Kelsa opened the door and stared at the man in front of her. She shook her head in disbelief. He was supposed to be dead. Yet here he was, looking healthier than ever.

Was this a White Fox illusion? Was someone playing a trick on her?

“You’re alive.” She said finally.

His clothes smelled burnt, and he looked older now, more mature. His baby fat was completely gone, replaced by muscle.

When he smiled, she knew it was the same Wei Mon Teris.

She had thought he had been killed by the schools.

“Don’t get too excited to see me. The schools are in complete disarray at the moment. I was able to escape thanks to you causing an uproar.”

Kelsa nodded. She looked out and noticed crowds of clan members walking down the streets. Other members were knocking on the doors, families joining the procession.

“Is something going on?”

Teris looked at her gravely. “It’s the Grand Elders from the school. They’re calling everyone in the Wei clan to meet at the clan hall.”

Kelsa’s parents came out behind her, joining her at her side.

“They came here?” Whispered Seisha.

Orthos peered over from the couch, Jai Long and Jai Chen sitting opposite from him.

“They have come for us,” growled Jaran. Ever since advancing to Truegold with the Heaven’s Drop Seisha had given him, his eyes had healed. The halfsilver badge glinted around his neck, part of the treasures Whisper had taken from Ozriel’s research area in the labyrinth. If he took it off, he would revert to Jade and regain his blindness.

They had taken turns wearing the badges among themselves, for there were only five halfsilver badges to protect against the labyrinth’s drainage effect. Kelsa, Whisper, Orthos, Jai Long, and Jaran all wore one.

Kelsa sighed. “Looks like it. Guess they’re not too happy with me breaking you out, mother.”

Her mother managed a small smile, but her eyes showed her worry.

Kelsa turned to her. “Don’t worry. They’re only Jade.”

Seisha’s head knocked back as if struck.

“I never would have thought I would one day hear the words that someone was only Jade, much less from my own daughter.

Orthos snorted but said nothing.

Kelsa looked over at Orthos, Jai Long, and Jai Chen. She knew Elder Whisper was listening as well.

“Stay here. We won’t be long.”

***

The morning sun rose over the clan hall, the whole village assembled in front.

The three Grand Elders gathered in the Clan hall, the entire Wei clan gathering in front of them. It was an impressive array, seeing all the Wei clan together as one. But not as impressive as the columns of Jades standing behind their Grand Elders. They were members of their schools, powerful Jades ready to provide backup for their Grand Elder. Not that a Grand Elder would need it, of course. The school members were here just to intimidate.

Usually the schools avoided each other, guarding their secrets from one another. But this time, something had set them off. They knew something had happened in the labyrinth, and it worried them. The fact that the Heaven’s Glory School Grand Elder was not here added fuel to the fire.

The Fallen Leaf School Grand Elder glared at the Wei clan. She was worried about the Nethergate, the labyrinth entrance located on Mount Yoma that stood thirty meters high and was carved with a Dreadgod image. During Kelsa’s battle in the labyrinth, strange aura had begun leaking from the labyrinth entrance. It would open once every ten years where the elders of his school could retrieve some treasures. Now, it was cracked open and calling out to them. Some elders had already gone inside, unable to resist. They never came back out.

The Golden Sword School Grand Elder paced back and forth, carrying a sword made of Goldsteel, mined from Mount Venture. Goldsteel and halfsilver were mined in the rust-red cliffs, and the outputs were split between the school and the Kazan clan.

The Holy Wind School Grand Elder sat at a table, an older woman with her eyes closed. Even though she was old, she looked young and healthy thanks to the Greatfather’s Tears, a pool in the mountain Greatfather that regenerated the vitality of the body and spirit.

The Heaven’s Glory School Grand Elder was absent.

The power of the three Jades gathered made Wei Jin Sairus tremble.

He bowed at the steps, in front of his entire clan which bowed behind him. The Wei Jade elders were behind him, with Irons behind them, Coppers near the end, and at the very end the Foundation level.

The only Wei clan members who in front of Sairus were three members of the Shi family, standing proudly at the steps.

