(At the Forest)

Narrator- Livon opens his eyes and looks around the forest, which is apparently as normal as it gets. He decides to stand up and then look around, but as he tries, he realizes that his right leg is injured. This happened when one of the bone spikes that grew out of the surface stuck to him.

Blood was dropping out. He took out his handkerchief and wrapped it around it. He pushes himself, thus eventually getting up on his feet. He limps as he proceeds to take a look around the forest.

Livon(with a confused face)- Where.... am I??

Narrator- He continues to look but finds nothing; he tries finding his way outside but can't do so either. Then he takes out his phone to call Raiden, but the mobile network wasn't available.

Livon- Sheesh!! How would I leave this place now?? You could have at least told me this, Eldon!! (again, looks at the mobile phone, but the network still wasn't available) Why, it had to disappear now!!

Narrator- Livon again carries out his search. During this, he finally saw a human. It was a black-haired male boy dressed in a black and white sports track suit. The boy was at least 100 meters away. From away, it looked like he was waiting for someone's arrival.

Then, a red-haired girl arrived at the scene. Both of these were little kids, around 7-8 years of age, standing at around 4 feet 3 inches.

The Boy- You sure took your time; I had been waiting for you.

The Girl- Sorry!! I just had a little work to do at home. Let's get started!!

Narrator- Livon gets a little closer, hides himself behind a tree, and then observes what the kids were up to.

The young boy and girl stood in front of each other, staring each other in the eyes. The boy goes for a right-hand punch, which the girl blocks with her left hand, and then the girl follows with a right-hand punch of her own, which the boy now blocks. They kept on trading the same maneuvers, hoping to land the blow, but when it didn't work, they decided to change the tactics.

The girl bends down, does a sliding leg strike, and, in return, boy jumps in the air and aims to land directly on the girl. Eventually, she does avoid this fate by moving out of the way in nick of time. The boy doesn't waste any time; he instantly goes for a punch, even before the girl can stand upright on her feet. She again barely avoids it. The girl decides to counterattack; while she is bending down, she goes for another sliding leg strike. The boy again jumps in the air; this time the girl does a kneeling down round spinning kick. The boy was taken back. In order to avoid getting hit, he deliberately disrobed himself and fell down to the ground just aside from the girl.

The girl instantly stood up and went for a finishing kick right on his face, but the boy grabbed her leg tightly. The girl, in anger, went for another kick from her other leg. The boy, who still had a hold of her first leg, let go of it, slid his back to stand up again, and instantly did a standing dropkick on her by surprise. A dropkick is an attack where the person jumps up and kicks the opponent with both feet and then executes a backflip, landing on the ground first.

The Boy(with an excited face)- Yes!!

The Girl- Hmm... So, you won.

The Boy- Now it's 57 to 59. You are only at a two-point lead now. I will soon outclass you!!

The Girl- We will see about that.

Livon(while hiding behind a tree)- They were fighting?!

The Girl- What might you be doing here, Mister??

Livon(while limping towards them)- I am surprised you noticed me.

The Girl- I have a habit of paying detailed attention to my surroundings.

Livon- Why were the two of you fighting exactly??

The Boy- We were training. It was a practice match-up.

Livon- For what??

The Boy- We two wish to become Elite Soldiers in the future!!

The Girl(to boy)- You don't need to inform everyone about everything, you know that?!

The Boy- Ah, it's okay. I'm pretty sure he is a decent human being.

The Girl- You can't be sure about that. Well, I will be leaving now. See you tomorrow!

The Boy- Yeah, okay, bye! (the girl leaves) I wonder, why is she always so sketchy around people? Mister, I will be leaving now too. It was nice having a spectator around for our match. You take care of yourself!

Narrator- The boy walked a few steps, then decided to look back, where he saw Livon limping.

The Boy- Sheesh!! (heads back to livon) I think you need my help.

Livon- Shamefully, yes, I do. Could you tell me the way to the outside??

The Boy- Well, I am from outside, so yeah, I can surely tell you the way. But I don't think that you can go there by yourself. (looks at livon's leg)

Livon- Again, shamefully, yes. I got hurt while doing my job.

The Boy- Huh. What kind of work do you do exactly??

Livon- I am an Elite Solider.

The Boy(with a surprised face)- Whatt??!!! Really?? From which country??

Livon- Aquatic

The Boy- Interesting. I never heard about you before. Huh, you might be one of those late bloomers, I see. Fine, I can take you to the hospital!!

