Claudio sighed lightly as he sat in a cafe with Mua, tapping the counter lightly as he stared at his phone. Mua hummed a soft tune as she scrolled on her phone, her head resting on his shoulder while she sat beside him. Working behind the counter was one of Mua's sisters, Fortune, who happily worked while waiting for a report.
"Geez, Mr. Noxius is taking a long time giving us a new mission! We got a fortune to make here, and someone's gotta fund this store!" Fortune said, setting the up down and began fluffing out her long golden hair. "And, it's getting hard getting customers..."
"Well, you might want to start by turning on the open sign..." Claudio said, glancing up from his phone to look at Fortune.
"Hey! Is this place open?" One man asked outside, knocking on the glass door and peeking inside.
Fortune let out an awkward giggle and hurried from behind the counter to unlock the front door then turn on the open sign. She quickly opened the door for the customer, letting out a soft laugh. "C-Come in! We're open!"
Claudio rolled his eyes and couldn't stop his chuckle from escaping then let out a sigh as he stood up, gently placing Mua's head on the counter despite her soft protests. "I'm going out for a walk. There's no point in just staying here and waiting for news."
"Nooo...stay here," Mua said lazily, making a weak attempt of grabbing his jacket.
Claudio easily slipped out of her grip and smiled at her, walking off and fixed his jacket. "I'll be back later, or I'll meet you all back home. You'll know where to find me."
"See you!" Fortune beamed, waving goodbye to Claudio as he left the cafe.
Claudio began making his way down the street as he flipped through his social media to catch up on the latest news. As he scrolled, he heard a voice calling to him then stopped walking and looked up, seeing a woman cloaked in white standing before him.
"Who are you?" Claudio asked, putting his phone away and placed his hands into his pockets.
"I am Orochi, the Ophiuchus Champion and Lord Nox's White Serpent. Lord Nox has defeated Terminus and peace has been temporarily restored, but he sent me out for you. Come with me," The woman said, turning away and walking off into the distance.
"Orochi..? Ahh, she's Sephora. Ugh, another calling... Alright, let's see what the excitement is all about," Claudio said as he began following Sephora, his curiosity piquing from the suspense.
Travelling a distance from Bulan, they ended up in the wilderness of St. Goken, approaching Fideline River. Within the calm waves of the river, a beautiful dolphin followed Sephora and Claudio down the stream, curious about their whereabouts.
Claudio noticed a silver coatyl walking within the forest, also following close by and let out a soft hum. Nearing an opening, he noticed Yochanan sitting upon a rock with his eyes closed, praying to God silently.
Beside him stood my foster sister, Flynn Winters, her tiny dragon wings fluttering at the sight of Claudio. She gasped and summoned her Dragon Spear, and without question charged toward Claudio. "It's you! What have you done with Nox?!"
Claudio grunted in surprise and barely evaded Flynn's slash with an autonomous dodge then took multiple steps backwards. "Whoa, whoa! I haven't done anything to Nox! Yo, chill!"
Flynn wasn't hearing any of Claudio's claims and only continued her pursuit, thrusting her spear toward Claudio in hopes of piercing a vital area. Claudio continued dodging her attacks then kicked her spear out of her hand, the spear flying toward a tree and sticking into its trunk.
Suddenly, Flynn dashed toward Claudio with a swift punch but missed as he dodged her attack. As Claudio angled himself behind her, she launched a heavy Donkey Kick but he blocked it then watched as she Fluttered forward with three strikes within a second.
Claudio blocked the first two strikes then caught her fist upon the third, a light rush of wind blowing past him from the immense speeds. "Too...slow.."
Flynn's eyes couldn't believe what she was witnessing, her gaze fixed upon Claudio's hand grasping hers. "No way...how does he know about Fluttering..?"
Claudio released Flynn's hand and hissed as he shook it, looking at his palm and noticing steam rising from his flesh. "Yeesh, Alrean power is nothing to scoff at.."
"That's enough, Young Flynn. I did not ask for Claudio to come here so you can fight him. Time is limited and the time for in fighting is no longer granted," Yochanan said, opening his eyes and began rising to his feet, the multiple crosses upon his tunic jingling against one another.
Flynn stood down as Yochanan called her back, grunting softly and crossing her arms as she looked away from Claudio. "Fine, but I still want to know if Nox is okay. If Claudio is here, nothing good can come from this..."
Sephora walked over to Flynn and gently held her shoulder, her gaze shifting over to Claudio with a smile. "There's no need to worry, dear. Claudio is on our side now, God is already working in him."
"Really?" Flynn asked then let out a soft exhale, looking at Claudio with a raised brow. "I suppose, but why is he here?"