Wei Shi Seisha, Kelsa, and Jaran stood at the base of the stairs as the three Elders ordered their execution.

“The Wei Shi family will be punished for the damages they have done,” ordered the Fallen Leaf Elder. “You have entered the labyrinth illegally, hurt the pride of your clan, and rebelled against the Heaven’s Glory School. We sentence you three to die.”

Jaran leaned on his cane, still wearing his blindfold. He had decided to bring them along for the extra dramatic effect.

“You do, do you?” He looked around as if he could see. “I don’t think I like that idea.”

Kelsa crossed his arms. “Nah, I don’t feel like dying. Maybe next time.”

The Wei clan gasped.

Only Sairus stayed silent, shaking. He had been paid a personal visit by Kelsa and her friends the night before, and he now knew the power these three had. He wasn’t worried about the Shi family. He was hoping the Grand Elders would not be killed.

The Golden Sword Elder stopped pacing around, pointing his sword at them.

“You still think this is a joke? Your disrespect has now condemned your entire clan! All of you will be punished!”

The gathered Wei clan began to cry out. Sairus stopped shaking. Maybe he did want Kelsa and her family to kill the Grand Elders.

The Fallen Leaf school elder motioned at one of her Jades. The young man immediately ran for Jaran, aiming for the cripple first.

Jaran dropped his cane and took off his blindfold as he jumped over the Jade’s punch. As he landed behind the Jade, he grabbed onto the Jade’s face and slammed him into the ground. The poor student’s face sank into the grass, up to his neck.

Everyone gasped.

“Take them,” whispered the Fallen Leaf Elder. With the approval of their Elders, all the students from all the schools began to walk forward.

That was when Lindon smashed through the ceiling of the clan hall.

The Blackflame artist landed on the table, pieces of purple tile flying around him. The Holy Wind Elder had been sitting down at the table, but now she was standing among the other Grand Elders, fully awake.

Lindon glared at the Grand Elders, his body surrounded by the Soul Cloak.

“How about you try me instead.”

It wasn’t a question.

As the Grand Elders bristled, the Wei clan began to whisper among themselves.

“Isn’t that the Unsouled?”

“I thought the Heaven’s Glory School said he was dead?”

“Wow, he actually looks scary. When did he learn the Path of the White Fox?”

The Jade school members stepped backwards in surprise, but the Jade Grand Elders acted instantly.

The Holy Wind Elder cast a hurricane and lightning storm around Lindon. The Holy Wind school used a strange Path of wind, light, and dream techniques that allowed them to create zones of unnatural weather.

The Golden Sword Elder swung his blade. The Golden Sword school used a Path of sword madra that focused on using Enforcer techniques on their Goldsteel weapons.

The Holy Wind Elder called uncapped her hands, revealing a sapling. With a glow of green life madra, it grew out to massive size, a weapon of greenery that slammed down onto Lindon. The Holy Wind school followed a Path where they used life madra to guide the growth of spirit-fruits and sacred herbs.

Lindon let out a pulse of pure madra, and all techniques faded away. Only the Goldsteel blade continued swinging for him. It stopped in place as Lindon blocked with one finger, holding the entire sword off. The Golden Sword Elder screamed as he shoved with all his strength, the Goldsteel flaring with golden madra, kicking up a storm. Lindon began to push back with his finger, forcing the blade away.

Behind him, the Holy Wind Elder was calling upon a cloud of acid rain. Lindon appeared in front of her, placing his hand in front of her face. Before she could even think, an Empty Palm handprint appeared. She stumbled backwards, disoriented. As her madra ran out, Lindon flicked her forehead with his point finger, and she blasted down to the ground.

She hadn’t even hit the ground yet as the Fallen Leaf Elder stabbed at Lindon’s neck with a vine of thorns. At the same time, she punched out, and vines of green madra wrapped around Lindon. Lindon slipped out of the vines, appearing in front of the Elder as if out of thin air. He knocked the flat of the vine away with the back of his hand and kicked the elder under her chin. The Elder had barley been lifted off her feet before Lindon jumped up, hooking the Elder around the neck with his other foot and kicking her to the side. Her body hit the wall and began to slide to the ground.

