Somewhere near Mt. Takeo, Japan

The council had hidden Vestibule Charlie in plain sight, several hundred meters beneath the earth’s surface near the Kynigoi training grounds.

If someone was stupid or brave enough to attack Vestibule Charlie, they’d have to fight off hundreds of Kynigoi trainees and several top ranked Kynigoi.

Then the idiotic braves would have to make it into the underground bunker that was Vestibule Charlie and no one knows what untold horrors would await them.

“So this is it?” Tony asked no one in particular.

Tony and Camila had been traveling for about two hours through the forests that surrounds Mt. Takeo and Tony was getting tired.

Not physically, he was a Kynigoi after all, but mentally.

“I kind of expected something… more.” Tony said.

When they finally reached the end of their journey, Tony’s eyes fell on a shed in the middle of the forest.

It naturally blended in with the environment and looked like it belonged to a local hunter.

The only thing that gave it away as the entrance to Vestibule Charlie was the Kynigoi who stood guard near the sheds only door.

Tony and Camila walked up towards him.

The Kynigoi noticed them and gave a sharp salute.

“Ma’am, sir, welcome!” He said without making eye contact with either of the two.

The two gave him quick nods Before entering the shed.

The shed itself was considerably bigger than most sheds and this was because it housed a large elevator.

The elevator image was in sharp contrast with the shed that housed it.

Whereas the shed was dirty looking and made of mostly wood, the elevator looked like it was state of the art.

It looked like it was from the future, with it’s whitish grey design and touch screen displays.

Tony and Camila entered the elevator and descended to the first of Vestibule Charlie’s three floors.

The trip didn’t take long and they soon exited the elevator to be greeted by a sight that looked almost alien.

Vestibule Charlie was like a gigantic warehouse, made for the sole purpose of storing knowledge.

It had isles and isles of books, machines and other devises.

Men and woman all dressed in clean suits handled and organized the knowledge.

This was one of the duties a wisdom holder had to fulfill.

They had record and preserve all knowledge and that is exactly what the people below were doing.

Vestibule Charlie’s three floors were divided according to their roles.

The first floor housed what was known as the Grand collection, the second was where the wisdom holders lived and finally the third floor was were the council member stayed.

That was the most sacred floor.

Tony was overjoyed.

He was in perhaps the safest place in the world.

Far from war.

Far from any humans with malicious intent.

For him, this was paradise.

Tony and Camila were on a passage that oversaw all the inner workings of the grand collection.

“Hey! Sloth, A-1.” Someone called.

Tony turned and saw a face he had not expected to see so soon.

“Trevor?” Tony gasped as he walked to him.

The two shook hands briefly and Tony noticed that Trevor had a completely new set of metallic arms.

“Impressed? The boys in the lab call these babies [SAMSON OVERDRIVE]. Their pretty neat, right? Oh, nice to meet you again, A-1.” Trevor said.

“It's fine, you can call me Camila. I think that would be easier, no?” Camila told Trevor and he smiled in acknowledgement.

“Of course, Ms. Camila.” Trevor said.

“Now, please follow me. There is someone or someone’s waiting for you.” Trever said.

Tony noticed that Trevor was behaving strangely.

He wasn’t yelling at the top of his voice or mocking him about this and that.

Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing? Tony wondered.

He cast those thoughts aside as he and Camila followed Trevor to a separate elevator.

“Where are we going and who are we meeting?” Tony asked.

Trevor smiled widely in response.

“We’re going to the third floor and the answer to your second question is going to be a suprise.” Trevor said gleefully.

The three made it to the third floor.

It felt smaller than the first one and it consisted of tight corridors and a couple of rooms, unlike the first which was structured to be more like a gigantic warehouse.

The three walked down several corridors, passing several Kynigoi guards as they did, before finally reaching a door that was different from the rest in Vestibule Charlie.

It was big. Very big.

And next to it was a key pad that only the council member knew the password of.

There must have been cameras hidden nearby because when Tony and company approached, the door opened.

It’s thickness was about 30 centimeters and it looked like it was made from a metal far more durable than that which is used on spacecraft.

Tony and company entered and found themselves in what looked like the heart of Vestibule Charlie.

It was a large room and it had a bed and several other things at it’s center.

To the far right, Tony saw what he identified as the office area and to the far left was the restroom.

Everything else in between was piles upon piles of cases and boxes.

Each of them probably contained a part of the truth of mankind’s history.

“You’re finally here. I was getting a bit bored sitting here with Ms. Lebedev.” Said Japanese man as he approached the Tony and company.