"He's here because he's Nox's right hand man at the moment, but also... I am going to help prepare Nox's Army for the large war incoming in St. Goken. Nox has finally accepted his Judge calling, which activated his Dark Lord Zone," Yochanan began, looking around the forest with a exhale.
"Subsequently, it also awakened the Zodiac Temples around Qutsade as well. The Zodiac Cores needed to fully power the temples are all still scattered, but their Crystals remain here...and we found one," Yochanan finished, looking back at Claudio with a serious expression.
"And you called me here why? You think I'm Zodiac Level? I could barely beat Nox using his Virgo Abilities, what makes you think I could handle an Ancient Champion?" Claudio asked with genuine disbelief, scoffing lightly and prepared to turn away.
"It's not I who thinks this highly of you. Right now, my feelings don't matter. It's is Lord Nox who believes you can handle an Ancient Champion. The Zodiac in question is the true version of the Solar Peridot," Yochanan answered, watching as Claudio stopped in his tracks.
"It's called the Monarch Amber, wielded only by August Eyica. As the rules of Zodiac Crystals, you must defeat the Champion of the gemstone to obtain it," Sephora said, crossing her arms and looking at Claudio.
"And Nox believes I can defeat August's Spirit? The same August who is known as the Strongest Hero of Origin, the Strongest Dark Lord, and the Strongest Hero from his time all the way to Hisumi's? The same August who's name was known for Centuries even now?" Claudio said with even more disbelief, scoffing and shaking his head.
"Sounds like he places you on a high pedestal. After all, if he is willing to accept you as his Equal in Qutsade, you must be relative to him in some way. However, I won't just throw you under the bus," Yochanan said, walking over to the river. "Follow me."
Claudio watched as Yochanan walked toward the river then began to follow him, the both of them walking into the waters together. Everyone watched as Yochanan prepared for Claudio's baptism, even the clouds parting for the sun's warmth to hit upon both men while in the cool waters.
In the name of The Father, The Son, and Holy Spirit, Yochanan gently covered Claudio's face and dove him into the waters slowly. Claudio closed his eyes slowly, his tribal tattoos beginning to glow a pure light as he began to be filled with the Spirit of God.
Rising back up, Claudio's Shiuji Crest upon his back began glowing brightly with renewed strength. Claudio felt a sense of real peace washing over him, his tattoos humming with a calm, focused energy. "This peace I'm feeling...it's refreshing as for once I'm able to feel it."
"You are now officially born again into The Body. Nox understands your abilities and so does the Lord your God, and now you are with us, you should begin to see changes," Yochanan said, looking at Claudio with a smile.
Claudio opened his eyes and exhaled softly, not feeling any sudden change other than his clarity and peace. "I don't feel any different at the moment. Did I need this to face against August?"
"Yeah, you actually did need this which is why Nox requested it. August being a Judge and a ruler of Qutsade over a point in time, can subjugate you nearly immediately if you aren't truly saved. However, this baptism isn't going to be the thing to save you entirely," Yochanan said, making his way out of the rivers.
"What else then? I want to be sure I'm as prepared as possible to face off against August," Claudio said, following behind Yochanan and grabbing his hand for assistance out of the waves.
"It's your faith that will save you and help you win. Not faith in Nox or any of his other personas, but faith in the One he's been telling everyone about. The Lord of Lords. Your faith in Him," Yochanan said, walking back toward his rock and picked up his staff.
"Hm, I already have faith...I know His Grace is sufficient enough," Claudio said then grunted as Yochanan lightly struck him upon his stomach with the staff, his hands grasping his stomach as he looked at Yochanan with annoyance.
Yochanan smirked at Claudio and chuckled softly, resting the bottom of his staff upon the ground. "You have that right, but you must still remain sober and vigilant...even when the Lord is literally holding your hand. While He won't let you go, you can still lose your grip based on your actions."
"Oh, and August uses Stealth Strikes, Fluttering, and Hero of Origin Form as well. There's no way I'm letting the Last Tribal Leader face the Monarch Lion alone and unprepared," Yochanan continued, pointing his staff at Claudio.
"Tch, you could've led with that old man," Claudio said with light annoyance, grunting as the stinging sensation lingered upon his stomach.
-----------------------
Following Yochanan into another area of the forest, they all reached outside to a farm where he stayed, the sounds of cattle and livestock filling the air. Claudio looked around the farm, a warm nostalgia washing over him while he admired the beautiful farm.
Across the farm rested a beautiful, well kept orchard with various fruits and crops growing strong and tall. While Yochanan and Sephora left to prepare the training area, Flynn and Claudio were left to themselves to explore around.
