Aurora: You're gonna fight a kid?
Aurora: Well, not on my watch.
Guard: He's just a little kid. Do you think this is the right person, Captain?
Troov: I am not mistaking. No person would dare to have that last name other than the "Flaming Phoenix." I knew he went away but didn't think that he would change his last name to Auralis.
Guard: We need more guards! He is wrecking us!
Aurora grabs a guard by his head and slams him on the ground.
Aurora: That's all you've got?
All the guards rush towards him.
Kayushi: Looks like they're going to gang up on you!
Aurora: Don't say it like that, you're just a kid!
Kayushi: Huh🤔?
Looks like the guards are going to attack Aurora all at once.
One punches him!
Aurora: Aughh... couldn't see that coming. I am not used to this small body yet.
Kayushi: Is that it?
Aurora: What do you mean?
Kayushi: You were the demon king, but couldn't see that punch! Even I could see that coming.
One guard throws a spear at Aurora.
Aurora: Hmm, I see...
Aurora caught the spear.
Aurora: So, you are underestimating me?
Kayushi: Probably, yes!
Aurora: Hmph... Then I guess I would have to show you what your uncle is really capable of.
Kayushi: Are you all talk!?
Aurora: I certainly am not...
Aurora stretches his right hand forward.
Aurora: Hy...
The water from the surroundings gathers before it.
Aurora: Droxy...
The water had formed a sphere.
Aurora: BLAST!!
Aurora shoots the water with immense force. It knocks out half of the guards. The rest are all wet now, haha😄... wait no, I did not mean—!
Aurora: Do you still think I am all talk?
Kayushi: 😮
The scene switches to Pietro.
Pietro (thinking): Oh hell nah... If he keeps fighting like this, WE ARE DOOMED! More exactly, I am doomed. Cause I don't know how to fight😬
Pietro: Sir, our guards are losing. What should we do!?
Troov: What else?
Pietro: Wha—?
Pietro couldn't even finish when Troov grabbed him and jumped down.
Troov: We need to join the fight.
Pietro (thinking): Am I cooked? Nah... you're deep fried.
Kayushi: Nice, we won!
Aurora: Hooray. (weak)
Kayushi: What happened? Why are you saying it like you just woke up?
Aurora: I don't know why, but I feel a bit weak—
Pietro: Hey, moron! Look here!
Aurora moves his head to the left.
Kayushi: It's that guy.
Captain Troov is standing up tall, and Pietro is trying to hide behind his back.
Pietro (scared): We- we have- umh... Ahm... We have come here- to... Hunt- yeah, we've come here to HUNT YOU!
Aurora: Are you okay?
Pietro: Ummh... Of course I am! Why you ask?
Aurora: Because you look very scar—
Troov: Flaming Phoenix...
Aurora: Huh—?
Before Aurora could even ask, Troov fired a mana blast. But Aurora somehow dodged.
Aurora (confused): This guy...
Kayushi: What happened?
Aurora: He just fired a mana blast.
Kayushi: So, what?
Aurora: I couldn't sense his mana when he fired it.
Kayushi: I still don't understand.
Aurora: Okay... So, you see, when you use magic, a little bit of mana leaks out of your body half a second before the magic. But when he fired the mana blast, I couldn't sense his mana.
Kayushi: I mean, he could have hidden his mana, right?
Aurora: Yeah, you can hide your mana from others. But when you use an attack, it is permanent that it would leak even a little bit.
Kayushi: Aaahhh... I see.
Aurora: Yeah, there could be only two reasons—
Captain Troov lands a kick on Aurora. But he blocked it.
Troov: It has been my dream to fight the Flaming Phoenix!
Troov is using Karate...?
Aurora: Was that... Karate... Or something else?
Troov: I didn't know you were hiding as a kid.
Aurora: What do you mean?
Troov: Don't act like you don't understand anything.
Kayushi: What is this guy saying?
Aurora: I think you're mistaking me for someone else.
Troov: What's your name?
Aurora: My name is Jin'Uz Aurora.
Troov: Oh... Looks like you're his brother.
Aurora: So you mistook me for Auroma... Fair enough.
Troov: Why are you transformed as a kid?
Aurora: He's not some "kid" He's Auroma's son.
Troov: Son of the Flaming Phoenix? When did he get married?
Aurora: I have no time for talking. If you wanna fight, then fight!
Kayushi: That was stupid, why would you tell him to fight!?
Aurora: Just trust me.
Troov: As you wish.
Troov launches towards Aurora.
Aurora: Uh, he is trying to tackle me. Well, too bad, I saw that.
Troov launches at Aurora again, feinting a tackle. Aurora ducks—wait, that wasn't a tackle at all, it's a setup for an uppercut!
Aurora: Uh, shi—
Troov sent Aurora into the air.
Aurora (thinking): This guy is smart... I need to act fast. 😞 Dang! It's too hard with a small body!
