CHAPTER 4
At the summit of the mountain, Nemisis came upon a lone statue.
A stone knight knelt on one knee, both hands resting on a sword planted deep into the ground.
Silence surrounded it.
What am I supposed to do now? He thought.
He took another step.
A sudden pressure burst outward.
The ground trembled beneath his feet.
Cracks spread across the statue as stone began to fall away, revealing golden armor beneath.
The knight rose.
Slowly, it pulled the sword from the earth and pointed it towards Nemisis.
"State your business, mortal."
Snow slid down the statue's armor. Nemisis stood silent, his fingers twitched at his side. This wasn't what he expected.
It's moving...…
He swallowed, forcing himself to stand straight, and the air grew cold.
"...I was sent to meet someone," he said at last, his voice steadier than he felt.
The statue lowered its sword. "Who sent you?"
"Kuto, sir."
The statue lowered its head for a moment, then gazed back at Nemisis.
What is the master thinking, sending a human here?
"What is your relation to the master?"
"Erm... I'm his grandson. I only found out recently." Nemisis scratched the back of his head.
The statue's gaze sharpened.
His grandson?
"Hmm... what's your name?"
"Nemisis, sir."
"Well Nemisis," the statue rests its sword on its shoulder. "You may call me Knight - the guardian of the Xercise family."
"Guardian?"
"Now, young master," Knight struck the ground with his sword, the impact echoing across the mountain.
"Time to begin your training. I will hold back, but that does not guarantee your survival."
Silence followed.
Cold wind swept across the summit, sending loose snow between them. Nemisis's coat fluttered as the two stood motionless, eyes locked.
Back at the tournament, Tezuka is thrown to the ground after being struck by a wind attack; the impact creates a crater.
"Augh, it's getting boring," Xdio said with a smirk on her face. "Why don't you stop all this show off and fight me in one of your transformations, although I do admire the efforts."
She formed a ball of blue chakra in her hand and released it at Tezuka. The explosion thundered across the arena, rattling the stone walls as smoke swallowed the battlefield.
The smoke cleared, revealing a massive crater - but Tezuka was nowhere to be seen.
He suddenly appears ten feet behind her.
Lightning gathered in his hands, shaping itself into a bow, an arrow of pure energy already drawn.
"I am not going to unless you do first," he said and shot the arrow at her.
Xdio barely moved.
The arrow shattered before reaching her, breaking apart into fading sparks.
Tezuka's eyes narrowed. He drew again.
This time, the sky answered.
Clouds darken as blue light spreads across the arena. Lightning gathered overhead, condensing into massive arrowheads of energy that hovered behind him like divine weapons.
He fired..
The impact detonated across the arena, the explosion tearing through the air and shattering three of the invisible barriers protecting the spectators. Shockwaves rattled the stonewalls as smoke swallowed the battlefield.
Silence followed.
When the dust cleared, Tezuka stood trembling, blood running down his arms.
Xdio looked up at the sky and exhaled slowly, almost relieved. Then her gaze returned to him, a wide, unsettling smile forming on her lips.
"Gotta say... You surprise me, kid."
She stepped forward -
- and vanished.
Before Tezuka could react, she stood beside him. One eye flashed green.
There is a pressure that sends him to his knees.
"Thanks for the spa," She said softly. "Next time we meet..."
She turned and began walking away.
"...you might wish we never did."
Tezuka watched her leave.
"Miss Xdio is the winner," the official announced. "We will take a short break as we repair the barriers."
As Xdio made it to her kingdom section of the banner row, she was met by a young lady.
"You guys tricked me," Xdio said quietly. "Nothing was interesting."
She never wanted to participate in the tournament; she had only come because she was promised something worth her attention.
The young girl smiled brightly.
"Oh, big sister Xdio," she said, "the one we were told of hasn't arrived."
Xdio paused
"He is on his way."
The young girl giggled.
Meanwhile, on the summit of the mountain, the knight is pursuing Nemisis.
"Hold still! I can't help you if you keep running," roared the Knight in frustration.