The Golden Sword Elder ran at Lindon, his sword vibrating with madra. Lindon side stepped, driving his finger of pure madra into the Elder’s neck. The steel became too heavy and the Elder dropped it, his eyes wide as Lindon chopped him behind his neck. He fainted, falling to the ground.

All Grand Elders fell at the same time, perfectly in sync. The Holy Wind Elder finished blasting into the ground, sending a wave of debris. The Fallen Leaf Elder finished sliding down the wall to the ground, not moving. The Golden Sword Elder fell on his side, snoring.

The whole exchange had been perfectly timed and taken less than a second.

The Wei clan hesitated, not moving an inch.

Kelsa’s eyes sparkled. “Lindon!”

Seisha covered her mouth, tears welling.

Jaran’s newly healed eyes looked like they would soon be popping out again.

Sairus let out a sigh of relief.

Then the Wei clan erupted.

“What the—”

“Heavens above, get ‘em boy!”

“You were only pretending to be weak this whole time, weren’t you!”

“Marry me!”

“You face still sucks!”

The remaining school Jades regained their courage, looking at each other. Their pride and discipline kept them focused and they all surrounded Lindon, ready to fight to the death for the honor of their school.

The first Jade ran at Lindon, from the Golden School sword. He jumped into the air, golden light pouring above him and making the Wei clan run away from the spiritual pressure. The clan hall shook, golden statues of foxes toppling over.

“Don’t disrespect us!”

Lindon caught the sword, the steel cracking under his white Remnant arm. His hunger binding took its madra, the golden glow fading around the blade. The Jade landed on his feet, his eyes wide.

Lindon looked up, and Blackflame shone in his eyes. He unveiled his spirit, and everyone recoiled back. The school Jades stopped in their tracks, instead backing away as they felt his power.

Lindon opened his mouth, and smoke poured out in imitation of Orthos.

“Stand down.”

With Blackflame, his words sounded like a threat.

The Jade’s legs trembled, and he dropped his weapon. All the other schools dropped their weapons and bowed.

Lindon ignored them, dropping Blackflame as he walked to his family. The school members began to part away from him. One of the kneeling school Jades looked at his friend next to him.

Should I take him, he mouthed to his friend. His friend took one horrified look at him before punching him in the face, knocking him out before he got himself killed.

Thanks to Kelsa’s Path of the White Fox, she added the effect of smoke rising from his body, forming into black images of black dragons that coiled above him, some wrapping around his limbs. No one dared to move after that.

Kelsa was the first to reach Lindon. She hugged him tightly, laughing and crying.

Lindon hugged her back “Kelsa, it’s so good to see you again. Just so you know, I also brought some friends.”

Kelsa stepped back, wiping her tears away.

“Tell me now. What have you been up to?”

Lindon smiled. “It’s a long story.”

***

Whisper was sleeping on the ceiling of Kelsa’s house. He lay immune to gravity, his head on his paws as his tails twitched above the dining table.

Three years ago, it would have disconcerted Lindon, but now he accepted it as he walked into Kelsa’s home.

Orthos was the first to greet him, laughing like a child as he ran to Lindon. “You’ve advanced I see! You could still use a shell.”

Lindon laughed as he hugged Orthos. “I’m working on that. But look, I’ve gotten a shield.”

Lindon summoned his black turtle shield, letting Orthos admire it. As Yerin walked over and hugged Orthos around the neck, Lindon turned to two people he had thought he would never see again.

Jai Long looked at Lindon, standing with his sister. There was a tense silent. The last time they had seen each other, it had resulted in Lindon losing an arm. Jai Long had tried to kill Lindon for killing his best friend, Sandviper Kral. But that had changed when Lindon had saved his sister. Jai Long had still been forced to duel him, cutting off his arm in the process.

He stared at Lindon’s white Remnant arm, his new replacement.