He wore a thick peach trench over his black combat gear, but tony could make out traces of metal here and there.

The man was quite handsome and his neatly trimmed hair added to that effect.

He wore gloves that concealed his hands but even then, Tony could still make out some shiny metal parts showing.

Is his body more augmented than other us? Tony wondered.

Tony also realized even though the man in front of him was young, he was an experienced soldier.

Tony could tell by looking into his piercing gaze that alternated between Tony and Camila.

Trevor walked forward and gave the man a firm handshake.

“Tony, Ms. Camila, I’d like you to meet Izanagi Fujita, rank S-4.” Tony announced.

Tony gasped and Camila’s eyes widened briefly before returning to their natural state.

“What?” Tony exclaimed.

Not once in the history of the Kynigoi had he heard about an S ranked Kynigoi.

If the Kynigoi represented the elites of the elites, then what on earth were S ranked Kynigoi supposed to be? Tony’s mind went into a confused state as he blankly started at Izanagi, who walked towards him and extended his hand in greeting.

“Hi, let’s work well together.” Izanagi shook Tony hand, but unfortunately, the handshake didn’t register in Tony’s mind as he was still trying to piece everything together.

“Yes, I am in your care.” Tony said with a monotone voice.

This wasn’t what he asked for!

All he wanted was a peaceful life within the bunker, but Tony began to fear that he may die from all the excitement his body was experiencing within Vestibule Charlie.

“Tony, you look like you just saw a ghost! What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” Trevor said.

So you haven’t changed at all! Trevor cursed internally.

“Hehe. Wow, an S ranked super soldier right before my eyes. So what is your augment or… augments?” Tony asked nervously.

“That information is classified. I can tell you that I’m stronger than you, ha!” Izanagi punched Tony lightly on the shoulder.

“Hehe.” Tony Laughed awkwardly.

“Hey, stop waiting time! Ms. Lebedev is waiting.” Another Japanese man said.

He was dressed similarly to Izanagi so beads of cold sweat formed on Tony’s forehead.

One thing that set him apart from Izanagi was that he was holding a Yari, which is a Japanese spear with a straight blade.

“Meet Hanzo Matsuda, rank S-3.” Trevor announced.

Tony could feel his heart cowering in the far reaches of his chest.

“Oh, so you’ve arrived.” Tony heard someone said and looked behind Hanzo.

He saw a middle aged woman with beautiful auburn hair and a pair of brown eye’s that have the woman a welcoming aura.

Her name was Natasha Lebedev and she occupied the third seat on the council, making her the third most powerful person in the world.

Tony had expected her to look far older.

This was because Tony had heard rumors about how council members spend years, if not decades within their respective Vestibules.

Tony and company approached Natasha Lebedev.

She sat behind a large and exquisite wooden desk, which was covered littered with piles of paperwork that varied in size.

She was in the process of digitizing the information inscribed on an ancient piece of paper.

This was one of her duties as a wisdom holder.

“There is a storm coming and I feel that it will rattle the very foundations of our great house.” Natasha Lebedev said.

Her voice was so soft and welcoming that Tony loosened his guard slightly, but when he glanced at Izanagi and Hanzo, they were both in full battle mode.

Their eyes were sharp and their stances had almost no openings.

Tony wanted to cry at this point.

Why am I standing next to such incredible warriors? He wondered.

“Now, it’s been decided that Vestibule Charlie be evacuated. It’s obvious that Yamamoto is planning something foolish and we cannot risk any of the sacred information within these wall to be lost. That is why the three of you, S-4, A-1 and A-2 will secure the evacuation process of said information and personnel. S-3 and A-6 will guard the Vestibule until I leave, understood?” Natasha Lebedev said.

“ “ Yes ma’am! “ “ The Kynigoi said in union.

“Good. You may leave now.” Natasha Lebedev said and the Kynigoi left as the gigantic door closed behind them.

“Ok. Other than protecting these nerds we don’t have much else to do, so why don’t we head to the living quarters.” Trevor suggested and everyone complied.

The living area on the second floor was like a maze.

Hundreds upon hundreds of futuristic looking bedrooms, kitchens and restrooms littered the floor.

The group arrived at their living quarters.

It was a combination of several rooms and a general living area.

Izanagi took off his coat, revealing something that shocked Tony even more than he already was.

Izanagi's skin was partially translucent, revealing what looked like muscles and other tissues.

He wore a bulletproof vest that covered most of his torso but Tony could still see black stripes beneath his skin.

They looked like they were made of metal or something with similar properties.

The same went for Izanagi’s tendons and other tissues, they were all blackened.

Is this guy even human? Tony screamed internally.

