The cosmic wind blew across the ruined surface of Diamond Planet.
Where mountain ranges of shining crystal once stood, there was now only a vast, smoking crater of pulverized dust and cracked tectonic plates.
High above the wreckage, two figures stood amidst the floating embers of pure energy.
Master Kaizo’s tattered cyber-suit hummed with dying static, his breathing heavy as his body recovered from the massive strain of opening Gate 3.
A few hundred meters away, Flucée Falger lowered his double-sided sword, his dark aura flickering with chaotic sparks.
Before either of them could draw another breath to clash again, the violent sky abruptly cracked open.
A beam of blinding, absolute divine light cut through the ozone, descending directly between the two combatants.
The gravitational pull of the entire planet seemed to freeze under the sheer pressure.
Slowly, the towering form of the Protector God of UV7 materialized inside the golden light.
He looked down at the ruined landscape, his massive eyes cold and unreadable as he observed his two sons.
“Hmm! Very good,” the Protector God spoke, his voice vibrating through the crust of the planet.
“You did very good work. Destroying half of Diamond Planet and twenty percent of the people. Who cares about people? We got billions worth of diamonds, right, Flucée?”
Flucée immediately dusted off his armor, wiping a streak of blood from his jaw with a smirk.
“That’s right, Dad. I am doing my work peacefully. That brat came to me.”
“Shut up, you rascal!” the Protector God snapped.
Without warning, the divine entity flicked his wrist, shooting a concentrated beam of raw divine pressure straight into Flucée’s chest.
The impact sent Flucée flying backward, slamming hard into the ground and scattering shattered crystal everywhere.
Flucée slowly dragged himself out of the dirt, rubbing his shoulder with a faint grimace.
“How rude, Dad.”
The Protector God ignored him, turning his heavy, demanding gaze toward Master Kaizo.
“Master, I did not expect that thing from you. Are people’s lives nothing compared to your ego?”
Kaizo immediately bowed his head, lowering his sword Kai.
“I am really sorry, Dad. Please forgive me this time. This never happens again.”
Flucée scrambled back up, chiming in quickly with a straight face.
“Also me too. Never do such a thing.”
All the surviving soldiers on the edge of the crater, alongside Master Kaizo, turned their heads to look at Flucée’s face with pure awe and disbelief.
The Protector God glared down at Flucée.
“How many times did you say that line?”
“Thirty, maybe,” Flucée shrugged.
“Thirty-three, you brat!” Kaizo growled under his breath.
Flucée crossed his arms, his tone darkening slightly.
“That’s not my fault. You never gave me any opportunity or similar mission like you give Master. That proves that you never considered me as your son.”
“It’s because you only make destruction,” Kaizo countered sharply.
“My justice is based in destruction,” Flucée stated without an ounce of hesitation.
The Protector God let out a heavy sigh that shook the remaining clouds.
“Oh, my sons. You both are equal to me, and also Empera. He is only nineteen, and you both reached twenty-five. I am ninety-six, and I think my time is near. After Protector God of UV5’s death, even protectors are not safe.”
The God paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Kaizo.
“Master, what is the progress of those Legends?”
“All are doing great,” Kaizo reported immediately.
“But I think I need to go there for their training.”
“No,” the Protector God answered instantly.
“You are not there yet.”
“Why?” Kaizo asked, surprised.
“There are very important things you have to do,” the God explained sternly.
“And I said when Empera becomes twenty years old, then you should go.”
Kaizo closed his eyes, calculating the timeline in his head.
“Hmm, okay. Seven months after. But they need someone to practice with them.”
A slow, dangerous smile crept across the Protector God’s massive face.
He turned his gaze toward Flucée.
“Flucée, I choose you to test the children’s potential.”
Flucée’s eyes lit up with a wicked, sinister gleam.
He bowed deeply.
“As your order, Dad. I am gonna test them very fairly.”
Without another word, Flucée turned around and vanished into a dark rift of black hole energy, exiting the room of atmosphere.
Kaizo stepped forward urgently, looking up at his father.
“Dad, you know he is gonna kill those children!”
“That’s why I choose him,” the Protector God replied calmly.
“I have a gut feeling that maybe those children’s potential changes him. Because you teach them like a teacher. But Flucée is not gonna teach them. He is gonna take their lives from them.”
The divine entity lowered his voice, imparting a final piece of wisdom.
“See, Master Kaizo. When someone like your death is standing against you, you have two options. First is accept the death. Second is exceed the death.”
Kaizo frowned slightly.
“I don’t understand.”
“See, Master,” the Protector God said as his golden light began to slowly fade into the upper atmosphere.
“When they fight with their death, they are gonna die—or maybe, if they have potential, they are grown like we want.”