"Ugh, I would rather be stuck in the pig pen right now," Flynn said, crossing her arms and continuing forward to the horse stables.
"No one's stopping you," Claudio replied sarcastically, following behind Flynn with his hands in his pockets. "Besides, what I did was months ago and Nox and I have already reconciled."
"Right, right, because that magically fixes everything huh? You know Judas is still running around St. Meishi causing trouble right? You know, the guy you brought along during St. Meishi Incident?" Flynn said, looking over her shoulder at Claudio with a glare.
"I'm sorry for that alright? Besides, we have bigger things to worry about like that Monarch Amber. None of us have faced August's Spirit and none of us but Nox knows how powerful he is," Claudio said, looking over at the horses' play area with a sigh.
"We're not looking past this, but alright. It's not like we have Luci's Scepter for a mock battle, and I don't even know where Nox is currently, so we can't replicate his abilities," Flynn began, letting out a soft hum as she walked toward the play area to watch the horses play.
"I mean, there should be some documents about him since he's widely known. There's no way August was a Singularity when Nox exists," Claudio said, standing beside Flynn and watched the horses gallop around and play with each other.
Flynn leaned against the wooden rails of the enclosure, letting out a soft exhale and lowered her head. "Looks like you're gonna be out of luck in terms of foreknowledge. All we can do is prepare you to handle the abilities we do know, but there has to be some rule Champions have to follow."
"He aha? Who said I'm fighting him alone? And why does it sound like you already know the plan?" Claudio asked, looking over at Flynn with skepticism.
"What? I'm just as lost as you are. You'd do good in being grateful I'm actually trying with you instead of taking your head off right here!" Flynn said, pressing her finger firmly under Claudio's chin, her nail pricking at his skin.
Claudio grabbed Flynn's hand, pushing it down firmly and smirked at her. "You tried that earlier, princess. I think it's time you get used to me around here, beside your brother already does."
"Tah! That's how he's always been, he rarely holds grudges unless you really did him wrong. I'm not sure how he didn't see your actions as pure transgression, but you're lucky he's only sassy and petty at times," Flynn said, snatching her hand away from Claudio and went back to watching the horses.
"Sassy huh? You seem to know him well, how was he when he was little?" Claudio asked, his gaze returning to the horses as well.
"Very quiet honestly. Traumatized even. It wasn't until he was 12 when he actually began opening up to me and Luciel and our parents. We met him when we were eight years old, I couldn't imagine what witnessing the Great Lamenting first hand could do to someone like him," Flynn said softly, her gaze softening as she began reminiscing on our past.
Claudio exhaled softly as he thought about what Flynn said, his eyes closing as he tried to imagine how the event looked. Soon, Yochanan called the both of them, Claudio and Flynn glancing back to see Yochanan calling them from the barn.
Making their way toward the barn, they noticed a training area set up for the both of them, a clothing rack with a large white sheet hanging over it. Standing in front of the white sheet, Sephora held a staff with a large boxing glove equipped on top.
"What is this?" Claudio asked, crossing his arms and looking at Yochanan with curiosity.
"August likes to use Stealth Strikes, so we will be training you both to sense attacks that you can not see. Stealth Strikes are part of the Essence of the Butterfly, and it's important to lean not on your own understanding," Yochanan said, walking toward Sephora and grabbing his staff from her hand.
"Well? Who's going first?" Sephora asked with a smile, crossing her arms and tilted her head to the side.
Flynn pushed Claudio forward then crossed her arms with a hum, her wings fluttering with pleasure. "I think the Tribal Leader should go first, besides this is mainly for him."
Claudio growled lowly at Flynn then huffed, turning his head from her direction and began walking toward the white sheets. He entered into the sheets and crossed his arms, looking around as he was surrounded by cloth. "So what now—"
Claudio groaned as he was struck upon his stomach by Yochanan's staff, doubling over and nearly collapsing onto one knee. Suddenly, a second strike flew toward him from his left, successfully striking him up on his jaw and staggering him to the side.
"Damn! What the hell, Yochanan!? No warning?!" Claudio groaned with frustration, holding his left cheek and stomach as he stood up on his feet.
"In the battlefield, August won't give you a warning, but I can see your frustration. I just thought you would have already braced yourself. However, get ready! I'm striking the front!" Yochanan called out, thrusting his staff forward.
Claudio grunted at the speed of the strike, barely parrying the attack but the staff still caught his thigh. Hearing Yochanan's call from behind, he preemptively activated his autonomous reflexes to dodge the attack but the strike was delayed, catching him on his right jaw as he pivoted.
