(Theme: Cellular Crucible)
The obsidian cliffs glowed like molten glass beneath the blaze of the rivers of fire below. Kaito stood over the smoldering carcass of the high-tier True Dragon he'd felled, his gravity suit cracked and sparking under the crushing load — 160,000 kilograms. The heat seared his skin, sulfur filled his lungs, but he didn't flinch. His eyes, bloodshot and blazing, stared across the infernal expanse.
Akari crushed a dragon core underfoot. The charred remnants dissolved into ash and vanished on the poisoned wind. Her golden eyes burned with purpose."Cores are useless now. Your cells are full."
Kaito wiped soot and sweat from his face, spitting black sludge onto the stone."So what's next? Meditate on lava?"
Her voice was low, dangerous. "Core refinement. We tear you apart… to rebuild you stronger."
He didn't hesitate. He didn't mock. His fists clenched as the firelight danced on his broken knuckles."So this is your next way to torture me?" His voice cracked but stayed steady. "Fine. I understand. If this is what it takes… burn me."
Akari's palm pressed to his abdomen, crimson lightning already crackling from her fingers. "This will feel like swallowing broken glass… for every cell in your body."
"Do it," Kaito growled. His veins bulged. His body braced. His senses focused on what was coming — ready to endure the storm.
The world became pain.
The mitochondria in every muscle fiber detonated like overfilled water balloons. His vision swam in gold as energy flooded his bloodstream, tearing through him, ripping at his cells. His eyes turned red, veins pulsing like iron cords. Blood dripped from his nose, his ears, his mouth. His scream tore through the inferno, echoed off distant cliffs — a sound that could shatter stone, heard for kilometers.
The heat, the roar of the lava rivers, even the storm of his own voice — it all became silent. Frozen. The world paused. The pain became a linear hum. Motion itself seemed to stall.
And then — surge.
Energy reversed, crashing back through him. The aura around him ignited, a blinding corona of purple and gold. The ground split. The air warped. Power stabilized, coalesced, and burst outward. A shockwave of raw force vaporized stone, sent pillars of obsidian crashing into the molten rivers below.
Kaito fell to his knees, breath ragged, mouth tasting of blood and ozone. His muscles twitched, his cells raw — but reborn.
Akari knelt beside him, panting, sweat streaking through ash on her face."Phase one… done. Don't celebrate."
"Wouldn't dream of it…" Kaito spat black sludge onto the ground, his body still shaking from the storm inside him.
They had no time to rest. Somewhere far from the hellish cliffs, deep in the Citadel's fortified heart, the tension frayed.
In a war chamber carved from black stone, Crow stood over the shattered remains of a table, his laughter echoing like broken glass. His mask lay discarded at his feet, his wild eyes gleaming with purple fire."Your weapon... your toy is missing! HAHAHA!" Spittle flew as he slammed his fists down again. "If you didn't stop me, I'd have taken Eclipse from your pet! Now she's gone! Vanished!"
Rygar's hand snapped out, grabbed Crow by the throat, and slammed him into the wall. The stone cracked, dust raining down. Rygar's voice rumbled like a death knell."Shut your mouth… or not one atom of you survives."
Crow grinned, madness in his gaze, his aura boiling purple and wild. He pried Rygar's grip from his throat like it was nothing."Oh Rygar~ Angry? We're equals! Chill! HAHAHA!"
A presence darkened the chamber — a hooded figure appeared in a blink, its aura so immense the chandeliers shattered, the air itself humming with dread. Crow's grin faltered."Tch. Party crasher."
Back on the cliffs, Kaito's suit flickered. The readout blinked — 300,000 kilograms. He flexed his fingers, steam rising from rebuilt muscle. His breath burned in his throat.
"Shin's gravity commands… how did they work?" he asked, voice hoarse.
Akari stared into the distance, her gaze on something unseen."He spoke… and reality listened. But Crow… Crow's power tore reality apart."
Time became a blur of agony and growth.
A month later, Kaito trained under acid rain, his suit now at 500,000 kilograms. The sizzling of the acid on his armor was constant."STOP COUNTING ANGLES!" Akari snapped. "MOVE!"
Three months later, his first attempt at a gravity slash sputtered out in failure."WHY CAN'T I CONTROL IT?!" he roared, hurling the blade down.
Seven months. Kaito lifted a volcanic monolith, 1.3 million kilograms. His eyes burned a solid purple, the stone groaning under his grip."Took you long enough," Akari said, arms crossed.
Nine months. They clashed in a final spar. His gravity field shattered her blade, pinned her beneath the crushing weight of his will. Blood at her lip, Akari grinned."Fine. You win."
Kaito offered his hand, pulling her up."We both did."
The final dawn broke over the scorched peaks. Kaito moved at speeds that blurred light itself. His suit readout blinked: 3 million kilograms. When their clash came, it tore the mountains apart, sent magma rivers into the sky.
His fist stopped at her throat, the world frozen between breath and destruction."Still think I'm predictable?"
Akari's eyes burned gold, steady and fierce."…Never did."
He pulled her to her feet as the world collapsed around them, molten fire raining from the shattered heights.
ORION'S COMMENT:"When the lab rat becomes the apex predator… oh, the Citadel won't know what hit them. Probably there doom is not far away "see you dear readers ~o~
Next: GRAVITY'S GRAVE.