Lindon smiled, showing no hard feelings. “I’m glad you made it out alive.”

He was referring to when Redmoon Hall had attacked them.

Jai Long nodded. “Same to you,” he said back stiffly.

Lindon could feel he now had the power of an Underlord. It didn’t surprise him. He had gotten the news from Kelsa already of what had transpired while he had been away. Apparently, the badges he had found in the transcendent ruins may help with preventing the mysterious drainage that occurs in Sacred Valley.

Jai Chen looked between her brother and Lindon nervously. Finally, she broke the silence, smiling shyly as she held her baby white fox. She bowed her head. “Wei Shi Lindon, it is good to see you.”

Lindon shifted, unsure what to say. “.... I’m glad you are doing okay also….Oh, guess who’s with me.”

Unzipping his void key, Little Blue came running out, chattering in bell sounds angrily at being locked up for so long. Jai Chen let out a cry of delight, kneeling to hold the Sylvan Riverseed. Immediately, Little Blue raised her arms up in surprise, her mouth dropping in a large O. Her face turning from angry to happy. Then it went to suspicious as Jai Chen’s snowfox sniffed at her. When its teeth got a little too close, Little Blue slapped her hand against its nose with the sound of chimes. The fox barked, running around Little Blue as the blue spirit shook her fist, letting out a string of chimes and bells.

[I’m….not going to translate that.] Dross said to Lindon.

As Lindon hugged his parents again, his mother grabbed him by the shoulder, peering into his face.

“Lindon, you have so much to tell us. It’s a miracle for you to still be alive.”

Lindon looked down. “I did almost die, many times.”

Eithan butted in, putting his arm around his student.

“Hello Lindon’s parents! What an honor to meet you! Are we talking about Lindon’s near-death experiences? Oh, the stories I could tell you. I bet we could make a whole series out of them if we wanted to!”

Seisha frowned at him. “You look an awful lot like that hologram we saw in the labyrinth. He called himself Ozriel.”

Eithan rubbed his chin. “I see, I see. I’ll have to hear that story of yours in its completion when you have the time.”

Jaran offered Eithan a drink. “So you’ve been training Lindon? Whatever you’ve done, it certainly has been effective. You have our gratitude.”

Eithan nodded. “I’m making sure he doesn’t get himself killed.”

[A very hard job,] assured Dross. His voice made Jaran and Seisha jump as they looked around for the source of the voice.

Eithan smiled. “It’s also my job to train them half to death!”

He held up his hands at Seisha’s expression. “Don’t worry. I’ve only had a couple of disciples before them who all quit from the pain! They said they would rather die than return. But not these two!”

He motioned to Lindon and Yerin. They took some healthy steps away from him.

“See,” Eithan said, “They love me!”

Jaran took a drink of his own. “Sounds like my boy is in good hands then.”

[Of course he is, he has me also!]

Dross floated out of Lindon, revealing his purple spherical small floating body. He had two stubby tendrils for arms, a smiling mouth of sharp teeth, and one big eye.

Kelsa cried out, causing Mercy to scream and drop the romance novel she had been absorbed in moments ago.

[What?] Asked Dross. [Is my morning face that bad?]

“Is this the Path of the White Fox?” Inquired Jaran. “Or are my eyes still not working correctly?”

[Excuse me. How would you feel being called not real?]

Jai Chen’s Forged fox barked at Dross.

[Oh, sorry about that.]

Seisha looked closely. “Fascinating. It looks like a construct. But nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”

[Ah yes, Northstrider really did a good job. Though I guess Lindon did some work. I don’t really remember.]

As Seisha and Jaran went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, the two groups began to relax around each other.

Mercy was petting Jai Chen’s fox, laughing as it tried to bite her fingers, its teeth slipping of her black-tar hands. When Mercy had initially introduced herself as the princess and heir of the Akura family, Jai Chen and Jai Long had prostrated themselves in a bow.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Mercy had said in a fluster, waving her hands. “You don’t have to do that. Please…stop. Okay, if you don’t stop…” Mercy had put on her best mean face, her hands on her hips, trying and failing not to smile. “…. to the dungeons with you!”

