⁂~(Updated 2022-06-28-)~⁂

*Ready for professional edits*

This is the official free version.

Word Count: 3918

All heroes are tethered to destiny.

        A granite amphitheatre shrouded in aurora rays, glittering rose fields and omnipotent yokai lay painted upon an old canvas in Kazuki's hands.

"I've stared at this painting of the arena for as long as I can remember," said Kazuki as he released the illustration into the fruit-filled jungle mountain breezes.

The boy cupped his red eyes to block out the radiant beams of the morning sun. He peered across the precipice and observed the torn artwork whip through the blue-green jungle. The old painting pranced along crystal-clear waters and mountains toward a coliseum enveloped by vibrant crimson trees. Finally, the real Tournament of Bearers thought Kazuki.

⁂

Kazuki hiked through the humid jungle and secluded flower gardens until he arrived to find an abandoned merchant's cart. Spilt wines and fresh vegetables blew across the damaged grass and empty horse reigns. Kazuki inspected the carriage while sidestepping the smashed glass and noticed a small note pinned to a wooden box in the back that stored unique healing tonics for the Carnation Empire.

"Bandits? No, this was something bigger," said Kazuki as he pulled over a blood-soaked blanket and saw the clawed corpse of the merchant.

"If you're here, where are your horses?"

Examining the carriage, Kazuki felt a rumble beneath his feet. He gripped the hilt of his sheathed katana and watched the jungle's soil separate. The black-brown earth bulged into a sack and spit out a screaming horse.

"It's one of those snakes Master Kenji warned me about," said Kazuki as he pulled his curved katana from its bracket. He swooshed to the side and sliced the multiple-armed serpent pulling a dead steed into its den.

"I've never seen these pests this close to the arena before. If I wasn't so late, I might have been able to save this merchant and his animals," he frowned.

"Someone, help!"

Kazuki squinted beyond the dawning sun; he saw dozens of the multi-armed vipers chasing a brown-haired woman with goggles. The woman squealed toward him as she held up her ratty blue cloak. He could see the silhouettes behind her as she kicked up dust. The reptiles sped on all six fists and hissed between razor-sharp teeth.

"I guess I could use a warm-up," said Kazuki as he dashed to save the girl.

"Is anyone going to help me? I'm too young to die!" shouted the woman in the dirty blue dress.

"Flurry of Shadows!" chanted Kazuki as he sliced each serpent with his silver katana with blinding speed and accuracy.

The terrified girl watched in awe as Kazuki killed the entire pack of sissyuuniss.

"Are you alright?" asked Kazuki, cleaning his katana with the sleeve of his robe.

"I have never seen anyone fight like that. Who are you?" asked the muddied woman with teary-blued eyes.

Kazuki sheathed his katana back into its black bracket and helped the woman to her feet.

"It was nothing," he said. "But, I have to get going."

"Please take this money, sir," bowed the half-elven girl as she handed Kazuki a gold piece in the shape of a five-cornered star. "You're going to the arena, right? The admission fee is expensive this year. Take it."

"Admission fee? Master Kenji didn't tell me anything about that."

"Well, that should cover it. Just hand that gold star to the old guy in gold armour when you get there. Oh, and try to stay alive, yeah?"

⁂

Kazuki continued through the sweltering jungle paths until he found the long line of rowdy combatants waiting outside the granite amphitheatre. Festive cheers echoed from the towering stone walls and enormous cross-barred gates as he stood patiently at the end of the line. In silence, he glanced down the lineup and watched the ruffians practice their combat skills within the sun-stars refraction. It looks like everyone is on edge, he thought.

"Hmph," scoffed a big bald man. His heavy, gold-plated armour clattered as he stomped down the line of amateurs, roaring at them. "Who among you has what it takes to become a Celestite Bearer?"

The man stroked his knotted grey beard as he glanced up from his notes to the ambitious shouts. He stared at the fighters in disapproval until the silent violet-haired boy dressed in tight black robes drew his attention from the back of the line.

"You."

The gold-armoured elder focused past the combatant's harsh stares and inspected the small red-eyed boy. Kazuki's unique, dark violet hair glinted with a metallic hue under the burning sunlight. He gripped a newly-crafted katana and wore obsidian black, gold-trimmed robes that tightly squeezed his athletic figure.

