**FAMILY GROUNDS**

**YAMAGUCHI MANSION**

**SECONDS BEFORE THE ALARM**

A Soul-Barrier is commonly known as one's own domain. It is the absolute pinnacle of

all Mana Manipulation, having been known to exist for at least a few hundred years. It is

a physical construct of the user's Spirit Energy, typically in the shape of a cube or a

dome, and serves a multitude of purposes such as security, defense, communication,

offense, amplification of the user's techniques, et cetera. It is condensed with the user’s

own energy, which facilitates the ability to communicate with all persons within,

regardless of the user’s location. Some special individuals are capable of maintaining

multiple Soul-Barriers simultaneously, even having barriers within barriers.

Tenchi was sitting in his office inside his mansion, when he sensed a small spark of

Emir’s energy:

?

“Emir just casted a Soul-Barrier. What's he up to?” he thought to

himself.

“...Could he have found something?...”

!!

Just in that moment, before Tenchi could even consider contacting Emir, he felt

something horrifying: his Soul Barrier surrounding the Training District was forcefully

penetrated, and the presence of the infiltrator was far worse.

“Who...who in the hell?!”

Before he could waste another moment of thought, he immediately locked on to Chōjo

and Miwa’s energies, and commanded them:

“CHŌJO, MIWA, ESCORT EVERYONE OUT OF THE TRAINING AREA IMMEDIATELY!!”

He heard a sound as if Chōjo was about to respond, which got cut out. Miwa, on the

opposite side to Chōjo’s location, responded saying,

“Understood, Tenchi-sama!”

Tenchi didn't want to waste any thoughts, as much as they arose in his mind. He

immediately contacted one of the High Rankers:

“Steffan! Can you hear me?”

“Eh? Yeah, loud and clear. What's up?”

“Get ready, I'm coming by you right now.”

“Now? What's the- urgency-?”

Before Steffan could finish asking, Tenchi appeared right next to him. An advanced user

of the Soul-Barrier eventually learns the ability to instantly move to any location within,

as long as they are inside it. He was taking a walk nearby the West Park with three girls

– admirers of his.

“Oh! Good Evening, Tenchi-sama!” one of them responded.

“how'd he get here?”

“Is something up?” Steffan asked once again.

“Dragons. Training Grounds. Now.”

Steffan raised his eyebrows. Immediately, a tiny blizzard of snow surrounded him, and a

thin sheet of ice in the shape of a sled formed under his feet.

“Let's go,” he invited Tenchi to his side.

“Sorry, but maybe next time. Ok?” he apologized to the girls.

“Aww, already?” two of them frowned.

“See you, Rakulli-senpai ♡”

Immediately the two flew off, with a blizzard following the trail of the sled.

“So, what's the current status over there?” Steffan asked.

“Believe it or not…it's one guy.”

“…One guy?”

“One guy.”

Steffan's eyes narrowed. He considered the fact that Tenchi himself, one of the two most

powerful Hunters in the world, was making a move. Chōjo and Miwa were more than

capable of handling any leader of the Big-Three, and if not, Tenchi would have simply

sent him alone to support them. He came to a single conclusion:

“Guess you were right then…the mysterious son makes his move.”

“…Yeah.”

“Then, shouldn't we have brought Captain Emir and Fūdo?” he asked.

“They're fighting,” Tenchi responded.

“Huh? Fighting who?”

“An intruder.”

“…When the hell did we have an intruder??”

“Honestly, Steffan…I have no idea.”

Steffan’s heart felt like it dropped just then. Rather than saying another word, he just

tried moving as quickly as he could. It wouldn't be long before they got to the location.

“Shit...what the hell is going on?” he asked himself.

---------------------------------------

**FIELD B**

From outside view, there was nothing to physically see or hear, but right there in the

middle of the field, was Emir’s Soul-Barrier with himself, Fūdo, and the mysterious

Dragon in the midst. The level of bloodlust in the atmosphere that came from the 3 of

them was enough to send a regular person to their knees.