Eithan had given her a secret thumbs up when no one was looking.

When it was his turn to introduce himself, he never lost his smile, introducing himself as the grand janitor of the Arelius family. He had finished with a flourish, raising his arms as if waiting for applause.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Kelsa said. She then turned back to cornering Lindon and Yerin.

She crossed her arms as she stared at them for a few uncomfortable seconds. Yerin didn’t know what to do with her hands, grasping her sword one second and then tightening them into fists the next. Lindon was trying to tell Kelsa to shut up with his eyes, communicating his desperation, begging to the heavens for her to not say anything.

Kelsa smiled. “So… are you two…?”

Mercy looked over, beaming. “I know right!”

“What?” Yerin’s hand slipped from her hilt.

“Huh?” Lindon said, glaring holes at her.

[What are we talking about?] Dross added.

[Don’t worry,] he said to Lindon privately. [I’ve got your back. I’ll be so smooth.]

Lindon’s mother walked out of the kitchen, staring at Lindon. Orthos’s body shook from laugher.

Eithan gasped dramatically. “My own two students! How dare you slack off training like that!”

Lindon coughed as Yerin blushed, rubbing her red neck.

“So, when’s dinner?”

“You mean breakfast? Almost ready,” Seisha chuckled as she walked back to the kitchen.

As the minutes went by, Orthos went out with Eithan in the porch, watching the snow. Mercy was dragging Kelsa by the hand outside, who looked confused.

Yerin was chopping wood with her sword, her Goldsigns helping her so that she cut seven of them at a time.

Jai Long and Lindon tried to make small talk.

“It’s a nice replacement,” Lindon was saying as he held out his Remnant arm. “I guess I have you to thank.”

Jai Long nodded. “Ah, I am… glad. Yes.”

Lindon and Jai Long were saved from further conversation when Seisha announced breakfast was ready. They all gathered around the table.

[Hopefully, no spiders this time] whispered Dross.

Lindon shuddered at the time when Fisher Gesha had once made spider soup for dinner.

Dross looked up at Elder Whisper. The snowfox was still sleeping on the ceiling.

[That fox looks like he has a good source of dream madra,] Dross told Lindon quietly. [Should I try to wake him?]

No, he might eat you, Lindon joked.

[Are you kidding? I taste disgusting! No one would eat me!]

Whisper opened his eyes, looking down on Dross.

[Woah, he’s looking at me! Hey, there! I’m Dross. You’re not going to eat me, right?]

Whisper’s eyes seemed to sparkle, and suddenly, a purple light flickered next to Dross. It formed into a purple ball, growing arms, and opening a big eye.

Dross gasped as Whisper created a second Dross, its tendrils waving hello.

[Hello, what’s your name?] said Dross.

[Dross!] said the clone.

[Hey, what do you know! That’s my name too.]

[I must say, you are a very handsome fellow.]

[Stop! You’re going to make me blush!]

Yerin frowned. “There’s two Dross now?”

[Double the fun,] they both said at the same time.

Mercy ran over, poking the second Dross. Her purple eyes were as wide as Dross. “Wow, he feels just like the original one.”

[Ow. Ow. Ow. Please stop that. Ow.]

Lindon grumbled under his breath.

Both Dross’s turned and glared at Lindon, and he raised his hands.

“Apologies. I’m going to help serve the plates.”

As Lindon walked back to the kitchen, the Dross clone aggressively followed him. [I’m the captain now! You hear me?! I call the shots around here! Now go make me some Oreo’s!]

As the plates were served, they all began eating. Whisper stayed on the ceiling, eating from a bucket of fish that, like him, stayed glued to the ceiling. Not a drop of fish slime dripped downwards. Jai Chen’s fox looked up, waiting for a fish to fall. It whined, turning in circles. Whisper opened one eye and a platter of small fish appeared in front of the fox. It yipped as it dug in.

Jai Long was eating under his bandages carefully, but spilled onto his lap as Orthos bumped into him, roaring with laughter at a joke Eithan had made.