Flynn and Sephora watched as Claudio could barely handle Yochanan's speed and attacks, Flynn crossing her arms while trying not to laugh while Sephora studied how Claudio could improve. Soon, Yochanan decided to take a break and let Claudio leave from the enclosure.
"You know... that kinda just pissed me off more than helping!" Claudio howled, launching a claw strike at Yochanan, but he easily blocked Claudio's attack with his staff.
"It was only one attempt, but you lack speed and proper reaction time. With training that can help, but also your form could use some work," Yochanan said, lightly pushing Claudio back with his staff. "I was using this to see where you'd be on the metrics."
"Hmph, I don't know what I could have expected. You faced off against my brother countless times, yet can't come close to Mr. Yochanan? I'm struggling to see what exactly Nox sees in you," Flynn said, her gaze directed to Claudio sharply.
Claudio scoffed at Flynn, slipping his hands into his pockets and glancing back at her with a regal stare. "And you think you can do better because you spent some years with Nox as his foster sister? You believe you're relative to what he is now?"
"Tah, I know I can do better because I am Mr. Yochanan's student and he taught me everything I know! He's literally the Forerunner for my brother, so I feel as if I'm more equipped than you are," Flynn said with slight arrogance, rolling her eyes at Claudio with sass.
"Really? If you're so equipped, who did Nox call on first? The Head of the Shiuji Table, the Alakaʻi ʻOhana, me! You weren't even first in the Echo's mind nor the Lord's, so I'd drop your arrogance here," Claudio replied, his gaze gleaming with the eyes of a ruling tiger.
Flynn's draconic gaze fired up with a fiery rivalry, a soft growl rumbling in her throat as she began to lightly bare her fangs. She then smirked and chuckled lightly. "You think you're all that, Tribal Leader? We'll see about that! We'll see who's more qualified! I will train with Lady Orochi for one month and you with Mr. Yochanan! Me vs. you!"
Yochanan chuckled softly at Flynn's challenge and rested the bottom of his staff along the ground. "Interesting, I haven't seen her this fired up in a while. Seems like you have something to prove. Fine, I'll allow it...as long as this brings some closure."
"Right, after this, the in-fighting ends here. You are brother and sister in the Holy Family, no longer enemies. This is where you two must see eye to eye," Sephora said in agreement, her gaze falling upon Flynn and Claudio.
"Fine. Let's begin with this already," Claudio said, turning his gaze away from Flynn and walked over to Yochanan.
-----------------------
Claudio followed Yochanan to the back of the farmhouse where an empty pond rested, his gaze filled with confusion as Yochanan sat down on the porch stairs with a soft exhale. Claudio walked off the porch to see what his training would be, only seeing the empty pond and a well.
"Your training will be to fill that pond with water from that well," Yochanan said, pointing at the stone well to his left.
Claudio looked back at the well then glanced back over at Yochanan as if he lost his mind, his expression shifting to an annoyed stare. "Are you serious? Didn't you say you were going to teach me the Essence of the Butterfly?"
"I am. This is part of it. You'd better get started lest you want Flynn to surpass you," Yochanan said, his gaze shifting toward Claudio with a neutral expression.
Claudio groaned and jogged over to the well, his eyes shifting to the bucket hanging above the well then sighed as he began turning the lever to lower the well. Turning the lever the other way, the bucket began to rise up full of water then he unhooked the bucket to carry it over to the empty pond.
Claudio did this act for hours while Yochanan watched, each trip adding more frustration and exhaustion to Claudio's body from the repeated actions. The sun began to set, the results being only a small puddle in the middle of the emptiness while Claudio was entirely spent.
"Alright, that's enough for the day. You did good," Yochanan said, standing up on his feet and looked up at the sky to see the orangish hue above. "It's time to call it here for the evening."
"Just like that? I didn't learn anything today..! All you did was tire me out!" Claudio said in between his heavy pants, getting up from the ground and dusted himself off.
"You didn't? That's a shame, I suppose we shall continue this training until you do learn something," Yochanan said, turning around and began making his way inside.
Claudio groaned as he followed his new teacher inside, his gaze shifting to the front as Flynn and Sephora had returned as well for the evening. Flynn and Claudio made eye contact, the two scoffing and walking opposite directions of one another, the two clearly frustrated in learning seemingly nothing today.
Yochanan watched as the two walked off then exhaled softly, making his way around the kitchen to prepare dinner. "This is going to be a long month."
"Why do you say that?" Sephora asked, watching Yochanan closely as he prepared the pots and pans upon the stove.
