Arc III: “Return of Darkness”
Chapter I: “Dark Army”
Episode VII: “Lurking Shadows / Bouncing Lightning”
I think I’ve found something! Reito thought to himself, creeping into a small clearing where wooden crates sat under dripping boughs. “What’s in—”
“I wouldn’t open that if I were you… not if you like living.”
A presence slid in behind him, aether prickling Reito’s skin.
Reito dashed away, creating distance between himself and the individual.
“Who are you?”
“I should be asking you that, seeing as you’re trespassing… but I’ll entertain you. I’m the Sixth Captain of Cataline’s Army! You’ll regret messing with us, pal!”
The Sixth?
“Ha! Dark Saber!”
Reito vaulted clear, landing lightly as he assessed the situation.
He’s strong! I shouldn’t hold back against him. “You’re Dystopian, right?”
“Huh? Of course I am, you moron.”
“Right… so then I’m sure you know of the Demon Forms.”
“Yeah, I’ll show you my fearsome power right now! HAA!” He surged into his Second Demon Form, muscles ballooning under the serum’s burn.
Reito scrunched his face.
“What a shame… seems that you’re just an ordinary Dystopian too…” His eyes had a sharp gleam to them as he tilted his head. “Let me show you the truth of the Demon Forms.”
“W-what? Stop spouting nonsense and fight me!”
“True… Demon Form.” Reito’s hair spiked; his eyes went violet-black, a thin violet flame-sheen licking over his skin.
W-what is that!? W-what is this feeling! This guy is dangerous! He took a step back.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared… we’ve only just begun. True Demon Form Level Two!”
There’s more!!?
“That’s not all. True Demon Form—LEVEL THREE!”
“T-three!? I thought only Lady Cataline, her husband, and her first son could use that form!?”
“Not anymore. And I’ve far surpassed them. Don’t forget—I’m Kaelithian too.”
He pushed through Spirit Resonance into Spirit Ascension, a sliver of white blazing in his eyes beneath the violet overglow.
His devilish presence wrapped its bitter grasp around the Sixth’s spine.
I-impossible… no—he has Apocalypse’s blood! So maybe it is possible for him to surpass Cat—
Oblivion Liturgy: Umbral Voltage—
Reito blitzed past him with black and white lightning coating his hand. He cut straight through the Sixth’s side.
“Dark Lightning Edge.”
“AHHHHHH!”
“Sixy! What happened!” The Fourth Captain shouted as he arrived. His vision darted over to Reito. “You! I remember you from the UFA… you were with that blue lightning brat and that Caliekian! This is perfect, I can kill you as revenge for what that stupid Caliek did to me!”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
What!? Isn’t that the guy that Leo reduced to dust? How is he still alive!? Wait… now that I think about it—isn’t this ‘Sixth Captain’ the man that Kyoto defeated before?
Before he could finish thinking, the Fourth unleashed his Second Demon Form and serum, then bounded forward to attack Reito.
“Where did he go!?” the Fourth blurted, stopping in his tracks after losing sight of him.
Reito slipped into the portal below his feet.
“Shadow Passage…”
An ominous black smoke crept out of the corner of his mouth when he reappeared behind them.
“He can manipulate portals! He’s just like the Three Admirals!” the Fourth barked.
Three admirals? Who are they?
Reito released two small black energy orbs and scattered them throughout the field.
The Fourth rushed towards him again, but Reito teleported to one of his orbs from before.
His portal again—? No!
“Shadow Travel.”
Reito moved the second orb towards the Sixth, who was still recovering from the previous attack.
“Sixy, watch out!”
“Huh!?”
The orb hit him as he flinched—
“Ah!”
—but nothing happened.
What? That wasn’t an attack? The Fourth thought. Then what was that? Never mind that I have to kill this guy fast!
“Superior Dark Saber!”
The dark cylinder of corrupt aether tumbled towards Reito in an instant.
What!? Why isn’t he dodging—is he going to portal again?
A smirk crept onto Reito’s face.
The Fourth’s eyes widened as he perceived that—
“Shadow Swap.”
Reito’s purple eyes glowed, then he mysteriously sank into his own shadow.
“H-huh?” the Sixth choked as he suddenly fell into his shadow as well.
Reito climbed out of the dark well that formed from the Sixth’s shadow, black aether streaming off his body like liquid.
The Sixth was spat out where Reito was, point-blank from the large beam.
“W-what!?”
Oh no! My attack is going to hit Sixy!
The Fourth tried to stop the attack, but it was too late.
“AHHHH!” The Sixth cried out just before being reduced to ashes.
“Wow. Never thought you’d kill your own friend. You guys sure are ruthless. Maybe I should be afraid of you.” Reito smiled while teasing him.
“You bastard… I’LL GET YOU FOR THISSSSSS!”
Reito stepped past the Fourth in a blip—shadowy aether evaporating from his feet.
Oblivion Liturgy: Interstice Tread—Shadow Step… “and—Dark Lightning Edge.”
He pierced the Fourth’s heart while traveling through the darkness of the night. His movements were so swift that the Fourth couldn’t even react.
“Rest in the Shadows…” Reito whispered, the purple light fading from his eyes as he returned to his natural state.