Above Lindon, the two Dross’s were fighting. They were throwing Little Blue in the air like a ball. The Sylvan Riverseed was laughing, raising her arms out and pretending to fly as they threw her.

[I want to be with Eithan!]

[No way! You’re the original one and anyways, you are already bonded to Lindon!]

[Ugh so what! I’ve been stuck with him since ages ago! It’s your turn!]

Both Dross began to make karate noises as they chopped at each other with their tendrils. Little Blue jumped off and landed on Yerin’s head, who stayed perfectly still to avoid scaring the spirit.

The Dross clone pretended to shoot Blackflame out of its arms.

[KA…ME…. HA…. ME.. HA!]

The original Dross made dying noises, floating backwards; the Dross clone made flying noise effects.

[Fsshhhhhwww].

Mercy egged them on, and Jai Chen nervously covered her head as the Dross’s floated over her head.

Yerin frowned. “Oi, watch out for that fox!”

The clone Dross looked down, and Jai Chen’s fox peered up. It began to wave its tails, shaking its bottom as it prepared to jump.

The clone Dross puffed himself out, sticking his tongue out. [Boo! Ha I scared you! Watch out you dumb fox! You want a piece of me, huh? Well take this! Fierce Flowing Fireball of Death Destruction Very Fierce x2]

Jai Chen’s fox yipped and jumped up, biting the Dross clone out of the air.

[AHHHH! Someone save me!]

Jai Chen ran around the room trying to catch her fox, the Dross clone’s arms waving in horror.

As they finished breakfast, Kelsa smiled, unable to stop giggling. Finally, she burst out laughing. Holding her stomach, he nudged her brother with her shoulder.

“I see you have made quite the friends.”

Lindon looked around, seeing his surroundings. Eithan snickered with Orthos. Yerin was trying to coax Little Blue onto her hands. Mercy was taking the dishes away along with Jai Long, her tongue sticking out as she tried to balance three of them on her head.

Eithan had once told him the sacred arts got lonelier the higher you got in power.

The same didn’t have to be true for them.

Lindon smiled, finally letting himself relax for a moment. “I guess I have.”

“Oh no!”

Kelsa and Lindon turned as Jai Chen exclaimed behind them. Jai Chen looked at them, her eyes wide. “He got eaten!”

The fox yipped, swallowing the Dross clone whole. It looked over at them, panting with its tongue out as it burped.

Little Blue covered her mouth with her hands, letting out a ring of bells.

The original Dross shrugged and turned to Elder Whisper on the ceiling. [Ooh, dream aura is so cool! I love dream aura! Can you make me some scales by any chance? Maybe some elixirs?]

Elder Whisper smiled. “Even better. Kelsa and I will teach you the Path of the White Fox.”

***

That evening, Kelsa and Teris were walking up the slopes of Mount Yoma.

The setting sun cast the sky into shades of red. To the east, Samara’s Ring was starting to form around Mount Samara, ready to illuminate Sacred Valley.

Kelsa and Teris walked through the snow, no wind to rustle the trees. They had gone out to collect more firewood for their clan.

Snowfoxes peered at them from bushes before scurrying away. Kelsa watched them, feeling lighter than she ever had. She felt like all her problems had gone away. Ever since Lindon had come home, it felt like a dream. Her family was back together again. All the schools were sent away, no one daring to come back. Sairus had entered his home and had not left from fear. Everyone was looking up to Lindon, the savior of their clan. Word of Lindon was spreading to the Li clan and Kazan clan. Kelsa was sure they would want to see for themselves what Lindon could do. But after seeing what he could do, she wasn’t worried.

Teris stopped by an orus tree, remembering all those years ago when the orus tree Remnant had attacked. He had left Lindon alone to fend for himself. He turned to say something to Kelsa when the bushes behind them rustled.

Kelsa and Teris turned, cycling their madra.

Out of the bushes, a wild-looking man walked out. He was built like a castle wall, looking like an aging bear. He had a rough black-and-gray beard and shaggy hair, intermixed with purple leaves from the forest. He wore Forged gray armor with no helmet.