Izanagi realized that Tony was staring at him.

“What? Curious about my body? Well… even though it is a secret, I guess I can show you some of my power.” Izanagi said.

“Be careful Izanagi.” Hanzo cautioned his fellow S ranker as he made himself comfortable on a nearby couch.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill him.” Izanagi waved as he said.

Izanagi walked to a clear space in the living area and called Tony over.

Tony hesitated, but his curiosity got the best of him in the end.

The two Kynigoi stood three meters apart and we both fully kitted in combat gear.

The only difference was that Izanagi wore only a bullet vest over his torso, whereas Tony wore a tactical jacket.

Izanagi’s vest reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t remember who.

“Ok. Hit me with all you’ve got.” Izanagi said casually.

Tony enhanced his muscles and dashed towards Izanagi punched him in the face.

Tony felt an intense amount of pain in his right hand and as an insult to the injury Tony had received, Izanagi hadn’t even flinched.

Then a loud explosion occurred right in front of Tony’s face.

What Tony found mere centimeters from him was Izanagi’s fist.

The shockwave from his movement caused the air to expand rapidly.

Tony just stared at his opponent blankly.

He hadn’t even seen him move.

That’s definitely cheating! Tony protested in his mind.

“How… how did you do that?” Tony whispered.

“That’s classified. I can, however, tell you that your friend Trevor has a watered down version of the technology I have. We are the closest entities to gods mankind has ever birthed. Actually, that’s where some of our nicknames come from. Hanzo is called Poseidon’s domain. Unfortunately I cannot tell you any more than that.” Izanagi explained.

“And you? What’s your nickname?” Camila asked.

“I, unfortunately, don’t have one.” Izanagi said while stretching his head.

After exchanging a few more words with Camila, Izanagi went into his room, leaving a dazed Tony, who stood statically for a few moments before entering his own room and sleeping.

It seemed that the opposite of what he hoped was happening.

Vestibule Charlie wasn’t a safe haven.

It turned out to have things much more frightening than those that were waiting for tony on the surface.

A few hours passed, but Tony couldn’t catch a wink of sleep and so he got up and walked towards the kitchen area for a quick bite, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a half naked Izanagi and Hanzo standing by the fridge.

Tony hid behind around the corner that led to his room.

“Don’t get too cocky Izanagi. We both know what Dexter will do to you if you step out of line. I’m telling you this out of the fear that you’ll lose your head, so watch it.” Hanzo said.

His voice was low but every word he said had power, so much so that even Tony felt them.

“Thank you and don’t worry, I understand.” Izanagi said.

Hanzo scoffed as he walked back into his room.

Tony saw Izanagi as he blankly stared into space.

“Kiochi…” Izanagi whispered.

What does this have to do with Kiochi? Izanagi wondered.

Izanagi downed a cup of water before returning to his room.

Tony did the same.

He had completely forgotten the reason he got up in the first place and he proceeded to sleep.

.

..

Takahashi Dojo, Tokyo

Kiochi and Mr. Takahashi had been sparing for several hours, without taking any breaks.

Mr. Takahashi was determined to teach Kiochi how to perfectly use the Kamaitachi art no matter how long it took.

Loud explosions came from the training room as Mrs. Takahashi and Rin ate breakfast.

“They’ve bee at it all night, haven’t they?” Mrs. Takahashi asked.

“Yeah.” Rin said as he ravaged his eggs and furikake.

Rin’s mom always made, in Rin opinion, the tastiest breakfasts in the world.

Although he knew that his opinion was biased.

“Oh my, those two need to be stopped. They must be starving and we both know how your father gets when he’s hungry.” Mrs. Takahashi said as she cleaned the table.

“Umm… mom… I don’t think cooking anything for Kiochi is a good idea.” Rin cautioned.

“Oh, why do you think that? Is my food that horrible?” She asked while cutely placing her hands on her cheeks.

Rin waved his hands frantically.

“No, of course not! Its just Kiochi’s appetite... I feel that it would be best if he ate at a restaurant or something. At least they would have enough ingredients.” Rin explained.

And the budget. Rin thought.

“Oh my, It sounds like you’re challenging me, Rin dearest.” She said.

Her voice low.

It sent several chills up Rin’s spine, because he knew his mother’s real nature.

Although she looked like a normal housewife, she was the primary source of income for the Takahashi family.

She was a highly ranked wisdom holder and she was once a politician.

She had influence all over Japan and even some other countries and this was the result of the one thing that Rin feared about his mother…

Her competitive nature.