Troov is running away... And now he stopped.
Troov: Here I come!!!
Aurora (thinking): Five minutes in… still no magic. Does he even know how to use it? Wait… I see now. Clever. 😯
Troov: Trinomial…
He crouched low, preparing—but wait, he didn't strike immediately. Instead, he landed just a few feet away from Aurora, eyes locked, calculating.
Aurora (thinking): Wait… he's gathering momentum. Something's coming. I can feel it.
Troov: Vortex!
In a flash, Troov propelled himself forward. His hands stayed tucked in his pockets, but his leg swung out in a powerful arc, catching Aurora's neck. The motion didn't stop there—Troov spun Aurora in an anti-clockwise rotation, using the momentum to hurl him across the village. Aurora is still in the air.
Aurora: Just as I thought...
Kayushi: He whooped your ass.
Aurora: I know that... You know, I am just a little tired, that's all. Anyway, I found out how he used that mana blast from earlier.
Kayushi: What, you did!?
Aurora: Yes, and it's not that shocking.
Kayushi: Really?
Aurora: Yes. He is a very smart fella.
Kayushi: Will you just tell me how he did it?
Aurora: I will... But first you need to know him a little. From the way he fights, you can tell that he doesn't just use one martial art... He uses multiple of them. But not randomly.
Kayushi: What do you mean by 'randomly'?
Aurora: You know, he doesn't just spam attacks like "yay! Take this Brazilian kick! Survive my taekwondo! Now take my–!" (coughs) You get the idea.
Kayushi: So, what does he do then?
Aurora: He combines.
Kayushi: Combines?
Aurora: Yeah.
Kayushi: But how does he do that?
Aurora: Let me explain. From the fight I had with him just now, he uses three main martial arts—Kung Fu, Karate, and Taekwondo. The kick that he just used is a mix of spinning kick and jumping crescent kick with the karate stance. In short, this guy is a genius. It's as if he is learning from the fight every second.
Kayushi: What does that suppose to mean?
Aurora: It means that if I weren't here, you would have definitely been dead by now🫡
Kayushi: Oh... Wait, are you insulting me—?
Troov came flying towards Aurora (who is still in the air) and sent him to the ground with a devastating kick.
Aurora falls on a house. Completely destroyed it. He is bleeding from everywhere.
Aurora (breathing heavily): I was busy talking to you that I couldn't even see that.
Aurora: Healing...
Aurora heals himself.
Aurora: Healing is a great magic. It heals your body but doesn't restore your stamina if you use it yourself. But, lucky for me, this isn't my body. So, I can just— no, I can't.
Kayushi: What happened?
Aurora: I thought you could heal your body and give me some of your mana so I could restore my stamina, but guess not.
Kayushi: Why not?
Aurora: Because our mana streams are connected. You and I are in the same body. So, healing your body is like healing my own. Did you understand?
Kayushi: ...
Aurora: You didn't understand a thing, did you?...
Troov (thinking): Who is he talking to, has he gone insane? What's the time... 12:14!!!? Nah, I am gonna have to finish this quickly. But, how would I do that? Looking at him, he looks ready to fight again. What should I use that would put him to sleep?
Aurora: You understand it now?
Kayushi: Yeah, blah blah blah😑
Troov: Hey, Aurora!
Kayushi: Why is he calling your name?
Aurora: Let's ask him. Aurora: What!?
Troov: You gonna fight or what!?
Aurora: You wanna fight!? (This guy... He is strong. I need to finish this fight before he finishes us)
Aurora starts charging up. He is gathering mana on his hands. He is going to use a mana blast, I guess?
Troov: He is doing it.
Aurora has made a big... stick?
Troov: What does that suppose to be... A pole?
Aurora flies towards Troov with the pole... He hits Troov with it... Troov blocks it. Troov holds the pole.
Troov: Okay... Now!
Kayushi: What the—
Switch
Kayushi: Huh?
Aurora: Did you just switch!?
Kayushi: No, I didn't mean to.
Aurora: Give me control now!
Kayushi: Okay... it's...
Aurora: It's what!?
Kayushi: It's... not working!
Troov: Hmph... I was wondering who he was talking to... It was you, son of Flaming Phoenix.
Kayushi: You... What did you do to me?
Troov: Nothing... Just changed the flow of your mana so that you can't switch.
Kayushi: How!?
Troov: Do you think I would tell you that? Anyway, look up.
Kayushi: What— huh?
Troov trapped Kayushi in a glass box. He calls for Pietro.
Troov: 12:30PM, Perfect. Hey, you!
Pietro: M- me?
Troov: Yeah, you. Report immediately that we had captured Auralis.
Pietro: Ughh... yes, SIR!
Kayushi is trying to break the glass but he fails.
Kayushi: Am I... in trouble?
To be continued...