"What's your name? And where in the nine hells is your armour, kid?" The bald, golden-plated elder chuckled.

Kazuki crossed his arms and smirked. "I don't wear armour. It's too heavy for my sword style," he said.

The old bald man suddenly paused, placed a finger onto his forehead and rolled back the whites of his eyes.

Telekinesis? thought Kazuki.

The older man's eyes flicked and recoloured. "Come with me. You're next."

The line of wannabe celestite bearers all laughed at Kazuki as he followed the gold-plated warrior.

"This kid's not wearing any armour. He won't last two seconds in the arena against a yokai!" laughed an in-line warrior.

"Yeah, I should be next. I'm the strongest of all of you wimps!" shouted another.

Kazuki huffed and continued to follow the gold-armoured elder to the steel-barred gates. The fearsome warriors scowled and shouted at him on his way by like a lost pet. He ignored the gigantic muscular brutes and alchemic witches teasing him as the massive populace's cheer quaked from the arena.

"Shadow Dancer! Shadow Dancer! Shadow Dancer!" they shouted.

I'm ready, thought Kazuki. Let this be the day I receive my celestite and become a soldier.

The gold-plated warrior hummed as he flipped through his notes. "Hmm, the yokai named Vizran is your opponent, correct?"

"That's what Master Kenji told me," said Kazuki.

Stroking his grey beard, the golden-armoured coordinator moved a finger across his paperwork and levitated it closer to his old eyes. "Well, that cannot be right," he squinted.

"What's wrong?"

"It says here that you're a graduate from the Temple of Sirus. There must be some mistake. That training academy has been shut down for almost half a century."

"Yeah, it was abandoned when Emperor Sirus died," said Kazuki. "I'm the only student of Master Kenji, and we are always travelling."

"His only student? Usually, a sage has three students," said the elder.

The cheers of the people boomed from beyond the cross-barred gates and high granite walls.

"Listen to them. The crowd is going crazy for you in there. You must be something special. Hmph, I better let you go in then," said the old warrior as he pulled a wooden lever mechanism.

The amphitheatres' iron cross-barred gate lifted above Kazuki's head with the repeating clunk of a brass rotary wheel. The crowd went wild as Kazuki strolled into the impressive dome. As he waved to the seated masses, he could smell putrid bloodstains within the sand and broken grassy soil.

Many candidates have failed to defeat their yokai this year, thought Kazuki as he disregarded the frightful stench of burnt flesh and spent souls. The Council of Sages is becoming picky with who receives a demon's magic powers.

Nearing the center of the massive stone stadium, Kazuki used a calming technique to bypass his fears as he continued to wave and greet the encircling crowds. He approached the middle of the coliseum and bowed in respect. The wind whipped around his tight black robes with a gentle flurry as he gazed high above towards the seated Council of Sages.

Eight mighty white-garbed figures sat upon their granite thrones and looked down upon Kazuki from above the arena. Though it was higher than the battlefield, people dangled over the edges of their wooden seats. The people of Azmoria tried to catch a glimpse of the all-powerful Council of Sages in the flesh.

As a creased, skinny grey-bearded figure stood from his granite throne, the masses fell silent with the rise of his wrinkled hand. After placing two fingers onto his windpipe, his old yet powerful voice echoed throughout the roofless amphitheatre.

"This year's combatants have indeed brought every ounce of their potential. I, Sage Kenji, core bearer for the Celestite of the Mind, have chosen the next competitor. My apprentice, Kazuki, will try for an infamous, unobtainable celestite!

"His opponent, Vizran, will be summoned to the battle arena for fifteen minutes. He will be disqualified if he fails to defeat the yokai within this timeframe. Kazuki, prepare yourself!"

The grey-cloaked Master Kenji emerged as a translucent blur on the battleground below. He smacked his old veiny fist into the soil, generating a concussion blast that swept back the torn grass and sands. Two columns of obsidian stone lofted out of the broken earth. A gigantic gnarled portal frame manifested in front of Kazuki within a loud rumble.

Another wave of heavy air rippled outwards as Master Kenji struck his fists together, completing the technique.

"Manifestation!" chanted Master Kenji, forming a hand sign with his fingers.

The portal's fissure sizzled with white-violet electricity. Black vapours licked and swirled around the glossy spiked obsidian frame that spun into a circular gale of red magic. Within a brisk ripple, Master Kenji sat back on his granite throne.