Livon- That works with me.

Narrator- The boy helps Livon, and then they leave the forest to reach the hospital.

Livon(while reading the name of the hospital)- "Aquatic... Hospital??!!" Have I really been thrown into the Aquatic Country? (in his mind)

The Boy- Is there something bothering you, mister??

Livon- Ah, huh, not really.

(in his mind)- The design, the layout; it is so identical!! This really is an Aquatic Country!!

(Emergency Room)

Doctor(after dressing the wound)- Here, it's all done.

Livon- Thanks, doctor. I feel much better now.

Doctor- Here is the prescription. Kindly take your medicines on time.

(At the Hospital Lobby)

The Boy(to livon)- You sit down on one of the sofas, and I will go and purchase the medicines for you.

Livon- Thanks.

(At the Medication Room)

Nurse- Sir, we have all the medicines listed except "Ibuprofen.".

The Boy- Ohh?!! What does that medicine do??

Nurse- It's an anti-inflammatory drug used for reducing pain and inflammation.

The Boy- Sounds like an important medicine.

Nurse- If you could wait for fifteen minutes and so, then we would be able to provide you with that.

The Boy- Oh, okay, then. I am sitting outside in the lobby; let me know when the medicine arrives.

Nurse- Sure, sir. Thanks for cooperating!! We will definitely let you know!! Just before leaving, kindly provide us with your basic requisite information.

(At the Lobby)

Livon- All done??

The Boy- No, one of the medicines, "Ibuprofen," isn't here right now; it will be after fifteen minutes, so we have to wait until then.

Livon- I see.

The Boy- Where would you go from here, if I may ask?

Livon- Good question. I don't have an answer to that for now.

The Boy- Was the wound the result of a fight??

Livon- Yeah, it was.

The Boy- Did you win that fight??

Livon- Not yet. I bailed out in between; my comrades are still busy with the fight.

The Boy- Don't you wish to return and help them??

Livon- I do, a lot. But for now, I can't do that. I am stuck doing something else.

The Boy- Well, if you need help, then I suppose my father can provide you.

Livon- Ohh?? Can he really?? Who is he, and what does he do??

The Boy- He is an "Elite Soldier" just like you. His name is .....

(The Nurse enters the scene)

Nurse- Mr. Chronos, "Ibuprofen" medicine stock has been updated. Kindly come with me to complete the billing details.

The Boy- Aah, sure, coming right ahead.

Livon(with a stunned face)- .........

Chronos(to livon)- Mister, I will be back just in a second; just wait for me over here.

Livon(with a stunned face)- ...........

Chronos- Mister?? You hear me??

Livon- Yeah, I do. You go; I will wait.

Chronos- Great! Hang in tight! (then leaves)

Livon(while putting a hand on his forehead)- It's just a coincidence, nothing else. There is no need to take on so much stress. Any number of guys can have the same name. (in his mind)

Narrator- Livon takes out his smartphone from his pocket and again tries calling Raiden, but still there is no mobile network available.

Livon(with an annoyed face)- Fuckk!!!!!! Why the hell is there no mobile network still???!!!

Narrator- Livon turns flight mode on and off, but nothing changes. He opens up his "Whatsapp" and tries messaging, but the message he sent wasn't getting delivered either.

Suddenly, a man wearing a black pant and white shirt, which was mostly casually tucked with more than half being out of the pant, enters the scene and sits along with Livon on the sofa.

Whirt Shirt Man(to livon)- I can assure you that this device won't work here.

Livon- Hmm?? And why is that??

White Shirt Man(with a smile)- My personal experience.

Livon(with a confused face)- ........

Narrator- The Whirt Shirt Man brought a newspaper along with him, which he began reading. After a couple of minutes, a nurse came running down at him.

Nurse- Doctor Orion!!! There is an emergency; please come with me!!

White Shirt Man- Okay. Quickly, arrange my equipment! (then left)

Livon- He looked familiar... I think I have seen him somewhere. But where exactly...???

Narrator- The Whirt Shirt Man may have left, but he kept the newspaper on the sofa. Livon has a glance at the paper, where he reads the headline as follows: "HENRY: WINNER OF THE 1ST WORLD TOURNAMENT, FRONTRUNNER TO BECOME THE FIRST EVER GREAT LEADER OF THIS WORLD!!"

Livon confusingly picks up the paper and begins reading the article. In which it was basically mentioned how Henry is favored over Ayan and what makes him a better candidate to lead the world in the future.

