NOVPUB<<Well? We going to fight or what?>>
<<I...you know what? Yeah, Let’s do this.>>
<<Yeah!>>
Jinju Ren was initially stunned at seeing Zhen Liu’s borderline insane action of breaking down the spatial barrier with his head, but now that the deed was done, she was more than ready to continue fighting Zhen Liu. It was either or continue to cry on the floor like a heartbroken maiden, and she didn’t want to embarrass herself any further. After all, it was much healthier to fight someone to the death than it is to have that same someone watch you cry on the floor after having an emotional breakdown.
Definitely healthier.
Under the eyes of the entire arena at this point, Zhen Liu and Jinju Ren readied themselves once more to actually fight. Whether it was with each other or the organizers of the event was to be determined. Not that it stopped the former from just shooting the breeze as it were.
<<By the way,>> Zhen Liu began to ask,<<on the topic of "holding back", is this part where you also get serious and->>
*BOOM!*
<<What the fuck?>>
But before Zhen Liu could finish his question, the sound of a distant powerful explosion had interrupted him.
Obviously he wasn’t the only to notice, as the entire audience began to turn their heads toward the source of explosion to figure out what was the cause...
_____________________________________________
What had happened...
<<Alright, I’m confused. Why are you here instead of the arena? Also, why did you need to bring me?>>
<<Because, Gate Elder, I have a theory that requires your assistance. Remember that prisoner you’ve been having trouble with these past two days?>>
<<Yeah...>>
<<I think she’s actually an aether puppet.>>
<<Fucking how?>>
Despite the festive atmosphere of the Sapling Festival and Zhen Clan competition grinding most businesses to a standstill, some occupations couldn’t exactly be stopped because of what they entailed, like interrogations and guard duty.
In the deepest parts of the Zhen Clan prison, the Gate Elder, Zhen Bao, was escorting a fellow elder who’s most notable features were his surprisingly delicate looking hands despite looking calloused as all hell at the palms and a small pouch hanging off of his belt. If one were to peek inside this pouch, they would find a variety of small figurines, each of them a wildly different type of aether puppet.
This man was none other than Zhen Qiu, the Puppet Elder of the Zhen Clan, as well the creator of the [Ruby-Eyed Dragon Cat] puppet, the thing the Gate Elder used to deal with those strange warriors from two days ago. In regards to this strange event, the Puppet Elder had some theories he wanted to share with the gate that involved them and a certain genius that had made quite the impression in the competition.
<<Alright, you know how yesterday that young warrior named Zhen Liu had summon those strange aether puppets to deal with his opponents after he defeated his opponent so... decisively.>>
<<You mean slapped the shit out of him?,>> the Gate Elder corrected while drinking from his wine gourd. <<I heard that even after receiving treatment, one of his teeth was still missing. That true?>>
<<Yeah...,>> the Puppet Elder confirmed. <<He now also flinches involuntary when anyone raises a hand around him.>>
<<Ouch...anyways, you were saying?>>
<<Well as I was saying, the puppets that that young man was profoundly unusual to my disciples, so much so that they had deemed it necessary to interrupt my research. I was annoyed at first, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw the puppets they wanted to show me so badly. I had honestly never seen anything quite like them,>> the Puppet Elder explained.
<<What, like they were made of rare materials?>>
<<No, the fact that they were possibly alive.>>
<<Wait, what?>>
Making sure he had heard Zhen Qiu correctly, Zhen Bao stopped in his tracks to ask him properly.
<<The hell do you mean alive?>>
<<Like I said, those puppets of his might be alive. I’ve seen advanced puppets move in life-like ways, but there is a distinctive difference between the movements of a living thing and the movements of life-like thing and Zhen Liu’s puppets are the former.>>
<<Huh...okay...>>
Mollified by the answer, the two elders began their walk to the main holding area again, with the Puppet Elder finally explaining his theory to the Gate Elder.