“Rin, why don’t you keep your father and friend company while I do some shopping.” She said softly and it was more of an order other than anything.

Rin did as he was told and walked towards the training area.

Rin was a pretty experienced soldier and so he had seen the worst of what the theater of war had to offer.

But the state the training hall was in when he walked in looked like it mirrored the chaos and destruction that could only be found in the darkest parts of hell.

Large craters and gashes covered every part of the training hall.

Burn marks could be spotted here and there along with smoke rising from several dents.

Fortunately for the training hall, it was heavily reinforced.

But, all the damage in the room paled in comparison to the state he saw his father and Kiochi in.

Kiochi’s bulletproof vest was nowhere to be seen and Rin’s father’s uniform was torn to literal shreds.

As if that wasn’t horrifying enough, the two were emitting a dangerous black aura that made breathing hard for Rin.

“Honestly, you’ve impressed me at every opportunity. From the very moment we met, I knew that you were special, but now I am convinced. When the coming battle is nigh, you shall be it’s champion. You shall be it’s victor Chi no Itachi.” Rin’s father declared.

“What’s with the weird name, old man?” Kiochi asked.

“It’s simple, really. I mixed your name with that of the spirits residing within you. Your nickname is blood steel, right? So blood plus weasel is… Chi no Itachi. The blood weasel.” Mr. Takahashi said after a dramatic pause.

“I see.” Kiochi nodded in acknowledgement.

“It’s lame.” Kiochi said clearly.

Mr. Takahashi’s eyes shot open.

“Hey! Do you know how hard it is to come up with a cool nickname in the middle of an intense battle? That’s it! One last bout.” Mr. Takahashi raised his hands and lowered his legs.

Kiochi did the same.

[WARNING]

..

[Your current energy reserves are at 5%, I will not be able to give you any boosts or form a protective layer of armor.]

‘It’s fine. I’m getting used to this style of combat. It’s fast and precise. It’s… perfect.’ Kiochi said.

Mr. Takahashi made the first move.

He dashed towards Kiochi like an enraged animal.

His steps had power but where also extremely quick.

Kiochi did the same.

It looked like two predators fighting over territory.

Kiochi punched Mr. Takahashi in the face, but the old man took it head on and in return, kicked Kiochi in the gut.

Both of them were obviously fatigued, but something was preventing either of them from admitting defeat.

Kiochi jumped into the air, rotated his body at an extreme speed and shot a kick at Mr. Takahashi’s face.

Mr. Takahashi block the kick with one arm, then began releasing more ominous black aura.

Kiochi landed and crawled behind Mr. Takahashi.

Kiochi was about to grab Mr. Takahashi’s neck but in an instant, the old man turned around and let out a flurry of lethal blows.

Kiochi blocked most of them, but some of them were actually landing.

‘Eve, burn everything! Give me that power from that night! Even if it’s just for three seconds!’ Kiochi asked, as intense pain surged throughout his body.

[Ok, But only for three seconds.]

..

[ACTIVATING FULL TRANSFORMATION!]

..

[Time till deactivation: 3 seconds.]

In that instant, Kiochi’s body became completely darkened and two proud horns extruded from his head.

He then started successfully blocking Mr. Takahashi’s attacks.

But Mr. Takahashi quickly adapted and increased the speed and lethality of his attacks.

Kiochi felt his heart whimper.

[2 seconds remaining.]

Kiochi continued blocking but it was a losing battle.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS OLD MAN MADE FROM AND WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE HE WANTS TO KILL ME! Kiochi cursed.

In a last ditch effort, Kiochi got out of Mr. Takahashi’s reach, then dashed towards him while sending all of his power into his right hand.

He was going to punch the old man straight into next Tuesday.

But just before Kiochi’s punch connected, Mr. Takahashi jumped and kicked Kiochi’s hand to the side, sending Kiochi flying into the wall.

A loud explosion came from where Kiochi landed and dust was flung everywhere.

“You never cease to amaze me, boy! You actually sped up your attacks by that much. Oh, and that form of yours! My goodness! We might as well call you Akuma Itachi, no?” Mr. Takahashi said as he walked towards his opponent.

Kiochi had lost.

His energy was completely depleted and he has even used his trump card.

He sluggishly got up and dusted himself off.

“Stop it with the weird names, old man.” Kiochi said with a scoff.

“Does that mean that this is my victory?” Mr. Takahashi offered his hand.

[Yes. Yes it is.]

Eve told Kiochi.

‘Shut up!’ Kiochi said while puffing his cheeks.

“Not winning doesn’t always count as losing, old man.’ Kiochi scoffed playfully as he shook Mr. Takahashi’s hand.