His breathing was heavy, his eyes wild.

Kelsa stepped forward, wary. “Who are you?”

The man locked his savage eyes on her.

“I smell Daji’s blood on you,” he sneered.

Kelsa remembered what Lindon had told her about his transformation to Underlord. He had been targeted by the Seishen princes, their father being King Dakata. This man matched the description that Lindon had given her. According to Lindon, he was an Overlord. Kelsa hoped he was weaker due to the Sacred Valley drainage as she flared her Truegold power, preparing a Fox Dream.

King Dakata moved faster.

Before Kelsa knew it, Teris was lying bleeding from his arm and she was held up by the throat.

Dakata choked her, cutting off her breathing. She tried to kick him, but he held her up higher.

“Where is my son?

Kelsa was powerless, unable to escape. She tried to shoot foxfire, but Dakata sensed this and threw her into a tree. It broke in half as Kelsa slid down into the snow. She leaned back against the tree’s remains, gasping for breath. Dakata treaded over to her like a predator cornering its prey.

This was more power than even Daji and Meira combined. The man felt like their power level, but he moved with experience and gravity. With Meira, Kelsa had a chance to win with Whisper and Seisha helping her. But alone, she was inexperienced with her Truegold power.

King Dakata summoned his massive sword, pointing it at her throat.

“This place had been draining me for the last two hours,” he snarled. “I am now only an Underlord. If you don’t answer my questions, I will kill you. What is wrong with this place? And where is my son and the garden caretaker?”

Kelsa began to use the Fox Mirror technique to hide herself, but Dakata was too fast.

If she wasn’t going to cooperate, he had no use for her.

He kicked her into the air. Kelsa felt her ribs crack as she was flung up, disturbing a flock of birds that cawed at her. Below, Dakata pointed his sword at her. He would kill Lindon’s sister. Then he would move on to his family. Then his entire village. He would not rest until Lindon felt the pain he felt.

Dakata began to Forge the Titan’s Blade.

“Hey.”

Dakata felt the hand on his shoulder. He turned around and found himself face to face with two burning red and black eyes.

Lindon gripped his shoulder until the bone snapped in half. Dakata roared as he punched Lindon in the face. Gray madra flickered in the air from the punch, washing over the forest. As the madra faded away, Lindon was revealed standing in place. His face was slightly turned from the punch, but he slowly moved his face back to face Dakata.

Lindon grabbed Dakata’s fist, pushing it back. Both sacred artists glared at each other, neither backing down. Kelsa continued to fall through the air, reaching the ground fast. That broke Lindon’s concentration, glancing up. Dakata used that moment to swing his blade. Without looking, Lindon punched Dakata in the face.

Dakata flew backwards, bursting through twenty trees and leaving splinters behind in his wake. A line of snow had blasted away, leaving bare grass below.

As Kelsa fell, Lindon switched to his pure core. He jumped and caught her. As he landed gracefully, she looked up at him.

“.. Lindon….”

“Are you okay? Can you move?”

She nodded.

“I think that man is Daji’s father.”

Lindon placed her on her feet. Behind him, the trees were being tossed in the air as something charged at them, a bear-like roar echoing as it came closer.

“Step back. Take Teris away.”

She looked at him.

“Be careful.”

King Dakata emerged from the forest, trees exploding away from him as he raced forward. He held his sword in one hand, and in the other a shield emblazoned with a lion’s face on it. His boots kicked up snow as he smashed into Lindon, his sword stabbing forward.

Lindon kept his back to the Seishen king, smiling assuredly at his sister.

Seconds before Dakata reached him, Lindon spoke.

“This is what I’ve been up to.”

Without looking back, he caught Dakata’s sword.

Snow blew away in a ring, causing the trees around to spin and creak.

Lindon turned around to face Dakata’s red face, the Soul Cloak flowing around him. “I’m only going to say this once.”