"The lesson I'm trying to teach to Claudio may not click to him as fast as it does for Flynn. I'm not too sure he even truly understands the Essence of the Butterfly despite spending so much time with Noxius," Yochanan said while he cooked the ingredients, letting out a soft exhale afterwards.
"Mmm, I guess I can understand your sentiment. The whole idea of Born Again isn't sitting well with Flynn either. Seems like she holds a huge grudge still while Claudio doesn't see past the need for recognition," Sephora theorized, exhaling softly through her nose as she sat down at the dining table.
"Whatever the issues are, I hope they can resolve them quickly. While we have two years to prepare for Terminus's return, it still is not a lot of time granted how fast the days are going," Yochanan said, setting the spoon down and turning off the stove.
"Yeah, I agree," Sephora nodded, closing her eyes and began to think about how to have Flynn and Claudio see eye to eye during this month of their preparation.
Over the next few days, Claudio and Flynn continued their training with their respective mentors, both of them training hard while the seconds went by. One day while Claudio was working on refilling the pond, Yochanan walked outside in the cool, winter sun and watched Claudio work rigorously.
"Alright, alright!" Claudio said, setting the bucket down and looking over in Yochanan's direction. "I get what you're teaching me! You're teaching me discipline, but this is stupid! While Flynn is out there actually learning something, I'm here refilling this stupid pond!"
Yochanan crossed his arms as he listened to Claudio's complaints and walked down from the porch. He walked by Claudio, making his way to the pond and seeing the puddle had only grown slightly bigger into a small pool of water. He hummed softly and looked at Claudio then the well, looking at the manufacturing of it.
"The well's build is rather old, so it would take some time for this to be finished. You've done well so far, so let's switch the methods for a bit," Yochanan said, walking off back to the farmhouse.
"Ugh, finally," Claudio said, following Yochanan to the farmhouse to continue his training.
Inside the house, Claudio's training consisted of completing many chores around the house including sweeping, dish washing, cleaning, and tending to the cattle and livestock. This level of training lasted over the next few days, Claudio's regal anger beginning to boil over.
Despite Claudio trying his hardest to contain his anger in the seemingly pointless training, Flynn continued to notice the subtle changes in Claudio's personality. The once lone tiger slowly began finding his place within Yochanan's sanctuary, each rule being followed to a tee.
"He hasn't stopped working for the last two weeks...what is Mr. Yochanan having him doing?" Flynn asked, watching as Claudio picked up and hung up the various jackets upon the ground while Yochanan watched. "This is very strange..."
Sephora followed behind Flynn as the two made their way upstairs, watching as both men continued their training. She could see how much Claudio's regal nature was finally broken down, his pride slowly falling beneath himself as he began lowering himself to Yochanan's authority.
One day as Claudio was training outside with the well, Yochanan stepped outside onto the porch and sat down with a cup of coffee in his hands. He took a sip of coffee as he watched Claudio intently, noticing Claudio's frustration finally reaching the peak.
"You know what, Yochanan," Claudio began as he walked toward the well, looking up and meeting his gaze head on. "I get it. I've swept the floor over a thousand times, I've cleaned your dishes over a thousand times, I've even been filling this well for the past three weeks over a thousand times!"
"This is genuinely the most stupidest shit I've ever done in my life! August can keep that stupid crystal and Flynn can do whatever she wants at this point, I don't care," Claudio said, slamming the bucket on the ground and walking off in anger.
He stopped and looked back at Yochanan, shooting him an angered glare. "And you want to know why you only have one student left? It's because what you're teaching is bullshit! You don't know the Essence of the Butterfly and you just want someone to do your house work!"
Yochanan watched as Claudio walked off then set his cup down before standing up and walking off the porch, making his way over to the well. "Young Claudio!"
"What?!" Claudio asked in anger, turning back to look at Yochanan.
"Come here," Yochanan said in a stern done, pointing next to him.
Claudio sucked his teeth and sighed, walking over to Yochanan and stood next to him, meeting his gaze and crossed his arms. "What?"
Yochanan pointed at the bucket. "Pick up the bucket."
"Mr. Yochanan, I already said—" Claudio began, but Yochanan shook his head.
"Pick it up," Yochanan repeated, pointing at the bucket once again.
Claudio sighed as he picked up the bucket, but Yochanan grabbed the bucket and tossed it aside. "What the— Why did you do that?"
"Now, fill the bucket with water," Yochanan said, crossing his arms as he watched Claudio.
Claudio wanted to protest but sighed and began the motions for lowering the bucket, but Yochanan stopped him mid movement. He noticed as Yochanan stopped him in a defensive stance, watching as Yochanan firmly pressed against his arm.
