Arc III: “Return of Darkness”
Chapter I: “Dark Army”
Episode IV: “Herald of Catastrophe”
Lian and Zane were at the UFA when the crisis hit; Lian’s senses had warned them early.
Lian drove a finishing blow through an intruder—ozone and dust blooming of the stone below them.
Another intruder appeared before him.
“I know you… The Guardian of Solaris and his sidekick. I’m the Third Captain of Cataline’s army.”
“Sidekick?” Zane scoffed.
“Cataline? Who is that?” Lian asked.
“Who? Why, she’s my master, our great leader. She’s taken up the burden of leading the great Dystopian race back to power!”
“The Dystopian race? There shouldn’t be that many of you left… and I thought Akira defeated your leader, Apocalypse, over twenty years ago.”
The Third Captain frowned. “Yes… that man, Akira Lyte. He is the bane of our existence. Because of him, our master’s husband could not reunite with us. His seal was broken early, and he was vanquished before our master could arrive with the Dark Heart… AND FOR THAT YOU WILL PAY!”
What? Lian raised his brow.
The Third Captain’s aether spilled out, a wave of pressure humming off his skin.
“This is bad…” Zane muttered, his Exo Suit sealing around him with a hydraulic hiss. “Overdrive!”
Cyan-blue aether flared around Lian.
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“Peak Form!”
The Third blurred through them—shearing Zane’s armor and lasering a hole through Lian’s shoulder.
The two of them skidded across cracked stone to regroup.
“Shit—my armor’s blown… It’ll take a minute to regenerate. Let’s try to stall him.”
“I’ll do it alone…” Lian whispered. “I’ll fight him alone, so you just cover me when your suit is recovered.”
“What!? I can’t do that! He almost beat both of us in just a couple of seconds!”
“It’s fine. You’ll only get in the way.”
“…A-alright.”
Zane backed away slowly, sweating down his cheek.
“Are you sure about that? Even if the chances are slim, it would be better if you both came at me, no?”
“Worry about yourself. Let me show you something special… after being around Kaelithians for so long, I’ve come up with my own way to boost my power!”
What’s he talking about? Zane raised a brow.
“I don’t think I’ve ever encountered another race as unique as them… in their greatest times of need, Kaelithians can take in ambient aether and temporarily boost their yield,” Lian said, cracking his knuckles as he stretched his arms into the air.
“What are you babbling about?” the Third rasped, with a sneer.
“Well, I have to use a ritual to get this right, but—”
Suddenly, aether ignited off Lian’s frame in red-green bursts, heat rippling the air. Red sigils hummed with a neon glow on his palms.
“With Ember Form, I can supercharge my aether the same way Kaelithians do.”
“Impressive…” the Third said.
“Woah…” Zane whispered.
I’ll have to end this fast… not sure how long I’ll be able to maintain this.
Interesting… the captain thought.
Lian blitzed him, Aether-Skipping each strike. Space blinked as he hit from new angles each time. He knocked him into the air with an uppercut, then Aether-Skipped below him to land a barrage of punches.
Then, he Aether-Skipped above him.
“Super Flash Spiral!”
Aether twisted into a golden lasso, cinching the captain. The glowing light seared his skin.
“Urgh! Damn, that hurt!”
A smile crept onto his face.
“It’s only fair… that you feel the same pain!”
His muscles bulged, snapping the lasso. In an instant, he dashed behind Lian.
What!?
He pounded Lian into the ground.
“Argh!”
He drove blows into him in a merciless drumbeat.
“Lian!” Zane yelled.
He focused on regenerating his gauntlets.
“Laser Cannons!”
Twin beams raked the Third, but he tanked them—continuing to pummel Lian.
Dammit, he didn’t even budge!
“ARGH!” Lian continued getting hit. “S-spirit Combustion!”
He let out a burst of energy to knock the Third back… but it had no effect.
The Third took deliberate steps through the dust cloud, smoke rolling off his frame. The white glow of his smile was the first thing Lian could see—
The Third lunged forward, grabbing Lian by the neck with a single hand. Lian struggled, but it was in vain; the Third continuously struck him. Finally, he lifted Lian and arched him over his shoulders—a crack rang out like dry timber.
Lian lost control of his transformation and fell to the ground.
“LIAN!!!”
“Hmph. That was boring… I was hoping to fight someone stronger.”
Suddenly, the ground lit with a vast portal encircling the island. The captain sank straight through it. All the intruders running around the island simultaneously disappeared.
“LIAN!” Zane ran over to him as fast as he could.
“SOMEBODY HEEELP! COME QUICKLY! HELLLP!”
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “Earth’s Destruction”
[Yield Levels]:
Lian: 12qd
- PF: 600qd
- Ember Form: 12qt
- Super Flash Spiral: x1000
- Spirit Combustion: x10
Zane: 50b
- ES: 50qd
- ES + O: 500qd
- Laser Cannon: x10
Soldier: 13t
- DFL1: 65t
Third Captain: 1qt
- OD: 100qt