As the 3 faced each other, the right side of Mujin’s cloak elevated; he raised his hand,

and held his palm upward, and there followed a cloud of mist that spread all around

inside the barrier. It was very thick, but not quite to the point of zero visibility.

“I guess I should thank Emir Yamaguchi for this barrier. It’s a perfect match for a

technique like this,” Mujin said to himself, chuckling.

But, as he talked with himself, suddenly there was the sound of a slicing to his side

alongside a flash of black and dark purple. Fūdo was right next to him, wielding a

medium length dagger coated in dark purple; it was a blade he formed using his Flame

Control Technique. He dismembered Mujin’s whole right arm, from the shoulder.

He didn't stop there. In his other hand was another dagger just like the first. As his hand

was still elevated after cleaving off the Dragon’s arm, he stomped on his thigh, fracturing

it, while the other dagger was rammed right into the opposite thigh, and the arm

holding the first dagger descended, which sunk into the shoulder of the now nonexistent

right arm. Fūdo’s cold purple eyes glared into Mujin's as he brutalized him.

“…”

“No way,” he muttered as his eyes narrowed. “You can't be that easy.”

The face of Mujin which had just been writhing in pain, was now grinning with a

chuckle. Slowly…Mujin’s body started to evaporate, much like water vapor. The blood

stains on Fūdo’s hands, clothes, face, and daggers, and those stains on the ground,

changed in composition to that of water, while they evaporated just like Mujin’s body.

“…As I expected.”

His opponent now vanished away, Fūdo turned and looked around in the mist…and he

saw Mujin standing a few feet away, unharmed.

“A Water-Type Clone Technique...or, an Illusion? Seeing as he created this mist...?” Fūdo

analyzed his opponent's ability.

“Sensei, what do you think?” – Emir was standing off to the wall of his Barrier, not

intervening in Fūdo’s fight.

“It seems like a special technique which makes use of this mist. He can probably move

anywhere he wants in here, at anytime,” Emir surmised. “He's also quite skilled at subtle

use of the Clone Technique.”

“I see. So his real body had long avoided me,” he responded. Mujin was delighted to

witness their on-the-spot analyzing skills.

“Excellent…I expected no less from two of the world's greatest Hunters; Fūdo-san, Emir-san,”

he revered them. “Let's say you're almost completely correct.”

In his mind, Emir was deducing all of Mujin’s characteristics up until that point:

“He was able to sneak himself past a Soul-Barrier made specifically to scan the energies of all

persons entering the complex. Furthermore, the Barrier is maintained by Tenchi-sama of all

persons.”

“He's also definitely a Dragon, judging from that tattoo under his eye...except, I've never seen

a Water user among the Big-Three, although there were Water Dragons back in the war. Finally,

based on the fact that he came here alone...” Emir trailed off as he prepared to ask:

“You. Who are you working for?” he asked.

Mujin paused for a moment.

“It should be obvious, shouldn't it?” he asked in response, looking over Emir’s direction.

“Yeah, I guess it should. The thing is, I know that the Big-Three Leaders would never in

their right minds send someone to infiltrate us, especially in the manner that you did.

Regardless of whether they have such a ghostly appearance as yourself,” he explained.

“What I'm thinking…is that there's someone in higher authority than the 3 Leaders, who

sent you.”

The grin on Mujin’s face disappeared…he was now dead serious.

“...He's sharp.”

“Well, who knows?...” he started to respond. “Maybe that someone is standing right

here.”

In that moment, Mujin underwent a transformation; horns grew from his temples, and on

his face appeared tribal markings that shone blue for a moment, then reverted to black.

At the sight of this, Fūdo took a stance while gripping his Flame Daggers, and in addition

to his eyes, his hair gently flowed upward, and it gave off a dark purple glow.

“Whoever this guy is, I'm finishing him off right now,” he said as he looked him dead in

the eye.

Mujin grinned back.

“Come, Fūdo Sanjuro!”

---------------------------------------

**TRAINING DISTRICT**

**A MINUTE EARLIER**

Before Chōjo could even manage to give Tenchi a response, he looked in front of him as

he and the Trainees ran on a street, and locked eyes with the owner of the monstrous

energy wave they felt mere seconds ago.