"It's all in the motion. Your rhythm, it must be firm and steady, yet light and free. Now, wash the dishes," Yochanan said, watching as Claudio got into the position of washing dishes then stopped him. "This...the cat stance. It's flowing, swift, and free."
"Step back!" Yochanan said, stepping forward and watched as Claudio stepped backwards. "Again then pick up your bucket!"
Claudio stepped back and leaned down to pick up the imaginary bucket, avoiding Yochanan's quick circle kick, noticing a golden silhouette being left behind where he once was. "Whoa..."
"Focus," Yochanan said, pointing at his eyes with two fingers. "Always concentrate."
Claudio nodded then watched as Yochanan took off his jacket then lightly tossed it on the grass, looking down at it then looking back up at Yochanan. "What?"
"Pick up the jacket," Yochanan instructed, pointing at his jacket.
Claudio rushed forward to grab it, only to run into Yochanan's rushing kick, the strike landing successfully upon his palm. "Nngh, what the..?!"
"Remember, always remain strong like your faith. Pick up and hang up the jacket," Yochanan said, watching Claudio's movements and stopped him every other action to check his sturdiness. "Good, now strike!"
Claudio struck Yochanan's chest with double palms, Yochanan instructing him to strike harder and repeatedly so he could remember the motions then stopped him. Claudio noticed Yochanan rubbing his chest, noticing his strength had increased over the weeks.
"Good...just remember, no weird faces with it," Yochanan said, lightly pushing Claudio back and exhaled softly. "Fill up the bucket!"
Immediately, Yochanan charged forward with rapid strikes, Claudio stepping back and parrying each one before ducking under Yochanan's roundhouse kick and rose up, sidestepping to avoid Yochanan's sneak attacks and managed to phase out of the way.
Claudio looked at his hands in shock, noticing golden energy particles rising from around his body then looked back at Yochanan. Yochanan smiled at him then charged forward again with another set of strikes, Claudio blocking and dodging each attack one more before phasing and launching a subconscious Flutter Strike.
Yochanan caught both attacks within a second, holding Claudio's fist in his hand and lowering it to meet Claudio's eyes. "The Essence of the Butterfly lives in everything we do. How we fill a bucket up, how we sweep, clean, how we live. It's how we treat each other. The Essence of the Butterfly is the fruits of the Spirit."
Claudio watched as Yochanan let go of his fist and walked off, his eyes looking back down at his hand as he managed to Flutter for the first time. Now, everything he thought was meaningless at first became clear in his mind, and why Yochanan trained him the way he did.
"Mr. Yochanan, hold on!" Claudio called out, hurrying behind his mentor with more questions.
Behind Claudio and Yochanan, the once empty pond was now half full though Claudio could not see it due to the edges of the pond making the water seemingly invisible. The wildlife within the pond slowly began to come back to life, the sun's gentle rays hitting upon the waters to reveal it, the Lord seeing Claudio's work even though he couldn't.
--------------------------
Flynn sat along the riverbank while picking petals off a flower, the petals drifting along the currents into the water as she tossed them in the air. Sephora walked up behind her and took a seat next to her, looking out in the distance and watched as Fideline leaped in and out of the water in her dolphin form.
"You still having the same thoughts about Claudio?" Sephora asked, watching Flynn toss each individual petal into the river. "You know that he's changed over the weeks he's been here, right?"
"I know, but that doesn't change what he did... He only has two weeks left before this month is over, and if he doesn't have anything to prove for my brother's approval, he's a liar and will be destroyed," Flynn said stubbornly, tossing the empty flower stem into the river as well and looked forward at the setting sun.
Sephora nodded her head and looked forward as well, letting out a soft hum then crossed her arms in a thoughtful manner. "Is that so? And what if he does prove himself? Will you finally change your mind about him?"
"I mean, I guess. That's only if he manages to beat me. My brother may be very forgiving, but I'm not as soft. Especially when the cause of our troubles is within arms reach," Flynn answered, exhaling softly reluctantly and closing her eyes. "I see he's trying, but it's like...I can't seem to trust him."
"I can see why you can't, but in this moment it doesn't matter what you think or how you feel. He's trying to make a change and the least you can do is give him some grace," Sephora replied, turning her gaze toward Flynn and gently pat her back.
Flynn scoffed and stood up on her feet, dusting herself off and began walking off with her arms crossed. "Give him some grace...yeah, okay. Maybe if they weren't so hellbent on my brother, we wouldn't be here."