"How can I if you keep swinging that thing at me?" Nemisis retorted.
The Knight grunted and launched himself into the sky.
Silence followed.
Nemisis slowed, scanning the empty sky -
Then the Knight descended.
Their clash erupted, shockwaves tearing across the mountain and triggering avalanches below.
In the village where Nemisis faced the leader of the raiders, the townspeople wondered what was happening while they felt the tremor.
Back on the mountain peak, red spirit energy swirls around Nemisis, distorting the air like heat.
A sword blocked the Knight's attack.
The Knight stepped back, and Nemisis grasped the blade that had appeared before him.
"You know, the boy was right," Nemisis says, his tone shifting as he lifts his head, his voice no longer his.
He smiled menacingly, showing sharp teeth, eyes black as a void.
"Who are you?" the Knight inquires.
"It's me, old friend. Wait, I forgot—I'm in a different body now. This family just keeps growing," Nemisis replies, resting the sword on his shoulder.
The red spirit energy around him darkened, slowly turning black.
The Knight's eyes narrowed.
The energy... it feels familiar.
His gaze fell to the blade.
Recognition struck him.
"The Sword of Renon... If this child belongs to this family... then you must be Sanity," he observes.
"You remembered," he said, a faint smile forming.
"But why did you possess him now?" the Knight asks.
"..." Nemisis remains silent.
"(sighs) If you're with him, then this fight is over," the Knight declares.
"This moment belongs to you and him. I'll introduce myself later," Nemisis said.
A gust of wind blows, dispersing the spirit energy. Nemisis's eyes return to normal, and he staggers slightly.
"What happened? Everything turned dark suddenly," Nemisis remarks, noticing the sword in his hand.
"Wait... I've got a sword," he adds.
"Good," the Knight said simply.
He glances at Nemisis briefly.
"Next - long-range attacks," he says seriously.
Before Nemisis can respond, the Knight swings his sword, unleashing a yellow energy blast at him. Nemisis blocks but is pushed back.
The blast slammed into the mountainside, splitting the rock and sending tremors through the peak.
Nemisis quickly gets to his feet.
"Hey! That's another murder attack!" Nemisis shouts.
"Your turn now," the Knight says calmly.
"How do I do it?"
"Feel it around you, then channel it into your sword."
"Sounds easy," Nemisis comments.
"It should be," the Knight says quietly, "for someone like you."
"Huh?" Nemisis questions.
"Begin," the Knight urges.
"Okay, here goes nothing," Nemisis says, stepping back.
He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and raises his sword. Red spirit energy gathers around him, melting the snow at his feet into water and vapor, creating mist. The earth begins to shake, and the wind intensifies.
This power... the Knight thinks. It reminds me of the first time I met the young master.
Nemisis's grip tightens around the sword as red spirit energy coalesces around it, his worn-out coat whipping violently.
He opens his bright red eyes, swinging the sword down with force.
The explosion swallowed everything in mist and smoke.
Silence followed.
As the smoke slowly cleared, a figure stood at the center.
Kuto.
A thin trail of smoke rose from his fingertip.
The Knight turned - and froze.
The mountain they once stood on was gone.
Not shattered. Not split.
Gone.
In its place lay a vast gorge, a broken expanse of earth - as if the mountain never existed.
Nemisis's eyes widened.
"Mr. Kuto... when did you get here?"
Miles away, the town trembled violently.
People stumbled as the ground shook beneath them.
"What was that?!" someone shouted.
In the distance where the mountain once stood -
There was nothing.
The massive peak that once dominated the sky had vanished without a trace.
"Sorry about that, Knight," Kuto says. "I'll take it from here."
The Knight gives a slight bow.
"It's been a long time, Master Kuto. I will return to your father's realm to continue my duty," the Knight remarks and then disappears.
Kuto sighs as he watches Nemisis.
"Our family can never escape the blood of destruction," he says.
"What do you mean?" Nemisis asks.
"You'll understand eventually. Now, let's go over some things before we leave."