His heart sunk within his chest…he could do nothing except instinctively activating

Body Reinforcement, and instructing the Trainees behind him:

“ALL OF YOU, RUN!!”

Although alarmed, they all responded promptly, dashing over into alleyways to hide

themselves. Only Genki and Saki were caught completely off guard, freezing up in shock,

but they were quickly grabbed by Ilmar and Amira respectively.

Chōjo, who had not taken his eyes off Gyuwhan even while giving the instruction,

suddenly felt tense all throughout his body; not from Body Reinforcement, but from an

external force…Gyuwhan sent some of his energy into Chōjo’s body, and with it, put him

under an Illusion - one similar to that which he used before on Kentaro, one of the Religious-

Sect Leaders, who responded by foaming at the mouth and collapsing.

As fear rocketed through his body, and he was ensnared in total darkness, he gave a

loud shout with a bigger boost of energy, freeing himself from the Illusion, to Gyuwhan’s

surprise.

But, by the time he came to his senses, Gyuwhan’s was right next to him, still running,

while a very large hand with long claws palmed his face.

“Good job, you damn gorilla.”

Along with those words came the giant hand, grabbing his head and slamming his whole

body into the road, both creating a small crater and a small earthquake. Gyuwhan used

Partial Transformation to do this.

“This little piggy fell down the stairs,” Gyuwhan sang to himself as he walked away.

Chōjo was still conscious, but he struggled to move or even speak following that attack

he was dealt.

As Gyuwhan walked, he was scanning the area, trying to locate his targets.

“Jamal and Tarik…oh, they're over there,” he said as he looked toward the west. “I've

gotten used to their energies since that tournament: just try to look for two civilians.”

The Trainees who were hiding in the nearby alleyways heard him as he spoke…Ilmar

felt his heart stop when he heard him mention his brother's name. He, Zeke, Genki, and

Namiyo were together in one narrow alley.

“He's…a kid…just like us!...” Zeke whispered among them, discerning his voice and

stature.

“Hey…did he just mention Jamal’s name?...” Ilmar asked, with eyes like saucers.

“Ilmar.”

Namiyo was speaking to him now, Ilmar turned his head to him, and he continued:

“I don't know why either…but, don't even think about moving. If any of us come near that

kid, we're dead.”

Genki was so crippled with fear at the moment that he was having labored breathing,

and was tearing up. Zeke took the initiative to calm him down,

“Shh, shh, relax, Genki. We'll be ok…just control your breathing, and don't make a

sound,” he instructed him as he grabbed his hand and put an arm over his shoulder.

Naturally, Zeke himself was just as terrified, but he understood the repercussions of

losing his cool.

“By the way…” – they heard the voice again, loud and clear. This time, addressing them:

“I could kill all of you right now, but I'm not here for that. You haven't seen my face, but

I've seen all of yours…as long as I'm still here, don't let me see you again,” he instructed.

“…That also goes for you, up there.”

He was speaking to Hayami. She hid herself from view on a rooftop, but Gyuwhan sensed

her clear as day. She witnessed what happened to Chōjo, but she didn't get a clear look at

their enemy.

After giving out that warning, he vanished from the immediate area, using his Transportation

Technique. Hayami waited for a moment, then jumped down next to Chōjo and called for the

Trainees:

“Is everyone ok?”

They slowly came creeping out of the alleyways, on guard and fearful.

“We're ok!” Amira responded. “Is…Chōjo-sensei?...”

*coughing*

“I'm ok…what a terrifying bastard,” he muttered, slowly regaining the strength to raise

his head and clench his fists.

“We have to help the others, now!” Ilmar shouted. “I don't know why, but he has targets!

He's after Jamal and Tarik!!”

Hayami’s heart sank. In that moment, she considered everything that happened within

the past two minutes, her dream yesterday, the invader’s objective…and what she told

herself that evening before they left:

“...Someone is going to die tonight.”