The arena shook and reverberated, forcing everyone to stifle their cheers. Amidst the silence, Kazuki placed his golden sheath on his hip. He drew a deep breath, crunched his feet into the hard sand and unsheathed his curved blade. A singing chime slashed through the air as he drew his katana towards the demonic rift.

From afar, a veiled figure within the audience muttered underneath a torn black shawl.

'The weapon is silver—soft. It is meant for speed. A simple fracture within the hilt will crack the sword like an egg. Nevertheless, thou know this, Shadow-Dancer.'

"I've been waiting a long time for this. Come out of there!" shouted Kazuki as he flung his blade to a defensive stance, awaiting a response from the Chasm of Styx.

"Kenji! Do you dare summon me against a child?"

The concealed yokai leapt out of the swirling black-violet portal—no longer camouflaged by the amethystine energy. A ghostly monster overlaid in a cyan set of glowing armour emerged. It shoved the bright magenta crystal from its gauntlet into the blinding sun-titan.

While hovering above the dead grass, the ghost-like demon's violet flames spun throughout his apparitional armour.

He looks tough, thought Kazuki.

Vizran's blazing golden-yellow eyes fixated on Kazuki as he shrieked with laughter. Kazuki stepped back and jammed his silver katana into the ground, emitting a ping.

"Ah, the blade did not shatter upon a piercing impact. The silver's been compressed with carbon—an adequate katana at best," chuckled the strange black-masked figure hidden within the crowds.

Vizran's purpled fires twirled up into the sunny skies. While punching his cyan-hued gauntlets together, he shrieked with scratchy high-pitched tones. Spherical gushes of blue magic manifested within his glowing gauntlets like fireballs. Firing them at Kazuki, Vizran unleashed a deadly magical barrage without hesitation.

Kazuki leapt off his blade and snatched it in a twisting twirl. He dashed his way out of Vizran's spirit ball explosions, each erupting only a metre away from Kazuki's vitals. He knew if one of them had landed their mark, his bones would burn to a crispy snack for the yokai.

He is too fast for a human, thought Vizran. Those red eyes...

Kazuki leapt into the smokey air of the battlefield once more and dodged Vizran's last spirit ball. As it exploded, Kazuki's ears rang with a high-pitched whine. Thick black smoke encircled him, and the battlefield as the crowd cheered him on. He could see Vizran's ghostly silhouette amid the haze as it prepared another attack.

"Vizran's forming another hand sign. Mudras placed within the proper sequence will open the paths to his mana. I have to be careful here."

"Those red eyes of yours... Whether you are an offspring of that foolish ancient bearer, Miyasato, or not, you cannot tame me! No human has ever tamed the mighty Vizran!"

Miyasato? Who is that? thought Kazuki.

Rainbow surges of magic power, known as mana, enshrouded Vizran's armoured body, developing a rainbow-glass barrier. The aggressive mana reflected the above sun-titan's blazing rays and illuminated the bearing demon with blinding crystal skin. Vizran screeched and shouted as his ability decorated the coliseum's sky.

"Try and break through this magic shield without being able to control mana yet, you little twerp! Not a single human has defeated me, thanks to this technique. Crystal-Armour!"

A magical barrier... damn, cursed Kazuki.

Kazuki had little training in dispelling a magical barrier without a celestite power. However, only one move within his sword-art arsenal could crack the mana shield. Kazuki knew there was a significant risk in performing this technique. A slight possibility that it would break his left hand permanently.

I have to do it, even if it's only my second time since the trials, muttered Kazuki.

Kazuki gripped the silver hilt of his katana in a backwards grip. He drew in a deep breath, curled his lips and shut his unique red eyes. As he ran his fingers along the glowing katana's spine, the silver weapon began to shimmer with white-violet hues.

Vizran watched as Kazuki's hazy movements shifted through the battlefield's black-violet smog.

His speed. He cannot be human!

Kazuki's white-violet blade pierced Vizran's ice-like armour surrounding his body, inducing a tumultuous ping.

"Sword-Art: Ghost Heart!" chanted Kazuki as he twisted his hand and pulled down his blade.

As he ripped out his enchanted katana, the sound of collapsing icicles splashed the air. The yokai, Vizran, fell to the ground with a loud slam. Kazuki's glowing katana faded its white-violet hue as he sighed with relief. He massaged his left hand; it felt tight and strained but not broken.