Kaizo stood alone in the quiet crater, bowing his head.
Meanwhile, far away in the peaceful green refuge of the woods, the morning air was calm inside the small house.
Tez was sitting on a simple wooden stool, feeling completely refreshed.
His Maana reserves had fully recovered, and his body felt strangely lighter than it ever had during training.
Across the wooden table, the old woman Noni walked over, holding an old, yellowed photograph framed in worn leather.
She placed it gently in front of Tez.
“Look at this,” Noni said softly.
Tez leaned forward, staring down at the image of DREGESTA R.
JAFF.
The man in the photo stood tall, surrounded by a roaring, high-tier Flaze aura.
In his grip, he held the legendary half Operta weapon, and his eyes burned with the distinct, terrifying brilliance of the TRIDANATMAC Flame.
As Tez stared into the eyes of the man in the photograph, a sudden chill ran down his spine.
“I don’t know why, but this photo seems familiar,” Tez murmured, unable to tear his eyes away.
Even though he had never met the man, just looking at the picture made the blood in Tez’s veins hum with a strange, harmonic rhythm.
“He is the second successor that inherited the will of Dragon Flaze,” Noni explained, her voice filled with deep reverence.
Tez’s eyes widened.
“I don’t know who this is, but just seeing him I get goosebumps. How powerful is he, and how cool! His aura is beyond something.”
“DREGESTA is also known as the Top 1 Legend of the 2nd Generation in thousands of Legends,” Noni added.
“Cool!” Tez breathed out, feeling an electric surge of inspiration.
Noni looked closely at Tez’s enthusiastic face.
“I have no idea how you got the power of Dragon, but if it chose you, you have to be worthy for it. Make yourself stronger. Break your limits again and again.”
Tez looked up at Noni with shining eyes.
“Hey Noni! Is I am able to become like him?”
Noni shook her head immediately, her expression serious.
“No, never. Not possible. He is the Legend who never can be made again.”
Tez paused, noticing the faint hint of melancholy in her voice.
“Noni, is DREGESTA something related to you?”
Noni took a slow breath, looking out the window toward the sunlit trees.
“He is my big brother.”
“What?!” Tez jumped off his stool, pointing a finger in shock.
“So you are that No. 1 Legend of Second Generation’s sister?!”
“Yes,” Noni replied quietly.
Suddenly, as Tez leaned closer in shock, Noni’s slit-pupil eyes caught sight of something on the left side of Tez’s head.
Hidden just beneath his hair near his temple was a distinct, faded red mark that looked like an old, tiny scar.
Noni froze.
“What is this?”
Tez reached up, touching the mark casually.
“Oh, that mark? My grandpa says that this mark came when I was born, cut by knife accidentally.”
Noni’s breath hitched.
“Your grandpa? What’s his name?”
“Yes, my grandpa,” Tez smiled warmly, remembering home.
“His name was Jaff Raidor.”
The moment the name left Tez’s lips, Noni’s entire body went stiff.
Her eyes trembled with overwhelming emotion, tears pricking the corners of her eyelids.
She quickly turned her face away, biting her lip to force back the surge of feelings overwhelming her heart.
Tez noticed her reaction instantly and frowned in confusion.
“What happened? You know my grandpa for any chance?”
Noni quickly wiped her eyes, composing her voice before turning back to him with a stern face.
“No, no! Why would I know your grandpa?”
Tez didn’t press further, stepping forward with determination instead.
“Hey Noni, please give me some training because you know DREGESTA. Maybe you should give something that helps me.”
Noni looked at the boy—at his red birthmark, at his burning spirit, and at the inheritance of her brother’s dragon flame resting inside him.
“Hmm!” Noni agreed with a firm nod.
“I am gonna teach you because you have the legacy of dragons and also you inherited my brother’s power.”
FIVE-DAY TIME SKIP
Five days passed in the blink of an eye across the different regions.
Back at the headquarters, Weza was practicing relentlessly day and night.
The green aura of his newly acquired Legendary Power, Robo, flowed smoothly into his hands, allowing him to control and manipulate heavy metal gear with complete accuracy.
In Master Kaizo’s gravity-training chamber, Sha and Rihasa pushed their bodies to the absolute limit, enduring intense artificial pressure to sharpen their elemental techniques and prepare for their rematch against Mika and Lika.
Meanwhile, deep in the secluded woods, Tez underwent rigorous training under Noni’s guidance.
Day after day, a dense, fiery aura expanded around Tez’s body—a sign that Noni had given him the vital key to evolve his Maana presence and control the sleeping dragon within.
By the end of the fifth day, Sha and Rihasa stepped out of the training chamber, fully geared up.
