[Inhumans] and [Compatibles].

Two sides of the same coin, really.

One has the massive stores of [Soul Energy], and the other has the ability to manipulate it precisely to create [Magic].

It’s such a shame that both of them only have half of the equation.

One can imagine: What if a [Compatible] could supply an [Inhuman] their [Soul Energy] to fuel their [Magic], and in return the [Inhuman] helped the [Compatible] channel their [Soul Energy] more precisely?

If only there were a way to connect their souls…

A [Soul Link], so to say.

---

A golden-haired woman, clad in armor, shield and lance in hand perched on top of a streetlight.

The armor simply described, was knightly.

She gazed down derisively on the two standing on the concrete street.

“You two can never hope to beat an enemy duo with a [Soul Link]. Might as well surrender now. What I’m planning to do to you will be painful, but at least you’ll come out alive, young Saito. If I’m feeling lenient I might even let your partner live.”

“Okay, woman, I have ZERO idea what you’re talking about. [Soul Link]? I don’t know what that is and neither do I care. I’m bringing you in. The elders will decide what to do with you.”

“Yuu-kun!?”

“... did your elders never tell you about what a [Soul Link] is? How curious. Oh, how the Saito clan has fallen.”

“Yuu-kun, stop joking! You won’t be able beat an enemy with a [Soul Link]!”

“Just watch me.”

The young shinobi stepped forward, weapon of choice in hand. An extendable spear-like weapon, with a sabre-like blade instead of a spike.

“A Guandao? Curious choice of weapon for a shinobi. I thought you lot were supposed to be stealthy, but a polearm? You must be begging to lose.”

“Shut up about my weapon choice. Whatever I use, I’ll crush you all the same.”

“Well, lets see you in action. Cinder!”

Something triggered Yuudai’s instincts as a shinobi.

He barely had enough time to jump before the orange-green flames burst through of a gutter vent just where he was standing.

“Let’s see how your combat skills measure up next!”

Just as the flames receded, a golden lance pierced down from above.

The shinobi raised the handle of his weapon to meet the brunt of his enemy’s attack. Lance and Guandao clashed, emitting golden sparks.

“Hmm, I suppose your Body Strengthening is fine, boy! Still not enough, though!”

Yuudai’s knees crashed to the ground as the knight woman’s overwhelming amount of force pushed down on him from above.

“I won’t let you hurt Yuu-kun. Take this!”

Shirori had undone the lower part of her pink pajama top, and the fanged mouth within opened wide. A glob of sticky, clear fluid burst out at high speed.

Gastric acid manipulation. This was the specialty [Magic] of Shiori’s [Inhuman] attribute.

“This is our fight. Stay out of this, girl.”

As if on cue, another flare of the orange-green flames came out of the gutter cover, intercepting the acid ball.

The fluid scattered amidst the inferno, and the few drops that made it through splattered harmlessly onto the knight’s shield.

“Cinder, take care of her. Try not to kill her though: She’ll be a useful hostage, I suppose.”

“Will do, boss.”

A gravelly voice came out of the drainage cover and said such a line. Seconds later the cover went flying, and a red, scaly fist could be seen.

With the few seconds that Shiori had bought, Yuudai managed to break free from the press he was under and glided backwards for a meter or two. The golden lance slammed into the ground where he was just mere moments ago, leaving a massive crack.

As he watched, a muscle-bound man in shorts and an army green tank top, with red, scaly forearms and burns all over him climbed out of the sewer between him and Shiori.

“Allow me to introduce you to my [Inhuman] companion. Saito, Cinder. Cinder, Saito. He’ll be the one killing your little girlfriend. Now, back to our fight.”

Flames burst from the dragon-man’s arms, forming a massive wall of flame. Shiori was no longer visible. Yuudai desperately looked for an opening in the flames to burst through, but to no avail.

“Pay attention to me, you punk!”

Yuudai dodged sideways by instinct, and sure enough the lance whistled by. If he hadn’t moved, he surely would have been skewered.

“Come on, young shinobi. Use your little daggers and throwing stars. Or perhaps… you’re terrified of them? After all, perhaps your parents died after grievous wounds from those exact tools?”