She finally understood everything…why that “someone” should die, how they should

die…and who that “someone” was.

…Hayami's very first premonition, would also be her last.

“Chōjo-san…” she spoke to him, tears welling up underneath her mask.

“Hm?”

“…Tell Fūdo-kun, that I'm sorry, ok?”

Without waiting for an answer, she immediately flew off, jumping back up to the

rooftops, heading to the direction of the second group, where Gyuwhan was headed.

“Hayami!” he called out to her, yet unable to move his body much. He sat up, but that

much was all he could manage.

“That was Hayami-nee?” Ilmar asked in shock. Reflecting on the sound of her voice, he

and his classmates only then noticed.

“She's going to help the others…shouldn't we-“

Saki started speaking, but cut herself off in her own statement. She quickly remembered

their first course of action upon seeing the boy…as well as what he instructed them.

Following Hayami would probably be a fatal decision. She was afraid.

“…Shouldn't we…” she was unsure of her own words.

“I'm going.”

This came from none other than Ilmar. Something far greater than logic had overcome

his mind: love.

Without another word, he activated Body Reinforcement, and dashed off.

“Ilmar!!” Namiyo yelled out.

“Tch, goddamnit,” Chōjo muttered. “Tenchi-sama! Can you hear me? Where are you?”

---------------------------------------

**OUTISDE THE TRAINING DISTRICT**

“Yeah, I can hear you loud and clear. I'm outside the entrance right now.”

Tenchi and Steffan had arrived by this point. They were on the dead end road,

approaching the face of the building at the end.

“I spoke to Miwa earlier, but I haven't heard back from her since then. Let's do this

quickly - you ensure everyone gets out safely, Steffan,” Tenchi instructed.

“Got it. Let's go.”

Approaching the wall, Tenchi placed his hand on it for a few seconds.

…Nothing was happening.

“…Excuse me?” he asked in disbelief.

“What's wrong?” Steffan asked.

“...Who in the fuck...” Tenchi muttered as a cold sweat ran down his face.

“I can't enter the Barrier.”

“...Come the fuck again?” Steffan asked, not sure if the words he just heard were in his

head or reality.

“He…bypassed my Barrier, and made it inaccessible?”

Tenchi was beyond confounded. He almost started praising the enemy in his mind. But

as he examined, he came to the realization that only one individual in the sorcery world

was capable of these feats…a person who had been long dead…

“Hellam Ryūjin…definitely had a son.”

---------------------------------------

**FAMILY GROUNDS**

**FIELD B**

For around the past two minutes, Fūdo and Mujin had been at it; mostly Mujin toying

with Fūdo, while Fūdo killed him dozens of times over, to no avail. Each time he landed

a fatal blow, the result was the same: Mujin’s annoying grin, followed by his body and

blood disappearing like water vapor. Fūdo was fed up by this point.

“Hey, enough with this bullshit. Sensei, he's obviously stalling us out!” he yelled as he

yanked his dagger from the torso of yet another fake.

“He's not even trying here…he's keeping us here, for some reason.”

“I'm hurt, Fūdo-san. Have I come off as a deceiver to you?” he asked him.

“You're an eyesore,” he responded, throwing his dagger from a distance which lodged

into Mujin’s head. Again, another fake.

“Still...it does seem like he's stalling for time here,” Emir was in thought. “Come to think of

it, the time that he got up from the bar, was the same time...”

“!!” Emir caught on to something.

“Hey, why did you leave the bar earlier?” he asked him directly.

“…”

“To lead you here; Emir-san, Fudo-san,” he responded directly.

“For what purpose?” Emir followed up.

“…Take a wild guess.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Emir thought to himself, confirming his suspicion.

“Fūdo! Get to the Training District, now!”

“The training district? What do you mea-”

He stopped himself in the middle of his question. Everything became a bit clearer; the

assertion he just made that their opponent was stalling, and the fact that he led them

away right after the Training Group left. He understood Emir without another word, and

immediately, he left the Soul-Barrier.

“Finish that asshole off!” he requested of his senior.