Livon was in utter disbelief as he was reading an article about his father, who died eight years ago. He had a look over the date of the paper, and it was Year 95, four years before Henry and Jane were killed by Chronos.

Livon(with a confused face)- I am in the past!!

(Chronos returns)

Chronos- Come on, Mister, it's time to leave. I have got your medicine!!

Livon- F-F-Fine.

(Outside the Hospital)

Livon- Your name is Chronos.

Chronos- Huh, yeah. My name is Chronos. Oh, right!! We never got to share each other's names. I have been calling you, Mister. So what's your name, Mister??

Livon- "Livon".

Chronos- Oh, nice.

Livon(in his mind)- He can't possibly be the Chronos who killed my parents. He is like 8 years older right now; after four years, he will be 12. Killer Chronos looked like he was in his 30s! Sheesh!! But why is he giving me such bad vibes? And how the hell am I supposed to go back to my time??!!!

Chronos- Heyy, Mister.., would you like to come over to my house for lunch??

Livon- Sorry, but I don't want to bother you anymore.

Chronos- That won't be a bother. It's completely up to you. I am saying this because it certainly looks like you could eat something.

Livon- Why are you helping me so much?? I am no one to you, then why??

Chronos- I don't know. You just gave me some good vibes.

Livon(with a surprised face)- ........

Chronos- So, you want to come or not??

Livon- Yes, I want to.

Chronos- Great!! Then, let's get moving!

Narrator- Both of them then continued to walk quietly. As they were reaching the destination, Livon became more and more confused because the path he was taking was the same as his house.

(Outside Chronos House)

Livon(in his mind)- There is no way!!!! This is my home!!!!

(to chronos)- Do you really live here??

Chronos- Aah? Yeah, I do. Why do you ask such a question? You know someone who live here?

Livon(in his mind)- N-No. I don't.

Chronos- Oh, okay. Come on, let's go inside now.

Narrator- Chronos then takes Livon to his house, onto his living room, and makes him sit on the sofa.

Chronos- I will go and let Mama know that we have a guest in our home. You be seated here. (then leaves)

Livon(with a confused face)- Alright.

Narrator- Livon looks around the house and sees the design of the house being the same as his, keeping aside a few things here and there.

(Chronos and his mother enter the scene)

Chronos(to livon)- Please, meet my mother, Jane!!

Jane(with a smile)- Hello!

Livon(with a stunned face)- This can't be!!! Mama!!

Chronos- What can't be? And who is this mama??

Livon- Aah? N-Nothing.

(Doorbell rings)

Chronos- Sheesh, I locked the door!! This must be Papa! I will go and open it up. (then leaves)

Jane(while staring at livon)- .........

Livon(to jane)- You really have a kind and helpful son.

Jane(with a smile)- I know that, and I am very proud of it.

Livon- This might be a stupid question to ask, but is he your only son??

Jane- Yes, he is the only one, the only child.

Livon- I... I see.

(Chronos and Henry enter the scene)

Henry- I heard that we have a guest right now!! And that too, an Elite Soldier!!

Livon(in his mind)- Pa-pa!!

(to henry)- I am sorry, but I was lying. I am not an Elite Solider.

Chronos- What??!! But you told me you were!!!

Livon(in his mind)- Yeah, tell them that I am not. The situation has changed; I can't tell them the truth!!

(to chronos)- I am sorry, Chronos; what I meant was that I "aspire" to become an Elite Solider. I am not one yet.

Chronos- But then how did you get hurt in the fight? Weren't you in the mix of a fight with some villains??

Livon- No, I was just having a practice bout with my friend, just like you.

Chronos(with a dissatisfied look)- Huhhh???!!!

Henry- It's okay, Chronos; don't be like this. He is still our guest. Let's have lunch now; I am very hungry.

Narrator- All four of them then had lunch. Henry and Jane occasionally did ask a few questions to Livon, which he cleverly answered by lying.

Lunch, which was supposed to go down as a normal one, was anything but one for Livon. He was eating alongside his own parents in the past, without him ever being there; instead, there was a boy named Chronos.

After lunch, Henry, Jane, and Chronos waived off Livon from their home.

Livon(with a depressed look)- Raiden's house isn't here yet. If I remember correctly, then he told me that he came in around Year 97 here. Shitt!!! Why does everything make sense??!! Here, I thought I was in an abstract imagination of God Dragon! What the hell is happening?!!! Don't tell me, this is an alternate universe!!!! (in his mind)

(At the Street)

Narrator- The White Shirt Man from the hospital appears from the back, called Livon, by touching his shoulder.