The two sat in the rubble and let out exhausted breaths.

Meanwhile, Rin was just standing there with his eyes wide open and his jaw hanging.

“Be careful Rin, your jaw might fall off, Haha!” Mr. Takahashi joked, as Rin slowly walked towards him and Kiochi.

“You two are freaks! Just what could have possibly led the two of you to fight so much and to this extent?” Rin asked.

“Not much, it’s just that Kiochi didn’t want to give up. Even though I really tried to beat him into submission. He just kept fighting back. That is the mark of a true warrior, unlike you over there, ha!” Mr. Takahashi explained.

“Beat who into submission? I think I hit you too many times in the head, old man.” Kiochi said and the two snickered.

“Still though, I think this is the first time I’ve seem that form Kiochi. Didn’t you describe the Aethon’s as having a similar appearance?” Rin pointed out.

“What are you trying to say?” Kiochi asked, his voice low and his eyes narrow.

“Oh- I didn’t mean anything rude, but is it possible-"

“That what? I’m an Aethon?”

“Um- well-“ Rin stuttered.

“I’m not an Aethon Rin.” Kiochi assured.

“I’m… back?” Mrs. Takahashi said, but she paused when she saw the terrible stare the training hall was in.

“Kazuki Takahashi!” She called out Mr. Takahashi by his full name.

Rin cowered behind Kiochi.

He knew that his dad was going to be put through hell for what he did and Rin didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire.

“What have you done?” She asked, one could almost see the rage ooze from every pore in her body.

“Listen- I- I can explain. It was training. Yes, training!” He said while waving his hands desperately.

“Is that so?” She hissed.

“Actually, dad and Kiochi were having a contest between warriors.” Rin sold his father out.

“You-" Mr. Takahashi was about to punch Rin’s face into oblivion when his ear was violently pulled by a small hand.

“You are coming with me.” Mrs. Takahashi said as she dragged Mr. Takahashi by the ear into the living area.

“That was…” Kiochi started.

“Scary?” Rin finished.

“ “ Yeah. “ “ both of them agreed.

After everything settled down, Kiochi took a quick shower, got dressed in a yukata Rin gave him and walked towards the living area.

There he found a sobbing, but also clean and freshly dressed Mr. Takahashi.

Kiochi at across him.

“No more training?” Kiochi asked and Mr. Takahashi nodded up and down like a child who had been banned from watching TV or playing outside.

The two sighed deeply.

“Lunch is ready!” Mrs. Takahashi said as she walked in with a tray full of food.

Rin walked in behind her with a separate tray.

“Dear, isn’t that too much food?” Mr. Takahashi asked.

“I don’t think so. Rin told me that Kiochi here has quite the appetite.” Mrs. Takahashi said with a smile.

.

..

Two hours later.

“I- impossible!” Mr. Takahashi gasped.

“How can a human eat that much food?” He asked.

“I’m still not used to it either.” Rin said with a defeated expression.

“Oh my, I’ll have to cook more food next time. Rin make sure you become good friends with Kiochi, I think I’m going to really enjoy cooking for him." Mrs. Takahashi said with a giggle.

Mr. Takahashi reached for his phone and saw a message notification.

“Oh, Kiochi. Yamamoto says that he wants to speak with you. Actually, he also want’s Rin.” He said.

Kiochi finished his last rice bowl and stood up instantly.

“Thank you for the food.” He said with a bow.

“Oh, it’s really no problem at all. I enjoyed myself so please feel free to visit any time.” She said.

Kiochi and Rin said their goodbyes and left for Saito headquarters.

After taking a cab or two, they finally reached Saito headquarters, but something was different.

The once static grey cube in the city was now bustling with life.

Men and woman dressed in combat gear entered and exited the building, while carrying boxes of assorted size.

Large trucks were parked in front of the building and many more boxes were in those boxes.

Kiochi heard something above him and when he looked up, he saw a gigantic military style helicopter.

Just what is going on? Kiochi wondered.

Kiochi and Rin entered the lobby where they saw more boxes littering the floor.

Far off into the lobby, Kiochi spotted Kobayashi.

It looked like she was coordinating everything.

Is Yamamoto preparing for a war? Kiochi wondered.

He and Rin took the elevator to the top floor and headed towards Yamamoto’s office.

They entered the office and found Yamamoto himself, along with David Freeman, Dr. Tahiri, Yassine, Dalila, Kaijin Saito and several other people standing around a large round table.

“Welcome back Kiochi, guess what?” Yamamoto asked with a wide smile.

“We’re going to war.” Yamamoto declared.