“Sure, sure.”

“So they finally caught on...” Mujin thought to himself.

“No matter, it's been far long enough already.”

“So, it seems now I'll be fighting the invincible Emir Yamaguchi…it's quite the honour.

But, I wonder if you will be able to see through my techni-”

Before he could even finish speaking, all he heard was the snap of a finger…immediately

following, Mujin sunk right to the ground, now completely immobile. Emir had altered

the gravitational force inside the Barrier, though he himself was unaffected. It was such

a strong pull that Mujin struggled to lift even a finger from the ground.

“Good grief...” he uttered to himself in his thoughts. “Just as I expected

out of him...what unparalleled ability!!”

He thought of saying more words, but couldn't help noticing that Emir was on his way

out of the Barrier, leaving it active. As he stepped out, he thought to himself:

“We can't interrogate Dragons...plus, that guy's something of a Special Class. Probably

even more of an impossibility.”

As Emir stepped out, he held up a fist; the index finger was bent, and rested on top of his

thumb. He held this tightly, and then immediately flicked the thumb upward while

uttering:

Incinerate. • 焼卻 (Shou-kya-ku)

Immediately, a very bright light shone from inside the Barrier, and there was a sound

like that of the blazing of a fire inside a room saturated with Gas, caused by the tiniest

spark. Through a process of Nuclear Fission, Emir caused all particles of his

energy left inside the Barrier to split in a chain reaction - he caused a Nuclear

Explosion…likely killing any and every living organism inside.

The Barrier was still invisible when this occurred, and there was no sound produced on

the outside either. Following this, Emir deactivated the Barrier.

“Tenchi-sama, it's me.” – he made contact with Tenchi.

“Ah, Emir. How did your hunt turn out?”

“Neutralized…I hope,” he responded. Whatever was inside the Barrier had to have

died…but he still had a funny feeling.

“Anyway, I need you, Fūdo, and the rest of Hunters to hold the fort. Things are real

hectic right now,” he instructed.

“Huh, where are you? And Fūdo's on his way to the Training District right now.”

“I see…I'll explain later. Just get the Hunters to secure the area,” he repeated.

Following that, Emir stood on the outskirts of the field, reflecting on all the happenings

of the day.

“...Something's definitely up. What the hell’s going on over there?...”

---------------------------------------

On the outskirts of the Family Grounds, an individual sat on the ground while leaning

against the wall; one leg bent while the other laid flat, an arm resting on the bent leg,

and he was coughing up blood…it was Mujin.

*cough, cough*

“Good grief…what a psychopath.”

He was still alive and well; in fact, he was never fighting just now.

“They pretty much hit the nail on the head regarding my Ghost-Mist Technique, but I

still hid one crucial detail…the fact that I possess the ability to create a perfect copy of

myself.”

“It's indistinguishable from my real body, unlike the basic Clone Technique. However…I

never anticipated the backlash from that ‘other me’ dying to be so extreme,” he

remarked as he coughed up a little more blood, and wiped his mouth.

“Ryūjin-sama should be just about finished over there…”

---------------------------------------

**TRAINING DISTRICT**

**A MINUTE EARLIER**

*heavy breathing*

*blood dripping*

“Look at that…you actually managed to scratch me, huh? Not bad…”

Gyuwhan stood in front of a broken wall talking to someone. It was Miwa…he had

arrived at the second group’s location, and after a very short exchange, his attack sent

Miwa flying to the wall so hard that she went right through. The Trainees went in hiding

just like the first group…except…

“Well, anyway,” Gyuwhan said as he turned to the side,

“I finally got what I came for.”

In front of him were Jamal and Tarik, immobilized. They were standing upright, but a

few tail-like organisms that sprouted from underneath the asphalt restrained them by

their wrists, ankles, and necks. They were the first persons he set eyes on when he got

to their location, and he made sure to restrain them first.

“Ugh…let us go!” Tarik yelled as he struggled to free himself.

“What do you want with us??” Jamal asked the boy.

“You'll have all the time in the world to ask whatever you like…for now, shut it,” he

responded, taking steps toward them.