Sephora stood up as well and followed Flynn, her gaze carefully watching Flynn's energy and her eyes shimmering an emerald glow. "What will Claudio have to do for you to see he's changed? If you haven't caught on, I don't want you to fight."
"He will have to actually save my life. There's nothing else," Flynn said, continuing forward through the forest to find her way back to the farmhouse.
The two continued through the forest, Sephora not speaking a word as she followed the wandering Flynn around the forest. The forest's paths seemed to shift subtly, keeping Flynn going into circles and getting her seemingly lost. Flynn glanced around her surroundings, finding herself and Sephora lost.
Suddenly, a rogue group of Liches began appearing from the shadows, their red eyes glowing under their large hats. They pointed their staffs at Flynn and Sephora, firing bolts of dark energy toward them, the bolts flying at high speeds.
"What the—?! Wild Liches?!" Flynn gasped, narrowly evading each bolt of darkness then summoned her Dragon Spear in her hands.
Sephora adjusted her cloak, her arms extending and falling onto the ground like wet noodles. Her eyes studied each Lich, counting each of them in her head. "We must've stepped into a Dark Lord Zone. It isn't Nox's Zone, so it's either a residual zone or Mariella is awake."
"Who? Wait, wait, I thought the only Dark Lords alive now were Nox and his daughter, Clover! What do you mean Mariella is still alive too?" Flynn asked, looking over her shoulder at Sephora with bewilderment.
"Mmm, the other original Elonun are awake as well, just hiding while they give birth. Mariella is due very soon, so her Rebirth Energy is spreading quickly. It will alert Manaport as well, that's how dangerous this situation is," Sephora nodded, dodging an energy bolt and launching her snake arm at the attacking Lich.
The Lich dodged her attack and rushed in with a swing of his cane, but Sephora phased through the attack with ease. While the Lich was confused, Flynn charged forward with a Dragon Thrust, spiralling draconic energy drilling into the Lich and causing him to desolve into energy particles.
While Flynn and Sephora defended themselves against the army of Liches, they managed to break away from the chaos and make a run for it, the Liches chasing behind them. Flynn reached for her whistle to call her Pegasus, but a speeding bolt of darkness struck her shoulder, taking her to the ground.
"No, we can't run. Each Facility we pass through grants them more blessings to their original power. We had to have stepped into a Return Facility, something that warps us to the beginning of a Zone," Sephora theorized as she watched the Liches grow closer, standing in front of Flynn protectively.
Flynn grunted softly as she held her shoulder, picking herself up and looking ahead at the Liches. "There's no way we could've fell into a trap...isn't there a way to deactivate the zone?"
"The only way to deactivate a Dark Lord Zone once it's active is to defeat the Dark Lord in question. There's no way we're marching all the way to Old St. Goken to defeat Mariella. The most we can do is defeat the Monsters," Sephora answered, bracing herself as the Liches began charging forward.
Suddenly, a streak of a Iridescent Energy rushed down the forest like a burst of wind and crashed into the the Liches. Sephora and Flynn watched in shock as the streaks of energy rushed around them, defeating each Lich in a single blow.
The streak of light appeared in front of them, Claudio standing before them with his back facing them. His hair gleamed a silver-crimson color, his aura shifting between silver, crimson, and emerald while he was in his Super Form. He glanced back at the two women, smirking at them and turning around to face the two.
"Well, well...Look at what we have here. Now, how did you two manage to find yourself in a Dark Lord Zone?" Claudio asked, crossing his arms as his gaze immediately landed upon Flynn.
Flynn scoffed at Claudio, placing a hand upon her hip and flipped her hair. "You look at me as if I'm the one that got us lost! If you don't know, these Zones are random, so don't look at me."
"But you're the one who literally got us lost," Sephora said, shaking her head then let out a soft exhale.
"Who dares try to disturb Lady Mariella's rest? All intruders will be dealt with in swift motion," A voice said within the forests, her body rising up from the lake waters with a golden trident in hand.
Claudio glanced over at the lake, seeing Ame the Dragon Miko rising upon the surface of the waters. "A Dragon Miko..? That's near Special Grade levels, we are very close to the home base. Yochanan is looking for you two, so it's best we leave now."
Ame's gaze shifted between Claudio and Flynn, finally her gaze meeting Sephora and a supernatural chill crawled down her spine. 'Whoa..! It's Lady Orochi, why is she here..? Maybe she's here to see if I'm in tip top shape!'
Ame smirked at the three then launched her trident toward Sephora and the others, but Flynn quickly deflected the trident into the air with an upper slash. Ame grinned with dragonic excitement, her body becoming a blur as she rushed forward with a speeding blow toward Sephora.