“Don’t worry, Tez,” Rihasa said, tightening her dagger straps as she looked out toward Site 2.
“We are coming to rescue you.”
Weza stepped up beside them, his heavy metallic arms humming with green light.
“Hey, I am also coming.”
“No, you’re not coming. If we both don’t come till evening, inform Master that we are in problem.”
“Okay!” Weza agreed, stepping back to guard the base.
At the exact same time, deep in the forest, Tez strapped his gear on, bowing respectfully to the old woman.
“Hey Noni, I have to go now,” Tez said, his eyes burning with renewed energy.
“Thank you for your hospitality and training me. Now I have to go Lockout for my friends.”
Noni took a step forward, her hand reaching out slightly.
“Tez, one more thing I have to tell you.”
Tez stopped at the doorway, turning his head.
“What? Tell me?”
Noni hesitated, her throat tightening.
Deep inside her mind, as she looked at Tez, she felt the faint, warning pulse of DREGESTA’s immense aura echoing through space.
She knew her brother’s presence didn’t want his true identity revealed to the boy just yet.
Tez blinked, seeing her lost in thought.
“Hey Noni, what are you thinking?”
Noni cleared her throat quickly, putting her hands on her hips to hide her hesitation.
“First respect me. Don’t call me Noni. Call me Noni Grandma.”
Tez stared at her, utterly baffled.
“What? Why? First you tell me to call you Noni and now suddenly Noni Grandma?”
He broke into a grin, shaking his head.
“Hmm, okay. I also want to tell you this because my grandpa never told me to disrespect old men and women.”
Noni offered a soft, genuine smile.
“Take care of yourself.”
“Thanks Grandma. Bye!” Tez shouted, dashing out into the woods at incredible speed, leaving a trial of red sparks behind him.
A short while later, Tez arrived at the Lockout headquarters.
Pushing the heavy doors open, he walked straight into the main room—only to find Weza standing there alone!
Weza’s jaw dropped in absolute shock.
“Tez, are you okay?! Did Rihasa and Sha rescue you? And where are they?”
Tez blinked in confusion.
“What rescue?”
“Yes!” Weza pointed frantically.
“You were imprisoned by Mika and Lika!”
“No!” Tez denied immediately.
Weza’s face went pale as realization hit him.
“What does it mean? Something is gonna go wrong!”
Quickly, Weza pulled out the threat letter Mika and Lika had sent and explained how Sha and Rihasa had left for Site 2 thinking Tez was being tortured in the dungeons.
Tez’s expression turned dead serious, his red aura surging instantly.
“We need to hurry. Let’s go, Weza!”
Weza hesitated for a second.
“But Sha and Rihasa said to take care of base and if something happens call Master.”
Tez grabbed Weza by the shoulder, looking him dead in the eyes.
“See, you are now a Legend. That means you have responsibilities to protect your people. You don’t want to meet that little girl again whom you saved?”
Weza looked down at his metallic hands, his resolve hardening.
“Okay, I will go!”
Without losing another second, Tez and Weza sprinted out of the building, charging at full speed toward Site 2.
Meanwhile, at the abandoned construction section of Site 2, the heavy rain began to fall.
Sha and Rihasa arrived at the target area, their eyes scanning the dark, decaying concrete structures.
Suddenly, the shadows shifted.
Mika stepped out into the open, a cruel sneer on his face, flanked by his brother Lika.
Behind them, over 200 mutated monsters emerged from the dark alleys, surrounding the perimeter!
“So you are stuck in our plan,” Mika laughed darkly.
Sha pulled out his weapon, scanning the area frantically.
“What are you talking about, and where is Tez?”
“Hahaha!” Mika threw his head back, laughing hysterically alongside Lika.
“You fools, are you really thinking that the letter is real?”
Lika smirked, crossing his arms.
“You are right, Lika. They are just children. Hahaha!”
Rihasa leaned back-to-back with Sha, her daggers drawn as the horde of 200 monsters closed in.
“What to do now, Sha?”
Sha’s eyes flashed with fierce blue Maana as he gripped his weapon tight.
“Do what a hero does against villains. Kick their asses!”
Sha and Rihasa charged forward into the wave of monsters, blades flashing through the rain.
But before they could clear a path, Mika lunged directly at Rihasa with extreme speed.
Struggling against both the massive numbers and the combined onslaught of Mika and Lika’s acidic attacks, Sha and Rihasa were slowly overwhelmed.
Lika’s poison waves cut off their escape, severely injuring both of them until their Maana reserves ran dry.
Battered, bleeding, and surrounded by 200 growling beasts, Sha and Rihasa collapsed to their knees—captured, pinned down, and with no escape in sight.
TO BE CONTINUED…..
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