Livon(while turning behind)- Aahhh??!!

White Shirt Man- Hopefully, you enjoyed your visit here. Unfortunately, your time has run out, and you will be leaving now.

Narrator- An arm with a dragon tatoo appears from a small portal behind Livon's head. It grabs his neck and pulls him inside of it.

(Back to the Original Setting: Dragon Country, At an Empty Ground)

Narrator- It was Ginto who pulled out Livon. He was bleeding heavily, barely able to stand, but still threw aside Livon's lifeless body after piercing a sword over his chest, and then Ginto himself touched the white beam of light that emerged from the Dragon Parts.

Ginto was able to make it through here, as he defeated both Tegan and Raiden in the process. He used one of the "Shakti Booster Arrows" at Tegan, thus weakening him. This was originally the second arrow Itsumi threw at Ginto but missed him.

Ginto- Show me paradise, God Dragon!!

Narrator- The scene cuts, and now we are into Ginto's childhood house, where he is lying down on the ground. Upon opening his eyes, he saw his grandmother sitting in a corner, weaving quietly.

Ginto(with a stunned face)- ........

Grandma- My Ginto!!!!! (stood up and hugged him tightly) I had been waiting for you!! I had been waiting for you!!

Ginto(while crying)- I missed you so much!!

Grandma(while crying)- I missed you too, my child!! Aww, see how much blood is coming out.

Ginto- I have won the Carnival Grandma!! The one that was mentioned in the D&D book! I am one step closer to the paradise you told me about!!

(Denma enters the scene)

Denma(to ginto)- Unfortunately, you are not.

Ginto(with a surprised face)- Denma, you?! What are you doing here?? And what do you mean that I am not closer to paradise?!

Denma(to grandma)- Tell him, it's time.

Grandma(with a dejected look)- What Denma is saying is correct, Ginto.

Ginto(with a confused face)- How could that be? Boss told me that winning this carnival would be a big step in achieving paradise in the future!!

Grandma- He lied to you!! Chrollo has been using you all this time!!

Ginto- That can't be!!!!! He could never!! He is like a family to me!! I refuse to believe this!!.

Denma- Where do you think you are right now?? (ginto goes to the backyard and looks over the sky, which is pitch black)

Ginto- Why is the sky all black??

Denma- This is after life. You are in the future. No paradise has been achieved. You wanted both the dead and the living to live happily together, but unfortunately, right now the conditions in both worlds are in dire situations.

Ginto(with a stunned face)- But the boss told me...

Denma- I also trusted him so much that I died happily by his hands. But now, I have realized that he is just a delusional, self-centric man who just focuses on his own personal goal; he doesn't care about the world!!

Grandma- You have to change this future, Ginto!!

Narrator- Ginto's body, meanwhile, was starting to become dust.

Ginto- Its time; the white beam is going to fade away; Carnival is officially ending. I will be leaving now. Take care, grandma; I will do my best to create a paradise!! And thank you as well. You were spot on with the dentist having the External Part. Without your help, starting off the Carnival would have been near impossible. Thanks for that.

Denma- One more thing!! Your suspicions about Orion were correct!! He is dangerous!! Be careful!! (ginto vanishes)

(Back to the Original Setting: Dragon Country, At an Empty Ground)

Narrator- Upon reentering, Ginto saw a dragon egg lying on the ground at the same spot where all the dragon parts were kept. The dragon parts, meanwhile, had all disappeared. Ginto picks up the dragon egg, creates his bone wings, and gets ready to fly.

Ginto- This would be a goodbye. It was fun playing with you all losers. (then left)

Narrator- The Carnival, a 35-day battle, has officially concluded, with Ginto emerging as the victor. Despite the Elite Soldiers' best efforts, they couldn't match Ginto's superior determination.

After the battle, the Enforcers arrived and took the injured Elite Soldiers to the hospital. They remained there for a couple of days, unable to enjoy themselves or even talk much to each other. The magnitude of their defeat hit hard, especially with the realization that the Dragan Part would not appear as scheduled in two days.

Meanwhile, immediately after the mission, Hanna made a shocking announcement to the country: she was resigning as Chief-in-Commander. She explained that she could no longer hold the position of the strongest shakti user in her country. Hanna declared Tegan her successor. The next day, a ceremony was held at the Dragon Country main office, where Tegan ascended to the throne before a large gathering of media.

