxoc sighed, glancing back at the box, the glowing fragment faintly visible through the small cracks in the lid. "This better not come back to haunt me…" he muttered before heading out with the others.

The group walked outside, their footsteps crunching against the gravel as they made their way along the dimly lit path. Suddenly, two figures emerged from the shadows ahead, their cyan hair glinting faintly under the moonlight.

"Wait… Is that…?" Yaxoc muttered, squinting at the figures.

"Yeah," Marcus replied grimly. "It's Haiko and Haika, the cyan-haired twins. What are they doing here?"

The two twins approached, their cold stares locked on the group. Haiko, the wielder of ice magic, crossed his arms. "So, this is the group Hight wants us to capture, huh?"

"Yeah, looks like it," Haika added, her tone as chilly as her brother's powers.

"What?!" Yaxoc's eyes flared with anger. "You're working for Hight now? That traitor?"

"Shut it, pot boy," Haiko snapped. "We didn't exactly have a choice. Hight captured us."

"Yeah," Haika said, sighing. "Didn't think he'd manage to get the drop on us so fast, but here we are."

Yaxoc clenched his fists. "Unbelievable. And now you're just following orders? What about everyone else?"

"Joseph, Baylee, and Merlin? One of them managed to escape," Haiko replied flatly, glancing at the group.

"But Joseph didn't make it," Haika said, her voice tinged with sadness. "He died during a chase. As for Baylee and Merlin, they're hiding in a forest, somewhere Ogamak, Lucius, and Yurgion can't reach them."

Moonlight's face darkened. "Joseph… what a cruel fate."

Luna frowned. "And now you're here. Does that mean you know what they're planning?"

Haiko exchanged a glance with his sister before speaking. "We overheard some of their plans. A raid's coming tomorrow, and Ogamak is working on creating portals."

"Portals?" Marcus asked. "What for?"

"They're planning to invade other universes," Haika explained. "But one of their portals glitched out, and now they're trying to recreate it. They seem to think some 'memory fragment' is causing the problem."

Yaxoc raised an eyebrow. "Memory fragment? Never heard of it."

"Me neither," Marcus added, skeptical.

"It's all we know," Haika admitted. "Ogamak's been furious about it. He keeps ranting about this 'memory fragment' and calling them a 'kid.' It's bizarre. For such a powerful demon, he's awfully fixated on a child."

Yaxoc scoffed. "Pathetic. A demon like him, frustrated over a kid? Anyway, thanks for the—"

Before he could finish, Haiko and Haika's eyes widened in shock as a blade pierced through their chests. Blood spilled onto the ground as the twins crumpled lifelessly.

Behind them stood Yurgion, a sinister smile curling on his lips. He withdrew his blade, letting their bodies fall.

"Failure is unacceptable," Yurgion sneered. "And betrayal, even more so. Anyone who doesn't fulfill their mission—or dares to reveal our plans—will face the consequences."

"You monster!" Yaxoc roared, his aura flaring with rage.

Marcus stepped back, his mind racing. "How did you—"

Yurgion cut him off with a mocking laugh, his crimson eyes glowing in the darkness. "You'll find out soon enough. For now, consider this a taste of what's to come."

Yurgion wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring at the group from where he'd been flung.

"So, you killed them just because they didn't follow orders? I can see why," Moonlight said, narrowing her eyes. "You wanted to capture us for your own gain."

Yurgion chuckled, brushing off the comment. "Is that so? It's not like your little animal instincts could ever hope to best me."

Yaxoc stepped forward, his aura flaring with fury. "Say one more word, and I'll end you here and now!"

Marcus and Luna remained cautious, watching Yurgion for any sudden movements.

But Yurgion simply smirked, folding his arms. "Do you really think I'd waste my time fighting you? Just wait until tomorrow. Your doom is coming, and I—"

Before he could finish, a blur of motion struck him with devastating force. Yurgion was sent flying, crashing into a tree with a sickening crack.

The group turned in shock to see the figure responsible—a peculiar anomaly with pale hair that had a bacon-like texture. He wore cyan farming clothes, an owl mask covering his nose while leaving his piercing eyes and mouth visible, and a white visor over his forehead.

"Ah... wrong person," the anomaly muttered nonchalantly.

The group stood frozen, unsure of what to make of the strange individual.

"Who… is that?" Luna finally asked.

"Who wears farming clothes in the middle of a fight?" Moonlight added, tilting her head in confusion.

Marcus and Yaxoc exchanged looks before stepping closer.

The anomaly turned to face them, casually waving. "Oh, did I interrupt something? The name's Bambon, by the way."

"Bambon?" Yaxoc repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's… weird."

"Enough with the commentary," Marcus interjected. "What are you doing here?"

Bambon shrugged casually. "Well, I came here to take down a certain villain, but I guess they're not around. Pardon the interruption!" With that, he summoned a vibrant rainbow-colored portal, stepping into it with a dramatic wave.

As the portal closed behind him, Yaxoc stared at the empty space where it had been. "A rainbow portal? That's… colorful."

Marcus turned to him with a suspicious frown. "What's with the tone? Got something against rainbows?"

Yaxoc shrugged. "Not at all. Anyway, since Bambon dealt with Yurgion for us, I guess it's time we prepare for tomorrow."

Luna and Moonlight nodded in agreement.

Marcus glanced at the lifeless twins on the ground. "And what about them? We can't just leave them here."

Yaxoc sighed, looking down at Haiko and Haika's bodies. "They're dead... Maybe we could build a tomb for them?"

Marcus nodded after a moment. "Fine by me."

Using their combined magic, the group prepared two simple yet respectful tombs for the fallen twins. After a few minutes of solemn work, they placed Haiko and Haika to rest.