"You were too slow for me," said Kazuki as he sheathed his katana into its black and purple bracket.

The scintillating aura around Vizran extinguished, and black blood leaked from his wound.

"I'm bleeding, and I am not fusing with you! Mortals cannot kill a yokai. Our souls are immortal... unless."

Vizran quivered, his eyes eclipsed with terror as he felt a severe pain begin to drum within his chest.

"What is happening to me?!"

Struggling to speak, Vizran clenched his wound and squealed like an injured animal while Kazuki walked closer in confusion.

"Are you going to fuse with me or not? I have the rightful rule over your magic now," said Kazuki, sheathing his katana.

"No... it can't be. You have to be... him," remarked Vizran as he shoved a dripping blood-soaked finger in Kazuki's face. "I can feel your true power. The magic of the cores will never be yours!"

As he looked up into the high stands, Vizran reached out with a trembling hand. Within a gargling tone, he coughed up his oily blood and screeched.

"Kenji! This—boy—you fool! He is the reincarnation of doom!"

After one last gasp, the bearing demon sank and was immersed in his pools of black blood. His solid yellow eyes jittered toward Kazuki in horror as he slowly transmuted to stone.

The Council of Sages stood up from their granite thrones. After waving their palms', their bodies dissipated and scattered into the air within a mystifying rainbow mist, appearing on the battlefield with boisterous applause from the crowds. However, the cheers soon ended—like the calm dying breeze before an unrelenting mega-storm.

The ground quaked beneath Kazuki's feet. He looked over his shoulder to see Vizran's petrified body contrive into an endless flume. The arena's walls snapped and burst. They spit chaff toward innocent spectators, spearing them with shuriken-like shards of rock and bent metal. The crowds fled the imploding arena in chaos as the skies twisted into a hellish maroon.

Master Kenji grabbed Kazuki by his shoulders, "Get out of here, Kazuki! Now!" he commanded.

"What's going on?!"

Master Kenji shoved Kazuki, knocked him off his feet, and into the shifting sand.

"I said go!" he shouted.

The stadium's northeast wall exploded, launching debris that struck the nearby supporting pillars.

"What did I do? I'm sorry!"

"It is my mistake. For many years I knew what you were. But, I ignored it like a fool. Get to safety," said Master Kenji.

Kazuki watched as Master Kenji used his telekinesis to fly across the quaking soil.

What did I do?

Master Kenji's saggy grey robes whipped against the charring winds. As he flew through the air, a fuchsia mana-orb bloated within his palms.

"Seal!" he chanted as he slammed the pulsating orb into the erupting portal.

A monstrous roar boomed from the gateway. Dark essences of fluorescent crimson wisps seeped across the dome, choking the atmosphere. Kazuki sat frozen and stared into what resembled a climate of dying stars.

As Master Kenji rubbed his bald head in front of the portal, his copper eyes swirled. Like the monks from the Archives of Cloud, he hummed with odd tones and pitches. Retaining his dispelling enchantment, he pressed both hands to the sides of his temples and shouted.

"Riku, Lucian, sealing formation! Ahmya, Hachiman, Haia, get the civilians to safety! Renzo, go with them and heal the wounded! Rajin, clear the skies of this magical pollution! No lesser yokai are to escape this arena. Banish anything that comes out of this portal!"

Kazuki could see one of the nine Council of Sages emerge beside Sage Master Kenji in a bewildering fiery flash of white light. A tall, dark-skinned man with long dreadlocked hair, wearing hardened leather and a green cape, slammed his feet into the quaked ground. A transcendental aura arose to conceal his muscular body as he gathered energy from the confines of the rocky soil. Channelling the pure white mana through his popped veins, the dark-skinned man unleashed an incredible achromatic beam of magic from his palms into the rupturing portal.

"Seal!" roared Sage Riku.

Draped within a carmine cape that hugged his heavy silver platemail, Sage Lucian, Second Emperor of Azmoria, leapt through the blistering winds like a shinobi. His eyes sparkled with a murderous atomic hue as he drew closer to the crazed chasm. He clenched his gloved hands into fists mid-dash and fired an intense mini-cyclone of fire mana toward the portal.

"Seal!" yelled Sage Lucian while his golden crown glistened with ocherous flashes of hot light.

Kazuki sat frozen.

