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A Hero Tale: Felix

Further into the city, and the mounds were getting larger. Larger and larger, almost to the point where they overtook the building's he was so used to in him home town. Guttural noises sounded from the mounds, but nothing jumped out to face Felix, not for a while. It seemed a lot safer than it looked. That was until..

"GRAAHH!" A low pitched cry sounded out from Felix's left, "GET OFFA' ME YOU FILTHY LITTLE GREMS!"

A Hero Tale: Lystra

Gremma huffed and let go of Lystra. "Yeah, I guess you're right," Gremma sighed, pausing for a moment to stare at Lystra's shield. "Huh?" She mumbled, bending her knees and hopping forwards slightly to take a closer look. As soon as she put a hand on the circular piece of metal, a brief warmth encompassed both Lystra and Gremma's hand. Gremma shuddered, but ignored it. "Where'd you find this?"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

As Jenso neared the Ki, a sudden surge of energy rushed through him. Moments passed, or was it years? Time lost all meaning for a split second, but before he knew it, his body had returned to him, and he was alone, kneeling on a floating island made of black stone.

He could see the edges from where he knelt, they weren't very far. The island was almost as big as the arena he was in before the man in red had sent him here. Unfortunately, he was without clothing, and something else was in there with him. What was it though? It crept along the underside of the island, waiting for a moment to strike, and feed on Jenso's Ki.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Jonathan didn't respond. It wasn't really him, only his Ki. The boy had not had a single chance to harness it, but something inside of his soul kept him from being consumed by the void. He called out for the last thing he remembered before Prisma finished him off.

"J..Jens.."

It was going to end soon. He couldn't fight anymore. What could Jenso do? Leaving the remnants of his Ki there to die, like he'd let him die in the past, was that really all there was? Was it all hopeless?

A Hero Tale {Complete}

It quickly became clear that Jenso was not moving anytime soon. The darkness around him began to close in, crushing his very soul beneath a never ending torrent of endless energy. For a moment it seemed hopeless, but soon, he heard something familiar. Another bright light in the foggy darkness. It was warm, but weak. It seemed familiar,

"..J...N.."

That voice..! Jonathan?!" The boy that Prisma had slain was here!

A Hero Tale {Complete}

~ Chapter I ~

_Darkness

Where was he? Where was this?.. When was this? It was unfamiliar. Completely alien. A feeling that Jenso had never felt before in his entire life. Was he alive? Dead? What was this feeling that tugged away at his Ki, but couldn't quite overpower him? Jenso found himself as nothing more than pure energy. He had no body, no voice, and barely enough singularity to rationalize any modicum of thought. Jenso was trapped somewhere hopeless... The infinite void between worlds.

He couldn't see, or hear, or smell. The only way Jenso could perceive anything was through his Ki, a sense that he had not been able to hone to the point where he could match Mikey, or anyone else who specialized in Ki. But here, it felt easy. It was his only option, and in an instant, Jenso could feel everything for miles in every direction. Could he even consider it to be miles though? Was distance even relevant in the void? Nothing felt normal here. It felt like the very air was trying to devour Jenso, and rid him of his freedom.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

"Jenso!!" Mikey called out, reaching out for his friend. His Geyser Gauntlets disappeared, and the man slammed his fists against the ground helplessly. Lark struggled to sit upright, himself.

"No.." Lark said softly. His One with nature fusion had left him exhausted, incapable of helping any further.

"Shame. This might've ended differently if that Gaian hadn't shown up. Ah, well. Ashes to ashes, I suppose," The man in red said, surveying the arena. "Cherish what time you have left, children. I've just about finished with your world, and when the time comes, it will all return to the void, as it was meant to from the very beginning. Just like this fool, you will all return to the darkness, soon enough." He paused and looked down at the dying Jenso, shaking his head.

"Goodbye, golden boy. Perhaps we will meet again, when time ends, and my soul joins you in the endless expanse of our multiverse."

---

~ End Of Chapter 65~

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Mikey tried to raise himself up to warn Jenso, but was too slow. "Jenso, no!"

But it was too late.

The barrier dropped, and Jenso's foot struck the man's arm, but a second layer of red energy blocked his kick, and the sphere shot forwards, shrinking to the size of a ping-pong ball before penetrating Jenso's chest and exiting the other side. The man stepped back, and lowered his arm.

"Die."

Again, the small sphere shot back towards the man's hand, this time piercing the opposite side of Jenso's chest, through his heart, in a single swift motion. Lark struggled to stand, but before he could manage, Pij was forcefully removed from his being, and the man was left laying with his sword dissipated, and his familiar fainted in her smaller, bird-like form but his side. The man in red stepped towards him and leaned forward, looking over Jenso as he fell back to the ground.

"Maybe you should thank me. Death by Ki exhaustion is far more painful than what I've offered you just now."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

"If you keep pushing," The man started, following Jenso's movements perfectly, and reacting with a wall of reddish energy that surrounded his body, "You'll kill yourself before I have a chance." Lark dashed forwards and sliced at the barrier, but his sword only cracked it slightly, and the man within launched a ball of energy towards the Gaian's torso, pushing him back. Mikey circled around opposite to where Jenso attacked from and punched at the red man while he was distracted, but was stopped by a sudden spike that jutted from the ground, into his other leg. He fell down onto both knees, as his legs, despite working fine a moment ago, stopped functioning. Lark dashed at him again, but the man, without moving from his position, rose a hand and encircled Lark in a sudden amalgamation of reddened chain-like energy, which pulled him back and tossed him to the ground. Lark felt his energy leave his torso quickly, after which point, Jenso was the man's primary target.

"Please, just stop," He muttered, raising a hand above his head. Energy began to pool into his palm from all directions, creating a sphere of swirling power, dark, twisted, and perfectly rounded with absolute control keeping its shape from dissipating.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

"I don't care," The man spat, raising a hand towards Jenso and firing a blast of red energy in his direction. In an instant, he was launched over to the edge of the arena, and overcome by a severely draining feeling that seemed to pull away at his arcane energy, and his Ki. Mikey and Lark immediately jumped towards him and stood between Jenso and the newcomer. "I'd advise you listen to him. The last thing I need is to hear him speaking again."

"We're not going anywhere, man!" Mikey shouted, getting into a combat stance. Lark nodded and rose his blade.

"Sorry kid, I aint about to let anyone else I care about die to one of these freaks," Lark announced, looking to Mikey with a smile, "Name's Lark, by the way. You were.. Mikey?" Mikey looked to him and nodded. The red-draped man's eyes narrowed.

"Am I being ignored?" He asked, charging an inordinate amount of energy within his gut. His entire body began to glow with a crimson aura, but Mikey and Lark wouldn't budge.

"We've got your back, Jenso!"
"We've got your back, Jenso!"