Without a word, the group left the scene, their minds already shifting to the challenges awaiting them tomorrow.

On the roof overlooking the scene below, Xavy stood silently, watching the freshly built tombs. The faint moonlight illuminated his figure, casting a long shadow across the rooftop.

"It's crazy how they punish their own worse than a dictatorship," Xavy muttered to himself, his voice tinged with disdain. "And here I thought I had it bad, always being chased by morons with half a brain."

Suddenly, a blur of motion approached at an incredible speed. Without flinching, Xavy sidestepped and delivered a powerful kick mid-air, sending the attacker crashing to the ground.

"Running at the speed of light just to catch me?" Xavy smirked, shaking his head. "You should really work on your technique before trying something that reckless."

The figure stood up, brushing off the dust. A woman clad in black armor, with brown battle pants and sharp yellow eyes, glared at him. Her short brown hair framed her fierce expression.

"How... how did you react that fast?" the woman demanded, her voice trembling with both surprise and irritation.

Xavy gave her a calm, almost bored look. "Luchis, isn't it? A level 6 fighter. Someone with enough power to raze entire nations solo, wielding that so-called Chaos Magic you're so proud of." He crossed his arms. "But even your magic at full strength wouldn't be enough to slow me down, let alone defeat me."

Luchis took an involuntary step back, her confidence visibly shaken. "Who... who are you?" she stammered, gripping her fists tightly as if trying to summon courage.

"Who I am is irrelevant," Xavy replied coldly, his gaze piercing through her. "You're not even worth my time."

In an instant, Xavy vanished, leaving only the whisper of the wind and a faint shimmer where he once stood. Luchis stood frozen, a chill running down her spine as she stared at the empty space where her opponent had been

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Lucius leaned back in his chair, exhaling sharply as he tapped his fingers on the desk. The dimly lit office felt heavier with tension, the flickering candlelight casting ominous shadows on their faces.

"So, Hight's students revealed our plans to that group," Ogamak began, his voice laced with irritation. "I had Yurgion handle the situation."

Lucius narrowed his eyes, his tone sharp. "Handle? You call killing them handling it? That wasn't punishment—it was a waste. Two valuable assets, gone, thanks to your impulsive decisions. If you truly wanted to punish them, you should've made them suffer without killing them." He shook his head, his frustration evident. "Now we're short two resources because of you."

Ogamak shrugged dismissively, leaning forward on the desk. "Ugh, who cares? They were weak anyway. What matters is that the woman I sent captures the memory fragment soon. That kid's interference is becoming unbearable."

Lucius gave a dry chuckle, his crimson eyes glowing faintly. "Still hung up on that? You're delusional if you think the fragment can be captured. The boy is more slippery than you realize. He's not something you can simply overpower."

Ogamak growled, his fists clenching. "You think I don't know that? It's just a matter of time. Everyone has a weakness, even him."

Lucius smirked, leaning closer. "Perhaps. But patience, Ogamak. Rushing in blindly only leads to more failure. Let's wait, watch, and prepare for the moment when he lets his guard down. Until then, stop throwing away our resources. I'll not tolerate another mistake like this."

Ogamak glared at Lucius but didn't respond, his pride bruised. The room fell silent, save for the crackle of the fire in the corner. Both men sat in their simmering frustration, each plotting their next move in the shadows.

The tension in the room grew as Lucius leaned forward, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest of his chair. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, signaling his growing intrigue.

"Unstoppable, huh?" Lucius muttered, arms crossed. "If that memory fragment doesn't have a weakness, brute force might be our only option. But even that seems futile against something that defies logic itself."

Ogamak let out an irritated sigh, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, unstoppable. Fantastic. Just what we need—another thorn in our side."

Before either could speak further, a sudden knock echoed through the room. Two messengers entered hastily, their expressions a mix of urgency and unease.

"Apologies for the interruption, leaders," one of the messengers began. "We've discovered an anomaly—someone who defeated Yurgion."

Ogamak and Lucius exchanged surprised glances. The room felt heavier with their curiosity.

"How?" Ogamak growled. "Was it the memory fragment?"

The messengers hesitated, glancing nervously at each other before shaking their heads. "No, sir. It wasn't the memory fragment," one replied. "The individual identified himself as 'Bambon.' He's from another universe."

Lucius's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "Bambon?" he repeated, leaning forward. "An anomaly from another universe? Fascinating. Can you locate him? I want to see this so-called anomaly myself."

The messengers shook their heads in unison. "We can't," one admitted, their tone apologetic.

Ogamak's glare intensified. "And why not? I granted you the power of my demonic essence. That alone should've been enough to find him."

The messengers exchanged wary looks before one spoke, their voice trembling slightly. "This Bambon possesses a unique form of energy—something ancient, known as 'god energy.' We thought it was a myth, a force lost to time. But it's real. This energy bypasses any magic or essence we use, making it impossible to track or contain him."

Lucius's lips curled into a sly grin. "A god energy user? How delightful. It seems we've underestimated the players in this game. A very strong anomaly indeed."

Ogamak clenched his fists, his frustration evident. "This just gets better and better," he muttered sarcastically.

Lucius leaned back, the faintest hint of excitement in his otherwise composed demeanor. "New plan," he declared. "We'll aim for a bigger prize. Forget just Yaxoc—we'll capture him and both anomalies. If this Bambon is as powerful as you claim, he could be the key to unraveling everything."

The messengers nodded, bowing slightly before exiting the room.

As the door shut behind them, Ogamak sneered. "Two anomalies and Yaxoc? You've really got your sights set high."

Lucius smirked, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "High risks yield high rewards, my friend. Let's see how the pieces fall."