Before her attack could land, Claudio had caught her attack, taking Ame, Sephora, and Flynn off guard with his renewed speed. They didn't even see him move, as if he had Fluttered in front of Sephora.
"Hmph, you're impressive, but you're not the challenge I'm looking for!" Ame roared, landing a crushing body shot upon Claudio's midsection and knocked him to the side.
"Claudio..!" Flynn called out, gasping as she caught herself showing concern for him. She shook her head and focused on Ame, charging forward with her spear and leaped forward with a thrust. "Get back!"
Ame summoned her trident and parried Flynn's attack then flourished her wepaon, landing two swings upon Flynn's stomach and back. Flynn grunted as she fell to the ground on all fours, looking up to see Ame going for a critical blow.
Claudio wiped his mouth, a silver sign forming upon his as he prepared one of his techniques. "Freeze.."
Upon using Silver Speech, Ame felt her body freezing upon command, each movement feeling as if she were molded solid ice. She grunted with exertion, each part of her body seemingly impossible to move while Claudio's command was still active.
"It actually worked...that old man knows way more than he lets on..." Claudio said with a surprised chuckle, his brow twitching as he was able to use a Charismatic Technique, once thought to be an Esorian only technique. "So...even the Human Aspects come from God. Nothing is beyond Him, huh..."
Ame broke out of Claudio's command and looked back at him, licking her lips with a slight smirk. "Well...I haven't dealt with one of your kind in a while. You're quite on par with Lord Nox.."
Flynn looked up at Ame in shock, confused on how a Dragon Miko could know me as well. She stood up quickly onto her feet, picking up her spear from the ground. "You know my brother as well? Just how many of you know him?"
"All the Beasts and Monsters know of Lord Nox, and you're his sister? You're a Dragon Slayer..." Ame said, turning around to face Flynn with a swaying tail.
Claudio stood up on his feet and crossed his arms, walking forward to Ame and hummed softly. "We aren't threats to you or this Zone, but I am curious. Since you know of Nox, you must know something about him as well."
Ame hummed softly and crossed her arms, closing her eyes as she thought about my childhood from 8 to 17. "Actually, yeah...I do know about him. He actually came to St. Goken when he was 13 on a field trip and I happened to encounter him."
"Oh right! When he separated from us for a while, we were all looking for him! It was such a messy time," Flynn said with a soft giggle, recounting the earlier years in her head.
"At that time, he was quite humble and curious. He walked through each Trap Facility, but none detected him as a threat which was the fight sign that he was an Elonun," Ame continued, looking off into the distance and pointed toward the main Dark Lord Room.
"We met at the Old St. Goken Academy, where Mariella rests now. The Monsters and Beasts bowed to him as if they all knew him. And even though he was a Dark Lord, there was this light of his that always shined. It even made Mariella happy," Ame explained, her gaze shifting over to Claudio as she crossed her arms.
"I see. He has Dominion and Authority. He's also a King and a Judge, Shepherd and Servant...Yeah, it's pretty clear on who he Echoes now. Qutsade has never had an echo so powerful before, not even Hisumi was this powerful," Claudio said, crossing his arms with a soft exhale as he looked at the sky.
Sephora chuckled softly at the three and walked forward, sensing the chaos had all ended and placed her hands upon Claudio and Flynn's shoulders. "You two have grown a lot over the last few weeks, even being able to stand against a 12 Star Monster."
Flynn averted her gaze from Claudio and crossed her arms, puffing her right cheek with stubbornness. 'When I said he had to save me to change my mind, I wasn't being literal, God...'
Claudio saw Flynn's draconic defiance and chuckled lightly at her, seeing her Holy Fire emitting from her chest. "Well...if you still wish to face off against me, I'm open for it. However, my main focus will be August. That Monarch Amber sounds important to Nox."
"Yeah, I know...and I suppose if it's for my brother I'll help. However, I won't be able to live it down if I don't follow through with my word. I will face you at the end of this month," Flynn said, walking off while holding her arms and closed her arms with a light smile.
Ame watched as Flynn walked off then looked over at Claudio, raising an eyebrow. "Is she your girlfriend?"
"Yeah, no. She's just an acquaintance of mine through a shared connection. The Tribal Leader does not need another dragon in his tribe. One dragon sister is enough, adding another dragon is too much," Claudio said, rubbing the back of his head as he walked off.
Sephora noticed Ame glanced at her with confusion then shrugged her shoulders, chuckling softly at Claudio's answer before following behind him and Flynn. The three began to make their way back to Yochanan's sanctuary, the morale between Flynn and Claudio rising even just a nudge.