"The power of the Council of Sages... it's unbelievable," he said.

Confused, Kazuki pulled himself up while struggling to keep his balance with the trembling amphitheatre until it abruptly stopped.

"I'm not going anywhere. I can help!"

Kazuki felt someone grab his shoulder. Time seemingly slowed. As he looked over, Sage Ahmya stood before him as the other sages rushed by in a blur.

"Sage Ahyma?"

The woman had violet-blue eyes and black curls that matched the tone of her ashen features. Her rare pointed ears made it clear that she was a pure dark elf, a beautiful race left tarnished and separated almost seven hundred years ago. When she spoke, it was as if the practice of patience itself was a living organism, and the world was at a standstill.

"You are mortal, youngling. You should not possess the power to end a yokai's life. You were only meant to absorb him and become friends. The All Demon, creator of the yokai, will now attempt to reincarnate and pry himself through this empty portal. We can seal him. But, I do not know for how long. This devastation should not have happened. We should have listened to Osamu," she said as she watched the evil burning afterglow emit from the wisps around Kazuki and herself.

"Osamu? Who's that?"

A sinister laugh gripped the singed air. Sage Ahmya and the rest of the masters quickly gathered into a 'V' formation in front of the bursting portal. The infernal doorway was like a lava-infused whirlpool oozing with rich sizzling magma—solidifying into a smouldered pile of melted black pudding.

Sage Lucian yelled. "The barrier is barely holding Kenji! What do we do?"

Master Kenji yelled a reply. "Everyone, come and gather!"

A fiery sonic boom blasted the air as a thrust of hellfire soared outward from the portal, knocking the Council of Sages and Kazuki onto their backs.

"It is finally over," reaped a demonic voice from the portal. "For centuries, I have waited for you fools to open a hole to your souls. Now, give me back what is rightfully mine!"

Waving the film from his sights, Kazuki looked back to see the eight sages surrounded by a vast aura of magical sparks—which had placed their bodies in stasis. He sped toward the portal, snatched his black katana from the shaky ground, and leaped the fissured surfaces with extraordinary agility.

"I will not let you hurt them or anyone else!" shouted Kazuki.

Another flare of crimson magic soared out of the portal, launching Kazuki further. With a thwacking crack, his katana shattered into dozens of pieces. As he flew backwards in mid-air, he collided with the dusty dirt.

"I see... it was you who must have opened this hole," laughed The All Demon.

"You have practically released me, child. Your accursed blood has created another pending age of demonic immortality! How long I have waited for this. Destiny's chaos has finally called upon my wrath. I will take back the core celestites these fools possess. I will wrap this world in the darkest mana ever witnessed by mortal eyes! Your previous wars will not compare!"

Kazuki, barely conscious, stood up. He looked at the hilt of his broken katana with blurred vision.

Defenceless.

Sage Master Kenji locked eye-to-eye with Kazuki and the other sages, engulfed by the bright scintillating auras. Sage Kenji nodded to them as if he said something without speaking words, and calmly, the other masters nodded back in grief. Each master turned and looked to Kazuki. While placing two fingers onto their celestites, the powerful crystals etched into their skin began to glow.

With an echoing of their synchronized voices, each sage called out, "Universal Transmission!"

The eight masters flourished into colourful light beams. They pulled out their celestite crystals from their bodies, each a different colour. The crystals shot from their hands and speared the foggy battleground with an arsenal of beautiful colours.

"What's this?" exclaimed The All Demon. "He will not survive eight rituals at once! Only I can use their full powers. Give them to me!"

"What's happening to me?" asked Kazuki as he began to lift from the ground.

The crystals began to jolt into Kazuki and impaled him in the chest, one after another, within a volley of multicoloured glistening icicles. Kazuki started to spin and float up from the dirt. He felt the planet's gravity shift. Steaming hot warmth raced through his veins; his blood boiled and reverted to a sub-zero temperature instantly.

As the universe's life force shrouded him, he could see and feel the nearby jungle monsters and unearthly beasts. The aroma of sakura buds kissed his sense of smell, and he could feel the tapestries of the universe emanating from the ground's fluttering. As his heartbeat lingered to a dead stop, he gasped for breath mid-air. The fluctuations in gravity shifted back to normal before the wail of an impending superstorm pounded Kazuki's breath back into his lungs.

Darkness.