Once they were all released from the hospital, the Aquatic Country soldiers headed to their hotel, "Pajama Palace," where they packed their bags and prepared to leave Dragon Country. At the gates, they encountered the Dragon Country soldiers. They wanted to say goodbye, but none of them could convey any emotions, still grappling with the thought of their defeat.

Tegan(with a cheerful face)- Come on, it's okay, guys!! Move on!! I know it's hard, but still. I won't tell you to forget what happened or say something like we tried, and that's the only thing important. That's stupid!! Those lines are all but bullshit!! If we start thinking like that, we will never be the winners!! Move on, but remember what you have done in the past. The future should always be better than the present!!

Ayumi(to tegan)- Congratulations on becoming the new Chief-in-Commander!!

Tegan- Thanks, I guess.

Raiden- Yea, congrats, sir!!

Tegan(while patting raiden)- Get stronger!! I believe in you!!

Raiden- I will miss you.

Tegan- If you ever need any help, just contact me. Remember, I will always be there as your mentor.

Raiden- Thank you, sir.

Itsumi(while handing over a sweet box)- Here, take this Ayumi. It contains all the different types of sweets this country has to offer.

Ayumi- Aww, thank you so much. I will share them with others as well.

Hinaka- Noren, do you understand the new method of cleaning the bathroom I told you?

Noren- Yup, we all memorized it. I will try it the next time and then give you a detailed review.

Mizumi- Oh my gosh!! These bathroom-obsessed cleaners are it again!!

Hinaka(to mizumi)- Take care of yourself. And of your father and mother as well.

Mizumi(while blushing)- Okay, I will. Be in touch. I have already saved my number on your phone. I will give you a call every night.

Hinaka(with a confused face)- Every night?! That would be too much; I will call you instead, whenever I can.

Mizumi(while pouting)- Okay, if you say so. I will be waiting for my true love to rise up in you!!

Eldon(to livon)- You know, I don't care what happened with you once you touched the white beam of light, but just remember, nothing is the end of the universe; it will always continue.

Livon- Hmph, I don't want to hear that from you!! Btw, how does it feel now that your arm has disappeared?? Hahahahaha!!

Eldon- Hmph, I suppose it will take some time to get used to it.

Livon- Sure, I can totally imagine how hard it must be while going to poo! Hahahahahaha!!

Eldon(with an angry face)- I meant by playing video games or cards!!

Livon(with a low pitch)- I will miss it...

Eldon- What did you say??

Livon- I will miss playing these games. And beating you in them!!

Eldon- Shut up, cheater!! I am the God of Gambler!!

Livon(while spitting)- God of Gambler, my ass!! You have lost as many games as me till now!!

Narrator- Eldon, with a smile, extends his hand towards Livon for a handshake. Livon stares at Eldon for a couple of seconds and then shakes his hands.

Eldon- I will see you in the future. Don't die before that!!

Livon- Hmph, the funny thing is that I was about to say the same thing to you, considering how rash you are!!

Noren- Heyy, come on, everyone, let's take a selfie!! I can't believe after spending 35 days together, we couldn't click on one photo containing all of us.

Ayumi- Yea, sure!!

Raiden- Come on!!

Tegan- Why not? Go ahead and click one!!

Noren- Anyone have that long selfie stick with them right now?? It could really be helpful in capturing all of us!!

Mizumi- Here, I have one. (takes it out of her pocket and hands it over to noren)

Noren- I expect nothing less from a stalker!! Hahaha!!

Mizumi(with an angry tone)- Heyy!!!

Noren- Smile, everyone!! Say cheeseeee!!!! (extends the selfie stick and clicks the photo)

Narrator- With that, the Aquatic Country soldiers finally left the hotel, beginning their journey back to their home country.

TO BE CONTINUED

DRAGON COUNTRY ARC (CHAPTER 46 - 85) HAS NOW ENDED

What is an Arc?- An Arc is a series of chapters that follow the same story.

THE NAME OF THE NEXT ARC IS- X: ELITE SOLDIER KILLER ARC [ACT- I]

- As the third arc has now ended, I would like to request your feedback. I have been waiting to ask these questions, and they will be a bit more detailed compared to those asked after the first two arcs. I hope you are able to answer some of them:

1) 5 most favorite characters in the series

2) 5 most favorite shakti elements in the series

3) 3 most favorite fight scenes in this entire Dragon Country arc

4) Your 3 favorite chapters in this arc

5) Your favorite villain