Their fellow classmates watched in fear, especially Satoru and Gina.

“Hey…what is he doing with them?” Gina asked, trembling.

“Gina, you absolutely can't go out there,” Maki instructed her, holding her hand.

“What's that guy doing with my brother?...” Satoru asked himself, eyes widened.

“Sato-kun…he's way out of our league,” Akiro advised him. “Even if both Chōjo and

Miwa-sensei were to take him…”

Satoru knew he was always the strongest among his peers, but he'd never been faced

with a situation such as this; in the face of an enemy, and one that far outclassed his

capabilities. He had no idea how to respond to this scenario. His thoughts were jumbled.

It felt as if he was going insane.

But, amidst all this, one thing stuck out in his mind. The words he said on the night his

brother was born:

“Whether he can fight or not...he's still my little brother.”

He ran out of the alleyway.

*SHHINNG*

?!

Gyuwhan swiftly side-stepped to avoid a small dagger that was thrown in his direction:

the deliverer, Hayami.

“Back off, kid.”

“…You,” he recalled the unique signature of her energy. It was the same Hunter he

addressed who was on the roof.

”Wait, that voice...” Tarik thought to himself.

“Hayami-nee?”

She turned her head slightly, but she couldn't say anything to them. The guilt that she

felt in knowing what she was about to do, prevented her.

“I gave you a chance, Hunter…but now, you've seen my face.”

After this, Gyuwhan activated his Transportation Technique, sinking into a void that

appeared in the ground.

“!!” Hayami was alarmed at the sight. His energy completely vanished.

“HAYAMI, RUN AWAY! YOU CAN’T FIGHT HIM!” Jamal instinctively warned her. He

wasn't sure how, but he felt something deadly approaching in that moment.

Suddenly, another void appeared in the ground right next to her. Hayami reacted much

quicker than anyone else could anticipate, as she saw Gyuwhan's figure emerging from

it. She swung with her second blade, centimeters away from decapitating him:

*RIP*

*SLASH*

!!

There was a large hand with claws…and it bore into Hayami's back, and through her

chest. Behind her was Gyuwhan, emerging from a void on the wall. The first one was a

decoy. The Trainees and Miwa all watched in horror as Hayami's blood splattered.

“…I couldn't possibly let you live,” Gyuwhan continued from his last statement.

The two friends could only watch with their jaws hanging…and tears welling up.

“Ha…Haya…mi…!!”

As Tarik struggled to pronounce her name, both he and Jamal's blood ran cold as they

saw her head turn to them; her mask had fallen off, and they saw the blood running out

of her mouth and her eyes dimmed:

“B…Both of you…” she said as she sunk to her knees. Tears running down her face.

“…Become…the very best…”

…Hayami fell.

There was a drop of rain. Then another. Then another…it started to rain.

“…HAYAMI!!!"

“Shut the hell up and come with me.”

Gyuwhan grabbed them both, as he opened another void in the ground. By this time,

Ilmar had arrived, and Satoru fully came out of the alleyway after stopping by the

entrance since Hayami’s arrival. They saw Gyuwhan leaving with their brothers, and

Gyuwhan saw them.

“Ilmar Sanjuro…Satoru Yamaguchi,” he said to them,

“I'll be borrowing your brothers.”

“ILMAR!!”

“SATO!!”

“HEY, WAIT-“

By the time Ilmar yelled, the three of them were gone. The Dragon kidnapped Jamal and

Tarik.

Around the same time, Tenchi and Steffan had just arrived to the spot…they were mere

seconds too late. And, upon seeing Hayami's lifeless body, they couldn't even speak.

The rained poured harder. The Trainees who were hiding, and those on the other side

all came out…they were all filled with sorrow.

Satoru sunk to the ground…he couldn't stop thinking about the words he continuously

swore concerning his brother. The rain mixed in with his tears. For the first time in his

life…he let those emotions out for all eyes to behold:

“Brother…brother…!”

“…BROTHER!!!"

**TO BE CONTINUED**