Reito frowned for a second, then walked back to the crate.
That was weird… he thought before peering into the crate again.
A faint purple glow crept out from the lid of the crate. Reito carefully lifted the lid and tossed it aside.
Is this—!
He lifted a small purple shard from the crate. Its glow hummed softly with aether, as it was breathing.
It’s almost like it's alive…
Reito went over to the Fourth’s corpse and searched through the pockets of his robe. In one of the pockets, he found a dull crystal shard of the same cadence as the other.
Is this what’s responsible for this weird phenomenon?
As he held a shard in each hand, they briefly scraped past each other—
In that moment, a burst of aether streamed through Reito’s arm, his veins and meridians pulsing with purple energy like a virus had taken him over.
“Gah!” he shouted as he dropped the two crystals, both of which were now dull.
Then he quickly turned his head, looking up around the forest. His vision darted from side to side…
For a moment, he thought he had heard a whisper.
[The campfire]
“I’m going to have fun toying with you! Just don’t bleed out too fast so I can enjoy this!” the First laughed.
“Ugh…” Kyoto groaned, sweating and panting. His eyes were droopy, and he was losing blood quickly. His caramel skin grayed pale.
“Hahahaha, you shouldn’t have tried to stop me, boy. Know you’re going to die before you see the Grand World that Lady Cataline will bring us to. It’s a shame to lose one of our Dystopian brethren, but it can’t be helped… unless… You pledge yourself right now. Go on, get down on your knees… and beg to me! I’ll still kill you, of course, but don’t worry, you’ll come back as one of Lady Cataline’s finest soldiers! Hahahaha!”
Come back? What does he mean by that? Kyoto’s vision blurred as he continued heaving.
“So? What will you do? Will you die pitifully by my hand and stay dead? Or will you pledge before I kill you and come back as one of us? Choose wisely!”
The First had a vicious smile on his face.
Either way, I’ll enjoy murdering you… Oh, so sweet! So sweet he’ll taste!
“Alright…” Kyoto said between breaths. “I’ll tell you my answer.”
“Hmph? Oh alright. So, what is it?”
“I choose… the third option…”
“What…?”
“Hehe hehe…” Kyoto grit his teeth as he laughed.
“The pain must be getting to you—I didn’t say anything about a third choice…”
“So? I make my own choices. I’ll make my own path… that is the way that my father showed me. I’ll rise above the world and claim my own truth just as he did!” he pointed at the First with his bloodied hand, “and I’ll start… by killing you!”
The First stared at him blankly, then suddenly burst out in laughter.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT’S FUNNY, KID! Wow, you really know how to crack me up. Sorry to break it to you, but you need a reality check. You’re dying here, whether you like it or not.”
“No… you’re wrong… let me show you… Why it’ll be you who dies…”
Kyoto lifted a single finger, carrying a small lightning ball at its tip. He fired it directly into the sky.
“You… can’t be serious…” The First frowned in disappointment. “You’ve gotten my hopes up for nothing. Ugh, that’s spoiled my mood, let’s just get this over with.”
He stepped up to Kyoto, dark energy swirling around his forearm.
“Dark Fist!”
He drew his arm back and then pushed it forward.
Kyoto looked up from his hunched-over position. He stared at the fist with wide eyes. Everything appeared to slow down for him. Then it happened—
Kyoto’s eyes flashed blue, a filament of lightning threading his irises.
What caused it? Remember that small lightning ball from earlier? Think back to that.
Overhead, the small seed of aether he’d launched into the sky had merged with the clouds and bloomed—into thunder clouds.
“Cumulonimbus!” Kyoto yelled.
In a blinding instant, a colossal strike slammed down—energy flooded his body, knitting flesh and refilling stamina. Ozone roared, while dirt and leaves scattered in a ring.
All the electricity barely fit in his body, and it spilled out around him, clinging to his surroundings. The shock front flung debris, and the First, back from Kyoto.
W-what!? The First’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open.
With his power surging, Kyoto stood up tall—eager to continue the fight.
“Now… what were you saying?”
Kyoto cracked his neck as arcs of lightning crawled over his shoulders.
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “True Objective: Plot of the Three Admirals!”
[Yield Levels]:
Reito: 250t
- TDFL1: 25qd
- TDFL2: 50qd
- TDFL3: 125qd
- TDFL3 + SA: 25qt
- Shadow Passage: x1m (Portal)
- Shadow Step: x2 (Blitz)
- Shadow Swap: x1 (Teleportation)
- Shadow Travel: x1 (Teleportation)
- Dark Lightning Edge: x100
Sixth Captain: 1qd
- DFL2 + OD: 1qt
- Dark Saber: x10
Fourth Captain: 100qd
- DFL2 + OD: 100qt
- Superior Dark Saber: x1000
Kyoto: 280t
- ST + LECT3 + Injury: 140qd
- ST + LECT3 + LR: (Heal): 140qt
- ST + LECT3 + LR: (Boost): 140sx
- Lightning Ball: x2
- Cumulonimbus Cloud (Lightning Strike): x1000
- Lightning Regenerations: x1000 (Form + Regen/Vitality)
First Captain: 100qt
- DFL2 + OD: 100sx
- Dark Saber: x10
- Dark Fist: x50