<<Alright, you mentioned how when you fought those strange warriors and captured that last one, they were giving off this weird energy, something that didn’t feel like aether or anima, right?>>
<Yeah...>>
<<Well, when I was in the arena yesterday, I managed to get a quick peek at Zhen Liu and his puppets and analyze his energy up close. The energy I felt didn’t feel like anima or aether.>>
<<So, you think that he is somehow related to the...wait, no...you think that the demon woman who had scrambled the minds of three different anima wielders is actually an aether puppet?>>
<<Precisely.>>
<<Puppet elder, that is the most insane...hold up.>>
<<Hmm? What’s wrong?>>
<<Look...>>
Just the Gate Elder and the Puppet Elder were about to open the door and enter the room where the prisoners were held, the former had suddenly stopped in his tracks. When the Puppet elder asked why he did so, the Gate Elder pointed at the floor.
The padlock that was used to bar the door was open and splayed upon it.
This either meant that the guards had been slacking on their duties or something unforeseen had occurred...and Zhen Clan guards never slack on their duties.
Sensing that something was most definitely wrong, the two elders switched to communicating via their aether in order to maintain some element of surprise. Maybe it wouldn’t matter, but it was better than doing nothing.
<<Shit, did someone break in or did someone break out?>>
<<I don’t know, but what I do know is that there should’ve been an aether treasure and at least three alarm arrays that were meant to go off when something like this happens. Unless...>>
<<Unless what?>>
<<Unless someone intentionally sabotaged them from the inside.>>
<<Oh...>>
The Puppet and Gate Elders shared a grim look at the implication of this possibility, but couldn’t do so for long.
<<What are we going to-wait...this aura!>>
<<It can’t be...>>
The two were quite a few feet away from the prison’s door, meaning they had plenty of time to react as they felt the air suddenly grow heavy while the surrounding aether became a touch more hostile. The door itself began to slowly creak open in an ominous manner as a malevolent aura began to leak out of it, one that any member of the Zhen Clan’s elders would recognize in a heartbeat.
In response to this, the Gate Elder immediately took on a fighting stance and readied his raiment.
The Puppet Elder was about to do the same, but the Gate Elder stopped him, having another idea in mind.
<<You need to get out of here and alert the others now! The Fallen Clan is trying to->>
*BOOM!*
<<SHIT!>>
<<Zhen Bao!>>
But before the Gate Elder could finish his warning, a massive blast of energy fired out of the door and slammed into Gate Elder, causing a great explosion at the moment of impact.
Needless to say, this explosion had also destroyed a part of the building in a very obvious manner.
As well as weaken multiple if not all of the cells...
_____________________________________________
...only to be told minutes later, the worst possible news.
<<Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to inform you that the Zhen Clan competition has to be cancelled! The Fallen Clan is invading, Willow Scale City is under attack!>>
*KA-BOOM!*
"AAAAAHHH!"
As if reality wanted to punctuate this point, several spikes in aether occurred simultaneously throughout the arena as members of the crowd suddenly turned hostile and began to attack the Zhen Clan warriors. 𝓃ℴ𝓋𝓹𝓊𝓫.𝒸𝓸𝓂
<<"Oh fuck,">> Zhen Liu and Jinju Ren said at the same time in their respective native language. As they did so, the arena bubble they were in had disappeared as the two of them were teleported to the arena’s main floor.
The two young warriors looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do now...mostly.
_____________________________________________
’Alright, looks like shit has gone sideways and we’re gonna need to help deal with this bullshit. I got your orders ready to go, but I need a quick explanation as to why I sensed a [Chaos] spike coming in from all the way over there?’
<=Probably because that Paralust enhanced zako that got captured two days ago managed to evolve and needs you give them a name before they can stabilize into existence.=>
’...fucking what?’
=I shall explain after you make your way over there and see it if yourself. Well, you or one of the kaijin, you’re going to need line of sight for this.=
’Of course...Razorstella, Spring Brawler, you two are crazy fast. Go over to the source of that explosion, which is probably a prison in retrospect, and determine what the fuck is going on over there. Fight if you have to, flee if you can.’
[At once, ringmaster.]
[Ain’t no thing, director.]
’Nepherage, Frosttusk, Hurricroak, you’re with me. Things are probably gonna get real loud up here and I’m going need you three to help silence it.’
[Of course, milord.]
[Yes...minn...jarl...]
[Ooooh! I can’t wait to crack some skulls, maestro!]
’Excellent, but before we do any of that...we’re going to have play like a pig to eat the wolf...or was it a tiger?’