Lindon stepped down and snapped Dakata’s ankle, raising that same leg to kick the man in the chest. Before Dakata had finished registering what happened, Lindon brought his leg up and smashed it down onto Dakata’s shoulder. Lindon pushed down with his leg, and Dakata was shoved to his knees, snow shooting upwards in a reverse icy waterfall.

“Leave, and I won’t kill you.”

Dakata looked up, his body shaking in rage.

“You….. I’M GOING TO SLAUGHTER YOU!”

He swung his shield up, expanding it. Lindon jumped back as Dakata emerged from under his shield, his blade coming out. But he didn’t point it at Lindon. Dakata turned to Kelsa, aiming his Titan’s Blade for her. He was going to make Lindon suffer just a little bit. Just to let him taste what Dakata had been feeling.

As the Titan’s Blade elongated, Lindon appeared in front of his sister. The point of the Forged madra sword stabbed into him. And then it shattered across his Hollow armor.

The Blackflame boy stood like a shield in front of his sister, staying still as Dakata unleashed multiple Striker techniques and Forged Titan’s Blade again and again, trying to stab through Lindon. The snow continued to blast away, covering trees in a tsunami of white.

When Dakata had finished, the air was covered in a white haze, sparkling. As it faded away like mist, Lindon looked up slowly. He channeled Blackflame, his eyes matching Orthos’s eyes. His body began to smoke, his lips opening in a snarl. A black and red blaze surrounded him in a nimbus.

“I warned you.”

King Dakata raised his shield, pouring soulfire into it. The defense would stand up to Lindon, and –

Lindon’s fist smashed through the shield, broke Dakata’s wrist, and sank into his chestplate with a crack, the snow running away from them. Forged gray madra shattered from his chest.

King Dakata tore backwards into the trees, wondering how he had gotten there. Lindon appeared next to him, punching him in the ribcage. Dakata had just moved sideways when Lindon appeared on the other side, kicking him backwards. Lindon continued to punch King Dakata as he crashed through the trees, toppling down the ancient trees.

Lindon finished by kicking King Dakata up into the air, throwing up a dragon’s breath that pierced Dakata’s stomach. As the Seishen King flailed in the air, Lindon grasped his own wrist, making a claw with the other hand.

Above, Dakata activated his Mountainroot Iron body, raising his sword with both hands. Lindon looked up, the air swirling around him with Blackflame. Lindon crouched, the snow beginning to lift of the ground under him as he gathered his power. He jumped up, snow rushing away from him. His Blackflame claw shone brightly, the Dragon Descends technique making a serpentine line of fire behind him.

Dakata roared as he swung his Titan’s Blade down, about to cut Lindon in half. Instead, Lindon’s Blackflame Claw shattered the Titan’s Blade and stabbed into Dakata’s heart.

The last thing King Seishen Dakata saw was Lindon’s burning Blackflame eyes before he was consumed by the Void’s Dragon Dance.

Kelsa watched as Lindon dropped to the snow with a crouch, the smoking skeleton of King Dakata falling next to him.

Kelsa stared at him, her arm around Teris as she helped him stand.

“…..Lindon, what has Eithan done to you.”

Her brother stood there with his burning red and black eyes. She didn’t recognize him. Was this the same boy who had been Unsouled just three years ago. Looked down by the whole village. Fighting for the scraps as everyone picked on him.

He had almost been killed by an Orus Tree Remnant while trying to find a sacred fruit to help him advance. He had cheated to defeat an Iron, Wei Mon Keth. He had been so happy to be able to beat up children at the Foundation level. He had almost been killed by the Heaven’s Glory School.

Now he stood in front of her, one of the strongest sacred artists she had ever seen.

Lindon turned to her, breaking the silence.

“He’s given me a soul.”

She understood his meaning right away, and felt a pang of sympathy for what Lindon must have gone through, the horrors he had seen to get to this point. And whatever else was in store for him. Then, her sympathy was washed away with pride. This was her brother.

Unsouled no longer.

Lindon walked over to her, dropping the Burning Cloak. He helped her with Teris, the boy putting his arms around both their necks.

Together, they walked in silence, ready for whatever the future held for them.